China, ROK foreign ministers meet

08:24, May 14, 2024 By Cao Desheng ( China Daily

Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with his ROK counterpart Cho Tae-yul in Beijing on Monday. [Photo/Xinhua]

As the Republic of Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul kicked off a visit to China on Monday, expectations were high for the Northeast Asian country to show its sincerity with concrete actions to improve its relations with China.

The ties have worsened in the past two years amid the ROK's close alignment with the United States.

Cho's visit marks the first trip to Beijing by an ROK foreign minister in more than six years. Cho met with Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Monday and reportedly was to meet with ROK businesspeople in China during the two-day visit.

Cho has stressed the importance of maintaining stable ties with China, its largest trading partner and a key player in resolving the Korean Peninsula issue, since he took office as foreign minister early this year.

The ROK, which currently holds the rotating chair of the trilateral cooperation mechanism with China and Japan, is poised to host the leaders' meeting of the three countries at the end of this month.

The trilateral meeting was long stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a soured relationship among the three countries, and US disruption that has created obstacles for cooperation by the three nations.

The ROK's Yonhap News Agency reported on Monday that the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Japan Business Federation and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade plan to co-host a trilateral business summit later this month in Seoul.

Top executives of major companies from the three countries are expected to attend the gathering. Such gatherings have been held since 2009, with a view to expanding Northeast Asian economic cooperation and exchanges.

The business communities of the three countries held their trilateral gathering in 2019 in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on the sidelines of the China-Japan-ROK leaders' meeting.

During the foreign ministers' meeting of China, Japan and the ROK in Seoul in November, Foreign Minister Wang pointed out that amid the changing and turbulent international situation, the three countries should serve as "pacesetters" of East Asia cooperation, adhere to open regionalism, oppose drawing ideological lines, and resist turning regional cooperation into bloc politics.

The three countries should also serve as "stabilizers" by safeguarding regional peace and security, act on the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and stick to resolving differences and disputes through dialogue and consultation and by peaceful means, he said.

Experts said the divergences between Beijing and Seoul on the diplomatic front are widening mainly because of ROK politicians' malicious statements about the Taiwan question, the South China Sea issue and other China-related issues.

Dong Xiangrong, a senior fellow at the National Institute of International Strategy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that given the differences in positions on some hot issues between the two countries, it is necessary for both sides to have effective communication and enhance understanding to reduce friction.

Cho's visit provides an opportunity to open a new phase of communication between China and the ROK, Dong said, adding that it is hoped that after the visit, China-ROK relations can be handled in a more rational and objective manner.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Zain Group, a leading provider of innovative technologies and digital lifestyle communications operating in eight markets across the Middle East and Africa and serving 42.4 million customers, has registered solid operational performance for the first quarter across key markets with its consolidated revenue surging to hit KD466 million ($1.5 billion).

Announcing its consolidated financial results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2024, Zain said its ebitda for the quarter reached KD148 million ($480 million), reflecting an ebitda margin of 32%. Net income for the quarter reached KD29.2 million ($95 million), thus reflecting an earnings per share of 7 fils.

The tp telecom group said it had maintained stable revenue for the quarter due to strong top-line performance across main operations including Iraq (+14%), Kuwait (+7%), KSA (+5%) and Jordan (+3%).

This is despite the ongoing crisis and associated network operational challenges in Sudan where network services and coverage areas are gradually improving, it stated.

Group customer base was significantly impacted by the Sudan crisis due to damaging military attacks on business operating systems, inaccessibility to customer data centers, limited network coverage and retail distribution challenges.

Moreover, it is estimated that 6.5 million people have been internally displaced with 2 million migrating to neighbouring countries. Nevertheless, the recovery plan and new data center is seeing an exponential uptake in customers in Q2 2024, it added.

The decrease in Q1 2024 net income compared to the restated Q1 2023 net income, is mainly due to a one-time gain on sale and leaseback of the Zain KSA tower transaction.

The restatement of the Q1 2023 consolidated statement of profit and loss was due to the accounting of KSA tower transaction which was revisited in the Q4 2023 due to the significant judgements and estimations involved in assessing transfer of control. Excluding this impact of the restated KSA tower net profit gains, the drop in Q1 2024 Y-o-Y net income would be significantly less, it stated.

There is no impact on Zain Group of above restatement and reclassifications on the net profit and the consolidated financial statement reported and issued as at 31 December 2023, as all necessary adjustments required have already been accounted for in the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2023.

For the three-month period, the data revenue grew 1% to reach $595 million, representing 39% of the groups overall revenue. Also the group invested $39 million in Capex rolling out 5G and FTTH.

According to Zain, the Kuwait, KSA, Bahrain, and Jordan units continue to grow their 5G customer bases.

"The Board is working closely with executive management to address major socio-economic challenges in several key markets. In Sudan in particular, we acknowledge and pray for the safety of our dedicated workforce, who are making many personal sacrifices to provide meaningful connectivity to the local community. Zain Sudan is an important member of the Zain Group family and we will spare no efforts in supporting the team there to maintain the network and general operations," stated its Chairman Osamah Al Furaih.

"Notwithstanding, we remain focused on mitigating the impact of the Sudan crisis through different Group-wide operational measures including cost optimization, network upgrades, driving enterprise revenues, and the development of new lucrative business verticals across our footprint. Moreover, our Environmental, Social and Governance practices continue to be at the forefront of our sustainability and business strategies," he added.

Bader Al Kharafi, Zain Vice-Chairman and Group CEO, said: "Considering the excellent operational progress and digital transformation we have undertaken across our markets, its unfortunate that exceptional circumstances and network challenges in Sudan severely impacted our financial performance and customer base."

"Nevertheless, we are pleased with the overall revenue growth across other key markets, and through our mitigation efforts, we are currently seeing improvements on multiple levels in Sudan from the many network service availability and customer initiatives we are undertaking," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
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We know vaccines have been a miracle for public health. Now, new research led by the World Health Organization has found vaccines have saved an estimated 154 million lives in the past 50 years from 14 different diseases. Most of these have been children under five, and around two-thirds children under one year old.

In 1974 the World Health Assembly launched the Expanded Program on Immunization with the goal to vaccinate all children against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), measles, polio, tuberculosis and smallpox by 1990. The program was subsequently expanded to include several other diseases.

The modeling, marking 50 years since this program was established, shows a child aged under ten has about a 40% greater chance of living until their next birthday, compared to if we didn't have vaccines. And these positive effects can be seen well into adult life. A 50-year-old has a 16% greater chance of celebrating their next birthday thanks to vaccines.

What the study did

The researchers developed mathematical and statistical models which took in vaccine coverage data and population numbers from 194 countries for the years 19742024. Not all diseases were included (for example smallpox, which was eradicated in 1980, was left out).

The analysis includes vaccines for 14 diseases, with 11 of these included in the Expanded Program on Immunization. For some countries, additional vaccines such as Japanese encephalitis, meningitis A and yellow fever were included, as these diseases contribute to major disease burden in certain settings.

Credit: The Conversation

The models were used to simulate how diseases would have spread from 1974 to now, as vaccines were introduced, for each country and age group, incorporating data on increasing vaccine coverage over time.

Children are the greatest beneficiaries of vaccines

Since 1974, the rates of deaths in children before their first birthday has more than halved. The researchers calculated almost 40% of this reduction is due to vaccines.

The effects have been greatest for children born in the 1980s because of the intensive efforts made globally to reduce the burden of diseases like measles, polio and whooping cough.

Some 60% of the 154 million lives saved would have been lives lost to measles. This is likely due to its ability to spread rapidly. One person with measles can spread the infection to 1218 people.

Credit: The Conversation

The study also found some variation across different parts of the world. For example, vaccination programs have had a much greater impact on the probability of children living longer across low- and middle-income countries and settings with weaker health systems such as the eastern Mediterranean and African regions. These results highlight the important role vaccines play in promoting health equity.

Vaccine success is not assured

Low or declining vaccine coverage can lead to epidemics which can devastate communities and overwhelm health systems.

Notably, the COVID pandemic saw an overall decline in measles vaccine coverage, with 86% of children having received their first dose in 2019 to 83% in 2022. This is concerning because very high levels of vaccination coverage (more than 95%) are required to achieve herd immunity against measles.

Credit: The Conversation



In Australia, the coverage for childhood vaccines, including measles, mumps and rubella, has declined compared to before the pandemic.

This study is a reminder of why we need to continue to vaccinatenot just against measles, but against all diseases we have safe and effective vaccines for.

The results of this research don't tell us the full story about the impact of vaccines. For example, the authors didn't include data for some vaccines such as COVID and HPV (human papillomavirus). Also, like with all modeling studies, there are some uncertainties, as data was not available for all time periods and countries.

Nonetheless, the results show the success of global vaccination programs over time. If we want to continue to see lives saved, we need to keep investing in vaccination locally, regionally and globally.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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More than 20,000 volunteers have been recruited to a resource aimed at speeding up the development of much-needed dementia drugs. The cohort will enable scientists in universities and industry to involve healthy individuals who may be at increased risk of dementia in clinical trials to test whether new drugs can slow the decline in various brain functions including memory and delay the onset of dementia.

Using the resource, scientists have already been able to show for the first time that two important bodily mechanismsinflammation and metabolismplay a role in the decline in brain function as we age.

By 2050, approximately 139 million people are expected to be living with dementia worldwide. In the UK, in 2022, the UK Prime Minister launched the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission, part of the government's commitment to double increase research funding for dementia.

Although there has been recent progress developing drugs that slow down progression of the disease, the two leading treatments only have a small effect, and the vast majority of new approaches that work in animal studies fail when it comes to patient clinical trials.

One explanation for these failures is that the drugs are tested in people who already have memory lossand by this point, it may be too late to stop or reverse the disease. Hence, there is an urgent need to understand what is going on before people develop symptoms at the very early stages of disease, and to test new treatments before people come to their doctor with cognitive problems. This approach requires a large cohort of participants willing to be recalled for clinical and experimental studies of cognitive decline.

Writing in the journal Nature Medicine, scientists led by the University of Cambridge in partnership with the Alzheimer's Society report how they have recruited 21,000 people aged 1785 to the Genes and Cognition Cohort within the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) BioResource.

The NIHR BioResource was established in 2007 to recruit volunteers keen to engage in experimental medicine and clinical trials across the whole of medicine. Approximately half of its participants are recruited to disease specific cohorts, but the other half are from the general public, and detailed information about their genetics and their physical makeup has been collected. They have all given their consent to be contacted about future research studies.

For the Genes and Cognition Cohort, researchers used a combination of cognitive tests and genetic data, combined with other health data and demographic information, to enable the first at-scale study of cognitive changes. This will allow the team to recruit participants for studies of cognitive decline and new treatments for this.

For example, a pharmaceutical company with a promising new drug candidate to slow the cognitive decline could recruit people through the BioResource based on their profile and invite them to join in the clinical trial. Having a baseline measurement for their cognitive performance will allow scientists to observe whether the drug slows their expected cognitive decline.

Professor Patrick Chinnery from the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Cambridge and co-Chair of the NIHR BioResource, who led the project, said, "We've created a resource that is unmatched anywhere else in the world, recruiting people who are not showing any signs of dementia rather than people already having symptoms. It will allow us to match individuals to particular studies and speed up the development of much-needed new drugs to treat dementia.

"We know that over time our cognitive function decreases, so we've plotted out the expected trajectory of various different cognitive functions over our volunteers' life course according to their genetic risk. We've also asked the question, 'What are the genetic mechanisms that predispose you to slow or fast cognitive decline as you age?'"

Using the research, the team has identified two mechanisms that appear to affect cognition as we age and could serve as potential targets to slow down cognitive decline and thereby delay the onset of dementia. The first of these is inflammation, with immune cells specific to the brain and central nervous systemknown as microgliacausing gradual deterioration of the brain and hence its ability to perform key cognitive functions. The second mechanism relates to metabolismin particular, how carbohydrates are broken down in the brain to release energy.

Professor Chinnery added, "Cognitive decline is a natural process, but when it drops below a particular threshold, that's when there's a problemthat is when we would diagnose dementia. Anything that slows that decline will delay when we drop below that threshold. If you could put off the onset of dementia from 65 to 75 or even 85, it would make a huge difference at an individual and at a population level."

Dr. Richard Oakley, Associate Director of Research and Innovation at Alzheimer's Society, said, "This exciting study... is an important step in helping us to better understand how the diseases that cause dementia begin, and will aid in the development of new treatments that target the early stages of these diseases. The data, from over 20,000 volunteers, helps us to better understand the connection between participants' genes and cognitive decline and allows for further ground-breaking analysis in future.

"One in three people born in the UK today will go on to develop dementia in their lifetime but research will beat dementia. We need to make it a reality sooner through more funding, partnership working and people taking part in dementia research."

More information: Rahman, MS et al. Dynamics of cognitive variability with age and its genetic underpinning in NIHR BioResource Genes and Cognition Cohort participants, Nature Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41591-024-02960-5 Journal information: Nature Medicine
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A massive upsurge in dengue cases marked by multiple outbreaks is occurring worldwide and raising new questions about who is at elevated risk of severe forms of the mosquito-transmitted disease.

Incidence of the infection has increased by orders of magnitude throughout the so-called dengue belt, which encompasses Central and South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia and swaths of the South Pacific, home to densely populated islands. Dengue, without question, is the most widespread and rapidly increasing vector-borne disease in the world, according to the World Health Organization.

In the Americas alone, more than 5.2 million cases have been documented and more than 1,000 deaths were reported within the first three months of 2024, the Pan American Health Organization reported in April, noting a marked surge over the same period in 2023.

The story is similar in other dengue-affected areas of the world where lapses in vector control have conspired with global climate change to create an explosion of bloodthirsty mosquitoes, swarms of them moving into regions once considered dengue-free. Only female mosquitoes feed on blood, they're in constant need of the nutrients in it to nurture their eggs.

Now, more than two decades of dengue surveillance in Thailand is answering a slew of questions at a time when the world needs guidance most.

Findings from the research have revealed how various subgroupswhat virologists call subtypesof the dengue virus influence future risk of severe infection. It has been known for years that those who become infected in subsequent outbreaks, after a usually mild bout with a first-time infection, are at significant risk of severe disease in later dengue exposures. New research finally has analyzed more than 15,000 cases to discern why that is so.

Writing in Science Translational Medicine, a global team of scientists has explained how the four dengue viral subtypesDENV-1, 2, 3, and 4influence the risk of repeated severe infections. The findings provide a new framework for disease monitoring and lay the foundation for vaccination strategies as the new dengue immunizations emerge.

The team also underscored how dengue, a pernicious tropical malady, can be understood within the context of other common viral diseases that circle the globe.

"The ability of viruses, such as SARS-CoV- 2 and influenza, to continuously change their genetic structure in response to the selective pressure of population immunity complicates control efforts," said Dr. Lin Wang, lead author of the dengue study.

"In the case of dengue virus, an arbovirus that infects more than 100 million people each year, the situation is even more complex," Wang continued. "Individuals with high dengue virus antibody titers are protected from infection and developing severe disease.

"However, individuals with sub-neutralizing antibody titers have been shown to have the highest risk of severe disease, through multiple hypothesized mechanisms including antibody-dependent enhancement," emphasized Wang, a researcher in the genetics department at the University of Cambridge in England.

A dengue infection can be tricky. Some patients who have weathered an infection but get infected in a subsequent outbreak can have more severe symptoms the second time around. Yet, most research on repeat dengue infections has regarded each of the serotypes as no different from the other, Wang and colleagues contend, noting that an assessment of each serotype's genetic differences was needed to provide a clearer picture of potential risks.

To develop that clearer picture, researchers studied each serotype in more than 15,000 patients' infections as a way to peel away much of the mystery surrounding why first-time dengue illnesses are traditionally milder than subsequent ones. Working with Wang were collaborators from two centers in Bangkok, Thailand; multiple research institutes in the United States and one in France.

To determine how each of the viral serotypes affects the risk of severe disease, Wang and colleagues analyzed viral genetic data. The team also studied cases of patients hospitalized for dengue to determine which viral subtype caused their infections. Researchers gathered data from 21 years of dengue surveillance, ranging from 1994 to 2014, in a children's hospital in Bangkok, encompassing 15,281 individual cases. This allowed them to find repeat cases and each viral subtype in all infections.

Based on the pediatric patients' hospital records, researchers discovered a link between hospitalization and the order in which patients became infected with different dengue-virus serotypes. They were also able to determine which combinations of viral subtypes pointed to mild or severe forms of dengue. For instance, people who became infected with serotypes that were very similar, such as DENV-3 and DENV-4, or very different serotypes as in the case of DENV-1 and DENV-4, tended to have a lower risk of severe disease during the second infection.

That said, patients who were infected with serotypes that were only moderately different had a higher risk of severe symptoms in subsequent infections. The highest risk group in this category involved patients who had an initial infection with DENV-2 followed by a subsequent infection triggered by DENV-1.

The new research adds clarity to a disease risk that may seem paradoxical to the lay public. For example, most people infected with dengue virus for the first time develop extremely mild signs of the disease or none at all. But for those who do get sick, soaring fever, headache, body aches, nausea and rash are the primary symptoms, and they intensify in severe manifestations of the infection.

For more than a century a severe bout with dengue has been known as breakbone fever because of the intensity of the pain and accompanying muscle spasms.

The virus is carried in the tropics and subtropics by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which are endemic in the dengue belt. But while the belt, which runs through latitudes 35-degrees North and 35-degrees South, has traditionally been home to dengue-carrying mosquitoes, the arthropods have been extending their range northward as global climate change intensifies, scientists say.

Wang, meanwhile, reports that the collaborative research has set the stage to better understand immune system function in subsequent, severe dengue infections.

"These findings suggest that immune imprinting helps determine dengue disease risk and provides a pathway to monitor the changing risk profile of populations and to quantifying risk profiles of candidate vaccines," Wang concluded. "This will become increasingly important as dengue vaccines begin to get used."

More information: Lin Wang et al, Antigenic distance between primary and secondary dengue infections correlates with disease risk, Science Translational Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adk3259 Journal information: Science Translational Medicine

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Boxes of the drug mifepristone sit on a shelf at the West Alabama Women's Center in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on March 16, 2022. A new survey puts a number to how often medical providers in states with laws that seek to protect them from prosecution are prescribing abortion pills to women in states with abortion bans or limits on prescribing the bills by telehealth. Credit: AP Photo/Allen G. Breed, File

Thousands of women in states with abortion bans and restrictions are receiving abortion pills in the mail from states that have laws protecting prescribers, a new report shows.

Tuesday's release of the #WeCount survey shows about 8,000 women a month in states that severely restrict abortion or place limits on having one through telehealth were getting the pills by mail by the end of 2023, the first time a number has been put on how often the medical system workaround is being used. The research was conducted for the Society of Family Planning, which supports abortion rights.

An additional 8,000 women in states without bans or major restrictions on telehealth abortion were receiving pills each month through virtual appointments, the study showed.

In all, the survey counted about 90,000 monthly surgical or medication abortions offered by medical providers in 2023, higher than the previous year. Another study recently found that close to two-thirds of the total use pills.

The group found that by December 2023, providers in states with the protections were prescribing pills to about 6,000 women a month in states where abortion was banned at all stages of pregnancy or once cardiac activity can be detectedabout six weeks, often before women realize they're pregnant. The prescriptions also were going to about 2,000 women a month in states where the local laws limit abortion pill prescriptions by telemedicine.

"People ... are using the various mechanisms to get pills that are out there," Drexel University law professor David Cohen said. This "is not surprising based on what we know throughout human history and across the world: People will find a way to terminate pregnancies they don't want."

Medication abortions typically involve a combination two drugs: mifepristone and misoprostol. The rise of these pills is one reason total abortion numbers increased even after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

A Pew Research Center poll conducted in April found that Americans are substantially more likely to say that medication abortion should be legal, rather than illegal, in their state. According to the poll, which didn't look at laws protecting prescribers, more than half of U.S. adults think medication abortion should be legal in their state, a fifth of them say it should be illegal, and about a quarter say they aren't sure.

After Roe was overturned, abortion bans took effect in most Republican-controlled states. Fourteen states now prohibit it with few exceptions, while three others bar it after about six weeks of pregnancy.

But many Democratic-controlled states went the opposite way. They've adopted laws intended to protect people in their states from investigations involving abortion-related crimes by authorities in other states. By the end of last year, five of those statesColorado, Massachusetts, New York, Vermont and Washingtonhad such protections in place specifically to cover abortion pill prescriptions by telemedicine.

Abortion-rights activists holds a signs as they protest outside of the Supreme Court during a rally, March 26, 2024, in Washington. A new survey puts a number to how often medical providers in states with laws that seek to protect them from prosecution are prescribing abortion pills to women in states with abortion bans or limits on prescribing the bills by telehealth. Credit: AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, file

"If a Colorado provider provides telehealth care to a patient who's in Texas, Colorado will not participate in any Texas criminal action or civil lawsuit," Cohen said. "Colorado says, 'The care that was provided in our state was legal. It follows our laws because the provider was in our state.'"

Wendy Stark, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, called the shield law there "a critical win for abortion access in our state."

James Bopp Jr., general counsel for the National Right to Life Committee, said the law where the abortion takes placenot where the prescriber is locatedshould apply in pill-by-telemedicine abortions. That's the way it is with other laws, he said.

But unlike many other aspects of abortion policy, this issue hasn't been tested in court yet.

Bopp said that the only way to challenge a shield law in court would be for a prosecutor in a state with a ban to charge an out-of-state prescriber with providing an illegal abortion.

"It'll probably occur, and we'll get a legal challenge," Bopp said.

Researchers note that before the shield laws took effect, people were obtaining abortion pills from sources outside the formal medical system, but it's not clear exactly how many.

Alison Norris, an epidemiologist at Ohio State University and a lead researcher on the #WeCount report, said the group is not breaking down how many pills were shipped to each state with a ban "to maintain the highest level of protection for individuals receiving that care and providers providing that care."

Dr. Rebecca Gomperts, director of Aid Access, an abortion pill supplier working with U.S. providers, said having more shield laws will make the health care system more resilient.

"They're extremely important because they make doctors and providers ... feel safe and protected," said Gomperts, whose organization's numbers were included in the #WeCount report. "I hope what we will see in the end is that all the states that are not banning abortion will adopt shield laws."

 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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An innovative tool for the targeted modification of gene activity in heart muscle cells could establish itself as a standard method for research into cardiovascular diseases.

Dr. Patrick Laurette and his colleagues at the German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), led by Prof. Ralf Gilsbach, have successfully reduced the activity of individual genes in mouse heart muscle cells using the CRISPRi system.

This technology allows for the temporary suppression of gene expression without altering the genetic sequence. It thus avoids the potential risks associated with direct intervention in the genome. The study is published in Circulation Research.

CRISPRi is based on the CRISPR-Cas genome editing system but lacks the ability to cut DNA, a so-called "dead CAS" (dCAS) and is fused to a KRAB repressor domain. Using a short RNA as a molecular guide dCas9 can bind to specific DNA sequences. As a result, the target region in the genome is epigenetically silenced, and a gene can no longer be read. This blockade is called "epigenetic silencing."

To introduce the CRISPRi system into the heart muscle cells of mice, the researchers used adeno-associated viruses (AAV), which do not integrate into the genome. One challenge was to package the entire system into the limited genomic capacity of the AAVs. The researchers succeeded in doing this by using a particularly small dCAS. Although other viral vectors have more capacity in this respect, they cannot efficiently reach heart muscle cells or integrate into the genome.

Effective blockade in the heart muscle

Dr. Patrick Laurette and his colleagues at Heidelberg University Hospital demonstrated how well epigenetic silencing with the AAV-CRISPRi system works in heart cells for several genes and enhancers. The activity of some genes decreased by up to 95 percent. Enhancers are regulatory elements that can fine-tune gene expression from distant genomic regions.

"The complexity of the mammalian organism is the result of around 1 million regulatory elements. There are between 50,000 and 100,000 of these enhancers in heart muscle cells alone," says Prof. Ralf Gilsbach. They are now focusing on modulating these regulatory elements using their new method to treat diseases such as heart failure or cardiac arrhythmia.

Translational perspective

Gilsbach emphasizes the translational significance of this approach, which makes it possible to specifically influence gene expression in vivo without changing the DNA sequence. The method is also titratable, meaning it can be regulated and its effect can be reversed. Compared to other methods, such as genetic knock-out, in which genes are destroyed, the AAV-CRISPRi system offers a more precise imitation of natural regulatory mechanisms.

Methodically optimized and further developed, the procedure could also be used for human therapy in the long term. "I am convinced that this approach has translational significance, even if it is difficult to predict how quickly development will continue here," says Gilsbach.

There are already numerous companies that are considering AAVs to deliver CRISPR components for therapies. Among other things, they are working on avoiding unwanted antibody reactions. This is because humans have antibodies against AAV and often also against the CRISPR protein derived from bacteria.

More information: P. Laurette et al, In Vivo Silencing of Regulatory Elements Using a Single AAV-CRISPRi Vector, Circulation Research (2023). DOI: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.123.323854 Journal information: Circulation Research

Provided by Deutsches Zentrum fur Herz-Kreislauf-Forschung e.V.
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Intranasal exposure of SARS-CoV-2 exhibited ocular tropism to the eye, lungs, and brain, whereas ocular exposure failed to inseminate the virus to the lungs. Credit: PLOS Pathogens (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012156

The blood-retinal barrier is designed to protect our vision from infections by preventing microbial pathogens from reaching the retina where they could trigger an inflammatory response with potential vision loss. But researchers at the University of Missouri School of Medicine have discovered the virus that causes COVID-19 can breach this protective retinal barrier with potential long-term consequences in the eye.

Pawan Kumar Singh, Ph.D., an assistant professor of ophthalmology, leads a team researching new ways to prevent and treat ocular infectious diseases. Using a humanized ACE2 mice model, the team found that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can infect the inside of the eyes even when the virus doesn't enter the body through the surface of the eyes.

Instead, they found that when viruses enter the body through inhalation, it not only infects organs like lungs, but also reaches highly protected organs like eyes through the blood-retinal barrier by infecting the cells lining this barrier.

"This finding is important as we increase our understanding of the long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection," said Singh. "Earlier, researchers were primarily focused on the ocular surface exposure of the virus. However, our findings reveal that SARS-CoV-2 not only reaches the eye during systemic infection but induces a hyperinflammatory response in the retina and causes cell death in the blood-retinal barrier. The longer viral remnants remain in the eye, the risk of damage to the retina and visual function increases."

Singh also discovered that extended presence of SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen can cause retinal microaneurysm, retinal artery and vein occlusion, and vascular leakage.

"For those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, we recommend you ask your ophthalmologist to check for signs of pathological changes to the retina," Singh said. "Even those who were asymptomatic could suffer from damage in the eyes over time because of COVID-19 associated complications."

While viruses and bacteria have been found to breach the blood-retinal-barrier in immunocompromised people, this research is the first to suggest that the virus that causes COVID-19 could breach the barrier even in otherwise healthy individuals, leading to an infection that manifests inside the eye itself. Immunocompromised patients or those with hypertension or diabetes may experience worse outcomes if they remain undiagnosed for COVID-19 associated ocular symptoms.

"Now that we know the risk of COVID-19 to the retina, our goal is to better understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms of how this virus breaches the blood-retinal barrier and associated pathological consequences in hopes of informing development of therapies to prevent and treat COVID-19 induced eye complications before a patient's vision is compromised," Singh said.

This study, titled "SARS-CoV-2 infects cells lining the blood-retinal barrier and induces a hyperinflammatory immune response in the retina via systemic exposure," was recently published in PLOS Pathogens.

In addition to Singh, the research team from the University of Missouri School of Medicine included Vaishnavi Balendiran, MD, vitreoretinal surgery fellow; Monu Monu and Faraz Ahmad, post-doctoral fellows in the Department of Ophthalmology; and Rachel M. Olson, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Laboratory for Infectious Disease Research at the College of Veterinary Medicine.

More information: Monu Monu et al, SARS-CoV-2 infects cells lining the blood-retinal barrier and induces a hyperinflammatory immune response in the retina via systemic exposure, PLOS Pathogens (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012156 Journal information: PLoS Pathogens
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Higher ed experts foresee enrollment decline due to botched FAFSA rollout

The botched launch of the 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) may lead to a precipitous drop in college enrollments for the upcoming school year that could surpass those reported following the COVID-19 pandemic, according to higher education experts and advocates.

MorraLee Keller, senior director of strategic programming at the National College Attainment Network (NCAN), told BestColleges that the country should brace for the worst but hope for the best.

"We may be in for a very drastic change," she said about the enrollment impact. "We're on a path that could leave us 10%-15% behind last year."

Lawmakers and panelists representing higher education stakeholders echoed Keller's concerns in a hearing of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development held April 10. Many testified that continued FAFSA issues may leave hundreds of thousands of students deciding to forgo college for the 2024-25 academic year.

"This dark reality directly opposes the intended purpose of the [FAFSA] Simplification Act, serving as a slap in the face to students wanting to be somebody and achieve the promise of higher education," Rep. Frederica Wilson, a Democrat representing Florida, said during the hearing.

Panelists also expressed mounting frustration with how the Department of Education (ED) has navigated this crisis.

FAFSA Completions Lag Previous Years

NCAN's FAFSA Tracker paints a bleak picture of this year's FAFSA cycle.

Through March 29, an estimated 35% of soon-to-graduate high schoolers had submitted a FAFSA. That's a 27.1% decrease from the same time last year and a difference of over 541,000 students.

BestColleges

Submissions Are Down for the Class of 2024

Declines are even more pronounced for students coming from low-income or high-minority schools.

BestColleges

Numbers Lag in These Demographic Categories

The implication is that without a drastic change in the coming months, it'll be low-income students and those from underrepresented backgrounds who will suffer the most from FAFSA issues.

Keller expressed extreme doubt that submissions and completions will ever reach 2023-24 levels.

"Do I see a universe where we surpass that completion rate?" she asked. "I just don't."

Known processing or data errors potentially affect 30% of submitted FAFSAs, ED said, and 16% require a student correction.

Enrollment Drop-Off Imminent

Panelists at the House hearing agreed that it's not a question of whether FAFSA issues will cause an enrollment drop, but how much will enrollment decline.

In his opening remarks, Republican Rep. Burgess Owens of Utah floated the possibility of a 20% drop in enrollment. Keller told BestColleges she predicts something closer to 10%-15%.

Both declines are more severe than those seen following the COVID-19 pandemic.

These predictions come because FAFSA completion correlates with a student enrolling in college.

Kim Cook, CEO of NCAN, said during the House hearing that students are 70% more likely to enroll in college the following semester if they complete a FAFSA, as the application makes them eligible for federal, state, and institutional financial aid.

As delays stretch on, some worry students may forgo enrolling in college this fall altogether.

Decision Day is typically May 1 for most universities. Rachelle Feldman, vice provost of enrollment at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill, said during the hearing that her institution would normally have sent all financial aid award letters to accepted students by the end of March, giving them a full month to weigh their options and choose.

Now, she said she hopes to send award letters by the first week of May, but that's not a guarantee.

That means even for schools that extended their decision deadline to June 1  which isn't all universities  students have just a few weeks to make a major life decision.

"I worry most about a student in, say, rural North Carolina that has heard all their life  they can't afford college," Feldman said, "and we can't get them the document that proves they can, and we lose out on that talent."

An Ongoing Effort

The FAFSA cycle isn't over yet.

Keller of NCAN said there will need to be a unique push this year to continue encouraging students and families to submit their FAFSA into the summer. They may miss important deadlines, but students can submit their applications the day before classes begin and still qualify for federal financial aid like Pell Grants and student loans.

Jill Desjean, senior policy analyst at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, told BestColleges that this will still require ED to address ongoing issues.

One remaining issue, she said, is the need to reprocess 20% of FAFSAs.

ED originally was going to let some FAFSAs remain with errors if those errors would give students access to more financial aid. Desjean said that many financial aid administrators worried, however, that doing so would draw ire from accrediting agencies and other oversight groups who would question why schools were improperly awarding taxpayer funds to students.

"We're constantly being told by the department that we need to make sure that the right amounts of money get into the right students' hands," she said.

ED later reversed its stance and decided to reprocess all FAFSAs with errors.

Desjean added that it'll be important to push students to submit their FAFSA through the summer. The reality is, however, that many graduating high school seniors will lose access to their school's guidance counselors once they receive their diploma.

"We're squeezing so much work into a short time frame," she said.

Other Options Remain for Affected Students

There is one potential beneficiary of FAFSA issues, Keller said: Community colleges.

Most community colleges don't have decision deadlines like four-year universities. That means students who miss out on the initial wave of decisions due to FAFSA hiccups can still submit their applications over the summer and enroll in a community college in the fall.

"There's a chance that community colleges could benefit from this," Keller said.

However, that comes with other issues.

Desjean explained that community colleges likely aren't prepared to take in a large influx of students this fall.

Additionally, she said transferring credits isn't always as easy as it seems. So, if students decide to enroll in a community college to transfer into a four-year university later, they should be careful to take classes that will actually be transferable.

Keller added that even if students miss enrollment deadlines, they should consider whether they can enroll in the spring semester instead. Doing so may impact how much institutional aid they qualify for, but they'll still be eligible for federal financial aid.

Looking Ahead to 2025-26 School Year

Republican Rep. Brandon Williams of New York asked the panel of experts to rate their confidence level that ED's 2025-26 FAFSA rollout will be "flawless" this October.

The panel's responses:

"Medium. We have less than six months until the Oct. 1 start date. I'm not certain that they [won't] have to delay that start date."

"Low."

"Medium."

"I'd also say low. I think right now I have no confidence that we'll have any records at the beginning of October."

Mark Kantrowitz, a financial aid expert and president of Cerebly Inc., explained that ED is already behind schedule for the 2025-26 FAFSA.

He told lawmakers that Federal Student Aid (FSA) typically publishes a draft version of the next FAFSA in March, which would then be released to the public to complete on Oct. 1. Halfway through April, ED has yet to publish any draft of the 2025-26 form.

"They could still get it done by Oct. 1," Kantrowitz said, "but I've seen no signs that they are working on it."

This story was produced by BestColleges and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media.
Amidst strong evidence for academic success, Montana remains one of just four U.S. states that does not provide a public early education option for families with young children.

Fortunately, during the 2023 legislative session HB 352 passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, allowing schools to offer new targeted early literacy interventions aimed at improving third grade reading scores.

Right now, only 46% of Montana's kids in school are reading at or above grade-level. Ill repeat that  less than half of our states students are meeting a vital benchmark.

Literacy gaps appear in children well before they enter kindergarten, and 1 in 3 kids will enter school without those skills. Reading proficiently by the end of third grade is a crucial marker in a child's educational development and is a predictor of later life outcomes. We know that during a childs first five years of life, their brains develop rapidly, making exposure to quality early learning experiences essential for future success.

Many school districts are already well underway with the implementation of HB 352. However, for those who are just learning about this, it is a great time to start the conversation and see if it is a good fit for your community and families. We have heard from parents across the state who need more early learning options that are responsive to the needs of children and families in their community.

According to the new legislation, parents must request a screening to see if their child will qualify for programs offered by their school district. The screening evaluation must be age-appropriate and backed by research to determine if a child will need targeted interventions to read at proficient levels by the end of third grade. Local school districts can offer early literacy programs, starting at age four, taught by qualified teachers.

Additionally, the early literacy interventions made possible through HB 352, allows communities to offer another early education option for young children alongside existing Head Start, private and non-profit child care programs, and other services  ultimately expanding access to the support that best meets their needs.

The new legislation also puts into place important markers of accountability. Other states that have made investments in early literacy also use data to make improvements, along with evidence-based curriculum and quality assessment markers. This information will help our state ensure kids are on track to meet or exceed third grade reading standards.

Developing literacy skills at an early age ensures children today are set up for future success in their careers, helping to build a stronger economy and ensuring Montana is a great place to live for years to come. According to the U.S. Chamber Foundation, for every $1 we invest in early childhood, the return on investment is $16 back in the form of reduced special education needs, higher rates of grade level retention, reduced incarceration rates, improved health, and future employment outcomes.

Its elementary  early literacy matters.
South Korean builder GS Engineering & Construction Company has announced that one of its key units has secured a 2.4 trillion-won ($1.7 billion) contract from Oman government to build a desalination facility in the sultanate, reported Yonhap.

GS Inima Environment will be signing the big deal with Oman Power & Water Procurement Company (OPWP) for the timely completion of project by 2027, stated the report citing the environment ministry.

Under this contract, GS Inima will have the rights to operate the desalination facility for 20 years following its completion.

The key facility, which will come up in capital Muscat, will boast a capacity of 300,000 tonnes per day of drinking water to local residents, it added.
Overview

Convened by RUSI and the United Nations Association - UK, this conference takes place the week before International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. It aims to highlight the work undertaken by peacekeepers around the world, while also providing a forum to discuss the challenges they face.

The conference will cover three key areas:

Host-nation consent, in particular how strategic communications and intelligence gathering should be used in support of peacekeeping operations.

Cyprus at 60, reflecting on one of the longest-running UN peacekeeping operations.

Caring for the peacekeepers, including supporting the mental health of peacekeepers and understanding the challenges faced, in particular, by women in peacekeeping.

The conference will start with introductions by Dr Karin von Hippel, Director-General of RUSI, and His Excellency Mr Yoon Yeocheol, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea.

At about 13:00 the conference will pause for the Diplomats' wreath laying ceremony.

Confirmed speakers:

Whit Mason, RUSI Associate Fellow.

Dr Alexandra Novosseloff, Centre Thucydide of the University Paris-Pantheon-Assas

Colin Stewart, SRSG UNFICYP.

Professor Neil Greenberg, Professor of Defence Mental Health, Kings College London.

Lieutenant Colonel Sophie Gregory

Dr Manal Abu AL Ghanam, Jordanian Armed Forces

Joining Instructions

This is an in-person only conference taking place at RUSI, 61 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2ET. Tickets to attend are available to purchase. Lunch and refreshments will be provided on the day for delegates.

Attribution: Prepared remarks will be on the record and unprepared remarks and Q&A sessions will be off the record.
The Communication Authority has announced that Kenyans should brace for slow internet in the coming days.

The Authority attributed the intermittent outage to a deep-sea fiber cut at the Mtunzini teleport station. This fiber cut impacted several submarine cables that serve Kenya, including Seacom and the East African Submarine System (Eassy).

The CA assured the public that the recovery process is underway to restore internet services.

Director-General and CEO David Mugonyi stated in a Monday statement that internet intermittency and slow speeds may persist until services are fully restored.

He directed service providers to proactively secure alternative routes for their traffic.

Mugonyi emphasized that the Authority is closely monitoring the situation to ensure uninterrupted incoming and outbound internet connectivity.

He noted that the East Africa Marine System (TEAMS) cable, unaffected by the cut, is currently handling local traffic flow, while redundancy measures on the South Africa route have been activated to minimize the impact.

This announcement follows complaints from internet users in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Uganda regarding poor connectivity.

Similar outages were experienced in parts of West and Southern Africa in March.
The Customs Departments Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) in India apprehended three Kenyan women at Mumbais Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Saturday for allegedly smuggling gold.

According to The Hindustan Times, AIU officials set up a trap at the airport and intercepted Samira Mohamed Abdi, Feiza Abdi Dekh Hassan, and Fardowsa Ahmed Abdi upon their arrival at CSMI airport on Saturday.

They arrived in Mumbai from Addis Ababa via Ethiopian Airlines.

All three approached the customs Red Channel, asserting their intention to declare gold items. They collectively declared 2.540 kg of gold. However, upon inspection, officials discovered that the actual weight of the gold was 3.018 kilograms, indicating misdeclaration.

During a search, officials also found 11 gold bars concealed in Samiras undergarments.

Hassan and Abdi reportedly confessed during interrogation that they had entrusted the gold bars to Samira for concealment. They were allegedly smuggling 22 KT gold melted bars totaling 4,483 grams, collectively valued at 2.60 crore (Kes.40 million).

The passengers admitted that the gold belonged to them and they had purchased the said gold from one Ahmed who is residing at Eastleigh, Nairobi on credit and that they were supposed to sell the gold in the local market in India and the profits from the same they were supposed to take back to Nairobi, AIU stated.
Public Service and Delivery Management Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria cautioned President William Ruto against endorsing homosexuality during his US state visit.

Speaking during a funds drive for St. Pauls ACK College in Nandi County on Sunday, the CS welcomed the invitation of the president to the White House, where President Joe Biden will host him for a bilateral meeting.

Kuria highlighted that President Rutos state visit to the US is significant, marking more than 60 years of diplomatic ties between the United States of America and Kenya.

It will be an auspicious state visit for another African president to be hosted in the White House after more than a decade, allowing President Ruto to negotiate for bilateral cooperation, trade, among other developments, on behalf of Kenyan citizens, he stated.

The CS emphasized that Kenyans are primarily concerned with fostering ties that promote development between the two countries, and all leaders support the presidents efforts to lobby for partnerships in areas of mutual interest.

What we cannot agree with the US is the marriage between couples of the same sex. We urge the president not to accept policies condoning homosexuality that may be advocated for in Kenya. Such vices are not African and not accepted in our religions, he added.

President Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto are expected in Washington between May 23 and 24 for a state visit and a series of meetings on business ties and development progress in Africa.
Dewan Architects + Engineers, a leading force in architectural innovation, has reaffirmed its unyielding commitment to the Amaala Yacht Club project, set within the integrated wellness haven being developed by Red Sea Global (RSG) on the north-western coast of Saudi Arabia.

Its role as the lead consultant on the Yacht Club has been comprehensive, overseeing the project's journey from conceptual design to the issuance of construction documents.

Leveraging advanced Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology, Dewan has ensured a streamlined and efficient design process, facilitating unparalleled collaboration among consultants and stakeholders.

This modern approach has optimized project delivery and set a new benchmark in architectural design and construction management, it stated.

Designed by HKS with interiors by ROAM, the Yacht Clubs unique, organic geometric shape posed significant design challenges, navigated through BIM.

Mohammed Ibrahim, Senior Design Manager at Dewan, explained the group's commitment to innovation and contemporary design solutions, as evidenced in the Amaala Yacht Club project, which is set to be completed in 2025.

"To meet challenges, one must be innovative and contemporary. This has been exemplified during our work on the Amaala Yacht Club, which features a unique, curved, organic geometric shape," stated Ibrahim.

"We utilised modern systems in architectural design and construction, specifically BIM, to accomplish all design stages efficiently. By linking all building information into a unified environment (BIM Collaborate Pro), the team has been able to achieve rapid collaboration and coordination among project stakeholders," he added.

During the schematic design stage, Ibrahim said the Dewan design team focused on modeling the project's facade and converting all curved complex geometry into a Revit environment, later proceeding to manage multidisciplinary coordination.

"In the detailed design stage, Revit was utilised to model the interior design, encompassing lighting and FF&E (Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment). Lastly, during the tender stage, comprehensive documentation was created using BIM Collaborate Pro to facilitate the tendering process for the project, which is targeting LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certification," he explained.

Christopher Stock, the Head of BIM Operations, said: "By transferring the building geometry elements into the Revit environment and assigning them appropriate parameters, the design team effectively addressed the challenge posed by the unique shape."

"The views features of Autodesk tools were employed to engineer and coordinate the construction of various building shape assemblies," he added.

Through leveraging BIM Collaborate Pro, Revit, and Navisworks during the design of the Yacht Club, the Dewan design team reported substantial time savings.

They recorded an average overall time saving of 43% during collaboration, 17% during design, and 28% during change management. Additionally, they achieved a 40% time saving in design collaboration.

With the first phase of Amaala, the Triple Bay masterplan, set to open its doors to guests in 2025, Dewan said it was proud to be associated with Amaala Yacht Club and lead modern, innovative approaches in architectural design and construction management.

Currently under construction, phase one introduces eight resorts with over 1,200 hotel keys, paving the way for an expansive development offering over 3,800 hotel rooms and 1,200 luxury residential units, explained Ibrahim.

Amaala's integrated experiences, from health and wellness to arts and culture, promise a guest experience without parallel, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
The 11-member select committee of the National Assembly has exonerated Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi in the fake fertilizer scandal.

Seven out of 11 committee members voted to absolve Linturi of impeachment charges related to the distribution of fake fertilizer in the country.

During the drafting of the final report, it emerged that the select committee was strategically assembled to save Linturi. Insider reports confirmed intense lobbying and underhand dealings aimed at preventing Linturis impeachment.

The report was presented by Marsabit woman representative Naomi Waqo, who chaired the 11-member select committee.

Waqo stated that the majority of members found the allegations against the CS unsubstantiated.

The clearance of the Agriculture CS triggered outrage from Azimio MPs, including Bumula MP Jack Wamboka, who initiated the impeachment motion against Mithika Linturi.

National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi remarked, Even if this House attempts to allow Mithika Linturi to go scot-free, in the fullness of time, each and every person involved in this racket will have a date with destiny.

Wamboka on his part insisted that Linturi must be removed from office, hinting at exploring other avenues for his ouster.

There are so many ways of killing a rat, and one of them is the Select Committee. We will be proceeding ahead of this because we are determined for the Kenyan farmer. Mithika Linturi must go for fake fertilizer! the Bumula MP declared.
A National Assembly committee has rejected the Senates proposal to allocate counties Kes.415 billion in the next financial year.

The Budget and Appropriations Committee (BAC) deemed the increased allocation unfeasible and urged the House to reject it. BAC chairman Ndindi Nyoro urged the House to agree with the committees recommendation to reject the Senate amendment.

This development follows the Senates approval of an allocation of Kes..415 billion to counties, up from the Kes..391 billion passed by the National Assembly.

The Senate amended the Division of Revenue Bill, 2024, to enhance the allocation to Kes.415 billion.

Ndindi Nyoro noted that accepting the Senates allocation would result in a reduction in the National Governments Constituency Development Fund (NGCDF) and the Road Maintenance Levy Fund.

Majority leader Kimani Ichungwa concurred with the committee, highlighting that meeting the Senates demands would necessitate significant sacrifices in NGCDF and other affirmative funds.

If we were to agree with the Senate this afternoon, if you give something, something else must give way. If we give Sh10 billion for road maintenance, you will sacrifice that money to your governors hoping that they will build the same roads that you want to do, Ichungwa remarked.

However, Minority Whip Junet Mohamed supported the Senates amendments, citing the transformative impact of devolution and the need for an enhanced allocation.

The only money that Kenyans enjoy are monies that go to counties, Junet asserted.
Saudi Arabia has accepted Kenyas request to postpone Stephen Munyakhos execution, originally scheduled for Wednesday, to allow for further negotiations among all parties involved.

Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir SingOei announced on Monday that authorities in Saudi Arabia had agreed to postpone the impending execution of Munyakho, now known as Abdulkareem.

SingOei expressed gratitude for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabias cooperation and emphasized Kenyas commitment to finding a satisfactory resolution to the matter. He highlighted the importance of leveraging the strong partnership between Kenya and Saudi Arabia and the support of all Kenyans during this process.

The government plans to engage stakeholders in Nairobi and Riyadh in the coming days to determine the most effective way forward. These discussions will involve input from religious leaders to chart the next steps urgently.

Munyakho, 37, faced a death sentence after being involved in a fatal altercation with a colleague in Saudi Arabia in April 2011. Despite initially receiving a five-year prison sentence for manslaughter, a subsequent appeal resulted in a harsher verdict of death by sword.

In accordance with Islamic law, an alternative to the death penalty is the payment of diya or blood money as compensation to the victims family.

In Munyakhos case, the victims family initially demanded 10 million Saudi Riyals, but later reduced to 3.5 million SAR (approximately Kes.150 million).

Last week, Munyakhos family appealed to Kenyans and other well-wishers for assistance in raising the required funds. A committee formed for the Bring Back Stevo initiative also urged President William Ruto to intervene on Munyakhos behalf.

SingOei, while commending Kenyans for their support in raising the amount, expressed confidence in diplomatic channels to resolve the situation. He conveyed the governments deep concern for Munyakhos plight and assured his family of ongoing efforts to negotiate a resolution that would spare him from execution.

This is a case that has been in the books for a couple of years. This young man (Munyakho) inadvertently occasioned the death of another. The circumstances that this gentleman is in are dire, SingOei remarked.

He remained optimistic that Saudi courts would review the sentencing, which he described as egregious.

Our hope really is within the next couple of weeks we will be able to know the direction, most likely there will be an opportunity to go back to court for a review off this particular penalty because if you look at it, its egregious, its almost unattainable its almost as if you have no option but to go through the death penalty, he said.
The St. Helena Historical Society is hosting a Dinner at the Museum fundraiser at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, July 20, at the Heritage Center Museum, 1255 Oak Ave.

The event will feature a complete dinner, along with a flamenco guitarist and a silent auction.

Gerards Paella from Sonoma County will make dinner in its massive paella pans in front of the Heritage Center. Pre-dinner tapas include Manchego cheese with quince jam and saffron-infused shrimp. Guests will have a choice of chicken and shrimp paella or a vegan version. A tossed green salad and artisan bread are included in the meal along with a special dessert from the Culinary Institute of America. There will be beer and some of the Napa Valleys fine wines before and during dinner.

A flamenco guitarist will serenade guests during cocktail hour and a small, curated silent auction. Unique lots include:

 An oil painting by Spanish artist Manel Anoro, Saint Joan, donated by Caldwell Snyder Gallery.

 Gift cards from St. Helena stores, eateries and wineries like Sportago, Gott's Roadside, the Cameo Cinema, Market and Meadowood, plus wine tastings/tours from Amici Cellars, Alpha Omega Winery and Taplin Cellars.

 Five days at a Montana vacation home that sleeps eight to 10 people on 35 acres of meadows and ponds. Ski in the winter, go hiking and fly fishing in the summer. The home is situated on private frontage on the West Fork Bitterroot River.

Tickets are $150 and can be purchased on Eventbrite or by check, which can be mailed to the St. Helena Historical Society, P.O. Box 87, St. Helena, CA 94574. Please indicate your preference for seafood/chicken paella or vegetable.

The St. Helena Historical Society is a local nonprofit devoted to preserving the areas local history. Proceeds from this event will be used to support the Heritage Center and its ongoing free public lectures and exhibits.

Throwback Thursday: How St. Helena looked in 1967 Sears Furniture, 1967 Beringer Bros. Winery sign, 1967 OK Rubber Welders Tires, 1967 Bulotti Grocery, 1967 Goodmans, Wards, 1967 Model Bakery, Sears, 1967 St. Helena Variety, 1967 Main Street, 1967 Burgers, shakes fries, 1967 Plumber, St. Helena, 1967 Donaldson's, St. Helena, 1967 Ray's Radiator and Glass, St. Helena, 1967 Ogletree's, St. Helena, 1967 Central Valley Builders Supply, 1967 Charles Krug Winery sign, 1967 Sprouse-Retiz, St. Helena, 1967 Vintage Nursery, 1967 Mobiloil, 1967 Mobileoil, 1967 St. Helena, 1967 Wells Fargo Bank, 1967 Murphy, 1967 Garage, Roy Marr, 1967 Smith's Pharmacy, 1967 Ethel's Beauty Spot, 1967 Purity, 1967 Safeway, 1967 Old St. Helena Winery, 1967
EDGE, one of the worlds leading advanced technology and defence groups, signed a $27 million agreement today to supply an ammunition production line to PT Pindad, an Indonesian state-owned enterprise and one of Asias leading defence manufacturers.

The agreement is for the production of 5.56x45mm and 7.62x51mm calibre ammunition, and was signed in the presence of the President-elect of Indonesia and Minister of Defence, Lt General (Ret.) Prabowo Subianto, during an official visit to the UAE this week.

Aligned with the Indonesian Ministry of Defences objective to increase local job creation and sovereign manufacturing capabilities, the ammunition facility is scheduled to commence production in 2026.

The visit and agreement are part of an ongoing effort between both countries that aims to increase bilateral trade to $10 billion by 2030 under a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. - TradeArabia News Service
Chinas SOUEAST Motor aims to expand its presence to 80-plus countries, establishing 1,500 sales networks.

We will invest in 10 KD factories and three manufacturing centres worldwide, aiming to achieve the strategic goal of 500,000 units in overseas sales by 2029, said Ke, Vice President of SOUEAST Motor at the "Hi, SOUEAST" Global Investment Promotion Conference in Fuzhou, China, attracting hundreds of potential partners from 23 countries.

"Our strategic goal is building a world-class brand, becoming a first-tier exporter in China, he said.

13 innovative models

By leveraging the top R&D team and world-class supply chain, SOUEAST Motor plans to launch 13 innovative models within five years, spanning ICE, PHEV, and BEV options across SUVs and sedans to target diverse global markets from B to D segments.

At the conference, SOUEAST Motor unveiled its latest flagship, the S09, featuring 2-wheel and 4-wheel drive options, which will launch in Saudi Arabia in 2024. Focusing on technology and luxury, the S09 boasts a new style design, an intelligent space, an exceptional powertrain, and exquisite craftsmanship.

Meanwhile, SOUEAST Motor's foray into the Middle East marks a pivotal chapter in global journey. The construction of a sprawling 6,500-sq m spare parts warehouse in Dubai is a testament to SOUEAST Motor's commitment to serving the Middle East market.

SOUEAST's business strategy is as bold as its brand. While most car manufacturers rely on major distributors to conduct their business in KSA, SOUEAST have taken a different approach by setting up their own international offices in the capital city of Riyadh.

Higher level of service

This means that it can provide a higher level of service in all aspects than any other car manufacturer. Its customers will have direct access to the principal company in KSA. Unlike other auto brands, car services will not be a major issue for SOUEAST, as their maintenance centres and other services will be directly supervised by their subsidiary in KSA.

This will be a game-changer in the automobile industry in KSA. For sales, a few selected dealers will be assigned to each region, which will be monitored by the subsidiary in KSA. All showrooms and other facilities will be jointly developed with them.

At the conference, SOUEAST Motor unveiled its EASE YOUR LIFE proposition, centered around stylish, comfort and warm-tech automotive solutions aimed at providing modern urbanites with an ease and comfortable experience amidst their fast-paced lives.

Chen, President of SOUEAST Motor International, said: We proactively develop LHD, RHD and EU markets, relying on four pillars which are new brand, new products, new channels and new marketing. We will provide various support for our global partners, including support from after-sales service, KD factory construction, finance, IT system, personnel allocation and business policy.--TradeArabia News Service
The inaugural Aviation-Event 2024 RMO in Chisinau, Moldova, will bring together worldwide civil aviation professionals and experts to address the most pressing issues facing the industry and chart a course for the future of air travel.

Chisinau International Airport, along with Aviation-Event, will organise the Aviation-Event 2023 RMO, an international aviation conference on May 30.

Key themes to be explored at the event include digital transformation, global connectivity, airport-led economies, crisis communication strategies, infrastructure investments, and much more.

Speakers will include prominent figures from aviation, government, academia, and other key stakeholders, offering diverse perspectives and valuable insights.

In addition to insightful discussions, Aviation-Event 2024 RMO will also feature opportunities for networking, collaboration, and business development, providing attendees with a unique platform to connect with industry peers, exchange ideas, and forge new partnerships.

Marcel Riwalsky, CEO, Aviation-Event, said: This conference will serve as a catalyst for innovation and collaboration, as we come together to address the most pressing issues facing the industry and chart a course for the future of air travel. Together, we can shape the future of air travel and ensure a safe, sustainable, and prosperous aviation industry for generations to come."

Sergiu Spoiala, Acting Director, Chisinau International Airport, said: This first edition of Aviation  Event brings to our country and airport a valuable cooperation across industry that is crucial for ensuring we create and maintain a strong and sustainable aviation sector that can continue to provide an important service for millions of passengers across Europe. This event will provide a unique opportunity for attendees to engage in thoughtful conversations, share insights, and establish partnerships, and get to know Republic of Moldova through ist people whose hospitality is famous all around the world. - TradeArabia News Service
17:04





Making a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his recent allegation that RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav last month had fish during a period when some Hindus abstain from having non-vegetarian food, Banerjee on Monday said she was ready to "cook something for him (Modi)" if he wanted though she was not sure whether he would eat what she cooked.





Banerjee, at an election rally in Kolkata, had made the remarks while taking a dig at the BJP for allegedly interfering with the food habits of the people and had said she would be happy to cook food for Modi but is not sure "whether the PM will be ready to savour my cooked meal."





"I have been cooking since my childhood days. People have praised my cooking. But will Modiji accept my food? Will he trust me? I will cook whatever he loves," she had said.





The TMC supremo had said, "I love both vegetarian foods like dhokla and non-veg foods like macher jhol (fish curry). Different communities, and different sects among Hindus have their own unique rituals and eating habits. Who is BJP to impose a diktat on an individual's dietary habits? It shows the BJP leadership has little idea and concern about the diversity and inclusivity of India and its people."





Banerjee's offer to cook for the prime minister, who is a vegetarian, drew sharp reactions from the saffron camp. "Mamata Banerjee wants to feed Modi ji with fish and rice cooked by her. Good proposal. But before that, why doesn't she first offer pork chop to her lieutenant Firhad Hakim? It will serve three purposes, secularism will be asserted, it will show charity begins at home and the fritters will also be praised," former BJP state president and ex-Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy posted on X.





BJP leader Sankudeb Panda claimed Banerjee had deliberately invited Modi knowing well that he is a strict vegetarian. "This is nothing but her ploy to trap the PM. She knows on the one hand the PM will never eat fish or any non-veg item. If she believes everyone should be allowed to eat what he/she loves to eat, then why is she twisting Modiji's comments about one's dietary habits? She is insulting devout Sanatani Hindus," he added.





Reacting to Banerjee's comments, CPI(M) leader Bikash Bhattacharya said, "Being Dada-Bon (brother and sister), Mamata didi can certainly offer to cook meals for the prime minister, do not know if it is to placate him." Bhattacharya was referring to the jibe - "Didibhai-Modibhai" that the Left and the Bengal Congress unit use to refer to the alleged tacit understanding between the BJP and the TMC.





The TMC, however, supported the party supremo's remark and said she spoke about the unique religious, and cultural diversity of India and the theme of "unity in diversity". "She spoke rightly and her comment regarding Modi stems from the fact that as Modi has the right to eat what he likes, every other Indian too has the same right," TMC MP Dola Sen told PTI.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's offer to "cook food" for Prime Minister Narendra Modi elicited mixed responses from different political parties, with the BJP suspecting a politicized agenda and the CPI(M) suggesting a potential "understanding" between the TMC and the BJP.
The journalists in Pakistan lamented their situation in the country, emphasising that they have been facing harassment-related issues, adding that the situation is not very different from Afghanistan when it comes to journalism. However, the situation is comparatively easier for journalists who hold powerful positions in the country. Moreover, media personnel who are out in the field are repeatedly being targeted and even killed in their line of duty. Elaborating on the critical condition of the people involved in the media profession in Pakistan, Liyaqat, a journalist in Karachi said, "We journalists may work day in and day out, but very frankly there is no journalism left in the profession anymore. We journalists pay a high price for our work each day." "We are not very different from Afghanistan when it comes to journalism, many news organizations, don''t even pay the minimum wage to journalists and cameramen, they barely survive by picking side projects," he added. Liyaqat further lamented that the commercialization of news in the country is making it even worse "Keep aside money we are not even supported if we get in trouble. And the commercialization of news in the country is making the condition even worse," he said. He further recalled one of the incidents that happened on Press Freedom Day, adding that the statistics of attacks on journalists have increased now. "This year, while Pakistan celebrated the Press Freedom Day, one of our brethren was attacked and killed in Khuzdar, Balochistan. The country is now becoming a very dangerous place for us journalism professionals. The stats of attacks on journalists have risen, and it is becoming more and more difficult to pursue the profession," he said. Liyaqat further highlighted that journalists receive a lot of threats if they write about the administration. "We cannot write about the administration, we get a lot of threats against doing that. The truth that is important in journalism is not being liked and respected anymore. If we gather some strength and write about the government or a business hub then they stop their advertisements affecting the economic condition of our employers," he added. He further stressed that the journalists also suffer economically, along with the issues on the field. Liyaqat stated, "A journalist or a cameraman is given only PKR 30000 as a monthly salary, how can we survive this way? Journalism as a profession is almost at the end in Pakistan, about 65 journalists have died within 20 years." He highlighted that in 2007, cameramen and journalists belonging to organisations like ARY news were killed. "Sometimes when people are running away from a blast site we are the ones who run toward it to do our coverage," he said. (ANI)
PRNewswire Pune (Maharashtra) [India], May 14: Synechron, a leading global digital transformation consulting firm focused on financial services and technology organizations, announced its acquisition of iGreenData, a modern, data-centric digital solutions company founded in 2018. iGreenData, headquartered in Melbourne with an additional office in India where Synechron has a significant presence, specializes in cloud-enabled data and digital engineering. The company serves a diverse array of blue-chip clients and has high domain expertise in the banking and financial services sectors, along with strengths in full-stack, DevOps, cloud, data engineering, automation, and blockchain. The acquisition of iGreenData was completed on May 13, 2024. This acquisition enhances Synechron's leadership in digital transformation by combining their agile, creative approach with iGreenData's specialized skills in cloud technology and lean data engineering practices. The integration adds to Synechron's payments capabilities in delivering customized solutions that achieve substantial business outcomes, while continuing to swiftly and effectively meet their clients' evolving needs. Moreover, the acquisition expands Synechron's global reach. By leveraging Australia's strategic location, Synechron is better positioned to provide continuous support across time zones in Asia, the Americas, and Europe. Faisal Husain, Synechron Co-Founder and CEO, commented, "We're thrilled to welcome iGreenData into the Synechron family. This acquisition will enable us to continue deepening our payments technological strength and expand our footprint to the Australian market. Together, we will leverage our combined expertise in digital transformation and innovation to deliver value-added solutions that meet the evolving needs of our clients." Max Sundaram, iGreenData Co-Founder and CEO, said, "We're very excited to become part of the Synechron team. With their global reach and our shared commitment to excellence, we're well positioned to provide the best-in-class transformative digital experiences." About Synechron: At Synechron, we believe in the power of digital to transform businesses for the better. Our global consulting firm combines creativity and innovative technology to deliver industry-leading digital solutions. Synechron's progressive technologies and optimization strategies span end-to-end Artificial Intelligence, Consulting, Digital, Cloud & DevOps, Data, and Software Engineering, servicing an array of noteworthy financial services and technology firms. Through research and development initiatives in our FinLabs we develop solutions for modernization, from Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain to Data Science models, Digital Underwriting, mobile-first applications and more. Over the last 20+ years, our company has been honored with multiple employer awards, recognizing our commitment to our talented teams. Synechron has a global workforce of 14,000+ and has 51 offices in 20 countries in key global markets. For more information on the company, please visit our website or LinkedIn community. About iGreenData: Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, and with presence in India, iGreenData is a fast-growing digital engineering organization with a prime focus on Cloud First, Data-Centric Digital Engineering and Blockchain offerings. The team is at the forefront specializing in cutting-edge modern software engineering technologies with a commitment to ensure our solutions and services bring value to our customers. iGreenData brings deep Banking industry knowledge, with decades of Leadership experience and track record of success in Australia, delivering large complex programs, and a highly capable team to deliver industry-leading experiences for our customers. With close to 200 strong professionals, we set out to bring together talented individuals who are encouraged in their creativity and empower them to deliver new technological solutions to our stakeholders. iGreenData was ranked third in Rising Star category at the prestigious Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Australia awards for 2 years in a row in 2020 & 2021 and also was inducted to nineteenth place at the prestigious CRN Fast 50 Australia 2021 as recognition of the exponential growth over 3 years. For more information on the company, please visit our website. For more information please contact:Rashmi Joshi,Synechron+91-9560694654Media@synechron.com Rashmi.Joshi@synechron.com OR Zoe Forbes-Pyfrom(+44) 7718 599666synechron@cognitomedia.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1943591/Synechron_Logo.jpg (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
American actor and filmmaker John Krasinski shared how he managed to get major stars to sign onto the project, 'IF', according to The Hollywood Reporter. During his appearance on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, he shared, "I gotta say, the most yeses of my career was on this movie and the fastest yeses because they all love the idea of imagination, going back to your childhood. When discussing the ice cube, voiced by Bradley Cooper, the Quiet Place star explained, "I don't know why when I created this guy, in my head, I was like, 'He's from Philly, and he's a little bummed to be living in Arizona.'" Jimmy Fallon then pulled up a photo of Blake Lively's character, which Krasinski explained is "a cat who's getting over her fear of water, so she dresses like an octopus." He joked he used "emotional blackmail" to get the Gossip Girl star to join the film, which also stars her husband, Ryan Reynolds. "I was like, 'Everybody's doing it,'" The Office actor said. "She was so nice to jump on board." In terms of one of the most remarkable guest stars on 'IF', the Tonight Show host was surprised to see George Clooney join on as the voice of the Spaceman. "This is a sort of deep, deep-cut Easter egg," Krasinski joked. "That's his character from Gravity in my head, that he's still just floating around." The fantasy film's voice cast includes Emily Blunt, Steve Carrell, Matt Damon, Jon Stewart, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Maya Rudolph, Sam Rockwell, Louis Gossett Jr., Sebastian Maniscalco, Chris Meloni, Richard Jenkins, and Awkwafina, as per The Hollywood Reporter. 'IF' hits theaters on May 17. (ANI)
Indian films and filmmakers will showcase the country's talent and potential in various aspects of cinema at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, which started today. 'Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha' sneak peek at Cannes Bharat Pavilion Interestingly, the makers of Ajay Devgn and Tabu-starrer 'Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha' will offer a sneak peek into the film at the film festival on May 17. Producer Shreyans Hirawat of NH Studioz said in a statement, "While I would be at the Cannes film market with our next few interesting line-up of films, I am thrilled to share a glimpse of 'Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha', exclusively at the Bharat Pavilion for Cannes delegates. It would be nice to see the reaction from film aficionados and industry professionals." Directed by Neeraj Pandey, 'Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha' promises to take audiences on a rollercoaster, tracing the journey of love over 23 years. From 2000 to 2023, the film examines the complexities of mature love, exploring themes of enduring companionship and unwavering devotion. Earlier slated for April release, the romantic drama is now set to hit cinemas on July 5. The film also features Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar and Shantanu Maheshwari. The original soundtrack for the film has been composed by the renowned and celebrated music director M. M Kreem. For the first time, India is hosting a 'Bharat Parv' at Cannes for eminent dignitaries and delegates from around the world to showcase the myriad creative opportunities in the country. At the prestigious film gala, a delegation consisting of representatives from central and state governments as well as members of the industry will showcase India's creative economy in Marche du Films through a series of significant initiatives, the Information and Broadcasting ministry said. The official poster and trailer of the 55th India International Film Festival , to be held in Goa from November 20 to 28, will also be unveiled at the Bharat Parv. The Bharat Pavilion, which serves as a platform for the Indian film community to engage in various activities, at the 77th Cannes Film Festival at 108 village International Riviera, will be inaugurated on May 15 in the presence of eminent celebrities. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha Vice President Abhinav Prakash, who was nominated by Tejasvi Surya to debate with Rahul Gandhi, said he looked forward to the debate and hoped that the Congress leader would not run away from it the way he ran away from Amethi. "I would like to thank Tejasvi Surya for deputing me to debate with Rahul Gandhi. I am looking forward to this debate. I am from Uttar Pradesh, Rahul Gandhi and his family have represented the state for so long. I hope he doesn't run away from the debate the way he ran away from Amethi otherwise who knows he will have to run away from Raebareli as well, in the next elections," he told ANI. Earlier while accepting the invitation for a public debate with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha President Tejasvi Surya nominated BJYM's Vice President Abhinav Prakash. The announcement came one day after some retired justices wrote to former Congress Chief Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, inviting them to a platform for a debate on key Lok Sabha election issues. It is pertinent to note that the invitation was extended to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by Retired Justice Madan B Lokur, Justice Ajit P Shah, and journalist N Ram for a debate on the key election issues. Tejasvi Surya proposed the name of Abhinav Prakash, stating that he is from a Dalit caste, Pasi, which makes up a significant proportion of over 30 per cent of the scheduled caste population in Raebareli where Rahul Gandhi is contesting in the current Lok Sabha election. Elaborating on the credentials of Abhinav Prakash, he wrote in a letter, "He is not only a distinguished leader within our youth wing but also an articulate spokesperson for the policies and reforms implemented by our government. An alumnus of Jawaharlal Nehru University and an assistant professor of economics at Delhi University's Ramjas College, with previous teaching stints at SRCC, his profound understanding of social, economic, and political dynamics is poised to enrich the debate significantly." On May 10, Rahul Gandhi in a letter addressed to retired judges Madan B Lokur, Ajit P Shah, and journalist N Ram, Gandhi expressed readiness to participate in the debate either himself or through Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. "It would be a positive initiative for the major parties to present their vision to the country from one platform for a healthy democracy. Congress welcomes this initiative and accepts the invitation for discussion. The country also expects the Prime Minister to take part in this dialogue," Rahul Gandhi said while accepting the invitation. On Sunday, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh posted on X, "Day 1 of Rahul Gandhi's letter accepting an invitation to debate the Prime Minister. The 56-inch chest has not yet mustered the courage to accept the invitation." (ANI)
Union Minister Nityanand Rai, who is the BJP candidate from the Ujiarpur Lok Sabha seat, expressed confidence in the party's prospects in the ongoing elections asserting that he will win with more than 4 lakh votes. "In Bihar, we will win all 40 seats. In Ujiarpur we will receive more than 4 lakh votes. I urge the people of Ujiarpur to cast their votes as this is the biggest festival of democracy," Rai said. Confident in securing victory for the third consecutive time, Rai noted the smooth progress of voting in Ujiarpur and called upon residents to actively participate in shaping the democratic process. "We will definitely win for the third time and that too with a greater margin this time. The voting in Ujiarpur is going well, and I urge all the brothers and sisters here to please come out of their homes and cast their votes. I have won the MLA elections four times and the MP elections twice, and with the blessings of the people, I am confident I will win for the seventh time," Rai said. Reflecting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Bihar, Rai underscored the overwhelming response received during the grand roadshow in Patna. "Yesterday, we witnessed the immense faith of the people in PM Modi's previous achievements, to an extent that Patna has never seen such enthusiasm before. People's affection towards him is profound, and Modi is deeply ingrained in their hearts," Rai said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a grand roadshow in Patna along with CM Nitish Kumar and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Sunday evening. Ujiarpur will witness the poll battle among key candidates that include Bhartiya Janta Party's Nityanand Rai, and Rashtriya Janata Dal's Alok Kumar Mehta. Ujiarpur is one of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar and it is interesting to note that this parliamentary constituency is represented by BJP leader Nityanand Rai. The constituency went to polls today. A General seat, the Ujiarpur seat comprises six Assembly segments including Patepur(SC), Ujiarpur, Morwa, Sarairanjan, Mohiuddinnagar, and Bibhutipur. Notably, Nityanand Rai, the BJP candidate and Union Minister of State for Home Affairs has been securing victory in the constituency for the past two Lok Sabha elections. Alok Kumar Mehta, former State Minister of Revenue & Land Reforms and Education was elected to the Lok Sabha from this seat in 2004 but was defeated by Rai in 2014. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Nityanand Rai won the seat with a margin of 2,77,278 votes. Rai secured 5,43,906 votes with a vote share of 56 per cent and defeated Upendra Kushwaha from Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (BLSP) who garnered 2,66,628 votes (27.49 per cent). In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections also, Nityanand Rai secured 3,17,352 votes with a vote share of 36.95 per cent. RJD candidate Alok Kumar Mehta got 2,56,883 votes (29.91 per cent) and was the runner-up. Rai defeated Mehta by a margin of 60,469 votes. The Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance), the opposition coalition in Bihar, including Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, and Left parties, recently announced that the RJD, its largest constituent, will contest 26 out of the state's 40 Lok Sabha seats. As part of the NDA, BJP and JD(U) will contest on 17 and 16 seats respectively. In 2019, BJP-led NDA swept the state by winning 39 out of 40 seats, while Congress won just one seat. RJD, a formidable force in the state failed to open its account. (ANI)
The Rouse Avenue court on Monday listed the charge sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate against BRS leader K Kavitha and others for consideration tomorrow. Alongwith K Kavitha, the chargesheet also includes the names of Chanpreet Singh, Damodar Sharma, Prince Kumar and Arvind Singh. K Kavitha was arrested by the ED on March 15. The special judge, Kaveri Baweja, received the charge sheet from the filing section and listed it for consideration on Tuesday. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a supplementary prosecution complaint (chargesheet) in the Excise Policy money laundering case in Rouse Avenue Court on Friday. The chargesheet has been filed against BRS Leader K Kavitha and others, containing 224 pages (operative parts), said ED sources. This is the sixth supplementary chargesheet in the excise policy case, which is being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate. Earlier on Friday, the Delhi High Court issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate regarding a bail plea moved by Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Leader K Kavitha in the money laundering case pertaining to the scrapped excise policy of Delhi. K Kavitha has also moved a bail plea in the Delhi High Court in the CBI case, which is most likely to come for hearing on Monday. Recently, the trial court refused to grant bail to her in both cases. The bench of Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma fixed May 24, 2024 for detailed arguments in the matter. The plea moved by K Kavitha stated that she is the mother of two children, one of whom is minor presently under shock and is undergoing medical supervision. Kavitha, in her fresh bail plea, alleges that there have been attempts to drag her in the scandal by the members of the ruling party at the Centre. Kavitha, through a bail plea, submitted that the entire case of the Enforcement Directorate hinges upon statements made by the approver, witnesses or co-accused under Section 50 of the PMLA. The prosecution complaints do not provide a single document that corroborates the statements. "There is not a single piece of evidence that points to the guilt of the applicant". She further stated that as the arrest of the Applicant is illegal as section 19 of PMLA has not been complied with. Neither the allegation of the actual cash transaction nor any money trail is forthcoming, therefore, the satisfaction of guilt as expressed in his arrest order is merely a sham and a pretence, she stated. On May 6, the Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi dismissed the bail petitions moved by Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha in connection with CBI and ED cases related to the Excise Policy case. BRS leader K Kavitha was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 15, 2024 and by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on April 11, 2024. Earlier, CBI, through a remand application, stated that "Kavitha Kalvakuntla was required to be arrested in the instant case to conduct her custodial interrogation for confronting her with the evidence and witnesses to unearth the larger conspiracy hatched among the accused, suspect persons regarding the formulation and implementation of the Excise Policy, as well as to establish the money trail of ill-gotten money generated and to establish the role of other accused/suspect persons, including public servants, as well as to unearth the facts which are in her exclusive knowledge." The CBI inquiry was recommended based on the findings of the Delhi Chief Secretary's report filed in July showing prima facie violations of the GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR)-1993, Delhi Excise Act-2009, and Delhi Excise Rules-2010, officials said. The ED and the CBI had alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy, undue favours were extended to licence holders, the licence fee was waived or reduced and the L-1 licence was extended without the competent authority's approval. The beneficiaries diverted "illegal" gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection, the probe agencies said. As per the allegations, the Excise Department had decided to refund the earnest money deposit of about Rs 30 crore to a successful tenderer against the set rules. Even though there was no enabling provision, a waiver on tendered licence fees was allowed from December 28, 2021, to January 27, 2022, due to COVID-19, the probe agency said and there was an alleged loss of Rs 144.36 crore to the exchequer. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi applauded the people of the Srinagar parliamentary constituency for the "encouraging turnout" of 38 per cent, which is more than double the 14.43 pc polling in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In the first general election in the valley after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, polling took place in 2,135 polling stations on Monday across the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency containing assembly segments of Srinagar, Ganderbal, Pulwama, Budgam and Shopian districts. In his post on X, PM Modi said, "Would especially like to applaud the people of Srinagar Parliamentary Constituency for the encouraging turnout, significantly better than before. The abrogation of Article 370 has enabled the potential and aspirations of the people to find full expression. Happening at the grassroots level, it is great for the people of J&K, in particular the youth." Srinagar voter turnout of 38 per cent in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls is the highest in several decades. There are 24 candidates in the fray as compared to 12 in the 2019 general election. The voter turnout in Srinagar was 14.43 per cent in 2019, 25.86 per cent in 2014, 25.55 per cent in 2009, 18.57 per cent in 2004, 11.93 per cent in 1999, 30.06 per cent in 1998, and 40.94 per cent in 1996. According to the Election Commission, voters from Srinagar, Budgam, Ganderbal, Pulwama, and Shopian showed up in record numbers to cast their votes in a show of faith and enthusiasm in the election process. Chadoora, Ganderbal, Kangan, Khansahib and Shopian Assembly segments recorded more than 45 per cent voter turnout. "Polling personnel, including security personnel, worked tirelessly to ensure that an atmosphere of calm, peace and festivities welcomed voters at the polling stations," the ECI said. "More than 8,000 polling staff were on duty to cater to the over 17.47 lakh strong electorate. Command-and-Control centres have been working round the clock in Srinagar as well as Jammu since March 16, the date of announcement of general elections to ensure free, fair and inducement-free elections," it added. The commission has enabled Kashmiri migrant voters residing at various relief camps in Delhi, Jammu and Udhampur to also have the option of voting in person at designated special polling stations or using postal ballot. 21 special polling stations were established at Jammu, one at Udhampur and four at Delhi. 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. Voting for the Udhampur and Jammu seats was concluded on April 19 and 26 respectively while in Srinagar voting was done on May 13. Baramulla seat will vote on May 20 while the Anantnag-Rajouri seat on May 25. (ANI)
President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar have condoled the deaths of eight people and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured in a hoarding collapse incident in Mumbai's Ghatkopar area following heavy rains and dusty winds. In a post on X, President Murmu said, "The news of several casualties due to the collapse of a hoarding in Ghatkopar area of Mumbai is extremely sad. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured and wish for the success of the relief and rescue operations." Vice President Dhankar also prayed for the speedy recovery of all those injured in the tragic incident. "Distressed to learn about the loss of lives in a billboard collapse incident in Ghatkopar, Mumbai. My thoughts are with the bereaved families in this difficult time. I pray for the speedy recovery of all those injured," VP Dhankar said. Vivek Phansalkar, the Mumbai police commissioner, posted on X and assured people of strict action against those responsible for the incident. "Heartfelt condolences to families who lost their loved ones in the unfortunate mishap at Ghatkopar today. The Mumbai Police team is on the spot in the rescue operation. We assure citizens that stringent legal action will be taken against those responsible for this mishap," he said. Notably, eight people have died and approximately 20-30 are trapped under the big hoarding that collapsed in Maharashtra's Ghatkopar on Monday evening, where rescue operations are underway. Mumbai police have registered a case under IPC 304, 338, 337, and 34 against owner Bhavesh Bhide and others at Pantnagar police station. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has also announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased. CM Shinde also said that the government will bear all expenses for the treatment of those injured. Eyewitness Swapnil Khupte said, "I was there when a big hoarding of some builder fell down, all the cars, bikes and people that were there got stuck. We helped people get out and somehow manage to escape." In another incident, an under-construction metal parking lot collapsed on a road in Wadala area of Mumbai, killing at least three people and leaving 59 others injured as unseasonal rainfall continues to create havoc across the city. (ANI)
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Alluding to the revocation of Article 370, People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti said that people, through their votes have expressed that the decision taken by the Centre in 2019 not acceptable to them. Notably, Srinagar voter turnout of 38 per cent in the Lok Sabha polls on Monday was the highest in several decades. "People feel suffocated after the 2019 decision. People have expressed it by voting and have told Delhi that the decision taken by you in 2019 is not at all acceptable to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Voting speed was reduced in Pulwama despite that, I am hopeful that our candidate will be successful. Many of our workers were arrested," Mufti said. Meanwhile, in the first general election in the valley after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, polling took place in 2,135 polling stations on Monday across the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency containing assembly segments of Srinagar, Ganderbal, Pulwama, Budgam and Shopian districts. Srinagar voter turnout of 38 per cent in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls is the highest in several decades. There are 24 candidates in the fray as compared to 12 in the 2019 general election. The voter turnout in Srinagar was 14.43 per cent in 2019, 25.86 per cent in 2014, 25.55 per cent in 2009, 18.57 per cent in 2004, 11.93 per cent in 1999, 30.06 per cent in 1998, and 40.94 per cent in 1996. Prime Minister Narendra Modi applauded the people of the Srinagar parliamentary constituency for the "encouraging turnout" of 38 per cent, which is more than double the 14.43 pc polling in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. 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. Voting for the Udhampur and Jammu seats was concluded on April 19 and 26 respectively while in Srinagar voting was done on May 13. Baramulla seat will vote on May 20 while the Anantnag-Rajouri seat on May 25. (ANI)
The fire broke out on Monday evening.

They said that the hotel in the Sonamarg area was damaged in the blaze.

Upon receiving the information, fire tenders were deployed to the site and operations were started to douse the blaze.

More details are awaited (ANI)
The Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of Assam Police said that the two who were arrested on Monday have been identified as Bahar Mia and Rarely Mia.

"Two suspected cadres, Bahar Mia (30), Rarely Mia (40), of the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), an affiliate association of a terror outfit namely Al Qaeda In Indian Subcontinent (AQIS- an organisation banned in India with all its affiliated groups) were apprehended at Guwahati Railway Station by an Assam Police team yesterday," CPRO Assam Police said on Tuesday.

They are suspected cadres of ABT, an affiliate of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), which is banned in the country along with all its affiliated groups.

The police said that both the cadres are Bangladeshi nationals who were illegally staying in India without a passport and obtaining Indian documents to spread a terror network in Assam.

Earlier on April 30, Tripura Police apprehended three individuals suspected of illegal entry into India in Dharmanagar, North Tripura.

Upon noticing three individuals behaving suspiciously in Dharmanagar Bazar, one of the police personnel initiated a preliminary investigation. It was soon discovered that all three individuals were Bangladeshi nationals who had entered India without proper documentation, including passports.

The suspects, identified as Manju Ali, Rashel Ahmed, and Md Fahim, were promptly arrested by law enforcement officials. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to file his nomination from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, seeking a third term and hoping for a record margin. Varanasi goes in for polling on June 1 in the seventh and last phase of the general elections. He will begin his day by offering prayers at the Kal Bhairav temple. Authorities have tightened security at the temple ahead of the Prime Minister''s visit. Before filing his nomination papers, PM Modi will offer prayers at the Dashashwamedh Ghat on the banks of the Ganges. He will also take a dip in the River Ganga boarding a cruise ship to Namo Ghat. Security has been strengthened outside the office of the District Magistrate in Varanasi ahead of PM Modi''s nomination. https://x.com/BJP4India/status/1790216429842903507 Ahead of the nomination, the Bharatiya Janata Party said in a post in hindi on X that the temple town of Kashi is once again ready to send its servant (PM Modi) to the Parliament. "I have neither come here nor has anyone sent me here, Maa Ganga has called me... This relationship between Kashi, Kashi residents and the Chief Servant is one of development, trust and affection. Kashi is once again ready to send its beloved chief servant to the parliament by winning him with record votes," BJP posted. PM Modi also posted on X about his association with the city. "My relationship with my Kashi is amazing, inseparable and incomparable... all I can say is that it cannot be expressed in words!" PM Modi is the sitting MP and candidate from Varanasi. Voting in Varanasi will be held on June 1 in the seventh and last phase of the Lok Sabha polls. On Monday evening, PM Modi held an extravagant roadshow in Varanasi on a five-kilometre-stretch on Monday evening. PM Modi was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and BJP state president Chaudhary Bhupendra Singh. The whole stretch reverberated with ''Har Har Mahadev'' and ''Jai Shree Ram'' chants as a huge crowd of supporters and residents gathered on either side of the road to cheer the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister Narendra started his roadshow by garlanding the statue of Mahamana Madan Mohan Malviya at the Singh Dwar of Kashi Hindu University at around 5 pm. After more than two and a half hours, the roadshow concluded at the Kashi Vishwanath Dham. After the roadshow, the Prime Minister offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath Dham along with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other BJP leaders. Varanasi is the stronghold of the Bharatiya Janata Party and PM Modi. He won the seat twice- the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress has pitted Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai against PM Modi in Varanasi. This is the third time Ajay Rai will face PM Modi in the Lok Sabha contest. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, PM Modi won the seat with over 6,74,664 votes and commanded a vote share of 63.6 per cent. In 2014, PM Modi contested two Lok Sabha seats- from Gujarat''s Vadodara and Uttar Pradesh''s Varanasi. (ANI)
Hundreds of brick kiln workers gathered for a protest outside the office of the Labour Commissioner in Agartala on Monday, voicing their grievances against the alleged negligence of kiln owners and the state government in ensuring fair wages and basic amenities. The demonstration, organised by the Tripura Brick Kiln Union, lasted for over two hours, with participants demanding immediate action to address their plight. The protestors, including many migrant workers from various divisions across the state, expressed severe discontent with the ongoing issues related to wage non-payment and lack of essential services such as food, drinking water, and medical care at the workplace. "Thousands of workers, including children and women, are suffering immensely. Some have not been paid for up to one and a half months," stated Tapan Das, State General Secretary of the Tripura Brick Kiln Workers Union. The union has put forth several demands, including the provision of food, fuel, drinking water, and medical supplies during work hours, accurate accounting of labour hours in the presence of labour officials, and the covering of all transportation and sustenance expenses for workers returning to their home states. Leaders from various labour organisations, including CITU State General Secretary Shankar Dao, joined the protest. Dao criticised the current state government for its failure to protect the labourers' rights, contrasting it with the previous administration's policies. "Under the Left Front government, the workers' welfare was prioritised, and the brick kiln industry flourished. Now, due to the neglect of the current government, many kilns have shut down, leaving thousands jobless," he remarked. The protest concluded with a delegation of union leaders submitting a memorandum to the Additional Labour Commissioner, demanding urgent intervention to resolve the issues faced by the workers. The union warned of a larger state-wide movement if their demands are not met promptly. The state government and labour department have yet to respond to the allegations and demands raised by the brick kiln workers. (ANI)
The Delhi High Court has recently directed the Delhi Police Crime Branch to probe the death of a youth within four months. The High Court has also directed the DCP (Crime Branch) to supervise the investigation. The father of the deceased had last year approached the High Court to transfer the investigation from Delhi police to the CBI. This case pertains to the death of a youth in North Rohini in July 2022. Justice Jyoti Singh transferred the further investigation to the crime and asked to complete it within a period of not more than 4 months under the supervision of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP). "It is made clear that further investigation will be conducted under the aegis and supervision of the DCP, Crime Branch. The investigation would be completed as expeditiously as possible and not later than 4 months from today," Justice Jyoti Singh said in the order passed on May 9. The bench directed that all records concerning the investigation shall be transmitted for further investigation to the office of the DCP, crime branch, within 10 days from today, under acknowledgement. The bench was informed by the Investigating Officer (IO) that the delay in the investigation was on account of the non-receipt of the FSL report. The High Court ordered, "Looking at the sensitivity of the matter, Director, FSL is requested to expedite the FSL report so that the investigation can be concluded at the earliest." The High Court has listed the matter for hearing on August 21. Advocates Amit Kumar and Khushboo appeared for petitioner Krishen Kumar. The High Court on August 4, 2023, appointed advocate Madhav Khurana an amicus curiae to assist the court in the alleged murder of petitioner Krishen Kumar's son. Delhi police had lodged an FIR under a section related to murder. Petitioner claimed that Delhi police is not properly investigating the matter. This matter relates to an incident in July 2022 in the North Rohini area. The petitioner sought a direction for the transfer of investigation relating to FIR of July 19, 2022 under Section 302 IPC registered at Police Station North Rohini to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or any other independent agency. Delhi police had filed a detailed report on the petition. In August 2022, the trial court refused to transfer the case to the Delhi Police Crime Branch after considering the status report file by the Investigation Officer (IO). The family of the deceased has acknowledged that the investigation is not being done properly. The court had said, "It does not appear from the status report that IO is not making efforts in the investigation. At this stage, the court does not find any reason to transfer the investigation of the present case to the crime branch." Earlier, the court had directed the Delhi police to file a further status report on a plea seeking a court monitor probe. Delhi police filed a report stating that 5 people were produced in court. The consent for their polygraph test was taken. The Delhi police had also apprised the court that on the night of the incident, the deceased Rohit had consumed liquor at a bar in a mall in Rohini. Rohit then went to the house of Amit where the alleged incident occurred. Advocate Amit Kumar had argued that the police have not taken into consideration the WhatsApp chat, screenshot and call record of the phone of the deceased, which is with the police. The application filed in court had submitted that Rohit was allegedly murdered on July 17, 2022, and the police lodged an FIR under Section 302 (Murder) of the IPC. His body was found in Rohini Sector 8 under a flat. (ANI)
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Tuesday expressed grief over the demise of former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi, saying that the demise of the veteran leader was "unfortunate and an irreparable loss for Bihar politics." "The demise of Sushil Modi is very unfortunate, it is an irreparable loss for Bihar politics. He was a leader who strengthened the party and gave direction to the party," Samrat Choudhary told ANI. Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, who had been battling cancer for the last seven months, passed away at the age of 72 at AIIMS Hospital in Delhi on Monday evening. The last rites of the former Rajya Sabha MP will be performed later in the day. Sushil Modi announced his treatment last month and did not participate in the Lok Sabha election campaign. On April 3, this year, Sushil Modi revealed he was suffering from cancer and requested the BJP to relieve him of assignments related to the Lok Sabha elections. In a post in Hindi on X, he said, "I have been battling with cancer for the last six months. I feel that now the time has come to make it public. I would not be able to do my work during the Lok Sabha polls. I have shared this with the PM. My gratitude to the country, Bihar and my party."Over his three-decade-long political career, Modi played a pivotal role in shaping Bihar's political environment. Sushil Modi held various positions in his three-decade-long political career. He served as an MLA, MLC and member of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. He was born on January 5, 1952, and began his political journey as a student activist at Patna University, where he served as the general secretary of the Students' Union in 1973. He was elected as an MLA for the first time in 1990 from the Patna Central constituency, where he defeated sitting Congress legislator Akil Haider. He also served as the leader of the opposition in the state assembly from 1996 to 2004. In 2004, Sushil Modi was elected as a member of the Lok Sabha from Bhagalpur. Sushil Kumar Modi got 345,151 votes, with 45.6 per cent votes by defeating Communist Party of India (M) leader Subodh Ray. Then later, he stepped down from his Lok Sabha post in 2005 to become a member of the legislative council and was appointed as the Bihar Deputy Chief Minister alongside Nitish Kumar. He served as the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar from 2005 to 2013 and again from 2017 to 2020. Several BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and incumbent Bihar Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, expressed grief and extended their condolences to Sushil Kumar Modi's bereaved family. (ANI)
Bihar Bharatiya Janata Party leaders Nitin Nabin and Nand Kishore Yadav condoled the demise of veteran BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi. Speaking to ANI, Bihar Minister Nitin Nabin said, "Today's BJP leaders must learn to do hard work and develop skills to analyse and study issues from him. The BJP has lost such a great leader. It is a big loss for the people of Bihar as well. He was so well-versed in Bihar politics and used to provide guidelines to the party. I feel that nobody else, even today, can answer the media the way he used to. I came to know about his demise around 9:30 pm yesterday." BJP leader and Bihar Assembly speaker Nand Kishore Yadav paid tribute and said, "Sushil Modi had an innumerable number of qualities. Whatever he used to take charge of, he used to do it with full commitment. He used to analyse things in depth." Adding further, he said, "He used to express his opinions on things in such an insightful way that everyone felt influenced by him. He was a good administrator too. It is a big loss to the party. He was the voice of the people of Bihar. So it is a loss for the entire state." Nand Kishore Yadav said that Sushil Modi was a warrior by spirit and was not scared of anything. Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party Sushil Kumar Modi, who had been battling cancer for the last seven months, passed away at the age of 72 on Monday evening. The 72-year-old senior BJP leader passed away at AIIMS Hospital in Delhi and was battling cancer for the last seven months. Sushil Modi announced his treatment last month and did not participate in the Lok Sabha election campaign. The last rites of the former Rajya Sabha MP will be performed later in the day. On April 3, this year, Sushil Modi revealed he was suffering from cancer and requested the BJP to relieve him of assignments related to the Lok Sabha elections. In a post on X, he said, "I have been battling with cancer for the last six months. I feel that now the time has come to make it public. I would not be able to do my work during the Lok Sabha polls. I have shared this with the PM. My gratitude to the country, Bihar and my party." Over his three-decade-long political career, Sushil Modi played a pivotal role in shaping Bihar's political environment. He held various positions in his three-decade-long political career. He served as an MLA, MLC and member of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The BJP leader was born on January 5, 1952, and began his political journey as a student activist at Patna University, where he served as the general secretary of the Students' Union in 1973. He was elected as an MLA for the first time in 1990 from the Patna Central constituency, where he defeated sitting Congress legislator Akil Haider. He also served as the leader of the opposition in the state assembly from 1996 to 2004. In 2004, Sushil Modi was elected as a member of the Lok Sabha from Bhagalpur. Sushil Kumar Modi got 345,151 votes, with 45.6 per cent votes by defeating Communist Party of India (M) leader Subodh Ray. Then later, he stepped down from his Lok Sabha post in 2005 to become a member of the legislative council and was appointed as the Bihar Deputy Chief Minister alongside Nitish Kumar. He served as the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar from 2005 to 2013 and again from 2017 to 2020. Several BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and incumbent Bihar Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, expressed grief and extended their condolences to Sushil Kumar Modi's bereaved family. (ANI)
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) House was adjourned on Tuesday without any discussion following a ruckus by councillors of the BJP over the issue of alleged assault of Aam Admi Party MP Swati Maliwal and the demands for the appointment of a 'Dalit' Mayor. Holding placards, the councillors of the BJP also raised slogans against the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Hours after the House was adjourned, Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi told ANI, "All the councillors of the BJP created a ruckus inside the house...BJP councillors didn't allow any discussion on issues of MCD...For the past 1-1.5 years, BJP has not allowed the formation of a standing committee, special committee, ward committee..." No official statements were made on the alleged incident, neither by the ruling party, MP Maliwal, nor the CM's office. Delhi Police said on Monday that no complaint has been received in connection with the alleged assault against Swati Maliwal at the Chief Minister's residence. "At around 9.34 am, we received a PCR call wherein the caller said that she had been assaulted inside the CM residence. Accordingly, local police responded to the call and SHO and the local police reached the spot. After some time, MP Swati Maliwal came to the police station Civil Lines. She left the police station without giving any complaints. In this matter till now, no complaints have been received," DCP Manoj Kumar Meena told ANI on Monday. This comes nearly just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in the National Capital and following the release of the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from the Jail. Supreme Court has granted him interim bail till June 1. All seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi will vote on May 25. Aam Admi Party and Congress are jointly fighting the elections. As per the arrangement, AAP will be contesting 4 seats and Congress on 3. The first four phases of polling were held on April 19, April 26, May 7 and May 13. The next three rounds of voting will be held on May 20, May 26 and June 1. The 2024 Lok Sabha elections are being held in seven phases from April 19- June 1. The results will be announced on June 4. (ANI)
The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that the Chief Justice of India will take a call on the listing of a petition seeking a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the alleged instances of quid pro quo arrangements between corporates and political parties through Electoral Bonds donations. "Don't worry that matter is with the CJI, Secretariat, they will be fixing a date," said a bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna before whom advocate Prashant Bhushan mentioned the plea for an early hearing. The petition filed by NGOs Common Cause and the Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) had sought direction to the authorities to investigate the source of funding of shell companies and loss-making companies to various political parties, as has been disclosed through the electoral bonds data. The petition further sought direction to the authorities to recover the amounts from political parties as donated by companies to these parties as part of quid pro quo arrangements where these are found to be proceeds of crime. It alleged that a scam worth crores of rupees is involved in the Electoral Bonds matter, which can be unravelled only through an independent investigation under the monitoring of the apex court. Seeking SIT probe to be supervised by a retired Supreme Court judge, the petitioners said, "The investigation in this case would not only need to unravel the entire conspiracy in each instance, which would involve officers of the company, officials of the government and functionaries of political parties but also the officers concerned of agencies like the ED/IT and CBI etc., who appear to have become part of this conspiracy." The plea alleged that data that was disclosed to the public after the top court struck down the anonymous Electoral Bonds scheme showed that the bulk of the bonds appear to have been given as quid pro quo arrangements by corporates to political parties either to secure government contracts or licenses, or to secure protection from investigations by CBI, Income Tax Department, Enforcement Directorate, or as consideration of favourable policy changes. They also alleged that several pharma companies, which were under regulatory scanner for manufacturing substandard drugs, also purchased Electoral Bonds. Such arrangements of quid pro quo are in clear violation of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, it added. The Supreme Court by its February verdict, struck down the Electoral Bonds Scheme, which allowed for anonymous funding to political parties, and ordered the SBI to stop issuing Electoral Bonds immediately. It had unanimously quashed the Electoral Bonds scheme as well as amendments made to the Income Tax Act and the Representation of People Act which had made the donations anonymous. (ANI)
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani on Tuesday said that action will be taken against all the illegal hoardings in Mumbai, adding that the hoarding that collapsed in Ghatkopar was not permitted by the civic body. A total of 44 people have been admitted to the hospital with injuries after the hoarding collapse incident that took place on Monday and claimed 14 lives. 31 have been discharged after treatment. Speaking to reporters, BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani said, "BMC has ordered that action be taken against all illegal hoarding in the city. We are starting that today. A case has been registered in this case. This hoarding did not have any permission. A complaint was also received that some trees were also cut so that this hoarding would be visible. We have also registered a case again." A day after a hoarding collapsed in Mumbai's Ghatkopar area killing 14 people, and causing injuries to many more, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya said that the owner of the advertising agency responsible for installing the billboard should be held responsible for the mishap. Somaiya alleged that the police should declare the owner of the agency a "fugitive". "Bhavesh Bhinde, who is responsible for this accident, has fled. I have requested the police issue a red-card notice and declare him a fugitive. Bhavesh Bhinde's Ego Media has put up more than 24 illegal hoardings at various places," said Somaiya. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that strict action will be taken against the owner of the hoarding and that a case of culpable homicide has been registered in the incident. (ANI)
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday accusing them of hindering his election campaign by incarcerating him. During a roadshow in Kurukshetra, Haryana, ahead of the general elections there, CM Arvind Kejriwal said, "I am coming straight from jail to meet you all. I was in jail for 50 days and lost 5 kg of weight. The elections were declared on March 16th, and on March 21st, they arrested me. Their (BJP's) intentions were bad, meaning they didn't want me to campaign for the elections. I want to thank the Supreme Court for giving me the opportunity to campaign, and today I am here among you." Kejriwal appealed the electorate to consider the consequences of their vote, stating, "I have come for 20 days, saying that I have to go to jail again (on 2nd June). Whether I go to jail again or not is in your hands. If you press the lotus button on May 25th, I will have to go to jail, and if you press the broom button, I won't have to go to jail." "When you go to vote, think carefully," he added. Kejriwal highlighted his administration's achievements in Delhi, including improvements in education, healthcare, and electricity supply, while condemning the conditions he endured during his imprisonment. "I was thinking, why did they arrest me? I am just a common man with a small party. My fault is that I built good schools for the poor people of Delhi, provided good education for their children, ensured 24-hour electricity supply, etc. Today, if anyone in Delhi falls ill, they get all the medicines for free. But when I went to Tihar, I, a diabetic, had my insulin stopped for 15 days. My sugar level reached 350. My fault is that now I am preparing to deposit Rs. 100 every month into the account of every woman in Delhi," Kejriwal said. He was speaking while doing a road show in the Shahabad area of Kurukshetra district in Haryana to support of AAP candidate for Haryana's Kurukshetra Lok Sabha seat Sushil Gupta. Sushil Kumar Gupta of AAP is pitied against Naveen Jindal of BJP from the Kurukshetra Lok Sabha constituency. Notably, Jindal represented the Kurukshetra parliamentary constituency from 2004 to 2014 when he was in Congress. Kejriwal was released from Delhi's Tihar Jail on May 10, 50 days after he was jailed on corruption charges linked to the alleged liquor policy scam and hours after the Supreme Court granted bail until June 1. Lok Sabha elections in the 10 parliamentary constituencies of Haryana will be held in a single phase on May 25. The counting of votes will be on June 4. In the 2019 Indian general elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the dominant force in Haryana, securing a landslide victory by winning all 10 parliamentary seats. (ANI)
Bhartiya Janata Party's spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Tuesday criticised Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and claimed that the Congress leader is not trying to protect the Constitution but he is trying to protect his family dynasty. Speaking with ANI, Shehzad Poonawalla said, "Rahul Gandhi's statement is correct that they are fighting to protect something. But the fight is not to protect the Constitution but family dynasties and the shrinking shop of its politics." He added, "If he has to say that when his grandmother( former PM Indira Gandhi) imposed an emergency or when she put opposition leaders behind bars, the Constitution was safe, or the Constitution was safe when Rajnath Singh was not given permission to perform the last rites of his mother, then he should talk to his leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. Chowdhury says that under the governance of West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee, the Constitution is not safe." Escalating his criticism against the Congress party, Poonawalla asserted, "The Congress claims that the Constitution is at risk under AAP's governance in Punjab, citing the arrest of their leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira. Their special leader KC Venugopal voices concerns when FIRs are lodged against Congress leaders in Kerala, and accuses Pinarayi Vijayan (Kerala CM) of endangering the Constitution. While Rahul Gandhi confronts these issues elsewhere, he fosters friendships with them in Delhi. Their priority isn't safeguarding the Constitution, but rather a last try to protect their family legacy." Slamming the party for talking about reservations based on religion, Poonawalla said, "And one thing is evident, the ones who are talking about reservations based on religion and infringing upon the rights of SC, ST, and OBC communities in states like Karnataka and Telangana, are the ones trying to end the Constitution." He added, "Rahul Gandhi should give in writing that he will protect the Constitution by not giving reservation based on religion and safeguarding the reservation rights of SC, ST, and OBC communities." Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said that this is the first time that the Lok Sabha elections are being fought to safeguard the Constitution, without which people from various sections of the society will lose their rights. Rahul Gandhi addressed a joint rally with Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi where both leaders attacked PM Modi for neglecting the interests of the farmers. "For the first time, this fight, this election is to save the Constitution. Whatever you have got, whether you are poor, farmers, labourers, backward, Dalits, adivasis, minorities, poor general caste has been given by this book (Constitution). Without this (Constitution) the poor people of India won't belong anywhere," Rahul Gandhi said speaking at a joint campaign at Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi with INDIA bloc partner, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. Rahul Gandhi said that the Congress party along with Akhilesh Yadav is trying to protect the Constitution.Both the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP), members of the opposition INDIA bloc addressed a joint rally in support of Pradeep Jain, the Congress candidate from Jhansi. (ANI)
Union Minister of State (Ind. Charge) Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh expressed confidence on Tuesday, stating that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is poised to secure 35 out of the 42 seats in the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal. He further emphasised that the population of West Bengal has decided to avail themselves of the various schemes initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Speaking with ANI, on Lok Sabha elections, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said, "This time out of 42 seats, we have a goal to secure 35 seats (in West Bengal)... I have confidence that we will win 30-35 seats from here. In the fifth phase, which has seven seats, I have confidence on winning all the seats." He added, "Although last time we got only three seats, this time, the people have decided that they want the benefits of welfare schemes related to women and youth that are in the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi." Lauding Prime Minister, the Union Minister also said, "After independence, this is the first time we have a PM like Narendra Modi, who has been accepted pan-India... Congress leaders who criticise us even their family members are voting for BJP. The family members of TMC workers have also decided to vote for BJP..." Jitendra Singh also took to his official X handle and posted about how people want to be a part of welfare schemes under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He wrote, "People of West Bengal have resolved that they shall no longer allow themselves to be deprived of the fast-track development happening in every sector across the country and now aspire to be equal beneficiaries of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Viksit Bharat." Notably, elections in West Bengal are being conducted in all seven phases. The result of the elections will come on June 4th. (ANI)
Elaborating upon the multiple benefits that will accrue from a bullet train, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that it will help in decongestion and fasten the pace of urbanization. He was speaking at an event titled 'India's Vishwabandhu Approach to Global Relations' at the Constitution Club in Mumbai on Monday. Addressing the event, Jaishankar said, "Piyush Goyal and I worked on and a few years ago we decided that we will work with Japan on the bullet train...people think what is special in a bullet train, it is just a train, it will go a little bit faster." "Actually what a bullet train does is it reduces the distance so much that somebody living 150 km away from Mumbai can come into Bandra Kurla complex in 20 minutes. Think about housing, real estate, decongestion. See how urbanization will spread. When we started this project there was a debate," he added. The EAM recalled that some people had raised doubts even when the first metro train came to India under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government. "Interestingly I was also in Japan when the first metro came, and Atal ji was in power. At that time also, people asked what is the need for a metro. You all are from Mumbai, now you tell me whether the metro is needed or not. If the Atal Ji-led government hadn't taken that decision then, can you imagine the clogging on our streets today?" he said. He further said that collaborating with Japan will help in moving the project faster. "So I mention bullet train because it's not some, you know...it will take us a long time. If you collaborate with someone, it will move very much faster. But if you are smart, you will collaborate, absorb, and innovate also," Jaishankar added. Earlier in the day, in a separate event, the Foreign Minister had slammed the Opposition parties accusing them of "delaying" the bullet train project. "We are on the side of the bullet train project. Now, you know who delayed the bullet train. So, this is an example of who is in favour of technology, progress, and the project, and who is clearly against it," Jaishankar said at an event in Mumbai. India's first bullet train project is currently under construction. It will connect the cities of Mumbai and Ahmedabad. The project was launched in 2017. Earlier in February, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw accused the then-Uddav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government of slowing down the bullet train project during their tenure from 2019 to 2022. He also said that the first section of the high-speed train will open in July-August 2026 between Surat and Bilimora. (ANI)
Comparing the Israel-Hamas war with World War II, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said that the US dropping nuclear bombs on Japan to end the war was the "right decision" and Israel should also be given the bombs "they need" to end the war. Graham, a Republican Senator and a staunch supporter of Israel, criticized President Joe Biden for pausing the delivery of 3000 heavy bombs to Israel. During an interview on NBC News on Sunday, Graham said, "When we were faced with destruction as a nation after Pearl Harbor, fighting the Germans and the Japanese, we decided to end the war by the bombing [of] Hiroshima [and] Nagasaki with nuclear weapons...That was the right decision." He added: "Give Israel the bombs they need to end the war. They can't afford to lose." Further drawing a comparison with the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki -- which killed over 2,00,000 people and left many more badly traumatized -- the US Senator said that Israel should do "whatever" it has to survive as a 'Jewish state'. "Why is it OK for America to drop two nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end their existential threat war? Why was it OK for us to do that? I thought it was OK," Graham said. He added, "So, Israel, do whatever you have to do to survive as a Jewish state. Whatever you have to do." The Republican Senator also argued that Hamas is to blame for civilian casualties throughout the conflict as it uses the civilians in the strip as 'human shields'. "I think it's impossible to mitigate civilian deaths in Gaza as long as Hamas uses their own population as human shields. I've never seen in the history of warfare such blatant efforts by an enemy -- Hamas -- to put civilians at risk," Graham said. "The last thing you want to do is reward this behaviour." Recently, President Joe Biden paused the delivery of 3000 heavy bombs to Israel and vowed to hold more offensive weapons if Israeli forces launch a major operation in Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians are sheltering. Biden's pause on the heavy bombs, his criticism of Israel's military campaign and his threat to withhold more weapons in the event of a Rafah invasion come amid sweeping college protests in the US and frustration with the war from some Democrats and his left flank. (ANI)
US State Secretary Antony Blinken on Tuesday embarked on an unannounced visit to Ukraine to foster ties and reaffirm American support to Kyiv amid its ongoing war with Russia. Secretary Blinken shared details of his arrival in Kyiv on X saying, "I returned to Kyiv today to demonstrate our unwavering support for Ukraine as they defend their freedom against Russian aggression." Additionally, US State Department official spokesperson Matthew Miller also shared that Secretary Blinken will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other senior leaders to discuss battlefield updates. "While in Kyiv, the Secretary will meet with President Zelenskyy and Ukrainian senior leaders to discuss battlefield updates, the impact of new US security and economic assistance, and ongoing work to bolster Ukraine's economic recovery," he posted on X. The visit comes as the United States announced a USD 400 million military aid package for Ukraine as the country continues to be in desperate need of Western aid amid intensifying pressure from Russia, The Hill reported. This package is the third slated for Kyiv after the US passed the national security supplemental last month that included USD 61 billion for Kyiv. The new package includes Patriot air defence munitions and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, which have been crucial to defending Ukraine's skies and keeping its cities safe, The Hill reported on Friday. Other equipment includes more High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems and 155 mm and 105 mm artillery rounds, which Ukraine was in desperate need of to fend off Russian attacks across the front line as Moscow has an advantage in artillery fire, the report said. The US is also providing Javelin missiles, Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, M113 Armoured Personnel Carriers, patrol boats and general small arms ammunition, grenades and demolition munitions. Notably, the announcement comes after the passage of an initial USD 1 billion package in late April, shortly after President Biden signed the national security supplemental bill into law. This had come after months of Congress holding up talks on new aid for Ukraine. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin also announced a USD 6 billion package for Ukraine that will require Kyiv to purchase equipment from the defence industrial base before delivery, The Hill reported. As Russia intensifies pressure across the eastern frontline, making critical advances in the Donetsk region, US aid will play a crucial role in the Ukrainian counter-offensive. This announcement comes on the heels of a fresh attack launched by Russia in the north-eastern Kharkiv region, putting even more pressure on Ukrainian forces. (ANI)
The decision comes in response to escalating tensions, with the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) leading demonstrations demanding various reforms, including fair electricity pricing, subsidised wheat flour, and an end to elite privileges.

On May 9 and 10, police arrested approximately 70 activists to prevent a scheduled long march by the JAAC, triggering violent clashes in Dadyal and prompting a widespread "shutter-down strike".

Subsequent days witnessed further unrest, with fierce confrontations between protesters and law enforcement in Muzaffarabad, resulting in casualties and injuries. Despite initial calm, tensions flared again as protests resumed, leading to clashes and renewed calls for action, as reported by Dawn.

Efforts to negotiate a resolution between the JAAC and PoJK authorities faltered, exacerbating the situation. President Asif Ali Zardari and PM Shehbaz pledged to address protesters' grievances, urging dialogue and restraint.

In response to the turmoil, government offices and educational institutions remained closed as a precautionary measure.

Prime Minister Sharif convened a special meeting in Islamabad, attended by PoJK PM Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, local ministers, and key political figures. Federal ministers and coalition leaders also participated, conducting a comprehensive assessment of the situation.

The decision to allocate funds was met with appreciation from PoJK leaders, acknowledging the Prime Minister's swift response.

Speaking at a press conference, PoJK PM Chaudhry Anwarul Haq hailed the aid package as a "gift" from the government, attributing the unrest to alleged interference attempts by India.

He added that 100 policemen were injured and a sub-inspector was martyred during the protests, underscoring the gravity of the situation.

Acknowledging the government's support, he disclosed the allocation of PKR 10 billion from the Social Protection Fund to the PoJK Bank, addressing critical financial needs.

Key provisions of the aid package include subsidised electricity tariffs and fixed prices for wheat flour, aimed at easing financial burdens on residents. Haq assured that notifications had been issued to implement these measures promptly.

Emphasising the significance of the aid, he assured that the relief would be a permanent fixture in the region's budget, providing long-term benefits to the populace.

Haq highlighted the collaborative effort among coalition parties, emphasising a shared commitment to regional development and prosperity.

In response to queries, he confirmed financial assistance for the family of the slain sub-inspector and unveiled tariff structures approved by PoJK authorities for domestic and commercial users, Dawn reported. (ANI)
Amid Israel's military action in Gaza against Hamas, India has strongly condemned the civilian deaths in the ongoing conflict and said that the resulting humanitarian crisis in the region is "simply unacceptable." "The conflict in Gaza has been going on for over seven months, and the humanitarian crisis it has triggered has been increasing. There is also the potential for growing instability in the region and beyond. In this context, we view the UNSC's adoption of resolution 2728 as a positive step," India's permanent representative to UN, Ruchira Kamboj said at the 10th UNGA Emergency Special Session on Palestine. "India's position on the conflict has been clearly articulated on more than one occasion by our leadership: One, the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has led to a large-scale loss of civilian lives, especially women and children. The resulting humanitarian crisis is simply unacceptable. We have strongly condemned the deaths of civilians in the conflict. International law and international humanitarian law must be respected by everyone under all circumstances," she added. Highlighting the October 7 attack on Israel, Kamboj also asserted that the Hamas attack on Israel also deserves equivocal condemnation of the forum and that there is no justification for terrorism and hostage-taking. "The terror attacks in Israel on 7 October were shocking, and they deserve our unequivocal condemnation. There can be no justification for terrorism and hostage-taking. India has a longstanding and uncompromising position against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and we demand the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages," she said. "The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire. Humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza must be scaled up immediately to avert a further deterioration in the situation. We urge all parties to come together in this endeavour. We welcome the efforts of the UN and the international community in this regard. India has provided humanitarian aid to the people of Palestine and will continue to do so. We note the recent facilitation of greater flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza by the Israeli authorities," she added. Reiterating India's stand on the two-state solution of the matter, she also urged the conflicting parties to engage as soon as possible for direct peace negotiations. "My leadership has repeatedly emphasized that only a Two-State solution, achieved through direct and meaningful negotiations between both sides on final status issues, will deliver an enduring peace," she said. "India is committed to supporting a Two-State solution where the Palestinian people can live freely in an independent country within secure borders, with due regard to the security needs of Israel. To arrive at a lasting solution, we urge all parties to foster conditions conducive to resuming direct peace negotiations at an early date," she added. Additionally, India also reaffirmed its support for the Palestinian bid for full membership at the United Nations and hoped that the respective application of Palestine would be reconsidered by the forum. "In keeping with our longstanding position, we support the membership of Palestine at the UN and therefore, we have voted in favour of this Resolution. We hope that Palestine's application will be reconsidered by the Security Council in due course and that Palestine's endeavour to become a member of the UN will get endorsed," she said. (ANI)
"This is the broad daylight murder that is taking place in PoK. Our lives are in danger," Mirza asserted, offering a glimpse into the chaos gripping the region.

The unrest stems from a wheel-jam strike initiated by the Awami Action Committee, demanding tax-free electricity from the Mangla Dam and subsidies on wheat flour.

The strike, now in its fourth consecutive day, has become a focal point for simmering discontent among PoJK residents.

Mirza's testimony sheds light on the gravity of the situation, revealing clashes between protestors and authorities across Muzaffarabad, Dadyal, Mirpur, and other areas of PoJK.

Overnight police raids led to the arrest of numerous leaders and activists, further stoking the flames of dissent.

"Suddenly the protesters hit back and the Rangers retreated," Mirza said, describing the volatile turn of events, adding, "It seemed as if the Rangers had disappeared from the scene, but then they came with a heavy contingency of rangers."

As tensions reached a boiling point, Mirza revealed the deployment of army commandos via helicopters into Muzaffarabad. Each helicopter, he notes, carries about 20 to 25 commandos, raising concerns about the potential for further violence and loss of life.

"We are in a desperate situation," Mirza lamented, highlighting the blackout of internet services in the region, which has compounded the sense of isolation and uncertainty among residents.

In a plea for international intervention, Mirza urged the Indian government to raise the issue at the United Nations and demand answers from the Pakistani ambassador. (ANI)
United States Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, celebrated his one-year anniversary in the role, reflecting on the remarkable journey and accomplishments during his tenure. "I never dreamed I'd have the honour and privilege of representing my country here in India, but what a year it's been," remarked Garcetti, expressing gratitude for the opportunity. Throughout the past year, Garcetti has traversed across 22 states and union territories, fostering friendships, receiving notable gifts, and savouring the diverse culinary offerings. "From Mumbai to Kohima, I picked up some amazing friends, received incredible gifts, and of course, enjoyed some great food," he recounted, highlighting the enriching experiences of his travels. Trade emerged as a cornerstone of bilateral relations, with Garcetti noting, "It was a banner year for trade," emphasising the substantial volume of trade, valued at nearly USD 200 billion, and efforts to reduce tariffs to promote economic growth. "That's a lot of almonds for a lot of mangoes," Garcetti quipped, showcasing the magnitude of trade exchanges between the two nations. In the realm of India-US defence cooperation, Garcetti celebrated record military exercises aimed at enhancing peace and interoperability between the United States and India. "From the seabed to the stars, the India-US relationship is reaching new heights," he affirmed, highlighting collaborations in space exploration, including the joint development of a satellite set to launch later in the year. Environmental sustainability emerged as another focal point, with Garcetti commending joint efforts to expand climate resilience and solutions, such as financing 10,000 new electric buses and establishing the largest solar manufacturing plant in southern India with US assistance. "We're making sure we walk the green walk, not just the green talk," he asserted, underscoring commitments to environmental stewardship. Addressing healthcare cooperation, Garcetti highlighted collaborative endeavours in vaccine development for diseases like dengue and malaria, showcasing the shared commitment to global health security. Furthermore, he lauded efforts to streamline visa processing, significantly reducing wait times and increasing the number of visas issued, making Indians the leading source of international students. As he concluded his remarks, the US envoy expressed optimism for the future of the US-India partnership. "If we did this much in one year, I can't wait to see what's next," he remarked, underscoring the enduring bond between the two nations and the limitless potential of collaboration. (ANI)
US President Joe Biden has directed his Trade Representative to increase tariffs on USD 18 billion of imports from China, including semiconductors, solar cells, batteries, and critical minerals to 'protect' American workers and businesses, the White House said in a statement on Tuesday. The White House said that the decision has come in response to China's 'unfair trade practices' and to counteract the resulting harms. "China's unfair trade practices concerning technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation are threatening American businesses and workers. China is also flooding global markets with artificially low-priced exports. In response to China's unfair trade practices and to counteract the resulting harms, today, President Biden is directing his Trade Representative to increase tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 on USD 18 billion of imports from China to protect American workers and businesses," the White House statement read. The statement on hiked tariffs on imports from China also noted that the Chinese government has used unfair and non-market practices for too long now. "China's forced technology transfers and intellectual property theft have contributed to its control of 70, 80, and even 90 percent of global production for the critical inputs necessary for our technologies, infrastructure, energy, and health care--creating unacceptable risks to America's supply chains and economic security," the White House said. "Furthermore, these same non-market policies and practices contribute to China's growing overcapacity and export surges that threaten to significantly harm American workers, businesses, and communities," it added. The US and the European Union have often expressed their concern over "industrial overcapacity" in China that is impacting their domestic companies. US Treasury Secretary Janet L Yellen met with the Economic Working Group (EWG) and Financial Working Group (FWG) between the US and China in April this year following her trip to Beijing and Guangzhou. "The US delegation continued to express concerns about China's non-market practices and industrial overcapacity," the US Treasury Department had said after the meeting. "Both sides agreed to further discuss these issues," according to a readout on the meeting.In a meeting between Xi Jinping and President Emmanuel Macron of France, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, urged the visiting Chinese President to address "the wave of subsidized exports flowing from his nation's factories into Western countries," NYT reported. "These subsidized products -- such as the electric vehicles or, for example, steel -- are flooding the European market," von der Leyen said. "The world cannot absorb China's surplus production," von der Leyen was cited in the US daily. (ANI)
The top court, in September last year, had made the amendments made to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws null and void, announcing its reserved verdict on Imran Khan's plea.

A five-judge bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Qazi Faez Isa, heard the government's appeals against the NAB amendments ruling, according to ARY News.

The NAB prosecutor general declared at the beginning of the hearing that the bureau would accept the federal government's positions in this particular case.

Justice Minallah remarked it has been told that the PTI founder wants to appear in this case. "How can a respondent be barred from attending court proceedings."

Meanwhile, Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa remarked that Adiala Jail Superintendent was asked to make arrangements for the video link appearance of the PTI founder. This is not a matter related to a person but it is a matter of law and justice.

Pakistan Supreme Court had granted Imran Khan's petition which challenged changes made to the nation's accountability legislation while the previous administration was led by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), by a majority vote of 2-1.

The Supreme Court had also revived graft charges against public officials that had been dismissed due to changes made to National Accountability Bureau statutes. (ANI)
On his surprise visit to Ukraine, US State Secretary Antony Blinken on Tuesday met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and assured him that American military aid is on its way, reported The New York Times. This comes at a "challenging time" when the country's putting effort against Russia. This marks Blinken's first meeting since his arrival in Kyiv and came under the shadow of Russian military gains in the country's northeast. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, in an ornate conference room at his presidential offices on Bankova Street, said that US State Secretary Blinken had come during "a tough period for the east of our country." Later, the Ukrainian leader profusely thanked Blinken for the "crucial" USD 60.8 billion aid package for his country that President Biden signed last month after months of infighting among congressional Republicans, The New York Times reported. Further adding that Ukraine was still in need, Zelenskyy pointed to the Russian military advances around the northeastern city of Kharkiv in recent days. Russian forces captured another village, Lukiantsi, overnight and bombed the city of Kharkiv on Tuesday morning, injuring four people. Zelenskyy further called air defence a "deficit for us" and said, "We really need it today, two Patriots for Kharkiv." The Patriot is a US-made surface-to-air missile system, reported The New York Times. However, Blinken did not specifically respond to that request, but said, "We know this is a challenging time. But we also know that in the near term, assistance is now on the way. Some of it already arrived, and more of it will be arriving, and that's going to make a real difference against the Russian aggression on the battlefield." The US State Secretary made this unannounced visit for the fourth time since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Blinken, who arrived on an overnight train from Poland, plans to deliver a speech later on Tuesday celebrating the influx of American aid and portraying Russia's failed effort to take control of the country as a strategic success for Ukraine, according to a senior US official. Moreover, Blinken will further underscore that Ukraine must continue to make progress on democratic governance and anticorruption reforms if it wants to integrate with the West, the official said. US President Joe Biden and State Secretary Blinken had warned for months that Congress' delay in approving critically needed US arms would leave Ukraine's military vulnerable along an eastern battlefront that has been stalemated for months, reported The New York Times. However, the US official declined to draw a direct connection between the delayed aid and Russia's gains near the city of Kharkiv. But the official said it was clear that the gap in funding had left Ukraine, whose military is starved for ammunition and other critical equipment, weakened. In the past several years, Blinken and Zelensky have developed a personal rapport over numerous meetings in Europe and the US. The secretary of state, who visited Kyiv twice in the year before Russia's full-scale invasion, is known there as one of Washington's leading champions of strong Western support for Ukraine. "I know you did a lot for this positive decision," Zelensky told Blinken of the new aid package. "We've travelled a long road together these past couple of years," Blinken said Earlier in March, the White House national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, met with Zelensky in Kyiv, before the package passed. (ANI)
TOKYO, May 14 (News On Japan) - In a shocking incident on May 8, a 25-year-old woman was murdered in a high-rise apartment in Tokyo's Shinjuku district. Both the victim and the suspect were known to each other, with new testimonies shedding light on the tumultuous relationship that culminated in the tragedy.

The victim, Toshino Hirasawa, was found dead in her apartment, having been fatally stabbed. The suspect, 51-year-old Manabu Wakui, was arrested and formally charged with her murder on May 9.

The two first met around four years ago when Wakui visited a girls' bar managed by Hirasawa. An interview conducted by FNN on May 10 with a former employee of the bar revealed insights into their interactions.

The former employee described Hirasawa as "very friendly and charming," recalling her time working at the bar, where Hirasawa went by the pseudonym Asuka Hiramei.

In Wakuis apartment, there were four bottles labeled with Hirasawas pseudonym and photo. The former employee mentioned that Wakui, who frequented the bar two to three times a week, had initially left a positive impression. "He was always very personable, and I never had a bad impression of him," she recalled.

Regarding Wakui and Hirasawa's relationship, she noted, "They seemed close. When Wakui asked what she wanted to drink, Hirasawa would respond casually, and Wakui would readily agree. There was no sign of trouble between them at the time."

However, their relationship reportedly took a dark turn. According to the former employee, Wakui, nicknamed "Wakkun" or "Wakuchin" at the bar, began displaying stalker-like behavior. "I heard he became increasingly obsessive and was eventually banned from the bar for demanding a physical relationship with Asuka (Hirasawa)."

In 2022, after being banned from the bar, Wakui received an official warning from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police for stalking Hirasawa. On the same day, Wakui visited a police station in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, protesting the accusation. "Why am I being called a stalker when I'm the one being victimized?" he reportedly complained.

The police, citing a lack of evidence for any financial disputes, advised Wakui to seek legal counsel. Wakui later claimed during the current investigation, "I gave money to support her business, expecting more than 10 million yen in return."

Hirasawa, when consulting with the police, explained that the money from Wakui was received as an advance payment for bar services.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police believe Wakui harbored strong murderous intent and continue to investigate the case.

Source: FNN
TOKYO, May 14 (News On Japan) - Police have arrested a man in his 20s after 3 people were killed in a collision involving seven vehicles on the Tokyo Expressway on Tuesday morning.

At around 7:30 a.m. on May 14, a truck rear-ended a passenger car near the Bijogi Junction on the outbound Ikebukuro Line of the Tokyo Expressway in Toda City, leading to an accident involving a total of seven vehicles.

According to investigators, a fire broke out in one large truck and three passenger cars, with fire trucks dispatched to extinguish the flames.

The accident resulted in three fatalities and two minor injuries.

The Metropolitan Police Department arrested the truck driver, a man in his twenties, on suspicion of negligent driving resulting in death. The exact cause of the accident is currently under investigation.

Source: ANN
FUKUOKA, May 14 (News On Japan) - An engaged couple have been arrested for posting unedited explicit videos, some of which they starred in, on social media, earning reportedly almost 100 million yen ($640,000).

Itabashi Naomi, 32, and Kiri Nobutoshi, 29, from Fukuoka City, are suspected of filming and posting approximately 190 unedited explicit videos featuring themselves on social media from 2021 to this year.

According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, the couple, who are engaged, identified themselves as "social media influencers" and posted edited explicit videos on subscription-based social media platforms.

Over the course of about two and a half years, they earned approximately 95 million yen.

Kiri stated, "I filmed the videos, and Naomi posted them," while Itabashi confessed, "I continued posting even though I knew it was a crime."

Source: ANN
TOKYO, May 14 (News On Japan) - The House of Representatives' Political Ethics Review Committee has decided to investigate 44 lawmakers from the Abe and Nikai factions of the Liberal Democratic Party following a scandal involving undisclosed political funds. This decision comes in response to a request from opposition parties.

During an afternoon session, the Political Ethics Review Committee unanimously agreed to examine 44 lawmakers from the Abe and Nikai factions for failing to report political donations in their funding reports. Six members, including former Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno from the Abe faction and former Internal Affairs Minister Takeda from the Nikai faction, who have already attended the committee, are not included in this review.

Attendance at the committee is not mandatory, so the committee will verify by May 20 if the lawmakers under review wish to provide explanations.

Following last month's by-election results in the House of Representatives, the Constitutional Democratic Party gained three additional seats, allowing the opposition to independently request the committee's sessions.

Source: TBS
KAGOSHIMA, May 14 (News On Japan) - An active police officer from the Kagoshima Prefectural Police was arrested last night on suspicion of voyeurism for filming women in a restroom. This marks the third arrest of a police officer in Kagoshima Prefecture this year following a series of scandals.

The suspect, identified as 32-year-old Senior Police Officer Torigoe Yuki, was arrested on charges including unauthorized recording of sexual imagery.

According to police reports, Torigoe allegedly entered a women's restroom in Kagoshima Prefecture in December last year and used his smartphone to secretly film women. Torigoe has admitted to the charges.

Since the beginning of this year, the Kagoshima Prefectural Police have been plagued by scandals, with multiple arrests of active officers for violations of the Local Public Service Act and indecent acts without consent. In the past month and a half alone, three active police officers have been arrested.

Source: TBS
FUKUSHIMA, May 15 (News On Japan) - In the early hours of May 14, several men broke into a house in Minamiaizu, Fukushima Prefecture, tying up a woman in her 60s and stealing cash. Over the past two weeks, similar robbery incidents have occurred in Gunma, Tochigi, and Nagano Prefectures.

Tied Up in the Early Morning... Suspects Still at Large

A woman in her 60s, living alone, was attacked. She was asleep in her bedroom when her wrists were bound with tape. After the intruders left, she managed to free herself and seek help.

Victim's cousin: "There was a knocking sound at the door, and my cousin came asking for help. She was trembling, saying 'Help me.' Suddenly, men entered her room, told her not to make noise, and bound her with tape. They even taped her face. She couldn't see anything, but something sharp was pressed against her cheek."

According to investigators, the men demanded money in broken Japanese, suggesting they might be foreigners. They stole around 10,000 yen and fled.

Victim's cousin: "She had locked all the doors. The police said the intruders broke in through a back window. They left through the front door, walking out boldly. My cousin believes there were two of them. They wore shoes indoors and left, making noise on the gravel path."

This robbery is one of four similar incidents in the past half month, where victims were restrained and robbed. These cases have spanned Fukushima, Tochigi, Gunma, and Nagano Prefectures. Police are investigating the connections, noting that all the houses were isolated and located in mountainous areas.

Victim Describes Entire Crime

The first incident occurred on April 30 in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture. A 75-year-old man living alone was attacked in his sleep. He was tied up with neckties and beaten. The robbers stole a wallet containing 34,000 yen. The two men spoke broken Japanese and communicated with each other in a foreign language.

On May 6, in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, two men held a knife-like object to a man in his 50s, tied him up, and stole tens of thousands of yen. This house was the only one where the victim was not living alone; his 90-year-old father was also present but did not encounter the intruders.

Nearby, an abandoned house was found ransacked, though nothing was stolen. It is unclear if the robbers had specifically targeted their victims in advance.

The third incident occurred on May 8 in Annaka, Gunma Prefecture. The 70-year-old victim described his ordeal.

Victim: "They broke in through the glass. I was woken up. One of them pinned me down so I couldn't move. They were there for about 30 minutes. One of them kept holding me down. They said, 'Don't make noise or I'll kill you.' He had a knife. I thought I would be killed."

The two men not only tied his hands but also taped his face, blinding him. They stole about 80,000 yen.

Victim: "They were young, maybe in their early twenties. They seemed foreign. I wish they would work honestly. I live on a pension."

All four incidents occurred between midnight and early morning. Except for the Nagano case, the victims were living alone and attacked while asleep.

Police have launched a joint investigation across Tochigi, Nagano, and Gunma Prefectures and are looking into the possible connections with the May 14 incident in Fukushima.

Is This "Dark Job" Involvement?

Former Saitama Prefectural Police investigator Seizo Sasaki was asked about the commonalities.

(Q: Given the similarities, is it possible the same perpetrators are responsible?)

Seizo Sasaki: "The locations are all in mountainous areas, and the victim profiles and methods of restraint are very similar, suggesting the same perpetrators. In these areas, there are few streetlights and security cameras, which might have been intentionally chosen to avoid capture."

(Q: Could this be related to "dark jobs" like the Luffy Group?)

Seizo Sasaki: "In 'dark job' robberies, perpetrators often target wealthy individuals using detailed lists. This trend is not evident here, as the focus seems to be on avoiding capture by selecting secluded locations. Thus, it is unlikely that this is similar to other 'dark job' cases. Recently, local crime has increased, even in rural areas, requiring the installation of streetlights and security cameras."

Source: ANN
TOKYO, May 15 (News On Japan) - The Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China has released the results of a survey targeting Japanese companies operating in China, revealing that over half of them report worsening sales trends.

On May 14, the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China announced the results of the "Economic and Business Environment Survey" conducted from March to April.

This was the third survey conducted, following the previous one at the end of last year, targeting approximately 8,000 Japanese companies in China and receiving 1,741 responses.

Regarding sales trends, 56% of respondents reported "decline" or "slight decline," a 9-point increase from the previous survey. Particularly, companies related to the automobile sector, facing intensified price competition in new energy vehicles, reported a significant increase from 30% to 72% in sales decline compared to the previous survey.

For this year's forecast of the Chinese market, 50% of companies responded with "deterioration" or "slight deterioration," an 11-point increase from the previous survey.

On the other hand, the percentage of companies reporting plans to "reduce investment" or "not invest this year" decreased by 4 points to 44%, showing a slight improvement.

Among the companies that reported reducing investment, some indicated plans to continue investing in research and development and human resource development, highlighting their strategic foresight.

Tetsuro Honma, Chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China, analyzed, "Many companies are taking preemptive measures to survive," and emphasized, "We will continue to urge the Chinese side to improve the business environment."

Source: ANN
Art creates a positive feeling.

The good mood it fosters was evident Saturday in Cochran Park as eight area artists gathered to showcase their talents and personal feelings.

Among the artists was Angelina Gutierrez of Omaha, whose painting celebrated the nice weather with bright colors for a positive impact, she said.

Im creating what I feel like, Gutierrez said.

There was also Avry Victor of Omaha, who was painting a girl reading a book with flowers and leaves in the background.

Its something fun and summery, Victor said. Its symbolic of my getting back into reading. That inspired this.

The artists took part in Murals and Music that celebrated four new murals along the First Avenue Trail and part of the weeklong Celebrate CB lineup.

Were happy to showcase local talent, said spokesman Turner Morgan. Were celebrating art today, as well as continuing the communitys art effort.

As the artists were painting, the public had the chance to gain insight into their creative process and engage with them as they brought their visions to life. The scene was complemented by the live music of Andre Vander Velde with food and ice cream concessions doing brisk business.

Were here to provide family-friendly programming, Turner said.

Another artist who attended was Lauren Mankin of Omaha. Her painting was inspired by a recent photograph taken of her with her mother and grandmother.

I like to make things that are positive, she said.

The artists who attended brought many years of experience. Richard Harrison, a 60-year-old Omaha resident used Behr Marquee paint into create an Eastern Goldfinch, the state bird of Iowa.

Drawing and painting have been my favorite hobbies as long as I can remember, Harrison said. I like nature and architecture."

Harrison helped paint an actual grain silo last year. He is also involved with the South Omaha Mural Project, he said.

Ive done art since I was 4, said Victor, who earned a fine arts degree in painting and drawing from the University of NebraskaLincoln.

Victor was using acrylic paint for her mural.

Its easier to work with," Victor said. "It dries faster so I can move on more quickly to other parts of the mural.

Mankin has been painting since childhood, and she was using regular latex paint.

Gutierrez noted that she has her first solo exhibition through May 31 in the Petshop Art Gallery in Omaha's Benson district.

Morgan said the murals will be place on large cubes in the park for the public to enjoy until theyre moved to the Tom Hanafan Rivers Edge Park for Summerfest at Rivers Edge on Friday, June 7.

Public art is for everybody, Morgan said. It promotes eternal positivity. We want people to feel optimistic about what is to come. That is what art is.
A new sandwich shop will open Wednesday in Council Bluffs' Metro Crossing development.

Jersey Mikes Subs will open at 3825 Denmark Drive, Suite 700, according to a news release.

A grand-opening fundraiser will run through Sunday, May 19, to support the Council Bluffs Schools Foundation. Participation is limited to customers who receive a coupon as part of a grassroots campaign through the foundation.

"Team Council Bluffs is excited to enter a new neighborhood in our community, in partnership with CBSF to provide fantastic quality food and help support a great cause, co-owner John Cotter said in the release.

Bridgette Watson, executive director of the Council Bluffs Schools Foundation, praised the new business, which is co-owned by Hani Nachef. Britney Scott is the operating partner.

"Their generosity will directly impact our school community through our annual grants program, enabling us to continue enriching the educational experiences for students in Council Bluffs," Watson said. "Together we're fostering a brighter future for our children, one delicious sandwich at a time."

The restaurant will offer delivery through its app and third-party delivery partners. Curbside pickup, in-store pickup and a dining room are also offered.

The shop's hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. It can be reached at 712-796-3020.
Millions of users in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda complained of internet outage that operators blamed on undersea cable failures.

Internet service in the region was disrupted after problems in the cable that connects the region with the rest of the world through a cable that crosses South Africa, the BBC reported citing experts.

On Monday, internet was slow in Kenya where operators told clients they were still working on the issue.

In March, a similar problem occurred leaving users in Cote dIvoire, Liberia, Benin, Ghana, and Burkina Faso without internet due to undersea cable problems.

The outages disrupted economic activity that rely on the internet, including international bank transfers.
The Senegalese government has bought 344 books owned by its former President Leopold Senghor, after it managed to stop them from being auctioned in France.

Senghor served as the first president of independent Senegal from 1960 to 1980. He is also better known for his central role in developing Negritude, an intellectual movement that defended Black culture and challenges western colonial narratives on Africa and African studies.

The books were going to be sold at an auction at the request of the heirs. But the new president of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, asked for the sale to be suspended, while offering to buy the whole lot.

Even beyond these particular assets, we believe that Senghor himself constitutes an inheritance: Senegals heritage, Africas heritage, the worlds heritage, the Senegalese ambassador to France, El Hadji Magatte Seye, told RFI.

The ambassador said the retrieved books will be exhibited in a museum on Senghors life.
Egypt will be the largest global wheat importer in 2024/25 (July-June) as the country recovers from a foreign exchange reserve crisis and seeks to rebuild inventories, the US department of agriculture USDA said.

In addition to wheat milled for domestic use, Egypt is also expected to continue exporting some wheat flour to nearby countries such as Sudan. Drought conditions will necessitate larger imports in other North African countries, most notably Morocco, USDA said in a recent report.

Algeria is expected to be the second largest wheat importer in Africa at 8.5 million tons, followed by Morocco with 7.5 million tons, while Nigeria will be the fourth largest importer at 4.8 million tons.

Global wheat production for 2024/25 is forecast at 798.2 million tons, up 10.5 million from the previous year, it said.

The top 2 producing countries China and India are each up over 3.4 million tons to record levels, spurred in part by government support programs. High wheat prices in Pakistan resulted in higher planted area, in turn yielding a larger crop, up 1.8 million tons.
The Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health summit held in Kenyas capital Nairobi has recently closed with a 10-year action plan, as the African Union (AU) has said a $15 billion private sector investment is needed to increase manufacturing of mineral fertilizers in Africa.

The Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health summit that took place last week brought together African leaders and key stakeholders in the agriculture sector who sought to highlight the crucial role of fertilizer and soil health in boosting productivity in agriculture on the continent. The leaders signed the Nairobi Declaration on Africa Fertilizer and Soil that acknowledges the need for increased fertilizer use while also recognizing the persistent, long-term challenges in implementing past commitments.

The summit also saw the launch of the Soil Initiative for Africa, a ten-year action plan, and a post-summit implementation mechanism to finance this action plan. The latter, which is called the Africa Fertilizer Financing Mechanism (AFFM), is designed notably to improve production, procurement, and distribution of organic and inorganic fertilizers in Africa.

Meanwhile, according to a recent statement by the AU, $15 billion is required to guarantee ideally the tripling of the production of organic and inorganic fertilizers in Africa by 2033. The regional cooperation in fertilizer policy, research, and development as well as investment pooling for production capacity, the AU hopes, will facilitate cross-border trade in the continent. The AU also decried Africas over-reliance on the global market, noting that the continent can be self-reliant if the needed cooperation crystalizes. As there is a dire need to shorten the distances that African farmers travel to access fertilizer and other critical farm inputs, the AU said that the target is that by 2033, at least 70% of the farmers in Africa should be linked to accessible and affordable input markets as well as agricultural extension services.
China's innovative farming tech delivers new veggie delights

Xinhua) 08:54, May 14, 2024

Vegetables are pictured at the 25th China (Shouguang) International Vegetable Sci-Tech Fair in Shouguang, east China's Shandong Province, April 21, 2024. (Xinhua/Xu Suhui)

JINAN, May 13 (Xinhua) -- A diverse array of over 600 new vegetable varieties, including cucumbers, tomatoes, chilies, purple peppers and eggplants, are currently showcased at the 25th China (Shouguang) International Vegetable Sci-Tech Fair in the city of Shouguang in east China's Shandong Province.

Many of these varieties have already hit the market and are available to ordinary consumers, as China's advancements in vegetable technology are expanding the culinary horizons, offering more options for dining tables everywhere.

One particular highlight at the fair is a variety of "slimming cucumbers," which has garnered significant attention. "It contains several times more propanol diacid than ordinary varieties, which helps inhibit the conversion of sugar into fat, and is thus called 'slimming cucumber'," said Xu Tiemin, deputy mayor of Shouguang and deputy director of the Shouguang vegetable research &development center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

Shouguang, one of China's major vegetable production bases, has cultivated over 1,000 mu (about 66.7 hectares) of the new cucumber variety, with a yield of 10 tonnes per mu, according to Xu.

Over the past four decades, China has cultivated over 6,500 vegetable varieties, with many fine varieties undergoing four to five generations of upgrades, according to the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

In Shouguang, the proportion of domestic vegetable seeds has increased to over 70 percent from 54 percent in 2010. "At present, solanum varieties cultivated in Shouguang are ahead of the international level in many aspects such as yield, taste, disease resistance, and cold hardiness," said Liu Xinqing, president of Shandong Shouguang Vegetable Seed Industry Group.

The ongoing sci-tech fair also features more than 80 vegetable planting models and over 100 technologies, including rotary farming, tidal farming, aquaponics systems, vertical farming and space breeding.

In one exhibition hall, tomato plants are displayed growing with their roots exposed to the air, devoid of contact with water or soil. Sprayers atomize a nutrient solution, which is then directly sprayed onto the roots.

"Compared with traditional soil cultivation, aerosol planting can be more easily applied in vertical farming with automatic operations, which helps to reduce the incidence of diseases and pests while maximizing greenhouse space utilization," said Ma Zunjuan, an exhibition hall worker at the fair.

In the same hall, several robots can be spotted moving back and forth in tomato fields. "They are pollinating the flowers with the help of technologies such as visual recognition and positioning and multi-sensor integrated navigation," Ma explained.

In China, the extensive application of digital technologies in agriculture is helping transform and upgrade agricultural production, injecting new momentum into the modernization of farming and the countryside.

In Shouguang, digital technologies and intelligent equipment are widely used in vegetable greenhouses, with the application rate of the Internet of Things in new greenhouses exceeding 80 percent.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
King Mohammed VI, the supreme commander, and chief of the general staff of the Royal Armed Forces, gave an Order of the Day address to the officers of the Royal Armed Forces lauding their professionalism in defending Moroccos stability and their efficient earthquake response and called for an assessment of training programs, while focusing on innovative approaches, scientific methods and artificial intelligence.

The address marks the 68th anniversary of the creation of the Royal Armed Forces, which consists of the army, the navy, the air force, the Royal Gendarmerie and the Royal Guard.

Our objective is that the Royal Armed Forces remain attached to their authentic values and their centuries-old traditions, capable of fulfilling their noble missions of defense of the Homeland and citizens in the best conditions, and that our institutes, schools and educational centers continue to provide our Royal Armed Forces with promotions of national executives and military skills, including officers, non-commissioned officers and privates, able to assume their responsibilities with skill and professionalism, said the King in the Order of the Day.

Recalling the sacrifices of the Royal Armed Forces in defending the homeland, the King also praised the contribution of Moroccan soldiers in peace keeping operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic, in line with the efforts of the United Nations to restore security and peace in these two brotherly countries.

In a volatile and rapidly evolving World plagued by the surge of conflicts, polarization and the risk of war, the King urged revising the concepts of security and defense and adapting programs and strategies in the face of the resurgence of threats and challenges, in order to deal with this situation and adapt to.

In this context, the King said he attaches utmost importance to strengthening the capabilities of the Royal Armed Forces, including by equipping them with all modern technical means and necessary equipment through training and qualification programs for the human element.

Thus, We have given Our High Instructions to initiate a global assessement of training curricula and military training programs intended for all military personnel, all levels combined, with the aim of instilling a new dynamic into the systems and supports of teaching and adapting them to new changes, while adopting renewed thinking and innovative methods in the fields of science, technology and artificial intelligence, said the Monarch.

The King also welcomed the interest shown by Moroccan youth in military service, which yielded positive results that reflects the continued success of this operation.

Afterwards, he lauded the contribution of the Royal Armed Forces in the earthquake response effort with loyalty and sacrifice.

In this respect, We take this opportunity to laud the glorious epic written by members of the Royal Armed Forces, alongside those of the Royal Gendarmerie, National Security, Auxiliary Forces, Civil Protection and local authorities, as well as their fellow volunteers, following the tragic earthquake that struck the provinces of Al Haouz and Taroudant, he said.

your instant reaction and rapid intervention on the ground, backed up by the deployment of field hospitals and land and air rescue and relief units, as well as the setting up of accommodation camps and the provision of food aid to disaster victims, contributed effectively to alleviating the suffering of the population and opening up the affected areas, said the King, who paid a special tribute to the female military element during these painful event
Moroccos tourist arrivals are expected to reach 16.8 million in 2024 against the 14.5 million recorded in 2023, says Fitch Solutions Company in its latest business monitoring report.

The strong growth will be driven by increasing arrivals from key source markets such as France, Spain and Belgium. France is expected to be Moroccos largest arrivals source market with a projected 4.5 million arrivals (or 26.9% of total arrivals).

It will be followed by Spain with 2.4 million arrivals (14.3% of total arrivals) in 2024 and Belgium with 931,290 arrivals (5.6% of total arrivals). Italy and Germany will be Moroccos fourth and fifth largest arrivals source markets with a projected 921,400 arrivals (5.5% of total arrivals) and 732,760 arrivals (4.4% of total arrivals) respectively.

According to Fitch experts, Moroccos arrivals will continue to expand during the upcoming four years, growing by an annual average of 6.2% y-o-y to 19.6 million.

They expect France to retain its ranking as Moroccos largest arrivals source market in 2028 with a projected 5.2 million arrivals (26.8% of total arrivals). This will be followed by Spain with a projected 2.8 million arrivals (14.2% of total arrivals) in 2028. Italy will rise to third place in 2024 from fourth place in 2024 with a projected 1.12 million arrivals (5.7% of total arrivals). Belgium will rank fourth with a projected 1.09 million arrivals (5.6% of total arrivals) in 2028, lower than its third-place ranking in 2024.

The top five arrivals source markets will be completed by Germany with a projected 858,840 arrivals (4.4% of total arrivals) in 2028. Moroccos top five arrivals by market rankings show that the country is a popular destination for European tourists.

Moroccos warmer climate makes it an attractive destination for European tourists seeking beach holidays during the colder months. High living costs and tighter credit conditions are weighing on consumer spending in Europe. Furthermore, the availability of low-cost direct flight carriers between Europe and Morocco allows ease of travel to the North African Kingdom.

The countrys tourism offering includes culture, food and drink, historical sites such as Medina of Fez and the historic city of Meknes. Popular tourist activities and destinations also include beaches along both the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines, adventure activities such as rock climbing and trekking as well as natural attractions such as the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert.

Moroccos tourism offering appeals to tourists beyond the European region. This presents an opportunity for the country to diversify its tourism source markets, as well as to widen its base of travelers to the market over the coming years.
Moroccos Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) dismantled, on Tuesday morning, a terrorist cell affiliated to the Daesh organization, whose members were active in the cities of Tiznit and Sidi Slimane.

This large-scale security operation carried out by elements of the special force of the rapid intervention Brigade led to the arrest of 4 extremists, aged between 22 and 44, according to a statement by BCIJ, an offshoot of the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST).

Searches carried out at the homes of the suspects led to the seizure of paramilitary equipment, including a tactical vest, a helmet, and a balaclava, in addition to extremist manuscripts and a set of electronic media which will be subjected to the necessary digital expertise, the statement said.

Initial investigations have revealed that the members of this terrorist cell have engaged in suspicious operations, with a view to mobilizing the financial resources and logistical support needed to carry out terrorist plots in the Kingdom with a view to undermining public order.

The suspects arrested in connection with this terrorist cell have been placed under custody for further investigation to identify all their terrorist plans and projects, and elucidate the ramifications and possible links of this terrorist cell, which once again demonstrates the resurgence of terrorist threats, the statement said.

This operation is part of Moroccos sustained efforts to confront the dangers of violent extremism and counter terrorist threats to the safety of the Kingdom and the security of its citizens.
The U.S. Postal Service announced it was pausing changes to mail processing operations until January 2025, a move applauded by both Nebraska senators and Rep. Adrian Smith in separate press release Monday afternoon.

Last week, the USPS announced that it was downgrading the North Platte facility to a local processing center and moving most mail sorting operations to Denver.

Sen. Deb Fischer joined colleagues last week in sending a letter to Postmaster Louis DeJoy urging him to pause the planned changes. The letter urged USPS to continue to study the proposed potential impacts by the Postal Regulatory Commission. The letter was led by U.S. Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., Susan Collins, R-Maine, Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., and Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo.

The USPS modernization plan failed to consider the impact on rural communities like North Platte and could have slowed down the very mail service it attempted to modernize, which is why I asked the postmaster general to delay the plan for implementation, Fischer said in the press release. For now, no changes should occur at the North Platte facility. This pause should allow more time for the plan and its impact to be studied. I encourage USPS to take the next year to listen to people in communities like North Platte and to incorporate their feedback into any changes that occur after January 2025.

The Postal Services primary responsibility is to provide timely and reliable delivery to every community across our country, Ricketts added. Modernization plans should improve customer service, not reduce it. Im glad the Postmaster General listened to our call to delay implementation of the changes to the North Platte facility. The voice of rural Nebraskans must not be neglected in future plans.

"This change of plans is welcome news, and I would like to see it produce a turning point in the Postal Service's implementation of our feedback to improve performance," Smith said. "Frankly, rural Americans deserve better than increased delivery delays and inefficiencies. I will continue to monitor the status of delayed changes to the North Platte facility."
Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer; Photo: Getty Images

Wildfire smoke emanating from western Canada prompted air-quality alerts this week in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota, bringing back bad memories of 2023 and leading New Yorkers to ask a selfish question: Are we going to get a repeat of the smokepocalypse that briefly left New York City with the worst air quality in the world last June? As fires burn again in British Columbia and Alberta, I spoke with Columbia University and NASA researcher Dan Westervelt about the chances New York gets smoked again.

Could you provide a refresher as to why the northeast United States was blanketed with smoke last year  and why that hasnt yet happened this year?

The main reason is that the smoke from last year that impacted New York and the East Coast was coming from fires in the eastern provinces of Canada, from Quebec and Ontario. It was a bit closer for the smoke to travel. There were also some unique meteorological phenomena that caused the smoke to travel southward rather than eastward and out to the ocean.

Right now, were not seeing those meteorological systems and the fires are pretty much confined to the western provinces, British Columbia, Alberta, and so on.

Why are cities like Minneapolis getting hit with this smoke from fires in British Columbia?

Theres a large-scale, low-pressure system covering thousands of kilometers over midwestern Canada. These fires are just to the west of this low-pressure system, west and north. When you have a low-pressure system, the air flow is always counter clockwise. Right now, smoke is swinging around on this down arm of the low pressure system and coming from northwest Canada to southern and eastern locations, which is why Wisconsin and Minnesota were getting pretty bad air quality in the past couple days.

Is there a chance that this low-pressure system moves eastward and we get all that here?

In this particular case, it doesnt seem very likely at all. Id say pretty much not going to happen in terms of this particular fire event making its way to New York or D.C. or Boston.

What would it take for the Northeast to get smoke conditions similar to last year?

To get the same magnitude we saw last summer, we would probably need some fires in Ontario or Quebec. We would also need another very stagnant low-pressure system. One of the reasons the smoke was able to come southward so consistently last year was this low-pressure system swinging the pollution downward. But what was extra unique about it was that it was a very slow-moving system. It was stagnant over the maritime Canadian provinces, and it stayed there for longer than usual. We would need something like that as well to get the kind of smoke we saw last year.

And that kind of low-pressure system that parks in one place is pretty rare?

Normally these things move pretty quickly, maybe a day or so, and its cleared out over the Atlantic. But this one sat around for three or four days. That is very rare, I would say.

How are the fire conditions up in Quebec and Ontario?

The drought conditions we saw in 2023 are much less severe in 2024, and Ive seen people make the argument that things are a little moister and the fuel isnt going to burn as much, so we might not have a repeat of 2023. I think thats possible, but its also important to remember that its going to be really hot and really dry this summer  its supposed to be maybe the hottest year ever. Itll be interesting to see which wins out. Its certainly possible we get some drier conditions and some hot conditions and that could cause fires. But so far theres a lot more moisture in the vegetation than there was at the same time last year.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
is the leaker mark ruffalo again

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Its Tom Holland or Dakota Fanning!

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Tbh if I was marvel I would also start to crack down on this bc ever since no way home MCU spoilers have gotten slightly out of hand.

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Still not as bad as Game of Thrones

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There was a casting announcement for The Fantastic 4 every other month & people swore it was legit because of a source who leaked stuff that turned out to be true before.

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I heard IG got really that bad! 

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it's that punk bitch Ricky Rouse

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i miss when we could watch media without being spoiled. i miss when you could wait weeks to go see a movie and not have to avoid social media so you can be unspoiled. i miss ambiguous trailers. i miss yesteryear 

i legit saw challengers through gifs the day it came out.

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queen of hardly any lines

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gr8 icon

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That makes sense.



Honestly the only memorable lines were from the baddies~ so yeah. Give me more lmao



Female rage is so fun to watch onscreen. I can't wait for this movie.

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Me at work tbh!  beep-boop, beep-boop!

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SAME

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I'm surprised they did it for the character of Furiosa. Cause yeah the actual Mad Max character barely talks in the original trilogy but I guess it fits since both characters go through trauma.



I AM PUMPED FOR THIS!! Curious about the box office cause I could see it maybe not making it's box office but being critically acclaimed like Fury Road but hopefully I'm wrong!!



"Ive never been more alone than making that movie. I dont want to go too deep into it, but everything that I thought was going to be easy was hard.



Lol George is not always the greatest of directors when it comes to pulling what he wants from the actors. The issues that Tom and Charlize had on Fury Road could've been easily meditated by George but he allowed that tension because their character had similar tension.



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Yeah im curious about the box office too. Mad Max: Fury Road lost money but I guess it made enough and it was so critically acclaimed Furiosa got green lit. I think Furiosa will probably lose money too but the question is will it still do enough at the box office and have enough critical acclaim to get another Mad Max movie greenlit?



I dont really understand box office projections but I lurk the box office subreddit when im bored at work and they seem to be cautiously optimistic.



I personally am waiting for official reviews to drop before I reserve a ticket!



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Fury Road

Budget:$154.6185.1 million

Box office: $380.4 million



Furiosa



Budget: $168 million



Roughly around the same budget as Fury Road.



Furiosa is shaky but I think~ it has a bit of better chance maybe because the Mad Max franchise had a 30 year gap between Thunderdome (1985) and Fury Road (2015) and you had a new Max and brand new characters coming in. That franchise was not too too familiar with the current generation at the time. But the movie was the most critically acclaimed movie of that year (and I think it won than Spotlight who won BP at that Oscar that year) and has only continued with that cause of the sfx. So I think Furiosa might benefit from a newer semi-established fanbase and familiarity with the franchise compared to 2015.



I mean it could still not meet box office expectations but I do think the fanbase is at least more there than in the past so hopefully we get a decent opening!



I'm so there opening weekend! So far the reviews seem to be positive.

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The fact that Hardys stunt man is rumored to be cameo-ing in his place says a lot about where things wound up.

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When she says female rage, I hope she realizes and is confirming WHITE female rage. Because if a Black woman is seen angry in a movie or real life, our rage is used against us as "You guys are always angry." For Latinx women, I remember they were put as "spicy" and their rage was the joke of the show or just, "Look how adorable my angry wife is." Modern Family.

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I almost caught myself slipping because o was like ouhhh I love female rage but realized I could only think of white womens are mad media. Like besides maybe How To Get Away with Murder I cant really think of any media thats deals with WOC and their rage besides maybe the kdrama The Glory 

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I remember "Waiting to Exhale", I heard people say "I will destroy you" was great and "Diary of a Mad Angry Black Woman." And those movies were directed by Black people. "Waiting to Exhale" was made by Forrest Whittaker, "I May Destroy You" by Michaela Cole, and Tyler Perry for "Diary of a Mad Angry Black Woman." Each showed Black female rage and the consequences of that rage as well as humanizing us. "How to Get Away from Murder", and "Scandal" both were made by Shonda Rhimes

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Oh shit - I appreciate the reminder that all "female rage" is not viewed the same. Thank you. 

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I saw on Reddit Taylor Swift trademarked Female Rage: The Musical. Oop. 

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she would go months without speaking a single line and added:



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I hear this in his goofy voice.

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mmmmmmcommander yyyyyyouaaaareoouuurrlaaasssthope

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Ive never been more alone than making that movie. I dont want to go too deep into it, but everything that I thought was going to be easy was hard.



i wonder what she means by everything she thought was going to be easy?

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Still, Taylor-Joy told me that championing Furiosa often felt like a solitary experience.



Ive never been more alone than making that movie, she said, choosing her words carefully. I dont want to go too deep into it, but everything that I thought was going to be easy was hard.



Her reticence reminded me of when I first spoke to the actors who had made Fury Road: During that shoot, the desperation of the characters bled into their real lives, and unpacking that experience took a very long time. Sensing that she was skirting a sensitive issue, I asked Taylor-Joy what exactly it was about Furiosa that had proved more difficult than she expected. For five long seconds, she contemplated giving me an answer.



Next question, sorry, she said. There was a faraway look in her eyes, as if a part of her had been left behind in that wasteland. Talk to me in 20 years, she said. Talk to me in 20 years.





https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/12/movies/anya-taylor-joy-furiosa.html?unlocked_article_code=1.rU0.GBZF.fz7Xuqoqn-IL&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb





Its from her NYT interview, she doesnt really say.Still, Taylor-Joy told me that championing Furiosa often felt like a solitary experience.Ive never been more alone than making that movie, she said, choosing her words carefully. I dont want to go too deep into it, but everything that I thought was going to be easy was hard.Her reticence reminded me of when I first spoke to the actors who had made Fury Road: During that shoot, the desperation of the characters bled into their real lives, and unpacking that experience took a very long time. Sensing that she was skirting a sensitive issue, I asked Taylor-Joy what exactly it was about Furiosa that had proved more difficult than she expected. For five long seconds, she contemplated giving me an answer.Next question, sorry, she said. There was a faraway look in her eyes, as if a part of her had been left behind in that wasteland. Talk to me in 20 years, she said. Talk to me in 20 years.

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this feels very... method. like it's a movie?

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jesus it sounds like she was traumatized

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If I had to somewhat guess. having fewer lines may seem easy but it forced her to act in a whole nother way that she didn't expect which was more emotionally draining?

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Stay tuned for campaign season!

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some of her fans have taken it to mean that George Miller was like. an abusive a-hole but in some of the posts about that quote i came across yesterday, people who have read the book on the making of Fury Road (which the author of this NYT piece wrote) noted that Miller is known to be a nice guy but he doesn't really bring the cast into the fold. they're not getting as much feedback or communication to the grander state of the film. Tom Hardy's diva acton that movie was only one of the reasons why it was so stressful, both he and Charlize spoke about not being fully looped into what the movie actually was until they saw the final product.



shooting for six months in the desert, in hot costumes and wigs, in hot cars. not a lot of dialogue, a character that's heavily traumatized, a director who is maybe not giving as much to his lead actress. i can see how it could put her in a bad place.



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Anya Taylor-Joy won't reveal why she felt extremely isolated while filming 'Furiosa': 'Talk to me in 20 years' https://t.co/lkHtFxQLtq  Insider Entertainment (@insiderent) May 13, 2024

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Yeah, reading this yesterday definitely made me do a double take. Like surely she had some idea that the filming process would be isolating and difficult after all the talk from the set of Fury Road, so what else was going on??

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Got my ticket for May 25! Can't wait - unleash the female rage!!

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Snyderbros have been on a RAMPAGE this week between this and Apes.



"OMG the lead only has 30 lines in Fury Road but you all are complaining about lack of Henrys lines in Bvs!?!?!"



"OMG, the director of Kingdom of Apes wants to release a Directors Cut but everyone complains about Snyder wanting director cuts!?!?!"



WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

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they got what they wanted with getting the Synder cut and they still haven't shut up? shows when you bend to the will of a bunch of manbabies they will be ungrateful anyway, so why bother.

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Its not the fact that it was a difficult shoot, it the fact that she doesnt want to talk or give details about it for 20 years

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it makes me concerned how many women working fury road and now this have spoken about how difficult the movies were to film.

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did any of the brides or older women also have bad experiences filming? i have only ever heard about Charlize, probably coz she is the most famous.

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Edited at 2024-05-15 03:11 am (UTC) reading through this reddit thread details the brides and charlize (like u said) didnt like tom hardy (for good reasons) and that riley keough and abbey lee also spoke about how long and hard the days were on fury road. it sounds like a really rough movie to film :(

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"...I am a really strong advocate of female rage. Were animals, and theres a point where somebody just snaps."



Given the context of that quote I'm a bit hesitant to be as excited by it as I am, but it general it low-key turns me on. Female rage has been a wonderful thing to see specifically in revenge-themed movies. I think I've seen the movie (literally titled) Revenge five times by now.



Edited at 2024-05-14 02:41 am (UTC)

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Russia has found huge oil and gas reserves in British Antarctic territory, potentially leading to drilling in the protected region.

The reserves uncovered contain around 511bn barrels worth of oil, equating to around 10 times the North Seas output over the last 50 years.

The discovery, per Russian research ships, was revealed in evidence submitted to the Commons Environment Audit Committee last week. The committee was assessing questions regarding oil and gas research on ships owned by the Kremlins Rosgeo, the largest geological exploration company in Russia.

Antarctica is currently protected by the 1959 Antarctic Treaty, which prohibits all oil developments in the area.

It was set up to ensure the region was used exclusively for peaceful purposes and would not become the scene or object of international discord.

The committee heard from minister David Rutley, who assured MPs Russia was conducting scientific research in the region. Russia has recently reaffirmed its commitment to the key elements of the treaty, he said.

But Klaus Dodds, a professor of geopolitics at Royal Holloway University, argued the Antarctic policy environment was arguably at its most challenging since the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Russias invasion of Ukraine has created widespread concern that a worsening relationship with the country will spark strategic competition and make it even more explicit in Antarctica.

He believes Russian activity in the region equated to hunting for oil and gas as opposed to scientific research.

Russias activities need to be understood as a decision to undermine the norms associated with seismic survey research, and ultimately a precursor for forthcoming resource extraction, Dodds said in comments reported by the Telegraph.

The Antarctic Treaty is the largest of Britains 14 overseas territories but it has faced competition claims from Argentina and Chile in the past.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: Russia has repeatedly assured the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting that these activities are for scientific purposes.

By CityAM

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The only real power that Saudi Arabia has in the world comes from its oil sector. The greater its production appears to be, the more it is taken seriously by countries that otherwise would have nothing to do with it. Given this, it has been clear for many years that a closer look at the Kingdoms crude oil production capabilities and its reserves figures plainly show that they are much lower than Saudi Arabia has said they are, as analysed in full in my new book on the new global oil market order. The release last week of Saudi Aramcos Q1 2024 results underlines the point again, with an obvious dichotomy between a notable increase in capital expenditure over the quarter on the one hand, and the January directive from the Energy Ministry to the company to cancel a planned 1 million barrels per day (bpd) expansion in oil production capacity. So the question is: if the money is there for other capital expenditure, why is it not there for an expansion in production capacity? Is it because Saudi Arabia knows it cannot increase its crude oil production capacity any further? Or is it because the Kingdom simply cannot afford to increase production capacity and spending on other things? In fact, it is both these things, as delineated below.

According to Saudi Arabia, it has a maximum sustainable capacity (MSC) for crude oil production right now of 12 million barrels per day (bpd). However, the fact is that Saudi Arabia produced an average of 8.267 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil from 1973 to 1 May 2024, according to figures from OPEC itself. In its entire history, it has only managed to produce 12 million bpd on one occasion  in April 2020  after which it immediately went back down to 8.49 million bpd. This month marked the beginning of the very short Third Oil Price War, as also analysed in full in my new book on the new global oil market order, in which Saudi Arabia sought once again to delay progress in the U.S. shale oil sector which is a direct threat to its economic well-being into the future. However, even this very temporary spike to 12 million bpd was not what it seemed, according to a very senior source in the European Unions (E.U.) energy security complex spoken to exclusively by OilPrice.com at the time. The Saudis use deliberately obfuscatory language about their oil sector, talking of capacity and of supply to the market rather than of output or production  and these are not the same things at all, he said. Indeed they are not. The true meaning of production and output in the international oil market is crude oil that is drilled from wellheads in the ground. Crude oil spare capacity, according to the accepted definition in the markets from the Energy Information Administration is, the volume of production that can be brought on within 30 days and sustained for at least 90 days.

Related: Oil Prices Rise as Market Anticipates OPEC Monthly Report

Saudi Arabias version of these terms is markedly different, and therefore wrong. The Kingdom uses the terms capacity and supply to the market to mean not just production from the wellheads of their own oilfields but also using crude oil supplies held in storage at any given time in the country. It also appears to mean to Saudi Arabia any oil supplies that can be withheld from rolling term-contracts and re-directed into those stored supplies. During the 2014-2016 Oil Price War, Saudi nearly drained its storage facilities of oil and cut back on oil supply contracts with non-priority clients. And it also seems to mean any oil supplies of similar crude grades to its own that Saudi Arabia can buy from other OPEC members  either directly or through brokers  that it can then pass off as its own supplies. According to the E.U. source, a source in the U.S. energy security complex, and three senior oil broking sources exclusively spoken to by OilPrice.com over the past decade, Saudi Arabia bought in significant supplies of crude oil from Iraq and other countries not just over the 2014-2016 Oil Price War, but also after the September 2019 attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis on its Abqaiq and Khurais oil facilities, and during the brief 2020 Oil Price War as well. Ironically, given that Tehran was behind the 2019 attacks, some of the oil bought by Saudi Arabia through brokers believing it to be from Iraq, was actually rebranded oil from Iran instead, according to a source who works very closely with Iraqs Oil Ministry.

So, the cancellation of the expansion in crude oil capacity in January 2024 appears to be reality catching up with fantasy. Saudi Arabia simply cannot increase this capacity from 12 million to 13 million, because it does not have capacity of 12 million bpd  or anything like it  and never has had. Having said that, if it had the necessary money, it could increase the capacity it has, and then announce it has increased it to 13 million or 14 million or whatever figure it wants to pluck from the air, as these numbers appear to go unchallenged by most. So why did it not do that? With Occams razor being by far the best method for dealing with anything to do with Saudi Arabias oil sector, the simplest answer is most likely the best, and it works here too: it is because it does not have the money to do so, as building and maintaining such capacity is very expensive. Far from being awash in oil money as many people think, Saudi Arabia has still not fully recovered financially from the appalling effects it brought upon itself from its 2014-2016 Oil Price War, as detailed in full in my new book on the new global oil market order. Additionally, up until the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Saudi Arabias fiscal breakeven price for oil was higher than the market was paying, which meant in simple terms that it was not making enough to cover its expenses as a country. It is no better again now, with its 2024 fiscal breakeven price at US$96.17 pb of the benchmark Brent oil price. In fact, Saudi Arabia has forecast a budget deficit this year of SAR79 billion (US$21.07 billion), which many oil market observers believe to be extremely optimistic.

Relentlessly piling on the financial misery for Saudi Arabia remains the huge burden of the massive dividends guaranteed by the Saudi government in order that it could finally sell at least 1.5 percent (against the originally planned 5 percent stake) in the initial public offering (IPO) of Saudi Aramco itself. So omni-toxic was this investment proposition to potential developed market participants that the government had to guarantee a US$75 billion dividend payment in 2020, split equally into payments of US$18.75 billion every quarter. Staggeringly, this rose in 2023 to US$97.8 billion for the year, bewilderingly boosted by additional performance-linked dividends. These are designed to target 50-70 percent of annual free cash flow, net of the base dividend, and other amounts including external investments, according to Aramcos chief executive officer, Amin Nasser. In Q1 2024, the base dividend was US$20.3 billion, which will be increased by another performance-linked dividend distribution of US$10.8 billion, bringing the total to US$31 billion. For 2024 as whole, Saudi Aramco expects to pay US$124.3 billion in dividends!

By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com

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The Biden Administration is preparing to announce major hikes in tariffs on Chinese clean energy technology and goods, including on electric vehicles, critical minerals, and batteries imported from China, aiming to protect American industry and jobs.

Multiple reports in numerous outlets suggested this weekend that the White House will announce this week, possibly on Tuesday, quadrupled import tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles in another escalation of the trade spat between the worlds two biggest economies, each of which vies to win the clean energy race.

China vowed last week to defend its rights and warned that the heavy U.S. tariffs would backfire on America by raising costs for consumers.

At the end of last week, multiple outlets reported that the U.S. is set to unveil this week sweeping tariffs on Chinese EVs and other technology associated with the green energy transition. The Biden Administration will be looking to protect American manufacturing from Chinas cheap products in the clean energy sector that have been flooding the U.S. and EU markets in recent years, undermining the efforts of the Western governments to reduce reliance on China in the clean energy supply chains. Related: Russia Targets Kharkiv in Major Offensive After Kyiv Attacks Refineries

The U.S. is now preparing to announce quadrupled tariffs on Chinese EVs  to about 100% from 25% now, The Wall Street Journal reported last week, quoting sources with knowledge of the matter. All Chinese vehicles imported into the U.S. are subject to an additional 2.5% import duty, which will effectively hike the tariffs on Chinese EVs imported in the U.S. to 102.5%.

Tariffs will also be imposed in other targeted industries, according to sources who spoke to Bloomberg.

The measures have been discussed for weeks, also in view of deciding which products could be spared from hiked tariffs so as not to stifle American clean energy growth, Bloombergs anonymous sources said.

The U.S. Administration has signaled to the solar industry it could exempt some items from the hike in tariffs, including machinery to make components for solar panels after American manufacturers argued they needed some imports and the current tariffs actually undermine the goal to onshore the U.S. solar supply chain.

It was not immediately clear which items would be spared from the major tariff hikes. At any rate, there wont be any reductions in the current tariff rates, two of Bloombergs sources said.

Semiconductors and medical supplies, however, are likely to be hit with higher tariffs, sources familiar with the White Houses plan told Reuters on Friday.

Tariffs in other strategic sectors are also coming, according to multiple reports, after the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced last month it was initiating an investigation of Chinas acts, policies, and practices targeting the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors for dominance. USTR launched the investigation following a review of a petition filed by five U.S. national labor unions.

For EV tariffs specifically, the U.S. will target to address Chinas overcapacity that could threaten American industry, as well as concerns about national security and the personal data of American consumers.

China vowed to defend its rights in response to the reports that it is being targeted in another wave of tariffs.

We urge the US to follow WTO rules, lift all additional tariffs on China and not to impose new ones, Chinas Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said on Friday, commenting on the reports that significantly higher tariffs are coming for some Chinese goods.

China will take all necessary measures to defend its rights and interests, Lin added.

Instead of ending those wrong practices, the US continues to politicize trade issues, abuse the so-called review process of Section 301 tariffs and plan tariff hikes. This will just double the USs fault, the Chinese official noted.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Recently the Senate Budget Committee held a hearing to discuss a recent report that accused Big Oil of a decades-long deception campaign to misinform the public about the dangers of climate change.

Sharon Eubanks, a former federal litigator, proposed that the government should pursue legal action against the petroleum industry, drawing parallels to the litigation against Big Tobacco in the past. Eubanks, who previously led the racketeering lawsuit against the tobacco industry, argued that major oil and gas companies have engaged in misleading and endangering practices like those of the tobacco industry. She asserted that these matters should be resolved through legal proceedings in court.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) asked Eubanks, If you were the attorney general of the United States, would you prosecute in that direction? She responded that she would, without question.

There is a lot that these hearings get wrong, but here is the most fundamental problem. If Big Tobacco disappeared from the planet, there would be no meaningful or lasting negative impact on society. On the contrary, tobacco is responsible for a lot of healthcare issues and subsequent costs in society.

Now contrast that with Big Oil disappearing from the planet. Tobacco may not have impacted you in the past week, but oil almost certainly did. Odds are that you transported yourself using oil. Thats especially true if you were on an airplane. If you bought goods at a store, they were almost certainly brought there using oil. Related: Memorial Day Travel Expected to Near Record High

The entire world derives enormous economic benefits from consuming oil every day. If that consumption suddenly ceased, the global economy would immediately grind to a halt. Supply chains would stop working, and food would stop arriving in the grocery stores. Society would collapse.

It is undoubtedly true that there are negatives associated with oil consumption. But these hearings only ever focus on the negatives. Nothing shows this more clearly than comparing oil to tobacco. Too many of these politicians act as if oil provides no meaningful benefit to society, and they never try to compare the economic benefits of oil with the environmental costs.

Remember when Bernie Sanders ran for president? His campaign ran on oil. It wasnt biofuel that was being put in the airplanes he used to crisscross the country. That brings to mind the question of how these politicians can justify the seeming hypocrisy of consuming oil every day, while complaining about the hazards of the product they consume.

I believe this seeming disconnect is because they believe that we would have had green alternatives by now if not for the climate change obfuscation of the oil companies. Thus, they reason it isnt their fault, its the fault of the oil companies.

Theres no evidence this is the case. Even today, after decades of research into alternatives, there is no affordable, scalable alternative that can replace petroleum. Every country from Iceland to Kenya to Brazil to Vietnam runs on oil. Further, no developed economy in the world has figured out a way to run its economy without oil.

So, these politicians  and indeed many people  believe in something for which there is no evidence.

With calls for legal action echoing those against Big Tobacco, the question of accountability looms large. However, amidst the fervor of these discussions, its crucial to consider the indispensable role of oil in modern society. Unlike tobacco, which primarily poses health risks, oil serves as the lifeblood of the global economy, powering transportation, industry, and commerce.

While acknowledging the environmental challenges associated with oil consumption, its essential to recognize the complex interplay between its economic benefits and environmental costs. As debates persist, its imperative to approach the issue with nuance, acknowledging the multifaceted impacts of oil while pursuing more sustainable solutions for the future.

By Robert Rapier

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Europes supermajors are doubling down on their core business, returning cash to shareholders and considering relocation to the United States to boost their valuations. Shell, BP, and TotalEnergies are rediscovering themselves and activist investors are not liking itbut everyone else is.

Three years ago, Big Oil supermajors in Europe were all about the energy transition and pivoting from their core business to a greater diversification into things like wind, solar, EV charging, biofuels, and all things non-hydrocarbons.

At the time, the supermajors were trying to capture a portion of the emerging ESG investor sector, competing against pure-play transition players riding the highway of government support and urgent activist calls for a shift away from oil and gas.

Now, in just three short years, this has changed. The energy crunch in Europe that began in late 2021 and unfolded to spectacular proportions in 2022 dealt a blow to ESG investing and reminded the world of investing what its all about: money.

In its latest financial report for the first quarter, BP indicated it might not stick to a plan to reduce its oil and gas production by a quarter to 2 million barrels of oil equivalent daily by 2030. The plan, first announced by former CEO Bernard Looney in 2020, was amended last year as BP realized its push into transition tech was not bringing in money. Now, Looneys successor, Murray Auchincloss, said the company may hit this target or it may not. Related: Eni Looks to Spin Off Oil and Gas Projects

Two million (boed) is a decent number to stick by right now. Could it be higher? Yes. Could it be lower? Yes, he said, pointing out BP was taking a pragmatic, returns-based approach, that will help inform what we think our production will be in 2030, but I am focused on returns and cash flow, not volume, he said, as quoted by Reuters.

Shareholders in the company would certainly be pleased to hear thisexcept the activist ones who have been trying to get BP and its peers to shrink their core business further. But these activist investors have been getting less support from other shareholders in further evidence that the tide is turning for oil and gas majors. Investors tried ESG. It didnt perform as advertised. Now theyre back to oil and gas, and they want their cash. So Big Oil is delivering.

BP reported a drop in net profits for the first quarter because of lower natural gas prices but kept its share buyback plan unchanged, at $3.5 billion worth of stock to be bought back over the first half of the year.

Shell, conversely, reported a surge in its first-quarter net profits. But it, too, kept its share repurchase target unchanged despite suggestions from analysts it could buy back more shares. CEO Wael Sawan explained that the buyback plan was part of a strategy rather than a race to return as much cash to shareholders in the shortest time possible.

This is our tenth quarter in a row that we have been buying back $3bn-plus [of shares]. This is about a steady ability to be able to do this over multiple quarters. And its not just that we want to be buying back at a $90 or $85 oil price, we need to also think about how we can be buying back shares at $50 [oil], he said, as quoted by the FT, at the release of Shells first-quarter results.

Europes third supermajor, TotalEnergies, is deploying the same strategy: keep shareholders happy but do not overindulge them. After reporting net income affected, like BPs, by lower gas prices, the company reiterated its previous plans for share buybacks and investments for the year, with most of the investments going into oil and gas projects.

Separately, CEO Patrick Pouyanne urged political leaders to accept the fact that the world will continue using growing amounts of oil in the future, signaling that Big Oil major knows where its money comes from and even though it is investing heftily in transition projects, most of its investments are in its core business areas of oil and gas.

TotalEnergies is keeping its budget for transition-related investments unchanged. Shell has revised its medium-term target from 23% of total investments to 19% by 2030. BP is being deliberately ambivalent. Europes Big Oil majors are reversing the course from three years agobecause they have some catching up to do with their U.S. peers. Those have been much slower to embrace the transition and they have been rewarded with higher stock prices.

It might seem counterintuitive against the background of political and activist calls for more focus on the transition and more pressure on energy companies to acquire that focus. Yet, this background is in the realm of narratives. In the real world, oil and gas sell, and their producers make money. It is a simple lesson that Europes Big Oil had to be reminded of, but it re-learned it fast.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Australia plans to invest as much as US$15 billion (AUS$22.7 billion) over the next decade to become a renewable energy superpower and boost its domestic critical minerals economy, the countrys Labor Government said on Tuesday.

The cabinet unveiled today a Future Made in Australia plan to bring new jobs and opportunities and help Australia succeed and remain an indispensable part of the global economy as the world undergoes the biggest transformation since the industrial revolution.

The 2024-25 Budget will invest the equivalent of US$15 billion over a decade to boost clean power generation and facilitate private sector investment in low-carbon energy solutions.

Australia will allocate funding to support innovative technologies, including green metals, batteries, and low-carbon liquid fuels. The new plan also introduces a Hydrogen Production Tax Incentive and a Critical Minerals Production Tax Incentive.

The government has also earmarked funding for a national hydrogen strategy to make Australia a global hydrogen leader by 2030.

Last year, Australia allocated $1.32 billion (AUS$2 billion) in the 2023-24 budget to accelerate large-scale renewable hydrogen projects, aiming to become a world leader in green hydrogen production.

The country is also a major producer of lithium, the key mineral in the current leading global battery technology, and of nickel, which is also crucial for battery manufacturing.

While allocating billions of dollars to low-carbon energy, Australia is recognizing that natural gas will play a key role in the energy transition.

The government said in its Future Gas Strategy last week that Australia would continue to back exploration and increased production of natural gas as the fuel will play a key role in the countrys transition to a net-zero economy by 2050 and help provide a reliable source of energy to Australias allies.

The Strategy makes it clear that gas will remain an important source of energy through to 2050 and beyond, and its uses will change as we improve industrial energy efficiency, firm renewables, and reduce emissions, said Madeleine King, Australias Minister for Resources and Northern Australia.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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U.S. oil and gas supermajor Chevron ousted Tesla to top the list of the most shorted large-cap stock in the Americas in April, the Shortside Crowdedness Report from Hazeltree showed on Tuesday.

Bets that Chevrons shares would fall jumped in April as oil prices declined in the second half of the month with a tentative easing of the geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. In addition, Chevrons proposal to buy Hess is getting increased scrutiny from regulators and politicians, while the supermajor is locked in an arbitration procedure with the other U.S. giant, Exxon, regarding Exxons right to first refusal for Hesss stake in the Exxon-led huge oil projects offshore Guyana.

So Chevron ousted Tesla from the top spot of the most shorted stock in April, according to the report from Hazeltree, an intelligent operations technology company for the alternative asset industry, which aggregated data from approximately 700 asset manager funds.

It was notable to see Tesla drop out of the most shorted security spot on our list this month, said Tim Smith, managing director of data insights at Hazeltree.

It has been a frontrunner nearly every month since weve launched the report.

Chevron, however, has gained 10% on the NYSE so far this year and inched up by 1.4% in the month of April alone.

While Exxon completed its $60-billion acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources, Chevron has yet to do so with its proposed acquisition of Hess.

Last month, Hess said that Chevrons acquisition could be delayed until next year due to Exxon Mobils arbitration case.

Moreover, a growing number of Democrats are calling for regulators to stop the planned deal.

On Sunday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to stop the transaction, claiming it would be detrimental to consumers.

It would give Big Oil more fuel to raise gas prices. Trump might be hosting dinners for Big Oil execs, but the FTC should side with consumers and pump the breaks on this deal, Schumer wrote on X on Sunday.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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Japan would need to increase its electricity output by between 35% and 50% by 2050 to meet a proportionate surge in demand, a government projection has revealed.

Japans electricity output for this decade is estimated at around 1 trillion kWh but this needs to expand to up to 1.5 trillion kWh by 2050 to satisfy new demand coming from the information technology sector, and more specifically semiconductor factories and artificial intelligence, Reuters has reported.

The governments predictions about electricity demand also included a recommendation to start expanding wind and solar generation capacity to help meet the surge in demand.

Japan is a resource-scarce nation and relies almost entirely on imports to satisfy its energy needs. However, like its peers in the G7 it has ambitious decarbonization plans, aiming to cut emissions by 46% from 2013 levels by 2030 and become net neutral by 2050. Right now, Japan is the worlds fifth-biggest emitter of carbon dioxide.

Because of these decarbonization plans, Japan made a U-turn on nuclear energy two years ago, after essentially banning the energy source following the Fukushima tragedy. Faced with soaring oil and gas prices, Japan reconsidered its divorce from nuclear and ordered a restart of some reactors, including, recently, the countrys largestthe 8.2GW Kashiwasaki Kariwa.

Also recently, Japan signed up for a G7-wide ban on coal power plants, to be completed by 2035. However, reports from the G7 meeting in Turin noted that Japan, along with Germany, may be given a temporary exemption from a complete phaseout because of their dependence on coal generation for reliable electricity supply and the absence of comparable alternatives.

A potential common target to phase out coal-fired power plants by 2035 in G7 nations would mark the first major achievement in the reduction of hydrocarbons since the COP28 summit in Dubai at the end of last year.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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A resilient global economy early this year has additional upside potential in the second half with the possible easing of monetary policies, OPEC said on Tuesday, keeping its 2024 and 2025 outlook of robust oil demand unchanged from last month.

In its closely-watched Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR) out today, OPEC maintained its forecast from the April report, which sees global oil demand rising by 2.25 million barrels per day (bpd) this year and by another 1.85 million bpd next year.

OPEC estimates that global oil demand rose by 2.4 million bpd in the first quarter of 2024. For the full year, total world oil demand is anticipated to reach 104.5 million bpd, driven by strong air travel demand and healthy road mobility, including trucking, as well as industrial, construction, and agricultural activities in non-OECD countries.

Petrochemical capacity expansions in China and the Middle East are also set to boost demand growth this year, according to the cartel.

The global economy showed resilience in 1Q24, with key economies demonstrating stable growth that, in certain instances, surpassed initial projections, OPEC said.

The organization kept its world economic growth forecasts for 2024 and 2025 at 2.8% and 2.9%, respectively, but slightly raised its estimates of the U.S. economy this year and next. OPEC now expects the U.S. economy to grow by 2.2% this year, up from 2.1% in last months report, and by 1.9% next year, up by 0.2 percentage points compared to the April assessment.

Regarding the world economy, OPEC said Despite certain downside risks, the continued momentum observed since the start of the year could create additional upside potential for global economic growth in 2024 and beyond.

An expected shift towards more accommodative monetary policies by major central banks in the second half of the year, and a more robust growth trajectory in Asia, notably India and China, may also contribute to the acceleration of global economic growth, OPEC noted.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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OPEC saw its crude oil production decline by 48,000 barrels per day (bpd) in April compared to March, the organizations monthly report showed two weeks before the crucial meeting at which the wider OPEC+ group is set to decide on production levels after June.

Total crude oil production of all 12 OPEC members averaged 26.58 million barrels per day (bpd) in April, down by 48,000 bpd compared to March, according to secondary sources in OPECs closely-watched Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR) published on Tuesday. Iran, exempted from the cuts, raised its output, while production fell in Nigeria, Iraq, and another producer exempted from the OPEC+ quotas, Venezuela

At the same time, total production from the non-OPEC countries part of OPEC+, or the so-called Declaration of Cooperation (DoC), fell by 198,000 bpd to 14.44 million bpd in April, said OPEC, which started to include DoC demand and supply in its monthly reports.

In the report for May out today, OPEC said Going forward, the MOMR will focus on 'demand for DoC crude' instead of the usual 'demand for OPEC crude'.

With this, the MOMRs section on balance of supply and demand will now only report demand for DoC crude, OPEC said in a move suggesting that it remains committed to the broader OPEC+ alliance to manage supply to the market.

This relevant and appropriate improvement not only demonstrates solidarity and unity within the DoC framework, which is now in its eighth year, but also helps eliminate the potential for misunderstanding and/or misinterpretations, said OPEC in its report.

Among OPEC members, top producer Saudi Arabia continued to stick to its pledge to pump about 9 million bpd, while Iraq saw its production drop by 32,000 bpd in April from March as OPECs second-largest producer is compensating for overproduction in previous months.

Among non-OPEC DoC producers, crude oil output slumped in Russia, by 154,000 bpd in April from March, per the secondary sources, due to reduced refining capacity following Ukrainian attacks on refineries in Russia.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Petrobras reported a net profit of some $4.63 billion for the first quarter of the year, which was 38% lower than its first-quarter 2023 result.

The figure was also substantially lower than what analysts expected the company would book, Reuters noted in a report. It added that Petrobras would distribute dividends amounting to $2.61 billion, which was also lower than what analysts had predicted.

Petrobras also reported a 15% decline in revenues during the period and a 4.6% decline in oil, gas, and fuel sales.

The first-quarter report follows a disappointing fourth-quarter 2023 presentation in March when company shareholders learned they were going to be getting only a minimum dividend from Petrobras for a while.

The reason for that decision was generating funds for shifting the business of the company away from oil and gas and into things like wind and solar, chief executive Jean Paul Prates said.

In February, Prates told Bloomberg that his plans were to have 50% of the companys revenues come from wind, solar, and renewable fuels within ten years, adding that he believed shareholders would understand.

It appears they did not, because the March dividend announcement was followed by its stock crashing, wiping out $14 billion in company value in a single day.

Interestingly, however, the transition plans of the companys CEO follow investment plans publicized last November that focus overwhelmingly on Petrobras core business.

Petrobrass next five-year plan featured a 31% increase in planned investments to $102 billion. Of that, 72% was earmarked for oil and gas investment with a view to boosting the companys oil and gas output to 3.2 million barrels of oil equivalent daily from 2.8 million barrels of oil equivalent currently.

Then, in February, Petrobras said it eyed investments of about $100 billion in offshore oil production growth over the next six years.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit China on May 16-17 for discussions with President Xi Jinping, in part to discuss expanding energy and trade partnerships.

The state visit, initiated by Xi, will cover topics such as China's Belt and Road Initiative as well as the situation in the Middle East and Asia, and Ukraine.

Putin will be accompanied by key officials including Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu, foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov, and executives from major Russian companies such as Sberbank, VTB, Rosneft, and Novatek. They will engage in informal meetings and discussions, highlighting the strategic partnership between the two nations.

The visit also includes a gala evening commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Soviet Union recognizing the People's Republic of China. This relationship, now more critical than ever, sees China challenging U.S. dominance across various sectors, including quantum computing, synthetic biology, and military power.

A key focus of Putin's visit will be discussions with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on trade and economic cooperation. Putin will also visit Harbin, a city with historical ties to Russia, further strengthening regional connections.

Trade between China and Russia reached a record $240 billion in 2023, a 26.3% increase from the previous year, according to Chinese customs data.

China has bolstered its trade and military relations with Russia amid Western sanctions. Russia has become China's top crude oil supplier, with exports to China increasing by over 24% in 2023, despite the sanctions imposed by the West.

In March, China was expecting to import record-high volumes of crude oil from Russia as multiple cargo of India-bound Russias Sokol crude were stranded due to Western sanctions, before finding a new destination in oil-hungry China.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Kazakhstan reawakened a divisive issue among the OPEC+ group with regard to oil production quotas. Kazakhstan said on Tuesday that it felt it should be allowed to increase its crude oil production in 2025, Interfax reported, despite its membership in the group that seeks to maintain balance in the global crude oil markets.

Kazakhstans energy ministry said it had not requested an increase to its allowable production levels for 2025.

Kazakhstan, as a member of the OPEC+ group, stated its desire to pump more oil ahead of the OPEC+ meeting to be held on June 1, and ahead of the review of members production capacity, which is due by the end of June and which will be used as a baseline for any subsequent production cuts in 2025. Anonymous OPEC+ sources have confirmed that the subject of these baseline figures will not be discussed in the June 1 meeting because all members wont be ready for that discussion until later.

The groups baseline figures, which are used to divvy up production cuts to its membership, have been the subject of debate in recent years, even threatening the very existence of the oil group.

Last summer, the UAE said it would not join in OPECs voluntary production cuts and has argued for years that its baseline was unfair and that it should be allowed to pump more as it lifts its production capacity. Rumors circulated that the UAEOPECs third-largest producer might leave the group if baselines werent adjusted upwardsa move that could strip away OPECs clout.

In June 2023, OPEC+ revised the UAEs quota up to 3.219 million bpd for 2024.

The UAEs state-run oil company, Adnoc, revised its maximum crude oil production capacity figure on its website earlier this month in the runup to the June 1 meeting to 4.85 million bpd, and has made public its plans to increase its production capacity to 5 million bpd by 2027.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
A 15-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of being an accessory to a felony in connection with the shooting of another teen Sunday near the Cinco de Mayo festival.

A 16-year-old boy, whose name was not released, was located suffering from a gunshot wound at 4 p.m. near 22nd and L Streets, an Omaha police spokesman said. He was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center by ambulance with an injury that is not considered to be life threatening.

Police said a gun was found in the area of the shooting, approximately two blocks east of the festival grounds at 24th and L Streets. Three other juveniles were also taken into custody and police said that other possible suspects have yet to be identified.
After a two-week jury trial, an 18-year-old Omaha man was found guilty of first-degree murder and three other felonies for the 2021 killing of 14-year-old Isabella Santiago.

A Douglas County jury returned the guilty verdicts against Christian Hernandez-Polanco on Friday. He was found guilty of first-degree murder, discharging a firearm at an occupied vehicle and two counts of use of a firearm to commit a felony.

Santiago, who was a freshman at Omaha South High School at the time of her death, was in the backseat of a Ford Focus with her stepbrother and another teen on the evening of Dec. 22, 2021, when Hernandez fired 10 shots into their vehicle. Santiago was struck once, the bullet piercing her heart and lung. She died shortly after arriving at the hospital.

According to prior testimony from detectives, Hernandez-Polanco was in a BMW with four other teens on the night of the shooting. Samuel Lopez, the alleged driver, is the only other person in the BMW to be charged in relation to the killing. He is awaiting trial on charges of terroristic threats and being an accessory to first-degree murder.

Lopez, now 18, and Hernandez-Polanco were both 16 at the time of the killing.

Prosecutors previously said the shooting stemmed from a feud between two rival gangs  the Get Money Squad, or GMS, which Hernandez-Polanco was allegedly involved in, and Mafios Locos, which Santiagos stepbrother said he was associated with. Santiago is not believed to have been associated with either group.

Santiagos stepbrother later told police the group had been repeatedly driving past a home near 39th and R Streets where GMS members hung out while honking and playing loud Christmas music in order to instigate a fight.

After the group in the Ford Focus drove past the home twice while swerving and honking, according to court documents, Hernandez-Polanco told Lopez to follow them. Lopez obliged, and they began to follow the Ford Focus eastbound on Q Street.

As Lopez pulled up alongside the Ford Focus, according to court documents, he told Hernandez-Polanco how to roll down the back passenger seat window, which was malfunctioning. Hernandez-Polanco rolled down the window and shot 10 times at the Ford Focus.

Both occupants of the Ford Focus initially denied knowing the shooter, but voluntarily returned to Omaha Police Headquarters two days after the shooting to identify Hernandez-Polanco. According to testimony at the preliminary hearing, two other teens in the car with Hernandez-Polanco also identified him as the shooter.

In 2022, attorneys for Hernandez-Polanco filed to have his case transferred to juvenile court, arguing that he was highly amenable to treatment. The transfer motion was denied  a decision that was later affirmed by the Nebraska Court of Appeals.

A sentencing date has not been set for Hernandez-Polanco.
A Nebraska state prison inmate has been served an arrest warrant for his alleged involvement in a 2017 North Omaha homicide.

Wilbert Smith, 32, is suspected of first-degree murder in the shooting death of 21-year-old Xavier Bass on Nov. 5, 2017. Bass died after being shot inside a vehicle on the North Freeway near the Hamilton Street exit. A 24-year-old man was also injured in the shooting and related crash.
Here are the results from the 2024 Nebraska primary election tallied on Tuesday:

Below find all The World-Herald's posts and updates from Tuesday's voting and counting.

Chambers, McKinney in tight North Omaha race

Ernie Chambers, two incumbent senators have tough Nebraska legislative primary battles Nebraska's longest-serving state senator, Ernie Chambers, could have a tough battle ahead of him in his quest to return to the Nebraska Legislature and oust incumbent Sen. Terrell McKinney.

11:40 p.m.: In one of the most closely watched Nebraska Legislature races, legendary state lawmaker Ernie Chambers and incumbent State Sen. Terrell McKinney were locked in an extremely close battle in North Omahas 11th District.

As the vote count stood just before midnight, Chambers was leading McKinney by just 21 votes  1,214 to 1,193. Both regardless will be advancing to the November general election, as both had big leads over Calandra Cooper, the third candidate in the race.

The race is a generational one pitting the 86-year-old Chambers against the 33-year-old McKinney.

Chambers has twice been term-limited out of his seat in the past two decades but is seeking to reclaim it again. He has already served longer in the Legislature than any lawmaker in history  46 years  and even has a hearing room named after him. In most elections past, he has coasted to victory without a challenge.

Chambers had endorsed McKinney in a field of contenders in 2020 when he was not eligible to run, but now is challenging him. If Chambers wins, he has said he would not seek another term.

--Henry J. Cordes

Bacon holds off MAGA challenger

Rep. Don Bacon fends off Trump-aligned primary challenger Dan Frei in Nebraska primary Incumbent Rep. Don Bacon held off populist challenger Dan Frei in the Republican primary for Nebraskas 2nd District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

11:10 p.m.: Republican Congressman Don Bacon on Tuesday held off a challenge from within his own party in Nebraskas primary on Tuesday.

Bacon, who has represented the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District in the House since 2017, was taking more than 60% of the vote in his race against Dan Frei, an underfunded insurgent challenger who has enjoyed the backing of many Trump Republicans. The Associated Press called the race for Bacon just before 9 p.m.

Some Republicans have seen Bacon as not supportive enough of Donald Trump. But embracing the controversial former president could prove challenging for him in November in a swing district that is often closely contested between Republicans and Democrats.

Bacon is now set for a rematch with State Sen. Tony Vargas, a Democrat who ran unopposed in his party's primary Tuesday.

Bacon beat Vargas by a 51%-49% margin in 2022, and he won his previous races by similarly thin margins. In a presidential election year where turnout figures to be high, Democrats see an opportunity in November.

Trump in 2022 called for Republicans in the Omaha area to launch a challenge against Bacon. He had criticized Bacon for supporting President Joe Bidens infrastructure bill, which Bacon said had strong support among his constituents.

Bacon had also angered some Trump supporters for criticizing the presidents inaction after a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol in an effort to stop the electoral vote count on Jan. 6, 2021.

With Trump loyalists largely having taken over the state and local Republican party organizations, Frei had received the endorsement of the State GOP and both Douglas and Sarpy County GOP organizations, despite Bacons status as a four-term incumbent Republican.

But Bacon has enjoyed the power of incumbency, including the endorsement of most prominent Republicans in the state and a big advantage in fundraising.

Frei similarly in 2014 challenged Republican incumbent Lee Terry Jr. After Terry narrowling beat Frei by 3,000 votes in the primary, he went on to lose the general election in November to Democrat Brad Ashford.

Both 1st District U.S. Rep. Mike Flood and 3rd District Rep. Adrian Smith also faced challengers within their party but won comfortably Tuesday. Flood faces a challenge in November from Democrat Carol Blood, a former Nebraska state senator from Bellevue.

And Nebraska's incumbent Republican U.S. Senators were also comfortably won their primary races despite facing inter-party challengers.

U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer was taking almost 80% of the vote against Arron Kowalski. Meanwhile, Pete Ricketts was also running up close to 80% of the vote against challengers John Glen Weaver and Mac Stevens.

Both Nebraska Senate seats are on the ballot this year as Ricketts  appointed to the seat by Gov. Jim Pillen  is running to fill the unexpired term of former senator Ben Sasse.

Ricketts faces a challenge in November from Democrat Preston Love Jr., who was unopposed in his primary on Tuesday.

--Henry J. Cordes

State board of education features close contests

Nebraska State Board of Education races become clearer after primary votes Primary voters narrowed the field Tuesday in two races for the Nebraska State Board of Education, although the final outcome hasn't entirely been determined.

11:05 p.m.: The State Board of Education in recent years has provided some hotly contested races, and Tuesday proved no exception.

In Subdistrict 4, which represents eastern Douglas County, Democrat Liz Renner had nearly 50% of the vote, with nonpartisan LeDonna White Griffin and Republican Stacy Matula in a close race for second.

In Subdistrict 2, made up of several counties in southeast Nebraska, including Sarpy, Republican Linda Vermooten was receiving nearly 45% of the vote in a race against two Democrats. Maggie Douglas was second with 36% and Karen Morgan third at almost 20%.

The races are officially nonpartisan. The top two finishers in each race will face off in November.

--Lauren Wagner

All regents up for election advance to November

11:00 p.m.: The four incumbents running for the University of Nebraskas Board of Regents all were leading their races Tuesday, in most cases comfortably.

In Omahas District 4, Elizabeth OConnor was taking almost two-thirds of the vote against challenger Jim Rogers.

In District 8, another Omaha-area district, Barbara Weitz was likewise garnering nearly two-thirds against Zachary Mellender.

In District 5, incumbent Rob Schafer of Beatrice faced two challengers but was pulling in over 50% of the vote.

Regent Jim Scheer of Norfolk was running unopposed.

The top two finishers in each district advance to run in November.

Bellevue sales tax increase sinks

10:38 p.m.: Voters in Bellevue soundly rejected a proposed half-cent sales tax.

In incomplete returns, more than 60% of voters gave a thumbs down to the tax that would be earmarked for public infrastructure projects, including possibly helping to pay for a planned regional water park. The Bellevue tax would go to two cents on each $1 purchase, in line with Papillion, Gretna and LaVista.

--Henry J. Cordes

Two other Legislature incumbents in close races

10:19 p.m.: State Sen. Terrell McKinney was not the only incumbent state lawmaker in a tight race on Tuesday.

Robert Dover of Norfolk, appointed to the District 19 seat by then-Gov. Pete Ricketts, was narrowly behind Jeanne Reigle in District 19, though still likely to advance to the November election in a three-candidate race.

In Grand Island-area District 35, incumbent Sen. Ray Aquilar was narrowly behind Dan Quick in a two-candidate race. Both would be expected to continue the close battle into November.

Omaha city charter changes passing, but two are close

Bellevue sales tax increase trailing, four of six Omaha charter amendments cruising The Bellevue City Council had put the half-cent sales tax increase on the ballot to raise money for public infrastructure projects.

It appears all six Omaha city charter amendments were on their way to passage on Tuesday night, though a couple are close calls.

Amendment 1, a technical cleanup that would remove a section of the charter that is superseded by state law, was narrowly passing in incomplete results.

Amendment 6, which would raise the minimum purchase or contract amount that needs city approval from $20,000 to $50,000, was also only slightly ahead.

The other four amendments were comfortably on their way to passage.

--Chris Burbach

Nebraska partisans appear ready for Biden vs. Trump II

Primary results suggest Nebraska partisans ready for Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump rematch If Tuesdays primary results are any indication, Nebraskans appear ready for another Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump race for the White House.

Nebraskans appear ready for another Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump race for the White House  though whether the current president or former one faces an enthusiasm gap within his party remains to be seen.

Biden, the Democratic incumbent who essentially has been unopposed in his bid for his partys renomination, was receiving more than 90% of Tuesdays Nebraska primary vote. He faced nominal opposition from Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips.

Trump had to vanquish a number of challengers earlier this year on his way to becoming the Republicans presumptive nominee for the third straight election. But he still had competition on the ballot in Nebraska Tuesday, particularly from former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

In incomplete returns, Trump was receiving more than 75% of the vote. The vast majority of the rest were going to Haley, with Michigan businessman Perry Johnson receiving a smattering of votes.

--Henry J. Cordes

Now its time for results

8 p.m.: Polls have closed and election workers have begun the work of tallying the results of Nebraskas primary election.

Stay tuned to Omaha.com for the Nebraska primary election results

Tick, tick, tick . . .

7:55 p.m.: Polls set to close in five minutes. First Nebraska results expected soon after.

A first-time voter in Elkhorn

5:55 p.m.: Sean Staras dad encouraged the 19-year-old Elkhorn youth to cast his first ballot in Tuesdays primary.

A registered non-partisan, he studied the candidates positions and wrote notes in an app on his cell phone before he showed up to his polling place at The Relevant Center, on West Maple Road.

I like knowing I can make something of a change, Stara said.

Meanwhile, some populist insurgents may be toppling GOP traditionalists at the state and county level in Nebraska, but Tom Mann, 72, likes the establishment Republicans hes gotten to know  often personally.

Thats why he cast ballots for incumbent Sen. Pete Ricketts and Rep. Don Bacon over their opponents when he voted at St. Andrews United Methodist Church in northwest Omaha Tuesday.

He said he got to know Ricketts personally a few years ago, when both their mothers were in the same Omaha nursing home.

I wanted to make sure Pete Ricketts stays in, Mann said.

He hasnt met Bacon, but he said hes impressed with the four-term incumbents military service. Bacon served 29 years in the Air Force, retiring as a brigadier general in 2014.

I think we need someone in office who knows what it means to commit troops overseas, Mann said. He knows the cost. Its not just another Benghazi. - Steve Liewer

A petition at the May primary

5:31 p.m.: At the Washington Elementary School polling place in Omahas Dundee-Memorial Park neighborhood, poll workers as of 3:30 p.m. said every voter who had come in had a proper identification card and was able to vote.

Dan Gilbert, a Democrat who came to cast his ballot, said he was delighted to hear the new law had not been a deterrent. He called voter ID laws a product of a made-up problem.

Theres no evidence of voter fraud in America at any scale at all, he said. And every time supporters of voter ID are challenged on that, they have no answer.

Outside the polling place and the street, retired Westside school teacher and neighborhood resident Dave Richardson was collecting petition signatures in the drive to repeal the $10 million appropriation the Legislature made for private school scholarships. He had collected 18 signatures as of 4 p.m., saying few hed asked had declined to sign.

He found an avid supporter in Kim Armstrong. She noted she had collected 15 signatures herself last year in the successful petition drive challenging another effort by state lawmakers to provide $25 million toward such scholarships.

So Im so mad that they did that again, she said. - Henry Cordes

Voting at Masonic Prince Hall Grand Lodge

5:30 p.m.: At Masonic Prince Hall Grand Lodge, 2418 Ames Avenue in Omaha, 42 had voted by the early evening. - Chris Machian

One voter says voter ID is 'dumbest law ever'

5:02 p.m.: So far, there appear to few, if any, problems on Nebraskas new voter ID law.

At polling places in Sons of Italy, located south of downtown Omaha at 1238 S. 10th St., and Masonic Prince Hall Grand Lodge at 24th Street and Ames Avenue in North Omaha, inspectors reported registered voters have complied with the new requirement that they show state-issued identification.

That doesnt mean every voter is happy about the new requirement.

Its really the dumbest thing ever, said Joe Monestero, a 74-year-old registered Democrat who considers himself an independent.

Monestero, who voted at the Sons of Italy event hall, said he had no problem presenting his drivers license to poll workers. But he believes the new law is a solution to a problem that doesnt exist.

Some people had a mother who was 70-80 years old, didnt drive a car, was a housewife (or) whatever. She may have never had an ID. She certainly didnt have a state ID, Monestero said. And yet, she could go to her bank without an ID and sign her name. And they took her name by what she said she was.

Now you come up here and theyre like, Well, weve got to know its really you, he added. Its a stupid law.

Monestero and Peter Olson, a 29-year-old Democrat, said theyve always voted. This primary season, they both were motivated by specific down-ballot races.

Olson voted for Yanira Garcia, who is competing for a two-year term representing District 3 on the Regional Metropolitan Transit Board. District 3 covers a southern portion of downtown Omaha as well as South Omaha. Other candidates for that position include John Sullivan and Andrew Adams.

As he walked back to his bicycle outside the Sons of Italy hall, Olson described himself an avid user of public transportation.

Im hoping whoever we elect to that position is able to help build up the biking and transit infrastructure in the city, he said.

Monestero said proposed changes to the citys Home Rule Charter caught his eye. He voted against a proposed change to increase the minimum monetary threshold on contracts requiring City Council action from $20,000 to $50,000.

Its become too easy to spend money and just not worry about it, he said. Thats not the way most of us have to live.

More than 65 people voted at the Sons of Italy polling place, which covers precinct 03-10, by 3:10 p.m. Tuesday. A precinct inspector said she was told that number was higher than other polling places have recorded, although its down from previous primary election cycles.

Turnout was light at the Masonic Prince Hall Grand Lodge, which served as the polling place for precinct 02-06. A precinct inspector said just 20 people had come to the lodge to vote by 1:30 p.m. - Dan Crisler

A vote for Nikki Haley

4:58 p.m.: Ally Morrill rode out the Arbor Day tornado April 26 on the bottom floor of her Ramblewood home, protecting her youngest son, a toddler.

The storm vented its worst fury a few blocks away.

Our windows broke. Everything in our backyard was gone, said Morrill, 36, of Elkhorn. At least we could still live in our house. Now weve got a new roof.

The mother of four cares about education, and she cares about setting an example for her kids. Those were two reasons Morrill, a registered nonpartisan, turned out to vote mid-morning Tuesday at The Relevant Center, just across West Maple Road from Ramblewood.

She was most enthusiastic about voting for Bill McAllister in the District 3 race for the State Board of Education.

I feel like hes more leaning toward being inclusive of all students, Morrill said.

Plus, Gina Bruner of Elkhorn cast a Republican ballot in Tuesdays primary. She cast her ballot for former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley  even though former President Donald Trump is the last remaining candidate, and the presumptive nominee.

I know she dropped out, but I still voted for her, Bruner said. Im not big on Trump. I dont like some of the things hes done. - Steve Liewer

Midtown electricity glitch, Skutt chalk drawing

4:48 p.m.: Voting at polling places throughout Douglas County was light through the first half of primary day, Election Commissioner Brian Kruse said.

He expected it to pick up later in the day.

By mid-afternoon, Kruse said the election appeared to be going smoothly, with few hiccups.

Two polling places lost electricity from about 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., but Kruse said the power outages did not affect voting. They happened at St. Matthews Lutheran Church, on 60th Street north of Center Street, and Lifegate Church, 55th and Leavenworth Streets.

We called our rep at OPPD immediately, and OPPD was on it right away, Kruse said.

Lifegate had plenty of natural light, he said.

The polling place at St. Matthew was in a basement social hall. People from the church loaned poll workers flashlights. Poll workers also used their phone flashlights. And the election commission sent four battery powered lanterns so people could see to vote until the lights came back on.

Kruse said OPPD told him the outage happened because a private contractor had cut a power line.

Social media was abuzz Tuesday with reports of pro-life messages drawn in chalk near a polling place at Skutt High School.

The messages didnt violate rules against electioneering at polling places because abortion was not an issue on the ballot Tuesday, Kruse said.

If there should happen to be ballot initiatives on that issue in the fall, that (the chalked messages) would be an issue, Kruse said.

He said there had been very few calls by mid-afternoon to the election commissions call center for resolving problems.

By 11:30 a.m., only person had needed to fill out a provisional ballot because they lacked proper ID. The voter had an out-of-state drivers license and will have an opportunity to show another form of ID thats acceptable under Nebraskas new voter ID law. - Christopher Burbach

A tornado relief site becomes a polling place

2:56 p.m.: In the same space that not long ago was stockpiled with supplies for tornado victims, some Elkhorn voters were casting their ballots on Tuesday.

Poll workers at The Relevant Center located at West Maple Road and Elkhorn Drive said the day had started off slow, but more voters were beginning to roll in by mid-afternoon. The election inspector on site said there hadnt been any issues with the new ID requirement so far.

Tom Lister, 71, stopped by the center to vote shortly after 2 p.m. Lister said he votes nonpartisan and is more excited for the general election in November, but felt it was important to vote in the primary too.

Its just part of the deal, he said.

Lister said he felt lucky that his home in a nearby neighborhood wasnt hit in the Arbor Day tornado that devastated parts of Elkhorn.

It seems like people are pulling together pretty well, he said. As well as anyone can when you lose your house.

Joseph Pietrocini with Relevant Community Church said the purpose of the center is to support the community, whether thats through tornado relief or providing a place to vote.

Its been crazy to say the least, Pietrocini said of the last month. But its been really encouraging to see how our community has come around. - Luna Stephens

Motivated voters at Chalco

2:09 p.m.: Voters were few but highly motivated by mid-day Tuesday at the Papio Natural Resources District offices in Sarpy County.

State Sen. Jen Day, who is seeking re-election and her husband and campaign manager, Jon, voted about 1 p.m.

They had just left when Gary Bunjer arrived to cast his ballot in hopes of replacing Day in the Legislature with one of her two challengers.

Democracy in action.

Of course its important for us, Day said. Were really politically engaged. And Im on the ballot.

The Days, who are Democrats, were only the 32nd and 33rd people to vote at their polling place, Precinct 54. But Jon Day said that a lot more people typically vote there in the evening, after work.

Bunjer, a 73-year-old Republican, said that a lot of people say a primary doesnt make any difference.

But this one is a biggie for this part of the state, Bunjer said. Ive been very annoyed with what Jen Day has done in the Legislature, and Im also hoping to get Don Bacon out of there and Dan Frei in.

Bacon is the incumbent U.S. representative from Nebraskas 2nd Congressional District. Frei is challenging him for the Republican nomination to face likely Democratic challenger Tony Vargas in November.

Bunjer said complying with the voter ID law was not an issue for him.

It just makes sense, he said. I use ID for lots of stuff.

Jen Day said voter ID seemed to be going well Tuesday.

People are aware, she said, noting that in addition to all the publicity before primary day, there are signs outside some polling places detailing requirements in case some people didnt know or forgot.

Its going to be an impediment for some voters which is unfortunate, she said. Because the goal is always to have more voters turn out.

Day said Nebraskans decided they wanted voter ID, and that she thought the Legislature had done a good job of implementing a plan that requires ID but still makes access to a ballot available to everyone whos qualified to vote.

Poll workers said there had been no problems so far with voter ID. Not only had there been no complaints, but several voters had thanked them for asking for ID.  Chris Burbach

Smooth, slow traffic in Elkhorn

2:25 p.m.: Poll workers said its been an extremely slow day so far at the polling site at Brookside Church near 204th Street and West Maple Road in Elkhorn. Only 20 voters had come in as of 1:30 p.m but all had remembered to bring their IDs under the new requirement, according to the election inspector on site, who declined to share his name.

Everything, as far as Im concerned, has been pretty smooth, the inspector said. - Luna Stephens

Voting 'dirt simple' at church in Papillion

1:46 p.m.: John Brandeau said voting was dirt simple at Wildewood Christian Church in Papillion.

Well, simple once he remembered his wallet.

Brandeau said he patted his pockets before heading to his polling place and thought the lump he felt was his wallet. He discovered it was headphones once he arrived at the church across the street from Papillion La Vista High School at 1255 Royal Drive.

He ran home and got his wallet and ID.

When he returned to the church, there was no line to vote, and he was in and out within minutes. Brandeau said thats typical for his polling place.

Brandeau, 66, has never missed a primary or general election. And hes voted just about every way possible.

He submitted absentee ballots while serving overseas during his military service. He requested a ballot in the mail when he was going to be out of town during an election. And he lived in Florida during the era of punched card ballots and the resulting hanging chads.

In comparison, showing an ID to vote on a paper ballot seemed easy to Brandeau. He voted, handed his ballot in and was outside enjoying the sunshine in the churchs parking lot around 12:30 p.m.

As he left, other voters arrived in the parking lot. Most were in and out of the church in about 10 minutes or less.  Emily Nitcher

School board candidate wave campaign

1:09 p.m.: Carla Kloeckner, candidate for Papillion La Vista school board, and some supporters engage in last-minute sidewalk campaigning Tuesday afternoon at the corner of First and Washington streets in Papillion. Joining her were Jaclyn Gibbons, Melanie Haakinson and Christine Schulte.

"I have worked and volunteered, not only in our schools, but our community as a whole for the past 15 years," Kloeckner said. "And I saw a need to bring on some fresh faces to our school board. And I hope that everything I've done thus far will get me the votes to get there." - Joe Dejka

Mother, daughter, Republican, Democrat

12:58 p.m.: It was easy to find a parking spot outside Holy Name Catholic Church.

Shortly before noon Tuesday, the church, located at 2901 Fontenelle Boulevard in North Omaha, only had about 16 to 18 voters total from precincts 02-17 and 02-18 come through its doors to cast ballots, an inspector said.

The inspector, who declined to share his name, attributed the very light turnout to some of the high-profile races, including the presidential primaries, having already been decided. Turnout could pick up after dinner, he said.

Natalie and Carolyn Schaal were two of the voters who cast ballots. Natalie, a 35-year-old Democrat, was motivated to cast a ballot for President Joe Biden although shes not his biggest fan, particularly of his handling of the Israel-Hamas war.

He could do better. But it is what it is, Natalie said.

Her mother, Carolyn, was motivated to cast a vote against U.S. Rep. Don Bacon in the Republican primary. She voted for challenger Dan Frei. Carolyn also voted for former President Donald Trump at the presidential level.

Unfortunately, the two we have are not necessarily the best, the 70-year-old Republican said. They both have a record so you can compare and contrast and you go with what you think is best.

Despite their different political preferences, both mother and daughter believe in voting in every election they can.

I feel like its our civic duty, Carolyn said. - Dan Crisler

Quiet as a church in Rockbrook

12:28 p.m.: Just before noon, poll workers outnumbered voters at Rockbrook United Methodist Church, 99th Avenue and West Center Road.

There were three workers and two people casting ballots. That brought the number of voters to a grand total of 59. So a little slow.

Voter ID was working smoothly at Rockbrook, similar to how Douglas County Election Commissioner Brian Kruse said it had gone during early in-person voting at commission headquarters. By noon Tuesday, everyone voting at Rockbrook had identification, and no one had complained, poll workers said.

After casting her ballot at Rockbrook, Debbie Hinrichs said she votes in every election.

Its the only way you have a choice, said Hinrichs, a 74-year-old Republican.

She said voting with an ID for the first time went well.

Im glad we have it, she said of Nebraskas voter ID law. I know we dont have that much of a concern in this county or state, but it addresses an issue. - Christopher Burbach

The scene in South O

10:45 a.m.: Marty Foral is the fourth voter as of 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Social Hall. As of 10:45, at the nearby American Legion Post 331, they had eight ballots cast, plus one provisional ballot. - Chris Machian

Voter ID law kicks into gear

10:15 a.m.: You couldnt miss the signs at Irving Recreation Center in Lincoln. VOTE HERE, said signs posted on each side of the Centers double doors. Underneath those words, in slightly smaller type, something new: PHOTO ID REQUIRED.

Nebraska has a new voter ID law, and this primary election is the first application of the process. You can read more about the law here.

The state also posted, on the door of Irving Recreation Center, identifications that wouldnt work  including out-of-state university IDs. So if youre a Nebraska resident who goes to Iowa, that gold-and-black ID wont cut it on Primary Day.

Timothy Titus, 81, of Papillion said he's glad Nebraska is checking voter IDs.

"I have a military ID, and I use it all the time," said Titus, who voted at the Sarpy County Courthouse. "It doesn't bother me a bit. I think it's a great thing that they finally did that. It's always bothered me to come and vote and just sign my name. Nobody'd know who I was. "

Margaret Olson of Papillion, who voted at the courthouse, said the ID check went smoothly  she showed a driver's license  but she said there's not enough evidence of voter fraud to justify the checks.

"I think they fixed something that wasn't broken," Olson said. - Joe Dejka and Sam McKewon

U.S. Rep. Don Bacon casts his vote

8 a.m.: At the Sarpy County Sheriff Administration Building in Papillion, U.S. Rep. Don Bacon cast his primary vote Tuesday morning.

Bacon faces Dan Frei in the contest for the 2nd Congressional District, which includes Douglas County, Saunders County and part of Sarpy County.

Here's how The World-Herald previewed the race: "Frei is the underfunded insurgent mounting a populist challenge to an incumbent congressman who is backed by the Republican establishment. And once again, the fierce intra-party fight has implications for whether Republicans will keep their hold on an important congressional seat in a swing district."

2nd Congressional District challenger Dan Frei votes in Omaha

8 a.m.: Like Bacon, Dan Frei voted as soon as the polls opened.

Frei, who voted at the Harvey Oaks Elementary School polling location in Omaha, has the endorsements of populist-dominated Douglas, Sarpy, Saunders, and state GOP committees.

Photos: Nebraska Primary Election Day 2024
The politics of who become what in the 9th National Assembly may be another threat to the stability of the ruling APC like was the case in 2015 as Reps are already jostling for the zoning of the offices.

While there are indications that the current House Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila (Lagos APC), and his South West region are battle ready for the speakership position, another group are also calling for it to be zoned to the North Central.

In a statement signed by one of the Reps calling for the position of the speaker to be zoned to the North central, Rep John Dyegh, he argued that such development will bring about advance national cohesion, balance of power and federal character.

We, the members of the North-Central Caucus of the All Progressives Congress in the House of Representatives, called this briefing to express our position with respect to the leadership position of the ninth Assembly.

You are not unaware of the interest the issue of the leadership of the next assembly has generated in the public space. We want to use this medium to acknowledge the supremacy of our party, the APC, in addressing the issue of zoning of positions in an equitable, just and fair manner that will foster unity and cordial relations among members of our party and our colleagues from the other political divides.

We are confident of the ability and capacity of the national leadership of the APC to do what is right to all in order to advance national cohesion, balance of power and federal character.

It is in this regard that we humbly wish to appeal to our great party, the APC, to strongly consider the North- Central geopolitical zone for the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 9th Assembly, Dyegh said.

On why they position should be zoned to North Central he said that it would satisfy and advance the cause of equity because the North-West and the South-West already have the president and vice-president positions, respectively.

The need to ensure balance and spread between and among the six geopolitical zones has made it imperative to give prime consideration to the North-Central zone to produce the position of the speaker.

Being the zone with delicate and peculiar location and challenges within the federation, it is of utmost importance to carry us along in the hierarchy of power distribution in the country as this will in no small measure, help in stabilising the polity, he said.
The Nigerian Army has denied reports that its soldiers arrested a suspected notorious cult leader, popularly known as Bobrisky in Gokana local government area of Rivers State.

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike while addressing leaders of Rumuolumeni community at the Government House last Friday, announced that soldiers had arrested Bobrisky.

Bobriskys capture cames less than twenty-four hours after Governor Wike promised to pay thirty million naira to anybody with information that could lead to the arrest of the notorious cultist.

Governor Wike, who made the announcement of Bobriskys capture, said: The army has captured Bobrisky of Gokana. I will pay the bounty that I promised to the Nigerian Army. Anyone who generates insecurity in Rivers, I am ready to pay any amount to ensure the arrest of that person.

But the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, debunked the claim, challenging the governor to parade the criminal to validate his claim. An army source in the division said:

Let me confide in you that Bobrisky has not been arrested. I do not know what Governor Nyesom Wike intends to gain by lying and misleading members of the public. Since Gov. Wike insists that Bobrisky has been arrested by his army, not the Nigerian Army, let him parade Bobrisky on Saturday (today), Sunday or Monday. With the lie by Governor Wike and the press statement by his media aide, Bobrisky will escape from Nigeria or he may go underground. The truth remains that Bobrisky has not been arrested.

Speaking to newsmen in Port Harcourt, the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 6 Division, Colonel Aminu Illiyasu, said soldiers did not arrest the suspected cult leader or any other cultist in Gokana local government area. Illiyasu said:
Kebbi State Police Command has arrested a housewife identified as Auta Dogo Singe for allegedly killing her new husband so that she could go back to her former husband in Bagudo Local Government Area of the state.

According to the police, the woman conspired with one Garba Hassan and Sahabi Garba at Sabon Gari Village, Illo district area of Bagudo to kill her husband, Abdullahi Shaho, in order to remarry her ex-spouse.

Commissioner of Police in the state, Garba Danjuma, confirmed the incident during a briefing with journalists.

He said the housewife and the two men conspired with have been arrested.
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The Ondo State Police Command has arrested two persons for allegedly killing their boss on the Ojomo Akintan Estate, Olu Foam area of Akure. The suspects, Tasiu Abubakar and Ayuba Idris, were said to be security guards employed by the deceased.



They were paraded at the headquarters of the command on Monday for allegedly killing their boss, Mr Richard Kwakye, and his daughter, Tope, last month.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Undie Adie, said the suspects fled the state after committing the crime but were apprehended in Sokoto and Kano states.

According to him, the deceased were initially declared missing but after the suspects were arrested, they confessed that they killed Richard and his daughter and threw their bodies away.

The CP stated, Upon receipt of the report of the incident, detectives from this command swung into action and Ayuba Idris, 20, was arrested in Kano State on May 16, 2019. The handset of the missing person, Richard, and his suits were recovered from him.

Upon interrogation, he confessed that he and the second security guard, Taisu Abubakar, knew where the two missing persons were. He led detectives to a building on the Ojomo Akintan Estate, Olu Foam area of Akure, where the decomposing bodies of Richard Kwakye, 71, and Tope Kwakye, 27, were found.

The detectives also tracked down Taisu Abubakar, 23, in Sokoto State. One of the victims laptops and some clothes were recovered from him. Upon interrogation, he also confessed to the murder of the victims.

Both suspects said that they decided to kill the daughter on the same day the father was murdered in order to cover their track because she saw them when they killed her father.

The commissioner said the suspects would be charged to court, while the decomposing bodies of the deceased had been deposited in the morgue.

On why they killed their employer and his daughter, Abubakar said the deceased did not offend them but they carried out the act under the influence of tramadol and Indian hemp.

Narrating how they committed the crime, he stated, On that day, we took tramadol and Indian hemp and just decided to kill the man. While strangulating him, his daughter saw us, so we killed her too in order to cover up.

The 71-year-old Richard was said to have been a worker on the estate and was given one of the buildings to live in with his daughter, a fresh graduate preparing to go for the National Youth Service Corps programme in July.

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Nigerian Senate

The Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs Thursday screened President Muhammadu Buharis nominees for the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

First to be screened was a former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Dr. Pius Odubu, as Chairman of the Board of the NDDC and the nominee for the position of Managing Director of the agency, Bernard Okumagba.

Odubu who was a member of the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007 was asked to take a bow and go in line with the parliamentary tradition of the Senate to extend such courtesies to former members of the National Assembly nominated for appointment.

Chief Bernard Okumagba who was nominated for the post of Managing Director of the intervention agency was also asked to take a bow and go after both the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi and Senator James Manager, representing Delta South, attested to his suitability for the job.

There was however drama when the nominee for the post of Executive Director Projects, Engr. Otobong Ndem (Akwa Ibom), appeared before the committee.

A member of the Committee, Senator Matthew Urhoghide picked holes in the curriculum vitae of Ndem.

He sought to know why there were discrepancies in the chronology the candidates educational progression.

He also urged the nominee not to disappoint Nigerians on confirmation in view of the increasing rate of abandoned projects in region by the NDDC.

For instance, Urhoghide said that from the CV before him, had school certificate in 2007, National Diploma in 1999 and Higher National Diploma In 2002.

Also in his remarks, Senator George Sekibo noted that the candidate also claimed to have obtained his masters degree in 2012 and Bachelor of Science degree in 2019.

As a former member of the House of Assembly, were you a Speaker or Deputy Speaker? If no, why did you prefix your name with the words Right Honourable?



On his part, Senator Rochas Okorocha said since Ndem had served in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, he should be asked to take bow and go.

He said that the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as a former member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, was accorded a similar courtesy during his screening by the Senate.

This suggestion generated a heated argument among the committee members.

Senator James Manager however engaged Okorocha in heated exchange for insisting that the nominee be asked to take a bow and go.

Senator Okorocha you are new hereyou are new here, Manager said.

The Chairman of the committee, Nwaoboshi, however, intervened to calm the situation.

He noted that it is true that Amaechi was asked to take a bow and go as a former Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

He noted that the questions put to the nominee were serious issues that need clarification.
Maryam Sanda wept uncontrollably at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja, after she was sentenced to death by hanging for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello.

Justice Yusuf Halilu gave the sentence on Monday in Abuja while delivering judgment on the protracted trial of Maryam Sanda.

He sentenced Sanda after she was convicted for stabbing late Bilyaminu to death, son of former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Haliru Bello.

Her trial centred on a judicial drama that lasted almost three years due to delays, multiple adjournments, and failure of witnesses to appear in court among others.

Sanda, a mother of two, and her mother broke down in tears immediately the judge pronounced her guilt.

Her mother who was occupying a back seat sped out of the court as she wept.

The teary Sanda also rushed out of the courtroom but the judge ordered that she should be brought back to the courtroom.

The defence lawyer attempted to make a plea for allocutus (plea for mercy) which was rejected by the judge.

Justice Yusuf Halilu said the offence for which Maryam was convicted was based on Section 221 of the Penal Code.
releases new guidelines

Authorities at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has released new guidelines aim at enforcing strict compliance of the lockdown announced by President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday.

It would be recall that President Buhari had extended the 14 days lockdown by another 14 days in Lagos, Ogun and the FCT in other to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

In a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Minister of the FCT, Anthony Ogunleye, the FCT COVID-19 Security Committee chaired by the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, said while the level of compliance has been satisfactory at the Federal Capital City (FCC) over the first few days of the lockdown, the same cannot be said about the satellite towns located at the various area councils where residents there have largely ignored the lockdown directive.

The statement said residents have used the excuse of going to the markets to flout the lockdown directives and traders selling non-essential food commodities have also used this window to open their shops in clear violation of the directives not to do so.

And in other to ensure that the FCT does not witness an escalation in the number of COVID-19 positive cases, the committee has decided that market operational days are reduced to two days in a week namely Wednesdays and Saturdays only.

Also as part of the measures, residents are now restricted only to their neighborhood markets as movement from one district to the other now constitutes a violation of the lockdown.

The statement also added that Motorcycles (Okada) are henceforth barred from operating anywhere in Kubwa and Dutse Alhaji during the lockdown, noting that mobile courts will now be activated to try all violators of the directive on the cessation of movement across the FCT.

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The Consul General of Nigeria in Johannesburg, Godwin Adama, has said that the first batch of the Nigerian returnees from South Africa would depart South Africa for Lagos on Wednesday.

Adama told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview that the first batch of returnees, are expected to depart South Africa by 9:00 a.m Wednesday.

The consul general also disclosed that Air peace had indicated interest to evacuate over 600 Nigerians that were willing to return to their country following the latest xenophobic attacks.

The first flight leaves by 09: 00 hours this Wednesday with about 320 passengers and the second batch will leave on Thursday all things being equal.

We have over 600 who had indicated interest. All things being equal, without any hitches, the plane will take off by 09 : 00 hours this Wednesday.

The manifest for the first flight is ready, and we are working on the next flight, he said.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on Monday called for the immediate evacuation of Nigerians willing to return home from South Africa following the latest attacks on Nigerians and other nationals.

Buhari gave the directive when he received the Report of the Special Envoy to South Africa, the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Amb. Ahmed Abubakar.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Chairman of Air Peace Mr Allen Onyema, had last week volunteered to send aircraft to evacuate Nigerians who wished to return home without payment.

Air Peace is willing to support the Nigerian Governments efforts in this matter by deploying our B777 aircraft to evacuate Nigerians back home, Onyema said.

The Chairman of the Air Peace also advised the returnees against making payment to anyone for their flights to Lagos.

Onyema urged the returning Nigerians to guard against unauthorised persons, reportedly collecting 1,000 dollars from them, adding that none of them should pay for the flights.

According to him, airline is particularly concerned about the safety of Nigerians in South Africans following the attacks.

We have not designated or recruited any agent in South Africa to collect money on behalf of Air Peace.

So, nobody should pay money to anyone or group of persons posing as Air Peace agent or staff.

Any Nigerian who has paid money for repatriation to Nigeria with Air Peace should request for a refund and report to appropriate authorities, he said.

The Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, had also pledged the Federal Governments support to any Nigerian that wanted to return home.

Dabiri-Erewa said this after a closed door meeting with the Senate Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations in Abuja.

She said that the returnees would be encouraged to enroll and participate in the various social intervention programmes of the government.

We will encourage them to enroll in small scale entrepreneurial programmes with the Bank of Industry under the social investment programme . So, there are things that they can do, she said.(NAN)
QNET, a global wellness and lifestyle focused direct selling company, is celebrating 26 years of impact and legacy as it looks forward to deepening its footprints of positivity across the world, especially in Africa.



QNET officially commenced the 26th edition of its popular global conference called the VCON. The event is taking place at the Spice Arena on the Penang Island in Malaysia between 12th and 16th May, 2024, under the theme: Unstoppable. The Conference started with an electrifying opening ceremony that got independent representatives, partners, special guests, local and international media excited and thrilled. The 26th edition of the VCON is attended by thousands of people from different parts of the world including journalists from West African countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Senegal.



According to the Founders of the company, Dato Sri Vijay Eswaran and Joseph Bismark, the first 25 years of QNET, which was celebrated last year, has positively touched the lives of millions of people across the world. This year marks the beginning of another 25 years of unstoppable impact of the company.



An epitome of inspiration to several thousands of independent representatives that attended the opening ceremony of the 2024 VCON, one of the founders of QNET, Dato Sri Vijay Eswaran, in his usual charismatic, inspiring, simple but captivating opening speech, encouraged participants to believe in themselves and in their abilities to transform their own situations, thereby positively contributing value to people and society at large. He said the journey of the next 25 years would start with them and that in 25 years time, there is no limit to what they would have accomplished for themselves and the people around them.





Mr. Wong Hon Wai, Penang State Governments Executive Committee Member for Tourism and Creative Economy, warmly welcomed the guests on behalf of the Penang Government and highlighted the importance of the VCON for the region and its positive impact for the local economy and tourism. He mentioned that the VCON is unique and in a class of its own, regarding the impact the Conference has made on residents of the island in the last 12 years alone.



VCON 2024 will witness the release of new QNET products, such as a new watch collection and the exhibition of existing and amazing QNET products.



QNET is one of Asia leading direct-selling companies offering a wide range of health, wellness and lifestyle products that enable people to live better lives. QNET's grass-roots business model, fuelled by e-commerce, has helped empower millions of entrepreneurs in more than 100 countries worldwide. Since its inception 26 years ago, the company has operated a unique business model that allows individuals, including women, to start their businesses and earn an income by selling the company's products.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Director General of Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Kofi Bosompem Osafo-Maafo, has highlighted that the energy deficit in many African countries is impeding the continents ability to achieve economic freedom and development.



Speaking at the launch of the Africa Prosperity Dialogue 2025 in Accra, Mr. Osafo-Maafo emphasized that the energy deficit has significant implications for the continents development, hindering economic growth by limiting industrial expansion, infrastructure development, and productivity.



Osafo-Maafo stressed, We cannot drive growth with an energy deficit. Electricity coverage across Africa is only about 30%, while in developing countries it is close to 70% and even approaching 90%, this deficit makes growth challenging.



He further explained, With this deficit, it becomes difficult to leverage natural resources in any value chain. Take aluminum, for example. How can you develop the value chain if there is a shortage of power? Energy is crucial for development.



Osafo-Maafo also pointed out that Africas telecommunication space is rapidly growing without the proper regulatory system in place.



He highlighted the recent damage to major undersea data cables serving Africa and emphasized the need to address these issues to ensure growth.



Our regulatory system around the continent has allowed our growth and not built any redundancy. So there have been great investments and returns coming out of the sector but we have not built any redundancy.



So we need to look at how we address issues making sure that we have redundancy within our system to grow because if we dont we are going to be a constraint, he said.



Group CEO of Telecel, Moh Damush emphasized the evolving telecom infrastructure, stating, We are transitioning from providing data to our customers to providing data to industries. This transition requires substantial investment and infrastructure focus as all industries will become dependent on data in the coming decades.



Minister for Railways Development, John-Peter Amewu, urged African leaders to prioritize the development of the railway sector to facilitate connectivity among countries on the continent.



He emphasized that railway infrastructure should be viewed as a social service, with governments constructing railway lines for private sector operation.



It is the responsibility of African countries now to address the gap and how we can improve the railway infrastructure. The railway infrastructure must be seen as a social service just as we construct roads, the government must be able to construct railway lines and leave it to the private sector to operate, he added.

Source: dailymail









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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A Member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, has called for a legislation that would ensure that tertiary institutions put out the same number of admission forms as the available spaces within the institutions.



According to him, most tertiary institutions are making money by preying on the desperation of prospective students to further their educations by selling more admission forms than available vacancies in the institution.



You know you have about 1,200 slots available, yet you sell over 20,000 admission forms. Its exploitation. We must find a way to stop this... in other jurisdictions they dont do that, he said at PAC session in Takoradi in the Western Region.



Mr Mohammed, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale Central, further intimated that the schools had formed a syndicate bound by this common practice.



I see it as a syndicate for educational institutions to exploit desperate and frustrated young people who are looking for the opportunity to be admitted into an institution, he said



This ought to stop. And we must find a way, as the peoples representatives, in our report to legislate to ensure that the institutions do not have a carte blanche where they think they must make money from desperate students who want to be admitted into such institutions, he stressed.

Source: graphiconline









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Senior Psychologist, Rev. Prof. Joseph Osafo has urged Ghanaians to pay back loans they take from government and other entities when time is due or follow the instalment payment plans to refund the loan.



The Director for the Centre for Ageing Studies at the University of Ghana wondered why some Ghanaians refuse to pay back their loans, especially when the money belongs to government.



Prof. Osafo, speaking on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show, offered this advice to the citizenry while discussing housing loans scheme and rent issues as the Executive Secretary of the Public Servants Housing Loans Scheme, Richard Asante Yeboah, educates the public on his outfit's activities.



Richard Asante Yeboah raised concerns over people being given loans by his organization and repayment becomes difficult, hence compelling him to re-strategize to ensure those who gain from the housing loans scheme don't exploit the opportunity.



In respect of this, Prof. Osafo emphasized; "As we are encouraging people to go for loans, when you receive it, be a good citizen and pay back. Stop this attitude where when one goes for government loan refuses to pay back in the name of this belongs to government."





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.

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Omanhene of Sefwi Wiawso traditional area, Katakyie Kwasi Bumagama II has applauded the Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh for exhibiting a bold character as a public official.



According to the Katakyie Bumagama, Ghana will be better if bold leaders like Matthew Opoku Prempeh are at the helm of affairs.



The Omanhene made these remarks when the Energy Minister paid a courtesy call on him at his palace in Sefwi Wiawso on Monday, 13th May, 2024.



I have always admired your boldness as a leader and you have demonstrated this through out your stewardship first at the Education Ministry and now as Energy Minister. I have always said that if your government had just three of your kind, you would have been far ahead, Katakyie Bumagama said.



Dr. Prempeh expressed his appreciation to the Omanhene and indicated the need for synergy between traditional leaders and politicians describing both groups are "agents of development".



He stated; "As a son of Chief, myself, I very much hold the chieftaincy institution in very high esteem and I believe that we must work for this beautiful partnership to thrive...The visit has provided the opportunity for us to discuss germane issues of national interest especially in pursuit of our roles as agents of development. I am encouraged by the words of motivation of you, Katakyie, and thus, remain focused in doing my best as a public official for our country.



It may be recalled that during a similar visit by the Energy Minister to the palace of the Awoamefia of Anlo State, Torgbui Sri III, he also applauded him for his sterling leadership.





Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Ghana and Egypt are to renew a cooperation agreement to further deepen the long-lasting ties between the two countries.



Known as the Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation, the agreement would strengthen the diplomatic relationship between the two countries and also serve as a foundation for enhanced cooperation on issues such as trade, labour exchange and investment.



Ghanas Ambassador to Egypt, Lt General Obed Boamah Akwa (retd), made this known during an interaction with some Ghanaian journalists who participated in a training programme organised by the Union of African Journalists (UAJ), in partnership with the Supreme Council for Media Regulations of Egypt in that country.



Objectives



The ambassador said the agreement would ensure that the relationship between the two countries moved to new arenas of mutual benefit to both countries.



The agreement will strengthen our diplomatic relations. But you know, these days, diplomacy goes beyond just mere engagement; there is the economic side of diplomacy and other aspects which are key to the mutual interest of both countries, the ambassador added.



Other areas are trade and investment, security, tourism, agriculture, health, manufacturing and construction.



Security is very critical and we want to deepen cooperation on that. Egypt is quite strong in that area, in terms of anti-terrorism operations and maritime security.



And in agriculture, Egypt also has lots of expertise, particularly in irrigation and greenhouse agriculture, he added.

Source: graphic.com.gh









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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has called on African governments to align their policy framework to support the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and encourage innovation.



The President emphasised the importance of SMEs in driving economic growth and job creation across the continent and highlighted the need for governments to create a conducive policy environment that enabled SMEs to thrive and innovate.



Addressing participants in the 3i Africa Summit yesterday, he said the conducive environment included providing access to finance and investing in infrastructure and technology that could support the growth of these businesses.



The President also called on governments to prioritise research and development, as well as foster a culture of entrepreneurship and creativity. The three-day summit is being held on the theme: Unleashing Africas Fintech and Digital economic potential.



The Bank of Ghana (BoG), the Development Bank Ghana (DBG) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) through its subsidiary, Elevandi, are organising the summit being attended by over 4,000 participants.



The diverse gathering of Africans living on the continent and those in the diaspora included the Prime Minister of Grenada, Dickon Mitchell, who is the Special Guest for the summit, the Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Wamkele Mene, and representatives from the African Union.



Also present for the three-day summit are Ministers of Finance, Governors of central banks and leaders of private sector businesses in the financial, investment, policy-regulatory and digital technology domains in Africa.



Until tomorrow, the participants will engage in over 15 sessions with speakers and discussants contributing to over 60 topics aimed at finding the pathways that deliver the most traction in the drive to generate momentum and achieve progress.



Right place



President Akufo-Addo explained that by supporting innovation, African countries could harness the potential of their youthful population and drive sustainable economic growth that benefits all sectors of society.



He reiterated that Ghanaian-owned SMEs would benefit from a patient capital pull of $200 million this year sourced from the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) for which a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has already been signed. (Refer to page 16/17 for details).



President Akufo-Addo stated that the funds were to fulfil the governments objective of providing financial access to SMEs. In furtherance of our objective of providing financial access to SMEs, the Minister for Finance and the President of EBID signed an MoU for a $200-million facility in Togo last Friday to be disbursed through the GCB Bank PLC and the Ghana EXIM Bank to SMEs, the President reiterated.



Guest of honour

For his part, Prime Minister Mitchel said Accra was the ideal venue for discussions that sought to move the entire African population both home and in the diaspora towards one agenda.



He said the time was right for Africans to invest in innovation and make it profitable and deliberately form partnerships that would encourage trading across borders. By forging partnerships and supporting one another, we could reduce the number of unbanked population and increase cross-border partnerships, the Prime Minister of the Caribbean country said.



Using the Caribbean as an example, Mr Mitchel said many people there were still unbanked because it was difficult to open a bank account. Unlike Africa where mobile money and financial technologies have opened up access to financial services, many in the Caribbean are still prevented from getting access to financial services, he explained.



If you cannot show documents to a house, for example, you cant open a bank account, Prime Minister Mitchel revealed. He, therefore, called for support for financial technology (fintech) startups and projects that encouraged inclusion to open up the continent for more investment.



Deploy technology



The Secretary-General of AfCFTA encouraged African governments to deploy digital solutions to tackle the continents challenges. Mr Mene said digital inclusion was crucial for leveraging the vast market potential represented by Africa's 1.4 billion population, projected to become one of the world's largest economies by 2050.



"If we don't deploy these digital technologies that all of us are going to be discussing today and tomorrow, I don't think that we will reach that objective. I want to thank all of you very much for the opportunity to share with you what our heads of state have instructed me to do which is to implement the protocol on digital trade," he added.



Mr Mene also called on the governments to put SMEs at the centre of the continental economy to help scale it to the global stage where it could equally compete. "To create opportunities for millions of young Africans to place SMEs in the centre of Africa's economy and to catapult our continent to global competitiveness which is the preeminent objective of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government that we have, the Secretary-General of AfCFTA stated.

Source: graphic.com.gh









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Richard Dzakpa, a businessman and the third accused in the trial involving Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, a former Deputy Minister for Finance, has firmly asserted that none of the accused individuals played a role in causing financial loss to the state.



During his testimony in court, Mr. Dzakpa emphasised that the state accepted possession of the ambulance without any intention to terminate the contract.



He further noting that the government had fulfilled its commitment by making payment for the ambulance.



He maintained that all required accessories were delivered in accordance with the contract specifications, refuting any allegations of deliberate or malicious intent to cause financial loss to the state by the accused persons.



Mr. Dzakpa's testimony sheds light on the complexities of the case and underscores the importance of examining all relevant evidence to ascertain the truth. As the trial progresses, further insights are expected to emerge, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the matter at hand.



It is clear from the particulars of the offence charged against me that the government has itself admitted that the ambulances were supplied to Ghana.



The point here I make is that since it is admitted that the ambulances were indeed supplied to the government of Ghana, it cannot be honestly said that the government sustained financial loss when government: has accepted or taken possession of the ambulances and not indicated no intention whatsoever of terminating the contract.



"The government actually committed itself to performing the contract by paying for the ambulances as confirmed in the negotiated addendum to the contract."



Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, Dr. Sylvester Anemana a former Chief Director of the Ministry of Health and Businessman, Richard Jakpa are standing trial in connection with the importation of the 30 ambulances.







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Richard Dzakpa, a businessman and the third accused in the trial involving Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, a former Deputy Minister for Finance, is attributing any deterioration in the ambulances to the government's lack of cooperation.



During his testimony in court, Mr. Dzakpa emphasized that the government failed to cooperate with Big Sea Limited, the company responsible for shipping the ambulances and installing the required accessories.



According to his witness statement, Mr. Dzakpa highlighted that Big Sea Limited had shipped the necessary accessories as per the government's request. However, upon arrival, the government did not assist in clearing the accessories or facilitate their installation as outlined in the addendum.



Mr. Dzakpa's assertions suggest that the government's alleged lack of cooperation hindered the timely installation of the accessories, potentially contributing to any deterioration observed in the ambulances.



"I must repeat that in this case the government has not complained that the ambulances were not supplied. The government admits that the vehicles were supplied but complains that what was supplied were without accessories. The government has not rejected the goods, already paid for them and has further actually committed in principle to continue paying for subsequent productions till all the 200 ambulances are supplied."



"The government and Big Sea have agreed that Big Sea should supply the accessories of which Big Sea has supplied since 2016, but the government has since and still without terminating the contract refused to cooperate to enable Big Sea to install the supplied accessories agreed in the addendum to the contract by clearing the accessories and notifying Big Sea to proceed to fly down to Ghana and fix the accessories as stated in the addendum."



"For the past Seven (7) years government has reneged on implementing the addendum negotiated for by both parties."



In addition, Mr Dzakpa asserted that none of the accused individuals were responsible for causing financial loss to the state.



He emphasized that the state willingly accepted possession of the ambulance without any intention of terminating the contract.



Furthermore, Mr. Dzakpa noted that the government had fulfilled its commitment by making payments for the ambulance.



"It is clear from the particulars of the offence charged against me that the government has itself admitted that the ambulances were supplied to Ghana.



"The point here I make is that since it is admitted that the ambulances were indeed supplied to the government of Ghana, it cannot be honestly said that the government sustained financial loss when government: has accepted or taken possession of the ambulances and not indicated no intention whatsoever of terminating the contract."



"The government committed itself to performing the contract by paying for the ambulances as confirmed in the negotiated addendum."



Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, Dr. Sylvester Anemana a former Chief Director of the Ministry of Health and Businessman, Richard Jakpa are standing trial in connection with the importation of the 30 ambulances.

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Banking Consultant Dr. Richmond Atuahene says calls for the removal of Tweneboah Kodua Fokuo as Managing Director of the National Investment Bank are without any basis.



The NDC Minority have given government up to Friday to revoke the appointment of Mr. Fokuo who is also the NPPs Parliamentary Candidate for Manso Nlwanta in the Ashanti Region.



The Minority insist a person with divided attention cannot be appointed to head a struggling bank.



Nonetheless Dr. Richmond Atuahene says once the person in question has met all the criteria set to head a bank by Bank of Ghana, the call for his removal is not justified.



Dr Richard Atuahene believed that, if the concern raised by the minority group is about time commitment, then they have no reason to protest for his removal.



In an interview with Despite Media Sampson Kwame Nyamekye, Dr Atuahene said the President of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Ado has never breached any constitution or statutory for appointing Mr Fokuo as the new MD since he followed all the norms before the appointment



Reacting to CSOs assertion that the man in question is politically exposed and therefore cannot hold such position; the banking consultant again said their concern is unjustified since there is no law against a political figure holding a public office when he qualifies.



PROFILE ABOUT NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR



Mr. Fokuo is a risk expert with over 15years in Bank Risk Management.



Until now he was the Deputy Managing Director of National Investment Bank Ghana PLC (NIB); having joined the Bank since 2019.

At NIB, he has been instrumental in the turn-around journey of the bank and has been specifically in-charge of the Risk Management and Operations of the Bank.



Joining NIB in 2019 was timely as the bank needed the full implementation of its Enterprise Risk Model (ERM) to kickstart its transformational journey. Execution of the ERM Model and the introduction of best practice in governance have created the necessary controlled environment required for sound banking.



Again, Mr. Fokuo has revamped the Banks Operations to ensure resilience and application of standard guidelines across the bank for rigour and efficiency.



Prior to joining the National Investment Bank, Mr. Fokuo was appointed as the Head of Credit Risk of First National Bank; a subsidiary of FirstRand Bank Group of South Africa.



Between 2008 and 2016, Mr. Fokuo worked with Barclays Bank Ghana (now ABSA) where he rose through the ranks becoming a Senior Risk Control Manager and Country Risk Champion.



Mr. Fokuo is the current Board Chairman of Nexans Ghana Limited, and a Board member at State Housing Company Limited.



He holds a BSc. Degree in Natural Resources Management from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST); an MBA in Finance from the University of Wales, UK; and an Advanced Commercial Risk Certificate from the IFS School of Finance, UK.

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The Electoral Commission (EC) has so far registered 251,149 new eligible voters six days into the 21-day limited voter registration exercise across the country, the Deputy Chairman of the Commission in charge of Corporate Services, Dr Bossman Asare, has disclosed.



Dr Asare said the figure meant that the commission registered an average of 45,000 applicants per day. Of the total applicants registered, he said females alone constituted 135,898, representing 54.11 per cent, while males were 115,251, representing 45.89 per cent.



Regional breakdown



Giving an update on the limited registration exercise in Accra yesterday, Dr Asare said at the end of the sixth day of the exercise, 33,899 applicants were registered in the Greater Accra, representing 13.5 per cent; 6,928 in the North East Region, representing 2.8 per cent, and 10,646 in the Upper East Region, representing 4.2 per cent.



The Northern Region had 19,491 applicants registering, constituting 7.8 per cent; 8,972 (3.6 per cent) in the Bono Region; 9,681 (3.9 per cent) in the Bono East Region; 12,190 (4.9 per cent) in the Volta Region, and 8,474 (3.4 per cent) in the Upper West Region.



The rest were 25,625 (10.2 per cent) in the Eastern Region; 27,984 (11.1 per cent) in the Central Region; 6,273 (2.5 per cent) in the Ahafo Region; 44,232 (17.6 per cent) in the Ashanti Region; 9,134 (3.6 per cent) in the Western North Region; 7,259 (2.9 per cent) in the Oti Region; 5,261 (2.1 per cent) in the Savannah Region, and 15,100 (6.0 per cent) in the Western Region.



The exercise, which started on May 7 and will end on May 27, 2024, is being conducted across all 268 district offices of the EC nationwide.



First-time voters



On first-time voters, the Deputy EC Chairperson said those between the ages of 18 and 21 constituted the majority of registered voters in all the 16 regions. Nationally, they numbered 221,066, representing 88.02 per cent of the total number of registered voters so far.



In respect of persons with disabilities, Dr Asare said 400 persons had so far been registered at the end of the day. He said Greater Accra Region registered 33, North East had 13, Upper East had 19, Northern had 25, Bono had 108, Bono East had 13, Volta had 14, Upper West had 11, Eastern had 20, Central had 37, Ahafo had four, Ashanti had 27, Western North had nine, Oti had 20, Savannah had six, while Western had 21.

Source: graphic.com.gh









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Collins Dauda, Member of Parliament for Asutifi South, has been granted bail after he was picked up by the Police over an alleged violent incident during the limited voter registration exercise on Saturday, May 11, 2024.



A statement by the police over the weekend indicated that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP faced police detention as a result of the recent disturbance during the registration exercise in Kukuom in the Ahafo Region, where one individual was injured and subsequently hospitalised.



But less than 48hours after the arrest, the National Communications Officer of the main opposition party, NDC, Lawyer Sammy Gyamfi, disclosed that Hon Collins Dauda has been granted bail.



Sammy Gyamfi indicated during an interview on Accra based Citinews that the Asutifi lawmaker was picked up wrongly stating that the honourable MP was innocent of the allegations leveled against him.



He [Collins Dauda] was immediately granted bail. And so he is currently on bail. And the police say that they are conducting their investigation, so he will hear from them. At no point was the Honorable Collins Dauda present at the scene.



He was not there [at the scene] because he was busy in his constituency monitoring the registration process. So it came to us as a surprise when the police issued that statement, creating the impression as though Collins Dauda had committed a crime when they knew that he was not even at the scene when the said incident happened.



Sammy Gyamfi further condemned the arrest and urged the police to focus their efforts on apprehending the true perpetrators of the disturbance.



So we condemn what the police did and we are calling on them to focus on arresting the real perpetrators of that chaos, of those criminal actions. The NPP hoodlums and bandits were led by a known NPP bandit called Anointing.



He is a notorious guy in the area, everybody knows him, the police know him, and they know where he lives. They should focus on arresting and prosecuting those hoodlums who went to the voting centre to harass, intimidate, and brutalise innocent citizens, Sammy Gyamfi stressed.

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The flagbearer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has said Ghana will continue to play a critical role in shaping regional and international politics if he is elected president of the country.



Bawumia expressed his commitment to advancing democratic principles, promoting economic development, and fostering peace and stability across the continent.



According to him, Ghana has been a beacon of democracy and good governance in Africa, advocating for democratic transitions, peaceful elections, and conflict resolution efforts. He emphasised the importance of collaboration with regional organisations such as the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States to support these initiatives.



"We will actively support democratic transitions, peaceful elections, and conflict resolution efforts across the continent, working closely with regional organisations such as the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States," Bawumia told the Africawatch magazine.



Regarding Africa's economic emancipation, Bawumia stressed the need for African nations to redefine their growth trajectory on their own terms, leveraging technology and innovation to drive sustainable development. He highlighted the potential for Africa's burgeoning population to drive economic growth and cultural influence on the global stage.



"We must embrace our diversity, creativity, and resilience and chart our own path toward a more prosperous and inclusive future," Bawumia asserted. "At the heart of this vision is the transformative power of technology."



Reflecting on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Bawumia commended the initiative as the continent's most ambitious integration effort. However, he emphasized the need for complete and effective implementation to realize its full potential in promoting intra-African trade and economic growth.



"The greatest threat to the AfCFTA is incomplete or inadequate implementation," Bawumia cautioned. "For Africans to derive maximum benefits from it without further delay, it is suggested that state parties of it should go beyond their ratifications and the limited trading under the Guided Trade Initiative."



Addressing critical development issues and challenges in trade, investment, and economic policy, Bawumia underscored the importance of promoting intra-African trade, attracting foreign investment, and improving the business environment for SMEs. He emphasized the need for policy coherence, transparency, and good governance to foster sustainable development.



On the issue of multiple currencies in Africa, Bawumia highlighted the need for greater integration and the use of regional payment systems to reduce transaction costs and promote economic efficiency.



Wrapping up the interview, Bawumia expressed confidence in his party's chances in the upcoming elections and reiterated his commitment to serving the Ghanaian people.



"While I acknowledge the uncertainties of elections, I remain optimistic about our chances of victory in the December polls," Bawumia remarked. "With hard work and dedication, I believe we can achieve success and break the eight. Its possible!"

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The Public Utilities Workers' Union (PUWU) of the Trade Union Congress (Ghana) have responded to the allegations made against some ECG staff by the Vice President Dr. Bawumia during the Annual General Meeting of the African Anti-Corruption Agencies in Africa on May 9,2024.



The Public Utilities Workers' Union (PUWU) of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) strongly disagreed with the Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumias assertion that some ICT staff of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) sabotaged the governments digitalisation of revenue collection.



The Vice President on May 9, 2024 alleged that some staff of ECG who work at the IT department sabotaged the digitalized revenue collection process by introducing ransomware to distort the process.



In a rebuttal, the PUWU stated that the assertion of the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia are misleading and inaccurate.



According to the Union, it is disappointing for the vice president to have attributed the improper functioning of the initiative to an act of sabotage from the staff of ECG.



Excerpts from the letter from the PUWU signed by its General Secretary, Mr. Michael Adumatta Nyantakyi read, The Union respectfully DISAGREES with the statement of His Excellency the Vice President on his presentation relating to digitalization and sabotaging of the ICT system at ECG."



"In September 2022, EOCO commenced forensic audit on the ECG Power App: They demanded for the payment platform architecture, databases, Application Programming Interface (API) documentation and the power app custom source code, including credentials to the backend prepayment systems. EOCO did not use its internal staff but had to use third-party IT professionals for the assignment. Consequently, it was not only ECG IT staff who had access to the ICT infrastructure of ECG. Could the sharing of the source code with external parties compromised ECG network security in relation to the scale of the September 2022 attack?



"The first ransomware attack, occurred on September 28, 2022 which took a wide scope prompting the need to report the incident to the Cyber Security Authority, as required by regulation. The National Security thereafter took over the ECG ICT system as the attack was seen as a threat to national security.



The union further added that, We wish to state that it was the ECG ICT staff who used their system recovery strategy and worked tirelessly day and night to restore the systems and even assisted the National Security operatives on how to operate the ECG systems. The ECG ICT staff led the recovery effort, with the support of E-crime Bureau, a cyber -security firm, invited by ECG Board."



"In all these cases, the systems were restored with the major assistance by the ECG ICT staff. It is therefore factually inaccurate that National Security came in to recover the system, as reported by His Excellency the Vice President."



"The Union wishes to put on record that the categorical statement made by His Excellency the Vice President was inaccurate and misleading. We wish to indicate that during the attack, personnel of the National Investigation Bureau launched an investigation into the incident of which we are yet to hear a conclusive report on the matter.



Read attached the full statement by the the Public Utilities Workers' Union (PUWU) of the Trade Union Congress (Ghana).

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Despite their formidable bodies, male gorillas are lacking in one particular area of their anatomy.

They have the smallest penises and testes of all apes, and produce a low amount of sperm that neither swims fast nor binds easily to eggs. In fact, their reproductive system may be functioning at the lowest level possible for a mammal.

With gorillas sharing a common ancestor and over 98% of their DNA with humans, the genetics behind their abnormal genitals and sperm might hold answers about infertility in men.

A University at Buffalo-led research team has found that, indeed, some of the same genes whose mutations gave rise to a low functioning male gorilla reproductive system may also be responsible for human male infertility.

In a study published May 9 in eLife, researchers identified 109 reproductive-related gorilla genes that are often mutated when present in infertile men. There are likely even more yet to be identified.

"We have a set of genes that are involved in sperm biology and have the signatures of harmful mutations when in gorillas. We can then look at those same genes in infertile men and see if they have mutations," says the study's lead author, Vincent Lynch, Ph.D., associate professor of biological sciences in the UB College of Arts and Sciences.

"Here the gorilla genome essentially acts as a discovery tool for finding candidate genes for human male fertility that we previously wouldn't have been able to identify."

Gorillas lack sperm competition

Male gorillas' small genitals and low sperm count can be attributed to their polygynous mating system. The alpha male silverback's intimidating figure gives him near exclusive access to the females in his group, so his sperm doesn't compete with other males' sperm within the female reproductive tract.

"There are two ways to compete for mates: You can either use your body or your sperm," Lynch says. "Most mammals use a combination of both. Gorillas use only their bodies."

This lack of sperm competition likely led to the evolution of small testicles with few sperm-producing cells, as well as structurally abnormal and immotile sperm. These kinds of harmful gene mutations would normally be deleted from a population through what's known as purifying selection, yet sometimes purifying selection is so relaxed that mutations become fixed within a species over time.

The UB-led research team wondered if identifying relaxed genes in gorillas could lead to identifying genes crucial to human fertility.

Infertility affects approximately 5%7% of couples worldwide, yet the underlying genetics are not well understood. For one thing, there's roughly 22,000 genes in a single person. Even if a mutation is found in one of them, it's hard to know whether it's impacting the ability to reproduce.

"So rather than looking at all of a man's genes for rare mutations, you could look at only those genes whose gorilla counterparts cause abnormal sperm biology," says Jacob Bowman, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher in Lynch's lab and the study's first author.

'Relaxed' gorilla genes are often mutated in infertile men

First, researchers used models powered by UB's Center for Computational Research (CCR) to search for signatures of relaxed purifying selection in a dataset of more than 13,000 genes across 261 mammals. Of these genes, 578, or 4.3%, showed such signatures in the gorilla lineage.

To determine which of these relaxed gorilla genes impact male fertility, the team deleted them in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster.

"Most of the genes that are important for reproductive biology are conserved across many different species, including Drosophila, and you can do these loss-of-function experiments at scale in Drosophila in a way that you can't in other organisms," Lynch says.

Suppressing these genes in fruit flies confirmed that many of them are crucial to male reproductive function, including 41 genes not previously associated with male fertility.

Next, researchers compared the relaxed gorilla genes to a genomic database with 2,100 infertile men, from those with low sperm counts to no sperm. In total, they found 109 of the relaxed gorilla genes were significantly enriched for loss-of-function mutations in infertile men, indicating these genes are likely associated with human male infertility.

"Just a few years ago, there weren't enough sequenced genomes and computing power to conduct these kind of studies," Lynch says. "As science collects more genetic data, we'll have a better understanding of why infertility happens."

More information: Jacob D. Bowman et al, Pervasive relaxed selection on spermatogenesis genes coincident with the evolution of polygyny in gorillas, eLife (2024). DOI: 10.7554/eLife.94563.1 Journal information: eLife
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The Beijing Observatory, a site of significant historical climate data, plays a crucial role in understanding long-term climate trends. Credit: Image by Jiali Yin

In a significant stride towards understanding climate change, a recent study published in the International Journal of Climatology has successfully homogenized and analyzed over a century's worth of daily temperature data from the Beijing Observatory (BO), spanning from 1915 to 2021.

This comprehensive study, led by researchers from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing Meteorological Data Center and Beijing Municipal Climate Center, addresses the crucial challenge of data inhomogeneity in long-term climate records.

Climate change remains a pressing global issue, demanding accurate data for informed decision-making and policy development. However, long-term climate data often suffers from inconsistencies due to various non-natural factors like station relocations, changes in instrumentation, and observation practices. These factors introduce biases, making it difficult to accurately assess climatic trends. By homogenizing these data series, researchers can correct these biases and derive more reliable conclusions about climate change.

The study utilized a novel homogenization method that effectively handles complex daily temperature series. By employing more complete historical records and advanced statistical techniques, the researchers identified and adjusted for three primary types of non-climatic biases: station relocations, calculation methods and measurement transitions.

Adjustments for these biases ranged from 1.13 to 0.63C, 0.29 to 0.23C, and 0.13 to 0.00C, respectively. After these adjustments, the newly homogenized temperature series revealed a significant warming trend of 0.199C per decade from 1915 to 2021, with winter showing the most pronounced increase.

"Compared to previous studies, our new homogenized data takes into account and reduces the impact of three non-natural factors, better reflecting the true changes in temperature." Dr. Zhen Li, the corresponding author and Associate Professor at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, explained, "The previous temperature trends ranged from 0.136 to 0.177C per decade. Our more effective adjustments, especially those accounting for station relocations to more urban areas, revealed a higher warming trend."

The new study highlights the necessity and effectiveness of homogenization process in providing a more accurate picture of climate change. Notably, the team also developed the longest continuous daily temperature sequence for Shanghai (18732019) and constructed homogenized datasets for China and Greece, facilitating comparative studies of regional climate extremes.

"These collaborative efforts have been invaluable. By combining resources and expertise, we've been able to produce high-quality climate data that is essential for accurate climate change assessments," added Dr. Li.

More information: Jing Chen et al, A method for homogenization of complex daily mean temperature data: Application at Beijing Observatory (19152021) and trend analysis, International Journal of Climatology (2024). DOI: 10.1002/joc.8434
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Researchers at DTU can now calculate how much the ice sheets in Greenland melts daily by using data from 61 GPS measuring stations placed directly on the bedrock around Greenland. Credit: Technical University of Denmark

When the ice sheet in Greenland melts, as it has done increasingly in recent years, the bedrock beneath moves slightly.

This occurs because the pressure from the ice above decreases, causing the land beneath to rise. This elevation change can be measured and translated into how much ice disappears from Greenland's ice sheet and how fast it's happening. Now, researchers at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) have developed a method based on this principle, allowing daily tracking of ice melt for the first time.

"This is the first time we can measure the entire mass loss of the ice sheet day by day. For example, satellite gravity measurements show mass loss every month. Other methods only provide a single estimate per year. This means that we have not been able to monitor the sudden changes in ice mass loss that often occur in the summer period," explains senior researcher at DTU Space, Valentina Barletta.

She has led the work on the new innovative method, which has just been published in Geophysical Research Letters.

Greenland is losing about 5 cubic kilometer of ice per week on average, based on data from the last 20 years. This is equivalent to draining Denmark's largest lake, Arres, 40 times a week.

The new GPS method represents a significant advancement in monitoring ice mass loss in Greenland and understanding the processes behind the ice melting. Consequently, entities like the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) can get better estimates for future ice sheet melting and the contribution of meltwater to the rise of global sea levels.

The measurements can be used for flood warnings in Greenland

The new system and the estimates of ice loss can also be used for practical purposes, such as warning residents in Greenland if large amounts of meltwater are suddenly released.

"By calculating daily changes in the ice sheet's mass, we can monitor the melting season and warn the local population if there is a risk of flooded rivers. For example in 2012, the bridge collapsed at Kangerlussuaq, also known as Sndre Strmfjord, due to extreme melting. With the new GPS-based method, we can better monitor and potentially warn if such events are imminent," explains DTU Space professor Shfaqat Abbas Khan, who has also contributed to developing the new method.

Data provided by state measurement stations in Greenland

Measurements are made using the Danish state's GNET, which consists of 61 GNSS stations located around Greenland.

GNSS stands for the Global Navigation Satellite System, and it includes the American GPS system and the European Galileo. With GNSS technology, movements in the bedrock over time can be detected with sub-millimeter precision.

"We are pleased that data from the GNET stations is so widely used and gives us new opportunities to accurately monitor climate change in Greenland. For example, with the new measurement method developed by DTU. Therefore, we make a major effort to maintain and improve these measurement stations," says Malte Nordmann Winther-Dahl, project manager for GNET at the Danish Geodata Agency, which is part of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities.

SDFI owns GNET, which is operated in collaboration with DTU.

So far, researchers and thus the IPCC have typically used three different methods to measure ice mass loss:

Gravity changes measured by NASA's GRACE satellites, which can be converted into mass changes and ice loss

Direct changes in ice elevation measured by altimetry satellites

Measurement of ice movements via satellite and thus how much ice streams change over time. The faster the ice moves into the ocean, the more ice is lost from the ice sheet.

The study and the new method have been developed in collaboration between DTU Space and DTU Computing Center, located at DTU Compute. The center's expertise and computing power have been crucial for handling large amounts of GPS data and running simulations in the project.

More information: Valentina R. Barletta et al, GNET Derived Mass Balance and Glacial Isostatic Adjustment Constraints for Greenland, Geophysical Research Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1029/2023GL106891 Journal information: Geophysical Research Letters
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Philadelphia-area health systems are phasing out a common anesthesia gas that hangs in the atmosphere for 14 years. Desflurane is the most potent greenhouse gas found in hospitals, which are increasingly engaged in efforts to reduce their carbon footprint.

Desflurane was once favored by doctors because it leaves the body quickly, enabling patients to wake up within minutes of the anesthesia gas being turned off. But another inhaled anesthesia, sevoflurane, is now considered a better option for most patients because it is less likely to cause nausea and is less irritating to the airway. Sevoflurane is also much less harmful to the environment, dispersing in the atmosphere in a little over a year.

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Virtua Health have already eliminated desflurane. Virtua is increasingly shifting away from all inhaled anesthetics and encouraging doctors to opt for anesthesia drugs that can be delivered through an IV, without emitting greenhouse gases.

Main Line Health has also reduced its use of desflurane, though the system's hospitals plan to keep it on hand for select cases.

Penn Medicine has phased out desflurane at four of its six hospitalsHospital of University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Hospital, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and Princeton Medical Center. The two Penn hospitals still using desflurane, Chester County Hospital and Lancaster General Hospital, will stop using it by the end of the year.

The push to eliminate the harmful greenhouse gas is part of broader climate initiatives at Philadelphia-area hospitals, with research showing that the health sector contributes about 9% of national greenhouse gas emissions, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Penn and Main Line Health last month joined more than 130 health organizations nationally that have signed on to the Health Sector Climate Pledge created by the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services in 2022.

Jefferson Health is part of a sustainability initiative by The Joint Commission, a leading hospital accreditation organization.

There's also a business case for becoming more environmentally friendly: Penn expects to save millions of dollars through its emissions reduction initiatives.

"Of course, it's the right thing to do," said Greg Evans, the corporate director of sustainability for University of Pennsylvania Health System. "Being environmentally conscious doesn't have to cost money. It can actually be a significant savings."

How one health system is reducing emissions

The national health sector climate pledge calls for health organizations to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 and eliminate emissions by 2050.

Penn expects that shifting away from electricity to solar power will account for more than half of its emissions reduction. Penn recently finalized a 25-year solar contract that will provide 70% of the energy for its Philadelphia hospitals and buildings, and save "a couple million dollars" over the course of the contract, Evans said.

Penn has also found energy savings in its operating rooms, which account for a significant portion of any hospital's waste because they require advanced air filtering, powerful lights, and produce lots of medical waste from individually wrapped tools, many of which can't be reused.

Staff now turn off air-filtration systems when operating rooms aren't in use overnight and on weekends. The hospitals are reducing the amount of medical waste that must be specially disposed of by using smaller receptacles, to ensure they're used only for soiled materialsnot regular trash.

Some single-use medical supplies, such as pulse oximeters and scalpels, are now collected and sent to a plant that sanitizes and refurbishes them, then sells them back to the health system at a discounted price.

Other moves, such as giving employees incentive to commute by public transit, reducing medical waste, and phasing out high-pollutant medications, like desflurane, will also be critical to meeting Penn's ambitious zero-emissions goal.

Phasing out a potent anesthesia drug

Penn can save tens of thousands of dollars by eliminating the anesthesia gas desflurane. For example, its Princeton hospital saves about $40,000 a year by no longer purchasing the medication.

Princeton began exploring the idea of phasing out desflurane in 2021, after national anesthesia organizations began publishing findings about the drug's environmental toll, said Bridget Ruscito, chair of the department of anesthesiology at Princeton Medical Center.

Desflurane is inhaled through a breathing tube. It can be used alone, but more often is used with an IV anesthetic. Doctors once favored it because patients can recover more quickly, which is especially important if they are not staying overnight at the hospital after their procedure. But it can irritate airways and cause nausea.

Sevoflurane, another anesthesia gas, is now preferred in most cases. It disperses in the atmosphere after a little over a year, compared to the decade or longer desflurane remains in the air.

Ruscito first asked providers at Princeton to consider sevoflurane or other alternatives before using desflurane, and opt for a slow-flow ventilator if they chose to use desflurane.

When no one seemed to push back, she asked the department, "Would anyone care if we got rid of it entirely?"

Princeton stopped using desflurane in 2022, "and we haven't looked back," Ruscito said.

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"Warrior with flute" by Timothy Tate Nevaquaya. Used with permission. Credit: Timothy Tate Nevaquaya

Every love story is unique, and in traditional Indigenous Southern Plains culture, it begins with an original ballad performed on the flute. In order to win a lover's affection, and respect among the tribe, each pursuer must compose one good flute serenade.

Paula Conlon, a former music professor at the University of Oklahoma, has researched the history and cultural significance of the Indigenous flute since the 1980s. Conlon presents her work Tuesday, May 14, at 9:45 a.m. EDT as part of a joint meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the Canadian Acoustical Association, running May 1317 at the Shaw Center located in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Conlon's deep dive into this tradition includes a focus on four aspects that make a flute song "good" music: characteristics of the musical elements within the song, features that epitomize quintessential flutes, the qualities of the individual flute player, and how the flute players serve in their respective communities as mentors and role models. She also found that a love worth pursuing inspires its own music.

"Traditionally, a flute player would not use the same love song to court multiple partners, similar to a love letter or love poem," said Conlon.

To study this romantic art form, Conlon looked to the works of flutists who helped maintain the tradition.

"The findings are based on an analysis of historical recordings of Indigenous flute love songs and the related literature, and the flute songs of Kiowa flutist Belo Cozad and Comanche flutist Doc Tate Nevaquaya," said Conlon.

The decline of this courting tradition followed the end of the Reservation Era in 1887. Cozad and Nevaquaya are recognized for the survival of the Plains' flute tradition, and nearly a century after the Reservation Era, in the late 20th century the tradition experienced a resurgence.

Nevaquaya was a leader in the Indigenous flute revival. He learned how to construct the flutes, personalized playing techniques, and put a spotlight on the old repertoire. He notably developed two new composition stylesone for modern courtship and the other to expand on the creativity of the individual flutist. His solo flute album, released in 1979, is regarded as a bridge between the traditional culture and the style of up-and-coming flute players.

"In 2024, it is another generation of Indigenous flute players, including Nevaquaya's sons, Timothy, Edmond, and Calvert, who are making their mark," said Conlon.

During her two-decade-long tenure in Oklahoma, Conlon developed relationships with many of the Indigenous flute players in the area. Now living in her hometown of Ottawa, she plans to continue this investigation by conducting comparable research on Indigenous flute players in Canada.

More information: Technical program: https://eppro02.ativ.me/src/EventPilot/php/express/web/planner.php?id=ASASPRING24
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Tree mortality in Farmington Canyon, where balsam woolly adelgid was first detected in Utah in 2017. Credit: Mickey Campbell, University of Utah

A nonnative tree-killing insect is invading northern Utah, attacking subalpine fir and potentially triggering yet another die-off of the region's long-stressed conifer forests.

Introduced from central Europe into the Pacific Northwest about a century ago, the balsam woolly adelgid (BWA) was first detected in Utah in 2017 and has been spreading around the Wasatch Mountains, visibly affecting many of the popular recreation canyons outside Salt Lake City.

New research from the University of Utah, conducted in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, has documented the current extent of the adelgid infestation and created a model for predicting its severity around the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. The work is published in the journal Forest Ecology and Management.

The study documented a clear relationship between the infestation's severity and temperature, according to lead author Mickey Campbell, a research assistant professor in the Department of Geography (soon to be merged with the Environmental Studies program and renamed the School of Environment, Society and Sustainability.)

"We took that climate-to-severity relationship along with a series of climate projections and we were able to map current and future exposure to BWA damage at a high spatial resolution," Campbell said. "The idea [is], in 2040, 2060, 2080, and 2100, based on these different climate projections, determining how exposed these areas are to the potential damaging effects of BWA. And indeed, we find that for an insect that prefers warmer areas, a warming climate is going to provide it with more opportunity to cause damage."

Study co-authors include U Biology Professor William Anderegg, director of the Wilkes Center for Climate Science and Policy.

The study is also intended to provide land managers with tools to predict and mitigate future damage as the BWA infestation spreads. The team created an online interactive dashboard that illustrates how the insect damage is expected to unfold in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.

Covering the Wasatch, Uinta, Bear River and a few lesser mountain ranges in northern Utah, this forest is among the nation's busiest for recreation.

Infested fir trees exhibit crown deformities. Credit: Mickey Campbell

Aside from an appetite for conifers, this new arrival to Utah has little in common with the native bark beetles that have devastated stands of lodgepole pine, ponderosa and Engelmann spruce all over the West in recent decades. While beetles gnaw away and burrow through the phloem under the trees' bark, the much smaller, flightless adelgid sucks out the trees' fluids and leaves behind a toxic saliva.

"It inserts its stylet, which is like a feeding tube, between the cells of the bark, and eventually finds parenchyma cells and it feeds on the fluids and starches that are contained within those parenchyma cells," said study co-author Justin Williams, an entomologist with the Forest Service's Forest Health Protection program.

While slurping, the insect excretes a substance that weakens the tree's defenses and causes damage that impedes the flow of nutrients between root and crown, he said. The saliva promotes abnormal cell growth that results in the tell-tale signs of "gouting," the appearance of swollen branch nodes.

Infested trees can die with three to five years, while white fir withstand infestation with no apparent ill effects.

The research team documented the current extent of Utah's BWA infestation by staking out 58 plots in the Wasatch and Uinta mountains, each 30 meters in diameter, covering just under one-fifth of an acre and each containing 150 to 200 trees. Every fir tree larger than 5 centimeters in diameter was evaluated on the severity of infestations based on the presence of gouting, woolly deposits adelgid leave on the trunk, crown deformities, and dead needles.

The research concluded that 41% of the study area's subalpine fir biomass is climatically exposed to some level of damage. By 2100 under even moderate climate projections, 79% will be exposed, with 37% predicted to feature relatively high severity.

In Farmington Canyon north of Salt Lake City, where BWA was first documented in Utah, subalpine fir is experiencing widespread mortality.

"Maybe that's because it's been there the longest," Campbell said, "but also maybe there's something geographic about that area that makes it more susceptible to damage from the insect."

More information: Michael J. Campbell et al, Quantifying current and potential future impacts of balsam woolly adelgid infestation on forest biomass, Forest Ecology and Management (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2024.121852 Journal information: Forest Ecology and Management
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Can we truly assess whether someone finds us attractive? Cognitive psychologist Iliana Samara conducted her Ph.D. project on romantic attraction and discovered that men, in particular, tend to overestimate the interest of their date. She explains why this may be.

"Imagine you walk into a packed bar, looking for a date. Your eyes are naturally drawn to attractive faces. If you're a man and find someone attractive, you're more likely to assume they're also interested in you.

"Then, when you approach them, whether you're a man or woman, you tend to mimic their body language. This mirroring behavior boosts your chances of securing a date." This is how Iliana Samara explains the findings of her four years of research.

Samara will defend her Ph.D. thesis "How do we form romantic bonds?" on 15 May. In her thesis, conducted as part of Mariska Kret's CoPAN Lab, she studied how romantic attraction affects our perception and attention and what choices we make when we find someone attractive.

Long gaze

First, Samara found that people respond faster to attractive faces. She tested this in a speed dating experiment in the LEVEL-building, where the Leiden University Psychology labs were previously located. In four sessions, the research team paired up 10 man and 10 women who would all go on a five minute speed date with all participants from the opposite sex.

"Before the participants actually met, we showed them a picture of the persons they would later go on a speed-date with and ask them to rate how attracted they were to their future dates." Then the participants had their speed-dates.

"Using eye tracking, we tracked the subjects' gaze and found their gazed lingered longer at the faces of people they had previously rated as attractive."

So, what kind of faces do we find attractive? "In psychology, it has long been thought that symmetrical faces in particular do well; symmetry is said to be associated with fitness and would therefore arouse interest. Recent research suggests that it is mainly average proportions that make someone's face attractive."

No gaze following

In the same experiment, it was also discovered that the gaze direction of attractive people was not followed more frequently. This was contrary to Samara's expectations.

"We are more likely to perceive people we find attractive as more trustworthy and competent. So our hypothesis was that people would prioritize the social cues of those they were attracted to. So if someone looks the right, for example, we would tend to follow their gaze.

"However, this turned out not to be the case. One likely explanation is that we are slower to disengage our attention from attractive individuals. But this mechanism is something I want to explore further."

Excitement blinds

After the speed dating experiment, Samara and her colleagues asked participants whether they were interested in a follow-up date and whether they expected that interest to be mutual. Men often overestimated the likelihood that their date would want to see them again.

"Note: we observed this mainly in men who found their female date attractive. Men who were less interested in the other person estimated their chances more realistically."

This phenomenon is known as the sexual overperception bias: our own arousal influences how we interpret social cues from the other person. Why is it that men, in particular, over-perceive their dating chances?

"A theory from evolutionary psychology suggests that women have to be more selective; if they have sex with a man who then does not invest in them, they may have to handle a resulting pregnancy and offspring on their own. Women are therefore more vulnerable if they make a wrong judgment in dating. On the other hand, men would rather risk some embarrassment than miss out on the opportunity to mate."

Coy smile betrays interest

Finally, Samara examined how couples mirror each other's body language during speed dates. "Mimicking each other's facial expressions and body language has a social advantage; people who subtly mirror each other find each other more likable."

To determine which expressions correlated with a follow-up date, Samara analyzed over a hundred videos from the speed dates. To be able to focus solely on the facial expressions, the videos were muted. This coding process took over three hours per video, during which she recorded the facial expressions and noted how quickly those expressions occurred one after the other.

Those who displayed the same expression as their date within five seconds were probably subconsciously mimicking the other person.

"We assumed that imitating each other's smiles would increase the chances of getting a second date. Surprisingly, that was only true for the coy smile, where, while smiling, you tilt your head or look away for a moment. This expression often indicated mutual interest. Conversely, people who mirrored a broad, genuine smile at each other during a date more often did not want to go on a second date with the other person."

Doing more diverse research

After her Ph.D., Samara will continue her research on romantic attraction at Leiden University. In the future, she aims for a diverse participant pool, including bisexual and homosexual couples, as well as individuals who do not identify with any gender.

"One limitation of this study is that we only examined heterosexual couples. This is also the case for participants in most of the existing literature. Part of this limitation is practical; it's somewhat more challenging to find a sufficient number of non-heterosexual couples to draw statistically significant conclusions. However, I would love to see us approach this differently in the future."
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From intensively cultivated meadows to pastures and grassland: a mosaic of different farming practices increases the number of ecosystem services provided by grassland. Credit: Valentin Klaus / ETH Zurich

Grass, clover and herbs are the foundation of Swiss agriculture: Two-thirds of Switzerland's agricultural land is grassland, much of which is barely suitable for arable farming. Vast areas of grassland are to be found primarily in the foothills of the Alps, in the Alps themselves and in the Jura Mountains. And grassland, in turn, is the basis for Swiss dairy and meat production.

However, in contrast to forests, whose ecosystem services such as timber production, water regulation, climate and recreation are firmly anchored in the public consciousness, grassland is rarely mentioned in terms of the diverse and numerous ecosystem services it provides for people. Yet it plays an even more important role in our food supply.

Grassland is an important carbon store and a haven for biodiversity. It protects against erosion and provides cultural services such as an attractive landscape with grazing animals that delights hikers and tourists. These are just a few examples of the many different benefits or functions that researchers attribute to grassland.

Services and farming practices are tightly connected

But which type of farming is especially well-suited to promoting the services that grassland provides? Researchers at ETH Zurich and the agricultural research institute Agroscope have tackled this question, and the resulting study was recently published in the journal Nature Communications.

In their study, the researchers took a close look at 90 permanent grassland areas on more than 30 farms in the canton of Solothurn in the north of Switzerland. In their study, they considered three grassland farming practices: fertilization (use of fertilizer or unfertilized extensive grassland, so-called biodiversity promotion areas), type of use (meadow or pasture) and farming system (conventional IP Suisse, or organic).

To understand how farming practices influence various ecosystem services, the researchers analyzed the soils and plant communities of all the permanent grassland involved. Because different stakeholder groups prefer different ecosystem services, the researchers split their analysis into three groups for analysis: provisioning services, regulating services and cultural services.

"We've observed that farming practices have a significant effect on many ecosystem services," says Valentin Klaus, co-author of the study and senior scientist at ETH Zurich's Institute of Agricultural Sciences. "However, there's no one 'Swiss army knife' of farming practice that delivers all ecosystem services."

More aesthetics, less feed in extensive grassland

The greatest effect on ecosystem services was achieved by extensive farming without fertilizer. This includes, for example, semi-natural pastures and meadows. Such areas greatly enhance the benefits of biodiversity, soil protection and landscape aesthetics. On the other hand, extensive grassland farming significantly reduces the quantity and quality of feed production for farmers.

"This trade-off between feed production and cultural or regulating services is well known. However, we were able to clearly show that extensive grassland farming produces not only biodiversity benefits but also many societally relevant ecosystem services," Klaus says.

Meadows and pastures are very different

The researchers also found a pronounced effect on ecosystem services when grassland was used as pasture or meadow; in other words, depending on whether the area was predominantly grazed or mowed. But there were still trade-offs between services, Klaus says.

"Pastures are richer in plant species, have a higher quality of animal feed and are beautiful because of the livestock that enrich the landscape. Meadows, on the other hand, produce a higher amount of animal feed, which is important to farmers."

In addition, the plant communities in meadows are more aesthetic, because unfertilized meadows in particular contain the most flowering herbs.

As for why meadows and pastures provide such different services, Klaus attributes that to how the frequent mowing of meadows favors certain plant species while suppressing others. Meadows are also fertilized more intensively on average than pastures, which has an additional impact on many ecosystem services.

Organic grassland with few benefits

To Klaus's surprise, organic farming had only a slight positive effect on the grassland's ecosystem services. "Although we found more symbiotic fungi and a lower risk of nitrogen leaching in such areas, conventionally and organically farmed grassland performs roughly equally well in terms of all ecosystem services," Klaus says.

He assumes the reason for this weak effect of organic farming to be due to the high similarity in how conventionally and organically farmed grassland is managed. Both can be relatively intensively used with ample fertilizer.

As a result, it's clear to Klaus that no one type of grassland management provides all ecosystem services at the same time. "To specifically increase and promote grassland ecosystem services in our landscapes, we need a mosaic of the farming practices mentioned; in other words, a combination of areas with and without fertilization as well as meadows and pastures next to each other," Klaus says.

"As there's no one ideal type of grassland, we always have to weigh up the pros and cons. We have to ask ourselves: Who's benefiting the most from what kind of management and in what location?"

If a meadow is used mainly to produce feed, biodiversity and other important services suffer. In extensive unfertilized meadows, meanwhile, farmers must reckon with considerable production losses. "If we want to sustain and facilitate the provision of all ecosystem services, we need a combination of different grassland types at the farm and landscape level," Klaus says.

The researchers will now use these findings to support farmers, land cooperatives and cantonal authorities. The study also helps to balance the various demands and interests and to achieve a high level of ecosystem service multifunctionality at the landscape level.

More information: Franziska J. Richter et al, Effects of management practices on the ecosystem-service multifunctionality of temperate grasslands, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48049-y Journal information: Nature Communications
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Pesticides threaten humans, wildlife and our environment. Food production must change.

But farmers are already pushed to their margins. Organic agriculture produces less food and requires more land. An immediate end to pesticide use will likely cause productivity to drop and prices to soar.

There's no simple answer that makes pesticides right or wrongcontext is key.

"Farmers want to produce food in a healthy environment as it makes it easier for us to operate," says David Lord, a farmer in Essex, England. "But when we're forced to produce so close to the cost of production, people are existing on such fine margins, they can't invest in the things they need to, and they're just pushed to farm in a way they don't want to."

The debate about pesticides often gets polarized, pitching farmers against consumers. But that doesn't capture the nuance or prioritize trust in scientific evidence. There's a common ground that can be explored by identifying wins for both people and biodiversity that share agricultural landscapes.

For ten years, I've studied pollinators, such as bees, hoverflies and butterfliesall beneficial species that are harmed by intensive agricultural practices. I've learned that protecting these species, begins with engaging, inspiring and empowering people.

That engagement starts with sensitive and genuine conversations with farmers that can sometimes be uncomfortable but can lead to exciting opportunities for change. Communication also helps researchers like me to identify trailblazers who can inspire and empower others.

"I have huge admiration for organic farmers, they are so limited in what they can do and they have to be really innovative," says Lord, who I interviewed for this article.

He spends a lot of time talking to other farmers, visiting farms and seeing how other people are developing more sustainable farming practices. Over the last 12 years, he has started reducing his pesticide use and increasing the diversity of crops he plants.

"It was just a vicious circle. We looked ahead and thought it's not going to get any better, we need to do something differently. Luckily, there was a group of farmers out there already doing things, we learned from them and thought this could work for us."

Lord's actions were not just a response to poor profit and environmental conditions. They represent an individual's ability to challenge the status quo and change.

My colleagues and I have previously proposed that we should monitor pesticides more like pharmaceuticals. Perhaps we should treat farmers like medics. Their job is to treat diseases, but they have a fundamental duty of care to their patientsour landscapes.

Beneficial pollinators, including butterflies and bees, are exposed to multiple pesticides. Credit: Andrew Bergin, CC BY-ND

Reconciling the debate

Pesticide use is complex, and so are the ways these chemicals influence the ecosystem. Farmersand pesticide useshould not be reduced to one type.

Changing farming practices is a challenge, but transformation is already happening and much more is possible. Cover cropping, plants grown for soil cover rather than for harvest, can improve soil quality and keep weeds under controlthis reduces the need for pesticides and even buffers their use. This practice is promoted by the UK government.

Pesticides easily contaminate the soil, water, air and food chains with detrimental effects. Pollinators are emblematic of the negative consequences of pesticide use, yet scientific findings are inherently variable and depend on the context of a farming situation. Progress depends on rigorous, objective research. We almost always need to know more.

Science will continue to advance farming through, for example, the development of new pest-resistant varieties and conservation methods. Whatever the approach, basic scientific principles such as objectivity and rigor should always be applied.

Pesticide regulation protects people and wildlife and some of the most dangerous pesticides have been successfully restricted. But the entire regulatory process in the UK (and elsewhere) needs reform. That doesn't mean, in my view, that the regulatory process should become tighter or more bureaucratic, but rather more realistic and holistic.

We know beneficial species are exposed to multiple pesticides, for example. In bumblebee colonies across Europe, we found an average of eight, and up to 27, distinct pesticide compounds. This type of monitoring once a pesticide has been approved could improve the current single-product, single-use assessment that we have today.

It's time to consolidate, harmonize and centralize our scientific understanding and approach. This is especially timely as the UK embarks on its pesticide strategy post-Brexit.

Pesticides are part of a much bigger issuefood security in a globalized world and the most impactful change resides with global economic powers. Pesticide use also dominates in commodity crops like cotton, extending the pesticide debate beyond food systems.

As Irish farmer Andrew Bergin told me: "Nature is very valuable until someone has to pay."

Pesticides can be sustainably reduced, but this requires an approach that reconciles the seemingly conflicting goals of food production, environmental protection, biodiversity and human health.

People and biodiversity share agricultural landscapes. We are all responsible for maintaining their vitality. This includes farmers, consumers and retailers supporting sustainable farming practices, and governments introducing robust policies that facilitate real change to how pesticides are managed.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Credit: NASAs Scientific Visualization Studio

An unusual boost in plant productivity can foreshadow severe soil water loss, and NASA satellites are following the clues.

Flaring up rapidly and with little warning, the drought that gripped much of the United States in the summer of 2012 was one of the most extensive the country had seen since the years-long Dust Bowl of the 1930s. The "flash drought," stoked by extreme heat that baked the moisture from soil and plants, led to widespread crop failure and economic losses costing more than $30 billion.

While archetypal droughts may develop over seasons, flash droughts are marked by rapid drying. They can take hold within weeks and are tough to predict. In a recent study published in Geophysical Research Letters, a team led by scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California was able to detect signs of flash droughts up to three months before onset. In the future, such advance notice could aid mitigation efforts.

How did the team do it? By following the glow.

A signal seen from space

During photosynthesis, when a plant absorbs sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into food, its chlorophyll will "leak" some unused photons. This faint glow is called solar-induced fluorescence, or SIF. The stronger the fluorescence, the more carbon dioxide a plant is taking from the atmosphere to power its growth.

While the glow is invisible to the naked eye, it can be detected by instruments aboard satellites such as NASA's Orbiting Carbon Obsevatory-2 (OCO-2). Launched in 2014, OCO-2 has observed the U.S. Midwest aglow during the growing season.

Growing plants emit a form of light detectable by NASA satellites orbiting hundreds of miles above Earth. Parts of North America appear to glimmer in this visualization, depicting an average year. Gray indicates regions with little or no fluorescence; red, pink, and white indicate high fluorescence. Credit: NASAs Scientific Visualization Studio

The researchers compared years of fluorescence data to an inventory of flash droughts that struck the U.S. between May and July from 2015 to 2020. They found a domino effect: In the weeks and months leading up to a flash drought, vegetation initially thrived as conditions turned warm and dry. The flourishing plants emitted an unusually strong fluorescence signal for the time of year.

But by gradually drawing down the water supply in the soil, the plants created a risk. When extreme temperatures hit, the already low moisture levels plummeted, and flash drought developed within days.

The team correlated the fluorescence measurements with moisture data from NASA's SMAP satellite. Short for Soil Moisture Active Passive, SMAP tracks changes in soil water by measuring the intensity of natural microwave emissions from Earth's surface.

The scientists found that the unusual fluorescence pattern correlated extremely well with soil moisture losses in the six to 12 weeks before a flash drought. A consistent pattern emerged across diverse landscapes, from the temperate forests of the Eastern U.S. to the Great Plains and Western shrublands.

For this reason, plant fluorescence "shows promise as a reliable early warning indicator of flash drought with enough lead time to take action," said Nicholas Parazoo, an Earth scientist at JPL and lead author of the recent study.

Jordan Gerth, a scientist with the National Weather Service Office of Observations who was not involved in the study, said he was pleased to see work on flash droughts, given our changing climate. He noted that agriculture benefits from predictability whenever possible.

While early warning can't eliminate the impacts of flash droughts, Gerth said, "Farmers and ranchers with advanced operations can better use water for irrigation to reduce crop impacts, avoid planting crops that are likely to fail, or plant a different type of crop to achieve the most ideal yield if they have weeks to months of lead time."

In a field in western Kentucky, a machine sprays cover crops to prepare for planting season. NASA scientists are looking to space-based tools to help forecast fast, stealthy droughts responsible for severe agricultural losses in recent years. Credit: U.S. Department of Agriculture / Justin Pius

Tracking carbon emissions

In addition to trying to predict flash droughts, the scientists wanted to understand how these impact carbon emissions.

By converting carbon dioxide into food during photosynthesis, plants and trees are carbon "sinks," absorbing more CO 2 from the atmosphere than they release. Many kinds of ecosystems, including farmlands, play a role in the carbon cyclethe constant exchange of carbon atoms between the land, atmosphere, and ocean.

The scientists used carbon dioxide measurements from the OCO-2 satellite, along with advanced computer models, to track carbon uptake by vegetation before and after flash droughts. Heat-stressed plants absorb less CO 2 from the atmosphere, so the researchers expected to find more free carbon. What they found instead was a balancing act.

Warm temperatures prior to the onset of flash drought tempted plants to increase their carbon uptake compared to normal conditions. This anomalous uptake was, on average, sufficient to fully offset decreases in carbon uptake due to the hot conditions that ensued. The surprising finding could help improve carbon cycle model predictions.

Celebrating its 10th year in orbit this summer, the OCO-2 satellite maps natural and human-made carbon dioxide concentrations and vegetation fluorescence using three camera-like spectrometers tuned to detect the unique light signature of CO 2 . They measure the gas indirectly by tracking how much reflected sunlight it absorbs in a given column of air.

More information: Nicholas Parazoo et al, Antecedent Conditions Mitigate Carbon Loss During Flash Drought Events, Geophysical Research Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1029/2024GL108310 Journal information: Geophysical Research Letters

Provided by NASA
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Band structures of a polariton conveyor belt. a, A diagram of the sample excitation. The angle between the lasers controls the fringe periodicity, while the frequency offset controls their speed and movement. b, Example real-space tomography (intensity normalized) just below and just above the condensation threshold. The red-colored diagram on top corresponds to the intensity of the laser interference pattern. c, Example band structures (intensity normalized) at zero frequency offset for different lattice periods and depths. d, The average size of the first and second BZs as functions of k laser . Credit: Nature Photonics (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41566-024-01424-z

Using interference between two lasers, a research group led by scientists from RIKEN and NTT Research have created an "optical conveyor belt" that can move polaritonsa type of light-matter hybrid particlein semiconductor-based microcavities. This work could lead to the development of new devices with applications in areas such as quantum metrology and quantum information.

For the current study, published in Nature Photonics, the scientists used the interference between two lasers to create a dynamic potential energy landscapeimagine a landscape of valleys and hills, in constant repeating motionfor a coherent, laser-like state of polaritons known as a polariton condensate.

They achieved this by introducing a new optical toolan optical conveyor beltto enable the control of the energy landscape, concretely, the lattice depths and the interactions between neighboring particles.

By further tuning the frequency difference between the two lasers, the conveyer belt moves at speeds of the order of 0.1% of the speed of light, driving the polaritons into a new state.

Non-reciprocitya phenomenon where system dynamics are different in opposing directionsis a crucial ingredient for creating what is known as an artificial topological phase of matter. Topology is the mathematical classification of objects by counting the number of number of "holes," e.g., a donut or a knot may have a finite number of holes, while a ball has none.

Quantum materials can also be engineered with a non-zero topology, which in this case is more abstractly embedded into the band structure. Such materials can exhibit behavior such as dissipationless transport, meaning that they can move without energy loss, and other exotic quantum phenomena.

It is extremely challenging to introduce non-reciprocity into engineered optical platforms, and this simple, extendible experimental demonstration opens new opportunities for emerging quantum technologies incorporate functional topology.

The research group, including first author Yago del Valle Inclan Redondo, and led by Senior Research Scientist Michael Fraser, both from RIKEN CEMS and NTT Research, together with collaborators from Germany, Singapore and Australia, have conducted a study in this direction.

Fraser says, "We have created a topological state of light in a semiconductor structure by a mechanism involving rapid modulation of the energy landscape, resulting in the introduction of a synthetic dimension."

A synthetic dimension is a method of mapping a non-spatial dimension, in this case time, into a space-like dimension, such that the system dynamics can evolve in a higher number of dimensions and become better suited to realizing topological matter.

This work extends upon a technique developed by the group, published last year, which similarly used temporally modulated lasers to drive the rapid rotation of polariton condensates.

Using this simple experimental scheme involving the interference between two lasers, the scientists were able to organize polaritons in precisely the right dimensions to create an artificial band structure, meaning that the particles organized into energy bands like electrons in a material.

By tuning the dimensions, depth and speed of the polariton optical lattice, control over the band structure is achieved. Thanks to this rapid motion, the polaritons see a different potential energy landscape depending on whether they are propagating with or against the flow of the lattice, an effect which is analogous to the Doppler shift for sound.

This asymmetric response of the confined polaritons breaks time-reversal symmetry, driving non-reciprocity and the formation of a topological band structure.

"Photonic states with topological properties can be used in advanced opto-electronic devices where topology might greatly improve the performance of optical devices, circuits, and networks, such as by reducing noise and lasing threshold powers, and dissipationless optical waveguiding.

"Further, the simplicity and robustness of our technique opens new opportunities for the development of topological photonic devices with applications in quantum metrology and quantum information," concludes Fraser.

More information: Yago del Valle Inclan Redondo et al, Non-reciprocal band structures in an excitonpolariton Floquet optical lattice, Nature Photonics (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41566-024-01424-z Journal information: Nature Photonics

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Artists impression of the chip surface, showing the on-chip light interferometer used to sense the presence of lead. The lead binding process to the crown ether is shown in the inset. Credit: Jia Xu Brian Sia

Engineers at MIT, Nanytang Technological University, and several companies have developed a compact and inexpensive technology for detecting and measuring lead concentrations in water, potentially enabling a significant advance in tackling this persistent global health issue.

The World Health Organization estimates that 240 million people worldwide are exposed to drinking water that contains unsafe amounts of toxic lead, which can affect brain development in children, cause birth defects, and produce a variety of neurological, cardiac, and other damaging effects. In the United States alone, an estimated 10 million households still get drinking water delivered through lead pipes.

"It's an unaddressed public health crisis that leads to over 1 million deaths annually," says Jia Xu Brian Sia, an MIT postdoc and the senior author of the paper describing the new technology.

But testing for lead in water requires expensive, cumbersome equipment and typically requires days to get results. Or, it uses simple test strips that simply reveal a yes-or-no answer about the presence of lead but no information about its concentration. Current EPA regulations require drinking water to contain no more that 15 parts per billion of lead, a concentration so low it is difficult to detect.

The new system, which could be ready for commercial deployment within two or three years, could detect lead concentrations as low as 1 part per billion, with high accuracy, using a simple chip-based detector housed in a handheld device. The technology gives nearly instant quantitative measurements and requires just a droplet of water.

The findings are described in a paper appearing today in the journal Nature Communications, by Sia, MIT graduate student and lead author Luigi Ranno, Professor Juejun Hu, and 12 others at MIT and other institutions in academia and industry.

The team set out to find a simple detection method based on the use of photonic chips, which use light to perform measurements. The challenging part was finding a way to attach to the photonic chip surface certain ring-shaped molecules known as crown ethers, which can capture specific ions such as lead.

After years of effort, they were able to achieve that attachment via a chemical process known as Fischer esterification. "That is one of the essential breakthroughs we have made in this technology," Sia says.

In testing the new chip, the researchers showed that it can detect lead in water at concentrations as low as one part per billion. At much higher concentrations, which may be relevant for testing environmental contamination such as mine tailings, the accuracy is within 4 percent.

The device works in water with varying levels of acidity, ranging from pH values of 6 to 8, "which covers most environmental samples," Sia says. They have tested the device with seawater as well as tap water, and verified the accuracy of the measurements.

Concept of the Crown Ether/SiP platform for Pb2+ ion detection. Credit: Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47938-6

In order to achieve such levels of accuracy, current testing requires a device called an inductive coupled plasma mass spectrometer. "These setups can be big and expensive," Sia says. The sample processing can take days and requires experienced technical personnel.

While the new chip system they developed is "the core part of the innovation," Ranno says, further work will be needed to develop this into an integrated, handheld device for practical use. "For making an actual product, you would need to package it into a usable form factor," he explains. This would involve having a small chip-based laser coupled to the photonic chip.

"It's a matter of mechanical design, some optical design, some chemistry, and figuring out the supply chain," he says. While that takes time, he says, the underlying concepts are straightforward.

The system can be adapted to detect other similar contaminants in water, including cadmium, copper, lithium, barium, cesium, and radium, Ranno says. The device could be used with simple cartridges that can be swapped out to detect different elements, each using slightly different crown ethers that can bind to a specific ion.

"There's this problem that people don't measure their water enough, especially in the developing countries," Ranno says. "And that's because they need to collect the water, prepare the sample, and bring it to these huge instruments that are extremely expensive."

Instead, "having this handheld device, something compact that even untrained personnel can just bring to the source for on-site monitoring, at low costs," could make regular, ongoing widespread testing feasible.

Hu, who is the John F. Elliott Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, says, "I'm hoping this will be quickly implemented, so we can benefit human society. This is a good example of a technology coming from a lab innovation where it may actually make a very tangible impact on society, which is of course very fulfilling."

"If this study can be extended to simultaneous detection of multiple metal elements, especially the presently concerning radioactive elements, its potential would be immense," says Hou Wang, an associate professor of environmental science and engineering at Hunan University in China, who was not associated with this work.

Wang adds, "This research has engineered a sensor capable of instantaneously detecting lead concentration in water. This can be utilized in real-time to monitor the lead pollution concentration in wastewater discharged from industries such as battery manufacturing and lead smelting, facilitating the establishment of industrial wastewater monitoring systems. I think the innovative aspects and developmental potential of this research are quite commendable."

Wang Qian, a principal research scientist at the Institute of Materials Research in Singapore, who also was not affiliated with this work, says, "The ability for the pervasive, portable, and quantitative detection of lead has proved to be challenging primarily due to cost concerns. This work demonstrates the potential to do so in a highly integrated form factor and is compatible with large-scale, low-cost manufacturing."

The team included researchers at MIT, at Nanyang Technological University and Temasek Laboratories in Singapore, at the University of Southampton in the U.K., and at companies Fingate Technologies, in Singapore, and Vulcan Photonics, headquartered in Malaysia. The work used facilities at MIT.nano, the Harvard University Center for Nanoscale Systems, NTU's Center for Micro- and Nano-Electronics, and the Nanyang Nanofabrication Center.

More information: Luigi Ranno et al, Crown ether decorated silicon photonics for safeguarding against lead poisoning, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47938-6 Journal information: Nature Communications

This story is republished courtesy of MIT News (web.mit.edu/newsoffice/), a popular site that covers news about MIT research, innovation and teaching.
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Media psychologists at the University of Cologne have studied how students' individual needs, conceptions and reasons relate to cheating behavior in online exams.

Online exams have become a more common type of exam at universities, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. They are advantageous because they save time and offer flexibility. However, cheating attempts present a big challenge for lecturers. This is why universities have been working on ways to thwart cheating in online exams by putting organizational and technical measures into place.

According to the psychologists Dr. Marco Ruth and Professor Dr. Dr. Kai Kaspar from the Faculty of Human Sciences at the University of Cologne, cheating attempts can also signal that psychological aspects and deeper-seated problems which affect students' learning behavior and well-being are not given enough attention. This is where their current study comes into play.

The study is titled "Cheating behavior in online exams: On the role of needs, conceptions, and reasons of university students" and has been published in the Journal of Computer Assisted Learning.

The results of the study are based on an anonymous online survey in which 339 students from different universities in Germany took part. The extensive study consisted of three parts.

The first part of the study revealed that it is less likely for students to cheat when lecturers demonstrate why the exam content is necessary in their future professional practice instead of solely pointing out the value of good grades for their future careers. Cheating behavior is also less likely to take place when the exam tasks are presented as authentically as possible and are linked to future job requirements.

Questions testing knowledge that check if course content has been learned by heart, however, encourage cheating attempts. In addition, cheating attempts become less likely when the lecturers offer the students detailed feedback on the exam results instead of only announcing grades.

In the second part of the study the research team examined how students' perceptions of online exams are related to their previous cheating attempts and their intentions to cheat in future online exams. The results have shown that three considerations are of particular importance.

The more negative students' perception of online exams was, e.g. that online exams impair learning, the more intense was their reported cheating behavior in past online exams.

Furthermore, students' cheating behavior and cheating intention was higher the stronger the impression of the students was that online exams stimulate collaboration and mutual support among students. Conversely, students' cheating behavior and cheating intention was lower the stronger the opinion of the students was that online exams can contribute to the improvement of teaching.

The third part of the study examined students' main personal reasons for and against cheating in online exams. The three main reasons cited for cheating behavior were the significance of grades, the perception that exams were unfair and the belief that there is a marginal risk of being caught.

Among the most common reasons against cheating were moral norms and values such as honesty as well as the fear of being caught and the subsequent consequences like being expelled.

Overall, the results of the study show that psychological factorssuch as individual needs, conceptions and reasonsplay an important role in the cheating behavior in online exams.

"A stronger consideration of these factors when designing courses and exam formats can reduce cheating behavior and, in the long term, positively influence students' learning behavior and their well-being," said Dr. Marco Ruth, corresponding author of the study. "This could eventually strengthen the acceptance of online exams as a format at universities."

More information: Marco Ruth et al, Cheating behaviour in online exams: On the role of needs, conceptions and reasons of university students, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning (2024). DOI: 10.1111/jcal.12994
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Composite gri image of SN 2023fyq in NGC 4388 obtained with the Las Cumbres Observatory on August 11, 2023. The position of SN 2023fyq is indicated by white tick markers. Credit: Dong et al., 2024.

An international team of astronomers have performed photometric and spectroscopic observations of a Type Ibn supernova, known as SN 2023fyq. Results of the observations campaign, published May 7 on the pre-print server arXiv, indicate that the supernova experienced a long-lasting precursor activity, including pre-explosion outbursts.

Supernovae (SNe) are powerful and luminous stellar explosions. They are important for the scientific community as they offer essential clues into the evolution of stars and galaxies. In general, SNe are divided into two groups based on their atomic spectra: Type I and Type II. Type I SNe lack hydrogen in their spectra, while those of Type II showcase spectral lines of hydrogen.

Type Ibn supernovae are a subclass of interaction-powered SNe that show narrow helium lines in their spectra. Their light curves tend to be short-lived and some of them even resemble the evolution of fast-evolving transients.

Discovered on April 17, 2023 by the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), SN 2023fyq is one of the closest Type Ibn supernovae. It is located in the nearby galaxy NGC 4388, at a distance of about 59 million light years. On June 23, 2023, it experienced a rapid re-brightening and was classified as a Type Ibn SN shortly after.

The group of astronomers, led by Yize Dong of the University of California, Davis, has investigated the pre-outburst history of SN 2023fyq as they have monitored the field of this supernova since 2019. By analyzing the collected data with various ground-based observatories, they aimed to shed more light on the progenitor of SN 2023fyq.

Dong's team was able to identify precursor emission from SN 2023fyq up to around three years ahead of the supernova explosion. This emission exhibits a relatively rapid rise in the last 100 days before the explosion.

The observations indicate that the precursor activity in SN 2023fyq can be explained by the mass transfer in a binary system consisting of a low-mass (with a mass of 2.53 solar masses) helium star and a compact companion. The results suggest that between 1,000 and 100 days before the explosion, the helium star expands substantially at the oxygen/neon burning phase, triggering mass transfer to its companion. This produced the detected precursor emission.

Furthermore, between 100 and 11 days before the explosion, this binary system experienced a shrinkage of its orbit, which increased the accretion rate onto the companion object and caused a rise in the light curve. Starting about 40 days ahead of the explosion, the final rise in the light curve is assumed to be likely due to either the core silicon burning or the runaway mass transfer caused by orbital shrinking, which triggered an eruptive mass ejection (of about 0.3 solar masses) with a velocity at a level of 1,000 km/s.

Summing up the results, the authors of the paper conclude that the final supernova explosion could be either due to the core-collapse of the helium star or due to the merger of the helium star with its companion.

More information: Yize Dong et al, SN2023fyq: A Type Ibn Supernova With Long-standing Precursor Activity Due to Binary Interaction, arXiv (2024). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2405.04583 Journal information: arXiv

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From a press release: Visitor access and understanding of one of the most historic landscapes in the country will increase with the recent completion of the $6 million Battlefield Tour Road Improvement Project funded by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) Legacy Restoration Fund. The large-scale construction project in Saratoga National Historical Park focused on making upgrades and increasing accessibility of parking areas, trailheads, walkways, seating, signage, exhibits and viewing areas along the popular 10-mile-long route.

A celebration to mark the projects completion will take place at Tour Stop 2 (Neilsons Farm) on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, at 2 p.m. The public is invited to join the numerous partners, people and stakeholders who made this significant project possible. The ceremony will be followed by opportunities to explore the battlefield and speak with park staff at Tour Stop 2, Tour Stop 6 (Freemans Farm) and Tour Stop 10 (Return to Saratoga).

As the country approaches the upcoming 250th anniversary commemorations of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026 and of the Battles of Saratoga in 2027, the improvements will provide visitors with a better understanding of the battles and their vital role in securing American independence. Prior to the project, the Tour Road and its 10 tour stops, which are the primary way that most people visit the historic battlefield grounds, had been largely unchanged for nearly 50 years.

The parking areas and walkways at all of the tour stops have been revamped to meet universal standards for accessibility, including seating with companion seating, new improved exhibits, and audio description provided via an app. Sixty modern exhibits have replaced informational waysides that were well beyond their intended design life. They have incorporated features including the use of added color contrast, appropriate fonts and font size, tactile bronze relief maps, touchable replica items, braille, and proper installation heights that increase accessibility and comprehension for all visitors. The exhibits also convey updated information about the battles, landscape, participants, and perspectives to better connect visitors with the meaning and importance of the sites.

The park preserves, protects, and interprets the sites associated with the battles, siege, and surrender of the British forces at Saratoga. It was here in September and October 1777, during the American War for Independence, American troops battled and defeated the British invasion force. A British Army surrendered, for the first time in history, on Oct. 17, 1777. This crucial victory secured essential foreign recognition and support and boosted the morale of the American forces, making it a turning point of the American Revolution.

GAOA is part of a concerted effort to address extensive deferred maintenance and repair needs in national parks. Supported by revenue from energy development, GAOA provides the National Park Service with up to $1.3 billion per year for five years to make significant enhancements in national parks to ensure their preservation and provide opportunities for recreation, education, and enjoyment for current and future visitors.
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Each year, Floatzilla gets a little bit closer to its goal of breaking the record for world's largest flotilla. On Tuesday, the annual paddling event hosted by River Action, announced plans for 2024.

This year, Floatzilla will be held on Saturday, Aug. 17. Participants can take off from seven different launch sites across the Quad-Cities and paddle toward the final destination of Lake Potter in Rock Island.

Paddling distances range from 11 miles  starting at Empire Park in East Moline  to just a half mile, starting at Credit Island in Davenport.

River Action director of operations Michael Corsiglia said in a press conference at the Quad-City Times office on Tuesday, that last year's Floatzilla amassed just over 1,500 boats.

The record stands at 3,150 boats, set by a crew of paddlers raising money for breast cancer in New York in 2014.

There is a long way to go to the Guinness World Record, but that's a big enough crew to make it the largest paddle event on the Mississippi River, Corsiglia said. The event has also grown every year since its inception in 2009.

"So 15 years ago, when we first set off to break the record with Floatzilla, it was about one-third of the size that it is today," Corsiglia said.

This year, he said registration is already up 30% compared to 2023. But Corsiglia said that River Action's main goal is expanding offerings for participants.

This year, Floatzilla is going for more of a "festival feel" by adding a live band at Lake Potter, local act Dani Lynn Howe Band.

They're also doubling the food vendor lineup, with Cousin's Maine Lobster, The Full Nelson, Bayside Bistro, Cocina Verde, El Mariachi, Flavor Train QC and Kona Ice all set to be there.

"We want to make it a festival-style event, so it's not just you getting in the water and doing the paddle," Corsiglia said.

He added that the expanded repertoire at Lake Potter makes the event more attractive for those coming from out of town. The event will wrap up around 4 or 5 p.m. on Saturday, Corsiglia said, leaving the evening free for participants to attend Alternating Currents, the Quad-Cities-wide arts festival held the same weekend.

"It's a great thing to tell people who are coming in," he said. "You paddle and have a great time at Floatzilla, and then there's endless different things to go check out with Alternating Currents."

The expansion of Floatzilla also stretches to the Rock Island Beach, a popular spot for paddlers to rest and relax in the middle of their journey to Lake Potter. Corsiglia said a sponsorship by the City of Rock Island will make restrooms, water, beach umbrellas and seating available for paddlers.

On Friday, Aug. 16, alongside the packet pickup event for participants, River Action will be hosting an outdoor expo on Credit Island at 4 p.m. There will be a variety of vendors and a kayak and canoe swap for paddlers interested in making trades.

River Action is also celebrating the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, which spans from the Quad-Cities to Wabasha, Minnesota.

"At the heart of Floatzilla is a profound love and appreciation for our natural resources," Corsiglia said. "Initiatives that aim to protect and preserve our ability to enjoy the beautiful Mississippi River are always at the top of our minds."

This year's Floatzilla will also bring back the Marquette Street Boat Launch as an available starting point for participants. In the past, Corsiglia said this downtown Davenport spot, three miles from Lake Potter, was a fan favorite.

Corsiglia acknowledged Floatzilla still has a long way to go for the world record, but that River Action and the returning paddlers "have fun every year trying."

"It's a special type of person that's willing to get out on the Mississippi and go on that type of adventure, so we see a lot of the same faces year over year," he said. "And they're great people, they love the community, they love our Quad-Cities, and of course, they love the Mississippi River."

Photos: Paddle along the Mississippi River for River Action's annual Floatzilla
Photo taken with a mobile phone shows a view of the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)



Le Ballet de l'Opera National de Bordeaux, or the Ballet of the Bordeaux National Opera, will be staging two classic ballet works at the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Beijing.

The two works, "La Sylphide" and "Don Quixote (Act III)," will be presented by the group on May 18 and 19 at the NCPA.

The NCPA is the last stop of the group's China tour as this year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and France and the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism.

As part of this tour, the group earlier performed the two ballets at the Shanghai Oriental Art Center and engaged in a series of cultural exchange events.
Millions across the world witnessed spectacular showings of the aurora borealis over the weekend, with the lights reportedly stretching as far south as the Galapagos Islands. Sightings of the aurora were reported in all 50 U.S. states.

A severe solar storm supercharged the aurora. Friday was the first time the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center had issued a severe geomagnetic storm watch since 2005.

The Black Hills in particular were abuzz with eager sky-watchers searching for the perfect spot  and shot  during this weekend's aurora. Traffic around sites like Bear Butte, Custer State Park and Badlands National Park was heavy, with hundreds of people lining the roadway.

The massive solar flares resulting in this weekend's storms originated from a sunspot 17 times the size of Earth. This increased solar activity is a result of the sun approaching the peak of its 11-year cycle, known as "solar maximum."

The aurora borealis (in the northern hemisphere) and aurora australis (in the southern hemisphere) are the result of charged particles from the sun  dispelled during coronal mass ejections  interacting with gasses in Earth's atmosphere, which create the various colors.

The storm reached a G-5  the highest on the scale  early Saturday morning. It was the strongest geomagnetic storm to hit Earth's atmosphere since October 2003. The SWPC reported some irregularities with power grids and degradation of GPS and satellite communications due to the strong storm.

Elon Musk's Starlink reported Saturday it had some degraded service. The storm in 2003 took out power in Sweden and even damaged transformers in South Africa, SWPC said.

Effects of solar storms on the power grid were first noted in the 1940s, and in the years since, several incidents of power outages and disruptions have been reported, most notably in 1958, 1972 and 1989. On March 13, 1989, a geomagnetic storm caused a nine-hour outage of Hydro-Quebec's electricity transmission system, leaving six million people without electricity.

The geomagnetic storm activity fluctuated in intensity but continued over the weekend.

Space weather is notoriously unpredictable, so pinpointing when and where lights will be visible again is next to impossible. There are resources available for those interested in trying to catch the lights. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center operates a website with an aurora forecast, as well as various Facebook and X pages. For those in South Dakota, the South Dakota Aurora Notification Group on Facebook has connected more than 50,000 people.
DE SMET  A rural South Dakota county known mainly as the former home of beloved author Laura Ingalls Wilder is on the precipice of rapid growth as two record-setting agricultural processing plants are proposed for the area.

If the planned projects  the state's largest individual dairy farm with up to 25,000 cows and a nearly $1 billion biofuels plant  both come to fruition, Kingsbury County in east-central South Dakota could see a sudden surge in its population, economy and tax base.

So far, local officials and the state of South Dakota are rolling out the welcome mat for the two projects. They see an opportunity to create hundreds of jobs that would attract new residents, new spin-off businesses and new amenities to the rural county of fewer than 6,000 people over 832 square miles.

Joe Jensen, zoning director for Kingsbury County, said the two agriculture plants and a large hog farrowing facility that recently began operation in the area could bring economic opportunity to Kingsbury County and the cities of Lake Preston, Arlington and De Smet, the county seat.

"It will be a huge shot in the arm for our county," Jensen said.

Projects would generate new jobs

State records show that the proposed $190 million dairy, planned for a site 10 miles southwest of De Smet near the tiny town of Manchester, would create about 100 new full-time jobs.

The proposed Gevo Net-Zero 1 biofuels plant, eyed for a site two miles east of Lake Preston, would create 1,500 construction jobs and 460 permanent positions, including 90 in Lake Preston, along with generating up to $250 million in annual economic activity, according to the company's website. Project leaders said it would be the largest single development project in South Dakota history.

Jensen said he expects that if both projects become operational, the county would see a jump of at least $500 million and up to $1 billion in its tax base, which could lead to development of new schools, better roads and overall improved infrastructure.

The new dairy could also drive growth in ancillary agricultural businesses, including trucking, feed grinding, and the growing and bailing of corn and alfalfa, Jensen said. Gevo, meanwhile, could bring new high-tech jobs and a stronger connection to cutting-edge agricultural research at South Dakota State University in nearby Brookings, he said.

"It will bring a lot of opportunity, especially for a county of only around 5,000 or 6,000 people," Jensen said. "The main streets in our small towns have struggled a little bit, so this will help a lot in bringing in more people and money, and it will be a big benefit to those small towns."

Limited opposition so far

Opposition to the huge dairy, which received unanimous county commission approval in December, has so far been limited to concerns over water usage and whether local roads are able to handle increased truck traffic, according to county records reviewed by News Watch.

The addition of new workers has also brought to light the need to develop more housing in the county, an issue many communities in South Dakota struggle with, though the dairy operation is expected to provide on-site housing for some workers.

Jensen said there is widespread local support for the projects, and he hasn't heard any concerns that they could somehow negatively affect the existing tourism industry, largely centered on Ingalls Wilder, who grew up and lived in De Smet.

Nicknamed the "Little Town on the Prairie," De Smet offers covered wagon rides, building tours, a discovery center and an annual pageant dedicated to the memory of the author of "Little House on the Prairie" and other notable books.

"Absolutely, it will look and feel differently here," Jensen said. "But the population is extremely sparse where these projects will be located, so you can still go visit Laura Ingalls all you want and you won't see or smell any of it."

State providing millions in support

The South Dakota Governor's Office of Economic Development has provided major financing help to the two projects through its Livestock Nutrient Management Bond program, state records show.

In May 2023, the South Dakota Economic Development Finance Authority within GOED approved a $187 million bond to Gevo Net-Zero 1 for waste management at its proposed plant. That project, according to the company, would process locally grown corn into jet fuel on a 240-acre swath of farmland north of U.S. 14 a couple miles east of Lake Preston in central Kingsbury County.

In April, the same board approved a $55 million bond to Minnesota-based agricultural firm Riverview LLP. The production agriculture company would use the bond funds to build infrastructure needed to handle animal wastes at the proposed dairy that would be built on the site of an existing cattle feedlot south of U.S. 14 about 10 miles west of De Smet.

GOED said in a release that the dairy would house 15,000 to 20,000 cows, but public records filed in Kingsbury County show that the dairy could be home to 25,000 milking cows. That would make it the largest single dairy operation in the state, Jensen said.

According to GOED documents obtained by News Watch through an open records request, the animal waste management bonding for the dairy will finance land acquisition costs and construction of concrete containment lagoons, manure disposal equipment and settling ponds.

The agricultural growth in Kingsbury County is being driven, officials said, by its location in the heart of the South Dakota corn belt, where corn prices are low. The county also has a flat east-west highway that connects to Interstate 29, and the county is in close proximity to cheese plants in Brookings, Lake Norden and Milbank that have undergone expansion.

Gov. Kristi Noem said in a news release that providing financial aid to the dairy is part of a strategy using agriculture as the center of efforts to enhance overall economic development.

"South Dakota's economy is thriving thanks to continued growth for the ag industry and for our small businesses," she said.

Officials with Riverview LLP, the company in Morris, Minnesota, that recently bought land from Noem's brothers for a separate South Dakota dairy project, did not respond to numerous phone messages left by News Watch.

Gevo, based in Englewood, Colorado, has raised some uncertainty about whether the Lake Preston facility is viable. And despite a formal groundbreaking ceremony at the site in 2022, no construction has begun.

Officials with Gevo did not return an email from News Watch seeking comment. But recent reports have indicated that officials with the biofuels plant want construction of a carbon-dioxide pipeline through eastern South Dakota before building. Gevo officials also said recently, however, that the project could be buoyed by new biofuels tax credits being offered by the federal government.

Region welcoming to new residents

Kingsbury County, and De Smet in particular, are prime locations for new industry in part because the area has long taken a progressive, welcoming approach to new businesses and new residents, said Jamie Lancaster, economic development director for the De Smet Development Corp.

Lancaster noted that city leaders have a history of encouraging development of light industry and new businesses, including creation of an industrial park in the 1960s, before it was common in small towns. That park has led to job creation by a wide range of businesses that include a window and door manufacturer, a seed company, a sign firm, a medical device manufacturer and a company that makes plastic parts used to build casino gaming machines used around the world.

Residents of De Smet also looked to the future in 2022 when they handily voted to approve bonding for a $9 million elementary school now under construction.

Lancaster, who moved to De Smet from California, said he has noticed the community embracing the arrival of workers at the local industrial park, including some Hispanic immigrants. U.S. Census data show that 3.3% of Kingsbury County's population consisted of Hispanic or Latino residents in 2023.

Lancaster said the local grocery store, Maynard's Food Center, has added more spicy foods lately, including fresh Mexican chorizo sausage and a partial aisle dedicated to other staple Hispanic foods. The school system has also expanded its ability to teach students who speak English as a second language, he said.

"Here, when somebody moves in, theyre your neighbor and you welcome them," he said.

Lancaster said the region is also well-equipped to handle the health care needs of new and existing residents, with an Avera Health hospital and a Horizon Health Care clinic that includes dental services, both located in De Smet.

New growth won't harm rural charm

While investments of more than $1 billion into the regional economy will surely ripple through the county, residents and Kingsbury County government leaders aren't expecting explosive or immediate growth, Lancaster said.

"It is a once-in-a-generation opportunity, but at the same time, were trying not to get ahead of ourselves," he said. "Were taking things as they come to a certain degree because what sets us apart really comes down to the quality of life for the people who are going to work in the businesses."

Looking to the future, Lancaster said he expects that some parts of De Smet and Kingsbury County will surely look different. But he predicts that even if both the dairy and biofuels plant are developed, they won't overwhelm the community or reduce the rural charm that attracted him and his family to De Smet after an Ingalls Wilder vacation.

"Things will be somewhat different and everything changes with time, but I dont see it being drastically different, other than maybe more restaurants and more of the businesses that come along with more people," Lancaster said. "Other than that, I dont see a drastic change, and of course, Laura (Ingalls Wilder) will always be a big part of our community."

This story was produced by South Dakota News Watch, a nonpartisan, 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 Bart Pfankuch at bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org.
Several dozen pro-Palestine protesters on Tuesday afternoon marched in the rain through downtown Richmond, blocking traffic as they made their way down Ninth Street to the Virginia State Capitol building.

A Virginia Capitol Police officer told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that the western grounds of the Capitol were shut down as protesters staged a demonstration on the sidewalk along West Broad Street. At least two dozen officers formed a line between the group and the building.

The protesters condemned the officers for barring their access to the public grounds around the Capitol.

Were (exercising) our right to protest, said Sereen Haddad, a pro-Palestine organizer. Not only are we being blocked off, were getting a (police) line for peacefully protesting.

I want you ... to remember that when the U.S. tries to tell you that you have free speech, Haddad added.

Haddad also demanded that prosecutors drop charges against protesters arrested in recent clashed with police.

Tuesdays event was part of a broader week of action for Gaza, according to organizers. This week marks both Israels independence day as well as the anniversary of Nakba, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in 1948 were displaced as British forces withdrew from the region and the modern state of Israel was founded.

The observation of both events comes as cease-fire negotiations have stalled and Israeli forces prepare for a full-scale ground invasion of the Gazan city of Rafah.

Were not going to stop until we get what we deserve, which is peace and justice for Palestinians, Haddad said. Never again means never again.

10-year-old Dogecoin wallet sold doge tokens too early, missed out on more than a million dollars in profit 10-year-old Dogecoin wallet sold doge tokens too early, missed out on more than a million dollars in profit 10-year-old Dogecoin wallet sold doge tokens too early, missed out on more than a million dollars in profit
Virginia officials are instructing health care providers to start keeping track of adverse events involving children and teens being exposed to cannabis products.

In an April 24 letter to clinicians, State Health Commissioner Karen Shelton said her agency had received enough reports of minors getting sick from products containing CBD and THC, chemical compounds found in cannabis, that the state was establishing a special surveillance system to keep tabs on the issue.

Reported symptoms for these adverse events have included vomiting, hallucinations, low blood pressure, low blood sugar, altered mental status and anxiety, Shelton wrote, adding that some hospitalizations have occurred as a result of minors consuming cannabis products.

The letter specifically asks that local health departments be made aware of any cannabis-related hospitalizations in patients under 18 years old and any clusters of adverse events affecting multiple minors.

After a hospitalization or cluster is reported, VDH staff will collect information about the illness[es], possible exposures, and laboratory results, the letter says.

The Health Department provided data showing an increase in emergency room visits involving minors being exposed to cannabis and said the new surveillance system will help bolster those tracking efforts. In 2019, there were 52 ER visits. By 2023, the number had grown to 377.

That data only covers emergency room visits and doesnt reflect every incident reported to health officials.

As a result of these data, the special surveillance system was established in order for VDH to receive these reports directly and better assess the impact of adverse events related to consumption of products containing THC or CBD among children in the Commonwealth, said Health Department spokeswoman Cheryle Rodriguez.

The letter also points to an online portal allowing anyone who had an adverse experience with cannabis products to submit a report to the Health Department with information about what happened, where the product was obtained and how it was labeled. The agency also noted that lab testing is available to support patient and product testing.

The tracking system set up by health officials is the latest government effort to mitigate the downsides of cannabis, as policymakers continue to debate what to do about adult use of marijuana and products close enough to weed to produce a similar high. Earlier this year, Gov. Glenn Youngkin pointed to health risks to children as one of his reasons for vetoing legislation that would have legalized retail sales of marijuana for purely recreational use.

The most concerning consequence of cannabis commercialization is its impact on adolescents and our children, Youngkin said in his veto statement, which also cited data showing increases in calls to poison control centers for children who consumed cannabis edibles.

There have been numerous news stories in the past few years of THC-related overdoses at Virginia schools, some of them being serious enough to require hospitalization. Last year, a high school in the city of Richmond took the unusual step of banning all candy after four students suffered medical distress after eating edibles believed to contain a form of THC, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

As lawmakers have relaxed Virginias laws on adult possession of small amounts of marijuana, theyve taken steps to crack down on legally murky products such as delta-8 THC, which produces a high similar to marijuana but has gone largely unregulated because its typically derived from hemp plants.

Michelle Peace, a forensic science professor at Virginia Commonwealth University who specializes in vaping and cannabis research, said data collection and better testing will help health officials get their arms around the issue.

Its important to know how pervasive the problem is, Peace said in an interview.

Peace has been doing her own research into the vaping habits of Virginia K-12 students by testing the contents of vape equipment confiscated by school officials. Out of 369 submissions, 82% contained nicotine and 18% had some form of THC.

Much of that THC was very highly concentrated, Peace said, making it more likely that the user would experience negative effects.

At the end of the day, there needs to be proper attribution as to what the child actually consumed, Peace said.

This story was originally published in the Virginia Mercury.

'Behind the 8 ball': How research is trying to catch up on cannabis and kids 'Behind the 8 ball': How research is trying to catch up on cannabis and kids 'Behind the 8 ball': How research is trying to catch up on cannabis and kids
A visitor selects Chinese books during the Turin International Book Fair in Turin, Italy, May 11, 2024. (Xinhua/Ren Yaoting)



Chinese publishers seized the opportunity to reach new readers at the biggest book fair in Italy recently.

The Turin International Book Fair, held from May 9 to 13, attracted more than 4,000 publishing professionals from 43 countries and regions around the world, under the theme of "Imaginary Life".

The China National Publications Import and Export Co (CNPIEC) had a booth at the fair, promoting 458 books from 22 Chinese publishers.

"The opportunity to buy this kind of book is rare, and I hope to see more similar Chinese books at future book fairs," said University of Turin student Giacomo, who didn't give his surname. Giacomo bought a book on ancient Chinese characters for 20 euros (21 U.S. dollars).

Meanwhile, the most popular titles sold at the booth were Mandarin teaching textbooks, followed by illustrated books on traditional Chinese calligraphy and painting.

"Italian consumers are very interested in Chinese books and culture, and even though there is a language barrier, it does not affect their enthusiasm to read and buy," said a CNPIEC employee.

The Confucius Institute at the University of Turin also had a booth at the book fair, hosting traditional Chinese cultural activities such as chess, paper-cutting, and calligraphy. Dai Lan, director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Turin, said that these activities and the sale of Chinese textbooks are aimed at cultivating more interest in Chinese culture among foreigners.

During the fair, the Confucius Institute and the University of Turin cooperated in organizing a range of literary exchange activities, and invited famous Chinese writers such as Yu Hua and Lu Min for face-to-face exchanges with local readers. On Sunday afternoon, Lu brought the Italian version of his work "The Lost City" to a book signing event, which attracted more than 500 local fans.
Mexico extradites two nationals to face U.S. charges of sexual abuse

Mexico City, Mexico  Two people wanted in separate U.S. courts for sexual abuse have been extradited from Mexico. The Attorney General of the Republic (FGR) delivered two Mexican nationals to U.S. federal authorities to face charges.

Iris R was handed over to federal marshals for her return to the U.S. where she will face charges of abduction and sexual abuse of a minor.

In a statement, the FGR said Iris R was wanted by the Superior Court of the State of Texas, Webb County, for the crimes of illegal deprivation of liberty and sexual abuse of a minor.

In December 2023 she was arrested in Jalostotitlan, Jalisco and held for extradition purposes.

On the same extradition flight out of Mexico City, Hugo D was also handed over to federal marshals to face charges in California. The FGR reported that Hugo D was wanted by the Superior Court of the State of California, the County of San Diego, for the crime of child sexual abuse.

He was arrested last January in Cosoleacaque, Veracruz and also held by Mexican authorities for his extradition to the U.S.

Both were claimed by agents of the United States Government at the Mexico City International Airport (AICM).
Navy rescues nine from stranded boat off coast of Isla Mujeres

Isla Mujeres, Q.R.  Nine people were rescued Sunday by the Navy of Mexico after their boat failed at sea. The rescue took place Sunday afternoon off the coast of Isla Mujeres when the Secretaria de Marina responded to the request for assistance.

Late Monday, the Secretary of the Navy reported that personnel from the Naval Search, Rescue and Maritime Surveillance Station of Isla Mujeres, carried out a rescue of nine people.

They set out in search of the vessel after receiving a report Sunday in the Command and Control Room of the C-5 that a vessel with nine crew members on board was without propulsion due to a fire.

Photos: Secretaria de Marina May 12, 2024.

The small boat, which was not identified in their statement, was located off Isla Mujeres. All nine on board were transferred to the navy vessel and the private boat towed to a dock.
Stubborn fire flares up a second time leaving Jose Maria Morelos without power

Jose Maria Morelos, Q.R.  A power outage and highway closure were the result of the latest wild fire to hit the municipality. A fire that started Sunday emitted thick smoke that eventually caused the closure of a highway.

The Sunday fire was the result of a previous fire that had not been fully extinguished. The fire scorched land along highway 184 in Jose Maria Morelos around noon Sunday.

The intense heat, high flames and poor visibility forced the National Guard Highways Division to close the road Sunday afternoon. A firetruck with two men attempted to hose both sides of the burning highway in an attempt to finally put out the fire.

Highway 184 was eventually closed due to the stubborn fire. Photo: May 12, 2024.

On Monday morning, some residents woke up to no electricity. The Sunday afternoon blaze burned a set of CFE wires that ran along the highway. Personnel from the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) were on site and able to restore only low voltage power after nearly two hours.

While most homes had some power, town traffic lights were non-functional with the low voltage. Internet services were also interrupted for a second time this week due to the wildfire.

Asuncion Nunez Medrano, the Director of Municipal Civil Protection of Jose Maria Morelos, said that although the fire was controlled, it continues to burn on part of the highway, adding there are still electrical issues due to the fire.

When there are burns below the wiring logically it has an impact on the energy supply. Just this morning the power went out two or three times, he said.

The fire burned a set of power lines, leaving half the town without electricity. Photo: May 12, 2024.

According to Nunez Medrano, they are currently recording more fires than they have equipment to battle, averaging three fires a day.
Teen arrested in murder of 16-year-old Cancun boy

Cancun, Q.R.  A 17-year-old minor has been arrested in the murder of a 16-year-old. The arrest took place Monday after the shooting death of a 16-year-old teen in SM 236 of Cancun.

Authorities reporting on the case did not provide many details since both males involved are not of legal age.

In a statement Monday, the SSC (Secretariat of Citizen Security) said that that in relation to the unfortunate event in the homicide of a 16 year old minor in region 236 of Benito Juarez, after joint action, the Municipal Police, with the support of citizens, arrested a 17-year-old young man who was allegedly the material author of the homicide.

The 17-year-old teen arrested for the murder was handed over to the Prosecutors Office Specializing in the Investigation of Crimes Committed by Adolescents.

Additional information including the date of the murder or a motive was not provided in the official statement.
Van driver serious after slamming into back of water truck outside Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen, Q.R.  The driver of a tourist transport van was rushed to Playa del Carmen hospital Monday in serious condition. The unnamed male driver was taken to hospital after colliding with the back of a water truck.

The water truck was slow-moving along the highway median Monday morning while watering municipal grass and trees. The driver of the van slammed into the back of the slow-moving vehicle, completely destroying his own.

The accident happened near the north Playa del Carmen police filter. According to early information, the driver of the van was heading toward Playa del Carmen when he hit the back of the truck at highway speed.

The impact caused his van to bounce off the water truck and into the front end of a passing cargo truck. Due to the size of that truck, it suffered only minor front end damage.

A team of emergency services quickly arrived at the site where they found three damaged vehicles. The driver of the van is reported to have been the only person injured.
Is China a totalitarian monster out to conquer the world? Or are its foreign and domestic policies the result of rational self-interest, much like everyone elses? A new book offers some hope in preventing a confrontation between the U.S. and China.

Can relations between the United States and China avoid the brink?

Shortly after becoming president, Donald Trump invited his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, to a festive visit at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. The summit appeared to be the start of a beautiful friendship. However, three years later Trump made hostility to the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and, more specifically, the Chinese Communist Party(CCP), the centerpiece of his reelection campaign.

Today Democrats and Republican agree on little other than the dire threat posed by Beijing. In response, they are avidly adopting Chinese policies, including protectionism, industrial policy, tech controls, and online bans. American policymakers routinely talk about containing the PRC and preparing for a new Cold War. And the struggle could heat up. The greatest international flashpoint may be Taiwan.

Yet Sinologists battle over the meaning of the latest political proclamations of a civilization that dates back thousands of years. What are Xis, the CCPs, and the Chinese states ambitions? How dangerous is the PRC? There is far less certainty among American academics than among politicians.

Into this fray enter economist Ryan M. Yonk and prospective lawyer Ethan Yang and their new book, The China Dilemma: Rethinking US-China Relations Through Public Choice Theory. With Washington battling China over trade, technology, finance, diplomacy, and geopolitics, the authors fear that there seems to be a bipartisan misunderstanding of the incentives driving Chinese policies. Most everyone treats the PRC and other nations as singular actors, but international relations tells us little about what motivates political leaders to posture, and how domestic events in China play a role.

This is an important insight. Yonk and Yang acknowledge that culture, ideology, and strategy affect national behavior. These factors, however, dont provide much in terms of explaining individual policies. For this, they insist, one should look to economics and rational self-interest, which apply to Chinese no less than American governance. Indeed, the authors believe that viewing Chinese political behavior through the terms of public choice can significantly augment the ongoing discussion of US-China relations and Chinese domestic affairs.

Strictly speaking, this approach is politically neutral. Focusing on the PRCs domestic incentives rather than foreign objectives, however, probably diminishes the threat facing America. Nevertheless, Yonk and Yang hope their analysis provides a more sober and complete conversation regarding China.

Public choice economics earned James Buchanan the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1986. At base, it teaches that public actors, like their private counterparts, respond to economic incentives. Yonk and Yang contend that understanding the incentives at play within a country can greatly aid in understanding how it acts on the world stage.

For instance, the authors assess the records of the PRCs top leaders, asserting that the most powerful individuals in the CCP act in rational, self-interested ways. So it is today, when policy developments are narrowly tailored towards reasserting the power of the state and using brute political force to achieve desired outcomes in the economy. Chinese challenges to the West involve more than simply carrying out a grand scheme to uphold Chinese style Socialism and undermine Western values. By assessing the interests being served, one can both predict where the Party is heading and also craft more effective policies to confront China.

The authors make a similar analysis regarding Xis steadily growing power. Even now there is evidence of opposition to his policies. If so, write Yonk and Yang, Xi being able to convince officials at the highest level to support him demonstrates not only tremendous political capital but also suggests that the times may necessitate such action. That is, his authority rests at least in part upon the consent of others who want him to reassert party control and provide leadership stability.

As for foreign policy, in the authors view China does not act as a single, evil entity on the world state. Just like every country, it is led by self-interested and rational individuals who make their decisions within the structural context they occupy. Thus, the actions of the Chinese government are logically focused on domestic concerns first, and foreign affairs second.

Of course, the U.S. and other friendly states may still dislike the resulting policy outcomes. However, the domestic context for PRC policies is likely to be substantially different from that in the West. For instance, Yonk and Yang contend that China cannot be understood through the lens of the liberal world order, the Chinese leadership is not a monolith, and Chinese citizens are generally satisfied with the CCP. Such factors, they argue, affect perceptions of threat, authority, and legitimacy. This doesnt justify abhorrent Chinese policies past and present, argue Yonk and Yang, but it is essential to consider how the CCP weighs costs and benefits as the regime actively attempts to construct a longstanding case for its right to rule all of China.

Indeed, domestic causes are likely to yield foreign ends less ambitious than world conquest or such. Chinese officials likely desire their nation to have a position akin to that of America in the world, based on interest, not ideology. Explain Yonk and Yang: If, or when, China achieves the military strength to enforce its own interests abroad, it will not be because the politburo devised a grand scheme to take over the world. Instead, it will be because China feels the need to protect trade routes and more. Although controversies such as Taiwan will remain difficult to diffuse, it is necessary to focus on interest as well as ideology. All told, insist the authors, Chinas geopolitical statecraft follows a rational, opportunistic, and pragmatic pattern.

Obviously, one should not be complacent in dealing with such a powerful authoritarian state. Mao Zedong demonstrated pragmatism when he turned to the U.S. as a counterweight to the Soviet Union. Post-Mao China welcomed Western engagement despite the disruptive consequences. And yet ideology also drove Mao toward highly destructive policies, such as the Great Leap Forward. Xi Jinping appears even more pragmatic than Maorejecting anything like the catastrophic chaos of the Cultural Revolution while cloaking his actions in communist rhetoric.

Still, Yonk and Yang conclude that the goal of either side is not primarily world domination but a battle for influence. If so, Americans can relax a bit. Strategic competition is inevitable but can be managed. The big takeaway from this book should be that Chinas leaders respond to incentives and have rational priorities.

The course of U.S.-China relations will remain complicated, often tortuous, and sometimes dangerous. But using the insights of public choice economics might help keep relations generally stable and peaceful. And that may be the most we can hope for in the coming days.
Quasi-abandoned villages come back to life and become success stories, easily accessible from wherever you are. This is the story of the village of Fikardou, one of the 8 pilots of the European project TExTOUR, an EU-funded initiative aimed at promoting sustainable tourism development in remote areas.

Located in the Troodos Mountains in Cyprus, Fikardou has innovatively developed a platform enabling all visitors to delve into its history, tradition, culture, and heritage, all made possible by the power of modern technologies.

In the ever-evolving landscape of Cultural Heritage (CH) preservation, digital documentation is ushering in a new era of understanding, conservation, and societal engagement.

This infopack delves into the multifaceted world of digital recording and emphasises its role in capturing the essence of the past, preserving it for posterity, and fostering knowledge dissemination to future generations and the general public such as educators and tourists. Through 3D digitisation, CH objects, structures, and environments are not merely archived but brought to life digitally, enabling in-depth analysis, interpretation, and promotion.

The complexity of selecting optimal technologies for digitisation underscores the need for interdisciplinary collaboration and strategic planning in documentation projects. Drawing upon the case study of Fikardou Village in Cyprus, we start our journey to explore the transformative power of digital preservation in revitalising cultural landscapes and promoting tourism. As part of TExTOUR project, the UNESCO Chair on Digital Cultural Heritage at Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) team has undertaken a holistic endeavour to digitise Fikardou Village, thereby creating an immersive online platform for global access. From data acquisition to storage, each step in the digital preservation process is meticulously executed to ensure data integrity, accessibility, and long-term sustainability. Through initiatives like the digitisation of Fikardou Village, we honour our past but also pave the way for a more inclusive and interconnected future, where cultural heritage serves as a beacon of identity, inspiration, and unity.

This comprehensive approach safeguards tangible heritage but also celebrates the intangible essence of cultural identity, tradition, and values, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of our shared heritage on a global scale. As we move through the complexities of the digital age, the road to CH preservation is illuminated by the transformative potential of digital technologies, forging new pathways towards sustainable conservation and societal enrichment.

Read more: TExTOUR Infopack road to digital cultural tourism

Contacts:

Project coordinator:

Daniel Basulto- Fundacion Santa Maria la Real del Patrimonio Historico

dbasulto@santamarialareal.org

Communication Manager:

Nicola Vuolo ICONS- nicola.vuolo@icons.it

Silvia Prazzoli ICONS- silvia.prazzoli@icons.it

Project website: https://textour-project.eu/

Twitter: @tex_tour

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/textour-project/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/textour.project

YouTube: @TExTOUR_project

Provided by iCube Programme
Fighter jet soars into sky for flight training

China Military Online) 09:11, May 14, 2024

A fighter jet attached to an aviation brigade with the air force under the PLA Western Theater Command soars into the sky during a flight training exercise in early April, 2024. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Yu Zeqi)

A fighter jet attached to an aviation brigade with the air force under the PLA Western Theater Command soars into the sky during a flight training exercise in early April, 2024. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Yu Zeqi)

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Performers present a Malaysian dance at a celebration event of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in New York, the United States, on May 12, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Yanan)



Asian American heritage was celebrated at Flushing Town Hall in New York City in the form of photo and art exhibition, Asian cuisine tasting as well as cultural performance on Sunday evening.

Present at the event were more than 100 guests from various ethnic groups.

Scores of photos showcased cultural and natural heritage sites including Yellow Mountain and Dazu Rock Carvings of China, Nikko Toshogu Shrine of Japan, Batu Caves of Malaysia, traditional Balinese dance of Indonesia and others, according to a release by Sino-American Culture and Arts Foundation, the organizer of the event.

The photo exhibition started on Thursday and would last for 10 days.

Performers and artists presented dances and music from China, Malaysia, South Korea, Myanmar and Japan.

Guests also had a chance to taste traditional Asian foods and have a close look at cultural handicrafts from several Asian countries.

The event is part of national celebrations of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, which is observed in May in the United States.

"It's so great to be here today to look at the art work that not only represents so many cultures, but especially now during AAPI Heritage Month, we get to know where our communities come from and how their connection is still deeply connected," said Christopher Marte, a member of the New York City Council.

New York finally sees an embrace of the AAPI community and "it's long overdue that we start learning about these cultures and how they affect our society every single day in a positive way," said Marte.

He added that travel is extremely important in inspiring people to have a greater understanding and to be open to growing, which leads people to trust each other.

Currently, China and the United States have shared interests and goals in tourism, noted Ma Yunfei, director of China National Tourist Office in New York.

Ma said that enhancing bilateral tourism is an important way to strengthen people-to-people exchanges and better friendship between the two peoples.

May was officially designated AAPI Heritage Month in 1992 in the United States. The month-long observance provides an opportunity to celebrate and recognize the AAPI community's contributions to American culture, society and history over centuries.
Credit: Flinders University

A new online support tool aiming to guide people through the psychological impact of their advanced/metastatic breast cancer diagnosis has now entered the testing phase, with those living with the disease invited to take part and trial the free program.

Developed by researchers at Flinders University with support from Breast Cancer Network Australia and Cancer Council SA, Finding My WayAdvanced is designed to support people through stage 4, also known as advanced metastatic breast cancer, which is a treatable but currently incurable form of the disease.

Program developer and clinical psychologist Associate Professor Lisa Beatty from Flinders University's College of Education, Psychology and Social Work says that while metastatic breast cancer can't be cured, improvements in medicine can help keep the cancer under control and have thankfully led to many people living longer, in some cases more than 10 years.

"This gives rise to a unique situation where someone can live for a reasonably long time following their diagnosis but alongside this, they also have to live with the uncertainty that the cancer may progress at any point," says Associate Professor Beatty.

"Our program is designed to help them through this journey, from navigating the health care system and their treatment, through to providing coping strategies for the physical, emotional and social changes that an individual may experience.

"Our ultimate goal is to help people come to terms with living with advanced or metastatic breast cancer as a chronic condition, but more important to be able to live well with it."

Initially developed more than 10 years ago, a different version of the program, Finding My Way, was designed to support those with a diagnosis of all forms of early-stage cancer, with that program now freely available in Australia, and also adapted by health services in England, Europe and the U.S.

"While that initial program has had a positive impact, we realized the materials weren't suited for those with an advanced stage diagnosis and we were missing the opportunity to support an important part of the cancer community," says Associate Professor Beatty.

"People with metastatic cancer are often overlooked when it comes to support services, so we wanted to create something that was targeted to their unique circumstances.

"We're starting with advanced breast cancer for this trial, but our hopes are to also tailor the program to other advanced cancers in the future."

Associate Professor Beatty and her team are now undertaking a large study to test the effectiveness of Finding my WayAdvanced, in hopes it too can be made freely available.

Currently the support service is only available to those enrolled in the study, but recruitment is still underway, with the researchers inviting those interested in using the program to get in touch (further details below) or enroll directly via the website: www.findingmywayadvanced.org.au.

Delivered online, with people able to access it in the privacy of their own home and at their own pace, the program contains cognitive behavioral therapy, alongside relaxation and mindfulness techniques and writing exercises.

There are six modules available:

Navigating health care The unique challenges: (particularly living with fear of progression and uncertainty) Physical symptoms Emotional distress How you see yourself Your family and friends: How to build a support network and also support your loved ones and children

"Finding my WayAdvanced provides a wealth of information to the individual following their diagnosis but beyond that it includes evidence-based strategies to help them through this difficult time in their life," says Associate Professor Beatty.

"Initial feedback from users has included finding the program helpful and relatable, easy to use, and of high quality. The online aspect has been particularly valued as it is convenient, accessible at any time, and enables women to self-pace their progress; 'If I didn't want to finish that module, I didn't have to so I could go out and then come back in later.'"

"As medicine continues to advance and more people live with these incurable cancers for longer, this population will only continue to grow, and we need to ensure they are well supported with evidence-backed services that are easily accessible."

BCNA Director of Policy, Advocacy and Support Services Vicki Durston said this online program is a much-needed tool for those who have been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, and provides support on diagnosis, treatment and living well.

"I'd really like to acknowledge the two BCNA Consumer Representatives, who are living with metastatic breast cancer, who were advisers on the design of the resource," Durston said.

"BCNA has been proud to be part of this long-standing research partnership with Flinders University on a project that will have a significant impact for people living with metastatic breast cancer."

Cancer Council SA's General Manager, Support and Research Dr. Peter Diamond says, "Cancer Council SA is proud to have supported development of Finding My Way and now Finding My WayAdvanced. This tailored and unique program is so important to support people to live well, understand treatments and cope with the challenges of an advanced metastatic breast cancer diagnosis."

For more information or to join the trial go to www.findingmywayadvanced.org.au. Criteria includes that participants must be aged over 18, have a diagnosis of stage 4 or metastatic breast cancer, the ability to access a computer and a reasonable understanding of English.

Provided by Flinders University
City of Helsinki suffered a data breach

Pierluigi Paganini May 13, 2024 May 13, 2024

The City of Helsinki suffered a data breach that impacted tens of thousands of students, guardians, and personnel.

The Police of Finland is investigating a data breach suffered by the City of Helsinki, the security breach occurred during the night of 30 April 2024.

The data breach impacted the Citys Education Divisions computer network. The City of Helsinki reported the incident to the police and the investigation is still ongoing to determine the extent and impact of the incident.

The volume of data under investigation is significant. Unfortunately, we are currently unable to provide an accurate assessment of what data the perpetrator may have accessed. What we can tell you about at this time are the possible risks, so that personnel and customers of the Education Division can prepare for them. This procedure is in line with data protection law, says Satu Jarvenkallas, Executive Director of the Education Division.

The victim of the crime is currently the City of Helsinki, from which the police will receive all necessary information for the investigation of the case. City residents do not need to contact the police, said the Deputy Police Commissioner Heikki Kopperoinen.

The City already implemented various security measures in response to the security breach.

We previously announced that the party behind the data breach has gained access to student and personnel usernames and email addresses. Further investigation has shown that the perpetrator has gained access to the usernames and email addresses of all city personnel, as well as the personal IDs and addresses of students, guardians and personnel from the Education Division. Additionally, the perpetrator has also gained access to content on network drives belonging to the Education Division, says the City of Helsinkis Chief Digital Officer Hannu Heikkinen.

The incident exposed tens of millions of files, most of them contain ordinary personal information, but the City believes that the opportunity for abuse of this information is minor. However, some of the compromised documents include confidential information or sensitive personal information.

These include information about fees (and the grounds thereof) for customers of early childhood education and care, sensitive information about the status of children, such as information requests by student welfare or information about the need of special support and medical certificates regarding the suspension of studies for upper secondary students, as well as the sick leave records of Education Division personnel. reads the statement published by the City of Helsinki. We cannot rule out the possibility of the perpetrator gaining access to data of persons under a non-disclosure restriction.

The data in the incident include information dating back several years, potentially compromising individuals who were not current customers or staff members of the Education Division.

According to the announcement, threat actors exploited a vulnerability in the Education Division network server to remotely access it. Although a patch to fix this vulnerability was available, it was not installed on the server for unknown reasons. Hannu Heikkinen stated that their security controls and procedures were inadequate, but measures have been implemented to prevent a similar breach in the future. No evidence suggests that the threat actors accessed networks or data from other divisions, but all City of Helsinki networks are being closely monitored.

This is a very serious data breach, with possible, unfortunate consequences for our customers and personnel. We regret this situation deeply. Considering the number of users in the citys services now and in previous years, in the worst case, this data breach affects over 80,000 students and their guardians. The breach also affects all of our personnel, as the perpetrator gained access to all personnel usernames and email addresses, says City Manager Jukka-Pekka Ujula. Reaction to the data breach has been quick and all the necessary resources are being and will be used on protective measures. This is the highest priority for the citys senior management, Ujula continues.

Follow me on Twitter: @securityaffairs and Facebook and Mastodon

Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs  hacking, data breach)
Before Judge Roger Sailer

James Yual Dak, 45, Sioux City, eluding, operating while intoxicated; sentenced April 29, deferred judgment, three years probation for eluding, two days jail for OWI.

Raymond Edward Barron Jr., 41, Sioux City, felon in possession of a firearm (habitual offender enhancement), willful injury (habitual offender enhancement), second-degree arson (habitual offender enhancement); sentenced May 6, 30 years prison.

Raymon Dontae Davis, 43, Le Mars, Iowa, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance; sentenced May 6, five years prison suspended, two years probation.

Parish Clyde Sheridan, 41, Sioux City, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance; sentenced May 6, 10 years prison.

Martez Laron Langston, 31, Sioux City, possession of a controlled substance -- third offense; sentenced May 7, two years prison suspended, two years probation.

Before Judge Jeffrey Neary

Payne William Jaeke, 30, Bennington, Nebraska, eluding, operating while intoxicated -- third offense; sentenced May 2, five years prison.

Dustin Allen James, 43, Sioux City, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance; sentenced May 8, 10 years prison.

Before Judge Robert Tiefenthaler

Dale Patrick Grant, 35, Sioux City, first-degree theft; sentenced April 8, 10 years prison suspended, two years probation.
SIOUX CITY  Community members expressed frustration at Monday's school board meeting regarding the reduction of vocal music instruction at East High and Middle School that took place this school year.

Dozens of community members attended the Sioux City School Board meeting Monday, sharing their thoughts for more than two hours on a staffing cut that took place last summer and is planned to continue next year. A board motion to return staffing to two full-time employees at each school failed.

Currently, East High has two full-time choral instructors and East Middle has one full-time and one part-time instructor. Plans originally called for two full-time instructors at each school, but at the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, Superintendent Rod Earleywine said they transitioned one of the East Middle vocal instructors to spend half of their time at the elementary level due to staffing issues.

Sioux City School Board Numerous parents, students and community members attended the Sioux City School Board Monday night to speak in support of increased choral sta

Sioux City School Board Numerous parents, students and community members attended the Sioux City School Board Monday night to speak in support of increased choral sta

East High choir petition Lynn Frerichs hands her signed petition back to Lucas Leff, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Participants hope to urge the Sioux City School Board to r

For the past month, parents and students of East High and East Middle choir have voiced concerns with the staffing plan for next year, which keeps the same staffing as the current year. Parents want there to be four solely designated full-time vocal instructors.

We are impacting peoples lives by expecting them [the choir instructors] to take so much weight on, this is a huge ask, its huge, Amy Nilles said. The directors at East High spend more time with my daughter than I do. We have to support them, we have to trust them, and we have to give them the tools.

Multiple school board members said they support the administration's plan. Board Member Earl Miller made a motion to return the staffing to four full-time employees and request administrators allow the choral instructors to set the schedule next year. The motion received no second.

It came through the student achievement committee, it was talked about, discussed at length, the recommendation for 3.5 [full-time employees] I stand by it, and I support the administrations recommendation," Board President Jan George said.

Parents have spoken at various public school board meetings, sharing why they feel the East choral programs need to return to the previous four full-time staff.

To get on the agenda, a petition with at least 500 signatures must be turned in to the board. Parents held two petition drives and were able to get 655 signatures in four days, placing the topic on Monday's agenda.

Documents provided by the district show three different staffing options for the 2024-2025 school year. One would have both East High teachers spend time at the middle school, and the second one would have one full-time and one part-time at both the high school and middle school. The third option would have two full-time staffers at East High, while East Middle would have 1.5 staffers, similar to this year. The documentation shows East administration are recommending the third option.

East High choir petition Drivers sign a petition with the hope to urge the Sioux City School Board to reconsider their motion to reduce the number of staff members dev

East High choir petition Jaclyn Marotz signs a petition handed to her by Kevin Gosch, right, with the hope to urge the Sioux City School Board to reconsider their moti

East High choir petition Nikki Arthur hands a petition Wednesday to drivers who want to urge the Sioux City School Board to reconsider their motion to reduce the numbe

Stephen Brandt is currently the full-time choral director at East Middle and teaches around 500 students. He has resigned from the position.

"It saddens me that I've been added to the over 50 secondary music educators who have left this district in the last 10 years," he said.

Brandt said he was hired last summer with the knowledge that he would have a full-time assistant director. He said the assistant was reassigned to part-time a few weeks before school started. Brandt said he struggled with class sizes during the afternoons, when he has classes with more than 40 students.

"When I'm gone from school and the upcoming classes need a substitute, they assign two teachers to my classroom," he said. The school district, they are proving the point that we are all trying to make to you, one teacher is not enough for this program.

Parents said previously they were told there would be an additional cut to the program, reducing it from 3.5 full-time employees to three. School board members and administration said that was not the plan.

Christie Finnegan previously said it's concerning to make choir staffing consistent across the district, given the enrollment numbers at the different choir programs across the district. At the student achievement committee, minutes state the district's administrations desire to have all three middle schools and high schools equitably staffed.

Documentation provided by parents shows there are 269 students currently enrolled in East High choir, compared to 160 at North and 179 at West. East Middle School has 537 students enrolled in choir, compared to 300 at North and 343 at West.

District documents show East High had 259 students in choir with two teachers for a 130:1 ratio this year. Next year, 298 students have requested choir courses, for a 149:1 ratio.
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This photo taken on April 19, 2024 shows a China-Europe freight train departing from east China's Shanghai. [Photo/Xinhua]

China-Europe freight train services saw solid growth from January to April this year, with continuous improvements to the transport capacity, efficiency and service quality.



The number of China-Europe freight train services increased by 10 percent year on year to 6,184 trips in the first four months of 2024, the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (China Railway) said on Monday.

About 675,000 20-foot equivalent units (TEU) of goods were transported through the freight trains during this period, up 11 percent from a year ago, according to the company.

By the end of April, some 89,000 China-Europe freight train trips had been completed in total, serving 223 cities across 25 European countries, according to China Railway.
What ended the Little Ice Age?

What the science says...

Select a level... Basic Intermediate Advanced The sun was warming up then, but the sun hasnt been warming since 1970.

At a glance

Where were you in 2009? It seems an age ago now. Climate science denial was everywhere. Skeptical Science was just two years old. It was like whack-a-mole - as one myth was dealt with, more would pop up.

Among the talking-points emerging around that time was the one that global warming was simply the planet recovering from the Little Ice Age (LIA). The LIA was a period of regionally cold conditions, usually said to have occurred between 1350 and 1850. Glaciers in the European Alps reversed their decline and advanced. In London, UK, the tidal Thames froze over sufficiently for 'frost-fairs' to be held on the ice, between 1608 and 1814. Their frequency is often exaggerated; roughly one winter in ten would be a realistic estimate.

Why was it so cold? Here, time travel would be wonderful. In the absence of that, we have had to develop more ingenious ways of reconstructing what happened.

A key factor is the LIA's regional nature. Its most dramatic effects were in Europe and North America. That suggests there was an element of 'internal climate variability' involved. The latter term refers to how heat is moved around within Earth's climate system, as opposed to being added to or removed from it.

During the LIA there were 'external forcing' factors too - these are things that do add or remove heat from the climate system. There was an extended period of minimal Solar activity, known as the Maunder Minimum. However, the Maunder Minimum took place between 1637 and 1719, more than 200 years into the LIA. It cannot have caused the initial cooling.

There were several colossal volcanic eruptions during the LIA, such as Laki in 1783 and Tambora in 1815. The Samalas eruption on the Indonesian island of Lombok was also huge, but occurred in 1257, almost a century before the LIA started. Volcanogenic cooling episodes typically last just a few years, but they wouldn't have helped: Laki and Tambora likely prolonged the cold conditions.

Recent research is instead hinting that the LIA was triggered by a dramatic weakening of the Gulf Stream. That was caused by warm ocean currents penetrating far into the Arctic, causing a dramatic breakup of the sea-ice. Resultant ice-floes were 'exported' en-masse out into the North Atlantic, where they melted, generating cool freshwater. This process peaked around the year 1350. The overloading by all that cool freshwater disrupted ocean circulation patterns and a rapid regional cooling followed.

At the other end of the LIA, what warmed things back up? Firstly, the 1850 end-date is not necessarily reflected in temperature datasets. These show a steady warming trend that only emerged after 1910, steepening and becoming less interrupted after 1970. That is not a regional but global pattern, suggesting that unlike the LIA, an external forcing was dominant. There's one obvious one - our pumping out of greenhouse gases.

The year 2009 was full of predictions from well-known deniers that we were entering a cooling trend. Fourteen years on, there's no sign of that!

Please use this form to provide feedback about this new "At a glance" section. Read a more technical version below or dig deeper via the tabs above!

Further details

Some climate science deniers like to insist that because the climate has changed dramatically in the past without mans intervention, the current changes are also a natural event. You may be familiar with paintings depicting Londoners skating on the frozen River Thames. These mostly date from a period when Northern Hemisphere winters were more severe. The beginning and end of this cold period are subject to various interpretations, but the period is referred to as the Little Ice Age (LIA) and it occurred between the 14th and 19th centuries.

Limited History

If we are to understand the LIA, we need to figure out what caused it. Scientists have examined a number of important strands of evidence about the LIA. These include key natural drivers of climate change such as Solar activity, volcanoes, the Arctic and ocean heat circulation.

The activity of the Sun can be assessed by looking at proxies  processes that we know to be affected by the Suns activity. One of these is the formation of the radioactive isotope Carbon-14 (C14) in the atmosphere. The half-life of the C14 isotope is 573040 years. Radioactive carbon is mainly produced by cosmic particles reaching Earth's upper atmosphere. These particles vary in abundance through time. During times of high Solar activity, the Solar wind shields the Earth, whereas when activity is low, that shield is weaker. Thus, it is possible to deduce past Solar activity from changes in the concentration of C14 in the atmosphere. Because plants can absorb C14, past levels can be deduced by measuring C14 in tree rings and in other accurately age-constrained biogenic materials. Hence, we can estimate how active the Sun was in the past. A graph showing the Suns activity over the last few thousand years is presented in fig. 1.

Fig. 1: Long-term sunspot-number reconstruction from C14 data. All data are decade averages. The Maunder Minimum is visible near the far right of the reconstruction. Source: Usoskin (2017).

Marked deviation from the norm in Solar activity may be expected to have effects on the climate. The Maunder Minimum, a long period when the Sun was particularly inactive, lasted from 1637 to 1719 (Owens et al. 2017). If the 1350 onset of the LIA is accepted, it cannot have been initiated by the Maunder Minimum, although it may well have helped prolong it.

Volcanic activity was high during this period of history. We know from modern studies of volcanism that major eruptions can have strong cooling effects on the climate, albeit for a limited number of years. Notably violent eruptions occurred during the LIA, such as that of Laki in Iceland in 1783 and Tambora, on the island of Sumbawa in present-day Indonesia, in 1815. These were big enough to be detected in ice-cores as sulphate-rich layers caused by sulphuric acid aerosol fall-out. They cannot have caused the LIA but they would almost certainly have prolonged it.

Going further back in time, the Samalas eruption, on the Indonesian island of Lombok, was colossal. It too left a sulphate-mark in ice-cores. The only thing is that the Samalas eruption occurred in 1257, almost a century before the accepted start of the LIA.

Socioeconomic factors may be relevant. Sudden and major population decreases occurred at this time, due to the Black Death and other pandemics. In turn, that would have resulted in a decrease of agriculture and reforestation of agricultural land. Such changes might have had a role, but how big is uncertain.

Since the original version of this rebuttal was published, advances in tracking the former extent of Arctic sea-ice have been dramatic. They are starting to provide important clues regarding the onset of the LIA. Miles et al. (2020) presented a reconstruction of sea ice export from the Arctic Ocean over the past 1400 years, using a spatial network of proxy records. They found robust evidence for a previously unknown period of extreme export of sea ice that commenced abruptly around the year 1300 and terminated in the late 1300s. The pulse of ice along East Greenland resulted in downstream increases in polar waters and ocean stratification that was sustained during subsequent centuries. Such an intense injection of fresh water into the North Atlantic Ocean could have so disrupted the ocean's circulation that the warm water currents of the Gulf Stream were weakened. That would have inhibited their moving so much heat around the Northern Hemisphere. Such a change would in turn have cooled countries adjacent to the North Atlantic, in a regional cooling phenomenon - which the LIA certainly was.

Can We Draw a Conclusion?

To some extent, the climatic shift of the LIA remains subject to speculation. Variable output from the Sun was most marked long after the LIA onset. From the end of the LIA to the 1950s, the Suns output increased, so its role may have been important. But since then, the Sun has slowly grown quieter, yet the temperature on Earth has continued to go up (fig. 2). This shows that whilst the Sun has an obvious role as an external climate forcing agent, it's not the only one out there. Modern global warming is mostly the result of adding manmade greenhouse gases to the atmosphere as the result of fossil fuel combustion.

Fig. 2: Annual global temperature change (thin light red) with 11 year moving average of temperature (thick dark red). Temperature from NASA GISS. Annual Total Solar Irradiance (thin light blue) with 11 year moving average of TSI (thick dark blue). TSI from 1880 to 1978 from Krivova et al. 2007. TSI from 1979 to 2015 from the World Radiation Center (see their PMOD index page for data updates). Plots of the most recent solar irradiance can be found at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics LISIRD site.

Instead, internal climate variability, driven by abrupt and drastic changes to Arctic sea-ice, are increasingly being pointed at as the trigger for the LIA. Such an event has now been detected and will come under further scrutiny in the coming years. The end of the LIA coincided with recovering Solar output plus increasing greenhouse gas emissions with growing industrialisation. Like many changes in climate, there's no single cause and different mechanisms can dominate at different times. Today, there's no doubt about the chief agent of rising temperatures and it's not the Sun!

Last updated on 5 May 2024 by John Mason. View Archives
Read coverage of Marylands Democratic Senate primary, and you might think the state is on the brink of war. The closing stretch of the race, between congressman David Trone and county executive Angela Alsobrooks, has been described as bruising, bitter, having hit a boiling point, brutal, and 2024s most brutal Senate primary. If you think youve got a better word connoting misery that begins with the letter B, contact your nearest headline writer immediately.

But heres a less despairing descriptor for the primary: competitive. Democrats, whose Senate campaign arm typically anoints a nominee and clears the field of meaningful complications, arent especially used to such competitive primaries and the sorts of attacks that come with the territory.

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And the competition wont stop after Tuesdays election, a rarity in this state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-to-1. In a surprise twist, former two-term Republican Gov. Larry Hogan entered the race earlier this year. While winning a Maryland Senate race is a different beast altogether than winning a Maryland governors racea few hed be another vote for Senate Republicans ads can do a number in this blue a stateHogan cant be taken for granted.

Ive seen some national election people, the election-Twitter people, and the people who do this kind of forecasting say, Hogan has no chance,  Mileah Kromer, an associate professor of political science at Goucher College, near Baltimore, told me. But, she said you dont discount somebody who has maintained an approval rating like that for a decade. Its never dipped below 60 for a decade.

Hogans entry, then, has added an additional layer of stress for Maryland Democratselectability considerationsin deciding for whom to vote.

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There arent many significant policy differences between Trone and Alsobrooks, either; this is not a race that lends itself easily to the progressive versus the centrist rubric. To the extent that the race has become hostile, then, its because the two candidates have little to differentiate themselves on outside of style, background, and innuendo.

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The important thing to know about Rep. David Trone is that hes exceptionally rich and, for whatever reason, eager to spend historic sums to eat lunch in the Senate dining room for six years.

Following the amount of money that Trone, the founder of alcohol retail chain Total Wine & More, has personally loaned his campaign is like staring at the National Debt Clock. At the moment, that number is above $60 million. He began advertising heavily last fall in order to build name recognition, and has never slowed down. As Semafors Dave Weigel reported from a recent Trone rally, Trones ads played while attendees were taking their seats. Over the course of 15 minutes, no ad was repeated.

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Trones electability case is, essentially, rubbing the tips of his fingers together to remind people of his resources. His argument is one that appeals to the national Senate chessboard and to Democrats hopes of retaining the chamber. Since it will take cash to defeat Hogan and Trone can self-finance as much as it takes, he says, this will give national Democrats a lot more flexibility to spend money elsewhere, such as in Montana or Ohio. Its a bit of a roundabout argumentMaryland primary voters should support him because it makes spending decisions simpler for Senate Democratic super PACs?but it speaks subconsciously to Democratic primary voters tendency to fly to safety when choosing their nominees.

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Angela Alsobrooks, a former states attorney and the current executive of Prince Georges Countya D.C. suburban powerhouse in Maryland politicshas been seen as an up-and-comer in the state for a while, and the only thing standing between her and her destiny is a $60 million wall.

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Aside from her experience leading PG County, Alsobrooks team argues that she is the more exciting candidate who, as a Black woman, is more reflective of, and can better motivate, the diverse Maryland Democratic coalition. Her candidacy would be historic, as shed be the first Black person elected to the Senate from Maryland, and only the third Black woman elected to the Senate, period.

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Trone, as you might expect from a businessman who only recently entered politics, is a bit loose-lipped. Its not hard to predict where controversy might arise in a Democratic primary between a rich white man and a Black woman, and Trone has given the Alsobrooks campaign its share of material.

In the most Veep-like moment of the campaign, Trone, during a House Budget Committee meeting, meant to say bugaboo, but instead used a phonetically similar racial slur. That prompted a wave of Black Democrats in the House to endorse Alsobrooks.

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In Trones first negative ad against Alsobrooks in late April, meanwhile, one of his endorsers said, the U.S. Senate is not a place for training wheels. (Since when?) Trones team eventually scrubbed that from the ad, although Trone has used the same line itself. The comment prompted 650 Black women in politics to sign a letter saying the phrase was not only disparaging and dismissive but also echoes tones of misogyny and racism.

Last, Trone described Alsobrooks endorsers among Prince Georges County officials as the low-level folks. More condemnatory letters, with many signatures, were issued.

The frankly odd bugaboo issue aside, some of these controversies are over standard stuff in competitive primaries: Candidate A says he has better experience and better endorsers. (Alsobrooks, for what its worth, has the starrier roster of endorsers overall, featuring nearly all of the states Democratic congressional delegation and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.) But its within the context of Alsobrooks historic bid, and Marylands poor track record of diversity in congressional representation, that the comments hit a nerve.

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One of the reasons were getting dinged is because our congressional delegation has no womenall men in our House seats, all men in the Senate, Todd Eberly, a political science professor at St. Marys College of Maryland, told me. This whole idea that its second-tier people backing her up, training wheelsI mean, theres just something patronizing about it. And I think when you consider that in the context of: Maryland has no women in its congressional delegation, I certainly think language like that has not helped him.

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For most of the contest, Trone had led comfortably. But in an Emerson poll last week, the first meaningful survey in some time, Trone and Alsobrooks were in a dead heat. (That Trone was the first to air attack ads a couple of weeks ago suggests private polling tells a similar story.) One could point to Trones verbal miscues as providing the opening for Alsobrooks. But more likely, the tightening is just a result of natural spending patterns. Trone had the airwaves to himself for months, while the more resource-constrained Alsobrooks campaign, and its outside allies, only began spending theirs in a concerted way more recently. Plus, Alsobrooks had a splashy earned-media rollout when she received Gov. Moores endorsement.

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Related From Slate Congress Perpetual Coup Machine Is Merely Resting Read More

Obviously, sometimes, stumbles like that do make a difference, Kromer said of Trone. But honestly, its her finally building that name recognition thats responsible for the tightening.

It raises some questions, too, about what $60 million got Trone that, say, $10 million couldnt have.

His numbers in most recent polls arent any different than what his numbers were, say, back in January, Eberly told me. If he winds up winning this narrowly, no ones going to question, Well, did he spend wisely or did he not?  But, if he goes on to lose it, youre really going to have to look at that and ask, Why would anyone spent that amount of money on a Senate seat? 

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Those Maryland Democrats who are still making up their mindslikely for the first time in their livesabout whos more electable against a Republican Senate candidate cant look to the polls for an answer. While Trone performed a touch better against Hogan than Alsobrooks did in early trial-heat surveys, the more recent ones, like Emerson, show Alsobrooks and Trone performing almost exactly the same against him. Either one, in a presidential election year, will be favored but by no means guaranteed to win after what will be an unusually competitive campaign.

Or rather, a brutal, bruising, boiling, and bitter campaign.
A blueprint for a second Trump term issued by conservative groups contains many alarming wake-up calls for progressives. One that may have been overlooked is the ambitious plan to revive and expand the federal death penaltyand it highlights why Biden must act now to prevent a bloodbath for people condemned to death.

The report by Project 2025, titled Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise, offers a detailed set of policy goals and recommendations for Trump, should he return to the Oval Office. As the AP puts it, Led by the long-established Heritage Foundation think tank and fueled by former Trump administration officials, the far-reaching effort is essentially a government-in-waiting for the former presidents return. Behind the scenes, leaders of Project 2025 are collaborating with the Trump campaign and plotting a rapid-fire post-inauguration rollout of a right-wing agenda.

Given its membership, it should not come as a surprise that the Project 2025 agenda includes ambitious plans to revive and expand the federal death penalty. But it still should serve as yet another wake-up call for progressives as to why they cannot afford to sit on their hands during the 2024 presidential campaign, and to the Biden administration as to why they should stop temporizing about capital punishment.

The section of Mandate for Leadership dedicated to laying out a program for the future Trump Justice Department locates the discussion of the federal death penalty in a broad but familiar context. It argues that a disturbing number of state and local jurisdictions

have enacted policies that directly undermine public safety [and] leave doubt about

whether criminals will be punished.

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Mandate for Leadership acknowledges that the prosecution of criminal offenses in most jurisdictions across the country must remain the responsibility of state and local governments, but claims that the federal government owes a special responsibility to Americans in jurisdictions where state and local prosecutors have abdicated this duty. It suggests that the next administration should provide greater attention and additional federal resources  to protect the rights of American citizens and federal interests.

It offers a variety of examples of such attention and additional resourcesand that is where its death penalty recommendation comes in.

Capital punishment, the Project 2025 report concedes, is a sensitive matter. But it quickly leaves such delicacy behind and delivers red meat for its conservative readership.

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The current crime wave, it continues, makes deterrence vital at the federal, state, and local levels. However, providing this punishment without ever enforcing it provides justice neither for the victims families nor for the defendant. The facts belie this claim about a crime wavebut the report uses it to offer a death penalty one-two punch.

First, the next conservative Administration should therefore do everything possible to obtain finality for the 44 prisoners currently on federal death row. Obtain finality is a convoluted way of saying execute them and do so with dispatch.

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The report doesnt stop there. It then recommends an expansion of the federal death penalty. The next administration should also pursue the death penalty for applicable crimesparticularly heinous crimes involving violence and sexual abuse of childrenuntil Congress says otherwise through legislation.

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That the Supreme Court has in the past ruled that the death penalty should not be used for crimes that do not involve the death of the victim, such as child rape, seems not to matter to Project 2025. Perhaps the authors of Mandate for Leadership think that the current Supreme Court would take a different view.

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And, with Trump, the authors of Project 2025s death penalty plan know they will have a very receptive audience. In fact, he has long loved the death penalty.

That love affair goes back at least to 1989 when, as the Washington Post notes, Trump, then a celebrity real estate developer, took out full-page advertisements  to call for a return to the death penalty after a female jogger was beaten and raped in Central Park. Five black and Hispanic teenagers were arrested and convicted in the case, spending years in prison. The Central Park Five were later exonerated.

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He said at the time, I want to hate these muggers and murderers. They should be forced to suffer and, when they kill, they should be executed for their crimes. Since then, as the Post observes, Trump has weighed in  on a number of other cases, using Twitter to make his prodeath penalty feelings known.

During his time as a candidate for president and then during his term in the Oval Office, he has frequently talked about, and talked up, the death penalty. He has embraced it as a sign of his toughness and masculinity and a blunt instrument of public policy.

He has long wanted to expand the range of offenses for which someone could get a death sentence. In 2018, Trump proposed executing drug dealers.

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He also claimed that leaders in China and Singapore had told him that the death penalty was an effective method for dealing with drug problems.

That same year, Trumps attorney general at the time, Jeff Sessions, sent a memo to all United States attorneys strongly encouraging them to seek the death penalty for people caught dealing in extremely large quantities of drugs. He claimed, echoing Trump, that doing so would aid in our continuing fight against drug trafficking and the destruction it causes our nation.

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And, in the waning months of Trumps presidency, his administration went on a killing spree, reviving long-dormant federal executions. It put 13 people to death in a span of six months.

Along the way, the Trump administration dramatically expanded the federal governments ability to carry out the death penalty by issuing a rule allowing it to hang, electrocute, gas, or shoot individuals it did not want to kill by lethal injection.

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Since he left office, Trump has continued to embrace capital punishment. In 2022, he used speeches delivered in Las Vegas and at the America First Policy Institute to bemoan this countrys crime problem and again offer the death penalty as a surefire way to deal with it. To put it simply, we are a nation in decline, he said in Vegas. The streets are flowing with the blood of innocent crime victims.  We need to end the crime wave immediately.

Death sentences and executions for convicted drug dealers are an important part of his program for doing so. It sounds horrible, doesnt it? Trump asked, But you know what? Thats the ones that dont have any problem. It doesnt take 15 years in court. It goes quickly, and you absolutelyyou execute a drug dealer, and youll save 500 lives.

Trumps death penalty fantasies seem to know no limit.

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Last September, he took to Truth Social to suggest that Gen. Mark Milley, then chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, should be executed for what he did in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 insurrection. He wrote that Milleys phone call to reassure China after the storming of the Capitol was an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH.

Project 2025s Mandate for Leadership offers a way for Trump to turn his fantasies and fervor about the death penalty into a chilling plan of action. That is why, at the very least, Joe Biden should use his clemency power to commute the sentence of everyone now on the federal death row. It is why progressives, who now may harbor doubts about Biden, must enlist as loyal foot soldiers in his reelection campaign.
This is part of How Originalism Ate the Law, a Slate series about the legal theory that ruined everything.

Perhaps no lower court judge has condemned the U.S. Supreme Courts reliance on bogus history and racist values as sharply as Hawaii Supreme Court Justice Todd Eddins. In several scathing opinions, Eddins has decried the conservative supermajoritys radical reversal of settled precedent in the name of a conservative theory, originalism, thats both dangerously retrograde and totally unworkable. In Tuesdays Slate Plus bonus episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern interviewed the justice about his very public criticisms of SCOTUS and his embrace of state constitutionalism to limit the fallout in Hawaii. Their conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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Dahlia and Mark will interview Eddins in Washington on Tuesday at a live taping of Amicus. Buy your tickets here.

Mark Joseph Stern: Youve written very powerfully that judges are not historians. And yet it seems that the U.S. Supreme Court is calling upon all lower courts to play the role of amateur, dilettante historian. Can you talk about some of the practical problems with that?

Justice Todd Eddins: In a wonderful opinion, a federal judge wrote that we are not trained as historianswe practice law, not history. And thats the problem. I think real historians look at the judiciary with shock to see that we think history has such certitude. And we dont have the opportunity, or even the ability, to weigh into the rigor of historical methodology and historical integrity when deciding cases. How are supposed to decide what is history? Do we outsource it to A.I.? Do we deputize our law clerks as historians? Do we rely on partisan amicus briefs? I dont want to do that. But it seems like the United States Supreme Court tends to cherry-pick history that way.

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Then you run into the problem of Whose history are we really talking about, anyway? Theres certainly a few white men who decided things back centuries ago, when women and people of color were excluded from public participation and deliberation. Their views are nonexistent. So its absolutely impossible to try to root around in history and excavate 18th- and 19th-century experiences and try to apply them to 21st-century problems. Aside from being so whacked-out and silly, its just not practically possible.

Dahlia Lithwick: Im hearing you say a couple different things. One is that this is not doable. This is not our job. Another is that its insane to put a thumb on the scale and somehow carve out women and people of color, who were expressly excluded from participating in the moment of constitutional deliberation that were now enshrining as the only viable moment. And then youre saying this third thing, which is that, by the way, this is a completely bonkers way to organize public life right now because technology has changed so radically.

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All those things are certainly reasonable critiques of originalism, but you have chosen to do something different, which is to weave them into your judicial opinion writing. Im very curious what led you to start using your work to offer these very public critiques, which are very meta and usually not what jurists do.

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Eddins: I think a lot of federal judges are effectively silenced. They dont feel theyre able to really critique what the high courts doing. But state courts are not beholden to the United States Supreme Court; we are essentially insulated when we decide things based on state constitutional provisions. And as Ive sat out here in my office in the middle of the Pacific over the past few years and watched whats come out of the U.S. Supreme Court, I realized I had the opportunity to really voice some of these thoughts that have been percolating in my head. I think I have a responsibility to speak out against the horrors and treachery that goes on at the highest court in the nation.

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I mean, its absolutely astounding that originalism revives the value judgments of a racist, misogynistic, homophobic society and constrains the value judgments of contemporary judges. Youre talking about times when human beings enslaved other human beings, when women were just an appendage of their husbands and had no contractual rights and no property rights. It makes no sense for contemporary society to pledge allegiance to the founding eras culture, and I had the opportunity to write that. Im lucky to have such a supportive court; they said Go for it, because thats what we collectively believe.

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Lithwick: For a lot of judges who are trying to apply all these new tests coming out of the Supreme Court, theres this deep sense of nihilism because suddenly everything is new. Were in a wholly different world. Yet there are normative reasons why we need to have a dependable, predictable interpretation of the Constitution. And that was one thing I read in your Wilson opinion: the sense that we need to know what the law is. It cant just be Etch A Sketch-ed, erased, and rewritten on the fly.

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Eddins: You know, when precedent is for suckers and we dont know whether settled law will become unsettled every June, its really hard for the judiciary to function. Its hard for judges to operate when theres a lack of stability. And its not just judges; its the litigants, the lawyers, the law professors who have to tear up their syllabuses. I mean, its fundamental to our American system of justice that law works incrementally, that cases build upon cases, and that we rely on precedent. Thats the stability of the law. And when you have a group of people who come in and disregard precedent, it really unsettles things; it causes chaos. People dont know how to operate.

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The law is now constantly shiftingyou said nihilism, and thats actually what it is. I think its also a lack of humility, a lack of respect for all the law thats been out there for centuries of the American judicial system. Who gave these originalists the right to kill the Constitution? And when the Constitution is killed, where do we stand? It makes it so difficult for courts throughout the land.

Stern: In the Wilson case, you were tasked with applying Bruens history and tradition test by poring over the historical record to find these analogs from 1789. Can you talk about what the process was like for you, trying to apply this ridiculously amorphous newfangled test and turn it into something that looks like law?

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Eddins: It was actually a pretty fun process because the U.S. Supreme Court totally disregarded the text, history, tradition, and purpose of the Second Amendment. So in Wilson, we decided to play on the originalism playing field and show how the justices were incredibly dishonest about how law and facts are cherry-picked. That was not a difficult thing to do.

Now, what we also did was trace back the real history and tradition of Hawaii. And if we trace back the tradition of our state, there absolutely was no right to carry lethal weapons in public for possible self-defense. It was an incredibly joyous exercise for me because I knew we were on the correct legal terrain. The Hawaii Constitutions counterpart to the Second Amendment has the exact same words. So I thought, Hey, heres an opportunity to take down the dishonest U.S. Supreme Courts analysis of the Second Amendment, which snubbed federalism principles and increased homicide throughout the nation. Wilson really opened up the opportunity to articulate the importance of state constitutionalism in protecting the fundamental rights of citizens. Of course, Dobbs raised awareness of interpreting state constitutions to, ideally, protect every state citizens fundamental rights, since the U.S. Supreme Court is abdicating that responsibility.

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Stern: Over the last few years, conservative litigants and justices tried to strip the ability to protect voting rights from state Supreme Courts. And its hard not to think they were motivated by fear of state Supreme Courts acting independently, departing from the phony originalism of the Roberts court and actually protecting the right to vote, which we used to consider fundamental.

Eddins: Absolutely. And again, thats just more dishonesty. The U.S. Supreme Courts decisions are really destroying democracy. Its just race to the extreme in case after case. It tears at the fabric of our nation and what I view our federal Constitution to be. And now, over the last few weeks, it seems like its not just personal values and preferences that theyre injecting into their jurisprudence; they also give preference to specific individuals, and thats where the court is truly eroding confidence in the judicial system.

Stern: When you say theyre giving preference to specific individuals, youre thinking about Donald Trump in the presidential immunity case?

Eddins: I am.
"Afterburn" is a post-apocalyptic action film.

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Afterburn, an action movie starring Oscar nominee Samuel L. Jackson, is currently being filmed in Slovakia.

Although the film is said to be shot mostly in Bratislava, several local media outlets have noticed that the film crew also relocated to a quarry in Pohranice, a village near Nitra. A scene near the quarry was filmed on May 8, but the crew appears to be filming near the village these days as well. A road section is partially closed due to a film scene shot at the local farm until Friday, May 17.

The film, set a decade after a solar flare ravaged technology across the globe, has been adapted from a graphic novel series of the same name.

Afterburn is a terrific action story, combining the fun of Indiana Jones with the near future world building of Children of Men, said producer Toby Jaffe.

Jackson, who is known for his roles in Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained, plays a supporting role in the film. He portrays a freedom fighter. Dave Bautista, who appears in the Guardians of the Galaxy films, portrays a former soldier working for influential clients.

The film is expected to cost more than 100 million. Slovakia will provide a subsidy of 16 million.

In Slovakia, several scenes have been shot in Sered and Holic. Samuel L. Jackson was also spotted in Bratislava last month. He dined at Massimo Ristorante, an Italian restaurant by the Danube River, where he went for seafood, pizza Margherita, and raspberry sorbet.

Afterburn is said to hit cinemas next year.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240513/israel-stopping-all-aid-to-gaza-journalist-tells-sputnik-1118416062.html

Israel Stopping All Aid to Gaza, Journalist Tells Sputnik

Israel Stopping All Aid to Gaza, Journalist Tells Sputnik

Sputnik International

The government of Israel has shut down all border crossings and is not allowing any aid into Gaza for the past eight days, a journalist told Sputnik Radio on Monday.

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Israel has completely stopped all aid shipments going into Gaza, Lebanon-based journalist and geopolitical analyst Leila Hatoum told Sputniks Fault Lines on Monday.They control the whole area and they have shut down all border crossings. Nothing has entered Rafah or Gaza for the past eight days. Israelis have shut down all borders, Hatoum explained, citing her sources on the ground in Gaza.On Monday, videos emerged on social media showing Israeli citizens destroying aid intended for Gaza on trucks waiting to cross the Tarqumiya checkpoint. There doesnt appear to be any police presence attempting to stop the looters in the videos.According to media reports, four individuals were arrested at the scene. The aid that the State of Israel transfers goes directly into the hands of Hamas, the organization that organized the blockade, Order 9, said in a statement.It was only the latest in a string of videos showing Israelis sabotaging aid trucks on their way to Gaza, another video released late last month showed Israelis destroying bags of flour, again without visible police resistance.Also on Monday, Israeli forces opened fire on an officially marked UN vehicle, killing one UN employee and injuring another. Later in the day, according to Israeli Rights group HaMoked, a group of young Israelis set fire to the perimeter of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) headquarters in East Jerusalem. It was the second incident of arson at the headquarters this week.UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres called for an investigation and condemned the attack on the UN vehicle. As of May 1, at least 182 UNRWA employees have been killed in Gaza.At least 370,000 Palestinians have fled Rafah ahead of Israels promised ground war and continued bombardment of the last remaining refuge in Gaza, but many complain that there is no safe place to go.At least 35,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, though that number is presumed to be a low-count as thousands of bodies are believed to remain under the rubble of destroyed buildings.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240513/russian-un-envoy-says-israeli-operation-in-rafah-will-have-negative-impact-on-red-sea-1118414095.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240514/congress-asks-pentagon-what-would-happen-if-nuke-were-detonated-in-space-1118432914.html

Congress Asks Pentagon What Would Happen if Nukes Were Detonated in Space

Congress Asks Pentagon What Would Happen if Nukes Were Detonated in Space

Sputnik International

DoD officials have accused Russia of secretly working on a space-based, nuclear antisatellite weapon. President Putin has stressed that Moscow is categorically opposed to the deployment of nuclear weapons in space, and urged all sides to adhere to their treaty obligations. Russia and the US have taken the matter to the United Nations.

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House lawmakers have decided to turn the anti-Russia hysteria in Washington up another notch, adding a formal request for the Pentagon to make a formal assessment of what would happen if a nuclear weapon were detonated in outer space in a must-pass piece of defense legislation.The committee is concerned about recent reports that Russia is developing a space-based capability to attack satellites on-orbit using a nuclear weapon. Further, the committee is concerned that if such an attack occurred, the blast would cause indiscriminate damage to systems in orbit. Therefore, the committee direct [sic] the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Administrator for Nuclear Security, to provide a report to the House Committee on Armed Services no later than February 28, 2025, on the impacts of a detonation of a nuclear weapon in space, the request, buried inside the draft US National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025, urges.The request comes in the wake of a spate of reports in US media beginning in February citing senior officials about an alleged secret Russian program to developed a space-based nuke which can be detonated in space to decimate US satellite constellations using a powerful shockwave.President Putin emphasized that no such plans exist, saying Russias position on the matter has been clear and transparent, that Moscow has always been categorically against the placement of nuclear weapons in space, and that the US knows this.Outgoing Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu confirmed this information. We havent deployed any nuclear weapons in space or any elements of them to use against satellites or to create fields where satellites cant work efficiently, Shoigu said at a meeting with Putin in February.The clamor in Washington regarding the alleged Russian secret space nuke threat prompted President Biden to formally assure Americans that there is no nuclear threat to the people of America or anywhere else in the world stemming from Russias anti-satellite technology. Secretary of State Antony Blinken muddied the waters by saying that while this is not an active capability, it is a potential one that were taking very, very seriously.Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov slammed reporting in US media that US officials had reached out to Moscow to privately warn Russia about its non-existent nuclear-anti-satellite weapon, telling reporters earlier this year that there is no and cannot be any progress on this issue because the American accusations are patently absurd to begin with.Ryabkov emphasized that Russia has no intentions of pulling out of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, the document which bans the deployment of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction in space.The Russia-US spat over space-based nukes has since expanded to the UN, where the two countries issued competing draft resolutions. The American resolution was vetoed by Russia last month on the grounds that it constituted a politicized propaganda stunt, and did not go far enough in banning all types of weapons in space. Moscow proposed a rival resolution which would not only stop the deployment of nuclear weapons in space, but prevent the threat or use of force in outer space, period.The US has regularly accused Russia of militarizing space while ramping up its own space-based warfare capabilities. The Trump administration formally established the Space Force as a separate branch of the US military in 2019, and has discussed openly the need to turn space into a new warfighting domain. Late last year, Marine Corps General Matthew Glavy said the US must win the space domain to win the wars of the future.Russia and China have been proposing a binding treaty prohibiting the deployment of weapons in space since the late 2000s, with the 2008 Proposed Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS) Treaty offering a comprehensive space-based arms control agreement prohibiting the placement of weaponry, antisatellite and other advanced military technology in space.The US has rejected the agreement as a diplomatic ploy designed to give Moscow and Beijing a military edge over Washington.Russia and China have returned to the draft treaty repeatedly as a jumping off point for future negotiations.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240506/russias-unsc-resolution-urges-states-to-negotiate-early-on-multilateral-space-agreements-1118295889.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240405/curious-timing-whats-behind-us-security-council-resolution-proposing-ban-on-nukes-in-space-1117767963.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240222/pentagons-new-military-satellite-program-poses-threat-to-russia-1116925932.html

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The absence of Taiwan from the upcoming World Health Assembly (WHA) is solely caused by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities, a mainland spokesperson said Monday.

Registration for the 77th WHA closes on Monday.

"Our position is consistent and clear regarding the Taiwan region's participation in the activities of the World Health Organization. It must be dealt with under the one-China principle, which is also a basic principle enshrined in the UNGA Resolution 2758 and WHA Resolution 25.1," said Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office.

The DPP authorities have stubbornly stuck to the separatist position of "Taiwan independence," and have refused to recognize the 1992 Consensus. Thus, the political foundation for the Taiwan region's participation in the WHA no longer exists, he said.

The central government has always been concerned about the health and well-being of Taiwan compatriots, and has made appropriate arrangements for the Taiwan region's participation in global health endeavors, with 21 batches of Taiwan experts able to take part in the WHO's technical activities over the past year; and the region can promptly access health emergency information from the WHO, the spokesperson said.

It is thus obvious that the channels for the region's participation in the WHO's technical communication and cooperation are fully clear, its access to health emergency information and assistance is fully effective, and Taiwan compatriots' rights to health are protected, Chen said.

The true intention of the DPP authorities' manipulation of issues concerning Taiwan's participation in the WHA is to highlight the so-called "sovereign status" and seek independence under the guise of health, he added.

"The deceitful and provocative actions of the DPP authorities have been exposed by compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and the international community, and they are bound to fail," Chen said.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240514/israel-killed-or-injured-31-aid-workers-in-gaza-despite-knowing-their-locations---hrw-1118418047.html

Israel Killed or Injured 31 Aid Workers in Gaza, Despite Knowing Their Locations - HRW

Israel Killed or Injured 31 Aid Workers in Gaza, Despite Knowing Their Locations - HRW

Sputnik International

Israel has killed or injured at least 31 aid workers in Gaza since October in at least eight strikes on coordinates that were provided by aid groups to Israeli authorities in advance, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Tuesday.

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"Israeli forces have carried out at least eight strikes on aid workers convoys and premises in Gaza since October 2023, even though aid groups had provided their coordinates to the Israeli authorities to ensure their protection," HRW said. "Israeli authorities did not issue advance warnings to any of the aid organizations before the strikes, which killed or injured at least 31 aid workers and those with them." The eight incidents include the attacks on the World Central Kitchen convoy on April 1, a Doctors Without Borders (MSF) convoy on November 18, a UNRWA guest house on December 9, an MSF shelter on January 8, an International Rescue Committee and Medical Aid for Palestine guest house on January 18, a UNRWA convoy on February 5, an MSF guest house on February 20, and a home sheltering an American Near East Refugee Aid Organization employee on March 8. The eight attacks killed at least 15 people, and injured at least 16 others, according to HRW. Aid workers have also been unable to leave Gaza since the closure of the Rafah crossing on May 7, the watchdog pointed out. The watchdog said it has also found that Israel is using starvation as a method of warfare in Gaza. HRW shared that it has requested specific information from Israel on the eight attacks in a letter sent on May 1, but has received no response. Israel should make public the findings of investigations into attacks that have killed and injured aid workers, and into all other attacks that caused civilian casualties, HRW stressed. In addition, HRW said, a group of recognized international experts should carry out an independent review of the humanitarian deconfliction process. US, UK Risk Complicity in War Crimes Unless Military Aid to Israel SuspendedThe United States and the United Kingdom should stop providing military assistance to Israel or risk being complicit in war crimes, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday.Earlier in the day, HRW said that Israel has killed or injured at least 31 aid workers in Gaza since October in at least eight strikes on their convoys and premises, even though aid groups had provided their coordinates to the Israeli authorities in advance to ensure their protection.Those governments that continue sending arms to Israel risk complicity in war crimes, the watchdog warned."They should also use their leverage, including through targeted sanctions, to press Israeli authorities to cease committing grave abuses and enable the provision of humanitarian aid and basic services in Gaza, in accordance with Israels obligations under international law and recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) orders to Israel in the case brought by South Africa concerning alleged violations of the Genocide Convention," HRW said.On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel and breached the border, attacking both civilian neighborhoods and military bases. Nearly 1,200 people in Israel were killed and some 240 others abducted during the attack. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. Over 35,000 people have been killed so far by Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, local authorities said. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240511/uae-rejects-israels-plan-to-take-part-in-post-war-gaza-administration-1118382987.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240514/israel-prepared-to-launch-full-scale-incursion-in-rafah-in-coming-days---reports-1118419981.html

Israel Prepared to Launch Full-Scale Incursion in Rafah in Coming Days - Reports

Israel Prepared to Launch Full-Scale Incursion in Rafah in Coming Days - Reports

Sputnik International

The administration of US President Joe Biden has assessed that Israel has enough troops in the Gazan city of Rafah to proceed with a full-scale ground operation in the coming days, CNN has reported, citing senior officials.

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At the same time, it is still unclear for senior US officials whether the Jewish state decides to move forward with a full-scale offensive, which they think would be a gesture of defiance against Biden, who had warned the Israeli leadership against such an operation, CNN reported in an article on Monday. The Biden administration is also alarmed that Israel has not made any preparations for post-war governance of the enclave as it goes on achieving its goals on the battlefield, according to the report. Last Monday, the IDF launched what it called a counterterrorist operation in the east of Rafah, on the border with Egypt, and took control of the Gaza side of the border crossing. On Friday, Israeli media reported that Israel's military cabinet had approved expanding the ground operation. Israeli authorities say the operation is aimed at eliminating the remaining battalions of Palestinian movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip. On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel and breached the border, attacking both civilian neighborhoods and military bases. Nearly 1,200 people in Israel were killed and some 240 others abducted during the attack. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. Over 35,000 people have been killed so far by Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, local authorities said. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240513/israel-opens-western-erez-border-crossing-in-northern-gaza-to-allow-humanitarian-aid---idf-1118404982.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240514/pentagon-declines-to-comment-on-recent-ukrainian-strikes-on-belgorod-1118416429.html

Pentagon Declines to Comment on Recent Ukrainian Strikes on Belgorod

Pentagon Declines to Comment on Recent Ukrainian Strikes on Belgorod

Sputnik International

A US Defense Department official declined to comment on Ukraine's recent strikes targeting Belgorod and deferred to Ukrainian officials to speak on this matter.

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"We will leave it to Ukrainian officials to comment on recent strikes theyve conducted," the official told Sputnik on Monday. The White House National Security Council did not respond to Sputnik's requests for comment on this matter.The death toll from the collapse of a multi-story residential building in Russia's Belgorod due to Ukrainian shelling has risen to 19 as of Monday. Earlier on Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Russian air defense systems destroyed 12 Vilkha rockets and 12 drones over the Belgorod region, eight drones over the Kursk region, four air-launched Storm Shadow cruise missiles and seven drones over Crimea, while four more drones were intercepted over Lipetsk region.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240512/zelenskys-trademark-zakharova-denounces-western-backed-ukrainian-attacks-on-belgorod-1118397640.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240514/poland-will-not-accept-migrants-within-eu-framework---prime-minister-1118424108.html

Poland Will Not Accept Migrants Within EU Framework - Prime Minister

Poland Will Not Accept Migrants Within EU Framework - Prime Minister

Sputnik International

Poland will not accept illegal migrants within the framework of the "Pact on Migration and Asylum" adopted by the EU Council, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday.

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"Poland will not accept any migrants within the framework of the Migration Pact. Poland has received hundreds of thousands of migrants in connection with the Russian-Ukrainian war. We also have tens of thousands of migrants from Belarus," Tusk said.Earlier, majority of European Parliament members have approved a controversial law called the "Pact on Migration and Asylum" aimed to help combat illegal migration, human trafficking, as well as to increase the penalties for such crimes within the European Union (EU).

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240308/eastern-europe-underrepresented-in-eu-institutions-are-we-equals-or-not--1117210387.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240514/royal-marines-to-get-new-multi-role-support-ships-amid-scramble-to-fix-uk-navys-woes--1118419424.html

Royal Marines to Get New Multi Role Support Ships Amid Scramble to Fix UK Navys Woes

Royal Marines to Get New Multi Role Support Ships Amid Scramble to Fix UK Navys Woes

Sputnik International

Amid a scramble to fix the technical woes plaguing the UK Navy, the Royal Marines are to receive a set of new support vessels, according to UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps.

2024-05-14T07:37+0000

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2024-05-14T07:37+0000

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Amid a scramble to fix the technical and operational woes plaguing the UK's Navy, the Royal Marines are to receive a set of new support vessels.The Multi Role Support Ships (MRSS) will be specialist warships geared to quickly transport the Royal Marines Commando Force from sea to shore, UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps told The Telegraph.Development of the six vessels has just begun, with Shapps underscoring that the investment is crucial to ensure that the Royal Navy is not not left behind by adversaries like China and Russia. The new-generation ships will:The MRSS ships touted by Shapps as "critical investments in shipbuilding to build the future Royal Navy needed to deter our adversaries, and then win if they are not deterred, will be the first large-scale investment after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced 75 billion (around $94 billion) in new funding for the Ministry of Defense.The announcement that Grant Shapps is officially making at the First Sea Lords Sea Power Conference at Lancaster House on Tuesday comes amid a host of embarrassing setbacks for the Royal Navy. In a reflection of the UK's host of internal political and economic problems, its flagship aircraft carriers the HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales have faced a number of technical malfunctions and operational restrictions.The HMS Queen Elizabeth, which was officially commissioned into the Royal Navy on December 7, 2017, may boast sophisticated weaponry and communications systems, but critics have pilloried it as an expensive project unable to tackle drone and hypersonic missile strikes. A minor fire broke out onboard the 65,000-ton aircraft carrier in March as it was docked at Glenmallan in Scotland awaiting repairs. Earlier in the same month, the flagship worth 3.5 billion ($4.5 billion) was forced to withdraw from a major NATO drill after a coupling on the vessels 33-ton starboard propeller malfunctioned. Although Big Lizzie was replaced by the HMS Prince of Wales, its departure was also canceled due to the same malfunction.At the time, geopolitical analyst and former US Marine Brian Berletic told Sputnik that it is just the latest incident in a long line of maintenance problems plaguing" both the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier and its sister ship, singling out their major propulsion issues.Earlier in the year, The National Interest referred to problems with UK aircraft carriers the HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales as a "nightmare" that "wont end." Furthermore, The Telegraph reported that the Royal Navy's auxiliary fleet, which is supposed to provide supplies at sea, is in an "even worse mess". It pointed to issues such as lack of personnel, many vessels not operating, with some being in a state of "extended readiness," and others believed never to be deployed.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240310/big-lizzie-on-fire-flagship-uk-aircraft-carrier-hit-by-blaze-in-latest-malfunction-1117243277.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240205/hms-queen-elizabeths-technical-woes-highlight-systemic-problems-in-wests-largest-weapon-programs-1116607412.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240514/russia-makes-all-necessary-efforts-to-maintain-predictability-in-nuclear-realm---diplomat-1118426951.html

Russia Makes All Necessary Efforts to Maintain Predictability in Nuclear Realm - Diplomat

Russia Makes All Necessary Efforts to Maintain Predictability in Nuclear Realm - Diplomat

Sputnik International

Russia does its best to preserve the necessary level of predictability and security in the nuclear sphere despite geopolitical tensions, Gennady Gatilov, Russia's permanent representative to the UN Office in Geneva, said on Tuesday.

2024-05-14T13:32+0000

2024-05-14T13:32+0000

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russia

gennady gatilov

dmitry peskov

russia

geneva

un security council (unsc)

russian defense ministry

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"Russia, being a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a nuclear power, is fully aware of the responsibility to maintain international peace and security. Our state has always taken a constructive position and initiated work on new agreements. Even in the current uneasy conditions, we are putting our best efforts to remain within the legal framework and keep the necessary level of predictability and security," Gatilov told the UN Disarmament Conference. Russia "does not exist in vacuum," therefore it must defend its national interests and respond to provocative actions by other states, which take openly hostile and aggressive stances toward Moscow, the diplomat added. Last week, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the General Staff of the Russian armed forces had started preparations for exercises involving missile units of the Southern Military District, aviation, as well as naval forces. During the exercises, the Russian armed forces will practice a set of activities for the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons, the ministry said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov linked the drills to the statements recently made by French President Emmanuel Macron, UK officials and a representative of the US Senate about the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine. The possible scenarios under which Russia could theoretically use nuclear weapons are outlined in the Russian nuclear doctrine. This is possible in the event of an attack against Russia or its allies using weapons of mass destruction or an attack with conventional weapons if the very existence of the country is threatened, according to the document.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240513/sweden-not-ruling-out-deployment-of-nuclear-weapons-in-wartime-1118407443.html

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russia makes all necessary efforts, nuclear realm, security in the nuclear sphere
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240514/russias-belousov-shoigu-to-take-part-in-informal-putin-xi-meeting---kremlin-aide-1118428069.html

Russias Belousov, Shoigu to Take Part in Informal Putin-Xi Meeting - Kremlin Aide

Russias Belousov, Shoigu to Take Part in Informal Putin-Xi Meeting - Kremlin Aide

Sputnik International

Andrei Belousov, the candidate for the post of Russian defense minister, and newly-appointed Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu will participate in the informal meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov told reporters on Tuesday.

2024-05-14T15:13+0000

2024-05-14T15:13+0000

2024-05-14T15:13+0000

world

andrei belousov

sergei shoigu

vladimir putin

russia

china

kremlin

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the united nations (un)

brics

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The informal Putin-Xi meeting will take place on May 16 during the Russian leaders visit to China. Other members of Russian government, including acting Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and acting Finance Minister Anton Siluanov will participate in the meeting. We invited, naturally, the new defense minister, Belousov, to participate in this program, who, together with Lavrov and me, will participate in this meeting on the evening of May 16 that will be held in the very narrow format. Also, in continuation of our contacts with Chinese colleagues, we included Security Council Secretary Shoigu in the delegation  he should be a part of 1+4 [meeting]," Ushakov said."Most likely, the main and most important issues of foreign policy cooperation will be discussed during the informal meeting of leaders, which will take place at the end of the first day of work," the official shared.The mutual visits of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping confirm the priorities of bilateral relations, the aide noted.The cooperation between Russia and China is developing in all areas, and this partnership is a paragon of interstate relations, Ushakov emphasized."Today, cooperation is steadily developing in all areas, and as our leaders have repeatedly stressed, and, above all, [Chinese] President Xi, this partnership is a paragon of interstate relations in the 21st century," he said.The partnership between Moscow and Beijing also demonstrates resistance to any external pressure and is one of the stabilizing factors in international affairs in general, the official added.I have already mentioned that our governments [Russia and China] actively cooperate, the main thing is that the governments meet regularly. The visit of the head of the Chinese government is already scheduled for this summer, Ushakov said.China also emphasizes that without Russia it is counterproductive to discuss anything in the context of the Ukrainian crisis, the official added.Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping will discuss international cooperation, including within the UN and BRICS."There will be an in-depth exchange of views on cooperation in various international organizations and structures, including the UN, where Russia and China stand in solidarity on almost all topics of the UN agenda. Naturally, cooperation between the two countries within the framework of BRICS will also be touched upon," Ushakov told reporters.The Chinese side has given a preliminary agreement to come to the BRICS summit in Russia's Kazan, the official added.According to Ushakov, during Putin's visit to Harbin (China), the Russian president will be accompanied by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng.Newly appointed members of the Russian government will accompany President Vladimir Putin during his visit to China and participate in the negotiations. Russian deputy prime ministers, including First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov Dmitry Chernyshenko, Yury Trutnev, Tatiana Golikova and Alexander Novak will speak at the Russia-China meeting in expanded format as chairs of bilateral commissions, Ushakov added.The preparations for the visit of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to Russia are underway, Yury Ushakov also noted.Yes, active preparations are underway, he mentioned.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240509/russia-china-2024-trade-growth-overshadows-relevant-china-us-figures-1118348783.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240426/majority-of-global-south-states-understand-threats-posed-by-nato---lavrov-1118126654.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240514/scott-ritter-the-russians-advance-and-ukrainians-cant-stop-them-1118418504.html

Scott Ritter: The Russians Advance and Ukrainians Can't Stop Them

Scott Ritter: The Russians Advance and Ukrainians Can't Stop Them

Sputnik International

According to military analyst Scott Ritter, the Ukrainian military, expecting robust defenses including anti-tank obstacles and minefields, was significantly outmaneuvered.

2024-05-14T04:56+0000

2024-05-14T04:56+0000

2024-05-14T15:44+0000

analysis

scott ritter

russia

ukraine

andrei belousov

vladimir putin

kharkov

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As Russian troops continue to push south from the Belgorod area, Ritter notes that the situation exposes a broader vulnerability within the Ukrainian defense strategy. "The Ukrainians are now in a panic, pulling forces from critical fronts elsewhere," Ritter explained. This reallocation of troops to the north leaves other strategic areas, such as Kherson and Odessa, potentially exposed to new Russian attacks. Simultaneously, Russia's military seems to be capitalizing on a lack of Ukrainian reserves, with simultaneous pressures in the Zaporozhye and Donetsk regions contributing to what Ritter describes as "the collapse of Ukraine as a cohesive combat force."In the midst of these battlefield developments, Russia has appointed a new Minister of Defense, Andrei Belousov, a move that has sparked discussions and speculation both within Russia and internationally. Belousov, an economist with extensive governmental experience but no military background, steps into a role that seems more focused on managing the defense industry's growth and sustainability amid the conflict.Some question the timing and suitability of appointing an economist as defense minister during wartime. However, supporters argue that his economic acumen is crucial for maintaining the efficiency and integrity of the defense sector's expansion.Meanwhile, General Gennady Gerasimov will continue to oversee the military operations, ensuring continuity in leadership. According to Ritter, this combination of economic and military leadership is far from a sign of Russian weakness. "By bringing in Andrei Belousov, we're talking about Putin creating tempered steel," he remarked, suggesting that the West may underestimate Russia's strategic positioning.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240511/scott-ritter-predicts-how-ukraine-will-end-1118382169.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240514/tokyo-lodges-protest-to-seoul-over-visit-of-disputed-islands-by-s-korean-politicians-1118420104.html

Tokyo Protests to Seoul Over South Korean Politicians Visit to Disputed Islands

Tokyo Protests to Seoul Over South Korean Politicians Visit to Disputed Islands

Sputnik International

Japan has lodged a protest with South Korea after opposition politicians from the neighboring East Asian nation visited disputed Takeshima Islands (also known as Dokdo Islands or the Liancourt Rocks), Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Tuesday.

2024-05-14T07:06+0000

2024-05-14T07:06+0000

2024-05-14T08:20+0000

asia

yoshimasa hayashi

japan

south korea

takeshima islands

international court of justice

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On Monday, a group of South Korean politicians, led by the leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, Cho Kuk, disembarked on the islands which Japan considers its territory. The Liancourt Rocks  called Dokdo Islands by Seoul and Takeshima Islands by Tokyo  lie almost equidistant from Japan and South Korea, with the latter maintaining a small police force there. For decades, the islands have been a bone of contention, with both sides claiming long-standing historical ties to the archipelago, which is believed to be rich in natural resources. After World War II, the islands became Korean, though Japan considers it illegal occupation and administratively includes the islands in the Shimane Prefecture. Meanwhile, Japan invites Korea to submit the issue of the islands to the International Court of Justice, though South Korea believes there is no dispute over the Takeshima Islands, since they are Korean territory historically, geographically and legally.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240320/s-korean-chemical-tanker-capsizes-off-japans-yamaguchi-prefecture---reports-1117444025.html

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s korean politicians, disputed takeshima islands, tokyo lodges protest to seoul
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240514/uk-defense-head-admits-london-gave-ukraine-permission-to-strike-on-crimea-with-uk-arms-1118425146.html

UK Defense Head Admits London Gave Ukraine Permission to Strike on Crimea With UK Arms

UK Defense Head Admits London Gave Ukraine Permission to Strike on Crimea With UK Arms

Sputnik International

UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps admitted on Tuesday that London had granted Kiev permission to strike Crimea with UK-supplied weapons because it considers the peninsula part of Ukraine.

2024-05-14T12:49+0000

2024-05-14T12:49+0000

2024-05-14T12:49+0000

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"As you know, we have provided permissions for weapons to be used in the territory of Ukraine, including Crimea, which we believe is an integral part of Ukraine," Shapps said at the Sea Power Conference in London, as broadcast by Sky News. The UK will always allow the use of its weapons in Ukraine and other countries only in full compliance with international humanitarian law, the defense head added.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240503/reuters-again-posts-withdrawn-story-about-kievs-right-to-strike-russia-with-uk-weapons-1118233772.html

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military aid for ukraine, is us giving more money to ukraine, why is us giving more money to kiev, whats happening to money given to kiev, will us give more money to kiev, how much money does ukraine get, how much money us gives to ukraine, how much money eu gives to ukraine, how much money europe gives to ukraine, what weapons does ukraine receive, does us give ukraine new weapons
An annual week-long event aiming to promote vocational education among the public has opened in China, with a series of activities planned nationwide, according to the Ministry of Education.

Vocational Education Week 2024, marking the 10th anniversary of its launch in 2015, is a collaborative effort involving the Ministry of Education and nine other government departments. It will run from May 12 to 18.

An official document outlining this year's event emphasizes organizing industry-tailored activities that enhance the integration of education and industry, while also promoting cooperation between schools and enterprises.

Vocational schools across the country are tasked with hosting activities such as vocational skill shows, community services, and admission consultations. These events are aimed at attracting broad public participation and showcasing the best vocational education and training has to offer.

China has identified the nurturing of skilled personnel as a crucial strategy for its high-quality development.

Currently, the country has more than 200 million skilled workers, making up over 26 percent of its employed population. By the end of 2025, this figure is expected to exceed 30 percent.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240514/ukraine-crisis-highlights-chasm-between-russian-us-electronic-warfare-capabilities-general-admits-1118424707.html

Ukraine Crisis Highlights Chasm Between Russian, US Electronic Warfare Capabilities, General Admits

Ukraine Crisis Highlights Chasm Between Russian, US Electronic Warfare Capabilities, General Admits

Sputnik International

Fighting between Russian and NATO-armed and trained Ukrainian and mercenary forces in Ukraine has busted an array of decades-old myths about the superiority of Western weaponry and military equipment to those of Russia. Perhaps nowhere is this more true than in electronic warfare  a field playing a decisive role on the modern battlefield.

2024-05-14T12:57+0000

2024-05-14T12:57+0000

2024-05-14T13:26+0000

military

ukraine

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military & intelligence

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Retired US Army Lieutenant General and former spec ops commander Mike Nagata has sounded the alarm about the state of the US militarys electronic warfare capabilities, warning that America is still falling behind adversaries in this area in spite of its best efforts.The US government, particularly its leadership  from senior military officers all the way to civilian policymakers  we have to be willing to take more risk in experimenting with, adopting and employing new technologies, Nagata urged, referring to the unique challenges said to be posed by Russian electromagnetic jamming equipment.The retired senior officers sentiments were echoed by other officials at the conference, who complained about Russias leading edge in EW, matched by critical investments in electromagnetic jamming capabilities, compared to a US military electronic warfare effort which in recent decades has been focused on intelligence gathering in low-intensity conflicts against weaker powers.Nagatas pessimistic assessment was matched by Hudson Institute senior fellow Daniel Patt in a recent written testimony to Congress. Patt warned in March that the Russian militarys fine-tuning of its electronic warfare systems had resulted in a 62 percent drop in the effectiveness of the 155 mm GPS-guided Excalibur artillery shells sent to Ukraine  from 70 percent to six percent.Russias EW CapabilitiesThe extent of the gap between Russian and NATO electronic warfare capabilities became glaringly clear through the course of the proxy war in Ukraine, a ghoulish endeavor into which the Western alliance has sunk tens of billions of dollars of its most advanced military equipment  including an array of guided missile, drone, and communications systems.Over the past two years, Russias electronic warfare forces have proven increasingly apt at jamming everything from the aforementioned guided artillery shells and JDAMs, to long-range drones, missiles, aircraft, and even commercial satellite constellations providing support for Ukraines military.Russias Armed Forces have recognized the changing face of warfare, including electronic warfare, through the course of the Ukraine crisis, adapted accordingly, and aren't resting on their laurels, Russian military observers say.Electronic warfare has been a Russian strong suit going back to the mid-20th century and the Soviet military doctrines emphasis on the total integration of electronic warfare and physical destruction resources on the battlefield, which resulted in the creation of an array of short, medium, long, and ultra-long range electronic warfare systems. Russia capitalized on and expanded these capabilities through timely investments to improve these systems from the mid-2000s onward.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240403/watch-russias-tetrahedron-electronic-warfare-system-being-tested-in-special-op-zone-1117715348.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240511/russias-electronic-warfare-creates-problems-for-us-precision-weaponry-in-ukraine---reports-1118382017.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240415/second-to-none-how-russia-masters-its-electronic-warfare-1117947049.html

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how strong are us electronic warfare capabilities, is us behind russia in electronic warfare
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240514/ukraines-terrorist-acts-sponsored-by-biden-family-associates---ukrainian-politician-1118422837.html

Ukraines Terrorist Acts Sponsored by Biden Family Associates - Ukrainian Politician

Ukraines Terrorist Acts Sponsored by Biden Family Associates - Ukrainian Politician

Sputnik International

People affiliated with US President Joe Bidens family business were financing certain terrorist acts of the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence via the Ukrainian energy company Burisma, thereby evading responsibility for money laundering and other offenses in Ukraine, former Ukrainian lawmaker Andrei Derkach said.

2024-05-14T10:26+0000

2024-05-14T10:26+0000

2024-05-14T10:26+0000

world

joe biden

daria dugina

zakhar prilepin

ukraine

russia

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"Affiliates of [US President Joe] Bidens family were financing terrorism, evading responsibility for corruption and money laundering in Ukraine," Derkach told Belarusian state-run news agency Belta. The terrorist acts listed include the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, the murder of Russian political analyst Daria Dugina, war correspondent Vladlen Tatarsky, as well as the attempted murder of Russian writer Zakhar Prilepin, Derkach said. The investigation has also managed to identify the perpetrators of the Nord Stream sabotages, Derkach added. They were first trained in a quarry lake in Ukraines Zhytomyr region, and then transferred to a NATO base in Romania, he said. The perpetrators got Romanian passports, he added. A Ukrainian counterintelligence officer and one of the countrys best tech divers were among the perpetrators, acting as "cover," Derkach added. In April, the Russian Investigative Committee said it had launched an inspection following an appeal by State Duma lawmakers on the need to investigate terrorist attacks believed to have been carried out by the United States, Ukraine and Western countries against Russia.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240411/ukrine-openly-talks-about-plans-to-use-terrorist-methods-against-russia---kremlin-1117868114.html

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ukraines terrorist acts, biden family associates, ukrainian lawmaker andrei derkach
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240514/us-ban-on-russian-uranium-imports-wont-fare-better-than-other-failed-western-sanctions--expert-1118425211.html

US Ban on Russian Uranium Imports Won't Fare Better Than Other Failed Western Sanctions  Expert

US Ban on Russian Uranium Imports Won't Fare Better Than Other Failed Western Sanctions  Expert

Sputnik International

It could take the US years to replace banned Russian uranium exports, Dr Mamdouh G. Salameh, an international oil economist, told Sputnik.

2024-05-14T16:42+0000

2024-05-14T16:42+0000

2024-05-14T16:56+0000

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uranium

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jake sullivan

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us energy department

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It could take the US years to replace banned Russian uranium exports, Dr Mamdouh G. Salameh, an international oil economist and a global energy expert, told Sputnik."This very fact will send prices of uranium fuels soaring, thus enhancing Russias revenues," the expert added. "Moreover, China is a huge importer of Russian nuclear fuels and Russia will succeed again in finding new markets as it succeeded with its other energy exports."However, the legislation allows for waivers in cases when the US determines that no alternative viable source of low-enriched uranium is available to sustain the continued operation of a US nuclear reactor or nuclear energy company, or if it also determines that imports of uranium are in the national interest.Any waiver issued by the US Energy Department must terminate by January 1, 2028, while the ban itself expires on December 31, 2040.US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the legislation was aimed at "reducing, and ultimately eliminating, our reliance on Russia for civilian nuclear power."Uranium is the most-used nuclear fuel in electricity generation. Since 1992, a major part of the uranium purchased by US nuclear power plant operators has been imported.Russia is the world's top supplier of enriched uranium, which is processed as a fuel with the most advanced technology, remarked Salameh. An estimated 24 percent of all uranium fuels used by US refineries is supplied by Russia, noted the global energy expert.ommenting on the anticipated waivers, Salameh remarked that in fact it will take much longer to implement the ban fully.After the legislation prohibiting supplies of Russian low-enriched uranium to the US  in retalliation for Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine  was passed by the Senate on April 30, US nuclear operators and nuclear fuel market participants did not hesitate to voice their concerns over the ban.Since the bill contains a provision that allows for the granting of waivers through 2027, Centrus Energy, which has bought uranium from Russia for years, was quick to signal it would apply for such a deferral.Russian pundits also warned that without the waiver, the US nuclear fuel market may collapse following the ban, leading to skyrocketing costs of enriched uranium.The US ban on Russias exports of enriched uranium will likely suffer the same fate as all other unprecedented Western sanctions that have backfired on their most ardent proponents, Salameh stressed.The US ban on uranium imports from Russia is "not critical for the Russian nuclear industry," Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.He added that Washington was finding it difficult to compete with Russia on the international market and, consequently, resorted to measures that "subvert, distort" all the norms of international trade.The ban is "nothing more than unfair competition," said Peskov, pointing out that "Russia's nuclear industry is one of the most advanced in the world."

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240511/why-russian-uranium-ban-has-given-entire-us-nuclear-industry-the-shivers-1118389908.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240126/us-push-to-cut-dependence-on-russian-uranium-ploy-to-form-cartel-to-strong-arm-sellers--1116399374.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240514/us-destroyer-quits-red-sea-sails-home-as-houthis-warn-of-escalation-enemy-cant-imagine-1118423160.html

US Destroyer Quits Red Sea, Sails Home as Houthis Warn of Escalation Enemy Cant Imagine

US Destroyer Quits Red Sea, Sails Home as Houthis Warn of Escalation Enemy Cant Imagine

Sputnik International

The Yemeni militias unrelenting campaign of ship hijackings and missile and drone attacks targeting Israeli, US and UK-linked commercial vessels has resulted in a two-thirds drop in traffic through the strategic Red Sea chokepoint since December. The militia has vowed to end its campaign if Israel halts its military incursion into Gaza.

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The USS Carney destroyer  the warship which became the face of the US Navys anti-Houthi operations last fall, left the Red Sea and arrived in Norfolk, Virginia after a grueling, months-long deployment in the Middle East.The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer was deployed for "routine operations" with the US 5th and 6th Fleets in late September 2023, but quickly found itself in the center of a hornets nest of escalating Middle East tensions in October after Hamas' surprise attack on Israel, and the subsequent Israeli aerial bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza.The warship escorted commercial vessels in an attempt to shield them from Houthi strikes, and itself became targeted repeatedly by drones and missiles. Beginning in January, the destroyer began firing its cruise missiles at targets inside Yemen in a desperate bid to weaken the Houthis strike potential.I could not be more proud of what the Carney team has done since September, US Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti said at a ceremony welcoming the warship to Norfolk. Called to action on the very first day that you entered the US 5th Fleet, you conducted 51 engagements in 6 months, the admiral said.The USS Carney is the latest warship from two separate Western coalitions  the US-UK-led Operation Prosperity Guardian and the EUs Operation Aspides, to leave the Red Sea and head home. Last month, German Navy frigate the Hessen left the area and sailed back to Germany as Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi promised European countries safe passage if they were "not heading towards the Israeli enemy. The EU-led operation has been far less belligerent than its US and UK-led counterpart so far, with EU warships not attacking targets inside Yemen.Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces Chairman Angus King warned at a hearing last week that US missile defenses have proven exorbitantly costly and ineffective not only against strategic adversaries like Russia, China, and Iran, but even against the Houthis, whose ability to churn out cheap missiles and drones are contrasted by the price tag of the American missile interceptors designed to stop them.Unimaginable EscalationHouthi military spokesman Yahya Saree warned at a press conference on Monday that the militia would escalate its campaign to a level the enemy cant even imaginable if Israel and its allies continue to cross Yemens red lines.Gaza is a red line for us, a red line. Our causes, holy sites, and our Islam are red lines, and we will not compromise on them, Saree said.Saree did not elaborate on what these hitherto "unimaginable" strikes may entail. However, earlier this month, the official announced the start of a fourth phase of Houthi operations against Israel, including the targeting of all ships heading to Israels Mediterranean Sea ports from any area within our reach.Last week, the Center for International Maritime Security, a Maryland-based security affairs think tank, admitted that Western naval operations in the Red Sea have been hampered by various shortcomings, including ammunition shortages, a lack of coordination between allied nations, as well as deficient equipment.Comparing the timing of the US and European-led anti-Houthi operations against the backdrop of declining maritime traffic through the Bab el Mandeb strait, the think tank admitted that so far, military operations have not led to a recovery in maritime traffic levels through the region.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240513/russian-un-envoy-says-israeli-operation-in-rafah-will-have-negative-impact-on-red-sea-1118414095.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240512/us-military-shoots-down-3-houthi-drones-over-red-sea-1118392814.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240508/houthis-vow-to-target-all-israel-linked-ships-in-reach-as-think-tank-warns-of-naval-drone-threat-1118340965.html

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Gaines Hanover faced no easy feat in his journey to dethrone the favourite in the $36,000 Preferred Trot at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Monday, May 13, but the Richard Moreau student made it happen in a career-best mile time.

A dense field of three millionaire earners made up half of the six feature trotters. Fashion Frenzie (Louis-Philippe Roy) was the first millionaire to take charge of the field to the quarter in :26.2, while $2.47 million earner Amigo Volo (Tyler Borth) was caught on the outside. Rounding out the top three at the top of the mile was millionaire Logan Park (Doug McNair). Fashion Frenzie took the trotters to the half in :55. After that mark, Logan Park took over from the outside and through to the three-quarters in 1:24.1.

Through the half and three-quarters, Gaines Hanover was making 'gains' of his own as he was on an outer flow bid. 'Gaines' and 'Logan' met on the same level going into the final turn, with only a nose separating the pair. They battled towards the finish line, but it was Gaines Hanover to prevail at the wire by three-quarters of a length in 1:52. Logan Park had to settle for second and Pemberton (Bob McClure) took the show spot.

Gestion J Y Blais Inc. owns the four-year-old Cantab Hall-Gatka Hanover gelding. Gaines Hanover won his second straight race in three starts this year and his ninth race from 24 career starts. He moved his career bankroll to $728,756. As the 8-1 upset victor, 'Gaines' paid $17.10 to win.

Moreau scored a training triple on the evening card after winning with Gaines Hanover, Captain Fireball ($8.20), driven by James MacDonald, in 1:51.4, and Flyingevenbettor N ($77.40), with Doug McNair, in 1:51.3.

St Pierre Prevails In Mohawk Billings Pace

Daniel St Pierre skimmed the pylons before veering out in the cavalry charge and slipping through a pristine lane to grab the win at the line with Coalition Hanover in the evening's $15,000 CKG Billings Pace.

St Pierre pulled back and raced eighth through a never-ending skirmish at the top. Mamba (Charles Longo) swooped to take the lead from Chief Of Staff (Anthony Verruso) past a :27.2 first quarter but then yielded the lead to Typhoon Stride N (Stephen Halkes) entering the backstretch. Typhoon Stride N then faced a first-over push from Hes Swift (Nello Guglielmi) up to a :56.2 half and through three-quarters in 1:24.3 while the whole field sprawled towards the center of the track.

With the field spread eagle for home, Control The Power (Robert Ciavardini) came calling for the lead first and overhauled Typhoon Stride N and staved off all the other closers except for Coalition Hanover, who fanned from the pylons to the four-path. As Control The Power drifted inside in late stretch, Coalition Hanover kept a straight line and quickened with a final jolt to down the leader by a head at the end of a 1:53.1 mile. Beyond Better (Julie Walker), sent off as the 2-1 favourite, rallied from last to take third and Thatll Be Tiger (Matt Zuccarello) grabbed fourth.

Pam Forgie trains Coalition Hanover, a six-year-old gelding by Somebeachsomewhere, for owners Triple S Equine and Brian Hammell. He paid $13.40 to win.

The American Harness Drivers Club (AHDC), which donated $1,000 to the Ronald McDonald house on Sunday night at Flamboro Downs, made another donation from its short Canadian tour on Monday night at Mohawk.

AHDC President Verruso led the presentation of a $1,000 donation to the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society (OSAS) following the fourth race Billings event featuring several AHDC club members. The OSAS is a charitable organization founded in 1996 focused on providing homes for retired and Standardbreds not in competition within Ontario.

Verruso was joined by fellow AHDC and Billings drivers for the cheque presentation in the winner's circle.



As a sport, we should do what we can to help racehorses have homes off the track when they're racing days are done, said Verruso. Supporting programs like the OSAS is one of the rewarding pieces of being an amateur driver. We get to enjoy the thrill of the competition and then help support the animals that make our game so great.

Mondays donation is just another of many thousands of dollars the AHDC has disbursed to charities in 2023. As amateur drivers, members of the AHDC do not retain the drivers share of purse earnings from races and instead reserves those dollars for charitable causes.

To view Monday's harness racing results, click the following link: Monday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.

(Standardbred Canada and CKG Billings & AHDC)
Trotters were in the Monday (May 13) afternoon spotlight at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, with two $20,548 divisions of a trot for developing horses the features.

The faster winner of the highlight events was the E L Titan sophomore gelding Super Duper Cooper, undefeated in two 2024 starts after setting a new mark of 1:55.1 on Monday. Owned by Timothy Craig, James Crawford IV and Carl Austin Jr., Super Duper Cooper overcame a first-over journey by going his back half in :56.1, winning by 4-1/2 lengths.

Super Duper Cooper (pictured above) was one of three winners on the card for trainer John Butenschoen, who tallied with three different drivers. The three-year-old was driven by Jason Bartlett, who also won three times, all for different trainers; Bartlett tied for the days sulky honours with Tyler Buter, who also won for three different trainers, including Butenschoen.

The other feature had a much closer finish, with winner Can Have It All coming from seventh and last at the half to win by a head over Stars Over Dover, with the first five finishers within 1-3/4 lengths at the wire. The victorious altered sophomore son of Cantab Hall took a new record of 1:58.2 for driver Anthony Napolitano, trainer Peter Pellegrino and Room4040 LLC Stables.

Two Tactical Landing sophomore geldings posted fast clockings in lower-rung races: Reggianito won his second straight while lowering his mark for 1:55.2 for trainer Butenschoen, driver Matt Kakaley and the ownership of Berg Brothers Racing LLC and Rich Preziotti, while Naked Cowboy broke his maiden in 1:55.4 for driver Anibal Borjas and trainer Tony Alagna, the latter co-owner with Geoffrey Dubrowsky.

A pair of $16,000 USD paces head the Tuesday, May 14 afternoon 1 p.m. card at Pocono, with a Superfecta carryover helping the pool in the days first race. On Saturda, May 18, the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes glamour division, the three-year-old pacing males, will come to town in four divisions, with last years freshman champion Captain Albano making his seasonal debut and 2023 Breeders Crown winner Gem Quality looking to follow up on his Pennsylvania All-Stars victory earlier this racing week; they will not be facing each other (for now anyway).

(PHHA / Pocono)
The Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) is celebrating its 50th anniversary season this year with special anniversary dates at tracks around the province where fans will be able to watch OSS Gold or Grassroots races, view memorabilia from seasons past, enjoy giveaways and more. Dont miss the first celebration date as the the Grassroots season kicks off at Flamboro Downs this Sunday, May 19.

When the very first Ontario Sires Stakes event was held on June 1, 1974, the Flamboro track was still under construction with a planned opening the following spring. Thus, Flamboro just missed becoming a charter member of the tracks hosting the fledgling Ontario Sires Stakes.

The following year, after the new track opened on April 9, it wasted little time in welcoming the travelling OSS events as it hosted three races on June 25, 1975. It was the two-year-old pacing colts and geldings, a few of them making their first or second lifetime start. A total of 31 eager participants were squeezed into three divisions on that memorable day. The total purse was $17,200.

In the opener, with a purse of $5,870, and a bulky field of 11, the winner was Prides Brat, a son of Lynden Dodger, owned by Grant Ross of Peterborough, Ont., and driven to victory by a very young Doug Brown. The time of the first division was 2:08.1. This colt went on to win five of his 13 season starts and banked a shade over $30,200.

In the next grouping, Armbro Renny was the winner with Ken McElroy in the bike for owners Elgin Armstrong and Harold Shipp. This son of Armbro Express paced in 2:07 for the quickest of the three divisions. This colt also went on to an outstanding 1975 season, tallying six wins and nearly $41,000 in the earnings column.

In the third and final division, the winner was Randy Herbert from the talent-laden Herbert Stables of Lambeth, Ont., with veteran driver and part-owner Jack Herbert in the sulky.

The Herbert family had been involved in Ontario colt racing dating back at least four decades and were still producing winning performers with regularity. When the once popular Supertest Petroleum Co. Stakes were introduced in 1944, a Herbert-owned colt named Jack E Herbert won the very first edition.

Flamboro Downs has been a continual host to OSS events and the scene of many thrilling races over the past half century. New track records have been set and often soon broken. The best and brightest stars of the OSS have performed in front of unusually large crowds, particularly in the early years. For many years a familiar face in the winners circle festivities was Charlie Juravinski, the man who had the vision for this now longstanding track.

OSS Scrapbook Memories



This is how the Flamboro track looked while under construction in 1974, the year the OSS was launched.



The winners circle was a happy place in this photo from 1985. The winning horse was Cranberry Hill with driver Dr. John Hayes Jr. In the centre is a smiling Charles Juravinski, along with co-owners Gord Rumpel (third from left) Margaret Juravinski (second from right) and Ila Rumpel (far right). On this night, Cranberry Hill set an OSS record of 2:00.2 for three-year-old trotting fillies at Greenwood.



On the far right is Charles Juravinski of Flamboro Downs.



Alberton and driver Jack Kopas, a pair that had much success at the Flamboro track. On July 8 , 1979, Alberton stormed to a 2:01 seasons mark. It was his fourth win in seven starts. The son of Armbro Omaha was owned by the estate of Elgin Armstrong of Brampton, Ont. A portion of the huge crowd is visible in the background.



In 1988, the two-year-old trotting colt Ride The Wave went undefeated in stakes action. One of his nine OSS victories came at Flamboro. He is shown above with his trainer William Wellwood in the sulky. This star performer was owned by Wellwood Stables and Charles Armstrong and led all OSS performers by virtue of his $141,276 earnings and took a mark of 2:00 in his season finale at Windsor.

(Robert Smith / Ontario Racing)
With the date for the 2024 Pepsi North America Cup eliminations just over three weeks away, many of the three-year-old pacers aiming for Canadian harness racing's biggest prize have made on-track appearances and statements as they stake their claim for divisional dominance.

This year's edition of the $1 million Pepsi North America Cup will be contested on Saturday, June 15 at Woodbine Mohawk Park in Campbellville, Ont., with eliminations the preceding Saturday, June 8.

Here are the horses that are still eligible to the Cup as of the April 15 sustaining payment and have raced or are in-to-go as of May 14.

A Class Yankee - qualified on May 11 at Flamboro Downs and finished third, individually timed in 1:58.2.

Always A Thrill - raced on May 11 at Woodbine Mohawk Park and finished seventh in the SBOA Stakes, individually timed in 1:51.4.

At Ease Hanover - raced on May 11 at at Woodbine Mohawk Park and finished fifth, individually timed in a 1:52; entered to race on May 18 in an overnight event at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Better Is Nice - raced on May 11 at Meadowlands Racetrack and finished third in a New Jersey Sire Stakes, individually timed in 1:51.1.

Bold Spirit - raced on May 11 at Woodbine Mohawk Park and finished fourth, individually timed in 1:51.4; entered to race on May 18 in an overnight event at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Booming Economy - raced on May 11 at Pocono Downs and finished fourth in the Pennsylvania All Stars, individually timed in 1:52; entered to race on May 18 in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at Pocono Downs.

Calicojack Hanover - qualified on May 13 at Woodbine Mohawk Park and finished second, individually timed in 1:54.1; entered to race on May 18 in an overnight event at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Captain Albano - qualified on May 10 at Meadowlands Racetrack, winning in 1:52.3; entered to race on May 18 in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at Pocono Downs.

Captain Fear Not - raced on May 11 at Pocono Downs and finished third in the Pennsylvania All Stars, individually timed in 1:51.3; entered to race on May 18 in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at Pocono Downs.

Captain Luke - qualified on May 10 at Meadowlands Racetrack and finished fifth, individually timed in 1:54.

Captains Quarters - qualified on May 6 at Woodbine Mohawk Park, winning in 1:53; entered to race on May 18 in an overnight event at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Century Komodo - raced on May 3 at Woodbine Mohawk Park and finished fourth, individually timed in 1:53.3.

Chain Gang - raced on May 11 at Woodbine Mohawk Park and finished fourth, individually timed in 1:54.2.

Chesterman - raced on May 10 at Woodbine Mohawk Park and finished third, individually timed in 1:52.2.

Clever Cody - raced on May 4 at Miami Valley Raceway, winning an Ohio Sire Stakes in 1:50.1; entered to race on May 18 in an overnight event at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Courtship - raced on May 10 at Meadowlands Racetrack and finished second, individually timed in 1:50.3.

Crush Kill Destroy - raced on May 2 at Plainridge Park and finished sixth in the Paul Revere Pace, individually timed in 1:52.2.

Cupid Shuffle - raced on May 4 at The Meadows and finished fifth in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes, individually timed in 1:53.1; entered to race on May 18 in an overnight event at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Do Better - raced on May 11 at Woodbine Mohawk Park and finished fourth in the SBOA Stakes, individually timed in 1:51.1.

Enforcer - raced on May 11 at Woodbine Mohawk Park and finished eighth in the SBOA Stakes, individually timed in 1:52.1.

Funtime Bayama - raced on May 11 at Woodbine Mohawk Park, winning the SBOA Stakes in 1:49.4.

Gem Quality - raced on May 11 at Pocono Downs in the Pennsylvania All Stars, winning in 1:53; entered to race on May 18 in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at Pocono Downs.

Honolulu Vacation - qualified on May 11 at Flamboro Downs and finished second, individually timed in 1:57.4; entered to race on May 15 in the Prospect Series at The Raceway at Western Fair District.

Hugh Heston - raced on May 11 at Pocono Downs in the Pennsylvania All Stars and finished fifth, individually timed in 1:54.1; entered to race on May 18 in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at Pocono Downs.

Hundred Dollar Man - raced on May 4 at Miami Valley Raceway and finished third in an Ohio Sire Stakes, individually timed in 1:50.4.

Its Saturday Night - raced on May 4 at The Meadows and broke stride in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes, finishing a distanced sixth; entered to race on May 18 in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at Pocono Downs.

Ivy Park - raced on May 11 at Pocono Downs in the Pennsylvania All Stars, winning in 1:51.3; entered to race on May 18 in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at Pocono Downs.

Janelle Granny - raced on May 11 at Scioto Downs and finished fifth, individually timed in 1:52.

Legendary Hanover - raced on May 11 at Woodbine Mohawk Park, winning in 1:49.4; entered to race on May 18 in an overnight event at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Like A Glove - raced on May 11 at Woodbine Mohawk Park and finished fourth, individually timed in 1:52.4; entered to race on May 18 in an overnight event at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Lous World - raced on May 11 at Woodbine Mohawk Park and finished third, individually timed in 1:51.4; entered to race on May 18 in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at Pocono Downs.

Lyons Benjamin - raced on May 4 at The Meadows and finished second in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes, individually timed in 1:51.3; entered to race on May 18 in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at Pocono Downs.

Miki Ray - raced on May 4 at Meadowlands Racetrack and finished second, individually timed in 1:51.2; entered to race on May 18 in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at Pocono Downs.

Maxim Hanover - qualified on May 10 at Meadowlands Racetrack and finished fourth, individually timed in 1:55.2.

Mirage Hanover - raced on May 11 at Meadowlands Racetrack, winning in 1:49.3.

Natural History - raced on April 26 at The Meadows and finished fourth, individually timed in 1:56.

Newsroom - qualified on May 10 at Meadowlands Racetrack and finished fourth, individually timed in 1:53.4.

Nijinsky - raced on May 11 at Woodbine Mohawk Park, winning in 1:51.

Number Cruncher - raced on May 10 at Meadowlands Racetrack, winning in 1:50.3; entered to race on May 18 in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at Pocono Downs.

Remember The Alamo - qualified on May 10 at Meadowlands Racetrack and finished second, individually timed in 1:52.3.

Rose Run Zeke - raced on May 11 in the Pennsylvania All Stars at Pocono Downs and finished sixth, individually timed in 1:54.1; entered to race on May 18 in the Pennsylvania Stallion Series at Pocono Downs.

Special Menu - qualified on May 8 at Hoosier Park and finished second, individually timed in 1:52.4; entered to race on May 18 in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at Pocono Downs.

Stat That - raced on May 10 at Hoosier Park and finished second, individually timed in 1:52.

Storm Shadow - raced on May 11 at Woodbine Mohawk Park and finished third in the SBOA Stakes, individually timed in 1:50.3.

Sudden Impact - qualified on May 7 at Harrah's Philadelphia and finished second, individually timed in 1:54.1.

Supplemental Fee - raced on May 12 at Tioga Downs, winning in 1:52.

The Dragon Reborn - raced on May 4 at Meadowlands Racetrack, winning in 1:51.1.

T H Mcmurry - raced on May 4 at Woodbine Mohawk Park and finished fourth, individually timed in 1:52.3; entered to race on May 18 in an overnight event at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Total Stranger - raced on May 9 at Harrah's Philadelphia, winning in 1:49.1.

Twin B Loudacris - raced on April 28 at Harrah's Philadelphia, winning in 1:53.1.

Unrivaled Hanover - raced on May 11 at Woodbine Mohawk Park and finished second in the SBOA Stakes, individually timed in 1:50.2.

Vandiemen Bluechip - qualified on May 10 at Meadowlands Racetrack and finished second, individually timed in 1:54.4.

Wallace Hartley - raced on May 10 at Woodbine Mohawk Park and finished fifth, individually timed in 1:52.4.

Wishyouwell - raced on May 11 at Meadowlands Racetrack and finished fourth in a New Jersey Sire Stakes, individually timed in 1:51.2.

The following Cup eligibles have not started in a qualifier or race in 2024: Nuclear and Zeppole Hanover.

(Photos courtesy New Image Media, clockwise from top left: Funtime Bayama, Legendary Hanover, Nijinsky and Mirage Hanover [pictured winning last year])

(Standardbred Canada)
An erratic driver hit three parked cars recently in the Highlands, an area the city is focusing on curbing speeding.

Longview Assistant Public Works Director Chris Collins said the area is infamous for accidents. The city plans to install 10 speed humps on Alabama Street, which turns into 32nd Avenue, between Oregon and Washington ways.

Police estimate Tobi Renee Rogers, 45, of Keizer, Oregon, was driving 60 to 70 mph in a 25 mph zone on April 30 in the 1500 block of Alabama Street before she struck parked vehicles and her SUV caught fire, with Rogers trapped inside.

Rogers survived the crash and was cited by police.

Linda Chavez said she saw the wreck up close  the fifth accident she estimates shes seen in the decade shes lived on the block.

I dont know how she did it, she hit his truck and folded the whole thing in, Chavez said about Rogers 2020 Subaru Forester hitting her neighbors truck.

The trucks owner, Kenn Juntunen, 50, works nights in St. Helens and was asleep when a neighbor knocked on his bedroom window to alert him of the crash.

He had only owned the 1998 purple Dodge Ram 4x4 truck for a year before Rogerss dark blue Subaru pushed the truck into a nearby yard.

She missed my motorcycle and hit the truck, he said.

Before the crash

That wasnt the only vehicle hit by Rogers that day.

The report says she hit a Chevy Trax near 23rd Avenue and Alabama, but didnt stop.

At about 5 p.m., a Longview officer reported seeing Rogers SUV speeding southbound in the 900 block of 32nd Avenue; she almost hit the officers car, but he couldnt turn around in time to stop her. Within minutes, the collision in the 1500 block of Alabama Street occurred.

There, she was headed eastbound and hit a Kia Optima, then Juntunens truck, before both landed in the front lawn of 317 15th Ave. with the SUV on fire and Rogers trapped inside, a report says. One vehicle in the crash also struck a nearby Nissan Pathfinder.

An eyewitness estimated to police Rogers was driving at about 100 mph on Alabama Street toward Oregon Way, failing to brake or turn and flipped her Subaru after the collision.

And people reported her erratic behavior before then.

At about 2:30 p.m. the same day, an employee at RV Country at 2625 Old Pacific Hwy. in Kelso reported a disoriented woman, who they didnt think should be driving, at the business. Later her license plate was confirmed to be Rogers.

A witness also told police after the accident that Rogers Subaru caught air while going through the 26th Avenue intersection in the Highlands.

Rescuing Rogers

While on the scene of the crash, the officer believed Rogers was likely driving impaired, but didnt see or smell alcohol or other intoxicants. A blood sample couldnt be drawn before she was sent to a Vancouver hospital, the police report states.

Longview Capt. Branden McNew said Rogers was cited for reckless driving and hit-and-run and she was sent to the hospital with non-fatal injuries.

A police report says Rogers broke bones in both her legs, her ribs, heel, and right arm, while a GoFundMe page to gather donations for her says she is in critical condition.

Chavez said her son used a fire extinguisher to put the car fire out before emergency personnel arrived.

Her boyfriend, Kelly Nuesse, 58, said he had to slash the Subarus airbag to give Rogers room. He comforted Rogers, who had cuts on her face, he added.

The Subarus dashboard was pressed into her chest, he said.

She asked if she could move her legs, I said no, he said, because the dashboard was in the way.

Longview Fire Department reports it took crews 16 minutes to remove Rogers, who was pinned by the steering wheel, from the mangled Subaru, using electric hydraulic tools to disassemble the SUV.

Rogers also had a small dog, which did not survive. A police report says firefighters found the dog between Rogers legs inside her SUV.
Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue received nearly $950,000 from the Cowlitz Indian Tribe Foundation to fund two brand new ambulances as the need continues to grow throughout the county.

On May 1, the fire department invited community members to a push-in ceremony at Station 21 in Ridgefield to commemorate the ambulance unit.

The push-in ceremony is a fire service tradition dating back to the late 1800s when fire departments used hand-drawn pumpers and horse-drawn equipment. Upon returning to the station after a fire call, the horses could not easily back the equipment into the station, so they were disconnected from the fire cart, and firefighters would push the equipment back into the bay themselves.

The first ambulance unit will initially respond as Rescue 21 and provide first response to medical emergencies and fire-related incidents in the district. The new ambulance will be staffed by a firefighter/EMT and a firefighter/paramedic. In January 2025, and as part of the new regional ambulance contract, Rescue-21 will become Medic-21 and function as a transport ambulance for high priority patients in the fire district.

Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue is a part of EMS District 2, which piggybacks off the contract American Medical Response has with the City of Vancouver, Chief John Nohr said.

Since the pandemic, AMR has experienced struggles fully serving the county and often can be heard on scanners operating at a level 0  no ambulances available, he said.

They started missing calls and being at what we call level 0, meaning there is not an ambulance available, and that creates an issue for us because now, our first responders are waiting, Nohr said. Some of those patients are critical. They need to go to the hospital for their definitive treatment, but even the ones that arent critical, once weve made patient contact, we cannot legally leave them and say, Well, the ambulance is coming and we dont need to be here. We have to stay with them until an ambulance arrives. Thats continuity of care.

Having two ambulances available for transport, mainly for priority one and two calls  from cardiac arrest traumatic injuries  will allow the district to be available for the next call-to-service, as well as move the patients to where they have to be: the hospital.

When ambulance service is at a level 0, not only are patients waiting on an ambulance, fire crews could be delayed in arriving, as well.

So thats been our concern, Nohr said. The response times and the number of level 0s have decreased, (and) their percentage of being on time is getting better, but its still a concern to us.

In 2023, Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue responded to roughly 1,300 priority one and two medical calls, Nohr said.

So thats 1,300 transports that we will do because from here we can hit all the areas in our district quickly.  So, we have a growing population, but we werent going to be getting the ambulances any quicker, Nohr said. And so I really appreciate the opportunity to work with whoever the next provider is through that contract and to work with that provider to be able to respond to the highest needs patients here.

Also at the ceremony, Cowlitz Indian Tribe Chairwoman Patty Kinswa-Gaiser presented Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue with a check that is equivalent to the ilani Casino and Resorts property taxes that everybody else in the district pays, Nohr said at the ceremony. In previous years, the impact fee for the ilani Casino and Resort was roughly $346,000, but the impact fee saw a 32% increase to around $455,000.

Prior to the hotel opening at ilani, Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue responded to 68 calls in the first five months of 2024. Nohr said they have responded to the Cowlitz Indian Tribe 130 times.
When it comes to bolstering confidence in elections, officials in Idahos Ada County have an intriguing idea. And while the results will bear watching, the idea clearly is superior to a suggestion from Washingtons Republican Party.

Ada County, home to Boise and the states most populous county, has developed a tool allowing users free and direct access to scanned images of every ballot cast since 2022. Known as Ballot Verifier and developed by Massachusetts-based software company Civera, the system allows viewers to verify that votes are accurately tabulated. Voters personal information is not accessible.

I dont know that we can get more transparent than what you are about to see, Ada County Clerk Trent Tripple said last month at a news conference. There is everything that you could ever want to see when it comes to election administration in this application.

Adam Friedman, founder of Civera, told technology news outlet Wired: A lot of the conspiracy theories and divisiveness and toxic rhetoric and mistrust around elections in America goes hand-in-hand with people not being able to see enough and people perceiving voting as being a black-box experience. Ballot Verifier is really a way to turn a black box into a glass box.

Indeed, divisiveness and toxic rhetoric have metastasized in our elections.

Claims of widespread election fraud  fostered by Donald Trump after he was rejected by the American people in the 2020 presidential election  have had no basis in fact. They have been rejected by dozens of courts. They have been rejected by Trumps own lawyers, with Sidney Powell once admitting, No reasonable person would conclude that the statements were truly statements of fact. And yet they persist.

So, when it comes to election transparency, Ada Countys experiment is worth a try  unlike the platform adopted by the Washington State Republican Party.

At their state convention last month, GOP delegates approved a plank calling for all ballots in the state to be counted by hand, rather than by machines. In the 2020 presidential election, more than 3.9 million votes were cast in the state. Now, according to the secretary of states office, there are 4.8 million registered voters in Washington.

In addition to the daunting logistics of counting all ballots by hand, it is folly to suggest that such a method would be more secure. Having teams of ballot-counters tabulate up to 4.8 million votes is an invitation for fraud, inaccuracy and subterfuge.

In Clark County, each election includes pre-election tests of the ballot-counting machines. It also includes a post-election manual count of approximately 600 ballots for a particular race, with the totals then compared to the machine tabulation. The results of that manual count, along with the signatures of 16 citizens who certify those results, are available on the countys website.

Those are strong measures for reassuring the public, but there always is room for improvement.

As Ada Countys Tripple said: We just decided theres got to be a way that we can push back against this a little bit but also achieve that perfect marriage between technology and government records so that citizens, candidates, parties, everybody has access to all the information that we have.

While ballots of recent elections are visible on the site, the first live test will be Idahos primary election on May 21. The results of the Ballot Verifier system will be as compelling as the political races.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has announced the creation of a Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) Center of Excellence in Paris, during the Choose France Summit, hosted by President Emmanuel Macron. The summit was attended by 300 global CEOs, including Mr. N. Chandrasekaran, the Chairman of Tata Sons.

The new AI center will be based in the upcoming TCS PacePort in the La Defense area of Paris, which will be inaugurated in June 2024, becoming the 7th such facility in TCS global Pace network, following Amsterdam, London, New York, Pittsburgh, Toronto, and Tokyo. The TCS AI Center of Excellence in Paris will leverage TCS global ecosystem of startups, academia, and research organizations to bring the best of global capabilities to French companies. The new center will join Frances growing AI ecosystem and tap into its deep talent base in design and engineering, to build advanced technologies in the space of human-centric AI. It will focus on pushing the boundaries of how AI can be designed and evolved to address business efficiencies and societal priorities. The impact areas shall include some of the key priorities listed in Frances National Strategy for AI, as part of the France 2030 plan.

Valerie Pecresse, President of the Regional Council of the Ile-de-France region, said, Paris region is fast developing into one of the global epicenters for Artificial Intelligence. We are delighted to see this new investment by TCS, which will boost the AI ecosystem we are looking to develop and provide new opportunities to our students and professionals. I look forward to inaugurating this center in June.

The center will, initially, focus on areas such as brain-computer interface, building empathy in machines, and unleashing the power of AI in arts and culture. The leading position that Paris has as a global hub of culture, arts and design will provide added impetus to this initiative.

Dr. Harrick Vin, Chief Technology Officer, TCS, said, The need of the hour is to boost AI skills present in the country, accelerate the adoption of AI in the French economy, and develop global capabilities here that will benefit the rest of the world. Our new AI center in Paris will focus on many of these areas, including the development of talent and leveraging the world-renowned culture that France has for design  reflected in its fashion, luxury sector and museums. We will seek to deepen our partnerships with universities, startups, and research centers in the country, as we operationalize this center in the coming weeks.

Rammohan Gourneni, Country Head, TCS France, said, We are very proud of the growth of our operations in France and the nature of the complex and high-value digital services we provide for our clients. Our new investments in the TCS PacePort in Paris and the TCS AI Center of Excellence are demonstrations of our ongoing commitment to building capabilities in the most advanced technologies and bringing them to bear for our clients in the country and across the world. The new center will focus on boosting human-centered AI capabilities for the banking & financial services, manufacturing, and consumer sectors, to start with. We will hire new talent and partner with universities to offer internships and projects, to support the National AI Mission.

TCS has continuously ramped up its investments in France, since commencing operations in 1992. With the acquisition of TKS- Teknosoft in 2006, and of Alti in 2013, TCS significantly boosted its presence in the region. It now has 1,600 employees in the country, working for 80 of Frances leading businesses. TCS has established three delivery centers in Lille, Poitiers, and Paris and will soon set up a new facility in Toulouse. It recently modernized its corporate headquarters in La Defense, invested in creating a new PacePort and has recruited 500+ people over the past three years.
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A Palestinian woman makes bread at a temporary camp in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 10, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over the weekend, in which the secretary reiterated Washington's opposition to a major ground operation in Rafah.

According to State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller, Blinken "reaffirmed the U.S. opposition to a major military ground operation in Rafah, where over one million people have taken shelter" during the Saturday call with Gallant.

"The Secretary underscored the urgent need to protect civilians and aid workers in Gaza and urged the Minister to ensure assistance can move into Gaza and help address distribution challenges inside of Gaza as Israel pursues Hamas targets," Miller said of the call in a statement.

Citing the Israeli Defense Ministry, CNN reported Monday that Gallant discussed with Blinken "developments in Gaza, including (Israel Defense Forces) operations across the Strip in the face of terror hotspots."

Gallant also spoke about what the ministry called "the precise operation in the Rafah area against remaining Hamas battalions, while securing the crossing," the report said.

The call came as U.S. President Joe Biden's administration began to limit the flow of U.S. weaponry to Israel in anticipation of a large-scale ground operation by Israeli forces in Rafah.

Earlier this month, Biden signed off on a pause of 3,500 bombs intended for Israel in the near term, for fear that they will be dropped in Rafah. Biden said should Israel go into Rafah and conduct operation targeting the population centers, his administration will not supply weapons for that cause.

In a high stakes State Department report that was published behind schedule on Friday, the Biden administration said that it is "reasonable to assess" that U.S. weapons supplied to Israel may have been used in violation of international law. The report added a caveat that information that Washington possessed was incomplete, not enough for reaching a definitive conclusion.
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

The head of Amazon's AWS cloud computing business, Adam Selipsky, who was helping lead the company's expansion into AI, told workers he was stepping down Tuesday.

Amazon Web Services is a key subsidiary of the tech giant, having made $25 billion worldwide in the first quarter, capitalizing on the growing appetite among businesses for remote computer and artificial intelligence services.

In a memo to staff, Selipsky said he was leaving with "mixed emotions," but "given the state of the business and the leadership team, now is an appropriate moment for me to make this transition."

Selipsky was promoted to the leadership of AWS in 2021, replacing Andy Jassy, who took over the reins of the entire Amazon juggernaut when founder Jeff Bezos stepped down as CEO.

Matt Garman, senior vice president of sales and marketing at AWS, will succeed Selipsky, Amazon said.

"Matt has an unusually strong set of skills and experiences for his new role," said Amazon CEO Jassy.

A pioneer of e-commerce, Amazon also dominates the cloud. AWS had 31 percent of the cloud computing market at the end of 2023, according to Stocklytics.

But rivals Microsoft and Google are gaining ground with their cloud businesses, with 24 percent and 11 percent market share respectively.

The race has become particularly heated since the deployment of ChatGPT-style artificial intelligence that the cloud companies are offering to clients who want to buy into the AI revolution.

But AWS is less known to the public and Amazon does not have the flagship AI brands such as ChatGPT or Google's Gemini that are being deployed across those firms' lines of products.

AWS in April cut hundreds of jobs, particularly in sales and marketing, to better focus on AI and other priorities.

But Selipsky told AFP in an interview on April 13 that AI has not replaced any of the cloud platform workers.

"AWS has thousands of job postings online today, and yesterday, and the day before, and we will also have (them) tomorrow," he said.

 2024 AFP
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Younger audiences increasingly get their information from influencers as they turn away from traditional media.

The EU announced steps Tuesday to encourage influencers to post content that has a "positive" impact on society, as concerns rise over disinformation in a fragmented information landscape.

With online creators increasingly the preferred source of news and opinions for younger audiences in the European Union, Brussels said they needed to be helped to use their role wisely.

Ministers from EU countries responsible for culture, audiovisual and media issues approved a series of steps to support influencers and make them more aware of their responsibilities.

They called for member countries and the European Commission to educate content creators on EU laws that apply to them and "to understand the potential negative impact of sharing mis- and disinformation, online hate speech, cyberbullying and other illegal or harmful content".

The ministers also said that influencers need to be involved in the writing of EU policies that could impact them, "including the increased use of AI".

Attention was also given to "kidfluencers"influencers under the age of 18and how their parents need to ensure they are abiding by online laws.

While influencers foster online communities and provide a sense of belonging on the internet, the content they produce "can potentially be harmful, both to individuals' mental health and at a societal level in areas such as democracy," the Council of the EU representing the member countries said in a statement.

It adopted its list of recommendations for influencers less than a month before EU elections that will decide the next European Parliament, and then indirectly the senior officials in the next European Commission.

Hidden advertising

Concerns have been rising in the EU over efforts to manipulate European public opinion through online platforms.

Russian outlets deemed propaganda tools have been banned, though they can still be found on the web, and officials are probing allegations that Moscow used EU lawmakers and aides to spread disinformation.

The European Commission has also upped scrutiny on online platforms to make sure they comply with new EU laws cracking down on illegal online content.

It has opened investigations into Facebook, Instagram, Elon Musk's X, TikTok and Chinese retailer AliExpress.

In the EU, influencerswho often make money through advertising, sponsorships, or selling through affiliated links to retailershave to abide by consumer and advertising laws.

Several EU countries have found many have come up short.

French authorities, for instance, have found that, since 2021, 60 percent of influencers investigated did not properly comply, resulting in fines and, in some cases, forcing the creators to post Instagram stories setting out their violations.

In Spain, the consumer affairs ministry last year conducted a sweep of popular online platforms and found that 78 percent of content contained undisclosed advertising.

 2024 AFP
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The University of Maine's first prototype of an offshore wind turbine is seen in this Sept. 20, 2013 file photo, near Castine Maine. Credit: AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, files

As waves grew and gusts increased, a wind turbine bobbed gently, its blades spinning with a gentle woosh. The tempest reached a crescendo with little drama other than splashing water.

The uneventful outcome is exactly what engineers aimed for.

The demonstration featuring a 13-foot-tall (4-meter-tall) floating wind turbine in an indoor pool aimed to ensure it can withstand the strain of powerful water and wind when much larger versions are deployed in the ocean.

It's the University of Maine's contribution to a worldwide race to improve floating machines to tap wind that blows across deeper waters offshore, too deep to attach turbines to the seabed with permanent pilings.

In the next decade, UMaine researchers said, they envision turbine platforms floating in the ocean beyond the horizon, stretching more than 700 feet (210 meters) skyward and anchored with mooring lines.

"These structures are massive," said Anthony Viselli, chief engineer for offshore wind technology at the university's Advanced Composites Center, after the demonstration wrapped up. "These would be some of the largest moving structures that humankind has endeavored to create. And there would be many of them."

As the technology advances, dozens of designs are being promoted by experts who see floating wind turbines as a way to address climate change by shifting away from burning fossil fuels.

A computer graphic shows stability tests on a 13-foot-tall wind turbine in a wave pool, Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at the University of Maine, in Orono, Maine. Credit: AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

Floating turbines are the only way some countries and U.S. states can capture offshore wind energy on a large scale. In the U.S. alone, 2.8 terawatts of wind energy potential blows over ocean waters too deep for traditional turbines that affix to the ocean floor, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. That's enough to power 350 million homesmore than double the number of existing homes in the U.S.

The first floating wind farm started operating off Scotland's coast in 2017. In the United States, the Department of Interior two weeks ago proposed the first floating wind energy auctions for the Gulf of Maine, following lease auctions for the West Coast that began in 2022. The nearly 1 million acres up for auction off the New England coast could generate enough clean wind energy to power more than 5 million local homes, the department said.

UMaine is home to the nation's largest team of engineers dedicated to floating offshore wind. Other big players include Equinor, which has installed a demonstration floating project of the coast of Norway; global company Principle Power, which has installed small-scale projects off Scotland and Portugal; and SBM Offshore, which has a demonstration project off France.

Floating offshore wind is still a nascent industry, however, making it expensive.

Habib Dagher, director of the advanced composites center, center, works with research assistants Ryan Thornton, left, and Mitchell Kelley, at the University of Maine, Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at the University of Maine, in Orono, Maine. Credit: AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

The Norwegian company Equinor postponed its Trollvind floating initiative, citing technology availability, rising costs and a strained timetable to deliver on the original concept.

Danish wind energy developer rsted decided to focus its efforts on fixed-bottom turbines, foregoing deeper offshore regions including Japan, Norway, Spain, Portugal and the U.S. West Coast. "We care a lot about affordability of renewable power, and floating wind is a lot more expensive than bottom-fixed," said CEO Mads Nipper.

But others are moving forward.

Gazelle Wind Power is developing a modular platform system to make manufacture and assembly cost-effective and efficient.

"This is a global problem and this is an ideal solution in order to deliver power to shore," said Gazelle Wind Power CEO Jon Salazar.

UMaine launched its first floating prototype a decade ago and became a surprise global leader after a study showed that the Gulf of Maine had the wind energy potential of 156 nuclear power plants, due to fast, consistent wind.

A 13-foot-tall wind turbine is tested for stability in a wave pool, Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at the University of Maine, in Orono, Maine. The waves simulate worst possible conditions for an offshore wind turbine on a 1:70 scale. Credit: AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

The state could meet all its home heating needs and power every carif they were all electric vehiclesby tapping just 3% of that water. That improves the odds of successfully sharing the resource with fishermen, recreational boaters, the military and, of course, marine life. Indeed, the federal government's lease proposal spares Maine's key lobstering grounds from development, removing a potential obstacle.

Trailblazers in offshore wind are benefiting from work done by the oil industry, which engineered floating oil and gas rigs, said Habib Dagher, director of the Advanced Composites Center.

The university's wind wave basin, which looks something like a swimming pool with wave and wind generators that can mimic ocean conditions up to a 500-year storm, takes that work to the next level.

On a recent day, the semi-submersible floating turbine was tethered to the bottom of the basin. Its 1:70 scale represented a real turbine standing about 800 feet (240 meters) tall atop a platform in the ocean. The goal is to have industrial scale turbines of 15 to 20 megawatts each, Dagher said.

A 13-foot-tall wind turbine floats in a wave pool, Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at the University of Maine, in Orono, Maine. At UMaine more than 50 engineers comprise the largest floating offshore wind team in the U.S.Credit: AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

Anthony Viselli, manager of offshore model testing and structure design, left, and Habib Dagher, director of the advanced composites center, examine used anchor cables used for securing floating offshore wind turbines to the ocean floor, Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at the University of Maine, in Orono, Maine. Credit: AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

A bank of powerful fans and 16 mechanical paddles are used to simulate in a pool the worst conditions at sea, Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at the University of Maine, in Orono, Maine. Credit: AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

A figure represents a human standing on a vertical column used to stabilize a floating wind turbine in the wave pool, Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at the University of Maine, in Orono, Maine. Credit: AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

Size and efficiency are keys to profitability. Larger wind turbines mean fewer are needed, reducing construction, installation and maintenance costs, Viselli said. With greater size and efficiency, developers envision only about 50 turbines needed to produce about the same amount of electricity as a nuclear power plant.

Full-size turbines generate peak power starting at about 20 mph (32 kph). In powerful storms, they shut down automatically to avoid stressing the equipment or breaking. The mooring lines tethered to the ocean floor are made of rope nearly thick as a telephone pole and under heavy tension. That makes them safer for marine mammals.

For all the turbine technology, the platforms developed by UMaine can be built locally with concrete, a simple material that's readily available. The university already has partners around the world interested in licensing its technology. The state of Maine plans to develop a port facility in the Searsport area to build the floating bases and attach turbines before sending them into the Gulf of Maine.

A brand new industry means some experiments in design will succeed and some will fail. And there is work to ensure that wind farms are good neighbors, overcoming objections from others using the ocean.

"We're going to have some problems and we have to figure out how to roll up our sleeves and solve these problems," Dagher said. "And I think we have no choice as a society but to do that."

 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Seeking to create a calming, luxurious environment, salon owner Silvia Campana consulted with Donna Ellis at Lines by Nature LLC to enhance its acoustical landscape. Credit: Virginia V. Ellis

Walking out of a hair salon can have customers feeling brand new, but the noisy environment may have negative effects at the cost of a new "do." At Image Creators salon in Maryland, owner Silvia Campana along with her employees and customers noticed they had to work hard to understand each other's words while in the salon, but they couldn't put their finger on exactly why.

In addition to difficulties understanding speech, Campana experienced increased ear pain and tinnitus after long-term exposure to high sound pressure levels while working at the salon. These challenges inspired some creative solutions.

Campana consulted with Donna Ellis at Lines by Nature LLC to enhance the acoustical landscape at the high-end beauty salon. Ellis experimented with noise reduction methods to contribute to the calming, luxurious environment desired by the clientele and employees. She presents her work Tuesday, May 14, at 3:00 p.m. EDT as part of a joint meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the Canadian Acoustical Association, held May 1317 at the Shaw Center located in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

"Many noisy environments can be fixed in reasonably fast, cost-effective ways to provide social environments where our hearing is protected, where we can relax, and where we can have meaningful conversations with our friends, business colleagues, and family," said Ellis.

Ellis collaborated with Campana to improve the salon's acoustics and reduce the noise levels for the customers and staff. The main noise sources came from long reverberation times, high background noise from the HVAC system, hair dryers, and multiple people talking.

The pair found great success by installing acoustically absorptive materials throughout the salon. Reducing noise levels noticeably improved the ability to converse easily. In addition, receptionists were able to actually answer the phones at the counter and staff reported reduced ear pain.

"After the acoustics were retrofit the customers sensed a difference," said Ellis. "When asked what changed, salon staff point up and it clicks. Customers often share their gratitude and surprise at the difference good acoustics make on their salon experience."

The safety upgrades created for the salon are transferable to other noisy locations. With healthy noise levels being the focus, Ellis has data to show how noise reduction can be implemented within interior spaces.

"By balancing the listening environment, our findings can be applied to other salons, restaurants, stores, and conference centers to name a few," said Ellis. "The solutions would support clear verbal communication in enclosed spaces and protect the occupational safety of the employees and customers."

Ellis collected positive feedback from the occupants and emphasized the importance for communities and industries to support healthy human function as a whole.

More information: Technical program: https://eppro02.ativ.me/src/EventPilot/php/express/web/planner.php?id=ASASPRING24
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Existing apps for managing screen time can abruptly lock users out of their phone. If users were in the middle of an important task, they could scramble to skip the time limit, opening themselves up to spend more time on their phone than originally intended. InteractOuts interventions are more gradual and allow users to decide when to put down their phones while also encouraging them to think harder about their smartphone use. Credit: Jeremy Little, Michigan Engineering

The best way to help smartphone users manage their screen time may be to make phones progressively more annoying to use, according to new University of Michigan research.

The study, published in Proceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, shows that interfering with swiping and tapping functions is around 16% more effective at reducing screen time and the number of times an app is opened than forcibly locking users out of their phones.

The lockout strategy is used by many screen-time management apps today, and such apps also send users a notification offering more time before locking. Researchers discussed the findings Monday, May 13, at the Association for Computing Machinery's Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2024) in Honolulu.

"Lockout apps are pretty disruptive, so if someone is in the middle of an important task or a game, they'll scramble to skip through the screen timer. Then, they can forget about the time limit and spend more time on the phone than they wanted to," said Anhong Guo, U-M assistant professor of computer science and engineering and the corresponding author of the study.

Credit: University of Michigan

The researchers' InteractOut app is more effective at limiting screen time because it is less restrictive and harder to ignore than hard lockouts. Once the user's designated screen limit has been reached, InteractOut can delay the phone's response to a user's gesture, shift where tapping motions are registered or slow the screen scrolling speed.

The strength of the delays and shifts continues to increase each time the user touches the phone, up to a pre-set maximum, and the user can decide how the app interferes with their phone use. The app's gradual interference allows users to continue using their phone, but with a little extra difficulty.

"If we just continuously add a little bit of friction to the interaction with the phone, eventually the user becomes more aware of what they are doing because there's a mismatch between what they expect to happen and what actually happens. That makes using smartphones a more deliberate process," said Guo, who also is an assistant professor of information.

The researchers believe that forcing more mindfulness into otherwise mindless gesturing is the key to making smartphones less addictive.

"We want to evoke users' awareness of using their smartphone so that they can use it more productively," said study first author Tao Lu, a recent U-M bachelor of science graduate in computer science who is now a master's student at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

While designing InteractOut, the researchers had to be careful not to make the phone so inconvenient that it became insufferable. To ensure their software strikes the right balance, the team tested their app's performance in a field study of 42 participants that took place over five weeks.

In the first week of the study, the researchers reviewed how often each participant used their phones without screen time management tools. Then, each participant installed the InteractOut app on their Android phone and chose which other apps it could monitor and interfere with. The researchers fixed the participants' daily screen time allowance to one hour, after which InteractOut began to modify swipe and tap functions inside of the specified apps.

All participants received a random swipe and tap intervention from InteractOut for a single two-week period, and their screen time was compared to a separate two-week period in which they used Timed Lockout, a widely available app that imposes hard lockouts.

The researchers found that InteractOut was not only more effective at reducing screen time for the targeted apps than a hard lockout, but it was also better received by the study participants. When the screen-time management apps were activated, around 62% of the participants kept InteractOut's interventions on for the day, but only 36% of the participants did the same with Timed Lockout.

There is still room for improvement, however. The participants thought that InteractOut was too intrusive for some games that require precise, real-time movements. It was also less effective at limiting the amount of time spent on apps that require few tapping or swiping gestures, such as video streaming services. Guo plans to find ways to tailor the app's interventions to be better suited for different kinds of phone apps.

The team has submitted an invention disclosure for the software and hope to eventually bring it to market.

More information: Tao Lu et al, InteractOut: Leveraging Interaction Proxies as Input Manipulation Strategies for Reducing Smartphone Overuse, Proceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (2024). DOI: 10.1145/3613904.3642317
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People prepare to leave a shelter in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 6, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Israeli army said on Monday that it has intensified its offensive from north to south in the Gaza Strip, targeting 120 sites in Rafah city, the neighborhoods of Jabaliya and Zeitoun in Gaza City.

Israel's armored 162 Division was fighting in eastern Rafah and on the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing, launching "attacks on Hamas targets," including rocket launchers, and killing "several" militants in face-to-face clashes, the army said in a statement.

The military said it was conducting "a limited" operation against militant infrastructure in Rafah, while the United Nations reported that over 300,000 Palestinians have fled Rafah since the weekend as Israeli soldiers advanced further into the city.

Commando and infantry forces attacked Jabaliya from the ground as the Air Force carried out airstrikes. The troops were engaged in "close-range battles," the military said, adding that "many underground infrastructures and fighting spaces in the area were destroyed."

"In one of the attacks, a military building was destroyed where a group of Hamas terrorists gathered," stressed the statement, adding that ground and aerial attacks were carried out also in Zeitoun.

The military reported that a total of 11 soldiers have been injured in the Gaza Strip since Saturday. Among them, five soldiers and an additional civilian employee of the army sustained serious wounds, while the remaining suffered moderate injuries.

The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip climbed to 35,091, according to health authorities in Gaza, including 57 individuals killed by the Israeli army over the past day.
Vietnam needs to modify FDI incentives to stay competitive amid global minimum tax application: expert

By Prof. Nguyen Mai Tue, May 14, 2024 | 9:37 am GMT+7

Vietnams policymakers need to consider changes to foreign direct investment incentives to keep the country competitive when it implements Global Minimum Tax rules, says Prof. Nguyen Mai, chairman of the Vietnams Association of Foreign Invested Enterprises (VAFIE).

The OECD's Global Minimum Tax rules, also known as Pillar 2, stipulate the GMT rate at 15%. Photo courtesy of Friedrich Naumann Foundation.

Since 1986, Vietnam has been transforming into a market economy while integrating internationally, expanding trade and investment relations with other countries on the principle of equality and mutual benefit.

Since the country adopted the Law on Foreign Investment in December 1987, the foreign direct investment (FDI) sector has made important contributions to its socio-economic development. The country had attracted a total of 39,140 valid projects with a combined registered capital of $468.9 billion as of the end of 2023, with $297.2 billion disbursed, equal to 63.4% of registered capital. The FDI sector annually contributes about 20% of GDP, 20% of state budget revenue, 55% of total industrial output, and 72% of external trade, creating 4.5 million direct jobs and tens of millions of indirect jobs.

Harmonizing interests

Vietnam's policy on inbound and outbound FDI is consistent with the basic principle of harmonizing national interests with foreign investors', the interests of the Vietnamese side with foreign sides, and employers' interests with employees. The country attracts FDI to meet its socio-economic goals, while foreign investors come to Vietnam mainly to make money. Therefore, in the context of fierce competition for FDI, the state needs to facilitate institutions and create an attractive investment environment to harmonize national interests with investors to lure more FDI.

National interests require industries, localities, and businesses to serve and not oppose them. Unfortunately, in reality, there have been actions that negatively impact national interests, such as refusing to open the market, seeking to prolong monopolies, and setting conditions that are against the law.

To name a few examples, state utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN), which wants to maintain a monopoly, does not want to attract too many FDI projects in solar and wind power, even though our country has advantages in these areas and huge power demands. In the early stages, the post and telecommunications industry advocated no joint ventures or 100% foreign investment in telecommunications services, which limited the industrys ability to meet the rapidly increasing demand for its services.

Some local governments have proposed tax incentives and land rents that are higher than the regulated levels. Many FDI enterprises have exerted pressure and made use of several contact channels to force the government to extend its trade protectionism. That situation is contrary to state laws, inconsistent with our country's international commitments, and slows down the process of perfecting the market economy and international integration.

Policies and state laws must be implemented uniformly throughout the country. Government agencies and localities can apply policies and laws that suit their situations, but cannot go beyond the framework prescribed by the state. Its worth remembering that, while Vietnam holds the right to promulgate policies and laws, investors have the right to choose which country to invest in. If their interests are in harmony with our national interests, they will proceed with the project.

On the contrary, if policies and laws do not create an attractive investment environment, they will not invest, or even shift their currently operating factories to another country. On the other hand, it is also necessary to realize the limits of meeting investor interests while making policies and laws, so as not to harm national interests.

Parliamentary resolution on Global Minimum Tax (GMT) implementation

On November 29, 2023, the National Assembly passed Resolution No. 107/2023/QH15 on levying additional corporate income tax as per Global Anti-base Erosion (GloBE) rules; applying a tax rate of 15% to taxpayers who are constituent entities of multinational enterprises with turnover in their consolidated financial statements of the Ultimate Parent Entity (UPE) for at least two of the four years immediately preceding the fiscal year reaching 750 million or more.

Exceptions are government organizations, international organizations, non-profit organizations, pension funds, investment funds that are UPEs, real estate investment entities that are UPEs, and entities with at least 85% of the asset value owned directly or indirectly through organizations specified in points a to e of this clause.

The resolution also explains that the GloBE rules and the Vietnamese government's regulations are consistent with the GMT regulations of the Inclusive Framework (IF) on base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS), to which Vietnam is a party (hereinafter referred to as the GMT regulations).

The OECD's GMT, also known as Pillar 2, stipulates the GMT rate at 15%, requiring FDI enterprises to pay income tax of at least 15%.

In case after the effective date of this resolution, the IF on BEPS guides, amends, and supplements GMT regulations, the government will promulgate provisions for implementation. In case GMT regulations contradict this resolution, the government shall report to the National Assembly for consideration and approval. In cases of urgency between two regular parliamentary sessions, the government shall report to the National Assembly Standing Committee for consideration and approval and report to the parliament at the nearest session.

Resolution 107/2023/QH15 takes effect on January 1, 2024, applicable from fiscal year 2024.

To make regulations on corporate income tax consistent, the National Assembly has asked the government to urgently complete a dossier of the (amended) Law on Corporate Income Tax according to the provisions of the Law on Promulgation of Legal Documents and submit it to the Standing Committee of the National Assembly. The parliament will then consider adding it to its 2024 lawmaking agenda.

International organizations, investors, and FDI enterprises subject to the GMT highly appreciate Vietnams capacity to promulgate economic policies, including FDI policies commensurate with international changes such as the GMT regulations. They also expect the government to ensure the principle of harmony of interests when implementing it in Vietnam.

Samsung Electronics Vietnam (SEV)  the largest investor and most important contributor to the country's economic growth  posted revenue of about $75 billion in 2023, accounting for nearly 20% of Vietnams export turnover, creating jobs for nearly 200,000 direct workers and millions of indirect workers. It plans to rapidly ramp up investment in information technology and semiconductors, and hopes the government to ensure fair and equitable benefits for the company.

Ongoing issues

The Ministry of Finance is in drafting a government decree to implement the National Assemblys GMT Resolution. The Ministry of Planning and Investment is drafting a government decree to amend several regulations related to the GMT and a decree to amend the investment incentive policy from mainly tax holidays to finance and cost-based incentives for priority projects.

The Vietnams Association of Foreign Invested Enterprises recommends:

1) Quickly review FDI enterprises affected by GMT implementation, assess the ability to collect the top-up tax and the impact on the investment environment; review all current regulations on investment incentive policies to eliminate those that are no longer consistent with the GMT regulations. Only when the full extent of the impact is determined can appropriate solutions be worked out.

2) Proactively gain the right to impose a top-up tax by adopting domestic regulations to implement the GMT. Urgently study and apply the Qualified Domestic Minimum Tax (QDMTT) mechanism according to OECD standards from 2024 onwards.

3) To remain competitive in attracting foreign investment, Vietnam needs to consider switching from investment incentives in the form of CIT to cost-based incentives, including accelerated depreciation, monetary support for R&D activities, infrastructure investment, and human resource training, among others.

The promulgation of new policies and mechanisms needs to be carefully considered to ensure fairness for companies subject and not subject to adjustments related to Pillar 2, ensuring consistency with regulations that safeguard investors rights, as well as not violating international commitments and OECD regulations that Vietnam is a party to.

4) Make changes to FDI incentive policies in a way that focuses on improving Vietnams competitiveness with factors such as robust betterment of the investment-business environment, especially administrative procedures; upskilling of the workforce; upgrading of infrastructure systems; development of supporting industries and suppliers, which are the basic factors that influence foreign corporations investment decisions instead of applying tax incentives.

5) Vietnam needs to proactively propose ASEAN countries take common measures in applying the GMT, building a consensus on common minimum standards for investment incentive policies to prevent unfair competition for FDI attraction among member countries.

The Vietnamese state is reforming institutions, laws, and FDI policies that approach international practices to successfully attract FDI in line with orientations to high-tech, future industries such as AI, blockchain, Big Data, modern services, R&D, innovation, skilled human resources, and healthcare. These orientations will help effectively implement 17 new-generation free trade agreements and multi-faceted cooperation at bilateral, regional, and international levels to respond to challenges and take advantage of new opportunities, and quickly realize prosperity aspirations for a rich people, prosperous nation, and fair, democratic and civilized society.

* Prof. Nguyen Mai is former Vice Chairman of State Committee for Cooperation and Investment, now Ministry of Planning and Investment.
They finally closed us up, Adjutant Jody Pendarvis said at the final meeting of American Legion Post 64 in Bowman.

Bowman Legion follo Jody Pendarvis retires the U.S. flag for the final time following the last meeting of American Legion Post 64 in Bowman.

Earlier this year, state Legion officials announced their intention to revoke the posts charter because it had fewer than 15 paid members.

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Pendarvis submitted an appeal after a last-minute recruitment effort raised the posts membership up to 12  including four who live outside South Carolina.

TravelCenters to locate at Bowman/Vance I-26 exit A travel center, industrial park and standalone gas station are all part of development plans at Bowman/Vance Exit 165 off Interstate 26.

But state Legion officials voted 15-9 to reject the appeal, Pendarvis said.

Post 64s final meeting on Saturday, May 4, was short and bittersweet.

Pendarvis and another member voted to pay the posts remaining debts, disburse the rest of its assets, and vacate the building on Charleston Highway, which was on long-term loan from the property owner.

Bowmans UFO Welcome Center destroyed by fire A Bowman icon has burned to the ground. The UFO Welcome Center, located on Homestead Road, caught fire on Thursday morning.

Post 64s members can request a refund of their annual dues or transfer their membership to a post in Orangeburg, St. George, Holly Hill, or elsewhere, Pendarvis said.
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This photo taken on March 27, 2024 shows a portrait of Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, in Singapore. [Photo/Xinhua]

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday submitted his resignation to President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, saying he and his government will resign on Wednesday.

Lee said in the letter that he advised the president to invite Lawrence Wong to form the next government.

Tharman Shanmugaratnam accepted Lee's resignation and said he will appoint Wong as prime minister and invite him to form the new government.

Gan Kim Yong and Heng Swee Keat will be deputy prime ministers in the new government, Wong announced at a press conference.

Gan will remain as the Minister for Trade and Industry and replace Wong as the chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

Lee Hsien Loong and Teo Chee Hean will be senior ministers in the new cabinet, said Wong, who will remain as the Finance Minister.
How you want this to go? You want me to kill you and your son, or you want me just kill you alone?

This was the question posed to 40-year-old Anna Ellis yesterday, when she was attacked by a man known to her at her home on Dibe Road, St James.

Ellis, who was stabbed multiple times, was able to speak with reporters yesterday afternoon while police were conducting a search for her 12-year-old son, who was kidnapped following the confrontation.
Hasely Crawford and Keshorn Walcott are among the household names in Trinidad and Tobago who made an impact through success at elite-level sport.

To date, Crawford and Walcott are the countrys only individual Olympic gold medallists. They serve as examples for young T&T athletes with big ambitions.

Some will become world-beaters; others will not. And thats the reality of sport. Many participate, but a relative few reach the elite level. Even fewer get to the top of the podium in global competition.
If you would like an opportunity to raise a glass to the changemakers of tomorrow while making a difference in lives of the local youth of today, just attend the Inaugural Toast to Tucson at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 17, at Proper Shops Downtown, 300 E. Congress St.

Presented by Young Leaders United (YLU), a group of professionals affiliated with United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona, the fundraiser benefits young people ages 16-24, known as Opportunity Youth.

We want to elevate our young leaders, who are really leaders of the future. Hence, we have two awards: The Howard Stewart Emerging Philanthropists Award for those who show a keenness to give back to the community; and the Rising Star Award, which celebrates a current or former Tucson Opportunity Youth who has used difficult experiences to turn around their situation and inspire others, said Melissa DAuria, Chief Advancement Officer of United Way Tucson.

The Rising Star Award & Scholarship also provides $2,500 for the recipient to use toward educational attainment, serving as additional inspiration for other Opportunity Youth. Identified as young people who are not engaged in work or school for economic and/or personal reasons, Opportunity Youth often lack permanent shelter and other basic needs.

The group is one area of focus in the United Ways 2 Gen approach to combatting generational poverty and supporting economic vitality.

The youth represent endless potential, and providing opportunities and resources to assist them in pursuing their next steps benefits the entire community, according to Chris Gast, Co-Chair of Young Leaders United with Laura Jones.

With support systems and access to resources, these micro-investments offer macro-returns for the youth and the community. Opportunity Youth may decide to stay in Tucson for their career and ultimately the rest of their lives  we want them to succeed at every stage. Directing resources now allows us to support and encourage them for the long run, said Gast, who is Senior Director of Students Resources at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. He is also an alumnus of the college.

Supporting Opportunity Youth is a no-brainer for Jones, a Senior Market Research Consultant for Caterpillar who relocated to Tucson in 2018 and considers herself privileged that basic needs were never a concern for her as a youth.

I feel it is within my power to financially contribute and support organizations trying to help these young people find their paths forward. Creating collective and sustainable change cant always happen at an individual level, and ensuring system of support are properly funded is one way we can ensure a healthy community and future prosperity within Tucson, Jones said.

For his part, Gast joined YLU to engage with the community while building personal and professional connections. He said that the group is comprised of like-minded leaders, and it has been a perfect fit.

United Way, as a whole and through Young Leaders United, is it in for the long run. I am a part of the team because I share that vision. It is not just about immediate impact, which is certainly noticeable, but more focused on the benefits to people, communities, and organizations across a lifetime, Gast said.

Jones also appreciates the fact that YLU has allowed her to meet other young philanthropists while ensuring that her donations support a targeted program.

I thought YLU would be a great way to support the community causes I was passionate about while also growing my network outside of my workplace ... and supporting and volunteering through this organization allows me to maximize my time and philanthropic resources to provide the best and greatest impact to where it is needed at any given time, said Jones, who has been supporting the United Way since she began her career in 2007.

She is a huge proponent of the convenience of workplace campaigns, through which employees can elect deduction of contributions directly from paychecks.

Ultimately, she just suggests that everyone find people, programs, or nonprofits that they are passionate about and make a connection. Her philosophy is that even planning one thing a quarter  whether that involves signing up for a community service event or donating to an active fundraiser  can make a huge difference.

Every person will need to find a balance of what they can do at any given point in their life. Sometimes you have more to give of your time than of your treasure, and sometimes its the opposite, Jones said.
The man accused in the October 2022 killing of a University of Arizona professor has a history severe mental illness that got to the point that he was unable to tell right from wrong, his attorney told jurors Tuesday.

Murad Dervish, 48, an expelled UA graduate student, is accused of shooting Thomas Meixner to death in an on-campus attack.

Leo Masursky, the defense attorney, on Tuesday detailed a range of mental health issues suffered by Dervish, who is on trial for first degree murder in Pima County Superior Court.

Mr. Dervish suffers from a range of mental health impairments from major depression to autism, possibly mild brain damage and other disorders, said Masursky, who is representing Dervish along with Derek Miller. He also has an impulsive character (which) may be related to the autism, (and) the autism may be partly related to the brain damage he suffered at birth.

Patricia Grace, Dervishs biological mother, testified Tuesday that he was never comfortable in his being. Grace said she couldnt predict what was coming next and that there were many moments when Dervish was growing up where she found herself saying, what were you thinking?

Dervish, whos contact with his mother has been spotty over the years, left her a voicemail for her on Oct. 5, 2022, right after Meixner was killed, Grace said.

Mom? I gotta talk to you. I shot that guy. I hope hes dead. I guess I have to kill myself now. All right, said Grace, narrating the voicemail as she recalled it.

Dervish, who reportedly physically assaulted his mother in 2011, according to previous reporting by the Arizona Daily Star, was involuntarily committed to a mental institution twice in the past, said Grace. He was first committed in 1995 in Pennsylvania and the next in 2011 in South Carolina, the same year he also served prison time in California.

Professor Eyad Atallah, an assistant professor in the UAs hydrology and atmospheric sciences department, testified that he had been threatened Dervish, including some that were racially charged.

I got messages that had the tone of youre either with me or against me (and) that God help me if he found out I wasnt, said Atallah, who went on to recommend university and counseling resources to Dervish.

Dr. Richard Samuels, a clinical and forensic psychologist who interviewed Dervish 11 days after the shooting took place, was the third witness brought on by the defense on Tuesday.

Samuels said Dervishs psychological report results pointed towards alcohol use disorder, avoidant personality disorder and schizoid personality disorder. He said there were mostly indications of alcohol, but also some of drugs.

According to his interview days after the incident, Samuels said Dervish had very little recollection of the shooting itself. He said Dervish was not fully aware of his thoughts, feelings and actions for the few moments of his offense, but that he realizes he was wrong in retrospect.

According to Samuels, Dervish was diagnosed with schizophrenia earlier in life as well as persistent depressive disorder. He said it was Dervishs delusional quality which drove him to his acts of violence, according to the psychological reports submitted by him.
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"I went to China this time with a special thing: a passport without any visa on it," exclaimed Lucas Deckers, a Belgian in his 20s, on the Chinese video-sharing platform Douyin, with a picture showing him waving his burgundy travel document.



Since earlier this year, China has implemented a visa-free policy that exempts many European ordinary passport holders from the time-consuming and costly obligation, encouraging travelers from nearly a dozen European countries to explore this Asian country.

In a further move, Chinese President Xi Jinping, during his first European tour in nearly five years last week, announced that China has decided to extend visa exemption entry for citizens from 12 countries, 11 of them in Europe, on short-term visits to China until the end of 2025.

The policy, geared towards fostering interactions among Chinese and international citizens, has garnered widespread acclaim in Europe and is expected to improve relations between China and Europe in many ways.

Tourists visit the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, capital of China, May 2, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]





Door opening wider

The extended policy allows ordinary passport holders of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg, to enter and stay in China visa-free for up to 15 days for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit.

In a post on social media, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said the visa-free policy was "good news" for Hungarian tourists and business travelers heading for China.

As a matter of reciprocity, Hungarian authorities are issuing long-term visas, already at the first application, for managers of big Chinese companies undertaking investments in Hungary, he added.

These decisions will further strengthen cooperation between Hungary and China in the areas of economy and tourism, the top diplomat noted.

Mario Boselli, chairman of the Italy China Council Foundation, said the new visa-free policy indicates that China's door is opening wider, and will facilitate economic, trade and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

The visa-free policy for Spanish citizens represents "a significant milestone" in bilateral ties, said Jose Felix Valdivieso, chairman of IE University's China Center, which aims to promote educational and business cooperation between the two countries.

"It encourages a greater flow of people between China and Spain, enriching our societies with a diversity of perspectives and experiences," Valdivieso said, dubbing this move as "a catalyst for further growth and collaboration."

Boost for tourism

Thanks to the policy, Jerome Pouille, a French panda-lover, easily arranged a China trip this spring to visit Yuan Meng, the first giant panda born in France. Last July, Yuan Meng was sent back to China's Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

Seeing Yuan Meng living well in its hometown, Pouille felt "happy and satisfied."

The visa-free policy serves as an impetus for numerous European travelers to embark on exploratory journeys throughout China, and is perceived by European tour operators as a stimulus for tourism.

Gunther Gruber, senior consultant of the Austrian KUONI travel agency, said he is very happy that China has introduced the 15-day visa-free policy for Austria.

"China has always been one of the most visited tourist destinations for Austrians... We are now planning travel plans for the spring and summer of 2025 and will launch more travel products about China," Gruber said.

For many Europeans, visiting China is a complex thing. They have to plan ahead, manage their finances, and set aside time in advance.

"That's great if you don't have visa issues to worry about. This is very useful," said Davide Cougoule, senior manager of Geneva Tourism & Conventions Foundation, a Swiss tourism promotion association.

According to the Geneva office of Air China, the national carrier of China, following the visa exemption, there has been an average of 50 Swiss travelers on each Geneva-Beijing flight, constituting approximately 25 percent of all passengers.

Air China's figures also show that in March 2024, a total of 6,364 passengers traveled between Geneva and Beijing, up 374.9 percent from a year earlier.

According to Ralph Ossa, chief economist of the World Trade Organization (WTO), China's visa-free policy for European countries and the recovery of Chinese outbound tourism are conducive to global service trade.

Tourists pick cherries at a cherry orchard in Taishan Village of Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, April 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]





Bridge for exchanges

Barely two weeks after the policy took effect, the Chinese Language and Culture Center in Luxembourg organized a spring camp to visit China during the Easter holiday in April.

More than 20 Luxembourg students visited Beijing, Shanghai and other places in China, with some of them joining the camp just several days before departure, as the visa-free policy made the trip easier.

"This travel facilitation will encourage more Luxembourg citizens to travel to China and help strengthen people-to-people and commercial exchanges between our two countries," said Xavier Bettel, Luxembourg's deputy prime minister, in a statement.

The visa-free policy, a tangible move of China in pushing for high-level opening-up, has infused momentum into the exchanges between China and Europe.

During his official visit to China in April, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the German side appreciates China's visa-free entry policy for Germany and is willing to make it more convenient for Chinese citizens to visit Germany.

The policy has received an enthusiastic response from all walks of life in Austria, said Ernst Woller, president of the State Parliament of Vienna.

This measure will "definitely facilitate Austrian people to travel to China, strengthen personnel exchanges between the two countries, and further promote Austria-China relations and the exchanges between the two countries," Woller said.

During the first quarter of 2024, Chinese immigration management agencies processed over 141 million traveler trips. Among them, trips by foreign nationals reached 13.1 million, a year-on-year increase of 305.2 percent, said the National Immigration Administration (NIA) of China.

"The visa-free policy not only streamlines entry and departure, but also symbolizes China's warmer embrace of foreign travelers," said Deckers, already a Chinese-speaking influencer on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.
MADISON, Wisconsin  "Chimney Doe" finally has a name  and a face.

On Monday, the DNA Doe Project announced that it has identified the person whose bones were found at the bottom of a chimney in a since-demolished building on University Avenue in September 1989.

He is Ronnie Joe Kirk, originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma.

On Sept. 3, 1989, the owner of a University Avenue music shop was doing some repair work in the basement. While looking for leaks, he found a human skeleton in a 20-inch pile at the bottom of the narrow chimney.

Chimney Doe's identity has remained a mystery for nearly 35 years.

The DNA Doe Project is a nonprofit organization that specializes in using genetic genealogy to identify unknown persons. Madison Police Detective Lindsey Ludden brought the case to the DNA Doe Project in December 2018.

In late 2021, hair samples from the skull were sent to Astrea Forensics, a California-based DNA sequencing company that specializes in degraded samples. The process took nine months and 13 attempts to get enough human DNA to put together a decent genetic profile.

Identifying Kirk was particularly challenging due to the fact that he was adopted, authorities said.

"This was such a unique case with adoption, and multiple generations of different marriages, despite having a relatively close DNA relative match in the family," Team Leader Gwen Knapp said. "The shrewd genealogy work done by my team was amazing to lease out the various relationships. We're so excited that we can give Ronnie Kirk his name back and hope his family has some closure for Ronnie being missing for so long."

Ludden said her goal now is filling in the timeline of his life.

Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said the next step is figuring out who Kirk was and how he ended up in Madison, but he released the following information:

Kirk was born in 1942, adopted and raised by family members. He attended high school in Tulsa.

He was married and divorced twice and had children. Barnes said the family has asked for privacy and no additional information was given about them, beyond a statement saying they were happy to finally know what had happened to Kirk.

Kirk had ties to Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas, Alabama and Wisconsin, the police chief said.

A newspaper clipping from 1957 said a 14-year-old boy named Ronnie Joe Kirk was riding a scooter when he was struck by a car, possibly fracturing his right hip.

One detail that authorities previously had revealed was that Chimney Doe had a severe pelvic fracture, a type of fracture that is typically consistent with a lot of force  high-speed crashes, high falls.

Barnes said authorities don't yet know why Kirk was in Madison or how long he had been here.

Authorities trying to identify Chimney Doe had said the person had been wearing a sleeveless paisley dress, with a matching belt; a long-sleeved, button-down shirt that may have been made of Oxford-type cloth; a medium-size White Stag brand, shaggy-pile sweater; and low-heeled, pointed shoes.

There is, however, no indication that Kirk identified as anything other than male, Barnes said.

Authorities are asking people who recognize Kirk's name or photo to contact Ludden at 608-229-8215.

Knapp said it took more than two years to develop the DNA profile suitable for investigating genetic genealogy, but a forensics laboratory in California was able to develop a sufficient profile using DNA from a hair.

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OKLAHOMA CITY  Gov. Kevin Stitt and Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat clashed almost immediately during Mondays third installment of a summit of Republican leaders trying to hammer out a state budget for fiscal year 2025.

The meeting, attended by a few dozen leaders in a large conference room on the second floor of the Oklahoma Capitol, grew contentious almost from the start over Stitts insistence that the state can afford to take in less in revenue generated by income taxes paid by Oklahomans.

Stitt pressed Treat, R-Oklahoma City, and House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, to commit to voting in their respective chambers on a plan to eliminate income taxes that currently must be paid by lower-income Oklahomans. The plan also would reduce the current 4.75% income tax rate paid by Oklahomans in the future if certain state revenue triggers were to be met.

While McCall, who has been a staunch supporter of an income tax cut, was quick to answer that the House would hold a vote, Treat would not make such a commitment.

Its somewhat laughable that you (Stitt) would go to the Speaker and say, Would you do one? when its obviously a setup just to make me look bad, Treat said. Governor, weve made our stance very clear.

The Senate leader pointed out that lawmakers earlier this year passed, and the governor signed into law, legislation to eliminate the states portion of the tax on groceries. Last year, a parental school choice law was passed to provide people with tax credits to offset costs of sending children to private school. Two years ago, he noted, legislation was passed to cut both personal income and corporate income taxes.

The Senates record (on tax cuts) is clear, he said.

The grocery tax cut alone is expected to reduce annual state revenues by an estimated $418 million. Treat said the other actions also will cut the states bottom-line revenues by millions of dollars. He reiterated, too, serious concerns about differences of opinions stated by financial analysts and leaders over how state finances would be affected in years to come if income taxes are further reduced.

I also find it interesting that (Stitt) said recurring expenditures cannot exceed recurring revenue, but the budget that (he) and the House are supporting  show that its $120 million upside down, Treat said. (So) we are operating under the assumption that we are not going to vote on any more tax cuts this year.

Later, McCall returned to the issue.

I want to move from assumptions to finality, the House speaker said. I just need to know: Is the Senate going to support some version of the personal income tax cut this session that will be a part of this budget?

No, Treat flatly responded.

The Senate leader then asked McCall if he would support an override vote if Stitt were to veto any budget put forth by lawmakers that doesnt include an income tax cut.

McCall declined to make such a commitment.

This is an opportunity for us to come together on a budget that everybody will support and take the veto override question off the table, he said, referring to the budget summit.

Stitt opened the meeting by citing how revenues, including recurring revenues, have increased in Oklahoma in recent years and how theyve grown even as tax cuts have been implemented. Despite that, he said, the government has grown and the annual budget now exceeds $13 billion.

To say that we dont have room to give an income tax break to the poorest Oklahomans  I dont think were being honest, he said.

Treat countered that much of the growth in government has occurred only as compared to years in which revenues were severely curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. He added that pandemic relief aid and other federal monies have drastically affected the states budget picture in recent years.

Weve had so many federal dollars float through our economy that we dont know what our true base level of revenue is, Treat said. I dont think you (Stitt) or I or the speaker or anyone else in this room knows what our true base of revenue is.

Later in the meeting, House and Senate lawmakers were able to reach agreements on line items in their respective proposed budgets addressing specific areas of spending on things such as health and human services and natural resource management. While Stitt was supportive, he suggested that it would make more sense to address revenue and the potential impact of an income tax cut first.

Just being a part of this growing government, going line by line and increasing government, doesnt seem like a good use of our time, he said.

Treat suggested that any chance at all for a Senate vote on an income tax cut would be contingent on offsetting losses by reducing agency budgets through line-item cuts.

When weve sat in on meetings, Treat told Stitt, youve always said we shouldnt just think about next fiscal year, that we should be thinking about how what we do will affect the budget two or three years down the road. I think thats wise. 

This is a huge shift from the fiscal prudence you had when you first came in. Ive always applauded you on wanting to make sure that revenue does not get exceeded by expenditures. Now youre taking a position that is exactly the opposite.

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Drivers between Tulsa and Oklahoma City on the Turner Turnpike will have overnight 15-mile detours between Stroud and Chandler beginning Friday and continuing until early Sunday.

For those traveling toward Oklahoma City, the westbound Interstate 44/Turner Turnpike will be closed at the Stroud exit from 9 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday for crews to hang beams for bridge reconstruction on Old Stroud Road.

The Stroud service area, a few miles west of the towns exit, with a McDonalds and a convenience store, will be closed during that time, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority said.

Westbound vehicles will take the Oklahoma 99 exit at Stroud and detour to westbound Oklahoma 66, which they will take for about 14 miles to northbound Oklahoma 18 in Chandler, where they will return to the turnpike.

The turnpikes eastbound lanes will be closed between Oklahoma 18 at Chandler and Oklahoma 99 at Stroud between 9 p.m. Saturday and 6 a.m. Sunday. The Chandler service plaza also will be closed during that time, OTA said.

The eastbound detour will be the same route along Oklahoma 66.

Motorists are advised to plan additional travel time and expect congestion in the area during these closures, the agency said.

Reconstruction of the Old Stroud Road bridge on the west side of Stroud is part of a more than $8.3 million project to add a two-way frontage road between Old Stroud Road/North 3550 Road and Oklahoma 99/North Eighth Avenue, which opened Feb. 9, the OTA said.

Turnpike shoulder improvements will be made later in the project, which is expected to be complete by the end of 2024.

The project is in preparation of the upcoming reconstruction of the Stroud service plaza area and the future widening of the I-44/Turner Turnpike corridor, which is a part of the ACCESS Oklahoma long-range plan, the OTA said.

Local officials in Stroud told the Tulsa World last month that they were hopeful that improvements along the turnpike could help spur development where the former Tanger Outlet Center was destroyed amid a record-setting tornado outbreak 25 years ago.

The former outlet mall, visible to drivers on the turnpike just north and east of the exit to Stroud  remains a concrete parking lot, with grass and wildflowers poking out from its cracks.

Hopefully, City Manager Bob Pearman said, that (vacant property) changes in the near future.

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Officials and experts gathered at a conference recently held in Ho Chi Minh City to discuss multifaceted aspects related to carbon credit pricing, deliberating on strategies for the establishment of a robust carbon credit exchange platform.

The pricing of carbon credits is a topic of public concern, Nguyen Van Minh, head of economics and climate change information at the Department of Climate Change under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said at the Carbon Credit Market - A Driver for Building a Green Vietnam conference held on April 20.

Minh highlighted the significant price fluctuations of carbon credits across countries, ranging from as low as US$1 per metric ton of carbon to as high as $140 per metric ton.

This discrepancy has prompted questions from the public regarding why Vietnam sells carbon credits at a relatively lower price compared to Europe, where the rate can reach up to $100 per carbon credit.

Minh clarified that the European Union primarily trades carbon quotas, not carbon credits.

Carbon credits primarily trade on the voluntary carbon market, he said.

Recently, the prices I checked ranged from $1 to $2, varying depending on the type of carbon credit.

As for Vietnams carbon credit market roadmap, Minh outlined a two-stage plan in accordance with the Law on Environmental Protection.

The initial phase, slated until the conclusion of 2027, is dedicated to formulating regulations concerning carbon credit management, exchange activities, and the functioning of a carbon credit exchange.

It also involves piloting the carbon credit exchange and offset mechanism in promising regions.

The establishment and pilot operation of the carbon credit exchange are slated for 2025.

From 2028, the carbon credit exchange will be put into official operation, regulating activities that connect and exchange domestic carbon credits with regional and global carbon markets.

Eligible participants

Minh outlined the eligible participants in the domestic carbon market as follows:

- Establishments listed in sectors emitting greenhouse gasses that must possess a greenhouse gas inventory authorized by the prime minister

- Organizations engaging in implementing domestic and international carbon credit exchanges and offset mechanisms that comply with relevant laws and international treaties

- Other entities and individuals involved in the investment and trading activities of greenhouse gas emission quotas and carbon credits within the carbon market

Delegates attend the Carbon Credit Market - A Driver for Building a Green Vietnam conference held in Ho Chi Minh City on April 20, 2024. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre

Regarding businesses rights and responsibilities in the carbon market, Minh emphasized their ability to enact carbon credit exchanges and offset mechanisms, as well as invest in and trade greenhouse gas emission quotas and carbon credits.

However, Minh advised businesses to proactively acquaint themselves with legal regulations on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, understand carbon markets, enhance greenhouse gas inventory capabilities, and strengthen their ability to implement greenhouse gas emission reduction activities, alongside carbon credit exchange and offset mechanisms.

The piloting spearhead

Speaking at the conference, Nguyen Toan Thang, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Natural Resources and Environment, highlighted the citys proactive approach in aligning with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinhs commitment at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP 26) in the UK in 2021 to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

In pursuit of this goal and to effectively combat climate change, the city, including the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, has embarked on a series of initiatives.

Notably, the National Assemblys Resolution No. 98 paves the way for piloting specific policies and mechanisms tailored to the citys development.

As per this resolution, Ho Chi Minh City is selected as the inaugural locality trialing the carbon credit exchange and offset mechanism.

Thang underscored that both the Department of Natural Resources and Environment and the Department of Finance have been entrusted with developing a pilot financial mechanism project.

This project is meant to implement measures aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment has proposed the selection of two promising projects: the replacement of LED street lights and the installation of solar power on public rooftops, Thang said.

Nguyen Toan Thang, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Natural Resources and Environment, speaks at the Carbon Credit Market - A Driver for Building a Green Vietnam conference held in Ho Chi Minh City on April 20, 2024. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre

A door to opportunities

Thang asserted that the proposal for a financial mechanism to implement initiatives targeting the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions via carbon credit exchange and offset mechanisms, alongside the initiation of carbon credit trading activities within the city, offers many opportunities.

Firstly, it serves as a catalyst for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, thereby mitigating the impact of climate change and fostering cleaner living environments for communities.

Secondly, it offers opportunities to attract investments and engage in carbon credit trading, which can spur the development of green projects and generate employment opportunities.

Ho Chi Minh City, with its numerous businesses emitting greenhouse gases and seeking emission reduction solutions, holds significant potential for developing the carbon credit market.

Thirdly, by bolstering its international standing, the city can position itself as a hub for environmental and sustainable development activities, attracting international attention and fostering cooperation.

However, Thang also acknowledged the challenges, particularly within the public sector.

The absence of a detailed legal framework for carbon credit calculation, assessment, and appraisal poses hurdles to effective implementation.

Additionally, the lack of a robust and interconnected trading environment, especially with international markets, restricts the ability to sell credits at optimal prices.

Given that much of the process, including credit creation, price calculation, and sales, relies on foreign organizations, theres a risk that the evaluation and trading of credits could compromise the value and autonomy of domestic projects, Thang noted.

Thang highlighted ongoing efforts by the central government and the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee to address these challenges.

He stressed the need for guidance from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Finance, and other relevant ministries to tackle these issues and get over such challenges effectively.

A banner for the Green Vietnam project

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Vietnam's low-cost air carrier Vietjet opened a direct air route linking Hanoi and Hiroshima on Sunday, marking the airlines eighth air route connecting Vietnam and Japan.

At the inauguration ceremony, Hiroshima Governor Yuzaki Hidehiko said, "Hiroshima Prefecture has close ties with Vietnam, as many companies have advanced into the Vietnamese market and many Vietnamese people live in the prefecture.

"We are looking forward to the start of direct flights between Vietnam and our prefecture, fostering further exchanges in business, tourism, and various other fields.

"Vietjets debut flight today marks the first new international service to be launched at Hiroshima Airport post-pandemic," said president and representative director of the airport Yasuhiro Nakamura.

Hiroshima Governor Yuzaki Hidehiko congratulates Vietjet on the launch of the Hanoi-Hiroshima air route.

Vietjet vice-president Nguyen Duc Thinh expressed the airlines gratitude for the support from the Japanese authorities and local partners, saying that the carrier currently operates 116 flights per week between major Vietnamese cities and Japans top destinations, including Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Nagoya, and now Hiroshima.

Vietjet vice-president Nguyen Duc Thinh (L) and Vietnamese Consul General in Japans Fukuoka Vu Chi Mai pose at the air route launching ceremony.

The air carrier is committed to further expanding the flight network between Vietnam and Japan, providing more convenient and cost-effective travel options for citizens and tourists of both countries and in the region as a whole.

There are two return flights per week on Thursdays and Sundays on the Hanoi-Hiroshima route, with flights lasting for over four hours each.

Passengers of Vietjets flight on the Hanoi-Hiroshima route

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A young Vietnamese-Japanese couple decided to spend a year of their youth to travel to 20 countries after the wife recovered from COVID-19, during which she trod a thin line between life and death.

The husband, Ngo Quang Dung, a 29-year-old Vietnamese information technology engineer, discussed the plan with her wife Chiaki, a Japanese consultant, 28, after she overcame the life and death moment caused by the disease.

They then agreed to implement the plan five months ago to give a temporary end to a long period during which they often worked from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm every day.

Vietnamese man Ngo Quang Dung and his Japanese wife are seen in a salt field in Uyuni, a city in Bolivia. Photo: Supplied

Up to this point, they find themselves in the fifth month of their extensive journey, having explored 14 countries, among them the U.S., Mexico, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Chile, and Brazil.

The couple's most recent stop is Madagascar, marking their inaugural visit to Africa.

Decision after life-and-death moment

Dung recounted that immediately following their wedding in Vietnam in October 2021, Chiaki fell seriously ill with COVID-19 and had to be hospitalized, struggling to breathe.

For two weeks, Chiaki underwent treatment, during which Dung witnessed her wife teetering on the brink of life and death before ultimately recovering.

Afterward, Chiaki returned to Japan to resume her work.

A photo of an Amazon forest area in South America, taken by Ngo Quang Dung, who visited the place along with his Japanese wife Chiaki. Photo: Supplied

Reflecting on their past, Dung realized that year after year, the couple had been consumed by work, seemingly oblivious to everything else around them, until Chiaki contracted COVID-19 and faced her critical condition.

This serious incident prompted Dung to reassess the life they had constructed, leading them to a decision to pause their work and embark on travels using their savings.

We decided to stop working for one year to enjoy our youth, Dung said.

The couple proceeded with their travel plan instead of continuing to work and save money to purchase houses or other assets, diverging from the path taken by many others of their age.

They calculated the total estimated costs for a year of travel and structured a budget to sustain themselves for up to one year following the conclusion of their travel plan.

They also set aside a small amount for unforeseen expenses that may arise during their journey.

This image, taken by Chiaki, shows her husband Ngo Quang Dung amidst the majestic scene of the Death Valley in the U.S. state of California. Photo: Supplied

"Neither my wife nor I require luxurious possessions," the husband emphasized.

"A house and a car are acquisitions we can pursue later, and our travel plans won't significantly affect such purchases.

"However, our youth and energy, once spent, cannot be reclaimed with money.

Furthermore, Dung shared that he and his wife had previously embarked on two- or three-hour walks or ventured into remote areas for exploration, activities they believed they could only experience once in a lifetime.

They recognized that as they age, perhaps ten or twenty years from now, they might not possess the same level of health to engage in such adventures.

Gratitude and best place to live

Dung confided that the most valuable treasures the couple have gained during their ongoing journey are the expansion of knowledge, rich experiences, and a profound sense of gratitude.

The man said they have gleaned a wealth of knowledge, spanning from history to culture and interpersonal connections, in the places they have visited.

They have deepened their understanding of the challenges confronting indigenous communities, including racism and gender discrimination.

A picture is worth a thousand words,' Dung said.

"Witnessing what local residents do every day helps us understand them more clearly than what is described in books or videos.

This captivating image captures a picturesque valley in Peru, a destination cherished by the Vietnamese-Japanese couple, Ngo Quang Dung and Chiaki, during their visit to the area. Photo: Supplied

During their travels, the couple often reflected on their previous lives in Japan and Vietnam, realizing that they were "luckier than millions and billions of people in other places in the world."

"Each of us is grateful for being born in a stable society where we've had the opportunity to attend school, go to work, and pursue our aspirations," Dung said.

The couple also conveyed their appreciation for the kindness of strangers who had selflessly assisted them during their travels, without expecting anything in return.

Dung emphasized that these encounters had enriched their journey with exceptional experiences.

Both Dung and Chiaki have compiled a list of memorable experiences from their journey, including the awe-inspiring Andes Mountains, towering over 6,000 meters high in South America.

Yet, they have also identified numerous places they deem as ideal for living.

When asked what makes a place worth living in? Dung said it is the people there.

The Vietnamese-Japanese couple, Ngo Quang Dung and Chiaki, are seen in an area in Grand Canyon National Park in the U.S. state of Arizona. Photo: Supplied.

During their travels through 14 countries thus far, in addition to marveling at breathtaking landscapes, the couple have cherished warm encounters with friendly and hospitable people, the man recounted.

While in Brazil, they were frequently aided by locals, ranging from the owner of a lodging facility who provided them with a complimentary night's stay to a taxi driver who escorted them to a public hospital where free medical services were available to residents and tourists alike.

They shared an indelible memory when their lost camera was returned to them after accidentally leaving it behind on a bus during one of their excursions.

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People greet each other in a variety of ways. They might say "hello," "guten tag," "hola," "konnichiwa" or "g'day." They might shake hands, bump fists, make a fist-and-palm gesture or press their hands together with a gentle head bow. They might kiss on the cheek or hand. And they might give a nice big hug.

For elephants, greetings appear to be a similarly complex affair. A study based on observations of African savannah elephants in the Jafuta Reserve in Zimbabwe provides new insight into the visual, acoustic and tactile gestures they employ in greetings, including how greetings differ depending on factors such as their sex and whether they are looking at each other.

"Elephants live in a so-called 'fission-fusion' society, where they often separate and reunite, meeting after hours, days or months apart," said cognitive and behavioral biologist Vesta Eleuteri of the University of Vienna in Austria, lead author of the study published this month in the journal Communications Biology.

Elephants, Earth's largest land animals, are highly intelligent, with keen memory and problem-solving skills and sophisticated communication.

Female elephants of different family groups might have strong social bonds with each other, forming "bond groups." Previous studies in the wild reported that when these groups meet, the elephants engage in elaborate greeting ceremonies to advertise and strengthen their social bond, Eleuteri said.

Male elephants have weaker social bonds, and their greetings may function more to ease possible "risky reunions" - a hostile interaction. They greet mainly by smelling each other, reaching with their trunks, Eleuteri added.

The study detailed around 20 gesture types displayed during greetings, showing that elephants combine these in specific ways with call types such as rumbles, roars and trumpets. It also revealed how smell plays an important role in greetings, often involving urination, defecation and secretions from a unique elephant gland.

Elephants may greet by making gestures intended to be seen, like spreading the ears or showing their rump, or with gestures producing distinct sounds like flapping the ears forward, or with tactile gestures involving touching the other elephant.

"We found that they select these visual, acoustic and tactile gestures by taking into account whether their greeting partner was looking at them or not, suggesting they're aware of others' visual perspectives. They preferred using visual gestures when their partner was looking at them, while tactile ones when they were not," Eleuteri said.

The male savannah elephant Doma and the male savannah elephant Mainos engage in greeting behavior at Jafuta Reserve in Zimbabwe, in this undated handout picture. Photo: Reuters

Greeting behavior has been studied in various animals.

"Many other species greet, including different primates, hyenas and dogs," Eleuteri said. "Animal greetings help mediate social interactions by, for example, reducing tension and avoiding conflict, by reaffirming existing social bonds, and by establishing dominance status using different behaviors."

The new research built on previous studies of elephant greeting behavior. The nine observed elephants - four females and five males - were "semi-captive," freely roaming their natural environment during daytime and kept in stables at night.

Greetings used by the female elephants closely matched the behavior of wild elephants. The greeting behavior of the male elephants appeared to differ from their wild counterparts. Wild male elephants tend to be solitary, forming loose associations with other elephants.

The temporal gland, midway between the eye and the ear, secretes a substance called temporin containing chemical information about an elephant's identity or emotional and sexual state. Elephants often use their trunks to check out the temporal glands of others.

"The urine and feces of elephants also contain chemical information important for elephants, like the identity of the individual, their reproductive state or even their emotional state," Eleuteri said.

"Elephants might defecate or urinate during greetings to release this important information. Another option is that they do this due to the excitement of seeing each other. But the fact that the elephants often moved their tails to the side or waggled their tails when urinating and defecating suggests they may be inviting the recipients to smell them. Maybe they don't need to tell each other how they're doing, as they can smell it," Eleuteri added.
What you need to know today in Vietnam:

Society

-- Authorities in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam are investigating the cause of an accident in a local coal mine that killed three workers and injured another on Monday.

-- Vietnams National Cybersecurity Association on Monday introduced anti-phishing software which will be officially provided for residents at no charge from July.

-- A resident in Ho Chi Minh City on Monday handed over a wreathed hornbill which belongs to Group IB of rare and endangered species that need to be preserved to the municipal Forest Protection Department. His family member caught the bird on their terrace on Sunday morning.

-- The administration in Lam Dong Province, located in Vietnams Central Highlands, said on Monday that it had suggested national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines increase the frequency of flights between the province and Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and resume other flights from/to the province.

-- Authorities in Hanoi have planned 1,620 parking areas but have put only 57 of them into operation, director of the municipal Department of Transport Nguyen Phi Thuong said at a meeting with local voters on Monday.

-- As many as 52 tourists were hospitalized due to suspected food poisoning after dining at a restaurant in Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province, south-central Vietnam on Sunday evening, a local official said on Monday.

Business

-- Vietnam's low-cost air carrier Vietjet opened a direct air route linking Hanoi and Japan's Hiroshima on Sunday, marking the airlines eighth air route linking Vietnam and Japan.

Lifestyle

-- The Ho Chi Minh City Night Run Eximbank 2024 will take place on May 17-19 in the southern metropolis with the participation of nearly 5,000 runners from 30 countries and territories, heard a press conference held on Monday.

-- The Hue Festival and Hue International Arts Festival 2024 will take place on June 7-12 at major tourist attractions in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

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The Peoples Committee of Binh Hung Hoa Ward in Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City on Monday mustered over 30 sanitation workers and volunteers, along with several garbage trucks, excavators, and backhoes to clean up a 500-meter section of Nuoc Den (Black Water) Canal in the ward, which has been filled with rubbish and water hyacinths.

Nearby residents had endured the foul smell from the heavily polluted waterway for more than a month.

The entire surface of the canal section was covered by plastic bags, bottles, styrofoam boxes, and other garbage.

Several animal carcasses and wastewater contributed to the pollution in the canal.

To bring residents lives back to normal, local authorities got the cleanup operation into gear.

It began at 2:00 pm on Monday and is scheduled to finish on Thursday.

More than 30 sanitation workers and young volunteers join hands to remove garbage from the polluted Nuoc Den Canal in Binh Hung Hoa Ward, Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City, May 13, 2024. Photo: Tien Quoc / Tuoi Tre

Sanitation workers remove water hyacinths and garbage in a section of Nuoc Den (Black Water) Canal in Binh Hung Hoa Ward, Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City, May 13, 2024. Photo: Tien Quoc / Tuoi Tre

Sanitation workers wade in the water to remove trash from the polluted canal in Binh Hung Hoa Ward, Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City, May 13, 2024. Photo: Tien Quoc / Tuoi Tre

Sanitation workers waded into the water to remove waste, while excavators were used to scoop trash and water hyacinths from the waterway.

Joining the cleanup operation, young volunteers were in charge of bringing waste to garbage trucks.

One-fourth of the garbage and water hyacinths were fished out of the canal on Monday afternoon.

An official from the wards administration told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the ward would enhance its call for residents living near the canal not to throw rubbish into the waterway to protect their living areas, health, and the environment.

Young volunteers join the cleanup operation at the polluted canal in Binh Hung Hoa Ward, Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City, May 13, 2024. Photo: Tien Quoc / Tuoi Tre

Garbage trucks and excavators are mobilized to Nuoc Den Canal in Binh Hung Hoa Ward, Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City for the cleanup operation on May 13, 2024. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre

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Two international tourist complexes in one of the world's most beautiful bays in Thua Thien-Hue Province, central Vietnam have been left deserted for years.

In contrast to luxurious and imposing resorts nearby, Minh Vien Lang Co and Mediterranean Legend, two international tourist complexes in Lang Co Bay have been deteriorating day by day.

The bay, located in Phu Loc District, Thua Thien-Hue Province, was elected as the 30th member of the World's Most Beautiful Bays Club in May 2009, during the fifth summit of the club in Setubal, Portugal.

Work began on the Minh Vien Lang Co tourist complex project, whose investor is Minh Vien Joint Stock Company, a Chinese-Vietnamese joint venture, in 2018.

The project covers 102 hectares of land and carries a price tag of US$368 million.

It was designed to include hotels, a resort, a convention center, and auxiliary services meeting five-star international standards.

The project was expected to be put into operation in the first quarter of this year.

The Minh Vien Lang Co tourist complex project was suspended in 2020. Photo: Nhat Linh / Tuoi Tre

However, only some hotels and the resort have been completed and left unused. They are now degraded and overgrown with weeds.

The project site has even become a landfill for locals, while the surveillance cameras and trees there have been damaged.

Some local residents even graze goats at the site of the Minh Vien Lang Co tourist complex project, which was earlier expected to be a world-class tourist development. Photo: Nhat Linh / Tuoi Tre

All-terrain vehicles at the Minh Vien Lang Co tourist complex have been rusty. Photo: Nhat Linh / Tuoi Tre

Villas are incomplete and abandoned. Photo: Nhat Linh / Tuoi Tre

A rusty and broken camera pole inside the Minh Vien Lang Co project. Photo: Nhat Linh / Tuoi Tre

Mediterranean Legend, whose developer is Vicoland Development House and Construction Group JSC, faces the same fate.

The project costs over VND600 billion ($23.5 million).

It was kicked off in 2016 on a 6.9-hectare land lot with an expectation of becoming a world-class tourist complex. The project was envisaged to feature 52 villas, hotels, a hall, and apartments.

At the time, the investor pledged to complete the project by 2018.

At present, the project remains incomplete and work on it has been suspended.

The Mediterranean Legend project is left deserted. Photo: Nhat Linh / Tuoi Tre

A representative of the Thua Thien-Hue Management Board of Economic and Industrial Zones attributed the delay in the two projects to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As for the Minh Vien Lang Co project, it was suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak, preventing the Chinese investor from entering Vietnam.

The administration in Thua Thien-Hue Province has worked with the investor to check its financial capacity and resume the project, according to the representative.

Meanwhile, the investor of the Mediterranean Legend project fails to continue work on it because of financial difficulties, the official added.

A makeshift fence is erected around the project. Photo: Nhat Linh / Tuoi Tre

Incomplete villas at the Mediterranean Legend project. Photo: Nhat Linh / Tuoi Tre

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Three workers were killed and another was injured due to soil and rock slides at a quarrying site in northern Vietnam on Monday, local authorities reported.

The deadly accident occurred at 3:00 pm when a mass of soil and rock slid from the coal pit Cam Pha City, Quang Ninh Province and buried four workers of Quang Hanh Coal Company, which is under the Vietnam National Coal - Mineral Industries Holding Corporation Limited (Vinacomin).

Rescuers were dispatched to the scene, and after over three hours of searching, they discovered three workers dead in the debris and another injured.

The three deceased victims include Dinh Van Toan, 44, Bui Van Tuyen, 33, and Lau A Vu, 29, from Bac Giang, Hai Duong, and Son La Provinces, respectively, according to news site VnExpress.

The injured worker, Ly A Chia, 33, from Dien Bien Province, was taken to Cam Pha General Hospital for treatment.

Leaders of the Quang Ninh administration and representatives of relevant agencies came to the scene to direct the rescue operations.

Local authorities initially gave VND18 million (US$705) to each of the families of the deceased and VND5 million ($196) to the injured worker.

Vinacomin and its trade union each provided VND20 million ($784) to the family of each fatality.

Quang Ninh authorities are investigating the cause of the serious accident.

Recently, mining accidents have continuously occurred in Quang Ninh, taking many lives.

In August 2023, four workers died in the collapse of a coal pit of Vang Danh Coal JSC in Uong Bi City.

Four months later, a soil and rock slide happened at the Coc Sau coal mine operated by Coc Sau Cold JSC in Cam Pha City, leaving two workers dead and six injured.

In April this year, four coal miners were killed in a fire sparked by a methane gas blast at a coal mine owned by Thong Nhat Coal Company, also in Cam Pha.

All the three mining companies are operated by Vinacomin.

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Without solutions to adapt to and respond to climate change, the phenomenon may cause Vietnam to lose some 12-14.5 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) per year by 2050, said an official from the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment.

At the seminar 'Global Climate Partnership 2024,' held by Swiss-based investment fund manager responsAbility Investment AG on Monday, experts and policymakers agreed that the Southeast Asian country needs effective solutions to respond to climate change, specifically taking advantage of green finance from international organizations.

Climate change may cost the global economy $38,000 billion per year until 2050, which would leave an enormous impact on both developed and developing countries, according to Trinh Thi Huong, deputy head of the Enterprise Development Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

With over 3,200 kilometers of coastline and many low-lying cities and provinces, Vietnam is among the most vulnerable to climate change, Huong noted.

Climate change resulted in the countrys economic losses totaling about $10 billion in 2020, or 3.2 percent of its GDP, Huong cited an international study as saying.

Without suitable adaptation and mitigation measures, it is estimated that climate change could result in Vietnam losing about 12-14.5 percent of its GDP annually by 2050 and could push up to 1 million people into extreme poverty by 2030, she said.

In order to pursue its development plans while adapting to climate change and achieving net-zero emissions, Vietnam needs to invest an additional 6.8 percent of its GDP, or $368 billion, until 2040, according to Huong.

The involvement of private and international resources is important, besides the state coffers.

As a result, the country should create a favorable legal environment and encourage the participation of private enterprises in the response to climate change, the official added.

Nguyen Duc Lenh, deputy director of the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV)'s Ho Chi Minh City branch, informed that the central bank attaches much importance to green finance projects and will offer credit to environmental protection and emission reduction drives to head toward green growth.

The SBV called on credit institutions to mobilize green capital resources and launch financial packages for green and sustainable development.

Bui Quang Duy, deputy head of climate finance at responsAbility Investment AG, mentioned that financial institutions possess substantial funds dedicated to climate change adaptation, sustainable development, and green finance in various countries, including Vietnam.

Vietnam is responsAbility's second-largest market and it plans to expand the cooperation with local partners in the coming time to develop a green ecosystem in the country.

Many enterprises seek to access green finance and have green projects but fail to get capital from banks and investment funds, said Pham Thi Ngoc Thuy, director of the office of the Private Economic Development Research Board under the prime minister's Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform.

She suggested removing bottlenecks to facilitate enterprises access to green capital.

David Ambadar from the German Agency for International Cooperation GIZ underlined the importance of utilizing green finance, creating mechanisms, and establishing platforms for trading carbon credits to gain access to international financial markets.

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A crew member on US series 9-1-1 has died in a car crash following after wrapping work at 4am, according to media reports.

The death highlights the risks of fatigue for crew members working long shoots.

Rico Priem, 66, was driving home after a 14-hour day when his Toyota Highlander left the road, went up an embankment, and flipped onto its roof and came to rest on its roof. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Priem had worked two 14-hour days in a row, according to tunion officials.

20th Television expressed its condolences saying, On behalf of the studio and everyone at 9-1-1, we send our sincere and deepest condolences to Rico Priems family and friends.

Everyone in the IA family is shocked and deeply saddened by this tragic loss, Matt Loeb, president of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, also said in a statement. We are working to support our members family, their fellow members and colleagues. Safety in all aspects of the work our members do is our highest priority and we will assist in any investigation in any way that we can.

IATSE has long raised concerns that long workdays put crew members at risk of falling asleep when they drive home. Brent Hershman, a camera operator, died in 1997 while driving home after a 19-hour day on Pleasantville.

The union won a 54-hour weekend rest period in that contract, which was intended to curb end of week schedules where late Friday shifts run until early Saturday morning.

Source: Variety
Warner Bros Discovery has cancelled the 11th season of the The Block NZ just before four new teams were ready to begin filming, as part of the wide-ranging restructure of WBD which also saw Newshub axed along with hundreds of jobs.

It comes after a 2022 season was postponed until 2024 due to Aotearoas challenging housing market.

WBD now plans to sell off 4 homes in Browns Bay which were in the final stages of exterior construction.

A spokesperson from Warner Bros Discovery said: When we announced our business restructure earlier this year, we indicated that WBD would no longer make fully funded local shows, which includes The Block NZ. Existing sponsors had been told that we would contact them if the show was going ahead, and they would have first right of renewal.

Long-standing host of The Block NZ, Mark Richardson says he is not overly surprised the show has been cancelled. When we were told a year or so ago it was on hold, I thought it was unlikely to come back, and Ive moved on.

Warner Bros. International Television Production NZ co-manager Mike Molloy also told The NZ Herald it was a blow to the industry.

Devastating for a lot of local production workers. That is what were living with, said Molloy.

Im not going to comment around the show, or the decisions taken since we have the same ultimate parents. Suffice to say weve got to live by whats happened.

There are some very, very disappointed people out there, particularly some young people who are struggling day to day.

Source: Newshub, Stuff
Charming China - Sydney Chinese New Year Celebration: Year of the Dragon

09:18, May 14, 2024 By Zihan Xia ( People's Daily Online

The travel documentary "Charming China - Year of the Dragon", co-produced by People's Daily Online Australia and Greg Grainger TV, aired on Channel Seven of Australian public television in March 2024. This instalment of the "Charming China" series introduced Australian audiences to the cultural significance of the traditional Chinese New Year festival, along with various celebrations held in Sydney.

During the Chinese New Year festivities, thousands of overseas Chinese and local residents in Sydney gathered to experience the joy, vibrancy and cultural ambience of the festival. Through Greg Grainger's camera, viewers followed the host on his journey and experienced a multitude of exciting events celebrating the Year of the Dragon.

Grainger engaged in lively conversations with individuals on the streets of Sydney, guiding audiences on an immersive exploration, witnessing the Spring Festival celebrations in Chinatown, the spectacle of Red Sails on the Sydney Opera House, the traditional cultural exhibition at the China Cultural Centre in Sydney, mesmerizing dragon and lion dances, exhilarating dragon boat races at Darling Harbour, a dumpling tasting event symbolizing reunion, the Spring Festival concert at Sydney Town Hall, and the grand Tang Dynasty cultural exhibition at the Australian National Maritime Museum, among others.

Since 2018, People's Daily Online Australia has collaborated with Greg Grainger TV in Australia to produce the "Charming China" TV series, providing audiences in Australia and around the world with breathtaking scenery and captivating historical and cultural narratives of China.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Wu Chengliang)
Former military lawyer David McBride has been sentenced to five years and eight months in jail for sharing classified military documents with journalists.

The material released by McBride was used in the ABCs The Afghan Files story, which revealed allegations that Australian soldiers were involved in illegal killings. Investigative journalist Dan Oakes, was later awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to journalism.

In 2019 ABC offices were raided by the Australian Federal Police, reportedly over the Afghan Files, followed by the home of News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst.

The Afghan Files also led to a Gold Walkley Award for the Four Corners report, Killing Field, by Mark Willacy on alleged unlawful acts by Australias elite soldiers in Afghanistan.

McBride pleaded guilty to three charges, including theft and sharing documents classified as secret, with members of the press.

ABC reports ACT Supreme Court Justice David Mossop rejected McBrides case that he did not believe he was breaking the law, and found the offences were aggravated by his high security rating, which gave him access to the material.

He said McBride seemed to have become obsessed with the correctness of his own opinions.

But Justice Mossop did accept that McBrides mental health, which included PTSD, might have had a minor contribution to the offending.

MEAA Media Director Michelle Rae said, We respect the judges decision but it should never have come to this.

This reporting was clearly in the public interest but the punishment given today is far in excess of any perceived wrongdoing.

The prosecution has never proven that the disclosures have had any detrimental impact on Australas national security or its security relationships with other countries.

Without whistleblowers working with journalists, corruption and wrongdoing is allowed to flourish.

With Australia having slipped to 39th on global press freedom rankings, governments at all levels must commit to protecting whistleblowers and journalists.

A mature democracy does not shy away from scrutiny and the public has a right to know what its government does.

It is time our political leaders truly embraced transparency and accountability.

McBride will serve a non-parole period of two years and three months.

Speaking outside court today after the sentencing, McBrides lawyer Mark Davis said they would appeal.
Atika Sayeed, TwoCircles.net

Vaishya aur ba-ismat aurat ka muqaabla hargiz-hargiz nahi karna chahiye. In dono ka muqabla ho hi nahi sakta. Vaishya khud kamaati hai aur ba-ismat aurat ke paas kamaa kar laane waale kaee maujood hote hain.

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(One should never compare a prostitute and a chaste woman. These two cannot be compared at all. A prostitute earns a living on her own, while there are many who earn for a chaste woman.)

 Saadat Hassan Manto

Kolkata, steeped in rich culture, is however encrusted with a dark shadow in its vibrant tapestry  the plight of its sex workers. As the political landscape now changes so does the nature and challenges that lie ahead for these marginalised souls in society. Understanding Kolkatas historical context and the present struggles faced by its sex workers uncovers a narrative of systemic neglect and exploitation.

The history of sex work in Kolkata can be traced back to the colonial era  when the city was called Calcutta. During the era of British rule, the city became the center of commerce and industrialization and hence attracted traders, sailors and colonial administrators. This led to a rise in people, and this boosted the demand for different services, which included sex work.

The infamous Sonagachi district came up as a red-light area and became one of the largest in Asia. Generations of women, some trafficked or from abject poverty, have been ensnared in this profession, thereby leaving a trail of exploitation and marginalization. The socio-economic situation has changed in the past years, but the condition of sex workers has still remained worse.

The legal acknowledgment of sex work in India could not stop the stigma and discrimination that these people are constantly subjected to, hence they remain on the outskirts of society. Many sex workers in Kolkata emerge from poor backgrounds, forced into the profession either by lack of education, economic opportunities or societal pressures.

Life for sex workers in the West Bengal city has been marked by enduring challenges: poverty, limited access to healthcare and education and increased vulnerability to violence and disease. Irrespective of the statutory grey areas in which they operate, they have lacked formal protections and social security benefits.

Despite these challenges, there have been notable grassroots movements championed by sex workers themselves. Organizations like the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee have gone to length in advocating for stigmatization, preventing HIV/AIDS and gaining increased healthcare access. Although they have emerged as an emancipation for sex workers and increased the resource base, systemic challenges persist.

Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has left them in a situation that was more precarious for them than ever. Lockdowns and restrictions crippled their livelihoods, sending many of them into deeper poverty. As the brothels were shut and mobility was restricted, these women became more prone to exploitation and violence.

There are still many sex workers in Kolkata who suffer from various types of ill health related to their work. Lack of quality access to healthcare services has been the cause. Most healthcare facilities decline to treat sex workers due to stigma, leaving them vulnerable to diseases without treatment.

Again, lack of awareness and sex education programs adds to their health risks. With the absence of knowledge about how to maintain hygiene and other means of prevention, they are left at the mercy of the exploiting clients and middle persons.

In an election year, politicians often rhetorically commit themselves to womens issues, which include the rights of sex workers. However, seldom do their promises lead to practical implementation. While political speeches often highlight sex workers plight, practical policy changes rarely occur to support them.

Entering into the lanes of Watgunj, Khidderpore

I opted to explore lesser-discussed red-light areas in Kolkata, namely Khidderpore and Bowbazar. Despite being bustling parts of the city, they seemed neglected, resembling more of a basti (village).

Upon entering Watgunj in Khidderpore, I felt uneasy under the scrutinizing stares of the men there. Doubt crept in, questioning the wisdom of my decision, and fear gripped me. The discomfort was so overwhelming that I entertained the thought of retreating immediately.

However, despite initial struggles and feelings of despair, I remained determined to shed light on womens issues in the area. Approaching women for conversations proved challenging initially, as they often declined. It seemed like a dead end until I finally encountered Foreedun after an exhaustive search lasting over an hour.

The 57-year-old widow sex worker shared her experience of being in a particular place for more than 33 years. At the age of 24, she was married and brought to this location from another red-light area. Initially, she had hoped that she would not have to continue working in the same profession, but due to financial constraints and poverty, she was compelled to continue her work against her will.

For her, having worked in the profession for nearly 40 years feels like a profound and sorrowful event. She expressed deep dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs, highlighting a recurring pattern of empty promises from the government.

During the conversation, she emotionally expressed, We have managed to get by in our lives, but we do not want our children to endure the same fate. However, your supposedly educated society has neither embraced me nor my children. Do you believe this is fair?

Continuing to speak, she opened up about her interactions with customers, expressing that their earnings are limited since the rates charged to customers remain relatively constant. They charge Rs 200 per hour for their services, occasionally getting more if the customer is happy, but they also work in a factory making paper bags, which earns them Rs 350-400 daily, albeit seasonally.

She reflected on the challenging times during the Covid pandemic when maintaining distance from customers plunged them into severe poverty. With no work available for sex workers, they experienced profound sadness and discontent.

By the end of the third phase of the pandemic, it felt as though they were facing death. Sex workers struggled with depression and anxiety regarding their income and sustenance.

When I inquired about the government-provided ration, she responded, Merely receiving ration is not sufficient for sustaining a livelihood as life encompasses much more. As older women, we lack the knowledge to use mobile phones, so transitioning to online work was not feasible for us. Additionally, I lack the education to comprehend the activities of todays generation such as sexting. As a widow and mother responsible for feeding my family, relying solely on ration for a few days does not suffice. The pandemic brought immense hardship; in my neighbors home, four girls succumbed to the virus and customers were apprehensive about visiting us. Yet, despite our struggles, we feel unable to voice any grievances against the government.

My discussion with Foreedun deeply unsettled me; a woman nearly as old as my grandmother, who shared her experience living in a red-light area, her tearful eyes beseeched assistance, yet her resilience and determination, showcasing remarkable strength and resourcefulness.

I proceeded ahead and found myself in a confined courtyard located at the end of Watgunj. There, I encountered Archana Das, a 36-year-old woman adorned with a prominent maroon bindi, seated outside a room. Upon initiating conversation, she revealed that she hails from Murshidabad. At the age of 16, she was initially brought to Kolkata along with her two siblings for employment opportunities, but they ended up here.

When I inquired about the elections, her swift response was, Elections are irrelevant to us. We are invisible to the government. Their policies cater to the locals, not to us, the randis.

I asked once more, Do you people not receive the facilities provided by the government?

She responded with a hint of aggression, Duniya humko insaan samjhegi to na dhyaan degi hum logo par, aap log to humein sirf sex karmi maante hain (if the world considers us as humans, only then it will pay attention to us. You people only consider us as sex workers).

This reflects the lack of support not only from the government but also from the local community. They feel marginalized and overlooked, facing a double barrier in accessing assistance and understanding from both officials and the society around them. Many sex workers in the region are lacking facilities, which are available for others.

While speaking to Archana, it became evident that her daughter frequently encounters prejudice due to her career decisions, leaving them feeling marginalized. When schoolmates inquire about their parents professions, she hesitates to reply, sensing the judgmental looks that often follow. This dynamic casts a shadow over their educational experience, making them feel isolated and misunderstood.

In a similar vein, children of sex workers often endure similar biases and stigmatization. They face whispers and sidelong glances, and when the topic of their parents occupation arises, there is a palpable discomfort. This societal attitude not only affects their sense of belonging but also undermines their confidence and self-worth. These children deserve acceptance and support, free from the shadow of prejudice cast by societys narrow-minded perceptions.

Archana emphasized the paramount importance of acknowledging the multifaceted challenges sex workers encounter daily in Kolkata. Beyond the pervasive social stigma attached to their profession, they grapple with economic, health and legal obstacles that significantly impact their lives. Access to adequate healthcare services remains a pressing issue as sex workers often find themselves lacking proper medical care despite the inherent health risks associated with their work.

The outdated legal framework governing sex work exacerbates their plight, subjecting them to further exploitation and abuse by both law enforcement and clients. Without legal protections, sex workers are left vulnerable to violence and injustice, with little recourse for seeking redress.

Archana urged policymakers to prioritize the rights and well-being of sex workers. Decriminalizing sex work, ensuring access to healthcare and social services and empowering sex workers to lead dignified lives free from stigma and discrimination should be central to the governments agenda. Only through such measures can true justice and equality be achieved for all.

Strolling along the slender lanes of Bowbazar

When I ventured into Bowbazars red light district, the familiarity of the area lessened the impact compared to Khidderpore. I didnt hesitate to engage with the women there. Among them was Roshni, a 26-year-old sex worker, who revealed she was sold by her husband. When asked why she didnt escape, she explained, Running away wouldnt have solved my situation. With only a basic education and skills in household chores and knowing that people from my husbands hometown had seen me here, I lacked the courage to leave.

While discussing her employment opportunities, she mentions, I engage in call-girl work following my sex work. I converse with people to help them relax.

Upon pressing for further details, she explains that these interactions typically involve audio calls without visual or video components. Regarding pricing, she states, It varies based on the customer. We dont have a fixed rate. I usually charge Rs 200 for a one-hour call, but sometimes, depending on the situation, we negotiate a fee that the customer feels comfortable with.

When asked about the communal politics in India and its impact on their lives, Roshni responded that they dont usually observe it in their community. She stressed the importance of unity among sex workers, noting a general awareness of divisive political tactics such as divide and rule.

She also emphasized that despite any difference, they prioritize solidarity because their community is all they have, and engaging in internal conflicts would leave them with nowhere else to turn.

She said government officials never visit the area to inquire about the issues faced by sex workers. It is only the election season when leaders visit them to solicit votes.

When discussing facilities, she noted the essentials expected from government officials are lacking in provision. Instead, its only a handful of NGOs, which provide assistance and support, both financially and emotionally. Many sex workers engage in therapy, but only a minority experience genuine healing.

Conversely, Roshni highlighted the policies that sex workers should be entitled to. However, due to insufficient awareness, they receive little support. Many sex workers require benefits like the Lakshmi Bhandar, widow pension, and Swastha Sathi scheme, but they struggle to access such resources.

Additionally, a significant number of sex workers lack bank accounts and even Aadhar and ration cards.

She mentioned the kotha where she resides is owned by someone else. All sex workers in this kotha are required to pay rent, which amounts to approximately Rs 6000 per month for each room. The landlords are from Bihar, and since each room is roughly 100 square feet, the rent is often considered high by the sex workers.

Many of them face difficulties sending money to their children who study elsewhere due to inconsistent income. This financial instability also contributes to their feeling of insecurity.

Rising living costs are a major concern for sex workers, who struggle to manage their expenses. Roshni emphasized the need for security in terms of health, employment and education for their children.

After talking to these women, I gained insight into the challenges encountered by sex workers. What particularly struck me was their remarkable emotional resilience. As I engaged with them, I realized that many women have become emotionally desensitized to the point where they may not even be aware of it themselves.

To delve deeper into their emotional well-being, I spoke with Mahua, a psychologist specializing in therapy for sex workers and marginalized women.

Mahua, who previously worked with multiple renowned NGOs in Kolkata, shared her insights with me, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the marginalization faced by women.

She stressed before addressing governmental shortcomings, its crucial for individuals to cultivate empathy and acceptance towards the sex workers, without expecting them to constantly fulfill the role of caregivers or workers.

Drawing parallels to societal expectations placed on mothers, Mahua highlighted the need to acknowledge women as complete human beings, embracing both their strengths and weaknesses.

Furthermore, she pointed out the interlink between womens numbness in certain situations and the recurring mistreatment they endure. This mistreatment, particularly evident in the way customers objectify them, contributes to their emotional detachment and reinforces their dehumanization.

Despite some legal recognition, Mahua highlighted, sex work remains largely stigmatized and socially unaccepted. She said while theoretical legalization exists, it doesnt translate into full societal acceptance.

She believes that in the current Indian employment landscape, where opportunities are limited, sex work is not something, which comes as choice. However, she argues that until there are sufficient alternative employment options available to meet peoples needs, sex work will continue to be marginalized and unrecognized as a legitimate profession.

Mahua cited examples from foreign countries where sex work is legalized. She emphasized women in India who are forcibly engaged in this profession either do this under pressure and circumstance that has been created or due to extreme poverty, often lacking awareness of their rights as sex workers or policies related to sex trafficking. In such cases, she stressed the importance of standing by them and educating them about relevant policies.

Regarding governmental involvement, Mahua noted officials tend to distance themselves from sex workers and neglect providing them with crucial support, such as HIV/AIDS awareness and access to healthcare, including abortion services.

She criticized the focus on basic needs like food, clothing and shelter, neglecting the broader desires and aspirations of sex workers.

She asserted like anyone else, sex workers also desire freedom, relaxation and fulfillment beyond mere survival necessities, which they lack in general.

Mahua urged government officials to actively support sex workers by providing consistent assistance and not limiting their visits to election seasons.

She emphasized the importance of regular interaction with sex workers to gain a better understanding of their needs and perspectives, which can inform policymaking.

Additionally, she called for the involvement of local leaders in addressing issues related to sex work and emphasized the importance of treating sex workers with dignity and humanity, rather than as outsiders or lesser beings.
M I Khan, TwoCircles.net

Patna: Rajesh Kumar was keen to cast his vote in ongoing Lok Sabha elections but had to leave his native village in Bihars Saran district to go back to work in faraway Maharashtra. The young migrant worker wont be able to exercise his right to franchise on May 20 unlike last Lok Sabha elections.

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Yahan koi kaam-dhandha nahi hai, majboori hai kamane ke liye jaa rahe hain. Hamare liye chunav se adhik jaroori jeevika hai. Hum jaise gharib aadmi ke liye koi kutch nahi karta hai chunav ke baad (There is no work here; it is a compulsion to go outside to earn a living. Livelihood is more important for us than elections. No one does anything for the poor like us after polls), the man in his late 20s told TwoCircles.net, while waiting at Danapur railway station in Patna to board an express train to Pune.

The native of Satjora village under Panapur block in Saran parliamentary constituency is only breadwinner for his family of five.

He said he had planned to leave after voting; but two days ago, he received a call from a contractor to come and resume work. He was unable to take a risk to leave the job opportunity and stay back home just to vote.

I was at home for over two-and-and-a-half months without any job. As I got the call, without even giving a second thought, I decided to go back. If I delay joining the work, there is a possibility that I will lose the opportunity, said Rajesh, who has been working as a Poclain operator in Pune for the last four years.

He said his father is a small farmer, who hardly earns anything from his kharif and rabi harvests after months of hard labour in the village.

It is my responsibility to manage the family and construct a pucca house. I have to earn more to educate my brother and sister, he said, narrating his part of the struggle for achche din (good days) ahead, which he said wont turn out to be jumla of the past.

He said he earns Rs 25,000 every month in Pune.

According to the Bihar Caste Survey report released in 2023, the state has high out migration for low paid jobs. The report highlighted about 46 lakh people of the state are living and working outside to earn their livelihood. It further revealed the majority of migrant workers belong to other backwards castes (OBCs), extremely backward castes (EBCs), Muslims and scheduled castes (SCs).

Rajesh was not alone at the station, waiting for a train to go to big cities to work as labourers. There are several others who were waiting at different railway stations in Patna, including Patna Junction, Rajendra Nagar Terminal, Patliputra and Danapur, to embark on their journeys. It is a usual crowd, which can be spotted round the year.

We are poor and landless, there is no option except to migrate to earn livelihood  leaving family behind in the village. As far as elections are concerned, we have to make a choice to earn or stay back to vote. I came to the village in early April to attend a marriage in the extended family. I am now returning to work, said Raman Ram, a young migrant worker, waiting along with three more from his native village Dagraha under Mehsi block in East Champaran to board Sanghmitra express for Bengaluru at Danapur Railway Junction.

I am working as a mason with a contractor in Bengaluru and earn nearly double of what I can earn at my native place. It is always difficult to go to far away places to earn a living, but we have to accept this challenge. We are forced to migrate as there is no job opportunity back home. Even if we get work, neither it is regular nor well paid. No employer will give us Rs 800-1,000 as daily wage, he said.

Ram was echoed by his fellow villager Brijesh Kumar. He too said the same that he had planned to leave after elections but got a call from a contractor, who requested him to reach as soon as possible.

Roshan Kumar, who was waiting to board a train to Mumbai, said, Majboori ke karan bahar ja rahe hain, Bihar mein rojgar ka suvidha rahta to kyon jaate. Na yahan factory hai, na koi aur kaam dhandha. Berojgar baithne se pet nahi bharega. Chunav to hote rahta hai (We are going out of compulsion. There is employment opportunity in Bihar. Neither there is any factory here, nor any other job opportunity. Sitting idle wont make ends meet. Elections keep happening).

The resident Roh block in Nawada district had arrived home after election was over in his parliamentary constituency on April 19 in the first of seven phase ongoing Lok Sabha elections 2024. He was upset that he missed a chance to exercise his fundamental right.

What more can I say? There is no use of my education because unemployment is rampant. Despite being a graduate, I work as a cab driver to earn a living. During election campaigns, political leaders promise jobs to educated youth and later forget. The next government should focus on ensuring jobs in Bihar, he said.

Similarly, Rakesh Sahni, another migrant worker, a native of Shahpur Patori in Samastipur parliamentary constituency, shared his part of the story.

If there is an employment opportunity back home, why would we go to other states  leaving the family behind. Our life is full of struggle. I came to attend a family function last month and am now going back, he said. He works as a marble-tiles mason in Hyderabad.

Not far from Sahni, a group of seven or eight young migrant workers, sitting on a platform, waiting to board a train to Erode in Tamil Nadu, were worried as they had no confirmed seat reservation.

We wanted to cast our votes, but our financial situation compelled us to go back. We had no jobs for over three months, said Shiv Balak Rai and his friend Sukesh.

Rojgar nahi hai to kya krein? Tamil Nadu jaa rahe hain, kuch paisa kamane. Paisa ke abhav mein kutch kaam nahi hota hai, pet chalna bhi mushkil hai, humlog garib hai. Vote dene ka mann to tha par kya karen (What to do if there is no employment? We are going to Tamil Nadu to earn some money. Nothing is possible without money, even having meals becomes difficult. We are poor. We were keen to vote, but there was no choice), Rai said.

Ironically, only a small portion of migrant workers return to their villages and towns with the sole purpose of taking part in the electoral process. Several studies in recent years revealed that most migrant workers are eager to participate in voting but they are facing several issues, including fear of loss of job, earnings and other financial constraints.

With low paid jobs and costly journeys back home to cast vote is a big challenge for them. This discourages them as the issue of livelihood comes first, said Mahendar Yadav, founder convenor of the Koshi Nav Nirman Manch, a peoples organisation working in the backward and flood-prone Kosi region.

The Kosi belt along with the Seemanchal region, comprising nearly a dozen districts, more or less facing the same challenge, is known for high rate of migration due to rampant poverty, underdevelopment and lack of availability of work locally.

Yadav said poor migrant workers from underdeveloped areas are forced to go outside in search of jobs, and successive governments did nothing to enable them to take part in voting. They are being deprived of their fundamental right.

He demanded that the government should make special arrangements for migrant workers so that theory can exercise their right.

An official of the Bihar State Election Commission said the return of thousands of migrant workers to the state due to COVID 19 had resulted in an increase in the voting percentage in the Bihar Assembly election, which was held in October-November 2020, particularly in districts with a higher percentage of migrant workers.

None other than the Election Commission of India admitted that one of the prominent reasons contributing to low voter turnout is the inability to vote due to internal migration.

At the national level, migrant workers are playing an important role as they contribute nearly 10 percent of Indias GDP, and they are part of ongoing almost all big infrastructure projects  national highway, bridges, metro in different cities to agriculture and industries.
By Simon Lewis

KYIV (Reuters) - The U.S. will stand by Ukraine until its security sovereignty is guaranteed, Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged on Tuesday in a visit to Kyiv, at a time when Russia is mounting fresh attacks in the country's east.

The top U.S. diplomat is the first senior U.S. official to travel to Ukraine after U.S. Congress passed last month a $61 billion military aid package following a delay of several months during which Russia gained advantage on the battlefield.

In a policy speech at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, Blinken acknowledged the delay of U.S. weapons made Ukraine more vulnerable to Russia's attacks but said Kyiv can count on Washington's unwavering support because the American people understood that Russia will not stop in Ukraine.

"Putin is ramping up yet another offensive against Ukraine in Kharkiv and across the east, sending wave after wave of Russian soldiers, Iranian drones, North Korean artillery, and tanks, missiles and fighter jets built with machines and parts supplied by China," Blinken said.

"We are with you today. And we will stay by your side until Ukraine's security, sovereignty, its ability to choose its own path is guaranteed," he said.

Blinken arrived in Kyiv by train early on Tuesday morning on the previously undisclosed visit, which comes days after Russia launched a ground incursion into the north of the region of Kharkiv, opening a new front and stretching Ukraine's soldiers.

Kyiv has been on the back foot on the battlefield for months as Russian troops have slowly advanced, taking advantage of Ukraine's shortages of troop manpower and artillery shells.

Military aid from Washington, Kyiv's main backer, was held up for months, blocked by Republicans in the U.S. Congress until they finally allowed a vote last month, when it passed with support from both parties.

The hold up by the Republicans was largely driven by Donald Trump, former president and the party's presumptive nominee in November elections to rival President Joe Biden. His non-committal stance on Ukraine has spooked European countries.

In his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Blinken tried to reassure him that following the delays, U.S. aid would now be flowing in a steady way.

"We know this is a challenging time. But we also know that in the near term the assistance is now on the way, some of it has already arrived and more of it will be arriving," he said in remarks with Zelenskiy.

"And that's going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield."

Russia now controls about 18% of Ukraine and has been gaining ground since the failure of Kyiv's 2023 counter-offensive to make serious inroads against Russian troops dug in behind deep minefields.

Zelenskiy, addressing Blinken in English, said air defence supplies were "the biggest deficit for us" with Russia conducting long-range aerial attacks since March that have pounded electricity facilities and caused blackouts.

"Really we need today two Patriots for Kharkiv, for Kharkiv region because there the people are under attack. Civilians, warriors, everybody they are under Russian missiles."

On Monday, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Washington was trying to accelerate "the tempo of the deliveries" of weapons to Ukraine to help it reverse its disadvantage.

"The delay put Ukraine in a hole and we're trying to help them dig out of that hole as rapidly as possible," Sullivan said, adding that a fresh package of weapons was going to be announced this week.

Zelenskiy also said he wanted to discuss security guarantees and an upcoming peace summit, asking Blinken to help ensure participation from more countries. Moscow is not invited to the summit in Switzerland next month.

PATH TO NATO

The U.S. was working with European allies to lay the foundation for Ukraine to build its long-term force, efforts that would be bringing Kyiv "closer to and then into" NATO, Blinken said.

While the U.S.-led defence alliance is not likely to admit Ukraine any time soon, individual members are reaching bilateral security agreements with Kyiv. Talks on a U.S.-Ukraine agreement are "in the final stages" and will conclude ahead of a July NATO summit in Washington, a senior U.S. official told reporters.

These bilateral security agreements, Blinken said would be elements that bolster Ukraine's "bridge" to NATO.

"When we hold the Washington Summit in July, we'll take tangible steps to increase NATO's role in building a resilient, capable Ukrainian force, supporting its ongoing reforms, and better integrating Ukraine into the alliance," Blinken said.

"All of these will ensure that the moment the conditions are met, and allies agree, Ukraine's invitation and accession to the alliance will be swift and smooth."

The Group of Seven wealthy nations signed a joint declaration at the NATO summit in Vilnius in July last year committing to establish "long-term security commitments and arrangements" with Ukraine that would be negotiated bilaterally.

Kyiv says the arrangements should contain important and concrete security commitments, but that the agreements would in no way replace its strategic goal of joining NATO.

(Reporting by Simon Lewis; Writing by Humeyra Pamuk and Tom Balmforth; Editing by Don Durfee, Rosalba O'Brien, Nick Zieminski and Marguerita Choy)
Explainer-What is the history of the Israel-Palestinian conflict?

Palestinians rest near rubble of houses destroyed in Israeli strikes, in Khan Younis

(Reuters) -Israel and Hamas have been waging war since gunmen from the Palestinian militant group in the Gaza Strip stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and capturing 253 hostages, by Israeli tallies.

Israel responded with a military offensive in Gaza in which more than 41,500 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza health authorities. Nearly the entire population of 2.3 million people in the enclave have been displaced from their homes and much of the territory has been laid to waste.

The Gaza war is the bloodiest episode yet in a protracted conflict between Israelis and Palestinians that has rumbled for seven decades and destabilised the Middle East.

Recent weeks have also seen a dramatic escalation in a related conflict across Israel's border with Lebanon, where the Iran-backed armed movement Hezbollah says it is fighting in solidarity with the Palestinians.

WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT?

The conflict pits Israeli demands for a secure homeland in what it has long regarded as a hostile Middle East against Palestinians' unrealised aspirations for a state of their own.

In 1947, while Palestine was under British mandate rule, the United Nations General Assembly agreed a plan to partition it into Arab and Jewish states and for international rule over Jerusalem. Jewish leaders accepted the plan, which gave them 56% of the land. The Arab League rejected the proposal.

Israel's founding father, David Ben-Gurion, proclaimed the modern state of Israel on May 14, 1948, a day before the scheduled end of British rule, establishing a safe haven for Jews fleeing persecution and seeking a national home on land to which they cite ties dating to antiquity.

In the late 1940s, violence had been intensifying between Arabs, who comprised about two thirds of the population, and Jews. A day after Israel was created, troops from five Arab states attacked.

In the war that followed, some 700,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes, ending up in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, and in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Palestinians lament this as the "Nakba", or catastrophe. Israel contests the assertion that it forced out Palestinians.

Armistice agreements halted the fighting in 1949 but there was no formal peace. Descendants of Palestinians who stayed put in the war make up about 20% of Israel's population now.

WHAT WARS HAVE BEEN FOUGHT SINCE THEN?

In 1967, Israel made a pre-emptive strike on Egypt and Syria, launching the Six-Day War. Israel captured the West Bank and Arab East Jerusalem from Jordan, the Golan Heights from Syria and the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip from Egypt.

A 1967 Israeli census put Gaza's population at 394,000, at least 60% of them Palestinian refugees and their descendants.

In 1973, Egypt and Syria attacked Israeli positions along the Suez Canal and Golan Heights, starting the Yom Kippur War. Israel pushed both armies back within three weeks.

Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982 and thousands of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) guerrillas under Yasser Arafat were evacuated by sea after a 10-week siege. Israeli troops pulled out of Lebanon in 2000.

In 2005, Israel withdrew settlers and soldiers from Gaza. Hamas won parliamentary elections in 2006 and seized full control of Gaza in 2007. Major fighting flared between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza in 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2021.

In 2006, Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militants captured two Israeli soldiers in the border region and Israel launched military action, triggering a six-week war.

There have also been two Palestinian intifadas, or uprisings, from 1987 to 1993 and 2000 to 2005. In the second, Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups carried out suicide bombings in Israel, and Israel conducted tank assaults and airstrikes on Palestinian cities.

Since then, there have been several rounds of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, which refuses to recognise Israel and is regarded as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the European Union, United States and other countries. Hamas says its armed activities are resistance against Israeli occupation.

WHAT ATTEMPTS HAVE THERE BEEN TO MAKE PEACE?

In 1979, Egypt became the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel, under which the Sinai Peninsula was returned to Egyptian rule.

In 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Arafat shook hands on the Oslo Accords establishing limited Palestinian autonomy in the West Bank and Gaza. In 1994, Israel signed a peace treaty with Jordan. But a summit six years later attended by Arafat, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and U.S. President Bill Clinton at Camp David failed to secure a final peace deal.

In 2002, a proposed Arab League plan offered Israel normal relations with all Arab countries in return for a full withdrawal from the lands it took in the 1967 Middle East war, the creation of a Palestinian state and a "just solution" for Palestinian refugees. The presentation of the plan was overshadowed by Hamas, which blew up an Israeli hotel full of Holocaust survivors during a Passover seder meal.

Further Palestinian-Israeli peacemaking efforts have been stalled since 2014.

Under U.S. President Donald Trump in 2020, Israel reached deals known as the Abraham Accords to normalise ties with several Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco.

Palestinians stopped dealing with the U.S. administration after Trump broke with U.S. policy by recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

Qatar and Egypt have acted as mediators in the latest war, securing a truce late last year that lasted seven days, during which some hostages held by Hamas were exchanged for prisoners held by Israel, and more humanitarian aid flowed into Gaza.

WHERE DO PEACE EFFORTS STAND NOW?

Months of on-off talks on a further Gaza truce have so far proven fruitless, circling the same issues.

Above all, Hamas says it will free its remaining hostages only as part of a peace deal that ends the war. Israel says it will not end the war until Hamas is destroyed.

Other issues holding up a deal have included control over the border between Gaza and Egypt, the sequencing of reciprocal steps in any agreement, the number and identity of Palestinian prisoners to be released alongside Israeli hostages and free movement for Palestinians inside Gaza.

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has sought a "grand bargain" in the Middle East that would include normalisation of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Riyadh says this would require progress towards creating an independent Palestinian state, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN ISSUES?

A two-state solution, Israeli settlements on occupied land, the status of Jerusalem, agreed borders, and the fate of Palestinian refugees.

Two-state solution: An agreement that would create a state for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza alongside Israel. Netanyahu says Israel must have security control over all land west of the Jordan River, which would preclude a sovereign Palestinian state.

Settlements: Most countries deem Jewish settlements built on land Israel captured in 1967 to be illegal. Israel disputes this and cites historical and biblical ties to the land. Continued settlement expansion is among the most contentious issues between Israel, the Palestinians and the international community.

Jerusalem: Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which includes the walled Old City's sites sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians alike, to be the capital of their state. Israel says Jerusalem should remain its "indivisible and eternal" capital.

Israel's claim to Jerusalem's eastern part is not recognised internationally. Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital, without specifying the extent of its jurisdiction in the disputed city, and moved the U.S. Embassy there in 2018.

Refugees: Today about 5.6 million Palestinian refugees - mainly descendants of those who fled in 1948 - live in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and in Gaza. About half of registered refugees remain stateless, according to the Palestinian foreign ministry, many living in crowded camps.

Palestinians have long demanded that refugees and their millions of descendants be allowed to return. Israel says any resettlement of Palestinian refugees must occur outside its borders.

(Editing by Edmund Blair, Peter Graff, Timothy Heritage, William Maclean and Mark Heinrich)
By Rachel More and Andreas Rinke

BERLIN/STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Germany must find ways to convince people to sign up for a career in the military, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Tuesday, as the country looks at conscription as a possible way to boost its long-neglected defences in the face of tensions with Russia.

"Ultimately it's about how we can convince enough women and men to work in the Bundeswehr and find a job for themselves there," Scholz said during a visit to Sweden, which reintroduced conscription in 2017 following Russia's annexation of Crimea.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, a member of Scholz's Social Democrats, has tasked his ministry with exploring potential models for military conscription.

In Sweden, between 5,000-6,000 young men and women are selected for conscription each year but the government wants to increase that number to 10,000, which would mean about one in 10 youngsters will have to do the basic training.

The war in Ukraine prompted debate in Germany over reintroducing the system, as the Bundeswehr armed forces grapple with shrinking troop numbers at a time when Berlin has promised an unprecedented ramp-up in the nation's defences. Germany has not had conscription since 2011.

The Christian Democrats (CDU), Germany's main opposition party, has committed itself to reintroducing military service if it wins national elections next year.

Pistorius, whose ministry is yet to present its paper with proposed models, has previously described the Swedish system as a role model. Sweden trains conscripts but only uses as many volunteers as the professional army needs.

"No country has a perfect model and everybody respects different countries using different models for different historic reasons," Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said following his talks with Scholz.

"I think for us, this model is working well."

(Additional reporting by Andreas Rinke and Johan Ahlander, editing by William Maclean)
No single action is a red line on UK arms exports to Israel, deputy PM says

By Pesha Magid

RIYADH (Reuters) - Britain will continue to approve arm exports to Israel, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden told Reuters on Tuesday, saying a full-scale Israeli operation in Rafah would not by itself result in a suspension of UK weapons supplies.

"The assessment that we undertake for arms export controls is one of the most rigorous in the world ... No single action represents a red line," Dowden said on the sidelines of a UK-Saudi trade conference in Riyadh.

"As the foreign secretary set out a few days ago, we are confident with continuing with those arms exports, he said.

Earlier this month the United States withheld a shipment of thousands of heavy bombs, out of concern at Israel's slow-rolling assault in Rafah, where Washington opposes a major Israeli invasion without civilian safeguards.

But UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said on Sunday that banning British arms exports to Israel would strengthen Hamas.

The action by Israel in respect to Rafah is not something that is going to, in of itself, trigger a change in the position from the UK government vis-a-vis arms exports," said Dowden. He was speaking in response to a question about whether the UK would cease issuing licences to UK weapons makers if Israel launched its operation in Rafah.

Israeli tanks pushed into Rafah on Tuesday, forcing civilians to scramble to find safety. More than a million Gazans took sanctuary in Rafah after Israel ordered evacuations from northern Gaza in October, and are now struggling to find the means to flee again.

"In respect to Rafah, what we continue to do is engage with the Israelis about our concerns about getting aid in and about the proper conduct of any offensive to make sure that we minimize civilian casualties," Dowden.

Israel's international allies and aid groups have repeatedly warned against a ground incursion into Rafah, which borders Egypt and where Israel says four Hamas battalions are holed up. Israel has vowed to press on into Rafah even without its allies' support, in order to root out remaining Hamas fighters.

The Palestinian death toll in the war has now surpassed 35,000, with 57 killed in the past 24 hours, according to Gaza health officials, whose figures do not differentiate between civilians and fighters.

(Reporting by Pesha Magid, Editing by William Maclean)
Vovchansk resident Hanna, 74-year-old holds a covered cage with a parrot as she sits inside an evacuation bus to Kharkiv due to Russian shelling near a border in Kharkiv region

Vovchansk resident Hanna, 74-year-old holds a covered cage with a parrot as she sits inside an evacuation bus to Kharkiv due to Russian shelling near a border in Kharkiv region

By Vitalii Hnidyi, Ivan Lyubysh-Kirdey and Yuliia Dysa

NEAR VOVCHANSK, Ukraine (Reuters) -Ukraine's military said on Tuesday its forces pulled back to new positions in two areas of the northeastern Kharkiv region where Moscow is pressing an offensive, and warned of a Russian force buildup to the north near its Sumy region.

A cross-border attack on a new flank in Sumy region would likely stretch Kyiv's depleted defenders even further after Russia's incursion into Kharkiv region opened a new front on Friday, forcing Ukraine to rush in reinforcements.

Russia has made inroads into the north of Kharkiv region and said on Tuesday it had taken a 10th border village, Buhruvatka. The police chief in Vovchansk, a town 5 kilometres (3 miles) from the border that has been the target of one of the main Russian thrusts, reported exchanges of fire in the north of the town.

"In certain sectors in the area of Lukyantsi and Vovchansk, units have moved to more advantageous positions as a consequence of enemy fire and storming action and in order to preserve the lives of our servicemen and avoid losses," the General Staff said in a statement late on Tuesday.

Regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said two people had been killed in shelling there. More than 7,500 people from Vovchansk and nearby border areas had been evacuated.

"For five days we never left the house, we didn't see anyone, we were so afraid to go out we never even opened the door," Natalia Yurchenko, who was evacuated from Vovchansk, told Reuters.

Apart from the devastation and the blow to Ukrainian morale in the region, home to Ukraine's second largest city of Kharkiv, the incursion is a distraction for Kyiv's defensive operations in the east where Russia has focused its offensive for months.

Military spy chief Kyrylo Budanov said Moscow had already committed all the troops it had in the border areas for the Kharkiv operation, but that it had other reserve forces that he expected to be used in the coming days.

"As of yesterday evening, a rapid trend towards a stabilisation of the situation had emerged - that is, the enemy is, in principle, already blocked at the lines that it was able to reach," he said in televised comments.

Top Ukrainian officials say they do not believe Russia has the troop numbers to capture the city of Kharkiv.

Russia was maintaining the tempo of its attacks in the region, according to data compiled by the Ukrainian General Staff which said there had been 14 Russian assaults so far on Tuesday, compared with 13 on Monday and 22 the day before.

Budanov described the situation as fluid and rapidly changing, saying the "active phase" of the Russian operation was still under way.

TEST OF MANPOWER

Budanov said Russia had small groups of forces in the border areas near Ukraine's Sumy region in the vicinity of the Russian town of Sudzha from where Russian natural gas transits into Ukraine by pipe on its way to European customers.

"As for the Sumy region, the Russians actually planned an operation in the Sumy region from the very beginning... but the situation did not allow them to take active actions and start the operation," he said.

The Russian assault is a test of Ukrainian manpower, which military analysts say is running short and needs to be replenished.

That shortfall is compounded by months of delays in vital U.S. military aid, some of which Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a trip to Kyiv on Tuesday had finally arrived, with more on the way that would "make a real difference".

Emil Kastehelmi, an open-source intelligence analyst with Black Bird Group, told Reuters the most important battle in the Russian push was taking place in Vovchansk, some 45 kilometres from the city of Kharkiv.

"If Russia wants to go further south, Vovchansk needs to be captured. In this town, Ukraine is putting up a fight, and it seems that stronger Ukrainian defences are starting to appear around 6-8 km from the border in other places too," he said.

Tamaz Gambarashvili, head of Vovchansk's military administration, said in televised comments that the town was "almost destroyed".

"It's completely under (Kyiv's) control, but there are small groups that try to enter the outskirts of the city, so there is a shooting battle," he said.

Liz Throssell, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said her office was "deeply concerned" at the plight of civilians in Kharkiv region where she said at least eight people had been killed and 35 injured since Friday.

(Reporting by Yuliia Dysa, Anastasiia Malenko, Olena Harmash; Writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Alexandra Hudson and Peter Graff)
MADRID (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is set to visit Madrid on May 17 and meet with Spain's King Felipe, the Royal Palace said in a statement on Tuesday.

The monarch will hold a reception for Zelenskiy at 12:30 p.m. local time (1030 GMT) and host a meal in his honour an hour later, the statement added.

The Spanish government has not provided any details on the visit due to security reasons, but Zelenskiy is also expected to sign a bilateral security cooperation agreement with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez following a joint declaration by NATO last year.

Like other European Union countries, Spain has committed to supporting Ukraine with financial and military aid after Russia's invasion in February 2022.

Zelenskiy's visit comes as the EU is set to pledge long-term security support for Ukraine, assuring Kyiv of more weapons, military training and other aid for years to come, according to a draft document.

(Reporting by Emma Pinedo and Belen Carreno; Writing by David Latona; Editing by Andrei Khalip)
Thinking of booking a trip to the Maldives? This is the best time to go

Believe it or not, paradise gets even better at certain points of the year and its important when planning a trip to know the best time to visit the Maldives. Almost half the year (December to April) counts as the dry season, although even when its officially the rainy season, there can still be plenty of sunshine in between the showers.

LUXURY HOTELS IN THE MALDIVES

Everyones idea of the Maldives invariably consists of dazzlingly sunny skies, white sugary sands, palm trees and tiny desert islands in the middle of the ocean  and no one wants a monsoon putting a (literal) dampener on their trip. Holiday snaps will undeniably be improved by bright blue skies and heavy grey clouds have no place in paradise, especially if youre planning on some underwater activities.

But the destination is not just about sun and sand, even if it is the ultimate place on the planet to live out any stranded Robinson Crusoe fantasies. It won't be hard to locate a desert island to willingly shipwreck yourself on, since many of the country's islands have a total area of just one or two square kilometres.

Getty Images

As well as the classic beach lounging, the Maldives many atolls are the perfect destination to scuba and snorkel, or to learn watersports such as surfing, paddleboarding and windsurfing  theyre also home to underwater spas and restaurants, over-water villas and bedrooms with slides leading straight into the sea. Its not hard to see why the country is the dream honeymoon destination.

WHERE TO STAY IN THE MALDIVES

Youll also be able to enjoy sunrise yoga, sunset cruises and delicious food, from barbecued lobster on the beach, reef fish and super-fresh sashimi to spicy local flavours and classic Indian dishes.

And these days, desert islands come with a whole lot more luxury (sorry, Robinson)  the remote coral islets are home to some of the finest luxury resorts in the world.

When is the best month to visit the Maldives?

Luckily for northern-hemisphere dwellers who havent seen the sun in a while by this point, December, January and February in the Maldives have some of the islands warmest (and driest) weather, with dry days and clear blue skies. But the official high season runs all the way up until April, when you can still expect consistently dry, sunny weather.

The warm, tropical climate means average highs of 30 degrees, with the mercury rarely dipping below 24 degrees. Hotels are at their busiest over Christmas and into New Year  and if you cant handle the relentless grey days of January, its a whole lot brighter over in the Maldives.

Wildlife lovers coming in search of whale sharks should time their visit for October or November.

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What is the rainy season in the Maldives?

The rainy season is between May and November, but dont let that put you off  the islands will be quieter at this time of the year, with fewer tourists, and the temperatures are still high.

And theres lots to do on rainy days, whether its a trip to the hotels spa  some of which are underwater, or have glass-bottom floors to look through while youre face-down on the treatment bed, so you can watch the tropical fish flit by during your massage  or simply enjoying endless cocktails in a horizon-facing bar.

When is the dry season?

Officially, the dry season runs from December to April, so youll have plenty of time to get in a shower-free stay between these months.

This time of year also has the lowest humidity. Within this period, the driest months are between January and April, and this is when the resorts will be at their busiest. February sees the least rainfall (52mm), with the most precipitation occurring in October (224mm).

When is the hottest month?

Temperatures stay at around 30 degrees throughout the dry season. And its not all bad news during the wet season: its still warm between May and November, theres just a higher chance of rain and more storms. But even at this time of the year, visitors still enjoy long spells of sunshine, along with lower prices.

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Is there a worst time to visit the Maldives?

September and October see the most rainfall, which could class as a bad time to visit for some people (grey backdrops to your over-water villa may be a little crushing for such a bucket-list trip). The wet season is also known as the South West Monsoon and this is officially the worst time to visit the country, but since temperatures stay at a consistent 30-or-so degrees all year long, the outlook isn't all bad.

Keen divers should note that the presence of plankton may mean reduced visibility during the wetter months. However, even at this time of year, the showers can be short and the sun can find a way through. Plus, youre more likely to have the islands to yourself  and hotel rates will of course be lower.

The best time to visit Maldives for honeymoons

For rain-free and tropical sunny days, a winter wedding followed by a Maldives honeymoon between December and February is your best bet. If you are having a classic summer wedding though, dont despair  youll still enjoy the islands balmy beach life, just with more showers and clouds breaking up the blue skies, and bursts of sunshine.

Is December a good time to go to the Maldives?

December is one of the best months to visit the Maldives, but you'll have to book early, since the festive season is one of the busiest times of the year for the country. After all, who wouldnt want to spend the holidays in paradise? Come Christmas, the tarmac at Male airport is covered in private jets, and many families book for next December 25th as soon as they depart. This demand does of course mean prices will peak, so arriving earlier in the autumn could be a compromise. Visiting the Maldives in October is a good idea if you want to be in with a shot of seeing whale sharks, but be warned that this month does see the highest amount of rainfall. October is towards the tail end of the monsoon, which officially stops in November.

Where to stay in the Maldives

There are so many ultra-luxurious accommodation options in the Maldives and luxury brands clamour to have an outpost there. There are the pioneering, sustainability-focused resorts, such as Gili Lankanfushi, one of the original advocates for a no news, no shoes approach on holiday, helpful for guests hoping to try out a Robinson Crusoe lifestyle during their desert-island experience. The butlers are called Man (or Ms) Fridays, and they will certainly be your prized companion, arranging buggies to whisk you to dinner, sleepovers under the stars, candlelit meals on the beach and everything in between.

Then theres the adored-by-celebrities One&Only Reethi Rah, which even after all these years (it opened in 2005), is still one of the finest places to stay in the Maldives. Were guessing this has something to do with the heavily skewed staff to guest ratio, which ensures superlative service, the incredible spa, the Japanese restaurant, the well-stocked wine cellar we could go on. Its just a swift speedboat ride away from Male but may as well be another planet, such is the holiday perfection it offers.

Or for something a little different to the usual Maldives agenda of sun, sea and snorkelling, book a restorative retreat at Joali Being, an incredibly well-equipped spa island an hour-long seaplane ride north from the capital, in the Raa Atoll. If youve had a long journey (as many arrivals to the Maldives will have), theres no better place to recuperate. Its the dream destination for anyone suffering from burnout, since there are so many visiting practitioners on hand, alongside every piece of wellness tech imaginable, to ensure you leave feeling much better than when you arrived.

BROWSE MORE HOTELS IN THE MALDIVES

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Mother Natures last great mysteries

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Scientific advancements mean we now have rational explanations for many of the worlds amazing landscapes. But some mysterious places around the globe continue to perplex experts. From a perfectly semi-circular lakeshore in Canada to a polka-dotted patch of earth in Namibia and a bright blue spring in France with no apparent origin, these beguiling natural wonders remain unexplained.

Read on for more mysterious places around the globe, from a perfectly semi-circular lakeshore in Canada to a bright blue spring in France with no apparent origin...

Hoia-Baciu Forest, Romania

salajean/Shutterstock

Under the right circumstances any forest could feel spooky, but Hoia-Baciu in Transylvania definitely dials things up a notch. Filled with crooked trees and carpeted by an eerie mist, the area has been dubbed the Bermuda Triangle of Romania since there have been many tales of people going missing and other strange occurrences here. Horror stories aside, theres an even bigger puzzle even scientists cant explain...

In the heart of the woodland theres a near-perfect circular patch, known as the Clearing, where nothing grows  and no one knows why. Outside of the circle, trees grow in strange, twisted forms. Various scientists have taken soil samples, studied the plant life and tested for radiation here, but their results have not yielded an answer as to why this desolate patch exists. One things not up for debate, though: this forest will send a chill down the spine of anyone who ventures in.

Crooked Forest, Poland

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With its J-shaped tree trunks, the aptly named Crooked Forest is as baffling as it is beautiful. Located near the Polish city of Gryfino, its home to more than 400 pine trees believed to have been planted in the 1930s and each displaying a curved trunk. Stranger still, the vast majority of them bend in a northward direction. Arboriculturists (tree scientists) have debated how this otherworldly landscape came to be but so far no one has been able to explain it.

Crooked Forest, Poland

Robert Szymanski/Shutterstock

One of the more outlandish theories was that this area has a unique gravitational pull which caused the trees to bend  an idea that was quickly dismissed. Another, slightly more plausible, hypothesis is that the trees buckled under the weight of heavy snowfall, but a patch of straight-trunked trees nearby seems to disprove this. It has also been suggested that there could be a genetic reason, although the smoothness and similarity of the curves makes this unlikely. For now, the fairy-tale forest remains a total mystery.

Fosse Dionne, France

Herve Lenain/Alamy Stock Photo

Residents in the village of Tonnerre, in the heart of Frances Burgundy region, have been mystified by this bright blue spring for hundreds of years. The seemingly bottomless well gushes out around 311 litres (68 gallons) of water per second, yet its source has never been discovered. Cue plenty of local legends. One says its depths are patrolled by a huge, deadly serpent, while another suggests its a portal to other worlds.

Fosse Dionne, France

NORTH DEVON PHOTOGRAPHY/Shutterstock

In 1974, two hardy divers descended into the pit in an attempt to find the water's origin, but died while attempting to navigate its narrow passages. More than 20 years later, another diver went down into the well and met the same sorry fate. In October 2019, professional diver Pierre-Eric Deseigne was hired by the town to explore the spring, filming as he went. He managed to descend some 1,214 feet (370m) underwater, further than anyone had ever been before. But, while his footage gave some indication of what its like down there, he still couldnt locate the springs source.

Richat Structure, Mauritania

GLF Media/Shutterstock

This strange natural formation in the heart of the Sahara Desert only became widely known when we began sending humans into space. Dubbed Eye of the Sahara, because it appears to be gazing out to other planets, the Richat Structure was first captured on camera by astronauts on NASAs Gemini IV mission in 1965. Its thought that only a handful of local people previously knew of the geological oddity, which spans across a 25-mile (40km) region in Mauritania, northwest Africa.

Richat Structure, Mauritania

Trismegist san/Shutterstock

It was initially hypothesised that the natural wonder was created when a meteor crashed into Earth, but this idea was dismissed as there wasnt enough melted rock in the area to show a collision. Today, the most prominent theory is that it was created more than 100 million years ago when the mega-continent of Pangaea was being forced apart. As the worlds tectonic plates shifted, molten rock pushed up to the surface but didnt quite make it, resulting in the dome-like shape. Meanwhile, its concentric rings were created as different types of rock were eroded at different speeds.

Fairy circles, Namibia

Felix Lipov/Shutterstock

Seen from above, the circular markings on this grassy desert in Namibia look like a vast sheet of polka dots. For hundreds of years, researchers have been unable to determine the cause of the fairy circles, which vary from 10-65 feet (3-20m) in diameter and extend across hundreds of miles. Local folklore states theyre the footprints of gods or that they were created by the breath of an underground dragon. But science has struggled to find a conclusive answer.

Fairy Circles, Namibia

LUC KOHNEN/Shutterstock

One theory suggests that underground termites help to shape the circles, while another proposes that competition between different grasses in the desert is behind their formation. In 2021, a new study by researchers at the University of Pretoria argues that the distinctive markings are created as a plant releases toxic sap into the ground when it dies, stopping other plants from growing in these regions. The studys authors noted that rising temperatures in Namibia may have fuelled increased competition between these plants, causing more of them to die and creating more fairy circles.

Carolina Bays, various states, USA

Joshua Stevens/Courtesy NASA Earth Observatory

From the ground, the wetland- and lake-filled depressions that make up the Carolina Bays on America's East Coast dont look particularly unusual. So it wasnt until the 1930s  when aerial photographs were taken of Americas Atlantic coastline for the first time  that their geological oddity became apparent. Resembling a series of oval-shaped depressions, which tend to be found in clusters and are filled with either water or vegetation, these egg-shaped forms all face in exactly the same direction.

Carolina Bays, various states, USA

Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons

In the 1950s, scientists suggested that a meteor shower could have been responsible for their formation. But carbon-dating studies soon debunked this theory, revealing that the Carolina Bays were not formed at the same time, with some being tens of thousands of years apart. Another hypothesis states that, around 2.5 million years ago, strong southwesterly winds created currents on the surface of the ponds, which led them to deposit sediment on their north and southeastern sides. While this is considered the most likely answer, scientists still dont know for sure.

Enchanted River, Philippines

RicKy SantiAgo/Shutterstock

Enchanted by name and (apparently) enchanted by nature, this eye-popping blue river flows through an area of thick forest on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. Local lore suggests the magical waters are inhabited by mythical creatures including engkanto (a kind of environmental spirit), and that sapphire and jade from fairies wands are responsible for its dramatic colour. But the biggest mystery of all is that this saltwater river has no apparent source.

Enchanted River, Philippines

RicKy SantiAgo/Shutterstock

The most convincing theory is that it was formed by seawater flowing through underground caves and resurfacing here. In the late 1990s, Filipino cave diver Alex Santos went down there and found a system of caves, which are thought to filter the water and make it crystal clear. In 2014 another diver, Alfonso Amores, dived down in an attempt to uncover more of the rivers secrets. But he didn't resurface, and his body was discovered in an underwater cave around eight hours later. For now, the rivers precise source and formation remains shrouded in mystery.

Mono Lake, California, USA

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There are so many curiosities about Californias Mono Lake that its hard to know where to begin. For one, the 65-square-mile (168sq km) body of water is filled with hulking tufa towers which look like they've landed from Mars (theyre actually formed by underground springs). Another striking feature is its bright green hue. While it's know that this is a result of algal blooms, which reproduce due to the higher salt and alkaline levels that occur when the lake dries up, theres still some mystery surrounding this process.

Mono Lake, California, USA

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The green algae usually get their energy from photosynthesis, which requires sunlight. But scientists samples found algae even right at the bottom of the lake, where its almost completely dark. This suggests that the conditions of the lake are creating remarkably tolerant algae, which can produce oxygen without sunlight, although further studies are needed to confirm this. Adding to the list of weird things scientists have found at the lake, an otherworldly species of worm with three sexes was recently discovered there.

Nastapoka Arc, Quebec, Canada

NASA/Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons

Also known as the Hudson Bay Arc due to its location on the eastern edge of the inland sea, the Nastapoka Arc is a bizarre geological feature that no one quite understands. Seen from the skies, it resembles an almost perfect semi-circle, as if a giant cookie cutter were used to separate the land. The strange feature in northern Quebec was found by sailors on British ship Discovery, which drifted into the bay in 1611.

Nastapoka Arc, Quebec, Canada

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Amazed by the smoothness and regularity of the shape, scientists initially suspected Nastapoka Arc was formed by a meteor. But two American geophysicists, who travelled here in the 1970s to study the arc, found no evidence to support that theory. Today, the prevailing idea is that the bay is a tectonic boundary, created when one rock shelf was pressed under another.

The Great Unconformity, Arizona, USA

Nate Loper/Shutterstock

Since the Grand Canyon is one of the most-visited places in the US, youd think we know everything there is to know about it. But that isnt strictly true. In fact, this stunning natural wonder is home (or, rather, not home) to a weird phenomenon known as the Great Unconformity: a gap in the layers of rock indicating an unaccounted-for period of 250 million-1.2 billion years. This geological gap has been found in other regions across the world but the reason for its presence is thought to vary from place to place.

The Great Unconformity, Arizona, USA

brewbooks/CC BY-SA 2.0/Flickr

Scientists can be certain that there is a gap because of the large disparity between the ages of the rock layers around it. While its still unclear how exactly it came to be, researchers have put forward the theory that the rock layers were lost during a period of tectonic uplift, when the ancient supercontinent Rodinia broke apart some 750 million years ago. They suggest that this rifting created the faults in the rock we can see today. Researchers are also studying similar unconformities across North America to find out whats behind these mysterious periods in the planets history.

Yamal Craters, Russia

V. Belov/Shutterstock

On a remote Siberian peninsula in the Arctic Circle are a series of enormous craters which are literally exploding into existence. The bizarre natural phenomenon which creates the holes, known as the Yamal Craters, was first observed by scientists in 2014. At the time, they said such a feature had never been seen before in permafrost (ground that remains frozen for more than two years). There are currently 17 such craters in the region in west-central Russia, all of which have come into being within a decade.

Yamal Craters, Russia

Aleksandr Lutcenko/Shutterstock

How the craters are formed largely remains a mystery. Its widely speculated that climate change plays a role, as the rapid melting of permafrost has been responsible for many other drastic changes in the Arctic ecosystem. At the moment, researchers know that the explosions were caused by gas, which builds up under the tundra for several years before breaking apart the land. However, its still unclear where the gas comes from in the first place.

Chocolate Hills, Philippines

Pelikh Alexey/Shutterstock

So-named because they resemble little mounds of chocolate in the dry season  when their grassy coverings go from verdant green to brown  these otherworldly hills have puzzled scientists for decades. The peaks, which spread across 19 square miles (50sq km) on the island of Bohol in the Philippines, vary in size but have strikingly similar and symmetrical shapes as if created in moulds.

Chocolate Hills, Philippines

Avigator Fortuner/Shutterstock

The most widely accepted hypothesis is that the hills were formed by the weathering of limestone. As tectonic plates shifted, the limestone was lifted above sea level and the hills were gradually sculpted by rain, wind and erosion. Another theory is that the hills are in fact former coral reefs, brought above sea level due to a geological shift. Myths and legends on the island provide plenty of other ideas, suggesting they were formed by the tears of a heartbroken giant  or that they were created when two battling giants threw rocks at each other.

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2024 Election 4th Phase: West Bengal, Andhra, MP record highest voters turnout

The 4th poll of the 2024 Parliamentary Elections in India Monday May 13, 2024 ended with an overall polling percentage of 67.25%, the Election Commission of India said.



Tuesday May 14, 2024 5:54 PM , ummid.com News Network

New Delhi: The 4th poll of the 2024 Parliamentary Elections in India Monday May 13, 2024 ended with an overall polling percentage of 67.25%, the Election Commission of India said.

Polling in the 4th phase of 2024 Lok Sabha elections were held Monday across 96 parliamentary constituencies in 10 States/Union Territories.

Statewise Polling Percentage

The poll panel said, polling percentage in West Bengal was 78.37%, Andhra Pradesh saw a voter turnout of 76.50% and voter turnout in Madhya Pradesh was 70.98%.

Odisha recorded a polling percentage of 73.97, Telangana 64.74, Jharkhand 65.20, Uttar Pradesh 58.05, Bihar 57.06 and Maharashtra 59.64%.

Jammu and Kashmir recorded a voter turnout of just 37.98%.

The 4th phase polling percentage numbers released by the election commission is up to 11:45 PM Monday.

Phase wise Polling Percent

The overall polling percentage in the 3rd Phase of Indias 2024 Parliament Elections Tuesday May 07, 2024 was 64.40% amidst the reports that Muslims were forcefully barred from voting in Sambhal.

Polling for the second phase of the 2024 Parliament Election on 88 seats of the Lok Sabha was held on April 26, 2024 with a voter turnout of 64.2%.

The first phase of the Lok Sabha Polls had covered 102 seats spread across 21 states, with the Election Commission recording a voter turnout of around 64%. The poll percent in the first phase too was lower than what the country had seen in the 2019 elections.

The elections for the 18th Lok Sabha is being held in 07 Phases. Polling for the 3rd Phase will be held on May 07, 2024.

The counting of votes of all the seven phases will be held simultaneously on June 04, 2024.





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Humanitarian situation in Gaza has worsened further

The latest news clearly indicates that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is worsening further, not improving.



Tuesday May 14, 2024 1:55 PM , Bharat Dogra

The serious humanitarian situation in Gaza has been at the center-stage of worldwide concerns for several months now. Many senior leaders of the world and top UN officials have been repeatedly expressing deep concern and people, particularly youth, have organized many protest actions, increasingly also in the USA and other western countries. Despite all this, the latest news clearly indicates that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is worsening further, not improving.

The situation on May 13 was of Israeli forces making deeper inroads into Gaza in both the south and north of the small region, and making air strikes in both parts in areas of dense, unprotected civilian population, aggravating the distress, danger and fears of several hundred thousand people already suffering from a grave humanitarian crisis. This has happened despite several calls for restraint from some of the topmost UN officials.

Earlier attention was mostly focused on preventing the deepening and worsening of the assault on Rafah which had already started despite so many efforts having been made to prevent further risks for nearly 1.4 million people living in most vulnerable and exposed conditions in what was being repeatedly described as the last refuge (close to Egyptian border) of some of the most badly threatened people many of whom had just faced mass displacement.

Despite many international calls for avoiding assault on Rafah, Israel went ahead with several air-strikes and issued orders for mass evacuations first to eastern and central parts of the city. As a result nearly 360,000 people have been forced to move away again from the last refuge during the last week. How many displacements can women and children endure within just a few days and that too in highly risky situations, with no safety guaranteed either in their travel or in the new settlement? However such is the increasing threat from repeated airstrikes and the advancing tanks that large numbers of people have no choice but to leave.

While the worlds attention was focused mostly on Rafah for several days, on May 13 concerns spread over a wider area as Israeli forces pushed deep into the northern parts of Gaza, targeting in particular the huge shelter camp of Jabalia, the biggest of the 8 camps created about 75 years ago to shelter Palestinian refugees. News reports have quoted residents as stating that tank shells had hit the camp and air strikes had destroyed clusters of houses. 20 people died in airstrikes and many more were injured.

Thus it is very clear that just now the situation both in the north and south of Gaza is worsening. In the middle of all this, where are the peace negotiations about which we had heard so much till very recently and regarding which the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had stated that these were based on a very generous offer on the part of Israel?

One has not seen any signs of such generosity so far. One cannot go for peace negotiations while throwing bombs all around, using tanks and fighter planes. Another peculiarity of these peace negotiations has been their non-transparency. Hence while highly placed diplomats of several countries are reported to be involved in them constantly for several days, we really do not come to know what exactly they are trying to achieve and who is responsible for a peace deal not being clinched.

The statements coming from named and unnamed sources on these efforts are often very vague and can be interpreted in hopeful as well as disappointing ways. Similarly the recent statements of President Biden which were apparently meant to assure domestic and international opinion that Israel will not get US weapons for Rafah assault were actually very vague. These do not tell, for instance, if Israel has already been given so much ammunition and weapons that these will be adequate for the assault regardless of any temporary stoppage of supplies from the USA, even if this takes effect.

Egypt, one of the leading countries involved in peace negotiations, stated on May 12 that it would intervene in support of South Africas case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. A statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry stated:

The announcement of the intervention in this case comes in light of the expansion in scope and scale of Israeli violations against civilians in Gaza.

The fact that such a statement has been made officially by a country that has been so involved in peace negotiations speaks volumes for Egypts growing disappointment with Israeli attitudes to peace efforts.

Meanwhile, on May 10, South Africa had asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to order Israel to withdraw from Rafah, as part of additional emergency measures in its ongoing case.

Keeping in view the growing seriousness of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, international peace efforts and peoples movements should focus just now on the key demands of immediate ceasefire and huge increase of relief effort, accompanied by release of hostages. Complete focus should be on this, other things can wait.

Needlessly provocative slogans which can increase misunderstandings should be avoided.

[The writer, Bharat Dogra, is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include Protecting Earth for Children, Planet in Peril, A Day in 2071, Man over Machine and A Day in 2071.]





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TAY NINH - The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Tay Ninh Province People's Committee, De Heus Group (Netherlands), and Hung Nhon Group organised a press conference in the southern province of Tay Ninh on Tuesday to announce the opening of a disease-free zone for livestock.

The press conference also heard plans for the opening ceremony of the DHN Tay Ninh High-Tech Livestock Farming Zone and ground-breaking ceremonies for seven key projects there.

Nguyen Van Long, director of the Department of Animal Health, said: Viet Nam has established disease-free zones for a long time, and this has helped the country's livestock exports. Poultry products have been shipped to Japan, while pork has been sold to markets like South Korea and Hong Kong.

Speaking about the province's livestock industry, deputy chairman Tay Ninh People's Committe, Tran Van Chien, said the locality has 10 million poultry birds and poultry meat output would top 62,460 tonnes this year.

The livestock structure continues to shift from small-scale farming to large-scale centralised farming focused on bio-safe farming.

The province has 116 poultry farms and 81 of them have received VietGAHP certificates; one area in Duong Minh Chau District and six commune-level establishments in Go Dau District are safe from avian flu and Newcastle disease in poultry; 71 other livestock farms have been certified as safe from diseases.

Chien said Tay Ninh is committed to establishing free-disease zones, which are vital for implementing livestock development strategies.

The agricultural sector would reorganise production, speed up construction of bio-safe livestock areas, encourage enterprises to invest in advanced slaughterhouses for livestock, diversify market outlets, and establish multiple livestock and slaughter chains focusing on technology, he said.

Gabor Fluit, CEO of De Heus Asia shared the Netherlands' experience in establishing fee-disease zones and effectively isolating infected areas to prevent the spread of diseases.

He also discussed the concept of free-disease zones based on the OIE guidelines to enable Viet Nam to safely export meat to other countries, thereby avoiding trade barriers related to food safety.

"If Viet Nam establishes effective safe disease zones, it can export pork to Japan and South Korea, and even chicken breast to Europe safely. Currently, the value of chicken breast in Europe is 2-3 times higher than in Viet Nam."

At the conference, organisers announced a series of projects to be organised on Sunday.

There will be an inauguration ceremony for the DHN Tay Ninh High-Tech Livestock Farming Area, the announcement of seven key investment projects in the agricultural sector in 2025 - 2030 with a total investment of VN2.5 trillion and the declaration of a plan to export poultry products to halal markets.

The event will be live-streamed on digital platforms such as the fan page of Tay Ninh Television Station, Hung Nhon Group, De Heus, Bel Ga, and other partners in the supply chain.

Alongside the main event, there will be the signing of two memorandums of understanding between the People's Committee of Tay Ninh Province, Hung Nhon Group, De Heus Group, and partners to survey and invest in a modern high-tech hatchery, construct livestock farms that use high technology, supply duck brood stock and meat products.

Vu Manh Hung, chairman of Hung Nhon Group, said the event on May 19 is part of the new co-operation strategy between Hung Nhon and De Heus.

This is also the direction that global corporations are pursuing, the "farm to table" model.

It is estimated that this model would achieve billions of dollars in revenue by 2030, Hung said.

It is expected that thousands of participators will attend the event including Goverment leaders, representatives of ministries and sectors, local authorities, representatives of ambassies, and entrerpreneurs from domestic and foreign companies.

Partners of De Heus and Hung Nhon, and companies from Halal markets will also send representatives to the event.

Also at the press conference, De Heus and Hung Nhon representatives spoke about the DHN Charity Fund.

It will be worth VN30 billion and have a mission of improving the lives of people in difficult circumstances, helping poor households access clean food, ensuring food safety and hygiene, and organising regular health checks.  VNS
HA NOI  The tax administrations will enhance tax compliance risk management to prevent evasions in a digital economy, ang Ngoc Minh, Deputy Director of the General Department of Taxation told a conference on Monday.

The departments statistics showed that there are nearly one million enterprises, three million business households and 27 million individuals subject to individual income tax in Viet Nam.

The rapid development of science and technology, especially the explosion of the Internet and digital platforms, has created a digital economy full of potential and opportunities for socio-economic development, Minh said.

However, he added, there are also risks for tax management.

To that end, the tax administrations have focused on tax compliance risk management with the development of criteria, a supervision system for e-invoice issuance as well as the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to detect unusual risks.

According to Ngo Thi Thuy Linh, Depute Head of the Risk Management Department under the General Department of Taxation, tax compliance risk management is a modern tax management method that is being applied by many countries around the world when the number of taxpayers is increasing rapidly, and the business operation is becoming more complicated for tax management.

Risk-based management will have the tax watchdogs use their resources more effectively and focus on groups of taxpayers with higher risks for tax evasion, Linh said.

The data has been centralised at the General Department of Taxation, which will serve as the base for risk analysis, she said.

For taxpayers who are individuals and business households, the tax administration is developing a set of criteria indicators for compliance risk management which is expected to be issued within this year, she said.

It is necessary to improve the legal framework on tax compliance risk management with an aim to encourage taxpayers to comply with the established regulations.

Nguyen Thi Cuc, President of Viet Nam Tax Consultants Association, said risk analysis will help tax administration to classify taxpayers in accordance with their levels of tax compliance for appropriate management solutions.

Emulations and rewards should be carried out for highly compliant taxpayers together with other tax incentives such as tax references and fewer inspections to encourage compliance.

The application of information and technology should also be enhanced to facilitate tax payment.

The better is the tax management, the higher the compliance, the more transparent is the business environment, Cuc stressed.  VNS
HA NOI  The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) announced that it will organise the auction of SJC-brand gold bars this morning. The session will introduce changes to the bidding conditions compared to the previous auction.

The anticipated total volume of gold bullions for the upcoming auction is 16,800 taels.

A 10-per-cent deposit rate will be required, with a reference price of VN88 million per tael (US$3,457 per tael) used to calculate the deposit value.

Each bid lot will consist of 100 taels.

This time, the central bank said that the minimum bidding volume for this session will be five lots, equivalent to 500 taels. The amount declines by 200 taels from the most recent auction held on May 8.

Experts said that reducing the minimum bidding volume per participant aims to alleviate the capital requirement and attract more businesses to participate in the bidding process.

There is also a significant increase in the maximum bidding volume per participant, allowing bids for up to 40 lots (4,000 taels), doubling the previous limit of 20 lots (2,000 taels).

The bidding increment for the auction is set at VN10,000 per tael, with each bidding unit consisting of one lot (100 taels).

Participants are allowed to register a minimum price that is equal to or higher than the floor price announced by the SBV.

In the previous auction held earlier this month, the central bank successfully auctioned 34 lots, equivalent to 3,400 taels of gold, with a total of three winning bidders.

On the domestic market, SJC gold prices are quoted at VN86 million per tael for sellers and VN89 million per tael for buyers at 9:00am.

In the past few days, SJC gold prices have experienced substantial volatility, reaching a peak of VN92.5 million per tael on May 10.

The SBV has announced that it will continue to conduct gold bullion auction sessions to increase the supply to the market, ensuring a suitable volume and frequency in response to market demand.

Additionally, it emphasises the importance for individuals being more cautious when engaging in gold transactions to mitigate risks amid the fluctuating international gold market and upcoming regulations and market controls in the gold sector.  VNS
BINH DUONG  The Republic of Korea (RoK) has emerged as a key investment partner of the southern province of Binh Duong, said Permanent Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Mai Hung Dung.

At a working session on May 13 with Lee Sung Hun, head of the Seo Daemun District Office in Seoul, Dung highlighted the RoK's investment worth US$4 billion, accounting for 10 per cent of the total foreign direct investment in Binh Duong, solidifying its position as the fourth largest foreign investor in the province.

Lee, for his part, said the delegation is impressed by the development of Binh Duong and Di An City in particular.

He expressed his optimism that a newly signed friendly cooperation agreement between Di An and Seo Daemun will pave the way for further collaboration, with a particular focus on boosting their investment ties and economic growth.

With nine major universities and 30,000 businesses, Seo Daemun is an attractive destination for investors and enterprises, which will lay the foundation for a strong partnership and bring significant benefits to both Binh Duong and the RoK in the near future, he said.

The signing of the agreement between Di An and Seo Daemun on the occasion aimed to promote people-to-people exchange and socio-economic cooperation.  VNS
HA NOI  Green economy and the digital economy can play an important role in the investment and trade cooperation between Viet Nam and China, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh during a meeting with a high-ranking delegation from large Chinese corporations on May 14 in Ha Noi.

China remains Viet Nam's largest importer of a wide range of products and services while Viet Nam is China's largest trading partner in Southeast Asia with bilateral trade reaching US$172 billion last year. China also ranks as the sixth largest investor in Viet Nam with 4,418 projects for a total registered capital of $27.6 billion.

As the two countries have been supporters of green, digital, circular and sharing economies, participants at the meeting said Viet Nam-China cooperation contributes to the common awareness by both ruling parties, as well as a community with a shared future.

Leaders from Vietnamese ministries, sectors and their Chinese counterparts exchanged ideas and agreed to greater cooperation in building stronger economic, commercial and investment ties, especially in developing green and digital economies.

Chinese energy companies have been showing great interest in participating in energy and energy storage projects in Viet Nam. They have asked for the issuance of implementation guidance from the Vietnamese Government, shorter and simpler bidding procedures in waste-to-energy projects and solutions to optimise the integration of renewable energy projects and other industries.

Chinese silicon companies and manufacturers of solar energy products suggested the Government provide solutions to improve infrastructure and services such as electricity, telecommunications and skilled workers to attract additional investment.

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers like Chery and Yadea desire to invest in developing the EV industry in Viet Nam, a major part of the country's neutral carbon objective. They expressed hope that Viet Nam may implement policies to encourage consumers such as tax exemptions and subsidies for EVs.

ZTE and Huawei said they hope to take part in the development of 5G industrial applications, asking for the Vietnamese Government's support in building applications for 5G and establishing 5G application standards in various industries.

PM Chinh addressed the issues raised by Chinese businesses and reaffirmed Viet Nam's commitment to agreements formalised during an earlier meeting between Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Chinese Party chief and President Xi Jinping to build a future-sharing community that benefits both countries.

Chinh said the Vietnamese Government is willing to listen and help resolve all issues faced by foreign investors, including Chinese investors. He said the open exchange of opinions and dialogues between two countries reflects the commitment to cooperate in a spirit of "harmonised interests, shared risks."

He ordered Vietnamese ministries and governmental agencies to take note of the Chinese issues and take a proactive approach to help them address issues in a timely manner.

Meanwhile, the PM said Viet Nam maintains its open door policy in attracting foreign investment, especially high-quality projects with numerous economic and industrial zones set up to strengthen the links among FDI businesses and domestic businesses, as well as to promote public-private partnerships in the development of a robust digital, green, circular, knowledge-based, and sharing economy.

He encouraged the Chinese side to find opportunities to expand cooperation and investment in Viet Nam, including areas in which Viet Nam has identified as priorities such as innovation, green development, renewable energy, smart city, high-quality manufacturing and large-scale project management.

Major areas of potential cooperation include infrastructure construction, road and rail transportation, metallurgy, healthcare and education, along with required technology transfer, human training and institutional development know-how. In return, he asked Chinese companies to support the participation and integration of Vietnamese companies in their supply chain and value chain.

PM Chinh also stressed the need to speed up projects aimed at improving the two countries' strategic connectivity, including the construction of cross-border railways and roads, upgrades of existing border gates, cross-border cooperation zones and promoting the digitalisation of commercial activities, especially tourism.

He suggested Chinese businesses back the removal of non-tariff barriers to Vietnamese goods, and the expansion of the importation of Vietnamese goods, and encouraged them to propose programmes and projects within Vietnams national strategies on green growth and digital transformation.  VNS
HCM CITY  HCM City's leaders affirmed their commitment to always support and provide favourable conditions for foreign businesses, including South Korean, to invest and do business in the city.

The city Peoples Committee and the Government of Chungcheongbuk-do Province organised the HCM City - Chungcheongbuk Trade and Investment Co-operation Forum in the South Korean locality on May 13 to enhance investment and trade ties between the two sides.

Vo Van Hoan, Deputy Chairman of the city Peoples Committee, told the forum that the city is prioritising digital and green transformation to achieve its sustainable development goals.

It is boosting sectors such as hi- tech, supporting industries, electronic circuit technology, semiconductor, banking, finance, information technology and logistics, he said.

Tran Phu Lu, Director of the HCM City's Investment and Trade Promotion Centre, gave an overview of the city's environment and investment incentive policies and highlights of Resolution 98 on specific mechanisms and policies for the citys development.

Saying the city has great advantages compared to other localities, he assured the forum it is constantly reforming administrative procedures, creating an open investment environment and actively mitigating difficulties faced by investors.

Kim Myung Kyoo, Deputy Governor of Chungcheongbuk-do Province, said the city's economy has made great strides in all sectors, especially high-tech and green technology.

Chungcheongbuk-do has made great advances in four key industries  solar energy and new energy, semiconductors, biotechnology, and IT  he said.

It is ready to collaborate with HCM City to achieve their common development goals, he added.

Leaders of the two sides witnessed the signing of MoUs and contracts in airport development, logistics, trade promotion, food, healthcare, among others.

Hoan said Viet Nam and South Korea have had good relations since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1992 and subsequent upgrade of their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2022.

The relationship between the city and Korea has recorded strong growth in recent years, especially in economics, investment, trade, and tourism. Korea ranked fourth among all countries and territories investing in the city, and their trade has enjoyed good growth, reaching US$ 4.3 billion last year, he said.  VNS
HA NOI  There are currently over 1,500 Vietnamese digital technology enterprises which are providing services and products to foreign markets, bringing in a revenue of US$7.5 billion.

The details were given at the regular press conference organised by the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) on Monday.

Amidst difficulties faced by the local information technology market, businesses have sought to operate in foreign markets, which helps increasing revenues and affirming the reputation of the Make-in-Viet Nam digital product brands, said Le Nam Trung, deputy director of the MICs Authority of ICT Industry and Communications.

"It is estimated that revenue from foreign markets contributes about 80 per cent of the total revenue of Vietnamese digital technology enterprises," said Trung.

The MIC is accelerating the progress of drafting the Law on Digital Technology Industry and policies to encourage domestic digital technology firms to do business abroad is an important part of the law, creating favourable conditions for them, he added.

The department has initiated many measures to support the digital technology businesses, such as establishing a consulting group to support local digital technology businesses penetrating foreign markets, promoting Vietnamese digital technology products abroad in general and promoting software exports in particular.

The ministry has organised six delegations to support businesses overseas and last year went to countries including Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, the US, Japan and Spain to connect up fifty Vietnamese businesses to more than 3,000 international ones.

The ministry has organised more than a hundred business to business meetings between Vietnamese information technology companies and foreign businesses.

There was good revenue growth in the sector last year. According to one survey, the export market for software and information technology services grew by about 4-8 per cent in 2023, in spite of global uncertainties. Software production revenues are estimated to reach about $4.3 billion in 2023, with export revenues forecast to reach about $4 billion.

Centre for Excellence

Seeing artificial intelligence (AI) as a key technology of the fourth Industrial Revolution and semiconductor as a spearhead industry of the nation in the next 30-50 years, the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) has bolstered cooperation with powers to develop these domains, Trung said.

The ministry will join hands with competent organisations and enterprises to train high-quality human resources, work with the US-based Nvidia Corporation, a world leader in AI computing, to build an AI establishment called Centre for Excellence, while organising international conferences to acquire experiences from leading specialists, he stressed.

Trung went on to say that Viet Nam is penning a strategy to develop the semiconductor industry until 2030 with a vision to 2045, envisioning to become a centre for the semiconductor chip industry by 2030 with operation in design, packaging and testing.

The MIC was assigned to build mechanisms and supporting incentives to develop semiconductor human resources, he said, adding it will coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment to carry out a project on semiconductor human resources development by 2030 with a vision to 2045, ensuring that it is in accordance with the strategys targets.

The two ministries will study and recommend measures to encourage technology firms engagement in human resources training, R&D activities and technology transfer, he stressed.

Regarding the semiconductor industry development strategy being built and implemented in 2024 by the MIC, Trung said the ministry charted a vision that Viet Nam, with a developed semiconductor industry by 2045, will be a key link in the global supply chain.

The industry will boast harmonised infrastructure in terms of human resources, technologies, R&D, among others, making contributions to the sustainable development of the digital industry that creates a foundation for the countrys digital transformation as well as the building of digital economy and digital government, he added.  VNS
HA NOI Vietnamese fashion designer Tran Phuong Hoa has introduced her latest exclusive ao dai (Vietnamese traditional dress) collection for the Roadshow Vietnam  HCM City Tourism show which has started in Australia.

Two designs from the Prosperity collection have already been revealed to the public by Vietnamese tourism ambassadors to Australia, Miss Universe Vietnam 2022 Nguyen Thi Ngoc Chau and reigning Miss Universe Vietnam Bui Xuan Hanh.

The two ao dai incorporate a variety of fabric materials such as sheer chiffon, taffeta and silk in vibrant shades of yellow.

The design worn by Chau is inspired by the golden wattle flower, the national flower of Australia. This vibrant bloom was chosen as the national flower in 1988 and symbolises unity, endurance and the courage of the Australian people.

The golden ao dai, is striking, with a bodice incorporating flared sleeves to add a touch of elegance. A cluster of golden and lemon flowers, crafted from felt, fabric and adorned with beads, cascades from the shoulder, creating a captivating focal point. The flowing hem of the ao dai is crafted with layered and wide fabric swaths, reminiscent of the graceful gowns worn by noble ladies.

The design for Hanh is based on a more traditional silhouette with a high triple-layer collar, fitted sleeves and a flowing hem. The ochna blossom pattern was crafted by talented artisans using pleated fabric and embellished with beads. The garment features wide flared sleeves and a soft layer of draped chiffon over silk, creating a gentle and sophisticated look. The pattern is also a symbol of spring in the sunny and warm southern region, woven together to represent the dynamism of HCM City.

The fashion designer and her team have been working on the collection for three months to prepare for the special art programme , Roadshow Vietnam  Ho Chi Minh City Tourism in Australia which started on Monday. Each design has been meticulously crafted, from the early brainstorming of ideas through to fabric selection, careful dyeing and then hours of hand embroidery and embellishments.

According to Hoa, the collection comes from a place of love, carefully infused with creativity and dedication, aiming to create a truly unique and meaningful showcase for the event.

It will be officially launched as part of an arts program within the framework of the Roadshow Vietnam  Ho Chi Minh City Tourism in Australia. The event will feature the participation of Misses Nguyen Thi Ngoc Chau and Bui Xuan Hanh, as well as many other models.

As ambassadors, Chau and Hanh will participate in various activities related to the food, culture and arts of Viet Nam, such as making to he (traditional figurines made from glutinous rice powder), painting conical hats, traditional music and performances to celebrate the exquisite beauty of the ao dai.

Roadshow Vietnam  Ho Chi Minh City Tourism in Australia is held by the HCM City Tourism Department, the Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Australia and the Consulate General of Vietnam in Sydney, following the success of the previous programme in 2023.

It will travel to two Australian states - New South Wales on May 13-14 and Victoria on May 17 - with features highlighting all aspects of the nation's artistic and cultural fabric and the food, along with performances featuring the ao dai.

The roadshow will offer the latest information on tourism products and services in Viet Nam and HCM City, as well as create opportunities for Vietnamese tourism businesses to meet with Australian partners such as tour operators, travel companies, the media, and the general public in Australia. VNS
HA NOI Tourists in Ha Noi can learn about the traditional craft of making do (poonah) paper by visiting a new tourist attraction in Tay Ho

Buoi Ward, formerly known as Yen Thai Ward, used to comprise of Ho Khau, ong Xa, An Tho, Yen Thai, Nghia o villages that produced poonah paper for a variety of purposes like giay sac used for writing the king's decrees, giay lenh used for writing royal commands and giay ban to serve the daily needs.

According to the description by a Frenchman named Henri Oger in his book Mechanics and Crafts of the People of Annam, traditional do (poonah) paper in the Buoi region is described as a lightweight, durable and does not smudge plus is resistant to pests such as insects or mould.

Poonah paper is also famous for its durability, which can last for hundreds of years, thanks to the characteristics of the fiber and the entirely handmade production process, without the use of chemicals.

Due to these qualities, it was used for printing scriptures, writing texts, printing folk paintings, and, most notably, royal proclamations and decrees during the feudal dynasties in Viet Nam.

Until now, many temples, pagodas, and villages still preserve the royal seals made on poonah paper.

In the 1990s, the craft of making poonah paper in the Buoi region was still preserved and produced by cooperatives. However, by the early 2000s, when the cooperatives were dissolved, the art of poonah paper-making was completely lost in the Buoi region, specifically in Buoi Ward, Tay Ho District, as it is known today.

To develop the tourism industry associated with historical-cultural heritage and scenic landscapes, as well as traditional craft villages in Tay Ho District from 2020 to 2025, the People's Committee of Buoi Ward has been assigned the task of constructing and implementing the project "Organisation and exploitation of a cultural tourism service sites and the restoration of the traditional craft model of do paper-making," using social funding.

According to Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Tay Ho District, Nguyen Thanh Tinh, the new tourist attraction in the district is expected to not only introduce but also preserve the values of the traditional poonah paper-making craft.

It will also serve as a recommended destination for residents and tourists in Ha Noi, and a venue for organising extracurricular classes and educational tours for students from various schools within the district, he added.

The tourist attraction, at 198 Trich Sai Street, Buoi Ward, introducing the traditional craft of do paper-making is located in a spacious area, overlooking West Lake. The area exhibits woodblocks for printing poonah paper, archive photos showing the production process, the materials and the final products.

The site also recreates the various stages of poonah paper production where tourists can join in the production process and a designated area for traditional cultural and artistic activities. VNS
JAKARTA  Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Kao Kim Hourn has praised Viet Nam's contributions to building ASEAN Community at a meeting with Ton Thi Ngoc Huong, the new ambassador and permanent representative of Viet Nam to the bloc in Jakarta on May 13.

He also lauded the nations proactive and coordinating role in ASEAN's foreign relations, particularly the dialogue relations between ASEAN and the Republic of Korea (RoK).

The Secretary-General expressed gratitude for Viet Nam's facilitation of his recent working visit to the country, during which he attended and delivered a speech at the ASEAN Future Forum (AFF), a significant initiative of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. He commended the initiative and showed his appreciation of Viet Nam's leading role in shaping the future of the bloc.

In reply, Huong said she hopes that the Secretariat and Secretary-General would further step up efforts to assist member countries in completing and effectively implementing goals set by the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, particularly bringing the community closer to the people and delivering tangible benefits to citizens and businesses.

She thanked the Secretariat and Secretary-General for their cooperation with and support for the Permanent Mission of Viet Nam, especially during its tenure of coordinating ASEAN-RoK relations.

She said she is looking forward to more assistance to Viet Nam in its upcoming rotating tasks within ASEAN.  VNS
NEW YORK  Viet Nam co-sponsors and supports the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)s historic resolution, and backs the membership of the State of Palestine to the UN, Ambassador ang Hoang Giang, Viet Nam's Permanent Representative to the UN, affirmed on May 13 (US time).

Speaking at the UNGAs emergency special session on the Middle East situation and the Palestine issue in New York, Giang affirmed that Viet Nam stands side by side with Palestine in exercising its inalienable right to self-determination and supports its early admission as a full member of the UN.

He showed his belief that admitting Palestine is the most beneficial step for the two-state solution, creating a foundation for equal negotiations between the parties; and is an important step towards sustainable peace in the Middle East.

He emphasised that Viet Nam's solidarity with and unceasing support for Palestine has derived from the long-term common struggle for sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and freedom, and the pursuit of happiness for the people.

The Vietnamese diplomat also expressed his concern about the risk of escalating the conflict in Gaza into a regional war, strongly condemned all forms of violence against civilians and essential civil infrastructure, and opposed all violations of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint; hold dialogue; abide by international law, and the Charter and relevant resolutions of the UN; implement an immediate and permanent ceasefire; unconditionally release all hostages; and ensure the unimpeded supply of humanitarian goods.

Giang also reaffirmed Viet Nam's support for the two-state solution and continued backing for the central role of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in performing humanitarian relief responsibilities in the region.

The UNGA emergency special session was convened after a draft resolution on the admission of Palestine was vetoed at the UN Security Council (UNSC) on April 18.

During this session, the General Assembly adopted a resolution that  as of September 10, 2024  upgrades Palestines rights at the UN as an observer State, urging the UNSC to favourably consider its full membership.  VNS
HA NOI  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received visiting Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Radan, the commander of Irans Law Enforcement Command, in Ha Noi on Tuesday.

The Government leader told his guest that Viet Nam wants to work with Iran to make contributions to regional and global peace, cooperation and development, and seeks to enhance cooperative relations with Iran across all fields, including economy, trade, investment, health, science-technology, tourism, agriculture, and security.

Stressing Viet Nam's significant role in Iran's foreign policy, the commander noted that there is substantial potential for collaboration between the two countries and that Iran is eager and ready to strengthen such ties, especially in economy, trade, and security.

Informing his host about the outcomes of the recent talks between the command and the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security, the brigadier general said the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation. He also conveyed an invitation from Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber for PM Chinh to officially visit the southwestern Asian nation for the enhancement of bilateral relations.

PM Chinh went on suggesting Viet Nam and Iran effectively implement agreements reached during the Vietnamese National Assembly Chairmans visit to Iran. He also recommended the prompt organisation of the 10th session of their intergovernmental committee this year and the enhancement of delegation exchanges at all levels, especially high-level ones, to explore mutual needs and potential cooperation areas.

It is necessary to leverage opportunities in agro-fishery trade and the Halal industry, the PM said.

He also called for active information exchange and operational coordination in security, as well as joint efforts to tackle transnational crimes and issues concerning Vietnamese and Iranian citizens. Additionally, he encouraged better collaboration in education, training, tourism, labour, and people-to-people and locality-to-locality exchanges.

Discussing regional and international issues, both host and guest agreed to step up the countries cooperation and mutual support at international forums of which both of them are members.  VNS
HA NOI  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Tuesday issued disciplinary measures against Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs ao Ngoc Dung and former Minister Pham Thi Hai Chuyen for their misconduct.

The PM decided to reprimand Dung for the violations and shortcomings during his tenure as the head of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) from 2016 to 2021.

Meanwhile, the PM gave a warning to Chuyen for the wrongdoings and mistakes during her tenure as the MoLISA head in the 2011-2016 period.

Earlier, a reprimand and a warning were respectively issued for Dung and Chuyen by the Politburo and the Party Central Committee's Secretariat at a meeting held on April 19.

At that meeting, after considering proposals from the Party Central Committees Inspection Commission, the Politburo and the Party Central Committees Secretariat concluded that the Party delegation to MoLISA in the 2011 - 2016 tenure and the 2016 - 2021 tenure violated the principle of democratic centralism, the Partys regulations, the States laws and working rules, and showed a lack of responsibility and relaxed leadership and direction, leading to many violations and wrongdoings by the ministry as well as some collectives and individuals.

The Party delegation of the ministry committed a series of wrongdoings during their tenures, which were not only systematic but also long-lasting. These actions resulted in significant losses in terms of time, human resources, and to the State budget. Furthermore, they led to severe and hard-to-rectify consequences, causing public concern and tarnishing the reputation of both the Party organisation and MoLISA.

The Politburo and the Secretariat said Dung, a member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the ministry's Party delegation and Minister, had violated the principle of democratic centralism, the Partys regulations, the States laws, the regulations on things that a Party member is banned from doing, the responsibility of setting good examples, and working rules. He had relaxed leadership, direction and management, thus enabling the ministry and some of its collectives and individuals to commit many violations and shortcomings, causing very big losses and waste to the state budget, leading to serious and difficult-to-remedy consequences, stirring public concern, and hurting the reputation of the Party organisation and MoLISA.

Meanwhile, Chuyen, as member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the ministry's Party delegation and Minister, had violated the principle of democratic centralism, the Partys regulations, the States laws, the regulations on the things that a Party member is banned from, the responsibility of setting good examples, and working rules. She had also relaxed leadership, direction and management. That enabled the ministry and some of its collectives and individuals to commit many violations and shortcomings, and infringe legal regulations during order placement and creating conditions for the AIC company to engage in bidding packages, thus causing big losses and waste to the State budget, leading to serious and difficult-to-remedy consequences, stirring public concern, and eroding the reputation of the Party organisation and MoLISA.

The Politburo decided to give a reprimand to Dung and a warning to Chuyen. The Secretariat decided to issue a reprimand to the Party delegation to MoLISA in the 2016 - 2021 tenure, and a warning to the ministrry's Party delegation in the 2011 - 2016 tenure.  VNS
HA NOI  Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha hosted a reception for Swedish Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Andreas Carlson on Tuesday.

The Deputy PM noted that over the past half century, the two countries have actively built and nurtured a sustainable and in-depth bilateral relationship and achieved fruitful results in cooperation in various fields.

He went on to say that the cooperative relationship between the two countries has shifted to an equal, mutually beneficial partnership, with Sweden among Viet Nam's 10 major trading partners in the European Union.

The bilateral trade turnover in the first quarter this year surpassed US$360 million, up 9.4 per cent over the same period last year. In terms of investment, Sweden ranks 29th out of 140 countries and territories investing in Viet Nam with 109 valid projects with a total registered capital of $733 million.

The Deputy PM suggested that Sweden can further improve its position in terms of investment and trade in Viet Nam through transportation, seaport, digital transformation, telecommunications, aviation, and energy transition projects.

He said that ample room remains for the cooperation between the two countries, and Swedish businesses can find suitable Vietnamese partners in the fields of telecommunications, information technology, smart infrastructure, green energy conversion and human resource training for the semiconductor chip industry.

He proposed that the two governments have a specific cooperation plan and assign responsibilities to each ministry, agency and locality for practical and effective implementation.

For his part, Carlson said that Swedish firms are interested in exploring investment and business opportunities in the field of smart transportation and smart city in Viet Nam, adding that more and more Swedish people are travelling to the Southeast Asian country.

The Swedish official hopes that the traditional friendship between the two countries will continue to be strengthened through cooperation projects between the two governments and businesses as well as people-to-people cultural exchange activities.  VNS
QUANG TRI  Overcoming doubts and prejudices, many women in central Quang Tri Province choose to engage in clearing bombs, mines and explosives left over after the war.

The activity is called "death hunting" and it contributes to cleaning up polluted land for people to cultivate and develop the economy.

Quang Tri is a locality that suffered many consequences and heavy damage during the war, and it has the highest density of bomb and mine contamination in the country.

This is also the first locality in the country to be allowed by the Government to implement co-operation programmes with foreign non-governmental organisations in the field of clearing post-war bombs and mines.

Currently, there are many organisations and groups in the province that support bomb and mine clearance and awareness raising of the consequences of bombs, mines and explosive materials.

In particular, many organisations have established specialised clearance teams with women members, and the MAT 31 Team of the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) is a typical example.

According to Le Thi Ngoc Bich, 46, a resident in Gio Phong Commune of Gio Linh District, who is the leader of Team MAT 31, her team was assigned the task of clearing cluster bombs and other types of explosives left over after the war on an area of 377,162sq.m of contaminated land.

The task was carried out from March 18 to June 28 to return clean land to 640 households in Thong Nhat Village, Ngoc said.

Ngoc said that Team MAT 31 was established in 2018 and has 14 members, of which 13 are female and one male, who is a driver and technician.

All members of MAT 31 have had many years of experience in the profession of "hunting for death", from six years to over 20 years, she told the Lao ong va Xa hoi (Labour and Society) newspaper.

I have been in the profession since 2000. To stick with it for so many years, I had to overcome many doubts, prejudices, and objections from my family and friends, Ngoc said.

Working as a deminer is hard enough for men, but it's even more difficult for women because we are always in the field, regardless of sun or rain, facing high potential risks," she said.

During the time working as a deminer, I often have to leave early and return home late because my house is far from the office and mine fields were far from the city, she said. I have relied on my husband to do all the household chores and take care of the children. Sometimes I have to ask my dad and mom for help.

As women, there is almost no time to take care of ourselves and beautify. Because no matter how beautiful we are, when we have to work under harsh sunlight and wind in the central region, we still do it," she said.

Tran Thi Thao, 32, from Trieu Ai Commune of Trieu Phong District, is a MAT 31 member with a slim figure and glasses, but in the field her actions are extremely agile and decisive.

After receiving information about a suspected location of explosive materials and metal marked by members operating a large ring detector, she immediately arrives, uses a hand detector to identify it, and then digs deep into the ground to find and neutralise death.

In January 2018, through social networks, I learned that MAG in Quang Tri was recruiting employees. After studying the posted information about the job position and conditions, I applied and was hired, said Thao.

Although I have two children who are taken care by my husband and I have done this hard job for many years, I have never regretted this choice because it brings a stable source of income for myself and helps me contribute in a small way to clear land contaminated with post-war bombs, mines and explosives left in the homeland, returning clean land to people for production, Thao confided.

Lessons in not making mistakes in the field

When recruited, all members of the bomb, mine, and explosive material disposal team must undergo training and skills in handling material and situations on a simulation scene and then work in the field.

However, the first time they uncovered bombs and mines at work, they were startled and their hearts pounded.

The first day of working in the field at a contaminated land in Gio Quang Commune of Gio Linh District, when I received the signal and went to handle it, I discovered an M14 mine commonly used by the US military in the war, Ngoc recalled.

At that time, I was scared but remembering the lessons about defusing bombs and mines, I quickly calmed down and continued my work smoothly, she said.

Another memorable memory was that her boss challenged her by putting a dead snake in a tool box. As soon as she saw the snake, she was loudly screaming, she said.

Later, she found out that it was a way to train our spirit and calmness, thereby making us able to face and overcome situations with a high level of danger in the profession, she said.

Similar to Ngoc, on the second day of working at the field in Hai Lang District, Thao also discovered an M33 grenade lying in the open. When cleaning the layer of dry leaves covering her, she saw the grenade and tried to run away.

Yet to this day, she can not remember how many explosive devices she has deactivated because they are too numerous and of many types.

Tran Binh Phuong, MAG's field operations manager, said that a field work day for MAGs demining teams usually lasts eight hours.

To ensure that all members must comply with labour safety measures and the instructions of the direct commander, they wear full protective gear, and use machinery and equipment according to proper techniques, Phuong said.

MAT teams are fully equipped with specialised equipment and devices to clear mines and explosives, he said.

At the scene, MAT teams set stakes, use ropes and divide them into small beds. Then two members use a depth scanner to check each bed to detect suspicious objects.

When the detector detects metal, other members place a red triangular plastic plate to mark it, and notify the team leader to send technical staff to handle it.

In areas with flat terrain, soft soil, and little pollution, MAT teams can handle 4,000-4,500sq.m of land on average per day, but for sites with complex terrain and high pollution, only 3,000 - 3,500sq.m can be treated in one day, he added.

MAG is one of many non-governmental organisations working in the field of humanitarian demining in Quang Tri Province, making an important contribution to reducing landmine accidents in the province and bringing clean and safe land to the people.

Since 1999, the group has completed the clearance of nearly 180 million sq.m of land and handed over clean land to people for farming, and the construction of schools, health stations, roads, and resettlement areas. VNS
CAO BANG  At Ca Lo School in the northern mountainous province of Cao Bang, a teacher has to teach two groups of students at the same time in one classroom.

The classroom is divided into half. When I give a new lesson to the first graders, the second graders, sitting on the opposite side of the room and turning back to another group, review the lessons, teacher Ly Thanh Tram told Voice of Vietnam (VOV).

Ca Lo is the most distant school in Khanh Xuan Commune, Bao Lac District, and has around 30 kindergarten and primary school pupils, but just three teachers.

Even with the hamlet's inadequate infrastructureno roads, power, phone service or clean waterteachers and students make a valient attempt to keep the classes running.

Tram said: It is such a challenge to teachers. When teachers shift their focus to Grade 1 pupils, pupils in Grade 2 get disinterested. We have to give detailed instructions to every student to help them focus on the lesson.

Teachers from a local secondary school have now been mobilised to teach English and Computer Science at Ca Lo School. Because there is no electricity or internet, online teaching is not possible so once very week, the teachers have to travel nearly 40km, uphill and through the forest, to Ca Lo.

Tram, who has been teaching at the school for eight years, said local education has improved compared to 2012-2013 when she first started working there.

The school has two classrooms for Grades 1 to 4, while students from Grade 5 are required to attend the main school, which is situated a long distance from the community.

Sadly there are fewer children taking the higher level classes because not every child at this age has the courage to walk through the woods to school.

Tram said that often a pupil in Grade 5 will return to the local school to go back and study with children from the year below after starting fifth grade far away from home.

The other concern, explained teacher Duong Van Thanh, is that sometimes three out of six students in the class take a day off as they have to stay at home to look after their younger siblings.

I have to go to their houses to encourage them to attend class. I tell them they can bring the siblings to class and we will help in taking care of their younger siblings," he said.

A volunteer organisation donated two solar power grids to the school at the beginning of 2013 so the teachers no longer have to teach under the light of candles, but they must limit their use of electricity extremely cautiously because it only lasts for one to two hours after it rains.

Teacher Tram said she had often nearly burst into tears as students all left class at 10am without coming back.

The students left at that time, according to what I learned, because parents didn't start preparing breakfast for their children until 10am. So I arranged a meeting with the parents and the schools Board of Directors to propose a day boarding school service.

Students can now have lunch at the school and the dedicated teachers now rotate with weekly trips to the commune to purchase food, charge electronics, get extra batteries and print paperwork.

am Van Chuan, vice chairman of Khanh Xuan Commune People's Committee, said the commune has three main schools located 8km from the district centre.

Only 60 per cent of students who graduate from secondary school continue into high school or vocational training. Local authorities have encouraged students, especially those from low-income households, to continue study by by providing housing, food and other necessities. But due to long distances they need to travel and disadvantaged circumstances, many of them drop out of school, he said.  VNS
HA NOI  The Department for Roads of Vietnam has proposed a project worth nearly VN9.3 trillion ($385 million) to upgrade and innovate parts of three national highways  No 53, No 62 ,and No 91B  in the Mekong Delta.

Of the sum, over VN6.25 trillion will be sourced from the World Banks loans and over VN3 trillion from Viet Nams counterpart capital, according to a proposal submitted to the Ministry of Transport.

The project will upgrade about 69km of National Highway No 62 in Long An province, Nga Tu bridge and a 41km section of National Highway No 53 in Vinh Long and Tra Vinh provinces, and a 141km section of National Highway No 91B in Can Tho city and the provinces of Hau Giang, Soc Trang, and Bac Lieu.

Once upgraded, the roads will have four lanes, a designed maximum speed of 80km per hour, 11m-wide road surfaces, and 0.5m-wide roadsides.

The project will be implemented in five years after the funding agreement takes effect, the department said.  VNS
HA NOI  "Owing to the medical training in Korea, I've grown into a more qualified doctor, and now I have been making the most of the advanced medical technologies I learned in Korea to cure Vietnamese patients."

Dr. Nguyen Van Hung, 33, a visiting professor of radiology at the Hanoi Medical University Hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam, told Yonhap News Agency on May 12 (local time) about his medical training experience at Ajou Medical University Hospital in Suwon, South Korea.

Dr. Hung was selected as one of trainees to join the medical training project for Vietnamese medical workers co-organised by the Daewoo Foundation and Ajou Medical University Hospital, and has had medical training in Korea for half a year since April last year.

Launched in 2009, the programme selects doctors, nurses and other medical professionals, and provides them with medical training in Korea for six months to one year to eventually contribute to the medical developments in Vietnam. Selected trainees receive the whole financial support for their training, including accommodation, meals and living expenses in Korea.

Dr. Hung is a cancer treatment expert who has been working as a visiting professor at Hanoi Medical University Hospital since 2020. Though he was already a creditable medical specialist, medical training in Korea was an invaluable opportunity to learn new medical knowledge he needed and enhance his skills, he said.

During his training, Dr. Hung took apprenticeship training in the Department of Radiation Oncology, following professors all day long, observing all processes, such as treatments and attending meetings.

The first benefit was that he was able to see and learn about radiation therapy equipment, and related technologies that had not been introduced in Vietnam, such as the latest linear accelerator (LINAC) and hyper-arc.

"HyperArc, a state-of-the-art device, can be applied to cases that cannot be treated by Gamma Knife, a radiation therapy device widely used in Vietnam," said Dr. Hong. "It was very great to see these new technologies already in use at Ajou Medical University Hospital." He was also deeply impressed by enthusiastic senior professors at Ajou who had devoted themselves to teaching foreign trainees, such as Professor Emeritus of Radiation Oncology Dr. Jeon Mi-Sun (68).

"I felt that I still had a lot to learn from them, and their way of communication and interaction with patients was very impressive, which I am now applying to my work," Dr. Hong added.

He also emphasised that "there were cases where professors had different views on the same patient case, but instead of sticking to their own views stubbornly, they listened to others' opinions with a humble attitude and tried different things to find the best way. All these processes taught me how to work scientifically."

Dr. Hong said that, while living in an unfamiliar foreign country, he was able to commit himself to his studies in a stable environment, thanks to the provision of accommodations and meals, living expenses, and the kindness of Korean people, including hospital staff members.

"My training in Korea has been an invaluable experience for me," Dr. Hung said. "And I'd like to express my sincere gratitude to the Daewoo Foundation, professors of Ajou Medical University Hospital, and hospital officials for giving such a great opportunity to me and many other Vietnamese doctors."

Vietnamese medical trainees and officials of Ajou Medical University Hospital pose for photos on May 12, 2024. [provided by the Ajou Medical University Hospital]

Like Dr. Hung, a total of 93 Vietnamese medical workers including 67 doctors, 24 nurses and 2 medical technicians have benefited from this training programme over the past 15 years.

The programme was initiated by the proposal of the late Chairman Kim Woo-joong, founder of the Daewoo Foundation. Chairman Kim, who had a deep relationship with Vietnam, entered upon this program, recognising the importance of fostering talents for the development of the country's medical system, which was still less advanced at the time.

Under the medical training program, Vietnamese doctors have had training in various departments, including internal medicine, surgery, neurosurgery, and cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, and learned advanced techniques, such as cancer surgery, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, vascular interventional procedures, reconstructive operation and so on.

They also got the chance to participate in various activities, like medical volunteer programs in Korea organised by the medical services club of Ajou Medical University Hospital.

Daewoo Foundation and Ajou Medical University Hospital estimated that Vietnamese trainees have applied medical skills they learned in Korea to enhance patient care and played a meaningful role in the Vietnamese medical community.

"As the programme has continued for 15 years, not a one-time event, it has received a good response among hospitals in Vietnam, and more and more capable medical staff have applied for the program," Choi Yoon-kwon, Secretary General of the Daewoo Foundation, said.

"In the past, Korean doctors have learned advanced medical technologies from global medical powerhouses, and now our nation has also grown into a world-class medical powerhouse," he said, adding, "We hope that Vietnamese doctors will contribute significantly to the development of their nation's medical services through this project."

In addition, Daewoo Foundation and Aju Medical University Hospital have also engaged in a variety of other activities, including medical volunteer services in Vietnam, and medical services and medical expense support for foreign workers in Korea.  YONHAP
HA NOI  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Tuesday requested stronger, quicker and tougher inspections in the mining industry to detect and handle violations related to labour safety.

He asked for the review following a fatal mine collapse at 3pm on Monday at the Vinacomin  Quang Hanh Coal Company in Cam Pha City, the northern province of Quang Ninh.

The accident killed three workers and injured one.

The PM asked the Quang Ninh Peoples Committee to urgently organise a visit to support the victims families and carry out every necessary measure to ensure they are cared for, adding that all efforts should also be made to treat the injured worker.

PM Chinh demanded to know what caused the accident, what consequences there were for the mine, how production could be stabilised and how an investigation needed to be started into who was responsible; while strictly dealing with violations (if any) according to legal regulations.

He also asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade to work with the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises to carefully review regulations, standards, mining processes, pit operations and labour safety, to look at any shortcomings and limitations.

The Chairman of the Viet Nam National Coal  Mineral Industries Holding Corporation Limited (Vinacomin) should urgently look at the consequences of the incident, he said, and promptly provide material and spiritual support to the victims' families.

Vinacomin needed to review all its processes and all stages of mining on site and have immediate solutions according to assigned functions and tasks.

Solutions

Recent labour accidents have shown problems in ensuring safety for workers, from applying technology to discipline at work.

On April 3, a methane gas fire in a mine in Quang Ninh Province killed four workers.

Six days later, an explosion at the Phu Lam Industrial Complex in Bac Ninh Province killed one person and injured two others.

Nguyen Anh Tho, director of the Viet Nam National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, said that the specific characteristics of the coal and mineral industry, including underground working, meant that a large number of workers were engaged in heavy, toxic and dangerous jobs.

To ensure safety in underground mining, the industry has strict regulations for employees while working. However, compliance with safety procedures and regulations in some units is still not prioritised.

In recent years, the coal industry has invested heavily in labour safety and this has led to a significant decrease in accidents. In 2017, the Vinacomin had its lowest number of labour accidents and only 16 deaths.

But recently, the number of serious occupational accidents with deaths and injuries has begun to increase.

Tho believes that the occupational safety and hygiene management system in the mining industry in general and at Vinacomin in particular, needed a change in thinking and administration.

Enterprises should apply advanced and modern management systems, suited to the new conditions of the mines, as well as the requirements of the Party's policies, the State's laws and the community.

Among them, the most important thing was to change the mindset of investing in occupational safety and hygiene, said Tho. Ensuring safety for workers is the most effective and sustainable investment for development.

At the same time, he said, the mines needed to lower risks by raising awareness of workers at mineral mines.

In the context of increasingly depleted coal resources, the coal industry is investing in going deeper to mine coal. If it does not truly pay attention to safety and risk assessments, accidents in underground mines will still occur.

Experts believe that the coal industry needs to implement a comprehensive solution, from planning to human resource training.  VNS
Last month, Danang Peoples Committee said it would approve the conversion of several condotels into apartment units, and developers will now be allowed to negotiate with homebuyers to cancel old condotel purchase contracts and re-sign contracts to buy apartments for residential use.

Condotel conversion must avoid infrastructure pressure, illustration photo/ Photo Le Toan

One project affected by the move is the two towers of Danang Times Square, located opposite Bien Dong Park and My Khe Beach, after recognition that it boasted the conditions for mobilising capital last month. The project began in 2017 and was set to provide thousands of condotel units, expected to be handed over in 2019. The venture was frozen because of the pandemic, and the government had not yet permitted granting ownership for condotels.

Danang is also home to another project which was permitted to be converted into apartments for residence in 2022. The Empire resort and housing project, also known as Cocobay, has seen more than 1,000 out of 1,860 hotel apartments converted to apartments.

According to Thanh Do Investment Development and Construction JSC, the investor of Cocobay, the company issued and sent notices to buyers in March to liquidate condotel sale contracts and switch to receiving apartment units. Accordingly, buyers can choose to either receive the converted house, or get a refund of money previously paid.

So far, only Danang has reported official conversion of condotels into apartment units. Other active localities are Nha Trang in Khanh Hoa province, and Phu Quoc island in Kien Giang provinces. However, no specific project has yet been recognised for completion of their conversion process.

Le Van Tuan, vice director of Danang Department of Construction said the city ensures that the conversion of functions must be in accordance with urban planning, ensuring social and technical infrastructure indicators according to current standards and regulations.

When carrying out any conversion in this manner, developers must adjust planning at all levels to ensure the projects social infrastructure, green space, kindergartens, community houses, and parking lots are synchronised to the plans, Tuan said.

While allowing thousands of condotel units to be converted into apartments for residents in Danang has been considered a temporary fix to address the condotel stockpile, social infrastructure planning could be disrupted.

Hoang Nam, director of Nam Viet Real Estate Consultants in Danang, said that relevant management agencies need to research and consider all aspects cautiously before approving a conversion.

Conversions must not be approved overnight to prevent developers from rushing to convert condotels into apartments, and creating a bad precedent for urban planning, Nam told VIR.

According to Nam, it is necessary to determine from the beginning that the condotel type is not a permanent residence but serves the purpose of tourism and short-term accommodation.

Condotel investment does not require urban infrastructure or accompanying social infrastructure for the purpose of long-term residence of people. Therefore, once converting from condotel to apartment, there will be many problems that need to be resolved, Nam said. The conversion may bring a source of revenue for the immediate budget, but in the future it will be costly to reinvest in infrastructure, clearance, and urban depopulation.

Architect Pham Phu Binh, vice president of the Vietnam Construction Consulting Association said, The dense population as a result would surely bring an overload to the water supply, drainage, and electricity supply, not to mention the lack of schools, kindergartens, hospitals, and green parks.

However, according to Binh, converting to apartments is convenient for investors so that they can have long-term ownership with certification, so it is easy for trading and attaining capital returns.

Condotels still have prospects in the long term. Therefore, only parts of a certain project should be allowed to convert so that developers are supported through difficult periods but without putting too much pressure on urban infrastructure, Binh added.

According to DKRA Groups first quarter 2024 report, the condotel segment continues to face many difficulties in liquidity, with investor confidence as well as segment recovery still low.

In the first quarter, there were 45 condotel projects opened for sale, of which only two were new projects, with a supply of around 4,850 units. Overall market demand recorded the lowest level in the past five years, with the majority of projects showing slow sales. Some 90 per cent of condotel projects did not record any transactions in Q1.

Mauro Gasparotti, director, Savills Hotels The conversion of these condotels, where feasible, can undoubtedly bring certain benefits, such as increased market liquidity by allowing an ownership title that can be used as collateral and would enhance buyers protection regarding the possession of this property. This would be particularly advantageous for buyers who plan to use the unit as their holiday home. However, there are several additional considerations required for this change of ownership structure to be successful, and the viability of the conversion varies case by case. Firstly, it pertains to the intended business nature of the property, as it has a significant impact on the design, ultimately influencing the future utilisation of the property. When condotels have been designed as hotels or serviced apartments, the units are typically smaller, and both back-of-house and front-of-house facilities are tailored to accommodate short-term stays. In this case, the conversion into a residential project may not be practical, as the future use may not align with residential characteristics. Such properties usually require much more intense operating costs to function and are better suited to remain operating assets and perceived as investment products generating cash flow rather than a pure holiday home. Conversely, if these condotels have been designated and constructed as holiday homes, where buyers tend to use them as vacation properties or, in some cases, as their primary residences, the unit owners are much more likely to benefit from a residential conversion. In this scenario, if the buyers wish to lease out their property, their rental income is typically derived from long-term rentals rather than short-term stays. Condotels can be a decent real estate product, but they require clear business plans encompassing not only sales but also future building usage. Several products in the market have received inadequate consideration from developers in the planning stage regarding future use, leading to potential operational issues. For instance, poorly planned properties may experience undesirable performance rates due to a lack of central reservation systems and inadequate service planning, or they may suffer from insufficient building maintenance due to a lack of management regulations. We would recommend that local authorities actively engage with developers in the planning process to ensure that products are executed with proper business direction and alignment with provincial spatial planning as well as market demands. Winnie Lam, general secretary Hong Kong Business Association The conversion is the next step in implementation from the government and investors. The authorities aim to facilitate projects with legal issues to revitalise urban landscapes, further recovering the real estate market. Meanwhile, businesses seek solutions for their condotel projects in terms of the issuance of land use right certificates and inefficient business operations. Repurposing buildings aligns with societal development needs, and this has been the approach in other countries. Many cities worldwide, such as Calgary and New York, have converted vacant office buildings into residential units to address their housing challenge, for example. However, any change in the buildings function will impact the overall planning, weighing on urban and social infrastructure, as well as population density. This also requires major and complex adjustments in design and techniques such as parking spaces, elevators allocation, lighting design, waste management systems, green spaces, and the allocation of social housing areas. Every property needs its end-users, as in the condotels needs visitors to operate efficiently. As the tourism industry grows in Vietnam, so do condotels because tourists need accommodation in and beyond just traditional hotels. While allowing condotels to convert into apartments is a welcomed first step in addressing the issue, it is important to thoroughly consider the needs of a specific commune as conversion into a different category is more suitable. The conversion of land use rights is a complex legal task that also affects general planning as well as the lives of local people. A sustainable and beneficial solution for not only condotels but also many other sectors in promoting local tourism, creating interesting and creative travel products to attract both domestic and international visitors is just as necessary as solving the housing crunch, for example.

Condotels, officetels get ownership certificates from May 20 Owners of condotel apartments who fully satisfy the conditions under the land law, construction law and the law on real estate business shall be granted a certificate of ownership of land-attached construction facilities according to the commercial or service land area purpose.

Revenue sharing going some way to ease condotel status The real estate market for resort villas and condos is showing signs of short-term recovery from a difficult period due to low liquidity.

Overload caution sounded out over condotel switch More than 3,700 tourist apartments, which are part of the Times Square Danang complex, were converted into apartments by Danang Peoples Committee in May, and are now causing concern about infrastructure overload both there and at future conversions.
The Global Climate Partnership Workshop 2024 brings opportunities in climate development financing

Participants will provide practical knowledge and learning about climate-development financing to improve the competencies of the Vietnam market.

Additionally, the workshop marks the first in-depth training course of the Green Climate Partnership Fund (GCPF) in Vietnam.

In the opening remarks, on behalf of the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), Nguyen Duc Lenh, deputy director of the SBVs Ho Chi Minh City Branch said that the bank was actively promotinG green growth financing programmes.

The SBV advocates programmes which aim to protect the environment, pursue a decarbonation pathway, and drive the green growth of the economy. In particular, it is encouraged that financial organisations should leverage green financing packages and deploy green supporting programmes (loans) towards sustainable development, Lenh said.

He added that provisions and processes of green credits remain similar to current credit programs.

The difference between them, if spotted, is the classification on investment types and project operation purposes, Lenh said.

Trinh Thi Huong, deputy director of the Agency for Enterprise Development under Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) said that it was critical in creating a favourable regulatory environment, enabling participation of the private sector, and bridging project funding gaps for climate and sustainable development.

She said the GCPW 2024 was a meaningful and realistic activity that synergised resources and enhanced the local of sustainability.

Besides being provided support from the state budget, the MPI actively fosters collaborations with other partners to deploy meaningful and impactful innovative campaigns towards sustainable or green business transitions to adapt to drastic climate change, said Huong.

Bui Quang Duy, deputy global head of Climate Finance, Financial Institution Investment of responsAbility, said that responsAbility offered long-term funding solutions, enterprise competencies development programmes, and green growth strategies consulting packages.

Vietnam is ranked in the top two of our investment markets ranking list, and this workshop is a part of the Enterprise Competencies Development Program of the Global Climate Partnership Fund. Therefore, responsAbility looks forward to collaborating with agencies and companies in the upcoming months that create a complete green ecosystem for the Vietnam market, said Duy.

Participants discussed the domestic investment environment of climate finance, climate investment stakeholders, and experiences of deploying projects in Vietnam.

On May 14, the workshop continued to provide practical cases of energy infrastructure projects, solar energy projects in commercial and industrial segments through legal, financial, investment, technical, and socioeconomic perspectives. This content was conveyed by experts coming from Vilaf, FinerGreen, Afry, and responsAbility.

A practical training course will also be held, embedding a site visit in Dalat in the last three days, with around 30 middle-managers from different enterprises who participated in the whole three-day programme, including Viet A Bank, Nam A Bank, Viet Capital Bank, Eximbank, EVN Finance, and the Vietnam Private Sector Office.

Through this initiative, participants will study key cases, and have in-depth discussions on deployment plans of climate finance strategic pillars in Vietnam.

The GCPF was established in 2009 by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, KfW, and IFC as a public-private partnership.

The GCPF has addressed the lack of adequate financing for low-carbon projects in emerging economies. The fund focuses on financing energy efficiency and renewable energy projects for small and medium-sized enterprises and private households, mainly through direct cooperation with local financial institutions.

responsAbility - a Swiss-based pioneer and global leader in impact investing, recently received Green Climate Fund accreditation.

Panel discussion at the workshop

Vietnam ESG Initiative 2024: seizing green transformation opportunities Following the success of the 2023 Vietnam Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Initiative, the Agency for Enterprise Development under the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) are co-hosting the 2024 Vietnam ESG Initiative.

Australia strengthens climate and energy cooperation with Vietnam Australia's Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy Jenny McAllister will travel to Vietnam to drive cooperation on climate and the energy transition under the recently signed Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Australias Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040.
It also launched the Handbook on compliance with legal regulations and enhancing information system security, and the Handbook on preventing and minimising risks from ransomware attacks to help agencies, organisations and businesses improve their ability to proactively respond to detect cyberattack risks.

It also issued a decision to suspend the licence to provide G1 online game services for a period of three months for 49 businesses for violations.

In the upcoming months, the MIC will submit a number of important legal documents on regulating electronic signatures and reliable services; electronic transactions in state agencies and information systems serving electronic transactions; amending and supplementing regulations on management of investment in IT applications using state budget capital.

In addition, other key tasks will include developing a circular regulating the recognition of organisations providing foreign electronic signature authentication services; recognition of foreign electronic signatures and electronic signature certificates; as well as the establishment and operation of a system for receiving and synthesising data for state management of electronic transactions of state agencies.
Index seeks to boost green behaviour

At last weeks launch ceremony of the 2023 Provincial Competitiveness Index and Provincial Green Index (PGI), Edmund Malesky, director of Duke University Centre for International Development and leader of the PGI Research Team, said that Vietnams cities and provinces were making efforts to combat pollution and environmental accidents.

They are designing and enforcing regulations that ensure compliance without creating overwhelming burdens; providing appropriate guidance to firms on green operations and environmentally friendly procurement; and incentivising green operations through targeted incentives and subsidy programmes, Malesky explained.

Localities that do well on leadership and assistance emulate green behaviour in their own actions and encourage green behaviour by firms in their province, Malesky said. They give green businesses priority when contracting out goods and services and are willing to pay a premium in those contracts to incentivise the upgrading of local businesses.

Local guidance or regulations encouraging local businesses to spend resources on green upgrades include digitalising paperwork, installing energy meters and conservation technology, minimising the use of plastic, and training employees and managers. Green leadership and assistance aids reductions in pollution, he added. Provinces have provided incentives and support, encouraged the entry and transition to green business through incentive programmes and assistance on capacity training; provided guidance and advisory services, and have sizeable shares of businesses in green industries.

Green capital flows are changing the quality of foreign investment in Ho Chi Minh City, which ranked fifth in the PGI 2023, enabling the city to embark on the journey of a zero-carbon footprint. The ability to ensure the effectiveness of these capital flows is increasing, through attractive policies on infrastructure, reforming administrative procedures, and improving the investment environment.

Han Thanh Hong, general director at Pepperl+Fuchs Vietnam, a German manufacturer of electronic equipment and components located in Ho Chi Minh City, said that the group invests about $3-4 billion in new technologies and machinery every year, and some of that is transferred to Vietnam.

Vietnam will be a major target of the group by deploying new digital platforms, producing strategic products in the time coming. We aim to reduce greenhouse emissions by 50 per cent, increase renewable energy by 60 per cent in 2030, and provide more employee benefits, Hong said.

Alexander Ziehe, chairman of the German Business Association in Vietnam, said, To increase the attraction of capital flows to green projects in Vietnam, we propose a tax reduction policy for energy-saving machinery and equipment, especially, financial incentives for green technologies, and green initiatives from private sector are needed to encourage sustainable practices and entice investment in clean energy.

The trend of sustainable development enables many localities to refuse projects that do not have enough green potential.

Paper packaging manufacturer ChengLoong Binh Duong Paper Company would like to build a factory in the southern province of Binh Duongs My Phuoc Industrial Park. The local government, ranking 22nd in PGI 2023, has asked businesses to produce and consume under a circular economy model by collecting scrap paper for remanufacturing in green and low-carbon production processes to make green packaging material.

The company has spent more than $1 billion carrying out the greening process. General director Wu Jung Pin said, Along with the green consumption trend, we have been making efforts to do green manufacturing following the circular economy so that our products meet the greening requirements of the market and customers.

The northern port city of Haiphong  ranking seventh in PGI 2023  identifies the theme of pioneering and green transformation. Of these, green growth tasks focus on four main pillars: green industrial and economic zones, seaports and logistics, the tech industry, and commercial travel.

The implementation of Haiphongs green transformation strategy is to focus on these pillars, thereby spreading and creating attraction for the comprehensive development of other socioeconomic fields of the city, said Le Anh Quan, Vice Chairman of Haiphong Peoples Committee.

However, Malesky of the PGI Resarch Team pointed out some challenges to green transition, such as market incentives. While provinces might design and implement strong policies within their borders, they can do little about pollution and environmental risks caused by their neighbours. Cities and provinces with business populations facing consumer pressure to make green upgrades have a far easier time excelling on the green transition process than others. Ultimately, the guiding light for businesses is their bottom line, he said.

The Vietnamese government and international donors can assist local green governance by helping local leaders overcome resource constrains and capacity deficits. Regulations, guidance and training programmes are especially important, he added.

Businesses will truly be motivated to take on expensive operational changes when the market rewards this behaviour. Educational programmes can assist Vietnamese consumers in understanding the importance of environmental upgrading, encouraging them to reward green businesses and hold dirty businesses accountable for contributing to pollution and environmental degradation, he said.

Vietnam eyes transition to green production for sustainable value Economic sectors, localities and businesses should be considered the drivers of the nation's green growth and sustainable development strategy, experts have said.
At the signing ceremony of the MoU. (Photo: vientianetimes.org.la)

The Lao media on May 14 reported that under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) recently signed by the Lao Government and the company, the company will conduct a feasibility study on the building of the floating solar farm on a 1,565 ha site in the Nam Ngum 1 River Basin in Keo Oudom district of Vientiane province.

The feasibility study will take 18-24 months.

If the study yields positive results and is accepted by the government, the project will receive an investment of up to 1 billion USD to install 3-4 million solar panels, which will generate 1,500-1,600 MW.

The construction of the proposed solar farm will take place in three stages over 10 years.

In 2020, Laos also signed a Project Development Agreement (PDA) with China's Hangzhou Safefound Technology Company to develop a floating solar power project at Nam Ngum 1, with an installed capacity of up to 1,200 MW on an area of more than 1,500 ha. Once put into operation, it will be the largest floating solar power project in the world.

In 2021, French energy giant EDF also planned to build a 240 MW floating solar power plant at the Nam Theun 2 hydropower plant on the Nam Theun river. This project is currently implemented.

In recent years, grasping the trend of clean energy development in the world, the Lao Government has attached importance to developing renewable energy to meet domestic demand and export. Laos strives to become a green energy supplier in Southeast Asia.

Rail route connects China, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia The first China - Laos - Thailand - Malaysia express freight train recently departed from Chengdu, the capital of Chinas southwestern Sichuan province, marking a significant milestone in regional trade connectivity.
Under existing anti-money laundering regulations, transactions over a certain value must be reported, photo Le Toan

The State Bank of Vietnams (SBV) Ho Chi Minh City branch last week mandated that financial institutions and businesses involved in gold trading rigorously adhere to the invoicing regulations stipulated by the Ministry of Finance, ensuring compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws.

Businesses must also monitor the buying and selling of gold bars and publicly post transaction prices at their venues, a spokesperson for the SBV stressed.

In light of challenges related to gold bar transactions, the branch has requested that businesses promptly report back and offer suggestions for regulatory improvements. This directive is issued in response to frequent fragmented transactions in gold and silver, which often lack proper documentation, resulting in a transparency deficit and notable discrepancies between domestic and international gold prices.

The General Department of Taxation (GDT) has also been active, underscoring its recent initiatives to regulate electronic invoicing for gold transactions.

Earlier this month, the GDT also urged the SBV to help tighten monetary flows and consider enforcing mandatory non-cash payments for gold transactions. It also calls on local authorities to step up inspections and enforce compliance regarding invoice issuance.

Huynh Trung Khanh, an advisor to the World Gold Council in Vietnam, noted that a significant portion of the industry, comprising 5,835 gold and silver businesses accounting for up to 90 per cent of the market, has already adopted electronic invoicing. This development marks initial steps towards regulatory control over the sector.

Khanh, however, raised concerns about the feasibility of enforcing non-cash transactions across all gold sales.

Mandating non-cash payments for gold transactions is not practical. Consumers, particularly the elderly who buy gold for savings, might be the first to react adversely, as not everyone has access to bank accounts or credit cards, he stated.

He argued that while such a regulation could work for large transactions or for specific products like SJC gold bars, it would be impractical for smaller, everyday gold purchases.

To date, no business sector has fully implemented a non-cash transaction rule. Imposing such a rule on the industry would be stricter than the regulations stipulated on gold trade management, Khanh added.

Economist Ngo Tri Long also highlighted the deep-rooted preference for cash among Vietnamese consumers, particularly in rural areas, where gold is often bought as a small-scale investment or gift. Imposing a cashless rule could significantly inconvenience these individuals, many of whom are not tech-savvy and lack the means for digital transactions, Long pointed out.

He suggested that the proposal for non-cash payments should be limited to larger investment-grade purchases. A policy requiring non-cash payments for transactions of one SJC gold bar or more would be more feasible and align better with the current economic landscape, Long added.

Economist Vu Dinh Anh criticised the proposal as impractical. The method of payment, whether for purchasing one thousand taels or just one tael of gold, should remain flexible, as it does not effectively regulate the market or deter gold purchases, Anh remarked.

He further emphasised that banning cash transactions in the gold market would not address the disparities between domestic and global gold prices or the challenges in raw material imports, and could potentially worsen these issues.

There are experts who support the initiative. Nguyen Van Duoc, a member of the Vietnam Tax Consultancy Association and CEO of Trong Tin Accounting and Tax Consultancy, said, Implementing non-cash payments would enhance management efficiency, facilitate tax collection, and streamline macroeconomic governance, resulting in a more transparent and efficient economy.

Duoc pointed out a significant oversight in current practices. We lack control over the amount of gold traded privately. Ideally, this initiative should have been enacted much earlier rather than being merely proposed now. Its time for the SBV to intervene. Proper legal frameworks need to be established to appropriately regulate these transactions, he suggested.

Despite his support, Duoc voiced concerns about potential barriers, such as limited public understanding and inadequate infrastructure for non-cash payments, which could particularly affect gold transactions.

While not everyone is familiar with electronic banking, especially among older and rural populations, these are the minority. Overlooking these few cases may be necessary to achieve broader economic benefits, he remarked.

Nguyen Van Thuc, a senior tax and accounting expert, recommended a cautious approach. A preliminary survey or pilot programme should be undertaken before wide-scale implementation. This would allow us to make necessary adjustments and avoid any major issues during the policys rollout, Thuc said.

Under the existing anti-money laundering regulations, transactions valued over VND400 million ($16,650) require reporting to the SBV. Businesses dealing in gold, silver, and gemstones, as well as payment intermediaries, must undertake thorough customer due diligence. This includes collecting, updating, and verifying customer information to gauge money laundering risks and ascertain the origins of assets.

Additionally, as per rules governing the gold market, entities are required to adhere to established accounting regulations, ensure proper issuance and usage of invoices, and are responsible for publicly listing details such as the weight, purity, and pricing of gold products at transaction points, maintaining accountability for product quality.

Leaders up efforts to control domestic gold prices Amid an escalation of gold prices, the current method of gold bar auctions may not be the optimal direction to effectively control domestic prices, experts have warned.
Surge in online scams in the digital age

In todays digital era, while technology offers unparalleled convenience, it also brings significant risks. Cashless payments are now the norm, from street vendors to international transactions, all managed through smartphones. This shift not only streamlines transactions but also enhances the shopping experience, especially for younger customers.

However, this convenience also exposes online users to more sophisticated scams and asset theft.

For example, Hoang N., a 27-year-old from District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, faced a serious issue when his account lost VND40 million ($1,667) after he clicked on a suspicious link, exposing his password and PIN.

Hoang shared, I contacted the bank for help, but this incident really worried me. If someone like me can be scammed easily, the risk is even higher for older people or those with less experience if security isnt strong.

Military Bank bolsters app security with facial recognition for safer transactions

Facial recognition: key defence against fraudulent transactions

To improve online transaction security, many banks now offer facial recognition features using data stored on personal devices. However, this use of biometric data carries risks, as one device may store multiple facial or fingerprint records, potentially leading to unauthorised transactions.

In response to increasing online fraud, MB has introduced solutions to enhance user security.

MB will use proprietary biometric data collected during the electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) process. This allows users to set transaction limits requiring facial recognition, providing greater flexibility and security in digital banking.

Starting July 1, 2024, the State Bank of Vietnam requires transfers over VND10 million ($416) to be authenticated by facial recognition or fingerprint. MB is at the forefront of implementing this technology to secure transactions.

The MB app ensures secure transactions with a comprehensive suite of advanced features. Beyond facial recognition, MB continually updates its security measures to protect customer accounts. Each financial transaction is secured with digital OTP authentication, and users can manage all card details within the app, reducing the risk of data exposure if a card is lost. Furthermore, MB provides a "Lost Money" protection plan, which offers coverage packages to users holding international debit or credit cards who meet specific spending thresholds.

The app not only facilitates basic banking transactions such as transfers, bill payments, and QR code scanning, but also supports investment activities, opening savings accounts, and financial management. Moreover, MB cardholders enjoy exclusive perks with thousands of special offers available year-round at over 100,000 payment points both domestically and internationally, allowing users to save money and enjoy exclusive banking benefits.

A representative from MBs technology team emphasised that, amid the increasing incidents of fraud and bank account hacking, the adoption of dual-layer security and biometric verification before fund transfers will significantly enhance user experience.

"Requiring biometric authentication before processing transfers boosts security, prevents unauthorised access, and greatly reduces the risk of fraud, providing users with enhanced peace of mind and trust when using the banking app," the representative stated.

The spokesperson further noted that this security measure adds complexity to the transaction process, as users need to perform an additional authentication step by providing their biometric information when initiating transfers.

MB finalises strategy for acquisition of distressed bank At Military Bank's (MB) AGM on April 19, CEO Pham Nhu Anh revealed that the bank has completed all necessary procedures for the compulsory transfer of a troubled bank, with a target completion date set for this year or 2025, contingent on government approval.
Faulty cells in some batteries could short-circuit and ignite, a spokesperson said.

Porsche recalls thousands of Taycans over faulty batteries, source: porsche-vietnam.vn

Some 858 Taycans were initially identified as being at risk and recalled in January, but after further checks the company determined that further vehicles could also be affected.

Porsche said 2,936 of the sporty four-door cars showed "anomalies", which requires changing the modules on the 600-kilogram (1,300-pound) batteries housed under the car.

Another 4,522 Taycans have not been inspected and must be brought to repair shops for verification.

Renault, Ford and General Motors have all recently had to recall models due to defective batteries.

The cells for the Taycan's batteries are manufactured by Korea's LG, while the batteries themselves are assembled in Germany before being inserted into the cars at Porsche's Zuffenhausen factory.

Launched in 2019, the Taycan sold more than 40,000 units in 2023, up 16.7 percent from the previous year.

As Porsche's first electric model, it is key for the German brand, which expects 80 percent of its sales to be electric by 2030 as it gradually electrifies the rest of its range, from the small Macan SUV this year to the sporty 718 in 2025.

Toyota recalls Vios and Corolla Altis in Vietnam to replace airbags 1,526 locally assembled Toyota Vios manufactured between September 13, 2007 and December 31, 2008 and 35 Toyota Corolla Altis cars produced between November 9, 2004 and April 27, 2005, which were imported into Vietnam and distributed, have been recalled to replace a potentially dangerous airbag system.

Ford Vietnam recalls cars Ford Vietnam is recalling nearly 11,800 Ranger, Everest and Ranger Raptor cars using 2.0L Bi-Turbo engines due to broken gear oil pumps.

Ford recalls 775,000 Explorer SUVs Ford announced Friday it is recalling about 775,000 Explorer vehicles due to a problem in the rear of the car that can reduce steering control and increase crash risk.
Nguyen Duc Thinh, director of HT Holdings Real Estate Trading JSC, believes that the property market is showing upbeat signs, mirrored by the fact that developers are launching new products and real estate transaction centres are beginning to recruit brokers.

Foreign investors are accumulating land with legitimate papers.

These factors together indicate that the market is becoming increasingly open, and investors are gaining more trust. In the upcoming time, for marketing staff alone our company intends to employ about 100 personnel, then observe the market movement and possibly open new branches, said Thinh.

Pham Danh Khoi, director of Dat Xanh Services Institute of Economic, Financial and Real Estate Research, said that in the first quarter of this year, the rate of real estate firms halting operations was much lower than one year ago.

Currently, Dat Xanh Services system envisages recruiting about 2,000 marketing staff nationwide in the lead-up to the anticipated rebound cycle of the real estate market. Human resource in this field is one of the fields forecast to rebound strongly, including both brokers and professionals, said Khoi.

Amid positive signs in the market in the first four months, several developers are mulling sales plans.

Nam Long Group, a developer of affordable housing in the south, said that during 2024-2026 the company would focus on developing more than 10,000 housing units, with 65 per cent of them being affordable Ehome and Ehome apartments with value at VND1 billion ($41,600) per unit; condominiums at $187,500 per unit; and villa and shop house units with a value below $625,000 per unit.

From next year, Nam Long will gradually raise the long-term land sources earmarked for medium range products through mergers and acquisitions.

Simultaneously, the company will dedicate budget to expand available land and develop new urban fund in the long term, setting plans to reach sales revenue reaching $398 million, and $277 million in net revenue in 2024, double 2023s levels.

Dat Xanh Group, a major developer in southern region, is mulling over completing compensation and fulfilling five big projects embracing several hundred hectares in preparation for the 2025-2030 development cycle.

In addition, Dat Xanh will further buy projects to expand land for development.

Another southern developer An Gia Group has announced it is seeking M&A opportunities to expand its available land, with priority given to projects with an approved investment policy, which are affordable and ready for quick implementation.

According to Vietnam Association of Realtors, many real estate businesses have almost finalised restructuring to become healthier.

Most of the firms, particularly brokers, exhibit optimism and set forth higher development targets compared to 2023 results.

In the first four months of this year, more than 1,300 real estate firms had resumed operation, up 22.3 per cent on-year, according to the General Statistics Office.

New real estate law to clean up conditions The new Real Estate Business Law, passed by the National Assembly in November and effective from 2025, could narrow the scope of regulation and tighten conditions for transferring real estate projects.

Comprehensive approach will engage real estate Around the world, investment in real estate is competitive, and investors compete for capital from a variety of non-bank financial sources, including private funds, sovereign wealth funds, and international financial institutions such as the International Finance Corporation (IFC), real estate investment trusts, and hedge funds.
This initiative follows its pledge last year to build the world's largest chip centre using $240 billion of private investment, primarily from Samsung Electronics, the world's largest memory chip maker, as it seeks an edge in the global industry.

S. Korea to set up $7-billion aid package for chip industry, illustration photo/ Source: freepik.com

The government "is preparing an assistance package of more than 10 trillion won ($7.2 billion) to support fabless, chips materials and manufacturing equipment in all areas of chips industry", Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok said, according to the finance ministry statement released Sunday.

The $7.2-billion package could be created through "a new fund financed by private and public financial institutions", Choi told executives of domestic chip makers at a meeting on Friday according to the statement, with further details to be announced.

It comes as Asia's fourth-largest economy aims to invest heavily in six key technologies, including chips, displays and batteries, all areas where the country's tech giants are well-established already.

South Korea is home to two of the world's largest memory chip makers: Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.

Semiconductors are Seoul's leading export and hit $11.7 billion in March, their highest level in almost two years, accounting for a fifth of South Korea's total exports, according to figures released by the trade ministry.

In May 2022, Samsung announced a massive 450 trillion won investment blueprint over the next five years aimed at making it a frontrunner in key sectors from semiconductors to biologics.

Securing supplies of advanced chips has become a crucial issue internationally, with the United States and China locked in a fierce battle for control of the chips market.

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.

South Korea's Hyosung TNC to invest $1 billion in Vietnam On March 30, Hyosung TNC received investment approval for the Hyosung BDO project from Ba Ria-Vung Tau People's Committee as part of its efforts to build the largest bio-spandex factory in Vietnam.
The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) has sent a proposal to the government to continue applying initiatives on taxes, fees, and charges, as well as rental for land and water surfaces as it did last year, though this will lead to decreases in state budget revenues.

Tax and fee support hinges on MPI proposal approval

This also covers maintaining the current VAT rate and a 50 per cent decrease in registration fees for domestically produced and assembled automobiles.

Business and production activities of enterprises remain in big difficulties. Domestic purchasing power has reduced and people are tightening their belts, the MPI stated. Demands in the domestic market are still standing at a low level, while manufacturing and processing enterprises have low competition. These are among the biggest difficulties.

Figures from the General Statistics Office showed that in the first four months of this year, almost 61,000 businesses suspended operations  up 22 per cent as compared to the same period last year; over 19,000 enterprises stopped operations and waited for dissolution procedures; and 6,400 businesses completed such procedures. On average, 21,600 enterprises were kicked out of the market every month.

Notably, in April, more than 7,600 enterprises halted operations  up 84.1 per cent on-month and 6.4 per cent on-year; 4,660 businesses stopped operations and awaited dissolution procedures; and over 1,340 enterprises completed such procedures.

Last year, 89,100 businesses suspended performance nationwide  up 20.7 per cent as compared to the previous year; 65,500 enterprises stopped operations and awaited dissolution procedures  up 28.9 per cent; and 14,400 enterprises completed such procedures.

Enterprises are in big difficulties now and in critical need for bigger support, stated Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at last weeks government meeting on Vietnams socioeconomic situation.

The Ministry of Finance (MoF) reported that in 2023, the total values of all policies on exempting, reducing, and extending payment of assorted taxes and other fees reached about $8.33 billion, including exemption and reductions of $3.3 billion and extensions of $5.04 billion.

Last year, extending payment of VAT, corporate income tax, and personal income tax, as well as land rental led to a reduction in the state budget revenue of an estimated sum of $4.58 billion. It is calculated that the policy to keep VAT at 8 per cent on various goods and services in recent times has led to a reduction in the state budget revenue of $833.3 million in the second half of 2023 and $1.04 billion in the first half of 2024.

The existing initiative of application of a 8 per cent VAT rate, valid from January 1, 2024 to June 20, 2024, will not apply to the following goods and services: telecommunications, IT, financial activities, banking activities, securities, insurance, trading of real estate, metals, precast metal products, mining products (excluding coal mining), coke mining, refined oil, chemical products, and goods and services subject to excise taxes. This initiative is estimated to cause a loss of $1.04 billion to the state budget revenue in the first half of 2024.

A continued 8 per cent VAT rate for the second half of this year will be discussed and voted on at the NA session taking place from May 20 to June 28.

The MoF also submitted a proposal to the National Assembly Standing Committee to release a resolution on reducing the environmental protection tax for petrol, oil, and lubricants for the whole of 2024. It is estimated that this policy will make a reduction of $1.77 billion in the state budget revenue for the year.

It is also estimated that the total value of money from exempting and reducing assorted taxes and fees in the first three months of this year will hit $858.3 million.
Together with a group of Danish agri-food companies that employ advanced technology with experience in sustainability and green transition, the aim of the ministers visit is to intensify high-level policy dialogue with a focus on more sustainable food production and a resource-efficient supply chain.

Danish Minister for Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries Jacob Jensen is leading a high-level delegation to Vietnam

During his visit, Jensen has signed a MoU with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, extending government-to-government cooperation.

For the coming years, the cooperation will have increased focus on the green transition of food and agricultural production, aiming to promote a more sustainable and resilient food system.

We look forward to sharing these insights and inspiring further collaboration with our Vietnamese partners. Our agreement is a strong testament to our fruitful cooperation where the two ministries do not only share common needs and interests but more importantly, a common goal and vision: a sustainable and resilient food system.

According to Jensen, Denmark's green transition in sustainable food production has led to the development of strong, innovative methods and approaches throughout the value chain, which have boosted production yield and improved product quality, while consuming less water and energy.

During this visit, the Danish minister also made a keynote speech at a workshop on antimicrobial resistance in agriculture and aquaculture. Antimicrobial resistance is a big threat to public health and human health nowadays. Therefore, this has been an important part of the Strategic Sector Cooperation Food program.

The ministers visit is the second Danish high-level visit in just two months, and has been accompanied by a group of Danish companies and producers who own the world's leading solutions in food production, processing, and storage, optimising the use of food, agricultural, and water resources.

Vietnam is an attractive destination for Danish businesses in the agricultural sector

Vietnam has become an attractive destination for Danish businesses in the agricultural sector. At present, Denmark one of the EU's highest exports per capita to Vietnam, of which the agri-food sector accounts for approximately half.

Vietnam has become an important and attractive market for Danish businesses and investors. Although Vietnam and Denmark are geographically very far from each other, we are facing many of the same challenges, and we have to continue working together to find ways to use resources effectively and in a smart way to increase competitiveness and sustainability, added Jensen.

During his visit to the south of Vietnam, Jensen will visit Food Bank Vietnam, an important partner for the efforts to combat food waste and food loss. He will also pay site visits to a catfish aqua-farm in Tien Giang and an aqua-feed factory in Ben Tre, where close partnerships between Vietnamese and Danish research institutions and companies promote the use of new green technologies and solutions for sustainable aquaculture production in Vietnam.

On the last day of his visit, the minister will deliver another keynote speech at a seminar themed Sustainable agri-food production  Danish innovative technologies and financing opportunities. The seminar will provide a forum to connect and facilitate exchange of experiences, technologies, financing, and business opportunities between authorities, local decision-makers, sector managers, and Danish and Vietnamese entrepreneurs.

Vietnam and Denmark have developed a close and long-term relationship on food safety. Since 2017, the bilateral cooperation has concentrated on facilitating cooperation within feed and food safety. The cooperation is a crucial part of the Green Strategic Partnership launched by the two prime ministers last November, where the two countries have committed to promote green transition and green growth, supporting Vietnam in building a green economy and fulfilling the countrys commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

Green strategic partnership inked between Vietnam and Denmark Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen co-chaired a virtual ceremony on November 1, 2023, to jointly declare the establishment of a Green Strategic Partnership between the two governments.

Danish firms increase green investments in Vietnam Two outstanding aspects of cooperation between Denmark and Vietnam over the last few decades, green investment and renewable energy, will be boosted by the establishment of a Green Strategic Partnership.
A McLennan County grand jury indicted five teenage inmates Thursday on assault of public servant charges in four unrelated incidents since January at the states juvenile corrections facility in Mart.

Though they are inmates at the McLennan County State Juvenile Correctional Facility, all five were 17 or older at the time of the alleged incidents, meaning Texas considers them adult criminal defendants for those cases.

The grand jury indicted Christina Neaves, 18, on a first-degree felony charge of aggravated assault of a public servant. KeAndra Malone, 17; Daniella Reyna, 17; Autumn Carmean, 17; and Kristopher Huff, 18, were each indicted on a third-degree felony charge of assault of a public servant.

According to Neaves arrest affidavit, she used a pen on March 1 to stab a corrections officer three times in the face as the officer attempted to restrain her. Neaves had been running between dorms at the facility, and a case manager and another corrections officer saw the incident, according to the affidavit.

Malone and Reyna were arguing Jan. 26, and corrections officers intervened in an attempt to calm them, according to their affidavits. Malone punched one officer in the face multiple times, and Reyna punched another officer in the face multiple times, their affidavits say.

Carmean punched a corrections officer in the face Feb. 28, shortly after the officer intervened to stop her from harming herself, according to her arrest affidavit. At the time of the incident, two other officers were removing items from her cell that she could potentially use to harm herself, the affidavit says.

Huff bit a corrections officer who was trying to get him to go to bed on March 28, after he was throwing items in a common area earlier that evening, his affidavit says. The biting could be seen on security video, according to the affidavit.

All five teens remained in McLennan County Jail on Monday, with holds related to their juvenile incarceration preventing their release on bond.
The morning of Terrianne Zonca's grandfather's funeral in Honolulu, she was so busy getting ready that she forgot to eat breakfast.

Before going to the mortuary, Zonca's family gathered at her parents' house. They shared a glass of sake in honor of her beloved grandfather.

When the service started, Zonca's heart was racing. Her palms were sweating. She felt jittery. She figured her body was reacting to her emotions. As her turn to speak approached, the sensations heightened. She turned to her husband, Derrick, for a big bear hug to calm her.

Walking to the podium, Zonca noticed that none of the other grandkids were following her. The plan had been for her to speak and them to stand beside her representing their generation.

I guess I'm doing this on my own, she thought.

The words didn't come. She froze. Zonca's parents turned to her brother and younger cousin and said, "You need to get up there."

But there was no time. In that same moment, Zonca's heart stopped. She was in cardiac arrest.

Two of Zonca's cousins  both nurses  ran to her. Unable to detect any breathing, they screamed for someone to call 911 and started CPR. They also asked for an AED, an automated external defibrillator; the mortuary had one. A staff member in the room ran to the hallway to retrieve it and was back in less than a minute.

The device can help restart a heart's rhythm. The first shock didn't do it. A second shock didn't. That's when paramedics arrived and took over.

Zonca was awake when she arrived at the hospital. When doctors asked her to wiggle her hands or feet, she couldn't. They placed her in a medically induced coma to help her brain and body heal from the trauma.

Three days later, she was brought out of the coma. She was understandably confused when she woke up.

She figured she'd just had an "episode" that was more severe than others.

For the last 18 years  since she was a senior in high school  Zonca had dealt with fainting spells a few times a year. Doctors never found out why. There was no real pattern to the episodes.

As she went from an active teenager to a professional dancer (she's performed on everything from theater stage performances to Disneyland), the theory was that she exhausted herself. The fact she often forgot to eat breakfast or drink enough water supported the theory.

Her cardiac arrest forced doctors to take a closer look. While Zonca was still in the coma, they discovered that she had a rare condition called long QT syndrome, a disorder of the heart's electrical system that can cause irregular and potentially fatal heartbeats. Once Zonca was conscious and alert, doctors delivered the news.

To keep her heart safe, doctors implanted in her chest a device that monitors for any abnormal rhythms and, if so, can shock her heart back into a normal rhythm. It's called an implantable cardioverter defibrillator.

Zonca's episode occurred last July. Doctors told her that to continue her passion for dancing safely, she'd need to dial back on how often she does so and how much she exerts herself.

Today, she still dances full time. One of her medicines suppresses her adrenaline, which helps keep her heart regulated but makes it more challenging for her to get through a performance. The tradeoff, however, is worth it.

"I'm grateful I get to do something I love, even being diagnosed with something that could have taken my life," said Zonca, who recently moved back to Hawaii from California to be near family.

Since her cardiac arrest, Zonca has become an advocate for the American Heart Association and is a regular at its Heart Walks, sharing her story with others and the importance of CPR.

"Had my cousins not stepped in the split second they did, doctors said I would not have made it," she said. "They saved my family from having to figure out another funeral."

Stories From the Heart chronicles the inspiring journeys of heart disease and stroke survivors, caregivers and advocates.

covers heart and brain health. Not all views expressed in this story reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved.
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Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird on Monday attended former President Donald Trumps hush-money trial in New York, characterizing the case as politically motivated.

No Iowa taxpayer dollars were spent on Birds trip to New York, a spokeswoman for the Iowa Attorney Generals Office said. In a statement provided by her office, Bird said she was in New York to stand with President Trump.

Trump faces 34 state counts in Manhattan Criminal Court of falsifying business records to hide a $130,000 payment to a former pornographic film actress to ensure her silence over an alleged affair between her and Trump in 2006, shortly after his wife, Melania, gave birth to their son.

Separately, Trump also faces charges related to allegations of removing classified documents from the White House and attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia. All told, Trump faces 91 state and federal felony counts across the different cases, according to tracking by the Associated Press.

He also is facing a series of civil actions, including a New York case where a judge has ruled he and his companies must pay $355 million for a scheme to deceive lenders by offering financial statements that overstated his wealth. That case is on appeal.

Politics has no place in a criminal prosecution. I am glad to stand with President Trump in New York today in opposition to the 'lawfare' being waged against him, Bird said in the statement. It is clear that (President Joe Biden) and his far-left allies will stop at nothing to silence President Trumps voice and keep him off the campaign trail by keeping him tied up in court. It is wrong, it is election interference, and our country deserves better.

Bird endorsed Trump in the 2024 Iowa caucuses.

A staple of Birds 2022 campaign for Iowa Attorney General was her pledge to sue the Biden administration for what she believed to be federal overreach on his policies. Since becoming Iowas top attorney in 2023, Bird has used the office to sue the Biden administration at least 17 times, including eight in the past two months, according to Iowa Attorney General Office records.

Bird also spoke at a news conference Monday in New York. According to video posted by the Des Moines station KCCI-TV, Bird called the charges against Trump a scam and a sham, and repeated her call for politics to be removed from the courtroom.

Iowa Democratic Party state chair Rita Hart issued a statement questioning whether taxpayer dollars were used to fund Birds trip to New York  the Attorney Generals Office said they were not.

Even more so, Iowans deserve an Attorney General thats focused on serving her constituents  not her political ambitions, Hart said in the statement.

Monday was a key day in the Trump hush money trial: it featured the testimony of former Trump confidant Michael Cohen, a key witness for the prosecution. Cohen told jurors that Trump approved hefty payouts to stifle stories about sex that he feared could be harmful to his 2016 White House campaign, according to the Associated Press.

Photos: Scenes from Donald Trump's hush money trial
UNITED NATIONS, May 13 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is gravely concerned about the outbreak of fighting in El Fasher, the capital city of Sudan's North Darfur state, which puts over 800,000 civilians at risk, said his deputy spokesman on Monday.

Guterres is alarmed by reports of the use of heavy weaponry in densely populated areas, resulting in dozens of civilian casualties, significant displacement and the destruction of civilian infrastructure, said Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman, in a statement.

Renewed fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in El Fasher over the weekend. For weeks, the RSF has been mobilizing thousands of fighters on the outskirts of El Fasher in preparation for an attack, while the SAF and allied Darfuri armed groups strengthened their military presence in and around El Fasher.

Guterres recalls that civilians in the area were already facing a looming famine and the consequences of over a year of war. He reminds all parties of their obligation under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and calls on them to allow the civilian population to move to safer areas. He also requests that all parties facilitate safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access to all civilians in need in El Fasher, across Darfur and Sudan, said Haq.

Intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population and willfully impeding humanitarian relief for civilians in need may constitute war crimes, he said.

"The secretary-general urges the parties to immediately stop the fighting and resume cease-fire negotiations without further delay," said Haq. 
High Court reporters

The State has secured permission to appeal a High Court decision that concluded Irelands system for returning international protection applicants to the UK was unlawful.

Ms Justice Siobhan Phelan last March ruled there are safeguarding deficiencies in the Irish law underpinning Minister for Justice Helen McEntees designation of the UK as a safe third country, which had facilitated returns.

Since her ruling, the Cabinet has approved emergency legislation aimed at recommencing UK transfers of people who come to the State via Northern Ireland.

On Tuesday, the judge acknowledged there were points of public importance in the two lead challenges to the designation and held that an appeal to the Court of Appeal was warranted.

She approved the States application to argue three points against her judgment, and allowed the two international protection applicants to cross-appeal over certain points they lost in the case.

The two, represented by Hugh Southey KC, Eamonn Dornan BL and BKC Solicitors, were awarded 95 per cent of their legal fees, having successfully argued against the validity of the designation.

Ms Justice Phelan acceded to a request from David Conlan Smyth SC, for the State, for a pause to the effects of her orders, including quashing the designation, pending the outcome of the appeal.

The safe third country designation, which effectively mirrors a scheme existing between EU member states, was made by the Minister in December 2020 in response to Brexit.

It allowed Ireland to deem applications admissible if they were made by people who arrived from the UK. The applicant could then be returned to the UK in order for their asylum status to be determined there.

Ms Justice Phelan ruled the scheme was unlawful as the International Protection Act 2015, which underpins the designation, did not contain every safeguard required by EU law.

The applicants  an Iraqi man of Kurdish origin and a Nigerian man  had centred their cases on a claim that returning them to the UK exposed them to significant risk of harm as, they said, there was a possibility they would be sent on to Rwanda under a policy of the UK government.

Ms Justice Phelan heard substantial arguments concerning the Rwanda policy but declined to make any findings related to it.

Given she held that the designation was unlawful as a matter of EU law, the judge said she did not need to go on to decide whether it is unsustainable by reason of alleged exposure to a risk of ill-treatment due to the UKs relationship with Rwanda.

The Iraqi challenger said he applied for international protection in Ireland in 2021, two years after he was refused asylum in the UK.

The Irish International Protection Office (IPO) and appeal body were satisfied his case came within the UK safe third country scheme.

The Minister for Justice then proceeded to make an order, under the 2015 Act, for his return to the UK.

The Nigerian applicant sought international protection here in 2022 after spending five months in the UK on a student visa. The IPO and appeal tribunal found his application was inadmissible.

Ms Justice Phelan held that these decisions should be overturned by reason of the unlawfulness of the designation.
Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (12 May 2024)

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.

Units of the Sever Group of Forces advanced to the depth of the enemys defences and liberated Gatishche, Krasnoye, Morohovets, and Oleynikovo (Kharkov region).

Losses were inflicted on manpower and hardware of the AFU 14th Mechanised Brigade, 110th, and 113th territorial defence brigades near Degtyarnoye, Volchansk, and Kazachya Lopan (Kharkov region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 100 Ukrainian troops, two tanks, one Kozak armoured fighting vehicle, and four motor vehicles.

In the course of counter-battery warfare, one French-made 155-mm Caesar self-propelled artillery system, two 152-mm D-20 howitzers, one 122-mm D-30 howitzer, two Czech-made Vampire MLRS combat vehicles, and one Grad MLRS were neutralised.

Units of the Zapad Group of Forces captured more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on units of the AFU 14th, 30th, 66th mechanised brigades, and 110th Territorial Defence Brigade near Makeyevka, Artyomovka, Chevonaya Dibrova (Lugansk Peoples Republic), Yampolovka, Torskoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic), and Olivovskiy Yar.

Four counter-attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 116th Mechanised Brigade and 77th Airmobile Brigade were repelled near Stelmakhovka (Lugansk Peoples Republic) and Sinkovka (Kharkov region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 190 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, four pickup trucks, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, one 152-mm Msta-B howitzer, one U.S.-made 105-mm M119 howitzer, and one Grad MLRS.

Units of the Yug Group of Forces improved the situation along the front lines, as well as inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 93rd Mechanised Brigade, 92nd Assault Brigade, 56th Motorised Infantry Brigade, 107th, 112th, and 115th territorial defence brigades near Spornoye, Orekhovo-Vasilyevka, Chasov Yar, Andreyevka, Kleshcheyevka, and Kurdyumovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

Two counter-attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 41st Mechanised Brigade were repelled near Krasnoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 620 Ukrainian troops, two tanks, 18 motor vehicles, one Stela-10 SAM, one UK-made 155-mm Braveheart self-propelled artillery system, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, three UK-made 105 L-119 howitzers, three 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems, and one Nota electronic warfare station.

Moreover, six AFU field ammunition depots were destroyed.

Units of the Tsentr Group of Forces improved the tactical situation and inflicted losses on formations of the AFU 68th Jaeger Brigade, 24th Mechanised Brigade, and 2nd National Guard Brigade near Mayorsk, Yevgenovka, Vodyanoye, and Semyonovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

10 counter-attacks launched by units of the AFU 25th Air Assault Brigade, 142nd, 143rd infantry brigades, 23rd, 47th, 110th mechanised brigades were repelled near Novgorodskoye, Arkhangelskoye, Solovyovo, Netaylovo, and Umanskoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 415 Ukrainian troops, two tanks, including one U.S.-made Abrams tank, one U.S.-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, one Kozak armoured fighting vehicle, three motor vehicles, and one U.S.-made 155-mm Paladin self-propelled artillery system.

Units of the Vostok Group of Forces captured more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 58th Motorised Infantry Brigade and 128th Territorial Defence Brigade near Vladimirovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic) and Dorozhnyanka (Zaporozhye region).

Two counter-attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 21st National Guard Brigade and 123rd Territorial Defence Brigade were repelled near Staromayorskoye and Urozhaynoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 125 Ukrainian troops, three motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, one 152-mm Msta-B howitzer, one 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, and one 100-mm Rapira anti-tank gun.

Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on formations of the AFU 65th Mechanised Brigade, 35th Marines Brigade, 121st, and 126th territorial defence brigades near Rabotino (Zaporozhye region), Zolotaya Balka, Kazatskoye, and Ivanovka (Kherson region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 50 Ukrainian troops, two motor vehicles, six U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzers, two 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems, and three 122-mm D-30 howitzers.

Operational-Tactical Aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Groups of Forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation wiped out four Mi-24 helicopters and one Mi-8 helicopter of the Ukrainian Air Force near Manvelovka (Dnepropetrovsk region), as well as engaged AFU manpower and hardware in 131 areas.

Air defence units shot down one MiG-29 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force.

36 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, eight Tochka-U tactical missiles, one French-made Hammer guided aerial bomb, and 23 Vampire, Grad, and Olkha MLRS projectiles were intercepted.

In total, 595 airplanes and 274 helicopters, 23,987 unmanned aerial vehicles, 516 air defence missile systems, 15,992 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,290 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 9,526 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 21,634 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.

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Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (13 May 2024)

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.

The Sever Group of Forces has improved the tactical situation and delivered strikes at manpower and hardware of the 125th Territorial Defence Brigade close to Volchansk, Neskuchnoye, Liptsy, and Veseloye (Kharkov region). In addition, five counter-attacks of AFU assault groups were repelled close to Glubokoye and Tikhoye (Kharkov region).

The enemys losses amounted to up to 250 Ukrainian troops, two tanks, two armoured fighting vehicles, and 17 motor vehicles.

In counter-battery warfare, the Russian troops hit one 152-mm Msta-B howitzer, one 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, one 122-mm D-30 howitzer, Buk-M1 and Strela-10 anti-aircraft systems, as well as four MLRS launchers, to include Uragan, Czech-made Vampire, and Croatian-made RAK-SA-12.

The Zapad Group of Forces has taken more advantageous lines and inflicted fire damage on the 63rd Mechanised Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and 117th Territorial Defence Brigade near Kirovsk and Torskoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic). Thirteen counter-attacks of the 4th Tank, 3rd, 21st, 63rd, 116th mechanised, 77th Airmobile brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and 4th National Guard Brigade were repelled by the Russian Armed Forces near Kislovka (Kharkov region), Nevskoye, Novoyegorovka, Makeyevka, and Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk Peoples Republic).

The enemy lost up to 80 Ukrainian troops, two infantry fighting vehicles, three pick-up trucks, two 152-mm Msta-B howitzers, and one 152-mm Giatsint-S gun.

The Yug Group of Forces has improved the situation along the front line and delivered strikes at manpower and hardware of the 79th Air Assault Brigade and the 81st Airmobile Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Kleshcheyevka, Antonovka, and Grigorovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

Over the past 24 hours, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have repelled three counter-attacks of assault groups of the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade and the 41st Mechanised Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Spornoye and Razdolovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 540 Ukrainian troops, two tanks, including the German-made Leopard-2A1, two armoured fighting vehicles, 11 motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, one 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, one U.S.-made 105-mm M119 gun, and one 105-mm Melara Mod 56 self-propelled artillery system.

The Tsentr Group of Forces have improved the tactical situation as a result of successful actions and inflicted fire damage on units of the 24th, 47th, and 100th mechanised brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Novosyolovka Pervaya, Katerinovka, and Novopokrovskoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic). The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation repelled seven counter-attacks launched by the 92nd Assault, 142nd Infantry, 68th, 71st jaeger, 24th, 110th mechanised brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Shumy, Ocheretino, and Netaylovo (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to more than 395 Ukrainian troops, three armoured fighting vehicles, six motor vehicles, one 152-mm Msta-B howitzer, and one Croatian-made 122-mm RAK-SA-12 MLRS launcher.

The Vostok Group of Forces has taken more advantageous lines and inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of the AFU 21st National Guard Brigade near Velikaya Novosyolka (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 135 Ukrainian troops, one tank, five motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, one UK-made 155-mm AS-90 Braveheart self-propelled artillery system, one 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, and one 100-mm Rapira anti-tank gun.

The Dnepr Group of Forces has engaged the AFU 65th Mechanised Brigade, the 35th Marine Brigade, the 121st Territorial Defence Brigade close to Orekhov (Zaporozhye region), Ivanovka, Tyaginka, and Zolotaya Balka (Kherson region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 55 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, two motor vehicles, one U.S.-made M109 Paladin self-propelled artillery system, one 152-mm Msta-B howitzer, and one 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system.

Operational-Tactical Aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have engaged AFU manpower and hardware in 129 areas during the day.

One Su-27 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force was downed by Russias air defence forces. In addition, 33 unmanned aerial vehicles, six Tochka-U tactical missiles, 39 projectiles of Olkha, Chezh-made Vampire, and U.S.-made HIMARS, five French-made Hammer guided bombs, five U.S.-made HARM anti-radiation missiles, and four UK-made Storm Shadow cruise missiles have been shot down over the past 24 hours.

In total, 596 airplanes and 274 helicopters, 24,020 unmanned aerial vehicles, 518 air defence missile systems, 16,008 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,295 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 9,545 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 21,678 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.

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Work has begun to replace a stretch of I-39/90/94 that bridges the Wisconsin River in Columbia County between Madison and Wisconsin Dells.

The cost of the project is about $151.5 million. An $80 million federal grant is being used along with about $37 million in additional federal funds and about $34.6 million in state dollars to remove and replace the original structures, built in 1961, with two new bridge spans. No driving lanes will be closed during peak travel periods.

One new bridge will be located to the east of the existing spans, and the other will be located at approximately the same location as the existing bridges.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin. D-Madison, and Wisconsin Department of Transportation Secretary Craig Thompson attended a ground-breaking ceremony Monday.

The project is expected to be completed in late 2027.

Much of the work will take place within the town of Dekorra, affecting the area from Oak Knoll Drive to St. Lawrence Bluff Road.

Beaver Dam woman dies after motorcycle crash A 50-year-old Beaver Dam woman died on Saturday morning following a motorcycle crash on Highway 33.

Crews will also repair about a mile and a half of the interstate in either direction of the bridges, said Daniel Schave, Department of Transportation Southwest Region director.

Baldwin announced in 2022 that the state would receive federal funds through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for the project, which also will include replacing two bridges for County Roads U and V that cross over the interstate north and south of the river.

Replacing the County Road U and V bridges over I-39/90/94 will accommodate an alignment shift and widening on the interstate below. About half a mile of County Road U will include shifting the alignment to the north.

And about half a mile of County Road V will include shifting the alignment to the south slightly. The alignment shift will allow County V to remain open to a single lane of traffic during the reconstruction.

Thompson said $100 billion in goods cross the bridges over the Wisconsin River annually, and traffic volume goes from 60,000 cars per day to 90,000 cars per day during the summer months and on weekends.

We are committed to improving this vital section of the interstate to keep Wisconsinites and our visitors safe, and to keep our economy moving efficiently, said Thompson.

Baldwin said rebuilding the bridges could not be put off any longer after more than 60 years of wear and tear.

For the past six decades, these bridges have been a vital artery for businesses, families and tourists, said Baldwin. Replacing these bridges will help ensure that billions of dollars worth of products can get to market efficiently. This means that mom and pop shops will have products on their shelves the next day, families traveling to their summer vacation can get to their destination on time and safely, and means that if you live in Poynette but work in Baraboo, you can get to work on time.

Thompson said the Transportation Department will strive to conclude the project efficiently with as little impact on traffic as possible.

We ask drivers to be patient, said Thompson, because the results will be worth it.

'Dream became reality' for Waupun's top-70 recruit landing with ACC champion An exciting new challenge came with greater confidence and a belief in her ability after a visit provided a glimpse into what a new opportunity had to offer.

Editors Note: This story has been updated to include the projects full cost.
The impasse between Gov. Tony Evers and legislative Republicans over addressing forever chemicals in state waterways and recent hospital closures in western Wisconsin escalated further Monday, with the Democratic governor threatening to sue GOP lawmakers while Republicans said theyll seek to override Evers recent vetoes.

Senate Republicans plan to vote Tuesday on the first step toward overriding Evers vetoes of three dozen bills, including a measure that would have created grants to combat PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, in Wisconsins waterways.

Evers, meanwhile, said Monday he plans to sue the state Legislature for the release of nearly $200 million in state funds, including $125 million set aside in the budget to combat PFAS, as well as $15 million in funds to support health care access in western Wisconsin after the announced closure of two major hospitals in the region.

While Republicans hold a supermajority  two-thirds of the chambers seats  in the Senate, the same cant be said for the Assembly, where Republicans are two seats short of a two-thirds majority. Senate Republicans said Tuesday they had not spoken with their colleagues in the Assembly, which doesnt plan to reconvene again this year. A two-thirds vote is needed in both chambers to override a veto.

I think the override of the vetoes is the end of the line here for these bills, Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, told reporters at the Capitol. I dont see any other pathway, unfortunately.

The office of Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

Evers has instead pressed lawmakers to release the state funds directly to state agencies.

The fact that Wisconsinites and communities across our state have waited months to receive funding to respond to pressing issues because Republican lawmakers refuse to release investments they already approved is unconscionable, Evers said in a statement announcing his plans to sue the Legislature. Some of this funding has been sitting in Madison for over 300 days waiting for Republicans to take action  thats ridiculous, theres no excuse for it.

Legislative Republicans and the Democratic governor have for months been at odds over $125 million in funds set aside to begin to address PFAS contaminants  which have been linked to health problems that include low birth weight, cancer and liver disease, and have been shown to make vaccines less effective  in the state.

Republicans have pressed Evers to sign Senate Bill 312, which supporters have said was crafted to begin to address PFAS contaminants in Wisconsin through grant programs, while protecting innocent landowners from paying for remediation efforts on contaminations that were out of their control.

Evers vetoed the bill, citing concerns that the measure would have curbed the state Department of Natural Resources authority and hamstring Wisconsins 1978 Spills Law, which requires anyone who possesses or controls a hazardous substance which is discharged or who causes the discharge of a hazardous substance to take the necessary actions to restore the affected air, land or waters.

Hospital funding also in dispute

Evers and GOP lawmakers have also clashed over $15 million in grants approved by Republicans in a pair of bills to pay for emergency department capital expenses at hospitals in Chippewa and Eau Claire counties to help mitigate the impact of the impending closures in the area. The proposal essentially repurposed $15 million originally approved in the state budget for capital improvements at Sacred Heart Hospital  funding that has not been used.

Evers vetoed one of the bills and signed the second in late February, using his line-item veto power to expand the proposals scope to cover more broad health care needs, including urgent care, OB-GYN services, inpatient psychiatry and mental health substance use services. The governors partial veto also expanded the area covered under the proposal to include all 18 counties in the states western region.

That was never the legislative intent of the bill and also we wanted that to go to emergency departments, Marklein said.

Joe Oslund, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, described the veto override attempts as yet another desperate attempt by Republican politicians in Madison to distract from the reality that they alone are responsible for blocking approved funding from flowing to save rural hospitals and clean pollutants from our drinking water.

We dont need another round of press conferences and pointless show votes, we just need Republicans to release the money theyve already approved and get out of the way, Oslund said in a statement.

Other legislation

Senate Republicans also plan to hold veto override votes on more than 30 other bills, including Senate Bill 971, which passed earlier this year and clarified how the Legislatures budget committee would direct $50 million in funds set aside in the states current two-year spending plan for early literacy programs.

When signing the legislation in late February, Evers made several changes to the bill through his partial veto, including striking language that the governor said would have provided ongoing per-pupil increases to private choice and independent charter schools.

Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, said in a statement the overrides will give Evers and Senate Democrats another chance to do the right thing and create the programs necessary to release these crucial funds into communities that need them.

Legislative Republicans have already sued Evers over the partial veto, arguing they are improper because the measure is not an appropriations bill, but rather creates an appropriations structure for a different bill. The governor can only issue partial vetoes of appropriations bills (i.e., bills that spend money); other legislation must be either signed or vetoed in their entirety. Evers contends in a partial veto message for the legislation that the measure is a spending bill.

Senate Republicans also plan to hold veto override votes on bills that would require the state to set a population goal for gray wolves, allow school districts to hire administrators who are not licensed by the state Department of Public Instruction, and allow 14- and 15-year-olds to work without getting consent from their parents or a state permit.
Maria Shriver, 68, is on a mission. As founder of the Womens Alzheimers Movement and a strategic adviser for the newly launched Cleveland Clinic Womens Comprehensive Health and Research Center, she is a passionate advocate for expanded research that specifically focuses on womens health, and hopes her efforts make a marked change for future generations. My hope is that when my daughters and other peoples daughters are my age, that their experience at the doctors office is far more fact based than mine was, Shriver says. AARP spoke to the journalist, author, former First Lady of California and mother of four children with ex-husband Arnold Schwarzenegger about her pursuit to change the conversation around womens health care. She also shares her views on aging in the public spotlight, what she loves about being a grandmother and how she strives to be a supportive mother-in-law to her daughter Katherines husband, actor Chris Pratt.



This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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What changes are you trying to make in terms of womens health care?

We need to have a broad, comprehensive conversation about what does womens health actually mean. Im always trying to have the conversation that its bigger than reproductive health. Its bigger than breast cancer. It includes those things, but its far broader, and its far more comprehensive than the media writes it to be. Im trying to broaden the conversation. Im trying to make it more inclusive. Im trying to talk about the inequities that are in it and how to write that ... into [clinical] trials  understanding that chronic diseases happen in different communities in different ways. People have different experiences with menopause or autoimmune disease or endometriosis or birth control, and [we need to make] room for that conversation.



What do you think women need to understand about midlife health issues?

Most women in midlife, millions of them, already have at least one chronic disease. One of the things I wish I had done is paid more attention in midlife, because whether its an autoimmune disease or whether its osteoporosis, all of these things begin in midlife or they get worse in midlife. So the best way to stay out of the doctors office is to prioritize your health at every decade of your life. Women in their 40s, 50s, their 60s are talking about different health issues than women in their 20s and 30s.

With increased research, ultimately, what would you like to see happen?

Id like for women to be able to know more about their health journeys. I would like them to be able to get more facts when they go into the doctors office and be given facts and research to back it up, so that theyre not sitting there going: Should I get off the hormone? Should I go on the hormone? Should I take this drug? Should I not take that drug? Has it been tested on women? Has it not? What am I doing? How long should I do it? That they would have more information, that they would know the story of their health care better than they do now, because now there is no story for them to lean on.
As you get older, you may be more eager than ever to track your fitness activity and get a better handle on whats happening inside your body.



Insights into your health may come straight from your wrist. Apples latest Series 9 smartwatch, which starts at $399, coupled with the watchOS 10 software upgrade that some older models can take advantage of, can help you measure your cardio fitness while also detecting irregular heartbeats, excessive exposure to loud noises and how much sleep youre getting. Apple also allows family members to see health information if given permission  handy for caregivers and recipients who want an extra set of eyes on an aging adult.

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The watches can even remind you to wash your hands periodically. A 20-second countdown timer may automatically kick in to ensure youre washing long enough. And recent Apple Watches can summon emergency medical assistance should you fall and become immobilized.

Rival wearables from Fitbit (now owned by Google), Samsung and other companies also are providing digital biomarkers that provide visibility into your health  well beyond the steps counted and calories burned that have long defined such devices.

Smart rings also track If you want less weight on your hand but still want an unobtrusive way to monitor your health and sleep patterns, a smart ring could be the answer. The first one debuted in 2013 and could unlock doors, start your car and make electronic payments with a tap. Because they dont have a screen, you must view data from the rings various sensors on an app, but you can wait as long as a week between charges.

Google also sells a smartwatch these days under its own brand name. The Pixel Watch 2, starting at $299.99, bakes in some Fitbit features and runs off the latest version of Googles Wear OS software platform, the flavor of Android designed for wearables. Googles original Pixel Watch, still in the lineup, starts at $179.99.

Wear OS 5 is expected to be previewed at Googles annual I/O developer conference this week at its Mountain View, California, headquarters. It remains to be seen if Google teases a new Pixel Watch or Fitbit hardware during the event.

This is a new era where we have an opportunity to reach the patients outside the walls of the hospital, says Nino Isakadze, M.D., a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore who studied atrial fibrillation (A-fib) and wristband technology during her residency. Patients can be empowered by having this type of data and be able to track their progress and be more aware of their health overall.

Smartwatches share data with companion health apps on your iPhone or Android devices. For those enrolled in Medicare Advantage or other insurance plans, note that some smartwatches are available at a discount as a member benefit.

Around 1 in 5 adults 50 and older who go online use a smartwatch, according to Cambridge, Massachusetts market researchers Forrester.

4 health features to watch out for

1. Electrocardiogram. In 2018, Apple took a major step in putting power in the hands of consumers when it added an electrocardiogram app to its Series 4 Apple Watch models, which has carried over to subsequent models. The app, which is called ECG rather than the more commonly known EKG abbreviation, can detect A-fib, an irregular heartbeat that is a major risk factor for blood clots and stroke.

It has clearance from the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On May 1, the FDA announced that the history feature of Apples A-fib technology was the first to qualify under the agencys Medical Device Development Tools (MDDT) program, meaning it can be used in clinical studies to check estimates of how often a patient was in A-fib and the effectiveness of treatments.

Googles Fitbit also received regulatory clearance from the FDA for its own EKG app, now on the Fitbit Sense 2 health-oriented watch, starting at $199.95 and Charge 6 devices, as well as the Pixel Watch models.

Samsung has its own FDA-cleared heart-monitoring ECG app on the Galaxy Watch6 which starts at $299.99. Older models, such as the Galaxy Watch4 and Galaxy Watch5, which you might still find at reduced prices, also have the feature.
Religious leaders, academics and civil society representatives from Argentina recently met to discuss tolerance, world peace and freedom of religion. Held at the National Senate, the meeting was endorsed by the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS)  evidence of the interest of international organizations in this initiative.

With the title "Global dialogue to promote tolerance, peace and respect for the freedom of religion and belief" and organized by national senators Jose Mayans and Fernando Rejal, the interreligious summit sought to be a beacon of hope in the midst of growing global tensions.

Pastor Jorge Gomez, Executive Director of the Christian Alliance of Evangelical Churches of the Argentine Republic (ACIERA), gave a speech on behalf of the evangelical community. Similarly, several leaders of different faiths shared their prayers and thoughts motivated by the search for peace, including Imam Marwan Sarwar Gill of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Argentina; Rabbi Saul Bonino of the Israelite Chaplaincy of Argentina; and Priest Ruben Revello of the Pontifical Academy for Life.

Following the event, Diario Cristiano, Christian Daily Internationals Spanish edition, spoke with Pastor Gomez who said that "interreligious dialogue in Argentina is a model for the world. Because it fosters a culture of encounter, consensus to promote peace, respect for the other and the common good," as he had earlier emphasized in his speech.

I briefly pointed out that those of us who participate in this dialogue are doing it because of four laws: the Law of Magnetism, the Law of the Body, the Law of Sowing and Harvesting, and the Law of Agreement. This reflects the biblical teachings that we Christians pursue as followers of Jesus, Gomez commented.

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Pastor Jorge Gomez, executive director of the Christian Alliance of Evangelical Churches of Argentina. ACIERA

The first means that thinking differently should not be a reason to repel each other, but rather to unite. I based it on the passage from Ecclesiastes 4:12, which says that someone who is alone can be attacked and defeated, but if there are two of them, they stand back to back and conquer. Better still if there are three of them, for a threefold cord is not easily cut. This means that dialogue assembles us, like that triple rope. It may suffer some friction, but it will hardly be cut if we persist in the attitude of sustaining communication. And this is something real in our country, he said.

Speaking about the Law of the Body, the executive director of ACIERA mentioned that the body is composed of organs that fulfill different functions. That means that we are coherent when I recognize that the other person has something that I do not have and therefore I cannot say: 'I don't need you!

Regarding the Law of Sowing and Harvesting, Gomez said, If we sow respect, we will reap respect. And this is purely Biblical. In the Sermon on the Mount, our Lord Jesus Christ gave the golden rule that says: 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. That is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. (Matthew 7:12) We are convinced that dialogue is based on mutual respect.

Although they could be regarded as voices representing different sides in the current war in the Middle East, Imam Gill and Rabbi Bonino were clear exponents of what Pastor Gomez pointed out. In his speeches, the Imam pointed out that being on the right side for me as a Muslim also means categorically condemning violence and war aggression, wherever it comes from, whether it is my adversary or my ally. He criticized the expressions of hatred from one side or the other. For his part, the Rabbi said that the greatest leaders of today's world Judaism, rabbis of recognized knowledge in the Law of Moses, exhort to discard all types of violence.

Speaking to the fourth law, Gomez said that the Law of Agreement summarizes a good dialogue. Another teaching of Jesus is in the Gospel of Matthew 18:19 that says, If two of you agree here on earth about anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it. Jesus puts the emphasis on what happens when we agree, Gomez said, and added: I want to be intentional in saying this: Agreement is not resignation but acceptance. It is not giving up our convictions but seeking common ground.

At the end of the event, all speakers were honored with a Senate Diploma of Honor for their commitment to the promotion of peace and interreligious dialogue. The gesture symbolized the recognition of Argentine society towards those who seek to build bridges of understanding and cooperation between diverse communities.



The recorded event is available online.





Originally published on Diario Cristiano, CDI's Spanish edition.
Programme will test three targets identified by geophysics and sampling as having strong similarities to the rich DeGrussa Style Copper-Gold Deposit



Drilling of the Fairbairn Copper Targets Commenced

Perth, May 14, 2024 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Great Western Exploration Limited ( ASX:GTE ) is pleased to announce that drilling has commenced at the Fairbairn Copper Project.



The drilling programme will test three DeGrussa Style Copper-Gold Targets at Fairbairn, which is located 900km north-east of Perth (Figure 1*) and 120km from Sandfire Resources' ( ASX:SFR ) DeGrussa copper-gold project.



The three targets were identified by both a fixed-loop electromagnetic (FLEM) ground survey and a heliborne EM survey (GTE ASX Announcement 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 80 - 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 targets 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/Z4HI26J9





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.

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CEO to Present in Investor Webinar

Melbourne, May 14, 2024 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Lithium Universe Ltd ( ASX:LU7 ) is pleased to invite shareholders and potential investors to attend an investor webinar on MarketOpen Direct Connect to be held on Wednesday 15th May 2024, 5:00pm AEST/ 3:00pm AWST.



Chief Executive Officer Alex Hanly will participate in a moderated Q&A of which questions can be submitted through the company's InvestorHub.



Please register for free via the link below and view live via zoom:

https://www.abnnewswire.net/lnk/5KJEEX8Q



A recorded copy of the webinar will be made available following the event.





About Lithium Universe Ltd





Lithium Universe Ltd (ASX:LU7) (FRA:KU00) (OTCMKTS:LUVSF), headed by industry trail blazer, Iggy Tan, and the Lithium Universe team has a proven track record of fast-tracking lithium projects, demonstrated by the successful development of the Mt Cattlin spodumene project for Galaxy Resources Limited.

Instead of exploring for the sake of exploration, Lithium Universe's mission is to quickly obtain a resource and construct a spodumene-producing mine in Quebec, Canada. Unlike many other Lithium exploration companies, Lithium Universe possesses the essential expertise and skills to develop and construct profitable projects.

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Drilling Begins in Historical Tarcoola Goldfield

Adelaide, May 14, 2024 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Barton Gold Holdings Limited ( ASX:BGD ) ( BGD3:FRA ) ( BGDFF:OTCMKTS ) is pleased to confirm that drilling has started in the historical high-grade producing Tarcoola Goldfield (Tarcoola).



The current drilling program will comprise ~7,000m RC drilling during May and June 2024, focused on multiple interpreted priority targets adjacent to the Perseverance Mine on Mining Lease 6455, and Barton's 'Western Targets' area on Exploration License 6210 including Tolmer, Mulgathing, Dark Hill and Warburton. Barton has also recently completed 1,688m RC drilling in the open pit Perseverance Mine.



Commenting on the start of Tarcoola drilling, Barton Managing Director Alex Scanlon said:



"We are excited to start systematically testing these newly identified structures. With the neighbouring 1.5 Million ounce Tunkillia Project entering Scoping Studies for a large-scale development, the economic contribution of nearby high-grade blending feed could be substantial. Additionally, even a modest initial base of mineralisation could potentially support earlier 'Stage 1' operations leveraging Barton's existing Central Gawler Mill."





About Barton Gold Holdings Limited





Barton Gold Holdings Limited (ASX:BGD) (FRA:BGD3) (OTCQB:BGDFF) is an ASX listed Australian gold exploration company with a total attributable ~1.1Moz Au JORC (2012) Mineral Resources endowment (28.74Mt @ 1.2 g/t Au), a pipeline of advanced exploration projects and brownfield mines, and 100% ownership of the only regional gold mill in the central Gawler Craton of South Australia.

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On Sunday, the jazz saxophonist David Sanborn passed away at 78 in Tarrytown, New York City.

In an official statement, it was confirmed that the cause was complications of prostate cancer, which he had been fighting since 2018.

The announcement said that Sanborn was a seminal figure in contemporary pop and jazz music, and it has been said that he put the saxophone back into Rock' n Roll.

According to his Instagram page, the renowned musician has booked shows this month through 2025. His acclaimed quintet is set for May 24 and 25 at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Sanborn was born in Tampa, Florida, in 1945 but was raised in a Missouri suburb outside of St. Louis. Following a childhood case of polio, his doctor suggested that he take up saxophone playing to help strengthen his chest muscles.

By the time he was 14, he was performing alongside blues luminaries. He attended Northwestern University and the University of Iowa to study music before relocating to California to play with the Butterfield Blues Band at Woodstock.

He was a prolific session musician before and after his debut solo album, 'Taking Off,' in 1975. He collaborated with many artists, including Linda Ronstadt, Roger Waters, Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, James Brown, James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, and many more.

The legendary musician performed with the 'Saturday Night Live' band in the 1980s and often appeared on 'Late Night With David Letterman' with Paul Shaffer's group.

Alongside Jools Holland, he co-hosted the program 'Night Music' from 1988 to 1989. He also wrote the music for several movies, such as 'Lethal Weapon' 2, 3, and 4 and 'Psycho III.'

Furthermore, Sanborn received six Grammy Awards throughout his career, including three of his albums, including 'Voyeur' (1981), 'Double Vision' (1986), and 'Close Up' (1988).
In the latest episode of The Barbershop with Shantanu, popular podcast host and Founder of Bombay Shaving Company, Shantanu Deshpande, welcomes renowned ad legend Piyush Pandey. The exclusive conversation between the two legends covered a range of topics, including Pandeys personal and professional life experiences, how he learned advertising, the iconic ad campaigns, and his optimistic outlook on the advertising industry. During the podcast, Pandey, the creative genius behind some of India's most iconic advertisements, shared insightful anecdotes and lessons from his life. He also emphasized on his journey to becoming the Ad man of India and the evolution of advertising.

Watch the episode:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APU6KeQAANU

From the ads for Dairy Milk, Vodafone, Fewikwik to iconic taglines such as Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai, Pandey takes everyone on a journey through his illustrious career, offering valuable insights into the art of storytelling and brand building. Whether one is an aspiring marketer or simply curious about the magic behind Indias biggest ads, this episode is sure to inspire and captivate.

In his closing remarks, Pandey emphasizes on the value of learning from the younger generation. Reflecting on his experience playing in the Kanga League in Mumbai during the monsoon, where he once faced Sunil Gavaskar, Pandey recalls a poignant saying: Dont think too much about the wicket, otherwise you will be half out before you start batting. Addressing the youth directly, he encourages them with a simple yet powerful message: If you have the urge to bat, dont hesitate. Take your stance and swing without fear.

The Barbershop with Shantanu features exclusive conversations with some of the most prominent personalities from various fields and provides insights into their personal and professional lives.
Clovia, Indias premier lingerie, sleep, and personal care brand, today announces former Miss World and rising Bollywood star Manushi Chhillar as its newest brand ambassador. This collaboration marks another significant milestone for Clovia as it continues to champion relatable conversations & celebrates the joy of being a girl while resonating with audiences nationwide.

Manushi Chhillar takes centre stage in the brands latest National TV ad campaign themed around Coffee to Club with Clovia. The young actress will be seen as the face of the brand in a 360-degree campaign spanning OOH, Digital media and TV.

The TVC campaign revolves around the idea of Clovia being a supportive companion for women during all of life's adventures and moments, both grand and intimate, akin to a caring friend. The film's story follows Manushi Chhillars candid conversations with her friend and highlights Manushis spontaneous & adventurous personality as she juggles her plans for the day.

From going out for a coffee to getting glammed up for a night out to having heart-to-heart conversations with friends at home, the TVC beautifully captures the joy of everyday life from friendships to heartbreaks.

The association between Manushi Chhillar and Clovia extends beyond mere endorsement; it represents a shared commitment to values of happiness along with independence & resilience - everything that defines a Clovia Girl.

Being the self-made, ambitious & hard-working person she is, Manushi was a natural fit for the film, portraying the essence of a Clovia Girl. Her journey from the world of medicine to the realms of fashion and acting mirrors Clovia's own evolution as a brand dedicated to empowered women. Manushi started her Bollywood career with Samrat Prithviraj with Akshay Kumar followed by three other movies, the latest being Bade Miyan Chote Miyan.

Commenting on the announcement Neha Kant, Founder said At Clovia, we believe lingerie should empower women to live life to the fullest instead of holding them back with discomfort or insecurity. Our connection with our customers extends beyond mere products; we promote values of happiness in life by being financially independent, working hard & loving yourself. Manushi embodies all these with the confidence of a champion. Her inspiring journey to making her mark in the tough world of Bollywood resonates deeply with Clovia. We were delighted to welcome her onboard. After all, smart girls do choose Clovia!

Commenting on the association, Manushi Chhillar said I am elated to associate with Clovia; a brand that believes in propagating happiness and it truly resonates with my ideology. My journey also symbolizes that life is what you make it through perseverance and unapologetic pursuit of your passions. Together with Clovia, we hope to inspire women to embrace their uniqueness, to own their narrative, and to redefine what it means to be beautiful, inside and out.
Dipesh Doshi, with 18 years of media experience across TV, Digital, and Print mediums, has joined B4U as Head of Branded Content & Partnerships. In his previous role at Times Internet Ltd, he led content solutions on the 8 languages platform. Prior to that, he worked with media companies like Pocket Aces, Worldwide Media (BCCL Group), The Walt Disney Company India, Ibibo, and INX News.

Expressing his excitement about joining B4U, Dipesh highlighted the aim to pioneer new initiatives and achieve milestones in branded content. He emphasized a focused approach towards content solutions to innovate and stay relevant in the digital and activation space.

Johnson Jain, expressing satisfaction with Dipesh's appointment, emphasized B4U's focus on strengthening the branded content vertical. He highlighted the significant opportunity in this space and the network's commitment to providing creative solutions for seamless brand integration into content propositions. Jain expressed readiness to collaborate with partners across linear and digital assets to deliver groundbreaking work.
On International Nurses Day, HDFC Bank Parivartan is proud to share the powerful stories of transformation that are shaping the next generation of Indias healthcare workforce. While growing at around 22% CAGR, Indias healthcare sector continues to face shortages of trained medical professionals, especially nurses. An estimate by Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy (CDDEP) in the US suggests that India faces a shortage of 2 million nurses, ranking 75 out of 133 countries in nurse density. Jharkhand particularly lacks nurses compared to other states.

As part of its focus on market-linked skill training programmes, HDFC Bank Parivartan has supported three Nursing Kaushal Colleges in partnership with PanIIT Alumni Reach for India Foundation in Jharkhand. Nursing Kaushal College, an autonomous ITI/ANM Nursing Model, was specifically designed to serve marginalised youth, including those from SC, ST, OBC, and remote districts across Jharkhand. Focused on skill development and employability, through this program 1552 women have been enrolled, embarking on a journey towards self-reliance and empowerment. Remarkably, 99.9% of these beneficiaries have not just passed but excelled in their state exams, securing distinction with multiple state rank positions across years an affirmation of their dedication and the project's efficacy. 94% of students who passed their 2nd-year state exams received placement offers, with a median salary of Rs 19,285 per month.

This skilling programme has become a catalyst for change in the region, offering holistic support to ensure the success of its graduates. One such beneficiary, Varsha Kumari from Chanho, Jharkhand, a shining example of this program's success, reflects on her journey from Jaldega village, a backward village in Jharkhand where her mother was the sole earning member relying on 10acres of farming land to securing Rank 1 in State Nursing Exam and getting employed with Apollo homecare, Kolkata. After working at Apollo Homecare for 2 years , she has now moved back closer to her home and mother and works with The Hans Foundation in Ranchi , where she serves as a community nurse with pride. "The program has been a life-changing event for me," she shares. "Now, I am able to provide timely financial support to my family. I have seen my mother struggle and am glad that I have been able to reduce her burden through this job. Nursing is a noble profession, and I am determined to excel in it."

This initiative has empowered women with invaluable nursing skills tailored to meet market demands and is aligned to HDFC Banks CSR goal of imparting skill development and livelihood generation opportunities to 10000 women in Nursing by 2025.

Nusrat Pathan, Head CSR, HDFC Bank emphasized, "HDFC Bank Parivartan's vision is to drive sustainable progress in society. We see quite often that lack of access to good quality vocational training leads to a situation where youth from marginalized communities are pushed to take up informal and unskilled jobs, which severely affects their earning potential. Demand-led skilling is imperative if India has to capitalize on its demographic dividend. By imparting education and skills training to these aspiring young women, we are proud partners in their journey to break free from the vicious cycle of poverty. Through vocational degrees and placement programs, we are addressing the critical need for skilled nursing professionals in Jharkhand, nurturing a generation of change-makers."

To ensure the success of the Nursing Kaushal College project, HDFC Bank Parivartan along with its project partners, has provided comprehensive support, including infrastructure development, modern training facilities, industry-relevant curriculum, faculty training, and industry partnerships for internships and placements.

T Kalyan Chakravarthy, Executive Director PanIIT Alumni Reach for India Foundation said, "We have students like Alma Xalxo , who came from economically deprived backgrounds. Her family's annual income was just Rs.36000. To make ends meet , the family depended on livestocks and farming , supporting nine members. After completing our training program, she secured a job at Apollo Homecare with an annual income of Rs. 1,88,724, more than four time increase in her family's income. This showcases the transformative impact of our Nursing Kaushal College program."
Himalaya Wellness Company, India's leading wellness brand, today announced the launch of its latest campaign, #ItStartsWithGums, focused on raising awareness about the importance of gum health in India. Led by three engaging and informative digital films, the campaign aims to highlight the significance of maintaining healthy gums for overall oral wellness.

#ItStartsWithGums campaign aims to educate consumers about the often-overlooked role of gums in maintaining good oral hygiene. Many Indians experiencing symptoms like bad breath, bleeding gums while brushing, or pain while eating, are often unaware that the root cause of these problems is unhealthy gums. The #ItStartsWithGums campaign utilizes a multi-channel approach including a series of digital films that have gone live YouTube and Facebook, engaging digital displays at Bengaluru airport, an extensive influencer activation led by dentists and health experts, and free oral care check-up camps organized at corporates and residential societies. These efforts were designed to celebrate Gum Health Day and educate the public about the importance of proactive gum care including the use of specialized products.

With a subtle touch of humor, all the films convey a serious message about gum health. In each video, a person experiences a common oral issue like pain while eating, bleeding while brushing, and bad breath. An expert intervenes, revealing the true culprit  unhealthy gums  emphasizing the importance of good gum care for overall oral well-being. Tied to Gum Health Day, the videos promote Himalaya Ayurveda Gum Care Toothpaste as the expert solution for better gums.

Commenting on the campaign, Ragini Hariharan, Marketing Director for Personal Care & Hygiene, Himalaya Wellness said, At Himalaya, we believe that good oral health begins with healthy gums. The #ItStartsWithGums campaign reinforces Himalaya's commitment to promoting holistic oral health, with a particular focus on the often-neglected aspect of gum care. By educating and engaging with our consumers, we aim to create a culture of holistic oral care through Ayurvedic wisdom, ensuring brighter smiles and better overall well-being for everyone.

According to the Indian Dental Association, a staggering 95% of Indians suffer from some form of gum disease. However, many of them may not be aware of the issues. This campaign aims to address this gap in awareness by highlighting how neglecting gum health can lead to numerous oral problems while also emphasizing the importance of early detection and taking action before issues become more severe and potentially irreversible.

Karan Arora, Category Manager for Oral Care for Himalaya Wellness Company, adds To specifically work on making the gums healthy, we have developed the Himalaya Ayurveda Gum Care Toothpaste. It is a holistic Ayurvedic formulation, with 13 time-tested herbs, based on the traditional and trusted practices of Ayurveda Danta Swasthya and modern science to remove plaque, fight germs in the gums and also tighten them.

Talking about the #ItStartsWithGums campaign, Himanshu Arora, Co-founder of Social Panga says, We are excited to partner with Himalaya Oral Care on this campaign. Our goal is to leverage digital platforms to effectively spread the message about the importance of gum health. We aim to encourage positive oral care habits by helping individuals understand the critical role gums play in overall well-being.

By shedding light on the root cause of many oral problems and empowering people with the knowledge and resources for early detection of gum problems, Himalaya's #ItStartsWithGums campaign has the potential to significantly improve the oral health landscape in India through holistic Ayurvedic solutions.
Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach has appointed Neelabh Sahay, as Director of Operations. In his new role, Neelabh will be responsible for supervising the comprehensive operations of the hotel and developing and executing operational strategies for securing market positioning of the hotel.

Before joining Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach, Neelabh was related with Novotel Kolkata Hotel & Residences as the Director of Food & Beverage, where he was in charge of overseeing the food & beverage operations along with culinary department. An assiduous professional with more than 18 years of experience in his field, Neelabh has been attributed with the conduction of several triumphant initiatives and was conferred the Food & Beverage Person of the Year in Accor South Asia Hotel Awards for 2024.

Neelabh pursued his Bachelors in Science - Hospitality Administration from IHM Pusa, New Delhi and graduated the management program for Oberoi Centre of Learning & Development in the culinary department. Within the hospitality industry, his career took a start with Oberoi Hotels & Resorts as a Chef and he eventually transitioned to Food & Beverage operations at Novotel Kolkata Hotel & Residences.

Commenting on his appointment, Vishal Gupta, General Manager, Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach said, We are thrilled to have Neelabh join our team at Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach. With his experience in the F&B realm we plan to reposition our restaurants and bars. To create a niche in the market. We look forward to continuing to innovate and grow together in this new position. 

On his appointment, Neelabh Sahay mentioned, I am excited to be a part of the Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach family and look forward to reinventing the food and beverage to a more global, chic and concept based spaces.

Outside the realm of work, he enjoys reading and enhancing his knowledge on the latest global technology. Having been a chef, he unwinds by trying new recipes combining unusual flavour profiles to create something new.
Oralium, one of Indias leading aluminium building materials brands, has appointed Eggfirst as its creative, digital, media, and production agency of record. After a multi-agency pitch process, Eggfirst has emerged as the agency partner to support and drive the expansion plans of the brand across existing and emerging markets in India. Eggfirst will work closely with Oralium to add creative prowess to the brand and drive growth.

Commenting on the association, Ahamed Iqbal KM, Managing Director, Oralium said, Oralium is a category innovator and has been leading the aluminium metal-based roofing sheets category through innovations. Oralium delivers innovative and modern aluminium solutions, setting new benchmarks in everything from roofing to extrusionsa single solution for all aluminium needs. Our goal is to expand our presence and visibility across tier 2 and 3 cities and beyond into rural markets.

We are pleased to welcome Eggfirst as our agency of record. We look forward to working with Eggfirst which brings in differentiated expertise as a specialist rural advertising agency with robust digital knowhow

Anup Mukundan, Head of Marketing, Oralium said, We chose Eggfirst as our agency of record as they come with incredible depth of rural advertising experience and a reputation for deeply thought through creativity, not to mention their digital outreach for connecting with rural markets. I am confident that the team Eggfirst will help us build engaging communication in line with our vision to engage closely with our target market segments. With our new-agency partnership, we are moving towards realizing our vision to become the most preferred metal brand by 2030.

Ravikant Banka, Founder and CEO, Eggfirst said, We are thrilled to partner with Oralium to offer them communication solutions across platforms. Oralium is in an exciting phase of growth. We look forward to developing effective and dynamic brand engagement narrative for the existing and new consumers, driving brand category and connect for Oralium. Its an exciting challenge and the entire agency is incredibly delighted to be a part of this growth journey for the brand.

Oralium is known as a premier brand in the aluminium industry which focuses on downstream value added products. It offers a wide range of high-quality products that include the flagship Oralium Premium Aluminium Roofing, along with aluminium flat rolled products and extruded profiles under the Oralium Systems and Profiles banner.

Dedicated to quality, customer satisfaction, and environmental sustainability, Oralium consistently aims to surpass customer expectations and continuously updates its product line to address the evolving demands of the industry. These foundational values steer all facets of Oraliums operations, reinforcing its reputation as a reliable market leader.

Eggfirst is in the midst of a tremendous growth spurt and has grown nearly three times in that many years. It has established its expertise as a Specialist Rural Advertising Agency with extreme digital expertise. Having worked with a large number of rural brands across FMCG, BFSI, agri-inputs, building construction materials, and more, it has a deep understanding of the consumers and markets of Bharat. Its true-blue advertising strategies provide a solid foundation for brands, and its digital expertise drives powerful connections with consumers while being cost-effective.
Rebel Foods has been a pioneer in the cloud kitchen model, disrupting the traditional restaurant industry with its innovative approach. In this interview with Adgully, Nishant Kedia, Chief Marketing Officer, Rebel Foods, dives into the companys plans for the future, exploring how it will adapt to stay ahead of the curve in a dynamic market. He also discusses Rebel Foods strategies for personalized experiences, navigating a competitive landscape, and capitalizing on advancements in food technology and delivery methods.

Rebel Foods is a pioneer in the cloud kitchen model. How do you see this model evolving in the coming years, particularly considering the recent interest in hybrid models with traditional restaurants? How will Rebel Foods adapt its strategy to stay ahead of the curve?

While we have made a significant impact as pioneers in this space, theres still much to achieve. We understand the importance of adapting to emerging trends, including the growing interest in hybrid models that blend traditional restaurant experiences with digital innovations. In order to stay ahead of the curve, we are committed to innovation and technology. Our operating system, IPS, serves as a foundation for continual improvement in delivering high-quality food and optimizing business.

To enhance customer experiences and explore opportunities in hybrid dining, we leverage our learnings from the cloud kitchen model. Our approach is rooted in humility, recognizing that theres always room for growth and improvement. Through our direct-to-consumer channels and strategic partnerships like Wendys, we aim to provide customers with the right dining experience, whether online or offline.

Rebel Foods has emphasized personalized food experiences. Could you elaborate on your strategies for achieving this in the quick-service restaurant (QSR) space, considering the need for speed and efficiency?

In achieving personalized food experiences within the quick-service restaurant (QSR) space, we use a multi-faceted approach that balances the need for speed and efficiency with the desire for customization.

We focus on enhancing the customer journey through personalized interactions, both online and offline. Through our EatSure app and website, we curate personalized menus, offer customised recommendations, and streamline the ordering process to ensure a seamless experience for our customers. Additionally, we leverage data-driven insights to personalize communication channels such as WhatsApp, email, and targeted ads, further enhancing the customer experience.

On the operational side, we rely on technology to optimize kitchen and delivery operations. We ensure that orders are prepared efficiently without compromising on quality or speed by implementing streamlined processes and leveraging innovative solutions. Our approach is based on a combination of operational excellence and customer-centric strategies, which allows us to sustain our growth trajectory and guarantee ongoing market success.

Rebel Foods boasts impressive growth projections of 20-25%. What key marketing strategies will ensure continued success for your portfolio of brands in a potentially more competitive 2024?

Creating personalized marketing strategies for Rebel Foods diverse range of brands involves deep research and keen insights into consumer behaviours. We start by delving into qualitative and quantitative research, often recalling an instance where our team conducted focus group discussions to understand regional flavour preferences for a new biryani category launch. These insights guide us in tailoring the right messaging and promotions to resonate with specific audience segments, ensuring that each brand maintains its unique identity while effectively engaging its target market.

Direct customer feedback is another invaluable resource that we focus on. We recall a memorable instance where a customers heartfelt email praised the authenticity of our regional cuisine, inspiring us to amplify similar narratives in our marketing campaigns. By actively listening to our customers through surveys, feedback forms, and one-on-one interactions, we take valuable insights into their preferences and pain points, enabling us to refine our marketing strategies accordingly.

Moreover, leveraging third-party data analytics allows us to uncover hidden trends and patterns in consumer behaviour. For instance, analyzing customer reviews and order histories revealed a growing demand for healthy meal options among fitness-conscious consumers. Armed with this knowledge, we developed targeted campaigns promoting our healthier menu offerings, resulting in increased engagement and customer satisfaction.

With over 45 brands, Rebel Foods caters to a wide range of preferences. How do you ensure effective brand differentiation and targeted marketing for each brand within the portfolio, considering the digital-first environment?

Our focus remains steadfast on delivering exceptional customer experiences. We understand that its not just about expanding our reach, but about ensuring that every interaction with each of our brand leaves a positive and lasting impression. Rebel Foods is a brand that consumers trust, and we plan to further amplify this across the country. We always prioritize consistency in product quality, packaging, and delivery.

As we venture into new territories, we approach each launch with humility, recognizing that building brand awareness takes time and effort. We value the importance of introducing our brands thoughtfully, leveraging the expertise of social media platforms and targeted offline advertising to generate excitement within local communities. Moreover, our digital marketing efforts help make the impact by reaching audiences in areas where our presence is growing. Through carefully crafted, geo targeted ads and strategic use of platforms such as YouTube, we are confident of amplifying our message while remaining respectful of our customers preferences and privacy.

Rebel Foods enjoys a high rate of repeat orders (75%). What strategies do you employ to cultivate such strong customer loyalty and encourage repeat business, especially in a competitive food delivery landscape?

In my opinion, consumers are loyal to the quality of their experience, and we constantly prioritize it in every aspect of our service. We put great efforts into providing top-notch food quality, efficient packaging, and timely delivery. Along with that, offering unique and differentiated flavours across our menu, ensures that each brand stands out in taste and appeal. While we are proud of our achievement, we acknowledge that there is always room for improvement. We continuously strive to elevate the customer experience, seeking ways to innovate and enhance our offerings further.

How do you see the food delivery landscape evolving, particularly considering potential changes in customer behaviour and delivery models (drones, autonomous vehicles)? How will Rebel Foods adapt its marketing approach to stay relevant in the future?

Our strategy revolves around filling gaps in the market and innovating to meet evolving consumer needs. Whether its introducing new cuisines to cater to shifting preferences or creating specialised offerings for festivals and special occasions, we strive to stay aligned with emerging trends.

Furthermore, we keep ourselves updated with the digital consumption and content consumption patterns of the audience to stay ahead of the curve. This helps to adapt our marketing efforts to resonate with consumers across various digital channels and content formats, ensuring that we remain accessible and engaging in an increasingly digital world.

As the new CMO of Rebel Foods, how do you plan to address potential challenges on the horizon, such as looming economic downturns and the intensifying competition within the food industry?

We plan to leverage our unique multi-brand model, focusing on portfolio diversification. In the face of intensifying competition within the food industry, our strategy will be to adapt and innovate across our various brands and categories.

Our multi-brand approach allows us to navigate the competition strategically. While one brand may face challenges or intense competition within a specific category, we have the flexibility to shift focus to other brands or categories where we see growth opportunities. This portfolio strategy enables us to mitigate risks and capitalize on opportunities, ensuring sustained growth across our business. This trajectory points to continuous innovation and adaptation, setting the stage for multiple, successive S-curves as we expand and diversify our offerings, propelling us into new realms of growth and market leadership.

With advancements in food technology and delivery methods, what specific opportunities do you envision for Rebel Foods, and how do you intend to leverage them to drive growth and innovation while navigating potential challenges?

Our focus is on leveraging the advancements to offer consumers the food of their choice in the most hygienic and safe manner possible, while maintaining differentiation in the market. Specifically, we intend to capitalize on food technology to enhance our offerings and ensure consistency at scale. Our in-house teams work closely with our partners to innovate and create food experiences that resonate with our customers. By harnessing food technology, we streamline operations and deliver high-quality, consistent meals to our customers across various locations.

With regard to delivery methods, we are continually exploring new technologies and solutions to optimize the delivery experience. Whether its through advancements in logistics, route optimization, or last-mile delivery innovations, we aim to ensure that our customers receive their orders promptly and efficiently.
The 106th unicorn and the pioneering eCommerce enablement platform, Shiprocket, has launched Shiprocket Growth Academy, a trailblazing initiative which is devised for revolutionising the learning experience for the eCommerce sellers of India. The platform is designed for providing sellers an all-inclusive learning experience via a wealth of resources and educational materials, empowering them with the needed skill set for the navigation of the dynamic digital commerce landscape and achieving unparallaled business growth. By delivering a one-stop-destination for eCommerce learning platform, the academy has the objective of empowering 100,000 merchants in the upcoming 2-3 years, for boosting their contribution to Indias GDP and succeeding in the anticipated $300 billion Indian eCommerce market.

The Indian eCommerce market is poised to become the world's second-largest by 2034, with MSMEs contributing around 30% to India's GDP. This launch is a significant step in the direction of bolstering this growth by democratising eCommerce for Indian MSMEs. The platform covers crucial aspects such as starting and scaling direct-to-consumer (D2C) businesses, effective marketing strategies, brand building, and achieving product-market fit.

Shiprocket Growth Academy is built on four key pillars learning, community, consultancy, and analytics, designed to empower eCommerce sellers at every stage of their journey. The platform offers a robust suite of offerings, including courses, tutorials, webinars, podcasts, and expert-led master classes by the leadership of Shiprocket. Through this, Shiprocket Growth Academy fosters a thriving community where sellers can connect, share valuable insights, and learn collaboratively from each other's experiences. Taking user experience a step further, Shiprocket Growth Academy has partnered with leading digital marketing agencies to provide consultation calls to offer sellers expert guidance in performance marketing. This enables them to optimise their campaigns and drive sales. Existing Shiprocket sellers will benefit from personalised analytics reports with in-depth analysis on logistics performance and tailored business suggestions, empowering them to make informed decisions and achieve greater efficiency.

Saahil Goel, MD and CEO, Shiprocket said, Shiprocket Growth Academy is our commitment to give back to the seller community, India's startup ecosystem, and D2C businesses. At Shiprocket, we firmly believe that sustaining this remarkable expansion requires a robust support system throughout the entire lifecycle of an eCommerce business. Consequently, we have been playing our part in catalysing the growth of various eCommerce enterprises through a range of next-gen solutions. Recognising that knowledge is the foundation of success, we established the Shiprocket Growth Academy.

Shiprocket Growth Academy is a comprehensive platform designed to equip eCommerce enthusiasts with the knowledge and support needed to thrive in the competitive world of online business. Access to the program is completely free with the goal for the entire ecommerce ecosystem to benefit from the learnings and grow together.

Link: https://growthacademy. shiprocket.in/
Carat, the media agency from dentsu India, has been awarded the television media mandate for Waaree Energies Limited, India's largest manufacturer of solar PV modules with the largest aggregate installed capacity of 12 GW, as of June 30, 2023 (Source: CRISIL Report), with the aim to amplify its brand presence.

As per the mandate, Carat  the media agency from dentsu India, will oversee the brand's television media across India exclusively. They will also support in strategizing and planning other traditional media and buying for print, radio, and digital. Furthermore, OOH (Out-of-home) will be executed by Posterscope, the OOH specialist agency from dentsu India. Carat aims to enhance the brand's visibility across diverse media channels through its data-driven capabilities. We believe the agency is poised to develop innovative campaigns that resonate with the target audience, and aims to solidify Waaree Energies Limited's position as a renewable energy brand in the market.

The collaboration between Waaree Energies Limited and Carat exemplifies dentsu's dedication to advancing sustainability. We believe that this collaboration will underscore the network's commitment to fostering environmentally conscious solutions and driving positive change toward a more sustainable future.

According to Nilesh Malani, Chief Marketing Officer, Waaree Energies Limited, Selection of Carat as our media partner is a choice intended to amplify our brand's impact and to contribute towards promotion of sustainable advancements in India. We have confidence in Carat India's ability to create imaginative and visually appealing campaigns that will help us connect with our target audience, thereby reinforcing our commitment to expediting the clean energy transition in India and facilitating positive transformations for a more environmentally friendly future.

Commenting on the partnership, Anita Kotwani, CEO, Media, South Asia, dentsu, said, It is an absolute privilege and honour to join hands with Waaree Energies Limited and contribute to their growth journey in India. This partnership marks a pivotal moment, where our expertise and dedication merge with Waaree Energies Limiteds vision and ambition. Together, we believe that we are poised to achieve milestones and drive growth, emphasizing our commitment to delivering quality in every aspect of our collaboration.

Sanchayeeta Verma, CEO, Carat India, expressed enthusiasm, stating, Waaree Energies Limited is one of Indias largest manufacturer of solar PV modules and a global player. We believe that it has an important role towards Indias net zero goals. At Carat, we are deeply committed to this as it is a vital priority in dentsus Business to Business to Society B2B2S goals. Moreover, we believe that our expertise will be pivotal in realizing Waaree Energies Limited's vision: delivering cost-effective sustainable energy solutions across the market. We are extremely delighted to come on board as Partners on Record of Waaree Energies Limited.

The collaboration between Waaree Energies Limited and Carat India, a dentsu company, underscores Waaree Energies Limited's commitment to advancing sustainability and contributing towards a cleaner future.
Grammy Award-winning blues legend Bobby Rush has no intention of slowing down even after more than six decades in the music industry, racking up awards and sharing the stage with Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Etta James, and Howlin' Wolf.

The members of his band, Bobby Rush and the Four Jivers, were Robert Plunkett, Pinetop Perkins, Walker, and Gilmore. Ellis decided to go by "Bobby Rush" on stage at that time as a tribute to his minister father, who had the same name.

Rush wrote the song 'Chicken Heads' and had it released by Galaxy Records in 1971. It became his breakthrough hit at No. 34 on the Billboard R&B chart.

After being included in the Samuel L. Jackson, Christina Ricci, and Justin Timberlake film 'Black Snake Moan,' the song reappeared on the Billboard chart in 2006, thirty years after it was first released. Rush's debut album, 'Rush Hour,' was released in 1979 through Philadelphia International.

One of the album's songs, 'I Wanna Do the Do,' rose to No. 75 on the Billboard charts.

Rush released two gold-certified albums, 'Sue' and 'I Ain't Studdin' Ya,' in 1981 and 1991. He was nominated for a Grammy in the blues category in 2001 for his album 'Hoochie Momma.'

He also appeared in 'The Road to Memphis,' a segment of Martin Scorsese's documentary series 'The Blues,' in 2003. Rush was dubbed the King of the Chitlin' Circuit by Rolling Stone magazine "because of his 50 years of relentless touring and colorful live shows."

Rush was recognized in the Blues Hall of Fame by the Blues Foundation in 2006. His 22nd album, 'Raw,' was released in 2007 and was honored by the Blues Music Awards' Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year.

As the inaugural blues performer in China in 2007, he was titled the International Dean of the Blues. He also gave the biggest concert on the Great Wall of China, bringing him the Friendship Ambassador title.

In 2014, Rush won the Blues Music Award in the Soul Blues Album of the Year category. His album 'Down in Louisiana' was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Blues Album category.

Furthermore, he has been nominated for six Grammy Awards, has won three Grammy Awards, and has been nominated for 56 Blues Music Awards. Alongside playwright Stephen Lloyd Helper, who co-wrote the seven-time Tony-nominated musical 'Smokey Joe's Cafe,' which honored the songs of Lieber and Stoller, Rush is co-writing a Broadway musical titled 'Slippin' Through The Cracks.'
The BJP's strongman in Bihar, Sushil Kumar Modi, passes away at 72 2

Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushil Kumar Modi, who had been battling cancer for the last seven months, passed away at the age of 72 on Monday evening. The 72-year-old senior BJP leader passed away at AIIMS Hospital in Delhi and was battling cancer for the last seven months.

Sushil Modi announced his treatment last month and did not participate in the Lok Sabha election campaign. The last rites of the former Rajya Sabha MP will be performed later in the day.

On April 3, this year, Sushil Modi revealed he was suffering from cancer and requested the BJP to relieve him of assignments related to the Lok Sabha elections. In a post in Hindi on X, he said, I have been battling with cancer for the last six months. I feel that now the time has come to make it public. I would not be able to do my work during the Lok Sabha polls. I have shared this with the PM. My gratitude to the country, Bihar and my party.

Over his three-decade-long political career, Modi played a pivotal role in shaping Bihars political environment. Sushil Modi held various positions in his three-decade-long political career. He served as an MLA, MLC and member of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The BJP leader was born on January 5, 1952, and began his political journey as a student activist at Patna University, where he served as the general secretary of the Students Union in 1973.

He was elected as an MLA for the first time in 1990 from the Patna Central constituency, where he defeated sitting Congress legislator Akil Haider. He also served as the leader of the opposition in the state assembly from 1996 to 2004.

In 2004, Sushil Modi was elected as a member of the Lok Sabha from Bhagalpur. Sushil Kumar Modi got 345,151 votes, with 45.6 per cent votes by defeating Communist Party of India (M) leader Subodh Ray. Then later, he stepped down from his Lok Sabha post in 2005 to become a member of the legislative council and was appointed as the Bihar Deputy Chief Minister alongside Nitish Kumar.

He served as the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar from 2005 to 2013 and again from 2017 to 2020. Several BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and incumbent Bihar Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, expressed grief and extended their condolences to Sushil Kumar Modis bereaved family.

Prime Minister Modi said he is deeply saddened by the untimely demise of his friend for decades.

In his post on X, PM Modi said, I am deeply saddened by the untimely demise of Sushil Modi ji, my valuable colleague in the party and my friend for decades. He has played an invaluable role in the rise and success of BJP in Bihar. Strongly opposing the Emergency, he made a name for himself in student politics. He was known as a very hardworking and sociable MLA. He had a deep understanding of the issues related to politics. He also did a lot of commendable work as an administrator. His active role in the passage of GST will always be remembered. My condolences are with his family and supporters in this hour of grief. Om Shanti!
David Sanborn, a masterful saxophone player who expertly hurdled boundaries in music, died on Sunday, May 12, at age 78.

A post on the musicians website and social media accounts confirmed his death and noted that Sanborn had been struggling with prostate cancer for several years. It said:

It is with sad and heavy hearts that we convey to you the loss of internationally renowned, 6-time Grammy Award-winning, saxophonist, David Sanborn. Mr. Sanborn passed Sunday afternoon, May 12th, after an extended battle with prostate cancer with complications. Mr. Sanborn had been dealing with prostate cancer since 2018, but had been able to maintain his normal schedule of concerts until just recently. Indeed he already had concerts scheduled into 2025. David Sanborn was a seminal figure in contemporary pop and jazz music. It has been said that he put the saxophone back into Rock n Roll.

Sanborn, a Florida native, began his career as a teenager, playing alto saxophone with blues greats such as Albert King and Little Milton. He made his name as a prolific artist, composer, bandleader and in-demand sideman, touring with Stevie Wonder and David Bowie; recording with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, the Eagles and Eric Clapton; playing jazz for audiences who cheered his skill and versatility; and releasing 25 albums.

Sanborn was nominated for 15 Grammy Awards and won six of them, with the most recent trophy in 2000 for Best Contemporary Jazz Performance, for Inside. He was a favorite with smooth jazz listeners during the 1980s, although Sanborn was said to frown on that label, as he disliked being pigeonholed.

Im not so interested in what is or isnt jazz, Sanborn said in a 2017 interview with DownBeat magazine. The guardians of the gate can be quite combative, but what are they protecting? Jazz has always absorbed and transformed whats around it ... Real musicians dont have any time to spend thinking about limited categories.

That philosophy is reflected in Sanborns lengthy list of recording credits, which stretches from the late 1960s through 2018. He made music with artists such as Todd Rundgren, Dr. John, Paul Simon, Phoebe Snow, Elton John, Bonnie Raitt, the Eagles, the Rolling Stones, Gloria Gaynor, Shawn Colvin, Roberta Flack, Ween, Billy Joel, Robert Cray, Karla Bonoff, Rickie Lee Jones and many more.

Sanborn was a member of the Saturday Night Live band from 1979 to 1980, and was a frequent guest performer with the Late Night with David Letterman band during the 1980s. He hosted a syndicated TV series, Night Music, from 1988 to 1990 and was the star of a syndicated radio program, The Jazz Show With David Sanborn, in the 80s and 90s. In recent years, he hosted a podcast, As We Speak With David Sanborn, chatting with luminaries that included Pat Metheny, Sonny Rollins and Don Was.

Sanborn, who grew up in Kirkwood, Missouri, was inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame in 2004. In February 2024, he received a lifetime achievement award from Jazz St. Louis.
Two children shot in separate Birmingham incidents on Mothers Day are recovering, and one of them is already home with her family.

An 8-year-old girl was injured in a barrage of gunfire Sunday night in Gate Citys Marks Village public housing community.

An 11-year-old boy was seriously injured when someone opened fire on him and his father while they were in a vehicle on the citys west side.

Additionally, a 14-year-old boy was shot multiple times in Center Point, outside of Birminghams city limits, and remains hospitalized with serious injuries.

Birmingham police Chief Scott Thurmond on Monday addressed the shootings.

These unfortunate events are deeply saddening and absolutely unacceptable,' he said. We need to acknowledge the shared responsibility we carry to ensure the safety of our children.

Resolving conflicts, particularly those involving guns, holds paramount significance,' he said.

Thurmond urged anyone with information to come forward.

Gun violence, whenever it occurs, is senseless but it is especially heinous when the victims our are children, said Birmingham City Councilman Hunter Williams, a member of the councils Public Safety Committee.

Its a stark reminder that we must unite as a city with a zero-tolerance policy against such atrocities, Williams said. Our youth should not be subjected to these acts of violence that are an immediate threat to their future.

Birmingham police Sgt. LaQuitta Wade said Monday the 8-year-old girl was grazed multiple times. She was treated for her injuries and returned home with her family without being admitted to the hospital.

In that case, Birmingham police about 9 p.m. began receiving multiple Shot Spotter alerts.

Those shots included nine rounds fired at 68th Street and Kimberly Avenue, 16 rounds at 67th Street and Joppa Avenue, three rounds at 68th Street and Oporto-Madrid Boulevard, four rounds at 68th Street and Joppa Avenue, 20 rounds at 67th Street and Kimberly Avenue, and nine rounds in the 400 block of Interlaken Court.

Police then learned the girl had shown up by private vehicle at Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service Station 12 on First Avenue North. She was taken to Childrens of Alabama but was not admitted.

Investigators believe a shootout was taking place when the 8-year-old was caught in the crossfire while in a vehicle with one of her parents. No one in the vehicle was involved in the shootout, said Officer Truman Fitzgerald.

He said 60 to 70 people were gathered outside in the public housing community at numerous Mothers Day or family gatherings when at least 70 shots were exchanged.

Earlier in the day, West Precinct officers were dispatched at 1:58 p.m. to a Shot Spotter call in the 1500 block of Cullman Avenue. While en route, they were told someone had been shot.

They arrived to find a man wounded. He was taken to UAB Hospital with life-threatening injuries and remained in critical condition on Monday.

Minutes later -- at 2:08 p.m. -- a second victim showed up at Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service Station 16 on Avenue I in Ensley.

That victim  an 11-year-old boy - also suffered serious injuries. He was taken to Childrens of Alabama.

Wade said the boy is doing well and is expected to be released from the hospital soon.

Fitzgerald said at least 25 shots were fired.

The victims were either in a vehicle or had just arrived in a vehicle when the suspect or suspects opened fire on them in a targeted attack.

In addition to the two children shot in Birmingham, a 14-year-old boy was also shot multiple times Sunday night in Center Point.

No arrests have been announced in either of the Birmingham shootings.

Anyone with information is asked to call Birmingham homicide detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
Representatives of the countrys largest federation of unions are blasting a newly signed Alabama law that restricts voluntary recognition of unions by employers within the state.

The Alabama president and national secretary-treasurer of the American Federal of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organization (AFL-CIO), blasted the law.

In statements to the media Tuesday, he said the signing of SB231 by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday represented a sad and sinister attack on the rights of working people by self-serving politicians who are bought-and-paid-for by outside special interest groups representing big businesses.

The statements came on the second day of a historic election in which thousands of Mercedes-Benz employees at locations east of Tuscaloosa, are deciding if they want to be represented by the United Auto Workers (UAW).

Here is full coverage of the fight over unionizing the Vance plant

Working families in Alabama deserve far better than these crooked politicians who are only looking out for themselves and the interests of their corporate donors, said Bren Riley, president of the Alabama AFL-CIO.

The Alabama labor movement will continue to fight these pathetic attempts at undermining the freedoms of honest, hard-working people in our state and will never stop defending workers rights to organize for the wages and dignity they serve.

Fred Redmond, secretary-treasurer with the AFL-CIO, said the legislation is bad for Alabamas business as it is for Alabamas workers, adding that it disenfranchises and demeans the state workers who want the freedom to improve their workplaces and lives.

It also strips business owners of their freedoms by limiting how they choose to conduct their labor relations, Redmond said. Unions are democracies, and the majority of Americas workers would join a union right now if they could. The passage of SB231 is another instance of extremist lawmakers bent on eroding our rights and our democratic ideals.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announces the signing of SB231 while speaking during a Huntsville/Madison County Chamber Alabama Update on Monday, May 13, 2024.photo courtesy of Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey's Office

Iveys office was not immediately available for a response. On Monday, she hailed the signing of SB231 as a way to ward off Michigan, and Detroit-based union politics, and to protect Alabama jobs.

Under SB231, economic incentives going to a company can be withheld by the state if a company that is in Alabama voluntarily recognizes a union or if the union does not hold a secret ballot during an election. Similar laws have been adopted in Tennessee and Georgia.

The new law sets a Jan. 1, 2025, date to revoke economic incentives if a company voluntarily accepts a union. Voluntary recognition, according to unions, is considered the fastest and least bureaucratic way for workers to organize a labor union within their workplace and prevents a costly election process through the National Labor Relations Board.

Alabama State Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, the sponsor of SB231, said he was unsure why out-of-state organizers are scared of a secret ballot vote that is required under the legislation.

I guess their loud opposition exposes a fear that they might not be able to bully their way into organizing a workforce if a secret ballot vote is held, Orr said in response to the AFL-CIOs remarks. Such a secret ballot vote neutralizes pressure by employers and unions on employees. Based on this union rhetoric, I guess those accusations of their bullying and coercion employees might be true. Just let the employees vote and decide without all the strong-arming tactics.

Riley said the law in Alabama, as well as in the surrounding states, is a cookie-cutter measure imported by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), an organization that drafts model legislation on a range of topics including weaking labor unions.

Gretchen Baldau, director of the ALEC Commerce, Insurance, and Economic Development task force, said Alabamas legislation should be applauded for safeguarding workers voices and opinions by secret balloting.

Union leaders themselves use secret ballots for their own internal elections, and all Americans benefit from secret ballots when electing political leaders, Baldau said. Ultimately, if a union cannot withstand the scrutiny of a secret ballot vote, then one must question if they truly had support from the start.

The Michigan-based Mackinac Center for Public Policys national Workers for Opportunity initiative played a role in getting the Tennessee law approved last year. Tennessee was the first state to adopt a law linking employer incentives to private balloting during union elections.

The group, in an emailed statement, said applauded the Alabama law and said it addresses longstanding concerns about union organizing efforts via a card-check -- a process of collecting cards from employees and recognizing a union in lieu of a private vote. According to the group, that approach toward organizing -- while permissible under federal regulations -- can expose employees to pressure and intimidation by union organizers and deny them the information needed to make an informed decision.

The new law does not affect the current proceedings at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance, or at a battery maker facility in nearby Woodstock. Approximately 6,000 employees are voting this week on whether they want UAW representation. The UAW vote is expected to last through Friday.

Mercedes-Benz is not voluntarily supporting the unionizing effort, and national media reports suggest the corporate efforts in Alabama are far stronger in opposing the unions efforts than they were in Chattanooga, Tenn., last month.

Workers at a Tennessee Volkswagen plant, with 73% support from employees, voted to join the UAW during an election that took place from April 17-19. It represented the first time that Detroit-based UAW won an election to organize non-union workers at foreign-owned auto plant in the U.S.

This story was updated at 9:59 a.m. on May 14, 2024, with a statement from Senator Arthur Orr. It was also updated at 10:36 a.m. to add a statement from Workers for Opportunity. It was also updated at 12:42 p.m. to include a statement from an ALEC official.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced Monday she signed legislation that could lead to revoking economic incentives on companies that voluntarily recognize labor unions starting next year.

But the legislation, SB231, has no impact on any of the proceedings occurring this week east of Tuscaloosa, where thousands of employees at a Mercedes-Benz plant will decide if they want to be represented by the United Auto Workers (UAW).

Alabama is not Michigan, Ivey said to approximately 1,000 people during a chamber of commerce function in Huntsville. Huntsville  Tuscaloosa  theyre not Detroit. We want to ensure that Alabama values, not Detroit values, continue to define the future of this great state.

Iveys remarks occurred on the first day of voting during a historic election at the automakers Vance factory. The unionization effort comes amid a $40 million campaign by the UAW to organize foreign-owned assembly plants across the South. A union drive is also underway at the Hyundai plant in Montgomery.

Here is full coverage of the Alabama Mercedes union battle

It also comes after the UAW won big in November with three Detroit automakers  General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis. Following union strikes at those Michigan companies, the UAW negotiated contracts that led to higher pay and arguably better working conditions and emboldened the labor group to target 13 non-union automakers, including the Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance.

Under federal law, workers can request unionization if 30% of workers at a specific workplace sign union authorization cards. The UAW said it requests elections once it gets 70% backing for union support at a specific workplace.

Withholding incentives

Ivey signed SB231 into law on Friday. The new law, which passed out of the Alabama Legislature last week, withholds economic incentives the state offers to lure a company into the state if it voluntarily recognizes a union or if the union does not hold a secret ballot during an election.

Similar laws have been adopted in Tennessee and Georgia.

The new law sets a Jan. 1, 2025, date to revoke economic incentives if a company voluntarily accepts a union.

Mercedes-Benz is not voluntarily supporting the unionizing effort, and national media reports suggest the corporate efforts in Alabama are far stronger in opposing the effort than they were in Chattanooga, Tenn., last month. Workers at a Volkswagen plant overwhelmingly voted to join the UAW with 73% support following two previous failed attempts dating back to 2014. That vote represented the first time since the 1940s, that workers at an auto plant in the South voted in an election to join a union.

The secret ballot election occurs through the National Labor Relations Board, which governs how union elections are held whenever a company does not voluntarily recognize unionizing efforts. The NLRB is not involved during voluntary unionization efforts, which are supported by a company, and which have seen an increase in recent years.

A Mercedes-Benz official declined to comment about the new Alabama law. The company won a $253 million economic incentive package from the state to lure the plan to Alabama in 1993.

A Mercedes-Benz spokesperson said the following, MBUSI fully respects our Team Members choice whether to unionize and we look forward to participating in the election process to ensure every Team Member has a chance to cast their own secret-ballot vote, as well as having access to the information necessary to make an informed choice.

The UAW declined to comment.

Harmless or undermining unions?

Alabama State Rep. Curtis Travis, D-Tuscaloosa, on the Alabama House floor as pictured on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at the State House in Montgomery, Ala.John Sharp

Republicans, during an Alabama House floor debate last week, called SB231 as harmless, but also said it was a way to ensure workers are not intimidated by pro-union drives.

Rep. Scott Stadthagen, R-Hartselle, said last week that SB231 was not aimed at blocking a unionization effort, but would protect people like single mothers working in a factory who might be intimidated by men who would want her to back unionizing.

Democratic lawmakers said the legislation underscored Alabama Republicans efforts to undermine unionization.

Alabama is one of 27 right-to-work states that allow employees to refrain from union membership. The state enshrined its pushback from unions in 2016, when voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment that guarantees workers in Alabama cannot be forced to job labor groups or pay dues, even if their employer is unionized.

I think my concern is were forcing the National Labor Relations Board to be involved in all elections, said Rep. Curtis Travis, D-Tuscaloosa.

Ivey said SB231 further protect our Alabama jobs, and ensures that every vote is counted.

My message is clear: I am standing up for Alabamians and protecting our jobs, Ivey said. We will not let this threat from Detroit deter our progress, deter our hope and deter our folks prosperity.

The signing of SB231 also comes as the states union membership steadily increases, albeit still lagging behind national averages. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Alabama had 156,000 union members last year, or 7.5% of the workforce, up from a historic low of 5.9% in 2021, and 7.2% in 2022. The national average is 10%. Eleven other states had union membership below 5%, with South Carolina having the lowest participation rate at 2.3%.

The last major unionization effort at a manufacturing plant in Alabama occurred in 2021, when thousands of hourly workers at the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer voted nearly two-to-one against unionizing during a secret, mail-in election.

The UAW vote is expected to last through Friday. Vote totals are also expected to be released on Friday.
Athens police on Tuesday said their investigation into a violent altercation involving a Donald Trump campaign volunteer showed no indication the incident was, as the Alabama Republican Party claimed, a politically motivated attack.

Our investigation suggests road rage led to the altercation between a driver in one vehicle, and a passenger in another vehicle, said Athens Police Chief Anthony Pressnell in a statement issued Tuesday.

We received numerous questions from media asking about it being a politically motivated attack, which we never reported, and there is no indication that was the case.

On Monday, Alabama GOP Chairman John Wahl said the party condemns in the strongest terms the apparent politically motivated attack involving Tara Johnson, lead volunteer with the Trump campaigns Limestone County headquarters.

Efforts to reach the state GOP and Johnson on Tuesday were unsuccessful.

The incident occurred around 5:50 p.m. Thursday at the entrance of the Lowes hardware store by U.S. 72 in Athens, Pressnell said.

The chief did not publicly name Johnson or other parties involved in his retelling of the incident.

He said the driver of one vehicle, a woman, was on a side street that parallels U.S. 72 when she allegedly ran a stop sign at the Lowes entrance.

The second driver, believed to be Johnsons husband based on the Alabama Republican Partys and the chiefs recounting of the incident, honked his horn and flashed his car lights at the first driver.

When the vehicles entered the parking lot they went in opposite directions, Pressnell said.

The second drivers wife, believed to be Johnson, told police she and her husband just left a restaurant and stopped in the parking lot to check their vehicle because they thought they may have left items at the restaurant.

Johnson was out of her vehicle when the driver of the other vehicle drove up to the couple and allegedly cursed Johnson and grabbed her shirt.

Johnson told police she responded by striking the other woman.

The female driver called Athens police, Pressnell said. He said the second woman called the Limestone County Sheriffs Office.

Athens police said neither woman sought medical treatment at the scene.

The passenger said she assumed Driver [No. 1] was coming from the walking track, Pressnell said, referring to the Swan Creek Greenway that is at the end of the side street.

Neither woman indicated this was politically motivated.

Neither woman has pursued charged, Pressnell said, and Athens police consider the case closed.
This is an opinion column.

We are numb. Its the only explanation.

Three people died Saturday night in Baldwin County, one of the hottest, fastest growing parts of Alabama. At least 18 people were shot at a party that drew 1,000 people.

It was supposed to be fun. But like too many Alabama parties of late, it was just deadly.

Three dead. Eighteen shot. And for all the world it seems like nobody noticed. On this site, a story about A.J. McCarrons UFL ankle injury got more attention.

What the hell is wrong with us?

The shooting occurred at a May Day party, just a little over a year after four people died and 32 were injured in a spray of bullets at another party in Dadeville. This May, across Alabama, has been a mourning, aching, numbing month.

So much gunfire. So much pain. So much death, at a time that is supposed to symbolize new life.

On Mothers Day weekend in the Birmingham area three children were shot. An 8-year-old girl, in a vehicle with a parent, was caught in crossfire. Police said at least 70 rounds were fired and she was hit multiple times. A child caught in crossfire. On Mothers Day.

And we simply stare.

A 14-year-old boy was shot in Center Point. He was struck several times, in what police are calling an accident.

An 11-year-old and his dad were shot and seriously wounded on Mothers Day, too. They were hospitalized after someone opened fire in west Birmingham.

Children. On Mothers Day. It is hard to imagine a heartache so deep.

As the Alabama Legislature goes on and on about protecting children from the dangers of library books. As Birminghams mayor posts on Facebook about stinking up the bathroom he shares with his new wife. As Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall sits in a New York courtroom to show support for Donald Trump. As lawmakers endlessly debate bills that will have little effect on gun violence, and the country is too afraid of guns to talk about controlling them.

We are numb and struck dumb. We glorify death and vilify those who live in ways we dont understand. Life goes on of course. Except every day, when it doesnt.

At least 150 shots were fired wildly the Sunday before last in a Birmingham gas station parking lot. Its insane. Not just inhumane but inhuman. Like the world is a Quentin Tarantino movie and everybody goes about their business when its all over.

But thats not how it ends, because bullets in real life are real. The shooting at the gas station ended with 24-year-old David Isaiah Westbrook dead. Police said he was thought to be an innocent bystander. Six other people were wounded. Cops told my colleague Carol Robinson the gunfire appeared to be indiscriminate, and likely not meant for any one person.

That ought to be jaw dropping. But somehow, some way we have grown used to it. But we cant. We simply cant.

Even if it happens so often its impossible to remember the names.

A popular student at Auburn High School  18-year-old Delvin Tarver  was shot dead in a parking lot in Union Springs in Bullock County early on a Saturday morning. A young woman named Daneshia McMillan was killed in Montgomery earlier this month, one of three people shot when police say a 20-year-old, confusing the ability to pull a trigger with toughness, or bravery, or worth, as too many Americans do these days, opened fire.

We have sent the wrong message about those things. And about consequences, and survival, and restraint, and decency.

America has become a country that is armed, and dangerous, and cowardly. And we can no longer be numb.

John Archibald is a two-time Pulitzer winner.
Workers at Montgomerys Hyundai plant described difficult working conditions and arbitrary scheduling at a rally Monday evening led by clergy and faith leaders.

The rally came amid a campaign led by the United Auto Workers to unionize the factory and an ongoing vote this week at Mercedes-Benzs plant in Vance on whether to organize under the UAW.

We have actually no voice inside of work, said Gilbert Brooks, a 15-year veteran of the plant who works on machines that take sheet metal and shape them into vehicle parts. Basically, it is one-sided. Pretty much what Hyundai says goes. They make and break their own rules. Pretty much, you cant make plans because Hyundai has control basically.

More from Alabama Reflector

Brooks, who has been working to unionize the plant since 2014, and several of his colleagues described difficult work conditions, including irregular scheduling.

If they say we are going to work this Saturday, then they can change it on a dime, Brooks said. If they say we dont have to work, they can change that also. Basically, it is either you do, or you dont.

Others pointed to limited bathroom breaks and high temperatures that make it difficult to remain hydrated as they work.

When I mean extremely hot, it gets so hot in there that you sweat, said Robert Stozer, another Hyundai plant employee. Some people have passed out there with the working conditions when it gets hot in the summertime.

Nearly all those who spoke said they have dealt with health issues as a result of working at the plant. Brooks said he has had operations to address issues with his neck and rotator cuff. Kissy Cox, another Hyundai employee who spoke Monday, said she has had carpal tunnel surgery.

I got another appointment, at the end of this month, because now my finger  if I close my hand  my middle finger, I have to lift it up with my other hand, she said. You have to keep working in the same conditions, with your hands hurting, until you see a doctor.

Hyundai announced in 2002 that it would open a plant in Montgomery, lured like other auto manufacturers by low labor costs and a large government incentive package ($252.8 million) that included tax abatements, corporate income tax credits and road improvements. The factory opened in 2005.

UAW said in February that 30% of the workers at the Hyundai plant had signed union authorization cards, though it has not provided updates on the numbers since. Employees said they have made steady progress but were waiting to call a vote, and said they have faced push back from management.

One thing they will do to make it difficult is tell people the plant is going to leave, Stozer said. They put all kinds of anti-union stuff on the television, and what the union cannot guarantee, and put all the thoughts into their mind so that they are scared.

Efforts to form unions have been gathering momentum throughout the South. Volkswagen workers in Tennessee last month voted to organize a union. Mercedes-Benzs union vote is the first to take place at that plant since it opened in 1997.

The union drives have come under sharp attack from state officials.

Gov. Kay Ivey has called unions out of state interest groups and on Monday signed SB 231 sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, which bans companies from receiving economic development incentives if they voluntarily recognize unions.

Another issue the employees cited was retirement.

Once we leave, we have no insurance, nothing, Brooks said. We are just used, washed up, that is it. A 401K is not a pension, and for the work that we have done, that is what we need, something to continue to help us once we leave.

The event was hosted by Bishop William J. Barber, II of the Poor Peoples Campaign and other clergy members.

For roughly an hour Barber spoke of the need to unite all of those who are impoverished. He told of the profits made by Hyundai and how that benefit has not been extended to workers. Barber offered statistics of how impoverished people are in Alabama.

Two adults have to earn $22 an hour just to have a basic, living wage, he said. Working at a minimum wage, you have to work 90 plus hours a week. Forty percent of this workforce makes less than $15 an hour.

Barber said in an interview after the meeting that unionization would help improve the economic lot of the state, and referenced Alabamas refusal to enter into Medicaid expansion offered under the Affordable Care Act.

This state has too much poverty for governors to be fighting against something that is going to raise wages and give people benefits, he said in an interview after the meeting. Especially since these same governors denied hundreds of thousands of people health care through the Affordable Care Act.
Birmingham could have up to 200 more sets of eyes and ears watching crime on the city streets after an ordinance passed at the request of Mayor Randall Woodfin and Police Chief Scott Thurmond.

The City Council Tuesday approved the plan to establish a Citizens Observer Patrol, but not without concerns expressed by some of the council members.

I have a lot of safety issues with this, said Councilman Hunter Williams, citing officer morale among other issues.

I think if were going to be providing the vehicles, theres already a lot vehicle needs within your department that I can think would be better served for actual officers rather than old ladies riding around reporting things.

Under the program, Birmingham residents would volunteer and be trained to patrol the citys neighborhoods and report criminal activity to the police.

Assistant City Attorney Tracy Roberts and Thurmond explained that program, which is in place in other cities in Alabama - such as Chelsea  as well as nationwide, uses the volunteers as observers only. They have no arrest powers.

Typically, they said, the volunteers would be in vehicles marked with some kind of city identification and they would be provided t-shirts, caps, and identification.

The vehicles would not be marked as a police car, and would not a have red and blue lights or a siren. Often, Roberts said, the vehicles have green lights.

The volunteers, Roberts said, would have to consent to a background check and fingerprinting. They must have good moral character and no criminal history.

Thurmond said the volunteers would be trained through the Birmingham Police Academy.

They will have communication with our officers to relay something they observe but thats all they are to do  simply observe, the chief said. Be our eyes and ears, if you will.

Thurmond pointed to a similar program that previously took place in the Woodlawn community.

It was successful, he said. It was very helpful to neighborhoods because they were visible, and they were able to relay information to us so we could quickly take action.

Several council members raised questions and concerns.

Im not totally against it but I worry about the safety of the citizens because we struggle so much for them to even report something like code enforcement, and its even hard for us to get information from Crime Stoppers or even when you or the mayor ask for information, said Councilwoman Crystal Smitherman.

I saw a study and usually units like this dont last more than four years and they have problems getting recruitment, she said.

Thurmond said the departments officer recruiters would also do the recruiting for the Citizens Observer Patrol.

He said the volunteers would serve two-year terms, and ride two to a vehicle for safety purposes.

Councilman J.T. Moore agreed that the Woodlawn program was successful.

We had a lot of residents that were actually upset that it went away because they were able to keep eyes on those areas that most people either didnt know about or were too afraid to go to, Moore said.

But, he asked, why did that program end?

Thurmond said that program was grant funded and at some point, they struggled to retain volunteers.

Williams said a volunteer in the Woodlawn program was beat up while on active duty as a citizen patrol.

That, combined with funding issues, was what ended that, Williams said.

Council President Darrell OQuinn asked about the liability to the city if a volunteer violates policy while on duty.

The training is key and what theyre allowed to do and not to do, he said.

As long as they stay in the guidelines of rules and regs set by the police department.

I know the program was successful in the Woodlawn area however that was during a different time so I would just hope whatever training is provided reflects the changes in the time we live in now, Moore said. We have a lot more issues that were dealing with, policy changes that give more freedom to folks on our streets that want to do the wrong thing, gun laws and things of that nature.

I want to make sure these individuals are safe because the majority of the people I knew that were volunteering in this program were older  in their 60s and above - and it was because they had the time, Moore said.

Williams said he had an overwhelming number of questions.

With the amount of vehicles requested of this council just by our officers needs and the amount of wrecks we have and the amount of liability we take on as a city, in your opinion do you not think this is a nightmare liability for the city of Birmingham? he said.

These are civilians where we have no administrative or disciplinary control over how they operate other than dismissing them from the program.

City Attorney Nicole King told Williams the program has been researched.

So, I can say with the type of training in place, while you can never anticipate things, but we believe this will be a success, King said.

Williams said hes concerned about the liability issues.

The idea of citizens on patrol  I mean there was a comedy movie made out of it  because I think we all know what the outcome is with a program like this, he said.

I cannot vote for this and put citizens lives in danger, further take away from resources that would go to the actual APOST officers of the Birmingham police department, and I think were being very shortsighted about what it would take for one of these civilians to get in a situation where they are over their head.

Its a tragedy waiting to happen, Williams said. I cannot support this.

Council members Valerie Abbot, Carol Clarke, LaTonya Tate, Clnton Woods and OQuinn voted to pass the motion. Williams voted against the motion, and Moore, Smitherman, and President Pro Tem Wardine Alexander abstained from voting.

The council also unanimously passed an ordinance to establish a police auxiliary task force, or reserve force.

The reserve officers would be APOST certified with arrest powers. Though also a volunteer position, the reserve officers could receive pay up to 20 percent of a sworn officers pay.
China to employ 34,400 college graduates for community-level posts

Xinhua) 09:19, May 14, 2024

BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- China will support the recruitment of 34,400 college graduates in 2024 to work in different fields such as education, agriculture, medical care and rural revitalization at the community level of the country.

The service period for these posts will be two years, according to a plan issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security on Monday.

The ministry has jointly issued a circular with the Ministry of Finance, requiring localities to guarantee funding for these posts and ensure the allocation of payments for work and living, settling-in, social insurance premiums and allowances.

The circular also urged efforts to strengthen education and training for people employed for these posts, implement special plans to help them improve capacities, as well as provide good employment services for those who have completed their terms.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Nilufer Yanya has announced a fall tour that includes shows in North America, the United Kingdom, and Europe to kick off later this year.

Yanya's 2024 tour dates come after the release of 'Like I Say (I runaway)," her first new song since her 2022 album 'PAINLESS.'

Yanya released her new song last month and a music video in which she plays a bride on the run. It is the debut track under the British musician's new Ninja Tune label.

Molly Daniel, Yanya's sister, directed the video. 'Like I Say (I runaway)' was #1 on the Songs of the Week list.

"It's about how you choose to spend your time," Yanya said in a press release. "Time is like a currency, every moment. You're never going to get it back. It's quite an overwhelming thing to realize."

On September 28 at Philadelphia's Underground Arts, Yanya will tour the United States, stopping in major cities like Washington, DC, New York, Boston, Montreal, Chicago, Nashville, and more. The North American tour will end on October 24 at Los Angeles' Fonda Theatre.

Tickets for every show in North America will go on sale on Friday, May 17, at 10 am local time. The tour stops in New York City on October 1 at Brooklyn Steel.

Furthermore, Lutalo, Eliza McLamb, and Angelica Garcia will provide opening support on a few show dates. The Vancouver show will occur on October 18 at the Hollywood Theatre with Garcia and Lutalo.

She will then travel to Europe, where she will perform in Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, and Paris before arriving in the UK to play in Brighton, Bristol, London, and Nottingham. The tour will end at Manchester's Academy 2 on December 5.
A bill to create a federal website of pregnancy resources introduced Thursday by Alabama Sen. Katie Britt came under fire this weekend after critics said it could be used to create a registry of pregnant women.

The bill would create a website called Pregnancy.gov where users can access information about pregnancy resources available in their area. The website would not include any information for clinics that provide abortions.

On Twitter and in the UK-based news site The Guardian, critics portrayed the proposed website as a tool to gather data about pregnant women. However, Britt spokesman Sean Ross said users are not required to register or log in to the site to search for resources. The website will not ask for the users pregnancy status or for personally identifiable information.

These social media posts are intentionally, flagrantly false, Ross said.

Katie Britt introduced a bill to create a national registry of pregnant women. They will then be referred to crisis pregnancy centers. The https://t.co/RFdfDLV2rA database will not allow any vendor who advocates for abortion rights. https://t.co/nH8WrjnKnY  Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) May 10, 2024

Website users could voluntarily enter their contact information if they wanted personal follow up from a staff member at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Those services would also be available to friends and family members who are not pregnant if an individual was worried about sharing her information with the website. The website would invite users to take an assessment and provide consent to be contacted.

Katie Britt: Introduced a bill to create a federal database of pregnant women.



Also Katie Britt: Opposes federal database of gun owners. pic.twitter.com/wm4EmwhZ1M  Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) May 10, 2024

The website would not require people to take the assessment to receive more information about local resources, Ross said.

Through the website, anyone can view the relevant resources in a given locale without disclosing any personally identifiable information to the government, Ross said.

In addition to creating the website Pregnancy.gov, the More Opportunity for Moms to Succeed Act would increase federal support for crisis pregnancy centers and for rural telehealth services geared toward obstetrical care. The act would also require states to extend child support obligations through pregnancy if requested by the mother.

The other two main sponsors are Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D. Several other Republicans signed on as cosponsors.

According to Axios, the bill does not have much chance of gaining support from Democrats who control the U.S. Senate. Its support for crisis pregnancy centers could prove divisive. The centers, which can offer pregnancy tests, ultrasounds and baby supplies, have been criticized for providing scientifically inaccurate information to dissuade women from seeking abortions.

Many Democratic politicians have seized on abortion and womens health as weak spots for Republican candidates going into the 2024 election cycle. Alabama is one of two dozen states that banned or restricted abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. The decision has proved unpopular among many younger voters and women.

In a statement promoting the bill, Britt embraced her position as an anti-abortion conservative.

This legislation is further evidence that you can absolutely be pro-life, pro-woman, and pro-family at the same time, Britt said.
Coca-Cola United continues to move closer to building a new $338 million campus that will be a gateway to Birmingham, city and company officials said today.

Its going to be phenomenal, Coca-Cola United CEO Mike Suco said Tuesday after the City Council approved incentives for the project. It will welcome everybody to Birmingham. Youll love it.

The City of Birmingham on Tuesday approved a development agreement with Coca-Cola Bottling Company United-Central LLC that will provide incentives for Coca-Cola keeping its new headquarters in Birmingham on the site of the former Stockham Valve property.

Youre going to be able to see Coca-Cola from the interstate and youre going to be able to see it from the sky, said Cornell Wesley, director of innovation and economic opportunity for the City of Birmingham.

He said the new Coca-Cola headquarters will be highly visible from Interstate 20/59 east of downtown and also visible to air traffic flying into Birmingham.

Wesley said Coca-Colas planned investment of $338 million in a future headquarters ranks as one of the largest corporate investments in the citys history. The new corporate headquarters will include a sales, distribution and warehousing center, region, division and offices, and a customer call center.

We are excited about them remaining in our community, and what were most excited about is the new jobs that it will create, said Wesley. We hope they will remain here another 100-plus years.

The citys incentives include spending up to $400,000 for water infrastructure improvements and construction of an access road to the site.

Coca-Cola United has owned the former Stockham Valve property for more than a decade.

Weve had a vision for 10 years to do this on this site, Suco said.

Its a three-year project, Suco said. From the time we break ground it will take us about three years.

Bulldozers in March cleared 105 acres south of the Tallapoosa Street exit, moving dirt and knocking down trees on a highly visible site east of W.C. Patton Park along Interstate 20/59.

Travelers headed east out of downtown Birmingham cant miss all the activity.

That land is owned by Coca Cola Bottling Co. United-Central LLC in Birmingham, which currently operates from a distribution center at 4600 East Lake Boulevard overlooking the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth Airport.

A formal announcement will be made after Jefferson County Commission addresses its planned incentives for the project next week, said Linda Sewell, spokesperson for Coca-Cola Bottling Co. United-Central.

The property between 40th and 42nd St. North at 4000 Richard Arrington Boulevard (formerly 10th Ave. North) was from 1914-1997 the campus of Stockham Valves and Fittings.

That company, founded in Birmingham in 1903, became one of the nations largest producers of valves and pipe fittings for heavy industry.

Coca Cola Bottling United has continued to upgrade its facilities on East Lake Boulevard but has run out of room there, Sewell said.

As part of Birminghams incentives, the city will abate non-educational, construction-related sales and use taxes for 10 years and non-educational ad valorem taxes for 15 years, Wesley said.

The company was established in 1902 and has grown into the third largest Coca-Cola Bottling Company in the country and the second largest privately owned company in Alabama, Suco said. He said the company will add up to 50 new jobs at the facility and will offer certified training for multiple positions. The facility will total about 500,000 square feet  150,000 square feet for the new headquarters office, 300,000 square feet for the new warehouse and an additional 50,000 square feet for auxiliary buildings.
A renowned pathologist and attorney who spent decades arguing his theory that more than one shooter was involved in the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy has died.

Dr. Cyril Wechts death at age 93 was announced by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, The AP reported. The location or cause of his death was not announced.

Wecht, who served a brief stint at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, first entered the public spotlight in 1964 when as assistant district attorney in Allegheny, Pennsylvania and a pathologist at a Pittsburgh hospital, he was asked to review the Warren Commissions report. The commission had determined Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone shooter in the Kennedy assassination.

Wecht disagreed with the findings, calling the idea that one magic bullet killed Kennedy and injured Texas Gov. John Connally absolute nonsense.

My analysis is the Warren Commission is quite wrong, Wecht said during an interview with a Pittsburgh TV station. I believe there were two shooters. Im not at all certain that Lee Harvey Oswald was one of the two shooters.

Wecht was the first civilian permitted to examine the physical evidence in Kennedys death and was the one to discover the late presidents brain was missing and had never been examined. The failure to examine the brain, Wecht wrote, prevented an accurate determination of Kennedys death.

Wecht wrote dozens of books throughout his life and consulted or spoke on numerous other high-profile deaths, including Elvis Presley, JonBenet Ramsey, Anna Nicole Smith and Michael Jackson.
A blog about Disney parks says one of the Walt Disney Co.s most iconic characters has been removed from Walt Disney World park meet and greets with the public.

That move, the Plan Disney blog says, is reportedly because the character was flagged as potentially problematic by a Disney committee.

Disney supposedly confirmed in February that Tinker Bell, a Disney icon since making her first appearance in 1953s Peter Pan, had been removed from the parks meet and greet rotation, but could still be seen flying over the park at the conclusion of the nighttime fireworks show, as well as in park parades.

In addition to park appearances, Tinker Bell has been a company mascot, featured in the opening sequence of scores of Disney movies and television shows for decades, flying towards the screen and sprinkling it with her famous pixie dust.

Meet and greets within Disney parks were discontinued during the COVID-19 pandemic, but when they returned, Tinker Bell did not. Now, the signage at the Magic Kingdoms Town Square Theatre where guests could once meet the blonde fairy has been removed, replaced by signage for Mickey Mouse, according to Inside the Magic.

While confirming the characters absence from Magic Kingdom meet and greets, Disney did not indicate a reason for the change. However, a 2022 report by the New York Times said Disneys Stories Matter team -- launched to ensure (our content) accurately represents our global audiences -- had indicated the Tinker Bell character was potentially problematic.

The team found the Tinker Bell character to be both body conscious and jealous of Peter Pans attention. But meet and greets with the character are still available at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, suggesting the Stories Matter findings may not have played a factor in the decision to end the characters meet and greets at Walt Disney World.

The Stories Matter team also flagged Peter Pan for its negative portrayal of Native people and the use of redskins in the film.

Updated on May 16, 2024 to clarify the source of the report.
Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick were the most bipartisan members of Congress last year, according to a newly released analysis from the Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University.

The least bipartisan House lawmaker was Ohio Republican Jim Jordan, while Katie Britt placed last among senators.

The latest ranking of the most bipartisan lawmakers comes amid one of the least productive Congresses in the nations history and just months before nearly all House lawmakers and about one-third of the Senate face voters at the polls in November.

Maria Cancian, dean of the McCourt School of Public Policy, wrote in a statement announcing the new rankings that while there is much room for improvement, I am encouraged to see some progress on cross-party collaboration.

In these deeply divided times, and with an increasing amount of misleading information online, we need tools like the Bipartisan Index more than ever  an evidence-based and nonpartisan approach for measuring how well policymakers work across the aisle to get things done, Cancian wrote.

Sean Ross, a spokesman for Britt, called the analysis an absurd report in a statement on Tuesday, saying Britt had cosponsored 68 pieces of legislation sponsored by Democrats, as well as dozens and dozens of bipartisan pieces of legislation led by Republican sponsors.

The bipartisan efforts she is helping lead span a wide range of important topics to Alabamians, including maternal mortality research and maternal care; youth mental health and social media usage; the fentanyl crisis; affordable insulin access; affordable rural housing; telehealth services; agriculture; domestic manufacturing and supply chains; fair trade; work force development; wildlife conservation; supporting law enforcement; and consumer protections, the statement said. Her diligent work across-the-aisle to find common ground and advance commonsense solutions has already earned her a strong bipartisan reputation among her colleagues.

Lugar Center Policy Director Dan Diller wrote that it was especially disheartening that all eight new Senators who took office in January 2023 ranked in the bottom 30 percent of Senate scores.

Bipartisan cooperation on legislation in 2023 was deficient by historical standards, though there were some marginal improvements in scores from the previous Congress, Diller wrote.

The website with the rankings states that the Bipartisan Index is intended to fill a hole in the information available to the public about the performance of Members of Congress.

The Lugar Center, founded by the late U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, a Republican from Indiana, is a platform for informed debate and analysis of global issues, including nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, global food security, foreign assistance effectiveness and global development, energy security, and enhancing bipartisan governance, according to its website.

The rankings take into consideration the frequency with which a member of Congress sponsors bills that are co-sponsored by at least one member of the opposing party and the frequency with which a member co-sponsors bills introduced by members of the opposite Party.

The Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University wrote on their website that their aim in publishing this Index is not to promote a specific legislative agenda, as is the case for many indexes, but solely the promotion of a bipartisan approach to governance.

The credibility of the Index is derived from the objectivity of its methodology; Index scores are computed formulaically from publically available data, it states. The Index requires no subjective assessment of specific legislative items.

The least bipartisan House lawmakers following Jordan were New York Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Missouri Democrat Cori Bush, New York Democrat Jamaal Bowman and Missouri Republican Eric Burlison.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, ranked 423, but will likely be excluded from future scores since he has now occupied one of the top two leadership posts for at least six months.

The least bipartisan senators following Britt were Missouri Republican Eric Schmitt, Washington state Democrat Patty Murray, Wisconsin Republican Ron Johnson and Arkansas Republican Tom Cotton.
This is an opinion cartoon.

Sign up for JD Crowes newsletter: Enter your email to subscribe to JDs weekly newsletter, Crowe Jam.

You need to fix this.

Thats the advice Gov. Kay Ivey is giving to Alabama automakers about working conditions as their employees are deciding this week if they should join the United Auto Workers union.

If you think about it, the governor is making a better argument for unions than the unions themselves.

From William Thorntons AL.com report:

Gov. Ivey has been on the phone with both the leaders of Mercedes and Hyundai, and has said, If there are issues, you need to fix this, said Alabama Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair.

Related: Alabama Mercedes-Benz union vote begins today: Whats at stake in this historic labor fight? - al.com

Related: Why is the South so afraid of unions? Alabama House debate stirs passion ahead of UAW push - al.com

Workers at Mercedes have cited two-tiered pay, temporary workers, and other issues as inspiring them to sign union cards.

Some have speculated that the recent vote by workers at a Chattanooga Volkswagen plant to unionize and a deal reached by UAW and Daimler Truck to avoid a strike indicate the union may win the Alabama Mercedes vote.

Related: You need to fix this, Ivey tells Alabama automakers ahead of union vote, commerce secretary says - al.com

We set an example for the entire South. I hope Mercedes in Tuscaloosa was paying attention to what were doing, said Corey Hill, president of UAW Local 3520, which represents Daimler Truck workers in North Carolina, according to Reuters.

Shes (Ivey) been very bold in using her voice to encourage Mercedes and Hyundai to do what they need to do to be sure that this isnt necessary...

Could (work conditions) be better? Yes. This is a wake up for them to be responsive to the employees needs and listen to them. I think absolutely that needs to be done. But hopefully, we can do that on a one-to-one basis without a third-party interfering, McNair said.

Ivey is telling the companies they must fix things in order to keep the unions out. Would those things get fixed if there was no threat of unions coming to the state?

If the automakers give workers a few concessions due only to the threat of a union, what would they get if they had a union? Asking for a friend.

Maybe the UAW should hire Gov. Ivey to spread their message.

(Shout-out to my friend Harvey Keck for inspiring this toon.)

True stories and stuff by JD Crowe

The mysterious Bubble Guy of Fairhope and the art of bubble Zen - al.com

How I met Dr. Seuss

Robert Plant head-butted me. Thanks, David Coverdale

I was ZZ Tops drummer for a night and got kidnapped by groupies

Check out more cartoons and stuff by JD Crowe

JD Crowe is the cartoonist for Alabama Media Group and AL.com. He won the RFK Human Rights Award for Editorial Cartoons in 2020. In 2018, he was awarded the Rex Babin Memorial Award for local and state cartoons by the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. Follow JD on Facebook, Twitter @Crowejam and Instagram @JDCrowepix. Give him a holler @jdcrowe@al.com.
Charges have been filed against a man for allegedly shooting his wife and abducting their young son which led to an Amber Alert in Jefferson County Monday morning.

Willie Edward McClain Jr., 49, is charged with attempted murder and interference with child custody, sheriffs officials announced Tuesday.

Sheriffs spokesman Henry Irby said McClain, through his attorney, surrendered to deputies without incident and deputies were also able to take custody of the 3-year-old child at that time.

McClain was booked into the Jefferson County Jail at 12:56 p.m. Monday and was released at 8:28 p.m. after posting $90,000 bond.

His attorney, Cynthia Umstead, provided this statement to AL.com:

The victims in this case are Mr. McClain and his minor child. Once he and his son were safe, he voluntarily surrendered to law enforcement and asked DHR to protect his son. The evidence will prove this in due course.

Court records show that McClain also filed for divorce from his wife on Monday.

The investigation began about 12:30 a.m. Monday when Jefferson County sheriffs deputies were dispatched to the 100 block of Dewberry Lane on a report of a person shot.

Irby said a 31-year-old woman had walked to a fire station seeking help for a gunshot wound.

She was taken by paramedics to UAB Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Authorities learned wife had been shot by her husband, who had left with their son.

Sheriffs officials announced just before 10:30 a.m. Monday that both McClain and the child had been found.

Court records show McClain was arrested earlier this month on a domestic violence charge after he reportedly struck his wife in the face.

He was out of jail on $10,000 bond when authorities say he committed the alleged crimes Monday morning.
Dozens of pro-Palestinian activists, many wearing traditional keffiyeh scarves, filled up the Birmingham City Council chambers and overfilled into the hallway outside it on Tuesday, hoping to convince the city to take a stance in defense of Gaza in the Israeli-Gaza war.

Several spoke at the end of the council meeting, asking the city to adopt a resolution calling for a cease-fire. Such a resolution would have to be approved and recommended by a committee first.

At the start of Tuesdays meeting, the city adopted a proclamation declaring May as Jewish American Heritage Month.

Joyce Shevin, director of the Jewish Community Relations Council for the Birmingham Jewish Federation, said the proclamation being read on Tuesday was planned without knowledge that pro-Palestinian activists would be attending the meeting.

Were anti-Hamas, not anti-Palestinian, she said outside the meeting. Were pro-Palestinian.

Members of Youth for Palestine also said it was just a coincidence that their call for the City Council to consider a pro-Palestinian stance came on the day of the Jewish American Heritage Month declaration.

The pro-Palestinian activists who signed up were allowed to speak at the end of the council meeting.

We heard the mayors proclamation celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month, said the first speaker, Janek Wasserman. As a proud Jewish American, I am delighted and proud to hear that we are honoring that.

He said more than 100 cities have passed resolutions to show solidarity with Palestinians.

We need an immediate ceasefire, he said. We believe that the actions a City Council can take by supporting such an endeavor, supporting such a proclamation, can be resounding.

He got a loud standing ovation.

Please be seated, Birmingham City Council President Darrell OQuinn asked the audience. Ladies and gentlemen, please maintain decorum Please no more outbursts.

Another speaker, Chris Isler, said U.S. taxpayers are helping fund Israel, that is carrying out undeniably a genocide in Palestine.

What is right is to call for a ceasefire in Palestine, said Patrick Hall.
Red Lobster abruptly closed the doors of some 50 restaurants Monday, including at least three locations in Alabama.

According to media reports and the companys website, restaurants around the country listed hours as closed on Red Lobsters website. Four of the restaurants listed as closed include Alabama locations in Auburn, Decatur, Huntsville and Mobile.

Hours are still listed for Red Lobster locations in Birmingham, Dothan, Gadsden, Florence, Montgomery, Oxford, Tuscaloosa and Vestavia Hills.

Closures have also been reported in locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

READ MORE: Red Lobster considering filing for bankruptcy, reports say

On Monday, TAGeX Brands announced it was conducting an online auction for closing Red Lobster restaurants.

Advertised as the largest restaurant equipment auction ever, the website said the sale includes items from 50-plus locations across the country, including the Auburn and Decatur restaurants.

These auctions are winner takes all  meaning each winner will receive the entire content of the Red Lobster location they bid on, the website stated, adding items include high-performance ovens, upright refrigerators and freezers, bar and dining set-ups and more.

Auctions will end on May 16.

The closures come after reports emerged last month the chain was considering Chapter 11 bankruptcy to shed long-term contracts and renegotiate its leases. Started in Lakeland, Florida in 1968 there are now approximately 650 Red Lobster locations in the U.S. It is owned by seafood supplier Thai Union, which acquired the majority stake in 2020 after buying out Golden State Capital.
Donald Trumps hush money trial reached a pivotal moment Monday when Trumps onetime loyal attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen, took the witness stand to testify against his former boss.

As the prosecutions case enters its final stretch, Cohen is providing jurors with an insiders account of hush money payments at the center of the trial  payments he says were directed by Trump to fend off damage to his 2016 White House bid.

Cohen is expected be on the stand for several days and face intense grilling by Trumps attorneys, who have painted him as a liar whos trying to take down the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Trump has denied any wrongdoing in the case.

Cohen testified that Trump feared Stormy Daniels story would be a disaster for his presidential campaign, which was already reeling at the time from the release of the infamous Access Hollywood tape in which Trump boasted about grabbing women sexually without their permission.

That testimony could be key for prosecutors, who are trying prove that Trump schemed to illegally influence the 2016 race by burying unflattering stories that could damage his campaign.

The defense has sought to show that the former president was trying to protect his family and reputation  not his campaign  by shielding them from embarrassing stories about his personal life.

Cohen testified that Trump was angry when he learned about Daniels story, telling him, I thought you took care of this.

Trump told Cohen: This is a disaster, total disaster. Women are going to hate me. Women will hate me. Guys, they think its cool, but this is going to be a disaster for the campaign, Cohen testified.

Cohen said he asked Trump how the story might impact his marriage with his wife, Melania. Cohen said Trump told him, Dont worry, adding: How long do you think Ill be on the market for? Not long.

Cohen said that comment led him to conclude that this was all about the campaign.
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Some 70 million Americans receive Social Security benefits. How long those benefits will remain available  and at what level  is a continual concern.

Social Security is funded by payroll taxes known as the Federal Insurance Contribution Act, or FICA, thats paid by workers and employers. The FICA tax contributes to the Social Security Trust Fund which covers Social Security Retirement, Survivors and Disability benefits.

READ MORE: Social Security increase: Heres the smallest cost-of-living adjustment Social Security ever paid

Latest projections on how long Social Security will last

Officials have long sounded the warning that Social Security could be facing a major financial shortfall exacerbated by falling payroll taxes and a growing number of retirees. The latest Social Security and Medicare Trustees Report shows just when that could happen.

Last years report showed the programs trust funds would be depleted in 2034, financial website Motley Fool reported. This years report pushed that back a year, meaning seniors wouldnt have to worry about cuts until a year later in 2034, the extra time that comes from higher payroll tax income and lower-than-projected expenses last year.

Once its funds are depleted, Social Security would be in the position to pay 83% of scheduled benefits, a higher percentage than indicated in previous years.

Officials want Congress to act now

Social Security officials urged Congress to act now to shore up the funds.

So long as Americans across our country continue to work, Social Security can  and will  continue to pay benefits, Martin OMalley, Commissioner of Social Security, said in a statement. Congress can and should take action to extend the financial health of the Trust Fund into the foreseeable future, just as it did in the past on a bipartisan basis.

READ MORE: Social Security increase: Seniors could get more money under new plan

Eliminating the shortfall will bring peace of mind to Social Securitys 70 million-plus beneficiaries, the 180 million workers and their families who contribute to Social Security, and the entire nation, he said.

The average Social Security recipient currently receives $1,907 per month.
A 67-year-old man held in the Shelby County Jail on child sex abuse charges died Tuesday after suffering a medical emergency in the jail, authorities said.

Calvin Junior Boyd, 67, of West Blocton, was booked into the jail June 15 on charges of first-degree sodomy, sexual abuse of a child and first-degree sexual abuse, the Shelby County Sheriffs Office said.

Around 4:52 a.m. Tuesday, a deputy in the jails medical unit noticed Boyd was in need of assistance so he called the nurse assigned to the medical unit.

The nurse and other jail deputies responded and provided emergency care. Southeast Shelby Rescue also responded to assist, the sheriffs office said.

Boyd eventually lost consciousness and efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.

The exact cause of death is unknown at this time, however, preliminary belief is that Mr. Boyd died as a result of this medical emergency, the sheriffs office said.

Sheriff John Samaniego asked the St. Clair County Sheriffs Office to conduct an independent review of the incident.

The Shelby County Coroners Office responded to the scene and will take Boyds body to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for an autopsy.

Further information was unavailable.
A counselor assigned to a high school in north Alabama was arrested on allegations he had sexual contact with a student under 19 years old, according to police and Madison City Schools.

Isaac Munoz, 37, was arrested Friday and charged with one count of being a school employee having sexual contact with a student under the age of 19, Madison police said Tuesday.

Munoz was assigned to James Clemens High School but he is no longer employed by The Enrichment Center, a nonprofit that provided counseling services to Madison City Schools, following his arrest, the district said.

Madison City Schools was informed on Friday, May 10 that an individual who previously provided counseling services to students of James Clemens High School has been arrested on charges of sexual contact with a student under the age of 19. This individual was not, and has never been an employee of Madison City Schools, the district said in a statement to AL.com

He was, however, assigned to provide counseling services on a referral basis under an agreement between Madison City Schools and The Enrichment Center, which employed the individual, the districts statement continued. Allegations of improper contact by this individual arose on April 29, 2024. The allegations were immediately reported to the Madison Police Department. The employee was immediately removed from Madison City Schools and is no longer employed by The Enrichment Center. As this is an ongoing investigation by the Madison Police Department, we have no further information that can be released at this time.

Further information was unavailable.
A Huntsville man was convicted in federal court Monday of assaulting officers during the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol, prosecutors announced.

Bryan Shawn Smith, 37, was found guilty of multiple felony and misdemeanor offenses during a bench trial in Washington, D.C. by U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss.

The felony crimes included civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers while the misdemeanors were entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, and act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.

He was arrested in Huntsville on Dec. 4, 2022.

Smith was on the lower west terrace of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 and was captured on police body camera footage confronting officers at a security barricade, the U.S. Department of Justice said, citing court documents in the case.

As rioters breached the terraces barricades, a group of officers fell back behind a door underneath the inaugural stage scaffolding. About 45 seconds later, the door was opened, and Smith held the door open and refused an officers order to step away from the doorway to allow the officer to close it, prosecutors said.

Smith made his way to the lower west terrace tunnel, where some of the most violent attacks on Jan. 6 occurred.

The Huntsville resident was carrying a stun gun as he entered the tunnel.

Capitol surveillance footage showed Smith spark the stun gun and pass it to another rioter, who then passed it to another before it wound up in the hands of a fourth rioter.

Smith exited the tunnel quickly after passing off the stun gun and pumped his fist in an apparent effort to inspire others in the crowd to press into the tunnel and continue to riot, prosecutors said.

One of the rioters who later received the stun gun exited the tunnel and used the stun gun in an attempt to assault an officer who was already being attacked by other rioters.

Smith entered the Tunnel a third time and made his way to the front of the mob in the tunnel, prosecutors said.

Inside the tunnel, Smith joined a group of rioters violently pushing against the police line in an attempt to breach the Capitol. Smith saw rioters physically assault police and helped push other rioters into the police line, prosecutors said.
A Montgomery man was sentenced to nearly 11 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to sex trafficking of a minor, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Sex trafficking is a terrible crimeone that scars its victims for a lifetime, said Jonathan Ross, U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Alabama. This prosecution should send a clear message that my office will hold all individuals accountable for their participation in child sex trafficking and child exploitation, whether they are the traffickers or merely patrons.

Jamecko Rontae Thomas, 45, went to a Montgomery hotel in July 2021 to engage in a commercial sex act with a female who was under the age of 18 at the time, prosecutors said, citing Thomas plea agreement and court records.

A co-defendant arranged the encounter between Thomas and the minor.

In pleading guilty, Thomas admitted that the sex act occurred with a reckless disregard for the childs age.

Thomas also admitted to knowing about past incidents of commercial sex acts arranged by his co-defendant and admitted that he was aware of drugs being used to induce sex trafficking victims, prosecutors said.

Thomas was sentenced to 130 months in federal prison on Monday.

The sentence also includes five years of supervised release.

Federal prisoners are not eligible for parole.
The Alabama Republican Party suggesting inflammatory rhetoric from the Democratic Party and mainstream media contributed to the assault of a Trump campaign volunteer in Limestone County over the weekend is more than a bit rich, the Alabama Democratic Party said Monday.

The response from ALGOP [Chairman] [John] Wahl is more than a bit rich considering his partys slavish devotion to a man that does nothing but inflame, insult, and led the more harebrained of his followers to assault our nations capital on January 6, 2021, Alabama Democratic Party spokeswoman Sheena Gamble told AL.com.

While civility in politics is important and the political violence is uncalled for, the attempts by Chairman Wahl to lay this attack at the feet of Democrats and the media is pathetically ham-handed. Election workers who dared to defy Donald Trumps Big Lie have been defamed, threatened, and doxxed by his partys supporters for more than three years now and the Republican Partys entire identity these days is based upon soothing a narcissistic ex-Presidents ego as he continues to rage, kick, scream, and insult his way through 91 felony charges and numerous trials, Gamble said.

She said the party was saddened to learn of Ms. Johnsons injuries and sincerely wishes her well in her recovery.

Gamble was responding to Wahls statement earlier Monday suggesting Democrats and the media were responsible for the attack on Tara Johnson.

I call on the Democratic Party and mainstream media to cease their inflammatory rhetoric, which incites individuals against Donald Trump and his supporters, Wahl said. The relentless demonization and vilification of political opponents only serves to sow division and discord within our society. We can and should do better.

Johnson, a Trump campaign volunteer in north Alabama, was attacked Saturday afternoon while leaving the Limestone County Trump campaign headquarters at 1117 U.S. Highway 72 East in Athens.

Meanwhile, Athens police said the only altercation they are investigating from Saturday stemmed from a road rage incident.

ALGOP Communications Director Jeannie Negron Burniston said Johnson serves as the lead volunteer, despite facing physical mobility challenges due to health issues.

Johnson was in her vehicle, Burniston said, when the attacker grabbed her by the hair, repeatedly punched her in the face and slammed her head against the door of her truck.

A press release announcing the attack said the Alabama Republican Party condemns in the strongest terms the apparent politically motivated attack and said it has left members of the Limestone County GOP shaken.

The attack on Tara Johnson is a disgraceful act of violence that has no place in our society. Having served alongside Tara on the Limestone County Executive Committee for many years, this is very personal to me, said Wahl. Tara is not just a volunteer; she is a kind and generous person who is always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone in need. We are heartbroken and outraged by this senseless act of violence against her.
A man who claims to be a tiny Alabama towns first Black and rightful mayor, only for the towns white leaders to conduct a special election to usurp his power, was denied his request for a November special election on Friday.

Patrick Braxton, a resident of Newbern, a town in Hale County with a population of just 133 people, filed a lawsuit in federal court in Selma alleging his white predecessor, Haywood Stokes III, and the white city councilors who scheduled a special election, violated the Constitution and several laws, including the Voting Rights Act.

In late March, Braxton and the Black members of the city council elected with him, filed a motion for a preliminary injunction, requesting a judge order a special election to coincide with the November presidential election.

While U.S. District Court Judge Kristi K. DuBose ruled Friday that Braxton and the Black members of the city council elected with Braxton are likely to succeed on the merits of their constitutional claim, she said the plaintiffs did not prove they would suffer irreparable harm if she didnt grant a November special election.

Braxtons case is set for a bench trial in September in Selma.

In her decision, DuBose noted that the plaintiffs filed their initial lawsuit in 2022, two years after the white mayor and council held a meeting -- and their only one since then -- at Newbern Town Hall.

And yet, Plaintiffs initiated this litigation in Dallas County Circuit Court in November 2022 and moved for a preliminary injunction in late March 2024. Accordingly, because Plaintiffs have fallen short of establishing irreparable harm between now and the September 2024 trial, Plaintiffs Motion is DENIED, DuBose ruled.

Haywood Stokes III, the Hale County towns white mayor since 2008, who inherited the post from his father, Haywood Stokes, Jr., does not dispute Braxton being the only resident to qualify for mayor.

But Stokes is claiming that there was nothing untoward about the special election the all-white council held that led to the council declaring themselves the winners and appointing Stokes interim mayor.

In the suit, Braxton alleged the special election was illegal, claiming neither he nor the towns Black residents were notified about it.

Defendants, in contravention of the Alabama Code, failed to provide notice to voters in Newbern of this special election, thereby preventing them from participating in the election, the amended lawsuit stated. The denial of a legally-required election obviously erodes the democratic process in a manner that is incompatible with due process.

The suit, which also claims alleges the defendants prevented Braxton and the all-Black council from discharging their duties, including changing the locks on the town hall and preventing them from accessing city documents and bank accounts.

Meanwhile, Newbern hasnt held an election in decades, with the towns white residents treated elected offices as hand me down positions, according to the lawsuit.

The repeated failure of Newbern officials to hold or give notice for a municipal election  for decades  is unfortunately emblematic of ongoing attacks against Black voters, said Morenike Fajana, special counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, which began representing the plaintiffs last week in addition to the groups previous attorneys. It is imperative that courts step in to ensure that everyones right to vote is protected.

The lawsuit also accuses the defendants of a section of the Voting Rights Act, noting that Alabama has a long, well-established history of racially discriminatory voting restrictions and societal discrimination against Black Alabamians.

Defendants conduct resulted in the discrimination of Black voters by preventing them from participating, as a candidate or voter, in municipal elections, the lawsuit continued. Defendants will continue to violate Plaintiffs rights under the Voting Rights Act absent relief from this Court. Plaintiffs have no adequate remedy at law other than the judicial relief sought in this case. The infringement of Plaintiffs rights by Defendants is ongoing and likely to continue into the future.










English News China, Africa see expanded tourism cooperation

Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 14 Mai 2024



The training program focused on topics such as tourism policies, scenic area development and management, standardization, and the integration of culture and tourism development. Experts and scholars from institutions such as the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the China Tourism Academy were invited to share China's practical experience in the development of the tourism industry.

By Peng Xunwen, Wu Yue China just witnessed a booming outbound tourism market during the past May Day holiday. Apart from traditional popular destinations in Southeast Asia and Europe, an increasing number of Chinese tourists chose to travel to Africa, to see the pyramids in Egypt and the vast plains of Kenya.



Not only Chinese but also international tourists are showing a growing interest in Africa. According to the newest edition of the World Tourism Barometer released by the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the number of international tourist trips paid to Africa hit 66.4 million in 2023. Among them, 39.6 million were paid to sub-Saharan Africa.



Analysts attributed the strong momentum of tourism in Africa to the diverse range of measures implemented by countries on the continent, which have injected new impetus into regional economic development.



During this year's May Day holiday, a woman surnamed Chen from east China's Zhejiang province had a trip to Kenya with her child.



"My child has always loved observing animals in the wild. On Kenya's vast grasslands, we saw lions hunting, gaining a firsthand understanding of the laws of nature that felt more real than what we read in books," Chen shared.



She told People's Daily that inside the conservation areas, they hiked alongside experienced guides, enjoying intimate and safe encounters with the animals. This experience was truly new to them, she said.



The temples and ancient ruins scattered along the Nile River, including the pyramids, the Sphinx and the Luxor Temple, have attracted many Chinese tourists.



"During this year's May Day holiday, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Egypt has significantly increased compared to the same period last year, with group tours remaining the preferred choice for travelers. There has also been a noticeable increase in independent travelers who prioritize freedom and personalized choices," said Wang Peizhong, head of the Egypt China General Association, who has been engaged in the tourism industry for many years. According to him, his travel agency received new tourists every day during the holiday.



According to statistics, Africa is becoming one of the popular destinations for Chinese tourists.



Statistics released by online travel platform Mafengwo indicated that African countries such as Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, and Mauritius became new choices for many young travelers during the May Day holiday this year.



Data from Statistics South Africa also showed a rapid increase in the number of international tourists arriving in the country last year, with a total of 37,000 Chinese tourists, a year-on-year growth of 205.5 percent.



Tanzania's tourism authorities estimated that the number of Chinese tourists visiting Tanzania had grown from nearly 34,000 in 2019 to approximately 44,000 last year.



China and African countries are jointly strengthening their tourism capacity building. Recently, a training program on tourism capacity building for English-speaking African countries kicked off in Beijing and Hangzhou, hosted by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and organized by the Central Academy of Culture and Tourism Administration.



A total of 26 officials, experts, and scholars from countries including Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania participated in the training program.



The training program focused on topics such as tourism policies, scenic area development and management, standardization, and the integration of culture and tourism development. Experts and scholars from institutions such as the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the China Tourism Academy were invited to share China's practical experience in the development of the tourism industry.



A report on China-Africa Belt and Road cooperation highlighted that China has signed bilateral tourism cooperation agreements with 31 African countries, listed 34 African countries as outbound group tour destinations for its citizens and established 166 pairs of sister cities with Africa.



Both sides actively invite each other to participate in tourism exhibitions and join tourism promotion events, building a platform for experience sharing, business negotiation, and product promotion between the Chinese and African tourism departments and enterprises.



Professor Song Wei from the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University said that as Belt and Road cooperation continues to deepen, China and Africa have carried out extensive cooperation to promote tourism visa facilitation, increase direct flights, enhance tourism safety and quality, strengthen hotel and scenic spot construction, and promote tourism routes, and these efforts have yielded fruitful results.



"The tourism industries of China and Africa have distinct characteristics and strong complementarity, exhibiting a reciprocal dynamic," Song added.



Dans la meme rubrique : < > Progress made in desertification control along Yellow River Basalt rocks made into national flag carried by Chang'e-6 probe Prospering telemedicine a reflection of China's rapid internet development Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is the first prestigious university to declare it will no longer require DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) statements as part of their new hire criteria for oncoming faculty members. Diversity statements began in the late 2010s as a social justice cause, but now the progressive Left and the Biden Administration have imposed these standards on college campuses nationwide. Conservatives and free speech apologists decry this ideological conformity for creating a political litmus test and promoting racial bias in our higher learning institutions.

Requests for a statement on diversity will no longer be part of applications for any faculty positions at MIT, a university official released. The decision to do away with DEI by MIT president Sally Kornbluth, who had the support of the Provost, Chancellor, and all six academic deans. My goals are to tap into the full scope of human talent, to bring the very best to MIT, and to make sure they thrive once here, said Kornbluth, We can build an inclusive environment in many ways, but compelled statements impinge on freedom of expression, and they dont work.

MIT and President Kornbluth have come under criticism from House Republicans during a congressional hearing for failing to clarify if advocating for genocide against Jews violates campus policy, which is in regards to the October 7th massacre of Israeli civilians and saw a rise in on-campus antisemitism. She, University of Pennsylvania president Liz Magil, and former Harvard President Claudine Gay failed to address this matter, which led to Dr. Gays and Ms. Magill's dismissal.

Eliminating DEI is a step in the right direction for MIT. A Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) survey found that students and faculty needed to be sure the administration protected freedom of expression. It also found that 41% of staff said MIT's stance on free speech is 'not clear.'

A satirical school newspaper called the Babbling Beaver, published by conservative MIT students, staff, and alums, was first on the beat to report the change and noted that there was no public notification due to the unpopularity of DEI. According to an anonymous poll of professors, at least two-thirds of teachers despise diversity statements.

Required diversity statements are receiving backlash because they force faculty members to adhere to a left-wing dogma, which violates a person's academic freedom and commitment to educational integrity. MITs prior commitment to new-hire applications emphasized the applicant's knowledge of DEI and history of working to promote it on campus.

MIT has a reputation as an elite university by producing the best minds in science and engineering, but even those highly concentrated fields were not exempt from DEI requirements. Last year, I saw a job posting in the Nuclear Science and Engineering department that required applicants to submit "a statement regarding their views on diversity, inclusion, and belonging, including past and current contributions as well as their vision and plans for the future in these areas.

Other top universities promote similar DEI criteria on school web pages. Columbia University presents new hires with a four-page guide to "showcase your understanding and activities" for diversity and inclusion. Princeton describes its diversity requirement as "an opportunity to highlight how you would advance an institution's DEI work."

While MIT is reversing diversity statements on an institutional level, many states are already abolishing DEI bureaucracies and diversity statements for collegiate schools and universities. Conservative states like Florida, Tennessee, North Dakota, Kansas, and Utah have passed laws that either prohibit or prevent specific funding of DEI and its objectives. Even big businesses are cutting ties from diversity initiatives due to the rise of antisemitism on college campuses.

Florida governor Ron DeSantis is a critical warrior in the fight against DEI by banning. He has forbidden teaching it in public classrooms and eliminated the DEI office and replaced DEI-supportive trustees at New College, a liberal arts school in the state. His criticism of DEI is that it is a wordplay for "division, exclusive, and inequity" and may have had innocent intentions but has the opposite effect in practice.

Dr. Christopher J. Ferguson of Stetson Universitys psychology department is critical of DEI statements for their inability to ensure academic integrity or student merit. Instead, they create a monoculture that does not apply to diversity, equity, or inclusion. Specifically addressing UC Berkleys diversity requirement, Dr. Ferguson wrote in Psychology Today that no evidence provided that higher scores on this rubric are associated with better teaching, including for underrepresented groups.

MIT may seem like an outlier as other universities struggle to deal with DEI and diversity statements. However, MIT's distinction and academic standards can persuade other colleges to join them in removing DEI and embracing educational merit.

Image: MIT
In her quest to appear 'authentic' to voters, Kamala Harris has come up with her best solution: Spewing the 'f bomb' at campaign events.

According to Breitbart News, Harris showed up at the annual Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies Legislative Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., starting with a tired appeal to identity politics:

So, heres the thing about breaking barriers. Breaking barriers does not mean you start on one side of the barrier and you end up on the other side, Harris began. Theres breaking involved. And, when you break things, you get cut, and you may bleed. And it is worth it every time, every time. Harris added that young people should walk into rooms with their chins up and shoulders held high, whether the room be a meeting room, a board room, a courtroom or even a hearing room. We have to know that, sometimes, people will open the door for you and leave it open, Harris added. Sometimes, they wont, and then you need to kick that f**king door down. After Harriss comments, she began laughing and responded by saying, Excuse my language as the audience cheered.

Kamala Harris is so cringe. pic.twitter.com/GYb9kHSetZ  Freyja (@FreyjaTarte) May 13, 2024 "...and then you need to kick that f*cking door down"?

Sounds like she'd also include a shopping mall in that call to "break barriers" so as to go ahead and walk off with that $10,000 designer handbag, too. Maybe that's what she meant by 'courtroom.'

Naturally, it was followed by her trademark hyena laugh and all were in for a good time.

But to the rest of us, it represents quite a slide downward in matters of civility.

Who the heck uses an 'f bomb' at rallies? It's as if she's normalizing the vulgarity, and working to make it common. It's the kind of language used by blue-city ward heelers in smoke-filled rooms behind closed doors.

Sound like what the voters are looking for in a president or vice president? You'd think she'd have just the minimal self-control to keep that kind of language from reaching the public. Sure, politicians like George W. Bush has been caught using this kind of language. But not in public, just from carelessly placed microphones that got overheard and magnified by the press as major scandals.

But Kamala, with her stolid two strands of pearls and 1990s suit wardrobe, combined with her far-left, yet San Francisco establishment views, has always had contradictions of this kind surrounding her. While sending the message that she's respectable, she's tried hard to make herself look dirtier than she is and falling flat doing it. She claimed to have smoked pot and listened to the "music" of Snoop Dogg while in college, (when that gangsta rapper didn't even appear on the scene until years later), even as she was well known as Caifornia's state attorney general for throwing petty pot smokers in jail and leaving them there beyond their terms, in order to use their manpower to fight wildfires. Miss 'Tough-on-Crime' was really a smelly pot smoker listening to subliterate rap music because behind that suit, she's so cool.

Anyone can see how fake that is. Now she's hurling 'f bombs' at rallies so that everyone knows that she has a vocabulary like an overflowing toilet even in public, even as she shops for expensive French cookware on junkets.

As for what she's pushing that that 'f bomb,' used as an intensifier, that's pretty disgusting, too -- if you're a minority, you're always right, and if you don't get what you want, then use force to get it. Nothing about respecting the system one wants to inherit, just trash it and take power and too bad if other people don't like it, and never mind that what you are inheriting has been soiled by you.

Those kinds of contradictions certainly sum up her undistinguished career, except that her way of 'breaking barriers' was to sleep with powerful men and somehow end up with political favors for it.

What a hideous new low in our political life -- a tramp of a politician now seeks to lower the national discourse by substituting 'f bombs' for actual thoughts and calls to action.

It's one more reason to vote this team out of office. Care about the civility in your country? Best to vote out this vulgar bounder. One reason, of many.

Image: Twitter screen shot
A federal jury in San Antonio sided Monday with UT Health San Antonio and University Health in a case brought by Dr. Francesco Franco Sebastiani, who sued over his dismissal from a residency program in 2020. Andy Dean Photography/Andy Dean - Fotolia

When he sued in 2020, a one-time San Antonio dentist who said he suffered sexual harassment and gender discrimination at the UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry was seeking millions.

Hell get nothing.

On Monday, a federal jury in San Antonio found Dr. Francesco Franco Sebastiani failed to prove he was unlawfully dismissed from a residency program in 2020.

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Sebastiani had sued the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, now UT Health San Antonio, and the Bexar County Hospital District, which does business as University Health, seeking more than $2 million for past and future lost wages and other damages.

The seven jurors began deliberations late Friday and delivered their verdict Monday afternoon. The two-week trial started April 10 but was paused for about three weeks before resuming last week in U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcias courtroom.

Ricardo Cedillo, one of Sebastianis lawyers, said he did not have authorization from his client to discuss the verdict.

In an emailed statement, UT Health didnt address the verdict.

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We remain focused on our mission of serving the public good with integrity and steadfast in our commitment to fostering a safe and respectful environment for all members of our community, it said.

University Health didnt have an immediate comment.

Dr. Francesco Franco Sebastiani lost a civil trial over discrimination claims he made against UT Health San Antonio and University Health.

New York roots

Sebastiani accused dentistry officials at the school of scheming to drive him out of the oral and maxillofacial surgery program, a highly specialized area of dentistry, before he could complete it.

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He came to San Antonio looking for a fresh start in 2018 after leaving a residency program at the Brooklyn Hospital Center. At that hospital, he became romantically involved with his supervisor  Dr. Pik Lee  until he ended the relationship in 2016. He alleges Lee then began sending him harassing text messages and threatening him and his family if he didnt resume the relationship.

Sebastiani says he complained to the head of the hospitals residency about the alleged harassment but no action was taken. He has a pending lawsuit against the New York hospital for sexual harassment, gender discrimination, a hostile work environment and retaliation. The case landed him in the pages of a New York tabloid in 2019.

The events in New York sparked the harassment and discrimination in San Antonio, Sebastiani alleged. He accused a chief resident in the San Antonio program  a friend of Lees  of telling colleagues he must be gay for turning down Lees offers to have sex with him. The resident also texted him an image of a sex toy to violate Plaintiff with, he alleged in his complaint, which contained screen shots of texts and photos not suitable for work.

Sebastiani had sued under Title IX of the Civil Rights Act, alleging he was discriminated against in an educational setting. He also sued for discrimination and retaliation under Title VII of the act, established to protect employees. But jurors found Sebastiani was not an employee of either UT Health or University Health.

UT Health disputed Sebastianis claims, saying he was dismissed for academic deficiencies including a lack of professionalism while training as a resident.

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The first question jurors were asked to determine was whether Sebastiani had proved he would not have been dismissed from the residency program but for  his perceived sexual orientation or failure to conform to gender stereotypes. They answered No.

Untrustworthy doctor

John Ramsey, an assistant state attorney general representing UT Heath, described Sebastiani as an untrustworthy doctor whom the school had to dismiss from the residency program to protect the public. Ramsey referenced an incident in which a patient almost died.

He has supplied no evidence that he could be a successful surgeon, Ramsey told jurors during closing arguments Friday. He failed two residency programs. He has been fired from one of the first jobs he had. I think hes shown you that hes not trustworthy.

Hes got so many lawsuits going on, Ramsey added. So many people have done so many things wrong to him. Who owes him money? That was never clear. Hes not shown us why UT owes him anything.

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After Sebastiani left San Antonio, he went to work for a chain of dental offices in Florida. But he alleged in a 2022 complaint the company fired him after less than a year in retaliation for bringing lawsuits in San Antonio and New York. The company countered that hed inflated his credentials. It came out during closing arguments in the San Antonio case that the dispute has been settled.

Erin McNiece, a lawyer for University Health where Sebstiani trained, said the hospital should never have been a defendant in the lawsuit because it had no authority to terminate him from the residency program.

But she also attacked his credibility by citing instances where he had used an alias, including in connection with a business he started.

There were many times in this courtroom where Dr. Sebastiani could not answer simple questions, McNiece said. He couldnt answer simple questions because he wasnt telling the truth.

Powerful institutions

Cedillo, Sebastianis lawyer, accused the defendants of carrying out a concerted effort to just put up as much garbage as they can, throw it up on the wall and see what sticks.

Its all done with a very, very calculated purpose, he said to jurors during closing arguments. Its done to get you to be biased against him. Oh, hes a liar. Oh, hes untruthful. Oh, he kills people. Oh, hes sloppy.  All calculated.

He called Sebastiani a young man willing to take on two powerful institutions whose representatives sometimes take the wrong path.

Sebastiani received goods marks in general surgery rotation and in the anesthesiology departments while in the residency program, as well as for his professionalism, which the defense called into question, said John Crouch, another lawyer for Sebastiani.
History gives us conviction and guidance. Today, as we watch ravaging antisemitism and the defacing of the American flag on university campuses, prevalent examples in history of courage and bravery should spur us to respond.

In 1942, German medical student Hans Scholl was awakened to the persecution of Jews in the Western world. While serving on the Eastern Front, Scholl and his war buddies, Willi Graf and Alexander Schmorell, witnessed firsthand the Nazis murder of innocent Polish Jewish civilians.

Scholl committed to exposing the evil being done against the Jewish population. Together with Graf, Schmorell, Sophia Scholl, and Christoph Probst, he began secretly planting pamphlets on the campus of the University of Munich in Germany. This small resistance group titled themselves The White Rose  white roses being a symbol of purity and innocence in the face of evil. These pamphlets called upon students to rebel against the Nazi regime and the barbaric treatment of Jews with slogans of We are your bad conscience. The White Rose will not leave you in peace. and We will not be silent.

The leaflets appealed to college students, as they contained references to German literature while, on a deeper level, integrating Christian religious teaching, the bedrock of all morality. This was a way of changing minds, of getting readers to understand the actions of the Nazis and the students duty to resist them. The White Roses did not rally ignorant mobs together in the facade of a protest.

However, those who take courageous actions must be prepared for consequences. On February 22, 1934, Hans, Sophie, and Christoph were arrested, interrogated, and beheaded. Let it be said of these three noble Christians, And others had trials of mockeries and stripes ... of whom the world was not worthy (Hebrews 11:36, 38). Though their efforts seemed to have lasted only a few months, their rewards are eternal.

Rarely are we given such a time capsule in which our faith can be tested. Antisemitism has spread like wildfire on our campuses as pro-Hamas rallies enter their sixth month. Encampments where students say they will not leave until their universities agree to stand in solidarity with Hamas mimic how Nazis blocked Jewish students from entering their colleges. Even worse, the universities are passive about the decay of their students minds and souls; they give in to the irrational emotion and the chants of death. This echoes how the majority of the church was silent in Germany and Poland during the Holocaust.

Yet the courage of the White Roses can be seen in glimpses today as students start to rise up against the antisemitism on college campuses. Jews are finding the courage to represent themselves, like Julian Giordano at Harvard University and Sahar Tarkak at Yale University, Jewish students speaking out against the threats and violence against them on their campuses. Young Women for America leaders have already hosted twelve Israel Prayer Vigils on college campuses across the nation, with more on the way. Courage is contagious, and as the media begins to pick up on defenses of the Jewish people, others will have the bravery to follow.

Last week, the Philos Project, a Christian advocacy group for the Near East, gathered a coalition of Christians and Jews to rally at the University of Southern California. There are rays of light shining through the dark pit of university students who chant for death while hiding behind their shameful masks.

One of the tactics of these pro-Hamas encampments has been to tear down American flags, sometimes burning them, and then hoist the Palestinian flag on poles and statues. Those who support Hamas are also open about their hate for America as they chant Death to America at their protests. In a contrasting display of strength, a group of young men at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill raised the star-spangled banner after it had shamefully been torn down. After resisting the mob and replacing the flag, the young men began to sing the National Anthem in honor of what our flag represents. In the days that followed, the presence of patriotism in resistance to terrorism grew as counter-protesters challenged pro-Hamas rallies at Ole Miss and the University of Alabama.

Let these actions of courage and patriotism be an encouragement as well as a charge to us all. May we not just say, If I had been there, I would have stood up to racism and Jew-hatred. The reality is that we are there, and we must muster the courage we claim. There are many ways to resist the lies and violence taking place today. This could be by hosting a prayer vigil, taking to social media to share facts and support, or engaging in conversation with those who support Hamas. Ripples make a wave, and small acts of courage gain momentum for great ones. And afterward, maybe 80 years from now, someone will look at your actions and be spurred to fight the good fight and finish the race.

Julia Campbell is Regional Coordinator for Young Women for America, the collegiate leadership program of Concerned Women for America.

Image via Pexels.
So much for the boosting the economy schtick.

Yesterday, the Center for Immigration Studies published the findings of a new report on the largest two-year increase ever recorded for the foreign-born population of people living in the United Statesbetween March 2022 and March 2024, that number jumped by 5.1 million people.

And, of those 5.1 million people, more than half (54%) are not paying their own way; this works out to be around 2,754,000 people. The CIS stresses that those numbers include both legal and illegal persons, and while legality is certainly a concern, its not a justification for bringing in third world hoodlums from all the dark corners of the world with zero intention to assimilate to and augment the American way of lifeimmigration should be extremely limited and totally merit-based, or not at all.

Now, how many of those people are adults, who should be working but arent (this does not include the illegals who have no right to take an American job) and have children or other dependents? Probably a large majority, which just means that 2.754 million number is amplifiedbecause whos feeding them, housing them, paying for their healthcare, funding the emergency services that they disproportionately use, paying for their public school use, and offsetting the impact of the deficit-spending through taxes?

WE are.

But, theyre not exactly unemployed now are they? These unemployed migrants, both legal and illegal, have to largely be on welfare, because how else would they be surviving, which means theyre getting paid by the government to do nothingthis is the cliche government worker. And, missing from this CIS figure are the millions of newcomers working in the retail theft rings of New York City and Los Angeles, staffing the robbery crews of California mansions, and managing burglary tourism; theyre employed as the moped thieves of Manhattan, theyre the human traffickers, pimps, prostitutes, and drug dealers, and apparently, many of them are getting paid to agitate on college campuses, ostensibly in support of Muslim terrorism in the Middle East.

And the CIS report projects that if the current trend continues:

[T]he foreign-born population will reach 62.5 million in 2030 and 82.2 million by 2040  larger than the current combined populations of 30 states plus the District of Columbia.

Heres a graph from CIS for the visual learner (see the bars in red) below:

NEW: The foreign-born population has hit RECORD highs in March 2024 of 51.6m and 15.6% of the total U.S. population. pic.twitter.com/8sfD15kgqx  Center for Immigration Studies (@CIS_org) May 13, 2024

Heaven help usjust imagine what the crime statistics would look like then.

But, we were repeatedly told that immigration boosts the economy! Sure, legal, limited, and merit-based immigration, but not the invasion/importation of war-hardened low-brow freeloaders from sthole countries around the world that we observe now. (See the blog New report finds that mass migration did not actually stimulate the economy as the left claimed it would do I wrote last week on this very topic.)

The rotten fruit of Bidenomics.

Image: Free image, Pixabay license.
A subtle leak in my bathroom and a conversation with a neighbor reminded me that, sometimes, things must get really bad before people understand that they must act. In other words, a crisis can be a good thing.

For months, Id been bedeviled by a musty smell in the small entry connecting my garage to my kitchen. I obsessively washed everything in a 10-foot radius of the smell (e.g., kitchen towels, floor mats), scrubbed and re-scrubbed the nearby half-bathroom (which smelled fine), sniffed the coat closet and shoes like a bloodhound to see if they harbored a patch of damp, tapped the drywall to see if it felt mushy...but all to no avail. Making things worse, I was the only one who smelled it. Something was wrong, but I couldnt do a darn thing about it.

On Friday, the half-bathroom ceiling came down. It turned out thered been a slow leak in the pipes above the half-bath, the ones feeding water to the upstairs toilet. That leak must have been going on for months and, given the level of saturation in the wood, perhaps for years. But no one knew because the drip and the damage were discretely hidden away under the upstairs floorboards. The smell was a hint, but it took the ceiling collapse to reveal the extent of the problem.

Now, at great expense, Ive had the upstairs flooring and toilet, and the downstairs ceiling removed. Weve saturated the wood with vinegar and bleach and are drying it well. Then, everything gets replaced, with all sorts of extra waterproofing to ensure that, if the toilet does leak again, the damage is confined and more easily noticed.

None of the above is a poor me complaint. Indeed, Im just grateful the smell is gone and that there were no termites in there. Instead, I see the bathroom fiasco as beneficial proof that, sometimes, it takes a crisisin my case, a downed ceilingfinally to reveal that the indefinable, unpleasant miasma in the air has a specific source. And the good thing is that, once the source is identified, the problem can be addressed by tearing out the rot, disinfecting everything, and building it up again in a clean, solid, and beautiful way.

Staying on the domestic side of things, neighbors of mine have flying behind their house an American and an Israeli flag. I very seldom see these neighbors but yesterday, when I was walking the dog, the woman was in the yard. I praised her flags and we started chatting. What I learned was heartening.

My neighbor is a Christian conservative. She is pro-America and pro-Israel. Shes also a very nice person. That all kind of went without saying because of the flags.

But what delighted me was something else she said. I didnt know what was happening on those college campuses. Now, I do.

Those of us who obsessively follow the news, the ones who start their day checking out political sites and then check in with those same sites throughout the day, have known for a very long time whats happening in academia. Heck, because I went to UC Berkeley in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Ive known it for over forty years.

But most people dont know. They went to lovely colleges that werent Berkeley, or they didnt go to college at all. They work hard, raise their families, and live good lives. If their children go to college and dont fall in with the blue-haired crowd, they have no idea about the subtle and not-so-subtle indoctrination that permeates every aspect of life in college.

These people assume that the silly subjects (e.g., queer puppetry, womyns history) in the course catalogs are the equivalent of the Mickey Mouse courses that sparked a thousand jokes in the 1970s/1980s jokes. You remember those, right? They were the ones about the underwater basket weaving classes people took to get the one or two extra credits they needed to graduate.

But now, thanks to the really loathsome campus radicals with their open antisemitism and hatred for America, people who are mostly apolitical or at least politically passive are seeing the rot. Its no longer a vague miasma in the background that they think is there but cant really pin down. The ceiling has fallen, and the damage is clear. They understand that the situation must be fixed and fixed very quickly.

One of the fixes is easy: Stop funding these institutions! Public or private, they float on a sea of direct and indirect taxpayer dollars. The board at the University of North Carolina, the campus where the frat bros bravely defended the American flag, is on the right track because they ended all DEI funding (no more money for racists and groomers) and gave the money to the campus police. If campuses wont do that kind of thing voluntarily, we need to force it upon them.

For too long, we Americans have forgotten that he who pays the piper calls the tune. We, the taxpayers, are also the piper players and its time to start acting as if were in charge.

The other fix is easy, too: Vote for the politicians who are most likely to end this madness. In the primaries, vote for the conservative candidate, not the mushy one. In November, vote for a straight Republican ticket, from Donald Trump on down. Thenand this one takes a bit more workkeep an eye on your representatives and put pressure on them to respect that youre mad as Hell about the abuse of your taxpayer dollars and youre not going to take it anymore.

Image by AI.
Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Memorial Day, was solemnly memorialized at Yad Vashem last Sunday, a particularly sad day in light of the October 7, 2023 massacres, which marked the largest toll of Jewish-Israelis murdered in a single day since the Holocaust.

Holocaust commemorations took place in the shadow of widespread antisemitism and calls for genocide on campuses throughout the U.S. and the Western world, shattering the confidence that Jew-hatred is a thing of the past.

In an interview on Yom HaShoah with Aharon Barak on Israeli TV, the retired former president of Israels Supreme Court, and a Holocaust survivor, was asked if he thought a Holocaust could happen again in our time. He unhesitatingly responded with a decisive yes. He pointed out that as late as 1939, in his native Kovno, Lithuania, no one would have believed that within a short time, the most horrific genocide in world history would take place.

The international community, including the antisemites of the United Nations (U.N.), love to commemorate Yom HaShoah and busy themselves writing unheeded guidelines on what constitutes antisemitism. But while the U.N. representatives and many others throughout the world commemorate dead Jews, they have utter contempt for living Jews, whom they hate and seek to liquidate  especially the Jewish state.

The antisemitic rioters on U.S. campuses are the harbingers of what is to come, and so when Aharon Barak, a staunch liberal and one of the most humanistically inclined persons in the world, is concerned about another Holocaust in our time, it should worry all of us.

Lest we forget, the first steps in the preparation for the Holocaust in Nazi Germany was in the early 1930s on German campuses. The rioting students demanded the firing of Jewish professors, from which proceeded the burning of books and the intimidation and, ultimately, expulsion of Jewish students from German universities.

Antisemitism was mainstreamed in Germany. There is a similar attempt being orchestrated on American campuses.

Todays brainwashed students (much like the German students brainwashed by Nazi propaganda) have been indoctrinated by radical Palestinian professors like Rashid Khalidi and Joseph Massad (at Columbia University) and the anti-Israel legacy of Edward Said. They are funded by Marxist donors and Arab money and led by domestic and foreign agitators who harass Jewish students with impunity.

A significant number of pro-Hamas American students who come from mainly middle- and upper-class homes are privileged, spoiled brats looking for a cause. They have no clue about Middle East realities. They raise banners with the word Genocide and chant the slogan From the river to the sea, Palestine must be free  and, when asked to name the river or the sea, these sheep-like elite school students stare vacantly or answer incorrectly.

Nor, for that matter, do they understand the ramifications of their calls: a genocide against Israeli Jews and the liquidation of the Jewish state. Lost in their mantra training is any semblance of independent thinking and realization that Hamas attacked Israel and perpetrated genocide on October 7. Some of these students repeat the lie of Israel committing genocide in Gaza and actually trust Hamass casualty numbers.

If ever there was an army that has painfully sought to safeguard the lives of non-combatants, it is the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Ask Colonel Richard Kemp, the former commander of the British Expeditionary Forces in Afghanistan, and he would tell you that no army in the world can compare to the humanism of the IDF. These radicalized students, and many in the corporate media, have accepted Hamass Health Authoritys deliberately inflated numbers of casualties, which include the Hamas Nukhba murderers killed by Israeli forces in firefights. Nor, for that matter, will these ignorant students recognize that Hamas is using civilian families and children as human shields.

These students are hoisting the Palestinian flag and trashing the American and Israeli flags and shouting, We are Hamas. They are supporting the murderous Hamas Nukhba, who committed unimaginable atrocities.

This is what the Ivy League schools of Columbia, Harvard, MIT, Penn, and others have done to your children. Instead of teaching critical thinking, they have indoctrinated them with Marxist notions aimed at destroying Jewish and Christian values and the traditional American way of life.

In Germany of the 1930s, antisemitism became acceptable. In America and the West, in general, antisemitism has been allowed to fester on the campuses, with a complacent government and cowardly university presidents and administrators. As a result, we are marching toward the abyss  another Holocaust that Aharon Barak can now envision.

The current U.S. administration is reluctant to enforce laws against blind hatred, which is antisemitism. In a recent speech, President Biden drew moral equivalency between antisemitism and Islamophobia. While the only hate on U.S. campuses is that being directed at Jews, Biden opted to placate the pro-Hamas crowds by inserting Islamophobia where there is none, regrettably showing that political considerations rather than moral imperatives are guiding him.

While memorializing dead Jews in his speech at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., Biden correctly reminded Americans and others just how fast the Hamas atrocities of October 7 have been forgotten. However, at the same time, his administration has delayed sending approved military supplies to the living Jews of Israel. Biden is no antisemite, but many in his party are. They simply hate a strong and living Jewish state. To that, Israelis respond with am Yisrael chai  the people of Israel live.

Image: hendricjabs via Pixabay, Pixabay License.
At the corner of Whitecross Street and Old Street in East London, on the walls above Jane Roe Kitchen, youll see a commemorative blue plaque dedicated to a certain Miss Priss Fotheringham, who has laid claim to the rather salacious title of the second best whore in the city. The title was awarded to her in 1660 by John Garfield in The Wandering Whore, a directory of prostitutes working in 17th century London.

Photo credit: Maggie Jones/Flickr

Born in Scotland around 1615, Priss Fotheringham later moved to London, where she worked as a prostitute. In her youth, she was described as a "cat-eyed gypsy, pleasing to the eye," but by her thirties, her face had been scarred by smallpox and worsened by quack medicines. Years of heavy gin consumption also negatively affected her appearance.

In 1652, Priss was charged with running a house of ill repute, after being discovered sitting between two Dutchmen with her breasts naked to the waist and without stockings, drinking and singing in a very uncivil manner. She was convicted and sent to Newgate Prison.

In 1656, Priss married Edmund Fotheringham, whose mother ran a seedy brothel on Cow Lane, Finsbury. Edmund used to bully and beat her and acted as her pimp, forcing Priss to leave her husband for a sword sharpener, taking much of her husband's money with her. In 1658, she was arrested again by Middlesex Justice of the Peace:

For being a notorious strumpet, a common field walker and one that hath undone several men by giving them the foul disease, for keeping the husband of Susan Slaughter from her ever since December last and hath utterly undone that family, and also for threatening to stab said Susan Slaughter whenever she can meet her, the woman being very civil woman, and also for several other notorious wickedness which is not fit to be named among the heathen.

When the money ran out the sword sharpener left her, and she returned to her husband who reported her for theft. Once again, Priss found herself before the judges who decided that the sooner they hanged the depraved lady, the better. But the new Lord Protector Richard Cromwell stepped in and pardoned her.

Priss spent about a year in Newgate Prison, where she met fellow brothel-keepers Damaris Page and Elizabeth Cresswell and the writer of The Wandering Whore, John Garfield. After her release, Priss established herself as the madam of The Jack-a-Newberry, a tavern located at the corner of Whitecross Street and Old Street. She later renamed the tavern to The Six Windmills, where she gained notoriety through London's burgeoning printing industry. References to the Fotheringham's brothel appear in John Garfield's The Wandering Whore (1660), and The Unparalleled Practices of Mrs Fotheringham (1660), Strange and True News from JackaNewberries (1660), the Strange and True Conference between Two Notorious Bawds (1660) and Man in the Moon (1660).

Prisss fame partly stemmed from her popularization of a rather bizarre and kinky sex act known as chucking. This act involved Priss standing on her head, stark naked, with two men holding her legs apart. Customers in the tavern would then insert coins into her gaping vagina. According to legend, she could fit 16 half-crowns into her commoditie. Occasionally, customers would pour wine into her orifice, which greatly annoyed her as it caused a burning sensation.

Priss performed chucking several times a day, turning the tavern into a notorious venue known as Priscilla Fotheringham's Chuck Office and the Half Crown Chuck Office. The popularity of the act led Priss to teach the other girls in the tavern the delicate art of chucking. One notable student was the Dutch prostitute Mrs. Cupid. According to The Wandering Whore, Mrs. Cupid once performed a particularly memorable chucking session, inserting a bizarre collection of objects including French dollars, a pair of Spanish pistols, and English Half-Crowns, followed by Rhenish wine.

As the years went by, Priss transitioned into the managerial side of brothel running, becoming a kind of matron for the younger girls. Her physical fitness, maintained through years of performing the chucking act, began to wane as she aged and was afflicted by disease. John Garfield wrote in 1663 that she was now overgrown with age and overworn with her former all-to-frequent embraces.

Her husband died soon after, "rotten with syphilis," and in 1668, Priss, now in her mid-fifties, succumbed as well. Despite the hardships she faced, Priss died wealthy, leaving behind a notorious house of ill repute. Her legacy persisted through the tales of her exploits and the continued operation of her infamous establishment. The blue plaque commemorating her at the corner of Whitecross Street and Old Street serves as a reminder of her colorful and controversial life.

References:

# Whitecross Street Part 4  Entertainment, The Amateur Examiner

# Priss Fotheringham, Wikipedia
(Image source from: PTI)

Lok Sabha Polls: Telangana Registers 62.32 percent polling:- Telangana saw a voting percentage of around 62.32 by 6 pm on Monday, as polling for 17 Lok Sabha seats concluded without any major incidents. However, the percentage is expected to rise as there were still voters waiting in queues across the state. Those in line by 6 pm were permitted to cast their ballots. The state had a voter turnout of 71.32% in the November 2023 Assembly elections, and 62.77% in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. According to Chief Electoral Officer Vikas Raj, polling was still ongoing at 1,300 to 1,400 booths after 6 pm, and the final voting percentage will be known on Tuesday. Raj also praised the good response from voters, and credited the weather for the strong turnout in several districts. In addition, the bypoll for the Secunderabad Cantonment Assembly segment took place peacefully, with 15 candidates competing and a 47.88% voter turnout by 5 pm.

The votes of 525 candidates have been stored within electronic voting machines (EVMs), with the ballot count scheduled for June 4th. An incident occurred at a Malakpet polling station, where BJP Hyderabad candidate K. Madhavi Latha requested some burqa-clad Muslim women to unveil themselves to verify their identity. Later on, at Mir Chowk, supporters of the BJP and AIMIM parties began to shout slogans when the convoys of Madhavi Latha and AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi crossed paths. Police dispersed both groups. BJP Adilabad MLA Payal Shankar drew criticism from Congress and CPI women leaders for wearing a saffron khanduva while visiting a polling station. Heated arguments ensued, but were quelled by police intervention. In Narayankhed, Nagesh Shetkar, brother of Zaheerabad Congress MP candidate Suresh Shetkar, kicked BJP activist Santosh Kumar. Polling in 13 Maoist-affected Assembly segments under five Lok Sabha constituencies ended at 4 pm, while the rest of the 106 Assembly segments in 12 Lok Sabha constituencies closed at 6 pm. Khammam had the highest poll percentage at 75.19%, while Hyderabad had the lowest at 39.17%.

Out of 17 Lok Sabha constituencies, five had voter turnout exceeding 70%, namely Khammam (75.19%), Bhongir (72.34%), Nalgonda (70.75%), Medak (73.63%), and Zahirabad (72.48%). On the other hand, the lowest voter turnout was observed in four constituencies within Greater Hyderabad limits. Secunderabad had 42.48% voter turnout, Malkajgiri had 49.06%, Chevella had 53.15%, and Hyderabad had the lowest at 39%. About 115 polling stations received complaints of technical problems with electronic voting machines, forcing officials to replace the malfunctioning machines. Raj Vikas said 38 First Information Reports (FIRs) were registered on Monday for various reasons and against various political parties. In many places, especially in rural areas, the voting was followed with enthusiasm. Voters lined up outside polling stations ahead of the start of voting at 7am. Many voters cast their ballots early in the morning to avoid the summer heat. The process slowed down in the afternoon, but resumed after 15:00. Election officials said polling was postponed due to technical glitches in EVM machines at some places and power outages due to rain and strong winds.

(Video Source: V6 News Telugu)
Google is known for its philanthropic endeavors, like pledging $40 million to fight racial justice. Per reports, Google is co-funding a basic income trial that will help 225 families secure long-term housing in the Bay Area. The initiative will help another 225 families over the same period by giving them $50 monthly.

Google.org becomes a funding partner for the It All Adds Up trial

As prefaced in the beginning, Google.org spearheads all the philanthropic endeavors of Alphabet-owned Google. The arm will help provide basic income to 225 families for 12 months. The basic income will total $12,000 a year or $1,000 a month. It will roll out over a five-year period. This study aims to see if families exiting rapid rehousing can overcome various challenges and achieve long-term housing stability.

For those unaware, rapid rehousing is a subset of the Housing First approach, which aims to end homelessness. Its a short-term albeit quick rental assistance and services to families and is not dependent on any prerequisites, such as income, employment status, or absence of a criminal record. The It All Adds Up trial will enroll 450 families with children from the Compass Family or Hamilton Families rapid-rehousing programs.

The families will receive $1,000 or $50 monthly payments randomly. The payment will have no strings attached, so to speak, and it will begin one to three months before said families start exiting rapid rehousing. The participants can use the funds however they deem fit. They are also not obligated to disclose how they spent it.

Googles financing part of the companys $1 billion pledge to fight homelessness in the Bay Area

Google is the Bay Areas largest employer. The company behind the AI revolution and popular Pixel devices is not oblivious to the rising cost of living in the area, which has severely affected low-income residents. The company has already invested in developing housing and recently announced an additional $1 billion investment to counter homelessness. Earlier, the company had also pledged $100 million to fight COVID-19. Additionally, the company has committed thousands of hours to pro-bono services.
The Google I/O 2024 keynote is ongoing at the moment, and Google started throwing out new features. Google Photos, in particular, is getting a very cool feature called Ask Photos. That feature will certainly supercharge search.

Google Photos is getting the so-called Ask Photos feature to supercharge search for photos

In other words, Google is pushing more of its Gemini AI into Google Photos. It will help you find specific photos in your gallery. The search function in Google Photos is useful, but not as useful as this, thats for sure.

Ask Photos will appear as a new tab at the bottom. When you tap it, the Gemini star icon will pop up, and youll be able to offer inputs. Based on what Google said, youll be able to search, for example, for the best photo from each national park youve visited.

The results will not only be based on the location, not at all. Gemini will use its judgment to show you the very best, in this particular example. This is just one example, but the results should be more accurate.

Youll have to type in your queries, at first

Do note that, for now, youll have to type in your queries, but voice input seems to be coming. Do note that Google One subscribers will get it first, and the rollout will start for the US English language first. So not everyone will get it straight away.

During Google I/O, Google said that there are three levels of understanding that Ask Photos will implement. Those are: understanding your question, crafting a response, and ensuring safety and remembering corrections.

So, technically, the results should become better over time, as is the case with AI. Google did not that the queries are not stored anywhere, even though theyre processed in the cloud, not on your phone.

Google was very clear to say that this does not train any generative AI product outside of Google Photos on this personal data, including other Gemini models and products.
Google has a vision of making Pixel phones easy to repair, so easy that you can reach into a kitchen drawer and be able to replace your screen. The company shared this vision in the latest episode of the Made by Google podcast. The podcast featured an interview with Steven Nickel, Googles director of consumer hardware operations.

Google plans to make Pixel phones repairable without special tools

Google is one of the leading tech firms in the right-to-repair movement. The company publicly endorsed the right-to-repair bill in Oregon and has been vocal against parts pairing, i.e., OEMs putting software restrictions on hardware components. It offers an online calibration tool for the under-display fingerprint scanner for Pixel phones. This allows users to calibrate the sensor after replacing a damaged screen on their own.

The Mountain View-based tech titan also offers replacement parts, tools, and repair guides for Pixel devices in partnership with iFixit. In the new podcast, Nickle talked about Googles vision for the repairability of its phones. The company aims to design products to be repairable from the start like it does for case use. A Google executive recently said that cases cannot be an afterthought and should be part of the design process.

Nickle shared how engineers love glue but repair technicians hate glue. For devices to be repairable, things have to change at the engineering level. Google is committed to reducing the amount of glue used to seal Pixel phones. The company is improving its design process iteratively with each new product. It has a Design for Serviceability Scorecard to evaluate the repairability of products and the score goes up with each product.

The ultimate goal is to make everyone capable of repairing the device they use. For that to happen, the repair tools should be readily accessible. To replace a screen, you currently need tools like a heat gun, a suction cup, a plastic pick, and a spudger. While they are fairly affordable, you are unlikely to have them lying around in your kitchen drawer. Google wants to make repair possible without requiring these special tools.

Repair programs should be available everywhere

Google doesnt like the idea of keeping repair programs limited to markets where the devices are manufactured. It was pretty common back then, and still is, for manufacturers to want to do repair where [the devices] are manufactured, said Nickel. That never made sense to us. Google certainly doesnt restrict Pixel repairs to the parts of the world where they are made. You can listen to the full podcast here.
OpenAI just held its spring live event, and the company delivered on its promise to announce new innovations for ChatGPT and GPT-4. The 26-minute event didnt announce too many updates, but it did show off something pretty significant that the company has been working on. So, heres a rundown of the announcements that OpenAI made during its spring event.

Unfortunately, there are a few announcements that we were looking forward to, but the company did not mention them. Weve been covering news about a potential OpenAI search engine that the company is allegedly working on. We heard nothing about that during the event. Also, we heard nothing about the GPT-5 model.

Be that as it may, if you are a person who uses OpenAIs AI products, then the announcements made today should satisfy you.

Everything that OpenAI announced during its spring event

OpenAI definitely made some pretty notable announcements today. However, lets start off with some of the smaller announcements that the company made.

Numbers

During the event, OpenAIs Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati mentioned that ChatGPT is used by over 100 million users. This is a metric that we received in the past, but it appears that the company is keeping its trajectory and user base.

Also, she mentioned that there are now over a million GPTs in the GPT store. If you dont know what they are, they are like separate user-created versions of ChatGPT that can be used for specific uses. Only people who are subscribed to a paid ChatGPT tier can access the GPT store. So, if you are a paid customer, you have your choice of over a million GPTs to use.

Lastly, ChatGPT now supports more than 50 languages. This makes it an incredibly useful tool internationally. Languages include English, Croatian, Chinese, Bulgarian, Georgian, German, Greek, Hindi, Icelandic, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Mongolian, Polish, Slavic, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese, and many more.

GPT UI revamp

Next up, is a new revamped ChatGPT interface. Its not extremely different from what were used to. However, it does show a nice change of pace.

When you open the website, you will see a new home screen thats more inviting and conversational. You will see suggestions of queries that you can input.

Another neat addition is the almost chat app-like interface. After you type in a query, you will see the text you typed show up in what looks like a chat bubble. This is in contrast to having the text set against the background. Its a slight update, but it still looks nice.

Mac app

A pretty significant bit of news was the announcement of a standalone ChatGPT app for Mac computers. The staff didnt speak too much about the application, but we saw some of it during a showcase of ChatGPTs abilities.

The aim of the app is to streamline the ChatGPT experience. It has a very intuitive user interface thats reminiscent of what users have become accustomed to. The interface itself is pretty minimalist. While you can use it as you would the website, the main point of the ChatGPT application is to basically act as an assistant. Rather than going into the application itself and typing in your queries, the application will integrate itself with your software so youll be able to quickly access it when you need it.

Using the application

For example, if youre typing a document on Google Docs, and you need ChatGPT for help, you can simply press the Option + Space shortcut to summon the floating ChatGPT text bar. Simply type wherever you want into the text field, and you will see the application quickly serve up your response.

However, you will gain access to more functionality by clicking on the Attachment button. When you click on it, you will see a drop-down menu appear with additional options. These options allow you to upload a photo, upload a file, take a screenshot, take a photo using the devices camera, or open the app.

When you choose to attach a file or image, you will see the image inside of the text field. Once you type your query, you will see the full app open up with your response. After that, youll interact with ChatGPT as you would on the website.

During the event, we saw that one of the users was able to simply use the Command + C shortcut to copy text directly into ChatGPT. This negates your having to paste it into ChatGPT.

Voice/Vision

The Mac application also gives ChatGPT eyes and ears. This functionality is still rolling out to users, so it may be a bit of time before you see it. However, you will see the microphone icon when ChatGPT appears. When you do that, you will be able to speak directly to it. You will also get real-time audio feedback. So, it will feel just like youre speaking to ChatGPT. It will be extremely fluid due to a certain reason that we will discuss later in this article.

Along with that, ChatGPT will also be able to see what is on your screen. So, if you have a document or a picture on your screen, the application will be able to ascertain what is on it and give you information based on it.

Availability

The ChatGPT Mac application is currently available to download. Its currently only available for paid ChatGPT users. However, if you are a free user, dont fret. The application will be coming out to you over the coming weeks.

Unfortunately, Windows users will have to wait a bit longer. The company stated that it will release a Windows application, but it will not be until later this year. So, it may be a few more months before the application makes it over to you guys.

GPT-4o

The biggest announcement during the event was OpenAIs new model GPT-4o. Folks waiting for GPT-5 will be a bit disappointed, but this model offers enough of an upgrade to keep them satisfied for a bit.

Murati did mention that this is OpenAIs next flagship model. So, you can expect the very best that OpenAI has to offer with this model. With GPT-4o, you get a slew of improvements to intelligence, speed, and usability. One of the main ways that GPT-4 improves over GPT-4 Turbo is in speed. In fact, GPT-4o is up to twice as fast as GPT-4 Turbo. Also, it is 50% cheaper and it has a five times higher rate limit.

Thats impressive on paper, but the OpenAI development team showcased some of GPT-4os capabilities in real time. The team showed off GPT-4os voice capabilities, and it was able to give vocal feedback extremely quickly. It was almost as if they were speaking to an actual human being.

Voice

Speaking of the voice feature, it can give responses very quickly. However, you can also interrupt it during a response and offer edits to your query. The dev team that showcased the voice capabilities spoke to it in a very natural tone. So, youre able to speak to it as if youre speaking to a person right beside you. The vocal responses sound extremely realistic, albeit with some weird audio artifacts. However, this is all being generated in real-time.

The team was able to give an example of the wide range of emotions that ChatGPT can convey by telling it to speak in different tones. They told it to tell a story, and they suggested that ChatGPT speak with a more dramatic voice; it acquiesced. Then, when they told ChatGPT to speak with even more drama, it did so. Lastly, when the team told ChatGPT to speak in a robotic voice, it also did so.

Translation

ChatGPT can function as a real-time translator as well. rather than just giving it a command to translate language A into language B, you can give a very human response like ChatGPT, Im in Italy, and I want you to translate everything Italian into English and everything English into Italian.

For this example, Murati asked a question in Italian, and ChatGPT translated it. ChatGPTs responses were very human. Rather than giving a direct word-for-word translation, ChatGPT actually gave a very natural-sounding summary of what she said.

Vision

One of the more impressive aspects of GPT-4o is the vision capability. Using the camera in the ChatGPT app, it is able to ascertain what its looking at in the viewfinder in real time. For example, if youre having issues with a math problem, you can point the camera at it, and ChatGPT will be able to help you through it.

In a very impressive showcase of its capabilities, ChatGPT was able to ascertain the emotion of a persons face.

Availability

Free ChatGPT users dont have to feel left out this time. GPT-4o will be available to both free and paid users. This is great news to hear from people who use ChatGPT for free. They will be able to try out these new features without needing to shell out money each month.

However, this will be a gradual rollout. So, these features will be coming out over the next couple of weeks. Were certain that paid users will be getting features first with free users following.

All in all, while this was not the biggest announcement, OpenAI was still able to introduce us to some neat additions to ChatGPT.
Chimene Van Gundy, who called herself the "Queen of Mobile Homes," has been accused of defrauding investors in a mobile-home flipping business out of millions of dollars. Screengrab A state District Court judge in Comal County on Monday gave approval for a court-appointed receiver to begin marketing for sale the more than $1 million New Braunfels house that is owned by Chimene Van Gundy and her husband. She is the self-described Queen of Mobile Homes who has been accused of defrauding investors out of millions of dollars. JLV1/Court Documents Comal County Court Judge Dib Waldrip, shown in a file photo, gave approval for the court-appointed receiver to begin marketing a more than $1 million New Bruanfels house that is owned by Chimene Van Gundy and her husband. Jerry Lara, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer

NEW BRAUNFELS  Chimene Van Gundy claimed she was able to pay cash for her dream home in New Braunfels within 2 years of starting her business buying and selling mobile homes with no money and no credit.

She branded herself the Queen of Mobile Homes to trumpet her claims she had become a self-made millionaire running the business.

It appears her prowess was an illusion.

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Now Van Gundy, accused of defrauding investors who believed they were investing in her business buying, refurbishing and selling mobile homes, will have to turn over the keys to her dream home.

During a Monday court hearing in Comal County, state District Court Judge Dib Waldrip gave the court-appointed receiver for Van Gundy and her company approval to sell her residence at 614 Battistrada.

Receiver Charlie Adams estimated Van Gundys five-bedroom, 5-bathroom, 5,000-square-foot residence is worth from $1.4 million to $1.6 million. Some proceeds from its sale could benefit those she allegedly defrauded.

Bank records obtained by Adams show more than a dozen payments totaling just less than $1 million went from Van Gundys companys account in 2017 to pay builder Vintage Estate Homes and for the down payment to a title company. Her company was known as Outstanding Real Estate Solutions Inc.

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We have provided proof that every single dime that went into this property came from investors who were told they were investing in mobile-home flipping, Christopher Hughes, a lawyer for Adams, told the judge. That was not true. Ms. Van Gundy was not generating revenue from flipping mobile homes. She was taking investors money and using it for her own personal benefit, including to purchase the property itself.

So far, more than 300 people who say they have been harmed by Van Gundy have submitted claims exceeding $27 million  though they have not been vetted, Hughes added. Another 85 people who may have been affected have not submitted claims.

Investors did receive relatively small monthly or quarterly payments on their investments but Adams said in a court filing last month the only logical conclusion that can be reached from all the facts and circumstances is that Van Gundy was using Investors money to pay money to other Investors. Thus, based upon the information available, it appears Van Gundy was orchestrating a Ponzi scheme.

The Securities and Exchange Commission obtained a default judgment against Chimene Van Gundy, 47, last year after she failed to respond to its civil complaint. Screengrab

Health issues

Van Gundy, 47 did not attend the hearing. Attorney Marilee Hazel, who represents her, didnt oppose the receivers request to begin marketing the property.

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The judge gave Van Gundy until 3 p.m. June 30 to vacate the house.

Hazel said Van Gundy wants $100,800 of the profits from the house sale so she can rent a home for $3,000 a month for two years and to cover $1,200 monthly insurance premiums for her and her family during that time.

Without the money, Van Gundy and her family will be homeless, she said in a Thursday court filing. She added that she has significant health issues, including a mass in her brain, for which she is in need of extensive medical testing and treatment, but which she has not been able to afford since the commencement of this case and divestment of her bank accounts and assets.

Hughes opposed the request.

These investors, who have lost everything, some of them, dont have the opportunity to get $100,000, he said.

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Proceeds from the sale will be held by the receivership, Waldrip said, adding that Van Gundys request can be taken up at a later time.

Under Texas Property Code, a homestead generally is protected from a forced sale for paying debts and judgments. But that isnt the case in this instance, Adams argued in his motion for court approval to begin marketing the property. Thats because case law states stolen funds used for the purchase of a homestead  can never acquire homestead rights as (the stolen funds) are held in trust for the rightful owners of the funds, Adams said in his court filing.

The Comal Appraisal District shows the New Braunfels property is owned by both Van Gundy and husband Chad Hess, a traveling nurse, and has a market value of almost $1.3 million. The property has qualified for homestead and disabled persons exemptions.

Federal case

Nearly a year ago, the Securities and Exchange Commission accused Van Gundy of masterminding an investment scheme that fraudulently raised $18.5 million from at least 600 investors.

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She told investors their money would generate 15% to 20% annual returns from the purchase and sale of mobile homes. The SEC says Van Gundy sold securities to investors that were not registered with the agency.

She paid herself a $7,000 weekly salary and misappropriated more than $5.7 million in investor funds to pay for her nanny, private school tuition for her children, veterinarian bills and boarding costs for her horses, car payments and other expenses, the SEC has alleged.

Adams alleges investors money was used for a range of expenditures from the mundane  dining at Whataburger  to the lavish  buying jewelry in Dubai.

Van Gundy has never responded to the allegations in the SECs complaint, leading the court clerk to enter a default judgment against her in December.

Last month, the SEC asked U.S. District Judge Fred Biery to order Van Gundy to turn over nearly $7.4 million in profits and interest and pay a civil penalty of $6.5 million.

A state District Court judge in Comal County on Monday gave approval for a court-appointed receiver to begin marketing for sale the more than $1 million New Braunfels house that is owned by Chimene Van Gundy and her husband. She is the self-described Queen of Mobile Homes who has been accused of defrauding investors out of millions of dollars. JLV1/Court Documents

Bankruptcy case

Van Gundy filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation about two years ago, listing less than $50,000 in assets and debts in the range of $100,000 to $500,000.

The bankruptcy judge, however, dismissed the case in September 2022  about 4 months after its filing  at the request of the Chapter 7 trustee administering the case. The trustee said Van Gundy had failed to comply with her obligations under the bankruptcy code, including to appear by telephone for two scheduled creditors meeting to answer questions.

She had appeared for two prior creditors meetings, including the first one where she was asked about where she got the money to buy her home. Van Gundy said, My husbands mother paid for the majority of it.

But at the same meeting, Van Gundy said about 100 times that she didnt remember, recall or know the answer to a question. She said she sustained a brain injury late in 2021 after falling and hitting her head on a concrete table at her home. She didnt know why she fell, but said it had caused her memory problems.
Xiaomi has just announced a launch date for its upcoming POCO flagship. The POCO F6 series will become official on May 23. The company will host a press event in Dubai, and this will be a global launch, of course.

New POCO flagship will launch on May 23, Xiaomi has announced

The POCO F6 and POCO F6 Pro handsets are expected. The press event will kick off at 3 PM local time. That translates to 1 PM CET / noon BST / 4:30 PM India / 7 AM EST / 4 AM PST.

POCO is using HyperPower Evolved tagline for this launch event. The POCO F6 Pro will be the star of the show here. And while the POCO F6 will be inferior to it, that device is expected to pack some punch too.

As per usual, these two smartphones are expected to be quite powerful and have an appealing price tag at the same time. That has been POCOs thing from the get-go.

The POCO F6 Pro will essentially be a rebranded Redmi K70

The POCO F6 Pro is actually expected to be a rebranded Redmi K70 which has already been launched. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is expected to fuel the phone, while a 5,000mAh battery will also be a part of the package.

The POOC F6 Pro will have a 50-megapixel main camera, along with 120W charging, and more. The POCO F6, on the flip side, will be fueled by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, and also include a 50-megapixel main camera, but a different one.

POCO did show the design of both upcoming smartphones already

POCO did reveal partial designs of both smartphones ahead of this launch event. If you take a look at the gallery below, youll see both smartphones there

The POCO F6 Pro will have three cameras on the back, as you can see. Its camera island will take quite a bit of space at the top of the phones backplate. The POCO F6, on the other hand, has one less circle on the back, and possibly two rear-facing cameras. Both devices will have flat sides all around.
Square Enix is looking to make more of its game releases multiplatform, following a trend that has been catching on across the industry of late. In its latest earnings report published on May 13, Square Enix says it plans to aggressively pursue a multiplatform strategy for future game releases. Square Enix is a storied publisher that has had releases on numerous consoles over the past 30 years.

Over time, however, many of the publishers largest franchise titles have routinely been locked to a particular console. The most recent examples of this are games like Final Fantasy XVI and Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth. Both of which are still available exclusively on PS5. Final Fantasy VII: Remake, the predecessor to Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, launched as a PS4-exclusive title back in 2020, but then made its way to PC at the end of 2021. It has yet to make the jump to Xbox consoles or Nintendos popular Switch handheld.

This strategy of console exclusives, timed or otherwise, has led to less people getting to experience these games. This is something that Square Enix wants to avoid in the future, stating that it hopes multiplatform releases of its biggest titles will allow more people to enjoy them. Its a strategy that both Microsoft and Sony have been exploring as well. Microsoft brought Hi-Fi Rush to PS5 earlier this year, and Sony is poised to launch the previously PlayStation-exclusive Ghost of Tsushima on PC this week.

More Square Enix games going multiplatform could be due to lower sales

Square Enix doesnt state that low sales of some of its more recent titles are the motivation behind this decision to pursue multiplatform releases more heavily. However, as The Verge points out, the publishers most recent AAA release, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, may not have performed as well as Square Enix hoped.

This is in contrast to other games in the franchise. Such as Final Fantasy XV, which was released on Xbox and PlayStation simultaneously and went on to become one of the best-selling Final Fantasy games of all time. It would make sense then that Square Enix wants to boost revenue by bringing more games to more platforms. Without any sort of exclusivity. Square Enix is also looking to restructure its US and EU businesses by announcing upcoming layoffs.

Future Square Enix releases to include Xbox and Nintendo

Its worth pointing out that both Xbox and Nintendo have games published by Square Enix. And not just older titles. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion released in 2022 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. This was alongside the PS4 and PS5 releases in addition to its Windows release. Other games like Nier Replicant and Outriders also launched on Xbox consoles at the same time as their PlayStation counterparts. As did Dragon Quest XI and Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin.

However, Square Enixs largest releases have remained outside of the Xbox and Nintendo ecosystems. Specifically, the larger mainline Final Fantasy titles mentioned above. The publisher doesnt mention anything with regard to what will be making the jump or when.
Andy Murray will defend his title at the Surbiton Trophy next month.

The Scot defeated Jurij Rodionov in the final of the second-tier Challenger Tour event last June and will again kick off his grass-court season at the tournament beginning on June 3.

The Surbiton Trophy coincides with the second week of the French Open, which Murray is set to play in for the first time since 2020, indicating he is not anticipating a long stay in Paris.

Murray, who turns 37 on Wednesday, is expected to retire at some point this season and getting as much grass-court preparation as possible ahead of a final tilt at Wimbledon will be the priority.

He will play in the ATP Tour event in Stuttgart the following week rather than defending his Challenger title in Nottingham before heading to Queens Club.

A serious ankle injury suffered at the Miami Open in March has derailed Murrays swansong but he is returning to action this week at the Challenger event on clay in Bordeaux.

Even in his final months on tour, he is not afraid to make big changes, and this week is trialling a Yonex racket having played with Head throughout his career so far.
Mining giant Anglo American has said it will slow down development of a 7 billion North Yorkshire fertiliser mine and revealed plans to break up major parts of the business.

It comes a day after the FTSE 100 firm rebuffed a second takeover bid, worth 34 billion, from Australian rival BHP.

The company has come under pressure to show it can deliver value for investors in the face of the takeover interest.

Anglo American told shareholders on Tuesday that it plans to sell or demerge its De Beers diamond business, Anglo American platinum and coking coal assets.

Anglo American accelerates delivery of strategy to unlock significant value.https://t.co/LkFBBTejIl pic.twitter.com/5V5UR3ne0E  Anglo American (@AngloAmerican) May 14, 2024

It said it has already witnessed strong buyer interest for the coal operation.

The firm will now focus on its copper, iron ore and crop nutrients businesses.

Duncan Wanblad, chief executive of Anglo American, said: We set out our clear strategic priorities earlier this year  operational excellence, portfolio simplification and growth.

Our decision to focus Anglo Americans portfolio in our world-class resource asset base in copper and premium iron ore  while retaining our crop nutrients optionality at Woodsmith  marks a major new phase in executing our strategy.

We expect that a radically simpler business will deliver sustainable incremental value creation through a step change in operational performance and cost reduction.

The company also said it will continue efforts to cut costs and reduce its debt leverage on its balance sheet.

This will see the company slow down work on its Woodsmith fertiliser project in North Yorkshire, heavily reducing its investment plans for the site.

I know a number of constituents will be very concerned by the bad news coming out of Anglo American this morning   so am I. They have set out their intention to slow down the pace of their Woodsmith Mine development dramatically. (1/) pic.twitter.com/9nHIjbuVB7  Simon Clarke MP (@SimonClarkeMP) May 14, 2024

The project near Whitby, which was taken over by Anglo American in 2020, involves extracting a nutrient-rich fertiliser called polyhalite and then transporting it to a processing facility via a 23-mile tunnel.

Anglo American has already invested heavily in the project and had committed to spend around 1 billion dollars (800 million) each year.

However, the firm said it will cut this to 200 million dollars (159 million) in 2025 and no expenditure in 2026 to help the groups finances.

The announcement drew criticism from local politicians, with Simon Clarke, Conservative MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland stating he was very concerned.
An arsonist who murdered a mother and her daughters by pouring petrol through the letterbox of their flat before torching the home has won his bid to reduce his jail time.

Jamie Barrow, 32, was jailed for life with a minimum of 44 years in July last year for the murders of Fatoumatta Hydara, 28, and her daughters, Fatimah and Naeemah Drammeh, aged three and one, who died because of smoke inhalation.

Barrow drank several cans of lager before taking petrol from his motorbike and setting the home alight in November 2022, after holding what prosecutors described as a grievance over rubbish being left in an alleyway.

He then stood outside the home in Fairisle Close, Clifton, Nottingham, to watch the fire take hold, ignoring the screams of the family who were trapped inside.

In a ruling at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Tuesday, Lord Justice Singh, Mr Justice Jay and Judge Mayo lowered his sentence to 38 years.

They said the original sentence was manifestly excessive in the circumstances of this case, but acknowledged the sentencing judge had a difficult exercise to perform.

Chris Henley KC, who had made arguments on Barrows behalf, argued that the 44-year minimum term was out of kilter with other comparable cases, which the judges considered a significant submission.

The judges said there should be, as far as possible, consistency as between different cases.

The judges also expressed their sincere sympathy to family members, adding: Nothing in this judgment should be taken in any way to detract from the gravity of the offences committed by this appellant.

Jailing Barrow at Nottingham Crown Court last year, Mrs Justice Tipples had said that she felt he showed no genuine remorse and she was sure he wanted to kill Mrs Hydara and her children.

Prosecutor Simon Ash KC previously told the trial that Barrow walked casually away after lighting the petrol with some tissue paper, having watched the flames take hold for about five minutes.

Barrow never gave a motive.

Mr Ash said several reasons could have caused him to start the fire, including the grievance over rubbish being left, anger over noise, and a desire to be rehoused by Nottingham City Council to be closer to his son.

Reading a victim impact statement during sentencing, Mrs Hydaras husband and the childrens father, Aboubacarr Drammeh, said: I was hopeless, and I was left helpless, because I didnt have a family, and it was the people who mattered most to me.

Since then, it has been a downward plunge into darkness and the unknown.

It was unthinkable, it was unplanned, and I wish this on no one else, including you.

Mr Drammeh was in America at the time of the fire and had to fly back to the UK, spending his 40th birthday identifying the bodies of Fatimah and Naeemah.

In her statement read to the court, Mrs Hydaras mother, Aminata Dibba, called Barrow a monster and a heartless human being.

No family members were present at Tuesdays hearing.
San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller at the Thanksgiving Interfaith Service last year. Some of his social media posts on the Gaza war were removed days later. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer

Days after posting about the Israel-Hamas war on social media, San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller removed an unknown number of the comments and the archdiocese that he leads issued a statement saying he regretted how people reacted to them.

The archbishop deeply regrets that posts in recent days on the war in Gaza have caused confusion and misunderstanding in some, the Archdiocese of San Antonio statement said.

Garcia-Siller had posted a series of statements on X, formerly Twitter, over a few hours on May 7 that expressed solidarity with Palestinians while also seeming to conflate all Jewish people with Israeli actions in Gaza. Some of the more contentious posts were removed by the morning of May 9.

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Released to media late last week, the archdiocese statement stopped short of expressing a direct apology, saying Garcia-Siller had removed a few of the comments and emphasized his years of work and solidarity with the Jewish community.

It didnt directly identify the comments that it said Garcia-Siller regrets. Among those that were removed, presumably by the archbishop, was one that said, Why Israel wants to destroy lives Palestines. Why, O Lord, allow people to hate so much to kill people. The Holocaust was already forgotten for Jews and everyone else.

Garcia-Sillers name and photo are on the social media account that uses the handle @ABishopGustavo and links to his Facebook page. Garcia-Sillers accounts on X and Facebook both link to the archdioceses official website.

Some of the comments to the archbishops posts on X expressed bewilderment and asked for explanation. Others asked him to use his leadership platform to urge more political action to end the violence.

Jordan McMorrough, director of communications for the archdiocese, told the Catholic media outlet the Pillar that the personal account of Garcia-Siller is not an official communication tool of the archdiocese.

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The archbishops X account, according to its biography section, was created in October 2017 and has more than 8,000 followers. A search of posts over the past few weeks shows prayer requests, reposts of Vatican news and messages from Pope Francis, along with sermon-like statements in both English and Spanish.

The archbishops Facebook page, which lists him as a public figure and has more than 6,000 followers, does not appear to have posts or mentions of the Israel-Hamas War or of politics in general. Many of the more recent posts on that page are video clips of the archbishop celebrating Mass or attending an official archdiocese event.

Garcia-Sillers social media accounts remained active Monday.

READ MORE: Houston woman becomes third person to plead guilty in Henry Cuellar bribery case

The statement from the archdiocese, which was not posted on its website or on social media, expressed regret that some of the archbishops posts were misinterpreted but offered no clarification of his meaning. The archdiocese did not make Garcia-Siller available for an interview.

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In an email following up on the statement, McMorrough told the Express-News the statement is the archdiocesan comment on the matter.

As was stated, Archbishop Gustavo profoundly regrets that recent X statements on the Gaza conflict have been misinterpreted and caused discord, McMorrough wrote.

The bulk of the five-paragraph statement highlights the archbishops record of working with the Jewish community and his history of calling for peace and prayers, including on social media.

Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, MSpS, has consistently called for an end to violence in Gaza and around the world, the statement says. Archbishop Gustavo has preached strongly and emphatically against anti-Semitism through the years, including many public statements in the media abhorring anti-Semitic acts.

The statement also mentions the archbishops condemnation of vandalism at Rodfei Sholom Congregation, an Orthodox synagogue on the citys North Side that was spray-painted with graffiti in 2015.

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And it mentions his participation in an annual Hanukkah luncheon jointly hosted by the citys Jewish and Catholic communities as an event which fosters unity.
The irresponsible actions of Chinese state-backed hackers are making the internet less secure for the world, a British spy chief warned.

GCHQ director Anne Keast-Butler said responding to the coercive and destabilising actions of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) was her top priority.

She also highlighted the immediate threats posed by Russia and Iran, carrying out actions ranging from cyber attacks, espionage and surveillance.

But the scale of the challenge from Beijing meant GCHQ devotes more resource to China than any other single mission.

In a speech at the Cyber UK conference in Birmingham, she said: Through their coercive and destabilising actions, the PRC poses a significant risk to international norms and values.

In cyberspace, we believe that the PRCs irresponsible actions weaken the security of the internet for all.

China has built an advanced set of cyber capabilities, and is taking advantage of a growing commercial ecosystem of hacking outfits and data brokers at its disposal.

China poses a genuine and increasing cyber risk to the UK.

China wanted to shape global technology standards and assert its dominance in the field within the next 10 to 15 years, she said.

The UK was working with its Five Eyes intelligence allies  the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand  on the challenges, she said.

GCHQ chief Anne Keast-Butler warned about the risks from China, Russia and Iran (GCHQ/PA)

She added: We have repeatedly called out Chinese cyber adversaries for activities that threaten the security of the UK or target the institutions important to our society, such as the compromise of the UK Electoral Commission.

On Russia, the GCHQ chief said there were growing links between Vladimir Putins intelligence services and proxy groups to conduct cyber attacks, as well as suspected physical surveillance and sabotage operations.

Previously, Russia simply created the right environment for these groups, but it was now nurturing and inspiring these non-state cyber actors, in some cases seemingly co-ordinating physical attacks against the West.

The threat from Russia was acute and globally pervasive, Ms Keast-Butler warned.

She said GCHQ continued to strengthen Ukraines cyber capabilities and shared vital intelligence to expose Putins malign plans and reliance on states including China, North Korea and Iran.

She said Iran was also aggressive in cyberspace and actors associated with the state had been implicated in attacks against victims in many countries.

Tehran was continuing to develop cyber espionage expertise alongside disruptive and destructive capabilities.

Whilst they might not always use the most advanced capabilities to conduct their operations, they should not be underestimated, she added.

The National Cyber Security Centres chief, Felicity Oswald, also raised concerns about Chinas online activity and urged network managers to bolster their defences.

She said: The Chinese authorities have introduced a new law requiring the discovery of security vulnerabilities to be provided to the government as a priority and at risk of severe penalty. This should worry all of us.

She said the UK, US and allies had warned about the activity of the Volt Typhoon cyber group which could be laying the groundwork for disruptive and destructive cyber attacks.

This is a clear warning about Chinas intent to hold essential networks at risk, she said.

And it is a warning that providers of essential services in the UK cannot afford to ignore.

Harry Coker, the White Houses national cyber director, said Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) has invested tremendous resources in building up their cyber programme and was intent on embedding capabilities in foreign states civilian infrastructure to wreak havoc at a time of crisis.

The US government has already identified and disrupted the PLAs efforts to pre-position on our critical infrastructure networks and we are going to keep pushing back, he said.
The Chinese ambassador has been summoned to the Foreign Office following allegations of foreign interference on UK soil.

Lord David Cameron, the Foreign Secretary, ordered the summoning of Ambassador Zheng Zeguang on Tuesday after three men were charged under the National Security Act for allegedly assisting the Hong Kong intelligence service.

Ambassador Zheng met with a senior official at the Foreign Office on Tuesday morning.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said the department had been unequivocal in setting out that the recent pattern of behaviour directed by China against the UK including cyber attacks, reports of espionage links and the issuing of bounties is not acceptable.

Chinese Ambassador Zheng Zeguang was summoned to the Foreign Office on Tuesday. (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Chi Leung (Peter) Wai, 38, Matthew Trickett, 37, and Chung Biu Yuen, 63, appeared in court on Monday charged with foreign interference and assisting a foreign intelligence service.

Yuen, also known as Billy Yuen, is a retired Hong Kong police officer who now works as a Hong Kong trade official based in London.

Wai is a UK Border Force officer and Trickett is an Immigration Enforcement officer who served for six years as a Royal Marine.

They are accused of information gathering, hostile surveillance, acts of deception and forcing entry into a UK residential address, with the primary targets of this activity said to be members of the Hong Kong diaspora based in the UK.

The trio did not enter pleas and were bailed until May 24, when they are due to appear at the Old Bailey.

Downing Street said the charges were deeply concerning and that the Prime Minister thanks the police for their work keeping us safe.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman added that the UK was continuously monitoring possible espionage routes and had taken unprecedented action in passing the National Security Act to deter states from operating against the UK.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy described the charges as a fabrication and an unwarranted accusation against Hong Kong.

In March, the Government accused China of conducting a cyber espionage campaign against politicians and the Electoral Commission.

News that the Ministry of Defence had been subject to a cyber attack last week also prompted speculation that Beijing was responsible, but the Government is yet to attribute the attack to a specific actor.

China condemned the UKs decision to summon Ambassador Zheng, saying in a statement: During the meeting, Ambassador Zheng made further serious representations to the UK side on the UKs wrongful behaviour, including its unwarranted accusation against the (Hong Kong) government, and refuted the excuses made by the UK side.

He was unequivocal that the UK must stop anti-China political manoeuvring and not go further down the dangerous path of jeopardising China-UK relations.

The statement added: Ambassador Zheng urged the UK side to immediately correct its wrongdoing, stop interfering in Chinas internal affairs, stop spreading lies about so-called China threat, stop its provocations against China and stop its arbitrary law enforcement against Chinese citizens in the UK.

In a warning to the Government, the statement added: We want to make it clear to the UK side: any move to interfere in Chinas internal affairs and undermine our interests will be met with a firm response.

The UK side must not go further down the dangerous path of jeopardising China-UK relations.
An announcement of school closures in the Irish Republic in March 2020 when schools in Northern Ireland remained open shook public confidence, Michelle ONeill has said.

Ms ONeill, who served as deputy first minister during the coronavirus pandemic, also blasted the Irish government for not telling Stormont in advance.

Stormont followed advice from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) which changed to recommend the closure of schools later in March.

First Minister Michelle ONeill (Oliver McVeigh/PA)

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry has heard of a fractious Executive meeting in March during which Ms ONeill expressed concern that they had lost control of the situation.

Giving evidence to the inquiry sitting in Belfast on Tuesday, Ms ONeill said she was baffled that their advice around schools could be so different on either sides of the border.

She said the Irish government moving to school closures precipitated a whole new set of circumstances, and criticised Dublin for not telling Stormont about it as not good enough, and that it put us all in a very difficult spot.

We live in a small island, two jurisdictions back to back, and particularly in relation to the issue of schools closure. Parents in Strabane couldnt understand why parents in Lifford werent sending their children to school, she said.

It just didnt compute in peoples minds, so much so that I just couldnt understand it and I tried to understand from within the Executive, I tried to ask the CMO (chief medical officer) about the difference of advice.

I wasnt privy to what the advice was in Dublin. If Dublin were wrong, and were at different junctures throughout the pandemic, I would say that, if London were right, I would say that.

But where I think somethings not right, either way, I feel obliged that I would have to articulate that but I think that on the issue of schools. This was the first big issue that the public witnessed and experienced and people were afraid, and they couldnt fathom how our advice could be different.

The inquiry heard that Ms ONeill issued a public statement on March 12 saying Northern Ireland was not at the stage of needing to close schools, but on March 13 issued a statement as Sinn Fein vice president calling for the immediate closure of schools.

In 24 hours, a lot had changed  we had lost the wider public, they were taking the children out of schools. The Catholic bishops had came out and asked for all schools to close their doors, she said.

We were very, very quickly rapidly descending into an unmanaged school closure. It was much much better to do it in a managed way and that was why I felt obliged to speak out, and I couldnt get that concerted agreement, that joined-up effort and agreement in the Executive itself, because the CMO had advised that we were not in the position to move to this juncture yet.

I tried everything that I could to try to get people onto that right position where I thought  unfortunately, we couldnt get to that juncture.

Its not ideal. But it was the only way in which I could try to influence the decision.

I felt like lives could be lost if we didnt take this decision so I felt like that having not been able to secure what I tried to secure within (the Executive).

Does my statement add to confusion? Yes, of course. Do I believe it was the right thing to do? Yes, I do because I felt like we had lost people.

In that 24 hours we were actually committing to remove the children from schools, schools were shutting down, even education authorities like CCMS (Council for Catholic Maintained Schools) were telling schools to close.
The Duke of Kent joined the last surviving widow of a lifeboat disaster to lay a wreath in remembrance of the five men who died.

Edward, cousin of Queen Elizabeth II and president of the RNLI, laid the tribute at the lifeboat station in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, with Pat Owen, whose husband James Buchan died in the Fraserburgh lifeboat disaster more than half a century ago.

The Fraserburgh lifeboat, the Duchess of Kent, capsized in gale-force winds on January 21 1970 while escorting another vessel to safety.

In a ceremony at the lifeboat station on Tuesday, the duke spoke to Mrs Owen and the families of other crew members who died: John Stephen, James RS Buchan and William Hadden; as well as relatives of the sole survivor of the tragedy, John Jackson Buchan.

The Duke of Kent, president of the RNLI, during his visit to the Fraserburgh lifeboat station in Aberdeenshire (Michal Wachucik/PA)

The fifth victim of the disaster was Fred Kirkness, whose body has never been found.

Speaking to Mrs Owen, the duke recalled their first meeting at the funeral more than 54 years ago.

He led the procession of an estimated 10,000 mourners, met families of those who died and attended the funeral to pay his own respects.

The disaster happened the year after the duke succeeded both his mother and father as president of the RNLI.

At the end of the visit on Tuesday, the duke and Mrs Owen laid a wreath at the foot of the remembrance statue, while pipers played a lament.

Pipers also welcomed Edward into the station where he met volunteers and staff.

He also spoke to two of the former crew who had served on the lifeboat alongside the five volunteers who died in the disaster: Albert Sutherland and Victor Sutherland Senior.

The duke presented the lifeboat station with the first flag of the new patronage of the King, whom the RNLI announced earlier on Tuesday succeeds Queen Elizabeth II as patron of the charity.

A new flag gifted to the RNLI in Fraserburgh by the Duke of Kent (Michal Wachucik/PA)

RNLI chief executive, Mark Dowie, accompanied the duke on his visit.

He said: Today was a very special day for the RNLI and the charitys longstanding heritage with the Royal Family since our foundation in 1824.

Fraserburgh was a fitting host for our presidents 55th anniversary visit, with so many personal connections between the Kent Family and the station.

The Duke has provided unwavering support to the RNLI for 55 years, visiting almost all the lifeboat stations around the UK and Ireland, attending countless lifeboat naming and station opening events and meeting crew members, fundraisers, supporters and staff.

Our presidents warmth, generosity and understanding of our lifesaving work is incredibly valued by the charity and the time His Royal Highness spends with each volunteer is greatly appreciated by the institution.

We also welcomed the news of our new Patron, King Charles III, this morning and there was an immense sense of pride across the Fraserburgh RNLI team as they became the first RNLI lifeboat station to fly our new house flag featuring the Kings Crown this afternoon.

Edward presented three Chair letters of thanks to current crew of the Fraserburgh lifeboat: coxswain Ethan Harris and crew members Stephen Brown and Shane Richardson; as well as a chief executives commendation to Davy Sutherland, for the part they played in the rescue of four fishermen from a vessel that grounded and subsequently sank in October 2022.

Fraserburgh lifeboats coxswain mechanic, Vic Sutherland, said: I would like to congratulate His Royal Highness on 55 years service to the RNLI and sincerely thank him for his continued support in Fraserburgh.

The Kent Family has a long-running history with the lifeboat station here in Fraserburgh. The Duchess of Kent named our lifeboat in 1954, with the Duke visiting in 1970 and 1986. It really is humbling to know that the fondness is felt both ways.
Emergency legislation that will clear the name of Scottish subpostmasters wrongly convicted during the Horizon scandal has been introduced at Holyrood.

Scottish Justice Secretary Angela Constance said lives had been ruined as convictions based on the faulty IT system used by the Post Office.

Ms Constance stated: The scale of the scandal and the length of time that the victims have waited for justice means we are taking an unprecedented step of introducing legislation to right this terrible wrong, and asking Parliament for it to be processed as an emergency Bill.

The Post Office (Horizon System) Offences (Scotland) Bill will result in those who were wrongly convicted being exonerated and, with their convictions quashed, they will then be able to access the UK Government financial redress scheme.

Angela Constance said innocent subpostmasters had had their lives ruined by Horizon convictions (Andrew Milligan/PA)

The legislation has been introduced by the Scottish Government after the UK Government refused to extend the Bill it introduced in the wake of the Horizon scandal to cover Scotland.

And while it will proceed through Holyrood on an expedited basis, the Scottish Government said its Bill would not receive final approval until after UK legislation.

Ms Constance said this meant MSPs would be able to take account of any changes made to the UK Bill when considering the Scottish legislation.

She insisted that quickest, easiest route to deal with Horizon related miscarriages of justice north of the border would have been for Scotland to be included in the scope of the UK Governments Bill.

Ms Constance said: Innocent subpostmasters had their lives ruined by being wrongly convicted of offences of dishonesty on the evidence of the faulty Post Office Horizon system.

The quickest, easiest route to overturn these miscarriages of justice would have been for the UK Government to extend their Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill to cover subpostmasters in Scotland.

However, our repeated requests for this were refused.

The Justice Secretary said the Bill introduced at Holyrood mirrors that of UK legislation to ensure parity for affected sub-postmasters in Scotland with those elsewhere in the UK and to ensure access to the UK Governments compensation scheme.

Ms Constance insisted: The Scottish Government will not do anything to jeopardise equality and parity for victims, so the final stage of the Bill cannot be considered in the Scottish Parliament until after the UK legislation has been passed.

This will ensure that MSPs can take account of any amendments made to the UK Bill.

The Bill will not apply to submpostmasters whose conviction has been considered by the High Court in connection with an appeal.

The planned law will exonerate convicted subpostmasters with relevant convictions between September 23 1996 and December 31 2018.

Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Russell Findlay said the legislation was welcome and long overdue.

The Tory MSP said: SNP ministers knew from the outset that Scotlands distinct legal system and prosecution mechanism required a separate law to deliver justice to Scottish sub-postmasters.

But instead of getting on and delivering it, the SNP typically wasted time on a constitutional spat with the UK Government, as well as creating confusion on whether they backed blanket exonerations.

Given that this legislation looks to be largely a copy-and-paste job, Scottish victims of this appalling scandal have needlessly been kept in the dark for longer than those in the rest of the UK.

A UK Government spokesperson said: The Scottish Government is best placed to bring forward proposals to overturn relevant convictions in Scotland, to be scrutinised by the Scottish Parliament.

We will continue to work with the Scottish Government as they bring forward their own legislation to ensure that those who have been wrongly convicted in all parts of the UK can access financial redress.
Downing Street staff threatens to throw Clarkson's Farm stars Kaleb and Charlie out. (Getty) (James Manning - PA Images via Getty Images)

What did you miss?

A member of Downing Street staff threatened to kick Kaleb Cooper and Charlie Ireland out of No10 after knocking on the door too loudly.

The Clarkson's Farm stars received a special invitation to No10, in London to speak to prime minister Rishi Sunak about his back British Farm to Fork initiative in May last year. Their adventure to the capital from the Cotswolds was captured on camera for Clarkson's Farm season three, now streaming on Prime Video and the new episodes were released on 10 May.

However, it got off to a rocky start when the farm manager and the land agent got a telling off from the man manning the No10 door because they had knocked too loudly. Quickly Cooper apologised and tried to explain they weren't used to the city - saying: "Sorry, we're farmers."

What, how and why?

The Clarkson's Farm stars received a special invitation to No10 to speak to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. (Getty) (Carl Court via Getty Images)

The hilarious sequence played out in Clarkson's Farm season three episode six. The person who opened the door at No10 started off the conversation in a friendly way asking how they were doing. He said: "Hi guys, you alright?"

Cooper responded with a, "how are you doing?" However as Cooper and Ireland had stepped into No10, the tone changed. The Downing Street staff member could be heard giving the duo a bit of a telling off. He told them: "If you knock that loud again, I'll throw you out."

The farm manager pressed the person manning the door with the words: "Say that again!"

The No10 staff member, whose face was blurred, responded: "Don't knock so loud."

Cooper told them: "Sorry, we're farmers."

The man responded: "I don't care." Cooper then said: "OK!"

Once inside, Cooper then could be heard speaking to Ireland. He told him: "He told us."

Kaleb Cooper and Charlie Ireland were at No10 in May last year. (Getty) (Carl Court via Getty Images)

In the voiceover, Jeremy Clarkson poked fun at the situation that unfolded at No10 Downing Street. He said: "Kaleb and Charlie were being told off by Downing Street's door police." Meanwhile, Clarkson got to work on Diddly Squat farm with the goats he had newly purchased.

Yahoo has reached out to Downing Street's representatives.

Ahead of their meeting with Mr Sunak, the Clarkson's Farm stars had a meeting in a cafe. Accidentally Cooper called Rishi "Ricky" in a funny moment filmed for the show, plus he called him the "president". "Jeremy told me to say," he said. "Kaleb if you want any talking points, just tell Ricky you aren't going to be prime minister anymore."

"Rishi," Ireland corrected him.

"Rishi," agreed Cooper. "The President, the prime minister sorry."

Ireland said: "That'll be a great place to start. I would definitely go, 'Oh hello Mr President, how are you Ricky? You're not going to be prime minister next time."

How did Rishi and Kaleb's meeting go?

Kaleb Cooper and Charlie Ireland being filmed for Clarkson's Farm at Downing Street. (Getty) (Carl Court via Getty Images)

Clarkson said Cooper speaking to Mr Sunak gave him a "big moment" to try attract youngsters into farming. The farm manager broke the ice with a compliment. "What lovely hair," he told the prime minster. "I just like hair."

Once Mr Sunak and Cooper sit down to discuss, Clarkson poked fun at the farm manager for taking too long to get to the point. Cooper was bursting with enthusiasm and love for his farming job.

He said: "Farming is not a job. It's a way of life. That is it. There is no other option there. It's a way of life. You don't get out there and say oh got to go work today. I never say, 'Oh I've got to go to work today. I've got an 8-5 job. I can't wait to finish. Halfway through the day you have your lunch and you want to go home.'

"I never do that. I wake up and think, 'What am I doing today?' Yesterday I was outside milking..." Clarkson's Farm was edited with some hilarious thought bubbles above Mr Sunak with Clarkson speculating what the prime minster could be thinking, including: "For the love of god man, get on with it" and "please I have a country to run".

What did Rishi Sunak say about meeting Kaleb Cooper?

In May last year, Mr Sunak and Cooper shared photos of them laughing in the grounds outside No10 when they met to discuss farming.

The Prime Minister said on Instagram on 16 May last year: "Farming isnt just a job. Its a way of life. And it doesnt matter how young you are, theres a role for you in farming. Anyone can do it. And farming businesses really thrive from having young entrepreneurial spirit. Enjoyed meeting at 10 Downing Street today to discuss how to get more young people into farmingand compare hairstyles."

The Prime Minister's spokesman told journalists at the time about Cooper attending the conference: "Obviously that programme (Clarksons Farm) has been important in raising some of the issues that farmers face. And I think some of the policies set out today will support the farming sector."

All of Clarkson's Farm season three is available to stream on Prime Video now. New episodes were released on 10 May.

Read more: Clarkson's Farm

This article originally appeared on Yahoo TV UK at https://uk.news.yahoo.com/clarksons-farm-kaleb-charlie-downing-street-101509415.html
Cannes 2024 has a lot of interesting films to watch, including Megalopolis and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. (Getty/20th Century Studios/Warner Bros.)

The dust has only just settled on awards season for the films released in 2023, but that means that it's time to look ahead at the movies that will dominate the next one and their campaign starts in one place: the Cannes film festival.

Cannes has always been the best spot for the public to get their first look at the most exciting titles ahead of their official release, and this year's event which runs from 14 to 25 May will be no different. From George Miller's epic return to the Mad Max franchise to Francis Ford Coppola's highly anticipated science fiction drama, there's a lot to look forward to at the prestigious event.

With that in mind, here are the films that you should be looking out for at the festival, and the films that are likely to generate the most buzz amongst critics.

The most exciting films screening at Cannes 2024

Megalopolis

Adam Driver and Nathalie Emmanuel in the first look at Megalopolis. (American Zoetrope/Megalopolis/Mihai Malaimare Jr.)

Starring an A-list cast including Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Giancarlo Esposito, Megalopolis is a long-standing passion project for Coppola who first conceived of the story in 1977. The Godfather filmmaker first began working on the film in 1983 and it is only now, more than four decades later, that we are getting the chance to watch it.

The movie is set in a dystopian universe where architect Cesar Catilina (Driver) hopes to use his ability to control time to rebuild a decaying metropolis into a new utopia, but he faces opposition from Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Esposito) who would rather keep the status quo. In between them is Franklyn's daughter Julia (Emmanuel), who is searching for meaning in her life.

Megalopolis is competing for the Palme d'Or and will likely be one of the big titles at Cannes.

Kinds of Kindness

Margaret Qualley, Jesse Plemons and Willem Dafoe in Kinds of Kindness. (Searchlight) (Album, Album)

Yorgos Lanthimos' follow-up to his Oscar-winning movie Poor Things is Kinds of Kindness, which is in competition at the prestigious festival. The film is described as a "triptych fable", with the narrative focusing on three stories that are loosely connected  one about a man taking charge of his own destiny, another about a man who believes his spouse is an imposter, and another around a woman's quest to find a cult leader.

The narrative sounds suitably trippy for what's expected of Lanthimos, and the film will see him reunite with Emily "Emma" Stone and Willem Dafoe. Other actors set to appear in the movie include Margaret Qualley, Jesse Plemons, and Joe Alwyn.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, is coming to cinemas in 2024. (Warner Bros.)

George Miller is bringing Mad Max fans a film centred on Furiosa, Charlize Theron's breakout character from Fury Road now being played by Anya Taylor-Joy. The prequel is set almost two decades before the 2015 film and follows a young Furiosa as she is taken from her home by warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) and his gang.

So begins Furiosa's quest to return to her home, all whilst two villains compete to gain dominance over the Citadel. The film is receiving its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, meaning those waiting to know more about the movie will get to hear all about critics reaction after.

The Apprentice

Jeremy Strong and Sebastian Stan in The Apprentice. (Mongrel Media)

There's a biopic for everyone and everything these days, so perhaps it is unsurprising that there is now a film centred on Donald Trump. The Apprentice not to be confused with the BBC series stars Sebastian Stan as Trump, and it follows how he came to build his real estate empire with the help of lawyer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong).

Directed by Ali Abbasi, The Apprentice is being screened in competition, and because of its subject matter it will likely generate a lot of buzz.

Oh, Canada

Richard Gere is reuniting with Paul Schrader for his new film Oh Canada. (Getty Images) (Variety via Getty Images)

Paul Schrader, the creative mind behind classics like American Gigolo, is returning to the director's chair for the period drama Oh, Canada. The film sees him reunite with Richard Gere, who takes on the role of Leonard Fife  one of the country's 60,000 draft evaders who avoided serving in the Vietnam war, and who is now sharing his secrets.

The film features an exciting cast alongside Gere, such as Uma Thurman and Jacob Elordi, and the film is also being shown at Cannes in competition.

The Shrouds

Vincent Cassel stars in David Cronenberg's The Shrouds. (Getty Images) (Marc Piasecki via Getty Images)

Another prolific director heading to Cannes this year is David Cronenberg, who is presenting his film The Shrouds in competition.

The film stars Vincent Cassel, Diane Kruger, and Guy Pearce, and it follows a grieving businessman Karsh (Cassel) who invents a machine that will allow the living to monitor their dearly departed shrouds. When his wife's grave, and multiple others, are targeted, Karsh sets out to find the culprit.

I, The Executioner

South Korean director Ryoo Seung-wan and actor Hwang Jung-min pictured in 2017 promoting The Battleship Island, the pair are reuniting for film I, The Executioner. (Getty Images) (Young Ho, Sipa US)

Korean cinema has established itself well in the international market in recent years, particularly with the success of films like Parasite (which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes). The 2024 edition of the festival will see an exciting Korean blockbuster be given time to shine Ryoo Seung-wan's I, The Executioner.

Starring prolific Korean actor Hwang Jung-min, the movie follows his character Detective Seo Do-cheol as he and the Violent Crimes Investigation Division face a new threat in the form of an unnamed character played by K-Drama favourite Jung Hae-in. I, The Executioner is a follow-up to 2015 film Veteran, a intense but surprisingly fun cop drama but don't worry you won't have had to see that film to enjoy this one, which is being shown as part of the Midnight screenings.

The Substance

Demi Moore in The Substance. (Mubi)

Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quad star in The Substance, a body horror film written and directed by Coralie Fargeat which has already gained a lot of interest after the success of her first film Revenge.

The movie is said to be about a product that "can generate another version of yourself, younger, more beautiful, more perfect". The Substance is competing for the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes.

Bird

Barry Keoghan will lead Bird, which will have its world premiere at Cannes. (Getty Images) (ANGELA WEISS via Getty Images)

Barry Keoghan is certainly the man of the moment after his star-turning role in Saltburn, and he is following up the provocative film with another intriguing drama  Bird.

Directed by Andrea Arnold, the film stars Keoghan opposite Franz Rogowski and Nykiya Adams. They take on the roles of Bug, Bird, and Bailey, but little is known about the film's story aside from that. The mystery around the narrative, as well as the general buzz around the cast, has made Bird one of the film's to watch at the festival, where it is getting its world premiere.

The 77th Cannes Film Festival will take place from 14-25 May, 2024.
Rylan and Rob Rinder break down over heartbreaks. (Getty) (Kate Green/BAFTA via Getty Images)

What did you miss?

Rylan and Rob Rinder opened up to each other while discussing their heartbreaks on new BBC show Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour.

The TV stars are brought closer together as friends while filming their BBC show. Rinder quoted Lord Byron saying their "friendship grows into love" and Rylan called his friend "family" now in sweet Instagram posts ahead of the show airing on Sunday.

Sat having a drink in the beautiful city of Venice, the British criminal barrister wiped away his tears as the two friends discussed their romances that hadn't worked out in the past. It was an open and honest discussion with Rylan also sharing about how he went on a "downward spiral" following his painful divorce from Dan Neal. Rylan has started dating again after his marriage broke down in 2021 following six years together.

What, how and why?

Rylan and Rob Rinder address their divorces in show Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour. (BBC) (BBC/Rex TV/Zinc Media/Lana Salah)

Reflecting, the Eurovision presenter revealed how his marriage ending forced him to slow down and he "sunk". He told his friend: "I think it was a culmination of my marriage breaking down and actually me stopping for the first time in 10 years.

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He explained: "Then, all of a sudden, I hit quite a big speed bump instead of carrying on, I just sunk. It was the worst experience of my life. I just went on a downward spiral. I tried to end it, I tried to finish myself off. I didn't eat, I went down to nine stone. I'm 6ft 4 Rob, like I looked horrendous."

What caused Rylan the most pain out of all of it was what he put his mum Linda through. So much so, the TV star he would "give it all up" if it meant he could have spared his mum the hurt.

Rylan with his mother Linda on Celebrity Gogglebox. (Channel 4)

He said: "I'm so grateful for what I've got. I come from a council estate. I'm not saying we were on the breadline because we were not on the breadline but we didn't have a lot. But in those moments and even to this day, if I had to give it all up to not have to put my mum through what I put her through when I got ill."

Visibly emotional, the star paused to shake his head and reflect further. "Fine, take it," he concluded. "It's horrendous, she's a seventy year old woman she had to watch her successful son disintegrate."

In turn, Rinder shared his own failed experiences with love with his friend. He said: "I don't talk about my marriage 'cause he's a private person. But we're in Venice which is a place about passion, I was once so in love when I was in my early twenties but it wasn't reciprocated. And it never has been."

Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour started on BBC on Sunday. (BBC) (BBC/Rex TV/Zinc Media/Lana Salah)

Rylan reassured his friend that no romance is forever unless it is the right one. He said: "Do you know what, Rob? We're here once, we've been through quite a lot of s***. What's it taught us? Nothing's forever unless it's right."

Rinder was moved to tears by his friend's words as they captured the intimate conversation on camera for their BBC show. Before it got too sad, Rylan changed tact. Known for his fun persona, it's no surprise the Hot Mess Summer presenter tried to lighten the mood following their deep conversation about love. "He's fit!" He shouted out, prompting his friend to laugh.

'Friendship grows into love'

Rylan and Rob Rinder hit the red carpet together. (Getty) (Kate Green/BAFTA via Getty Images)

Ahead of the show airing, Rylan and Rinder took to social media to tell fans about their beautiful friendship and how it blossomed. The two friends also attended the BAFTAs together.

Rinder quoted Lord Byron's poetry when reflecting on his close bond and friendship with Rylan. He wrote: "'Friendship may and often does, grow into love.' Byron... See you alongside him 9pm tonight."

Rylan also shared their experience was "special" and that they had become "family" to one another. He wrote: "Tonight our new show starts at 9pm on BBC Two and iPlayer. It was so special. This man has become family to me because of this experience. It really is a show like no other and were so proud of it. Hope you enjoy x."

After the show, Rylan tweeted: "Wow, we never expected this reaction to the show. Thank you so much for the love. Its so welcome x."

Friendship may and often does, grow into love. Byron ..  See you alongside him 9pm tonight @BBCTwo https://t.co/NCwIMz6AgH  Rob Rinder (@RobbieRinder) May 12, 2024

For confidential emotional support contact The Samaritans at any time by calling 116 123 or emailing jo@samaritans.org

Watch all three episodes of Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour on BBC iPlayer.

This article originally appeared on Yahoo TV UK at https://uk.news.yahoo.com/rylan-rob-rinder-heartbreak-divorce-084138739.html
Steven Moffat has written a new episode for Doctor Who, and some of the show's scariest episodes have been written by him. (BBC)

Steven Moffat is returning to Doctor Who, and judging by recent remarks made by stars Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson, as well as showrunner Russell T Davies, it promises to be another emotional rollercoaster.

Moffat, who helmed the BBC series during Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi's eras as the Doctor, has been an integral part of the franchise for decades, not only as showrunner but also as a screenwriter as he is behind some of the most terrifying episodes of Modern Who. And he will hope to repeat this with the forthcoming episode Boom, which premieres on Saturday, 18 May.

Read more: Doctor Who's Russell T Davies says fans will talk about Steven Moffat's new episode "for years"

But before viewers are left on the edge of their seats, or cowering behind sofa cushions, with that episode, let's look back at Moffat's scariest episodes to date.

Steven Moffat's scariest Doctor Who episodes

Steven Moffat has a long history with Doctor Who, writing for it when it was rebooted in 2005 and going on to be showrunner for Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi's tenures as the Doctor. (Getty Images) (Albert L. Ortega via Getty Images)

Moffat has written for Doctor Who since its first reboot back in 2005, writing episodes for Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Smith and Capaldi's respective Doctors. In total he has written 49 episodes and 4 specials, and Boom marks his return to the series since leaving the role of showrunner in 2017.

For each of the Doctors he wrote for there has been an episode to stand out, if not more than one.

5 | Asylum of the Daleks

Matt Smith in Asylum of the Daleks, which originally aired in 2012. (BBC) (BBC/Courtesy Everett Collection, Everett Collection Inc)

During Smith's tenure as the Eleventh Doctor, viewers were left terrified by Asylum of the Daleks which brought a new meaning to the Time Lord's most formidable enemies. The episode begins with the Doctor and companions Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill) being transported to Skaro, the Dalek's home world, where they reveal they don't want to exterminate the Time Lord but ask for his help.

It is revealed that the Daleks are at risk of unleashing a horde of insane counterparts, and in order to stop them from wreaking havoc across the galaxy the Daleks need the Doctor's help to deactivate the force shield so they can destroy the others.

When the Doctor agrees to do so and enters the asylum he encounters a human named Oswin who was trapped there, and thus begins the chilling tale Moffat laid out for viewers. The story culminates in one of the most shocking plot twists in the franchise, in an episode that was purposefully made to make the Daleks scary again.

4 | Listen

Peter Capaldi as the Doctor, during his tenure there were several scary episodes including Listen. (BBC) (Everett Collection, Everett Collection Inc)

Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor also had a few gripping episodes in his time, and the scariest that was written by Moffat is Listen. More of a suspense thriller than in-your-face horror, the episode sees the Doctor try and face a monster that has perfected the ability to hide.

Read more: Every Doctor Who Easter egg in Space Babies and The Devil's Chord

Listen explores the fear of what the creature hiding under the bed might be. The episode is all about what can't be seen, with the story building tension slowly so that it becomes an excruciating watch.

3 | Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead

Alex Kingston and David Tennant in Silence In The Library, which began a long-running story about River Song and the Doctor. (BBC) (BBC/Courtesy Everett Collection, Everett Collection Inc)

Moffat is known for his sweeping story arcs that take multiple episodes, and multiple seasons to pay off and the first example of this was the appearance of River Song (Alex Kingston). The character was introduced to Tennant's Tenth Doctor in the episodes Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead, which on its own proved terrifying because of its villain which is the embodiment of darkness.

The creature gave new meaning to the idea of being scared of the dark, and the episode sees the Doctor try and help River Song who has known him for years whereas this is his first time meeting her as she is terrorised in an abandoned library. The episode is creepy, and tense, and when combined with every other episode featuring River Song proves an emotional end to their story. Why, you ask? Spoilers.

2 | The Empty Child

Doctor Who's Modern era has many great episodes, and The Empty Child is one of them. (BBC)

No quote in Doctor Who has become quite so traumatic as the question "are you my mummy?", which is a key part of Moffat's first episode for the franchise: The Empty Child. The episode and its follow-up The Doctor Dances are part of Eccleston's era as the Ninth Doctor, and is still to this day seen as one of the scariest episodes of the franchise.

Set during the London Blitz, the Doctor and Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) investigate a time travelling object only to discover a child in a gas mask who has been terrorising people across the city. There's something off about the child though, and this soon becomes apparent when people start having their faces turn into gas masks and they start asking the same questions. It's creepy, frightening and every word you can think of to describe a perfect horror story.

1 | Blink

Blink is without a doubt Steven Moffat's scariest episode of Doctor Who. (BBC)

Moffat's best episode for Doctor Who though is hands down Blink, an episode that funnily enough gives the least screen time to the Time Lord himself (played by Tennant). Blink introduced fans to the Weeping Angels, an entirely new villain to the franchise that only moves when you're not looking at them.

The episode follows Sally (Carey Mulligan), whose best friend has mysteriously disappeared in an abandoned house and decides to investigate with her friend's brother Larry (Finlay Robertson). There they comes across strange statues, and are guided by the Doctor who only appears via video link and warns them to never look away, to never blink, or the Weeping Angels will get them.

There's a lot of things that make Blink one of the best, if not the best, episode of the Modern Who era, but first foremost it is thanks to the strength of the writing. Moffat's script skilfully weaves a terrifying fable that features genuinely horrifying monsters that left viewers cowering for days.

New episodes of Doctor Who season one premiere on BBC iPlayer at midnight every Saturday, and Boom will air at 6.50pm on BBC One.

This article originally appeared on Yahoo TV UK at https://uk.news.yahoo.com/doctor-who-steven-moffat-scariest-episodes-140835374.html
Erik ten Hag does not believe Newcastle game will be his Old Trafford farewell

Under-fire Erik ten Hag does not believe Manchester Uniteds match against Newcastle will prove his last in the Old Trafford dugout.

The 54-year-olds future is subject of widespread speculation given the way things have dramatically gone off course following a promising first season in the hotseat.

Ten Hag has managed to lead injury-ravaged United to another FA Cup final against Manchester City, but their wretched league form has seen doubts over his future as Ineos makes sweeping changes.

Their worst Premier League finish and points tally could be confirmed when the eighth-placed Red Devils host Newcastle on Wednesday, when a traditional lap of honour is planned after their final home game.

Yeah, we will do, Ten Hag said. Yes, of course (we will show our appreciation to the fans).

In good times, in bad times we are together, and the fans are showing that we are together, so, yeah, a lap of honour we will do.

Quite what appetite there will be from supporters for that remains to be seen, especially if United fall to a club record 10th home defeat in a season.

Manchester United were beaten by Arsenal in their last game (Martin Rickett/PA)

The lap of honour will allow Raphael Varane to say goodbye after the defender confirmed he will leave at the end of his contract, but Ten Hag was taken aback when asked if it could also be his Old Trafford farewell.

Goodbye for? Ten Hag asked the reporter, who clarified he meant him.

For me?! Its not how I feel it and how I see it. Thats not the way I go to start that lap of honour for the fans, no.

Ten Hag dismissed a follow-up question about the future having last week said he was confident common sense will prevail as the clubs decision-makers consider his future.

Importantly, the Dutchman also believes he still has the United fanbase onside.

Actually yeah, if in the stadium, away and home, they are always backing the team, backing me, and also when Im in the streets many, many come to me, Ten Hag said.

Maybe its just polite but I dont feel it like this. I never almost get a negative reaction because the fans understand where we are.

The fans understand that this club is in a transition and the huge problems we have had to face, especially in positions, in key areas.

Among the key issues has been Uniteds patchy backline, which will again be without Harry Maguire, Varane, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia on Wednesday.

Willy Kambwala could feature and Lisandro Martinez will be involved after six weeks out with a calf complaint, with the latter providing a timely shot in the arm.

I think especially on the pitch we need him, Ten Hag said of a player that has only been able to make 11 appearances since last April.

There he shows his spirit, there hes the warrior if hes fit. When his fitness standards are on a high, hes an absolute leader for us, an absolute warrior.

Lisandro Martinez is back for the game against Newcastle (Adam Davy/PA)

He gives the right spirit and hes a very important player in our defending line. We missed him across almost the whole season.

Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford could also return days after United great Wayne Rooney said he felt some injured players were holding themselves back when fit enough to play.

No, you have to see here in Carrington the players are desperate to play, Ten Hag said in response.

If I see Licha Martinez, if I see Bruno  he did even a fitness test on Sunday to play. Rashford did everything he could do  he trained, he tried to train last week, but he didnt make it.

Players are desperate to play. They want to be in the right shape. You see also Victor Lindelof, Rapha Varane  they are training to make themselves available for the final, so they do what they can do.
District 10 Council Member Clayton Perry leaves the City Council meeting on Feb 16, 2023, after announcing he would not seek reelection to a fourth term. Kin Man Hui/Staff photographer

Former City Council Member Clayton Perry, who pleaded no contest last year to charges of driving while intoxicated and fleeing the scene of an accident, is weighing a 2025 mayoral run.

I really enjoyed it on council, and people have been saying, Clayton, you need to get involved again and run for an office,  Perry told the San Antonio Express-News. Ive been thinking about that. Ive been praying about that and asking for guidance and looking at that possibility thats coming up this next May.

Outgoing District 10 Council Member Clayton Perry smooths his hair after removing his signature fedora during the State of the County event hosted by the North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce at The Grand Hyatt in San Antonio, Texas, on May 31, 2023. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News District 10 Councilman Clayton Perry, cennter, and hisattorney, David Christian, leave the Bexar County Justice Center after a plea deal on his drunken driving and hit-and-run cases, Friday, April 14, 2023. He was given 12 months of probation and must pay a $500 fee and court costs. He must also perform 24 hours of community service. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News

Im talking to a lot of people, getting their input on what they think  if I should or shouldnt, he said.

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Perry was nearing the end of his third term representing the Northeast Sides District 10 when he drunkenly crashed into a Honda Civic idling at the intersection of Jones Maltsberger and Redland roads the night of Nov. 6, 2022. He then drove home without stopping at the accident scene.

Neither the driver of the Civic nor his passenger was injured.

A San Antonio police officer later found Perry sprawled in the backyard of his home, barely coherent and with a bloody wound on his head, as seen on the officers body-camera video.

Perry had consumed 14 alcoholic beverages in four hours at the Evil Olive, a North Side bar and restaurant, before getting behind the wheel of a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, according to a police affidavit.

The City Council admonished him with a vote of no confidence, and Mayor Ron Nirenberg stripped him of his committee assignments.

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Perry announced his decision not to seek reelection the following February after several former District 10 council members urged him to step aside. They worried he would be too politically damaged to effectively advocate for District 10 at City Hall.

Perry, 68, said hes remained involved in the community since leaving council. He serves on the boards of the Northeast Neighborhood Alliance, the San Antonio A&M Club and the Alamo Pachyderm Club, a local Republican group.

Clayton Perry (center) bids farewell to City Manager Erik Walsh as Perry attended his last council session as council member for District 10 on May 18, 2023. Kin Man Hui/Staff photographer

I know theres the incident that I had  Ive put that all behind me, Perry said. Ive been forgiven. My family has forgiven me. Across District 10 and around the city, people have said, Hey, Clayton, we understand. Everybody makes a mistake, and you need to move on. 

The retired Air Force vet pleaded no contest to DWI and fleeing the scene of an accident, both Class B misdemeanors, on April 14, 2023, in Bexar County Veterans Treatment Court. Perry was sentenced to one year of probation last April.

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As a condition of his probation, he was prohibited from drinking alcohol and had to undergo regular drug and alcohol testing. He was also required to have an interlock ignition system installed in his car for six months, which required him to pass a breath alcohol test to start the engine.

The charges were dismissed April 16 after he completed the terms of his probation, according to Bexar County court records.

Perrys successor in District 10, Marc Whyte, was arrested on a charge of DWI on Dec. 29 near San Antonio International Airport. An officer with the San Antonio Police Departments DWI unit pulled him over after observing Whyte speeding and changing lanes without signaling on a Northeast Loop 410 frontage road. Whytes criminal case is pending.

Its in his DNA

Nirenberg will reach his term limit in May 2025, leaving the top spot on that years municipal ballot open  without an incumbent running  for the first time since 2009.

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Two of Perrys former council colleagues  District 9 Council Member John Courage and District 8 Council Member Manny Pelaez  have said they will run. District 6 Council Member Melissa Cabello Havrda has not officially announced her candidacy, but she is positioning herself for a campaign.

Paul Jimenez, his former chief of staff, isnt surprised that Perry is thinking about mounting a mayoral campaign. Its something Perry considered even while he was on council, Jimenez said.

Then-District 10 City Council candidate Marc Whyte (left) speaks with then-District 10 Council Member Clayton Perry before a candidate forum hosted by the Northeast Neighborhood Alliance in April 2023. Robin Jerstad

Claytons had a life of service, he said. Its in his blood. Its in his DNA to want to serve. I know thats why hes still thinking about it. I know he feels like theres more that he can give and more than he can do. And I think theres more that he wants to do.

Jimenez sees Perrys political leanings as more of an Achilles heel than his arrest record.

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I dont want to hold him back from his dreams or ambitions, but Im risk-averse and I dont think that somebody who is as openly conservative could win the mayors race in San Antonio, even though I think it would be wonderful if that happened, said Jimenez, who left Perrys office in January 2023 to work for Commissioner Grant Moody, the lone Republican on Bexar County Commissioners Court.

Perry calls himself a fiscal conservative and a common-sense conservative, and said that could win him support from across the aisle. (The mayors office and City Council are nonpartisan).

I was able to work with the most liberal here in the city, he said, pointing to his votes with councils progressives: then-District 1 Council Member Mario Bravo, District 2 Council Member Jalen McKee-Rodriguez and District 5 Council Member Teri Castillo. And what it was was using common sense. And thats what I would run on as well, a common-sense approach.
Esther McVey has been dubbed the "common sense minister". Peter Byrne - PA Images via Getty Images

Civil servants will be banned from wearing rainbow lanyards as part of a government crackdown on the backdoor politicisation of Whitehall.

Esther McVey, dubbed the common sense minister set out her plans in a speech in London this morning.

She said she was determined to take on the left-wing politically correct woke warriors in the public sector.

Rainbow lanyards are usually worn to show support for the LGBTQ+ community, but McVey told an audience at the right-wing Centre for Policy Studies think-tank that they would no longer be worn by the civil service.

She said: I want a very simple but visible change to occur to the lanyards we use to carry our security passes [which] shouldnt be a random pick and mix.

They should be a standard design reflecting that we are all members of the government delivering for the citizens of the UK.

Working in the civil service is all about leaving your political views at the building entrance. Trying to introduce them by the back door via lanyards should not happen.

The focus should be on a happy and inclusive working environment and increased productivity.

McVey, who was appointed Cabinet Office minister without portfolio by Rishi Sunak in November, has also announced a ban on consultancy contracts for equality, diversity and inclusion services on Whitehall.

She added: We have too often seen them distracted by fashionable hobbyhorses, especially when it comes to issues like equality and diversity.

People want the public servants to be getting on with the job of making their lives better, not engaging in endless internal discussions about ideology and Im not prepared to see pointless job creation schemes for the politically correct.

But Lucille Thirlby, assistant general secretary of the civil servants union the FDA, said: Nobody joins the civil service in order to impose their own political ideology, as the so-called minister for common sense put it.

Civil servants understand they serve the government of the day and have been doing so for a Conservative-led government for the past 14 years.

At a time when the country is facing serious challenges, should the colour of a civil servants lanyard really be a ministerial priority?

Equality, diversity and inclusion is a serious topic worthy of serious consideration and debate. Unfortunately, we got nothing of the sort from Esther McVey, who instead rattled off of a tick list of culture-war talking points.

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The Fortune Hotel's Stephen Mangan worried about ruining contestants' chances

What did you miss?

Stephen Mangan has said he didn't want to influence the contestants in new gameshow The Fortune Hotel.

The actor is host of ITV's new show - which has been compared to The Traitors - which sees 10 couples holidaying in a Caribbean resort competing to claim the briefcase containing the jackpot cash prize of 250,000. The Trip star revealed he asked not to know which case contained the money as he didn't want to give it away to the other contestants.

Mangan admitted he struggled to emulate The Traitors' presenter Claudia Winkleman, in messing with players' minds.

What, how, and why?

Stephen Mangan is host of new ITV gameshow The Fortune Hotel. (ITV) (ITV)

Mangan appeared on This Morning to chat to Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard about his new role as host of The Fortune Hotel. The new ITV gameshow sees 10 couple compete to win 250,000. At the beginning of the show, set in a luxury hotel in the Caribbean, the couples are all given a briefcase. Eight cases are empty, one contains an early check-out card and one contains a jackpot cash prize of 250,000. During the series they can bid and deal among each other to swap cases.

Mangan said: "I didn't want to know who had the money, because I'm grilling them all. Why have you done that? I just didn't want to lead anyone because it's a life changing amount of cash, and I don't want to be the one that sends someone down. Stephen said this about someone." He added: "I did try and work it out [who had the money], and I was wrong most of the time."

Stephen Mangan said he cannot be as devious as Claudia Winkleman is in The Traitors. (BBC) (BBC/Studio Lambert/Llara Plaza)

The actor also confessed he really struggled to be like The Traitors host Winkleman and manipulate the players. He said: "I can't do that. It can be spicy at times, you know people are under pressure and they're suddenly discovering things and people are saying things in the heat at the moment and I want to jump in and go, 'Hey, it's all right, Everyone, calm down.' But of course, I can't, that's not my job."

And Mangan admitted he was sad every time he had to send a couple home. He said: "You're with these contestants for three or four weeks. I was gutted every time somebody went home because, you know what a difference it could make that sort of money and you get to know them."

What else happened on This Morning?

Stephen Mangan is delighted to be working on a new special of legal drama The Split. (BBC) (BBC / Sister)

Mangan admitted he did not expect The Split to return to TV. The actor is delighted to be reuniting with co-stars Annabel Scholey, Nicola Walker and Fiona Button for a new two-part special of the BBC divorce legal drama written by Abi Morgan, set in Barcelona.

He said: "We thought it was over. We thought that was it for the split. But the BBC have come back, and we're doing two one-off episodes that are set in Barcelona. We do feel like a family, you know, because we did three series together. And it's quite, traumatic stuff you're dealing with 'cause it's about divorce. So to see everybody again was a joy."

This Morning airs on weekdays from 10am on ITV1.

The Fortune Hotel starts at 9pm on Monday 13 May on ITV1, STV and STV Player.

Read more: The Fortune Hotel

This article originally appeared on Yahoo TV UK at https://uk.news.yahoo.com/fortune-hotel-stephen-mangan-worried-131209199.html
Hancock now wants to warn others about the symptoms of endometrial cancer. (Michelle Hancock/SWNS) ((Michelle Hancock/SWNS))

A mum wants to raise awareness of the symptoms of endometrial cancer after being diagnosed with the disease.

Michelle Hancock, 32, a carer, from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, had never heard of endometrial cancer, which usually starts in the lining of the womb and is most common in post-menopausal women.

Hancock says her symptoms, heavy bleeding between periods and weakness, first started in June 2022 after returning from a holiday to Turkey

She had recently had a clear smear test, so doctors initially believed it was "probably fibroids", but carried out a blood test and ultrasound to double check.

While smear tests are not used to screen for endometrial cancer, results sometimes show signs of an abnormal endometrium, prompting further tests.

Following the ultrasound Hancock was told she had stage four endometrial cancer which had metastasised to her lungs and lymph nodes in her belly.

Michelle Hancock during her holiday to Turkey in May 2022, whilst unaware she had cancer. (Michelle Hancock/SWNS) ((Michelle Hancock/SWNS))

It just came out of nowhere really," she says of her diagnosis. "I was in shock because it was cancer, and I had no clue what type of cancer it was.

Id never heard of it  its usually an older women's cancer.

But its not found in younger women until the later stages because theyre not looking for it and the symptoms are easily missed."

Following her diagnosis, Hancock says things seemed to progress really quickly.

"At the end of July I had a phone call saying it was inoperable and they were going to do six rounds of palliative chemo to extend my life," she explains.

Hancock was offered palliative chemotherapy, hormone treatment and an operation on her stomach, which cleared all the tumours apart from in one lung .

Then in October 2023 she underwent an operation to clear the lung metastasis too.

Hancock had six rounds of chemotherapy. (Michelle Hancock/SWNS) ((Michelle Hancock/SWNS))

Incredibly in January she Hancock had a clear CT and PET scan and, against the odds, was told she was in remission.

Now she says shell be monitored for the next five years and is still getting used to life following her cancer journey.

[The chemo] worked really well and Ive now had two clear scans, but it was never meant to go to clear in the first place," she explains.

Im fine up until scans are due and then the scanxiety sets in - at one point I wouldnt make plans more than two weeks in advance.

I never knew I was going to get a clear scan so now its almost like waiting for recurrence, she continues.

I'm mostly positive but feel like I'm waiting for bad news, after all in the May I was in Turkey going down waterslides without realising there was cancer everywhere."

Hancock pictured with her son. (Michelle Hancock/SWNS) ((Michelle Hancock/SWNS))

Hancock is telling her story in the hope it will encourage other young women to learn the warning signs.

"It [endometrial cancer] is affecting more and more younger people, but they don't know about it - none of my friends had heard about it, she explains.

Cramping, breathlessness, bleeding in-between periods and any abnormal discharge are all symptoms," she says.

Family history of endometrial cancer and a family history of bowel cancer can be a link to this cancer as well.

What is endometrial cancer?

According to Valentina Milanova, women's health expert and founder of gynaecological health company and virtual women's health clinic Daye endometrial cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the inner lining of the uterus, called the endometrium.

It is the most common cancer of the female reproductive organs. The cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body if not detected and treated early.

Endometrial cancer is most common in people who've gone through menopause - and the average age of menopause is 51.

The most common signs and symptoms of endometrial cancer include:

Abnormal vaginal bleeding or discharge, especially after menopause

Pelvic pain

Pain during intercourse

Unintended weight loss

Milanova says there are some major risk factors for endometrial cancer including:

Being over the age of 50 and especially after menopause

Obesity, which leads to higher oestrogen levels

Never giving birth

Irregular ovulation and menstrual cycles, such as from PCOS

Family history of endometrial or colorectal cancer

Prior diagnosis of breast or ovarian cancer

Use of oestrogen-only hormone therapy after menopause

Endometrial cancer is usually detected through procedures such as:

Transvaginal ultrasound to look for abnormalities in the uterine lining

Hysteroscopy to visually examine the inside of the uterus

Endometrial biopsy to remove a tissue sample and check for cancer cells

It's important to note that a cervical smear test, which screens for cervical cancer, does not reliably detect endometrial cancer.

For more information about endometrial cancer visit Cancer Research UK.

Additional reporting SWNS.

Read more about cancer:

Watch: Mum diagnosed with breast cancer just months before 40th birthday becomes voice of Race for Life
Asylum seekers at risk of being deported are not being removed from Scotland to England to deny them legal aid, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk has said.

During justice questions in the Commons, SNP home affairs spokeswoman Alison Thewliss questioned if it was the Governments deliberate policy to move asylum seekers in order to prevent them challenging a potential removal, including to Rwanda.

In England and Wales, 25% of the population is eligible to receive legal aid, in contrast to Scotland, where 75% of the population is eligible to receive legal aid, according to a report from the Signet Library.

The Government is seeking to get flights to send migrants to Rwanda off the ground by July, after the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act became law last month.

Ms Thewliss said: Can I ask the minister is there a deliberate policy to remove people from Scotland to England to prevent them accessing legal aid, as theyd be able to be due to do so in Scotland and would be fully entitled to do so? What guidance has been issued to lawyers in this respect?

And lastly, what right do MPs have to intervene in cases of removal, because Ive been told that MPs have been requested to have wet signatures from people who have been removed to immigration removal centres in England?

Mr Chalk replied: The first answer to the first question was no, that isnt correct.

But the point about legal advice is really important. People should get legal advice so that they can make their points, thats why were investing heavily.

When the IMA (Illegal Migration Act) comes into force, therell be a 15% uplift, weve invested 1.5 billion to re-accredit senior case workers, and also were paying for travel time.

We recognise, of course, this is robust legislation, necessarily robust. Were also ensuring that people get the legal advice they need.

In the Commons at the beginning of May, SNP Anne McLaughlin (Glasgow North East) said that a 21-year old migrant in her constituency was detained in Scotland and taken to England, adding that she was unable to get information from the Home Office in relation to his status.

On Tuesday, SNP justice spokesperson Chris Stephens said one of his constituents from Glasgow South West had been removed from Scotland to England and threatened with deportation.

He said: Can (Mr Chalk) answer this question, why are MPs being denied access to their constituents? That seems quite outrageous.

And does he not think its unacceptable that lawyers and their elected representatives should not be impeded with arbitrary barriers when accessing their constituents threatened with deportation?

Mr Chalk replied: Of course, MPs should have access in appropriate circumstances, but the critical point is going to be for individuals to get legal support, with no discourtesy to (Mr Stephens) as a constituency MP, that legal support is important.

Provisional Home Office figures show more than 9,000 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel so far this year.

This is up 35% on this time last year, when 6,691 crossings were recorded, and a 16% rise compared to the same period in 2022 (7,801), according to PA news agency analysis of the data.
Two Palestinian human rights activists have said Ireland should implement sanctions on Israel, arguing that recognising the state of Palestine will not stop the deaths.

Shawan Jabarin, general director of the Palestinian human rights organisation Al-Haq, and Lubnah Shomali, an advocacy manager at BADIL, a resource centre for Palestinian refugees, are due to give talks in Dublin and Belfast this week.

Al-Haqs visit is being hosted by Trocaire and Christian Aid Ireland, while BADILs visit is hosted by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

The two human rights defenders told the PA news agency that although Irelands plan to recognise Palestinian statehood would be a welcome step, it would not stop people in Gaza from being killed in Israels military offensive.

Mr Jabarin, who received an alumni award from the University of Galway on Friday, said consequences were needed to prevent violations of international law.

I think this is a good step. Even if its late, this is a good, important step, he said of Irelands plan to recognise the Palestinian state.

But the question is, which actions after that they take? Without actions, without consequences, things will continue as it has forever. Its not just the issue to give a symbolic step. We need also actions, we need consequences.

Ms Shomali said that although some countries in the global south had imposed sanctions, none of the global north have fulfilled their obligation to prevent genocide by implementing sanctions.

She said that the recognition of Palestine doesnt fulfil the obligation of Ireland and other third party states to prevent and stop genocide.

I came here from South Africa, Mr Jabarin told PA in Dublin on Monday.

Shawan Jabarin, general director of the Palestinian human rights organisation Al-Haq (Niall Carson/PA)

I met the people that negotiated to dissolve the apartheid regime, and I met with the former defence minister, he was one of the negotiators. I asked him the question What makes you change as a racist regime to remove the system?.

He said sanctions. This is what he said. And he said more than that: when the US imposed sanctions on us, it was the turning point. Things end and finish because of sanctions, it is the cornerstone.

He added: The Irish people in their relations with those who have Irish roots in the US, of course you can play your role. Im not speaking only at official level, even the people, the public, they have the contacts, they have relations with the people in the US, they can push forward.

The 25th annual #AlumniAwards Gala Banquet was held in the Bailey Allen Hall on Friday May 10, 2024. Pictured above are the awardees with University of Galway president, Ciaran O hOgartaigh. Thanks to our Alumni Award Sponsors @Medtronic @RDJ_LLP @talktoBOI#UniversityofGalway pic.twitter.com/C4cvl0LYMp  Ollscoil na Gaillimhe | University of Galway (@uniofgalway) May 13, 2024

He encouraged Irish universities to give more opportunities to Palestinian students, particularly those from Gaza, saying that it is a very important thing for the future.

Mr Jabarin, who had an Irish Aid scholarship in 2004/05 to study law at the University of Galway, and Ms Shomali are due to meet Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, Minister of State Joe OBrien and Irish Aid officials at the Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday.

I used to say when I was in Ireland at that time, the explosion is coming, the occupation is deepening, the apartheid system is there. But no actions were taken against Israel, like sanctions, like the EU to freeze the association agreement with Israel.

He said that the international system has failed completely and the Security Council, who has to take care of security and peace over the world, failed 100%.

When I compare the reaction on whats happened in Ukraine against Russia, we need only 1% of the actions that were taken against the Russians against Israel. Thats what we are asking for. This shows that there is no political will and also shows that there is north and there is south.

Lubnah Shomali, an advocacy manager at Badil, a resource centre for Palestinian refugees (Niall Carson/PA)

Both Mr Jabarin and Ms Shomali stressed the difference between countries governments and their people and said that the support of people around the world marching and demonstrating gives them hope.

When we hear what happened in Trinity College, and other universities here that the administration of the universities agreed and accepted the students demands to divest from Israeli businesses, this is very important, Mr Jabarin said.

Asked whether they would encourage young people to become political or activists rather than become radicalised, he asked what people expect those who have lost everything to do.

The young, they see how they kill their friends, how they killed their beloved, how they demolish their houses, how they raid and invade their homes after midnight and beat their parents.

I think the environment that Israel are building through their actions on a daily basis, and also the persecutions they are carrying out against the Palestinians  Thats the case, the problem is not in the Palestinians DNA, we are humans and we are a tolerant people who are tolerant people.

We are not asking, for instance, to do the same that the Israelis do against us. No way, no way, we will lose our humanity if we do the same as the Israelis do against us and against our people.

Our problem is not with the Jews, our problem is with the racist, colonial political organisation called the Zionist movement. Thats the problem.

Ms Shomali said that all Palestinians have no choice but to be politically involved.

What that political activism looks like, I think is up to the individual or to the group or to the person.

But when we talk about international law, when we have the denial of self-determination, Palestinians as a national people, wherever they are  in pursuit of their right of self determination, they have the right to resist with any means necessary. This includes armed and non-armed resistance. So its not radical to resist in all of the forms.

Mr Jabarin added: But I know one thing: Palestinians, they will not disappear, for sure.

They will continue asking for justice and rights and they will not forgive or forget. As human rights defenders, we have no right to step back and to give up. We have to continue fighting for justice and rights and accountability.

This is what we are trying to convey to our young generation. When I hear from my granddaughter, she is four years old, speaking about the Israeli checkpoints on her way to her kindergarten, every day, that the soldiers stop her mum.

She spoke about Gaza children and asked me why they killed their mums? And said my dad, hes a strong, they cant kill him. It means that the youngest are learning also.
Three senior judges will rule on Tuesday on whether the sentence of triple killer Valdo Calocane is unduly lenient.

Calocane was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order in January after admitting the manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility of Barnaby Webber, Grace OMalley-Kumar and Ian Coates, and the attempted murder of three others, in a spate of attacks in Nottingham last year.

The Attorney General referred the sentence to the Court of Appeal in February, with lawyers arguing at a hearing on Wednesday that the 32-year-old should instead be given a hybrid life sentence, where he would first be treated for his paranoid schizophrenia before serving the remainder of his jail term in prison.

Ian Coates, Barnaby Webber and Grace OMalley-Kumar were killed by Valdo Calocane in Nottingham (Nottinghamshire Police/Family handout/PA)

The Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr, Lord Justice Edis and Mr Justice Garnham will give their ruling at 10am at the Royal Courts of Justice in London.

The judges cannot examine or change the offences for which Calocane was sentenced and cannot look at any new evidence related to the case.

Instead, they can only assess whether the sentence was unduly lenient based on the evidence before the sentencing judge at the time.

Calocane was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court for the fatal stabbings of students Mr Webber and Ms OMalley-Kumar, both 19, and 65-year-old school caretaker Mr Coates in the early hours of June 13 last year.

After killing Mr Coates, Calocane stole his van and hit three pedestrians before being arrested.

Prosecutors later accepted his not guilty pleas to murder after medical evidence showed he had paranoid schizophrenia.

Lawyer Deanna Heer KC, representing the Attorney Generals Office, told the Court of Appeal on Wednesday that the extreme crimes warrant the imposition of a sentence with a penal element, an element of punishment.

Peter Joyce KC, for Calocane, said none of the offences would have been committed but for the psychosis, and imposing a hybrid order would mean he would be punished for being mentally ill.
Kelly Clarkson has confirmed she has been taking weight loss medication, but denied it is the high profile drug Ozempic.

The American Idol winner  best known for hits including Since U Been Gone, Miss Independent, Stronger and Because Of You  said she started taking the medication on the advice of her doctor.

Speaking on her talk show The Kelly Clarkson Show, the 42-year-old interviewed Sister Act star Whoopi Goldberg and they both discussed their recent weight loss.

After Clarkson told Goldberg, 68, how young she looked, Goldberg replied: First of all, its all the weight Ive lost. Ive lost almost two people.

I am doing that wonderful shot that works for folks who need some help, and its been really good for me.

Clarkson said she too had also lost a lot of weight, adding: Mine is a different one than people assume, but I ended up having to do that too because my bloodwork got so bad.

I didnt plan to talk about this but I didnt see it.

She added: My doctor chased me for two years, and I was like, No, Im afraid of it. I already have thyroid problems. Everybody thinks its Ozempic, but its not. Its something else.

Clarkson explained her medication is something that aids in helping break down the sugar because my body doesnt do it right.

She added: I was never insecure about it (her weight), I was happy. People assume she must have been miserable but I was not.

Kelly Clarkson said she was not unhappy when she was heavier (Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA)

Ozempic can only be prescribed for patients with type 2 diabetes and is not licensed as a weight-loss drug in the UK or the US, although the UK government acknowledges: It is not authorised for weight-loss, but it is used off-label for that purpose.

A recent study found anti-obesity jabs could reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes or heart failure in obese people regardless of the amount of weight they lose while on the drug.

Oprah Winfrey, Amy Schumer and Chelsea Handler are among the stars who have admitted taking Ozempic or other weight loss drugs.
Millie Brights long-awaited return will give England just the boost they need ahead of their upcoming Euro 2025 qualifiers, according to boss Sarina Wiegman.

The Chelsea centre-back captained the Lionesses to their first World Cup final last summer, but a knee injury-plagued season saw her only recently return to league action, while she has not featured in an England squad since October.

The 30-year-old is one of 28 players named in Wiegmans latest squad  which also includes a first senior call-up for Brights club-mate Aggie Beever-Jones  that will remain unchanged across two international windows, beginning with Frances visit to St James Park on May 31.

Wiegman said of Bright: Im very happy, shes very happy, started playing again after long periods of injury and rehab, so its very good. She has two more games so thats good to see too, then shell come into camp.

Its really good for the team. Its a great boost, this is what shes been working for all the time, to compete with Chelsea and then coming back into camp. Of course we always hoped shed be back earlier, but she needed some more time and Im just really happy now this is the moment she can come in.

The last time Bright featured in a Lionesses line-up alongside Leah Williamson, who captained England to their 2022 European triumph, was the final game of the Arnold Clark Cup all the way back in February 2023.

Williamson ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament last April, returning to Wiegmans fold this March after an injury setback forced her to withdraw from the Dutch boss February squad with a muscle injury.

A squad of 28 players has been named for our decisive #WEURO2025 qualifiers this summer!   Lionesses (@Lionesses) May 14, 2024

Wiegman suggested the Arsenal defender will likely once again wear the captains armband for her country, as she did last month, though feels a conversation is still on the cards.

She said: I have to discuss things with the players first. As I said, we were swapping around the armband a bit, also Leah started the second game last camp.

Shes our captain and well probably keep doing that. We have many leaders in the team. Lets first see how everyone comes in and then Ill have the conversation with the players first.

Wiegmans squad includes four standby players  Liverpool midfielder Missy Bo Kearns, Tottenham forward Jessica Naz, Southampton keeper Kayla Rendell and Manchester United defender Maya Le Tissier.

Leah Williamson returned to the England fold earlier this year (Niall Carson/PA)

The boss praised Beever-Jones, 20, whose breakthrough season at Chelsea has earned the forward a first senior call-up, though she did have a taste of first-team camp after she was promoted to replace the injured Chloe Kelly during Februarys international window.

Wiegman said: I think Aggie has had very great improvement. Shes just doing really well. Shes an open person, she really wants to develop every single day on the pitch. She can play on the side, she can play in the centre, Im looking forward to it.

The Lionesses, are currently second in Group A3 with four points from their opening two qualifiers, will travel to Saint-Etienne for the France return fixture on June 4. They will then face the Republic of Ireland in Norwich on July 12 before flying to Gothenburg to take on Sweden to conclude the group stage four days later.

All players will report to St Georges Park on Monday, May 28, with a period of rest scheduled after the first window before reuniting for a three-day training session on June 19, then report back for a five-day camp on June 24th.

The preparation phase concludes with a final camp in the Netherlands from July 1-5 with a behind-closed-doors training fixture against the Dutch.

Wiegman conceded juggling players club commitments with England duty  and the need to rest  has been challenging, with Barcelona duo Lucy Bronze and Keira Walsh set to feature in the Champions League final on May 25th.

While the England boss will not tell her players where to go during their time off, she preferred they stay in Europe.

She added: We had many good conversations with clubs and its challenging, but we also know we need to train to compete in July. So, with all the clubs we have a conversation and we come to this plan.
Minutes from a fractious meeting of the Stormont Executive in 2020 show then first minister Arlene Foster saying she cant stand on the same platform as Michelle ONeill after the Sinn Fein ministers attendance at the funeral of Bobby Storey.

The minutes show Ms ONeill defending her attendance at the funeral, claiming there was no dilution of the public health message at the height of the pandemic.

The handwritten notes relate to a meeting of the Executive on July 2 2020, which was the first gathering of ministers after the funeral.

Michelle ONeill apologised for her attendance at the Bobby Storey funeral (Liam McBurney/PA)

The event sparked political controversy after then deputy first minister Ms ONeill and other Sinn Fein ministers attended, despite lockdown restrictions limiting gatherings.

She apologised for her attendance during her appearance at the UK Covid-19 Inquiry on Tuesday.

The inquiry had originally been told the notes from the Executive meeting were not held.

However, last week the inquiry was informed by the Executive Office (TEO) that the notes had been located, and an extract has been uploaded on the inquirys website.

The minutes record Ms ONeill referring to the Storey funeral and saying she acted within regulations.

The handwritten notes of her remarks continue: Invited by family, honoured to do so

Huge figure, knew thousands wd (would) wish to attend.

The minutes show Arlene Foster saying the controversy over the Storey funeral had caused huge damage (Liam McBurney/PA)

The minutes record Ms ONeill saying there were 30 people in the funeral cortege and adding: Stewards  lined route to prevent people joining cortege.

The note of Ms ONeills comments to the meeting continued: No dilution in my mind of public message.

Not out of woods yet. Throughout crisis, have led from front, will continue.

No offence intended.

According to the minutes, former infrastructure minister Nichola Mallon of the SDLP said there needed to be an Executive response to the crisis.

She said: We have all lost people.

The minutes record that former economy minister Diane Dodds of the DUP said there was a clear breach of regs (regulations) at B Storey funeral.

The note continued: Undermining work of Exec  absolutely disgraceful.

dfm  need to express remorse for rule break at funeral.

The minutes show Nichola Mallon saying there needed to be an Executive response after the funeral controversy (Niall Carson/PA)

Sinn Feins Conor Murphy, then the finance minister, said he had attended the funeral on basis of regs (regulations).

The minutes record former DUP first minister Mrs Foster saying the controversy had caused huge damage.

She wrote: dFM and I are leaders of Exec.

More than 30 at funeral  cortege not same as funeral.

The minutes continued: Huge moment for Exec.

Cant stand on platform today with dfm and give out public message.

Wont just disappear.

Baroness Foster is due to give evidence to the inquiry on Wednesday.
Ms Gates said 'this is not a decision I came to lightly' - REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/

Melinda French Gates has resigned from the charity she set up with her billionaire husband Bill three years after the couple filed for divorce.

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Ms Gates said she will step down from her role as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on June 7.

She said: This is not a decision I came to lightly. I am immensely proud of the foundation that Bill and I built together and of the extraordinary work it is doing to address inequities around the world.

I care deeply about the foundation team, our partners around the world, and everyone who is touched by its work.

Under the terms of the agreement, Ms Gates will be handed $12.5bn (10bn) for her work on behalf of women and families.

She added: This is a critical moment for women and girls in the US and around the world  and those fighting to protect and advance equality are in urgent need of support.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which was founded in 2000, is one of the worlds largest private charitable foundations.

It is one of the most influential organisations in public health, having spent around $50bn over the past two decades to fight poverty and disease. The Telegraphs global health security coverage is partly funded by the foundation.

Ms Gates departure from the charity she helped to set up with the Microsoft billionaire comes after the couple announced they were divorcing in 2021 after 27 years of marriage.

Ms Gates announced her divorce from Microsoft founder Bill Gates in 2021 - Manish Swarup/AP Photo

They had previously said they would continue their philanthropic work together.

Mr Gates has recently been rocked by revelations about his links to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Mr Epstein, who killed himself in jail in 2019, reportedly threatened to expose the tycoon over an alleged affair he had with a Russian bridge player in her 20s.

A spokesman for Bill Gates said in March last year: Mr Gates met with Epstein solely for philanthropic purposes.

Having failed repeatedly to draw Mr Gates beyond these matters, Epstein tried unsuccessfully to leverage a past relationship to threaten Mr Gates.

She added: Mr Gates had no financial dealings with Epstein.

Mr Gates has said his calls and meetings with the disgraced financier were a mistake.

In her statement, Ms Gates said she had full confidence that the foundation was in good shape under the leadership of chief executive Mark Suzman.

She added: The time is right for me to move forward into the next chapter of my philanthropy.
Marc Whyte, San Antonio city council member representing District 10, was seen outside of a courtroom after his hearing on May 14, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. This was Whytes first courtroom appearance after he was arrested for a DWI charge last year. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer Marc Whyte, San Antonio city council member representing District 10, was seen outside of a courtroom after his hearing on May 14, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. This was Whytes first courtroom appearance after he was arrested for a DWI charge last year. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer Marc Whyte, San Antonio city council member representing District 10, was seen outside of a courtroom after his hearing on May 14, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. This was Whytes first courtroom appearance after he was arrested for a DWI charge last year. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer Marc Whyte, San Antonio city council member representing District 10, was seen outside of a courtroom after his hearing on May 14, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. This was Whytes first courtroom appearance after he was arrested for a DWI charge last year. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer Marc Whyte, San Antonio city council member representing District 10, was seen outside of a courtroom after his hearing on May 14, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. This was Whytes first courtroom appearance after he was arrested for a DWI charge last year. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer Marc Whyte, San Antonio city council member representing District 10, was seen outside of a courtroom after his hearing on May 14, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. This was Whytes first courtroom appearance after he was arrested for a DWI charge last year. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer Marc Whyte, San Antonio city council member representing District 10, was seen outside of a courtroom after his hearing on May 14, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. This was Whytes first courtroom appearance after he was arrested for a DWI charge last year. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer Marc Whyte, San Antonio city council member representing District 10, was seen outside of a courtroom after his hearing on May 14, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. This was Whytes first courtroom appearance after he was arrested for a DWI charge last year. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer Marc Whyte, San Antonio city council member representing District 10, was seen outside of a courtroom after his hearing on May 14, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. This was Whytes first courtroom appearance after he was arrested for a DWI charge last year. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer Marc Whyte, San Antonio city council member representing District 10, was seen outside of a courtroom after his hearing on May 14, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. This was Whytes first courtroom appearance after he was arrested for a DWI charge last year. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer Marc Whyte, San Antonio city council member representing District 10, was seen outside of a courtroom after his hearing on May 14, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. This was Whytes first courtroom appearance after he was arrested for a DWI charge last year. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer

District 10 Councilman Marc Whyte made his first appearance in Bexar County Court 11 on Tuesday, but he likely wont know for several weeks if hell be charged with driving while intoxicated.

Whyte is scheduled to return to Judge Erica Penas courtroom June 20.

Bexar County Assistant District Attorney Luis Echeverria asked the judge Tuesday for more time. We are still gathering a couple of key pieces of evidence, he later told reporters.

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Whyte, 43, was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated Dec. 29, but Echeverria said he hasnt filed a charge against Whyte yet.

The night the first-term councilman was arrested, a second officer showed up to assist Officer Devin McCroy in THE parking lot of an office building off Northeast Loop 410. Echeverria said he didnt receive the second officers body-camera footage until earlier this month.

Echeverria said he also is seeking information from forensic scientist Karen Ream, who works for the Department of Public Safety and tested Whytes blood.

Those questions are important questions to look at, Echeverria said.

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DWI is defined in the Texas Penal Code as driving with a blood alcohol concentration, or BAC, of 0.08 or higher. Its a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to 180 days in jail.

Whytes blood alcohol concentration, or BAC, was .089 grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood, according to DPS.

This is the third time the Northeast Side councilmans case was reset. He was supposed to make his initial court appearance in January but his attorney, David Christian, requested more time as he waited for the BAC test results.

Whyte, a business attorney, has maintained that he did not feel intoxicated when he drove home that night from the Thirsty Horse Dance Hall & Saloon on Northwest Military Highway.

I respect the legal process that needs to play out, Whyte told reporters after Tuesdays hearing. Today we were here to allow the court to reset the hearing. Im just going to follow instructions.

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According to a police affidavit, Whyte told Officer McCroy that hed consumed three beers that night: one at El Mirasol, a Mexican restaurant at Alon Town Center, a second at Myrons Prime Steakhouse next door and another at the Thirsty Horse. He initially said he drank a beer, the affidavit said, before admitting during his arrest that hed consumed three.

Whytes license was suspended for six months, but he has been allowed to drive himself to council meetings and work with an occupational license.

This is having absolutely no effect at all on the work I do across the street at City Hall, Whyte said Tuesday. Im fully focused on serving the residents of District 10 and San Antonio.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg barred Whyte from serving on City Council committees for three months. He was allowed to return to his committee work last month.
The mother and girlfriend of two Islamist terrorists have been convicted separately of failing to report plans for a terror attack.

Tasnia Ahmed, 21, from Tower Hamlets in east London, failed to report her then would-be terrorist boyfriend Al-Arfat Hassan to the police despite knowing he intended to carry out a mass casualty attack using a knife or a bomb, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

Earlier this year drill rapper Hassan, 21, who used his music to glorify so-called Islamic State killings, was convicted after buying chemicals online to construct an improvised explosive device (IED) and possession of terrorist material  a video showing how to kill a prisoner with knives and how to make an IED.

He was jailed in February at the Old Bailey for five years with a further two years on licence.

Al-Arfat Hassan was jailed at the Old Bailey (Met Police/PA)

One of Hassans teenage fans, a 17-year-old from Leeds, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for failing to disclose his knowledge of Hassans terrorist activities and possessing terrorist material  the same video that Hassan had possessed.

This defendant can now be named as Sameer Anjum, after reporting restrictions in the case were lifted.

Hassan and Anjum had been exchanging extremist messages, graphics and voice notes almost daily over a number of months, the CPS said.

Anjums mother, Nabeela Anjum, from Roundhay, Leeds, has been convicted of failing to disclose information about Hassans activities, which she learned of from her son.

The 48-year-old was found guilty on Tuesday following a trial at Leeds Crown Court. She has been bailed until her sentencing on a date yet to be confirmed.

Prosecutors said the jury was shown detailed messages where Nabeela Anjum pleaded with her son to stop communicating with Hassan.

In one message following Hassans arrest, she told him: Please get rid of everything from your phone

Ahmed was found guilty following a separate trial at Woolwich Crown Court which concluded on April 25. She will be sentenced at the same court on June 3.

The CPS said evidence presented during Ahmeds trial showed that she had been in a relationship with Hassan since October 2021, and exchanged more than 85,000 text messages over three months.

In some of these messages Hassan revealed his desire to carry out a terrorist attack, writing: I have to get it done, I know the perfect spot where millions, millions of people are

Ahmed told him that he would die for a good cause, adding: Ill support you if thats what you really want. She also wrote she would buy him a better knife.

Mobile phone evidence showed Ahmed and her cousins referred to Hassan as bomb man and a terrorist in their exchanges, making it clear that she had been aware of her partners terrorist activities, the CPS said.

Hassans phones were seized at Heathrow airport in February 2022, and he was arrested in March 2022.

Ahmed and Anjum were not known to each other.

Nick Price, head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: These two women jeopardised the safety of the public by blindly choosing not to report acts of terror openly being discussed and planned by those known to them  that is criminal behaviour and illegal. When presented with the evidence in court, the juries in both cases found that these women had acted unlawfully and convicted them.

Tasnia Ahmed in particular knew of Hassans extremist beliefs. He had repeatedly told her of his intention to carry out a knife or bomb attack  she indulged this and spoke about it as if it was normal behaviour. Nabeela Anjum sought to protect her son, but in trying to do so, she found herself armed with knowledge about terror activities that she knew needed to be reported.

Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley, the head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, said: This demonstrates how important it is to report serious information to the police. We are all under a legal duty to report to the police any information which we know or believe might be of assistance in preventing an act of terrorism.

You may think that you are helping and protecting someone by withholding information, but you are not, and it can make things worse.
The Government has faced calls to take over the running of HMP Parc from private firm G4S, amid concerns over a spate of deaths.

Nine adults have died at HMP Parc in Bridgend, South Wales, since the end of February, with four deaths so far linked to substance misuse and another potentially so.

Justice minister Edward Argar argued the contract continues to perform well although he acknowledged there is more to do.

Justice minister Edward Argar had argued the contract was performing well (UK Parliament/PA)

G4S has managed the establishment since it opened in 1997 and it received a 10-year contract to continue operating it in 2022.

Labour MP Beth Winter (Cynon Valley) told justice questions: The most recent inspectorate of prisons report into HMP Parc in 2022 found that almost half of prisoners had easy access to drugs and our current Welsh Affairs Committee inquiry into prisons has also received evidence regarding drug use, as well the fact that Parc is both under-staffed and the staff are inexperienced.

Ms Winter pointed to this evidence, recent deaths and the recorded levels of violence in the prison, asking: Would the minister welcome a new inspection of Parc by the chief inspector?

And given the 400 million cost of the contract to G4S to run the prison, has he given consideration to the prison service stepping in to manage it as it has done with Birmingham prison?

Mr Argar said X-ray body scanners and handheld devices are among the measures being rolled out to tackle drugs at HMP Parc.

He said: Any inspection is a matter for the chief inspector of prisons.

In terms of the overall performance of Parc, I think its important to remember that while there are challenges that were addressed in the urgent question (in the Commons) yesterday, Parc is a prison that is rated as performing well and a contract that is performing well.

I think in the 2022 inspection it got one measure of good and three of reasonably good. There is more to do and we will continue to work with the prison but the contract continues to perform well.

In March, South Wales Police said it could not confirm the four drug-related deaths were connected to any specific drug.

It added a fast-track process had identified the presence of Nitazene-based substances in connection with all four deaths, with Spice identified in two of the four deaths.

Shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood listed failure after failure in the prisons system (Peter Byrne/PA)

Labours shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood said: Report after report, failure after failure. At Parc prison nine people have died in just two months, at Bedford cells were flooded with raw sewage.

And at Wandsworth, a suspected terrorist escaped last year, the prison still isnt secure, and the governor has resigned. Shes taken responsibility  when will he?

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk replied: So shes right that there are prisons where the standards are not where we want them to be.

There are something like a 120 prisons in the estate, and we are the party that created the urgent notification system so that these matters can be drawn to the attention of the Government.

But I would just make this point as well, there are prisons where they have failed in the past and we have turned them around.

Take HMP Liverpool  which I went to  and in 2017 (Sir Robert Neill) will remember there was a scathing report  it has been turned around, it is safe, decent, rehabilitative, prisoners are doing excellent work.

Take HMP Chelmsford, which had a (urgent notification) and has been turned around.

We take this incredibly seriously, but we are the party that investing record amounts in our estate.

An HMP Parc spokesperson said: The safety of prisoners and staff is our number one priority, and our thoughts remain with the families and friends of those who have died recently at HMP Parc.

The vast majority of our staff are hard-working and honest. As with every other prison in the country, we work closely and effectively with the police and the HMPPS (HM Prison and Probation Service) counter-corruption team to crack down on the small number who may break the rules.

We use a range of tactics to tackle the ingress of drugs and reduce demand. This includes robust security measures for staff, visitors and prisoners as well as substance misuse support to those in our care.

Tough sanctions are imposed on prisoners found to be involved in drugs, including referral to the police for criminal investigation. Targeted and random mandatory drug testing is undertaken, as is the case in all prisons in England and Wales.

The spokesperson added they would welcome the inspectors at any time they choose to visit.
Andrei Belousov, is seen as highly religious, highly competent and a number cruncher. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

In 2014, Russias bloc of economic strategists was panicked by Vladimir Putins decision to annex Crimea and foment a war in east Ukraine, a move that led to western condemnation and sanctions against Russia that were seen as potentially ruinous.

But his adviser Andrei Belousov was a rare economist who publicly stood by his side, calling the damage manageable and western sanctions insignificant in terms of the Russian economy.

A decade later, Belousov, a Putin loyalist known to back government spending to stimulate the economy, has taken up the Kremlins biggest challenge: overseeing the defence ministry as military spending soars above 7% of Russias GDP and the Kremlin prepares itself for a long war in Ukraine.

I think that the Kremlin sees the war as a war of attrition and a war of attrition is won by economics, said Alexandra Prokopenko, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, who is an expert on the Russian economy and former adviser to the Russian central bank. So a combination of industry and a pure economist who has a very strict and clear view of the leading role of the state within the economy can be the key to transform Russias heavily militarised economy into a real war economy.

The appointment of highly trusted technocrats to manage the ballooning military and industrial budgets was a sign that the war is the top priority for the Kremlin and that Putin truly believes that a war footing is sustainable for the Russian economy and well  deal with structural problems later.

Sergei Shoigu, the longtime defence minister and Putins occasional hunting and fishing buddy, has been shifted over to be secretary of Russias national security council. While the Kremlin has sought to avoid the image of a purge at the defence ministry, the shake-up comes shortly after a top Shoigu deputy was arrested on corruption charges, and Shoigus own reputation as defence minister has been tarnished by the Russian armys poor performance in Ukraine. Ruslan Tsalikov, another Shoigu deputy, tendered his resignation on Monday.

One former defence official said Putin was holding Shoigu hostage by appointing him to the security council and not letting him retire. Meanwhile, the person said: Putins thinking is: let the minister of defence be an economist, someone who understands how the budget works, can streamline financial flows.

Speaking about Belousovs appointment, the Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov noted that defence spending was rocketing, and suggested it could become dangerous to the state. We are gradually approaching, for well-known reasons, the situation in the mid-1980s, when the share of expenditures on [defence] was 7.4%, he said. This is not critical. But this is extremely important and it requires special attention.

Contemporaries describe Belousov as a highly religious technocrat who keeps Orthodox icons and religious books at his modest offices, where he had served as a deputy prime minister since 2020 (he briefly became acting prime minister during Covid-19). He is said to be trusted by Putin, whom he has worked for in government since 2008, and served as a Kremlin aide from 2013 to 2020.

A person who had worked for Belousov described him as efficient at planning years ahead, and an early proponent of the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) who was very receptive to innovation.

His main [advantage] is that he thinks years ahead, said the person. He is both someone with a vision but also a loyal servant. The Kremlin believes this war will be a long one, whether in a cold or hot form, and it is only logical to have someone who makes long-term plans.

In government, he is seen as a highly competent official, a number cruncher who stood out among officials for his attentive and hands-on approach to his work as well as for keeping a low profile.

I would explain partially that hes not very liked by some colleagues or others in the government that hes just a little different, said another person who has worked with Belousov. Ideological, committed, loyal, soldier to the state and to [Putin], but with a very peculiar servant of the state mentality. And again, deeply religious.

Belousovs nomination to the defence ministry was surprising to many in the government, as well as outside analysts. The military blogger Fighterbomber, who reflects the more hawkish interests among the Russian rank-and-file, quipped when hearing of Belousovs nomination: I have just one question. Who is that?

Yet his nomination made some sense. He is familiar with the military-industrial complex, according to Prokopenko. And Putin has a tradition of choosing civilians to head the defence ministry, as evidenced by past ministers such as Anatoly Serdyukov and Shoigu himself, who came from the ministry of emergency services and never served in the military.

Related: Russians having tactical success in advance on Kharkiv, Ukraine says

Putin obviously was unhappy with how the war goes and the victory he has been trying to achieve is not yet in side so he should have been trying to make some changes, said Konstantin Sonin, an economist and professor at the University of Chicago. Putin has been extremely consistent in the way he picks up his new appointments: these people should be totally non-charismastic, never have their own political base. The reason he picked Belousov was basically the loyalty and the absence of personal charisma and ambitions. Its the most important characteristic.

Belousov was best known among economists for his belief in state-driven growth and industrial policy, said Sonin, who first met him during roundtables 20 years ago, and called him the only sane and competent person with such extreme views.

He also stood out for his lack of corrupt interests, said Sonin, compared with other Russian officials who had often turned their ministries into small fiefdoms that they control.

He is like Putins soldier. He doesnt have a base of his own, said Sonin.
People attend memorial service for the Schoenborn children in Merritt, British Columbia, on 27 April 2008. They were murdered by their father, who subsequently changed his name. Photograph: Andy Clark/Reuters

Canadas westernmost province has says it will stop people who committed serious crimes from changing their names, following revelations that a child-killer tried to keep his new identity secret.

British Columbias health minister said on Monday his government would introduce legislation to amend the provinces name act.

Allowing these individuals to hide their identity through a name change is extremely troubling to victims and their families and can result in safety concerns for members of the public, said Adrian Dix. The new prohibition would apply to adults, as well as offenders under 18 but who are convicted and sentenced as adults.

What it ensures really is more safety and reflects the views of families who are facing these circumstances, he said.

The move comes after reporting that Allan Schoenborn, who killed his three children in 2008, had legally changed his name to Ken John Johnson and had applied for a publication ban on his new identity. That ban was rejected by the provinces review board.

Schoenborn was found not criminally responsible in 2010 because of a delusional disorder and was placed at a psychiatric hospital in the city of Port Coquitlam. The amendment tabled by Dix would still apply to people found not criminally responsible.

What this legislation does is it says that people who have been found guilty of very serious offences  violence against other people, acts against children  will not be permitted to change their name, said Dix. The focus here is the offence and not the verdict.

In April, conservative opposition leader Kevin Falcon proposed a private members bill that included similar provisions to the legislation introduced by BCs New Democratic party-led government.

This is a huge problem for the safety of communities, he told reporters. When government balances competing interests, I put the interests of community safety well above the interest of Allan Schoenborn to have his name changed so that he can move around the community unnoticed.

Prominent Canadian killers Vince Li, Karla Homolka and Kelly Ellard and have all legally changed their names, but those names are known to the public.

Its obvious to all British Columbians that nobody should be able to evade accountability for their criminal activities by changing their name in this province, the premier, David Eby, said in April.
The Central Investigation Bureau arrested Alexander in Bangkok - ViralPress

A British man has been arrested in Thailand for allegedly bombarding a restaurant with one-star reviews after he was banned from walking through it as a short-cut on his way home.

The 21-year-old, identified only as Alexander, allegedly sought revenge after he was told he could not walk through an Italian restaurant on the island of Phuket because he was not a paying customer.

According to Thai media, the Briton was so frustrated with the restaurants owner that he enlisted his friends help and posted a spate of false and distorted statements to maliciously damage the establishment. Soon, its Google rating nosedived - from 4.9 to just 3.1.

The alleged incident dates back to 2022, when Alexander was living in Phuket. The restaurant filed a complaint claiming his actions had damaged its finances and reputation, and an arrest warrant was issued last August following a police investigation.

Arrested in Bangkok

But Alexander was not apprehended by the Central Investigation Bureau until last week, having fled to Bangkok. He has now been taken back to Phuket for prosecution, and denies any wrongdoing.

The suspect was handed over to the inquiry officer of Sakhu Police Station for further legal action, said Jomparit Kaewreung, a police major from the crime suppression division. During the interrogation, he has denied the charges.

Thailand has extremely strict anti-defamation laws, with any complaints deemed to impair a person or institutions reputation considered a criminal offence. In court, it is also the duty of the defendant to prove that their statements were true - rather than the duty of the prosecution to prove them false.

Alexander is not the first foreigner to fall foul of the law after posting a negative review. An American tourist was also arrested in Phuket in 2020, after accusing a hotel of modern-day slavery on TripAdvisor.

Although he was eventually released following an apology, those convicted can face two years behind bars or a fine of up to 200,000 baht (4,300), according to the law firm Siam Legal.
Graham Beresford said: I just want to be able to have healthcare without having to worry week to week. Photograph: Copyright Graham Beresford

A British man settled in Italy who has a rare cancer has been unable to receive the free healthcare he is entitled to because local officials do not understand the Brexit withdrawal agreement, he has said.

Graham Beresford, 61, has spoken out days before the foreign secretary, David Cameron, who triggered the Brexit referendum, has his first major meeting with the European commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic in Brussels about post-Brexit relations.

Under the withdrawal agreement, Beresford should be entitled to the same access to healthcare as a permanent resident .

But he has repeatedly, and erroneously, been told that he is only entitled to the permanent residency document if he had been in the country for five years before Brexit and is now facing demands of 2,000 (1,700) for an Italian health card.

Campaigners say Beresford is one of hundreds of Britons in this situation.

Brexit is the cause of this. Brexit is an absolute disaster, an act of self-harm of the worst kind for absolutely nothing. I dont know why anyone voted for it, said Beresford, who cannot, despite trying for years, persuade the local authorities he is entitled to healthcare under the Brexit deal.

Beresford managed energy for the local council in Glasgow, but took early retirement and moved to Italy in January 2019 to realise his retirement dream before the Brexit drawbridge in January 2021 which put a stop to free movement.

Initially he relied on savings, but when he reached 60 he was able to access his pension of about 10,000 (8,600) a year.

Local authorities have told him that the withdrawal agreement gives health rights only to British nationals who were in the country for a full five years before the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020.

Attempts to convince authorities that they are making an error have been futile.

Camerons meetings with Sefcovic on Thursday  as part of the EU-UK joint committee and the EU-UK Partnership Council  are his first official stocktake of Brexit, and come eight years after he resigned over the referendum result.

One will focus on the trade and co-operation agreement, where energy co-operation, the fisheries deal and post-pandemic health security will be discussed, and the other on the withdrawal agreement in which citizens rights and an update on the Northern Ireland Windsor framework are on the agenda.

In February, the Italian health ministry circulated a two-page letter to local authorities confirming that Britons who were in Italy before Brexit were entitled to register for free with the Sistema Sanitorio Nazionale, the Italian version of the NHS.

This is also referenced on the UK governments Living in Italy page.

When Beresford took a copy of the ministers letter to the local authority, he was still met with resistance. She told me we need further clarification, he said, and they refused to issue him with his health card.

Cameron needs to provide funding for the embassy to employ someone to help British citizens with Brexit issues, said Beresford. Brexit was not all enacted at once by the UK, it has been implemented transitionally, so it only stands to reason that citizens will be affected transitionally as each new act is implemented.

Campaigners in Italy wrote to Cameron about the issue in January but have not received a reply.

Beresford, who is on chemotherapy drugs, said: I just want to be able to have healthcare without having to worry week to week whether we are going to get a prescription or not.

Clarissa Killwick from Beyond Brexit - UK citizens in Italy said Beresfords case highlights how extremely vulnerable some people are, particularly because of the lack of joined-up communications which she said was a clear breach of article 37 of the withdrawal agreement.

She added: The funding from the UK government for dedicated assistance for people such as Graham stopped in 2021 and, unlike in the UK, there is no independent monitoring of withdrawal agreement implementation. It is easy for 1.3 million people to become invisible when they are scattered across 27-plus countries.

To have a hope of things functioning as they should, information needs to be timely, unambiguous and easily accessible.

A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: Access to healthcare for British nationals living abroad under the UK-EU withdrawal agreement is a top priority for the UK.

We are pressing the Italian authorities for clarity for those who are facing problems accessing healthcare services or where there is confusion around eligibility, and supporting affected individuals.
Makeshift blockades on a road in Noumea amid protests against plans to expand the New Caledonias voter roll to include more French citizens. Photograph: Theo Rouby/AFP/Getty Images

New Caledonia has imposed a curfew and banned public gatherings in the capital, Noumea, after a day of protests around the French territory against planned changes to the constitution turned violent, with reports of widespread looting and businesses set on fire.

A great deal of damage was done to businesses including car dealerships, shops, pharmacies and security cameras in Noumea and numerous police officers were injured in the violence, the French high commission in New Caledonia said in a statement on Tuesday. Thirty-six people were arrested.

The high commissioner condemns in the strongest possible terms these acts of violence, which constitute serious attacks on people and property, the commission said, adding that it was massively mobilising internal security and civil security forces over the unrest.

The New Caledonia government appealed for reason and calm and called on all Caledonians to demonstrate a sense of responsibility.

Related: Macron in New Caledonia: why is the territory divided and will it break away from France?

The protests, which have been simmering for weeks, were organised by the pro-independence field action coordination committee (CCAT), in response to plans by France to expand voter eligibility in local elections to include French nationals who have lived on the island for more than 10 years.

The move, which is due to come up for further debate in the French parliament on Tuesday, is strongly opposed by leaders of the indigenous Kanak population, who see it as a bid to further minimise their influence.

Major car dealers and factories were among the businesses set on fire on Monday, Les Nouvelles Caledoniennes website reported. It said major roads going into Noumea were also blocked by fires and the sound of gunshots could be heard. One fire was still raging in the Magenta area of the capital on Tuesday morning, the website reported.

Several supermarkets in Noumea were looted as well as in the neighbouring towns of Dumbea and Mont-Dore, the France.info website reported.

Some main roads were also still being blocked by protesters early Tuesday and the high commissioner called on residents to remain at home. The curfew is to be imposed from 6pm until 6am on Wednesday.

The high commission also banned the carrying and sale of arms as well as the sale of alcohol for two days on Monday.

Most flights had been cancelled to and from Noumeas international airport on Tuesday while schools and colleges were shut until further notice.

In a press conference on Tuesday, French high commissioner Louis Le Franc called on independence leaders to use their influence to put an end to the violence, warning that if it did not stop there will be deaths, France.info reported.

CCAT leader Christian Tein called on young people to slow down but denied his group had called for violence. In an interview with Radio Djiido, he blamed the French state for the unrest, saying it had turned a deaf ear despite months of mobilisation.

New Zealands foreign minister, Winston Peters, said he had cancelled a trip to the territory planned for later this week due to the unrest, according to the broadcaster RNZ.

France vowed in the Noumea Accord of 1998 to gradually give more political power to the Pacific island territory of nearly 300,000 people.

Under the agreement, New Caledonia has held three referendums over its ties with France, all rejecting independence.

The pro-independence Indigenous Kanaks rejected the result of the last referendum held in December 2021, which they had boycotted due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Noumea Accord has also meant that New Caledonias voter lists have not been updated since 1998  meaning that island residents who arrived from mainland France or elsewhere anytime in the past 25 years do not have the right to take part in provincial polls.

The French government has branded the exclusion of one out of five people from voting as absurd, while separatists fear that expanding voter lists would benefit pro-France politicians.

During a visit to the territory last year, President Emmanuel Macron said he wanted a revised constitutional status for New Caledonia to be in place by the beginning of 2024.

Macron has been seeking to reassert his countrys importance in the Pacific region, where China and the United States are vying for influence but France has territories such as New Caledonia and French Polynesia.

Agence France-Presse contributed to this report
Coastguards have won worker status after a legal battle described as historic by their union.

The GMB said the Employment Appeal Tribunal has ruled that HM Coastguard officers are workers and a contract existed between the parties in circumstances where they had the right to be remunerated for their activities.

The hearing centred around a coastguard officer, Martin Groom, who campaigned to prove he was a worker and not a volunteer.

The GMB said the outcome of the case has potential implications for the voluntary sector as a whole as it rows back on previous case law finding volunteers not to be workers in every case.

GMB general secretary Gary Smith (GMB/PA)

Gary Smith, GMB general secretary, said: This is a landmark win for coastguards, and workers, everywhere.

The public have the utmost respect for the brave men and women who keep our coasts safe.

This ruling demands that their employers do the same.

Martin Groom said: This judgment brings a level of responsibility to HM coastguard to treat officer with a respect and dignity they havent been shown before.

They now cannot terminate contracts on a whim, we are workers and deserve to be treated as such.

Id like to acknowledge the effort, time and input of GMB, without the union we would not have been able to fight the case.
Prime minister Rishi Sunak delivered a speech on national security at the Policy Exchange in London. (AFP via Getty Images) (CARL COURT via Getty Images)

The Conservative Party has apologised for a data breach on the same day the prime minister insisted it is keeping Britain "safe".

On Monday, an email sent from Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) was CCed with hundreds of people's email addresses without their permission, a potential breach of general data protection regulation (GDPR).

Journalist Rachel Cunliffe, associate political editor at the New Statesman, said she had received an email in which hundreds of email addresses were included.

She wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "Did anyone else just get this email, ostensibly from CCHQ, which has CCd rather then BCCd its recipients and thus shared hundreds of personal email addresses?"

She posted a screen grab of the email she received, which asked recipients to submit their registration for the Conservative Party conference later this year.

Did anyone else just get this email, ostensibly from CCHQ, which has CCd rather then BCCd its recipients and thus shared hundreds of personal email addresses? pic.twitter.com/jemB1JSchK  Rachel Cunliffe (@RMCunliffe) May 13, 2024

The grab contained grammar and spelling errors, as well as double spacing between some words, and a link for recipients to click.

In an article for the New Statesman, Cunliffe wrote that the email had been sent to 344 people, listing all of their email addresses.

A Conservative Party spokesman later told Yahoo News the email was genuine and had come from CCHQ, and was neither spam nor phishing.

He said: We are aware of an issue relating to a conference registration email and are currently investigating the cause of this. We apologise to those affected and have self-reported to the Information Commissioners Office.

The party is reported to have sent a follow-up email to recipients - which has not been seen by Yahoo - apologising for the error, saying: "Please accept our sincere apologies for this. We have taken steps to ensure that this issue does not happen again."

Conservative Party has referred itself to the Information Commissioner after sharing hundreds of personal email addresses, including a number of MP addresses, when it sent out a conference reminder earlier today pic.twitter.com/474IOOBUEk  Rachael Burford (@RachaelBurford) May 13, 2024

The Information Commissioner's Office, which regulates data protection, confirmed that it is investigating.

A spokesperson told Yahoo News UK: "The Conservative Party has made us aware of this incident and we are assessing the information provided.

The Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) in Westminster, London. (PA) (Benjamin John)

"Failure to use BCC correctly in emails is one of the top data breaches reported to us every year. Organisations should consider using alternatives to BCC such as bulk email services, mail merge, or secure data transfer services, so personal information is not shared with people by mistake."

It came as party leader and prime minister Rishi Sunak made a major speech about security and said the country would be less safe under Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

Sunak said: I believe that we will keep this country safe and Keir Starmers actions demonstrate that he wont be able to do that.
China, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong also have worryingly low fertility rates (STR / AFP / Getty Images)

In light of Europe's declining birthrate, Pope Francis has urged Italians to have bigger families.

In a speech on Friday, the Pope urged long-term measures to support families and issued a dire warning about the future being threatened by the nation's demographic crisis.

The number of births is the first indicator of the hope of a people. Without children and young people, a country loses its desire for the future.

Francis made his most recent plea on Italy, as well as the rest of Europe, to reverse what he has dubbed the demographic winter that many industrialised nations are currently experiencing.Italy has one of the lowest birth rates in the world, and it has been declining gradually for the past 15 years. Last year, there were 379,000 births, a record low.

Another country impacted by low fertility rates is South Korea.

South Korea's fertility rate declined in 2023, as women concerned about their career advancement and the financial cost of raising children decided to delay childbirth or to not have babies.

The average number of expected babies for a South Korean woman during her reproductive life fell to a record low of 0.72 from 0.78 in 2022, Statistics Korea reported on Wednesday.

The rate needed for a steady population is 2.1 per woman. The rates reported are well below the rate of 1.24 in 2015, when concern about issues such as the cost of housing and education were lower.

This is despite the government investing more than 360tn won ($270bn) in programmes since 2006 to encourage couples to have more children, including cash subsidies, babysitting services, and support for infertility treatment.

Why is South Korea's birth rate falling?

The declining fertility rate has been driven by a number of reasons. In South Korea, being married is seen as a prerequisite to having children. However, marriages are also declining in the country, meaning that many are not having children.

"There are people who don't get married but we think about why married couples choose not to have babies, and my understanding is that addressing that part is going to be the focus of our policies (to boost the birth rate)," an official at Statistics Korea told a briefing.

South Korea also has the worst gender pay gap in the OECD. Korean women bring home about two-thirds of the income of men.

This means that women cannot continue to build on their career experience when having children, as "they are often... the only one doing the childcare (and) often need to rejoin the workforce after extended leaves," Jung Jae-hoon, a professor at Seoul Women's University, told Reuters.

What are the lowest fertility rates across the world?

These are the lowest fertility rates across the world, according to 2023 data from the CIA.

Taiwan (1.09) South Korea (1.11) Singapore (1.17) Ukraine (1.22) Hong Kong (1.23) Macau (1.23) Italy (1.24) Moldova (1.25) Puerto Rico (1.25) Spain (1.29)

What are fertility rates and how are they calculated?

Experts also look at the stats for a countrys fertility rate. The fertility rate measures the average number of children that women of childbearing age give birth to in a given country. Fertility rate and birth rate are often used together to help determine a countrys replacement rate, which determines if the number of new citizens born each year is higher or lower than the number of citizens who pass away each year. Population growth or shrinkage can have a significant impact on a countrys development and economic stability.

What measures have these countries taken?

Countries are trying to make having babies seem more appealing to prospective parents in a bid to increase their birth rates.

In South Korea, almost $121 billion (99 billion) has been pumped into measures to increase the rate, establishing public daycare centres, free nurseries, as well as subsidised childcare for a childs first year in education.

In October 2019, the government announced an expansion to existing parental-leave policies and parents with children below the age of eight are now allowed to spend one less hour at work each day. Cash subsidies for parents with young children have even been expanded to include the richest 10 per cent of the population.

In Singapore, parents are encouraged to have babies with cash bonuses.

The countrys National Population and Talent Division has cited the fact that Singaporeans are increasingly prioritising other goals, such as furthering their education, building their careers, and travel" over having children, to explain why birth rates are falling.

The current rate stands at 1.26 children per woman and, to reverse the trend, billions have been spent on enhanced parental-leave programmes, tax rebates for more children, as well as benefits for working mothers whose parents look after their grandchildren.

To make it easier for grandparents to get involved, the government offers a generous Proximity Housing Grant (PHG) of $30,000 (25,000) for families purchasing somewhere to live with or near (within 4km) their parents or children.

There is also a baby bonus cash gift of $8,000 (7,000) for the first and second child and $10,000 (8,500) for every subsequent birth. Singapore publicises policies like these on www.heybaby.sg and there are even promotional campaigns at rail stations offering fertility information painted on the concourse featuring slogans like, "The earlier you plan, the easier it is to conceive".

In 2022, Chinas Health Commission announced measures to improve pre- and post-natal services in an effort to encourage people to have children.

They also urged both central and provincial governments to implement active fertility-support measures, including offering tax rebates, better health insurance and education, as well as housing and employment support for young families." Last year, the government also offered young newlyweds 30 days of paid holiday in an effort to boost the countrys falling birth rate.
Authorities are seeking information on two gunmen who shot at a Northeast Side home, killing a 4-year-old girl. Ken Branca

San Antonio Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information that can lead to arrests for a shooting that killed a 4-year-old girl on the Northeast Side.

Police are looking for two suspects who shot at a home in the 67000 block of Windsor Hollow on Wednesday. At the time, a family of five with three children was inside the home. Police said all five were struck by gunfire and a 4-year-old girl, who was shot in the head, died from her injuries.

The shooting was caught on nearby home surveillance video. The footage shows two men exiting an Infiniti Q50 and firing several rounds at the front of the home before fleeing the scene. Sheriff Javier Salazar said it appeared the shooting was targeted.

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The remaining family members were hospitalized but are now stable, Salazar said.
Lili Myers (L) and Dave Myers (R) (Facebook)

Hairy Bikers star Dave Myers widow heartbreakingly shared that she misses the TV chef terribly, two months after his death aged 66.

The beloved TV chef, known for his work alongside friend Si King on the Hairy Bikers, died in February after a two-year battle with cancer.

Lili, who first met the TV chef in 2006, heartbreakingly admitted she misses him terribly ahead of Dave Day on June 8, when thousands of bikers will travel from London to Myers's home town of Barrow, raising money for charity.

She told BBC Radio Cumbria: "He was the same person on and off screen.

Larger than life. I miss him terribly now. I miss that energy."

Myers pictured with pal Si King (Instagram)

Lili revealed that the final stages of her husbands life were challenging, explaining how she would drive him to set before bringing him to his chemotherapy sessions.

Despite this, Myers somehow found the strength to continue filming - something Lili said left her in awe.

She said she encouraged Dave to keep filming the series because it was his life, adding that they had made the most of every day together.

Lili reflected: "It wasn't an easy period of time. I've watched this man die for a couple of years, every day, little by little.

The couple first crossed paths in Romania while he and pal Si filmed their inaugural series, The Hairy Bikers' Cookbook, in 2006.

When a Romanian producer failed to deliver, Lili came to the rescue.

They kept in contact afterward, with Dave sending emails from various exotic destinations worldwide until they eventually reunited in Barrow.

She said: "I got these beautiful emails from exotic parts of the world, talking to me about the culture, about the food, about the people that he met and that was magical for me.

"It was seeing the world through his eyes. He was a genuinely beautiful man, beautiful soul, and it came across in his emails."

The couple married in 2011 and he became stepfather to her children from a previous relationship.

Lili said of Dave: "He made the most of every moment, and that's what I have learned from him.
Deakin Universitys Burwood campus in Melbourne, Victoria. The university has called for the immediate dismantling and removal of a pro-Palestine encampment. Photograph: Donaldytong/Wikipedia

Deakin University has become the first education institution in Australia to request students dismantle their pro-Palestine encampment, but protestors have vowed they will not be moved.

Pro-Palestine camps have spread to universities in every state in Australia after beginning at the University of Sydney almost three weeks ago. Last week, Victoria police wrote to university vice-chancellors requesting greater powers to shut down the encampments, adding that if they were allowed to keep growing there was a strong likelihood of violence occurring between protest and counter-protest groups.

In a letter sent to organisers on Monday evening, the deputy vice-chancellor of Deakin, Kerrie Parker, called for the immediate dismantling and removal of the current encampment to ensure the safety, security and amenity of all campus users.

She noted organisers had initially flagged the camp would run from 7 May to 10 May, a date which had now lapsed, adding the universities took its obligations to staff, students and visitors very seriously.

The universitys expectation was that the encampment would conclude  at the end of last Friday, relieving the university of its obligation to ensure the safety of the protestors and other campus users, she wrote.

However, a small group have remained in continuous occupation at the Morgans Walk site at the Burwood campus over the weekend.

Related: Student protester suspended by ANU for expressing support for Hamas as police warn over encampments

Last week, Deakin established barricades closing off Morgans Walk where the camp had been established, citing the utterly unacceptable behaviour of protestors, including hate speech. Parker said the ongoing closure was creating an impediment to the use of campus.

In a response published to social media on Tuesday morning, the Deakin Gaza Solidarity Encampment called the move Orwellian and reiterated its demands that the university immediately divest its ties with the state of Israel and all weapons manufacturers, and for the vice-chancellor to meet with protestors.

It announced a rally to defend the encampment at 6.30pm on Wednesday to defend and support the encampment.

While the university insists that our camp has carried on long enough, our demands have been met with not a single response, they wrote.

This shows us that we have not been here for long enough ... We will not be moved. We have the right to freedom of speech and protest.

The shadow education minister, Sarah Henderson, praised Deakins move.

This is leadership, she wrote on X.

Labor and all universities must show the same commitment to the right of every person to access and enjoy a safe and secure learning and working environment, free of impediment, intimidation and harassment.

Speaking on Melbournes 3AW on Tuesday morning, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said the continuation of encampments was a matter for police.

We in this country have a right to protest, he said. Thats really important  but its important as well that it be respectful.

And I say this to people, how they protest reflects on whether that protest is winning support or losing support.

The minister for education, Jason Clare, said he had made it clear to universities that there was nothing more important than the safety of students and staff on campus.

Universities have student codes of conduct, and they should be enforcing those codes of conduct, he said.

Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said it was a welcome and overdue move.

These encampments are a nuisance, a disfigurement of campus grounds, he said.

Other universities have so far been so far resistant to dismantling protests.

The chief executive of the Group of Eight, Vicki Thomson, which represents six universities where students have set up encampments, told Guardian Australia on Friday universities had no plans to shut down the camps unless they broke the law or disrupted the core activities of universities.

While there have been some isolated instances on some of our campuses, in the main the protests have, to date, been reasonably peaceful, she said.

Deakin is not a member of the Group of Eight.

Meanwhile, an open letter from Australian academics and professional university staff in support of student protests had garnered more than 600 signatures on Tuesday afternoon, less than 48 hours after it was made public.

The letter, drafted by Monash Staff 4 Palestine, upholds the importance of free speech on campuses and rejects media and political characterisations of the protests as antisemitic.

On Tuesday, American rapper Macklemore visited protestors at the University of Sydney, filming a social media video to declare his support for the global movement.

Just wanted to shout out all the students at Sydney University encampment, he said. Come down. Support. Free Palestine.

Deakin University did not respond to request for comment as to whether the police would be called in to intervene. In a statement from Parker, posted to the universitys website, she reiterated Deakin would not tolerate unacceptable language or behaviour that breached its code of conduct.

A spokesperson for Victoria police said police were aware management had requested for the encampments to be dismantled and were not involved in the decision.

Victoria police have met with the vice-chancellors of most universities operating in Victoria to ensure we are aware of the issues they are facing regarding encampments and protests, they said.

While each university maintains responsibility for their campuses, Victoria police will assist them by responding to potential breaches of the peace or criminal offences.
Police check a building in Chenove, central eastern France, as part of the anti-drugs 'XXL clean-up operation' - ARNAUD FINISTRE/AFP via Getty

When Emmanuel Macron travelled to Marseille in March, the French president proclaimed he was launching an unprecedented XXL drugs clean-up operation that would spark fear into even the most battle-hardened of drug lords.

He was speaking from Frances second city, a Mediterranean port that suffered 47 drug-related murders last year, including the death of a 24-year-old law student killed by a stray bullet fired by a 15-year-old boy during a gang-related shooting in the street outside her home.

She was sitting in her bedroom when the bullet came through the wall.

After his Marseille announcement, anonymous local drug caids chuckled at suggestions it would in any way dent their booming business  despite 900 arrests, including those of two rival gang leaders.

The suggestion was that they would simply be replaced, or carry on operating from jail.

Days later, Mr Macron was photographed in the Amazonian overseas territory of French Guiana, a notorious hub for drug mules.

Two months on, France watched footage of two prison officers killed during a successful operation to free a drug trafficker said to have ordered hit jobs abroad and at home, including in Marseille.

Emmanuel Macron meets with Marseille residents during a visit focusing on the fight against drugs - CHRISTOPHE ENA/AFP via Getty

As if the symbolism wasnt bad enough, the gruesome killing, which has two other officers fighting for their lives, occurred on the day a French senatorial commission of inquiry effectively concluded that France was losing the war against drugs under Mr Macrons watch. It makes for chilling reading.

France is submerged with drug trafficking, which is infiltrating everywhere like an inexorably rising tide, warned the cross-party report.

France is [...] at a tipping point: we must act now to contain the contagion, it went on, underling the very high risk of corruption of public and private officials, who are essential intermediaries in drug trafficking.

In a damning indictment, it found that Mr Macrons anti-drugs plan to be presented shortly by the government was meagre and not up to the task.

Far from being confined to the suburbs, drug trafficking was also spreading to rural areas and medium-sized towns, where it was eventually imposing its own codes, said the report.

The commission also noted that drug bosses are able to pull the strings untroubled from abroad, notably from the United Arab Emirates.

Police carry out identity checks on a street in Chenove, as part of the drugs battle - ARNAUD FINISTRE/AFP via Getty

Writing in Le Monde, the two authors of the report, Jerome Durain and Etienne Blanc, a Socialist and a conservative, criticised the weakness of our public reaction to the phenomenon.

Its scale gives us the impression that there is a relationship between the weak and the strong, and that the strong are the criminal organisations and the weakling is the state, said Mr Durain.

They warned that the chain of trust in public and private players was hanging in the balance, pointing to the corruption of unionised dock workers in the port of Le Havre paid up to 100,000 (85,000) to turn a blind eye to a drug-filled container, to officials paid as little as 25 (21) to consult classified files.

Mr Macrons clean-up plan received short shrift. Its all very well attacking drug distribution but that will come to naught if you fail to go after the transport, logistics, international cooperation that brought it to France.

All this is manna to Mr Macrons political enemies, notably the hard-Right National Rally, which is already in pole position ahead of June European elections.

Its leader Jordan Bardella pulled his punches as if not wanting to add insult to injury, but there is little doubt that the political damage is done.
Paul Marshall stood for parliament for the Social Democratic party in the 1980s and was a major funder of the Lib Dems in the 2000s. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

What links Russell Brands baptism in the Thames with Sir Paul Marshall, a co-owner of GB News and potential purchaser of the Telegraph? Both have found salvation through the strand of evangelical Christianity promoted by one incredibly influential church in central London.

Marshall, a hedge fund boss, is not yet a household name. Yet he is on his way to building a media empire and accumulating political power to rival Rupert Murdochs. First he launched the website UnHerd, aimed at Westminster opinion-formers, then he helped fund the populist rightwing news channel GB News, and in the coming weeks he will launch a bid to buy the Daily Telegraph.

Taken together, the trio of outlets would give him enormous influence over Tory party members when they come to choose Rishi Sunaks replacement as leader. Conservative officials whisper about him being the kingmaker in whats left of the party after the next general election.

Related: He wants to shape wider culture: Why Paul Marshall is turning from GB News to the Telegraph

But what sets Marshall apart from other media owners is the way his belief in evangelical Christianity influences his work in media and politics.

Alice Enders, a media analyst, said this was unlike most owners of British newspapers, who are motivated by raw power and wealth: Rupert Murdoch is in thrall to the religion of capitalism, and I would assume that to be true of others too.

The root is my faith, Marshall said in 2012 when discussing his work with the schools charity Ark. I am a committed Church of England Christian, I believe we are all made in Gods image, that we all have gifts, and that education is the key to realising our potential.

Marshall does not follow a musty version of Anglicanism where fundraising means holding a cake sale in aid of church organ repairs. He worships at Holy Trinity, Brompton (HTB), an influential parish church in Knightsbridge, in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea, south-west London..

HTB  which recently pushed back against plans for the Church of England to bless same-sex relationships  is the centre of C of E evangelicalism and the former church of the Archbishop of Canterbury. It also gave birth to the wildly successful Alpha course, responsible for converting millions of people around the world to Christianity  and for encouraging talking in tongues. One of those who found faith through the course was the adventurer Bear Grylls, an occasional attendee at HTB, who last week baptised Brand in the Thames.

Marshall, whose personal wealth is estimated at 800m and is one of the UKs biggest philanthropists, sits on the board of HTBs wildly successful church outreach programme and is a donor to its associated theological training college. He also funds the Centre for Cultural Witness, a project with the backing of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The religion journalist Tim Wyatt said HTB was known for having hyper-wealthy individuals such as Marshall among its congregation, which had led to concerns about their influence within the C of E. Those with the biggest chequebooks could be allowed to wield excessive influence and pursue their views, especially when they tip over into political extremism, he said.

In response, a friend of Marshall said: Paul is a supporter of HTB as that is the church he attends. It is a mainstream, dynamic part of the Anglican family and he isnt particularly interested in Church politics.

Marshalls belief is not a private passion. In speeches and interventions over the years, the would-be media baron has quoted the biblical call for faith, hope, charity. Despite being a proponent of free-market capitalism  which he calls the greatest instrument of poverty relief that the world has ever seen  he has no time for the individualistic libertarianism proposed by the likes of Ayn Rand or Milton Friedman, and has condemned the employment practices of Amazon.

Instead he praises the Victorian philanthropist Joseph Rowntree, and has said that traditional British liberalism rests on the Judaeo-Christian understanding that we are all, in moral terms, fallen creatures.

Marshalls modern interpretation of that tradition involves opposing progressivism, woke bureaucrats and corporate lobbyists. It also means fighting cancel culture  especially after his son Winston quit as Mumford & Sons banjo player after endorsing a book that criticised anti-fascist groups.

In a 2021 essay for his UnHerd site, Marshall harked back to the religious radicals of the English civil war era under Oliver Cromwell, when calls for freedom were inseparable from the deep Christian faith of the protagonists.

This Judaeo-Christian vision of western civilisation last year led Marshall to cofound the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) with the controversial Canadian academic Jordan Peterson and the evangelical Conservative MPs Danny Kruger and Miriam Cates. It also fed into accusations of Islamophobia when Marshalls semi-private Twitter account engaged with posts describing Muslim immigration as a stage of Islamic conquest, predicting civil war in Europe, and calling for the mass expulsion of migrants. (Marshall apologised and said he was not endorsing the messages.)

Though the hedge fund boss has been involved in politics since the 1980s  during which time his faith wavered and he stood for parliament for the Social Democratic party  the vehicle for his views has changed over time. During the 2000s, he was a major funder of the Liberal Democrats, co-authoring the Orange Book, which became the guiding document of the partys pro-market faction. This enabled Nick Clegg to become leader and paved the way for coalition government with David Camerons Conservatives.

But by the time of the 2016 EU referendum, he had had enough, and donated 100,000 to the Brexit campaign. After the UK voted to leave the EU, he set out to reshape a media that he considered hostile to Brexit and which failed to understand the loss of community cohesion.

His bid for the Telegraph, made with financial backing from the US billionaire Republican donor Ken Griffin, is due imminently, and the winner is expected to be named by July. A source close to Marshall downplayed the idea that he would use the paper as a vehicle for religion, insisting that he sees the Telegraph primarily as a business venture, although it aligns with his values.

But if he is successful, every Conservative MP would start taking Marshalls calls  and it could be the latest vehicle for his stated desire to make free enterprise once again a pillar of human flourishing.

It will need people outside politics to lead a movement of change and renewal, he said in a call to arms late last year. And it will need people of integrity inside politics to carry it through.
Crossbencher Helen Haines said she was shocked to discover that MPs have found a loophole around fundraisers within Parliament House. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Federal Liberal MPs are charging between $1,000 and $2,000 for a ticket to budget-reply fundraising events within Parliament House despite rules outlawing the practice years earlier.

Helen Haines, a crossbencher who has been instrumental in pushing for the ban on political fundraisers within the building, said she was shocked to learn MPs had managed to find a loophole.

Guardian Australia understands the House presiding officer, Speaker Milton Dick, was not made aware of the fundraisers because they are being held in private offices rather than in public areas of the building. A spokesperson from the Speakers office reminded all members that Parliament House isnt an appropriate place for political fundraising.

The dignity of Parliament House must always be maintained in line with the Australian publics expectation, the spokesperson said.

The federal budget is big business for the major political parties, with both Labor and the Liberals fundraising off the back of the annual event.

NSW Liberal MPs including Sussan Ley, Angus Taylor, Paul Fletcher and Julian Leeser are hosting drinks in the parliament, followed by a dinner at Old Parliament House following the budget-in-reply speech by opposition leader Peter Dutton on Thursday. Tickets for the event are being sold for between $1,000 and $2,000.

The event is described as a private cocktail-style event with grazing boards and drinks served ahead of Duttons budget response.

Registration includes a complimentary ticket to watch the opposition leader deliver his speech in the House of Representatives gallery, which is a free event.

The events are being advertised separately by the NSW Liberal branch, after the Labor government banned political fundraising events in the bookable areas of Parliament House in October 2022. That included public areas such as the Great Hall and function rooms but does not cover parliamentarian offices or the rooms reserved for political parties use in the taxpayer-funded building.

A spokesperson for Ley, the most senior Liberal hosting an event, said all events that the deputy leader of the opposition hosts comply with fundraising rules, regulations and guidelines and this event is no different.

Haines, who has been running a campaign to bring more transparency to political fundraisers, described it as bad form.

I think that the Speaker of the House made a set of rules in regard to fundraising in what is the peoples House, she said.

Related: Australian political donations: heres who gave the most in 2022-23

And yes, this is not in the public area. Its in the members room as I understand. But when you make rules, its not just about the rule. Its about the spirit of the rule. And I think this is really in breach of the spirit of what the Speaker has tried to do.

Labor is holding its own fundraisers off the back of the budget, with events to be held outside Parliament House at the nearby Realm Hotel and the National Press Club. A dinner to be attended by the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, and the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, at the Labor Business Forum event at Realm had tickets for $5,000 a head, while the NPC event went for $1,500 a head.

The events are under the disclosure threshold for declaration, which Haines said should be lowered to ensure transparency.

For me this goes to political donations reform more broadly and around what we consider a political donation and, in my view, a ticket for access to see the treasurer or a senior minister or a member of government at $1,000 a head means that an everyday Australian cant come buy that access, she said.

And, to me, thats the problem with this and these are below the declarable thresholds so the general public never know really how much access is purchased through these cosy dinners.

Have the dinner if you want to have a dinner but it should be declarable  the Labor party talk a big game on this but I think they need to get real on this when it comes to these dinners and things as well.
Police later described the mess as 'some of the worst fly-tipping' they had seen - Warwickshire Police

A pair of fly-tippers who were caught when farmers blocked in their vans have been spared jail.

Ionut Bancunlea, 33, and Adrian Bivolaru, 34, were ordered to pay more than 2,000 over the four incidents of fly-tipping between June last year and February.

Warwickshire Police arrested the pair after locals used their cars to barricade the criminals vans while they tried to unload building waste in a country lane.

Swathes of black bin bags and industrial materials were seen lying at the side of the road, on the edge of the village of Meriden, on Feb 7.

Officers had forced Bancunlea and Bivolaru to load the rubbish back into their vans and later described it as some of the worst fly-tipping they had seen.

Criminals convicted of fly-tipping face a maximum fine of 50,000 and up to five years in prison.

Bancunlea, of Smethwick, admitted four charges of depositing waste without a permit at Leamington Spa magistrates court on Friday.

He was sentenced to a 12-month community order and ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work and 10 days of rehabilitation activities.

He was also ordered to pay 1,565.84 compensation, a 114 victims surcharge and 85 costs.

Some of the rubbish dumped by the pair - Warwickshire Police

Bivolaru, also of Smethwick, admitted two charges of depositing waste without a permit.

He was given a community order, with a 12-month 80-hour unpaid work requirement, and 10 days of rehabilitation activities.

He was ordered to pay 200 compensation, a 114 victims surcharge and 85 costs.

A police investigation linked the two Romanians to four fly-tipping offences in nearby Solihull and Meriden between June 23 last year and Feb 7.

Sgt Matt Simms, of the Rural Crime Team, said Dropping waste at the side of the road ruins our beautiful countryside and wastes precious resources from our local councils that could be better invested elsewhere to clean it up.

It also stops businesses like farms from being able to operate while the owners deal with the mess, often leaving them out of pocket as well.

We are very happy that the [Operational Patrol Unit] were quick to assist landowners and able to catch them in the act on this occasion, and we share in the satisfaction that Bancunlea and Bivolaru were made to clean up at least one of their messes.
Zheng Zeguang is understood to be meeting with officials rather than Lord Cameron, the Foreign Secretary - Jamie Lorriman

The Foreign Office has summoned the Chinese ambassador to a meeting, after three people were charged on Monday with spying for Hong Kong, The Telegraph can reveal.

Zheng Zeguang is understood to be meeting with officials rather than Lord Cameron, the Foreign Secretary, or any other government ministers.

The ambassador is expected to be challenged on allegations of foreign interference on UK soil. The meeting was scheduled for 10.30am in the Foreign Office.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesman said: Today, on instruction from the Foreign Secretary, the Chinese Ambassador was summoned to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

The FCDO was unequivocal in setting out that the recent pattern of behaviour directed by China against the UK including cyber-attacks, reports of espionage links and the issuing of bounties is not acceptable.

The summons followed Mondays announcement that three people have been charged with offences under the National Security Act as part of an investigation led by officers from the Met polices counter terrorism command. The foreign intelligence service to which the charges relate is that of the Hong Kong special administrative region.
There is hope for the Prime Minister that net-migration target can be met - Getty Images/Carl Court

Rishi Sunak has a fighting chance of reducing net migration to below 2019 levels by the time of the election, says the head of the Governments migration advisory body.

Prof Brian Bell, chair of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), said that net migration could fall to between 150,000 and 200,000 by September because a ban on foreign students bringing dependents was having a far bigger impact than the Government expected.

It would mean that Mr Sunak could go into the election claiming to be on course to meet Boris Johnsons 2019 manifesto pledge of reducing net migration from its then level of 240,000 a year.

The Prime Minister has introduced a series of measures to reduce the figure after net migration hit a record high of 745,000 in 2022 after a surge in student, work and humanitarian visas.

Prof Bell said: It is entirely possible if you look at any of those numbers, it looks like a really big reduction in international student numbers. That is going to have an enormous effect on net migration very quicklyIn September you could suddenly see a massive drop.

He added: I think [the Government] have a fighting chance of getting to where they wanted to be in terms of no increase relative to the 2019 manifesto.

He forecast the number of foreign postgraduate students and dependents could halve from 450,000 to 200,000. This was because the restrictions on dependents  which means only PhD research students can bring them with them to the UK  was having a big knock-on effect in deterring students from coming to Britain.

He suggested that not only had the restriction wiped out the 100,000 dependents who would have come but was also leading to falls of between 50 and 60 per cent in the number of foreign students seeking to come to the UK for postgraduate study.

Tougher measures needed to reduce figure to tens of thousands

The Government had also benefited from the US and Australia opening up after Covid which meant foreign students had an alternative choice, Prof Bell said. Nigeria, a big supplier of students to the UK, was also in the midst of an economic crisis which had pushed the cost of a foreign degree out of the reach of many families.

Prof Bell also projected that the number of foreign graduates opting to stay and work would fall from around 70,000 to 26,000 because of restrictions on dependents and the increase in the skilled worker salary threshold from 26,200 to 38,700.

He said, however, that the Government would need to introduce even tougher restrictions on legal migration if it was to meet demands from Tory Right-wing MPs to reduce net migration to the tens of thousands.

His comments came as the MAC rejected calls to further slash the number of foreign graduates at UK universities. It said the two-year graduate visa route was not undermining the integrity and quality of the higher education system and should remain in place.

It said it found no evidence of significant abuse of the route which allows international students to stay in the UK for two or three years after graduation.

The MAC concluded it was helping universities to make up for financial losses on domestic students and research through income from international tuition fees. It warned further curbs on foreign graduates could lead to course closures and in the extreme, the collapse of some universities.

It comes amid demands from ministers and senior Tory MPs for the route to be axed amid claims that the visas were being used as a backdoor immigration route rather than education. The Government is under pressure to cut net migration from its record high of 745,000 and has already introduced measures to cut it by 300,000.

Calls to end toxic uncertainty over future of graduate route

Common sense minister Esther McVey sparked fury this week when she said she had no sympathy for universities facing financial difficulties due to visa changes, branding them ignorant, ill-informed and dangerous.

University leaders have, however, called on ministers to end the toxic uncertainty over the future of the graduate route by announcing there will be no changes.

The MAC was commissioned to review the graduate route after Home Secretary James Cleverly said he wanted to ensure the route was not being abused and demand for study visas was not being driven more by a desire for immigration rather than education.

The committee said it was concerned about potential exploitation of international students due to poor practices by some agents recruiting people overseas who may be misselling UK higher education, but it stressed this was a separate issue from abuse of the graduate route.

The number of graduate visas has more than doubled in a year to 114,000 main applicants, with a further 30,000 for dependants. They are largely concentrated on four nationalities  India, Nigeria, China and Pakistan  which account for 70 per cent of the visas, with India accounting for over 40 per cent.

The number of graduate visas has more than doubled in a year to 114,000 main applicants, with a further 30,000 for dependants - Mark Draisey

Some institutions could fail

The MAC said graduate visa holders were initially overrepresented in lower-paid work but their outcomes improved over time. It was unable to assess the risk of overstaying due to a lack of Home Office data.

It said that restrictions on foreign students bringing in dependents, announced last year, would reduce numbers, with initial deposits for places down by 63 per cent this year. It warned any further restrictions would increase the decline in overseas students.

This, it said, would mean the Government would miss its target to attract 600,000 foreign students to the UK. It would also mean further substantial financial difficulty for universities leading to job losses, course closures and a reduction in research, and in the extreme it is not inconceivable that some institutions would fail.

The MAC was, however, critical of bad practices by agents. The potential poor practice by some agents recruiting international students does risk undermining the integrity of higher education in the UK, it said.

It follows an investigation by the Sunday Times which found Britains top universities were paying agents to recruit lucrative overseas students on far lower grades than those required of UK applicants.

The MAC recommended that the Government should establish a mandatory registration system for international recruitment agents, and universities should be required to publish data on their use of agents to help protect the integrity of the UK higher education system.

The MACs recommendations are not binding on Government but will make it politically more difficult to cut the graduate visa route.
The chief inspector of prisons said he had serious concerns about the Ministry of Justices plan. Photograph: Andrew Aitchison/Corbis/Getty Images

High-risk offenders including a domestic abuser who posed a risk to children have been freed from jail under the governments early release scheme, a watchdog has revealed.



Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons, said the Ministry of Justices plan to relieve the pressure in overcrowded jails raised serious concerns and had undermined safety and risk management.

The disclosure comes amid accusations that the justice secretary, Alex Chalk, has broken a pledge that the scheme would only apply to low-level offenders.

In a report published on Tuesday, Taylor said a high-risk inmate at HMP Lewes who posed a danger to children had his release date brought forward despite having a history of stalking, domestic abuse and being subject to a restraining order.

Related: Early prisoner release scheme extended indefinitely in England and Wales

Another high-risk prisoner with significant class A drug use issues and a recent history of suicidal thoughts and self-harm was released from the segregation unit into homelessness, despite appeals for the decision to be reversed and staff having serious concerns for his and the publics safety.

Concerns emerged from an inspection at the East Sussex jail carried out in February, shortly after the scheme was brought into force. Inspectors uncovered major problems with drugs, violence and self-harm at the category B Victorian prison, the report said.

The governments early release scheme was designed to relieve the pressure in overcrowded jails. It initially involved inmates having their sentences cut by up to 18 days. That was increased to between 35 and 60 days in March and will rise again from 23 May to 70 days.

Taylor said: The need to release offenders early to free up space in our jails is a further sign of the pressure that our prison service is under, with local leaders having to make difficult choices as the day we run out of places draws closer.

The current situation was entirely predictable and is simply not sustainable, for either the prison or probation service. Although some of these issues may, I hope, reduce as the scheme embeds, more fundamentally, an urgent conversation is needed about who we send to prison, for how long, and what we want to happen during their time inside.

Shabana Mahmood, the shadow justice secretary, said the government has attempted to cover up the prisoner early release scheme and it was now unravelling.

Related: Domestic abuse survivors put in danger by early prison release of perpetrators

The public will rightly be worried to hear of cases where violent prisoners are being released without a proper assessment of the risk they pose to the public, and specifically children, she said. Its being left to prison inspectors to tell the public the truth because this government is refusing to level with them on the scale of the prisons and probation crisis.

Andrea Coomber, the chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: It is imperative that the government publishes data on the early release schemes operation and makes a commitment to transparency as a matter of urgency. While action to ease pressure on jails is necessary, this temporary measure is no substitute for what is really needed: a more sensible response to crime that puts fewer people behind bars and more money into services that can help them.

Chalk issued a statement in March saying the early release scheme would only be for certain low-level offenders.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: While we will always ensure there is enough capacity to keep dangerous offenders behind bars, this scheme allows us to ease short-term pressures on prisons by moving some lower-level offenders at the end of their custodial term on to licence.

These offenders will continue to be supervised under strict conditions such as tagging and curfews, and the prison service can block the earlier release of any individual who poses a heightened risk.
Chi Leung Wai, Chung Biu Yuen and Matthew Trickett, charged with alleged spying - Vuk Valcic/SOPA/Shutterstock

Hong Kong dissidents in the UK fear talking to the wrong people, they have told The Telegraph, after three people were charged on Monday with spying.

Chi Leung Wai, a 38-year-old Border Force officer, Matthew Trickett, a 37-year-old Home Office immigration enforcement officer, and Chung Biu Yuen, 63, a retired Hong Kong police officer who is employed as a London-based trade official for the former British colony, are all accused of spying on pro-democracy activists living in the UK on behalf of Hong Kong.

The trio appeared at Westminster magistrates court and were released on bail.

Zheng Zeguang, Chinas ambassador to the UK, was summoned by the Foreign Office, where officials condemned a recent pattern of behaviour by China, including cyber attacks.

China has refuted the spying claims, with its embassy releasing a statement to condemn the UKs unwarranted accusation against the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government.

However, Hong Kong dissidents said the news was not surprising at all in light of what they see as ongoing transnational repression.

Zheng Zeguang, Chinese ambassador to the UK, was summoned to the Foreign Office over the Hong Kong spy case - Jamie Lorriman

They say they are worried about their safety and security here in the UK.

Chung Ching Kwong, 27, a dissident living in the UK is a senior analyst at the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), said that as a Hongkonger, Im quite worried.

She added: I think for many Hong Kong people who are living in the UK, theyre like, Oh, am I talking to the wrong people now? Should I be more careful when I attend protests? Should I just wear a mask to cover my face? Should I not talk about politics with other people if I still want to visit the city?

Peiqing Ni, 25, who is originally from Shanghai, is founder of China Deviants, a collective of mainland Chinese international student activists and is also executive director of the China Dissent Network which aims to provide a safe space for Chinese citizens overseas.

Pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong in 2019. Many were forced to flee to the UK - ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP/Getty

She said: [Chinas] infiltration towards democratic countries is quite big. Its really a compromise. It poses a threat to civil society spaces in democratic countries.

She added: Its not usually the people that get repressed who are the most afraid, because usually theyre aiming to be public or not anonymous.

Its the people who see the other person get repressed who get most afraid.

So the fear is mostly by the people who observe that phenomena and to feel like, Oh, if I do something similar, this could have been me and [the repression aims] to kind of cast a disassociation among individuals.

A scene from 2019 when Hongkongers protested at China's crackdown - JEON HEON-KYUN/EPA-EFE/REX

Victina Tse, 35, who organises pro-democracy protests in Reading, has been in the UK for three years and was previously living in Hong Kong, added: We know that transnational repression has always been happening. We heard a lot of stories about it. People experience things.

I think generally Hong Kong people in the UK are always worried about their safety and security here in the UK And I think  that such worry is not totally without grounds.

The three men charged by UK authorities were detained following an investigation by counter-terrorism police in which 11 people were arrested under the National Security Act, which was introduced last year to tackle the threat to the UK posed by hostile states.

It is understood that the Home Office has ordered a review of Border Force and Immigration Enforcement recruitment, vetting and supervision procedures in the wake of the police investigation.
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.
Israel has become embroiled in fighting Hamas in land it claims was already cleared of militants - AFP

Israel cannot achieve a total victory against Hamas, a top White House official has warned in comments likely to anger Benjamin Netanyahu.

Kurt Campbell, the US Deputy Secretary of State, said the Biden administration is struggling to see the vision of victory for Israel in Gaza.

Sometimes when we listen closely to Israeli leaders, they talk about mostly the idea of ... a sweeping victory on the battlefield, total victory, Mr Campbell said in a clear reference to the Israeli prime ministers repeated pledge to defeat Hamas.

I dont think we believe that is likely or possible and that this looks a lot like situations that we found ourselves in after 9/11, where, after civilian populations had been moved and lots of violence that ... the insurrections continue.

The officials remarks signal further distance between Washington and the Netanyahu government just a few days after Joe Biden confirmed the US was withholding some weapons deliveries to Israel, fearing those bombs could be used in Israels offensive on the southern city of Rafah.

Kurt Campbell, left, was sworn in as 22nd deputy secretary of state on Feb 12 2024 - CHUCK KENNEDY/OFFICIAL STATE DEPARTMENT

Separately, the prime minister of Qatar warned on Tuesday that the Middle East could face a wave of radicalisation unless there is a rescue plan for Gaza.

It comes as Israel has been battling a resurgent Hamas, re-emerging from pockets that were previously thought to be clear of militants.

Israeli tanks pushed deeper into eastern Rafah on Tuesday morning, entering three neighbourhoods. Residents told Reuters of clashes in the residential areas.

The IDF said its forces also expanded their operations in Gaza Citys Jabaliya neighbourhood in the north, striking terror targets.

Israeli troops claimed full control of the area at the end of last year.

The US now believes Israel had amassed enough troops outside Rafah for a full-on invasion, US officials told CNN. Washington is not sure that Israel will go ahead with the offensive.

The Netanyahu government has insisted that the invasion of Rafah, the only city in Gaza untouched by fierce fighting, is crucial to dismantling Hamas and achieving a lasting security for Israel despite the overwhelming global opposition to the move.

UN workers said on Tuesday thousands of displaced Palestinians fleeing Rafah are arriving at the central city of Khan Younis only to find the most basic infrastructure destroyed, with no water, no electricity and no sewage.

About 450,000 have heeded the IDFs evacuation orders for the east of Rafah since last Monday.

The border crossing into Egypt on the outskirts of Egypt remained closed on Tuesday as aid groups urged Israel to resume operations there.

Neighbouring Egypt has been rattled by fighting on its doorstep so much that it is now considering options for downgrading its diplomatic ties with Israel, unnamed Egyptian officials told the Wall Street Journal.

While Egypt is not thinking about breaking off its peace treaty with Israel, a cornerstone of regional security, Cairo could pull its ambassador to Tel Aviv.

Israel on late Monday evening and Tuesday held muted celebrations for its Independence Day.

The main ceremony in Jerusalem decorating 120 IDF soldiers went ahead with Mr Netanyahu conspicuously absent.

In an alternative celebration, survivors of the Oct 7 massacre and families of the hostages on Monday night extinguished flames to symbolise their abandonment by the state. That same evening, Mr Netanyahu led a torch-lighting ceremony, which was pre-recorded and held without an audience in a clear attempt to avoid disruption after the prime minister was heckled at a Memorial Day event on Monday morning.
Representatives of Israeli cinema at Cannes are concerned that the event could become a stage for further protests on the red carpet - Daniel Cole

The Israeli team at Cannes fear a Eurovision repeat as they brace for the film festival to be hit by pro-Palestine protests.

The annual song contest descended into a row over the war against Hamas which saw Israeli contestant Eden Golan booed on stage, with her safety personally arranged by the countrys head of security.

Representatives of Israeli cinema at Cannes are concerned that the glamorous event could become a stage for further protests on the red carpet or elsewhere.

One source in the Israeli team is saddened by the negative attention directed toward them, hoping that the farce of Eurovision would not be repeated on the Riviera.

The leader of the team in Cannes, Osnat Bukofzer, has been coming to the festival for more than 40 years but is now concerned about attending.

The festival has stepped up security briefings from five to fifteen in preparation for the first event since the October 7 attacks on Israel - ANTONIN THUILLIER

She told the Telegraph: We are here for films, culture, and open for dialogue.

We hope that it will be the only action here in Cannes.

The team in France are there to promote Israeli film and filming locations and is based in one of the many pavilions at the main festival building in Cannes, which this year is ringed by suited security guards.

French authorities have stepped up security to prevent the flagship festival from becoming a stage for protest, and the Mayor of Cannes, David Lisnard, has banned demonstrations taking place along the coastal stretch where the main events take place.

The festival itself has stepped up security briefings from five to fifteen in preparation for the first event since the October 7 attacks on Israel, and the ensuing ground invasion of Gaza.

The festivals general secretary Francois Desrousseaux said: We also have AI-powered cameras around the Palais for the first time, and weve also started using new AI safety gates, which allow festival-goers to go through security faster without the burden of having to empty their pockets and show their bags.

The festivals director Thierry Fremaux has also called on celebrities to avoid making political statements and to ensure Cannes remains a celebration of film.

Speaking ahead of the opening ceremony, he said: This year we decided to host a festival without polemics, to make sure that the main interest for us all to be here is cinema, so if there are other polemics it doesnt concern us.

Despite this, French star and jury member Omar Sy posted on Instagram that there is nothing that justifies the killing of children in Gaza. or anywhere on the event of the festival opening.
ITV News presenter Charlene White has shared a health update on her colleague Rageh Omaar after the star fell ill live on air.

The broadcaster left viewers concerned while presenting the ITV News At Ten programme late last month when he struggled to read the news bulletin.

ITV later said he had become unwell while on the show and that he was receiving medical care.

His colleague has now revealed that the ITV team are in daily contact with the 56-year-old ITV News international affairs editor as he recovers from his medical emergency.

The Loose Women presenter also explained that Omaar would open up about his experience in time.

Speaking at the 2024 TV BAFTA Awards, White told The Sun: Rageh is doing really well.

Omaar is responsible for covering major news stories across the world for ITV (PA Archive)

I think when he wants to talk about what happened then he will.

Concluding: ITV News is a family, we have been checking up on him daily and continuously in fact to make sure he has the support he needs."

While presenting the ITV News At Ten programme live on April 26, he appeared to struggle to read the news bulletin  sparking concern online.

In an statement shared at the time, an ITV spokesperson said Omaar is recovering at home with his family after receiving medical treatment in hospital.

We are wishing Rageh a speedy recovery and look forward to him being back on screen when he feels ready, the statement added.

The news presenter added in a statement shared by ITV: I would like to thank everyone for their kindness and good wishes, especially all the medical staff, all my wonderful colleagues at ITV News, and our viewers who expressed concern.

At the time, I was determined to finish presenting the programme. I am grateful for all the support Ive been given.

Born in Somalia and raised in Britain, he studied at Oxford University before pursuing a career in journalism.

After starting out on The Voice newspaper, he worked as a freelance journalist in Ethiopia and later became a foreign correspondent for the BBC.

In 1998, he was among three British BBC journalists who were arrested in Yemen and charged with breaking the countrys press and publications law by illegally filming information and violating instructions not to visit the area where tribesmen had kidnapped a British family.

Following a short trial, the Foreign Office said they had been found not guilty by a court and were set free.

During the Iraq war, he became known in Britain and America as one of the central faces reporting on the conflict when he worked for BBC News.

He was praised on his return as an outstanding broadcaster and communicator by the then-BBCs World News Editor, Jonathan Baker.

After working for news channel Al Jazeera for a period, he joined ITV News as a special correspondent in 2013 and was later promoted to ITV News international affairs editor.

In the role, he is responsible for covering major news stories across the world.

Omaar was one of the main ITV presenters who reported on the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs wedding in 2018.

He was also stationed with the armed forces at Wellington Barracks to report live for the broadcaster during the Queens funeral.

The news presenter has also featured in a number of TV documentaries and published several books including Revolution Day: The Real Story Of The Battle For Iraq, which provides an account from his days reporting on the conflict.
'He ressembles his father': King Charles III, painted by Jonathan Yeo - His Majesty King Charles III by Jonathan Yeo 2024/His Majesty King Charles III by Jonathan Yeo 2024

In 1955, a portrait commissioned by the Fishmongers Company of Queen Elizabeth II dressed in a sumptuous navy mantle, towering above a wintry landscape, was unveiled. There had been earlier formal portraits of the new queen  such as a saccharine likeness executed in 1952 by the American-born Douglas Granville Chandor, now in the Government Art Collection, likely the first following the accession. In a forgettable effort by Margaret Lindsay Williams from 1953, the queen, grinning and approachable, displays as much majesty as a jaunty, gossipy Land Girl.

But the Fishmongers full-length, painted by the Italian Pietro Annigoni, is, for all its potentially off-putting remoteness, routinely  and rightly  cited as one of the great royal portraits of the 20th century.

Almost 70 years later, another City of London livery company, the Drapers, presents its own portrait of a recently crowned British monarch, King Charles III, and the contrast couldnt be greater. The icy tones and glittering sangfroid of Annigonis picture have disappeared; instead, Jonathan Yeo summons a pulsating carnival of pink and red, in which the Kings hands appear peculiarly swarthy. Indeed, Yeos portrait feels, in comparison, almost tropical  an effect enhanced by the presence of a monarch butterfly about to alight on an epaulette. Is this painting somehow intended to appeal to the Kings Commonwealth subjects? It reminds me of recent artworks decolonising images of royalty by, say, Yinka Shonibare and Hew Locke.

Yeo often sets his sitters head within a swirl of painterly marks, and does so again here; the one part of the King that doesnt appear oddly camouflaged is his oversized face  although his ears, and wispy hair, both dissolve within the hot-pink candyfloss melee.

Is the likeness convincing? To me, the King resembles his father, Prince Philip (whose more elongated face Yeo replicates), and (thanks to those deep-set eyes) George W Bush  both of whom the artist has depicted (collaging together images, for an unauthorised portrait of the latter, cut from pornographic magazines). (Yeo has also painted Queen Camilla.)

'He looks his age, and even slightly worried': King Charles III - His Majesty King Charles III by Jonathan Yeo 2024/His Majesty King Charles III by Jonathan Yeo 2024

Moreover, Yeos faceted approach to rendering skin emphasises the Kings furrows and wrinkles; he looks his age, and even slightly worried, as if hes just got dressed in his colonels uniform following a long, dark night of the soul. This apprehensive mien jars with the jaunty palette, and reminds us of the advantage that, all those decades ago, Annigoni could exploit: Elizabeths youthful beauty.

Painting a monarch ranks among the toughest of artistic gigs; Yeos portrait will be remembered for its fluorescence, even if, beneath that bright, striking surface, the image it projects is more psychologically nuanced: of a King who, while kindly, and despite his military garb, isnt entirely sure of himself. A high collar clamps his throat like a shackle.

And is that a ceremonial sword hes holding  or a stick? A millennium ago, Edward the Confessor ruled over us. Now, seemingly, its the turn of Charles the Unsteady.

Following the unveiling of the portrait at Buckingham Palace, the portrait will travel to the Philip Mould Gallery, London, where it will be on display for one month, from May 16 until June 14, Mondays to Fridays, from 9.30am-5.30pm
The King has revealed that he lost his sense of taste during cancer treatment as he spoke to an army veteran who underwent chemotherapy for testicular cancer.

The conversation happened after Charles handed over the role of Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps to the Prince of Wales in rare public engagement involving both the monarch and his son.

The monarch arrived by helicopter to Army Aviation Centre in Hampshire on Monday for the symbolic ceremony.

He had been Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps for 32 years - and now he will be succeeded by Prince William.

The King and Prince William during the official handover (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

The King has returned to public engagements while his cancer treatment is ongoing.

British Army veteran Aaron Mapplebeck told Charles during his visit to the Army Air Corps that he had lost of his sense of taste amid chemotherapy, and the King revealed this had also happened to him, the Daily Mail reports.

Charles met veterans and families and saw exhibits in the Army Flying Museum on Monday, and unveiled a plaque commemorating an Apache helicopter going on display at the museum.

The helicopter type which Harry flew in service for his second tour of Afghanistan until 2014.

The King stands by helicopters at the Army Aviation Centre (AP)

After the King left the handover ceremony, Prince William, in his new role, was briefed on the current work of the Army Air Corps.

Harry did not meet the King during his time in London last week, when he marked the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games at St Pauls Cathedral.

The King greets fans at the Army Aviation Centre (AP)

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on Sunday finished a three-day visit to Nigeria in which Meghan praised smart Harry as he promoted the importance of looking after mental health.

The couple visited a school and started their trip with a welcome at the Nigerian Defence HQ in capital Abuja to promote the Princes Invictus Games. They met army wives and top officers in the countrys military.

Prince Harry reportedly left his wife Meghan in Nigerian capital Abuja to visit a military hospital in a region deemed unsafe by the UK government.

Nigeria sent its first Invictus Games team to the 2023 event in Dusseldorf. The next games will be held in Vancouver next year.

The King is expected to carry out his first major investiture on Tuesday since being diagnosed with cancer.

Charles will knight the Archbishop of Canterbury for his key role in the coronation, and bestow a damehood on bestselling author Dame Jilly Cooper.

The monarch, who was given permission by his doctors to return to public duties last month, will greet 52 recipients one by one at Windsor Castle.
The portrait is the first of the King since he became monarch

The King has unveiled the first official portrait of himself since the Coronation, which was started three years ago when he was Prince of Wales.

The painting, by Jonathan Yeo, began work in 2021 with sittings at Highgrove and Clarence House.

The final of four sitting took place in November 2023, when he was King, with Yeo aiming to capture his Majestys life experiences and how his role in our public life has transformed.

The portrait was unveiled by the King, in front of the Queen, the artist and his family, at Buckingham Palace.

It was commissioned in 2020 to celebrate the then-Prince of Waless 50 years as a member of The Drapers Company, intended to be ready for the anniversary in 2022.

Instead, it was updated to capture the Sovereign, becoming his first portrait since the Coronation.

Painted on an 8.5ft by 6.5ft canvas, the portrait shows the King in the uniform of the Welsh Guards

The King is shown wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guards, of which he was made Regimental Colonel in 1975.

Yeo also worked in his London studio, from drawings and photographs he had taken of the King during the process.

The canvas is around 8.5ft by 6.5ft when framed and will eventually hang in Drapers Hall.

I do my best to capture life experiences

Yeo said: When I started this project, His Majesty The King was still His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and much like the butterfly Ive painted hovering over his shoulder, this portrait has evolved as the subjects role in our public life has transformed.

I do my best to capture the life experiences etched into any individual sitters face.

In this case, my aim was also to make reference to the traditions of Royal portraiture but in a way that reflects a 21st century Monarchy and, above all else, to communicate the subjects deep humanity.

Im unimaginably grateful for the opportunity to capture such an extraordinary and unique person, especially at the historic moment of becoming King.

Yeo said the King had personally suggested he include a butterfly in the portrait, during a conversation about how it would be nice to have a narrative element that referenced his passion for nature and the environment.

Addressing the King after the painting was unveiled, he told him: You said what about a butterfly landing on my shoulder?

I thought thats a good idea, I wish Id thought of that.

The butterfly, he said also works as a counterpoint of the military steeliness of the sword in the picture, with added resonance of the Kings own metamorphosis in public role.

He changed jobs half way through the process, Yeo clarified, adding he had tried to capture the warmth and kindness and curiosity and humour and deep humanity of the King.

Perhaps it is testament to the subjects own artistic instinct that its such a lovely, beautiful element into the composition.

The King responded by joking that it was nice to know he was a chrysalis.

He pulled a red ribbon at the centre of a large piece of black fabric to unveil the portrait to applause, appearing delighted by the sight of the picture and immediately asked about the frame.

It is remarkable actually, how its turned out, he said, after studying it, and noted the artist had been fiddling away since he last saw it when it was around.

Yeo joked that people often ask if he got nervous about unveiling his portraits, gesturing at his surroundings in Buckingham Palace and saying: Well no, not normally, but the subject doesnt usually become King half way through the process.

The first portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II after her accession was completed in October 1952, after a series of one-hour sittings at Buckingham Palace.

The artist, Douglas Granville Chandor, had been commissioned by Eleanor Roosevelt, and the painting of the then Queen in an evening gown and Order of the Garter was given to the British Embassy in Washington, DC.

The most famous early portrait of Elizabeth II, by Pietro Annigoni, was painted over 16 sittings across four months.

Yeo has previously painted the Queen, when she was Duchess of Cornwall, and Prince Philip. He was commissioned by Queen Elizabeth II to draw Sir David Attenborough for the Royal Collection.

His work has been exhibited in the National Portrait Gallery.

The portrait will go on free public display for a month at the Philip Mould Gallery in London, from May 16 to June 14. The artwork will be displayed at Drapers Hall from the end of August.
Michael-Cohen returning to the courthouse today - Seth Wenig

Michael Cohen said he had been knee deep in the cult of Donald Trump and saw parts of himself in the former president.

Cohen, Mr Trumps fixer turned prosecution witness in his hush money trial, was questioned by defence lawyers why he had praised his former boss as a good man in 2015.

At that time I was knee deep into the cult of Donald Trump, Cohen told the court.

Asked whether he had been obsessed with Mr Trump, he said: I dont know if I would characterise the word obsessed, I admired him tremendously.

Cohen said he would have taken a bullet for the former president during the decade he worked for him but now wanted to see him convicted in his trial, which is being heard in New York.

Todd Blanche, acting for Mr Trump, appeared to be suggesting that Cohen had been obsessed with his boss - and that this turned to anger when he was spurned for a top job in the White House.

At one point, Cohen was asked if he had referred to Mr Trump as a boorish cartoon misogynist and cheeto-dusted cartoon villain in his podcasts, prompting laughs in the courts overflow room.

Sounds like something I would say, Cohen responded both times.

Michael Cohen is cross examined by defence lawyer Todd Blanche - REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg

Under questioning from Todd Blanche, Cohen admitted he had recorded hundreds of podcast episodes and mentioned Mr Trump in every one.

Mr Blanche also seemed to be trying to create the impression that Cohen had profited from his attacks on the former president.

Cohen said he has made more than $3million from book sales over the past four years, but that his streams on TikTok did not bring in significant money.

Towards the end of Tuesdays proceedings, he was questioned about his time after being released prison - having pled guilty to tax evasion and campaign finance violations.

Cohen was put on supervised release in November 2021, and said he had been initially forced to wear an ankle tag and could only leave the house for three hours at a time when he was released from prison.

He still has to provide his probation officer with notice if he plans to leave the state or the country.

The exchange failed to produce the kind of fireworks commentators had predicted. Cohen is a famously volatile personality but stayed composed during the afternoon of questioning by Mr Blanche.

The cross-examination will resume on Thursday, which defence lawyers have said they expect to take all day.

10:09 PM BST

Thats all for now

Thanks for following our coverage of todays proceedings, as the cross-examination of Michael Cohen began. This live blog is now closed.

09:33 PM BST

Court adjourned

Court is now adjourned for the day. Cohens cross-examination will resume at 9:30am local times (2:30pm BST) on Thursday.

09:25 PM BST

Cohen made millions from book sales

Cohen said he has made more than $3million from book sales over the past four years.

He hasnt, he said, ever met Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney.

09:22 PM BST

Cohen: I have to give probation officer notice to leave country

Cohen was put on supervised release in November 2021. He will be released in November this year

He said supervised release is less stringent and requires a monthly check in via a form.

He still has to provide his probation officer with notice if he plans to leave the state or the country.



09:17 PM BST

Cohen had to wear ankle tag after prison release

Cohen says hes still on supervised release and used to wear an ankle tag.

He said in 2021 he was on home confinement. He was only able to leave the house for three hours a day.

During those three hours he had to remain in Manhattan.

Asked if he ever had to wear an ankle bracelet, he said: There was an ankle bracelet at first but then it became a phone.

09:12 PM BST

Cohen denies being motivated by fame

Cohen is probed on whether he is driven by fame and publicity.

Mr Blanche asked: Is it fair to say you are motivated by fame?

No sir, I dont think thats fair to say, Cohen replied.

Asked whether he was motivated by publicity, Cohen said: I dont know if thats fair to say, Im motivated by many things.

09:03 PM BST

A cheeto-dusted cartoon villain

Cohens former jibes at Mr Trump have prompted some big laughs in the courts overflow room.

Mr Blanche asked whether he referred to Mr Trump as a boorish cartoon misogynist on his first episode of his podcast Mea Culpa.

Sounds like something I would say, Cohen responded.

He was also asked whether he called Mr Trump a Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain, sparking several laughs.

Cohen again said it sounds like something I would say.

09:01 PM BST

Trump entourage laugh during Cohen cross-examination

Boris Epshteyn, Mr Trumps legal aide, and Florida Republican Byron Donalds laughed when Cohen avoided admitting to lying about Moscow Trump Tower to Congress.

Mr Donalds was seen shaking his head repeatedly as Cohen said it was inaccurate and untruthful rather than a lie

After the break, when Mr Trump and his team returned to the courtroom, Eric Trump was seen smiling as he looked back at other members of his fathers entourage.

08:54 PM BST

Could Donald Trump go to jail if he is convicted?

There is plenty at stake in Donald Trumps hush money trial in New York  even though the former president seems to be repeatedly falling asleep.

Aside from his chances in Novembers presidential election  a decent proportion of Republicans indicate they will not vote for Mr Trump if he is criminally convicted  the court could impose a severe penalty if he is found guilty.

Mr Trump, who is already liable for half a billion dollars following a string of civil losses, could face a further fine or even a prison sentence.

The hush money case is one of the four indictments that Mr Trump faces. Served consecutively, the potential sentences would mean hundreds of years in prison.

But how likely is it that Mr Trump will be convicted? Can he run a campaign or take office if he is behind bars? And will he become the first US president to serve time in prison?

Read the full explainer on whether Donald Trumps criminal cases could land him in prison here.

08:38 PM BST

Michael Cohen lied to protect Trump

Michael Cohen has told Donald Trumps hush money trial that he repeatedly lied to protect the former president.

Cohen, Mr Trumps fixer turned key prosecution witness, said he lied about Stormy Daniels affair with his boss when the news broke in 2018 and drafted her statement denying the relationship.

Asked how he knew the statement put out by Ms Daniels was false, Cohen answered: Because I helped craft it.

Cohen said he also pressured Keith Davidson, Ms Daniels lawyer, to lie about the affair - in order to protect Mr Trump, he said.

Cohen also told the court he provided a false statement to Congress about Donald Trumps business interests in Moscow when testifying before Congress in 2017.

I was staying on Mr Trumps message that there was no Russia, Russia, Russia, he said.

08:34 PM BST

Trump gives thumbs-up during court break

Donald Trump walked out of the courtroom during a short break in the proceedings. He did not respond to shouted questions but gave a thumbs-up.

08:32 PM BST

You want me to call it a lie? Ill call it a lie

Michael Cohen and Todd Blanche just had a long exchange on what constitutes a lie.

Mr Trumps former lawyer said when he spoke special counsel Robert Muellers team, the information he gave them regarding the Mr Trumps Moscow project was not accurate.

Was it a lie? Mr Blanche asked.

It was inaccurate, yes, Cohen responded.

Pressed to call refer to his comments as a lie, Cohen said: I dont know if Id characterise it as a lie, it was inaccurate.

Later, he added: It wasnt truthful, yes, you want me to call it a lie? Ill call it a lie.

08:22 PM BST

Cohen: Trumps were my surrogate family

Michael Cohen confirmed that he had previously described the Trumps as a surrogate family.

I did say that I missed President Trump, he told Todd Blanche, confirming a different comment made in 2017.

08:20 PM BST

Cohen: I would have taken a bullet for Trump

Cohen confirmed he said he would take a bullet for Donald Trump and would never write a book about him.

You were the guy who protects the president and the family?, Mr Blanche asked.

I believe so, yes, Cohen said.

Cohen said he had said hed take a bullet for the former president.

Cohen also confirmed he told Vanity Fair in 2017 that there was no money in the world that could get him to write a book about Mr Trump and his family.

08:12 PM BST

Cohen asked why he called Trump honest and genuine

Cohen was asked whether he was telling the truth when he praised Mr Trump as kind, honest [and] genuine in December 2016.

Again, it was how I felt, so yes it would be the truth, he said.

08:07 PM BST

Cohen knee deep in Donald Trump cult

Cohen said he was knee deep into the cult of Donald Trump when he praised Mr Trump as a good man in 2015.

At that time I was knee deep into the cult of Donald Trump, Cohen said.

Cohen also said he had admired Mr Trump tremendously.

You saw a little bit of yourself in president Trump, correct? Mr Blanche asked.

Yes, Cohen replied.

Asked whether he was obsessed with Mr Trump, He said: I dont know if I would characterise the word obsessed, I admired him tremendously.

07:54 PM BST

Cohen: I want to see Trump convicted

This back-and-forth is really heating up now.

Mr Blanche asked if Cohen had said he would like to see Mr Trump convicted.

Cohen said it sounds like something I would say.

He said he didnt know specifically if I used those words.

Asked if hed like to see Mr Trump convicted, he said: I would like to see accountability. Its not for me, its for the jury in this court.

Again, Mr Blanche pressed him if he wants to see Mr Trump convicted in this case, asking for a yes or no answer.

Sure, Cohen said, prompting laughs in the courts overflow room.

07:51 PM BST

Cohen: I do TikTok six nights a week because of trouble sleeping

Cohen said he started his TikTok live streams, which he hosts six nights a week, because he had trouble sleeping.

He said he found an outlet and it does make money, but its not significant.

Cohen said viewers pay $5.99 to watch his channel.

Money is made from it, yes, Cohen said.

07:50 PM BST

Trump mentioned in every Cohen podcast

Michael Cohen said he records four podcasts a week and does so for the whole year. Under questioning, he said that Donald Trump is mentioned in every one, yes.

07:48 PM BST

Cohen composed as cross-examination begins

Cohen is managing to remain composed on the stand.

Todd Blanche appears to be trying to pick up the pace, firing questions off quickly, but Cohen takes a beat before giving short, curt answers.

Hes remaining polite, too, often responding with yes, sir.

07:47 PM BST

Blanche questioned on Trump recollections

Todd Blanche has questioned Michael Cohen on how he can recall conversations with Donald Trump eight years ago - but could not recall being told to stop going on television by the DA.

What I was saying to you, sir, I dont recall even having these conversations with [former Cohen lawyer] Lanny Davis about not going on television, Cohen responded.

He added: I recall the conversations with President Trump at the time, yes.

07:43 PM BST

VP contenders back on the front row

Vivek Ramaswamy and Doug Burgum are back in the front row for the cross-examination.

07:30 PM BST

Trump looks at Cohen - then shuts his eyes again

When Todd Blanche started his cross-examination, Donald Trump looked over at the witness box and Cohen.

This was short-lived, hes back to resting his beautiful blue eyes.

07:29 PM BST

Prosecution asked Cohen to stop commenting on trial

Michael Cohen said he had been repeatedly asked by the prosecution to stop publicly commenting on the case.

07:28 PM BST

Cohen recalls saying Trump belongs in a cage

Is this trial important to you Mr Cohen?, Mr Blanche asked.

Personally, yes, Cohen said.

Cohen was also asked about comments when he called Mr Trump a dictator douchebag and that he belongs in a cage.

Do you recall saying that?, Mr Blanche asked.

I do recall saying that, Cohen replied, remaining calm.

07:25 PM BST

Blanche to Cohen: You called me a crying little sh--

Were less than 30 seconds into the cross-examination and were off to a fiery start.

Todd Blanche, Mr Trumps lawyer, tells Cohen: You know who I am, dont you?.

I do, Cohen replies.

Mr Blanche adds: On April 23 you went on TikTok and called me a crying little sh-- didnt you?

Cohen: That sounds like something I would say.

07:17 PM BST

Court now in session

Juan Merchan is back on the bench. Court is now in session.

07:14 PM BST

Trump returns to courtroom for Cohen cross-examination

Donald Trump has returned to the courtroom, waving to reporters and pumping his fist. Michael Cohens cross-examination will begin imminently.

07:04 PM BST

Cohen to be last witness called by prosecution

Court transcripts show that Michael Cohen will be the last witness called by the prosecution in Donald Trumps hush money trial, US media reports.

The defence team said they expected Cohens cross-examination to go on until the end of Thursday.

05:58 PM BST

Cohen: I violated my moral compass

Cohen said he violated my moral compass to by bullying and lying to please Mr Trump.

Asked if he had any regrets about his association with Mr Trump, Cohen said: I do.

He added: I regret doing things for him that I should not have. Lying, bullying people in order to effectuate [a] goal.

I dont regret working with the Trump Organisation, he said, adding that he had had some very interesting great times.

But... to keep the loyalty and to do the things that he had asked me to do I violated my moral compass and I suffered a penalty as does my family.

The prosecution has finished questioning Cohen. The cross-examination will begin after lunch.

05:57 PM BST

Cohen to be cross-examined after lunch

Court is now taking a break for lunch. Donald Trump pumped his fist as he left the courtroom but did not respond to questions from the assembled media.

Michael Cohen will be cross-examined by lawyers acting for Mr Trump after lunch.

05:53 PM BST

Cohen publishing second book: Revenge

Michael Cohen said he is publishing a second book, titled Revenge, which he claims is about the weaponisation of the Justice Department against a critic of the president.

Ironically, Donald Trump has made the same claims, insisting that his hush money case is an attempt to persecute him and derail his presidential campaign.

05:47 PM BST

I was protecting my wife

Michael Cohen has returned to the theme of family loyalty, saying he was given 48 hours to accept a plea deal or prosecutors were going to file an 80-page indictment against my wife.

He added: And I was going to protect my wife.

Cohen, who pled guilty to five counts of tax evasion in August 2018, said he did not believe he should have been charged with the crimes.

What I did dispute and I continue to dispute that for a first time offender that has consistently paid taxes on its due date, never have been audited, that this would go immediately to a criminal charge, he said.

05:40 PM BST

Cohen denies manipulating recording of Trump conversation

Appearing to anticipate the imminent cross-examination, Michael Cohen was asked whether he had manipulated the recording of a conversation with Donald Trump on his mobile phone. He said he had not.

He said he may have turned them back on when they were returned to him - having previously been seized - to see if they still worked.

05:35 PM BST

Cohen spoke to DAs office while in prison

Michael Cohen is relating how he was sent to prison after his guilty plea and was released partway through his sentence during the Covid pandemic.

He was subsequently locked up for saying he planned to publish a book that year.

Cohen told the court he had spoken to the Manhattan district attorneys office for the first time while he was incarcerated.

05:25 PM BST

I apologised to my family

Donald Trump is slouched back in his chair with his eyes closed as Cohen describes apologising to Congress and the American public for his actions.

I apologised to Congress, I apologised to my family, he said.

He said apologised to the American public for lying to them, for acting in a way that suppressed information that the citizenry had a right to know of an individual seeking the highest office of the land.

05:20 PM BST

Guilty plea was worst day of my life, says Cohen

Michael Cohen said his guilty plea to campaign violations was the worst day of my life.

05:20 PM BST

Cohen: I committed crimes on behalf of Donald Trump

The prosecutions direct examination is reaching a crescendo.

Asked why he paid the $130,000 to Stormy Daniels, Cohen said: To ensure that the story did not come out, would not affect Mr Trumps chances of becoming president of the United States.

On whose behalf did you commit that crime?, Ms Hoffinger asked.

On behalf of Mr Trump, Mr Cohen said.

He said he also worked with AMI to pay off Karen McDougal to ensure that the possibility of Mr Trump succeeding in the election, that this would not be a hindrance.

He said this was at the direction and benefit of Mr Trump.

05:17 PM BST

Cohen: McDougal story could have damaged Trump campaign

Michael Cohen was asked why he worked to help pay off Karen McDougal, a Playboy bunny with whom Donald Trump is alleged to have had an affair in 2006.

Cohen said this was to ensure that the possibility of Mr. Trump succeeding in the election - that this would not be a hindrance.

05:12 PM BST

Cohen: My family convinced me to break with Trump

Michael Cohen said he stopped lying for Donald Trump after speaking to his family.

My wife, my daughter, my son all said to me, Why are you holding on to this loyalty? What are you doing? Were supposed to be your first loyalty, he told the court.

Cohens family told him that it was about time he listened to them.

I made a decision based again on the conversation I had with my family that I would not lie for President Trump anymore, he told the court.

05:09 PM BST

Dont speak. Dont cooperate

Several more emails Mr Costello have been shown in court in which he again talks about the back channel between his friend and his client.

In one email from 14 June 2018 he tells Cohen not to listen to the journalists and the narrative promoted by the left-wing media.

Cohen said this was part of the pressure campaign that everyone is lying to you that you are still regarded, the president still supports you, dont listen to what any of the journalists are saying... and stay in the fold. Dont flip. Dont speak. Dont cooperate.

04:51 PM BST

Cohen told he had friends in high places

The court has been shown an email from Robert Costello to Michael Cohen from 21 April.

I spoke with Rudy. Very very positive, you are loved, the email read.

Rudy said this communication channel must be maintained, he added.

Sleep well tonight you have friends in high places, the email stated, adding: Some very positive comments about you from the White House.

Cohen said the friends in high places referenced Mr Trump.

Cohen took this to mean: I was still important to the team... and the president had my back.

04:50 PM BST

This communication channel must be maintained

The court was shown an email sent by Robert Costello to Michael Cohen in which he said his relationship with Rudy [Giuliani] could be very very useful for you.

Cohen said he took this to reinforce the whole concept of the back channel.

Another email from Mr Costello read: Rudy said this communication channel must be maintained.

04:47 PM BST

Cohen was distraught, nervous, concerned during Costello meeting

Michael Cohen says he met lawyer Robert Costello and said he could act as a back-channel communication to Donald Trump.

At the time of the meeting at the conference room at the Regency hotel, Cohen was distraught, nervous, concerned, he said.

Mr Costello told him he had been at the Southern District of New York hes incredibly close to Rudy Giuliani. As close as you can imagine, Cohen said.

He said Mr Costello told him this would be a great way to have a back channel to Mr Trump to ensure that youre still good and still secure.

Cohen said he was unsure he was going to hire Mr Costello because there was something really sketchy and wrong about him.

The back channel was Rob Costello to Rudy, Rudy to President Trump, Cohen added.

04:43 PM BST

Cohen: Costello seemed sketchy and wrong

Robert Costello apparently told Michael Cohen that he would be a great way to have a back channel communication to the president - meaning Donald Trump.

There was something really sketchy and wrong about Mr Costello, Cohen testified.

04:39 PM BST

Cohen back on the stand

Court has resumed after a short break and Michael Cohen is back on the stand, where he is talking about Robert Costello - a criminal defence lawyer.

04:23 PM BST

Stay in the fold, stay loyal

Michael Cohen said Donald Trump put out a series of tweets praising him as a fine person while attacking the investigation into him to ensure he would remain loyal.

He said he took the messages to mean: Stay in the fold, stay loyal, youre a fine person, dont flip.

He said this reinforced my loyalty and my intention to stay in the fold.

04:19 PM BST

Trump told Cohen to stay tough after raid

Michael Cohen said he felt concerned, despondent, angry after he was raided by the FBI.

During a subsequent phone call with Donald Trump, the then-president of the US said: Dont worry Im the president of the United States, theres nothing here, everythings gonna be ok, stay tough youre gonna be ok.

Cohen said he hasnt spoken with Mr Trump since.

The phone call was extremely important, he said.

First of all I was scared, [it was the] first time in my life anything like this, and I wanted some reassurance Mr Trump had my back, especially as this dealt with issues that related to him, he said.

I felt reassured because I had the president of the United States protecting me I felt reassured and I remained in the camp.

Asked what he meant by in the camp, Cohen said: In the fold, in the Trump camp.

Cohen confirmed this meant he would stay loyal to Mr Trump and continue to lie for him.

04:16 PM BST

A 7am knock on the door from the FBI

Michael Cohen just described the moment the FBI turned up at the hotel he was staying at and seized his phones.

He said he was living in the Regency because his apartment had been flooded by the one above.

He said there was a 7am knock on the door and I looked through the peephole and I saw a ton of people out in the hallway.

Cohen said they identified themselves as the FBI, asked me to step into the hallway, which I did.

They also raided his apartment and his office. They seized his two mobile phones and his tax books and other documents.

04:14 PM BST

Cohen is on a mission for revenge, claims Johnson

Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House of Representatives, attacked Michael Cohen as he spoke outside Donald Trumps hush money trial this morning.

He told reporters:

The star witness here is Michael Cohen. I just listened to a few moments of his testimony this morning and it is consistent with what hes already done. This is a man who is clearly on a mission for personal revenge and who is widely known as a witness who has trouble with the truth. He is someone who has a history of perjury and is well known for it. No one should believe a word he says today. He lied to Congress. He lied to the IRS. He lied to federal election officials. Even Cohens own lawyer testified to a grand jury that he is not reliable. So, theres nothing that he presents here that should be given any weight at all by a jury and certainly not this judge.

Mike Johnson and Vivek Ramaswamy listen as Donald Trump speaks to media outside the courtroom - Mark Peterson-Pool/Getty Images

04:10 PM BST

Trump appeal to end gag order denied

A New York appeals court has denied Donald Trumps latest attempt to end the gag order imposed during his Manhattan trial.

It found that Juan Merchan, the judge, had properly weighed his First Amendment rights and that he needed to ensure that people concerned in the proceedings were free from threats, intimidation, harassment, and harm.

04:05 PM BST

Client thanks you for what you do

The court is shown a text from one of Donald Trumps lawyers to Michael Cohen as he denied the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels.

Client says thanks for what you do, the text reads. Cohen testified that client referred to Donald Trump.

04:01 PM BST

Cohen reassured Pecker over hush money payment

Cohen said he reassured David Pecker following the FEC complaint.

So David was very concerned because it was going to affect AMI, it was going to affect him, Cohen said.

He said he told him: do not worry, we have this thing under control.

Cohen later said he told Mr Pecker that matters were going to be taken care by Jeff Sessions, the attorney general.

He claims he was told this by Mr Trump.

03:58 PM BST

Pictured: Lara Trump and Ramaswamy in court to support Donald Trump

Vivek Ramaswamy, Lara Trump, and Doug Burgum arrive in court for Donald Trump's "hush money" trial - Curtis Means/Daily Mail/Bloomberg

03:55 PM BST

Cohen says he wanted to gain Trumps approval

A frequent theme in Cohens testimony over the past few days has been how he strived to gain credit from Donald Trump.

He mentioned wanting to impress his former boss nine times in yesterdays testimony.

Again today he is describing how he wanted to demonstrate his unwavering loyalty to Mr Trump.

Meanwhile, the front row of the courtroom is filled with people sitting through Cohens testimony in a bid to win Mr Trumps approval.

03:50 PM BST

Cohen says he was loyal to Trump

Cohen has been asked about the complaint he received from the Federal Election Committee (FEC) about the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels.

Asked why he omitted details of Mr Trumps alleged involvement in the payment, Cohen said: In order to protect Mr Trump, to stay on message, demonstrate my continued loyalty.

03:42 PM BST

Cohen: I paid Stormy Daniels hush money and wrote her denial

Did you know at the time this statement was false? Ms Hoffinger asked Cohen about a denial put out by Stormy Daniels.

Yes, he replied.

How did you know? Ms Hoffinger said.

Because I helped him craft it, Cohen replied.

Asked how he knew Ms Daniels had been paid hush money, Cohen said: Because Im the one that paid it.

03:35 PM BST

I was staying on Mr Trumps message

Asked why he made false statements to Congress in 2017, Cohen said: Because I was staying on Mr Trumps message, there was no Russia, Russia, Russia thats what was preferred.

Cohen said he continued to lie about Stormy Daniels when the story broke of the alleged affair in 2018.

He also pressured her lawyer Keith Davidson to lie.

Asked why, he said: In order to protect Mr Trump

03:34 PM BST

Cohen: I lied to Congress

Michael Cohen said he lied about Donald Trumps business interests in Moscow when testifying to Congress.

The statements dealt with the Trump Tower Moscow real estate project, specifically the number of times that I claimed to have spoken to Mr. Trump about the project as well as the time period for those conversations, he told the court.

Cohen said he lied because he was staying on Mr. Trumps message that there was no Russia, Russia, Russia.

03:30 PM BST

Cohen: I lied to protect Donald Trump

Michael Cohen said he continued to lie for Donald Trump despite barely doing any work for him out of loyalty and in order to protect him.

03:27 PM BST

Cohen paid $420,000 but worked under 10 hours

Michael Cohen said he did less than 10 hours of work for Donald Trump in 2017.

I didnt expect to be paid and it was very minimal work, Cohen said.

He said this had nothing to do with the $420,000 he was paid for legal services rendered.

03:25 PM BST

Pictured: Trump speaks to reporters outside court

Donald Trump speaks with members of the media as attorney Todd Blanche listens ahead of the morning's court proceedings - Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

03:23 PM BST

Trump shuts eyes while potential running mates look on

Mr Trump has resumed his usual position: leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed.

His surrogates, meanwhile, appear completely rapt.

Doug Burgum has been staring at Cohen reel through a dry but important testimony about cheques and invoices.

03:22 PM BST

Johnson: Deep concern about Trump case

House Speaker Mike Johnson has claimed there are hundreds of millions of people who are concerned about Donald Trumps hush money case outside the court.

I came here again today, on my own, to support President Trump, because I am one of hundreds of millions of people - and one citizen - who is deeply concerned about this, he told assembled media.

Mr Johnson has previously referred to the proceedings as a sham trial and claimed Mr Trump is being persecuted by a weaponised justice department.

03:17 PM BST

Cohen: I did minimal work Trump over 2017

Michael Cohen confirmed his last cheque was dated Dec 1 2017 - apparently because he had been paid the pre-agreed amount of $420,000 at that point.

Over the period he was paid, Cohen said he had done minimal work for Donald Trump or his wife, Melania.

03:15 PM BST

Cohen identifies Trumps signature on cheques

This part of the testimony is a crucial part of the prosecutions case, but it is somewhat repetitive.

For each monthly invoice, lawyer Ms Hoffinger and Cohen are going through the same back-and-forth.

Ms Hoffinger: Do you recognise the signature on that cheque?

Cohen: Yes

Ms Hoffinger: Whose signature is it?

Cohen: Donald J Trump.

03:10 PM BST

Court shown cheques paid to Cohen

The prosecution is going through all of the invoices Cohen sent as part of the alleged reimbursement scheme.

Did you receive this cheque for $35,000 in response to the false invoice, prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked.

Yes I did, Cohen replied.

The jury is being shown the emails and the cheques related to each invoice.

03:07 PM BST

Legal fees were really for hush money payment

The jury is being shown the monthly invoices Cohen sent to Jeff McConney and Allen Weisselberg.

Cohen said the invoices - where he wrote down reimbursement for legal services rendered - were false.

Asked what the payments were for, Cohen said: The reimbursement to me of the hush money fee.

02:53 PM BST

Trump spoke to Cohen about reimbursement payment

Michael Cohen is straight into discussing his meeting with Donald Trump at the Oval Office on 6 February 2017.

This is a crucial part of the prosecutions case - that Mr Trump knew about the alleged plan to cover up reimbursement payments to Cohen.

So I was sitting with President Trump and he asked me if I was ok, he asked me if I needed money, Cohen told the court.

I said No all good because I can get a cheque.

He said Ok just make sure you deal with Allen.

Cohen said he was told he would receive a cheque for January and February.

The jury was also shown a picture of Cohen standing at the podium in the White House briefing room that day.

He said he took photos because he was visiting the White House.

02:52 PM BST

Pictured: Cohen leaves apartment for Trump trial

Michael Cohen leaves his apartment building in New York en route to Manhattan Criminal Court - AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Michael Cohen departs to testify at Donald Trump's criminal trial in New York - REUTERS/Cheney Orr

02:44 PM BST

Cohen returns to witness stand

Michael Cohen didnt look at Donald Trump as he walked to the stand for his second day of testimony.

Mr Trump, dressed in his staple navy suit with a gold tie, was chatting to his lawyer Todd Blanche as Cohen strode behind the defence table.



02:44 PM BST

Trump praises beautiful surrogates

I do have a lot of surrogates and they are speaking very beautifully, Donald Trump said before he walked into the courtroom.

02:37 PM BST

Ramaswamy and Burgum sitting behind Trump

The bench behind Donald Trump in court today looks like a political rally.

Sitting directly behind Mr Trump are Vivek Ramaswamy and Doug Burgum.

Eric Trump, Mr Trumps son, has been bumped to the second row.

Lara Trump is also in the courtroom. House Speaker Mike Johnson doesnt appear to be in the courtroom.

02:30 PM BST

Stormy Daniels wore bulletproof vest to court

One of Stormy Daniels lawyers said the porn star was so worried about her safety at Donald Trumps hush money trial she wore a bulletproof vest to court.

She was concerned about the security coming into New York, lawyer Clark Brewster said. She wore a bulletproof vest every day until she got to the courthouse.

Mr Brewster said that Daniels was concerned about being targeted outside the courthouse.

I mean she cried herself to sleep, Mr Brewster said. She was paralysed with fear.

02:28 PM BST

Punters flogging spots in court for $1,000

Things apparently got nasty in the public queue for Donald Trumps hush money trial this morning.

People began queueing at 1pm on Monday to get a spot inside the courtroom for what has become New Yorks latest tourist attraction.

One enterprising queuer reportedly sold his spot near the front of the line for $1,000.

But pandemonium ensued when two people replaced him in the queue, rather than one.

Another man was trying to sell his spot for $850.

02:24 PM BST

Johnson to speak outside Trump trial

Mike Johnson, the Speaker of the House, will make remarks to media around 3:15pm BST (10:15am ET) on what he calls the ongoing sham persecution of Donald Trump.

Mike Johnson listens as former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters ahead of hish "hush money" trial - MICHAEL M. SANTIAGO/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

02:21 PM BST

Ive had a good 11-hour sleep - outside court

Richard Partington, 43, has been camping outside Manhattan Criminal Court since 5:30pm on Monday.

He has slept outside overnight so he can witness the trial firsthand and know the truth.

Ive had a good 11-hour sleep, he said.

There was one point in the night when I was woken by people arguing in the line, but this sleeping bag is from Mongolia, its very warm.

Mr Partington, from Long Island, would like to see Donald Trump convicted.

02:20 PM BST

Im looking forward to seeing him squirm

Lori Grabowski, 57, is second in the public queue for Donald Trumps hush money trial.

She paid a line sitter $415 to queue for her from 1pm on Monday afternoon, before swapping with them at 9pm.

I havent slept but Im sure the adrenaline once Im inside that court room will keep me feeling refreshed and awake, she told The Telegraph.

It will be Ms Grabowskis first time in the courtroom this morning.

Lori Grabowski, second in the public queue for Donald Trump's "hush money" trial - Susie Coen for The Telegraph

If Im going to do it, Im going to do it right, she said.

I think its going to be an absolutely epic.

Ms Grabowski is not a fan of Donald Trump.

Im looking forward to seeing him squirm, she said.

02:18 PM BST

Welcome

Hello and welcome to todays live blog. Susie Coen here. Well be providing you with the latest updates as Michael Cohen returns to the witness stand in his second day of testimony in Donald Trumps hush money trial.
Rishi Sunak has slammed Sir Keir Starmer as utterly unprincipled for welcoming Tory Rightwinger Natalie Elphicke into the Labour ranks.

Asked about the defection after a speech in central London, the Prime Minister said: More than anything, I think it shows less about her and its more about Keir Starmer.

And it shows him to be completely and utterly unprincipled.

This is someone who went from embracing Jeremy Corbyn to embracing Natalie Elphicke.

Defections are rare and a blow to be party being abandoned, and Ms Elphickes crossing of the floor comes after former Tory health minister Dan Poulter also switched to Labour.

But the decision by Sir Keir and his inner circle to welcome Mr Elphickes defection has angered a number of Labour MPs given her past views on immigration, Labour and sexual harassment.

Earlier, both Labour and the Tories called for a probe into claims that Ms Elphicke lobbied Justice Secretary Sir Robert Buckland to interfere in her then-husbands sex offences trial.

Sir Keir has faced a backlash from some of his MPs over welcoming Rightwinger Ms Elphicke to the partys ranks, while still continuing to deny the whip to veteran MP Diane Abbott.

But the spotlight has also shifted onto the Tories as the row surrounding Ms Elphicke has grown at Westminster.

Sir Robert has said Dover MP Ms Elphicke, who has now crossed the floor to Labour, approached him in 2020 when he was Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary before the hearing of Charlie Elphickes case.

She allegedly told Sir Robert that it was unfair the case was the first to be heard at Southwark Crown Court after the Covid lockdown and that it was being overseen by Lady Justice Whipple, The Sunday Times reported.

One person present viewed her comments as a bid to have the case moved to a lower-profile court to spare her partner public scrutiny, while another saw it as an attempt to replace the senior judge, according to the newspaper.

Sir Robert reportedly rejected her plea, suggesting his intervention could undermine the constitutional doctrine of the separation of powers between Parliament and the judiciary.

The Tory MP told The Sunday Times: She was told in no uncertain terms that it would have been completely inappropriate to speak to the judge about the trial at all.

Ms Elphickes former husband and predecessor as MP for Dover was later convicted of sexually assaulting two women and jailed for two years.

She 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.

Ms Elphicke allegedly also tried to secure him better prison conditions, asking for more comfortable pillows, The Sunday Times reported.

The new Labour MP denies the characterisation of the meeting with Sir Robert and that she asked for improved jail conditions.

A spokesman for Ms Elphicke told the newspaper: This is nonsense. Its certainly true that Mr Elphicke continued to be supported after his imprisonment by a large number of Conservative MPs who had known him for a long time, including some who visited him and independently lobbied on his behalf, which was nothing to do with Natalie.

A Labour Party spokesman said: Natalie Elphicke totally rejects that characterisation of the meeting.

If Robert Buckland had any genuine concerns about the meeting, then he should have raised them at the time, rather than making claims to the newspapers now Natalie has chosen to join the Labour Party.

However, asked on Monday whether there should be an investigation into the claims about the meeting, health minister Maria Caulfield told Times Radio: I think if Robert Buckland, and I dont know the details of what he said, has said (that), then I think there probably should be.

She added that it was up to the Labour Party to investigate the claims.

Asked why Sir Robert had not raised concerns before Ms Elphicke had defected to Labour, she said: I dont know the details of that meeting, you would have to ask Robert Buckland about that, but this is now something that the Labour Party would have to investigate.

Theyve been busy playing political games about who sits on which benches. Weve been busy getting on with running the country.

Meanwhile, a shadow minister said Sir Roberts decision to allegedly sit on claims about Ms Elphicke should be looked into.

Asked whether the former Justice Secretarys claims that Ms Elphicke lobbied ministers over her then-husbands sexual assault case should be investigated, Catherine McKinnell said: So Im as baffled as anybody else by these assertions.

Obviously Natalie says they are not true, its not her recollection of the meeting and so, she says its nonsense.

I just cant quite understand why, if something is this important and as serious as he is alleging, why it wasnt addressed at the time.

Thats very concerning to me, I think thats something that probably does need to be looked into.

Following news of Ms Elphickes defection this week, Sir Keir has been hit with a furious response from some Labour MPs about the decision to admit her to the party, citing her comments about Mr Elphickes case and his victims, as well as her views on immigration.

She subsequently apologised last week about her previous comments on Mr Elphickes victims.
A Whitehall-wide ban on rainbow lanyards would require the agreement of all relevant secretaries of state - Alamy Stock Photo

Rainbow lanyards will not be banned in Whitehall, it emerged on Tuesday, despite an announcement by the common sense minister just 24 hours earlier.

Esther McVey warned civil servants not to express political views by the back door through rainbow-coloured lanyards that are worn to demonstrate support for LGBT rights.

But The Telegraph understands Cabinet Office guidance set to be published later on Tuesday includes no specific reference to lanyards.

In a speech for the Centre for Policy Studies think tank, Ms McVey had said: The lanyards worn to carry security passes shouldnt be a random pick and mix, they should be a standard design reflecting that we are all members of the Government.

She urged mandarins to leave your political views at the building entrance and added: Trying to introduce them by the back door, via lanyards, should not happen.

Ms McVey in a speech to the Centre for Policy Studies said security pass lanyards should be a standard design - Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

However, Cabinet Office sources insisted the guidance would instead refer to the importance of Civil Service impartiality and include a broader warning about the use of political symbols.

They added there was a difference between Ms McVey announcing something she wanted to see happen and it becoming policy.

A Whitehall-wide ban on rainbow lanyards would require the agreement of all relevant secretaries of state, which Ms McVey is understood not to have sought.

The frontbencher, who joined Rishi Sunaks cabinet in November in an olive branch to the Tory Right, said the Cabinet Office would provide civil servants with a standard-issue design and permanent secretaries expected they would comply.

It came as Grant Shapps, the Defence Secretary, appeared to distance himself from Ms McVeys comments and suggested he did not mind rainbow lanyards being worn.

Asked about her comments by Times Radio, Mr Shapps said: Personally, I dont mind people expressing their views on these things. What lanyard somebody wears doesnt particularly concern me.

But I do think, and this is where I think Esther McVey has a point, that what we want is our civil servants to be getting on with the main job. And the main job is to serve the department they work for, in my case, defence, but across Whitehall. That is the main concern.

I think she was getting at the idea that that should be the focus for civil servants.

Rainbow-coloured lanyards are worn to demonstrate support for LGBT rights - Thomas Faull/iStockphoto

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said Ms McVey was making the point that civil servants should be seen and indeed should act in an impartial way.

The spokesman pointed to similar guidance issued by the Scottish Parliament in March which banned staff from wearing rainbow lanyards and badges over concerns they could be accused of political bias.

The Telegraph revealed last week the guidance will ban Civil Service diversity jobs in a radical overhaul of the system aimed at ending its back door politicisation.

Mandarins will be ordered not to hire any new staff dedicated to boosting diversity, equality and inclusion and there will no longer be any jobs in Whitehall that are devoted solely to diversity.

Ms McVey was contacted for further comment.
The Thames Path in Richmond-upon-Thames (Derek Harper / Geograph)

A body has been recovered in the search for a missing swimmer who went into the Thames to cool down during the hottest day of the year.

The man got into difficulty near Barge Walk, Kingston at roughly 6.40pm on Sunday.

In an update on Monday, Metropolitan Police said a body had been found and that while formal identification was to take place, it was believed to be that of the missing man.

It comes after a search by the Mets Marine Policing Unit, London Ambulance Service, London Fire Brigade, the RNLI and the National Police Air Service.

Scotland Yard said: Police were called at 18:41hrs on Sunday, 12 May to the river at Barge Walk, Kingston. It was reported that a man had got into difficulty after entering the water to swim.

At around 12:20hrs on Monday, 13 May, the body of a man was recovered by police officers from the river at Barge Walk, Kingston.

Formal identification awaits, however officers believe this is the man who entered the water on Sunday.

Chertsey in Surrey recorded 2024s warmest temperature of 27.5C on Sunday, while parts of the capital enjoyed weather in the mid-20s.

Jadine Brunsdon, who works at a bar nearby, told BBC News: I finished work at 6pm and I was sat with my friend on the river side and we were watching people swimming in the river

We noticed them going in. Then about half an hour later we saw police cars and ambulances driving down.

London Ambulance Service said: We were called at 6.40pm on Sunday, May 12 to reports of a person in the River Thames at Barge Walk, Kingston.

We sent resources to the scene to assist emergency service colleagues including ambulance crews and members of our hazardous area response team (HART).

We were stood down by 10pm when the person had not been found.

Police often warn Londoners not to swim in the Thames during heatwaves.

Although the river might seem like a natural place to cool off, the water is still very cold and dangerous.

Officers say the Thames remains hazardous due to strong currents, tides and whirlpools, while cold water shock can cause muscle weakness and disrupt heart rhythm.

A London Fire Brigade spokesman added: We were called to reports of a man entering the River Thames near Kingston Bridge in Kingston yesterday evening.

Firefighters worked alongside the London Ambulance Service, Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Metropolitan Police Service and Coastguard.

The Brigade was called at 6.52pm and the incident was over for firefighters at 9.13pm.
A driver was killed Tuesday in a rollover crash on the North Side, according to police. Ken Branca

A driver was killed Tuesday during a fiery rollover crash on the North Side, according to San Antonio police.

The crash happened just before 1:30 a.m. in the 10500 block of San Pedro Avenue off U.S. 281 near the San Antonio airport.

A preliminary police report states the driver was in a Jeep when they veered off the main lanes and drove into a grassy median.

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READ MORE: Prison for fatal shooting of a man who intervened as a couple argued

The Jeep struck an embankment, and it caught on fire.

The San Antonio Fire Department responded to the crash scene and put out the fire. Firefighters discovered the driver inside. They have not been identified.

Police said the crash is still under investigation.
A manhunt is under way in France for a criminal linked to drugs and gangland killings who was broken out of a prison van in a dramatic ambush that killed two prison officers.

Mohamed Amra, 30, became Frances most wanted man when a gang using heavy weaponry opened fire on his escort as he was being transferred from a court hearing in Rouen back to jail in the town of Evreux on Monday.

Nicknamed La Mouche - The Fly - Amra was convicted of aggravated burglary last week but is reportedly tied to drugs and gangland killings.

The attack that freed him, which took place at the Incarville tollbooth on the A154 motorway, has left two other officers fighting for their lives.

The van carrying Mohamed Amra was rammed by a car before he was snatched from it as hooded gunmen opened fire - Amaury Brelet/X

The door of the van is flung open in a screen grab from a video taken by an onlooker - Amaury Brelet/X

Security camera footage showed a car ram the van transporting Amra while a group of hooded gunmen emerged from several points around the toll plaza, firing shots at the officers before opening a door to free the inmate.

Two officers died instantly and three others were seriously wounded, said Eric Dupond-Moretti, the French justice minister. Two remained in a life-threatening critical condition, he added.

The minister paid tribute to the slain men, saying one had a wife who is five months pregnant, and the other two children who are about to celebrate their 21st birthday tomorrow.

Police unions said their colleagues stood no chance given that they were travelling in an un-armoured van and armed with simple handguns when they were confronted by men carrying weapons of war.

The French interior ministry did not answer calls as to whether it had alerted all ports at French borders to check if the fugitive seeks to flee the country.

France can close or heavily police its borders in times of crisis such as during the Covid pandemic and in the wake of a terror attack.

The attack comes at a politically sensitive time for Emmanuel Macron, whose government recently launched multiple anti-drug cleanup operations in raids around the country.

Embarrassingly for the government, Amra had tried to saw through the bars of his prison cell only two days earlier, according to a police source cited by Le Parisien, leading them to upgrade his surveillance status.

He and his accomplices made their getaway in two vehicles, a white Audi A5 and a BMW 5 series. Both vehicles were later found burned out. The gang is thought to have then fled in a third, unknown, vehicle.

Amra had been under investigation in the southern city of Marseille for kidnapping and sequestering leading to death in 2022. The victim, whose charred body was found with a bullet in the back of the head, reportedly came from Amras home town.

Le Parisien called him a high-flying bandit, and said he was involved in international drug trafficking and suspected of masterminding a drugs-related assassination attempt on a French citizen in Spain in the summer of 2023.

The unsuccessful hit, filmed by terrified tourists in Marbella, is alleged to have been part of a drugs turf war with a rival known as Mehdi.

Under investigation for murder attempt

Amra is also under investigation for attempted homicide in an organised gang in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray. At the time of his escape, he had just been interviewed by prosecutors in Rouen over this case.

According to Le Parisien, after his attempt to saw through his cell bars, Amra had been placed in a disciplinary unit and his surveillance level had been raised to Escort 3 - just below the special surveillance level.

Elite GIGN units were sent to the scene of the ambush along with around 200 gendarmes as part of a plan Epervier (Sparrowhawk plan) granting police sweeping stop-and-search powers to find fugitives or abduction victims.

President Macron said: Everything is being done to find the perpetrators of this crime so that justice can be done in the name of the French people. We will be implacable.

The escape of a man Le Parisien said was the head of a narcotics network is embarrassing for the Macron administration as it came on the day that a French senatorial commission of inquiry released a report warning that France was submerged with drug trafficking, which is infiltrating everywhere like an inexorably rising tide.

In a damning indictment, it concluded that Mr Macrons anti-drugs plan to be presented shortly by the government is meagre and not up to the task.

A dark day for prison officers

This is a dark day for prison officers, said Yoan Karar of the FO Justice union who said the slain officers were from the PREJ, the centre for judicial extractions, in Caen.

Even though prison vans possess electronic tags to drive straight through toll booths, they often have to slow down and the barrier is a weak spot, he added.

Mr Karar said that the officers, who were wearing bullet-proof jackets, stood little chance against heavy weapons given that they only possess 9mm handguns.

French politicians expressed anger at their deaths.

It is with shock and immense sadness that we learn of the attack on a prison administration vehicle in Incarville, and the death of prison officers, said Jordan Bardella, of Marine Le Pens populist National Rally.

Eric Zemmour of the hard-Right Renew party said: When a prison vehicle is attacked and its officers murdered, it is the whole of the justice system, and the whole of the French people, who are being targeted.

France must equip itself with the means to win the war that has been declared against it.
Westminster magistrates court heard the plot involved attempts to obtain machine guns, a hand gun and ammunition. Photograph: Yui Mok/PA

Two men have appeared in court accused of a machine gun terrorism plot to attack Jewish communities in north-west England, as well as police and military targets.

Walid Saadaoui, 36, from Abram near Wigan, and Amar Hussein, 50, of no fixed address, are accused of planning the Islamic State-inspired plot and charged with preparing acts of terrorism.

A third man, Bilel Saadaoui, 35, from Hindley near Wigan, brother of Walid, is accused of failing to disclose information about an act of terrorism.

All three were arrested last Wednesday and appeared at Westminster magistrates court, which heard the plot involved attempts to obtain machine guns, a hand gun and ammunition, and identifying a safe house where these could be stored.

Walid Saadaoui was detained as he went to collect what he believed were the weapons for the attack, the court heard.

The prosecutor, Rebecca Waller, told the court: Walid Saadaoui and Amar Hussein planned to conduct an Isil- or Daesh-inspired terrorist attack in the UK during which they intended causing multiple fatalities using automatic weapons.

The main targets of their attack plans were the Jewish community in the north-west of England and members of both law enforcement and military.

Both defendants took significant steps to prepare, and by May 2024, had reached the point at which, they believed, they were in a position to launch their attack.

In court Walid Saadaoui spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address and was remanded in custody.

Amar Hussein was unrepresented by legal counsel and when asked if he wanted to apply for bail, refused to look at the judge and answered: Do whatever you want to.

Bilal Saadaoui was also remanded in custody and sobbed as he was led from the dock. He pleaded not guilty to the charge facing him.

The district judge, Louisa Cieciora, said all three men would appear at the Old Bailey on 24 May.

A counter-terrorism operation led to the arrests after raids in the Bolton, Abram, Hindley and Great Lever areas of Greater Manchester at about 7.30pm on 8 May.

The charges say the alleged plot started no earlier than 13 December 2023 and ran until this month.

The UKs terrorism threat level remains at substantial.
Minister for women Maria Caulfield claimed that some councils were introducing 15 minute cities. (BBC) (BBC)

A government minister has been accused of "misleading the public to save her job" after falsely claiming that people in some parts of England will have to pay a road tax under the so-called "15-minute cities" scheme.

Maria Caulfield, the minister for women and mental health, claimed in campaign literature that Lib Dem and Green councils wanted to introduce a road toll system in the future as she urged people to vote Conservative in last year's Lewes District Council elections.

As part of the scheme, Caulfield, MP of the East Sussex constituency, claimed that residents would be forced to pay a charge for travelling more than 15 minutes from their homes.

Responding to her claims, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper MP told Yahoo News: Maria Caulfield owes local people an apology for these dishonest leaflets.

After years of Conservative sleaze and scandal, the public desperately wants a return to integrity in politics, yet Maria Caulfield is spreading baseless claims.

Maria Caulfield is deliberately misleading the public to try to save her own job. This is a new low for the Conservative party."

The health minister defended her claims about so-called '15-minute cities' during an appearance on BBC Politics South-East on 5 May, the Guardian reports. (BBC)

The concept of 15-minute cities has been jumped on by conspiracy theorists, who say it is a way to lock people in their neighbourhoods and reduce personal freedom. However, its proponents argue that 15-minute cities are simply a way of cutting down commutes and improving quality of life.

In her letter to voters, Caulfield refers to Oxford, which has plans to become a 15-minute city by the next decade, claiming the city has already introduced the scheme.

She claims residents in Oxford "now bitterly regret letting the Greens and Lib Dems run their council", adding: "Don't let this happen here."

Appearing on BBCs Politics South-East on Sunday 5 May, Caulfield said: Lib Dems and Greens want to introduce a road toll system, 15-minute cities, where you will have to pay a congestion charge if you travel by car more than 15 mins from home.

When challenged by the host that council leaders have said it was not true, Caulfield replied: Its actually printed on their draft local plan. Its in their official documents that they supportive of 15-minute cities. I think theyve probably dropped that plan because its so controversial.

Pressed on whether council documents spoke of road charges, Caulfield said: It says 15-minute cities and thats been introduced in Lib Dem councils across the country and theres been uproar about that.

Caulfield maintained her position that going outside of the 15-minute zone means you will have to pay a road tax, saying its a system that works in other parts of the country.

According to Full Fact, Oxford City Council is considering the introduction of traffic filters, which prevent cars without a permit from driving through at specific times - instead being directed onto other routes.

Residents inside the area would be given 100 free permits every year, while those living close by would also receive a small number of permits.

Click below to see the latest South and South East headlines

Opponents of 15-minute cities say they will restrict personal freedoms. (PA) (ZUMA Press, ZUMA Press Inc)

Caulfield denied that it was a conspiracy theory, and that it was more that congestion charges in built-up areas.

She added: If you speak to people in Oxford  that the sort of thing theyre having to deal with I think they have to be honest with people. [London mayor] Sadiq Khan was the same when he said he wasnt going to introduce Ulez, but he did.

Yahoo News UK has contacted Maria Caulfield for a comment.

What is a 15-minute city?

The 15-minute city idea was developed and popularised by French-Colombian professor Carlos Moreno, who envisioned a future where city dwellers could have access to everything they need within walking distance. Shops, schools, workplaces, doctors, parks, libraries, and restaurants are all placed within a 15-minute walk or bike ride from home under the scheme.

The concept is being integrated in parts of Paris under mayor Anne Hidalgo's plans to create more self-sufficient communities with more diverse economies, while also cutting pollution and stress. The notion gained ground during the COVID pandemic, which saw people spending more time in their local neighbourhood than ever before.

The concept of 15-minute cities is being integrated in parts of Paris. (Getty) (Mike Reid Photography via Getty Images)

Oxford has set out to become a 15-minute city by the next decade under the 2040 local plan set out by its city council. The local authority says this is to create a walkable city where people have everything they need a short distance away.

But the plan sparked protests among people who have conflated it with Oxfordshire County Council's Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme, which has seen bollards erected on some roads to discourage driving. Work began on installing traffic filters on six roads in February this year, which has fuelled conspiracy theories that this would result in people being "confined" to their areas.

In December 2022 Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council issued a lengthy joint statement seeking to counteract some of the "misinformation" being spread over the schemes.

Oxford City Council has since removed mentions of "15-minute cities" from its local plan, claiming the term had become too "toxic and incendiary", the Times reported in March this year.

Cabinet member for planning Louise Upton told the newspaper: If we want to actually engage with people about what the real problems are and what the solutions are, we dont need the phrase 15-minute cities any more."

She said dropping the phrase would make no noticeable difference to our planning decisions.

Read more
An abortion rights protester in Houston. Photograph: Callaghan OHare/Reuters

In the two years after the US supreme court overturned Roe v Wade, leading to abortion bans across many parts of the south and midwest, abortion rights have only grown more popular, new polling from Pew research Center has found.

A majority of Americans has long supported abortion rights. But more than 60% of Americans now believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases  a four percentage-point jump from 2021, the year before Roe fell.

This support transcends numerous demographic divides in US society: most men, women, white people, Black people, Hispanic people and Asian people believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases. It extends to majorities of all age groups and education levels, although 18-to-29-year-olds and people with more education are more likely than other cohorts to believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

People who live under abortion bans have also become increasingly supportive of abortion access since the overturning of Roe in June 2022. In August 2019, only 30% of people who live in states where abortion is now outlawed said they believed it should be easier to access abortion. Today, 42% of people in the same states say that.

The broad support for abortion may prove pivotal in the upcoming US elections  Joe Bidens re-election campaign has zeroed in on abortion as a winning issue as the president continues to trail Donald Trump in polls. Battleground states such as Arizona and Nevada are expected to hold ballot measures to protect abortion rights, which Democrats hope will boost both voter turnout and their own chances.

Democrats are far more likely than Republicans to support abortion rights, with 85% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters believing that abortion should be legal in all or most circumstances. By contrast, 41% of Republican or Republican-leaning voters said the same.

GOP opposition to abortion is largely fueled by conservative Republicans, since more than 70% who identify as such think abortion should be illegal in all or most circumstances. More than two-thirds of moderate and liberal Republicans support abortion rights, Pew found.

Among the groups measured by Pew, conservative Republicans and white evangelical Protestants were the only groups with majorities that opposed abortion access. Nearly three-quarters of white evangelical Protestants think abortion should be illegal in all or most circumstances.

Some peoples views of abortion did grow more complex the deeper Pew inquired. Most groups that support abortion rights ultimately thought abortion should be legal in most circumstances, rather than all. In other polling on abortion, support for the procedure tends to dwindle when people are asked whether they would back abortions in the second or third trimester of pregnancy.

More strikingly, Pew also asked Americans to evaluate how much they agreed with certain statements about abortion. More than half of Americans agreed with the statement that the decision about whether to have an abortion should belong solely to the pregnant woman, while only 35% of Americans say they agreed that human life begins at conception, so an embryo is a person with rights  a stance that would logically lead them to oppose abortion.

Yet a third of Americans said that both statements describe their views to some extent, even though those statements clash.
Valdo Calocane's sentence given in January will not be changed - NOTTINGHAMSHIRE POLICE/PA

Valdo Calocanes sentence for killing three people in a knife rampage in Nottingham last summer was not unduly lenient, three senior judges have concluded.

The 32-year-old paranoid schizophrenic was given an indefinite hospital order in January after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of students Barnaby Webber and Grace OMalley-Kumar, and school caretaker Ian Coates, and the attempted murder of three others.

The Attorney General referred the case to the Court of Appeal arguing that it was unduly lenient and should have included an element of punishment.

But in a decision handed down on Tuesday morning, Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales Baroness Carr, Lord Justice Edis and Mr Justice Garnham rejected the application.

It means Calocanes sentence will not be changed.

Ian Coates, Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar were killed by Valdo Calocane on June 13 2023 - NOTTINGHAMSHIRE POLICE

In a summary of the Court of Appeals decision not to change the sentence of the triple killer, the Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr said: It is impossible to read of the circumstances of this offending without the greatest possible sympathy for the victims of these terrible attacks, and their family and friends.

The victim impact statements paint a graphic picture of the appalling effects of the offenders conduct.

Had the offender not suffered the mental condition that he did, the sentencing judge would doubtless have been considering a whole life term.

But neither the judge nor this court can ignore the medical evidence as to the offenders condition which led to these dreadful events or the threat to public safety which the offender continues to pose.

Dr Sanjoy Kumar and Dr Sinead OMalley, the parents of OMalley-Kumar, attended the Royal Courts of Justice on Tuesday while the relatives of Mr Webber and Mr Coates did not appear.

Calocane fatally stabbed 19-year-old university students Webber and OMalley-Kumar as they walked home from a night out in the early hours of June 13 last year, before killing Coates and stealing his van.

He then used the vehicle to knock down three pedestrians, Wayne Birkett, Marcin Gawronski and Sharon Miller, in Nottingham city centre before being arrested.

Prosecutors accepted his not-guilty pleas to murder at his sentencing at Nottingham Crown Court in January after multiple medical experts concluded he had paranoid schizophrenia.

Sentencing judge Mr Justice Turner told Calocane that his sickening crimes meant he would be detained indefinitely in a high-security hospital very probably for the rest of your life.

He also ruled that Calocane should be subject to further restrictions if ever discharged from hospital, which would need to be approved by the Justice Secretary.

Parents of Grace O'Malley-Kumar, Dr Sanjoy Kumar and Dr Sinead O'Malley, arrive at the Royal Courts of Justice on Tuesday morning - YUI MOK/PA

The families of the victims criticised the sentence, with Webbers mother, Emma, telling reporters outside court that true justice has not been served today.

While a later review found that prosecutors were right to accept Calocanes pleas, Attorney General Victoria Prentis referred the sentence to the Court of Appeal, describing the killings as horrific.

At the hearing in London last Wednesday, Deanna Heer KC, representing the Attorney Generals Office, said that Calocanes extreme crimes warranted the imposition of a sentence with a penal element, an element of punishment.

But Peter Joyce KC, for Calocane, said that none of the offences would have been committed but for the psychosis and that imposing a hybrid order would mean he would be punished for being mentally ill.

We face our own life sentence

In a statement following the Court of Appeals decision, Mrs Webber said: Todays ruling comes as no surprise to the families of the Nottingham attack victims. It was inevitable and was not a review of anything other than the letter of the law as it stands.

Despite the fact that the Attorney General herself feels that Valdo Calocane did not receive the appropriate sentence, todays outcome proves how utterly flawed and under-resourced the criminal justice system in the UK is. It also illustrates the need for urgent reforms in the UK homicide law.

The fact remains, despite the words of the judge, that almost 90 per cent of people serving hospital orders are out within 10 years and 98 per cent within 20 years. In effect, the families now face their own life sentence of ensuring the monster that is Valdo Calocane becomes the next Ian Brady or Fred West and is never released.

Given the failed investigation carried out by Nottingham Police, the weak prosecution put forward by East Midlands CPS and the over-reliance on doctors reports, there was probably no other conclusion that could be made.

The families have raised their concerns already with the Government with regard to obvious errors and omissions that have resulted in this tragedy.

We will continue to fight for answers

Mrs Webber continued: As examples, even during the court ruling this morning, there was reliance upon Calocanes clean record [no mention of the failures by the police to execute warrants for his arrest or indeed the numerous investigations for his previous violent attacks], no questions about why he received no mental health assessment in custody, no treatment until mid-September and remained in prison until November.

Also, no questioning of why the defence doctor assessed him in July but did not release his report until October and why the CPS doctor did not see him until mid-November.

There are many, many more serious questions that the families will now continue to fight to get answered.

We do not and never will agree that the vicious, calculated and planned attacks carried out were that of an individual who was at zero level of capability.

We have never disputed that he is mentally unwell; however, he knew what he was doing, he knew that it was wrong, but he did it anyway. There should be an element of punishment for such a heinous act; alongside appropriate treatment.

This is just one part of the fight for justice and appropriate accountability for failures that the families have been forced to endure. So far, there have been no less than eight individual reports, reviews and investigations.

We do not believe that there is any chance these can be cohesive enough to ensure a full and detailed outcome, and therefore call for a public inquiry, she said.

Disappointing but not unexpected

Speaking outside the Royal Courts of Justice following the Court of Appeals refusal to change the sentence of Valdo Calocane, Dr Sanjoy Kumar, father of victim Grace OMalley-Kumar, said: The Attorney Generals case has not been successful.

This is disappointing, but not unexpected.

The Nottingham attacks were entirely preventable. Nottinghamshire Police failed to produce a warrant for many months, a flawed investigation, no toxicology, and over-reliance on psychiatric reports.

Leicestershire Police failed to arrest Valdo Calocane. This is a failure of two police forces, a failure of the mental health trust, along with the Nottinghamshire (County) Council as well.

Missed multiple opportunities to prevent the Nottingham attacks and the murder of our children and Ian Coates is what has led us here today. We have continued to pursue agencies that failed us and hold them responsible for the Nottingham attacks so that no other family is made to suffer like ours.

We thank everyone for the outpouring of support for our brave and beautiful daughter, Grace.
There has been high levels of homophobic, transphobic and gender violence in Peru - Fotoholica Press

The Peruvian government has officially categorised trans and intersex people as mentally ill.

The health ministry said the decree was the only way Perus public health services could guarantee full coverage of medical attention for mental health.

The move has prompted a fierce backlash in a society where gender and LGBT rights have been under sustained assault in recent years and where there are high levels of homophobic, transphobic and gender violence.

In one recent move, lawmakers banned references to gender equality from school textbooks. That has had a devastating effect on classes intended to prevent domestic assault and femicides.

Cesar Vasquez, the health minister, has failed to comment on the row. Instead, he has been defending president Dina Boluarte, who is under investigation for her unexplained acquisition of expensive jewellery, including a diamond-encrusted Cartier bracelet valued at 40,000.

President Dina Boluarte is under investigation for her unexplained acquisition of expensive jewelry - STRINGER

Last week, her brother Nicanor Boluarte was arrested for selling senior jobs in the government. The president responded by dismantling an elite police anti-corruption unit and unsuccessfully attempting to block the publication of official statistics showing a rise in poverty.

Percy Mayta-Tristan, a medical researcher at Limas Scientific University of the South, said that the decree may have been well-intentioned but it revealed a lack of awareness of complex LGBT issues.

You cant ignore the context that this is happening in a super-conservative society, where the LGBT community has no rights and where labelling them as mentally ill opens the door to conversion therapy, he said.

Ms Boluarte was vice president to Pedro Castillo and replaced him in 2022 after the far-Left rural school teacher unconstitutionally attempted to shutter congress.

Since then, she has been propped up by a congress whose members run the ideological spectrum from Marxist-Leninist to far-Right but who share a deep social conservatism and have been pushing counter-reforms to protect illegal mining, logging and the cocaine trade.

Mr Castillos first prime minister, Guido Bellido, was known, among other things, for praising Fidel Castro for refusing to allow gay people  whom he described using a derogatory term  to participate in the Cuban revolution.
Steve Davies, Princess Diana's former chauffeur, sued the BBC for slander, citing Bashir's 'serious and unfounded allegations'

The BBC is to pay compensation to Princess Dianas former chauffeur after the Netflix programme The Crown revealed that Martin Bashir had lied about him.

Steve Davies lost his job in March 1996 without explanation after many years in the role but is now thought to have been paid around 20,000 by the BBC in compensation.

The High Court heard on Tuesday that he was devastated by the sudden termination of his contract, having maintained a close professional relationship with the Princess throughout many years.

He was tormented by speculation about why it had happened and was acutely embarrassed about his dismissal.

However, he later discovered, via an episode of The Crown, that Bashir had alleged he was leaking confidential information to the press.

The former BBC journalist, who at the time was trying to secure his Panorama interview with the late Princess, told her in September 1995 that Mr Davies could not be trusted and should be replaced.

Handwritten note

A handwritten note of the conversation was recorded by Earl Spencer, the Princesss brother, and included in an annex of Lord Dysons 2021 report about the scandal.

Steve Davies (chauffeur) feeds Today newspaper; he wrote, adding that Bashir had advised: Change your chauffeur.

However the detail had received little attention in the reporting of Lord Dysons findings until it was picked up by the producers of Netflix drama The Crown, and used in season five, broadcast in late 2022.

The scene showed Bashir telling the Princess that his sources at MI6 had informed him that Mr Davies, as well as other members of her staff, was in on a deal to spy on her because she was considered a threat.

Mr Davies sued the BBC for slander, citing Bashirs serious and unfounded allegations.

His solicitor, Persephone Bridgman Baker, told the High Court: The suggestion that the claimant violated the Princesss trust in this way created a serious blot on his character.

It is a matter of profound regret to him that, as he now knows, the Princess believed that he had betrayed her, and he was unable to correct the position before her tragic death.

Martin Bashir interviewed Princess Diana for the BBC's Panorama programme

Ms Bridgman Baker said the fact that the allegation had been repeated on The Crown had caused great distress, not least as he still works as a chauffeur.

In all the circumstances the claimant holds the BBC liable for the serious impact the repetition of this false allegation has had, she added.

The BBC accepted that the allegations were totally fabricated.

Samuel Rowe, for the BBC, apologised to Mr Davies on behalf of the corporation.

He told the court The BBC accepts that the allegation made about the claimant was and is wholly false and should never have been made, and that it constitutes an attack on the Claimants reputation both personally and professionally.

The BBC accepts that the allegation was likely to have caused HRH the Princess of Wales to doubt the claimants loyalty and professionalism and may well have contributed to the claimants redundancy six months later.

The BBC is understood to have paid Mr Davies around 20,000 in compensation, as well as his legal fees. BBC insiders suggested the payment was for essentially a Netflix portrayal.

Lord Dyson, the former Master of the Rolls, published a scathing report in 2021, concluding that Bashir had deployed deceitful behaviour to secure the explosive interview and that the BBC had covered it up in a woefully ineffective internal investigation led by former director-general Lord Hall.

At the time, Prince William described his indescribable sadness that the interview had contributed significantly to his mothers fear, paranoia and isolation in the final years of her life.

Haunted the Royal family

In July 2022, Tiggy Legge-Bourke, Prince William and Prince Harrys former nanny, won damages of around 200,000 from the BBC after telling the High Court that Bashirs Panorama interview with the Princess had haunted the Royal family.

She sued for defamation after Bashir told the late Princess that her husband, Prince Charles, was in love with Ms Legge-Bourke, then employed as his personal assistant, and that the two of them had flown off on a two-week holiday.

She said the false narrative created by the programme had caused great distress.

Tim Davie, director-general of the BBC, issued a statement at the time vowing never to show the discredited interview in whole or in part again. He said the BBC had let the late Princess, the Royal family and its audience down.

The BBC has also paid 100,000 in damages to Patrick Jephson, Dianas former private secretary, a settlement worth an estimated 750,000 to Matt Wiessler, the graphic designer who forged documents for Bashir, and 50,000 to Mark Killick, the former Panorama journalist who first raised concerns about the interview more than 25 years ago.

Mr Davies said in a statement: I am relieved that I have been able to clear my name, and my professional reputation as a chauffeur, through this legal process. I was shocked to hear that these false allegations had been made about me almost thirty years ago and were very likely to be the cause of my sudden termination.
Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester, one of the Marmot places where action is being taken to improve health and reduce health inequalities, had the highest Covid death rate in England. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

One of the UKs leading public health experts has attacked the Conservative governments record on health inequality, expressing hope that the next government will take the right steps to tackle the problem.

Speaking as he launches a fund to tackle the link between economic deprivation and poor health, Sir Michael Marmotsaid he had been snubbed by the current government and wanted to see cuts to education and public services reversed.

Marmot authored a seminal 2010 review into the link between health and wealth, which found that people in more deprived areas had shorter life expectancies. Since that report, the UK has got worse on many measures including life expectancy, child poverty and long-term sickness.

The latest study by the Institute of Health Equity at University College London, which Marmot leads, has found that more than 1 million people in England died prematurely in the decade after 2011 owing to a combination of poverty, austerity and Covid.

A Unicef report found that the UK had the biggest increase in child poverty between 2010 and 2020 out of the worlds wealthiest nations, the 39 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.

Marmot told the Guardian: Id like to see reductions in child poverty  improvement in our public services, reverse the cuts to education. The cuts to education over the decade from 2010 to 2020 were 8% per pupil.

Why would you do that as a country? The cuts were more extreme in deprived areas than in non-deprived areas. Id like to see all that change.

He said he found Labour and the Liberal Democrats more responsive than the current government to the idea of tackling the social conditions that are the main causes of health inequalities.

Ive been more than happy to talk to the present government. They havent been very happy to talk to me  Lets hope another government will want to take the right steps. He noted that Labours health mission talked of making England a Marmot country, tackling the social inequalities that influence health.

There are nine Marmot places  where action is being taken to improve health and reduce health inequalities  across England and Wales including Coventry, Manchester, Leeds, Luton and Gwent. More than 40 local authorities have said they want to reduce health inequalities.

The Institute of Health Equity has set up a 3m health equity fund with the investment group Legal & General (L&G).

The fund, which opens for expressions of interest on 4 June, will support local initiatives to improve housing, education, employment and nutrition. It will finance up to 150 initiatives across the UK, up to 75,000 for each project. Projects could range from funding for schools in deprived areas to community programmes that address the social factors behind pressures on A&E services.

This fund from Legal & General is a very positive initiative but its not going to reverse billions of pounds of cuts, Marmot said. We are realistic about that. If youve cut funding spending to local government by 34% over the decade, its not going to level up by itself but I hope to bring initiatives bubbling up, that scaled up could make a huge difference.

The first tranche of money, 1m, is going to north-east England where, Marmot said, life expectancy had got shorter and inequalities bigger since 2010. Were not going to reverse the mass deindustrialisation of the 1980s  but trying to take initiatives locally, that may reverse some of that damage, he said.

L&G and the institute have worked together since 2021 and argue that better health will also yield economic benefits such as increased productivity. They are talking to housebuilders and other companies that may want to become involved in the initiative.

Marmot said: We want to encourage local initiatives, not to let central government off the hook, but to say, what can we do? What can local people do to break the link between poverty, funding cuts and worse health outcomes?
Coolibah trees in the northern Simpson desert, south-west Queensland. The area, says farmer Pat Gibson, is always teetering on the borderline of drought. Photograph: Auscape/Getty Images

Queensland has been declared completely free of drought for the first time in 11 years.

Months of flooding rains have transformed much of the states dusty red-earth interior into a network of swollen creeks and rivers awash with green shoots and birdlife.

Diamantina and Bulloo shires, located more than 1000km west of Brisbane in Queenslands channel country, this month became the last two local government areas to have their drought declarations officially revoked. They had been in drought since 2013.

Droughts are burnt into the psyche of Jo Sheppard, the chief executive of the Queensland Farmers Federation, experiencing many as she grew up on a cattle station in the neighbouring Paroo shire.

A 10-year drought is incredibly difficult to endure  it takes its toll psychologically, its that uncertainty, you have no idea when a drought will end, Sheppard said.

Related: Rain brings green shoots to Queensland, but not enough to avoid drought

The states drought-free status is cause for celebration, she said. Its a rare occurrence and certainly welcome.

Notwithstanding the state-wide declaration, there are still large pockets of land untouched by significant rainfall. According to the department of agriculture and fisheries, 35 properties across Queensland still hold individual droughted property status.

Pat Gibson grazes cattle in the Diamantina shire. Rainfall in January was welcome relief to some of the worst conditions hed ever seen, but he remains cautious about the years ahead.

Its always teetering on the borderline of drought out here, he said. Its central Australia, youre on the edge of the Simpson desert, you know its going to be around the corner.

In 2015, drought declarations peaked when 88% of Queensland was identified as in drought.

The chair of the Agforce sustainability committee and central Queensland grazier, Mark Collins, said extensive rainfall across much of the state has given many producers breathing space to enjoy the moment.

Global heating has exacerbated recent droughts in Australia, and is predicted to increase their length and intensity in the future. Well keep adapting as best we can, farmers are innovative, Collins said. The cycle of drought and flood is one we are accustomed to.

The federal government last week pledged $519m over eight years to fund the next stage of the Future Drought Fund, with a greater emphasis on global heating adaptation. The Productivity Commission last year found the fund, introduced by the previous Coalition government in 2019, underspent its annual budget and should focus more on programs with lasting public benefit.

Sheppard said farmers are becoming increasingly prepared for drought. I saw that within my own family in my lifetime  we certainly become a lot more strategic, rather than just hoping that the drought breaks, she said.

Wangkamahdla woman, Avelina Tarrago, said the rains have had a spectacular impact on the landscape.

Related: Doubt and flooding rains: how an unusual El Nino has affected Australian farmers

The land has been needing that nourishment for a long time, Tarrago said. Its wonderful going out on country after those rains, the bush flowers and foods that come out, its phenomenal.

A fifth-generation grazier in Queenslands channel country, Stephen Tully, said drought is analogous to the landscape. It can be this slow cancer that creeps across everything in the landscape, you notice it in the animals, the birds, everything starts to disappear.

But when it does rain, the country celebrates, its boom and bust, its always been like that, Tully said.

Karen Monaghan, a Wangkangurru Yarluyandi traditional owner from Queenslands channel country, said drought affects every crevice of outback life. Lately shes been spending her mornings by the Thompson River in central Queensland.

Usually its a dusty creek bed, Monaghan said. Now the lilies are up and the birds are going crazy trying to catch small fish.

Its a beautiful sight. It brings you life.
Rishi Sunak on Monday set out his election stall to Britains voters saying trust me to keep you and your family safe as he warned of real and increasing dangers facing the nation.

With the election drumbeat growing ever louder, the Prime Minister painted a worrying picture, twice raising the prospect of a nuclear-level threat.

But at the same time he stressed the opportunities for dramatic positive developments, significantly due to artificial intelligence, including a generational breakthrough in the battle against cancer.

In a speech in central London, Mr Sunak sought to brush off Labour claims of 14 years of Tory failure and instead portray his party as best placed to lead Britain into the future.

He said: The dangers that threaten our country are real. They are increasing in number. On the Ukraine war, he added that Putins recklessness took us closer to a dangerous nuclear escalation than at any point since the Cuban missile crisis [in 1962], while there were also growing threats from China and Iran.

He warned that AI offered huge potential for mankind but that there were also threats as hundreds of leading experts say the risks could be on a par with pandemics or nuclear war.

Millions of jobs could be affected by the artificial intelligence transformation which could surpass the Industrial Revolution in speed and breadth.

World suffering could be eased, with estimates that global productivity could double in the next decade, every child in school in Britain could get their own personalised tutor from AI, and the UK could be at the forefront of a generational breakthrough against the cruel disease of cancer.

Amid the looming years of huge change, Mr Sunaks key message was: Above all, you can trust me to keep you and your family safe and secure from the threats we face at home and abroad.

But his bid to be the party of the future will inevitably run into the headwind of the Tories having been in power for so long as he tries to convince voters that his party is best placed to tackle the intolerable strain on our security of illegal immigration, suggesting he was ready to pull out of the European Convention on Human Rights if necessary, and help people cope with financial insecurity in the cost of living crisis.

Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer was hosting a meeting of Labour mayors from around the country, including Sadiq Khan, to brainstorm their ideas to create the gold standard in levelling up all regions of Britain.

The Labour leader was due to say: Be in no doubt that this is the key choice at the next election: a changed Labour Party that will raise living standards for everyone, everywhere, or more chaos and decline under the Tories who will never be able to match the ambition of this country.
New air cargo route between central China, southern U.S. launched

Xinhua) 09:25, May 14, 2024

ZHENGZHOU, May 13 (Xinhua) -- A new air cargo route was launched on Monday between the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou and the southern U.S. cities of Atlanta and Dallas.

Primarily catering to cross-border e-commerce shipments, the new route is set to operate three times a week, with flights departing for Atlanta on Mondays, while on Thursdays and Saturdays, they are bound for Dallas. With the opening of the new route, cargo flight volume between Zhengzhou and North America has reached 16 flights per week.

Since the beginning of this year, Zhengzhou airport has continued to expand its global air logistics network, launching several new routes and increasing the frequency of existing services. As of May 10, the airport had handled a total of 228,000 tonnes of cargo this year, an increase of 18.6 percent year on year.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
San Antonio is ramping up efforts to keep the city cool as another sweltering summer approaches. City of San Antonio / City of San Antonio

The city of San Antonio is ramping up efforts to cool down neighborhoods and reduce the heat emanating from streets as another sweltering summer approaches.

The city is launching a pilot program in four neighborhoods and also plans to put down more asphalt treatment thats been shown to reduce street temperatures.

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While this summer isn't expected to be quite that hot, forecasters say above-average heat is likely, with possibly as many as 50 days reaching triple digits.

Clearly, things are accelerating and heat needs to be a priority, San Antonio Chief Sustainability Officer Doug Melnick told City Council last week.

Heat mitigation

Last summer, San Antonio worked with the University of Texas at San Antonio on a $1 million pilot program to test cool pavement, a water-based asphalt treatment that reflects more sunlight and absorbs less heat.

Researchers poured treatments on small stretches of roadway within each of the citys 10 council districts.

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Streets in the pilot program were about 4 degrees cooler on average than before being treated. The cool pavement-treated streets were up to 18 degrees cooler than fresh, black asphalt, which absorbs more heat than older streets.

Melnick said his office is working with the citys Public Works Department to determine where to pour more of the treatment.

San Antonio officials are following the progress of cities such as Los Angeles and Phoenix, which have sizable street treatment programs. Los Angeles has 100 miles of cool pavement-covered streets.

The real thing were hearing is it's about concentrating, Melnick said. It's not enough just to put a block here or there. Once you really start getting a neighborhood saturated, you can start seeing more significant benefits.

Melnicks office is also in the early stages of launching a new cool neighborhood pilot program to concentrate several of the citys existing heat mitigation efforts in a handful of communities. That could include pouring cool pavement treatments, planting trees or directing homeowners to the citys Under 1 Roof program, which helps people replace damaged roof shingles with energy-efficient white shingles.

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The pilot will target four census tracts near the inner city in council Districts 2, 3 and 5. The tracts are among the lowest-income areas in San Antonio.

City officials are meeting with residents to determine, among other things, which neighborhood corridors should be focal points for the pilot. Melnick said the city will start implementing changes in the four census tracts this summer.
Roger Corman, the B-movie director who is credited with changing the face of Hollywood, has died aged 98.

Throughout his career, Corman, who directed 55 films including The Little Shop of Horrors and gothic chiller The Masque of the Red Death, provided numerous famous actors and directors with their early breaks.

Corman died on Thursday (9 May) at his home in Santa Monica, California. The news was announced by his daughter Catherine Corman, who said in a statement: He was generous, open-hearted and kind to all those who knew him. When asked how he would like to be remembered, he said, I was a filmmaker, just that.

The director, who launched his career in 1955, started work in the mail room at 20th Century-Fox before being hired as a story reader. After receiving no credit for an idea he provided for the Gregory Peck film The Gunfighter, he left, and years later he started a career in low-budget filmmaking.

He soon gained a reputation as a master of independent filmmaking, which led to his popular nickname the King of Cult.

As well as directing low-budget films  several of which were Edgar Allen Poe adaptations, including The Raven and House of Usher  he found a lucrative side hustle by handling the US distribution of world cinema.

He was the reason Ingmar Bergmans Cries and Whispers, Federico Fellinis Amarcord and Volker Schlondorffs The Tin Drum, the latter two of which won Oscars, were released internationally.

The actors that Corman cast when they were newcomers include Robert De Niro, Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hopper. Most went on to become famous after starring in films by directors whose careers Corman himself had previously launched, including Martin Scorsese, James Cameron and Frances Ford Coppola.

Some of the directors he worked with early in his career went on to cast Corman in their own films when they had become successful directors in their own right. Corman has small roles in Coppolas The Godfather Part II, Jonathan Demmes The Silence of the Lambs and Philadelphia, and Ron Howards Apollo 13.

Howard paid tribute to Corman, writing: RIP Roger Corman. A great movie maker and mentor. When I was 23 he gave me my 1st shot at directing. He launched many careers & quietly [led] our industry in important ways. He remained sharp, interested and active even at 98. Grateful to have known him.

Roger Corman has died aged 98 (Lehtikuva/Shutterstock)

Halloween director John Carpenter posted: Roger Corman, one of the most influential movie directors in my life, has passed away. It was my privilege to know him. He was a great friend. He shaped my childhood with science fiction movies and Edgar Allen Poe epics. Ill miss you, Roger.

Corman received an honorary Academy Award in 2009.
Charlotte Lewis said she felt 'sad and let down' at the verdict - Thomas Samson/AFP

Roman Polanski, the film director, has been acquitted in a French court of defaming Charlotte Lewis, the British actress, after she accused him of raping her as a teenager.

Lewis, 56, alleged in 2010 that the Franco-Polish director had sexually abused her in 1983 at his Paris apartment, when she was 16, after she had travelled to the French capital for a casting session. She went on to star in his 1986 film Pirates.

She sued for defamation after Polanski called her allegations a heinous lie in a 2019 interview with Paris Match magazine.

Paris Match said Polanski also referenced a quote allegedly made by Lewis during a 1999 interview with the News of the World, in which she reportedly said: I wanted to be his mistress... I probably desired him more than he did me.

But Lewis has disputed the quotes accuracy.

Polanski fled California in 1978 after pleading guilty to unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl but before being formally sentenced - Thomas Samson/AFP

Delphine Meillet, Polanskis lawyer, hailed the verdict as an important day for free speech and for defence rights, adding: Today a court said: yes one can challenge accusations.

However, speaking to the media, Lewis tearfully said she would appeal the verdict.

I feel sad and let down. Its a sad day for women and men. But its not over. We are going to appeal, she said.

The Polanski verdict came as this years Cannes Film Festival gets under way amid speculation about potentially explosive #MeToo allegations against a string of actors and directors.

Polanski, the director of classic films like Chinatown, Rosemarys Baby, The Pianist and Carnage, fled California for Europe in 1978 after pleading guilty to unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl but before being formally sentenced.

After the #MeToo movement gained global traction in 2017 following sexual abuse allegations against US film producer Harvey Weinstein, several women alleged that Polanski had sexually assaulted them as teenagers.

Polanski has consistently denied the allegations, which never went to trial, but he has since found it hard to secure global distribution deals for his movies, even if actors are still lining up to work with him.

In 2020, Polanski won Best Director for his film An Officer and a Spy at the Cesars, prompting several women in the audience to walk out in protest of the honour being bestowed despite the allegations against him.
Admiral Sir Ben Key, the First Sea Lord, said technology will allow the size of crews to be reduced - Jamie Lorriman

The Royal Marines new ships will have crews a quarter of the size of its former vessels, the First Sea Lord has said.

The Telegraph revealed on Monday that Royal Marines are to get up to six new Multi Role Support Ships (MRSS) from which drones can be launched and laser weapons fired.

Admiral Sir Ben Key said it would be bizarre if we werent producing ships with smaller ships companies after Grant Shapps announced the plan.

The new vessels will replace the ageing HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark amphibious assault ships, as well as RFA Lyme Bay, Mounts Bay and Cardigan Bay.

Speaking to journalists at Lancaster House, Sir Ben said of the MRSS: I would anticipate that the crew of that will be much smaller than the crew of Albion or Bulwark, which is about 400.

He said it would be a mistake to suggest there would be a possible crew of 250.

A senior Navy source added that while the designs of the new ships needed to be settled on, the numbers for crews will settle about 120  130. When you take a ships company below that you really start to struggle, the source said.

Illustration of the Multi Role Support Ships from which drones can be launched and laser weapons fired - BMT

Sir Ben said there exists a sweet spot when settling on the size of a crew.

That sweet spot will never be a very small number but neither must it be large numbers in the future, he said.

The crews [of MRSS] will be smaller, better skilled and give us the opportunity to make these much more effective.

He insisted there were good reasons to reduce the size of crews as technology allows you to reduce the numbers.

Why would you put into harms way more people than you need to?, he asked.

Meanwhile, in a speech at Lancaster House on Tuesday, Mr Shapps also revealed that the new Type 26 frigates will be fitted with land strike capabilities.

The Defence Secretary said by doing this it would ensure our Royal Navy can get the job done whenever they are called to do so.

Commenting on this new addition to the ships, Sir Ben said: Its quite clear that were being challenged from the land domain and therefore we need more choice as to how we will engage with them.

And we cant always say  we have a lot of attack capability in our submarines, in our SSD astute class submarines at the moment, but we dont always have astute class submarines in the parts of the world where we need to engage with the threats ashore.

If a year ago someone had said that the Houthis are going to go and try and close the Red Sea, I think most people would have said that was a highly unlikely scenario. Thats exactly whats happened.
The GCHQ director, Anne Keast-Butler, called the threat from ransomware the most acute and pervasive cyber threat. Photograph: GCHQ/PA

Russia is increasingly seeking to encourage and direct hackers to attack British and other western targets, the director of GCHQ has said in her first keynote speech as head of the British intelligence agency.

Anne Keast-Butler said her agency was increasingly concerned about growing links between the Russian intelligence services and proxy hacker groups who have long taken advantage of a permissive environment within the country.

Before, Russia simply created the right environments for these groups to operate but now theyre nurturing and inspiring these non state cyber actors, she said in a speech to the Cyber UK conference, in what she described as a globally pervasive threat.

The spy chief, appointed last year to be the first woman to hold the role, referenced the threat from ransomware  the most acute and pervasive cyber threat  where cybercriminals, typically from Russia, take control of a companys data and systems and demand significant sums to regain access.

GCHQ was doing everything we can to counter ransomware actors, Keast-Butler said, degrade their ability to attack systems across government and business and to produce intelligence that means those involved in ransomware are held to account. There is no hiding place for cybercriminals she added.

A week ago, Britains National Crime Agency announced it had unmasked Russian national Dmitry Khoroshev as the administrator of the LockBit ransomware group, whose hacking tools were used to carry out more than 7,000 attacks between June 2022 and February 2024 in the US, UK, France, Germany and China and elsewhere.

GCHQs public-facing internet security arm, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), published a guide on Tuesday in conjunction with three insurance trade bodies to try to persuade businesses not to pay the ransoms that fund Russian and other hackers.

Paying ransoms to cybercriminals is not usually illegal, unless the hackers are designated a terror organisation.

Money, in the form of crypto currency, is often quietly paid by businesses, sometimes from their insurance, in the hope of resolving the attack more quickly.

Felicity Oswald, the interim CEO of the NCSC, speaking after Keast-Butler, said it was a dangerous misconception that paying a ransom guarantees the end of an incident.

Paying cyber-attackers amounted to leaving a bag full of used banknotes in a dark alley, she said.

The GCHQ chief also addressed China, though she did not directly refer to recent accusations that Beijing was behind an attack on an outsourced payroll system for 270,000 members of the armed forces run on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Keast-Butler said that China posed a genuine and increasing cyber risk to the UK, though not a threat, and that the activities of Chinese hackers meant the country poses a significant risk to international norms and values.

As with Russia, the GCHQ boss said the Beijing has built an advanced set of cyber capabilities and is taking advantage of growing commercial ecosystem of hacking outfits to try to enter systems and steal data. In March, ministers accused Chinese hackers of compromising the Electoral Commission, the UK elections watchdog, through a hack that took place in either 2021 or 2022.

Echoing comments made by the head of MI6 foreign intelligence service in 2021, Keast-Butler said we now devote more resources to China than any other single mission and described Beijing as posing longer term challenge, while Russia was considered an immediate threat.
General Kyrylo Budanov says Ukrainian soldiers are struggling to fight off an attack that threatens Kharkiv - AFP via Getty Images

Russian forces are massing for another cross-border assault northwest of Kharkiv as Ukrainian soldiers struggle to fight off an attack that threatens the city, Ukraines spy chief has warned.

General Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraines military intelligence, told the New York Times that Ukraine was running out of reserves and that the battlefield situation was on edge.

Every hour the situation moves towards critical, he said. Ive used everything we have. Unfortunately, we dont have anyone else in the reserves.

Russian forces launched a dawn cross-border attack 20 miles north of Kharkiv on Friday and the Kremlin has now said that its military has captured a tenth village near the town of Vovchansk.

Civilians being evacuated from their homes in Vovchansk amid Russian cross-border attacks - Svet Jacqueline/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

Kyiv has confirmed heavy fighting but denied that Moscow had captured Vovchansk - Simon Townsley for The Telegraph

Despite his initial downbeat assessment to the New York Times, Gen Budanov later told Ukrainian media that the situation in the Kharkiv region was stable and that Russian forces were holding off from attacking Sumy, a border town 90 miles northwest of Kharkiv.

To say that they have achieved significant success is definitely not true. At the same time, we must remember that the situation is quite tense and is changing very quickly, he said.

Gen Budanov was speaking as Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, travelled to Kyiv for a meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, a trip designed to boost Ukrainian morale.

Mr Blinken promised that delayed US weapon resupplies would reach Ukraines beleaguered front-line forces soon.

We know this is a challenging time. But we also know that in the near term, the assistance is now on the way, some of it has already arrived and more of it will be arriving, he said.

Delays in sending US weapons to Ukraine have handed Russia a large ammunition and weapons advantage which has allowed it to attack Ukrainian forces across the front line.

Russian military bloggers uploaded videos allegedly showing Russian artillery pounding a building in Vovchansk that Ukrainian soldiers were using as a defensive position.

Our assault units are fighting on the northern outskirts of Vovchansk. Enemy snipers from high-rises have become more active. From the south the enemy is resisting with tanks, said the Two Majors Telegram channel, a Russian military blog.

Russian forces reportedly met little resistance when they crossed the border on Friday and have now advanced five miles into Ukraine, according to the US-based Institute for the Study of War.

Kharkiv officials say there are 'active shooting battles on the northern outskirts of the city' - REUTERS

Both sides have been pouring forces into the region which threatens Kharkiv, Ukraines second city with a population of 1.3 million, for the first time since 2022.

Ukrainian officials confirmed heavy fighting but denied that Russian forces had captured Vovchansk.

There are active shooting battles on the northern outskirts of the city, said Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv Regional Administration.

Kharkiv will come into range of Russias artillery if its forces can push a few miles further south, but the British Ministry of Defence said that the assault was probably planned as a diversion to pull Ukrainian forces away from battlefields in Donbas, the focus of further potential Russian attacks.

It is unlikely that Russia has built up sufficient combat power to the city without diverting additional forces into the area, it said.

Thousands of people have evacuated from villages near the Ukraine-Russia border since Friday and reports also now state that women and children were fleeing Kharkiv.
Scotland's new hate crime laws have sparked protests by feminists - Jeff J Mitchell/Getty

Police Scotland asked LGBT activists about how to enforce controversial hate crime laws but failed to consult with feminists concerned over freedom of speech, it has emerged.

The national force has admitted that representatives from LGBT Youth Scotland and the Equality Network were among the stakeholders involved in shaping training materials for officers tasked with implementing the legislation.

However, womens groups and arts organisations that had voiced freedom of speech fears were not asked for their views, before enforcement began on April 1.

More than 7,000 complaints were made in the first week with JK Rowling, the Harry Potter author, publicly challenging police to arrest her after she misgendered a series of high-profile biological men who identify as women.

It followed widespread confusion over what would count as a crime under the new laws after a high-profile Scottish Government advertising campaign suggested words that caused hurt feelings would be criminalised.

Lucy Hunter-Blackburn, part of the policy analysis group Murray Blackburn Mackenzie, said a diverse range of groups, many of which had voiced concerns about the legislation, had given evidence at Holyrood when it was being scrutinised.

She said it had been an error not to include the critics when police were deciding how the law would be managed in practice.

JK Rowling challenged police to arrest her over her posts on gender - Samir Hussein/WireImage

She added: Once the Act passed, Police Scotland had three years to engage directly with those groups, to make sure their concerns were addressed in its training materials and help shore up public legitimacy.

It was a serious error on its part that it did not do so.

It also helps explain why the Act has had such a rocky start.

While the number of hate crime reports has reduced since the first week of the legislation coming into force, almost 10,000 have been made since April.

Of these, 1,301 have been recorded as hate crimes.

Police Scotland had previously declined to name the stakeholders it said it had consulted with on training materials for officers tasked with enforcement.

It provided the list following a Freedom of Information request.

49pc want to scrap Hate Crime Act

Among the other groups to be included were trade unions, the Scottish LGBTI Police Association and the Scottish prosecution service.

Meanwhile, a new poll found that 49 per cent of Scots believed the Hate Crime Act should be scrapped, while 36 per cent think it should be kept.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: Our training package has been developed in close consultation with diversity staff associations and a wide range of stakeholders representing Scotlands diverse groups and communities.

This helped ensure all characteristics protected by legislation under the new Act were clearly represented and articulated, and that officers are best prepared when responding to hate crimes and incidents.

Our training reminds officers of their human rights obligations and reflects all aspects of the new legislation, including the protection it includes around freedom of expression.
A Royal Marine maritime sniper armed with the AW50F anti-materiel rifle. Such snipers are one of the varied capabilities offered by Littoral Strike - Anthony Upton

The governments announcement that the Royal Marines are to receive six new multi-role support ships (MRSS) is a welcome one. Nonetheless there are some points to note about the plan which have not yet been made plain, and there are some serious problems which will need to be solved before the ships arrive.

The MRSSs will be replacing two Royal Navy warships, HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark, and three civilian-manned Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ships  RFAs Lyme Bay, Mounts Bay and Cardigan Bay. All of them are intended for amphibious warfare: the landing of troops, military equipment and supplies without the use of a normal harbour.

The first point to note is that Albion and Bulwark are now both in extended readiness  that is, mothballed without any sailors. Given the Royal Navys current manpower crisis and the way ships deteriorate when left in mothballs, there has been a lot of uncertainty as to whether Albion or Bulwark will ever put to sea again.

The second point is that the Bay class RFAs were originally intended for a comparatively safe, follow-on role. An initial amphibious assault would be made by Albion and/or Bulwark. Once a beach had been taken and enemy forces pushed back, it would be safe for the almost unarmed Bay class to move in and land follow-on troops and supplies.

Lately the Bays and helicopter ship RFA Argus have been involved in the new concept of littoral strike, in which small forces of Royal Marines with some helicopter and landing craft support have been held poised offshore in areas of interest such as the eastern Mediterranean.

Though littoral strike sounds cool and exciting, it has not involved the appearance of any significant new hardware or budget apart from some different hand weaponry for the Marines and minor modifications to some RFA ships. It has been taken in some quarters to be simply the name for the hard fact that Britains 3 Commando Brigade, our amphibious landing force built around the Marine Commandos, is no longer realistically deployable in its core role. The Royal Navy and RFA nowadays lack the capacity to make a serious amphibious assault.

It would seem strange to have some of the new MRSSs as Royal Navy warships and some as RFAs. They will probably all be civilian crewed RFAs, as this is much cheaper than warship manning  though the ships will often have Royal Navy personnel and Royal Marines aboard temporarily.

This brings up the third point: the RFA is currently having even worse recruiting problems than the Navy. Part of the cause is pay, which has been stagnant for many years. Both RFA officers and sailors voted last month in favour of industrial action. RFA strike action can be prevented by management without negotiation  its been done in the past  but obviously this leads to even lower morale and more people leaving. In January it was reported that the RFA was trying to fill gaps by hiring ordinary merchant seafarers through Serco, rather than recruiting them itself.

Theres been an ongoing trend to transfer Royal Naval missions to the RFA: the RN is currently getting rid of its entire minehunter fleet in favour of unmanned systems which are to operate from RFA hulls. The new RFA Proteus, an inexpensively purchased and converted oil-rig support ship, will take on seabed warfare. The RFA has long had a partial support role in amphibious assault, but now it seems likely to take on the entire mission. Theres no point trying to deny the reality that this trend is driven in large part by the desire to reduce costs.

The sailors and officers of the RFA have served Britain well over the years. Theres nothing wrong with their guts or professionalism. But they are not happy and there are not enough of them even to do their current jobs: were going to need a lot more of them. More and more, as they take on more naval missions, they will need skills and training which are not found in the normal merchant fleet. Theres no point asking Serco to find someone to operate a Phalanx automatic gun system, or the Dragonfire laser rayguns that may be fitted to the new MRSSs.

Ministers and officials of this government and the next are going to need to face up to the fact that RFA people and ships may be cheaper than warships, but neither RFAs nor warships can or should be run on the cheap. Its great to have new ships and make the Royal Marines back into a real amphibious assault force again  but a lot of personnel problems will have to be sorted out by the time they arrive.

Lewis Page is a former Royal Navy officer. He has worked with the RFA on many occasions, and completed Commando training with the Royal Marines
Brendan West says he is lucky to be alive but 'psychologically it has affected me really badly' - Andrew Matthews/PA

A former soldier who lost his leg while serving in the Army was given infected blood during surgery but only found out 40 years later.

Brendan West had his leg amputated in 1979 and was given a blood transfusion while at a British military hospital in Germany.

Four decades later, he discovered that the blood he was given was infected with hepatitis C.

Mr West, now 63, only discovered that he was infected with the virus when he was turned away from donating blood.

Subsequent tests have revealed that he has suffered severe liver damage as a result of the virus going undetected for so many years. He also has to be monitored for a life-threatening bleeding condition.

The revelations come ahead of the final report of the Infected Blood Inquiry, which is due on May 20.

The infected blood scandal saw thousands of people in the UK in the 1970s and 1980s given blood transfusions or blood products that were infected with viruses such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.

Thousands died after being given contaminated products - often imported from the US - by the NHS. Nobody in the UK has ever been held to account, and no compensation has been paid by the Government.

Mr West signed up to the Army in 1976 and was deployed to a British base in Germany as part of his work with the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers. While on duty outside of the barracks in 1979, he suffered multiple injuries in a hit-and-run car accident.

He said that his leg was smashed to pieces, all of his ribs were broken and his elbow fractured.

Mr West said he was first treated at a Belgian hospital and then sent to a British military hospital in Germany.

I still had my leg at the time, it was smashed up, he said.

I was becoming more and more ill. I dont know if it was gangrenous or not, but they had to amputate it and I was given a lot of blood.

I assume the people who gave me blood were totally unaware of the risk [of infected blood] - I wouldnt blame surgeons, or nurses, or whoever gave me the blood, but systematically there is obviously some blame there.

Mr West described how he had needed further surgeries throughout his life, including two knee replacements and a hip replacement, adding: What I find interesting is at no time was the hep C discovered in 40 odd years, I find that really strange.

He added: I think the galling aspect for me is that the way multiple governments, but particularly this Government, have reacted.

Having served my country, and trying to have faith in the Government, but all I see publicly is that theyre kicking me while Im down.

Im lucky to be alive - there are so many dead: children; mothers; fathers - yet the Government continues to delay by design.

Mr West explained how he was diagnosed with hepatitis C during the coronavirus pandemic.

During lockdown, I just wanted to do something good, he told PA.

I went to give blood and I got a shock letter which came through the post and said you have got Hepatitis C antibodies, we cant take your blood.

Then I had to go and be tested for the virus and one of the specialist nurses said: By the looks of the reading you have had this for more than 20 years.

We then backtracked through my Army medical records and it seems it was as a result of a blood transfusion from my injuries.

Trained as a vehicle mechanic during his time in the Army, Mr West went on to work for a large multinational company after he was medically discharged.

Now retired, he recalls various episodes of unexplained illness during his working life that he has now realised were caused by hepatitis C.

I had numerous unexplained illnesses and episodes of exhaustion, which affected my working life in a big way, he said.

I worked hard and progressed while suffering bouts of illness and periods of exhaustion.

At one point I was offered a promotion which would involve lots of international travel but I had to turn it down because I knew I wasnt physically able to take on that role.

Mr West, who was born in Colne, Lancashire, needs aids to get around including prosthetics, crutches, walking sticks and a wheelchair.

He continued: After the diagnosis, it was discovered that I have pretty severe liver damage as well so Im monitored every six months for liver cancer, which is a likely end for me.

I also have varices in the oesophagus... Ive tried to be positive about things... but Ive been told I might bleed to death when they burst.

Psychologically it has affected me really badly.

He added: It has dramatically affected me and the worst part about it is seemingly the Government is totally uncaring about it.

Mr West - who now lives in Farnborough, Hampshire, with his cat Shorty - said that he kept pretty quiet about his diagnosis.

It has taken a lot for me to speak to people about it, but now things are coming to a head because of the lack of government activity, I have decided to speak up.

Rachel Halford, chief executive of The Hepatitis C Trust, said: For decades, people who received infected blood or blood products, and their loved ones, were stigmatised, vilified and disbelieved.

Brendans story highlights the many ways in which people impacted by the infected blood scandal have been and continue to be let down at every possible stage by consecutive governments.

A Government spokesman said: This was an appalling tragedy that never should have happened.

We are clear that justice needs to be done and swiftly, which is why we have acted in amending the Victims and Prisoners Bill.

This includes establishing a new body to deliver an infected blood compensation scheme, confirming the Government will make the required regulations for it within three months of royal assent, and that it will have all the funding needed to deliver compensation once they have identified the victims and assessed claims.

In addition, we have included a statutory duty to provide additional interim payments to the estates of deceased infected people.

We will continue to listen carefully to the community as we address this dreadful scandal.

Listen to Bed of Lies, a six-part Telegraph podcast laying bare one of the biggest medical disasters in history, the Infected Blood scandal, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your preferred podcast app.
Nigel Farage said he could not imagine two leaders going for the role of prime minister who were so boring - YVES HERMAN/REUTERS

Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer are so boring that many people wont bother turning up to vote at the next general election, Nigel Farage has said.

Reforms honorary president told GB news he could not imagine the UK ever having two leaders going head to head for whos going to be the next prime minister, who are, frankly, so boring.

He predicted a very, very low turnout at the next national poll.

The former Ukip leader was responding to a major speech from Mr Sunak on Monday, in which the Prime Minister sought to position the Tories as the party of national security, and Sir Keirs reaction to it.

Mr Sunak used his speech to claim Britain would be safer under the Conservatives as the nation enters one of its most dangerous eras, in what was widely seen as a soft launch for his election campaign.

By contrast, he claimed Sir Keir had no plans for Britains future and warned the public that they will be less safe if they vote for Labour.

Mr Sunak said: Above all, you can trust me to keep you and your family safe and secure from the threats we face at home and abroad.

There are storms ahead. The dangers are all too real but Britain can feel proud again. Britain can feel confident again because with bold action and a clear plan, we can and we will create a secure future.

Sir Keir rejected the claim and argued his party was much more serious than the Tories on national security.

Mr Farage said though there were some fundamentally important arguments in Mr Sunaks speech, he began to nod off as there was no energy, spark or fizz to the delivery.

I thought, do you know what, Im going to sit down, Im going to watch all of this, he said.

Whatever the content of the speech and the riposte that we got from Keir Starmer, I have to say, in terms of delivery, after about 15 to 20 minutes, I was beginning to nod off.

There was no energy, there was no spark, there was no fizz. Yet the arguments he was making were fundamentally important arguments.

Hes saying the world is a less safe place than its been at any moment since the Cuban Missile Crisis and that he is the right man to lead the country.

Asked if the nation would be less safe with him as prime minister, Sir Keir told broadcasters: No, we would not be less safe under a Labour government.

A Labour government has always understood, and I understand very well having worked on national security in my previous role when I was director of public prosecutions, I know first hand the importance of national security which is why I have made such a commitment to the national security of our country.

But in order to make that happen you need a credible plan for the future. This Government talks about national security but whats its record?

It has hollowed out our armed forces, it has wasted billions of pounds on procurement and doesnt have a credible plan for the future. We are much more serious than that and that is because we are a changed Labour Party that puts our country first and our party second.
Figures released by Scottish councils show that over 2,200 children are currently being educated at home

The number of parents homeschooling their children has surged in Scotland amid claims of declining educational standards and an epidemic of classroom violence.

Figures released by Scottish councils show that over 2,200 children are currently being educated at home, an increase of 40 per cent in just two years. The total has more than doubled in seven years.

While a rise in the number of pupils being homeschooled has risen across the UK since the pandemic, critics claimed the steeper increase in Scotland pointed to a loss of confidence in state education.

Scotland has tumbled down international league tables assessing reading, maths and science skills among 15-year-olds, while concern has also been raised over physical attacks on pupils and teachers.

The new figures, from 30 of Scotlands 32 councils, show that the number of pupils being homeschooled stood at 2,222 in the current academic year, up from 1,880 in 2022-23 and 1,591 in 2021-22.

It is of course the right of any family to choose to homeschool their child, said Liam Kerr, the education spokesman for the Scottish Tories. But the rise in numbers here hardly reflects well on the SNPs running of our schooling system.

We know in recent years that violence has increased, that standards have fallen, and that teaching career prospects are increasingly bleak.

Those factors will undoubtedly lead some parents to decide their child is better off at home than in school. With the SNPs stewardship of education so utterly shambolic, its no wonder these figures are rising.

Mr Kerr says 'the SNP must interrogate these figures and find out what precisely is causing the rise in order to understand how best to respond and get it right for every child' - Alamy

A recent survey by the NASUWT teaching union found that four in ten teachers had encountered violence or physical abuse from pupils over the past 12 months and almost all of them said the problem was getting worse.

Teachers in Aberdeen also recently urged the local council to intervene over claims that some schools had become completely lawless, with half saying violent pupil behaviour had become a daily occurrence.

Edinburgh, Scotlands second-largest local authority, and Shetland were the two councils yet to provide figures about homeschooling following Freedom of Information requests.

The figures show that in Aberdeenshire the number of homeschooled pupils increased from 15 to 60 over two years.

In North Ayrshire, the number of pupils being educated at home rose from 74 to 143, while in Dumfries and Galloway it almost tripled, from 53 to 151.

Of the 30 councils that provided figures, all but four recorded an increase in homeschooled pupils since 2021-22.

In 2016-17, a total of 969 children were registered in Scotland as being homeschooled, meaning the national figure has more than doubled in under a decade.

While in England proportionally more children are homeschooled, the rise over the past year has been far higher in Scotland, UK Government figures suggest.

Mr Kerr added: The SNP must interrogate these figures and find out what precisely is causing the rise in order to understand how best to respond and get it right for every child.

Lindsay Paterson, professor of education policy at the University of Edinburgh, said that while homeschooling was appropriate for some very emotionally vulnerable children, it was generally not as effective as being taught by trained teachers alongside other pupils.

Another major downside, he said, was that educational standards were not nearly as rigorously assessed.

That there has been such a large rise, despite these concerns, probably tells us something disturbing about how parents see the standards of teaching and of behaviour in schools, Prof Paterson added.

Small though the overall numbers are, this is a warning that policymakers ought to take seriously.

The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.
A Caterpillar 385C excavator claws away at Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. The hospital, which opened in 1957, was the Air Force's flagship medical institution until it was shuttered in 2017. More than 100,000 babies were born there. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio opened in 1957. It was the Air Force's flagship medical institution and a cradle of innovation. Techniques that saved the lives of soldiers and civilians alike were pioneered there. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Chunks of Wilford Hall Medical Center fall to the ground during demolition. The nine-story icon was an incubator of medical innovation, including a heart-lung bypass technique that saved lives during the coronavirus pandemic. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio opened in 1957. It was the Air Force's flagship medical institution and a cradle of innovation. Techniques that saved the lives of soldiers and civilians alike were pioneered there. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Maj. Gen. Thomas Tom Harrell, an aerospace research cardiologist, was Wilford Hall Medical Center's last commander. The legendary hospital closed in 2017. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio opened in 1957. It was the Air Force's flagship medical institution and a cradle of innovation. Techniques that saved the lives of soldiers and civilians alike were pioneered there. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News A Caterpillar 385C excavator claws away at Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. The hospital, which opened in 1957, was the Air Force's flagship medical institution until it was shuttered in 2017. More than 100,000 babies were born there. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Maj. Gen. Thomas Tom Harrell, an aerospace research cardiologist, was Wilford Hall Medical Center's last commander. The legendary hospital closed in 2017. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio opened in 1957. It was the Air Force's flagship medical institution and a cradle of innovation. Techniques that saved the lives of soldiers and civilians alike were pioneered there. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio opened in 1957. It was the Air Force's flagship medical institution and a cradle of innovation. Techniques that saved the lives of soldiers and civilians alike were pioneered there. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News

Thomas Coney watched as a giant Caterpillar 385C excavator ripped loose a chunk of what remained of Wilford Hall Medical Center. A huge piece of concrete tumbled to earth from 11 stories up.

Coney, an Air Force photographer and retired master sergeant, worked at Wilford Hall for eight years. Seeing it reduced to rubble brought to mind a long-ago case involving a Mexican woman whose baby was born with an undeveloped rib cage and torso.

"They brought her here to Wilford Hall," he recalled. "So I had to go in and take counseling photos of the baby before they took it off life support. The one thing that stood out to me and still does to this day was to see doctors trying everything they could to possibly save the child, but it was just not able to be done."

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Today, "Big Willie" is mostly debris. The high-rise flagship hospital of the Air Force stood sentinel over Lackland AFB for 66 years. More than 100,000 babies were born there, the last of them on Aug. 28, 2011. World leaders and celebrities of every stripe were treated or examined there.

Wilford Hall was also a cradle of medical innovation. Techniques developed at the hospital drastically reduced combat fatalities and saved the lives of soldiers and civilians alike  including during the coronavirus pandemic.

"Life in every form happened in that building," said Coney, 55, who now works for the public affairs office at Joint Base San Antonio and who volunteered to document some of the building's final moments for the Air Force with his camera.

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At its peak, Big Willie boasted 1.4 million square feet of space, 180 staffed beds, 19 operating rooms and 152 dental treatment rooms. Offices and examining rooms lined 12 miles of hallways. The hospital logged more than 2,600 patient visits a day.

Small wonder it will cost $40 million to tear the place down.

In its heyday, Wilford Hall Medical Center boasted 1.4 million square feet of space, 180 staffed beds, 19 operating rooms and 152 dental treatment rooms. Offices and examining rooms lined 12 miles of hallways. Jim Blaylock/San Antonio Express-News

'A sense of loss'

Wilford Hall had been living on borrowed time ever since the 2005 Defense Closure and Realignment Commission ordered the Air Force to consolidate inpatient care at Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston. The old hospital was shuttered in 2017. A gleaming new $420 million outpatient facility, Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, was built across the street. It's about half the size of Big Willie.

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"At least for me, and likely for many others, Wilford Hall Medical Center symbolizes excellence, dedication, selfless service, sacrifice and constant innovation," said retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Bart Iddins, a former commander of the hospital.

Iddins was a third-year medical student when he arrived at Wilford Hall in 1989. He went on to serve as an intern, a resident in dermatology and vice commander of the 59th Medical Wing from 2006-2008.

"The closure and demolition of Wilford Hall Medical Center," he said, "also symbolizes a sense of loss to many, if not most of us who served in this legendary institution."

Iddins, who now lives in Knoxville, Tenn., said the decision to close the hospital was about money and that such decisions "always risk unintended consequences.

"The system I knew ... resulted in the highest combat casualty survival rate in history," he said, referring to innovations pioneered at Wilford Hall after the U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. "My hope is that dollars saved now in the name of efficiency do not cost considerably more in the future in terms of degraded readiness and combat casualty lives lost."

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Makayla Porter, 25, of San Antonio loads chunks of Wilford Hall Medical Center into the back of a pickup. The pieces of debris were keepsakes for her mother and stepfather, who worked at the hospital. Porter's stepsister was born at Wilford Hall, and Porter had her wisdom teeth removed there. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News

'The premier medical center'

Dedicated in 1957 as the U.S. Air Force Hospital, the facility was renamed Wilford Hall in 1963 after Maj. Gen. Wilford F. Hall, an Air Force physician.

The nine-story building had a two-story basement and a penthouse, and if the city's power grid went down, it didn't matter. Big Willie had its own power supply and its own water supply.

VIPs who passed through included NASA's Mercury astronauts and legendary test pilot Chuck Yeager, who broke the sound barrier in 1947 and suffered multiple fractures while pruning a tree in Kerrville decades later.

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Air Force Gen. Curtis LeMay, known for devising bombing strategies for the European and Japanese theaters in World War II and leading the Strategic Air Command during the Cold War, was admitted for surgery in 1977 and "did superbly," recalled retired Air Force Maj. Gen. P.K. Carlton, Wilford Halls commander from 1994-99.

"We had a variety of high-ranking people come through on a continuous basis because we were the premier medical center for the Air Force," said Carlton, who was later surgeon general of the Air Force.

Comedian Bob Hope put on a USO show at Wilford Hall in May 1968. A less-beloved guest was the exiled Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who spent two weeks at the hospital receiving cancer treatment in December 1979.

President Jimmy Carter visited the hospital to show his support for Air Force medical services, and President George H.W. Bush and first lady Barbara Bush dropped by to spend time with troops wounded in the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama.

"From a historical perspective, this place is absolutely wedded to the Air Force Medical Service," said Maj. Gen. Thomas Tom Harrell, an aerospace research cardiologist who was Wilford Hall's last commander.

In March 1973, when North Vietnam released American prisoners of war, some of whom had been held captive for a decade, Wilford Halls commanders mobilized every specialty in the hospital to treat them. The hospital also cared for military personnel wounded in the failed attempt in 1980 to rescue 52 U.S. diplomats held hostage in Iran.

Later, Wilford Hall and Brooke Army Medical Center treated soldiers wounded in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Both hospitals also had Level 1 trauma centers to treat civilian victims of accidents and shootings.

Military and civilian doctors benefited from the collaboration among Wilford Hall, BAMC and the Institute of Surgical Research at Fort Sam Houston, along with San Antonio's county-owned University Hospital and the University of Texas Health Science Center.

United Excel Corp. of Kansas City, Mo., the company hired to demolish the hospital and its support buildings, also will relocate communications infrastructure and build new surface parking and green spaces, complete with storm drainage and water detention features. Carlos Javier Sanchez/pixelrefle

Lifesaving innovations

Techniques developed in San Antonio were applied in war zones, and lessons in battlefield medicine were put to use back home. For example, the military modeled its aeromedical evacuation systems in Iraq and Afghanistan on one still used today to fly seriously ill and wounded civilians across a 22-county South Texas area to BAMC and University Hospital. Doctors assigned to U.S. military hospitals in Baghdad and Balad, Iraq, called it "the San Antonio plan."

Critical care air transport (CCAT) teams were developed in San Antonio in the early 1990s by Carlton and Col. J. Christopher Farmer, who, like Carlton, was a physician. The teams, with a doctor, a critical care nurse and a cardiopulmonary technician to augment normal evacuation teams, revolutionized combat medicine by ferrying the most severely wounded patients to military hospitals outside the theater of war, typically placing them on ventilators to ensure they remained stable.

"It took us two years to clear the equipment for air evac use," Carlton recalled. "A mechanical-electrical device on an airplane has a different standard than one in a standard household, and it has to do with radio frequency emissions, so all of that equipment had to be modified to be able to be cleared on a military airplane."

CCAT teams flew the wounded directly out of Afghanistan, Iraq and other theaters from 2001-21, taking them to BAMC, Wilford Hall and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. The new approach dramatically reduced the number of combat medics needed in conflict zones, from more than 30,000 during the 1990-91 Gulf War to about 1,000 in Iraq and Afghanistan 10 years later.

More important, the CCAT teams greatly reduced death rates from combat injuries. One in every 10 wounded soldiers died during the 2001-21 war on terrorism, compared with 1 in every 4 during the Vietnam War, Carlton said.

"The whole concept has matured outside the military as well, and so our civilian air ambulances routinely run patients on ventilators now," said Carlton, 77, of College Station.

Wilford Hall was the birthplace of other transformative health care ideas and devices. One is ECMO, an acronym for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Its a portable heart-lung bypass machine that takes over heart and lung function when a patient's organs don't work on their own. Pioneered at Wilford Hall in 1972, it was first used to save a baby from respiratory failure.

Wilford Hall doctors went on to establish the militarys first and only ECMO program in 1985, and the hospital expanded it to include adults who suffered serious lung damage during the coronavirus pandemic.

Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center was built across the street from the original Wilford Hall Medical Center, which closed in 2017. The new hospital offers outpatient care and is about half the size of its predecessor. Inpatient services offered at the old hospital, known as "Big Willie," were moved to Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston. Marvin Pfeiffer/San Antonio Express-News

'Wipe a tear and drive away'

United Excel Corp. of Kansas City, Mo., the company hired to demolish the hospital and its support buildings, also will relocate communications infrastructure and build new surface parking and green spaces, complete with storm drainage and water detention features.

As Big Willie has been leveled bit by bit, Harrell, its last commander, has been sharing memories with motorists who stop to snap pictures of the demolition.

"Every night when I drive home, almost every night, there is a car pulled over and somebody's either leaning out of a window or they put their flashers on and have gotten out of the car and they're taking a picture," said Harrell, now director of the San Antonio Military Health System.
Gillian Keegan will issue guidance for consultation on Thursday following criticism that pupils were being taught that there were 72 genders - Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Teachers will have to make clear that gender ideology is a contested belief rather than fact if they bring it up in lessons, Gillian Keegan will say later this week.

The Education Secretary is set to issue guidance on Thursday following criticism that some pupils were being taught that there were 72 genders.

Schools will not be told to hold lessons on gender ideology, which states that people can be born the wrong sex and that they can change their identity to the opposite sex or other categories such as non-binary.

But if they do hold lessons on the issue, they must make it clear that it is a contested belief.

In other words, they must say that the gender-critical belief that there are just two biological sexes is also valid.

The guidance - which will be out for consultation - will also order schools to show parents all classroom material to ensure they are comfortable with what is being taught.

Rishi Sunak ordered the review into relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) lessons last year in response to claims that content was age-inappropriate, extreme and sexualising.

There were claims that children were being taught about oral sex and how to choke their partners safely.

Miriam Cates, a Tory MP, told the Sun: For too long activist groups have been pushing a politically motivated agenda on children under the cover of RSHE.

The Cass Review shows how dangerous it is to let ideology overtake facts. We need compulsory guidance to restore common sense and the rights of parents to know what their children are being taught.

Only age-appropriate content must be provided

Last year, on a trip to Hiroshima, Mr Sunak said that for the sake of his own children, he wanted to protect Britains precious pupils by ensuring they only received age-appropriate content in schools.

First and foremost as a parent... its really important that what our kids are exposed to, not just at school but online, is sensitive and age-appropriate, he said.

There have been plenty of concerns raised with me. There are too many instances of that not happening. I dont think thats right.

Families up and down the country are concerned about what their children are seeing online and they expect me and the government to put in place protections for that. Thats what we are going to do.

He added:: Its something that really matters to me What I want is a curriculum that is sensitive and age-appropriate. Our children are precious; they deserve to be protected, sensitively. Thats what I want as a parent first and foremost.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: The PM ordered a review of the guidance on RSHE teaching in schools, following concerns that inappropriate content was being taught.

We believe parents have a fundamental right to see materials being used in these lessons and the Education Secretary also made that clear when she wrote to parents in October last year.

The review will build on this, making sure that children are always taught sensitive content in an appropriate way.

However, what I would say is we have been consistent that the idea that someone can have a gender identity different from their sex is a contested political belief that must not be taught as fact in our schools.
A City of London Police special constable is among three men accused of carrying out surveillance and hostile reconnaissance for the Hong Kong intelligence service on British soil.

Chi Leung Wai, 38, who is known as Peter, is a volunteer officer for the force and works as a UK Border Force officer at Heathrow Airport.

He has been charged after an investigation by the Mets Counter Terrorism Command with assisting a foreign intelligence service and foreign interference, under the National Security Act 2023.

Wai appeared in the dock at Westminster magistrates court on Monday alongside co-defendants Matthew Trickett, 37, and Chung Biu Yuen, 63.

Trickett is a private investigator, Immigration Enforcement officer and former Royal Marine, while Yeun  known as Billy - is a retired Hong Kong police officer who now works as office manager at the Hong Kong Economic Trade Office in London.

All three men are accused of carrying out surveillance operations in the UK on behalf of Hong Kong authorities, allegedly targeted at dissidents of the foreign regime.

It is said the home in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, of one of the alleged targets was broken into on May 1 this year.

District Judge Louisa Cieciora released the three men on bail until a hearing at the Old Bailey on May 24.

The case is being overseen by senior judge Mr Justice Jeremy Baker.

The defendants, who all wore prison-issue grey clothes for the hearing, must now abide by a 10pm to 5am curfew, report weekly to their local police station, not travel internationally and inform police of devices used to access the internet.

They are also banned from contacting a list of name individuals said to be connected to the case.

Wai, of Shellfield Close, Staines-upon-Thames, Trickett, of Clivemont Road, Maidenhead, and Yuen, of Rosebery Place, Hackney did not enter any pleas to the charges.

Dominic Murphy, Head of the Mets Counter Terrorism Command, said: This operation is not connected to a recently reported Counter Terrorism Policing investigation linked to Russia.

A number of arrests were made and searches carried out across England as part of this investigation. While led from London, the Counter Terrorism Policing network has been crucial to disrupting this activity and we have worked closely with the Crown Prosecution Service since the start of the investigation.

While these offences are concerning, I want to reassure the public that we do not believe there to be any wider threat to them. This investigation remains ongoing, but now that charges have been brought, I urge people not to speculate or comment further in relation to this case.

The three men have each been charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service, contrary to section the National Security Act 2023.

They also face counts of foreign interference, contrary to section 13(2) and (7) of the National Security Act 2023. The foreign intelligence service to which all the charges relate is Hong Kong.

Seven men and one woman who were not charged after being arrested in connection with the investigation were released from custody.
Two TikTokers were left red-faced after filming what they thought was the Northern Lights colourful show over the UK - but was only the purple signage from a Premier Inn.

Karim Akhtar and Solomon Laurent were returning home from a night out on Friday in Norwich when the duo spotted what they thought was an unmistakable bright hue lighting up the Norfolk sky.

While meteorologists from the Met Office said the unique light phenomena was visible 'from top to tail across the country', the student pair got a little ahead of themselves while looking for the Northern Lights in East Anglia. Karim and Solomon, both 22, laugh in amazement in a TikTok video which has since generated nearly 6million views, unable to believe their luck.

Seconds later, however, the pair are left in hysterics after realising the colourful glow was actually the trademark Premier Inn purple beaming up from one of the chain's Norwich hotels.

Karim, a pharmacology student at the University of East Anglia, told Yahoo News UK: I was with my mate Sully coming back from the pharmacology ball, and I was walking by my accommodation and thought we saw the lights.We ran down the road while looking up, thinking they looked weird. We looked down and saw a Premier Inn.

TikTokers mistake Premier Inn lights for aurora borealis

The false sighting would have been doubly disappointing for the pair, who'd also travelled to Iceland in January to see the Northern Lights, but failed as conditions were too cloudy.

A Premier Inn spokesperson told Yahoo News: "Theres no need to search the skies, Premier Inn is a beacon of light and can bring the Aurora glow directly to your room, without needing a camera to see it. Rest easy under the enchanting purple glow of our light up headboards, knowing that you can experience this wonder every night of the year from the luxury of one of our comfy beds."

Two students went towards the purple sky, mistaking it for the Northern lights when it was actually the Premier Inn in Norwich. (Credit: karimakhtarr / Instagram)

The bands of pink and green light from aurora borealis were seen across the UK and in parts of Europe on Friday night after an extreme geomagnetic storm caused them to be more visible, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The news of the increased solar activity led to people staying up late so they could catch the Aurora Borealis without spending money on an international trip. Millions of people in the UK were able to see the spectacle on Saturday evening, with social media being flooded with images taken from the comfort of their homes.

Karim Akhtar pictured with his friend Sully (left) on their trip to Iceland where they didn't get to see the Northern lights. (Credit: karimakhtarr / Instagram)

Last weekend, millions of people across the world were treated to the Northern lights, thanks to the serious solar storm. According to the NOAA, the G5 geomagnetic storm was expected to hit on Thursday, and people were given a warning that it could impact GPS and power grids. The bands of green and pink were visible in Northern Ireland on Friday night, and most of the country saw it on Saturday evening.

The news of the increased solar activity led to people staying up late so they could catch the Aurora Borealis without spending money on an international trip. Millions of people in the UK were able to see the spectacle on Saturday evening, with social media being flooded with images taken from the comfort of their homes.

Not everyone was that lucky, as some expressed their frustration on social media at missing out on the rare spectacle.

Some people, like the students, confused lights from man-made sources as belonging to the Aurora Borealis. For example, in New York, people thought they could see a small part of it, but to their surprise, it was, in fact, the lights from the Kosciuszko Bridge reflecting onto the clouds. Tiktoker Alexandra Rothwell cleverly filmed the green light shining from a traffic light, as it looked very similar to some of the photos people posted. "Look, no, I cannot actually believe what I'm seeing," said the Tiktoker, laughing at the end.
The Traitors presenter Claudia Winkleman (PA Wire)

The producer of The Traitors have named Liz Truss as one of their dream contestants for the celebrity spinoff.

The hit BBC reality show, which is currently filming its third season, is expected to launch a version with famous faces next year.

"Liz Truss, I think she would be great," executive producer Stephen Lambert told Deadline Hollywood during a Baftas red carpet interview.

"It is very important [on] that show to be able to tell the truth, and also to not tell the truth. And you know, she would be challenged, possibly."

A spokesman for Ms Truss told the Standard: "Liz is a massive fan of The Traitors, but nothing the contestants do comes close to the scheming and deceit in Parliament.

She will instead be focusing on delivering for her South West Norfolk constituents."

The Traitors sees competitors split between into two groups - the Faithfuls and the secret traitors. The traitors are tasked with murdering their fellow contestants at a remote castle in the Scottish highlands to win a prize of up to 120,000, while the faithful attempt to banish them before being killed.

Ms Truss, who was Prime Minister for just 44 days before being ousted from Number 10, would not be the first British politician to take up residence in the Traitors castle.

Former House of Commons Speaker John Bercow took part in the shows American counterpart last year.

Mr Bercow, who quit as Speaker in 2019 after a decade, described the psychological reality show as much more complicated than politics.

As a Faithful the former MP for Buckingham was murdered in episode 10 of the US show.

Several former and current British MPs have appeared in reality TV in recent years.

Ex health secretary Matt Hancock was paid 320,000 for taking part in ITV's I'm a Celebrity reality show in 2022.

Former Labour shadow chancellor Ed Ball traded parliament for the pasodoble by joining Strictly Come Dancing in 2016, while Penny Mordaunt appeared on the short-lived celebrity diving show Splash! in 2014.
Westminster magistrates' court

Two men have appeared in court accused of plotting to carry out an Islamic State-inspired marauding gun attack against the Jewish community in the north-west of England.

Walid Saadaoui, 36, and Amar Hussein, 50, were arrested at addresses in Wigan and Bolton last week. They were also allegedly planning to target police officers and members of the military.

They appeared at Westminster magistrates court on Tuesday charged with the preparation of terrorist acts between Dec 13 2023 and May 9 this year..

Bilel Saadaoui, 35, also appeared before the court accused of knowing about his brother Walids plans. He pleaded not guilty to a charge of failing to disclose information about an act of terrorism between the same dates.

Intention to cause fatalities

Rebecca Waller, prosecuting, told the court: Mr Saadoui and Mr Hussein, are said to have planned a Daesh [Islamic State]-inspired terrorist attack in the UK during which they intended to cause multiple fatalities using automatic weapons.

The main targets of their attack plans were the Jewish community in the north-west of England and members of both law enforcement and military.

Both defendants took significant steps to prepare, and by May 2024 had reached the point at which, they believed, they were in a position in which they were ready to launch the attack. Bilel Saadoui is Walid Saadoauis younger brother.

The evidence the Crown say indicates that Bilel Saadaoui was the trusted confidant for his brother knowing he was making plans.

Bilel Saadaoui was allegedly given his brothers will along with 17,000 in cash and was also given a key for a safe containing 75,000.

District Judge Louisa Ciecora remanded the three defendants in custody ahead of a preliminary hearing at the Old Bailey on May 24.

Bilel Saadoaui wept as he was led from the dock by five police officers.

Distressing details

Asst Chief Constable Rob Pott, from Greater Manchester Police, said the details of the case will be understandably distressing and likely to have a significant impact on the communities within Greater Manchester and beyond.

In a statement, he added: Everyone should feel safe in our region regardless of their religion or race. We have been working closely with community groups and key stakeholders to address concerns and we will continue to update them throughout this case.

Local officers across Greater Manchester will continue to listen and act on concerns alongside partners to protect the public and keep you safe.

The action we have taken so far follows a long-running and carefully managed investigation, and we do not believe that there is a wider risk to the public connected to this case.

Should you have any concerns about your safety or any suspicious activity in your area, then I would encourage you to contact the police.

Amanda Bomsztyk, northern regional director of the Community Security Trust, a charity focused on the safety of Britains Jewish community, said: These are very serious allegations of a plan to commit a terrorist attack against British Jews at a time of record anti-Semitic hate crime levels. This is one of a number of recent and ongoing cases that demonstrate why the Jewish community needs such extensive security measures and why our continuing partnership with police and government is so vital.

CST thanks Greater Manchester Police and other agencies for their work in this case, and we will continue to work closely with police to provide reassurance and protection for the Jewish community. We urge everyone in the community to continue as normal, remain alert and report any anti-Semitism or suspicious activity at Jewish locations to CST and to the police.
Flooding in York in January after Storm Jocelyn. The fallout of extreme weather events makes the climate crisis a national security problem within the UK, experts said. Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA

The US, Germany and other countries are putting the climate crisis at the heart of their national security plans but the UK is failing to do likewise, experts have told the government.

Extreme weather and heat are killing increasing numbers of people, damaging economies and forcing millions around the world to flee their homes, adding to an already unstable geopolitical situation, MPs were told on Tuesday at a select committee hearing.

The climate crisis has become a threat multiplier that can add to instability and the risk of unrest in many countries and is therefore an international security issue, parliaments environmental audit committee was told. The increasing dangers of floods, droughts and other damage to vital infrastructure also makes the climate crisis a national security problem within the UK.

But while the US has taken a whole government approach to the crisis, ordering the security services to focus on climate risks in their assessments, the UK has lagged behind, according to experts giving evidence.

Erin Sikorsky, the director of the Center for Climate and Security in the US, said: The US government has put climate change and national security at the front of its foreign security policy agenda under [president Joe] Biden. The Department of Homeland Security has been involved.

Even though most of the Republican party leadership and the former president Donald Trump have been vehemently opposed to action to cut greenhouse gas emissions, when it comes to national security there has been cooperation on the climate. It has really been a bipartisan issue for over a decade, Sikorsky said.

Germany has also integrated climate considerations into all government departments. Kira Vinke, of the German Council on Foreign Relations thinktank, said. [There has been a] whole government approach, seeing it through a national security and human security lens.

In the UK, however, not enough has been done to adapt to the impacts of extreme weather and prepare for future risks, said Lady Brown, the chair of the adaptation subcommittee at the governments statutory adviser, the Climate Change Committee.

We are not seeing implementation and action, she said. We are not very ready at all [for the impacts of extreme weather].

Helen Adams, a senior lecturer on disaster risk reduction at Kings College London, said part of the problem in the UK was that there was not enough interest in the issue from Downing Street.

We are not acting at scale, things are not getting to a high enough level [of government], she said. It has to come from the top down. Stark warnings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the body of the worlds leading climate scientists, were not getting to the highest level, she warned.

Rishi Sunak, the prime minister, made his biggest speech yet on national security on Monday in which he said that the UK faced turmoil at home and abroad.

More will change in the next five years than in the last 30, he said. Im convinced that the next few years will be some of the most dangerous yet transformational our country has ever known  There are storms ahead. The dangers are all too real.

Yet he failed even to mention the climate crisis in his analysis, despite the worlds leading scientists and many other governments highlighting that rapidly intensifying global heating is one of the biggest risks the world faces.

On climate policy and the target to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions, his only words were negative: In a more unstable world, where dictators like Putin have held us to ransom over energy prices, I reject the ideological zeal of those who want us to adopt policies that go further, faster than any other country, no matter the cost or disruption to peoples lives.
Mike Johnson joined Vivek Ramaswamy, Doug Burgum and Byron Donalds in supporting Donald Trump at his criminal trial on Tuesday. Photograph: Wilfredo Lee/AP

The US House was in session on Tuesday with vital business to complete but its speaker, Mike Johnson, was 200 miles north, attending another day in the criminal trial of Donald Trump, the former president and presumptive Republican presidential nominee charged over hush-money payments to an adult film star who claimed an affair.

Related: Who is Michael Cohen and the other key players in Donald Trumps hush-money trial?

President Trump is innocent of these charges, Johnson said outside court in Manhattan, where Trump faces the first 34 of 88 criminal counts.

Michael Cohen, who as Trumps lawyer and fixer made the payments to Stormy Daniels, was on the witness stand.

Trump has used his trial as a loyalty test for supporters and vice-presidential hopefuls, both at the courthouse and on social media and TV. On Tuesday, Johnson was joined by the governor of North Dakota, Doug Burgum, the Florida representatives Byron Donalds and Cory Mills, and Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur who ran for the Republican presidential nomination.

Before proceedings began, as Johnson and other supporters stood behind him, Trump spoke to reporters.

I do have a lot of surrogates and they are speaking very beautifully, he said. They come from all over Washington, and theyre highly respected and they think this is the biggest scam theyve ever seen.

Regarding such surrogates ability to comment on the trial unencumbered by a gag order over which Trump has been fined and threatened with incarceration, Trump told reporters: You ask me questions that Im not allowed to answer.

Complaining about the courtroom, Trump said: Ive been here for nearly four weeks in the ice box.

The charges against Trump cast the hush-money payments, made around the 2016 election, as a form of election subversion.

Trump also faces four federal and 10 Georgia state charges arising from his attempts to overturn his 2020 defeat by Joe Biden, and 40 federal charges concerning his retention of classified information.

He has also been hit with multimillion-dollar civil penalties, over his business practices and a defamation suit arising from a rape allegation a judge called substantially true.

Nonetheless, the devoutly Christian (and porn-monitoring) Johnson rushed to Trumps side as Trumps affair with Daniels, the star of films including Dirty Deeds and Right Amount of Wrong, was once more examined in court.

One of Johnsons former Republican colleagues, the anti-Trump conservative Liz Cheney, jibed: Have to admit Im surprised that Speaker Johnson wants to be in the I cheated on my wife with a porn star club. I guess hes not that concerned with teaching morality to our young people after all.

Back on Capitol Hill, the House was due to consider final passage of the Federal Aviation Authority Reauthorization Act. House Democrats were also set to face a series of messaging bills, proposed legislation designed not to pass but to ensnare the other party in difficult political choices.

Otherwise, Politico reported, Speaker Mike Johnson is ready to move squarely into campaign mode.

In Manhattan, Johnson  the only member of Trumps cheer squad not to wear a distinctly Trumpian red tie  spoke to reporters. He said: President Trump is innocent of these charges.

Its impossible for anybody to deny, that looks at this objectively, that the judicial system in our country has been weaponised against President Trump. The system is using all the tools at its disposal right now to punish one president to provide cover for another.

These are politically motivated trials and they are a disgrace. It is election interference, and they show how desperate the opposition that President Trump is, how desperate they truly are.

Johnson said he was making the appearance on my own, to support President Trump, because I am one of hundreds of millions of people and one citizen who is deeply concerned about this.

Johnson and his fellow visitors were not the first. On Monday the Ohio senator JD Vance gave his impressions of proceedings.

Vance posted: Michael Cohen admitting he secretly recorded his employer. Just totally normal conduct, right? The best part is he said he did it only once and only for Trumps benefit. A stand-up guy!

Vance also called the trial election interference, because the gag order constrained Trumps speech, representing a violation of the constitution and an insult to the American people.

Before court on Tuesday, Ramaswamy claimed a sham trial and a politically motivated assault on the leading candidate for US president, greenlit by his political opponent, Joe Biden, and carried out at the highest levels of the White House and Department of Justice.

Ramaswamy also attacked the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg; the prosecutor Matthew Colangelo; and the judge, Juan Merchan.

The American people will deliver the ultimate verdict in November, Ramaswamy said. Say NO to the weaponisation of justice.

Other surrogates also complained. Donalds, who as a young man had a marijuana charge dismissed and a bribery charge expunged, said proceedings against Trump represented a tragedy for the American justice system.

For Johnson, staying close to Trump has paid off, particularly as the speaker has overseen passage of government funding and military aid to Ukraine, neither favoured by Trump and his supporters on the far right of a far-right Republican party.

Related: House quashes Marjorie Taylor Greene motion to oust speaker Mike Johnson

Last week, with support from Democrats, Johnson defeated an attempt to remove him mounted by Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Georgia extremist who has touted herself as a Trump running mate.

In a statement on Tuesday, Alex Floyd, rapid response director for the Democratic National Committee, mocked Trumps need for emotional support from Johnson and others, and took a shot at the speaker for absenting himself from the House.

Donald Trump is convening the saddest posse of Maga loyalists  desperate for emotional support and political cover as he spends another week tending to his personal affairs rather than talking to actual voters, Floyd said.

Trumps pathetic band  seemingly have nothing better to do than echo Trumps lies and nod approvingly in the background  because they certainly arent doing their day jobs of serving their constituents or running a functional political operation.
Semaglutide, the active ingredient in brands including Wegovy and Ozempic, has been prescribed for weight loss on the NHS since 2023. Photograph: Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images

A weight loss injection could reduce the risk of heart attacks and benefit the cardiovascular health of millions of adults across the UK, in what could be the largest medical breakthrough since statins, according to a study.

It found that participants taking the medication semaglutide, the active ingredient in brands including Wegovy and Ozempic, had a 20% lower risk of heart attack, stroke, or death due to cardiovascular disease.

The study, presented at the European Congress of Obesity (ECO) and led by researchers at University College London, also found that semaglutide brought about cardiovascular benefits for its participants, regardless of their starting weight or the amount of weight that they had lost. It suggests that those with mild obesity or who have lost only a small amount of weight could have an improved cardiovascular outcome.

Prof John Deanfield, the director of the National Institute for Cardiovascular Outcomes Research and the lead author of the study, said the findings showed that the medication should be routinely prescribed to treat cardiovascular illnesses, and that millions of people across the UK could be taking the medication in the next few years.

This fantastic drug really is a gamechanger. This [study] suggests that here are potentially alternative mechanisms for that improved cardiovascular outcome with semaglutide beyond weight loss  Quite clearly, something else is going on that benefits the cardiovascular system, Deanfield said.

The study involved 17,604 adults aged 45 and over with a body mass index of over 27 from across 41 countries. The participants, who had also previously experienced a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack, were prescribed either a 2.5mg weekly dose of semaglutide or a placebo for an average period of 40 months.

Of the 8,803 patients in the semaglutide group, 569 (6.5%) experienced a primary cardiovascular end-point event, such as a heart attack, compared with 701 (8%) of the 8,801 patients in the placebo group.

Semaglutide under the brand name Wegovy has been prescribed for weight loss on the NHS since 2023.

Deanfield said that in the 1990s, statins  drugs that lower cholesterol  were considered a medical breakthrough and revolutionary in treating cardiology practice, and he said semaglutide could be seen as similarly groundbreaking in regarding to improving cardiovascular health. We now have a class of drugs that could equally transform many chronic diseases of ageing, he said.

Prof Jason Halford, president of the European Association for the Study of Obesity, said that as the medication could be seen to improve cardiovascular health, it could be economically beneficial for it to be prescribed widely.

I think in the next 10 years well see a radical change in the approach to healthcare, he said. Once the costs come down then the cost savings to the NHS will be significant. There are already people in the Treasury thinking about the savings to the economy because of the opportunity to boost productivity. You need to get your workforce as fit as possible.

About 7.6 million people in the UK are living with heart or circulatory disease, according to the British Heart Foundation.

Another study based on the same clinical trial found that participants who were prescribed semaglutide lost an average of 10.2% of their body weight and 7.7cm from their waist over a four-year period, while the placebo group lost 1.5% of body weight and 1.3cm from the waist.

A separate study looking at a new slimming jab has found that it could be much more effective than those already on the market. Retatrutide, a weekly injection, works by suppressing appetite and also by helping the body burn more fat, according to its phase 2 clinical trial.

The trial of 338 participants living with obesity showed that participants lost 24% of their body weight over a 48-week period. Researchers say it is more effective for weight loss than Ozempic or Wegovy, which only work by suppressing appetite.

Prof Naveed Sattar, of the University of Glasgow, who has worked on trials of other weight loss treatments, said: Five or 10 years ago, we could never have imagined drugs that would cause this kind of weight loss. The trial suggests retatrutide still hadnt plateaued, so its probably going to see more weight loss. If we give this drug even longer, I think it could reach nearly 30% of someones body weight.
There are big debates over how the Welsh countryside should look - E+/W L Davies

A scheme that would force farmers to dedicate 20 per cent of their land to eco measures has been postponed by the Welsh Government after significant backlash.

The Sustainable Farming Scheme was due to come in next year, replacing EU-era direct subsidies to Welsh farmers.

But requirements for farmers to dedicate a fifth of their land to woodland and wildlife habitat had prompted a backlash from the National Farmers Union (NFU) Welsh branch and brought farmers out on the streets to protest.

On Tuesday, Rural Affairs Secretary Huw Irranca-Davies said the transition to the new scheme would not begin until 2026, after a consultation that ended in March. He said the decision had been made after meaningful engagement with the farming sector.

We have always said the scheme would not be introduced until it is ready and I stand by that, Mr Irranca-Davies said.

Further decisions will be made about how the older direct subsidies will be tailed off after 2025.

Huw Irranca-Davies, seen here with staff from a Bridgend farm, has delayed the start of the scheme until 2026 - PA

Abi Reader, the deputy president of NFU Cymru, said the move was welcome and had been inevitable given the scale of protests and opposition to the scheme.

We have always said lets not rush into this because it is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get this right, she said. A pause is a really good move and offers some stability to farming businesses.

She added that the scheme was likely to need a major overhaul to get peoples trust back.

The sums werent going to add up in terms of what they were asking us to do, Ms Reader said.

Farming groups had expressed concern about job losses and income reductions as a result of the scheme.

A Welsh Government analysis found it could lead to a reduction in working hours equivalent to 5,500 rural jobs, as well as a 200 million reduction in farming income.

The proposals brought 100s of farmers to protest outside the Senedd in February, following smaller protests across Wales.

Protests erupted across Wales over the proposed scheme - Getty Images/Christopher Furlong

The NFU has called for the scheme to be reformed, saying it threatened our members and their children their farming futures.

But Wildlife Trusts Wales said the delay to the scheme was bad news for farmers, nature and climate.

The decision to delay the scheme simply prolongs the uncertainty at a time when farmers need to be rewarded for switching to sustainable farming methods which will benefit their businesses in the future, Rachel Sharp, director of Wildlife Trusts Wales, said.

It added that most Welsh farms already have 6 per cent tree cover and woodland areas do not have to come out of production because they can be used for animals to graze.
Rishi Sunak will face stiff competition from Sir Keir Starmer during the next general election. (PA) ((PA))

The prime minister has once again dodged questions about when the next general election will be held, repeating his assertion that the country will go to the polls "in the second half of the year".

Asked if he could confirm there would not be an election in July following his 13 May speech at the Policy Exchange about the country's future, Rishi Sunak replied: "At some point in the second half of this year, we will all go to the polls and make a choice.

"Not just about Conservatives versus Labour or Sunak versus Starmer, it will be a choice between the future and the past."

His comments came after one the countrys most respected election gurus dismissed rumours of a summer general election as clickbait.

Several media reports have raised the likelihood of Rishi Sunak going to the polls in July after he refused to rule it out to reporters following the vote on the Rwanda policy in the Commons. Sunak has previously insisted an election would take place in the second half of the year with many experts assuming he is referencing to either an October or November polling day.

But polling expert Sir John Curtice, who previously predicted that Labour has a 99% chance of forming the next government, insists the rumours of an election in July are way off the mark. He said that the poor Tory polling would not hasten any trip to the polls.

Curtuce told ITVs Peston previously: Its clearly in the interests of the government to create an air of uncertainty. They would like their opponents to spend their money now, rather than when the election is later.

It is in the interest of the media to report those stories because it creates quite good clickbait and helps attract the interest of their potential audience.

Curtice still believes the election will be held in November, adding: The Conservatives are still 19 points behind in opinion polls, there is no sign of any significant recovery so far. I do not see how any government could anticipate a recovery on the scale required to be able to form the next government between now and July.

When is the next general election?

Speculation has been rife on when an election could be. Sunak could technically wait until January 2025 to hold a general election, but has confirmed that 2024 will be an election year.

There was previously speculation in Westminster that he was preparing to call a general election to coincide with the local elections, seeking to reap an advantage at the ballot box from the national insurance cut announced at the budget.

Labour had been particularly keen to talk up the prospect of a general election in May, with shadow Cabinet Office minister Jonathan Ashworth betting Sky News presenter Kay Burley 10 that the election would take place then.

The Tories are some way behind Labour in the voting intention tracker. (YouGov)

But Sunak's comments on 14 March dismissed the possibility of a May polling day, and indeed the last date for him to call a May election (parliament would have needed to be dissolved by 26 March) has long passed, as rules in the UK require a general election to be held 25 days after asking the King to dissolve parliament.

Some Westminster commenters still believe Sunaks hand could be forced if the local elections prove disastrous for the Tories. In that instance, Sunak may face pressure to go to the polls early if his own MPs call for him to stand down  or he may choose to avoid a leadership challenge.

Oddschecker has the likelihood of an election held between July to September as 13/2  meaning it is relatively unlikely in the eyes of bookmakers. The odds are overwhelmingly in favour of an October to December election, with odds of 1/4.

The 2019 election was unique in modern times due to being held in December  most general elections are held in late spring or early summer. This means the five-year term of the government can be stretched to December 2024, which means polling day could take place the following month  in theory.

Boris Johnson casts his vote in the 2019 general election. (PA) (Kirsty Wigglesworth, Associated Press)

In the past, governments have only called elections early when confident of victory, so Sunak was previously thought to be likely to hold off for as long as he can. That seems to be his more likely strategy now.

A late autumn election could, however, be unpopular with campaigners, who disliked being forced to campaign in the cold and dark ahead of the 2019 polling day.

Cabinet ministers have also been warned that holding a general election that coincides with the US presidential election in November would be a security risk, according to The Times.

When do people want the next election?

A YouGov poll released in February 2024 suggested that a May 2024 general election was the "most palatable" option to voters  however, this option is no longer viable.

Two-thirds of respondents (68%) said this would be acceptable, compared to just 13% who would find it unacceptable. The next most popular months were June (64%) and April (61%).

December 2024 and January 2025 were the least preferred months to go to the polls, with only 30% and 32% respectively considering these options to be acceptable.

In January, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused Sunak of "dithering and delaying" over an early election "while the country wants change", as Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey claimed the prime minister was "running scared" by refusing to commit to a spring poll.

Now, it seems Sunak seems likely to push the election to the autumn, having dodged questions about the country going to the polls in July.

The early budget was mistakenly taken by some as a sign of a potential early election. (Alamy) (PAUL GROVER)

How can a snap election be called?

Only the King can trigger an election by dissolving parliament, but he does so on advice from the PM. Once parliament is dissolved every seat in the House of Commons becomes vacant and MPs cease to represent their seats meaning no new laws can be passed.

Between 2011 and 2022 the PM needed permission of parliament to ask the monarch to dissolve parliament, but this was scrapped with the Dissolution and Calling of Parliaments Act 2022. The new powers mean effectively only Sunak can trigger an election at any time he chooses by simply recommending it to the King.

Read more: Who can call a general election? (Yahoo News UK)

Parliamentary terms run for five years and the current parliament met for the first time on 17 December 2019, meaning it must dissolve on 17 December 2024. With general election campaigns taking 25 days, the Electoral Commission has said the latest date for the election can be 28 January 2025.

However, it is seen as extremely unlikely the government will call for an election over the Christmas and New Year period.

When was the last election?

The last election was held on 12 December 2019 with Boris Johnson winning a landslide victory over Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party. The election was dominated by the issue of Brexit and finishing the UK's exit from the EU, a process which had begun with the referendum in 2016.

Polling stations open at 7am and this time you'll need to show photo ID to cast a vote. (PA) (IMAGO/Jon Super, Imago)

The Conservatives won 365 seats, their highest number since 1987 and Labour won 202 seats, its lowest proportion since 1935.

How can I register to vote?

You can register online on the government's website, you need to be over the age of 16 and a British citizen. The form takes five minutes and you will need your national insurance number. Despite being able to register to vote at 16 you must be 18 to vote in a general election.

How can I vote?

There are three ways to vote in a UK general election, in person, by post or by proxy. Most people vote in person at a polling station. At the time of the election, you will be able to find where you should go to vote on the government's website. You'll also be sent a polling card which will tell you where you should vote, you can take this along with you when voting but it isn't necessary.

You will also need to show a photo ID to confirm your identity, you can find out what IDs are accepted on the government's website.

It is usually clear who has won a general election by 6am the following morning. (PA) (Xinhua, Imago)

To vote by post need to apply to do it before election day, but you do not need to give a reason as to why you wish to. You must be registered to vote before you apply and you can apply no later than 5pm 11 working days before the election you want to vote in.

You will be sent a postal vote in the post which you will then need to return before the specified date. If you pass the specified time and date before posting it then you can still take it to the local polling station by 10pm on election day.

The final way to vote is by proxy, getting someone trusted to cast your vote. You need to provide a valid reason for voting by proxy, whether that is you are away on the day, have a medical issue or disability or are unable to due to work. You must apply six working days before the election.

When do polls open?

Polling stations open from 7am to 10pm on polling day.

Who's standing in my area?

You will be able to check the candidates standing in your area online. All of the major political parties select their candidates a considerable amount of time before general elections and you can see on their website who they have selected for what constituency.
Then Texas Secretary of State Henry Cuellar during a ceremonial swearing-in ceremony Monday, Jan. 8, 2001, in Austin, Texas. Imelda Cuellar, center, holds the Bible for her husband's ceremony. HARRY CABLUCK/AP

U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar is in the middle of a bribery scandal alleging the Laredo Democrat traded political favors for roughly $600,000  and federal officials say he couldnt have done it without the help of his wife, Imelda.

The Department of Justice accused the Cuellars of accepting bribes from a Mexican bank and an oil and gas company owned by the government of Azerbaijan. Federal investigators say the money was funneled through middlemen to eventually land in the bank accounts of shell companies owned by Imelda Cuellar.

The couple then allegedly used the bribe money to pay off personal debts and splurge on cars and clothes, federal officials say.

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Lawyers for both of the Cuellars have denied all wrongdoing. And when the news of the indictment first broke earlier this month, the Congress member released a statement ardently defending his wife.

Imelda and I have been married for 32 years, Cuellar wrote. On top of being an amazing wife and mother, shes an accomplished businesswoman with two degrees. She spent her career working with banking, tax, and consulting. The allegation that she is anything but qualified and hard working is both wrong and offensive.

Imelda Cuellar has generally maintained a low public profile over the years, aside from accompanying her husband at campaign and official events.

Heres what we know about Imelda Cuellar and her role in the alleged bribery scheme:

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Former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros (from left) and former President Bill Clinton stumps for Texas Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar, pictured with Imelda Cuellar, in Laredo on Monday, Nov. 7, 2022. Kin Man Hui/Staff photographer

Who is Imelda Cuellar?

Henry Cuellar celebrates with his wife, Imelda, left, and his mother, Odilia Cuellar, after claiming victor in the U.S. Congressional Dist. 28 race against republican James Hopson on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2004. He was celebrating with supporters in Laredo. ( JERRY LARA STAFF ) JERRY LARA/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS Henry Cuellar (2nd right ) and his wife Imelda (R) walk into the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington , D.C. Tuesday Jan. 4 , 2005 to attend some of the ceremonial functions on his first day in office. Others not identified. HENRY CUELLAR IN WASHINGTON JANUARY 4, 2005 TOM REEL/STAFF TOM REEL/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS Texas Congressional District 28 incumbent Democrat Henry Cuellar is joyful as he stands with his wife, Imelda, and daughter, Catherine, at his watch party in Laredo on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. Billy Calzada/Staff photographer

Imelda and Henry Cuellar have been married since 1992, and they share two adult daughters, Catherine and Christina.

Imelda, 67, spent most of her career with the Texas Comptrollers Office. She was a tax enforcement officer there for 23 years until she retired in 2012, according to records from the comptroller's office.

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The couple owns a roughly 6,000-square-foot home in Laredo. Imelda is regularly featured on Rep. Cuellars Instagram and other social media channels, accompanying him at campaign events or everyday celebrations at home. On Sunday, Mothers Day, Rep. Cuellar posted a family portrait alongside a tribute to his wife: Weve been blessed by her nurturing spirit, kindness, and joy, he wrote.

What is she accused of?

Imelda Cuellar owns two companies that federal authorities allege are shell corporations used to funnel bribe payments to the Cuellars.

Imelda Cuellar performed little or no legitimate work under the sham contracts, the indictment reads.

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Federal officials say Imelda Cuellar entered the first fake contract in 2014. After texting with an Azerbaijani diplomat in February, Rep. Cuellar emailed his wife a draft consulting agreement with handwritten edits, according to the indictment.

The contract dictated that the Azerbaijani oil company would pay $25,000 to one of Imeldas companies, IRC Business Solutions, in exchange for strategic consulting and advising services. IRC Business Solutions is only referred to in the indictment as Shell Company-1.

The couple allegedly continued negotiating the contract over the next few months. That November, the Azerbaijani oil company told another business to wire $60,000 to a middleman. Imelda Cuellar then sent a falsified invoice pursuant to the contract, according to the indictment.

All work is complete! Imelda Cuellar allegedly wrote. The middleman then sent the money to IRC Business Solutions. The contract was terminated in March 2015, federal officials say.

The indictment accuses Imelda Cuellar of entering into two additional sham contracts related to Azerbaijan in the years following. For the third contract, she allegedly used a second shell company, Global Gold Group LLC.

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Federal officials say Imelda Cuellar was involved in negotiating a similar contract with the Mexican bank and its affiliates in 2014 and 2015. Again, that contract outlined a monthly consulting fee that would be paid to a shell company in exchange for advising services. It also provided a schedule of performance fees, in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, that could be paid to the shell company.

Federal officials say the Cuellars ultimately diverted the money through another middleman. In the ensuing years, Imelda Cuellar allegedly continued to send false invoices for work she did not perform, federal officials say.

Imelda Cuellar then further disguised the bribes by writing small-dollar checks from her shell companies to her husband, according to the indictment.

What is known about her companies?

Imelda Cuellar is the sole owner of IRC Business Solutions, the first alleged shell company, which was incorporated in Texas in 2012. She converted the business to a limited liability company in 2014, records show.

Rep. Cuellar has regularly included the company in his annual financial disclosure reports, which describe IRC Business Solutions as an LLC that consults on business activities. The company first appears on his forms for the 2014 filing year, and the congressman reported that the company brought in between $50,001 and $100,000 in income.

That continued until the 2020 filing year, when Rep. Cuellar reported the companys income fell between $1,001 and $2,500. It has remained there since.

Imelda Cuellar also owns 60% of Global Gold Group LLC, the second alleged shell company, which was formed in 2017. Her daughters split the remaining 40% ownership, records show.

In his 2018 financial disclosure report, Rep. Cuellar described Global Gold Group as an LLC that provides general consulting services. He reported the businesss income between $50,001 and $100,000 that year and in 2019.

In 2020, he reported income between $201 and $1,000. It has similarly stayed that way at least through 2022, the most recent year for which his financial disclosure reports are available.
Antarctica is heavily protected from economic exploitation by a long-running international treaty. (Alamy) (Richard Cummins)

Concerns are being raised that Russia is prospecting parts of Antarctica for oil and gas and surveying the continent for military purposes amid warnings Moscow could breach a long-standing treaty critical to keeping the region conflict-free.

Russian research ships have already discovered reserves amounting to 511bn barrels of oil  roughly 10 times the North Seas entire 50-year output  according to evidence submitted to a committee of MPs.

In a meeting last week, the Commons Environment Audit Committee (EAC) raised concerns that Russia is carrying out surveys with the view to drilling the region for fossil fuels  which would constitute a breach of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty.

When asked about this by the committee's MPs, David Rutley, a junior minister at the Foreign Office, said that Russia had "recently reaffirmed its commitment to key elements of the treaty", adding: "They have to be held to account on this."

He said Russia has had a "long-standing programme of surveying and mapping the geology of Antarctica both on the land and on the seabed" and has repeatedly given assurances that its surveying is "purely for scientific purposes".

Asked if he was "content to believe Russia" on this, Rutley said: "We continue to monitor the situation and we continue to make our points fully heard... We've had a very successful treaty here. Geopolitical headwinds are challenging, but we need to stick to the course with this."

Why are people concerned by Russia's Antarctic surveys?

In evidence submitted to the committee, Klaus Dodds, professor of geopolitics at Royal Holloway College, said: "There is a worry that Russia is collecting seismic data that could be construed to be prospecting rather than scientific research."

He said this would "signal a potential threat to the permanent ban on mining" and the integrity of agreed-upon environmental protections for Antarctica as a whole.

Activists protest against Russia's polar research vessel, Akademik Alexander Karpinsky, as it enters Cape Town Harbour in April 2023. (Getty Images) (Gallo Images via Getty Images)

Professor Dodds added that, that since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, there had been "widespread concern" that Moscow's worsening relationship with the Western world "will spark strategic competition and make it ever more explicit in Antarctica".

The committee also raised concerns over reports by the Daily Maverick, a South African online journal, which said it discovered Russia's Antarctic activities after its survey ship, the Akademik Alexander Karpinsky, docked in Cape Town.

In an earlier report, it refers to the ship being sanctioned by the US in February over the Ukraine war. It refers to a statement by the US State Department, which identifies the ship as being operated by PMGE, a subsidiary of Rosgeo.

Rosgeo and its subsidiaries, the statement adds, perform a range of geophysical services in the search and exploration of oil and gas fields. We can confirm this vessel we designated last Friday is owned by a subsidiary of Rosgeo, which is the state-owned oil, gas and mining geological exploration [holding]."

Russia and China 'resisting new protections for Antarctica'

In June 2023, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) held a special meeting to try and resolve a six-year impasse in creating further marine protected areas in Antarctica.

China and Russia stalled progress on this by demanding more data, the Maritime Executive reports, adding that both nations have been blocking proposals to expand Marine Protected Areas since the idea was first proposed by Australia.

Concerns have been raised that China and Russia are obstructing efforts towards greater marine protection. (Alamy) (Mathias Rhode)

Commenting on this pattern in 2022, Tony Press, an adjunct professor at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania, called it a "weird politicisation of science".

Pointing to the threat of climate change in the region, he said: "The use of spurious science to block consensus is a major issue and needs to be dealt with."

In a meeting report, a US delegation said: "We cannot find any rationale for why Russia continues to ignore new data and analyses that disprove its hypothesis and simply conclude that Russias approach is intended to sow discontent and crush the spirit of collaboration that many of us share in CCAMLR."

What is the Antarctic Treaty?

Signed in Washington on 1 December 1959, the Antarctic Treaty is a framework designed to ensure peaceful coexistence and scientific cooperation on Earth's southernmost continent.

Antarctica is one of the few places on Earth that hasn't been fought over, and with scientists from 12 countries operating there by the late 50s, it made sense to form an international agreement to keep it that way.

The treaty was ratified by those 12 countries in 1961, but its number of signatories continued to grow and now stands at 56.

Among the 14 articles in the treaty is a resolution that Antarctica shall be "used for peaceful purposes only", with military activities and the establishment of military bases on the continent prohibited.

It protects the "freedom of scientific investigation" in Antarctica, and "cooperation toward that end", and says that "scientific observations and results from Antarctica shall be exchanged and made freely available".

The treaty also ensures that no activities will enhance or diminish previously asserted positions with respect to territorial claims. It also prohibits nuclear explosions and the disposal of radioactive waste.

Out of the 12 nations active in Antarctica at the time the treaty was signed, nine had made territorial claims over the continent or had reserved the right to do so.

However, all parties agreed that their political differences shouldn't interfere with research on the continent, and as a disarmament regime, the treaty has helped to prevent any territorial disputes.

Which countries have claimed territory in Antarctica?

The international partnership ensures that no single country "owns" Antarctica, although seven countries do have historical territorial claims over the continent.

Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom maintain territorial claims in Antarctica, which were made as expeditions began to explore the continent.

Most countries, including the United States, do not recognise these claims, according to the US Department of State.

A number of countries have historical claims to land in the Antarctic. (Discoveringantarctica.org.uk) (Discovering Antarctica.org.uk)

While neither the US nor Russia have made claims over the continent, both nations reserve the right to do so.

There is still an unclaimed section on the southwest of the continent, but many other countries including Italy, Japan, China, the US, Russia, India, Pakistan, South Africa and Poland have built research facilities in areas claimed by other nations  another example of the spirit of cooperation that has kept conflict away from Antarctica so far.

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Only a quarter of the deaths of car drivers in the past decade have been women - Sturti/E+

Its a perennial debate behind the wheel  do women drive better than men? Well, the French at last seem to have an answer. Their government has launched a campaign imploring male road users to drive like a woman to reduce the number of fatal accidents. Heres what people think about it in the UK

What the driving instructor says

Stuart Walker, a driving consultant at SWT Training in Wrexham, north Wales, says: There is no doubt in my mind that women are the safest drivers. And Ive spent 39 years training everything from lorries, cars, fleet, skids.

I think its a difference in attitude. I think men can be a bit macho and show off a little, and women dont.

He adds that women are specifically better than men at driving lorries. To me, they recognise the sense of responsibility and the duty of care to the public. And he adds that he has also found women to be better at managing skid risk.

I often get men who come to me with their wives or daughters and say they want me to give them skid training as they are worried about them driving in winter. The men will take part too, but I find the women seem to have mastered it after two or three goes, and the men still cant do it after 25.

Walker does, however, have some controversial qualifiers to his views. Please dont hate me  I have said women are largely the better and safer drivers by a long way.

But when it comes to reversing, and spatial awareness, and trying to judge gaps when parking, most women are just absolutely hopeless.

What the insurance company says

According to Hastings Direct car insurance, women often end up having lower car premiums than men. They say: Insurers use complex statistical algorithms to calculate prices. This means they look at real-world risk levels and the evidence shows women are safer drivers than men. Thats not to say that every female driver is safer than every male driver. But on average, more male drivers are involved in accidents each year.

They also point out that there are slightly more male drivers in the UK than female ones  53 per cent. And men are more than twice as likely to make a claim on their insurance, despite only driving 75 miles further a year on average.

You can no longer get dedicated car insurance for women that offers a discount: a 2012 EU legal challenge ruled that the practice of giving women discounts was discriminatory (insurers then stopped their discounted policies for female drivers and post-Brexit, the UK still follows this ruling). Still, based on specific criteria filled in when applying for insurance, such as power and cost of the car, the drivers job, where they live and history of claims and convictions, women still get cheaper prices. In 2020, women paid an average of 719 for their car insurance compared to 810 for men.

What The Telegraphs data expert says

The data couldnt be clearer, says Ben Butcher. In the past decade, over three-quarters of the 5,284 deaths of car drivers have been male.

This includes 367 deaths of men aged under 20, compared to 83 for women of the same age group. (Frances drive like a woman slogan was prompted by similarly gender-skewed statistics: women are eight times less likely to be involved in a fatal crash than men, with men responsible for 84 per cent of Frances road deaths.)

In UK courts, men are far more likely to get prosecuted for serious road offences, adds Butcher.

Of these offences, according to Ministry of Justice figures, men account for 83 per cent of all drink or drug driving offences, 86 per cent of driving using a mobile phone and 78 per cent of cases of speeding.

However, one area where men do appear to be better drivers is at the very beginning of the process.

Across all age groups, in 2021/2022 51 per cent of men passed their practical driving test, just ahead of the 47 per cent of women. However, when looking just at the youngest potential drivers  aged 17 or under  the gap in the pass rate is lower at 61 per cent for men and 59 per cent for women. In driving terms, thats about as equal as men and women will ever be.

What do you think? Tell us in the comments section below
A 14-year-old boy admitted stabbing Ian Kirwan in the chest and is now serving a life sentence - West Mercia Police/SWNS

The widow of a man who was stabbed to death outside an Asda has urged the teenage killer to rehabilitate and live a good life.

Ian Kirwan, 53, was knifed in the heart in Redditch, Worcestershire, after confronting a group of young people for messing about in a toilet.

A 14-year-old boy admitted stabbing Mr Kirwan in the chest on March 5 2022. He has since turned 16 and is serving a life sentence.

In her first public interview, Mr Kirwans widow Lyndsey said: The last two years of my life, I wouldnt wish it on anyone, even the defendants themselves.

[I would say to them] do better. Ian would want them to rehabilitate. He would want them to be better people. Take a positive out of this situation, learn from it.

Finish your education, be kind to people and be kind to yourselves. Have a future, travel, meet people, live a nice and decent life and live it to the full.

Learn from this experience.

Lyndsey Kirwan said: said: 'The last two years of my life, I wouldn't wish it on anyone, even the defendants themselves' - West Mercia Police/SWNS

In a video interview with West Mercia Police, Mrs Kirwan, 44, told how her husband had gone to the shops to buy a new bathroom light switch and pick up some food and wine when he was attacked.

She said: He was confronted by a group of lads who were messing about.

They approached him and a fight ensued and he was stabbed in the chest and died on the floor of Asda.

I knew something was wrong. He wasnt even due home and I knew something wasnt right, I just had this feeling.

I rang him and the police and checked the bank balance and nothing had changed. He just didnt come home.

After a police hunt, several teenage boys were arrested for his murder.

A police officer at the crime scene on March 5 2022 - SWNS

A 16-year-old boy - then aged 14 - who accepted inflicting the fatal blow was jailed for murder and ordered to serve a minimum term of 14 years.

Three other youths - two aged 14 and one aged 16 - were previously cleared of murder and manslaughter but found guilty of violent disorder.

A fifth boy, aged 16, was acquitted of murder, manslaughter and violent disorder.

During the ten-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court, it emerged the youths had met up at Asda with the intention of robbing a rival gang at knifepoint.

Mrs Kirwan revealed the pain and heartache of sitting through the trial and said she still suffered from daily bouts of anxiety.

She said: Half of me died that day.

I shouldnt know information about how you try to resuscitate a stab wound to the chest or know information about the legal system the way I do.

Nobody should hear these things about their husband, about their loved ones, ever.

Carrying a knife gives you a false sense of security.

If no one is carrying a knife, then everyone is safe.

I would urge parents to speak to their children, look for changes in their behaviour and talk to them about the repercussions of carrying a weapon.
William Noel: 'It was an extraordinary adventure to read the thoughts of a guy who lived over 2,000 years ago. In the field of old books nothing gets more romantic than that' - Weidenfeld and Nicolson

William Noel, who has died aged 58 from injuries sustained during a traffic accident, was an eminent scholar of medieval manuscripts best known for directing a project in which the latest technology was used to decipher lost works of Archimedes of Syracuse, the Greek mathematician and inventor who lived in the third century BC.

British-born and educated, Noel spent most of his career in the United States where he served as Curator of Manuscripts and Rare Books at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Founding Director of the Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies, and subsequently Associate University Librarian for Special Collections at Princeton University.

What became known as the Archimedes Palimpsest Project began in 1998 when an ancient and extremely tatty 174-page book called The Archimedes Codex was bought for $2.2 million at Christies, New York, by an anonymous collector.

The book was a palimpsest (a manuscript on which later writing has been superimposed on effaced earlier writing), much of which had already been transcribed in 1906. Most scholars assumed it contained nothing new, but the buyer sent it to the Walters Art Museum to be restored, conserved and probed for its content.

A page from The Archimedes Codex, in which the original text had been effaced and written over with prayers by a medieval monk - Alamy

What arrived was a torn and worm-eaten clump of parchment, charred at the edges, covered with mould, water stains and centuries-old drippings from wax candles, and rendered brittle with old carpenters glue. When Noel first examined the book he had to stop when the pages began to fall apart.

It had originally been a 10th-century Byzantine Greek copy of works by Archimedes and other authors. However, the manuscript had been washed and scraped down by a 13th-century medieval monk and written over with prayers. Only ghostly traces of the original remained, and due to the efforts of a 20th-century forger who had placed Byzantine-style religious images in the manuscript in an effort to increase its value, much of the original text was thought to be lost forever.

During a major restoration project headed by Noel, it took four years just to remove the glue and open the book sufficiently to allow experts to examine its contents. Then, with the help of high-tech tools  including x-rays from a particle accelerator  they began to read it, some technologies being invented as they worked.

It was an extraordinary adventure to read the thoughts of a guy who lived over 2,000 years ago, recalled Noel. In the field of old books nothing gets more romantic than that.

The findings enhanced Archimedess status as one of the worlds greatest scientists and mathematicians. The palimpsest contained the only known copy of his The Method of Mechanical Theorems, and it was only thanks to modern hi-tech analysis that scholars discovered that Archimedes had treated infinity as a number, a philosophical leap to a crucial concept of mathematics that would not be replicated until the 17th century.

The British edition of his book, co-written with Reviel Netz

Another major discovery was an Archimedes treatise about the Stomachion, an ancient game involving 14 pieces of various shapes that fit into a square in different combinations, in which the ancient Greek scholar sought to determine how many different combinations were possible.

It took modern scholars six weeks to determine that the answer that Archimedes gave  17,152  was the correct one. The calculations involved anticipated the modern field of combinatorics, a type of mathematics frequently used in computer coding and game theory.

In 2008 a digital version of The Archimedes Codex was released on the internet and Noel went on to become a leading champion of promoting digital access to rare manuscripts and finding ways to make them more accessible to scholars and the general public. In 2013 he was recognised as a White House Open Science Champion of Change.

Weve taken something expensive, fragile, inaccessible and unknown, he said in 2011, and made it available for free to anyone from their desktop... The rewriting of history is a fabulously wonderful and romantic thing.

The second of three children of Henry Noel, a businessman, and Helen, nee Hutchison, daughter of the Scottish portrait and landscape painter Sir William Oliphant Hutchison, William Gerard Noel was born on August 1 1965 and brought up at Frinton-on-Sea, where he acquired a lifelong love of sailing.

But it was medieval history that really grabbed his imagination. I was one of those people who found their passion early, he recalled. When I was about six, my Dad gave me a book called The Nursery History of England. It started out with Little Men and Big Beasts, and it ended with Queen Victoria... I got bored when the book reached 1381, the date of the Peasants Revolt. I just read the beginning, with pictures of Alfred the Great and King Canute and King Harold and the Battle of Hastings, over and over again. I was hooked.

His life path was confirmed at Marlborough College, where my history teacher was sublime; my science teachers were terrible. It was only when he began work on The Archimedes Codex that he discovered that science  ancient and modern  was actually incredibly cool.

After graduating in History of Art from Downing College, Cambridge, Noel went on to take a PhD in 1992 under Professor George Henderson, his research focussing on Anglo-Saxon and Romanesque psalter illustration. He then spent three years as a British Academy post-doctoral research fellow before moving to the US and the Walters Art Museum, which boasted a fabulous collection of illuminated medieval manuscripts.

Another of Noel's books

He recalled that when the owner of The Archimedes Codex insisted that the Palimpsest Project publish the raw data they were unearthing on the Internet, he thought it a nutty idea. However the experience fundamentally transformed me as a curator of rare materials and he went on to digitise other illuminated manuscripts under his care and present them on the Internet.

Noel held a number of posts at the University of Pennsylvania Libraries and in 2020 was appointed to his position at Princeton where, among other things, he led the digitisation of some 1,700 codices from the Islamic world.

Noel wrote or edited several studies dealing with medieval manuscripts and their illumination. The Archimedes Codex: How a Medieval Prayer Book Is Revealing the True Genius of Antiquitys Greatest Scientist (2008, co-authored with Reviel Netz of Stanford University) was a history of the palimpsest and an account of the work done on it over the first ten years of the project. In 2012 he gave a TED talk on Revealing the lost codex of Archimedes, which has been viewed by more than a million people.

Tall, slim and bespectacled, Noel wore his learning lightly and was quick to see the humour in situations. He was intensely loyal to his many friends, his family and a diverse community of colleagues, including from his Cambridge days, always making time for them, and staying in touch and trying to visit on frequent trips back to the UK.

In 2019 he gave the Sandars Lectures in Bibliography at Cambridge University Library on the topic of The Medieval Manuscript and Its Digital Image.

It was on a visit to Edinburgh that Noel was struck by a van on April 10. He was taken to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where he died 19 days later.

He is survived by his wife Lynn Ransom, also an expert on medieval manuscripts, and by their son Henry.

William Noel, born August 1 1965, died April 29 2024
The Laurie twins at home in Sandhurst. Georgia (right) will receive the Gallantry Medal, given for exemplary acts of bravery. Photograph: Aaron Chown/PA

A woman who punched a crocodile in the snout to save her sister is among the recipients of bravery awards included on the kings first civilian gallantry list.

Georgia Laurie attacked the reptile when it went for her twin, Melissa, dragging her underwater while they were swimming in a lagoon near Puerto Escondido, Mexico, in June 2021. Both sisters were seriously hurt but survived.

Georgia, 31, from Sandhurst in Berkshire, will receive the Gallantry Medal, which acknowledges exemplary acts of bravery. She described the award as a silver lining to their traumatic ordeal.

Its been a good thing for not just me but for the whole family. I feel like I have to share it with my sister because lets face it I dont think I would have been nominated for it if she didnt survive, she said. Whats made this story so incredible is Melissas unwavering bravery throughout it all because she was so strong during it and I dont think I would be here without her. She really gave me the strength to keep fighting.

Also to receive the medal is PC Zach Printer, who confronted the gunman Jake Davison while unarmed on August 2021 in Keyham, Plymouth. Davison killed his mother, Maxine, 51, and then shot dead Sophie Martyn, three, her father, Lee, 43, Stephen Washington, 59, and Kate Shepherd, 66, before killing himself.

PC Steven Denniss, who was stabbed in the leg while apprehending the double murder suspect Daniel Boulton while off duty in Louth, Lincolnshire, in June 2021, is also recognised. Boulton was wanted for the murder of his former girlfriend Bethany Vincent, 26, and her nine-year-old son, Darren Henson, and was later jailed for a minimum term of 40 years.

This years civilian gallantry list, which includes nine people, is the first to be approved by the king.

Lawrie Elsdon-Dew is recognised for protecting others during fierce fighting outside the British embassy in Sudan in April 2023, and Stacey Farrington and Jake Walker for stopping a speeding car travelling the wrong way on a motorway using an ambulance.

The Kings Commendation for Bravery goes to Stephen Ellison, who rescued a stranger from a river in Chongqing, China, in November 2020. Chhaganlal Jagatia, who helped people out of a burning hotel in Mati, Greece, in July 2018, and Paul Martin, who intervened during a knife attack in April 2021, also receive recognition.
The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday morning on his first visit to Ukraine since a major US aid package was passed last month, as Ukrainian forces struggle to defend against increasingly intense Russian attacks.

Blinken, who arrived by train from Poland in an unannounced visit, met Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, shortly after arriving.

We know this is a challenging time. But we also know that in the near term the assistance is now on the way, some of it has already arrived and more of it will be arriving, Blinken said. And thats going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield.

Zelenskiy described the US aid as crucial, and thanked Blinken, but also said Ukraine desperately needed two more air defence systems to protect the second city of Kharkiv, which has been hit repeatedly by Russian strikes in recent weeks.

Addressing Blinken in English, Zelenskiy said air defence supplies were the biggest deficit for us, with Russia conducting long-range aerial attacks since March that have pounded electricity facilities and caused blackouts.

Really we need today two Patriots for Kharkiv, for Kharkiv region because there the people are under attack. Civilians, warriors, everybody they are under Russian missiles.

Blinkens visit, his fourth to Ukraine since Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022, comes at a difficult time for Kyiv, with a Russian offensive in Kharkiv region leading to thousands of displaced residents and fears of losing territory already liberated from Russian control once in a 2022 counteroffensive. Ukraine is also struggling to mobilise new recruits to help address the discrepancies of weaponry and manpower in Russias favour along the frontline.

In recent months, the war in Gaza has drawn away attention from Ukraine, and there is also a fear in Kyiv of attention waning as the US moves into an election cycle.

Three weeks ago, Joe Biden signed a $60bn aid package for Ukraine after months of blocking by elements of the Republican party. The delay in passing the package was having a real impact on Ukraines ability to defend itself, officials in Kyiv have said.

The state department said Blinken would meet a range of top Ukrainian officials to discuss battlefield updates, the impact of new US security and economic assistance, long-term security and other commitments, and ongoing work to bolster Ukraines economic recovery.

A senior official travelling with Blinken told Reuters that artillery, air defence systems and long-range ballistic missiles had already been delivered to Ukraine since the aid package was approved.

Before Blinkens trip, the US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters in Washington DC that the White House was trying to really accelerate the tempo of US weapons shipments to Ukraine.

The level of intensity being exhibited right now in terms of moving stuff is at a 10 out of 10, he said.



Blinken is also due to give a speech in Kyiv on Tuesday, where he is expected to laud Ukraines strategic successes in the war, an attempt to provide some positive messaging amid the current gloom over Ukraines prospects of victory.
Michelle ONeill has rejected a claim from a former head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service that Stormont ministers failed to show leadership at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic.

Giving evidence to the Covid-19 inquiry in Belfast, Ms ONeill was shown a message sent by Sir David Sterling reflecting on what he referred to as an excruciating meeting of the Executive on March 16 where there was no leadership on display at all.

Senior counsel to the inquiry, Clair Dobbin KC, asked Ms ONeill to reflect on why the regions most senior civil servant might have come to that view on the conduct of that meeting.

Ms ONeill, who was deputy first minister between 2020 and 2022, replied: Theres no doubt it was a difficult meeting, but that doesnt equate to a lack of leadership. I think that equates to the complexity of the issues in which we were dealing and trying to work our way through.

I dont accept that it was a lack of leadership. I accept it was a difficult circumstance that were trying to navigate our way through.

Ms ONeill told the inquiry that a range of factors  including austerity policies advanced by the Government; diversion of attention to Brexit preparations; and the three-year powersharing impasse at Stormont from 2017 to 2020  had affected the administrations level of preparedness for an event such as a pandemic.

She agreed with Ms Dobbins suggestion that Stormont was woefully underprepared to go into a lockdown.

The counsel to the inquiry then showed Ms ONeill another message sent by Mr Sterling. That was an email written at the end of March 2020 in which he made some take away observations based on conversations he had had with people on the response to the pandemic.

One of those suggested ministers were not showing strong enough leadership. He wrote that ministers had not been required to make many difficult decisions due to the Government directing so much money into mitigation measures, but said when they had been faced with hard choices, such as over the closure of schools and businesses, they had been found wanting.

Ms ONeill again she rejected the assessment.

Once again, I dont agree with the HOCS assessment, she said.

Ministers were completely in the maelstrom of the pandemic, weeks into being back around the Executive table (after powersharing was restored).

She added: Ministers were faced with hard decisions and, quite frankly, is a bit rich for the head of the Civil Service to speak in that way whenever ministers were very clear that peoples whole lives were about to be disrupted, and particularly in terms of shutting down society, shutting down businesses, people losing their jobs. How did you go out and convince people that that was the thing to do with no mitigation whatsoever?

Ms ONeill said the Executive could only act when the Treasury provided the money to mitigate the consequences of lockdown.

She said closing schools and businesses was not easy.

Ministers are part of the community, ministers had families, ministers had the same worries and stresses that everybody else had and understood so acutely our local community and what their needs were, and I believe that their constant rock-and-a-hard-place decisions that they had to take, all those things weighed heavy on their mind, she said.

So thats really what Id offer in terms of that commentary. I think it was not easy. But we were determined to try and do our best.
Nicola Sturgeon will appear before Westminsters Scottish Affairs Committee on July 1 after having previously cancelled an evidence session.

Ms Sturgeon, who resigned as First Minister last year after more than eight years in the role, will appear as part of the committees probe into intergovernmental relations in the first 25 years of devolution.

Former first ministers Alex Salmond, Jack McConnell and Henry McLeish have already appeared before the committee.

Former prime ministers Tony Blair and Lord Cameron have also provided written evidence to the committee.

Ms Sturgeon was due to appear on April 29, but it was announced the previous week her evidence would be rescheduled due to her availability.

The former first ministers relationship with the UK Government under Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss was strained after her consistent push for another independence referendum for Scotland was repeatedly rejected by successive administrations.
Tributes have been paid to Vice Admiral Sir Clive Johnstone following his death at the age of 60.

Sir Clive, who died on Sunday, had been national president of the Royal British Legion (RBL) since May 2023 and addressed the RBL annual conference only a day before his death.

The charity described him as an extraordinary military leader and person of great integrity and intellect in a tribute.

In his short time as RBL national president, Sir Clive made a huge impact, and his loss will be felt across the charity and the Armed Forces community, the statement continued.

Sir Clive was knighted in the 2019 New Years Honours, having served as a vice admiral in the Royal Navy from 2015 until his retirement in 2019.

In 2007, he was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) by the late Queen.

I am so sorry to hear this. Clive was new to taking the helm at @PoppyLegion and I was excited for his time in office. A shock for all  thoughts and prayers with his family. https://t.co/Bmhh7Rq7Ao  Rt Hon Johnny Mercer (@JohnnyMercerUK) May 14, 2024

Veterans minister Johnny Mercer said the news came as a shock in a post on X.

The MP for Plymouth, Moor View said: I am so sorry to hear this.

Clive was new to taking the helm at @PoppyLegion and I was excited for his time in office.

A shock for all  thoughts and prayers with his family.

Sir Clive was educated at Shrewsbury School before studying anthropology at Durham University and joining the Royal Navy in 1985.

He served as commander of Natos Allied Maritime Command (Marcom) until 2019.

First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Ben Key said he was deeply saddened by Sir Clives death in a social media post, adding: He was an outstanding officer and inspirational individual who positively impacted the lives of so many.

He will be sorely missed. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Founded in the aftermath of the First World War, the Royal British Legion is a charity which supports serving members of the British Armed Forces, military veterans and their families.
A 16-year-old has been arrested after entering a Louisiana church with a gun.

The Abbeville Police Department said the incident took place Saturday morning at the St. Mary Magdalen Church.

There were around 60 children inside the church at the time of the incident, according to a church statement obtained by NBC News. They had been there to receive their first Holy Communion.

Before police arrived, parishioners stopped the teen from causing any harm. They confronted him and escorted him outside.

Once at the scene, police arrested the suspect, whom they did not identify by name, and ensured that there was no additional threat inside the church, Chief of Police Mike Hardy said in a press release posted to Facebook.

A livestream of the service posted by multiple news outlets showed screams erupting throughout the church before police entered. A voice, presumably of an officer, was later heard saying the suspect was apprehended and in police custody, and instructed churchgoers to get ahold of their children and proceed slowly.

The suspect was taken to the Abbeville Police Department and questioned under the presence of a parent, police said. He was then sent to Abbeville General Hospital Behavioral Unit to undergo a medical evaluation.

The teenager was charged with terrorizing and two counts of possession of a firearm by a juvenile, according to police.

The communion event resumed after the incident, and the church said in a message to members that it would have officers present at upcoming masses out of an abundance of caution."

An investigation remains ongoing.
A newly released map reveals the path suspected Idaho 4 killer Bryan Kohberger allegedly drove on his "stargazing" route in the hours leading up to the grisly quadruple slaying.

Citing cell phone records and surveillance video evidence, former FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer shared a time stamped, plausible map of Kohberger's alleged trip on X over the weekend, with a starting point of his home in Pullman, Washington, at around 2:42 a.m. on Nov. 13, 2022.

In his alibi filed last month, Kohberger's defense attorneys claimed the former criminal justice Ph. D. student was out "stargazing" at the time of the murders, and therefore couldn't be tied to the crime scene.

He pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder.

However, prosecutors argue DNA and video evidence, as well as cell phone data, incriminates Kohberger.

The map posted by Coffindaffer allegedly shows Kohberger traveling south through Pullman and hopping on to State Route 270 the morning of the alleged killings. SR 270 connects Pullman to Moscow, Idaho, where University of Idaho students Ethan Chapin, 20, Xana Kernodle, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, lived in their off-campus King Road neighborhood when they were allegedly stabbed to death.

Kohberger's vehicle is allegedly seen on surveillance footage making several passes by the victims' home between 3:29 a.m. and 4:20 a.m., according to the map. At 4:20 a.m., Kohberger's car is allegedly seen fleeing the neighborhood at a high rate of speed. At around 5:30 a.m., Kohberger's car is captured on several cameras back in Pullman.

Goncalves' family said last month they didn't buy Kohberger's "stargazing" alibi.

"We have been waiting on this information for months and it has finally arrived. It is so hard not knowing anything about the case and you find you have to cling to dates, motions and hearings in order to figure out anything. A big part of this has been waiting on the Alibi information. Now that it is here we feel even more confident in the prosecution of the Defendant. The Defense's claim is that the Defendant was driving late at night hiking/running and stargazing. We are not sure why it has taken over a year for this to come out as those don't seem to be complicated activities," the family said in a statement, in part, according to KREM-TV.

Coffindaffer previously called the defense's claims of Kohberger's whereabouts "a bunch of Malarkey."

A trial date has not yet been determined.
Voters in Maryland, West Virginia and Nebraska will head to the polls Tuesday as several closely contested Senate and House races take shape.

Prince Georges County Executive Angela Alsobrooks is running against Rep. David Trone (D-Md.) for the Democratic nod to take on former Gov. Larry Hogan (R) for a vacant seat thats seen tens of millions of dollars spent so far this year.

Trones decision to run for the Senate has left his House seat open, with a number of Democrats eyeing the seat, including a former Biden administration official and a Generation Z state delegate.

Meanwhile, Rep. John Sarbaness (D-Md.) retirement is pitting a former U.S. Capitol Police officer who defended lawmakers during the Capitol riot against several state senators.

Over in Nebraska, Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) is running for reelection against a conservative hard-liner while several prominent Republicans are battling it out for the GOP primary in West Virginias governors race.

Here are five things to watch in the Maryland, West Virginia and Nebraska primaries.

Who wins the Maryland Democratic Senate primary?

Alsobrooks and Trone are going head-to-head in the Old Line State to win the Democratic nod for outgoing Sen. Ben Cardins (D-Md.) seat. Trone has spent $61 million alone, making it one of the most expensive Senate primaries this cycle.

Alsobrooks, meanwhile, has enjoyed backing from much of the party establishment in Maryland, including from Gov. Wes Moore (D), Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), among others.

An Emerson College Polling/The Hill/DC News Now survey released last week found the two nearly in a dead heat, with Alsobrooks receiving 42 percent support and Trone receiving 41 percent, with the difference falling within the surveys margin of error.

Trone has made several stumbles amid his Senate campaign, including facing criticism after airing an ad in which one official vouching for Trone implied Alsobrooks needed training wheels. The Maryland Democrat was also forced to apologize following a House hearing where he mistakenly used a racial slur.

Whoever wins the Democratic primary will take on Hogan, a popular former two-term governor. Though Democrats are favored to win the seat in November, Hogans entry is forcing Democrats to spend money in what was initially considered a safe race.

What do the protest votes look like for Biden and Trump?

Both President Biden and former President Trump have been forced to contend with protest votes as the president faces backlash over the White House administrations handling of the Israel-Hamas war, and Trump continues to lose votes to people supporting former rival Nikki Haley.

Haley received 128,000 votes in the Indiana GOP primary last week  two months after she dropped out of the race against Trump. The former U.N. ambassador has also picked up not-insignificant portions of the GOP electorate in other states.

Trump defeated Biden in Indiana in 2020 by 16 points. Should Trump see similar or larger shares of GOP voters snub Trump in West Virginia, where he beat Biden by close to 40 points, and Nebraska, where he beat Biden by 19 points, they could portend more warning signs ahead of November.

Both men are sure to contend with protest votes in Maryland as well, particularly given the state is home to Hogan, a prominent GOP Trump critic. Biden won Maryland by more than 30 points in 2020, but he could see a sizable portion of the primary electorate casting votes against him as the Israel-Hamas war bedevils the White House.

Who emerges ahead in crowded Maryland House races?

Several Democrats in Maryland are leaving their seats open this cycle, creating several competitive primaries. Sarbanes, who represents the 3rd Congressional District, announced last fall he would not seek reelection.

The primary for his seat is a close match-up between former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn, who defended lawmakers during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, and two state legislators: Sarah Elfreth and Clarence Lam.

Trones departure has also opened up another large Democratic contest, which includes April McClain Delaney, a former deputy assistant secretary for communications in the Commerce Department in the Biden administration and wife to former Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.), and Joe Vogel, a 26-year-old state delegate.

Both seats are heavily Democratic-leaning ones, meaning whoever emerges the victor in each is considered the heavy favorite to win in November.

Who comes out ahead in the West Virginia gubernatorial race?

A small handful of Republicans in West Virginia with high name ID are battling it out to get the Republican nomination in the governors race to replace Gov. Jim Justice (R): state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey; businessman Chris Miller, whose mother is Rep. Carol Miller (R-W.Va.); former state Rep. Moore Capito, whose mother is Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and whose grandfather was a former governor; and Secretary of State Mac Warner.

Justice endorsed Capito last month, though recent polling has largely seen Morrisey leading in first place.

A flashpoint within the crowded GOP primary has surprisingly been a focus on transgender issues as candidates have sought to tack farther to the right.

You would think there are hordes of transgender [people] trying to cross the Ohio River into West Virginia. Its absurd, Charleston-based political strategist Tom Susman told The Hill.

Does Don Bacon survive his primary challenge?

Bacon is vying for a fifth term in the House, where hes battling it out against conservative hard-liner Dan Frei.

Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.), chair of the House Freedom Caucus, waded into the GOP primary to back Frei  prompting Bacon to endorse Goods challenger, John McGuire, as payback.

Bacon is likely to come out ahead in the GOP primary, which will set him up for a rematch against state Sen. Tony Vargas, a Democrat. Bacon beat Vargas in 2022 by more than 2 points.

Still, the fact Bacon has seen at least one House GOP lawmaker wading into the primary against him underscores bitter divisions that have been roiling the party in the lower chamber since last year.

Bacons seat will be critical in House Republicans pursuit to hold onto their narrow majority this fall.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Former President Trump on Monday laced into the New York judge handling his hush money trial after his former attorney, Michael Cohen, spent hours on the witness stand.

Trump was asked as he exited the courtroom why a handful of elected officials joined him at the courthouse, with Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and the attorney general of Iowa among them.

They think its a terrible thing that is happening to democracy in this country, Trump responded. We have a lot of them; they want to come. I say, just stay back and pass lots of laws to stop things like this.

Trump proceeded to read from a document for roughly five minutes that contained commentary from Republican lawmakers, legal pundits and commentators on cable television who expressed skepticism about the case or otherwise defended the former president.

Among those Trump cited were Vance, Fox News contributor Andy McCarthy, Fox News host Mark Levin and Washington Post columnist Marc Thiessen.

Its really a very sad day for the country. Its sad for New York, Trump said. We have a corrupt judge, and we have a judge whos highly conflicted, and hes keeping me from campaigning. Hes an appointed New York judge. Hes appointed.

In the closing minutes of Cohens testimony Monday, Trump was making edits to a document, crossing out various lines of text while making additions to other sections. That document was on the top of the stack of papers from which Trump was reading in the hallway.

Trump on Monday came face-to-face with Cohen, who is the prosecutions star witness in a case that charges Trump with falsifying 34 business records over a $130,000 hush money payment Cohen sent to a porn actor to keep her quiet about an alleged affair with the then-2016 candidate.

Cohen and Trump have since ferociously turned on each other, but Cohens first day in court was largely more subdued than expected.

Trump is not allowed to comment on witnesses under a gag order, and the judge last week directed Cohen to stop speaking publicly about the case ahead of his testimony.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a surprise trip to Kyiv on Tuesday, meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky as Russian forces make significant gains on the battlefield in Ukraine.

Blinkens visit was the first by a Biden administration official since the long-delayed passage of US supplemental funding to the war-torn country.

I have come to Ukraine with a message: You are not alone, he said during a speech at the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.

In their meeting Zelensky urged Blinken to provide more military support to the Ukrainian military, including additional air defense support. We want to get it as soon as possible, and the second point is air defense, the biggest deficit for us. I think the biggest problem is that we really need today two patriots for the Kharkiv region, because there are people  they are under attack, civilians, warriors, everybody  they are under Russian missiles, he told reporters.

Russia is pushing ahead with its new advance into northeastern Ukraine after making several major advances there over the past week  Moscows most significant gains since Kyivs forces recaptured Kharkiv in late summer 2022.

Blinken and Zelensky discussed recent battlefield updates and the importance of newly-arrived U.S. security assistance to helping repel Russian attacks, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a read-out following the meeting.

In a Monday evening address, hours before he met Blinken, Zelensky said: We understand how the enemy is acting and we see the plan to draw our forces back.

US President Joe Biden signed a $95 billion foreign aid package last month that includes nearly $61 billion for Ukraine, following a successful six-month campaign by the White House to build support in a House GOP conference increasingly resistant to sending more money overseas.

Blinken previously admitted that there was a cost to the delayed funding for Ukraine. But he focused his speech on what he said was support for Ukraine from a significant majority of Americans.

After the delay in approving the latest US assistance package to Ukraine, a delay that left you more vulnerable to Russias attacks, some Ukrainians may be wondering whether you can count on America to sustain its commitment, Blinken said in his speech. The $60 billion aid package that was approved by our Congress, with overwhelming support across both political parties in both houses of Congress, I think demonstrates that you can.

Before he met Zelensky, Blinken said that US weapons from that recent assistance package had started arriving in Ukraine, and more were on the way to help it succeed on the battlefield with Russia.

We know this is a challenging time, Blinken said. But we also know that in the near term, the assistance is now on the way. Some of it already arrived, and more of it will be arriving, and thats going to make a real difference against the Russian aggression on the battlefield.

He also praised the extraordinary courage of the Ukrainian people and said that we are equally determined that Ukraine stands strongly on its own feet, militarily, economically, democratically, a strong, successful, thriving, free Ukraine is the best possible rebuke to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin.

US will help build a force of the future

Amid Ukrainian setbacks on the battlefield, Blinken praised the countrys resiliance.

Theres one thing that Putin has always underestimated, but that Ukrainians understand to their core, and thats the fierceness with which free people will defend their right to shape their own destiny, Blinken said in his speech.

Blinken committed to helping Ukraine build its force of the future and reiterated that the US intends to make use of seized Russian assets to provide funding to Ukraine for their reconstruction.

Our Congress has given us the power to seize Russian assets in the United States. We intend to use it, said Blinken during the speech. What Putin destroyed, Russia should and must pay to rebuild.

Blinken said the US is working with other G7 countries to do the same with Russias immobilized sovereign assets.

The G7 can unlock billions of dollars and send a powerful message to Putin that time is not on his side, said Blinken without giving a timeline for when these efforts might be realized.

Western leaders have reacted with concern to Russias new and unexpected assault in Kharkiv. UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron acknowledged it was an extremely dangerous moment in the war, telling Sky News that Russia had effectively invaded [Ukraine] again.

During his fourth visit to Ukraine since the 2022 Russian invasion, Blinken also met Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba as well as with civil society and private sector partners.

Blinken also used his visit to highlight the need for Ukraine to continue making democratic reforms to maintain its global coalition of support.

Winning on the battlefield will prevent Ukraine from becoming part of Russia; winning the war against corruption will keep Ukraine from becoming like Russia, he said.

It is important that Ukraine keeps taking the difficult steps to strengthen and consolidate your democracy. Because the choices that you make, the kind of democracy that you build, will determine the strength and the staying power of the coalition by Ukraines side, Blinken said.

He called on Ukraine to root out the scourge of corruption once and for all and said the US will continue supporting Kyivs efforts.

Ukraines security is eroded if the resources for its military are siphoned off by individuals looking to enrich themselves. Ukraines economic potential is undercut if investors and innovators cannot count on a level playing field. Ukraines democracy is weakened if citizens stop believing that they can hold their government accountable and fix the flaws in their system from within, Blinken said.

Tough fight

Just days before Blinkens arrival, Ukraines top general said the situation in the northeastern Kharkiv region has significantly worsened after Russia claimed to have captured four more villages as it expanded its surprise cross-border offensive.

US officials acknowledge that the slowdown in US support, due to congressional infighting, has exacerbated a challenging situation for Ukraine.

There is no doubt there has been a cost, Blinken said over the weekend on CBS. Were doing everything we can to rush this assistance out there, he said. But its a challenging moment.

Some of the supplemental support is already on the front lines, Blinken said. Specifically the US has started to flow in ATACMS missile systems particularly with an eye towards Russias activities right now in Kharkiv, a senior US official added.

Its a tough fight. There is no question. But we have a lot of confidence that the Ukrainians will increasingly be effective in pushing the Russians back as our assistance flows in both from the United States and other allies and partners, the official said.

Russian forces have made advances south into Ukrainian villages in the Kharkiv region, after launching their surprise cross-border assault four days ago.

One of the main Russian efforts appears targeted on Lyptsi, described by one Ukrainian military blogger as a very important village due to its position on Ukraines second defensive line.

The intention behind Russias new push, which began in the early hours of Friday morning, is unclear; it may be to create a buffer zone designed to reduce Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory, or possibly even a renewed assault on the city of Kharkiv, 30 kilometers (18 miles) to the south.

Equally, it could be an attempt to draw Ukrainian forces away from other key Russian objectives further south  a rationale Zelensky offered in a Sunday evening address.

Officials have told CNN there will be a lag time between the approval of the billions earmarked for Ukraine in the aid bill and the arrival of the majority of the assistance that will make a significant difference on the front lines.

Those officials said Western intelligence believes Russia is seeking to exploit that gap in delivery time to further step-up air and ground attacks on Ukraine in what it sees as a window of opportunity.

State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told a news briefing Monday the US anticipates Russia will press forward in Kharkiv, and that while Russia may make further advances in the coming weeks, the US does not anticipate any major breakthroughs.

Over time, the additional influx of US assistance and continued support from partners will enable Ukraine to continue to withstand this kind of aggression, Patel said.

US officials have looked to find ways to quickly provide vital military supplies to Ukraine from the aid package, utilizing the presidential drawdown authority (PDA), which pulls equipment from existing US stocks.

Just moments after Biden signed the aid bill last month, the US announced a $1 billion PDA package, with the president saying at the time that shipments of the equipment to Ukraine would begin in the next few hours.

And on Friday, the US announced another PDA package worth $400 million and a $30 million sale of HIMARS, a rocket launcher that Kyivs military has used to great effect against Russian forces.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Monday that the administration would announce a third PDA package in the coming days, to really accelerate the tempo of the deliveries.

The delay put Ukraine in a hole and were trying to help them to get out of that hole as rapidly as possible, Sullivan said.

CNNs Andrew Carey, Maria Kostenko, Sandi Sidhu, Yulia Kesaieva, Dasha Tarasova, Josh Pennington, Radina Gigova, Alex Stambaugh and Michael Conte contributed reporting

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China has vowed to resolutely defend its interests in the face of huge new US tariffs and warned that the trade barriers would affect the wider relationship between the two economic superpowers.

President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced that tariffs on $18 billion worth of imports of Chinese electric vehicles and an array of other products would soar over the next two years.

The White House said the measures were designed to protect American workers and businesses in the face of Chinas unfair trade practices, including flooding global markets with artificially low-priced exports.

China firmly opposes the new tariffs, the countrys Commerce Ministry said in a statement.

The increase in  tariffs by the United States contradicts President Joe Bidens commitment to not seek to suppress and contain Chinas development and not to seek to decouple and break links with China, it said. This action will seriously impact the atmosphere of bilateral cooperation.

EVs imported from China will see their tariffs more than quadrupled from 27.5% to 100%  a policy lever meant to challenge Beijings practice of encouraging aggressively low pricing by domestic EV manufacturers while levying a 40% tariff on US car imports.

In addition to EVs, increased tariffs will apply to imports of Chinese steel and aluminum, legacy semiconductors, battery components, critical minerals, solar cells, cranes and medical products.

Tariffs on solar cells and semiconductors will double to 50%, while the remainder of the targeted imports will attract tariffs of 25%.

China opposes the unilateral imposition of tariffs which violate (World Trade Organization) rules, and will take all necessary actions to protect its legitimate rights, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters Tuesday shortly before the widely anticipated White House announcement.

The Commerce Ministry said China would take resolute measures to defend its rights and interests and urged the Biden administration to correct its wrongdoing.

Chinas global trade surplus in goods has soared in recent years and is now approaching $1 trillion, stoking tensions with the United States and Europe.

The Biden administration and European Union officials fear Beijing is trying to tackle a subsidy-fueled overcapacity problem in its decelerating economy by dumping excess products on global markets. Leaders from the Group of Seven developed economies will discuss how to protect their industries at a summit next month.

Responding to a separate question during the briefing, Wang added that the growth of Chinas new energy industry  including EVs, lithium batteries and photovoltaic products  is built on continued technical innovation, complete industrial and supply chains, and full-on market competition.

Our leading edge is a result of comparative advantage and the rule of markets combined, not (of) subsidies, Wang said.

This story has been updated with additional information.

Shawn Deng contributed to this article.

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Climate protesters interrupted two matches at the Italian Open on Monday, throwing confetti onto the court and gluing themselves to the stands, organizers said.

US player Madison Keys last-16 clash with Sorana Cirstea was delayed after protesters came on the court midway through the second set, organizers said, with both players going back to the locker rooms.

The protesters, wearing orange vests, sat on the playing surface before security staff removed them. In footage of the event, fans could be heard voicing their displeasure as the protesters ran onto court.

Other protesters glued themselves to the stands, organizers said in a statement.

With the audience furious against the protesters, police officers and firefighters also arrived, the statement read.

Keys went on to beat Cirstea 6-2 6-1 and advance to the quarterfinals, where she will face world No. 1 Iga Swiatek.

Protesters caused a stir in the stands at the Italian Open. - Dan Istitene/Getty Images

At the same time, similar events were unfolding at a doubles match on Court 12, where Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin were facing Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic.

After the protesters were removed and the match resumed, Arevalo and Pavic won 6-1 6-2.

The protest group, Ultima Generazione (Last Generation), posted a video on social media taking credit for the protests, saying they wanted to tirelessly reiterate that the climate and social crisis is here and that intervention is needed as soon as possible.

In the video, protesters at the Italian Open can be heard saying: We dont have any more water. We are in an emergency. You have to do something 

According to the Italian Open organizers, Ultima Generazione were in Rome to discuss some proposals and had already staged several protests.

The request from the environmentalists of Ultima Generazione is for a reparations fund for climate disasters, the statement added.

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) shot down speculation Monday that his wife, Casey DeSantis, has any interest in running for future office.

During a press conference Monday, DeSantis was asked whether his wife would consider running for Florida governor in 2026 after he finishes his second term in office. He said some people have floated her as a possible gubernatorial candidate because of her work as Floridas first lady.

If I had to characterize her interest in getting into the political thicket as a candidate, I would characterize it as zero, DeSantis said while smiling. Shes had a front-row seat on all the nonsense that goes on when you do it.

Florida limits governors to just two consecutive terms in office, prompting speculation as to who will be running to lead the Sunshine State in 2026. A recent poll by Florida Atlantic University (FAU) found that 38 percent of respondents would prefer Casey DeSantis in a hypothetical gubernatorial GOP primary over Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who received 16 percent of the vote.

The poll last month found that 26 percent said they do not know who they would support, and 20 percent said another candidate.

DeSantis launched his own bid for the White House last year but suspended his campaign earlier this year and endorsed Trump.

His wife, Casey, has been central to his campaigns for governor and president and a prominent figure throughout DeSantiss time in office.

She has launched numerous of her own initiatives, including Mamas for DeSantis in 2022 as part of her husbands reelection campaign. She also launched the Florida Cancer Connect Initiative following her own battle with cancer.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The last piece of privately-owned land in the Arctic archipelago Svalbard is up for sale for a cool 300 million euros ($324 million).

Spanning 14,830 acres (23.2 square miles), the land has significant environmental, scientific and economic importance, according to a listing from agent Knight Frank.

The archipelago is located between mainland Norway and the North Pole, and has taken on greater geopolitical importance as the sea ice melts, opening new shipping routes and increasing its strategic value.

The Arctic is of increasing geopolitical importance as climate change melts sea ice. - Knight Frank

Considering the geopolitical and strategical aspects, the commercial potential, the climate changes and the increasing interest of the arctic areas in general, the property represents a unique opportunity, according to the sellers.

The land is found at Wedel Jarlsberg in western Svalbard and can be reached in three hours by boat from Longyearbyen, the largest settlement in the archipelago, which offers regular flights to the Norwegian capital Oslo, according to the listing.

Located inside a fjord, the plot has five kilometers (three miles) of shoreline, as well as mountains, glaciers and an abundance of wildlife, reads the listing.

The land is governed by the Svalbard Treaty. - Knight Frank

An eventual buyer will in fact acquire Aktieselskabet Kulspids, a privately owned Norwegian limited company which owns the land.

Per Kyllingstad, a lawyer representing the sellers, told CNN that the company was formed more than a century ago by a group of wealthy industrialist families from Oslo, who explored the possibility of mining asbestos on the land.

Since discovering that this is not feasible, theres been almost no activity there, Kyllingstad said Monday.

The land is the last piece of private property in Svalbard. - Knight Frank

The ownership of the company has evolved since, and the current owners have decided that increasing interest in the Arctic means now is a good time to sell, he explained.

This is the last private land on Svalbard, said Kyllingstad, who added that there is huge potential for a variety of activities.

The lucky buyer will have permission to install wireless telegraphy installations, and the extreme northerly position of the property makes it an exceptional spot for satellite communications, he added.

Potential buyers include nation states, government agencies or ultra high net worth individuals, Jonathan Webb, a lawyer for Zeiler Floyd Zadkovich, an international firm which is working with Kyllingstad on the sale, told CNN.

In terms of trophy properties, this is in a different league, said Webb.

The purchaser will have to come from one of the 46 nations that have ratified the Svalbard Treaty, which established Norwegian sovereignty over the archipelago.

However, there are no restrictions on which nations can ratify the treaty, and all signatories have equal rights, said Kyllingstad.

While the sellers thought it fair to offer the land to the Norwegian government, they will ultimately sell to the highest bidder on the open market, he added.

While authorities in Oslo stepped in to buy another piece of land that was up for sale 10 years ago amid reported interest from China, the government cannot intervene to halt a sale to any treaty party, said Kyllingstad.

They are obliged to treat all the parties to the treaty equally, he said.

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Italy may have wine windows, but cloistered nuns have a sweeter surprise in Caceres.

Carrie Honaker

In Caceres, Spain, the fairytale city where much of House of Dragons was filmed, a sweet secret lies behind the hidden windows of three convents. Inside, cloistered nuns make cookies and sell them to the public using a bell, a lazy susan, and phrases spoken through a cloaked window.

Marco Mangut, a native of Caceres, visited these convents as a child with his father. The nuns make muffins, tocinitos de cielo (a dairy-free flan-like dessert), mantecados (shortbread cookies), and a few styles of sweets. He loves the perrunillas made with a secret recipe by the nuns at the Convento de San Pablo. The sandy but crunchy texture that melts quickly in the mouth is reminiscent of shortbread and emblematic of the Extremaduran region of Spain.

Following in his father's footsteps, Mangut leads private tours through the medieval cities in Extremadura. I remember when I was a little boy walking with my father and his groups around the old town and stopping by the convents to buy cookies from the nuns  this was a usual activity for us locals and is something in my earliest memories, Mangut said.

Carrie Honaker

At the Convento de San Pablo, the highest point in the city, a simple sign reading Se Venden Dulces Artesanos (roughly translated as Sale of Sweets) sits adjacent to an intercom button. We press the button and say the phrase, Ave Maria Purisima (Holy Mary, most pure), a nun responds Sin pecado concebida (conceived without sin), and a door opens to a shadowed portico where a list of Extremaduran sweets prepared by hand by the cloistered nuns sits next to an antique wooden turnstile. We order through the second intercom and place euros on the lazy susan, which rotates until the cookies arrive.

Mangut shed some light on the history of these local sweets. This convent was built in the 15th century and housed the unmarried girls of noble families forced to become nuns. They became Poor Clare nuns and made vows to live cloistered. There's always somebody in charge of buying the groceries to make their sweets and bringing them to the convent. When the nuns receive them there are two doors: one opens to the street, the other to the convent. This way nobody sees or interacts with them and they maintain their vows. All of their recipes have been handed down from generation to generation through the centuries, he said.

Poor Clare nuns  members of the Roman Catholic Franciscan Order of St. Clare, a religious order founded by St. Clare of Assisi in 1212  embrace lives of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and remain sequestered from the public view. They provide for themselves by the work of their hands (like cookie sales) and through alms of the faithful.

A few of these cookie-selling convents operate throughout Spain, and three sell their wares in Caceres alongside restaurants recommended in the Michelin Guide, like two-Michelin-starred Atrio, the site of an elaborate $1.7 million wine heist by a Mexican beauty queen and Romanian national, a host of paradores (Renaissance castles, monasteries, convents, and palaces transformed into luxury hotels), and modern museums like the Art Helga de Alvear. The Monasterio de Santa Maria de Jesus and the Convento Jeronimas join the secret cookie window industry, but Mangut stays faithful to the Convento de San Pablo and their tightly guarded recipes.

After youve rubbed the feet of San Pedro de Alcantara in the heart of the medieval city center, which are worn from rubbing them for luck in love (Mangut swears by it), climb the steps to the highest point in the city, find the secret cookie window, and indulge in this local Extremaduran tradition. Cash is still king and exact change is appreciated.

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Tel Aviv  Nearly 360,000 people had fled the Gaza Strip's southernmost city of Rafah by Monday, according to the United Nations, in an exodus that tripled in size over just a few days. The Israel Defense Forces sparked the upheaval late last week, issuing evacuation orders by text messages and fliers dropped from the sky to people in the city's eastern half.

Since then, IDF forces have pushed across the southern part of the Palestinian territory in what the military says are limited and precise attacks targeting Hamas militants and infrastructure.

The U.S. has repeatedly warned Israel against launching a major military ground operation in Rafah, fearing mass casualties. The White House, in tandem with other countries, has also increased pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to form a plan to address the humanitarian crisis caused by the war, and for the so-called "day after," to figure out who or what will replace Hamas as Gaza's governing body.

Pressure mounts on Netanyahu

The Biden administration cautioned again over the weekend that Israel needs an exit plan for the war, and that even if Hamas can be defeated, without a viable alternative to govern Gaza, the group long designated by both Israel and the U.S. as a terrorist organization could stage a comeback.

"You're going to have a vacuum, and a vacuum that's likely to be filled by chaos, by anarchy and, ultimately, by Hamas again," Blinken told CBS' "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan on Sunday. He stressed that the U.S. "will not support" an Israeli military operation in Rafah without a "credible plan to protect civilians."

Very public cracks are now appearing between Israel's government and its military, meanwhile. Senior military officials have started openly demanding that Netanyahu decide what will replace Hamas to run Gaza  saying if that isn't determined, Israeli forces could wind up stuck there.

Many Israeli troops' families have similar concerns. Over the weekend, a letter signed by 600 family members of current IDF soldiers called on Netanyahu's government to forego a Rafah ground assault, warning that it "could be no less than a death trap."

"Any reasonable person understands that when they have been announcing and warning for months about entering Rafah, there are those who are working to prepare the ground and harm the forces there," the families warned in the letter.

The Biden administration has made it clear it will not supply weapons for what it considers an ill-advised full-scale military operation in Rafah, but Netanyahu has refused to back down from his vow to carry out that assault, saying there are several Hamas battalions holed up in the city.

In an overnight phone call, Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant gave U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken an update on the war, including on "the precise operation in the Rafah area against remaining Hamas battalions," according to a statement from Gallant's office.

Gazans forced to flee again and again

In the southeast corner of Rafah, shattered neighborhoods were eerily quiet on Monday morning  abandoned after Israel's warnings of an imminent advance.



Hundreds of thousands of people who'd fled to the city on previous Israeli orders have fled once again, this time to the west of Gaza, to the coastal area of al-Mawasi, which Israel has made into a sprawling camp for the displaced.

Palestinians carry their belongings as they prepare to flee Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, May 13, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. / Credit: AFP via Getty

It may be out of the line of fire for now, but it is far from a safe refuge as thousands of families are exposed to the elements in tents pitched across a barren stretch of coastline.

Displaced mom who lost 6 of her 7 children "still in shock"

Just to the north, in a makeshift camp in Deir al Balah, Jamila Abu Jebara told CBS News she lost virtually her entire family to an overnight Israeli airstrike exactly seven months ago. Her husband and six of her seven children were killed. Neighbors were only able to pull her and her 10-year-old daughter Dema from the wreckage of their home.

"My 8-year-old son's body is still under the rubble," she said. "I'm waiting for a cease-fire to pull him out."

Beyond that, the now-single mother said she had no plans for the future, "because I am still in shock."

"As a mother, I need to stay strong for my daughter Dema, so I can take care of her and build her future. She is with me constantly, and I don't like her to go anywhere without me. She even sleeps with me."

Dema Abu Jebara, 10, sits next to her mother Jamila (center) as they speak with CBS News in a makeshift camp for displaced Palestinians in Deir al Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, May 12, 2024. / Credit: CBS News

"I wish this war would end," her daughter Dema told CBS News.

Many Israelis have the same wish. On Sunday, as Israel marked its Memorial Day, the country mourned its dead soldiers and the roughly 1,200 victims of Hamas' Oct. 7 terrorist attack, which sparked the current war.



But as dozens of families push Netanyahu to agree to a deal to bring home the roughly 100 Israelis still believed to be held hostage by Hamas or other groups in Gaza, the prime minister's remarks at a memorial service were unequivocal.

"We will keep going until victory," he said, vowing to complete his stated mission to "destroy Hamas."

At the camp in Deir al Balah, Abu Jebara told CBS News she wished she could have protected her six children from Israel's attacks.

"I wish I'd died and they had lived," she said, adding an appeal as Americans marked Mother's Day:

"My message to any mother: See our lives and see our sorrows. I'm one of countless mothers who have lost."

CBS News' Tucker Reals contributed to this report.

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The notorious Haitian gang leader known as "Barbecue" accused the U.S. of going against the "will of the Haitian people" when it helped a group of regional powers establish a nine-member transitional council last month to bring political stability to the impoverished Caribbean nation, according to a report Monday.

The former police officer, real name Jimmy Cherizier, also blamed Haiti's government for the recent spike in gang violence that left about 2,500 people dead or wounded during the first three months of 2024, National Public Radio reported.

"The transitional council is not the will of the Haitian people. This is what Washington wants," Barbecue told NPR. "And this is what they have imposed."

Barbecue, who leads the G9 federation of gangs in the capital of Port-au-Prince, claimed that Haiti's gangs were fighting against rich Haitians who've exploited the country and its citizens.

But when challenged with reports of gang members extorting poor people, raping women and burning homes, he didn't deny them, NPR said.

"Everything you say right now is true," he said. "But all of the extortion and all of the mistreatment is because the government allowed those things to happen."

Barbecue claimed that Haiti's government and elites had used the chaos to remain in power, and he accused the U.S. of bearing some "responsibility" for the situation, NPR said.

Barbecue told NPR that Haiti's gangs were prepared to keep fighting and spill a lot more blood so that an international peace-keeping force, approved last year by the United Nations and expected to arrive soon, would eventually get tired and give up.

When asked if he expected to survive the predicted carnage, Barbecue said, "My life depends on God and my ancestors."

"If the Haitian revolutionary Jean-Jacques Dessalines worried about his life, Haiti wouldn't be free today," he added.
More than half a million Palestinians have been displaced in recent days by escalating Israeli military operations in Rafah and northern Gaza, the United Nations says.

Israelis celebrated their Independence Day on Tuesday with barbecues in parks across the country, although the normally raucous parties were smaller and quieter this year because of the war in Gaza.

No food has entered the two main border crossings in southern Gaza for the past week. Some 1.1 million Palestinians face catastrophic levels of hunger  on the brink of starvation  according to the United Nations. A full-blown famine is taking place in the north.

Around 450,000 Palestinians have been driven out of Rafah in Gaza's south over the past week, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said Tuesday. Israeli forces are pushing into the city, which they portray as the last Hamas stronghold.

In northern Gaza, Israeli evacuation orders have displaced at least 100,000 people so far, U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters Monday. Israeli forces are battling Palestinian militants in areas the military said it had cleared months ago.

Seven months of Israeli bombardment and ground offensives in Gaza have killed more than 35,000 people, most of them women and children, according to local health officials.

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:

 Palestinians mark 76 years of dispossession as a potentially even larger catastrophe unfolds in Gaza.

 Misery deepens in Gazas Rafah as Israeli troops press operation.

 Israelis mark a subdued Independence Day under the shadow of war in Gaza.

 Amsterdam university cancels classes after violence erupted at a pro-Palestinian rally.

 Harvard students end protest as university agrees to discuss Middle East conflict.

Follow APs coverage of the war in Gaza at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Here's the latest:

WHITE HOUSE ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN WILL TRAVEL TO ISRAEL AND SAUDI ARABIA, U.S. OFFICIAL SAYS

WASHINGTON  White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan is expected to travel to Israel and Saudi Arabia this weekend, according to a U.S. official, amid growing American unease as Israeli forces push deeper into the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

The official, who requested anonymity to discuss the pending travel, did not disclose further details about who Sullivan would meet with during the trip.

Sullivan told reporters on Monday that he expected to meet with his Israeli counterpart in a matter of days to talk further about the best way to ensure Hamas defeat everywhere in Gaza, including in Rafah.

The Biden administration has been pressing Israel to forgo a large-scale operation in Rafah, and administration officials last week confirmed that the U.S. withheld a shipment of about 3,500 bombs for Israel out of concern they would be used in the densely crowded city.

Sullivan had planned a visit to Saudi Arabia last month but postponed that trip because he was recuperating from cracked ribs.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to comment on Sullivans travel.

___

Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.

ISRAELI STRIKE IN SOUTHERN LEBANON CITY KILLS 1 PERSON AND WOUNDS 2 OTHERS

BEIRUT  One person was killed and two wounded in an apparent Israeli drone strike on a car on a busy thoroughfare near the coastal city of Tyre in south Lebanon on Tuesday evening, emergency responders said.

There was no statement from the Israeli military on the strike, and it was not immediately clear who had been killed.

Lebanons civil defense said in a statement that its responders had extinguished a fire that broke out as a result of the strike and had recovered the body of one person and transported two others to a nearby hospital.

Israel has frequently carried out targeted strikes in Lebanon in recent months, against the backdrop of daily clashes between Israeli forces and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and allied groups. The fighting has taken place in the border region between the two countries, and sometimes beyond.

More than 370 people have been killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon, most of them militants but also including more than 70 civilians and noncombatants, while strikes from Lebanon have killed at least 15 soldiers and 10 civilians in Israel.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a speech Monday reiterated his groups stance that it would keep up its strikes until Israel ends the war in Gaza.

UNITED NATIONS BLAMES ISRAELI TANK FOR DEADLY ATTACK ON U.N. VEHICLE, AND GIVES DETAILS ON CASUALTIES

UNITED NATIONS  The United Nations is giving more details about Monday's deadly attack on a U.N. convoy in Gaza, saying an Israeli tank attacked a clearly marked U.N. vehicle. A U.N. security officer from India was killed and another security officer from Jordan was wounded.

The United Nations has no doubt that shots from an Israeli tank hit the back of a white U.N. vehicle en route to the European hospital in Gazas southern city of Rafah, but wants to know the circumstances, said U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq on Tuesday.

He told reporters that the U.N. Department of Safety and Security, which employed the two staffers, has set up a fact-finding panel and the United Nations is in discussion with Israeli authorities.

Israel drew international outrage last month for killing seven charity aid workers in Gaza with a series of drone strikes targeting their vehicles, which were also clearly marked. Israel dismissed two officers over the killings, saying they violated the armys rules of engagement.

Haq identified the U.N. staff member killed as Waibhav Anil Kale. He is the first international employee of the United Nations to be killed in the current war in Gaza.

On his LinkedIn page, Kale said he left the Indian army as a deputy sector commander in July 2022 and then worked for Amazon as a program manager until June 2023. He joined the U.N. in April as a security coordination officer. Indian media said he was 46 and a retired army colonel.

Jordans Ministry of Foreign Affairs identified the injured U.N. staffer as Yara Dababneh and said a Jordanian military aircraft would fly her from Jerusalem -- where she was being transferred -- to Amman for treatment at Al-Hussein Medical City, a military medical complex.

Shes receiving medical attention, Haq said. We believe that she will make it through.

A HOSPITAL IN RAFAH IS FORCED TO SHUT DOWN DUE TO ISRAELI INCURSION, SAYS MEDICAL AID GROUP

CAIRO  The international medical aid group Doctors Without Borders says a field hospital it was supplying in Rafah has been forced to shut down because of Israels incursion into the southern Gaza city.

The group said Tuesday that the 22 patients at the Rafah Indonesian Field Hospital were transferred to other facilities or sent home, and 180 staff were pulled out.

The 60-bed hospital had been treating war wounded since December, according to the group, which goes by the French acronym MSF.

The latest evacuation orders from the Israeli military covered an area that comes to within a block of the hospital, MSF said. Although the hospital was not in the zone, they decided to leave for the protection of staff and patients, it said, citing Israels deadly and destructive raids on hospitals across the Gaza Strip during its 7-month-old campaign in the territory.

According to the U.N., 24 of Gazas 36 hospitals have shut down, with the rest only partially operating. Nine field hospitals are also set up in the territory, including six in Rafah, according to the U.N. MSF warned that the field hospitals cannot cope with a massive influx of wounded civilians, on top of overwhelming medical needs. They can in no way replace a functional health system.

Israels escalating incursion into Rafah the past week has driven some 450,000 Palestinians to flee the city, many of them setting up new sprawling tent camps further north. Israel has seized the Rafah crossing into neighboring Egypt and has stepped up bombardment and ground incursions into parts of the city, saying it aims to root out Hamas fighters who remain there.

UNITED NATIONS CHIEF IS APPALLED BY ISRAEL'S ESCALATING MILITARY ACTIVITY IN RAFAH

UNITED NATIONS  The United Nations chief is appalled by the escalation of military activity in and around Rafah by the Israeli Defense Forces, which is further impeding desperately needed aid deliveries and worsening an already dire situation, the U.N. says.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also criticized the indiscriminate firing of rockets by Hamas militants, U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters Tuesday.

For people in Gaza, nowhere is safe now, Haq quoted Guterres, who is in Oman, as saying.

The families being displaced from Rafah are arriving at sites that lack shelter, latrines, and water points, Haq said. However, it is impossible to improve the situation at displacement sites if supplies cant enter Gaza  and if we lack the fuel to transport them inside Gaza to the families who need them.

The U.N. agency helping Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, estimated that as of Monday nearly 450,000 people had fled Rafah within the previous week, Haq said. Before the incursion began last week, Rafah was housing some 1.3 million Palestinians, most of whom had fled fighting elsewhere.

Guterres called for the immediate reopening of the Rafah crossing from Egypt, a key delivery route for humanitarian supplies and fuel, which the Israeli military took control of last week.

The secretary-general also reiterated his urgent appeal for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire, the release of all hostages taken during Hamas Oct. 7 attack in Israel, protection for civilians and unimpeded access for aid workers throughout Gaza.

In another setback to the delivery of aid, the U.N. humanitarian office reported that Israeli settlers in the West Bank attacked aid trucks bound for Gaza on Monday.

The settlers offloaded and vandalized the vehicles at the Tarqumiya checkpoint and near the barrier by Beit Awwa and several trucks were damaged, he said.

Haq said: Israel must protect against violence by Israeli settlers and ensure that all allegations of settler violence are investigated, and the perpetrators are prosecuted.

ISRAEL FIRES DEADLY STRIKE INTO U.N. SCHOOL IN GAZA, SAYING IT WAS A HAMAS COMMAND POST

JERUSALEM  Israel said it struck a school run by the United Nations in central Gaza on Tuesday, allegedly killing 15 militants who were using part of the school as a war room for Hamas commanders.

A Palestinian doctor at the hospital where casualties were taken, Omar Deirawy, said the strike hit a shipping container used as a post by the Hamas-run police in a school-turned-shelter in the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing four policemen. The police are a civilian force distinct from Hamas military wing.

Video from the scene showed twisted sheets of metal from the strike in what appeared to be a yard of the school. The Palestinian Civil Defense, an emergency service operating in Gaza, identified the school as one run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA.

The Israeli military said 10 of those killed were member of Hamas and did not specify the identity of the other five. It said Hamas was using the school as a command center but provided no evidence.

The differing accounts and tolls could not be independently confirmed. UNRWA told The Associated Press they were not able to comment on Tuesdays report but said any report of a violation of a U.N. premises must be investigated.

Throughout the war, Israeli forces have struck hospitals, schools and other U.N.-run facilities sheltering Palestinian families fleeing their bombed-out homes. Israel blames civilian deaths on Hamas, saying militants operate among the population.

Israel accuses UNRWA, the largest aid group operating in the war-stricken enclave, of collaborating with Hamas and turning a blind eye to the militant groups activities in Gaza. It has repeatedly accused militants of operating out of UNRWA schools. The agency denies the claims.

More than 160 UNRWA facilities have been damaged and 191 U.N. staffers have been killed in the war, according to the U.N.

ISRAEL'S FAR RIGHT SEEKS REOCCUPATION OF GAZA

SDEROT, Israel  Thousands of people marched in the southern Israeli city of Sderot on Tuesday calling for the a return to military occupation for Gaza once the war is over.

Far-right Israelis are calling for the reestablishment of settlements in Gaza, saying they're needed to protect the country. Israeli troops withdrew from Gaza in 2005, uprooting some 9,000 settlers in a move that bitterly divided Israel.

We want to tell everybody in Israel and everybody in the world that Gaza is very very important to us and it has to be again in Israeli hands. Because if it wont be in Israeli hands we wont finish the things that we started doing in this war, said Smadar Dei, one of the marchers.

The Biden administration says it wont accept a return of Israeli military occupation of the Gaza Strip.

Sderot, which is a few kilometers from Gaza, was one of the first towns impacted when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, and the war is still very much felt in the area.

On Tuesday, which is Israel's independence day, supporters snaked through the city, waving Israeli flags, dancing and singing Hebrew songs against the backdrop of outgoing Israeli shelling into Gaza followed by plumes of smoke.

Rockets were also fired into Sderot from Gaza on Tuesday as people ducked for cover. Associated Press reporters saw what appeared to be the interception of rockets in the sky.

Supporters of reoccupying Gaza said the only way to secure Israel is by expanding Jewish settlements across the territory.

Instead of this smoke we want to see Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip, said Daniella Weiss, one of the organizers who's known as the godmother of the settler movement.

No more smoke or bombs, no more shelling on Sderot, she said.

U.N. SAYS ITS CONVOY WAS ATTACKED DESPITE BEING CLEARLY MARKED AND ANNOUNCED IN ADVANCE

GENEVA  The United Nations said Tuesday that a U.N. convoy that was attacked in Gaza a day earlier, killing an Indian staff member and injuring another staffer, was clearly marked and its planned movements had been announced in advance to Israeli authorities.

The Israeli military said previously that it was investigating the incident, which occurred near Rafah in southern Gaza, and that an initial inquiry showed the vehicle was struck in an active combat zone and that Israeli Defense Forces had not been made aware of the route of the vehicle.

Rolando Gomez, a U.N. spokesman in Geneva, told a regular briefing that the U.N. informs Israeli authorities of the movement of all its convoys in Gaza.

This is a standard operating procedure. That was the case yesterday morning," Gomez said.

The U.N. says the incident marked the first time that a U.N. international staff member has been killed since Israel launched a military offensive in Gaza after the deadly Oct. 7 attacks in Israel led by the militant Palestinian group Hamas.

The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, the main provider of aid in Gaza, says at least 188 of its employees have been killed since the start of the war.

Gomez said the death of the security staffer  whom he identified as an Indian national  was a sheer illustration that there is really nowhere safe in Gaza at the moment, and that the convoy was on its way to the European Hospital in Rafah.

NEARLY 450,000 PEOPLE HAVE FLED FROM RAFAH, U.N. SAYS

JERUSALEM  The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees says nearly 450,000 people have fled from Gazas southern city of Rafah since Israel launched an incursion there last week.

In a post on the social platform X on Tuesday, UNRWA said people face constant exhaustion, hunger and fear. Nowhere is safe. An immediate #ceasefire is the only hope.

The U.N. said Monday that another 100,000 people have been displaced in northern Gaza. Israel has ordered new evacuations in the north as it battles a resurgent Hamas in areas that were heavily bombed and cleared by ground troops earlier in the war.

That would mean nearly a quarter of Gazas population of 2.3 million people have been displaced in just the last week, more than seven months into the Israel-Hamas war.

The fighting in Rafah has made the two main border crossings into southern Gaza largely inaccessible, while newly opened crossings in the north only allow in a trickle of aid.

Humanitarian organizations say they are struggling to provide dwindling supplies of food, tents and blankets to the large numbers of newly displaced.

Israel has portrayed Rafah as Hamas last stronghold in Gaza and has said it must operate there in order to defeat the group and return scores of hostages captured in the Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war.

Before the incursion began last week, Rafah was housing some 1.3 million Palestinians, most of whom had fled fighting elsewhere.

QATAR PRIME MINISTER PLEDGES TO KEEP MEDIATING BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS AND SAYS A CEASE-FIRE IS REQUIRED NOW

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  Qatars prime minister said Tuesday that Doha would continue in its work as a mediator between Israel and Hamas amid the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip and that a cease-fire is required now.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who also serves as Qatars foreign minister, acknowledged that there had been a reassessment over its role as a mediator in recent weeks after facing widespread criticism by Israeli media outlets and politicians there. However, he said Qatar would continue in its work, though he noted that the country didnt want to be used or abused as a mediator.

We need to stop the killing, Sheikh Mohammed said. We need to stop (the) atrocities thats happening and, of course, negotiate a deal for the hostages.

However, he added: Its at the hands of the parties at the end of the day. He described the Israeli side as having no clarity over how to stop the war as it continued to squeeze in around Rafah, the city in the southern part of the Gaza Strip where many have fled amid the 7-month war there.

Sheikh Mohammeds remarks also suggested Hamas would continue to be based out of Doha. The militant group has had a political office there since 2012. Both Qatar and Egypt have served as mediators in negotiations over the war, which saw one cease-fire in November that saw Israeli hostages released in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.

Sheikh Mohammed spoke at the Qatar Economic Forum, put on by the Bloomberg news agency.

___

Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell contributed.

RIGHTS GROUP SAYS ISRAELI MILITARY HAS CARRIED OUT AT LEAST 8 STRIKES ON AID WORKERS AND THEIR CONVOYS

JERUSALEM  Human Rights Watch says Israeli forces have carried out at least eight strikes on aid workers and their convoys, killing at least 15 people, including two children, since the start of the war in Gaza.

The New York-based rights group said in a report Tuesday that in each case the aid groups had provided their coordinates to Israeli authorities to ensure their safety. It says no advance warning was given before the strikes, which also wounded at least 16 people.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says over 250 aid workers have been killed since the start of the war, mostly Palestinian employees of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, the main provider in the territory.

The Israeli military says it is investigating after a member of a U.N. security team was killed while driving in the southern city of Rafah on Monday. The military said the shooting occurred in an active combat zone and that it had not been informed of the vehicles route.

The U.N. said one of its international staff was killed and another wounded on Monday when their clearly-marked U.N. vehicle was fired upon. It did not say who was responsible or provide the nationalities of the staffers.

Human Rights Watch says the eight incidents it documented reveal fundamental flaws with the so-called deconfliction system, meant to protect aid workers and allow them to safely deliver life-saving humanitarian assistance in Gaza.

Belkis Wille, associate crisis, conflict, and arms director at Human Rights Watch, said Israels allies need to recognize that these attacks that have killed aid workers have happened over and over again, and they need to stop.

Israel came under heavy criticism last month after launching a series of strikes that killed seven aid workers with World Central Kitchen, the charity founded by celebrity chef Jose Andres.

Israel acknowledged its forces had made a mistake in that case. It later said it had dismissed two officers and reprimanded three more for mishandling critical information and violating the armys rules of engagement.

Aid organizations say their ability to deliver life-saving assistance to Gazas 2.3 million people has been hampered by Israeli restrictions, ongoing fighting and the difficulty of coordinating movements with the Israeli military. The U.N. says severe hunger is widespread in Gaza and that the northern part of the territory is experiencing full-blown famine.

Human Rights Watch says Israel did not respond to a request for information on the strikes sent on May 1. The military did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

ISRAELI STRIKES IN CENTRAL GAZA KILL AT LEAST 12 OVERNIGHT, PALESTINIAN OFFICIALS SAY

JERUSALEM  Palestinian officials say Israeli strikes in central Gaza killed at least 12 people overnight and into Tuesday.

The Civil Defense says its first responders recovered eight bodies from a three-story house that was flattened in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp. Four of the dead, including two men in their 60s and two women, were brought to a nearby hospital.

Another strike hit a caravan used by the Hamas-run police in a school-turned shelter in Nuseirat, killing at least four police officers.

The nearby Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital recorded the deaths.

Israel has repeatedly targeted Gazas police force as part of its campaign to dismantle the groups military and governing abilities. The police in turn have largely vanished from the streets, contributing to a breakdown in law and order that has hindered humanitarian aid operations.

Gazas Health Ministry says a total of 82 people killed in Israeli strikes have been brought to hospitals in Gaza in the last 24 hours, as well as 234 wounded people.

It says a total of 35,173 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war, which was triggered by Hamas Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel. The ministry does not differentiate between fighters and civilians in its tallies.

The Israeli military says it has killed over 13,000 militants, without providing evidence.

WHITE HOUSE ADVISER SAYS ISRAEL RISKS AN ENDLESS COUNTERINSURGENCY IN GAZA

WASHINGTON  White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday that the U.S. administration has expressed concerns to Israeli officials about becoming mired in a counterinsurgency campaign that never ends as Israel's War Cabinet remains focused on carrying out a major operation the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

The comments from a top adviser to President Joe Biden came a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken cautioned that Israel could be left holding the bag on an enduring insurgency in post-war Gaza.

Look, we have painful experience in counterinsurgency campaigns fighting terrorists in urban environments, in populated areas, said Sullivan, referring to long U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And we know that it is not as simple as executing a military operation and calling it a day.

Sullivan added that, One of the risks of engaging in any kind of counterinsurgency campaign is the ability of the terrorist group to attract more recruits and more followers as time goes on.

Sullivan said he spoke to his Israeli and Egyptian counterparts on Sunday about redoubling diplomatic efforts on a hostage-for-truce negotiations, and that U.S. officials would have further conversations with the Israelis in the coming days about how Israel can refine its plan to go after Hamas militants in Rafah while lessening the risk to Palestinian civilians.

He also pushed back against growing criticism from around the globe  as well as American critics of Israels prosecution of the war  who say Israeli forces are committing a genocide against the Palestinians.

Egypt, a key U.S. ally, said it would join South Africa's case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, which accuses Israel of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention.

I cant say that its helpful to the discussions between Egypt and Israel to try to sort through assistance and access issues, Sullivan said of the move announced Sunday by Cairo, which along with Qatar is a mediator in the cease-fire talks.

The top United Nations court has concluded there is a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza  a charge Israel strongly denies.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's charity, established after they stepped down as senior British royals, has been declared delinquent by the California Registry of Charities and Fundraisers. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markles Archewell Foundation  the charitable initiative they started in 2020 after stepping down as senior British royals  has been declared delinquent by the California Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, with all fundraising paused. The charity says a check that was submitted went missing in the mail.

 What just happened?

Californias attorney general, Rob Bonta, sent a letter to the couples foundation stating its delinquent with the Registry of Charities and Fundraisers for failing to submit its required annual report and renewal fees.

An organization that is listed as delinquent is not in good standing and is prohibited from engaging in conduct for which registration is required, including soliciting or disbursing charitable funds, the letter, dated May 3, stated. The organization may also be subject to penalties and its registration may be suspended or revoked by the Registry. Once the necessary paperwork is received, the charity will be notified of any late fees that are owed.

The letter sent to Archewell Foundation. (rct.doj.ca.gov)

Page Six was first to report the delinquency on Monday, with an Archewell Foundation source initially telling the outlet that the reason for the lateness was they filed for an extension.

A source later told the same outlet  as well as People magazine  that the paperwork actually was filed on time, but a check sent with the filing was never received. The foundation wasnt notified about the missing payment until the delinquency notice was issued.

A new check was sent by the Archewell Foundation, which expects the issue to be resolved within seven business days, a source told People.

A rep from the Californias attorney generals office has not responded to Yahoo's request for comment.

 What is the Archewell Foundation?

When the pair left England and settled in Markles native California, they announced the launch of Archewell to continue their charitable efforts. The name of their charity was inspired by their son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. Arche is the Greek word meaning source of action, which the couple connected to their charitable efforts. The goal, they said, was to do something of meaning, to do something that matters. (Their daughter, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, was born in 2021.)

The Archewell Foundation has partnered with charitable organizations including chef Jose Andress World Central Kitchen; Halo Trust, a land-mine-clearing charity once supported by Princess Diana; and GEANCO Foundation, which does surgical missions to Nigeria. It provided millions of COVID-19 vaccines and served over 50,000 meals. It helped build a playground in Uvalde, Texas, and created L.A. charity Harvest Homes baby boutique, where moms can get donated supplies.

 Finances

The Archewell Foundation website launched in October 2020, but there were no earnings until 2021, when the charity received $13 million in contributions and gave out $3 million in grants.

According to filings, in 2022, the organization received significantly less, with just over $2 million in contributions. Its expenses exceeded its revenue by $674,000 that year. The Archewell Foundations executive director, James Holt, earned a salary of $227,405 in 2022, including a $20,000 bonus. (That was a 280% increase from his salary of less than $60,000 in 2021.)

The couple has also launched many for-profit business ventures since 2020, with mixed results. Theres Archewell Productions and Archewell Audio, which produce shows like their Netflix doc Harry & Meghan and podcasts.

Markle recently teased an upcoming lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, but nothing has officially rolled out yet  essentially just some close friends getting jam samples and sharing photos on social media.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaking at a campaign event in Austin, Texas on Monday. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

RFK Jr.'s candidacy is propelled in large part by people who just don't like their other options.

44% of his supporters are mostly just voting against Trump and Biden, polling shows.

50% are supporting him because they're actually into him.

In case it wasn't clear enough: many of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s supporters are mostly just dissatisfied with their other choices.

The independent presidential candidate, according to a new poll, is benefiting significantly from the support of voters who do not like President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump.

According to new polling conducted by The New York Times, Siena College, and The Philadelphia Inquirer, 44% of RFK Jr.'s supporters said they're mostly voting against the other candidates in the race.

Meanwhile, just 50% say they're mostly voting for Kennedy, who's best known for promoting conspiracy theories about vaccines and whose family has largely endorsed Biden.

He's not necessarily alone in that position.

So-called "negative partisanship"  voting for one party largely out of disgust or fear of the other  has long been a key driver of support for both Trump and Biden, both of whom are relatively unpopular with voters.

According to the poll, antipathy toward Biden and Trump is an especially strong motivator among Kennedy's more educated supporters, including 53% of his supporters who have a college degree.

Polling has also shown that Kennedy  a former Democrat  is not just a threat to Biden, but to Trump as well. Perhaps his biggest fan on Capitol Hill is Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin  though Johnson has said he will vote for Trump.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Congregants at a Louisiana church banded together to prevent a mass shooting over the weekend, and it was all caught on a livestream.

The chaos erupted Saturday at Saint Mary Magdalene Church in Abbeville during a first communion ceremony for 60 second graders. According to police, a 16-year-old boy carrying a gun opened the back door of the packed church and was immediately confronted and escorted away by parishioners.

Panic can be seen sweeping over the crowd in the ceremony's livestream. Altar servers ran for cover and clergy ducked behind the altar, all while the priest tried to calm everyone by asking them to recite a prayer.

Officers in tactical gear showed up moments later to make sure the church was safe. Nobody was hurt, and the 16-year-old was arrested and taken for a mental health evaluation.

The Louisiana incident came a week after a man attempted to shoot a Pennsylvania pastor mid-service. Video of that would-be shooting showed the moment the man's gun jammed as the deacon dove over a pew and tackled him.

"I just tried to get out the way of him shooting me, because he pointed it right at me, and I'm just looking right down the barrel of a gun," pastor Glenn Germany told CBS News.

The Pennsylvania gunman, Bernard Polite, said he heard voices. He was arrested and charged with murdering his cousin earlier that day.

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Couple packing a suitcase or vacation.

Image source: Getty Images

Flights and hotels could be busy this year. A recent survey by Empower found that over 90% of Americans are planning domestic travel in 2024, and they expect to spend an average of $1,163. For the 37% who are planning an international trip, they expect to spend an average of $2,904.

If you're hoping to take a trip of your own, one of the main challenges is figuring out how to pay for it. For some helpful ideas, here are the top five ways Americans said they plan to budget for and afford travel.

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1. Extra money from side jobs (45%)

Getting a side hustle to earn extra money is popular financial advice. Americans appear to be taking that advice, too, as nearly half are using side jobs to fund their upcoming trips.

If you have the time for it, a side job could be a great way to increase your income. Let's say you start working for a food delivery app and net $20 per hour (after setting aside money for taxes). By working two or three weekends per month, you could make another $300 to $400.

There are lots of side hustle options. Some of the most common are deliveries, driving for ride-hailing services, dog walking, and tutoring. Try to find one you enjoy doing, so it doesn't feel like a chore.

2. Extra money from gifts, tax refunds, bonuses, etc. (34%)

About one-third of Americans pay for travel using a windfall of extra money. At this time of year, many Americans are getting tax refunds, and it could be a sizable amount. The average tax refund in 2023 was $2,903 -- coincidentally, almost exactly the same amount people are expecting to spend on international travel.

You can't always rely on this kind of extra money, but when you have it, there's nothing wrong with spending some on yourself. Consider using a portion of it for saving or investing, as well. That way, you can also make progress on your financial goals.

3. Travel rewards/loyalty programs (32%)

Another popular way to pay for travel is with travel rewards. Many airlines and hotels operate loyalty programs where you can earn points or miles every time you use them. There are also travel credit cards that earn rewards you can redeem to cover travel expenses.

This is my favorite way to save money on travel. I usually save $5,000 or more on travel expenses each year thanks to my travel cards.

At a minimum, it's a good idea to sign up for a loyalty program account with any airlines and hotels you like. It's free, after all. If you don't mind opening a new credit card, check out The Motley Fool's Ascent's picks for the top travel rewards cards to get started.

4. A dedicated savings account (21%)

About 2 in 10 Americans have a savings account set up specifically as their travel fund. You could either open a new savings account for this or see if your current account lets you set up savings buckets for different goals you have.

A dedicated savings account for travel is a good way to keep your savings organized and to motivate yourself to set aside money for traveling. You could transfer over $100 per month, $200, or more, so that you always have some money saved for your next trip. Make sure to check out high-yield savings accounts, so you can earn as much interest as possible.

5 (tie). Physical travel fund and budgeting apps/software (19%)

Instead of a savings account, 19% of Americans prefer a physical travel fund. Some go with the cash stuffing method, where you put cash into envelopes for all your expenses and savings goals. Others go with an old-fashioned piggy bank.

Equally popular were budgeting apps and softwares. These can come in handy if you're looking for places to cut back on your spending and free up more money for your trips.

There's more than one way to pay for a vacation

Those numbers add up to way more than 100%, because most people don't use just one method to pay for travel. They use two, or three, or more.

If you want to travel more without worrying about how you'll pay for it, setting up your own travel fund is a good place to start. A high-yield savings account is normally the best way to go, since your money will be safe and earning a competitive rate.

Using travel rewards cards and joining loyalty programs are also great ways to cut your travel costs. And if you want to give your travel fund a boost, setting aside extra money you receive or earn through a side job are both good options.

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All about Queen Camilla's reported reaction to the artsy take

His Majesty King Charles III by Jonathan Yeo 2024 A new portrait of King Charles by Jonathan Yeo.

A dramatic new portrait of King Charles has been unveiled.

On May 14, the King, 75, revealed his first official portrait since his coronation in May 2023. The intense, fiery painting by Jonathan Yeo, was unveiled at Buckingham Palace and was commissioned in 2020 to commemorate the monarch marking 50 years as a member of The Draper's Company in 2022.

The portrait features the King in the uniform of the Welsh Guards, connecting to the regiment he was made Regimental Colonel of in 1975 as the Prince of Wales. The position has since passed to his eldest son, Prince William.

Queen Camilla had a thoughtful reaction when she first saw the portrait.

"Yes, you've got him," the Queen, 76, told Yeo, according to the BBC. The piece measures about 8  by 6  feet, framed, to fit in with the architecture of Drapers' Hall, the hub of the historic guild.

His Majesty King Charles III by Jonathan Yeo 2024 A new portrait of King Charles by Jonathan Yeo.

Related: King Charles in Good Spirits as He Hosts His Largest Indoor Engagement Yet amid Cancer Treatment

The painting came to be after four sittings, which began in June 2021 at Highgrove House (when Charles was the Prince of Wales), and concluded with a session at Clarence House in November 2023. Yeo, one of the world's leading portrait artists, has also depicted Prince Philip, Queen Camilla, Malala Yousafzai, Tony Blair, David Cameron, Sir David Attenborough and more.



Chris Jackson/Getty King Charles and Queen Camilla attend the Easter Mattins Service at Windsor Castle on March 31, 2024.

Related: King Charles Shares Side Effect of Cancer Treatment at Military Ceremony with Prince William

"It was a privilege and pleasure to have been commissioned by The Drapers' Company to paint this portrait of His Majesty The King, the first to be unveiled since his Coronation. When I started this project, His Majesty The King was still His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, and much like the butterfly I've painted hovering over his shoulder, this portrait has evolved as the subject's role in our public life has transformed," Yeo said in a statement.

"I do my best to capture the life experiences etched into any individual sitter's face. In this case, my aim was also to make reference to the traditions of Royal portraiture but in a way that reflects a 21st Century Monarchy and, above all else, to communicate the subject's deep humanity," he continued. "Im unimaginably grateful for the opportunity to capture such an extraordinary and unique person, especially at the historic moment of becoming King."

PA Images / Alamy Jonathan Yeo (center) and King Charles (right) at the unveiling of the new portrait.

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

The portrait will be displayed to the public from May 16 to June 14 at Philip Mould Gallery in London, with entry free of charge. From there, it's expected to move to Drapers Hall for display from the end of August.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
MINNEAPOLIS  The rare geomagnetic storms that brought dazzling colors across the night sky caused some chaos.

Some navigational systems in farming equipment broke down over the weekend, the New York Times reports.

Many tractors use GPS to plant precise rows to avoid gaps and overlap. Farmers rely on it to plant more efficiently and precisely.

The disruption comes during the height of planting season in the Midwest and Canada.

"I've never dealt with anything like this," Minnesota farmer Patrick O'Connor told the New York Times.

He says he got into his tractor at 5 p.m. Friday to plant corn when he received a warning from his GPS.

Landmark Implement, a John Deere dealer in the Midwest, warned farmers about the disruptions. It said the event "extremely compromised" the accuracy of some of its systems.

"...We expect that the rows won't be where the AutoPath lines think they are," Landmark Implement said in a press release. "This will only affect the fields that are planted during times of reduced accuracy. It is most likely going to be difficult - if not impossible - to make AutoPath work in these fields as the inaccuracy is most likely inconsistent."

Strong solar storms can impact life in space and on Earth. GPS and communications satellites, and even the power grid can be interrupted.

Friday's geomagnetic storm was the strongest in more than 20 years.

NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center says moderate to strong geomagnetic storms are "likely" on Monday, as well as minor storms on Tuesday. More solar flares are possible.

NOAA officials said there were reports of "power grid irregularities and degradation to high-frequency communications and GPS" due to the storm.

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A Texas high school teacher allegedly had thousands of child pornography images in his home, some he reportedly took at his school.

The man's wife is the principal of another high school in the same district. She confirmed the arrest in an email to the school community.

The Texas Department of Public Safety and the Montgomery County Precinct 3 Internet Crimes Against Children raided James Paul Stone's home on Monday as part of an undercover investigation related to the possession or promotion of child pornography on the dark web.

Stone is a teacher at Tompkins High School in the Katy Independent School District.

Investigators claim Stone admitted to producing images on school grounds and at beaches and swimming pools around the Katy area.

Stone was placed under arrest and transported to the Fort Bend County Jail. Stone was charged with ten counts of possession of child pornography.

Stone's wife is the principal at a different Katy-area high school. Melinda Stone sent an email to parents saying she was unaware of his child porn, KTRK-TV reported.

She sent a second email to school staff saying she was cutting ties with her husband.

"My family and I are deeply disappointed in his actions and thus we do not have any plans to be involved in James' criminal proceedings as he navigates the next steps,'" Stone wrote in the email obtained by the Daily Mail.

Katy ISD says the investigation is ongoing.

The Montgomery County Precinct 3 Criminal Investigations Division says it has reason to believe there are several victims. They are asking them to help in the investigation.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson assailed the hush money case against Donald Trump Tuesday as an illegitimate sham, becoming the highest-ranking Republican to show up at court, embrace the former president's claims of political persecution and attack the U.S. system of justice.

It was a remarkable moment in modern American politics: The House speaker amplifying Trump's defense and turning the Republican Party against the federal and state legal systems that are foundational to the U.S. government and a cornerstone of democracy.

Johnson, who is second in line for the presidency, called the court system corrupt.

Outside the New York courthouse, he decried this ridiculous prosecution that is not about justice. He said, "Its all about politics."

The speaker is leading a growing list of Republican lawmakers who are criticizing the American judicial system as they rally to Trumps side, appearing at the courthouse to defend the partys presumptive presidential nominee. Trump is accused of having arranged secret payments to a porn actress to hide negative stories during his successful 2016 campaign for president.

With Trump stuck in court and barred by a judges gag order from criticizing witnesses or certain elements of the case, Johnson and the lawmakers are taking it upon themselves to attack the proceedings, now in a fourth week of witness testimony. They're using the trial as a de facto campaign stop as they work to return the former president to the White House.

In portraying the case against Trump as politically motivated, the Republicans are also laying the groundwork to dismiss its significance should the jury convict, and for potential challenges to the fall election, a rematch with President Joe Biden, a Democrat.

Johnson was a chief architect of Trumps efforts to challenge the 2020 presidential results ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021, mob assault on the U.S. Capitol, and last week he called the hush money trial and the other election-year cases against Trump a borderline criminal conspiracy.

It is election interference, Johnson said Tuesday, insisting he was appearing on his own to back Trump, whom he called a friend. And the American people are not going to let this stand.

Unlike other Republicans showing up to show their support, Johnson did not enter the courtroom where Trump is on trial, but dashed back to Washington to open the House chamber for the day.

Later at the Capitol, Johnson repeated the Republican Party's claims of the justice system being weaponized against Trump and said Americans are losing faith in it.

Also with Trump on Tuesday were U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum  both considered possible vice presidential candidates  as well as former GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, one of Trumps current top surrogates.

U.S. Sens. JD Vance of Ohio and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama were among those who attended court on Monday.

Trumps campaign has lined up allies in recent days to appear at the New York courthouse to attack witnesses and others whom Trump is barred by a judges gag order from criticizing himself.

Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said Monday that he appeared last week at the invitation of Trump senior advisor Susie Wiles. The campaign has said others volunteered to come to New York.

The Democrats are using the court system to go after and prosecute, criminally, a political opponent  that's a crime, Scott said over the weekend on Fox News. Theyre just thugs trying to stop Trump from being able to run for president.

In the short term, the Republicans' presence at the courthouse and comments critical of the process have let Trump and his allies amplify their message without risking another explicit violation of the gag order. Trump's attorneys have challenged the gag order as unconstitutional, but an appeals court upheld it on Tuesday.

Johnson specifically attacked the credibility of Michael Cohen, Trumps former lawyer and fixer who began his second day of testimony in the former presidents hush money trial. And others, too.

He criticized Cohen as a man who is clearly on a mission for personal revenge," said lead prosecutor Matthew Colangelo recently received over $10,000 in payments from the Democratic National Committee and said the daughter of Judge Juan M. Merchan has made millions of dollars" doing online fundraising for Democrats.

Colangelo, who joined the Manhattan District Attorney's Office in 2022 and previously worked in the U.S. Justice Department in the Biden administration, did paid political consulting work for the DNC in 2018, according to federal campaign finance records.

The Republican speaker, who is wholly dependent on support from Trump to keep the gavel, has aimed to strengthen their alliance, particularly as Johnson has come under fire from his own caucus in the House, including a failed effort at his removal by a fellow Trump backer, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.

Johnson made an appearance with the former president at his Mar-a-Lago club last month to announce new House legislation to require proof of citizenship for voting, echoing Trump's baseless claims that Democrats are abetting immigrants entering the U.S. illegally to swing elections  another potential route for Republican challenges to the 2024 election.

There isnt any indication that noncitizens vote in significant numbers in federal elections or that they will in the future.

And Johnson joined Trump on stage for the Republican National Committee's gala at Mar-a-Lago earlier this month, praising the presumptive presidential nominee and saying House Republicans fully expect to ride Trump's coattails to their own re-elections to keep the majority hold on the chamber.

Johnson has been using the pulpit of the speakers office in Washington to attack the U.S. judicial system, criticizing the courts as biased against the former president, claiming the case is politically motivated by Democrats and insisting Trump has done nothing wrong.

The speaker has demurred when asked if the 2020 election was legitimate, and in a departure from the tradition of trust and adherence in U.S. election systems, Johnson and other Republicans have hedged when asked if they will accept the election results of 2024.

___

Kinnard reported from Columbia, South Carolina. Lisa Mascaro in Washington and Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report.

___

Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP
Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) is expected to appear at a political event alongside several political mega-donors in June, as speculation swirls over whether he will be tapped as former President Trumps running mate.

Scott is a featured speaker at a Washington, D.C., event on June 19 that will raise money for Great Opportunity Policy Inc., a policy advocacy group, a person familiar with the matter confirmed to The Hill.

He will be joined by speakers including billionaire investor Bill Ackman, Citadel CEO and GOP mega-donor Ken Griffin and Trumps ex-senior adviser Kellyanne Conway, according to an event invitation obtained by The Hill.

Other speakers include Marc Rowan of Apollo Global Management, which had ties to former Trump White House adviser Jared Kushner, and CrownQuest Operating LLC co-founder Tim Dunn, per the invitation.

Scotts appearance at the event, first reported by The New York Times last week, underscores a potential attempt at showing his ties to major GOP donors and how he could boost Trumps ticket. Scott, who serves as the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, has ties to deep-pocketed donors, a relationship revealed during his since-suspended GOP presidential run last year.

Griffin is among the top political contributors of the latest election cycle, contributing nearly $60 million to a variety of campaigns, including $5 million to former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who has since suspended her GOP presidential bid, per OpenSecrets.

Businessman Marc Andreessen gave more than $11 million in the past year to three affiliated super PACs backing both Republican and Democratic candidates, according to OpenSecrets and Bloomberg. Dunn gave more than $6.5 million to federal campaigns, which included $5 million to Trumps allied super PAC, and Rowan dished out about $2 million to super PACs that backed Republicans for Congress, Bloomberg added.

Ackman reportedly donated about $1 million to Rep. Dean Phillipss (Minn.) Democratic challenge to President Biden earlier this year, though Phillips has since dropped out. Ackman confirmed last year he will not vote for Biden and noted he voted for Trump in 2016.

Earlier this month, Scott said Trump did not raise the possibility of being his running mate while at a private event at Mar-a-Lago with top GOP donors and high-profile leaders.

On whether he thinks hes on the shortlist, Scott did not say directly.

I hope that the president will choose a person who helps the country unite and heal, Scott said on NBC Newss Meet the Press. l I certainly expect to have a decision from President Trump in the next 60 days or so, but he did not bring it up. I certainly didnt bring it up.

Others on the potential shortlist for Trumps vice president include North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Sen. JD Vance (Ohio), House GOP conference Chair Elise Stefanik (N.Y.), Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Rep. Byron Donalds (Fla.).

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Former President Donald Trump is on trial in New York City, where he is facing felony charges related to a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. It marks the first time in history that a former U.S. president has been tried on criminal charges.

MORE: Michael Cohen and the Trump pardon that never happened

Trump last April pleaded not guilty to a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment his then-attorney Michael Cohen made to Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.





Latest Developments





May 14, 5:27 PM

Trump says he had a 'very good day' in court

Speaking to reporters after exiting the courtroom, former President Trump was asked about today's testimony, as well as if he plans to testify during the trial.



"As you know, I'm under a gag order. So I can't really answer those very simple questions that you're asking," Trump said, referring to the order that prohibits him from making public comments about jurors, witnesses and lawyers in the case, but does not keep him from discussing the case itself.



"We'd love to not be in the gag order. I'm the Republican nominee for president. I'm leading in every poll, and I have a gag order."

PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump speaks to the media after leaving court during his trial at Manhattan Criminal Court, May 14, 2024, in New York City. (Pool/Getty Images)

Recapping his day in court, Trump said, "We had a very, I think, a very good day and important to see what's happening and you'll have to record it because I can't talk about it too much."



"We had a very good day. I think we're exposing the scam for what it is," he said.



-ABC News' Kelsey Walsh and Mike Pappano





May 14, 4:38 PM

Cohen leaves court without looking Trump's way

Michael Cohen, his testimony done for the day, left the courtroom without looking at Trump.



During a bench conference, defense attorney Todd Blanche said he wants to explore with the court and the opposing counsel the admissibility of a defense expert witness before deciding whether to call him.



The judge set a conference to take place Thursday at 4 p.m. ET, after the jury is excused slightly early for the day.



Asked about Thursday's timing for the remainder of his cross-examination of Cohen, Blanche told the judge, "If I finish, it's at the end of the day."



The rest of the parties then departed the courtroom.





May 14, 4:48 PM

Cohen says he wanted help reducing sentence



Michael Cohen told the jury that he wanted the Manhattan district attorney to publicly acknowledge his cooperation in this case to assist in his bid for a reduced sentence in his federal conviction on charges related to the Stormy Daniels hush money arrangement.

"You wanted the district attorney's office to publicly acknowledge that you were cooperating?" Blanche asked.

"I would say so, yes," Cohen said.

"You were trying to get your sentence ... lowered, right?" Blanche said.

"I was looking for a reduction in the home confinement portion," Cohen said.

PHOTO: Michael Cohen is cross examined by defense lawyer Todd Blanche before Justice Juan Merchan, as former President Donald Trump watches during Trump's trial in Manhattan state court in New York City, May 14, 2024, in this courtroom sketch. (Jane Rosenberg/Reuters)

However, the DA's office never publicly announced Cohen's cooperation.





"There was no letter or public announcement made about your cooperation," Blanche asked.





"That's correct," Cohen said.



Blanche asked Cohen if he had ever met DA Alvin Bragg in person.



"No sir," said Cohen.



Testimony subsequently concluded for the day, with Cohen's cross-examination scheduled to continue when court resumes on Thursday.





May 14, 4:19 PM

Defense questions Cohen about his motivations



Defense attorney Todd Blanche returned to confronting Michael Cohen with his own public remarks about Trump, saying he called Trump a "boorish cartoon misogynist."

"Sounds like something I would say," Cohen responded.

He also asked if he called Trump a "Cheeto dusted cartoon villain."

"That also sounds like something I would say," Cohen responded.

The attorneys, as well as as Cohen and Judge Merchan then donned headphones to review a recording of Cohen's Mea Culpa podcast.

Trump also appeared to be listening to the audio, holding one ear of the headphones up to his ear.

The jury did not ultimately hear the audio, but it appeared to have been Cohen saying Trump "needs to wear handcuffs" and his assertion that people won't be satisfied until Trump is in a cell.

"Is it fair to say that you are motivated by fame?" Blanche asked.

"No sir, I don't think that is fair to say," Cohen said.

"Is it fair to say that you are motivated by publicity?" Blanche asked.

"I don't know if that is fair to say. I am motivated by many things," Cohen said.

Blanche then read a portion of Cohen's book where he said he was motivated by "power and the good life" and "public acclaim."

"Yes, those are my words," Cohen said.





May 14, 4:08 PM

Defense continues to press Cohen on his cooperation



Following the mid-afternoon break, defense attorney Todd Blanche continued to press Michael Cohen on his motives for cooperating with the Manhattan DA's investigation that led to this trial.

Blanche asked Cohen about what happened in 2019 when the DA's investigators visited him in federal prison, where he was serving time for his role in the Stormy Daniels payout and other charges.

"One of the first things you wanted to talk to the prosecutors about was ... what is the benefit to you?" Blanche asked, noting that Cohen had told the prosecutors he had been "screwed" by the system.

"You wanted to know why you should meet with them, which is fair, right?" Blanche asked. "You wanted to know what the benefit was to you for being there, correct?"

"Correct," said Cohen.

PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump and his lawyer Emil Bove watch as Michael Cohen is questioned by prosecutor Susan Hoffinger during Trump's criminal trial in Manhattan state court in New York City, May 14, 2024 in this courtroom sketch. (Jane Rosenberg via Reuters)

Blanche then brought up what is known as a Rule 35, which "gives the judge a right to give you a lower sentence if certain things happen like cooperation." He noted it had to be made within one year.





"Do you remember a conversation where your lawyers asked the district attorney whether they would be willing to help with the rule 35 motion in federal court?" Blanche asked.





"I believe so, yes," Cohen said.





Blanche suggested that timing was of the essence because he was sentenced in December 2018, meaning the clock was clicking to file a Rule 35 motion.





Cohen's Rule 35 motion was eventually denied. He subsequently completed his sentence in 2021.





May 14, 3:39 PM

Defense suggests Cohen cooperated for reduced jail time

Defense attorney Todd Blanche asked Michael Cohen if he was angling to reduce his prison sentence when he decided to begin meeting with lawyers from the Manhattan district attorney's office in 2019.



"You were very much looking in the fall of 2019 for a way to get your sentence reduced?" Blanche asked.



"Yes, sure," Cohen responded.



Blanche suggested that attorney Anthony Scaramucci -- who Cohen said visited him in prison -- told him that cooperation might lead to a reduced sentence.



In total, Cohen said he met with prosecutors three times while incarcerated in 2019 -- on August 27, Sept. 19, and Oct. 3.





May 14, 3:35 PM

Cohen questioned about Trump phone call

Defense attorney Todd Blanche, cross-examining Michael Cohen, sought to cast doubt on Cohen's testimony about calling Trump following the release of the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape in 2016.



Blanche showed Cohen notes from Cohen's interview with the special counsel who investigated Cohen in 2018.



"You told them you didn't recall speaking with President Trump about the tape?" Blanche asked.



Cohen responded that he was still being "loyal" to Trump at the time, in August 2018.



But by 2019, "you had changed your views about President Trump, correct?" Blanche asked.



"Correct," Cohen responded.



"You now said President Trump was a conman and you were ashamed?" Blanche asked.



"I said that, yes," Cohen answered.





May 14, 3:27 PM

Cohen struggles to say when an untruth is a lie

During an extended back-and-forth, Michael Cohen struggled to admit that he lied to the special counsel in 2018 about Trump's involvement in a Trump Tower project in Moscow.



"Yes, the information I have was not accurate," Cohen said.



"Is it a lie?" Defense attorney Todd Blanche asked.



"It was inaccurate, yes," Cohen said.



"Was it a lie?" Blanche asked.



"I don't know if I would characterize it as a lie. It was inaccurate," Cohen said.



"How are you distinguishing that in your head?" Blanche asked.



"It wasn't truthful," Cohen said. "If you want to call it a lie, it was a lie."



After a long pause, Cohen said, "Sure, I will say it's a lie."





May 14, 3:23 PM

Defense presses Cohen on past admiration for Trump



"You're actually obsessed with President Trump?" Blanche asked, pursuing a line of inquiry that he drew attention to in the defense's opening statement.

"I don't know that I would characterize obsessed," Cohen said. "I can't recall using that word, but I can't say it would be wrong."

Blanche asked if Cohen was "knee-deep in the cult of Donald Trump" when he said flattering things about Trump in the past.

"That's how I felt," Cohen said.

"Fair to say you admired President Trump when you were working for him?" Blanche asked.

"Yes sir," Cohen said.

PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump and his lawyer Emil Bove watch as Michael Cohen is questioned by prosecutor Susan Hoffinger during Trump's criminal trial in Manhattan state court in New York City, May 14, 2024 in this courtroom sketch. (Jane Rosenberg via Reuters)

Blanche questioned Cohen about Trump's book "The Art of the Deal," which Cohen has read more than once. Blanche noted that Cohen has publicly called the book a "masterpiece."





Cohen replied, "I viewed it as an excellent book."





"You've actually called it a masterpiece?" Blanche asked.





"Yes, a masterpiece," Cohen said.





As Blanche asked Cohen about his past praise of the former president, Trump quickly grabbed a stack of Post-it notes from the counsel table, jotted down a note, and passed it to attorney Emil Bove, who Trump poked to get his attention.





May 14, 3:13 PM

Defense asks Cohen about anti-Trump T-shirt



Jurors were shown a series of items that Michael Cohen sells.

"This is a $32 shirt that has a picture of President Trump in an orange jumpsuit behind bars?" Defense attorney Todd Blanche asked.

"That's what the picture shows," Cohen answered.

PHOTO: Michael Cohen speaks about hush money case on TikTok (Michael Cohen/TikTok)

"You actually wore that T-shirt on your TikTok last week?" Blanche said.





"I did," Cohen said.





Defense lawyers asked for the judge to order Cohen to stop commenting about Trump last week after they flagged Cohen wearing the shirt on a TikTok live stream, ABC News reported on Friday.

Click here to read the rest of the blog.
Two prison officers have been killed and three others injured by pump-action rifle fire after an attack on their van carrying an inmate who is now on the run.

The van was transporting the prisoner between Rouen and Evreux when it was attacked at the Incarville toll plaza, say French reports citing police sources.

Police have launched a manhunt after the attack at the Inarville toll on the A154 motorway in Val-de-Reuil in the Eure department, Normandy, shortly after 11am, say reports.

Eric Dupond-Moretti, the French justice minister, posted on X, formerly Twitter: A prison convoy was attacked in Eure. Two of our prison officers have died, three are seriously injured.

A car set on fire in front of the prison van during the ambush

All my thoughts are with the victims, their families and their colleagues.

A source told AFP that the officers were killed by pump-action rifle fire when a van carrying a prisoner was attacked at around 11am with a ram car at the Incarville toll plaza in the Eure department.

The prisoner has a conviction for attempted murder, according to Le Parisien. In circumstances unknown at this stage, the prison administration van was attacked by four armed men in two vehicles, it reported.

The assailants arrived in two cars, one of which, a white Audi A5, has since been found burnt out in the commune of Vatteville. The second, a BMW 5 series, fled in the direction of Louviers and Evreux, Le Figaro reported.

Helicopters were seen attempting to locate the suspects. Local gendarmes and officers from an elite GIGN swat team are also in the area.

The A154 motorway has been closed in the direction Evreux-Louviers at Junction 4 Louviers centre for an indefinite period, according to traffic information site Bison Fute.

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Amid campus protests nationwide and a push to revise diversity policies at state public universities, the Board of Trustees for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill voted Monday to redirect the $2.3 million that funded diversity, equity and inclusion programs toward public safety measures.

The unanimous decision comes ahead of a vote next week by the UNC Board of Governors thats expected to limit DEI initiatives and may lead to personnel layoffs. The board's governance committee approved the change for all public colleges and universities in April, but the move requires a vote by the full board.

Trustee Marty Kotis, vice-chair of the budget committee, said the funds are needed for campus policing and safety in light of the pro-Palestinian protests that swept through college campuses in late April and earlier this month. At UNC Chapel Hill, 36 demonstrators were detained  six of them arrested  and the U.S. flag was replaced by a Palestinian one during an April 30 protest.

Its important to consider the needs of all 30,000 students, not just the 100 or so that may want to disrupt the universitys operations, he said.

The American flag is surrounded by a temporary barrier at Polk Place at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on May 1, 2024. The day before, protesters removed the American flag and raised the Palestinian flag following arrests and the breaking up of an encampment on campus.

Kotis also called DEI policies, first implemented at North Carolinas flagship university in 2017, discriminatory and divisive, according to Chapel Hill-based public radio station WUNC.

I think that DEI in a lot of peoples minds is divisiveness, exclusion and indoctrination, Kotis said, according to WUNC. We need more unity and togetherness, more dialogue, more diversity of thought.

The UNC Office of Diversity and Inclusion, which did not respond to USA TODAY messages seeking comment, says in its website that it aims to celebrate all members of the Carolina community, to broaden our collective understanding, and foster a sense of belonging by uplifting diverse identities, cultures, experiences, and perspectives.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, a noted UNC alumna, retweeted a story by the Raleigh News & Observer reporting on the DEI story, but she did not comment on it.

Hannah-Jones, who created the acclaimed 1619 Project for the New York Times Magazine exploring the legacy of slavery in the U.S., was appointed to a professor position at UNC in 2021, but the Board of Trustees rejected the journalism departments recommendation and denied her tenure, leading to an outcry from students and faculty. She eventually turned down the post and joined the Howard University faculty instead.

North Carolina is only the latest in a string of states taking aim at DEI programs in public universities, a move spearheaded by conservatives. Texas and Florida are the two largest states to banish them, behind GOP governors Greg Abbott and Ron DeSantis, respectively. North Carolina has a Democratic governor in Roy Cooper, but Republicans have at least a 20-seat majority in both the state Senate and the House.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: University of North Carolina to dump 'divisive' DEI, spend on safety
By Stephanie van den Berg

THE HAGUE (Reuters) - The U.N.'s International Court of Justice will hold hearings on Thursday and Friday to discuss new emergency measures sought by South Africa over Israel's attacks on Rafah during the war in Gaza, the court said Tuesday.

The measures form part of an ongoing case South Africa filed at the ICJ in December last year accusing Israel of violating the Genocide Convention during its offensive against Palestinians in Gaza.

Israel has previously said it is acting in accordance with international law and has called the genocide case baseless and accused Pretoria of acting as "the legal arm" of Gaza's ruling Hamas militants.

South Africa will address the court on Thursday after it asked the ICJ, also known as the World Court, last week to order Israel to cease its Rafah offensive and allow unimpeded access to Gaza for U.N. officials, organisations providing humanitarian aid, and journalists and investigators.

Israel will present its side of the case on Friday, according to the court schedule.

The war has killed nearly 35,000 people in Gaza, according to health authorities there. About 1,200 people were killed in Israel and 253 taken hostage on Oct. 7 when Hamas launched the attack that started the war, according Israeli tallies.

The hearings in The Hague will only focus on issuing emergency measures, to keep the dispute from escalating, before the court can rule on the merits of the case, which usually takes years. While the ICJ's rulings are binding and without appeal, the court has no way to enforce them.

(This story has been corrected to fix the day from Monday to Tuesday in paragraph 1)

(Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Nick Macfie)
Yoyo's Hot Dog on Washington Avenue has yet to open due to business disputes. Sonia Garcia

Business appears to be running as usual at Yoyo's Hot Dog after a hiatus earlier this year. But behind the scenes, its key players have been at odds.

Yoyo's Hot Dog gained a cult-like following over the past 14 years operating food carts. The menu consisted of one item: a grilled 100% beef dog inside a toasted bun with cream cheese, topped with both caramelized onions and crunchy fried onions, drizzled with a red sauce and a special "Yoyo's sauce." Yoyo's has posted up in Rice Village, Midtown and east downtown, becoming a go-to late-night food spot for bar patrons.

The business graduated to an outpost at Post Houston food hall in December 2023; a mere 18 days after opening, it went radio silent. The location remained closed until Feb. 10. Yoyo's fairly active social media accounts were stagnant until Feb. 14, when owner and founder Danny "Yoyo" Kim alerted customers on Facebook that someone else had been impersonating Yoyo's Hot Dog and had locked him out of its Instagram account.

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Kim told the Houston Chronicle that person was Kevin Dang. He joined Yoyo's about four years ago. Dang told the Chronicle he became a co-owner by investing in the business in order to expand it, but Kim denies that transaction ever occurred. It was an informal agreement, he said.

Early on, Dang was given authority to operate a Yoyo's food cart in College Station, from which Kim said he never saw the profits. The two agreed Dang would be at the forefront of opening the Post location in downtown Houston. Kim said he was dealing with family issues at the time.

YoYo's Hot Dog founder Danny "Yoyo" Kim shows off his signature dogs at the POST Houston location. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer

Dang created a new LLC for the Post business, which was linked to a bank account separate from the one Kim had been using for the food carts, they said. That meant when they first opened at Post, the revenue made was streaming into the new LLC's bank account, which Kim did not have access to.

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Dang set it up this way to protect himself, he told the Chronicle, because he had put in money from his personal savings to launch Yoyo's at Post. Dang added that he was also concerned with Kim's business decisions.

"If it was his business, how come he doesn't have access to his funds?" Dang said. "There was a disconnect on how to operate the business."

Kim reacted by closing the shop to change the Post lease agreement to his name. Subsequently, Dang stepped away from the business. Each still believes the other owes him money.

Both have tapped lawyers to help reach a resolution, especially so the standalone brick-and-mortar Washington Avenue location of Yoyo's that's been in the works for years can open.

"I don't think Kevin's a bad person, but money makes people evil," Kim said. "He's trying to be in control."

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YoYo's Hot Dogs POST Houston stand Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer

Washington Avenue Yoyo's

Along with Dang, Peter Montes is an investor in Washington Avenue Yoyo's Hot Dog. His lawyer, Yonatan Gerber, said Montes had invested between $60,000 and $80,000 in the business. Montes has owned several businesses, including trucking company PM Fleets.

Years ago, Montes asked Kim to bring his hot dogs to a new location on Washington Avenue and said that he would invest, according to Kim. No formal paperwork was filed on a partnership agreement, according to Gerber and Kim. When it came time to sign a lease, Dang had signed under a new LLC created by Montes and himself, he said.

The Washington Avenue location has been a major point of contention for the three parties. Everyone involved told the Chronicle they want to open it, but a breakdown of ownership needs to be agreed upon first. Dang said they had all initially agreed to be 33% owners, but there is no formal record of the agreement.

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"I think ego came in the way and then we all wanted to see a different direction with the business," Dang said. "Danny (Kim) has no sense of urgency because he's never put in any effort or money whatsoever into opening it."

YoYo's Hot Dogs signature offering at POST Houston Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer

Kim alleges Dang and Montes were working together to open Washington Avenue behind his back because the LLC excluded him.

They both said Kim knew they were working to open the restaurant and the he had taken a hands-off approach. Dang had invested his time into the business, like getting permitting, they said, while Montes has been paying rent and utilities on the Washington Avenue location for months.

Kim's lawyer, Min Un Lee, sent a cease-and-desist letter to Dang, Montes and the son of Montes, who had also invested in the Washington Avenue shop, on Feb. 19. The letter, which was reviewed by the Chronicle, requested that the three parties stop using the trademarked Yoyo's Hot Dog name for business and relinquish the Instagram account and website access to Kim.

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MORE FROM SONIA GARCIA: Inspired or stolen? Owner of late Dolce Vita accuses Magdalena's of copying pizza menu

The letter said if they did not comply, it could result in a lengthy civil trial. At that point, Kim had little communication with Montes and next to none with Dang.

"(Kim) has every right to bring this to court and demand to regurgitate all the income made out of using this name," Lee said at the time. "We're trying to find an amicable way to resolve this matter. Honestly, I do not think they have any defense, in my own professional opinion."

Dang said he believes he could sue Kim, too, for reasons he did not want to disclose. He said he wants to solve the issues internally so they can get the new shop operational. Additionally, Dang said he debated filing a police report because Kim had not returned a borrowed vehicle of his. (Kim said Dang picked it up in early May.)

Currently, their respective lawyers are working through how to split up ownership of the Yoyo's Washington Avenue location. Kim and Montes met at the end of April, and Kim's lawyer is drafting a partnership agreement between the two. Kim has said he can't move forward with Dang in the picture, so he has been left out of the drafted partnership agreement.

Montes said he believes the shop will open as soon as possible now that he and Kim have talked through a partnership. The details of that partnership are still being worked out.

"We are ready to get this Washington location off the ground, and I just gotta get everybody on the same page," Gerber said. "The question really boils down to how much of it is going to be owned by each partner."

YoYo's Hot Dogs POST Houston location Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer

In early April, Dang was determined to resolve his issues with Kim to be able to open the Washington Avenue location. Dang has not replied to more recent interview requests from the Chronicle.

Instagram lockout

Kim is frustrated that he has not had access to the Yoyo's Instagram account, which has nearly 45,000 followers, since his falling out with Dang.

Dang has the logins for the Instagram and Yoyo's website, which he started under Kim's guidance. He is holding on to those until things are resolved, he said.

"I don't want to relinquish anything to Danny," Dang said, adding that he believes he is owed money.
YEREVAN, MAY 14, ARMENPRESS. The US continues to actively participate in the Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations and continues to believe that peace between the parties is possible.

It was stated by Deputy Press Secretary of the US State Department Vedant Patel during the briefing, answering a question from an Azerbaijani journalist about the results of the Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations held on May 10-11 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

The only thing I can say is that we continue to believe that peace is possible., Patel said, adding that the United States will continue to support the peace process.

He also added that he did not have any news about the negotiations in Almaty.

The negotiations between Armenian Foreign Affairs Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijan Foreign Affairs Minister Jeyhun Bayramov took place in Almaty, Kazakhstan on May 10-11.

The ministers welcomed the progress on the issue of border delimitation and the agreements reached in this direction.

The ministers and their delegations continued discussions on the draft bilateral agreement On the establishment of peace and interstate relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The parties agreed to continue negotiations on unresolved issues where differences still exist.

The ministers met both privately and in a trilateral format with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu.

Minister Mirzoyan expressed gratitude to the Kazakh side for holding negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
YEREVAN, MAY 14, ARMENPRESS. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, has stated that he would like Armenia to join the European Union in 2024, stated Pashinyan during the From the frontline: Armenias defence of democracy held within the framework of the Copenhagen Democracy Summit.

The moderator of the discussion asked the Prime Minister in what year he would like to see Armenia join the EU.

"What year? This", said Prime Minister Pashinyan.
YEREVAN, MAY 14, ARMENPRESS. The European Union has expanded sanctions against Iran for its alleged military support for Russia and support for groups operating in the Red Sea region, reports the EU Council.

"Taking into account Russia's attack on Ukraine, as well as Iran's continued military support for non-state armed groups in the Middle East and the Red Sea region, and taking into account the April 13, 2024, Iranian drone and missile attacks against Israel, the Council decided that the EU's ability to apply sanctions will now extend not only to drones but also to missiles," the statement said.

The sanctions include bans on the export of UAVs and components to Iran, as well as blacklisting legal entities and individuals that "supply, sell or are otherwise involved in the transfer of missiles and UAVs to Iran."
YEREVAN, MAY 14, ARMENPRESS. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Pashinyan stated that Yerevan is now looking forward to the European Unions decision to include Armenia in the European Peace Fund. Pashinyan also expressed hope that negotiations with the EU on visa liberalization will begin, said Armenian Prime Minister during the discussion on the topic "From the frontline: Armenia's defense of democracy" within the framework of the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, referring to Armenian-EU relations and their prospects.

You know that Armenia is a member of the CSTO. While we're technically still members, I've mentioned that our involvement is currently on hold, Pashinyan noted, pointing out that the crisis in Armenia-CSTO relations arose precisely from the moment when Azerbaijani forcesi nvaded Armenia, and according to CSTO protocols, the organization and its member states should have supported Armenia in this situation.

But despite making a formal request, the CSTO refused to take any concrete steps, and, in fact, this is the main reason for freezing our participation in the CSTO at all levels, the Prime Minister noted.

When asked by the moderator whether, in light of these events, Yerevan expects the West to ensure the security of Armenia, Prime Minister Pashinyan replied:

You know that our political position and policy is to diversify our external relations in all areas. We are now developing defense cooperation with India, France and other countries. Now we have some cooperation with the EU because, as I said, we are happy to have the EUMA on the border between us and Azerbaijan, said Pashinyan, adding this is a civilian mission, but on the other hand, it is a kind of new factor for the security of the region, and it is the first time that the European Union is involved in any way in the security agenda of the Republic of Armenia.

Prime Minister noted that Armenia is now looking forward to the European Unions decision to include Armenia in the European Peace Fund.

We hope to begin negotiations on visa liberalization, and last year I announced in the European Parliament that Armenia is ready to be as close to the European Union as the European Union deems possible. This was and still is our position, emphasized Pashinyan.
YEREVAN, MAY 14, ARMENPRESS.Before the end of his working visit to the Kingdom of Denmark, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a meeting with Danish Parliament Speaker Soren Gade.

According to the readout issued by the PMs office, the parties discussed issues pertaining to the cooperation between the parliaments of Armenia and Denmark, as well as cooperation across various fields. The parties expressed hope that the visit of the Prime Minister of Armenia to Denmark will give a new impetus to the development and expansion of multi-sectoral relations between the two countries. In this context, they underscored the organization of high-level mutual visits.

The PM Pashinyan and Speaker of the Danish parliament exchanged thoughts on the developments taking place in the South Caucasus region, discussions on the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty, as well as Armenia's "Crossroads of Peace" project. It is noted that during the meeting, issues related to the further development of Armenia-European Union cooperation were also discussed.
by Giorgio Bernardelli

The day that marks the birth of the modern State of Israel falls this year against the backdrop of the tragedy of 7 October and the war in Gaza. The risk of a political defeat is even greater than a military debacle. As Israels Declaration of Independence says, the challenge is "playing one's part in a common effort for the progress of the Middle East.

Against a background of ongoing trauma, Israel celebrates its Independence Day. On 14 May 1948, David Ben-Gurion read a solemn declaration, marking the beginning of the countrys modern history. Six months earlier, in November 1947, the UN General Assembly had adopted Resolution 181, which ended the British mandate in Palestine to be replaced by Independent Arab and Jewish States.

The next day, 15 May, the armies of the surrounding Arab countries launched an attack against the newly established State of Israel, the first act in a well-known tragedy that has reached unprecedented levels of violence in the past seven months in southern Israel and in Gaza, from which it is still hard to see any way out.

Israel celebrates its independence like every country in the world. But as never before, it now faces a question that obviously applies to every country: Can it really rely on its own strength alone to safeguard its independence? In Israel this has an even greater significance in the wake of the Shoah.

In a very provocative book a few years ago, Avraham Burg  former speaker of the Israeli parliament (Knesset) and secretary of the Jewish Agency, spoke of the need to finally defeat Hitler", showing Israel the way to redefine its collective identity, beyond mere nationalist exaltation to recover instead the universal gaze the original Zionism had in its DNA.

This is the opposite of the path taken by Israel in the last 20 years. By bringing to power extreme right-wing nationalists like Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, heirs to Kach, a movement Yitzhak Rabin called "a shame on to Zionism" in 1994, Benjamin Netanyahu closed the circle of theorising a Jewish state set to go "against everything and everyone" to assert a single identity.

Hamass murderous terrorism only hastened this process, resulting in today's scenario, which sees Israel isolated to an unprecedented extent in the international community, since even its great ally in Washington hesitates from showing its support.

With each passing day, it becomes clearer that the outcome of the current war will not be military but political. By continuing to rely only on its own power, Israel is deepening its crisis, risking losing everything it has built over the past 76 years.

It is no coincidence that while past conflicts always united Israel, this time the country is deeply divided, as evinced by street demonstrations with the relatives of the hostages held by Hamas playing a leading role.

Merely reiterating the mantra of the right to "defend itself, Israel is not showing its independence but following a path towards a precipice.

Many countries have shown willingness to defend Israel; even some Arab states did so on the night of Irans drone and missile attack.

But it can only happen again within the limits of same international community that today is asking Israel to take responsibility for the unresolved Palestinian issue, like last week at the UN General Assembly.

This is not a "prize" for terrorism, but the only way to truly defeat Hamas and eradicate the anti-Semitism that is once again rising.

In the 1948 Declaration of Independence, the founding fathers of the State of Israel wrote: We extend our hand to all neighbouring states and their peoples in an offer of peace and good neighbourliness, and appeal to them to establish bonds of cooperation and mutual help with the sovereign Jewish people settled in its own land. The State of Israel is prepared to do its share in a common effort for the advancement of the entire Middle East.

They did so well-aware that war was about to break out, while still pointing to the future. Perhaps it is time for those who care about the fate of Israel to have the courage to start again from there.
by Shafique Khokhar

International Nurses' Day offered an opportunity to acknowledge this valuable service. The event also highlighted the violence they often endure because of their gender and beliefs. Sister Alvina, a Franciscan in charge of the parish's medical dispensary for 30 years, laments that nurses are often discriminated and discouraged by their superiors in hospitals.

Faisalabad (AsiaNews)  International Nurses' Day was celebrated last Sunday in the parish church in Faisalabads Madina Town district. The parish priest, Fr Khalid Rashid Asi, blessed 16 nurses and 25 midwives, anointing their hands, their tools to heal people.

About sixty people attended the event, including parish healthcare workers, students, and mothers. Sister Alvina, who is head nurse at the local church, was the soul of the day.

The Franciscan woman religious has been serving the community from her medical dispensary for 30 years, providing free service to the poor with the help of the Catholic Diocese of Faisalabad, which is led by Bishop Joseph Indrias Rehmat.

"I congratulate all the nurses of the world for the great work they do, said Fr Khalid Rashid Asi. Like the Messiah, nurses serve people when they are suffering and did so even during the COVID-19 pandemic, when everyone was confined to their homes.

They lead lives like angels, the clergyman added, saving people and bringing them back to life. I have always praised and admired their work, in the history of India and Pakistan.

The day also offered an opportunity to remember how many obstacles Christian nurses face in their service in Pakistan.

"We have raised our voices for their rights and asked that they be given fair wages," the parish priest explained. "They are harassed in the workplace, have to endure harsh words from families and the elderly, and yet they continue to work for our healing. The government should pay more attention to them."

For nurses, hostility and mistreatment mirror the climate of intolerance in the country towards Christian minorities, especially if they are women.

Sister Alvina also addressed the gathering. "I encourage Christian nurses on this day. I know that they are less privileged and that many times they are discouraged by their superiors in hospitals, she said.

We know that a nurse makes greater efforts than a doctor to save a life, builds a pure relationship with patients, and takes care of them in the best possible way."

"I am very grateful to this parish for organising such a beautiful event, she added, showing their love to nurses, which means that they accept their great role in society. All parishes should organise similar events.

Nusrat Bibi, a staff nurse, said she felt immense joy and happiness, reiterating that she and her colleagues are often discriminated in the workplace because of their different faiths, and do not receive proper salaries, especially in private hospitals, even though they work more than any other member of the staff.

I've been working as a nurse for 25 years but I've never been treated like this before. The parish priest gave us bouquets of flowers as a token of love because he admires our services and appreciates our role," she said.

I assure you that I will continue to serve God's people with true zeal, because we think that He has assigned us this role and put us to serve the people.
by Vladimir Rozanskij

The Muftiat's condemnation of Ajnura Sagynbaeva's statements on sexual relations outside marriage: an open distortion of the precepts of Islam that contradicts the moral values of the entire Kyrgyz society. But there are those who argue that by allowing themselves to be dragged into the media controversy they risk producing the opposite effect, giving her only great publicity.

Bishkek (AsiaNews) - A dispute has broken out in Kyrgyzstan between the Religious Administration of Muslims and the blogger, psychologist and sexologist Ajnura Sagynbaeva, involving the entire public opinion of the country.

The blogger uploaded a video on TikTok in which she states that sexual relations outside of marriage do not constitute a sin even from a religious point of view, and Muftiat leaders declared that her views on the matter are "an open distortion of precepts of Islam" and contradict the moral values of the entire Kyrgyz society, above all ruining the orientation of youth. Muslim leaders threatened to report the author of the sex post to the police.

Sagynbaeva - who also defines herself as a cosmetologist, as well as a sexologist - wanted to show in the video how today's young people, boys and girls, experience their relationship with sexuality.

According to her observations, for males the lack of sexual relations is harmful to their health, so don't believe what they tell you, sex outside of marriage is not a sin. She says to the boys: "if you don't come forward with women your muscles will function poorly and the vessels will become compressed, then don't come to me if you have problems". Finally, she recommends the use of condoms, "so it's not a sin even for religion", because "what matters is remaining men".

Many internet users were shocked by these statements, and asked the muftis to clarify the matter. Although in Kyrgyzstan no religion is defined as an official cult of the State, maintaining the regime of separation between the State and religious communities, the Muslim Administration felt obliged to express an authoritative opinion with the support of the civil authorities, communicating that "if this citizen will not stop expressing her subjective opinions which do not correspond to the principles of Sharia and national values, we will be forced to turn to the corresponding bodies of the State".

The sexologist then deleted her video from the social network, writing however that she only did so due to the Muftiat's warnings. However, her role as a consultant-influencer puts her in contact with hundreds of thousands of her followers, who continually ask her questions on similar topics, making her pages among the most popular in the Kyrgyz language on topics relating to sexuality .

Ajnura then added that she did not intend to stray into the religious field: "You have to tread very slowly with the conscience of believing people, they are very delicate feelings and I shouldn't have used the word sin."

According to her expertise, she insists that she wants to help clarify medical and psychological issues, and some of her online interlocutors often end up getting too explicit. According to lawyer and activist Erzan Sulayman, some of Sagynbaeva's expressions can also be considered discriminatory, such as the invitation to "come forward to women" and the description of sex as a "necessity for male health", but the reaction of the Muftiat in his opinion it was excessive, as there were no elements to contact the courts or the police.

According to him, Muslim leaders "would have done better to calmly and effectively illustrate the principles of Islamic morality regarding extra-marital relationships, avoiding naming names and being dragged into a media controversy that risks producing the opposite effect , giving the sexologist great free publicity."

Other commentators, however, defend freedom of expression in Kyrgyzstan, a much-discussed topic far beyond ethical and religious questions.
Today's news: three men accused of spying for Hong Kong arrested in the UK; India and Iran sign agreement to develop Chabahar port; Japan will invest in construction of a new railway line in Indonesia; Myanmar generals propose a national census.

NEW CALEDONIA

A curfew was imposed in the French territory in the Pacific Ocean after a series of protests turned violent. Since yesterday the indigenous population of the Kanak ethnic group, which makes up 41% of the population, has been protesting against the constitutional amendments under discussion in Paris which, by allowing more French residents to vote, would increase the size of the electorate for the next provincial elections, marginalizing even more so the native population.

CHINA

In the UK, three men have been arrested on charges of providing materials and information to Hong Kong's intelligence services. After appearing at Westminster Magistrates Court, he was granted bail. According to a report published by Amnesty International, however, Chinese students abroad are hesitant to express political opinions due to possible repercussions in China. Many self-censor, avoiding discussing certain topics considered sensitive by Beijing or participating in academic debate.

INDIA  IRAN

After Delhi and Tehran signed a contract to develop and operate a terminal in Iran's Chabahar port for 10 years, Washington said countries that make trade deals with Iran are at risk of having their trade imposed on them. sanctions. Indian Ports Global Limited will invest about 0 million in the project, which the Indian government says provides an alternative trade route.

JAPAN  INDONESIA

The Japanese government said it will provide a loan of up to about 140.7 billion yen (0 million) for the construction of the second railway line in Jakarta. The 84.1 kilometer long East-West line project will be divided into two phases, of which the first will begin by 2026. The new railway line will be built with Japanese technology for vehicles and signaling systems.

MYANMAR

Myanmar's generals have proposed a national census in October, state media reported today, despite ongoing civil conflict, a move that observers say aims to monitor opponents of the regime. Military officials added that the census would need to be completed before the next election, but the coup junta that took power had announced elections several times before and had been unable to organize them because of the war.

RUSSIA

Among the new appointments of Vladimir Putin's government after his re-election, the figure of the new energy minister stands out, the ex-governor of the Kemerovo region, Sergei Tsivilev, husband of Anna, nephew of Putin himself and owner of a large energy company. coal mining. 70% of Russia's GDP depends on the activities subjected to this ministry.

UZBEKISTAN - GULF

Speaking at the III Investment Forum in Tashkent, President Savkat Mirziyoyev proposed opening up to "Islamic finance" in discussions with representatives of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, and an agreement was signed between Anorbank and the Islamic corporation for Private Sector Development (Xsrik) to develop a project in this direction.
by Dario Salvi

The murder of a headmaster at the hands of a minor sparks controversy. The shooter was a student who wanted revenge for his expulsion. Pro-government unions (also) go on strike. Fr. Monge: education is only the tip of the iceberg. The four Akp reforms have overturned secular and scientific education. Erdogan's nemesis and the rise of Imamoglu.

Milan (AsiaNews) - The murder of a headmaster of a school in Istanbul at the hands of a student seeking revenge for a previous expulsion order has rekindled the spotlight on classroom violence in Turkey and on the education system in general.

The terrible event has shaken consciences and prompted several teachers' unions to call for a day of strike action, because it is not an isolated incident but the result of a long-standing policy of discrediting the teaching profession.

However, it is important to point out that this is the tip of the iceberg, a crisis in the education system, which adds up to strong social tensions, Fr Claudio Monge, a Dominican, explains to AsiaNews, who has long been in the country's economic and commercial capital where he is parish priest of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul.

These attacks, he continues, are often instigated and originated not so much by students, but rather by family members, and it is reductive to link the issue of violence only to the school environment.

Headmaster killed

The 7 May shooting of Ibrahim Oktugan, 74-year-old headmaster of a public school is at the centre of the current media mailstrom which is fomenting public disquiet. The shooter was a student who acted in revenge because he had been expelled on disciplinary grounds.

The man died in hospital from his serious injuries, while the young man - a minor identified by the initials Y.K., from an Iraqi immigrant family - was stopped by the police as he tried to escape. He is now locked up in a juvenile prison awaiting trial for premeditated murder.

The story has raised controversy on several fronts: from the media narrative to the link with the world of immigration, which further fuels waves of xenophobia, to the issue of school violence that has long seemed structural.

Episodes of bullying of classmates and teachers are happening with increasing frequency and occur as early as the age of six: according to the Education Monitoring 2020 study, one in three children has experienced attacks in the classroom, with 14% more among girls.

Alongside this is the issue of immigration, although there is no more significant incidence among those from abroad, not least because, only recently, a teacher was attacked by a (Turkish) student armed with a knife. And a pregnant teacher was assaulted by the parents of a pupil, also Turkish, with the press placing no particular emphasis on nationality, unlike the murder of the headmaster.

Organisations in the school sector, even those traditionally linked to the government and majority parties, expressed their discontent with a day of strike action.

However, violence is an issue that does not only concern education and has been growing - and worsening - over the last 10 years also due to discriminatory policies pursued by the executive, starting with gender inequality. Linked to this is the clash between social classes and ethnic groups, distrust of justice and a general increase in anger and discontent, coupled with mutual intolerance.

A 'social issue'

What trade unions and authoritative experts call the "school emergency" is actually part of a broader issue that embraces education, society and Turkish politics in the last two decades, "in which the education system has been weakened. In Turkiye - explains Fr. Monge - compulsory schooling applies from the age of six to 17, the enrollment rate in primary school [according to official statistics] is around 94%, which drops to 91% due to a first and partial school dropout in secondary school and remains constant with higher education.

The problem - he continues - is linked to a change in the very soul of the nation, the violence is the reflection of social tensions due to a dramatic economic crisis and major cuts in education funds.

The government had promised "policies to protect children, to free them from child labor and compulsory education up to the age of 17 was going in this direction, but the significant decline in family and social policies" did not allow the violent drift to be stemmed.

The number of children between 15 and 17 years old working on the streets has increased by 110 thousand units compared to 2011 - underlines the religious, director of the DoSt-I (Dominican Study Institute) study center in Istanbul and since 2014 consultant to the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue - and the rate of increase in the number of child workers, which has reached 620 thousand, is 20%.

At the same time, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security has seen its budget for the 'fight against child labor' reduced from around 1.2 million euros in 2023 to just over 825 thousand euros this year. More money to the arms industry [as we previously reported], also due to the driving force represented by the war in Ukraine".

Then there is the issue of school curricula, which in 22 years of the Akp government (President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Justice and Development Party) has undergone four revisions, the latest recently approved.

In two decades there have been significant changes, explains Fr Monge, linked to a moral-religious vision of life and society. About 35 per cent of the material has been cut from the new curriculum, with the theory of evolution limited to secondary biology, and creationism funded by some Protestant Christian denominations in the United States.

They then complain of a lack of civic education, at the expense of a religiously motivated moralisation of behaviour leading to the ideal student being considered not on the basis of intellectual preparation, but on the basis of Islamic-inspired moral dictates.

Linked to this is an increase in religious schools (imam hatip), with the support of the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), among the few to have benefited from a constant increase in funding.

In Istanbul alone, an estimated 10,000 children have been diverted from public education to illegal religiously inspired schools. We must not think,' he explains, of a Taliban-style indoctrination, but rather of a weakening of critical capacity functional to a more manoeuvrable future electorate.

Education at the service of power

The heavy government intervention on the independence of Turkish universities and the strong control over rectorships, following the authoritarian measures that followed the failed coup in 2016, have caused a real brain drain abroad.

The battles for the public education of men and women led by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founding father of modern presidential Turkey, who had made it a model in the vanguard of the Islamic world for decades, seem distant.

These are all elements at play, stresses the Dominican, but we must pay attention to the overall picture and understand that violence in schools is only the tip of the iceberg.

Depressing education, failing to support the future of the younger generations by blocking their entry into the world of work are issues linked to the serious economic crisis, also a consequence of clientelistic policies that have increased corruption.

A nemesis, comments Fr Monge, because this had been precisely one of the issues that had driven Erdogan's rise. But corruption remains widespread and endemic, laid bare by the devastation caused by the earthquake of February 2023 with the crumbling of entire, luxurious, recently built buildings whose contracts had been awarded to companies and personalities linked to the top echelons of power.

So many signs that perhaps indicate the beginning of the president's downward parabola, in spite of his confirmed activism in foreign policy. In the last presidential elections he won, but did not triumph, recalls the cleric.

And the recent vote for the administrative elections confirmed a general defeat for the Akp in the country's main cities, as well as in Izmir, which is a traditional fiefdom of the opposition, and with the confirmation of the outgoing mayors of Ankara and, above all, Istanbul. Turkey's future is at stake in the country's economic and cultural capital, also because Erdogan himself has always used the vote in his hometown as a referendum on his person.

In this perspective, he explains, the figure of the current mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is emerging, who is opposite in style to the president not only in his message and content, but also in his calm tones that break away from the populist approach. Even in the court cases brought against him,' he concludes, he has never attacked his political opponents or the judiciary head-on.

GATEWAY TO THE EAST IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO MIDDLE EAST. TO RECEIVE A WEEKLY UPDATE EVERY TUESDAY, CLICK HERE.
New reports from global financial experts show the new $133 million Hyatt Regency Hotel and Convention Center is putting the Conroe Local Government Corp. at risk of filing for bankruptcy and threatening the city's credit rating. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer

New reports from global financial experts show the new $133 million Hyatt Regency Hotel and Convention Center is putting the Conroe Local Government Corp. at risk of filing for bankruptcy and threatening the citys credit rating.

The downgrade comes after S&P Global Ratings lowered the corporations credit rating on its first-lien and second-lien hotel revenue bonds to BB- and CCC+ in February. These ratings show that the corporation depends on good business, financial and economic conditions to repay the debt.

The Conroe Local Government Corp., which the city created specifically to proceed with the hotel project, will pay those two bonds.

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The third lien was not affected and will be repaid by the Conroe Industrial Development Corp.

According to a May 1 report, analysts with S&P Global have downgraded the credit rating of the corporations first lien two more notches to a B from a BB-.

Analysts did not lower the CCC+ on the corporations second lien.

Timeline estimates on defaults

Our 'B' rating on CLGCs senior debt reflects the projects weak debt service coverage and liquidity risk for its upcoming debt service payment, the report states.

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The report also states that, under S&Ps downside case, the first lien would default in 2027, and the second lien would default in 2025.

Given that CLGCs primary function is to own and operate a hotel, traditionally a nongovernmental function, we view that CLGC would be eligible to file bankruptcy under Chapter 11 under the state law of Texas, absent a direct court ruling. If court ruling leads to an opposite conclusion, we would revise our recovery assessment, the report states.

The city formed the Local Government Corp., which is made up of city council members, in June 2019. A local government corporation receives and spends taxpayer funds and private donations on projects that benefit the public. Local government corporations are also used to create public-private partnerships.

S&P also stated its expectation for recovery if the corporation defaults or files bankruptcy is about 45% on the first lien and 0% on the second lien. The recovery rate is the percentage of defaulted debt that can be recovered by a lender.

Hotel debt impact

Analysts with Moodys Investors Service said the city of Conroes credit rating is strong at Aa1 Stable. However, the report states that the citys overall credit profile could weaken due to its exposure to the hotel and supplementing the corporation to meet debt payments.

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In April, the city received an updated financial report that indicated it will have to cover the hotels debt until 2050, which puts the city on the hook for around $1 million in annual payments until then.

Collin Boothe, assistant city administrator and director of finance, said in March that it is unknown how the corporation will repay the liens. He said the corporation could sell the hotel, but that would require legal review.

Despite the downgrade and bleak forecast, analysts reported a slight increase in the hotels performance since February.

According to the S&P report, occupancy increased to above 40% and the average daily rate was stable at over $160 in February and March. Recent occupancy growth was primarily driven by events and conferences held at the meeting rooms in the hotel, which increased its group revenues.

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The hotel had an increase in banquets, which are typically considered to be more profitable given their scale of economies and premium charge on service, the report states. There were also some cost savings in information and technologies, utilities, and administrative and general expenses. We believe the F&B segment can still be volatile, and operating costs could pick up for the rest of FY 2024.

Financial concerns

The hotel has continued to be a controversial issue for the council, dividing members.

Council Member Harry Hardman said the recent reports confirm the citys extremely serious financial position the Hyatt Hotel project has put the city of Conroe in. He said the corporations credit downgrade could affect the city.

Any reduction in Conroes creditworthiness would be disastrous, as it would increase the cost of issuing bonds and further challenge our ability to fund future critical Capital Improvement Projects, which have been ignored by previous councils to facilitate feel good projects like the Hyatt, Hardman said. Councilmen Maddux and Yancey can no longer proclaim fake news regarding this issue and need to take ownership of their decisions.

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Council Member Marsha Porter said previous financial staffs predictions of $6.5 million in revenue are so far off it has become ludicrous.

Todd Yancey and Curt Maddox obviously did not read the contract or question the financial implications, Porter said. If they had done their due diligence they would have voted against the hotel as Duke Coon and myself did. I do expect another downgrade by Oct. 1 or sooner.

Wood said the report findings are extremely concerning. He said the city should hire more police and fire personnel and focus on capital improvement projects, not subsidizing the hotel.

Citizens were told this hotel would not cost one cent, Wood said. That is obviously wrong and one of many reasons why our former city administrator and CFO are no longer with the city.

Wood said he is working to bring business to the hotel.

I proactively started a marketing team in 2023 using city staff to promote this hotel across the state and nation, combating the substandard performance, Wood said.

Maddux said fellow council members have made the issue political, calling it the worst kind of hypocrisy.

Their reckless actions have brought about lawsuits and allegations that will undoubtedly cost millions more, Maddux said.

Maddux said debt is necessary to grow the city and that the hotel has made a profit in the last six months.

The bottom line is this  yes the citys credit rating has gone down a bit, but Conroe is in no financial danger, Maddux said. Our interest rate has not risen, we have no trouble paying our note payments and our infrastructure, facilities and amenities are on par for a growing vibrant city. Politics is a nasty business, and statistics can be used to deceive. I am looking at outcomes and projections and they are all positive.
Katy ISD board membersRebecca Fox and Dawn Champagne take the oath of office on Monday, May 13, 2024 in Katy. Courtesy/Katy ISD

Katy ISD board members Rebecca Fox and Dawn Champagne have officially been declared winners in the May 4 board of trustees election, which garnered the highest voter turnout in district history.

CIVIL RIGHTS LAWSUIT: Katy ISDs transgender policy under investigation by Department of Education

At Mondays board of trustees meeting, the board certified the results of the election, and Fox and Champagne were sworn into office.

Fox and Champagne, both incumbents, defeated opponents Donovan Campell and David Olson for Positions 6 and 7. Fox and Champagne have both served on the Katy ISD school board since 2021.

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Record-setting election turnout

The voter turnout was the highest in district history by 33%, reported Justin Graham, general counsel for Katy ISD. More than 16,000 voters cast votes in the election.

In the weeks leading up to the election, campaigns became heated, with Campbell and Olson sending out mailers that accused their opponents of being extremist liberals. Campbell and Olson also accepted endorsements from Republican political action groups, and Campbell accepted campaign funds from action groups based outside Texas.

In response to the mailers, Fox said school board races should not center on whether candidates are Republican or Democrat, noting that school boards are supposed to be nonpartisan in Texas.

I love that I won on my own merits without tearing down my opponent, Champagne said at Mondays meeting.

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Fox and Champagne were endorsed by Katy Educational Excellence Partners, a nonpartisan political action group formed by Katy community members specifically for the 2024 election cycle to elect school board trustees who are committed to providing excellent public education for all and to maintain Katy ISDs reputation as an excellent leader in public education, according to the organizations Facebook group.

At the meeting, Fox thanked the Katy community for reelecting her and preventing out-of-state political groups from influencing the school board.

This community has voted for public schools, for our children and families and for our teachers and staff, Fox said. This result was the outcome of grassroots efforts to protect our school district from outside influence.

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Champagne, who has long maintained that the job of the Katy ISD school board is to support the district, not issue mandates to it, had a message for her fellow board members.
Creating a home for the great 3D work of digital artist Ross Mason.

When Ross came to me with the question if I was up to design his new website it felt like a full circle moment. I've personally worked with Ross before on another project where he did the 3D visuals and it was obvious we worked together very well.

I've seen all of his work before and getting to design an online experience for it was a lot of fun. In this case study Ill go over some of the challenges, solutions and favourite parts of the website.

Ross Mason Portfolio overview

Challenge/solution

The main challenge for Ross website was bringing together 3 purposes: His services and work, his Patreon offerings, and a home for his experiments and personal works. The most important thing here is that there are 2 different groups of target audience and we want it to be clear on the website which group should go where without it being confusing.

The first thing that needed to be done was to create a hierarchy between these 3 purposes. By simply asking what brings in the most revenue for him and also considering what he wants to become a bigger part of the revenue we could establish a clear hierarchy for the site: The clear number 1 was client work (work and services), Patreon/educational content came in 2nd, and 3rd we had his experiments and personal work.

This hierarchy helps to make decisions when it comes to the information architecture. The homepage or main page you land on showcases an index of projects Ross has completed over the years, this is targeted at potential clients. Then looking in the main navigation we first see Patreon for his educational content and lastly Lab where he can put his personal work and experiments.

Its important to not only differentiate the pages in what order they show up but also have them visually and structurally different so its clear there will be different content for different target audiences. Lets go over these 3 in depth.

Its important to not only differentiate the pages in what order they show up but also have them visually and structurally different so its clear there will be different content for different target audiences

Work index and detail page

The main landing page for Ross site is the work index page. To differentiate this from the other pages on the site we intentionally chose to have no distractions on this page and create an infinite carousel of projects with the middle one highlighted by being bigger. This also created a more interesting composition with the middle project overlaying over the big logo at the bottom, which helps with creating some depth.

The first thing a user usually does on a page is scroll, so we decided that a normal scroll is what triggers the carousel. This way all the focus is on the work, visually but also interaction-wise because the first scroll will trigger the carousel and bring extra attention to it.

Not all people like navigating an infinite carousel because there is no clear start or end to it so we created an alternate way of viewing the projects in a list format. This also helps in the long term when there would be a lot more projects on the site to navigate the projects all in one view.

For the project detail page we wanted to have a strong focus on the work so we chose to have basic information in the hero section and a small title+paragraph in the 2nd section. After that, its all about the work.

At the bottom of each case study, we made it easy to continue with the next case study so you wouldnt have to navigate back to the index.

Work Index Carousel and list view

Case study detail page hero section

Patreon page

The second part of the site is the Patreon page. This page has one sole purpose and that is selling the Patreon. Structure-wise this means the page needs a couple of sections to be an effective sales page, lets have a look at those.

When we start at the top in the hero section we need a value proposition and a small introduction, when scrolling down we highlight the latest tutorial to give a taste of whats on Patreon. We then go into 3 main benefits followed by a listing of the most recent tutorials. This way the audience can already have a look at some tutorials and judge if they are relevant for them.

Since not all people are immediately going to buy a subscription we added a section to download a sample tutorial for free. This way the people can already get a taste of the content and get updates by email to maybe sign up later for the Patreon subscription.

No sales page is complete without social proof. Instead of going with testimonials, like you would see on other sites, we decided to show the results of people that are subscribed to the Patreon to show what is possible when you subscribe.

We close off the page with a list of features that are included and a section talking about Ross, the instructor. This last section also links to the About page.

Highlights of the Patreon page

Lab page

The last of the 3 purposes of the site was the page for personal projects and experiments. Structurally the biggest difference with the work index is that on the lab page, Ross can post one-off images/videos. No need to build a case study or have multiple images. Visually we wanted this page to feel like a separate experience to emphasize on the lab name. We did this by using a big gothic font to give a different vibe together with a black background. The animation also helps with this but we'll discuss that later on.

We wanted it to be easy for a guest to go through the images and videos, for this reason we used small thumbnails at the bottom of the page so you already see a lot of the work. This is also triggered by a scroll like on the homepage.

When interested in an image a simple click enlarges the image or video, any click on the image or video makes it go back to its original state. when having an image or video in the larger mode you can easily navigate with the arrows on your keyboard as well. This all together offers a fun and seamless experience.

Lab page

Store, about, and contact page

Now that we have covered the main pages of the site, its time to go over the 3 other pages of the site that are left.

Store

Besides making educational content on Patreon, Ross was also selling digital products on Gumroad. This being one of his offerings it made sense to give it a place on the website. This way a visitor gets the full Ross experience. For this page, we also used a horizontal scroll layout where the title and filters are fixed but the products scroll horizontally. Going with this instead of doing cards that are stacked vertically we created a more cohesive experience since we use the same scroll behavior on the home and lab. Since this is a secondary page for the website we chose to use a Gumroad popup so we didnt have to build a checkout flow from scratch.

Store page

About

The About page is another secondary or supporting page on the website. On this page, Ross talks about how he got into design and 3D, gives some more info on his services with a fun interactive section, and shows what clients and agencies he has worked with, this also serves as social proof for potential clients. At the bottom of the page, we added a CTA section so a visitor can easily navigate to the contact page.

Highlights of the About page

Contact page

For the contact page on Ross site, we wanted to do something thats a bit more fun than a normal contact page. Structurally we chose to build it as an overlay. Because we have a fixed navigation on the site, visitors can always click on the contact page, so by it being an overlay you can easily go back to browsing on the website where you were.

Because its an overlay we wanted it to be another color than white or black (most of the website is already white and the lab page is black). In the 3D space, there is a term called clay which refers to a model before textures, lighting, etc. The color we chose for the contact overlay is a clay color, so it fits the site perfectly with the tie-in to 3D design.

For the form, we chose to create an email-like UI so users can easily use the form. It is however not needed, by simply clicking the name in the To field you can copy the email address.

Contact page with clay background colour

Animations

We used a lot of subtle and not so subtle animations on the website. Theres an overall motion language on the website with things implemented site-wide like parallax on images and a very subtle smooth scroll. But there are also some stand-alone animations, lets cover 3 of my favorites.

Intro

The intro animation has been splitter into 3 parts, first, we get the logo that animates in. Ross already had a brand identity where he uses the 2 different typefaces, having the logo split by the first case study and in the second step, it emphasizes this even more. It also sets the stage for the homepage carousel since the image will be the middle project.

Intro/loading animation

Carousel to list

One of my favourite animations on the site is when you are on the homepage carousel and click on the list viewing option. All the projects stack on top of each other which creates this seamless experience of going to the list view.

Carousel to list view animation

Lab page transition

If you navigate from one page to another on the site you see that all page transitions are the same with a simple fade. There is one page transition we intentionally did differently. When going into the lab page we wanted it not only to be visually different like mentioned before but to emphasize this with motion. With the animation, we wanted to create the feeling that you would be going into a more underground feeling page of the site.

Page transition to lab page

Thats been a behind the scenes look at the process of designing the website for Ross. Massive credits to Jesper Landberg for building this as smooth as butter. And of course also to Ross Mason for the great content and conversations on what we wanted to do with the site.

Technologies

Front-end: Nuxt, GSAP

Backend: Dato CMS

Server: Netlify

Tools: Sketch, Figma, Principle app

Company Info

My name is Gil Huybrecht, freelance designer and skateboarder from Belgium. Through strategic art direction and web design I help companies around the world grow their business.
14 May 2024 08:30 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

This November, Azerbaijan will take centre stage as it hosts the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29). As the largest international event of its kind, COP29 signifies a significant task and responsibility for the global community in addressing climate change.

The financial imperative for implementing large-scale climate projects continues to escalate each year. During extensive negotiations, countries advocate for financial support across various sectors, including climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience. Notably, pledges to create a $100 billion fund underscore the urgency of financing solutions.

On May 1, President Ilham Aliyev highlighted the pivotal role of financial resources in tackling climate challenges at the World Intercultural Dialogue Forum. COP29 is poised to prioritise this crucial topic.

At the workshop on strengthening capacity in the preparation of Biennial Transparency Reports held on May 13, 2024, the regional coordinator of COP29, the representative of the UN Development Program, Nuri Ozbaghdati, emphasised the importance of financing in the fight against climate change.

It should be noted that the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action is operating in order to mobilise financial resources for the acceleration of measures related to climate change.

Furthermore, Azerbaijan's Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Mukhtar Babayev, called for collaboration within the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action to ensure a successful COP29 at the 11th meeting of the coalition held on April 18, 2024.

This coalition, comprising about 100 countries and global institutions like the World Bank and UN agencies, aims to mobilise financial resources for climate initiatives worldwide.

In his comment to Azernews, Ayaz Museyibov, advisor to the executive director of the Centre for Analysis and Communication of Economic Reforms, emphasised the significance of multi-stakeholder engagement in climate action.

"The more platforms and stakeholder participation are ensured, the more 'ownership' and 'responsibility' indicators there are in climate-related issues."

Cooperation with the coalition offers a platform for diverse countries with varying development needs to unite in combating climate change and utilising financial resources effectively.

"Cooperation in these issues allows states and parties with different development characteristics and therefore also interests to unite within a platform for the distribution and use of financial resources to combat and adapt to climate change."

Cooperation with the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action can also contribute to the effective use of financial resources for the fulfilment of global climate commitments, he emphasised.

"Consider that this coalition comprises approximately 100 countries and prominent global institutions such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Asian Development Bank, European Investment Bank, UN agencies, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, among others. These institutions represent developed countries with significant financial resources and global influence."

Azerbaijan's potential membership in the coalition signifies its commitment to global climate efforts. This collaboration aligns with the COP29 Conference's mission to encourage new commitments and concrete actions towards addressing the climate crisis.

Moreover, COP29 provides a platform for Azerbaijan to showcase its vision for regional security, energy transition, and green growth. Initiatives such as creating green zones in Karabakh and developing wind and solar energy projects demonstrate Azerbaijan's dedication to sustainable development and its contribution to global climate discussions.

In essence, Azerbaijan's active participation in COP29 and collaboration with the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action reaffirm its commitment to building a resilient and sustainable future for generations to come.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
14 May 2024 16:38 (UTC+04:00)

Ulviyya Shahin Read more

The Alat Free Economic Zone Authority (AFEZ Authority) participated at the exhibition organised in the framework of the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM Congress) held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Azernews reports.

The representatives of the AFEZ Authority met with well-known companies from China, the UAE, Russia, Poland, and other countries and informed them about the favourable business climate that has been created in the Alat Free Economic Zone for investors.

During the exhibition, AFEZ Authority team met with Sheikh Issa bin Abdullah Al-Maala and Sheikh Zayed bin Mohammed bin Khalid Al-Qasimi and briefed them about the unique legal base of the AFEZ, as well as about the fiscal and non-fiscal incentives package, industrial land plots with ready-to-use off-site and on-site infrastructure and utilities, and other advantages.

Afterwards, the Chairman of the UAE Chambers, Hamid Mohammed bin Salem, visited the stand, where he was given information about the opportunities and benefits created for investors in the Alat Free Economic Zone.

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14 May 2024 17:38 (UTC+04:00)

Ulviyya Shahin Read more

Discussions were held between Azerbaijan and China on the development of multidirectional cooperation on renewable energy and joint activities with Chinese companies within the COP29, Azernews reports, citing the Energy Ministry of Azerbaijan.

A meeting was held between the Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov and the delegation led by Song Hailiang, the Chairman of China Energy Engineering Group Co.Ltd, in which Lyu Zexiang, the Chairman of China Energy International Group Co. Ltd. attended as well.

Information was provided about the projects implemented by China Energy Engineering Group Co. Ltd, which provides systematic, integrated, comprehensive development plans and services for the energy and infrastructure industries in China and globally.

It was noted that Chinese companies are interested in participating in large-scale activities to realise the huge renewable energy potential in Azerbaijan.

Cooperation opportunities on the creation of green energy corridors and interconnectors, green energy export, production, and transportation of green hydrogen and green ammonia, as well as energy storage systems, were evaluated.

Also, the issues arising from the Memorandum of Understanding on the implementation of renewable energy projects with a capacity of 2 GW signed between the Ministry of Energy and China Gezhouba Group Overseas Investment were discussed. The measures taken and the next steps related to the construction of 60 MW and 100 MW solar power plants were reviewed.

During the conversation, it was agreed to strengthen the interaction with the establishment of a Working Group to evaluate proposals on potential cooperation areas and, as a result, to cooperate with relevant projects.

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14 May 2024 10:44 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

ADA University has announced a joint undergraduate and graduate program in jurisprudence with American University Washington College of Law (AUWCL), Azernews reports.

At the inaugural ceremony, attended by esteemed guests including US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mark Libby, ADA University USA Centre President Ghalib Mammad, Professor Padide Alay from the "International Legal Studies Program" at American University Washington School of Law, and representatives from ADA University's leadership, faculty, and student body, the joint undergraduate and graduate program in jurisprudence was unveiled.

Welcoming the attendees, the moderator of the event, Fariz Ismayilzade, ADA University's vice-rector for State, foreign, and student affairs, highlighted the institution's commitment to forging partnerships with foreign higher education institutions to address the evolving needs of the labour market.

US Ambassador Mark Libby emphasised the significance of this program in expanding educational relations between the US and Azerbaijan, noting the opportunity it provides for Azerbaijani students to learn from distinguished legal professionals in the United States.

Ghalib Mammad, in his address, underscored ADA University's mission to nurture a new generation of Azerbaijani legal scholars, drawing inspiration from historical figures who have advanced science and education. He emphasised the program's role in not only producing lawyers but also cultivating educators with strong academic research skills.

Professor Padide Alay highlighted the shared goals and vision of ADA University and AUWCL, envisioning the training of lawyers equipped to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world through the collaboration of these two institutions from different continents.

Elkin Nurmammadov, vice-rector for academic affairs at ADA University, emphasised the comprehensive nature of the program, providing students with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills.

Rashad Ibadov, Dean of ADA University's Law Faculty, explained that students will have the opportunity to pursue specialised studies in the US after three years at ADA University.

Gunay Ziyadova, Dean of Student Affairs at ADA University, outlined the advantages of the joint program, including shorter study duration, reduced costs, and faster entry into the job market.

This program introduces students to both the Azerbaijani and American legal systems, preparing them for international careers with globally recognised degrees.

The newly introduced joint program enables students to earn both bachelor's and master's degrees in just four years, with three years of study at ADA University followed by one year at American University Washington School of Law.

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14 May 2024 13:18 (UTC+04:00)

Laman Ismayilova Read more

Azerbaijan Culture Minister Adil Karimli has received Minister of Dhivehi Language, Culture, and Heritage Adam Naseer Ibrahim, who is visiting the country to participate in the official opening ceremony of Shusha, the Cultural Capital of the Islamic World 2024, Azernews reports.

Speaking about the historical and cultural riches of the city of Shusha, the minister gave information about the outstanding cultural and literary figures that this ancient city gave to the Azerbaijani people.

Adil Karimli pointed out that this year Azerbaijan will host a globally significant event- the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 29), to be held in Baku on November 11-22.

He underlined that special discussions will be held regarding the impact of climate change on culture as well as the role of culture in environmental protection.

Adam Naseer Ibrahim expressed his satisfaction with his visit to Azerbaijan and hailed the high-level organisation of the official opening of Shusha, the Cultural Capital of the Islamic World 2024. He added that the Maldives is interested in cultural cooperation with Azerbaijan.

The ministers exchanged views regarding the organisation of cultural days.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr

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The 7th Kharibulbul International Music Festival was successfully held on May 11-13, Azernews reports.

People's Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR, Rector of Baku Music Academy Farhad Badalbayli, expressed his excitement about performing in Shusha.

"Indeed, Shusha is a miracle. We cried like children when Mr. President said: Dear Shusha, you are free! When I performed my music piece at the festival held there, I saw that an eagle was flying... You know, this is a miracle. It is impossible to see this in any concert hall. But it happened in Shusha," Farhad Badalbayli said.

He emphasised that he is watching the 1st State Program on the Great Return with great hope and that President Ilham Aliyev's policy in this field is unparalleled in the world.

The 1st State Program on the Great Return to Azerbaijan's liberated territories is driving extensive reconstruction efforts in Garabagh and East Zangazur.

The program focuses on developing modern infrastructure and creating conditions for sustainable settlement and economic reintegration.

The State Committee is actively engaged in information dissemination, propaganda, and promotional activities to encourage the return of internally displaced persons to newly constructed settlements.

Within the initiative, videos featuring intellectuals, young individuals, and professionals from the liberated territories are being produced.

Azernews presents a video made with the participation of People's Artist Farhad Badalbayli:

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr

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Travis Scott appearing here at his ill-fated Astroworld Festival in 2021. Jamaal Ellis/Contributor

The civil trial over the death of a 9-year-old boy killed at the 2021 Astroworld festival is scheduled to begin in September.

Harris County 11th District Court Judge Kristen Hawkins and attorneys in the case agreed Tuesday to set a fall date for the final remaining civil case over one of the 10 deaths at the concert. Ezra Blount, 9, suffered critical injuries after falling from his fathers shoulders amid the crowd crush during festival headliners Travis Scotts performance.

MORE ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Man linked to 2021 shooting of New Orleans police officer vacationing in Houston pleads guilty

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The setting comes less than a week after nine of the 10 lawsuits involving deaths at the festival were settled. Attorneys were preparing for the start of the highly anticipated first jury trial over an Astroworld death, which would have focused on 23-year-old Madison Dubiski, when the settlements were reached.

Scott, concert promoter Live Nation and Apple, which livestreamed the concert, were among the defendants that reached confidential settlements with the families of the victims.

The Dubiski civil trial was scheduled to begin May 7, but was delayed by an appeal by Apple, which sought to be removed from the litigation on First Amendment grounds.

In Hawkins' courtroom Tuesday, some of the attorneys representing the now-settled victims' parties announced they were stepping aside and letting the Blount familys attorneys, as well as lawyers representing thousands of injured concert goers, take over the handling of the case.

Blounts family is being represented by attorney Scott West, as well as famed civil rights attorney Ben Crump.

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Hawkins set the trial date for Blounts case for September, and tentatively set an October court date for a group of seven injured plaintiffs, who will act as bellwethers for the remainder of the victims. The seven chosen victims will represent a degree of injuries of people who attended the concert, West said.

The remaining victims are also still seeking to have Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino deposed before the trial.

Since March, the plaintiffs have argued that Rapino has unique and personal knowledge about the problems that occurred during the 2018 and 2019 iterations of the Astroworld Festival and about planning for the 2021 event. Live Nation objected, saying the request came late and that Rapino had no personal involvement in Astroworld 2021.

Live Nations attempt to block the deposition failed, and Hawkins told attorneys to arrange for him to be deposed some time in the near future. Neal Manne, Live Nations attorney, said the company might appeal their objection all the way to the Texas Supreme Court.

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14 May 2024 11:39 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan (KRMB) and the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA), Azernews reports, citing Azerbaijan's CBA.

The memorandum was signed during a business trip to Azerbaijan by a delegation led by the Chairman of the Central Bank of Kyrgyzstan, Kubanichbek Bokontayev.

Chairman Taleh Kazimov of the CBA expressed confidence that the memorandum would enhance cooperation between the institutions.

Preliminary discussions regarding the memorandum took place during a meeting between the chairmen in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, last November.

During K. Bokontayev's meeting with the Chairman of the CBA, ideas were exchanged on further strengthening the existing mutual relations between the central banks of both countries and expanding cooperation opportunities.

As part of the visit, a series of meetings for the KRMB delegation are planned to facilitate the exchange of experiences at the CBA.

Additionally, representatives from KRMB will participate in an exchange of experiences in key areas organised by the CBA. This will provide the delegation with an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the activities of various structural units of the CBA. Practical information will also be shared through presentations by CBA employees as part of the experience exchange.

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14 May 2024 11:27 (UTC+04:00)

Fatima Latifova Read more

On May 13-14, 2024, Azerbaijan's ambassador to Turkmenistan, Kismet Gozalov, visited the Balkan region of Turkmenistan, Azernews reports.

Within the framework of the visit, K. Gozelov met with the Judge of the Balkan Region, the judge of Turkmenbash City, the chairman of the Turkmen Maritime and River Lines Agency, the head of the Turkmenbash International Sea Port, and the director of the Balkan Shipyard, and visited the port.

The current state of bilateral cooperation and future prospects were discussed at the meetings. In addition to the role played by the Port of Turkmenbashi in maritime transport between the two countries, the importance of the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor was also mentioned in the speeches.

Also, during the visit, G. Gozelov met with Azerbaijani citizens and compatriots living in the Balkan region. At the meeting, the ambassador talked about the importance and care that the state of Azerbaijan gives to citizens living abroad, listened to the suggestions and requests of compatriots, and exchanged mutual views.

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14 May 2024 13:37 (UTC+04:00)

Fatima Latifova Read more

Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister, Jeyhun Bayramov, had a meeting with OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Minister of Foreign, European Affairs, and Trade of the Republic of Malta, Ian Borg, Azernews reports.

The parties discussed the issues of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Malta, the priorities of the OSCE chairmanship this year, the difficulties that the organisation faced, cooperation between Azerbaijan and the OSCE, partnership opportunities arising from COP29, as well as the post-conflict period in the region. They discussed the situation and the process of normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

During the meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Jeyhun Bayramov, said that organisations of the OSCE, such as the Minsk group created for the resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijani conflict, the representative of the acting chairman, and high-level planning, have not yielded results.

The minister noted that the mandate of these institutions has expired and they are operating archaically.

"There is no need to finance these archaic institutions that use old expressions from the limited budget of the OSCE. OSCE can support other projects. It can support projects such as mine safety, the return of former displaced persons to their homes, and the elimination of damage to the environment," minister Bayramov said.

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14 May 2024 16:55 (UTC+04:00)

The Baku Initiative Group expressed its deep concern regarding the recent arrests and the curfew imposed by French authorities in New Caledonia.

"The violence by French security forces against Kanaks unfolded last days has left many of us deeply troubled," the statement reads.

According to the statement, banning public gatherings and arresting pro-independence supporters is not a lasting solution. Beisdes, the Baku Initiative Group, urged the French Senate and National Assembly to stop the illegal constitutional amendments in New Caledonia. Further to the statement, the proposed changes aim to enlarge the electorate at the expense of non-Kanaks in a purposeful manner. This has rightly caused people's dissatisfaction, including the protests and demonstrations.

Unfortunately, in New Caledonia, over proposed constitutional amendments, French security forces have been mobilised and a curfew imposed after a general strike and protests in the capital city of Noumea and surrounding settlements. As a result of clashes, 82 Kanak civilians have been arrested by law enforcement agencies.

Recent proposed constitutional amendments without considering the opinion of the Kanak people, violence, and arrests against civilians who participated in peaceful strikes and protests have been accompanied by gross violations of various laws, including human rights, freedom of expression, and in particular the international commitments of France.

"As Baku Initiative Group, we are deeply troubled by recent incidents that have taken place in the capital city of Noumea and surrounding areas that have resulted in harm to life. It is imperative that law enforcement agencies respect for fundamental human rights. The use of excessive force threatens the safety and dignity of all citizens.

We stand in solidarity with our Kanak friends and support their fair struggle. We demand the French government take into account the decisions of the Kanak people. BIG advocates for peaceful dialogue, respect for human rights, and a fair resolution to the underlying issues. The right to self-determination is fundamental, and we support those who seek a better and more decent future for their own people," the statement concludes.

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14 May 2024 18:19 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

This winter, there are expectations for the supply of natural gas to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan through Turkiye via the Ighdir-Nakhchivan pipeline, Azernews reports, citing the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkiye, Alparslan Bayraktar.

Bayraktar made this announcement during the ceremony for the signing of the Turkiye-Azerbaijan Natural Gas Cooperation Agreement held in Istanbul.

"I hope that this winter, natural gas will be delivered to Nakhchivan via Turkiye. We plan to put this pipeline into operation as soon as possible," said the minister.

Azerbaijan and Turkiye signed a memorandum of understanding on the Ighdir-Nakhchivan gas pipeline on December 15, 2020. The project envisaged cooperation between Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR and Turkiyes BOTAS.

The Igdir-Nakhchivan pipeline will not only allow for the diversification of Nakhchivan's gas supply but also eliminate its dependence on a single source. The project is among the priority initiatives outlined in the "State Program for the Socio-Economic Development of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic for 2023-2027."

The pipeline stretches 97.5 kilometres from Igdir to the Sadarak district, including a 17.5-kilometre Azerbaijani section and an 80-kilometre Turkish section. The pipeline is capable of transporting 2 million cubic metres of gas per day and 730 million cubic metres annually. This, will fully meet Nakhchivan's gas needs.

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14 May 2024 18:48 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

The next meeting of the Working Group on Transport, Communication, and High Technologies convened in Khankendi, operating under the Inter-Departmental Centre of the Coordination Headquarters dedicated to addressing issues in Azerbaijan's liberated territories, Azernews reports.

The Ministry of Digital Development and Transport provided updates on ongoing projects and future plans, emphasising the strategic initiatives outlined in the "I State Program on the Great Return."

Deputy Minister and Head of the Working Group, Rahman Hummatov, noted that in accordance with the State Program, strategic projects such as the restoration and construction of roads and railways, the building of new airports, and the establishment of telecommunication networks are currently being executed in those territories.

Hummatov stated that the overall progress status of the construction works for Lachin Airport stands at 65%, and construction works for 26 highway projects with a total length of 2,500 kilometres are being carried out according to the schedule. He added that the construction works for the Barda-Aghdam (47.1 km) and Horadiz-Agband (110.4 km) railway lines are also ongoing. The projects have achieved physical progress of 92.5% and 52%, respectively. Additionally, works are underway for the preparation of project-estimate documents for the Aghdam-Khankendi railway line.

It was noted that the Azerbaijan Land Transport Agency is working on adding new bus routes and enhancing transportation services to meet the demands associated with the return of the population to the liberated territories. In order to expand tourist trips to Karabakh, citizens have been provided with the opportunity to visit Shusha city, Sugovushan settlement, and Lachin city through the "Yolumuz Karabakh" portal using private passenger cars.

According to the Master Plan of Lachin city, a transport plan has been prepared for the organisation of public transport services within the city, and works in Shusha city are ongoing. Furthermore, based on the conducted analyses, a draft of the transport plan for Khankendi city has been prepared, outlining planned intra-city route lines, bus stop locations, inter-city route networks, and other relevant aspects.

Discussions during the meeting covered a wide range of topics, including the development of necessary road infrastructure, public transport organisations, telecommunications services, and existing demands and opportunities in areas to be settled in the near future, including cities such as Khojaly and Khankendi, Karkijahan settlement, and Malibeyli village.

Later in the meeting, updates on radio-television broadcasting, mobile communication, and fixed telecommunication network works in the liberated territories were provided. Currently, restored radio-television broadcasting stations enable the broadcast of 10 television and 7 radio programs. Moreover, around 300 base stations have been installed for mobile telecommunication services, including in the areas freed from occupation. Telephone and high-speed internet services are available in various liberated areas.

Key stakeholders from government agencies addressed the meeting, highlighting the importance of infrastructure projects outlined in the "State Program for the Socio-Economic Development of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic for 2023-2027" and discussing upcoming tasks related to mine safety measures, population relocation, and employment assurance in newly built settlements.

Decisions were made to ensure the timely implementation of measures outlined in the State Program, enhance coordination among relevant institutions, and leverage modern technologies for construction and restoration efforts.

The visit also included inspections of the current situation of the internal road-transport network of Khankendi city, construction works for the telecommunication network and organisation of communication services in the city, and the construction works of the internal road-transport and communication network of Agdam city, along with the Barda-Aghdam and ongoing Agdam-Askaran-Khojaly-Khankendi-Shusha highways.

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14 May 2024 20:18 (UTC+04:00)

Fatima Latifova Read more

The OSCE Minsk Group played the main mediator role in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict from the mid-1990s until the end of 2020, that is, the Second Garabagh War.

In 1995-1997, the mediation mission was entrusted to the USA, Russia, and France. Considering that there is an active Armenian diaspora in these three countries, it is not surprising that this institution has neglected the Garabagh issue for nearly 30 years.

It is no secret that the Minsk Group did not put any pressure on the aggressor Armenia and did not apply any sanctions to this country. These facts have harmed the reputation of the OSCE itself and diminished hopes for this organisation.

It is interesting that on the basis of resolutions No. 822, 853, 874, and 884 adopted by the UN Security Council, the OSCE Minsk Group had to unequivocally demand the unconditional withdrawal of Armenian troops from the lands of Azerbaijan. However, when Armenia occupied the territories of Azerbaijan, buried thousands of mines in Garabagh, damaged historical and cultural monuments, and forced nearly 1 million Azerbaijanis to be separated from their homeland, the Minsk Group did not take any serious steps.

President of Ilham Aliyev noted in the meeting with the OSCE Chairman-in-Office that a number of mechanisms that are remnants of the past within the framework of the OSCE - the OSCE Minsk Group, the High-Level Planning Committee, are completely inactive structures and should be canceled in order.

Because the work of the Minsk Group was aimed at solving the Garabagh conflict, which is not considered a problem now. However, the Garabagh issue, which the group ignored for 30 years, found its justice in 44 days as a result of the efforts of the Azerbaijani army and the Supreme Commander of Azerbaijan. The occupied lands of Azerbaijan were freed from Armenian aggression. At present, the process of returning former displaced people to Garabagh, demining the territories, and implementing new infrastructure projects is ongoing.

Many countries support the green energy, education, and architecture projects to be launched in Garabagh in the future; they want to be partners in the development here.

Peace talks are already underway between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The meeting of foreign ministers held in Almaty recently can be considered an indicator that peace will be established in the region soon.

These processes make the completion of the mission of the Minsk group an undeniable fact. Just like ending the activity of Russian peacekeepers in Garabagh, it seems appropriate to stop the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group, which has been useless from the beginning, and spend the money wasted here on more useful things.

Until now, the activities of the Minsk Group consisted of diplomatic tourism. Undoubtedly, this organisation can achieve great success in the field of tourism.

Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister, Jeyhun Bayramov, also noted that the Minsk Group's mandate has ended at a press conference he held today with the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Minister of Foreign, European Affairs, and Trade of the Republic of Malta, Ian Borg.

Thus, the Azerbaijani minister offered OSCE to contribute to projects such as mine safety, the return of former displaced persons to their homes, and the and the elimination of environmental damage instead of this expired institution.

It should be noted that the problems of the post-conflict period are reflected in the region. The issue of landmines, which the Minsk Group has not given any attention to, hinders the development in Garabagh. Thus, Azerbaijan is on the list of countries most contaminated with landmines in the world.

Recall that despite attempts at formally requesting information about the location of those mines, Armenia repeatedly denied that it possessed the relevant information and refused to engage on the issue.

Finally, in February of this year, Armenia submitted 8 minefield maps of territories located in the liberated lands to Azerbaijan. These maps cover some of the areas along the former contact line. However, the maps covering part of the former contact line passing through Khojavand, Tartar, and Goranboy districts, as well as the areas mined by Armenian military units when they retreated in November 2020, have not been submitted yet.

Many have suspicions about these maps because previous minefield maps submitted by Armenia were inaccurate. Only 25 percent of these maps were correct. Especially submitting minefield maps of the heights where civilians do not live increases this suspicion. It is also worth noting that more than 55% of recent landmine cases have occurred outside the areas covered by the information provided.

The Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action, known as ANAMA, has grown from a fledgling organisation to one fully equipped to clear mines, provide risk education, and assist survivors of accidents. Today, ANAMA's efforts are aimed at continuing the increase and expansion of mine action capacity to provide clearance of all liberated areas of Azerbaijan.

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14 May 2024 09:00 (UTC+04:00)

Turkiye and Greece are strengthening their mutual understanding on fighting terrorism, Anadolu Agency reports citing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Azernews reports.

"We agree there is no place for terrorist groups in our region's future," Erdogan said in a news conference in the Turkish capital Ankara with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Erdogan also said that Ankara and Athens are committed to resolving issues between them via "cordial dialogue, good neighborly ties, and international law" as outlined in last year's Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good-Neighborliness.

"We are working to push our bilateral trade with Greece to $10 billion, which was $6 billion last year," Erdogan added.

He also underlined that Turkiye expects the "positive atmosphere in our relations" to contribute to fulfilling the rights of the Turkish minority in Greece.

Erdogan highlighted the importance of finding a fair, permanent, and fact-based solution to the Cyprus issue, adding that this would strengthen regional stability and peace.

"I would like to thank Prime Minister Mitsotakis for his efforts to improve our bilateral relations," he added.

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14 May 2024 16:00 (UTC+04:00)

Elnur Enveroglu Read more

Protests in New Caledonia, a French colony, are growing day by day. The latest protests started on Monday, before a scheduled Tuesday vote in the French Parliament on a change to New Caledonia's Constitution that would expand French citizens' eligibility to vote in provincial elections. Pro-independence activists in the territory who objected to this are worried about France's plan to expand again in power. For this reason, the people demanding their freedom as a whole stand up and demand that the island be freed from the influence of France and that the amendment to the constitution be removed.

Concerned about this, authorities in the French-ruled Pacific island of New Caledonia shut down the international airport, imposed a curfew in the capital, and called for police reinforcements after protests rose over the territory's voting system.

Azernews reports, citing foreign news agencies, that rioters were still active on Tuesday, around an hour before the start of a curfew, as local state official High Commissioner Louis Le Franc told BFM TV.

Note that the protests on the territory intensified when lawmakers in France's National Assembly discussed a draft law to change New Caledonia's voting statutes, with a final vote scheduled later on Tuesday.

The proposed changes would allow French residents who have lived in New Caledonia for 10 years to vote in provincial elections - a move local leaders fear will dilute the vote of indigenous Kanak.

One of five island territories spanning the Indo-Pacific held by France, New Caledonia is rich in natural resources and is the centrepiece of French President Emmanuel Macron's plan to increase Paris's influence in the Pacific.

Besides, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on X that the proposed new election rules were "a moral duty for those who believe in democracy", but should not stand in the way of attempts to reach a larger political agreement.

It should be recalled that at the 6th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, which took place recently in Baku, French colonialism was also discussed and condemned by the participants of the international conference as one of the most shameful realities of the 21st century.

In his address, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev emphasised that the policy of colonialism continued today by countries that consider themselves to be the most influential in the political arena, especially in Europe, is inadmissible. When Azerbaijan chaired the Non-Aligned Movement, it repeatedly touched on this issue and called on the world community to fight together against colonialism, the most embarrassing problem of the 21st century.

We speak for international law, and today, in the 21st century, we cannot afford to allow some big European countries to continue colonising other peoples. This is absolutely unacceptable. When we raise our voice nationally, and previously as the chair of NAM, it's not because we are acting against any country. Its just because we defend justice and international law.

The world should not turn a blind eye to this disgusting practice of neo-colonialism, which is leading to forceful assimilation. Forceful assimilation of more than ten French overseas territories is absolutely unacceptable and must be stopped, the president said.

France, lecturing the world about democracy, is today oppressing the people of New Caledonia under the baton of the police and forcing people to accept laws in their favour. Unfortunately, the world is silent on this; by putting the issue of real human rights violations aside, which takes place in the centre of the world, it brings up the so-called Armenian tales and not serious issues for discussion in the European Parliament. It is clear that France and those who support it accept the principles of democracy in this form and apply them by force to the oppressed nations, like in New Caledonia.

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14 May 2024 19:40 (UTC+04:00)

By Alimat Aliyeva

Official negotiations are continuing between South Korea and Cuba regarding the opening of the diplomatic mission of Havana in Seoul and the diplomatic mission of Seoul in Havana, Azernews reports, citing foreign media resources.

"Both countries will continue to cooperate to properly advance the process of opening embassies," the information says.

According to the agency, Seoul and Havana announced the restoration of diplomatic relations in February and agreed to open diplomatic missions in April. According to this agreement, South Korea plans to initially open a temporary mission in Havana and send its diplomats to Cuba, and later open a permanent embassy.

Diplomatic relations between Seoul and Havana were severed in 1959 after the victory of the revolution in Cuba. The parties took the first steps to restore relations in 2016.

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Chinese doctors strive to eliminate cataracts in Cambodian province

Xinhua) 09:36, May 14, 2024

NANNING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The Cataract Blindness Eradication Project, funded by the Hong Kong-based charity GX Foundation, aims to complete its work of delivering free operations to cataract patients in Prey Veng Province of Cambodia by the middle of this year.

The announcement was made at a work conference held on Monday in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Guangxi signed a cooperation memorandum with the GX Foundation in 2021 for the Cataract Blindness Eradication Project, making it the first partner of the project.

Since the launch of the project, Guangxi has dispatched 13 teams of ophthalmologists to Laos and Cambodia, who have performed over 7,000 vision-restoring operations free of charge for local cataract patients.

As the project in Prey Veng nears completion, the charity is considering extending its efforts to other provinces in Cambodia, according to the GX Foundation.

GX Foundation has facilitated nearly 12,000 free cataract operations for people in Laos, Cambodia, Djibouti, Senegal and Mauritania.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Tompkins High School teacher James Stone, 53, has been arrested and charged in connection with possession of child pornography Monday, May 13, 2024, as a result of an undercover investigation. Zach Haverkamp/Houston Community Newspapers

A Houston-area teacher was arrested Monday and charged with possession of child pornography after authorities say they found thousands of images, including some taken of children at school, beaches and swimming pools in the Katy area.

Katy Independent School District teacher James Paul Stone, 53, was charged with nine counts of possession of child pornography, resulting from an undercover investigation into the possession or promotion of child pornography on the dark web, according to the Montgomery County Precinct 3 Constables Office. The constables office initially reported there were 10 counts.

Stones bond was set at $900,000 and no court dates had been set as of Tuesday, according to the Fort Bend District Attorneys Office. He has been ordered to have no contact with people under 18 per court records.

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Katy ISD officials said in a statement that Stone has not been on campus since last week and will not return to the school. He had been an educator for more than 20 years, according to court records.

KATY ISD: Board of trustees to consider teacher salary increase in Monday meeting

The Montgomery County Precinct 3 Internet Crimes Against Children detectives undercover investigation led to authorities investigating Stone after finding child pornography images on the dark web. Constable Ryan Gables Criminal Investigations Division and the Texas Department of Public Safety issued a search warrant at his home in Katy where allegedly thousands of images of child pornography were recovered.

Stone reportedly told authorities he produced several of the photos, according to the constables office. The court documents revealed that law enforcement seized 35 hard drives and more than 20 SD cards of photos taken at locations around the Katy area, including images of young children in pools and at the beach, and of female students.

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He was arrested the same day as the search warrant and taken Monday morning to the Fort Bend County Jail. The Montgomery County Precinct 3 Constable's Office, as the agency that found the photos, was leading the investigation which was ongoing as of Tuesday.

Media outlets have reported that Stone is the husband of Melinda Stone, the principal of Taylor High School, which is also in Katy ISD. James Stone worked as a teacher at Tompkins High School.

Melinda Stone wrote a letter to parents apologizing for any disruption this disgraceful incident may have caused.

I understand that you may have questions or concerns and I am available to speak with parents who wish to do so, she wrote. Please know that I am fully committed to serving Taylor High School students, staff and school community.

Taylor High School Principal Melinda Stone's announcement to parents after Katy ISD teacher James Stone's charged in connection with possession of child pornagraphy Monday, May 13, 2024. File Photo/Houston Chronicle

MORE KATY NEWS: Katy ISDs transgender policy under civil rights investigation by Department of Education

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Katy ISD officials said the district is taking this type of incident very seriously and is fully cooperating with law enforcement.

In Katy ISD, providing a safe and secure learning environment is and will continue to be our top priority and we will always act swiftly when that is compromised, the school district said in a statement.

Lt. Ken Washington with the Precinct 3 Constable's office said the investigation could take time as officials work to identify people who may have been in contact with Stone. He added that it's important for everyone to be aware of their surroundings and if a situation doesn't seem right, tell an authority.

Authorities are asking victims in connection with the case to step forward to help the investigation. They can contact Detective Ashley Walker through email at ashley.walker@mctx.org or 281-364-4211.
14 May 2024 23:19 (UTC+04:00)

By Alimat Aliyeva

Turkiye needs 20 thousand by 2050. MW of nuclear power, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of the country Alparslan Bayraktar said, Azernews reports.

"Currently, we have directed all efforts to install 12 large nuclear reactors in Akkuyu, Sinope and Thrace," the minister told Turkish TV channel TRT.

He also noted that Turkey plans to add another 5 thousand to its own "basket of nuclear energy".

MW of nuclear power due to small modular reactors.

"To this end, we continue to look for options for cooperation," he said.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
15 May 2024 00:53 (UTC+04:00)

Talk of possible US sanctions is frivolous, says the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze.

He said it was impossible to blackmail his Government and especially the Georgian society with such threats".

In his comments to the journalists questions at a press briefing, Kobakhidze noted that Georgian society had overcome so much in the past 30 years that it was absolutely impossible to blackmail them, and added Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and Honorary Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party and the former PM, was already under de facto sanctions, which did not affect the partys decisions.

James O'Brien, the US assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, said earlier that the United States will impose sanctions against the Georgian authorities if democracy is attacked in the country.

Besides that, answering the question about the upcoming visit of James OBrien, the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, PM Kobakhidze expressed hope that the conversation with OBrien would not be about artificially distancing Georgia and the United States, but about rapprochement.

It should be noted that today the Georgian Parliament adopted the draft law "On transparency of foreign influence" in the third reading.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Everett Briscoe of the New Orleans Police Department was shot and killed Aug. 21, 2021, while vacationing in Houston. New Orleans Police Department Frederick Jackson, center in orange, during his arraignment for the death of NOLA officer Everett Briscoe in Judge Colleen Gaidos courtroom in the Harris Co. Criminal Courts building Monday, Aug. 30, 2021 in Houston, TX. Michael Wyke / Contributor

One of the men arrested in the 2021 shooting deaths of a vacationing New Orleans police officer and another man during a robbery outside a Galleria-area restaurant has pleaded guilty to two counts of murder.

Frederick Jackson, 22, was charged in the deaths of Everett Briscoe, a 13-year veteran of the New Orleans Police Department, and Dyrin Riculfy, Briscoes friend and a livery businessman with six children. Briscoe and Riculfy, two hours into their Houston trip, had stopped for drinks on the Grotto Ristorante patio when Jackson and others tried robbing them.

The patrons were shot and killed, prompting a manhunt that led to Jacksons arrest in connection with the shooting.

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Another defendant linked to the killings, Anthony Jenkins, remains jailed.

Jackson accepted the plea agreement Tuesday ahead of a looming trial, downgrading two capital murder charges and sentencing him to 60 years in prison with parole. A formal sentencing is slated for Monday so Briscoes family from Louisiana can attend and share victim impact statements, the judge said.

Judge Colleen Gaido in the 337th District Court noted that the more than 900 days Jackson spent in the Harris County Jail would go toward credit served.

Members of Jacksons family sat in the courtroom gallery as he pleaded guilty to the charges. If Jackson makes parole, he would eligible for parole 30 years from now.

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This way, he has the potential to go home and the family can have closure, as well as the opportunity to avoid a lengthy and painful trial, said Pat McCann, one of Jacksons defense attorneys.

Police were unsure at the time of Jacksons arrest which of the men fired the weapon and which drove the getaway car. Both men, who were free on bond at the time of the killings, claimed to be the getaway driver during interviews with police.

Police described Jenkins as a documented gang member with the Young Scott Block crew.

District Attorney Kim Ogg said at the time of their arrest that she was considering the death penalty in both cases.
The Eight-Million-Dollar-Mistake

Beaufort County received a grant for 42 million dollars from the lottery early this year. The Board of County Commissioners donated another ten million dollars. The School Board hired an architect and is proceeding to build a new school building on the Eastern Elementary site to replace the John Cotton Tayloe School and the Eastern Elementary School buildings.

Both of these existing buildings were adequate for the education of our children until the Beaufort County School System discovered they could get a grant to build a new building. Then these buildings suddenly became unacceptable. It is highly questionable as to whether a new building is needed. Questionable in the sense that there has been no authentic facilities/demographic (student assignment) study done by a competent resource. It has been years since such a study was done by the Rural Education Institute at ECU. Most importantly, the School Board has no solid data on the best use of all current facilities and the option in revising the student assignment patterns. In other words, this is a monumental failure of sound school facilities planning.

No consideration was given to the needs of the Chocowinity Elementary Schools or the Bath School. No consideration was given to the advisability of continuing to consolidate education into large schools in light of the fact that school consolidation has been a colossal failure when measured in terms of the quality education the current high school graduate receives. The future of education is going to neighborhood schools not mega or consolidated schools. Because of consolidation we have children who leave home about 6:00 AM and get home after 5:00 PM. No consideration was given to the fact that Beaufort County Schools are only half full.

All decisions have been made in the back room by Fake Frankie Waters, the School Superintendent, and the Chairman of the School Board.

My first clue that we are still in the Land of OZ came when all of this was sprung on the public and the Board of Commissioners as a done deal by the Superintendent of Schools. Conversations with the School Board Members (that I can have a meaningful conversation with) revealed that they were as much in the dark as I was. Someone was behind the green curtain, pulling the strings.

Egos among politicians stay in full bloom year-round. Fake Frankie Waters could not contain himself. Frankie admitted that he, using his position as Chairman of Beaufort County Government, had been secretly working on this for more than a year and a half. I say secretly because the Commissioners were never notified of his activities. His secret activities are a violation of the open meetings laws. Public officials serving as members of boards and commissions have an ethical and legal duty to inform the entire board of their lobbying activities and to act only with the approval of the majority of the Board.

There surely are a number of other options available to meet future demographics and optimum utilization of all school facilities, i.e. there is no Long-Range School Facilities Study supporting this decision.

Fake Frankie Waters has usurped (taken power illegally) the authority of the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners. He used this authority in collusion with the School Superintendent to deliberately deny the public the opportunity to examine the future of education in Beaufort County and to deny consideration of the Chocowinity and Bath Schools.

There are some reasons that Frankie and the School Superintendent are successful.

As long as the majority of the Board of County Commissioners allows Fake Frankie and the Superintendent to usurp the power of the people there will be no change in the back room dealing. Fake Frankie Waters has the support of five of a majority of County Commissioners. Two Commissioners, Randy Walker and Ed Booth, have wives serving on the School Board. To my knowledge they have never voted against the wishes of their wives. Walker and Booths wives are heavily influenced by the School Superintendent. John Rebholz, who is apparently on board this train, is a liberal Republican who is trying to get Beaufort County into (Affordable) Public Housing. How much will that cost tax payers? Jerry Langley is a liberal Democrat who votes with Booth. Langley vote traded with the RINOs (Fake Frankie Waters and John Rebholz) to make Waters Chairman and Langley Vice Chairman.

The Beaufort County Board of Commissioners are a weak governing body because of these conflicting and unethical practices. Only two members of our Board can independently make honest decisions for the benefit of the voting public. They are Stan Deatherage and Hood Richardson. This weakness allows scoundrels to seize power and do as they please because there is little chance they will be called down by a strong board.

Much the same thing is going on in Washington, D. C. Both the House and the Senate are evenly divided with members who can only survive at the polls by pledging undying loyalty to the political parties. Because of the lack of a super majority in either party, and demands of loyalty to political parties, there can be no decisive action to stop the usurping of our government by President Biden. Even Supreme Court decisions are not always enforced. Beaufort County is no different.

I raised issues having to do with the use of and budgeting controls for the 52 million dollars at the last three Beaufort County Commissioner meetings. I did not get answers. Finally, Fake Frankie Waters responded to my concerns by announcing that he had attended a meeting with the School Superintendent, the Chairman of the School Board and the Architect in Greenville and they had decided to allow the Commissioners to attend the progress meetings to be held on the second Thursday of each month. During the discussion, Fake Frankie Waters said that I would be allowed to ask only one question.

Fake Frankie Waters and his enormous ego got taken advantage of again by the School Superintendent and the Chairman of the School Board. The meeting Commissioners may attend is a construction progress meeting. It has nothing to do with the fiduciary responsibility of the Board of County Commissioners to oversee the building of this school. This includes budgeting and the payment of monies. Fake Frankie thought he was special. What he had actually agreed to is to turn over all duties having to do with the new school to the Superintendent and the Chairman of the School Board. He abandoned his and the Board of Commissioners responsibility to manage the Capital Project ordinance. Fake Frankie does not have authority to do this.

The Local Government Commission, supervised by the State Treasurer, requires by General Statute that all Capital Projects be set up as Capital Project Ordinances and that all funds be placed in that account and that all expenditures be designated before any work is done. This is the responsibility of the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners, not the School Board. If there are overruns the County Commissioners will have to raise taxes. The School Board does not have taxing authority.

I am seeking the information necessary to set up the capital ordinance to spend the 52 million dollars. I attended the Progress Meeting on Thursday May 9. I was allowed to ask questions. I discovered that the budget had not been updated since November of 2023, and the new building to cost 40 million dollars will house 960 students. The Commissioners were promised an updated budget at their June meeting.

This is where we have an eight-million-dollar mistake or difference or whatever. I ask how many students we now have in John Cotton Tayloe and Eastern Elementary. The first reply from the Superintendent was: 800 students. I then asked why we are building this school 20 percent larger in a county with declining population. The Superintendent then said he thought there were 860 students. No one was sure of anything. I requested the enrollment numbers used by the Department of Public Instruction to be presented at the June Commissioners meeting. Twenty percent of 40 million dollars is eight million dollars. This is a significant amount of money for a 52-million-dollar project.

I am alarmed and concerned that there is no up to date budget for the new school and the Superintendent simply pulled a number out of the air to size the school. This is the identical pattern that was followed when we last built schools in Beaufort County. Those projects overran the so called budget by 25 percent or more than eight million dollars. I am working to have a budget and a budget ordinance for this 52-million-dollar project that is under the supervision of the Board of County Commissioners.

The November elections are important. I already see collusion, incompetence, ignorance, violations of open meetings laws, and conflicts of interest. These conditions are deeply ingrained into the School Board and County Commissioners. They can only be removed on election day. It is vital to our success as a County that most of these people who favor a mega-school that perpetuates inefficient busing, be removed from office. If that happens it is obvious that a change in the majority of both boards may be mandated by the voters. Certainly, the major decisions on this size expenditure of public funds should be made by the new School Board and not an existing lame duck majority.

There is reason to hope that a new majority on the School Board will put a halt to this insanity. It may take only one or two districts to change the School Boards voting patterns. Be prepared to witness a rush to get this project beyond the point of no return before the new School Board takes over. The people should not stand for such a rush to judgment by lame ducks on the current school board.
An appeals court in Tennessee has released a "massive win for property rights" in the state by affirming a lower court's decision that game wardens are barred from conducting warrantless searches of private property.

The announcement comes from the Institute for Justice, which fought the case on behalf of landowners Terry Rainwaters and Hunter Hollingsworth.

The Benton County landowners sued when the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency ignored their "No Trespassing" signs and entered their properties to install cameras.

The IJ explained, "The victory applies broadly to all private land Tennesseans have put to 'actual use,' whether by fencing, farming, posting, gating, hunting, fishing, camping, or otherwise."

"This decision is a massive win for property rights in Tennessee," said IJ attorney and Elfie Gallun Fellow in Freedom and the Constitution Joshua Windham. "TWRA claimed unfettered power to put on full camouflage, invade people's land, roam around as it pleases, take photos, record videos, sift through ponds, spy on people from behind bushesall without consent, a warrant, or any meaningful limits on their power. This decision confirms that granting state officials unfettered power to invade private land is anathema to Tennesseans most basic constitutional rights."Bottom of Form

The Court of Appeals ruling, from Judge Jeffrey Usman, explained, "TWRAs contention is a disturbing assertion of power on behalf of the government that stands contrary to the foundations of the search protections against arbitrary governmental intrusions in the American legal tradition, generally, and in [Article I, Section 7 of the Tennessee Constitution], specifically."

He said TWRAs argument could be compared to warrantless searches conducted by British authorities that motivated the American Revolution. "Usman also rejected the idea that rural Tennesseans deserve any less protection against government intrusion than people in urban areas, explaining that the 'Tennessee Constitution does not disfavor actual uses [of property] more commonly associated with rural areas," the report said.

"TWRAs abuse of power had to stop," said Hollingsworth. "For as long as I can remember, these officers have acted like a law unto themselves. But nobodynot even a game wardenis above the Constitution, and yesterdays decision makes that crystal clear. Id like to thank the Institute for Justice for helping us fight this battle for so many years, and my local attorney Jack Leonard, who has been by my side on this case since day one."

The state agents claimed they could trespass with impunity under the ancient federal "open fields" doctrines. That, from 1924, was when the Supreme Court held that the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution does not protect any land beyond the home and its immediately surrounding area.

Like several other state constitutions, the Tennessee document "protects 'possessions' from 'unreasonable searches.' The term 'possessions' plainly covers private land, and it's heartening to see the Court of Appeals reject the federal rule and reaffirm Tennesseans' cherished right to be secure on that land," the IJ said.

The landowners were awarded nominal damages of $1 for the violations.

Source: 'Massive win for property rights' in major warrantless search case | WND | by Bob Unruh
By: Chase Smith, The Epoch Times

In a brief press conference held outside the Manhattan courthouse where former President Donald Trumps New York trial is ongoing, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) strongly criticized the proceedings, calling them a travesty of justice on Tuesday, May 14.

Mr. Johnson, a former litigator and the current highest-ranking Republican, expressed his outrage at the legal proceedings and the broader implications for the American judicial system. He said he called President Trump and told him he wanted to be at the trial in person.



I am disgusted by what is happening herewhat is being done here to our entire system of justice overall, Mr. Johnson said. I wanted to be here myself to call out what is a travesty of justice, and I think everybody around the country can see that. President Trump is a friend, and I wanted to be here to support him.

Restrictions and Concerns

The press conference took place outside the courthouse, as Mr. Johnson noted that the court did not permit statements to be made inside the building. Thats just one of the many things that are wrong here, he added.

Mr. Johnson condemned the trial, now in its fifth week, as a deliberate attempt to hinder President Trumps 2024 campaign efforts.

They are doing this intentionally to keep him here and keep him off the campaign trail, and I think everybody in the country can see that for what it is, he said.

The speaker did not mince words in his criticism of the key figures involved in the trial, accusing them of blatant partisanship.

What weve got here is a partisan Democrat district attorney, we have a Biden donor judge, and we have an assistant DA who was recently a top official at the Department of Justice, Bidens DOJ, and recently received over $10,000 in payments from the Democratic National Committee, he said.

Mr. Johnson reaffirmed his commitment to supporting President Trump and fighting what he described as politically motivated trials.

These are politically motivated trials, and they are a disgrace. It is election interference, and they show how desperate the opposition to President Trump is and how desperate they truly are, he said. The American people are not going to let this stand. Election day cannot get here soon enough, and we will continue to shine a light on all of this in Congress because we have that constitutional responsibility.

Erosion of Public Trust

Mr. Johnson voiced his discontent with the trials implications for the justice system.

The people are losing faith right now in this country in our institutions. Theyre losing faith in our system of justice, and the reason for that is because they see it being abused as it is being done here in New York, he said.

Mr. Johnson emphasized the importance of facts in a trial, noting that President Trumps actions had previously been reviewed with no charges filed.

Now, eight years later, suddenly theyve resurrected this thing, they brought it back. And why is that? Well, just apply common sense; everyone can see. Its painfully obvious that we are now six months out from election day, and thats the reason. That is the reason why they brought these charges here and across the country, he said.

Mr. Johnson also singled out former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, the prosecutions star witness, as lacking credibility. Mr. Cohen was on the stand for the second day inside the courthouse as Mr. Johnson spoke outside.

This is a man who is clearly on a mission for personal revenge and who is widely known as a witness who has trouble with the truth. He is someone who has a history of perjury and is well known for it. No one should believe a word he says today, Johnson said.

Mr. Johnson also criticized the charges of falsification of business records, pointing out that President Trump was not the bookkeeper for his company.

He decried the gag order placed on President Trump as a violation of his constitutional rights.

They were overriding his constitutional right to defend himself from political smears from his harshest critics at the most important time, he said.

Reflecting on his travels across the country, Mr. Johnson conveyed widespread public discontent with the trial.

Ive been in 102 cities in over half the states in the last few months, and I can tell you that no matter where we are around the country, Ive been doing large events, he said. People from all walks of life come to these events, and they are concerned about this. They are disgusted about this. They are fed up. Theyve had enough because they see whats happening.

Mr. Johnson was joined in court on Monday by fellow Republicans, including two men rumored to be on the shortlist for President Trumps 2024 vice presidential pickGov. Doug Burgum (R-N.D.) and former GOP candidate for president Vivek Ramaswamyas well as Florida Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills.

The GOP elected officials were seen entering the courthouse with President Trump as he walked to cameras to give brief comments before court resumed on Tuesday morning.


A federal judge has ruled that the Federal Trade Commission may proceed with a lawsuit against anesthesiology practice manager U.S. Anesthesia Partners, but its creator, private equity firm Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, may be dismissed from the case.

The FTC first filed a lawsuit against USAP and its creator in 2023, alleging that the two groups executed a multiyear anticompetitive scheme to consolidate anesthesiology practices in Texas, hike up the price of anesthesia services provided to Texas patients and increase their own profits. Since its creation in 2012, USAP has acquired more than a dozen anesthesiology practices in Texas.

On April 3, U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt ruled that the FTC had not effectively demonstrated how Welsh Carson as a minority investor in the acquisitions was actively violating competition law.

Mr. Hoyt ruled that the FTC could continue to press its case against USAP, stating that it "has plausibly alleged acquisitions resulting in higher prices for consumers."

Both USAP and Welsh Carson have denied all antitrust claims.

In a statement, USAP physician and board member Scott Holliday said Mr. Hoyts ruling "does not change our belief that the FTC's claims are without merit. We look forward to demonstrating this as the case proceeds and are confident in our position."

"We are gratified that the court dismissed the FTCs case against Welsh Carson in its entirety. As we have said from the beginning, this case was without factual or legal basis," a spokesperson from the firm told Becker's in a statement.
Bergen New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus, N.J., has broken ground on a major emergency department expansion that will add 19 beds and create separate spaces for patients in need of mental health services.

"We are going to break walls down to make an emergency department that will allow people to get acute care, the emergency care they critically need in a way that is dignified," James Edesco, III, a Bergen County executive, said in a May 13 news release.

The expansion will nearly triple the existing emergency department's capacity, and is estimated to cost up to $10 million, officials told northjersey.com. Once complete, the ED will have 49 beds, up from 19, 30 of which will be dedicated to behavioral health and substance use disorder patients. More than half of those coming into the hospital seen at the hospital's ED are in need of mental health services.

"We're not a hospital that can go on a mental health divert and send patients elsewhere," Darian Eletto, MD, chief clinical officer of behavioral health at Bergen New Bridge, told the news outlet. "This is what we're known for."

The project involves a living room concept meant to foster a calming environment through lower lighting, weighted blankets and other features for neurodivergent patients and those experiencing a mental health crisis. It is expected to be completed early next year.

Bergen New Bridge is a not-for-profit safety net facility. It is a clinical affiliate of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark.
When hackers target health systems they operate like 'Ocean's Eleven,' Toby Gouker, chief security officer of government health at First Health Advisory told Politico May 14.

"If you're thinking of the movie 'Ocean's Eleven,' they do that same kind of thing: They study the casino, they learn where the money is kept, where the traffic flows, where the guards are," he told the publication.

Cyberattacks against the healthcare industry have surged in recent years. According to the HHS Office for Civil Rights, from 2022 to 2023 there was a 141% increase in large breaches reported to the agency. Additionally, the agency said that ransomware attacks have increased by 264%.

This comes as two healthcare organizations, St. Louis-based Ascension and UnitedHealthcare's subsidiary Change Healthcare, reported ransomware attacks. But, according to Mr. Gouker, hackers didn't always target healthcare. He told Politico hacking groups used to avoid the industry because they "seemed to have a little bit of ethical behavior." But due to law enforcement action against hacking groups, this is changing.

In February, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency warned that the hacking group who administered ransomware on Change Healthcare encouraged its affiliates to target hospitals. This comes after government officials came after the group in December 2023.

Additionally, CISA warned about Black Basta, another ransomware-as-a-service group, that is allegedly behind the Ascension attack. This group has targeted two healthcare organizations.

Mr. Gouker said healthcare isn't prepared for these attacks.

"Their defenses are a lot more immature than other industries  finance, retail, even oil and gas," he said. "Those industries are battle-hardened. They'd been attacked 10 to 15 years ago."

But, the American Hospital Association disagrees saying most breaches are due to vulnerabilities in third-party technology.

"Hospitals and health systems have invested billions of dollars and taken many steps to protect patients and defend their networks from cyberattacks," an AHA spokesperson said in a statement to Politico.
Meyerland Performing and Visual Arts Middle School parents and students demonstrate against the resignation notice of Principal Auden Sarabia on Monday, May 13, 2024 in Houston. Sarabia told staff he must either resign by Tuesday or go before the district's Board of Managers. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Meyerland Performing and Visual Arts Middle School parents and students demonstrate against the resignation notice of Principal Auden Sarabia on Monday, May 13, 2024 in Houston. Sarabia told staff he must either resign by Tuesday or go before the district's Board of Managers. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Meyerland Performing and Visual Arts Middle School parents and students demonstrate against the resignation notice of Principal Auden Sarabia on Monday, May 13, 2024 in Houston. Sarabia told staff he must either resign by Tuesday or go before the district's Board of Managers. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

Houston ISD families plan to protest Saturday morning near City Hall as word of forced principal and teacher departures rip through campuses as the end of the first year since state takeover approaches.

Community members are being asked to meet at 10 a.m. Saturday on the sidewalk in front of City Hall, 901 Bagby St. Parents are also organizing to speak at Thursday's Board of Managers meeting and plan to protest at 7 p.m. Friday outside of the district's Educators of the Year Banquet at the Hilton Americas Hotel, 1600 Lamar St.

The protests come on the heels of an undisclosed number of teachers and principals being asked to resign due to the district's view of their performance.

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JOB LOSS: HISD parents protest job cuts and forced resignations

Additionally, the district's Board of Managers unanimously approved measures Thursday permitting cuts to dozens of positions, including nurses, counselors, librarians, and teachers. It's unclear how many positions will be cut due to this planned "reduction in force," linked to an estimated $450 million budget gap for the upcoming school year as student enrollment declines and federal pandemic relief money expires.

It remains unclear which HISD staff members are departing due to requests for resignation, reduction-in-force notices, or voluntarily due to looming stress at the close of a tumultuous school year.

But HISD administration confirmed that some principals and teachers are being asked to leave for what they deem to be performance issues.

"All contract non-renewals for principals are unrelated to HISDs overall budget challenges," HISD administration said in a statement Monday. "With regard to teachers, the District did not cut teaching positions as part of its work to right-size the HISD budget. In our non-NES schools, most decisions to retain or release a teacher are made by the principal and are based on data and classroom evaluation."

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SUPPORT SERVICES: HISD to cut about 170 employees who specialize in support services

Parents at Crockett Elementary, Tanglewood Middle, Browning Elementary and Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men received written notices announcing principal departures within the last week. Neff Elementary School Principal Amanda Wingard said on Facebook the district requested that she resign, and Meyerland Performing and Visual Arts Middle School's principal Auden Sarabia told staff and community the district requested he resign.

Briargrove Elementary School parents, who have said some of their teachers were told to resign, are organizing City Hall's Saturday protest. It's unknown how many teachers are being asked to leave due to the district's view of their performance.

THE REPORT CARD: Subscribe to the Houston Chronicles weekly newsletter recapping HISD news

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Crockett parents are organizing Friday's protest outside the banquet. The school is slated to become a NES, or New Education System, school. Part of that model removes librarians and converts the libraries into what the district calls "Team Centers." Crockett will be losing its library as its librarian is up to win Librarian of the Year on Friday, Crockett parent Liz Silva said.
An Indiana hospital is still dealing with the fallout of a cyberattack 2 1/2 years after it happened, WTHR in Indianapolis reported.

Franklin-based Johnson Memorial Hospital shut down its IT network in 2021 after discovering it was the victim of a ransomware attack and didn't return to full operations for nearly six months.

"We are forced to spend millions on cybersecurity, and we're still suffering from higher insurance rates because of our attack," Johnson Memorial Health President and CEO David Dunkle, MD, told the news outlet for the May 13 story. "We pay more than our peers, our same-size peers do, because we had an attack."

Despite the experience, the health system is still learning what it can do to prevent the next hack, according to the report.

"The thing that's scary is you see all these hospitals that are attacked nationwide," Dr. Dunkle told WTHR. "You can be hypervigilant, you can spend millions on cybersecurity. We do education. We send fake emails to make sure employees don't click on them. We do education every two weeks with our employees, and still you worry."
Pascagoula, Miss.-based Singing River Health System has confirmed that its 2023 cybersecurity incident was a ransomware attack.

On August 19, 2023, Singing River Health System was hit with a "sophisticated ransomware attack," according to a May 13 update on the health system's website. After the attack, Singing River secured its systems and launched an investigation into the incident.

Through the investigation, the health system learned that an unauthorized party accessed its environment between August 16 and August 18, 2023, compromising patient information. This information includes patients' names, dates of birth, addresses, Social Security numbers, medical information and health information.

Singing River did not disclose how many patients were affected, but said it has no indication that the compromised information has been misused.
Site-neutral payment policies are a hot topic every year across the healthcare industry and in Congress. Becker's has compiled the latest updates and policy changes leaders should know in 2024.

Background

1. In the simplest terms, a site-neutral payment policy means the payment for a healthcare service provided to a patient is the same regardless of the setting in which the service occurs. Hospitals argue that their higher prices stem from the larger overhead costs they incur compared to other providers, such as emergency services and 24-hour access, regulatory compliance, and supply and labor costs.

2. Medicare uses two different payment methods for outpatient procedures based on where the service occurs. Hospital-based procedures performed at hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) are paid through the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS). Freestanding clinics such as physician offices and ASCs are paid through the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. As such, hospital-based procedures receive higher payments from Medicare compared to ambulatory and office-based procedures. On average, Medicare rates for ASCs are 50% of what HOPDs receive for the same services, according to the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association. Site-neutral payments aim to close that gap.

3. Site-neutral payment policies hold the potential to reduce care costs for patients and for taxpayers through Medicare, but they would result in large payment cuts to hospitals and health systems. Private insurers typically follow the path of site-neutral payment policies made under the Medicare program.

4. Proposed site-neutral payment policies have not followed partisan lines in the past. One recent bill in the House, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act, passed with 166 Republicans and 154 Democrats voting in favor. In December, the Congressional Budget Office estimated the failed legislation would have saved Medicare $3.7 billion over 10 years.

5. In 2015, the Bipartisan Budget Act enacted site-neutral payments under Medicare for new, off-campus hospital outpatient departments, restricting new HOPDs from charging more for the same services that cost less in other facilities. The legislation stipulated that HOPDs that billed under the Outpatient Prospective Payment System on or after Nov. 2, 2015 would be paid through the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule starting in 2017. Services provided in a dedicated emergency department are still paid through the OPPS.

6. In 2016, the 21st Century Cures Act provided exemptions for some HOPDs that were under or planned for construction when the Bipartisan Budget Act was passed.

7. CMS published its final 2017 OPPS payment rule on Nov. 1, 2016. The agency had originally proposed requiring HOPDs to offer the same services they did on Nov. 2, 2015, but did not include that requirement in the final rule. If an HOPD relocates, the final rule stipulates that the facility's exempted status can be terminated.

8. In 2019, CMS expanded the site-neutral policy to include clinic visits occurring at all off-campus HOPDs.

Where industry groups stand today

Generally, hospitals oppose site-neutral payment policies, while insurers are in favor. Hospitals argue that their services cost more to provide and they face more regulations than other providers. If site-neutral policies are implemented, hospitals cite risks like decreased access to care, especially in rural areas, and lower revenues leading to cost-cutting measures that could potentially affect care quality. Insurers argue that patients are overcharged for routine services at hospital-owned facilities, and that site-neutral policies promote higher care quality standards and more transparency in pricing.

Below are summaries of the positions taken by seven healthcare associations:

9. American Hospital Association: Against

Represents nearly 5,000 hospitals, health systems, networks and other providers



"Payment proposals that attempt to treat hospital outpatient departments the same as independent physician offices and other ambulatory sites of care ignore the very different level of care provided by hospitals and the needs of the patients and communities cared for in that setting. Hospitals need to have emergency stand-by capacity, are open 24/7 to all who seek care regardless of ability to pay, and have myriad regulatory requirements imposed on them  all adding to the overall cost of care."

"Instead of considering flawed policies that put patient access to care in jeopardy, Congress should focus on ways to make sure hospitals and health systems have the resources they need to continue providing 24/7 care to all patients in every community," AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack wrote in March.

10. Federation of American Hospitals: Against

Represents more than 1,000 tax-paying community hospitals and health systems

"Site-neutral may sound appealing, but it is not as benign as many perceive. Instead, this one-size-fits-all payment ignores the fundamental functional and cost structure differences between hospitals and physician offices  among other settings  and threatens the unique, mission-critical services that communities rely on hospitals to provide 24/7/365.

Ultimately, implementing a site neutral payment policy is nothing less than a devastating cut to hospital funding  which means patients and their access to care will be affected!"

11. Center for Medicare Advocacy: Against

A nonprofit, public interest law firm advocating for Medicare access and quality

"Site neutral payments would result in patients who need intensive inpatient rehabilitation being diverted inappropriately to less intensive settings based solely on their diagnosis, despite their clinical needs. This is clearly a mistake, and could endanger vulnerable beneficiaries."

12. American Medical Association: Supportive

Represents more than 190 state societies and medical specialty associations

"Many policy proposals over the years have recommended simplistic, across-the-board solutions to the site-of-service differential that reduce payments to all sites to rates paid in the least costly setting. However, shrinking payments to the lowest amount paid in any setting does not help physicians. The AMA does not believe it is possible to sustain a high-quality healthcare system if site neutrality is defined as shrinking all payments to the lowest amount paid in any setting. Additionally, the AMA urges CMS to pay physicians fairly for office based procedures and, where clinically appropriate, shift more procedures from the hospital to office setting, which is more cost-effective."

13. AHIP: Supportive

Represents 1,300 health insurance benefits and services organizations

"Advance site-neutral payments to defend consumers against having to pay more for the same services depending on the site of care."

14. Blue Cross Blue Shield Association: Supportive

Represents 34 independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies

"Hospitals have strong financial incentive to continue purchasing physician practices, giving these new entities the upper hand when negotiating payment rates with insurers, resulting in higher costs for patients. Congress must protect patients from these inappropriate billing practices by expanding site-neutral payment policies and cracking down on anti-competitive behavior among providers," David Merritt, BCBSA's senior vice president of policy and advocacy, wrote in 2023.

"Medicare's move to expand site-neutral payments would pave the way for private insurance plans to also implement these payment policies, ultimately increasing access to high-quality and affordable care."

15. Medicare Payment Advisory Commission: Supportive

An independent federal body that advises Congress on the Medicare program

"In general, the Commission maintains that Medicare should base payment rates on the resources needed to treat patients in the most efficient setting. If the same service can be safely and appropriately provided in different settings, a prudent purchaser should not pay more for that service in one setting than in another."

Recent policy updates

Site-neutral payment policies are proposed annually in Congress, though recent bills have failed to pass both chambers or site-neutral provisions are not included in the final legislation. The issue is a key legislative priority for industry groups like the American Hospital Association.

16. The House passed the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act in December, which included site-neutral provisions that would have required the same Medicare reimbursement rates for drugs and infusions administered at both off-campus HOPDs and physician offices and ASCs. In February, the Senate struck site-neutral policies from the legislation. In March, the Senate passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 without any site-neutral provisions.

17. The PATIENT Act of 2023 was proposed legislation that would have required site-neutral payments for drug administration services, starting in 2025. The bill was not enacted.

18. The SITE Act of 2023 was proposed legislation that would have required site-neutral payments for HOPDs that were exempted for being under or planned for construction when the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2016 was passed, starting in 2025. The bill was not enacted.

19. The MPACT Act of 2023 was proposed legislation that would have required site-neutral payments for services related to cancer diagnosis and treatment at off-campus HOPDs, beginning in 2025. The bill was not enacted.

20. The Primary Care and Health Workforce Expansion Act of 2023 was proposed legislation that would have banned hospitals from charging facility fees for off-campus services, including primary care and telehealth services. The bill was not enacted.
Hospitals across the U.S. are having capacity issues, leading to unnecessary stays and higher costs overall.

Kaufman Hall reported in a February 2024 analysis associated lower length of stay as one of with top financial performance because patients are able to move through the hospital more efficiently and incur lower unnecessary costs. In the most recent "National Hospital Flash Report" for April 2024, Kaufman Hall reported average length of stay for the month dropped 5% since 2021 but has been relatively flat year over year.

"We also have learned over the past several decades that an intense focus on improving length of stay has always been a winner," wrote Kenneth Kaufman, managing director and chair of Kaufman Hall, in a May 8 post. "Hospitals that put in place the structures, processes and technologies; hospitals that have true executive commitment to this issuethese hospitals have a significant advantage when it comes to financial performance."

Patient stays can be extended for a variety of reasons, including inefficient discharge processes, staff shortages, miscommunications and lack of post-acute beds for patients who can't be discharged home.

Here are seven points on the costs associated with unnecessarily extending length of stay.

1. The average 425-bed hospital would save more than $20 million per year in operating expenses by cutting out the costs associated with unnecessary days in the hospital, according to Mr. Kaufman's blog post.

2. Moving patients through the hospital quickly opens up additional space for other patients. For a 425-bed hospital with an average $4,500 margin per admission, dropping the length of stay by one day would add $20 million in additional margin because the hospital could accommodate more patients, according to the Kaufman Hall's report.

3. Less efficient hospitals may decide to add beds or expand capacity to accommodate patients, which has a hefty price tag. New construction typically costs around $2 million to $3 million per bed.

4. The average adjusted expenses per inpatient day at hospitals was $3,025 in 2022, according to the most recent data from Kaiser Family Foundation. At that rate, one patient staying an unnecessary day at the hospital for each of the 365 days per year totals $1.1 million in extra costs.

5. The Healthcare Association of New York State examined data from 52 hospitals and found 60,000 delay days from April to June 2022, estimating associated costs of $169 million.

6. The California Hospital Association released a report in February estimating 1 million days of unnecessary inpatient care and 7.5 million wasted emergency department hours due to discharge delays in the last year. The CHA estimated delays totaled $3.25 billion in "avoidable" healthcare costs per year at California hospitals.

7. The Minnesota Hospital Association said hospitals and health systems lost $487 million to delayed discharges in 2023. MHA also found more than 76,000 days of unnecessary hospital care in the first five months of the year; 67% of Minnesota hospitals reported operating losses for the first half of the year.

Hospitals zeroing in on lowering the length of stay are seeing financial benefits. Siri Nelson, president and CEO of Marshall Medical Center in Placerville, Calif., said reducing and managing length of stay has been a key initiative for clinical and administrative staff in the last year. In 2023, the team was able to hit their goal of an average length of stay under 4 days.

"Our success has been driven through a combination of training, education and workflow improvements to ensure timely action on care management decision-making," said Ms. Nelson. "Underpinning all of this has been a strong emphasis on the importance of team-based care."

The most consistent issue delaying discharge in the last year was difficulty obtaining durable medical equipment and skilled nursing facility placement, driven by payer delays.
Ozempic, Mounjaro and other GLP-1s do not increase the risk of surgical complications, according to research published May 14 in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.

Nearly a year after the American Society of Anesthesiologists recommended patients skip a dose of their GLP-1s  which are medications approved for Type 2 diabetes and weight loss  because of regurgitation and aspiration risks, a review of 130 million patient records found no increased risk.

GLP-1s can delay gastric emptying, which can minimize the effect of normal fasting rules before elective surgeries. Soon after the ASA published the guidance, surgery departments across the U.S. updated their preoperative care processes to align with the guideline.

Two recent articles have poked holes in these perioperative changes.

In a study published April 22 in JAMA, Stanford Medicine researchers found no surgical risks associated with GLP-1 use among 23,000 patient records.

"Overall incidence of postoperative respiratory complications was 3.5% for those with a GLP-1 RA fill and 4% for those without," the researchers said. "Results of this study suggest that liberalizing the withholding guidelines for GLP-1 RAs preoperatively should be considered."

In an analysis of 130 million patient records, researchers evaluated peri- and post-operative gastrointestinal, respiratory, hypoglycemic and survival outcomes among hospitalized adult patients with diabetes. They looked at nine common surgeries that use general endotracheal anesthesia: appendectomy, coronary artery bypass grafting, hernia repair, hip replacement, hysterectomy, prostatectomy, tonsillectomy, thyroidectomy and spinal fusion.

Among patients who take GLP-1s, there was a lower risk of peri- and post-operative complications for decelerated gastric emptying and antiemetic use, compared to non-GLP-1 patients. The risk of ileus within seven days, aspiration/pneumonitis, hypoglycemia and 30-day mortality was also not different between cohorts.

Because of the "risk of poor control of diabetes from withholding GLP-1 drugs before surgery," the researchers suggested weighing this study's results when deciding on clinical practice guidelines.

The research was led by David Klonoff, MD, of Sutter Health's Mills-Peninsula Medical Center in Burlingame, Calif. The other study authors hailed from Stanford University School of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, the University of Miami (Fla.), Atropos Health and the Diabetes Technology Society.
Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau, Alaska, is moving forward with the search for a permanent CEO, who will be the hospital's fourth leader in less than a year.

Ian Worden was selected as interim CEO of the hospital in September and has been serving in that role since October.

"Our board is moving forward with the search for a permanent CEO, and we hope for some overlap before Ian departs later this year," a hospital spokesperson told Becker's.

Mr. Worden took the helm from Nate Rumsey, who was named acting CEO in August after David Keith announced plans to retire. Mr. Keith was named CEO in July 2022.

Mr. Worden joined Bartlett Regional after serving as COO of Tacoma, Wash.-based Virginia Mason Franciscan Health. He also previously served as COO of CHI Franciscan Health from 2015 to 2021 prior to the merger of CHI Franciscan and Virginia Mason.



Bartlett Regional is licensed for 57 inpatient beds, 16 residential substance-abuse treatment facility beds in the Rainforest Recovery Center, and 61 residential beds in the Wildflower Court long-term care facility, according to its website.
Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Parkridge Health System, part of Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, has tapped Caroline Burris as CEO for its Parkridge East Hospital in Chattanooga.

Prior to her new role, Ms. Burris served as COO and ethics and compliance officer of HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital, according to a Parkridge Health System May 13 news release shared with Becker's.

She also previously served as associate administrator and co-ethics and compliance officer for TriStar Summit Medical Center, also part of HCA Healthcare, in Nashville.
Michael Stewart was appointed president of Methodist Charlton Medical Center in Dallas, part of Methodist Health System.

Mr. Stewart, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, brings two decades of healthcare experience to the new role, according to an April 22 hospital news release shared with Becker's.

Most recently, he helmed Saline Health System in Benton, Ark., according to the release. He also previously served as CEO of Navarro Regional Hospital in Corsicana, Texas.

"Methodist was founded in the southern sector of Dallas almost 100 years ago, and our hospitals are still answering the call to serve those communities," Methodist Health System CEO James C. Scoggin Jr. said in the release. "We're confident that Michael is the right leader to safeguard that century-long mission for years to come."

Mr. Stewart will begin his new role on May 21.






Nurses at Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville, Texas, part of Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, voted this month to remove National Nurses United as their exclusive representative.

The vote was 96-62 in favor of removing the union, according to a May 13 hospital news release shared with Becker's.

In March, unionized nurses filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board requesting that the agency hold an election on whether to decertify the union. The election took place May 9-10. The current contract would have expired on June 30.

"The strong, patient-centered culture at Valley Regional Medical Center has been built over many years and is a reflection of the dedication of our colleagues and medical staff," David Irizarry, CEO of Valley Regional Medical Center, said in the hospital release. "We are grateful for what our nurses, medical staff and other colleagues do on a daily basis to raise the bar in the care provided at Valley Regional and to our community at large."



Becker's has reached out to National Nurses United and will update this story if a comment is received.
A bill traveling through the Louisiana legislature is seeking to outlaw possession of unprescribed, FDA-approved abortion pills. If the bill passes, the state will be the first to classify medication abortion as controlled dangerous substances.

The medicines, mifepristone and misoprostol, are approved to terminate a pregnancy within the first 10 weeks of gestation. As the Supreme Court hears arguments about the FDA expanding access to mifepristone  with justices leaning in favor of the FDA  Louisiana lawmakers are weighing whether to categorize the pills as Schedule IV medications.

Schedule IV drugs have a low potential for abuse and low risk of dependence, including some cough medicines and painkillers, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. If the bill passes and abortion pills are placed in this category, any person who possesses the medications without a prescription could face imprisonment between one and five years, plus a fine of up to $5,000.

"It shall not be a violation  for a pregnant woman to possess mifepristone or misoprostol for her own consumption," the bill says, clarifying the difference between a prescribed and non-prescribed Schedule IV medication.

The proposed legislation is an amendment to another bill that seeks to criminalize administering medication abortion without a person's consent. Lawmakers have until June 3 to decide on the bill before sending it to the state's governor, CNN reported.
Mike Miles, HISD superintendent, observes a class at Thompson Elementary School, 6121 Tierwester St., Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Houston. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer

Houston ISD community members are calling for an investigation into state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles spending practices after reports that Third Future Schools  the charter school network he founded  moved funds from Texas public charter schools to Colorado campuses while Miles was CEO of the network.

Spectrum News reported Monday that Third Future Schools charged its Texas schools fees, which fed into a general fund that, in part, subsidized one of its schools in Colorado before it closed. A 2022 audit also reported that Third Future Schools Texas had run a deficit due to debts to other TFS network schools and to TFS corporate.

The outrage over the charter networks practices comes as HISD, like several other Texas school districts, is making significant budget cuts for the upcoming school year. Miles has said HISD is facing an estimated $450 million gap in funding next year and almost every department in the district will have to cut positions.

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Teachers, students and their families deserve better and in response we are demanding the immediate resignation of Mike Miles and the immediate exit of the TEA from HISD, Jackie Anderson, the president of HISDs largest teachers union, said in a statement Tuesday in response to Spectrum News report.

EXCLUSIVE EVENT: Join our private Zoom event with HISD Superintendent Mike Miles

Miles told the Chronicle Tuesday that while he hadnt served as CEO of Third Future Schools in more than a year, the board and superintendent were conscious to ensure that Texas dollars stayed in Texas and Colorado dollars stayed in Colorado while he was leading the organization.

Third Future Schools have been very careful, and theyve always passed their audits easily, Miles said Tuesday. They do audits in Texas. They do audits in Colorado.  so theyre a good organization. Theyre very careful about not commingling funds. They follow the law very carefully, and anything else is just to be dismissed out of hand.

Heres what you need to know about the charter school networks financial practices:

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What is Third Future Schools?

Miles founded Third Future Schools, a Colorado-based network of public charter schools, in 2016 and served as the organizations CEO until he left to work as HISDs state-appointed superintendent in June. Miles opened Third Future Schools first school in Colorado  the Academy Of Advanced Learning  in August 2017, and the second  Coperni 3  in 2019.

The network also took over operations of Monarch Classical School of the Arts, a K-8 charter school, in December 2018 after the school experienced lower-than-projected enrollment and revenue in its first year run by a different organization, according to the Denver Gazette. Third Future Schools renamed the campus to Coperni 2.

PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR CUTS: HISD parents protest job cuts and forced resignations

Third Future Schools began partnering with public school districts in Texas to oversee existing schools in 2020, when it began running Midland ISDs Sam Houston Collegiate Preparatory Elementary School at the districts request due to the schools failure to meet state standards for multiple years and to prevent the state takeover of the district.

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During Miles tenure, Third Future Schools Texas also began overseeing Ector County ISDs Ector College Prep Middle School in 2021 and Austin ISDs Mendez Middle School in 2022. Third Future Schools now runs eight campuses in Texas  all of which were surrendered by six different public school districts.

Did Third Future Schools charge its Texas schools fees to subsidize a school in Colorado?

When combined, Third Future Schoolss three Colorado campuses saw enrollment growth every year until the 2022-23 academic year, according to Colorado Department of Education data. All three schools saw declining enrollment that year, including Coperni 2, which saw enrollment drop from 213 to 185 students.

Renea Ostermiller, the then-chief financial officer for Third Future Schools, said during an investors call for Coperni 2 on June 13, that the charter network had been supplementing the campus due to low enrollment in the previous academic year through a general fund made up, in part, by fees it charged to other schools in the network, according to Spectrum News.

About a week later, the Third Future Schools corporate board voted to close Coperni 2 and merge the school with Coperni 3, noting that the charter network had been subsidizing the school with approximately $500,000 for the previous two years, according to board minutes.

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Miles, who was no longer serving as CEO, did not make the decision to close Coperni 2 but recommended that the board do so, as subsidizing the school had become untenable. Third Future Schools paid Miles around $40,000 last year to serve as a consultant to the charter network, according to invoices obtained by the Chronicle.

We have to subsidize it to the tune of maybe $500,000 per year if it only has 180 kids or so, Miles said during the meeting, according to a recording published by Spectrum News. So I think the time is right to do what the administration is asking to do.

Did Ector College Prep send two $1 million checks to Third Future Schools in Colorado?

Spectrum News reported that Third Future Schools Ector College Prep sent two checks for more than $1 million to Aurora, Colorado. However, neither Third Future Schools nor Ector College Prep sent the two checks, according to a Chronicles review of the documents.

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Ector ISD, a public school district, sent both checks, which were addressed to Third Future Schools Texas Ector College Prep and sent to the charter networks corporate headquarters in Colorado.

At the time, Third Future Schools Texas was managing Ector College Prep at Ector ISDs request. In total, Ector ISD has sent Third Future Schools at least $19.6 million, including the two checks, since the charter organization began running one of its campuses in 2021, according to records provided to the Chronicle.

Ector ISD said in a statement that the district was the passthrough for state funding from the Texas Education Agency to TFS, and it was required to send checks to Third Future Schools headquarters in Colorado for TFS to operate Ector College Prep.

Did either of the Third Future Schoolss other two campuses in Colorado report receiving any funds from Texas?

The Academy of Advanced Learning, one of Third Future Schools two campuses in Colorado, reported that it provided professional services for about $2.6 million to the Third Future Schools Texas network, and that Third Future Schools Texas owed then $2 million as of June 2022, according to the 2022 audit.

The schools audit in the following year reported that Third Future Schools Texas owed them $2.4 million for professional services provided during the 2023 fiscal year. Coperni 3 also reported that Third Future Schools Texas owed them $78,000 for professional services and $1,145 for payments made on their behalf during the 2022 year, according to its audit.

Both campuses did not directly report receiving any funds from Third Future Schools Texas in audits before the 2022 fiscal year.

Is Third Future Schools Texas in debt to other Third Future Schools campuses?

According to Third Future Schools Texas audit for the 2023 fiscal year, it was running a nearly $2.7 million deficit due to liabilities to other TFS network schools and to TFS corporate, although the exact nature of these liabilities is unknown. The network ran a $1.4 million deficit in the 2022 year, which the previous audit did not attribute to debts to TFS schools.

The deficit in 2023 appears to have grown largely because Third Future Schools Texas went from spending zero on instructional supplies to $1.14 million, and Sam Houston Collegiate Prep spent about $1 million more on instruction and $874,000 more on administration costs compared to the previous year, according to the Chronicles analysis of the audits.

Third Future Schoolss spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment over why Third Future Schools Texas was in debt to other network campuses or the nature of the professional services its Colorado schools provided.

Is it illegal or uncommon for charter schools to pay fees to larger charter organizations or to pay outside entities for services?

Chapter 45 of the Texas Education Code states that public schools, including charter schools, can use state funds that are not designated for a specific purpose for any other purposes necessary in the conduct of the public schools determined by the board of trustees.

Toni Templeton, a senior research scientist at the University of Houston Education Research Center, said this language gives school boards broad flexibility to approve spending funds on nearly anything they determine is necessary for the benefit of the students, including purchasing services from other institutions and paying management or network fees.

Its not uncommon for (state) funds to go out of state, said Templeton, the former director of data services for the Texas Charter Schools Association I can understand how in the context of this particular conversation, people can be concerned, but no, its not an uncommon occurrence.

Templeton said the local public school boards in Texas are responsible for approving contracts with organizations like Third Future Schools under whats known as 1882 partnerships, that designate how and where state funds can flow, which is then submitted to the TEA.

The TEA said in a statement Tuesday that it was aware of Spectrums report and was reviewing the matter.

Were the two Colorado campuses that received funds from Third Future Schools Texas for professional services in need of cash?

The Academy of Advanced Learning and Coperni 3s annual audits appear to show the campuses have major financial deficits, but the audits state that is because federal pension reporting requirements have significantly distorted the financial statements. Excluding those, both Colorado schools have generally had positive fund balances and net assets since at least the 2019 fiscal year, according to Chronicles review of the audits.

The Academy of Advanced Learning had nearly $3 million in net assets the 2022 fiscal year, after excluding long-term pension reporting requirements, but it had to report a deficit of more than $6.6 million, according to the audit. The schools 2023 audit reports it had a deficit of $1,881,507 but it didnt outline the financial impact of the pension liabilities on the deficit.

Coperni 3s 2022 audit reported that the school had a deficit of more than $832,000, but excluding the pension requirements, it had total net assets of about $1.8 million in the 2022 fiscal year. The school reported a $114,281 increase to its fund balance in the following fiscal year.
A former executive at Loretto Hospital in Chicago faces federal charges alleging she helped embezzle nearly $500,000 from the facility amid the COVID-19 crisis, the Chicago Tribune reported May 13.

Heather Bergdahl, MD, 37, who now lives in the Houston area, was charged with embezzlement from a federally funded program and was arrested on May 9, according to the newspaper.

An attorney for Dr. Bergdahl is not listed in court documents accessed by Becker's.

The charges stem from an FBI investigation launched in 2021 regarding COVID-19 vaccines administered by Loretto at the church connected to Loretto's then-President and CEO George Miller Jr.

In March 2021, Mr. Miller was suspended for two weeks without pay amid reports of improper COVID-19 vaccinations from the safety-net hospital. Mr. Miller, who eventually departed the hospital in April 2022 amid the federal investigation, acknowledged that he authorized the hospital on March 10, 2021, to vaccinate restaurant, housekeeping and other hotel personnel at Trump Tower, where Anosh Ahmed, MD, who was the hospital's CFO and COO at the time and resigned in 2021, owned a condo. Block Club Chicago and WBEZ also previously reported that judges in Cook County were offered doses by the hospital before they were eligible.

According to the criminal complaint filed May 10 and accessed by Becker's, Dr. Bergdahl was hired on or about Feb. 23, 2022, as chief transformation officer at Loretto, with responsibility over outreach for screening and COVID-19 testing and vaccines.

She also supervised accounts payable at Loretto, according to the complaint.

"Through her position, [Dr.] Bergdahl was able to enter vendors into [Loretto's] Meditech system (which kept track of vendor information, including payments to vendors), request and approve payments to vendors, and print checks," the complaint said.

The complaint said her employment with Loretto stopped in March 2022, but she continued duties on behalf of Loretto as a contractor, until on or about April 12, 2022, when the hospital terminated its relationship with her.

A former Loretto employee told the FBI that Dr. Bergdahl performed tasks at Dr. Ahmed's direction during their mutual employment at the hospital, and they were in regular contact multiple times daily. Dr. Ahmed is referred to as "Individual A" in the complaint, according to the Tribune.

The complaint alleges that between about June and December 2021, after Dr. Ahmed's employment with Loretto had ended, and while Dr. Bergdahl still worked at the hospital, Dr. Bergdahl "issued approximately $486,540 in checks drawn on a [Loretto] bank account and made payable to entities for which Individual A was the purported CEO."

Dr. Ahmed "deposited these checks into bank accounts that he had opened in the names of these purported entities and then quickly transferred the money to other bank accounts that he controlled. According to representatives of [Loretto], none of the purported entities did business with, or provided goods or services to, [the hospital]."

Hospital records show that on June 11, 2021  the same day that Dr. Ahmed opened bank accounts in the names of the "purported entities"  Dr. Bergdahl caused the hospital to begin issuing checks made payable to those entities, which did not do business with the hospital.

Dr. Bergdahl's LinkedIn profile shows her as CFO of Anosh for the last two years  an investment firm that was founded by Dr. Ahmed.

Neither Dr. Ahmed nor Mr. Miller has been criminally charged, and an investigation continues, the Tribune reported.

Loretto shared the following statement with Becker's: "Unfortunately, the hospital was targeted and preyed upon, and it fell victim to a crime. For legal reasons, we are currently unable to discuss details, but we continue to offer our full cooperation and support the investigation.

"Since Spring 2022, Loretto Hospital has been under the leadership of a new CEO and executive team. Our mission to provide accessible, quality healthcare for Austin and our surrounding neighborhoods remains our top priority. The Loretto Hospital board of trustees, our foundation board, and our entire leadership team are focused on restoring the community's confidence in Loretto through transformation and transparency. We look forward to providing critical healthcare services to the community for another 100 years."

Read the full Tribune report here.






A North Carolina administrative judge has upheld the state's decision to award Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based AdventHealth a certificate of need to build a hospital with at least 67 beds in Buncombe County.

Asheville, N.C.-based Mission Health, part of HCA Healthcare, had appealed the decision, with the case going to trial almost a year later.

The decision is a big win for AdventHealth, which aims to curtail Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA's growth in Western North Carolina. AdventHealth has appealed Mission Health's recent CON applications for freestanding emergency departments in the state.

"AdventHealth joins with the people of Western North Carolina to celebrate this decision and the positive impact this new hospital will have on the area's healthcare," Brandon Nudd, president and CEO of AdventHealth Hendersonville, said in a May 10 news release. "We are excited to reach this point in the work to provide whole-person care to the people of Buncombe, Graham, Madison and Yancey Counties."

In March, AdventHealth purchased more than 30 acres of land in Weaverville, N.C., to be home to the new community hospital. The health system is applying to bring 26 additional beds to the planned hospital for a total of 93 beds.

HCA said it was "disappointed" in the office of administrative hearings' decision to uphold the awarding of 67 acute care beds to AdventHealth.

"This will not solve the need to transport high-level, critical care patients out of the area when our region's advanced care beds  only available at Mission Hospital  are full," Nancy Lindell, a spokesperson for Mission Health, said in a statement to Becker's. "Mission Health remains committed to providing the region's most advanced healthcare and will continue to take our community's evolving health needs into account as we look to the future."
A free speech rights lawsuit filed against Escondido, Calif.-based Palomar Health was dismissed by a federal judge due to the case not having legal standing, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported May 13.

A member of Palomar Health's Board of Directors, Laurie Edwards-Tate, filed a lawsuit against Palomar in November alleging that the hospital tried to stop her from speaking by threatening to punish her after she voiced worries to the local media about a new terms-of-use statement on Palomar's website.

Ms. Edwards-Tate requested an injunction, pointing out that her colleagues had already criticized her for her remarks. However, Palomar's legal team pointed out that the board had decided not to pursue any sanctions, which could include measures like removing committee roles or halting reimbursements for travel expenses.

Because of this, U.S. District Judge Todd Robinson found that Ms. Edwards-Tate did not have sufficient legal standing to pursue the case. Mr. Robinson said Ms. Edwards-Tate hadn't actually faced any punishment or penalty for what she said. She only received a warning about the possibility of being punished, but no action was taken against her.

"(Edwards-Tate's) other allegations, coupled with evidence regarding (Palomar's) subsequent actions, show that she no longer has an 'actual or well-founded fear' of other sanctions being enforced against her," Mr. Robinson wrote in a 46-page order.

According to the publication, Palomar issued a statement calling the order a "judicial rebuke."

"In light of the significant costs and unnecessary embarrassment Ms. Edwards-Tate already has imposed on Palomar, and the court's repeated recognition that her case lacks merit, Palomar Health hopes these rulings end the matter once and for all," the statement reads.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services does not have the authority to open an investigation into Springfield, Ill.-based Hospital Sisters Health System and its president and CEO Damond Boatwright after two of its Wisconsin hospitals, Chippewa Falls, Wis.-based St. Joseph's Hospital and Eau Claire, Wis.-based Sacred Heart Hospital closed March 22.

Eau Claire City Attorney Stephen Nick wrote a letter to the state DHS on April 9 asking the department to "thoroughly investigate whether HSHS, under its current executive and board leadership, met and can continue to meet all state, local, and federal requirements and expectations for continued licensure at their remaining facilities in Wisconsin," according to a May 9 state DHS response letter to Mr. Nick shared with Becker's.

According to the letter, DHS looked into three state law sources to determine whether it had authority to open an investigation into Mr. Nick's request, and found that the department was unable to do so.

"None of those sources of authority currently contain any timing requirements for hospital closure notifications nor any conditions regarding a hospital's financial fitness," the response letter said. "They also do not allow us to open an investigation into the behavior or decision-making of a hospital's CEO absent an allegation that the CEO's actions constitute a violation of the Medicare Conditions of Participation."

Mr. Nick has urged action to be taken not only on the issue of the HSHS hospital closures, but for Wisconsin leaders to address the ability for hospitals in the state to close without proper notice to healthcare providers, patients, employees and the communities.

"We need to expect and require more from our health care systems for the protection of our residents' access to health care," he said in a statement shared with Becker's.

Mr. Nick also pushed for the State Joint Finance Committee to release the approved $15 million in state hospital relief funding that has been tied up in state lawmaker disagreements.

Most recently, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers sued Republican state legislators on May 13 for not releasing around $200 million in state investments, including the $15 million relief funding for hospitals.

"We need the Governor and legislators, state and federal, to stop pointing partisan fingers at each other and address the serious issues of healthcare in the Chippewa Valley and in our State," Mr. Nick said. "Hospitals are vital and provide a necessary community service for which they receive many public benefits and private donations in addition to Medicaid, Medicare and private pay health insurance. They may very well need additional funding especially in more rural areas to ensure continued service."

Becker's has reached out to HSHS for comment and will update this story should more information become available.
Unionized healthcare workers came together May 13 to address New York state's clinical staffing law, which they say is not being enforced aggressively enough by the New York State Department of Health.

The rally occurred in Albany and included workers from hospitals across New York, represented by the Communications Workers of America District 1, New York State Nurses Association, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, Public Employees Federation, New York State United Teachers and United Federation of Teachers, according to a union news release.

Elected officials, including state Sen. Gustavo Rivera and Assembly members Amy Paulin, Harry Bronson, Karines Reyes, Aileen Gunther, and Phara Souffrant Forrest also attended the rally alongside the workers.

"New York healthcare workers have been sounding the alarm on unsafe working conditions and rampant understaffing at hospitals for years and are virtually the only ones holding our healthcare system together, all while caring for too many patients at once," Dennis Trainor, vice president with CWA District 1, said in the release. "The DOH needs to stop dragging its feet on safe staffing. The clinical staffing committee law was passed three years ago and enforced at the beginning of last year. Our patients can't wait any longer. This law lives and dies by what the DOH does in the next few months."

The rally comes after state legislators passed the 2025 fiscal year budget last month, and follows the state health department's adoption last June of a proposed regulation requiring hospitals to assign at least one nurse for every two patients in critical care units. It is part of a state law signed in 2021 mandating hospitals establish clinical staffing committees.

As part of the law, hospitals are required to establish clinical staffing committees to create and submit minimum staffing plans to the state's health department. Those found in violation must submit a corrective action plan, which must be implemented upon state approval. Hospitals that don't comply could face a fine of up to $2,000 per citation and/or any other related civil penalties.

But union representatives contend that since the law took effect in January 2023, thousands of unresolved staffing complaints have been filed on behalf of workers across the state by CWA District 1, NYSNA, and 1199SEIU.

In response to filings, state officials have conducted unannounced visits to hospitals "to investigate their adherence to the law, the result of which remains to be seen," according to the union representatives.

To date, the New York State Department of Health has investigated 409 complaints related to violations of the staffing law and issued 35 statements of deficiency related to the law, according to Monica Pomeroy, a department spokesperson.

"In March 2024, the Department issued its first $2,000 fine related to a clinical staffing investigation. That facility was fined for not producing documents needed to conduct a clinical staffing investigation," Ms. Pomeroy told Becker's.

"The department is also investigating several other complaints against hospitals for allegedly failing to provide requested information related to clinical staffing. As those matters are under review, we cannot comment further."

Union representatives say front-line caregivers continue to report chronic staffing issues, and that prompted the May 13 rally to demand enforcement of the staffing law.

The New York State Department of Health shared the following statement: "Patient safety and appropriate staffing are of vital importance to the state department of health. We have taken a rigorous approach to implementing the hospital safe staffing law, including enforcement of hospitals found to be in violation of the law."

Hospitals' staffing plans, which were posted in July 2022, are available here.






Leadership teams play a crucial role in running the top orthopedic and spine device companies nationwide.

From CEOs, to CFOs, to chief operating officers, these leaders manage finance, global logistics, business development and more.

Here are the COOs of five of the top spine device companies worldwide:

Alphatec (Carlsbad, Calif.): Scott Lish was tapped as Alphatec COO at the beginning of 2024. He first joined the company in 2017, serving as vice president of research and development.

Augmedics (Chicago): Anna Raz serves as COO of Augmedics. She has over 15 years of experience in the medical device industry. Her core expertise is building operations from scratch with a focus on technology and quality while scaling it from a small start-up to a global company.

Globus Medical (Audubon, Pa.): Keith Pfeil has served as COO and CFO at Globus since 2004. He leads the companys operations, finance, tax, pricing and contracts, internal audit, quality, information technology, investor relations, strategy and business development. In addition, he oversees the companys biologics business unitBone Bank Allografts.

Stryker (Kalamazoo, Mich.): Viju Menon serves as president of operations for Stryker, first taking the role in 2018. He is responsible for global operations, including manufacturing, direct procurement, regulatory affairs, quality assurance, sustainability, integrated business planning, logistics and advanced operations such as additive manufacturing technology development.

Xtant Medical (Belgrade, Mont.): Mark Schallenberger first joined Xtant in 2023. He has deep experience in the field of orthobiologics.
Leadership teams play a crucial role in running the top orthopedic and spine device companies nationwide.

From CEOs, to CFOs, to supply chain managers, these leaders manage finance, global logistics, business development and more.

Here are the supply chain leaders of three of the top spine device companies worldwide:

Kleiner Device Labs (Incline Village, Nev.): Jeff Barclay leads supply chain operations at Kleiner Device Labs. He has extensive experience with planning and procurement, from start-ups to multinational corporations. He is known for building and leading high-performing teams to drive cost reduction alongside service improvement, as well as implementing process improvement.

Medtronic (Dublin, Ireland): George Smith joined Medtronic in 2021 as executive vice president of global operations and supply chain. He is responsible for the performance and integration of all aspects of the companys operations including manufacturing, supply chain, supply management, operational excellence and transformation, enterprise risk and facilities and operations quality. He was most recently a supply chain executive at Walmart.

Zimmer Biomet (Warsaw, Ind.): James Rachal joined Zimmer Biomet in 2019 as its director of North American logistics. In 2020, he was named senior director of global logistics, leading the company's supply chain operations. He oversees the distribution and transportation of orthopedic products to customers worldwide, ensuring compliance, efficiency and customer satisfaction.
US manufacturing giant Copeland is expanding its production capacity at its Cookstown site with an investment of 19m, it announced today.

The company, based in Indiana, is a global provider of sustainable climate solutions and is aiming to meet increased European demand for low-carbon heat pumps.

This investment will include a 3,500 square metre expansion which will include new production lines at the Co Tyrone premises, which produces compressors.

Copeland says this will double the capacity of the site and increase the companys flexibility to meet future demand.

Since launching in 1997, the Cookstown facility has enjoyed continuous and qualified growth and employs approximately 270 staff.

According to its latest accounts, Copeland Limited in Cookstown recorded pre-tax profits of 2.6m for the year ending September 30 2022, with a turnover of almost 75m.

The site has so far produced more than five million compressors to date while also developing several key innovations in the industry, including Copelands first transcritical CO2, low-sound and hydrocarbon R290 compressors.

Ross B Shuster, Copeland chief executive officer, said: Cookstown plays a critical role in helping Copeland develop sustainable solutions that contribute to environmental protection, and this significant expansion will help meet Europes growing demand for heat pumps, which is crucial for helping customers and the world meet decarbonisation goals.

"This investment is an extremely important part of our manufacturing footprint and will help to secure a regional and resilient supply chain for our European customers.

Copeland says the facility expansion will drive a new level of excellence for Copeland's customers, helping meet demand for sustainable heating solutions, allowing the company to remain competitive with a focus on world-class quality and operational efficiencies while driving innovation.

It comes as Ulster Bank published its purchasing managers index (PMI) for April, which revealed manufacturing in Northern Ireland had its best month in just over two years with companies in nearly all sectors seeing a sharp rise in new orders.
A company owned by a west Belfast florist has been granted Royal Warrants from both King Charles and Queen Camilla.

Shane Connolly & Co, based in London, has been recognised for providing goods or services to the monarchy.

Mr Connolly has enjoyed a longstanding affiliation with the Royals, having arranged the flowers for some of the most significant occasions in recent years.

In a message of thanks posted to the business Instagram account, Mr Connolly said: We are deeply honoured and so grateful to their majesties.

The King and Queen have unfailingly supported sustainability in flowers for many, many years, long before it was a thing, so it is both a pleasure and a privilege to be endorsed in this public way.

In 2005, he was in charge of the floral displays for Charles and Camillas wedding, and also William and Kates 2011 ceremony.

Mr Connolly also previously held a royal warrant of appointment to Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles in his former Prince of Wales guise.

Last year, he decorated Westminster Abbey with seasonal flowers for the coronation.

At the time he stressed his aim was to make the flowers incredibly personal to Charles and Camilla, as well as showing that UK-grown flowers can be used at an event of this size.

Florist Shane Connolly at Chapter House, Westminster Abbey

Read more Northern Ireland florist ready to weave magic for King Charles coronation

Mr Connolly first moved to London in the late 1980s after graduating from the University of Ulster with a degree in psychology. He initially worked for the Ministry of Defence, but he befriended a florist and decided to pursue a career change.

He began by volunteering to help his friend at the weekend and during holiday periods, before landing a florist role with Pulbrook and Gould and then further expanding his growing reputation with the publication of the first of his five books on floral arrangements.

Mr Connolly continued to land larger clients and soon caught the eye of the Royal family after designing flowers for a Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award event in St Jamess Palace.

In time this led to royal weddings and eventually to the Royal Warrant, which is granted for up to five years and allows a company to use the Royal Coat of Arms in their advertising, packaging, and stationery.

Three Northern Ireland businesses previously received the Royal Warrant from the late Queen Elizabeth II: Ulster Carpets in Craigavon, payment platform company EPOS Bureau in Enniskillen and herbal products company Botanica in Warrenpoint.

Her death means companies can no longer use her Royal Arms, although its understood they are all eligible to reapply for a new Royal Warrant to be issued by King Charles.
Klein ISD Superintendent Jenny McGown, Board President Cathy Arellano and trustee Ronnie Anderson pictured Monday, May 13, 2024, listening to board members speak about the recent string of teacher arrests in a board meeting where a resolution to look critically at the district's safety and security policies was passed. Courtesy of Klein ISD Klein ISD Trustee Chris Todd pictured Monday, May 13, 2024, speaking about the recent string of teacher arrests in a board meeting where a resolution to look critically at the district's safety and security policies was passed. Courtesy of Klein ISD Klein ISD trustee Dustin Creager and Dustin Qualls pictured Monday, May 13, 2024, listening to board members speak about the recent string of teacher arrests in a board meeting where a resolution to look critically at the district's safety and security policies was passed. Courtesy of Klein ISD

Trustees in Klein ISD vowed to reexamine safety and security practices on their campuses Monday, in light of a string of recent teacher arrests that brought statewide attention to the northwest Harris County district.

The trust has been undermined by ex-employees who have been accused of committing acts of egregious moral turpitude, according to a resolution the board unanimously approved at its regular May board meeting. We must redouble our focus on student safety by evaluating our current practices with the most critical eye  to strengthen and maintain our communitys trust.

Some trustees addressed the multiple arrests of former Klein ISD staff who were charged with various crimes relating to child pornography, sexual assault and trafficking of minors.

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Im devastated by the heinous acts inflicted on students by evil people, Trustee Chris Todd said. Some would have you believe that their actions were allowed, or that this was a result of neglect or poor leadership or simply the fault of public education in general. None of those are true  We cannot allow selfish political or personal ambition to take us off our mission.

The most egregious arrest was that of Kedria Grigsby, Klein Cain High Schools former cosmetology teacher, who was arrested on multiple counts of facilitating sex trafficking of minors, some of whom were area students who had been reported as missing.

The trafficking arrest earned the attention of Gov. Greg Abbott, who blasted the district in an April tweet that advocated for school vouchers. Klein ISD officials did not specify whether the evaluation of district practices would be in the form of an official audit.

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While the district removed Grigsby from the school, some community members were concerned that the school had been notified of a police report implicating Grigsby in her sons alleged sex trafficking activity a year before charges were filed, yet she remained in the classroom.

Klein ISD officials have said that they called the Harris County Sheriffs Office about the report, and they had told the district that Grigsby was not a suspect in the case. The HCSO, however, said they have no record of telling Klein ISD that Grigsby was not a suspect. The discrepancy had not been clarified by either party as of Monday.

Recently, another teacher was fired from the district after allegations of sexual misconduct and non-sanctioned out-of-school trips surfaced. The former agricultural science teacher at Klein Forest High School, Isidoro Guerrero, was put on leave after confirming the trip, almost five years after he began teaching in the district.

Klein ISD officials called the allegations in late April deeply troubling and urged that they would ensure no stone is left unturned in the investigation.

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Klein Forest Principal Lance Alexander sent a letter telling staff that the teacher was terminated one day after officials learned of the trip, on April 24. Alexander said that all the allegations were reported to the Texas Education Agency and Child Protective Services.

Parents have also lodged complaints about overcrowding on some campuses creating unsafe conditions that led to fights and multiple children wandering off campus.

Superintendent Jenny McGown said in an email sent to parents Thursday that safety improvements are coming.

I am heartsick, appalled, and angry with what weve endured recently as a Klein Family  individuals once entrusted as employees in our school district jeopardized the safety and well-being of our students, she wrote, adding that the events had compromised our trust.

McGown said the district would be increasing employee training, improving communication, enhancing parent workshops and advocating for policy change.

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Workshops will be held virtually and in-person on subjects such as digital safety, mental health, drug and alcohol abuse, vaping, human trafficking, educational support strategies to help parents raise children in the challenging world, McGown wrote.

She added that Klein ISD Police Chief Marlon Runnels is working to improve interagency communication and that the district will advocate for a policy that requires school districts to be informed by any law enforcement agency when any employee is under investigation, especially employees working directly with children, McGown said.

We cant act if we dont know that outside law enforcement agencies are investigating someone, she continued.

Staff will also be offered additional training during their employment with the district held by outside subject experts to help us better understand and recognize behaviors that do not align with what we expect of our staff.

Some board members who spoke about the resolution said they had students in Klein Cain High School, and despite the arrest of Grigsby, they still have trust in the district. One board member, Rob Ellis, rebuked the claim that he or other leaders with students in Klein Cain knew about the former teachers alleged criminal activity.

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The fact that we as parents would allow something, know something, allow it to be there, just does not make any sense, Ellis said, adding that McGown and her team are working to to make sure that this never happens again, and certainly one time is too many.

Some community members spoke about the resolution at the board meeting Monday. One woman, Nikki Kinchen, said that the time between the original report to the district and Grigsbys arrest doesnt pass the smell test.

I dont feel safe sending my kids to school, to be honest, she said. It just all goes back to no transparency, like again, the right hand doesnt know what the left hand is doing half the time.

Kinchen said she would remove her kids from the district if they werent nearing their senior year.

Another speaker, Nicole Peters, highlighted the educators she said were great in the district, but clarified that they needed to be protected, too.
Baroness Kate Hoey has warned of the "dangerous implications of a Supreme Court ruling that provisions of the UK's Illegal Migration Act  which created powers to send asylum seekers to Rwanda  should be disapplied in Northern Ireland.
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald (left) and then deputy first minister Michelle ONeill during the funeral of former leading IRA figure Bobby Storey at Milltown Cemetery in west Belfast in June 2020. (Liam McBurney/PA)

First Minister Michelle ONeill has apologised for her controversial attendance at the funeral of IRA man Bobby Storey during the Covid pandemic.

She said she was sorry "from the bottom of her heart" for the hurt her attendance caused to families of those who lost family members to the virus.

In evidence to the Covid-19 Inquiry, she said she ought to have realised the anger attending the funeral in June 2020 would have prompted.

It came as Ms ONeill, who was deputy First Minister at the time, faced difficult questioning over the Executive's response to the crisis.

Ms ONeill was one of several senior Sinn Fein figures who attended Mr Storeys funeral in west Belfast at a time when tight restrictions on public gatherings were in place.

Some Executive ministers felt the funeral incident undermined the public health message at the time.

It also impacted on Ms ONeills relationship with then First Minister Arlene Foster, to such an extent that the pair briefly stopped doing joint press conferences.

While Ms ONeill has previously apologised for any hurt her actions may have caused, she went further at the Covid Inquiry today.

Watch: Michelle ONeills Bobby Storey funeral attendance u-turn

I know that my actions also angered the families and for that, I'm truly sorry, she said.

I am sorry for going [to the funeral] and I'm sorry for the harm that had been caused after [it].

The First Minister was asked by counsel for the inquiry, Clair Dobbin KC, if she knew beforehand the anger the funeral would cause.

I didn't but I ought to have, Ms ONeill replied.

I've said it publicly on a number of occasions about how sorry I am and I am absolutely, from the bottom of my heart, sorry.

It was put to Ms ONeill by inquiry chair Baroness Hallett that her criticisms of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in relation to so-called lockdown parties during the pandemic were hypocritical.

I don't think so because they are two very different things in terms of the Boris Johnson approach of partying the whole way through the pandemic and drinking their way through it, to be quite blunt, she said.

Baroness Hallett responded: We didn't find out about the partying until after the pandemic, what you did was to do something the normal bereaved couldn't do because you wanted to go to a friend's funeral.

Isn't saying that what Boris Johnson's government did was wrong sort of hypocritical?

Ms O'Neill replied: No, I don't think so because what I did, I did under the understanding of the regulations at that time.

But I do accept wholeheartedly that I in some way damaged our Executive relations with colleagues who had been working very hard with me the whole way through.

I also accept wholeheartedly that I damaged the public health messaging, and I had work to do to regain that. But I did that, I worked hard to regain that trust and confidence and to lead us for the next year and a half through the pandemic.

Baroness Hallett said she was pressing the issue because the point of principle is that those who set the rules should obey the rules, both in spirit and in the letter.

Ms O'Neill said: Yes, I should have anticipated the outworking of what I did.

The First Minister said she attended Mr Storeys funeral on a personal invitation from the family on the understanding there would be a cortege of 30 people.

That's the basis on which I attended but I am sorry, I am sorry, she said.

I should have anticipated what would happen in the aftermath and that is why I worked hard to try to regain that confidence and trust.

Equally and more importantly, I think it's about all the families of bereaved and people who went through horrific circumstances and the experience that they've had.

It's just horrendous and I would never set out to try to compound that or in any way make it more difficult for them to deal with their grief."

Elsewhere during the hearing, Ms ONeill was shown in a message exchange she had with Arlene Foster on March 21, 2020, when school closures were being discussed.

In one message Ms Foster accused Ms ONeill of publicly undermining Health Minister Robin Swann and then Education Minister Peter Weir over her calls for schools to be shut.

If you want to effect change in a policy you are going completely the wrong way about it, Ms Foster wrote.

You are playing politics when things are much too serious. It is hugely disappointing but unfortunately Im not surprised.

Ms ONeill replied: Its too serious to tolerate incompetence. Things are too slow. Lives will be lost. Start listening.

The then DUP leader responded: I hope you are not calling two of your ministerial colleagues incompetent. Naomi [Long] and Robin [Swann] have both raised concerns about your behaviour. You need to be more collegiate.

Ms ONeill replied: The department is not serving Robin well. We are not being served well by the civil service. This is a time to knock heads and get them to act with haste. Our nurses are crying out for help to do their jobs. I spoke to many from the Western Trust over this week and they need us to fight for them.

The First Minister was also asked about the wiping of her devices in February 2022, when she left office when the Executive fell.

She said that, while there may have been back and forth with Ms Foster in the deleted messages, the official record was the official record of the decisions made.

The First Minister added that wiping devices upon leaving office was the standard practice.
Abduction attempt is foiled as men spot CCTV at bailed accuseds secret hideaway

The Sunday World has revealed that two carloads of men were dispatched to the secret address last Sunday evening (May 4) with the intention of abducting him  but were forced to back off because of the presence of CCTV at the location.
Prominent loyalist activist Jamie Bryson breached a traffic signal fearing he was being followed and an attack was imminent, a court heard today.

While the 34-year-old told District Judge Francis Rafferty he accepted running a red light on 12 September last year, Mr Bryson told the judge he had a reasonable excuse defence, emphasising that at the time the PSNI had recently told him he was under a verifiable death threat.

Giving evidence to Newtownards Magistrates Court on his own behalf, the prominent loyalist also highlighted that a man who had made repeated threats against him and whom the police believed had ready access to guns, was on the run.

At the start of the ten minute contest, a prosecuting lawyer told District Judge Rafferty how the defendants Audi Q2 breached the traffic light at the junction of the York Link and Nelson Street.

Representing himself however, Mr Bryson maintained that he had a reasonable excuse for running the red light.

He told Judge Rafferty that as he drove towards Belfast he noticed a car with tinted windows behind him, adding that as the journey progressed: This car made a number of attempts to get around me but then came back in behind me.

As. I approached the lights I manoeuvred my car across over two lanes as I believed that this car was going to come up alongside me and potentially carry out some form of attack on me, Mr Bryson explained.

In reference to paint being daubed on the walls of Ards court during the North Down feud, he said that around that time: I had written a public letter to the Newsletter after this court was attackedand I had been subject to death threats from drug dealers and drug gangs.

Having been given a TM1 notice by the PSNI that there was a verifiable threat on his life, Mr Bryson told the court he had been given a booklet by the police which advised on what to do when a person is subject to such threats.

One aspect of that, he told the court, was what to do when stopping at traffic lights so when he believed the tinted window car behind was following in a sinister way: I made the conscious decision to breach the traffic signal.

Under cross examination the prosecutor asked the loyalist activist why, if the car had been following him for about five minutes, he had failed to note the registration plate but he told the lawyer he would have done so had the car followed him through the red light.

Why not phone the policeor drive to the nearest police station, Judge Rafferty asked him but Mr Bryson maintained there is a demonstrable context in this, highlighting that seven other people have been sentenced in this very court for making threats against him.

I am living under a daily death threat so I am taking precautions and when Im driving, Im checking my mirrors and all around to see if theres anything suspicious, he told the judge adding that he may well have driven to a police station if the tinted window car had followed him but it didnt.

In final submissions the PPS conceded it was a matter for the judge to decide what could amount to a reasonable excuse while Mr Bryson maintained that although he accepts breaking the red light, the prosecution have offered nothing to refute the death threats I have been under and as such, he had put forward a reasonable explanation.

Judge Rafferty said while he found it incredible that Mr Bryson did not call the police when he feared he was being followed, nevertheless Im required to be satisfied to the criminal standard and in the circumstances, I cannot be so satisfied so Im marking the matter dismissed.
Coronavirus

New Covid variant XEC: What do the experts say, what are the symptoms and is it in Northern Ireland?
Pet-napping to be outlawed in NI as bill paves way for inclusion in UK-wide plans

A Private Members Bill on the matter is currently going through Parliament

DAERA Minister Andrew Muir on a visit to the USPCA

Liam Tunney Tue 14 May 2024 at 19:57







Dog-nappers and cat thieves could end up behind bars for up to five years under a new law coming to Northern Ireland.
People view the live stream portal between Dublin and New York (Niall Carson/PA)

A livestream portal between Dublin and New York is to be temporarily switched off as efforts continue to find solutions to address inappropriate behaviour in front of the installation.

Dublin City Council said a preferred solution involving blurring proved to be unsatisfactory and added that the portal would be switched off at 10pm on Tuesday.

The council said a small minority of people have engaged in inappropriate behaviour which has been amplified on social media.

Thousands of people have visited the two-way livestream portal, which gives a real-time view of New York.

The 24/7 portal is in north Dublin, facing OConnell Street, while the American installation is in North Earl Street.

A portal was temporarily closed in the Irish capital earlier this week as changes in how the visual link operates were introduced.

A new city council statement on Tuesday night said: The team behind the portal art sculpture, Portals.org, has been investigating possible technical solutions to inappropriate behaviour by a small minority of people in front of the portal.

Unfortunately the preferred solution, which would have involved blurring, was not satisfactory.

Thousands of people have visited the two-way livestream portal (Niall Carson/PA)

As a result the portal will be switched off at 10pm tonight and the team at Portals.org have told us they expect it will be switched back on later this week.

We are delighted by how many people have been enjoying the portal since it was launched last week.

It has become a global phenomenon and it is important to note that the overwhelming majority of people interacting with the Dublin portal have behaved appropriately.

Videos on social media have shown some on the Irish side flashing body parts, displaying swear words on phone screens and showing images of the Twin Towers on 9/11.

Another woman was escorted away by Irish police after she was seen grinding against the portal.
In a speech at the Cyber UK conference in Birmingham, GCHQ director Anne Keast-Butler highlighted cyber threats posed by China (GCHQ/PA)

The irresponsible actions of Chinese state-backed hackers are making the internet less secure for the world, a British spy chief warned.

GCHQ director Anne Keast-Butler said responding to the coercive and destabilising actions of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) was her top priority.

She also highlighted the immediate threats posed by Russia and Iran, carrying out actions ranging from cyber attacks, espionage and surveillance.

But the scale of the challenge from Beijing meant GCHQ devotes more resource to China than any other single mission.

In a speech at the Cyber UK conference in Birmingham, she said: Through their coercive and destabilising actions, the PRC poses a significant risk to international norms and values.

In cyberspace, we believe that the PRCs irresponsible actions weaken the security of the internet for all.

China has built an advanced set of cyber capabilities, and is taking advantage of a growing commercial ecosystem of hacking outfits and data brokers at its disposal.

China poses a genuine and increasing cyber risk to the UK.

China wanted to shape global technology standards and assert its dominance in the field within the next 10 to 15 years, she said.

The UK was working with its Five Eyes intelligence allies  the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand  on the challenges, she said.

GCHQ chief Anne Keast-Butler warned about the risks from China, Russia and Iran (GCHQ/PA)

She added: We have repeatedly called out Chinese cyber adversaries for activities that threaten the security of the UK or target the institutions important to our society, such as the compromise of the UK Electoral Commission.

On Russia, the GCHQ chief said there were growing links between Vladimir Putins intelligence services and proxy groups to conduct cyber attacks, as well as suspected physical surveillance and sabotage operations.

Previously, Russia simply created the right environment for these groups, but it was now nurturing and inspiring these non-state cyber actors, in some cases seemingly co-ordinating physical attacks against the West.

The threat from Russia was acute and globally pervasive, Ms Keast-Butler warned.

She said GCHQ continued to strengthen Ukraines cyber capabilities and shared vital intelligence to expose Putins malign plans and reliance on states including China, North Korea and Iran.

She said Iran was also aggressive in cyberspace and actors associated with the state had been implicated in attacks against victims in many countries.

Tehran was continuing to develop cyber espionage expertise alongside disruptive and destructive capabilities.

Whilst they might not always use the most advanced capabilities to conduct their operations, they should not be underestimated, she added.

The National Cyber Security Centres chief, Felicity Oswald, also raised concerns about Chinas online activity and urged network managers to bolster their defences.

She said: The Chinese authorities have introduced a new law requiring the discovery of security vulnerabilities to be provided to the government as a priority and at risk of severe penalty. This should worry all of us.

She said the UK, US and allies had warned about the activity of the Volt Typhoon cyber group which could be laying the groundwork for disruptive and destructive cyber attacks.

This is a clear warning about Chinas intent to hold essential networks at risk, she said.

And it is a warning that providers of essential services in the UK cannot afford to ignore.

Harry Coker, the White Houses national cyber director, said Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) has invested tremendous resources in building up their cyber programme and was intent on embedding capabilities in foreign states civilian infrastructure to wreak havoc at a time of crisis.

The US government has already identified and disrupted the PLAs efforts to pre-position on our critical infrastructure networks and we are going to keep pushing back, he said.
The Duke of Kent, president of the RNLI, during his visit to the Fraserburgh lifeboat station (Michal Wachucik/PA)

The Duke of Kent joined the last surviving widow of a lifeboat disaster to lay a wreath in remembrance of the five men who died.

Edward, cousin of Queen Elizabeth II and president of the RNLI, laid the tribute at the lifeboat station in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, with Pat Owen, whose husband James Buchan died in the Fraserburgh lifeboat disaster more than half a century ago.

The Fraserburgh lifeboat, the Duchess of Kent, capsized in gale-force winds on January 21 1970 while escorting another vessel to safety.

In a ceremony at the lifeboat station on Tuesday, the duke spoke to Mrs Owen and the families of other crew members who died: John Stephen, James RS Buchan and William Hadden; as well as relatives of the sole survivor of the tragedy, John Jackson Buchan.

The Duke of Kent, president of the RNLI, during his visit to the Fraserburgh lifeboat station in Aberdeenshire (Michal Wachucik/PA)

The fifth victim of the disaster was Fred Kirkness, whose body has never been found.

Speaking to Mrs Owen, the duke recalled their first meeting at the funeral more than 54 years ago.

He led the procession of an estimated 10,000 mourners, met families of those who died and attended the funeral to pay his own respects.

The disaster happened the year after the duke succeeded both his mother and father as president of the RNLI.

At the end of the visit on Tuesday, the duke and Mrs Owen laid a wreath at the foot of the remembrance statue, while pipers played a lament.

Pipers also welcomed Edward into the station where he met volunteers and staff.

He also spoke to two of the former crew who had served on the lifeboat alongside the five volunteers who died in the disaster: Albert Sutherland and Victor Sutherland Senior.

The duke presented the lifeboat station with the first flag of the new patronage of the King, whom the RNLI announced earlier on Tuesday succeeds Queen Elizabeth II as patron of the charity.

A new flag gifted to the RNLI in Fraserburgh by the Duke of Kent (Michal Wachucik/PA)

RNLI chief executive, Mark Dowie, accompanied the duke on his visit.

He said: Today was a very special day for the RNLI and the charitys longstanding heritage with the Royal Family since our foundation in 1824.

Fraserburgh was a fitting host for our presidents 55th anniversary visit, with so many personal connections between the Kent Family and the station.

The Duke has provided unwavering support to the RNLI for 55 years, visiting almost all the lifeboat stations around the UK and Ireland, attending countless lifeboat naming and station opening events and meeting crew members, fundraisers, supporters and staff.

Our presidents warmth, generosity and understanding of our lifesaving work is incredibly valued by the charity and the time His Royal Highness spends with each volunteer is greatly appreciated by the institution.

We also welcomed the news of our new Patron, King Charles III, this morning and there was an immense sense of pride across the Fraserburgh RNLI team as they became the first RNLI lifeboat station to fly our new house flag featuring the Kings Crown this afternoon.

Edward presented three Chair letters of thanks to current crew of the Fraserburgh lifeboat: coxswain Ethan Harris and crew members Stephen Brown and Shane Richardson; as well as a chief executives commendation to Davy Sutherland, for the part they played in the rescue of four fishermen from a vessel that grounded and subsequently sank in October 2022.

Fraserburgh lifeboats coxswain mechanic, Vic Sutherland, said: I would like to congratulate His Royal Highness on 55 years service to the RNLI and sincerely thank him for his continued support in Fraserburgh.

The Kent Family has a long-running history with the lifeboat station here in Fraserburgh. The Duchess of Kent named our lifeboat in 1954, with the Duke visiting in 1970 and 1986. It really is humbling to know that the fondness is felt both ways.
The families of the victims of the Nottingham attacks have said they face their own life sentence of ensuring Valdo Calocane is never released after the Court of Appeal ruled his sentence was not unduly lenient.

The relatives of Barnaby Webber, Grace OMalley-Kumar and Ian Coates reiterated their calls for a public inquiry into the attacks in Nottingham last June, with the mother of Mr Webber claiming that Calocane should become the next Ian Brady and Fred West by never being released from custody.

Three senior judges ruled on Tuesday that Calocanes indefinite hospital order was not arguably unduly lenient, stating the court could not ignore medical evidence related to Calocanes paranoid schizophrenia.

The Attorney General referred the sentence to the Court of Appeal in February, with lawyers arguing that Calocane, 32, should have been given a hybrid order, where he would be treated in hospital before serving the remainder of the sentence in custody.

Speaking following the ruling, Mr Webbers mother, Emma Webber, said: Todays ruling comes as no surprise to the families of the Nottingham attack victims. It was inevitable and was not a review of anything other than the letter of the law as it stands.

Despite the fact that the Attorney General herself feels that Valdo Calocane did not receive the appropriate sentence, todays outcome proves how utterly flawed and under-resourced the criminal justice system in the UK is. It also illustrates the need for urgent reforms in the UK homicide law.

The fact remains, despite the words of the judge, that almost 90% of people serving hospital orders are out within 10 years and 98% within 20 years. In effect, the families now face their own life sentence of ensuring the monster that is Valdo Calocane becomes the next Ian Brady or Fred West and is never released.

Given the failed investigation carried out by Nottingham Police, the weak prosecution put forward by East Midlands CPS and the over-reliance on doctors reports, there was probably no other conclusion that could be made.

She continued: There are many, many more serious questions that the families will now continue to fight to get answered.

We do not and never will agree that the vicious, calculated and planned attacks carried out were that of an individual who was at zero level of capability.

We have never disputed that he is mentally unwell; however, he knew what he was doing, he knew that it was wrong; but he did it anyway. There should be an element of punishment for such a heinous act; alongside appropriate treatment.

Valdo Calocane was given an indefinite hospital order (Nottinghamshire Police/PA)

This is just one part of the fight for justice and appropriate accountability for failures that the families have been forced to endure. So far, there have been no less than eight individual reports, reviews and investigations.

We do not believe that there is any chance these can be cohesive enough to ensure a full and detailed outcome, and therefore call for a public inquiry.

Calocane fatally stabbed 19-year-old university students Mr Webber and Ms OMalley-Kumar as they walked home from a night-out in the early hours of June 13 last year, before killing 65-year-old Mr Coates and stealing his van.

He then used the vehicle to knock down three pedestrians  Wayne Birkett, Marcin Gawronski and Sharon Miller  in Nottingham city centre before being arrested.

Prosecutors accepted his not guilty pleas to murder at his sentencing at Nottingham Crown Court in January after multiple medical experts concluded he had paranoid schizophrenia.

Sentencing judge Mr Justice Turner told Calocane that his sickening crimes meant he would be detained indefinitely in a high-security hospital very probably for the rest of your life.

He also ruled that Calocane should be subject to further restrictions if ever discharged from hospital, which would need to be approved by the Justice Secretary.

At a hearing on Wednesday, lawyers for the Attorney Generals Office argued that Calocanes extreme crimes warranted the imposition of a sentence with a penal element, an element of punishment.

Barristers for Calocane said that changing his sentence to a hybrid order would mean he would be punished for being mentally ill, with judges ruling on Tuesday that Mr Justice Turner made no error.

Giving their judgment, Baroness Carr, sitting with Lord Justice Edis and Mr Justice Garnham, said: Because the offenders level of retained responsibility was low, and in circumstances where the offending would not have taken place but for the offenders schizophrenia, the judge was entitled to conclude that a penal element was unnecessary.

This was so, despite the number of victims and the extent of the harm caused.

She concluded: It is impossible to read of the circumstances of this offending without the greatest possible sympathy for the victims of these terrible attacks, and their family and friends.

The victim impact statements paint a graphic picture of the appalling effects of the offenders conduct.

Had the offender not suffered the mental condition that he did, the sentencing judge would doubtless have been considering a whole life term.

But neither the judge nor this court can ignore the medical evidence as to the offenders condition which led to these dreadful events or the threat to public safety which the offender continues to pose.

Dr Sanjoy Kumar speaking outside court on Tuesday (Yui Mok/PA)

Calocane, who attended via a video link from Ashworth high-security hospital near Liverpool, did not react as the judges gave their decision.

Dr Sanjoy Kumar and Dr Sinead OMalley, the parents of Ms OMalley-Kumar, also attended the hearing, while the relatives of Mr Webber and Mr Coates did not appear.

Speaking outside the Royal Courts of Justice following the decision, Dr Kumar said: The Attorney Generals case has not been successful. This is disappointing, but not unexpected.

The Nottingham attacks were entirely preventable. Nottinghamshire Police failed to produce a warrant for many months, a flawed investigation, no toxicology, over-reliance on psychiatric reports.

Leicestershire Police failed to arrest Valdo Calocane. This is a failure of two police forces, a failure of the mental health trust, along with Nottinghamshire (County) Council as well.

Missed multiple opportunities to prevent the Nottingham attacks and the murder of our children and Ian Coates is what has led us here today. We have continued to pursue agencies that failed us and hold them responsible for the Nottingham attacks so that no other family is made to suffer like ours.

We thank everyone for the outpouring of support for our brave and beautiful daughter, Grace.
Julian Gill is an investigative reporter for the Houston Chronicle.

His wide-ranging work on the medical beat, including a three-part narrative on a COVID-19 lung transplant patient, was recognized at the 2022 Texas Managing Editors awards, where he received top honors in the specialty reporting category and second place in the star reporter of the year category.

In addition to his extensive reporting on COVID, he has written about the effects of the Texas abortion ban, the maternal mortality crisis, and advances in the Texas Medical Center.

He joined the paper in 2018 after two years at the Denton Record-Chronicle, where he covered police and county government. He graduated from the University of North Texas. A San Antonio native, he is a die-hard Spurs fan and avid runner.
Frances Freedom Flame has arrived in the UK on its way to the US as part of a tour to thank the two countries for their key roles on D-Day.

The flame, which normally resides on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc De Triomphe in Paris, has left its home for the first time in its 101-year history to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings.

It travelled across the Channel aboard a Brittany Ferries ship and was accompanied into Portsmouth, Hampshire, on Tuesday evening by classic vessels HMS Medusa, HSL 102 and MGB 81 as well as two Royal Navy P2000 patrol boats and the French schooner Etoile.

The flame is carried in a procession at Portsmouth after its journey by ferry from France (Ben Birchall/PA)

After arriving into port, it was greeted by a 20-person guard of honour made up of French and UK personnel as well as the Royal Marines Corps of Drums who performed a short procession to the terminal for a reception hosted by Portsmouth International Port, the Royal Navy, Royal British Legion and Brittany Ferries.

A brief ceremony was then held involving naval and civic officials, including Portsmouth Naval Base commander Commodore John Voyce, Portsmouth City Councils Deputy Lord Mayor Gerald Vernon-Jackson, Brittany Ferries chief executive Christophe Mathieu and Helen Patton, granddaughter of General Patton.

As it departed, the Royal Marines Corps of Drums performed a traditional Beating Retreat ceremony before the flame was taken to the D-Day Story museum in Southsea where it will be on public display before continuing its journey to Arlington, Virginia.

Councillor Vernon-Jackson said: It is a huge privilege for the city to be the first place to welcome the flame and pay respects with a poignant tribute.

It is important to learn lessons from the past, the value of countries coming together and for the next generation to play a part remembering momentous events and the impact that remains to this day.

Cdr Voyce said: The flame we welcome tonight is a symbol of liberty for all across the globe and it is poignant that the first time it has come to the UK is on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of France and mainland Europe that began on D-Day.

The Flamme de la Liberte will next travel to Arlington, Virginia, in the United States (Ben Birchall/PA)

It is so important that the service and sacrifice made on that day, and all the days our nations have fought oppression, is remembered and honoured.

On behalf of the UK military, veterans and our families, I welcome the La Flamme de la Liberte, and all that it signifies, to Portsmouth before it journeys across the Atlantic  itself the backdrop to acts of sheer bravery and sacrifice during World War Two  to rest at the hallowed ground of Arlington National Cemetery in Washington.

Mr Mathieu said: It is a great honour for Brittany Ferries to have carried the Freedom Flame across the Channel, a symbol of great respect and humblest thanks to all brave veterans who crossed the channel nearly 80 years ago.

Today, those arriving in Normandy by sea are faced with sweeping golden sands, full of happy families making joyful memories. But those very memories are thanks to freedoms we must never take for granted and the sacrifices we must never forget.
Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky greets US secretary of state Antony Blinken in Kyiv, Ukraine (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

US secretary of state Antony Blinken has sought to rally the spirits of Ukrainians facing a fierce new Russian offensive, assuring them they are not alone and that billions of dollars in American military aid on its way to the country will make a real difference on the battlefield.

After a day of meetings with senior officials, civil society figures and university students during which he exhorted them against being discouraged, Mr Blinken took to the stage at a Kyiv bar to play rhythm guitar with a local band on Neil Youngs 1989 hit Rockin In The Free World.

Earlier on his unannounced visit to Kyiv, Mr Blinken told Ukrainian leaders that despite a months-long delay in US assistance that left them vulnerable to renewed Russian military strikes, more weaponry is coming and some has already arrived.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken, centre, performs Rockin In The Free World with members of The 1999 band at the Barman Dictat bar in Kyiv (Brendan Smialowski/Pool photo via AP)

He made the case even as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed to him personally for more air defence systems to protect civilians under intense Russian fire in the north-east.

Mr Blinken also lambasted Russian President Vladimir Putin for underestimating Ukraines determination to fight back.

We meet at a critical moment, he told students at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.

The coming weeks and months will demand a great deal of Ukrainians, who have already sacrificed so much. Ive come to Ukraine with a message: You are not alone.

We sometimes hear that time is on Putins side, Mr Blinken said.

That Russias bigger population, Putins willingness to throw more Russians into the meat grinder of his making and sink more of Russias resources into trying to subjugate Ukraine means that Russia cant lose.

In fact, Russias been losing the battle to control Ukraines destiny for 20 years. And Putin has it wrong  time is on Ukraines side.

As the war goes on, Russia is going back in time. Ukraine is moving forward.

(PA Graphics)

And yet, in increasingly intense attacks along the north-eastern border in recent days, Moscows troops have captured around 100 to 125 square kilometres (40 to 50 square miles) in the north-east Kharkiv region that includes at least seven villages, according to open-source monitoring analysts.

Though most of those villages were already depopulated, thousands of civilians in the area have fled the fighting.

The Kremlins forces have also been making a concerted push in the east, seeking to drive deeper into the partly occupied Donetsk region.

The main focus of Russian attacks on Tuesday was Pokrovsk, just inside the Ukrainian border in Donetsk, where the Kremlins forces launched 24 assaults, the Ukrainian general staff said in a report.

Analysts have called this moment one of the most dangerous for Ukraine since Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022.

We know this is a challenging time, Mr Blinken told Mr Zelensky in his first meeting of the day after arriving in Kyiv on an overnight train from Poland.

But he added that American military aid is going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield.

The visit comes less than a month after Congress approved a long-delayed foreign assistance package that sets aside 60 billion dollars in aid for Ukraine, much of which will go towards replenishing badly depleted artillery and air defence systems.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken addresses students and professors at the Igor Sikorsky Polytechnic Institute in Kyiv, Ukraine (Brendan Smialowski/Pool via AP)

Moscows renewed offensive in Kharkiv is the most significant border incursion since the early days of the war  and comes after months when the roughly 1,000-kilometre (620-mile) front line barely budged.

More than 7,500 civilians have been evacuated from the area, according to authorities.

At the same time, the Kremlins forces are expanding their push to the northern border regions of Sumy and Chernihiv, Ukrainian officials say, and Kyivs outgunned and outnumbered soldiers are struggling to hold them back.

Troops fought street to street on the outskirts of Vovchansk, among the largest towns in the Kharkiv area, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said on national television.

Two civilians were killed in Russian shelling on Tuesday, he said.

The UN human rights office said the battles are taking a heavy toll.

We are deeply concerned at the plight of civilians in Ukraine, Liz Throssell, spokeswoman for the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in Geneva.

In the Kharkiv region, the situation is dire.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken visits the Barman Dictat bar in Kyiv (Brendan Smialowski/Pool photo via AP)

Russia has in recent weeks also launched wide attacks on Ukraines energy infrastructure.

The operator of the national high-voltage electricity grid, Ukrenergo, said late on Tuesday that it was starting controlled emergency shutdowns for industries and households because of a significant shortage of electricity in the system due to Russian shelling and an increase in consumption due to the cold weather.

Mr Zelensky thanked Mr Blinken for the US aid  but added that more is necessary, including two Patriot air defence systems urgently needed to protect Kharkiv.

The people are under attack: civilians, warriors, everybody. Theyre under Russian missiles, he said.

Artillery, air defence interceptors and long-range ballistic missiles have already been delivered, some of them already to the front lines, said a senior US official travelling with the secretary.

Ahead of the trip, US officials noted that since President Joe Biden signed the aid package late last month, the administration has already announced 1.4 billion dollars in short-term military assistance and six billion dollars in longer-term support.

Mr Blinken, on his fourth trip to Kyiv since Russian troops rolled over the border, told Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal that the US intends to support Kyiv beyond the wars end.

The United States is determined, determined to help Ukraine succeed, succeed both in the battlefield victory but also succeed, as we would say, in winning the peace and building the strongest possible Ukraine, Mr Blinken said.

Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky, fourth left, speaks during a meeting with US secretary of state Antony Blinken, third right, in Kyiv (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

But delays in US assistance, particularly since the Israel-Hamas war began and has preoccupied top administration officials, have triggered deep concerns in Kyiv and Europe.

Mr Blinken, for example, has visited the Middle East seven times since the war in Gaza began in October.

His last trip to Kyiv was in September.

Mr Blinken went with Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba for lunch at a Kyiv pizza restaurant founded by Ukrainian veterans, pronouncing it superb.

On Mr Blinkens last visit, the pair ate at a recently reopened McDonalds restaurant.
Michael Cohen leaves his apartment building on his way to Manhattan Criminal Court in New York (Seth Wenig/AP)

Michael Cohen has told Donald Trumps hush money trial that it was not until after a decade in the fold, after his family pleaded with him, after the FBI raided his office, apartment and hotel room, that he finally decided to turn on the former US president.

That decision led to a 2018 guilty plea to federal charges involving a payment to the adult film actor Stormy Daniels to bury her story of an alleged sexual encounter with Trump and to other, unrelated crimes.

And it is that insider knowledge of shady deals that pushed Manhattan prosecutors to make Mr Cohen the star witness in their case against Trump about that same payment, which they say was an illegal effort to influence the 2016 presidential election.

US speaker of the House Mike Johnson speaks at a press conference across the street from Manhattan Criminal Court in New York (Stefan Jeremiah/AP)

Under questioning this week, Mr Cohen has described the nuts-and-bolts of how the scheme worked.

To keep the loyalty and to do the things that he had asked me to do, I violated my moral compass, and I suffered the penalty, as has my family, Mr Cohen said on Tuesday.

There has been no witness box bombast or fireworks so far from Mr Cohen, a man who was defined for years by his braggadocio as Trumps problem-zapper.

Instead, his evidence about purposefully mislabelled cheques, false receipts and blind loyalty, however dry it was, placed Trump at the centre of the scheme and underscored the foundational argument of the case  that it is not about the spectacle of what Trump was paying for, but rather his alleged effort to illegally cover up those payments.

A shocking moment did come, but it was courtesy of House of Representatives speaker Mike Johnson, who appeared at the courthouse with Trump and who used his powerful bully pulpit to turn his political party against the rule of law by declaring the Manhattan criminal trial illegitimate.

He and other Republican legislators are serving as surrogates while Trump himself remains barred by a gag order in the case following an appeals court ruling on Tuesday.

I do have a lot of surrogates, and theyre speaking very beautifully, Trump said before court as the group gathered in the background.

And they come  from all over Washington. And theyre highly respected, and they think this is the greatest scam theyve ever seen.

Michael Cohen, right, leaves his apartment building in New York (Seth Wenig/AP)

The Republican presidential nominee has pleaded not guilty and denies that any of the encounters took place.

Mr Cohen has given evidence in detail about how the former president was linked to all aspects of the hush money scheme, and prosecutors believe Mr Cohens insider knowledge is critical to their case.

But their reliance on a witness with such a chequered past  he was disbarred, went to prison and separately pleaded guilty to lying about a Moscow real estate project on Trumps behalf  could backfire, especially as Trumps lawyers cross-examine him.

Defence lawyer Todd Blanche spent no time asking about the allegations at the centre of the trial.

He instead worked to portray Mr Cohen as a Trump-obsessed media hound, intimating that Mr Cohen leaked self-serving information about himself.

Amid rapid-fire objections from prosecutors, Mr Blanche probed Mr Cohens hyperfocus on Trump, quizzing him about various social media posts and comments he has made.

Mr Cohen was asked to listen through headphones to a snippet of his podcast, as was Trump while sitting at the defence table.

Mr Cohen was asked by Mr Blanche if he recalled an October 2020 podcast episode in which he said Trump needs to wear handcuffs and that people will not be satisfied until this man is sitting inside a cell.

Defence lawyer Todd Blanche cross-examines Michael Cohen in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York (Elizabeth Williams via AP)

The line of questioning was designed to persuade jurors that Mr Cohen was driven by personal animus to hold Trump accountable.

I wouldnt put it past me, Mr Cohen said.

Is it fair to say youre motivated by fame? Mr Blanche asked.

No sir, I dont think thats fair to say, Mr Cohen said.

Im motivated by many things.

Mr Cohen will be the prosecutions last witness.

Trumps defence will begin after Mr Cohen, though it is not clear whether his lawyers will call any witnesses or if Trump will give evidence in his own defence.

Jurors have already heard how Trump and others in his orbit were reeling after the leak just a few weeks before the 2016 election of an Access Hollywood tape in which he bragged about grabbing women by the genitals without their permission.

The publication of the tape hastened the payments to Ms Daniels, according to evidence.

Mr Cohen said that Trump was constantly apprised of the behind-the-scenes efforts to bury stories feared to be harmful to the campaign.

Donald Trump speaks before the start of proceedings in his trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York (Craig Ruttle, Pool/AP)

And after paying out 130,000 dollars (103,000) to Ms Daniels in order to keep her quiet about an alleged sexual encounter, Trump promised to reimburse him.

Jurors followed along as prosecutor Susan Hoffinger, in a methodical and clinical fashion, walked Mr Cohen through that reimbursement process.

It was an attempt to show what prosecutors say was a lengthy deception to mask the true purpose of the payments.

As jurors were shown business records and other paperwork, Mr Cohen explained their purpose and reiterated again and again that the payments were reimbursements for the hush money  they were not for legal services he provided or for a retainer.

It is an important distinction, because prosecutors allege that the Trump records falsely described the purpose of the payments as legal expenses.

These records form the basis of 34 felony counts charging Trump with falsifying business records.

All told, Mr Cohen was paid 420,000 dollars (333,000), with funds drawn from a Trump personal account.

Were the descriptions on this cheque stub false? Ms Hoffinger asked.

Stormy Daniels in Manhattan Criminal Court on May 7 in New York (Elizabeth Williams via AP)

Yes, Mr Cohen said.

And again, there was no retainer agreement, Ms Hoffinger asked.

Correct, Mr Cohen replied.

On Monday, Mr Cohen said: Everything required Mr Trumps sign-off.

He told jurors that Trump did not want Ms Daniels account of a sexual encounter to get out.

At the time, Trump was especially anxious about how the story would affect his standing with female voters, particularly after the Access Hollywood leak.

What I was doing, I was doing at the direction of and benefit of Mr Trump, Mr Cohen said.

But prosecutors also spent time on Tuesday working to blunt the potential credibility issues, painting Mr Cohen as a longtime Trump loyalist who committed crimes on behalf of the former president.

Former US president Donald Trump sits in the courtroom with lawyers Todd Blanche, left, and Emil Bove at Manhattan Criminal Court before his trial in New York (Michael M Santiago/Pool Photo via AP)

In the witness box, Mr Cohen described in detail the April 2018 raid that marked the beginning of the end of his time being devoted to Trump.

How to describe your life being turned upside-down. Concerned. Despondent. Angry, Mr Cohen told the jury.

Were you frightened? Ms Hoffinger asked.

Yes, maam, he said.

But he was heartened by a phone call from Trump that he said gave him reassurance and convinced him to remain in the camp.

Mr Cohen said: He said to me, Dont worry. Im the president of the United States. Theres nothing here. Everythings going to be OK. Stay tough. Youre going to be OK.

Mr Cohen told jurors that he felt reassured because I had the president of the United States protecting me  And so I remained in the camp.

It was his wife and family who finally made him see how sticking by Trump was detrimental, he said.

Assistant district attorney Susan Hoffinger questions Michael Cohen, right, as former president Donald Trump, far left, looks on in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York (Elizabeth Williams via AP)

What are you doing? Were supposed to be your first loyalty, Mr Cohen said.

It was about time to listen to them, he said.

The men were once so close that Mr Cohen boasted that he would take a bullet for Trump.

But as their relationship soured, Mr Cohen became one of Trumps most vocal critics.

The two have, over the years, traded vicious barbs.

During their last courtroom face-off in October during Trumps civil fraud trial, Trump walked out of the courtroom after his lawyer finished questioning Mr Cohen.

Throughout Mr Cohens evidence on Tuesday, Trump reclined in his chair with his eyes closed and his head tilted to the side.

He shifted from time to time, occasionally leaning forward and opening his eyes, making a comment to his lawyer before returning to his recline.

Even some of the topics that have animated him the most as he campaigns did not stir his attention.

Mr Cohen, do you have any regrets about your past work for Donald Trump? Ms Hoffinger asked.

I do, Mr Cohen said.

I regret doing things for him that I should not have. Lying. Bullying people to effectuate a goal. I dont regret working for the Trump Organisation. As I expressed before, I had some very interesting, great times.
A Houthi soldier stands on board of the Israeli Galaxy ship which was seized by the Houthis, in the port of Saleef, near Hodeidah, Yemen (Osamah Abdulrahman/AP)

The US has called on Iran to halt its transfer of an unprecedented amount of weaponry to Yemens Houthi rebels, enabling their fighters to carry out reckless attacks on ships in the Red Sea and elsewhere.

US deputy ambassador Robert Wood told the UN Security Council that if it wants to make progress toward ending the civil war in Yemen, it should collectively call Iran out for its destabilising role and insist that it cannot hide behind the Houthis.

He said there is extensive evidence that Iran is providing advanced weapons, including ballistic and cruise missiles, to the Houthis in violation of UN sanctions.

A Houthi soldier stands alert in front of the Israeli Galaxy ship which was seized by the Houthis, in the port of Saleef, near Hodeidah, Yemen (Osamah Abdulrahman/AP)

To underscore the councils concern regarding the ongoing violations of the arms embargo, we must do more to strengthen enforcement and deter sanctions violators, Mr Wood said.

The Houthis say their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden are aimed at pressuring Israel to end its war with Hamas in Gaza, which has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians there.

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, the US Maritime Administration said late last month.

Houthi attacks have dropped in recent weeks as the rebels have been targeted by a US-led airstrike campaign in Yemen.

Shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has declined because of the threat.

The Houthis say their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden are aimed at pressuring Israel to end its war with Hamas in Gaza (Leo Correa/AP)

Hans Grundberg, the UN special envoy for Yemen, warned the council that hostilities continue, even though there has been a reduction in attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, as well as a reduction in the number of US and British airstrikes on targets in Yemen.

He pointed to an announcement by the Houthis that they will expand the scope of attacks, calling this a worrisome provocation in an already volatile situation.

Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the council that the Israeli announcement on May 6 that it was starting its military operation in Gazas southern city of Rafah, where 1.2 million Palestinians had sought safety, ratcheted up the spiral of escalation in the region another notch further.

Theres no doubt that this will have an impact on the situation in Yemens surrounding waters, he said, noting the Houthis opposition to Israeli attacks that harm Palestinian civilians.

We call for a swift cessation of the shelling of commercial vessels and any other actions that hamper maritime navigation, Mr Nebenzia added.

He sharply criticised the US and its Western allies, saying their totally unjustified aggressive strikes in Yemen violate the UN Charter.

He said they further complicate an already complex situation in the Red Sea.

The war between the Houthis and pro-government forces in Yemen backed by a coalition of Gulf Arab states has raged since 2014.

The Houthis swept down from the mountains, seized much of northern Yemen and the countrys capital, Sanaa, and forced the internationally recognised government to flee into exile to Saudi Arabia.

Since then, more than 150,000 people have been killed by the violence and three million have been displaced.
photosince/Shutterstock.com

Being a billionaire is an impressive achievement. Creating an empire that brings in that amount of money is no easy feat and takes an incredible amount of determination, motivation and skill. What is even more impressive, though, are the billionaires who are also Christian.

In the Bible, Christians are told over and over again about how money is the root of all evil. It can bring about greed, wrath, and gluttony. Even small amounts of money can cause people to fall into the hole of sin. There are countless stories in the media about business people or celebrities who are prideful and stuck up due to their power and wealth, which completely goes against what God wants for each of us, and it makes these Christian billionaires much more inspiring. Learn who these people are, what they own, and how the Christian faith helps them deal with success.

Bill Gates

Bill Gates is one of the richest people on this earth, and he is incredibly generous with the money he earns. His organization, The Gates Foundation, is dedicated to eradicating diseases and helping the worlds most poor, and hes committed to giving away almost his entire fortune. Part of the reason he donates so much is based on his religious principles. He said in an interview with Rolling Stone: The moral systems of religion, I think, are super important. Weve raised our kids in a religious way; theyve gone to the Catholic church that Melinda goes to and I participate in. Ive been very lucky, and therefore, I owe it to try and reduce the inequity in the world. And thats kind of a religious belief. I mean, its at least a moral belief.

Do Won Chang and Jin Sook

You might not know Do Won Chang or his wife Jin Sooks name, but you know their brand. The Changs used to own Forever 21, one of the largest retail chains for young girls. The two are born-again Christians who go to church at 5 am every morning to pray. Sook was once quoted as saying that when the family first immigrated to America, she went to the top of a mountain to pray, and God told her to open a store. Mr. Chang is famous for keeping a Bible open on his desk, and at the bottom of every Forever 21 carrier bag, it read John 3:16.

The Walton Family

The Walton Family is best known for their Walmart and Sams Club stores, but they also have spoken out about their Christian faith. The late Sam Walton had a deep Presbyterian faith that he used as a basis for all his business decisions. Walmart has long made efforts to reach out to the religious community, including hiring a former nun to govern company policies or inviting church officials to its corporate headquarters to help combat negative publicity. Bethany Moreton, assistant professor of history and womens studies at the University of Georgia, said Walton worked into the companys corporate structure the idea of service leadership that ties worker roles into the concept that Christ was a servant leader and emphasizes the importance in the Christian tradition of serving others.

David Green

David Green is the former owner of the famous arts and crafts store Hobby Lobby. However, he insists that hes not the true owner of his billion dollar chain, but rather God is. If you have anything or if I have anything, its because its been given to us by our Creator, says Green. So I have learned to say, Look, this is yours, God. Its all yours. Im going to give it to you." Green gives back so much of his fortune that he is the largest individual donor to evangelical causes in America. When asked how he keeps his work and business separate, he said he doesn't: "You can't have a belief system on Sunday and not live it the other six days." In 2022, Green gave up ownership of Hobby Lobby for God, but keeps his standing as a billionaire.

The Cathy Family

The Cathy family is best known for being the proprietors of Chick-fil-A, but the company has deep origins in Christianity. Many of their values are influenced by the religious beliefs of the late founder, S. Truett Cathy, an earnest Southern Baptist. In an acknowledgment of Sunday Sabbatarianism, all Chick-fil-A restaurants are closed on Sundays, Christmas Day, and Thanksgiving. During Lent, Chick-fil-A promotes fish sandwiches as a nod to Christians abstaining from meat during Lent. The companys conservative disagreement with same-sex marriage has caused controversy, although the company loosened its stance in 2019. Despite the controversies, in 2022, the American Customer Satisfaction Index found that the restaurant remains the countrys favorite fast food chain for the eighth consecutive year. It also has the highest per-store sales of any fast-food chain in the U.S.

In 1 Timothy 6:10, we read that the love of money is the root of all evil. Some may assume that billionaires dont care about money, but these billionaires have proved that thats not the case. Despite sitting on mountains of money, these celebrities and business people are sharing their love of God with the world.

They are giving back to their communities in huge ways through their larger-than-life donations. It shows how God can work through people to help those most in need. These billionaires can be of great inspiration everywhere and are examples of how God wants us to use the money He blesses us with.

Megan Bailey is a content producer and digital marketing specialist specializing in social media marketing. She attended James Madison University where she received a degree in psychology.
Police and military forces, as well as corporate interests, are already significant threats to journalists, according to media rights groups.

President Joko Jokowi Widodo interacts with the media crew ahead of the G20 Leadership Summit in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, Nov. 14, 2022.

Journalists and media experts warn that a draft bill on broadcasting under discussion in the Indonesian parliament could stifle press freedom and censor critical reporting.

In a country where a free press remains under threat despite improvements since 1998 when authoritarian rule ended, the provisions of the draft broadcast bill restrict content on a wide swath of subjects and smother free speech further, critics say.

And a new government from October headed by Prabowo Subianto, a former general who used to support authoritarian rule, does not inspire confidence about the future for independent media among civil rights and media freedom activists.

The draft bill, intended to replace a law from 2002, proposes restricting content related to exclusive investigative journalism, alcohol, the portrayal of professions or figures with negative lifestyles, and homosexual and transgender behaviors.

This would be in line with so-called broadcast content standards that the Indonesian Broadcasting Commissions (KPI) would establish, according to a copy of the draft bill obtained by BenarNews.

Investigative journalism is the crown jewel of journalism, said Yadi Hendriana, chairman of the complaints and ethics enforcement commission at the Press Council.

Investigative work provides the color and spirit of journalism because it uncovers new facts through field research. If that is prohibited, it undermines the essence of the press, he told BenarNews. Besides, the bill does not define the term exclusive investigative journalism.

Bayu Wardhana, secretary general of Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), meanwhile, said the bill also violates human rights. He severely criticized a clause that requires broadcasters to conform to traditional sexual orientations.

This bill is fraught with issues; it presents problems for journalism, human rights, and media independence, he told BenarNews.

For instance, the bill mandates that the KPI seek approval from parliament when formulating broadcasting guidelines, a move Bayu believes undermines the bodys independence.

The KPI is an independent entity and should not be obligated to consult with the House of Representatives, he said.

The bills drafting process was not transparent and did not involve media organizations, Bayu said.

Already, despite recent amendments to an electronic information law, troublesome provisions on defamation could be used to stifle dissent and critical media reportage, media observers said.

Ally in the pursuit of justice

For any violations of the proposed provisions, the bill prescribes a range of punitive measures including a reduction in the duration of broadcasts, and in some cases, a complete halt to transmissions. There could also be financial sanctions and the possibility of withdrawing broadcasting licenses for more severe violations.

Some lawmakers maintain that the proposed broadcasting law is not intended to curb press freedom.

Tubagus Hasanuddin, an MP, expressed concerns over the influence of investigative journalism, especially its ability to shape public opinion and potentially disrupt the legal processes of active law enforcement investigations.

Journalistic activities must not intrude on matters under investigation. The particulars of police inquiries are confidential, he told BenarNews.

News arising from anonymous sources might jeopardize current investigations. This is unfavorable. So, it is essential for the KPI to implement strict rules to oversee and regulate this matter, he added.

Some government quarters, though, have questioned the proposed restrictions on investigative journalism.

Budi Arie Setiadi, the countrys communication and information technology minister, said journalism needed to evolve.

Journalism must be investigative. How can it be banned? the state-run Antara news agency quoted him as saying on Tuesday.

Ketut Sumedana, spokesman for the attorney generals office, said investigative journalism was a valuable ally in the pursuit of justice. This could be in reporting about cases of cracking down on high-level corruption to state complicity in human rights violations.

Indonesia doesnt fare well in the international markers in these areas.

The 2023 report from press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranks Indonesia 108 out of 180 countries, citing government crackdowns on critics and violence against journalists. The country ranks 115th out of 180 nations in the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index compiled by Transparency International.

We collaborate with the media to supervise the development of government projects and the enforcement of laws, Sumedana told BenarNews.

The role of investigative journalism is crucial for us, aiding everything from the initial revelation of cases to the collection of evidence and the recovery of assets.
Treasury officials from Washington visited Malaysia last week to discus their worries that the Palestinian group was fundraising there.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (left) is seen with Ismail Haniyeh, leader of the Palestinian group Hamas, in a photo posted by the PM on his Facebook account, on May 14, 2024, to which the accompanying post said they met in Qatar.

Malaysian leader Anwar Ibrahim made clear on Tuesday he wont be dictated to, by meeting with top Hamas leaders in Qatar, days after American officials visited Malaysia to discuss concerns about the Palestinian group raising funds there.

The prime ministers meeting underscored that his governments foreign policy priorities would not change despite high-profile visits to Malaysia by Western officials and allies of Israel who have said they want to cut off the source of cash for the Tehran-backed militant group, regional analysts said.

You dont tell me who I should meet, or who I should not, Anwar said, when asked at a Q&A session held by Bloomberg News whether the meeting would upset Washington, coming as it did soon after the U.S. Treasury sent officials to Malaysia to discuss alleged terror funding from there.

Like Malaysia, Muslim-majority neighbor Indonesia similarly continues to support the Palestinian cause, with observers noting that Washingtons diplomatic efforts in the Asia-Pacific region may have taken a hit because the United States remains a staunch supporter of Israel  especially in the latest conflict with Hamas in Gaza.

Anwar met the Palestinian groups top leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Qatar while on three-day state visit, the PM said Tuesday on Facebook, adding at a forum that Washington had no proof that Iran was using Malaysian waters to sell its oil  which the U.S. has imposed sanctions on  to raise funds for Hamas.

Why did I meet with Ismail Haniyeh and [former head of Hamas] Khaled Mashal  [It] is to understand from them the latest developments [on Gaza]  [to] express my sympathy, particularly on the assassination of the children and ask their point of view on whats happening, Anwar said Tuesday at the Qatar Economic Forum, referring to the thousands of Palestinian children killed in Israeli strikes.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim speaks at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha, May 14, 2024. [Karim Jaafar/AFP]

Malaysia has consistently advocated for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, and Anwar has denounced Israel for its air and ground assaults that have killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza, following Hamas Oct. 7 attacks that killed around 1,100 in the Jewish state.

Since Oct. 7, Anwar has also consistently rebuffed U.S. pressure to label Hamas a terrorist group, saying his government would not be coerced.

His home minister last week similarly but nicely conveyed to visiting U.S. Treasury officials that Malaysia would not kowtow to other nations sanctions on Iran or anyone else.

Brian Nelson, the U.S. Treasurys undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, told a Malaysian news source, Malaysiakini, last week that there had been an increase in funds flowing to Iran and its so-called proxies  including Hamas  via the Malaysian financial system. He said the U.S. was trying to prevent Malaysia from becoming an area where Hamas could raise and transfer funds.

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.

Nelson told Malaysiakini 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 told the local news outlet.

In Qatar, Anwar said the U.S. made these claims without proof.

Not one shred of evidence they have adduced, he said at the Q&A session.

He said the U.S. had every right to demand or request an explanation, and that Malaysia-U.S. ties remained strong.

We do differ with some of their policies, the contradictions, the hypocrisy, but overall they are still friends, he said, referring to Washington.

Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (second from left) speaks with Brian Nelson (right), the U.S. Treasury Departments under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, before their official meeting in Putrajaya, May 9, 2024. [Via Facebook/Saifuddin Nasution Ismail]

Regional political analysts, meanwhile, said Anwars meeting with Hamas leaders was meant to reassure Malaysias commitment to peace in the Palestinian territories.

Malaysia is just consistent with the standing it has long had over Palestine  supporting the two-state solution, sending humanitarian aid and trying to play a mediating role. Its not spontaneous, its been there for decades, Julia Roknifard, of the School of Politics, History and International Relations at the University of Nottingham, told BenarNews.

So instead of seeing it as deliberately provocative, Id rather look at it as consistency in Malaysias foreign standing.

Additionally, Malaysia prioritizes safeguarding its national interest and remains firm in its foreign policy while resisting U.S. pressure, said Tunku Mohar Mokhtar, an assistant professor at the International Islamic University Malaysia.

Malaysia does not allow itself to be bullied by the U.S. In the meantime, it also understands the importance of having strong and friendly relations with the U.S., he told BenarNews.

I think Malaysia can offer support to the U.S. leadership role in Southeast Asia and the larger Asia Pacific, and this is of value to the U.S.
French plans to enlarge New Caledonias electoral roll could further marginalize the territorys independence movement.

Protesters take part in a gathering organised by the pro-independence coalition of the Cellule de Coordination de Terrain (CCAT) outside the Noumea courthouse in support of 14 activists on trial for obstructing traffic and damaging property, on May 13, 2024.

French authorities imposed a curfew on New Caledonias capital Noumea and banned public gatherings after supporters of the Pacific islands independence movement blocked roads, set fire to buildings and clashed with security forces.

Tensions in New Caledonia have been inflamed by the French governments plans to give the vote to tens of thousands of French immigrants to the Melanesian island chain. The enfranchisement would create a significant obstacle to the autonomy aspirations of the indigenous Kanak people.

Very intense public order disturbances took place last night in Noumea and in neighboring towns, and are still ongoing at this time, Frances high commissioner to New Caledonia, Louis Le Franc, said in a statement Tuesday.

Some 36 people were arrested and numerous police were injured, the statement said.

Frances control of New Caledonia and its surrounding islands gives the European nation a security and diplomatic role in the Pacific at a time when the U.S., Australia and other Western countries are pushing back against Chinas inroads in the region.

Kanaks make up about 40% of New Caledonias 270,000 people but are marginalized in their own landthey have lower incomes and poorer health than Europeans who make up a third of the population and predominate positions of power in the territory.

Video and photos posted online showed buildings set ablaze, burned-out vehicles at luxury car dealerships and security forces using tear gas to confront groups of protesters waving Kanaky flags and throwing petrol bombs at city intersections in the worst rioting in decades.

Burnt cars at a Renault showroom in Noumea, New Caledonia on the morning of May 14, 2024, after overnight riots. [Theo Rouby/AFP]





A dusk-to-dawn curfew will be imposed on Tuesday and can be renewed as long as necessary, the high commissioners statement said. Public gatherings in greater Noumea are banned and the sale of alcohol and carrying or transport of weapons is prohibited throughout New Caledonia.

The violence erupted as the lower house of Frances parliament debated a constitutional amendment to unfreeze the electoral roll, which would enfranchise relative newcomers to New Caledonia. It is scheduled to vote on the measure on Tuesday afternoon in Paris. Frances Senate approved the amendment in April.

New Caledonias Congress, where pro-independence groups have a majority, on Monday passed a resolution that called for France to withdraw the amendment.

It said political consensus has historically served as a bulwark against intercommunity tensions and violence in New Caledonia.

Any unilateral decision taken without prior consultation of New Caledonian political leaders could compromise the stability of New Caledonia, the resolution said.

Makeshift barricades block a road in New Caledonias capital Noumea on May 14, 2024. Independence supporters are protesting a vote in Frances parliament to enlarge the French territorys voting roll. [Theo Rouby/AFP]





Frances Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told his countrys legislature that some 42,000 people  about one in five possible voters in New Caledonia  are denied the right to vote under the 1998 Noumea Accord between France and the independence movement that froze the electoral roll.

Democracy means voting, he said.

New Caledonias pro-independence governmentthe first in its history could lose power in elections due in December if the electoral roll is enlarged.

New Caledonia voted by modest majorities to remain part of France in referendums held in 2018 and 2020 under a U.N.-mandated decolonization process. Three votes were part of the Noumea Accord to increase Kanaks political power following deadly violence in the 1980s.

A contentious final referendum in 2022 was overwhelmingly in favor of continuing with the status quo. However supporters of independence have rejected its legitimacy due to very low turnout  it was boycotted by the independence movementand because it was held during a serious phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, which restricted campaigning.

Representatives of the FLNKS (Front de Liberation Nationale Kanak et Socialist) independence movement did not respond to interview requests.

When theres no hope in front of us, we will fight, we will struggle. Well make sure you understand what we are talking about, Patricia Goa, a New Caledonian politician, said in an interview last month with Australian public broadcaster ABC.

Things can go wrong and our past shows that, she said.

Confrontations between protestors and security forces are continuing in Noumea.

Darmanin has ordered reinforcements be sent to New Caledonia including hundreds of police, urban violence special forces and elite tactical units.
The new cooperation between Manila, Washington came amid heightened South China Sea tensions.

China Coast Guard ships deploy water cannons at the Philippine military chartered Unaizah May 4 boat during its supply mission to Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, March 5, 2024.

The United States and the Philippines agreed to boost cooperation on space technology to track ships within Manilas territorial waters and exclusive economic zone (EEZ), officials from both nations said in a statement released Tuesday.

The announcement came amid heightened tensions over the South China Sea.

The U.S.-Philippines Space Dialogue is a platform designed to strengthen cooperation and advance bilateral exchanges in civil space matters including the use of space for maritime domain awareness and space situational awareness, the two countries said in the statement released two weeks after their meeting in Washington.

Officials discussed a range of programs that use satellites to better forecast weather patterns; support agricultural and infrastructure planning; help monitor and combat climate change and pollution; prepare for and respond to disasters; improve natural resource use; and provide vital telecommunications services, it said.

The Bilateral Space Dialogue program will be useful in monitoring and documenting vessels in the Philippines territorial waters and [EEZ], ensure the safety of mariners at sea, monitor and help protect the environment, [as well] help combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, the statement said.

Officials did not explain why the announcement came weeks after what has been called the first bilateral Space Dialogue on May 2. Rahima Kandahari, deputy assistant secretary, State Department Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, led the U.S. delegation while Gay Jane Perez, deputy director general for space science and technology of PhilSA, led the Philippine team.

The new agreement came out just after Manila accused Beijing of building an artificial island in the disputed Sabina Shoal, known as Escoda Shoal in the Philippines. China denied the allegation, calling it irresponsible and an attempt to mislead the international community.

Sabina Shoal, a low-tide elevation in the Spratly islands, is within the Philippines EEZ but is also claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam.

This is Ours!

The announcement came on the eve of a Wednesday voyage by a civilian coalition, Atin Ito! (This Is Ours!), to Scarborough Shoal, known as Bajo de Masinloc in the Philippines.

Atin Ito! is leading a convoy of boats to deliver supplies to Filipino fishermen at the shoal, located 125 nautical miles (232 km) from the west coast of Luzon, the Philippines largest island.

Scarborough Shoal has effectively been under Chinas control since 2012, despite a 2016 international arbitration ruling dismissing Beijings sweeping claims to most of the South China Sea.

Amid fears that a large Chinese flotilla could block or harass the convoy, Philippine security officials on Tuesday said they would closely monitor the trip.

The Philippine Coast Guard was in close contact with organizers to ensure their safety, said Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, Manilas name for South China Sea waters within its EEZ.

Fishermen arrive at dawn in the bay of Masinloc in Zambales province in the northern Philippines fronting the South China Sea, Feb. 27, 2024. [Jason Gutierrez/BenarNews]





Trinidad said the Philippine Navy would also be following the convoy, but he did not provide details.

He commended Atin Ito! for organizing such a mission, which is expected to include up to five large fishing boats and 100 smaller boats.

This is civil society showing that they understand the issue. It is not only a government approach but a whole-of-nation approach. China should respect civil society in exercising Philippine rights, Trinidad said.

Earlier, maritime analyst and retired U.S. Col. Ray Powell said China was sending a huge force to block the sea convoy.

At least four China Coast Guard ships and 26 large Chinese maritime militia vessels have been tapped for the blockade, said Powell, founder and director of SeaLight, a maritime transparency project of the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation at Stanford University.

That number, Powell said, did not include dark vessels  ships that have turned off their tracking systems.

Jeoffrey Maitem in Manila, and Jojo Rinoza in Masinloc, Philippines, contributed to this report.








William Bill Lawson arrived in Houston at the dawn of the civil rights era, planning to teach at Texas Southern University and to raise a family.

By the time he died at 95 Tuesday morning, he was the Rev. William A. Lawson, the founding pastor of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, a strong voice for equality and a towering figure in Houstons past and present.

Lawson played a role in the citys desegregation in the 1960s, and he remained active for decades as an advocate for African Americans, for women, for the poor and for any population that needed a voice. Along the way, he became a spiritual leader and guided Houstons faith community to do more for and with the city.

Worshipping God is not complete unless you help your neighbor, Lawson said in 2011. That theology drew me long before I knew of civil rights.

06/21/1965 - Rev. William Lawson, pastor of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, tells demonstrators they have waited long enough for school desegregation. Richard Pipes/Houston Chronicle

Preacher, teacher, leader

Lawson never planned to be a pastor. He studied graphic design and art and once dreamed of becoming a cartoonist. But the ministry called to him, and it became his life story.

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A native of St. Louis, Mo., Lawson grew up in Kansas City, Kan., and earned a bachelors degree in 1950 from Tennessee A&I State College (now Tennessee State University). When he returned to St. Louis and enrolled at Central Baptist Theological Seminary, he found his calling  and met his late wife, Audrey Hoffman Lawson.

They married in 1954 and, over the next several years, had four children.

Rev. William A. Lawson and wife Audrey Lawson are photographed in one of the exhibits at The Gregory Library which they have given 600 of their 1950's love letters on Friday, May 13, 2011, in Houston. Mayra Beltran/Houston Chronicle

In 1955  the year Emmett Till was lynched in Mississippi and the year Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Ala., city bus  Lawson moved south. He came to Houston to teach and serve as chaplain at the Baptist Student Union at Texas Southern University.

Houston is where Lawson became involved in the struggle for civil rights. In 1960, when a group of TSU students staged a sit-in at a lunch counter to protest segregation, they turned to him for advice.

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I said to them, Are you serious? he told the Chronicle in 2016. "Your parents, grandparents worked their tails off to get you into school, and thats the last thing you ought to want to be involved in. You dont want to get a chance to be arrested and have a jail record.

But the students did it anyway  and when they were arrested, Lawson and his wife helped raise money to bail them out of jail.

Houston Mayor John Whitmire leads a moment of silence in honor of Rev. William Bill Lawson who died, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Houston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer 05/10/1965 - Rev. William Lawson, Wheeler St. Baptist Church and spokesman for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), at press conference at the South Central YMCA on Wheeler. The SCLC met with the media to express their views on the boycott and march on the Houston school board regarding integration. Richard Pipes/Houston Chronicle Rev. Bill A. Lawson stands beside Martin Luther King Jr. Courtesy Photo Courtesy photo (For the Chronicle/Gary Fountain June 14, 2014) Audrey and Rev. William Lawson, from left, with their daughter, honoree Melanie Lawson at the Jade Award luncheon. Gary Fountain/For the Chronicle 11/20/1986 - Rev. Bill Lawson addresses a crowd of 200 people at a candlelight rally on the steps of Texas Southern University's Hannah Hall. The group gathered to protest the proposed merger of TSU and University of Houston-Downtown. Steve Ueckert/Houston Chronicle Reverend Jesse Jackson leaving Mickey Leland funeral at St. Anne's Catholic Church flanked by, from left, City Councilman Ben Reyes, the Reverend Kirbyjon Caldwell and the Reverend William Lawson. E. Joseph Deering/Houston Chronicle Rev. William Lawson comments on the death of former Enron chairman Ken Lay. Lay died this morning in Aspen, CO, of an apparent heart attack. Photo by Carlos Antonio Rios Houston Chronicle Carlos Antonio Rios/Houston Chronicle The Rev. William Lawson leaves following the dedication of The Sacred Struggles / Vibrant Justice Mural along the Columbia Tap trail behind the Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ, Monday, Nov. 5, 2018 in Houston. The mural pays tribute to eight of Houston's African American civil rights leaders. Mark Mulligan/Staff photographer

Lawson and his family lived on the TSU campus, and in 1962 a few other young families approached him about starting a church, he recalled in a 2008 interview. Lawson didnt see himself as a pastor, but he agreed to open a church in his own familys living room for those friends.

Lawson told the 13 members he would serve as their pastor until he could find a young seminary graduate to take over. But, as he recalled in 2008, that never happened. After three years, Lawson left his job at the university and began to lead Wheeler Avenue full-time.

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Its beginnings may have been small and uncertain, but the church, steeped in the Civil Rights Movement, has become a Third Ward and Houston institution and now has more than 14,000 members.

05/31/1984 - Rev. Bill Lawson, pastor of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, stands in front of the new facility under construction. Ben DeSoto/Houston Chronicle

Charlotte Bryant was one of those initial 13 members.

It was really God, I think, that brought us together, said Bryant, who is now executive director of the Blue Triangle Community Center in Third Ward.

She and her husband and the other young parents quickly became a tight-knit church community. Their children played together after the services. It was so much fun in those days, Bryant said. If you missed a Sunday, wed go to visit you Sunday evening to see what your problem was.

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The families wanted someone who would really teach them, she said, not just preach at them  and Bill Lawson was just what we needed. He could always provide context and background for the Scripture he taught, Bryant said, and we wanted to learn.

Early on, Lawson made room for women in leadership roles, said Algenita Davis, a longtime member who became a founding director of the non-profit William A. Lawson Institute for Peace and Prosperity in 1996. Lawson was ahead of his time, she said, especially for a Baptist pastor.

He had women on the trustee board, he made women deacons, Davis said. And he forged that way for women because he believed in equality.

8/29/04-Rev Bill Lawson speaks from the pulpit during services at Wheeler Ave. Baptist Church, Sunday. Rev. Lawson conducted his last day of church services Sunday 8/29/04, before retiring from being the pastor of Wheeler Ave. Baptist Church. Photo by Steve Campbell Steve Campbell/Houston Chronicle

Civil Rights era

Lawson worked for racial equality as well. In the early days of Wheeler Avenue Baptist, Lawson befriended Martin Luther King Jr. and chartered the Houston chapter of Kings Southern Christian Leadership Conference  a chapter he led for more than 30 years.

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By 1963, J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI had labeled King a Communist and other black churches in Houston refused to host him  but Lawson invited King to speak at his church.

Like King, Lawson believed that churches had a responsibility to play a role in the community and in society.

06/13/1966 - (far left) Rev. William Lawson, pastor of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, and Judson Robinson Jr. are among the 100 citizens marching on the HISD school administration building. The board meeting was canceled. Darrell Davidson/Houston Chronicle

While other cities segregated with violence and destruction, Houston business leaders came up with a plan to avoid that. Black leaders and white business owners met secretly at the Rice Hotel and cut deals to make segregation disappear with little fanfare and little violence. Lawson was there  even though he had to get to those meetings through the hotels back door and freight elevator. The whites only and colored signs simply disappeared from Houstons stores and water fountains overnight.

He, I think, did more than anyone, probably, to keep Houston calm during the civil rights era, said Lawson's good friend Joseph Fiorenza, a former Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of Galveston-Houston, in an interview with the Chronicle several years before his death.

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When other cities were being bombed and burned down, Fiorenza said, Lawsons leadership helped bring people in Houston together.

Leaders of the Black boycott and march on the school board gave their views at a conference in the South Central YMCA on Wheeler, May 10, 1965. They are, left to right, John Gibson, a field worker for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference; the Rev. Edward Bell, a leader of the Congress of Racial Equality; the Rev. William Lawson, spokesman for the group; the Rev. Thomas Griffin of the University Church, and Francis Williams, a leader of the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People and the Harris County Council of Organizations. Richard Pipes/Houston Chronicle

Lawson was able to quietly talk to the business communities, to say, This is not good for Houston, Fiorenza said. And we were able to do a lot of things to quietly integrate the public facilities here.

Lawson spoke about the citys desegregation in 2008 in an interview for the Houston Oral History Project.

The quiet desegregation of Houston met more my style than the picketing or protesting  that was not my style, he said.

Catholic Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Fiorenza, Rabbi Samuel Karff and Baptist Reverend William Lawson are leaders who have quietly guided Houston's conscience for decades and now are unveiling their newest project at United Way on Monday, Sept. 16, 2013, in Houston. Mayra Beltran/Houston Chronicle

Collaboration and activism

For decades, Lawson was part of a trio of faith leaders who became friends and worked together on projects to improve the community. His friendship with Fiorenza, the former archbishop, and Samuel Karff, rabbi emeritus of Houstons Congregation Beth Israel, blended collaboration with activism.

In an interview a few years before he died in 2020, Karff said it "turned out to be the best kind of interfaith relationship."

They fought for racial equality and worked with the Anti-Defamation League to combat antisemitism. In the 1980s, they saw an increasing homeless population in Houston and led the effort to found a United Way Homeless Initiative, helping get people off the streets and into housing.

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, from left, Rev. William Lawson, Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza, Rabbi Samuel Karff and Brigitte Kalai greet each other at Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston. They were there for the announcement of $1 million gift from Brigitte and Bashar Kalai for a plaza of respect honoring the friendship of the Catholic, Baptist and Jewish faith leaders who collaborated for social justice in Houston. Gary Fountain/For the Chronicle/Gary Fountain

One of Karffs fondest memories of their friendship was from 2010, when the three worked together to push for a public defender office to be created in Harris County.

Karff said Lawson called him and said, Sam, I know youre retired  but I need you. He explained that Harris County was the nations only metro area without a public defender to ensure poor residents got fair representation in court.

I said, Well, obviously thats an injustice, and youve got me in  now give me my marching orders, Karff recalled.

The rabbi, the archbishop and the Baptist preacher, along with a diverse group of local faith leaders, scheduled a meeting with County Judge Ed Emmett, who agreed to find money in the budget for a public defender.

We look to Bill as our leader in a sense, in a lot of these projects, Fiorenza said. We want to be sure Bill Lawson is involved in it. If hes involved in it, we should be too.

But Lawson was a funny, generous friend as well, Karff said. A few decades ago, when his home in Meyerland burned to the ground, Lawson offered to replace the rabbis book collection. Karff, who was living with his wife in a temporary apartment, didnt have anywhere to store a new book collection, so he put Lawson off.

A few months later, Karff received a surprise delivery from Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church. A basket of kosher Passover goodies included a kind and eloquent note from Lawson, Karff said. But he laughed when he recalled how Lawson ended it: This note is being sent to you from an angry black pastor who is still waiting to hear from you about your books.

08/18/1989 - "There are young people here; there are old people; people of all ethnic extractions," Rev. Bill Lawson told Leland friends in a side room before memorial ceremonies for Mickey Leland at the Health and Physical Education building of Texas Southern University. "We are all here for one purpose, to praise God for the life of Mickey Leland." John Davenport/Houston Chronicle

The quiet storm

Lawsons way of expressing himself was always full of humor and a calm that put others at ease, Bryant said. Weve always teased him about being a peaceful person, she said. We called him a quiet storm.

But even so, he knew how to get things done, said Davis, the early church member  and he taught others how to work together.

He was instrumental in getting many of our local religious institutions to commit to community development, she said, harnessing the members energy to do something for the neighborhood or the city.

Rev. Bill Lawson at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church Jan. 4, 2012 in Houston. Eric Kayne/For the Chronicle

The William A. Lawson Institute for Peace and Prosperity  called WALIPP for short  was named for Lawson when it opened in 1996. The institute is an advocacy agency that has created two single-sex middle schools and a Third Ward independent living facility for seniors. The WALIPP Preparatory Academy for boys was the first charter school in Houston ISD.

WALIPP came about when Lawsons friends and associates were struggling to find a gift to celebrate his 50 years in the ministry, Davis said.

When you give him stuff, he gives it back, or he gives it away, she said, laughing, but they knew Lawson wouldnt reject an organization that could do good in his community.

Reverend William Lawson gives the keynote speech at the Future of Leadership Luncheon at the Hilton Americas Hotel. Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle

U.S. Rep. Al Green was at the airport Tuesday morning when he learned Lawson had died.

Instead of flying to Washington, D.C., Green elected to stay in Houston and be with the Lawson family.

"He was like a father. He was a mentor. He was someone who was always there to give guidance," Green said.

Lawson could bring morality to issues when others weren't able to, Green said, and those moral standards helped make him a peacemaker when people were divided.

Green asked himself many times, "What would Lawson do?" or "Where would he stand on this issue?" The side Lawson was on was not only the right side but also the righteous side, Green said.

"You felt pretty safe if you were on the side with Rev. Lawson there," Green said.

Lawson retired from the pulpit in 2004, but he remained active in Houston and in the church until the end. Even so, the city began celebrating Lawsons legacy even before his death.

In 2018, he was featured on a Houston Metro bus. He is also depicted in the 2018 Sacred Struggles/Vibrant Justice mural along the back of Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ in Third Ward, a work that depicts the leaders who fought for civil rights in Houston.

And Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston's Plaza of Respect honors the friendship and cooperation of Karff, Fiorenza and Lawson.

Its been a joy to have known him in my life, Bryant said, not only as a spiritual leader, but as a friend, a comrade and an adviser.

Lawsons vision and his engaging manner have achieved major positive change in the city he called home for more than six decades, Fiorenza said. Hes just been a great treasure to Houston.

The Rev. Lawson's body will lie in state from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 23 at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, 3826 Wheeler Ave., Houston,

A Community Service of Celebration will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday and the Congregational Service of Celebration will be held at 11 a.m. on May 24. Both services will be held at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, 3826 Wheeler Avenue, Houston, TX 77004.

This story was researched and written by former Chronicle staff writer Alyson Ward. Shakari Briggs and Peter Warren contributed to this report.
Netiporn Sanesangkhom had been detained on charges linked to lese-majeste, the strict anti-royal defamation law.

A political activist holds a portrait of Netiporn Sanesangkhom in front of the Criminal Court building in Bangkok as he and others mourn her death, May 14, 2024.

Human rights advocates and lawyers are demanding the Thai justice system be reformed after a jailed 28-year-old activist who was on a hunger strike while in custody died of apparent heart failure Tuesday.

Netiporn Bung Sanesangkhom, a member of the Thaluwang activism group, who died at the Medical Correctional Hospital, had been denied bail after being charged under Thailands strict royal defamation law, lese-majeste (also known as Article 112).

She is the first activist to die following a hunger strike while incarcerated, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR).

The Thaluwang groups members are young political activists whose agenda is to challenge the power of the monarchy and campaign for reforms to that institution.

Bung was prosecuted under Article 112 for exercising freedom of political movement, which should be allowed in a democratic country. Instead, she was prosecuted and denied bail, even though in Bungs conscience, her actions did not constitute any violation, Pornpen Khongkachonkiet, director of the Cross-Cultural Foundation, a Thai NGO, told BenarNews.

This injustice stems from societal biases that allow judges to detain him without any self-monitoring process, resulting in judicial insensitivity.

Bung died at 11:22 a.m. on Tuesday at Thammasat University Hospital after being transferred from the Medical Correctional Hospital, where she was found unconscious and without vital signs at 6:23 a.m., corrections officials said.

When the system fails to recognize its own flaws, there is no improvement. Bung used her own body to demand change in this problematic system. What the state should do is grant bail rights to activists and release them unconditionally because there is already an example of someone dying for pushing for change. Society should not allow a second, third or fourth person to die, Pornpen said.

Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong promised that Bungs death would be fully investigated.

The principle is that an autopsy must be conducted by a forensic doctor, along with the investigating officer, public prosecutor, administration and relevant parties, to be completed within seven days. As the government and the minister, we are saddened and want the verification process to be straightforward to provide peace of mind to all parties, Tawee said.

Activist Netiporn Sanesangkhom (center) poses with members of the Bad Student group during a protest in Bangkok calling for the Thai monarchy to be reformed, Sept. 19, 2020. [Panu Wongcha-um/Reuters]

The activist was charged under Article 112 of Thailands criminal code for conducting a survey at a Bangkok shopping mall in February 2022 about whether royal motorcades were disruptive to the lives of people in the often traffic-choked Thai capital.

Bung was arrested on Jan. 26 after the Criminal Court revoked bail, citing a violation of conditions for protesting in front of the Ministry of Culture on Aug. 6, 2023. During that protest demonstrators called for a Thai senator, Naowarat Pongpaiboon, to be stripped of his honorary title of national artist for abstaining from a parliamentary vote that ended up blocking opposition leader Pita Limjaroenrats path to power as prime minister.

Bung went on a hunger strike shortly after being taken into custody.

Our lawyers visited her every day  she was swollen, had stomach pain and said she was sick. The doctor said these were symptoms of someone who had been fasting and was recovering. Bungs family pleaded with her to eat, but she couldnt because she had been fasting for three to four months and her body was weak, said Kritsadang Nutcharas, a lawyer with TLHR.

In fact, she still stood firm that what she did and said was what she deemed appropriate to call for justice system reform and the amendment or abolition of Article 112. She still believed that, Kritsadang told reporters, adding she repeatedly insisted that Bung be sent for treatment.

Bung maintained her hunger strike after the Southern Bangkok Criminal Court denied TLHRs request for bail, Kritsadang said.

Nearly 2,000 prosecuted

The lawyers group reported that since the Free Youth protests began on July 18, 2020  at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand  at least 1,954 people had been prosecuted in 1,295 cases related to the demonstrations and the expression of political opinions.

Among these, at least 272 people are facing charges under Article 112 in 303 cases, including at least 45 who remain detained. Among them is Tantawan Tuatulanon, who is on her own hunger strike.

Thaluwang became active in 2022, aligning with the ongoing political activist movements demanding that then-Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha resign, the Constitution be amended and the monarchy be reformed.

Thaluwang members have been prosecuted under lese-majeste for political activities including taking the survey about the royal motorcade, posting about the monarchys budget in 2022, and conducting a poll on whether people agree with the government allowing the king to exercise power at his discretion on April 18, 2022.

The idea to conduct the polls came from fellow activists. We believe they have achieved some success, but there is still a long way to go, Bung shared in a letter posted on the groups Facebook page.

There are many things in the country that need to change. We are determined that even if we have to sacrifice our lives, we will not stop  we want to demand justice for every life lost to the dictatorship.

Thannapat Jarernpanit, a professor at Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University, said Bungs recent activism may have led many in society to misunderstand her intentions.

Thailand has a relatively high culture of violence in society, which diminishes the value and ideology of Bungs struggles, whether through symbolic activities or hunger strikes. The enforcement of Article 112 will definitely impact human rights violations in Thailand, Thannapat told BenarNews.

It is crucial to consider the law and the facts in each case to determine whether they truly constitute a violation of this section.

Ruj Chuenban in Bangkok contributed to this report.
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Rev. William "Bill" Lawson, left, founding pastor of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, with his wife, Audrey, and two of their children, daughter, Cheryl Lawson, and his son, Eric Lawson, right, during a community celebration of his 80th birthday on Saturday, June 28, 2008, in Houston. The program at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church included a roast and toast. Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle Rev. Bill Lawson at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church Jan. 4, 2012 in Houston. Rather than desegregate, says the Rev. Bill Lawson, the Loew's State Theater in downtown Houston closed down. The movie palace, built by Jesse Jones, symbolized everything that African-Americans couldn't have in the 1960s; it was no wonder that civil rights protesters, including Lawson, marched outside its heavy bronze doors. Houston's businessmen arranged for the city to desegregate quietly, without riots -- but soon after, Loew's State simply closed, and the theater was demolished in 1972. Lawson found the theater's bronze doors at a salvage yard, and bought them for his church. As the front doors of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, for almost 50 years they've been wide open to all. Eric Kayne/For the Chronicle

Few people are destined to become a North Star, like the Rev. William Bill Lawson.



He was a guiding light for many in Houston and across the nation as the founder of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church and a champion of civil rights.

He reminded us, gently, that people are inherently good and that its possible to change their hearts. He showed by his actions that it can happen peacefully.

On May 14, Lawson died at home comforted by his family who were the center of his life, along with his deep faith in God. He would have turned 96 in June.

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Its hard to tell if our destinies are set in stone at birth or part of some evolving master plan as we mature. Lawson frequently noted that he wanted to be a cartoonist, not a pastor. He even had a silk-screen T-shirt company once. But becoming a preacher was a calling, like a soft, persistent voice ushering him toward the pulpit.

Lawson started the church in the living room of his Blodgett Street apartment in Third Ward. He ministered about God and how faith could guide us to be better humans, alongside his longtime wife and college sweetheart Audrey Hoffman Lawson, who died in 2015. They had four children.

I still cant imagine that he knew that his humble beginnings would manifest into a congregation of more than 12,000, or that he would become one of Houstons most respected faith leaders who would help guide the citys racial desegregation. While much of the country was ablaze with emotion and violence during the civil rights era, Lawson was one of the Black leaders who worked with white businessmen to quietly remove the citys segregation signs and guide us forward.

It worked. Houston was desegregated with little fanfare or tragedy. Lawson once said, picketing and protesting  thats not my style.

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His style embodied what many of us strive to be now. Calm in turbulent waters.

I dont think I ever heard him shout in the way some preachers do. His lessons were measured and steady. His voice was low and soothing, especially touching those who needed more compassion and kindness.

A native of St. Louis, Mo., Lawson grew up in Kansas City, Kan., where he and my father, Richard Sewing, attended the same high school some years apart. Ive written before that they were lifelong friends, and when my parents moved to Houston in the 1960s, Lawson and his wife welcomed them to the city. They were the first people to hold me outside my family when I was born.

He is truly a man of God. Of all the men I know, he did a better job of it than anyone. Thats a fact, my father said of his friend during their visit shortly before he died in 2020.

As I consider the impact of Lawsons life, I think it takes tremendous strength to be clearheaded and unwavering like he was. Its much easier to fire off with abhorrent language and be fickle. Thats the world we live in today.

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I hope generations to come will take note of his legacy.

In 1996, the William A. Lawson Institute for Peace and Prosperity was founded to serve the needs of Houstons Third Ward with two charter schools for boys and girls and housing for seniors. In 2020, Rice University named part of its campus central quadrangle the Rev. William A. Lawson Grove in honor of his contributions to the university and the city.

In 2022, the Ensemble Theater premiered the play, The Lawsons: A Civil Rights Love Story, about the more than 600 love letters he and Audrey wrote each other, set against the backdrop of the civil rights movement. The letters are now part of the archives at the African American Library at the Gregory School.

After my father died in 2020, I sent Rev. Lawson an email sharing the details of my dads small celebration of life during the pandemic at Mabrie Memorial Mortuary on Almeda. He wrote back that he had scribbled the information on a crumpled piece of paper on his desk.

My desk is in indescribable chaos, so no one except me could decipher that code, but I could not escape it as a reminder that I was due at Mabrie tomorrow at 1 p.m. Thanks to your note, Ill be there at 12:45. I know it has been a hard several days for you, sweetheart, but you inherited the Sewing gut. You have already demonstrated Joys ability to deal with obstacles and pains. Richard would be proud of how you have dealt with this heartache  not denying it, but wrestling it to the mat.

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His note helped bring me peace when I was so consumed by grief I could hardly breathe. That was one of his many gifts, to be steady when we were flailing.

At Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, Lawsons successor, the Rev. Dr. Marcus D. Cosby, has firmly held the reigns of the church over the past two decades and remained connected to Lawson like a son. In 2021, the two men with the entire congregation celebrated a new 80,000-square-foot cathedral and Christian Education Complex on the same site as the churchs previous location, but three times larger.

Such a magnificent cathedral may not have been in his vision either, but Lawson was ahead of his time in many ways.

North Stars usually are.
MONTPELIER  The Vermont Senate passed H.289 to modernize the Renewable Energy Standard and set Vermont on a path to delivering 100 percent renewable electricity across all the states utilities by 2035.

This would make Vermont only the second state to meet that critical benchmark and would significantly increase the requirements for Vermont utilities to support the deployment of new renewable energy. The bill will now head to the Governor.

If enacted into law, H.289 will be the first major update to the Renewable Energy Standard in almost a decade. It represents the largest single move towards renewable electricity and away from fossil fueled power that Vermont has ever taken, by a wide margin. In terms of cutting carbon pollution, this bill will be the equivalent of taking approximately 160,000-250,000 cars off the road, for good.

Vermonters have made clear over and over again that addressing the climate crisis must be a priority, and that the status quo is simply unacceptable, said Ben Edgerly Walsh, Climate and Energy Program Director for VPIRG. The incredibly strong vote for this bill is yet another sign that Vermont legislators have heard that message loud and clear. We deeply appreciate all the hard work Vermont representatives have done to make this bill a reality.

Peter Sterling, Executive Director of Renewable Energy Vermont, stated Todays vote shows that most Senators agree that increasing our reliance on renewable energy makes sense both environmentally and economically. Many thanks to Senator Chris Bray and Senator Anne Watson for their leadership and hard work on this bill in the Senate.

H.289 would:

Double the amount of new renewables Vermont utilities are required to build in the state  particularly small and medium-sized renewables  from 10% to 20% of the electricity they deliver. This is expected to be met mostly with new solar energy.

Create a new requirement for Vermont utilities to provide their customers with additional, new renewable energy of any size from anywhere in the region. This requirement is over and above the in-state requirement described above  an additional 20% by 2035 for Green Mountain Power, and an additional 10% by 2035 for Vermonts other utilities.

Require all Vermont utilities to provide 100% renewable electricity to their customers  by 2030 for Green Mountain Power and Vermont Electric Coop, and by 2035 for other utilities that are not already at 100% renewable.

VNRC deeply appreciates the leadership of Senate members who voted today to ensure that Vermont curates the cleanest grid possible, as more Vermonters lean into electricity for heating, transportation and power needs, said Johanna Miller, Energy & Climate Program Director at Vermont Natural Resources Council. On the heels of yet another record-breaking warm year, this foundation is essential to ensure Vermont does its part to cut planet-warming pollution while also saving Vermonters significantly over time with far more efficient energy resources.

The bill also phases out offsite or virtual net metering  a program that had potential to be a scalable opportunity for all Vermonters to participate in community solar but unfortunately never fully lived up to that potential. The bill requires an analysis and recommendations on a successor program to offsite group net metering that surpasses current or future options available to Vermonters who are currently unable to install solar on their properties.

Other important changes in the bill are:

Adding efficiency and lifecycle greenhouse gas accounting metrics that significantly limit and in most cases prohibit eligibility of new biomass plants to meet the Renewable Energy Standards requirements.

Preventing power from any newly-flooded lands by Hydro Quebec from being considered a new renewable.

Changing from a one size fits all requirement for utilities to renewable requirements tailored to the individual needs of Vermonts smaller rural co-ops and municipal utilities in order to help control costs for ratepayers.

Vanessa Rule, Co-Director and Lead Organizer of 350VT, shared: Community conversations across the state and the ensuing grassroots support for this bill show that many Vermonters want truly clean and just electricity. Now we need to get to work meeting the new goals with a strong community solar program, well-sited projects that protect farmland and ecosystems, and ensure this electricity is affordable and available for everyone. We look forward to building on this important first step and thank the legislature for its hard work.

Reforming Vermonts RES is the lynchpin to the states ability to reduce carbon pollution. As more people transition to electric vehicles and heat pumps, we will need to build more clean, renewable electricity sources, said CLF Vice President Elena Mihaly. RES reform is a critical step in planning for a clean future. We applaud the Senates favorable vote to bring us towards that clean energy future.

Lauren Hierl, Executive Director of Vermont Conservation Voters, added, After the recent flooding and other climate disasters facing Vermont communities, its encouraging that Vermont is on the cusp of adopting one of the most ambitious renewable energy standards in the country. This bill is an important step in Vermonts efforts to cut climate pollution and leave a better Vermont for future generations.

"This bill results from a positive and unifying collaboration between Vermonts utilities and environmental advocates. Thanks to the Vermont Senators' votes to move forward to 100% clean renewable power. We look forward to delivering this bill to the Governor, states Robb Kidd, Vermont Sierra Club Conservation Program Manager.
In her resignation letter, the former teacher says she is leaving in part to protect her health, "which as greatly suffered as a result of these conditions and the violation of my rights."
This Story in History is selected from the archives by Jeannie Maschino, The Berkshire Eagle.
We're glad that this development should allow commencement to proceed as planned. More importantly, though, we're thankful that this localized chapter in the sweeping story of nationwide campus protests has modeled a different way forward than the chaotic scenes we've seen elsewhere.
Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data.
The book of Acts is full of inspiring moments from the early church after the resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. It also emphasizes the struggles of the early church, and it seems that every day a new form of suffering is heaped upon them. The first martyr of the faith, as recorded in the Bible is Stephen.

He was from a Hellenistic, or Greek background and was ordained as one of the first deacons. Stephen served the widows of the church, and after being seized and brought before Jewish leaders, he delivered the sermon that led the people to stone him.

This sermon is good for seeing the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ through the lens of the Old Testament, understanding Gods plan through the Hebrew people and the nation of Israel, and the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Stephens sermon was powerful at the time, and continues to resonate with believers today.

Lets take a look at the different points Stephen made in this important sermon.

An Original Promise

Stephens sermon begins before the nation of Israel existed, in Mesopotamia. He walks his audience through the parts of the Pentateuch related to the creation of the nation of Israel and Gods covenants with their people.

Abram was from Ur, and his fathers worshipped false gods. God made a covenant with Abram, re-named him Abraham, and promised him land for all his children, even though he had none. Stephen emphasized, And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs (Acts 7:8).

Circumcision was one of the ways the descendants of Abraham followed the Law and marked themselves as set apart from other people groups.

Gods People Led into Egypt

The next point in Israels history that Stephen addresses is how the sons of Abraham ended up in Egypt and how God used the sins of 11 of Jacobs sons to preserve their entire family.

The 11 jealous brothers sold their fathers favorite son, Joseph, into slavery in Egypt. Through this evil, Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food. But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit. And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh. And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all (Acts 7:11-14).

God preserved His people through a famine by moving them to another country. Of course, as both Stephens audience then and readers today know, the descendants of Israel were eventually oppressed in Egypt.

The Days of Moses

After centuries of slavery in Egypt, God sent the nation of Israel Moses to free them. However, Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt, saying to Aaron, Make for us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him. And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets (Acts 7:39-42). In Stephens sermon, he uses the incident with the golden calf to demonstrate how the Hebrew people were beginning to tend towards stubbornness, their hearts hardening towards God.

Other Significant Leaders

As he began to approach the end of his sermon, Stephen talks about significant leaders in the history of the nation of Israel, and how God used them  and the nation itself  to fulfill His will.

Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen. Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David, who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. But it was Solomon who built a house for him (Acts 7:44-47).

Despite these men of God pursuing the Lord, they fell short of His glory, and the nation of Israel did not pursue its role as the shining city on a hill.

3 Themes Found in Stephens Sermon

Circumcision

In his sermon, Stephen addressed the institution of circumcision, and how it was meant to be both a symbol of the Israelites separation from the world, and their submission to the Law. Over time, the Israelites began to put their faith not in God, but in the power of being a circumcised descendent of Abraham. They set themselves above the Gentiles, rather than reaching out to them to show them their need for the one true God. Stephen accused his listeners of being uncircumcised in heart and ears (Acts 7:51b) They did not know and love the Lord, and were not interested in His Word. They could not recognize the Messiah, though many of them lived through His ministry, His death, and His resurrection.

Paul, who was present at Stephens stoning, would later pick up on this idea. For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical (Romans 2:25-28). Stephen was trying to communicate to his audience their physical circumcision was not enough to save them.

Gods Power to Preserve and Keep His Word

The nation of Israel came through trials and tribulations over and over again, but God made promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He later made promises to David. Despite the sins of Israel and the power of the nations surrounding them, God upheld His people. His covenants were kept, and He led his people through calamity. Despite Gods steadiness and faithfulness, the nation of Israel would cling to their sin. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered (Acts 7:52).

Stephen contrasted Gods love with Israels infidelity.

Stubbornness and Pride

All people have a tendency toward stubbornness and pride, but in light of the recent resurrection of the Messiah, providing salvation to the Jews and the Gentiles, the refusal of the Israelite people to accept Jesus seemed particularly hard-hearted.

In this sermon, Stephen highlighted how God was always good to them, and was always trying to communicate His will to the nation of Israel, but they lost sight of that love and will. He cuttingly charged them, You stiff-necked peopleyou always resist the Holy Spirityou who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it (Acts 7:53). Stephen highlighted that they had the Law, unlike every other people group and nation, and refused to obey it, often resisting the Lord to their own detriment.

What We Can Learn from Stephens Sermon Today

Though Stephens primary audience when he spoke these words was to a hostile Jewish audience, there are still things believers can take away from this sermon today.

1. Obey the Prompting of the Holy Spirit

One of the last points that Stephen made before God gave him a vision of Heaven was that the Jewish people were not listening to the prompting or conviction of the Holy Spirit. By this point, thousands of ethnic and religious Jews heard the good news of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and put their faith in Him. Yet thousands refused to hear and accept the truth.

When the Spirit convicts, guides, moves, or whispers to someones heart, it is important to listen. The Holy Spirit wants to facilitate a relationship between a person and the Lord, to guide, to comfort, and to save.

2. Remember God Has Always Kept His Word, and Never Fails

Part of Stephens sermon was to highlight that God was always faithful to the nation of Israel. The Lord loves each person, and wants everyone to have a relationship with Him. God promises to forgive the sins of those who turn to Him in faith and repentance, and to give them the gift of eternal life. Once someone is saved, God will always take care of those He holds, and will give them the strength to endure to the end, just like He did with Stephen.

3. It Is Important to Know Gods Word

Stephen, though he was a Jew from a Hellenistic background, was well-versed in the Law and the Prophets. Because of his familiarity with Gods word, in partnership with the prompting of the Holy Spirit, his audience could not substantively argue with him. When the Bible says that believers should be ready to give an account, knowing the Bible well can be a good help. It also helps encourage, instruct, and edify the Christian.

Stephen preached bravely and suffered martyrdom because of it. While many believers will not have to experience that struggle, thousands across the globe do. Stephens life, his words, and his death can be an encouragement for his brothers and sisters in Christ today who want to understand God, or need encouragement in the face of true adversity.

Sources

Bruce, F.F. The Book of Acts Commentary. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishings Co., 1988.

Matthews, Shelly. Perfect Martyr The Stoning of Stephen and the Construction of Christian Identity. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010.

Walvoord, John F. and Roy B. Zuck. The Bible Knowledge Commentary An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Old Testament and New Testament. United States of America: Victor Books, 1987.

Wilmington, H.L. Wilmingtons Guide to the Bible. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 1981.

Photo credit: Getty Images/Boonchai Wedmakawand

Bethany Verrett is a freelance writer who uses her passion for God, reading, and writing to glorify God. She and her husband have lived all over the country serving their Lord and Savior in ministry. She has a blog on graceandgrowing.com.
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Andrea Leinfelder is the space reporter for the Houston Chronicle. She can be reached at andrea.leinfelder@houstonchronicle.com.

Andrea has written about NASA and the commercial space sector since 2020, with her coverage spanning human spaceflight, robotic exploration and operations in low-Earth orbit. She also follows Elon Musk's Texas footprint.

Originally from Florida, Andrea graduated from the University of Florida in 2012 and has worked for the Houston Chronicle since 2014. She previously wrote for The News-Press in Fort Myers, Fla. She enjoys traveling, eating her way across Texas and chasing her 2-year-old son and 6-year-old dog.


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Shakari Briggs is a reporter for the Houston Chronicle. She can be reached at shakari.briggs@houstonchronicle.com.

Before joining the Chronicle in November 2023, she worked for Spectrum News as a digital journalist based in her hometown. Shakari comes to the Houston newsroom with experience in broadcast reporting and producing as a former multimedia journalist and associate producer. The Dallas native has also worked at small to medium-sized newspapers throughout her career.

Her reporting on the rise and fall of a shopping mall won an Arkansas Associated Press Managing Editors Contest award. She also earned an Arkansas Press Association award for freelance reporting.
A call for the British government to allow independent access to all documents relating to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings in 1974 will not go away, the Tanaiste has said.

Micheal Martin told the Dail that the loss and pain suffered in the atrocities 50 years ago has been compounded by the frustration and hurt of unanswered questions.

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On May 17th, 1974, three no-warning bombs went off across Dublin city centre and one exploded in Monaghan town.

Tanaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin (Brian Lawless/PA)

No-one has ever been convicted over the bombings but the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) admitted responsibility in 1993.

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An official memorial in Dublin honours the 35 victims of the bombings, which included two unborn babies.

It remains the greatest loss of life on any single day of the Troubles.

The Government supported an all-party motion on Tuesday which called on it to press the British government to provide access to relevant material.

Mr Martin told TDs that on three previous occasions, in 2008, 2011 and 2016, the Dail had urged the British government to allow access by an independent, international judicial figure to all original documents relating to these atrocities.

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He added: Today, we have the opportunity to repeat that call with one voice.

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This is a demand I have personally made to the British government in various roles throughout my career in public service, and which I continue to make now in my role as Tanaiste and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Mr Martin said he had also raised the issue with Northern Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris.

He added: This British government can have no doubt of the strength of feelings in this House and, more importantly, the salience of the issue for so many families.

That, half a century on from the atrocities of 17th May 1974, 21 years after the Barron Inquiry, and 17 years after the final McEntee report, we are still asking for co-operation is a matter of profound regret and disappointment.

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I know from my own engagement with many of those affected that the loss and pain suffered on 17th May 1974 has been compounded by the frustration and hurt of unanswered questions.

The motion passed today will be sent to the British parliament.

I hope that lawmakers there take to heart the message that the demand for access to these documents by an independent figure is not going away.

Our shared determination to pursue this issue, as a Government and as an Oireachtas, is undiminished.
CCTV footage capturing the final moments of gunman Tristan Sherry and the fatal shooting of Jason Hennessy Sr in a restaurant on Christmas Eve was shown at a youth's hearing on Tuesday.

A 17-year-old boy accused of violent disorder by delivering kicks to Mr Sherry in Browne's Steakhouse in Blanchardstown faced a preliminary hearing to decide his trial venue.

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Judge Paul Kelly refused jurisdiction to keep the case in the Dublin Children's Court, where sentences cannot exceed 12 months. He agreed with the Director of Public Prosecutions that the boy must be tried at a higher level with co-defendants in the Central Criminal Court.

Tristan Sherry (26), from Finglas, died of blunt force trauma to the head after shooting Jason Hennessy Sr at the restaurant.

Mr Hennessy (48), from Corduff, Blanchardstown, died in hospital 11 days after the gun attack.

Gardai charged the teenager in January with engaging in violent disorder in the restaurant on December 24th by using or threatening to use violence with others, which would cause another person present to fear for their safety.

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Outlining the case, Detective Garda John Hayes said Mr Hennessy had been with family and associates when two gunmen entered and "opened fire".

"One gunman fled, and the other was grabbed by Jason Hennessy Sr; this gunman was Tristan Sherry. Both fell to the ground, and the firearm Tristan Sherry had was picked up by a person there," Detective Garda Hayes said.

"A number of people attacked the gunman on the ground," he said, adding that the boy was identified and kicked Sherry two or three times.

The court heard Sherry also suffered stab wounds.

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Footage

The youth, accompanied to court by his mother, did not address the court and sat silently as the footage was played.

The video showed two masked gunmen entering and opening fire in the crowded restaurant while customers, including a small child, rushed for cover.

Detective Garda Hayes pointed to a youth onscreen sitting in a booth and alleged he was the defendant who hid under the table when the shooting began.

It was claimed he remained there during the initial attack on Sherry and that he emerged and helped another person lift Jason Hennessy Sr to carry him out of the restaurant.

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However, it was alleged he then broke away from holding Mr Hennessy as he got closer to Mr Sherry and struck him two or three times with his feet.

Footage showed a youth, allegedly the accused, attempting to exit through a fire door, which he could not open, and he re-entered the restaurant, got his jacket and left while others were still attacking Sherry.

Detective Garda Hayes agreed with defence counsel Doireann McDonagh that the youth had no prior criminal convictions.

Counsel said the boy had average maturity for his age and was affected by peer pressure but maintained his innocence.

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Judge Kelly, the District Court President, noted that the teenager did not face the most serious charge from the incident.

Refusing jurisdiction, however, he said the boy allegedly joined in the assault on Sherry after three or four minutes. "And at that stage, Mr Sherry was on the ground, clearly very badly injured and therefore unable to resist or pose a threat," Judge Kelly said.

The boy was remanded in continuing custody pending the preparation of a book of evidence, which the prosecution must serve before a trial order is granted.

He will appear again at the Children's Court in two weeks.

Seven other males aged 17-26 are before the courts.

Wayne Deegan (26), from Linnetsfield Avenue, Phibblestown, Dublin 15; David Amah (18), of Hazel Grove, Portrane Road, Donabate, Dublin; Michael Andrecut (22), with an address at Sheephill Avenue in Dublin 15; and a 17-year-old boy who cannot be named because he is a minor, were previously charged with murdering Sherry.

Three other men are also before the courts on related charges, including assault, violent disorder and production of a weapon during the incident.

One is accused of removing the submachine gun used by Sherry, which has not yet been recovered.

Another co-defendant, Brandon Hennessy (20), of Sheephill Avenue, Dublin 15, is a son of Jason Hennessy Sr. A court has heard he allegedly "retaliated" after his father was fatally injured.
Stormont First Minister Michelle ONeill has said she accepts she should have kept WhatsApp exchanges for the UK Covid-19 Inquiry rather than wiping her phone.

The inquiry previously heard that a number of government-issued devices allocated to ministers were reset.

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It was told that former first minister Arlene Foster returned her phone after leaving office in July 2021 and it was restored to factory settings by IT staff.

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Ms ONeill, who was deputy first minister between 2020 and 2022, was issued with a mobile phone and iPad. The inquiry heard those were wiped before they were returned in February 2022.

Appearing at the inquiry on Tuesday, Ms ONeill was questioned about this action and the guidance she had received on retaining records for the inquiry.

Lead counsel to the inquiry Clair Dobbin KC said retrieved WhatsApp exchanges between Ms ONeill and Ms Foster do discuss substantive matters about the response to the pandemic.

Ms ONeill responded: They may have been a to and fro in a conversation outside a meeting but the official record was the official record in terms of decisions made.

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Arlene and I couldnt decide on a message to do something, wed have to bring it to the Executive. So all decisions were recorded on the official record and in terms of what the civil service hold.

Ms ONeill said she had been agriculture minister and health minister previously, and she believed current Justice Minister Naomi Long had the same approach because of sensitive information.

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Ms Dobbin said Ms ONeills statement to the inquiry suggests she used messages for logistical matters but not about the response to the pandemic.

The counsel pressed the First Minister over whether that was correct.

Ms ONeill said the statement was referring to be able to understand that everything is recorded in terms of decisions on the official record, adding: Im happy to correct that if you think that thats appropriate.

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Ms Dobbin referred to a discussion about Covid restriction fines in a message between Ms ONeill and Ms Foster.

She asked Ms ONeill: These are certainly not just administrative matters are they, or fixing dates for meetings?

Ms ONeill said: No, youre right there. They are an exchange around issues but they will not be the formal record of any decision that will be made.

Ms Dobbin said the duty to record is not just confined to a formal record.

Ms ONeill said: I can accept that  I can reflect that even though I understood that to be the way in which to do things in terms of my previous experiences as a minister, obviously it would be much more fulsome if I had these records to give to you.

Ms Dobbin pressed Ms ONeill about being informed of her obligations to the inquiry in terms of retaining all evidence by the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, Jayne Brady.

Ms ONeill said: I accept that I should have kept my additional exchanges, in particular with Arlene, and anything else that was relevant.

I thought that I did, but clearly I didnt.

Ms ONeill said there was clearly a misunderstanding on my part in terms of informal communication and what that meant.

By and large, I am satisfied that the vast, vast majority of everything that I communicated was on the device and hopefully on the official record, but I concede that my understanding of the WhatsApp and informal communication is not at where it should have been, she said.

Ms Dobbin said Ms ONeill might be satisfied, but this inquiry doesnt have the chance to be satisfied about whats contained on your device.
The State has secured permission to appeal a High Court decision that concluded Irelands system for returning international protection applicants to the UK was unlawful.

Ms Justice Siobhan Phelan last March ruled there are safeguarding deficiencies in the Irish law underpinning Minister for Justice Helen McEntees designation of the UK as a safe third country, which had facilitated returns.

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Since her ruling, the Cabinet has approved emergency legislation aimed at recommencing UK transfers of people who come to the State via Northern Ireland.

On Tuesday, the judge acknowledged there were points of public importance in the two lead challenges to the designation and held that an appeal to the Court of Appeal was warranted.

She approved the States application to argue three points against her judgment, and allowed the two international protection applicants to cross-appeal over certain points they lost in the case.

The two, represented by Hugh Southey KC, Eamonn Dornan BL and BKC Solicitors, were awarded 95 per cent of their legal fees, having successfully argued against the validity of the designation.

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Ms Justice Phelan acceded to a request from David Conlan Smyth SC, for the State, for a pause to the effects of her orders, including quashing the designation, pending the outcome of the appeal.

The safe third country designation, which effectively mirrors a scheme existing between EU member states, was made by the Minister in December 2020 in response to Brexit.

It allowed Ireland to deem applications admissible if they were made by people who arrived from the UK. The applicant could then be returned to the UK in order for their asylum status to be determined there.

Ms Justice Phelan ruled the scheme was unlawful as the International Protection Act 2015, which underpins the designation, did not contain every safeguard required by EU law.

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The applicants  an Iraqi man of Kurdish origin and a Nigerian man  had centred their cases on a claim that returning them to the UK exposed them to significant risk of harm as, they said, there was a possibility they would be sent on to Rwanda under a policy of the UK government.

Ms Justice Phelan heard substantial arguments concerning the Rwanda policy but declined to make any findings related to it.

Given she held that the designation was unlawful as a matter of EU law, the judge said she did not need to go on to decide whether it is unsustainable by reason of alleged exposure to a risk of ill-treatment due to the UKs relationship with Rwanda.

The Iraqi challenger said he applied for international protection in Ireland in 2021, two years after he was refused asylum in the UK.

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The Irish International Protection Office (IPO) and appeal body were satisfied his case came within the UK safe third country scheme.

The Minister for Justice then proceeded to make an order, under the 2015 Act, for his return to the UK.

The Nigerian applicant sought international protection here in 2022 after spending five months in the UK on a student visa. The IPO and appeal tribunal found his application was inadmissible.

Ms Justice Phelan held that these decisions should be overturned by reason of the unlawfulness of the designation.
CPC delegation visits Vietnam

Xinhua) 09:48, May 14, 2024

HANOI, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Zhao Shitong, assistant minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, led a CPC delegation on a visit to Vietnam from May 12 to 13, at the invitation of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV).

During the visit, Zhao met with Le Hoai Trung, secretary of the Secretariat of the CPV Central Committee and chairman of the CPV Central Committee's Commission for External Relations.

The Chinese delegation held talks with the officials in charge of the CPV Central Committee's Commission for Popularization and Education and the CPV Central Committee's Commission for External Relations.

During the visit, the two sides exchanged views on China-Vietnam relations and issues of common concern.

Both sides agreed to implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties, deepen the party-to-party exchanges, strengthen their strategic communication, exchanges and mutual learning, push forward practical cooperation, lay a solid foundation among the people for friendship between the two countries, and work together to build a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
A worker moves packages Thursday, May 9, 2024, at the South Houston Local Processing Center in Missouri City. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer

More than two dozen U.S. senators are requesting the United States Postal Service pause the rollout of the agencys modernization plan that has led to decreased service performance and concerns about the future efficiency of the system.

The Delivering for America plan, a 10-year plan that aims to modernize the postal system, has come under heavy scrutiny in recent months due to significant mail delays across the country, including earlier this year in the Houston area.

Senators, including Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, sent a letter last week to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and the USPS Board of Governors saying the plan should be put on hold until the Postal Regulatory Commission can study it in further detail.

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While USPS claims these changes overall will improve service while reducing costs, there is evidence to the contrary in locations where USPS has implemented changes so far, the letter reads. USPS must stop implementation, restore service in those areas where changes were implemented, and fully understand the nationwide effects of its plan on service and communities.

Houston is not the only location that has dealt with significant mail delays in recent months. Richmond, Va., and Atlanta, Ga., are two other areas that have seen service performance drop since implementing parts of the plan.

LOCAL UPDATE: USPS officials provide updated timeline on modernization changes during visit with media

There is also concern in rural areas about how the plan centralizes its hubs into a smaller number of major regional processing centers and what it means for jobs and service performance in their communities.

During a site tour last week of the South Houston Local Processing Center in Missouri City, John DiPeri, a vice president of regional processing operations, said he didnt know about the letter from the senators. But he did express his faith in the plan.

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Theres a precise plan that we believe and we know that if we execute properly, we will improve the efficiency and the service and will allow for us to have great service and great efficiency for years to come, DiPeri said. If we slow down one part of it, it can slow down the whole progress of the whole network. Its imperative that we move forward.

In addition to Cornyn, 25 other senators signed the letter. It was a bipartisan effort with Democrats and Republicans both signing.

Among the signees is Sen. Gary Peters, the chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The committee called a hearing last month of the Postal Service, which DeJoy and other postal leaders attended.

Peters announced Monday that he had secured a pause on implementing the plan at the Iron Mountain Processing and Distribution Center in Michigan.

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DeJoy signed off on the pause following a May 8 meeting with Peters.

I appreciate Postmaster General DeJoys efforts to work with me on this issue, Peters said in a statement. However, I still have concerns about additional changes, including to local transportation trips, that impact Michiganders. I urge the Postal Service to pause and reverse local transportation changes in addition to facility changes, until we have more information about their effects. I will continue to push for a comprehensive study by the Postal Regulatory Commission to ensure any changes implemented do not impact mail delivery.

The Postal Regulatory Commission released a statement April 26 announcing it had issued an order to the Postal Service to request an advisory opinion from the commission or explain why it doesnt need one.

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USPS had 20 days from that announcement to explain why it didnt need the advisory opinion.
Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan, has said that discussions are ongoing with a variety of State agencies, including the National Parks and Wildlife Service, with a view to formulating a national wildlife plan in the event of a major oil spill.

Speaking on RTE radios Morning Ireland, Mr Noonan was responding to a question about the progress following an oil spill two weeks ago which affected beaches in Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford and killed over 50 birds.

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There was an ongoing investigation, but so far the source of the oil spill had not yet been identified, he said.

But I want to commend Kildare Wildlife Rescue and other rescue organisations, including Birdwatch Ireland, for the work they have done. We have put in some additional emergency funding to the National Parks and Wildlife Service to support that work.

The investigation is ongoing, and I think it's important that we do find the source of it, because I think that it's important that investigations lead to sanctions as well. But separately, I think the important thing is to clean up. I think the support we've given to them has been important as well.

An issue with accessing the promised 50,000 emergency support for the clean up will be resolved this week, he said.

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Nature Restoration Law

Noonan has described efforts by some countries to weaken the EUs Nature Restoration Law as making a mockery of the democratic process.

This restoration law is vital for our nature in Europe. So this is the vital piece of the jigsaw to build in climate resilience, to fight against climate change, to look at the challenges we've seen right across Europe, from heat stress, from flooding, failed crops to regional, it is the only game in town.

When asked about the thin majority by which the law was passed, Mr Noonan said it had been a majority nonetheless and compromises had been made to ensure it was workable.

Mr Noonan said he and officials had a very positive meeting with the IFA last week.

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There's no concerns here in, in relation to it. We certainly allayed a lot of that, but I think that can be done across Europe. Each individual country has its opportunity to develop its own nature restoration plan. And within that context, they work within and with organisations and with farmers, landowners and all other stakeholders to develop their own plans.

This was the driving mechanism to restore nature at scale across Europe. And if it does come down to the case where the Council of Ministers don't support it I think we're in real trouble. Ireland will proceed anyway. We've already committed to a nature restoration plan and we will go ahead with that.

"But it needs to happen on a European scale. It's too important for our food security, for rural communities, for climate and for public health and wellbeing. So it can't fail. And I think it's vitally important that leadership is shown at the Council of Ministers on June 17th.

Ireland continues to show leadership. There are thousands of farmers working on nature restoration of water quality and climate targets right across the country as we speak. And I think in that regard, what we are seeing, particularly that we can show at scale where the projects work.
Updated: 11am. Additional reporting by Vivienne Clarke.

Payments to Ukrainian refugees are set to be cut within 12 weeks.

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Cabinet is expected to sign off on Tuesday on moves to streamline the entitlements of all International Protection applicants and those who fled the war in Ukraine.

The provision of State accommodation has already been limited, and these latest measures will see 12 weeks' notice given to those who'll be affected by the changes.

Under the revised plan, Ukrainian refugees go to designated accommodation centres for up to 90 days and are provided with food, laundry and integration support during this time.

Ireland has granted more than 105,000 temporary protection orders since the start of the war, and almost 72,000 BOTPs are in State-provided accommodation.

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Arrivals had previously been entitled to a jobseekers allowance of 220 per week and unlimited time in State accommodation.

They will be paid a 38.80 subsistence allowance per week and an additional 29.80 per child. The changes did not apply to those who arrived before the March deadline.

'Cruel'

The cuts have been branded "cruel" by the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland.

Spokesperson Lucky Khambule said: "Remember that the allowance was once 19 for almost 15 years, then now 38, and now they are talking about reducing it.

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"It looks like people that seek asylum don't live in the same place as everybody lives."

It comes as the State continues to struggle to provide accommodation for asylum seekers arriving here.

Taoiseach Simon Harris said the changes are about evaluating how the welfare and accomodation systems interact.

"Firstly, we're not just reviewing payments, we are reviewing the entire range of supports and how the State interacts.

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"For example, you have many, many people have status in the country, and through the immigration system, are still living in free state accommodation without making a contribution, for example, how do you best address that situation?

"When does the obligation in relation of social welfare end in terms of the process?" Mr Harris said.

'Cold-hearted'

Responding to the proposed changes, the founder of Effective Aid Ukraine, Tom McEnaney, described the reduction in payments as "unfair, lacking in compassion and inhumane".

Speaking to RTE radios Today with Claire Byrne show, Mr McEnaney said 43 per cent of Ukrainian refugees in Ireland are working, and therefore would not be affected by this measure.

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"The people [who] will be affected by this are the elderly Ukrainians, and the vast majority of those that are left are women and children," he explained.

"Of the 45,000 Ukrainian people serviced accommodation, about 40 per cent of those are children. It's their mothers who are most likely not being able to work because of childcare, and so it's those 18,000 children who are most likely to be badly affected by this."

"There's no reason. What we're doing is we're moving them into a forced hardship for no tactical or strategic benefit. It's not as if any of these are going to be returning to Ukraine or somewhere else to go.

"It serves no purpose other than to garner votes from an anti-migrant cohort ahead of their local and European elections," Mr McEnaney said.

He added it is not sustainable to expect someone who has been living on 232 a week for the last number of months to now live on 32 a week in Ireland.

"Anybody who says that it's sustainable to live in Ireland on 32 a week, especially if you've got young children to mind, is just completely out of touch with what it costs to live in this country.

"Were going from being generous to being mean and cold-hearted," McEnaney said.
A woman has been awarded 160,000 by the High Court against her brother who sexually abused her four or five times a week for five years as a child in the family home.

Michelle Swords said the abuse stopped at age 11, when she learnt in sex education class that what Kenneth Cooke had done was wrong.

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She said what she learnt was "like a bolt of lightning" and that night she told Cooke  who is due for release in 14 months from a nine-year jail sentence imposed on him for indecent assaults  to stop.

"That very night he came in and said take off your knickers was the first time I said no.

"He said, 'what do you mean by no', and I said what you are doing is wrong and brothers don't do that to sisters, and he never went near me again."

Ms Swords, who was the youngest of eight children who lived in Limekiln Green, Walkinstown, Dublin, sued Cooke (61) for damages for the abuse.

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She was represented by Conor Rubalcava BL and Feargal White of Coughlan White Solicitors, who obtained judgement against him last year in default of an appearance. The case came before the High Court on Tuesday for assessment of damages.

She told the court Cooke was 13 years older than her, and the abuse started when she was seven after she was moved into a bunk bed in the same room with him after one of their brothers sustained a serious head injury in a road traffic incident.

She did not know what he was doing was wrong, she said, adding: "He was my big brother and I trusted him, and he warned me not to say anything and gave me sweets and money."

She said the abuse was "so regular it was like you were having your dinner".

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No suspicion

He took advantage of times when their mother was out, as she often had to take their father to hospital for appointments due to his health issue, she said. He would leave the door ajar so he could hear his mother coming up the stairs, she told the court.

Even after she moved into another bedroom after one of her sisters moved out and got married, the abuse continued and escalated to attempts at penetration. When she called out and said it was sore, he would stop.

This would usually occur on Saturday nights when he came home drunk and the other sister who shared the bedroom was out, she said.

After she learnt in school what he was doing was wrong, she said he just "acted normal and there was no suspicion among anyone".

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The abuse occurred between 1983 and 1987. Ms Swords moved out in 2002 and later got married and had two children.

In 2010, she told a family member, and in 2011, at a family event, she told Cooke's own wife, who she said believed her.

When Cooke arrived and she confronted him, she said he started verbally abusing her before then trying to "put out his hand saying he was sorry".

In 2012, after she complained to the gardai, Cooke was interviewed. In 2014, he pleaded not guilty to 16 counts of indecent assault but was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to nine years.

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He subsequently received another nine-year sentence, to run consecutively to the 2014 sentence, for sexual assaults on a male and a concurrent eight-year sentence for sexual assault on another male.

She said after she had him named and shamed following the trial, she received no support from the rest of her family and has not had a proper relationship with them for some time.

The court heard that as a result of the abuse she suffered severe depression and self-harmed.

Ms Justice Emily Egan said she had suffered a very grave breach of trust by someone who should have been protecting her.

In awarding 160,000 to her against Cooke, the judge said Ms Swords had shown great courage and resilience, noting her situation had improved in the last number of years.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help.
Birth trauma is in the spotlight this week, with calls for a national plan to improve maternity care following a UK parliamentary inquiry into the topic.

According to The Times, a report by the all-party inquiry, led by Conservative MP Theo Clarke and Labour MP Rosie Duffield, found poor care is all frequently tolerated as normal, and women are treated as an inconvenience.

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Also, in her new book Lucky: Learning to Live Again, which is out later this month, former Made In Chelsea star Louise Thompson is opening up about the true extent of the birth trauma she experienced when having her son Leo, in November 2021.

An exclusive extract published in the Mail on Sunday revealed Thompson at one point thought she had died, and recounted seeing immense amounts of my blood splattering all over the curtain where they are cutting me open.

She eventually had an emergency C-section after previously being refused one, and required multiple blood transfusions after suffering a life-threatening tear to her womb. Thompson developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result.

And she is not alone. According to the Birth Trauma Association, research suggests around four to five per cent of women experience PTSD after birth, which equates to around 25,000-30,000 a year in the UK. And figures for those who experience varying degrees of trauma symptoms are much higher.

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So, what does birth trauma mean, and how should new mothers be supported after a traumatic birth?

What does traumatic birth mean?

Photo: Alamy/PA.

Lesley Gilchrist, a midwife from My Expert Midwife and birth expert at The Baby Show, says what amounts to a traumatic birth can be different for different people. However, she believes a few key things can play a part.

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Firstly, the perception of the reality of childbirth. If women arent prepared for the reality of birth and have been miseducated when they are advised by the midwife to do things, and they say no, youre already seeing the midwife as the enemy. Women are getting a shock to the system and need to prepare for the reality of what its really like to have your first baby.

Gilchrist also thinks having, or not having, a sense of control makes a big difference.

When you dig down, its not always pain that causes trauma, but control. If you can plan, and you know what it is you can have and cant have, you feel more empowered, she says.

So, if a woman would like an epidural, its important for them to be aware that they might not be able to have one immediately, that they may have to wait, and this can be a shock when they are told this and mean they lose control and that coping mechanism is already gone. Women need to look into the options for pain relief and go into labour with an expectation of what they can have.

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Thirdly, its down to the kindness and compassion that women receive, Gilchrist stresses. The assumption is that when you come to the hospital, you will meet someone who is meant to be caring for you. You and your partner are extremely vulnerable, so when theyre faced with dismissive or uncompassionate attitudes, they dont feel theyve got trust in the situation or control, as they feel this person thats caring for them, that should be by their side supporting them, isnt.

How do you recover from a traumatic birth?

Depending on the individual circumstances, there may be physical trauma to recover from. But psychological trauma is different. The impact here may be more complex and take longer to process.

When it comes to anxiety after a traumatic birth, women will catastrophise and ruminate, theyll visualise those terrible things happening to their baby and have horrific intrusive thoughts and high-level anxiety, where they cant catch their breath or keep calm, says Gilchrist.

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Photo: Alamy/PA.

In some cases, this can have a long-lasting impact. But Gilchrist assures that with appropriate treatment and therapy, it does get better.

Therapies are good, but its important to find a therapist or psychotherapist who is qualified and trained in this. You need to find someone skilled in the entire sphere of psychology and mental health, as they will understand if one thing hasnt worked, then another thing will work, she says.

Therapy teaches you how to manage the symptoms. For a lot of women, theyll have had general anxiety anyway before, and this has just increased it. But it does give you great coping strategies for life.

She adds: I would recommend anyone to explore hypnobirthing. The tools you get taught help anxiety, as you can shut out the intrusive thoughts with deep meditation.

What support might new mothers need?

Having a traumatic birth often leads to a higher risk of post-natal depression too, so Gilchrist suggests you put everything in place to help reduce the impact.

Family support is so important, she says. You need family and visitors that are going to come and clean your kitchen, cook food, do laundry  its lasagne, not lilies you want. Women who have suffered traumatic birth dont want to be away from the baby, so dont offer to take the baby, but just be there for them.

What resources are available?

Gilchrist says support resources can be very important for new mothers and their partners affected by birth trauma.

Facebook is an excellent peer support group, including the Birth Trauma Support Group, she says. There is also a website providing support, guidance and listening called the Birth Trauma Association.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that American military aid on its way to Ukraine will make a real difference on the battlefield, as the top diplomat made an unannounced visit to reassure an ally facing a fierce new Russian offensive.

In increasingly intense attacks along the northeastern border in recent days, Moscows troops have captured around 100 to 125 square kilometres (about 40 to 50 square miles) of territory that includes at least seven villages, according to open source monitoring analysts.

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Though most of those villages were already depopulated, thousands of civilians in the area have fled the fighting.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken watches Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, left, greet US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink (Brendan Smialowski/AP)

Analysts have called this moment one of the most dangerous for Ukraine since Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022  and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy asked on Tuesday for more air defence systems to protect civilians under Russian fire in the northeast.

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We know this is a challenging time, Mr Blinken said in the Ukrainian capital where he met with Mr Zelenskiy.

But he added that American military aid is going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield.

The visit comes less than a month after Congress approved a long-delayed foreign assistance package that sets aside $60 billion in aid for Ukraine, much of which will go toward replenishing badly depleted artillery and air defence systems.

Some of that is now on the way, Mr Blinken said, and some has already arrived in Ukraine.

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Moscows renewed offensive in the northeastern region of Kharkiv is the most significant border incursion since the early days of the war.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is greeted by US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink after arriving by train at Kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi station (Brendan Smialowksi/AP)

More than 7,500 civilians have been evacuated from the area, according to authorities.

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The Kremlins forces are now expanding their push to the northern border regions of Sumy and Chernihiv, Ukrainian officials say, and repeated shelling and sabotage raids there are further stretching Kyivs resources.

Mr Zelenskiy thanked Mr Blinken for the aid  but added that more is necessary, including two Patriot air defence systems that are urgently needed to protect Kharkiv.

The people are under attack: civilians, warriors, everybody. Theyre under Russian missiles, he said.

Artillery, air defence interceptors and long-range ballistic missiles have already been delivered, some of them already to the front lines, said a senior US official travelling with the secretary on an overnight train from Poland who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity ahead of Mr Blinkens meetings.

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On his fourth trip to Kyiv since Russian troops rolled over the border, Mr Blinkens goal is to underscore the Biden administrations commitment to Ukraines defence and long-term security, US officials said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken walks to board a Ukrainian Railways train at Przemysl Glowny train station while travelling to Kyiv, Ukraine (Brendan Smialowski/AP)

They noted that since US president Joe Biden signed the aid package late last month, the administration has already announced $1.4 billion in short-term military assistance and $6 billion in longer-term support.

In a statement released after Mr Blinkens arrival, the State Department said he would hold talks with Mr Zelenskiy and other top Ukrainian officials to discuss battlefield updates, the impact of new US security and economic assistance, long-term security and other commitments, and ongoing work to bolster Ukraines economic recovery.

Delays in US assistance, particularly since the Israel-Hamas war began and has preoccupied top administration officials, triggered deep concerns in Kyiv and Europe.

Mr Blinken, for example, has visited the Middle East seven times since the Gaza conflict began in October.

His last trip to Kyiv was in September.

The US official added that Mr Blinken also would give a speech later on Tuesday extolling Ukraines strategic successes in the war.

It is intended to complement a Mr Blinken address last year in Helsinki, Finland, deriding Russian president Vladimir Putin for Moscows strategic failures in launching the war.

Since the Helsinki speech, however, Russia has intensified its attacks, most noticeably as the US House of Representatives sat on the aid package for months without action, forcing a suspension in the provision of most US assistance.

Those attacks have increased in recent weeks as Russia has sought to take advantage of Ukrainian shortages in manpower and weapons while the new assistance is in transit.
A former Australian army lawyer has been jailed for leaking to the media classified information that exposed allegations of Australian war crimes in Afghanistan.

David McBride (60) was sentenced at a court in the capital, Canberra, to five years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to three charges including theft and sharing with members of the press documents classified as secret. He had faced a potential life sentence.

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Justice David Mossop ordered McBride to serve 27 months in prison before he can be considered for release on parole.

Human rights advocates argued that McBrides conviction and sentencing  before any alleged war criminal he helped expose  reflected a lack of whistleblower protections in Australia.

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A lawyer for McBride, Mark Davis, said that his legal team would appeal a ruling that prevented McBride from mounting a defence.

Judge Mossop ruled in November last year that McBride had no duty as an army officer beyond following orders.

We know that the Australian military teach a much broader notion of what the duty of an officer is in a battlefield than to follow orders, Mr Davis said.

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Mr Davis said the severity of the sentence also created grounds for appeal, but their effort would focus on the earlier ruling.

McBrides documents formed the basis of an Australian Broadcasting Corp seven-part television series in 2017 that contained war crime allegations including that Australian Special Air Service Regiment soldiers killed unarmed Afghan men and children in 2013.

Police raided the ABCs Sydney headquarters in 2019 in search of evidence of a leak but decided against charging the two reporters responsible for the investigation.

In sentencing, Judge Mossop said he did not accept McBrides explanation that he thought a court would vindicate him for acting in the public interest.

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McBrides argument that his suspicions that the higher echelons of the Australian Defence Force were engaged in criminal activity obliged him to disclose classified papers didnt reflect reality, Judge Mossop said.

An Australian military report released in 2020 found evidence that troops unlawfully killed 39 Afghan prisoners, farmers and civilians. The report recommended 19 current and former soldiers face criminal investigation.

Police are working with the Office of the Special Investigator, an Australian investigation agency established in 2021, to build cases against elite SAS and Commando Regiments troops who served in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016.

Former SAS member Oliver Schulz last year became the first of these veterans to be charged with a war crime. He is accused of shooting dead a non-combatant man in a wheat field in Uruzgan province in 2012.

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Also last year, a civil court found Australias most decorated living war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith had likely unlawfully killed four Afghans. He has not been criminally charged.

Human Rights Watchs Australia director Daniela Gavshon said McBrides sentencing was evidence Australias whistleblowing laws needed exemptions in the public interest.

It is a stain on Australias reputation that some of its soldiers have been accused of war crimes in Afghanistan, and yet the first person convicted in relation to these crimes is a whistleblower not the abusers, Ms Gavshon said in a statement.

David McBrides jail sentence reinforces that whistleblowers are not protected by Australian law. It will create a chilling effect on those taking risks to push for transparency and accountability  cornerstones of democracy, she added.
US secretary of state Antony Blinken has sought to rally the spirits of Ukrainians facing a fierce new Russian offensive, assuring them they are not alone and that billions of dollars in American military aid on its way to the country will make a real difference on the battlefield.

After a day of meetings with senior officials, civil society figures and university students during which he exhorted them against being discouraged, Mr Blinken took to the stage at a Kyiv bar to play rhythm guitar with a local band on Neil Youngs 1989 hit Rockin In The Free World.

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Earlier on his unannounced visit to Kyiv, Mr Blinken told Ukrainian leaders that despite a months-long delay in US assistance that left them vulnerable to renewed Russian military strikes, more weaponry is coming and some has already arrived.



US secretary of state Antony Blinken, centre, performs Rockin In The Free World with members of The 1999 band at the Barman Dictat bar in Kyiv (Brendan Smialowski/Pool photo via AP)

He made the case even as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed to him personally for more air defence systems to protect civilians under intense Russian fire in the north-east.

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Mr Blinken also lambasted Russian President Vladimir Putin for underestimating Ukraines determination to fight back.

We meet at a critical moment, he told students at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.

The coming weeks and months will demand a great deal of Ukrainians, who have already sacrificed so much. Ive come to Ukraine with a message: You are not alone.

We sometimes hear that time is on Putins side, Mr Blinken said.

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That Russias bigger population, Putins willingness to throw more Russians into the meat grinder of his making and sink more of Russias resources into trying to subjugate Ukraine means that Russia cant lose.

In fact, Russias been losing the battle to control Ukraines destiny for 20 years. And Putin has it wrong  time is on Ukraines side.

As the war goes on, Russia is going back in time. Ukraine is moving forward.



(PA Graphics)

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And yet, in increasingly intense attacks along the north-eastern border in recent days, Moscows troops have captured around 100 to 125 square kilometres (40 to 50 square miles) in the north-east Kharkiv region that includes at least seven villages, according to open-source monitoring analysts.

Though most of those villages were already depopulated, thousands of civilians in the area have fled the fighting.

The Kremlins forces have also been making a concerted push in the east, seeking to drive deeper into the partly occupied Donetsk region.

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The main focus of Russian attacks on Tuesday was Pokrovsk, just inside the Ukrainian border in Donetsk, where the Kremlins forces launched 24 assaults, the Ukrainian general staff said in a report.

Analysts have called this moment one of the most dangerous for Ukraine since Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022.

We know this is a challenging time, Mr Blinken told Mr Zelensky in his first meeting of the day after arriving in Kyiv on an overnight train from Poland.

But he added that American military aid is going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield.

The visit comes less than a month after Congress approved a long-delayed foreign assistance package that sets aside 60 billion dollars in aid for Ukraine, much of which will go towards replenishing badly depleted artillery and air defence systems.



US secretary of state Antony Blinken addresses students and professors at the Igor Sikorsky Polytechnic Institute in Kyiv, Ukraine (Brendan Smialowski/Pool via AP)

Moscows renewed offensive in Kharkiv is the most significant border incursion since the early days of the war  and comes after months when the roughly 1,000-kilometre (620-mile) front line barely budged.

More than 7,500 civilians have been evacuated from the area, according to authorities.

At the same time, the Kremlins forces are expanding their push to the northern border regions of Sumy and Chernihiv, Ukrainian officials say, and Kyivs outgunned and outnumbered soldiers are struggling to hold them back.

Troops fought street to street on the outskirts of Vovchansk, among the largest towns in the Kharkiv area, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said on national television.

Two civilians were killed in Russian shelling on Tuesday, he said.

The UN human rights office said the battles are taking a heavy toll.

We are deeply concerned at the plight of civilians in Ukraine, Liz Throssell, spokeswoman for the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in Geneva.

In the Kharkiv region, the situation is dire.



US secretary of state Antony Blinken visits the Barman Dictat bar in Kyiv (Brendan Smialowski/Pool photo via AP)

Russia has in recent weeks also launched wide attacks on Ukraines energy infrastructure.

The operator of the national high-voltage electricity grid, Ukrenergo, said late on Tuesday that it was starting controlled emergency shutdowns for industries and households because of a significant shortage of electricity in the system due to Russian shelling and an increase in consumption due to the cold weather.

Mr Zelensky thanked Mr Blinken for the US aid  but added that more is necessary, including two Patriot air defence systems urgently needed to protect Kharkiv.

The people are under attack: civilians, warriors, everybody. Theyre under Russian missiles, he said.

Artillery, air defence interceptors and long-range ballistic missiles have already been delivered, some of them already to the front lines, said a senior US official travelling with the secretary.

Ahead of the trip, US officials noted that since President Joe Biden signed the aid package late last month, the administration has already announced 1.4 billion dollars in short-term military assistance and six billion dollars in longer-term support.

Mr Blinken, on his fourth trip to Kyiv since Russian troops rolled over the border, told Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal that the US intends to support Kyiv beyond the wars end.

The United States is determined, determined to help Ukraine succeed, succeed both in the battlefield victory but also succeed, as we would say, in winning the peace and building the strongest possible Ukraine, Mr Blinken said.



Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky, fourth left, speaks during a meeting with US secretary of state Antony Blinken, third right, in Kyiv (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

But delays in US assistance, particularly since the Israel-Hamas war began and has preoccupied top administration officials, have triggered deep concerns in Kyiv and Europe.

Mr Blinken, for example, has visited the Middle East seven times since the war in Gaza began in October.

His last trip to Kyiv was in September.

Mr Blinken went with Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba for lunch at a Kyiv pizza restaurant founded by Ukrainian veterans, pronouncing it superb.

On Mr Blinkens last visit, the pair ate at a recently reopened McDonalds restaurant.
A large billboard that collapsed amid raging thunderstorms in Mumbai killed at least 14 people and injured 75 others, according to reports.

A rescue operation was continuing on Tuesday morning, and authorities told the Press Trust of India news agency that 89 people had been rescued since the incident occurred on Monday evening.

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The rains, accompanied by high winds, caused the 30 metre (100 foot) tall billboard to fall onto a gas station in the suburb of Ghatkopar.

Rescuers look for victims under a billboard that collapsed following heavy rain and thundershowers in Mumbai, India (Rafiq Maqbool/AP)

Videos on social media and television showed the billboard shaking amid heavy winds before giving way.

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It collapsed onto several cars parked in the gas station, flattening and crushing them to the ground.

On Monday night, rescuers were rummaging through the wreckage to look for bodies as they used heavy equipment to cut through the metal girders attached to the billboard.

Rescue workers continued to clear the area on Tuesday, which still had mangled cars and debris.

A city official told PTI that more than 125 rescuers were on site, including gas cutter teams, using cranes to clear the wreckage.

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Police are investigating the incident and say the billboard was illegally installed, officials told PTI.

Rescuers look for victims under a billboard that collapsed following heavy rain and thundershowers in Mumbai, India (Rafiq Maqbool/AP)

The officials said 32 of the injured people had been discharged from the hospital.

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India has heavy rain and severe floods during the monsoon season between June and September that brings most of its annual rainfall.

The rain is crucial for agriculture but often causes extensive damage.
Georgias parliament has begun the third and final reading of a divisive bill that sparked weeks of mass protests, with critics seeing it as a threat to democratic freedoms and the countrys aspirations to join the European Union.

The bill would require media and non-governmental organisations as well as other non-profits to register as pursuing the interests of a foreign power if they receive more than 20 per cent of their funding from abroad.

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A large crowd of demonstrators gathered on Tuesday morning in front of the Georgian parliament, amid a heavy presence of riot police, to protest the bill once again, as legislators were discussing it in the lead-up to a vote.

A demonstrator speaks to the police that blocked the road towards the Georgian parliament building during an opposition protest against the Russian law (Shakh Aivazov/AP)

Over the weekend, thousands poured into the streets of the Georgian capital Tbilisi, and many stayed in front of the parliament until Monday morning.

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The opposition denounces the bill as the Russian law, because Moscow uses similar legislation to crack down on independent news media, non-profits and activists critical of the Kremlin.

The bill is nearly identical to one that the governing Georgian Dream party was pressured to withdraw last year after street protests.

Renewed demonstrations have rocked Georgia for weeks, with demonstrators scuffling with police, who used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds.

The government says the bill is necessary to stem what it deems as harmful foreign influence over the countrys politics and to prevent unspecified foreign actors from trying to destabilise it.

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Georgian president Salome Zourabichvili, who is increasingly at odds with the governing party, has vowed to veto the law, but Georgian Dream has a majority sufficient to override a presidential veto.

A demonstrator wears a national flag as he argues with the police during a protest in Tbilisi (Shakh Aivazov/AP)

The legislature approved a second reading of the bill earlier this month, after protests that drew tens of thousands of people.

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European Council president Charles Michel spoke of Georgia in Copenhagen at a conference on democracy on Tuesday, and said that if they want to join the EU, they have to respect the fundamental principles of the rule of law and the democratic principles.

A brawl erupted in the parliament as legislators were debating the bill on Tuesday.

Georgian Dream MP Dimitry Samkharadze was seen charging toward Levan Khabeishvili, the chairman of main opposition party United National Movement, after Khabeishvili accused him of organising mobs to beat up opposition supporters.

In recent days, several protesters and opposition members have been beaten up.

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The opposition linked the incidents to mass protests that have swept the South Caucasus nation of 3.7 million.
A female bear that killed a jogger in the Italian Alps last year, triggering a fierce legal battle over its fate, will be relocated to a sanctuary in Germany, authorities from the northern Italian province of Trento said on Tuesday.

After the bear, known as JJ4, fatally attacked a 26-year-old man in April 2023, Trento administrators issued an order for its capture and execution. The death sentence was blocked by legal challenges from environmentalists.

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"JJ4 will be transferred by the autumn," Trento's tourism and hunting councillor Roberto Failoni told local daily Corriere del Trentino, adding it would find a new home at the Worbis Alternative Bear Park in the central German state of Thuringia.

The decision came after the animal rights group LAV said it had secured access to medical bulletins showing that JJ4 and another bear were being held in captivity in the Trento province in a "severe state of stress."

Failoni denied this was the case.

The area around the city of Trento, which was re-populated with bears from 1999 under an EU-funded programme, has seen several bear attacks in recent years, raising questions about how to achieve successful cohabitation with the animals.
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn is booed as he addresses delegates during the second day of the Republican Party of Texas Convention at George R. Brown Convention Center on Friday, June 17, 2022. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer U.S. Sen. John Cornyn speaks during The Greater San Antonio Chamber Senatorial Series luncheon at La Mansion del Rio, Monday, Aug. 28, 2023. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News

We miss Big Bad John. That would be John Cornyn, our own senior senator, who showed up in a memorable 2008 campaign ad sporting a white cowboy hat and a western-style buckskin jacket featuring fringe down the sleeves and rhinestone cowboy-style applique across the shoulders. He rose to the top in just one term, kept Texas in power, made lesser states squirm, drawled a Sam Elliott-style narrator. Big John. Big John. Yeah, Big Bad John.

The cheesy ad worked or at least did no harm. Cornyn was easily elected to a second term. (Hell run for a fifth in 2026.)

These days, its Big Bad John himself who may be squirming a bit. Sixteen years ago, he was said to shoot straight and talk straight and enjoy a good brew, but today we picture him booted and behatted, fringe all aflutter, tiptoeing through a field of tulips that just might conceal a political minefield.

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A little background: Nearly two years ago, in the aftermath of one of the worst mass shootings in American history  19 children and two teachers slaughtered at Uvaldes Robb Elementary  Cornyn really was big, if not bad. He took the lead in a successful bipartisan effort to pass the most significant gun-safety legislation in three decades.

If not for Cornyn, President Joe Biden would never have been able to sign into law the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. The bill increased funding for mental health and set up incentives for states to implement red flag laws designed to keep guns out of the hands of individuals who pose threats to themselves or others. The act also closed the so-called boyfriend loophole and increased funding for school security.

Cornyn, working with U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican; Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona Democrat at the time (now an independent); and Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, managed to corral fellow Republicans in support, 15 in all and five more than needed to avoid a bill-killing filibuster. (His Texas cohort, Ted Cruz, was not one of them.)

Cornyn told the Texas Tribune that he knew of several Republican colleagues who supported the legislation in private but dared not vote for it. I know that there are a number of people who are glad we passed this legislation, he said, but who did not want to vote for the bill for their own political reasons.

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Big John Cornyn took a stand on principle and on behalf of his fellow Texans. For his efforts, he endured thunderous jeers from fellow Republicans at the state party convention that summer and plaintive shouts of Dont take our guns away!

To add insult to that unpleasant experience, as Cornyn put it, former President Donald Trump labeled him a RINO (Republican in Name Only).

All that likely explains why Big Bad John seems gun-shy these days. At the national level, after all, Cornyn is vying to succeed U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell as either the majority or minority Senate leader. Closer to home, though, his political future is complicated by not-so-subtle hints that he might face a GOP primary challenge from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a MAGA hero whom Cornyn disdains. If Paxton boots Cornyn back to the corral in 2026, the senators long and distinguished political career is likely over.

Shuffling to his right last week in a traditional Texas two-step, the suddenly skittish senator found a way to curtsy to Texas Republicans.

To underscore his gun-rights bona fides, Cornyn is opposing a recently announced rule based on the U.S. Department of Justices interpretation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the very act the senator worked so hard to pass. The rule is designed to close a loophole for people who have other sources of income besides selling guns. Individuals who sell via mail order, flea markets or gun shows now will have to conduct a background check. The new rule does not apply to a father giving a family gun to his child or a person who makes occasional sales, exchanges or purchases of firearms for the enhancement of a personal collection or for a hobby, or who sells all or part of his personal collection of firearms.

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Cornyn labeled the Biden administrations claim that the interpretation is based on his legislation an outright lie. He and co-sponsor Tillis plan to introduce a joint resolution of disapproval that will call for the rule to be overturned.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Cornyn and Cruz's border bill hypocrisy is staggering

Paxton announced that he too will fight the rule. In league with attorneys general in Mississippi, Utah and Louisiana, he has filed a lawsuit challenging its legality. The AGs want a stay while litigation continues.

Under this regulation, Attorney General Merrick Garland noted last month, it will not matter if guns are sold on the internet, at a gun show, or at a brick-and-mortar store. If you sell guns predominantly to earn a profit, you must be licensed, and you must conduct background checks. This regulation is a historic step in the Justice Departments fight against gun violence. It will save lives.

We agree. So do most Americans who, watching their fellow citizens mowed down by firearms in one atrocity after another, have for years begged their lawmakers for common-sense gun-safety legislation. Both the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and the Justice Department rule represent small steps in the right direction.

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A real-life Big Bad John needs to own the laudable effort he made on behalf of gun safety two years ago. Instead of truckling to the Second Amendment absolutists in his party, he needs to stand up. If it helps him stand tall, its OK with us if he brings back the buckskin jacket, fringe and all.
Michael Cohen has told Donald Trumps hush money trial that it was not until after a decade in the fold, after his family pleaded with him, after the FBI raided his office, apartment and hotel room, that he finally decided to turn on the former US president.

That decision led to a 2018 guilty plea to federal charges involving a payment to the adult film actor Stormy Daniels to bury her story of an alleged sexual encounter with Trump and to other, unrelated crimes.

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And it is that insider knowledge of shady deals that pushed Manhattan prosecutors to make Mr Cohen the star witness in their case against Trump about that same payment, which they say was an illegal effort to influence the 2016 presidential election.



US speaker of the House Mike Johnson speaks at a press conference across the street from Manhattan Criminal Court in New York (Stefan Jeremiah/AP)

Under questioning this week, Mr Cohen has described the nuts-and-bolts of how the scheme worked.

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To keep the loyalty and to do the things that he had asked me to do, I violated my moral compass, and I suffered the penalty, as has my family, Mr Cohen said on Tuesday.

There has been no witness box bombast or fireworks so far from Mr Cohen, a man who was defined for years by his braggadocio as Trumps problem-zapper.

Instead, his evidence about purposefully mislabelled cheques, false receipts and blind loyalty, however dry it was, placed Trump at the centre of the scheme and underscored the foundational argument of the case  that it is not about the spectacle of what Trump was paying for, but rather his alleged effort to illegally cover up those payments.

A shocking moment did come, but it was courtesy of House of Representatives speaker Mike Johnson, who appeared at the courthouse with Trump and who used his powerful bully pulpit to turn his political party against the rule of law by declaring the Manhattan criminal trial illegitimate.

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He and other Republican legislators are serving as surrogates while Trump himself remains barred by a gag order in the case following an appeals court ruling on Tuesday.

I do have a lot of surrogates, and theyre speaking very beautifully, Trump said before court as the group gathered in the background.

And they come  from all over Washington. And theyre highly respected, and they think this is the greatest scam theyve ever seen.



Michael Cohen, right, leaves his apartment building in New York (Seth Wenig/AP)

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The Republican presidential nominee has pleaded not guilty and denies that any of the encounters took place.

Mr Cohen has given evidence in detail about how the former president was linked to all aspects of the hush money scheme, and prosecutors believe Mr Cohens insider knowledge is critical to their case.

But their reliance on a witness with such a chequered past  he was disbarred, went to prison and separately pleaded guilty to lying about a Moscow real estate project on Trumps behalf  could backfire, especially as Trumps lawyers cross-examine him.

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Defence lawyer Todd Blanche spent no time asking about the allegations at the centre of the trial.

He instead worked to portray Mr Cohen as a Trump-obsessed media hound, intimating that Mr Cohen leaked self-serving information about himself.

Amid rapid-fire objections from prosecutors, Mr Blanche probed Mr Cohens hyperfocus on Trump, quizzing him about various social media posts and comments he has made.

Mr Cohen was asked to listen through headphones to a snippet of his podcast, as was Trump while sitting at the defence table.

Mr Cohen was asked by Mr Blanche if he recalled an October 2020 podcast episode in which he said Trump needs to wear handcuffs and that people will not be satisfied until this man is sitting inside a cell.



Defence lawyer Todd Blanche cross-examines Michael Cohen in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York (Elizabeth Williams via AP)

The line of questioning was designed to persuade jurors that Mr Cohen was driven by personal animus to hold Trump accountable.

I wouldnt put it past me, Mr Cohen said.

Is it fair to say youre motivated by fame? Mr Blanche asked.

No sir, I dont think thats fair to say, Mr Cohen said.

Im motivated by many things.

Mr Cohen will be the prosecutions last witness.

Trumps defence will begin after Mr Cohen, though it is not clear whether his lawyers will call any witnesses or if Trump will give evidence in his own defence.

Jurors have already heard how Trump and others in his orbit were reeling after the leak just a few weeks before the 2016 election of an Access Hollywood tape in which he bragged about grabbing women by the genitals without their permission.

The publication of the tape hastened the payments to Ms Daniels, according to evidence.

Mr Cohen said that Trump was constantly apprised of the behind-the-scenes efforts to bury stories feared to be harmful to the campaign.



Donald Trump speaks before the start of proceedings in his trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York (Craig Ruttle, Pool/AP)

And after paying out 130,000 dollars (103,000) to Ms Daniels in order to keep her quiet about an alleged sexual encounter, Trump promised to reimburse him.

Jurors followed along as prosecutor Susan Hoffinger, in a methodical and clinical fashion, walked Mr Cohen through that reimbursement process.

It was an attempt to show what prosecutors say was a lengthy deception to mask the true purpose of the payments.

As jurors were shown business records and other paperwork, Mr Cohen explained their purpose and reiterated again and again that the payments were reimbursements for the hush money  they were not for legal services he provided or for a retainer.

It is an important distinction, because prosecutors allege that the Trump records falsely described the purpose of the payments as legal expenses.

These records form the basis of 34 felony counts charging Trump with falsifying business records.

All told, Mr Cohen was paid 420,000 dollars (333,000), with funds drawn from a Trump personal account.

Were the descriptions on this cheque stub false? Ms Hoffinger asked.



Stormy Daniels in Manhattan Criminal Court on May 7 in New York (Elizabeth Williams via AP)

Yes, Mr Cohen said.

And again, there was no retainer agreement, Ms Hoffinger asked.

Correct, Mr Cohen replied.

On Monday, Mr Cohen said: Everything required Mr Trumps sign-off.

He told jurors that Trump did not want Ms Daniels account of a sexual encounter to get out.

At the time, Trump was especially anxious about how the story would affect his standing with female voters, particularly after the Access Hollywood leak.

What I was doing, I was doing at the direction of and benefit of Mr Trump, Mr Cohen said.

But prosecutors also spent time on Tuesday working to blunt the potential credibility issues, painting Mr Cohen as a longtime Trump loyalist who committed crimes on behalf of the former president.



Former US president Donald Trump sits in the courtroom with lawyers Todd Blanche, left, and Emil Bove at Manhattan Criminal Court before his trial in New York (Michael M Santiago/Pool Photo via AP)

In the witness box, Mr Cohen described in detail the April 2018 raid that marked the beginning of the end of his time being devoted to Trump.

How to describe your life being turned upside-down. Concerned. Despondent. Angry, Mr Cohen told the jury.

Were you frightened? Ms Hoffinger asked.

Yes, maam, he said.

But he was heartened by a phone call from Trump that he said gave him reassurance and convinced him to remain in the camp.

Mr Cohen said: He said to me, Dont worry. Im the president of the United States. Theres nothing here. Everythings going to be OK. Stay tough. Youre going to be OK.

Mr Cohen told jurors that he felt reassured because I had the president of the United States protecting me  And so I remained in the camp.

It was his wife and family who finally made him see how sticking by Trump was detrimental, he said.



Assistant district attorney Susan Hoffinger questions Michael Cohen, right, as former president Donald Trump, far left, looks on in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York (Elizabeth Williams via AP)

What are you doing? Were supposed to be your first loyalty, Mr Cohen said.

It was about time to listen to them, he said.

The men were once so close that Mr Cohen boasted that he would take a bullet for Trump.

But as their relationship soured, Mr Cohen became one of Trumps most vocal critics.

The two have, over the years, traded vicious barbs.

During their last courtroom face-off in October during Trumps civil fraud trial, Trump walked out of the courtroom after his lawyer finished questioning Mr Cohen.

Throughout Mr Cohens evidence on Tuesday, Trump reclined in his chair with his eyes closed and his head tilted to the side.

He shifted from time to time, occasionally leaning forward and opening his eyes, making a comment to his lawyer before returning to his recline.

Even some of the topics that have animated him the most as he campaigns did not stir his attention.

Mr Cohen, do you have any regrets about your past work for Donald Trump? Ms Hoffinger asked.

I do, Mr Cohen said.

I regret doing things for him that I should not have. Lying. Bullying people to effectuate a goal. I dont regret working for the Trump Organisation. As I expressed before, I had some very interesting, great times.
More than half a million Palestinians have been displaced in recent days by escalating Israeli military operations in southern and northern Gaza, the United Nations says.

Around 450,000 Palestinians were driven out of Rafah in Gazas south over the past week, the UNs agency for Palestinian refugees said on Tuesday.

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There were roughly 1.3 million people sheltering in Rafah before Israel began pushing into the city, which Israel says is the last Hamas stronghold.



A man watches smoke rising to the sky after an explosion in the Gaza Strip (Leo Correa/AP)

Israeli forces are also battling Hamas militants in northern Gaza, where the army had launched major operations earlier in the war.

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The armys evacuation orders issued on Saturday have displaced around 100,000 people so far, UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters on Monday.

Palestinian officials say Israeli strikes in central Gaza killed at least 12 people overnight and into Tuesday.

No food has entered the two main border crossings in southern Gaza for the past week.

Some 1.1 million Palestinians in Gaza face catastrophic levels of hunger, on the brink of starvation, and a full-blown famine is taking place in the north, according to the UN.

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Seven months of Israeli bombardment and ground operations in Gaza have killed more than 35,000 people, most of them women and children, according to local health officials.



Backdropped by smoke rising to the sky after an explosion in the Gaza Strip, an Israeli tank stands near the Israel-Gaza border as seen from southern Israel (Leo Correa/AP)

Meanwhile, thousands of people marched in the southern Israeli city of Sderot on Tuesday calling for the country to reoccupy Gaza once the war is over.

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Far right Israelis are calling for the reestablishment of settlements in Gaza, saying theyre needed to protect the country.

Israeli troops withdrew from Gaza in 2005, uprooting some 9,000 settlers in a move that bitterly divided Israel.

We want to tell everybody in Israel and everybody in the world that Gaza is very very important to us and it has to be again in Israeli hands, said Smadar Dei, one of the marchers.

Because if it wont be in Israeli hands we wont finish the things that we started doing in this war.

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Sderot, which is a few kilometres from Gaza, was one of the first towns impacted when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 and the war is still very much felt in the area.



Thousands of Israelis march with national flags in the southern city of Sderot calling for Israel to reoccupy the Gaza Strip once the war is over (Maya Alleruzzo/AP)

On Tuesday, which is Israels independence day, supporters snaked through the city, waving Israeli flags and dancing and singing Hebrew songs against the backdrop of outgoing Israeli shelling into Gaza followed by plumes of smoke.

Rockets were also fired into Sderot from Gaza on Tuesday as people ducked for cover.

Associated Press reporters saw what appeared to be the interception of rockets in the sky.

Supporters of reoccupying Gaza said the only way to secure Israel is by expanding Jewish settlements across the territory.

Instead of this smoke we want to see Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip, said Daniella Weiss, one of the organisers who is known as the godmother of the settler movement.

No more smoke or bombs, no more shelling on Sderot, she said.

The war began on October 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.
The whereabouts of a Chinese citizen journalist who served four years in prison for reporting on the early days of the pandemic in Wuhan and was expected to be released on Monday are unknown, sparking concern from activists.

Zhang Zhan, who had been sentenced to four years in prison on charges of picking quarrels and provoking trouble, a vaguely defined charge often used in political cases, has finished serving her sentence at Shanghais Women Prison.

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Ren Quanniu, a former lawyer who previously represented Ms Zhang, said he could not reach her father and expressed concern that Ms Zhang would be released only to be put under another form of control by police.

Monday was the last day of her four-year sentence, confirmed Mr Ren and Jane Wang, another overseas activist who launched the Free Zhang Zhan campaign in the UK.

Ms Zhang was among a handful of citizen journalists who travelled to the central Chinese city of Wuhan after the government put it under total lockdown in February 2020, in the early days of the pandemic.

She walked around the city to document public life as fears grew about the then-mysterious coronavirus.

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Other citizen journalists have also spent time in jail for documenting the early days of the pandemic, including Fang Bin, who published videos of overcrowded hospitals and bodies during the outbreak.

Mr Fang was sentenced to three years in prison and released last April.

Chen Qiushi, another citizen journalist, disappeared in February 2020 while filming in Wuhan.

Mr Chen in September 2021 resurfaced on a friends live video feed on YouTube, saying he had suffered from depression but did not provide details about his disappearance.

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During her prison stay, Ms Zhang staged a hunger strike and was hospitalised at one point in 2021.

Her family have faced police pressure during her stay in prison, and her parents have declined interview requests from media.

Her family at times could only speak to their daughter by phone at the prison.

Shen Yanqiu, who had planned to go with Ms Zhangs family to receive her at the prison, declined to speak to The Associated Press, saying she had been invited to drink tea, a euphemism for a police interrogation.

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Calls to Ms Zhangs brother went unanswered.

Calls to the Shanghai Prison Administration office also went unanswered.

Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Wang Wenbin declined to comment on the case when asked on Monday, saying Im not aware of the situation.

Coronavirus remains a sensitive topic in China.

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In the first week of May, a Chinese scientist who was the first to publish a sequence of the Covid-19 virus staged a protest after authorities barred him from his lab, after years of demotions and setbacks.

An Associated Press investigation also found that the government froze domestic and international efforts to trace the virus from the first weeks of the outbreak.
Armed assailants have killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy in which an inmate escaped, officials said.

The convoy was transporting prisoner Mohamed Amra to Evreux jail after a court hearing in Rouen when it was ambushed on the A154, which has been closed.

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All means are being used to find these criminals. On my instructions, several hundred police officers and gendarmes were mobilised, interior minister Gerald Darmanin posted on social platform X.

Lattaque de ce matin, qui a coute la vie a des agents de ladministration penitentiaire, est un choc pour nous tous.



La Nation se tient aux cotes des familles, des blesses et de leurs collegues.



Tout est mis en uvre pour retrouver les auteurs de ce crime  Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 14, 2024 Advertisement

French President Emmanuel Macron in a post on X called the attack a shock for all of us.

Authorities worked to secure the area in north-western France and apprehend the assailants.

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It was not clear how many were involved.

Amra was detained at the Val de Reuil prison centre near Rouen following his recent sentencing for burglary.

He was also under investigation for a kidnapping and homicide case in Marseille, according to public prosecutor Laure Beccuau.

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Condoleances sinceres et attristees aux familles endeuillees et aux agents du ministere de la Justice. Le plan  Epervier  a ete declenche. Tous les moyens sont mis en uvre pour retrouver ces criminels. Sur mon instruction, plusieurs centaines de policiers et de gendarmes sont https://t.co/KXzPJa0A2r  Gerald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) May 14, 2024

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French media reported that Amra was nicknamed La Mouche (The Fly).

Ms Beccuau announced an investigation into the attack, considered a case of organised crime and murder, and said two of the wounded officers were in a critical condition.

The investigation will also address organised escape attempts, possession of military-grade weapons and conspiracy to commit a crime.
A Chinese dragon believed to be the oldest complete parade dragon in the world and held in the Victorian town of Bendigo has been vandalised, along with other significant items.

The dragon, more than 120 years old and named Loong, is listed on the Victorian State Heritage Register. It was retired from use in 1970 but has been used occasionally since then. A second dragon, the 100 metre-long Sun Loong, was also damaged.

Loong is believed to be the worlds oldest Chinese dragon.

They were among several other significant artefacts and statues, worth about $100,000 in total, vandalised at the Golden Dragon Museum in Bendigo on May 5. Police are looking for a man and woman, who allegedly used an oily liquid to inflict the damage.

Premier Jacinta Allan, the local member for Bendigo East, said it was difficult to fathom what could motivate somebody to vandalise the museum. She said she had not been advised whether it could have been racially motivated.
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 Sitting in a plush South Yarra hotel room, in a silk maxi and red Louboutins, Deborah Frances-White tells a story about how other forms of change-making can be just as good as fury. Anger, says one of the worlds most prominent online feminists, still has its merits but although women have a multitude of reasons, especially now, to feel and use it, it cannot be the only tool in our box. Other techniques can help bring around even the most closed-minded opposers to progress towards equality, or basic safety, still required for women. Frances-White knows this because of a man named Lawrence. He wrote to her saying he had only tuned in to her global hit podcast, The Guilty Feminist  which he could hardly miss, as its nudging 200 million downloads  to hate-listen. Loading He said: Im listening to your podcast to see what the enemy is up to because I hate feminists; but 18 months later, youve worn me down  I do other everyone who isnt a straight, white man and sometimes what you say still annoys me, but Ive realised keep saying what you say because its working, says Frances-White, whose breath-to-anecdote ratio is nothing short of impressive. I wrote back and said, Lawrence, what kept you listening for 18 months? And he said because it was funny. Even though the jokes were sometimes about attitudes like mine, I laughed and my armour came off.

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If he had tuned in and wed been kind of scalding it may not have grabbed Lawrence enough to bring him along, she says. Not that we dont get angry on the show; if youre not angry, youre not paying attention. Sometimes anger works to motivate people, sometimes comedy works to motivate people, sometimes joy works to motivate or keep people going, she says. Its about what colours are in our palette and how can we strategically use comedy to wake people up and disarm people. Frances-White landed on her latest visit to Australia in the midst of another round of public rage and rallies prompted by abuse of women, notably 28 women having been allegedly killed by violence in the first third of the year. Frances-White hopes her feminist variety show will boost women and allies. Credit: Joe Armao She was visiting relatives in Murwillumbah and Toowoomba when the recent No More marches took place to protest this in capital cities, otherwise she would have attended. The Oxford-educated writer hopes her feminist variety show will boost women and allies with reason to feel dispirited. The woman who, as a one-time comedy festival director, gave Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge her start, cites fabled feminist Gloria Steinem as an inspiration for her own tone, and stresses that celebration and gender revolution are not mutually exclusive. I want people to experience joy: I want people to laugh. Theres a great Gloria Steinem quote: If you want to have music and dancing and sex and joy after the revolution, youve got to have music and dancing and joy and sex during the revolution  I think thats right, she says.

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Anger can become one-note and people stop hearing it. These other tools draw people to the movement to energise people, to give people resilience, to be magnetic: all of the emotions. As ever, Frances-Whites live show  recorded for podcast  will open with light-hearted confessions of less-than-faultless feminism. It is a clever device to alleviate feelings of never being quite feminist enough that were familiar to the comedian and the shows now-departed co-creator, fellow stand-up Sofie Hagen. The story goes that the friends brewed their hit formula over lunch in 2015, when discussing feminist-fails like dashing into a shop during a womens march to use the loo, then being distracted by the face cream. The Im a feminist but ... trick never fails to give other women the opportunity to relate, feel forgiven and be in on a joke with serious undertones in a time when as much as ever, plenty feels at stake. The threat to reproductive choice in the United States is just one cloud on a still-stormy, global womens rights horizon. TAKE 7: THE ANSWERS ACCORDING TO DEBORAH FRANCES-WHITE Worst habit? Watching videos on my phone as I fall asleep. Greatest fear? Getting complacent. The line that stayed with you? We die. That may be the meaning of life. But we do language. That may be the measure of our lives.  Toni Morrison. Biggest regret? Not striking out boldly earlier  but its made me strike out boldly ever since, so its not so much a regret as a motivator. Favourite room? I have a living room in my little flat with floor to ceiling bookcases. Love to sit in there with a cat and read. The artwork/song you wish was yours? Immersing yourself in other peoples art is connection. Id never wish it were mine. I am so happy I get to create my own stuff and hope others find connection in that. Having said that, Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen is a perfect song. If you could solve one thing... To make the world value kindness and connection as much as it values power and money. That would solve almost everything else. But Frances-White, who lives in London with her husband, writer Tom Salinski, does not allow herself to cede to gloom. The overturning, in 2022, of the landmark Roe versus Wade decision (that in 1973 declared a state law banning abortion contravened the US Constitution) is both a cause for alarm and a symbol of a success, she says. The backlash demonstrates we are making progress, if the womens marches of 2018 and the #MeToo movement hadnt changed anything, hadnt ruffled feathers, we wouldnt see any backlash, she says.

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The reason Roe v Wade has been overturned is because they [those who oppose womens rights] are frightened we are powerful. When the empire strikes back, you know you are making strides forward, so you keep making them and never take that as a sign you are losing; you take it as sign youre winning. Asked on a promotional appearance on The Project what her definition of contemporary feminism was, Frances-White kept it concise: It is the request-slash-demand for equality, and to be seen as a whole human being. Frances-White promoting her stand-up show in 2008. Credit: Craig Sillitoe She does not go into detail while in Australia about becoming a Jehovahs Witness in her teens when her Australian family converted to the faith, but she has said in previous interviews, and in her book, The Guilty Feminist, that some aspects of it ignited her interest in feminism. She told The New York Times that: The most senior position for a woman is elders wife, which has a Handmaids Tale ring to it. Even the Kingdom Hall cleaning roster and the most basic admin work are done by men. I had a slow awakening that this wasnt for me. I needed to create a more feminist space in the real world for myself after that experience. As a Brisbane schoolgirl, she learned that activism can produce results, having pestered the school principal for months to get a music teacher on staff by sitting outside her office every lunchtime for weeks on end with a bunch of mates to reinforce their determination. Frances-White also realised during her school years that she loved making people laugh, including while door-knocking as a Jehovahs Witness. She told the Times: When I left, the first place I went was a comedy improv class  Being in the moment is the opposite of a high control group mentality. It opens you right up.

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Citing the toughest trading conditions theyve experienced, Sydney hospitality veterans Hamish Ingham and Rebecca Lines have closed their eateries in Redfern and Barangaroo.

Two more restaurants have joined a growing wave of Sydney hospitality closures, with the hatted Redbird restaurant in Redfern and its sibling eatery Tequila Daisy announcing they will close their doors immediately.

The closures follow the recent departures of new-wave Sydney eateries Raja and Khanaa, and the announcement the 35-year-old Tetsuyas fine diner will shut permanently at the end of July.

Redbird and Tequila Daisy owners Hamish Ingham and partner Rebecca Lines cited the cocktail of rising costs, staff shortages, increased rents and outgoings as reasons behind their decision.

Rebecca Lines and Hamish Ingham at their Barangaroo bistro Banksii, which became Tequila Daisy. Daniel Munoz

We started our first business during the global financial crisis and successfully navigated COVID. However, the current trading conditions are the toughest we have seen in our time of operating venues. With another quieter year approaching, we have decided it is best to call time on our venues, they said in a statement.
A man who allegedly threatened a group of teenagers at an eastern suburbs wharf before drink-driving to a regional town has been banned from entering a slew of Sydney suburbs.

At about 5.50pm on Monday three boys, aged 15, 16 and 17, were fishing off Watsons Bay wharf near the iconic Doyles on the Wharf fish and chip restaurant when Jack Doyle confronted them, police allege.

Police allege Doyle threatened to use a firearm against the teenagers during a verbal altercation before leaving to fetch a car, which he allegedly drove towards the boys.

Jack Doyle allegedly confronted the three boys on Watsons Bay wharf. Credit: Rhett Wyman

Police said Doyle, 37, damaged property during the confrontation, before driving away from the wharf.
Lifelong West End resident Kos Kastrissios remembers going to Paniyiri, the annual Greek festival in South Brisbanes Musgrave Park, when he was a kid.

Back then, the festival  started in 1976 by a group of passionate Greek Australians keen to share a taste of their culture and cuisine  was no more than a few rides and stalls.

The Paniyiri Greek Festival in Brisbane draws thousands of revellers to Musgrave Park to celebrate Greek culture every year. Credit: Paniyiri/Pixel Punk

Now Paniyiri engulfs the entire park and attracts more than 50,000 festival-goers across the two-day event.

Its all about the food, drink and dancing, says Kastrissios, the co-chair of the volunteer organising committee.
Mayor John Whitmire announces the city budget during a news conference Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Houston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Mayor John Whitmire announces the city budget during a news conference Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Houston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Mayor John Whitmire announces the city budget during a news conference Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Houston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Mayor John Whitmire, left, shakes hands with Acting Police Chief Larry Satterwhite following a news conference where he unveiled a $6.7 billion budget for the City of Houston on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Houston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Melissa Dubowski, city finance director, speaks about Mayor John Whitmires $6.7 billion budget proposal he unveiled during a news conference Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Houston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Melissa Dubowski, city finance director, speaks about Mayor John Whitmires $6.7 billion budget proposal he unveiled during a news conference Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Houston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Mayor John Whitmire listens as Melissa Dubowski, city finance director, speaks about $6.7 billion budget proposal the mayor unveiled during a news conference Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Houston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Mayor John Whitmire makes his way to the Legacy Room at City Hall to announce a $6.7 billion budget proposal Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Houston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Mayor John Whitmire shakes hands with City Council Member Julian Ramirez, At-Large Position 1, as he makes his way to the Legacy Room at City Hall to announce a $6.7 billion budget proposal Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Houston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Mayor John Whitmire announces a $6.7 billion budget proposal during a news conference Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Houston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

Amid Houstons strained financial outlook, Mayor John Whitmire unveiled a $6.7 billion budget proposal Tuesday, announcing he does not intend to raise taxes or significantly cut city services during the fiscal year starting in July.

The proposed budget, the first of Whitmires tenure, features a 7% increase from last years plan. It includes additional costs from the $1.5 billion firefighters settlement and likely pay raises for municipal workers. It does not, however, account for the approximately $100 million fiscal impact from an April court ruling concerning the citys drainage system.

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Whitmires administration previously floated the idea of a property tax hike and a garbage fee to close the existing budget gap of around $187 million and help fund the firefighters deal. But the mayor said these measures will not be considered in the upcoming year. Instead, the city plans to use the remaining COVID-19 federal funds to close the deficit, which he said he inherited from former Mayor Sylvester Turners administration.

Earlier this year, the mayor asked all city departments, except for police and fire, to identify ways to cut their spending by 5%. The resulting plan shows $11.7 million in departmental savings, primarily from eliminating vacant positions, according to Finance Director Melissa Dubowski. She and the mayor said they will continue to seek cost-saving opportunities in the coming days.

I wasnt prepared to raise taxes or cut services in the short five months that Ive been here if we could possibly do it a different way, Whitmire said during a Tuesday news conference. I actually said during the campaign we didnt know the true state of the city finances. And were still learning on a daily basis where we can have savings.

Varied impacts on city departments

About half of Houstons total budget, or $3.3 billion, goes into a general fund primarily supported by property and sales taxes. The fund covers daily services like policing, trash collection, parks and libraries. The rest is directed to enterprise funds, which are self-sustaining and use fees and charges to pay for specific operations.

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In line with previous years breakdown, funding for the Houston Police Department, at $1.04 billion, and the Houston Fire Department, at $636 million, would account for half of the citys proposed general fund budget. Whitmire said this reflects his continued prioritization of public safety.

The Planning and Development Department would see the largest budget reduction of 27% under Whitmires new plan. Public Works would also see a double-digit cut of 13%. However, only a small portion of Public Works revenue comes from the general fund, with the bulk of its funding stemming from water, sewage and drainage fees.

The Controllers Office, City Council and Fire Department would see the largest percentage increases in their budgets for the new fiscal year, at 17%, 8% and 7%, respectively.

The administration is set to present more detailed breakdowns of each departments spending plan during a series of budget workshops scheduled from May 15 to May 28, before City Council votes on the final proposal in June.

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Looming new financial liabilities

The recent firefighters settlement  which includes $650 million in backpay, up to 34% salary increases and additional funding for special incentives  will take an immediate toll on the city budget. This financial strain is also expected to persist for decades as the city plans to spread the backpay cost through a bond.

The fiscal year 2025 budget will include the impact of a first-year 10% pay raise for firefighters, around $31 million in debt payment, as well as $10 million in educational incentives and other new special pay for the department.

Another major development set to strain the citys budget is the latest court ruling that found the city has been significantly underfunding the amount of property taxes dedicated to streets and drainage since 2016. Whitmire previously said the city planned to appeal the decision, despite his campaign promise last year to stop shorting the drainage fund.

Dubowski estimated the ruling would cost the city $100 million more in fiscal year 2025. However, the current proposal does not include this additional cost, as Whitmire said he is in conversations with the plaintiffs to discuss a potential settlement.

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Meanwhile, Houstons municipal employees union is negotiating pay raises for its members. Dubowski said the estimated costs from the new labor contract are factored into the existing budget proposal but declined to reveal their projected amount.

To find more cost-saving measures to cover these major financial liabilities, Whitmire said the city will undertake a comprehensive review of each department in the coming months. He said he will also continue to work with other government entities  including Harris County, Metro and state agencies  to share the costs of running city services.

Things are in place to get through 2025 without raising taxes through efficiencies and collaboration, Whitmire said.

Balance to return to pre-pandemic level

Houston has long struggled with a structural deficit, where recurring expenses outstrip revenues. The city has previously tried to cover the gap with one-time revenues like land sales and maintenance deferrals.

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In recent years, Turners administration used federal COVID-19 relief funds to amass the largest budget reserve the city has seen in decades. Dubowski recently estimated Houston would have a fund balance of $468 million by the end of the current fiscal year, $282 million above the legally required minimum.

However, with the last of the pandemic relief funds set to cover this years deficit, Houstons reserve is projected to drop to $280 million by the end of the next fiscal year, returning to pre-COVID levels, according to Dubowski.

Those challenges are something that were going to confront in fiscal year '25 to build toward fiscal year '26, Dubowski said.
Compensation and pension payments to veterans will surge by $9 billion over five years as the federal government moves to clear a massive backlog of claims by former military personnel.

The veterans payments represent one of the biggest budget blowouts since Decembers mid-year budget update, alongside unexpected increases in disaster relief payments, childcare subsidies and unemployment benefits.

Government sources said growth in the number of young veterans being treated for PTSD helped explain the recent surge in compensation claims. Credit: Getty Images

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said the budget contained a very substantial increase in veterans rehabilitation and compensation payments, reflecting a concerted effort to clear a backlog of 41,000 unprocessed claims that Labor faced when it took office in 2022.

Theyve all been allocated; theyre all being processed, Gallagher told this masthead when asked about the outstanding claims during Tuesdays budget lock-up.
Billions of dollars will flow to Victoria for infrastructure projects and bulk-billing clinics, but the states unexpected GST boost will stabilise in the next financial year due to a decline in consumption and an improvement in Victorias relative position compared to other states.

The GST hit comes as the Albanese government uses its budget to issue a warning to state governments to chip in to help ease the fiscal pressures facing the federation by providing essential services delivery and fiscal sustainability. States will face further budgetary pressures, particularly in health and servicing their own debts, it said.

Premier Jacinta Allan Credit: Justin McManus

The warning comes one week after Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas revealed that Victorias debt will continue to rise, peaking at 25.2 per cent of gross state product by 2026-27, while net debt will rise from $156.2 billion by the end of the next financial year and hit $187.8 billion by June 2028.

Tuesdays federal budget included an extra $3.25 billion for Melbournes North East Link, bringing the Commonwealths total contribution to $5 billion for the road project that has an estimated cost of $26 billion after a $10 billion cost blow-out.
Premier Chris Minns says he is unable to give a timeframe on the rollout of electronic monitoring bracelets for men accused of serious domestic violence offences in NSW because of the complexity of the new regime, as experts in the sector offered a cautious welcome to the changes.

Announcing the details of a major new bail reform package on Tuesday, Minns repeatedly declined to put a timeline on law changes that will require men to wear an ankle bracelet when released on bail after being accused of a serious domestic violence offence.

NSW Premier Chris Minns announced tough new bail laws after Molly Ticehursts death. Credit: Kate Geraghty, Sharni Tolhurst Photography

While insisting the changes would not be years away Minns said he would establish a taskforce to advise the government on establishing the new regime, including the purchase of the devices and the monitoring of alleged offenders.

I cant give a timeframe today. It will be as soon as possible. Id just ask people to recognise that as it currently stands in NSW, there is no electronic monitoring for those that are out on bail, he said.
Paris: Gunmen wearing balaclavas rammed a prison van, then fired on it, in northern France to free a drug dealer known as The Fly, killing two prison guards, severely wounding three and triggering a major police manhunt.

The brazen attack at a toll booth in Incarville in the Eure region of northern France on Tuesday morning (Paris-time) underlines the growing threat of drug crime across Europe, the worlds No.1 cocaine market.

The fugitive inmate, named Mohamed Amra, is a 30-year-old drug dealer from northern France, according to the Paris prosecutors office and police sources. He had been convicted of burglary by a court in Evreux on May 10 and was being held at the Val de Reuil prison.

Images on social media showed gunmen in balaclavas circling near an SUV that was in flames at the toll booth.
Dzawo was not a fit and proper person to provide financial services after he made false and misleading representations to clients, acted outside of his authorisation with his licensee, did not disclose his interest in an investment he recommended to clients, and demonstrated a serious lack of honesty, integrity, judgement, trustworthiness and professionalism, ASIC said.
Business confidence here climbed by five points to 112.1, while consumer confidence soared by 13.5 points to 100.9. This growth in confidence is attributed to significant recent purchases, positive financial changes, and regional pride. The only decline was in their confidence in new technology.
US and Chinese envoys are expected to hold first-ever discussions on the risks of AI technology in the upcoming Geneva conference, the Associated Press reported.

According to the reports, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and his counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, will hold off the first formal bilateral meeting to "reduce the risk of miscalculation and unintended conflict" amid the AI surge.

The meeting will follow earlier discussions between US national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Yi last month.

While specifics of the meeting are not clear yet, a US official told reporters that the talks will not focus on potential "technical collaboration or cooperating on frontier research."

It is uncertain if the discussions will continue the two countries' commitments to prevent the use of AI technology in their advanced weaponries.

Also Read : US, China Presidents are Expected to Ban AI Use with Autonomous Weapons

US, China Will Discuss Potential Safety Guidelines on AI Development

While other talking points remain in the grey area, the US expects a solid outcome on its proposal of building safety guidelines in AI development.

Associated Press reported that the US delegation will bring the idea of voluntary commitments in developing and distributing AI technology, including proper safety tests of the products.

Digital experts have long expressed worries about the current state of AI development due to potential data safety risks to the country and its people.

With the two countries addressing these concerns, the US is looking to finalize an outline for future development plans.

US to Raise Concerns on China's AI Activities

As for security risk mitigation, the Financial Times reported that the US delegation is expected to voice its concerns on China's recent AI activities and its dangers to American security.

The statement refers to the surge in cyberattacks from alleged Chinese government-sponsored hackers hitting integral US facilities, including water and power services.

This is in addition to reports of China obtaining advanced AI chips from the US despite the country's trading sanctions on the Asian nation.

Several reports have earlier hinted at the White House urging allied countries to heighten restrictions preventing China from buying AI hardware.

And just last week, the US Department of Commerce included multiple Chinese companies in its "entity list," making it difficult for the firms to acquire American-made technologies.

In response, China has accused the US of committing the same accusations it has thrown against the country with its advancements and collaboration with AI firms.
MidOcean Energy (MidOcean), a liquefied natural gas (LNG) company formed and managed by EIG, a leading institutional investor in the global energy and infrastructure sectors, today announced the appointment of Armand Lumens as Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240514998356/en/

(Photo: Business Wire)

Mr. Lumens brings to MidOcean more than 30 years of highly relevant and broad expertise across M&A, private equity, business development, trading, financing, audit, risk management, venture capital, take-privates and initial public offerings.

We are delighted to welcome Armand to the MidOcean team, said De la Rey Venter, MidOceans CEO. Were confident in his ability to drive financial excellence and contribute to the company's continued growth and success. His wealth of expertise will be an invaluable asset as MidOcean continues to pursue its strategic objectives.

Mr. Lumens said, MidOcean is well positioned to make a significant impact on the energy transition through its expertise in and focus on LNG. I am thrilled to join De la Rey and the EIG team as it seeks to build a global LNG portfolio.

Mr. Lumens most recently served as the Group CFO of Neptune Energy, where he played a pivotal role in developing and implementing the company's financial and IT strategies and achieving its operational success. Prior to his tenure at Neptune Energy, he held the position of Group CFO at Louis Dreyfus. Previously, Mr. Lumens spent more than 24 years at Shell, where he held various senior positions, including CFO of Shell Trading, Chief Internal Auditor and Head of Group External Reporting and Planning.

Mr. Lumens earned a Bachelors degree and an MBA from Maastricht University and an MSc in Finance from the London Business School. He is a Certified Internal Auditor and an alumnus of the Executive Leadership Program of IMD. Mr. Lumens is fluent in English, Dutch, French, German and Italian.

About EIG

EIG is a leading institutional investor in the global energy and infrastructure sectors with $24.7 billion under management as of March 31, 2024. EIG specializes in private investments in energy and energy-related infrastructure on a global basis. During its 42-year history, EIG has committed over $47.9 billion to the energy sector through 410 projects or companies in 42 countries on six continents. EIGs clients include many of the leading pension plans, insurance companies, endowments, foundations and sovereign wealth funds in the U.S., Asia and Europe. EIG is headquartered in Washington, D.C. with offices in Houston, London, Sydney, Rio de Janeiro, Hong Kong and Seoul.

About MidOcean Energy

MidOcean Energy, an LNG company formed and managed by EIG, seeks to build a diversified, resilient, cost and carbon competitive global LNG portfolio. It reflects EIGs belief in LNG as a critical enabler of the energy transition and the growing importance of LNG as a geopolitically strategic energy resource. MidOcean Energy is headed by De la Rey Venter, a 26-year industry veteran who has held a variety of senior executive roles, including Global Head of LNG for Shell Plc.

For additional information, please visit EIGs website at www.eigpartners.com or MidOcean Energys website at www.midoceanenergy.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240514998356/en/
Boomi, the intelligent integration and automation leader, today announced that HEB Construction chose Boomi to enable the delivery of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) modernisation project that ensures global alignment with its parent company, bolstered local governance, and established a re-use philosophy.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240513397960/en/

Major Construction Company Deploys Boomi to Build Stable Data Core (Graphic: Business Wire)

HEB Construction (HEB) is a major construction player with 1,500 employees in New Zealand. Founded in 1975, the company delivers road, rail, marine, land, and urban development projects nationwide. In 2015, HEB was acquired by VINCI Construction.

In 2022, HEB started the adoption of its parent companys ERP project, marking the first deployment outside of the European Union. While the ERP platform typically replaces all in-country systems, this was unsuitable for HEB due to the maturity of existing local technology investments and the regulatory frameworks under which it operates.

With New Zealands regulatory and functional requirements contrasting previously-deployed markets, it became clear a digital transplant wouldnt be suitable  HEB required a different approach, said Mircel Van Der Walt, Enterprise Architect at HEB Construction. Instead, my team considered a hybrid integration approach. This decision was driven not only by the necessity for a compliant governance system, but also by our imperative to uphold our existing expertise in local systems like HR. To ensure the new ERP would thrive in this unfamiliar environment, we realised HEB could only gain trust by innovating around a stable core.

HEB implemented Boomis integration platform as a service (iPaaS) to establish hub and spoke integration patterns between its local applications, including payroll, timesheet, inventory management, and equipment maintenance systems. Adopting the ERPs data structure as its data standard, HEB mirrored its local patterns with the global ERP stack to form hub-to-hub connectivity. This approach established seamless communication between both companies and established re-usable integration patterns.

Despite the ERP projects complexity, our slot in the larger global rollout was kept to the same stringent 12-month timeframe. But with the Boomi Enterprise Platform, we had a tool that enabled us to deliver on time, plus create design interfaces that had reuse value  it can effectively replicate what we achieved in other parts of the world with similar local guardrails, regulations, and operational requirements.

HEB also implemented Boomi Master Data Hub (MDH) to deepen collaboration and precision. With MDH, HEB can comprehensively manage its digital assets through three abstracted layers: people, projects, and equipment.

By establishing boundaries between the three data archetypes, ERP data accurately feeds through and lands where it should locally, and vice versa. For example, new hire information now pulls in our Boomi people bucket and trickles up to the ERP when minimum data completeness is reached.

Were becoming a digital centric business and not just a construction company that has data. This means we arent just installing shiny new tech; were giving systems meaning by connecting them around the stable enterprise data core. This is especially relevant to our AI plans, because you cannot have AI without IA (information architecture). With Boomi, were now ready.

Nathan Gower, Senior Director for Enterprise, APAC at Boomi, said, This is a true representation of local innovation born out of a global companys recognition for unique requirements needed in-region. HEB used Boomi to create a crossbreed of top performing systems, and by doing so, established a mutual understanding that there are no camps  rather, both organisations used their respective systems and tools to create an integrated outcome serving a common goal.

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About Boomi

Boomi powers the future of business with intelligent integration and automation. As a category-leading, global software as a service (SaaS) company, Boomi celebrates more than 20,000 global customers and a worldwide network of 800 partners. Organizations turn to Boomis award-winning platform to connect their applications, data, and people to accelerate digital transformation. For more information, visit boomi.com.

 2024 Boomi, LP. Boomi, the B logo, and Boomiverse are trademarks of Boomi, LP or its subsidiaries or affiliates. All rights reserved. Other names or marks may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240513397960/en/
Optiscan signs Know-How agreement with US-based Mayo Clinic to develop new endomicroscopic imaging system

The companies will work together to co-develop technology for use in robotic surgery

Co-development and clinical testing will commence with initial focus on robotic-assisted breast cancer surgery

Mayo Clinic will take a financial interest in Optiscans technology

Optiscan Imaging Limited (ASX:OIL) (Optiscan or The Company) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a collaboration through a know-how agreement with Mayo Clinic to develop a digital confocal laser endomicroscopic imaging system for use in robotic surgery.

The collaboration combines Optiscans engineering expertise in digital endomicroscopic hardware and software development with Mayo Clinics know-how in robotic surgery and quality patient care. The agreement, which covers a 24-month co-development plan, will bring together experts from both companies to develop a robot-compatible endomicroscopic imaging system with an initial focus on robotic-assisted breast cancer surgery.

Optiscan CEO and Managing Director, Dr Camile Farah, said: Were excited to collaborate with Mayo Clinic to accelerate the development and clinical testing of our robotic imaging platform with the aim of fast-tracking the adoption of real-time digital pathology and image-guided precision robotic surgery. This collaboration is built on a shared history of innovation and a laser focus on delivering the highest quality patient outcomes for better health care delivery.

Mayo Clinic is the largest integrated, not-for-profit medical group practice in the world, focussed on transforming health care and building a healthier world. Its drive to deliver better medical care has earned it more top rankings for high-quality patient care than any other health care organization. It has more #1 rankings than any other hospital in the US, and is top-ranked in more specialties than any other US hospital. The hospital undertakes more than 141,000 surgical cases and performs more than 4,000 robotic surgery cases a year.

The robotic-assisted surgery market is experiencing significant growth and is expected to continue expanding driven by technological advancements, increasing adoption, rising prevalence of chronic diseases, an aging population, surgeon demand, and favourable reimbursement policies. The US robotic surgery service market was valued at $1.8 Bn in 2022 and is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.3% to reach $6.4 Bn in 2030.

Dr Farah adds: The collaboration is part of Optiscans wider strategic focus on the US market, and its plan to embed its platform technology as a key component of intraoperative oncological surgery workflows in a variety of settings and clinical applications to provide surgeons with real-time microscopic information of cancer clearance for the potential to reduce missed cancers and minimise repeat surgeries due to residual disease.

Mayo Clinic has a financial interest in the technology referenced in this announcement. Mayo Clinic will use any revenue it receives to support its not-for-profit mission in patient care, education and research.

This announcement has been authorised for release by the Board of Optiscan.

About Optiscan

Optiscan Imaging Ltd (ASX:OIL) is a global leader in the development, manufacturing, and commercialisation of confocal endomicroscopic imaging technologies for medical, translational and pre-clinical applications. Our technology enables real-time, non-destructive, 3D, in-vivo digital imaging at the single-cell level.

We are driven by developing technology and its use to give healthcare providers and researchers the highest quality real-time microscopic imaging tools to enable the early detection and management of disease, improve patient outcomes, and reduce the high cost of curative medicine and associated procedures.

Our patent-protected proprietary technology, using specially miniaturised componentry, has created a pen-sized digital microscope, which can be used on any tissue it contacts to produce high resolution digital pathology images for cancer diagnosis and surgical margin detection in real-time. The aim of our technology development is for earlier diagnosis and subsequent treatment of cancerous tumours with expected associated improved patient outcomes.

To learn more about Optiscan, visit www.optiscan.com or follow us on LinkedIn, X or Instagram.

To learn more about Mayo Clinic, visit www.mayoclinic.org

Disclaimer

All statements other than statements of historical fact included on this announcement including, without limitation, statements regarding future plans and objectives of Optiscan or any of the other parties referred to herein, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as anticipate, believe, could, estimate, expect, future, intend, may, opportunity, plan, potential, project, seek, will and other similar words that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on an assessment of present economic and operating conditions, and on assumptions regarding future events and actions that are expected to take place. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, its directors and management of Optiscan that could cause actual results to differ from the results expressed or anticipated in these statements.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240513411030/en/
Evolv, an AI gun detection company, revealed that it has been testing its sensors for Disney theme parks, Bronx Hospital, and city hall.

New York City mayor Eric Adams is planning to test Evolv's gun detection system on the subway later this year.

Read Also : TikTok Implements Content Credential Tagging for AI-Generated Posts

Evolv Convinces NYC With Sensor Testing Result on Disney

Wired reported that Adams was convinced to test Evolv's gun detection system after the company disclosed its testing with Disney. Obtained emails by the publication revealed that Evolv's systems have been used on Disney Parks and Springs.

"They've had success screening for weapons with Evolv Express ... There may be some interesting parallels to how you are thinking about everyone's role in security," wrote Anil Chitkara, Evolv's co-founder.

Evolv scanners were deployed to the entrances in Disney Florida parks. In addition, Disney's flagship park, Magic Kingdom, has an average foot traffic of 46,000 per day in 2022. Evolv's units can scan 1,800 to 3,600 people per hour depending on the model. Since then, Disney has continued and expanded the use of scanners.

NYC to Install Evolv Sensors on Subway This Year

In 2022, Evolv managed to convince Adams to try the sensors. NYC started by installing scanners in a Bronx hospital and at the City Hall entrance in the same year. However, the results showed that 85 percent of records were false positives.

Adams recently announced that the city would test the gun detection technology on the subway. Evolv's original pitch did not include the subway as CEO Peter George said that the sensors are not equipped for public transit.

Unlike the hospitals and Disney's attractions, the NYC subway records a large number of foot traffic every day. The subway has an average of more than 3.1 million riders on a normal weekday in 2022. This could be a greater challenge for the sensors to take in.
ATLANTA (May 13, 2024)  The Carter Center and Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Public Policy on May 17 will host panel discussions on guiding principles for election administration and reforms. The participants will examine key issues affecting U.S. elections and potential ways to strengthen elections and build confidence in their outcomes. The event will be held at The Carter Center in Atlanta.

Scheduled panelists include former Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman; former Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson; and former Rhode Island Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea. The panels will be moderated by Doug Chapin, senior fellow for program evaluation and policy analysis at Fors Marsh, and David Becker, executive director and founder of The Center for Election Innovation & Research.

Our goal is to support good election practices and principles across the country, said David Carroll, director of the Carter Centers Democracy Program. We hope to counter efforts that seek to weaponize election processes and to support democratic institutions and elections that serve all voters, regardless of party.

In February, The Carter Center and the Baker Institute published a report, Guiding Principles for Election Administration, to help build confidence in U.S. elections. The report identified 10 guiding principles critical to healthy election systems. The principles provide a framework for bipartisan policies that lead to greater confidence in elections as well as the need for equitable access and integrity of the results.

The Carter Center and the Baker Institute have partnered since 2020 to work on U.S. election issues, inspired by the bipartisan leadership of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former Secretary of State James A. Baker, III, who co-chaired the 2005 Commission on Federal Election Reform. Elections are the heart of democracy, wrote Carter and Baker at the time, flagging concerns that eroding public trust in elections could endanger our democracy.

The May 17 event reaffirms the commitment that President Carter and Secretary Baker have to develop bipartisan ways to conduct elections that are both fair and secure  key elements required of generating confidence in the outcomes of U.S. elections, said John Williams, a Baker Institute fellow who oversees the institutes Presidential Elections Program.

An archive of this event can be viewed live here.

###

Related Resources

Read the Guiding Principles for Election Administration

View the agenda

Contact: In Atlanta, Maria Cartaya, maria.cartaya@cartercenter.org

In Houston, Karina Zemel, karina.zemel@rice.edu

The Carter Center

Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope.



A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.



About Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Public Policy

The Baker Institute for Public Policy provides meaningful policy analysis on the most critical challenges facing Texas, the U.S., and the world. It is a nonprofit, nonpartisan policy research organization based at Rice University in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1993, the institute is ranked the No. 1 university-affiliated think tank in the world and the No. 1 energy think tank in the world. Learn more about the institute at www.bakerinstitute.org.
Apple is pouring a lot of its efforts into finally bringing AI features into its devices. It is already in talks with OpenAI and Google for a potential deal. Still, that doesn't mean that the tech giant has forgotten about its AR/VR headset, even though there have been some issues down the line.

Apple Vision Pro Release in Other Countries

Even now, the Apple Vision Pro is only being released within the US, but if reports are to be believed, that won't be the case for long. The company is said to already be training employees from Apple Stores overseas on how to present the headset.

The sessions are taking place in the company headquarters in Cupertino, California, wherein hundreds of workers are being given an overview of the device, as well as tips on how to advertise the product to interested customers.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that the training sessions last for up to four days, and the staff in training are also demonstrating what they learned in one-to-one sessions. All those details strongly point to Apple finally selling the Vision Pro outside of the US.

The workers who are being trained come from countries like Germany, France, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and China, as mentioned in Digital Trends, which means that the listed countries will be the first international markets for the headset.

It's not that big of a surprise since Apple already mentioned that it will start selling overseas within the year, and even confirmed that China would be one of its new markets. Entering new markets is the logical next step for Apple at this point.

When the Vision Pro was first released, people flocked to social media to see what it could do, and people praised the capabilities it has. That did not last very long, unfortunately, as the hype around the headset is already dying down quickly and some are even returning the product.

Read Also : Apple Vision Pro Production Gets Cut After Sales Drop, Analyst Reports

There Are A Couple of Issues to Fix First

Before Apple starts selling the Vision Pro, there are some issues that still need to be addressed. For instance, some owners say that their devices, specifically the right speakers, are overheating, which makes for uncomfortable use.

There are also numerous reports of owners finding the front glass of their Vision Pro cracked, all of which are hairline and positioned in the middle. Users say that they never dropped the device at all and that the damage just appeared suddenly.

As mentioned in Apple Insider, the cracks might be caused by overheating as well. This can be caused by charging the device overnight with the soft cover on, trapping the heat and eventually resulting in a cracked glass.

To make matters worse, it will cost owners $300 to fix the glass, and that is with AppleCare. Without the warranty coverage, the cover glass repair costs more than twice at $800. For a $3,499 headset, it's understandable why this might discourage people from buying the device.
McKee Foods announces its partnership with Trust for Public Land in support of eight outdoor projects across the United States. McKee Foods through its Outdoor Happiness movement has awarded a grant of $20,000 to each outdoor project helping to advance the work of Trust for Public Land. This partnership is part of the companys goal of encouraging opportunities for outdoor activity that ultimately lead to a fun and active lifestyle.

The projects, led by Trust for Public Land, include: trail protection along the Appalachian Trail in Maryland; a multi-use trail system in Montana near the Yellowstone National Park; a special emphasis on community schoolyard projects in Washington and South Dakota; as well as the revitalization of trails, forests and land in Utah, Wisconsin, Maine and Michigan. Each project provides local access for outdoor activities to the communities in the impacted areas. The grants given by the OH! movement will play a role in the success of each project.

"Through this partnership, we will support the development of trails, schoolyards and public parks for families across the U.S. to enjoy quality time outdoors and stay healthy with active lifestyles, said Chris McKee, president of McKee Foods. We know the role that access to available outdoor spaces play in communities and are excited about the impact these projects will have on families in the future.

Through the OH! movement, McKee Foods has donated more than $15 million and completed more than 50 outdoor projects in all 50 states. McKee Foods is planning to continue the initiative through OH! over the next five years with its goal of granting funds for outdoor projects in all 50 states with at least one project per state. The partnership with the Trust for Public Land will help assist McKee Foods in accomplishing that goal.

"In our collaboration with McKee Foods and the Outdoor Happiness movement, we're not just revitalizing land, we're cultivating community connections and fostering a love for the great outdoors. Trust for Public Land is proud to partner with McKee Foods Outdoor Happiness Movement to advance these eight park projects across the country, said Diane Regas, president and CEO at Trust for Public Land.

For more information about the Outdoor Happiness movement, and to view completed projects as well as to stay up to date on current projects, visit outdoorhappinessmovement.com. You can also learn more about the Trust for Public Land by visiting tpl.org.


FirstBank on Monday announced two new additions to its Chattanooga team  Tracy Haney joins as senior vice president, senior relationship manager, and Kelly Still will support her as relationship manager assistant.

These two are dedicated community members with decades of experience in this market," said Jim McKenzie, market president. "They have a lot to offer our team, and we are excited to have them on board."

As senior relationship manager, Ms. Haney will strengthen FirstBanks commercial banking services throughout the Chattanooga market. With over 35 years of banking experience, Ms. Haney has held various roles including most recently serving as senior vice president, relationship manager at SmartBank, where she spent the past two decades. Ms. Haney received her undergraduate degree in Business Management. A dedicated community member, Ms. Haney served as president of the East Ridge Chamber Council for two years and has been a mentor for the Tennessee Promise Program since 2017. In her free time, Ms. Haney enjoys spending time with her son and cheering on the Tennessee Vols.

Im fortunate to step into this role with Kelly by my side, as I know we are a great team with high personal standards for client service, said Ms. Haney. FirstBanks local approach to banking is a perfect match for us, and I look forward to working with new and familiar faces in the area as we help to grow in Chattanooga.

Ms. Still brings 42 years of banking experience to her new role as relationship manager assistant, where she will support Ms. Haney and other team members as they build, strengthen, and maintain long-standing relationships with current and prospective clients, said officials. She, too, comes to FirstBank from SmartBank and has held a wide variety of positions through her decades in the industry. Ms. Still has resided in East Ridge for 35 years, and in her free time, she enjoys volunteering on the Food Bank Team at Brainerd Baptist Church and spending time with her husband, two children, and three grandchildren.

Both Tracy and Kelly are industry veterans who have built a reputation for success and excellence in this market, said Brent Ball, regional president. We are thrilled to welcome this duo and their combined wealth of knowledge to our team.
Joey Schmissrauter speaks at TPC new addition dedication photo by John Shearer Attendees at TPC addition dedication photo by John Shearer County Mayor Weston Wamp speaks at TPC building addition photo by John Shearer Ribbon cutting for new TPC addition photo by John Shearer Inside of new TPC addition photo by John Shearer Outside of new TPC addition photo by John Shearer Old Schmissrauter family home at 1712 Willow St. when TPC started photo by John Shearer Previous Next

As a company that has tried to reproduce quality packaging and printing items that look similar and consistent to clients, TPC Printing and Packaging has also attempted to become a Chattanooga area business entity that stands out on its own.

The East Ridge-based company headed by the Schmissrauter family turned 100 years old on April 19, and officials celebrated the milestone with a late March celebration and open house of a new multi-million-dollar addition next to its longtime plant at 6107 Ringgold Road.

As company president Joe Joey Schmissrauter III told a gathering of several dozen friends, family, colleagues, associates, and others at the time, We are excited. My grandfather (Joe Schmissrauter Sr.) started this company in a small 20x20-foot room off Cemetery Avenue in downtown Chattanooga in April 1924. One hundred years later, we gather to celebrate this milestone event in our corporate history.

According to a 1925 city directory, the business exact address was 1445 Cemetery Ave. near where the street meets Central Avenue and not far from Main Street. Friend H.T. Harry Robinson had encouraged the two to go into business together and initially had suggested a grocery store.

However, they decided to take advantage of the numerous hosiery and textile mills in the area and bought a $250 printing press and soon found some business labeling and tagging hosiery items.

At the time they started the business, which for its first few decades would be known as Textile Printing, they were both employed by the Atlas Paper Box Co., whose key investors were mill officials Henry Bryan and Ed McMillin. Mr. Robinson was the general manager, while Mr. Schmissrauter was a bookkeeper.

Within a few years, the growing business moved around the corner to 1330-38 Central Ave.

Joe Schmissrauter Sr.  one of several Schmissrauters living in Chattanooga in the early 20th century -- was the son of Albert Henry and Annie Kampschafer Schmissrauter. A.H. Schmissrauter was involved in roofing, guttering and tinwork and produced warm air furnaces from his business at 618 Cherry St. That was also where Joe Schmissrauter Sr. worked until starting with Atlas Paper Box Co. a short time before starting Textile Printing.

A.H. Schmissrauter, who apparently went by Henry, had come to Chattanooga in the 1880s while in his 20s after having been born in Stuttgart, Germany. He had worked for Tom Snow roofing and heating here before going into sheet metal business for himself. He was evidently an active leader in the German society called Chattanooga Turnvereia and attended Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church.

At the time that what became TPC was started, the A.H. Schmissrauter family lived at a still-standing home at 1712 Willow St. in the area of town now known as Oak Grove, just south of Highland Park. Joe Schmissrauter Sr. continued living there in the early years of the company before marrying Dorothy Dot Beane in 1929.

His parents, who had four daughters and two sons, would later live at 1905 Kirby Ave. in Highland Park before A.H. Schmissrauters death in December 1940 at age 77, while Joe Schmissrauter Sr. would move to 29 Tunnel Blvd. in Brainerd with his new family. Annie Schmissrauter, Henrys widow, later moved to Atlanta to be with a daughter and lived until 1958.

Although a printing press is known for its repetitive motion, the company, on the other hand, was regularly trying to evolve and diversify and think of different ways to do business as Joe Schmissrauter Sr. continued to head it. After Joe Schmissrauter Jr. became involved and an amicable parting occurred with the Robinsons, whose family has headed Top Flight for decades, he learned of a need for some special boxes for the large Kayser-Roth company. As a result, the firm was able to develop them.

The business continued to evolve and later changed its name to TPC Printing and Packaging to reflect its other realms of work printing and packaging in creative design, cosmetics, liquors, and consumer products like health items. Its clients over the years have included a number of well-known local, regional and national brands.

While TPC is full of its own history, so, too, is the location where it has been for more than 55 years. In 1968, the company had decided to buy the former Expressway Lanes bowling alley at 6107 Ringgold Road.

That building  with its mid-century modern architectural adornments still noticeable on the front  had been constructed beginning in early 1961 by 28-year-old freight line executive Bill Hawk Jr. At a planned 40 lanes, it was to be slightly larger than any other bowling alley in Chattanooga and was constructed at a time when bowling was evidently taking off in popularity locally.

In 1966, however, the younger Mr. Hawk and his father, Bill Hawk Sr., announced plans to buy the Holiday Bowl facility on Brainerd Road near Eastgate and consolidate their bowling operations and close the Ringgold Road facility.

Joey Schmissrauter said at the recent dedication that he remembered when the bowling alley property went on the market and was purchased by his family. At age 11, I can still recall my grandfather standing in the vacant space next door and telling my father, Joe, we will never be able to use all this space. We are going to have to sublease part of it, he recalled with a laugh.

It turned out the company continued growing and they did not have to sublease it. As Mr. Schmissrauter added, Now, 56 years later, weve completed our third major addition to the original building. A new TPC campus includes over 200,000 square feet of production and office space.

And the past three years, TPC has doubled in sales revenues, and we are four times the size we were in 2012, he continued, adding that the family was flattered to learn that TPC is now ranked as the 80th largest printing company, according to Printing Impressions magazine.

Our fourth-generation group is committed to continuing our quest in being a national leader in innovative packing solutions for luxury brands. It is the hope of the current ownership that we can continue this meteoric growth with the addition of this new facility in which we are standing.

Youngest brother Kurt Schmissrauter, who is also part of the operating family along with siblings Mark Schmissrauter and Hilda Murray, said later that the longtime company associates and customers have played a big part in the success, and for them they are thankful.

Hilda, Joey, Mark and I all literally grew up in the business working summers as teenagers and later being mentored by some steady old timers that had worked alongside of my grandfather and father, he said. They certainly shaped us and taught us the business.

The family legacy is continuing, as several members of the fourth generation are also now working for the company, as Joey referenced. They include Hildas son, Erich Murray; Joeys son, Steven; Kurts children, Blaes Green and Jon; and Marks sons, Aaron and Matthew, who work in machinery sales for the companys subsidiary, Interpak.

Like us 3rd generation siblings have experienced, there will be a host of challenges and hopefully successes as well, Kurt added.

Also on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony was young Maddox Kay, a fifth-generation member of the extended Schmissrauter family and the grandson of Joey.

Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp and East Ridge Mayor Brian Williams, who helped TPC with the new construction investment process, also attended the dedication and saluted the companys success and familys contributions to the Chattanooga community.

Mayor Wamp in praising the Schmissrauter family said, The fabric of a community is a company like TPC, and it is families like the Schmissrauters. You dont have a community of the quality of East Ridge and Chattanooga and Hamilton County if it is not for multi-generational legacy. When companies like this grow over generations, they go from being the fabric to being pillars in the community.

He also saluted the business for being owned by the same family for a century.

It is just a matter of fact unfortunately that we see a company like this being sold, or it is selling real estate. To see a company like this thrive and grow says everything about you all and the Schmissrauter family.

Mayor Williams added that TPC is a major reason why, according to him, East Ridge is a great place to live, work, and play. I want to thank the Schmissrauters for their unwavering involvement and commitment to our community, he said. Their dedication and TPCs proven track record of success will no doubt continue to thrive and flourish well into the future, leaving a lasting mark on the community and beyond.

* * *

Jcshearer2@comcast.net
The Public Relations Society of America Lookout Chapter will host a media relations and crisis communications interactive workshop at Hamilton County Emergency Operations Center this Wednesday from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.The event will include a full day of career development including an interactive workshop, messages from Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management/Homeland Security Public Information Officer Amy Maxwell, Dallas Cowboys Director of Media Relations and Corporate Communications Joe Trahan, IV, and Media Relations and Crisis Communications Risk Expert Dr.Joe Trahan, III, APR.Attendees will dive into 10 media relations and crisis communications concepts and be a part of an interactive tabletop exercise, dealing with numerous crises in a three hour period, while learning how to shape messages. The event is open to non-members. Limited tickets are available at prsalookout.com.Hamilton County Emergency Operations Center is at 3404 Amnicola Hwy. in Chattanooga. Parking will be available in the lot next to the building, on the corner of Wisdom Street and Elemendorf Streets.
The law firm of Leitner, Williams, Dooley & Napolitan, PLLC announces that attorney Gunner L. Garner has joined the firm in their Chattanooga office as an associate.Mr. Garner is an associate in the firms Chattanooga office, whose practice is primarily focused on general liability and workers' compensation law. Prior to joining the firm, he served as a judicial clerk for Senior Judges William Acree and Roy Morgan in Jackson, Tn.Originally from Newbern, Tn., he attended the University of Notre Dame for his undergraduate degree, where he graduated with a bachelor of arts in political science in 2019.He went on to attend the University of Tennessee College of Law, where he attained his juris doctor in 2022.Mr. Garner is a member of the Tennessee Bar Association, Chattanooga Bar Association and the West Tennessee Inns of Court. He is licensed in Tennessee.
Protesting is a form of expressing one's dissatisfaction or disagreement with specific issues or politicians. It can be a valuable tool to draw attention to important causes and bring about change. However, it can also be a nuisance and distract from a cause. Too many protests lose their impact. Rarely are people working toward solutions.

With a recent surge in student activism and protests, it's crucial to understand the importance of responsible activism. If not managed effectively, these protests could potentially spill over into K-12 schools, especially during an election year. Protesting without permission on public or private property is not sustainable or safe. It's our collective responsibility to recognize that significant changes require time, patience, and most importantly, responsible action.

Protests shape public opinionboth good and bad. They are not just for expressing dissatisfaction with an issue. They have the potential to raise awareness, pressure policymakers to act, and even unite opponents. Nothing unites individuals more than a common cause, and protests provide a political platform for these issues for both sides of a debate.

According to a 2018 Stanford sociologist Robb Willer study, people may perceive it as less reasonable when a protest group enjoying vital support resorts to violence. As a result, people start identifying with them less and eventually become unsupportive of their cause. Some professional protesters participate in exchange for payment.

While respecting the right to protest is crucial, addressing hate speech is equally important. Hate speech, which promotes discrimination, violence, or harm toward others, threatens our society's health and inclusivity. There has been a rise in violence across the globe that can be attributed to online hate speech. It is necessary to balance free speech and hate speech for a harmonious society, but this is a complex task.

The First Amendment was created to ensure freedom of expression and open exchange of ideas among citizens. Censorship is seldom the answer. Government officials must not be able to decide which ideas can be expressed. We must maintain a diverse marketplace of ideas, so the Supreme Court must affirm that government officials cannot determine who can share their opinions on social media.

The Constitution generally protects the right to free speech and peaceful assembly. However, it does not protect against criminal acts such as violence, theft, property damage, and obstruction of law enforcement.

Hate speech is an abusive language attacking a person or group based on race, color, religion, ethnicity, or gender. There has been much debate among lawmakers and scholars on the subject for the past two decades, although the First Amendment still protects some forms of hate speech.

To balance freedom of speech and prevent hate speech, we must clearly define it and its consequences. Laws should avoid punishing legitimate criticism, but hateful speech that threatens lawfulness or contributes to a criminal act may be punished under hate crime laws. Offensive speech that creates hostility at work or school is also unacceptable.

Education and awareness are among the most effective ways to combat hate speech. Hate speech is a growing problem on social media. It harms individuals and communities. It's time to act against it. By teaching individuals about the impact of hate speech and the importance of empathy and respectful dialogue, we can significantly reduce its prevalence and impact, fostering a culture of respect and understanding. Safe learning environments are essential. Dialogue can help communities address differences and find solutions for the common good.

Society must also actively condemn and counter hate speech whenever it occurs. This can be done through public statements, community initiatives, and promoting platforms for dialogue and understanding. By creating an environment where hate speech is not tolerated and marginalized groups are protected, we can foster a more inclusive and harmonious society while upholding the right to peaceful protest.

As a nation, we value our freedoms, especially freedom of speech and the press. However, even after two centuries, we constantly debate and dispute their scope and meaning. Our world is becoming more divided, and we must strive to understand one another better. The Red Hot Chili Peppers ring through my mind when I see protests. The more I see, the less I know, and the more I like to let it go.

JC Bowman

Executive Director of Professional Educators of Tennessee


Local McDonalds owner and operator Mark Smith presented a $25,051 donation to Michael Brown, president of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Chattanooga. This contribution was the result of their Heart Donations initiative, an effort the Smith family created to support their local Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Since starting this initiative in 2003, the Smith Organization has raised over $430,000 across their 11 McDonalds locations in Chattanooga and Greater Tennessee Area.

The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Chattanooga serves as a beacon of support for families with children in the hospital, offering a comforting "home away from home" with essential resources, all free of cost. Last year alone, the House provided accommodation to 394 families, providing them with the vital support and care they need during their medical journeys.
The Cherokee Nation hosts a special election June 15 and voters will decide whether the tribe should or should not host a Constitutional Convention later this year. Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and 16 members of the legislative body are urging CN voters to vote no as the elected leaders believe the current constitution is serving the people and a rebuild of the governing document is unnecessary.
Landline phones might be staying in California for a little longer after the state proposed to reject AT&T's request to end its landline services despite massive customer backlash.

Administrative Law Judge Thomas Glegola last Friday dismissed the telecom's petition to end its Carrier of Last Resort obligation, citing that "no potential COLR volunteered" to replace AT&T, USA Today reported.

The Carrier of Last Resort refers to the responsibility tasked to network providers to offer their services to all within the wireline territory in exchange for exclusive rights to operate in the area.

These responsibilities often include the maintenance and replacement of the copper-based landline facilities, a prospect AT&T considered to be "expensive to maintain."

With no other service providers willing to take up the mantle, AT&T's withdrawal would mean that over 500,000 Californians, particularly in rural areas, would lose access to landline connections.

Since the proposed withdrawal, California's Public Utilities Commission received over 5,000 public comments from affected residents protesting against AT&T.

The CPUC is set to finalize the vote on AT&T's request by June 20.

AT&T Pushes VoIP as Alternative Over 'Outdated' Landline Phones

In response, AT&T said it was "disappointed" with Glegola's decision "as we'd hoped the commission would allow us the opportunity to demonstrate why the number of options for voice service available to customers makes the COLR obligation unnecessary."

The telecom claimed that customers for its landline services have been in decline and that a transition to its more accessible wireless services like Voice over Internet Protocol.

It is worth noting that VoIP and wireless connections are vulnerable to service outages from power loss, natural disasters, and cyberattacks as evidenced by the recent nationwide AT&T outage last March.

Copper-based landline connections, on the other hand, would still work even during power outages.

Its only downside is that network repairs are becoming costlier and longer due to the antiquity of the landline networks.

Consumer Advocates: AT&T Withdrawal Would Jeopardize Public Safety

Amid AT&T's push to waive its obligations on landline connections, consumer advocate groups are calling against the proposal as it would "significantly jeopardize public safety."

The National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates has long pushed for the rejection of AT&T's proposal as it could hamper people's access to connect with others.

The NASTUC is currently pushing against similar problems in Utah where many residential areas still rely on copper-based networks.
While soldiers riding solely on horses to fight wars is a thing of the past, many animals who may not have been directly involved in the battle have been loyal to their human companions through some of the most famous wars in the world.

One of those animals was a bear. You read that right, a bear.

Wojtek the bear was a brown bear who was a loyal companion and integral team member to Polish soldiers during World War II.

In 1942, the 22nd Artillery Supply Company of the II Corps of the Polish army was in Iran to fight the Nazi forces of Germany. While there, some Polish soldiers gave a shepherd a Swiss army knife, chocolate, and canned food in exchange for a Syrian brown bear cub he had wrapped in a sack.

The bear cub, which had likely been abandoned by its mother, was adopted and well taken care of by these soldiers as if he were their baby. He was bottle-fed milk and given plenty of delicious food to eat, like fruit and honey.

The soldiers eventually named the bear cub Wojciech, which translated to joyful warrior. As a nickname, they called him Wojtek.

Wojtek grew very comfortable around his human companions but particularly bonded with a soldier named Peter Prendys, who became his primary caretaker. Peter trained Wojtek to be more adaptable to the soldiers daily routines.

Wojtek could salute, wave, and march, and he enjoyed riding in trucks with the soldiers, playfully wrestling them, and even enjoying the occasional beer with them.

Fascinatingly, when the 22nd Artillery Supply Company had to ship out to Italy in 1944 for their military campaign, they were told Mojtek could not join them unless he were enlisted. So, Wojtek was ranked as a private and serial number, so he was just like his soldier friends.

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A new book seems oddly outraged that CRT skeptics take its arguments seriously.

Illustration by Blake Cale

Last year I joined a group of Christian leaders, Black and white, on a tour of the National Museum of African American History and Culture located in Washington, DC.

Even though Ive read quite a bit about slavery and Jim Crow, I was still physically and emotionally disturbed by the visual depictions of the systemic and violent ways in which people of color were treated for centuries of American history. There is no sugarcoating this history. It was (and is) an offense against God, with ripple effects that continue to shape our national life.

In the past decade, conversations on racism have become more heated, reaching a fever pitch in 2020 with the killing of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.

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One outcome of the resulting ferment of protest and denunciation was renewed attention to critical race theory (popularly known as CRT), a controversial legal theory once confined to the academic world and now increasingly mainstreamed and popularized in public life, including many of our leading institutions.

Books like White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo or How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi rose to the top of bestseller lists in 2020 and after. Corporations, government entities, and even churches began implementing steps drawn from these and other popular works. Evangelical publishers churned out books in this spirit as well.

Some Christian leaders have defended the use of CRT as a helpful analytical tool. Others have criticized it as a totalizing worldview opposed to biblical Christianity. This debate has divided many Christians, exhausted many pastors, split many organizations, and convulsed our politics.

Seeking to bring sanity and clarity to this ongoing conversation is Ed Uszynski, a senior content strategist for FamilyLife and a veteran of other organizations under the Cru umbrella, like Athletes in Action.

Uszynski holds a PhD in American culture studies from Bowling Green State University. His new book, Untangling Critical Race Theory: What Christians Need to Know and Why It Matters, draws on both his scholarship and his experiences in evangelical spaces.

Untangling Critical Race Theory is at its best when Uszynski both systematically defines and outlines the philosophy of Marxism, from which CRT borrows heavily. According to Uszynski, Marxism advances seven interrelated theses:

God doesnt exist.

Capitalism causes all the problems in the world.

Economic systems form the base on which the rest of society develops.

People benefit only through exploiting others.

Without intervention, capitalism will eventually implode.

A socialist utopia, facilitated and controlled by the state, will eventually replace it.

Formal religion is an opiate, a tool used by power holders to hypnotize people and keep them in check.

Uszynski goes on to make substantive critiques of Marxism as both godless and hopeless. These critiquesand his analysis of social conditions in parts of the West that often make Marxism attractiveare among the best parts of the book.

In one poignant section, Uszynski interacts with Carl F. H. Henrys classic book The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism, in which Henry pleads with fellow evangelicals to engage in social action. As Uszynskis perceptive reading of Henry suggests, when Christians retreat from the social arena, it creates a vacuum that faulty and destructive theories like Marxism will naturally fill.

Christians, he writes, who have access to a revelation that simultaneously explains, condemns, and transcends human history, should appreciate why someone without hope in God might be attracted to the prospect of what Marx offers.

Untangling Critical Race Theory is also helpful in working through the basic tenets of CRT and demonstrating their rootedness in Marxist principles. If Marx built the house, Uszynski writes, and Critical Theory modernized and refurbished the rooms, then Critical Race Theory added a new wing with its own uniquely stylized decor. He carefully points to the social conditions CRT seeks to address and offers a biblical critique showing where CRT falls short of better, biblical solutions.

Yet for all of the books strengths, it ultimately bogs down in a few important ways. First, Uszynski too often assumes a context of evangelical failure. His writing is replete with broad-brush critiques and dismissive descriptors, and he seems unwilling to find anything redemptive in evangelical attempts to bring about racial reconciliation.

There is, of course, much to lament in evangelical dialogue on race, and there is no denying that many evangelicals were deeply complicit in the evils of both slavery and segregation. But ignoring good-faith efforts to reckon with and repent of these sins is both uncharitable and ahistorical.

Second, Uszynski seems unable to decide if critical race theory is a destructive, totalizing worldview or a series of ideas that can be selectively applied in positive ways. In one section, he writes:

Critical Theory [CT] puts humans at the center and demands we adjust to Progressive ideas. Christian theology puts God at the center and demands we adjust to his revealed truth. CT wants to erase dominant cultures moral boundaries to set people free. Christianity wants to resist secular cultures moral relativism or people can never be free. CT seeks to subdue others power for the sake of themselves. Christianity says submit and leverage your own power for the sake of others.

Shortly after this, he adds,

If the will to power becomes your endgame, all your answers to social problems eventually produce something dehumanizing, even if youre trying to make things better. Godless worldviews always make things worse to the extent that their analysis and proposed solutions deviate from biblical truth. Embrace a Critical worldview comprehensively and youre left with absurdity, anxiety, and meaninglessness.

These are just a few of many passages where Uszynski substantively and soberly critiques CRT and finds it incompatible with Christianity.

Yet at other times, he describes being baffled at patterns of Christian skepticism toward CRT, alleging the growth of a frivolous cottage industry that panders to audiences who already oppose it. In a final section on takeaways for racial reconciliation dialogue, he urges the redemptive use of CRT.

The third way the book falls short is in failing to practice more sober engagement with reasonable and responsible critics of CRT. I recognize, with the author, that terms like CRT and woke often function as smears, unfairly aimed at pastors who sincerely desire racial reconciliation and justice. Others reject all categories of systemic injustice as warmed-over Marxism, even though Scripturethe Minor Prophets especiallyis not shy about dissecting power structures that are shot through with sinful patterns.

There is a subsection of our tribe that refuses to consider Jesus prayer in John 17 about Christian unity or to work diligently to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3). If the multiethnic scene in Revelation 7:9 is our future, we should do what we can, even sacrificially, to live up to what God says we already are.

And yet, I wish Untangling Critical Race Theory at least acknowledged that many CRT critics are acting in good faith, especially as they resist ideas Uszynski himself deems antithetical to Christianity.

When pro-Hamas demonstrators take to the streets in American cities after a massacre in Israel, shouting genocidal slogans because they lump Israel in with a global white power structure, then perhaps pushing back on a totalizing framework of oppressor versus oppressed cant be dismissed as phony culture-warring. When a major Smithsonian museum issues a guide to whiteness that groups hard work, self-reliance, and nuclear-family norms under the umbrella of white dominant culture, then perhaps not all misgivings about CRT are unfounded.

One imagines that the book could have been strengthened by engaging with the brightest and best-informed CRT critics. Take, for instance, the trenchant but fair analysis from Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer in Critical Dilemma or Tony Evanss pastoral voice in Kingdom Race Theology.

Uszynski also ignores important conversations taking place in scholarly and journalistic circles among ideological mavericks like Glenn Loury, Thomas Chatterton Williams, Bari Weiss, and Bill Maher, none of whom can plausibly count as evangelical or politically right-wing.

Its worth noting too that many vocal CRT foes are working-class minorities who see it as contrary to the vision of Martin Luther King Jr. and Frederick Douglass. They favor an approach that brings people together rather than dividing them into warring and aggrieved subgroups.

Despite its shortcomings, however, Untangling Critical Race Theory is another worthy entry into Americas ongoing race dialogue. However painful, this is a conversation we can hardly afford to overlooknot if we take seriously the gospels promise of Christ creating one new humanity in his body (Eph. 2:15); not if we are struck by the vision of every nation, tribe, and tongue gathered around the throne of God in the New Jerusalem; and not if we are sobered and convicted by Americas racial sins, both past and present.

Yet, as Uszynski affirms, Christians dont need CRT to live biblically regarding race because a kingdom-shaped worldview already supports most of what CRT seeks to rectify. Lets pray for a church that humbly pursues this kingdom-shaped worldview in the areas where we have influence.

Daniel Darling is director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement. His books include Agents of Grace.
Illustration by Christianity Today / Source Images: WikiMedia Commons

There are rules to follow in every culture, particularly in Asia, where many children must bear the responsibility of maintaining harmony within the home and familial structure. To deviate from the norms or traditions of any Asian society requires a bold willingness to try to demonstrate to ones fellow citizens what is and is not working in their culture. As a Christian living or ministering in an Asian context, how can one manage these complex situations?

The contributors to Asian Christian Ethics, an anthology published in 2022, grapple with the challenges Asian Christians face in their particular social contexts, often characterized by strictly defined societal ranking and hierarchy, religious violence against Christians, or suffering among marginalized groups. The theologians, pastors, and missiologists who authored this volume come from the Philippines, Malaysia, China/Hong Kong, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Korea, plus one perspective from Palestine. The writers, many of whom studied in the West and are familiar with Western ways of thinking, provide valuable insight into Asian mindsets.

Each chapter begins by examining what Scripture teaches on a particular social issue. Then the writers draw on their expertise to address the ethical challenges surrounding that issue within a specific cultural context.

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Marriage and divorce

In Water Is Thicker Than Blood, Bernard Wong offers insights on the changing views of traditional marriage. He notes that divorce has become more prevalent in Asian society (though not yet as normalized as in Western cultures) and that young adults are waiting longer to get married, with over 90 percent of 20-to-24-year-olds still single in Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore.

While Wong shows how Scripture forbids divorce, he notes that Asian Christians still get divorced and argues that the church should approach this subject with grace, not purely with condemnation. Wong is sympathetic toward the push by Christian missionaries for greater gender equality but also observes that it can sometimes put more strain on the bonds of marriage, as evidenced by a higher divorce rate. Asian Christians still tend to observe a subtle but deeply ingrained patriarchal hierarchy that has historically been present in their societies; however, young people are no longer following the traditional script regarding marriage. Wong urges the church to resist reverting to a patriarchal form of marriage and focus instead on a moral vision for the family while also upholding biblical valueswhich are largely consistent with Confucian ideals.

In Taiwan, the only Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage, the church must seek to understand and reconcile the differences between how Christians and the surrounding culture view marriage and the church. Shang-Jen Chens essay Homosexuality in Twenty-First Century Asia explores the nature of Scripture in light of homosexual behavior and interprets how Taiwan evolved toward approving same-sex marriage. Chen discusses related social factors such as a declining birth rate, young peoples tendency to stay single longer, changes in sex education methods, and the effects of marriage laws and equal rights for minorities on Taiwanese society.

While Chen acknowledges there is no easy solution, he encourages the church in Taiwan to strengthen its internal unity, show deeper compassion and love to those with same-sex attraction, and move forward with discernment in a society that is rapidly changing its views on marriage. One major challenge is that many pastors lack understanding of the LGBTQ+ movement. Therefore, they focus on communicating with like-minded Christians and not necessarily on expressing themselves in a manner that demonstrates sensitivity to the LGBTQ+ community.

Filial piety

Anyone seeking to do ministry in Asia must also understand the importance of filial piety, highlighted in a chapter titled Honor Your Father and Your Mother by ShinHyung Seong. As Seong explains, obedience and filial obligation go hand in hand with Confucian teaching, which emphasizes subservient and dutiful relationships between children and parents, spouses, and family members. This approach to filial piety, which parallels the message of the Fifth Commandment, facilitates an orderly and harmonious societysomething that is highly valued throughout Asia.

As they learned about Confucian thought, missionaries to China, including Matteo Ricci and William Carey, strove to contextualize the Christian message. Whereas Ricci viewed Confucian values such as honoring parents as aligned with Christianity, Seong points out the ethical dilemma between them: Confucianism endorses ancestral worship, in which parents or relatives are revered like gods, which is not compatible with Christian discipleship. However, Seong affirms that in the Old Testament, honoring ones father and mother is closely connected to having a blessed life and that it remains a high priority in New Testament discipleship.

Caste system

As an Indian, I found the chapter on Human Dignity by Kiem-Kiok Kwa helpful because it develops the societal intricacies around status and position. She uses our nature, created in the image of God, as a pathway toward viewing all humans as of great and equal value, in contrast to worldly views of class or social position. Kwa, who is from Singapore, suggests a countercultural practice of having domestic helpers or household servants sit with their employers during meals as a means of affirming everyones dignity within the household.

Another theologian, Nigel Ajay Kumar, traces British classism and the influences the British left on the caste system. The continued existence of this system has far-reaching consequences for the church, especially because of how it maintains the divide between rich and poor. Building relationships across castes remains highly countercultural in India, but doing so is an obligation for believers, who know that Christ binds all Christians together without regard for social status.

Kumar explores Gandhis view of self-denial and renunciation and its relationship to the suffering, poverty, and oppression that the caste system perpetuates. Gandhi advocated for better treatment of the lower castes and untouchables, but he did not support abolishing the caste system. Although caste discrimination was officially outlawed in 1955, it still exists in practice in India today. Kumar insightfully contrasts Gandhis and Christianitys views of suffering. For Gandhi, suffering must take place for one to find truth; it is a part of everyones life journey. But for Christians, redemption is available because someone else, Jesus Christ, suffered on our behalf. This concept is hard for Hindus within the caste system to understand because society tells them that the lower caste is required to suffer due to their ancestral position and the social status into which they were born.

Meaningfully communicated and lived out

Having lived most of my life in Hong Kong, I am deeply aware of how colonial history shapes our understanding of specific Asian contexts. Early missionaries who brought the gospel to Asia wrapped it in Western cultural features. Over time, however, Christian teaching has become much more contextualized in both its presentation and its application to daily living. Both Asian Christians living in Asia and families of Asian heritage living all over the world confront similar ethical issues.

When Christianity flourishes in Asia, it does so by engaging with its society in positive ways, such as Kumars example of two pastors from India who empowered each other even though they were from opposite ends of the caste system. This book will push anyone doing ministry in Asia or among Asians to reflect thoughtfully on Confucian philosophy, the lingering caste system, social hierarchies, and familial relationships that entail dutiful respect for elders. The authors contributions develop an awareness of what each country is struggling with ethically and show how the gospel can be meaningfully communicated and lived out in Asian contexts.

While Asian Christian Ethics does not offer easy solutions to ethical problems, it reminds us that Christs message must be at the forefront of our decisions and actions. This book encourages all Christians to engage with difficult societal issues in thoughtful and biblical ways, whatever cultural context we may inhabit.
From 1978 to 2008, he fought for legal recognition and freedom to worship for the Anabaptist denomination.

Illustration by Christianity Today / Source Image: Eastern Mennonite Missions

Nguyen Quang Trung spent 30 years trying to get the Mennonite church recognized and registered by the government of Vietnam so that believers could meet and worship legally. When he finally succeeded, he celebrated the triumph with the words of the apostle Paul: If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord (Rom. 14:8).

Nguyen, a pastor and two-time president of Hoi Thanh Mennonite Viet Nam (Vietnam Mennonite Church), died on March 23 at age 84. He was known for his patient persistence and tireless efforts to promote and legally confirm a Mennonite presence in Vietnam, Gerry Keener, former head of Eastern Mennonite Missions, told Anabaptist World.

Nguyen was born in Gia Dinh, an industrial area outside Saigon. His mother died when he was five. His father was a committed Christian who raised him in the Evangelical Church of Vietnam, part of the Christian and Missionary Alliance.

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In his 20s, Nguyen found himself drawn to the Mennonites, spending a lot of time in a reading room established by the Eastern Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities. He took classes on English and the Bible and learned the Anabaptist teachings about nonviolence.

The same Spirit that empowered Jesus also empowers us to love enemies, the missionaries taught Nguyen, to forgive rather than to seek revenge, to practice right relationships, to rely on the community of faith to settle disputes, and to resist evil without violence.

Nguyen embraced the idea that Christians should follow Christ in the way of peace and practice nonresistance, even if they faced persecution and death.

The Vietnam War was ramping up at the time. The US government falsely claimed that two destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin were attacked by Communist forces from North Vietnam in August 1964, and Congress authorized President Lyndon Johnson to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression.

In the following year, the American president increased the number of troops in Vietnam from about 23,000 to nearly 185,000. Nguyen started working in the student reading room that same year and joined an effort to establish a Mennonite church in Saigon.

When the Communists won the civil war in 1975 and the US troops withdrew and the government of South Vietnam fell, Western missionaries were forced to leave the country, even if they were pacifists opposed to the war. As they left, Nguyen was asked to take leadership of the Mennonite church.

The churchs legal status was precarious, according to a history of Mennonites in Vietnam. At one point a revolutionary committee shut the congregation down and confiscated the buildingonly to return the property and allow the church to reopen two days later. Another time, a Communist official took up residence in the building and his security team would not allow worshippers on the property.

In 1978, officials in the renamed Ho Chi Mihn City required all churches to register with the government. The Mennonites did not manage to complete the process by the deadline and were shut down permanently. Some church leaders were denounced as counterrevolutionaries and interrogated. And some were ordered to leave their homes and relocate to rural areas that the government wanted to open to agricultural development.

Nguyen encouraged people to attend any evangelical church they could, sending Mennonites to Baptists and Christian and Missionary Alliance congregations that had successfully registered. He continued to minister to them one-on-one, though, meeting and praying with about 70 Mennonites in the area.

In 1983, the church tried to start meeting again. Sometimes as many as 70 came to a worship service, though often only a few believers gathered to pray.

Nguyen attempted to register his home as a church and was also required to register each gathering with the government. The requests were not always granted. Even when they were, police often interrupted and broke up services. Nguyen was frequently detained and interrogated.

He consistently maintained that the Mennonite church was not a threat to good order and not seeking to undermine the Communist government. He quoted the churchs motto: The Mennonites were living the gospel, serving God, and serving the nation and the people. He argued that the church taught and encouraged people to live a good life, be at peace with their neighbors, and work for the good of all.

Mennonites were beautiful and pious, Nguyen said, and wanted to help Vietnam become more civilized, prosperous, and beautiful. He translated the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective into Vietnamese and gave it to officials to review.

The church is the spiritual, social, and political body that gives its allegiance to God alone. As citizens of Gods kingdom, we trust in the power of Gods love for our defense, the confession says. But governing authorities of the world have been instituted by God for maintaining order in societies.  As Christians we are to respect those in authority and to pray for all people.

The Mennonite church organized several humanitarian operations in cooperation with the government during this time, including flood relief in the Quang Ngai province and the Dong That province in the Mekong Delta.

Nguyen nevertheless struggled to get legal recognition for the church. In 1995, officials told him that he could not have any more worship services in his home and that if he tried, they would seize his house.

Through all that harassment, the Mennonite community continued to grow. Nguyen personally baptized about 150 people into the Mennonite congregation in Ho Chi Mihn City and nearly 300 in Quang Ngai.

The Mennonites were finally allowed to meet again in Ho Chi Mihn City in 2006 and, with support from Canadian Mennonites, recognized as a legitimate religious body throughout Vietnam in 2008.

Nguyen was named the denominations president. At the first denominational gathering, he thanked God for protecting the church throughout its difficult history.

Now we can open a new church, he said. We can organize a Bible training school.

Within four years, the Mennonite church had grown to 90 congregations with about 6,000 baptized believers. The church had 138 ordained ministers in the major cities and 15 serving in rural areas. Nguyen, who retired in 2016, said whether the Mennonite church in Vietnam was persecuted or allowed to flourish, it would live or die to the Lord.

He is survived by his wife, Ngo Thi Bich, and their three children.
Home Books We are in a fight: Dr. Ben Carson says America needs a revival of traditional nuclear families

Accomplished neurosurgeon and former Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson had written a new book in which he stresses the need for the United States to have more traditional nuclear families.

Titled The Perilous Fight: Overcoming Our Culture's War on the American Family, the former United States Department of Housing and Urban Development secretarys latest book was released Tuesday by Zondervan.

In an interview with The Christian Post in advance of the books release, Carson said he wrote it because I was extremely concerned about what's going on in our country.

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I don't want to just sit around and complain about it. I want to make sure that people understand that we are in a fight, Carson said. This country was born in a crucible of controversy and violence, and it was a very difficult fight. And it was very unlikely that we were going to win, but we did, because of our value systems, because of our faith that we had.

What is the foundation of our strengths? Its our families, and we cannot be brought down militarily, but we can be destroyed from within, and that's exactly what's happening to our society. I want people to see what's going on.

In CP's interview with Carson, he also spoke about his time in the Trump administration, and why the nuclear family is under attack in America. The following is an edited transcript from that interview.

CP: Many conservative social commentators have written books warning about the decline of the traditional family unit in America. What makes your book different from these other works?

Carson: Because I encourage people to use their influence.

Everybody has a sphere of influence. And we've been told, for instance, from the time that you were a child, there are two things that you don't talk about in public, that's religion and politics.

Those are the very things we need to be talking about, because if we're going to be fundamentally changed into something else, they want to do that in darkness. They want to do that under the cover. They don't want you talking about it and exposing what they're doing.

I talk about in the book, for instance, if you look at the congressional record of January 10, 1963, and Congressman Herlong from Florida read into it the 45 goals of Communism in America.

This was over 60 years ago, and a lot of the stuff you see going on like gaining control of the school systems and the teacher's unions, so you can indoctrinate the kids, gaining control of the media and Hollywood, so that you can manipulate the thinking of the people, driving wedges between parents and children, taking authority away from parents, it goes on and on.

People, I think, don't really understand that this has been going on for a long time, its the reason that [Nikita] Khrushchev [the first secretary of the Communist Party] told [President] Eisenhower over 60 years ago, "Your grandchildren's children will live under our system and we won't have to fire one shot." That's what's going on.

If we don't understand what's going on, how are we going to fight it?

CP: In the book, you talked about the dangers of government overreach when it came to the traditional family unit. You were in the Trump administration. Do you believe that administration made any good headway in helping to counter the attacks on the traditional nuclear family?

Carson: Absolutely.

The first thing we had to do in the Housing Department is create some fiscal responsibility. There had not been an audit for eight years, you couldn't do an audit, even though it's required of every federal agency of every year because there were so many material defects.

We had to fix that. You probably noticed about a year-and-a-half into the administration we started hearing those stories about fiscal mismanagement at HUD. That then allows you to do things, to enhance the programs for self-sufficiency.

There are a lot of people on Capitol Hill who don't want people to be self-sufficient. They want them to be dependent on the government. So, that's part of the fight right there; but a lot of our efforts were directed toward helping people to become self-sufficient. They look at the opportunities on how somewhere between 500,000 to 1,000,000 people were lifted out of poverty.

When you get the private sector to actually invest and ameliorating those deteriorating environments. Those are the kinds of things that actually work.

CP: Along those lines, you talked in the book about a program you helped oversee at HUD that involved giving grants to churches located in needy communities, known as the Mustard Seed program. What do you believe makes a local church a better helper to the poor than the government?

Carson: Remember, before the government became big and invasive, who took care of the indigent? Who took care of the widows and the disabled? It was the churches, and they did a very good job of it, probably a much better job than the government.

So, we recognize that and we said, "there are some churches that are doing very good work, let's help them." Instead of going in and requiring them to jump through a lot of hoops and making life difficult for them, and making them competitive, let's support what they're doing and expand it.

CP: In Chapter 9, you outlined certain things that parents should do to help protect their children from harm, one of them was "minimizing outside influences." Are you concerned that such advice could lead parents to keep their children away from external ideas that might actually be beneficial?

Carson: I've visited a lot of private schools  which are exploding right now, as you probably know  and homeschool networks. And, they're concerned about the very negative influences that coming into children who have undeveloped brains, children who have a natural tendency to be curious, children who are very suggestable. And when you take in those children and you're feeding ideas into their head that "you might not actually be a girl" or "you might not actually be a boy," that "you are a racist no matter what you do," that "you're an oppressor," "you're a victim," those are extremely unhealthy things to do to a child who has a developing brain.

I think many parents have rightly discerned that and decided that they want to keep their children away from those kinds of influences.

But, at the same time, they're exposing their children to a lot of good things. They go on field trips, they have all kinds of people come in and talk to the children. And they're able to control that, and that's the difference: parental control. Because what's happening in our society right now is the Marxist philosophy that children also belong to the government, and they get to control what's going on. That's ridiculous.

I read a story just yesterday about an Indiana couple where the courts decided that even though they were not abusing their child, they were not neglecting their child, that the child could be taken away from them because the parents refuse to use the child's preferred pronouns.

This is crazy and these are the kinds of things that destroy society. There's just no good thing that comes from that, and these are the kinds of things that I pointed out in the book.

Traditional nuclear families that work the right way have tremendous benefits for the children.

CP: What do you hope readers take away from your book?

Carson: I want them to recognize that we are in a fight, who we're fighting, and that they are an important part of that fight.

Don't stand on the sidelines. You cannot be the land of the free if you're not the home of the brave. You can't be afraid to be canceled, you can't be afraid to have somebody call you a nasty name, but if we're going to succeed as a nation, we need to recognize that we became the pinnacle nation in the world because of the values, the Judeo-Christian values that we have. The family values that we have, the community values that we have.

It is not a coincidence that we're declining very rapidly as we throw those things away. We have a choice to make, but everybody has to be involved, not as a spectator, but as a participant.
Home News Federal jury convicts 3 more pro-life activists for DC abortion clinic blockade

A federal jury convicted three more pro-life activists involved in the October 2020 blockade of a Washington, D.C., abortion facility. The group faces the possibility of over 11 years in prison.

The defendants  Jonathan Darnel, Jean Marshall and Joan Bell  were found guilty of federal civil rights conspiracy and violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act after they planned to block the Washington Surgi-Clinic entrance to stop the facility from performing abortions that day.

The convictions come after other activists Lauren Handy, John Heather Idoni, William Goodman and Herb Geraghty were convicted on the same counts in August. Another activist, Jay Smith, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 months in prison, while another, Paulette Harlow, is awaiting trial.

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According to a Department of Justice statement, Marshall and Bell traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in the blockade Handy is believed to have directed. Once inside the facility, several activists used chains, ropes and bike locks to tie themselves together, and they used the waiting room furniture to create a barricade.

While the activists established the blockade, Darnel live-streamed their activities on Facebook. A video posted to Facebook in October 2020 shows authorities talking to the activists and Darnel urging people to share the footage.

Following the verdict, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered the three defendants detained until sentencing, which will be scheduled at a later date. The five activists convicted in August were also immediately taken into custody after the verdict, as they were convicted of a crime of violence.

Caroline Taylor Smith, executive director of Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising (PAAU), believes the activists punishment is excessive. She called for a repeal of the FACE Act.

The FACE Act, signed into law in 1994, makes it a federal crime to block or use intimidation to prevent people from receiving an abortion or reproductive health services.

This overreaching of power and authority by Bidens DOJ is egregious and must be stopped, Smith said in a statement provided to The Christian Post. Nonviolent pro-life actions should not be a federal crime, and peaceful people with a desire to save lives should not be jailed for over a decade. Some of these Rescuers could be facing death by incarceration.

Handy is the director of activism and mutual aid for PAAU, the group that recovered 115 human remains from the Washington Surgi-Clinic in March 2022, which is the same month that Handy was indicted for the blockade.

PAAU has repeatedly called for an investigation into five of the full-term aborted babies obtained from the clinic, as the group believes they may have been aborted in a manner that violated federal law.

Handy sought permission during the trial to share the images of the five babies. However, Kollar-Kotelly denied this request, describing the photos as particularly incendiary and entirely distracting.

The Thomas More Society, a nonprofit law firm representing Handy, filed an emergency motion last month, requesting that the activist be released from jail as she awaits sentencing.

In the motion, Handys defense team argued that the activist and her fellow defendants have been on pre-trial release since their arrest in March 2022. The attorneys noted that the group is not a flight risk or a dangerous threat to the community and should be granted pre-sentencing release.

The nonprofit law firm shared in a statement earlier this month that it had filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit after a lower court denied Handys release.
Home News High school blocks pro-life club; administrators said flyers were too 'political': lawsuit

An Indiana high schooler is continuing the fight to gain official recognition for a pro-life student club after school officials rejected it and accused its advertising of being too "political."

A Noblesville High School student identified in court documents as "E.D." is asking the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse a lower court decision upholding the school's derecognition of its Students for Life of America chapter.

The legal advocacy organization Alliance Defending Freedom, which specializes in religious freedom cases and is representing the student, entered its appeal in the 7th Circuit last month, joined by the Charitable Allies law firm.

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E.D. had attempted to start an SFLA chapter in 2021. The student received approval from the principal to start the Noblesville Students for Life club, and more than 30 people signed up for the group at the school's fall activities fair, according to a statement from ADF.

The school objected to a flyer E.D. posted to advertise a club meeting that depicted students holding signs in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. The students in the photos held signs bearing slogans such as "I Reject Abortion," "Defund Planned Parenthood" and "I Am the Pro-Life Generation."

"Students don't forfeit their free speech when they walk into the school building," the ADF stated. "All students have the constitutional right to express their ideas without fear of being silenced by school officials and having their clubs unrecognized."

In a Monday statement to The Christian Post, a spokesperson for Noblesville Schools maintained that the administration did not "redirect" the group because it opposed the pro-life club's mission. The spokesperson stated that E.D.'s club was approved and sponsored by high school faculty but the school took action concerning "multiple instances of disregard for school protocols."

"All student special interest clubs must be initiated and led by students  they cannot be directed or controlled by school staff or others in the community," the spokesperson stated. "We're currently working to ensure club compliance with state laws and school policy. Once the club meets these, we will reevaluate their status."

According to the March ruling from federal Judge Sarah Evans Barker, a Reagan appointee, school officials felt that the poster was too "political."

The dean of Students, Jeremy Luna, instructed E.D. to fix the posters, saying that the flyer could not include a "picket" where people held signs that stated "Defund Planned Parenthood."

Officials also had concerns that the group was led by an adult instead of students, according to the ruling. The student had asked her mother to attend a September 2021 meeting with Luna about the club's callout meeting date because of a family rule prohibiting her from being alone with an adult.

Luna later spoke with Principal Craig McCaffrey about the meeting with E.D. and her mother, saying that he felt that the latter was "driving the conversation." The principal eventually emailed E.D.'s mother, informing her that a poster cannot contain "content that is political or that could disrupt the school environment."

"Club advertising posters only state the name of the club and the details of the meeting time and location," McCaffrey stated in the email. "When the students actually meet, they are able to talk about their common interests."

"In his email, Dr. McCaffrey stated that because he was no longer 'confident that this club is a student-driven club,' he "therefore [was] removing the club's approval to meet in the school,'" the March ruling recounted.

McCaffrey also informed E.D.'s mother that the high school was "revamping" its club approval process due to a "large number of requests." The principal also told E.D.'s mother that her daughter could contact the high school assistant principal if she wanted to "apply for her club again next semester."

The school district spokesperson shared the school's statement from March regarding the court ruling, adding that Noblesville "support[s] our students forming clubs they're passionate about and have dozens of student-led clubs representing a wide range of interests, activities, and beliefs. This includes an active Students for Life club at Noblesville High School."

Kristi Hamrick, vice president of media and policy at Students For Life of America and its sister organization, Students for Life Action, told CP that the organization "stands with students attempting to engage in the life of their schools.

"It's very common for pro-life students to face obstacles, such as unexplained or secret policies, a heckler's veto when those who oppose a pro-life message can shut down an event, extra fees, or a slow walk to nowhere," Hamrick stated. "Schools can make demands of students starting groups, but it has to been one standard for all."

In response to the March ruling, SFLA President Kristan Hawkins asserted that pro-life Americans often have to shoulder the "burden" of dealing with a "weaponized judicial system."

"We know that too many schools think parents should not have a presence or even a say in their children's education, and, in this decision, that is extended to the mere presence of a parent at a time in which school officials were acting in ways that were intimidating to a young high school student who wanted the support for her idea," Hawkins said.

"The decision also tries to say that the violation of a student's rights didn't really matter because the board of trustees could have made a different call. But in depositions  as cited in the briefing  the authority to make decisions about student groups was delegated to the principal."
Home News Historic German church hosts worship service featuring Taylor Swift music 'Many had tears in their eyes'

A centuries-old church in Germany drew more than 1,200 people on Sunday for worship services featuring the music of Taylor Swift.

The Church of the Holy Spirit, a famous church in Heidelberg that meets in a 600-year-old building, put on a service titled "Anti-Hero  Taylor Swift Church Service" over the weekend in an effort to draw the interest of young people, according to Deutsche Welle (DW).

"The Church of the Holy Spirit has always been a place of encounter and exchange. That's why a pop-music religious service fits so perfectly," Pastor Christof Ellsiepen told the outlet. "With it, we are giving space to the questions and issues that occupy the younger generation."

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The service focused on the supposedly strong Christian themes in Swift's music that address hot-button issues such as women's rights, racism and gender equality, according to the pastor.

Parish Pastor Vincenzo Petracca acknowledged that Swift has taken flak from some Evangelical faith leaders for her music, especially in the United States.

"Theologically speaking, she points to the justness of God," Petracca said, adding that Swift's "faith knows doubt and inner-conflict."

"For her, faith and action are inseparable," he said.

Two Sunday services in the historic church featured Swift's tunes, which DW noted were attended by an audience that skewed young and female. A rainbow banner behind the musicians noted that the church welcomes "all sizes, all [colors], all cultures, all sexes, all beliefs, all religions, all ages, all types, all people."

While noting that the church was "built for Gregorian liturgical music and not for Taylor Swift," Petracca maintained that he was moved by the response to the modern, pop-themed service.

"I stared into beaming faces  and during the song that Taylor wrote for her cancer-stricken mother, many had tears in their eyes," he said, referring to the song "Soon You'll Get Better."

Swift's latest album, released last month, drew criticism from some Christian critics who claimed it features lyrical content that mocks God and Christians.

Shane Pruitt, who serves as National Next Gen director for the Southern Baptist Convention's North American Mission Board and co-author of Calling Out the Called, urged parents to seriously reconsider allowing their children to listen to Swift's music.

"I'm definitely not the minister or parent that has the 'no secular music' stance," Pruitt wrote in a Facebook post. "Also, I fully realize unbelievers are going to act like unbelievers. HOWEVER, there is a difference between being secular and being ANTI-CHRISTIAN."

Former Boyzone star Shane Lynch recently accused Swift of implementing hidden satanic rituals in her sold-out shows.

I think when youre looking at a lot of the artists out there, a lot of their stage shows are satanic rituals live in front of 20,000 people without them realizing and recognizing, Lynch told Irelands Sunday World.

Youll see a lot of hoods up and masks on and fire ceremonies. Even down to Taylor Swift  one of the biggest artists in the world  you watch one of her shows and she has two or three different demonic rituals to do with the pentagrams on the ground, to do with all sorts of stuff on her stage.  But to a lot of people its just art and thats how people are seeing it, unfortunately," Lynch said.

In late 2021, Germany's Federal Statistical Office found that for the first time in recorded history, less than half of the country's population are members of the two major historical German churches, according to Le Monde.

Both the Roman Catholic Church and the various Protestant denominations in Germany have hemorrhaged members in recent decades, with the Sunday worship attendance rate hovering at 4.3% for Catholics and around 3% for Protestants.

The Church of the Holy Spirit, which was built between 1398 and 1515, draws millions of tourists annually.

Heidelberg is notable in the history of Christianity for being the city where the Heidelberg Catechism was first published in 1563. The Protestant Calvinist confessional document forms the doctrinal basis for many Reformed denominations, and influenced the divines who drafted the Westminster Shorter Catechism, which is foundational to Presbyterianism.
Home News Pastor John-Paul Miller claims he tried to raise wife from dead after suicide

In a revelation that appeared to some as almost as unusual as his announcement of the suicide of his wife, Mica Miller, Pastor John-Paul Miller of Solid Rock at Market Common in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, said he tried to raise her from the dead but it didnt work.

The grieving pastor made the revelation as he eulogized his late wife during a May 5 memorial service at the church.

As Christians, of course we know shes not here. [Shes] in Heaven, worshiping and enjoying and probably havent [sic] had time to look down here yet, Miller said in a 35-minute recording of the service posted by the church on YouTube over the weekend.

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But Ive been down to the body about four times this week and each time it still didnt hit me [that she was gone], Miller said. I thought she was gonna wake up. I even tried to raise her from the dead one time this week.

Miller then explained that he genuinely thought he had raised his wife from the dead at one point but the person he thought was Mica was her sister.

I went to the mall.  She [Mica] had bought me this dog tag. The chain broke, so I went to the mall to get it fixed. And I saw a female about 20-30 feet in front of me. And she was wearing one of Micas dresses, and she has the same tattoo Mica has on her arm and the exact same hair, and out of just instinct, I screamed, Mica! he said. The girl turned around; it was one of her sisters. And I thought I raised her from the dead. Shes alive, you know. But I cant wait to see her one day.

Pastor Millers mentor and spiritual advisor, the Rev. Charles Randall, recently announced to congregants at Solid Rock at Market Common that Miller had been relieved of all ministerial duties "for a time of healing, counsel, and guidance, pursuant to our governing instrument. Randall told The Christian Post that he has no plans to permanently remove Miller from the pulpit because God has not told him to do so.

Despite allegations against Miller painting him as an abusive, manipulative church leader whose lifestyle disqualifies him as a pastor, Randall insists that Miller will remain pastor of the church until he hears from God that he should be removed and God hasnt told him to remove him yet.

And this would not be Pastor Millers first time weathering a scandal.

In a 2017 affidavit highlighted by the Daily Mail, Millers first wife, Alison, who's the mother of his five children, accused him of engaging in sex acts with minors younger than 16 and having an addiction to prostitutes. She also alleged that Miller was caught in an affair with Mica in 2015 while she was working as their babysitter and married to his then-best friend Jeremy Deas.

Our marriage and my husbands career were less than stable at the time, because at the time my husbands affair was discovered, he had previously admitted to both me and our congregation that he had an addiction to prostitution, Alison wrote in the affidavit seeking alimony.

He had also confessed to me and other staff members of the church that he had sexual encounters with young females from the church, who were under the age of sixteen, she added.

Instead of removing Miller as leader, Alison stated that church officials demanded he get counseling for his sex addiction, but he refused to get counseling which caused many of the members to leave.

When he refused, the majority of our church left the congregation, Alison wrote.

Miller previously acknowledged the affair with Mica and being forced to start over at his church in an interview with CP, but he did not share the details alleged by Alison.

In one of the latest allegations against the pastor, according to News Nation, Miller confessed to posting a nude photo of his late wife on social media as she tried to divorce him.

Im sorry for putting a picture of you on the internet, he said in an apology email cited by the news outlet. It was for less than one hour and immediately taken down. I was hurt that you are telling everyone horrible intimate details of my past sin, and I just wanted to try and hurt you. Please forgive me. It was evil of me to do that.

When asked about the allegation, the office of Pastor Millers attorney, Russell B. Long, said he had no comment.

Court records cited by The New York Post show that Mica Miller filed for divorce from her husband in October 2023, but the reasons were not stated. The case was eventually dismissed in February, but a few days later Pastor Miller filed for Separate Support and Maintenance seeking financial support. Mica Miller would file for similar support in April. A hearing was scheduled for June 5. On April 27, two days after she served Miller with divorce papers, Mica Miller was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to her head in Lumber River State Park in Orrum, North Carolina.

Miller told CP that shortly after he and Mica got married in 2017, she was diagnosed with bipolar II, schizophrenic and dependent personality disorder.

Since then, he says, they have been trying to manage her mental illness with lithium, and significant support. As long as she took her medication, Miller said, his wife would be fine. Mica, however, had a roller coaster relationship with the medication.

He alleged she would complain how the medication would make her gain weight or cause her to slur. And earlier this year, the wife of a well-meaning pastor friend who had no understanding of mental illness offered to pray and believe that Mica Millers mental illness would go away. That incident, he said, stuck with Mica and she started to believe that she no longer needed the medication.

Miller did not reveal that he, too, had mental health struggles and had also been medicated.

A dated video posted on Facebook by Ty Longerbeam on May 10 shows Miller experiencing what some claim appears to be drug-induced psychosis. He explains in the video to an unidentified person that his medication was changed, and he felt like ants were crawling all over him even though no ants were visible crawling over him.

In the video, Miller is laying on a lawn next to a truck with an open door mumbling almost incoherently. Neighbors offer him water and try to comfort him while gently trying to figure out the best way to help him.

When asked if he wanted his mother to come help, he said, I dont want my mom because she is always trying to get him on medication and this is what it does.

I cant eat, I cant sleep, I cant do nothing, he said.

Longerbeam did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CP. But in commentary he shared with the video, he said he wanted to show that Miller also struggled with his mental health.
The rate of layoffs is still higher than the average employee would like, but it looks like it won't stop any time soon. Companies will have to provide severance packages for layoffs, but the retail giant is allegedly using other methods to get employees to quit on their own.

Walmart's 'Quiet Firing' Tactic

Even a corporate giant like Walmart is not exempt from adding to the number of laid-off employees amidst the current state of the economy. The company already has plans to reduce its corporate workforce by the hundreds.

However, not everyone is given the courtesy of a direct layoff. Instead of telling workers that they need to slash the number of staff, Walmart is allegedly making jobs less tolerable to urge them to quit, as reported by Business Insider.

Remote employees are now required to move to offices, which is a change from the previously hybrid work system. On top of that, there have been relocations for certain staff, all of which are being moved to smaller offices.

The affected workers are those who are based in Dallas, Atlanta, and Toronto, and are set to move to central hubs like the retail giant's headquarters in Arkansas, New Jersey, or Southern California. The company has already closed eight stores just this year.

The return to office mandate is said to be a common tactic companies use to get rid of workers without the need for a mass layoff, according to career experts. It is also referred to as "quiet firing," as the move is subtle enough to avoid raising red flags.

Given that Walmart employs 1.6 million people in the US, a mass layoff would cost the company a fortune for severance packages. Walmart is not the only one to use the return-to-office mandate as well. Several other companies are doing the same.

Read Also : Walmart is Officially Acquiring TV Maker Vizio for $2.3 Billion

Amazon and Meta's RTO Mandate

As mentioned before, the RTO mandate is a common practice in companies now that the pandemic has died down. Among the giants in the industry that have done the same is Amazon. As predicted, employees aren't too happy about the new policy.

For one, some only applied for the job because they were told that it would remain remote. If workers refused the mandate, CNBC reported that it would affect their chances of a promotion, but this didn't stop some staffers from not complying.

"Promotions are one of the many ways we support employees' growth and development, and there are a variety of factors we consider when determining an employee's readiness for the next level," Amazon representative Brad Glasser said.

As for Meta, they at least have the opportunity to work from home, although that's only possible if the employee has already worked in the company for at least one and a half years. Those with a minimum of a year will have to apply for the option to work from home.

This is likely part of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's vision for the company's "Year of Efficiency," which is probably just a fancy term for laying off staff for the company to be more cost-effective. Unfortunately, other companies have done the same thing.
Home News Matt Chandler says mark of the beast 'active even now,' clears up misconceptions about '666'

The Village Church Pastor Matt Chandler has said he believes the mark of the beast is active even now in this moment of history that we're in and cleared up common misconceptions about the number 666 as outlined in Revelation 13.

In an Instagram video posted over the weekend, the 49-year-old Texas-based pastor said many people are familiar with the idea that the mark of the beast could be advanced technology, like a credit card, a phone or a chip embedded in peoples hands.

However, Chandler emphasized that these interpretations miss the core message of the book of Revelation. According to the pastor, the key to understanding the mark of the beast lies in the symbolic use of numbers within Scripture.

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I think this is to miss the point that's been made in the book of Revelation, he said.

The perfect number is number seven, and so if seven is complete, six is incomplete, said Chandler. We also know that the number three means complete. And so 666, the mark of the beast, is really to show that the work of the enemy is completely  three sixes  incomplete. And so this is, really, what the enemy produces: complete incompleteness.

The pastor stressed that the mark of the beast is not Elon Musk putting something in our brains or something like that." Instead, the number 666 on peoples foreheads is meant to symbolize ideological belief, and the number on peoples hands depicts the practice of that ideological belief.

In today's world, Chandler said he sees parallels in the increasing ideological requirements within certain sectors, particularly in the business community.

I think the way youre even seeing this today, he said, is there are certain, especially in the business community now, ideological beliefs you must have in order to participate in the economy. And I think were going to see this get worse.

That means I believe the mark of the beast is active even now in this moment of history that were in, he concluded.

Chandler is also promoting his new book,The Overcomers: God's Vision for You to Thrive in an Age of Anxiety and Outrage, in which he draws on Revelation to impress upon Christians that no matter how daunting the world might seem, they are uniquely wired, uniquely gifted and uniquely placed for this moment for all of God's purposes.

In a recent interview with The Christian Post, the pastor explained that over the last 150 years, Revelation has been hijacked, read solely as a prophecy for End Times events and shaped by modern circumstances like conflicts and natural phenomena.

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, he said, adding that the book must be understood within its original context to understand its power.

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.

Ive got this burning belief that however disorienting these times are, theyre times Gods placed us here, he said. 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.



Chandler is not the first pastor to warn against misinterpreting the meaning of the mark of the beast; in 2021, evangelist Franklin Graham cautioned against believing that the vaccine passport chip implant developed by a Swedish company was the mark of the beast.

Christians around the world are wondering if COVID-19 is being used as a way to condition the world population to accept a mark like this, whatever form it may take, Graham said.

If a scannable chip under the skin can contain vaccine information, adding other personal information and financial data could be a short step away. This may sound frightening, but people who have put their faith in God and His Son, Jesus Christ, dont need to be afraid. We should not live in fear. God told us what was coming in His Word. Make sure that your name is written in the Lambs Book of Life by repenting of your sins and putting your faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

After a Wisconsin-based company let employees get microchips implanted in their hands, Jerry Newcombe from D. James Kennedy Ministries also warned about such conclusions.

World leaders from Mikhail Gorbachev to Ronald Reagan have been falsely accused of being the Antichrist, he wrote in an op-ed for CP. And microchip fears have stoked prophetic speculations for years  but many biblical scholars note that Revelation is not pointing to some inadvertently-adopted technology, but is speaking symbolically of those who cast their lot with the opponents of Christ for societal approval.
Home News Association of Baptists for World Evangelism launches $6M campaign to 'transform' Papua New Guinea

The Association of Baptists for World Evangelism intends to raise more than $6 million to "transform" Papua New Guinea by renovating a Baptist college and clinic to enhance theological education and evangelism in the Pacific country with over 600 islands and 800 languages.

The ABWE, an independent global missions agency that works with churches to send missionaries worldwide and operates in 84 countries to multiply churches and missions movements, unveiled the plans in a statement last week.

The organization hopes to raise $6.7 million to renovate and expand Papua New Guinea's Goroka Baptist Bible College and the attached Seigu Baptist Clinic. The organization has already secured $1.2 million in funding.

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"The Goroka Project is set to transform lives  and a nation  through enhanced capacity for theological education and a sustainable platform for medically based evangelistic ministry," the statement noted.

Bill Smith, a longtime missionary to Papua New Guinea, described the spiritual climate of the country as having "a form of Christianity" while lacking "the power of it."

"They have some knowledge of Christ, yet there's works; there's [sic.] all kinds of things added to it. Their Christianity is not genuine, and that is the hardest thing. Sometimes you have to get them lost in order to get them saved."

Association of Baptists for World Evangelism President Paul Davis said that while the Gospel message has spread throughout Papua New Guinea and many of its 600 islands, "the work of making disciples is far from over."

"That task will be finished not mainly through Western missionaries but by trained, equipped, and qualified Papua New Guineans ablaze with zeal for the Lord," he said.

Davis said that expanding Goroka Baptist Bible College is "the most strategic way" to achieve that objective.

"The main purpose of the Goroka Baptist Bible College is training tomorrow's Christian leaders today," said Smith.

"We are developing the next generation of leaders. And it's not just training pastors; it's training teachers, it's training medical workers, and whatever else God allows us to train them in  making a difference in their lives with the people that God gives them with their gifts and talents."

In a country where corruption is "rife," GBBC Vice President of Student Affairs Solomon Kinamat said the organization's goal is for Christians to become "honest leaders."

Lori Smith, a missionary at the Seigu Clinic, discussed the impact of the healthcare services provided there and its Christian hospitality.

"Here in Papua New Guinea, people don't have a Band-Aid; they don't have an aspirin. They have nothing, and when they have physical needs and they come into the area of our clinic, they immediately feel a difference because the love of Jesus Christ is just permeated through everything that we do," Lori Smith said.

"The Gospel message is at the beginning of every clinic, and then throughout the day in smaller groups, each person has at least two opportunities to understand the Gospel message and to make a decision, if they need to, to receive Jesus Christ," she explained.

The Bible college's presence in Papua New Guinea dates back at least 50 years, graduating nearly 500 locals to be leaders in local churches across 16 provinces. Meanwhile, the Seigu Clinic has offered healthcare services to Papua New Guinea residents since 1991, providing medical care to more than 20,000 people over three decades.

After years of use, the facilities for Goroka Baptist Bible College and the Seigu Clinic need repair. The Goroka Project will renovate and expand the educational institution to accommodate 200 students, while the Saigu Clinic will be "replaced and expanded."

A funding-raising page characterizes Papua New Guinea as a "land of great spiritual need" consisting of a "remote, rugged landscape isolating over 800 language groups traditionally steeped in spiritism."

"When Christ sent his disciples to 'the ends of the earth,' there is no doubt he had places like Papua New Guinea in mind," the ABWE asserted. "Tucked far away in the southwestern Pacific, Papua New Guinea and its 600 islands are often marked by a challenging mixture of tribal conflict, superficial forms of Christianity, and spirit worship  resulting in spiritual warfare and a weakened church."

Ethnic strife and violence have created a culture that "devalues life."

"[R]ape is prevalent, and false teaching about the nature of human life results in widespread abortion, abandoning infants, and shaming women," The ABWE website reads.
Home News Pro-life activist Lauren Handy to serve nearly 5 years in prison for DC abortion facility blockade

WASHINGTON  A federal judge sentenced pro-life advocate Lauren Handy to nearly five years in prison for organizing a blockade at an abortion facility in the nation's capital. As a result, Handys legal team has vowed to challenge what it believes is the root cause of the activists conviction: the FACE Act.

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who was nominated to the federal bench by former President Bill Clinton, sentenced Handy on Tuesday to four years and nine months in prison. Handy, the director of activism and mutual aid for the Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising, was one of several activists found guilty in August of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.

On Oct. 22, 2020, Handy and fellow activists carried out a plan to prevent the Washington Surgi-Clinic from committing abortions that day. Several of the activists used chains, ropes and bike locks to tie themselves together, as well as their bodies to block access to the facility.

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Prosecutors had recommended a sentence of at least six years for Handy, referring to the activist as the criminal mastermind behind the October 2020 blockade and similar past actions.

One of Handys attorneys, Martin Cannon, had an opportunity to speak before Kollar-Kotelly announced the activists sentence. The senior counsel for the Thomas More Society compared Handys actions to the peaceful protests conducted by Martin Luther King Jr.

The defense lawyers had requested before the day of sentencing that Handy be allowed to serve a sentence of no more than 12 months. Before the sentence came down, Cannon also told the judge that the activist has already served time in jail since August 2023.

There was only one thing around which Ms. Handy and her co-defendants were unified, and that was nonviolence. They conspired to be peaceful, the attorney said in a statement provided to The Christian Post, announcing the legal teams plans to appeal.

Yet, today, the court granted the Biden Department of Justice its wish by sentencing Ms. Handy to 57 months  nearly five years in prison, Handys attorney continued. For her efforts to peacefully protect the lives of innocent preborn human beings, Ms. Handy deserves thanks, not a gut-wrenching prison sentence.

Speaking before the judge, Cannon described Handy as nice, adding that the pro-lifer acted on her good-faith belief that another life was at stake and that was important to consider when determining how much time Handy should serve in prison.

These are good people who wouldnt hurt anybody on purpose, Cannon said about Handy and the other activists. Lauren has done enough time. Send Lauren home. Send them all home.

Kollar-Kotelly stated during the sentencing that Handy was not being punished for her views on abortion. The judge acknowledged that there have been protests for and against abortion for decades and that Americans have the right to protest peacefully.

The law does not protect violent and obstructive conduct, nor should it, Kollar-Kotelly said.

The judge highlighted a victim impact letter from a nurse who worked at the abortion facility who stated that she injured her ankle when the activists pushed their way into the center. Two women had also arrived at the Washington Surgi-Clinic on the day of the blockade to obtain abortions.

Prior to sentencing, Kollar-Kotelly said she reviewed the security footage of the October 2020 blockade, stating that she found it disheartening. The judge acknowledged that Handy and her fellow activists have strong views against abortion, but felt they put those views before the women who came to the facility to obtain abortions.

One of the women who came to the Washington Surgi-Clinic for an abortion on Oct. 22, 2020, reportedly collapsed on the floor and was in need of medical attention. Another woman climbed through a receptionist window to evade the activists blocking the door.

Neither you nor any of the other co-conspirators showed any compassion or empathy toward those two women needing medical care, Kollar-Kotelly said of their abortions. Your views took precedence over, frankly, their human needs.

The judge stated that she heard Handy has a reputation for being compassionate, adding that the activist did not exhibit this trait on the day of the blockade.

In addition to time in prison, Handy will serve three years of supervised release. Kollar-Kotelly said Handy will not be permitted to come within a certain number of feet of an abortion facility unless she is there for an appointment or she has received permission from a probation officer.

After the federal judge handed down the sentence, multiple pro-life advocates present in the courtroom stood and applauded as Handy was led away. Some of the advocates shouted, Youre a hero, Lauren!

Reacting to the decision, PAAU founder Terrisa Bukovinac declared that the Biden administration and United States Attorney General Merrick Garland have reached a new level of tyranny. The pro-life leader contended that pro-life advocates face a different level of punishment than activists involved in other social justice movements.

"This blatant viewpoint discrimination has incalculable consequences for babies, their parents, those who defend them, and for peaceful activists across movements worldwide, Bukovinac said in a statement to CP. I continue to stand by Lauren and the other eight defendants who risked their freedoms to stand in defense of the least of us.

Caroline Smith, PAAUs executive director, said in a Tuesday statement to CP that the abortion industry wants to scare, intimidate, fear-monger, and isolate us.

But what they dont know is we have a radical hope that goes beyond the concrete walls of both prisons and abortuaries, she said. I believe the oppression that the DOJ is expressing right now will absolutely backfire on them in the near future. Oppression always backfires, especially when your motivation is blood money. Abortion is murder, and fetuses are people, and nothing will stop rescue.

Handy also released a statement Tuesday reflecting on the nine months she has already served and her struggles with figuring out what to say after she was ripped away from her community. The pro-life activist declared that she refuses to become jaded despite all that has happened.

Why? Because life goes on ... even in jail. So I might as well continue to love and cry and scream and dance. That is joy, the PAAU leader said in a statement provided to CP. The feeling of being fully alive without shame. Which is something no court can take from me. So today, I am at peace with myself and my future. I will go into court with my head held high and my heart open.

Live Action founder Lila Rose also reacted to the news of Handys sentencing on Tuesday, describing it as A grave injustice!

Meanwhile, abortionists who dismember and kill children walk free, Rose stated.

Penny Nance, the CEO of the conservative group Concerned Women for America, also described the sentencing of the PAAU activist as an injustice. In a Tuesday X post, Nance called for the repeal of the FACE Act, arguing that it is an unconstitutional breach of the "states police power and that the Biden administration has used it to attack political opponents.
Home News Robert F. Kennedy Jr. walks back support for 'full-term' abortion

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is seeking to clarify his position on abortion after he appeared to express support for allowing abortion at full-term.

Kennedy made the remarks about abortion during an appearance on The Sage Steele Show published last week. When asked by host Sage Steele if he supported abortions at full term, Kennedy responded that women should have the right to terminate their pregnancy even if its full term.

In a post on X Friday night, Kennedy suggested that he had changed his position on abortion because he was willing to listen to his family, supporters, and others who shared their perspectives. He noted that he saw an emerging consensus that abortion should be legal up until a certain number of weeks, and restricted thereafter, later illustrating his support for keeping abortion legal up until the point when the baby is viable outside the womb.

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Even in the reddest of red states, voters reject total abortion bans, he added. And on the other end, almost no one supports gruesome third-trimester abortions except to save the life of the mother.

Kennedy described himself as a medical freedom advocate who has fought for bodily autonomy and trusts womens instincts, identifying situations where the baby has some fatal condition that ensures it will survive just hours or days after birth in intense suffering as the reason why he was leery of inserting the government into abortion.

Insisting that I had been assuming that virtually all late-term abortions were such cases, he acknowledged that my assumption was wrong.

Sometimes, women abort healthy, viable late-term fetuses, he explained. These cases of purely elective late-term abortion are very upsetting. Once the baby is viable outside the womb, it should have rights and it deserves societys protection.

Kennedy vowed to allow appropriate restrictions on abortion in the final months of pregnancy, just as Roe v. Wade did. The candidates remarks reflect the fact that the U.S. Supreme Courts Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide permitted states to restrict abortions in the latter part of a pregnancy.

The U.S. Supreme Court reversed Roe in 2022 by issuing the Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization decision, which determined that the U.S. Constitution does not contain a right to abortion. Since the Dobbs decision, several states have taken action to restrict or prohibit abortion.

One state has a 15-week abortion ban in effect, while two states prohibit abortion after 12 weeks gestation, three states have heartbeat bans prohibiting abortion after six weeks gestation, and 14 states have near-total abortion bans in effect. Pro-life protections in three additional states are tied up in litigation.

Meanwhile, voters in California, Michigan and Vermont approved ballot measures establishing constitutional rights to abortion in 2022, while Ohio voters supported an equivalent constitutional amendment in 2023.

Kennedys X post concluded by pitching his policy called More Choices, More Life, which he predicts will reduce abortion across the board by supporting motherhood, supporting parents, and supporting families. He signaled his intention to unveil our plan for universally affordable child care, which will cap child care expenses at 10% for most families.

Kennedy maintained that his presidency would seek to support women in need so that abortion isnt their only choice, noting that almost three-quarters of women cite economic reasons to explain why they chose to abort a pregnancy.

Kennedys Friday night X post is not the first time the candidate or his campaign has sought to clarify his position on abortion.

Last summer, he told a reporter that he thought the decision to abort a child should be up to the woman during the first three months of pregnancy. He shared his belief that once a child is viable outside the womb, I think that a state has an interest in protecting that child.

The campaign later published a statement declaring that Kennedys position on abortion is that it is always the womans right to choose, adding, He does not support legislation banning abortion.

The RealClearPolitics average of polls measuring voter intentions in a five-way race between former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden, Kennedy, progressive independent candidate Cornel West and likely Green Party nominee Jill Stein shows Kennedy capturing 10.8% of the vote. The polls are based on surveys taken between April 12 and May 7. While Kennedy finds himself significantly behind Trumps 41.5% and Bidens 38.8%, he finishes ahead of West (2.0%) and Stein (1.5%).

According to the candidates website, Kennedy has secured ballot access in 14 states that boast a combined 187 electoral votes: California, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah. While the number of electoral votes in the states where Kennedy has ballot access remains short of the 270 required to win the presidency, he hopes to secure ballot access in all 50 states by Election Day.
Home News Texas church fires senior pastor after he's charged with possession of child porn

Calvary Chapel of The Woodlands in Texas, which hosts services in the auditorium of McCullough Junior High School has announced the firing of their longtime pastor, Bruce Hollen, 63, following his arrest for possession with intent to promote child pornography.

The firing came on May 8, the same day authorities arrested the married father who has two daughters and a son, for allegedly promoting and distributing naked pictures of young girls ABC 13 reported.

The board of Calvary Chapel of The Woodlands has discussed the allegations against Pastor Bruce Hollen and has unanimously decided effective immediately that as of 5/8/2024, Bruce Hollen is stripped of his role as lead pastor of Calvary Chapel of the Woodlands, the church said in a statement on their website which has largely been disabled along with most of their social media pages.

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The board hereby has determined that Bruce Hollen no longer has authority, authorization, or permission to conduct any business on behalf of Calvary Chapel of the Woodlands, the church added. He may not hold himself out as a leader in any capacity for the church, and he may not speak on behalf of the church in any capacity.

Hollens arrest, according to authorities, came as a result of a sting operation focused on internet crimes against children.

The girls in the photos Hollen had in his possession were between the ages of 9 and 12 authorities said and they were naked from the waist down. Some of the young victims were engaged in sexual acts.

Hollen is currently jailed on a $30,000 bond.

Calvary Chapel is an Evangelical church, that believes in using all Gods gifts to accomplish the Great Commission, according to their website.

Our desire is to know Christ and be conformed to His image by the power of the Holy Spirit. We do that by preaching the Gospel and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead people into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, a cached paged from their website says. Believers of Jesus are equipped by the simple verse by verse teaching of the whole counsel of God's Word to bring people to maturity in Christ. We encourage people to use the gifts that God has given them to fulfill the great commission to make disciples and thus accomplish the mission of His church.
Home News US Attorneys Office, FBI consulted as part of investigation into Mica Millers death Divorce docs show Mica Miller accused Pastor John-Paul Miller of adultery

The U.S. Attorney's Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigations in South Carolina confirmed Tuesday that they have been consulted about the suicide of Mica Miller, the late wife of Pastor John-Paul Miller of Solid Rock at Market Common in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Miller was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head at Lumber River State Park in Robeson County, North Carolina, on April 27.

"We have been in contact with the Robeson County Sheriff's Office, but we don't confirm/deny/comment on investigations," U.S. Attorney's Office Public Affairs Specialist Veronica R. Hill emailed The Christian Post in response to questions about the investigation.

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Kevin Wheeler, public affairs specialist at FBI Columbia, responded similarly when asked about the Mica Miller case.

"I can confirm the Robeson County Sheriff's Office consulted with the FBI; however, we cannot confirm or deny the potential existence of an investigation. Allegations of criminal conduct are reviewed for their merit, with consideration of any applicable federal laws," Wheeler told CP.

On Monday, the Robeson County Sheriff's Office announced in a statement cited by ABC 7 that they had asked both the U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI in South Carolina for help with the case.

"The Robeson County Sheriff's Office has been in contact with the United States Attorney's Office and Federal Bureau of Investigation in South Carolina since the early stages of the Mica Miller investigation. Based on the information gathered during the investigation and jurisdiction reasons, the Sheriff's Office has requested the assistance of both agencies," the statement said.

"No other information will be released at this time. Anyone with information pertaining to the Miller investigation in South Carolina is asked to contact the Columbia, SC FBI Office at 803-551-4200."

Although Robeson County Medical Examiner Dr. Richard Johnson ruled the 30-year-old Mica's death a suicide, family members and friends have raised significant concerns about abuse in her marriage to Pastor Miller, 44.

They allege the abuse contributed to the deterioration of her mental health and likely driven her to suicide. They have also been clamoring for him to be held accountable for her death.

Pastor Miller has insisted in an interview with CP, however, that it is his wife's bipolar II disorder and her roller-coaster attitude towards taking her medication that drove her to suicide.

In an affidavit cited by NewsNation, Mica Miller's father, Michael, alleged that Pastor Miller claimed his daughter was not taking her medication properly and needed to be hospitalized in February 2023. Michael noted, however, that Mica just decided to take one pill instead of two, which was allowed under her medication regime.

"Throughout a lot of their interactions  John-Paul was exaggerating a lot of things and making up things so that he could, in fact, get Mica hospitalized against her will," NewsNation producer Allison Weiner, who reviewed the affidavit, told NewsNation's "Banfield."

In a sworn affidavit shared on X by Protestia and filed as part of her application to serve as special administrator for her sister's estate, Sierra Francis said Mica Miller, 30, had served her husband with divorce papers on April 25 and was looking forward to being free of him because he was abusive.

"My sister was hopeful for her future after filing for divorce from John-Paul," Francis wrote in the affidavit.

"My sister also expressed to me that she was fearful that she would not make it to the divorce and that her life would be taken from her. It is my belief, based on conversations with my sister, that she told multiple people, including other family members," Francis explained.

"Mica stated to me on many occasions 'if I end up with a bullet in my head, it was not by me, it was JP.' Mica forwarded a family group text message notifying us that Mr. Miller was served the divorce papers on April 25, 2024," Francis added. "On April 27, 2024, my sister, Mica A. Miller, was found dead as a result of a gunshot wound in Lumberton, North Carolina."

In a separate affidavit supporting Francis' application to serve as special administrator, Mica Miller's brother, Nathaniel Francis, a member of Solid Rock at Market Common, said his late sister also confided in him about her marital struggles.

Nathaniel Francis noted that he left Solid Rock at Market Common after several years there "due to the behaviors I observed."

He said shortly before her death that Mica Miller reported to police that her estranged husband was viciously stalking her.

"Mica made several police reports over the last few weeks of her tires being slashed and tracking devices found on her car. In Mr. Miller's email forwarded to me, he apologizes to Mica for the tires and causing damage to her vehicle," Nathaniel Francis wrote.

"Mr. Miller's email to my sister continued to state that he was angry when Mica confided or 'put her family before' him, and that made him want to hurt her. In his words 'when someone hurts me, I try to hurt them back rather than forgive.' And instead of me forgiving you  I just attack and try to cause pain.'"

A week ago, the Robeson County Sheriff's Office presented a detailed report of "clear and compelling" evidence showing that Mica Miller took her own life, including a 911 call in which she told a dispatcher, "I'm about to kill myself, and I just want my family to know where to find me."

In divorce documents cited by The Daily Mail, Mica Miller alleged last October that her husband had repeatedly committed adultery during their marriage. She also claimed that her husband would become hostile toward her when she pushed back against his behavior.

"Plaintiff (Mica) is informed and believes that the defendant (John-Paul) has and is currently engaging in acts of adultery with women whose names are well known to the defendant," the complaint alleges."

"Plaintiff has not condoned the adultery. The plaintiff would show that she left the marital home due to defendant's philandering as well as defendant's growing hostility towards plaintiff. Defendant has threatened to throw plaintiffs belongings into the yard, locked plaintiff out of her own home and has defamed and demeaned the plaintiff before a congregation of people," it continues.

Though their relationship started with both of them cheating on previous spouses, Mica Miller claimed that in the seven years she was married to Pastor Miller, she was a "faithful and dutiful wife" who was "devoted to their church and marriage."

In a 2017 affidavit also highlighted by The Daily Mail, Miller's first wife, Alison, who's the mother of his five children, accused him of engaging in sex acts with minors younger than 16 and having an addiction to prostitutes. She also alleged that Miller was caught in an affair with Mica in 2015 while she was working as their babysitter and married to his then-best friend Jeremy Deas.

"Our marriage and my husband's career were less than stable at the time, because at the time my husband's affair was discovered, he had previously admitted to both me and our congregation that he had an addiction to prostitution," Alison wrote in the affidavit seeking alimony.

"He had also confessed to me and other staff members of the church that he had sexual encounters with young females from the church, who were under the age of sixteen," she added.

Instead of removing Miller as leader, Alison stated that church officials demanded he get counseling for his sex addiction, but he refused to get counseling, which caused many of the members to leave.

"When he refused, the majority of our church left the congregation," Alison wrote.

Miller previously acknowledged the affair with Mica and being forced to start over at his church in an interview with CP, but he did not share the details alleged by Alison.

In one of the latest allegations against the pastor, according to News Nation, Miller confessed to posting a nude photo of Mica on social media as she tried to divorce him.

"I'm sorry for putting a picture of you on the internet," he said in an apology email cited by the news outlet. "It was for less than one hour and immediately taken down. I was hurt that you are telling everyone horrible intimate details of my past sin, and I just wanted to try and hurt you. Please forgive me. It was evil of me to do that."
Supreme Court Pro-Life Center Ruling, PTC Slams Disneys Plan To Merge HBO Max Content, AI Skepticism

link to download the audio instead. link to download the audio instead. 07:34 07:34

Top headlines for Tuesday, May 14, 2024

In this episode, the U.S. Supreme Court has made headlines by refusing to block a subpoena against a New Jersey pro-life organization, sparking debates on privacy and donor rights. Meanwhile, Disney faces pressure to reconsider its streaming bundle with HBO Max, amid concerns over explicit content.

We'll also explore a revealing survey, showing practicing Christians and scripture-engaged believers exhibit more skepticism towards artificial intelligence than the general American populace. Lastly, we highlight Sen. Tim Scott's inspiring message to Liberty University's class of 2024, urging graduates to lead lives of courage and commitment to their faith.
Home Opinion Christopher Hitchens now realizes God is great

Christopher Hitchens authored the 2007 book, God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything. The flamboyant atheist wrote, People keep saying, God is in the details. He isnt in ours, unless his yokel creationist fans wish to take credit for his clumsiness, failure and incompetence.

Do you believe God is clumsy, incompetent and a failure? If so, you probably relish the whole God is not great motif. On the other hand, if you believe God is majestic, perfect and all-powerful, you will likely appreciate this quote from Evangelist Billy Graham: An atheist only sees a hopeless end to life. But the Christian sees an endless hope.

When Christopher Hitchens passed away from complications of esophageal cancer in 2011, people wondered whether this popular public speaker went to Heaven or Hell. Did Hitchens have a deathbed conversion? Many Christians who had prayed for such a thing were left guessing.

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The Guardian published a 2016 op-ed, Deathbed conversion? Never. Christopher Hitchens was Defiant to the Last. Christian apologist Larry Taunton isn't so sure. Taunton wrote a fascinating book titled, The Faith of Christopher Hitchens: The Restless Soul of the Worlds Most Notorious Atheist.

Taunton developed a close friendship with Hitchens, and he details a conversation they had during a 751-mile road trip together in 2010. Hitchens opened a Bible and began reading the first chapter of the Gospel of John. Taunton writes, He would read a verse and together we would discuss its meaning. This went on for hours. No cameras, no microphones, no audience. That always made for better conversation with Christopher.

Hitchens had nothing but praise for his Christian friend: If everyone in the United States had the same qualities of loyalty and care and concern for others that Larry Taunton had, wed be living in a much better society than we do.

Most of us dont want to think about anyone suffering in Hell, other than perhaps people who abuse children, commit genocide or engage in sex trafficking. The biblical teaching about Hell is one of the most difficult doctrines to accept, second only to the breathtaking message that God sent His only Son to suffer hours of agony on the cross to pay for our sins.

For the past 13 years, Christopher Hitchens has either been cursing God in Hell, or praising God in Heaven. While time drags on mercilessly in Hell, the euphoria and perfect contentment in Heaven continuously overflows with joy, peace, praise, variety, worship, friendships and a limitless number of wonderful experiences. Christopher Hitchens now exists in a realm outside of time as we know it.

Jesus described Hell as a horrific and painful place where people experience weeping and gnashing of teeth (Luke 13:28). Heaven, on the other hand, is a pain-free place of absolute perfection. The Apostle John wrote, Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth  God will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away (Revelation 21:1,4).

Hitchens wrote, I have never seen any reason to suppose that there's a god. This man's blind perspective completely changed in 2011 when Christopher exited this planet. Regardless of where Christopher Hitchens finds himself today, he now realizes God's power is great and mighty. Hitchens is either loving God while experiencing ecstasy in Heaven or hating God while suffering agony in Hell (see Luke 16:19-31).

Jesus told His apostles: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Hell (Matthew 10:28).

The full glory and majesty of the Lord is far beyond our comprehension. Likewise, the unconditional love of God is greater than anything we can fully fathom, as I explained in my recent CP op-ed, How Can You Be Loved Yet Also Under Gods Wrath? So, are you closer to Billy Graham in your spiritual perspective, or to Christopher Hitchens?

Hitchens wrote, I am so made that I cannot believe. The fact of the matter is that he chose not to believe it, at least up until his final hours on Earth. Only God and Christopher Hitchens know what he believed right before his soul left his body. Scripture reveals the intense spiritual battle people experience when presented with the Gospel: Some were convinced by what he (Paul) said, but others would not believe (Acts 28:24).

Like the thief on the cross, (see Luke 23:38-43) Christopher Hitchens may have at the last minute stepped onto the narrow path into Paradise (see Matthew 7:13-14). But if so, he didn't tell anyone about it, including Larry Taunton. I sure hope Christopher Hitchens came to faith in Christ and is in Heaven today.

Hitchens is remembered for his bombastic antics and irreverent antagonism toward God and religion, while Billy Graham is remembered for just the opposite. When Graham was honored in 1989 during a Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony he said, When people walk by here and see the name Billy Graham and some kid yells out, Who in the world was Billy Graham? What rock group did he play for? They will be answered with, No, he was a preacher of the Gospel. And they might explain the Gospel to them, and many people may find Christ in that.

What will you be remembered for after you take your final breath and suddenly find yourself in either Heaven or Hell? In a 2015 CP op-ed I wrote, There are no atheists in foxholes, and there are no atheists in Hell. That's because everyone in Hell understands the justice of their sentence, and everyone in Hell certainly now realizes that God truly exists.

Sadly, the harsh and never-ending reality of Hell torments everyone who refuses to surrender their heart and soul to our great God and His perfect plan of salvation. Meanwhile, one of the many great things about God is that the Lord is patient with people, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
Home Opinion The Boy Scouts get trans-ed

If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face  forever.

This was George Orwells dark prophecy about the end of human freedom from his dystopian classic 1984.

As prescient as Orwell was about the rise of technology-fueled totalitarianism, aka Big Brother, even he couldnt foresee what the progressive Left had in store for the modern West.

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With the recent announcement that the once-beloved Boy Scouts of America has officially fallen prey to the gender-bending madness of the age and will be changing their name to the more inclusive moniker of Scouting America, allow me to provide an updated twist on Orwells prediction.

If you want a picture of the future, imagine the transgender movement destroying everything you once loved  forever.

Wrapped up in gender difference-denying Newspeak, the official press release told us all what we already know: the Boy Scouts have gone woke:

The Boy Scouts of America today announced that it will rebrand to Scouting America, reflecting the organizations ongoing commitment to welcome every youth and family in America to experience the benefits of Scouting. The change will go into effect on February 8, 2025, the organizations 115th anniversary.

While the corporate jargon might sound somewhat innocuous  after all, who could be against welcoming every youth and family  the reality is anything but. The point of this name change is nothing less than an all-out attack on the binary nature of biological sex in general and Americas young men in particular.

Make no mistake: the Boy Scouts name change is a direct result of our societys embrace of the LGBT madness under the banner of progress. And a key front in this larger war on nature is the attack on men and masculinity  and now, on boys.

Writing for the National Review, Michael Brendan Dougherty explains,

In recent decades, the Boy Scouts have, like other all-male groups, been subjected to ideological attack and institutional destruction masquerading as reform. Though the Girl Scouts had long been part of the Scouting movement, the Boy Scouts were opened up to girls years ago.

Its ironic, isnt it? Girls have been allowed to join the Boy Scouts for years. But boys cannot join the Girl Scouts (unless they claim to be trans, of course).

This wasnt good enough for the revolutionaries. Despite being what amounts to Boy Scouts in Name Only in 2024, even that last vestige of the painful reminder of the biological differences between boys and girls, that last semantic testimony to the patriarchy in the name of what was once a great organization dedicated to teachings boys patriotism, courage, self-reliance, and kindred values, had to be toppled.

Why? Its simple, really. The sexual revolution refuses to allow men to be men or boys to be boys. Instead, everything everywhere must be deformed into one big mess of androgynous, regressive, transgender mush.

As Christian reporter and cultural commentator Ben Zeisloft put it, Boy Scouts of America changing their name to Scouting America is yet another reminder that our society hates men, especially those of the white, conservative, and Christian variety.

While it might be somewhat taboo to put it so bluntly, hes not wrong. One of the original founders of the Boy Scouts, Lord Robert Baden-Powell (February 22, 1857January 8, 1941), once claimed that Scouting is nothing less than applied Christianity.

For against the relentless waves of the sexual revolution stands Christianity, with its stubborn and immoveable insistence that God made men and women, boys and girls, to be different (Genesis 1:27). Because boys and girls are different, both in biological sex and by nature, it is good and right for there to be boys-only clubs, spaces, and activities and girls-only clubs, spaces, and activities.

Boys must be trained to be men. Much of that training, especially in their formative years, is best accomplished in the freedom of a male-only environment, where the older, wiser, and more seasoned men can engage the boys as boys. The feminization of traditionally male-only spaces doesnt help girls or women in the long run; it only hurts the boys.

Which is, after all, the point. Toxic masculinity must be crushed. And the crushing must start as young as possible.

Thankfully, there is an alternative: Trail Life USA. Trail Life USA rightly recognizes that males and females are fundamentally different in many ways  physically, emotionally, and in their relationships. Boys and girls deserve unique programs created with their specific needs in mind.

Even better, Trail Life USA is an explicitly Christian scouting organization. Their vision is to be the premier national character development organization for young men which produces godly and responsible husbands, fathers, and citizens and their mission is to guide generations of courageous young men to honor God, lead with integrity, serve others, and experience outdoor adventure.

The Boy Scouts have gone woke. Theyve bent their last knee to the golden idol of the transgender movement and joined up in the war on men in America. Now, its time for Christians to help see to it that they go broke. Get your boys out of the gender-neutral Scouting America and back into an all-boys organization like Trail Scouts USA.

God made boys to be boys  and thats a good thing. I trust that one day, we will finally hit rock bottom in this disastrous attempt to erase all biological and natural distinctions that God put into His creation for our good. When we finally do and begin rebuilding from the rubble, maybe then we can make the Boy Scouts great again.

The first step? Letting them just be the Boy Scouts.

Originally published at the Standing for Freedom Center.
Autism and the image of God: how to be a welcoming community?

Our son Sam was the long-awaited answer to Jane's prayers, fulfilling her desire for a brother. Born prematurely, Sam faced health challenges in his early days, spending several days in the intensive care unit as an infant. Despite doctors losing hope, continuous prayers from Sam's sister and family granted him a new life. As Sam grew, we noticed developmental differences compared to other children his age.

Even his sister started complaining that Daddy, "Sam isn't playing with me," and "he isn't even listening to my instructions." After consulting doctors and psychologists, Sam was diagnosed with autism. This news shocked us, and Sam began to live in his own world as he started to grow. The term "autism" was new to us as parents.

Different people gave their views with limited understanding, but we, as parents, started to grapple with questions such as: How would he manage his life? When would he become independent? When would he begin socialising with other children of his age? How would society accept him? Why has God made him like this?

Prevalence of autism

As per a recent report by ETHealthWorld, approximately 18 million (1 in 68 children) individuals in India have received a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Moreover, it is estimated that autism affects around 1%-1.5% of children aged between two and nine years. Additionally, boys are believed to be four times more susceptible to autism than girls. Challenges in communication, social interaction, and repetitive behaviours characterise ASD. It also impacts individuals' ability to function effectively in society and other areas of life.

In India, many people are unaware of the term autism and its symptoms. Once, an elderly lady visited our home and was quite disturbed to see Sam in his hyperactive state. She felt that we were not disciplining our child, and he was almost spoilt for her. Such an attitude happens because of our people's lack of education and awareness. Bollywood films like 'Taare Zameen Par,' 'Barfi,' 'Koi Mil Gaya' do raise awareness in our Indian society, but much more needs to be done. A holistic approach is required to address these children's physical, spiritual, and emotional needs.

Individuals diagnosed with autism perceive the world differently and communicate in various ways. Community acceptance and identifying their talents is a challenge. Unfortunately, numerous people fail to recognise the importance of adapting themselves to accommodate individuals with autism. Instead, they often attempt to enforce changes on those with autism, neglecting their needs. This lack of consideration hinders the process of making individuals with autism feel comfortable and accepted within their communities. We miss the opportunity to foster genuine inclusion and understanding by neglecting the necessity for mutual adaptation.

Demeaning the image of God

During my recent visit to Lucknow, I talked with a retired Christian teacher from a prestigious school. After sharing about Sam, she recalled her interaction with the mother of a boy in her class who was also diagnosed with autism. Hearing about the mother's disparaging remarks about her son - labelling him as mentally retarded, useless, idiot and mad - brought tears to my eyes. Despite this, the teacher consistently emphasised the unique qualities of the boy and gave her best to support him.

In his article "Does Darwinism Devalue Human Life?," Richard Weikart explores the historical connection between Darwinism and the devaluation of human life. He shares that Darwinism undermines the Judeo-Christian belief in the sanctity of human life. Weikart traces the historical roots of Darwinism's impact on ethics, highlighting how German Darwinist Ernst Haeckel proposed killing disabled infants in the late 19th century.

For Haeckel, newborn infants have no soul, "so killing them is no different than killing other animals and cannot be equated with murder." About a physically or mentally disabled infant, he wrote, "a small dose of morphine or cyanide would not only free this pitiable creature itself, but also its relatives from the burden of a long, worthless and painful existence." The only reason we do not kill "defective" children at birth, according to Haeckel, is because we are following emotion rather than reason.

In 1833, Charles Darwin embarked on a journey to the South Sea Islands in search of the presumed "missing link." Observing the inhabitants, whom he deemed primitive, particularly the cannibals, he believed them to represent a lower stratum of humanity, seemingly confirming his evolutionary theory. However, thirty-four years later, upon his return to the same islands, Darwin was astonished to find churches, schools, and civilised homes inhabited by the once-perceived primitive inhabitants.

This remarkable transformation was attributed to the missionary efforts of John G. Paton, who had spread the truths of salvation among them. Witnessing their upliftment and spiritual growth moved Darwin profoundly, leading him to support the London Missionary Society generously. This experience challenged Darwin's notion of the "missing link," highlighting the transformative power of faith and the image of God within humanity.

Some scientists may question the rationality of autistic children because they fail to recognise the unique qualities which these children contribute to our society. Unfortunately, "the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Corinthians 4:4). Hence there are people who are not able to see the image of God and the glory of Christ in such children. Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects individuals in various ways, but it does not diminish their worth as human beings created in the image of God. Therefore, any suggestion of devaluing or harming individuals with disabilities, including autism, contradicts the fundamental teachings of Christianity regarding the sanctity of human life.

In his image

Genesis chapter one affirms that every human being is created in the image and likeness of God. To be in God's image, humans share His character, nature, attributes, and moral, ethical and intellectual abilities. In other words, it refers to the mental and spiritual faculties and His persona that humans share with Him. When Christians encounter questions about disability, they often look to the idea of the image of God. This concept is the perfect fit for affirming the value and importance of every person. Brian Brock in his article, 'Autism and the Image of God: On Becoming A Mobile And Reproductive Church', mentions that there are three main ways that Christians have understood the image of God over the centuries:

(a) The Substantive View: This view explains that despite having many capabilities, humans are different from the rest of creation by giving them abilities that no other creatures have. Some argue that what sets humans apart from all other beings is their capacity for rationality, while others argue it is their moral sense.

(b) The Functionalist View: This view of the image of God focuses on another aspect mentioned in Genesis 1, where God assigns humans a task i.e. to have 'dominion' (Genesis 1:26). According to this perspective, the concept of the image of God is not automatically present in every human being but is seen as a royal responsibility.

(c) Relational View: In this perspective, humans are designed for relationshipswith each other and with God. By fostering life-giving connections despite differences, humans reflect Christ to one another. This view emphasises the uniqueness of humans, as they alone are tasked with representing God in the world. The birth of every human from Adam and Eve signifies their humanity, and their primary role is not to dominate the earth but to live in ways that resemble Christ in their interactions with others. After going through the above views, it is essential to know that every human, whether regular or autistic, is created in the image and likeness of God. We might initially separate individuals with autism from our understanding, but from a divine perspective, they hold immense value.

After the Fall, sin took control of our lives, and we forgot that we were created in the image of God. We do share His persona, but our image is tarnished due to sin. Since then, we have become confused about our image. We have only one way to regain our tarnished image, and it is only through God's Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the image of the invisible God, the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature. When we accept Jesus as our personal Saviour, He begins restoration work and transforms us into His image. In this, we recognise that we are created in God's image and acknowledge others to be created in His image.

Fostering relationship

The life stories of Albert Einstein, Thomas Alva Edison, Benjamin Franklin, etc., are eye-openers that enable us to understand the potential of autistic children. In John 9:1-3 Jesus saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him." Like the disciples, we also close our eyes and fail to understand the real purpose of God. The challenge before us is how we accommodate and value individuals with autism within the context of their abilities. By doing this, we not only acknowledge that they are created in the image of God but also develop a relationship with them.

For Sheila George, Director of the Ashish Foundation for the Differently Abled (AFDA): "Our ultimate goal is to help these children and adults lead fulfilling and productive lives, and to be accepted and included in the mainstream of society." The vision of AFDA is to "enhance the image and competencies of each child to take up valued social roles." This foundation sensitises and equips families, communities, and organisations to respond and engage productively so that children and adults with autism can lead fulfilling lives. In our experience, relationship matters a lot. Sam is a very loving child. The more we pour our love into his life, the more we experience love from him. We feel privileged that God has chosen us to be Sam's parents. Like Sam, other children are desperately waiting for our love and care.

Embrace: role of the Church

A church, whose head is Jesus Christ, is called to play an active role in the lives of such children. The Church must uphold the dignity and value of all human life, including individuals diagnosed with autism. The Church's response is rooted in compassion, understanding, and respect for the inherent worth of every person, regardless of their abilities or differences. There are four steps which believers should take with those who are diagnosed with autism:

Availability

How can we make ourselves available to others? By approaching them with openness and compassion. As a community belonging to Christ, we must reach out to children like these. To do so, we must identify such children in our neighbourhood or church community. In Matthew 25:42-45, Jesus speaks of those who neglect to care for others in need, highlighting hunger, thirst, lack of hospitality, clothing, sickness, and imprisonment. By not visiting them, we fail to recognise the presence of Jesus in them. Jesus further said in verse 45, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me." How important is it to come close to those who are differently abled? Often, we notice their absence from our regular gatherings. How should we respond to such scenarios?

Acquaintance

By coming close to them, we get acquainted with them. Through this, we will discover their likes and dislikes, strengths and abilities, hobbies and talents, and communication and social skills. What do they enjoy? (food, activities, objects, places, people); What do they find distressing? (food, activities, objects, places, people). By doing so, we can create supportive environments that cater to their needs and interests. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:11: "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." Further, he states in Romans 12:10, "Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves."

Adjustments

By getting acquainted with them, we are called to adjust ourselves according to them. Through adjustments, we can meet their needs. Can we change anything so that they may get what they need? By inviting families into our homes and churches and making them feel comfortable, we can create inclusive spaces where autistic children can thrive and receive the support they need. This may involve modifying routines, providing sensory-friendly spaces, and offering understanding and acceptance. Ultimately, by adjusting ourselves and our environments, we can ensure that autistic children receive the care and support they require to flourish in both home and church settings.

Acceptance

As believers, it's crucial for the Church to embrace and support such children and their families. We must ensure that they may get opportunities to participate in church activities tailored to their needs, valuing their unique gifts and talents. By adapting programmes and providing support, we can enrich the entire church community while fostering their sense of belonging. Christian schools should be ready to accept them on a par with others. Paul writes in Galatians 6:2, "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ."

Sufficient grace

April is recognised as International Autism Acceptance Month, during which I had the opportunity to address the Caleb Institute Community about autism. To my surprise, many students and faculty members were unaware of the details of autism, and for some, autism was a new concept. I felt a need to raise awareness about this within our community. Initially, it was quite a harrowing experience for my wife Delicia and me to share about Sam. However, after much prayer, we felt peace in our hearts, and now Sam has become an example through which we can share insights about autism and God's love with others. Only through the grace, love, and compassion of Jesus Christ we care for Sam and his sister Jane.

Ashish Foundation for the Differently Abled (AFDA) Charitable Trust, situated in Dwarka, New Delhi, is an institution where Sam goes for his studies. The vision of this foundation is to empower children and adults with autism to reach their God-given potential in inclusive communities. This foundation sensitises and equips families, communities, and organisations to respond and engage productively so that children and adults with autism can lead fulfilling lives. Geeta Mondol, Founder of AFDA, states, "We are all created in God's image to achieve our potential and contribute to the building of our nation. Ashish vows to assist and facilitate the creation of an inclusive society where there is room for everyone."

Rev. Dr. Samuel Richmond is currently the Director of the Centre for Advanced Religious Studies at North East Christian University, Dimapur-Nagaland, and an Academic Consultant at Caleb Institute in Gurugram, Haryana. He also serves as the honorary secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of India's Theological Commission. He is married to Delicia and has two children, Jane and Sam.

 Christian Today India
Social media influencers and celebrities are losing millions of followers on TikTok right now as more users join the "Digitine" boycott campaign.

Also Read : Are Online Protests Still Effective Today?

Digitine: Origins of the Blockout 2024 Movement

Digitine or "Digital Guillotine" trend started earlier in May after American model and social media influencer Haylee "Baylee" Kalil posted a TikTok video during the 2024 Met Gala.

In the video, Kalil, dressed as French Queen Marie Antoinette, lip-syncing to an audio quote from the 2006 film about the French monarch uttering the infamous line "Let them eat cake."

The phrase refers to what the French queen allegedly said when told that her people had been starving, a statement that later caused the 18th-Century French Revolution and Marie Antoinette's execution.

Similar to the people's reaction 200 years ago, the video quickly earned massive backlash as users criticized the video for being "tone deaf" amidst protests against the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Taking inspiration from the execution method that killed the monarch, the term "Digitine" was then coined as a massive campaign to block or unfollow similar "out of touch" personalities who have not spoken about the plight of Palestinians.

As of writing, the video has already been deleted with Kalil releasing another video for choosing an audio "you guys could ever possibly feel was malicious in nature."

Despite the "apology video," Kalil has lost thousands of followers on TikTok overnight amid the controversy while the movement continues to grow.

Blockout 2024 Movement Hits Major Brands, Hollywood Celebrities

Kalil and other online influencers were not the only people who have been affected by the "digital guillotine" as other notable figures attending the Met Gala became the next targets.

Hollywood celebrities, and later major fashion brands, lost millions of followers over the past week as people demanded them to address the situation in Rafah, the last remaining refuge for Palestinians trapped in war-torn Gaza.

Stars like Taylor Swift have reportedly lost over 100,000 followers since the movement started. This is smaller compared to the 3 million followers American model Kim Kardashian has allegedly lost.

On the other hand, accounts spreading about the Blockout 2024 movement have been rising in numbers as small-time creators try to educate people on the significance of the boycott.

Why are People Boycotting Celebrities?

The biggest question now would be why specifically the celebrities' followers are being targeted.

Like with similar boycott movements against corporations after the initial response on Gaza over eight months ago, protesters are hitting the personalities and influencers' "bottom line."

It is estimated that TikTok pays content creators $20 to $40 per million views. This does not include brand sponsorship many top influencers receive as they gain following.

By reducing their followers and potential sponsorships, online protesters are urging these personalities to use their platform to address the human rights violations in Gaza.

Even if the case movement does not affect the celebrities themselves, the attention poured into the issue is sure to raise awareness of other celebrities that could potentially be affected by the movement.
In recent years, Saudi Arabia has emerged as a pivotal player in the global digital landscape, fueled by ambitious economic diversification efforts and a forward-looking vision for technology-driven growth. Central to this transformation is the rapid proliferation of data centers across the kingdom, marking a significant shift towards digital infrastructure investment and positioning Saudi Arabia as a regional hub for data storage, processing, and connectivity.

Several key factors have contributed to the surge in data center investment in the Kingdom. At the forefront of this digital revolution is Saudi Arabias Vision 2030, a comprehensive blueprint for economic diversification and societal transformation. Recognizing the pivotal role of technology in driving innovation and competitiveness, Vision 2030 has prioritized the development of a robust digital infrastructure, including data centers, to support the growth of various sectors such as finance, healthcare, energy, and e-commerce.

Infobips robust platform and infrastructure will empower businesses in KSA to engage with their customers at every touchpoint of their journey, delivering large volumes of digital interactions at high speed with low-latency and best-in-class delivery rates.
When key players from the US and China meet today in Switzerland to discuss AI, the stakes couldnt be higher, and the expectations couldnt be lower, observers say.

Officials from the White House, the US Department of State, and the US Department of Commerce will meet Chinese representatives in Geneva for the talks, which are aimed at exchanging views on understanding and addressing the risks of advanced AI systems.

The US is seen as having a significant advantage in generative AI capabilities for the moment, but Chinas massive resources could allow it to surpass the US within a few years. The US is attempting to extend its lead a little longer with attempts to cut deals with AI leaders in other regions, such as the Middle East. And China officials are hardly sitting still in this AI race.
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Insurance companies play a crucial role in providing financial protection and support to individuals and businesses in their time of need. When it comes to handling claims for catastrophic injuries or death, they must also ensure that their employees are properly trained and prepared to not only provide support throughout the various situations they will encounter over the course of their career, but to do so while also protecting themselves.

Complex and catastrophic claims often contain graphic photos and descriptions of what happened. And, unfortunately, these claim files arent marked to provide any kind of warning of their contents.

Are claims professionals prepared for what they may encounter within this type of claim? In recent years, there has been a growing focus on employee mental health, with some companies recognizing the toll that handling stressful claims can take on individuals.

Providing proper training in how to handle such claims, ensuring the assigning of complex claims to more senior employees, and making available resources to those who may be affected by the contents of the file are the first steps to ensuring their mental well-being.

With the focus on employee mental health becoming more prominent in recent years, especially in the wake of COVID-19 and the associated mental health awareness campaigns, many companies have made mental health resources available for employees.

Many insurance claims employees who deal with stressful situations on a daily basis may face burnout and emotional distressand coming at a time when there are shortages of trained professionals in the industry places more strain on the system. Providing access to mental health resources through the human resources department can help employees remain engaged and seek help when needed.

However, despite these efforts, there are areas where organizations may fall short.

One common shortcoming is the improper segmentation of claims. Since claims are often handled by various team members, exposure to sensitive photos and other claims materials contained within the file can happen across the team, and not always with those properly trained and/or prepared. When an employee who hasnt received the proper training is exposed to a complex or catastrophic injury claim, it can have adverse mental or emotional effects.

Organizations may also be overly focused on the investigative and administrative aspects of the claim, neglecting the human toll it takes on their employees. This can lead to a lack of support for the employee who may be struggling with the mental aspect of handling these types of difficult situations.

Companies should have a plan or team in place to discuss the impact on employees in the event they are adversely affected. This includes assigning claims to employees based on their level of expertise and providing resources to assist in all aspects of the claim. Good leaders should be open and up front about the emotional distress that may arise from handling claims and watch for any signs of distress in their employees. Human Resources should also play a role in providing accessible and confidential mental health resources.

Employers can put various services in place to support their teams. Promoting relationships within the team can enable conversations about difficult claims and situations, fostering a supportive environment. Leadership can also proactively reach out to their staff for check-ins and ensure they are aware of the resources available to them. Employee Assistance Programs can provide additional support and promote a culture that encourages utilization without judgment or fear.

Those companies that promote support for employees as they navigate catastrophic claims often offer specialized training for those who handle the most severe liability claims. This training focuses on both administrative excellence and support for the employees engaged in those claims.

The focus on mental health should be a wider trend in the insurance industry. While May is mental health awareness month, it should be emphasized throughout the year. It is critical for employers to go beyond simply providing resources and to actively engage with their employees to ensure they are ready to handle tough cases and have the necessary support. Identifying employees strengths and preferences can also help in assigning them to claims that align with their skills and comfort levels.

For those insurance companies that are taking steps to prepare their employees for the various situations they may encounter in claims handling through training, assigning claims based on expertise, and providing mental health resources, keep up the excellent work.

Cogbill is a senior vice president, GBCARE, Managed Care Advisor Group at Gallagher Bassett.
The top U.S. auto-safety regulator opened an investigation into Waymo, the autonomous-vehicle subsidiary of subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., after 22 incidents in which the companys cars were involved in collisions or may have violated traffic laws.

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations Office of Defect Investigation opened a preliminary evaluation after receiving reports that Waymo vehicles crashed into objects including gates, chains and parked cars. The agency also cites instances in which the companys automated-driving system appeared to disobey traffic-control devices.

NHTSA said its initial reviews indicated that Waymos system either was engaged throughout the incidents, or was disengaged in the moments just before they occurred by an in-vehicle test driver. The probe covers an estimated 444 vehicles, according to documents posted on the agencys website Tuesday.

Waymo said in a statement it is proud of our performance and safety record over tens of millions of autonomous miles driven, as well as our demonstrated commitment to safety transparency. The company vowed to work with NHTSA as it conducts the latest probe.

NHTSA has been subjecting both driver-assistance systems and more advanced autonomous vehicles to greater scrutiny. Its launched probes of Tesla Inc.s Autopilot, Ford Motor Co. BlueCruise and Amazon.com Inc.s Zoox since last month. NHTSA also opened an investigation of possible defects in the automated-driving system developed by General Motors Co.s self-driving unit Cruise in October.

Top photo: A Waymo autonomous taxi in San Francisco, California, on Thursday Aug. 10, 2023. California regulators are poised to decide whether two rival robotaxi services can provide around-the-clock rides throughout San Francisco, despite escalating fears about recurring incidents that have caused the driverless vehicles to block traffic or imperil public safety, reported the AP. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg.

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.
NEW YORK (AP)  Donald Glovers musical project Childish Gambino has returned with a reimagined album and a new tour announcement that includes a stop in Ohio.

Early Monday, Glover posted on X that ATAVISTA had hit streaming platforms  and that the record is actually the finished version of an album he released in 2020, 3.15.20.

On March 15, 2020, a number of new Childish Gambino songs dropped on DonaldGloverPresents.com, but were quickly removed. A week later, 3.15.20 was officially released with guest appearances including Ariana Grande, 21 Savage and others. It, too, was eventually removed from streaming platforms.

Mondays full-length release includes two brand new tracks, Atavista and Human Sacrifice, according to a press release. Young Nudy and Summer Walker have new guest spots on the album.

To celebrate Atavista, Glover dropped a music video for Little Foot Big Foot, directed by Hiro Murai (his longtime collaborator also known for work on the television shows Barry and Station Eleven) and starring Quinta Brunson, Rob Bynes, Monyett Crump and others.

Glover has also announced The New World Tour, his first tour since 2019. His run begins on Aug. 11 in Oklahoma City and will hit many major North American cities before heading to Europe, the U.K., Australia and New Zealand. While he will also play concerts in Detroit and Pittsburgh, the only Ohio stop on the tour is in Columbus on August 15.

The tour ends on Feb. 11, 2025 in Perth, Australia.

Openers include WILLOW ( Willow Smiths musical moniker) and Amaarae. Tickets go on sale Friday.
CINCINNATI, Ohio  A grand jury on Monday ignored felony charges against two people who were arrested Saturday while participating in a pro-Palestinian protest during commencement ceremonies at Xavier University.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports Sophia Dempsey, 22, and Julia Lankisch, 22, appeared in court Monday, each facing a felony charge of committing a crime while wearing disguise. The charges came after Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost sent a letter to university presidents saying that people wearing masks during protests could violate a little-known state law would allow a misdemeanor charge to be upgraded to a fourth-degree felony.

Officials say charges on the law had never been used in Hamilton County, the Enquirer reports. The felony charge has a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison, $5,000 in fines or up to five years in community control.

Its unclear why the grand jury decided to ignore the felony charges, reports say. WXIX Channel 19 reports Dempsey and Lankisch each still face one count of criminal trespassing, a misdemeanor.

The two defendants, one a current student and another a graduate of Xavier, were protesting with a group called XU Free Palestine, which is not affiliated with the university, WXIX reports. They were arrested after they refused to move to a designated protest area, reports say.

A witness tells the Enquirer that Dempsey and Lankisch were wearing blue medical-style masks when they were arrested.

Protests in regard to the war in Gaza have been widespread on college campuses across the state and the nation. Some demonstrations extended into weekend graduation celebrations, although they were muted in comparison to the encampments and rallies that have roiled campuses and resulted in nearly 2,900 arrests of students and other protesters.

Dozens of the 7,000 graduates at Duke University left their seats to protest pro-Israel speaker and comedian Jerry Seinfeld during the commencement Sunday in Durham, North Carolina.

Dozens of graduating students at Virginia Commonwealth University walked out Saturday during an address by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. At the University of California, Berkeley, on Saturday, a small group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators waved flags and chanted during commencement and were escorted to the back of the stadium.

Police officers stood nearby as some graduates holding Palestinian flags and shouting pro-Palestinian messages protested during commencement at the University of Michigan on May 4. One banner said, No universities left in Gaza.

(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)
(Photo : Unsplash/Skyler Smith )

Major airlines and an industry trade association requested a federal appeals court to block a new Department of Transportation rule mandating upfront disclosure of additional fees when booking flights.

Airlines Opposing Fee Disclosure

The trade group Airlines for America, Alaska, American, Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue, and United Airlines, who act as challengers, contend that the Department of Transportation overstepped its legal bounds when it issued the rule in late April. The petition that was submitted to the US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals last Friday for review has also been described as "arbitrary, capricious," and an "abuse of discretion."

READ ALSO: FAA Responds to Staff Shortage Concerns, Pushes Mandatory Rest Time to Prevent Air Traffic Controllers' Fatigue

Airlines for America expressed in a statement to CNBC on Monday that the rule will confuse consumers and complicate the buying process. They asserted that airlines already provide consumers with full disclosure of all fees associated with air travel before ticket purchase. They argued that the Department of Transportation's (DOT) attempt to regulate private business operations in a thriving marketplace exceeds its authority and that its ancillary rule was a flawed solution in search of a problem.

Biden's Airline Fee Disclosure

The airline fee disclosure rule was introduced by the Biden Administration in September 2022. Under this rule, airlines and online travel agencies are mandated to disclose fees for seat selection, checked baggage, and other add-ons upfront, together with the airfare, instead of adding the costs at checkout based on a customer's selections to strengthen passenger protections following a turbulent summer travel season.

Airlines now charge travelers for additional perks previously included in the ticket price, such as advanced seat selection fees, even for seats without extra legroom. During a speech at a White House Competition Council meeting, the president detailed the Transportation Department's newly proposed rules, emphasizing that everyone should know the total ticket cost right when comparing shopping.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated in a news release that the proposed rule would require airlines to be transparent with customers about the fees they charge to help travelers make informed decisions and save money.

However, Airlines for America, representing major US carriers, countered that airlines are already transparent regarding ticket fees. They emphasized that A4A member passenger airlines, despite being competitors, already provide transparency to consumers throughout the entire booking process. They further stated that US airlines are dedicated to delivering high-quality service, encompassing prices, fees, and clarity of ticket terms.

Carriers and online travel agencies have revamped their websites in recent years to emphasize the specifics of basic economy tickets, which are the airlines' most restrictive but also cheaper fares. Airline executives have expressed their desire for passengers to opt for more flexible standard economy fares instead of these primary economy tickets.

The Biden administration's proposal comes less than two months after the Transportation Department sought stricter standards for when airlines are obligated to refund travelers for delays.

RELATED ARTICLE: US Department of Transportation Honors National Military Appreciation Month, Urges Airlines to Boost Military Travel Benefits

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Township in E China's Jiangxi revitalizes ancient calligraphy brush heritage through innovation

People's Daily Online) 10:02, May 14, 2024

Wengang, a township in Jinxian county, Nanchang city, east China's Jiangxi Province, is reviving its centuries-old calligraphy brush-making industry through a series of measures aimed at preserving traditional techniques, developing new products, and boosting cultural tourism.

The township has implemented initiatives to advance its renowned calligraphy brush-making techniques, introduce cultural and creative products, and integrate the brush culture with tourism promotion.

Calligraphy brush making has a history of over 1,600 years in Wengang. In 2021, the township's calligraphy brush-making techniques were listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in China.

1. A calligraphy brush company staff member promotes products during a livestreaming session in Wengang township, Jinxian county, Nanchang city, east China's Jiangxi Province. (People's Daily/Zhou Huan)

2. Photo shows a bird's-eye view of Wengang township, Jinxian county, Nanchang city, east China's Jiangxi Province. (Photo/Fan Zheping)

The calligraphy brush industry and its associated sectors employ over half of Wengang's 60,000 residents. The township boasts over 400 companies specializing in calligraphy brushes and related products, along with more than 2,200 workshops dedicated to the craft.

Making a calligraphy brush involves 128 meticulous steps, and in Wengang, brushes are mainly manufactured by family workshops.

"For thousands of years, local people made a living by making calligraphy brushes. The techniques have been passed down through generations. The township has consistently pursued the inheritance and innovation of calligraphy brush-making techniques," said Zhu Xisheng, head of the Jinxian County Calligraphy Brush Research Association.

However, Wengang calligraphy brushes experienced a decline in popularity during the 1980s due to the proliferation of low-quality, mass-produced alternatives, according to Zou Nonggeng, general manager of a calligraphy brush company in Wengang.

To restore the reputation of Wengang calligraphy brushes, local artisans concentrated on enhancing product quality, streamlining manufacturing processes, and re-establishing the brand's image.

Zou founded his calligraphy brush company in 1991.

"We invested over 8 million yuan ($1 million) in five years and distributed 500,000 brushes free of charge. The outcomes were remarkable. We discovered that brushes used in areas north of the Yellow River require a firm texture, while those used in areas south of the river should have moderate flexibility. Brushes used in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces should be soft. This enabled us to make and sell calligraphy brushes more effectively, catering to specific regional preferences," Zou said.

Over the years, Wengang has established a complete system encompassing the entire process of manufacturing and selling calligraphy brushes. In 2023, the sales revenue of calligraphy brushes and related cultural products in Wengang reached 8.25 billion yuan.

Currently, Wengang is home to 36 cultural and creative calligraphy brush companies, with a total annual output value of 1.1 billion yuan.

The township is also actively promoting the integration of culture and tourism development.

Zhoufang, a traditional village in Wengang, is home to numerous Ming and Qing Dynasty-style buildings.

The village has capitalized on its calligraphy brush heritage by establishing a village history museum and a cultural square, as well as developing study tours and experiential tours centered around the art of calligraphy brushes.

In recent years, Wengang has built several tourist attractions and cultural industry blocks. The township has also promoted the construction of four traditional villages and organized calligraphy brush competitions.

In 2023, Wengang welcomed over 82,000 tourists, generating more than 38 million yuan in tourism revenue.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
(Photo : Unsplash/ BoliviaInteligente)

Nvidia's CEO, Jensen Huang, acknowledges being a tough boss and has no regrets. In a recent 60 Minutes interview, employees at the Santa Clara headquarters described him as demanding, a perfectionist, and not easy to work for.

Huang, who co-founded the chipmaker in 1993, now worth over $2 trillion, agreed that these descriptions fit him perfectly. He explained to Whitaker that achieving extraordinary things should not be easy. He previously told CNBC that he manages 50 direct reports to prevent unnecessary layers of management. In contrast, most CEOs have around 10, expecting senior executives to work independently with minimal guidance and pampering.

Huang's Cutthroat Approach Seems to Be Working Well

In the age of empathetic leadership, Huang's tactics might be controversial. However, experts argue that being relentless is necessary to run one of the largest companies in the world. Wladislaw Rivkin, an associate professor of organizational behavior at Trinity Business School, noted that Huang's approach is somewhat cutthroat. Still, it is part of leading a trillion-dollar company that has undergone a rigorous selection process, given the many tech companies valued in the billions or trillions.

While many smaller companies have gone bankrupt, NVIDIA has survived due to its resilience. Huang's tenure in Silicon Valley has also lasted over three decades, which Sankalp Chaturvedi, a professor of organizational behavior and leadership at Imperial College Business School, describes as quite rare. Workers at a high-profile company like NVIDIA typically have other options, but their choice to stay as long as possible suggests that Huang is doing something right.

READ ALSO: No Pain, No Gain: How NVIDIA CEO Wishes Pain, Suffering Upon Students Striving for Greatness

NVIDIA Being Run Like a Machine

Behavioral experts told CNBC that Huang's immigrant background has influenced his leadership style.

Born in Taiwan in 1963, Huang was sent to the US by his parents at nine years old, despite not speaking English, where he endured relentless bullying at a boarding school, according to a New Yorker profile, and worked part-time jobs, including washing dishes at Denny's and cleaning toilets as a teenager.

Rivkin noted that Huang now exhibits a task-oriented leadership style, emphasizing achieving goals, setting high standards, and monitoring performance. This approach reflects an immigrant background and work ethic, where hard work is believed to be essential for success. Rivkin further stated that task-oriented leaders can be effective because they push their employees to excel.

Chaturvedi explained that Huang's experience of having to fight it out from a young age suggests a preference for exerting a high degree of control over every aspect of the company. Huang understands his organization as a machine, thinking about plans, thinking about economics. While this approach has proven successful over the years, Chaturvedi suggested that Huang may have overlooked other important leadership traits.

Empathetic Leadership Might Just Be Demanding

Experts believe that Huang's leadership style could be improved. Rivkin suggests that focusing on people's well-being and recognizing them as individuals, not just workers, should be considered. However, Chaturvedi pointed out that being a people-focused leader and meeting workers' needs might be demanding, which could involve remembering names and maintaining relationships with many individuals.

Rivkin explained that being task-oriented requires less energy because you establish the task, deadline, and milestones and verify the progress without being concerned about who is actually doing the work.

Huang's cutthroat leadership style has been effective thus far because there is always a stream of talented individuals seeking opportunities at the company. However, Rivkin cautioned that if a company struggles to attract skilled employees, which is common in the market, leading with such a ruthless style could be challenging, where talented individuals with options may seek opportunities elsewhere.

RELATED ARTICLE: NVIDIA's Blackwell: A Higher Performing Chip to Power Industrial Revolution

 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
By Yi Whan-woo

Credit card issuers are increasingly capitalizing on partnerships on co-branded cards with top-tier brands from their respective industries in a bid to secure a larger, more diverse pool of customers.

Co-branded cards, or private label credit cards (PLCC), are intended to offer benefits in buying goods and services from a specific commercial company that boasts strong customer loyalty.

Several PLCC partnerships are formed between KB Kookmin Card and e-commerce giant Coupang, between Hyundai Card and No. 1 beauty product store chain CJ Olive Young and between Shinhan Card and multi-international award-winning airliner Singapore Airlines.

A PLCC has the corresponding partner company logo or design printed on it. It offers deferred payment, other more attractive payment terms, generous loyalty points to gain discounts on future purchases and other benefits.

The benefits are a motivating factor in attracting customers to use the card, resulting in customer retention and diversified revenue sources for credit card firms.

According to KB Koomin Card, Tuesday, more than 500,000 Coupang Wow Cards were issued after its debut in October 2023 under the company's PLCC partnership with Coupang.

The card is named after Coupang's membership service.

On a monthly average, a Coupang Wow cardholder shopped on the Coupang website 2.5 times more than a non-cardholder.

"The popularity of the Coupang Wow Card is anticipated to increase the number of cardholders to over 1 million within this year," KB Kookmin Card said.

Hyundai Card signed its 19th PLCC deal with beauty retailer CJ Olive Young on May 7. The card company pioneered the PLCC market in 2015, signing partnerships with discount store chains, gas stations, fashion brands and more.

"As a loyal customer of CJ Olive Young, I am glad to work with the company," Hyundai Card CEO and Vice Chairman Ted Chung said on social media.
By Lee Kyung-min

Woori Bank has joined a consortium led by Korean Credit Data (KCD) to establish the country's fourth internet-only bank, according to the lender Tuesday.

"We have sent a letter of intent to participate in the bid to launch an internet-only bank," a Woori official said.

The move is to gain a greater foothold in the internet-only bank business, as illustrated by its 12 percent stake equity investment in Kbank, the country's first internet-only bank launched in 2016.

Advancing the prospects is politically apt cooperation with KCD, which is known for "cash note," a management and accounting service for small businesses. The financial service provider representing small businesses can bolster Woori's business profile as a leader in inclusive finance.

The bid can propel the growth drive of the lender, as outlined by the establishment of a New Business Promotion Committee under direct supervision of Woori Bank CEO Cho Byung-kyu a day earlier.

High-tech innovation projects undertaken by the envisioned bank can facilitate Cho's efforts to fortify the non-interest income business of the bank and, by extension, its holding firm Woori Financial. The group relies on the bank subsidiary for over 99 percent of its profit.

Woori Bank said Monday that the committee will identify and foster new growth-driving businesses for the bank, a process defined by highly efficient decision-making.

The heads of the bank's key divisions who will sit as committee members are those in charge of domestic sales, corporate investment finance, digital, IT, risk management, human resources and management planning.

Potential new income revenue sources include affordable mobile carrier service and a security token offering, a digital token supported by blockchain technology that represents a stake in an asset.

Woori also plans to expand strategic alliances with startups showing promise in new technology development.

Korea's three existing internet-only banks are Toss, a mobile money transfer app owned by Viva Republica, Kakao Bank, operated by mobile messaging service provider Kakao Corp. and Kbank, operated by telecommunications firm KT.
There's been so much love for one global chip stock that as many as 14 analysts increased its price targets over the past two weeks. That's Taiwan's TSMC , or Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. The stock's been soaring on the artificial intelligence boom. It's up around 35% so far this year, and 60% since a year ago. There's strong demand for advanced chips, especially those used in AI applications. TSMC is the world's largest producer of advanced processors, and Nvidia depends on it to manufacture its graphics processing units. Last month, the chipmaker announced results that beat revenue and profit expectations in the first quarter. That's thanks to strong demand for advance chips, especially those used in AI applications. Based on a CNBC Pro FactSet screen, 14 analysts hiked their price targets on the stock over the past two weeks, and none downgraded it. Those covering the stock say they are optimistic in light of AI demand, among other factors. "TSMC's shares remain attractive, as artificial intelligence-related demand continues to pleasantly surprise us, and there is limited downside to sentiment for the automotive and industrial markets," said Phelix Lee, equity analyst at Morningstar. Furthermore, he added, TSMC's "disciplined approach" to capital spending this year and possibly in the next few years reduces oversupply risks. The surprise revenue comes from AI server orders being shipped faster than expected. "[That illustrated] TSMC's prowess at removing bottlenecks at the advanced packaging stage," Lee said. One risk that investors tend to consider for such chip stocks is U.S.-China trade restrictions, said Dan Kim, senior investment analyst at Saturna Capital. But he believes it's overblown. "Every time US/China trade restriction news comes out, the semi group (including TSMC) generally gets punished," he told CNBC Pro. "In reality the opposite is happening. Without access to leading edge equipment, China has to order more legacy equipment to keep up with the West. This "inefficiency" has been estimated to likely create an additional ~10% in equipment demand over time," Kim added. When it comes to AI, Kim also said that each large language model upgrade cycle requires roughly 100 times more in compute capacity upgrades. ChatGPT is currently in its fourth version, and he noted that the world is aiming for GPT8. He noted that TSMC is trading at 10% above its five-year historical median price-to-earnings ratio (PE) of 20.3. It would be "attractive set-up to be long the stock" if its valuation goes back to that 20.3 PE, and assuming the above AI trend plays out, he said. According to FactSet, TSMC has a 95% buy or overweight rating from analysts, who give it 16.3% potential upside based on the consensus price target of 932.98 New Taiwan dollars ($28.74). TSMC is also listed in the U.S. Correction: The headline and text of this article have been updated to reflect that 14 analysts hiked their price targets for TSMC over the previous 2 weeks, not their ratings.
Launched in 2018 by two software architects and founders of Twitter-acquired TellApart, Abnormal Security doubled in size and crossed more than $100 million in annualized revenue last year. The cybersecurity software contender protects 2,000-plus customers, including Maersk, Xerox and Mattel  in all, some 15% of the Fortune 500.

Numerous vendors are chasing the opportunity, among them San Francisco-based Abnormal Security. As the name implies, the company veers from the norm to protect customers and evaluate risks by applying data science, AI and computer vision to identify and prevent targeted email attacks. Its automated AI technology picks up on usage patterns by employees and vendors across platforms to detect abnormalities in email behavior that might indicate a threat.

Cybersecurity threats are escalating with the rise of generative AI and a shift to the cloud, driving corporate spending on cyber defenses into the hundreds of billions of dollars.

Abnormal Security is focused on the threat of advanced email attacks, one of the larger cybersecurity risk areas for corporations, among others such as phishing attacks, malware, spam and vendor fraud.

With Microsoft surpassing $20 billion in cybersecurity revenue last year, competition has picked up among incumbents Cloudflare, Zscaler and Palo Alto Networks, and fellow Disruptors Wiz and Arctic Wolf. The market is also undergoing consolidation. Two main rivals to Abnormal Security have been acquired over the past few years  Avanan by Check Point Software, and Area 1 Security by Cloudflare.

Gearing up, CEO Evan Reiser is busily building out his team with several strategic hires. Last year, Michael DeCesare, a former CEO at Exabeam and Forescout Technology, was brought on board as president, focusing on go-to-market jobs across departments.

Additionally, CrowdStrike veteran James Yeager was recently hired to head up public sector sales, an area that the email security vendor is targeting for growth. As a further signal of its goals and, ultimately a potential IPO, in March the AI cybersecurity vendor recruited as CFO Smita Sanadhya, a former executive at Microsoft Hong Kong and HP as well as startup Okta, which she helped to scale to a $2 billion public company. Also joining the leadership ranks at Abnormal Security was chief legal officer Jeff True, who previously led Zoom's legal department over a period of superfast growth during the pandemic.

A hiring spree is continuing at the company, with as many as 300 new positions to be filled this year out of a current base of 600 employees.

Funding for growth has stemmed from nearly $300 million in venture capital at a $4 billion valuation, including a 2022 round that was led by Insight Partners, and followed $50 million in 2020 from Menlo Ventures and Greylock, its earliest venture investor back in 2018, when Abnormal Security was a scrappy startup.
Founders: Jamie Karraker, Matt Gamache-Asselin

CEO: Alicia Boler Davis

Launched: 2015

Headquarters: San Francisco

Funding: $571 million

Valuation: N/A

Key technologies: Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, machine learning

Industry: Health care

Previous appearances on Disruptor 50 List: 1 (No. 6 in 2023)

Persephone Kavallines

It's a tumultuous time for pharmacies, which continue to struggle with labor and supply shortages. Last year, overburdened pharmacists walked out on their jobs at CVS and Walgreens to protest inadequate staffing and rising work requirements. Meanwhile, online pharmacies  run by online giants like Amazoncreate competition. Alto, a full-service pharmacy backed by a digital platform, is among those looking to transform the sector. The company got its start when two former Facebook employees wanted to improve the pharmacy experience. Alto started with a small physical pharmacy in San Francisco; today, it has more than 500,000 patients. Customers get access to on-call pharmacists seven days a week, automated refills, and treatment reminders.

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Amid the economic uncertainty, Alto, like many other firms, has been focused on improving profitability. Alto says it has improved operational efficiency and reduced costs, helping to reduce operating losses by 50%. To expand its customer base, the company paired up with Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drug Company in October to pick up and deliver drugs to Cuban's online pharmacy customers wherever Alto has a presence. Team Cuban card users can order medications through Alto's website or app.
Apple supplier Foxconn reported a 72% rise in first-quarter profit, boosted by strong demand for AI servers and coming off a low base from the period a year earlier, but the growth was lower than expected.

The Taiwanese company, the world's largest contract electronics maker, said net profit for the January-March quarter rose to T$22.01 billion ($679 million) from T$12.8 billion in the same period the previous year, when earnings were hit by a T$17.3 billion writedown related to its 34% stake in Japanese electronics maker Sharp Corp.

While the profit missed the T$29.31 billion forecast by analysts, it was Foxconn's third consecutive quarterly profit rise.

In the first quarter, consumer electronics including smartphones accounted for 48% of its revenue while cloud and networking products, including servers, contributed 28%.

Foxconn said it expects revenue for the second quarter to grow significantly from a year earlier, broadly in line with previous guidance, with revenue for smart computer electronics likely to be flattish. It does not provide numerical guidance.

The company, formally called Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, said in March that it expected a significant rise in revenue this year driven by booming demand for artificial intelligence servers.

Apple's quarterly results and forecast beat modest expectations this month, nd CEO Tim Cook said revenue growth would return in the current quarter.

Foxconn's shares have risen 65% so far this year, driven by its rosy AI outlook, far outperforming a 17% gain for the broader market.
Organizations are spending record-level amounts on cybersecurity. Worldwide spending on security and risk management is expected to total $215 billion this year, a 14% increase from last year, according to data from Gartner. But breaches are still happening, financial losses are mounting, and generative artificial intelligence tools are emboldening cybercriminals even more.

Arctic Wolf, an Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based cybersecurity company, believes its software-as-a-service approach to protection can help stave off these increasing threats. The company's operations cloud can spot and address cyber threats, enabling customers to detect and respond to threats, as well as manage and strengthen their overall security position regarding potential threats.
Investors looking for alternative ways to play artificial intelligence may want to keep an eye on an innovative software company, according to Bank of America. " GitLab offers a rich platform built on top of its leading Source Code Management solution that is vitally important to developers," wrote analyst Koji Ikeda, in a Tuesday note. "Furthermore, GitLab is focused on capitalizing on AI, which is accelerating the number of digital experiences (and source code) being created." Despite a more than 15% drop this year, Ikeda maintained a buy rating on the device security operations company and a $85 price target on shares, implying 60% upside. Underpinning Ikeda's thesis is a bet on GitLab's initiatives beyond developers, which includes offerings for non-technical users. "GitLab is also extending its reach to personas outside of DevSecOps teams to use its tools," he wrote. "This should expand the [total addressable market], though we admit this opportunity is still likely early." Over the medium term, Ikeda said he sees continued source code management improvements, new security features and the expansion of AI-powered offerings as critical to GitLab's growth. GTLB 6M mountain GitLab shares over the past six months.
Ready-to-ship canisters filled with enriched uranium at the Urenco USA uranium enrichment facility near Eunice, New Mexico, US, on Tuesday, July 11, 2023. Russia's invasion of Ukraine is forcing the US and Europe to search for alternative sources of enriched uranium to power their reactors.

The United States will ban imported Russian uranium starting on Aug. 11, the Department of Energy announced Tuesday.

Russia controls nearly half of the world's supply of enriched uranium, according to the Department of Energy, and provides about one quarter of the U.S.'s enriched uranium, which is used to power the country's 94 nuclear reactors.

The ban, which President Joe Biden signed into law on Monday, also unlocks $2.72 billion in federal funding to expand the country's uranium industry.

Exchange-traded funds that track uranium prices rose slightly following the announcement, with the Global X Uranium ETF and the Sprott Uranium Miners ETF trading around 1% higher Tuesday.

Because the ban's implementation could hurt supplies for reactors in the U.S., the law allows some waivers for utilities that otherwise would be forced to shut down reactors without them. All waivers, however, will end on or before Jan. 1, 2028.

"Our nation's clean energy future will not rely on Russian imports," Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement. "We are making investments to build out a secure nuclear fuel supply chain here in the United States."

While the U.S. continues to import more than 20% of its enriched uranium from Russia's state-owned nuclear power company Rosatom, it has sanctioned more than 35 of the company's subsidiaries since February 2022, when the Kremlin invaded Ukraine.

Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, said this latest move marks an end to U.S. dependence on Russia for the commodity.

"Banning imports of Russian uranium will jumpstart America's nuclear fuel industry, further defund Russia's war machine, and help revive American uranium production for decades to come," Barrasso said in a statement on Monday after the bill's enactment.

In response to Biden's signing of the ban, Russia's ambassador to the U.S., Anatoly Antonov, said in a post on Telegram that it was another "failed" attempt by the Biden administration in "inflicting strategic economic defeat on us."

"The current attack  not only on Russia but also on the world market for uranium fuel for nuclear power plants  is leading to new shocks in international economic relations," he said. "The delicate balance between exporters and importers of uranium products is being disrupted."
Here are the biggest calls on Wall Street on Tuesday: Barclays reiterates Tesla as equal weight Barclays said the situation with Tesla is "confusing" right now. " Tesla remains a source of confusion. The 1Q beat provided a source of relief, especially around gross margins with FSD [full self-driving] recognition providing a boost." Goldman Sachs upgrades CG Oncology to buy from neutral Goldman said in its upgrade of CG that it sees an attractive entry point for the biotech company. "Our 12-month price target of $50 ($43 prior) is based on a weighted average of our DCF value of $45 (70%) (up from $40 prior) and M & A theoretical value of $62." Goldman Sachs upgrades Fulcrum Therapeutics to buy from neutral Goldman said it sees a "meaningful opportunity in rare muscular dystrophy disease" for the biopharma company. "We upgrade FULC to Buy from Neutral and increase our 12-month price target to $15." Evercore ISI initiates Regeneron as outperform Evercore ISI said it's bullish on shares of the biopharma company. "We initiate coverage of REGN with an Outperform rating and a PT of $1,150." Wells Fargo reiterates Nvidia as overweight Wells increased its price target on Nvidia to $1,150 per share from $970. "We are positive on the setup into F1Q25 print (5/22) & see intra-qtr data points supporting Data Center rev. upside into $23-$24B+ range (Street: ~$21.1B). Increase forward ests." Jefferies upgrades Boston Beer to buy from hold Jefferies said in its upgrade of the beverage company that it sees "multiple expansion." "Boston Beer has gone through several boom-bust cycles. Over time, value was created with higher highs and higher lows." Roth MKM downgrades Roblox to neutral from buy Roth downgraded Roblox due to slowing bookings. "Roblox's modest 1Q bookings miss and a 3.5%-4% cut to 2024 guidance were disappointing." Morgan Stanley resumes GXO Logistics as overweight Morgan Stanley resumed coverage of the logistics company and said it sees upside. "GXO's LT [long-term] organic revenue growth story is supported by a robust pipeline of new business and inorganic growth adds another layer of upside." Bank of America reiterates Apple as buy Bank of America said it's sticking with its buy rating on shares of Apple. "Maintain Buy on benefits from GenAI at edge with gross margin upside and momentum in Services." HSBC upgrades Huya to buy from hold HSBC said it sees "shareholder returns" for the China livestreaming gaming company. " Huya's business model is becoming healthier and has potential to turn free cash flow positive again" Citi initiates Weatherford as buy Citi said the turnaround for the energy services company has been "remarkable." "We initiate on WFRD with a Buy rating and $155 target price." Wells Fargo upgrades Atmos Energy to overweight from equal weight Wells said it sees an attractive entry point for the energy company. " ATO checks the boxes on growth, track record and balance sheet." JPMorgan upgrades Planet Fitness to overweight from neutral JPMorgan said it has increased confidence in Planet Fitness' growth. "Moving to OW with improved confidence around LT [long term] growth trajectory." Baird upgrades Fortrea Holdings to outperform from neutral Baird said in its upgrade of Fortrea that investors should buy the dip in shares of the contract research organization company. "We think shares traded appropriately and emphasize we're taking advantage of a pullback with focus on 2025+ potential." JPMorgan upgrades Vtex to overweight from neutral JPMorgan said it sees an attractive entry point for the software-as-a-service company. "We upgrade VTEX to Overweight from Neutral, as we believe the company can beat its adj. EBIT margin guidance for 2024, delivering 11% vs high-single digit promise, coupled with the fact that the recent pullback offers a good opportunity on the shares." Barclays upgrades Expro to overweight from equal weight Barclays said the energy services company is well positioned. "Upgrading Expro (XPRO) to Overweight from Equal Weight. Expro is uniquely positioned vs. the other offshore SMid caps with moats around its two core business lines  tubular running services (TRS) and subsea well testing." Wells Fargo upgrades Edison International to overweight from equal weight Wells said it sees upside, should regulatory issues get resolved for the public utility company. "We upgrade EIX to OW and increase our SOTP-based PT to $86/sh from $72." RBC initiates CRH as outperform RBC said the building materials and products company is poised for a re-rating. "Last year CRH made the big move of making the US its primary residence. The shares have re-rated, but we believe significant upside would be released if CRH makes North America its only residence." Oppenheimer upgrades Sarepta to outperform from perform Oppenheimer said sales are accelerating for the biotech company. "SRPT's sales/earnings trajectory meaningfully accelerates." Deutsche Bank reiterates Amazon as buy Deutsche said the e-commerce giant is "primed for a breakout." "All in, across e-commerce, we continue to favor AMZN, given substantial runway to drive cost to serve back down to 18/19 levels." Citi initiates Western Digital and Seagate as buy Citi said in its initiation of the storage device companies that it sees a "cyclical recovery." "We are initiating coverage of both Western Digital and Seagate shares with Buy ratings given our view of a cyclical recovery in the storage market." Deutsche Bank upgrades Edwards Lifesciences to buy from hold Deutsche said it's getting "increasingly confident" in the medical innovations company's ability to deliver organic growth. "As such, we believe Edwards is well-positioned among the premium growth stories across large cap medtech over the next few years; we upgrade EW shares to Buy with a new PT of $103."
Mark Gitenstein, the U.S. ambassador to the EU, said China is deliberately distorting markets with a glut of cheap goods.

Speaking to CNBC's Silvia Amaro on Tuesday, Gitenstein said China was "engaged in a deliberate effort to undermine economic sectors in both Europe and the United States."

The Chinese Embassy in London did not immediately respond to a request for comment when contacted by CNBC.

The ambassador's comments come as the Biden administration on Tuesday announced a hike in tariff rates on $18 billion worth of Chinese imports, including increasing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles from 25% to 100%.

It comes amid growing concerns over a raft of cheap Chinese "green" goods  such as EVs, batteries and solar panels  flooding international markets.

White House officials have already warned Beijing to amend certain trade practices that it argues have weakened global supply chains. Meanwhile, last year, the European Commission launched an investigation into Chinese EVs and raised the possibility of introducing its own "anti-subsidy duties" in the future.

Gitenstein said that both European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel have "talked extensively about the problem of overcapacity in the People's Republic of China and how it's distorting our markets in the United States and their markets in Europe."

"We're going to protect our workers and we're going to protect our sectors of the economy that are being attacked basically by the PRC [People's Republic of China], especially in the green tech area," he added.

 CNBC's Rebecca Picciotto contributed to this report.
A North Korean science and technology delegation has departed for Russia, state media said Tuesday, as the two countries are deepening their bilateral ties following the summit of their leaders in September.

The delegation led by Ri Chung-gil, chairman of the State Commission of Science and Technology, left for Moscow on Monday to attend the eighth meeting of a government committee on trade and economy as well as science and technology cooperation between the two nations, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

In a separate release on Telegram, the Russian Embassy in North Korea said Ambassador Alexander Matsegora saw off the delegation  comprising heads of major research centers, experts and diplomats.

The embassy said the committee is set to adopt a protocol that reflects agreements on bilateral cooperation in areas of science and technology, and basic research.

Matsegora was quoted as saying the protocol could include details on organizing a science fair in Pyongyang in September to mark the first anniversary of the summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin at Russia's Vostochny spaceport last year.

As part of the visit, Ri will hold a meeting with Valery Falkov, the Russian minister of science and higher education, while delegation members will visit key institutions, including Moscow State University and the Russian Academy of Sciences, it added.

The visit is the latest in a series of deepening exchanges between Pyongyang and Moscow in a wide range of areas following the Kim-Putin summit in September.

But cooperation in the field of science and technology with North Korea, with the exception of those for medical purposes, is banned under U.N. Security Council Resolution 2321, which was adopted in 2016 in response to the North's fifth nuclear test.

The KCNA also reported that Premier Kim Tok-hun has sent a congratulatory message to Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, who has been reappointed following Putin's reelection. (Yonhap)
While many of the supply chain snags that roiled the logistics industry in recent years have faded, one issue continues to be a thorn in the side of warehouses across the globe: finding labor to work in them to meet the ever-increasing demand for fast delivery and fulfillment.

That has driven the push into automation, an area where Exotec has become one of the leaders. The French company, which has investors that include Goldman Sachs and Dell Technologies Capital, provides warehouse robotics and systems to companies like Carrefour, Gap and Uniqlo.

Demand for Exotec robotics led to growth in its global headcount of 80% in 2023. The company also opened a new facility in France to help produce one of its newer offerings, Skypath, which is a conveyor system that applies robotics capabilities. The company also rolled out a new proprietary warehouse execution system.
Fund manager Cole Smead has described the meme stock craze as "frankly stupid," as day traders once again pile into GameStop and AMC .

"It is gambling," he said Tuesday on CNBC's "Street Signs Europe." Smead is the CEO of Smead Capital Management which has around $6 billion of assets under management.

"You've got to remember these are young people, these are forty-year-old people like me, who are going out and doing stuff that is just frankly stupid," he added.
Founders: Jake Loosararian (CEO), Troy Demmer

Launched: 2013

Headquarters: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Funding: $220 million

Valuation: $633 million

Key technologies: Artificial intelligence, digital twins, Internet of Things, robotics

Industry: Industrials

Previous appearances on Disruptor 50 List: 0

Persephone Kavallines

Trillions of dollars worth of bridges, roads, dams, factories and plants are rapidly aging across the U.S. The bridge and highway collapses in Baltimore and Philadelphia seen in the last year, respectively, highlight just how critical, yet how tenuous the state of infrastructure across the U.S. is, and the issues that come with not maintaining it. By 2039, continued underinvestment in maintaining U.S. infrastructure is expected to cost more than $10 trillion in GDP and more than 3 million jobs, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers.

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But while investment is flowing into fixing those issues as a result of President Biden's infrastructure act, one critical aspect of the process mostly remains unchanged: how infrastructure is inspected, monitored and subsequently maintained. Traditionally, that has been done manually, with workers shutting down pieces of the infrastructure, scaling massive plants or dams to check for any issues. In addition to being arduous and dangerous, the process also can leave gaps in safety, efficiency and accuracy. It's that part of the infrastructure challenge that Gecko Robotics has looked to disrupt, using wall-climbing robots, ultrasonic technologies and AI-powered data insights to help companies and organizations ensure the availability, reliability and sustainability of critical infrastructure. The company's technology has been used to inspect everything from power plants to oil refinery pipelines to chemical storage tanks, but Gecko Robotics has also rapidly moved into the military sector.
Generate: Biomedicines is among a new group of companies using generative AI to speed up the drug discovery process, reducing development time and cost. While trial and error is unavoidable, gen AI can help researchers identify promising ideas. Generate: Biomedicines was founded by Flagship Pioneering , which also helped launch former No. 1 Disruptor Moderna. The company's focus is on creating new proteins that can treat diseases. In 2023, the company moved two potential drugs into clinical trials and identified 19 other potential candidate drugs.

In health care, generative AI is revolutionizing drug discovery, the process of identifying new candidates to develop into medicines. Drug discovery has historically been a time-consuming process involving lots of trial and error. Most drug candidates fail and never make it to patients. Modern-day drug discovery involves significant investments by pharmaceutical companies and governments.

The company works with pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms and research institutions to focus on oncology, infectious disease, and immunology. It has partnerships with Amgen, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and MD Anderson Cancer Center. The company opened a new lab in July, its new CryoEM facility in Andover, Mass. In September, Generate: Biomedicines raised $273 million. To date, the company has raised $700 million from Flagship Pioneering, Amgen and Nvidia, among others.

Generate: Biomedicines faces significant competition in the startup space, from Isomorphic Labs, which was founded by the CEO of Alphabet's DeepMind, to Big Hat Biosciences and Seismic Therapeutics. Pharmaceutical giants such as Eli Lilly are also integrating generative AI into their R&D efforts to speed up drug discovery. In April, Moderna said it would use AI to advance its messenger RNA technology.

Tech giants are active in the space as well. Google Cloud has two new AI-powered tools for drug discovery, while Nvidia is pushing deep into healthcare with its AI chips and AI platforms and services, investing not only in Generate: Biomedicines, but $50 million in Recursion Pharmaceuticals to speed up that biotech firm's AI models for drug discovery.
Georgian demonstrators protesting the controversial "foreign influence" bill stand in front of law enforcement officers blocking an area near the parliament building in Tbilisi on May 14, 2024.

Georgian lawmakers on Tuesday passed a highly controversial "Kremlin-style" law on foreign influence, despite massive protests in the country and repeated warnings from the U.S. and European Union.

Members of the Georgian Parliament physically came to blows as lawmakers held the third and final reading of the so-called "foreign agents" bill, before ultimately approving the legislation.

Of the country's 150-member law-making body, 84 members voted in favor, with 30 voting against.

The ruling Georgian Dream party has insisted the legislation is necessary, despite some of the largest demonstrations the country has seen since declaring independence from the Soviet Union more than 30 years ago.

The foreign influence bill calls for media outlets, nonprofits and other nongovernmental organizations to register as "pursuing the interests of a foreign power" if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad.

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has previously vowed to veto the bill. The parliament, however, can override her veto by holding an additional vote.
There is no shortage of work productivity and management tools available today, but few have the enthusiastic user base of Notion.

The platform lets users take notes, share and create documents, make to-do lists, manage projects, build wikis and collaborate. What makes it stand out from others is a minimalist interface that's easy to customize and connect with dozens of applications like Google Drive, Trello, Jira, Slack, Zapier and Asana. Notion has become something of a millennial and Gen Z favorite, sparking a passionate and engaged app community with more than 20 million users worldwide. Its flexibility makes it useful to individuals, small businesses and large teams at Fortune 500 companies.

Like many other companies, Notion has integrated AI into its platform in recent years. This includes Notion AI, an AI-powered assistant that can generate summaries, help polish writing, create to-dos based on meeting notes and more. In May, it introduced a new AI-powered version of Notion Projects, a project management system integrated with AI, which lets users plan, manage, and execute a project in one place. In November, it released Q&A, a supercharged AI-assisted search function that sifts through a user's documents, projects, notes and more to answer questions.
Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said Google will "sort it out" if it determines Microsoft -backed OpenAI relied on YouTube content to train an artificial intelligence model that can generate videos.

The comments, in an interview Tuesday with CNBC's Deirdre Bosa, come after OpenAI technology chief Mira Murati told the Wall Street Journal in March that she wasn't sure if YouTube videos were part of the training data for the company's Sora model introduced earlier in the year.

Murati said OpenAI had drawn on publicly available data and on licensed data. The New York Times later reported that OpenAI had transcribed over a million hours of YouTube videos.

Asked if Google would sue OpenAI if the startup violated the search company's terms of service, Pichai didn't offer specifics.

"Look, I think it's a question for them to answer," Pichai said. "I don't have anything to add. We do have clear terms of service. And so, you know, I think normally in these things we engage with companies and make sure they understand our terms of service. And we'll sort it out."

Pichai said Google has processes in place to figure out if OpenAI failed to comply with the rules. Newspapers such as The New York Times have already taken aim at OpenAI for allegedly breaking copyright law and training models on their articles.

Pichai's interview followed a keynote to developers at Google's I/O conference, where executives announced new AI models, including one called Veo that can compose synthetic videos. Those looking to get early access will have to receive approval from Google.

OpenAI preempted the Google event on Monday. The company revealed an AI model called GPT-4o and showed how users of its ChatGPT mobile app would be able to hold realistic voice conversations, interrupting the AI assistant and having it analyze what appears in front of a smartphone camera. On Tuesday, Google showed off similar upcoming capabilities.

"I don't think they've shipped their demo to their users yet," Pichai said of OpenAI. "I don't think it's available in the product."

OpenAI said in a blog post on Monday that customers of its ChatGPT Plus subscriptions will be able to try an early version of the new voice mode in the weeks ahead. Pichai said Google's Project Astra multimedia chat capabilities will come to its Gemini chatbot later this year.

"We have a clear sense of how to approach it, and we'll get it right," Pichai said.

Google has reduced the cost of serving up AI models in web searches by 80% since showing off a preview last year, relying on its custom Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) and Nvidia's popular graphics processing units, he said. Google said during the keynote that it's starting to display its AI Overviews in search results for all users in the U.S.

In June, Apple will hold its Worldwide Developers Conference in Cupertino, California. Bloomberg reported in March that Apple was discussing the idea of adding Gemini to the iPhone. Pichai told Bosa that Google has enjoyed "a great partnership with Apple over the years." A Google expert witness said in court last November that the company gives Apple 36% of its search advertising revenue from the Safari browser.

"We have focused on delivering great experiences for the Apple ecosystem," Pichai said. "It is something we take very seriously and I'm confident  we have many ways to make sure our products are accessible. We see that today, AI Overviews have been a popular feature on iOS when we have tested, and so we'll continue  including Gemini. We'll continue working to bring that there."

WATCH: Alphabet CEO on report OpenAI trained GPT-4 on YouTube: We have clear terms of service
When the economic outlook is uncertain, companies keep a closer eye on expenses. Ramp is among the increasing number of expense management software offerings available to companies big and small.

Since its founding in 2019, Ramp has grown quickly, now serving more than 25,000 companies. Its platform helps companies track spending and save money by flagging duplicated expenses or through contract negotiations. Companies save an average of 5% a year on expenses. The company passed $300 million in annualized revenue in 2023, and grew transaction volume sixfold between two recent funding rounds (March 2022, August 2023), surpassing $10 billion in accounts payable volume.

At a time when many other startups are finding it more challenging to raise capital, Ramp raised $150 million in April in a round led by Khosla Ventures and Peter Thiel's Founders Fund, with additional new investors Sequoia Capital, Greylock, and 8VC. That followed the $300 million last August from existing investors, including Thrive Capital, Sands Capital and General Catalyst.
Over the past century, major chemicals companies like BASF, Dow and LyondellBasell have maximized a global manufacturing process that is derived from fossil fuels. Solugen is on a mission to decarbonize that business model, with a new manufacturing platform that uses engineered enzymes and metal catalysts to convert feedstocks like sugar into chemicals that have historically been made from fossil fuels, including petroleum and natural gas, as well as phosphates, all of which contribute to air, soil and water pollution.

Sparked by a chance medical school poker game conversation in 2016, Solugen evolved from prototype to physical asset in five years, and production hit commercial scale shortly thereafter. It first came onto the radar of many in the market after a September 2021 venture round that raised $357 million, led by Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC, Baillie Gifford and several climate-focused investors.

"Solugen is the first synthetic biology company with a demonstrated ability to scale both their sales and their own manufacturing," an investor told CNBC at the time of the 2021 deal.

The Bioforge, as its manufacturing platform is known, is designed to minimize the massive environmental toll of traditional chemical manufacturing, and in a perfect world, result in carbon-neutral if not carbon-negative emissions. Bioforge 1, its Houston-based site, is a zero discharge facility without air or wastewater emissions.
Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares and Leapmotor founder and CEO Zhu Jiangming shake hands in relation to new partnerships between their companies.

Automaker Stellantis expects to quickly grow sales of China-made electric vehicles outside of the country through a new joint venture with Leapmotor, starting later this year, according to the two companies.

The companies said Tuesday that beginning in September, sales of the China-built Leapmotor vehicles will begin through Stellantis' distribution networks, including dealers in Europe  France, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Greece and Romania.

Those markets will be followed by the Middle East and Africa, India and Asia Pacific, and South America in late 2024, the companies said.

The expansion plans do not currently include distribution in the U.S., Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said Tuesday following a press conference in Hangzhou, China, where Leapmotor is based. That's due, in part, to new American tariffs on China-made EVs, Tavares said, citing among other reasons as well.

The Biden administration on Tuesday announced stiff new tariff rates on billions' worth of Chinese imports, including quadrupling tariffs on imported Chinese electric vehicles, from 25% to 100%.

"There is very limited Chinese offering in the U.S. market, so it is not a priority for us," Tavares said. "There is a lot in Europe because we see Europe has a very different approach for this problem. ... It looks like the U.S. is going for a very strong protectionism. Whereas, for the time being, I see Europe is keeping the market reasonably open."

The joint venture's expansion plans include at least six EVs by 2027, according to a presentation by Stellantis and Leapmotor. The cars, initially budget vehicles, are expected to be complementary to Stellantis' current vehicle lineup, the companies said.

The announcement comes amid increasing geopolitical tensions surrounding China-made electric vehicles in the U.S., Europe and other regions. Many in and around the automotive industry fear the less-expensive, China-made vehicles will flood the markets, undercutting domestic-produced EVs.
The governor of a Russian northeastern region bordering North Korea has said passenger trains connecting Vladivostok to the North are set to resume after years of a COVID-19 pandemic-related suspension.

Oleg Kozhemyako, the governor of Primorsky Krai, made the remark in a Telegram post he updated Monday after he held a meeting with the chief of a visiting North Korean delegation from the border city of Rason.

The North's state media earlier said the delegation of the Rason Municipal People's Committee, led by Chairman Sin Chang-il, left for Russia on Sunday.

Rason, which borders Russia and China, is a logistics hub designated as a special city by the North. A railway connects the border city to Khasan, Russia, which is then linked to Vladivostok through Russian rail service.

Freight and passenger rail services connecting Rason and Khasan had been suspended since the outbreak of the pandemic, but trains for cargo shipments resumed in November 2022.

Experts voiced concerns that if the passenger rail services reopen, North Korea may start to dispatch its workers to Russia's Far East, which is banned under U.N. Security Council sanctions resolutions. Moscow is believed to suffer from a shortage of labor due to its war with Ukraine. (Yonhap)
Tesla is being sued by the nonprofit Environmental Democracy Project, which alleges "ongoing failure to comply with the Clean Air Act" at the electric vehicle company's assembly plant in Fremont, California.

In the suit, filed in federal court in San Francisco on Monday, the environmental group accused Tesla of violating that law "hundreds of times since January 2021, emitting harmful pollution into the neighborhoods surrounding the Factory."

While Tesla has long touted the climate benefits of driving EVs, its manufacturing practices have been decried by environmentalists for years. Tesla landed at 89 on the 2023 Toxic 100 Air Polluters list, an annual study by the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. The Environmental Protection Agency fined Tesla $275,000 in 2022, saying the company had failed to measure, track and maintain records about its own emissions or to minimize air pollutants from painting operations at the facility.

Separately, Tesla was sued by 25 counties in California for its handling of hazardous waste materials at facilities throughout the state earlier this year, and promptly settled with those counties. And in Germany, environmentalists have been protesting Tesla's clearing of forests to build a factory outside Berlin, as well as the company's water consumption.

The latest lawsuit in California described Tesla's environmental violations as "ongoing" and said that residents and employees in the surrounding area have been exposed to "excess amounts of air pollution, including nitrogen oxides, arsenic, cadmium, and other harmful chemicals."

Tesla didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District, an environmental regulator, recently accused Tesla of allowing "unabated emissions" in Fremont that should have been prevented. The agency said that Tesla has received 112 violation notices since 2019 and that it is now seeking an abatement order that would force the company to implement changes to its factory operations.

"The violations are frequent, recurring, and can negatively affect public health and the environment," the regulator said in a statement earlier this month.

Air pollution from the assembly plant is the result of equipment that frequently breaks down, allowing emissions to vent directly into the air without proper filtration, regulators have said. Additionally, Tesla employees or contractors have allegedly shut off air pollution controls in the factory, particularly when the company was having trouble with other paint shop equipment.

The paint shop is where unpainted vehicle bodies are primed, painted and coated before final assembly. Tesla's has a history of repeated fires, CNBC previously reported.

In Tesla's recent quarterly report, the company maintained that its mission is to "accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy."

However, in spearheading a massive reorganization at Tesla of late, CEO Elon Musk has been promoting its research and development efforts on artificial intelligence and self-driving software, robotaxis and humanoid robots, rather than electric cars and solar energy products.

Musk told investors on the company's first-quarter earnings call to think of Tesla and its value "almost entirely in terms of solving autonomy." He recently called climate activists "communists," sharing derisive memes targeting them on X.

WATCH: How Tesla may have just killed its most important product  Superchargers
These companies are upending the classical definition of disruptive innovation that shaped the creation of the Disruptor 50 list more than a decade ago. Mostly gone from the 2024 list is the idea of a better, cheaper innovation. Instead, achieving disruptive innovation with AI requires massive piles of capital investment, inevitably leading to close partnership with the incumbent giants.

A whopping 34 of the 50 companies on our twelfth annual CNBC Disruptor 50 list claim that artificial intelligence is "critical" to their businesses. These include companies in industries ranging from cybersecurity to agriculture. Thirteen of the 2024 Disruptors call themselves "generative AI companies," including five of the top ten on this year's list.

The venture capital community also has been investing heavy amounts of cash in any startup that can claim it's part of the AI revolution. More than $90 billion flowed to AI startups in 2023, according to PitchBook. Among the Disruptors, 17 have raised new funds in the past year. That includes 8 of the 13 generative AI startups, which raised a total of at least $5.5 billion combined.

In all, the 2024 Disruptors have raised $70 billion  a comeback from last year's $54 billion demonstrating the power of AI  at a total implied valuation of $436 billion, the second-highest valuation ever for the list after 2022's $500 billion.

The willingness of incumbent giants to invest in these private disruptors also means that many of the companies on the 2024 Disruptor 50 list can afford to wait to go public, even as a long-closed IPO window starts to open. We expect the first-time and second-time Disruptors to be in the mix for many lists to come.

Here's how we chose them in 2024:

All private, independently owned startup companies founded after Jan. 1, 2009, were eligible to be nominated for the Disruptor 50 list. Companies nominated were required to submit a detailed analysis, including key quantitative and qualitative information.

Quantitative metrics included company-submitted data on workforce size and diversity, scalability, and sales and user growth. Some of this information has been kept off the record and was used for scoring purposes only. CNBC also brought in data from a pair of outside partners  PitchBook, which provided data on fundraising, implied valuations and investor quality; and IBISWorld, whose database of industry reports we use to compare the companies based on the industries they are attempting to disrupt.

CNBC's Disruptor 50 Advisory Board  a group of 50 leading thinkers in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship from around the world, then ranked the quantitative criteria by importance and ability to disrupt established industries and public companies. This year, the board again found that scalability and user growth were the most important criteria, followed by sales growth and use of breakthrough technologies (including, most commonly, artificial intelligence and machine learning). These categories received the highest weighting, but the ranking model is designed to ensure that companies must score highly on a wide range of criteria to make the final list.

Companies were also asked to submit important qualitative information, including descriptions of their core business model, ideal customers and recent company milestones. A team of CNBC editorial staff, including TV anchors, reporters and producers, and CNBC.com writers and editors, along with many members of the Advisory Board, read the submissions and provided holistic qualitative assessments of each company.

New for 2024, CNBC formed a Disruptor 50 VC Advisory Board, in an effort to leverage the valuable expertise of leading venture capital firms and investors. Each member of this new board assessed a small group of finalists as an additional component of the qualitative review. Importantly, these VCs were not permitted to provide an assessment of any company in their firm's own portfolios.

In the final stage of the process, total qualitative scores were combined with a weighted quantitative score to determine which 50 companies made the list and in what order.

It's our twelfth year, but we still see some "firsts" on this year's list.

OpenAI is the first company to reach No. 1 in consecutive years, and just the second company to top the list more than once (SpaceX, No. 1 in 2014 and 2018, is the other). OpenAI exemplifies what it means to scale quickly and continue to innovate as it grows, and it remains the world's most influential and powerful venture backed startup.

And this year features the first ten-time Disruptor in Stripe. The No. 1 Disruptor of 2020 has continued to innovate even as its valuation has been slashed while staying out of the IPO market. The tenth time will be the last time, however. Whether it goes public or stays private, Stripe will "age out" of Disruptor eligibility next year.
It's fair to say that AI is all over the 12th annual CNBC Disruptor 50 list.

Roughly two-thirds of the 50 companies making the Disruptor 50 list describe artificial intelligence as "critical" to their businesses. And it starts at the very top: for the first time ever, a company repeats as the list 's No. 1: OpenAI.

AI's remaking of the market extends much further. Thirteen of the 2024 Disruptors call themselves "generative AI companies," including five of the top 10 on this year's list, a group that in all raised at least $5.5 billion from investors in the past year.

Companies in industries ranging from cybersecurity to agriculture are also defining AI as mission critical. And in an important shift from the past Silicon Valley-led disruptive innovation era, the "better, faster, cheaper" mantra funded almost wholly by VCs is on the way out.

AI requires massive capital investment, inevitably leading to close partnership with the incumbent giants rather than just disruptive competition.

In all, the 2024 Disruptors have raised $70 billion at a total implied valuation of $436 billion.
Federal prosecutors on Tuesday asked a judge to order former Trump White House aide Steven Bannon to begin serving his four-month jail sentence for contempt of Congress, citing a recent appeals court decision upholding his conviction.

If the motion is granted, Bannon soon could be required to report to jail and serve his sentence for refusing to comply with subpoenas from a House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

"The United States of America requests that the Court lift the stay of defendant's sentence because there is no legal basis for the stay under" the law, prosecutors wrote in a motion filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Bannon's lawyer, David Schoen, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the motion.

Judge Carl Nichols later Tuesday ordered Bannon to respond to the prosecutors' motion by Thursday.

Bannon was convicted of two counts of criminal contempt of Congress in July 2022.

Judge Carl Nichols, who was appointed to the district court by former President Donald Trump, later sentenced Bannon to four months in jail but allowed him to remain free pending appeal.

In issuing that decision, Nichols wrote that Bannon's appeal "raises a substantial question of law that is likely to result in a reversal or an order for a new trial."

But on Friday, a three-judge panel on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia disagreed with Nichols' assessment and upheld Bannon's conviction in a unanimous ruling.

The panel rejected arguments by Bannon's lawyer that he was not guilty of contempt because his attorney had advised him not to comply with the House subpoena. The Jan. 6 select committee demanded his testimony and documents related to the Capitol attack, which was perpetrated by a mob of Trump's supporters.

But the panel ordered the appeals court clerk to withhold issuing the mandate of the ruling until seven days after any petition by Bannon's lawyer for a rehearing of the case was disposed of.

After that ruling, Bannon's lawyer Schoen said that he would ask for the appeal to be reheard by a panel made up of all the judges on the D.C. Circuit appeals court.

In his order Tuesday, Nichols told Bannon's lawyer to address the question of whether Nichols has the authority to lift his stay of Bannon's jail sentence, given the appeals court withholding the effect of its ruling pending such a petition for rehearing.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) speaks during a House Committee on Oversight and Accountability hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on September 28, 2023.

The House Oversight Committee's top Democrat asked oil executives to reveal whether former President Donald Trump had proposed a "quid-pro-quo" arrangement to them at a recent Florida fundraising dinner, according to letters released Tuesday by Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md.

The letters arose from a Washington Post report that Trump hosted the executives for dinner Apr. 11 at his private club, Mar-a-Lago. "You all are wealthy enough," Trump reportedly told the assembled guests. "You should raise $1 billion to return me to the White House."

The former president then reportedly told the oil executives that if they helped him win another term as president, he would reverse the Biden administration's freeze on permits for liquefied natural gas exports, auction more oil drilling leases in the Gulf of Mexico and roll back rules on auto emissions.

The reporting raises "significant potential ethical, campaign finance, and legal issues," Raskin wrote.

The issues "flow from the effective sale of American energy and regulatory policy to commercial interests in return for large campaign contributions," wrote Raskin, who is the ranking Democrat on the Oversight Committee.

Raskin asked the executives to provide descriptions of any discussions related to policy proposals or campaign finance they had at the dinner, as well as any efforts by the CEOs' respective companies to support Trump's campaign.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump (C) sits next to his lawyers Todd Blanche (L) and Emil Bove as he arrives for his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments linked to an extramarital affair with Stormy Daniels, at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, U.S., May 14, 2024.

A defense lawyer for Donald Trump began cross-examining Michael Cohen on Tuesday afternoon by asking about expletive-laden insults that Cohen had lobbed at both that attorney and the former president.

"You went on TikTok and called me a 'crying little s---?' " asked defense attorney Todd Blanche at the Trump's criminal hush money trial.

"Sounds like something I would say," Cohen replied from the witness stand in Manhattan Supreme Court.

When Blanche asked if the trial was "important to you, Mr. Cohen," Cohen replied, "Personally, yes."

"You referred to Trump as a dictator douche-bag," Blanche asked.

Cohen, who for years served Trump as his personal lawyer and fixer, again answered, "Sounds like something I would say."

Blanche then asked Cohen if he had said that Trump should go back to "where he belongs, in a f---ing cage, like a f---ing animal." Recall saying that?"

Cohen replied, "I recall saying that."

Blanche soon after that exchange introduced a trial exhibit, a photo of a t-shirt that Cohen sells depicting Trump behind bars.

Blanche's cross-examination began after a morning session during which Cohen testified that Trump told him, "Don't worry, I'm the president of the United States" after FBI agents raided Cohen's home and office in New York.

Cohen told jurors that he was "concerned, despondent, angry" after the April 2018 raid, which was conducted as part of a federal criminal investigation of Cohen.

That probe later led to Cohen pleading guilty to campaign finance violations that are related to the hush money allegations against Trump in the current criminal case.

"Were you frightened?" assistant district attorney Susan Hoffinger asked Cohen.

Cohen replied, "Yes, ma'am."

Cohen then testified that he left a message for Trump asking him "to call me to let him know what was taking place."

When Trump responded, "He said to me 'don't worry. I'm the president of the United States. There's nothing here. Everything's going to be okay. Stay tough. You're going to be okay,' "Cohen recalled on the witness stand.

Hoffinger then asked: "Have you spoken directly with Mr Trump since that time?"

Cohen answered, "No, ma'am."

Cohen said his call to Trump was important for him because "I wanted some reassurance that Mr. Trump had my back. Especially as this dealt with issues that related to him."

"I felt reassured because I had the president of the United States protecting me," Cohen said. "It's his Justice Department, should go nowhere."

Cohen said he initially maintained his ties to Trump after the raid through other people which he thought was "extremely" important to do.
TAIPEI, TAIWAN - 2021/07/19: A foodpanda delivery man wearing a face mask rides past a Taiwanese flag ahead of the COVID-19 alert Level 3 restriction lift in Taipei. (Photo by Walid Berrazeg/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Uber Technologies will acquire the Taiwan business of Delivery Hero -owned Foodpanda for $950 million in cash, as Foodpanda focuses on other markets.

The deal, subject to regulatory approval, is expected to close in the first half of 2025, the firms said in a joint statement on Monday.

In a separate agreement, Delivery Hero will sell $300 million in newly issued ordinary shares to Uber.

"We need to focus our resources on other parts of our global footprint, where we feel we can have the largest impact for customers, vendors and riders," said Niklas Ostberg, co-founder and CEO of Delivery Hero.

Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, senior vice president of delivery at Uber, said the Taiwan market is "fiercely competitive" and the acquisition would help them grow in the market "where online food delivery platforms today still represent just a small part of the food delivery landscape."

Foodpanda is one of the largest online food and grocery delivery platforms in Asia with a presence in markets including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, The Philippines and Hong Kong. In 2016, Germany's Delivery Hero acquired the company.

Taiwan's food delivery market is dominated by Foodpanda and Uber Eats. Data from insights platform Measurable AI up till August revealed that Foodpanda had a 52% market share by order volume in Taiwan, while Uber Eats held the remaining 48% share.

The deal would be one of the largest international acquisitions in Taiwan, not including those in the semiconductor chip industry, according to the joint statement.

Delivery Hero said in February it had ended talks to sell its Foodpanda business in selected Southeast Asian markets. Ostberg told CNBC the same month that the firm was "happy" to hold on to its Foodpanda business in Southeast Asia "forever."

 CNBC's Ryan Browne and Dylan Butts contributed to this report.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (L) greets U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (R) prior to their meeting in Kyiv on May 14, 2024.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is meeting Ukraine's president and other senior officials Kyiv on Tuesday, with the visit designed to bolster Ukrainian morale as its forces battle a large-scale Russian offensive in the northeast border region of Kharkiv.

The visit to Kyiv, which was not disclosed beforehand, is the first by a top U.S. official since Congress passed a $61 billion military aid package for Ukraine in April.

Blinken's trip is meant to send a strong signal of reassurance to the Ukrainians during a "difficult moment" for the nation, a senior U.S. official told reporters as Blinken travelled from Poland to Kyiv overnight.

"It's a tough fight. There is no question," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, noting, however, that the U.S. has "a lot of confidence that the Ukrainians will increasingly be effective in pushing the Russians back as our assistance flows in both from the United States and other allies and partners."

Blinken's mission on this trip is to talk about how U.S. supplemental assistance will help shore up Ukraine's defenses, the official added, and to discuss other steps the U.S. is taking to shore up Ukraine's security.
TOPSHOT - Navy soldiers walk past a Taiwan-made corvette warship during the inauguration ceremony in Yilan on March 26, 2024. Sam Yeh | Afp | Getty Images

The U.S. and Taiwan navies conducted joint drills in the Pacific in April that, officially, did not take place, four people briefed on the matter said, as the two militaries boost cooperation amid rising Chinese military threats. Washington and Taipei have been expanding their military cooperation in recent years amid almost daily Chinese incursions into Taiwan's air defense identification zone and drills by Chinese forces near the island. U.S.-Taiwan military engagement, including visits and training, are kept low-key and are often not officially confirmed because of China's objection to any military contacts between Washington and Taipei. China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, which the island strongly rejects. The drills, which were not publicized, took place last month in the Western Pacific, according to the sources, who requested anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter. One source said "multiple military assets" were involved. A second source said the drills did not officially exist and were dubbed "unplanned sea encounters", pointing to a tacit agreement in which both sides claim the exercises were simply the result of coincidental encounters.

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"It's like I am dining in this restaurant and you also happen to be here," the source said. "Then it looks like I am only sharing the same table with someone." That source also said about half a dozen navy ships from both sides, including frigates and supply and support vessels, participated in the days-long exercises, which were designed to practice "basic" operations such as communications, refueling and resupply. Taiwan's navy said in a statement to Reuters that to handle unexpected scenarios at sea and to minimize "interference" with each another, the navy "acts in concert with the U.S.-promoted Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea", also known as CUES. "The Navy often makes contact with vessels of other countries and conducts encounter drills as needed," the statement said, without elaborating. The Pentagon declined to comment. Taiwan and the United States have no official diplomatic relationship, as Washington formally recognizes Beijing but is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself and is the island's most important international backer.

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US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen delivers remarks at the Treasury Department's Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States conference at the Treasury Department in Washington, DC, on September 14, 2023.

U.S. President Joe Biden issued an order on Monday forcing a Chinese-backed cryptocurrency mining company to sell land near a Wyoming nuclear missile base, citing national security concerns.

The company, MineOne, acquired the real estate in June 2022, placing its operations within a mile of the Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, a "strategic missile base and key element of America's nuclear triad," according to the White House.

The company's site contained "specialized and foreign-sourced equipment potentially capable of facilitating surveillance and espionage activities," the presidential order said.

Biden said there was "credible evidence" to believe that the company, a British Virgin Islands firm that is majority-owned by Chinese nationals, "might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States."

MineOne was ordered to divest from the land in the next 120 days, and to remove certain improvements and equipment at the property. The company did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.

The move from the Biden administration comes against the backdrop of a wider crackdown on Chinese companies in the U.S. ahead of the upcoming presidential elections, and amid tensions between the world's two largest economies.
Medical schools moving to change rules to prevent students from failing semester

By Jun Ji-hye

Plans proposed by universities to prevent medical students from failing the semester due to insufficient class hours have been mired in controversy, as these special rules are seen as obvious preferential treatment given to certain students.

According to the Ministry of Education, Tuesday, 37 universities operating medical schools across the country submitted plans they are reviewing, amid growing concerns over grade retention among many medical students who have been boycotting classes since the beginning of the current semester in February, in support of nationwide protests of doctors against the Yoon Suk Yeol administrations policy to increase the medical school admissions quota by 2,000 for next year.

In their plans, the universities asked the education ministry to allow them to adopt flexible academic requirements for medical students, including the drastic increase in the availability of online classes to help boycotting students meet their class hour requirements without having to attend in-person classes.

The schools have also suggested postponing the annual national exam for doctors licenses, scheduled for September, as well as the test application period, slated for July, in case medical school seniors, who are subject to the exam, would not be able to graduate on time due to insufficient class attendance.

Some schools are reviewing a special rule to temporarily exempt the medical students from the standard for failing the current semester, so they can be exempted from having to repeat the semester. The schools proposal is to allow students who have not failed to meet their class hour requirements to fulfill them in the next semester.

Academic regulations of most medical schools stipulate that students who miss more than one-third or one-fourth of classes receive a failing grade. Failing even one course at a medical school requires the students to repeat the year.

The plans proposed by the universities have added fuel to the ongoing controversy over preferential treatment given to medical students, which has already been raised since the schools allowed the students to attend classes online in response to their boycott.

Critics pointed to the principle of equity, saying students in other departments have not been afforded the same conveniences. They also said adopting a special rule to exempt medical students from the standard for failing a semester or postponing the national exam schedule amounts to clear favoritism.

Its ridiculous as schools are moving to grant preferential treatment to some students in a certain department, an online commentator replied to a related news article. I hope the education and health ministries will not accept the plans. Students with insufficient class hours should repeat the year according to the rules.

Apparently being mindful of the controversy, the government took a cautious stance, as both education and health ministries said the matter requires further review.
Russian President Vladimir Putin walks past an honour guard as he attends a meeting with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel in Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2024. Maxim Shemetov | Reuters

A government reshuffle was always in the cards after Russian President Vladimir Putin was sworn in last week as Russia's leader for a fifth term. But Putin's replacement of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was unexpected  and his choice of successor, civilian economist Andrei Belousov, was even more of a surprise. The appointment of Belousov  a technocrat who has served in various roles in Russia's government, including as minister of economic development and deputy prime minister  is bound to raise eyebrows in military circles, but it comes as defense spending surges and Putin prepares the country and economy for a long war in Ukraine. As such, the appointment of an economist to the defense ministry is being widely seen as a way to marry Russia's immense defense needs with the booming war-oriented economy and military-industrial complex. "These high-level reshuffles following the Russian presidential election strongly suggest that Putin is taking significant steps towards mobilizing the Russian economy and defense industrial base to support a protracted war in Ukraine and possibly prepare for a future confrontation with NATO," analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Sunday.

Russia's incoming Defense Minister Andrey Belousov. Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images

Analysts at the Washington-based think tank noted that Belousov's lack of military experience is not anomalous given the fact that his predecessor Shoigu also had no prior experience. Instead, the ISW noted, it was likely that the Kremlin intended Belousov to "integrate and streamline" Russia's defense industrial base with the country's wider domestic economic policy. "Belousov's nearly decade-long tenure as an economic minister in the Russian federal government and his more recent involvement managing various domestic defense industrial base innovation and drone projects, prepare him well to lead the struggling Russian MoD apparatus," the ISW said. "Belousov has a stronger reputation for being an effective technocrat, and insider sources have claimed that he has a positive relationship with Putin," the analysts added.

Need for 'innovation'

Russian troops have been making incremental gains in eastern Ukraine and last week launched a new offensive in the northeastern Kharkiv region. Russia is widely seen to be trying to make as many territorial gains as possible before billions of dollars of new U.S. military aid reaches Ukraine's depleted forces on the battlefield. Given the fact that Russian forces have seized the initiative in recent months, Russia's change in defense leadership is interesting in terms of its timing, coming at a potential pivot in the war. Analysts say Russia's fortunes in Ukraine might have prompted Putin to make the change now but the Kremlin also pointed to the need for adaption and development, with Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov saying the appointment of a civilian to the defense ministry was rooted in a need for "innovation." "On the battlefield today, the winner is the one who is more open to innovation ... Therefore, at this stage, the president has made a decision for a civilian to head the Defense Ministry," Peskov said, news agency Tass reported.

In this pool photograph distributed by Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin visits Uralvagonzavod, the country's main tank factory in the Urals, in Nizhny Tagil, on Feb. 15, 2024. Ramil Sitdikov | Afp | Getty Images

Russia analysts stress that Belousov will have little to do with Russian military tactics and strategy in Ukraine in any case, with that task largely resting on the shoulders of Russia's top general, the Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, who will remain in his job, the Kremlin press secretary noted Sunday. "First of all, Belousov will not manage military combats, he will not get engaged in military planning tactics," Tatiana Stanovaya, senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center and the founder of analysis firm R.Politik, told CNBC Monday, saying military planning would be left to military officials like Gerasimov, although his replacement could also not be ruled out. "Belousov's main goal is to secure [Russia's] military needs in terms of arms. This is the major incentive for Putin to make this personnel decision. Belousov is keen on military technologies and innovation in the military industry," she said.

A Russian S-400 air defense system unit drives along Red Square during a rehearsal for a military parade, which marks the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, in central Moscow, Russia, on May 5, 2024. Maxim Shemetov | Reuters

"So Putin thinks if he puts Belousov as the head of the defense ministry, he will have a better situation in terms of arms supplies to the army. In this sense, the appointment is not surprising," Stanovaya said.

Why has Shoigu gone?

The Kremlin announced on Sunday that Shoigu, Russia's defense minister since 2012, had been relieved of his post and would become secretary of Russia's influential Security Council. There he will replace Kremlin ideologue and close Putin ally Nikolai Patrushev, who would be given a different role, the Kremlin said. Shoigu had no military experience prior to his appointment to the defense ministry and his credentials have been put to the test with Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and was often found wanting. A number of Russian military commentators and officials, among them Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group of Russian mercenary fighters, have criticized Russia's military strategy and leadership in Ukraine  often at great personal cost. Prigozhin died last August in a plane crash after a short-lived and ill-fated rebellion against Russia's military leadership. Though the Kremlin denied any involvement in his death, Putin was seen to have backed Shoigu over his old associate Prigozhin as the feud played out.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, accompanied by Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces - First Deputy Defence Minister Valery Gerasimov and Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, tours an exhibition of cutting-edge pieces of armament following an expanded meeting of the Defence Ministry Board at the National Defence Control Centre in Moscow, Russia December 19, 2023. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. Mikhail Klimentyev | Sputnik | Reuters
The company's clients now include more than 4,700 hospitals, as well as large brands like Toyota Tsusho and GNC. Already working with Sweetgreen, it has plans to add Panera Bread in Seattle and Jet's Pizza in Detroit, leaning into the continued consumer desire for the fastest-possible food delivery.

While the company, founded in 2014, has not strayed from its original focus of delivering critical medical supplies, Zipline's opportunities within quick commerce and food are accelerating its growth. Zipline CEO Keller Rinaudo Cliffton told CNBC in April that 70% of the company's total deliveries have happened in the past two years.

In April, Zipline announced that it had completed its one millionth customer delivery via its autonomous drones, sending two bags of IV fluid from a Zipline distribution center in Ghana to a local health facility.

Zipline has had a relationship with Walmart dating back to 2020, and, alongside Alphabet's drone delivery provider Wing, is working with the retailer on its plan to offer drone delivery for up to 75% of the more than six million people that make up the Dallas-Fort Worth population. That would be the largest drone delivery footprint of any U.S. retailer, according to Walmart.

After many years of promise, the reality of widespread autonomous drone delivery is arriving. Wing, which introduced new aircraft earlier this year that can carry a package up to five pounds, has said it has completed more than 350,000 drone deliveries on the three continents where it operates. While Amazon shuttered its drone delivery operations in Lockeford, California, the company said it intends to keep expanding drone deliveries to more U.S. cities in 2025 and plans to open up in part of the Phoenix area later this year.

Rinaudo Cliffton told CNBC in April that his goal is for Zipline to do one million deliveries a day, something that will be facilitated as the company starts to deliver more and more food. Zipline currently operates in seven countries  Rwanda, Ghana, the U.S., Nigeria, Japan, Kenya and Cote D'Ivoire.

"We need to start using vehicles that are light, fast, autonomous, and zero-emission," Rinaudo Cliffton said. "Delivering in this way is 10 times as fast, it's less expensive  and relative to the traditional delivery apps that most restaurants will be working with, we triple the service radius, which means you actually [get] 10 times the number of customers who are reachable via instant delivery."
Sunset Amphitheater in Colorado Springs stacks its lineup with two Grammy Award-winning bands. Rock band Cage the Elephant will bring its Neon Pill Tour to the open-air venue Sept. 19, while Christian pop duo For King and Country will roll into town Sept. 29. Ticket prices for both shows are TBA and will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday.
The top diplomats of South Korea and China agreed Monday to work together for the successful holding of an upcoming trilateral summit also involving Japan widely expected to take place in Seoul later this month.

The two sides reached the agreement during talks between Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Beijing, as Seoul seeks to capitalize on the leaders' gathering to boost three-way cooperation with its Asian neighbors.

"The two ministers agreed to continue cooperation for the successful opening of the ninth South Korea-Japan-China summit that is due to soon take place in South Korea," Seoul's foreign ministry said in a press release after the ministerial talks.

South Korea has yet to announce the exact date for the event, but media reports have said that it will take place from May 26-27.

The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to developing the bilateral relationship into a "healthy and more mature" one, the ministry said.

Cho arrived in Beijing earlier in the day, on a two-day trip that marked the first such visit to the Chinese capital by a South Korean foreign minister in more than six years.

Monday's talks came as South Korea seeks to manage its relationship with China that has cooled amid its close alignment with the United States under the administration of President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The deterioration in the ties was evident last year when its ambassador to South Korea, Xing Haiming, publicly warned his host country that Seoul would "definitely regret it" if it "bets on China's defeat" in its rivalry with the U.S.

Beijing has also reacted angrily to Yoon's comments about maintaining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, lashing out at Seoul for "meddling in" its own affair.

South Korea has been looking to improve ties with China, its largest trading partner and a key player in nuclear diplomacy with North Korea.

In Monday's talks, Wang expressed hope that the relationship with South Korea will develop further "without interference," apparently cautioning against Seoul keeping in step with the United States in global supply chains and other strategic areas in Washington's rivalry with China.

Wang said that the difficulties facing the bilateral ties are "not in line with the mutual interests of our two countries, and nor are they something that China desires."

"I hope that we join our forces to push for a stable and healthy development of the China-South Korea relationship, as South Korea, together with China, sticks to the direction of mutual goodwill ... and upholds the goal of mutual cooperation and face each other and move forward, while excluding interference," Wang said through an interpreter.

At the meeting, Cho pointed out that South Korea's relations with China and its relations with the U.S. are not a "zero-sum" relationship, meaning that aligning closely with one country does not mean drifting away from the other.

"We don't perceive foreign relations as a zero-sum relationship, nor do we manage them as such," Cho said.

"I believe it's important that not one side, but both sides, make efforts to carefully manage ties in a way that disagreements will not turn into conflicts for the development of bilateral relations," he said.

Cho called for substantializing the future direction of bilateral relations and building bilateral trust, and hoped that his visit will be the "first step toward untangling the threads" between the two countries and "opening up a new avenue for cooperation."

Cho highlighted the need to bolster high-level exchanges and invited Wang to South Korea, the ministry said. Wang was quoted as responding that he will do so at a "mutually convenient time," as he hopes to revitalize such communication.

Cho also used the talks to raise concern over the growing "unlawful" military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, and asked for China's role as a permanent U.N. Security Council member to promote peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and for the North's denuclearization.

He also delivered the government's concern over the forced repatriation of North Korean defectors in China and called for Beijing's attention so that such escapees can seek refuge in a third place.

Wang reiterated that China will play a "constructive role" to help resolve the Korean Peninsula issues, the Seoul foreign ministry said.

The ministers also agreed to reinvigorate exchanges at the municipal level.

Cho also stressed the need for ensuring free access to cultural content as a way to help bring closer the younger generations of the two countries.

The talks were followed by a dinner banquet Wang hosted for Cho and his delegation.

Earlier in the day, Cho had a meeting with South Korean businesspeople working in China. On Tuesday, Cho will convene a conference of South Korean consuls general in China and discuss municipal-level exchanges.

Cho's trip to Beijing marked the first such visit to the Chinese capital by a South Korean foreign minister since November 2017, when then Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha paid a visit during the previous Moon Jae-in government.

The last bilateral talks between the two countries' top diplomats took place in August 2022, between Wang and then Foreign Minister Park Jin, in China's port city of Qingdao in the eastern Shandong Province. (Yonhap)
After weeks of speculation, ChatGPT creator OpenAI announced a new desktop version of ChatGPT and a user interface upgrade called GPT-4o that allows consumers to interact using text, voice, and visual prompts.

GPT-4o can recognize and respond to screenshots, photos, documents, or charts uploaded to it. The new GPT-4o model can also recognize facial expressions and information written by hand on paper. OpenAI said the improved model and accompanying chatbot can respond to audio inputs in as little as 232 milliseconds, with an average of 320 milliseconds, which is similar to human response time in a conversation.

The previous versions of GPT also had a conversational Voice Mode, but they had latencies of 2.8 seconds (in GPT-3.5) and 5.4 seconds (in GPT-4) on average.
OpenAI competitor Anthropic has launched its AI chatbot, Claude, in Europe, a region known for its challenging regulatory environment.

Claude supports multiple European languages including French, German, Spanish, and Italian, enhancing multilingual interactions, Anthropic said in a statement. Earlier this year, the company also launched Claude API in Europe.

Significantly, this comes a day after OpenAI announced a new desktop version of ChatGPT and an upgraded user interface called GPT-4o, which allows interactions via text, voice, and visual prompts.
Apples ongoing fight against App Store fraud means the company has prevented in excess of $7 billion in potential fraudulent transactions in the last four years. This makes it pretty clear that fraud is a big business, and everyone should be aware of the threat.

The growing App Store fraud business

The company today released its fourth annual report into App Store fraud, and it sheds real light onto the scale of the problems Apple faces:

In 2023, Apple prevented over $1.8 billion potential fraud  up 20% since it first published an App Store fraud report in 2020  and it blocked over 14 million stolen credit cards.

The company stopped 3.3 million accounts from transacting again.

Apple rejected more than 1.7 million app submissions during the year  not just for fraud, but for privacy and security failures, or poor/copied content.

The company terminated nearly 374 million developer and customer accounts and removed around 152 million ratings and reviews over fraud concerns.

Apple stopped more than 3.5 million stolen credit cards from being used to make fraudulent purchases in 2023.

The data points should form a signal warning to anyone in the app distribution business around the Apple ecosystem. They prove that significant attempts are regularly made to undermine personal and platform security.
Overview

The onslaught of new artificial intelligence tools is causing burnout for many engineers, while another research paper suggests that AI will produce generic, bland content if humans dont challenge the AI systems to be better. Also, Apple faces backlash for its Crush ad promoting its new iPad, and TikTok heads to the courts to try and prevent its sale in the U.S. Chris Shaw from NTT Research joins the crew as guest co-host as they discuss these stories and other technology topics.

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The United States' bilateral and trilateral relationships with South Korea and Japan will help enhance prosperity and security for all parties in the Indo-Pacific, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said Tuesday.

Campbell made the remarks in a virtual speech, pointing out that such partnerships have never carried more significance than now as the world faces many opportunities and challenges at the same time.

"Both alliances have transformed from primarily security-focused relationships to truly comprehensive global partnerships, with impacts reverberating far beyond the Indo-Pacific," Campbell said in a prerecorded keynote speech during a forum hosted by the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, a Seoul-based think tank.

Campbell cast the series of the bilateral and trilateral summits the U.S. has had with South Korea, Japan, and separately with Japan and the Philippines, as a clear demonstration of the "not just historic but unrivaled" level of commitment from Washington and its allies in the Indo-Pacific.

"As President Biden has made clear, our partners and allies are critical if we are to be successful in seizing these key opportunities and maintaining our readiness to confront the most pressing challenges of the 21st century," Campbell said.

"Our bilateral and trilateral bonds with the Republic of Korea and Japan will define the future of Asia and grow our collective prosperity and security," he said.

On the trilateral cooperation with Seoul and Tokyo, Campbell noted that such commitment was made possible by the leaders of the two Asian allies, which led to the dramatic improvement in their bilateral relations.

"We wouldn't be here without the tremendous courage that President Yoon (Suk Yeol) and (Japanese) Prime Minister (Fumio) Kishida have demonstrated in bringing Seoul and Tokyo closer together," Campbell said.

The Biden administration's Indo-Pacific strategy focuses on creating a "lattice-fence" structure of alliances, Campbell said, referring to trilateral or wider groupings of a handful of like-minded countries.

"We understand the tremendous importance of working together trilaterally and multilaterally and networking our alliances," he said. "We're creating a lattice fence arrangement with intertwined, overlapping and interlocking engagements."

The "latticework" alliances are compared with the "hub and spokes" alliances that center around each country's close security bond with the U.S. but not with each other.

The U.S.' AUKUS security partnership with Australia and Britain, and the Quad security dialogue with Australia, India and Japan are cited as latticework alliance partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region  groupings largely seen as aimed at keeping an assertive China in check.

Campbell also pointed out that modernizing the alliances is about sharing the resolve to address regional threats, including North Korea.

"The people of the Republic of Korea and Japan know too well the danger to peace and stability posed by the DPRK, and we are absolutely united in confronting that shared threat," he said, referring to the South by its official name.

DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name. (Yonhap)
Nostalgia, often seen as a manipulative force in today's politics and society, has a complex history rooted in both medicine and emotion.

The Medical Origins of Nostalgia

Once considered a serious medical condition, nostalgia has evolved over centuries, from a debilitating sickness to a nuanced emotion with far-reaching effects.

Dating back to 1688, nostalgia was first identified by Swiss physician Johannes Hofer as a condition characterized by intense homesickness. It manifested in psychological and physical symptoms, causing lethargy, depression, heart palpitations and more. Initially believed to be a uniquely Swiss affliction, nostalgia spread across Europe, becoming a pandemic of sorts, particularly prevalent among those separated from their homeland.

From Illness to Emotion

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, nostalgia accompanied European colonizers to North America, where it became a leading cause of non-combat death during the American Civil War. However, as the 20th century dawned, nostalgia underwent a transformation. It shifted from a medical diagnosis to a psychological disorder before finally emerging as the familiar emotion we recognize today.

The Psychological View

Early psychoanalysts viewed nostalgia and its indulgence as signs of neurosis and sentimentality. They associated it with an inability to face reality and often regarded those prone to nostalgia as retrograde. Despite the evolution of psychological understanding, remnants of this view persist in contemporary discussions, particularly in political contexts.

Nostalgia in Modern Politics

In recent years, nostalgia has been invoked to explain significant political events, such as Brexit and the election of Donald Trump. Critics often use nostalgia as a lens to diagnose seemingly irrational decisions, attributing them to a longing for a romanticized past. This portrayal perpetuates the notion of nostalgia as a dangerous influence, shaping political discourse and societal perceptions.

Conclusion

Though nostalgia no longer poses the physical threat it once did, its impact on society remains profound. Understanding its evolution-from a medical ailment to a complex emotion-is crucial for grasping its role in contemporary politics and culture. By acknowledging nostalgia's nuanced history, we can better navigate its influence in our lives.
We love telling you unbelievable facts. When we call a fact unbelievable, though, we still do expect you to believe it. Youre supposed to say, I didnt know this was true before, and its surprising, but I believe it now because I trust you.

Not all facts receive that kind of reception, though. Some are so bizarre that we remain skeptical no matter how much evidence supports them.

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Note: Were not telling you the following facts are untrue. Some of them definitely are true, and theyll remain true whether you believe them or not. That doesnt make believing them any easier.

4 Baby Animals Evolved to Look Cute So Well Protect Them Baby animals are adorable. Puppies are adorable, kitties are adorable and even when the adult animal will kill you (say, a lion), its cubs will be adorable. Move away from cuddly mammals, and the rule still often holds true. Chicks and ducklings are adorable. Baby snakes are adorable. The baby shark is so adorable, it got its own song, even though humans had never seen an actual baby great white shark at the time. We saw one for the first time this year, and it turns out baby sharks are adorable. Leo Reynolds Here's a baby gator. Its adorable. Scientists have an explanation for this. These cute baby animals share a specific set of characteristics, which weve dubbed kindchenschema. They have large eyes and small mouths. Adults find these features cute, and thats why animals evolved to look like that when theyre young. Cuteness inspires their parents to care for them, and babies who lacked these features were more likely to be abandoned and never to grow to pass on their genes. Okay. But...: Isnt it kind of insane that these extremely different animals all have the same standards when it comes to whats cute? You have completely different standards than a lion or a crocodile when it comes to deciding (say) what tastes good. You have completely different standards when it comes to deciding whats sexually attractive, we hope. But when it comes to the concept of cuteness, this is a constant across different species? Kristen Ortwerth Psychology varies from person to person, but is the same from person to poultry? Also, the scientist who first described kindchenschema was a full-on Nazi. That doesnt mean we have to dismiss everything he said (the guy did go on to receive a Nobel Prize), but it does mean well mock his authority when it comes to emotion and love. Advertisement So, What If, Instead: What if so many animals are born with big eyes and small mouths just because theyre still growing into their parts, rather than as a specifically evolved survival trait? You know, much like how fetuses of different species look so similar? And what if we humans find baby animals cute simply because theyre small and helpless? And what if cuteness isnt universal across species, which explains why animals so readily kill and eat other species babies? Or, how about this: What if kindchenschema is real, but it doesnt result from evolution? Maybe it was designed  by toy companies. Companies such as Hasbro and Squishmallows conspired to engineer baby animals this way, as part of their scheme to teach us what cuteness is and make us buy more plush toys.

3 Muscles Grow More When You Concentrate on the Mind-Muscle Connection Advertisement The fitness industry is full of new and exciting science explaining the right way for you to build muscle. How many repetitions should you do in one go? How many sets should you do every week? How far should you swing your arms during each individual movement? The answer to each of these questions is not as much as possible  they all have interesting answers, backed up by clinical studies. One of the strangest factors here is something called mind-muscle connection. You will see more muscle growth if you think very hard about the muscle youre exercising. Advertisement Scott Webb If youre able to think of anything else, you need to add more plates. Oh, that makes sense, says the reasonable listener. When you think about what youre doing, that ensures you do the exercise properly. But that is not what mind-muscle connection means. Mind-muscle connection means if you take two people, and they each do the same exercise perfectly, with the same weights and the same form and the same range of motion, the person who thinks harder about the relevant muscle will experience more muscle activation. Legitimate research supports this idea. Advertisement Okay. But...: Doesnt that sound like the most ridiculous hippie bullshit? Muscles are muscles. They grow after you fatigue them. You rip them apart when you lift weights, and then your body builds them back stronger when youre asleep, when youre not even conscious. Surely mental vibes should play no role in this. Most of all, were inclined to dismiss the concept because they named it muscle-mind connection. Thats how you name something when you just made it up, and youre looking to appeal to people who arent religious, but are very spiritual. Its like when you refer to something as wellness instead of medicine, since medicine is regulated. If this were real, surely it would be named after some expert, or have a name with Latin roots. Advertisement Primo Romero Or be named for some expert with Latin roots. So, What If, Instead...: What if this is a conspiracy, whose sole goal is to occupy your full attention when you exercise, so youre oblivious to all else around you? This way, the conspirators can take sips out of your water bottle when youre distracted, saving them from having to walk all the way to their own bottles, which are on the other side of the room. Of course, this would require all the scientists whove studied mind-muscle connection to collude on this and fabricate study results. That makes sense, though. Scientists need water, too.

2 Theyre Putting Microchips in Parmesan Cheese Advertisement Advertisement If you buy some parmesan cheese in the United States, the word parmesan on the label means basically nothing. We dont regulate the usage of that term. That cheese that the manufacturer considers parmesan may actually be Swiss, mozzarella or white cheddar. Often, parmesan is just a way of conveying that youre buying cheese thats been dried and grated. Oh, and that dried stuff in the can might be 40 percent wood pulp, because who can tell the difference? theimpulsivebuy/Wiki Commons Youre just going to sprinkle it over Chef Boyardee anyway. Europe is a different story. In Europe, that parmesan cheese you buy had better be the real thing, made in northern Italy. Otherwise, its counterfeit, according to laws lobbied for by the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium. Counterfeiting parmesan remains a big business, with some $2 billion of fake stuff sold every year, versus $2.7 billion of the real thing. The blessed cheesemakers from Parma and Emilia-Romagna have a new tool to let you distinguish their wares from fakes: microchips. They insert a chip the size of a grain of salt into the cheese wheel, and youll be able to scan this to determine the cheeses provenance. The chip is edible. You probably wont eat it, since its embedded in the rind, but if you do, thats cool, and it wont hurt you. Advertisement Okay. But...: That entire story sounds like the ramblings of a crazy person. Indeed, we first heard of it passed around as something an actual crazy person said, which turned out to be true. To be fair, everything about the international cheese industry strikes us as crazy, so this new detail is just icing on the cake (or, as the Italians say, microchip sul formaggi). Like, did you know that in 2008, back when the U.S. was bailing out the auto industry, Italy was bailing out its cheese industry  by spending 50 million on 100,000 wheels of parmesan cheese and donating them to charity? And that a bank in Italy holds half a million parmesan wheels, which it holds as collateral from borrowers? Advertisement Advertisement So, What If, Instead...: Were going to find it hard to invent a conspiracy to explain this story, since our whole issue with it is it already sounds like a conspiracy. If we try, well probably end up concluding that every other piece of food we eat also contains microchips, and the Parmigiano Reggiano ones only got so much attention because they got caught. Advertisement
Headlines have been made around the recent commencement speech given at Ohio State University by Chris Pan?

If you dont recognize that name, youre not alone. This isnt a great intellectual that simply doesnt have the name recognition they deserve, but someone whose self-described occupation is social entrepreneur, which would be a warning sign on a dating profile, much less a resume. I guess he did have a chance to be surprisingly eloquent, but unfortunately, the headlines are very much on the opposite side of the spectrum.

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So, lets take a look at his, and other, unhinged commencement speeches from history

7 Chris Pan The current talk of the town for all the wrong reasons. The exact process through which Pan was chosen as the commencement speaker is still cloudy at best. Nevertheless, Pan was chosen to join the ranks of speakers like Neil Armstrong, Barack Obama and Bill Cosby (the only speech his will likely age better than). The speech he gave was, as he proudly proclaimed, written while under the influence of ayahuasca. Though no additional information was needed to know it was probably written on something, as it included a strange sing-along, SEAL breathing exercises and repeated hard sells of cryptocurrency. Telling students who just racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt to put the rest into Bitcoin? Not exactly setting them on the path to greatness.

6 Kermit the Frog The commencement speaker at Southampton College in 1996 was probably their shortest speaker, and definitely the greenest: Kermit the Frog. Its also very likely the only commencement address given by someone who actively has a hand stuck inside their ass. The speech itself isnt particularly outrageous, though it does include a remarkable amount of amphibian-specific advice. Im just saying, capping off four years of hard work by listening to a frog dispense life lessons through a disastrous hangover? Not the most motivating thing I could imagine. Advertisement Advertisement

5 SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star Another commencement speech given by a cartoon character, though at least they left the costumes at home. The University of Vermonts 2012 commencement speech was delivered by alum and president of Nickelodeon, Cyma Zarghami, along with two co-speakers: SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star. Their voice actors, Tom Kenny and Bill Fagerbakke, spoke  and unfortunately, rapped  in character as the two seafloor celebrities. Cartoons aside, its sadly on-the-nose to have a commencement speech given by a fast-food worker and his unemployed friend. Advertisement Advertisement

4 Sacha Baron Cohen Apparently, an astounding amount of commencement speeches have been given by alter egos. When Sacha Baron Cohen gave a commencement speech in 2004, he did so as his character Ali G, complete with chains and streetwear. He likely still holds the distinction of being the only person to mime sexual activity during a commencement speech. Even better is that this was all delivered at that hallowed incubator of future SNL writers and war criminals  Harvard University. Advertisement Advertisement

3 Flo from Progressive Look, I dont want to come too hard at Stephanie Courtney, better known as Flo from the Progressive ads. Shes been dealt a weird hand, one that includes things like being described as better known as Flo from the Progressive ads. The speech wasnt anything out of the ordinary, and probably included more useful advice than others on this list. Still, its just weird to use her as an example of a recent grads moonshot ideals. Also the fact that it sort of makes your commencement speech a little bit of an ad for insurance? Advertisement Advertisement

2 Matthew McConaughey This wasnt a speech short on either inspiration or charisma. That doesnt mean it wasnt also incredibly strange at points. I doubt anyone was upset, since if you ask Matthew McConaughey to deliver a speech, youre pretty much getting what it says on the tin. It wasnt unsuccessful, even getting chopped up and repurposed by scarily aggressive motivational YouTube channels. However, it also has some slightly off-kilter bits, like talking about the two hungry wolves inside of you, and mentioning 9/11 out of nowhere and immediately moving on. Advertisement Advertisement
Presumably pitched as a QAnon-friendly Family Guy, or maybe King of the Hill, but for that one uncle who wont say where he was on January 6th, Adam Carollas new animated series Mr. Birchum just hit Netfl er, DailyWire+, the streaming service run by the right-wing publication that once bemoaned the hysteria around climate change, but also suggested that woke M&Ms signal the end of world as we know it.

For some reason, Carolla has been clinging to his Mr. Birchum character, a gruff high school shop teacher, for literal decades. It began as a radio voice, later became a Crank Yankers puppet and was eventually the focus of Birchum, a 2011 animated Fox pilot that was never picked up.

Weirdly, the fact that this mid cartoon character was rejected by Fox 13 years ago has become something of a selling point for DailyWire+, with their CEO bragging that no network would touch the show for fear of offending the wrong people.

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Which makes it sound like Mr. Birchum is some kind of suppressed work of political provocation, and not a run-of-the-mill animated sitcom that just happens to have included some lame pronoun jokes and catty references to the Green New Deal in a sweaty effort to justify its stale existence with manufactured controversies.

Perhaps the most contentious element of the show is its casting. Like some kind of Island of Misfit Toys for canceled celebrities, the Mr. Birchum cast features Roseanne Barr, in her first acting job since she was fired from the Rosanne reboot for posting Ambien-fueled racist tweets, and Megyn Kelly, who isnt an actress, but was ousted from NBC for defending blackface.

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Carolla, of course, is an outspoken advocate against the Orwellian nightmare that is cancel culture. He once stated, You should be able to share ideas without fear of being fired from your job. But one of the cast members of Mr. Birchum was fired for sharing their ideas?

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Yeah, the original lineup of Mr. Birchum included controversial conservative commentator Candace Owens. Famously, Owens departed The Daily Wire after clashing with its co-founder, columnist and gynecological authority Ben Shapiro over Israel. Soon afterwards, Owens was quietly 86d from Mr. Birchum and replaced with ESPNs Sage Steele.

Owens didnt just criticize the Israeli government, she publicly defended Kanye Wests anti-Semitism and suggested that some kind of sinister Jewish gang was running Hollywood. Which is obviously abhorrent. But her firing from the show implies that the folks making Mr. Birchum were totally cool with all the other horrific things she said up until that point, including the time she called the LGBTQ+ community a sexual plague.

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At the very least, this incident illustrates the blatant hypocrisy of the anti-cancel culture crowd  and also why you should never watch a cartoon that wasnt even good enough for Fox, the same network that willingly put The Chevy Chase Show on the air.

You (yes, you) should follow JM on Twitter (if it still exists by the time youre reading this).
One of these days, the core five psychopaths on Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia wont be able to cheat death for the thousandth time  my moneys on the finale.

Like so many comedies before it, Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia features characters that are supernaturally capable of surviving situations that would easily kill most real people. Charlie alone has taken enough knockout blows on the chin without keeling over to warrant significant scientific study, some before he was even born. To the fans delight, the Paddys Pub crew is composed of abortion survivors, heart-attack havers, wannabe badasses and Golden Gods who dont seem convinced of their own mortality.

The actors, on the other hand, know very well how dangerous some of the stunts they pull off on set can get, and theyve come scary close to meeting their own ends multiple times. Case in point: When the gang almost drowned in The Gang Goes to Hell, Danny DeVito nearly met a watery grave himself.

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With the exclusion of full-group almost-fatalities like the aforementioned cast drowning, here are the nearest (and dumbest) near-death experiences for Mac, Charlie, Dennis, Dee and Frank, starting with
South Korea's point man on North Korea said Tuesday the government's new unification vision under way should factor in changes such as heightened inter-Korean tensions and increased instability in global politics.

Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho made the call as he attended a forum organized to assess the National Community Unification Formula, South Korea's unification plan unveiled in 1994 under the administration of late President Kim Young-sam.

The government has been working on updating the nearly 30-year policy after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un defined inter-Korean ties as relations between "two states hostile to each other," and ruled out unification and reconciliation with South Korea.

"As a means to eliminate instability in the regime and boost internal unity, North Korea has chosen the anti-unification, anti-historic and anti-national path of declaring a hostile state relationship, and threatening the Korean people with nuclear and missile weapons," Kim said.

Kim said the new formula should adhere to the basic order of liberal democracy, backed by domestic and international support for a peaceful inter-Korean unification.

"The more circumstances are tough, the government will consistently push for peaceful unification based on the basic order of free democracy while staying faithful to its constitutional responsibility and historic calling," Kim said.

Article 3 in South Korea's Constitution stipulates that the territory of the Republic of Korea consists of the Korean Peninsula and its adjacent islands, while Article 4 calls for seeking unification and carrying out a policy of "peaceful unification" based on the "basic free and democratic order."

In a speech marking the 105th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement, President Yoon Suk Yeol said unification is precisely "what is needed to expand the universal values of freedom and human rights." (Yonhap)
New Japanese Ambassador to Korea Koichi Mizushima is expected to officially take up his post in Seoul this week, diplomatic sources said Tuesday.

Mizushima is scheduled to arrive in Seoul on Friday and start his position as the top envoy, sources familiar with the matter said.

Mizushima, who previously served as the ambassador to Israel, will replace the outgoing envoy, Koichi Aiboshi.

His expected arrival will come ahead of a trilateral summit among the leaders of Korea, Japan and China widely expected to take place at the end of this month.

Korea, the host country, has yet to announce the date for the event. Japanese media reports have said the summit will be held from May 26 to 27.

Mizushima has served as minister at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul for two years from July 2017 and as the top envoy to Israel from March 2021. (Yonhap)
China, Africa see expanded tourism cooperation

10:05, May 14, 2024 By Peng Xunwen, Wu Yue ( People's Daily

China just witnessed a booming outbound tourism market during the past May Day holiday. Apart from traditional popular destinations in Southeast Asia and Europe, an increasing number of Chinese tourists chose to travel to Africa, to see the pyramids in Egypt and the vast plains of Kenya.

Not only Chinese but also international tourists are showing a growing interest in Africa. According to the newest edition of the World Tourism Barometer released by the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the number of international tourist trips paid to Africa hit 66.4 million in 2023. Among them, 39.6 million were paid to sub-Saharan Africa.

Chinese tourists visit the Nelson Mandela Square in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo/Shiraaz)

Analysts attributed the strong momentum of tourism in Africa to the diverse range of measures implemented by countries on the continent, which have injected new impetus into regional economic development.

During this year's May Day holiday, a woman surnamed Chen from east China's Zhejiang province had a trip to Kenya with her child.

"My child has always loved observing animals in the wild. On Kenya's vast grasslands, we saw lions hunting, gaining a firsthand understanding of the laws of nature that felt more real than what we read in books," Chen shared.

She told People's Daily that inside the conservation areas, they hiked alongside experienced guides, enjoying intimate and safe encounters with the animals. This experience was truly new to them, she said.

The temples and ancient ruins scattered along the Nile River, including the pyramids, the Sphinx and the Luxor Temple, have attracted many Chinese tourists.

"During this year's May Day holiday, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Egypt has significantly increased compared to the same period last year, with group tours remaining the preferred choice for travelers. There has also been a noticeable increase in independent travelers who prioritize freedom and personalized choices," said Wang Peizhong, head of the Egypt China General Association, who has been engaged in the tourism industry for many years. According to him, his travel agency received new tourists every day during the holiday.

According to statistics, Africa is becoming one of the popular destinations for Chinese tourists.

Statistics released by online travel platform Mafengwo indicated that African countries such as Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, and Mauritius became new choices for many young travelers during the May Day holiday this year.

Chinese tourists pose for a picture with an Egyptian tour guide in front of the Luxor Temple, Egypt. (Photo provided by Abbas El-Said)

Data from Statistics South Africa also showed a rapid increase in the number of international tourists arriving in the country last year, with a total of 37,000 Chinese tourists, a year-on-year growth of 205.5 percent.

Tanzania's tourism authorities estimated that the number of Chinese tourists visiting Tanzania had grown from nearly 34,000 in 2019 to approximately 44,000 last year.

China and African countries are jointly strengthening their tourism capacity building. Recently, a training program on tourism capacity building for English-speaking African countries kicked off in Beijing and Hangzhou, hosted by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and organized by the Central Academy of Culture and Tourism Administration.

A total of 26 officials, experts, and scholars from countries including Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania participated in the training program.

The training program focused on topics such as tourism policies, scenic area development and management, standardization, and the integration of culture and tourism development. Experts and scholars from institutions such as the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the China Tourism Academy were invited to share China's practical experience in the development of the tourism industry.

A report on China-Africa Belt and Road cooperation highlighted that China has signed bilateral tourism cooperation agreements with 31 African countries, listed 34 African countries as outbound group tour destinations for its citizens and established 166 pairs of sister cities with Africa.

Both sides actively invite each other to participate in tourism exhibitions and join tourism promotion events, building a platform for experience sharing, business negotiation, and product promotion between the Chinese and African tourism departments and enterprises.

Professor Song Wei from the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University said that as Belt and Road cooperation continues to deepen, China and Africa have carried out extensive cooperation to promote tourism visa facilitation, increase direct flights, enhance tourism safety and quality, strengthen hotel and scenic spot construction, and promote tourism routes, and these efforts have yielded fruitful results.

"The tourism industries of China and Africa have distinct characteristics and strong complementarity, exhibiting a reciprocal dynamic," Song added.

(Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun)
President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged necessary support and cooperation to Ukraine during a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday, Seoul's presidential office said.

"The Korean government is proactively participating in the global community's efforts to restore peace and pursue post-war reconstruction in Ukraine," Yoon said during the phone call, according to his office.

"We will continue the support and cooperation that are needed by the Ukrainian people," he added. The phone call was arranged at Zelenskyy's request.

In response, Zelenskyy expressed hope for continued cooperation with Korea amid the war.

Zelenskyy also invited Yoon to the Ukraine peace summit set to be held in Switzerland next month.

The two leaders agreed to maintain open communication to support freedom and peace in Ukraine and to promote an end to the ongoing war, the presidential office added.

Yoon met Zelenskyy in person in July last year after making an unannounced visit to Kyiv in a strong show of support for the war-torn nation. (Yonhap)
'From the cradle to the grave'. Wasn't that what Winston Churchill said in 1943, when he broadcast a speech to the nation in response to the Beveridge Report, acknowledging the need for a 'national compulsory insurance for all classes for all purposes', and paving the way for the post-war establishment of the NHS?

He never meant it literally  as in straight to the grave - and yet, eight decades on, that is what it has come to.

A baby born in the UK today is more likely to perish before their first birthday than an infant in most other first world countries.

Having babies in the UK is far from a joyful or safe experience, writes Sarah Vine

Meanwhile, new mothers are dying in greater numbers than at any point in the past 20 years. Overall, a shameful 20,000 women each year suffer from post-natal post-traumatic stress disorder because of their experiences in the labour ward.

Such is the devastatingly inadequate state of maternity care in Britain today, as laid bare by a new parliamentary inquiry into birth trauma, published on Monday.

Good care for pregnant women and new mothers is 'the exception rather than the rule'. The attitude of clinical staff towards them is described in the report as of 'shockingly poor quality', supported by testimonies of vulnerable women being belittled, patronised, neglected and ignored by midwives.

In a nutshell, having babies in the UK is far from a joyful or safe experience.

No wonder the birth rate has fallen off a cliff. Unless you can afford to go private, the chances of things going wrong are worryingly high. And women are not stupid. They know this. The findings of this report have simply confirmed what, anecdotally, we have all feared  and experienced, either first-hand or through friends and family - for years.

When I had my daughter, 21 years ago this month, it was no different. I was lucky enough at the time to live a short bus-ride away from one of the country's leading maternity hospitals, Queen Charlotte's in West London.

Despite its somewhat less-than auspicious location overlooking HMP Wormwood Scrubs (you could sometimes hear the prisoners exercising in the yard), Charlotte's had a reputation for second-to-none care. Professor Robert Winston, aka 'the baby doctor' and a hugely prominent figure at the time, had made his name there, leading his team in cutting edge neonatal research.

I attended ante-natal classes, dutifully biting my tongue as the midwives lectured us on the evils of pain relief, showing us slides of Native American women giving birth squatting in forest glades (wokeness in the NHS is by no means a new concept).

I was by far the oldest there (aged 34), most of my classmates being no older than my own daughter is now. This seemed to be a source of great irritation to the staff, who muttered darkly about 'geriatric mothers', and chided me endlessly for my weight. When I voiced, tentatively, my concerns about labour, explaining that my own mother, who has 20 when she had me, had almost died and that I had been in intensive care for weeks afterwards, they told me not to be so silly.

But nothing could have prepared me for the level of disdain I experienced once I arrived on the labour ward. My contractions were close, and yet when they checked me  unceremoniously and with about as much respect as someone stuffing a turkey  I was only 4cm dilated. It was made clear to me in no uncertain terms that they thought I was wasting their time. I was put in a room and basically left to get on with it.

The night wore on and my contractions continued, and yet still I was not making progress. After much cajoling, I managed to persuade them to give me an epidural, which they did extremely reluctantly. I felt grubby and guilty and like a total failure. It worked for a bit, but then once the local anaesthetic had worn off, I was in excruciating pain down one side of my body. Their response? 'I told you so'.

They left me again for a few hours and then, as I was still not progressing, they decided to give me oxytocin, to speed up labour. It worked. Before long the contractions were so close together I could barely breathe, and I was throwing up from the pain.

Towards breakfast time, after hours and hours of this, my daughter started showing signs of distress. I can't really remember an awful lot from this phase, but I do remember that at around 10am the obstetrician came on shift. He  or maybe it was a she, I don't recall  examined me and found that I was still barely 5cm dilated, my daughter was posterior presented and she had passed meconium, which usually happens after birth. A few very sharp words were exchanged, and I was prepped for theatre.

Posterior presented is when the baby's head is facing the wrong way in the birth canal. It can result in long, slow labour (because the position of the head makes it harder for the cervix to dilate) and extremely painful backache, such as the one I had experienced. It can also prevent an epidural from working, as was the case with me. It often results in the need for a forceps delivery, unless the midwife can turn the baby around. But since successive midwives had failed to spot any of this, it was too late for that. My daughter was in trouble, and they needed to get her out, pronto.

The difference between the professionalism in the operating theatre and in the labour ward was striking. I was treated kindly, gently, with utmost respect. There were two surgeons working together, quickly and efficiently. One of them took the time to give me a running commentary, reassuring me at every step. I remember thinking at the time, why didn't I just do this in the first place?

Since then, I have seriously come to question the hallowed status that midwives hold in this country. Romanticised by shows such as Call The Midwife, they are revered as givers of life and founts of all maternal wisdom. But my experience, at least, shows this to be far from the truth.

Of course there are some brilliant midwives out there; but far too many are politicised and prejudiced, entrenched in their beliefs and practice and, most worrying of all, not very good at their jobs.

Where they should show empathy, patience and care, they seem instead to betray impatience and irritation. One of the recurring themes in this report is the 'dismissive' attitude of clinical staff  and that rings so true with me.

It was a midwife, in fact, who nearly cost the life of my second child, my son. He was delivered by elective caesarean 16 months after his sister, at a different hospital in Surrey. Again, I was made to feel like a cop-out for not wanting to attempt another 'natural' birth, but I was genuinely terrified of a repeat performance. So I swallowed the opprobrium and insisted on it.

His birth was a completely different experience. Calm, professional, joyful. Unlike his sister, who came out bruised and battered and fighting for her life, he entered the world peacefully and safely. Which might explain why he's so catatonically laid-back, while his sister is one of life's pugilists. But that's a whole other story.

When he was about three months old, he developed an ear infection. I mentioned this to the midwife at the baby clinic, and she told me not to worry. But I did. I get ear infections, badly, and there's a history of it in my family. I kept bringing it up, and she kept dismissing me. I asked for antibiotics, and was told that 'we don't prescribe antibiotics for little babies'.

All she seemed to care about was whether I was breastfeeding or not. I was, but he was a gannet, so I was topping up with formula. This was met with grave disapproval. I was told that it was probably why he had an ear infection: didn't I know that breastfeeding was a vital source of antibodies for babies?

There is a lack of compassion in the care of mothers and babies in this country which has nothing to do with resources or funding

Long story short: one morning I woke up and realised that there was something very wrong with my little boy. I took him to see the midwife  again - and, again, she basically told me I was mad. But this time I was determined. I waited until the end of the baby clinic and demanded to see the GP. He took one look at my son, and called an ambulance.

He had something called mastoiditis, now a rare condition but at one time a common cause of infant death. The hospital in Surrey started him on huge doses of intravenous antibiotics, but it was too late. He was transferred to St George's in Tooting for an urgent operation to remove a large cyst on his brain. The team were amazing, but we were in hospital for weeks.

Afterwards, I was diagnosed with severe post-natal depression and all my hair fell out. My son has residual health issues. And all because that stupid woman wouldn't listen.

I am lucky. My children are lucky. But far too many are not, and that is unacceptable. I know far too many women  friends, colleagues, relatives  with horror stories to tell, and they can't all be making it up.

The truth is, there is a lack of compassion in the care of mothers and babies in this country which has nothing to do with resources or funding, and everything to do with entrenched attitudes, entitlement and, quite frankly, the arrogance of a profession that does not know how to do its job properly.

Let this report be the wake-up call they need.
To glittering Lancaster House, near Buckingham Palace, for the First Sea Lord's sea power conference. The 19th century mansion's gilt-edged halls were decorated with photographs of surging warships, casemates and sailors peering at radar screens.

Outside, a distant military band was parping something martial. Inside, the talk was of 'the fight-tonight requirement' and 'killing the King's enemies when the moment arises'. When not if.

It all felt a bit like the start of one of Anthony Powell's wartime novels in A Dance To The Music Of Time. Ambling up the elegant staircase amid a throng of men, I realised I was the only one not wearing gold braid and aiguillettes.

A chap feels naked at such times. My companions had enough gold rope on their shoulders to moor an aircraft carrier, should it not be in dry dock.

Among the hundreds of attendees I could see only one naval rating. He was in No 1 uniform, taking the snaps. Everyone else seemed to be an arms dealer, politician or admiral. We're not short of them.

Grant Shapps, Defence Secretary, blew in mid-morning to make 'a keynote speech' and spray down the decks with some stuff about how we were in 'a golden age of British shipbuilding'.

Grant Shapps, Defence Secretary, blew in mid-morning to make 'a keynote speech' and spray down the decks with some stuff about how we were in 'a golden age of British shipbuilding' says Quentin Letts

Secretary of State for Defence Grant Shapps (pictured) arrives in Downing Street

Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps leaving Downing Street after a Cabinet Meeting

The First Sea Lord himself, Admiral Sir Ben Key KCB, CBE, ADC, NFG was on the bridge, too. He also gave a 'keynote speech'. Sir Ben Keynote.

A nephew of the late Tory MP Robert Key, Sir Ben enthused about the Sunak government's increased spending on defence. 'Very welcome, very timely, genuinely a catalytic moment,' he declared. It would allow us to be 'more confident with our concepts of risk'.

One hopes that was not another way of saying 'we'll be able to prang a few more aircraft without worrying too much about the bill'.

Before the keynotes there was calmer water to be covered: a panel discussion about trade routes chaired by a bow-tied Italian prof who had verbal diarrhoea.

There was also a welcome speech by one of the conference organisers, a military analyst called Viktorija Starych-Samuoliene. You wouldn't want to have to tap her name out in Morse code in a hurry.

The accent was part Lithuanian, part American, part Swindon and not at all easy to understand. Heaven knows how the Kremlin decrypts her telephone calls.

The room became hot. An arms manufacturer behind me fell fast asleep. Snore was like a Tilbury tugboat's tooter.

I saw a thick-uniformed French admiral sweating like bacon. Convivial Admiral Lord West (Lab), who never misses these things, was sending up a plume of steam.

Admiral Sir Ben Key, First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, attends a Service of Thanksgiving for Admiral The Lord Boyce at Westminster Abbey on July 13, 2023

Lord West asked a question and described himself, as he always does, as 'a simple sailor'. Modern admirals don't look like Westy though. Modern admirals look like merchant bankers. Tobias Ellwood (Con, Bournemouth East) was also in the audience, eager to be noticed. He asked a question about land-attack systems and came up with the phrase 'I think there may be a Scandinavian model'. Wonder what her name was.

A smart woman from the military software company Helsing admitted that 'drones have become the commodity'. You can get drones for little more than a few bob. It could play havoc with defence manufacturers' bottom lines.

Vice-Admiral Andrew Burns, fleet commander of the Royal Navy and quite impressive, said Russia's navy was not to be underestimated, even though some of it is now resting at the bottom of the Black Sea thanks to Ukrainian drones. It was too early to describe the Black Sea as 'a Nato lake'. Sir Ben said enemy threats were 'ever present and ever closer'.

As for Mr Shapps, he ground his jaw and growled about Spearfish torpedoes, Tomahawks, Storm Shadows and NLAW anti-tank rockets. It was 'impossible' we could let Russia win in Ukraine.

For those still with an appetite after such alarming talk, various dinners were on the evening's horizon. The conference's commercial 'partners', alongside arms firms, included the champagne house, Moet Hennessy. Bubbles before battle.
Anti-Royalist Michael Sheen cranks up his mockery of the monarchy.

After bewailing newly crowned King Charles's visit to Cardiff on the anniversary of Owain Glyndwr being proclaimed native Welsh Prince of Wales in 1400, he now claims he would like a longer mourning period than the late Queen.

Asked on a podcast how he would like to be remembered, he adds: 'I mean, did the Queen play Tony Blair? Did the Queen play Brian Clough? I don't think she did, did she?'

Told HM was a talented mimic, he asks: 'Who's gonna tell her that she's not? Oh well done Your Majesty, that's wonderful that Tommy Cooper you just did. Well done.'

The Welsh sense of humour is no laughing matter.

Michael Sheen (pictured) poses in the Fox 2019 Upfront Portrait Gallery at the Wollman Rink in Central Park

The King's revelation that his treatment means he has lost his sense of taste saddens The Ritz's chef John Williams.

'He has a fantastic palate,' recalls John. 'I once cooked something for him and he was able to break down the entire sauce and understand it structurally  naming the ingredients in the sauce exactly. Lots of chefs couldn't do that!'

Pompous BBC world affairs editor John Simpson takes exception to criticism of his colleague Nick Robinson for refusing to call Hamas terrorists on the airwaves  shortly after Lord Cameron had urged the Beeb to do so.

Simpson huffs: 'I'm sorry  what sort of democratic government 'demands' that a major broadcasting organisation toes its political line?'.

Putting windbag Simpson in his place, broadcaster and former BBC heavyweight Andrew Neil responds: 'The BBC, as an independent broadcaster, should never obey government demands. It should call Hamas terrorists because they are. What other description would be more accurate?'

Two years after the death of her ex-husband Dennis Waterman (she described the Minder star as a drunken wife beater), Rula Lenska admits she had hoped the pair would make their peace before his demise.

'Most of it was wonderful, but the end was horrible, really horrible,' she says. 'I always thought that we would have some form of closure, but it never happened.'

Rula Lenska (pictured) appears on ITV's Loose Women in July 2022

Princess Diana's fashion designer, Belinda Bellville, who has died aged 94, once showed the late Queen the bridesmaid dress she had made for Princess Anne for the wedding of Lady Pamela Mountbatten to David Hicks in 1960.

'It's very nice,' remarked HM. 'Will it wash?'

ITV political editor Robert Peston's strangulated diction so alarmed the BBC when he was business editor in the noughties that a specialist was hired to make sense of his on-air caterwauling.

'What Robert needs,' quipped one Television Centre wag, 'is a Formula One mechanic.'
Sweatier months are coming - which means ditching closed-toed shoes in favor of sandals and other foot-freeing options.

But even with the hotter temperatures on the horizon, some women feel strongly that it's never acceptable to get your tootsies out at the office.

TikTok has recently been alight with female employees questioning what kind of footwear is both comfortable enough to commute in and office appropriate.

FEMAIL reached out to a New York City-based stylist to find out what shoes are commuter friendly and chic - and whether it's suitable to don sandals in a business casual environment.

Seattle-based TikTok content creator Katie Spence asked her 59,000 followers, 'What shoes are the girlies wearing to work this summer?'

Katie showed off a few of her favorite options, including this black jelly fisherman sandal with a chunky heel, as well as a raffia version of the same style

Katie Spence, based in Seattle, Washington, makes videos as goforkady and focuses on 'casual workwear.'

In her latest TikTok, Katie asked her 59,000 followers, 'What shoes are the girlies wearing to work this summer?'

Katie admitted she's been wearing the same white loafers for the last few years, but is looking for trendy new options - although she has three rules she sticks to.

'No free feet at the office - not a hard and fast rule for me, but generally I would prefer closed or an obscured-toe shoe,' Katie joked. The creator is also looking for 'something comfortable enough because my feet are not shaped for shoes and everything hurts.'

The shoes also 'need to have some height,' which means no flats.

Katie showed off a few of her favorite options, including chunky white closed-toe sandals and a black jelly fisherman sandal with a chunky heel, as well as a raffia version of the same style.

She also displayed more traditional options, like pointy-toed pumps in white and espresso, as well as a Mary Jane with buckles and a block heel and patent loafers.

The content creator captioned the video, 'any additional inspo of your favorite summer work shoes highly requested pls send help!!!' and her followers were happy to weigh in with their fashion opinions.

'No free feet at the office - not a hard and fast rule for me, but generally I would prefer closed or an obscured-toe shoe,' Katie joked, making a Mary Jane like the one above ideal

The content creator captioned the video, 'any additional inspo of your favorite summer work shoes highly requested pls send help!!!' and her followers were happy to weigh in

Many people recommended wearing classic white sneakers to the office, like Dr. Scholl's (pictured above)

'Open-toed shoe is sooo foul in the office,' one appalled commenter pointed out,' as another responded, ''Foul? Yes but so is having me go into work  therefore, sandals alll summer'

'Open-toed shoe is sooo foul in the office,' one appalled commenter pointed out.

'Foul? Yes but so is having me go into work  therefore, sandals all summer,' another commenter responded.

Katie then made a follow-up video summing up everyone's favorite options, including Rothy's flats and clogs, penny loafers, and woven flats from Byrdies, and espadrilles.

The response she saw most often was a clean white sneaker, and she wears a platform Converse.

Many people recommended Dr. Scholl's white platform sneaker as well as Vejas, which are a favorite with celebrities like Meghan Markle, Kate Middleton, Emma Watson, and Katie Holmes.

'The clean white sneaker will alwayssssss be elite,' a commenter agreed.

New York City-based personal stylist Jamie Lewis made her own TikTok about finding the perfect commuting and business casual shoe

Jamie thinks it works to opt for white sneakers like Vejas 'as long as the rest of the outfit is elevated, such as wearing trousers or a blazer to balance to the casual look of the sneaker'

Jamie thinks it works to wear white sneakers to work 'as long as the rest of the outfit is elevated, such as wearing trousers or a blazer to balance to the casual look'

'I highly suggest investing in a good pair of loafers,' Jamie said, with Katie Holmes showing off the look above

New York City-based personal stylist Jamie Lewis made her own TikTok about finding the perfect commuting shoe.

'We don't actually have to ruin our outfits with our commuting shoes,' Jamie explained, before showing options 'you don't have to change when you get to the office.'

Jamie told DailyMail.com she loves the Mary Jane trend for commutes because 'it's a fun alternative to the standard flat and adds a touch of femininity to your outfit'

Jamie recommended Mary Janes, elevated metallic sneakers which work for a business casual setting, and sling backs, which would all work on the subway and at the office.

The expert told DailyMail.com she loves the Mary Jane trend for commutes because 'it's a fun alternative to the standard flat and adds a touch of femininity to your outfit.'

'If Mary Jane's aren't your preference I highly suggest investing in a good pair of loafers - they're just as versatile as a flat but again adds a touch more style to the outfit,' Jamie added. 'My favorites are from G.H Bass - great leather and no logo making them easy to wear with all of your prints.'

When it comes to the great open-toed shoes debate, Jamie thinks women can 'absolutely' wear sandals in the office, as long as they 'stay away from a flip flop or anything that you would also wear to the pool.'

'If we're in the office I like there to be some sort of strap versus a slide,' Jamie said, adding that she prefers 'a touch of a block heel,' but it's not necessary as long as there is an 'ankle strap or a clear distinction,' so it doesn't look like a shower shoe.

Jamie thinks it works to opt for white sneakers like Vejas 'as long as the rest of the outfit is elevated, such as wearing trousers or a blazer to balance to the casual look of the sneaker.'
If you received a baby's nappy through your letterbox, you'd likely be confused (or perhaps even enraged) but for some people who have bought second hand clothes online, that's exactly what has happened.

Vinted, a thrift app where people can buy and sell old items in an online marketplace, has had a meteoric rise to success, quickly becoming a billion-euro company taking on other rival e-commerce sites such as Depop and eBay.

And while many sellers may take unusual routes to sell their items - such as using the likes of a cardboard David Attenborough to model their clothes - some have also taken quite an unusual approach to packaging their items.

From wallets wrapped up in baby nappies to crisp packets and even pizza boxes, it appears anything and everything goes when it comes to the packaging in which items are sent.

A slew of videos have emerged on TikTok with buyers - who were likely expecting standard brown parcel - totally astonished by their deliveries.

With Vinted's meteoric success, a flurry of strange packaging methods have emerged from the site (pictured: A vinted parcel packaged in a pizza box)

From wallets wrapped up in baby nappies (left) to crisp packets (right) and even pizza boxes, it appears no holes are barred when it comes to what an item is sent in.

A slew of bizarre videos of astonished Vinted customers sharing their packages has emerged on TikTok (pictured: an item in an Alpen box)

Some have revealed their items were wrapped up in cereal and Cornetto boxes as well as Barilla pasta packaging.

Martina Darling from Suffolk was less than pleased when she discovered her item arrived to her door packaged in plastic bin bags.

'So I've just picked up two parcels from Vinted and I honestly don't know why I worry when I send parcels,' she fumed.

Pointing to the clear bag on her passenger seat, she added: 'This one is obviously just a paper bag with cling film round as in like an Aldi bag and this is just a bin bag.

'Honestly I don't know why I go to so much effort of getting nice packaging for people.'

However others have been left in floods of laughter after coming across their strange Vinted parcels.

Sophie, 30, from South Wales, was in fits of giggles when a dress she had ordered from the e-commerce site arrived in a transparent take-away box.

'I love Vinted but I have just picked up a parcel and it's been delivered in a takeaway box its a dress,' the mother laughed: 'That's brilliant.'

Some customers have managed to see the funny side, such as Sophie (pictured) from South Wales who was left in a fit of giggles after receiving a dress in a transparent take-away box

Beth Howen, 22, set the bar even higher, collecting her new pair of trainers in two separate Boots' pharmacy bags (left)

However Martina Darling from Suffolk was less than pleased when she discovered her item arrived to her door packaged in plastic bin bags (pictured)

'It's literally in a takeaway box. What is the weirdest thing you have had your parcels delivered in? Because this is by far the weirdest thing I have had delivered.'

Several of her followers chimed in, quipping that it was 'okay to send things in anything from Vinted.'

To which Sophie responded: 'There are NO rules when it comes to Vinted packaging.'

Another added: 'I used to buy post bags until someone sent me something in an ASDA bag so I now do the same.'

But a takeaway tin may not be the strangest Vinted package yet, as Beth Howen, 22, collected her new pair of trainers in two separate Boots' pharmacy bags.

'No I'm sorry but this Vinted packaging tops the lot so far,' the shocked youngster penned: 'I'm intrigued to see if anyone can top this.'

She previously had received another pair of shoes from the site encased in two thin bright-green plastic Co-op bags.

People also flocked to the comment section of her clip to share their own bizarre experiences with the site.

'I work in a store that sends Vinted parcels and literally had someone drop their parcel off in a Greggs pasty bag,' one shared.

A second quipped: 'I got a bad review because I wrapped it in Christmas paper like???'

'Someone wrapped my parcel in two GCSE maths books,' another Vinted shopper revealed, whilst one said: 'I had a coat send in a dog food box and it honked so bad.'

Whilst using pizza boxes and nappies may be comical to some, Tiny Box Company founder Rachel Watkyn OBE advises against sending in items in food boxes due to the impact debris can have on your products.

One woman had even received her handbag from the e-commerce site in a Cornetto box

Tiny Box Company founder Rachel Watkyn OBE advised Vinted sellers to reuse their old Amazon bozes (pictured: an Vinted item packaged in a Barilla pasta box)

Vinted's rules say parcels should be put in a 'sturdy outer packaging' such as a cardboard box (pictured: a dress from Vinted that was sent in a pasta box)

She told MailOnline: 'Your last Amazon box or last box you received something in is the perfect packaging to reuse.

'You should reuse where you can rather than buying packaging however ugly or weird it might look.'

Rachel instructed sellers to inform their customers if they were going to reuse less conventional forms of packaging.

According to Vinted's rules parcels should be put in a 'sturdy outer packaging' such as a cardboard box, so the delivery can arrive in a good condition and be protected from dirt during transit.

The e-commerce site also requires users to wrap the items with the appropriate inner packaging to prevent deliveries moving around and breaking.
Alexis Bittar is a true trailblazer.

The New York native is known for his candy color lucite jewelry and provocative ad campaigns that fearlessly address ageism, diversity, and Trans rights.

He is now revolutionizing brand marketing with a direct to consumer campaign where his accessories play a supporting role to eccentric (and hilarious!) NYC characters in episodic bite-sized skits on Instagram.

Dubbed Bittarverse, the series has garnered a lot of buzz from jewelry enthusiasts and beyond, it even charmed Academy Award winning actress Susan Sarandon, the latest celebrity to make a cameo appearance.

Alexis Bittar is revolutionizing brand marketing with a direct to consumer campaign where his accessories play a supporting role to stars like Susan Sarandon in episodic bite-sized skits

Susan joins Coco Rocha, Tamron Hall, Mel Ottenberg, Mickey Boardman, Amanda Lepore and Kelly Cutrone.

With Megan Thee Stallions stylist Eric Archibald and Joan Collins expected to star in upcoming episodes.

Susan joins Coco Rocha , Tamron Hall , Mel Ottenberg, Mickey Boardman, Amanda Lepore and Kelly Cutrone. With Megan Thee Stallion s stylist Eric Archibald and Joan Collins expected to star in upcoming episodes

'I always tried to use advertising to kind of push political messages within the fashion world whether it was ageism or visibility with Trans rights, Alexis tells Daily Mail

'I always tried to use advertising to kind of push political messages within the fashion world whether it was ageism or visibility with Trans rights,' Alexis tells Daily Mail.

Alexis launched his brand in the late '90s and after a very successful run, he sold it to Brooks Brothers in 2015 and left the industry entirely.

'I was completely done and I didnt look at anything,' shared the entrepreneur.

'When I bought the business back at the end of 2021 and launched in 2022, it took me a minute to understand what my voice was going to be in this iteration.

'But I think one of the beautiful things about the business now is that before I felt very beholden - at least in my mind - to what department stores and private equity might think, particularly department stores because we had such a massive representation in the department store world.

'This time I thought if Im going to be in this industry again I want to make it is as true to me as possible on every level, in both design and who we are distributing to.'

BITTARVERSE started with the character "Theresa," the antithesis of a fashion ad. Long-time Coney Island resident, Theresa, is first seen on a lounge chair in a parking lot in Brooklyn

Alexis reveals that it took him a year to come up with an idea that felt organic to him.

Bittarverse started with the character "Theresa," the antithesis of a fashion ad.

Long-time Coney Island resident, Theresa, is first seen on a lounge chair in a parking lot in Brooklyn.

Her blonde hair teased in a sky-high 'do, wearing a leopard print bodysuit and dripping in Alexis Bittar jewelry.

'She was someone that I really related to, that I grew up with,' shares Alexis.

'At that time New York was coming out of Covid and New York felt really beaten up and I thought theres so much about New York that I love, that I grew up with that I almost dont see anymore.

'There were so many voices happening at the time, in terms of being politically correct, everything felt like it was being striped.

'New York been beaten down and the liberal left is like a hawk on everything you say so I came up with this idea of Theresa, shes kind of like politically incorrect and just saying things that I wanted to say, and making fun of fashion, which is what I love to do. I love not taking it too seriously.'

Bittar dreamed up "Margeaux" and "Jules" as a counterbalance to "Theresa"

Margeaux is a wealthy Upper East Side legend dressed to the nines in the finest fashions, while her abused assistant Jules is in all black - both accessorized with Alexis Bittar statement pieces

Carving out a new approach to marketing, Bittar's video series isn't aimed at selling product.

The reaction of Theresa was so great, Bittar dreamed up "Margeaux" and "Jules" as a counterbalance to the Brooklyn firecracker.

Margeaux is a wealthy Upper East Side legend dressed to the nines in the finest fashions, while her abused assistant Jules is in all black - both accessorized with Alexis Bittar statement pieces.

'I needed to go through my cast of characters in my head on who I can temper Theresa with and I came up with Margeaux and Jules.

'Kind of like in the fashion industry these horrible people that wielded so much power that no one really checked,' explains Alexis.

Adding: 'And the assistant that moved from wherever to New York City to create a life for themselves and how they get sucked into this thing.'

Jules is a fan favorite with Instagram viewers

The most recent character "Riley" is a fashion influencer.

'Riley was a really complicated character cause I wanted to make it very clear that she was meant to be hated but I also wanted to make her look so chic that you cant stop looking.'

The series showcases a variety of the designer's many talents - including his humor and writing abilities.

Alexis writes all the laugh-out-loud dialogues and styles all the characters' wardrobes.

Filming takes place over the course of a day.

'I write out the overall arch of the script, I know what I want to get and I can tell how many segments I can get from each taping.

'The videographer is amazing, he edits the footage and is the voice of reason,' shares Alexis.

The groundbreaking content has received critical acclaim. It recently tied with Disney to win a Webby Award - the leading international award honoring excellence on the internet.

'I didnt even know what it was,' admits Bittar, a self-proclaimed technophobe.

The most recent character, Riley, is a fashion influencer. 'Riley was a really complicated character cause I wanted to make it very clear that she was meant to be hated but I also wanted to make her look so chic that you cant stop looking'

From a business standpoint, the series has increased sales but not by much.

'I think part of the reason why  when you really read the comments or see whos liking - they arent necessarily the consumers,' explains Alexis.

'You very much have the fashion industry watching it like a hawk, but you have a lot of people that just like the satirical comments; so they are engaged with the brand not even knowing what they are watching.

'So I wouldnt say its a direct tie to an automatic sale.'

But regardless of revenue, Alexis believes in the project.

'If you look at social media like a streaming channel and that hypothetically on Saturday is Margeaux and Jules, Tuesday is Riley, and Thursday is Theresa and those are your programs, and we intermittently have commercials which is when were actually showing product.'

In his pursuit to create authentic content, Bittarverse has garnered a cult following.

E!'s Keltie Knight commented on one of the posts saying, 'I've never been more invested in anything in my life.'

Another viewer said, 'This is art.'

As for Alexis, 'I'm just having fun this time around.'
Sale of stake won't be included in LY Corp.'s report to Tokyo

By Nam Hyun-woo

Naver, a Korean tech giant facing pressure from the Japanese government to divest from the operator of the popular messaging app Line, has decided not to sell any of its shares, according to a senior presidential official on Tuesday  at least not until July.

After discussions with Naver, the company conveyed its stance that there will be no sale of its shares in LY Corp. in relation to the Japanese governments administrative guidance, the official told The Korea Times.

The government has accepted Navers position and will ensure to protect Naver in a manner that prevents objections from the Japanese government regarding the company's decision."

Naver has been facing pressure to divest its shares in the apps operator LY Corp., which is controlled by a 50-50 joint venture between Naver and Japans SoftBank, after the Japanese government issued an administrative guidance to LY last month, aimed at reviewing its capital relationship with Naver following a massive data leak of user information last November.

While the Japanese government has been denying that the guidance is about Navers sell-down, SoftBank announced last week that it will initiate a review of its capital relationship with Naver, adding that it intends to make a decision by July.

LY Corp. is supposed to submit a report on its response to the guidance by July 1, and the report will not include details on the sell-down, the official said.

The Korean government has been urging Naver to articulate its sincere and detailed position on whether it will sell its shares or not, viewing the issue as a business matter between Naver and SoftBank.

However, while Naver had refrained from expressing its clear stance in an apparent move to enhance its leverage in negotiations with SoftBank, the opposition bloc had accused the government of neglecting its duty to protect a Korean company from Japans unfair claims.

As the dispute shows signs of escalating into a political clash between Korea and Japan, the Yoon administration has been facing a dilemma between Seoul's desire for improved relations with Tokyo and growing skeptical public sentiment regarding issues related to Japan.

Even though another senior official at the presidential office said that the political conflicts over the Line dispute seem to be all settled, it remains to be seen whether Naver will hold onto its shares even after July given that the explanations from the presidential office do not explicitly state that Naver has abandoned its plan to sell its shares in LY Corp. nor that the companys negotiations with SoftBank have concluded.

Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon said on May 3 that whatever decision the company makes, it will be based on the companys medium- and long-term strategy, while its officials have been signaling that negotiations with SoftBank may not be concluded before July.

Reportedly, the company also agrees with the presidential offices statements that there will be no sell-down because of the Japanese governments guidance, but the company does not rule out the possibility of a deal later.

When asked for confirmation, a Naver official repeated the companys previous statement that the company is in talks with SoftBank, keeping all options open.
When Gabby Petito and fiance Brian Laundrie set off on a four-month trip across America in a white, converted Ford Transit van, recording their travels on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, they seemed to be on the adventure of a lifetime.

There were sunny posts of the young nomads hiking through U.S. national parks, kissing in canyons, enjoying what appeared to be a carefree existence.

But the picture-perfect life they depicted online in 2021 was not all it seemed.

After seven weeks, 23-year-old Brian returned alone to his parents house in Florida in their van  without his 22-year-old fiancee. After ten days of failing to get any information about Gabbys whereabouts, police finally classed her as a missing person.

The mystery sent the internet into a frenzy.

In the following weeks, it became one of the first and biggest true crime cases to overtake TikTok. Just like the furore surrounding missing Lancashire mother Nicola Bulley last year, online super-sleuths went into overdrive.

Gabby Petito, 22, and fiance Brian Laundrie, 23, set off on a four-month trip together across the US in 2021

Gabby often uploaded her adventures with Brian to social media and gathered a sizeable following prior to her disappearance

There were more than 1.2 billion views of posts with the hashtag #GabbyPetito on TikTok alone. People camped outside Brians home.

And then, shockingly, he too went missing.

It wasnt long before Gabbys family and online followers got their answers, but not the ones they wanted.

Eight days after being reported missing, Gabbys body was found in a forest in Wyoming. She had been strangled. Brians body was later found in a heavily wooded area near his parents home in Florida; he had shot himself.

A new three-part documentary, The Disappearance of Gabby Petito, not only gives a comprehensive view of their doomed trip, but examines how the power of social media can help and hinder true crime cases  with every detail analysed by armchair detectives.

Explaining why Gabbys case caused social media mania, Professor Alex Piquero, a criminologist at the University of Miami, tells me: Gabbys age was a factor. She was 22 and in that age group young people are on their phones all the time. Their lives are largely in the digital world, so theyre constantly paying attention to feeds and postings and re-postings.

News of her vanishing led to more than 1.2 billion views of posts with the hashtag #GabbyPetito on TikTok

Gabby was already a favourite online before her disappearance  which ignited a storm.

Brought up on Long Island, New York, blonde and vivacious Gabby was a typical twentysomething who had big dreams of big adventures, according to her parents Nichole Schmidt and Joe Petito.

An emotional Nichole says in the documentary, being streamed on ITVX: She didnt deserve what happened to her. She was everything to me and I just wanted to be the best I could be and do the best for her.

She taught me pure love, just pure joy, how to live life to the fullest . .. she was amazing.

Gabby became friends with Brian at a New York high school and they began dating in 2019, after his family had moved to Florida. They got engaged a year later just before setting off on their trip, on July 2, 2021.

With stunning posts of dramatic natural backdrops in Utah and Colorado, aspiring travel vlogger Gabby documented every moment of a seemingly loved-up couples idyllic adventure on Instagram and her YouTube channel Nomadic Statik.

Gabby and Brian became friends while at high school in New York, started dating in 2019 and got engaged before setting off on their trip on July 2, 2021

Shortly before her last Instagram post on August 25, Gabby Facetimed her mother and said she and Brian were leaving Utah and driving to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

The final post, though, seemed strange to Gabbys family  it was a picture of her with a crocheted pumpkin and the caption Happy Halloween, when Halloween was still two months away. Did Gabby post it  or someone else?

Then, five days later, her mother received an abrupt text message saying Gabby and Brian were in Yosemite, Calfornia  nearly 1,000 miles from their intended destination  with no cellphone service.

Alarm bells began to ring, especially when there was no new activity on Gabbys social media.

They rang even louder on September 1 when Brian returned alone to Florida in the van registered to Gabby. No-one in the Laundrie family would speak to Gabbys increasingly fraught parents or the authorities to pinpoint where she might be.

Gabby was officially reported as a missing person on September 11 with police confirming Brian was a person of interest.

Two people left on a trip and one person returned, police chief Todd Garrison said.

With the hunt for Gabby in high gear, her father Joe appeared at a news conference asking for help from the public in finding his daughter. It seemed like the entire planet came to help, he tells the documentary.

Gabby had last been seen in a vast, remote stretch of Wyoming and canvassing people who had also been in the area yielded clues.

But then the case took on a life of its own. One TikTok user reported that she and her boyfriend had picked up Brian, who seemed to be acting weird and jittery. The post garnered an astonishing nine million views. Gabby quickly became the number one search online across America. But, as the hashtag #FindGabby trended, the search tipped over into obsession for many.

Brian Laundrie's yearbook photo taken about the time that he became friends with Gabby

People posted multiple sightings of women who had been in the area where Gabby went missing (each sighting had to be debunked) and armchair sleuths traced the couples route, crowd-sourcing theories about what could have happened.

The flimsiest evidence, such as the different shades of Gabbys hair and the clothes she was wearing in photos, were cited as possible clues.

Her online life before the trip was examined in minute detail.

The documentary interviews some of those who rushed to help solve the mystery of Gabbys disappearance online  no doubt with good intentions, but often sending authorities down dead end routes.

One, Brent Shavnore, of Pensacola, Florida, explains: The case resonated because you had all this content  the videos Gabby and Brian created were high definition... you could see the inside of their life. It gave everybody an open highway to dig into this content and see if they could find clues.

Citizen detective Olivia Vitale, who even flew to Florida to protest outside Brian Laundries family home, defends this, saying: A lot of people dont like us, but I think what people forget is that its a pressure campaign  thats how things start happening, how things start moving.

I slept for three hours last night. I have been so consumed by the case, one woman wrote on Facebook.

With more and more people piling in, Utah Police released bodycam footage from a 911 call about a domestic problem, recorded just over two weeks before Gabbys last text to her mother. It showed the relationship between Gabby and Brian in a very different light from their sunny social media posts.

Gabby is in tears, saying she and Brian had an argument and he kept telling her to shut up, but she says the dispute was her fault. He has scratches on his face and arms but brushes it off as a lovers quarrel.

Video footage released by police shows Gabby in tears while seated in the back of a trooper's car following reports of a 'domestic problem'

Brian is also seen on camera after the argument between the couple. Gabby claims he told her to 'shut up' but that the dispute was 'her fault'

Fears for Gabby intensified.

Her mother Nichole recalls: I wanted to jump through the screen and rescue Gabby. I think the video was important because we got to see the reality behind the social media personality people saw her as a real person, struggling. It was hard to watch. Ive only watched it once and I wont watch it again.

Police separated the pair and had Brian stay in a hotel for a night before they were allowed to drive on, which was later criticised.

The trail of videos, photos and personal accounts left by the couple, and Brians apparent refusal to come forward, meant that speculation reached fever pitch.

In livestreamed therories, online sleuths said Brians social media posts had a dark side and that he had been spotted in photographs reading a violent novel. The couples Spotify playlist was examined in detail for clues. Suspicion even wrongly fell on a wholly innocent female friend of Gabbys whom online investigators alleged was in cahoots with Brian.

There were claims that Brian had fled to Mexico, Spain, the Bahamas, Cuba, and had been sighted in cities across the U.S. One man called 911 and wrongly said he had talked to Brian. Im 99.99 per cent sure it was him, he insisted.

Further outlandish theories were that Brian was hiding in a shed at his parents home and that a hand had been captured on drone footage emerging from one of the familys flowerbeds, prompting speculation he was hiding in a bunker.

Another influencer crowd-sourced money for a #Justice4Gabby banner to be flown over the Laundrie home to put pressure on the family. People flew from across America to stand in front of the house with megaphones, shouting wheres Gabby? at all hours.

But for all the super sleuth dead ends, the breakthrough came from a travel vlog. A couple who documented their travels with their three children and four dogs in a converted school bus on YouTube spotted Gabbys white van while editing their footage. It was parked at Grand Teton National Park.

The wife recalls in the documentary how she and her husband posted an image of the vehicle with a big red arrow pointing to it and the words: We found Gabby Petitos van. The sighting allowed police to narrow their search and Gabbys remains were found among trees on September 19.

A post mortem revealed she had been strangled and her body wrapped in a blanket and left outside for three to four weeks.

Police had been searching the Carlton Reserve, a 25,000-acre swamp near the Laundrie home, after his parents told police their son had gone to the area a few days earlier and not returned.

It took until October 20 for officers to find Brians body in the swamp and identify him by dental records. He had committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. A letter found nearby, written by Brian, admitted Gabbys murder.

With both young people dead, the case was now over and the parents were left to pick up the pieces.

Chris and Roberta Laundrie declined to be interviewed for the documentary. They deny any wrongdoing.

But their lawyer was furious about the social media frenzy and said: These platforms are running amok with these ludicrous and nonsensical theories about the parents enough is enough. While Gabbys parents were grateful the public helped search for their daughter, they expressed misgivings about the extent of social media speculation.

Its very humbling so many people cared and wanted to help but I think you have to be careful about social media and sleuths, Nichole says. Some of them are very self-serving and others are actually just good people that want to help.

The ghoulish online sleuths were not finished, though. At Gabbys memorial, the female friend targeted as a suspect was seen laughing  Gabbys father said it was about a happy memory  but the friend has been bombarded with threats ever since.

Nichole Schmidt, Gabby's mother, wipes away the tears during a news conference following claims that the police failed to recognise her daughter was in a life-threatening situation

Alongside her husband, James Schmidt, Nichole holds a photo of Gabby. Their 2.4million settlement was used to establish The Gabby Petito Foundation for missing persons

In 2022, Gabbys parents reached a 2.4 million ($3million) wrongful death settlement with Laundries estate. The money they said would go to The Gabby Petito Foundation set up to help find missing persons and curb domestic violence.

They also settled another lawsuit with Laundries parents for an undisclosed sum after claiming the couple concealed their sons confession to killing Gabby. The Laundries denied the claim.

Professor Piquero says the lesson to be learnt by the public is that at the core of a murder investigation is a real person and their grieving family. Online sleuths can share misleading or false information.

If people have factual information that can help a case, theres only one agency they should call, he says. Its not X, its not Facebook, its not Reddit and its not Instagram. Its the police.
She assumed a false identity, and cyberbullied her child and her boyfriend

It's inspired by Kendra Gail Licari who pleaded guilty to her crimes

A new Lifetime movie has laid bare the horrific case that saw a mother secretly bullying her own daughter online for years.

The film is inspired by Kendra Gail Licari, who was sentenced to between 19 months and five years behind bars for assuming a false identity and cyberbullying her teenage daughter and her boyfriend.

Mommy Meanest premiered on Lifetime on May 11 and the true story behind the film has left viewers stunned at the extreme lengths the 42-year-old Michigan-based mom took to inflict fear on her child without any known motive.

A year after Kendra pleaded guilty to two counts of stalking a minor, Lifetime decided to showcase the disturbing case in the film inspired by the mom - played by Lisa Rinna but is named Madelyn in Mommy Meanest - who relentlessly targeted her own child and even accompanied her child to the police station to report the crime.

A new Lifetime movie has laid bare the horrific case that saw a mother secretly bullying her own daughter online for years

In the film, Lisa plays a divorced high school chorus teacher named Madelyn.

Madelyn's daughter is played by Lisa's real daughter Briana Skye, who is known as Mia in the film.

The movie follows Mia and her high school boyfriend who are viciously bullied by an online stalker who sends messages to the teen girl instructing her to 'kill herself.'

However, the cruel bully wasn't a stranger at all. In a shocking twist, the person sending texts to Mia telling her she was poor and ugly, amongst other vile statements, was her mother.

The film's real-life inspiration, Kendra, captured the nation's attention last year when she pleaded guilty to the crime.

In April 2023, Kendra was sentenced to a minimum of 19 months in prison after admitting to two counts of stalking a minor, according to The Morning Sun.

At her sentencing, Judge Mark Duthie admitted that the 'truly horrible' case had shown him the 'worst in human nature.'

He added: 'I can't imagine any parent saying such horrible things to her own daughter.'

The film is inspired by Kendra Gail Licari, who was sentenced to between 19 months and five years behind bars, for assuming a false identity and cyberbullying her teenage daughter

The documentary is titled, Mommy Meanest, and premiered on Lifetime on May 11

Kendra was arrested in December 2022 after she sent thousands of messages cyberbullying her daughter over the course of many months.

An arrest warrant obtained by NBC News at the time, noted that the text messages were 'specific in nature.'

'Most messages contain hateful speech and contain language like, "kill yourself...." A lot of the messages repeat this same language,' the report read.

Kendra went to extreme lengths to try to cover up that she was the mastermind behind the messages, even manipulating them to look like they had come from a victim's phone.

While Kendra didn't reveal the motive of her crime, in the movie the reason the mom bullies her daughter is because she doesn't want her to become more independent.

At the time, Isabella County Prosecutor David Barberi described the texts as 'demeaning, demoralizing, and just mean,' while speaking to WKRC.

He noted that it was 'almost hard to believe' as they complied more than 349 pages of evidence against her.

Once arrested, Kendra made a full confession and accepted a plea deal, which led to the prosecutor dropping the three additional charges against her: one count of obstruction and two counts of using a computer to commit a crime.

The movie follows Mia and her high school boyfriend who are viciously bullied by an online stalker who sends messages to the teen girl instructing her to 'kill herself.' Pictured is Lisa

At her sentencing, the Michigan-based mom admitted that she was 'ashamed, remorseful and embarrassed.'

Kendra's defense attorney revealed that she had begun taking parenting classes as well as counseling.

The attorney also revealed that the mom suffered from a mental illness after taking a psychiatric exam.

According to Michigan Department of Corrections, Kendra will be eligible for parole on November 3, 2024.

The mom's maximum release date is April 3, 2028.

Fans can now tune into Mommy Meanest on Lifetime.
The Duke of Westminster and his fiancee had a busy start to the month as they carried out a very regal string of engagements in Chester, where they are due to exchange vows this summer.

And as they visited three charities, the pair were very reminiscent of yet another couple renowned for their prowess and easy charisma during public engagements - the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Hugh Grosvenor, 33, and Olivia Henson, 31, channelled William, 41, and Kate, 42, ahead of their wedding next month - the most anticipated society event of the year.

They were the mirror image of the future King and his wife, shooting easy smiles and enjoying conversations with attendees, as they made visits to Cheshire Dance, Storyhouse and the Cathedral Music Trust.

Prince George's godfather and Olivia, who works at sustainable food company Belazu, chatted with participants at a Young Leaders workshop.

The Duke of Westminster and his fiancee had a busy start to the month as they carried out a very regal string of engagements in Chester, where they are due to exchange vows this summer

They later sat next to each other in the pews at Chester Cathedral, where their wedding will be held.

They joined family music programme where Hugh joked: 'Next time we're in here will be slightly more nerve-wracking.'

He added: 'But I'm unbelievably excited.'

Images showed the couple being mirror images of William and Kate, who are crowd-favourites when it comes to public engagements.

Much like the Waleses, Hugh and Olivia appeared chatty, engaging and positive.

Olivia also shares a striking resemblance to Kate, with not only their sleek chestnut tresses and facial features but her elevated yet High Street savvy selections.

For the outing last week, she opted for 249 Sandro floral-print trousers and a chic white cropped jacket, channeling easy elegance.

The engagements were a show of support to three charities supported by the Duke's Westminster Foundation.

As they visited three charities, the pair were very reminiscent of yet another couple renowned for their prowess and easy charisma during public engagements - the Prince and Princess of Wales (pictured in 2022)

Images showed the couple (left) being mirror images of William and Kate (pictured right in 2022), who are crowd-favourites when it comes to public engagements

Olivia also shares a striking resemblance to Kate, with not only their sleek chestnut tresses and facial features but her elevated yet High Street savvy selections

Kate pictured greeting Jim Broadbent at the Together At Christmas carol service in Westminster Abbey in December

And much like Kate, the future Duchess of Westminster comes from a wealthy background. Olivia descends from the Hoare banking family as well as the Marquesses of Bristol and the Dukes of Rutland, according to the Telegraph.

The outlet also says her uncle is the Grand Master of Scottish freemasons and her is father is stockbroker Rupert Henson.

Olivia reportedly also has a 29-year-old brother who works in asset management and a 26-year-old sister who's in a brand relationships role.

She is also said to speak Spanish and Italian after completing a Hispanic Studies and Italian degree at Trinity College in Dublin.

Much like the Princess of Wales, Olivia is understood to have attended the elite Marlborough College, and before that was at the equally revered Dragon School in Oxford along with fellow alum Emma Watson.

Much like the Princess of Wales, Olivia is understood to have attended the elite Marlborough College, and before that was at the equally revered Dragon School in Oxford along with fellow alum Emma Watson. Hugh and Olivia, pictured left, often channel William and Kate, right

And much like Kate, the future Duchess of Westminster comes from a wealthy background. Olivia descends from the Hoare banking family as well as the Marquesses of Bristol and the Dukes of Rutland, according to the Telegraph. Hugh and Olivia during their charity visit

The couple are reminiscent of Wililam and Kate (pictured during a visit to housing charity 'Jimmy's' in Cambridge in 2022)

She has worked at Daily Dose LDN and No1 Rosemary Water before landing a role at Belazu - a B Corp ingredients brand - where she is currently a Key Account Manager, in 2019.

Hugh, a godson of King Charles who inherited an estimated fortune of almost 10billion, proposed to Olivia at his family seat, Eaton Hall, in Cheshire.

Senior members of the Royal Family are expected to attend the wedding.

Although Hugh is reportedly a godfather of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's son, Archie, he is said to have excluded the California-based couple from the invitations to avoid 'royal tensions'.

She has worked at Daily Dose LDN and No1 Rosemary Water before landing a role at Belazu - a B Corp ingredients brand - where she is currently a Key Account Manager, in 2019

For the outing last week, she opted for 249 Sandro floral-print trousers and a chic white cropped jacket, channeling easy elegance. The look channels Kate's easy elegant style (pictured with William in 2022)

Olivia and Hugh announced their engagement on April 23, 2023, after two years of dating. Pictured during their visit

The Prince and Princess of Wales pictured during a visit to the Open Door Charity in Birkenhead last year

However, sources close to Prince Harry subsequently insisted that he had been sent a 'save the date' notice, but decided it would be 'too awkward' to attend.

Olivia and Hugh announced their engagement on April 23, 2023, after two years of dating.

A statement by the couple said: 'The Duke of Westminster and Miss Olivia Henson are delighted to announce they are engaged to be married.

'The couple, who have been together for two years, recently became engaged at the Duke's family home at Eaton Hall in Cheshire.

'Members of both their families are absolutely delighted with the news.'

The Duke's father Gerald Grosvenor suffered a sudden heart attack while out on a country walk, and died aged 64 in 2016.

Hugh succeeded his father, becoming an instant billionaire. As the 7th Duke of Westminster, he inherited a fortune of 9.3billion.

He also inherited 300 acres across London's Mayfair and Belgravia  two of the most expensive areas in the world  as well as estates in Oxford, Scotland and properties around the globe - including the 10,872-acre family estate at Eaton Hall in Cheshire.

Once dubbed Britain's most eligible bachelor, Hugh was educated at 6,000-a-term day school Ellesmere College in Shropshire

Prince William (R) is greeted by General Timothy Granville-Chapman (2R), Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster (2L) and John Peace (L) as he arrives to attend the official handover of the newly built Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre

A close friend of the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Westminster is godfather to his eldest son Prince George (Grosvenor pictured in 2018 second from left with then PM Theresa May, far left, Bahrain's Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, second from right, and Prince William, far right)

Close friends with the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke is the youngest of Prince George's godparents.

He has previously represented the country at Olympic Skeet Shooting competitions both internationally and in the UK.

Hugh previously dated property and recruitment consultant Harriet Tomlinson, but the couple, who met at 6,000-a-term day school Ellesmere College in Shropshire, split in 2020.

The Duke also supports the rehabilitation of wounded or injured members of the Armed Forces and donated 2.5million to the Health Service when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, but said he was so 'humbled' by the work of doctors and nurses he wanted to give another 10million.
Arkansas-raised Greg Karber, aka G. T. Karber, first created Murdle in 2022; his third book of puzzles was released last week

When it comes to sleuth credentials, Greg Karber has got them in spades - the kind of spades you might hide a dead body with.

The Arkansas native, who's currently flying high on the Sunday Times bestsellers list with his detective puzzle book Murdle, is the son of a judge and an attorney. His grandfather was an FBI detective working out of San Francisco in the 1960s.

Still, not even Karber himself, who writes under the name G.T. Karber, could have predicted his idea for murder mystery puzzles, which loosely piggybacks on the viral puzzle that came before it, 'Wordle', would become such a huge hit - and particularly with Brits.

This week his first book, Murdle, published in the UK by Souvenir Press, was named Book of the Year at The British Book Awards 2024. It's been described as 'utterly addictive', a 'murderous puzzle book for armchair detectives everywhere'.

Named Book of the Year at The British Book Awards 2024 this week, Murdle, a book of puzzles with a Whodunnit theme, was top of the literary charts at Christmas...and started with a napkin doodle

It also topped the non-fiction: lifestyle & illustrated category at the awards, and at Christmas, it beat the likes of Richard Osman and The Guinness Book of World Records to be top of the book charts in the most lucrative season of the year.

Karber, who's also a part-time computer programmer and rates Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile as one of his favourite books, first jotted down the bare bones for Murdle on the back of a napkin in a cafe in 2022.

So, how does it actually work? Like many murder games before it, readers/players are given a list of weapons, suspects and locations to start with.

Using a Sudoku-style grid and clues, they then have to try and work out whodunnit, where and with what weapon.

G.T. Karber, aka Greg Karber, first conjured up the idea of a detective-themed puzzle while in a cafe in LA; two years later his website murdle.com, and three books of puzzles have proved a huge hit

Raised in Arkansas, Karber has the kind of background you'd want a mystery writer to have: he's the son of a judge and a civil rights attorney, and his grandfather was an FBI detective

After sending said cafe scribbles to a friend, who suggested why one of the clues might not work, he used his computer programming background to create code that would create the puzzles for him - cutting out any chance of human error.

The result was the website murdle.com, which is free, and has a vast following thanks to its daily puzzles.

Murdle's success comes from the fact that while the puzzles are challenging, they're also not impossible - gifting the sleuths doing them the satisfaction of solving a fictional crime.

Souvenir Press editor Cindy Chan said she 'had to have' a book deal with Karber after hearing about Murdle on a trip to New York.

She said: 'That night I solved my first Murdle. I immediately wanted more. I was certain others would share my addiction.'

While the mystery writer himself remains relatively unknown; he has just over two thousand followers on his Instagram account, his star is firmly in the ascendant, thanks to the runaway success of his three book releases so far.

Speaking to Mail+ last month, he said: 'I wouldn't say it immediately blew up but a lot of fans of murder mysteries and puzzles liked it.'

Pictured with his partner Dani: Karber is currently on a tour promoting his third book Murdle: Even More Killer Puzzles: 100 Cunningly Clever Murder Mystery Logic Puzzles

A background in computer programming meant he could create a piece of code to ensure his puzzles are always doable, without errors

Karber, who shares his life with his partner Dani, also said he was surprised by just how much British audiences have got on board with Murdle too, saying: 'That's such a compliment.

'Murdle is a love letter to British mysteries, so its success there is like hearing your crush likes you back.'

He published his first book in June last year, another in October and the third in the Murdle series - Murdle: Even More Killer Puzzles: 100 Cunningly Clever Murder Mystery Logic Puzzles - was published last week.

They already have a global audience, with the books translated into more than 28 languages. And mini sleuths can get in on the act too; Murdle Junior: Curious Crimes for Curious Minds is out in November, just in time for Christmas, of course.

Murdle: Even More Killer Puzzles: 100 Cunningly Clever Murder Mystery Logic Puzzles is out now on paperback
Queen Mary and King Frederik of Denmark have shared a snap of them looking cosy to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary on Instagram - but appeared frosty as they arrived into Oslo.

The royals are currently sailing around in their ship Dannebrog and are in Norway for a state visit with their Scandinavian neighbours.

The pair looked cheerful online as as Frederik put his arm around his wife and she leaned into him for the photograph on their pristine yacht.

Mary and Frederik donned matching padded navy and canary yellow gilets, with the Queen donning a black and white striped long-sleeve t-shirt and her husband wearing a plain white shirt.

But camera shots of them docking in the Norwegian capital appeared to tell a different story.

The couple looked frosty as they came into the harbour, with stern expressions on their faces - a stark contrast to the image that was posed online just hours before their arrival.

The royal couple shared a snap on their social media account looking cosy, with Frederik putting his arm around Mary

The couple looked frosty as they came into at the harbour, with stern expressions on their faces - a stark contrast to the image that was posed online just hours before their arrival

The trip has fallen on a 'very special day' as they celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary, amid scandals and questions over their relationship.

Australian-born Mary and Frederik's 23-year romance was often dubbed a 'real-life fairytale' after they met in a Sydney pub.

But pictures emerged of the monarch having an evening out with Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova - the former daughter-in-law of the billionaire Duchess of Alba - in November last year.

The pair were seen walking through Madrid before heading to her apartment building, changing clothes and heading out again for the evening.

The publication of the photos resulted in Genoveva, 47, issuing a statement denying any kind of romantic relationship between herself and the royal and slamming the 'malicious' rumours.

Queen Mary, 52, looked elegant in a crisp, white blazer which she paired with a glitzy brooch, a grey fascinator and a blue patterned skirt.

Later on the visit, Queen Mary changed into a pair of nude flares with terracotta leather pumps and a white shirt

The King and Queen of Denmark visited Oslo Science City and MiNaLab in Norway's capital

The King and Queen of Denmark looked business-like as they strolled through the science centre

Mary and Frederik's facial expressions soon picked up as they greeted their royal neighbours

Queen Mary was all smiles as she greeted Crown Prince Haakon of Norway

Norway's King Harald and Queen Sonja visit Honnorbrygga to receive Denmark's King Frederik and Queen Mary

King Frederik walked ahead with Crown Prince Haakon of Norway while Queen Mary walked with Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway

King Frederik helped his wife up the stairs as she got off their royal boat

The four royals walked along the street as they greeted fans hoping to catch a glimpse of them

Queen Mary of Denmark and Norway's Queen Sonja ride in a car during their state visit

The mother-of-four wore her hair back in a sophisticated, sleek low bun and donned natural makeup.

Her husband King Frederik, 55, looked dapper in his naval uniform.

Their facial expressions soon softened as they greeted their Norwegian neighbours, Crown Prince Haakon, Queen Sonja, King Harald and Crown Princess Mette-Marit.

At the start of the month, before they set sail, Mary and Frederik gave an interview to the local press about the strength of their marriage - instead of addressing the rumours that have been swirling around for months.

The King, who was crowned in January after his mother Queen Margrethe abdicated, said: 'It was very overwhelming and moving. I felt extremely well received.

'The highlight was when Mary and the children came out and stood right behind me and I had the Danes standing in front of me and waving. It was one of the most amazing things to experience in my life.'

Pictured (L-R): Princess Astrid Fru Ferner, Queen Sonja, Queen Mary and King Frederik, Norway's King Harald, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Crown Prince Haakon

Queen Sonja, Queen Mary, King Frederik, and King Harald exchange gifts at the Royal Palace

Queen Mary walked separately to her husband as she spoke to Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway

Queen Mary looked elegant as she donned a white ensemble with a grey fascinator

King Frederik waves to fans as he arrives in Oslo with his wife Queen Mary

Queen Mary stands behind her husband during their arrival in Oslo for a state visit

Mary and Frederik looked in high spirits as they were greeted by King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway

The couple's trip to Oslo has fallen on their 20th wedding anniversary. Above: The couple in 2004

Mary and Frederik became King and Queen in January after Queen Margrethe abdicated

And Queen Mary was just as complimentary to her husband, saying the moment 'moved her so much'

She said: 'I stood with the children and when you stepped out onto the balcony towards your fate, it was a moment that moved me incredibly much.

'We could hear and feel it, even if we couldn't see it. It was a beautiful moment. I was both very happy and very proud.'

In the months that have followed their coronation, Mary has fulled speculation by completing a series of solo royal engagements without her husband.

Despite this, the couple say protecting the tradition of the monarchy was important to them.

They told the Danish outlet: 'We want to be a royal couple who are visible and present throughout Denmark.'
Queen Letizia of Spain today showed off her style credentials as she opted for wide legged white trousers and a pink tweed jacket as she attended the Red Cross World Day Commemoration at the Principe Felipe auditorium in Oviedo.

The royal, 51, showed off her natural beauty with a lowkey make-up look, pairing lashings of black mascara with pink eye shadow and and a sparkling diamond earring stud.

Framing her face, the queen used highlighter to show off her enviable cheekbones while using perfectly shaped brows to lift her face.

She then added a touch of casual cool opting for white plimsoll trainers under the crisp white wide leg trousers.

Queen Letizia of Spain today showed off her style credentials as she opted for wide legged white trousers and a pink tweed jacket as she attended the Red Cross World Day Commemoration at the Principe Felipe auditorium in Oviedo

The royal, 51, showed off her natural beauty with a lowkey make-up look, pairing lashings of black mascara with pink eye shadow and and a sparkling diamond earring stud

Framing her face, the queen used highlighter to show off her enviable cheekbones while using perfectly shaped brows to lift her face

It comes just a week after she opted for a very similar outfit at the EmocionArte concert in Madrid.

The royal mother-of-two opted for comfort in white trainers as she stepped out for the event, which promotes education in emotional well-being among young people,

The Spanish monarch, who appeared in high spirits, completed her casual look with white trousers.

Her brunette locks were styled in a sleek straight centre parting and her glam makeup was enhanced with a smokey eyeshadow look.

Letizia posed up a storm with Colombian producer, songwriter and record engineer. Julio Reyes Copello.

The event takes place within the framework of the proclamation of the Princess of Girona Award International 2024.

She then added a touch of casual cool opting for white plimsoll trainers under the crisp white wide leg trousers

She looked at ease during a Commemorative event for the World Day of the Red Cross

Pink seems to be a go-to colour for Letizia who has worn in regularly

Letizia kept a casual cool look in white trainers for the event

The laid back event comes after Letizia looked elegant in a powder blue suit as she joined King Felipe in Madrid to celebrate an important military anniversary for her husband.

She beamed with pride as she attended a ceremony at the General Military Academy in Zaragoza to mark 40 years since the monarch was promoted.

As she watched on in high spirits, Letizia looked regal in her tailored suit, which featured wide-leg trousers.

The princess has been studying at the Academy since August last year and will complete a total of three years of military training, just as her father did before her, before she then goes to university.

The Princess, who turned 18 in October last year, has been making solo appearances and training at the Military Academy to ensure she's ready for her future in the monarchy.

After a year at the academy, it is expected that Leonor will move to a naval academy in Spain, before heading for her final year of training at the General Air Academy.

King Felipe served in the military for almost three decades until he acceded to the throne in 2014.

Queen Letizia of Spain looked stylish in a pink tweed blazer as she attended the EmocionArte concert on Monday

The royal mother-of-two, 52, opted for comfort in white trainers as she stepped out for the event which promotes education in emotional well-being among young people, in Madrid

The Spanish monarch, who appeared in high spirits, completed her casual look with white trousers

Letizia posed up a storm with Colombian producer, songwriter and record engineer. Julio Reyes Copello

Her brunette locks were styled in a sleek straight center parting and her glam makeup was enhanced with a smokey eyeshadow look

Carmen Calvo, Queen Letizia and Julio Reyes Copello pose before entering the EmocionArte concert

Throughout his long military career King Felipe was promoted multiple times, achieving the status of lieutenant colonel in the Army, frigate captain in the Navy, and lieutenant colonel in the Air Force in 2009.

On becoming King on June 19, 2014 when his father abdicated, King Felipe was made Commander-In-Chief of the entire military.

When Leonor eventually ascends the throne, she will become commander-in-chief ot the Spanish military.

Rather like a boarding school, the military academy follows a strict timetable during the week. but Leonor will be free to return home at the weekeneds if she's not on manouevres.

Leonor graduated with the International Baccalaureate from the UWC Atlantic College in the Welsh county of Vale of Glamorgan in May.

The school is often referred to as 'Hippie Hogwarts' thanks to its progressive approach to education and picturesque castle setting.

It was founded in German educationalist Kurt Hahn, is situated at the 12th century St Donat's Castle on the country's south coast and costs a whopping 67,000 per year for courses including Tai Chi, the theory of knowledge and Tibetan literature.
Dyson has unveiled its latest appliance - and it's likely to be music to the ears of anyone who hates a mop and bucket.

The new 599 WashG1 electric mop claims to sweep up wet and dry dirt, and then leave floors dry, with a 'barefoot clean feel'.

Launched later this year, it aims to answer a need for a new kind of hard floor cleaners, says Dyson, as the trend for ditching carpets continues.

According to the Dyson Global Dust Study, which was released in 2023 and monitored the cleaning habits of 30,000 people from 39 countries, 75 per cent of UK homes now have some or all hard floor surfaces. That figure rises to 95 per cent internationally.

The Dyson WashG1, an electric mop that retails at 599, addresses the fact that British homeowners are more likely than ever to have hard floors in their homes, says the company

The appliance, released later this year, has a 1 litre clean water tank which distributes water using a pulse modulated hydration pump - and keeps collected debris in a separate area

Until now, fans of the Dyson vacuum have had to be content with its 799 V15 Submarine cleaner, which is suitable for wet and dry spills - or rival products from the likes of Karcher and Shark - but the WashG1 is the fruit of continued major investment by the brand in new products.

Those keen to get their hands on one - and who can afford the handsome price tag - will have to wait a while longer, but can sign up to the Dyson newsletter on the company's website to ensure they're first in line when the WashG1 is released later this year.

The company, founded in 1991 by Sir James Dyson, 77, has poured money into developing new technology, with a string of releases in recent years, including the 450 Dyson Airstrate hair straighteners and the 360 Vis Nav robot vacuum.

Dyson, which has invested heavily in developing new technology, says the appliance can clean up to 290 square metres in one battery life - and has a self-clean function

Dirty water is poured away from the tank, left, while dry debris and dust is housed in another chamber of the machine, right

Sir James Dyson, who founded the brand in 1991, is now 77 but remains at the helm of the company (Pictured: The entrepreneur at the Stella McCartney Winter 2024 show during Paris Fashion Week in March)

The WashG1 appliance uses 'highly absorbent microfibre filament rollers' which counter-rotate to remove floors of dust, dirt and dried on stains, says the British manufacturer.

The dirty water and debris is collected, but kept separate from a litre capacity clean water tank via a 500-micron mesh.

And, says Dyson, there's no chance of using too much or too little water; a pulse modulated hydration pump precisely controls and adjusts the amount of water dispensed onto your floors.

The biggest appeal for homeowners who hate having to change the water with a traditional mop and bucket - after they've vacuumed - is that it can cover up to 290 square metres of flooring; an average three-bedroom UK house has around 88 square metres.

The brand has moved into the beauty market in recent years, including launching the Dyson Airstrate (pictured) earlier this year, which claims to streamline hair regimes by drying and straightening in one step

Charlie Park, Vice President of Dyson Home Engineering, said: 'Dyson engineers solve the problems others ignore and we thrive on the challenge of creating better technology.

'The Dyson WashG1 is the result of this; our first dedicated wet machine to wash hard floors, properly and hygienically.'

The brand, which employs 3,700 people in Britain, is investing 100 million in a new Technology Centre in Bristol to drive forward its products, many of which will incorporate AI.
The painter behind King Charles' first official portrait since he became monarch is one of the world's most in-demand portrait artists - with plenty of royal and other famous commissions to his name.

Jonathan Yeo, 53, is behind the portrait of the King, depicting him in the uniform of the Welsh Guards' in a blaze of scarlet and fiery red hues said to emulate the transition of a butterfly as Charles undergoes a metamorphosis from prince to ruler.

It was originally commissioned in 2020 but completed after Charles ascended to the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022.

The bold and highly-praised work is not the first royal project he has undertaken - nor the first famous face he has rendered in his unique style, which blends modern digital techniques with those associated with traditional painting.

And in places, Yeo's own life story is as interesting and winding as those of his subjects, who range from the likes of Tony Blair and David Cameron to Nicole Kidman, Idris Elba and Cara Delevingne.

King Charles unveiled the first completed official portrait of himself since the Coronation at Buckingham Palace The painting is by the renowned artist Jonathan Yeo

Charles stands at Buckingham Palace today next to Jonathan Yeo who painted the portrait

King Charles isn't the only royal Yeo has depicted, as he has also painted Queen Camilla and Prince Philip (pictured left to right: Veteran Geoffrey Pattinson, Jonathan Yeo and Queen Camilla)

A portrait released by Jonathan Yeo in 2008 of Prince Philip, who died in April 2021

A portrait by Jonathan Yeo of Queen Camilla in 2014 when she was Duchess of Cornwall

Yeo was born on December 18, 1970, to British politician Tim Yeo and Diane Pickard.

Yeo senior was the former Tory MP for South Suffolk who represented the constituency from 1983 until 2015, when he was deselected by the party.

The MP had to resign as environment minister under John Major in 1994 after it emerged that he had fathered a child with a Conservative councillor, Julia Stent.

His extramarital affair ran in stark contrast to the traditional British families Major praised in his 'Back to Basics' campaign at the 1993 Conservative Party conference.

And the politician had talked up the need to 'reduce broken families and the number of single parents' - with such hypocrisy as his, he could not stay.

Yeo senior was also later implicated in claims he helped a solar energy company boss to prepare before the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee, of which he was then chair.

He lost a court case against The Sunday Times, which reported the claims, after the judge ruled the paper's reporting had been 'substantially true'.

As a boy, Jonathan Yeo was educated at the private Westminster School where he was often told off for doodling in class.

He was struck down by Hodgkin's disease, a form of cancer, in his twenties, and it was during his time recovering from the condition that he taught himself to paint.

Despite his lack of formal training he skyrocketed to international acclaim by the age of 30 with his work featuring in galleries across the world and the commissions poured in.

The House of Commons named him the official artist of the 2001 general election: he created paintings of the major party leaders - Tony Blair, William Hague and Charles Kennedy - in a work entitled Proportional Representation.

His style of merging digital manipulation techniques with physical brushstrokes create distinctive works that are immediately apparent as his own.

In 2007, he unveiled a controversial collage of then-US President George W Bush, which rendered the 43rd leader of the free world using scraps of pornographic images of genitalia.

As King Charles's new portrait is debuted to the world, FEMAIL takes a look into the artist Jonathan Yeo (pictured), who has painted some of the world's most famous faces

Cara Delevingne and Yeo unveiling portraits of the actress at the Jonathan Yeo Portraits' exhibition opening at the Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle in 2016

Yeo's later painting of Tony Blair, with its clear references to the Iraq war and Blair's legacy, divided opinion

He has nevertheless been commissioned to paint hugely influential figures including the Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai (above)

Since then, he has painted the likes of Jude Law, Lily Cole, Nicole Kidman, Sir Michael Parkinson and Cara Delevingne.

And the King is not the first royal to pose for him either. In 2014, he painted the then-Duchess of Cornwall Camilla, sitting pensively, clutching a pair of spectacles, rendered in thoughtful hues of blue and grey.

A 2008 commission of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, sees his regal features depicted in blocks of bold colour that nevertheless convey a lifetime of royal duty worn in his expression.

Queen Elizabeth II also asked him to draw Sir David Attenborough, with the resulting pencil sketch capturing the presenter's distinctive head of tussled hair as he looks into the middle distance.

Director of the Museum of National History in Denmark, Mette Skougaard described Yeo as 'a pivotal force in the revitalisation of figurative art in general and in the art of portraiture in particular.'

After painting the then-PM in 2001, Yeo was commissioned to paint Tony Blair again in January 2008.

However, the artwork depicted a withered-looking Blair donning a red poppy - striking a chord with many due its uncensored allusion to the Iraq War and Blair's legacy as PM.

Following the Blair and Bush works, critics were concerned Yeo had begun to 'other' the politicians and celebrities he once used to paint.

Critics, specifically Jonathan Jones from the Guardian, claimed the artist was attempting to manipulate the ex-Prime Minister's public image.

He alleged: 'Blair is a tacit co-conspirator who walked in wearing the poppy, then sat as bleak as he looks here, an invitation to the artist to home in on that tell-tale paper flower.'

But he told the Financial Times in 2008: 'The Bush collage was a riposte. And there was a certain logic in that riposte. What is more puzzling is what happens after that.'

Yeo went on to create a similarly racy collage of the late Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi entitled Bunga Bunga, after the sex parties that were said to happen at the politician's private villas.

Other sexually graphic collages followed depicting moral crusader Mary Whitehouse, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, Sean Connery, one-time Alaskan governor Sarah Palin and portrait painter Lucian Freud.

These did not stop invitations from dropping through his letterbox. Yeo has, in the last decade or so, created striking portraits in a variety of styles.

Helle Thorning-Schmidt and Jonathan Yeo unveil the first official portrait of the former Danish Prime Minister in 2016

Jude Law, Lily Cole, Nicole Kidman, Cara Delevingne and David Attenborough have been among the artist's famous muses (pictured: the artist with Jeremy Clarkson)

Yeo is married to actress Shebah Ronay (pictured right with Lisa Williamson) who portrayed Natasha Andersen on Hollyoaks for five months

His painting of the actor Idris Elba shows the Luther star depicted shirtless, his gaze piercing the canvas; another, of iPhone designer Jony Ive, shows him as taking a selfie on the device he helped to create.

Others followed: Pakistani girls' rights campaigner Malala Yousafzai, Kevin Spacey as both Richard III and his House of Cards alter ego Francis Underwood, Breaking Bad star Giancarlo Esposito, the model Cara Delevingne.

'There's a tradition of theatrical portraits that doesn't happen so much these days, Yeo told the Evening Standard about his painting of Spacey as the tragic Shakespearean king.

'The thing with actors is you never quite know where the character ends and they start. Hopefully, there's a big ambiguity.'

Yeo is married to the actress Shebah Ronay, who is probably best known for her role in the early days of Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks as Natasha Andersen.

She appeared on the soap for five months before her character was killed off in the programme's first big issue-led storyline, when her drink was spiked at a party.

The pair have two daughters.

He told The Times in 2016 of his home life: 'Shebah usually cooks and then I try and relax. Im fully aware that I am doing my dream job and that many artists arent so lucky. When I put my head on the pillow, its one thing Im always grateful for.'

According to his website, Yeo mainly utilises digital printing methods to bring his art to life.

However, he doesn't shy away from hand-finishing his pieces with acrylic paint, and varnish as well as adjusting the digital images in the pre-printed stage of the process.

After featuring in the Museum of National History in Denmark as well as The Lowry Gallery in Salford, Yeo went on to be an art consultant for Soho House.

He was also featured on the 2010 Art Fund Prize judging panel as well as the BP Portrait Prize.

He is currently artist trustee of the National Portrait Gallery.
They shared that they were seeing a therapist due to 'fears' over Netflix show

Christian YouTube stars Sam and Nia have admitted that they are seeking help

A Christian YouTube star whose husband was busted for using cheating website Ashley Madison sobbed as she detailed the horror of having to 'relive' his infidelity for the upcoming Netflix documentary - and revealed that the couple is seeing a therapist to deal with their 'fears' about the series.

Back in 2015, popular vloggers Sam and Nia Rader's marriage was rocked after it was brought to light that he had been using controversial dating platform Ashley Madison.

The website, which was launched in 2001, promoted itself as a place for spouses looking to be unfaithful to link up and cheat on their respective partners together.

More than 37 million taken men and women took the bait and joined the site in hopes of getting tangled up under the bedsheets with another married stranger.

Nia, a Christian YouTube star whose husband Sam, was busted for using cheating website Ashley Madison, sobbed as she detailed the horror of having to 'relive' his infidelity

Ashley Madison was launched as a dating site for spouses looking to cheat in 2001 and told those who tied the knot to embrace infidelity (Sam seen in the trailer for the docuseries)

The couple's marriage was put under the spotlight after the website devoted to cheating was hacked and Sam's name was among the list of users. Pictured is Nia in the Netflix docuseries

And while the company proved to be popular, everything came crashing down when it got hacked in 2015 - and every name that was signed up was leaked onto the web. And of those names was Sam's.

Sam and Nia were recently forced to relive the harrowing events for a new Netflix docuseries entitled Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies, And Scandal, which will premiere on May 15.

In a new video shared to their channel, the couple - who are still together - spoke out about the upcoming show, and Nia broke down in tears as she admitted that having to 'recount details' of her husband's cheating scandal wasn't easy.

The pair also admitted that they were seeking professional help to assist them in handling their immense nerves over it.

During the vlog, uploaded on May 8, Sam explained that they were about to sit down with a therapist provided by the production company to 'talk about their fears' regarding the upcoming docuseries.

He admitted that he and Nia were 'freaking out inside' and second guessing their decision to partake in the show.

'We're kind of freaking out inside, like, what did we do? Why did we do this? Why would we give out all of our personal information for the world to consume,' he told viewers.

'[The therapist] is probably going to make us feel like an idiot for doing this, like, "Why did you even agree to this to begin with? What was going through your head? Are you stupid?"'

In a new video, the couple spoke out about the upcoming show, and Nia broke down in tears as she admitted that having to 'recount details' of her husband's cheating scandal wasn't easy

The pair also admitted that they were seeking professional help to assist them in handling their immense nerves over it

The video then showed bits and pieces of their conversation with the therapist.

'I'm feeling hurt again, having to re-say details that I would rather forget,' Nia was seen telling him. 'I've forgiven him.'

Afterwards, Nia began to cry as she reflected on the conversation with the therapist.

'Just acknowledging it all makes me want to cry because it just feels so big,' she said.

But she added that it 'helped' for her to 'express' how she was feeling, as Sam told her, 'As long as we have each other and Jesus, it doesn't really matter.'

Later on in the video, Nia and Sam sat down to watch the first trailer for the upcoming docuseries, and despite their fears, Nia admitted that it looked 'good.'

'That was really interesting, wow,' she said. 'The quality is very good, I wasn't sure what to expect.'

Last week, Sam admitted that he had been unable to sleep and 'super nervous' ahead of the release of Netflix's docuseries about Ashley Madison that he and his wife will appear in.

Sam was forced to face the wreckage that was left in the aftermath of the hacking scandal.

On their combined YouTube channel, Sam And Nia, the couple uploaded another video titled, 'Our Lives Will Never be the Same.... We're coming to Netflix,' on May 4 following the release of the trailer for Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies, and Scandal.

He admitted that he and Nia were 'freaking out inside' and second guessing their decision to partake in the show

The lovebirds revealed that they were part of the docuseries as Sam confessed that he hadn't been able to sleep because he had been up thinking about their story.

'I haven't been able to sleep for the past couple of days, it's been rough,' he revealed

The couple explained that they first got an email about the Netflix docuseries in February 2022 before telling viewers that they had opened up even more about their journey in their upcoming book, which is set to be released on May 16.

Sam and Nia also shared that they weren't sure how their story would 'play out' on the streaming platform.

'I just don't know how our story will play out, or if it would be portrayed accurately,' he expressed.

The couple also hinted at the docuseries with a previous video titled, 'We're Super Nervous,' just one day before the release of the trailer for the Netflix show on April 30.

Though they did not name the project in that video, they alluded to having 'nerves' about an event their followers would know about 'soon enough.'

'It's almost happening,' Sam says to his wife in the clip, before adding: 'How do you feel?'

Nia then appears to laugh nervously.

'I feel like every day I have to overcome a new [level]... I have to like go through the steps of like why we did this, what was our goal, why did we do it and forget about the nerves that are behind it,' she responded.

In a previous video shared to YouTube, Sam - who is featured in the trailer alongside Nia -admitted that he was 'nervous' for the release of the show

The couple explained that they first got an email about the Netflix docuseries in February 2022 (Sam and Nia seen with their kids)

'Yeah I keep asking why too,' Sam adds.

'Why was I up for this? What was I thinking?'

Nia continues: 'I'll try to go to sleep and suddenly this new thought pops in my head, a new person seeing it, like having a reaction and I have to talk myself out of caring what that person will think or say.'

Sam then says he 'imagines our phones are going to blow up with just like texts from a bunch of people that we haven't heard from in a long time,' with Nia adding: 'Gosh, I hope not.'

'And for those of you who don't know what's going on, let me just say...,' Sam says.

'Neither do we,' Nia jokes, 'No I'm kidding.'

Going along with her, Sam quips: 'Yeah we don't either. What the heck are we even talking about?'

He then continues: 'So guys you'll know soon enough and when you do come on back over... let us know what we did, why we did it?'

Sam said he was headed off to go camping with their son, Abram, 'but something might big might happen while I'm away, so we're just kind of out here talking with each other, preparing for it, just in case it does happen, we don't know yet.'

'Crap might hit the ceiling fan,' he added.

The docuseries features the couple and appears to also have testimonies from other members of Ashley Madison and employees

The trailer for the three-part docuseries titled, Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies, And Scandal, was released on YouTube earlier this month. It's set to stream on Netflix from May 15

Later on Nia says: 'If it does, we need to make a decision right now... are we gonna watch it together or are we going to make each other wait.

'I think we should watch it and text each other, I don't want to wait.'

Sam agreed with this stance.

Underneath the video, one fan alluded to the Netflix docuseries coming out.

'I just saw the trailer!!!! I'm honestly so excited! I've been watching for a long time, and remember when everything happened. I'm really proud that you guys can talk about and it and worked through everything and decided to do this documentary! Can't wait!!!!' they said.

The trailer for the three-part docuseries titled, Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies, And Scandal, was released on YouTube earlier this month - and it's set to stream from May 15.

'I love being a dad, I love my wife, it was a beautiful marriage but it was also monotonous,' the first man featured in the trailer - who appears to be Sam - said.

'I remember seeing an advertisement. "Life is short. Have an affair." That sounds intriguing.'

The trailer than cut to snippets of other couples who used the site and employees of Ashley Madison.

'Ashley Madison was ahead of its time,' one woman - who was unnamed - said.

In 2015, hackers who called themselves the 'impact team', stole 32 million records of data from the extramarital affair site

Another man - who seemed to work for the company and be on the site - said: 'The vision was to be the largest and only website for married people who wanted to have an affair. When I'd go to trade shows, they'd say, "Who's your biggest competitor?" And I'd say, "The Bible."'

A second woman declared: 'I thought it was a great idea, go on a site, and you're able to tell this stranger your deepest, darkest desires.'

'I signed up with all my real information, which obviously was a stupid decision,' Sam said.

Meanwhile, employees of the company noted that 'security' became a heightened issue - adding that they were 'worried' about it.

'Ashley Madison was a cash cow and then all of a sudden, we got hacked,' one employee said.

In 2015, hackers who called themselves the 'impact team,' stole 32 million records of data from the extramarital affair site.

The hackers demanded that the site be taken down, which didn't happen, and as a result the names of everyone who had been involved in an affair went up for the public to see.

Marriages were destroyed due to the leak as well as lives; the state attorney in Florida was forced to resign and a pastor in New Orleans committed suicide.
Mother-of-22 Sue Radford has launched into a furious tirade on Instagram, claiming trolls have branded her a 'disease' after she shared photos of her latest family holiday.

The mother, 49, from Morecambe, Lancashire, has threatened to start naming and shaming people who abuse her on social media after she took the family away in their 40,000 motorhome.

Sue, Noel and their 22 children are often questioned over the number of holidays they take each year, as they share snaps of various trips around the UK and to Disneyland with their followers.

However, the Mirror reports she has had enough of people judging her lifestyle and shared a screenshot of someone named Adam telling her: 'You are a disease... [your holiday] is paid for by the taxpayer.'

In response, she threw criticism back at her own critic and suggested he was jealous that he doesn't own a motorhome himself - and she also insisted the motorhome was bought with their own money.

Sue Radford (pictured) has issued a warning to Instagram trolls after she claims she was branded a 'disease'

Later, Sue shared a message on her Instagram story, which read: 'Sorry I'd never share anything like this BUT we get lots of these so just want to clarify Adam is a D**K.'

She later revealed the account of another person who she claims has 'bullied' her.

Sue often shares glimpses inside the Radfords' family holidays with her followers - many of which take place in their mammoth motorhome.

In February they celebrated half term in the motorhome around the UK. Sharing pictures of the trip, Sue said it was the 'best thing' they had ever purchased.

Taking to Instagram, she outed the man named Adam who she claims abused her over a motorhome holiday

Sue and Noel Radford often share photos on social media of their children enjoying family holidays

The caption on the Instagram photo read: 'Yayyyy to going away in the motorhome this has honestly been the BEST thing weve ever bought. Also I dont know if you can see in this picture but the tooth fairy has been VERY busy in our house, Phoebe has lost 3 teeth which she was extremely happy about.'

As the family, who star in 22 Kids and Counting, enjoyed the school holiday, things seemed to be going a little more smoothly than their last trip away in the motorhome, which saw them caught up in terrible traffic queueing for the ferry home from Calais in France back to the UK.

The mother-of-22 revealed in Instagram posts that the journey back from France in the new year, after spending time with the children in Disneyland Paris, was 'awful' after Storm Henk disrupted travel across the English Channel.

While she and the family waited for a space on the shuttle in their van, she posted on her Instagram story complaining about the wait.

'Home time just waiting to get on the tunnel we've had the best week in Disneyland but looking forward to getting home,' she wrote.

She went on to explain the tunnel was 'so busy' which she assumed was because people were trying to avoid crossing the Channel via ferry due to choppy waters.

'The tunnel is so busy I guess people don't want to do the ferry in this wind. We defo aren't getting the 1:36 one,' she complained.

However, the Radfords safely made it home in the end, despite the turbulent weather conditions.
The military will stage an air exercise Tuesday aimed at defending against a large-scale aerial attack amid renewed attention to air defense capabilities in the wake of Iran's massive drone and missile attack on Israel.

The drills will be led by the Air Force Operations Command and joined by Army, Navy and Marine Corps units across the country, according to the Air Force.

Some 30 aircraft, including F-35A fighters, as well as various air defense assets, including the Patriot and Cheongung missile defense systems, and the ROKS Sejong the Great destroyer will be deployed to intercept more than 800 simulated targets, it said.

The exercise comes as Iran's April launch of more than 300 drones and missiles toward Israel has spawned concerns about a possible aerial attack by North Korea against South Korea.

"We will strengthen the (military's) readiness in responding to all aerial threats ... by analyzing not only the recent trend of the enemy's provocations but also other recent aerial provocations, including a Hamas-style surprise attack and air attacks between Iran and Israel," the Air Force said. (Yonhap)
Donald Trump's aide took a break from work to visit her niece

Her 34-year-old sister, Markie, gave birth to her first child on Saturday

Donald Trump's stunning aide Margo Martin, 28, has confirmed that her sister, Markie, has given birth, with the former President's right-hand woman sharing an adorable snap of her cradling her newborn niece.

Margo, who serves as Donald's deputy communications chief, took to her Instagram Stories to share the joyful news that her 34-year-old sibling and NewsNation's Morning In America anchor Markie had welcomed her first child into the world.

The brunette beauty - who branded herself 'Aunt GoGo' - took some time off her pressing work with the former President to snuggle her niece in hospital.

After Markie gave birth to her daughter, Parsons Grey McClain, on Saturday, Margo rushed to her sister's side and made sure to snap a photo with her newborn niece as a proud aunt.

Donald Trump's stunning aide Margo Martin has revealed that her sister, Markie, has given birth to her first child. The 28-year-old aunt is pictured with her new niece

Margo, 28, took to her Instagram Stories to share the joyful news about her 34-year-old sibling and NewsNation's Morning In America anchor Markie's new family addition

The brunette beauty - who branded herself 'Aunt GoGo' - took some time off her pressing work with the former President to snuggle her niece in hospital

In the photo, Margo donned a pink tank top and a ivory-colored cardigan as she let her brown locks fall behind her ears.

She cradled her niece as she smiled from ear-to-ear while sporting minimal makeup and a pair of eye-catching diamond earrings.

According to US Weekly, Markie - who is married to Chris McClain - gave birth to Parsons, who weighed six pounds, 14 ounces and was 19 inches long, on Saturday.

The newborn's name is a tribute to Markie and Margo's mother's maiden name. Meanwhile Parsons' middle name, Grey, is a nod to the special memories she made at Camp Greystone, and honors her dad and grandfather's favorite tune, Fields Of Gray, as well as Chris's late grandmother, Ray.

The new parents told the publication that they were over the moon with their new member of their family.

They said: 'We couldn't be more thrilled to welcome our daughter, Parsons, into the world and bring her home! Both mom and baby are happy and healthy  and we're celebrating this joyful moment as a new family of three with our loved ones.'

Prior to her daughter's birth, Markie has been sharing a slew of snaps dedicated to her newborn.

Alongside a maternity shoot, she wrote: 'To our daughter. Your dreams are mine, too. Go and chase them, my wild child.'

According to US Weekly, Markie - who is married to Chris McClain - gave birth to Parsons, who weighed six pounds, 14 ounces and was 19 inches long, on Saturday

Margo couldn't contain her excitement as she rushed to the hospital as soon as Parsons was born

Earlier this month, Markie shared a photo of herself on her last day on Morning In America prior to her daughter's birth.

She wrote: 'My original plan was to work until girlfriend arrives next weekend, but after listening to my body and doctor I've decided today was my last show for a few months.

'This final stretch is so very exciting, but brutally exhausting And a 1:30am alarm clock to anchor three hours of network news on top of it will go down as the most challenging thing I've done to date. And the most proud I've ever been.

'I've given all I can give. Time for a few days of rest, deep cleaning, and time with my husband before our entire world turns technicolor. This crew (a fraction of who should be in this photo!) The best. They are the dream team, and I'm blessed to call them friends and colleagues. They make me better than I am, and I'll miss them terribly. See you all again on air later this summer! But for now, "I gotta go see about a girl."'

Donald Trump's glamorous aide Margo Martin put on a very stunning display as she attended Formula One with the former President in Miami on Sunday

She has been photographed by Trump's side throughout his ongoing criminal trial over a $130,000 hush-money payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels

Margo has been capturing the attention of the nation in recent months as she has been photographed alongside the former President

She's usually seen eating in top restaurants, partying in celebrity hotspots, jetting off on glamorous vacations, and travelling via the former President's private plane

Markie first announced she was expecting in December 2023.

Meanwhile Margo has been capturing the attention of the nation in recent months as she has been photographed alongside the former President.

She has also been snapped heading into court and leaving Trump Tower - showing off her stylish ensembles each day.

On Monday, she shared a snap of her and Donald Trump attending the Formula One race in Miami.

She uploaded a slew of photos from their day out together, which she captioned, 'F1 with boss.'

Margo was first propelled into the spotlight last year, after a reporter actually mistook her for Donald's wife Melania Trump, 53, as she entered the United States Courthouse in Miami for Trump's arraignment in a previous case.

At the time, Fox News anchor John Roberts showed a clip of her walking into the government building and telling viewers before hand, 'We have some video that we want to play out here, Melania Trump entering the courthouse just a short time ago.'

A chyron at the bottom of the video said 'Melania Trump arrives at Miami court.'

However, DailyMail.com had reported earlier that Melania was in New York at the time, as she was spotted exiting Trump Tower and heading to John Frieda's hair salon.

A little while later, John announced on air that he had made a mistake, confessing, 'Apparently that was not Melania.'

He continued: 'A day like today with so many comings and goings, it's easy from a distance to mistake two people.'

Almost instantly afterwards, the world was buzzing with speculation about the identity of Melania's doppelganger.

She loves to enjoy beach days in Palm Beach, Florida, where it seems she is based now

She loves to enjoy beach days in Palm Beach, Florida, where it seems she is based now

She was one of the few to remain on with Trump beyond his White House tenure, and his since become a key part in his team

Last week, she shared a photo with Trump's lawyer Alina Habba at a LIV Golf event, writing, 'Team Trump takes LIV'

Margo, an Oklahoma native, previously served as the deputy director of communications for Trump's Save America PAC.

During his time in office, she was hired as his press assistant - and she was famously the communications aide who gave the final press lid for the Trump administration.

She was one of the few to remain on with him beyond his White House tenure, and his since become a key part in his team.

Margo now serves as his deputy director of communications and is often spotted with him at various events, including a variety of parties held at his Florida home at Mar-a-Lago.

She has racked up more than 40,000 followers on Instagram, where she often flaunts the many lavish perks that come with working with a prominent political figure and showcases her incredibly luxurious lifestyle.

She's usually seen eating in top restaurants, partying in celebrity hotspots, jetting off on glamorous vacations, travelling via the former President's private plane, or enjoying beach days in Palm Beach, Florida, where it seems she is based now.

She's also scored invites to numerous A-list events and has racked up a slew of celebrity pals - and her star-studded friends include former reality star Savannah Chrisley, MLB WAG Brooke Nix, Tiffany Trump, and actress Caroline Sunshine.

Trump is currently in the midst of the third week of his criminal trial over a $130,000 hush-money payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels over their alleged affair.
Queen Mary and King Frederik have opted to work through the 20th anniversary of their 'fairytale' wedding by embarking on a royal tour of Norway.

May 14 marks two decades since the couple said 'I do' - but instead of alone time, the couple will be laying a wreath, visiting the Norwegian president of the Storting, and touring the Science City at Oslo.

The couple will spend the evening at a gala dinner which starts at 8pm. The next day is a morning visit to the scenic Ostmarka woodlands, followed by lunch with the prime minister and a tour of the Oslo waterfront.

The tour, the second since they stepped up to the throne, seems at odds with their old 'work hard, play hard' philosophy because it leaves very little time for the couple to reconnect - which is especially important now following reports of marital strain.

Even when King Frederik ascended to the throne he said he would prioritise family and holidays, noting that 'regular breaks are important'.

Queen Mary and King Frederik have decided to work through their 20th wedding anniversary (they are pictured here on their wedding day)

The royal couple have previously been known to prioritise romantic gestures and holidays

The royal couple's decision to work through the special occasion reflects body language expert Louise Mahler's speculation the 'romance is over'.

Speaking to FEMAIL after the couple's awkward television interview last week, the expert said the only obvious green flag for their relationship is their commitment to their roles as King and Queen.

'They are not showing any signs of being a couple [romantically],' she said.

'The good news is, here are two people totally committed to their role [as King and Queen] and playing the role as a couple,' she said.

The couple have a very busy schedule on May 14, their anniversary, and the following day

Royal watchers said the couple's choice to work through the big day raised eyebrows across Denmark.

'And then our royal couple will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary?' one woman wrote on social media after their schedule was published.

'On the King and Queen's wedding day?' questioned another.

The popular royals' 'fairytale romance' has been under the microscope since November 2023 when the then-Crown Prince was spotted 'hanging out' with Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova in Madrid.

Genoveva vehemently denied any wrongdoing after reports emerged in the European tabloids suggesting the two were having an affair.

The couple's last tour was described as 'awkward' - and a TV interview was labelled the same

Pictured: Dr Louise Mahler, Body Language Expert

But the rumours stuck after a series of photos showing the pair exploring the Spanish city were published.

The photos also appeared to show Frederik heading into Genoveva's apartment, where they spent two hours before heading out for dinner.

Since the alleged affair, the royal Instagram account has received thousands of comments condemning King Frederik and idolising Queen Mary.

Every photograph of the royal couple taken since news of the alleged affair broke has been speculated on.

'How dare you hurt Mary,' one woman said.

'She holds her head so high, he won't even look at her,' said another.

Dr Louise Mahler's observations echo some of the comments.

She says the couple appear to be very guarded when they are in each other's company - where they were once tactile and relaxed.

'It can be that after so many years, this is understandable, but given previous tactile behaviour and the rumours before the coronation, one senses a challenge in their relationship,' she said.

The Australian-born Queen has been caught on camera with a scowl in the months since, replacing the radiant smile she used to wear.

The couple met at the Slip Inn in Sydney during the 2000 summer Olympics. Queen Mary moved to Denmark, dropped her Australian and UK citizenships and learned the language.

The King and Queen's relationship has been under the spotlight since King Frederik was spotted out in Madrid with Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova (pictured)

Dr Louise Mahler says their recent 'loving moments' have been for show and notes they often use arms and legs to block each other out and tilt their heads away from each other

She got the tick of approval from Queen Margrethe, married the young Prince Frederik and went on to have four children with him before their 'perfect' public image was damaged by the enduring affair rumours.

The couple will tour to the Faroe Islands in mid-June and Greenland in late June running through to early July.
An bartender was left scratching her head after a strange interaction with a disgruntled customer who claimed they were acting 'un-Australian'.

The worker was serving drinks at a Melbourne stadium where an AFL game was on when she had a small miscommunication with a patron who wanted to pay for their beers with cash.

When she didn't realise he was offering a $2 coin to round out his change, the man started berating her for going against the Australian value of 'helping each other out'.

'The other night, I informed one customer the total amount of his purchase and then indicated the EFTPOS since most people pay with cards now,' the worker explained on Reddit.

'He then repeatedly tapped the fifty dollar note on the machine to make his point (he's paying cash).'

A customer berated a young bartender after he tried to pay cash for his drinks. He became irate when the worker didn't see he was offering a $2 coin to round out his change

The worker said the man went on a rant about how they shouldn't 'talk back' to customers and they were 'un-Australian' for not 'helping each other out'

While she was getting the man's change, she noticed he was holding his palm out.

'I thought he was demanding the quick handover of the change, so I told him to be patient, please. This man got upset and said he's just trying to make it easy for me by giving extra $2 (the total was $42),' she said.

'I said "You could have said something" instead of waving his hand in front of me. I didn't see the coin in his hand and I didn't know what he was doing.'

The comment prompted the man to start 'preaching' about the Australian value of 'helping each other out' which the worker deemed 'irrelevant'.

'(He said) I shouldn't talk back because he's the customer and I should just say sorry and move on. I insincerely apologised in order to get him out of the queue,' she said.

'I know I didn't do anything wrong. Did he bring up this 'Australian value' because I'm not white!? Or he's just been a p**** and a half.'

Hundreds were quick to side with the bartender and slammed the customer as 'needlessly rude'.

'Australian values, he's the one that doesn't have them,' one user said.

'Any other normal Australian would have told you that they had the $2 instead of expecting you to be a mind reader,' a second replied.

'It's not hard to just say oh hey I've got the $2 if it helps instead of just holding your hand out. Or to not be a dick about paying cash instead of a card for that matter. You didn't do anything wrong, nor were you rude - but he sure was,' another agreed.

However, others thought it was the bartender who was being rude.

'You were both being passive-aggressive,' one man said.

'Sounds like you're trying to start an argument with him and lecturing him,' another wrote.
When Hayley Drew discovered she was pregnant with twins, she was over the moon. The path to the pregnancy hadn't been straightforward  her husband had to have a vasectomy reversed, then she'd undergone IVF.

But, miraculously, this worked after just one cycle, the pregnancy and labour went smoothly, and then she delivered two 'beautifully perfect' and healthy babies.

Her joy at the birth of Isabella and Ella is written all over the picture you see here. But 29 days later, Isabella (Bella) Rosa Drew was dead from pertussis  whooping cough.

This highly infectious illness is currently spreading like wildfire, causing a crippling cough in adults that can last for months, but can be life-threatening for babies.

Last week, the news of six babies' deaths as a result of the current wave made for shocked headlines across the UK  and prompted Hayley to speak for the first time in depth about her loss.

Hayley Drew, 49, holds her twin babies Ella (left) and Bella after they were conceived through IVF treatment in 2014

Having lost Bella to whooping cough aged just ten days, Hayley is urging other mums to get the jab - something she was never offered herself

Bella died three days after being admitted to hospital. To say Hayley is heartbroken is an understatement. 'We came home with two car seats but only one baby,' says the 49-year-old from Bawtry in South Yorkshire. 'I then had to break the news to my other children.' Her husband, devastated, went back to work that very night. 'He left me after three months  he said I'd changed. I had changed  my little girl had died.'

The idea that other parents are now going through something similar is devastating. 'I want to reach out to those mums  I know how much pain they will be in. I'm angry that somebody's going through the same agony and another child has been lost unnecessarily.'

She also wants mums-to-be to understand what is at risk.

'You don't just lose the baby. You lose their life with you: their first tooth, their first day at school. Their GCSEs. Their prom. I did see a smile, but didn't get to hear Bella giggle. Or know what her voice sounds like. You lose everything.'

The tragedy is that babies should not be dying of whooping cough. Yet more deaths are expected  the six that have been reported by the UK Health Security Agency in this surge in whooping cough are for the period up to the end of March. And it's thought cases are going to remain high in the coming months.

Very young babies are particularly at risk as the first of the childhood immunisation jabs  against diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus (DPT)  is not given until eight weeks. That's why their mothers are offered a booster vaccine from 16 weeks to 32 weeks of pregnancy: the antibodies pass across the placenta to protect the baby in those early vulnerable weeks.

It's a very effective form of protection, cutting the number of deaths by two thirds (and in nearly all of those deaths since the vaccine programme began, the mothers had not had the booster).

Hayley is desperate to help others avoid tragedies such as hers, and is calling on mums-to-be to get the whooping cough jab in pregnancy.

When Bella died in 2014, it was a full two years after the maternal vaccine was introduced. But Hayley wasn't offered it.

Bella (left) and Ella were much wanted, planned babies that were delivered on August 11, 2014 at the Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Bella and Ella were much wanted, planned babies. Hayley and her husband had married in the summer of 2013, and were keen to start a family together. But as he'd had a vasectomy 13 years earlier, first this had to be reversed and because of her age  Hayley was 39  they were also advised to go for IVF.

On the first round they were pregnant with twins.

She delivered the girls on August 11, 2014, at the Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. 'They came quickly, with Bella first, at just under 5 lbs, and then nine minutes later, Ella at 4 lbs, so they were good birth weights. It was just a perfect delivery. Everything was perfect.'

Hayley's three-year-old daughter, Jodie, had been suffering from a cough and cold in the weeks before. 'She had been vomiting after coughing. She'd sit bolt upright at night coughing and go purple with it.'

But because she'd had all her vaccines, her mother assumed it was just one of many coughs children get, if a nasty one. The GP prescribed antibiotics for a chest infection and an inhaler.

Hayley's three-year-old daughter, Jodie, had been suffering from a cough and cold in the weeks before she gave birth. Hayley then stayed in hospital with her newborn twins after she herself developed a cough

Hayley and the twins remained in hospital as the team wanted to make sure feeding was going well and the babies were gaining weight. But in the days following the birth, Hayley developed a cough. She has asthma and thought she was getting a chest infection.

'The staff said it'd be quicker if I got a taxi from the hospital to my GP ten miles away and came back, rather than seeing a doctor on the ward.' Her GP diagnosed pleurisy (inflammation around the lungs) and prescribed antibiotics.

'I was that poorly I remember the midwife didn't wake me up to express. She let me sleep through.'

After ten days, Hayley and the twins were discharged. 'Life was just amazing. I already had three girls. And then we brought our twin daughters home.'

The three girls, Jodie, Holly, then six, and April, nine (who have a different father), were there to greet them. The girls were so excited they had decorated the front door with pink ribbons and a hand-drawn sign and pictures.

Hayley's mother, who lives in the U.S., had come to help, and life soon settled into a routine. Even early on, the twins' different characters were emerging: 'Bella was quiet, gentle and relaxed,' says Hayley. 'While Ella was, and is, feisty  full of beans and constantly on the go.'

Just 20 days after the twins' birth, Hayley celebrated her 40th birthday with her family, including her sons, Jack, then 18, and Sam, 17.

'I remember trying to feel happy because I've got all my children and my family. But I just felt so dreadfully poorly still and tired. I thought it was because we were looking after the twins.'

On September 7, Hayley and her mother went out shopping with the twins. It was a Friday and, by the time that Hayley's husband, who worked as a therapist in the south of England during the week, came home that night, Bella had a bit of a cough and a runny nose. That night, Hayley slept next to Ella, with Bella in another room with her father. 'The next morning, he said that she had slept right through, and I was joking with him saying I was jealous  I was up all night with Ella.'

But then Bella didn't want to feed, so her father took her to hospital. 'They said she was fine and explained that she wasn't feeding because she was jaundiced,' says Hayley. 'She was blocked up and they advised him to get some saline solution for her nose. I've still got it  I can't get rid of it.'

Bella didn't want to feed once taken her home, and soon after became 'floppy' after being undressed and 'wouldn't wake up'

The next morning when Hayley was undressing Bella, something wasn't right. 'She was floppy and I was starting to panic. She just wouldn't wake up.'

While Hayley stayed with the other children, Bella's father took her to hospital.

At this point, for the first time in our interview, Hayley's voice breaks as the recollections of that terrible weekend return. 'If I get upset, it's because I haven't said this for a long time, OK?'

She tells me that her husband stayed with Bella and, later that night, rang to say the doctors wanted to do a lumbar puncture.

'I didn't know exactly what that was, but I knew it was serious.'

On Monday morning, after taking the children to school and leaving Ella with her mother, Hayley went straight to the hospital. During the night, Bella had been struggling to breathe and needed oxygen. 'There were lots of doctors around her. One consultant asked me what everyone's health was like at home.'

Hayley explained she and Jodie had a cough. She was asked if she'd had the whooping cough vaccine while pregnant.

'When I said no he looked at another doctor  I'll never forget his face when I said that.'

During the pregnancy Hayley had been under consultant-led antenatal care with frequent check-ups as some of her children had been born prematurely. But at a nine-week pregnancy 'booking' appointment, where the whooping cough vaccine is usually discussed, a later hospital report found that there was no evidence this happened in her case.

At 32 weeks, when a health visitor asked if she'd had the whooping cough vaccine, Hayley said she didn't know she'd had to have one (it hadn't been offered with her earlier pregnancies).

The health visitor said to bring it up at the next hospital appointment  but the following week, the midwife went to enquire about this and then told Hayley that Doncaster 'didn't do it'.

'I will never forgive myself for just accepting her word. I didn't even Google it.'

Bella (right) was eventually put on a ventilator when her whooping cough became worse and was described by one doctor as 'as poorly as a baby could ever be'

With Bella clearly unwell, now diagnosed with whooping cough, the doctors told her parents she might need to be transferred to Sheffield Children's Hospital. 'But I'm still thinking it's just a cough,' says Hayley. 'I didn't have a clue. We went to have a coffee. I didn't think in a few hours I was going to lose her,' Hayley's voice chokes at the memory.

Hayley's husband had to go to work, but before he left, Hayley asked a nurse how serious the situation was. 'She said Bella was going to be OK. And that if my husband needed to come back, we'd be told.'

In fact, later that day, Bella's condition worsened and she was sedated and put on a ventilator. Hayley realised just how sick Bella was, but while highly anxious about it, had no idea of what was about to come. Then two members of the child retrieval team arrived: they specialise in providing care for the sickest children who need to be transferred to paediatric intensive care units. Reality set in. 'They said she's as poorly as a baby could ever be. And I asked; 'I'm not going to lose her, am I?'

Today, ten years on, Hayley can hardly say the words to me, she's crying so much.

The team said they didn't know, and that Hayley needed to get her husband back  and now Ella needed to come in to be tested for pertussis. Hayley's mother brought Ella  then Bella was put into an ambulance, Hayley with her, and taken to Sheffield.

Hayley sits with daughter Ella ten years after her twin sister died as a result of her severe whooping cough

'In the ambulance, Bella was naked and covered in wires. I got PTSD over this: this is what I used to see in my head all the time afterwards. I remember the driver saying to the transfer doctor, 'Do you want the lights and siren on?' And they said yes. They said to me, 'You only need to worry if we're worried; if we have to pull over.'

'I prayed so hard in the ambulance. There were a couple of times I knew they were worried about her because things were going off and I found out later they thought they'd lost her.'

When they arrived at the hospital 'there were maybe six doctors around her, and I remember a female doctor looked at me and said, 'Ma'am, she's dying'.'

Hayley's husband arrived just in time. They had Bella baptised and then they were told that their tiny baby was going to have 'a massive' cardiac arrest and that everything was shutting down. 'Her brain was damaged. So we made the decision to turn off the machines. We were only there about an hour. Then they put Bella in my arms, and she was gone.'

Hayley and Ella had to stay in the children's hospital for three days for monitoring. 'I was like a zombie awake feeding Ella.' Swabs confirmed that Ella, thankfully, didn't have whooping cough, but they came back positive for Hayley and Jodie. The whole family was tested: her father-in law who'd travelled to see Bella, also had symptoms and tested positive.

'I had to make a decision whether Bella should be cremated or buried, and I thought she was born perfect. I wanted her to be buried perfect.' It was six weeks until the funeral. But Hayley doesn't remember any of that time.

At the inquest into Bella's death, in July 2015, Hayley said she learned there were 18 missed opportunities when she could have been given the vaccine.

She says she became 'paranoid' about warning others  'every pregnant woman I saw, even strangers, I'd say, please make sure you get the pertussis vaccine. Most of the time, they don't know about it and say they don't need it. And I say, 'Yeah, you do. It's so important.' She still does this even now.

Life changed dramatically for Hayley and her family. Both parents struggled with the tragic death of their baby, and the marriage didn't survive. Hayley's mother stayed for the next year: 'She said that she didn't just lose her granddaughter, she lost her daughter.'

Hayley is honest about the depths of grief Bella's death plunged her into. 'I wanted to be with Bella. I didn't want her to be cold.' She was diagnosed with severe PTSD. 'If I saw an ambulance, I'd be on the floor because it would take me back to being there. I could hear that doctor keep telling me, 'Ma'am, she's dying', all the time, playing in my head, and the bad dreams. It was just horrendous.

'I'm still on antidepressants. I don't think I'll ever come off them, but I don't care if they get me through the day.'

Her children were also profoundly affected. 'Holly was six at the time and every time she got poorly  she would say, 'Am I going to die?'. She didn't want me to leave her or go anywhere. That went on for a few years.' 'I miss Bella,' says Hayley. 'I know I've got Ella, who is so full of life and character, and I know that she lives on in Ella. But I should have two and it makes me so angry. Bella was perfect. She shouldn't have had this disease.'

Hayley says her children have been her saviours. 'I didn't want Bella to be on her own, but I knew that the kids needed me. So that's what kept me here.'

She knows that Ella has cried at school about missing Bella, but has said she can't talk to her mum about it because it might upset her. 'But Ella will often say, 'Do you think Bella would have had dark hair, Mummy, or will it have gone blonde like mine?'

'We all feel Bella's still very much with us. She's at the cemetery next door to my children's school. We love going to see her and I like spending time with her.'

Seven-year-old Annabella (left) - described by her mother as a 'miracle baby' - with Ella, Hayley and Jodie, 12

In 2017, Hayley gave birth to a daughter, Annabella. 'She was such a miracle baby, and she's made my heart smile again and gave me something to focus on. She saved me. She was a gift from Bella for sure,' she says.

Karen Jessop, chief nurse at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals, said: 'On behalf of the Trust, I share my condolences with Isabella's family. A detailed audit was carried out in 2014, and a number of safety measures were introduced to ensure mothers and babies are protected against whooping cough.'

Yet despite the risks, across the country the maternal vaccine uptake has fallen from 74.7 per cent in 2017 to 59.5 per cent in 2024. In some areas it's down to 36 per cent.

Hayley's message to women is direct and personal: 'Please get the vaccine; it's so important to protect your unborn child. Whooping cough can be fatal. Had I received the vaccine my baby would not have died.

'Time doesn't heal  you just learn to live with the pain.'

Dr Saleyha Ahsan is an A&E doctor and broadcaster.
Tiny spikes shaped like shark fins could cut the number of urinary tract infections experienced by patients fitted with catheters.

These flexible hollow tubes, which are made of plastic, drain urine from the bladder into a bag for bedbound hospital patients who are unable to get to the loo. They are also used to check how much urine a patient is passing or to ensure that the bladder doesn't get too full during surgery.

However, the longer a catheter is in place, the more likely it is a urine infection will take hold.

The new catheters have thousands of spikes, so small they're barely visible to the naked eye, coating the inside of the tube  each spike also points backwards (towards the end of the tube that exits the body).

This creates a type of obstacle course which makes it virtually impossible for infection-causing bacteria to crawl up the inside of the catheter to the urinary tract or the bladder.

Tiny spikes shaped like shark fins could cut the number of urinary tract infections experienced by patients fitted with catheters (stock photo)

Trapped by the spikes, the bacteria are then washed away by urine.

Around one in five NHS hospital in-patients needs to be fitted with a urinary catheter. An estimated 90,000 people living in the community also have them.

Many are men with severe benign prostatic hyperplasia, where the prostate becomes enlarged and presses on the urethra  the tube that carries urine out of the body.

This can cause urinary retention: in severe cases, urine backs up into the kidneys and causes long-term damage. To prevent this, a catheter is often left in place for months, until men have surgery to reduce the size of the prostate.

A study by scientists at Public Health England, published in 2019, found there are roughly 50,000 catheter-induced urinary infections a year in NHS hospitals. The annual cost to the NHS of treating them is around 200 million.

Once bugs get into a catheter, they form a slimy film that grows up the lining until it reaches the urinary tract and bladder  where bacteria thrive in the moist environment.

Catheters are often coated with antibiotics or metals such as silver to kill microbes. However, a growing number of bacteria are developing resistance to antibiotics.

The shark-fin spikes  developed at the California Institute of Technology in the U.S.  were created after researchers used an artificial intelligence computer program to work out what type of surface was likely to be best at halting the spread of bacteria.

Around one in five NHS hospital in-patients needs to be fitted with a urinary catheter. An estimated 90,000 people living in the community also have them (stock photo)

The AI software simulated what would happen with different surface textures  and identified shark-fin type spikes as the best solution.

The researchers used a 3D printer to build a prototype and tested it with liquid containing E. coli bacteria  the most common source of infections caused by catheters.

The results, published in the latest issue of Applied Sciences, showed that the build-up of bacteria on the lining of the catheter over a 24-hour period was less than 1 per cent of that normally seen in standard catheters without special linings. Clinical trials will start soon.

Chris Eden, a professor of urology at the Royal Surrey County Hospital, welcomed the findings but warned some infection-causing bacteria move slightly differently in a catheter than the E. coli that the researchers tested. He told Good Health: 'This is an exciting breakthrough, but it may not work for all bacteria known to colonise catheters.'
A former midwife told how she quit the NHS due to 'overwhelming' pressure which left her fearing an imminent clinical accident.

Piroska Cavell, 55, from Whitstable, Kent, left in 2019 after working in the health service for a decade.

She is one of many who have quit the profession due to a 'harmful working culture'  including excessive workloads and bullying from colleagues, fuelling a staffing shortage in NHS hospitals.

Ms Cavell told Radio 4's Today programme: 'It got to the point where I was seeing my registration flashing before my eyes every day. I was literally waiting for something to happen  a negative situation due to circumstances beyond my control.

Former midwife Piroska Cavell left the NHS after a decade of service due to the overwhelming pressure, and now runs a private wellness centre

A parliamentary report this week revealed the crisis at the heart of the NHS maternity system

'Staffing is one of the main areas of pressure because you cannot be in two areas at once.

'You'd find yourself one of three midwives where you've got to look after the labour ward, the antenatal ward, or the triage. Maternity is like A&E, you never know what's coming and it's continually coming in.

'Sometimes it's overwhelming. There are nights where it's not quite so overwhelming, but they are very rare.

'Obviously, everyone wants you to be in there with them, and you want to be with them. It's not great when you've got to leave someone to go and look after someone else, but we don't have the resources to enable more one-to-one care.

'There's a lot of talk about it, but it never actually happens.'

She added dealing with many different patients at the same time is extremely difficult and may lead to errors being made.

'Very often you find yourself in a situation where you are looking after someone who is going through a normal delivery, and everything is great, and in the next room you're looking after someone who is going through the process of losing their baby,' she said. 'You're one person. You've got to remember what energy to take into each room.'

Ms Cavell said she still loves the job of midwifery but could not be tempted to return to the NHS.

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'It takes a lot to leave midwifery because it's a very privileged profession,' she said. 'I still dream about delivering babies, but I don't think anything could tempt me back in. They need to look at recruitment, to make it more attractive.'

Birte Harlev-Lam, from the Royal College of Midwifery, said the health services loses 'quite a significant number' of students during their training, mainly due to financial pressures.

WHAT ARE THE 12 RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE INQUIRY INTO BIRTH TRAUMA?

1. Recruit, train and retain more midwives, obstetricians and anaesthetists 2. Provide universal access to specialist maternal mental health services across the UK 3. Offer a separate six-week GP check for all mums after giving birth that include questions on their physical and mental health 4. Roll out and implement the OASI (obstetric and anal sphincter injury) care bundle to all hospital trusts to reduce risk of injuries in childbirth 5. Oversee the national rollout of standardised post birth services, such as Birth Reflections 6. Ensure better education for women on birth choices. All NHS Trusts should offer antenatal classes 7. Respect mums' choices about giving birth and access to pain relief and keep mothers together with their baby as much as possible 8. Provide support for fathers and ensure nominated birth partner is continuously informed and updated during labour and post-delivery 9. Digitise mother's health records 10. Extend the time limit for medical negligence childbirth litigation from three years to five years 11. Commit to tackling inequalities in maternity care among ethnic minorities, particularly Black and Asian women 12. National Institute for Health and Care Research to commission research on the economic impact of birth trauma and injuries Advertisement

'We also see midwives who find themselves in a position where they just cannot continue to do the job they love,' she said. 'We have to stop the leaking bucket, stop midwives from leaving, and think what can we do to make them feel safe at work so they can deliver the care they have trained to do.'

It comes after the UK's first parliamentary inquiry into birth trauma this week found there is 'shockingly poor quality' in maternity services, claiming good care is 'the exception rather than the rule'.

It heard evidence from more than 1,300 women, including new mothers who'd been left to lie in blood covered sheets for hours and even berated by midwives for having soiled themselves.

A report revealed a culture of bullying and the 'devastating impact' of poor staffing, few resources, low-quality care and poor communication.

One former midwife told the inquiry that she left the NHS in 2022 after 15 years because of 'accumulated vicarious trauma and moral injury'.

She described working in a particularly hierarchical maternity unit where one consultant obstetrician behaved aggressively towards staff and treated the women in his care inappropriately.

In one instance, during repair of a second-degree perineal tear, she said the woman 'was leaping up the bed and groaning in agony due to his stitching. I asked him to stop and provide more pain relief; he shouted at me in front of the woman and told me that 'women do not have nerves in their vagina'.'

She also described an 'extraordinary incident' when the same doctor 'dragged another outspoken midwife by her hair along an antenatal clinic corridor.'

In her final NHS shift, she described caring for a mother whose baby was stillborn before being called to an emergency forceps birth in which 'the woman was screaming with fear and panic in her eyes, the obstetrician was useless in her communication and didn't gain consent for the episiotomy or the forceps.' The result was 'another unnecessarily traumatised mother and father starting parenthood.'

Gill Walton, chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives, said: 'Sadly, not all birth experiences are positive and poor experiences can have a devastating impact on woman and should be taken very seriously as a threat to maternal mental and physical health and infant wellbeing.

'The women who shared their experiences with the inquiry must be commended for doing so and we owe it to them to learn and improve from the failings that happened in their care.

'Undoubtedly staffing shortages drastically impact the safety and quality of care that midwives can and so want to deliver.

'Our own members tell us they are struggling to give women the time and quality of care they need and deserve.

'Also, with the rise in more complex pregnancies, having the right skill mix of staff on shift is key.

'Access to appropriate training has also been highlighted in this report and when there aren't enough midwives, crucial training is often postponed and this impacts how prepared staff can be for not only emergency situations, but how improvements in day-to-day maternity care can be achieved.'

Donna Ockenden, who is chairing an inquiry into maternity care failings in Nottingham, told the Parliamentary inquiry that NHS staff waste too much time dealing with red tape.

She said: 'Leaders across maternity services report continuous requests for information from multiple bodies responsible for 'oversight' of maternity care in the UK.

'Frequently the requests are duplicated or only very slightly different showing that there is ineffective coordination between these multiple bodies.

'This is not efficient and wastes time. The system of maternity service oversight must be streamlined & this made more effective.'

The Department of Health and Social Care said there were 23,631 full time equivalent midwives working in NHS Trusts and other core organisations in England in February this year, an increase of 4,184 (21.5 per cent) compared to the same month in 2010.
An Australian doctor has revealed he has been cancer-free for a year after undergoing a world-first treatment based on his own breakthrough research.

Professor Richard Scolyer was diagnosed with 'incurable' grade 4 brain cancer after becoming ill in Poland last year.

This 'worst of the worst' type of cancer, known as glioblastoma, is so aggressive that most patients survive less than a year.

The 57-year-old underwent an experimental therapy based on his own research on melanoma, a type of cancer that starts in the skin.

Professor Richard Scolyer was treated with a combination of drugs before surgery in an attempt to teach his body's immune system to attack cancer cells

Professor Scolyer said he is 'thrilled and delighted' after being cancer-free after a year

On Monday, he wrote on X to say he had an MRI scan last week and there was still no sign of recurrence.

'I'm just thrilled and delighted... I couldn't be happier,' he said.

Professor Scolyer collaborated with his colleague and friend Professor Georgina Long, who are co-directors of the Melanoma Institute Australia.

The team used a treatment based on immunotherapy, which teaches the body's immune system to attack cancer cells.

The leading cancer specialist was diagnosed with a 'worst of the worst' brain cancer after suffering headaches and a seizure during a holiday to Europe

Professor Scolyer and Professor Georgina Long were jointly named Australian of the Year 2024 for their work on melanoma

WHAT IS A GLIOBLASTOMA? Glioblastomas are the most common cancerous brain tumours in adults. They are fast growing and likely to spread. Glioblastomas' cause is unknown but may be related to a sufferer's genes if mutations result in cells growing uncontrollably, forming a tumour. Treatment is usually surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible, followed by a combination of radio- and chemotherapy (chemoradiation). It can be difficult to remove all of the growth as glioblastomas have tendrils that extend to other regions of the brain. These are targeted via chemoradiation. Glioblastomas are often resistant to treatment as they are usually made up of different types of cells. Therefore, medication will kill off some cells and not others. The average survival time is between 12 and 18 months. Source: The Brain Tumour Charity Advertisement

Research on melanoma showed immunotherapy works better when a combination of drugs is administered before the surgery to remove a tumour.

Professor Scolyer became the first brain cancer patient in the world to take a combination of immunotherapy drugs pre-surgery.

He is also the first to be administered a vaccine personalised to his tumour's characteristics, which boosts the cancer-detecting powers of the drugs.

He told the BBC: 'I'm the best I have felt for yonks.

'It certainly doesn't mean that my brain cancer is cured but it's just nice to know that it hasn't come back yet, so I've still got some more time to enjoy my life with my wife Katie and my three wonderful kids.'

Professor Scolyer was diagnosed last June after suffering headaches and a seizure during a holiday in Poland.

He underwent a brain scan, which revealed an area of light, cloudy matter in the top-right corner of his skull.

At the time, he said: 'I'm no expert in radiology, but in my heart I knew it was a tumour.'

Rather than accept his inevitable fate, Professor Scolyer, known as one of the world's leading cancer experts, set about trying to find a treatment.

'It didn't sit right with me, to just accept certain death without trying something,' he said. 'It's an incurable cancer? Well bugger that!'

He added he is proud of his team for persevering with the 'experimental' treatment, adding: '[It] provides some hope that maybe this is a direction that's worth investigating more formally.'

Around 300,000 people worldwide are diagnosed with glioblastoma each year. It's hoped Professor Scolyer's experimental treatment will lead to clinical trials for other patients, potentially extending their lives.

Professor Long said: 'We've generated a whole heap of data, to then make a foundation for that next step, so that we can help more people.

'We're not there yet. What we have to really focus on is showing that this pre-surgery, combination immunotherapy type of approach works in a large number of people.'

Both Professor Scolyer and Professor Long were named Australian of the Year earlier this year for their life-saving work on melanoma treatments.

Dr Roger Stupp, after whom the current protocol for treating glioblastomas is named, previously described Professor Scolyer's prognosis as 'grim', and that it was too early to tell if the treatment is working.

He said he wanted to see him reach 12 months, even 18, without recurrence before getting excited.

Helen Bulbeck, of brain tumour charity Brainstrust, said: 'As patients, all we ask for is time with loved ones and to be ourselves for as long as possible in the face of a brain tumour diagnosis, and Dr Scolyer has found this.

'As a charity we support the promise of new treatments, more trials and anything that brings hope to what feels like a forgotten community of people with glioblastoma.

'The research landscape has been desolate for so long, but now were hopeful that the coming phase of next-generation immunotherapies is poised to bring us closer to treatments that will improve the lives of patients. In the meantime we are right behind Dr Scolyer. We congratulate him on 12 months without recurrence, and we wish him many more happy, healthy years ahead.'
Twenty-five types of sandwiches, rolls and wraps been urgently recalled over fears they're contaminated with listeria.

Safety regulators warned the lunch-time offerings made by Bread Spread were not manufactured 'in accordance with food law requirements'.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) slapped a 'do not eat' label on all of the affected products.

More sandwiches could be pulled from shelves soon, officials said.

Some of the products are sold under the Orbital Foods and Perfect Bite brands.

A selection of sandwiches sold by Bread Spread. The Food Safety Authority (FSA) issued an urgent warning regarding all chilled and ready-to eat foods made by the company with a use-by date up to and including 18 May 2024

Bread Spread's Southall headquarters. Traces of listeria, a bacterial which can cause serious illness, were found in products made by the West London firm

Traces of listeria, a bacterial which can cause serious illness, were found in products made by the West London firm.

The FSA warned the sandwiches were subject to additional 'hygiene and traceability contraventions' that made them unsafe to eat.

Bread Spread, which prides itself on being 'environmentally responsible', claims that it supplies universities, colleges and more than 1,000 independent retail stores.

FSA bosses said all chilled and ready foods made or manufactured by Bread Spread with a use-by-date up to and including 18 May were affected.

Listeria can cause an infection called listeriosis, which can cause symptoms similar to flu, like high temperature, muscle aches or pains, chills, nausea and vomiting and diarrhoea.

Most adults only experience a mild illness from infection.

In rare cases, it can cause meningitis a very serious infection of the membrane that protects the brain and spinal cord, potentially causing permanent damage.

The elderly, pregnant women as well their unborn children and those with weakened immune systems like chemo patients are particular vulnerable to falling ill.

Listeriosis is especially dangerous for people who are immunocompromised or have an underlying illness

Businesses should pull the affected products from shelves and dispose of them as well as issue recalls to customers, the FSA said.

Customers who have bought the products are advised to dispose of them.

The watchdog also warned that the situation was 'developing' and more products than those included in the notice could be affected.

Listeriosis cases are relatively rare in the UK with only 160 cases recorded on average each year.

This could be an underestimate however as many healthy adults may not seek help for symptoms.

Listeria is an unusual in terms of bacteria because it can grow refrigeration temperatures.

It typically enters food production via contaminated ingredients, either through vegetables that have been in contact with infected manure or from meat or dairy from infected animals.

Bread Spread has not issued a warning on its website about the FSA's safety waring.

MailOnline attempted to contact Bread Spread for comment.
A new Covid variant sweeping both the UK and the US has sparked an alert from health chiefs.

UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) bosses admit they don't know if the mutated strain is more infectious or deadlier.

Yet top scientists remain confident that the darkest days of the pandemic-era are consigned to history.

The new variant, nicknamed FLiRT, is now being monitored. It makes up around 30 per cent of new cases currently.

FLiRT also accounts for roughly a quarter of new cases in the US, surveillance data suggests.

UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) bosses admit they don't know if the mutated strain is more infectious or deadlier. The new variant, nicknamed FLiRT, is now being monitored. It makes up around 30 per cent of new cases currently

It comes as Covid cases continue to slowly increase across the UK, after infection rates dwindled over the spring. Virologists are using the term FLiRT to describe a family of different variants  KP.2, KP.3, JN.1.7, JN.1.1, and KP.1.1

ONS data on Covid infections today shows more than 80 per cent of Brits suffer a runny nose when infected. A loss of taste or smell  one of the original tell-tale signs of the virus  accounts for just under a fifth of all symptoms logged

It comes as Covid cases continue to slowly increase across the UK, after infection rates dwindled over the spring.

Virologists are using the term FLiRT to describe a family of different variants  KP.2, KP.3, JN.1.7, JN.1.1, and KP.1.1.

They are all descendants of the JN.1 variant that has been dominant in the UK for the past few months. That itself was dubbed Juno.

All appear to have independently picked up the same set of mutations on the spike protein, which the virus uses to attach to humans and take hold.

Some mutations make it easier for the virus to infect the nose and throat compared to other circulating variants.

Everything you need to know about FLiRT What is FLiRT? Virologists are using the term FLiRT to describe a family of different variants  KP.2, KP.3, JN.1.7, JN.1.1, and KP.1.1. They are all descendants of the JN.1 variant that has been dominant in the UK for the past few months. That itself was dubbed Juno. Why is it a concern? Latest UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data shows there were 1,985 Covid cases logged in the week ending May 7, up 25 per cent on the previous seven days. The new variant is now being monitored. It makes up around 40 per cent of new cases currently. FLiRT also accounts for roughly a quarter of new cases in the US, surveillance data suggests. Does it have any new symptoms? According to the US university John Hopkins, FLiRT doesn't appear to have any new specific symptoms. The period of infectiousness also remains the same as JN.1 and previous Omicron variants, the institution added. Is it more deadly than other variants? There is currently no evidence that FLiRT is any more of a threat than the dozens of strains that have come before it. According to the CDC, there is no reason to believe it would also cause more severe illness than other strains. Advertisement

The UKHSA said: 'When a new variant appears on our radar, at the initial stages it is often quite difficult to know whether the mutations provide any advantages to the virus.

'Genetic mutations happen all the time, and in some cases have been known to make a virus less transmissible or cause a milder reaction in people.'

Ministers have repeatedly said that they won't resort to imposing lockdowns unless a doomsday variant.

A wall of immunity among the population  built up by repeated waves of infection and vaccine rollouts  has given officials confidence to consign pandemic-era measures to history.

Spikes in Covid cases can still cause mass illness across the country, sparking chaos in schools, the health service and public transport.

Latest UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data shows there were 1,985 Covid cases logged in the week ending May 7, up 25 per cent on the previous seven days.

Yet this only reflects the fraction of society still testing and submitting results.

Once the worst of the pandemic blew over, officials binned the mass testing schemes.

'Positivity rates'  considered one of the best ways of tracking an outbreak's size also rose to 8.6 per cent in the week ending May 5, an increase on the 6.8 per cent logged in the previous week.

Officials no longer track the prevalence of the virus in the same way they used to, as part of the Government's ushering in of pre-Covid normalities.

Dr Mary Ramsay, the UKHSA's director of public health programmes, last week said: 'Once again, Covid cases and hospitalisations have risen this week, so now is the time to get your spring vaccine if youre eligible and havent already.

'If you have symptoms of Covid or flu try to stay at home as it helps protect others, especially those who are more vulnerable to these viruses.

'If you are unable to stay at home when unwell, consider wearing a mask.'

According to the US university John Hopkins, FLiRT doesn't appear to have any new specific symptoms.

The period of infectiousness also remains the same as JN.1 and previous Omicron variants, the institution added.

There is currently no evidence that FLiRT is any more of a threat than the dozens of strains that have come before it.

According to the CDC, there is no reason to believe it would also cause more severe illness than other strains.

Experts have long said Covid is 'on the way' to becoming seasonal, even eventually becoming just another cause of the common cold.

Other coronaviruses known to infect humans typically cause mild symptoms.

Health officials, however, still advise people with respiratory symptoms to limit their contact with vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, pregnant women and those with underlying conditions, over fears they could get seriously unwell if infected.
At 21, Ewan Jewell should be embarking on his first steps to full-adulthood and independence.

But he was left brain-damaged after catching whooping cough at just two weeks.

His mother Mel Jewell fears she gave him the '100-day cough'.

She feels 'immense guilt' and is urging all pregnant women to get vaccinated amid an ongoing outbreak which has killed six babies in the UK so far.

The mother-of-four claims she was never offered the jab while pregnant in 2002. An NHS scheme to roll out the jab to mothers-to-be wasn't introduced until a decade later.

Mel Jewell said she feels 'immense guilt' for passing the whooping cough on to her son Ewan who was left brain-damaged by the infection as a baby

Ewan, who caught the infection at just two weeks needed to be placed on life support after his brain became starved of oxygen

He would spend months in the hospital, only being well enough to come home at three months of age

Mel, 48, who lives in Eastleigh, Hampshire, said Ewan's condition was so bad she even started planning what he would wear for his funeral.

Despite making a 'miraculous recovery' as a baby, Ewan's life was forever altered by the bacterial infection, medically called pertussis.

He stopped breathing for 15 minutes at a time, causing his brain to become starved of oxygen. He suffered permanent damage as a result.

Ewan cannot live independently, unable to perform simple tasks like using the microwave and has the reading age of a five-year-old.

Medics believe Ewan contracted the disease shortly after he was born, and while it cannot be proved, Mel  who got infected when she was eight months pregnant  too believes he caught it from her.

The business-owner said: 'It felt awful. When you've carried a baby for nine months and you're suddenly told you're likely to lose your child.

'I was thinking "how am I going to tell my two other children that their little baby brother was going to die?"

'I was planning his funeral, in my head, like what he was going to wear, which is a bit crazy.

'I wonder if I could have lived knowing my child had died because of me. It was like a dream really, I kept expecting to wake up.'

Ewan cannot live independently, unable to perform simple tasks like using microwave and had the reading age of a five-year-old

Mel urged all pregnant women to get a whooping cough vaccine amid fears a current outbreak could be the worst in 40 years sayin: 'Just get vaccinated. The guilt: I feel so, so guilty. Every time Ewan annoys me, or is upset, I think "I've done this to my child; he's brain damaged because of me"

Newborn Ewan was put on life support at Southampton General Hospital.

He would eventually be air-lifted to Leicester, where doctors took the dramatic step of hooking him up to a ventilator, a machine that effectively took over from his lungs, and supplied his body with oxygen.

Mel recalled: 'When we got to Leicester, they said to us that "he will have some form of brain damage because of the amount of times he'd stopped breathing and all the drugs he was given to keep him alive".

'They said he could be severely brain damaged and, in a wheelchair, unable to speak.'

Ewan's condition gradually improved and he was able to go home at three months old.

Looking back on her own nightmarish experience, Mel said she wanted to urge parents to get their whooping cough vaccination in the current outbreak.

'To think there are parents going through what we went through, it's unnecessary. I don't think people are aware of how badly it can affect you,' she said.

She said she was aware of rampant misinformation on social media regarding whooping cough and urged people to get vaccinated instead.

Health officials warned that the infection is initially difficult to tell apart from a cold, as the first signs are a runny nose and sore throat. But around a week later, sufferers may develop coughing bouts that last minutes, struggle to breathe after coughing and make a 'whoop' sound between coughs. Other signs of whooping cough include bringing up a thick mucus that can cause vomiting and becoming red in the face

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'Yesterday, I got a post from a friend that said, "if you've got whooping cough, have an onion drink and that will get rid of it", I couldn't believe that was supposed to be a remedy.

'Just get vaccinated. The guilt: I feel so, so guilty. Every time Ewan annoys me, or is upset, I think "I've done this to my child; he's brain damaged because of me"

'I wouldn't want any other mother to go through this.'

The whooping cough vaccination is routinely by the NHS for all pregnant women, ideally between 16 and 32 weeks pregnant, though it can be given up to the point of labour.

Doing so serves two purposes. Firstly, antibodies that can protect the baby from the infection pass through the placenta offering the newborn protection from whooping cough from birth and until they are old enough for their own vaccine.

Secondly, it reduces the chances of the mother catching whooping cough herself, and inadvertently passing it to her newborn baby.

The NHS states that babies whose mothers were vaccinated against whooping cough have a 91 per cent reduced chance of catching the infection compared to those born to unvaccinated mothers.

The whooping cough vaccine is considered incredibly safe and routinely offered to pregnant women throughout the world.

It comes amid fears the UK's current whooping cough outbreak could be the worst in 40 years.

Nearly 3,000 cases of the infection, also called pertussis or the 100-day cough, have already been recorded in 2024. This is treble the levels seen across the entirety of 2023.

Nottingham, parts of Wales, Leeds and Sheffield appear to be the hotspots.

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But it is widespread, only three of 330-plus districts across England and Wales have yet to report any suspected cases this year, MailOnline analysis reveals.

Whooping cough is contagious as measles  has killed five babies in the first quarter of 2024. All were under the age of three months.

Others have been left in 10 day comas from the infection.

Another victim, not yet included in the official toll, is Evie-Grace Lewis, who earlier this month at just 15 days old after catching whooping cough.

Heartbroken parents Reece and Caitlin say she 'deteriorated so quickly'.

Her death means six babies have died in the current outbreak, making it the deadliest in a decade.

UK Health Security Agency bosses have blamed the current outbreak on a steady decline in the uptake of vaccines among expectant mums.

Experts say this is due to a mixture of vaccine hesitancy in the wake of Covid as well as a lack of awareness.

Just a quarter of expectant mothers have had the pertussis jab in some boroughs of London. Rates are below half in other parts of the capital and Birmingham.

Uptake of the six-in-one jab  offered to babies in the first four months of life  are also at an all-time low.

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MailOnline understands that of the six babies known to have died of whooping cough in 2024, just two of their mothers were unvaccinated.

Whooping cough, spread through coughs and sneezes, can initially be difficult to tell apart from a cold, with the first signs typically being a runny nose and sore throat.

But around a week later, sufferers may develop coughing bouts which last minutes, struggle to breathe after coughing and make a 'whoop' sound between coughs.

Other signs of pertussis include bringing up a thick mucus that can cause vomiting and becoming red in the face.

Sufferers are infectious from around six days after cold-like symptoms begin to three weeks after their cough starts.

Doctors dish out antibiotics as treatment if the whooping cough is detected within three weeks.

However, if a person has been infected for longer, antibiotics will not speed up their recovery.

Whooping cough is less severe in older children and adults but can still cause sore ribs, hernias, ear infections and urinary incontinence among these groups.
A number of F-22 stealth jets from the U.S. Air Force arrived in Korea earlier this week, a Pentagon website showed Tuesday, raising the possibility of a joint air drill involving the latest air assets.

The U.S. 8th Fighter Wing posted a photo showing the arrival of F-22 stealth jets at Kunsan Air Base in Gunsan, 178 kilometers south of Seoul, on the Pentagon's Defense Visual Information Distribution Service website.

"The Raptors' arrival, demonstrates the Pacific Air Forces' ability to deploy, posture, and redeploy forces from various strategic locations to increase command and control in the Indo-Pacific region," it said in the caption.

The website did not reveal the exact number of F-22 jets that arrived here, although the photo appears to show at least three.

It marked the first time in seven months for the U.S. Air Force's F-22 jets to openly arrive in Korea since October last year for the Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition.

Pundits suggested the two countries may conduct joint air drills involving F-22 jets and Korea's F-35A fighters. (Yonhap)
He is perhaps the epitome of action movie hero.

Tom Cruise, now 61, has fronted seven Mission Impossible movies and two Top Guns, and claims he performs his own stunts on every shoot.

But recently snapped images show his physique doesn't quite match up to that of other Hollywood heroes of the same age.

Fans were quick to react to the pictures of the father of-three on a Spanish beach - noting that his torso, while defined, looked as thought it was 'sagging'.

Some suggested the loose skin indicated that the star has undergone cosmetic surgery like peck implants or even liposuction.

Tom Cruise, 61, showed off his shirtless physique almost 40 years since Top Gun as he slipped into his swimming trunks for a dip in Majorca before changing into socks and trainers

Many made comparisons to Mr Cruise's peers, including Brad Pitt, 60 and Benjamin Bratt, also 60, who have similarly ripped physiques but without the sagginess.

Now, plastic surgeons and fitness experts have told DailyMail.com why the bizarre aesthetic might have developed.

Loose skin around the midriff could be a result of liposuction, according to Dr David Hill, a Chicago plastic surgeon.

Liposuction is a procedure that involves sucking out small areas of fat in areas of the body where deposits collect, such as the bottom, hips, thighs and abdomen.

'Usually, if you lose weight naturally over time, you get less of that skin rippling and irregularity, because it's gradual,' said Dr Hill.

'With liposuction, because it's more immediate, the skin doesn't have time to contract as much... so Tom's Cruise's saggy skin could be a hallmark of [liposuction].'

The Mission Impossible star is known for executing his own stunts and staying in fantastic shape

But if he has had the procedure done, the surgery has been done well, Dr Hill said.

'I don't see any hallmarks of irregular contour on his body that would suggest bad liposuction, but there is enhanced muscle definition, which is reflective of his earlier photos when he was younger. If they did it, they did it well,' he said.

Dr Howard Sobel, cosmetic dermatologic surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, however, said it is not possible to tell for sure whether or not Mr Cruise has had liposuction.

The skin sagging we see in the images, he says, is merely a natural sign of ageing.

'In any 61-year-old guy you would expect to have some skin sagging, because as we get older, we lose that elasticity in our skin.

'The areas of your chest, and the areas below your chest, the skin around your ribs and your abs are very often the first to lose the elasticity, especially in a man.'

As people age, collagen and elastin levels in the skin gradually decrease, which causes it to lose strength and become less firm.

He adds that sagging skin is a complication that is only typically seen in patients who have a lot of fat to lose - which is not the case for Tom Cruise.

Brad Pitt, 60, showed off his incredible muscular physique as he filmed new racing movie Apex at NASCAR hub Daytona International Speedway, Florida recently. Meanwhile, Benjamin Bratt bared all aged 60 as he did full frontal nudity in trailer for Brooke Shields' new movie Mother of the Bride

There is no doubt Lenny Kravitz is taking the lead for the most ripped physique after the 59-year-old shared these snaps back in March. Meanwhile, Josh Brolin, 54, showed off his very toned chest in a mirror selfie, crediting his training for the new Dune film

Brad Pitt while shooting Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in 2020

But Mr Cruise has always done what he can to maintain a healthy lifestyle and physique.

The star previously revealed he enjoys a wide-ranging list of physical activities to keep in shape.

He told Men's Health: 'Sea-kayaking, caving fencing, treadmill, weights rock climbing, hiking I jog I do so many different activities.'

Constantly challenging his body, the star follows a five day workout plan which includes three days of weight training sessions and cardio as well as two days of more 'out-there' activities like fencing or hiking.

Incorporating a range of exercises into his routine, a few of his favorites include one-armed barbell presses, weighted lunges and deadlifts.

Expert PT Nick Lower previously told British GQ that Cruise has the best team in the world who keep on top of all the latest fitness science and technology.

He explained: 'I do know that he uses this very expensive, high-end machine that instead of just being a normal chest press machine, for example, it works you on your eccentric load, pushing you back.

'So instead of doing a set of 10, you could do a set of five and youve done just as much work.

'Whatever hes doing, it works. You meet him in the flesh and he looks 10 years younger'.
A leading pediatrician has warned that guidance to give potent hormone-warping drugs to children who want to change gender is 'out of date,' following a major review of the safety of puberty blockers.

Dr Hillary Cass, a renowned British doctor, whose landmark 'Cass Report' got puberty blockers restricted in the UK, said US guidelines on treating gender-confused children is 'misleading.'

Her report, a systematic review of 300 scientific papers and surveys on gender-affirming care that included more than 113,000 kids from 18 countries, concluded the evidence for using the drugs on transgender children was of 'poor quality' and 'not reliable.'

Based on her findings, the pediatrician believes American medical organizations providing recommendations for the treatment of trans youth 'need to be honest about the strength of the evidence' supporting the use of puberty blockers in minors and make improvements to their guidelines.

Dr Hilary Cass' landmark review of studies into puberty blockers for teens with gender dysphoria ran counter to standard orthodoxy held by American doctor groups, which she said are out of step with science

A 2023 YouGov survey of 1,000 adults across Republican and Democrat states found that Americans were largely against gender-affirming procedures for children

The Cass Report ran counter to conclusions by American physician groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, which she told the New York Times a fairly left-leaning organization whose guidance is misleading the public.'

In an interview with the Times, Dr Cass criticized the general orthodoxy among physician groups in the US, particularly that which tells doctors to accept what teens say about their gender dysphoria at face value, hastily setting them down a course of lifelong - and potentially irreversible - medical treatments without examining the full person.

She said: You can put someone on a medical pathway, but if at the end of it they cant get out of their bedroom, they dont have relationships, theyre not in school or ultimately in work, you havent done the right thing by them.

So it really is about treating them as a whole person, taking a holistic approach, managing all of those things and not assuming theyve all come about as a result of the gender distress.

Dr Cass influential review said two things could be true at once: a widespread social contagion of gender dysphoria and social acceptance has encouraged more teens to come out as trans.

The landmark review was commissioned by the UK's National Health Service, which has taken a much more conservative stance when it comes to transition care for youth compared to the US, going so far as to ban puberty blockers for teens.

Published last month, the report concluded in the vast majority of cases, while puberty blockers are meant to give a child more time to think about their gender identity and what they need, no changes in gender dysphoria or body satisfaction were demonstrated.

She said: The assessment of studies looks at things like, do they follow up for long enough? Do they lose a lot of patients during the follow-up period? Do they have good comparison groups?

'All of those assessments are really objective. The reason the studies are weak is because they failed on one or more of those areas.

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.

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.

In the US, groups such as the AAP have called this kind of care medically necessary.

But Dr Cass added: They are an organization that I have enormous respect for. But I respectfully disagree with them on holding on to a position that is now demonstrated to be out of date by multiple systematic reviews.'

Following her report, dr cass received immense criticism and even threats. One of the most common complaints was that the review was biased toward a certain conclusion due to a lack of randomized controlled trials, the gold standard for study design that randomly assigns groups to a treatment or a placebo to compare the two.

But those are difficult to conduct when it comes to studying gender-affirming care, in part due to the ethical concerns about depriving one group of gender-dysphoric youth placed in the placebo group of what they argue is necessary healthcare.

It would also take researchers years to glean usable data regarding the long-term physical and mental health effects of drugs that delay puberty and hormone therapies to give trans youth secondary sex characteristics, which have been shown to be irreversible.

Dr Cass said she did not omit randomized trials because there were none to include in the first place. Yet they still included about 58 percent of the studies they identified on the subject, which were of moderate quality or better.

High-quality studies have been peer-reviewed, include a subject population that represents a general population, and make conclusions that match the evidence.

Too little is known, she said, about the long term effects of puberty blockers and hormone treatments later on. By delaying puberty, a young teen is also delaying brain development to a certain extent during a crucial time of their life.

A study conducted by University College London earlier this year looked at 25 girls being treated with puberty blockers and found there was an average drop of seven points in their IQs.

Dr Cass said: I cant think of any other situation where we give life-altering treatments and dont have enough understanding about whats happening to those young people in adulthood.

'Ive spoken to young adults who are clearly thriving  a medical pathway has been the right thing for them. Ive also spoken to young adults where it was the wrong decision, where they have regret, where theyve detransitioned.

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Gender dysphoria diagnoses are on the rise nationwide.

Data from 2020 showed that about 300,000 children aged between 13 and 17 (1.4 per cent) in the US identified as transgender.

That is double the number estimated to be transgender in 2017 in a previous report by the same researchers, though they used different estimates.

Overall, there are were an estimated 1.6million transgender people in the United States in 2020, up about three per cent from the estimate of 1.55million in 2017.

A report by the health data analytics firm shows the rate of gender dysphoria increased in every state except South Dakota from 2018 to 2022.

Greater social acceptance and increased awareness about the condition on the part of doctors can partly explain the increase in cases.

Dr Cass said: 'Young people growing up now have a much more flexible view about gender  theyre not locked into gender stereotypes in the way my generation was.

'And that flexibility and fluidity are potentially beneficial because they break down barriers, combat misogyny, and so on.

'It only becomes a challenge if were medicalizing it, giving an irreversible treatment, for what might be just a normal range of gender expression.'
It's being hailed as the biggest breakthrough since statins  at least that's how some experts are heralding the latest finding about the weight-loss 'wonder drug' Ozempic.

Administered as a once a week do-it-yourself injection  much favoured by celebrities including Oprah Winfrey and pop star Boy George  Ozempic has already earned a formidable reputation as a treatment for obesity, thanks to its key ingredient, semaglutide.

This is the drug in both Ozempic (which is licensed for use in type 2 diabetes in the UK) and Wegovy (usually a slightly higher dose but licensed here only for weight loss).

It works by mimicking the effects of a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which is released by the gut after we eat, to send a message to the brain that we are full.

Television sensation Oprah Winfrey has trimmed down in recent years thanks to Ozempic

Semaglutide activates GLP-1 receptors in the brain which register fullness in the stomach after minimal amounts of food. As a result, people feel full after even small amounts of food.

And since losing weight is one of the most effective ways of warding off heart attacks and strokes, the health benefits were already obvious.

But what's really caught the attention and made headlines worldwide today is new evidence that the drug dramatically reduces the chances of heart disease  by 20 per cent  even if patients don't necessarily lose weight while on it.

It suggests that Ozempic and other drugs in the same class may have a direct and positive effect on the heart  separate from weight loss  which on the face of it could elevate it to super drug status.

Add to that the emerging evidence that the same drugs might also be effective against other killer conditions such as cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and even multiple sclerosis (MS), and it begs the question  will we all end up on them eventually?

Sir John Bell, former Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford University, told BBC Radio Four's World at One: ' This is the beginning of the evolution of these drugs where they will become like statins, where lots of people take them and may stay on them for a long time.'

It's a major moment in medical science  but is it really as important a breakthrough as it sounds, or is it being overhyped? Here we provide the answers to all these crucial questions and more.

Q: Why is this latest research causing such excitement?

Because the SELECT study, led by researchers from University College London, is the largest ever investigation into the cardiac benefits of semaglutide  and the scientists were very surprised to see the drugs worked even when patients didn't lose weight.

The research involved 17,604 adults aged over 45 with a high body mass index (BMI, a measure of weight compared to height) and had suffered a previous cardiac 'event'  such as a heart attack.

Sharon Osbourne has spoken openly about using Ozempic to slim down after saying she had struggled with her weight for many years

For nearly four years, they either had a weekly 2.5mg shot of semaglutide (the higher dose used in Wegovy jabs  the amount in Ozempic is usually a lot lower), or a placebo jab.

The results, presented at a major obesity conference in Venice earlier this week, showed that out of the 8,803 patients on the placebo jab, 701 (or 8 per cent) suffered a heart attack. But in the semaglutide group it was only 569 (or 6.5 per cent).

Crucially, the fall in heart risk was seen even in those who hadn't yet lost a lot of weight. And heart attack and stroke rates started to drop within weeks of starting the GLP-1 drugs.

In fact, the fall in risk was similar in those who lost less than 5 per cent of their bodyweight  or even put on a few pounds  as it was in those who shed over 5 per cent.

(And this was before most patients reached their maximum weight loss, which was a year or so into treatment.)

'This is super interesting,' says Dr Alex Miras, clinical professor of medicine at Ulster University and an expert in obesity treatment.

'We did not know this before  it may be the drug is having a direct effect on the heart, independent of weight loss.'

One explanation may be that the jab reduces the kind of chronic, low-level inflammation in blood vessels that can cause them to become blocked  leading to a heart attack or stroke.

'But there's also evidence that the GLP-1 hormone has a kind of anti-clotting effect and that's very exciting,' says Dr Miras.

Q: So should we all be on it?

If semaglutide can reduce heart disease risk even when patents on it don't lose lots of weight, should millions more of us be taking it to keep our hearts healthy  just as we do with statins?

'No,' says Dr Miras. 'Studies so far only show that the drug is effective in people who are already obese and also have established heart disease  they've either had a heart attack, a stroke or a clot in the blood vessels in the legs.

'From what we know, semaglutide is unlikely to work as well in the primary prevention of heart disease'. This is where patients have risk factors, such as a family history or high cholesterol, but have not actually suffered a heart attack or stroke.

'The drug has a much greater effect in those with existing heart disease.'

It's possible that will change as we learn more.

Dr Miras adds: 'It's possible that 10 years down the line you might be given the drugs if you have a strong family history of heart disease but there's no evidence base for that yet.'

Q: Is it true it can help prevent other conditions like Alzheimer's?

Weight-loss and heart problems aside, some evidence is emerging to suggest Ozempic and similar medicines could potentially tackle other modern-day killers.

These range from bowel cancer and Alzheimer's disease to multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease.

A three-year trial is already underway at various centres across the UK to see if people with mild cognitive impairment  often an early stage of Alzheimer's  will benefit from taking a daily semaglutide tablet.

Again, inflammation is known to play a part in the progress of Alzheimer's, raising the likelihood of harmful deposits  called plaques  forming in the brain. The theory is that the drug given early enough will stop further plaques from forming.

Meanwhile, a December 2023 study in JAMA Oncology found that type 2 diabetes patients given semaglutide had a 44 per cent fall in the risk of bowel cancer (probably because of its anti-inflammatory effects) while last month scientists at Toulouse University Hospital in France reported a daily injection of semaglutide slowed the progression of Parkinson's disease.

'We've known for years from animal models that semaglutide has anti-inflammatory effects,' says Dr Miras.

'But the GLP-1 hormone also seems to protect against damage to nerve cells' - the kind of damage seen in Parkinson's and MS.

Sharon's daughter Kelly Osbourne has also used the weight-loss drug, but shared that she felt it had gone 'too far'

Q: Is it true Ozempic can stop you drinking?

One of the many varied effects of the drug seems to be that it can curb the desire to drink alcohol.

A 2023 study at Gothenburg University in Sweden found that rats given the drug consumed 60 per cent less than those not injected with semaglutide.

Similar research is underway at Oklahoma State University, involving 80 heavy drinkers, to see what effect weekly injections of the drug have over a three-month period.

It's not clear why the drug might make alcohol less appealing but one theory is it dampens down the 'reward' hit that the brain gets when alcohol is consumed  reducing the urge to keep drinking.

Q: What about side-effects?

Like all prescription medicines, semaglutide can have unpleasant consequences.

For example, studies show around one in 100 people develop gastroparesis (or stomach paralysis) where the stomach muscles become weakened or may even be paralysed, meaning food moves through the digestive system much slower than normal and in some cases it may not move at all. This can cause nausea, pain and bloating and it has been claimed in one report to trigger cyclic vomiting syndrome, where people vomit several times a day.

Around half those who develop gastroparesis also become constipated which can last six weeks or more.

It can also cause severe diarrhoea  some patients report soiling the bed at night.

Some also complain of foul-smelling 'rotten egg' burps. It may be because the drug increases the number of sulphur-producing bacteria in the gut, by altering the microbiome (the community of bacteria, viruses and other microbes that live there). Another theory is that because it slows the gastric-emptying process, food lingers for longer than normal  causing more unpleasant aromas.

Then there's so-called 'Ozempic face', an often-reported side-effect where accelerated facial ageing  more wrinkles and saggy skin  develops after a few months on the drug.

It's thought this is due to the rapid weight loss leading to a reduction in facial fat; when it disappears, the skin can appear to be saggier.

Perhaps more worrying is the suggested link with suicidal thoughts.

Latest figures from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency  the body that vets drug safety in the UK  show it has received over 100 reports since 2019 linking semaglutide with depression and 38 cases where it has allegedly triggered suicidal thoughts.

In one case, the drug has been blamed for a patient committing suicide.

However, it's not clear if the drug was actually responsible and a study published in journal Nature earlier this year by experts at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, which looked at the records of 1.8million people on the drugs, found no evidence of a link with suicidal thoughts.

Kelly Clarkson attributed her weight-loss to a prescription drug that helped her body break down sugar, but said it wasn't Ozempic

Q. What are the long-term risks?

Some patients on Ozempic for their type 2 diabetes for have reported significant side-effects such as pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), kidney failure, gall bladder inflammation and even vision problems while taking the drug.

And although the drop-out rate during clinical trials run by the drug's manufacturers was only around 8 per cent of patients, a study in the BMJ in 2022  which looked at 589 Britons who had been prescribed GLP-1 medications for type 2 diabetes  showed the drop-out rates in real life were 45 per cent after one year and 65 per cent at two years.

Nevertheless, Sir John Bell says: 'These drugs have been used for the treatment of diabetes for more than 15 years and we have a lot of experience with them  there's quite a big database on their safety and they work pretty well.'

Q: I'm tempted but how can I get the jab?

Wegovy (the weight loss version) is only available on the NHS if you have a BMI of at least 35. As a rough example, this could be a man who is 5ft 10in tall and weighs almost 18 stone. In exceptional circumstances, you may get it if you have a BMI of 30 (eg: a 5ft 3in woman who is 12 stone) but usually only if you have a range of other risk factors mainly for heart disease or stroke  such as high blood pressure.

It's also available privately from online pharmacies, starting at around 150 a month, but you will need a private prescription from a doctor first.

But be warned  you can currently only stay on the drug for two years  as the trials upon which the drug's approval were based only lasted two years. The SELECT study lasted four so now there are calls for this to be extended and most people regain at least some of the weight when they quit.

Q: But isn't Ozempic in short supply?

Some online pharmacies say they cannot take on new patients for Ozempic for several months due to long-running shortages of the drug. Instead, they are having to reserve the supplies they do have for existing patients. The charity Diabetes UK warned recently the supply issues are expected to run into 2025 and some new patients are struggling to get their medication despite being prescribed it.

Diabetes UK blamed the high level of 'off label' prescribing of the drugs Ozempic to those private patients desperate to use them for weight loss.

Q: I hate injections  can I get a tablet instead?

Semaglutide is already available in the UK as a pill called Rybelsus. But it's only available on prescription for people with diabetes, not for weight loss, and in a much higher dose than the weekly jab (50mg versus just 2.4mg in the injection). That's because taking it orally means much of the active medicine gets 'lost' or destroyed by stomach acid on its journey through the gut, before finally being absorbed into the bloodstream. With an injection, virtually all of the active ingredient is guaranteed to be absorbed into the bloodstream and then circulate to the brain.

Sir John Bell says: 'There are a series of oral drugs coming through which are going to be much cheaper than the injected form.'
READ MORE: Medical student, 26, almost drowned after he was shoved into lake

Drowning deaths are on the rise for the first time in decades, which officials call an 'urgent' public health issue.

Figures released Tuesday by the CDC found that rates of accidental drowning increased by nearly 30 percent from 2020 to 2022, the latest data available.

The rates were also highest in racial and ethnic minorities, with deaths highest in American Indians and increasing by over a quarter in black Americans.

The CDC also revealed that more than half of Americans have never had a formal swim lesson, and one in three black adults don't know how to swim.

The grim report serves as further evidence of pandemic lockdowns disadvantaging vulnerable groups such as black and Hispanic Americans, as the researchers blamed pools shutting down during Covid and a shortage of swim instructors.

Christopher Gilbert, 26, was left fighting for his life after co-workers pushed him into a lake, despite him not knowing how to swim

Gilbert, a medical student, had been underwater for at least 20 minutes, his mother told Fox8

The researchers noted that the findings come at a 'crucial' time just ahead of summer, when more Americans will be headed to their local pool.

They also were released just days after a medical student in Louisiana nearly drowned and was left fighting for his life after being pushed into a lake by his co-workers, despite him not knowing how to swim.

Dr Debra Houry, Chief Medical Officer at the CDC, told reporters at a Tuesday press briefing: 'It can happen to anyone any time water is present.'

'Preventative measures such as basic swimming and water safety skills training can reduce the risk of drowning. This kind of training is critical.'

The data is part of the latest CDC Vital Signs report, which looked at rates of accidental drownings from all sources. These include pools, bathtubs, and open bodies of water like lakes.

Dr Houry noted that despite decades of decreases, drowning rates increased by 28 percent from 2020 to 2022.

In 2019, there were 4,067 accidental drowning deaths, and every year available after that, there were over 4,500. The highest total so far was in 2021, with 4,677 deaths.

The CDC team noted that now is a 'crucial' time to release the statistics on increased drowning rates as more Americans head to their public pools

American Indian and Alaska natives had the highest rates of drowning, though Dr Houry said there was no significant increase during the study period.

However, drowning deaths for black Americans, the second-highest group, increased by 28 percent.

In 2022, there were 4,509 drowning deaths total, and 780 of those were in black people.

Additionally, one third of black Americans reported not knowing how to swim, and two-thirds said they never had a formal swim lesson.

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Three out of four Hispanic adults also said they never had swim lessons.

'It is concerning that there are increases in rates in some of these groups that were already disparately impacted,' Dr Houry said.

However, she noted that accidental drowning is most common in children ages one to four, and this is the number one cause of death among this age group.

Dr Houry and Dr Tessa Clemens, a health scientist in the CDC's Division of Injury Prevention, said that this increase starting in 2020 could be due to public pools shutting down during the pandemic, as well as a shortage of swim instructors.

They also noted that swim lessons can be expensive and pose financial burdens on minorities and those in rural areas.

Dr Houry said that the CDC is funding programs at the American Red Cross and YMCA to help lower the cost of lessons and make sure they are more accessible 'because it's so important to have that equitable access.'

The researchers recommended that young children be exposed to water as early as possible, and swim lessons should start between ages one to four. Even after those children learn to swim, the team recommended parents pay close attention to them while they are in the water.

'These are lives, not numbers,' Dr Houry said.
A Connecticut teenager was left 'traumatized' after her best friend poisoned her with fake weed that caused her to blackout and suffer seizures.

Alexa Weinbaum, then 16, was at a party when her best friend since childhood handed her what she believed to be marijuana in a bong.

It was actually a synthetic version that is 100 times more potent than cannabis and has been linked to cases of psychosis.

Ms Weinbaum, now 24, blacked out after one puff and said when she awoke she was being beaten by her friends. When she finally broke free and ran into the street for help, she suffered a series of seizures.

Alexa Weinbaum (24) from Connecticut was just 16 years old when her female best friend of two years tried to kill her after they were invited to a male friend's house to smoke marijuana.

In a psychotic state after being poisoned and beaten, Ms Weinbaum ran into the street screaming for help, and ended up having a series of seizures as well as life-threatening cardiac events

Ms Weinbaum said that in the moment she was 'just focused on surviving... I was terrified, I couldnt process that in the moment.'

When she broke free of the others, she ran into the street outside to flag down help.

Finally, a neighbor called 911, when she collapsed on the ground and had multiple consecutive seizures.

She needed urgent medical attention, including oxygen, an IV drip, and a battery of scans of her brain and heart to check for more acute, permanent damage

The substance she inhaled was K2. Doctors said there were also opiates in her system, which were probably laced in the synthetic marijuana.

She was in the hospital for several days and then had frequent visits for a few months afterward for various physical and mental related reasons.

K2, also known as spice, contains chemicals similar to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in cannabis but are much more potent.

It consists of spices and shredded plant material that is sprayed with synthetic cannabinoids, which the FDA has not tested for safety.

A study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics found about 19 percent of synthetic marijuana users had a seizure, compared to six percent of those who smoked cannabis.

In addition to leading to psychosis, confusion, anxiety, seizures, and rapid heart rate, synthetic cannabis can cause fainting, kidney failure, and reduced blood flow to the heart.

Heart issues have followed Ms Weinbaum for years after the attack.

She does not know for sure why her friend attacked her, but found out later that the friend had been groomed by the older man who handed her the poison.

Ms Weinbaum believes they conspired to kill her.

She said: 'Its such a complicated thing because while I still feel anger, I also have grown to understand that she was also a victim of grooming and abuse.'

She believed the attack may have also linked to an abusive relationship with the friend's brother. He had threatened to kill Ms Weinbaum in the past, but she was finally able to end the relationship.

Since the attack, she has shared her story about healing from trauma and begun a career of advocacy for crime victims.

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She founded Sound of Survivors, described as 'a platform dedicated to fostering ongoing discussions among survivors and providing essential resources to aid in their healing process.'

The attack was not the end. The people involved blackmailed her.

She said: Im not sure the exact number of people who blackmailed me since some happened anonymously, but the people in the room that day and people they knew, as well as other people who wanted to keep me quiet for their own interests.

I was told that if I said anything, explicit photographs of me would be shared, that Id be killed, that my family would be hurt, that they would spin the entire thing on me and Id get in trouble.

The people who she said carried out the assault were not convicted of a crime, though they were criminally charged.
Property firms say it will cut value of their developments but others disagree

Major housing firms have written to the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in a bid to halt the removal of a tax relief that will see investors pay more on big property purchases.

The Stamp Duty Land Tax Multiple Dwellings Relief is to be abolished in June, after being singled out during the Spring Budget in March.

This will affect landlords and home buyers who could have to pay tens of thousands more in tax when buying more than one home.

But now large rental property investors and advisors are also rallying against the change, claiming that it will cut the value of their properties by 4 per cent.

Abolished: The multiple dwellings relief was aimed at property buyers purchasing more than one property in a single transaction, and provided a stamp duty saving

What is multiple dwellings relief?

The tax break offers stamp duty relief on purchases of two or more properties in a single transaction, or in linked transactions.

It can be claimed on houses and flats bought at the same time, mixed-use properties such as shops with a flat above, or in some cases on annexes purchased alongside a main house.

The relief means that currently, a property investor purchasing three apartments from a developer at 350,000 each, would have to pay 46,500 in stamp duty.

However, once multiple dwellings relief is abolished in June, that same investor will have to pay 77,750.

This is because with the tax break included, the purchase of the three flats is treated separately rather than collectively for the purposes of SDLT.

The change in June means property investors who buy between two and five apartments in the same development as part of the same or a linked transaction will now have to pay an increased amount of tax.

Investors buying six or more properties, or a mixed-use property, will still be able to apply non-residential stamp duty rates, which are lower than residential rates, according to the accountancy firm, HW Fisher.

If for example a person purchased six properties for a total of 1,500,000, then applying the residential rates of stamp duty would lead to a bill of 91,250.

However, because they are buying at least six properties, they can apply the commercial rates of stamp duty. This results in a bill of 64,500, a significant saving.

How multiple dwellings relief works

You can claim relief when you buy more than one property if a transaction (or a number of linked transactions) include freehold or leasehold interests in more than one dwelling. If you claim relief, to work out the rate of tax HMRC charge: 1) Divide the total amount paid for the properties by the number of dwellings. 2) Work out the tax due on this figure. 3) Multiply this amount of tax by the number of homes. This is subject to a minimum rate of 1 per cent

What have property companies asked Jeremy Hunt?

The letter to Jeremy Hunt was sent by the British Property Federation and UK Single Family Association, on the behalf of almost 50 property firms.

The list of names at the bottom of the letter include firms such as property agents CBRE and JLL, investment manager Invesco and build-to-rent developers Grainger and Moda Group.

It labels the abolition of multiple dwellings relief as 'counterproductive' and warns it will 'result in fewer new homes being built and a drop in both domestic and overseas investment into UK housing delivery.'

The letter claims the removal of the tax break will have a particularly negative impact on the build to rent sector.

This is where corporate investors such as pension funds and insurance companies, partner with house builders and developers to build large-scale rental home developments. The investors then retain the homes rather than selling them on, essentially acting as corporate landlords.

These schemes have created new apartments and houses specifically designed for renters based in various towns and cities across the UK.

Rents are often more expensive than the market average due to amenities provided, such as gyms and communal lounges.

The letter to Hunt estimates that between 13,000 and 25,000 rental homes will no longer be built as a result of scrapping multiple dwellings relief.

This, it says, is because the changes to stamp duty will mean the value of the properties goes down.

Bad for building: Property companies say that if multiple dwellings relief is scrapped, fewer homes will be built for rent as their value will go down to make up for the tax increase

Even though they aren't designed for sale, the value of a build to rent development is still important to the owner because it impacts their ability to borrow money to build it, for example.

Stamp duty is also payable when a development is sold from one corporate owner to another.

Ian Fletcher, director of policy for real estate at the British Property Federation told This is Money: 'The main impact is on the valuations that go into development appraisals before a new build-to-rent project is even built.

'Getting rid of multiple dwellings relief reduces the price that a developer is able to sell the building to an institutional investor that is likely to be the ultimate owner.

'This erodes the developer's profit margin and results in fewer new BTR projects being viable.'

The letter states: 'It will increase the tax burden on building new rental homes, which will hurt viability through lower assumed sale values in investment calculations. Fewer homes will get built as a result.'

It also claims that abolishing multiple dwellings relief will impact new developments in areas with lower property values disproportionately.

It finishes by saying that keeping multiple dwellings relief for large-scale residential property acquisitions would support future home building across the country  not just the delivery of rental homes but also affordable and for-sale homes.

But others have questioned whether big property firms should continue to benefit from the tax relief.

Peter Bill is the author of Property Planet and co-author of Broken Homes: Britain's Housing Crisis: Faults, Factoids and Fixes

Peter Bill, the property author and commentator, says: 'Marvel at the brass neck of those who build vast student dormitories and towers stacked full of rental flats.

'Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is ending a widely-abused tax break on 1 June called multiple dwellings relief, which allows landlords buying between two and five properties to pay less stamp duty.

'An HMRC investigation found nearly half these claims were bogus.

'The rules offer another benefit. Student housing and build-to-rent firms have been able to budget for lower stamp duty costs when planning developments.

'The stamp duty for the whole development can be calculated on the average price of all the units, which is usually lower than the sum total of sales.'

Bill believes that the developers' claims that their properties will be devalued by 4 per cent should be taken with a pinch of salt.

'This is a bit of an exaggeration,' he adds. 'The British Property Federation argues the value of [developments] could be cut by up to 4 per cent as potential buyers could not claim multiple dwellings relief and would clip the price to cover for the extra tax.

'It claims that the real value of multiple dwellings relief is not in actually making a claim for it during planning, but in being able to plan a new development on the basis that such a claim may at some point be made.

'This convoluted reasoning dodges the fact that for every 1 rents rise above the budget forecast can add 15 to the value. Rents have soared in recent years.

'Sale prices are calculated as a multiple of the rent. The idea that developers will indulge in the scrapping of schemes today because the tax a buyer of the completed scheme might have to pay three or four years down the line is nothing more than fear mongering.'

'Too many spurious claims'

While large property firms are campaigning against the scrapping of multiple dwellings relief, most of those who have used it are landlords or home buyers.

This might include those buying multiple homes to knock together, or investors purchasing a few flats to rent out in the same block.

Multiple dwellings relief was introduced in 2011 to reduce a potential barrier to investment in residential property and promote private rented sector housing supply.

A report by HMRC, published in March, showed that it considered about 27,000 claims between 2019 and 2022.

Of these, about 20,000 were made by individuals and 7,000 by companies or others.

Nine in ten claims made by individuals were for between two and five units, as were 60 per cent of claims made by companies and others.

In fact the vast majority of of private individuals claimed the relief against the purchase of only two properties.

However, the evaluation carried out by HMRC found 'no strong evidence' that the relief plays a significant role in supporting residential property investment and that it has a minimal positive impact on overall housing supply or supply.

Thanks to the removal of multiple dwellings relief, the Treasury is anticipating a revenue boost of 385 million annually by 2028-29.

Henry Pryor, a professional buying agent believes the writing was on the wall for the tax break because it was frequently misused.

Henry Pryor, a professional buying agent and property expert says too many private buyers exploited MDR with spurious claims

'Whilst there will be a few portfolio buyers who will gnash their teeth about the passing of multiple dwellings relief, the blame can be squarely laid at those private buyers who exploited the opportunity with spurious claims for spaces like garages that they suggested could be used as separate dwellings,' he says.

'There's a story doing the rounds that one firm of tax advisors even tried to claim the relief for a green house.

'A new breed of tax advisor has emerged in the past decade offering home buyers advice to reclaim over-paid stamp duty.

'Because the sums are so large now many naive buyers have fallen for the snake-oil salesmen.

'HMRC has been slow to catch on but have not been as slow to catch up. Recovery and penalties have shot up and the change in the rules will be in large part down to this. '

Sam Dewes, a tax partner at HW Fisher adds: 'The relief was aimed at property buyers purchasing more than one dwelling in a transaction.

'Whilst it did provide a stamp duty saving for people in such circumstances, it did lead to a number of more spurious claims.

'Awareness of the relief was not that high, and the Chancellor mentions that it has not brought the intended benefits to the rental market making it a fairly easy revenue-raising adjustment for the Government.'
Anglo American has dug deep and come up with a convincing plan to preserve independence.

Word is that much of its strategy divestment of De Beers and Anglo American Platinum  was in place as part of a strategic review before Mike Henry of BHP arrived on the scene with his twice-repelled deal.

The intention of Anglo chief executive Duncan Wanblad was to hold back until the South African elections scheduled for May 29.

With its long and deep heritage before and post-apartheid, Anglo was sensitive not to be drawn directly into a toxic political debate.

What is plain is that Anglos relatively swift and remarkably detailed and cogent response reflected the determination of chairman Stuart Chambers to dispel the idea that he has never received a takeover approach he doesnt like.

No deal: Anglo American has turned down two takeover offers from rival BHP which is keen to get its hands on the UK mining giants copper assets

BHP will be discouraged by the ice cold response to what it regarded as a sensibly pitched second offer.

Henry recognises the potential dangers of becoming embroiled in a lengthy and complex takeover battle.

He has a disciplined approach to deal-making and knows that without Anglos board and big investors on side it could become messy.

BHP covets the copper assets which will be at the heart of a slimmed-down Anglo American. No one should rule out a return to the fray in six months.

This would be especially the case if Wanblads self-help plan should tumble down a mine shaft.

As with BHPs offer, there are several moving parts to Anglos strategy.

The headline catcher is the proposed sale of De Beers, for so long the sparking core in the Oppenheimer family era.

The highest price might come from a Gulf wealth fund fascinated by a luxury asset, albeit one with mines attached. There is a real opportunity here for London Stock Exchange and investors to show their keen support for a City listing.

An initial public offering, putting a potential value on the diamond interests of as much as 4billion, would reassert the UKs strength as a centre for natural resource companies.

Wanblad, his executives and advisers now face the challenge of execution.

There is a great deal of risk but perhaps less than for BHP. Divesting platinum to existing Anglo shareholders in South Africa will be possible without anti-trust and other regulatory flak.

There should be buyers for the coking coal steel operations. Glencore has been doubling down. It argues that better a known quoted firm is in charge of coal assets than an unknown entity.

Anglo has staked a great deal on Woodsmith, the vast British fertilizer project. It wants to remain engaged, will cut back on immediate capital investment, complete a feasibility exercise and then decide on next steps. Ideally, it would bring in partners to share development costs. There is a determination not to let go.

Too often when faced with a bid, UK-quoted companies fall at the first fence. Many find themselves exposed because of disinvestment by UK pension funds leaving assorted global investors, with little interest in heritage or the public interest, in control of the share register.

Anglo is showing resistance and its radical streamlining, an alternative to taking the money and running, is refreshing.

California dreaming

Full marks for the ambition of Jeremy Hunt who tells the FT that he would like to see Britain create a home-grown company valued at $1 trillion as part of his goal to create the next Silicon Valley.

Think again, Chancellor. At present the nearest thing we have is AstraZeneca, valued at $239billion (191billion) and if Theresa Mays government had its way, it would now nestle on the other side of the Atlantic as Pfizers plaything.

Each time the UK has a tech company of promise, it ends up in overseas or private equity hands.

Cambridge brainpower is a particular target with Arm, Aveva and Darktrace among exits from London listings.

AI pioneer Deep Mind left for Google a long time ago and self-driving trailblazer Wayve now has Softbank as its biggest financier. Good luck with that if the Arm experience is a blueprint.
Daniel Kretinsky  known as the Czech Sphinx  has until 5pm today to walk away or make a bid for Royal Mails parent company IDS

The future of Royal Mail hangs in the balance as the deadline looms for a Czech billionaire to make a takeover offer.

Daniel Kretinsky  known as the Czech Sphinx  has until 5pm today to walk away or make a bid for Royal Mails parent company International Distributions Services (IDS).

Last month IDS snubbed a 3.2billion  or 320p per share  offer from the tycoon,

The postal service said the offer undervalued the company, deeming it opportunistic.

Kretinsky, 48, already owns 27.5 per cent of IDS and co-owns West Ham United and holds a stake in Sainsburys.

But his firm EP Group has been working on an alternative offer to win over IDS.

A deal with EP Group would see Royal Mail taken into foreign ownership for the first time since it was established by Henry VIII in 1516.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt last month voiced concerns over the offer, saying there were lessons to be learned from the crisis at Thames Water. IDS shares lost 4.4 per cent yesterday.
Hundreds of jobs are at risk in North Yorkshire after the future of the UKs most ambitious mining project in a generation was thrown into doubt.

Anglo American said it would slash funding at the Woodsmith fertiliser mine as part of a radical strategy to convince shareholders it was right to reject two takeover bids from rival miner BHP.

Chief executive Duncan Wanblad has spent weeks plotting a survival plan that includes breaking up the company, including hiving off its diamond arm De Beers and platinum mines.

Wanblad has constantly lavished praise on Woodsmith, which was previously known as Sirius Minerals.

He told The Mail on Sunday in February he believes it could be the cornerstone of the entire company one day.

Job cuts: Anglo American said it would slash funding at the Woodsmith fertiliser mine near Sneatonthorpe in North Yorkshire (pictured)

Anglo still insists it is committed to Woodsmith  but the cuts are brutal.

The group was initially planning to spend 800million a year on Woodsmith between 2024 and 2026.

But it will now pump in just 160million in 2025  and nothing at all in 2026.

The first extraction of the fertiliser polyhalite from the mine was due in 2027 but will almost certainly be delayed, possibly by a couple of years.

Anglo wants to wait until it makes a final investment decision on the project next year before ploughing in more cash.

It has been following the opposite strategy until now, to the chagrin of institutional investors who have been sceptical about the vast cost overruns for a mine that will be digging up an unusual type of fertiliser that does not yet have a market.

Even when Anglo makes a final decision, it also wants to find a partner in the form of another investor who can share the cost in the future.

The cuts to Woodsmith were a surprise to investors but also to those working in the Woodsmith business, which is officially known as Crop Nutrients at Anglo.

The company is in uproar, with bosses stunned about the dramatic plans. Redundancies are expected, recruitment and new contracts frozen, and international travel will also be limited, the Mail understands.

Little is known about what specific activities will stop, though presumably there will be a pause at some point in the construction of the mine shafts. Nothing is confirmed, however.

Conservative MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Sir Simon Clarke said he was very concerned and that it will have significant implications for the dedicated workforce.

He claims there was no hint of what was afoot when he had a call with Anglo last week to discuss the companys position following the BHP takeover offers.

As well as hitting Woodsmiths 1,600-strong workforce, small businesses in the area who supply the mine also face uncertainty. But sadly for locals, this is just the latest disappointing turn for a mine that was promised to transform the area and its economy.

Sirius Minerals bought the mine area in 2011. The businesss boss Chris Fraser and his team spent years negotiating mineral rights with farmers and drumming up support in the community.

The scale of the mine and their ambition saw thousands of locals plough savings and pensions into the project once it listed on the stock market, where it fast became a retail favourite. It counted 85,000 individual investors at one point and was in the FTSE 250 from 2017 to 2019.

But the scale of funding needed became the companys undoing. The infrastructure required is huge  including two shafts that are both a mile deep as well as a 23-mile tunnel, which is longer than the Channel Tunnel.

The plan was to dig up polyhalite from under the North York Moors National Park, then transport it underground to be processed to Teesside and shipped abroad. Raising the cash for this gargantuan construction effort proved too difficult after the Government refused to underwrite a huge funding package.

The company almost folded but was rescued by Anglo American in a cut-price 405million takeover in 2020.

The deal wiped out the investments of many retail shareholders who snapped up stock when it was booming.

Many of these were Yorkshire locals who felt emotionally invested in the project, which promised to bring jobs and money to a deprived area of the North East that was previously an industrial heartland.

I think the locals will feel cheated again, a resident who has worked at Woodsmith told the Mail yesterday.

We could never see this mine being completed.

The amount of money wasted is horrendous.

Cliff Weight, an adviser to shareholder advocacy group ShareSoc, said the community would feel very confused by Anglos mixed messages about the mine.

Its a tragedy, Weight added yesterday. It is hugely emotive locally  for that area this is similar to the Post Office scandal.
Flutters boss  who is moving the companys main stock market listing to New York  said axing stamp duty on share trading would make London more competitive.

Peter Jackson, chief executive of the gambling company behind Paddy Power and Betfair, said more could be done to bolster the stock market and stop firms fleeing over the Atlantic.

Flutter is ditching its primary listing in London this month and after investors backed its plan to move its main share trading hub to New York.

The move on May 31 will see it leave the FTSE 100. When asked could be done to reignite enthusiasm in the London stock market, Jackson said: How much time do you have?

He explained that cutting stamp duty on share trading would be a game-changer and make the UK more appealing.

Flutter chief exec Peter Jackson (pictured) said more could be done to bolster the stock market and stop firms fleeing over the Atlantic.

Critics argue it is deterring investment in London-listed companies. Jackson said abolishing stamp duty on share trading would have big impact on the volume of shares traded.

He said: Weve seen a considerable uplift in the number of our shares that are traded daily as a result of our secondary listing in New York, and we expect that to step up when we get our primary listing shift at end of month.

And the more shares that are traded, if youre an investor looking to take a position in a company, youre more confident to take a bigger position as you know you can get in and out without disturbing the share price.

Investors pay 0.5 per cent in stamp duty on the price of UK-listed shares they buy  but the tax does not apply to the purchase of shares in foreign companies.

It means a saver who buys 10,000 of shares in FTSE 100 giants such as Rolls-Royce or Marks & Spencer pays 50 in tax but they pay nothing at all to make the same investment in New York-listed Tesla or Amazon.

This has meant a growing number of firms are looking towards the US.

Stephen Bird, chief executive of asset manager Abrdn, recently branded the tax as unpatriotic as it is economically destructive and argued its removal could be the single biggest boost to UK share ownership.

Flutter shares fell 2 per cent yesterday.
Police referred a medical school student to the prosecution Tuesday for investigation and potential indictment on the charge of murdering his girlfriend last week for allegedly breaking up with him.

The suspect, identified only by his family name Choi, 25, was arrested for allegedly stabbing his girlfriend to death on the rooftop of a building in southern Seoul around 5 p.m. on May 6.

Choi, who goes to a prestigious medical school in Seoul, did not respond to reporters' questions as he was whisked away from Seocho Police Station in southern Seoul at 8:40 a.m.

During the police investigation, Choi said he committed the crime because she told him she wanted to break up.

The two reportedly had frequent disputes recently about the breakup, a police official said.

The police suspect Choi had premeditated the murder as he purchased a knife two hours beforehand and changed his clothes immediately after the crime, accusations of which police say Choi has conceded.

Autopsy results of the victim showed she died of excessive bleeding from the stab wounds, officials said.

Meanwhile, the police decided not to disclose the identity of the suspect, given the concerns of the bereaved family that it could lead to leaks of information about the victim.

The police said it plans to conduct a psychopath test on Choi. (Yonhap)
Together, we Britons hold more than 900billion in easy access accounts, ideal for dipping into when we need to plunder our savings.

If were listening to financial advisers, its where we stash around three to six months salary.

Now an easy access account with a twist is surging in popularity: the limited access deal. Last week Paragon came out with a new version that propelled it to the top of the easy access savings best buy tables.

> Get 5.78% with this 365-day notice account that beats top one-year fixes

Popular: With limited access accounts you can withdraw money between two and four times a year. You can go over the limit but then your rate will plummet for the rest of the year

With limited access accounts you can withdraw money between two and four times a year.

You can go over this limit but your rate will plummet for the rest of the year. Or you must close the account to get hold of more of your money.

You can, for example, keep 5,000 in an ordinary easy access account which you can dip into as you see fit (shoes! theatre! paddleboard!).

But for the rest, including planned expenditure such as on flights and holidays or a new car, these limited access accounts can serve you well.

Providers also benefit because the money is more likely to stay in the account than in an ordinary easy access account.

The Paragon Double Access Account Issue 7 pays 5.05 per cent, available online with a minimum 1,000, and lets you make two withdrawals every 12 months.

Its way ahead of the average ordinary easy access account at 3.11 per cent, say data scrutineers at Moneyfactscompare.

You can make more withdrawals but you pay a hefty price if you do. Your rate drops to 1.5 per cent for the rest of the year.

Once the 12 months is up, your rate resets at the higher rate on the anniversary of your opening your account.

Yorkshire BS pays 5 per cent on its Rainy Day Saver account on balances up to 10,000. You can make as many withdrawals as you like but only on two days a year.

If you need to make more you can close the account.

Some of the best ordinary easy access savings accounts pay over 5 per cent. The new Oxbury Bank Easy Access Limited Edition stands at 5.02 per cent but you need to keep at least 20,000 in the account.

Savers can expect these rates to fall when the Bank of England base rate goes down from its current 5.25 per cent which could be as early as June 20.

Supermarket banks ready to check out

When Tesco Bank and Sainsburys Bank came on the scene nearly 30 years ago, they threatened the big banks.

Suddenly you could open savings accounts online, by phone or even doing the weekly shop.

But they stopped operating in store years ago and are set to retreat further. Sainsburys Bank meted out huge cuts this week in the fixed rate bonds it offers new customers. Its two-year rate is down from 4.2 per cent to 2.5 per cent for new savers.

Its variable rates for new accounts are also down by 0.9 percentage points. Its cash Isa rate has fallen from 4.4 per cent to 3.5 per cent.

The Bank of England held the base rate at 5.25 per cent so its hard to see the cuts as anything other than a winding down of its savings arm.

Meanwhile, Barclays is in the throes of buying Tesco Bank and plans to offer Tesco-branded savings products.
Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones is the most prominent member of the Royal Family you've probably never heard of.

The second child of David, 2nd Earl of Snowdon, and Serena, Countess of Snowdon, Lady Margarita is currently 26th in line to the throne and occupies that bridge between royalty and normality.

Princess Margaret's only granddaughter has been there at all the key moments, from joining her great-aunt Queen Elizabeth II at Trooping the Colour to walking to church at Sandringham hand-in-hand with Prince William.

More recently she was among the sombre mourners who gathered at Westminster Abbey to bid a final farewell to Her Majesty at her State Funeral in 2022.

Last year, she dazzled in couture on the cover of Tatler, telling the publication: 'I love fashion. I have always had an interest in it, and I love experimenting with styles.'

Turning 22 today, Lady Margarita runs her own jewellery brand called Matita, creating handmade pieces that are inspired by the natural world.

From a young age she displayed an interest in fashion and aged 14 attended the Dior Cruise show at Blenheim Palace.

Often sharing items with her stylish mother, the Countess of Snowden, her most memorable outfits often include delicate fascinators and headpieces atop designer dresses.

Now, as she celebrates her birthday, we take a look back at some of her most momentous fashion occasions.

Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones, who turns 22 today, runs her own jewellery brand called Matita, creating handmade pieces inspired by the natural world

A Matita coral necklace made by Lady Margarita and also modelled by her

Prince Philip Memorial Service

Seated behind Kate Middleton for the memorial service of Prince Philip in 2022, Lady Margarita cut a stylish figure in a puff sleeve midi dress by fashion forward designer Ulla Johnson.

Adding detail through her millinery she topped the ensemble with an intricate Rachel Trevor-Morgan headpiece.

Lady Margarita stood out at Prince Philip's Memorial service wearing a dress by Ulla Johnson and a stunning headpiece by the Queen's hat maker, Rachel Trevor-Morgan

Tatler's Little Black Book Party 2022

Resplendent in Michael Kors Collection crystals and a white faux fur coat, Lady Margarita chose Hollywood glamour in a mirror-image look of her late grandmother, Princess Margaret, for Tatler's Little Black Book Party in 2022.

It was in 1951 when Princess Margaret was pictured at a Leicester Square movie premiere in a beaded gown and white fur stole with the same high-octane elegance.

Lady Margarita stunned at the Tatler's Little Black Book party wearing a Michael Kors Collection crystals dress and a white faux fur coat, similar to one worn by her grandmother, Princess Margaret

The King's Coronation

The granddaughter of Princess Margaret wore a crepe pink creation by Parisian designer Beatrice Ferrant featuring taffeta and silk tulle, as well as a cropped jacket for the King's Coronation.

The look was completed with coordinating shoes from Beatrice Ferrant and a headband in the same hue as her dress made of silk tulle and feathers by Stephen Jones.

Lady Margarita wore crepe pink creation by Parisian designer Beatrice Ferrant featuring taffeta and silk tulle to King Charles's Coronation in May 2023

The look was completed with coordinating heels from Beatrice Ferrant and headpiece by Stephen Jones

Queen Elizabeth Coffin Procession

Lady Margarita dressed in sombre black when joining members of the royal family to escort the late monarch's coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall in September 2022.

Dressed up in a designer ensemble, she chose a chic Christian Dior jacket topped with a Rachel Trevor Morgan veiled headpiece.

Standing with her brother and cousin, Lady Margarita looked elegant in a Christian Dior jacket as they escorted Queen Elizabeth II's coffin to Westminster Hall in 2022

Lady Margarita finished this exquisite look with a Rachel Trevor Morgan headpiece

Easter Sunday Church Service

Lady Margarita attended the 2022 traditional Easter Sunday Church service at St George's Chapel in a recycled Etro paisley dress and Mary Jane pumps.

Sharing the piece with her mother, the Countess of Snowden, who previously stepped out in the frock for Princess Eugenie's wedding, Margarita was a vision of boho chic with her floral headpiece.

Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones attended the traditional Easter Sunday Church service wearing an Etro dress at St Georges Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle in 2022

Her mother, Countess of Snowden wore stepped out in the same dress for Prince Eugenie's wedding

Prince Harry's Wedding

Arriving at Prince Harry and Meghan's nuptials in 2018, Lady Margarita was elegantly dressed in a monochrome dress and bolero jacket with a matching fascinator.

Seen before on the Countess of Snowden, the ivory dress with black piping neatly nipped in at the waist and flared into an A-line skirt.

Arriving at Prince Harry and Meghan's nuptials in 2018, Lady Margarita was elegantly dressed in a monochrome dress and bolero jacket with a matching fascinator. Seen before on the Countess of Snowden, the ivory dress with black piping neatly nipped in at the waist and flared into an A-line skirt

Royal Ascot 2018

Dressed for the races in 2018, Lady Margarita went high fashion in a striking dress by British fashion designer Burberry.

She once again borrowed from her mother's wardrobe she recycled her large feather fascinator, giving the floral frock a stylish edge.

Lady Margarita wore British label Burberry for day four at Ascot in 2018. Above: She receives a kiss from her great aunt the Queen

She wore one of her mother's headpieces, giving the floral frock a stylish edge

Princess Eugenie's Wedding

Attending the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank at St George's Chapel in Windsor in 2018, Lady Margarita displayed her flair for accessories.

Turning to Kate Middleton's milliner of choice, she chose a Rachel Trevor Morgan navy netted fascinator with pom poms to accessorise her monochrome look.

Lady Margarita with her brother and father for the wedding of Princess Eugenie

Lord Snowdon Memorial

As the royals paid their respects to Lord Snowdon in 2017, it was Lady Margarita who stood out with her bold accessories.

Her white broderie anglaise dress and monochrome fascinator was complemented with a personalised Edie Parker clutch emblazoned with her name.

The Queen was delighted to see her sister's granddaughter, Lady Margarita at Lord Snowdon's memorial service in 2017

Tatler's Little Black Book Party 2023

Stepping away from her usual ensembles, Lady Margarita made a statement in paisley print as she celebrated Tatler with a night of cocktails and cabaret in 2022.

The silk co-ord featured a bold collar trimmed in pink and was teamed with a quirky Corita Rose clutch and jewelled pumps.

Stepping away from her usual ensembles, Lady Margarita made a statement in paisley print as she celebrated Tatler with a night of cocktails and cabaret in 2022

Queen's Diamond Jubilee

Leaving the Queen's Diamond Jubilee thanksgiving service at St. Paul's Cathedral, Lady Margarita was dressed in a shirt dress and cardigan with coordinating hair bow as she walked down the steps with her mother dressed in Louis Vuitton.

Showing her early love for jewellery, she decorated her look with a beautiful brooch.

Leaving the Queen's Diamond Jubilee thanksgiving service at St. Paul's Cathedral, Lady Margarita was dressed in a shirt dress and cardigan with coordinating hair bow as she walked down the steps with her mother dressed in Louis Vuitton

Peter Phillips' Wedding

Waving to the waiting crowds, Lady Margarita joined her smartly dressed parents and older brother on the steps of St George's Chapel, Windsor, following the wedding of Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly in 2008.

Dressed in a broderie anglaise dress, matching bow and Mary Jane pumps she was angelic in white.

Dressed in a broderie anglaise dress, matching bow and Mary Jane pumps

Prince William and Kate Wedding

As Kate stunned in her lace Alexander McQueen gown, she was accompanied by four adorable bridesmaids including Lady Margarita.

Wearing an ivy and lily-of-the-valley hair wreath designed by Shane Connolly and a Nicki Macfarlane ballerina-length pleated dress with lace trimmed puff sleeves, Lady Margarita was the oldest of the bridesmaids at eight years old.
Americans overwhelmingly want Congress to investigate whether the wave of prosecutions against Donald Trump amount to interference in the 2024 presidential race, a new poll shows.

The DailyMail.com/TIPP survey shows that 59 percent of people want lawmakers to probe what was behind the wave of multiple cases against the Republican candidate.

Another 29 percent of respondents said they were against any such investigation, and 11 percent said they were not sure.

The survey of more than 1,400 US adults comes as Trump's fixer-turned-foe Michael Cohen gives evidence against his former boss in his hush money payments trial in New York City.

Voters overwhelmingly say Congress should examine what's behind the wave of Trump prosecutions

Trump's fixer-turned-foe Michael Cohen is giving evidence against his former boss in Manhattan

The results show broader-than-expected public support for Trump's claim that he's enduring a 'witch hunt' masterminded by President Joe Biden and other rivals.

'This trial is rigged, it's dishonest,' Trump said outside his Manhattan courthouse this week.

'I should be out campaigning now, instead of sitting in a very cold courthouse. This is a Biden prosecution. It's election interference at a level that nobody in this country has ever seen before.'

Trump has repeatedly said, without evidence, that the prosecutions against him are a sham.

As well as the New York hush money prosecution, he faces federal cases for conspiring to overturn his 2020 election defeat to Biden and for retaining classified documents after he left the White House.

In Georgia, Trump is accused of illegally trying to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state. He is also appealing against a $454 million penalty in a civil lawsuit over falsified business records.

Republican lawmakers have raised concerns about the raft of prosecutions.

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik has written to the Justice Department, calling for an investigation into Trump's federal prosecutor Jack Smith for breaking department standards and ethical duties.

'We need a formal investigation ASAP by the House,' says ex-Trump strategist Steve Bannon

Trump is being prosecuted for keeping classified files after leaving the White House, among other offenses

Prosecutors also accuse the former president of making hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels

In Georgia, Trump and several co-defendants have asked for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to be kicked off the case, over claims she had a romantic relationship with another prosecutor in the case.

But only recently have there been calls for a broader assessment of any shadiness behind the wave of prosecutions against Trump.

Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon has in recent weeks called for the Republican-led House to launch an investigation into the various cases.

'We need a formal investigation ASAP by the House,' he said on his WarRoom show.

'We need people subpoenaed, we need documents preserved, and we need witnesses called in, not behind closed doors.'

Our nationwide survey of 1,435 respondents shows broad support for Bannon's probe.

The congressional investigation is particularly popular among men, young adults, blacks and Hispanics, and those living in the US South.

There is also a partisan divide, with nearly three quarters of Republican voters saying the prosecutions should be probed.

Still, more than half of Democrats felt the same way.

The nationwide survey has a +/-2.7 percent error margin. It was carried out earlier this month by TIPP, which has been noted for the accuracy of its polls.
Labor is promising to halve immigration levels within a year and address the rental crisis by forcing universities to build more international student accommodation.

A record 548,800 migrants on a net basis moved to Australia in the year to September and Treasurer Jim Chalmers has admitted the huge influx of international students has caused a severe housing shortage.

With an election due within a year, the Treasury is now expecting the immigration intake for 2023/24 to shrink to 395,000.

By the end of 2024/25, the foreign inflow was expected to halve to just 260,000  down from 528,000 in 2022/23.

But over the five years to 2027/28, 1.38million migrants on a net basis are still expected to move to Australia.

Labor is promising to halve immigration levels within a year and address the rental crisis by forcing universities to build more international student accommodation

A huge influx of international students since Australia reopened after the Covid pandemic in late 2021 has sparked a housing crisis, with capital city rental vacancy rates now under one per cent, sparking double-digit annual increases in weekly leases.

Dr Chalmers used his third Budget speech on Tuesday night to admit the huge influx of international students under Labor's watch had worsened the housing crisis.

'Australia's international education sector is a national asset. But for too long, enrolments have grown without being matched by an increase in student housing supply,' he said.

'This puts pressure on prices and rents, especially in our cities and suburbs.

'It makes finding housing harder for everyone. We have a more substantial, more sustainable approach.'

Dr Chalmers announced universities would need to build more housing for international students if they wanted to keep relying on their upfront fees for a lucrative revenue stream.

With construction workers in short supply, it is hoped forcing universities to build more accommodation would make it harder for the higher education sector to accept so many enrolments.

International students make up the bulk of long-term arrivals in the immigration figures, with the permanent intake of migrants capped at 190,000.

'If universities want to take more international students, they must build more student accommodation,' Dr Chalmers said.

'We will limit how many international students can be enrolled by each university based on a formula, including how much housing they build.'

From July, Labor wants 1.2million homes built over five years but last year, just 168,690 new homes were built  a level well short of the 240,000 a year needed to house the fastest growing population since the early 1950s.

A record 548,800 migrants on a net basis moved to Australia in the year to September and Treasurer Jim Chalmers has admitted the huge influx of international students has caused a severe housing shortage

The government is also cracking down on the quality standards of vocational education providers by ensuring 70 per cent of international student graduates are employed after graduation in 2024/25.

Education is Australia's biggest service export and the third biggest overall after coal, iron ore and natural gas.

Labor is also axing the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, which has seen asylum seekers use the court system to gain permanent residency.

It is establishing a new Administrative Review Tribunal to replace the AAT 'to address court backlogs associated with high numbers of applications for judicial review of migration decisions'.

But this comes at a cost with $1billion to be set aside over five years from 2023-24 to fund this new Administrative Review Tribunal.
A scorned Lynette Simms may have voluntarily left her husband and their two children because of his affair with a teenage babysitter, Chris Dawson's lawyer has argued as he fights his conviction for her murder.

The former rugby league star and ex-teacher has returned to a Sydney courtroom two years after he was jailed for the murder of his wife Lynette Simms, who disappeared more than 40 years ago.

Dawson has taken his case to the state's highest court - the Court of Criminal Appeal - in an effort to have his conviction overturned and be released from prison.

Ms Simms disappeared from her Bayview home, which she shared with Dawson and their two young children, in January 1982.

Dawson's barrister Belinda Rigg SC told the court that Dawson's conviction ought to be quashed because of the unavailability of key evidence and witnesses four decades on from the time of the offence.

Chris Dawson (pictured) is trying to get his murder conviction overturned. He maintains his wife Lynette Simms could have run away

She added it could not be established beyond a reasonable doubt that Ms Simms was not alive after her last known contact on Friday January 8, 1982.

The former Newtown Jets rugby league player was sentenced to 24 years in prison, with an 18-year non-parole period, after Supreme Court judge Ian Harrison found him guilty of murder on circumstantial evidence.

Justice Harrison found that Dawson killed his wife to be with a young student, JC, who moved into Dawson's Gilwinga Drive home in the days following.

Ms Simms' body has never been found and she has never contacted her friends or family, including her two children.

'REASONABLE POSSIBILITY'

Ms Rigg on Tuesday morning told the court that there was evidence that Dawson was willing to carry on his relationship with JC even if he stayed married to Ms Simms.

'He was no doubt capable of continuing that relationship if JC was willing, regardless of his wife either living with Mr Dawson or more likely separated from her,' Ms Rigg said.

Dawson's legal team argues that the only impediment to his relationship with JC was the young woman's wish to call it off rather than the fact he was married.

The court was told that before Christmas 1981, Dawson and JC packed up his car and attempted to move to Queensland; however, she became ill, asked him to return to Sydney and subsequently expressed a desire to leave him.

'Lynette was never an impediment as far as JC was concerned,' Ms Rigg said.

'And (Dawson) demonstrated himself to be well prepared to lose his relationship with his wife if JC would continue the relationship with him.'

The court was told that in early 1982, JC travelled to South West Rocks in northern NSW to holiday with friends and her sisters and was asked to call him at his home every day.

During the trial, the court was also told that on the day she was last seen, Ms Simms attended marriage counselling with Dawson.

The mother of two girls went missing in 1982 when she was only 34 (pictured an undated picture of Lynette Simms and Chris Dawson)

Dawson later told detectives that on that Friday evening, he fixed his wife a glass of wine and was upbeat about the prospects of resolving their problems.

'It was supposed to be a sexy celebration,' Dawson told detectives in 1991.

Ms Rigg raised the scenario that JC had phoned Dawson at home on that evening and that prompted Ms Simms to decide to leave him the following day.

'Ms Dawson's heart was wholly committed to the applicant, and she had little control as of 8 and 9 January 1982 over what would happen in her marriage,' Ms Rigg said.

'And a decision to leave her home to think things through and demonstrate to the applicant her dissatisfaction is clearly a reasonable possibility.'

THE POOL

During a 1991 police interview, 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.

Dawson told police that while at work he received a long-distance phone call from his wife saying that she needed time away.

Lynette Simms has never contacted family, friends or her 'adored' two daughters since she went missing in January 1982

Ms Rigg told the court on Monday there was a 'reasonable possibility based on the evidence' that Ms Simms was alive on the afternoon of January 9, 1982 and that she made the phone call to the Northbridge Baths.

Dawson has maintained that his wife walked out on him and their children - despite the court hearing that she underwent a procedure to conceive a child.

Justice Christine Adamson on Monday questioned whether it was plausible that she would have walked out on the family given there was evidence that she was 'really desperate to be a mother' and 'adored' her daughters.

THE 40-YEAR DELAY

Central to Dawson's appeal, which will be heard over three days, is his claim that he suffered a 'significant forensic disadvantage' owing to the nearly 40 years between his wife's disappearance and the matter going to trial.

Several witnesses, including Sue Butlin, who died in May 1988, were unable to give evidence at his highly publicised trial in 2022.

Ray Butlin - a Dawson family friend - told the court during the trial that his former wife Sue worked a weekend job at a fruit and vegetable shop on the Pacific Highway at Kulnura on the Central Coast.

Ray Butlin (pictured) gave evidence that his former wife had seen Ms Simms after her disappearance

Mr Butlin told the court that Ms Butlin had told him that she saw Ms Simms during one of her shifts, after the date of her disappearance.

'The substance was that (Ms Butlin) saw a person that she believed was Lyn Dawson,' Mr Butlin said during the trial.

'She walked towards her and the woman proceeded, without turning around, and got into a car and drove off.'

Ms Rigg told the court that Ms Butlin never made a police statement and Dawson lost the prospect of her coming to court to contribute to a reasonable doubt.

'The only evidence to be placed before a court by a witness was a hearsay account by her husband of a conversation which occurred 40 years earlier,' Ms Rigg said.

Another key witness who died before the matter went to trial was Phillip Day, who was present at the Northbridge Baths on the afternoon Ms Simms did not arrive to meet her family.

He gave a statement to police in February 2001 in which he said he saw Dawson being summoned to the pool office and when he returned Dawson said he had received a call from Ms Simms.

In a grounds of appeal, Dawson's lawyers argue he suffered a 'miscarriage of justice' because Justice Harrison found beyond a reasonable doubt that he did not receive a phone call from his wife.

Ms Rigg told the court that because of the passage of time, phone records had been lost.

She said Dawson 'could have received a call from his wife from the Central Coast' saying she needed time away.

Chris Dawson (pictured) said he had hoped to resolve relationship issues with his wife

However Justice Adamson - one of three judges who is hearing the appeal - pointed out that in his judgment, Justice Harrison had explicitly said he had taken into account the significant delay.

'I must remain constantly vigilant to identify and make allowance for the possibility that Mr Dawson's ability adequately to respond to the Crown case may have been unfairly compromised by the fact that he faces a trial for murder in 2022 and not 1982,' Justice Harrison wrote.

During the trial, the Crown prosecution argued that Dawson 'cunningly' arranged for Mr Day to be present at the pool to drive his children to Ms Simms' mother's house that day.

Ms Rigg told the court it was never suggested during the trial that some other woman may have made a long-distance phone call to Dawson at the pool.

'There was no one else suggested who might have called (Dawson) there, far less an STD call,' she said.

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 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.

His non-parole period is due to expire in August 2041, by which time he will be 93 years old.

New 'no body, no parole' laws passed by NSW parliament - dubbed 'Lyn's law' - mean that Dawson will not be paroled until he reveals where Ms Simms is buried.

The hearing before Justices Julie Ward, Anthony Payne and Christine Adamson continues.
World famous porn star Angela White has revealed the content she is most likely to earn the most from, while opening up about the wild ways in which the adult film industry has changed over the years.

The 39-year-old adult entertainer, who has been in the industry for almost 20 years, said any particularly risque scenes that require more preparation on her part will always bring in more money for her because of the extra time required for her to get ready.

White added that before she found out that these particularly intimate scenes could fetch her a higher paycheck, she wasn't all that enthused to do them, particularly because certain shoots would require her to cut back on eating before she did them.

White has been in porn since she was 18 and over her lengthy career, she's seen the industry change immensely.

World famous porn star Angela White has revealed the content she is most likely to earn the most from

The 39-year-old, who has been in the industry for almost 20 years, said that any particularly risque scenes that require more preparation on her part will always bring in more money

Back when she got her start, DVDs were king. Then the rise of the internet and websites like PornHub in the late aughts made things a lot easier.

White also pointed out that the internet made it easier for people to pirate porn.

'When porn became more easily accessible that was actually really bad for the adult industry because piracy and torrenting meant that there was less money for the industry, which also meant less money for performers,' she said.

OnlyFans is the latest evolution of internet porn, where anyone can create an account and post their own self-directed content to their audience.

White, who is in the top 0.01 per cent of OnlyFans creators, said the online platform has had a positive impact on 'the entire porn industry.'

'The great thing about OnlyFans is that its behind a paywall so now fans need to pay if they want access to the content,' White said, adding that she herself makes way more money on OnlyFans than through traditional porn shoots.

White accepts the award for Female Performer of the Year at the 2019 Adult Video News Awards at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada

White has said 'I do very well for myself' on OnlyFans, where she is in the top 0.01 percent of creators

White said OnlyFans isn't a 'get-rich-quick scheme' but also said that people can earn substantial amounts of money on the platform if they strike it big

Beyond it being a financial boon to adult performers and models, she said the way OnlyFans is structured empowers them to have ownership over their content.

Of course, not everyone on the platform will reach the top 0.01 per cent of performers, and White said that OnlyFans isn't a 'get-rich-quick scheme' as some have pitched it to be.

'Just because somebody says they're in the top 0.01 per cent doesn't mean that money came easily. There's a lot of work that goes into that,' White said. 'If you're starting with no brand, you're going to have to build that brand up.'

But for those who do make it, she said it can be 'really good money.'

It's not clear how much White makes on OnlyFans, but celebrities have thrown out shocking monthly hauls on the platform.

Bella Thorne earns roughly $11 million per month on OnlyFans, while Cardi B claimed to make over $9 million monthly back in 2021.
Over 70,000 students in Long Island schools will soon be protected by armed guards as districts increase security in the wake of a 2018 mass shooting.

At least 17 districts already have armed guards at their schools with more planning to add them, according to an analysis by Newsday.

Schools have heightened their security in the wake of the devastating mass shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas school in Parkland, Florida.

Gunman Nikolas Cruz, aged 19 at the time, killed 14 students and three teachers during his six-minute attack on February 14, 2018.

The decision to install armed guards on campuses is controversial, with parents questioning whether the resources would be better spent on mental health programs.

At least 17 districts already have armed guards at their schools with more planning to add them, according to an analysis by Newsday

Schools have heightened their security in the wake of a 2018 shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas school

Districts across Long Island from the largest, including Smithtown and Half Hollow Hills, to the smallest, including Montauk and Tuckahoe, have already brought in armed guards.

Two other districts, Farmingdale and Rocky Point, are planning to add guards.

In total, the districts cover more than 70,000 students.

The associated costs vary greatly depending on the number of guards needed, size of the district and which contractor the is used.

In Half Hollow Hills the estimated cost for a private company is $1 million a year, while in West Islip, which uses its own employees, the additional cost for 12 armed guards is about $100,000 a year.

The number of schools with armed guards has increased dramatically in the past six years according to the analysis, with more schools stepping up security in the wake of the devastating Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting.

Many parents and teachers disagree over the decision, saying that the money spent on armed guards would be better spent on preventative measures including mental health support in schools.

Bob Vecchio, executive director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association, told Newsday: 'If it was a perfect world, we wouldn't have to worry about this, but we do.'

He added: 'It's a sad reality but it is the reality.'

In Half Hollow Hills the estimated cost for a private security company is $1 million a year

Costs vary greatly depending on the number of guards, size of the district and which contractor the area uses

The massacre carried out by Cruz is the deadliest mass shooting that has ever gone to trial in the U.S.

Cruz's jury could not unanimously agree he deserved the death penalty. The 24-year-old former Stoneman Douglas student was then sentenced to life in prison.

During the three-month trial, the prosecution had argued Cruz's crime was both premeditated as well as heinous and cruel, which are among the criteria that Florida law establishes for deciding on a death sentence.

Cruz's defense team had acknowledged the severity of his crimes, but asked jurors to consider his lifelong mental health disorders resulting from his biological mother's substance abuse during pregnancy.

During their seven hours of deliberation, jurors only asked for a readback of one testimony - the prosecution's cross-examination of a defense psychologist who said Cruz suffers from fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

They later requested to see the AR-15 that Cruz used in the shootings.

Nikolas Cruz is seen on security footage inside school in 2018 when he carried out rampage

People are brought out of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School after the shooting

Cruz had said he chose Valentine's Day to make it impossible for Stoneman Douglas students to celebrate the holiday ever again.

Almost exactly a year before the rampage, he purchased his AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle and his planning became serious about seven months in advance as he researched previous mass shooters, saying he tried to learn from their experience.

In his guilty plea, he said he was 'very sorry' and asked to be given a chance to help others.

The shooting stunned the nation and reignited debate on gun control since Cruz had legally purchased the gun he used despite his history of mental issues.

On March 24, 2018, nationwide marches inspired by school shooting survivors and parents of victims brought together 1.5 million people - the largest public turnout ever in defense of stricter gun control laws in America.
How's that for a non-royal royal tour?

A whiplash 72-hour visit to Nigeria saw Harry and Meghan as if on official business  as though they were still working royals, pressing the flesh in pursuit of soft power.

I'm sorry: Wasn't Megxit spurred, in no small part, by their desire to avoid such ceremonial drudgeries? By what the Gruesome Twosome clearly saw as the pointlessness of diplomatic photo ops, ribbon-cuttings, speeches given in drab rooms to little effect?

'I can't believe I'm not getting paid for this.'

That was Meghan Markle during her official 2018 royal tour of Australia, as reported by Valentine Low in his book 'Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown.'

'Although she enjoyed the attention', Low wrote, 'Meghan failed to understand the point of all those walkabouts, shaking hands with countless strangers.'

Walkabouts are looking pretty good right about now, aren't they?

A whiplash 72-hour visit to Nigeria saw Harry and Meghan as if on official business  as though they were still working royals , pressing the flesh in pursuit of soft power.

'I can't believe I'm not getting paid for this.' That was Meghan Markle during her official 2018 royal tour of Australia (above), as reported by Valentine Low in his book 'Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown.'

Capping a week in which Meghan was absent from the Met Gala  as well as a private, star-studded party thrown by her Montecito neighbor Gwyneth Paltrow (more on that in a bit)  plus Harry's trip to promote the Invictus Games in the UK, Meghan alighted in Nigeria, her self-proclaimed 'motherland', to sing her own praises.

Yes: That's exactly what one should call a foreign nation when one's husband, a prince of the blood, has just been seemingly shunned by his father the King, and his entire family, in his actual homeland.

A country that Meghan has not stepped foot in since the Queen's death  aside from the VIP lounge at Heathrow, where she greeted her husband en route to Africa.

But hey  Meghan's 43 percent Nigerian, according to her self-reporting, which in her mind makes her Nigeria's 'people's princess,' I guess.

After calling Nigeria 'my country'  ever subtle  Meghan lavished praise upon herself under the guise of complimenting her host nation.

Of course, no individual quote was directly cited. Perhaps she's learned from her 'Lion King'/Mandela debacle.

Instead, we get groupthink in the ether.

Here was Meghan co-hosting a Women in Leadership event, bringing it all back to herself:

'What has been echoed so much in the past day is, "Oh, we are so not surprised when we found out you are Nigerian." It is a compliment to you, because what they define as a Nigerian woman is brave, resilient, courageous, beautiful.'

Just when you think Markle's delusions of grandeur have reached peak de-lu-lu.

Day One saw Meghan and Harry speaking to students at a mental health summit.

Because when we think of emotional stability, proportionate responses, and a general healthy, optimistic outlook on life, who among us doesn't think of the Sussexes?

After calling Nigeria 'my country'  ever subtle  Meghan lavished praise upon herself under the guise of complimenting her host nation.

Meghan offered up her typical garlanded vagaries, California sprinkles that mean nothing.

'You know, every single one of you has a story', she told students at the Lightway Academy. 'We all have our story.'

No kidding.

'And there's no shame in any single one of your stories,' she blathered on. 'Even on the hardest days or the darkest days, everything is a pillar of your strength by each of you being there.'

Huh? Being where, exactly?

She should team up with Kamala Harris for a Grand Word Salad Tour of 2024.

Next came a story about Harry and Meghan's daughter Lili, who is not yet three.

'A few weeks ago,' Meghan told the students, 'she looked at me and saw her reflection in my eyes. She said, "Mama, I see myself in you."'

Ah, the Zen of royal toddlers. Princess Lilibet knows what's up: Affirm Mommy's greatness at all costs. Push through that limited vocabulary to praise and pay tribute.

Now, this quick trip, undertaken for the ostensible purpose of promoting Invictus (which Harry just promoted in Britain), meant that Meghan was away from her children on Mother's Day.

No matter.

Meghan offered up her typical garlanded vagaries, California sprinkles that mean nothing. 'You know, every single one of you has a story,' she told students at the Lightway Academy (above). 'We all have our story.'

Students wait to welcome the Sussexes to the Wuse Lightway Academy in Abuja today

'It feels appropriate,' Meghan said, 'that although we, of course, are missing our children, I'm missing my babies, it feels very appropriate to be in the motherland and amongst family.'

If that isn't a slap in the face to King Charles, who was too 'busy' to see his younger son, and to Prince William and Kate Middleton, who have all understandably kept a firm distance  well, what is?

Charles and Kate, of course, are fighting their own cancer battles. Yet hardly not a word of kindness from Meghan amid her in-laws' own 'hardest days or darkest days,' not a nod to 'everything' being 'a pillar' of their 'strength'.

But remember everyone, as Meghan always says: Be kind!

Back to Meghan's reply during her Socratic exchange with Lili.

'I thought: Yes, I do see me in you, and you see me in you,' Meghan told the students. 'But as I look around this room, I see myself in all of you as well.'

Vintage Markle: Me, me, me, me, me. Have I told you about me?

It calls to mind, all too painfully, her acceptance speech at the Ms. Foundation Awards last year, which I recorded as a service to humanity.

Never forget: Markle entered the ballroom through a rental car office. That's our Duchess of Hertz.

'Ms.', Meghan said in her acceptance speech, 'was formative in [my] cocooning. It piqued my curiosity, and it became the chrysalis for the woman that I would become and that I am today.'

Equally unhinged was Harry reviewing Nigerian troops, standing at attention, as if he hadn't been stripped of his official military titles upon stepping down. As if King Charles hadn't officially named William Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps  Harry's old unit, and a title he would otherwise have been given  on the very day Harry spoke at St. Paul's last week.

And for all the gripes Harry makes about needing taxpayer-funded security in the UK: These two multimillionaires benefited from government-funded security in Nigeria, despite 87 million Nigerians living below the poverty line.

Equally unhinged was Harry reviewing Nigerian troops (above, on May 10), standing at attention, as if he hadn't been stripped of his official military titles upon stepping down.

'I thought: "Yes, I do see me in you, and you see me in you,"' Meghan told the students. 'But as I look around this room, I see myself in all of you as well.' Vintage Markle: Me, me, me, me, me. Have I told you about me?

But Harry and Meghan are icons of social justice, of equity and fairness everywhere.

It's theater of the absurd at House Sussex, cosplaying as the royals they so otherwise seem to despise, Meghan swanning about in ill-fitting dresses that fairly sweep the floor.

Can this woman add a stylist, a tailor and maybe a speechwriter to her LinkedIn search?

If only Harry and Meghan could have played the long game. It would have been Meghan front-and-center at the most glittering events, generating tons of goodwill stepping in for sick royals. It would have been Meghan accepting, say, Tom Cruise's outstretched hand at the next 'Top Gun' premiere or sitting front row at the BAFTAs, wearing the crown jewels.

Alas, it's faux-royale-with-cheese wherever they'll be accepted.

Compare this to an event much closer to Meghan's home: A glamorous, invitation-only outdoor dinner thrown by Gwyneth Paltrow at her Montecito estate, celebrating a collaboration between Goop and the Italian luxury brand Loro Piana.

Per a Vogue dispatch just before the Met Gala, Gwyneth's guest list included Oprah Winfrey and Ted Sarandos, head of Netflix.

Maybe Meghan's invite got lost in the mail?

Think about it: Meghan's new lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, is a pale, content-less imitation of Gwyneth's Goop.

It's theater of the absurd at House Sussex, cosplaying as the royals they so otherwise seem to despise, Meghan swanning about in ill-fitting dresses that fairly sweep the floor.

Meghan so wants to be Gwyneth, messy buns and sun-kissed California glamour, all mixed with aphoristic, merchandisable self-help.

The kicker? Gwyneth isn't even likable! But she's a success nonetheless.

If only Meghan could square that circle. How frustrating that must be for her.

As for Oprah? Well, she's kept her distance ever since Meghan leveled those 'royal racist' claims  the same ones Harry backtracked last year.

Netflix's Sarandos effectively cancelled Harry and Meghan's reality docuseries deal but has greenlit a dubious cooking show, hosted by La Markle. Awkward cocktail hour chatter, that.

And American Vogue, which has yet to give Meghan a cover, issued that glowing report from Gwyneth's star-studded event, throwing A++++ shade all the way.

Calling Gwyneth's dinner party 'a note-perfect evening outdoors surrounded by lemon trees'  ahem  the magazine noted that the meal was in 'keeping with Montecito's reputation as the American Riveria.'

Ha!

If Meghan sent Gwyneth one of her limited-edition jarred jams, replete with peeling stickers and bruised lemon surrounds  well, it seems, Vogue was kind enough not to mention.

As our Discount Duchess once said: 'Be grateful for the little things.'
Australians struggling to pay their rent are unlikely to get any immediate reprieve from the Albanese government when it hands down its Budget on Tuesday.

The weekly median rent for Sydneysiders currently sits at $770 per week, while in Melbourne it's $589, according to Core Logic.

Aussies have been struggling to keep up with rental payments or even find a place to live in, with queues for open houses stretching hundreds of metres.

The median weekly rent for properties across Australia is now an at all-time high of $627, with rental vacancies at less than one per cent in capital cities.

Maiy Azize, spokesperson for housing crisis campaign group, Everybody's Home, said the government should look to enforce caps on rental increases, like other countries have done.

Her comment comes as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese talked up the Budget on Tuesday promising cost-of-living relief would be given to millions of Australians.

Australians struggling to pay their rent are unlikely to get any immediate reprieve from the government when it hands down its Budget on Tuesday (pictured is a crowd lining up for a rental home inspection in Bondi)

'Australia's a bit of an outlier,' Ms Azize told news.com.au.

'We're seeing the impacts of steep increases in rent prices and so if the government wanted to offer some immediate relief, they could support limits and work with state and territory ministers to get it done.'

Seven in 10 Australians are under rental stress, the January 2024 InfoChoice Rent Crisis Survey reported.

From about 1,000 renters surveyed, 40 per cent said their rent had soared by 10 per cent, with many now fearing they'll soon have to move out.

Mr Albanese told 3AW on Tuesday that Australians will wake up tomorrow morning to a range of financial perks delivered by the Budget.

'They'll wake up knowing that if they're a taxpayer, they're getting a tax cut on July 1,' he said.

'They'll wake up knowing if they're a student with $3 billion dollars of tax debt.

'If they're doing a course to become a teacher or a nurse, that that their prac will be paid.

'They know that the government now has $32billion dollars of investment in housing; that we're investing in infrastructure; that will have an increased number of urgent care clinics... and the government has a plan to make more things here.'

Ahead of the Budget, Mr Albanese announced a $9.3billion five-year National Agreement on Social Housing and Homelessness for states and territories to address homelessness, build social housing and provide crisis support.

Labor is sticking to its pledge to build 1.2million homes over five years, but achieving that requires building 240,000 houses a year.

Last year, just 168,690 new homes were built even though a record 548,800 new migrants, on a net basis, moved to Australia in the year to September.

With 2.5 people per household, on average, that leaves a shortfall of more than 127,000 new homes to cater for new permanent and long-term overseas arrivals before births are even factored in.

The Albanese government has also invested $25billion in new housing developments over the next decade, including $2billion towards more social and affordable rental homes.

But Ms Azize said more relief needed to be given to struggling Aussies now.

'People are really doing it tough. They simply can't keep up with these rent increases,' she said.

Calls have also been put forward to increase the JobSeeker payment.

Last year, the government increased the Commonwealth Rent Assistance payment by 15 per cent.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers will hand down the Budget on Tuesday

The payment helps vulnerable Australians by giving those eligible a non-taxable income supplement.

Charmaine Crowe, program director of social security at the Australian Council of Social Services, said the JobSeeker payment needed to rise with it.

She said less than half of those on JobSeeker qualified for the rental assistance payment.

'Even if Rent Assistance was increased, without a substantial base rate increase for JobSeeker and related payments, it would likely do little to reduce rental stress because JobSeeker and Youth Allowance are so low,' she told the publication.

The rental crisis in Australia has gotten so bad that an international student is now looking for people to share a bed and contribute to his weekly rent.

Belgian student William Vanneste, 22, is living in a two-bedroom home in Lane Cove, in Sydney's lower north shore, while he completes a three-month internship.

Mr Vanneste lived in the furnished rental with two Frenchmen who decided to share a bed and halve their portion of the $1,150 weekly rent.

The students' recent departure has left Mr Vanneste in the difficult position of finding someone to fill the vacancy and share a bed with a complete stranger.

Charmaine Crowe, program director of social security at the Australian Council of Social Services, said the JobSeeker payment needed to rise (stock image)

He advertised the unusual living arrangements in a post on Facebook which explained there were only two beds available.

'So the probability is very high you end up sharing your bed, but they're very large and we respect privacy, so if you don't mind, you're welcome!' he wrote.

'If needed, we can buy an inflatable mattress for one of us.'

Rents are going up faster in areas between 30 and 40km from city centres, CoreLogic head of research Eliza Owen reported.

'Part of the reason for the re-acceleration in rents nationally could be due to renters being forced into more affordable, peripheral housing markets as they become priced out of more desirable and central metropolitan locations,' she said.
The FBI and federal attorneys have gotten involved in the investigation of the death of pastor's wife Mica Miller.

Mica, 30, was found dead in Lumber River State Park in North Carolina on April 27 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

She took her own life days after serving her husband John-Paul Miller, 44, with divorce papers, and police ruled it a suicide.

The Robeson County Sheriff's Office, which has been in charge of the investigation, said that they've been in touch with federal authorities since they began their probe.

'Based on the information gathered during the investigation and jurisdiction reasons, the Sheriffs Office has requested the assistance of both agencies,' the sheriff's office said in a statement Monday.

The FBI and federal attorneys have gotten involved in the investigation of the death of pastor's wife Mica Miller

No further information was provided, but its understood that Mica kept a daily journal detailing her struggle and abusive marriage prior to her death.

The investigation continues to surround Miller's husband John-Paul after it was revealed earlier Monday that he penned a poisonous email to his estranged wife before her death saying he wanted to 'attack and cause pain'

John-Paul Miller is accused in court documents of grooming Mica for years before they wed, committing her to hospital to steal her car, and cheating on his first wife with underage churchgoers.

In affidavits filed by Mica's family, they express their concern over her relationship with Miller who has been described as a 'wolf in sheep's clothing' and a 'false prophet' by those who know him.

'When someone hurts me, I try to hurt them back rather than forgive', Miller, the pastor of the Solid Rock Church in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina told his wife in a November 2022 email, according to an affidavit filed by Mica's brother Nathaniel Francis, 32, on May 2.

'Instead of me forgiving you.. I just attack and try to cause pain', he added.

Divorce documents obtained by DailyMail.com reveal that Mica filed for divorce in October last year 'on the grounds of adultery'.

'Plaintiff (Mica) is informed and believes that the defendant (John-Paul) has and is currently engaging in acts of adultery with women whose names are well known to the defendant,' the filings state.

Mica, 30, was found dead in Lumber River State Park in North Carolina on April 27 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. She took her own life days after serving her husband John-Paul Miller (pictured), 44, with divorce papers , and police ruled it a suicide

'Plaintiff has not condoned the adultery. The plaintiff would show that she left the marital home due to defendant's philandering as well as defendant's growing hostility towards plaintiff.

'Defendant has threatened to throw plaintiffs belongings into the yard, locked plaintiff out of her own home and has defamed and demeaned the plaintiff before a congregation of people.'

Mica's filing says she was a 'faithful and dutiful wife' who was 'devoted to their church and marriage' during their 7 years together.

The pastor gave an emotional 20-minute speech at a memorial service at Solid Rock Ministries in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on May 5.

Solid Rock posted the video of the eulogy almost a week later on Saturday and hundreds of viewers were unnerved by Miller's 'fake and sad act of damage control'.

John-Paul told mourners he visited Mica's body in the morgue four times in the week since she died.

'Each time it still didn't hit me, I thought she was going to wake up - I even tried to raise her from the dead one time this week,' he said.

He went to the mall later that day and saw a woman who looked just like Mica with similar clothes and tattoo on her arm and he instinctively yelled 'Mica!'

Mica Miller is pictured exchanging vows with her pastor husband John-Paul Miller in 2017 a photo DailyMail.com unearthed

When she turned around it turned out to be was one of her sisters.

'I thought I raised her from the dead... I can't wait to see her again one day,' he said, wiping tears from his eyes.

Miller said many people saying how beautiful she was on the outside but 'only a spouse knows how beautiful a person is on the inside'.

'If I had 10 hours it wouldn't be enough to tell you all the great things about her,' he said.

He talked about beauty pageants Mica won, from school onwards, and moved on to stories that would help funeralgoers understand a 'more intimate side of her'.

The couple married in 2017 and Miller recounted his elaborate proposal where he brought the congregation to the beach under the guise of a baptism.

As a plane flew by dragging a 'will you marry me Mica?' banner, he turned her towards the ocean while the church clapped and cheered.

But she said 'why is everybody cheering?' because she couldn't read it because she didn't have her contact lenses in.

Mica took her own life not too long after serving her husband John-Paul Miller, 44, with divorce papers, and police ruled it a suicide

Mica  who was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on April 27  previously shared a video speaking about abuse within marriage, as claims emerge she was being harassed

Miller called his estranged wife 'bold, confident, anointed, passionate' at leading worship, with a powerful singing voice he could hear all over their house.

He recalled how she sat through the Pitch Perfect movie trilogy '15 times' before finally telling him she didn't like them, and a trip to a karaoke bar on a holiday to Cancun during Spring Break.

Mica sang Sunday Morning in the dingy bar, and the locals all stood up, raised their drinks, and sang chorus with her in broken English. They got her to sing five songs in a row.

Miller showed photos of her doing adventurous things on holiday that scared him.

'I don't know if this is safe, I'm a lot older than you and I don't know if I should be doing this,' he remembered telling her.

'She loved doing dangerous things, she loved skydiving and she would beg me to do these things with her and I said never, I have children, I can't do this stuff.'

Miller also recalled how she convinced him to get their marriage vows tattooed on their forearms.

'I can't stand tattoos because they hurt and I don't like pain,' he said.

Miller wiped away tears as he told mourners at her memorial service that he visited her body in the morgue four times in the week since she died and once tried to raise her from the dead

John-Paul Miller shocked his congregation when he announced her death as a suicide at the end of a service at Solid Rock in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Mica's family boycotted the service and held their own on the beach instead.

Footage of the eulogy sparked backlash on Saturday with many shocked at Miller's involvement.

'This man is so close to never being able for redemption. John-Paul Miller get on your knees and repent for how you treated this woman,' one wrote.

Another added: 'This is such a low level of blasphemy. This man literally has no shame whatsoever.'

Others were disgusted that Miller 'stalked' her body four times after being subject to a restraining order in the weeks before her death.

'This is the creepiest service. Those are the fakest tears I've ever seen. Seems like he is glad she is gone and rushing the funeral so he can get on with another life.'

Mica called police at least eight times in the weeks leading up to her death, making all manner of accusations against him.

Reverend Charles Randall disputed reports he fired Miller as Solid Rock's pastor, insisting he just benched him so he could heal.

Miller was seen breaking cover last Wednesday morning, in the wake of his wife's suicide  which came just 48 hours after he was served with divorce papers

Mica Miller killed herself at Lumber River State Park, North Carolina, weeks after speaking about abuse

'I have released him from ministerial functions for a minute to get some healing, and some counselling and some guidance. You can't go through these things like this and just step right back to same day,' he said during a sermon on Sunday.

Mica's sister, Sierra, has filed a claim against both the church and Miller following her sister's death.

Court documents filed in Horry County Family Court accuse Solid Rock Church of 'colluding and conspiring' with the pastor to 'defraud and deprive' his wife.

The couple initially split on September 20 2023, before the divorce was dismissed on February 13.

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 for divorce once more and sought a no contact order against her husband. They split for the second time on February 6.

DailyMail.com previously revealed how she accused him of posting a nude photograph of her on Facebook just weeks before her death.

Miller has since admitted to the malicious act and even claimed he tried to make amends  telling NewsNation the act was 'evil'.

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' in dangerous situations

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.

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.

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 Mica spending excessively.

Miller told the officer he seized the vehicle to prevent it being sold and would not give it back for a month to allow the episode to pass.

Pastor John-Paul Miller (right) seen with Reverend Charles Randall (left) at Solid Rock Church in Myrtle Beach on Friday

Randall declined to respond to allegations that Miller had sexual encounters with young girls under the age of 16 who he met through the church

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'.

The most salacious claim in Mica's police reports was that Miller, who is 14 years older than her, 'groomed' her since she was 10, before they married in 2017.

'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 added.

Miller's lawyer Russel Long said this 'couldn't be farther from the truth. She moved to Myrtle Beach at the age of 15, was married to another man at the age of 18 and divorced at the age of 21'.

'It has come to light that Mica Miller struggled with mental illness, specifically bipolar disorder, which, when not properly managed, led to paranoid episodes and self-destructive behavior,' he said.

Long claimed 'some reports made by her in the recent past are nonsensical' in reference to her claims recorded in police documents.

Long added that Mica's death being ruled a suicide by police 'completely exonerates Pastor Miller of any wrongdoing'.

Mica's sister Sierra Francis told NewsNation she probably meant Miller groomed her since 2010, as her sister told her it began when she was 14 or 15.

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

Miller 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.

The pastor, 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'.

'You all know she wasn't well mentally and that she needed her medicine and it was hard to get to her,' he said.

Before making the announcement, he asked his flock to stand and instructed them to, 'leave church quietly and don't talk about the announcement here in the building.'

Evidence released by Robeson County Sheriff's Office as part of their investigation conclusively shows Mica plotting to end her life. She bought the gun just a few hours before her suicide.

Weeks before her death, she had shared a video speaking about abuse within marriage as claims emerged, she was being harassed and was 'afraid for her life'.

'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,' she said.

'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.'
By Jung Min-ho

A total of 61 foreign nationals living without valid visas to work or reside in Korea have been apprehended at a club catering to foreign customers in Gwangju.

According to police and officials at the city office of the Korea Immigration Service, Tuesday, 61 foreign nationals now face deportation after being apprehended at the club in the citys Gwangsan District on May 11.

Two of them were confirmed to be suspects in pending theft cases, officials said.

In a joint move, immigration officials and police carried out a search-and-seizure operation there after receiving a report that foreign nationals were being hired illegally by the club's Korean owner.

To avert the attention of authorities, the club was operated on a reservation-only basis for identified foreign guests. The owner is expected to be prosecuted on charges of violating immigration Korea's law.

After investigations and necessary paperwork are completed, the apprehended individuals will be deported and banned from re-entering Korea for at least five years.

This comes amid growing calls here to strengthen immigration and visa controls. According to the ministry, the estimated number of foreign residents living in the country without a valid visa grew steadily to reach 420,000 for the first time in 2023. Ten years ago, the number was around 200,000.
A real estate agent who picked up a side hustle as a road traffic controller and described it as a 'bludge job' has been praised for his honesty on social media.

The man from south-east Queensland said he landed a side gig as a traffic controller after completing a two-day course and was bringing in $35 an hour.

He said he took on the extra job three years ago because he needed to pay bills.

While the job requires no qualifications beyond the brief training, some traffic controllers have hit back at the common perception that 'lollipop-holders' make easy money.

But this side hustler admitted it was an undemanding job.

An Aussie worker said he landed a side gig as a traffic controller after completing a two-day course and was bringing in $35 an hour

According to leading employment website Seek, traffic controllers earn between $65,000 and $85,000 a year

'Anyone who wants a sort of bludge job where you don't have to do much - traffic control is definitely the way to go,' he said in a TikTok posted by Getahead, an app that connects jobseekers with employment opportunities in Australia.

'You literally get paid to stand here ... there are definitely worse gigs out there.'

The man said the 'flexible' side job was an easy way to not only earn money but to 'meet a lot of people' - many who often asked him for real estate advice.

He then explained that he had the freedom to 'accept or decline' shifts which were offered the day before.

The interview was then cut short by another worker who told him the 'supervisor was getting a bit upset' about him speaking on camera rather than concentrating on the job.

Social media users praised the worker, thanking him for talking honestly about his pay and experience in the job - neither exaggerating the money that can be paid nor creating a false impression of its demands.

'Finally a traffic controller that isn't making 10k a week,' one person wrote.

'Finally an honest traffic controller,' another said.

'He tells the truth,' a third person said.

'First one who hasnt exaggerated,' another wrote.

Earlier this year, a traffic controller sparked a furious debate when she claimed to earn up to $200,000 a year.

Queensland woman Suzie Ross said she made 'between $140,000 and $200,000 a year' in the role.

Many commenters thought she was exaggerating.

'I've owned a traffic control company in Sydney for 12 years and I'm sure she doesn't make that much money,' one user said.

'It's between 39k-80k depending [on] experience. But, traffic control is not a bed of roses. They have their favourites and you will be lucky to get 5hrs-to 40hrs [of work] a week,' another commented.

'I've been a traffic controller for 2 years while I'm studying, even doing 12-16 hour days the most I've made is 88k in a financial year.'

According to leading employment website Seek, traffic controllers earn an average annual salary of between $65,000 to $85,000 per year.
Rishi Sunak will today urge Britain to grow more apples and pears, as he warns that over-reliance on food imports could undermine the country's security.

The Prime Minister will use a food summit in Downing Street to tell farmers they are 'vital to the security and fabric of our country'.

But he will warn that a new 'food security index' has found the UK is too reliant on foreign imports, particularly fruit and vegetables.

The study, which will report on food production and land use on an annual basis, found that the farming sector is operating at its most productive level ever.

But it will also reveal that just 55 per cent of vegetables and 17 per cent of fruit bought in this country are grown here.

The Prime Minister (pictured) will use a food summit in Downing Street to tell farmers they are 'vital to the security and fabric of our country'

The study, which will report on food production and land use on an annual basis, found that the farming sector is operating at its most productive level ever (Stock Image)

But it will also reveal that just 55 per cent of vegetables and 17 per cent of fruit bought in this country are grown here (Stock Image)

Although food supplies are not under immediate threat, ministers believe the Ukraine war has exposed the risk of relying too heavily on foreign supply chains.

A string of announcements today will include grants worth 10million to help orchard owners increase production.

Overall funding to encourage more horticultural production will be doubled to 80million.

A further 15million will be available to develop new crop varieties that are more resistant to disease.

Mr Sunak will also order a review into cutting red tape for the construction of glasshouses and polytunnels.

He said: 'Come rain or shine, I will always back British farmers. From feeding the nation to protecting our countryside, they are vital to the security and the fabric of our country. This package of support will help farmers produce more British food, and delivers on our long-term plan to invest in our rural communities.'

The summit will also discuss the impact of the wettest start of the year for decades, with ministers set to unveil 75million in funding to improve drainage.
Diana Nguyen is a comedian and sees the funny side of most things, but when she left her bank card in a Sydney parking meter for 24 hours - allowing other drivers to rack up $160 in parking charges at her expense - her good humour was tested.

Ms Nguyen parked outside her Airbnb in Bondi in Sydney's east on Friday and accidently left her card in the meter as she dashed away trying to escape the rain.

In an Instagram post, Ms Nguyen wrote: 'This morning on Mother's Day I woke to 21 transactions on my bank account after 'intentionally' leaving my bank card in the machine for 24 hours.'

The grateful drivers of Bondi had no qualms about taking advantage of Ms Nguyen's oversight and charged $160 to her card.

Ms Nguyen wrote on Instagram, 'I am currently performing at Enmore Theatre and if you would like to pay forward the $160 invested outside of my card, see you tonight. Or even a lift would be great!'

There were 21 different transaction on her cards, ranging from $1 to $17.50 in parking charges.

Ms Nguyen told Yahoo News, 'They must have thought it was some kind of angel in Bondi paying for peoples parking.'

'They must have thought it was some kind of angel in Bondi paying for peoples parking,' comedian Diana Nguyen said

The grateful drivers of Bondi took advantage of Ms Nguyen's generosity by charging $160 to her card

Ms Nguyen joked that Bondi had been deluged with rain for 13 days so 'people needed some loving'

'Theres a cafe right next door, someone could have handed the card in. Theres all these scenarios that could have happened that didnt happenno one went shopping with my card just 21 transactions of parking.'

Replies to Ms Nguyen's Instagram post were sympathetic.

'Oh my!!!! Hope they come to your show as a thank you/sorry?!', one said.

'In the suburb that loves to rort tourists for parking already,' another said.

One reply shared Ms Nguyen's humour, 'This makes me cry and laugh at the same time.'

Ms Nguyen said she had reported the fraud to her bank, but doesn't know if she will be reimbursed.

She also posted on the Facebook group Bondi Local Loop on Sunday, requesting people who had 'used [her] good deed' to see her show at the Enmore Theatre that night.

One reply suggested what most people were thinking.

'Thats crazy! 21 thefts?? Whod do that to a strangers card!? Im so surprised none of the 21 people thought of taking it out and contacting the bank.'

Diana joked Bondi had been deluged with rain for 13 days so 'people needed some loving'.

'They do say when you do good, it comes back tenfold. So Im hoping that maybe someone else will pay for someone elses parking,' she told Yahoo News.
The wealthiest farming family in California is planning to expand an industrial warehouse complex to transform a small town into an international trading hub.

Stewart and Lynda Resnick, the billionaires behind The Wonderful Company, already own a sprawling distribution center in Shafter, northwest of Bakersfield.

Now they are eager to expand the center to create an international hub to position the county at the forefront of the global shift to online shopping, according to a report in The LA Times.

The move would convert 1,800 acres of the company's Kern County almond groves into additional warehousing space.

The proposal has come under fire over environmental concerns with critics saying it will increase truck traffic and worsen air quality.

Billionaire owners of the Wonderful Company, Stewart and Lynda Resnick, own a distribution center in Shafter, northwest of Bakersfield

The development would transform Shafter from a small town, with a population of just 20,162, into a booming trade hub.

As part of the redevelopment, the company is proposing building a new highway that would divert trucks from the center of Shafter.

They also want to build an inland rail terminal - at a cost of at least $120 million - to funnel products from port by rail, reducing the reliance on State Route 99.

Wonderful already build and lease warehouses to huge online shopping companies for the storage of goods and processing of orders.

They say that the expansion project and the accompanying infrastructure plans are different to a flock of giant distribution centers that have proliferated in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

While many residents welcome the plans and the new jobs, others are concerned about the environmental impacts.

Gustavo Aguirre, assistant director of the Delano-based Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment told the LA Times: 'I understand that company says it will bring jobs; this is true to some extent.

'But it is also true that it's going to bring health and environmental impacts that are going to impact the neighbors who live near the industrial park.'

They want to expand the center to create a international hub to position the county at the forefront of the global shift to online shopping

The move would convert 1,800 acres of the company's almond groves into additional warehousing space

The industrial park has generated about 10,000 jobs, including warehouse employees, truck drivers and services handling shipping logistics, according to Wonderful Co.

They say that with the planned expansion the complex eventually could support 50,000 jobs.

But some are concerned that increased automation means the expansion won't generate as many jobs as promised.

As technology develops and more companies use robotics to manufacture, process and deliver goods, some industrial jobs have been made redundant.

UC Riverside's Ellen Reese told the LA Times: 'Warehouses are both job creators and job destroyers.'

Wonderful build and lease warehouses to huge online shopping companies for the storage of goods and processing of orders

They want to build an inland rail terminal - at a cost of at least $120 million - to funnel products from port by rail, reducing the reliance on State Route 99

She added: 'A lot of the research actually suggests that more automated warehouses have higher injury rates than less automated warehouses.'

Executive vice president and chief operating officer for the real estate team, John Guinn, told The LA Times: 'I dont think its bad if were able to do twice as much with half as much labor.

'What I think is bad is to have a whole lot of folks that dont have a job, or have jobs that arent very good.'

He added that, when completed, the new rail center at the industrial park would mean each train could replace 240 trucks.

The Resnicks are known for their philanthropy, donating to climate research, scholarships and wellness centers in the area.

Through The Wonderful Company they own POM Wonderful, Fiji Water, Wonderful Pistachios and Almonds, Wonderful Halos, Wonderful Seedless Lemons, JUSTIN Wines, Landmark Wines, JNSQ Wines and the Teleflora floral wire service company.

Aguirre is helping negotiate with the company for a broader community benefits agreement to ensure the people who live near Shafter get more than jobs out of the expansion.

He said: 'The residents recognize that [this project] could bring jobs, but they come with a price.

'Because of this, they say, "What are you going to do for our community?"'

DailyMail.com contacted The Wonderful Co. for comment.
An ex-funeral parlour which is being investigated for 'mismanagement of human remains' allegedly gave one relative the wrong ashes in a horror mix-up.

A. Milne Independent Funeral Directors is subject to a disciplinary process amid reports of grieving relatives not receiving their loved one's remains.

One family claimed they were refused a full refund after their deceased relative was left untouched for three weeks.

Meanwhile, a grieving daughter last night told of how she kept an urn in her house for five months before she was told the ashes didn't belong to her mother.

Police Scotland said enquiries into the Glasgow and Dumbarton based directors are at an 'early stage'.

The Glasgow branch in Balornock saw at least five forensic officers pictured outside on Friday.

Anne Gibson thought she had the ashes of her late mother Patricia Alison (pictured) in her home for five months, but they were in fact the remains of a stranger

Police outside A. Milne funeral directors in Balornock, Glasgow on Monday

A police van pictured parked outside the ex-funeral directors in Glasgow on Friday

Police Scotland said enquiries into the Glasgow and Dumbarton based directors are at an 'early stage'. Pictured are police at the scene on Friday

The A. Milne website is now inaccessible with an error message displayed (above)

Speaking to the BBC, Anne Gibson said she used the funeral parlour after her mother, Patricia Alison, died in April last year.

After waiting for months to receive her mother's ashes, A Milne finally delivered them.

But when Ms Gibson went to scatter them, there was no name. When she asked the crematorium why this was, she was told her mother's remains were still there and they didn't know whose ashes she had.

'The whole time her ashes were at the crematorium, ignored, as if no one loved or cared about her. My mum didn't deserve that,' she told the BBC.

A spokesperson for Police Scotland said an investigation is 'ongoing into to the conduct of a former funeral company that had branches in Glasgow and Dumbarton'.

This is regarding 'the storage/return of cremated remains and allegations of financial misconduct', GlasgowLive reported.

They added: 'Enquiries are at an early stage.'

The National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) said the business is subject to a disciplinary process.

A spokesperson told Sky News it received a 'number of complaints' but the firm has 'stopped corresponding with us'.

However, they confirmed the directors have been formally notified that the complaints will be reviewed at a disciplinary meeting this month.

The A. Milne website is now inaccessible with an error message displayed.

The family of Dennis Smillie, who died in 2021, told Glasgow Live they paid 3,100 to the company for its services.

Dennis Smillie's ashes have been missing for nearly three years, his family said

David Ereslin was left touched for three weeks and his family only received a partial refund

A. Milne Independent Funeral Directors (pictured) is subject to a disciplinary process

They were unable to collect the ashes but the couple said that Steve, the director, offered to deliver them.

But three years on, the 'devastated' family are still waiting - and are unable to move on.

They told GlasgowLive: 'Three years down the line and my father-in-law's ashes still aren't here.

'My family is heartbroken - the kids are asking where their papa is and we don't have a clue. I just want him back. It would bring us all closure and relief.'

When David Breslin died aged 76, his family also used the company, paying 3,851.

But his grieving relatives were shocked to discover his body had been 'untouched for three weeks', still in his pyjamas.

They demanded a refund but only received less than half - 1,250.

His family told GlasgowLive: 'The stress was unreal. I felt it was all my fault and my stomach was churning on the day.'

MailOnline has contacted A. Milne Independent Funeral Directors for comment.
A mother accused of chucking a pet dog over a cliff to its death while it was trapped inside its kennel has faced court for the first time to deny the charge.

Kaylah Williams, 34, allegedly threw Zoe the Australian Bulldog over an escarpment in bushland near Clive Bissell Drive at Mount Ousley in Wollongong on January 21, 2023.

The dog survived the fall and was discovered alive at the base of the rockface the following morning but succumbed to her injuries.

On Tuesday, Williams kept her head down and focused on her phone as she entered Wollongong Local Court wearing a face mask and clutching a coffee.

Appearing before Magistrate Claire Girotto, Williams' lawyer announced she would be pleading not guilty and asked for a six week adjournment.

Magistrate Girotto accepted the request and re-listed the case for a hearing next month.

Kaylah Williams, 34, (pictured) has been charged with allegedly torturing a dog

She is pictured outside Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday as she faced court for the first time since being charged

Williams is pictured passing through a security check as she entered court on Tuesday

Outside court, Williams kept her head down as she refused to answer reporters' questions, including what happened to the dog, who owned it, and what here defence would be.

The young mother was arrested at her Horsley home in Wollongong on April 12 - marking the end of a lengthy 12-month investigation by police.

The alleged abuse was uncovered after a bushwalker walking through Mount Ousley heard yelps and tracked them to an upside-down kennel at the bottom of the cliff.

The man called police, who rushed to the scene with specialist officers from the Police Rescue squad, Bomb Disposal Unit and members of the SES who could perform the challenging rescue operation.

The dog was emaciated, in poor health, and suffering from injuries sustained in the fall.

She was taken to a local vet but had to be euthanised due to her poor condition and injuries.

Police seized the kennel for forensic examination and launched an investigation to find the owner before charging Williams with torture, beat etc and causing the death of animal.

Zoe the Australian Bulldog, like the one pictured here from a stock image, was discovered alive at the base of the rockface the following morning but later died from her injuries

Williams is pictured running errands around the Wollongong area last month

Police allege she threw the dog over the cliff sometime during the evening of 21 January, 2023 and early morning hours of 22 January, 2023

Last month, Daily Mail Australia revealed Williams is a young mother originally from Wellington, a small country town of just over 4,000 people in the Central Western Slopes region of New South Wales.

On social media, she describes herself as a 'full-time mummy' who 'just loves to have fun all the time'.

'Nobody is perfect and nobody deserves to be perfect,' one of her posts reads.

'Nobody has it easy, everybody has issues. You never know what people are going through. So pause before you start judging, criticising or mocking others.

'Everybody is fighting their own unique war!'

If convicted, Williams faces a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment.

She is due to appear before Wollongong Local Court on June 25.

Kaylah Williams is due to appear before Wollongong Local Court on June 25
Alice Ashburn's son Alfred was delivered using forceps after a five-day labour in 2019.

When he was put on her chest, he was floppy and grey but it was only when he slid towards her neck that staff realised he was not breathing.

'They grabbed him and took him to resuscitate him,' said Alice, 31, a teacher from the West Country. 'I felt so scared but no one told me what was going on.'

Alfred was unharmed but his mother developed post-traumatic stress disorder and tried a home birth for second son William in 2021.

Growing tired, she went to hospital where she ended up with an emergency C-section. Staff called her 'the failed home birth' in her presence and she still struggles with PTSD.

Alice Ashburn with her sons Alfred (checked shirt) and William (striped jumper), now aged five and three

Alice Ashburn with her son Alfred as a newborn - he was delivered using forceps after a five-day labour in 2019

Alice's story is one of thousands of highlighted in a damning report that revealed maternity care needs a radical shake-up as women are being left traumatised for life by horrendous childbirth experiences.

Good care for mothers is 'the exception rather than the rule', with poor care 'all too frequently tolerated as normal', the parliamentary inquiry found.

It highlighted how 30,000 women every year are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after giving birth and a third of mothers describe the experience as 'traumatic'.

Women are routinely mocked or ignored by doctors and midwives, who treat them as an 'inconvenience' and fob them off with inadequate pain relief, MPs were told.

The 'harrowing' experiences are hampering mothers' efforts to bond with their babies and leaving many too crippled to return to work. In addition, hospitals are covering up errors, thwarting parents' efforts to find answers when mothers or babies die or are left disabled or severely injured.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Birth Trauma published its report at an event in Westminster last night after gathering testimony from more than 1,300 women.

Those who gave evidence overwhelmingly spoke of the 'distress at being neglected' and told how their lives had been ruined by their experience of childbirth. The report details how babies were stillborn or left with brain injuries as a result of oxygen deprivation, while some women had lifelong bowel incontinence after severe tears went undiagnosed.

Others were left in blood-soaked sheets for hours, berated by midwives, and in one case dismissed as 'anxious' when her baby later died from complications.

Conservative MP Theo Clarke, who is chairman of the group and has described how she thought she was going to die after giving birth in 2022, told the Mail: 'What happened to me and to so many women must stop. Mothers deserve better.'

The number of women who die during pregnancy or soon after is at its highest level in 20 years and British infants are less likely to make it to their first birthday than in most other developed countries. Suicide is the leading cause of maternal death six weeks to a year after birth.

The inquiry calls for a National Maternity Improvement Strategy, led by a new Maternity Commissioner who would report directly to the Prime Minister.

Health Secretary Victoria Atkins, who has described her personal experience of the 'darker corners' of the NHS after giving birth with type one diabetes, gave her backing to a national strategy

The number of women who die during pregnancy or soon after is at its highest level in 20 years and British infants are less likely to make it to their first birthday than in most other developed countries (stock photo)

It wants the strategy to create a 'base standard' in maternity services across the UK; more midwives; and for new mothers and babies to have separate health checks at six weeks so the doctor can fully assess the mother's mental and physical health.

The report also demands additional efforts to reduce the risk of birth injuries and for women's choices about pain relief to be respected. And the time limit for medical negligence litigation relating to childbirth should be extended from three to five years, it adds. Some 65 per cent of the NHS's budget to cover clinical negligence claims  which totalled 69.3 billion in 2022/23  related to maternity and neonatal liabilities.

In the past ten years, there have been three major investigations into failings in maternity care at specific NHS trusts: Morecambe Bay, Shrewsbury and Telford, and East Kent.

These reports all led to recommendations to improve maternity care, but almost half of maternity units in England are still rated as 'inadequate' or 'requires improvement' by the Care Quality Commission.

Ms Clarke said there is an unacceptable 'postcode lottery on maternity services'.

She told the Mail: 'We need to end the postcode lottery of maternity care in this country and thanks to the inquiry and testimony of so many brave women we can look forward to change.'

Health Secretary Victoria Atkins, who has described her personal experience of the 'darker corners' of the NHS after giving birth with type one diabetes, gave her backing to a national strategy.

She said: 'I fully support work to develop a comprehensive national strategy to improve our maternity services.'

Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, said NHS England is working with hospitals so they can 'create and nurture a culture where women are listened to, their choices respected and care is personalised, equitable and safe'.

At last night's event, Ms Atkins added: 'This is the first time in the NHS's 75-year history that I, as the Secretary of State, but also the Chief Executive of NHS England, are both mums. We get it. This is not just professional, it is personal.'

Mum told to stop stressing after one of her twins died

A mother was told by a consultant to 'stop stressing' after one of her twin babies died, the MPs' report reveals in a string of harrowing testimonies.

More than 1,300 women who had experienced a traumatic birth shared their distressing stories, with women telling how they were left in bloodied sheets, mocked or shouted at and denied basic needs such as pain relief.

Toxic units force midwives to quit in distress Midwives are quitting their jobs after also being traumatised by their experiences on maternity wards, the inquiry heard. Healthcare workers told MPs that a 'harmful working culture'  including excessive workloads and bullying from colleagues  is fuelling staffing shortages. One former midwife described how she had left the NHS in 2022 after 15 years as a result of 'accumulated vicarious trauma and moral injury'. She described working in a particularly hierarchical maternity unit where one consultant obstetrician behaved aggressively towards staff and treated the women in his care inappropriately. She related an 'extraordinary incident' when the same doctor 'dragged another outspoken midwife by her hair along an antenatal clinic corridor'. Gill Walton, chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives, said: 'Our own members tell us they are struggling to give women the time and quality of care they need and deserve.' The Department of Health said there were 23,631 full-time equivalent midwives in NHS Trusts and other core organisations in England this February, an increase of 4,184 compared with the same month in 2010. Advertisement

In the worst cases, babies died or were born severely disabled, or mothers were left with life-long injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder, due to 'negligent care'.

In the 80-page report by the all-party group on birth trauma, one mother shared how she kept calling the hospital for a baby scan, including 44 times in one day, but her concerns were dismissed. It later transpired her baby was experiencing growth restriction, and the baby died during labour.

One woman carrying twins, who went into premature labour at 19 weeks, was initially disbelieved. After she lost the first baby, she wrote: 'I was told by one of the consultants to stop my crying, calm down and try to save the other baby.

'His words were, 'This baby was dead a long time anyway so you should stop stressing over it and let's try to save the other one'.'

The other baby also died and years later she is still 'traumatised by this whole experience that has left me suicidal'. She added: 'Animals are treated better than the way we were treated in hospital.'

One woman, describing her post-birth experience, said: 'My husband was sent home. It was after visiting hours. I was moved to the ward. I could not stand or walk. I had a catheter. I was covered in blood and my own faeces but there was no one to help me wash.

'A plastic sheet was put on the bed and I lay on it in my filth. Around midnight I was woken up by a woman (I don't know who she was? A nurse? A midwife?) who reprimanded me for not feeding my baby. He was asleep. I didn't know what to do and I couldn't pick him up.

'I tried to get out of the bed but when she saw I was covered in blood and s*** and hooked up to a catheter, she told me to get back in and said she'd hand him to me. I didn't know how to breastfeed. She told me if I didn't get it, she would take my son and give him a bottle. I felt like I was failing at mothering and I'd only been a mother for a few hours.'

Another mother shared that after an emergency caesarean she developed sepsis and was put on an antibiotic drip, further restricting her mobility after major surgery.

Her husband was sent home and her baby, having been taken away and given antibiotics for suspected meningitis, was brought back.

'I was not only expected to try to calm her but also change her as she had been sick and was soiled on arrival,' she said.

'Staff pushed her in to the end of the bed, told me to clean the baby up because she'd been sick and was soiled and walked off. I could hear the staff all outside the bay sat at the nurses' station laughing and planning on ordering a Chinese takeaway before they closed.'

Another mother who turned down paracetamol because she thought it was insufficient pain relief says the midwife responded by throwing the drugs in the sink.

'I was literally left lying on the ground in pain wanting to die as the pain was so intense and unbearable,' she said.

Rachel Moir with her baby Mara - repeatedly asked for a C-section during her 40-hour labour but was told she did not need one

Her baby was pressing onto her back and Rachel was in terrible pain. Doctors eventually used forceps to deliver her daughter Mara in 2017

During her 36-hour labour, she was also denied an epidural because her platelets were too low. She remembers being violently sick and jolting from the pain of having her waters broken. She sustained a third-degree tear.

'Without an epidural the pain was intense, but the midwife nonetheless chastised me for flinching in pain when he had a go at stitching me up when in fact surgery was necessary.'

Another described reporting her concerns about her baby looking 'yellow' to a midwife.

She told the report: 'She told me I was being overly anxious and he was fine. She wrote in my notes that I was an overly anxious mother and my baby was NOT jaundiced. My husband intervened and a doctor confirmed my baby was jaundiced and he was treated.'

Highlighting a potential cover-up, the mum said: 'The next day the page written by the midwife had been torn out.'

The overwhelming majority of written submissions referred to a lack of kindness or compassion on the part of the health professionals looking after them.

Many wrote of ringing the bell to call for help and having no one come.

Rachel Moir repeatedly asked for a C-section during her 40-hour labour but was told she did not need one.

Her baby was pressing onto her back and Rachel was in terrible pain. Doctors eventually used forceps to deliver her daughter Mara in 2017.

A few days later, Rachel discovered she had a tear between the wall of the vagina and rectal passage, meaning faeces leaks into the vagina. 'It felt very degrading and I felt so alone,' she said. 'I had open wounds and it was incredibly painful.'

Rachel, 30, of Aberdeen, was not able to see a colorectal surgeon for three weeks.

By then her only option was a colostomy and she was fitted with a stoma. She has had multiple operations since but still suffers complications.
The family of a boy who drowned in a lagoon have lashed out at the local council, arguing their son would still be alive if a better fence had been built around the site.

Four-year-old Ali Aminzadah, from Swan Hill in Victoria's north-west, was visiting family in Officer, south-east Melbourne, with his parents on Sunday afternoon when he wandered a short distance away.

After 30 agonising minutes, Ali was found unresponsive in the chain of ponds which gave its name to the adjacent street Lagoon Row.

He was just 50 metres from his relatives' home.

His family are furious that a thinly-wired fence was all that stood between the lagoon and nearby homes.

Ali's family and shocked locals now want the council to improve fencing around the wetlands in the hope a similar tragedy doesn't occur again.

Ali Aminzadah (pictured) drowned on Sunday after wandering from his family's home to a nearby wetlands area

Ali's devastated family are demanding answers as to why a thinly wired fence is all that stood between a lagoon and nearby homes

The fence is built of thin wire and some sections are falling apart or have gaps large enough for a child to crawl through.

Ali's parents have remembered the youngster as a 'fun-loving' child with a 'big smile'.

Neighbour, Tammy Gauld, described the inadequate fencing around the lagoon as 'an accident waiting to happen'.

'You quite often see kids around the lake,' she told 7News.

'I really think council needs to look at fencing to see what they can do, put something better up than what is there.

'Lots of young families live around here, you often see them walking past every day with their young children, so it's very concerning if a child manages to get away from their parents, there's a big body of water there that attracts them.'

The Cardinia Shire Council, which is responsible for the upkeep of the fence surrounding the wetlands, has offered its condolences to Ali's family.

However, it is yet to comment on their concerns about the fence.

'This is absolutely tragic news,' Cardinia Shire Mayor Cr Jack Kowarzik said.

'On behalf of council and the local community, I extend our heartfelt condolences to the boy's family during this devastating time.

'The Cardinia Shire community has been deeply affected by this terrible incident happening so close to home.

'I'd also like to acknowledge the impact of this incident on first responders, and the valiant efforts of emergency services personnel who attended the scene.'

Victoria Police will prepare a report for the coroner.
MPs arrested for rape face being barred from Parliament after the Commons voted to reverse moves to water down the measures.

It means that if an MP has been arrested for a violent or sexual offence, a Commons panel will decide whether to bar them.

Previously, MPs who had been arrested or were alleged to be under investigation for sexual offences usually voluntarily agreed to stay away.

But parliamentary authorities had no power to ban them. A Commons Commission initially proposed risk assessments on whether MPs should be barred if arrested for a violent or sexual offence.

The proposal was later revised so the threshold was at the point of charge. But last night MPs voted 170 to 169 for a proposal from Liberal Democrat Wendy Chamberlain for an arrest threshold.

MPs arrested for rape face being barred from Parliament after the Commons voted to reverse moves to water down the measures (stock photo)

Jess Phillips Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley in her Westminster office on January 22

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg (pictured) called the motion 'unconstitutional', saying the ability to ban an MP should be subject to a vote of the House

Labour MP Jess Phillips said: 'Exclusion at the point of charge sends a message that not only will we not investigate unless a victim goes to the police but we won't act unless they're charged, which happens in less than 1 per cent of cases.'

But Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg called the motion 'unconstitutional', saying the ability to ban an MP should be subject to a vote of the House.

He said: 'If we want to do this, let us find time for legislation and do it properly.'
A manhunt has been launched after a woman narrowly escaped an attempted sexual assault on a popular bushwalking trail.

Police were called to the Cockatoo Trail at Mount Coot-tha, west of Brisbane, on Sunday morning after reports a man had attempted to force himself on a 25-year-old woman.

The female hiker was pushed to the ground and held down, according to 9NEWS.

The attacker fled the scene on foot.

Police were called to the Cockatoo Trail at Mount Coot-tha near Brisbane at 10.15am on Sunday following reports a man attempted to sexually assault a 25-year-old woman

Queensland Police are conducting extensive patrols in the area

Police are conducting extensive patrols in the vicinity, searching bushland.

The offender is still on the run and women in the area have been warned to stay vigilant.

Daily Mail Australia contacted Queensland Police for further comment.

Investigations are ongoing.

Anyone with any information which may assist police is urged to contact police Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday proposed a law that will protect the rights of nonunion workers and enhance their welfare.

Yoon made the proposal during a town hall meeting, the 25th of its kind, which was held to discuss issues concerning nonunion and other vulnerable workers.

"We must establish an institutional basis to protect vulnerable workers at a more fundamental level," he said during the meeting at a jobs center in Seoul, which brought together some 70 workers from diverse sectors, including designated drivers, delivery people, and flooring and scaffolding workers.

"The government will draw up a law supporting and protecting vulnerable workers so that the state can more actively take responsibility for and protect vulnerable workers," he said.

Under the bill, the government will help establish mutual aid associations through which nonunion workers will be able to receive financial aid in the event of a disease, injury or unemployment, and launch a dispute arbitration panel tasked with supporting the workers, among other things.

Yoon said the government will also help delivery workers get insurance against traffic accidents by lowering the cost through mutual aid associations and more part-time insurance plans, while taking tougher steps against employers who habitually delay wage payments.

He added the labor ministry is set to open a new bureau dedicated to supporting nonunion workers on June 10.

Labor is one of three major reform areas pursued by the Yoon administration, along with education and pensions.

Yoon said no labor reform will be complete without addressing the needs of vulnerable workers. (Yonhap)
A hoard of dangerous lip fillers and unlicensed cosmetic drugs have been seized in a raid as concern over their use grows.

Thousands of pounds worth of dermal fillers, needles and vials of botulinum toxin were uncovered during the swoop at a warehouse in an industrial estate in Glasgow.

There is increasing alarm at the risk people will take to enhance their appearance, with social media making it easy for unscrupulous vendors to advertise their services.

An investigation is under way after a woman was recently taken to hospital following a botched liquid 'Brazilian butt lift' procedure at a Glasgow hotel.

And last month the City of Edinburgh Council urged people who were set to undergo similar 'backroom' butt lifts to think again.

Thousands of pounds worth of dermal fillers, needles and vials of botulinum toxin were uncovered during the swoop at a warehouse in an industrial estate in Glasgow (Stock image)

The criminal enforcement unit of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) swooped on the Glasgow warehouse after concerns were raised by members of the public.

Andy Morling, MHRA deputy director of criminal enforcement, warned: 'Medicines like these are powerful and dangerous in the wrong hands, potentially leading to adverse health consequences. The criminals trading in these products have no regard for people's safety.'

Botulinum toxin injections  such as Botox  work by relaxing facial muscles to smooth out lines and wrinkles.

It should only be prescribed following a medical consultation. Dermal fillers are injected into the face, filling lines and wrinkles and adding volume to areas such as lips or cheeks.

If the injection goes wrong patients can suffer infections and a lumpy appearance only remedied by surgery or medicine. At worst they can even block blood vessels in the face, leading to tissue death and even permanent blindness.

The MHRA has now revealed its staff seized almost 400 non- compliant dermal fillers and 320 needles/cannulas during the raid in Glasgow in January.

Around 180 vials of unlicensed, and suspected illegally traded, botulinum toxin were also confiscated by enforcement officers.

Councillor Ruairi Kelly, convener of neighbourhood services in Glasgow, said they were receiving 'an increasing number of complaints about practices and procedures in aesthetic clinics'.

He warned: 'Demand for these procedures is high and we are finding practitioners are travelling around the UK to hold pop-up clinics in locations not suitable for this type of treatment.

'Environmental health is investigating a recent incident where a woman was hospitalised after undergoing a Brazilian butt lift procedure in a Glasgow hotel.

'People need to be extremely careful when considering cosmetic procedures. If they go wrong the consequences can be painful, disfiguring and require emergency medical treatment.'
A woman who saved her twin sister from a crocodile attack by punching the reptile in its face will receive a bravery honour in the King's first Civilian Gallantry List.

Georgia Laurie, 31, courageously struck out when the animal dragged her sibling, Melissa, underwater while swimming in a lagoon in Mexico in June 2021.

She fought off the crocodile three times as it repeatedly came in to attack.

Both women were seriously hurt, and although they have since made a good recovery from their injuries still suffer from the mental scars of their ordeal.

Now Georgia will receive the first King's Gallantry Medal of King Charles III's reign, which acknowledges exemplary acts of bravery.

Georgia Laurie (right), 31, courageously struck out when the animal dragged her sibling, Melissa (left), underwater while swimming in a lagoon in Mexico in June 2021

Melissa (pictured in hospital) was left in an induced coma following the attack, but made a stunning recovery

Melissa reveals the injuries she suffered after being dragged under water by a crocodile in Mexico

Georgia will receive the first King's Gallantry Medal of King Charles III's reign, which acknowledges exemplary acts of bravery

Georgia (right) with her recovering twin sister Melissa (left) pictured together in hospital after the attack

Speaking of her shock, Ms Laurie, from Sandhurst, Berkshire, said: 'It's an honour, I was so shocked as well when I received the letter because I didn't see it coming, I didn't expect it.'

She added: 'I feel really privileged, it's a silver lining to have come out of the terrible ordeal... it kind of softens the whole traumatic experience.

'It's been a good thing for not just me but for the whole family, I feel like I have to share it with my sister because let's face it I don't think I would have been nominated for it if she didn't survive.

'What's made this story so incredible is Melissa's unwavering bravery throughout it all because she was so strong during it and I don't think I would be here without her, she really gave me the strength to keep fighting.'

The twins were swimming in a lagoon near Puerto Escondido when Melissa was dragged under the water.

Melissa - who also developed sepsis as a result of her injuries and was put into an induced coma - survived with an open fracture to her wrist, severe puncture wounds to the abdomen and many injuries to her leg and foot, while Georgia was bitten on her hand.

The sisters recalled the dramatic encounter in an interview with the Mail On Sunday back in 2021.

'I saw the outline of its head above the water and its eyes. It was silent and perfectly still at this point,' Melissa said.

'I knew in that moment we were in trouble. I screamed, 'S***! It's a crocodile, we need to turn back immediately!' My heart rate shot up. I was so scared.'

It was then that the crocodile struck. Again and again the reptile attacked, dragging the 28-year-old under the water in a terrifying 'death roll', inflicting gaping wounds over Melissa's body.

She was saved by Georgia who, through a feat of almost super-human strength and courage, repeatedly punched the crocodile on the nose until it released gravely wounded Melissa from its jaws, barely clinging to life.

Melissa said: 'My mind was racing with all these thoughts. I thought, 'I'm never going to see my family again, I'm never going to see my twin sister again.'

'My initial thought was she's going to have to deal with getting my body back to the UK. I thought I was about to die. Then I passed out.'

Georgia (right) and Melissa (left) pictured smiling in a selfie together taken on a holiday

Both women were seriously hurt, and although they have since made a good recovery from their injuries still suffer from the mental scars of their ordeal

Deep bite marks and surgery scars were seen on Georgia's legs following the attack

Melissa - who also developed sepsis as a result of her injuries and was put into an induced coma - survived with an open fracture to her wrist, severe puncture wounds to the abdomen and many injuries to her leg and foot

As the crocodile grabbed Melissa's left foot in a renewed assault, Georgia began beating it on the nose with her fists: 'I had to fight it off, I started bashing it and bashing it with both fists; just thumping it. It felt rock hard, like punching a wall.'

The animal swam away but came back seconds later for a third time, biting Melissa's upper thigh and bottom. Again, Georgia flailed and punched it hard: 'I was exhausted from the fight. But I just kept punching it.'

The crocodile swam away for the final time after being pummelled by Georgia for a 'substantial' length of time.

'It felt like the attack went on for ever. I don't know how long it went on. I was scared that it would come back and then we would both be dead.'

Despite her heroics, Georgia plunged into despair: 'When I realised that Melissa wasn't responding, I was actually thinking: 'I want to die. I don't want to live any more'.'

Eventually, a rescue boat arrived on the scene. Melissa was hauled on board, with Georgia clambering in and cradling her in her arms.

Blood was everywhere, with Melissa vomiting up a mixture of blood and filthy water.

She said: 'I remember screaming 'Hug me, hug me' because I knew I was dying at that point and I just wanted to be in [Georgia's] arms.

'I remember telling Georgia: 'I'm dying, I'm dying.' I was really scared. It felt so surreal. A nightmare.'

This year's Civilian Gallantry List, which includes nine people, is the first to be approved by the King.

Also set to receive the medal is Pc Zach Printer, who was unarmed when he confronted gunman Jake Davison in August 2021 in Keyham, Plymouth. Davison had already shot and killed five innocent victims.

Among the other recipients is Pc Steven Denniss, who was stabbed in the leg while apprehending a double murder suspect while off duty in Louth, Lincolnshire, in June 2021.
A badly-timed smooch was almost the kiss of death for a young couple, as the female driver then lost control of the car which rolled over.

The accident was on Tuesday morning in Glenelg North, a seaside suburb of Adelaide.

Emergency services and police were called to Tapleys Hill Road in response to reports of a car crashing and rolling.

After police spoke to the couple it was revealed an ill-timed kiss from the passenger distracted the driver while she was changing music.

The Mazda rolled, crashed through street signs and ended up on its side, stopping close to a residential fence near the corner of Jervois St.

The driver and passenger were uninjured and able to climb out of the car.

An ill-timed kiss from the passenger distracted the driver while she was changing music

The Mazda had to be towed from the scene

The advice from South Australia Police, 'Don't kiss and drive'

The driver, a 25-year-old Plympton Park woman, was reported for aggravated driving without due care.

She will receive a summons to appear in court at a later date.

Her passenger, an 18-year-old Happy Valley man, was issued with an expiation notice for impeding the driver's ability to control the vehicle.

The Mazda was towed from the scene.

The advice from South Australia Police: 'Don't kiss and drive.'
Dorothy Hirsch, the wife of accused New York City 'Duck Sauce Killer' Glenn Hirsch, once received a text message from her brother saying she should 'bring your 9mm' that was meant for her husband.

Glenn Hirsch, 51, killed himself in 2022 ahead of a court appearance after being bailed out of jail on a $500,000 bond.

He was accused of murdering Zhiwen Yan, a father-of-three, who he allegedly shot in the chest in Queens while Yan was fulfilling deliveries for a Chinese restaurant on his scooter in Forest Hills for not bringing him enough duck sauce.

Dorothy Hirsch, 62, was indicted on multiple charges of gun possession but she claims she was under the threat of violence if she did not agree to her then-husband's demands to store weapons and ammunition at her apartment.

Hirsch's attorneys argued on Monday that the text to bring a gun from her brother was meant for the nurse's weapons-owning husband and that the only reason she's on trial is because of who she was married to.

Dorothy Hirsch, the wife of accused New York City 'Duck Sauce Killer' Glenn Hirsch, once received a text message from her brother saying she should 'bring your 9mm' that was meant for her husband

'This case is about punishing Ms. Hirsch for the alleged sins of her husband,' defense attorney Mark Bederow said on opening day of her trial.

'If she was not married to Glenn Hirsch, not subject to his years of abuse, that there would be no prosecution here,' he added.

The first witness for the prosecution, NYPD Detective Todd Keyes, admitted that a search warrant for the alleged killer's apartment was only meant to target Glenn Hirsch and that they only found items that belonged to him and not Dorothy.

Keyes and other investigators described Glenn Hirsch as a hoarder.

Queens Assistant DA argued in her opening statement, however, that they found eight illegal weapons and over 400 rounds of ammo in an apartment where Dorothy Hirsch lived alone.

'In the closet where the guns were found she kept her toilet paper, her hand soap and other household items,' Georgopolos said.

She added that Dorothy responded to her brother's text by saying merely: 'OK.'

The prosecution is admitting that Dorothy Hirsch did not have any fingerprints and DNA on the weapons but claim she had control over what was in her house.

Glenn Hirsch, 51, killed himself in 2022 ahead of a court hearing appearance after being bailed out of jail on a $500,000 bond

He was accused of murdering Zhiwen Yan (pictured right), a father-of-three, who he allegedly shot in the chest in Queens while Yan was fulfilling deliveries for a Chinese restaurant on his scooter in Forest Hills for not bringing him enough duck sauce

Hirsch was physically and emotionally abusive to his wife for decades, her attorney claims in documents seen by DailyMail.com.

The violence, which her lawyer claims, means she would have been unable to stop Glenn Hirsch from storing guns and weaponry in her Queens apartment and should not even have faced charges of gun possession.

Bederow wrote in 2022: 'Glenn's acts of brutality against Dorothy (before and during their marriage) included sadistic and violent sexual abuse, striking, cutting and menacing her with weapons, punching her, slapping her, threatening to kill her, extortion and contempt.'

But prosecutors already knew about the history of abuse she endured during her arrest.

The same day his wife was hit with gun charges, a judge in Hirsch's case was made aware of his past domestic violence arrests.

Hirsch, who was believed to have had several run-ins with the restaurant over duck sauce and other condiments, is accused of shooting Yan before fleeing the scene on April 30.

Glenn Hirsch attempted to prove his wife's innocence from beyond the grave, trying to exonerate her in a six-page suicide note.

In his 'dying declaration' Hirsch said: 'I want to take full responsibility for the eight guns recovered from a closet in Dorothy's apartment.

Dorothy Hirsch, 62, was indicted on multiple charges of gun possession but she claims she was under the threat of violence if she did not agree to her then-husband's demands to store weapons and ammunition at her apartment

Hirsch's attorneys argue that the text to bring a gun from her brother was meant for the nurse's weapons-owning husband and that the only reason she's on trial is because of who she was married to

'I acquired these firearms many years ago and they remained undisturbed in an outside storage facility shared with previous roommates. However a couple of years ago when my wife purchased her new cooperative apartment.

'I decided to close the storage unit. It was at that time I moved those items into my wife's apartment and placed them inside a hallway storage closet along with numerous other unopened bags and boxes...

'She had absolutely no part in obtaining the firearms nor did she have any knowledge they were inside of her residence.'

He wrote the words to his lawyers, prosecutors and those involved in the case in the lengthy note which was also left in his apartment by cops who discovered him.

While searching Hirsch's apartment where he died, his wife's legal team found three gun cases which matched some of the guns found in her closet.

They also discovered boxes of ammunition, and another fully loaded gun, which was missed by NYPD officers when they first searched the property.

Bederow has accused the District Attorney's office of 'indicting before investigating' and 'trying to fit a square peg into a round hole'.

Police found eight guns as they search Dorothy Hirsch's home. The weapons were stored in a closet wrapped in bags, with one wrapped in tinfoil.

Evidence photos of guns and ammunition inside the Queens home of Dorothy Hirsch

The violence, which her lawyer claims, means she would have been unable to stop Glenn Hirsch from storing guns and weaponry in her Queens apartment and should not even have faced charges of gun possession

Prosecutors 'knew that Dorothy was a longtime victim of Glenn's domestic violence' before her arrest Bederow explained in a two-page letter to Assistant District Attorney Thomas Salmon.

Accompanying the letter was 10 sealed arrests that between 1991 and 2012, mostly involving his wife as the victim.

The abuse began decades earlier in 1995 before the couple were even married.

Glenn Hirsch was accused of holding Dorothy captive in a motel room before stripping and pistol-whipping her.

He left her handcuffed, gagged and blindfolded while he repeatedly raped and sodomized her. He then cut her as he ran a knife over her stomach, hit her with a ruler, and punched her.

12 years later, Glenn Hirsch continued his violence against his wife, this time hitting her with a rolled-up towel, before punching and scratching her and the placing a pillow over her face to silence her screens.

He threatened to killer her and her family if she went to the police.

On that occasion police found a gun, hundreds of bullets, a knife and even a police shield in his bedroom.

An official for the Queens DA walks in evidence found at Dorothy Hirsch's home

Queens Assistant DA argued in her opening statement, however, that they found eight illegal weapons and over 400 rounds of ammo in an apartment where Dorothy Hirsch lived alone

Bederow argues that the 'evidence of Glenn's years-long abuse of Dorothy was favorable to her having the charges dropped because it offers an obvious explanation as to why she wouldn't question Glenn Hirsch about his behavior and his property, and why she wouldn't inspect his possessions.

'That evidence obviously is relevant to her defense that she didn't know the guns were in HIS closet because she wouldn't dare question him or snoop through the junk he stored.

'It is regrettable that the DA would simply disregard the domestic violence history and refuse to disclose favorable evidence by coldly decreeing that it's not relevant,' he added.

'We are entitled to evidence they knew about before they chose to indict Dorothy for possessing what obviously were Glenn Hirsch's guns,' Bederow said in a statement.

Sources previously claimed that Glenn Hirsch's entire refrigerator was packed with sweet and sour duck sauce, with the rest of the apartment being completely filled with other junk.

Hirsch also declared his innocence in the murder of Yan: 'I did not shoot Mr. Yan and I am not responsible for his death.'

At Glenn Hirsch's Briarwood home, cops discovered his refrigerator packed with sweet and sour duck sauce.

'His whole refrigerator was filled with duck sauce and other condiments,' a police source explained.

Bederow argues that the 'evidence of Glenn's years-long abuse of Dorothy was favorable to her having the charges dropped because it offers an obvious explanation as to why she wouldn't question Glenn Hirsch about his behavior and his property, and why she wouldn't inspect his possessions

Some of the weapons and rounds of ammo that were discovered at Dorothy Hirsch's apartment

'He's a hoarder. And when you open the refrigerator, it's like, condiments - there's duck sauce, soy sauce, ketchup.'

The source suggested the piles of condiments at his apartment on 141st Street were all a part of what was going on in Hirsch's brain that may have lead him to kill.

'I guess in some pathology people like that take that stuff very seriously - you didn't give him enough duck sauce,' they said.

In a statement Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said: 'The loss of a human life is always tragic.

'Obviously, we would have preferred to try Mr. Glenn Hirsch for the calculated murder of Mr. Zhiwen Yan in a court of law, but this is no longer an option.

'We once again express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Zhiwen Yan, who continue to grieve his tragic and senseless loss.'
A man who murdered his vulnerable housemate, decapitated him, killed his two dogs and tried to cover his tracks has lost an appeal against the conviction.

Darren Ward Gale is serving 23 years' jail for the July 2016 killing of Noel Ingham, 58, who had taken him in as a tenant at his northwest Tasmanian home only weeks earlier.

Mr Ingham's body was discovered in a shallow grave on forestry land but his head, which Gale threw in a river, has never been found.

A Supreme Court of Tasmania jury found Gale guilty of murder in 2019 in a wholly circumstantial case.

Gale's appeal against the conviction, lodged on the grounds the evidence was not strong enough, was dismissed by the Court of Criminal Appeal on Monday.

Victim Noel Joseph Ingham, 58, (pictured) was decapitated by the man he took in as a tenant only weeks earlier in 2016

The three-judge panel said the evidence was strong enough for a jury to return a guilty verdict, such as the amount of blood in the unit, damage to the kitchen and Gale's 'callous' post-murder conduct.

Gale, who was in court when the appeal was dismissed, said the decision was 'a ****ing joke'.

The judges said the decapitation supported an inference Gale must have inflicted fatal injuries to Mr Ingham's head.

Gale lived in Mr Ingham's unit rent-free for nearly three months after the murder, stole and disposed of his property and told lies about the man's disappearance.

Sentencing Justice Helen Wood said Gale had a 'powerful sense' of self-preservation at all costs.

After the crime, Gale used Mr Ingham's phone to send text messages to his own phone to create a false impression he was alive.

He disposed of carpet and underlay 'drenched' in blood and cleaned the unit walls.

Gale also told people Mr Ingham had gone to Hobart for medical treatment and feigned concerns to police.

Justice Wood described the murder as vicious and senseless.

Darren Ward Gale threw Mr Ingham's head off a Tasmanian bridge (pictured) and drowned the dead man's two dogs

There were tensions between the pair because of Gale's sense of entitlement and desire to exploit the situation by wanting to become Mr Ingham's carer, against his wishes.

Mr Ingham was physically vulnerable.

The remains of his two dogs were found about 80 metres from his burnt-out car, in the same area where his body was discovered.

Gale will be eligible for parole in late 2030.
Qantas has axed its only direct flights to mainland China due to lack of demand - but said it may reinstate the service at a later date.

The airline will ditch its Sydney to Shanghai service from July 28, citing half-empty planes which make the route financially unviable.

The flights were paused for over three years during the Covid-19 pandemic and were only restarted in late October.

A network update issued on Tuesday said flights to Shanghai have been operating around half full, prompting the decision to use those A330s elsewhere.

A Qantas update said flights to Shanghai have been operating around half full, prompting the decision to suspend the route and use those A330s elsewhere

Customers booked to travel on Shanghai flights from July 28 will be entitled to a full refund, or they can contact Qantas or their travel agent to discuss rebooking on alternative flights (pictured, Shanghai Airport)

Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace said the airline will continue to maintain a presence in China through its partners and flights to Hong Kong, and would 'look to return to Shanghai in the future'.

The airline said it will continue to monitor the Australia-China market closely and reinstate the flights once the market has fully recovered.

Customers booked to travel on Shanghai flights from July 28 will be entitled to a full refund, or they can contact Qantas or their travel agent to discuss rebooking on alternative routes.

The aircrafts that had been used on this route will be redeployed to a new international route from Brisbane to Manila from October 28.

The flying kangaroo is scheduled to operate flights between the cities four days a week, for the first time in more than 10 years.

The flights add to Qantas existing daily service from Sydney and will add more than 100,000 seats between Australia and the Philippines each year.

The airline will also operate 17 return flights a week between Sydney and Singapore and nine return flights a week from Brisbane to Singapore from December 11.

Flights from Sydney to Bengaluru (commonly known as Bangalore) will also increase from five per week to daily between December and March, subject to government and regulatory approval.

Mr Wallace said these changes would 'create more choice for our corporate and leisure customers and make it even easier for them to access the places they need to travel to in Asia'.

'Were always looking to ensure that we have the right aircraft, on the right routes and at the right time of year to best meet the needs of our customers,' he said.
A toddler and teenager are among nine passengers who were injured in a two-car collision that sent one of the vehicles into a roll.

The crash occurred at the intersection of Coominya Connection Road and Mount Tarampa Road, near Mount Tarampa, 80km west of Brisbane, just before 9am on Tuesday.

One vehicle rolled several metres before coming to a stop.

Paramedics rushed to the scene and treated the passengers, with the Queensland Fire and Emergency Service also in attendance.

A toddler and teenager are among several passengers who were injured in a horror two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Coominya Connection Road and Mount Tarampa Road (pictured) near Mount Tarampa, in Queensland on Tuesday morning

A spokeswoman from the Queensland Ambulance Service told Daily Mail Australia all occupants in both the vehicles sustained injuries.

'Eight people were taken to Ipswich Hospital while one person was taken to St Vincents Hospital,' the spokeswoman said.

The spokeswoman confirmed that the eight people who were travelling in one of the vehicles are members of the same family.

A teenager and a toddler are understood to be among those who were injured and the pair were also taken to Ipswich Hospital for treatment and observation, according to the Courier Mail.

Daily Mail has contacted Queensland Police and QFES for comment.

Motorists have been told to expect delays in the area due to the incident.

Nine passengers who were travelling in the two vehicles all suffered minor injuries as a result of the collision (stock image)

More to come.
David McBride, 60, jailed for almost six years over leaked documents

A man who leaked classified military documents that revealed allegations Australian soldiers committed war crimes in Afghanistan will spend at least two years and three months behind bars.

David McBride, 60, had pleaded guilty to leaking classified documents that revealed the alleged war crimes.

Justice David Mossop sentenced McBride to an aggregated five years and eight months in prison for three charges in the ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday.

The former military lawyer will have a non-parole period of 27 months, meaning he'll remain behind bars until at least August 2026.

McBride took 235 documents - 207 of which were classified as secret - by printing copies at different defence facilities and taking them out in his backpack.

The classification indicates disclosure of the contents could seriously damage the national interest or people, including the loss of life.

David McBride (pictured) has been sentenced to nearly six-years imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to leaking classified documents that revealed alleged war crimes

The leaked documents led to reports about Australian special forces soldiers committing alleged war crimes.

An inquiry later found credible information about 23 incidents of potential war crimes, which involved the killing of 39 Afghans between 2005 and 2016.

Human rights lawyers and advocates argued punishing whistleblowers would have a chilling effect on free speech and scare people away from exposing wrongdoing.

In court on Tuesday, Justice Mossop said McBride's actions were a 'gross breach of trust' of his position as a lawyer.

In sentencing, the judge said the penalty must deter similar actions by others in the future but also took into account McBride's potential mental deterioration from a prison sentence.

He accepted McBride was of good character following numerous character references and a report by a clinical psychologist outlining his morality and sense of justice.

McBride believed soldiers were being unduly investigated for murder over actions that did not reach that threshold, and the probes were brought about by political interference to show the public the Defence Force was taking the incidents seriously.

The former military lawyer's actions were a 'gross breach of trust' of his position as a lawyer, Justice Mossop told the court (McBride is pictured in Afghanistan)

Justice David Mossop sentenced McBride (pictured) to an aggregated five years and eight months in prison for three charges in the ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday

Justice Mossop found he did not act for financial gain or to help any adversaries.

But he did not accept McBride's assertion he thought he was not committing a criminal offence, as he believed he would ultimately be vindicated by a court for acting in the public interest.

McBride made 'vague and unparticularised claims' about criminal behaviour by top defence brass, the justice said.

But he accepted poor mental health impacted by depression and PTSD which was self-medicated by alcohol and substance abuse 'made a material, if only minor, contribution... to offending'.

Speaking to his supporters outside court ahead of his sentencing, McBride said he had never been prouder to be an Australian.

He maintained he did his duty by exposing wrongdoing.

'I did not break my oath to the people of Australia and the soldiers that keep us safe,' he said.

The prosecution had pushed for the former military lawyer to spend a minimum of two years behind bars to reflect the severity of his crime but his lawyers argued for leniency, saying what he did was in the public interest.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Prosecutors dropped the charge against Mr Saddik on August 15, just two months after he was charged. He had entered a plea of not guilty

A practising Sydney lawyer has been charged with sharing sensitive information about a sexual assault complaint.

Abdul Saddik, 31, was arrested by officers from the NSW Police criminal groups squad on Tuesday morning.

His firm's website states that Saddik has worked on 'some of the country's most prominent and complex criminal law matters' and that he 'has always acted in the best interest of his client'.

Police will allege in court Saddik was representing a 24-year-old man charged with sexual assault when he shared information with an unrelated third party.

Officers will allege Saddik shared the information, including the alleged victim's name, and is a close associate of a high-profile Sydney crime family.

Abdul Saddik, 31, was granted bail to appear before Parramatta Local Court on June 11

Saddik was charged with publishing details of a complainant in a prescribed sexual offence.

Saddik was granted bail to appear before Parramatta Local Court on June 11.
Eleven 'pillars' of evidence point to Chris Dawson having killed his wife, prosecutors say, as the ex-rugby league star fights to be freed from prison, a court has heard.

The former teacher has returned to a Sydney courtroom two years after he was jailed for the murder of his wife Lynette Simms, who disappeared more than 40 years ago and hasn't been heard from since.

Dawson has taken his case to the state's highest court - the Court of Criminal Appeal - in an effort to have his conviction overturned and be released from prison.

Ms Simms disappeared from her Bayview home in January 1982, which she shared with her husband and their two young children.

Dawson's barrister, senior public defender Belinda Rigg SC, has told the court that Dawson's conviction ought to be quashed because of the unavailability of key evidence and witnesses.

She added it could not be established beyond a reasonable doubt that Ms Simms was not alive after her last known contact on Friday January 8, 1982.

Eleven 'pillars' of evidence point to Chris Dawson (pictured) having killed his wife, prosecutors say, as the ex-rugby league star fights to be freed from prison, a court has heard

Chris Dawson (pictured) has taken his case to the state's highest court - the Court of Criminal Appeal - in an effort to have his conviction overturned and be released from prison

The former Newtown Jets rugby league player was sentenced to 24 years in prison, with an 18-year non-parole period, after Supreme Court judge Ian Harrison found him guilty of murder.

Justice Harrison found that Dawson killed his wife to be with a young student, JC, who moved into Dawson's Gilwinga Drive home in the days following.

Ms Simms' body has never been found and she has never contacted her friends or family, including her two children.

On day two of the three-day hearing before the Court of Criminal Appeal, Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield outlined what he described as 11 'pillars' of the case which he said reinforced Dawson's guilt.

'There is not a significant possibility that an innocent person has been convicted in this case,' Mr Hatfield said.

Mr Hatfield said the first 'pillar' which led to Dawson's conviction was the fact that Ms Simms never spoke to or had contact with any person after January 8, 1982.

Secondly, he said, it was 'inherently unlikely' that she would have 'voluntarily abandoned the husband she idolised' and the 'children she adored'.

Particularly he pointed to Ms Simms' effort to have children, which included undergoing a fertility procedure.

Mr Hatfield's third point was that she would not have cut off communication with her parents and her siblings even if she had left Dawson.

Chris Dawson participated in a police interview in 1991 during which he explained Lynette Dawson's disappearance.

He also said that at the time Ms Simms disappeared, Dawson was attempting to establish a 'public, permanent, long-term partnership' with JC, including asking her to marry him and attending her school formal as her date.

Fifthly, Mr Hatfield said, Ms Simms was committed to her marriage despite it deteriorating in 1981 when she became aware that Dawson had cheated on her.

'If she wasn't leaving when those other things occurred, why would she leave when it was looking better after the counselling?' Mr Hatfield said.

Mr Hatfield also pointed to what he described as the 'atmosphere' of Dawson's relationship with JC, which he said was 'marked by a degree of desperation and obsession'.

He said, in his seventh point, that Dawson had made attempts to leave Ms Simms, including attempting to move to Queensland, planning to move into a North Manly flat with JC and attempting to sell his own.

According to his eighth point, he said that Dawson had refused to accept JC's attempt to break off their relationship before she left to holiday at South West Rocks.

He also said that Dawson was the last person to see Ms Simms alive and had the 'opportunity and motive' to kill her on January 8 and 9, 1982.

In his tenth point, Mr Hatfield said that after his wife disappeared, Dawson conducted himself in a manner which was 'completely irreconcilable with any purported belief that (Ms Simms) was alive and might return home.'

This included moving JC into their home, where she slept in the matrimonial bed, and allowing her to go through Ms Dawson's clothing and jewellery.

Lastly, Mr Hatfield said that there was no evidence of Ms Simms being alive despite proof of life checks during a missing person's probe and three separate police investigations.

Lynette Simms disappeared from her Bayview home in January 1982, which she shared with her husband and their two young children

Chris Dawson (artist's sketch above) has returned to a Sydney courtroom two years after he was jailed for the murder of his wife Lynette Simms

Ms Rigg on Tuesday morning told the court that there was evidence that Dawson was willing to carry on his relationship with JC even if he remained married to Ms Simms.

'He was no doubt capable of continuing that relationship if JC was willing, regardless of his wife either living with Ms Dawson or more likely separated from her,' Ms Rigg said.

Dawson's legal team argues that the only impediment to his relationship with JC was the young woman's wish to call it off.

The court was told that before Christmas 1981, Dawson and JC packed up his car and attempted to move to Queensland; however, she became ill, asked him to return to Sydney and subsequently expressed a desire to leave him.

'Lynette was never an impediment as far as JC was concerned,' Ms Rigg said.

'And (Dawson) demonstrated himself to be well prepared to lose his relationship with his wife if JC would continue the relationship with him.'

The court was told that in early 1982, JC travelled to South West Rocks to holiday with friends and her sisters and was asked to call him at his home every day.

During the trial, the court was also told that on the day she was last seen, Ms Simms attended marriage counselling with Dawson.

Dawson later told detectives that on that Friday evening, he fixed his wife a glass of wine and was upbeat about the prospects of resolving their problems.

'It was supposed to be a sexy celebration,' Dawson told detectives in 1991.

Ms Rigg raised the prospect that JC had phoned Dawson at home on the evening of Friday, January 8, 1982, leading to Ms Simms deciding to leave her family the following day.

'Ms Dawson's heart was wholly committed to the applicant, and she had little control as of 8 and 9 January 1982 over what would happen in her marriage,' Ms Rigg said.

'And a decision to leave her home to think things through and demonstrate to the applicant her dissatisfaction is clearly a reasonable possibility.'

One of the three judges hearing the appeal has questioned whether Ms Simms would have voluntarily run away and left behind her jewellery.

The court was told that Ms Simms did not pack a bag and her clothes and jewellery were left behind inside her home.

The Crown prosecution during the trial pointed to JC being allowed to keep Ms Simms' clothes when she moved into the Dawson home.

'She's conveniently left her jewellery behind has she?' Justice Julie Ward asked.

'I think that's the evidence, yes, that the jewellery was left behind,' Ms Rigg said.

'That's what I mean. So he drops her at the station not wearing her wedding ring or her engagement ring?' Justice Ward said.

'I think that's the evidence, yes,' Ms Rigg replied.

During a 1991 police interview, 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.

Dawson told police that while at work he received a long-distance phone call from his wife saying that she needed time away.

Dawson told detectives that he dropped off his wife Lynette Simms (pictured) 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

Ms Rigg told the court on Monday there was a 'reasonable possibility based on the evidence' that Ms Simms was alive on the afternoon of January 9, 1982 and that she made the phone call to the Northbridge Baths.

Dawson has maintained that his wife walked out on him and their children - despite the court hearing that she underwent a procedure to conceive a child.

Justice Christine Adamson on Monday questioned whether it was plausible that she would have walked out given there was evidence that she was 'really desperate to be a mother' and 'adored' her daughters.

Central to Dawson's appeal, which will be heard over three days, is his claim that he suffered a 'significant forensic disadvantage' owing to the nearly 40 years between his wife's disappearance and the matter going to trial.

Several witnesses, including Sue Butlin, who died in May 1988, were unable to give evidence at his highly publicised trial in 2022.

Ray Butlin - a Dawson family friend - told the court during the trial that his former wife Sue had told him of seeing Ms Simms at a roadside fruit barn sometime after her disappearance.

Ms Butlin worked a weekend job at a fruit and vegetable shop on the side of the Pacific Highway at Kulnura on the Central Coast.

Mr Butlin told the court that Ms Butlin had told him that she once she saw Ms Simms during one of her shifts.

'The substance was that (Ms Butlin) saw a person that she believed was Lyn Dawson,' Mr Butlin said during the trial.

'She walked towards her and the woman proceeded, without turning around, and got into a car and drove off.'

Ms Rigg told the court that Ms Butlin never made a police statement and Dawson lost the prospect of her coming to court to contribute to a reasonable doubt.

'The only evidence to be placed before a court by a witness was a hearsay account by her husband of a conversation which occurred 40 years earlier,' Ms Rigg said.

Another key witness who died before the matter went to trial was Phillip Day, who was present at the Northbridge Baths on the afternoon Ms Simms did not arrive to meet her family.

He gave a statement to police in February 2001 in which he said he saw Dawson being summoned to the pool office and when he returned Dawson said he had received a call from Ms Simms.

In a grounds of appeal, Dawson's lawyers argue he suffered a 'miscarriage of justice' because Justice Harrison found beyond a reasonable doubt that he did not receive a phone call from his wife.

Ms Rigg told the court that because of the passage of time, phone records had been lost.

New 'no body, no parole' laws passed by NSW parliament - dubbed 'Lyn's law' - mean that Dawson will not be paroled until he reveals where Ms Simms is buried

She said Dawson 'could have received a call from his wife from the Central Coast' saying she needed time away.

However Justice Adamson - one of three judges who is hearing the appeal - pointed out that in his judgment, Justice Harrison had explicitly said he had taken into account the significant delay.

'I must remain constantly vigilant to identify and make allowance for the possibility that Mr Dawson's ability adequately to respond to the Crown case may have been unfairly compromised by the fact that he faces a trial for murder in 2022 and not 1982,' Justice Harrison wrote.

During the trial, the Crown prosecution argued that Dawson 'cunningly' arranged for Mr Day to be present at the pool to drive his children to Ms Simms' mother's house that day.

Ms Rigg told the court it was never suggested during the trial that some other woman may have made a long-distance phone call to Dawson at the pool.

'There was no one else suggested who might have called (Dawson) there, far less an STD call,' she said.

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 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.

His non-parole period is due to expire in August 2041, by which time he will be 93 years old.

New 'no body, no parole' laws passed by NSW parliament - dubbed 'Lyn's law' - mean that Dawson will not be paroled until he reveals where Ms Simms is buried.

The hearing before Justices Julie Ward, Anthony Payne and Christine Adamson continues.
Universities across Korea will review measures to exempt medical students participating in an ongoing collective class boycott from failing the semester due to insufficient class hours, the education ministry said Tuesday.

Since the beginning of the current semester, many medical students nationwide have been boycotting classes in protest of the government's plan to hike the medical school quota, raising concerns that students might be held back en masse due to excessive class absences.

In a recent survey conducted by the education ministry, some medical schools have proposed postponing the annual doctor license test for senior students, typically scheduled for September, along with the test application period, which normally takes place between July and August.

In the survey, universities also submitted plans to the ministry to allow greater flexibility in academic requirements for medical students and adopt a special rule exempting students from having to repeat a semester after failing it due to insufficient class attendance.

Under the plans, universities will seek to increase the availability of online classes for medical students during the current semester so that boycotting students can meet their class hour requirements without having to attend in-person classes.

Also among the planned measures is temporarily withholding the standard for failing a semester during the current first academic term, allowing students who have not met their academic requirements to fulfill them in the next semester.

Some universities also plan to consider integrating the two semesters per year into a single term to permit students to meet academic requirements within a longer one-year period. (Yonhap)
After bringing an authentic taste of Italy to Melbourne for 70 years, the iconic specialty grocer and cellar Enoteca Sileno is closing its doors.

The family-run business that brought gelato and imported panettone to Melbourne will close on June 1, with products remaining online until sold out.

Co-directors John and Rosemary Portelli wrote on Facebook: 'We have decided to step back from the day-to-day management of the business and allow ourselves to retire and dedicate time for ourselves and our families.'

The business was founded by Rosemarys father Luigi Gino Di Santo in 1953.

Gino arrived in Australia in 1952 as an assisted passage immigrant from the Molise region in Central Italy.

With an extensive business background and a family history in wine and food, he saw the potential in Australia for Italian products.

'We have loved our lifetime dedicated to working at Enoteca Sileno, building on Gino's legacy, showcasing the most amazing Italian artisan products,' the Portellis wrote.

Enoteca Sileno was founded by Rosemarys father Luigi Gino Di Santo in 1953 (pictured, John and Rosemary Portelli)

Capitalising on the influx of Italian refugees in Melbourne, Mr Di Santo imported everything from baby food, coffee and wine into Australia

The Enoteca Sileno brand launched In 1982 with an 'enoteca', or wine repository open to the public on Amess Street in Carlton North

Capitalising on the influx of Italian refugees in Melbourne after World War II, Mr Di Santo imported everything from baby food, coffee and wine into Australia.

This was followed over the years by introducing Australians to Italian mineral water and importing coffee machines.

Other premium Italian produce imported into Australia included preserved vegetable, durum wheat pasta, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and Italian liqueurs.

In 1955 Mr Di Santo brought the first Christmas Panettone cakes to Australia and in the 1960s introduced Melburnians to gelato.

The Portellis took over the family business 40 years ago.

'We have each enjoyed over four decades in this adventure of Italian wine and food and are proud to have seen Australia's love of great Italian gastronomy grow so vibrantly.'

The Enoteca Sileno brand launched In 1982 with an 'enoteca', or wine repository open to the public on Amess Street in Carlton North.

In 2004 Enoteca Sileno relocated to its current home on Lygon Street in Carlton North, featuring a restaurant that closed after a decade, to make more room for their Italian produce.

The Portellis wrote they are working with their producers, retailers, and clients to find alternative reputable representation in Australia and will continue to meet all of their commitments.

They wrote they are extremely grateful for the support of their customers.

'Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to everyone who has supported us over the past 70 years.'
A Texas school principal's husband has been accused of producing child abuse materials on school grounds and distributing it on the dark web.

James Stone, who teaches at Tompkins High School in Katy, was taken into custody on Monday on 10 counts of possessing and producing what police say are thousands of images involving minors.

Police say the 53-year-old admitted to producing the images, some of which were taken on school grounds.

He is also well of taking images at various local swimming pools and other places in Katy.

Police claimed that the images were distributed on 'the dark web.'

His wife Melinda Stone, the principal of Taylor High School, wrote two emails to the school community following his arrest and said she was cutting ties with her husband.

James Stone, 53, who teaches at Tompkins High School in Katy, was taken into custody on 10 counts of possessing and producing child pornography

James' wife Melinda Stone (pictured left) sent out multiple emails Monday completely cutting ties with her husband

In two emails - one to parents and staff and another just to staff - she confirmed her knowledge of the charges and announced she was disavowing her husband, whom she said did something 'disgraceful'.

In her letter to staff, the principal wrote: 'I am sure that many of you are aware of the incident involving my husband, James Stone. James was arrested this morning for possession of pornographic materials.

'His arrest and involvement in this criminal activity was unbeknownst to me or those closest to him.

'My family and I are deeply disappointed in his actions and thus we do not have any plans to be involved in James criminal proceedings as he navigates the next steps.

'It also important for me to confirm with you that I, nor any other family member, is implicated in James criminal activity.

'Because the incident is still being investigated, law enforcement agencies are unable to provide additional information at this time, but know that the District and I take this incident very seriously and are fully cooperating with law enforcement.

Melinda Stone is the principal of Taylor High School. She wrote two letters - one to families and staff and another just to staff - in which she confirmed her knowledge of the charges and announced she was disavowing her husband, whom she said did something 'disgraceful'

One student, junior Savannah Lacks, says she's now reconsidering her interactions with Stone

'Providing a safe and secure learning environment is and will continue to be the Districts and my top priority. An update will be provided by the District as information becomes available.'

In an email to parents, the principal pledged to continue to serve students.

'Earlier this morning, you received a copy of the message below that I sent to my staff regarding a criminal incident concerning James Stone,' she wrote in a letter addressed to families and staff.

'I believe it is important for our parents to be aware of the information that is being shared with staff concerning this matter. I understand that you may have questions or concerns and I am available to speak with parents who wish to do so.

'As mentioned to staff below, law enforcement are continuing to investigate. I apologize for any disruption this disgraceful incident may have caused.

'Please know that I am fully committed to serving Taylor High School students, staff and school community. An update will be provided by the District as information becomes available.'

James Stone is accused of not just possessing child pornography but taking photos at Tompkins High School, as well as various local swimming pools and other places in Katy

James Stone allegedly distributed the images on 'the dark web'

Melinda Stone is quickly distancing herself from her husband in emails to both staff and parents Monday

One student, junior Savannah Lacks, says she's now reconsidering her interactions with Stone

'I had him as a study hall teacher,' she told ABC13. 'It was really weird. He would always tell me to come over to the desk.'

'I didn't personally know him, so I was just like, scary for our community, especially Tompkins. But I mean, it's good that they finally got revealed,' added Anton Freese.

'Providing a safe and secure learning environment is and will continue to be the District's and my top priority. An update will be provided by the District as information becomes available.'

Tompkins High, where James Stone taught, said in a letter to parents that he's been away from campus over the past week and will not return.

James Stone is in custody at the Fort Bend County Jail as the investigation continues.

He's scheduled to make his first court appearance Tuesday, according to Click 2 Houston.

Police believe there may be many more victims and are encouraging anyone with information to come forward.

Katy ISD said in a statement: 'On Monday morning, the Montgomery County Constables Office Precinct 3 arrested James Stone, an educator at Tompkins High School, for possession or promotion of child pornography.

'The individual has not been on campus since last week and will not return to the school. Due to the ongoing investigation, we are unable to provide additional information at this time. Please be assured, the district takes this type of incident very seriously and is fully cooperating with law enforcement.

'In Katy ISD, providing a safe and secure learning environment is and will continue to be our top priority and we will always act swiftly when that is compromised.'
The remaining pieces of Francis Scott Key Bridge have been strategically removed after engineers executed a controlled demolition.

The removal of the bridge's outstanding structure will now allow authorities to float the Dali cargo ship out of the wreckage area, restoring Baltimore's sea port, the ninth busiest in the nation, to working order.

On March 26, the ship suffered a power outage and crashed into one of the Key Bridge's support columns, causing the entire bridge to come down and killing six construction workers. The ship has been grounded ever since, and the explosions set off by crews were a big step in freeing the 984 foot ship.

Officials said the demolition went as planned. Once the remaining few steel trusses still resting on the Dali's bow and the underwater wreckage is removed, the process of floating the ship away from the crash site will begin.

The series of explosives laid by engineering experts explode in an effort to bring down the remaining span of the bridge trapping the Dali and cutting off Baltimore's port

The explosion is seen from a head on angle. This is moments before the bridge falls into the river below

Refloating the ship is likely to kick off in the next few days. Several tugboats will then guide the damaged vessel to a nearby port terminal where it'll likely remain for some weeks as repairs are done.

'This was a very big milestone for our progression forward,' Col. Estee Pinchasin, Baltimore District Commander for the Army Corps of Engineers, said in the right after the demolition.

Pinchasin said crews dont anticipate having to use any more explosives to get the ship free.

There was the added complication of the 21 crewmen who've been on board the Dali for the past 49 days, but none of them were injured, according to Capt. David OConnell, commander of the Port of Baltimore.

The Indian and Sri Lankan men on board haven't been permitted to leave since the disaster happened as an FBI investigation into the cause of the Dali's power outage and subsequent destruction of the bridge continues.

The bridge collapses into the water, creating a large wave that crashes back up onto the grounded Dali

The aftermath of the controlled explosion is seen. Officials say the demolition went as planned and they don't anticipate any more explosives being needed to free the Dali

The National Transportation Safety Board is also conducting an investigation into the bridge collapse.

Engineers spent weeks planning how they'd use explosives to break down the span of the bridge, which was they estimated to be 500 feet long and weigh 600 tons.

The demolition was originally supposed to happen Sunday but was postponed because of thunderstorms.

The controlled demolition comes as an Italian industrial company released its design of a structure that may replace the Key Bridge.

WeBuild Group sent preliminary design plans to Maryland officials on May 3 for the reconstruction of the Baltimore bridge. The project could cost $1.9 billion and take four years to complete.

Last week, authorities recovered and identified the final victim of the collapse, naming him as 37-year-old Jose Mynor Lopez (pictured)

State and federal authorities were also able to cap off the recovery efforts that have lasted for months after the body of 37-year-old construction worker Jose Mynor Lopez was found a week ago.

The six construction workers, all Latino immigrants, were unfortunately caught in the collapse while filling potholes on the bridge late at night.

They were presumed dead almost immediately because the upper 40 degree temperatures of the river were cold enough to cause hypothermia in three minutes.

The discovery of the sixth and final body 'marks a significant milestone in our recovery efforts and providing closure to the loved ones of the six workers who lost their lives in this tragic event,' said Col. Roland L. Butler Jr., superintendent of the Maryland Department of State Police.
President Joe Biden has banned a Chinese-backed crypto mining firm from owning land near a Wyoming nuclear missile base, saying it's a 'national security risk'.

Biden issued the order blocking MineOne Partners Ltd from owning land near the Francis E. Warren Air Force Base on Monday.

The order forces the divestment of property operated as a crypto mining facility near the base and orders MineOne and its affiliates to remove certain equipment from the site.

The Treasury said there were issues with 'specialized and foreign-sourced equipment potentially capable of facilitating surveillance and espionage activities'.

Tensions between the US and China are escalating with both countries cracking down on the presence of foreign companies and reliance on their products.

President Joe Biden issued an order blocking a Chinese-backed cryptocurrency mining firm from owning land near the Wyoming nuclear missile base

The Treasury said that MineOne's ownership of land near the base - one of three strategic-missile bases in the US was a threat to security.

MineOne bought the land within one mile of the base in Cheyenne in 2022, but the US Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States said the purchase was not reported to them as required.

The Committee was only made aware of the sale after receiving a public tip.

They then looked into the ownership and found there were issues with 'specialized and foreign-sourced equipment potentially capable of facilitating surveillance and espionage activities' that 'presented a significant national security risk.'

As a result of the concerns, they ordered the sale of the property within 120 days, and said the company had to remove all structures and equipment on the site within 90 days.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who serves as the chairperson of the Committee, said their role is 'to ensure that foreign investment does not undermine our national security.

'Particularly as it relates to transactions that present risk to sensitive U.S. military installations as well as those involving specialized equipment and technologies.'

The committee is made up of members from the State, Justice, Energy and Commerce Departments among others, which investigates national security risks from foreign investments in American firms.

Both Biden and former President Donald Trump have told voters they will be tough on China

It represents yet another escalation of tensions between the US and China.

The US is slated on Tuesday to issue major new tariffs on electric vehicles, semiconductors, solar equipment and medical supplies imported from China.

Tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, in particular, could quadruple  from the existing 25 percent to 100 percent.

Both Biden and former President Donald Trump have told voters they will be tough on China.

Biden has defined his policy as 'competition with China, not conflict.'

He has embraced an industrial strategy that has used government financial support to pull in private investment in new factories and advanced technology, while limiting the selling of computer chips and other equipment to China.

It is the latest step in a cold war between the two countries which has seen the US place sanctions on a long list of Chinese companies on national security grounds.

The US is slated on Tuesday to issue major new tariffs on electric vehicles , semiconductors, solar equipment and medical supplies imported from China

Biden has defined his policy as 'competition with China, not conflict'

In March, senators compared social media app TikTok to a 'gun pointed at American's heads' and passed a bill that would force China-based ByteDance to divest from TikTok.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal told DailyMail.com that through the app, 'the Chinese Communist are weaponizing information that they are constantly, surreptitiously collecting from 170 million Americans and potentially aiming that information, using it through algorithms, at the core of American democracy.'

Biden also announced in February that he is taking steps against Chinese automakers to prevent them from selling electric vehicles in the US due to security risks.

There are currently 2.4 million EVs registered in the U.S., but Biden warned if China is allowed to flood the EV market, carmakers could easily track consumer data at a time when cars are constantly connected to our phones and navigation systems.

He equated vehicles to 'smartphones on wheels,' and said his administration is investigating the potential impact on national security with the possibility of a future ban on Chinese vehicles making their way into the American market.

Beijing has been trying to reduce its reliance on foreign firms by building out its local semiconductor industry as it grapples with US export curbs on technology including cutting-edge chips.
A couple on the plane which made an emergency belly landing after its landing gear failed have revealed how they feared they would die on the four-hour terror flight.

Michael Reynolds and his wife Ines, both aged in their 60s, were on board Eastern Air Services flight XDV from Newcastle to Port Macquarie, on NSW's mid north coast, on Monday morning when things went awry.

The plane took off just after 8.30am and was only supposed to be in the air for 26 minutes.

But shortly after takeoff, pilot Peter Schott, 53, realised things were wrong.

Four nerve-wracking hours later, Mr Schott managed to successfully land the plane without any landing gear, skidding down the airport runway on its belly.

Miraculously, nobody was injured when the plane touched down at 12.19pm.

Michael Reynolds and his wife Ines, both aged in their 60s, were on board Eastern Air Services flight XDV from Newcastle to Port Macquarie, on NSW 's mid north coast, on Monday morning when things went awry

Mr and Mrs Reynolds said they'd sent final goodbyes to loved ones on the flight.

'I thought if we're going to go, at least we're going to go together,' Mr Reynolds told The Morning Show.

'It was scary coming down, you just didn't know what was going to happen.

'The flight itself was like four hours of just circling round and round, and I don't recommend it to anyone.'

Mrs Reynolds said the pilot communicated with them throughout the entire ordeal but they were bracing for the worst.

'We spoke to all our children and sent messages to family overseas and to friends,' she said.

Hundreds of onlookers who had gathered at the airport cheered as the plane made a successful 'wheels-up landing' at 12.19pm

The Beech B200 Super King Air plane, which was meant to be flying from Newcastle to Port Macquarie, circled above Newcastle Airport for almost four hours to burn off fuel before attempting

'It was four hours of near-death experience, it really was - it was preparing your mind of you know, ''this is the next step of my life''.'

The plane had to circle endlessly around Newcastle Airport for to burn off fuel before landing wheels up in the rain.

While still up in the air, Mr Reynolds became severely unwell and was 'vomiting uncontrollably', a NSW Ambulance spokesperson was heard saying in a radio call.

Mr Schott managed a perfect emergency landing to cheers and applause from hundreds of onlookers waiting below.

A loud scraping sound could be heard as the plane touched down before it glided for about 500 metres and then finally came to a stop.

The plane circled Newcastle Airport for four hours as it burned off fuel before attempting the dangerous landing in rain and limited visibility

Remarkably, the Reynolds are still heading off on their holiday and are due to fly out to Lord Howe Island on Wednesday on a similar-sized plane

'Maybe I'll just take some tablets this time,' Mr Reynolds joked.

The incident is now subject to an ATSB (Australian Transport Safety Bureau) investigation.

NSW Police Superintendent Wayne Humphrey praised the pilot's 'textbook' landing and said he 'sounded really calm' on the radio.

'The aircraft landing gear would not come back down, and [the pilot] stayed here and burnt off fuel,' Superintendent Humphrey said.

A hero pilot successfully executed a perfect emergency 'belly landing' after the undercarriage failed on their passenger plane and they were forced to touch down wheels-up at Newcastle Airport (pictured)

'After some hours in the air, about 90 minutes burning off sufficient fuel, he made a text-book wheels-up landing which I was very happy to see on the runway behind us.'

Superintendent Humphrey added that none of those aboard suffered any injuries.

'They (the passengers) jumped in their car and drove home,' he added.

The airport was closed for 24 hours while an investigation was underway.

Over a dozen emergency crews, including fire engines, were waiting on the runway, while an operations room was set up in the adjoining Williamtown RAAF base.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has condemned the defacement of Chinese artefacts in her home constituency as 'senseless and disgraceful'.

Police are investigating after two people allegedly damaged $100,000 worth of paintings and statues at Bendigo's Golden Dragon Museum on Sunday afternoon.

It is alleged that a man and a woman went to the museum around 1.30pm and used a liquid to cause significant damage to the paintings and statutes.

The offenders left the scene in a silver Toyota Prado, before targeting sculptures at a Buddhist monument northwest of town.

It is understood that two children were with them, but were not involved in the incident.

Police are investigating after two people damaged $100,000 worth of paintings and statues at Bendigo's Golden Dragon Museum, in regional Victoria, on Sunday afternoon

'This is just senseless. It's disgraceful and it's disrespectful,' Ms Allan told reporters in Richmond.

'Our Golden Dragon Museum is a wonderful place to celebrate Chinese culture and heritage and how Bendigo and the broader goldfields was built off the back of so many Chinese migrants... and that rich heritage lives on today.'

Investigators believe the woman flicked an oily substance on statues, stonework, temple artefacts, artwork and parading dragons.

Golden Dragon Museum chief executive Hugo Leschen said the incident was very upsetting to staff, volunteers and the greater community.

'This museum is much loved,' Mr Leschen told AAP.

'We're the largest and most important collection of Chinese cultural and heritage material in Australia.'

The oily liquid has been sent for scientific analysis.

'All vandalism is mindless in a sense, but this was done with great purpose,' Mr Leschen said.

'She's come out to do this and she's caused enormous damage in her actions.'

It is believed the family then drove northwest of Bendigo to the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, a Buddhist monument, to deface more artefacts.

'We estimate the repair bill will run into the tens of thousands of dollars and we will work to repair what we can,' Stupa Chairman Ian Green said in a statement.

'The objects at the Stupa are considered sacred and many have been entrusted to the Great Stupa by various faith-based communities to help preserve and celebrate their traditions, providing a space for worship and fellowship,' Mr Green said.

Investigators launched a public appeal on Tuesday and released images of two people, and an image of a silver Toyota Prado.

They are urging witnesses or anyone who has has any information which could assist investigators to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
A court has heard that an 'inexperienced driver' should be jailed after his reckless driving caused a horror crash which killed a young woman.

Poppy Crozier died after her vehicle crashed into a semi-trailer on the Dukes Highway at Ki Ki, 144km south-east of Adelaide, on May 26 last year.

The crash which killed the 19-year-old woman was caused by Jake Stock, who overtook two semi-trailers in his vehicle before he crashed head on into the vehicle being driven by Ms Crozier and pushed her into the path of one of the trucks.

Stock, 19, entered an early guilty plea to dangerous driving causing death at the Adelaide Magistrate's Court earlier this year.

Poppy Crozier (pictured) died after her vehicle was pushed into the path of a semi-trailer last year on the Dukes Highway at Ki Ki, south-east of Adelaide

Dozens of friends and family of Ms Crozier packed the courtroom on Tuesday as her immediate family spoke about the pain her death had caused them.

Stock wiped away tears as he listened to the moving statements from family members who said their lives had been shattered by his negligent actions.

The court heard that Stock was driving on the highway on the night of May 26 while it was raining when he made the move to overtake the two trucks.

Stock overtook the trucks by illegally crossed the double white lines before his vehicle collided with the car being driven by Ms Crozier.

The parents of Ms Crozier told Judge Jane Schammer that the life of their daughter was brutally cut short, reported the Adelaide Advertiser.

'Our Poppy was dearly loved and our family dynamic was shaped by her presence,' Ms Crozier's mother told the court.

Jake Stock (pictured) overtook two semi-trailers by illegally crossing the double white lines before his vehicle collided with the car being driven by Ms Crozier.

'We know the grief will remain with us for the rest of our lives. We'll never see the incredible potential she was yet to fulfil.'

The mother of the young victim said she did not want her daughter to be remembered as 'the 19-year-old who died in a horror crash'.

'We want her remembered as a much loved daughter, sister, niece, grandchild, girlfriend, and friend,' she said.

The devastated partner of Ms Crozier said he was heartbroken by the thought that he would never get to see her again, as friends revealed they found it difficult to drive past the section of highway where the fatal crash took place.

Stock sat silently in court as 17 victim impact statements were read out while he occasionally wiped away tears.

His lawyer James Marcus read a statement on behalf of his client to express that he deeply regretted his actions.

'I am so sorry for my actions that have affected your lives and changed things for the worse,' he said in the statement.

Dozens of friends and family members including the parents of Ms Crozier (pictured), were present in the courtroom and spoke about their grief following the death of the 19-year-old

'I know I have caused pain for you and everybody around you and I realise there is nothing I can do or say to take back what I did.'

Prosecutor Isabelle Kimber urged Judge Schammer to hand down an immediate jail sentence, in a bid to prevent similar incidents.

'The offending is just too serious for any sentence of imprisonment to be suspended,' Ms Kimber said.

Stock will be sentenced in court later this month.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday in an unannounced diplomatic mission to reassure Ukraine that it has American support as it struggles to defend against increasingly intense Russian attacks .

The visit comes less than a month after Congress approved a long-delayed foreign assistance package that sets aside $60 billion in aid for Ukraine, much of which will go toward replenishing badly depleted artillery and air defense systems.

On his fourth trip to Kyiv since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Blinken will underscore the Biden administration's commitment to Ukraine's defense and long-term security , U.S. officials said.

They noted that since President Joe Biden signed the aid package late last month, the administration has already announced $1.4 billion in short-term military assistance and $6 billion in longer-term support.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is greeted by U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget A. Brink after arriving by train at Kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi station on Tuesday in Kyiv, Ukraine

It is 'trying to really accelerate the tempo' of U.S. weapon shipments to Ukraine, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.

'What I am going to suggest is that the level of intensity being exhibited right now in terms of moving stuff is at a 10 out of 10,' Sullivan told reporters at a White House briefing Monday.

Artillery, air defense interceptors and long-range ballistic missiles have already been delivered, some of them already to the front lines, said a senior U.S. official traveling with the secretary on an overnight train from Poland .

Blinken will 'send a strong signal of reassurance' to Ukrainian leaders and civil society figures he will meet during his two-day visit, said the official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity ahead of Blinkens meetings.

In a statement released after Blinken's arrival, the State Department said he would meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other top Ukrainian officials 'to discuss battlefield updates, the impact of new U.S. security and economic assistance, long-term security and other commitments, and ongoing work to bolster Ukraines economic recovery.'

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken works while traveling on a Ukraine Railways train to Kyiv

Delays in U.S. assistance, particularly since Israels war with Hamas began to preoccupy top administration officials, triggered deep concerns in Kyiv and Europe. Blinken, for example, has visited the Middle East seven times since the Gaza conflict began in October. His last trip to Kyiv was in September.

The U.S. official added that Blinken also would give a speech later Tuesday extolling Ukraines 'strategic successes' in the war. It is intended to complement a Blinken address last year in Helsinki, Finland, deriding Russian President Vladimir Putin for Moscows strategic failures in launching the war.

Since the Helsinki speech, however, Russia has intensified its attacks, most noticeably as the U.S. House sat on the aid package for months without action, forcing a suspension in the provision of most U.S. assistance. Those attacks have increased in recent weeks as Russia has sought to take advantage of Ukrainian shortages in manpower and weapons while the new assistance is in transit.

Top Biden administration officials and Ukrainian national security officials held a call Monday 'about the situation on the front, about the capabilities that they are most in need of, and a real triage effort to say, Get us this stuff this fast so that we can be in a position to effectively defend against the Russian onslaught,' Sullivan said.

Blinken's mission underscores U.S. commitment to Ukraine's defense

The visit comes less than a month after Congress approved a long-delayed foreign assistance package that sets aside $60 billion in aid for Ukraine

Blinken is scheduled to give a speech later on Tuesday extolling Ukraine's 'strategic successes' in the war

Officials conduct a debris removal work aftermath Russian missile and drone attack in Kyiv last week

A view of a ruined private house after a Russian missile attack in the Kyiv region on Wednesday

Russian forces launched ballistic missiles and unmanned drones and damaged 14 buildings

Russian troops launched a strike using missiles of various types together with drones

Zelenskyy said over the weekend that 'fierce battles' are taking place near the border in eastern and northeastern Ukraine as outgunned and outnumbered Ukrainian soldiers try to push back a significant Russian ground offensive.

The Kremlins forces are aiming to exploit Ukrainian weaknesses before a big batch of new military aid for Kyiv from the U.S. and European partners arrives on the battlefield in the coming weeks and months, Ukrainian commanders and analysts say. That makes this period a window of opportunity for Moscow and one of the most dangerous for Kyiv in the two-year war, they say.

The new Russian push in the northeastern Kharkiv region and a drive into the eastern Donetsk region come after months when the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line barely budged. In the meantime, both sides have used long-range strikes in what largely became a war of attrition.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, arrives by train after traveling from Poland

U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink, front, waits with Ukrainian Railways staff and others to greet Blinken at Kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi station

Blinken said Sunday that there was 'no doubt' the monthslong delay in aid caused problems but that 'we are doing everything we can to rush this assistance out there.'

The senior U.S. official said despite some recent setbacks, Ukraine could still claim significant victories. Those include reclaiming some 50% of the territory Russian forces took in the early months of the war, boosting its economic standing and improving transportation and trade links, not least through military successes in the Black Sea .

The official acknowledged that Ukraine faces 'a tough fight' and is 'under tremendous pressure' but argued that Ukrainians 'will become increasingly more confident' as the new U.S. and other Western assistance begins to surge.

Blinken said Sunday that there was 'no doubt' the monthslong delay in aid caused problems but that 'we are doing everything we can to rush this assistance out there.'

'It's a challenging moment,' he told CBS Face the Nation. 'We are not going anywhere, and neither are more than some 50 countries that are supporting Ukraine. That will continue, and if Putin thinks he can outlast Ukraine, outlast its supporters, hes wrong.
The parents of a six-year-old girl who died from sepsis just days before Christmas say they cannot bear to bring down the tree she decorated.

Little Maya Siek, who was described as her mother's 'best friend', tragically died of sepsis caused by influenza just days before Christmas on December 21, 2022.

The schoolgirl had been discharged from the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM) in Margate, Kent, two days earlier with antibiotics to treat a suspected case of tonsillitis despite collapsing twice.

The hospital has since apologised to her devastated family after a probe into her death found Maya was 'inappropriately discharged due to a lack of senior clinical oversight', with the 'busyness of the department' being a factor.

At an inquest into the little girl's death, Maya's mother Magdalena Wisniewska revealed her sorrow and anger that 'we lost our girl because doctors did not do their job properly'.

She revealed they no longer Christmas as a family due to their grief, but still have the tree that Maya decorated before she went into hospital in December 2022.

Maya Siek, six, died from sepsis caused by influenza shortly before Christmas in December 2022

Picture shows Magdalena Wisniewska with her daughter Maya

The family were looking forward to Christmas at home when Maya fell ill on December 18. The family have decided to keep the Christmas tree Maya decorated in her last days in their living room

In a statement read by her lawyer at Maidstone Coroners Court, she said: 'Maya's aim was to be a doctor, as she wanted to help people to be healthy and help them get better.

'Hence, it makes us even more sad and angry that we lost our girl because doctors did not do their job properly,' the Times reported.

Ms Wisniewska paid tribute to her daughter who she fondly remembers as a 'little artist' who was always 'scribbling on paper'.

'She had a lust for life and she loved nature and animals. Snails were her favourite and [she] would always place them in safe places so no one would step on them.

'Now our house is quiet and sad without her and it has never been the same.'

Matthew Turner, who is representing the family at the inquest, read out Ms Wisniewska's witness statement about her daughter's care before her death.

The statement described how Maya complained of tummy pain, felt cold to touch, looked pale and refused food before she collapsed, became unconscious and was taken to hospital.

'When we got there we felt like no one was taking us seriously', Wisniewska said.

The six-year-old girl collapsed again at the hospital and she needed to be cannulated for further tests because her veins were not easily visible. She was discharged at around 9pm with antibiotics to treat a suspected case of tonsillitis and her mother was advised to take her back if she did not improve.

Ms Wisniewska took Maya back to the hospital the next day after she struggled to sleep through the night and her condition worsened.

Ms Wisniewska has slammed doctors of 'not doing their job properly'. Picture shows the grieving mother with her daughter

The primary school child died in her stepfather Raj Blande's arms two days after being discharged from hospital

The mother said she tried repeatedly to flag that her daughter was behaving strangely, even reporting she could see monkeys that weren't there

She was then diagnosed with sepsis - but her parents claim they were not informed of this - and taken to the 21-bed paediatric Rainbow Ward.

The heartbroken mother described how her daughter's symptoms continued to deteriorate as she became unable to walk or sit up on her own and became angry and confused. Maya eventually stopped breathing and her heart stopped beating.

At the end of her statement, Wisniewska asked: 'Why did the doctor send us home even though Maya fell down on the floor and lost consciousness?'

A statement from Dr Nizar Hassini, saw Maya on her first visit to the hospital, said she left the hospital 'smiling and waving with her mum'

When he discharged her, Hassini said: 'She left the department walking and waving again and saying thank you.'

Dr Andrew Mortimer, who was the on-call consultant on the day of Mayas first hospital visit but did not directly treat her, said: 'I have worked in emergency medicine for nearly 20 years. This particular shift stands out to me as the most challenging shift of my career.'

He added it was the 'tail end of Covid and the winter season, 'at the peak of a surge in both Covid and also influenza which meant a high number of patients and staff off sick.

A shelf of pictures and flowers to commemorate Maya can be seen at the family home. Her mother said her daughter will be forever in their hearts

'I remember that the nursing staff were very affected by sickness,' he added.

When asked why almost all of the original test results taken after Maya collapsed at hospital included 'abnormally high' or 'abnormally low' readings, Mortimer said: 'Im presuming it sticks "abnormally high" or "abnormally low" on any results which are slightly abnormal.'

On Hassinis decision to discharge Maya on the day of her first hospital visit, Mortimer said: 'The decision to admit and discharge are based on a number of factors. There is no single factor that on its own that I would say would be a case for admission.

'I didnt personally see the patient. I can see reasons to admit the patient, I can see reasons to discharge.

'Would I hand on heart discharge a child that had persistent tachycardia [raised heart rate]? I dont know. I probably wouldnt. I wasnt involved in this patient.'

Asked about the whether it is normal for relatives to be told of diagnoses, Mortimer said: 'If I diagnosed it, I talk to my patient and their relatives and I try to keep them as informed as possible.'

The inquest continues.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Archewell Foundation has claimed that a cheque going missing in the post is why a US charity regulator has declared it 'delinquent'.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's organisation is 'not in good standing' according to the Registry of Charities and Fundraisers in California, where the couple live.

The registry said Archewell failed to properly submit its annual report or renewal fees and has banned it from either fundraising or distributing charitable funds for now.

But Sussex sources insist the paperwork was filed on time, with the discrepancy down to a 'cheque' which accompanied the documents going missing in the post.

They also maintain that 'a new cheque has been mailed', which should mean the issue will be 'quickly resolved' - but the revelation will likely cause embarrassment.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the Lagos State Governor's House in Nigeria on May 12

A delinquency notice letter was sent to the Archewell Foundation on May 3 saying the charity is 'listed as delinquent' for 'failing to submit required annual report(s) and/or renewal fees'

An Archewell source said: 'For the foundation, everything was filed on time. Part of that filing was a physical cheque. That cheque appears to have never been received, which we were only made aware of when this delinquency notice was published.

'A new cheque has been mailed and we anticipate that this will be quickly resolved and reflected in records within seven business days.'

It comes as the couple were yesterday flying back from a high profile three-day visit to Abuja and Lagos in Nigeria that was dubbed a royal tour in all but name.

During the trip the Sussexes announced a partnership between the Archewell Foundation and the Geanco Foundation, a charity in Nigeria which leads surgical missions, promotes maternal health and provides scholarships to young female victims of terrorism.

But a 'delinquency notice' letter was by the Registry of Charities and Fundraisers to Archewell on May 3 saying the foundation is 'listed as delinquent' for 'failing to submit required annual report(s) and/or renewal fees'.

In March, Harry and Meghan congratulated computer scientist and digital activist Dr Joy Buolamwini for winning the NAACP Archewell Foundation Digital Civil Rights Award

Harry and Meghan also visited the Archewell Foundation's San Antonio Welcome Project in March, which supports women who have recently moved to the US from Afghanistan

The letter says an organisation listed as 'delinquent' is banned from 'soliciting or disbursing charitable funds' and its registration may be 'suspended or revoked'.

A physical cheque was part of the filing sent to the California Attorney General's Office and it is understood that a new one has been sent to resolve the issue.

The letter from California's Registry of Charities and Fundraisers warns: 'An organisation that is listed as delinquent is not in good standing and is prohibited from engaging in conduct for which registration is required, including soliciting or disbursing charitable funds.

'The organisation may also be subject to penalties and its registration may be suspended or revoked by the Registry.

'Once you submit the delinquent record(s), you will be notified of the amount of any late fees that are owed.'

The foundation is understood to believe that its tax filings were submitted on time and a cheque was sent - and it was only made aware of any issue when the delinquency notice was published.

The foundation is separate from the couple's Archewell media and business divisions

Now that a new cheque has been posted, it expects the issue will quickly be resolved, with this being reflected in in records within just over a week.

The Archewell Foundation is a non-profit organisation created by Harry and Meghan when they moved to the US after stepping down as senior royals in 2020.

On its website, it says its mission is to 'show up, do good', adding: 'We meet the moment by showing up, taking action and using our unparalleled spotlight to uplift and unite communities - local and global - through acts of service and compassion.'

The foundation is separate from the couple's Archewell media and business divisions which have been involved in the Netflix and Spotify productions.

It follows Harry and Meghan's visit to Nigeria from Friday until Sunday to promote mental health for soldiers and empower young people.

Harry and Meghan attend a polo fundraising event in Lagos during their Nigeria tour on May 12

The couple were invited to the West African nation by its military, and attended events related to Harry's Invictus Games, which Nigeria is seeking to host in future.

The couple were also welcomed at the Lagos State Government House and met military officials at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.

According to tax filings disclosed by Archewell last December, the organisation had suffered an $11million (9million) decline in donations in 2022 compared to the previous year.

The records showed that the charity received just over $2million (1.6million) in charitable donations in 2022 compared to $13million (10million) in 2021.

And while in 2021 Archewell had reported a revenue of more than $9million (7million), the December 2023 filings showed that by 2022 it had recorded a loss of more than $674,000 (537,000) due to costs of $2.67million (2.13million).
By Jung Min-ho

The diminishing student population in Incheon is forcing some of the city's island schools to close, shrink or remain empty without any specific plans amid Koreas persistently low birthrate.

According to the Incheon Metropolitan City Office of Education, Tuesday, five island schools have shut down permanently since late 2018, with more likely to face the same fate in the coming years due to a lack of pupils.

Schools across the country have been struggling with the same issue in recent years. But it is being felt most acutely by residents of remote islands as young people leave for cities in search of better jobs and more convenient lifestyles.

After the closure of Seodo Elementary School and Seodo Middle School on Boreum Island in 2018, Nanjeong Elementary School on Gyodong Island followed suit the following year. In March 2023, Gyodong Elementary School on the same island as well as Yongyu Elementary School on Muui Island closed.

Two other elementary schools located on Socheong Island and Seungbong Island have also failed to recruit new students since 2019. If they close, there will be just five island schools left under the Incheon education offices supervision. As the schools are also running out of students as they graduate or move away, its only a matter of time before they have no students whatsoever.

Residents on the islands fear the closure of schools may prompt more young people to leave. But there are no realistic solutions to reverse the trend.

According to the Incheon education offices website, 17 schools have closed in the city alone since 2018. Meanwhile, nearly 200 schools have suffered the same fate across the country.

The demographic shift is only expected to accelerate as Koreas total fertility rate  the average number of children born to a woman over her lifetime  continues to decrease. Currently standing at 0.72, Koreas total fertility rate is already the worlds lowest, with no signs of bouncing back anytime soon.

To tackle this existential issue, President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Monday that he will establish a senior presidential secretary post that will be dedicated to the task. This came just days after he announced the creation of a new ministry as his policy commitment to the matter.
One woman has been rushed to hospital after a massive blaze ripped through a boarding house.

Emergency services raced to the home on Walton St in Dutton Park in inner-city Brisbane shortly before 3pm Tuesday to find the property ablaze.

Harrowing photos from the scene showed huge plumes of smoke billowing from the home.

Paramedics treated one woman who needed an oxygen mask for smoke inhalation, who was later taken to hospital.

All occupants have all been accounted for.

Firefighters have extinguished a massive blaze that engulfed a timber boarding house in Brisbane's inner-city on Tuesday afternoon (pictured)

It took firefighters more than an hour to extinguish the fire.

The property sustained severe damaged and has since been declared as a crime scene.

'Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the fire,' Queensland Police statement read.

Anyone with information has been urged to contact police.

Boarding house residents, Luke Backhouse ran back into the burning home to search for his mate.

'We all went out the front and it took over pretty quickly it started in the right front room,' he told the Courier Mail.

'We went back in and kicked the door just to see if my mate was there.

'I was greeted by some flames and then ran back out and realised he was okay.'
A high-profile 'fixer' who worked to help free Schapelle Corby from jail has been hired by a South Australian dad detained in Bali on drug trafficking charges.

Troy Smith, who is facing life in prison for alleged methamphetamine possession, allegedly tried to flee police but was caught after warning shots were fired.

He and his wife of four months Tracy Ijusa were holidaying on the island when Indonesian police raided their resort room on April 30 and allegedly found 3.14g of methamphetamine concealed in a Colgate toothpaste.

Smith, 49, has called in the big guns by hiring John McLeod, who runs consultancy firm Tora Solutions, which helps Australians in legal troubles overseas, 7News reported on Tuesday.

Mr McLeod, who is a former police officer, helped get Corby out of Bali's notorious Kerobokan jail, which is where Smith could be within weeks if his request to go to a rehabilitation centre is denied.

A high-profile 'fixer' who worked to help free Schapelle Corby (pictured centre) from jail has been hired by a South Australian man being held on drug trafficking charges in Bali

John McLeod (top right) helped get Corby out of Bali's notorious Kerobokan jail

Troy Smith (pictured), who is facing life in prison for alleged methamphetamine possession , allegedly tried to flee police but was caught after warning shots were fired

An Australian Consulate-General representative was seen at the Bali police headquarters on Tuesday, where where Smith remains in custody, the Adelaide Advertiser reported.

The hiring of Mr McLeod is a major escalation in Smith's defence strategy.

In January 2022, Mr McLeod helped Jeffrey Welton, a surf instructor from Perth, avoid the firing squad after convincing the judges to treat him as an addict, rather than a drug trafficker.

Smith initially was thought to have been facing a maximum penalty of 12 years in jail for possession.

But his lawyers have revealed he has also been charged with drug trafficking, which carries a maximum life sentence and a fine of $944,860.

Once police and prosecutors have the brief of evidence ready for court, it's likely Smith will be sent to Kerobokan Penitentiary Centre - a facility which has a notorious history of violence, riots, and gangs.

Australian members of the Bali Nine bombers were sent to the prison, along with Queensland woman Corby who spent nine years there after marijuana was found in her boogie board bag.

John McLeod (pictured) runs consultancy firm Tora Solutions, which helps Australians such as Corby in legal troubles overseas

Details of the arrest of Smith and his wife emerged at a police press conference on Monday.

The couple were holidaying when Indonesian police raided their room at the Champlung Mas Hotel in Legian, on the island's south, on April 30.

They allegedly found 3.14g of methamphetamine concealed in a Colgate toothpaste tube that had been sent to Smith from Cairns, in a package that was labelled as containing private paperwork, photos and lubricant.

Police allegedly found a further 0.4g of the drug that had been bought in Bali, along with a bong and a lighter.

Outside a police press conference on Monday, one of Smith's lawyer, Sienny Karmana, said her client tried to evade arrest 'because he was scared', with police firing two warning shots into the air before he was detained.

'Police said that he tried to run away, but police got him back. They fired shots into the air, he was surprised and then he fell down and then police got him,' she said.

Ms Ijusa tried to visit Smith in custody on Monday but she was turned away by authorities.

Indonesian police allege they found crystal meth in Troy Smith's four-star beach resort hotel room in Bali (pictured with his wife, right)

Smith's lawyers allege the drug package was sent him from a friend as thanks for helping with the purchase of a car, and Smith did not know what it contained when he received it.

Another of Smith's lawyers, Ida Bagus Gumilang Galih Sakti, said he was hoping to get him sent to a rehabilitation facility, rather than to a jail.

If the rehabilitation option is granted, he could avoid Kerobokan prison altogether.

'I heard from Troy... that this was a present, because the sender knew that he was a user,' Mr Sakti said.

Mr Sakti said that Smith was 'very depressed and sorry' about the situation.

'When people get caught by police in another country, they will sulk... and he's quite depressed at the moment,' Mr Sakti said.

Hours later, Smith was rushed to Bhayangkara Hospital after falling ill  the first time he had been seen publicly since his arrest.

He spent a short time getting treatment in the emergency department before he was taken back to police custody.

Smith was originally from Port Lincoln in South Australia but appears to have moved to Cairns within the past two years.

Australian dad Troy Smith (pictured with his wife, Tracy) has been charged with drug possession in Bali

He proposed to Ms Ijusa in October last year and they tied the knot in January.

She was also arrested after the hotel room raid but was released without charge, and has remained in Bali to support her husband.

It is understood Smith's relatives flew to Bali last week.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr McLeod for comment.
A British holidaymaker has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a female compatriot at a Costa del Sol hotel.

The 27-year-old man was taken into custody after the woman tourist said she had been the victim of a sex attack at the unnamed 'luxury' hotel in Puerto Banus near Marbella.

She alleged it had occurred during an impromptu party with friends organised after they had met at a nearby beach club.

The woman, aged around 26, was taken to hospital so she could be examined by a specialist doctor.

The suspect was arrested shortly afterwards.

The woman said she had been the victim of a sex attack at the unnamed 'luxury' hotel in Puerto Banus near Marbella (file image)

Police have not yet made any official comment and it was not immediately clear this morning if the British man has already appeared in court and whether he has been remanded in custody or released on bail pending an ongoing investigation.

A National Police spokesman in Malaga said today: 'We can confirm a British man aged 27 has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a woman.'

Earlier this month an RAF serviceman was arrested in Majorca after a British holidaymaker accused him of raping her at a four-star Magaluf hotel.

He was released and allowed to fly back to the UK, but told he remains under investigation, after his female accuser failed to ratify her police complaint in front of a judge.

In February, a British tourist was handed a four-year prison sentence at a court in Palma after confessing to raping his son's female friend in a Magaluf hotel room.

Spanish public prosecutors said before David McPaul Wigging's February 5 trial they wanted him jailed for nine years if convicted of the May 9 2023 sex attack.

The 43-year-old also struck a plea bargain deal through his lawyer ahead of the full trial.

It was confirmed he would receive a four-year prison sentence during a subsequent brief public hearing, although he will only serve two years behind bars.

Earlier this month an RAF serviceman was arrested in Majorca after a British holidaymaker accused him of raping her at a Magaluf hotel (File photo: Porte de Soller, Palma Majorca, Spain)

The fact he was very drunk when he attacked his victim, who is also from the UK and is understood to be in her twenties, was taken into account as a mitigating factor.

He will be expelled from Spain on May 8 next year once he has completed half of his sentence. The time he has already spent behind bars as a remand prisoner has been taken into account in determining the two-year time limit.

Wigging's defence lawyer Fernando Mateas said at the time the plea bargain deal he had helped negotiate for his client meant he will be a free man after May 8 2025.
A navy surgeon who operated on a 12-year-old's penis without consent while carrying out a hernia procedure has been suspended for six months.

Commander Anthony Lambert told the boy's parents he'd done it without consulting them because he was 'a bit of a nosey t***' and noticed it 'didn't look normal'.

The 'extremely senior and respected practitioner' - who served in the Royal Navy for 36 years and reached the rank of Surgeon Commander - had been performing an umbilical hernia repair on the child.

Now, after appearing in front of a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, he has been suspended for six months for his 'deplorable' actions.

The hearing was told that on April 20, 2016, while working at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, Cdr Lambert performed the procedure on the boy, referred to only as Patient A, who was unconscious under general anaesthetic.

Commander Anthony Lambert (pictured) - who served in the Royal Navy for 36 years and reached the rank of Surgeon Commander - had been performing an umbilical hernia repair on the child

Cdr Lambert told the boy's parents he'd done it without consulting them because he was 'a bit of a nosey t***' and noticed it 'didn't look normal'

Umbilical hernias are very common in infants and young children, the NHS says. It occurs near the belly button, when internal tissue pushes through a weak spot.

During this, Cdr Lambert 'undertook a freeing of preputial adhesions' on the boy's penis - without the knowledge or consent of either Patient A or his parents.

Preputial adhesions refer to the fusion of the foreskin to the head of the penis, known as the glans.

The procedure to get rid of them can involve cutting away at the tissue.

Adhesions can fade on their own, yet treatment can be needed if the adhesions leave boys and men in pain.

In an 'inappropriate' comment explaining his actions afterwards, he said: '....because I am a bit of a nosey t*** I noticed that [Patient A]'s penis did not look quite normal'

Three days after the operation, Patient A's mother submitted a formal complaint that the procedure had been carried out 'without Patient A, Mrs B or her husband's knowledge or consent'.

The hearing was told in the investigation into his conduct, and that comment in particular, he retorted 'this is the first time in 16 years I've had a complaint'.

The hearing was told he had been investigated in 2014 for 'expletive language' used in front of nursing staff, patients and patients' parents.

In October 2018, a Foundation Year 1 trainee working with Cdr Lambert submitted a complaint about his conduct, the panel was told.

Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, where Cdr Lambert performed the procedure

Cdr Lambert admitted making comments which were 'foul and abusive', 'aggressive and intimidating', 'bullying in nature and derogatory' towards patients and healthcare professionals.

He told members he was 'devastated by the consequences of his actions' and had carried out the procedure 'with the best of intentions'.

It was also heard that the background to this 'intemperate behaviour' was the stress suffered as part of his deployment to combat zones.

The panel heard that although Cdr Lambert is now retired 'for the most part', there 'remains a risk' he could choose to return to practice.

The panel concluded that the decision to complete the examination and procedure 'contrary to the clear expressions of no consent' was aggravated by Patient A's young age.

'It noted that he made very limited attempts to find Patient A's parents after he noticed the abnormality of his penis, and although he entered the waiting room, he did not call their name,' they said.

They added that Cdr Lambert was an 'extremely senior and respected practitioner' and this had been a 'single incident in a long and distinguished career'.

However, they continued: 'The tribunal considered that members of the medical profession would find the act of a doctor operating on a child without any form of consent, or following an express refusal of consent to be deplorable. It determined that such actions would bring the medical profession into disrepute.

'It was of the view that the impact it had on Patient A, or some similar adverse outcome, was a foreseeable potential result of an open breach of trust.

'The Tribunal concluded that this misconduct was serious - obtaining consent before carrying out a procedure or physical investigation on a patient is a fundamental tenet of the medical profession.

'The Tribunal reminded itself that Cdr Lambert was refused consent by Patient A and his parents on two separate occasions.

'It noted that the procedure was not urgent and [Cdr] Lambert could have waited to ensure that he obtained parental consent without posing any risk to the patient.'

They added that most doctors in similar circumstances would understand the imperative not to carry out the procedure, and would view his actions as 'a deplorable breach of trust fundamental to the medical profession to obtain consent before operating on a patient'.

They therefore concluded it amounted to serious misconduct - and he was suspended for six months.
It was June 2021 at the edges of Manialtepec Lagoon in southern Mexico

when Melissa Laurie was snatched by a giant crocodile as she made her way out of the water.

The Briton, from Sandhurst, Berkshire, had been swimming in the picturesque location with her twin after a rogue tour guide had wrongly advised them that the water was safe.

After seeing her sister being dragged back into the water by the cold-blooded predator, Georgia Laurie courageously jumped back in to find her twin unconscious lying face down.

Before Melissa could be taken to safety, the crocodile came back and bit down on her before dragging her back into the water.

Georgia fought off the reptile by repeatedly punching it on the nose with one hand while keeping her sister's head above water with the other, which gave her a chance to drag her injured twin to a more secluded area.

However, the horrifying ordeal wasn't over. In a final assault, the croc 'death rolled' - a manoeuver in which a crocodile or alligator over with its prey in its jaws to brings its prey under water and drown it - Melissa back into the waters.

Melissa responded with more punches to the reptile's face which forced it to release her sister.

The pair were left seriously injured by the ordeal but have since recovered - apart from mental and physical scars.

Melissa (pictured in hospital) was left in an induced coma following the attack, but made a stunning recovery

Deep bite marks and surgery scars were seen on Georgia's legs following the attack

Georgia Laurie (right), 31, courageously punched the massive reptile in the face when the animal dragged her sibling, Melissa (left), underwater while swimming in a lagoon in Mexico in June 2021

For the courageous act, Georgia is set to receive a bravery honour in the King's first Civilian Gallantry List.

Speaking of her shock said: 'It's an honour, I was so shocked as well when I received the letter because I didn't see it coming, I didn't expect it.'

She added: 'I feel really privileged, it's a silver lining to have come out of the terrible ordeal... it kind of softens the whole traumatic experience.

'It's been a good thing for not just me but for the whole family, I feel like I have to share it with my sister because let's face it I don't think I would have been nominated for it if she didn't survive.

'What's made this story so incredible is Melissa's unwavering bravery throughout it all because she was so strong during it and I don't think I would be here without her, she really gave me the strength to keep fighting.'

The twins were swimming in a lagoon near Puerto Escondido when Melissa was dragged under the water.

Melissa - who also developed sepsis as a result of her injuries and was put into an induced coma - survived with an open fracture to her wrist, severe puncture wounds to the abdomen and many injuries to her leg and foot, while Georgia was bitten on her hand.

The sisters recalled the dramatic encounter in an interview with the Mail On Sunday back in 2021.

'I saw the outline of its head above the water and its eyes. It was silent and perfectly still at this point,' Melissa said.

'I knew in that moment we were in trouble. I screamed, 'S***! It's a crocodile, we need to turn back immediately!' My heart rate shot up. I was so scared.'

It was then that the crocodile struck. Again and again the reptile attacked, dragging the 28-year-old under the water in a terrifying 'death roll', inflicting gaping wounds over Melissa's body.

Georgia will receive the first King's Gallantry Medal of King Charles III's reign, which acknowledges exemplary acts of bravery

Georgia (right) with her recovering twin sister Melissa (left) pictured together in hospital after the attack

She was saved by Georgia who, through a feat of almost super-human strength and courage, repeatedly punched the crocodile on the nose until it released gravely wounded Melissa from its jaws, barely clinging to life.

Melissa said: 'My mind was racing with all these thoughts. I thought, 'I'm never going to see my family again, I'm never going to see my twin sister again.'

'My initial thought was she's going to have to deal with getting my body back to the UK. I thought I was about to die. Then I passed out.'

As the crocodile grabbed Melissa's left foot in a renewed assault, Georgia began beating it on the nose with her fists: 'I had to fight it off, I started bashing it and bashing it with both fists; just thumping it. It felt rock hard, like punching a wall.'

The animal swam away but came back seconds later for a third time, biting Melissa's upper thigh and bottom. Again, Georgia flailed and punched it hard: 'I was exhausted from the fight. But I just kept punching it.'

The crocodile swam away for the final time after being pummelled by Georgia for a 'substantial' length of time.

'It felt like the attack went on for ever. I don't know how long it went on. I was scared that it would come back and then we would both be dead.'

Despite her heroics, Georgia plunged into despair: 'When I realised that Melissa wasn't responding, I was actually thinking: 'I want to die. I don't want to live any more'.'

Eventually, a rescue boat arrived on the scene. Melissa was hauled on board, with Georgia clambering in and cradling her in her arms.

Blood was everywhere, with Melissa vomiting up a mixture of blood and filthy water.

Melissa - who also developed sepsis as a result of her injuries and was put into an induced coma - survived with an open fracture to her wrist, severe puncture wounds to the abdomen and many injuries to her leg and foot

Georgia (right) and Melissa (left) pictured smiling in a selfie together taken on a holiday

Melissa reveals the injuries she suffered after being dragged under water by a crocodile in Mexico

She said: 'I remember screaming 'Hug me, hug me' because I knew I was dying at that point and I just wanted to be in [Georgia's] arms.

'I remember telling Georgia: 'I'm dying, I'm dying.' I was really scared. It felt so surreal. A nightmare.'

This year's Civilian Gallantry List, which includes nine people, is the first to be approved by the King.

Also set to receive the medal is Pc Zach Printer, who was unarmed when he confronted gunman Jake Davison in August 2021 in Keyham, Plymouth. Davison had already shot and killed five innocent victims.

Among the other recipients is Pc Steven Denniss, who was stabbed in the leg while apprehending a double murder suspect while off duty in Louth, Lincolnshire, in June 2021.

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said: 'It is impossible not to be moved by the stories of those receiving the gallantry awards today. Their acts of bravery have saved lives in impossible circumstances. I commend them on what they have done and congratulate them for receiving this honour.'
Fears have been raised that Northern Ireland could become a 'magnet' for illegal immigration after a bombshell court ruling.

The High Court in Belfast decided yesterday that parts of the Illegal Migration Act cannot apply in the province because of post-Brexit agreements with the EU.

The intervention could mean it is impossible for the Home Office to deport migrants to Rwanda if they travel to Northern Ireland - although the government has insisted it will appeal.

The DUP insisted the move underlines the problems with Rishi Sunak's Windsor Framework deal, suggesting illegal immigrants will head there to dodge being sent to the African state.

But in a round of interviews this morning, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps insisted Northern Ireland would not be an 'exception to the rule' in the wider UK.

Migrants pictured on a boat attempting to cross the English Channel near Dunkirk, France in April

Rishi Sunak said the judgment 'changes nothing about our operational plans to send illegal migrants to Rwanda this July or the lawfulness of our Safety of Rwanda Act'

The row comes amid signs the Rwanda scheme is already having a deterrent effect, with Ireland complaining that migrants are crossing the border to avoid being deported to the African state.

The post-Brexit framework includes a stipulation that there can be no diminution of the rights provisions contained within Northern Ireland's Good Friday peace agreement of 1998.

The Illegal Migration Act provides new powers for the Government to detain and remove asylum seekers it deems to have arrived illegally in the UK. Central to the new laws is the scheme to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Downing Street suggested the court was wrong to 'extend' post-Brexit rules to cover issues such as illegal migration.

Mr Sunak said: 'I have been consistently clear that the commitments in the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement should be interpreted as they were always intended, and not expanded to cover issues like illegal migration. We will take all steps to defend that position, including through appeal.

'This judgment changes nothing about our operational plans to send illegal migrants to Rwanda this July or the lawfulness of our Safety of Rwanda Act.

'We continue to work to get regular flights off to Rwanda in the coming weeks and nothing will distract us from that or delivering to the timetable I set out. We must start the flights to stop the boats.'

The PM's official spokesman said the ruling would have no impact on the first flights to Rwanda planned for this summer as the initial 'cohort' of deportees would be detained under different legislation.

'We continue to work on the timetable that the Prime Minister had previously set out,' he said.

'We've consistently been clear that the commitment to the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement should be interpreted as they were always intended and not expanded to cover issues like illegal migration.'

A government source said: 'It shows again that the courts are desperate to frustrate this plan, but in the PM's view it is politicians not the courts who are accountable to the public for addressing concerns on illegal migration. We will not be knocked off course.'

But DUP leader Gavin Robinson said the party had warned that the Windsor Framework would block the Rwanda plan in the province.

'It is imperative that immigration policy applies equally across every part of the United Kingdom,' he said.

'As Unionists, we are clear that our national parliament should have the ability to make decisions on immigration that are applicable on a national basis.

'If that were not the case, it would not only be a constitutional affront but would make Northern Ireland a magnet for asylum seekers seeking to escape enforcement.'

Labour peer Baroness Hoey told GB News: 'I presume it will go to the Supreme Court, but I would be very surprised if the Supreme Court takes a different view. Because everyone who understood it and read about Article Two of the protocol knew that this could not apply.

'Northern Ireland is going to be a magnet for people to come over and I just would warn any government who's thinking of putting in checks on people, they are entering into a very dangerous territory.'

Solicitor Sinead Marmion, who represented a 16-year-old Iranian asylum seeker in the case, said the judgment was 'hugely significant' and would prevent the Rwanda scheme applying in Northern Ireland.

'This is a huge thorn in the Government's side and it has completely put a spanner in the works,' she added.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 saw the horrors of a large-scale war darken Europe's doorstep for the first time since the end of World War II.

For a short while, hope endured that a swift resolution to the conflict would materialise, but before long the prospect of a speedy diplomatic solution lay in tatters as Moscow's drones and missiles continued to batter Ukraine's cities.

Now more than two years into the conflict, Vladimir Putin has doubled down.

His forces have made noticeable gains on the frontlines in recent weeks as they pressure war-weary and ammo-starved Ukrainian defenders, and his decision to appoint civilian economist Andrei Belousov as defence minister suggests the Kremlin is committed to sustaining its war economy over the long run.

Meanwhile, the president's long-serving and intensely loyal foreign minister Sergei Lavrov earlier this week challenged what Russia calls the 'collective West', declaring Moscow's troops are ready to meet NATO on the battlefield.

In light of the downward spiral of East-West relations - not to mention the alarming escalation of tensions further afield in the Middle East and Indo-Pacific - the UK and its European partners could soon be forced to contend with any number of major military threats.

As a result, many countries are reversing decades of peacetime policy to reignite their war engines. Others never stopped and are only consolidating efforts to ensure they are fit for conflict.

But there is little doubt that all Europe is now scrambling to prepare in anticipation of what may lie over the horizon.

Here, MailOnline assesses what Britain and its continental allies are doing to ready their armed forces, economies and citizens for the prospect of war.

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Ukrainian service members of the 37th Marine Brigade fire a 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer toward Russian troops, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine

A British soldier looks into a telescopic sight as he holds his sniper rifle during the NATO DRAGON-24 military exercise in Korzeniewo, northern Poland, March 4, 2024

British soldiers stand inside armoured vehicles as they cross the Vistula River during the DRAGON-24 NATO military defense drills on March 05, 2024

Lead soldier from B Company, 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, peers around the corner of the trench during the combined arms live-fire exercise (CALFEX) phase of Exercise Swift Response on the 4th of May 2024

A Minuteman III nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile is tested at the US' Vandenberg Space Force Base

Defence spending

Armies can only fight with the resources made available to them.

There is no clearer example of this axiom than on the frontlines of Ukraine where Kyiv's troops have only been able to hold off Russian invaders thanks to a huge quantity of Western supplied weaponry.

After years of drawing down military capabilities in the UK and Europe following the collapse of the Soviet Union, such resources were until recently languishing at levels far below those maintained during the Cold War.

But now, in the words of Britain's Defence Secretary Grant Shapps: 'The peace dividend is over'.

NATO expects two-thirds of its members to commit 2% of their GDP to defence spending by the end of this year, of which at least 20% must go toward the development of new military technologies and equipment.

Rishi Sunak declared last month the government would raise defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by the end of the decade - part of Britain's transition to a 'war economy'.

On the continent, the European Commission has earmarked almost 2 billion to ramp up defence production among EU member states.

500 million of these funds will go toward the production of artillery shells, with the stated target of producing 2 million shells per year, among other ammunition, by the end of 2025 for Ukraine.

The rest of the budget is to facilitate procurement, boost manufacturing capacity and enhance research and development in crucial defence domains, including 'countering hypersonic missiles, developing a range of unmanned vehicles in the air and on the ground, and ensuring secure space communication,' as well as 'next generation defence systems, such as helicopters and mid-size cargo aircraft'.

Meanwhile, Norway - a member of NATO but not part of the EU - is leading the charge in the Nordics.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stre proposed last month a 'historic' 12-year defence spending plan that commits a whopping 1.6 trillion NOK (118 billion) to revitalise his nation's armed forces, with a particular focus placed on upgrading naval capabilities in view of its proximity to Russia's nuclear submarine fleet, and the increasing maritime prowess of China.

And Finland, a country already renowned for its military preparedness, has tested its defence procurement contracts and has built up a huge stockpile of fuel, grains and ammunition in preparation for a possible war.

It has also invested heavily in defence infrastructure - there are now enough air shelters scattered across Finland to house the entire population.

The Royal Navy's Merlin helicopter from 820 Naval Air Squadron, fires flares after being airborne from HMS Prince of Wales, while embarked for NATO Exercise Steadfast Defender 2024

Ukrainian servicemen of the 82nd Separate Air Assault Brigade prepare for combat Challenger 2 tank in an undisclosed location near frontline in Zaporizhzhia region

German servicemen with their main battle tank Leopard 2 participate in the Canadian Army Trophy (CAT) tank competition at Adazi Military Base, Latvia, 03 May 2024

Finnish soldiers perform war simulation exercises during NATO military drills

Conscription and military service

It was revealed this past weekend that Germany is considering a reintroduction of mandatory national service, according to leaked documents, with military planners discussing three potential approaches to preparing future generations for large-scale conflict.

It is understood that officials are in the final stages of discussions with German defence minister Boris Pistorius, and are expected to go public with official plans next month, The Sunday Telegraph reported.

In one proposal being considered by military planners in Berlin, all men and women would be subject to conscription once they turned 18, provided a constitutional amendment to include women in mandatory service is passed.

But many European countries still maintain national service - and others have recently reintroduced it following Russia's invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago.

The Baltic and Nordic states are all well ahead of their Western European counterparts when it comes to military preparedness - perhaps as a result of their proximity to Russia.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania all maintain some form of national service, with Latvia having reintroduced the policy in 2023 as concern over Russian aggression in Ukraine prompted a rethink of defence strategy.

All male citizens aged 18 to 27 are now required to complete a year of service there.

Further North, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland all maintain their own programmes, with Sweden having reactivated their national service policy in 2018.

Denmark announced earlier this year women would also be subject to mandatory service and revealed plans to extend the duration of the training.

Meanwhile, one in three Finns are reservists, meaning Finland boasts one of Europe's largest armies despite having a tiny population of just 5.6 million.

Germany is considering a reintroduction of mandatory national service, according to leaked documents

Young men called up for national service perform basic shooting drills at a training ground in York. Mandatory national service in Britain continued after the Second World War but was abandoned in 1960

General Sir Patrick Sanders, Chief of the General Staff, says Britain should 'train and equip' a 'citizen army' to prepare for a land war

British soldiers take part in the Swift Response 22 military exercise at the Krivolak Military Training Center in Negotino, in the centre of North Macedonia, on May 12, 2022

Austria, Greece and Switzerland are the other three European nations to maintain national service, albeit with varying durations and degrees of intensity.

For now, the UK continues to resist calls from the continent to reintroduce national service, which was abandoned in 1960.

But several top military figures in Britain have also backed the calls following a years-long policy of reducing the size of the UK's armed forces.

The British Army shrunk by 28% in the past 12 years to around 103,000 soldiers, of which around 76,000 are regulars and 27,000 are reservists, according to YouGov figures.

General Sir Patrick Sanders, Chief of the General Staff of Britain's Armed Forces, said in January that Britain should 'train and equip a citizen army' to prepare for the possibility of a land war in Europe in the coming years.

And General Sir Richard Shirreff, a former NATO commander, warned that the UK might need to introduce a system akin to Finland's, in which all 18-year-old males are required to perform 6-12 months of service in the military, or with border guard units.

They subsequently enter the reservist programme until age 60.

Sir Richard, the Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe from 2011 to 2014, said earlier this year: 'I think now... is the time to start thinking the unthinkable and really having to think quite carefully about conscription if we are to deliver the numbers needed.'

War games and enhanced security cooperation

Perhaps the most overt display of Europe's renewed focus on improving its military readiness comes in the form of NATO's stunning war games.

Steadfast Defender 2024, a suite of training exercises running from January to June, is among the largest military drills ever conceived by the security bloc since the Cold War.

Before its end, the mammoth undertaking will have witnessed the involvement of 90,000 troops from all 32 members of the alliance in a host of different missions including live fire exercises, strategic and logistical game-planning, and the deployment of cross-continental forces from the High North above the Arctic Circle to Central and Eastern Europe.

The drills are not just reserved for land forces - hundreds of military aircraft and more than 50 naval vessels will also perform drills to gauge and strengthen NATO's air and maritime capabilities.

An area of renewed focus for military exercises this year is the Arctic, which could soon become a new frontier where world powers clash for strategic superiority, control of new trade routes and access to previously untapped natural resources.

Russia reveres the Arctic as an 'indisputable priority' and has committed to building up military and civilian infrastructure in the region.

But the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO in recent months means Europe's Nordic powers are now able to operate more closely than ever before and are helping the US to upgrade its own understanding of the Arctic and approach to polar policy.

Norway has hosted NATO's Cold Response winter training exercises since 2006, but this year launched 'Nordic Response' - a dramatically enhanced programme that saw 20,000 troops participate in expanded drills on the frozen coasts of the remote Finnmark region some 300 miles north of the Arctic Circle.

Military exercise with Swedish and foreign military units at Kvarn's training and firing range in Sweden

NATO troops take part in Nordic Response 24 - a phase of the larger NATO exercise Steadfast Defender. The exercise involves air, sea, and land forces, with over 100 fighter jets, 50 ships, and over 20,000 troops practising defensive manoeuvres in cold and harsh weather conditions

A Russian howitzer fires toward Ukrainian positions at an undisclosed location

Britain's Challenger 2 tank moves during the Winter Camp 23 military drills near Tapa, Estonia, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023

Meanwhile, Oslo has worked with counterparts in Stockholm and Helsinki to help formulate Washington's brand-new Arctic Strategy.

This is set for publication in the coming weeks - almost 18 months after the US Department of Defense announced the creation of a new office dedicated to improving America's capabilities in the High North.

Elsewhere, the invasion of Ukraine prompted a reinforcement of NATO's eastern flank, with more European nations willing to welcome foreign troops on their soil.

Romania, Slovakia and Bulgaria and Hungary are all now hosting a contingent of NATO forces, upping the total of multinational battlegroups in Europe to eight from the original four in the Baltic states, plus Poland.

And in move defying pressures from the Kremlin, Moldova is reportedly set to deepen its defence ties with the EU.

The country, which shares a land border with Ukraine, is close to signing a new defence pact that would see Chisinau increase its intelligence sharing with European partners, participate in joint military drills and win inclusion into the EU's joint weapons procurement programmes, according to the FT.

Hosting US nukes and upgrading Europe's nuclear deterrent

Europe's nuclear deterrence relies massively on the US, which has the second largest stockpile of nukes at around 5,200 to Russia's 5,800 - though more a thousand of them are thought to be retired and awaiting disarmament.

Several hundred of these warheads are deployed in various European territories - primarily at locations in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.

But Sweden earlier this week announced it would be willing to host US nuclear weapons on its soil in a time of war, a move that has been hotly criticised by de-armament advocates.

NATO's newest member sensationally abandoned two centuries of military non-alignment to join the security bloc in March this year, and its parliament is now set to vote on a Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) with the United States in June which will give the US access to military bases in Sweden.

The Swedish Peace and Arbitration Association, among others, is campaigning for the government to put in writing in the DCA agreement that Sweden will not allow US nuclear weapons on its soil.

But Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said hosting US nukes may be necessary 'in a war situation'.

'In the absolute worst-case scenario, the democratic countries in our part of the world must ultimately be able to defend themselves against countries that could threaten us with nuclear weapons,' he told Swedish public radio.

Kristersson's declaration came weeks after Polish President Andrzej Duda said last month his nation would be ready to station American weapons on its territory, given Russia's decision to deploy intercontinental ballistic missiles in neighbouring Belarus late last year.

A Minuteman III ICBM is pictured in its silo prior to launch

An unarmed Trident II D5LE missile launches from an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine, similar to the UK's Vanguard submarines that carry Britain's nukes

Royal Navy personnel in the control room on HMS Vigilant, submarine on January 20, 2016 in Rhu, Scotland. HMS Vigilant is one of the UK's fleet of four Vanguard class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines

The UK has four Vanguard class submarines that carry our Trident nuclear weapons

Russia will make NATO nuclear weapons in Poland one of its primary targets if they are deployed there, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said (Russian Yars nuclear missile launch is pictured)

Meanwhile, Britain and France - the only European countries to have their own nuclear arsenals - are both in the process of upgrading their existing capabilities and adding new ones in the coming years.

In March, defence contractor Babcock announced a contract with the Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) - an MoD agency - to perform a 560 million overhaul of HMS Victorious, one of the UK's four Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs).

HMS Vigilant - another SSBN - is already next in line to undergo such transformative maintenance as soon as Victorious' upgrades are completed.

Though the Vanguard class vessels continue to maintain Britain's nuclear deterrent, these submarines will be replaced in the next decade by four fearsome 'Dreadnought' class submarines - three of which are already under construction.

Defence Procurement Minister James Cartlidge said earlier this year the Dreadnought programme is on track to replace the Vanguard fleet at a cost 'within the original 31 billion plus 10 billion contingency budget'.

All the while, Britain continues to increase its stock of nuclear weapons from 225 to 260 - bringing it closer to France's total - and is also thought to be manufacturing a new class of warheads.

France is also embarking on an overhaul of its nuclear sub arsenal, announcing in March that construction had begun on its latest generation of SSBNs called 'SNLE 3G'.

Three more are planned to enter service before 2035 and are said to be so advanced that they will remain in service until the 2080s and beyond.
A May 1 gig was cancelled as part of the air-con system fell down as fans arrived

The 365m venue's first event comes after three opening shows were postponed

Manchester's troubled Co-op Live arena is finally set to open with hometown band Elbow tonight after over a month of setbacks.

It will be the first event in the 365million arena built to compete with London's O2 to host the UK's biggest musical shows with a 23,500 capacity.

The Co-op Live postponed its opening show three times - most recently after part of its ventilation and air conditioning system fell to the ground from the ceiling as fans queued outside.

Rock band Elbow are now set to open the venue on Tuesday after it announced it was 'satisfied' the issue was an 'isolated manufacturing default' following an inspection.

Peter Kay was supposed to be the Co-op Live's opener on April 23 but problems had already shown themselves in earlier test events, leading to that being postponed.

The venue then planned for US rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie to open the arena on May 1, however it was called off just over an hour before his performance with fans queuing outside, due to the ventilation system becoming detached during a soundcheck.

The issue also meant scheduled performances from US pop star Olivia Rodrigo and British band Keane were postponed, while a slew of shows by Take That were moved to the AO Arena across town.

Manchester's Co-op Live arena - the UK's biggest venue of its kind with a 23,500 capacity - is finally set to open tonight

Hometown band Elbow (frontman Guy Garvey pictured) are going to be opening the venue, after three previous opening shows had to be postponed

Most recently, a gig had to be cancelled as fans queued outside (seen) because part of the arena's ventilation system fell from the ceiling during a soundcheck

Kay, who was meant to be the 'first artist in the world to perform at Manchester Co-op Live' according to promotional posters, then had a second show postponed as the venue was still not ready to open six days later.

The problems also led to the venue rescheduling a Black Keys gig.

The venue then planned for US rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie to open the arena on May 1, however it was called off just over an hour before his performance with fans queuing outside, due to the ventilation system becoming detached during a soundcheck.

Co-op Live said an inspection would need to take place to ensure it was a one-time default.

At a Rick Astley test event on April 20, attendance was slashed from 11,000 to just 4,000 less than two hours before the start due to problems with the arena's power - believed to have affected the fire safety and emergency services communication systems.

Insiders claimed 'everything was run down to the wire' ahead of that show and general manager Gary Roden quit that week.

Work being done outside the arena on May 2

The Co-op Live pictured on April 23 - the day it was originally meant to be opened by Bolton comedian Peter Kay

Last week, despite the chaos, the venue announced a headline performance from US rapper Travis Scott on July 13

A clip shared to social media showed the Co-op Live bar area appears to be up and running

East Sussex rock band Keane announced last week that their postponed gig is rescheduled for October 19, while new dates are yet to be announced for Rodrigo.

Bolton comedian Kay is due to make his pair of appearances next week on May 23 and 24, while The Black Keys' rescheduled gig is tomorrow.

Last week, the venue confirmed Elbow would be opening the arena on Tuesday and added a headline performance from US rapper Travis Scott - who will be bringing his Circus Maximus Tour on July 13.
An electric lorry start-up launched by an entrepreneur dubbed 'the Elon Musk of Essex' is on the brink of administration as it urgently seeks new investment.

Asher Bennett - the older brother of former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett and a former submarine officer in the Royal Navy - founded Tevva Motors in 2013.

It planned to build 7.5-tonne electric trucks in Tilbury, Essex and had signed agreements in principle to supply them to Royal Mail.

But the company has now filed a notice to appoint administrators after failing to secure sufficient new funds to keep the company afloat, the Telegraph reports.

It means bosses have temporary legal protection from creditors while they make a final effort to find emergency investment.

Asher Bennett - the older brother of former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett and a former submarine officer in the Royal Navy - founded Tevva Motors in 2013

The firm planned to build 7.5-tonne electric trucks in Tilbury, Essex and had signed agreements in principle to supply them to Royal Mail.

Sub commander turned the 'Elton Musk of Essex': Who is Asher Bennett?

Asher Bennett, an Israeli, is brother of former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. Prior to starting a business career, he trained at the Israeli Naval Academy before becoming a submarine commander. During this time, Bennett came across submarines partially powered by electricity - prompting his fascination with electric vehicles. After leaving the armed forces, he worked for a number of IT companies before becoming CEO of Evida Power, which designed lithium-ion batteries. He launched Tevva out of the belief that hydrogen-electric trucks would be cost effective and avoid the need for drivers to stop regularly to refuel. He has also launched Airvi, 'an AI-powered solution to combat traffic congestion' and Evida Power, which developed specialist battery packs for EVs. Advertisement

Tevva planned to revolutionise the haulage market by building trucks fitted with hydrogen fuel cell technology.

But it has been hit by a string of financial difficulties, disputes with suppliers and an increasingly challenging backdrop across the wider electric vehicle sector.

A spokesman said: 'Despite positive customer interest in Tevva and its products, current global economic conditions have created a challenging environment for electric vehicle startups.

'As a consequence, we have filed notice of intent to enter administration with the court while the board is pursuing investment that secures the future of the company.'

Tevva was due to be bought out last year by American firm ElectraMeccanica but this collapsed.

Asher Bennett previously said his inspiration for the company stemmed from his days in the Israeli Navy, where he came across submarines partially powered by electricity.

After leaving the armed forces, he worked for a number of IT companies before becoming CEO of Evida Power, which designed lithium-ion batteries.

He believed his hydrogen-electric trucks would be cost effective and avoid the need for drivers to stop regularly to refuel.

The possible collapse of Tevva follows news its British rival, Arrival, is running out of cash.

The firm - which makes electric vans - was valued at 10billion after being listed in New York but its shares have subsequently fallen by 99.98 per cent.

A side view showing one of the trucks, which have a range of up to 310 miles and hydrogen tanks that can be refilled in 10 minutes

Tesla and Chinese competitor BYD last month reported a plummet in sales in a further blow to the electric vehicle - after Apple also recently pulled the plug on its own EV project.

The two firms, two of the biggest sellers of EVs worldwide, have been forced to drop their prices to increase demand for their cars as they battle fiercer competition, particularly in China.

Almost every model made by firm BYD has had its sale price cut, accompanied by the slogan 'electricity is cheaper than oil' - as a price war continues to rage in China, which is the largest EV market in the world.

There have been warnings for some time from the traditional car industry that average buyers are being put off buying electric cars because they are more expensive than petrol-powered alternatives and because of the recharge times and poor charging infrastructure.

This comes after carmakers from Mercedes-Benz to Ford announced they were delaying or scrapping further electric vehicles (EVs) as demand slowed in Britain and abroad.
Public trust in the Government and politicians has plummeted over the past two years, a report has concluded.

Research commissioned by the UK Statistics Authority found that less than a third (31 per cent) of the British public believed the Government could be trusted, in 2023.

The figure was 11 per cent lower compared to 2021 when public trust in the Government stood at 42 per cent.

And politicians generally fared no better  public trust in the UK Parliament was 36 per cent, down from 49 per cent in 2021.

It was carried out by the National Centre for Social Research for the Public Confidence in Official Statistics (PCOS) Survey, which is carried out every two years.

Its purpose is to explore the publics attitude towards official statistics and how trusted they are.

Members of the public were asked about how much they trusted different institutions in research commissioned by the UK Statistics Authority

Some 87 per cent of people surveyed said they trusted the Office for National Statistics (ONS), a change of only two per cent from 2021

The survey compares the Official for National Statistics to other UK institutions in public life, with more than 2,300 British adults consulted.

And while the ONS scored highly in terms of public trust  87 per cent of respondents said they trusted it  the same could not be said of other institutions.

Trust in the Bank of England fell from 86 per cent in 2021 to 79 per cent in 2023, while trust in the Civil Service dropped from 81 per cent to 75 per cent.

The lowest scoring was the UK media  just 25 per cent of respondents said it was trustworthy, although this was up from 23 per cent in 2021.

The report read: Compared to 2021, there was a noticeable decrease in the level of trust respondents reported in a number of state-led institutions such as the UK Parliament, the Government, the civil service, the police, and the Bank of England.

However, trust reported in ONS, the media, the courts and high street banks and financial institutions remained consistent with the answers from the previous survey year.

Of the respondents who said they did not trust the ONS the most common reason for not doing so (49 per cent) was concern that statistics would be misrepresented by politicians.

Less than a third of the British public believed the Government could be trusted when asked in 2023

Some 41 per cent thought the Government has a vested interest in the statistics and manipulated the results, while 45 per cent felt the figures didnt tell the whole story.

Overall, nearly three quarters (72 per cent) of the public thought ONS statistics were free from political interference.

But 68 per cent disagreed that the Government presents statistics honestly  75 per cent disagreed that newspapers presented them honestly.

The results come following two years of political turmoil which has seen the Government lurch from crisis to crisis.

Revelations Downing Street staff held lockdown parties first emerged in November 2021  as the 2021 PCOS survey was being conducted.

Boris Johnson resigned as prime minister in July 2022 in the aftermath of allegations of sexual misconduct against former Tory whip Chris Pincher.

Mr Johnson was then succeeded by Liz Truss who resigned after just 49 days as prime minister, following a disastrous mini-budget and crisis in confidence.

The Government has also been forced to tackle the cost of living crisis as well as ongoing strike actions on the railways and by junior doctors.

The UK Statistics Authority acts as an independent body and produces statistics through the ONS.

It also performs regulatory functions through the Office for Statistics Regulation.

Former prime minister Liz Truss resigned after just 49 days as prime minister following a disastrous mini-budget and crisis in confidence.

Trust in the Bank of England dropped from 86 per cent in 2021 to 79 per cent last year as families struggled with soaring rates

Sir Robert Chote, Chair of the UK Statistics Authority, said: While this is just one source of information about how people view the statistical system, it's reassuring that trust has remained consistently high over time among those who respond, although we shouldnt be surprised if we see some change next year given the challenges the system has had to confront in more recent months.

As recommended by the recent independent review of the Authority, later this year we (together with the Royal Statistical Society) will convene a Statistical Assembly of producers, users and stakeholders, to explore how we can best serve the public good over the next three years.

Professor Sir Ian Diamond, National Statistician, said: Now more than ever it is vitally important that citizens know where to find reliable, impartial statistics and trust the Office for National Statistics to handle their data safely and responsibly. We will continue to work hard to maintain and build upon that trust as we continue to modernise and improve our statistics in the months and years ahead.

A Government spokesman said: This Government is absolutely committed to the core values of transparency, integrity and professionalism.

We routinely publish information to ensure we are fully accountable to the public and have launched an expansive programme of reform that will strengthen ethics and integrity in central Government.
By Jung Min-ho

A woman was killed and a man seriously injured in a fire that broke out early Tuesday at a three-story residential building in Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province.

Firefighters and police suspect that e-bike batteries may have ignited it, saying that 10 such batteries were being charged near where the fire started, at around 1:58 a.m.

As a result, a Vietnamese woman in her 30s died. Another occupant from the same country, in his 50s, suffered burns; he was immediately taken to a nearby hospital, where he remains unconscious. The two are believed to be husband and wife.

Some 60 firefighters as well as a pump truck were deployed to the scene where they extinguished the fire in 20 minutes.

Ten other residents of the building evacuated without harm.

It is unclear what type of batteries were found there. But lithium-ion batteries are the most common kind of battery used in e-bicycles.

As e-bicycles are becoming more common on streets around the world, the batteries inside them have come under scrutiny in many countries over their risk of explosion.

According to Canadian media, 55 lithium-ion battery fires were reported in Toronto alone in 2023, a 90 percent increase from the previous year.
A lone Ukrainian shooter expertly took out Russian soldiers who had surrounded his fox hole in a close-range shootout, dramatic video shows.

Four enemy marksmen were positioned just metres from where the soldier was sheltering, outnumbering and outgunning him.

Astonishingly, the Ukrainian defender was able to eliminate two of them with limited firepower, while also holding off the other two.

Backup then arrives for the soldier, who is said to be a fighter with the 5th Slobozhan Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine (NSU), and the team kill the two remaining Russian soldiers.

The ambush took place near the village of Klishchiivka in the Donetsk region, which Ukraine recaptured from Vladimir Putin's forces in September and has seen heavy fighting in recent months.

Four enemy marksmen were positioned just metres from where the soldier was sheltering, outnumbering and outgunning him

After eliminating two targets, the Ukrainian soldier turns his gun on two other Russian soldiers, who are seen lying slightly further away

Two Russians are seen crouching on the edge of the trench, preparing to fire on it, when the Ukrainian soldier suddenly leaps out and blasts them.

When he has neutralised the two targets, he then turns his gun on the other marksmen lying slightly further away.

The pair are seen hiding behind thicket as they try to return fire, but ultimately are picked off by the Ukrainian fighter and his comrades when they arrive to help.

The footage was obtained from the NSU, along with a statement saying: 'War is about the strength of spirit and lust for life: a fighter of the 5th Slobozhan Brigade of the NSU single-handedly held a position against four Russians in the Klishchiivka area.

'He eliminated two enemies on his own and held out until help arrived from a nearby position and finished off two more.

Paying tribute to the soldier, they described him as 'a real fighter'. He and his battalion are responsible for defending the area, which is on the Bakhmut front of the war.

'Russian occupying troops are constantly trying to storm the positions of the Defense Forces of Ukraine near Klishchiivka, using assault groups,' the NSU said yesterday.

Ukrainian soldiers unload grad shells in a garage in the direction of Marinka, as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine last week

Mass civilian evacuations of border towns in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region are underway amid heavy Russian shelling and troop movements. A destroyed house is pictured following shelling on May 12, 2024 in Vovchansk

Paramedics treat a wounded Ukrainian service member, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv region, Ukraine, yesterday

A recent attempt by Russian forces to storm Ukrainian positions was met with mortar and artillery fire, causing casualties and forcing them to retreat.

'After the first rollback and losses, the enemy retreated to regroup. The second group, after making another attempt to break through, was suppressed by fire means and forced to leave', said Jin, a soldier who fought to repel the assault.

The NSU added that soldiers in the area 'have been restraining Russian aggression for more than six months and have been repelling enemy attacks with overwhelming force every day.'

Around 280km to the north of Klishchiivka is the frontline in the Kharkiv region, which has seen some of the most bitter fighting in recent days.

Moscow has been pushing on with a new offensive in the northeastern region since Friday, taking villages and bearing down on the city of Vovchansk.

Thousands of Ukrainians have been forced to flee, with armed forces commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi admitting on Sunday that the situation in the Kharkiv region has 'significantly worsened' in recent days.

The head of Ukraine's military intelligence agency said today that the situation was moving towards stabilisation, but admitted that Russia may send in more reserves in the coming days.

Russia's military had also stationed small assault units near Ukraine's northern Sumy region, GUR agency chief Kyrylo Budanov told Ukrainian TV.
Austrian incest monster Josef Fritzl 'no longer poses a danger' but cannot be freed for 'special preventive reasons' and will remain in prison, a court has ruled.

The depraved rapist can be released to a normal jail and no longer needs to be held in a high security facility for the mentally ill, the Regional Court of Krems announced today.

The 90-year-old secretly imprisoned his daughter in a secret dungeon beneath his home from 1984-2008, during which time he raped her thousands of times and fathered seven children with her.

He was jailed in 2009 and handed a life sentence, but last month a panel of judges met to decide whether a previous court ruling trying to block his bid for freedom should be reversed, with their judgement delivered today.

The court heard evidence including a psychiatric report, which found that Fritzl's mental state had declined severely due to his dementia, reducing his 'dangerousness' and ability to re-offend.

Josef Fritzl is seen during day four of his trial at the country court of St. Poelten in 2009

The depraved rapist can be released to a normal jail, the Regional Court of Krems announced today, saying that he no longer needs to be held in a high security facility for the mentally ill

The judges found however that Fritzl's 'unprecedented' criminality means it 'cannot be assumed that there will be no future freedom from offences'.

They said that there has not been enough 'testing' of him while in prison or on day release to determine how he will function outside jail.

Fritzl will be on a ten-year probation in the regular prison, meaning he could be returned to the higher security facility.

The decision of the court is not legally binding, Austrian news outlet Heute reports, meaning it could yet be overturned.

The regional court previously ruled in January that Fritzl no longer posed a threat to society, and therefore could be moved from a high-security prison to a normal jail.

This decision went on to be viewed as the first step in a process which could result in the Fritzl being released from prison completely.

Prosecutors then opposed the lower court's decision, and the Vienna Higher Regional Court ruled that 'the facts necessary for such a conditional release had not yet fully been clarified.'

The Vienna Regional Court ruled in the District Court of Krems had made the wrong decision, and that Fritzl still had the potential for aggression, and so was still a danger.

But last month, Fritzl's lawyer managed to convince the Krems court that her client has a right to all the benefits of Austrian justice, which includes being released from a high-security prison if he is not dangerous.

Incest monster Josef Fritzl has been granted conditional release from a prison for the mentally ill by an Austrian court. He was pictured outside of prison for the first time in 15 years as he arrived in court earlier this year (pictured)

A hearing on April 30 was supplied with psychiatric and medical findings, on the basis of which the court determined that: 'Due to a comprehensive, progressive dementia and physical deterioration, the prisoner's combined personality disorder, which made the admission necessary, has been "buried" in such a way that the prisoner's dangerousness has been reduced and no criminal offense with serious consequences is to be expected is.'

Fritzl's heinous crimes, including rape, coercion, and imprisonment, sent shockwaves across Austria and Europe in 2008.

For more than two decades, he held his daughter Elisabeth captive in a cramped and mouldy basement beneath his home in Amstetten, which he built.

Fritzl - who changed his name to Mayrhoff in an alleged attempt to evade physical attacks by other inmates - was locked up in 2009 after he admitted to raping his daughter Elisabeth (pictured) and fathering seven children with her

Elisabeth and her kids lived in the basement of the family home in Amstetten while Fritzl and his wife Rosemarie lived above

Elisabeth, who he abused from the age of 11, disappeared in 1984 at age 18.

He raped her thousands of times over many years, with the abuse resulting in the birth of seven children - three of which remained in captivity with their mother.

One died at the hands of Fritzl, a matter of days after being born. His disposed of the body in an incinerator. The other three were brought up by Fritzl and his wife, Rosemarie.

Elisabeth lived in this dingy, cramped basement for 24 years with her children

The discovery of his sickening crimes occurred only when one of his daughters fell critically ill, forcing him to seek medical help.

Facing trial in March 2009 for a horrific litany of charges, including murder, rape, and slavery, Fritzl was handed a life sentence.

Fritzl was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2009 for incest, rape, coercion, false imprisonment, enslavement and for the negligent homicide of one of his infant sons.
Walmart is cutting hundreds of corporate jobs and is asking most of its remote workers to get back to the office, after it slashed thousands of warehouse jobs across the country.

Though remote workers will be allowed to work from home part-time, the retail monolith is also asking workers in small offices in Dallas, Atlanta and Toronto to begin working from more central hubs, as part of a move to cut costs, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Walmart's stock price wobbled slightly yesterday, peaking at 61.30 points, before falling to 60.29 points. But Walmart's stock price is close to it's all time high.

The news comes after the US' largest employer announced it would be laying off 2,000 warehouse employees who pack online orders, and would be working to have 65% of its stores automated by 2026.

'As the changes are implemented across the business, one of the outcomes is roles that require less physical labor but have a higher rate of pay,' the Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer said in a filing last year.

Though remote workers will be allowed to work from home part-time, the retail monolith is also asking workers in small offices to begin working from more central hubs (File image)

Walmart's stock price wobbled slightly yesterday, peaking at 61.30 points, before falling to 60.29 points (File image of Walmart Inc. President and CEO Doug McMillon)

Walmart's stock price is close to it's all time high

'Over time, the company anticipates increased throughput per person, due to the automation while maintaining or even increasing its number of associates as new roles are created,' it added.

About 55% of packages that it processes through its fulfillment centers will be moved through automated facilities by January 2026, improving unit cost averages by about 20 percent, the company said.

'This increased efficiency will not only support better inventory management, but it will also support Walmart's rapidly growing e-commerce business,' Stephens Inc analyst Ben Bienvenu wrote in a note.

Walmart, which employed approximately 2.1 million associates as of January 2024, also closed three of its tech offices last year, and ask many of its staff to relocate to central corporate hubs.

The company has so far announced the closure of eight stores since the beginning of 2024, affecting more than 1,000 workers in California, Maryland, Ohio and Wisconsin.

Walmart, which employed approximately 2.1 million associates as of January 2024, closed three of its tech offices last year,

Last month, it announced it would cut all 51 of the health clinics it has built in the last five years

The stores were not meeting financial expectations, Walmart said, adding that the affected workers would be offered the choice to transfer to other nearby stores and warehouses. Last year, the retail giant announced the closure of 22 stores across the country.

Last month, it announced it would cut all 51 of the health clinics it has built in the last five years, as it attempted to build a bigger healthcare business.

It said last year that it was planning on having a total of 75 by the end of 2024, though said that increasing costs made 'the care business unsustainable for us at this time.'

Also facing a tough time in the care business is pharmacy CVS, which last year cut 5,000 corporate jobs.

Customer-facing roles were not affected in the August layoffs, though the company did crack down on travel expenses and its use of consultants and vendor for its services.
British holidaymakers may face a summer of travel chaos after easyJet pilots rejected a pay deal which would see some salaries rise to almost 200,000.

The failed deal means employees have moved one step closer to strike action after the deal was turned down in a ballot which ended on Friday.

EasyJet management will now go back to the negotiating table with officials from the British Airline Pilots' Association (Balpa).

The deal would have seen pilots who had worked for the airline for more than ten years see their 164,000 salaries rise to 190,000 in October and almost 200,000 by April 2025.

Although no strike action is currently planned, easyJet pilots did previously vote in favour of possible strike action when consulted on an earlier proposal.

EasyJet management will now go back to the negotiating table with officials from the British Airline Pilots' Association

Bosses from the airline will now return to talks and said they are not expecting any disruption for passengers.

As well as securing a near-36,000 pay rise for pilots, the deal would have seen senior first officers gain a further 20,000 to take their salaries to more than 112,000, the Sun reports.

First officers would have seen their pay rise to in excess of 75,000.

A source told the paper: 'Balpa has already sounded out members about strike action.

'They are holding all the cards and the airline knows it.

'Bosses need to find even more money for pilots, or jets won't get off the ground this summer and holidaymakers face travel agony.'

A spokesperson for easyJet said: 'We are disappointed that the pilot pay deal was narrowly rejected. We remain in constructive dialogue with BALPA and no strike action is planned.'

BALPA General Secretary, Amy Leversidge said: 'BALPA pilots in easyJet have rejected the latest pay offer in a ballot which had 94% turnout and a 'no' vote of 56.4. We have informed the company of the outcome of the vote and asked to meet to discuss the way ahead.

'Talks under the auspices of ACAS are planned shortly and BALPA will need to see a better offer to preserve ongoing good industrial relations.

'Our members in easyJet have supported the company through COVID tough times and even agreed to go part-time to help the company survive the crisis. Now the industry has recovered and easyJet is expected to announce significant profits later this week. Our highly skilled pilots, are simply asking for a pay rise that would show the company values them and restore them to pre-covid levels.'

British holidaymakers have already suffered travel woes this month after an e-gate related issue left thousands of people stuck in lengthy delays at the border.

The nationwide issue affected passengers at airports including Heathrow, Stansted, Gatwick, Manchester, Edinburgh and Belfast.

There are fears fresh strike action could cause long delays for passengers (Pictured: Customers queuing to reach border control at Heathrow last week)

Last week a fault with e-gates in the UK cause lengthy queues and long delays to passengers entering Britain

Many passengers reported queues of several hours to enter the UK after error meant all passports had to be manually checked by Border Force officials.

It marked the fourth time that the 372 million IT system has gone into meltdown since it was launched three years ago.

It's understood that the delays were caused by a failure of the Government's secure wi-fi system last Tuesday night, which prevented Border Crossing from updating, causing it to collapse.

Travel expert and journalist Simon Calder told MailOnline that Brits should 'hope for the best' this summer, but warned 'anyone's holiday plans can unravel'.

'The UK is not alone on experiencing a wide range of issues that can stand between travellers and their holidays,' he said.

'But because our aviation infrastructure is so overstretched, especially at Heathrow and Gatwick airports, disruption can spread through the system very swiftly  with little slack in the system for recovery.

'At this stage, though, all you can do is hope for the best over the summer, but understand anyone's holiday plans can unravel.'

A source told the Sun that Balpa has 'sounded out' members on the prospect of strike action

It came after Border Force employees staged a four-day walkout at Heathrow in a dispute over working conditions at the start of the month.

Strike action has plagues Britain's airports and railways since the pandemic, with hundreds of flights being cancelled by airlines after previous deals failed.

In 2022, passengers faced weeks of havoc at Heathrow at the height of the summer getaway period after an issue with luggage left thousands of suitcases unable to be claimed for days.

An issue with the baggage system at Terminal 2 was blamed, and although it was resolved swiftly it caused a huge pileup of bags, with thousands of frustrated customers unable to collect their belongings for several days.
Labour's Jess Phillips last night last lashed out at MPs' criminal behaviour as the Commons brought in powers to ban politicians arrested for sex and violent crimes from setting foot in Parliament.

In an upset for the government its plan to bar elected members from the green benches only if they were charged with offences including rape was toughened up.

Tory MPs including ex-PM Theresa May and the Victims and Safeguarding Minister Laura Farris used a free vote to back a Lib Dem amendment bringing forward the ban to the moment MPs are arrested.

It means that even though who are later cleared or face no charged at all face being prevented from entering the Parliamentary Estate in Westminster.

Defence Minister Grant Shapps today suggested that the vote came down 'on the wrong side of natural justice', with other Tories including Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg saying the line should be drawn at the charging point.

But in an impassioned speech in the Commons last night that went viral online, Ms Phillips, the former shadow minister for domestic violence and safeguarding, set out why she believed this was not enough.

'Today, just on this one day, I have spoken to two women who were raped by members of this Parliament; that's a fairly standard day for me,' she said.

'Exclusion at the point of charge sends a clear message to victims that not only will we not investigate unless a victim goes to the police but we won't act unless they're charged, which happens in less than 1 per cent of cases. ''So what's the point?'' was essentially what this victim said to me.'

In an impassioned speech in the Commons last night that went viral online, Ms Phillips, the former shadow minister for domestic violence and safeguarding, said: 'Today, just on this one day, I have spoken to two women who were raped by members of this Parliament; that's a fairly standard day for me.'

Tory MPs including ex-PM Theresa May and the Victims and Safeguarding Minister Laura Farris used a free vote to back a Lib Dem amendment bringing forward the ban to the moment MPs are arrested.

The division list showed eight Conservative MPs voted in favour of the amendment, including Ms May and Ms Farris.

Defence Minister Grant Shapps today suggested that the vote came down 'on the wrong side of natural justice',

She added: 'I'm going to stand here and speak up for them because every single one of them wishes for this to be on arrest.'

Ms Phillips, the MP for Birmingham Yardley, later said: 'We seem to act like we're some sort of superior beings and the people who currently get excluded are often young women, and I've dealt with cases who are young men, who never work in politics again.'

Last night MPs voted 170 to 169 for a proposal from Liberal Democrat Wendy Chamberlain for an arrest threshold. The deciding vote was that cast by Natalie Elphicke, the Labour MP who defected from the Tories less than a week ago.

The division list showed eight Conservative MPs voted in favour of the amendment, including Ms May and Ms Farris.

It means that if an MP has been arrested for a violent or sexual offence, a Commons panel will decide whether to bar them.

Previously, MPs who had been arrested or were alleged to be under investigation for sexual offences usually voluntarily agreed to stay away.

But parliamentary authorities had no power to ban them. A Commons Commission initially proposed risk assessments on whether MPs should be barred if arrested for a violent or sexual offence.

The proposal was later revised so the threshold was at the point of charge, but toughened up in the Commons late last night.

MPs arrested for rape face being barred from Parliament after the Commons voted to reverse moves to water down the measures (stock photo)

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg (pictured) called the motion 'unconstitutional', saying the ability to ban an MP should be subject to a vote of the House

Speaking to Times Radio today Mr Shapps said: 'For me, it does seem to be just on the wrong side of natural justice. And that's why I voted to say wait for a charge.

'But there are passionate arguments in both directions. And I can see you can make that argument in both directions. I thought it's slightly the wrong side of the line, parliament's decided. That's why we get to vote on these things.'

Sir Jacob called the motion 'unconstitutional', saying the ability to ban an MP should be subject to a vote of the House.

He said: 'If we want to do this, let us find time for legislation and do it properly.'

But Ms Chamberlain said: 'It is not about the guilt or innocence of any individual MP, but about safeguarding. It's really important that Parliament is just as safe as any other workplace and that everyone is held to account by similar rules.'

Labour former minister Sir Chris Bryant told the PA news agency: 'I'm delighted. This is long overdue.

'Parliament should be no different from any other workplace.'

FDA general secretary Dave Penman described the result as a 'significant victory' for the union's members, staff and visitors on the parliamentary estate, adding: 'Parliament is a workplace for thousands and these new formal procedures give staff the safe working environment they deserve and would expect in any other workplace.'
Getting to grips with the Apache helicopter was easy for 'accomplished pilot' Prince William - but Prince Harry demonstrated more flair and 'Top Gun swagger', experts have said.

The heir to the throne, who is a former RAF search and rescue pilot and flew an air ambulance for two years, took control of the fearsome multi-million pound gunship on Monday, flying it from an Army airfield in Hampshire.

William's debut came as he was made the Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps during a rare royal outing with King Charles, where he was welcomed by his younger brother's former unit - the 662 Squadron.

Defence expert Philip Ingram, a former Colonel in British military intelligence, said getting to grips with the basics of an Apache would be relatively straightforward for 'accomplished pilot', William.

But the veteran officer said there was a big difference between simply getting the state-of-the-art gunship off the ground and flying it into combat like Prince Harry did during his time in Afghanistan.

And while William appeared confident behind the stick, a body language expert has claimed his younger brother appeared to have more 'Top Gun swagger' when he was in the cockpit.

Prince Harry famously had to scramble away from an interview while in Afghanistan in 2013 after an alert was sounded

The Duke ripped off his microphone before he was filmed sprinting across the airfield

A body language expert said Harry had more 'Top Gun swagger' to him during his time flying in the gunships in Afghanistan than his brother William (the Duke of Sussex is pictured in December 2012 before his deployment to the Middle East)

Getting to grips with the Apache helicopter was easy for 'accomplished pilot' Prince William, a military expert claimed (William is pictured in the cockpit on Monday)

William's debut came as he was made the Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps during a rare royal outing with King Charles , where he was welcomed by his younger brother's former unit - the 662 Squadron.

Col Ingram told MailOnline: 'There is a difference between flying it and fighting it - I have flown a Harrier Jump Jet where I was in sole control for a good 20 to 25 minutes - it was a two-seater - but the instructor was shadowing my every movement.

'William is an accomplished helicopter pilot so taking control and flying wouldn't be difficult with an instructor's supervision.'

The images of him taking to the sky in the Apache from the Army Aviation Centre in Middle Wallop on Monday echoed the pictures of the Duke of Sussex's time with the Army air squadron.

During his time as a pilot, Prince Harry showed 'swagger' and 'excitement' at being in charge of the fearsome aircraft, while William was more reserved, demonstrating a 'sense of calm and reassurance', body language expert Judi James said.

Breaking down the differences in style between the two brothers, Ms James told MailOnline that William's walk to the helicopter, kitted out in full military fatigues, showed an air of 'confidence' by the future heir to the throne.

But as the Prince of Wales posed for pictures, subtle body language cues hinted at a 'burst of adrenaline', she claimed - suggesting the William looked 'cautious'.

While during the Duke of Sussex's time flying the Apache in Afghanistan, the young prince had a 'clear desire to appear manly and heroic', Ms James said.

During his time as a pilot, Prince Harry showed 'swagger' and 'excitement' at being in charge of the fearsome aircraft, according to body language expert Judi James

During the Duke of Sussex's time flying the Apache in Afghanistan, the young prince had a 'clear desire to appear manly and heroic', Ms James added

Speaking of Prince William, the body language expert claimed the future heir to the throne was more reserved, demonstrating a 'sense of calm and reassurance'

Breaking down the differences in style between the two brothers, Ms James told MailOnline that William's walk to the helicopter, kitted out in full military fatigues, showed an air of 'confidence' by the future heir to the throne

Colonel Philip Ingram added that William proved he was an 'accomplished pilot' taking to the skies in the Apache on Monday

But the military veteran added there was a big difference between simply getting the state-of-the-art gunship off the ground and then flying it into combat like Prince Harry did during his time in Afghanistan (pictured is Harry flying a combat mission in Afghanistan)

'William's helicopter work was in air/sea rescue where a sense of calm and reassurance was vital,' she added.

'His walk suggests confidence although as he poses for the cameras his lip-licking and rapid blinks hint at a burst of adrenaline.

'He looks cautious, careful and he is calmly absorbing more instruction (even appearing to have some kind of manual on his lap) as he is about to take off.'

Comparing it to Prince Harry's demeanor, she continued: 'Harry's walk has a little more Top Gun swagger. He looks more active and even excited here as he splays one knee as he inspects the cockpit.

'Like William he performs a possible 'tell' of inner anxiety with a face or beard touch but overall he seems to be enjoying the adventure aspect of it while William seems to be more concerned about getting everything right.'

Prince William took controls of the Apache having previously flown helicopters with the RAF and the air ambulance service

The Prince of Wales appeared focused as he read through a check list inside the cockpit of the Apache during an event at an army airfield in Hampshire

Prince Harry is seen rucking away his rifle as he prepares for a combat mission in Afghanistan

Prince Harry spent five months as an Apache commander and co-pilot gunner during his stint in Afghanistan (he is pictured inspecting one of the helicopters)

The young prince appears relaxed as he inspects his Apache on the airfield in 2013

Harry served as an Apache commander and co-pilot gunner during his 2013 operational tour of Afghanistan.

The Duke started his Army Air Corps pilot training in January 2009, and was awarded the prize for best co-pilot gunner when he qualified in February 2012.

He was later filmed during his time in five-month deployment to Afghanistan, which saw him sharing flying duties and taking control of the weapons of the two-man helicopter.

While Prince William's skills as a pilot were first honed during his time in the RAF, where he flew search and rescue missions from a base in Anglesey, Wales for three years.

He later worked as an air ambulance pilot with East Anglian Air Ambulance service, completing a two-year stint flying life-saving emergency missions.

Opening up about his tour of duty, the Harry went on to describe his kill count in Afghanistan - which prompted fury from military veterans who accused him of boasting about his combat.

Writing in his memoir, the Duke of Sussex describes the 25 Taliban fighters he gunned down as 'chess pieces taken off the board'.

'It wasn't a statistic that filled me with pride but nor did it make me ashamed,' he wrote.

'When I was plunged into the heat and confusion of battle, I didn't think about those as 25 people. You can't kill people if you see them as people.

'In truth, you can't hurt people if you see them as people. They were chess pieces taken off the board, bad guys eliminated before they kill good guys.

Prince William is seen putting on his specialised helmet before flying the Apache on Monday

King Charles III poses with service personnel after he officially handed over the role of Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps to the Prince of Wales in front of an Apache helicopter at the Army Aviation Centre in Middle Wallop, Hampshire

'They trained me to 'other' them and they trained me well.'

During his time as a search and rescue pilot, Prince William - known as Flight Lieutenant Wales - carried out 156 rescue missions, saving 149 people in the Sea King helicopter.

He later served two years as an air ambulance pilot, flying emergency missions across

He later revealed he faced a 'cliff fall' that left him feeling 'quite lonely' after he retired from his job as an air ambulance pilot, with the traumatic aspects of the roll taking a toll on his mental health.

The Prince of Wales said he 'misses' his time in the job which he held from 2015 to 2017, adding that he felt 'isolated' after taking a step back.

The candid chat about the lasting impact the emergency service role took on the royal came as he spoke with emergency responders during a visit to the Blue Light Hub in Milton Keynes last year.

William spoke about having to 'armour up' while working for East Anglian Air Ambulances as he expressed concerns about managing the long-term mental health of front-line emergency responders.

He said: 'I was holding everything and doing it all. There were a few times I had an armour up. I took it home with me and it went from there.'

The Prince of Wales has said retiring from his job as a pilot was a 'cliff fall' which left him feeling 'quite lonely' as the traumatic aspects of the job caught up with him

Prince William shows the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip around the new East Anglian Air Ambulance base in July 2016

Prince William kisses the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, as he says goodbye after visiting the new East Anglian Air Ambulance Base in July 2016

The Prince added that he did not appreciate the 'cliff fall' of stepping down until it actually happened.

'Life catches up with you' after you have left, he said. 'That can feel quite lonely and isolating.

'At the time I didn't notice it happen. Afterwards, you realise it's not normal. I do worry about people retiring. We have to be better at managing long-term health.'

The previous helicopters he has flown were vastly different to the heavily-armed Apache.

Boasting a Rolls Royce engine, the attack helicopters have a top speed of 186mph and can detect 256 potential targets at once up to 10 miles away and prioritise threats in seconds.

It carries a mix of weapons including a 30mm chain gun, 70mm rockets and Hellfire missiles to provide choice for the commander and flexibility during the mission.

They were built by Boeing and feature new rotor blades and drivetrain to improve flying performance as well as improved sights, sensors and communications systems to share data with other helicopters.

The latest variant of the aircraft, the Apache AH-64E, is designed to find and destroy air defence units, tanks and armoured vehicles.

However, it is also capable of a wide range of battlefield tasks that include intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance, as well as force protection and command and control.

With its hi-tech sensors and sophisticated kit, the helicopters can operate in all weathers, day or night.
Supermarket giant Asda is moving into the housing market, with plans to create a new town on the site of one of its largest stores.

The retailer wants to transform its existing Park Royal site in north-west London into a new superstore, a 400-space car park, and around 1,500 homes.

Asda said a large number of the apartments will be built above the store, while around one-third of the total number will be affordable homes.

The company will work with housing giant Barratt London to build the properties, although none of the apartments will have its own parking space, with the supermarket encouraging residents to use public transport instead.

Asda said it hopes other businesses would also move onto the 10-acre site, including shops, restaurants and health facilities.

An artist's impression of the proposed new Asda store, complete with accommodation and 'town centre' space, in Park Royal, north-west London

Plans for the development have not yet been submitted to the council, but Asda said they hope to provide 1,500 homes - though none of them will come with a parking space

The proposal is subject to planning approval, although bosses expect the proposal to land on council desks by the end of the year.

The scheme includes creating a new town centre for the local community, Asda said.

Ian Lawrence, Head of Mixed-Use Developments at Asda, said: Asdas venture into mixed-use property redevelopment marks a significant milestone for the business.

By working with leading developers like Barratt London, we are able to maximise the full potential of our property portfolio for the first time.

This allows us the opportunity to better serve local communities like Park Royal, with a new flagship store fit for the future, whilst creating windfall sites for Housing delivery.

We are also unlocking further opportunities to release value from our extensive property portfolio, which can be reinvested back into the business to fund other initiatives and support our long-term growth ambition to become the UKs second largest supermarket chain.

It is the latest example of supermarkets selling their property to developers, and comes as Asda battles to cut costs while facing a 4.2billion debt pile.

It is understood Barratt London will acquire the freehold to Asdas Park Royal site, although the price has not been confirmed.

As a condition of this deal, they will build a new 60,000 sq ft store on the existing site which will then be leased back to Asda on a 999-year leasehold, charged at a peppercorn rent.

Locals have slammed John Lewis' plans to build a 24-storey block of flats dubbed 'Waitrose Tower' above a store in south London

Last year retail giant John Lewis plans for a 24-storey block of flats on top of a Waitrose store in Bromley, south London, prompted a series of objections from residents amid concerns about its size.

One resident said: 'The proposed development is obscene. Grossly out of keeping with the town and setting a dreadful precedent for future schemes.

'Other smaller developments further up Masons Hill are perfectly acceptable but the Waitrose Tower is not.'

But John Lewis said there was an opportunity to make better use of a town centre, brownfield site to deliver more for the community, which we have been part of for 27 years.

Asda is owned by billionaire brothers Mohsin and Zuber Issa, who were born in Blackburn, Lancashire, after their parents moved to the UK from India.

But rumours of a rift emerged between the two after Mohsin left Shamim, his wife of 30 years, after striking up a romantic relationship with Victoria Price, a successful accountant.

Mohsin (left) and Zuber (right) Issa purchased Asda in 2021. A year later, they agreed to buy the Co-op group's petrol stations for 600million
A mother has described how her daughter was groomed and persuaded to run away from home by a paedophile posing as a teenage Harry Potter fan.

Amid the rise in online grooming and sextortion of children, she warned that online forums and group chats on the likes of WhatsApp can be 'breeding grounds for groomers'.

'My child was drawn to this site because she just loved the books, and she swiftly made friends there,' the mother, dubbed Emily, told The Telegraph of an online 'fandom' site dedicated to the much-loved series, penned by J. K. Rowling.

'But I was obviously aware I didn't know any of these children, so as soon as they set up the groups, I asked if I could speak to their parents.

'All of the children said yes and I spoke to them all. But there was one I never got through to  the number never worked', she continued, speaking to the Telegraph, about the ordeal of her 14-year-old daughter Sophie, whose name was also changed.

The girl was lured into running away from home by a paedophile masquerading as a teen

When the girl started receiving letters and gifts though the mail, her mother became alarmed

Children being targeted in sextortion offences has risen by 266 per cent in just two years

But when the girl started receiving declarations of love and gifts though the mail, her mother 'became completely alarmed'.

'The letters did not seem like they were written by a child. They had child's handwriting on the envelope, but the letters inside were in cursive, adult script with suggestive content', she said.

'I rang the police, and they took away the letters and gift. The return address on the post turned out to be a deserted farmhouse in the middle of the Cornish countryside.'

The girl and a friend even tried to run away in order to reach Cornwall, due to the hold that the groomer had temporarily achieved over them, but they were found by police before they got far.

'I do really think phones should be banned for under 16s. They just dont have the life experience to manage them', Emily concluded.

Only last month, teachers were given an unprecedented alert about the danger of children being targeted in sextortion scams.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has issued guidance to primary and secondary teachers warning them that children as young as five are at risk of exploitation by criminal gangs.

Figures show the number of children being targeted in the sickening offences has risen by 266 per cent in just two years.

In 2020, 243 childen in the UK were scammed, but by 2022 the number reported to the NCA had rocketed by 890.

As well as opportunistic paedophiles, organised criminal gangs from West Africa and South East Asia are luring in children online, tricking them into believing they are in a genuine relationship or friendship with someone their own age before demanding they share intimate photographs or film themselves on a webcam.

Blackmailers then threaten to release nude or semi-nude photos of them, either real or fake, to their friends and family unless they pay up.

The NCA warned that at least three children have committed suicide as a result.
A computer programmer inspired by the success of Wordle has beaten Prince Harry to the title of book of the year after compiling his own Agatha Christie-themed murder mystery-style puzzle book.

GT Karber, 37, from Los Angeles, saw off the Duke of Sussex's Spare as well as works from the likes of Britney Spears and Rory Stewart at last night's The British Book Awards.

His book Murdle, a collection of puzzles described as a cross between Cluedo, Sudoku and Wordle, topped bestseller charts and sold 300,000 copies in 2023.

Karber sketched his first puzzle on a napkin for a friend at a coffee shop before going on to create a computer code that would automatically generate more and began posting them online.

He soon came up with a host of characters including detective Deductive Logico, who was inspired by Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.

Now he has beaten Prince Harry's explosive tell-all memoir to the prestigious award naming his work as the best book of 2023.

Author GT Karber, 37, last night won the award for Book of the Year at the British Book Awards for his puzzle collection, Murdle

The Duke of Sussex's controversial tell-all work was the UK's bestselling book in 2023, packed with revelations and explosive Royal Family gossip - but it was beaten by Karber's work

Karber's success has seen his puzzles become fast favourites of amateur sleuths in both the US and across the pond in the UK.

'Murdle is a love letter to British mysteries, so its success there is like hearing your crush likes you back,' Karber said.

His editor Cindy Chan, of Souvenir Press, added: 'I heard about Murdle on a trip to New York and knew I was on to something. When I heard the title, I realised it was a stroke of genius and I had to have it - and before anyone else had heard about it.

'That night I solved by first Murdle. I immediately wanted more. I was certain others would share my addiction.'

Karber's win marks the first time that a puzzle book has been named Book of the Year.

Previous non-fiction winners include Davina McCall for her book on the menopause and Marcus Rashford. Fiction authors Sally Rooney, EL James and Dan Brown have also taken the prize in recent years.

After the initial success of his first book, published last June, Karber has already published a sequel, with plans in the works for a children's version too.

Prince Harry's memoir Spare was nominated in a non-fiction category, but was beaten by former politician Rory Stewart's Politics on the Edge. In the same category, Britney Spears' The Woman In Me was pipped to the post.

The release of the prince's bombshell memoir at the start of 2023 saw renewed tensions within the royal family, and is understood to have contributed to the breakdown of Harry's relationship with his brother, the Prince of Wales.

The panel of judges described Karber's Murdle as a work of 'genius' after he compiled the puzzles, which were inspired by Wordle

It is the first time ever that a puzzle book has won the prestigious Book of the Year award

Prince Harry, pictured with his wife Meghan in Nigeria on Sunday, was nominated in a non-fiction category for his memoir Spare

Harry's relationship with his brother Prince William (left) has seemed increasingly strained since the release of his memoir Spare

It included salacious details of the young prince's life, including the story of how he lost his virginity behind a pub, and described his previous drug use.

It also made controversial claims about senior members of the royal family, describing an argument between the Harry and William in which William allegedly shoved his brother to the floor and into a dog bowl at Frogmore Cottage.

Its release followed a Netflix docuseries, Harry and Meghan, in which the prince and his wife described their love story and gave their side of the tale of how they came to leave the royal family as working royals.

In total it sold more than 700,000 copies, and was also turned into an audiobook.

The annual British Book Awards this year was judged by a panel that included Lorraine Kelly and Adrian Chiles.

The panel described Murdle as a 'genius' work of non-fiction.

Philip Jones, editor of The Bookseller and chair of the judges, said: 'Readers were spoilt for choice in 2023: our winning authors, illustrators, and the teams behind their books showcase an industry at the height of its game and at the absolute centre of the creative sector.

'At a time when words and their meaning matter more than ever before, to see the world of books in such excellent health is surely something to celebrate.'
Downing Street today urged all ministers to get behind 'Common Sense' tsar Esther McVey's ban on LGBT+ lanyards after a Government split opened up.

In a sign of tensions, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said he was unconcerned by staff 'expressing their views' as he pushed back against Ms McVey's plans.

Known as the PM's 'Common Sense' minister, Ms McVey has sparked anger with her bid to ensure civil servants wear standardised lanyards in the office.

In a speech yesterday, she warned officials they could be reprimanded if they refuse the order and wear lanyards of a different design - including rainbow ones promoting LGBT+ causes.

Critics have questioned why Ms McVey is making the colour of civil servants' lanyards a priority at a time when Britain is facing a host of challenges.

And she found little support for her ban from Mr Shapps this morning, as he suggested he would not stop Ministry of Defence staff wearing rainbow lanyards.

The Defence Secretary told Times Radio: 'Personally, I don't mind people expressing their views on these things. What lanyard somebody wears doesn't particularly concern me.'

But, asked about Mr Shapps' comments, the PM's official spokesman later said he supported Ms McVey's work.

He told reporters: 'The point she is making is that political activism should not be present within the civil service, political statements should be left at home.

'I think ministers are all aligned with the fact that the civil service should be impartial, should be seen to be impartial, and should not be politically active.

'The Prime Minister absolutely supports the minister (Ms McVey) in her work on this issue as well as the wider issues in her speech yesterday.'

Esther McVey, known as the 'Common Sense' minister, sparked a backlash after she unveiled plans to ensure civil servants wear standardised lanyards in the office

Ms McVey found little support for her ban from Grant Shapps this morning, as the Defence Secretary suggested he would not stop Ministry of Defence staff wearing rainbow lanyards

Ms McVey warned Whitehall officials they could be reprimanded if they refuse her order and wear lanyards of a different design - including rainbow ones promoting LGBT+ causes

In his remarks to Times Radio, Mr Shapps had added that Ms McVey 'has a point that what we want is our civil servants to be getting on with the main job'.

'The main job is to serve the department they work for, in my case, defence, but across Whitehall,' he said.

'That is the main concern. I think she was getting at the idea that that should be the focus for civil servants.'

Ms McVey has also faced a backlash to her plans from Andrew Boff, a leading Tory on the London Assembly.

'Hi Esther. You can take my rainbow lanyard from my cold dead neck,' he told the Cabinet Office minister on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA union, which represents civil servants, said: 'We've got delays in the courts and NHS. The jails are full, there's a housing crisis and a war on mainland Europe.

'Meanwhile, a minister with a made up job title is banging on about what coloured lanyard half a million civil servants can wear.'

In speech to the Centre for Policy Studies think tank yesterday, Ms McVey criticised a 'random pick and mix' of lanyards being worn in Whitehall.

She said these should instead be a 'standard design reflecting we are all members of the Government delivering for the citizens of the UK'.

The Cabinet Office minister told civil servants to leave their political views at home, adding: 'Trying to introduce them by the back door via lanyards should not happen'.

Ms McVey suggested senior Whitehall officials could take action against staff who continue to wear non-standardised lanyards, such as those with rainbow designs.

She said she wanted Whitehall offices to be 'a happy inclusive place, not one where division can be sown and people feel pressured'.

'I want a very simple but visible change to occur too. The lanyards worn to carry security passes shouldn't be a random pick and mix,' Ms McVey added.

'They should be a standard design reflecting we are all members of the Government delivering for the citizens of the UK.

'Working in the civil service is all about leaving your political views at the building entrance.

'Trying to introduce them by the back door via lanyards should not happen.

'The focus should be on a happy and inclusive working environment and increased productivity.'

In speech to the Centre for Policy Studies think tank yesterday, Ms McVey criticised a 'random pick and mix' of lanyards being worn in Whitehall

The Cabinet Office minister also faced a backlash to her plans from Andrew Boff, a leading Tory on the London Assembly

Ms McVey was quizzed after her speech about the prospect of civil servants wearing LGBT-coloured lanyards, or ones adorned with a Palestinian flag.

She added: 'What we don't need and what I'm saying is you don't need political activism in a visible way.

'Because for every lanyard that you show, you're therefore not saying about all the other things you do or don't agree with.

'So you're promoting one at the exclusion of other things. It is making a statement, you're putting it on to make a statement.

'What we're saying is, actually, your political beliefs remain at the front door and when you come in you're part of a happy team.

'And it's not to impose your views on anybody else, it's not to be a distraction, it's not to be about political activism.

'That's why I said it's a very simple way to show there is harmony, unity and inclusivity within an organisation. So it's a just a simple, visible difference.'

Asked what would be the consequence for staff who failed to wear standardised lanyards, Ms McVey replied: 'That would be for the permanent secretary to do.

'She believes people will comply and, of course, we will have provided the new lanyards so people can wear them.

'But, as I said, people need to think to themselves why they would be doing that rather than promoting where they're working.'

Responding to Ms McVey's comments on X, Labour MP Ben Bradshaw posted: 'Pathetic & retrograde. Being LGBT is not a 'view'.'

Lucille Thirlby, assistant general secretary of the FDA union, said: 'Nobody joins the civil service in order to 'impose their own political ideology', as the so-called minister for common sense put it.

'Civil servants understand they serve the government of the day and have been doing so for a Conservative-led Government for the past 14 years.

'At a time when the country is facing serious challenges, should the colour of a civil servant's lanyard really be a ministerial priority?

'Equality, diversity and inclusion is a serious topic worthy of serious consideration and debate.

'Unfortunately, we got nothing of the sort from Esther McVey, who instead rattled off of a tick list of culture-war talking points.

'This speech provided absolutely no details of what the Government audit of EDI roles has found or when it will be reported.

'Once that evidence is made available, we'd welcome the opportunity to seriously discuss its findings and engage properly with the facts.'

A Cabinet Office source confirmed Ms McVey's crackdown related solely to 'politicised' lanyards.

They added it would 'definitely not' apply to staff wearing religious symbols such as crucifix necklaces.

The source suggested guidance issued to Whitehall departments would set out how staff should wear standardised lanyards, but would not seek to ban specific designs.

And they said it was expected that staff would be 'spoken to' by senior managers if they continued to refuse to wear standardised lanyards.
Thailand exports large quantities of durian to China each year

Xinhua) 10:06, May 14, 2024

Workers harvest durians in a durian orchard in Chanthaburi, Thailand, April 26, 2024. Thailand is one of the world's leading producers and exporters of durian, exporting large quantities to China each year. According to data from China's General Administration of Customs, in 2023, China imported 1.426 million tonnes of fresh durian, with 929,000 tonnes coming from Thailand, accounting for 65.15 percent of China's total fresh durian imports. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

A worker harvests durians in a durian orchard in Chanthaburi, Thailand, April 26, 2024. Thailand is one of the world's leading producers and exporters of durian, exporting large quantities to China each year. According to data from China's General Administration of Customs, in 2023, China imported 1.426 million tonnes of fresh durian, with 929,000 tonnes coming from Thailand, accounting for 65.15 percent of China's total fresh durian imports. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

A worker arranges durians in a durian orchard in Chanthaburi, Thailand, April 26, 2024. Thailand is one of the world's leading producers and exporters of durian, exporting large quantities to China each year. According to data from China's General Administration of Customs, in 2023, China imported 1.426 million tonnes of fresh durian, with 929,000 tonnes coming from Thailand, accounting for 65.15 percent of China's total fresh durian imports. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

Workers transport durians at a processing factory in Chanthaburi, Thailand, April 26, 2024. Thailand is one of the world's leading producers and exporters of durian, exporting large quantities to China each year. According to data from China's General Administration of Customs, in 2023, China imported 1.426 million tonnes of fresh durian, with 929,000 tonnes coming from Thailand, accounting for 65.15 percent of China's total fresh durian imports. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

A drone photo shows a durian orchard in Chanthaburi, Thailand, April 26, 2024. Thailand is one of the world's leading producers and exporters of durian, exporting large quantities to China each year. According to data from China's General Administration of Customs, in 2023, China imported 1.426 million tonnes of fresh durian, with 929,000 tonnes coming from Thailand, accounting for 65.15 percent of China's total fresh durian imports. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

A worker harvests durians in a durian orchard in Chanthaburi, Thailand, April 26, 2024. Thailand is one of the world's leading producers and exporters of durian, exporting large quantities to China each year. According to data from China's General Administration of Customs, in 2023, China imported 1.426 million tonnes of fresh durian, with 929,000 tonnes coming from Thailand, accounting for 65.15 percent of China's total fresh durian imports. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

A worker packs durians at a processing factory in Chanthaburi, Thailand, April 26, 2024. Thailand is one of the world's leading producers and exporters of durian, exporting large quantities to China each year. According to data from China's General Administration of Customs, in 2023, China imported 1.426 million tonnes of fresh durian, with 929,000 tonnes coming from Thailand, accounting for 65.15 percent of China's total fresh durian imports. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
President Yoon Suk Yeol's mother-in-law, who had been serving a one-year prison term for forgery, was released on parole Tuesday, two months ahead of the scheduled discharge.

Choi Eun-soon, the 77-year-old mother of first lady Kim Keon Hee, was serving a one-year sentence since an appellate court convicted her in July last year of forging financial documents used in a land purchase deal.

She was accused of forging bank balance statements on four occasions to falsely show bank deposits of 34.9 billion won ($25.7 million) in the process of purchasing land in Seongnam, south of Seoul, in 2013.

Upon leaving the Dongbu Detention Center in southeastern Seoul at 10 a.m., Choi, wearing a purple hat and scarf, and her face covered with a mask, hopped into a vehicle waiting for her without responding to reporters' questions.

Some 30 people, including YouTubers and supporters of Choi, were gathered at the detention center, and the police had deployed over 150 riot police around the area to prevent collision.

By law, incarcerated convicts become eligible for a parole review after serving at least one-third of their prison sentences.

Choi had been previously considered for parole review in the monthly session in March but was determined ineligible.

In the subsequent session last month, the board postponed its review for Choi, automatically scheduling her for a re-review in May, when she was granted unanimous approval for parole by the nine-member board. Justice Minister Park Sung-jae approved the decision the following day.

The discharge from parole came nearly two months earlier than the scheduled release date slated for July 20, with Choi serving some 82 percent of her due term. (Yonhap)
Grieving families of the victims of Nottingham killer Valdo Calocane have suffered fresh agony after appeal judges ruled his sentence was not unduly lenient.

Calocane was given an indefinite hospital order for the manslaughter of three people in Nottingham last year - and the Court of Appeal in London today refused to change the sentence.

The paranoid schizophrenic 'brutally' stabbed to death students Barney Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar, both 19, and school caretaker Ian Coates, 65, in the early hours of June 13 last year.

His victims' families wanted him put on trial for murder but in January this year Nottingham Crown Court accepted his guilty plea to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

In a statement following the appeal court's decision, Barney's mother Emma Webber today said the families 'now face their own life sentence' of ensuring Calocane is not released - while Grace's father called the ruling 'disappointing' and criticised police and mental health services for failures ahead of the killings.

Calocane, 32, admitted three charges of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility at Nottingham Crown Court

One of his victims was 19-year-old first year student Grace O'Malley-Kumar, who was stabbed to death while walking home in the early hours of June 13 last year

Prosecutors told how Grace showed 'incredible bravery' to try to protect her friend Barnaby Webber, 19, but the pair were both stabbed to death

Calocane went on to kill school caretaker Ian Coates, 65, later that same morning

Grace O'Malley-Kumar's parents Dr Sinead O'Malley and Dr Sanjoy Kumar are pictured emerging from the Royal Courts of Justice in London this morning after the ruling

The Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr (pictured) today ruled at London's Court of Appeal that Calocane's original sentence was 'not arguably unduly lenient'

The Attorney General referred the sentence to the Court of Appeal in February.

Lawyers argued last week that Calocane should be given a 'hybrid' order where he would be treated before serving the remainder of the sentence in custody.

But three senior judges dismissed the bid today, stating that while Calocane's offences caused 'unimaginable grief', his sentence was not unduly lenient as his paranoid schizophrenia was 'the sole identified cause of these crimes'.

In a statement following the Court of Appeal's decision not to change the sentence of Valdo Calocane, Barnaby's mother Emma Webber said: 'Today's ruling comes as no surprise to the families of the Nottingham attack victims.

'It was inevitable and was not a review of anything other than the letter of the law as it stands.

'Despite the fact that the Attorney General herself feels that Valdo Calocane did not receive the appropriate sentence, today's outcome proves how utterly flawed and under-resourced the criminal justice system in the UK is. It also illustrates the need for urgent reforms in the UK homicide law.

'The fact remains, despite the words of the judge, that almost 90 per cent of people serving hospital orders are out within 10 years and 98 per cent within 20 years.

'In effect, the families now face their own life sentence of ensuring the monster that is Valdo Calocane becomes the next Ian Brady or Fred West and is never released.

'Given the failed investigation carried out by Nottingham Police, the weak prosecution put forward by East Midlands CPS and the over-reliance on doctors' reports, there was probably no other conclusion that could be made.

'The families have raised their concerns already with the Government with regard to obvious errors and omissions that have resulted in this tragedy.'

Giving the court's judgment, the Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr earlier said: 'There was no error in the approach adopted by the judge. The sentences imposed were not arguably unduly lenient.'

Calocane, who attended via a video link from Ashworth high-security hospital near Liverpool, did not react as the judges gave their decision.

Grace O'Malley-Kumar's parents Dr Sanjoy Kumar (left) and Dr Sinead O'Malley (right) arrived at the Royal Courts of Justice this morning to hear the decision on Calocane's sentence

Dr Sinead O'Malley and Dr Sanjoy Kumar, parents of Grace O'Malley-Kumar, Ian Coates's son James Coates and Emma and David Webber, parents of Barnaby Webber, are pictured speaking to the media outside the Royal Courts of Justice last Wednesday

Grace O'Malley Kumar was praised in court for her 'incredible bravery' trying to protect her friend Barnaby Webber from Valdo Calocane's dagger blows

In her summary, Baroness Carr said: 'It is impossible to read of the circumstances of this offending without the greatest possible sympathy for the victims of these terrible attacks, and their family and friends.

'The victim impact statements paint a graphic picture of the appalling effects of the offender's conduct.

'Had the offender not suffered the mental condition that he did, the sentencing judge would doubtless have been considering a whole life term.

'But neither the judge nor this court can ignore the medical evidence as to the offender's condition which led to these dreadful events or the threat to public safety which the offender continues to pose.'

Dr Sanjoy Kumar and Dr Sinead O'Malley, the parents of Ms O'Malley-Kumar, attended the Royal Courts of Justice today while the relatives of Mr Webber and Mr Coates did not appear.

Speaking outside court afterwards, Dr Kumar called the ruling 'disappointing, but not unexpected'.

He told reporters: 'The Nottingham attacks were entirely preventable. Nottinghamshire Police failed to produce a warrant for many months, a flawed investigation, no toxicology, over-reliance on psychiatric reports.

'Leicestershire Police failed to arrest Valdo Calocane. This is a failure of two police forces, a failure of the mental health trust, along with Nottinghamshire Council as well.

'Missed multiple opportunities to prevent the Nottingham attacks and the murder of our children and Ian Coates is what has led us here today.

'We have continued to pursue agencies that failed us and hold them responsible for the Nottingham attacks, so that no other family is made to suffer like ours.

'We thank everyone for the outpouring of support for our brave and beautiful daughter, Grace.'

The family of Barnaby Webber, second left, with his father David Webber, left, mother Emma and brother Charlie

Victim Grace O'Malley-Kumar, left, pictured with father Dr Sanjoy Kumar, who has criticised 'gaps' in Valdo Calocane's treatment, alongside Grace's mother Sinead and brother James

Flowers were laid at the Ilkeston Road scene in Nottingham where Grace and Barnaby were killed, including by Barnaby's father David Webber

Calocane fatally stabbed students Mr Webber and Ms O'Malley-Kumar as they walked home from a night out in the early hours of June 13 last year, before killing Mr Coates and stealing his van.

He then used the vehicle to knock down three pedestrians, Wayne Birkett, Marcin Gawronski and Sharon Miller, in Nottingham city centre before being arrested.

It was later revealed that Nottinghamshire Police failed to catch him for nine months ahead of the killings despite having a warrant for his arrest issued in September 2020 for failure to attend court over an assault on a PC a year earlier.

Mr Justice Turner, sentencing judge at the Nottingham Crown Court trial, told Calocane that his 'sickening crimes' meant he would be detained indefinitely in a high-security hospital 'very probably for the rest of your life'.

He also ruled that Calocane should be subject to further restrictions if ever discharged from hospital, which would need to be approved by the Justice Secretary.

The families of the victims criticised the sentence, with Mr Webber's mother Emma telling reporters outside court: 'True justice has not been served today.'

While a later review found that prosecutors were right to accept Calocane's pleas, Attorney General Victoria Prentis referred the sentence to the Court of Appeal, describing the killings as 'horrific'.

At the hearing in London last Wednesday, Deanna Heer, representing the Attorney General's Office, said Calocane's 'extreme' crimes warranted 'the imposition of a sentence with a penal element, an element of punishment'.

But Peter Joyce, for Calocane, said none of the offences would have been committed 'but for the psychosis' and that imposing a hybrid order would mean he would be 'punished for being mentally ill'.

Mrs Webber's statement in response to today's Appeal Court judgment criticise dhow there was no mention of previous police failures to execute warrants for Calocane's arrest nor earlier violent attacks he committed.

She also said there were 'no questions about why he received no mental health assessment in custody, no treatment until mid September and remained in prison until November.

She added: 'Also, no questioning of why the defence doctor assessed him in July but did not release his report until October and why the CPS doctor did not see him until mid November.

Dr Sanjoy Kumar, speaking outside court today, ended by saying: 'We thank everyone for the outpouring of support for our brave and beautiful daughter, Grace'

Barney Webber's mother Emma (pictured) said today's decision was 'no surprise' but showed 'how utterly flawed and under-resourced the criminal justice system in the UK is'

Emma Webber, pictured alongside husband David as they appeared on ITV's This Morning in January this year, today reiterated the family's calls for a public inquiry into the case

'There are many, many more serious questions that the families will now continue to fight to get answered.

'We do not and never will agree that the vicious, calculated and planned attacks carried out were that of an individual who was at zero level of capability.

'We have never disputed that he is mentally unwell - however, he knew what he was doing, he knew that it was wrong; but he did it anyway. There should be an element of punishment for such a heinous act alongside appropriate treatment.

'This is just one part of the fight for justice and appropriate accountability for failures that the families have been forced to endure. So far, there have been no less than eight individual reports, reviews and investigations.

'We do not believe that there is any chance these can be cohesive enough to ensure a full and detailed outcome, and therefore call for a public inquiry.'
Aussie students are arguably the biggest winners in the Budget, with $3billion being wiped from student debt, more student accommodation, subsidised practical placements, and free courses.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers unveiled his third federal Budget on Tuesday night by announcing a range of boosts and incentives for people with university debt and for future students who are worried about repayments.

The student-focused budget is part of Labors $22billion Future Made in Australia package, which focuses on creating a skilled economy to bring industry, manufacturing and trades back into the country.

This will demand the biggest transformation in the global economy since the industrial revolution, Dr Chalmers said.

Australian energy can power it, Australian resources can build, Australias regions can drive it, Australian researchers can shape it, and Australian workers can thrive in it.

Labor has committed $1.1billion to the education package, to be spent over five years, along with an additional $2.7billion between 2028 and 2035 to expand access to higher education.

The goal is for one in every ten Australians to hold a tertiary or TAFE qualification by 2050.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers is pictured delivering the Budget on Tuesday night

HECS changes

Labor will wipe $3billion of student debt, known as HECS, after indexation saw figures balloon by 7.1 per cent last year.

The spike was the highest in 30 years and meant debts were growing faster than they could be paid off.

Dr Chalmers described the indexation system on Tuesday as flawed and said it placed younger Australians under unfair fiscal pressures.

To remedy the issue, indexation will now be capped at either the Consumer Price Index or the Wage Price Index, depending on which is lower.

The scheme will be backdated to the 2022-23 financial year and will save the average person around $1200.

Subsidised student placement

A further $427million will be spent over four years to provide financial support to students undertaking mandatory practical placements in critical sectors, like nursing, midwifery, teaching, and social services.

Previously, students in those sectors were required to undergo weeks of full-time, unpaid work to get their qualification.

That meant students were unable to commit to their paid jobs and earn money to cover basic amenities like rent, electricity and food.

Students are among the biggest winners of the 2024 Budget, with $3billion wiped from HECS debts

Free courses and broader access

About $350million will be spent on fee-free university preparation courses for those who do not quality for direct entry.

The courses are designed to provide pathways to higher education and will be available from January 1, 2025.

Universities will also receive funding to provide dedicated support to students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, indigenous students, students with disabilities, and students studying at regional campuses.

Fee-free TAFE

The government will invest $90million to deliver 20,000 fee-free TAFE places in the construction sector, including increased access to pre-apprenticeship programs.

The 20,000 places are on top of the 300,000 places previously promised between 2024 and 2026 and will be available in all states and territories.

Part of the commitment will include support for up to 5,000 people to access pre-apprenticeship programs designed to give students an experience of working in construction-related trades.

Apprenticeships

Labor has pledged to provide $265million to incentivise employers to hire young workers doing apprenticeships.

The initiative is designed to encourage people to complete apprenticeships in priority occupations by offsetting the costs associated with training.

That means employers will get an additional $1000 and apprentices will get an additional $2000.

A further $91million will be spent on expanding eligibility for the new energy apprenticeships program in priority clean energy occupations.

According to Budget documents, the move will also support the development of the training system required to build the necessary workforce to deliver on Australias emissions reduction and net zero targets.

The initiative will also help employers in regional areas take on apprentices.

The student-focused budget is part of Labors $22billion Future Made in Australia package

Support for women

A further $55million will go towards the building womens careers program, which will focus on the construction and clean energy sectors.

Womens participation will be leveraged to overcome skills shortages, with the initiative promising to provide women with safe, flexible and inclusive work and training opportunities.

It will be carried out through the creation of local partnerships that deliver vocational training and employment.

Student housing

Dr Chalmers described Australias international education sector as a national asset on Tuesday, but said growing enrolments are not matched by housing supply.

This puts pressure on prices and rents, especially in our cities and suburbs, he said.

The government will implement regulatory requirements to ensure public universities provide more purpose-built student accommodation.

We will limit how many international students can be enrolled by each university based on a formula, including how much housing they build, he said.
The Albanese government has pledged thousands of dollars to a circus school, a Cyclone Tracy memorial, a military vehicle for Germany, and a further $10million for regional Australia Day activities.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has promised to ease the cost of living, strengthen Medicare and build more homes when he handed down Labor's third budget on Tuesday.

'This government delivers a tax cut for every taxpayer, wages growing in every industry, a better deal for every working parent, a fairer go at every check-out,' he said.

'More opportunities in every TAFE and university, more homes in every state and territory, a dignified retirement for older Australians.'

But missing from his speech was funding for a range of niche organisations and initiatives, including a circus school and a defence plane called a 'Ghost Bat'.

Here, Daily Mail Australia takes a look at some of the unique aspects in the 2024-25 Budget that missed out on the limelight on Tuesday night.

The government announced a $399million investment in an un-crewed aircraft system called MQ-28A Ghost Bat (pictured)

The government has committed $117million over four years to ensure arts organisations can continue to operate and grow. Among the beneficiaries are the Flying Fruit Circus (pictured)

Ghost Bat

In February, the federal government announced a $399million investment in an un-crewed aircraft system called MQ-28A Ghost Bat.

The investment will see Boeing Defence Australia produce three new aircrafts and delivery them to the Australian air force from 2025.

According to Budget documents, the design, development and production of the aircraft will support more than 350 jobs across 200 local companies across the country.

Improved data on the Hornsby train line

Funding will improve mobile and internet connectivity on the Hornsby to Wyong train line in northern Sydney.

Cheaper sweet potatoes

Labor will change the agricultural levy and charge on sweet potatoes, at the request of Australian Sweetpotato Growers Inc.

From 1 July, the government will decrease the marketing component of the levy and charge from 1 per cent of sale value to nil.

This change will decrease the overall levy rate on sweet potatoes from 1.5 per cent to 0.5 per cent.

Flying Fruit Circus

The government has committed $117million over four years to ensure arts organisations can continue to operate and grow.

Those include funding support for NAISDA Dance College in Kariong, on the NSW Central Coast, along with the Flying Fruit Circus in Albury in regional NSW.

According to Budget documents, funding these organisations will 'continue to provide a pipeline of artists and essential arts workers needed to safeguard Australia's growing creative economy'.

Cyclone Tracy memorial

Labor has pledged $600,000 towards the construction of a permanent monument to commemorate 50 years since Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin on Christmas Day 1974.

The monument will honour the 71 people who died, and those whose lives were changed forever.

More than 80 per cent of the city's buildings were destroyed.

Labor will change the agricultural levy and charge on sweet potatoes, at the request of Australian Sweetpotato Growers Inc. Sweet potatoes are pictured

ABC's 'Heywire' competition

The government has pledged $500,000 to support the ABC's Heywire competition, which invites young regional, rural and remote Australians to submit written and digital stories about their experiences and ideas for change.

Winners are invited to participate in the annual Heywire Regional Youth Summit, which gives participants the opportunity to present their ideas to a panel.

Ideas presented at the summit have previously been forwarded to universities, government and non-government organisations.

Supplying armoured vehicles to Germany

Labor has entered an export agreement to supply Australian-made armoured vehicles to Germany.

Under that agreement, more than 100 Boxer Heavy Weapon Carrier vehicles would be built in Redbank, Queensland and exported for use by the German army.

The deal is worth more than $1billion to the economy and create more than 600 jobs.

The government has pledged $500,000 to support the ABC's Heywire competition. The ABC logo is pictured

National Australia Day grants

The government has pledged $10million to support activities for Australia Day.

Funding includes a $4.5million community events stream to support local councils to delivery community activities.

Regional and remote communities are the target for the scheme, as Australia Day events are often held in capital cities.
The Albanese government has quietly re-allocated funding for implementing Voices to Parliament and the Makarrata Commission after the failed referendum.

Instead, the $20million funding allocation which would have helped to establish and maintain local and regional Voice arrangements will be directed toward other priorities within the Indigenous Australians portfolio.

Funding was set aside last year for a Makarrata Commission to work alongside the Indigenous Voice to Parliament  so certain the government was that it would be supported by the Australian public.

However, 60 per cent of Australians  and every state and territory except for the ACT  voted against the proposal in October 2023.

Meanwhile, $29.1million has been allocated over four years for a National Voice for our Children to partner with Government on matters affecting First Nations children.

Funding was set aside last year for a Makarrata Commission to work alongside the Indigenous Voice to Parliament  so certain the government was that it would be supported by the Australian public

Elsewhere in the Indigenous Australians portfolio, the government has committed $110million over a four-year period to accelerate Closing the Gap measures, focusing particularly on education outcomes.

A further $4.6million will go toward delivering Custody Notification Services which provide culturally appropriate health and wellbeing checks when an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person is taken into police custody.

Separately, $76.2million will be spent over five years to implement a voluntary prison to employment transition for First Nations people aged 15 and over who have a scheduled prison release date.

This program will be rolled out from July 2025  after the next election  and will provide Indigenous people pre-release and post-release support services to help them re-enter the workforce after committing a crime.

Another $18million will be spent over two years to establish a Central Australian Boarding Response Fund to build new boarding facilities in Central Australia for students from remote NT communities, which will in turn allow schools to accept more students.

The National Indigenous Australians Agency received $5.8million in funding in total to advance progress toward a Makarrata Commission in the last Budget, but the funding was paused during the referendum campaign amid backlash.

The National Indigenous Australians Agency received $5.8million in funding in total to advance progress toward a Makarrata Commission in the last Budget, and last revealed it was awaiting further instruction from Linda Burney (pictured) about how to spend the remaining cash

In all, Dr Simon Gordon, Acting Group Manager of Empowerment and Recognition, told a Senate Estimates hearing none of the money had gone toward the Commission itself.

Instead, $607,066 has been spent so far on 'understanding treaty and truth telling processes in the states and internationally,' he said.

'This involves some desktop research, but also some bilateral and multilateral meetings with states and territories.'

In all, Dr Gordon could recall approximately 25 bilateral meetings held over the last year discussing treaty and truthtelling.

The agency said at the time it was awaiting further instruction from Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney about how to spend the remainder of the $5.2million.
The EU is facing demands from a host of member states for the right to introduce Rwanda-style deportation schemes.

The Czech and Italian PMs are leading a 19-strong group asking Brussels to let them transfer migration procedures outside the bloc's territory.

UK government sources said the move showed that 'the fundamentals of our plan are making sense to people across the world'.

The news comes amid signs that the Rwanda policy is already having a deterrent effect, even though the first flights have yet to take off.

Ireland has complained that migrants are crossing the border to avoid being deported to the African state, while one Channel arrival claimed last week they had paid 500 to be smuggled back to France.

Migrants being brought ashore on the Italian island of Lampedusa

The proposals are likely to be considered by the EU commission after the European elections

Italian PM Georgia Meloni pictured with Rishi Sunak last year

Denmark is also among the EU states sending a letter to the commission saying they support the transfer of migrants picked up at sea to countries outside the EU.

The proposals are likely to be considered by the executive branch after the European elections.

At a joint press conference with Italian PM Georgia Meloni yesterday, the Czech premier Petr Fiala said: 'The Czech Republic and Italy are among the countries that want to go beyond where the migration pact has taken us and want to find a real solution to illegal migration, which we do not yet have in Europe.'

A UK government source told MailOnline: 'Increasingly as governments around the world face up to the global challenge of mass migration they are looking at similar solutions to the one this Government has introduced.

'The fundamentals of our plan are making sense to people across the world but not to the Labour Party here, who think scrapping Rwanda and only rebranding a unit already set up by the PM and actively tackling criminal people smuggling gangs is enough.'

The High Court in Belfast ruled yesterday that the immigration legislation underpinning the Rwanda scheme cannot be applied in Northern Ireland as it is subject to EU human rights rules.

Camille Le Coz, an expert from the Migration Policy Institute Europe, said that there were 'many questions' about Rwanda-style arrangements would work in the EU.

Under the bloc's laws, immigrants can only be sent to an outside country where they could have applied for asylum, provided they have a sufficient link with that country.

EU ministers meeting in Brussels are set to give their formal approval to new migration policies this week after the European Parliament voted them through last month.

The proposals harden border procedures and force all member states to share responsibility for arrivals.

What other countries are looking at sending asylum seekers abroad? Denmark and Czechia Both countries have held talks with Rwanda over an arrangement similar to that struck by the UK. Copenhagen has signed a memorandum of understanding with the African state. Although it insisted asylum seekers will not be sent in the short-term, the document said: 'The vision of the Danish Government that the processing of asylum applications should take place outside of the EU in order to break the negative incentive structure of the present asylum system.' Italy PM Georgia Meloni has hailed a pact with Albania to process thousands of asylum seekers arriving in Italy by sea. The centers are under Italian legal jurisdiction - unlike the UK's arrangement with Rwanda - and built at Italy's expense Advertisement
The Archewell Foundation was branded 'delinquent' because state officials did not process a $200 (160) cheque, sources close to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle claimed today.

The organisation was also billed as 'not in good standing' by the Registry of Charities and Fundraisers - part of the Department of Justice in California, the state where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex live in a 12million mansion and operate the charity.

The registry said Archewell failed to properly submit its annual report or renewal fees and has banned it from either fundraising or distributing charitable funds for now.

But Sussex sources claimed today that the 'delinquency notice' was actually issued because Attorney General Rob Bonta's office did not process the $200 cheque.

This was a different explanation to the one offered by the same Sussex sources last night, who claimed that the paperwork was filed on time but the discrepancy was down to a cheque which accompanied the documents going missing in the post.

Sussex sources told MailOnline this morning that the Archewell Foundation's tax filings for 2022 were submitted in full in accordance with all regulations in the US, which was widely reported in the media last December - including by this website.

They said the California state filing, renewal and required payment were sent and delivered to the Attorney General's office via tracked mail, and received on time.

However, the delinquency notice was then issued on May 3 because the cheque had not been processed by the Attorney General's Office, according to the sources.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the Lagos State Governor's House in Nigeria on May 12

A delinquency notice letter was sent to the Archewell Foundation on May 3 saying the charity is 'listed as delinquent' for 'failing to submit required annual report(s) and/or renewal fees'

Until Archewell Foundation officials could confirm the tracked mail and receive acknowledgment of receipt, they assumed that the cheque had been lost in the mail - hence the initial explanation, which has now turned out to be false.

MailOnline also understands that the Department of Justice will issue a statement later today with further clarification on the matter.

The $200 cheque was for an annual registration renewal fee, which is determined by a sliding scale based on an organisation's total revenue.

In Archewell's case, its most recent revenue was about $2million - putting it within the 'between $1,000,001 and $5 million' section of the sliding scale.

The $200 figure has been confirmed to MailOnline by a source close to the Sussexes.

It comes as the couple were yesterday flying back from a high profile three-day visit to Abuja and Lagos in Nigeria that was dubbed a royal tour in all but name.

During the trip the Sussexes announced a partnership between the Archewell Foundation and the Geanco Foundation, a charity in Nigeria which leads surgical missions, promotes maternal health and provides scholarships to young female victims of terrorism.

In March, Harry and Meghan congratulated computer scientist and digital activist Dr Joy Buolamwini for winning the NAACP Archewell Foundation Digital Civil Rights Award

Harry and Meghan also visited the Archewell Foundation's San Antonio Welcome Project in March, which supports women who have recently moved to the US from Afghanistan

But a 'delinquency notice' letter was by the Registry of Charities and Fundraisers to Archewell on May 3 saying the foundation is 'listed as delinquent' for 'failing to submit required annual report(s) and/or renewal fees'.

The letter says an organisation listed as 'delinquent' is banned from 'soliciting or disbursing charitable funds' and its registration may be 'suspended or revoked'.

A physical cheque was part of the filing sent to the California Attorney General's Office and it is understood that a new one has been sent to resolve the issue.

The letter from California's Registry of Charities and Fundraisers warns: 'An organisation that is listed as delinquent is not in good standing and is prohibited from engaging in conduct for which registration is required, including soliciting or disbursing charitable funds.

'The organisation may also be subject to penalties and its registration may be suspended or revoked by the Registry.

'Once you submit the delinquent record(s), you will be notified of the amount of any late fees that are owed.'

The foundation is separate from the couple's Archewell media and business divisions

In the initial explanation on behalf of the Sussexes yesterday, which has since been superseded by today's clarification, an Archewell source said: 'For the foundation, everything was filed on time.

'Part of that filing was a physical cheque. That cheque appears to have never been received, which we were only made aware of when this delinquency notice was published.

'A new cheque has been mailed and we anticipate that this will be quickly resolved and reflected in records within seven business days.'

The Archewell Foundation is a non-profit organisation created by Harry and Meghan when they moved to the US after stepping down as senior royals in 2020.

On its website, it says its mission is to 'show up, do good', adding: 'We meet the moment by showing up, taking action and using our unparalleled spotlight to uplift and unite communities - local and global - through acts of service and compassion.'

The foundation is separate from the couple's Archewell media and business divisions which have been involved in the Netflix and Spotify productions.

Harry and Meghan attend a polo fundraising event in Lagos during their Nigeria tour on May 12

It follows Harry and Meghan's visit to Nigeria from Friday until Sunday to promote mental health for soldiers and empower young people.

The couple were invited to the West African nation by its military, and attended events related to Harry's Invictus Games, which Nigeria is seeking to host in future.

The couple were also welcomed at the Lagos State Government House and met military officials at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.

According to tax filings disclosed by Archewell last December, the organisation had suffered an $11million (9million) decline in donations in 2022 compared to the previous year.

The records showed that the charity received just over $2million (1.6million) in charitable donations in 2022 compared to $13million (10million) in 2021.

And while in 2021 Archewell had reported a revenue of more than $9million (7million), the December 2023 filings showed that by 2022 it had recorded a loss of more than $674,000 (537,000) due to costs of $2.67million (2.13million).
British families who bring their children to Majorca have backed new rules aimed at cracking down on rowdy tourists in the island's Magaluf party town.

Couples holidaying with their babies in Palma Nova, which is just minutes away from Magaluf's infamous strip, said they love bringing their young children to the neighbouring town and have hailed it as a perfect family destination.

But the tranquil beachfront where couples walk with prams and dine at upmarket restaurants is in stark contrast to the late-night debauchery on the nearby strip.

Families told MailOnline about having to cross the 'border' into the 'slums' of the Magaluf strip as they weaved through drunken revellers to make it to other beaches and restaurants on the island.

One mother recalled how pushy holiday reps tried to drag her into a bar for shots with her three-month-old baby, while another couple fled the strip amid fears their children would step in smashed glass.

The situation has grown so dire in the resort town that Magaluf's mayor said a 9.30pm alcohol curfew is needed to make the island safer, while Majorca's nearby capital of Palma has vowed to introduce tougher measures to lower tourist numbers.

The moves are part of a wider crackdown on over-tourism that has been spreading across a series of Spanish islands as they face severe overcrowding and immense spikes in the numbers of boozy holidaymakers.

Tourists face fines of up to 1,300 for street drinking, shops selling alcohol must close at 9.30pm and party boats cannot sail within one nautical mile of designated areas. Pictured: Holidaymakers on the strip last night

British families staying on the edge of the infamous Magaluf strip blame rowdy tourists for forcing strict tourist rules on everyone

In an attempt to toughen up the islands' 2020 legislation, shops selling alcohol in areas of 'excessive tourism' must now completely close between 9.30pm and 8am

The latest crackdown adds to the 2020 law which banned happy hours, pub crawls and the sale of alcohol in shops between 9.30pm and 8am

Shops between the short walk from Palma Nova to the strip sell T-shirts with 'I love s**ts' plastered across them directly next to 'I love mummy and daddy' baby grows

The shops sell the t-shirts and babygrows in a desperate bid to cater for boozy revellers and families

Despite some families staying clear of Magaluf's strip, MailOnline witnessed some couples sitting in bars with prams after 10pm and others walking through the booze-fuelled zone with babies sleeping in prams.

In a desperate bid to cater for boozy revellers and families, shops between the short walk from Palma Nova to the strip sell T-shirts with 'I love s**ts' plastered across them directly next to 'I love mummy and daddy' baby grows.

Another couple said they were left 'very frustrated' by Magaluf's strict drinking rules and were suffering from the crackdown because of unruly partygoers ruining tourists' reputation.

Amid the fresh clampdown on drinking in popular resorts such as Magaluf, Palma and Llucmajor in Majorca and San Antonio in Ibiza, tourists face fines of up to 1,300 for street drinking, shops selling alcohol must close at 9.30pm and party boats cannot sail within one nautical mile of designated areas.

Under revised plans, unveiled by the conservative Partido Popular government, although the areas where the booze restrictions are in force have been reduced, it is now illegal to drink in the street in those areas.

These new measures were fully supported by the Mayor of Calvia, Juan Antonio Amengual, who stated they would make the island a safer place to be enjoyed by all.

Natasha Rodrigues, who was holidaying in Palma Nova with her partner Joshua Hayes and their two children, three months and 21 months, said: 'I think it's lovely here.'

But the 30-year-old, who used to come to Magaluf to party, added: 'Last night when we finished out food, we had to walk through Magaluf strip to get back here.

'That was the awkward part. I felt uncomfortable, only because they were still trying to drag us in to bars.

'It was a bit intimidating with them shouting 'come in for a shot' I said to them I've got kids and I'm going back to the hotel.

Natasha Rodrigues, who was holidaying in Palma Nova with her partner Joshua Hayes and their two children, three months and 21 months (pictured), described walking down the strip as 'awkward' on account of people trying to persuade them to go into bars

Ben Forrest (pictured bottom-left), who was holidaying in Palma Nova with his wife Kara (top-left), both 29, and their two children, aged three and five, said: 'from street to street [in Magaluf] is a big difference'.

Sarah Donnelly (pictured), who was staying in Palma Nova with her husband Karl and their two young children, said she and her husband took their children down the strip during the day for a walk, but 'wouldn't past 9pm'. 'It's a place where it's just drugs and alcohol - it's not something you want kids to see,' she said

'I felt like a bad mum because obviously everyone is on stag-dos. It was a bit nerve-wracking walking through. I felt a bit uncomfortable walking through with two kids.'

Ms Rodrigues, from Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, said she backed the rules that were being brought in.

'They need to have some sort of restrictions, because people come to Magaluf just to get paralytic,' she said.

'I think it puts everyone off. It is getting better, I really do think that. I still think it's got its reputation but it doesn't put me off.'

Speaking about staying in Palma Nova, she said: 'I like how close it is because you can get the best of both worlds. I think that drags some more people in as well.

'I think it's a lovely place. I think it's gorgeous. Even the staff, they are so nice. I would come every year, it's one of my go-to places. I love the cleanliness of it.'

Sarah Donnelly, who was staying in Palma Nova with her husband Karl and their two young children, said: 'We have come twice, once when my son was in my tummy five years ago and then we thought we would bring the the kids back - we love it here.

'It seems like two different places, you don't even know that's down there [the strip]. Everybody wants to come here for whatever reason they want. Magaluf is there and the families are here. It's fine the two are sharing the same town.'

The 33-year-old, from Portsmouth, said she and her husband took their children down the strip during the day for a walk but 'wouldn't past 9pm'.

'It's a place where it's just drugs and alcohol - it's not something you want kids to see,' she said.

As well as Majorca's recent fresh crackdown, all-inclusive hotels have only allowed guests to have three drinks at lunch and three at dinner since 2022.

Couples holidaying with their babies in Palma Nova, which is just minutes away from Magaluf's bars and strip clubs (pictured), hailed the neighbouring town as a perfect family destination

As the tougher sanctions came into force over the weekend, partying Brits vowed to defy the crackdown and accused Majorca of trying to 'kill' Magaluf

Holidaymakers enjoy a night out on the strip last night

Ms Connelly added: 'I knew [about the drinking rule] when I booked it but I thought it would be fine and they would get us more. But they are actually quite strict.

'We went to Turkey last year and it was all-inclusive, drink as much as you want. We are struggling a little bit because we do want to have more drink.

'We like a drink, we are here as as family, the kids are stressing out, we want to have a drink so I'm sneaking drink. It's only wine and beer, it's not anything major. That whole drink as much as you can is even there as a family. My husband wants more, we are having to go shop to buy more alcohol.'

Ms Connelly said couples and families were suffering because of rowdy tourists, adding: 'I can see why they brought the rules in because it's that culture of English people drinking all day but you can see people at hotel saying why am I not getting the drink that I want to get.'

'We had a couple drinks at pool, but we had to pay for it even though we are all-inclusive.

'It is frustrating, really frustrating actually. The drink is so cheap so you just think why can't you just give it more?

Ben Forrest, who was holidaying in Palma Nova with his wife Kara, both 29, and their two children, aged three and five, said: 'From street to street is a big difference.

'You look at this here and you go two streets and it's completely different. It's like a different district.'

But Ms Forrest told of the moment she had to flee after turning down the nearby Magaluf strip with her pram.

'We didn't realise we were staying in Magaluf. We thought we were further out and then we got to hotel, we were driving through strip and then I panicked a bit.

One 33-year-old, from Portsmouth, said she and her husband took their children down the strip during the day for a walk but 'wouldn't past 9pm'

Holidaymakers are seen outside one of Magaluf's famous clubs last night

Potential customers are avoiding the area because of its reputation, one business owner said

'We've not really gone down but we did just walk down and I turned round with the kids.

'I find they look at you a bit funny if you have prams down there. And I felt taking the kids down there, I could see it was getting a bit rowdier so we walked back.'

Mr Forrest added: 'It's such a shame because the McDonald's, the Taco Bell, KFC, Burger King, everything the kids want to eat on a night is down there.

'You don't want to walk down there with the kids. You could step in a bit of glass, you could trip over, there could be anything on the floor.

'You just don't want to have that problem go going to hospital with your kid abroad and having to get stitches because somebody has dropped a pint glass and nobody's clearing it up properly.'

They said the Irish bar on the corner of the strip was like a border between the two areas.

Police have upped their patrols in Majorca

The couple, from Cornwall, were on holiday with Finn Sarilar, 22, and Lydia Morgan, 23, and their seven-month-old baby.

Mr Sarilar said: 'We've had a really good time, we've drank and not had a bad time. The people are pleasant enough. You just stay away from the people who are d***s.'

Describing the moment of walking from Palma Nova to the Magaluf strip, he said it 'turns into the slums'.

Niall Maddock, 21, and his girlfriend Grace Taylor, 18, were taking their daughter on holiday to Magaluf for her first birthday.

Ms Taylor said: 'When we were back home and people said where are you taking her and we said Magaluf, people were a bit like 'oooh'. But it's been really nice. Especially for a family holiday.

'Our hotel has a lot of kids. We thought it was just party central but it's been really nice for her. This is the baby's first holiday. She's just loved it.'

'We haven't been to the strip at night yet. We wouldn't want to take her up there, we know it's party central so we wouldn't take her. If we were on our own, yeah, but not with the baby.

Speaking about the crackdown on tourists drinking, Mr Maddock added: 'On the sea front I've seen a lot of bars saying you're not allowed to leave the bars without glasses. I feel it's a good thing because if you were walking down here and everyone had their beers, things would get smashed and it wouldn't be a good environment to take the baby. It's rowdy, angry drunk people.'

Ms Taylor said that the drunken revellers are 'violent' but added: 'The stag do's and hen do's, they all want to come here for the party but the families are thinking it's really nice here so it's all a bit mixed here really.'

The couple had just come from a restaurant which was dishing out 600 fines for taking a glass outside.

'I would listen to that, I don't want to pay 600 for taking a glass on the beach,' Ms Taylor said.

Mr Maddock added: 'You've always got people that take it a bit far, and they get rowdy but around here they have the rules in place so everyone is sticking to the rules.'

Many businesses in the area were formerly brothels, which brought the reputation of the place down

As Majorca tries to crack down on 'excessive tourism', partygoers in tourist hotpots now face penalties of between 500 and 1,500 (430 and 1,290) if their street drinking 'disrupts coexistence, involves crowds or deteriorates the tranquillity of the environment'.

In an attempt to toughen up the islands' 2020 legislation, shops selling alcohol in areas of 'excessive tourism' must now completely close between 9.30pm and 8am.

As the tougher sanctions came into force over the weekend, partying Brits vowed to defy the crackdown and accused Majorca of trying to 'kill' Magaluf.

Meanwhile Magaluf businesses accused Brits of destroying their 'paradise' and claimed the rules did not go far enough.

The latest crackdown adds to the 2020 law which banned happy hours, pub crawls and the sale of alcohol in shops between 9.30pm and 8am.

Up to 16million (13.7million) will be spent on enforcing the street drinking ban as well as on security, inspections and educating tourists on 'excessive tourism'.

The rules are set to stay in place until at least December 2027 - by which point the government hopes the law will no longer be necessary.

The need for stricter measures have also spread to neighbouring Palma as Marga Prohens, the president of the Balearic government said in a statement last week that 'the Balearic Islands have reached their limit'.

He vowed to demand measures against tourist overcrowding, including 'regulating the number of rental cars, not expanding the Palma airport and committing to a tourism model that reduces the number of visitors and the environmental footprint'.

Last week, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) of Palma highlighted the existence of around 800 illegal holiday rental homes in the municipality alone, according to Ultima Hora .

Francisco Ducros, a spokesperson within the City Council said: 'Citizens no longer want the situation we are experiencing: without solutions in terms of housing, without proposals to improve the lives of residents or the neighborhoods of Palma'.

It comes after a series of crackdowns across several other Spanish islands as they battle overcrowding and immense spikes in tourism.

Last week, a Menorca holiday village dubbed the 'Spanish Mykonos' threatened to ban all tourists after previously telling them to only visit between 11am and 8pm so they can enjoy their breakfasts.

Ibiza also became the latest Spanish holidaymaker hotspot to join in with growing anti-tourism protests that have erupted around the country.

'We welcome anybody who wants to enjoy our local culture, gastronomy, local traditions, beautiful beaches and covers,' said Xaquelina Ana Perry, a spokeswoman for an activist group by the name of Prou Eivissa (Enough Ibiza).

'We are only against the massification of the type of tourism attracted to our island. The island is saturated, especially with illegal renting and our 572 square kilometres cannot take anymore,' she added.

Similar protesting has been seen in other popular destinations, such as Tenerife, where furious locals even went on hunger strike in an effort to voice their anger.

In Menorca, graffiti has also sprung up on walls telling tourists to 'go home', while in Marbella last year, tyres on cars with British number plates were slashed.

On April 20, thousands of protestors took to the streets of the Canary Islands to protest against the problems caused by mass tourism and demand their politicians take action.

The protestors chanted the slogan: 'Canarias tiene un limite', which in English translates as 'The Canary Islands have a limit.'

Two weeks ago the same words appeared painted in white on the tarmac of one of the access roads to Mount Teide in Tenerife.

The words 'Go Home Tourist' were scrawled in English over a wall underneath a real estate promotion billboard in Nou Llevant, Mallorca, a neighbourhood that has seen a massive influx of foreign buyers over the past few years

Graffiti reading 'My misery, your paradise' is seen in the Balearic Islands

Spanish islands are threatened by sea pollution, traffic gridlock and lack of cheap affordable housing linked to the pushing-up of property prices because of Airbnb-style holiday lets

Another message painted on the road said: 'Moratoria turistica' - 'Tourist moratorium' in English.'

Majorcan-based hotel chief Joan Pla warned recently the mass tourism protests in the Canary Islands could be repeated in the Balearics.

He claimed the number of homes built for local residents that were being purchased instead by foreigners as holiday properties was a problem.

And he complained islands like Majorca where he is based were having to cope with the influx of too many people at certain times of the year.
It was a cry of anger from a grieving mother who had lost all three of her sons.

In a BBC radio broadcast to mark Remembrance Day in 1946, Lady Rachel MacRobert told how her children 'fought to preserve freedom and liberty', before adding: 'But we see freedom taken from the people bit by bit.'

But, as the latest episode of BBC Radio 4 series Great Lives reveals, parts of her speech was censored over fears it was too critical of Clement Attlee's Labour government.

The censor removed a reference to former soldiers being 'handicapped' so soon after the war and also took out a call for the government to give Britons scope for 'that enterprise and industry'.

She had ended the talk with call to maintain free enterprise, saying: 'Let us hail the dawn they won for us, and remember their living comrades. Give them the opportunity and liberty they helped win.'

But the words 'opportunity and' were removed, prompting Lady MacRobert to write on the newly uncovered transcript: 'Broadcast as mutliated by the BBC... without permission.'

In a BBC radio broadcast to mark Remembrance Day in 1946, Lady Rachel MacRobert told how her children 'fought to preserve freedom and liberty', before adding: 'But we see freedom taken from the people bit by bit.' Above: Lady MacRobert with her sons Alasdair, Roderick and Iain. Alasdair was killed before the war. The other two died within weeks of each other in 1941

Parts of her speech were censored over fears it was too critical of Clement Attlee's Labour government. Lady MacRobert wrote on the newly uncovered transcript: 'Broadcast as mutiliated by the BBC... without permission'. Above: The transcript, with parts crossed out in red pen by the BBC censor

In 1941, after all her sons had been killed, Lady Rachel gave the air ministry 25,000 cheque for a fighter named in their honour.

She wrote in a letter: 'It is my wish, as a mother, to reply in a way my sons would applaud - attack with great fire power, head on and hard. The amount of 25,000 is to buy a bomber aircraft to continue my son's work in the most effective way.'

The 'MacRobert's Reply', a four-engined Stirling Bomber, went into action with the family's coat of arms - 'Glory is the reward of valour' - on its nose.

Dr Hayaatun Sillem, the chief executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering, where the speech transcript was recently found, told presenter Matthew Parris: 'There was something beguiling about her. She was described as "charmingly volcanic".'

To her 'great shame', she admitted to having made the assumption that her academy's MacRobert Award - a national engineering prize - was named after a man.

She said: 'Having discovered that this was named after Lady MacRobert, I then looked into her, and I thought, "My gosh, how have I not known about this extraordinary woman before?"

In 1941, after all her sons had been killed, Lady Rachel gave the air ministry 25,000 cheque for a fighter named in their honour. The MacRoberts' Reply, a four-engined Stirling Bomber, went into action with the family's coat of arms on its nose

'So she was a scientist, she was a suffragette, she was a cattle breeder, she was a visionary.

'And I think that one of the most significant things about her is she managed to channel what was an utterly devastating personal loss into something that really delivered incredibly widespread benefits during the Second World War.'

Lady MacRobert's first son Sir Alasdair was killed in a flying accident just before the war. Then, in May 1941, Squadron Leader Sir Roderic died fighting over Mosul, Iraq.

Dr Sillem said Lady MacRobert's 25,000 cheque was 'her way of saying, "I am not going to sit here and just grieve. I'm going to use my voice and my resources to do something positive in this most desperate of situations."'

The response to Lady MacRobert's gift was 'incredible', Dr Silem said.

She received letters from around the world, including from the Soviet Union.

Lady MacRobert (pictured above in 1950) gave 25,000 to fund a new Stirling Bomber for the RAF

The cheque Lady MacRobert wrote to Secretary of State for Air Sir Archibald Sinclair

One Russian woman told her that she had 'set an example of courage to the whole world'.

A few months after paying for the Stirling Bomber, Lady MacRobert bought the RAF four Hurricane fighters.

The Daily Mail's report on Lady MacRobert's death

The 1946 censorship furore was mentioned in the House of Commons shortly afterwards.

When asked by an MP why the passages criticising Government policy had been deleted, Herbert Morrison, then the Lord President of the Council, replied: 'I am informed by the B.B.C. that, in the course of editing, passages were deleted from Lady MacRobert's broadcast because they raised political issues which were considered inappropriate for a broadcast of this kind.'

The MP who asked the question, Sir Waldron Smithers, branded the response 'conclusive proof that the BBC is under Socialist control.'

Dr Sillem said of Lady MacRobert: 'She had been invited to record a speech by the BBC to be broadcast on Remembrance Day in 1946 and this is then censored by the BBC, and she is very upset about this.

'But then, even worse, the BBC go on to broadcast a censored version without her permission.

'In her subsequent speeches, there's a very strong theme about her displeasure at this, and what sort of society we live in that you know that this is allowed to happen.

The academic added: 'She spoke very passionately about the dangers of jealousy. She was a promoter of a strong work ethic.

'And I think it was really just that sense of frustration that all the effort that had gone into, all the sacrifices had been made, we deserve better.'

Born in 1884 to millionaire parents in Massachusetts, Lady MacRobert was the first woman to attend the Royal School of Mines.

Lady Rachel MacRobert inspecting units of the A.T.C. after she opened Glasgow's Wings for Victory week, 1943

She would go on to be be one of the first female fellows of the Royal Geological Society.

When her husband Sir Alexander MacRobert was knighted, she refused to attend the ceremony, saying: 'I will bow to no man.'

The aristocrat had to raised her sons alone after the death of her husband in 1922.

In November 1952, her Aberdeenshire mansion, which had a composite name derived from the names of her three sons, was destroyed in a fire.

She died aged 70 in 1954.
Talking to others about their health doesn't come naturally to most men. And when it concerns problems 'down there', they're even less likely to open up, according to research.

A 2023 survey of 1,000 men, carried out by a leading manufacturer of male and female incontinence products, found that a half to two-thirds were more than happy to chat with friends about sports, politics and retirement. But only 9 per cent felt comfortable raising the topic of erectile dysfunction  and yet it affects 40 per cent of men over 40 at some point.

Many also put off going to the doctor with other penis-related problems through sheer embarrassment  risking serious complications in the process.

Only 9 per cent of men feel comfortable raising the topic of erectile dysfunction  and yet it affects 40 per cent of over 40s at some point

It's estimated, for example, that a third of men who suffer a penile fracture  an agonising injury where fibrous tissue inside the penis is ruptured, usually during sex  delay going to A&E for several days.

Yet severe cases require corrective surgery as soon as possible  often within 24 hours  to reduce the risk of long-term effects such as chronic pain and erectile dysfunction.

Another increasingly common problem is caused by taking too much Viagra in one go  this can lead to a prolonged erection, and if it goes beyond four hours, requires medical help to drain blood and reduce the risk of permanent damage to a man's genitals.

These are just some of a number of medical penile problems, many of which are more common than you might think.

Here, with help from some of the UK'S leading medical experts, we have compiled this must-read guide about them  from penile fractures to premature ejaculation and tight foreskins  and crucially, what to do if you become one of the millions in the UK to be affected by one.

A painful curve

Every man is different  and so is every penis. Many have a slight curve (usually to one side) when erect, without causing any problems.

A normal 'healthy' curvature would be an angle of no more than five degrees (imagine the big hands of a clock reading 13 minutes past the hour, if you were looking at it side on).

An estimated 12 to 13 per cent of men in the UK have a condition where the erect penis bends by up to 45 degrees or more

But an estimated 12 to 13 per cent of men in the UK have Peyronie's disease  a condition where the erect penis bends by up to 45 degrees or more (imagine seven minutes past nine on the clock, if you were looking at it side on  the little hand represents the bit of penis that isn't bent and the big hand is the angle of the bend), often causing pain and difficulties having sex.

The main cause is believed to be 'micro traumas', repeated impacts on the penis during sex which cause a gradual build-up of scar tissue that reduces the elasticity of the spongy material inside the penis.

During an erection, this damaged tissue doesn't stretch properly  while on the opposite side of the penis it does  creating a noticeable banana-shape that many men find distressing.

Around 3 per cent of those affected also have Dupuytren's contracture, or trigger finger, when cords of fibrous tissue form in the hand pulling the fingers down  it's thought genetic factors link the two.

'It might start with a bit of a lump, often on the top of the penis,' says Gordon Muir, a consultant urological surgeon and men's hormone specialist at the London Bridge Hospital.

Once the curve exceeds 20 degrees, then sex can become difficult

'That gradually reduces the elasticity of the tissue just below the skin and, during an erection, the penis then bends towards that side.

'Once the curve exceeds 20 degrees, then sex can become difficult.'

Treatments include gentle stretching  using a traction-like device available on the NHS  to gradually loosen the scar tissue, and anti-impotence drugs such as Viagra (which can reduce curvature by boosting blood flow into the penis).

Other options include using painless sound waves (to break up scar tissue) and surgery to cut away the scarred area and replace it with a skin graft, which again may be available on the NHS.

Sometimes, a small amount of tissue is removed from the 'healthy' side to correct the curvature  though this can lead to shortening of the penis.

In severe cases  where the bend is 60 degrees or more  a rod-like implant is inserted to straighten it.

Birth defect that makes it harder to wee

Around 2,000 boys are born in the UK each year with a deformity called hypospadias  where the opening normally found at the end of the penis (through which males pee) is positioned elsewhere, usually on the underside of the head of the penis, or even further down the shaft nearer to the testicles. Many also have a sharp bend in the penis.

It makes it hard to urinate without spraying in the wrong direction and can later make having sex difficult.

Around 2,000 boys in the UK are born each year with a condition where the opening normally found at the end of the penis is in the wrong place, making it hard to urinate without spraying in the wrong direction

The vast majority of cases are treated when the child is an infant, usually with surgery. (This is complex surgery, best performed by a specialist, and sometimes more than one operation is needed. The risk of complications increases for those who have the operation as an adult.)

Typically, this involves using a small piece of foreskin to make an extension for the urethra  the tube which carries urine out of the body  and creating a new opening at the tip of the penis. In severe cases, two or three operations may be needed to fully correct the defect and the curvature.

However, in a few cases, patients may need repeat surgery as they get older as the repairs can be affected by the way the body grows during childhood and adolescence.

'We still don't know what causes it,' says Rowland Rees, a consultant urological surgeon and male hormone specialist at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and the OneWelbeck private clinic in London.

'Some research suggests it might be linked to exposure to excess oestrogen in the womb, or even phthalates  chemicals used to make plastic bottles that get into the body. But there's no conclusive proof.'

Some studies also suggest that exposure to high levels of maternal oestrogen or chemicals in the womb may disrupt the normal development of the urethra, causing hypospadias.

When sex is over too soon

Around 30 per cent of men in the UK suffer with premature ejaculation (PE), but fewer than one in four of them seeks medical advice, according to the British Association of Urological Surgeons.

Doctors usually define climaxing in under two or three minutes repeatedly as PE  and it's often lifelong, dating back to a man's first sexual experience.

One theory is it has psychological roots in adolescence, with teens fearful of being caught masturbating conditioning themselves to climax quickly  setting a pattern that's hard to break when they later have sexual relationships.

Premature ejaculation has psychological roots in adolescence, with teens fearful of being caught masturbating conditioning themselves to climax quickly  setting a pattern that's hard to break when they later have sexual relationships

But it can also be caused by certain medical conditions, such as an overactive thyroid  a butterfly-shaped gland at the base of the neck that helps control a range of bodily functions, including heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and weight.

There is a drug licensed for premature ejaculation in the UK called Priligy (generic name dapoxetine). It has a similar make-up to widely used antidepressant drugs called SSRIs (or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), such as Prozac or Seroxat, which may also be prescribed for PE.

The advantage of Priligy is that it works much faster for PE than SRRI drugs, and just needs to be taken a couple of hours before sex.

Priligy works by boosting levels of the brain chemical serotonin, which in turn causes a delayed reaction in the part of the brain that controls ejaculation  so it takes longer for a man to orgasm.

'It can double the time it takes a man to ejaculate,' says Gordon Muir.

But Priligy is almost never prescribed on the NHS, and costs around 9 a tablet privately. It can also cause side-effects such as headaches, dizziness and nausea.

Taking Viagra can help with premature ejaculation by helping a man achieve a second erection very quickly after orgasm  second time round it usually takes longer to ejaculate

Viagra and similar drugs can also help  basically, by helping a man achieve a second erection very quickly after orgasm (second time round it usually takes longer to ejaculate), while counselling can help some men reduce their anxiety about the problem, which can also lead to delayed orgasm.

Anaesthetic creams to numb the penis and reduce sensitivity can help, but often cause numbness and loss of sensation in a man's partner, too.

'Men should be reassured that premature ejaculation is extremely common,' says Mr Muir.

'And it's also important to remember that most women do not orgasm during vaginal intercourse, but through stimulation of the clitoris.'

...while others struggle to climax at all

It's much less common, but some men find it difficult to reach an orgasm, no matter how hard they try  this is experienced by just 1 to 4 per cent of men.

Delayed ejaculation is usually diagnosed if a man is unable to orgasm more than half the times he has sex.

As with premature ejaculation, it can be due to both psychological and physical factors. Relationship problems, stress and depression can all play a part  while illnesses such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injuries can be detrimental.

In type 1 and type 2 diabetes, for example, it's thought high blood sugar levels damage the nerves and muscles involved in ejaculation.

But many prescription medicines can also have the same effect.

Some men find it difficult to reach an orgasm, no matter how hard they try  but this is experienced by just 1 to 4 per cent of men

SSRI anti-depressants may help some men who climax too quickly (see premature ejaculation), but in others they can prevent it happening at all. Some blood pressure drugs  especially beta blockers, which slow the heart rate, meaning the blood flows with less force  have a similar effect by dampening down stimulation and making orgasm more difficult.

If SSRIs are the problem causing delayed ejaculation, alternative medication can be prescribed to counter the effects  these include an anti-smoking drug called bupropion, which has been shown to block some of the chemical effects of anti-depressants that contribute to delayed ejaculation.

Meanwhile, around one in 100 men suffer from retrograde ejaculation  where semen, instead of passing out of the penis, travels back up into the bladder  often making urine cloudy.

While it isn't detrimental to health, it can be a problem if a man wants to father a child.

It happens when the muscles in the neck of the bladder do not close properly during ejaculation, allowing semen to go the wrong way.

It's most common in men who have had prostate or bladder surgery which has damaged those muscles slightly.

But certain blood pressure drugs  known as alpha blockers  can also be a trigger, though it's not clear why.

There is a treatment  albeit a surprising one.

Sudafed, the decongestant used by thousands to clear blocked noses, can sometimes help treat retrograde ejaculation, because it contains the drug pseudoephedrine, which has been shown to help bladder neck muscles contract, shutting off the route to the bladder.

However, it's not licensed for this use in the UK, and would have to be recommended by a GP as an 'off label' treatment.

The only other treatment is to withdraw any medication that may be causing it.

Fracture than can cause the penis to swell like an aubergine

Even though the penis has no bones, agonising fractures can still occur when it is bent suddenly and with force, usually during sex, tearing sensitive tissues inside.

Often there is a loud 'crack' when it occurs, and many cases need urgent surgery to repair the damage.

During an erection, the penis is engorged with blood that fills two cylinders inside  called the corpora cavernosa, a type of muscle.

An agonising fracture can occur when the penis is bent suddenly and with force, usually during sex, tearing sensitive tissues inside, making it look like an aubergine

If it's then bent forcefully, the trauma can rupture the outer lining of these cylinders, known as the tunica albuginea, resulting in a fracture.

Bleeding under the skin causes widespread bruising  and in severe cases, the urethra is also damaged, causing blood to leak into the urine.

'It can look like an aubergine,' says Mr Rees. 'It becomes massively swollen.'

'If we don't operate as soon as possible, then about 75 per cent of men who suffer this fracture end up with a very severe curvature  just like you get in Peyronie's disease  as well as erection difficulties.'

The number of men in the UK needing treatment for these fractures is rising  one study found the NHS treated 169 cases in the 12 months to April 2022, a rise of 37 per cent on the previous year.

It's thought the growing use of drugs like Viagra may be a factor, but a 2023 study by Munich University Hospital in Germany also found that fractures were more likely during sex featuring unusual positions  for example, the 'reverse cowgirl', where a partner faces away from the man  puts more pressure on the erect penis than if they were facing each other.

The erection that's a medical emergency

Being able to sustain an erection is a sign of a healthy penis, but if it goes beyond four hours then it's time to get medical help.

That's the cut-off point doctors use to diagnose priapism, a medical emergency in which prompt treatment is needed in order to reduce the risk of permanent damage.

It commonly occurs in men with certain blood disorders, such as leukaemia and sickle cell disease (a genetic disorder affecting the blood cells mainly in those of African or Caribbean origin).

STRUGGLING TO GET AROUSED? GET YOUR HEART CHECKED For years, erectile dysfunction was largely thought to be a 'downstairs' plumbing problem, or it was blamed solely on performance anxiety. Now, it's widely recognised that it may signify problems with the heart. That's because if arteries in the body are affected by atherosclerosis (narrowing or furring due to a build of deposits called plaques), this causes a reduction in blood flow. Arteries in the penis are narrower than those to the heart, so erectile problems can be one of the first warning signs that blood vessels around the heart are furred too  in other words that they have heart disease. The British Heart Foundation advises: 'If you are experiencing erectile dysfunction, book an appointment with your doctor.' Advertisement

Both make blood more viscous, raising the risk of clots forming in the tiny blood vessels in the penis and preventing blood that surges into the penis at the beginning of an erection from draining out of it.

Using recreational drugs such as cannabis and cocaine can also be a trigger as they deplete levels of norepinephrine  a hormone that contracts blood vessels in the penis  reducing blood flow and dampening down an erection.

In some cases, the NHS advises it can be alleviated by simple do-it-yourself measures that might make blood less sticky  such as drinking lots of water or gentle exercises (walking or running on the spot) that might get more blood pumping round the body and dislodge the tiny clots.

But if that doesn't work you may need to go to hospital, where doctors use a needle to drain blood from the penis under local anaesthetic  or sometimes make a tiny cut to siphon the blood off while the patient is under a general anaesthetic.

'I've seen patients as young as 16 with leukaemia who developed priapism but were too embarrassed to seek help,' says Mr Rees.

'By the time they did it was too late  there was permanent damage to their penis, and they needed to have penile implants fitted.'

That's because it had left blood vessels so badly damaged it was then impossible to achieve a natural erection.

'It's more common than it used to be because we often see young men who overdose on Viagra, which can cause priapism,' adds Mr Rees.

'At the normal dose (usually 50mg), Viagra doesn't cause a problem, but if you take too much in one go it can.'

Tight foreskin

Phimosis  or tight foreskin  is one of the most common genital problems, affecting around one in ten males from birth.

In most young boys, the foreskin does not retract until they are five to ten, after which it stretches naturally as the penis grows.

But in some cases, it remains constricted into adulthood and, although this rarely causes any problems, for some men it can make sex painful, as the skin around the head of the penis becomes sore and sometimes swollen.

A tight foreskin is one of the most common genital problems, affecting around one in ten males from birth

One of the most common treatments is a four to eight-week course of steroid creams prescribed by a GP. Rubbed on twice a day, the steroids in the cream (usually a low dose of betamethasone or hydrocortisone) fractionally thins the skin and makes it more stretchy.

Combined with a daily stretching to improve flexibility, this has a success rate of about 87 per cent.

'There doesn't seem to be any obvious cause of phimosis,' says Mr Muir, 'but stretching the skin bit-by-bit on a daily basis seems to work for a lot of men.'

Another recommended remedy is a device called Novoglan, where the patient inserts a tiny balloon about the size of a 5p piece under the foreskin for a few minutes every day and inflates it gradually to stretch the tight skin so that it can eventually be fully retracted.

But although it's registered as a medical device in the UK, it costs around 170 and is not available on the NHS.

Severe cases may be referred for circumcision.
New York native Secretary of State Antony Blinken tucked into a pizza in Kyiv on Tuesday after reassuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky he would get a big slice of American aid.

Blinken tucked into a pie made by Ukrainian war veterans at Veterano Pizza, with a knife and fork resting by his plate.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba helped him enjoy the pizzas, including one that appeared to be topped with cheese and tomato and the other with salad.

He made the surprise visit to the war-torn country after Congress passed a $60billion aid package after months of stalling from Republicans.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken sits down for a pizza made by war veterans with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba

Zelensky said the 'crucial' support would be best used to support his nation's air defence.

The Ukrainian leader said that he needs at least two Patriot air defence batteries for the northeastern city of Kharkiv, which is being pummeled by Russian air strikes.

'The people are under attack: civilians, warriors, everybody. They're under Russian missiles,' he said.

Some artillery, air defense interceptors and long-range ballistic missiles have already been delivered, some of them already to the front lines, according to a senior US official who travelled with Blinken.

Blinken, currently in Kyiv, added that some of it had already arrived in Ukraine, adding that it would turn the tides of the bloodiest conflict on European soil in decades.

'We also know that in the near term the assistance is now on the way, some of it has already arrived and more of it will be arriving.

And that's going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield.'

Since the $60bn military aid package was signed by Biden last month, his administration has already pushed for $1.4 billion in short-term military assistance and $6 billion in longer-term support.

Blinken is in Kyiv to allay fears that the US is focusing on the ongoing war in the Middle East. Since October, when Hamas attacked Israel, Blinken has visited the region seven times.

By contrast, the last time Blinken was in Ukraine was in September.

Blinken tucks into the pies, including one covered in topped with salad

Secretary of State Antony Blinken (pictured, right) told Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky (pictured, left) that the massive $60bn military aid package is 'on its way'

Some artillery, air defense interceptors and long-range ballistic missiles have already been delivered, some of them already to the front lines, according to a senior US official who travelled with Blinken

Firefighters work at a site of a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine

Ukrainian soldiers of the 80th brigade firing artillery at Russian positions in the direction of Bakhmut

Zelensky said the 'crucial' aid from the US, passed after Republicans spent months stalling, would be best used to support his nation's air defence

Artillery shells are seen as Russia-Ukraine war continues in the direction of Avdiivka

Ukrainian soldier with an RPG walks to his firing position as the Russia-Ukraine war continues

The aid comes as Russia has intensified its attacks, most noticeably as the U.S. House of Representatives sat on the aid package for months without action, forcing a suspension in the provision of most US assistance.

Those attacks have increased in recent weeks as Russia has sought to take advantage of Ukrainian shortages in manpower and weapons while the new assistance is in transit.

Top Biden administration officials and Ukrainian national security officials held a call Monday 'about the situation on the front, about the capabilities that they are most in need of, and a real triage effort to say, "Get us this stuff this fast so that we can be in a position to effectively defend against the Russian onslaught,"' said national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

The administration is 'trying to really accelerate the tempo' of US weapon shipments, he said.

Zelensky said over the weekend that 'fierce battles' are taking place near the border in eastern and northeastern Ukraine as outgunned and outnumbered Ukrainian soldiers try to push back a significant Russian ground offensive.

Ukrainian soldiers fire a mortar in the direction of Avdivka

Ukrainian soldiers fire with a RPG in a forest in the direction of Avdivka

The new Russian push in the northeastern Kharkiv region and a drive into the eastern Donetsk region come after months when the roughly 620-mile front line barely budged.

In the meantime, both sides have used long-range strikes in what largely became a war of attrition.

The senior US official said despite some recent setbacks, Ukraine could still claim significant victories.

Those include reclaiming some 50% of the territory Russian forces took in the early months of the war, boosting its economic standing and improving transportation and trade links, not least through military successes in the Black Sea.

The official acknowledged that Ukraine faces 'a tough fight' and is 'under tremendous pressure' but argued that Ukrainians 'will become increasingly more confident' as the new US and other Western assistance begins to arrive.
Separate law governing dating violence should be considered

There has been a worrying slew of violence against women recently. Last week, a 25-year-old medical student was arrested without a warrant for killing his girlfriend in southern Seoul in the late afternoon.

The fact that the assailant had previously earned a perfect score in the national college entrance exam shocked the nation. Yet whats important is to focus on the fact that dating violence can lead to death, and such cases have been frequent.

In March, an assailant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, killed his girlfriend who wanted to break up and harmed the victims mother. Last July, a man in his 30s in Incheon attacked his former girlfriend despite a courts restraining order based on stalking offenses.

The frequency of these crimes starkly shows that there is no specific law governing dating violence or violence between intimate partners in place in Korea. Dating violence or violence among intimate partners may be hard to identify as it is between people who were supposed to care for each other. Its manifestations range from attack, bodily injury, incarceration, threat or blackmail and sexual violence.

Awareness is rising as the number of tragic cases increases sadly. According to data from the National Police Agency, those arrested for dating violence in the nation increased from 8,951 in 2020 to 13,939 in 2023. At least 138 women were killed last year alone by men they knew intimately, data from the Korea Womens Hotline revealed.

Despite the high general public safety and rising awareness of gender issues in Korea, where half of the population are women, immediate legal protections such as separation or restraining orders are not provisioned for dating violence. Only the Act on Punishment of Crime of Stalking and the Act on the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Protection of Victims stipulate a restraining order or an immediate separation. In the case of dating violence, assailants are mainly punished for assault and threats, although the victims can state they don't want the assailant punished. As the victims and assailants in these cases usually know each other well, there is a tendency for the assailant to persuade the victim to waive punishment.

Without a separate law on dating violence or expanding existing laws to include victims of violence between intimate partners, the victims of dating violence stand in that grey zone where the danger remains within the vicinity of someone they know well.

Several bills to address that grey zone remain sitting unapproved in the National Assembly for several years without action.

The new 22nd National Assembly that opens on May 30 should promptly process dating violence legislation. Many nations have already taken to address varying degrees of gender-based crimes and punishment for the assailant.

The United States, for example, has the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which was established in 1994 and then broadened to encompass protecting victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence, dating violence and stalking.

Neighboring Japan in 2013 moved to include as victims boyfriends or girlfriends who share the same living space in addition to the spouses, de facto spouses or ex-spouses in its Act on the Prevention of Spousal Violence and the Protection of Victims.

These examples illustrate that Korea should provide a legal safety net for dating violence. The issue is not merely a private matter. Everyone has a right to be safe, which is a crucial element to happiness. In addition, a society can instill more awareness and training to prevent and deal with dating violence when it occurs.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers may have been the centre of attention as he delivered his third Federal Budget in Parliament House, but his wife Laura also turned heads.

The former political advisor-turned magazine editor, 40, was seen sporting an $899 yellow Carla Zampatti dress and matching $999 jacket as she watched her husband's speech on Tuesday night.

She sat with their two children, Leo and Annabel - and next to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's fiancee Jodie Haydon.

When Dr Chalmers' address was over, the couple shared a kiss as they left the Lower House.

While Treasurer Jim Chalmers was the centre of attention on Tuesday night as he delivered the Federal Budget, his wife Laura (pictured with two of their children) is also a very formidable figure

Treasurer Jim Chalmers kisses wife Laura after handing down the 2024-25 Budget

Ms Chalmers, formerly known as Laura Anderson, worked as a press secretary for former Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong before moving back to her first love, journalism.

Her successful career led to her becoming the national editor-in-chief for News Corp's Saturday Weekend Magazines in November 2021, just after returning from maternity leave.

She showed her ambition when she took the job, saying: 'We know there is an audience for premium, long-form journalism and that is what these magazines will do.

Laura Chalmers arrived in parliament with two of her children wearing a $899 yellow Carla Zampatti dress and matching $999 jacket

Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers receives a hug from his daughter Annabel after delivering the 2024/25 Budget statement while his son Leo looks on

'Tell the biggest stories in their state using a pool of award-winning writers from across the company.'

Ms Chalmers worked as the state political reporter for her hometown Adelaide's Advertiser newspaper from January 2003 to May 2006.

She then spent almost three years in Canberra as the Advertiser's federal political reporter before working for Ms Wong and, later, Ms Gillard.

Her political career came to an abrupt end in July 2013 when Kevin Rudd deposed Ms Gillard in an internal Labor stoush and became the new prime minister.

Ms Chalmers, wearing a yellow dress which matched her blonde hair, sat with two of their children and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's fiance Jodie Haydon (left) in the parliament

She and Dr Chalmers had married in March 2013 just two days after a previous Labor leadership spill - by Simon Crean - which Ms Gillard has survived.

The then PM attended the wedding, where she and then Treasurer Wayne Swan were given a specially set-aside room to form a new ministry.

The seating plan at the reception had to be changed at the last minute to keep warring Labor operatives apart - placing Julia Gillard beside Dr Chalmers' mother Carol.

He later played down the disruption, saying: 'From our point of view, it wasn't that unusual, to be honest.'

Laura and Jim Chalmers shared a tender moment before the Budget was handed down

Since that exciting start to married life, the couple has had three children, Jack, three, Annabel, six, and Leo, eight.

During the 2019 election campaign, Annabel was hospitalised with a bone infection three weeks out from polling day.

Laura and Carol stayed with her in the hospital during the day while her dad took over at night, often then going straight to the airport for the first flight to Canberra.

After her political career was derailed by Mr Rudd replacing her boss, Ms Chalmers returned to journalism with The Courier-Mail in Brisbane, working her way up to her current high-flying role.

The old saying goes that behind every great man is a great woman, but in the Chalmers' case it's probably more accurate to say they stand side-by-side.
This is the terrifying moment masked gunmen ambushed a prison van at a French tollbooth before shooting dead two guards and freeing a 'narco boss' dubbed 'The Fly' before fleeing on foot.

The prison van was attacked after 11am on the A154 motorway near the Incarville tollbooth, located in the town of Val-de-Reuil, Normandy, northern France.

At least two French guards were killed, and two others were left wounded, following the attack which saw the assailants and detainee, Mohammed Amra, 30, managing to escape the scene.

The inmate, reportedly nicknamed 'La Mouche' (The Fly), was being transported between the towns of Rouen and Evreux in Normandy before the bloodbath unfolded.

Amra's latest conviction was for burglary, and he also has a past conviction for attempted murder.

Two prison officers were shot dead after four gunmen ambushed their vehicle at the Incarville tollbooth, located in the town of Val-de-Reuil, Normandy, northern France

The attack saw the assailants and 'narco boss' detainee, Mohammed Amra, 30, managing to escape the scene

Masked and armed gunmen ambushed the police vehicle at the French tollbooth before freeing Amra

The inmate, Mohammed Amra, reportedly nicknamed 'La Mouche' (The Fly), was being transported between the towns of Rouen and Evreux in Normandy before the bloodbath unfolded

Police officers gather at the site of the deadly attack in Normandy this morning

A police source told Le Parisien that he was 'the head of a narcotics network' in France, and accordingly considered hugely dangerous.

The French publication also reported that Mohammed had attempted to escape his cell just two days before Tuesday's escape.

He had allegedly been placed in solitary confinement an his surveillance level was raised to 'Escort 3'.

Amra, who had a total of 13 convictions to his name, was under special surveillance, but not considered radicalised or a terrorist suspect, said Eric Dupond-Moretti, Frances justice minister.

At the time of the attack, Amra was on his way from Evreux prison to court for a commital hearing that would have been made public. This would have made the route relatively easy to work out.

Prosecutors working for the National Jurisdiction for the Fight against Organised Crime (JUNALCO) have opened an enquiry into murder and attempted murder by an organised gang  offences punishable with a life sentence.

They are also investigating escape in an organised gang, acquisition and possession of weapons of war and criminal association with a view to the commission of a crime, said Moretti.

Laure Beccuau, the Paris public prosecutor, confirmed that Amera had previously been indicted by the Specialised Inter-regional Jurisdiction (JIRS) of Marseille for kidnapping and sequestration leading to death.

The two guards killed were identified as agents from the Regional Centre for Judicial Extractions (PREJ), based in Caen, without their names being disclosed.

One was a 21-year-old father of two who leaves a widow, and the other an expectant father whose wife was five months pregnant.

Moretti, said the wounded guards were all in a life threatening condition.

He added: 'All my thoughts are with the victims, their families and their colleagues.'

The prisoner and gang members initially escaped in two cars  an Audi A5 and a BMW 5 series.

According to local reports, the white Audi A5 was found ablaze in nearby Vatteville, Eure.

Amra was being transported between the towns of Rouen and Evreux in Normandy before the bloodbath unfolded at the Incarville tollbooth

A forensic is at work at the site of a ramming attack which took place late morning at a road toll in Incarville in the Eure region of northern France

Emergency services were spotted at the tollbooth this morning after the ambush that saw two French officers killed

A fire engine also arrived on the scene

A local police source said: 'The ambush happened at the Incarville toll booth on the A154 road. Kalashnikovs are thought to be have been used.

'Three prison officers are thought to be dead, and three others are seriously wounded.

'A detainee known for cases linked to drug trafficking escaped with a gang made up of around four men.'

Alexandre Rassaert, president of the Eure Departmental Council, which covers Vale-de-Reuil, said: 'I was frozen with horror when I learned of the real carnage that took place at the Incarville tollbooth.

'I sincerely hope that the gang of killers who carried out this bloody attack will be quickly arrested.

'All my thoughts go to the families of the service agents. penitentiary who escorted the detainees and who were killed or seriously injured during this attack which gave them no chance.

'I also think of all the prison administration guards who, every day, guard prisoners at the risk of their lives.'

French President Emmanuel Macron also spoke out following the horror van attack.

'This morning's attack, which cost the lives of prison administration agents, is a shock for all of us,' he wrote on X.

'The Nation stands alongside the families, the injured and their colleagues,' continues Emmanuel Macron.

'Everything is being done to find the perpetrators of this crime so that justice can be done in the name of the French people. We will be intractable.'

Following the ambush, the road has been closed by police for an 'indefinite period', Bison Fute reported.

Footage posted online showed emergency services gathered at the tollbooth this morning.

A fire engine was also filmed pulling up just metres away from the chaotic scene.

The Minister of the Interior, Gerald Darmanin, announced, on X, that a plan had been launched to locate the escapees.

'All means are being used to find these criminals. On my instructions, several hundred police officers and gendarmes are mobilized ,' he said.

Deputy mayor of Vendee, Veronique Besse, took to X, formerly Twitter, to express her 'shock' towards the incident.

I am deeply shocked & saddened by the scene of war against a convoy of the prison administration at #Incarville, which cost the lives of several agents,' she wrote.

'Every day, unspeakable acts of barbarity strike our country to the great indifference of our leaders. I send my sincere condolences to the families and loved ones affected'.
An arsonist neighbour who murdered a mother and her daughters by setting fire to their flat has won a bid to reduce his jail time after his lawyer claimed the judge hadn't given 'sufficient weight' to his mental health.

Jamie Barrow, 32, was jailed for life with a minimum of 44 years in July last year for the murders of Fatoumatta Hydara, 28, and her daughters, Fatimah and Naeemah Drammeh, aged three and one, who died because of smoke inhalation.

Nottingham Crown Court heard how Barrow drank several cans of lager before taking petrol from his motorbike and setting the home alight in November 2022.

He then stood outside the home in Fairisle Close, Clifton, Nottingham, to watch the fire take hold, after holding what prosecutors described as a 'grievance' over rubbish being left in an alleyway.

In a ruling at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Tuesday, Lord Justice Singh, Mr Justice Jay and Judge Mayo lowered his sentence to 38 years after Barrow's defence said the original sentence was 'manifestly excessive' compared to other murder cases involving arson.

Chris Henley KC, who had made arguments on Barrow's behalf, said the prison term was 'out of kilter' with other comparable cases.

He added that the judge did not give sufficient weight to his clients personality disorder and mental health problems when carrying out his verdict, which the judges considered a significant submission for reducing the sentence.

Jamie Barrow, 32, was jailed for 44 years after torching the flat belonging to Fatoumatta Hydara and her two daughters

Fatoumatta Hydara, 28, and her daughters, Fatimah (left) and Naeemah (right) Drammeh, aged three and one, who died because of smoke inhalation

The judges said there should be, as far as possible, 'consistency as between different cases', but acknowledged the sentencing judge had a 'difficult' exercise to perform.

The judges also expressed their 'sincere sympathy' to family members, adding: 'Nothing in this judgment should be taken in any way to detract from the gravity of the offences committed by this appellant.'

Jailing Barrow at Nottingham Crown Court last year, Mrs Justice Tipples had said that she felt he showed no genuine remorse and she was sure he wanted to kill Mrs Hydara and her children.

The court was told last year that Barrow had used a Clean 'N Fresh spray bottle to decant the petrol, which he chose deliberately because its slim neck would fit through a letterbox.

He then watched the fire take hold for several minutes before walking away, later being seen on CCTV walking his dog with a cigarette in his mouth in the early hours of November 20 last year.

The girls were pronounced dead shortly after the fire started at around 3am, while their mother died two days later.

Prosecutor Simon Ash KC previously told the trial that Barrow 'walked casually away' after lighting the petrol with some tissue paper, having watched the flames take hold for 'about five minutes'.

Barrow never gave a motive.

Mr Ash said several reasons could have caused him to start the fire, including the 'grievance' over rubbish being left, anger over noise, and a desire to be rehoused by Nottingham City Council to be closer to his son.

Barrow, who was found guilty at the end of a three week trial, showed no emotion at Nottingham Crown Court as he was sentenced for what was described as a 'hateful' triple murder

Police at the scene of the Nottingham flat where the blaze broke out and killed three victims

Mrs Hydara with her heartbroken husband Aboubacarr Drammeh (left) and their two daughters Naeemah Drammeh, aged one, and Fatimah Drammeh, aged three, who also died in the blaze

Reading a victim impact statement during sentencing, Mrs Hydara's husband and the children's father, Aboubacarr Drammeh, said: 'I was hopeless, and I was left helpless, because I didn't have a family, and it was the people who mattered most to me.

'Since then, it has been a downward plunge into darkness and the unknown.

'It was unthinkable, it was unplanned, and I wish this on no one else, including you.'

Mr Drammeh was in America at the time of the fire and had to fly back to the UK, spending his 40th birthday identifying the bodies of Fatimah and Naeemah.

In her statement read to the court, Mrs Hydara's mother, Aminata Dibba, called Barrow a 'monster' and a 'heartless human being'.

No family members were present at Tuesday's hearing.
The Government has abandoned plans to criminalise 'nuisance' rough sleepers - including over the way they smell - following a large-scale revolt by Tory MPs.

Ministers have bowed to a Conservative rebellion against 'completely unacceptable' new powers in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Criminal Justice Bill.

In the initial drafting of the legislation, those deemed to be 'nuisance' rough sleepers could be fined or even jailed if they refuse orders to move on from a certain location.

The Bill also stated that rough sleepers might be considered a 'nuisance' if there is 'excessive smell', if they display 'intimidating' signs, or cause litter.

But Home Secretary James Cleverly has now agreed to drop the proposals and will amend the Bill to compel police and local councils to direct homeless people to support services before criminal sanctions can be used.

It comes after a group of more than 40 Tory MPs threatened to rebel against the legislation, which returns to the House of Commons tomorrow, and following a public backlash against the plans.

The Home Office said the references to odour had been intended to refer to rubbish dumped or human waste, and were never meant to wrongly criminalise people for not being able to wash.

The Government has abandoned plans to criminalise 'nuisance' rough sleepers - including over the way they smell - following a large-scale revolt by Tory MPs

Home Secretary James Cleverly has agreed to drop the proposals and will amend the Criminal Justice Bill

According to The Times, the Government amendments to the Bill will restrict the criminal offence to aggressive begging, such as harassing people near cash points.

It will also include 'reserve' powers to deal with individuals who repeatedly refuse help.

A senior government source told the newspaper that Mr Cleverly had come to a 'good agreement' with Tory rebels to redraft the Bill to remove the controversial elements.

The Government plans were initially drawn up by former home secretary Suella Braverman, who previously claimed some people choose to sleep rough as a 'lifestyle choice'.

Homelessness charity Crisis said it was 'pleased to see that the Westminster Government has removed some of the more outrageous measures contained in the Bill' after campaigners spoke out.

But the organisation's chief executive, Matt Downie, said that 'sadly the premise of the proposed laws remains the same'.

He said: 'People forced to sleep rough will continue to be viewed as a nuisance and they will remain at risk of fines and prison sentences. This is unacceptable.

'We have said time and time again that these powers are not needed.

'If the Westminster Government really wants to end rough sleeping, then it should focus on the things we know work  such as building thousands more social homes and increasing funding for support services like Housing First.

'Criminalising people who don't have a home will never be the answer.'

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had seen a group of more than 40 Tory MPs threaten to rebel against the legislation

Shelter chief executive Polly Neate said: 'Homelessness is a political choice. The Government's catastrophic failure to build enough social homes combined with skyrocketing private rents has led to record numbers of people not being able to afford to keep a roof over their heads.

'Instead of punishing people for the Government's own political failures, politicians should be trying to prevent them from ending up on the streets.'

The Home Office said rough sleepers will be offered greater support such as being directed to a place to sleep or addiction treatment to help them get off the streets, while new guidance 'will make clear that police and local authorities must prioritise directing people who are sleeping rough to support services before they consider using criminal sanctions'.

People who 'continue to cause anti-social behaviour, such as damage or harassment' despite being offered support will be 'required to stop and asked to move on with a rough sleeping notice', the Home Office added.

Mr Cleverly said there must be a 'multi-faceted approach that supports vulnerable people off the streets and ensures everyone can feel safe in our neighbourhoods and communities'.

He said: 'We are scrapping the outdated Vagrancy Act and replacing it with new measures that focus on supporting people, while ensuring the police and local authorities are able to address behaviour that makes the public feel unsafe.

'This Government listens, and we have worked hard to ensure these proposals prioritise helping vulnerable individuals, whilst ensuring communities are safer and better protected.'

Mr Cleverly and Policing Minister Chris Philp both insisted the Government remains committed to ending rough sleeping  although the latest snapshot figures for England released earlier this year showed the number of people recorded sleeping rough on a given night had risen by 27 per cent in one year to 3,898.

Expert group The Kerslake Commission on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping last year predicted the Government will not meet its target to end rough sleeping by the end of this Parliament, which was a 2019 Conservative manifesto commitment.

Mr Philp said: 'Ending rough sleeping is a key priority for the Government and is why we have a plan to tackle the root causes of why people end up on the streets, backed by an unprecedented 2.4 billion.

'Nobody should be criminalised for having nowhere to live, but as we have always said, we will not accept behaviour that is anti-social or intimidating to the public, such as rough sleeping in a way that blocks a local business or fire escape.'

The minister said the Government had 'listened carefully to the proposals and have worked constructively to ensure they are proportionate, properly targeted, and ensure vulnerable people are directed towards support while protecting communities from antisocial behaviour'.

Senior Tory MP Bob Blackman had led a rebel campaign against the 'completely unacceptable' aspects of the Bill.

He was supported by former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith and Damian Green, the chairman of the One Nation group of Tory MPs.

Asked about the controversy last month the Prime Ministers spokesman said Rishi Sunak did not believe people should be arrested because they smell.

The No 10 spokesman had added that the focus of the new legislation is on replacing a Vagrancy Act that criminalises people for being homeless while also protecting the public from harassment and intimidation.
The Australian government has extended a $21million olive branch to France after ditching a massive submarine deal with the country in favour of signing the AUKUS agreement.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers unveiled plans for a new 'Australia-France Roadmap' to establish a defence and security pact in the Indo-Pacific region in Tuesday night's Federal Budget.

The $20.7million spending commitment comes three years after Australia sensationally pulled out of a $90billion submarine deal with France.

Then prime minister Scott Morrison turned his back on France to sign the AUKUS agreement with the UK and US, which will deliver eight nuclear-powered submarines by the 2050s at a cost of $368billion.

Scott Morrison (centre, with Boris Johnson left and Joe Biden right) turned his back on France to sign the AUKUS agreement with the UK and US, which will deliver eight nuclear-powered submarines by the 2050s at a cost of $368billion

But Australian relations with France have clearly thawed under Anthony Albanese (left, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron), with the two countries now committed to working together in the Indo-Pacific

French President Emmanuel Macron accused Mr Morrison of lying to him, while the then French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian likened it to 'a stab in the back'.

The Australian government eventually agreed to pay French shipbuilder Naval Group $835million in compensation for pulling out of the deal.

But Australian relations with France have clearly thawed under Anthony Albanese's Labor administration, with the two countries now committed to working together in the Indo-Pacific.

'The roadmap establishes a new agenda for bilateral cooperation across defence and security, resilience and climate action, and education and culture,' Tuesday's Budget documents states.

While the word China is not mentioned, it's clear that the new roadmap is designed to further counter the communist country's influence in the region.

It will create a new Australia-France Centre of Excellence in the Indo-Pacific, including a specific study program to 'support academic and professional engagement on security and defence trends to shape policymaking to respond to Indo-Pacific needs'.

The $20.7million spending commitment in the Indo-Specific will see both countries cooperate on defence and security in the region. Pictured: Anthony Albanese (left) greets French President Emmanuel Macron prior to their bilateral meeting during the G20 Leaders' Summit in 2023

The roadmap will also promote cooperation on climate action in the region, including the establishment of an annual Hawke-Rocard Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Protecting the Antarctic Environment.

It will cost $20.7million over the next five years, with $3.9million a year after that.

It was officially unveiled in December 2023 during an official visit to Australia by French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna.

'Australia and France express strong opposition to any coercion or destabilising actions in the South China Sea, including militarisation of disputed features,' a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade press release said at the time.

It comes as the Australian Government has invested a further $206.5million over four years to enhance Australia's presence in Pacific Island countries.
King Charles today unveiled the first completed official portrait of himself since the Coronation at Buckingham Palace.

The painting, by the renowned artist Jonathan Yeo, was commissioned in 2020 to celebrate the then-Prince of Wales's 50 years as a member of The Drapers' Company.

It depicts His Majesty wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guards, of which he was made Regimental Colonel in 1975.

Today, Yeo spoke of a butterfly on the portrait echoing Charles's 'metamorphosis' from Prince to King during the process - and the monarch joked that it was nice to know he was a chrysalis.

Yeo added: 'People often say is there a secret to doing a good portrait? And I say I don't know really. Actually I think there is one, and that's having an interesting subject to start with. And you couldn't ask for a better one than this, other than Her Majesty.'

As he gestured towards Camilla - whom he also painted a portrait of in 2014 - the comment was greeted with much laughter by those gathered in the palace.

The canvas size - approximately 8.5ft by 6.5ft framed - was carefully considered to fit within the architecture of Drapers' Hall and the context of the paintings it will eventually hang alongside.

Yeo had four sittings with The King, beginning when His Majesty was Prince of Wales in June 2021 at Highgrove, and later at Clarence House.

King Charles today unveiled the first completed official portrait of himself since the Coronation at Buckingham Palace The painting is by the renowned artist Jonathan Yeo

Today, The King unveiled a new portrait by @RealJonathanYeo at Buckingham Palace. The painting - commissioned by The Drapers Company - is the first official portrait to be completed since His Majestys Coronation. It will hang in Drapers Hall in London. pic.twitter.com/yVAK2PQslz  The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 14, 2024

The last sitting took place in November 2023 at Clarence House.

He also worked from drawings and photography he took of His Majesty, allowing him to work on the portrait in his London studio between sittings.

Yeo said: 'It was a privilege and pleasure to have been commissioned by The Drapers' Company to paint this portrait of His Majesty The King, the first to be unveiled since his Coronation.

'When I started this project, His Majesty The King was still His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, and much like the butterfly I've painted hovering over his shoulder, this portrait has evolved as the subject's role in our public life has transformed.

'I do my best to capture the life experiences etched into any individual sitter's face. In this case, my aim was also to make reference to the traditions of royal portraiture but in a way that reflects a 21st Century monarchy and, above all else, to communicate the subject's deep humanity.

King Charles III prepares to unveil the painting at Buckingham Palace in London today

The painting is revealed for the first time by King Charles at Buckingham Palace today

Charles stands at Buckingham Palace today next to Jonathan Yeo who painted the portrait

'I'm unimaginably grateful for the opportunity to capture such an extraordinary and unique person, especially at the historic moment of becoming King.'

At Buckingham Palace, Charles and Queen Camilla were met by The Master of The Drapers' Company, Tom Harris and Past Master, William Charnley.

Together they joined Yeo who said a few words after His Majesty unveiled the portrait.

Guests included other members of the Drapers' Company, students and staff from the Drapers' Academy, Welsh Guards and Yeo's family.

The portrait will go on public display for a month at the Philip Mould Gallery in London, from this Thursday until June 14. Entry is free.

The artwork is expected to be displayed at Drapers' Hall from the end of August.

Yeo is one of the world's leading portrait artists whose subjects have included the industrial designer Sir Jony Ive, broadcaster Sir David Attenborough and activists Malala Yousafzai and Doreen Lawrence.

A portrait by Jonathan Yeo of Queen Camilla in 2014 when she was Duchess of Cornwall

A portrait released by Jonathan Yeo in 2008 of Prince Philip, who died in April 2021

The painting was completed by the renowned artist Jonathan Yeo (pictured in London in 2018)

He has also produced portraits of actors Nicole Kidman, Giancarlo Esposito, Dennis Hopper, Idris Elba and Sienna Miller, artists Damien Hirst and Grayson Perry, model Cara Delevingne and former world leaders Tony Blair, David Cameron, Helle Thorning-Schmidt and Juan Manuel Santos.

In addition, Yeo has previously produced commissions of Prince Philip and Camilla.

Known for both traditional and experimental portraiture, his work has been exhibited widely in museums and galleries worldwide.

He is currently artist trustee of the National Portrait Gallery.

The Drapers' Company can trace its allegiance to the monarch back to 1364 when it received its first charter from King Edward III.

This formally recognised the fraternity of Drapers in the City of London and granted them the monopoly rights over the cloth trade within the City.

The Company was frequently called upon to supply money, men and arms as required by the Crown.

From the 18th century, such support changed to the financial support of servicemen and the relief of need of the dependants of those injured or killed on duty.

Prince Albert, later George VI, became a Draper in 1919. Queen Elizabeth II became a Draper in 1947, joining the Court in 2017.

Charles became a Freeman of the Drapers' Company in 1971, when the Company also provided offices for the newly formed Prince's Trust at Drapers' Hall.

The Drapers' Company also boasts a substantial philanthropic arm, which dates back to Tudor times and now is administered through many charitable trusts that have been left in its care.
Taxpayers are shelling out hundreds of millions on foreign conflicts, with an added $120million scheme to resettle migrants and refugees on Australian soil.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced in his Budget on Tuesday night that more than $230million has been pledged to support 'peacekeeping activities' in foreign conflicts over the next three years.

Over half of that - $144million  will go to Ukraine, including $100million for drones, generators, inflatable boats and other military equipment and $43.5million for short range air defence systems.

Ukraine was invaded by Russia in February 2022 and has been locked in an intractable war ever since.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced in his Budget on Tuesday night that over $230million has been pledged to support 'peacekeeping activities' in foreign conflicts over the next three years - over half that will go to Ukraine (pictured: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meeting Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2022)

In February, Anthony Albanese said that 'Australia remains steadfast in supporting Ukraine to defend itself against Russia's illegal and immoral invasion'.

'We stand with Ukraine in support of its courageous people and also in defence of a fundamental principle - the right of every sovereign nation to be secure in its own borders and to determine its own future,' the Prime Minister added.

Meanwhile, a total of $13.2million will go towards the Hamas-Israel conflict, including $12.2million on Operation BEECH to deploy Australian Defence Force soldiers to support Aussie citizens and foreign nationals in the region.

Around $1million will be spent on 140 aerial delivery parachutes to Jordan and the United Arab Emirates to held deliver humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.

Closer to home, the government will spend $120.9million over the next on improving the settlement of migrants and refugees within Australia.

The lion's share of this money will go towards the Humanitarian Settlement Program, which helps those who have had their lives torn apart by war resettle and integrate in Australia.

The government will also provide almost $3million over two years to support individuals and their families from 'significantly affected areas of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories' (pictured: a Palestinian boy watches as people search through the rubble of a collapsed building destroyed in an Israeli air strike on May 14)

Support will also be given to youth services and English conversational classes.

The government will also provide almost $3million over two years to support individuals and their families from 'significantly affected areas of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories'.

It will include $2million to the Australian Red Cross to provide emergency financial assistance to migrants.

A further $900,000 will go towards extending Medicare eligibility until June next year for bridging visa-holders arriving from affected regions in Israel and Palestine.

The government has also extended its duty exemption for Ukrainian goods to July 2026.

This was introduced in response to Russia's invasion of the country in February 2022. Government economists estimate it will cost around $2million over the 5 years in lost taxes.

Dr Chalmers said on Tuesday night that the government was spending $50.3billion over the next decade as part of the National Defence Strategy.
A predatory paedophile who silenced his victim for 25 years by using threats of suicide as a warped form of 'moral blackmail' is finally behind bars.

Mechanical engineer Howard Grieve attacked the girl around 1999 in Poynton, Cheshire when she was a minor and he 44, but then vowed to kill himself if she went to police saying: 'I won't be here anymore.'

The woman eventually plucked up the courage to go to the authorities more than two decades on, but Grieve falsely accused her of faking the attack.

She was then left destitute and frozen out by relatives, and had to 'rebuild' her life both emotionally and financially, the court heard.

Grieve threatened to to kill himself if his victim went to the police

Grieve assaulted the victim in her home following a night out at the pub

Despite suffering severe financial hardship, PTSD and other mental health issues including anxiety and depression, the victim gave a statement to police and bravely endured cross-examination in court to help convict her tormentor of one charge of indecent assault.

It emerged Grieve assaulted the victim in her home following a night out at the pub.

At Chester Crown Court, Grieve, now 69, and of Enfield, Herts, was jailed for four years after Judge Steven Everett branded him a 'selfish man'

The judge said: 'He was forever blackmailing her, threatening to commit self-harm, and suicide, whilst at the same time really controlling her. There was a lot of moral blackmailing going on and his behaviour destroyed her life, destroyed her teenage years and adult years and she suffered with complex PTSD and other mental health issues, anxiety and depression.

'She was seeking support, seeking therapy, there was self-harm, she regularly suffered from panic attacks, insomnia, stress, feelings of isolation, difficulties with relationships. She talks about how he pretended to be the victim. When she gathered the courage to make the complaint, he made false allegations against her.

'Financially that caused problems and she had to rebuild her life financially. The effects on her have been significant, there has been significant psychological harm. One can only hope that she will get some sort of closure. This is something she may well live with for the rest of her life.

'I do not wish to understate the huge effects it had on her. She is worried that he will track her down.'

The judge told Grieve: 'Your selfish desires have had a huge effect and you have ruined her life. It is clear to me that you have absolutely no understanding or empathy - it is all about you.

'You destroyed her teenage years and her adult life, giving her all sorts of mental health issues that she would have not have suffered otherwise.

'Her personal statements made truly awful reading. They are the longest and most detailed I've ever seen. They talk about the complex PTSD that she is suffering and other mental health issues including anxiety, depression, support, therapy, issues of self-harm, fatigue, and insomnia.

'She suffered stress, isolation and relationship difficulties.

'Right at the end when she had the courage to tell police you told a pack of lies about her. You wanted her to be prosecuted as some sort of smoke screen to prevent you from being prosecuted. But you were prosecuted and she had the courage to stand up to cross-examination. That would have made this so much worse for her.

'I saw you sitting in the dock rather smugly, thinking that you had pulled the wool over the jury's eyes. Well, they saw through you and rightly so. Even now she is worried that you will track her down.

Grieve's barriste said his client continued to maintain his innocence and added:

'The very fact that she was not able to tell anyone for 25 years shows the psychological harm that she suffered. Because she has suffered so much psychological harm I am satisfied that she has suffered severe psychological harm.'

Earlier, Prosecutor Simon Parry said: 'The complainant's mother was at home clearly unaware of what was going on. In the aftermath the defendant told her that if she said anything "I won't be here anymore."'

Grieve's barrister, Justin Hugheston-Roberts, said his client continued to maintain his innocence and added: 'He will not cope with custody well. He is a man who has to face up to what happened at a point decades ago.'

Grieve was also made subject of a lifetime restraining order and will sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life. He will be barred from ever working with children under the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
A maths teacher who is accused of having sex with two pupils and having a baby with one them has been spotted arriving at court with her father.

Rebecca Joynes, 30, is on trial at Manchester Crown Court accused of having sex with one pupil before later becoming pregnant by a second. She has denied having a 'powerful sexual attraction' to 15-year-old boys.

The court previously heard that Joynes admitted she had 'liked the attention' the pair gave her after feeling 'lonely' following the break-up of a long-term relationship.

However, she denied any sexual activity took place with the first boy  and insisted she only slept with the second after he had turned 16 and she'd been sacked.

Speaking about how she 'opened up' to Boy B, Joynes said she helped him with maths questions he needed help with  despite her bail conditions at the time barring her from unsupervised contact with under 18s.

Joynes yesterday told the court she took 'flirtatious' messages he sent her  including 'Get your t***s out' and 'Show us your bunda'  as 'a joke'.

Rebecca Joynes is accused of having sex with two pupils and having a baby with one them. She was spotted today arriving at Manchester Crown Court with her father

'I genuinely believed he cared about how I was feeling,' she said.

Joynes said after she confessed to Boy B that she was feeling depressed, he suggested they watch his favourite film, Spider-Man, together.

Describing the evening when she claims they first had sex, in July 2022, Joynes said she showed Boy B the email confirming her sacking.

'It was from there that things happened,' she said. 'We were in the bedroom, we did have sex.'

She confirmed it turned into a full-scale relationship, but one which became 'toxic' before getting 'massively worse' when she found out she was pregnant.

Joynes was pictured arriving at court on multiple occasions with a pink knitted baby bonnet tucked into her trousers.

Denying the baby bonnet was a ploy to 'influence' the jury, Joynes insisted she always had it with her.

'I sleep with this every night,' she added.

At one point during her cross-examination, Mr Allman asked how old she was when she took Boy A to her flat, in October 2021.

The maths teacher looked around blankly before the judge asked her date of birth, and she said she had been 28.

She denied that lying came 'quickly' to her, and insisted she hadn't changed her story about what happened with Boy A after Boy B also came forward to police.

Joynes accepted that safeguarding is 'drummed into' teachers, and that communicating with pupils over Snapchat  where messages disappear after being received' was 'taboo'.

Boy A claims Joynes effectively gave him her mobile number by giving him the first ten digits in a maths class and asking him to guess the 11th.

Denying this had been a 'subtle' way of enabling him to send her messages, Joynes insisted she only gave him the first nine.

Joynesis on trial accused of having sex with one pupil before later becoming pregnant by a second- known as Boy A and Boy B

But she said the tenth number was 'one', and that Boy A 'strategically' worked his way through permutations, calling each one until her handset rang.

Giving evidence earlier, the 30-year-old broke down in tears as she revealed her daughter was taken from her within 24 hours of her birth.

She denied bringing the hat in order to win 'sympathy' from the jury  and insisted she hadn't chosen to stand in the witness box out of a desire to ensure they could see it during her evidence.

Joynes admits she arranged to meet the first pupil  referred to as Boy A  after he correctly guessed her mobile phone number during a Monday morning maths lesson in October 2021.

She accepts buying him a 345 Gucci belt at the Trafford Centre then taking him back to her Salford Quays apartment, but denies his claim that they had sex.

After rumours that they had spent the night together spread, she was arrested and suspended from her job, Manchester Crown Court has heard.

Following questioning she was released on bail on condition she did not have unsupervised contact with under-18s.

Joynes admits becoming pregnant after starting a relationship with the second pupil  referred to as Boy B  after he contacted her to ask how she was.

But she denied that any sexual contact took place until after Boy B had turned 16 and she had been sacked from her job.

Joynes said on his birthday, Boy B sent her a message reading 'I'm legal now' with a winking emoji.

But she said it was 'just passed off as a joke' and that they only had sex after she was sacked from her job in July 2022.

'There was no sexual contact until after I was dismissed from school,' she said.

She said they had sex after she became 'really emotional'.

'It really hit me that I'd lost my dream job.'

Earlier Joynes claimed boys in her Year 11 maths class at the school in Greater Manchester where she taught made 'flirtatious' comments, asking for her phone number and admiring her bottom.

She said boys would comment 'You're so sexy' and refer to her as 'Bunda Becky'  which she explained a slang reference to her 'bum'.

But she ignored the remarks for fear the boys would turn against her and impact the behaviour of the class as a whole.

'I chose to ignore comments I potentially shouldn't have ignored as a teacher at that point,' she said.

Joynes admits having a sexual relationship with Boy B  which ended when she told him she was pregnant  but insists it only began after he turned 16.

She denies six counts of sexual activity with a child, two of them while in a position of trust.

The trial continues.
The moms of former Miss USA and miss Teen USA say their daughters were systemically abused and bullied by the organization but are silenced by strict nondisclosure agreements.

Former Miss USA Noelia Voigt and former Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava resigned from their titles within days of each other in a shock to the Miss Universe Organization.

Their moms spoke out on Tuesday, telling told Good Morning America their daughters decided to step down after 'The job of their dreams turned out to be a nightmare.'

'It's about how they were ill-treated: abused, bullied and cornered,' said Barbara Srivastava

Jackeline Voigt said her daughter has been silenced, and will be for the 'rest of her life,' if the NDA she is under remains in place.

Barbara Srivastava (left) and Jackeline Voigt have spoken out about their daughters' resignations from Miss USA and Miss Teen USA

Former Miss USA Noelia Voigt (right) and former Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava resigned from their titles within days of each other

"The job of their dreams turned out to be a nightmare."



The moms of former Miss USA and Miss Teen USA speak out, days after their sudden resignations shocked the pageant world. @eriellereshef reports. pic.twitter.com/Ky82u7BbhG  Good Morning America (@GMA) May 14, 2024

'The girls need to speak,' Jackeline aid, adding that her daughter received unwanted sexual advances at a Christmas parade.

Jaqueline said she saw her daughter 'so stressed out' after a man at the event asked her if she was 'into old men with money.'

'This is not what she worked so hard for,' Jackeline said.

The mothers said the Miss Universe organization needs to apologize and 'clean up this mess.'

The moms encouraged parents to think hard about whether they want their daughters to be part of the Miss Universe and Miss USA organizations.

'It's not the right time,' said Jaqueline.

Her daughter Noelia, crowned in September 2023, was the first Venezuelan American to win her title.

The title was a 'childhood dream' and stepping down was a 'very tough decision,' the former Miss Utah and University of Alabama student said in an Instagram post announcing her resignation.

'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,' the 24-year-old wrote.

Alongside the statement, Voigt added a caption that read, 'I realize this may come as a large shock to many. Never compromise your physical and mental well-being.' She then thanked fans for their 'unwavering support.'

Voigt said she has struggled with her mental health since becoming champion seven months ago

The original post

Srivastava, who was also crowned last September, announced her resignation in her own post on Instagram on Wednesday.

'I find that my personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization,' the former Miss New Jersey Teen USA wrote.

The 17-year-old thanked her family and fans, said she was glad to represent her state as a first-generation Mexican Indian American and noted she was eager to apply to colleges and work on her multi-lingual childrens book.

A caption accompanying the statement said 'this was certainly not how I saw my reign coming to a close' but called the experience a privilege.

Insiders told the New York Post that the models were forced into harsh and iron-clad contracts to keep appearances up, despite suffering in 'harmful workplace conditions.'

'This toxic atmosphere is a serious concern. There is an urgent need for intervention at the leadership level', they said.

Top managers at the organization were allegedly so toxic that Srivastava's parents recently refused to allow Miss USA Organization's president Laylah Rose to speak with the model directly.

The parents of Miss Teen USA UmaSodia Srivastava (pictured being crowned seven months ago) have reportedly banned the organization's president from speaking to their daughter amid the controversy

Srivastava's statement thanked her supporters for 'who I am and have always been, not for who I've momentarily become', alongside a pointed quote from philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche

DailyMail.com has contacted the Miss USA Organization for comment.

An insider told The New York Post that Voigt's mental health sharply declined while serving as Miss USA, saying she suffered from 'micromanaging to the 10th degree and harassing.'

'Noelia wakes up every day on pins and needles because of harassing emails [from pageant organizers]: 'Don't do this,' 'Don't do that,' 'Take that post down,' Unlike that post.'

They added that she would be told to 'remember your NDA' constantly, and Miss USA Organization president Laylah Rose would allegedly post to social media under Voigt and Srivastava's handles on a whim.

The Miss USA Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment when contacted by DailyMail.com.

In the days before Voigt's resignation, the organization's social media manager Claudia Michelle also stepped down, writing in her own statement that 'being offered your dream job and seeing that it was anything but was so disheartening.'

Miss USA Organization social media manager Claudia Michelle (center) also resigned, and insiders alleged that the trio decided to quit together and strategically time their statements

The Miss USA Organization was bought by trans Thai businesswoman Anne Jakkaphong (pictured) in 2022

'This is a women's empowerment organization and my hope in making this statement is to restore some of the empowerment back to these titleholders that was so deeply lost in their year,' wrote the former staffer.

She claimed she was left to manage Voigt's social media almost entirely alone, and during her time working with the 24-year-old she 'unfortunately (saw) a decline in her mental health.'

She added that Voigt's 'ability to share her story and her platform have been diminished', and said she witnessed 'disrespect' directed at Srivastava.

'I believe their voices and their stories should be heard and not silenced,' she wrote. 'I disavow workplace toxicity and bullying of any kind.'
By Ahn Ho-young

Each time a new president comes to power, the U.S. government conducts a major review of important policies. One of the policies which undergoes such a review is the U.S.' policy toward North Koreas nuclear weapons development. This is a presidential election year in the U.S. I already hear the beginning of related discussions in Washington.

Chris Miller, who is often touted as a strong candidate as secretary of defense in case of a new Trump government, said through an interview with a Korean newspaper: "we need to look at the merit of trading the withdrawal of sanctions for the freeze of North Koreas nuclear weapons." He even suggested the possibility of engaging North Korea in disarmament talks. Mira Rapp-Hooper, senior director for East Asia and Oceania at the White House National Security Council, said that we could consider first arranging an interim step on the way to the ultimate goal of North Koreas denuclearization.

Why are such discussions being held in Washington at this time? I raised the question with some former U.S. diplomats and scholars who recently came to visit Seoul. One of them recalled that U.S. President Joe Biden, at the beginning of his presidency, said that his North Korean policy would be based on diplomacy and stern deterrence. Much progress has been made for strengthening deterrence, especially after the inauguration of the Yoon Suk Yeol government in Seoul. However, there has been very little progress on diplomacy. Rapp-Hoopers statement was an early indication of Bidens diplomatic efforts in the second term.

Another piece of background was the reality on the Korean Peninsula as perceived by Washington: theres very little chance for making progress on denuclearization for the time being, while the more immediate concern is North Koreas provocations of various kinds.

A related fact was the collusion between North Korea and Russia, which is moving into a very ominous direction. Washington sees the need to engage North Korea to keep it from going too far.

I observed a common thread underlying all these pieces of background facts shared by U.S. visitors: A sense of frustration over the failure of all diplomatic efforts and the aggravation of North Koreas development of nuclear weapons and missiles. I share this frustration. However, there are several points to keep in mind before changing the course for interim steps.

The first point is the present context surrounding the issue. Chairman Kim Jong-un met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in September last year at the Vostochny Space Center. Beginning from around that meeting, North Korea has supplied hundreds of thousands of munitions and even missiles to Russia. Russia is believed to be supplying North Korea with energy, materials and even military technology.

If sanctions are removed in such a context, it could lead to the significant strengthening of North Koreas conventional forces. Peace has been maintained on the Korean Peninsula through two mutually reinforcing components: the U.S. extended deterrence and the predominant advantage in conventional capability over North Koreas. The interim step could lead to undermining the second component.

The consequences of the interim step may not be limited to strengthening North Koreas conventional forces, but have a wider impact upon the security environment in Northeast Asia and beyond.

Recently, Russia exercised veto power to terminate the panel of experts for the 1718 Sanctions Committee. It is indicative of wide efforts among a group of countries to undermine the rules-based international order. Were the North Korean sanctions to be removed through interim step negotiations, it would be perceived as another conspicuous achievement by these countries. Such perceptions consequence will be felt in other parts of Northeast Asia and beyond.

We must have more confidence in our current approach to the North Korean nuclear issue. We have maintained peace through further strengthening extended deterrence and maintaining predominant advantage in conventional forces. The diplomatic door should be kept open. However, it must not be used in a way to undermine the effective formula for peace on the Korean Peninsula. We also have to remember that the impasse on the diplomatic front was dictated by North Koreas determination to develop nuclear weapons at any cost, even at the cost of sacrificing millions of lives during the Arduous March period of the 1990s.

North Koreas persistence stays the same even today. However, the context will change in time for North Korea. The structural and chronic weaknesses in the North Korean economy and society will eventually lead to that outcome. Its economy is not getting any better. There are growing signs of widespread discontent in North Korean society. The younger generations in particular have more chances to learn about South Korea and the outside world, which undermines its loyalty to the regime. Its another reason why we must stay the course.

Ahn Ho-young is chair professor at Kyungnam University. He served as ambassador to the United States and vice foreign minister.
A gas leak which sparked hundreds of people to be evacuated from a busy city centre and emergency services to be scrambled has been declared to be over with no injuries reported.

All railway lines were temporarily closed in Inverness, and parts of the city centre, including Eastgate shopping centre, were cleared as a precaution.

The public was asked to avoid the Millburn Road and Academy Street areas while the incident continued, and road closures were in place.

Police and firefighters were called to the train depot at Inverness, which is next to Inverness Station, shortly before 10am.

Properties within 100m of the area were evacuated, while police are 'providing advice' to other households and nearby school Millburn Academy, Councillor Kate MacLean, of the SNP, said online.

The incident is now over and all routes have reopened.

Police were called to the scene in Inverness shortly before 10am this morning and have evacuated parts of the city centre (stock image)

The Eastgate shopping centre (pictured) in the city centre has been evacuated, along with a local Morrisons supermarket

According to National Rail, disruption is expected until at least 4pm, with trains expected to be delayed or cancelled entirely.

Network Rail had said it was 'working with the emergency services' to deal with the incident.

Access to the city centre was restored by mid-afternoon on Friday.

Ticket acceptance is in place with Stagecoach North Scotland Buses and Scottish Citylink services between Inverness, Glasgow, and Edinburgh.

The gas leak occurred 'near the railway at Inverness', National Rail said.

A nearby Morrisons supermarket was also evacuated.

Phil Campbell, ScotRail Customer Operations Director, said: 'We are sorry to customers who have experienced disruption to their journey today.

'Anyone delayed by 30 minutes or more is entitled to compensation through our Delay Repay Guarantee.

'Just keep hold of your tickets and claim on the ScotRail website or mobile app.'

A spokesperson for the British Transport Police said: 'We were called to the line near Inverness railway station at 9.49am today to reports of a gas leak on board a freight train.

'Officers are currently in attendance alongside the fire service and Police Scotland. There are no reported injuries and precautionary cordon has been put in place.'

Gas firm SGN confirmed online the train involved is carrying gas tanks belonging to the firm.

A statement from the firm said: 'We're responding to a gas escape involving a train carrying tanks which supply our network. We're working with Police Scotland and Scottish Rail to resolve the incident as quickly as possible.

'ScotRail services in and out of Inverness station have been cancelled until further notice.'

A Network Rail spokesperson said: 'A freight train was found to be leaking gas from one of its tanks at Inverness Millburn depot this morning.

'There are no reports of injuries or damage to the train but the depot and surrounding areas have been evacuated as a precaution and we are working with the emergency services who are dealing with the leak. The Highland Mainline between Inverness and Aviemore is currently closed until it's safe to re-open.'

Rail replacement buses are in operation.
This is the moment a 'dine and dasher' does 'a runner without paying his 65 bill' after scoffing lamb chops, croquettes and a Pornstar martini cocktail.

The man - dressed in a woolen cardigan, blue jeans, white trainers and a paddy cap - was filmed enjoying a two-course meal and drinks at Posillipo in The Borough, Canterbury yesterday afternoon.

The Italian restaurant, which was allegedly left 65 out of pocket, has released footage of the incident so other businesses can 'keep an eye' out for the man.

In the CCTV footage, the man is seen tucking into his food in the outdoor area of the eatery before he puts down his cutlery and begins to look around.

The man was dressed in a woolen cardigan, white trainers, blue jeans and a paddy cap

He scratches the side of his face before he appears to look around

The 'dine and dasher' put down his cutlery after finishing his meal in the outdoor of the Canterbury eatery

The bill the 'dine and dahser' allegedly left at the restaurant without paying

He takes out his wallet and inspects it before putting it back in his pocket and reaching down for his blue grocery bag.

As he looks into the restaurant, he gets up off his seat and walks down the street. He begins to run after making it a few paces from the outdoor area.

Marian Pandos, who is the manager of Posillipo, told MailOnline: 'The the gentleman came by himself.

'He was sitting outside and ordered two beers, a starter, a main and a side. He also ordered a cocktail with his lunch.

'I did say to my colleague, "are we sure he has the money to pay?". He didn't look homeless.

'We were quite busy inside and we had a couple of tables outside. My colleague went out to look after one of the tables and the guy disappeared.

'He had a starter, main and a side dish as well as two beers and a Pornstar martini - he treated himself very well.'

He added: 'It is not very nice when somebody comes to the restaurant and we treat them well and then they run away without paying.

'We work hard. We are a small independent business. It is not nice to walk away without paying.

After putting away his wallet, he reaches for his blue grocery bag

As the 'dine and dasher' continues to seemingly look around for staff, he stands up from his chair

The man breaks out into a jog once he is a few paces away from the restaurant

The outdoor area of Posillipo's where the man had been sitting

'Unfortunately, these things happen in summer. He didn't have any problem with the staff. He didn't make any trouble.'

Earlier this month, a married couple accused of leaving restaurants across South Wales more than 1,000 out of pocket by skipping on paying bills have admitted carrying out a string of 'dine and dashes'.

Father-of-three Bernard McDonagh, 41, and wife Ann McDonagh, 39, confessed to racking up 1,168 worth of unpaid restaurant bills, as well as shoplifting 1,017 in goods from Tommy Hilfiger, Sainsbury's and Tesco.

And the pair could face jail when they are sentenced by a judge at crown court later this month for their dining crime - leaving businesses hundreds of pounds out of pocket.
British spooks have slammed the 'irresponsible actions' of Chinese state-backed cyber hackers, claiming they 'weaken the security of the internet for all'.

Anne Keast-Butler, director of the UK secret intelligence agency GCHQ, said responding to Beijing's 'coercive and destabilising actions' was her 'top priority', during a keynote speech in Birmingham.

And she highlighted the 'immediate threats' posed by Russia and Iran, carrying out actions ranging from cyber attacks, espionage and surveillance.

But she said the scale of the challenge from Beijing meant GCHQ devotes 'more resource to China than any other single mission', citing efforts to ensure safe and secure elections as countries around the world - including the UK and the US - go to the polls.

It comes amid fresh fears of unwanted foreign interference after a suspected Chinese cyber attack on Ministry of Defence personnel files.

Anne Keast-Butler, the director of UK Government secret intelligence service GCHQ, criticised the 'irresponsible actions' of Chinese state-backed cyber hackers

Ms Keast-Butler told the National Cyber Security Conference in Birmingham that hackers 'weaken the security of the internet for all'

Ms Keast-Butler told the Cyber UK conference: 'Through their coercive and destabilising actions, the PRC (People's Republic of China) poses a significant risk to international norms and values.

'In cyberspace, we believe that the PRC's irresponsible actions weaken the security of the internet for all.

'China has built an advanced set of cyber capabilities, and is taking advantage of a growing commercial ecosystem of hacking outfits and data brokers at its disposal.

'China poses a genuine and increasing cyber risk to the UK.'

China wanted to shape global technology standards and assert its dominance in the field within the next 10 to 15 years, she said, and that the UK was working with the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand on the challenges.

She added: 'We have repeatedly called out Chinese cyber adversaries for activities that threaten the security of the UK or target the institutions important to our society, such as the compromise of the UK Electoral Commission.'

The GCHQ chief said there were 'growing links' between Vladimir Putin's intelligence services and proxy groups to conduct 'cyber attacks, as well as suspected physical surveillance and sabotage operations'.

Previously, Russia 'simply created the right environment' for these groups, but it was now 'nurturing and inspiring these non-state cyber actors, in some cases seemingly co-ordinating physical attacks against the West'.

The threat from Russia was 'acute and globally pervasive', Ms Keast-Butler warned.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose countries have been accused of large-scale cyber crime

President Xi has previously been urged not to allow the export of any technology that could be used by its ally Russia in its invasion of Ukraine

She said GCHQ continued to strengthen Ukraine's cyber capabilities and shared vital intelligence to expose 'Putin's malign plans' and reliance on states including China, North Korea and Iran.

She said Iran was also 'aggressive in cyberspace' and 'actors associated with the state had been implicated in attacks against victims in many countries'.

Tehran was continuing to develop cyber espionage expertise alongside 'disruptive and destructive' capabilities.

'Whilst they might not always use the most advanced capabilities to conduct their operations, they should not be underestimated,' she added.

The National Cyber Security Centre's chief, Felicity Oswald, also raised concerns about China's online activity and urged network managers to bolster their defences.

She said: 'The Chinese authorities have introduced a new law requiring the discovery of security vulnerabilities to be provided to the government as a priority and at risk of severe penalty. This should worry all of us.'

She said the UK, US and allies had warned about the activity of the Volt Typhoon cyber group 'which could be laying the groundwork for disruptive and destructive cyber attacks'.

'This is a clear warning about China's intent to hold essential networks at risk,' she said.

'And it is a warning that providers of essential services in the UK cannot afford to ignore.'

Last week it emerged that the bank details of up to 250,000 MoD employees had been accessed.

The cyberattack was on a payroll system with current service personnel as well as a number of officials and veterans. Their names and bank details are amongst the information that had been exposed.

Ciaran Martin, the first CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre, said identifying the culprit would be a 'long and complicated process' - and signalled Beijing was responsible.

He said: 'There's a pattern of Chinese behaviour in the past that might lead one to suspect that China is responsible, but it certainly wouldn't be the only suspect in a case like this.

'In terms of personal data sets, governments of all shapes and sizes are interested in the defence, and foreign ministries of governments. Criminals are interested in any data set they can get their hands on.'

China has long been suspected of industrial-scale hacking, with an online dump of classified documents this year giving an insight into attempts to infiltrate foreign states.

The leaked documents showed how Chinese authorities deployed tools to surveil dissidents overseas, hack other nations, and promote pro-Beijing narratives on social media.

The hacking tools are used by Chinese state agents to unmask users of social media platforms outside China such as X, break into email, and hide the online activity of overseas agents. Also described are devices disguised as power strips and batteries that can be used to compromise Wi-Fi networks.

Among the apparent targets of tools provided by the impacted company, I-Soon: ethnicities and dissidents in parts of China that have seen significant anti-government protests, such as Hong Kong or the heavily Muslim region of Xinjiang in China's far west.

Several of India's government ministries were targeted in 2021, the documents revealed, during the height of China's border dispute with the country.
A rail worker broke down and cried in court as he faces a possible jail term for using fake train tickets to take free journeys worth 27,000.

Rory Stickels was finally caught after a suspicious staff member at St Pancras railway station noticed his expired ticket - and then discovered nine other forgeries in his wallet on January 26 last year, Highbury magistrates heard.

The 45-year-old construction worker, from Romney in Kent, struggled to hold back tears as details of his 'desperation' for a cheaper commute to and from St Pancras in London were heard.

The divorced father was employed for Network Rail through an agency and had 'fallen on hard times', according to prosecutor Zahid Hussain.

Stickels had been supplied with fresh fake tickets by a 'third party' every time his latest one expired, Mr Hussein said - but eventually his luck ran out.

Rory Stickels, 45, defrauded at least 27,000 using fake tickets commuting from his home in Romney, Kent, to St Pancras in London

Stickels, pictured outside Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court in north London, was caught after a suspicious colleague noticed a 'discrepancy' with his expired ticket

Nine other forgeries were then found in his wallet after he had arrived at St Pancras (pictured)

The estimated financial cost of his savings is likely to be between 27,000 and 66,000 - placing the offence at a harm level with a starting sentencing point of three years behind bars.

The annual cost of a real season ticket from Ashford International to St Pancras - the route used by Stickels - ranges from 6,000 to 9,000 for high-speed services.

The lawyer said of Stickels: 'Because of the expense incurred, he made a foolish decision to use what he described as a fraudulent forged ticket to commute to and from home into London, from London back home.'

He was finally caught when a colleague found a 'discrepancy' on Stickels' ticket before nine more fakes dating back to 2019 were found inside the builder's wallet and he was handed over to British Transport Police.

Mr Hussain called for the case to be dealt with at crown court which can impose heftier sentences.

A probation officer told the court Stickels had appeared 'upset and tearful' throughout his probation interview.

But she said he maintained he was not aware the tickets were a fake after buying them from someone at work who themselves allegedly knew a corrupt person in the ticketing office.

The probation officer said: 'It was during the time he was lamenting the difficulty of his daily drive that someone offered him the tickets at a discounted rate.

The cost of annual season tickets covering the route between Ashford International and St Pancras station (pictured) range from 6,000 to 9,000 for high-speed services

Stickels is said to have saved from 27,000 to 66,000 using the fake tickets (stock photo)

'He told me he paid them around 1,000 a year. He told me he was aware they were not 100 per cent legitimate, but he did not know they were forged.'

She explained how Stickels had done it to 'lighten the burden' on his finances, following an 'acrimonious' divorce in 2008 and the death of his father.

Stickels has since remarried and supports up to eight children between two mothers, though not all are his.

He lost his railway job but has since regained a construction job, which earns him 800 a week.

The probation worker also said 'he regrets his actions' and now understands the impact of the fraud on the train company and the effect it has on ticket prices.

Stuart Mills, defending Stickels, said his client committed the fraud 'for honourable reasons in order to work' so he could cover the costs of his 'extensive' responsibilities.

Mr Mills also said it was a 'disgrace' the case had taken more than a year to get to court, with the impending prosecution 'hanging over' Stickels and causing him depression and anxiety.

He also argued there was no 'abuse of position' by Stickels, as he had not been directly employed by Network Rail and suggested the offences could be dealt with by a suspended sentence and order to do unpaid work.

Rory Stickels appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court (pictured) in north London but his sentencing will be at Inner London Crown Court on a later date

He was working for Network Rail at St Pancras station (pictured) through an agency

But the chair of magistrates told Stickels: 'It's outside the powers of this court to deal with you.

'Depending on the length of the sentence given in the crown court, it might be suspended, we do not know.

'It's too serious for us to deal with, so it's going to have to go to the crown court.'

Stickels was released on unconditional bail ahead of sentencing at Inner London Crown Court at a later date.
A woman who was abused in a children's home when someone discovered her teenage diary says her attacker has 'served the ultimate punishment' after he died in jail.

Predatory carer Gordon Collins, 67, took advantage of 15-year-old Holly Hamilton, of Falkirk, when she was living under his watch at a council-run children's unit in Scotland.

On Friday she received a call to say he had died in prison at HMP Glenochil near Tullibody in Scotland despite being close to the end of his sentence. His cause of death has not yet been confirmed.

Ms Hamilton, now 33, said: 'I don't know what happened but he was due for release this year or next.

'Truthfully I thought I would be jumping for joy but it's been a weird day. I wished so much for him to do the courtesy of dying and not getting out.

Holly Hamilton (pictured), who is now 33, cried after her attacker died in jail

Predatory carer Gordon Collins, 67, took advantage of 15-year-old Holly Hamilton

'It's like that chapter is now closed, he can never hurt me or anyone else ever again. He's served the ultimate punishment.'

Collins took advantage of Ms Hamilton when she was at her most vulnerable, living in the Scottish care system. He abused her in the gym, on an inflatable slide and even told her he wanted to leave his wife for her, despite the fact he was 35 years her senior.

But opportunities to catch him failed at the time, and it took another ten years before he was jailed after it was revealed that he had also attacked another three teen girls.

Ms Hamilton received a 100,000 payout for the abuse and says the sum made a mockery of the debilitating effect the paedophile had on her life.

She revealed how she lost her fiance, her job and her house as she struggled to come to terms with what he had done to her.

Back in 2021, when she first waived her anonymity to speak about what had happened, she said: 'I lost pretty much everything because of what Gordon Collins did to me.

'I have Complex Post Traumatic Stress. I have chronic insomnia. I haven't had a normal night's sleep in five years. I get flashbacks on a daily basis and at my worst I hallucinate that I see him.

'I have severe agoraphobia. If someone walks near me and looks remotely like him, their face morphs into his.

'And what's worse is If they'd have listened to me in the first place I'd have got my life back on track by now.'

Collins was serving 10 years in prison for abusing four children, including Ms Hamilton, between 1995 and 2006 at two residential children's homes run by the City of Edinburgh Council - St Katharine's and Northfield Young Persons Unit.

Ms Hamilton was first sent to Northfield when she was around 14 after her parents split up but ended up in St Katharine's, a secure unit, after her behaviour deteriorated.

She initially met Collins in Northfield, where he was a carer, and said he was well liked by the children as he would spend time playing pool with them and dishing out sweets.

Ms Hamilton received a 100,000 payout for the abuse and says the sum made a mockery of the debilitating effect the paedophile had on her life

The 67-year-old died in prison at HMP Glenochil near Tullibody in Scotland

When she was moved to St Katharine's he followed, working as a carer there too. But before long, Ms Hamilton said he began to make excuses to spend time with her, always answering when she rang the buzzer in her room and escorting her to the gym.

'I was young. I was naive. I was in this children's home and he gave me attention,' she remembers.

'At the start I thought it was a relationship. He'd bring me in sweets and he would just spend time with me. At the time I wanted someone to treat me as a grown up and not a silly little girl.'

He then began to do unprofessional things, like cuddling Ms Hamilton before he moved on to kissing her on the cheek, and then the lips.

'It then went to the neck, biting me on the neck, groping and then him telling me how much he loved me,' Ms Hamilton said. 'It was in my room, in the education corridor, in the gym.

'A few months in I said 'Look this needs to stop, this doesn't feel right' and he backed me up against a wall and said 'You know I love you, you know my wife doesnt give me any attention, I'm not happy with her, I want to be with you.'

'He never mentioned my age.'

After two months the sexual assaults became more serious, with Collins putting his hands up her top and down her knickers.

'That's when I started getting really fearful and anxious. I thought "this shouldn't be happening." Ms Hamilton said.

During one incident, staff had set up an inflatable slide in the centre's gym hall and Collins groped Ms Hamilton as they went down it together - with him growling sexually at her when they hit the bottom.

In July 2006, a month before she turned 16, Ms Hamilton and a group from the centre went on an activity trip.

She shared a room with two other girls and while she was out they found and read her angst-filled diary, which detailed her abuse at the hands of Collins.

Staff were informed and Ms Hamilton was interviewed, although she admitted she 'didn't really want to speak to them because I thought I'd done something wrong and i didnt want to get him into trouble.

'It didn't occur to me that I was 15 and he was 50.'

Collins was serving 10 years in prison for abusing four children, including Ms Hamilton, between 1995 and 2006. Pictured: Holly when she was younger

Police were informed and took Ms Hamilton's diary but later said there was insufficient evidence and Collins resigned.

Ms Hamilton spent the next two years self harming and even carved Collins' initials into her thigh because she felt staff at the unit didn't believe her.

She cut her wrists and wrote 'Nobody believes me' on the walls in her blood.

Tragically she became addicted to heroin at 17, but managed to get clean a year later and hasn't touched alcohol or drugs since. She got a job and moved to Hamilton in South Lanarkshire where she met her fiance.

In 2014, on her 24th birthday, police approached her about the historical abuse.

'They said they had my diary pages that they'd got from ten years ago. I'd never seen it since I was 15 years old, and that formed a major part of their investigation,' Ms Hamilton said.

It transpired Collins had also abused other teens in his care. He was jailed for six years in June 2016 after being found guilty of indecency offences against four underage girls and the rape of one of them.

That sentence was upped to ten years when he later appealed. The court noted that nothing had come of an investigation into his conduct in 1997 and it was only when Ms Hamilton's diary was found that he was suspended.

Advocate depute Jane Farquharson told Edinburgh High Court: 'Rather than care and protect, he has sought to exploit these children.'

St Katharine's was one of a handful of local authority establishments under investigation by the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry.

Ms Hamilton sought the advice of a solicitor in August 2017 and it took four years to secure a 100,000 payout from the City of Edinburgh Council.

She now says the worst thing about the case is the 'cover up culture' within councils. She said: 'In some ways it's worse than the abuse.

'The amount of failings they noted was ridiculous. There were so many failings - that management were unwilling to believe accusations from young girls because they put it down to trouble making and rumours.

'I'm not saying I'm doing this because I want 1m, that's not the case, but I wanted to just not worry about having to rush to get mentally better and having to go out to work.

Ms Hamilton self harmed and became addicted to heroin following the sexual abuse. Pictured: Holly at a younger age

'I can actually spend time working with my therapist and healing and not having any stress.'

Ms Hamilton's solicitor, Karyn McPhee of Slater & Gordon, said when Ms Hamilton received her payout: 'I was pleased that the legal team working on Holly's behalf secured a settlement for her shortly before her case was due to proceed to a hearing in the Court of Session.

'Holly was very stoic throughout the litigation process and was admired by all of us that worked with her.'

In 2021, Detective Inspector Keith Fairbairn from Police Scotland's Public Protection Unit based in Edinburgh, said of Ms Hamilton's case: 'A report of sexual assault in 2006 was fully investigated by Lothian and Borders Police, and, at that time, the suspect was detained and interviewed. He was released without charge.

'Further investigation in 2014 by Police Scotland linked this to a report of non-recent sexual abuse made in 2011, relating to offences committed between 1995 and 1997. This provided corroboration under the Moorov doctrine.

'Further proactive investigation identified two more complainants. Taken together these reports led to the trial and conviction of Gordon Collins in 2016.

'Police Scotland will always respond to reports of child abuse and exploitation. We understand how difficult it can be to report such offences but be reassured we will listen and we will investigate.

'If you or anyone you know has been a victim of child abuse, please contact us on 101, or 999 in an emergency.'

A spokesperson for the Scottish Prison Service said they were unable to provide Collins' cause of death until they receive the Medical Certificate Cause of Death (MCCD).
A Wyoming sheriff has launched a recruitment drive outside of his own state in Denver after their city's mayor slashed their police budget to fund migrant support.

Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak touted the Cowboy State's law and order as a reason frustrated Colorado cops may look to move north.

'Work in Wyoming where breaking the law is STILL ILLEGAL,' the billboard read, with a group of smiling sheriff's deputies alongside. '(And) cops are funded!'

It comes as Denver Mayor Mike Johnstone announced in April that he was cutting $45 million from city agency budgets to deal with an influx of over 40,000 migrants, with $8.4 million being siphoned from the police department's coffers.

A Wyoming sheriff targeted his recruitment drive at Denver police officers after their budget was slashed to fund migrant support, noting that in the Cowboy State, 'breaking the law is still illegal and cops are funded!'

Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak said he had high hopes for the billboard campaign, because 'communities do support law enforcement - theres no doubt about that'

In total, it was reported that Johnston faces a staggering $180 million bill to effectively shelter migrants through 2024, as he pledged to respond to what he branded a 'newcomer crisis.'

For the Denver Police Department to plug their new $8.4 million budget gap, the force will need to stop hiring any new recruits. The fire department will also be cut by $2.5 million.

While the city grapples with tens of thousands of migrant arrivals, city leaders have also recently faced off with the migrants as they refuse to move from an illegal encampment, and say they won't do so until 13 demands are met.

In an attempt to capitalize on the moment, Kozak launched a billboard campaign to attract Denver police officers, and said that he believed they would have a warmer reception in Wyoming.

'We do enforce the rules and the law, and I want people to know about Wyoming  thats our culture here,' he told the Cowboy State Daily.

'And statewide, communities do support law enforcement. Theres no doubt about that.'

Denver's migrant crisis has seen city officials face off with an illegal encampment that have pledged not to move until demands are met. The city has seen an influx of a staggering 40,000-plus migrants

Kozak added that his department is also targeting the Denver area with digital advertising, and he received a large discount on the cost of the billboard because the proprietor was not a fan of Colorado's police cuts.

Although it advertises Wyoming as a whole, the promotion includes a web address for Kozak's Laramie County Sheriff's Office website.

He said that before he even launched the billboards, a Vail-area officer transferred to Cheyenne, Wyoming last year because of the state's lack of hostility towards cops.

This was also true for Kozak's Chief Deputy Aaron Veldheer, who told the Cowboy State Daily that he moved from Eagle County, Colorado because of anti-cop sentiment from Colorado lawmakers.

'And I worked for a great agency in Colorado. Ive got no complaints about them,' he said.

'Just the General Assembly (Colorado Legislature) makes it so the cops are the bad guys.'

Kozak's Chief Deputy Aaron Veldheer (right, pictured together) noted that he moved from Eagle County, Colorado because of anti-cop sentiment from Colorado lawmakers

Locals in Denver react to the new billboard

Although the budget cuts in Denver have been triggered by the migrant crisis, Kozak also reportedly cited another recent decision in the city that could drive officers away.

On May 1, Denver lawmakers approved new legislation banning officers from pulling over drivers for low-level traffic violations, believing the stops do little to reduce crime rates.

However, Kozak argued this was not the case, and reportedly pointed out that Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh was captured after being pulled over for not having a registration tag on his vehicle.

He added that Wyoming police are also still under qualified immunity, which protects cops from being sued if they didn't knowingly violate someone's rights, while Colorado got rid of the rule amid the 2020 BLM riots.

Kozak said his department hired 72 people last year in an 'unheard of' recruitment drive, and this year has allocated $40,000 solely for recruitment, a move that he said would essentially pay for itself.

'Thats less than half of what the salary is for one employee, versus my overtime budget last year was $1.3 million,' he said.

'So, weve got to get aggressive on our recruiting efforts to save money and hire people, and eliminate that overtime budget.'
Suella Braverman today led a Tory backlash against Rishi Sunak's 'failed' Brexit deal following a bombshell court ruling in Northern Ireland.

The High Court in Belfast decided yesterday that parts of the Illegal Migration Act cannot apply in Northern Ireland because of post-Brexit agreements with the EU.

The intervention raised the prospect of it being impossible for the Home Office to deport migrants to Rwanda if they travel to Northern Ireland.

The Government, which has pledged to appeal the ruling, has insisted this is not the case and a Home Office minister today warned migrants they are still 'within scope of relocation to Rwanda' if they cross the Irish Sea.

But Mrs Braverman this afternoon tore into the Prime Minister's Windsor Framework agreement with Brussels in the wake of the court's judgment.

Speaking in the House of Commons, the former home secretary claimed Mr Sunak's deal means Northern Ireland 'is effectively to be treated as part of the EU'.

She was among a series of Tory Brexiteers to criticise Mr Sunak's Windsor Framework, which he signed in February last year to end a long-running row with the EU over post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland.

Suella Braverman led a Tory backlash against Rishi Sunak 's 'failed' Brexit deal following a bombshell court ruling in Northern Ireland

The former home secretary claimed Mr Sunak's Windsor Framework deal means Northern Ireland 'is effectively to be treated as part of the EU'

An intervention by the High Court in Belfast has raised the prospect of it being impossible for the Home Office to deport Chennel migrants to Rwanda if they travel to Northern Ireland. Pictured: Two inflatable dinghies carrying people towards England across the Channel

During an urgent question on the Belfast court ruling, Mrs Braverman told MPs: 'In the decision the judge found that section 7a of the Withdrawal Agreement Act - as amended by the Windsor Framework - must be read to mean that Northern Ireland is effectively to be treated as part of the EU.

'I believed the assurances made to me at the time, but isn't it now patently clear the Windsor Framework has operated in way to undermine our sovereignty, to undermine Northern Ireland's place in the UK.

'And, I'm afraid, has fundamentally failed upon its first contact with reality.'

Fellow former Cabinet minister Sir John Redwood urged Mr Sunak to bring forward new laws to assert UK control over border policies.

He told the Commons: 'We voted in a referendum to end the rule of EU law throughout the UK, including Northern Ireland.

'Isn't the only way out of this. given the muddle the courts are creating, to have an urgent short piece of legislation that asserts beyond doubt we control our own borders?'

Mark Francois, the chairman of the European Research Group of Tory Brexiteers, called for the Government to consider quitting the European Convention on Human Rights.

'On the Windsor Framework: we told you so,' he said. 'On the judgment itself, legally all roads lead not to Rome but in this case to Strasbourg and the ECHR.'

He added: 'Hasn't the time now come for a Conservative Government to include in our election manifesto a clear commitment to seek to renegotiate this convention with our European partners.

'But, should those negotiations fail, to leave. Because if we aren't prepared to walk away they'll never take us seriously.'

This afternoon's urgent question in the Commons on the Belfast court ruling was asked by DUP leader Gavin Robinson, who has warned Northern Ireland could become 'a magnet for asylum seekers'.

He blasted the Government for previously dismissing his party's concerns, saying: 'The issues that were elucidated yesterday by the High Court and Belfast were fairly and thoroughly explored in this House, and in the other place, during both the passage of the Illegal Migration Act and the Safety of Rwanda act as well.

'When I and my colleagues raised these concerns here in Parliament, we were told by the Government we were wrong. And, yet, the High Court yesterday in Belfast said we were right.'

Mr Robinson asked what steps the Government is taking to secure 'a British Isles solution to immigration, outside of the control of the EU'.

Home Office minister Tom Pursglove said the Government intends to appeal against the judgment and would 'not be deterred'.

He said: 'We've consistently made clear that the rights commitments in the Belfast/Good Friday agreement should be interpreted as they were always intended and not expanded to cover reserved issues like illegal migration.

'We are also equally clear that immigration is a reserved matter, which has always been applied uniformly across the UK.

'We do not accept that the Good Friday Agreement should be read so creatively as to extend to matters such as tackling illegal migration, which is a UK-wide issue and not in any way related to the original intention of the Good Friday Agreement.'

Mr Pursglove also told MPs the Government was pushing ahead with the Rwanda plan 'on a UK-wide basis'.

'There is no benefit to anybody who thinks going to Northern Ireland will lead to them not being within scope of relocation to Rwanda,' he added.

Earlier, in a round of TV and radio interviews this morning, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps insisted Northern Ireland would not be an 'exception to the rule' in the wider UK.

He told GB News: 'We will ensure we will do everything that's required to make sure that Northern Ireland can't be in this position. Because we believe firmly in being able to control our own borders.

'We are absolutely going to appeal that ruling. We won't let Northern Ireland be an exception  exemption  to the rule in the United Kingdom.'

In its ruling yesterday, Belfast High Court said provisions of the UK's Illegal Migration Act should be disapplied in Northern Ireland, as they undermine human rights protections guaranteed in the region under post-Brexit arrangements.

Mr Justice Humphreys also said aspects of the Act were incompatible with the ECHR.

He delivered judgment on Monday in two challenges against the Act that focused on the peace process human rights protections guaranteed by the Windsor Framework.

The judge found that several elements of the Act do cause a 'significant' diminution of the rights enjoyed by asylum seekers residing in Northern Ireland under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.

'I have found that there is a relevant diminution of right in each of the areas relied upon by the applicants,' he said.

He added: 'The applicants' primary submission therefore succeeds. Each of the statutory provisions under consideration infringes the protection afforded to RSE (Rights, Safeguards and Equality of Opportunity) in the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.'

The judge ruled that the sections of the Act that were the subject of the legal challenges should be 'disapplied' in Northern Ireland.
The US teacher shortage has reached boiling point, with principals so desperate to fill vacancies that they're recruiting uncertified educators to classrooms.

New government statistics reveal the states suffering the most from the deficit - with Alaska, Montana and Florida topping the chart as of February 2024.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics figures which compare teacher retainment now to pre-pandemic levels show Alaska has 10.9 percent fewer teachers now than it did before Covid hit in 2020.

Meanwhile, Montana has 7.7 percent fewer and Florida has 7.5 percent fewer. New Jersey is down 4.1 percent, Rhode Island 3.6 percent and Vermont 3.4 percent.

Teachers are saying low wages are to blame. Cassandra Lockard, a history teacher in Arizona, where recruitment is down three percent, said she's living 'pay check to pay check' while having to work through her holidays just to cover her utilities.

Progress towards returning to pre-pandemic staffing levels: A positive percentage indicates local education employment exceeds its pre-pandemic level in that state, while a negative percentage reflects how depleted local education employment is relative to pre-pandemic

Teachers are saying low wages are to blame. Cassandra Lockard (pictured), a history teacher in Arizona , where recruitment is down three percent, said she's living 'pay check to pay check' while having to work through her holidays just to cover her utilities

Dr Tracy Edwards, a department head in Southern Nevada where teacher recruitment is down 1.1 percent since the pandemic, said children 'deserve better' than the current broken system

'Do I want to pay off my student loans? Would I like to take a vacation? Do I not want to work every summer without fail, every winter break, to pay my bills? Am I living pay check to pay check? Yep,' the Littleton School District teacher told Fox News.

Lockard added that although she's not qualified to teach science, she ended up taking a class of 55 students on the subject because there were no other available teachers - and they all failed.

'Did they pass the state science test? No, no they didn't,' she told Fox News.

In Arizona, teachers are paid $60,275 on average, according to the National Education Association (NEA) Teacher Salary Benchmark Report.

Dr Tracy Edwards, a department head in Southern Nevada where teacher recruitment is down 1.1 percent since the pandemic, said children 'deserve better' than the current broken system.

'A teacher shortage can not be the excuse for hiring anyone with a pulse to teach,' she wrote on X.

The states with the worst retention rates tend to be among the lowest-paying, with the exception of Alaska where the average salary is $76,371.

Alaska is an outlier because the teacher deficit is more a symptom of a long-term general exodus from the state for sunnier climes, population figures suggest.

Teachers in Montana are paid $55,909 on average, while in Florida their salaries are among the worst in the country at $53,098.

The top-paid teachers live in California, where the average salary is $95,160, and where recruitment since Covid has been up 0.9 percent.

In the Sunshine State, the legislature passed an Act in 2022 allowing veterans to teach in public schools without a degree, issuing them with five-year temporary certifications.

Teacher compensation 2022-2023: The states with the worst retention rates tend to be among the lowest-paying, with the exception of Alaska where the average salary is $76,371

Applicants only needed to complete 60 credit hours - or half the number required in a BA degree - and a C+ pass in a subject area exam to be considered.

The move was highly political, as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis touted it as a means of tackling public schools being 'overrun by ideology' which he believes was 'a turn off for many people'.

Carmen Ward, president of the Alachua County teachers union, said at the time that teachers were 'dismayed' by the policy because 'now someone with just a high school education can pass the test and can easily get a five-year temporary certificate.'

Unsurprisingly, students in rural, poorer communities are worse-hit by shortages than those in richer urban areas.

In agricultural parts of Texas, unlicensed teachers now dominate new hires, according to the Texas Education Agency.

Almost 75 percent of new teachers hired in rural Texan schools over the past year were unlicensed - up 17 percent since 2014. The average teacher salary in the Lone Star State is $60,716.

From February to May 2020, the economy lost an estimated 730,000 local public education jobs - or nine percent of those careers, according to the US Department for Education.

The sector was already suffering a shortage before Covid hit, but the pandemic exacerbated the issue, the department said.

This was largely down to a decline in college students pursuing education degrees while experienced professors left the career, leaving a huge hole which is yet to be filled.
Californians are leaving the Golden State in droves, citing the high cost of living and poor quality of life as driving factors.

The reasons behind California's population decline is largely due to the decrease in migration related as a result of international travel restrictions and a large amount of people taking advantage of the pandemic to move to a state with more affordable housing.

But others have cited more personal reasons for leaving, such as their politics, safety concerns, and what California is notoriously known for - traffic.

Jackie Burse told Business Insider that she left the Golden State for the more conservative San Antonio, Texas. Born and raised in Orange County, Burse said she left because she felt overpowered by the locals' liberal agenda.

'I'm a conservative and I feel like it's difficult to have any opinions in California other than liberal,' Burse told Insider. 'Especially when you're living in the cities.'

In 2023, California's state population rose 0.17%, marking the first year of growth since the mass exodus that began in 2019 (Pictured: San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge tower)

California's population is 1.2% less than it was in 2019 (Pictured: Bustling streets of San Francisco)

Burse is particularly religious, and said she feels more comfortable being open about her faith in Texas than in California.

'For now, I don't have any plans to leave Texas anytime soon. I've found a great church, made many friends, and feel safe here.'

In 2023, California's state population rose 0.17%, marking the first year of growth since the mass exodus that began in 2019.

Even still, California's population is 1.2% less than it was in 2019, per an LA Times data analysis. If California remains on this growth trajectory, the state will still will not reach pre-pandemic numbers until around 2032.

With the world re-opened, some companies have put an end to remote work. While San Francisco was one of the cities that was hit the hardest by the pandemic-related exodus, they experienced one of the biggest population increases last year.

However, the price of housing in California has been one of the biggest obstacles in restoring population growth.

Pictured: Map of California an their counties who have lost population over last five years

Janelle Crossan moved her and her son from Costa Mesa, California to New Braunfels, Texas, one of the fastest growing cities in the United States, in 2020. While in Costa Mesa, she paid $1,750 for a 'crappy' apartment in an unsafe area.

'I never felt safe in my area. I felt like a prisoner in my apartment,' she said.

Not only has she found a higher-paying job, she now pays $1,800 a month for a three-bedroom home she purchased - property taxes included.

'Something as simple as has made my life go in such a different direction,' she said.

Elisabeth Wykert moved her family from Orange County to Missouri because buying a home in California was way out of her budget. Her and her husband are originally from Kansas City, Missouri, so they were familiar with the area.

'The rental cost of living was wild,' Wykert said. 'And to even think of purchasing a home was more wild.'

In fact, they were so desperate to cut their cost of living that they bought a house without seeing it in person.

According to a recent survey by the Los Angeles Business Council Institute in partnership with the LA Times, three-quarters of renters and those younger than 35 have given consideration to moving out of L.A.

The poll also found that 37% of homeowners and 26% of those 65 or older have also considered moving.

Sarah Karlinsky, a research director for the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley, told the LA Times that California 'has experienced a housing shortage for decades, which 'has forced people into 'substandard housing conditions.'

She also predicts that 'a little bit of a breather in the housing market might allow someone who is doubling, tripling, quadrupling up to find a place of their own,' she said.

While San Francisco was one of the cities that was hit the hardest by the pandemic-related exodus, they experienced one of the biggest population increases last year (Pictured: Streets of San Francisco)

Los Angeles has 340,000 less people than it did in 2019, while San Francisco, San Diego and Santa Clara counties are each around 40,000 people short (Pictured: Trolley in San Francisco)

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Karlinsky said the state is in dire need of subsidized and affordable housing as a large number of the population is 'teetering on the edge or have fallen into homelessness.'

Los Angeles has 340,000 less people than it did in 2019, while San Francisco, San Diego and Santa Clara counties are each around 40,000 people short.

25 of California's 58 counties saw population increases since 2019, accounting for a total of slightly under 12 million people, or 30% of the state's overall population.

Three countiesSan Benito, Yuba, and Trinityall of which are rural areas with comparatively small populationsreported population growth of more than 5%.

San Francisco County has 5% less people than in 2019, while Los Angeles County has 3.3% less.

Although San Francisco County expanded by 0.1% and Los Angeles County by 0.5% in 2023, they still fell well short of offsetting the previous few years' losses.

Another issue California faces is not only a decrease in population. but an aging one as well. Because of this, the Public Policy Institute of California said says that workforce is likely to shift to retirees rather than young people looking for work.

As a result, there may not be enough 'health care personnel to care for the growing number of Californians.'

25 of California's 58 counties saw population increases since 2019, accounting for a total of slightly under 12 million people, or 30% of the state's overall population (Pictured: Chinatown in San Francisco)

Although San Francisco County expanded by 0.1% and Los Angeles County by 0.5% in 2023, they still fell well short of offsetting the previous few years' losses (Pictured: Couple walking streets of San Francisco)

While population growth has not been substantial, Governor Gavin Newsome said that departures from the state have ceased, referring to the data indicating 2023 population increases.

Hans Johnson, a demographer at the Public Policy Institute of California, noted that if California's population continues to grow at this slow of a rate, they may lose representation in the House of Representatives in 2030.

But overall, Johnson says despite three years of population loss in which there were a lot of stories about how California was so dysfunctional that no one wanted to be here,' the state is returning to 'a moral normal pattern of population change.'
Violence broke out both outside and inside parliament today as Georgia approved a divisive 'Russian law' that has plunged the country into crisis and sparked weeks of mass protests.

Critics see the bill as a threat to democratic freedoms and the country's aspirations to join the European Union and say that it pushes Georgia closer to Russia and Putin.

Mass protests against the law in recent weeks have swept the South Caucasus nation of 3.7 million, with the latest violent clash between demonstrators and police outside the parliament in Tbilisi today.

Footage shows demonstrators attempting to break through the barriers outside the government building as hundreds of police officers storm out and roughly drag people wrapped in Georgian flags away from the barriers.

A violent brawl also erupted inside the parliament as lawmakers were debating the bill earlier today before it was approved.

Georgian Dream MP Dimitry Samkharadze was seen charging toward Levan Khabeishvili, the chairman of main opposition party United National Movement, after Khabeishvili accused him of organising mobs to beat up opposition supporters.

Georgian law enforcement officers detain a demonstrator protesting the controversial 'foreign agent' bill, near the parliament in Tbilisi on May 14, 2024

Georgian demonstrators attempt to break into the parliament through a metal barrier erected in front of its main gates during a rally against the controversial 'foreign influence' bill in Tbilisi on May 14, 2024

Georgian demonstrators knock on the gate of the parliament during a rally against the controversial 'foreign influence' bill in Tbilisi on May 14, 2024

Georgian law enforcement officers detain a demonstrator during a rally against the controversial 'foreign influence' bill outside the parliament in Tbilisi on May 14, 2024

A violent brawl also erupted inside the parliament as lawmakers were debating the bill earlier today before it was approved

Law enforcement officers detain a demonstrator during a rally to protest against a bill on 'foreign agents' in Tbilisi, Georgia, May 14, 2024

Georgian Dream MP Dimitry Samkharadze (centre lower left as he is being held back) was seen charging toward Levan Khabeishvili, the chairman of main opposition party United National Movement, after Khabeishvili accused him of organising mobs to beat up opposition supporters

Riot police block a street to prevent demonstrators during an opposition protest against 'the Russian law' near the Parliament building in the center of Tbilisi, Georgia, Tuesday, May 14, 2024

The 'foreign agent' bill requires media and nongovernmental organisations and other nonprofits to register as 'pursuing the interests of a foreign power' if they receive more than 20 per cent of their funding from abroad.

The government says the bill is necessary to stem what it deems as harmful foreign influence over the country's politics and to prevent unspecified foreign actors from trying to destabilise it.

The opposition has denounced the bill as 'the Russian law,' because Moscow uses similar legislation to crack down on independent news media, nonprofits and activists critical of the Kremlin.

European Council President Charles Michel on Tuesday spoke of Georgian lawmakers in Copenhagen, at a conference on democracy, and said that 'if they want to join the EU, they have to respect the fundamental principles of the rule of law and the democratic principles.'

The bill is nearly identical to one that the governing Georgian Dream party was pressured to withdraw last year after street protests.

Renewed demonstrations have rocked Georgia for weeks, with demonstrators scuffling with police, who used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds.

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, who is increasingly at odds with the governing party, has vowed to veto the law, but Georgian Dream has a majority sufficient to override a presidential veto.

After the final reading in the parliament, the law will be sent to Zourabichvili, and she has 14 days to either veto or approve it.

Demonstrators try to break down the fence protecting the gates of the parliament building during a rally to protest against a bill on 'foreign agents' in Tbilisi, Georgia May 14, 2024

Demonstrators attend an opposition protest against 'the Russian law' near the Parliament building in the center of Tbilisi, Georgia, Tuesday, May 14, 2024

Georgian politicians were fighting in parliament as they discussed the divisive 'foreign agent' bill earlier today

Georgian law enforcement officers carry away a demonstrator protesting the controversial 'foreign influence' bill, near the parliament in Tbilisi on May 14, 2024

Riot police block a street to prevent demonstrators during an opposition protest against 'the Russian law' near the Parliament building in the center of Tbilisi, Georgia, Tuesday, May 14, 2024

Georgian protesters rally against the controversial 'foreign influence' bill in front of the parliament in Tbilisi on May 14, 2024

A Georgian demonstrator wrapped in a European Union (EU) flag looks through a hole in a metal barrier erected in front of the parliament's main gates during a rally against the controversial 'foreign influence' bill in Tbilisi on May 14, 2024

Police intervenes as demonstrators protest the bill on 'transparency of foreign influence' near the parliament in Tbilisi, Georgia on May 14, 2024

Demonstrators attempt to break into the parliament through a metal barrier erected in front of its main gates during a rally against the controversial 'foreign influence' bill in Tbilisi on May 14, 2024

Demonstrators with Georgian national and EU flags gather during an opposition protest against 'the Russian law' near the Parliament building in the center of Tbilisi, Georgia, Tuesday, May 14, 2024

In recent days, several protesters and opposition members have been beaten up. The opposition linked the incidents to the protests.

Opposition MP Dimitiri Chikovani returned to the protests today after his cheeks and nose were broken by a dozen masked thugs who pounced on him outside his house last week.

He told MailOnline: 'It's a standard KGB guideline to establish the fear, but whatever works in Belarus or Russia is not working with the Georgian people.

'We love our freedom, we love our independence, and our decision is to be part of Western civilisation.'

Tina Bokuchava, parliamentary leader of the Georgian opposition party UNM, accused Georgian Dream of 'state sponsored terrorism against its own citizens'.

She said there have been 'unprecedented' peaceful rallies numbering over 200,000 in recent days despite activists 'being beaten in the streets or arrested'.

Ms Bokuchava told MailOnline: 'Right now is a very scary time because nobody's physical security can be taken for granted, but on the other hand it's a very hopeful time.

'Georgians are proving to the world that our place is really with Western civilised nations. We are not afraid.'

Georgia is the most pro-Western country in the region with polling showing some 80 per cent of the population are supportive of joining both the EU and NATO.

Police intervenes as demonstrators protest the bill on 'transparency of foreign influence' near the parliament in Tbilisi, Georgia on May 14, 2024

A demonstrator wearing a European Union flag climbs a fence protecting the gates of the parliament building during a rally to protest against a bill on 'foreign agents' in Tbilisi, Georgia, May 14, 2024

Police Force face protesters during a protest against the foreign agents law as two Americans and one Russian citizen are among 20 detained on May 13, 2024 in Tbilisi, Georgia

Police intervene protesters as demonstrators protest the bill on 'transparency of foreign influence' in front of the parliament in Tbilisi, Georgia on May 13, 2024

Police use a spray trying to block demonstrators near the Parliament building during an opposition protest against 'the Russian law' in the center of Tbilisi, Georgia, on Monday, May 13, 2024

The ex-Soviet republic has been gripped for weeks by huge protests (pictured on May 13) over the bill, dubbed the 'Russian law' as it resembles repressive legislation used by the Kremlin. Protesters - largely young people - are furious over the bill, saying it will sabotage the Caucasus country's hopes of joining the EU and will end democracy in the country

Such is the strength of feeling that the country's ambitions to become members of the alliances are written in their constitution.

But it has started to slip into Putin's orbit since Georgian Dream took power in 2012 and there are calls to sanction the party's oligarch founder Bidzina Ivanishvili.

Mr Ivanishvili, who lives in a glassed, hilltop mansion overlooking the capital, Tbilisi, made his fortune in Russia in the 1990s and is seen as personally pushing through the legislation.

David Bragvadze, political analyst and founder of GISP think tank, said the billionaire has gone 'all in' on creating a 'dictatorship'.

'He opted for a full confrontation against the Georgian people and if he succeeds, Georgia will become another Belarus, and Russia will reign firmly in the Caucasus,' he said.
By Andrew Hammond

2019 is not so long ago by most historical standards, yet it must seem a different political epoch for Chinas President Xi Jinping who has just concluded his first visit to Europe in five years.

That half-decade has witnessed not just the trauma of the coronavirus pandemic whose presumed origins in China remain shrouded in some mystery, but also Russias invasion of Ukraine which is tacitly supported by Beijing. Collectively, this means that much of Europe is in a different political space toward China than in 2019.

Aware of the change in mood in Europe, Xi chose his three-leg itinerary carefully. After his trip to France (which he calls a model bilateral relationship) last Monday and Tuesday, he visited Hungary and non-EU nation Serbia, two of Chinas supporters in the continent.

Xi has described Serbia as an iron-clad friend, and has seen growing bilateral trade and investment ties. This includes a $2 billion investment in wind and solar power plants and a hydrogen production facility.

Within the 27-member EU itself, however, Xis strongest ally may be longstanding Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. He favors deeper ties with not only China, but also Russia too, which makes him very unusual among the current cohort of 27 presidents and prime ministers.

In Hungary too, Xi welcomed the fact that the nation has become a key production hub in Europe for Chinese automotive suppliers, including electric vehicle (EV) makers. This may help Chinese EV firms navigate any EU tariffs in the future.

So these two states are outliers in the course of contemporary continental opinion on Beijing. More reflective of the stance, as of 2024, is the position of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who Xi met on Monday in France. She has led the political charge in Brussels toward what she calls de-risking from Beijing.

To be sure, even in France, the Chinese president received a respectful, warm welcome on the 60th anniversary of France-China diplomatic relations, where he met President Emmanuel Macron and von der Leyen. But the underlying political mood music is different from 2019.

Back then, Xi was love-bombed by his then-Italian hosts who became the first G7 leaders to sign up to Beijings Belt and Road infrastructure scheme. This was a controversial decision within the West even then, infuriating the then-Trump administration which called it legitimacy for Chinas infrastructure vanity project, and was last year reversed by Prime Minister Giorgia Melonis administration currently in power in Rome.

This reflects the undeniable chill in EU-China relations in recent years that reflect wide-ranging political and economic factors. These include Western assertions of Chinese human rights abuses in Xinjiang province, and concerns that China is "dumping" key products like EVs, batteries, wind turbines and solar panels in the European market with use of extensive state subsidies.

Worse still, top EU officials have also become increasingly concerned in recent years about whether the nature of Chinas external interventions in Europe represent a divide-and-rule strategy to undermine the continents collective interests. EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell even asserted that Beijing is a systemic rival that seeks to promote an alternative model of governance to that of Europe.

So the direction of travel for EU policy on China is clearly in a more hawkish direction. Even on issues where breakthroughs have been made with Beijing in recent years, such as the bilateral Comprehensive Agreement on Investment, the "long grass"of Brussels has prevented ratification in the European Parliament owing to EU concerns over Chinas behavior.

Yet, despite these greater attempts at more unity, Brussels is struggling to find common ground on Beijing across all 27 member states. It is this that shaped Xis travel itinerary, including the choice of France as his first stopoff.

While Macron has become increasingly hawkish toward Russia since it began its invasion of Ukraine, China has welcomed a string of his wider, recent comments. During a joint visit last year to Beijing with von der Leyen, Macron even moved away from prior positions on Taiwan. So whereas von der Leyen asserted on the trip that stability in the Taiwan Strait is of paramount importance and that threat of use of force to change the status quo is unacceptable, Macron said Taiwan is a crisis that is not ours and that Europeans should not be Americas followers.

The Franco-China discussions were therefore closely watched not just in Europe, but also the United States too, around a month before President Joe Biden is expected to pay his own state visit to Paris.

Perceptions of a divided Europe have also been publicly highlighted by several Chinese officials, including EU Ambassador Fu Cong, who has cast doubts whether all 27 member states are behind the agenda of Borrell and von der Leyen. Cong recently said that Europe has not formulated a coherent policy toward China and that it felt like people quarrelling with each other."

Taken together, Xi hopes his visit will mark an important reset moment in ties, post-pandemic. However, while the visits to France, Serbia and Hungary were very cordial, there is no disguising that broader Europe-China ties are chilled and could yet go from bad to worse in 2024.

Andrew Hammond is an associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics.
Kansas schools are looking to bring artificial gun detecting technology into buildings ahead of the coming school year as a way to detect weapons on school property before any harm can come to children.

There are already 30 states using the technology that Kansas lawmakers are scoping out.

The state's education budget this year includes a $5 million dollar grant that schools may apply for in order to bring this technology to their campus.

In order to be implemented, the AI systems must be patented, 'designated as qualified anti-terrorism technology,' in compliance with several industry standards, and capable of detecting 'three broad firearm classifications with a minimum of 300 sub-classifications,' among other things.

ZeroEyes analyst Mario Hernandez demonstrates the use of artificial intelligence with surveillance cameras to identify visible guns at the company's operations center

The company, founded by military vets, produces AI technology meant to thwart school shootings before a trigger is squeezed

At present, there is just one company that meets the extensive list of standards - ZeroEyes, a military vet-founded firm that started up in the wake of the Parkland Shooting in Florida several years ago.

State Representative Kristey Williams, who chairs the K-12 education budget committee, said that for the sake of ongoing school safety, administrations must have 'something or someone 24/7 watching, monitoring, and detecting. The AI does that.'

'We want to ensure that when our kids go to school that there are eyes on them to protect them. That's our number one priority,' she said.

Last week, Missouri became the latest state to pass legislation geared toward ZeroEyes. The state will be offering $2.5 million in matching grants for schools to buy firearms detection software, designed specifically as 'anti-terrorism technology.'

The company uses AI with surveillance cameras to identify visible guns, then proceeds to ping an alert over to an operations center that is staffed 24/7 by former law enforcement officers and military vets.

If a threat is deemed legitimate, an alert is immediately sent to school officials and local authorities.

The goal, according to ZeroEyes co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer Sam Alaimo, is to 'get that gun before the trigger's squeezed, or before that gun gets to the door.'

Though there are many supporters of the technology, some across the country are highly skeptical of the legislative tactics being implemented to get the AI into schools.

The very, very specific bill on the Kansas Governor's desk has a requirement in it that stipulates the company must have its product in at least 30 states, which Jason Stoddard, director of school safety and security for Charles County Public Schools in Maryland, called '"probably the most egregious thing that I have ever read.'

Kansas is the most recent state to pass legislation that will lead to the implementation of ZeroEyes tech in some of its schools

The patented, anti-terrorism technology has already been put into place at schools in 30 US states

Stoddard is chairperson of the newly launched National Council of School Safety Directors, which formed to set standards for school safety officials and push back against vendors who are increasingly pitching particular products to lawmakers.

When states allot millions of dollars for certain products, it often leaves less money for other important school safety efforts, such as electronic door locks, shatter-resistant windows, communication systems and security staff, he said.

'The artificial-intelligence-driven weapons detection is absolutely wonderful,' Stoddard said. 'But its probably not the priority that 95 percent of the schools in the United States need right now.'

In Florida, legislation to place ZeroEyes tech in just two counties ran a total bill of $920,000.

Back in February, ZeroEyes' chief strategy officer conducted a presentation of the technology before the House K-12 Education Budget Committee.

The demo included the tech's AI gun detection ability as well as multiple actual surveillance photos taken by the tech of guns at schools, in parking lots, and in transportation hubs.

The technology, at present, remains expensive to purchase and implement, but dozens of states have been establishing grant funds that schools can apply for in order to access the tech

Following the presentation, Kansas state Rep. Adam Thomas, a Republican, initially proposed to specifically name ZeroEyes in the funding legislation. The final version removed the company's name but kept the criteria that essentially limits it to ZeroEyes.

Kristey Williams, also a Republican, defended the specific selection of ZeroEyes, arguing that due to the urgency of the issue that is student safety, the state did not have the time that would be required to execute a standard bidding process.

She said in April that she did 'not feel that there was another alternative.'

The current five million dollars worth of grants will not be enough - likely by far - to cover every school in Kansas, but the amount stands to go up once people see how well the safety technology works.
The Green Party has elected a councillor who made a series of inflammatory social media comments about Israel and Jews to be a mayor, MailOnline can reveal.

Martin Butcher was confirmed as the ceremonial mayor of the town of Ware, in Hertfordshire, last night, having been elected by the Green-controlled council.

But his appointment comes little more than six months after he resigned as chairman of East Herts Council to sit as an independent following complaints about series of X posts he made following Hamas's terror attack on October 7 and the subsequent invasion of Gaza.

In one post Mr Butcher, who works for Oxfam as an adviser on conflict and international humanitarian law criticised his own party for a 'one-sided attitude' towards the conflict. He criticised it for condemning Hamas's attack without the same treatment for 'Israel's murder of civilians'.

He also hit out at Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky - who is Jewish - for showing solidarity with Israel, saying he should be 'against the belligerent occupation of other people's land'.

MailOnline can also reveal he had previously made other distasteful comments about Jews. In March 2023 he suggested three British Jewish women - including a teenage girl - who were shot dead in the occupied West Bank were war criminals.

Replying to Jewish actress Tracy Anne Oberman on Twitter he suggested Lucy Dee, 48, Rina Dee, 15, and Maia Dee, 20, 'had no right to be where they were when they were gunned down.

The Green Party today said it 'respected' the decision to elect him as mayor and said it welcomed 'elected representatives, members and supporters highlighting the serious violations of International Humanitarian Law by both Hamas and the Israeli government.'

Martin Butcher quit as leader of East Herts Council and the Greens in October over a series of X posts following Hamas's terror attack on October 7 and the subsequent invasion of Gaza. But last night he was elected as the Green Party mayor of the town of Ware, near Hertford, having been elected by the town council, which is controlled by his party.

Lucy Dee, 48, left, died as a result of her injuries following the drive-by shooting, three days after her daughters Rina (centre) and Maia (right) were killed in the attack in March 2023.

Replying to Jewish actress Tracy Anne Oberman on Twitter he suggested they were war criminals who 'had no right to be where they were'.

Mr Butcher has sat as an independent on East Herts Council since resigning from the Green group in October...

... but he is still a Green Party councillor on Ware Town Council, which has just elected him mayor for the coming year

Ware Town Council confirmed Mr Butcher had been elected mayor at an annual meeting last night, having served for a year as deputy mayor. Nine of the council's 11 councillors are from the Greens, according to its website.

Mr Butcher was also part of a minority Green administration leading the local district council in a power-sharing deal with the Lib-Dems until his social media posts were brought to light in October.

He stepped down to sit as an independent and is still listed as such on the district council website.

At the time, local Conservative MP Julie Marson made a complaint to the council leader, Green councillor Ben Crystall, saying Butcher 'appeared to promote and approve of Hamas' actions on two Twitter/X feeds'. But it was not upheld and she alleged Green councillors accused her of 'playing the anti-Semitism card'.

Speaking at the time Ms Marson said: 'The Council concluded that Cllr Butcher was not acting in his role as a local councillor when making these tweets.

'With his party affiliation, chain of office and council positions clearly visible on his account profiles at the time, I am unsure how much clearer Cllr Butcher would have to have made the fact that he was both a councillor and Chairman of the Council before East Herts Council deemed that he was speaking on behalf of the Council's leadership.'

'I know the disappointment I feel is shared among our community. The Council's leadership has shown weakness throughout this episode, failing to respond appropriately to the hurt our Jewish community in particular is feeling. I hope they reflect on the precedent they have now set.'

At the time, local Conservative MP Julie Marson made a complaint to the council leader, Green councillor Ben Crystall, saying Butcher 'appeared to promote and approve of Hamas' actions on two Twitter/X feeds'.

But it was not upheld and she alleged Green councillors accused her of 'playing the anti-Semitism card'.

MailOnline has approached Mr Butcher to comment this afternoon.

A Green Party spokesman said: 'Councillor Butcher stood down from the Green Group on East Hertfordshire District Council. However, he did not resign from the Green Party and continues as a Green representative on Ware Town Council.

'We welcome elected representatives, members and supporters highlighting the serious violations of International Humanitarian Law by both Hamas and the Israeli government. Mr Butcher made clear back in October last year his unequivocal support for an immediate end to the violence in Israel and Palestine and the importance of a permanent and peaceful resolution that safeguards the lives of all innocent civilians.

'The councillors of Ware have chosen Martin Butcher to be the Town mayor and we respect their decision.'

But it comes as the party is at the centre of a wider scandal about the views of some of its elected councillors towards the fighting in Gaza.

Jewish leaders last week demanded that a councillor be suspended after claiming Hamas 'had a right to fight back' against Israel.

Mothin Ali had branded Israelis as 'white supremacists' after the Palestinian terror group killed 1,160 people in devastating cross border raids from Gaza on October 7, last year.

The 42-year-old said Israel had tried to 'erase the legitimacy of a native population' and claimed 'they [Israelis] are not victims, they are occupiers' in videos posted on social media.

The father-of-three had claimed his election victory in the Gipton and Harehills ward on Leeds City Council was a 'win for the people of Gaza' - a territory he has previously called a 'concentration camp'.

He is now being investigated by the Green Party over his 'concerning' views, while British Jewish leaders called for him to be suspended for spreading 'extremist nonsense'.
A celebrated Napa winery is hours away from a showdown on its future as a bitter family feud threatens to tear it apart.

Monticello Vineyards was built from scratch on a former prune ranch in 1970 by Jay Corley, who left the winery to his seven children when he died in 2016.

Since its founding, hundreds of other flashy wineries have sprouted around the property and been snapped up by big conglomerates.

Carolyn Corley, who like her six older brothers, grew up in the winery's house, modelled on Thomas Jefferson's Virginia mansion.

The youngest child is deeply invested in the business as a link to her beloved father, and feels four of her brothers are 'trampling on his legacy'.

Seven siblings are warring for control of celebrated Napa winery Monticello Vineyards. Carolyn, Kevin, and Chris want to keep it in family hands but Mark, Kent, Stephen, and Michael want to sell out to the highest bidder

Monticello Vineyards was built from scratch on a former prune ranch in 1970 by Jay Corley, whose death in 2016 triggered the feud (Jay with an early batch of Monticello wines in a photo used to announce his death in 2016)

Jay (left) worked on the vineyard with Kevin (right) his successor as president and chairman, Chris (third from left) as winemaker, and Stephen (second from left)

The family appears to be lining up in two camps, one wanting to keep Monticello in family hands and the other planning to sell it to the highest bidder.

Carolyn and, she believes, her brothers Kevin and Chris want to keep the business in family hands, while Kent, Michael, Stephen, and Mark want to cash out.

'It's where we grew up. There's so much potential and history there. I don't want to sell,' she told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Chris is Monticello's principal winemaker, first joining in 2000 aged 16, and often attends events on its behalf and shows visitors around the vineyard.

Carolyn and Chris are the two youngest of the siblings, and are the children of Jay's second wife.

Kevin, the eldest child, has worked for Monticello since 1986 and was 'passed the baton' by his father to lead the company.

He also has the most shares, with more than 15 per cent compared to the four to six per cent each most of his siblings have.

However, he was effectively pushed out in a power struggle in the years since Jay's death and is no longer involved in the day-to-day business.

Chris with his family outside the winery's house, a smaller version of Thomas Jefferson's Virginia mansion, that he and his siblings grew up in

The winery is hours away from a showdown on its future as a bitter family feud threatens to tear it apart

Since its founding, hundreds of other flashy wineries have sprouted around the property and been snapped up by big conglomerates

Moves began in March 2021 when the four other brothers convinced the board to split the roles of chairman and president - which Kevin held until then.

Mark was elected chairman by the board despite having moved to Tennessee and having no direct involvement in the business.

The chairman has more power than the president, so Kevin was already at a disadvantage. But this was only step one.

The next year the board sent Kevin on a six-month sabbatical from his role as president, and elected Mark in his place - despite voting to split the roles just months earlier.

Why Kevin went on sabbatical, whose idea it was, and whether it was voluntary is not clear, but Kevin never returned to the post or working in the company other than sitting on its board.

Then about six months ago, Mark and others proposed lending the winery cash at 10 per cent interest, which could be converted into shares.

The share option would have diluted the stakes of everyone not involved in the loans, but the plan was not approved.

Carolyn (pictured with Jay) is deeply invested in the business as a link to her beloved father, and feels four of her brothers are 'trampling on his legacy'

Jay is pictured with a glass of Monticello rose and wearing a US Open ball cap

Carolyn fears this is the 'pivotal moment' her pro-sale brothers have been working towards, and a sale is coming unless enough shareholders back her

The winery's house, a smaller version of Thomas Jefferson's Virginia mansion

Instead, Kent bought thousands of shares from another shareholder for $8 each, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Carolyn said this was 'absurdly below market value' as Mark told shareholders this year that Monticello's real estate was appraised at $30.8 million and therefore shares were worth $51.81 each.

Kent earlier bought 22,887 shares on June 27, 2021, and distributed them to Mark, Michael, and three other board members.

Chris resigned from the board for unspecified reasons in November, removing another hurdle for the brothers in favor of selling.

'Over the last four decades, I have enthusiastically worked for and served Monticello in every department, and plan to do so going forward as long as I'm able,' Chris told the Chronicle.

'I remain an absolute and enthusiastic supporter of the legacy that our father started with the founding of Monticello back in 1970.'

A photo of all the extended Corley family, taken on Father's Day last year as a tribute to Jay

Carolyn as a young girl with her father Jay among the grape vines

Carolyn grew up playing in the vines, as did her children, and she hopes her grandchildren too

Jay poses among the vines he planted on the property he began in 1970

Since then, plans to sell the company accelerated and became more overt.

Mark advised shareholders in the same month Chris left that the board would 'evaluate strategic options,' including 'the potential sale of the entire business',

'The opportunities for Monticello and its shareholders could be significant,' he wrote, noting consolidation trends among Napa wineries.

Then on March 1 he advised the board had 'started discussions with several parties who have expressed interest in acquiring the entire company'.

Jugal Taneja, a shareholder who runs smaller Napa vineyard Maroon Wines, decided he'd had enough of the family 'soap opera' and sent his own letter in response.

He expressed support for Chris, whom also designs wine for Maroon, and slammed the board's infighting and share valuations.

Carolyn penned her own letter afterwards: 'Monticello is not just a business to me. it is my childhood, my history, and the memory of my dad.'

Chris is Monticello's principal winemaker, first joining in 2000 aged 16, and often attends events on its behalf and shows visitors around the vineyard

Kent last bought thousands of shares from another shareholder for $8 each, which Carolyn said was 'absurdly below market value'

Mark (left) was elected chairman by the board in 2021 a coup against Kevin, and is spearheading efforts to sell the company, supported by Michael (right)

Taneja also offered to buy 40 per cent of the company for $12.50 a share so he could end the feud and get the warring family members off the board.

'I had no desire to be a shareholder of a private company with a family feud, but I thought it would help Chris if I could take a big portion,' he told the Chronicle.

'The way they are fighting, it's like a soap opera. The best outcome is they should sell the company.'

However, he claimed the board refused to speak to him about his white knight offer.

The issue appears to be coming to a head, with the agenda for a shareholder meeting on Tuesday using thinly veiled language to settle it.

The agenda included a motion to reelect the board and 'implement a specific plan for the future of the company'.

Carolyn fears this is the 'pivotal moment' her pro-sale brothers have been working towards, and a sale is coming unless enough shareholders back her.

'If the board of directors is re-elected, then I think it's just the beginning of the end,' she said.
British actress Charlotte Lewis broke down in a French courthouse today after losing a defamation case against Roman Polanski after accusing the filmmaker of raping her as a teenager and then waging 'smear campaign' against her.

A devastated Ms Lewis, 56, said she felt let down by the verdict and would appeal. 'I feel sad,' she said. 'For us, it's not over.'

Polanski, 90, was not in court for the verdict at the Paris criminal court on Tuesday.

Lewis told the court in March that she became the victim of a 'smear campaign' that 'nearly destroyed' her life after she spoke up about the alleged abuse in the 1980s.

'He raped me,' the actress told the court, explaining it had taken her time to put a name on the incident that occurred in Paris when she was 16.

The verdict by this court, which specialises in media cases, relates strictly to the charge of defamation and not over the actor's rape accusation against Polanski.

British actress Charlotte Lewis broke down in a French courthouse today (pictured) after losing a defamation case against Roman Polanski after accusing the filmmaker of raping her as a teenager and then waging 'smear campaign' against her

Polanski (pictured in 2019), 90, was not in court for the verdict at the Paris criminal court on Tuesday. Lewis told the court in March that she became the victim of a 'smear campaign' that 'nearly destroyed' her life after she spoke up about the alleged abuse in the 1980s

The filmmaker, whose titles include the Oscar-winning 'Rosemary's Baby', 'Chinatown' and 'The Pianist', did not attend any hearings of the trial.

His lawyer Delphine Meillet called him to announce the news. She said the court recognized his right to challenge people who make accusations against him.

She noted that the verdict came on the opening day of the Cannes Film Festival, calling it 'a symbolic day.'

'It's a victory for the rights of the defense,' the lawyer said.

Polanski is wanted in the United States over the rape of a 13-year-old in 1977 and faces several other accusations of sexual assault dating back decades and past the statute of limitations - all claims he has rejected.

He fled to Europe in 1978.

Lewis in 2010 accused Polanski of abusing her 'in the worst possible way' as a 16-year-old in 1983 in Paris after she travelled there for a casting session.

She appeared in his 1986 film 'Pirates'.

The France-born filmmaker retorted that it was a 'heinous lie' in a 2019 conversation with Paris Match magazine.

Lewis (pictured left with her lawyer) in 2010 accused Polanski of abusing her 'in the worst possible way' as a 16-year-old in 1983 in Paris after she travelled there for a casting session

Lewis, pictured today, appeared in Polanski's 1986 film 'Pirates'

According to Paris Match, he pulled out a copy of a 1999 article in now-defunct British tabloid newspaper News of the World, and quoted Lewis as saying in it: 'I wanted to be his lover.'

Lewis has said the quotes attributed to her in that interview were not accurate.

She filed a complaint for defamation, and the film director was automatically charged under French law.

Stuart White, who wrote the 1999 News of the World article to which Polanski referred, was also present in court.

'The interview I gave to Stuart White was not the interview that was in the newspaper,' Lewis said, adding she discovered the article only years later.

White said he interviewed Lewis twice after the paper paid 30,000 pounds ($38,000 at today's rates) for exclusive rights.

He insisted she had agreed to a 'vice girl' angle to the 1999 story, but said he could not remember if she had asked to approve the text before it was published.

This file picture taken on May 8, 1986 shows Film director Roman Polanski (right) and British actress Charlotte Lewis (left) posing prior to the presentation of the film 'Pirates', during the Cannes International Film Festival. Lewis was 16 when she appeared in the film

In 2010, Lewis said she decided to speak out to counter suggestions from Polanski's legal team that the 1977 rape case was an isolated incident.

Switzerland, France and Poland have refused to extradite Polanski to the US.

Between 2017 and 2019, four other women came forward with claims that Polanski also abused them in the 1970s, three of them as minors.

He has denied all the allegations.
A cardiologist who traveled to treat residents displaced by floods in the southern Brazil state of Rio Grande do Sul was found dead at a shelter.

Leandro Medice was found unresponsive on a mattress at a shelter in the town of Sao Leopoldo on Monday morning.

The 41-year-old joined by three doctors Sunday after he finished a surgery at 4 am and flew on a private jet from Espirito Santo to the flood-ravaged state, where 148 have died and 806 have been injured since April 29.

Medice's husband, Joao Martins, told Brazilian news outlet G1 that Medice spent Sunday providing general care to residents.

His colleagues went to check on him after he failed to show up for an early morning meeting Monday and found him dead.

Dr. Leandro Medice was found dead at a shelter in the Brazilian city of Sao Leopoldo on Monday morning. The 41-year-old joined three doctors Sunday and traveled from the southeastern Brazil state of Espirito Santo to the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, where they provided general care to residents who were displaced from their flooded neighorhoods

Dr. Medice checks the blood pressure of a resident at a shelter in the southern Brazil town of Sao Leopoldo

'Leandro snored a little and, therefore, preferred to sleep further away from his friends,' Martins said. 'He told me that everything was very organized, that they got a very clean mattress and that he already missed me.

'We had been together for six years and he said that he didn't remember what was the last time I had traveled alone.'

Martins added that Medice did not have any prior medical issues.

'He was very healthy, he always took care of his health. He never had any history of problems,' he said. 'I still can't believe what happened. When they told me, I thought it was a joke. He went to help people and this tragedy happened.'

Local authorities opened an investigation in Medice's death.

'The death of a volunteer who came to Rio Grande do Sul to help care for the victims of the tragedy leaves us deeply saddened. My condolences go out to Leandro's family and friends,' Rio Grande do Sul Governor Eduardo Leite said in a statement on X.

Joao Martins told Brazilian news outlet G1 that his husband, Dr. Leandro Medice, did not have any medical issues

At least 77,400 people are staying in shelters across the southern Brazil state of Rio Grande do Sul due to floods that have forced them to abandon their homes

An aerial view of a road surrounded by flood waters in Canoas taken last Friday

Dr. Leandro Medice operated his own hair restoration clinic. Prior to doing so, he was part of the cardiology team in the intensive care unit at Evangelico de Vila Velha Hospital

Medice was assigned to the intensive care unit staff at Evangelico de Vila Velha Hospital from 2012 to 2021 before he departed to form his own hair restoration clinic with Martins.

'I worked with him directly for about four years. He was a unique, honest person, with an incredible nature,' said Dr. Diogo Barreto, the coordinator for the hospital's cardiology unit.

'Everyone liked him because he captivated everyone. He will be remembered as a happy person who brought good things to everyone.'

The latest figures released by the Rio Grande do Sul Civil Defense on Tuesday showed that at least 615,000 residents have been forced out of their homes by the rain storm.

About 77,400 people are staying gyms, schools and churches that have been turned into shelters.
A road-tripping couple have revealed how they collected their own urine in case they ran out of water while their ute was bogged deep in the remote Aussie Outback.

Carl and Rose Jakeway's Ford Ranger became stuck in mud along a remote 4WD track 20km near Cocklebiddy in a remote part the Nullarbor in Western Australia last Wednesday.

The couple spent three days trying to free the car before they activated their emergency beacon after their car jack broke.

Poor weather meant police couldn't respond to the couple's request for help until Saturday, when they were finally rescued.

Despite having about two days worth of food and water left, the couple feared the worst and began saving their urine to drink in case they ran out of water while waiting for help to arrive.

Carl and Rose Jakeway (pictured) spent four days bogged in the Nullarbor

The couple became bogged in mud (pictured) and spent three days with their ute trying to set it free before activating an emergency beacon. Pictured is the moment they were found the following day

The couple said they were 'fortunate' they didn't have to turn to drinking their urine to stave off dehydration.

Mr Jakeway said they started rationing out their beer long before they thought about rationing their water.

The couple from Clare Valley, north of Adelaide, were travelling west to Busselton to see family when they made the impromptu decision to go 'backtracking'.

Their ute suddenly sunk so far into the ground Ms Jakeway couldn't 'get out' of the car.

Footage from a WA Police Air Wing shows the ute deep in the hardened dirt when the couple were finally found.

Poor weather meant police couldn't respond to the couple's request for help until the following day

In a radio recording between Mr Jakeway and a Police air wing officer, he said: 'We've been here for four days now, pretty well bogged, starting to get low on supplies.

'We've still got 24 to 48 hours (worth of supplies) on us.'

'But the (tyre) jack is broken, and we're sort of in the middle of the scrub.'

Vision from the air wing showed the bogged vehicle was recovered using a snatch strap.

'The plane circled, and we were pretty happy, I can assure you,' Mr Jakeway told the ABC.

'We shared a big hug and a kiss together, I suppose was the first thing we'd done.'

The couple spent three days trying to free the car before they activated their emergency beacon after their car jack broke.

Goldfields-Esperance Police Inspector Mick Kelly confirmed the couple were both uninjured and in good health.

He said the Jakeways' experience as proficient travellers should be a warning to those going off the beaten track to make sure they're well prepared.

They also need to have emergency communication equipment, food, water and were on top of weather and road reports.

'The key message from this rescue is that the occupants stayed with their vehicle, and they had sufficient resources and food to remain there for several days,' Inspector Kelly added.
A high school senior has spoken out against a California school district after she was expelled for livestreaming a fight.

Zoey, who had been a student at Ayala High School in Chino Hills, said she played no role in the encounter and had simply started filming it.

The former student was accused of violating education codes including cyberbullying, intimidation, harassment and attempting to cause injury.

The 17-year-old is unable to attend her prom, despite already purchasing her dress, and is also banned from her walk in commencement.

She told CBS: 'In our generation, you go live to do makeup, to do everything, so it was just going live just to go live. It wasnt my intent to purposely or try to cause harm to anyone.'

Zoey, who had been a student at Ayala High School in Chino Hills, said she played no role in the encounter and had simply started filming it

The former student was accused of violating education codes including cyberbullying, intimidation, harassment and attempting to cause injury

In an attempt to be allowed back into the school she apologized to the board and hoped they would reconsider, which says felt like it didn't matter

The teenager continued: 'It was more of an impulsive thing. It was just bad judgment on my part.'

The school board wrote in her expulsion letter that her presence on the school campus would present a continued danger.

Her mother, who remains unnamed, said: 'It's very hurtful to me to hear these things said about her, knowing who she is and the integrity that she has.'

She did concede that she knows the district's student/parent handbook does mention the possibility of disciplinary actions that could lead to expulsion.

Her mom added: 'We did sign the document but so did the other student who got in a fight and he gets to walk.'

Zoey added: 'I got a substantial academic scholarship  a $19,000 scholarship  to go to a university. I'll be practicing law after I graduate.'

The school board wrote in her expulsion letter that her presence on the school campus would present a continued danger

The 17-year-old is unable to attend her prom, despite already purchasing her dress, seen here, and is also banned from her walk in commencement

In an attempt to be allowed back into the school she apologized to the board and hoped they would reconsider, which says felt like it didn't matter.

She continued: 'Everyone was working against me  the whole Chino Valley Unified School District.

'They knew they wanted to make an example out of me and that's what they did.'

While her family can appeal the decision with the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools she will have to finish her education elsewhere.
Presidential candidate Cornel West will join reparations activists this weekend at the launch of a boycott of Wells Fargo, Brookes Brothers, Aetna and other firms with historic ties to slavery.

West, a 70-year-old long-shot progressive independent candidate in the 2024 White House race, is set to add his voice to the National Reparations Convention at a church in Washington DC.

He will speak on Monday about his manifesto and reparations, which he says is 'unpaid debt' to black people in the US that he wants to make federal government policy within two years of taking the Oval Office.

He calls it a 'step towards healing the wounds of a painful history.'

Presidential wannabe Cornel West says reparations are a 'step towards healing the wounds of a painful history'

Delegates will launch a boycott of major US banks, insurers, companies, and institutions with historic ties to slavery

Polls show that about 2 percent of voters nationwide back West, who did not answer DailyMail.com's request for comment.

Still, he and other third party candidates, such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr, could yet swing the outcome by denying votes to front-runners President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump.

Poll Do you support a federal reparation policy directed at the descendants of slaves? Yes No Not sure Do you support a federal reparation policy directed at the descendants of slaves? Yes 559 votes

No 17653 votes

Not sure 172 votes Now share your opinion





West will be joined by his running mate Melina Abdullah, an academic and Black Lives Matter organizer.

He adds a little stardust to a reparations jamboree at the Lincoln Temple United Church that would otherwise garner little attention.

Organizers seek progress toward compensating the descendants of slaves in the US.

They will launch a boycott of major US banks, insurers, companies, and institutions with historic ties to slavery, segregation and the 'black holocaust' according to an official video.

The targeted organizations include Wells Fargo, Barclays, Capitol One, New York Life, Aetna, Brooks Brothers, and the universities of Georgia, North Carolina and Maryland.

The campaign also takes aim at anti-reparations politicians and The Catholic Church.

Supporters of the campaign are urged to 'withdraw dollars' from those organizations and work toward their 'shutdown.'

Cornel West will buoy the reparations convention with a speech at the National Press Club on Monday

Historian Tony Browder will open the convention by speaking about the 'extensive and exhaustive damage done to black people' over the years

Several of these organizations have been identified in other reparations campaigns and lawsuits in the past.

New York Life and Aetna, for example, sold insurance polices to slave owners.

In some cases, they have apologized for their roles in slavery.

Activists will stage protests outside branches of Capitol One and Wells Fargo in Washington DC on Friday and Saturday.

Reparations activist Malik Shabazz, said organizers were 'ready to take decisive action.'

'The time for deliberations and begging for justice has come to an end,' he said.

Delegates will also debate the creation of a what is being called an Afro-descendent Nation (ADN).

The group in January launched a survey of America's roughly 40 million black people about their goals from a reparations campaign.

One of the survey questions asks about the creation of a 'sovereign nation that we can call our own.'

It would be formed from a breakaway part of the US.

Equality campaigner Malik Shabazz says the time for 'begging for justice has come to an end'

Campaigners say America should repay black residents for the injustices of slavery

The survey responses will be sent to the UN's International Court of Justice, organizers say.

Silis Muhammad, CEO of the ADN, called the event a chance for 'Afrodescendants to reclaim their human rights and self-determination.'

From the 15th to the 19th century, at least 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped, forcibly transported by European ships and merchants and sold into slavery.

Those who survived the brutal voyage ended up toiling on plantations in the Americas, including in Brazil, the Caribbean, and the United States, while others profited from their labor.

The idea of paying reparations or making other amends for slavery has a long history, but the movement has gained momentum worldwide.

In the US, reparations efforts gathered steam amid the protests after the police killing of George Floyd in 2020, but have since fizzled.

Campaigners say it's time for America to repay its black residents for the injustices of the historic Transatlantic slave trade, Jim Crow segregation and inequalities that persist to this day.

The sums are eye-watering  black lawmakers in Washington seek at least $14 trillion for a federal scheme to 'eliminate the racial wealth gap' between black and white Americans.

Critics say payouts to selected black people will inevitably stoke divisions between winners and losers, and raise questions about why American Indians and others don't get their own handouts.

Reparations are popular among the black people who stand to benefit from them, but unpopular among the whites, Asians, and others who would foot the tax bill without themselves benefiting.

A survey last year of 6,000 registered California voters found that only 23 percent supported cash reparations, while 59 percent were opposed.
Horrifying video shows how a Texas boy was forced to take cover during a drive-by shooting outside his home.

The nine-year-old boy comes within inches of being hit, sat in his house in Fort Worth with his two dogs.

At least four bullets enter the apartment, fired from the backseat of a red Kia Soul.

The car is seen in surveillance footage speeding past the first-floor residence as young Errol Hill ducks for cover.

You can see the boy on the couch directly in front of a window when the bullets come flying in, in an incident that saw six other young people, including a toddler, injured. As cops search for a suspect, the boy sat for an interview with his mother.

Horrifying video shows how a Texas boy was forced to take cover during a drive-by shooting outside his home on May 1. The nine-year-old boy comes within inches of being hit, while sat in his house in Fort Worth with his two dogs

As cops search for a suspect, the boy sat for an interview with his mother, recalling the horrors of his ordeal. Six other young people, including a toddler, were also injured, as they crowded around Errol Hill and MaryJane Gonzales's house

'It came through the wall,' Errol recalled to NBC Dallas-Fort Worth of the incident, which occurred on May 1.

'I thought it was just fireworks, but when I heard the screams, I looked outside.'

The boy's mother, MaryJane Gonzales, added of her two other children's' response to the shots fired off-screen: 'You could hear everybody screaming downstairs,'

'The screams were hard screams, not playful screams.'

She then went on to recall coming to the aid of six people wounded outside her home, including a three-year-old toddler who cops in the Texas city said was the most 'seriously' injured.

The kid, she told the NBC News affiliate, was going in and out of consciousness.

'It forever changed our life. We are traumatized,' she said, growing emotional at points while seated in the very same living room where the bullets had ripped just a few weeks earlier. 'I've never seen anyone get shot, let alone a child.'

She said she's set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for her and her family, so they can 'move to safety' as cops probe the incident.

The boy is seen ducking for cover in the heart-pounding clip, which was shared this week as cops continue to search for a suspect

Thr group of children hit by the barrage of bullets is seen here, seconds before scattering. None were killed, cops said, without identifying the victims due their age. They ranged in age from 3 to 19

The Red Kia seemingly responsible for the barrage of shots is seen here. As of writing, it remains unclear what the shooter's - or shooters' - target was

'It came through the wall,' Errol recalled to NBC Dallas-Fort Worth of the incident. 'I thought it was just fireworks, but when I heard the screams, I looked outside'

His two older brothers, seen left and right, were also home at the time of the shooting, and were also not injured

'The fear we felt that night still haunts us, especially our children, who are now scared to stay in the place we've called home for four years,' the page states,

'Despite reaching out to apartment management, they have not taken action to repair the bullet holes or address our safety concerns.

'With full-time work and school commitments, we never imagined having to find a new home on such short notice, especially after just signing a year-long lease.

'We're reaching out to our community for support to help us move to a safer environment where our children can feel secure again.

'Any contribution, no matter how small, will make a huge difference in our lives,' the family wrote.

'Your generosity will help us heal from this trauma and start anew. Thank you for standing with us during this challenging time.'

Meanwhile, clips taken from outside the family's home shows how an unsuspecting group of students convened outside appeared to be the suspect's - or suspects' - targets, seen scattering as bullets fly from the speeding Kia.

You can see the boy on the couch directly in front of a window when the bullets come flying in, in an incident that saw six other young people, including a three-year-old toddler (left) and her six year-old brother (right) struck

Both children are now recovering form their gunshot wounds, their parents (pictured) told Fox 4 last week

The injuries and identities of those hit have yet to be released. Cops are seen at the crime scene on May 1

On Monday, Gonzales, a working medical assistant, recalled rushing out to stop the bleeding of the young victims, cops said.'

That one was really hard for me,' the mom of three said of treating the unnamed three-year-old, who cops said was the most seriously injured. 'Seeing her going in and out of consciousness,' she added. 'Ive never had to experience that'

On Monday, Gonzales, a working medical assistant, recalled rushing out to stop the bleeding of the multiple victims, who ranged in age from 3 to 19, cops said.

'That one was really hard for me,' Gonzales said of the three-year-old, who cops said was the most seriously injured.

'Seeing her going in and out of consciousness,' she added. 'Ive never had to experience that.

Close to being the seventh victim, Errol expressed guilt about coming out unscathed while others did not.

'I was just glad that I didnt get hit, but I felt bad for those kids who got hit,' he said. 'I felt terrorized in those moments.'

The injuries and identities of those hit have yet to be released, but last week, FOX 4 interviewed the parents of two of the shooting victims.

The mother and father of the 3-year-old girl and her 6-year-old brother, the couple said that both are in stable condition, recovering from their gunshot wounds.

The Fort Worth Police Department has not announced any arrests or updates about its investigation, as Gonzales on Monday recalled crime scene officials descending on the same living room she and her son were sat in days earlier.

'The crime scene people came through, and they were looking for the fourth bullet,' Gonzales said, after at least four bullets entered the apartment

Anyone with any more information has been urged to reach out to the department directly. Cops investigation, as of Tuesday, remained ongoing

'The crime scene people came through, and they were looking for the fourth bullet,' Gonzales said, after at least four bullets were seen whizzing by her youngest son's head.

'It couldve been a lot worse than what it was.'

Recalling the first time she saw the harrowing surveillance footage, she said: 'I literally gasped when I seen it, and my heart fell through my stomach.

The red Kia seen speeding away after the shots were fired, meanwhile, remains at large. Investigators have yet to name any suspects.

DailyMail.com has reached out to the Fort Worth Police Department. Anyone with any more information has been urged to reach out to the department directly.

Cops investigation, as of Tuesday, remained ongoing.
Voters in three states are headed to the polls on Tuesday to cast their ballots in primary races that could help decide the majority in the Senate come November.

Democrats in the Senate currently hold a narrow 51 seat majority but are facing an unfriendly map this election season.

The states holding primaries on Tuesday - Maryland, West Virginia and Nebraska - are typically considered safe red or blue states, but based on who is running could lead to some shake-ups this fall.

Republicans are gunning to reclaim the chamber after missing their chance in the 2022 midterms.

Maryland's Competitive primary

Voters in Maryland are heading to the polls on Tuesday to cast ballots in the state's Senate primary where the Democratic race for the nomination is extremely competitive and Republicans could force a competitive race in the usually blue state come November.

Democrats will choose their candidate to go up against former GOP Governor Larry Hogan in the Maryland Senate race

It is an open race to fill the seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Senator Ben Cardin. The 80-year-old announced he would not seek another term a year ago.

Angela Alsobrooks and Congressman David Trone appear to be neck-and-neck in the Democratic primary race.

The latest poll by Emerson College has Alsobrooks polling at 42 percent among Democratic primary voters while Trone has 41 percent. Several other recent polls had Trone leading in the razor-thin race.

Alsobrooks has served as executive of Prince George's County just outside Washington, D.C., since 2018.

She has the backing of Maryland Democratic heavyweights including Governor Wes Moore, Senator Chris Van Hollen and Congressman Jamie Raskin.

If she wins the primary and is elected in November, she would be the first black woman elected to the Senate from the state and the only black woman serving in the Senate nationally.

Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks is backed by Maryland's Governor Wes Moore, Senator Chris Van Hollen and Rep. Jamie Raskin

Rep. David Trone has served as a congressman since 2019 and has put more than $50 million of his own money into the race

Former Governor Larry Hogan served as the state's chief executive including leading it through the coronavirus pandemic

Senator Ben Cardin announced he would retire at the end of his latest term. He has served in the Senate since 2007

Trone has been a congressman representing Maryland's 6th congressional district since 2019 which includes some suburbs of Washington, DC.

While Alsobrooks has the backing of top Democrats in the state - Trone, a businessman, has a whopping cash advantage.

Trone has put more than $54 million of his own money into his campaign through April 24 according to federal election filings.

Whoever wins the Democratic primary will go up against the likely Republican Senate nominee Larry Hogan.

Hogan, who has been a Donald Trump critic, was the GOP governor in the blue state from 2015 to 2023 and left office with high marks from both Democrats and Republicans.

Emerson College's latest general election poll show both Alsobrooks and Trone both leading him in the race, but other polls have shown Hogan leading by as much as double digits, signaling his entrance into the Senate fight has made it much more competitive this fall.

Voters cast ballots in the Maryland primary election in Chester, MD on May 14

A voter casts a ballot on May 14, 2024 in the Maryland primary

Nearly $60 million has been spent in the Maryland Senate primaries alone making it one of the most expensive. The vast majority of that spending has been by Trone who has dropped more than $45 million on advertising in the race.

Polls close at 8pm ET.

Joe Manchin's Senate exit paves way for a West Virginia Republican

West Virginia has become a deeply red state with Democratic Senator Joe Manchin being the last Democrat in statewide office. But Manchin is not running for re-election.

His retirement from the Senate means Republicans are more than likely to pick up the open seat come November. Cook Political Report rates it as solidly Republican.

Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced in November that he would not seek re-election paving the way for Republicans to flip the seat

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice holding up his dog Babydog's rear end during his State of the State address in the West Virginia House chamber in 2022

Republican West Virginia Governor Jim Justice is leading by double-digits in the state's GOP Senate primary

Former Democrat turned Republican Governor Jim Justice is the frontrunner in the Republican West Virginia Senate race.

Justice is one of the wealthiest people in the state and has the name recognition to match having served as governor since 2017.

Justice's closest opponent in the GOP primary race is Congressman Alex Mooney.

Mooney has served in Congress since 2015. He has been getting a boost from the conservative super PAC Club for Growth Action, but Justice has been leading in the polls by double digits.

Democrats running in the primary include former coal executive Don Blankenship who served prison time for violating mine safety rules, Wheeling mayor Glenn Elliot and Marine veteran and community activist Zachary Shrewsbury.

Polls in the state close at 7:30pm ET.

Nebraska holds two Senate primaries

In Nebraska, voters are casting ballots in two Senate races thanks to former Republican Senator Ben Sasse's retirement in 2022.

In one race, Republican Senator Deb Fischer is up for re-election and seeking her third term. She's being challenged in the GOP primary by Arron Kowalski.

While the race is not considered competitive, Fischer does not have the backing of the state Republican party.

Nebraska voters are casting ballots in two Senate races. Senator Fischer is up for re-election and Senator Pete Ricketts is facing a special election having been appointed to fill the seat vacated by former Senator Ben Sasse

Meanwhile, Republican Senator Pete Ricketts, who was appointed to the seat when Sasse retired, is running in the special election to serve two more years.

Ricketts is leading in a race against GOP challengers John Glen Weaver and Mac Stevens, but he also did not receive an endorsement from the state party.

Also in Nebraska, Rep. Don Bacon is facing a primary challenger in Nebraska's second congressional district which serves as a bellwether in the presidential election.

Rep. Don Bacon and his wife Angie Bacon vote in the Nebraska primary

Bacon, who has served since 2017, won reelection in 2020 but Biden also won the district with more than 56 percent.

Bacon is being challenged by business executive Dan Frei, who is backed by the state Republican party.

Whoever wins the primary will face a tough primary against Democrat Tony Vargas who lost to Bacon in the 2022 midterm by less than 6,000 votes.
By Ko Dong-hwan

Korea's instant noodle exports have shifted into a higher gear as Nongshim, the country's largest noodle maker, has sealed a supply deal with major retailers in France, according to the company and industry officials, Tuesday.

The latest deal has boosted the global prominence of Korea's rapidly growing instant noodle industry as other instant noodle makers here like Samyang Foods, Ottogi and Paldo have been expanding their overseas presence. In 2023, they made record-high exports of over 1 trillion won ($730 million), according to the Korea International Trade Association.

Nongshim has become an official supplier for E.Leclerc and Carrefour, the top two major supermarket chains in France which together occupy over 40 percent of the retail market there. Under the deal, the company, in addition to its signature product Shin Ramyun, will ship out a vegan product and other instant noodles as well as snack products starting next month.

Nongshim has clinched the deal as France is hosting Paris Olympics in July, which will draw millions of athletes, supporters and tourists from around the world. The city also hosts the Korea Expo 2024 later this month and K-Street Festival in June.

The company has targeted those events for promoting its products, with plans to operate its booths during both. During the Olympic Games, the company, under partnerships with major local retail malls there, will open pop-up stores within the venues.

Nongshim's latest breakthrough in France, according to the company, signals the start of its market expansion throughout Europe. It said it will target Spain, Italy and other countries in southwestern Europe as well as northern European nations like Sweden and Denmark.

"Our partnership with Carrefour has allowed us to launch our products in countries where the French company is doing business including Romania, Belgium and Poland," a company official said. "We'll establish a subsidiary in Europe early next year to better secure the market share."

To support its production capacity for Europe as well as its active markets in Asia, Nongshim said it will add new production lines for instant cup noodle products to its second U.S. factory in California by the end of October. The second factory was built after the first one could no longer meet local demand that exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The second factory, built in 2022, has been the company's key manufacturing hub for exports, raising Nongshim USA's sales by 24 percent to $490 million in 2022 and further upping it by 10 percent to $538 million in 2023.

With the new production line activated, Nongshim USA's production capacity is expected to jump by 20 percent to 1.01 billion products per year.

"We'll make efforts to target all of Europe within this year," the company official said. "And we'll crank up our manufacturing capabilities to supply our products anywhere in the world."
An award-winning chef who cooked for Sir Paul McCartney fiddled more than 3,600 from a nursing home, a court has heard.

Head chef Jamie Parker-Evans, 35, defrauded Capel Grange Nursing Home in Newport after retaining kitchens items meant for the home and plotting to sell them.

Parker-Evans, 35, cooked for Beatles legend Sir Paul when he was a chef at the luxury Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales, after coming second in a competition for young people when he was just 14.

He then left Celtic Manor to 'broaden his skills' in the kitchens of a beach hotel in Corsica and a ski resort in the French Alps, before joining the nursing home, where he won an award for excellence in catering at the Wales Care Awards in 2022.

The care home praised Parker-Evans for making sure 'all residents are eating the same, high-quality food'.

Parker-Evans cooked for Beatles legend Sir Paul at the luxury Celtic Manor Resort, Newport

But in a dramatic downfall, he was caught defrauding the home, with the court being told that he admitted 'signing for items bought for the care home but retaining them for his own personal possession'.

Magistrates in Newport heard he intended to sell the items, valued at 3,611, for his own gain.

District Judge Sophie Toms said Parker-Evans, of Langstone, was 'in a position of trust'.

He admitted fraud by false representation between July and September last year.

Magistrates in Newport heard he intended to sell the items, valued at 3,611, for his own gain

She took into account his guilty plea, the remorse he had shown, his 'prospects of rehabilitation' and his previous good character.

The judge imposed a 22-week jail term suspended for 12 months as well as 180 hours of unpaid work and 12 days of rehabilitation activity.

Parker-Evans must pay 3,611 in compensation to the care home, a victim services surcharge of 154 and prosecution costs of 85. He will pay at a rate of 300 a month.

Parker-Evans is no longer employed at the home.
Dame Jilly Cooper said King Charles III appeared to be 'delighted' to be back handing out honours today - and described receiving her award as 'orgasmic'.

The prolific Riders and Rivals author, who has just brought out her 52nd book and was awarded a damehood for her services to literature and charity, met His Majesty at Windsor Castle.

The Mail revealed last week that the King had been given permission by doctors to conduct his first investiture since December following his diagnosis for cancer.

Dame Jilly, 87, said: 'The King said congratulations and how pleased he was. He was very sweet. I told him how well I thought he was looking and 'the country loves you so much'.

'He seemed very pleased. He looked really, really well and was very jolly. He asked if I was going to Royal Ascot because he thinks he might have a good horse this year.'

Asked how it felt to receive the honour, the national treasure added: 'Orgasmic! Just terribly exciting and nice. I never dreamed in a million years it would happen and it just has, so it's lovely.'

Dame Jilly also said it was 'lovely' to see the King again after the pair previously met at His Majesty's wedding.

Jilly Cooper is made a Dame Commander of the British Empire by King Charles III today, during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle which was the monarch's first since last December

Dame Jilly Cooper (second left) with her daughter Emily Tarrant (left) and son Felix Cooper and his wife Edwina (right) after being made a Dame Commander of the British Empire today

Jilly Cooper is made a Dame Commander of the British Empire by King Charles III today

Dame Jilly Cooper, queen of the 'bonkbuster' novel, was honoured at Windsor Castle today for her services to literature and charity having recently published her 52nd book, 'Tackle!'

Dame Jilly Cooper is a long-standing friend of Queen Camilla, pictured together in March 2018

Charles, 75, is still undergoing treatment for cancer but is starting to undertake more public engagements again.

Today's investiture was his largest indoor ceremony since last year but was notably on a slightly smaller scale than usual.

He greeted each of the 52 recipients personally, rather than the 60 to 70 who are normally invested.

Dame Jilly said of her honour: 'I'm just terribly, terribly honoured and excited. When the letter arrived I couldn't believe it. I was alone in the house and my hands were shaking.

'Felix my son came in and said 'Mum, mum, what's happened. Who's died? And 'oh my God, you've been made a dame!' It was completely unexpected.'

Asked whether Queen Camilla, a not-so-secret fan of the 'Queen of the bonkbuster' might have had a word in her favour, she said: 'Well, it would be lovely if she had.

'I don't know, but I adore her. She's so lovely. She's looking fantastic at the moment. She's looking absolutely ravishing and she's such fun. Wherever she goes, she makes people laugh.'

King Charles III makes Archbishop of Canterbury the Most Reverend Justin Welby a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order at Windsor Castle this morning

Archbishop of Canterbury the Most Reverend Justin Welby has been made a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO). He is pictured at Windsor Castle this morning

Archbishop of Canterbury the Most Reverend Justin Welby conducted the service for the Coronation at Westminster Abbey in May last year and had the task of crowning King Charles

The writer, who was accompanied by her children, Felix Cooper and Emily Tarrant, and daughter-in-law Edwina Cooper, said she was currently working on a book about Sparta.

She added: 'I've discovered that it's the only place in Ancient Greece where you couldn't be killed for adultery. Everywhere else, if you were caught you were killed.

'It was quite the worst thing you could do to a family, particularly for women. And they had wonderful macho men!

'I haven't quite worked it out yet but it will be modern day and there will be two very glamorous men who go to Sparta to do some filming and have a competition about who can commit the most adultery.'

She added: 'I am so happy to be here. I love the Royal Family and think they work so hard on behalf of our country. I think they are wonderful. We should celebrate them.'

Dame Jilly also named The Common Years as her favourite piece of work she has written.

She is chiefly known for her Rutshire Chronicles, which focus on scandal and adultery in upper-class society and an aristocratic character called Rupert Campbell-Black.

King Charles III is driven from Windsor Castle to London today after the investiture ceremony

The series has seen a string of bestsellers with titles such as Riders, Rivals, Polo, Mount! and The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous along with her most recent work, Tackle!.

Tackle! was nominated in the best fiction category at this year's British Book Awards in March, almost 50 years since Dame Jilly first began publishing fiction work in 1975.

Dame Jilly joked the secret to her longevity and her success was 'luck' and said she always wanted to write 'happy books'.

She said: 'The only thing I wanted to do in life was to cheer people up and people can get quite depressed, so I do like to tell lots of jokes.'

A Disney+ series based on her 1988 novel Rivals, featuring British actor Alex Hassell as Rupert, is currently in production.

The eight-part adaptation will also star David Tennant, Aidan Turner, Emily Atack and Danny Dyer, with first-look pictures released last week.

Dame Jilly said the series was 'absolutely sensational' and that the cast were 'all fantastic'.

King Charles III makes MP Margaret Beckett a Dame Grand Cross at Windsor Castle today

Sanjay Bhandari, chair of anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out, is made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for servivces to sport by King Charles III at Windsor Castle today

The Dean of Westminster Abbey, the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, was made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) at the ceremony at Windsor Castle today

The King also handed out honours to several senior figures involved with his Coronation, including the Most Reverend Justin Welby, who has become only the second serving Archbishop of Canterbury to receive a knighthood for services to the Crown.

He described last year's Coronation as 'deeply moving' after being made a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order for his key role in the event.

He also said His Majesty looked to be in 'very good spirits indeed' and was 'looking very well'.

He admitted that he had hoped he would never have to be involved in a coronation because of his affinity with Queen Elizabeth II, who died in 2022.

Asked about its legacy, Mr Welby said: 'What I hope is remembered is the solemnity and the authenticity with which the King said to the small boy at the beginning: 'I come not to be served, but to serve in the battle of Jesus Christ.'

'That summed up everything we were trying to say in the current nation.'

It was announced last Thursday that Dame Jilly's fellow novelist, Dame Shirley Conran, who had received her honour while in hospital, had died aged 91.
Immigration reforms introduced by the Government have a fighting chance of slashing net migration to as low as 150,000, a leading expert said today.

In what would be a major pre-election boost for PM Rishi Sunak, recent changes to the rule for overseas students and foreign workers could trigger an enormous drop in numbers coming to Britain.

The chairman of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), Professor Brian Bell, said ministers may have underestimated the huge effect of a range of changes which came into force earlier this year.

It could mean net migration  the difference between the number of migrants coming to live in Britain and those emigrating  could soon fall to between 150,000 and 200,000 a year, after hitting a record 745,000 in 2022, Prof Bell said.

Plummeting net migration combined with a successful launch of the Rwanda asylum scheme would be a crucial shot in the arm to the Conservative party in the run-up to the next general election.

Net migration into the UK, based on data from the Office of National Statistics

I think it is entirely possible that there is a really big reduction in international student numbers  and that is going to have an enormous effect on net migration overall, Prof Bell said.

In September [the start of the academic year] we could suddenly see a massive drop.

Postgraduate students who have already paid a deposit for courses this autumn appear to be down by 50 to 60 per cent year-on-year at some institutions, he said.

That will be a much bigger fall than the Government had expected, Prof Bell went on.

If that bears out when we get to September and see the enrolment numbers I think it probably supports a view that the Government will overachieve on that objective of reducing net migration on the student side.

And I think they have a fighting chance, therefore, of getting to where they wanted to be in terms of no increase relative to 2019 in the manifesto.

Probably around 150,000-200,000 is perhaps where youd get to.

The Conservative manifesto in 2019 committed to making sure overall numbers come down at a time when net migration stood at 226,000 a year.

Prof Bell said that further immigration restrictions would be required to get net migration down to the tens of thousands, as first pledged by the Conservatives in 2010.

Recent reforms by Home Secretary James Cleverly have included preventing foreign care workers and most postgraduate students bringing family members with them to the UK, and raising the salary threshold for skilled worker visas for which some students later apply.

A report published by the MAC today said the measures are likely to have a very large impact on the number of foreign students staying to work in Britain.

Rishi Sunak pictured today at a food summit in Downing Street

The MAC, a panel of independent experts which advises ministers, concluded there is no need to shake up the graduate visa route which allows students to work here for up to two years after finishing their course.

It said there was no evidence of widespread abuse of the graduate visa.

But it warned that foreign students may be being exploited and misled by agencies which recruit for courses at British universities, and called for tougher regulation.

Further restrictions on foreign students would lead to universities  which rely on higher tuition fees paid by international students  facing a budget meltdown, the report said.

The higher education sector would suffer substantial financial difficulty which could lead to job losses and even force some institutions to close down.

The recent immigration policy changes will directly impact the demand for the graduate route, and thereafter progression onto longer term work routes, the study said.

The  impacts of these policy changes alone could be very large.

For the cohort of international students who finished in 2023, we might have expected around 70,000 to have ultimately progressed onto work routes.

Under the policy changes already introduced, this could reduce to around 26,000.

It said there was concern about potential exploitation of both student and graduate visa holders due to poor practices by certain agents who recruit students onto courses and may be mis-selling UK higher education.

The report added that one student representative told the MAC that there were outright lies being told by third-party educational agents who are mis-selling the UK as an immigration destination as opposed to an education destination.

The MACs report, which was commissioned by Mr Cleverly in March, said there should be a mandatory registration system for international recruitment agents and sub-agents.

A group of migrants are brought ashore at Dover after being intercepted by Border Force yesterday

Universities should be required to publish their spend on recruitment agents and the number of international students recruited in that way, it added.

It also recommended a new requirement for universities to tell the Home Office what class of degree applicants have achieved in their undergraduate course.

Last year 114,000 graduate route visas were granted for main applicants with a further 30,000 for dependants.

Just four nationalities - Indian, Nigerian, Chinese and Pakistani - account for 70 per cent of the total.

Last November the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said net migration was 745,000 in 2022, and fell to 672,000 in the partly-overlapping 12 months to June 2023.

A new figure for the whole of 2023 is due to be published by the ONS next week.

A Government spokesman said: We are considering the reviews findings very closely and we will respond fully in due course.
Russia has put its fearsome new Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) into service - a key step in the modernisation of what is already the world's largest nuclear arsenal.

Chief designer Yuri Solomonov said the Russian military's adoption of his devastating new rockets was announced in a decree dated May 7, the same day that President Vladimir Putin began a new six-year term in the Kremlin.

The Bulava, a submarine-launched nuclear ICBM, was developed under a programme that started in the 1990s, and is designed to be deployed on Russia's Borei-class submarines.

According to the Missile Defense Project at the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies, the Bulava has a range of 5,160 miles and a payload of up to 10 multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRVs), capable of delivering nuclear warheads to different targets.

The 40ft-long rocket that weighs in at some 37 tonnes will form the cornerstone of Russia's land-sea-air nuclear triad alongside the Topol, Yars and Sarmat systems.

Launch of intercontinental ballistic missile Bulava from Russian nuclear submarine Yuri Dolgoruky in the Barents Sea

Russia's new nuclear-powered submarine Imperator Alexander III test launches the Bulava ballistic missile, designed to carry nuclear warheads, from the White Sea, in this image taken from video released November 5, 2023

The Bulava, a submarine launched nuclear ICBM, was developed under a programme that started in the 1990s, and is designed to be deployed on Russia 's Borei-class submarines

Russia's defence ministry said in November one of those submarines had successfully demonstrated the weapon's terrifying strike capability, firing it from an underwater position in the White Sea off northern Russia and hitting a target thousands of kilometres away on the Kamchatka peninsula

The deployment of the Bulava missiles comes after Russia's defence ministry said in November one of its Borei-class submarines had successfully demonstrated the weapon's terrifying strike capability.

That test saw a missile fired from an underwater position in the White Sea off northern Russia hit a target thousands of kilometres away on the Kamchatka peninsula in the far east.

TASS said Russia's Northern and Pacific fleets now include seven Borei submarines and each carries 16 Bulavas - as a slew of unsettling videos emerged showing the missiles being test-launched prior to their adoption.

The Russian defence ministry had previously shared clips of the impressive new missiles blasting from their silos aboard submarines in the Arctic Circle before streaking into the air and soaring away at shocking speed in tests as far back as 2019.

Solomonov, the chief designer at the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering behind the Bulava, is also responsible for developing Russia's Topol-M and Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles which have long represented the backbone of Moscow's nuclear threat.

Putin has warned the West since the start of the war in Ukraine that direct intervention by NATO troops there could trigger a nuclear conflict.

In March he said he did not believe the United States was 'rushing' towards this, but that Russia's nuclear forces were ready for any eventuality.

News that Russia's Borei-class submarines have been fitted with the Bulava missiles comes as former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev engaged in yet more sabre-rattling - and mocked Britain's foreign minister David Cameron.

Medvedev - who was Russian president when David Cameron became prime minister in 2010 - warned the Foreign Secretary he was risking nuclear over his vow to Ukraine that they can use British missiles to target Russia.

He mocked the peer for seeking 'to fight with Putin to the bitter end' and branded him a 'moron' for the comments.

A video screen grab shows the Borei-class nuclear-powered submarine K-535 Yuri Dolgoruky after launching an RSM-56 Bulava ballistic missile in the Barents Sea

The Borei-class nuclear-powered submarine K-535 Yuri Dolgoruky launches an RSM-56 Bulava ballistic missile in the Barents Sea

Russia's Deputy head of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev (right) engaged in yet more sabre-rattling over Ukraine - and mocked Britain's foreign minister David Cameron (left)

Cameron had earlier said that Ukraine was free to decide how to use British-supplied weapons.

'In terms of what the Ukrainians do, in our view, it is their decision about how to use these weapons, they're defending their country, they were illegally invaded by Putin and they must take those steps,' he said.

This appeared to change an understanding that Western long-range missiles would be used on Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine, but not in Russia itself.

'I remember this bloke quite well. I worked with him when he became prime minister,' Medvedev said of Cameron.

'An ordinary, dull British guy. At that time he was joyfully stupid and looked like a young devil who was revelling in his unexpectedly acquired position.'

Medvedev alleged Cameron had told the Ukrainians 'you can fire our missiles wherever you want we, the British, are not afraid of anything, not even a nuclear conflict'.

'Cool! You shouldn't be, mate,' Medvedev retorted. 'I don't have a decent answer, except for one thing.'

'David - you might want to be careful,' he said, before declining to specify exactly what would happen should British missiles strike Russian territory.

Medvedev was modern Russia's longest-serving prime minister, who was also Russian president between 2028-2012.

He is now Putin's deputy on the Russian Security Council, which now has ex-defence minister Sergei Shoigu as its secretary.
A heavily pregnant teenager who viewed her unborn child as a 'problem' has gone on trial accused of illegally aborting the baby.

Sophie Harvey is said to have obtained pills to end her pregnancy after learning she was at 28 weeks and five days' gestation - around a month too late to get a legal abortion in England.

Prosecutors allege Harvey and her boyfriend, Elliot Benham, now aged 25, then searched online for methods to end the pregnancy and bought drugs, which she then took.

Harvey, then aged 19, gave birth in the bathroom of her home, before wrapping the baby in a towel and disposing of it in a bin, Gloucester Crown Court heard.

Anna Vigars KC, prosecuting, told the court abortions are legal in England up to 24 weeks gestation if carried out by a registered medical practitioner, and can be carried out beyond 24 weeks in very limited circumstances, which did not apply in this case.

'These two young people found themselves in a very difficult situation facing difficult choices - a situation of their own making,' she said.

Sophie Harvey and Elliot Benham leave Gloucester Crown Court after the first day of their trial, where they are accused of obtaining drugs to illegally abort a baby

The defendants covered their faces as they left Gloucester Crown Court, where they are on trial for obtaining drugs to illegally abort a baby

'In the summer of 2018 they were both 19 and in a relationship and had been for about a year.'

Mrs Vigars explained that by August 2018, Harvey thought she might be pregnant having not had a period since mid-April.

Harvey and Benham told the GP she might be about 16 weeks pregnant and did not want to keep the child, so were referred to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS).

The couple had an appointment at BPAS on August 30 where a scan revealed Harvey was at 28 weeks and five days' gestation.

'It was impossible for her to have an abortion at this stage,' Mrs Vigars said.

'Staff spent time speaking with them and unsurprisingly both of them appeared shocked.'

Elliot Benham, (second left under umbrella) and Sophie Harvey, (second right under umbrella) previously appeared at Cheltenham Magistrates' Court over the abortion

Harvey has denied procuring a poison, procuring own miscarriage by poison and attempting to pervert the course of public justice, while Benham also denies attempting to pervert the course of public justice

BPAS staff referred Harvey back to her GP for urgent antenatal care, but community midwives were unsuccessful in their attempts to contact her, the court heard.

'She didn't want to have the baby and bluntly both of them wanted the problem to disappear,' the prosecutor said.

The court heard the defendants had searched the internet for information on illegal abortions and the drugs needed.

Police search a potential crime scene in Kingsdown, Swindon, related to the alleged illegal termination

Addressing the jury, Mrs Vigars said: 'Whatever your views of abortion and the right of woman to choose, or whether you believe abortion is wrong because of the ending of a life, what is very clear is this: by the beginning of September 2018, Sophie Harvey and Elliot Benham were in a difficult position and one that was not going to go away unless they did something about it.'

The court heard online searches were carried out, including: 'Is online abortion pills legit?' and 'Do MTP kits work?'

Mrs Vigars said about a week after the BPAS appointment, Benham paid 309.44 for drugs to induce a medical abortion, which he collected from the Royal Mail on September 22.

Harvey later told the police they had decided to keep the baby but in September suffered a stillbirth.

The prosecutor said: 'In fact, they suffered a stillbirth between the date the pills were ordered and the date they arrived.

'They say Sophie Harvey gave birth in a bathroom one Sunday afternoon while her family were away at a dancing competition.

'In her shocked state she wrapped the baby in a towel and disposed of the baby.

'They say that although they had got what they needed for an illegal abortion, in fact Sophie Harvey never took the pills and the baby was born still, and the pregnancy came to an end naturally.'

Mrs Vigars added: 'The prosecution do not accept that account. The prosecution position is that the pregnancy was brought to an end by the taking of that pill.

'The Crown's position is that having done the research, they obtained the pills and she took the first pill and then gave birth, before getting rid of the baby's body.

'In getting rid of the baby's body they were also getting rid of any medical evidence that she had taken the pill.'

Harvey, of St Mary's Road, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, became tearful in the dock during today's hearing.

She denies charges of procuring a poison, procuring own miscarriage by poison and attempting to pervert the course of public justice.

Benham, of Wingfield, Swindon, Wiltshire denies a single charge of attempting to pervert the course of public justice.

Both defendants have pleaded guilty to concealing the birth of a child.

The trial continues.
Wild footage captured the moment two passengers began brawling over air conditioning before their flight even took off.

In a video shared to social media by shocked onlookers, the two men, who have not been identified, began scuffling over their overhead air conditioning unit shortly after they sat down.

At the start of the clip, reportedly filmed on an Eva Air flight, an older man reached across an empty seat and toggled with the air conditioning over another passenger wearing a sleeping pillow.

When the other man reached up, the older passenger slapped his hand away, triggering a frenzy that ended with the older man being thrown to the floor.

Wild footage captured the moment two passengers began brawling before their flight even took off after they argued about the overhead air conditioning

A younger passenger wearing a neck pillow reacted with fury after the older man ordered him to not 'f*** with it'

In a flash, both men began trading wild punches, taking off their seatbelts as they prepared to brawl

The younger passenger briefly threw the older man to the floor as they tussled, before a flight attendant stepped in

Eva Air did not immediately respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com, and it is unclear what happened to the two men following their altercation.

Stunned passengers pleaded for the two men to calm down as they began squabbling, which seemingly escalated when the older man warned the other, 'Don't f*** with it.'

At that moment, the man with the neck pillow reached up and changed the air con again, sparking an aggressive reaction as his neighbor slapped his hand, again warning him: 'Don't touch it, I said!'

The younger man began laughing to himself before throwing a punch at the other man's head.

With the runway seen behind them showing the plane had yet to take off, both men took off their seatbelts as they prepared to launch into a full-blown fight.

As other passengers told them to 'stop it', the younger man appeared to call over a flight attendant, and sat back down.

In a flash, the older man tried to throw another punch but missed, before the other passenger stood up and firmly threw him to the floor, telling him to 'chill, b****.'

A woman filming the altercation called out: 'You're both about to get thrown off the plane, just chill out.'

Both men appeared to then try to explain the reason for the fight to a flight attendant, however it is unclear if they were escorted off the plane.

The altercation, reportedly on Eva Air, comes just a week after another chaotic brawl erupted on one of the airline's flights.

The altercation on Eva Air came just a week after footage also reportedly showed two men fighting three hours into a flight from Taiwan to California

A passenger erupted in a rage after another man stole his seat, reportedly because his neighbor was coughing too much

Flight attendants stepped in as the men threw wild punches at each other while passengers screamed at them to stop

Passengers stepped in to help the cabin crew, and the two men were kept apart for the remainder of the flight until they were handed over to San Francisco police on their arrival

Three hours into a journey from Taiwan to California, a passenger was accused of stealing another's seat, allegedly because their neighbor was coughing too much, according to Whats'sTheJam.

The original occupant reacted with fury at seeing his seat was taken, and threw a vicious punch at the seat stealer.

Three flight attendants sprang into action and stepped in to stop the brawl escalating, with one holding him back before another pushed him to the back of the plane.

One of the flight attendants was then elbowed in the head, before the man who stole the seat launched himself at the other man and began swinging wildly at him.

Passengers stepped in to help the cabin crew, and the two men were kept apart for the remainder of the flight until they were handed over to San Francisco police on their arrival.
A nursery worker was feeding pasta Bolognese to four children at once when one of them choked before dying in hospital six days later, an inquest has heard.

The tragedy occurred just four weeks after nine-month-old Oliver Steeper had started attending the Jelly Beans Day Nursery in Ashford, Kent, in September 2021.

Giving evidence at his inquest, nursery worker Loetta Collins said it was 'not really' usual for four babies to be fed by one person at the same time.

The qualified child carer was not feeding Oliver when he started to choke, but had 'finely chopped' his food, and was the 'key person' responsible for his care, the jury inquest at Oakwood House in Maidstone heard.

Oliver Steeper died in hospital in September 2021 six days after he choked on food at the Jelly Beans Day Nursery in Ashford, Kent

Oliver's parents, Lewis and Zoe Steeper, arriving at Oakwood House, Maidstone for his inquest today

Oliver Steeper surrounded by tubes at the Evelina London Children's Hospital before he died

The 31-year-old started working at the nursery around the same time Oliver joined.

The baby boy had been eating pureed meals at home and his parents believed he was 'nowhere near being able to chew' properly, the inquest previously heard.

During the two half-days per week he spent at the nursery, Oliver was looked after in the 'Panda Room' for babies aged three months to two years old, jurors were told.

The nursery's staff to baby ratio was one member of staff to every three children, and lunch would normally be served at 11am.

Mrs Collins told the inquest she and Oliver's mother Zoe Steeper had discussed how her son's food should be prepared before he joined.

'I asked her: "How would you like it?"

'She said: "Finely chopped,"' the inquest heard.

Baby Oliver's tiny coffin pictured in the hearse during the funeral that was held for the nine-month-old

Oliver's mother had tried to remind the nursery staff he was not able to eat solid foods on the day he died, but did not want to 'rock the boat', the inquest was told

Food prepared by chefs would normally be chopped up by nursery staff to suit the needs of each baby, the inquest heard.

Oliver's parents had 'assumed' his food would be blended by staff, his mother previously said.

But asked if the plan had ever been to puree Oliver's food, Mrs Collins replied: 'No.'

On the day Oliver choked on his penne pasta and Bolognese, Mrs Collins had chopped up the food before another staff member fed it to him.

Mrs Collins said: 'Lunch was running late because of how busy we were.

'I spent a lot of time cutting his food and mixing it until I was satisfied.

'I do worry about things like that.'

Asked if it was common practice for staff to feed four children at once, she replied: 'Not really.'

The nursery worker said she first realised something was wrong with Oliver when he 'made a sound as if he was going to cry, but didn't start crying'.

Mrs Collins, who is trained in first aid, immediately realised Oliver was choking and tried to administer back slaps to clear his airway, she told jurors.

The nursery manager arrived to help, before emergency call handlers advised them to start CPR, the inquest heard.

Baby Oliver was rushed to hospital, but brain scans revealed he was not going to survive, and he died six days later.

The Jelly Beans Day Nursery has since closed, according to Ofsted.

The baby boy, who only had two front teeth, had been eating pureed meals at home, and his parents were assured by nursery workers that solids could be blended before being fed to him, the inquest was told

The inquest previously heard that parents of nine-month-old Oliver had 'assumed' his food would be blended by staff because he was 'nowhere near being able to chew' properly.

His mother had tried to remind staff he was not able to eat solid foods on the day he died, but did not want to 'rock the boat', the inquest was told.

The baby boy, who only had two front teeth, had been eating pureed meals at home, and his parents were assured by nursery workers that solids could be blended before being fed to him, the inquest was told.

But Oliver's parents became concerned when they found 'chunks' of pineapple in his vomit, and had intended to remind nursery staff that solid foods were not suitable for him, his mother Zoe Steeper told the inquest at Oakwood House in Maidstone.

The jury inquest heard that during a trial session at the nursery with his mother, baby Oliver had been offered some pear but 'didn't really know what to do with it' and just 'squished it between his fists'.

'The majority of his food at home was purees,' Mrs Steeper said as she gave evidence.

Mrs Steeper, and Oliver's father Lewis Steeper, were told by the nursery that food could be blended for him, the inquest heard.

'We assumed that food would be pureed,' Mrs Steeper said. 'He wasn't able to chew, that made us extra cautious.'

Mr and Mrs Steeper had chosen to send their son to the Jelly Beans Day Nursery because it was only 20 minutes from their home, and it 'felt like a family run nursery', the jury heard.

When baby Oliver was unwell, and his parents found 'chunks' of pineapple in his vomit, the couple 'wondered how he had managed to eat it'.

Mrs Steeper continued: 'He had been given fruit salad at nursery, it was clear it wasn't pureed.

'I said I was going to speak to the nursery the following week.'

Swimming teacher Zoe Steeper with her baby son Oliver on a beach trip before his tragic death

Mrs Steeper had considered emailing the nursery immediately, but she did not want to 'rock the boat' or make staff feel she was 'being pushy', jurors were told.

Describing the moment she tried to raise the issue with staff in person while dropping Oliver off the following week, she said: 'I felt rushed because I was dropping him off late.'

'The lady I gave him to seemed rushed. Another child was holding her leg.'

Later that morning, Mrs Steeper, who was working in a fire brigade control centre at the time, received a call from the nursery to say her son had been 'involved in an accident and had chocked on his lunch', the inquest heard.

When she arrived at the nursery, Mrs Steeper saw a young paramedic running with her son in his arms while doing chest compressions, she told the inquest.

Baby Oliver was rushed to hospital, but brain scans revealed he was not going to survive, and he died six days later.

Kent Police investigated the incident, but no further action was taken.

The inquest is expected to last for two weeks.
Greece is turning to satellites and AI to crack down on the 'illegal' use of sunbeds, umbrellas and chairs on 8,000 of its beaches as summer approaches.

Greece's Ministry of Digital Governance is launching a new programme that will use satellite data to track violations of the country's contentious beach-use laws, Ekathimerini reported.

Under the current system, the government normally allows businesses to lease up to 50% of public beaches, and just 30% of areas protected by EU regulation.

But in reality businesses have capitalised on lax enforcement, and often take up far more room than they lease.

On top of this, they try and bar non-paying customers and often push them to rent umbrellas and sunbeds.

Greece's Ministry of Digital Governance is launching a new programme that will use satellite data to track violations of the country's contentious beach-use laws

Businesses have capitalised on lax enforcement, and often take up far more room than they lease

Luxury resorts along Greece's many coasts are considered the worst offenders, with critics accusing them of essentially creating private beaches using public land and charging hundreds of dollars a day.

From June, the government is cracking down on alleged violators thanks to the agreement with the University of the Aegean.

The agreement will see an artificial intelligence 'learning' how to spot offenders during the summer.

It has not yet said what will happen to businesses that are caught violating the rules.

Last summer, Greece was awash with protests known as the 'beach towel revolt', which saw locals fed up with paying extortionate sums of money to businesses take to the streets to voice their concerns.

Efthymia Sarantakou from the University of West Attica told the BBC last year: 'There is a] long-standing lack of oversight, which has led to increased impunity.'

The academic added that the failure of government to intervene and allow Greek citizens, many of whom are still reeling from the Eurozone crisis, to enjoy public beaches lead to businesses taking on a 'mafia-like' role in society.

'There are allegations of civilians being intimidated by beach bar employees when they tried to sit on what remained as a free part of the beach.'
Gunmen killed a five-year-old boy in a hail of bullets - after the child ran out to greet his father while the thieves were hijacking his truck.

Little Ditebogo Phalane Jr was gunned down outside his home in Soshanguve, near Pretoria, South Africa, on May 10 around 10pm.

Thieves were in the middle of stealing the family's Toyota pick-up when Ditebogo was shot, according to local media.

Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo said: 'An unconfirmed number of armed suspects allegedly hijacked the father's white Toyota Hilux bakkie and shot the five-year-old boy who later died in hospital.'

The little boy's heartbroken family appealed for any witnesses to come forward. Family spokesperson Gift Makoti said: 'We thank the community for their support during this difficult time.'

Little Ditebogo Phalane Jr was gunned down outside his home in Soshanguve, near Pretoria, South Africa, as he was running toward his father on May 10 (father and son pictured together)

Thieves were in the middle of stealing the family's Toyota pick-up when Ditebogo (pictured) was shot, according to local media

The little boy's heartbroken family (pictured with Ditebogo before his death) appealed for any witnesses to come forward. Family spokesperson Gift Makoti said: 'We thank the community for their support during this difficult time'

Local police are investigating the killing and the leader of the Patriotic Alliance, a South African political party, has offered a reward to anyone helping to find Ditebogo's killers.

Gayton McKenzie said he would give 10,000 (250,000 Rands) to 'anyone with information about the guilty party'.

Another reward of 430 was offered by a local investigating agency.

Politician Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said that his Economic Freedom Fighters party would put pressure on the police to catch the gunmen.

'This is a matter of a five-year-old. No one deserves to go through what the Phalane family is going through. No one has to lose their child in the way they did and we are going to make sure police do their job,' he told local outlet TimesLive.
Students left in tears after missing both high school and college graduations

Devastated Howard University nursing graduates have slammed the school after their graduation was cancelled an hour into the ceremony.

The tearful students, who did not get to walk the stage for their 2020 high school graduations due to Covid, we left disappointed again following the events on Thursday.

The university was forced to cancel graduations for the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences after the auditorium hit capacity.

Furious relatives were seen banging on the venue chanting 'let us in' and a glass door ended up getting smashed.

'I didn't even get to walk,' student Halle Ragoonanan told NBC. 'I graduated magnum cum laude and I didn't even get to walk. I'm class of 2020, I didn't get to walk for my high school graduation.'

Howard University was forced to cancel a graduation ceremony after furious relatives began banging on doors and smashing windows after the auditorium hit capacity

Images showed a shattered glass door as the relatives tried to push their way past security

Halle Ragoonanan missed out on both her high school and college graduations after missing the first due to Covid

'All the money we spent, my father and grandmother came down from North Carolina,' another student added.

TikToks posted from outside Cramton Auditorium in Washington DC showed students sobbing on the other side of the glass as it dawned on them their relatives would not be able to watch them.

'I'm student here and can plan a graduation ceremony better that your unprofessional faculty,' the TikTok's poster Destiny Marilyn wrote.

'Y'all have a whole field that can be utilized, why would you try to cramp everyone in one auditorium.'

Crowds to the non-ticketed event began to form two hours ahead of the 6pm ceremony, student newspaper The Hilltop reports.

The hall has a 1,500 seat capacity and the 280 graduates were advised they could each bring three to four guests.

'Because of the size of the room, and because our relatives sometimes do not know how to act, the fire department is now here to shut us down,' CNAHS Dean Gina Spivey-Brown said during the ceremony.

At least one person was hurt in the commotion, according to DC officials. Various reports said the injured person was a student who was treated for a cut.

Dean of the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences Gina Brown made announcement claiming the fire department had shut the ceremony down

However, the DC fire department has denied they shut down the graduation

Some students expressed heartbreak about not being able to walk at their graduation

Fire officials later said it was not their decision to shut down the ceremony.

'At 6:42 p.m. we responded to the Cramton Auditorium for a medical call at the request of campus police. The patient was evaluated and refused transport and D.C. Fire and EMS departed,' Noah Gray, the Chief Communications Officer for D.C. Fire and EMS said.

Howard later said in their own statement that someone was removed from the building before the ceremony and they came back and broke a window.

The school's statement read: 'This incident led to a disturbance among guests outside of the facility, resulting in a disruption of the program.

'Guests in attendance were immediately dispersed following this incident.'

It comes as other graduation ceremonies have been disturbed over the war in Gaza.

Dozens of students stormed out of Duke University's commencement ceremony in protest over guest speaker Jerry Seinfeld who has supported Israel since the October 7 atrocity by Hamas and throughout the war in Gaza.

The comedian, 70, was met with a a mix of cheers and boos as he was introduced before students carrying flags and chanting 'free, free Palestine' marched out of the Wallace Wade Stadium on Sunday.
By Lee Min-hyung

AliExpress and Temu are facing lingering doubts over their pledge tovoluntarily monitor product safety, as the non-legally binding agreement with the nations antitrust agency carries little weight for Chinese e-commerce firms, according to experts and industry officials, Tuesday.

Such concerns have surfaced after they signed the agreement with the Fair Trade Commission (FTC). But as it did not contain any details about strong regulatory punishment, critics are casting doubt over whether the agreement will be able to generate concrete outcomes regarding the blocking of hazardous product sales here.

Sales of any life-threatening or harmful products should be prevented with the strongest level of regulations, as it is directly linked with public health, Kim Dae-jong, a professor of business administration at Sejong University, said.

Earlier, the two Chinese firms came under a severe public backlash after some childrens products sold on the platforms were contaminated with carcinogens.

Regulatory authorities need to introduce a stricter series of regulations  such as business suspension  if they detect sales of such products on the overseas e-commerce platforms. The latest announcement leaves much to be desired in terms of its efficacy, as it does not come with such legal details.

Regarding the concerns, the FTC argued that overseas authorities in the European Union (EU) and Australia also generated a meaningful effect by forging a similar voluntary safety agreement with e-commerce firms.

However, officials from the industry also raised concerns as to the efficacy of the voluntary monitoring conducted by e-commerce firms.

It is realistically impossible for them to monitor every single product and put a complete end to any sales of such dangerous items, an official from a local retail firm said on condition of anonymity. For instance, food delivery platform operators cannot guarantee sanitary conditions for all the stores selling food on their platforms. This is the same case for AliExpress and Temu. It remains doubtful how they can guarantee sales of safe products simply with the non-legally binding agreement.

FTC Chairman Han Ki-jeong said it will also push for legislation for the so-called customer safety basic act here to make platform firms engage in safer sales activities.

We plan to introduce diverse institutional measures, so customers do not fall into a safety grey area, Han told reporters during a press conference, Monday.

But the process is still time-consuming, so authorities are urged to display a tougher regulatory stance toward overseas platform firms to put an end to the unceasing disputes over their sales of dangerous items on their platforms, according to the retail industry official.

AliExpress Korea CEO Ray Zhang and WhaleCo Korea CEO Qin Sun made their public appearance for the agreement on Monday. WhaleCo Korea is the operator of Temu's local business. But their response to the press here left much to be desired in that they did not share any further specific measures to guarantee their safe sales activities.

A spokesperson at AliExpress Korea said the company will continue to partner with Korean authorities to ensure the safety of local customers.

"We will keep closely collaborating with the local authorities to strengthen the protection of customers here," the spokesperson said.
Harvard's pro-Palestine protesters have announced they're ending the campus encampment after three week as their demands were ignored.

The group leading the protests, Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine, said on Tuesday they had voted to end the encampment on Harvard Yard in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

'The encampment has outlived the last day of classes, finals week, and move out weekend: a testament to the tenacity of our movement,' the group said.

'But as students moved out, police became the dominant presence on campus. Interim President [Alan] Garber was willing to go to extreme lengths to neutralize and evict our organizers in insidious ways, devoid of due process.

'Campus is cleared out and the gates remain shut to the outside world. There is no liberation in isolation. In reassessing the strategic value of our encampment, we have come to the conclusion that this tactic has outlasted its utility with respect to our demands.'

Harvard's pro-Palestine protesters have announced they're ending the campus encampment after three week as their demands were ignored. The encampment is seen on Monday

Students protesting against the war in Gaza, and passersby walking through Harvard Yard, are seen at an encampment at Harvard University on Thursday, April 25

Spokesman Jonathan Swain said the Ivy League's interim president Garber plans to meet with the student protester to further discuss the war in Gaza.

Duke University students WALK OUT of commencement Advertisement

The pro-Palestine group, however, said of the meeting: 'We are under no illusions: we do not believe these meetings are divestment wins...

'These side-deals are intended to pacify us away from full disclosure & divestment. Rest assured, they will not.'

According to The New York Times, the school has also agreed to quickly reinstate suspended students.

Protests over the Israel-Hamas war have spread across U.S. university and college campuses in recent weeks, leading to disruptions and arrests.

Some demonstrations extended into weekend graduation celebrations, although they were muted in comparison to the encampments and rallies that have roiled campuses and resulted in nearly 2,900 arrests of students and other protesters.

Dozens of the 7,000 graduates at Duke University left their seats to protest pro-Israel speaker and comedian Jerry Seinfeld during the commencement in Durham, North Carolina, on Sunday.

Some waved the red, green, black and white Palestinian flag and chanted 'Free Palestine'amid a mix of boos and cheers.

Spokesman Jonathan Swain said the Ivy League's interim president Garber plans to meet with the student protester to further discuss the war in Gaza

 Slide me  A group of pro-Palestine protestors, dressed in keffiyeh's, raised a large Palestinian flag above Harvard founder John Harvard's memorial last month

Seinfeld, whose decade-long namesake show became one of the most popular in U.S. television history, was there to receive an honorary doctorate from the university.

The stand-up comedian and actor has publicly supported Israel since it invaded Gaza to dismantle Hamas after the organization attacked the country and killed some 1,200 people in southern Israel on October 7.

The ensuing war has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry.
A former Obama campaign worker and her wife were both killed in a three-car collision in California over the weekend.

Peggy Moore, 60, and her wife Hope Wood, 48, died following the incident on Friday night near Fallbrook, San Diego County.

California Highway Patrol said they had been involved in a three-car crash after a Chrysler veered into oncoming traffic and hit a Jeep they were passengers in.

Their driver was killed, along with the driver of the vehicle that hit them.

Moore has since been described as a 'giant' in political circles in the Golden State, having aided former President Barack Obama amongst others.

Hope Wood, right, and Peggy Moore, left, died following the incident on Friday night near Fallbrook, San Diego County

California Highway Patrol said they were involved in a three-car crash after a Chrysler veered into oncoming traffic and hit a Jeep they were passengers in

Moore had served a deputy field director for Obama's 2008 campaign, the pair are seen here, and was a senior adviser for former Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf

She served a deputy field director for Obama's 2008 campaign and was a senior adviser for former Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf.

It was while working on the Obama campaign that the couple first met, and went on to found the political consulting firm Hope Action For Change in 2019.

On Saturday night, Schaaf led a wake for the couple alongside friends who gathered to remember the two.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Schaaf said: 'It took you two hours to walk anywhere with Peggy  maybe more, because she knew everybody.'

The former Mayor added: 'Im in such deep grief for myself personally because shes someone I loved and admired so much.

'And Im in grief for democracy. (Moore) is someone who believed everyone should have a voice in government.

'She never gave up in the beautiful essence of democracy, even when it gave up on her. She infused this nuclear love into everything she did.'

Their close friend Kimberly Ellis told NBC San Diego: 'These were two almost twin flames that couldn't bear to be apart in this life or in the other, and they really just had to be together when they left.'

It was while working on the Obama campaign that the couple first met, and went on to found the political consulting firm Hope Action For Change in 2019

The man driving the couple had also been killed in the horrific collision, as well as the person driving the car that hit them

Ellis continued: 'Its an incredible loss, not just in the professional political world, but in our personal world as well.

'She was the one that helped to win the Golden State for [Obama]. She helped on the first Hillary Clinton campaign.

'Any campaign that really had to have a top-notch organizing strategy, they went to Peggy.'

Oakland Representative Barbara Lee posted about the passing of the couple on X saying she was 'heartbroken'.

She posted: 'Im heartbroken to hear of the tragic loss of Peggy Moore and Hope Wood.

Moore is seen here with Hillary Clinton who ran as the Democratic Party nominee in the 2016 US Presidential Election

'Peggy was a friend, an activist, and one of the best organizers I knew. Her passion and fight for justice and equality is what brought her and Hope together.'

Chair of the California Democratic Party Rusty Hicks also posted on X: 'Saddened by the tragic passing of Peggy Moore.

'She was an incredible political talent & member of Team CADEM who brought a passion for organizing & a commitment to justice every single day.

'Our thoughts are with her family & the many friends who loved her. Rest In Power, Peggy.'

Authorities have yet to determine why the Chrysler's driver entered the wrong lane, with an investigation ongoing to determine whether alcohol or drugs played a role.
A horror bus crash in Florida killed at least eight people, left eight more in critical condition and hospitalized at least 37.

The crash occurred in Dunnellon, Marion County on Tuesday morning at around 6:30am.

Florida Highway Patrol troopers said the bus was carrying 'migrant workers' to a watermelon farm, which officials confirmed was Cannon Farms, around 15 miles from the crash site.

The Florida Highway Patrol told DailyMail.com the crash also involved a 2001 Ford Ranger Truck that 'collided in a widespread manner' with the bus.

The cause of the incident is under investigation, with authorities saying the bus appeared to swerve off the straight road before crashing through a fence.

A horror crash in Florida involving a bus has killed at least eight people, left eight more in critical condition and hospitalized at least 37

The crash occurred in Dunnellon, Marion County on Tuesday morning at around 6:30am

It is unclear what caused the crash, although aerial images showed a crumpled grey pickup truck that was also reportedly involved in the incident

Crews from Marion County Fire Rescue and the Marion County Sheriff's Office assist victims from the horror crash on Tuesday morning

Officials said the bus was travelling to Cannon Farms, around 15 miles from the crash site

Officials said 53 'migrant workers' were travelling to a watermelon farm on the bus before it overturned

Officials said the migrant workers were employed by a private company, and the owner of the company was among those transported to hospital, according to OCALA.

Of the 45 people injured, 37 were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Eight were listed as in critical condition.

Early reports falsely indicated that the crash involved schoolchildren, however authorities clarified that a Marion County Public Schools bus was being used to transport injured people from the scene to hospital.

Images showed a crumpled grey pickup truck that was also reportedly involved in the incident. The driver was also transported to hospital in serious condition.

Florida officials have closed sections of State Road 40 West as they deal with the fatal wreck.

Numerous law enforcement agencies are on the scene, and officials said the investigation is being led by the Florida Highway Patrol.

Cannon Farms, the intended destination, said on Facebook after the crash: 'We will be closed today out of respect to the losses and injuries endured early this morning in the accident that took place to the Olvera Trucking Harvesting Corp.

'Please pray with us for the families and the loved ones involved in this tragic accident. We appreciate your understanding at this difficult time.'

It is unclear what caused the fatal wreck, which reportedly also involved a pickup truck

Florida officials closed sections of State Road 40 West as they deal with the fatal wreck

Olvera Trucking, the owner of the bus involved in the wreck, had recently advertised a job as a temporary driver to bus workers to watermelon farms.

The job role also included operating harvesting equipment and paid $14.77 an hour.

The Associated Press found that a Department of Labor document shows Olvera recently applied for 43 H-2A workers to harvest watermelons at Cannon Farms this month.

The company again offered a base rate of $14.77 an hour, with promises of housing and transportation to and from the fields.

The H-2A program allows U.S. employers or agents who meet certain regulatory requirements to bring foreign nationals into the country to fill temporary agricultural jobs.

Florida farms employ more H-2A workers than any other state, about 50,000 a year, according to the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association.
Donald Trump's red tied loyalists were in the courtroom to lend their support to the former president as his former lawyer-turned-nemesis gave evidence.

What they got was a cautionary tale of a man who once wore the red tie, rising to become an essential part of the Trump machine, before serving 13 months in prison for tax evasion, lying and other offenses.

'At that time I was knee deep into the cult of Donald Trump,' said Michael Cohen, 57, during his cross-examination on Tuesday afternoon, to explain how he once talked warmly of the man facing him in court. 'It was how I felt.'

He lost his moral compass, is how he put it, in the relentless pursuit of the boss's approval.

These days he is more likely to think of his former employer as a 'Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain,' or a 'dictator douchebag' who should be locked up, he admitted.

In front of him, Trump leaned back in his chair, eyes closed, as if to signal sleep or disdain, while his surrogates in the two rows fiddled with their phones.

Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen offered a cautionary tale for those trying to get close to the former president as he returned to court to continue giving evidence Tuesday

Vice presidential contenders Doug Burgum and Vivek Ramaswamy sat alongside Republican Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills.

It was another extraordinary day in the extraordinary criminal trial of a former president, who could be returned to power in November. The nation's politics crashed into a courtroom drama complete with Cohen's morality tale.

With Trump stuck in court defending himself against 34 counts of falsifying business documents, and barred from attacking witnesses or court officials, he brought the campaign to the fifteenth floor of the rundown court building.

His four surrogates turned up dressed identically in Trump uniform of navy suit, white shirt and red tie.

They ducked out early in the hearing for a press conference in a park across the street where they savaged the court, the judge and the case.

'Michael Cohen has no credibility, no integrity,' Mills said. 'This is weaponization against our president.'

In so doing he delivered words that Trump is prevent from saying by a gag order, demonstrating the sway the former president holds over his party.

Cohen is the prosecution's key witness. Over eight hours of testimony, he described how he covered for his boss, paying off porn star Stormy Daniels for her silence, before being reimbursed.

His wife watched as he said he had authored a deliberately misleading denial. It said that he was involved in a private transaction using his own funds to give Daniels $130,000, and that neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump Campaign was involved in the deal.

'Just because something isn't true doesn't mean that it can't cause you harm or damage. I'll always protect Mr. Trump,' it concluded.

North Dakota Governor and former U.S. presidential candidate Doug Burgum speaks during a press conference with businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, U.S. Representative (R-FL) Cory Mills and U.S. Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL), after attending the trial

Trump leaned back in his seat, eyes closed for much of Cohen's testimony, either asleep or displaying deep disdain for his once loyal lawyer and fixer

Trump denies 34 charges of falsifying business records to hide a $130,000 hush payment

Trump and Cohen in happier times, when Cohen would wear the red tie. In his testimony, Cohen said he was once 'knee deep in the cult of Trump' before putting his family ahead of his employer. They are seen here at a visit to New Hampshire in 2011

On the stand he admitted that the statement hid that he had been reimbursed by Trump.

In fact, he said, his repayment was hidden in 12 monthly payments as a 'retainer for legal service.'

That description was fraudulent, but he continued for months to claim that he acted alone, simply wanting to protect his boss, before setting the record straight.

His evidence was delivered without the bombast and bullying that once defined his interactions with journalists, lawyers and politicians when he was Trump's chief problem solver.

Instead, he quietly joined the dots between invoices, checks and the White House, helping the prosecution lead the jury all the way to Trump as alleged architect of the cover-up.

Throughout, he said all he wanted to do was win the approval of his boss.

And he described how he finally decided to turn on his employer by pleading guilty to federal charges in 2018.

'I made a decision based again on the conversation I had with my family that I would not lie for President Trump any more,' he said.

There was a brief commotion in court as Trump's supporters returned from their press conference.

Judge Juan Merchan switched his attention from witness Cohen to give a frosty glare towards the Republican lawmakers as they returned to the courtroom after their press appearance

Judge Juan Merchan looked up and delivered a decidedly frosty glare, as if to protest any politicking inside his courtroom.

It was the biggest entourage to join Trump so far. Republican Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, watched proceedings in a court overflow room next door before heading out to tell reporters that the court system was 'corrupt.'

It was a vivid reminder of how Trump upended political norms and set the Republican Party against the legal and justice systems.

Yet the day came with something of a morality tale: The story of an earlier generation of loyalist, who rose to the elbow of power before his life unraveled, spending 13 months in prison.

'I regret doing things for him that I should not have  lying, bullying people in order to effectuate a goal. I dont regret working with the Trump Organization,' said Cohen, who worked for Trump for more than 10 years.

'As I expressed before, some very interesting great times. But to keep the loyalty and to do the things that he had asked me to do, I violated my moral compass and I suffered the penalty, as has my family.'

Team Trump was unimpressed, contending that his evidence amounted to a nothing burger.

'No one can tell you what exactly Trump is being prosecuted for,' Ramaswamy posted after two hours in court, accusing the prosecution of trying to bore the jury into submission. 'After this mornings testimony from Cohen, it's now *LESS* clear than ever.'

Trump, flanked by his lawyer Todd Blanche, spoke to the media at the end of proceedings

Cohen's testimony amounted to a cautionary tale for Trump's supporters in court

Trump supporters outside the Manhattan court house on Thursday

The defense had its moment after lunch when it got the chance to cross-examine Cohen.

Rather than diving into his testimony and trying to rebut it point by point, attorney Todd Blanche went on the attack, seeking to discredit the witness for his criminal record and his apparent obsession with Trump.

'On April 23, after the trial started you went on TikTok and called me a crying little sh*t, didn't you,' he asked him

Cohen nodded: 'Sounds like something I would say.'

The public gallery in the overflow room erupted in laughter as Cohen's various insults and epithets were read out.

But at the same time, Blanche led him through the warm words he had once spoken about Trump: How the Trumps were his surrogate family and that he would have taken a bullet for his boss.

'I did say that,' said Cohen.

It was another reminder of how Cohen had hitched his star to Trump's, and climbed to the inner sanctum on the 26th floor of Trump Tower, only to end up in a detention center in Otisville, N.Y.
Speaker Mike Johnson slammed the case against Donald Trump as 'so corrupt' and and warned the public not to 'believe a word' Michael Cohen says on the stand on Tuesday.

'It's impossible for anybody to deny, that looks at this objectively, that the judicial system in our country has been weaponized against President Trump. The system is using all the tools at its disposal right now to punish one president and provide cover for another,' Johnson said in brief remarks outside the courthouse.

Johnson also went after Judge Juan Merchan's daughter.

'Among the atrocities here, the judge's own daughter is making millions of dollars doing online fundraising for Democrats. They're using this trial as a hook. It's so corrupt.'

Merchan's daughter, Loren, runs a digital marketing agency called Authentic Campaigns, which works with Democratic candidates and non-profits.

Trump's lawyers have argued her work poses a conflict of interest and have unsuccessfully sought to oust Merchan from the case.

Speaker Mike Johnson slammed the case against Donald Trump as 'so corrupt' and and warned the public not to 'believe a word' Michael Cohen says on the stand on Tuesday

The judge had also made several small donations totaling $35 to Democratic causes during the 2020 campaign, including $15 to Biden.

A state court ethics panel found that Loren Merchan's work had no bearing on his impartiality.

Johnson also promised his Republican-led House would work to 'rein in the abuses of special counsel Jack Smith,' who oversees the cases against Trump for his involvement in the January 6 Capitol riot and mishandling of classified documents.

'I'm working with Chairman Jordan of the House Judiciary Committee, Chairman Comar of our Oversight Committee on measures to rein in the abuses of Special Counsel Jack Smith,' said Johnson.

He also called to mind 'the latest revelation is that they've manipulated documents they might have tampered with the evidence in the case., it seems, and that doesn't surprise any of us in Congress.'

In recent filings, Smith acknowledged some of Trump's documents in the boxes the FBI hauled back from Mar-a-Lago are not in the same order they were when they were seized.

Johnson and a number of other conservative figures accompanied Trump to court on Tuesday in a show of support.

Some critics noted the irony of Johnson, a deeply devout Christian who has talked about monitoring his son's porn usage, appearing alongside Trump during a trial related to him having sex with a porn star.

'Have to admit Im surprised that [Johnson] wants to be in the I cheated on my wife with a porn star club. I guess hes not that concerned with teaching morality to our young people after all,' ex-GOP Rep. Liz Cheney wrote on X.

Cohen returned to the stand on Tuesday morning to deliver more testimony against his old boss former President Trump.

The fixer and lawyer, who was convicted over the hush money payments to Stormy Daniels and lying to Congress, is set to face grueling questioning from the former president's lawyers.

The prosecution's star witness told the court on Monday how he would silence the former president's accusers before the 2016 election with a series of hush money deals.

The jury heard that Trump was more worried about his campaign than his wife Melania as stories of alleged affairs emerged.

Trump readies himself for another day at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City

Johnson also promised his Republican-led House would work to 'rein in the abuses of special counsel Jack Smith,' who oversees the cases against Trump for his involvement in the January 6 Capitol riot and mishandling of classified documents

Im disgusted by whats happening in the sham trial against President Trump.



The American people can see its politically motivated.



Their star witness, Michael Cohen, is a known liar who is clearly on a mission for personal revenge. pic.twitter.com/dub4dyu91s  Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) May 14, 2024

Cohen also described working at 'the direction of and for the benefit' of the presumptive Republican nominee.

The $130,000 payout for an alleged 2006 sexual encounter between Daniels, a porn star, and Trump isn't illegal, but Trump is accused of falsifying business records to hide it, a charge he denies.

Trump's lawyers have insisted the hush money payment was moreso to protect his wife from being upset than to influence the 2016 election.

'He wasn't thinking about Melania. This was all about the campaign,' Cohen insisted on Monday as Trump shook his head.

When the story resurfaced, Cohen said Trump cornered him: 'I thought you took care of this?'

Cohen claims Trump also said: 'This is a disaster, total disaster. Women are going to hate me. Women will hate me. Guys, they think it's cool, but this is going to be a disaster for the campaign.'

Cohen said he asked Trump how he thought the affair would impact his marriage and Trump said: 'Don't worry... how long do you think I'll be on the market for? Not long.'

Cohen said he coughed up the $130,000 himself, setting up a shell company listed as a real estate consulting firm, and prosecutors say Trump later paid him back and covered it up as a legal retainer fee. Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records.
According to a recently filed complaint, two DEI deans hired by MIT in 2021, in the wake George Floyd summer and a wider racial reckoning across the country and especially at institutions of higher learning, plagiarized significant portions of their dissertations.

A report out today by The Free Beacon's Aaron Sibarium details the extent of the alleged serial plagiarism committed by Tracie Jones-Barrett and Alana Anderson, two women who were hired with a handful of other deans of diversity, equity, and inclusion by the Boston institution in June 2021.

On Saturday, a 71-page complaint made its way to the university, which points out the plethora of pages, passages and ideas that each woman allegedly stole from fellow academics for their respective dissertations.

In the post-George Floyd social and academic climate, MIT hired at least six DEI deans, one for each of the university's main colleges

Two June 2021 DEI hires at MIT have been accused of plagiarizing a significant number of passages from their respective graduate theses

Anderson, who is currently working as the inclusion and belonging program manager for Boston Beer Company, formerly served as the MIT computer science college's assistant dean of DEI. Prior to that post, she held a similar position at Boston University.

In 2017, she received her PhD from Boston College upon the completion of her dissertation, '#BLACKONCAMPUS: A Critical Examination of Racial and Gender Performances of Black College Women on Social Media.'

According to the complaint and The Free Beacon's reporting of it, Anderson allegedly copied more than a full page of the work of Mark Chae - a Pillar College counseling professor who did not earn an official citation in the thesis - into her thesis.

Chae told The Free Beacon he might have liked to receive a citation in Anderson's work, given her apparent comfort using his.

'Anderson seems quite comfortable in taking credit for large portions of another writer's scholarly work,' he told the outlet via email.

Anderson additionally appears to have stolen words from Harvard Graduate School of Education professor Jarvis Givens, which, according to the Beacon, seems to violate MIT's explicit ruled regarding plagiarism.

Sibarium further claims that even parts of Anderson's acknowledgements section appear to be plagiarized, with the original insertion of several typos of her own.

Anderson allegedly lifted uncredited passages from several other authors, all of which are highlighted in the complaint that was submitted to MIT, Boston College, and Northeastern University - where Jones-Barrett received her Doctorate of Education.

None of the academic institutions issued a statement upon being contacted for comment.

Alana Anderson, who received a PhD from Boston College, is accused of plagiarizing significant passages from several academics, including Mark Chae, a Pillar College counseling professor

She is additionally accused of copying a portion of Harvard Graduate School of Education professor Jarvis Givens' work into her own thesis

Jones-Barrett received her Ed.D in higher education last spring after submitting her dissertation, 'Cite a sista: how Black women at Ivy League graduate schools of education make meaning of thriving.'

In the scholarly work, she allegedly stole, ironically, a whole section on 'ethical considerations' from one of her classmates at Northeastern.

Emmitt Wyche III, who, in 2020, submitted the thesis: 'Boyz in the Hoods: (Re) Defining the Narratives of Black Male Doctoral Degree Completers,' had paragraphs of his dissertation allegedly lifted by Jones-Barrett, who used his words without any sort of citation in her bibliography.

More than 10 pages of lifted, uncited content appeared in the DEI deans' theses, plus a large handful of paragraphs and sentenced peppered across their pages, according to the complaint.

The accusations against Anderson and Jones-Barrett arrive some six months after now-ousted Harvard University President Claudine Gay was accused of plagiarizing portions of her academic work.

Sibarium points out that after Gay's ousting, Jones-Barrett and Anderson are the latest additions to a growing list of names of DEI officers at universities across the nation who've been accused of plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty.

Hardly any institutions where the accused academics work and practice have announced disciplinary measures against the alleged cheats.

But, some schools, including MIT seem to be backing off their near-religious commitment to DEI principles.

Earlier this month, MIT announced it would no longer be asking for diversity statements as a requirement from faculty candidates.

The elite math and science-focused institution has also led the charge to reinstitute mandatory standardized test score submissions from applicants.

Tracie Jones-Barrett allegedly plagiarized from her own Northeastern University classmate Emmitt Wyche III, who, in 2020, submitted the thesis: 'Boyz in the Hoods: (Re) Defining the Narratives of Black Male Doctoral Degree Completers'

Jones-Barrett received her Ed.D in higher education last spring after submitting her dissertation, 'Cite a sista : how Black women at Ivy League graduate schools of education make meaning of thriving'

Scott Fitzsimmons, another Northeastern graduate student, also appears to have been a victim of Jones-Barrett's alleged academic dishonesty. A basic chapter overview was allegedly poached from his work and inserted right into JB's without citation

While Anderson, who also runs her own 'science-based' DEI consultant organization, no longer works for MIT, Jones-Barrett currently serves as the school's Deputy Institute Community and Equity Officer.

Last week, MIT announced that 'requests for a statement on diversity will no longer be part of applications for any faculty positions at MIT,' noting the decision had been made by President Sally Kornbluth, with the support of the academic deans, as well as the Provost and the Chancellor.

'My goals are to tap into the full scope of human talent, to bring the very best to MIT, and to make sure they thrive once here,' said Kornbluth.

'We can build an inclusive environment in many ways, but compelled statements impinge on freedom of expression, and they dont work.'
Chilling new footage shows masked gunmen ramming their vehicle into a prison van before opening fire and killing two guards, then freeing a narco boss dubbed 'The Fly' during a merciless two-minute ambush at a French tollbooth.

The deadly attack took place just after 11am on the A154 motorway near the Incarville tollbooth, located in the town of Val-de-Reuil, Normandy, northern France.

At least two French officers were gunned down in the ambush which saw the assailants and inmate Mohammed Amra, 30, managing to flee the scene on foot.

Now, new footage circulating on social media captured the moment a black car smashed into the front of a white police truck before several armed gunmen clad in black appeared to surround the vehicle with their weapons raised.

The assailants can be seen firing at the French police van before one opened a door in an apparent bid to free the detainee holed up inside.

New footage shows the moment a car rammed into a French police vehicle at the Incarville tollbooth, Normandy

Several masked assailants are seen jumping out of the car armed with guns before opening fire at the van

An explosion is seen, giving the assailants and freed detainee the cover to run off and escape the scene

The masked group stand their ground while other vehicles can be seen driving by as the altercation spirals into a more violent and bloody scenario.

A number of officers eventually climb out of their vehicle as the gunfire continues.

The assailants are seen surrounding the van, guns in hand, before appearing to slide open a door and release the detainee from the back.

After just a few seconds, the freed inmate, along with the assailants are spotted running off out of the frame before the footage ends.

Another video circulating on social media from a witness who was was on board a bus at the A13 toll shows panicked passengers yelling as gunshots fired in the background.

'There were gunshots and a big panic on board from the bus, there is a car on fire,' the passenger wrote.

One confused traveller can be heard asking: 'What is going on?' before another declares: 'They are shooting'.

As the confusion continues to rise, the passengers question whether it is the police making the racket, or something more sinister.

'No, it's not the police,' one said, to which another bus rider responded: 'Oh f***'.

The escaped inmate, reportedly nicknamed 'La Mouche' (The Fly), was being transported between the towns of Rouen and Evreux in Normandy before the bloodbath unfolded.

Amra's latest conviction was for burglary, and he also has a past conviction for attempted murder.

A police source told Le Parisien that he was 'the head of a narcotics network' in France, and accordingly considered hugely dangerous.

Two prison officers were shot dead after four gunmen ambushed their vehicle at the Incarville tollbooth, located in the town of Val-de-Reuil, Normandy, northern France

The attack saw the assailants and 'narco boss' detainee, Mohammed Amra, 30, managing to escape the scene

The inmate, Mohammed Amra, reportedly nicknamed 'La Mouche' (The Fly), was being transported between the towns of Rouen and Evreux in Normandy before the bloodbath unfolded

The French publication also reported that Mohammed had attempted to escape his cell just two days before Tuesday's escape.

He had allegedly been placed in solitary confinement an his surveillance level was raised to 'Escort 3'.

Amra, who had a total of 13 convictions to his name, was under special surveillance, but not considered radicalised or a terrorist suspect, said Eric Dupond-Moretti, Frances justice minister.

At the time of the attack, Amra was on his way from Evreux prison to court for a commital hearing that would have been made public. This would have made the route relatively easy to work out.

Prosecutors working for the National Jurisdiction for the Fight against Organised Crime (JUNALCO) have opened an enquiry into murder and attempted murder by an organised gang  offences punishable with a life sentence.

Police officers gather at the site of the deadly attack in Normandy this morning

French authorities were seen towing away a burnt-out vehicle belived to have been used in the inmate's escape

They are also investigating escape in an organised gang, acquisition and possession of weapons of war and criminal association with a view to the commission of a crime, said Moretti.

Laure Beccuau, the Paris public prosecutor, confirmed that Amera had previously been indicted by the Specialised Inter-regional Jurisdiction (JIRS) of Marseille for kidnapping and sequestration leading to death.

The two guards killed were identified as agents from the Regional Centre for Judicial Extractions (PREJ), based in Caen, without their names being disclosed.

One was a 21-year-old father of two who leaves a widow, and the other an expectant father whose wife was five months pregnant.

Moretti, said the wounded guards were all in a life threatening condition.

He added: 'All my thoughts are with the victims, their families and their colleagues.'

The prisoner and gang members initially escaped in two cars  an Audi A5 and a BMW 5 series.

According to local reports, the white Audi A5 was found ablaze in nearby Vatteville, Eure.

Amra was being transported between the towns of Rouen and Evreux in Normandy before the bloodbath unfolded at the Incarville tollbooth

A forensic is at work at the site of a ramming attack which took place late morning at a road toll in Incarville in the Eure region of northern France

Emergency services were spotted at the tollbooth this morning after the ambush that saw two French officers killed

A fire engine also arrived on the scene

A local police source said: 'The ambush happened at the Incarville toll booth on the A154 road. Kalashnikovs are thought to be have been used.

'Three prison officers are thought to be dead, and three others are seriously wounded.

'A detainee known for cases linked to drug trafficking escaped with a gang made up of around four men.'

Alexandre Rassaert, president of the Eure Departmental Council, which covers Vale-de-Reuil, said: 'I was frozen with horror when I learned of the real carnage that took place at the Incarville tollbooth.

'I sincerely hope that the gang of killers who carried out this bloody attack will be quickly arrested.

'All my thoughts go to the families of the service agents. penitentiary who escorted the detainees and who were killed or seriously injured during this attack which gave them no chance.

'I also think of all the prison administration guards who, every day, guard prisoners at the risk of their lives.'

French President Emmanuel Macron also spoke out following the horror van attack.

'This morning's attack, which cost the lives of prison administration agents, is a shock for all of us,' he wrote on X.

'The Nation stands alongside the families, the injured and their colleagues,' continues Emmanuel Macron.

'Everything is being done to find the perpetrators of this crime so that justice can be done in the name of the French people. We will be intractable.'

Following the ambush, the road has been closed by police for an 'indefinite period', Bison Fute reported.

Footage posted online showed emergency services gathered at the tollbooth this morning.

A fire engine was also filmed pulling up just metres away from the chaotic scene.

The Minister of the Interior, Gerald Darmanin, announced, on X, that a plan had been launched to locate the escapees.

'All means are being used to find these criminals. On my instructions, several hundred police officers and gendarmes are mobilized ,' he said.

Deputy mayor of Vendee, Veronique Besse, took to X, formerly Twitter, to express her 'shock' towards the incident.

I am deeply shocked & saddened by the scene of war against a convoy of the prison administration at #Incarville, which cost the lives of several agents,' she wrote.

'Every day, unspeakable acts of barbarity strike our country to the great indifference of our leaders. I send my sincere condolences to the families and loved ones affected'.
Nonprofit organizations are making billions of dollars from border crisis federal funding, with their CEOs are raking in as much as $1million in annual compensation.

Money that is being distributed amongst NGOs to help fund the migrant crisis at the border has raised red flags for Americans whose tax dollars are going into the pockets of the organizations' chief executives.

The most recent data to reveal the astronomical amounts of federal funding being funneled into NGOs is from 2022, according to The Free Press, meaning that the results will most likely be higher when data becomes available for 2023.

The migrant crisis on the border has been continuously surging over the years - with 300,000 monthly border crossings at the end of 2023, up 50,000 from the highest monthly report in 2022.

According to the data, based on the 990 Tax Forms of organizations exempt from income taxes, nonprofits received billions of dollars in federal awards - which were then used to compensate CEOs and fund questionable services like pet therapy.

'The amount of taxpayer money they are getting is obscene,' Charles Marino, former adviser to Janet Napolitano, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security under Obama, said of the NGOs.

Nonprofit organizations are making billions of dollars from border crisis federal funding as their CEOs are raking in as much as $1million in annual compensation

Global Refuge's CEO Krish O'Mara Vignarajah (pictured) was compensated over $500k - and the organization received almost $250,000,000 in federal awards in 2022

'We're going to find that the waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer money will rival what we saw with the Covid federal money,' he said.

Three organizations - Global Refuge, Southwest Key Programs and Endeavors - saw their combined revenue sky-rocket by $597million in 2019 to a whopping $2billion in 2022.

Global Refuge's CEO Krish O'Mara Vignarajah was compensated over $500,000 - and the organization received almost $250,000,000 in federal awards in 2022.

Endeavors, Inc. raked in almost $1,500,000,000 in funding as the CEO, Chip Fulghum, was paid almost $750,000.

The prominent NGO used taxpayer funds to offer migrant children 'pet therapy', 'horticulture therapy' and music therapy, according to The Free Press.

Christy Merrell, a music therapist, was paid $533,000 in 2021 alone for her services.

More recently it was revealed that 1,625 'people-plant interactions' we re paid for by Endeavors and 287 pet therapy sessions were conducted between April 2021 and March 2023, according to a PowerPoint presentation from the organization itself.

Endeavors' 2022 federal disclosure form also shows that it paid $5million to a company that provides fill-in doctors and nurses, $4.6 million for 'consulting services,' $1.4 million to attend conferences and $700,000 on lobbyists.

In 2021, the company spent $8million on housing migrants in hotels belonging to Esperanto Developments.

Southwest Key received nearly $800,000,000 in federal rewards in 2022 - and the organization's CEO, Dr. Anselmo Villarreal, was compensated over $1million that year.

Endeavors, Inc. raked in almost $1,500,000,000 in funding as the CEO, Chip Fulghum (pictured), was paid almost $750k

Southwest Key received nearly $800,000,000 in federal rewards in 2022 - and the organization's CEO, Dr. Anselmo Villarreal (pictured), was compensated over $1million that year

Global refuge federal awards shot up in 2022 - one year after Biden took office - with numbers more than doubling, soaring from $100,000,000 in 2021 to $250,000,000 in 2022.

The data revealing which nonprofits have benefitted the most from federal funding comes after several other organizations came under fire for 'aiding and abetting' the migrant crisis.

In February, footage of a charity volunteer allegedly holding open a section of Arizona's border wall for migrants to enter the country illegally fueled scrutiny of non-profits accused by Republicans of 'aiding and abetting' the crisis and even engaging in 'human smuggling'.

Organizations which operate on both sides of the US-Mexico border are accused of providing 'incentives' to migrants in the form of money, accommodation and transport.

Republicans have called for an investigation by Congress into the groups' activities after the video surfaced last week of a charity worker in Arizona allegedly holding open a section of border fence for people to enter the US from Mexico.

Some of the charities which are facing scrutiny have received tens of millions of dollars in taxpayers' money through federal grants.

The organizations, many with religious affiliations, have issued fierce denials of the claims and some have said the suggestion they encourage illegal immigration is 'preposterous'. They insist they are engaged in humanitarian work to help desperate asylum seekers who make dangerous journeys to the border.

Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin shared footage a volunteer from the Tucson Samaritans appear to hold open a section of border fence so a group of migrants could enter the country. The migrants then boarded a charity vehicle before they were transported away.

Tiffany suggested the volunteer's actions breached US laws which make it an offense to bring an alien into the US.

Footage of a volunteer for the Tucson Samaritans allegedly helping migrants cross the border in Arizona led to claims by lawmakers that NGOs 'are actively facilitating illegal immigration'

'NGOs are actively facilitating illegal immigration before our eyes,' he said. 'Now is the time to cut taxpayer funding to these groups that break our laws.'

Lance Gooden, a Representative from Texas, singled out Catholic Charities and ten other organizations in a letter to House colleagues in May 2023 which accused the groups of playing a 'disturbing role in the inflow and spread of illegal immigrants throughout the country'.

'These NGOs abuse their tax-exempt status and the trust of the very taxpayers that fund them by encouraging migrants to travel to the southern border illegally with resources from federal funds,' Gooden wrote.

Lee Williams, an executive at Global Refuge  the non-profit also facing backlash for receiving billions in federal funding, was also singled out by Gooden.
She places a concerned hand on my shoulder, looks deep into my eyes and asks, softly: 'Are you ok?'

These are the haunting words of one local resident when I tell her I am staying at the infamous Minster Garth Guest House in the idyllic market town of Beverley, East Yorkshire.

The Grade-II listed Georgian property has been dubbed the 'hotel of horrors' by local residents, and reading the reviews on TripAdvisor, it's not difficult to see why.

'Please do not book.'

'Don't give this awful place your money.'

'Do not go here, it's worse than dreadful.'

The Daily Mail's Fred Kelly stayed a night in the 'house of horrors' and had to contend with a loud argument and a car screeching off while staying in Room 10

But after a decade of scathing reviews and a catalogue of heated altercations with his own guests, has eccentric 60-year-old proprietor John Dixon Hart finally softened his manner as he claims?

Early indications suggested not. Just days before the Mail checked in, Hart was seen raising his middle finger at photographers as walked into Hull Crown Court, having pleaded guilty to six offences of misleading commercial practices.

In a brown felt top hat, well-worn three-piece suit, shirt with a winged collar and overcoat, and carrying what appeared to be a metal cane, Mr Hart was given a nine-month suspended sentence and 20 days' enforced rehabilitation, to help with his alcohol-fuelled misbehaviour.

The court heard that Mr Hart had described one female guest as a 'c***' and called another woman a 'f****** letch' and a 'sponger'.

Judge Mark Barry said he was 'absolutely staggered' there were any guests at all and likened Hart to a real-life 'Basil Fawlty', the hapless hotelier with an explosive temper made famous by John Cleese's beloved sitcom. Hart welcomed the comparison, describing Fawlty as 'wonderful and hilarious'.

In the face of previous setbacks, Hart has remained resolute. As far back as 2017, he was fined 7,000 for falsely advertising the property as a four-star hotel.

There was obvious damp on the ceiling and walls by the window, probably caused by a leak, and the door handle to the bathroom was caked in a dark brown colour  could it be dried blood?

Later the same year, he again made the news when he put up a sign outside the front door proclaiming: 'Women not Welcome'.

He later clarified that women would be allowed to stay as it is their legal right, but they would not be explicitly welcome because: 'I don't really like women. I just don't speak to them or look at them.'

And then in August last year, Mr Hart served one month of a 22-week sentence for public order and harassment offences.

So perhaps you can forgive me for being somewhat apprehensive as I arrived at the Minster Garth Guest House on Monday evening.

The windows refused to fully close, while dead woodlice lined the sills

Just how dismal was this hotel, in the very heart of Beverley, one of the North's most popular and tourist-friendly towns?

After making a reservation online for 40 (considerably less than the train fare from London), I receive a message (as I later learn, from none other than Hart himself) with a mobile number to text for an entry keycode and my room number.

It quickly becomes clear there is no reception at the guest house, no staff and no one to call should I run into trouble.

Entering the hotel from a side door I come upon a small foyer with a host of leaflets for local attractions including Playdale Farm Park and Sea Life Scarborough.

Trying to find his room, without the help of any staff, Fred found a staircase leading from the ground floor which featured a 5ft canvas made with images of Audrey Hepburn

A sign on the wall proclaims: 'ring buzzer for assistance'. But where there should be a buzzer, there is nothing more than a broken, empty bracket. I check my phone: no signal. The door slams shut behind me.

To the left, say the signs, are rooms 2 & 3, with rooms 4 to 9 upstairs. So where was room 10, my promised boudoir for the evening?

I follow a narrow staircase and enter an unmarked door, falling into a closet of hastily folded laundry.

Backtracking, I make my way down a second staircase to the ground floor, past three 5ft canvases eerily all featuring collages of Audrey Hepburn. I stop to admire her, just for a moment. She smiles back at me seductively, like a siren luring a foolish sailor to the rocks  and his doom.

Eventually, I find Room 10. A code-dial box unlocks my key. I turn it in the door and, fearing the worst, push it gently open.

At first glance, it is a far cry from the online warnings of mouse droppings, broken window panes and the stench of stale tobacco.

Mr Hart has evidently got his house in order.

But on closer inspection, I uncover unwelcome surprises. Lifting up the duvet, I found two stains  ominously circular.

I begin to understand why one lady near the train station had advised me to invest in a sleeping bag.

Guests can enjoy the outdoor area while sitting in an old folding camping chair with a plant pot ashtray conveniently placed next to it

A long strand of hair lies on the pillow; mould festers on the ceiling beside the windows which  despite my most vigorous efforts  refuse to fully close.

Flies buzz around the room and dead woodlice line the sills. A cupboard is a mess of exposed pipework and unpainted walls. The door handle to the bathroom is caked in a dark brown colour. Was it varnish  or could it be dried blood?

Most alarming of all, however, are the scratches against the paintwork beside the door. They look like the desperate clawing fingernail marks of a poor soul trying desperately to escape.

Not so welcoming  there was no reception at the guest house, nor staff, and no one to call should there be an issues

But I can't help thinking I've stayed in far worse places. Had its eccentric owner been maligned by guests whose unreasonable demands he had given short shrift?

After all, what can you expect for 40 a night? A fellow guest assures me: 'You won't find nowt round these parts at this price.'

Nothing, though, could have prepared me for the stories I was to hear on the quaint streets of this clearly traumatised market town. Speaking to local residents, it was abundantly clear that the story here is not the Minster Garth Guest House at all but the man behind it: John Dixon Hart.

The hotel is in Beverley, one of the North's most popular and tourist-friendly towns, where women 'would be allowed to stay as it is their legal right, but they would not be explicitly welcome', says Mr Hart

Mr Hart is a local celebrity. And not for his good works in the community.

'I'm part of a walking group,' a woman tells me. 'One of our number once knelt down to pet his dog and he screamed: 'Get your f****** hands off my f****** dog!'

I ask her, visibly shaking as she recalls the incident, whether she had any advice for me ahead of my night under John's stewardship: 'Just don't stay there, please.'

As I walk off, her warning ringing in my ears, she calls after me: 'And I hope you've got your cleaning materials!' Indeed, previous guests have spoken of having to buy their own cleaning gear to make their rooms habitable. My mind immediately drifts back to my sheets  and those stains.

One elderly woman pushing a fabric shopping caddy  who, like so many others, refuses to be named for fear of reprisals  described Mr Hart as an 'awful man not a patient man. I wouldn't recommend the guest house to anyone,' she said in a hushed tone. 'Which is a shame because it's such a beautiful building.'

John Dixon Hart raises his middle finger at photographers as he walked into Hull Crown Court, having pleaded guilty to six offences of misleading commercial practices

It does have its charms, and its location beside the minster  an English Gothic masterpiece  is unparalleled. Just a stone's throw away is the glorious town centre, festooned with treats such as The White Company, Carluccio's restaurant and an M&S.

There's little doubt Mr Hart's property is worth a pretty penny. Indeed, when he did put it on the market in 2019 following what he described as 'soul-destroying accusations' against his business, it was listed for offers over 875,000  a precipitous rise from the 2007 purchase price of 164,000.

As night draws in and I amble back to the guest house, I come across an elderly couple walking their dogs. 'You're not going in there, are you?' the man asks. 'Be careful,' his wife adds. 'And keep him sober.'

The judge likened Hart to a real-life Basil Fawlty, the hapless hotelier with an explosive temper made famous by John Cleese's beloved sitcom  Hart welcomed the comparison, describing Fawlty as 'wonderful and hilarious'

Though Mr Hart has previously admitted to having issues with drink that led to altercations with his guests, he says the problem is now under control.

I twice ask if John  who lives elsewhere in the town  would meet for an interview, but both times he politely declines.

I get into bed and turn off the lights. The lock mechanism on the inside of the door is broken and, with no exit possible through a window that doesn't fully open, I place a folded chair beneath the door handle.

Just as I begin to doze off, I hear shouting outside my ground floor window.

'Where's my f****** money!?' It was the voice of a young man not from these parts. 'I'm coming for ya!'

Then a scuffle. Groaning and grunting. The sound of a punch and a loud thump as something or someone hit the floor.

A text buzzes onto my phone from a nearby neighbour I'd met earlier: 'Are you ok?'

A car screeches off and then nothing. I roll over, shut my eyes and breathe deeply in through my nose and out through my mouth. My heart pounds. I pray for the oblivion of sleep.

The following morning, as I leave the property, a guest I hadn't met before appears. His face is badly bruised.

Happy to leave: Fred Kelly paid 40 to stay the night at Minster Garth  considerably less than his train fare from London to Beverley in East Yorkshire

'Young men knocked on my window,' he says. 'They wanted tobacco. I came out and gave them some,' he continues. 'Then they said I owed them money. Then they pushed me into the road and kicked me in the face.'

That could've been me, I think. I wish the gentleman well and take one final look behind me at the Minster Garth Guest House.

But wandering past the Minster to Beverley train station, I realise that the story of the guest house is the story of a man: John Dixon Hart.

After his most recent conviction, Mr Hart confessed to the court: 'It's true, I should have been more on top of things. If someone's got an issue with things, I realise now that I have to take it on board and apologise.'

Before I get on the train, my phone buzzes. It's him: 'Hope you had a nice stay. Kind Regards, John.'

Dressed up in his top hat and cane, Hart resembled a miscreant from a Dickensian novel. But doesn't that great author tell us  through the heartwarming tale of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol  that everyone deserves a second chance?

I pause, before texting back: 'Yes, thank you.'
Israel's military operation in Rafah has set truce negotiations with Hamas "backward", mediator Qatar said on Tuesday, adding that talks have reached "almost a stalemate".

"Especially in the past few weeks, we have seen some momentum building but unfortunately things didn't move in the right direction and right now we are on a status of almost a stalemate," Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told the Qatar Economic Forum.

"Of course, what happened with Rafah has set us backward."

Qatar, which has hosted Hamas's political office in Doha since 2012, has been engaged -- along with Egypt and the United States -- in months of behind-the-scenes mediation between Israel and the Palestinian militant group.

"There is no clarity how to stop the war from the Israeli side. I don't think that they are considering this as an option... even when we are talking about the deal and leading to a potential ceasefire," Sheikh Mohammed said.

Israeli politicians were indicating "by their statements that they will remain there, they will continue the war. And there is no clarity on what Gaza will look like after this", he added.

Israel continued to fight Hamas in Rafah on Monday, despite U.S. warnings against a full-scale assault on the south Gaza city that is crowded with displaced Palestinians.

At a separate news conference, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman said humanitarian aid had been unable to reach the people of Gaza since May 9, after Israel launched incursions into Rafah and closed the main aid crossings.

"Our brothers in the Gaza Strip have not received any aid since May 9, and this is an indication of the continued perpetuation of the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip," Majed al-Ansari said. (AFP)
Tesla is accused of exposing people to harmful chemicals through its paint shop

The suit claimed that the Musk's company repeatedly violated the Clean Air Act

Tesla, Elon Musk's' plant-friendly 'green' electric vehicle company, has been sued over emissions from its California plant.

The multi-billion dollar company was sued by a non-profit, the Environmental Democracy Project, that accused the company of violating the federal Clean Air Act hundreds of times out of its Fremont plant.

The Clear Air Act is a primary federal air quality law that was established to control and reduce air pollution across the country.

According to a complaint filed on Monday, since January 2021, Tesla has exposed nearby residents with harmful chemicals, including nitrogen oxides, arsenic, cadmium, and more, mainly through its paint shop operations.

The Environmental Democracy Project wants an injunction to halt excess pollution, and the company to pay civil fines up to $121,275 per day per violation of the Clean Air Act.

On Monday, Tesla was sued by by a non-profit, the Environmental Democracy Project, that accused the company of violating the federal Clean Air Act hundreds of times out of its Fremont plant (pictured)

Since January 2021, Tesla, Elon Musk's company, has exposed nearby residents with harmful chemicals, including nitrogen oxides, arsenic, cadmium, and more, mainly through its paint shop operations

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in San Francisco, added to pressure on Tesla to improve air quality surrounding the Fremont plant, the company's main plant in the US.

DailyMail.com contacted Tesla and the Environmental Democracy Project for comment.

On May 2, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District said it wanted an independent hearing board to order Tesla to reduce harmful emissions from its paint shop operations.

It said that Tesla's emissions abatement system breaks down 'repeatedly,' and the automaker has racked up 112 notices of violation since 2019, each accounting for as much as 750lbs of illegal air pollution.

In February, Tesla agreed to pay $1.5million to settle a lawsuit by 25 California counties that claimed it mishandled hazardous waste at locations across the state.

The Environmental Democracy Project said it has authority to file a 'citizen' lawsuit under the Clean Air Act because Tesla 'has violated or in violation of conditions imposed by an operating permit for major sources of pollution.'

According to the Environmental Democracy's Project website, the environmental justice non-profit 'aims to educate, advocate for, and litigate on behalf of black and brown community members on Environmental injustices.'

The group gets involved in litigation in an effort 'to hold polluters and greenwashers accountable,' as well as holding 'government entities accountable for swift and effective enforcement of pollution violations.'

The non-profit previously teamed up with the Oakland Cannery Collective and Center for Environmental Health to fight for more than nine 'unpermitted diesel generators' to be removed, according to the site.

The Environmental Democracy Project wants an injunction to halt excess pollution, and the company to pay civil fines up to $121,275 per day per violation of the Clean Air Act. (pictured: the Tesla factory in Fremont, California)

In 2004, the EPA claimed that they didn't have power under the federal Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas pollution,' according to California's Department of Justice.

As a result, Massachusetts, California and other states filed lawsuits.

By April 2007, the US Supreme Court determined that greenhouse gases are 'air pollutants' under the act.

'California has supported EPA's actions to regulate greenhouse gas emissions against industry challenge,' the state's Department of Justice said.

Attorney General Rob Bonta has 'encouraged' the EPA to regulate greenhouse emissions from motor vehicles, aircrafts, boats, 'non-road vehicles' and power plants.

This is not the first time the company has been at the center of a lawsuit, as Tesla reached a confidential settlement last month with the family of the Apple engineer who was killed in a fiery crash as he played a game on his phone inside of his Model X.

Walter Huang, 38, died when his car, which was in self-driving mode, smashed into a concrete barrier on a California freeway in March 2018.

His family filed a negligence and wrongful death lawsuit in 2019 seeking to hold Musk's company liable for repeatedly exaggerating the capabilities of the car's self-driving technology.

In early April, just a day before the trial was set to begin, the company reached an undisclosed settlement in the case.

Last month, Tesla reached a confidential settlement with the family of the Apple engineer who was killed in a fiery crash while he played on his phone inside of his Model X vehicle. (pictured: the wrecked car at the scene)

Huang (left) was pronounced dead at the scene, leaving behind his wife and two children, now 12 and nine-years-old

In a court filing requesting to keep the sum private, Tesla said it agreed to settle the case in order to 'end years of litigation.'

They claimed that the technology, dubbed Autopilot, was promoted in egregious ways that caused vehicle owners to believe they didn't have to remain vigilant while they were behind the wheel.

Evidence indicated that Huang was playing Sega's Total War: Three Kingdoms video game on his iPhone when he crashed the vehicle after dropping his son off at preschool.

He activated the Autopilot feature on his Model X for his commute to his job at Apple.

But less than 20 minutes later, Autopilot veered the vehicle out of its lane and began to accelerate before barreling into a barrier located at a perilous intersection on a busy highway in Mountain View, California.

The Model X was still traveling at more than 70 miles per hour at the time. Huang was pronounced dead at the scene, leaving behind his wife and two children, now 12 and nine-years-old.
After announcing that it would be shutting its doors for good, one Ohio Walmart auctioned off its remaining inventory, including flat-screen televisions, laptops and furniture, for a bargain.

The Walmart at 3579 S. High St. in Columbus opted not to renew its lease in a once-bustling strip plaza. Representatives announced the closure in February, claiming the store had failed to 'meet financial expectations'.

Last week, the store offloaded its merchandise through a liquidation auction. Bidding closed the morning of May 10, with some items like laptops going for under $20.

The auction was conducted exclusively through the Grafe Auction website. In addition to their winning bids, buyers were required to shell out an 18 percent online premium and 7.5 percent sales tax.

Among the items offered were cash registers, checkout counters, display racks, security monitors, anti-theft systems and ladders.

The Walmart at 3579 S. High St. in Columbus, Ohio, offloaded its merchandise through a liquidation auction last week, offering appliances and homeware for a steal

Some 55-inch, flat-screen monitors were listed for $85 to $100 on the Grafe Auctions website, while the high bid on a laptop was only $12 as of May 8

The retail giant has shuttered eight locations in 2024, following the closure of 24 stores a year prior. However, fourteen new locations are expected to open or begin construction

There was also a plethora of electronics and technology including tablets and small appliances. Some 55-inch, flat-screen monitors were listed for $85 to $100.

Laptops generally went for $110 to $150, and some for much less. As of May 8, one laptop's high bid was a measly $12.

'This is your chance to acquire high-quality equipment, fixtures, and more at a fraction of the retail cost,' an archived version of the webpage reads.

'Whether you're outfitting a new store, expanding your current business or simply looking for amazing bargains, this auction is not to be missed!'

The South Columbus storefront was among eight locations shuttered this year. All associates at that store were given the option to transfer elsewhere and received severance pay through May 3.

With the company citing financial underperformance each time, it is evident that Walmart is among the chains hardest-hit by the shift to online shopping.

The retail giant closed more than 20 stores in 2023, up from an originally slated 15. In addition to the handful of closures so far in 2024, Walmart announced in April that it would shutter all 51 of its health centers and shut down its entire health division.

'We determined there is not a sustainable business model for us to continue,' the company said in a statement.

In January, the company said it would build or up-size over 150 stores over the next five years. Fourteen new locations are expected to open or begin construction in 2024.

Around 650 locations will be renovated to fit the brand's 'Store of the Future' concept, promising more space, merchandising vignettes and digital touchpoints with additional information about products.

According to Walmart's corporate website, the new facilities will also be designed with sustainability in mind, including more energy-efficient equipment and lighting. The company is also working to develop a coast-to-coast network of electric vehicle charging stations.
A student union officer at the University of Cambridge who previously came under fire for liking a tweet that described the October 7 attacks by Hamas as a 'day of celebration' has resigned over the university's stance on Gaza.

Harvey Brown, from Bridgnorth, Shropshire, announced his surprise resignation as Welfare and Community Officer on social media pages linked to the student union in which he criticised its response to the conflict and to an ongoing encampment by pro-Palestinian protesters.

The statement was later removed, with no explanation being given, but MailOnline understands Mr Brown, who is of Palestinian heritage, stands by it.

In the statement, Mr Brown said he had taken a period of sick leave 'due to work-related stress' and felt he was left with 'no other choice' but to resign after a decline in his mental health amid the university's position on Gaza.

He previously apologised and said he had reacted 'without fully thinking' after liking several tweets about Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, including one which argued: 'The struggle for freedom is rarely bloodless and we shouldn't apologise for it.'

Harvey Brown, from Bridgnorth, Shropshire, announced his surprise resignation as Welfare and Community Officer on social media pages linked to the student union

A current encampment in support of Gaza is based in front of King's College at the University of Cambridge

In his resignation statement, he accused the SU of being 'flagrantly disconnected'

In his resignation statement, the former union officer accused the SU of being 'flagrantly disconnected with student movements' and said he 'cannot conscience working for an organisation which [...] does not express public opposition to Israel's ongoing bombardment of Gaza.'

He added: 'I am ashamed that neither Cambridge SU nor Cambridge University has to date condemned Israel's ongoing genocide of Palestinians, despite both organisations strongly condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.'

Mr Brown said protests from students calling upon the university and SU to 'end the University's complicity in genocide' has been a test 'both organisations have failed'.

He accused the union of banning staff members from visiting the ongoing encampment in support of Palestinians, located outside Cambridge's King's College, and of publishing a statement about the protest without consulting him or the BME officer.

Mr Brown said: 'As a British-Palestinian, it has been very difficult to keep existing within an institution whose business-as-usual is upheld through investments in apartheid and genocide.'

He continued: 'I urge students and staff to join me in supporting the encampment, whose demands suggest a way to not only end the university's complicity in harm, but repair that harm and reinvest the resources currently dedicated to devastation towards supporting the Cambridge community and Palestinian and Sudanese students and scholars.

'As a community we must keep standing together against state-sanctioned violence, opposing racism, anti-semitism, and Islamophobia when we enounter them, showing up for our friends and neighbours'.

The statement was posted to the union's Welfare social media pages, before being deleted. It is unclear who deleted it.

The current encampment at Cambridge (pictured) comes as Israel faces international pressure not to launch the threatened full-scale invasion of Rafah, the last haven where much of the Gazan population has fled

More than 100 people today delivered an open letter to the University signed by more than 300 academics

A large number of students are currently camped outside King's College, in scenes similar to those seen in the United States

The Cambridge encampment, run by group Cambridge for Palestine (C4P), reshared Mr Brown's statement on its social media and accused the SU of 'failing in its obligations to support student welfare'.

The Student Union has yet to comment on his resignation.

Separately on Tuesday, a march led by academics saw more than 100 people deliver an open letter to University officials, demanding that Cambridge divest from Israel.

After delivering the letter, protesters chanted 'Cambridge University has blood on its hands,' Varsity reported.

The letter is understood to have gained more than 300 signatures from academics.

The current encampment at Cambridge comes as Israel faces international pressure not to launch the threatened full-scale invasion of Rafah, the last haven where much of the Gazan population has fled.

Similar encampments have sprung up at universities including Oxford and Edinburgh, following clashes between similar encampments and police in the US.

Mr Brown previously found himself in hot water after he liked several posts from Navara editor Rivkah Brown in the wake of Hamas' attack on Israel, which left around 1,200 - mostly civilians, dead.

A smoke plume rises during Israeli bombardment in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday

Palestinians inspect a destroyed United Nations school following an air strike in Al Nuseirat refugee camp

Israel's response, which has been widely criticised due to the heavy civilian death toll and deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, has led to the deaths of at least 35,671 people.

This included a since-deleted post which read: 'Today should be a day of celebration for supporters of democracy and human rights worldwide, as Gazans break out of their open-air prison and Hamas fighters cross into their colonisers' territory.

'The struggle for freedom is rarely bloodless and we shouldn't apologise for it.'

After outrage from Cambridge's Jewish community, Mr Brown apologised, saying: 'Like many online, I reacted instinctively to early images of Palestinians escaping Gaza without fully thinking through the language in these tweets.

'This was rash. I absolutely condemn all violence against civilians. I want to be reflective, honest, and clear in my anti-racism and my opposition to state violence.'

Cambridge Student Union has been contacted for comment.
A former University of Missouri frat boy has pleaded guilty to hazing another student by forcing him to drink so much alcohol he was left permanently blind and unable to speak or walk.

Ryan P. Delanty is facing six months in jail over the October 2021 incident which left Danny Santulli with significant brain damage.

Delanty, of Manchester, Missouri, pleaded guilty Friday in Boone County to supplying liquor to a minor and misdemeanor hazing.

As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend a six-month jail sentence followed by six months of house arrest. Sentencing is May 24.

The hazing in October 2021 at a Phi Gamma Delta fraternity event left Santulli unable to see, walk or speak.

Danny Santulli, 19, is now blind, unable to talk and in a wheelchair as a result of the brain damage he suffered on a brutal night of hazing last October

Before: Danny is shown in 2020 before the hazing incident left him permanently disabled

Ryan P. Delanty is facing six months in jail over the October 2021 incident after pleading guilty to hazing

He was told to drink an entire 1.75 liter bottle of Tito's vodka and was force-fed beer through a tube.

The freshman passed out on a sofa and began to turn blue, but nobody called 911.

Harrowing footage shows the moment his frat brothers realized he was seriously ill before carrying him to a car to get him to the hospital.

By the time he got there, he had stopped breathing for long enough to cause severe brain damage.

Authorities said his blood alcohol content was 0.486, six times the legal limit.

He now lives at home with his parents and requires round the clock care. His family estimates his medical bills are in excess of $2 million.

'Ryan understands the gravity of the situation, and hes pleased to reach a resolution that avoided a trial,' said Delantys lawyer, Stephanie Fortus.

The fraternity chapter has since been shut down. Santulli's relatives filed a civil lawsuit against the fraternity and 23 members. It was settled for an unspecified amount in 2022.

Danny is shown on the night in October 2021 with a bottle of Tito's in his hand

Danny is shown slumped half-off of the couch inside the frat house after passing out

Danny Santulli is shown above being carried to a car to be driven to the hospital on October 20 after a brutal night of hazing at his University of Missouri fraternity

According to the lawsuit, the pair wanted to make the night one 'the pledges wouldn't forget' so filled the frat house with 'cocaine, marijuana and alcohol'.

The new pledges had bottles of Tito's taped to their hands and were branded 'p*****s' if they stopped drinking, according to documents reviewed by DailyMail.com.

According to the lawsuit, the fraternity brothers gave Danny a family-sized handle of Tito's vodka and told him to finish it throughout the night.

He had, at that point, been at their 'beck and call' for a month as part of the grueling hazing process.

'He was sleep deprived, was having to buy things for the fraternity brothers with his own money and was repeatedly ordered to clean the brothers' rooms and bring food, alcohol and marijuana to them at all hours of the night.

'Making matters worse, during the pledging process, Danny had been ordered to climb inside of a trash can that had broken glass in it,' the lawsuit reads.

Two nights before the incident, Danny cried to his sister that he'd had enough, the lawsuit claims.

His family told him to quit the fraternity but he said he didn't want to because he 'wasn't a quitter.'

Santulli now requires round the clock care which his family say has cost them around $2 million

Samuel Gandhi (left) and Alec Wetzler (right) were also been named as defendants now by the family of Danny Santulli, a teenager whose family say was forced to drink until his heart stopped last October during pledge month at Phi Gamma Delta. Both pleaded guilty in 2023

The national fraternity and university both suspended the Missouri chapter following Santulli's hospitalization

The lawsuit also claims the boys were under caution from the school for a previous hazing incident at the time.

Another fraternity member, Thomas Shultz of Chesterfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty in April to supplying liquor to a minor.

He was sentenced to 30 days in jail, two years of probation, and was ordered to perform community service and complete a drug and alcohol education program.

It came after Samuel Gandhi and Alec Wetzler pleaded guilty in 2023. Both were named in the family's lawsuit.
The former Royal Marine charged with betraying his country by spying for Hong Kong fought the Taliban in Afghanistan and Somali pirates in the Red Sea before getting a job working as an immigration enforcement investigator for the Home Office.

Matthew Trickett, 37, is accused of carrying out surveillance and hostile reconnaissance on pro-democracy activists in the UK for the Hong Kong intelligence service.

He is accused of spying along with dual Chinese and British citizens, Chi Leung Wai and Chung Bui Yuen.

Born in Poole, Dorset, in 1987, Trickett enlisted into the Royal Marines aged 19, served for seven years, rising to the position of detachment commander.

Since leaving the military, he has set up his own security company, working as a bodyguard for engineers, foreign dignitaries and corporate organisations as well as wealthy families.

Trickett speaks Spanish and is believed to have worked overseas, although he now lives in Maidenhead, Berkshire.

Matthew Trickett, 37, (pictured) is accused of carrying out surveillance and hostile reconnaissance on pro-democracy activists in the UK for the Hong Kong intelligence service

Matthew Trickett (pictured) covers his face as he leaves Westminster Magistrates' Court, central London, where three men appeared charged under the National Security Act of assisting a foreign intelligence service in Hong Kong

Mr Trickett covers his face as he leaves Westminster Magistrates' Court in central London (pictured)

Less is known about the other two spy suspects, Chi Leung Wai and Chung Bui Yuen, who both have dual British and Chinese nationality.

Yuen, 63, is a retired Hong Kong police officer who now works as a trade official for the former British colony.

He retired after 37 years of service, aged 55, where he reached the rank of Police Superintendent.

The married father, who is known as Bill, lives in a lavish 700,000 apartment in a fashionable part of east London.

His son and daughter both attended British universities and share a passion for designer clothes.

Yuen and his wife have been described as polite and model neighbours by other residents.

Wai, 38, works at Heathrow Airport for the UK Border Force and volunteers as a special constable for the City of London.

He started up his own security company, D5 Security Consultancy.

Court sketch of the three defendants appearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court, and, inset, a security van leaves the west London courthouse

Chung Biu Yuen pictured leaving court yesterday (left) and pictured on a motorcycle in 2002 (right)

Chi Leung Wai pictured leaving Westminster Magistrates' Court (left) yesterday

The immigration officer, who is known as Peter, lives in modest two-bedroom terraced house in the village of Stanwell Moor, close to Heathrow Airport.

The three men are accused of carrying out surveillance and hostile reconnaissance on pro-democracy activists in the UK for the Hong Kong intelligence service.
Two men from Greater Manchester prepared to carry out an ISIS-style machine gun attack on Jewish targets, police and the military, a court has been told.

Walid Saadaoui, 36, from Abram, near Wigan, allegedly agreed to pay for four machineguns and a handgun, together with 1,200 rounds of ammunition and arranged a safehouse for their storage.

He travelled to Dover in March with Amar Hussein, 50, 'with the aim of conducting reconnaissance of the port security' where the weapons were to be imported.

Both men are charged with preparation of terrorist acts while Saadaoui's younger brother Bilel, 35, who appeared alongside them at Westminster Magistrates' Court today, is charged with failing to share information about a terrorist act.

The trio were arrested as Greater Manchester Police carried out a series of high-profile raids across addresses in Wigan and Bolton. The force has sought to reassure the Jewish community, and believes there is no 'wider risk' posed in the area.

Police outside an address in Wigan after an anti-terror raid on May 8. Three men have appeared in court charged with terrorism-related offences

One of the arrests saw armed officers surround a fitness centre (pictured) in Hindley, Wigan, in front of shocked gym-goers

Walid Saadaoui, Amar Hussein, and Bilel Saadaoui appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court (pictured) today

Saadaoui was detained on the evening of May 8 as he prepared to take receipt of the weapons. Hussein was cuffed at a separate location, while Bilel was arrested at a gym in Hindley, Wigan, where he lives, on the same day.

The brothers are both from Tunisia and have leave to remain in the UK, the court was told.

Bilel is alleged to have taken receipt of Saadaoui's will and the key to a safe containing 75,000.

Rebecca Waller, prosecuting, told the court: 'Walid Saadaoui and Amar Hussein planned to conduct an ISIL or Daesh-inspired terrorist attack in the UK during which they intended causing multiple fatalities using automatic weapons.

'The main targets of their attack plans were the Jewish community in the Northwest of England and members of both law enforcement and military.

'Both defendants took significant steps to prepare, and by May 2024, had reached the point at which, they believed, they were in a position to launch their attack.

'Between December 2023 and May 2024 Walid Saadaoui shared with another individual his detailed plans to purchase firearms to use in his planned attack. He also stated that he was in communication with, and a member of ISIS.

'Walid Saadaoui was arrested on May 8 as he travelled to a pre-arranged meeting to take receipt of the weapons. Hussein was arrested at another location and Bilal Saadaoui was also arrested.'

A total of four addresses were raided across Wigan and Bolton in what police said had been a 'long running and carefully managed investigation'

An appliance warehouse in Bolton was also searched as part of what were termed 'planned warrants' in an anti-terror op

A police forensics officer entering the unit in Bolton during the investigation on May 9

All three appeared in custody at Westminster Magistrates Court wearing grey, prison-issue tracksuits and surrounded by police officers.

Walid Saadaoui spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address and was remanded in custody. There was no application for bail.

Amar Hussein was unrepresented and was asked if he wanted to apply for bail. He refused to look at the judge and answered: 'Do whatever you want to.'

Bilal Saadaoui, who has lived with his wife and her two sons since 2010, made an application for bail which was denied. He sobbed as he was led from the dock.

District Judge Louisa Cieciora remanded all three men into custody and they will appear at the Old Bailey on May 24.

The men were arrested after four search warrants were executed in the Bolton, Abram, Hindley and Great Lever areas of Greater Manchester at around 7.30pm on Wednesday May 8.

Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts has sought to reassure Greater Manchester's Jewish community following the suspects' court appearance on Tuesday. The force is working with Jewish charity the Community Safety Trust to reassure locals.

The raids, he said, were the 'culmination of much detailed planning' and a 'long-running and carefully managed investigation'.

GMP does not believe there is 'any wider risk directly connected' to the case.

Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts (pictured) has sought to reassure the Jewish community in Greater Manchester following the arrests

A police officer standing guard outside a house in Wigan following anti-terror raids

ACC Potts, who holds responsibility for counter terrorism policing in the north west, said: 'Today's first court appearance has outlined some concerning and distressing details about a suspected terrorist plot that we allege was being planned by suspects from Greater Manchester.

'We know how significant the impact of this will be. Particularly for our Jewish community in Greater Manchester and across the country.

'We have worked closely with the Community Security Trust, community groups and key stakeholders prior to today's hearing, and we will continue to update them and support them throughout the course of this case.

'We also know it's important that communities feel safe. Local officers will continue to listen and act on concerns alongside partners to protect the public and keep you safe.

'This is a reminder that the threat of terrorism always remains, but also of how hard our specialist officers are working to prevent our communities from suffering harm.

'If you do see anything suspicious or have concerns, please call the police and we will do whatever is necessary to keep you safe.'

Amanda Bomsztyk, of the CST, added: 'These are very serious allegations of a plan to commit a terrorist attack against British Jews at a time of record antisemitic hate crime levels.

'This is one of a number of recent and ongoing cases that demonstrate why the Jewish community needs such extensive security measures and why our continuing partnership with police and government is so vital.

'We urge everyone in the community to continue as normal, remain alert and report any antisemitism or suspicious activity at Jewish locations to CST and to the police.'
Boeing said last month they received only seven orders for new aircrafts

Beleaguered aircraft manufacturer Boeing received just seven orders for planes last month, pushing the company further behind European rival Airbus.

The company said on Tuesday that it received the unusually low number that wasn't enough to offset canceled sales covering 33 planes.

In total, the company delivered 24 commercial airplanes over the month, which is down two on the 26 they handed over during a weak April last year.

In comparison, rivals Airbus have delivered 203 planes since the start of the year, compared to Boeing's 107.

The company also said on Tuesday that they would be delaying their first Starliner mission to carry humans to space to May 21 over issues with the spacecraft.

Starliner's mission carrying two NASA astronauts to space had been set for liftoff from Florida last week until a technical issue prompted a delay to Friday, May 17.

Boeing said on Tuesday that it received the unusually low number that wasn't enough to offset canceled sales covering 33 planes

The clampdown comes after a door plug blew out of an Alaska Airlines 737 Max shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon, in January, seen here

In comparison, rivals Airbus have delivered 203 planes since the start of the year, compared to Boeing's 107. A A320-200 is seen here on final approach at New York JFK

The latest postponement until next week delays a program that is already years behind schedule and over $1.5 billion over budget.

Boeing said that the new issue involves a leak of helium on Starliner's propulsion system.

Canceled plane sales is largely due to the Canadian budget carrier Lynx Air's ceasing operations, which accounted for 29 of the planes, Boeing said.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently limiting the production of new Boeing 737 Max jets while the company tries to improve manufacturing.

The clampdown comes after a door plug blew out of an Alaska Airlines 737 Max shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon, in January.

Pilots were able to land the plane safely, but the incident has cast Boeing into its deepest crisis since the deadly crashes of two Max jets in 2018 and 2019.

Current and former Boeing employees have accused the company of taking safety shortcuts.

The Arlington, Virginia-based company is under investigations by the FAA, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Justice Department.

Boeing's Starliner capsule atop an Atlas V rocket is seen at Space Launch Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Stationa

Last month, Sam Salehpour and Ed Pierson gave evidence to a Congress hearing about the company and the ongoing safety crisis.

Salehpour works as a Quality Engineer for the company, and claimed that sections of the 787 Dreamliner jets have not been properly secured.

During the hearing, it was revealed that Salehpour had faced threats from his supervisor after he attempted to discuss issues with the jets.

As well as the threats being made against Salehpour, Senator Richard Blumenthal held up a picture of a large nail through a car tire belonging to Salehpour.

He also said that the safety situation at Boeing was like the company playing 'Russian roulette' with peoples lives, adding: 'We never know exactly when it's going to happen, when or where or how it's going to happen.'

Pierson said in written testimony that he believes the investigation into the 737 Max that had its door blown out mid flight was being covered up.

In March, whistleblower John Barnett was found dead in his truck in South Carolina while going throwing a whistleblowing suit against his former employer.

Salehpour (L), with Foundation for Aviation Safety Executive Director, Ed Pierson (C) and Foundation for Aviation Safety Engineer, Joe Jacobsen, testifies before the US Senate

As well as the threats being made against him, Senator Richard Blumenthal held up a picture of a large nail through a car tire

The 62-year-old was found in his truck in a hotel parking lot in South Carolina, - seven years after he retired following a 32-year career with Boeing

As well as the threats being made against him, Senator Richard Blumenthal held up a picture of a large nail through a car tire

The 62-year-old alleged that under-pressure workers were deliberately fitting sub-standard parts to aircraft while on the assembly line.

Barnett had alleged that second-rate parts were literally removed from scrap bins, before being fitted to planes that were being built to prevent delays.

A 2017 review by the FAA upheld some of his concerns, requiring Boeing to take action.

He had just given a deposition to Boeing's lawyers for the case the week before his death, his attorney Brian Knowles said.

Barnett's job for 32 years was overseeing production standards for the firm's planes - standards he said were not met during his four years at the then-new plant in Charleston from 2010 to 2014.

Barnett claimed he alerted superiors at the plant about his misgivings, but no action was ever taken. Boeing denied this, as well as his claims.

CEO David Calhoun, who will step down at the end of the year, has said many times that Boeing is taking steps to improve its manufacturing quality and safety culture.

He called the blowout on the Alaska jet a 'watershed moment' from which a better Boeing will emerge. There is plenty of skepticism about comments like that.
A Buenos Aires father of two girls has opened up on how it took him just 48 hours to locate his biological parents, three decades after he was stolen from his mother at birth.

Alejandro Perez, 36, grew up being told that he had been put up for adoption and finally sought to unearth the truth in April 2021 when doctors asked him and a former partner if they had a family history of sudden death.

Perez browsed over a file that was handed over by his adoptive parents, which erroneously indicated his biological mother, who gave birth to him via C-section on December 17, 1987, put him up for adoption because she could not care after him.

The content of the manila folder - which he decided not to view when he was 18 because he considered himself to be not 'mature enough' - sparked doubts when he came across an El Territorio newspaper clipping of a 1990 court ruling in which the judge shot down a motion filed by Nelida Benitez to get back her son, claiming a social worker assistant had stolen him from the medical facility in Posadas, Misiones.

'I couldn't believe that there was a complaint from a woman, who was my mother, who asked for my return,' he told Argentine news station TN.

Pictured: Alejandro Perez with his mother Nelida Benitez, whom he was separated from at birth in December 1987 after a hospital social worker stole him while she rested after a C-section delivery. Perez grew up believing he had been adopted until his adoptive parents provided him a case file, which led him to discover the truth in April 2021

Alejandro (right) with his father Ramon and mother Nelida

Perez barely slept for two days thinking about how he was going to locate his mother - until his social media accounts came to the rescue.

His Facebook and Instagram accounts were initially blocked because his messages were being flagged as unwanted messages until he regained access to both accounts and was contacted by a person who knew his sister, Gisella Benitez.

Perez reached out to his sibling and texted, 'I was inquiring and asking a few days ago about a lady named Nelida Isabel Benitez.'

Gisella Benitez replied that that the family had been searching for him and spent some time living in Buenos Aires without any traces of him.

'Finally, that 33-year search, all the pain and suffering of an entire family could begin to heal,' she wrote.

Perez and Gisella spent hours on the phone to make sure that he was indeed Nelida's son and spoke to her over video soon after.

Alejandro Perez recalled it only took him 48 hours to locate his biological mother after someone on social media shared his sister's contact

In September 2023, Alejandro Perez published the tell-all book '33 Years In 48 Hours' based on how he was able to locate his biological parents after he was stolen from a hospital in Argentina in 1987

Alejandro learned his mother (left) always kept an extra plate at the dinner table and never lost hope that she would be reunited with him

Footage of the emotional encounter showed Nelida breaking down in tears as her grandchildren comforted her.

'God listened to me,' she said.

'I just found out the truth, about how I ended up given up for adoption, bah, better said stolen, when after those 48 hours of intense searching I made a video call with my mother and she told me everything,' Perez said.

He got emotional upon learning that his mother always kept an extra plate at the dinner table, hoping that they would one day be reunited.

'My biological family is very Catholic and always ended their prayers with my name. Until, well, one day I was able to occupy that place and eat on that plate that was always waiting for me,' he said.

Perez penned a tell-all book '33 Years In 48 Hours' that was published last September.

'I believe that each person's identity and roots are the most important thing,' he said. 'Knowing where we come from is the basis of life.'
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox revealed why his state has been declared the 'best in America' two years in a row.

Utah has earned the top spot on U.S. News & World Report's 'Best States' survey for the second year in a row earlier this month.

The Beehive State's success is credited to a sense of community and charitable giving, according to Cox.

'One of the things that makes Utah special is that we lead the nation in upward mobility and social capital, connectedness, that we lead the nation every year in service and charitable giving, and that we don't rely on government to solve all of our problems,' Cox told Fox News Digital.

Utah was also rated top in its financial stability, for which it ranked first out of all 50 states. Cox said conservative values have led the state to have the 'best economy in the country.'

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox revealed why his state has been declared the 'best in America' two years in a row

The Beehive State's success is credited to a sense of community and charitable giving, according to Cox

He also credited conservative values for the economic success of his state

'I think that the conservative policies that we've championed have made us not just the best economy in the country, but also, you know, we're No. 2 in education,' he said.

'We've been able to get more funding for education, but also, we passed school choice to empower parents.'

'We've given our teachers the largest raises in our state's history and given families more choices to be able to use taxpayer dollars to send their kids wherever they want to go. And so, again, not having it be a zero-sum game, finding solutions that benefit everyone and smaller government... I think those are the things that keep Utah No. 1.,' Cox added.

'We need to build 35,000 starter homes over the course of the next five years to keep the American Dream alive,' Cox told the outlet.

'And so we're dedicated to that. I believe it's immoral to not have homeownership and the American Dream, the ability to buy a home and start a family as part of, again, the fabric of our society.'

Referencing the mass exodus of people leaving California for other states such as Utah, Cox slammed the 'progressive path; the state chose and claimed it clearly isn't 'working.'

'I think we have a very strong economy. For sure. I think we're much less regulated. I do think that these are the laboratories of democracy. California's chosen a very different path, you know, a very progressive path. And, and I think it shows it's not working as more and more people are leaving California. And I think what we're doing in Utah is working, and that's attracting people from California and elsewhere.'

'People always ask me, how are you going to stop that from happening? Well, I can't. I want us to be the No. 1 state,' he said.

Utah has earned the top spot on U.S. News & World Report's 'Best States' survey for the second year in a row earlier this month.

Utah usurped Washington DC as the best state to live this year, according to the U.S News and World Report's Best States rankings

Utah state usurped Washington DC, which had come out No.1 for the past two years on the U.S News and World Report's Best States rankings.

The survey rated the states across eight categories including healthcare, education and natural environment.

A strong economy and low unemployment rates have made Utah the best state to live this year, the survey has found.

But Utah was buoyed by its financial stability, for which it ranked first out of all 50 states.

Meanwhile, Louisiana was ranked the worst state to live in due to its high crime rate, poor economy and infrastructure.

It was followed by Alaska and Mississippi which came in 49th and 48th place respectively.

For several years Utah has been praised for its strong economy and fiscal governance.

It is one of the few states to have budget surpluses rather than deficits each year - meaning it has been able to afford a raft of tax cuts. Utah entered 2023 with an extra $3.3 billion.

Louisiana was ranked the worst state to live in due to its high crime rate, poor economy and infrastructure. Pictured: New Orleans, Louisiana

Lawmakers also made it a priority to wage war on homelessness, creating a 'housing first' system which moved many off the streets and into permanent accommodation.

What's more, the National Bureau of Economic Research found that the state had the best response to the pandemic for balancing its residents' economic interests against their health risks.

Justin Theal, from the nonprofit The Pew Charitable Trusts, said: 'Since early 2020, Utah's tax revenue recovery has consistently outpaced the national trend.

'In fact, tax revenue in Utah has outperformed nearly every state when you compare its overall collections in recent years to the state's pre-COVID growth trend.'

Overall the top ten states spanned nearly every region of the country - however more than half were in the West or Midwest.
She's a global phenomenon and the undisputed Queen of pop.

But the imminent arrival of Taylor Swift's concert tour to the UK is not only sending her legions of 'Swifties' into a state of frenzied excitement, it's also very good news for the country's coffers as well.

For the American star's sell-out Eras Tour is set to boost the British economy by almost 1 billion, a new report has revealed.

Going to a Taylor Swift concert is such a big deal that her fans turn a night out into a major spending event.

On top of the ticket price itself, fans also splash out on travel, accommodation, a pre-concert meal, official merchandise and many will buy a new outfit for the big occasion too.

But the imminent arrival of Taylor Swift 's concert tour to the UK is not only sending her legions of 'Swifties' into a state of frenzied excitement, it's also very good news for the country's coffers as well. Pictured is Swift performing in Paris on May 12 during her tour

Taylor Swift performing on stage during the Reputation Stadium Tour at Wembley in 2018

Researchers have calculated each Swiftie attending an Eras concert in the UK will spend on average 848 to see their idol perform.

The total is more than 12 times the average 67 cost of a UK night out and the Chancellor can expect a 997 million boost to the economy thanks to Taylor's 15 tour dates this summer.

It was recently revealed how Taylor Swift had joined the ranks of the world's billionaires.

Her music, live performances and real estate portfolio has been estimated by Forbes to be worth $1.1 bn (874m).

Now the Swiftonomics report from Barclays shows the cost to her most devoted fansand the boost to the economy she brings as a result.

Almost 1.2m fans will watch her UK concerts, which begin in Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium next month.

On average those lucky enough to attend will have spent 206 on a ticket and for the fans (14% of the total) who dug deeper to buy VIP or premium seats that figure exceeds 400.

The report estimates fans spend an average of 121 on accommodation and 111 on travel to go to the night out.

As 18% will buy a new outfit the average clothing bill for a Swiftie concert is put at 56.

Swift performs onstage during night four of 'Taylor Swift, The Eras Tour' at La Defense, May 12

Going to a Taylor Swift concert is such a big deal that her fans turn a night out into a major spending event. She is pictured performing in Paris on May 12

Going for a restaurant meal near one of the tour venues in London, Liverpool, Edinburgh and Cardiff is expected to add 59 to the night's total cost and add on another 79 for the expensive Taylor tour merchandise.

While costs will be even higher than average for the one on five fans intending to travel to mainland Europe to see one of her shows.

And it's also a great excuse for a party.

The report revealed 8% of fans were either planning to host or attend a Taylor Swift themed party before or after the show and 7% are buying special decorations for their house as well.

Researchers questioned 200 UK adults in April who have secured or are trying to buy Taylor Swift tickets, providing a representative sample by age, gender, region and income group.

Dr Peter Brooks, Chief Behavioural Scientist at Barclays, said: 'Whoever came up with the phrase 'money can't buy happiness' clearly wasn't a Swiftie.

'There's growing evidence that spending on experiences boosts happiness and well-being more so than purchasing physical items, especially if that experience is shared with friends and loved ones.

'When it comes to cultural icons like Taylor Swift  like we saw with Elvis and Beatlemania in the 50s and 60s  supporters have such a strong connection to the artist and to the rest of the fandom that the desire to spend becomes even more powerful.

'For non-fans, 848 may seem like an enormous amount to splash out on a concert  but for Eras Tour ticketholders, every pound they spend is an investment in the memories they'll create.'
Union leaders were tonight hailing victory after mammoth talks with Labour ended with Sir Keir Starmer recommitting to a radical shake-up of workers' rights.

Party chiefs and union bosses reached agreement over Labour's proposed 'New Deal for Working People' after spending hours locked in showdown discussions.

The meeting came after weeks of tensions between Sir Keir and those unions who bankroll Labour over claims the planned employment reforms were being weakened.

There had been fears among unions that Labour was bowing to pressure from businesses to water down the plans ahead of the general election.

Business chiefs have swiped at the proposals - spearheaded by deputy leader Angela Rayner - by warning against excessive regulation that might harm productivity.

Union leaders were tonight hailing victory after mammoth talks with Labour ended with Sir Keir Starmer recommitting to a radical shake-up of workers' rights

Unite secretary general Sharon Graham was among key union figures to have previously warned against watering down the package

Business chiefs have swiped at the proposals - spearheaded by deputy leader Angela Rayner - by warning against excessive regulation that might harm productivity

Under Ms Rayner's plans to strengthen workers' rights, a Labour government would ban zero-hour contracts and end 'fire and rehire' practices.

There are also proposals to entitle employees to sick pay and parental leave from day one, introduce a 'right to switch off' after leaving the office, and boost workers' rights to flexible working.

And Labour wants to empower adult social care professionals and trade unions that represent them to negotiate a sector-wide agreement for pay, terms and conditions.

Ahead of today's meeting, union bosses were said to be planning to raise concerns about several changes in draft documents, including over the speed and scope of reforms.

But, in a joint statement issued after the crunch talks ended, Labour said it remained fully committed to its workers' rights package as the party put on a united front with union bosses.

The statement from Labour and TULO (Trade Union and Labour Party Liaison Organisation) said: 'Labour and the affiliated unions had a constructive discussion today.

'Together we have reiterated Labour's full commitment to the New Deal for Working People, as agreed in July.

'We will continue to work together at pace on how a Labour government would implement it in legislation.'

A trade union source said: 'The unions were very united at today's talks and are happy with the outcome of the meeting.

'They will work with the Labour Party to deliver the New Deal for Working People.'

TULO includes representatives from some of the UK's largest unions  such as Unite, Unison, and USDAW.

Unite secretary general Sharon Graham was among key union figures to have previously warned against watering down the package.

She told LBC after Tuesday's talks with Labour: 'They did listen, we had the full team in there so they did listen, it was a long meeting.

'The words on the page will matter, I never say we're there until I see the words on the page.

'But we were in a meeting where, effectively, everybody wanted to move this forward.'

Ms Graham added she still expected Labour to bring forward legislation to enact the workers' rights overhaul within 100 days of coming to power.

She also warned Labour she would continue to keep 'their feet to the fire'.

Dave Ward, general secretary of the Communication Workers Union, said: 'Good meeting with the Labour leadership. Get the Tories out and implement the new deal for workers in full.'

Today's meeting followed Sir Keir's insistence that there will be no weakening of the proposals.

'This will be the biggest levelling up of workers' rights in a generation, so there will be no watering down,' the Labour leader said on Monday.

Tory chairman Richard Holden warned Sir Keir had risked surrendering to Ms Rayner and union bosses over 'new French-style laws, which will cost jobs and damage the economy'.

He added: 'It doesn't matter how many businesses warn about the risks of his policies, Sir Keir Starmer is in the pocket of his union paymasters.'
Robert De Niro went on an expletive-filled rant against Donald Trump during an appearance on The View which saw him muted four times.

The actor, 80, branded the presidential hopeful 'hateful' and repeated comparisons to WW2 tyrants Hitler and Mussolini during the interview on Tuesday.

'I don't understand why people are not taking him seriously, because you read about it historically in other countries that they didn't take the people seriously,' De Niro said.

'Think of Hitler and Mussolini. Fools and clowns. Well -- and I hear -- some people -- I mean, who does not think that this guy is going to do exactly what he says he's going to do? He's done it already.'

He also agreed with co-host Whoopi Goldberg who suggested that Trump, 77, would 'stay in [office] until he drops dead'.

Robert De Niro went on an expletive-filled rant against Donald Trump during an appearance on The View which saw him muted four times

The actor, 80, branded the presidential hopeful 'hateful' and repeated comparisons to WW2 tyrants 'Hitler and Mussolini' during the interview on Tuesday

De Niro accused Trump's backers as supporting him with 'anger and hate'

The actor has been an outspoken critic of Trump and did not hold back during the segment. Pictured: De Niro at an award ceremony on March 10, 2023 in LA

'He's not even conceding it now so imagine if he actually did win the election. It's over,' De Niro said.

'We're going to have such civil strife. All the things he says because everybody is now on to him where he projects what he's saying.

'It's what he wants, what he envisions the world to be which is chaos and craziness, total craziness.'

The actor has been an outspoken critic of Trump and did not hold back during the segment.

'If he gets elected it's going to change this country for everybody and they might think that it's going to make their life better or just want, excuse my French, [muted],' De Niro said.

He also referenced a long-standing feud between the former president and Rosie O'Donnell, calling Trump's trolling 'vicious'.

'Those people who support him with anger and hate because that's what he's about, they're going to see. I mean, I used to see these things -- I didn't understand how he and Rosie O'Donnell -- I see what a hateful, mean-spirited awful thing he is,' De Niro added.

'It's almost like he wants to do the worst that he could possibly do to show this country [muted]. His slogan should be, "I want to f*** America".'

He referenced a long-standing feud between the former president and Rosie O'Donnell, calling Trump's trolling 'vicious'

De Niro agreed with The View co-host Whoopi Goldberg that if elected, Trump would never leave office

The presidential hopeful has previously branded De Niro a 'loser' following criticism

It comes weeks after the actor blasted Trump ding an appearance on MSNBC's The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle.

De Niro called Trump a 'a sick person,' a 'narcissistic,' a 'monster, and a 'stupid bully.'

The presumptive Republican heir has not been shy in his response to the critique.

Last year he slammed the Taxi Driver star as a 'total loser', after the legendary actor reignited their feud by claiming his speech at a New York awards ceremony was cut short to remove barbs about him.

De Niro went on to deliver the section in full including all the Trump jibes before blasting Apple, the Awards' organizer, for deleting the speech.

Trump, 77, took to Truth Social to blast the veteran actor.

'Robert De Niro, whose acting talents have greatly diminished, with his reputation now shot, must even use a teleprompter for his foul and disgusting language, so disrespectful to our Country,' Trump wrote.
U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika refused to throw out a federal gun case against Hunter Biden, clearing the way for a June 3 jury trial.

Noreika rejected the president's son's latest attempt to scrap the case, which will set up a spectacle as his father's re-election bid intensifies.

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.

A picture from Hunter Biden's laptop showed the now 53-year-old first son posing nude with a firearm

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.

They had also challenged the appointment of Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss as special counsel to lead the prosecution.

Last week, an appeals court also rejected Hunter's attempt to nullify the case.

'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 last Thursday.

Last month, District Judge Maryellen Noreika also rejected another attempt by Hunter 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.

Hunter faces more than 20 years in prison if convicted on the gun charges

Hunter Biden is the first child of a sitting president to be indicted

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.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis responded Monday to the political buzz surrounding his wife Casey - that she could take his place in the Florida governor's mansion in two years.

There's long been speculation that Florida's popular first lady could do two terms as governor after her husband is term-limited out.

And last month a Florida Atlantic University poll found that Casey was way ahead of Rep. Matt Gaetz in the early survey.

'If I had to characterize her interest in getting into the political thicket as a candidate, I wouls say, I would characterize it as zero,' DeSantis said at a press conference in Coral Gables.

'But, you know, I think it's because she has had a front row seat on all the nonsense that goes on when you do it,' the former 2024 presidential candidate added.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Casey DeSantis' interest in running for Florida governor in 2026 was 'zero' during a press conference on Monday in Coral Gables, Florida

Casey DeSantis (right) was frequently at her husband's side during his 2024 presidential run. Here she and the florida governor (left) visit volunteers in Iowa in the days ahead of the caucus

Casey, a former TV news reporter, and the couple's three children were constant fixtures on the presidential campaign trail earlier this year.

In early polling of the 2026 gubernatorial race, 38 percent of Florida voters said they'd choose her over Gaetz to be the state's next governor.

Gaetz received the support of just 16 percent of the electorate, while 20 percent said they'd like to see a different candidate and 26 percent were unsure of who they would back.

Meanwhile over the weekend at former President Donald Trump's massive Wildwood, New Jersey rally, supporters of the ex-president liked the idea of DeSantis for Trump's VP.

'I like DeSantis,' 80-year-old Linda Donnelly, who traveled down to the rally from Long Island, told DailyMail.com. 'Because he's very much like Trump but with a little - I don't want to use the word class - what would be another word? He's Trump but with a little bit better vocabulary.'

Nancy Martin, a 62-year-old cosmetologist who traveled to the rally from Baltimore, Maryland, also backed DeSantis as a good Trump vice presidential pick.

'My first pick is DeSantis,' she said. 'Because I love him,' she laughed.

Casey DeSantis (left) has long been considered someone who could take her husband's place in the Florida governor's mansion once he's term-limited out

'Because he's a great governor, I think he's fantastic and he's America First.'

DeSantis' well-funded 2024 campaign ran out of steam in late January, ahead of the New Hampshire primary after he came in a distant second place in Iowa after spending months there on the ground.

The Florida governor said on a call in February that he would not want to be Trump's VP.

There's also a constitutional hitch for DeSantis - and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who Trump's donors want considered - as the 12th Amendment prevents electors from picking a president and vice president from the same state.

Trump changed his residency from New York to Florida in October 2019.
An EPA whistleblower has come forward with shocking claims over the government's response to the toxic East Palestine train derailment.

Robert Kroutil, a scientist who spent four decades in government agencies, claimed to NewsNation that the EPA strayed from its normal safety procedures when testing for hazardous contamination around the crash site.

He alleged that leaders delayed in deploying a chemical testing plane for five days, but still decided that evacuated residents were free to return to their homes after only three days.

Residents who returned home quickly reported adverse reactions, including rashes, breathing problems and nausea.

'That deployment was the most unusual deployment Ive ever seen,' Kroutil said of the testing aircraft. 'You just wouldnt do it that way.'

Former EPA contractor-turned-whistleblower Robert Kroutil came forward with shocking allegations over the government's response to the February 2023 East Palestine train derailment

Officials told residents that they were safe to return home within three days of the derailment, and Kroutil claimed mismanagement may have missed key data on the levels of toxicity still in the area at the time

Kroutil spent his career developing the ASPECT aircraft (pictured), a high-tech plane used to detect levels of chemical contamination in the air that he claimed was delayed in being deployed

Kroutil originally worked for the Department of Defense, where he worked to develop the Airborne Spectralphotometric Environmental Collection Technology (ASPECT) aircraft, a high-tech plane used to detect levels of chemical contamination in the air.

He continued this work when he moved to the EPA to work as a contractor, but said throughout his career he had never seen the aircraft used in the manner that it was in the East Palestine disaster.

At the time that officials told residents it was safe for them to return to their homes, EPA Chief Michael Reagan specifically singled out the use of the ASPECT plane as a reason he made the decision.

'Weve had boots on the ground, leading robust air quality testing, including the advanced technology ASPECT plane,' he said.

However, procedures normally called for the ASPECT plane to be deployed within hours, and Kroutil said he is still confused why it wasn't deployed in a timely manner, feeling it may have missed key data on the levels of toxicity in the area.

'In East Palestine, we had a big delay,' he told NewsNation. 'There was a big delay in getting the aircraft to Pittsburgh.'

Asked why officials may have postponed the flight, Kroutil said he is 'still asking myself that question.'

Following the derailment on February 3, 20203, he said: 'We should be collecting data on the 4th, the 5th, the 6th (of February), multiple flights on the 7th.

'We should be there at least two weeks to monitor the situation.'

At the time that officials told residents it was safe for them to return to their homes, EPA Chief Michael Reagan (pictured) specifically singled out the use of the ASPECT plane as a reason he made the decision

Officials were forced to deploy a controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed train as it was filled with hazardous materials, which caused a huge plume of toxic smoke to fill the East Palestine, Ohio area for several days, pictured on February 6, 2023

A young girl shows a rash she developed shortly after returning to East Palestine in February 2023

Instead, Kroutil claimed the ASPECT plane wasn't even deployed until the toxic plume of smoke had dissipated - and many residents returned home - and collected only a fraction of the data he would have expected.

'We only were deployed for two missions on Feb. 7. By that time the plumes were out, the fire was out. It was after the event and burn, so that was not the time to actually use this particular aircraft,' he said.

'The aircraft only collected data, eight minutes worth of data with the targets'. Usually, he claimed, it would have collected over 100 minutes of data.

Although EPA heads cited the plane as one of their reasons for telling residents it was safe, Kroutil claimed scientists determined the data was inconclusive - a point that didn't appear on the agency's final report on the incident.

Kroutil (pictured) began his career with the Department of Defense, and spent four decades in government agencies before resigning over his East Palestine allegations

Kroutil also alleged that the plane turned off its chemical sensors over some creeks in East Palestine, which he insisted is against normal protocol and no reason was given for the move.

'Ive done 180 different responses,' he said. 'Ive never heard the program manager tell us to turn the sensor off when collecting data.'

He claims that when he complained to higher-ups, he never received a response.

In response, NewsNation said the EPA disagreed with Kroutil's characterization of the response, and said the ASPECT aircraft was unable to fly earlier due to weather conditions.

'Within hours of the derailment on Feb. 3, 2023, EPA responders were on-scene, establishing a robust air monitoring network at the site and within the community,' the agency said.

'EPAs ASPECT plane was just one component of a comprehensive air monitoring and sampling network that included several instruments to collect air samples and measure contaminants at and around the site.'

Although the EPA reportedly claimed the delay was triggered by adverse weather conditions, Kroutil disagreed and said it could have flown at a lower altitude

Images taken immediately following the train derailment showed huge fires and smoke filling the East Palestine, Ohio area

For months after the derailment, residents complained of adverse side effects including breathing problems, rashes and nausea

Kroutil said the weather data contradicted this, and claimed the plane would have been safe to fly at 2,000 feet instead of its normal altitude of 2,800 feet.

As his fears over the derailment's response grew, the scientist said he was also taken aback by being told not to include the words 'East Palestine' from his communications with his program manager.

This may have been used as a loophole so that those communications wouldn't be included in a Freedom of Information Act response about the derailment, Kroutil said.

Because of this, he decided to file his own FOIA request - which he said was quickly met by a threat.

'I was told that Id be fired within 24 hours if I didnt rescind my FOIA request,' he claimed.

Kroutil resigned his post after he rescinded the request, and insisted that he is now whistleblowing for one reason - 'because it's the truth.'

The former agency staffer is being offered legal protections by the Government Accountability Project (GAO) as he steps forward with his claims.

Lesley Pacey, an investigator with the GAP, said of their support: 'The EPA didnt gather the chemical information that it could have gathered to inform first responders, the community, government officials, to protect the public.'

'They could have done this and they didnt. The question is why.'
Republican lawmakers are concerned that almost all of the drones used in Ukraine's war against Russia are made in China.

Since the war began in 2021, drones - particularly small, cheap Chinese ones - have been a preferred armament for Ukrainian troops attempting to repel Russian forces.

As the use of drones has expanded from a reconnaissance tool to kamikaze-styled single-use explosives, the Ukrainian government has increasingly relied on the tools to take out larger Russian targets like tanks and vehicle convoys.

Now, House Republicans are raising the alarm that almost all of the estimated 10,000 drones used per month by Ukraine are almost all coming from one single Chinese manufacturer.

They are so concerned, in fact, that a group of 11 lawmakers sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin demanding that he provide Ukraine with small American-made drones instead, saying it would constitute a 'geopolitical victory' for the U.S.

Ukrainian volunteers give Ukrainian servicemen more than one hundred units of DJI Mavic 3 drones and FPV (First-Person View) kamikaze drones. DJI drones have been one of the most commonly used in the war

'As the Department of Defense considers the delivery of additional aid to Ukraine, we strongly encourage you to include the delivery of small, American-made drones, which are essential for tactical success on the battlefield,' the Republicans wrote to Austin this week.

'These systems are the primary method for identifying targets, directing artillery fire, surveilling enemy positions, and enabling battlefield maneuvers and force protection.'

'On the front lines, Ukraine consumes around 10,000 of these small drones per month, most of which are made by a single Chinese company.'

The letter was led by Rep. Rob Witman, R-Va., and was co-signed by Reps. Jack Bergman, R-Mich., Rich McCormick, R-Ga., Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., Jen Kiggans, R-Va., Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., Lance Gooden, R-Texas, Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., Michael Turner, R-Ohio, and Don Bacon, R-Neb.

The lawmakers requested that Austin use some of the foreign aid money approved by Congress for Ukraine's war effort to fund the American drone initiative.

A gasoline canister is not the best option to counter FPV drones.

One russian soldier has proven it.



: @serhiyprytula Foundation pic.twitter.com/Mthwfgl9Ie  Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) May 14, 2024

The demonstration of some of the 30 DJI Matrice 300 RTK drones purchased for the Armed Forces of Ukraine

A Ukrainian soldier looks on at a screen during the flight of a suicide FPV drone over Russian positions in Kharkiv region

A Ukrainian soldier dawns a headset to pilot his FPV drone while on the frontlines of the war

'In obligating these and other appropriate funds, we strongly urge you to include small, American-made drones in the next package of assistance to Ukraine.'

'Without these drones, Ukrainian forces cannot conduct effective battlefield operations and must rely on insecure drones from China that are increasingly difficult to procure.'

Interestingly, China has also been providing drone technology to Russia, multiple Biden administration officials have said.

Two officials who discussed the sensitive findings on the condition of anonymity, said that in 2023 about 90% of Russia's microelectronics came from China, which Russia has used to make missiles, tanks and aircraft.

Chinese and Russian entities have also been working to jointly produce unmanned aerial vehicles inside Russia, and Chinese companies are likely providing Russia with nitrocellulose needed to make propellants weapons, the officials said.

Russian tank explodes after being hit by bomb dropped from a drone in Ukraine

Drones have been a particularly effective weapon against tanks without aerial defenses

The Department of Defense and the office of Rep. Wittman did not immediately return a request for comment.
These findings were echoed by several other studies published this year

The number of men undergoing the procedure jumped from 6.2 to 9.8 percent

Emerging research has found that more men under the age of 30 are seeking vasectomies in the wake of the Roe v. Wade overturn.

Following the landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2022, states were given the say on abortion policies and reproductive rights.

An analysis from the University of Utah found that the percentage of men under 30 who underwent vasectomies jumped from 6.2 to 9.8 in the the months after the ruling.

The researchers examined data from millions of patients nationwide, comparing statistics from July to December 2021 with an identical period beginning the month immediately after the overturn.

The researchers found a 'significant increase' in the rate of single men and men under 30 undergoing vasectomies after the ruling in which the Supreme Court held that the U.S. Constitution does not confer the right to abortion.'

They also concluded that the increased rate of vasectomies was consistent among states 'regardless of the legal climate'.

New research shows that more more under the age of 30 have begun to seek vasectomies following the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022

After the landmark decision, the percentage of men under 30 who underwent the procedure jumped from 6.2 to 9.8 percent, an analysis from the University of Utah found

The authors also concluded that the increased rate of vasectomies was consistent among states 'regardless of the legal climate,' or whether or not abortion was legal

These findings were echoed in other studies published this year, including a paper from the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health and Boston University.

The article showed 'an abrupt increase' in the number of patients between 18 and 30 years old who were undergoing vasectomies and tubal ligation (the equivalent for women) after the ruling.

However, the authors noted that the increase in procedures for female patients was double that for male patients.

Lead author Jacqueline Ellison, an assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Pitt School of Public Health, proposed an explanation for the discrepancy.

Tubal ligation procedures are 'far more complex' and 'anywhere from two to six times more expensive,' Ellison wrote.

'The major difference in patterns of these two procedures likely reflects the fact that young women are overwhelmingly responsible for preventing pregnancy and disproportionately experience the health, social and economic consequences of abortion bans,' she said in a statement.

While the paper shied away from determining causality, it noted that the abrupt increase in permanent contraception rates 'may indicate a policy-induced change in contraceptive preferences.'

The 2022 ruling 'may have also increased a sense of urgency among individuals who were interested in permanent contraception before the decision,' the paper's authors wrote.

Another study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health and Boston University found 'an abrupt increase' in the number of patients between 18 and 30 who were undergoing sterilization

However, the authors of that study noted that the increase in procedures for female patients was double that for male patients

The paper noted that the abrupt increase in the number of patients seeking permanent contraception 'may indicate a policy-induced change in contraceptive preferences'

A study from Ohio State University published earlier this month examined the responses to an anonymous survey sent to patients who had received treatment from the school's Department of Urology in the last two years.

When the authors compared responses pre- and post-ruling, they found that patients 'demonstrated concern for abortion inaccessibility' after the June 2022 decision 'and were more likely to obtain vasectomy due to this reason.'

Furthermore, patients were 'significantly more likely to indicate that they chose to have a vasectomy due to a concern about an inability to obtain abortion access' after the ruling.

Patients were also significantly more likely to indicate that they 'did not want to bring children into the current political climate,' and sought sterilization instead.

The researchers found that men opting for vasectomies were not only younger than before, but more likely to be childless.

'Furthermore, the increased volume also had increased the wait time between initial consult and procedure,' they wrote, suggesting that urologists 'adjust practice patterns to accommodate' the higher demand.

When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade nearly two years ago, the states, ironically, were given the right to choose, rather than the federal government.

At present, abortion is illegal in 14 states, according to the Center for Reproductive Rights. The ruling enabled states like Missouri, Texas and South Dakota to enforce a trigger ban, which automatically criminalized the procedure.

Other states like California and New York enacted comprehensive abortion rights legislature before the decision, meaning a woman's right to choose was protected.

But tolerance is a sliding scale, and a few states hang somewhere in the middle. In New Hampshire and Virginia, abortion remains accessible, but without legal protections. In New Mexico, the courts have yet to determine whether the state constitution protects it.

A study from Ohio State University analyzed the results of a survey that asked men why they sought vasectomies and found that patients 'demonstrated concern for abortion inaccessibility' after the ruling

Abortion is currently illegal in 14 states, according to the Center for Reproductive Rights

The procedure is accessible, but not legally protected, in New Hampshire and Virginia, while courts in New Mexico have yet to determine whether the state constitution protects it

The landmark decision caused a rift in national opinion. The most vocal opponents, particularly stringent Catholics, argued against abortion for religious reasons.

Among them was 30-year-old Lauren Handy, who was sentenced to nearly five years in prison Tuesday after leading an invasion and blockade of a reproductive health clinic in 2020. Police found five fetuses at her home after she was indicted.

Several of Handy's associates are also on trial. One co-defendant forced pushed a nurse, causing her to sprain her ankle. Another co-defendant prevented a woman who was having labor pains from entering the clinic.

Those on the other side of the issue argue that abortion is an essential component of women's healthcare and can often be a life-saving measure.

A Pew Research Center survey conducted nearly a year after the ruling found that 62 percent of U.S. adults said the practice should be legal in all or most cases, while 36 percent opposed.

The criminalization of abortion means that the country may see more illegal procedures, increasing the risk of patient death.

Developing countries, particularly those in Asia, bear the brunt of 97 percent of all unsafe abortions, according to a 2021 report from the World Health Organization.

In developed regions, it is estimated that 30 women die for every 100,000 unsafe abortions. That number rises to 220 deaths per 100,000 unsafe abortions in developing regions.
A pensioner took his own life after losing 'hope' of receiving prompt treatment for chronic pain he suffered following an NHS knee operation.

Great-grandfather Julian Pryer, 84, was in constant agony after the procedure and was desperate to alleviate the pain.

He took a fatal overdose of prescription medication days after being told he would have to wait at least eight months before being treated at the local pain clinic.

Mental health services also refused to see him, despite a referral from his GP, because his problems were physical.

Details of the retired rail worker's despair emerged at an inquest where a coroner recorded a conclusion of suicide.

Great-grandfather Julian Pryer, 84, was in constant agony after the procedure and was desperate to alleviate the pain

After the hearing, his daughter Cheryl said: 'It was very frustrating to see the pain he was in 24/7. It changed his character completely and he wasn't like my dad anymore.

'Before this, he loved to travel abroad and was very independent.

'All he really needed was hope and the system didn't give him any. There needs to be a more holistic approach to care.'

Mr Pryer had a full replacement of his right knee at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) in January last year, Norfolk Coroner's Court heard yesterday.

The procedure was deemed to have been a success but in the months that followed he lived in constant pain.

He had regular contact with his GP, who made referrals to the orthopaedic team at NNUH.

Scans revealed Mr Pryer had suffered a large tear in his quads  the group of muscles at the front of the thigh  as well as spinal problems.

He was seen by staff at the hospital's pain clinic but was told it would be well into the following year before he could hope for any treatment.

Around this time, Mr Pryer's GP referred him to mental health services after his daughter reported he had revealed he was considering taking an overdose.

Mr Pryer had a full replacement of his right knee at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) in January last year, Norfolk Coroner's Court heard yesterday

But Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust declined the referral after assessing him, explaining it was his physical pain that was at the root of his mental health issues.

Dr Hans de Vrijer, of Brundall Medical Practice, which is three miles from Mr Pryer's Lingwood home, told the inquest in Norwich: 'It appears that a lack of a holistic approach in secondary care left him in a situation where he felt hopeless.'

Mr Pryer was found dead at his house on August 14, days after being told of the eight-month wait to be seen at the pain clinic.

He left a suicide note explaining his reasons to his family.

Mr Pryer, the only son among eight siblings, was born in India. He went on to have three children, as well as nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Prior to the knee operation he led an active life, with regular travel overseas to visit family and attending services at Norwich's Roman Catholic cathedral.

NNUH continues to have lengthy waiting lists for patients needing treatment for chronic pain, the inquest was told.

Katherine Dyer, lead nurse of the pain management team, admitted some patients waited nearly two years to be seen.

'Nationally, there is an unprecedented level of demand and our referral rate continues to increase,' she said.

Retired railway worker Julian Pryer, who took his own life in August 2023

NNUH chief executive Professor Lesley Dwyer said: 'We are very sorry to anyone waiting longer than expected for investigations and treatment.

'We continually review our waiting lists and we are prioritising cancer, the most urgent and longest-waiting patients. Our teams are working hard to reduce waits by carrying out additional activity.

A spokesperson for Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'We would like to share our sincere and heartfelt condolences to Julian's family at this very difficult time.

'Our thoughts remain with Julian's family, and we would like to reassure them that following his sad death we have conducted a safety review to identify any improvements in care needed.

'This investigation confirmed that our assessment made at the time was appropriate, concluding that the most suitable support for Julian was to address the underlying issue affecting his mental health by seeking support to manage his physical pain.'

'We are committed to working with families, carers, service users and partners on our improvement and transformation journey to provide safer, kinder and better care. Therefore, we would encourage Julian's family to get in touch if they have any further questions or if we can support them in any other way.'
Four Romanian women are facing jail for their roles in a shoplifting plot in which beauty products worth more than 30,000 were stolen in the space of a month.

The gang targeted make-up and beauty counters in high street shops and supermarkets, walking away with thousands of pounds of products on each occasion.

The crimes took place across Norfolk between May 1 and June 1 before the women were tracked down to addresses in north and east London.

Grama Zorila, 30, Ana Iosif, 26, Andrea Ion, 24, and Denisa-ionela Simion, 20, were arrested and admitted conspiracy to steal.

Recorder Nicola Fitches, sitting at Norwich Crown Court, warned the gang they faced lengthy jail terms when they are sentenced next month.

The gang targeted make-up and beauty counters in high street shops and supermarkets (pictured: Norwich Crown Court)

Cosmetics and clothes worth around 4,000 were also taken from the King's Lynn Next outlet (stock photo)

'Just because I'm asking for pre-sentence reports to be done does not mean that all options, including immediate custody, are not open,' she told them.

The case illustrates the epidemic of shoplifting on Britain's high streets after police stopped responding to most incidents.

The Mail on Sunday has campaigned for the police, Crown Prosecution Service and courts to be much tougher with shoplifters.

Cosmetics and other beauty products are a favoured target of shoplifting gangs because they are small, valuable, easy to conceal and simple to resell.

The Romanian gang targeted locations including a Sainsbury's and a Boots in King's Lynn, where their hauls were worth 4,389 and 4,000 respectively.

Cosmetics and clothes worth around 4,000 were also taken from the town's Next outlet, as well as 3,800 of cosmetics stolen from Sainsbury's in Thetford.

Three of the woman had been due to go on trial after denying the charge but had changed their plea, the court was told during the hearing on Thursday.

Zorila, Iosif and Simion were released on conditional bail. Andrea Ion was remanded in custody.

The gang also stole 3,800 of cosmetics from Sainsbury's in Thetford (stock image)

The Romanian gang targeted locations including a Sainsbury's and a Boots in King's Lynn (stock photo)

Two co-defendants, Ancuta-alexandra Ion, 27, and Elena Zorila, 35, failed to appear at court for an earlier hearing and warrants were issued for their arrest. They remain at large and are being hunted by police.

Retailers last month complained that shoplifters had been given a 'licence to steal' after offences hit record levels.

Reported incidents soared by a third to 430,104 last year  almost one a minute  with business owners complaining about the lack of police action when violence against shop workers had doubled and charging rates collapsed.

Action was taken in just one in ten cases last year, compared with one in three in 2016.

The crime epidemic is costing retailers nearly 2 billion a year, adding 59 a year to household bills.

Home Secretary James Cleverly last month acknowledged the 'corrosive effect' of such crimes on public confidence but failed to comment on whether a rule would be ditched that currently means anyone charged with the theft of items worth less than 200 doesn't have to attend court.
His now ex-wife, Mary Jo, miraculously survived while Joey and Amy went to jail

The most famous philanderer from the 1990s, Joey Buttafuoco, has resurfaced with a girlfriend decades after his teen lover, Amy Fisher, shot his wife in the face.

Joey, who served four months in prison after admitting to statutory rape, was seen in a video with a new woman on their joint TikTok account: ryannejoey.

In the video, the pair appear to be lounging in bed while they address comments from their growing fanbase.

Joey Buttafuoco, the infamous rapist from the 1990s, has resurfaced on social media with his new girlfriend Ryanne

Joey (middle-right) made headlines in 1992 when Amy, a teenager he started an affair with when she was 16, shot his wife, Mary Jo (pictured), in the face

One of the commenters was in disbelief that the man on his screen was really Joey, accusing him of being an imposter - pending a verification via the spider tattoo on his forearm.

He and his girlfriend reacted by showing off his large tattoo in the video: 'You mean this spider tattoo?'

His girlfriend sarcastically said: 'There's only one Joey B, I think that's him. The world loves to hate, but I love, to love, to love ya.'

Joey made headlines in 1992 when Amy, a teenager he started an affair with when she was 16, shot his wife, Mary Jo, in the face.

Amy had gone to Mary Jo to tell her about her affair. When Mary Jo dismissed her claims as untrue, Amy pulled a gun on her and shot her in the side of the face on the front porch of the couple's home in Massapequa, New York.

Miraculously, Mary Jo survived and later identified Amy as her shooter. Amy was sentenced to seven years in prison and became a porn star after she was released.

Joey served four months in prison after admitting statutory rape and Mary Jo filed for divorce in 2003.

Since his release, Joey has appeared in interviews and explained his side of the story, but his love life has managed to stay out of the spotlight, until now.

Joey and Ryanne started posting videos together in June 2022, including clips of him with her children, celebrating birthdays together, and numerous videos where they address his past.

In one video, old pictures and recent pictures of Joey filled the screen.

'God is good and merciful and with that I am grateful. He's a chance again God. He blessed me with peace and happiness,' Ryanne wrote.

Amy was sentenced to seven years in prison and became a porn star after she was released. (pictured: Amy walking from the Albion Women's Correctional Facility with one of her attorneys)

Joey and his Ryanne started posting videos together in June 2022, including videos of him with her children, celebrating birthday's together, and numerous videos where they address his past

In another, Ryanne reacted to a comment that suggested that she keep Joey 'away from underage girls.'

Joey's girlfriend said: 'I don't think that's right. Who raised you? Who raised you?'

'Keep my kids out of this sh**. If you don't got nothing nice to say, don't say nothing at all. Keep scrolling.'

In 2022, thirty years after Mary Jo, now 68, was shot in the face, she sat down with DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview.

'I don't want a ''poor me'' story,' she said.

'I'm content, I'm happy, I'm very grateful. This is the most peaceful time of my life, but it's been a hard-earned peace.'

When she was shot, the bullet, from a .25 caliber caliber semiautomatic pistol, lodged in the base of her brain above the spinal column.

The strong-willed woman survived the near-death experience and endured multiple surgeries and facial reconstruction along with the emotional trauma of an unfaithful husband and his underage mistress.

Mary Jo, who was left paralyzed on one side of her face and deaf in one year, said that she was mocked over the tragedy.

'It turned into this big joke,' she said.

She went on to find peace in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles. And though she's lived there for 26 years, Mary Joe has retained some of her Long Island forthrightness.

When asked if there were any misconceptions about her that she wanted to set straight, she replied, 'Ah no. There's been so much, honestly, I don't troll myself.'

Mary Jo told DailyMail.com the family was forced to leave their home and move to the West Coast when life there became unbearable.

'These days when I'm recognized it's a positive thing. But back then it was me at the grocery store being stared at, yelled at, ''What's wrong with you? Why are ya staying with that idiot?'' and worse.'

'I'm a housewife, not a movie star, I wasn't used to it. I had two young children still in school, I had to think about them,' Mary Jo added.

Thirty years after Mary Jo, now 68, was shot in the face, she told DailyMail.com: 'I'm content, I'm happy, I'm very grateful. This is the most peaceful time of my life, but it's been a hard-earned peace'

Joey served four months in prison after admitting statutory rape and Mary Jo filed for divorce in 2003

In May of 2021, Joey and Mary Jo's daughter, Jessie Buttafuoco told the host of the talk show The Doctors that letting anger towards her disgraced father build up over his affair served no useful purpose

In May of 2021, Joey and Mary Jo's daughter, Jessie Buttafuoco told the host of the talk show The Doctors that letting anger towards her disgraced father build up over his affair served no useful purpose.

Fisher enjoyed brief notoriety as a porn star, and is now a divorced mother of three who still lives on Long Island

'Blaming people doesn't necessarily help,' she said in the interview.

'I'm still left with all those feelings so I've learned to accept my situation as I go. Placing blame has never serviced me or my mental health.'

Jessie was just nine-years-old when her family hit the headlines for the infamous 'Long Island Lolita' case.

Following the trial, the then 38-year-old told The Doctors her life 'became a reality show' and that 'the whole world hated my family.'

She said she was once asked if she was her father's latest teenage girlfriend while riding in a convertible with him.

Jessie was also humiliated when she applied for New York University's theater program as a teenager, when one interviewer asked: 'Are you related to that clown Joey Buttafuoco?'

She was forced to admit she was.

In February 2021, Joey sat down with Dr. Oz and described how he learned to 'cook meth' when he was just five-years-old.

'I believe that it started me off on a path of just total self-destruction.

'Be it drugs, alcohol, whatever it is, I'm sure that I was trying to bury whatever feeling I didn't think I had.'

'But it's definitely set me off in that direction,' he said.

Joey met Amy at his auto body shop. She had damaged the car her parents gave her for her birthday, but wanted someone to repair it without them knowing.

Joey was 35 at the time and it was reported that Amy fell gradually in love with him.

Fisher enjoyed brief notoriety as a porn star, and is now a divorced mother of three who still lives on Long Island.
The adoptive mother of a little boy has been charged with first degree murder after the child died under suspicious circumstances.

Patricia Saintizaire, 36, adopted her four-year-old son Bryan Boyer after he was brought to the United States from Haiti in April 2023.

Saintizaire is accused of the 'prolonged abuse' that led to the little boy's death - including beating the boy with different objects and throwing him into a swimming pool while his hands were tied behind his back.

She also has a 16-year-old son who she adopted from Haiti - who has now been taken into protective custody following Bryan's tragic death.

The 16-year-old found Bryan in his bedroom 'weak and lethargic' - but Saintizaire told the older brother that he was 'faking it,' it is claimed.

Patricia Saintizaire, 36 (pictured), adopted her four-year-old son Bryan Boyer after he was brought to the United States from Haiti in April 2023

An autopsy for Bryan Boyer, 4 (pictured), revealed that his cause of death was homicide by assault and blunt force trauma

She allegedly forced the 16-year-old to bring Bryan food and during dinner, the little boy began shaking and vomited three times - forcing the older brother to perform CPR and begging Saintizaire to take him to hospital.

Saintizaire then took the boy to hospital in Haines City and he was airlifted to Orlando Health, where he died.

An autopsy revealed that Bryan had a torn liver - which is consistent with a hard strike to the abdomen, the sheriff's office reported.

The little boy also had bruises and injuries from past beatings, according to Fox 13.

His cause of death was determined to be homicide by assault, blunt force trauma. Saintizaire has been charged with first degree murder and aggravated child abuse.

The adopted mother has denied physically abusing Bryan, but her husband told detectives that she did spank the boy, but that he doesn't discipline the children.

The 16-year-old first claimed during initial interviews that he had not been abused or witnessed abuse.

Disturbing videos were found on Saintizaire's cellphone - including one that showed her throw him into a swimming pool with his hands tied behind his back when he was just three-years-old

However, he later revealed that both brothers were hit with a belt and other objects as a form of discipline.

The teenager was placed into custody of Florida Department of Children and Families - which is when he then said to detectives that Saintizaire told him, 'When they ask you something, say nothing so I don't get in trouble.'

He also alleged that she threatened to kill him with a gun.

Disturbing videos were found on Saintizaire's cellphone - including one that showed her repeatedly hitting Bryan with an electrical cord and another in which she throws him into a swimming pool with his hands tied behind his back when he was just three-years-old.
King Charles today unveiled the first completed official portrait of himself since the Coronation at Buckingham Palace and social media is flooded with memes comparing it to a classic Star Wars scene.

Sci-Fi fans said that the King had been 'Hans Solo'd' in reference to a scene in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in which the space pirate is frozen in carbonite due to the red hue covering Charles' body in the painting.

The portrait was also likened to the villain from Ghostbusters 2, Vigo the Carpathian, a 17th century medieval tyrant whose ghost took up residence in his own portrait.

Others joked that the painting looks like it has 'been attacked by Just Stop Oil'.

King Charles today unveiled the first completed official portrait of himself since the Coronation at Buckingham Palace

Sci-Fi fans said that the King had been 'Hans Solo'd' in reference to a scene in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in which the space pirate is frozen in carbonite due to the red hue covering Charles' body in the painting

The portrait was also likened to the villain from Ghostbusters 2, Vigo the Carpathian, a 17th century medieval tyrant whose ghost took up residence in his own portrait

Others joked that the painting looks like it has 'been attacked by Just Stop Oil '

The painting, by the renowned artist Jonathan Yeo, was commissioned in 2020 to celebrate the then-Prince of Wales's 50 years as a member of The Drapers' Company.

It depicts His Majesty wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guards, of which he was made Regimental Colonel in 1975.

The red tones covering the majority of the canvas is part of Yeo's signature style and can be seen in his other portraits, including one of Queen Camilla from 2014 that is dominated by hues of blue.

The canvas size - approximately 8.5ft by 6.5ft framed - was carefully considered to fit within the architecture of Drapers' Hall and the context of the paintings it will eventually hang alongside.

Yeo had four sittings with The King, beginning when His Majesty was Prince of Wales in June 2021 at Highgrove, and later at Clarence House.

The painting was completed by the renowned artist Jonathan Yeo (pictured in London in 2018)

A portrait by Jonathan Yeo of Queen Camilla in 2014 when she was Duchess of Cornwall

Charles stands at Buckingham Palace today next to Jonathan Yeo who painted the portrait

The 53-year-old artist said: 'It was a privilege and pleasure to have been commissioned by The Drapers' Company to paint this portrait of His Majesty The King, the first to be unveiled since his Coronation.

'When I started this project, His Majesty The King was still His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, and much like the butterfly I've painted hovering over his shoulder, this portrait has evolved as the subject's role in our public life has transformed.

'I do my best to capture the life experiences etched into any individual sitter's face. In this case, my aim was also to make reference to the traditions of royal portraiture but in a way that reflects a 21st Century monarchy and, above all else, to communicate the subject's deep humanity.

'I'm unimaginably grateful for the opportunity to capture such an extraordinary and unique person, especially at the historic moment of becoming King.'
There has been plenty of drama inside Donald Trump's New York hush money trial.

And now CNN has managed to bring some the action outside the courtroom, with performances of the trial's transcript the network jokingly described as 'Oscar-worthy.'

Anchors Abby Phillip and Laura Coates brought in legal analysts Joey Jackson and Mercedes Colwin to perform theatrical readings of Monday's testimony.

Jackson played the role of former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, whilst Colwin took on prosecutor Susan Hoffinger.

Trump is on trial at Manhattan criminal court for allegedly concealing the nature of payments he made to adult actress Stormy Daniels in the run up to the 2016 presidential election.

CNN experts Joey Jackson and Mercedes Colwin read from Trump's hush money trial transcript

Jackson played the role of former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, whilst Colwin took on prosecutor Susan Hoffinger

Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen is the prosecution's star witness in the hush money trial

Cohen was Trump's personal lawyer until he was convicted of charges linked to the suppression of the Stormy Daniels story

Cohen has already been convicted over the payments and for lying to Congress.

Jackson and Colwin used court transcripts to read 'word for word', including every cough and splutter as part of their retelling.

The bizarre exercise took 30 minutes and preceded legal analysis of both sides' performance.

The reading saw off-camera broadcasters cover the 'objections' and 'sustained' throughout.

It detailed Cohen's testimony about how Trump stated the Daniels' story coming out would be a 'disaster' for his campaign because 'women will hate me,' but that 'guys may think it's cool.'

'He was polling very badly with women and this, coupled with the Access Hollywood tape, he just stated, 'this is a disaster, get control over it'.' Jackson said, reading from Cohen's testimony.

Jackson read another part when Cohen was asked about an alleged conversation he had with Trump his wife Melania Trump.

Trump, pictured at Manhattan criminal court on Tuesday is charged with allegedly concealing the nature of payments he made to adult actress Stormy Daniels in the run up to the 2016 presidential election

The reenactment detailed Cohen's testimony about how Trump stated the Daniels' story coming out would be a 'disaster' for his campaign because 'women will hate me'

(L-R) Attorney Alina Habba, Lara Trump and Eric Trump walk to the courtroom following a break in former US President Donald Trump's trial

The question was objected to but overruled by Judge Juan Merchan overruled.

Michael Cohen returned to the stand on Tuesday morning to deliver more testimony against his old boss.

The fixer and lawyer, who is the prosecution's star witness, faced grueling questioning from the former president's lawyers in across-examination.

He told the court on Monday how he would silence the former president's accusers before the 2016 election with a series of hush money deals.

The jury heard that Trump was more worried about his campaign than his wife Melania as stories of alleged affairs emerged.

Cohen also described working at 'the direction of and for the benefit' of the now-presumptive Republican nominee.

The cross examination began with fireworks, as the once doggedly loyal Cohen was being presented with derogatory things he has said or posted about Trump or the trial or the defense lawyers.

Despite laughter from the public gallery, Trump remained unmoved and sat with his eyes closed.

Michael Cohen is questioned by prosecutor Susan Hoffinger while a reimbursement check is shown on screen during Donald Trump's hush money trial

Michael Cohen returned to the stand on Tuesday morning to deliver more testimony against his old boss

Former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before departing Manhattan criminal court on May 13, 2024

Cohen was one of Trump's most trusted allies for around ten years until the fallout from the Stormy Daniels case saw him convicted of criminal charges.

Cohen was sentenced to prison in December 2018 after pleading guilty to campaign finance charges and lying to Congress, among other crimes.

He spent about 13 and a half months behind prison walls and a year and a half in home confinement. His time was further reduced through good behavior.

'To keep the loyalty and to do the things that he had asked me to do, I violated my moral compass, and I suffered the penalty, as has my family,' Cohen said Tuesday.
The board members of the city of Dalton, Illinois, have appointed a mayor pro tempore who could, in theory, step in to serve in place of the current mayor, should she refuse to execute the duties of her office.

The move came as citizens of the town continue their efforts to oust Mayor Tiffany Henyard - who has repeatedly been dubbed America's Worst Mayor.

At present, Henyard is under federal investigation, and was recently served federal subpoenas seeking records about trips taken by city officials and potential financial mismanagement.

The 40-year-old municipal leader has developed a nationally terrible reputation for her confrontational antics, failure to do her job, alleged corruption and apparent disdain for her constituents, whom she has berated publicly and once with the assistance of a DJ.

Jason House, a trustee of the city, was voted in as mayor pro tempore at a special meeting. Should Henyard be absent, or otherwise unable or unwilling to perform her duties, House now has the ability to pay town bills and sign off on official business.

Tiffany Henyard, 40, of Dolton, Illinois, has repeatedly been dubbed America's Worst Mayor as she attempts to fight federal investigations into the potentially criminal mismanagement of her office

Jason House (pictured), a trustee of the city, was voted in as mayor pro tempore at a special meeting. Should Henyard be absent, or otherwise unable or unwilling to perform her duties, House now has the ability to pay town bills and sign off on official business

Henyard, who calls herself a 'supermayor,' is expected to veto the action, despite consistent reports that she is ignoring important town business, and the move was made in order to ensure the village can function and its residents can receive necessary services.

'This is not a replacement. This ordinance is strictly in the refusal or inability for the mayor to do her duties, an appointed senior trustee to step in and make sure the necessary documents are signed and business moves forward,' House said at Monday night's trustee meeting.

Since her election in 2021, Henyard has faced allegations of corruption, fraud and financial mismanagement, including a lawsuit filed a month ago claiming she worked to cover-up a sexual assault on a trip to Las Vegas in 2023.

She has already vetoed the board's request to launch a federal investigation into her alleged misuse of town finances, and most recently, she vetoed the board's hiring of former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who had been recruited to lead a special investigation into Henyard.

Henyard said that the town would not compensate Lightfoot, a former prosecutor, for her work. The former Chicago top dog would have been paid some $400 an hour for her work leading the investigation.

Henyard rejected the move, telling the city council meeting: 'You know, it's veto power, so how dare you think you can come into someones town and do work?'

'There is a right way to do things, and this is just not that,' she said. '(Lightfoot) will not be paid for her services.'

Mayor Tiffany Henyard is pictured at the town meeting where she employed a DJ to demand residents pay her to the tune of Rihanna's 'B**** Better Have My Money'

Trustees in Dolton voted to hire former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (pictured) to investigate the embattled mayor, before the move was vetoed - by said mayor - last week

The 2023 Vegas trip was among the issues that were set to be investigated by Lightfoot, and was allegedly one of several taxpayer funded trips Henyard took, which wound up totaling more than $102,000.

The former Chicago mayor was hired at a previous city council meeting when trustees voted for her to launch a special investigation into Henyard's finances.

Dolton's current mayor sparked ongoing anger by using her veto power to end the probe into herself, as residents at the meeting called for her resignation and slammed her scandal-ridden tenure as mayor.

One woman at the meeting said: 'Youre not accountable, you dont respect people who dont agree with you, youre not qualified for that seat.'

Alongside the embattled mayor, Dolton Village Administrator Keith Freeman was also one subject of the subpoenas, which asked for information that included reimbursements involving his businesses.

News of Henyard's subpoenas was first reported earlier this month by Fox 32 Chicago, which obtained records that revealed the mayor is the target of an escalating criminal investigation.

Former FBI agent Ross Rice told the outlet: 'It's very broad in scope.

'It's very broad in the number of people and entities they're asking for records on. So, there must be some serious allegations of wrongdoing that they're trying to get to the bottom of.

'The mayor and the Township Supervisor, who are one and the same, appear to be the primary focus of the investigation.

'Overall, it tells me that the investigation is expanding. It's not just focusing on the City of Dolton,' he said.

Residents say the mayor has repeatedly, cheated, and stolen from them. One woman at a recent town meeting said: 'Youre not accountable, you dont respect people who dont agree with you, youre not qualified for that seat'

One subpoena reportedly focuses solely on Henyard, and includes a section focused on a restaurant and a property management company she owns, as well as her political fund and the cancer charity that bears her name.

The subpoena seeks all records including personnel files, wage and tax statements, time and attendance records, records of work performed, contracts, and checks written to 'cash.'

The second subpoena requests township records, including financial reports, budgets, payroll records, and ordinances covering credit card purchases, expense reimbursements, security details and use of vehicles.
Scottish victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal will finally have their names cleared under emergency legislation introduced yesterday.

An exoneration scheme will automatically quash convictions which were reliant on evidence from the faulty IT system.

Victims will then be entitled to compensation from a UK-wide fund administered by the UK Government.

MSPs will vote on the legislation for the first time next Tuesday as the Bill is fast-tracked through Holyrood.

But victims in Scotland will face a longer wait for justice than those south of the Border because the Holyrood legislation will not pass its final hurdle until after the UK Government legislation is approved in Westminster.

Dorothy Bain, KC has urged that due process be followed

Robert Thomson was the fifth person in Scotland to have his conviction quashed after a 20-year fight.

Concerns have been raised that SNP ministers wasted time by demanding that House of Commons legislation was extended to Scotland rather than getting on with drawing up their own Bill.

The Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Scotland Bill, published yesterday, states: Given the unique circumstances arising from the endemic failings of the Horizon IT system, the Scottish Governments view is that this requires unprecedented action in the form of primary legislation to quash relevant convictions, rather than relying on the existing processes of the justice system to cure the miscarriages of justice that arose.

Robert Thomson, 63, was the fifth person in Scotland to have his conviction quashed after a 20-year fight. He said yesterdays ruling was a big thing. Mr Thomson added: There were 66 of us in total but only five have had their names cleared by going through the court.

The rest have been waiting on the government on whether theyre going to do it. He took over Cambus Post Office, near Alloa, Clackmannanshire, from his mother around the time the Horizon system was being rolled out.

The Post Office launched proceedings over a shortfall of around 6,000 and he was sentenced to 250 hours community service.

He pleaded guilty to avoid jail but his conviction left him feeling suicidal and he blamed himself for his mothers death.

When he was First Minister, Humza Yousaf claimed it was scandalous that the UK legislation was not being extended to Scotland.

The UK Government argued that separate legislation was needed because of the separate Scottish legal system.

The Scottish Bill broadly adopts the same approach as the UK legislation but acknowledges that nuanced changes have been made... for a Scottish context.

Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Russell Findlay said: This legislation is welcome and long overdue.

But instead of getting on and delivering it, the SNP typically wasted time on a constitutional spat.

Scottish victims of this appalling scandal have needlessly been kept in the dark for longer than those in the rest of the UK.

Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain, KC, who leads the prosecution service, had urged that due process be followed, with the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission assessing each claim.

But Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: We are taking an unprecedented step of introducing legislation to right this wrong and asking parliament for it to be processed as an emergency Bill.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said: The Lord Advocate shares collective responsibility for all Scottish government legislation.

She will not comment on the policy objectives of the Bill.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q&A

Q: How many Scots subpostmasters were convicted?

A: Around 100 people may have been wrongly convicted by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in Scotland, based on evidence provided by the Post Office. The Scottish Government said 16 applications have been made to the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission for miscarriages of justice. So far, six people have been cleared and two cases are going through the courts.

Q: Why does the UK legislation not apply to Scotland?

A: The UK Government introduced legislation in March which only applied to England and Wales. SNP ministers had requested that it was extended to Scotland but this was rejected because of the separate Scottish legal system. UK ministers first indicated in January that the Scottish parliament would probably need to pass its own legislation but Humza Yousaf continued to argue as recently as last month that the Westminster legislation should be extended to Scotland.

Q: How will compensation be provided?

A: All victims are paid from a fund administered by the UK Government.

Q: When will they receive it?

A: The Scottish Government says its Bill will become active the day after it gets Royal Assent. MSPs will vote on stage one next Tuesday but the final stage 3 vote wont happen until after the UK Government legislation is passed. This is due to happen before the House of Commons goes into summer recess. However, Holyroods recess starts three weeks earlier on June 29, which means MSPs may not be able to vote until October.
King Charles' first portrait as a monarch has been unveiled, but experts have suggested that the artist has hidden deeper meaning in the key details.

The 8.5ft-tall oil on canvas by Jonathan Yeo was revealed to the public and the Royal family at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.

In the painting, the King can be seen standing in his Welsh Guards uniform with a sword in his hand and a butterfly on his shoulder, while the whole canvas is awash in a deep red colour.

Yeo has made no secret that he wanted to break from tradition for this sitting, and make this portrait more 'dynamic and contemporary'.

That is why viewers can see some of the traditions upheld, such as the military outfit and the sword, but with a twist of modern in the striking red colour and the butterfly.

The 8.5ft-tall oil on canvas by Jonathan Yeo was revealed to the public and the Royal family at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace today

Charles stands at Buckingham Palace today next to Jonathan Yeo who painted the portrait. In the painting, the King can be seen standing in his Welsh Guards uniform with a sword in his hand and a butterfly on his shoulder, while the whole canvas is awash in a deep red colour

One of the most poignant details is the butterfly above the monarch's shoulder.

Yeo says its inclusion was actually the Kings' idea, which came about when the two were discussing the story behind the portrait.

'I said, when schoolchildren are looking at this in 200 years and they're looking at the who's who of the monarchs, what clues can you give them?

'He said 'what about a butterfly landing on my shoulder?''.

Yeo added that 'in history of art, the butterfly symbolises metamorphosis and rebirth', which to him was perfect considering that Charles' title had changed during the sitting.

'When I started this project, His Majesty The King was still His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and much like the butterfly I've painted hovering over his shoulder, this portrait has evolved as the subject's role in our public life has transformed.

'I do my best to capture the life experiences etched into any individual sitter's face.'

The artwork was initially commissioned in 2020 to celebrate the then-Prince of Wales's 50 years as a member of The Drapers' Company.

The painting was completed by the renowned artist Jonathan Yeo (pictured in London in 2018)

King Charles III prepares to unveil the painting at Buckingham Palace in London today

A portrait by Jonathan Yeo of Queen Camilla in 2014 when she was Duchess of Cornwall

The butterfly is also a reference to the King's long held interest in the environment, causes 'he has championed most of his life and certainly long before they became a mainstream conversation'.

However, speaking to MailOnline Professor Geraldine Johnson, Head of the History of Art Department at Oxford University suggested that the inclusion of the insect may be a nod to the 'endangered' future of the monarchy.

'According to Yeo, the butterfly was an offhand suggestion by the King. If that is correct, it may be thanks to Charles's familiarity with half a millennium of British portraiture,' she said.

'But it also undoubtedly reflects his lifelong passion for the natural world. One does wonder, however, whether it was the King or Yeo who made the decision to depict a Monarch Butterfly in particular.

'While its name suggests royalty, its endangered status may unintentionally say as much about the King's concerns about the future of the monarchy as about the natural world.'

She added that the butterfly 'evokes the portraits of Elizabeth I, which feature insects, plants and animals embroidered on her gowns and crafted into elaborate pendants and brooches'.

King Charles unveils his portrait by artist Jonathan Yeo, at Buckingham Palace today

King Charles smiles as he arrives for the unveiling today, for which he sat four times, beginning when he was Prince of Wales in June 2021

Queen Camilla is pictured warmly greeting the artist Jonathan Yeo at the unveiling today

The uniform of the Welsh Guards is understood to have inspired to red theme, Yeo says on his website that he chose to blur out the uniform and define the face to allow viewers a sense of connection with the Monarch.

'As a portrait artist, you get this unique opportunity to spend time with and get to know a subject, so I wanted to minimise the visual distractions and allow people to connect with the human being underneath.'

Prof Johnson added: 'Red is an eye-catching colour that can't easily be ignored. It is a colour we associate in everyday life with warning or prohibitionthink of a stop sign.

'But red also has historic associations with power, including through a long tradition of royal portraiture.

'Napoleon, for example, was depicted on his imperial throne dressed in sumptuous red robes lined with ermine in an iconic portrait by Ingres, while Henry VIII was famously portrayed by Holbein wearing a crimson gown.

'Queen Victoria likewise was often shown in official portraits wearing red velvet.'

Yeo previously produced commissions of Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Camilla, Sir Tony Blair and Lord David Cameron.

The portrait will eventually hang in Drapers' Hall, a City of London livery company and philanthropic institution.
Cases of invasive breast cancer have soared since screening services were paused during the pandemic.

Alarming figures show the proportion of women being told the disease has already spread is at the highest on record.

The latest report on the Scottish Breast Screening Programme also shows a staggering difference in uptake between the most and least deprived areas.

All women aged 50 to 70 are offered a routine mammogram every three years to detect the disease in its earliest stages.

Figures for the period 2020-2023 show 3,917 were found to have invasive breast cancer. That equates to a rate of 7.3 per 1,000  up from 6.8 in 2019-2022 and the highest on Public Health Scotlands ten-year record.

Cases of invasive breast cancer have soared since screening services were paused during the pandemic

The report states: This may be a result of the pause to screening, due to the pandemic, leading to a backlog of screens.

Routine breast screening was paused in March 2020 then reintroduced five months later.

More than three quarters of all eligible women attended their routine mammogram between 2020 and 2023, making a total of 539,575 screened.

That 75.9 per cent uptake was the highest on record.

But women from the most deprived communities were far less likely to attend, with a 64.2 per cent screening rate compared with 82.8 per cent in the most affluent areas.

Scottish Conservative deputy health spokesman Tess White said the rise in invasive cancers was deeply concerning, adding: Our overwhelmed health boards are still struggling with the impact of the Covid pandemic on the screening programme.

Humza Yousafs flimsy Covid recovery plan has failed to remobilise crucial services.

SNP ministers must ensure our health boards have the resources to detect cases as quickly as possible and provide the treatment and care that patients urgently need.

Invasive breast cancer means that the cancer cells have grown into the surrounding breast tissue. If detected early enough it can be treated with surgery, radiotherapy, hormone therapy or chemotherapy.

Baroness Delyth Morgan, chief executive at Breast Cancer Now, said it was crucial that action was taken to ensure at least 80 per cent of women attend their appointments, which is considered to be an achievable target for the NHS in Scotland.

Jenni Minto, minister for womens health, said: We will continue to work with health boards to encourage more women to participate in breast screening and address any barriers they may face in doing so.
An American alleged sex offender who sent his victim a message saying 'so I raped you' on Facebook has finally been arrested in France after two years on the run.

Ian Thomas Cleary, 31, of Saratoga, California, is accused of assaulting Pennsylvania college student Shannon Keeler in her dorm room in December 2013.

Cleary was detained in the northeastern French city of Metz on April 24, officials confirmed Tuesday. He will be held there pending extradition proceedings.

Allegations against Cleary triggered a worldwide search after Pennsylvania authorities issued a 2021 felony warrant accusing him of stalking Keeler.

The arrest warrant accuses him of sneaking into Keeler's dorm room at Gettysburg College and sexually assaulting her while she sent frantic pleas for help over text.

Ian Thomas Cleary, 31, of Saratoga, California , is accused of assaulting Pennsylvania college student Shannon Keeler in her dorm room in December 2013

Allegations against Cleary triggered a worldwide search after Pennsylvania authorities issued a 2021 felony warrant accusing him of stalking Keeler (pictured)

Pictured: messages Cleary sent to Keeler in the aftermath of the alleged assault

According to a French judicial official, Cleary was detained on the street in Metz on April 24 as part of a police check.

He told a magistrate that he had 'arrived in France two or three years ago' from Albania and had only recently come to Metz, but did not have housing there, the official said.

A French lawyer appointed to represent him did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment Tuesday.

Cleary, according to his online posts, had previously spent time in France and also has ties to California and Maryland.

His father is a tech executive in Silicon Valley, while his mother has lived in Baltimore.

The Gettysburg accuser, Shannon Keeler, had a rape exam done the same day she was assaulted in 2013.

She gathered witnesses and evidence and spent years urging officials to file charges.

But it wasn't until she realized Cleary had sent her the chilling Facebook message that she went to authorities again in 2021, and they launched a search.

'So I raped you,' the sender wrote in a string of messages in December 2019. 'I'll never do it to anyone ever again,' he went on, adding 'I need to hear your voice, and 'Ill pray for you.'

Keeler poses for a portrait in the United States on Wednesday, April 7, 2021

The Gettysburg accuser, Shannon Keeler, had a rape exam done the same day she was assaulted in 2013

According to the June 2021 warrant, police verified that the Facebook account used to send the messages belonged to Ian Cleary.

After leaving Gettysburg, Cleary earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from Santa Clara University, near his family home in California.

He also worked for Tesla, then moved to France for several years, according to his website, which describes his self-published medieval fiction.

Keeler, originally from Moorestown, New Jersey, stayed on to graduate from Gettysburg and help lead the women's lacrosse team to a national title.

By 2023, two years after the warrant was filed, Keeler and her lawyers wondered how he was avoiding capture in the age of digital tracking.

The U.S. Marshals Service thought he was likely overseas and on the move, even as he was the subject of an Interpol alert called a red notice.

Across the U.S., very few campus rapes are prosecuted, both because victims fear going to police and prosecutors hesitate to bring cases that can be hard to win, the AP investigation found.

Keeler, when the warrant was issued, said she was grateful, but knew it only happened 'because I went public with my story, which no survivor should have to do in order to obtain justice.'
An Ohio bar has sparked backlash after banning people under the age of 30 on the weekends following reports of a fight in the watering hole.

Donerick's Pub in Groveport, around 12 miles south of Columbus, angered local patrons earlier this month after sharing a flyer announcing that they were hosting '30 & Up Friday and Saturday Nights.'

'NO EXCEPTIONS' the flyer added.

Many locals shared their outrage after finding themselves suddenly unable to drink at the bar, with one commenting that 'bars should not be able to discriminate' against those of legal age.

'Not only do you hurt your sales, but you lose customers as well,' they said.

Donerick's Pub in Groveport, around 12 miles south of Columbus, angered local patrons earlier this month after banning under 30s on Friday and Saturday nights

The watering hole shared a flyer announcing the decision, which stressed there were 'no exceptions' to the new age limit

Details over the alleged incident that triggered the ban are unclear, with Facebook users saying that a fight broke out inside the bar several weeks ago.

Donerick's Pub did not immediately respond to a request for further details when contacted by DailyMail.com.

Underneath the social media announcement, the bar said: 'We will continue to try different things to keep our business safe and cut down on violence.'

Some residents argued that the ban unfairly targets those not involved, with one saying it was 'sad one incident impacted the entire business.'

'I'm 25, and all my friends are under 30. We come here for good vibes,' they said. 'In this type of business it's inevitable that incidents will happen. Need better plans for when things get out of control.'

Another said they disagreed with the move because it may hurt bartenders and waiters the most, as their potential tips could be diminished.

'This won't only affect the business' income, but the employees that rely on tips to make a living wage,' they said.

'You'd accomplish more from better-trained security, a dress code and a cover charge.'

'So your bar actually wants less paying customers?' another said. 'Can't wait to see how this plays out.'

Some patrons reacted with fury at the move, feeling it was unfair to ban them because of one alleged fight

Others were less angered by the decision, as one said the alleged fight that triggered the move left them feeling 'embarrassed'

The bar, seen in an image it shared to its social media, stressed there were 'no exceptions' to the new rule

Reports indicate that some kind of fight in the bar triggered the move, but younger patrons reacted with outrage after suddenly finding themselves underage

While younger patrons reacted with fury after finding themselves unable to buy a drink, older drinkers didn't seem to be turned off by the idea.

Some suggested raising the age limit even higher, as one commented: 'The best decision 35 would be even better this generation is just lost in the sauce.'

'35+ please. If things don't change I will never go back after the shenanigans this past weekend,' said another. 'Embarrassing.'

Others also chimed in to claim that the drinkers who were involved in the alleged fight were well over 30, and may have been 'well into their 50's.'
Schools are set to be banned from teaching sex education to children before the age of nine.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan will unveil proposals tomorrow for a total ban on the subject for infant children, with lessons not permitted to start until at least Year Five.

Ms Keegan is also set to rule that gender identity is a 'contested subject that should not be taught' in schools.

Parents will also be given the right to see the material their children are being taught.

In a surprise move, ministers have decided to make the guidance statutory, meaning that schools will have to comply by law.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan will unveil proposals tomorrow for a total ban on the subject for infant children, with lessons not permitted to start until at least Year Five

Parents will also be given the right to see the material their children are being taught. File pic

One government source said Rishi Sunak believed the rules around sex education for the youngest children needed to be made 'much tougher'.

Under the current rules, 'relationships education' begins when children start primary school at the age of four and can be supplemented with sex education using 'age appropriate material'.

The Prime Minister ordered a review after Tory MPs produced evidence that 'age-inappropriate, extreme, sexualising and inaccurate' content was being taught to young children across Britain.

In a letter to ministers, Mrs Keegan has said sex education will 'not be taught before Year 5' - which consists of nine and 10 year old pupils.

Government sources last night confirmed that a new age limit would be imposed for teaching sex education, but said the precise age was still being finalised.

The new guidance will also make clear that the content of sex education lessons must be based on 'scientific' fact.

As such, schools will be instructed not to teach gender ideology - and if the subject arises, they must make it clear that it is a contested belief.

Once children reach the age of nine, they will be taught the basic factors of conception and birth in order to stay safe.

They will be taught how to set 'appropriate boundaries' and how to report something which concerns them, The Times reported.

When they reach age 13, they can be taught about contraception, STIs and abortion.

They may also be taught about domestic violence, coercive control, and sexual violence.

After Year nine, children can be told that pornography can lead to them having 'distorted' views of themselves.

And those aged 11 will be taught that sending naked photographs of someone under 18 can be a criminal offence.

They will also be taught about sexual harassment, revenge porn, forced marriage and grooming.

A No 10 spokesman said: 'We have always been consistent that the idea that someone can have a gender identity different from their sex is a contested political belief that must not be taught as fact in our schools.'

Since September 2020, Relationships, Health and Sex Education has been compulsory in schools. In primary schools, pupils must be taught 'key building blocks of healthy, respectful relationships' as part of the national curriculum.

At the time, the Department for Education said sex education would not be compulsory at primary schools, but admitted - and recommended - that many choose to do so. Guidance on their website suggests content will be 'tailored to the age, physical and emotional maturity of their pupils'.

Mr Sunak's review of such lessons came after more than 50 Conservative MPs told him 'children are being indoctrinated with radical and unevidenced ideologies about sex and gender'.

The Prime Minister ordered a review after Tory MPs produced evidence that 'age-inappropriate, extreme, sexualising and inaccurate' content was being taught to young children across Britain. Pictured is Rishi Sunak

Tory MP Miriam Cates told the Prime Minister that youngsters were being given 'graphic lessons in... what passes for relationships and sex education in British schools', including material on oral sex, violent practices and claims that people can belong to any of a bewildering 72 different genders.

'Across the country, children are being subjected to lessons that are age-inappropriate, extreme, sexualising and inaccurate, often using resources from unregulated organisations that are actively campaigning to undermine parents.'

It prompted a vow from Mr Sunak to protect Britain's 'precious' children.

'First and foremost as a parent, it's really important that what our kids are exposed to, not just at school but online, is sensitive and age appropriate,' he said last year.

'Our children are precious, they deserve to be protected. Families up and down the country are concerned about what their children are seeing online and they expect me and the government to put in place protections for that. That's what we are going to do.

'What I want is a curriculum that is sensitive and age-appropriate. Our children are precious; they deserve to be protected, sensitively. That's what I want as a parent first and foremost.'

In October Mrs Keegan wrote to schools demanding they share sex education materials with parents.

She said: 'No ifs, no buts and no more excuses. This government is acting to guarantee parents' fundamental right to know what their children are being taught in sex and relationship education. I'm writing to schools and parents to debunk the copyright myth that parents cannot see what their children are being taught. Parents must be empowered to ask and schools should have the confidence to share.'

Ahead of the guidance being issued, Mrs Cates said: 'For too long activist groups have been pushing a politically motivated agenda on children under the cover of RSHE. We need compulsory guidance to restore common sense and the rights of parents to know what their children are being taught.'

And fellow Tory Nick Fletcher added: 'Our schools, and what they have been teaching children about sex and gender, have played a role in funnelling vulnerable children towards a pathway of irreversible damage.

'Such has been the reach of the gender ideologues that there is not one simple 'quick fix'. Education Ministers are well aware that action is needed. Officials have been working on solutions. Some have been long promised. But it is taking too long - we need to act now.'
Armed officers swarmed on a north London neighbourhood this evening after a woman in her 30s was shot in the leg.

Emergency crews including the air ambulance descended on Stamford Hill just after 7.30pm when the woman was gunned down near a busy main road.

The Met Police said it has made no arrests in connection with the incident as detectives continue to hunt for the shooter.

The woman was treated at the scene before being taken to a major trauma centre in east London. Her current condition is not known.

A source at the scene believed that the injured woman was accidentally hit in a drive-by shooting.

They said: 'Yes it was a drive by shooting from what we are aware. Two [cars] trying to shoot each other and an innocent by-stander got shot.'

Armed officers swarmed on a north London neighbourhood this evening after a woman in her 30s was shot in the leg

Emergency crews including the air ambulance descended on Stamford Hill just after 7.30pm when the woman was gunned down near a busy main road

The Met Police said it has made no arrests in connection with the incident as detectives continue to hunt for the shooter

The woman was treated at the scene before being taken to a major trauma centre in east London. Her current condition is not known

Officers have closed off Stamford Hill in both directions between Clapton Common and Manor Road

In footage posted on social media, dozens of onlookers can be seen watching the situation unfold.

Officers have closed off Stamford Hill in both directions between Clapton Common and Manor Road.

A Met police spokesperson said: 'Police were called at about 19:40hrs on Tuesday, 14 May to reports of a shooting near Reizel Close, Stamford Hill.

'Officers, including specialist firearms officers, and London Ambulance Service attended.

'A woman in her 30s was found with a gunshot injury to her leg. She was taken to an east London hospital  we await to hear updates on her condition.

'Offices are working to establish the circumstance of this incident.

'No arrests have been made at this time. A crime scene is in place.'

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: 'We were called at 7:41pm today (May 14) to reports of a shooting at Stamford Hill.

'We sent resources to the scene including ambulance crews, an advanced paramedic, an incident response officer and members of our hazardous area response team (HART). We also dispatched London's Air Ambulance.

'We treated a patient at the scene before taking them to a major trauma centre as a priority.'
Claims that Chris Dawson received a phone call from his wife in the hours after she went missing have been dismissed as a 'deliberate lie' at an appeal hearing, as the convicted killer fights to be freed from prison.

Dawson will on Wednesday return to a Sydney court as his legal team attempts to overturn his conviction for murdering his wife Lynette Simms over 40 years ago.

Dawson, 75, has taken his case to the Court of Criminal Appeal after he was sentenced in 2022 to a maximum of 24 years in jail.

Ms Simms, a mother-of-two, disappeared from her family's Bayview home on January 8, 1982 and had never contacted her friends or family.

Dawson's barrister, senior public defender Belinda Rigg SC, has told the court that Dawson's conviction ought to be quashed because of the unavailability of key evidence and witnesses which were lost in the 40 years between his wife's disappearance and his murder conviction.

Though Ms Simms' body was never found and there is no direct evidence of her death, Justice Ian Harrison found Dawson guilty of murder, saying he was driven by a 'possessive infatuation' with one of his teenage students, JC.

The crown prosecutor said the call Dawson said he received from his wife Lynette Simms could not have been from her as he believed she was killed. He branded the call a 'deliberate lie'

Chris Dawson and Lynette Simms (pictured) on their wedding day. Lynette disappeared in January 1982 and has not been from since. Dawson was sentenced to 24 years for her murder

THE PHONE CALL

During a 1991 police interview, Dawson told detectives he dropped his wife off at a Mona Vale bus stop on the morning of January 9 and she failed to meet him later that afternoon as arranged at the Northbridge Baths, where he worked as a part-time lifeguard.

Dawson told police while at the Baths that day he received a long-distance phone call from his wife saying that she needed time away.

He also said that he received subsequent phone calls from Ms Simms before she eventually said she was leaving him.

One woman, who worked at the Northbridge Baths as a teenager, told the court during the trial that she recalled on one occasion in the summer of 1981-82 getting a long-distance call, and the female on the other end asked to speak to either Chris Dawson or his brother Paul.

Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield told the court on Tuesday that there could have been a call - but it could not have been from Ms Simms, who he said was killed either late on January 8 or early January 9.

'There could have been a call ... that it was (Ms Simms) on the other end of the phone is a lie, a deliberate lie,' Mr Hatfield said.

Ms Rigg earlier told the court it could not be established beyond a reasonable doubt that it was not Ms Simms who made that phone call.

Justice Julie Ward - one of three judges hearing the appeal - on Tuesday noted the only evidence about the phone call coming from Ms Simms was from Dawson.

The crown prosecutor said it was 'unlikely' Lynette would have walked out on her marriage and family (pictured a court sketch of Dawson in September 1, 2022 when he appeared at the Supreme Court for killing his wife)

ELEVEN PILLARS

On day two of the three-day hearing before the Court of Criminal Appeal, Mr Hatfield outlined what he described as 11 'pillars' of the case, which he said reinforced Dawson's guilt.

'There is not a significant possibility that an innocent person has been convicted in this case,' Mr Hatfield said.

Mr Hatfield said the first 'pillar' which led to Dawson's conviction was the fact that Ms Simms never spoke to or had contact with any person after January 8, 1982.

Secondly, he said, it was 'inherently unlikely' she would have 'voluntarily abandoned the husband she idolised' and the 'children she adored'.

Particularly, he pointed to Ms Simms' effort to have children, which included undergoing a fertility procedure.

Mr Hatfield's third point was she would not have cut off communication with her parents and her siblings even if she had left Dawson.

He also said at the time Ms Simms disappeared, Dawson was attempting to establish a 'public, permanent, long-term partnership' with JC, including asking her to marry him and attending her school formal as her date.

Fifthly, Mr Hatfield said, Ms Simms was committed to her marriage despite it deteriorating in 1981 when she became aware Dawson had cheated on her.

'If she wasn't leaving when those other things occurred, why would she leave when it was looking better after the counselling?' Mr Hatfield said.

Mr Hatfield also pointed to what he described as the 'atmosphere' of Dawson's relationship with JC, which he said was 'marked by a degree of desperation and obsession'.

He said, in his seventh point, Dawson had made attempts to leave Ms Simms, including attempting to move to Queensland, planning to move into a North Manly flat with JC and attempting to sell his home.

The crown prosecutor said Lynette Simms (pictured) would not have 'voluntarily abandoned the husband she idolised' and the 'children she adored'

According to his eighth point, he said Dawson had refused to accept JC's attempt to break off their relationship before she left to holiday at South West Rocks.

He also said Dawson was the last person to see Ms Simms alive and had the 'opportunity and motive' to kill her on January 8 and 9, 1982.

In his tenth point, Mr Hatfield said after his wife disappeared, Dawson conducted himself in a manner which was 'completely irreconcilable with any purported belief that (Ms Simms) was alive and might return home.'

This included moving JC into his home, where she slept in the matrimonial bed, and allowing her to go through Ms Dawson's clothing and jewellery.

Lastly, Mr Hatfield said there was no evidence of Ms Simms being alive despite proof of life checks during a missing person's probe and three separate police investigations.

Dawson was sentenced to 24 years in prison, with an 18-year non-parole period, after Justice Harrison found him guilty of murder.

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 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.

His non-parole period is due to expire in August 2041, by which time he will be 93 years old.

New 'no body, no parole' laws passed by NSW parliament - dubbed 'Lyn's law' - mean that Dawson will not be paroled until he reveals where Ms Simms is buried.

The hearing before Justices Julie Ward, Anthony Payne and Christine Adamson continues.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken's surprise trip to Ukraine Tuesday took a musical twist when he joined a band onstage in Kyiv to perform a rendition of Neil Young's Rockin' in the Free World.

Blinken's unscheduled trip was his first since Congress finally approved nearly $61 billion in fresh aid to Ukraine to bolster the nation's defenses against the ongoing Russian invasion.

The secretary of State ended his day at the Barman Dictat in Kyiv, where he joined the band 19.99 onstage.

Sporting dad jeans, black sneakers and a black button-down, Blinken strapped on a red guitar and told the crowd, 'I know that this is a really, really difficult time.'

'Your soldiers, your citizens - particularly in the northeast and Kharkiv - are suffering tremendously, but they need to know, you need to know, the United States is with you, so much of the world is with you,' Blinken said. 'And they're fighting not just for Ukraine but for the free world. And the free world is with you too.'

Secretary of State Antony Blinken 's surprise trip to Ukraine Tuesday took a musical twist when he joined a band onstage in Kyiv to perform a rendition of Neil Young 's Rockin' in the World

Blinken ended his day at the Barman Dictat in Kyiv, where he joined the band 19.99 onstage

'So maybe we can try something,' the secretary continued. 'I don't know if we can pull this off,' he also offered.

Blinken played guitar and sang the chorus of the song, which was released in 1989 before the Berlin Wall fell.

As the story goes, Young's planned tour of the Soviet Union fell through and guitarist Frank 'Poncho' Sampedro uttered, 'I guess we'll have to keep on rockin' in the free world' - quote that stuck with the musician.

Tuesday's croonfest wasn't the only time Blinken has rocked out in an official capacity.

At a State Department event in October 2023 touting 'music diplomacy' Blinken grabbed a black Fender and performed Hoochie Coochie Man by Muddy Waters.

Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl was in the audience.

Afterward the secretary posted a video of his performance on X.

Sporting dad jeans, black sneakers and a black button-down, Blinken strapped on a red guitar

Blinken is a longtime musician and used to play with a band called Cash Bar Wedding that included former White House press secretary Jay Carney as a member

'I couldn't pass up tonight's opportunity to combine music and diplomacy,' Blinken wrote.

During the Trump years, the longtime musician recorded a handful of singles - which can now be found on Spotify under the artist name Ablinken.

His song Lip Service has gotten more than 100,000 streams.

Blinken had a D.C.-based band that consisted of former Obama White House press secretary Jay Carney and Eli Attie, a former speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore who wrote for the TV series, The West Wing.

The group went by the name of Cash Bar Wedding.

Carney told The New York Times in 2023 that 'we're worried his State Department gig is a sign that he's ditching us to launch a solo career.'
The crash occurred at 6.35am on State Road 40 in Florida

Trucker Bryan Maclean Howard arrested for driving under the influence

A Florida trucker is facing drink driving and manslaughter charges after a horror crash with a bus left eight dead and at least 40 others injured.

The crash occurred in Dunnellon, Marion County, on Tuesday morning at around 6:30am.

The bus was carrying 53 workers to a watermelon farm, which officials confirmed was Cannon Farms, when it collided with a Ford Ranger truck.

The incident sent the bus flying off the road and through a fence where it rolled over, killing eight passengers and wounding at least 40 others.

Police arrested Bryan Maclean Howard, the driver of the truck, on Tuesday afternoon on eight charges of driving under the influence manslaughter.

Police arrested Bryan Maclean Howard, the driver of the truck, on Tuesday afternoon on eight charges of driving under the influence manslaughter

A horror crash in Florida involving a bus has killed at least eight people, left eight more in critical condition and hospitalized at least 37

The crash occurred in Dunnellon, Marion County on Tuesday morning at around 6:30am

It is unclear what caused the crash, although aerial images showed a crumpled grey pickup truck that was also reportedly involved in the incident

FLHSMV Executive Director Dave Kerner said: 'Initial investigation reveals that the two vehicles made contact in a sideswipe type collision.

'Post collision, the bus traveled off the roadway, through a fence, and then overturned. Currently, eight people have been confirmed deceased and approximately 40 people have been transported to local medical facilities.

'Identities of the deceased will be released pending next of kin notification. Our sympathies and prayers are with the families of the deceased.

'Consistent with our duties, the Florida Highway Patrol will conduct both a thorough and exhaustive traffic crash and criminal investigation.'

Officials said the workers were employed by a private company, and the owner of the company was among those transported to hospital, according to OCALA.

Of the estimated 40 people injured, 37 were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Eight were listed as in critical condition.

Early reports falsely indicated that the crash involved schoolchildren, however authorities clarified that a Marion County Public Schools bus was being used to transport injured people from the scene to hospital.

Crews from Marion County Fire Rescue and the Marion County Sheriff's Office assist victims from the horror crash on Tuesday morning

Officials said the bus was travelling to Cannon Farms, around 15 miles from the crash site

Officials said 53 'migrant workers' were travelling to a watermelon farm on the bus before it overturned

Images showed a crumpled grey pickup truck that was also reportedly involved in the incident. The driver was also transported to hospital in serious condition.

Florida officials have closed sections of State Road 40 West as they deal with the fatal wreck.

Numerous law enforcement agencies are on the scene, and officials said the investigation is being led by the Florida Highway Patrol.

Cannon Farms, the intended destination, said on Facebook after the crash: 'We will be closed today out of respect to the losses and injuries endured early this morning in the accident that took place to the Olvera Trucking Harvesting Corp.

'Please pray with us for the families and the loved ones involved in this tragic accident. We appreciate your understanding at this difficult time.'

It is unclear what caused the fatal wreck, which reportedly also involved a pickup truck

Florida officials closed sections of State Road 40 West as they deal with the fatal wreck

Olvera Trucking, the owner of the bus involved in the wreck, had recently advertised a job as a temporary driver to bus workers to watermelon farms.

The job role also included operating harvesting equipment and paid $14.77 an hour.

The Associated Press found that a Department of Labor document shows Olvera recently applied for 43 H-2A workers to harvest watermelons at Cannon Farms this month.

The company again offered a base rate of $14.77 an hour, with promises of housing and transportation to and from the fields.

The H-2A program allows U.S. employers or agents who meet certain regulatory requirements to bring foreign nationals into the country to fill temporary agricultural jobs.

Florida farms employ more H-2A workers than any other state, about 50,000 a year, according to the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association.
The much awaited cross-examination of Michael Cohen began with a shock-and awe opening meant to shatter the composure of the witness, but ended with the usual courtroom tedium and Cohen correcting Donald Trumps lawyer on real estate.

There were swear words, insults  'Cheeto-dusted villain' is one  and questions about Cohens move from Trump loyalist to resistance crusader, and whether it was an awakening or self-serving scheme.

Many of Blanches early punches didnt land, and had the effect of bringing Cohens wealth of character attacks on Trump, like calling him a con man he was ashamed to work for, into the record.

Below are key takeways from the dramatic Day Two of Michael Cohens testimony, with one day left to destroy the credibility of the crucial witness.

Shock and awe opening shocked but didnt leave a mark

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche tried to rattle Cohen from his first question when he told him: You went on TikTok and called me a crying little sh** didnt you?

Sounds like something Id say, Cohen responded dryly. But the comment led to an immediate sidebar conference between the judge and lawyers. The judge announced that the question was stricken from the record  an immediate defeat for the defense. 'Why are you making this about yourself?' Judge Juan Merchan asked Blanche, according to a court transcript.

Blanche may have hoped the question would have a psychological effect on Cohen even if it couldnt remain on the record. But while Cohen was a bit off balance early in cross examination, he didnt crumble.

Michael Cohen was forced to confront his own profane statements during cross-examination, but failed to crumble under pressure

Hot headed Cohen mostly keeps his composure

Cohen is known for attacking reporters, browbeating vendors, and threatening to crush adversaries in the courtroom. The personal injury lawyer didn't dispute being called Trump's 'fixer.'

But he rolled out a new and improved humble demeanor during his direct testimony to prosecutors, and managed to keep his composure while under fire Tuesday.

Sometimes he tried to avoid black and white answers when he got asked questions that put him in a bind, like if he wanted Trump to go to jail. 'Sure,' he responded casually, as if it weren't something he had called for in books called Disloyal and Revenge, before being forced to go further. But jurors weren't learning much they hadn't already picked up Monday: that Cohen said he had transformed form a Trump superfan to someone hoping to help bring him down.

Trying to establish Cohen's bias, Blanche pointed to a red flag: he was selling t-shirts picturing Trump in an orange jump suit behind bars. Cohen had sported it himself as recently as Wednesday. That might not quite fit with Cohen's well-rehearsed answer that it was up to the jury decide Trump's guilt or innocence. But instead of crumbling, Cohen put in a pitch for the shirt. 'Its part of the merch store,' he said.

He even gave directions for how a curious buyer might check it out. 'If you go to the section that says mea culpa, this shirt is available for sale,' he told Blanche.

Lawyer Todd Blanche spent time trying to get Cohen to admit he wanted to get out of prison, and tried to paint him as a liar. Cohen has pleaded guilty to lying to Congress

Trump closed his eyes at times during cross-examination. Blanche may have hoped Trump was dozing when he mixed up 'condo' and 'co-op' when discussing Cohen's real estate

Blanche tried to get Cohen to admit bias. He wore a shirt Wednesday of Trump behind bars. Cohen said the merch was available at his website

Cohen's withering insults of Trump make it into the record

Blanche's effort to prove Cohen is biased or vindictive had the side-effect of putting a series of withering insults into the record.

He was asked about calling him a 'Cheeto dusted cartoon villain.' Cohen said that 'also sounds like something I said.'

He didn't deny saying 'I truly f***ing hope that this man ends up in prison. Nor did he dispute saying people won't be satisfied until 'this man is sitting in his cell.' Cohen didn't recall, but said 'I wouldnt put it past me.'

And when Blanche brought up nice things about Trump  hailing him as compassionate and even writing that he was 'obsessed' with him, Cohen was able to answer by pointing to his conversion story. It was true at the time, he said.

'Thats how I felt so yes it would be the truth,' he responded to a list of accolades he gave Trump. Cohen had already gushed during direct testimony about his former pride working for Trump and his former coworkers.

Another had Cohen saying before the jury that he had called Trump a 'con man' who he later was 'ashamed' he once worked for. 'I said that, yes,' he testified. That one lacked the alliteration of 'dictator douchebag,' another insult Cohen agreed sounded like it came from him.

Trouble establishing Cohen's motive

Blanche tried several stabs at pinning a motive on Cohen that toppled his own narrative  that he was coming forward because his family told him his loyalty was to them and the country, not to Trump.

One is that he wanted to knock time off his sentence. Cohen admitted to his lawyer trying to get a letter that would get him credit for cooperation. But he never had a cooperation agreement with prosecutors, per se, despite his efforts.

He did get immunity for testifying before a grand jury, and he did have a series of meetings with prosecutors assembling cases against Trump.

Some happened in prison, but others came after he was in home confinement in Manhattan due to the coronavirus pandemic. So he was forced to admit that he wanted to shorten his period of home confinement where he only got out three hours per day and needed to ask permission to leave.

But Cohen was willing to admit it. 'I was looking for a reduction in the home confinement portion,' he said. He complained that should have gotten credit for work he did and a class he took while in prison north of the New York City.

Blanche repeatedly pointed to Cohen's flurry of TV appearances. 'Is it fair to say that you are motivated by fame? ... Is it fair to say that you are motivated by publicity?' he asked him.

'I dont know if thats fair to say. Im motivated by many things,' was Cohen's response.

Cohen also revealed the big bucks he made writing Trump tell alls, with income of about $3.4 million. He said he wrote the first book in prison to help manage his time.

Some success tagging Cohen with past lies

Blanche had more success getting Cohen to cop to some past lies. One came in meetings with Special Counsel Robert Meuller during the Russia probe. He concealed information about his conversations with Trump about building a Trump Tower Moscow.

It's not a subject likely to endear either Cohen or Trump to the jury as Russia continues its brutal war on Ukraine. But it could establish that if Cohen would lie to investigators, he might lie in court.

'You lied to them, right?' Blanche asked him.

'Yes the information I gave to them was not accurate,' was how Cohen put it.

That brought a long semantic back-and-forth. '

'Is not accurate information a lie?' Blanche asked him.

'It was inaccurate, yes,' Cohen agreed, while still avoiding the word.

'I dont know if I would characterize it as a lie. It was inaccurate,' he said, before finally relenting.

'It wasnt truthful. You want to call it a lie? Ill call it a lie. I believe theyre the same thing,' he said.

He also brought up numerous times when prosecutors were pleading with Cohen to stop speaking publicly about cases where he was meeting with the government.

There were conversations he said he couldn't recall, and some where tried to downplay the urgency of the warnings. As he described it, it was 'probably better off if you dont speak about it,' is how Cohen put it.

But he also had an answer for why he might ignore the admonitions, even while sitting in in home confinement. 'I do have a First Amendment right. I can speak,' he said.

Trump was in court to hear the brutal insults Cohen has leveled

Cohen schools Blanche on real estate

Trump could be seen with his eyes closed for extended periods during questioning. Blanche can hope Trump was snoozing when his lawyer questioned Cohen about real estate.

Blanche mixed up some basic terms when asking Cohen about where he was living.

'Instead of being in Otisville you were in your coop?' Blanche asked Cohen, referencing his move from a New York prison to home confinement.

'Condo,' shot back Cohen, correcting him. 'Understood,' Blanche responded.

That came after Cohen had testified he still lives in a building bearing Blanche's client's name.

'You still live on a building with Trumps name on it, correct?' Blanche asked him.

'I do,' said Cohen.

Testimony sets up make-or-break Thursday

Blanche didn't get to finish his task, and left off with a question on Cohen's complex back-and-forth with prosecutors.

He still has work to do to bring up some of the most egregious parts of Cohen's record. He and prosecutors have both mentioned that he pleaded guilty to lying to Congress. And prosecutors tried to get in front of complicating factors that have Cohen now saying he shouldn't be prosecuted for tax offenses he pleaded guilty to.

Based on the time estimate Blanche gave in court, that gives Trump's legal team one full day in court to try to destroy the credibility of a former 'fixer' to keep him from reaching the goal he bragged about on TikTok: Seeing that Trump 'goes right into that little cage which is where he belongs, in a f***ing cage, like an animal.'

That was one insult that Cohen did recall saying.
One of Europe's most notorious people smugglers is finally behind bars  two years after the Mail tipped off police about his whereabouts on the run.

Barzan Kamal Majeed masterminded an organised crime group that smuggled an estimated 10,000 migrants across the English Channel over six years.

Nicknamed Scorpion, the human trafficker was arrested in Iraq on Monday after being exposed in a BBC investigation when he boasted to a reporter that '95 to 99 per cent' of illegal crossings to the UK since 2016 could be linked to him.

'Maybe a thousand, maybe 10,000 (people). I don't know, I didn't count,' Majeed told Radio 4.

Majeed was first arrested in Iraq last year following an investigation by this newspaper who tipped off Britain's National Crime Agency about his whereabouts and provided Belgium police with his address, phone number and social media account in December 2022. The information led to his arrest last May in Iraq.

Barzan Kamal Majeed (pictured) masterminded an organised crime group that smuggled an estimated 10,000 migrants across the English Channel

Majeed was first arrested in Iraq last year following an investigation by this newspaper who tipped off Britain's National Crime Agency about his whereabouts

But despite being one of Europe's most wanted criminals, sentenced to ten years in a Belgium court for people smuggling, Majeed was mysteriously released from custody a short time later and promptly vanished again.

The trail then went cold until he was tracked down by the BBC who finally spurred the Kurdistan region's security forces in northern Iraq into action this week.

Between 2016 and 2021, Scorpion's gang is believed to have controlled much of the people smuggling between Europe and the UK.

At the age of 20, the Kurdish Iraqi first arrived in Britain smuggled in the back of a lorry in 2006.

Despite being refused leave to remain a year later, he stayed in the UK working as a mechanic in Nottingham.

Majeed was later deported to Iraq in 2015 after being convicted for gun and drug offences.

There, he became the leader of a huge people smuggling operation. UK Border Force and police first identified Majeed as a key player in 2016 after inspecting the mobile phones of migrants arriving illegally in the UK.

Majeed was tried in a Belgian court and convicted of 121 counts of people-smuggling

The BBC has since uncovered evidence that his smuggling gang were able to bribe Iraqi officials into issuing false visas so migrants could travel to Turkey. Pictured an inflatable dinghy bringing migrants across the Channel

Majeed was tried in a Belgian court and convicted of 121 counts of people-smuggling.

In November 2022, he was sentenced to ten years in jail and fined 968,000 (834,000), but he went on the run.

A month later the Mail learnt of his whereabouts in Turkey. Although he was subsequently held in Iraq in May 2023, Majeed was released from custody just days later with no explanation given.

The BBC has since uncovered evidence that his smuggling gang were able to bribe Iraqi officials into issuing false visas so migrants could travel to Turkey.

This week a senior member of the Kurdistan regional government suggested he may now be prosecuted.

An official said: 'We are looking at charges against him here, and then we will be discussing with European police who want to question him.'
Michael Cohen made roughly $3.4 million from sales of two books he wrote about Donald Trump, the former president's hush money trial heard on Tuesday.

It came as lawyers for the president sought to portray Cohen, the star witness in the trial, as motivated by money and revenge.

Jurors also heard that Cohen had flung insults at Trump on social media - including calling him a 'dictator douchebag' and 'Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain'.

Cohen, who was for years Trump's 'lawyer and 'fixer', earned about $400,000 from his second book, 'Revenge: How Donald Trump Weaponized the US Department of Justice Against His Critics'

Defense attorney Todd Blanche cross examines Michael Cohen in Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in New York

Michael Cohen 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 14, 2024 in this courtroom sketch

His first book was 'Disloyal: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump' and earned him even more.

The revelations came as Trump's lawyers grilled Cohen and sought to undermine his testimony that the former president authorized a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

In sometimes aggressive questioning Trump attorney Todd Blanche confronted Cohen about his schoolyard taunts on social media, which also included calling him a 'boorish cartoon misogynist'.

Cohen, who spent more than a decade working for Trump, had already answered prosecutors' questions for about nine hours on the witness stand on Monday and Tuesday

In detail, he testified that Trump ordered him to pay Daniels in 2016 to stay quiet about an alleged 2006 sexual encounter so it did not ruin his presidential campaign.

Former US President Donald Trump, flanked by his lawyer Todd Blanche (R), gives end of the day remarks after exiting the courtroom during his hush money trial at the Supreme Court of the State of New York, in New York

Former President Donald Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche at Manhattan criminal court

Stormy Daniels and lawyer Clark Brewster during a break in her testimony on May 7

But Cohen's checkered history was a prime target for Trump's lawyers, who questioned him on Tuesday afternoon.

Cohen served time in federal prison for various crimes including the hush money payment, and has admittedly lied under oath.

In some two hours of cross-examination, Blanche has yet to ask Cohen about the $130,000 payment at the heart of the case.

Instead, he went methodically through Cohen's extensive public comments about Trump over the years to underscore his transformation from Trump loyalist to enemy, and his pattern of deception.

Blanche also suggested Cohen was motivated by money, revenge and notoriety rather than justice.

Lara Trump and Eric Trump return to the courtroom after a break during former US President Donald Trump hush money trial at the Supreme Court of the State of New York, in New York, New York, USA, 14 May 2024

He asked Cohen about the millions of dollars he earned from his two tell-all memoirs and the millions of subscribers to his frequently anti-Trump podcast.

The defense also showed jurors pictures of Trump-themed merchandise for sale on Cohen's website, including mugs reading, 'Send him to the big house, not the White House'.

Cohen is the prosecution's key witness at Trump's historic trial, which started on April 15 and is nearing the final stretch.

His cross-examination will resume on Thursday, after a scheduled day off for the trial on Wednesday.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump watches as Michael Cohen is cross examined by defense lawyer Todd Blanche 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

Prosecutors say Trump paid Cohen back after the election by creating false records indicating they were for legal fees.

Those disguised reimbursements provide the basis for the 34 counts of falsifying business records that Trump faces.

Trump, 77, the 2024 Republican presidential candidate, has pleaded not guilty and denies any sexual encounter with Daniels.

He has characterized the case as a partisan attempt to interfere with his campaign to take back the White House he lost in 2020 to Democratic President Joe Biden.

Earlier on Tuesday, Cohen described an Oval Office meeting in February 2017 where Trump told him that Cohen would soon receive the first monthly installments of a bonus package, which Cohen said included reimbursements for the Daniels payment.

Trump's Deputy Communications chief Margo Martin and Eric Trump listen as former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks outside of the courtroom on April 30

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger walked Cohen through a series of invoices and checks - some signed by Trump himself - that Cohen said were falsely marked as paying to retain him for legal services.

'There was no retainer agreement, was there?' Hoffinger asked.

'No, ma'am,' Cohen replied.

Cohen, 57, said he lied multiple times to Congress during an investigation into Trump's Russia ties, eventually pleading guilty to perjury.

He also told jurors he lied repeatedly about the payment to Daniels, telling journalists Trump had no involvement.

In 2018, after the Justice Department began investigating the Daniels payment, FBI agents raided Cohen's home. He said he called Trump in a panic.

'He said to me, "Don't worry, I'm the president of the United States, you're going to be OK,"' Cohen said.

That was the last time they spoke directly, Cohen added.

Stormy Daniels has already given evidence in the case

Donald Trump, center, with attorney Michael Cohen, left, and Omarosa Manigault, right, during a visit to the Pastors Leadership Conference at New Spirit Revival Center, Sept. 21, 2016

Instead, Cohen testified, a lawyer named Robert Costello who was close to Trump adviser Rudy Giuliani offered a 'back channel' to Trump.

In emails shown to jurors, Costello passed along Giuliani's assurances that he had 'friends in high places.'

Meanwhile, Trump was defending Cohen on social media and decrying the idea that he might 'flip' and cooperate with prosecutors.

onald Trump, left, speaking as attorney Michael Cohen, right seated, looks on during a visit to the Pastors Leadership Conference at New Spirit Revival Center, Sept. 21, 2016

It all added up to a 'pressure campaign' to keep Cohen in line, he said.

But he eventually decided to cooperate after speaking with his family.

Cohen pleaded guilty to federal crimes in 2018, including offenses related to the Daniels payment, and said he was acting at the behest of Trump, who was not charged.

'I regret doing things for him that I should not have,' Cohen said on Tuesday when asked to reflect on his many years working for Trump.

'To keep the loyalty and to do the things that he asked me to do, I violated my moral compass. And I suffered the penalty - as has my family.'
Jimmy Carter's grandson has revealed the 99-year-old former president is 'coming to the end'.

The Georgia peanut farmer and oldest living president has been in hospice care for more than a year after deciding to forego any further medical treatment.

Since then his beloved wife Rosalynn has passed away and he has been living at home with regular visits from his family.

Jason Carter said at a mental health forum on Tuesday: '(My grandfather) is doing OK.

'He has been in hospice, as you know, for almost a year and a half now, and he really is, I think, coming to the end that, as Ive said before, theres a part of this faith journey that is so important to him, and theres a part of that faith journey that you only can live at the very end and I think he has been there in that space.'

Jimmy Carter's grandson has revealed the 99-year-old former president is 'coming to the end'

Jason Carter said at a mental health forum on Tuesday: '(My grandfather) is doing OK'

Carter entered hospice care in February 2023 after a series of hospital visits.

He has already survived metastatic brain and liver cancer.

In November, he made rare public appearance for his wife Rosalynn's memorial service, in a wheelchair and covered in a blanket depicting her face.

They were married for 77 years, and lived in the same modest home in Plains, Georgia, for decades.

The longest-married couple in U.S. presidential history, they met when Jimmy was just three years old and Rosalynn was a newborn, and celebrated their 77nd wedding anniversary on July 7, 2023.

Family members say that he was determined to hang on even after entering hospice care, in part to ensure that Rosalynn was never left alone.

'He was really honored and glad that he made it to the end with my grandmother, and that was a real treasure for him,' Jason Carter told the New York Times in February.

'I think that for whatever reason, the way he approaches this is from a place of enormous faith. And so he just believes that for whatever reason, God's not done with him yet,' he added.

In November, he made rare public appearance for his wife Rosalynn's memorial service, in a wheelchair and covered in a blanket depicting her face

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter were married for 77 years, and lived in the same modest home in Plains, Georgia, for decades

Rosalynn's funeral was the only time Carter has appeared publicly since entering hospice, and his frail appearance at the service alarmed friends in the church and well-wishers watching on television.

Carter spends his days in the home in Plains that he has owned for more than six decades, where caregivers attend to his needs and friends and family visit.

The two-bedroom, one-story ranch house was built by Carter himself, and is worth about $240,000.

Jimmy was elected to the Georgia State Senate on November 5, 1962, following an unsuccessful run for U.S. Senate.

He won the Georgia state governor election on November 3, 1970.

Jimmy won the U.S. presidential election on November 2, 1976, thanks in part to Rosalynn's determined campaign strategy, visiting 40 states and earning her the title of Jimmy's 'secret weapon.'

He served a single term that was blighted by an oil crisis that forced Americans to wait in line for gas, and was defeated by Republican Ronald Reagan in 1980.

Since then he has committed himself to philanthropy and living a humble life with Rosalynn, his four children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

After his presidency, the Carters started working with Habitat for Humanity, a Christian nonprofit that builds affordable houses for those in need

Carter is receiving hospice care in his one-story home in Plains, Georgia, which he built himself and has owned for six decades

In August 2015, Carter had a small cancerous mass removed from his liver. The following year, Carter announced that he needed no further treatment, as an experimental drug had eliminated any sign of cancer.

That same year, he was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma that was detected in his liver and spread to his brain.

About six months after the diagnosis, Carter announced he no longer needed cancer treatment due in part to a groundbreaking medication that trains the immune system to fight cancer tumors.

He was hospitalized two years later for dehydration while building homes with Habitat for Humanity in Canada.

Despite his series of health scares, the president remained active in public life up until recent times.
Harry and Meghan's Archewell Foundation is now 'in good standing' with state officials in California following days of confusion that saw the non-profit banned from raising or spending any cash.

A row erupted after the charity was declared 'delinquent' and 'not in good standing' by the Registry of Charities and Fundraisers in the US state, where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex live in a 12million mansion.

The registry said Archewell had failed to submit its annual report or renewal fees, while sources close to the Sussexes insisted it was because the Attorney General's office did not process a $200 cheque they previously thought lost in the post.

Since then, the charity says it has been in touch with California's Department of Justice (DoJ), which operates the registry, to clear up the confusion.

The DoJ says it considers the matter closed and that, as of now, the Archewell Foundation is 'current and in good standing' with Californian authorities.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the Lagos State Governor's House in Nigeria on May 12

A delinquency notice letter was sent to the Archewell Foundation on May 3 saying the charity is 'listed as delinquent' for 'failing to submit required annual report(s) and/or renewal fees'

But the organisation's registry status is now 'current' after the row over an unpaid renewal fee was resolved

A spokesperson for the Archewell Foundation said: 'We have diligently investigated the situation and can confirm that The Archewell Foundation remains fully compliant and in good standing.

'Due payments were made promptly and in accordance with the IRS's processes and procedures. Furthermore, all necessary paperwork had been filed by the Foundation without error or wrongdoing.'

Sources within the Sussexes' charitable endeavour say the situation has now been 'diligently investigated' and maintain that it remains 'fully compliant'.

It is understood that conflicting claims regarding what had happened coming from Archewell this week over the Department of Justices issuing of a notice of delinquency was in part down to many of the Sussexes team travelling in Nigeria.

The sources say payments were made promptly and 'in accordance with' the IRS's processes and procedures and paperwork filed correctly, 'without error or wrongdoing'.

They added that records proved the required payment of $200 was delivered last November via tracked post.

A search of the registry confirms the organisation's status with the DoJ is 'current'. Its most recent renewal documents were marked as being received today.

In a written statement issued to MailOnline, the California DoJ said: 'After being in touch with our Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, the organization is current and in good standing.'

The registry previously said Archewell failed to properly submit its annual report or renewal fees and has banned it from either fundraising or doling out grants.

A letter, sent on behalf of Attorney General Rob Bonta, noted: 'An organisation that is listed as delinquent is not in good standing and is prohibited from engaging in... soliciting or disbursing charitable funds.'

In March, Harry and Meghan congratulated computer scientist and digital activist Dr Joy Buolamwini for winning the NAACP Archewell Foundation Digital Civil Rights Award

Harry and Meghan also visited the Archewell Foundation's San Antonio Welcome Project in March, which supports women who have recently moved to the US from Afghanistan

Sussex sources had claimed the 'delinquency notice' was actually issued because Bonta's office did not process the $200 renewal cheque.

This was a different explanation to the one offered by the same Sussex sources last night, who claimed that the paperwork was filed on time but the discrepancy was down to a cheque which accompanied the documents going missing in the post.

Sussex sources had told MailOnline the Archewell Foundation's tax filings for 2022 were submitted in full in accordance with all regulations in the US, which was widely reported in the media last December - including by this website.

They said the California state filing, renewal and required payment were sent and delivered to the Attorney General's office via tracked mail, and received on time.

However, the delinquency notice was then issued on May 3 because the cheque had not been processed by the Attorney General's Office, according to the sources.

Until Archewell Foundation officials could confirm the tracked mail and receive acknowledgment of receipt, they assumed that the cheque had been lost in the mail - hence the initial explanation, which has now turned out to be false.

The $200 cheque was for an annual registration renewal fee, which is determined by a sliding scale based on an organisation's total revenue.

In Archewell's case, its most recent revenue was about $2million - putting it within the 'between $1,000,001 and $5 million' section of the sliding scale.

The $200 figure has been confirmed to MailOnline by a source close to the Sussexes.

The foundation is separate from the couple's Archewell media and business divisions

Harry and Meghan attend a polo fundraising event in Lagos during their Nigeria tour on May 12

A physical cheque was part of the filing sent to the California Attorney General's Office and it is understood that a new one has been sent to resolve the issue.

In the initial explanation on behalf of the Sussexes yesterday, which has since been superseded by today's clarification, an Archewell source said: 'For the foundation, everything was filed on time.

'Part of that filing was a physical cheque. That cheque appears to have never been received, which we were only made aware of when this delinquency notice was published.

'A new cheque has been mailed and we anticipate that this will be quickly resolved and reflected in records within seven business days.'

It comes as the couple were yesterday flying back from a high profile three-day visit to Abuja and Lagos in Nigeria that was dubbed a royal tour in all but name.

During the trip the Sussexes announced a partnership between the Archewell Foundation and the Geanco Foundation, a charity in Nigeria which leads surgical missions, promotes maternal health and provides scholarships to young female victims of terrorism.

The Archewell Foundation is a non-profit organisation created by Harry and Meghan when they moved to the US after stepping down as senior royals in 2020.

On its website, it says its mission is to 'show up, do good', adding: 'We meet the moment by showing up, taking action and using our unparalleled spotlight to uplift and unite communities - local and global - through acts of service and compassion.'

The foundation is separate from the couple's Archewell media and business divisions which have been involved in the Netflix and Spotify productions.

The couple were invited to the West African nation by its military, and attended events related to Harry's Invictus Games, which Nigeria is seeking to host in future.

The couple were also welcomed at the Lagos State Government House and met military officials at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.

According to tax filings disclosed by Archewell last December, the organisation had suffered an $11million (9million) decline in donations in 2022 compared to the previous year.

The records showed that the charity received just over $2million (1.6million) in charitable donations in 2022 compared to $13million (10million) in 2021.

And while in 2021 Archewell had reported a revenue of more than $9million (7million), the December 2023 filings showed that by 2022 it had recorded a loss of more than $674,000 (537,000) due to costs of $2.67million (2.13million).
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps yesterday warned that Labour 'presents a danger' to Britain after failing to match Conservative pledges on military spending.

He said the Opposition's reluctance to boost investment in the Armed Forces risked 'sending a signal' to the UK's enemies that 'we are not serious about defence'.

In a speech, Mr Shapps unveiled plans for 'a golden age' of Royal Navy shipbuilding, with as many as 28 vessels in the pipeline or under construction.

Following the Mail's Don't Leave Britain Defenceless campaign, the Government recently pledged 75billion of additional funding from 2025 to 2030.

But Sir Keir Starmer has refused to match this commitment, prompting Mr Shapps to claim another Conservative government would be safer for the country than a Labour administration.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps who yesterday warned that Labour 'presents a danger' to Britain after failing to match Conservative pledges on military spending

The Government recently pledged 75billion of additional funding from 2025 to 2030 but Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) has refused to match this commitment

He said: 'You can't wish your way to more defence spending. You have to set out the plans and do it and that is why our plans now are fundamentally different to Labour.

'And I have to say as Defence Secretary, with everything that I know in this role, that I think Labour's position presents a danger to this country because it will send a signal to our adversaries that we are not serious about our defence  if we won't set out a timetable.'

It came just 24 hours after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak suggested that Labour's weakness on national security would make the UK more vulnerable.

Mr Shapps said the planned expansion of the Royal Navy had been made possible by the commitment to spend 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence.

Under current party policy, a Labour government would only hit the 2.5 per cent target 'when economic circumstances allow'.

The overhaul will include up to six Multi-Role Support Ships (MRSS) to be used by the Royal Marines. The ships are expected to include DragonFire, a laser-directed energy weapon capable of destroying incoming missiles, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

Mr Shapps added: 'We're making these critical investments to deter our adversaries and then win if they are not deterred. We must make sure the UK leads our allies so that the West is not left behind Russia and China.'

Veterans minister Johnny Mercer who suggested that a vote for Labour on defence or veterans' issues 'was not serious'

Veterans minister Johnny Mercer joined in the attack, suggesting that a vote for Labour on defence or veterans' issues 'was not serious'.

The former Army captain recalled troops being sent into conflict zones in poorly protected vehicles when Labour was last in office.

He said: 'Essential body armour was shared among tank crews because there was not enough to go around, the rifles didn't work in sand and we were sent out to fight in vehicles that gave us scant protection against enemy attack.'

But a Labour Party source said: 'The Defence Secretary is re-announcing plans for ships that have already been announced.

'He is trying to pull the wool over the public's eyes. Over 14 years, Tory ministers have sent shipbuilding work abroad, hollowed out and underfunded defence, cut one in five ships from the Royal Navy and missed recruitment targets.'
Interview: Senj Wind Farm "model of cooperation" between China and Croatia, says mayor

Xinhua) 10:10, May 14, 2024

SENJ, Croatia, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The Senj Wind Farm is a "model of cooperation" between China and Croatia, the city's mayor said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

Jurica Tomljanovic said the farm, built by China's Norinco International Cooperation Ltd. (Norinco International), "is an example that there must be cooperation in the world in the interests of the development of local environments."

He also expressed his support for the arrival of more Chinese companies in Croatia.

The wind farm has created new jobs and opportunities for Croatian citizens, as well as Croatian companies, Tomljanovic underlined. Over 40 contractors from across Croatia participated in the construction process, with over half of the 500 daily workers on the project coming from Croatia.

During the process, "cooperation with the Chinese partners was very successful, an example of good business cooperation," Tomljanovic said.

After the inauguration of the wind farm in December 2021 till now, there've been still a lot of Croatian experts and local employees working in the Zagreb office of Norinco International, showing that this cooperation continues, he said.

Not only does the Senj Wind Farm "largely solve" the annual need for electricity, but the city of Senj also receives additional revenue from the operation of the wind farm, "which is significant for the development and benefits of all residents."

Located on the Adriatic coast of western Croatia, the wind farm produces about 530 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green electricity each year, and reduces Croatia's carbon dioxide emissions by about 460,000 tons annually.

In addition to providing a cheaper and more stable energy supply for locals, the green electricity that the wind farm produces is expected to satisfy the electricity demand of over 100,000 households in Croatia.

According to the mayor, the revenue from the operation of the wind farm has been used for investment in the infrastructure, water supply, sewerage, and beaches in Senj city.

"The inhabitants of Senj have recognized this and appreciate that they have been enabled to develop faster," he said.

The Senj Wind Farm and the Peljesac Bridge, constructed by a Chinese enterprise consortium led by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), "are proof that Croatia should leave the door open to the Chinese for new projects, as they have proven to be quality partners in every respect," Tomljanovic said.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing)
China reacted with fury last night after its ambassador was summoned to a meeting by Lord Cameron following three men being charged with spying for Hong Kong.

Zheng Zeguang met with senior officials at the Foreign Office after China's London embassy furiously described the spy charges as a 'fabrication' and an 'unwarranted accusation'.

Chi Leung Wai, 38, a UK border force officer, Matthew Trickett, 37, a former Royal Marine and Chung Biu Yuen, 63, a trade official, were charged with foreign interference and assisting a foreign intelligence service on Monday.

The trio are accused of carrying out surveillance and hostile reconnaissance on pro-democracy activists in the UK for Hong Kong intelligence.

China reacted with fury last night after its ambassador was summoned to a meeting by Lord Cameron following three men being charged with spying for Hong Kong .

Zheng Zeguang who met with senior officials at the Foreign Office after China's London embassy furiously described the spy charges as a 'fabrication' and an 'unwarranted accusation'

Yesterday a Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson said: 'The FCDO was unequivocal in setting out that the recent pattern of behaviour directed by China against the UK including cyber attacks, reports of espionage links and the issuing of bounties is not acceptable.

'The foreign intelligence service to which the charges relate is that of the Hong Kong special administrative region.'

Foreign affairs committee chairman Alicia Kearns welcomed the summoning of the Chinese ambassador by the Foreign Secretary.

She said: 'This is a relief to hear and long overdue. Hostile interference on UK soil is a serious issue for which we should have zero tolerance.'

But China immediately hit back issuing a statement saying: 'Ambassador Zheng urged the UK side to immediately correct its wrongdoing, stop interfering in China's internal affairs, stop spreading lies about so-called 'China threat', stop its provocations against China and stop its arbitrary law enforcement against Chinese citizens in the UK.'
Public bodies have spent almost 1 million on support groups hosting events such as a lecture on the 'Queer History of Tango', it can be revealed.

Research has found there are now 438 staff networks across 79 British quangos and watchdogs, allowing workers to meet with others of the same race, faith, age, sexuality or disabilities.

In total 652,000 of taxpayers' money has been spent over the past four years on the clubs and the hundreds of meetings and talks held, while 276,000 has been paid out by public bodies that are not directly taxpayer funded.

It comes after 'minister for common sense' Esther McVey hit out at the spread of staff networks within Whitehall departments, warning that some of the groups have moved into activism.

Last night Elliot Keck, head of campaigns at the TaxPayers' Alliance which uncovered the scale of public sector staff networks, told the Mail: 'Taxpayers will be cheering on Esther McVey's no-nonsense approach to EDI [Equality, Diversity and Inclusion] roles in the civil service, but this isn't the finishing line.'

Esther McVey, 'minister for common sense', hit out at the spread of staff networks within Whitehall departments, warning that some of the groups have moved into activism

Figures obtained by the campaign group under the Freedom of Information Act show that the biggest public sector spender on staff networks is Transport for London (Stock image)

Figures obtained by the campaign group under the Freedom of Information Act show that the biggest public sector spender on staff networks is Transport for London (TfL), responsible for the capital's rail and bus networks.

It spent 120,000 over the past four years on six groups which organised 140 events for their members including 'The future of e-scooters and how to increase women ridership in London' and 'Trafalgar Square 'queer footprints' walk & talk'.

The Financial Conduct Authority  the regulator funded by banks  spent 74,800. Office-hour events included 'The history of queer tango' and another on 'Microaggressions'.

The Intellectual Property Office had a talk on 'intellectual property and queer theory' while the DVLA hosted an 'insight into afro-textured hair'.

TfL, which employs about 28,000 people, said each 'colleague network group' now gets 5,000.

Fiona Brunskill, chief people officer at TfL said: 'Our Colleague Network groups (CNG) are an important part of our work to ensure that our staff feel properly represented in the workplace, identify common issues for the organisation to address and allow colleagues to air views to help to shape the equality agenda.

'The majority of events held by these groups are run at lunchtimes or after work by TfL staff at no cost to the CNG or TfL.'

An FCA spokesman said: 'Staff networks play an important role in raising awareness, educating the organisation and shaping HR policy, for example to support colleagues with caring responsibilities. We therefore provide a small budget to support their work.'
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At least two prison officers have been killed in France after a van carrying inmates was ambushed by masked gunmen to free a suspected drug trafficker nicknamed 'The Fly'.

The van was attacked by men armed with pump-action rifles at around 11am on the A154 motorway near the Incarville tollbooth, located in the town of Val-de-Reuil, Normandy, northern France. Authorities have confirmed two guards have been killed while another three are seriously injured.

Revisit our updates as as French police launch a manhunt to find the assailants and detainee:
Former Jetstar captain Greg Lynn has claimed elderly camper Russell Hill knifed himself in a struggle between the two men, after he accidentally shot his lover and childhood sweetheart Carol Clay in the head, a jury has heard.

Lynn's barrister Dermot Dann KC also told the court that the 57-year-old made a series of terrible decisions including dumping and then later burning Mr Hill and Ms Clay's bodies - an act 'made him physically sick'.

On Tuesday, Lynn, of Caroline Springs in Melbourne's west, appeared in the Supreme Court of Victoria where a jury of 15 heard the prosecution's opening and his defence for the first time.

Police allege Mr Hill, 74, and Ms Clay, 73, were murdered while camping in the remote Wonnangatta Valley in Victoria's Alpine region more than four years ago.

Crown prosecutor Daniel Porceddu told the jury that the 'precise circumstances of the killing are unknown, nor is the motivation' but it was most likely sparked by a dispute over the use of Mr Hill's drone.

Greg Lynn outside the Supreme Court of Victoria at the start of his murder trial in Melbourne

Russell Hill and Carol Clay's burnt out campsite

The jury was shown an image of what police allege is Lynn carrying away the bodies of Russell Hill and Carol Clay

'It is likely there was a dispute regarding Mr Hill's drone or vision captured on his drone,' Mr Porceddu said.

'There might have been an argument or confrontation between the men. It is not known how Mr Hill was killed.'

'TRAGIC ACCIDENTAL DEATHS'

But in providing a brief opening defence, Lynn's barrister claimed Mr Hill and Ms Clay's deaths were accidental and 'not of Mr Lynn's making and not of his choosing'.

'We say not a case of murder, this is a case of two accidental, tragic deaths,' Mr Dann said.

The jury was told Mr Hill stole Lynn's shotgun after he became enraged about Lynn playing loud music on the night he was killed.

'He went towards Mr Hill to try and get the gun back - to take control of the gun. Mr Hill fired the gun into the air and Mr Lynn initially took cover towards the rear of his car,' Mr Dann said.

Lynn would later tell police he was 'scared sh**less' by Mr Hill's actions.

'He decided the only way to make things safe was to get his gun back,' Mr Dann said.

The jury heard that as Lynn tried to wrestle the firearm away from Mr Hill, the gun discharged and Ms Clay was hit in the head.

Police allege Carol Clay was shot in the head and killed in March 2020

Police allege Russell Hill was camping with Ms Clay when they were killed

Upon seeing what had happened, Mr Hill dropped the gun and rushed over to Ms Clay's body.

Mr Dann said Lynn picked up the gun and fired its remaining shots into the air before being set upon by an enraged Mr Hill.

'The next thing is Mr Hill's advancing towards him with a knife screaming at him "she's dead",' Mr Dann said.

'A struggle developed over the knife. Mr Lynn trying to defend himself - they're locked in this struggle - and as part of that struggle the two men fall to the ground and the knife goes through the chest of Mr Hill.'

ALLEGED ARGUMENT OVER HUNTING

The court heard Mr Hill and Lynn had argued earlier in the day about Lynn hunting for deer so close to other campers.

Mr Hill told Lynn someone close to him had been killed in a deer hunting accident and that he had drone footage of Lynn that he would take to police.

'Mr Lynn told him he was speaking nonsense and went back to his campsite,' Mr Dann said.

Later that night, Lynn decided to turn the volume in his car stereo up loud in an effort to annoy Mr Hill, the jury heard.

'He decided to annoy Mr Hill just as he thought Mr Hill was trying to annoy him,' Mr Dann said.

It was about 10pm when Lynn noticed Mr Hill had got into his car and stolen his 12-gauge shotgun.

Greg Lynn is accused of changing the colour of his vehicle from grey to beige

Greg Lynn as he appears in court during his murder trial

WHY LYNN COVERED HIS TRACKS

When questioned by police, Greg Lynn told them he believed his 'life was screwed'. 'He recognises and tells this to police that he's caught up in a terrible situation, a disaster,' barrister Dermot Dann said. 'In the face of that disaster he made a series of terrible choices. You've got two people dead. He fears he's going to be wrongly blamed for their deaths, and we say he is being wrongly blamed for their deaths. 'His life as he knew it would be screwed ... and he tries to make this disaster somehow go away. 'He embarked in a series of actions that he recognised in that record of interview have only made his situation and this whole situation so much worse.' Mr Dann said he did not dispute much of what police say happened after the incident, including dumping and burning of the bodies. 'He tells police in that interview there is no excuse ... He describes burning those bodies being physically sick,' he said. Advertisement

When he approached Mr Hill, Lynn claimed he was told to 'f**k off'.

'Mr Hill said he was going to take the gun to the police as well,' Mr Dann said.

The court heard Mr Hill fired the gun into the air in an effort to scare Lynn off.

'What then happened was a struggle for control of the gun,' Mr Dann said.

The court heard Ms Clay screamed in terror as Lynn fought to disarm Mr Hill.

'Russell stop it,' she allegedly yelled to Mr Hill.

Upon his arrest, Mr Dann claimed Lynn co-operated with detectives, telling them where to find the bodies of the campers.

'On the defence case when he does all that, he's being completely truthful, he's being completely accurate just as the same way on the defence case he's been completely truthful and completely accurate when he tells the police about the circumstances in which these two people died,' Mr Dann said.

He told the jury Lynn was not guilty of murder or manslaughter.

'There is no dispute that as a matter of law the prosecution will have to disprove his account... beyond reasonable doubt,' he said.

HILL ALLEGEDLY KILLED FIRST

The jury heard a different version of events from Mr Porceddu, who said police believed Mr Hill was killed first.

'The prosecution alleges Mr Hill was most likely killed first in part this is because Ms Clay is very unlikely to have provoked a violent confrontation involving the firearm or have posed any threat to the accused other than having witnessed or been aware of Mr Hill's violent death,' Mr Porceddu said.

Greg Lynn was a Jetstar captain when he allegedly committed the murders

'If he had been alive Mr Hill could also have readily called for assistance if he was aware that Ms Clay had been shot.'

The jury heard Ms Clay was allegedly shot in the head by Lynn with a 12-gauge 'Barathrum' branded shotgun.

THE ALLEGED AFTERMATH

Lynn is then accused of trying to cover his tracks.

'It is alleged the accused made considerable efforts to contaminate the scene, conceal evidence and try to distance himself from what appeared,' Mr Porceddu said.

The court heard Lynn allegedly moved the couple's bodies by placing them in his trailer after setting fire to their tent and an area near Mr Hill's vehicle in the hope of hiding forensic evidence.

Photos of Mr Hill's burnt out campsite and damaged vehicle were shown to the jury.

A vehicle towing a trailer which police claim was Lynn carrying away the couple's bodies was also shown.

Mr Porceddu said Lynn took their wallets and cash, phones, Mr Hill's drone and car keys before packing up and driving away with the bodies.

In the early hours of March 21, a witness was woken by a vehicle towing a trailer that drove past his site.

Police allege it was Lynn attempting to escape in the early hours but was hampered by a closed road, forcing him to perform a tricky u-turn.

Images of the bush scrub Lynn is alleged to have dumped the couple's bodies were shown to the jury.

Greg Lynn's barrister Dermot Dann, KC has given his client's version of events to a jury

The jury heard Lynn later changed the colour of the 4WD he used to cart the bodies away from grey to beige.

He also allegedly removed an awning on the vehicle after an image of his vehicle appeared on a 60 Minutes program about the case.

At the time, police had been listening to Lynn on secret bugs hidden within his home as he watched the current affairs program.

The jury heard Lynn remarked he had only been in the area for four hours that day and he found the incident 'not funny'.

On April 1, 2020, Lynn advertised his trailer and other items on Gumtree.

Prosecutors alleged he sought to dispose of the trailer because it held forensic evidence linked to Mr Hill and Ms Clay.

On May 12, after Victoria's Covid restrictions were lifted, police allege Lynn returned to where he dumped the couple's bodies to ensure they were still hidden.

In November that year he allegedly returned to the scene again and burnt the bodies, dumping what remained in a hole.

Fragments of the couple's bones were later found by police in the area.

CAROL CLAY 'EXCITED' ABOUT TRIP

The court heard Mr Hill had been Ms Clay's very first boyfriend and had been carrying on a relationship since 2006.

Mr Porceddu said Ms Clay had expressed excitement about going on the camping trip with Mr Hill in the days before she was killed.

Mr Hill told his wife he would be gone for about a week before heading out to pick up Ms Clay from her Pakenham home.

The couple travelled together to an area in the valley known as Bucks Camp.

Witnesses claimed they parked in a vicinity close to where Lynn had set up his camp a day earlier.

The jury heard Mr Hill - a keen amateur radio operator - had spoken to mates on the radio on the evening of March 20.

Witnesses claimed Mr Hill appeared fine and indicated no signs of conflict or distress.

A friend gave Mr Hill directions on how he could leave the valley.

He was never heard from again.

Lynn has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder.

The trial continues.
You have to admire the chutzpah of the Kings romantically busy nephew Peter Phillips. Just weeks after separating from his long-time partner  an ex-classmate of his sister Zara at fee-paying Gordonstoun School  Princess Annes son has wasted no time in finding a winsome replacement.

But if there was any trepidation on his part at reappearing so soon in smart society circles, it was far from evident. Instead, as he strolled proprietorially hand in hand with stunningly attractive paediatric nurse Harriet Sperling, the question on everyones lips at the Badminton horse trials was: How does he do it?

Even Queen Camilla, who found herself in unexpected hand-shaking distance, seemed impressed by her introduction to the glamorous blonde and single mother.

It was only last month that friends confirmed Peters three-year relationship with Scottish businesswoman Lindsay Wallace, who had accompanied him to the post-Coronation concert at Windsor Castle last year, had come to an end. Many had thought they would marry.

Details of their romance emerged during the Covid lockdown  his car was parked outside Ms Wallaces home in Aberdeen  and not long after he had disclosed that he had split from his wife, Canada-born Autumn Kelly, mother of his two daughters.

Now he has moved on again to pastures new. And what was abundantly clear from the two days the couple spent parading around the famous Gloucestershire equestrian course, where his sister was competing, was that Peter doesnt care who knows.

Princess Anne's son Peter Phillips, 46, walks beside paediatric nurse Harriet Sperling, 44, at a Gloucestershire equestrian course

Peter married Canadian-born Autumn Kelly in 2008 before their split in 2021 - and not long after started a romance with Scottish businesswoman Lindsay Wallace

For a man who  friends of both sexes insist  never boasts about his conquests, it was an extraordinary public gesture. Might it also be a clue that she holds the key to his future happiness?

But then there has always been more to 46-year-old Peter Phillips than meets the eye. Not conventionally good-looking, he did, nonetheless, enjoy a prodigiously active romantic life before marriage. From school onwards he was rarely without a pretty blonde companion  they were almost always blonde  on his arm.

There is something about Phillips languid charm that women find fascinating, irresistible even. To some it is the way he wears his royal heritage so lightly. Unburdened by a royal title  thanks to the prescience of his mother, the Princess Royal, who wanted her son and daughter to make their own ways in the world  yet still unmistakeably a Windsor.

Reassuring, unflustered and low key, no wonder he was said to be the late Queen and Prince Philips favourite grandchild.

His uncle the King is devoted to him, so too his cousins Prince William and Prince Harry. Almost uniquely he has managed to retain the affection of both warring brothers without having to take sides. But it is his curiosity for the opposite sex which is so intriguing. Though the background of his love interests have often been, well, predictable. Until now.

Not since the daughter of the middle-class Middletons caught Prince Williams eye at St Andrews University has a royal girlfriend been quite so unusual. For Harriet Sperling is a state-registered nurse who has spoken candidly of her years as a single mother.

Harriet, a single mum who has also been married and has already met Queen Camilla, enjoys the company of Peter on Sunday

Peter with his daughter Savannah at Badminton Horse Trials with Harriet (right)

She has described how she and her daughter, now 12, survived against the odds as they journeyed ten years with only each other while she juggled parenting with working as a paediatric specialist.

It is understood that she and Phillips, 18th in line to the throne, met only a month ago, but they appeared confident and relaxed in each others company. There was certainly no attempt to hide their affection for one another. Indeed, according to onlookers, they seemed smitten.

On Sunday the couple watched the cross-country event from a sponsors tent before leaving together with Peters daughters Savannah, 13, and Isla, 12. Says a friend: This a romance moving at pace, they are so comfortable together they look like they have known each other for ages.

So, who exactly is 44-year-old Harriet  and why are friends describing Peter as looking for all the world like the cat who got the cream just weeks after they started dating? And could she become the first NHS nurse and single mother to marry into the Royal Family?

The solicitors daughter, lives in Gloucestershire, not far from Peters home on his mothers Gatcombe Park estate. Like Phillips, she too has been married.

A career nurse, in 2010 she was a key member of a medical team which helped to save critically ill baby Phineas Cockerham after he was struck down by a deadly virus that attacked his immune system when he was just three weeks old. She featured in a unique photographic tribute created by Phineass father Michael Cockerham which was published in the Daily Mail. Nurse Sperling was part of the team when Phineas was transferred from Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford, Kent, to the world-famous Evelina Childrens Hospital in central London.

Describing her response, she said: Just 20 minutes after receiving the call to collect Phineas, the retrieval team were on our way in an intensive care ambulance.

Thanks to the world-class care, the boy recovered. As a tribute Mr Cockerham, a cameraman, took photos of every member of the 63-strong team which were published in a book. He became a fundraising ambassador for the hospital.

Peter Phillips poses with ex-wife Autumn Kelly at the Festival of British Eventing to announce their wedding engagement in 2007

In an article for the Christian magazine Woman Alive, Harriet spoke of the struggles, and joys, of her life as a single parent.

She wrote: In the absence of material security, I discovered the strength and life that comes from true selfless love. A love that is able to be solely devoted to your child.

Writing under her maiden name Harriet Sanders, she added: Theres a special kind of love that develops when its just the two of you against the world.

Judging by the smiles on show this weekend, a royal love match may also be developing.
A California dad has blasted his son's school for giving the child a book about a transgender boy - then allegedly forcing him to explain it to kindergartners.

Carlos Encinas' 11-year-old son was assigned to read a book called 'My Shadow is Pink' in his fifth-grade class on May 1 at La Costa Heights Elementary School in Carlsbad north of San Diego.

The book centers around a boy who describes his father's shadow as 'big' and 'blue' and his dilemma with his own shadow, which he feels is pink.

'My heart skips a beat as I put on a dress,' the main character says in the book, while wearing a gown while his shade is a feminine color.

'My Shadow is Pink' was read by Carlos Encinas' son who is in fifth grade

Encinas claims that the school insisted that the book is not about being transgender

'My shadow loves ponies and books and pink toys. Princesses and fairies and things not for boys.'

The book talks about other people's shadows.

'Her shadow, she hides it. Her shadow likes girls.'

After Encina's 11-year-old read the book in his own class, the fifth graders were told they would be sharing the story with their buddy class, a class of kindergartners the fifth graders read to and mentor.

'That's actually where he felt the most uncomfortable,' Encinas said of his son.

'These little kids look up to them. They are with them twice a month.'

Encinas and his wife reached out to the school asking why parents were not notified that their kids would be reading the book and sharing it with even younger kids.

The couple decided to share their son's experience on their own social media to let parents know what was happening.

The Encinas claims that the school principal said the book is about inclusivity

The book also includes a reference to a woman's shadow. 'Her shadow, she hides it. Her shadow likes girls'

The parents said they just wanted future notification of sensitive topics and an option for their kids not to participate.

Carlos' video has been shared by many people, including liberal and conservative activists.

Carlos Encinas, 52, told DailyMail.com he decided to speak out because parents have a right to know what their children are reading in the classroom

The principal of the school called the couple yesterday, they told DailyMail.com.

'I was hoping that they call would be conciliatory or have some sort of a, "Maybe we could do better, you should have been notified." Zero. It was more about her trying to understand how my video was making their teachers feel unsafe.'

Carlos says the principal denied the book was about being transgender and instead said it was about 'identity' and being inclusive.

Additionally, he claims the school told them they would not received future notification on books on the same topics and that their child could not opt out.

While they've gotten plenty of support from many circles, at their elementary school. the Encinas feel that they have been retaliated against for speaking out.

Jenny, Carlos' wife, says she's being attacked by other moms at the school.

'The PTA president organized a 'Pink out the Hate,' as in "We are hateful" and in the support of the book,' she explained.

'It has made my physically sick. My younger son wouldn't go to school. My older son was brave enough to go but he came home feeling like, "Everyone wearing pink is against me.'"

The school district did not immediately respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com.

'We've been called racists. I'm Hispanic,' Carlos said.

'We've been told we're anti-LGBT. We don't hate anyone, we don't want them to feel excluded. We just want to know parents to know what their child is reading in school.'

With the school doubling down on its position not to notify parents about controversial or sensitive topics, the Encinas are considering moving their sons to a private school.
A new owner of Tesla's most expensive Cybertruck model, the $119,990 'CyberBeast,' said he witnessed coolant bleed out of the EV after just 35 miles.

Adding insult to injury, the owner reported that Tesla's customer service first told him 'they don't cover coolant leaks under warranty'  until he made the episode public on X, the social media site owned by Tesla's billionaire CEO, Elon Musk.

The Florida panhandle resident's 'emotional roller coaster' generated a surge of public outcry after the story first emerged on a Cybertruck owners' forum last week.

'The other thing that really frustrates me,' the Florida Cybertruck owner continued, 'is, when I picked it up, [...] the truck was very dirty outside and [had] issues inside.'

A new owner of Tesla's most expensive Cybertruck model, the $119,990 (starting price) 'CyberBeast,' said he witnessed coolant bleed out of the EV after just 35 miles. Above, the owner's photo of the coolant leak, reportedly taken at a charging station in Crestview, Florida

'Charge was 47 percent,' the owner, north Florida real estate agent Jason Jones, explained to the Cybertruck Owners Club forum on the evening of May 8th, shortly after the incident.

'I've never picked up a new car without a full tank of gas,' he added. 'WTF Tesla?'

Jones was further upset with the lack of interpersonal care or consideration during his vehicle pick-up: 'No delivery experience at all,' he wrote the forum. 'They said 'it's over there, let me know if you have any questions.''

But the real troubles began after Jones drove his new 'Foundation series' CyberBeast for its first 35 miles, east from Tesla's designated pick-up site in Pensacola to a supercharging station in Crestview.

'While supercharging, coolant started pouring out of the rear of the truck,' Jones posted to the Musk-owned microblogging site X the next day, May 9th, tagging the tech mogul's X handle and Tesla's official profile in his more public complaint.

Jones complaint on X acquired over 30,000 views, dozens of reposts as attention on the unexplained battery coolant leak grew.

Prior to taking his complaints to the CEO of the company, Jones noted that it had taken 'a few choice words' with the Tesla Service Center in Pensacola to get the staff to offer to send a tow truck and repair the faulty EV. Above, a photo by the owner, Jason Jones, of the eventual tow

Prior to taking his complaints to the CEO of the company, Jones had noted that he to have 'a few choice words' with the Tesla Service Center in Pensacola to finally get staff to offer to send a tow truck and repair the faulty EV.

The incident follows a year of explosive, Pulitzer prize-winning investigations by the news wire Reuters into Musk's companies, including evidence that Tesla secretly and intentionally blamed thousands of customers to cover for known faulty Tesla parts.

According to one Reuters report last December, Tesla documents appeared to show that Tesla-made car parts whose 'flaws' and 'failures' were documented and tracked internally by the firm's engineers were hidden from consumers and safety regulators.

The news wire spoke to one Tesla customer, electronics engineer Shreyansh Jain in Cambridge, England, whose brand-new 2023 Tesla Model Y came to a dangerous and unexplained 'grinding halt' with just 115 miles on the odometer.

Initially a Tesla Service rep had texted Jain to report that 'no evidence of any external damage' was found upon their initial inspection  implying that Tesla's warranty would thus cover the repairs.

But Tesla corporate pivoted about one week later, sending a letter to Jain that effectively blamed him (or someone other than Tesla) for causing 'a prior external influenced damage to the front-right suspension.'

'I was like, 'Bloody hell, how can metal just snap like that when I know for sure the car has not hit anything?'' Jain told Reuters.

Cybertruck owner Jason Jones' case this month in Florida followed a similar protocol, until Jones complaints brought the case to viral prominence.

As Jones updated his followers on X the night of May 9th, 'Tesla went above and beyond to fix my truck today and get it back to me this afternoon. Very happy.'

As Jones updated his followers on X the night of May 9th, 'Tesla went above and beyond to fix my truck today and get it back to me this afternoon. Very happy.' But critics were less pleased with an incident that required viral attention to resolve a basic vehicle issue

'The Tesla Pensacola service center stepped up and did an awesome job,' Jones said. 'They even detailed the truck before I picked it up. It was all covered by warranty. I'm very pleased.'

But some observers in the auto industry press and at the Reddit forum r/RealTesla were more critical, pointing out that even the most basic of Tesla's Cybertruck warranties would have covered his initial 'coolant leak' incident.

The basic Cybertruck warranty covers the vehicle for a limited warranty period of four year or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first.

'"Tesla went above and beyond and I'm very happy," says the owner after getting a coolant leak on a new vehicle that he just drove off the lot and TSLA [Tesla] initially refusing service,' one reddit user, who goes by Beneficial-Fact-79, opined.

'These people are absolute clueless f***ing idiots, and they deserve all the bad treatment they get from Tesla,' the user concluded.
In the Ghostbusters films of the 1980s, protagonists use a fictional backpack called a 'proton pack' to capture pesky ghosts in New York City.

Now, it seems British police has taken inspiration from the classic sci-fi movies to make the ultimate high-tech crime-stopping device.

Officials are working on a backpack that can shoot electromagnetic pulses at e-bikes and electric scooters to stop them in their tracks.

Police officers could use the devices on vehicles ridden by brazen thieves making a quick getaway after snatching people's possessions from their hands.

'It is experimental at the moment but that is the new sort of tech that we need to keep us safer,' explained Gavin Stephens, the chairman of the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC).

Who you gonna call? British police has taken inspiration from the Ghostbusters films to make a crime-stopping backpack. In the Ghostbusters films, the proton pack is a fictional backpack used for capturing ghosts. Pictured, Rick Moranis in Ghostbusters II (1989)

How would the device work? The backpack would work by firing an electromagnetic pulse at an e-bike or electric scooter. An electromagnetic pulse is a quick burst of electromagnetic energy and is capable of short-circuiting a wide range of electronic equipment. The pulse would then 'confuse' the e-bike engine to make it seem like it's overheating, shutting down the engine and bringing the vehicle to a halt. Advertisement

In Ghostbusters, the backpack is a nuclear accelerator which fires a rapid stream of protons out of a hand-held 'wand', according to 'Geektionary' by Gregory Bergman.

But the real-life version used by British police and being developed with the Defence Science and Technology Lab, which is overseen by the Ministry of Defence, would work differently.

Mr Stephens said the 'ginormous' carryall would work by generating an electromagnetic pulse.

This pulse would be fired through a handheld 'particle thrower' towards an assailant getting away on an e-bike or electric scooter.

The pulse would then 'confuse' the e-bike engine to make it seem like it's overheating, shutting down the engine and bringing the vehicle to a halt.

'All these electric motors apparently have an inbuilt safety system that if it thinks it's overheating, it shuts down,' Stephens said at a media briefing on Monday, as quoted by the Guardian.

'Basically, it interferes with the electric motor, to trick the electric motor into thinking it is overheating.'

In the Ghostbusters films, the proton pack is a fictional energy-based capture device, used for controlling and lassoing ghosts. The Ghostbusters backpack is a nuclear accelerator and generates a rapid stream of protons that are fired out of a hand-held 'wand', according to 'Geektionary' by Gregory Bergman

Stephens said the backpack is currently in development and could be months away from being used for the first time.

Any police officer using the device would need a clear line of sight to properly work.

It's unclear what would happen if an officer missed their target and the electromagnetic pulse hit an innocent bystander.

But according to the Guardian, police hope the emitted pulse will be harmless to humans and other vehicles.

MailOnline contacted the NPCC  the national coordination body for law enforcement in the UK  for more information but a spokesperson refused to comment further.

E-bikes are scooters have become the tool of choice for criminals across the country who can whip smartphones out of people's hands and make a quick getaway.

E-bikes and e-scooters are fitted with electric motors to boost pedal power, allowing riders to escape faster and with less effort compared with a conventional bike (file photo)

Last month, footage emerged of a man on what appears to be an e-bike snatching a phone from a woman in Marylebone, near Regent's Park.

The X account @CrimeLdn that uploaded the clip captioned it with the words of warning: 'Keep your head on swivel when in London.'

And last August a brazen thief on an electric bike snatched a woman's phone in broad daylight just metres from the Ritz hotel near Green Park in London.

Dash cam footage showed him rushing through stationary traffic at a red light, mounting the pavement and stealing the gadget from the lone pedestrian.

Figures have shown a mobile phone is reported as stolen in London once every six minutes  so around 240 phones per day.

There were almost 91,000 phones snatched from Londoners in 2022, at an average of 248 a day, with only two per cent of the stolen devices recovered.
READ MORE: What do you need to know as cicadas reemerge across the US

Noisy insect is proving a plentiful food source and is packed with protein

They're swarming the US in their trillions and known for producing an annoying buzz.

But one way Americans have been dealing with the 'apocalyptic' influx of cicadas is by eating them.

The little insects  which are brown at first but darken as they mature  are low in fat, high in protein and taste 'nutty', according to those who have been brave enough to try them.

Restaurants and home cooks alike are using the noisy insects in dishes such as stir fries and salads, wrapped in bacon or just pan fried in spices as a tasty snack.

Bill Broadbent, president of edible insect company Entosense in Maine, said cicadas are 'high in protein' and comparable to beef in terms of nutritional value.

Restaurants and home cooks alike are using the noisy insects in their dishes as they swarm across the US this spring. Pictured, a cicada salad served up at Audubon Insectarium in New Orleans, April 17, 2024

Cicadas are medium-to-large insects known for their stout bodies, clear wings and high-pitched buzzing. Pictured, cicadas in Nashville, Tennessee, May 6, 2024

What are cicadas? Cicadas are medium-to-large insects known for their stout bodies, clear wings and high-pitched buzzing. Scientists divide the over 3,000 cicada species into two groups - annual and periodical. Annual cicadas appear every summer, but the periodical cicadas emerge only once every 13 or 17 years. Shortly after a periodical cicada hatches from its egg, it burrows into the ground, where it spends the first 13 or 17 years of its life. When it emerges from the ground, it lives only four to six more weeks - just long enough to mate, fertilize or lay eggs, and start the cycle all over again. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Advertisement

'They contain healthy fats, are low in calories and carbohydrates, and are a good source of antioxidants,' Broadbent told MailOnline.

'Insect protein is a real animal protein and includes all essential amino acids.'

In New Orleans, Bug Appetit, a restaurant at the city's Audubon Insectarium, is preparing dishes like cicada salad and roasted cicadas.

Zack Lemann, the Insectarium's curator of animal collections, has legal clearance to serve wild-caught cicadas while he works on lining up sources for the bugs.

'Every culture has things that they love to eat and, maybe, things that are taboo or things that people just sort of, wrinkle their nose and frown their brow at,' Lemann said.

'And there's no reason to do that with insects when you look at the nutritional value, their quality on the plate, how they taste, the environmental benefits of harvesting insects instead of dealing with livestock.'

El Rey in Philadelphia has also used cicadas, chopped for salsas and blended into potato soup to add a nutty flavor, while Bar Sotano in Chicago is also planning to add cicadas to the menu.

But it's not just professional chefs that have been using the bugs in their cooking.

According to Smithsonian Magazine, a couple in South Carolina recently hosted a cicada dinner party with the bugs wrapped in bacon, fried in Cajun spices and even made into a praline.

Jim Warner, former program director for food at nutrition at the Ohio State University Medical Center, said home cooks should collect cicadas from wooded areas away from homes.

Would you like a cicada salad? The monstrous little noisemakers have descended on a New Orleans menu

Zach Lemann, curator of animal collections for the Audubon Insectarium, fries cicadas for eating at the insectarium in New Orleans, Wednesday, April 17, 2024

According to an expert, cicadas have 'a nutty flavor' and a nice crunch when sauteed in olive oil with a few seasonings, but they also make a good stir fry

'Steer clear of well-manicured yards due to the potential for lawn chemicals and other contaminants the cicadas may have absorbed,' he said in a blog post.

'Watch them climb up a tree and begin to molt from their outer shell.

'When theyre out of their shell, gently grab the soft bodies, blanch them in boiling water for one minute, then put them into a zip-lock bag and place them in the freezer before preparing them to cook.'

Warner adds that the bugs have 'a nutty flavor' and a nice crunch when sauteed in olive oil with a few seasonings, but they also make a good stir fry.

According to the US Food and Drug Administration, people who are allergic to shellfish should avoid eating cicadas because they have a family relation to shrimp and lobsters.

The two broods of cicadas coming in spring 2024 are expected to live for around one month. Here, periodical cicada is seen in the middle of empty cicadas shells, Arlington, Virginia, May 2021

Cicadas across the Southeast and Midwest will be arriving in the trillions, according to the University of Connecticut

According to the US Food and Drug Administration, people who are allergic to shellfish should avoid eating cicadas because they have a family relation to shrimp and lobsters

However, Dr Wade Syers, a food safety specialist at Michigan State University, warned that foraging for cicada can come with potential health risks.

'There are many different risks that are involved with it and one of the issues that we have is theres not a lot of research into how big those risks are,' Dr Syers told the Times.

'If you just think of the life cycle of insects and where theyre going to be spending their time, we dont know if the ones  from the wild have been contaminated with bacteria.'

Scientists divide the more than 3,000 cicada species into two groups  'annual' and 'periodical', but its the emergence of this latter group that is currently leading to a 'cicada apocalypse'.

Shortly after a periodical cicada hatches from its egg, it burrows into the ground, where it spends the first 13 or 17 years of its life, depending on the species.

When it emerges from the ground, it lives only four to six more weeks  just long enough to mate, fertilize or lay eggs, and start the cycle all over again.

In the US this spring, the emergence of both the 13-year and 17-year varieties is coinciding for the first time since 1803.

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This means more than a trillion of the insects will swarm over 16 US states in May and June  creating a noisy buzz as the male tries to attract a female.

Cicada experts say that the two North American variations of the species can produce an alarming call as loud as 105.9 decibels, or 'as loud as a lawn mower'.

'The dual emergence is a one in two or three lifetime event,' said Dr Gene Kritsky, a professor, entomologist and cicada expert at Mount St. Joseph University.

'This happens 12 times every 221 years, but this is the first time since 1803 that these broods will emerge together.'

In the UK, there's only one native species of cicada  the New Forest cicada  and it's endangered and rarely sighted.
READ MORE: Scientist says he's cracked cause of the 'Pharaoh's curse'

Archaeologists have discovered mysterious structures hidden below the surface near Egypts Great Pyramid that could be an unknown tomb built 4,500 years ago.

The team used ground-penetrating radar on Gizas Western Cemetery, uncovering an L-shaped anomaly that appeared as an entranceway to a chamber below.

The burial ground holds the remains of King Khufu, who commissioned the iconic pyramid, his family members and high-ranking officials, suggesting another elite tomb could be hiding beneath the sands.

The L-shaped structure is up to six feet below the surface and filled with sand, which researchers speculated was intentionally done after it was constructed to block the entrance to the chamber nearly 30 more feet below.

Archaeologists have discovered mysterious structures hidden below the surface near Egypts Great Pyramid that could be an unknown tomb built 4,500 years ago

The structure causing the anomalies could be vertical walls of limestone or shafts leading to a tomb structure, the researchers shared in the study.

However, they noted that a further investigation will be necessary to determine its true identity.

In addition to radar, the team also used a technique called electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) that maps geologic variations.

The structures were discovered in a blank area' with no visible structures and mostly flat ground with compacted sand on the surface.

Using the scanners, the team determined the L-shaped feature is about 32 feet long and about 49 feet wide.

And the second structure measures 32 feet all around, which could be a mix of sand and gravel or even an open void.

Researchers have speculated that the structure could be a mastaba, an underground rectangular tomb with a flat roof typically constructed of limestone or mudbricks.

It has a vertical shaft connected to a subsurface chamber, the study reads.

The structures were discovered in a blank area' with no visible structures and mostly flat ground with compacted sand on the surface

Using the scanners, the team determined the L-shaped feature is about 32 feet long and about 49 feet wide

Most such sites are buried under overburden sand, and it is not easy to locate their exact positions from the surface.

Under such conditions, their positions can be identified by the shallow geophysical exploration methods.

Study first author Motoyuki Sato, a professor in the Center for Northeast Asian Studies at Tohoku University in Japan, told Live Science that he and his team are sure the structures are not natural phenomenon because the 'shape is too sharp.'

The Great Pyramid stands more than 480 feet tall with the length of each side of the base measuring about 755 feet, making it the largest man-made structure on Earth.

The two smaller pyramids were constructed later - one built for Khafre, the fourth of the eight kings of the 4th dynasty, and the other for Menkaure, the fifth king of the 4th dynasty.

Khufu was the second king of the 4th dynasty.

And the ancient Egyptian pyramids are still revealing new secrets.

In March 2023, scientists discovered hidden corridor buried deep inside the Great Pyramid using an endoscopic camera and a technique called cosmic-ray muon radiography.

The burial ground holds the remains of King Khufu, who commissioned the iconic pyramid, his family members and high-ranking officials, suggesting another elite could be hiding beneath the sands

The team mapped the opening, confirming it was 30 feet long and seven feet wide.

It wa below, or on another as yet undiscovered chamber or space, according to Mostafa Waziri, head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities.

Five rooms atop the king's burial chamber in another part of the pyramid are also thought to have been built to redistribute the weight of the massive structure.

It was possible the pharaoh had more than one burial chamber, Waziri added.
Men in medium status jobs are much less satisfied with their lives than blokes in low- or high-status roles, a new study has revealed.

Researchers from SP Jain London School of Management describe these men as the 'miserable middle'.

However, their study did not find a link between occupational status and life satisfaction in women.

'The "miserable middle" is caused by men who are never in high- or low-status jobs,' explained Proefssor Yannis Georgellis, who led the research.

'Equally, individuals who move from low- to middle-status jobs may be frustrated not to move to the top of the career ladder. But men who have always been in low-status roles don't experience this frustration.'

Men in medium status jobs are much less satisfied with their lives than blokes in low- or high-status roles, a new study has revealed (stock image)

In their study, the team set out to understand whether or not there is a link between occupational status and life satisfaction.

They enlisted 13,500 people from across the UK, who were surveyed over 20 years.

Participants were asked to rate their life satisfaction on a scale of one to seven, while their occupational status was measured according to a standard scale.

The results revealed that men in middle status jobs were the unhappiest.

'We found that men stuck in mediocre jobs were the most miserable, and that occupational mobility is key to life satisfaction for those men,' Professor Georgellis said.

Overall, women's life satisfaction was found to be less dependent on their job status. However, this was not the case for more highly educated women (stock image)

The researchers compare this pattern to the 'Silver Medallist' effect.

This describes how people who win Silver medals in sporting competitions are the least happy, as they compare themselves to Gold-medal winners.

In contrast, Bronze medal winners are happier because they can consider the alternative of not getting a medal at all.

Overall, women's life satisfaction was found to be less dependent on their job status.

However, this was not the case for more highly educated women.

'With the sharp rise in women's education, which now exceeds that of men, occupational status looks set to play a much bigger role in the well-being of all workers,' Professor Georgellis added.
Keith Richards left Anita Pallenberg feeling betrayed when he killed off her acting career after she cheated on him with Mick Jagger.

The Rolling Stones guitarist became so possessive he offered Pallenberg money not to act when she became pregnant with their first son Marlon.

Friends told a documentary that Richards resented Pallenberg being away from him - but he left to be with the Stones when Marlon was just three months old.

Speaking from beyond the grave in the film, Pallenberg, who died in 2017, reveals that the situation made her start using heroin again.

She went to a clinic to dry out where she spent a week 'banging my head against the walls' then escaped through a window.

Keith Richards left Anita Pallenberg feeling betrayed when he killed off her acting career after she cheated on him with Mick Jagger

The Rolling Stones guitarist became so possessive he offered Pallenberg money not to act when she became pregnant with their first son Marlon

The documentary Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg features excerpts of Pallenbergs unpublished memoir read by Scarlett Johansson.

Pallenberg confirms for the first time that in 1970 while filming the movie Performance she did have an affair with Mick Jagger despite dating Richards at the time.

In the memoir Pallenberg says that Richards stayed silent, the most unnerving reaction of all.

Months later she became pregnant with Marlon and the film suggests Richards was acting out of jealousy for her fling with Jagger.

Pallenberg had appeared in the cult sci-fi movie Barbarella and had a budding acting career but Richards told her to stop it.

In the film she says: Honestly I was confused. Betrayed. But the rule with the boys (The Stones) was never show emotion. Heroin makes you feel warm, like you belong.

It seemed like a solution. I was on my own with Marlon for months. I stopped breastfeeding and gave him bottles. When Keith came back I was very stoned'.

Another friend of Pallenberg says she was so talented and kept down by Richards jealousy.

Friends told a documentary that Richards resented Pallenberg being away from him - but he left to be with the Stones when Marlon was just three months old

Speaking from beyond the grave in the film, Pallenberg, who died in 2017, reveals that the situation made her start using heroin again

The documentary Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg features excerpts of Pallenbergs unpublished memoir read by Scarlett Johansson

In the film Richards defends his decision to separate his son Marlon and his daughter Angela with Pallenberg after the death of their third child Tara, a boy who died a cot death at 10 weeks.

Marlon came with him to live in the US while Angela went to England to live with Richards mother, Doris.

Richards says: 'I had to take Angela and put her with my mother. It was incredibly sad for us but given the circumstances, it was the only decision'.

According to the documentary, when a friend visited Pallenberg she was out of control and made an animal noise from grief. She had a nervous breakdown soon after.

Angela describes how when she went to say goodbye to her mother, Pallenberg 'was in bed, didn't know I was leaving, didn't say goodbye, she was out of it'.

But life in the US was no paradise and Marlon criticizes his dad for 'fucking off and disappearing for weeks on end' with the band.

When Richards and Pallenberg split, it was because the Stones had to come first.

Marlon says: 'He (Keith) was told to choose the Rolling Stones or choose her because you can't stay with her as you're self-destructing'.
An Australian influencer has raised eyebrows while attempting to hock off an item that is illegal to own without a weapons licence.

Bailey Scarlett, a Melbourne-based internet personality, took to Instagram on Monday and revealed she's getting rid of several items in her home.

She mostly donated piles of clothing, including her children's old clothes, to women's and homeless shelters.

But Bailey, 26, surprised her followers when she listed a black taser she was giving away.

'Also if any girls want, Melb based only,' the OnlyFans creator wrote alongside a photo of the weapon.

Bailey Scarlett, 26, raised eyebrows while attempting to hock off one of her possessions that is illegal to own without a weapons licence

In both New South Wales and Victoria, tasers are classified as prohibited weapons and are not legal for use by civilians.

Possessing or using a taser without proper authorisation and necessary permits can lead to criminal charges and severe penalties.

Police officers in NSW can carry tasers without a special permit.

The Melbourne-based internet personality, took to Instagram on Monday and revealed she's getting rid of several items in her home, mostly clothing and children's toys

Bailey listed a taser she was giving away, saying it 'works a treat'. Tasers are classified as prohibited weapons and are not legal for use by civilians in NSW and Victoria

Bailey is known for her OnlyFans content and boasts 183,000 followers on Instagram, while she only has 9,409 TikTok followers.

She supports herself on the adult subscription site after becoming a single mother at age 20.

In 2021, the young mother was working as an after-hours animal carer in Melbourne when she was terrorised and held at gunpoint by former soldier Tony Wittmann, who was armed with a gun and dressed in military camo gear.

Wittman, a former Army reservist, had booked in to pick up his cat from the shelter the following day, but told a court he couldn't wait and stormed the home to get it.

He ordered Ms Scarlett onto her knees and trussed her up with cable ties after she said she didn't have the keys to access his cat, before he then fled empty-handed.

He cornered Scarlett and ordered her: 'If you do as I say and listen to me, I won't shoot you.'

Police later found weapons including a tomahawk and imitation flash bangs and his military-style vest dumped in nearby bushland. He returned for his cat the next day.

Wittman was jailed for six years for the shocking 2021 incident, but was eligible for parole earlier this year after serving a minimum three years in jail, sparking new fears for Ms Scarlett.
Jessica Biel got the Mother's Day treat most women crave: relaxing time alone.

The 7th Heaven actress, 42, shared a sexy snap of herself laying by a pool in a bikini taken through a window.

'Alone. By a pool. Reflecting on a heavenly Mothers Day,' the mom of sons Silas, 9, and Phineas, 4, with Justin Timberlake, 43, captioned the post.

Her husband of nearly 12 years made sure to get his wishes in, sharing a montage of their family. 'You do it ALL. We love you so much. Happy Mother's Day,' he wrote.

And her relaxing photo resonated with other mothers. One commented: 'This is how it should be for Mother's Day.'

Jessica Biel shares a sizzling poolside bikini snap on Mother's Day, captioned 'Alone. By a pool. Reflecting on a heavenly Mothers Day'

The mom of sons Silas, 9, and Phineas, 4, with Justin Timberlake, 43, got some much-needed solo time. Earlier in the day her husband of nearly 12 years made sure to get his wishes in, sharing a montage of their family. 'You do it ALL. We love you so much. Happy Mother's Day'

Another fan added a description of own Mother's Day treat: 'In bed by myself watching shows. It may only be for two hours but it's glorious.'

Over the weekend, Jessica jetted to Las Vegas for her husband's Forget Tomorrow Tour.

She appeared to be having a good time with friends, even stopping to buy a t-shirt and converse with Timberlake's former N'SYNC band member Lance Bass.

And last week, the devoted mom shared a trip of adorable photos of her sons attending their dad's concert with her.

She shared three snaps of the night, captioning the post: 'It's a family affair, y'all.'

Jessica had the boys turn away from the camera, showing off Silas' tour jacket and Finn's tour hat, which he wore backwards on his head.

In the third snap, Jessica and Justin stand very close to each other just off stage.

Back in late April, Timberlake kicked off his seventh headlining concert tour  The Forget Tomorrow World Tour.

He will be performing a total of 77 shows in cities across North America and Europe before wrapping up in December.

Over the weekend, Jessica jetted to Las Vegas for her husband's Forget Tomorrow Tour

She appeared to be having a good time with friends, even stopping to buy a t-shirt and converse with Timberlake's former N'SYNC band member Lance Bass

And last week, the devoted mom shared a trip of adorable photos of her sons attending their dad's concert with her. She shared three snaps of the night, captioning the post: 'It's a family affair, y'all'

Jessica had the boys turn away from the camera showing off Silas' tour jacket and Finn's tour hat, which he wore backwards on his head

The tour, which is his first in five years, is in support of his sixth studio album, Everything I Thought It Was  which he released on March 15.

Jessica and Justin will be celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary in October, having gone public with their relationship in 2007 and marrying in 2012.

The A-listers started dating after Jessica ended things for the last time with Chris Evans and Justin's relationship with Cameron Diaz came to an end.

They became engaged in 2011 and married in Italy the following year.
Roxy Jacenko's botched house giveaway competition has taken a twist, days after the PR maven announced she had 'lost control' of the venture and was backing out.

The Singapore-based Australian publicist, 44, made headlines last week when she promised to personally refund all 7,000 people who had signed up to her online business course Roxy's Brand Bootcamp.

The promotion, which Jacenko had launched with business partners Youssef Tleis and Kassim Alaouie, included a number of prizes, including a luxury home.

In two video posted to Instagram, an emotional Jacenko said she was stepping down as a director of the Bootcamp business, after the relationship with her business partners had fallen apart.

Jacenko claimed she had felt 'uncomfortable' with the giveaway early on, and now felt 'bullied' by her former co-directors.

Roxy Jacenko's house giveaway nightmare has taken a twist after her business partners Youssef Tleis and Kassim Alaouie accused her of making 'misleading' and 'defamatory' comments about the giveaway

Tleis and Alaouie, who own half a stake in Roxy's Bootcamp company alongside Jacenko, have since hit back at her claims.

In an email sent to Roxy's Bootcamp subscribers over the weekend, the pair slammed Jacenko's account, writing: 'These videos are misleading and paint a completely inaccurate picture of our intentions and actions with regards to Roxy's Bootcamp.'

The duo said they started the Bootcamp business with Jacenko 'in good faith' before their relationship 'deteriorated based mainly on a difference of opinions about how to market the promotion'.

The Singapore-based publicist announced last week she was stepping down as a director of the Bootcamp business, after the relationship with her business partners had fallen apart

'This led Roxy, who I trusted as a business partner, to last month lock me out of the company's [social media and shopping] accounts,' they alleged.

Tleis and Alaouie said they negotiated with Jacenko for 'hours' and 'nearly went to court', before finally agreeing to continue running the business together until the end of the promotion.

However, the relationship soon broke down again, they claimed.

In an email sent to Roxy's Bootcamp subscribers over the weekend, the pair slammed Jacenko's account, writing: 'These videos are misleading and paint a completely inaccurate picture of our intentions and actions with regards to Roxy's Bootcamp'

'Her accusations that we do not intend to give away the prizes or pay the guaranteed $250,000 prize are simply wrong and defamatory, and are extremely concerning to us.

'Just because she wants "out" of this business does not mean that the public should not get the benefit of a prize draw they signed up for,' they wrote.

The pair claimed they had asked Jacenko to hand over access to online accounts associated with the Bootcamp brand, saying they hope they do 'not need to again seek legal recourse'.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Jacenko for comment.

On Friday, Jacenko informed her online followers she was refunding the fee for anyone who entered the giveaway and would be paying the reimbursements from her own bank account

Jacenko's Brand Bootcamp made headlines thanks to its luxury line-up of prizes that were offered for people who signed up to the online program.

Punters who paid for the course, which started at $29, were to be entered in a giveaway to win a $10 million waterfront mansion in Sydney's Cronulla, as well other prizes including $250,000 cash, a Birkin handbag and a Rolex watch.

However, Jacenko informed her online followers on Friday she was refunding the fee for anyone who entered, and would be paying the reimbursements from her own bank account.

'As many of you would know, I launched a promotion on March 8 of this year. That promotion, Roxy's Bootcamp, came about when I was direct-messaged on Instagram by someone who I don't know, who had a great idea,' she began.

'And that idea was for me to run my courses and associate a trade promotion with those courses... Basically, we formed a partnership with myself and two people that I don't know. I spruiked it.'

Jacenko went on to describe the vast media campaign she engaged in to promote the venture, before becoming 'uncomfortable' three days into the process and suggesting at that stage that refunds should be issued.

The promotion included a number of prizes, including a $10 million waterfront home (pictured) in Sydney's Cronulla

The PR queen said she was willing to cough up $150,000 of her own money to make those refunds to customers, but the suggestion was 'rejected' by her business partners.

'So the promotion carried on going and I carried on with my mindset of, "We're going to get this done. We're gonna make three people's lives different by winning three fantastic prizes throughout the course of the last two months,"' she continued.

Jacenko said she was left so 'stressed and distressed' by the process that her weight had dropped to 49 kilos and she had 'fainted twice'.

After what she calls 'repeated negotiations' with her business partners, Jacenko said she 'cannot protect the $250,000' offered for 'the first prize' and had been 'holding hostage' a Rolex and Birkin that were also part of the prize pool, as she did not 'have access to the company bank account.'

Jacenko said she was left so 'stressed and distressed' by the process that her weight had dropped to 49 kilos and she has 'fainted twice'

She went on: 'I have stepped down as a director. I am now only a shareholder. My hands are tied. I am exhausted. I feel bullied. I feel distressed and I'm embarrassed.

'Now, I can't do any more... Sadly, my name is all over this, but what I want you to know is I did my absolute best.

'I can't be in a position where I'm 49 kilos and I certainly cannot be in a position where walking to the door to answer the intercom, I faint.'

She concluded: 'I value each and every one of you... And I want you to know that I did everything humanly possible to ensure that those three prizes were there and available to be given away to each of you.'

She returned to Instagram for a second video on Saturday in which the businesswoman offered to refund everyone who had purchased the course.

'I wanted to do an update for each and every one of you who has purchased a package since the launch of the Roxy's Bootcamp promotion on March 8, 2024, through to today, May 11, 2024,' she said.

'After much thought, I've made a decision and that decision is that I will personally refund each and every one of the 7,000-plus customers who have purchased a package in Roxy's Bootcamp.

'I'm holding my head high, standing my ground and making sure that each and every one of you who have purchased a package are refunded is really important.

The PR professional has faced scrutiny over the competition from the start, after Crikey claimed the chances of winning the home were 'minuscule'

'I want to sleep at night and I want to know that I did what was right, no matter what dispute within a business is going on. The general public should not be a victim of that. Full refunds from me personally will commence occurring from Monday.

'Bear with me, it will take some time as myself and the team in my office will need to collate each and every one of your data.

'There are 7,000-plus of you, and the refunds will come from me, Roxy, personally because the bank account of Roxy's Bootcamp, to which I am not a director of, is not accessible to me'.

Jacenko went on: 'I feel relieved. I feel it's honourable and I feel that ethically it's what needs to be done. I was backed into a corner. My name is all over this. This money can be made again by me. I'm an entrepreneur. It's in my blood.

'So each and every one of you who's purchased from March 8 when this launched to today will receive a full refund and that will come from my bank account because you know what, you guys have supported me since day one, you've backed me. Money can be made again, but you deserve to get back what you deserve.'

According to the terms and conditions, the winner would have to 'select both of the two winning envelopes out of 250 available options in order to win the house'

The PR professional has faced scrutiny over the competition from the start, after Crikey claimed the chances of winning the home were 'minuscule'.

The publication reported that according to the terms and conditions, the winner would have to 'select both of the two winning envelopes out of 250 available options in order to win the house'.

Jacenko told Daily Mail Australia in a statement that she felt the competition presented a good offer to entrants.

'How often can you pay $29, get an online course valued at $299 and go in to play for a chance to win a $10million property, and if you don't win, you can walk away with $250,000 cash  no questions asked?' she said.

Jacenko told Daily Mail Australia in a statement she felt the competition presented a good offer to entrants. 'How often can you pay $29, get an online course valued at $299 and go in to play for a chance to win a $10million property, and if you don't win, you can walk away with $250K cash  no questions asked?' she said

'Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars is a 20 per cent down payment to invest in a property, should you so wish. I ordered a salad with chicken the other day when in Sydney, it was $32 and it gave me indigestion and not much else,' she continued.

'Twenty-nine dollars to get access to an online course, a home or $250,000 cash, a Rolex watch or a Hermes handbag looks far more appetising.'

As for the chances of winning, Jacenko explained, 'Odds of winning the prize game is 1 in 31,125. If we look at odds of winning Powerball in Australia: 1 in 134,490,400.'

The competition's first prize was a three-storey, four-bedroom, five-bathroom Mediterranean-style mansion reportedly valued at $10 million.

'Australia has never seen a giveaway of this magnitude,' Jacenko earlier said.

'It's my turn to change one lucky Australian's life and turn them into multimillionaires, basically overnight.'

Some confusion has additionally arisen over who owns the home, with earlier reports claiming Jacenko purchased it in 2020 for $3.36 million.

However, the Daily Telegraph reported the property is in fact owned by two Bankstown-based businessmen.

'The property is owned by my business partners of Roxy's Brand Bootcamp. A title search will show that,' Jacenko previously told Daily Mail Australia.

Named Zephyr, the home was up for auction in December last year with hopes of earning $10million.

The property, which appeared on the TV series Australia's Best House, reportedly failed to sell and was taken off the market, before it popped up in Jacenko's giveaway.
Poppy Delevingne looked incredible in a black minidress as she attended the Gucci Cruise 2025 fashion show at the Tate Modern in London on Monday evening.

The socialite, 38, seemed in good spirits as she posed at the glamorous star-studded event with Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece and Denmark, 27.

Poppy showed off her sensational figure in a black pinafore dress which she wore over a racy black semi-sheer mesh shirt.

The model put on a leggy display in a pair of stylish burgundy pointed toe heels and carried her belongings in a matching Gucci handbag.

Styling her long blonde tresses in a neat up-do, Poppy posed up a storm as she arrived at the show.

Poppy Delevingne looked incredible in a black minidress as she attended the Gucci Cruise 2025 fashion show at the Tate Modern in London on Monday evening

The socialite, 38, seemed in good spirits as she posed at the glamorous star-studded event with Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece and Denmark, 27

Meanwhile model Maria turned heads in a glittering grey button front jumper which she tucked into a figure hugging black dazzling midi skirt.

She added inches to her frame in a pair of stylish heels as she flashed her gorgeous smile while posing for photos.

Appropriately titled Londra, the collection's unveiling is the first cruise show since Sabato De Sarno's appointment as creative director.

And the brand opted to go full circle by choosing London as its main focus in acknowledgement of founder founder Guccio Gucci, who moved to the city from his native Florence in the late 1800s.

Guests including Kate Moss, her model daughter Lila, fashion conscious pop-star Dua Lipa and the equally stylish Daisy Edgar-Jones were also on hand to celebrate the brand's new collection.

It comes after Poppy turned heads in a bold black lace co-ord as she attended Creed Fragrances Queen of Silk party at Tate Modern, London last month.

The socialite displayed her toned abs in the cropped long sleeved top which she teamed with a matching mini skirt.

She put on a leggy display as she elevated her frame in a pair of metallic pointed toe heels and carried her belongings in a matching handbag.

Styling her long blonde tresses in a neat up do, the model accessorised with a large pair of gold hoop earrings.

Poppy flashed her gorgeous smile as she posed up a storm at the star-studded event.

Poppy showed off her sensational figure in a black pinafore dress which she wore over a racy black semi-sheer mesh shirt

The model put on a leggy display in a pair of stylish burgundy pointed toe heels and carried her belongings in a matching Gucci handbag

Styling her long blonde tresses in a neat up-do, Poppy posed up a storm as she arrived at the show
Samantha Armytage joined her former Sunrise colleagues Natalie Barr and Melissa Doyle at the Carla Zampatti show during Australian Fashion Week on Monday.

Sam, who was co-host alongside David 'Kochie' Koch in 2013 before leaving in 2021, looked stylish in black trousers and a white shirt with black polka dots.

The 47-year-old accessorised her ensemble with black stilettos and a matching bag.

While Samantha and Melissa no longer appear on the show, Natalie remains on the morning program with Matt Shirvington after he took over Koch's duties in 2023.

The Sunrise host, 56, looked chic in a navy purple suit and matching coloured sheer turtleneck.

Samantha Armytage reunited with Sunrise star Natalie Barr and former host Melissa Doyle at the Carla Zampatti show during Australian Fashion Week on Monday

She completed her look with a pair of black heels and carried a large black bag.

Natalie was all smiles as she posed alongside The Morning Show host Kylie Gillies at the event, who looked stylish in a mini black dress with a large white flower.

Meanwhile, Melissa Doyle, who co-hosted the breakfast show from 2002 to 2013, looked elegant in a long black off the shoulder gown.

She held a black clutch and wore a pair of matching coloured heels.

Melissa left her long blonde locks out and wore a natural palette of makeup to the event.

Armytage, who was co-host alongside David 'Kochie' Koch in 2013 before leaving in 2021, looked stylish in black pants and a white printed shirt

She was joined by Barr, who looked chic in a navy purple suit and matching coloured sheer turtleneck. Pictured Natalie Barr and Kylie Gillies

While the trio were all in attendance at the show, they did not appear to pose for a group photo together.

Sam recently made a surprise return to Sunrise to discuss the new season of Farmer Wants A Wife after departing the breakfast show three years ago.

Following her guest appearance, rumours ran rife her replacement Natalie 'wasn't comfortable' with her returning to the program, following years of rumours the pair didn't see eye to eye.

'When Nat found out the week before that she would be coming on, she just copped it on the chin and as Nat does with everything, she decided to be professional,' a TV insider told Woman's Day.

'That said, you could sense from her body language that she was feeling a little bit tense,' the source added.

'Thankfully, Nat and Shirvo [co-host Matt Shirvington] are so tight and Shirvo probably picked up that Nat wasn't 100 per cent comfortable about being on the same set as Sam and he was there to support her.'

Melissa Doyle, who co-hosted the breakfast show from 2002 to 2013, looked elegant in a long black off the shoulder gown

Seven denied the allegations, saying the pair got along just fine and even had a 'lengthy catch-up' following Sam's interview about the reality show.

'A Seven spokesperson refutes any claims of tension between the pair,' the rep said.

'Natalie and Sam had a lengthy catch-up as soon as Nat came off air. They were also offering each other support and kind words in the wake of their colleague Nathan Templeton's passing.'

However, viewers claimed they detected tensions between the former colleagues during the rare appearance.

'She looks SO happy to be there' one user sarcastically wrote of Sam's demeanour on Australian TV forum Media Spy at the time.

It was Sam's first time appearing on Sunrise as part of the publicity tour for FWAW, after she famously snubbed the morning show back in 2022.

She was instead interviewed on The Kyle and Jackie O Show while the farmers sat down with Natalie and Matt.

During the interview, Sam, a real-life farmer's wife who married horse breeder Richard Lavender in late 2020, raved about her life away from the Sunrise studio and her role hosting the matchmaking series.

'It's perfect. This show has been great for me. I'm really enjoying it and meeting these guys. It's fantastic,' she said.

Sam is said to have 'upset' Natalie with a snarky tweet after departing the show in March, 2021.

'Look, I'm out. Nat's wanted the job forever... and she's finally got it. She just needs to get on and enjoy it - and forget about me (even though I'm unforgettable),' she tweeted at the time.

Natalie was reportedly 'gutted' by her predecessor's hurtful tweet months after her 2021 departure, suggesting she was desperate for the top job.

She was not expecting the former anchor to be so 'snarky' after they'd worked together on Seven's breakfast show for years, a source told New Idea at the time.

Following her guest appearance, rumours ran rife her replacement Natalie 'wasn't comfortable' with her returning to the program, following years of rumours the pair didn't see eye to eye

'No one was more shocked and saddened over Sam's comments than Nat,' an insider claimed. 'She is gutted and has no idea why the snarkiness continues, even though Sam has been gone [from Sunrise] for months.'

Meanwhile, Natalie previously revealed she didn't have a close relationship with Sam.

When asked about rumours they weren't close, Natalie told The Australian Women's Weekly the pair 'got along well in the office' but rarely spoke after the cameras stopped rolling because they didn't have much in common.

'The truth is we didn't really see each other outside the office,' Natalie said.

'We had vastly different lives, I guess,' the mother of two added. 'We were in different places. She was hanging with her friends, and I was spending time with my family.

'So, yes, we were in different places.'

Sam offered a very telling response following Natalie's statement during an appearance on The Kyle and Jackie O Show a short time after.

Instead of addressing their frosty relationship directly, she paraphrased Oscar Wilde's famous quote, 'There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.'

Following her guest appearance, rumours ran rife her replacement Natalie 'wasn't comfortable' with her returning to the program, following years of rumours the pair didn't see eye to eye

Radio host Jackie 'O' Henderson broached the subject, saying: '[Natalie] did an interview where she said you guys weren't that close because you didn't have a lot in common and that you wouldn't really talk when the cameras were off.'

After a pause, Sam dodged the question by saying: 'Yeah, well, look, I mean it's better to be talked about than not, isn't it in life?'

She then took a subtle swipe at Natalie for bringing her up in an interview after she'd decided to take a step back from the TV industry.

She said: 'I thought everyone might forget about me when I was having my little sabbatical, but it seems they're not, you know?'

'Look, there's nothing interesting going on there, honestly. I'm just doing my thing, out in the country,' she added.
The Block NZ has been axed as part of a wide-ranging restructure, leaving fans devastated.

The New Zealand edition of the popular home renovation show was postponed in 2023 due to difficult market conditions, but it has now been cancelled 'indefinitely'.

The disappointing move comes as part of a restructure of Warner Bros. Discovery ANZ, which is no longer making fully-funded local shows.

Warner Bros. International Television Production NZ co-managing director Mike Molloy told Daily Mail Australia: 'Were living in very tough times with the cut backs the NZ Local production market as the networks no longer fund local shows.

'This is having a devastating impact on hundreds if not thousands of workers, and a lot will be lost to the industry  which is frustrating and sad as weve built up an amazingly talented resource in this country.

The Block New Zealand has been axed 'indefinitely' as part of a wide-ranging restructure, leaving fans devastated

Four new properties which were under construction for the show are now set to be finished and sold amid the cancellation.

It is believed that the homes were in the final stages of being built on Auckland's North Shore in Brown's Bay after being bought for the 2024 season.

A Warner Bros. Discovery spokesperson told Newshub: 'When we announced our business restructure earlier this year, we indicated that WBD would no longer make fully funded local shows, which includes The Block NZ.

'Existing sponsors had been told that we would contact them if the show was going ahead, and they would have first right of renewal.'

The move comes as part of a restructure of Warner Bros. Discovery ANZ, which is no longer making fully-funded local shows (pictured: hosts Mark Richardson and Shelley Ferguson)

The Block New Zealand last appeared on air in 2022 and saw the winning couple, Chloe Hes and Ben Speedy, make a record-low profit of just NZ$4,000 (AU$3,046) at auction

The Block New Zealand last appeared on air in 2022 and saw the winning team make a record-low profit at auction.

Couple Chloe Hes and Ben Speedy were shocked to discover that months of gruelling effort had earned them a dismal profit of just NZ$4,000 (AU$3,046).

The difficult market conditions led to producers to make the heartbreaking decision to postpone the show, which has now been cancelled.

At the time, Channel Nine quashed rumours that the Australian version of the renovation show was struggling and cited its record ratings as proof of its success.

Despite The Block NZ's struggles, The Block's Aussie edition is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and is gearing up for a very special edition

'The Block was the second most-watched reality series of 2022, and more than 2.6 million Aussies tuned in to see our winners crowned,' a spokesperson told Yahoo.

Despite The Block NZ's struggles, The Block's Aussie edition is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and is gearing up for a very special edition.

The historic season will be located on Phillip Island and is expected to kick off in August, though its release date hasn't yet been confirmed.
Salma Hayek turned heads in a black dress as she arrived at the Gucci Cruise 2025 fashion show in London with husband Francois-Henri Pinault on Monday.

The actress, 57, and the French businessman, 61, who tied the knot in 2009, looked more loved-up than ever as they arrived at the Tate Modern holding hands.

The Grown Ups star looked sensational in the one shoulder dress which cinched her in at the waist with a large draping band.

She added inches to her frame in a pair of towering silver metallic heels and carried her belongings in a matching handbag.

Leaving her long dark tresses loose in waves, Salma applied a flawless palette of makeup complete with a bold red lipstick.

Salma Hayek turned heads in a black dress as she arrived at the Gucci Cruise 2025 fashion show in London with husband Francois-Henri Pinault on Monday

The actress, 57, and the French businessman, 61, who tied the knot in 2009, looked more loved-up than ever as they arrived at the Tate Modern holding hands

She cosied up to her partner of 15 years, who cut a dapper figure in a black suit, as they posed for photos at the star-studded event.

The couple seemed in high spirits as they walked hand-in-hand beaming for photos as they made their way inside for the show.

Appropriately titled Londra, the collection's unveiling is the first cruise show since Sabato De Sarno's appointment as creative director.

And the brand opted to go full circle by choosing London as its main focus in acknowledgement of founder founder Guccio Gucci, who moved to the city from his native Florence in the late 1800s.

Guests including Kate Moss, her model daughter Lila, fashion conscious pop-star Dua Lipa and the equally stylish Daisy Edgar-Jones were also on hand to celebrate the brand's new collection.

It comes after Salma revealed one of the last thoughts she had when she believed she was going to die in a plane crash with her pal Penelope Cruz.

Actress Salma and fellow Hollywood star Penelope, 50, who have been friends for more than 20 years, had a terrifying experience when their plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Mexico.

Penelope already had a fear of flying and the pair realised something had gone wrong when a member of the crew dashed out of the cockpit and put on an oxygen mask.

The Grown Ups star looked sensational in the one shoulder dress which cinched her in at the waist with a large draping band

She added inches to her frame in a pair of towering silver metallic heels and carried her belongings in a matching handbag

Leaving her long dark tresses loose in waves, Salma applied a flawless palette of makeup complete with a bold red lipstick

She cosied up to her partner of 15 years, who cut a dapper figure in a black suit, as they posed for photos at the star-studded event

The couple seemed in high spirits as they walked hand-in-hand beaming for photos as they made their way inside for the show

During an interview for Vogue Arabia, Penelope asked Salma what she had learned from the hair-raising experience.

Salma told her: 'Youve always had a fear of flying and you always give me instructions of what to do if you die in a crash! [Laughs].

'That day we were together on a flight and the plane had an emergency and had to land in the middle of nowhere in Mexico.

'I knew it was going to happen because I saw the flight attendant coming out of the cockpit and grabbing oxygen.

'So, I took your hands and said to you that were going to be OK. There is something wrong with the plane, but I need you to calm down. And I was so proud of you because I could see you struggling to calm yourself down.

'We could do a whole movie about this! And then you said something so beautiful that I will never forget. You said, "I thought maybe we were going to die. But we were going to die together. And we were going to be OK".'
Emily Blunt and John Krasinski were among a number of stars attending the premiere of his upcoming film, IF, at the SVA Theater in New York City on Monday.

The Devil Wears Prada star, 41, and The Office actor, 44, made a glamorous pair as they posed on the red carpet.

Emily looked captivating in a flowing pink gown with billowing sleeves and a delicate floral pattern. The dress dipped low in the front, showcasing a hint of decolletage.

The British actress accessorized with a silver necklace and wore her blonde tresses in light waves. Meanwhile her husband looked handsome as ever in a dark suit paired with white sneakers.

Krasinski wrote and directed the live-action/animated fantasy comedy film, and both him and Emily voiced characters in the feature.

Emily Blunt and John Krasinski were among a number of stars attending the premiere of his upcoming film, IF, at the SVA Theater in New York City on Monday

The Devil Wears Prada star, 41, and The Office actor, 44, who both voice characters in the animated fantasy comedy film, made a glamorous pair as they posed on the red carpet

While on the red carpet Emily and John also posed with the film's mascot Blue, who is voiced in the movie by Steve Carell.

Matt Damon, 53, and his wife Luciana Barroso, 47, were also present at the event.

The Jason Bourne star, who also has a voice role in the film, looked dapper in a black suit.

Meanwhile Luciana, who's been married to the actor since 2005, contrasted him in a sleeveless white dress and chunky peep toe platform heels.

Maestro star Bradley Cooper, 49, wore a casual cool black sweater and matching flared pants.

The entertainer, who's been romancing model Gigi Hadid, 29, sported a trimmed beard.

Actress and comedian Maya Rudolph, 51, stunned in a bright pink long-sleeve gown with a ruffled bottom.

Ryan Reynolds, 47, cut a handsome figure in a yellow varsity jacket paired with a white t-shirt and black pants. Blake Lively's husband completed his look with a pair of black-rimmed eyeglasses.

Krasinski wrote and directed the live-action/animated fantasy comedy film, and both him and Emily voiced characters in the feature

Emily looked captivating in a flowing pink gown with billowing sleeves and a delicate floral pattern

The dress dipped low in the front, showcasing a hint of decolletage

The British actress accessorized with a silver necklace and wore her blonde tresses in light waves

Meanwhile her other half looked handsome as ever in a dark suit paired with white sneakers

Emily and John also posed with the film's mascot Blue, who is voiced in the movie by Steve Carell

The married duo previously collaborated on A Quiet Place and the sequel A Quiet Place Part II

Emily sweetly gave him a hug

The couple were seen arriving to the event

Amy Schumer, 42, opted for a pop of color in a deep red pantsuit, which she teamed with red-rimmed sunglasses

The comedian added height to her frame with pink pointed-toe heels.

Awkwafina, 35, looked lovely in a light pink mini dress paired with a pearl bag.

She finalized the stylish outfit with chunky white platform heels.

Jenni 'J-Woww' Farley, 38, opted for a business chic look in a crisp white blazer and black leggings.

She was joined by daughter Meilani, 9, and son Greyson, seven.

Catharine Daddario, 31, the sister of White Lotus star Alexandra Daddario, turned heads in a stunning structured white gown and strappy heels.

She added a touch of color with a red lipstick on her pout, and wore her brunette tresses in loose curls.

Matt Damon, 53, and his wife Luciana Barroso, 47, were also present at the event

The Jason Bourne star, who also has a voice role in the film, looked dapper in a black suit

Luciana, who's been married to the actor since 2005, contrasted him in a sleeveless white dress and chunky peep toe platform heels

Emily caught up with Matt

Actress and comedian Maya Rudolph, 51, stunned in a bright pink long-sleeve gown with a ruffled bottom

Maestro star Bradley Cooper, 49, wore a casual cool black sweater and matching flared pants

The entertainer, who's been romancing model Gigi Hadid, 29, sported a trimmed beard

Ryan Reynolds, 47, cut a handsome figure in a yellow varsity jacket paired with a white t-shirt and black pants

He stars as Cal in the movie

The actor flashed a bright smile for the cameras

John and Ryan posed for a snap

He also posed with the IF mascot

The event featured a purple theme to match the main animated character

Amy Schumer, 42, opted for a pop of color in a deep red pantsuit

She teamed it with red-rimmed sunglasses

Awkwafina, 35, looked lovely in a light pink mini dress paired with a pearl bag. She finalized the stylish outfit with chunky white platform heels

Catharine Daddario, 31, the sister of White Lotus star Alexandra Daddario, turned heads in a stunning structured white gown

She added a touch of color with a red lipstick on her pout, and wore her brunette tresses in loose curls

Steve Carell, 61, who voices the main IF in the movie, looked sharp in a dark suit

He accessorized with a watch and eyeglasses

He was seen reuniting with John on the red carpet. The duo famously starred in the sitcom The Office together from 2005 until 2013

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star Christopher Meloni, 63, proved to be a sharp dresser in a black and blue three-piece suit

Cailey Fleming, 17, who stars as main character Bea in the movie, wowed in a princess like white gown.

She wore bright pink heels with the dress.

Fiona Shaw, 65, looked elegant as ever in a beige plaid suit with a white button-up shirt underneath.

She finalized the outfit with black heels.

Actress Audrey Hoffman looked adorable in a pink tulle dress.

Alan S. Kim, 12, looked every inch the little gentleman in a plaid grey suit.

Liza Colon-Zayas, 52, thrilled in a blue dress that showed off her toned arms.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star Christopher Meloni, 63, proved to be a sharp dresser in a black and blue three-piece suit.

Jenni 'J-Woww' Farley, 38, opted for a business chic look in a crisp white blazer and black leggings

She was joined by daughter Meilani, 9, and son Greyson, seven

Cailey Fleming, 17, who stars as main character Bea in the movie, wowed in a princess like white gown

She wore bright pink heels with the dress

John and Cailey caught up on the red carpet

They also cozied up to their mascot

Liza Colon-Zayas, 52, thrilled in a blue dress that showed off her toned arms

Fiona Shaw, 65, looked elegant as ever in a beige plaid suit with a white button-up shirt underneath

She chatted it up with Carell

Actress Audrey Hoffman looked adorable in a pink tulle dress

Alan S. Kim, 12, looked every inch the little gentleman in a plaid grey suit

President and CEO of Paramount Pictures Brian Robbins, 60, and chairwoman of Paramount Global Shari Redstone, 70, were also present

Steve Carell, 61, who voices the main IF in the movie, looked sharp in a dark suit.

He was seen reuniting with John on the red carpet.

The duo famously starred in the sitcom The Office together from 2005 until 2013

Bobby Moynihan, 47, was also in attendance.

The actor wore an eggplant toned suit and blue sneakers.

President and CEO of Paramount Pictures Brian Robbins, 60, and chairwoman of Paramount Global Shari Redstone, 70, were also present.

On the heels of his huge success as writer, director and producer of A Quiet Place and the sequel A Quiet Place Part II, Krasinski takes another huge step as a filmmaker with his latest creation, IF, which stands for Imaginary Friends.

The first trailer for the upcoming film that's a mix of both live action and an animated fantasy comedy dropped in December.

Bobby Moynihan, 47, was also in attendance. The actor wore an eggplant toned suit and blue sneakers

He appeared to have a blast at the event

Cailey cuddled up to the mascot

On the heels of his huge success as writer, director and producer of A Quiet Place and the sequel A Quiet Place Part II, Krasinski takes another huge step as a filmmaker with his latest creation, IF, which stands for Imaginary Friends

Steve, John, Cailey and Ryan posed for a photo

The first trailer for the upcoming film that's a mix of both live action and an animated fantasy comedy dropped in December

Meloni was seen snapping a selfie with everyone

The cast posed together

IF follows a young girl who goes through a difficult experience and then begins to see everyone's imaginary friends. The film is scheduled to hit theaters in the U.S, on May 17, 2024

This go around the former star of the hit mockumentary sitcom The Office has enlisted a bevy of A-list stars that begins with Krasinski, himself, along with Reynolds, Fleming, Shaw, Kim, Moynihan and Colon-Zayas, who all serve as part of the live-action cast.

The cast serving as the voice roles are Emily, Matt, Carell, Meloni, Rudolph, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr., Jon Stewart, Sam Rockwell, Sebastian Maniscalco, Richard Jenkins, Awkwafina and Vince Vaughn.

The film 'follows a young girl who goes through a difficult experience and then begins to see everyone's imaginary friends who have been left behind as their real-life friends have grown up,' according to IMDb.

IF, from by Paramount Pictures, is scheduled to hit theaters in the U.S, on May 17, 2024.
A Sydney-based stylist known for their extravagant outfit choices turned heads at Australian Fashion Week on Monday.

Jamie Azzopardi, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, was spotted strutting through Carriageworks in Sydney flanked by an entourage of minders tending to their extravagant gown.

However, not everyone was impressed by the spectacle.

Watching from a distance, former Married At First Sight star Carolina Santos couldn't resist throwing a shade at Azzopardi's elaborate arrival.

The reality TV star took to social media to mock the stylist quipping, 'What the f**K is that? Does Jamie think [they] are at the Met Gala or something? Why are people holding [their] clothes?'

Sydney-based stylist Jamie Azzopardi has turned heads at Australian Fashion Week for all the wrong reasons

Eyewitnesses described Azzopardi's arrival as nothing short of a performance.

Dressed in a detailed gown which featured layers of fine fabric and intricate embellishments, the stylist made sure all eyes were on them.

Azzopardi's 'minders' were seen constantly adjusting every detail of their attire, ensuring that not a single fold was out of place as photographers snapped away.

Azzopardi, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, was spotted strutting through Carriageworks in Sydney flanked by an entourage of minders meticulously tending to their extravagant gown

Watching from a distance, former Married At First Sight star Carolina Santos couldn't resist throwing a shade at Azzopardi's elaborate arrival

Dressed in a detailed gown that featured layers of fine fabric and intricate embellishments, the stylist made sure all eyes were on them

Australian Fashion Week has gone from one of the country's most prestigious events to one flanked by reality stars, wannabes and micro-influencers.

Industry insiders have told Daily Mail Australia that this year's designers are taking caution and want nothing to do with 'fame hungry MAFS stars desperate to be seen at fashion week'.

Australian Fashion Week runs until Friday May 17.
Hip hop superstar Drake may be coming to Adelaide at the end of the year.

The Canadian rapper, 37, is rumoured to be coming to the South Australian capital in November around the same time as the Vailo Adelaide 500 supercar event.

On Tuesday's 104.7 Triple M Breakfast Show, Roo, Ditts & Loz, the hosts shared a tip off about Drake's hotel bookings.

'The hotel rooms are booked he has more rooms than a normal artist,' said Mark 'Roo' Ricciuto.

'I don't know if he is doing the Vailo but he is coming to Adelaide at the same time...it's coinciding at the same time,' he added.

Hip hop superstar Drake (pictured) may be coming to Adelaide at the end of the year. The Canadian rapper, 37, is rumoured to be coming to the South Australian capital in November around the same time as the Vailo Adelaide 500 supercar event

On Tuesday's 104.7 Triple M Breakfast Show, Roo, Ditts & Loz , the hosts shared a tip off about Drake's hotel bookings. 'The hotel rooms are bookedhe has more rooms than a normal artist,' said Mark 'Roo' Ricciuto

'There's a lot of hotel rooms that have been booked so we're pretty sure it's happening,' said Roo's co-anchor, Chris 'Ditts' Dittmar.

While the radio stars didn't dish on the numbers of Drake's entourage, co-host Laura 'Loz' OCallaghan teased that it was sizeable.

'He's got a lot of people coming. If those numbers are accurate, I'm very concerned,' she said.

While the radio stars didn't dish on the numbers of Drake's entourage, co-host Laura 'Loz' OCallaghan teased that it was sizeable. 'He's got a lot of people coming. If those numbers are accurate, I'm very concerned,' she said

It comes as Drake has shared an extremely cryptic post about death amid his ongoing feud with fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar, days after a dramatic shooting took place outside his house.

The Canadian rapper 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.

It comes after Drake (left) 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, Charlie Croker, laying on the floor seemingly deceased, while a voiceover reflected on how people will remember him after he dies.

'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.

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

Drake's post also comes only days after one of his security guards got shot in the arm outside of his mansion (seen)

According to the Toronto Sun, the unnamed guard was lured outside by a car that was blaring loud music shortly after 2am last 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 the Daily Mail 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.
Jackie 'O' Henderson has been called out for taking her daughter Kitty out of school to attend Australian Fashion Week.

The radio host, 49, left her KIIS FM show early on Tuesday to head off to her good pal Pip Edwards' P.E Nation show with her daughter Kitty, 13, who she shares with her ex Lee Henderson.

The mother-daughter duo already attended the first day of AFW at Sydney's Carriageworks on Monday for Carla Zampatti's opening night runway show.

As Jackie left the radio studio early on Tuesday for the second event, her co-host Kyle Sandilands called her out.

He pointed out they frequently promote a government scheme urging parents not to take their children out of school as he commented on Kitty's absence.

Jackie 'O' Henderson has been called out for taking her daughter Kitty out of school to attend Australian Fashion Week

The radio host, 49, left her KIIS FM show early on Tuesday to head off to her good pal Pip Edwards ' P.E Nation show with her daughter Kitty, 13, who she shares with her ex Lee Henderson

The mother-daughter duo already attended the first day of AFW at Sydney's Carriageworks on Monday for Carla Zampatti's opening night runway show (pictured)

The radio shock jock said: 'Why isn't she at school? Aren't we reading ads saying don't take your kids out of school? There's an ad here saying keep your kids at school, we're both reading it!'

Kitty then briefly appeared on the radio to say hello to listeners, while Jackie insisted that attending AFW was great experience for Kitty, who wants to work in fashion.

'Listen, it's great experience for her because she loves fashion and wants to get into that field, don't you?' Jackie shared.

Jackie and Kitty were later seen posing outside Pip Edwards' PE Nation runway show, the first at AFW since the exit of co-founder Claire Greaves.

Jackie and Kitty were later seen posing outside Pip Edwards' PE Nation runway show, the first at AFW since the exit of co-founder Claire Greaves

Jackie showed off her sense of style in a black vest top and baggy trousers, which she styled with pointed black heels

Kitty dressed in sportswear from P.E Nation - a branded black and white hooded jacket, leggings and trainers

Jackie accessorised her stylish ensemble with a chunky silver necklace and toted her essentials in a miniature white bag

Jackie styled her blonde tresses in loose waves over her shoulders and opted for a high-glamour make-up palette

Jackie showed off her sense of style in a black vest top and baggy trousers, which she styled with pointed black heels.

She accessorised her stylish ensemble with a chunky silver necklace and toted her essentials in a miniature white bag.

Kitty dressed in sportswear from P.E Nation - a branded black and white hooded jacket, leggings and trainers.

Elsewhere on Monday, Jackie and Kitty were seen smiling for photographs as they stepped out together for the opening night of AFW.

When Jackie was called out by her co-host Kyle Sandilands for taking Kitty out of school for the show, she insisted it was good experience for her daughter, who wants to work in fashion

On Monday, Jackie and Kitty were seen smiling for photographs as they sat on the front row together (left) for the opening night of AFW

At Tuesday's PE Nation show, Pip Edwards proudly took to the runway as she showed off her fashion designs and greeted the crowds

It marks Pip's first AFW show since her co-founder Claire Greaves stepped down

Models were seen preparing to show off designs from PE Nation backstage ahead of the hotly-anticipated show

Julie Bishop supported P.E Nation in the brand's black leggings, styled with white trainers and a smart black blazer

Singer Connie Mitchell made sure to capture attention in a vibrant blue jumpsuit and metallic silver heeled boots

Model Natalie Roser pulled out all the stops as she sported a white quilted crop top with a feathered neckline, styled with a dramatic skirt

Sammy Robinson kept it casual in a white vest top and washed out denim jeans, adding a pop of colour with a red scarf

Sophia Begg put on an edgy display in a blue sleeveless shirt and grey suit-style shorts, while MAFS alum Janelle Han sported gold sheer shirt and an olive skirt, which she styled with black boots and a brown handbag

Shane Warne's daughter Brooke put on a trendy display in a red leather jacket and grey cargo trousers as she smiled for the cameras

For the occasion, Jackie looked as glamorous as ever in a strapless black sequinned dress which showed off her incredible figure.

She gave herself a few extra inches in a pair of black heels and toted her essentials in a small handbag as she smiled for the cameras.

Kitty looked every inch Jackie's mini-me in a black dress and heels as she held hands with her doting mother at the runway show.

The pair managed to nab front row seats at the esteemed show, with Jackie taking photographs of them in their prime positions.

Jackie was married to photographer Lee from 2003 to 2018, and the couple co-parent their daughter Kitty.
Dame Judi Dench has suggested if people are sensitive enough to need a trigger warning, then they should stay away from the theatre.

The actress, widely considered one of Britains greatest actors, said she was shocked to learn that such pre-show warnings even exist.

Trigger warnings ahead of performances have become increasingly commonplace in recent years, warning audiences of violence, abuse, bereavement, loud noises and even references to smoking.

When asked about her opinion on such alerts, the 89-year-old Bond star told this week's Radio Times: 'My God, it must be a pretty long trigger warning before King Lear or Titus Andronicus.

Dame Judi Dench (pictured) has suggested if people are sensitive enough to need a trigger warning, then they should stay away from the theatre

Judi Dench pictured as M with Daniel Craig as James Bond in Skyfall, in 2012

'I can see why they exist, but if you're that sensitive, don't go to the theatre, because you could be very shocked.

'Where is the surprise of seeing and understanding it in your own way?'

In February, Ralph Fiennes called to end trigger warnings at theatres suggesting that audiences have 'gone too soft'.

The Harry Potter star, 61, said that stage performances should leave audiences 'shocked and disturbed' adding that the element of surprise is 'what makes theatre so exciting'.

He told the BBC: 'I think audiences have. We didn't used to have trigger warnings.

'There are very disturbing scenes in Macbeth, terrible murders and things, but I think the impact of theatre is that you should be shocked and you should be disturbed.

'I don't think you should be prepared for these things and when I was young we never had trigger warnings before a show.'

In February, Ralph Fiennes (pictured) called to end trigger warnings at theatres suggesting that audiences have 'gone too soft'

Sir Ian McKellen (pictured in April) also blasted trigger warnings last year

Read the full interview in this week's Radio Times, on sale now

And last year, Sir Ian McKellen blasted trigger warnings after he ridiculed the signs at his own play, Frank and Percy, at The Other Palace London.

At the time a warning had been placed on the theatre's website saying the show contains strong language, sexual references and discussions of bereavement and cancer.

The 84-year-old said: 'Outside theatres and in the lobbies, including this one, the audience is warned 'there is a loud noise and at one point, there are flashing lights', 'there is reference to smoking', 'there is reference to bereavement'.

'I think it's ludicrous, myself, yes, absolutely. I quite like to be surprised by loud noises and outrageous behaviour on stage.'
Tom Sandoval just shut down rumors that he had allegedly broken up with his girlfriend Victoria Lee Robinson, whom he's described as 'super awesome' and 'one of the sweetest people.'

The 40-year-old Vanderpump Rules star - who boasts 1.5M social media followers - reposted the 31-year-old model's Instastory of the pair posing in a photo booth on Saturday, including a shot of him pretending to bite her bare breast, which he captioned: 'Damn baby...'

The rumor stemmed from Tom and Victoria unfollowing each other on Instagram in the hours after appearing together on last Tuesday's episode of Watch What Happens Live, but they've since refollowed each other.

'I am just curious, for you, after everything Tom has... after Tom's last year, did that deter you from dating him at all?' host Andy Cohen asked Robinson.

'Well, I've never watched the show,' the brunette beauty - who reportedly dated Leonardo DiCaprio in the summer of 2016 - smiled nervously.

Tom Sandoval (L, pictured February 7) just shut down rumors that he had allegedly broken up with his girlfriend Victoria Lee Robinson (R), whom he's described as 'super awesome' and 'one of the sweetest people'

The 40-year-old Vanderpump Rules star reposted the 31-year-old model's Instastory of the pair posing in a photo booth on Saturday, including a shot of him pretending to bite her bare breast, which he captioned: 'Damn baby...'

'I choose to keep it that way.'

When Sandoval performed in his St. Louis hometown on May 4, Victoria came along and met many members of his family and old friends.

The Most Extras frontman has known Robinson 'for a really long time' but they were first pictured together attending the gourmet chain food festival ChainFEST in Los Angeles on December 1.

Tom said of their first real date on January 31 at Schwartz & Sandy's Lounge, which he co-owns with Tom Schwartz: 'It was awesome. It was very adventurous and a little crazy.'

'She is a model, she works a lot and she is very successful. She does well for herself but she is also very humble and really cool. She is just a very sweet, thoughtful person,' Sandoval gushed on the February 7th episode of the Billie and the Kid podcast.

'We seem to be very similar in a lot of ways. We are both spontaneous and adventurous. We push it to the max sometimes but we both like to do things like that.'

This Tuesday, Bravo will begin airing the three-part 11th season Vanderpump Rules reunion in which the Everybody Loves Tom podcaster and his estranged ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix both break down in tears wrapping up their 'Scandoval' drama.

'I just want you away from me. I just want you gone!' the 38-year-old Chicago thespian cried in the teaser.

The rumor stemmed from Tom and Victoria unfollowing each other on Instagram in the hours after appearing together on last Tuesday's episode of Watch What Happens Live, but they've since refollowed each other

Host Andy Cohen (L) asked Robinson: 'I am just curious, for you, after everything Tom has... after Tom's last year, did that deter you from dating him at all?'

The brunette beauty - who reportedly dated Leonardo DiCaprio in the summer of 2016 - smiled nervously and said: 'Well, I've never watched the show. I choose to keep it that way'

When Sandoval performed in his St. Louis hometown on May 4, Victoria came along and met many members of his family and old friends

The Most Extras frontman has known Robinson 'for a really long time' but they were first pictured together attending the gourmet chain food festival ChainFEST in Los Angeles on December 1 (pictured)

Tom said of their first real date on January 31 (pictured) at Schwartz & Sandy's Lounge, which he co-owns with Tom Schwartz: 'It was awesome. It was very adventurous and a little crazy'

Sandoval gushed on the February 7th episode of the Billie and the Kid podcast: 'We seem to be very similar in a lot of ways. We are both spontaneous and adventurous. We push it to the max sometimes but we both like to do things like that'

This Tuesday, Bravo will begin airing the three-part 11th season Vanderpump Rules reunion in which the Everybody Loves Tom podcaster and his estranged ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix (L) both break down in tears wrapping up their 'Scandoval' drama

The 38-year-old Chicago thespian cried in the teaser: 'I just want you away from me. I just want you gone!'

The emotional reunion was taped on March 16 - over a month before Bravo officially announced that the Emmy-nominated reality show would pause production for a full year

In the preview, Lisa Vanderpump (pictured) says 'Sometimes it's okay to walk away' and some speculate Ariana will announce she's quitting The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills spin-off due to the countless, lucrative opportunities she's received since 'Scandoval'

It only took Madix 10 days to move on romantically with personal trainer Daniel Wai (R, pictured April 14) after discovering Tom had a seven-month affair with their castmate Rachel Leviss on March 1, 2023

Sandoval will next bring his Tom Sandoval & The Most Extras' 24-date Season of Love Tour to Louisiana's Southport Hall in Jefferson on Monday night (pictured Sunday)

The Tom Tom Restaurant & Bar junior partner reposted a video of himself surrounded by his mostly female fanbase at his concert in Dallas on Sunday: 'Girls literally by going cray... @tomsandoval1'

The emotional reunion was taped on March 16 - over a month before Bravo officially announced that the Emmy-nominated reality show would pause production for a full year, according to TMZ.

In the preview, Lisa Vanderpump says 'Sometimes it's okay to walk away' and some speculate Ariana will announce she's quitting The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills spin-off due to the countless, lucrative opportunities she's received since 'Scandoval.'

It only took Madix 10 days to move on romantically with personal trainer Daniel Wai after discovering Tom had a seven-month affair with their castmate Rachel Leviss on March 1, 2023.

And while the former DWTS contestant has already moved into a new $1.6M Hollywood Hills home, she still co-owns a $2M 4,500-square-foot five-bedroom Valley Village home with Sandoval.

The Tom Tom Restaurant & Bar junior partner - who reportedly earns $25K/episode - will next bring his Tom Sandoval & The Most Extras' 24-date Season of Love Tour to Louisiana's Southport Hall in Jefferson on Monday night.

Tom reposted a video of himself surrounded by his mostly female fanbase at his concert in Dallas on Sunday: 'Girls literally by going cray... @tomsandoval1.'
As the Melbourne breakfast radio war rages on, a staffer for KIIS FM's The Kyle and Jackie O Show has taken a cheeky pot shot at Fox FM star Brendan Fevola.

'Intern' Pete Deppeler travelled to Melbourne's iconic Flinders Street Station on Tuesday and defaced a bronze statue of Fevola by putting a KIIS FM t-shirt over it.

Pete is all smiles in a photo shared to Instagram in which he posed alongside a statue of the AFL great turned radio star wearing a t-shirt from a rival station.

'I've got 100 shirts so if someone takes it off I will just put another one on! I will be here all day,' Pete told Kyle and Jackie O.

However, Kyle, 52, was not impressed by Pete's cheeky stunt and immediately called him out on the air.

As the Melbourne breakfast radio war rages on, a staffer for KIIS FM's The Kyle and Jackie O Show has taken a cheeky pot shot at Fox FM star Brendan Fevola. 'Intern' Pete Deppeler (pictured) travelled to Melbourne on Tuesday and defaced a bronze statue of Fevola

'What are you trying to achieve? You're a s**t stirrer, stop being so childish,' Sandilands told him.

Jackie, 49, then jumped in and added Kyle made a good point and also called out their senior producer for his immaturity.

It comes after The Fox's breakfast radio show Fifi, Fev and Nick was accused of copying a raft of marketing tactics from its newest rival, The Kyle And Jackie O Show.

However, Kyle Sandilands (pictured) was not impressed by Pete's cheeky stunt and immediately called him out on the air

KIIS FM's The Kyle And Jackie O Show launched in Melbourne on April 29 after topping the Sydney breakfast FM radio for 40 surveys in a row.

The racy radio program is now in direct competition with The Fox's Fifi Box, Brendan Fevola and Nick Cody, whose breakfast radio show has also seen major success in Melbourne since its inception in 2014.

And while Fifi, Fev and Nick previously insisted they aren't concerned about the new competition and are 'focusing on themselves', listeners have noticed how similar their marketing has become to that of Kyle and Jackie O.

KIIS FM's The Kyle and Jackie O Show is now in direct competiton with The Fox's Fifi Box, Brendan Fevola (pictured) and Nick Cody, whose breakfast radio show has also seen major success in Melbourne since its inception in 2014

One similarity is between the prize money that was given away by both shows as part of their respective sound guessing games - On April 26, The Kyle And Jackie O Show revealed their guessing game The Noise will be worth $150,000.

Curiously, on the very same day Fifi, Fev and Nick announced their own Secret Sound guessing game had changed its prize pool from $100,000 to $150,000.

On April 29, The Kyle And Jackie O Show upped their prize pool to $200,000, and on May 11 Fifi, Fev and Nick appeared to try and one-up their rival by announcing the Secret Sound would be worth $300,000 for one day only.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, a radio insider said: 'Everyone welcomes competition but Fox have become the laughing stock of the industry by directly copying every single tactic from KIIS.'
Julie Bishop supported her friend Pip Edwards as she attended her fashion show at Australian Fashion Week on Tuesday.

The former foreign minister, 67, showed off her slender legs in tight leggings from Pip's label P.E Nation as she arrived to the show.

She completed her look with a black shirt and matching coloured blazer.

Julie also wore a pair of comfortable white sneakers and held a matching coloured bag to the event.

She finished her ensemble with pearl earrings and had her blonde hair styled in a bouffant blow wave with short bangs.

Julie Bishop supported her friend Pip Edwards as she attended her fashion show at Australian Fashion Week on Tuesday

The ex deputy leader of the Liberal Party was seated front row at the show alongside Jackie 'O' Henderson.

Julie's appearance at the show comes one day after ruffled feathers with PETA.

She attended day one of Australian Fashion Week on Monday in a $2000 black cocktail dress by Rachel Gilbert with ostrich feather trim on the sleeves.

But the animal rights organisation slammed the 67-year-old over her outfit in a scathing letter.

The former foreign minister, 67, showed off her slender legs in tight leggings from Pip's label P.E Nation as she arrived to the show

The ex deputy leader of the Liberal Party was seated front row at the show alongside Jackie O Henderson

In the note, they told Bishop that 'feathers are every bit as cruel as fur, a fact that led Melbourne Fashion Week to ban the feathers of wild birds from its catwalks.'

'It's great that you champion Australian fashion, but feathers are a faux pas,' PETA added.

They went on to detail PETA's recent investigations into ostrich farms.

'Ostriches don't moult, so their feathers are either ripped out while they're still alive or removed after slaughter,' they stated.

Julie completed her look with a black shirt and matching coloured blazer

PETA then suggested an alternative for Bishop.

'As the ever-lovely Pamela Anderson proved on the Met Gala red carpet, natural pampas grass is a glamorous upgrade to the feathers of cruelly slaughtered birds,' the letter read, referring to the headpiece Anderson wore to the New York fashion event this year.

'We urge you, as a leader and a role model, to showcase only sustainable, cruelty-free brands and look forward to seeing you step out in vegan looks in the future,' the letter concluded.
Kelly Clarkson has finally admitted she used a weight loss drug to slim down after previously insisting her dramatic transformation was the result of 'walking' more and cutting back on carbs.

The Kelly Clarkson Show host, 42, made the confession while interviewing Whoopi Goldberg, 68, on her show on Monday.

The Fort Worth, Texas-born star - who's been at the center of speculation about her rapid weight loss for months - said that doctors prescribed her with a weight loss medication after a blood test.

She insisted she didn't use Ozempic, but did not reveal which drug she used instead.

'Mine is a different one than people assume, but I ended up having to do that too,' the A Moment Like This songstress told the EGOT winner. 'Everybody thinks it's Ozempic, it's not - it's something else.'

Kelly Clarkson, 42, finally came clean about using a weight loss drug on her chat show on Monday

She made the confession while interviewing Whoopi Goldberg, who has also used weight loss medication

Kelly reportedly lost 60 pounds, although she has not revealed the exact amount (pictured left in March 2022 and right in February)

She reportedly lost 60 pounds, according to Extra TV, although Kelly has not revealed the exact amount herself.

The popstar, who shares daughter River Rose, nine, and son Remington Alexander, seven, with ex-husband Brandon Blackstock, 47, said on Monday that her physician insisted she take the medication after repeated efforts to get her on it.

'My doctor chased me for like two years,' she said. 'And I was like, "No, I'm afraid of it. I already have thyroid problems, I was afraid."'

Kelly said the medication she takes is 'something that aids in helping break down the sugar,' as her 'body doesn't do it right.'

The hitmaker, presumably speaking about how she didn't notice that she had progressively gained weight, said that she was taken aback when watching herself on camera at one point and seeing her drastic transformation.

She added: 'Seeing yourself, I didn't see it... all of a sudden, I was like "Who the f*** is that?"'

Meanwhile Whoopi said her own weight loss journey was triggered when a woman who saw her in the 2022 film Till told her she thought she was wearing a 'fat suit,' which she was 'indignant' about.

Kelly reiterated that she had not been paying attention to her weight for some time.

Kelly, who's been at the center of speculation for months about her rapid weight loss, said that doctors prescribed her with a weight loss medication after a blood test

Kelly said that at her heaviest, she weighed 203 pounds standing at 5-foot-3 (pictured left in 2022 and right in 2023)

Goldberg and Clarkson spoke about their respective weight loss journeys on Monday

Whoopi said a woman who saw her in the film Till told her she thought she was wearing a 'fat suit' in the film, which she was 'indignant' about. Pictured at the NYC Till premiere in 2022

'It's a weird thing ... I never saw that, I was never insecure about it - I just did not see that,' Kelly said, adding that at her heaviest, she weighed 203 pounds standing at 5-foot-3.

Kelly said she was not miserable or depressed at the time, even though in hindsight, she felt she looked like she was 'about to die of a heart attack.'

Whoopi led off the appearance acknowledging she has shed pounds, and had noticed Clarkson had as well.

Whoopi, who revealed she reached 300 pounds at her heaviest, said she had lost as much as 'two people' and said she had been taking a 'wonderful shot that works for folks who need some help.'

Kelly told Whoopi: 'You look wonderful, and I hope you feel wonderful.'

Fans went wild after hearing Kelly finally came clean on her weight loss, adding they are 'disappointed but not surprised'.

Many of her fans branded her a 'liar,' because she had previously credited her transformation to a healthy diet and 'walking' more when fans speculated she was using Ozempic.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, fans wrote: 'So she's a liar...'

Fans went wild after hearing Kelly finally came clean on her weight loss, adding they are 'disappointed but not surprised'

'Disappointed, but not surprised.'

In response to a TMZ article, one social media user praised Clarkson's curvy body prior to her dramatic weight loss and also added that they too were 'not surprised' she turned to a weight loss medication to slim down.

Other fans pointed out that throughout her career, Clarkson had never been at such a low weight and tweeted: 'She wasn't this thin on American Idol.'

Another X user joked about keto gummies, a fake endorsement and scam advertisement which caused drama in Clarkson's comments section earlier this year.

'So, she's a liar about the Keto gummies?!'

The admission from Kelly comes less than five months after she told People in January that her weight loss was partially a result of an enhanced focused on simple exercise and a healthy diet.

'Walking in the city is quite the workout,' the entertainer, who relocated her show from Los Angeles to New York City last year, told the magazine.

She told the magazine that she had been eating 'a healthy mix' of food while occasionally splurging.

The singer (seen left in 2022) beamed as she took the stage at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Monday (right)

Clarkson's past musical hits include the singles Since U Been Gone, Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) and My Life Would Suck Without You

'The other night I had a frozen yogurt with my daughter, and it was magical,' she said.

Clarkson told the publication: 'I dropped weight because Ive been listening to my doctor - a couple [of] years I didnt.

'And 90 percent of the time Im really good at it because a protein diet is good for me anyway. Im a Texas girl, so I like meat - sorry, vegetarians in the world!'

In 2017, Kelly admitted to People magazine that she 'never felt the need to be a certain weight.

Kelly also admitted in 2007 that she had been bulimic through part of high school as she thought it would help her lose weight and in turn allow her to get choice parts in school musicals.

But she told Attitude Magazine that when she was 'really skinny' during her post-American Idol rise to fame she 'wanted to kill' herself.

'I was miserable, like, inside and out, for four years of my life. But no one cared, because aesthetically you make sense,' she said, though she clarified that the feeling was partly due to not yet having much control over her career.

'People are always pushing us, but were also pushing ourselves and you dont really know your limits until its too late sometimes,' she admitted.
Amy Schumer went for a monochromatic red look at the premiere of her new movie IF in New York City on Monday.

The comedian, 42, put on an elegant display as she made her arrival wearing a muted red, double-breasted blazer paired with the matching vest and straight-leg trousers.

For the premiere of the star-studded family comedy, which was written and directed by John Krasinski, she donned a fun pair of circular sunglasses.

The Life & Beth actress  who recently admitted she is the breadwinner in her marriage to chef Chris Fischer  styled her long blonde hair in bouncy, soft waves.

She highlighted her features with a glamorous makeup look featuring rosy pink blush and a matching lip.

Amy Schumer, 42, went for a monochromatic red look at the premiere of IF in New York City on Monday

The Trainwreck star went for a elegant look as she posed on the red carpet in a pair of baby pink, slingback kitten heels with a ballerina bow.

She attended the star-studded premiere by herself and did not bring along her husband nor their five-year-old son Gene.

Recently, Schumer made an appearance on the Kelly Corrigan Wonders podcast and spoke about the family roles she and her husband play in their household.

Referring to her husband, she said he juggles many roles as she is the breadwinner in the family.

'You know, he has so many jobs that a mom has, but Mom is still Mom,' she said.

'And I'm sorry, because I really don't mean for that to be reductive to the many great fathers and especially same-sex couples raising kids,' she continued.

'I do think that women are great communicators. And when we look at the condition of the world and whatever, it's just like we don't have the dads organize a birthday party,' she joked.

'But we're having them navigate global [issues]...like women are good communicators. Can we get some women in there?'

The comedian put on an elegant display as she made her arrival wearing a muted red, double-breasted blazer paired with the matching vest and straight-leg trousers

For the premiere of the star-studded family comedy, which was written and directed by John Krasinski, she donned a fun pair of circular sunglasses

She also posed with the IF mascot

On the red carpet, she joined the star-studded cast for a group photo; seen with Awkwafina, Catharine Daddario, Emily Blunt, Liza Colon-Zayas, Bobby Moynihan, Steve Carell, writer/director Krasinski, actors Cailey Fleming, Audrey Hoffman, Alan S. Kim, Fiona Shaw, Maya Rudolph, Matt Damon, Christopher Meloni, Bradley Cooper

At one point, she pulled down her sunglasses for a fun selfie taken by Meloni

She attended the star-studded premiere by herself and did not bring along her husband nor their five-year-old son Gene

The animated and live-action family comedy IF, which stands for Imaginary Friends, comes from the mind of John Krasinski and was previewed in a fun trailer released in December 2023.

The movie is about a girl who can see lost imaginary friends and sets out to reunite them with their grown-ups.

IF features married couple Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively as voice stars.

For the movie, Krasinski also reached out to many of his former co-stars to voice act in the movie, including The Office's Steve Carrell, A Quiet Place's Emily Blunt  who is also his wife of over a decade  and Promised Land's Matt Damon.

Krasinski also lined up George Clooney, Bradley Cooper, Jon Stewart, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Christopher Meloni and Richard Jenkins among many others for his directorial project.

IF, or Imaginary Friends, from by Paramount Pictures is scheduled to premiere in theaters in the United States later this week on May 17.
Married At First Sight stars Lauren Dunn and Sara Mesa set temperatures soaring on Tuesday when they attended Australian Fashion Week in Sydney in very racy outfits.

Lauren, 32, and Sara, 30, put on an eye-popping display in skin-baring bustiers and revealing skirts as they posed up a storm at the luxury brand Beare Park's show.

The reality TV stars strutted their stuff in barely there outfits which would not have looked out of place at a nightclub.

Dunn donned an unbuttoned pink blazer paired with a matching bra top and miniskirt.

Her very revealing outfit showcased plenty of cleavage as she rocked her best angles for the camera, leaving very little to the imagination.

Married At First Sight stars Lauren Dunn (left) and Sara Mesa (right) set temperatures soaring on Tuesday when they attended Australian Fashion Week in Sydney in very racy outfits

The PR maven completed her outfit with fiery red heels and a radiant layer of makeup and smoky eyeshadow which highlighted her striking facial features.

The bombshell wore her luscious brunette locks tied in a bun with loose tresses framing her face, and looked to be having the time of her life posing with her bestie Sara.

Meanwhile, Sara appeared likewise underdressed in a skimpy denim bralette paired with a matching skirt featuring a thigh-high split.

Lauren, 32, and Sara, 30, put on an eye-popping display in skin-baring bustiers and revealing skirts as they posed up a storm at the luxury brand Beare Park's show

The reality TV stars strutted their stuff in barely there outfits which would not have looked out of place at a nightclub

Dunn donned an unbuttoned pink blazer paired with a matching bra top and miniskirt

Her very revealing outfit showcased plenty of cleavage as she rocked her best angles for the camera, leaving very little to the imagination

The nutritionist completed her outfit with black knee high boots and accessorised with a matching designer handbag and sunglasses perched on the top of her head.

The beauty's jet-black her was elegantly coiffed and hung freely around her shoulders and she complemented her natural beauty with a light layer of makeup.

She added a much-needed touch of glamour to her look with an array of gold and silver bracelets and a diamond necklace.

The reality star BFFs looked to be having the time of their lives together at the exclusive event and happily posed up for the cameras.

Meanwhile, Sara appeared likewise underdressed in a skimpy denim bralette paired with a matching skirt featuring a thigh-high split

The nutritionist completed her outfit with black knee high boots and accessorised with a matching designer handbag and sunglasses perched on the top of her head

The beauty's jet-black her was elegantly coiffed and hung freely around her shoulders and she complemented her natural beauty with a light layer of makeup

She added a much-needed touch of glamour to her look with an array of gold and silver bracelets and a diamond necklace

Just a handful of brides from this year's season of Married At First Sight have been invited to this year's event

Previous years saw a deluge of fame-hungry participants flock to Sydney's Carriageworks venue

Just a handful of brides from this year's season of Married At First Sight have been invited to this year's event, after previous years saw a deluge of fame-hungry participants flock to Sydney's Carriageworks venue.

Eden Harper, Lauren Dunn and Sara Mesa are among the lucky few invited.

Jade Pywell, Madeline Maxwell and groom Tristan Black are also confirmed to attend several shows and after parties.

These VIPs will be rubbing shoulders with Australia's fashion elite, who get to sit in the first two rows at all the runway presentations.

Industry stories have told Daily Mail this year designers are taking caution and want nothing to do with 'fame hungry MAFS stars desperate to be seen at fashion week.'

'You won't see the likes of Tori and Jack front row at any of our shows,' said one source.
Madeline Holtznagel turned heads on Tuesday as she flaunted her abs in a revealing long-sleeve boob tube at Australian Fashion Week in Sydney.

The model, 27, who is dating the 51-year-old billionaire bar tsar Justin Hemmes, paired the crop top with beige cargo pants and an oversized jacket.

Forgoing flashy designer accessories, she opted for simple necklace and matching earrings, as well as a black handbag tucked under her arm.

She lent a pop of colour to her ensemble by wearing bright red nail polish and enhanced her genetically-blessed features with minimal makeup.

Madeline did little to style her blonde tresses and instead let them tumble around her shoulders in a natural wave.

Madeline Holtznagel turned heads on Tuesday as she flaunted her abs in a revealing long-sleeve boob tube at Australian Fashion Week in Sydney

The outing comes after Madeline was spotted dining out with UK pop star Rita Ora and her New Zealand director husband Taika Waititi late last month.

She joined the couple and Booby Tape co-founder Bianca Roccisano with other friends at her partner Justin's latest Sydney dining hotspot Good Luck.

The model, 27, who is dating the 51-year-old billionaire bar tsar Justin Hemmes , paired the crop top with beige cargo pants and an oversized jacket

Forgoing flashy designer accessories, she opted for simple necklace and matching earrings, as well as a black handbag tucked under her arm

Madeline and Justin quietly began seeing each other in 2019, a year after his debut on the Financial Review Rich List with an estimated net worth of $951million.

The Totti's founder opened his latest venture, Good Luck Restaurant Lounge, in Sydney's CBD, offering a fusion of Italian and Japanese food.

Last June, Madeline teased her Instagram followers by wearing a ring on her wedding finger.

She lent a pop of colour to her ensemble by wearing bright red nail polish and enhanced her genetically-blessed features with minimal makeup

Madeline and Justin quietly began seeing each other in 2019, a year after his debut on the Financial Review Rich List with an estimated net worth of $951million

A picture showed her sporting the jewellery as she cuddled up to Justin as they enjoyed a bowl of Udon noodles together at a restaurant in Japan.

But the bling appeared to be a turquoise dress ring, and another photograph showed her wearing a different ring on the same finger as she posed for a selfie.

Late last year, Madeleine celebrated her 27th birthday party with a lavish bash at Justin's sprawling Vaucluse estate.

Justin shares daughters Alexa, six, and Saachi, five, with his model ex Kate Fowler.
He's better known as a Wildlife Warrior.

But Robert Irwin showed off his musical skills last weekend when he hit a Las Vegas stage to perform with country music star Lee Kernaghan at the Steve Irwin Gala.

The 20-year-old wore a suit as he performed a rendition of the Australian hitmaker's tune Outback Club.

Taking to Instagram, Robert shared a gallery of photos of the event.

In one photo, the famed conservationist can be seen strumming an acoustic guitar with great intensity.

Wildlife Warrior Robert Irwin, 20, (pictured) showed off his musical skills last weekend when he hit a Las Vegas stage to perform with country music star Lee Kernaghan during the Steve Irwin Gala

Other pictures show off the I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! host singing alongside Kernaghan and the country star's wife Robby.

The Kernaghans' were guest performers for the fundraiser event, which was held at the Bellgio Casino on Saturday, in a tribute to Robert's late father Steve Irwin.

Also in attendance were Robert's sister Bindi Irwin, 25 and his mother Terri Irwin, 59.

Robert wore a suit as he performed a rendition of the Australian hitmaker's tune Outback Club

'It was an honour to play onstage alongside the incredible Lee Kernaghan and Robby Kernaghan and their phenomenal band here in Las Vegas,' Robert posted.

'You nailed it Robert,' Robby Kernaghan replied in a comment.

'Way to go Robert! Such a fantastic night!' Terri added.

Pictures show off the I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! host singing alongside Kernaghan and the country star's wife Robby

TV producer Rove McManus also sent his praise by posting a 'horns of rock' salute emoji.

The exclusive event, which is held in Brisbane and Las Vegas, featured a khaki deck' ballroom, a live auction and 'roving animals'.

Dress code was 'black tie with a 'touch of khaki' and guests were treated to three-course meal.

Rove McManus, Terri and Robby Kernaghan praised Robert in the comments section

Pictured: Lee Kernaghan, Robert Irwin and Robby Kernaghan at the Steve Irwin Gala

According to the Irwins website the money raised will help fun Steve Irwin's 'conservation work worldwide'.

Steve was killed when he was barbed by a stingray on September 4, 2006, at Batt Reef near Port Douglas in far north Queensland, with the news sending shockwaves across Australia and around the world.

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.

'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.'
Farmer Wants A Wife's Karli Hinkley has reportedly found love outside the show, despite her on-screen affections for Farmer Bert Harris.

On Monday, reports surfaced claiming pineapple farmer Bert, 30, is set to leave the show without picking his final woman, breaking the hearts of his top three ladies Karli, Caitlin Crank, and Brooke McCallum.

However on Tuesday, Yahoo Lifestyle reported that Karli, 32, has already moved on from the drama and is currently dating another man in secret.

A source close to Karli told the publication the Geelong-based beauty has been forced to hide her relationship from the public due to her contract with the Channel Seven show.

'The show wrapped in December last year and Karli was actually done with filming in November. She has had plenty of time to put the show behind her,' they said.

Farmer Wants A Wife's Karli Hinkley (right) has reportedly found love outside the show, following the impending walkout of Farmer Bert Harris, 30, (left)

'The final edit has been quite cringeworthy at times but with her heart and mind elsewhere Karli has been happy to laugh it off and play along with Channel Seven.'

Meanwhile, insiders have claimed Bert will be 'the next farmer to leave', following in the footsteps of Farmer Dean who was successfully paired up with Teegan.

Bert is said to have felt increasingly manipulated by production tactics, particularly from two male producers who were fresh off the set of FBoy Island and were pushing for heightened drama.

A source close to Karli told the publication that the Geelong-based beauty has been forced to hide her relationship from the public due to her contract with the Channel Seven show

Meanwhile, insiders have claimed Bert will be 'the next farmer to leave', following in the footsteps of Farmer Dean who was successfully paired up with Teegan

'Farmer Bert was really sweet and it was sad to see him being treated like a prop,' a source told Yahoo Lifestyle on Monday.

Bert is now said to be secretly seeing Lauren McNeil, a contestant who chose to exit the competition due to intensifying pressures.

According to the report, Seven will explain that Bert's forthcoming exit is due to his 'inability to give the show his full attention'.

The departure narrative scripted for Bert is directly at odds with his clash with producers over the show's authenticity.

Lauren, who left the show two weeks prior, was reportedly a significant factor in Bert's decision to leave, with sources suggesting he was coerced into letting her go - a decision he regretted.

The couple are expected to reveal their relationship publicly after the show's season concludes in late May.
Skye Wheatley had to rush off from her guest gig as a quizmaster on Channel Ten's Have You Been Paying Attention? for a surprising reason.

The glamorous influencer, 30, appeared alongside host Tom Gleisner on Monday night to read out a series of tricky questions to the celebrity panelists.

Wheatley looked absolutely radiant in a figure-hugging tan frock as she effortlessly assumed co-hosting duties - but then surprised the panel by leaving after just a few minutes.

'After the break, you're not here?' a shocked Sam Pang, 50, asked Skye and she responded: 'I know, I have to get out of here!'

She was then seen running off set, forcing Gleisner to resume quizmaster duties alone.

Skye Wheatley (left) had to rush off from her guest gig as a quizmaster on Have You Been Paying Attention? on Monday night: Pictured: Skye and host Tom Gleisner

The glamorous influencer, 30, appeared alongside to read out a series of tricky questions to celebrity panelists

The HYBPA official page took to TikTok on Tuesday to explain the reasoning behind Skye's sudden disappearance.

They wrote some informative words alongside a clip of her exiting the set: 'Skye's in a two-hour car park.'

It comes after I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Australia came to a thrilling finish last month, as Skye Wheatley walked away as 'Queen of the Jungle'.

But the $100,000 for her charity Bully Zero wasn't the only prize she gained from the experience.

The social media star also boosted her online profile, gaining a massive 42,000 followers since appearing on the show.

The Instagram account Keeping Up with Aussie Influencers, shared a before and after of Skye's follower count, showing the impact of her appearance on the show.

The HYBPA official page took to TikTok on Tuesday to explain the reasoning behind Skye's sudden disappearance. They wrote some informative words alongside a clip of her exiting the set

'How many IG followers Skye Wheatley had on the day she announced she was going on I'm A Celeb versus how many she has this afternoon,' they posted on their stories.

The picture revealed that on the 25th of March this year, Skye had 618,000 followers, while this week her following had grown to 660,000.

In the finale of the show, it came down to the final two, with Skye going up against Irish television presenter Tristan MacManus.

But after a public vote, the social media star walked away with the win.
Paris Hilton's new video showing her kids in their car seats in her new mom van sparked a discussion about child safety among fans.

The socialite, 43, took to TikTok on Monday and posted a clip of her infant daughter London, six months old, and son Phoenix, one, buckled into their car seats.

'Taking the #CutesieCrew to #MothersDay brunch in my new #SlivingMom van,' Hilton  who was recently seen running errands with Phoenix  captioned the video.

But fans quickly flooded the comments with concerns about how the car seats were installed, noting that the infant and toddler were sitting in forward-facing seats.

In fact, Phoenix was sat in a Donna - a stroller/car seat hybrid - which is 'intended for rearward facing only,' according to the brand's website.

'Please hire someone to install car seats,' one fan wrote while another added, 'Crazy unsafe. This is wild.'

DailyMail.com has reached out to Hilton's representative for comment.

Paris Hilton's new video showing her kids in their car seats in her new mom van sparked a discussion about child safety among fans; She is seen in February in Los Angeles

The socialite, 43, took to TikTok on Monday and posted a clip of her infant daughter London, six months, and son Phoenix, one, buckled into their car seats

The brief clip showed Paris filming her two kids, who sat in the front-facing car seats, as she told them, 'Happy Mother's Day.'

The car was parked at the time she took the video.

California highway patrol stipulates that Children under 2 years of age shall ride in a rear-facing car seat unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds OR is 40 or more inches tall.

The comments under the video continued, with another person writing, 'It's safest to have your babies rear facing until they are 4 or over 40lbs.'

'I'd definitely recommend having a car seat specialist take a peek, there are a few things wrong here, just want to look out for babies safety!'

'THE CAR SEATS OMG NOOOOOO,' someone else added.

'They should be rear facing,' yet another comment repeated.

'Babe Momma to momma let me come help you with those straps. I took a course and everything. Lets keep these babies safe as can be,' another commentator offered.

'Taking the #CutesieCrew to #MothersDay brunch in my new #SlivingMom van,' Hilton captioned the video

But fans quickly flooded the comments with concerns about how the car seats were installed, noting that the infant and toddler were sitting in forward-facing seats

One wrote, 'Crazy unsafe. This is wild'

The comments continued, with another person writing, 'It's safest to have your babies rear facing until they are 4 or over 40lbs'

'Please hire someone to install car seats,' another person chimed in

Other people tried to sprinkle in some positivity while still giving advice: 'I think their car seats need to be reverse facing. You're doing amazing though!'

In the video the star also showed off the sky-themed roof of her car.

It comes after Paris revealed she wore a prosthetic baby bump while her surrogate was pregnant in order to know what it 'felt like to be pregnant.'

She shared about her motherhood journey through the two pregnancies in an extra chapter of her memoir, Paris: The Memoir, which was shared with Today.

'I wanted to know what it felt like to be pregnant, so I bought a prosthetic stomach and wore it around the house for the day. I know that sounds crazy, but I wanted it to feel real  even in just this small way,' she wrote.

'Feeling that weight on the front of me, running my hands over it, envisioning a whole life in front of us,' the star added.

'It didn't matter that no one else could see that I was expecting. My emotional baby bump was real, it was precious, and I was so completely happy to know it was exactly where it needed to be, growing warmer and bigger every day.'

Last month Paris shared the adorable first snaps of her baby daughter London.

The hotel heiress, who welcomed London via surrogate in November, posed up with husband Carter Reum, 43, and Phoenix in the first snaps taken by CamraFace.

She penned: 'Introducing London Marilyn Hilton-Reum, Ive dreamed of having a daughter named London for as long as I can remember. Im so grateful she is hereI truly cherish every moment I spend with her.

It comes after Paris revealed she wore a prosthetic baby bump while her surrogate was pregnant in order to know what it 'felt like to be pregnant'

Last month Paris shared the adorable first snaps of London. The star, who welcomed London via surrogate in November, posed up with husband Carter Reum, 43, and Phoenix

The entrepreneur began dating Reum in 2019. The DJ and the businessman became engaged in February of 2021, and they tied the knot that November; seen in 2023

'Together with Phoenix, my angel babies have shown me a love that I never even knew could run so deep before I became their mother.

She told People: 'With Mother's Day around the corner, I couldn't resist introducing the world to my baby girl London and sharing these precious moments of our family together.

'Phoenix and London are everything to me, and I feel like the luckiest woman in the world to be married to the love of my life and have our beautiful family. We make the absolute best team, and my life finally feels complete.'

The entrepreneur began dating Reum in 2019.

The DJ and the businessman became engaged in February of 2021, and they tied the knot that November.
Tammy Hembrow and fiance Matt Zukowski well and truly dispelled recent split rumours on Tuesday as they arrived hand-in-hand at Sydney Airport.

The pair, who got engaged in December after just three months of dating, looked every inch the twinning couple as they both donned very sleek monochrome looks.

Fitness influencer Tammy, 30, was chic for her flight in very modest satin skirt paired with a high-cut grey sweater.

She accessorised the demure ensemble with pastel pink block heels and a matching handbag as she clutched her lover's hand.

Her short blonde locks blew in the wind once they stepped outside and the business owner looked ready for a night out on the town with her very bronzed makeup look and nude lip.

Tammy Hembrow and fiance Matt Zukowski well and truly dispelled recent split rumours on Tuesday as they arrived hand-in-hand at Sydney Airport

Meanwhile, her Love Island Australia partner Matt, 28, was dapper in a casual white button-up and black trousers.

Carrying a plastic bag in hand and a black bum bag over his shoulder, the former reality television star finished his low-key look with some white sneakers.

The sighting comes after weeks of reports there was trouble in paradise between Tammy and Matt.

The pair, who got engaged in December after just three months of dating, looked every inch the twinning couple as they both donned very sleek monochrome looks

Followers recently pointed out the pair had not featured in each other's posts for some time, while others noted they stopped following each other on Instagram.

It wasn't long before the couple quickly re-followed each other before jetting off to enjoy a luxe getaway to Byron Bay.

Just a few weeks ago, Matt went so far as to have his fiancee's name tattooed on his hip alongside a love heart in a very permanent show of dedication.

Fitness influencer Tammy, 30, was chic for her flight in very modest satin skirt paired with a high-cut grey sweater

He showed off the new tattoo in an Instagram post late last month, which showed him relaxing at the Bali resort where the pair were on a holiday.

'Little bit of this and a little bit of that,' he captioned the image, which depicted the ink on his hip bone.

It matches a 'Matt' tattoo, also alongside a heart, which Tammy has in a similar place on her upper thigh.

It's the second matching tattoo the pair have gotten together after they each got love hearts inked on their forearms.
Dave Grohl paid tribute to the late Steve Albini at a recent concert with a performance of My Hero.

The 55-year-old rocker during a Foo Fighters concert on Thursday in Charlotte, North Carolina, addressed the audience before performing the 1998 classic.

'Tonight, I'd like to dedicate this song to a friend that we lost the other day, who I've known for a long, long time. And he left us much too soon,' Grohl said in a fan video posted on YouTube.

'He's touched all of your lives, I'm sure. Talking about Steve Albini. For those of you who know, you know. For those of you who don't know, just remember that name: Steve Albini. So let's sing this one for him,' Grohl added.

Albini died on May 7 at age 61 of a heart attack in Chicago.

Dave Grohl, shown in March in New York City, paid tribute to the late Steve Albini at a recent concert with a performance of My Hero

The Chicago-based sound engineer recorded Nirvana's third and final album In Utero that was released in 1993.

Grohl was the drummer for Nirvana, which also included bass player Krist Novoselic and late frontman Kurt Cobain.

Albini and Grohl reunited for the premiere episode of Grohl's 2014 HBO mini-docuseries Sonic Highways. The Foo Fighters in the series recorded their song Something From Nothing at Albini's Electric Audio Recordings studio in Chicago.

In Utero reached number one on the US Billboard 200 and UK Albums Chart.

Albini as a sound engineer also collaborated with the Pixies, the Breeders, PJ Harvey and other artists.

He also founded the punk band Big Black and formed the Chicago-based trio Shellac in 1992.

Shellac was about to release a new album and was preparing to tour at the time of Albini's death.

Despite his success in the recording studio, Albini's later career was also marked by his outspoken criticism of the music industry.

Steve Albini, shown performing with Shellac in June 2022, died on May 7 at age 61

Grohl, shown performing last month in New Orleans, was the drummer for Nirvana when Albini recorded their third album In Utero

Albini is shown in 2014 at his recording studio in Chicago

He notably took aim at predatory practices from music executives, arguing that young bands are often lured into exploitative deals early in their careers.

Albini was known for his preference to the term 'music engineer' over producer, and left his mark on iconic music from the grunge era - including recording Nirvana's album 'In Utero.'

Those that worked with him said he was not afraid to show his distaste at the music he was producing, and he famously described the Pixies in 1988 as 'four cows more anxious to be led around by their nose rings.'

Born in California, Albini grew up in Missoula, Montana with a 'normal' childhood - that he said all changed when a friend introduced him to The Ramones as a teenager.

'It was the first time I felt like there was any part of culture that represented the irreverence and goofiness and kind of mania that my friends and I were displaying,' he recalled to The Guardian.
The future of Richard Gadd's Baby Reindeer has been 'confirmed' after fans begged for a second series.

The series launched on Netflix with little fanfare, but has exploded on the streamer, amassing nearly 54M views since debuting on April 11.

But sources have now told The Sun there are 'no plans' for a follow up series, despite the huge demand for it.

A source explained: 'There are no plans to bring Baby Reindeer back for more, or for Richard to address Fiona's interview in any follow up.

'He's shared his story and there's nothing more to add to what was included in the series already.

The future of Richard Gadd's Baby Reindeer has been 'confirmed' after fans begged for a second series

The series launched on Netflix with little fanfare, but has exploded on the streamer, amassing nearly 54M views since debuting on April 11

'Richard is busy working on new projects - this time not based on his own life.'

It comes after Richard revealed the one topic he refuses to speak about ever again regarding the hit Netflix series.

The 35-year-old actor recently opened about the success of his critically acclaimed limited series, which he wrote and starred in about his own real-life, traumatic experiences.

He explained that the real-life identities of his characters in his critically acclaimed limited series is something he does not want to talk about again.

'I don't think I'll ever comment on it ever again,' he said during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

The actor previously asked people to stop speculating on the real-life identities of the characters from his show.

'I can't confirm or deny anything relating to the real life people who the characters are based on in the show,' he said when asked about people claiming to be the stalker.

Shortly after his interview, his alleged stalker, Fiona Harvey, who claimed to be the real-life Martha, revealed her identity on Piers Morgan Uncensored.

After his show was released, he said he had been contacted by many people about the show.

Richard explained that the real-life identities of his characters in his critically acclaimed limited series is something he does not want to talk about again. 'I don't think I'll ever comment on it ever again,' he said during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter

The actor previously asked people to stop speculating on the real-life identities of the characters from his show

Now, he intends to ignore the frenzy of fans trying to identify the people the characters are based on.

'I know for every single part, there's been about five or six people who have been sort of named as each part, even all the way down to the pub manager,' he continued.

'The Internet's always going to do its thing,' he added. 'I can't really comment on that.'

He said that most of the people going public are making false claims saying they are the people the story is based on.

'There was a video the other day of someone had sent me of someone claiming to be Teri,' he recalled. 'I'd never met them before in my life.

'The internet just does this thing and I just have to let it do its thing. And that's that.'

He continued, adding that he does not agree with 'sleuthing' and wants the show to remain a fictional 'piece of art.'

'How do you respond to stuff like that? I don't agree with the sleuth thing,' he said.

'I've put out a statement publicly saying I want the show to be received as a piece of art, and I want the show to people to enjoy as a piece of art.'

He said that most of the people going public are making false claims saying they are the people the story is based on. He added that he does not agree with 'sleuthing' and wants the show to remain a fictional 'piece of art'

He emphasized that Baby Reindeer 'exists in a fictional realm,' adding he would've made the show into a documentary if he wanted the identities to be revealed.

'I'm called Donny Dunn. It exists in a sort of fictional realm, even though it's based on truth, it exists in a fictional realm, let's enjoy the world that I've created,' he explained.

'If I wanted the real life people to be found, I would've made it a documentary.'

'I've spoken publicly about how I don't want people to do it and if I start playing a game of whack-a-mole, then I'm almost adding to it. I don't think I'll ever comment on it ever again.'

Baby Reindeer is a drama miniseries, which was released on Netflix in April.

In the show, a man is 'forced to face a dark, buried trauma' as he deals with an obsessive female stalker.
Ella Morgan shared a positive health update after she 'felt faint' on the red carpet at the BAFTA Television Awards on Sunday night.

The Married At First Sight star, 29, who was caught snogging EastEnders star Bobby Brazier, 20, inside the star-studded ceremony, said she is feeling much better following the incident.

The reality star needed medical attention after she started to 'feel faint' as she struggled with the 25 degree heat.

Ella took to Instagram and told fans: 'To everyone asking how I am after my 'BAFTAs collapsing incident'... I am perfectly ok now.

'I was just very hot, my body had overheated and felt weak and I hadn't eaten enough or drank enough that was all, hence why I was very light headed and felt faint.

Ella Morgan, 29, shared a positive health update after she 'felt faint' on the red carpet at the BAFTA Television Awards on Sunday night

The Married At First Sight star, who was caught snogging EastEnders star Bobby Brazier, 20, inside the star-studded ceremony, said she is feeling much better following the incident

'I'd seen the medic, sat down and been checked over! All good here now folks, lesson learnt, drink more water! Still looked iconic in my outfit if I do say so myself.'

Following her dizzy spell, Ella was swept off her feet by actor Bobby backstage at the BAFTAs.

In a pictured obtained by The Sun, Bobby and Ella could be seen sharing a very passionate kiss.

Ella, who known for her groundbreaking appearance as the first transgender bride on MAFS in 2023, was seen 'snogging' Bobby multiple times.

The publication reported: 'Bobby and Ella were going for it, it was a proper snog and he went back a couple of times for more.

'They were sharing flirty banter and then they pulled each other to one side for a snog by the bar.

'Later, they had their arms wrapped around each other for another snog, too.'

Bobby endured a brief 'romance' with Strictly co-star Ellie Leach before things fizzled out in March.

The reality star needed medical attention after she started to 'feel faint' as she struggled with the 25 degree heat

Ella took to Instagram and told fans: 'To everyone asking how I am after my 'BAFTAs collapsing incident'... I am perfectly ok now'

Following her dizzy spell, Ella was swept off her feet by actor Bobby (pictured) backstage at the BAFTAs

Ella, who known for her groundbreaking appearance as the first transgender bride on MAFS in 2023, was seen 'snogging' Bobby multiple times

Bobby endured a brief 'romance' with Strictly co-star Ellie Leach (pictured) before things fizzled out in March

He then went on to date fellow EastEnders star Jazzy Phoenix (pictured), after their blossoming friendship turned romantic

He then went on to date fellow EastEnders star Jazzy Phoenix, after their blossoming friendship turned romantic.

The TV star has spoken at length about her gender reassignment surgery and following cosmetic surgery since starring on MAFS.

She said that when she was '11 or 12' she realised she wanted to transition, saying: I knew then I needed that surgery and I wanted to do it.

She had her sex change when she was 21 at a NHS hospital in Brighton, where she also had breast reconstruction surgery.

Since then she has paid for a second breast enlargement and fillers in her face costing 50,000.

Describing her reasons to go under the knife so many times, she said: You need to look feminine to pass as a woman otherwise people wont take it seriously.

'I was under a lot of pressure to look good. I needed to plump out my face. It was very skinny and gaunt. My body is how I imagined it.

The TV star has spoken at length about her gender reassignment surgery and following cosmetic surgery since starring on MAFS

She said that when she was '11 or 12' she realised she wanted to transition, saying: I knew then I needed that surgery and I wanted to do it

'Part of me wants to go a bit more with the filler, bit more with the breast implants. Thats how I am. I am all or nothing.'

Following her stint on MAFS, Ella made headlines again for her involvement with co-star JJ Slater, which led to their controversial exit from the series due to infidelity.

While JJ has moved on to a relationship with Katie Price, Ella remains open to love with recent reports revealing her participation in the reality series Celebs Go Dating.
She's won over fans as the host of the diverse new dating series I Kissed A Girl.

And Dannii Minogue proved that her incredible figure is still her best asset as she slipped into a plunging yellow dress for a series of sexy poolside snaps.

The presenter, 52, wowed in the eye-catching dress with matching arm-covers as she posed in the stunning Italian house where the BBC show is filmed.

Returning to screens earlier this month, I Kissed A Girl sees ten single women live together in a luxury Italian house in the hope of sparking a romance.

The 10-episode series follows on from the male version of the show I Kissed A Boy last May.

Dannii Minogue proved that her incredible figure is still her best asset as she slipped into a plunging yellow dress for a series of sexy poolside snaps to promote I Kissed A Girl

The presenter wowed in the eye-catching dress with matching arm-covers as she posed in the stunning Italian house where the BBC show is filmed

Returning to screens earlier this month, I Kissed A Girl sees ten single women live together in a luxury Italian house in the hope of sparking a romance

Finishing her look with 60s-inspired sunglasses, Dannii shared the snaps on her Instagram, posing next to a sign with the cheeky phrase 'Sexual chemistry.'

Dannii also shared some behind-the-scenes secrets from filming the show during an interview with The Mirror, revealing how she supports the contestants when they are eliminated from the show.

She said: 'When the cameras stop rolling, I have a drink with them, see if they're OK, I bring a disco mirrorball and create Dannii's den.'

In a recent interview, Dannii also shared that she 'identifies as queer' as she tearfully paid tribute to the female contestants on I Kissed A Girl.

Speaking at the series launch, she said: 'This is so important. There hasn't been a show for the girls in the reality gay dating world. It's like we need this to happen. I'm hoping that there are parties up and down the country.'

The presenter also revealed she identifies as queer herself after the girls in the series made it clear they fancy the Australian in the first episode.

She declared: 'I identify as queer in a weird way.'

As one contestant, Amy from Surrey, commented that Dannii is 'just my type', Danni was asked if she is too attracted to women.

Finishing her look with 60s-inspired sunglasses, Dannii shared the snaps on her Instagram, posing next to a sign with the cheeky phrase 'Sexual chemistry'

In a recent interview, Dannii also shared that she 'identifies as queer' as she tearfully paid tribute to the female contestants on I Kissed A Girl

Laughing in the episode, Dannii replied: 'You girls are hot. You know it. I love it. I'm here for it. Is that an answer?'

Dannii, who previously revealed she lost a handful of fans after she began hosting I Kissed A Boy, said she would love the series to win more awards.

'I want this to go well, obviously. Everybody's put everything on the line. I hope there are more series of this show, and more girls get the opportunity to have this experience.'

Holding back tears, she added: 'You girls are so brave and amazing and have brought so much to it. I could never do what you have done.

'I will always be in awe of what has happened and what we've created. I feel so proud. You're stepping forward, and you're the first crew of girls representing in this space, and it is big.'

I Kissed A Girl is available to stream on BBC iPlayer, and airs Sundays at 9pm on BBC Three.
Vicky McClure has admitted she feels 'very lucky' to have already found her niche for dark gritty roles, as she discussed her new psychological thriller Insomnia.

The Trigger Point actress, 41, said she is always left 'wanting more' after starring in tense and thrilling series, claiming she is 'never left wanting to star in a sitcom'.

Speaking to The Mirror, Vicky shared her liking for the dramatic roles and 'dark kind of work', but said she has no idea where her love for it started.

The Line Of Duty star said: 'Some of the stuff [I do] is really dark and you cant help, as an actor, putting yourself in their shoes to try and think about what that might feel like and how you might get to that place.

'I think I do a lot of dramatic, dark kind of work. God knows why! I always work hard and I enjoy what I do  Im bloody lucky to do it.

Vicky McClure, 41, has admitted she feels 'very lucky' to have already found her niche for dark gritty roles, as she discussed her new psychological thriller Insomnia

The Trigger Point actress said she is always left 'wanting more' after starring in tense and thrilling series, claiming she is 'never left wanting to star in a sitcom'

'And I like the dark stuff. You dont get to the end of that and think, "Give me a sitcom". You think, "Give me some more of this".'

Vicky plays as a successful career woman whose life starts to unravel when she suddenly stops sleeping in the upcoming thriller Insomnia.

She leads in the British drama based on the book of the same name by Sarah Pinborough.

The actress plays the character Emma, who fears she may be losing her mind when everything in her perfect life begin to go wrong.

Two weeks before her 40th birthday, she stops sleeping - just like her mother did right before she had a psychotic breakdown on the night of her 40th birthday.

This leaves her gripped with fear as Emma's mother Patricia Bournett (Corinna Marlowe) always said that Emma would end up like her because she has the same 'bad blood'.

Emmas world starts to unravel and she realises that she can only prevent herself from following in her mother's footsteps by digging into her painful past.

Vicky said that what happens with Emma throughout the show is 'beyond off-kilter', adding some of the scenes are 'heartbreaking'.

Vicky shared her love for the dramatic roles and 'dark kind of work', but said she has no idea where her love for it started (pictured on Trigger Point)

The Line Of Duty star said: 'Some of the stuff [I do] is really dark and you cant help, as an actor, putting yourself in their shoes to try and think about what that might feel like and how you might get to that place'

She added: 'I think I do a lot of dramatic, dark kind of work. God knows why! I always work hard and I enjoy what I do  Im bloody lucky to do it'

'And I like the dark stuff. You dont get to the end of that and think, "Give me a sitcom". You think, "Give me some more of this", she continued

Vicky plays as a successful career woman whose life starts to unravel when she suddenly stops sleeping in the upcoming thriller Insomnia

Two weeks before her 40th birthday, she stops sleeping - just like her mother did right before she had a psychotic breakdown on the night of her 40th birthday

Her daughter Chloe Averill is played by India Fowler, known for her work in historical sci-fi drama The Nevers.

Her brother Will is played by Smylie Bradwell who has appeared in Norwegian-English thriller series Wisting.

Emmas estranged sister Phoebe Bournett is played by Leanne Best who has appeared in BBC's Ripper Street and 2024's Sebastian.

Finally, Inside Man and Agatha Christie actress Lyndsey Marshal plays Caroline, Emma's closest friend.

Insomnia is the latest British programme to be distributed by Paramount+ following A Gentleman In Moscow, also a book adaptation.

Borkur Sigthorsson directs and Sarah adapted her novel for the screen, as well as serving as executive producer.

Insomnia debuts exclusively on Paramount+ on May 23.
A Sydney stylist has clapped back following criticism of their 'extravagant' entrance at Australian Fashion Week.

Jamie Azzopardi, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, strutted through Carriageworks in Sydney on Monday flanked by an entourage of minders tending to their extravagant gown.

However, not everyone was impressed by the spectacle.

Married At First Sight star Carolina Santos didn't hold back in her critique of Azzopardi's grand arrival.

The reality TV star took to social media to mock the stylist quipping, 'What the f**K is that? Does Jamie think [they] are at the Met Gala or something? Why are people holding [their] clothes?'

A Sydney stylist has clapped back following criticism of their 'extravagant' entrance at Australian Fashion Week. Jamie Azzopardi, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, strutted through Carriageworks in Sydney on Monday flanked by an entourage of minders tending to their extravagant gown. Pictured

However, not everyone was impressed by the spectacle. Married At First Sight star Carolina Santos didn't hold back in her critique of Azzopardi's grand arrival. Pictured

Jamie clapped back at Carolina's scathing observation on Tuesday, with brutal directness.

'They aren't my "minders" they are assistants and they are INCREDIBLE at their jobs, they help make sure I look meticulous and put together even when having to create over the top looks, such as this so that you can all enjoy the fashion statements deserving of FASHION WEEK!,' Jamie wrote on Instagram stories

Azzopardi added that the gown was carried to respect the designer and avoid being dragged across a semi wet floor.

'I know you want to stand out the front of fashion week, and pretend like your going to shows but we all understand that designers, after your stunt last year, don't want you anywhere near them, so if your goal is to sit out the front and make uneducated opinions publicly about how others choose to live then my advice is to get a better hobby,' they continued.

Adding spice to the saga, the stylist revealed a direct message they received from Carolina, seeking last minute style assistance ahead of last year's Australian Fashion Week.

'Caroline didn't seem to have an issue with my big outfits when she begged me to dress her a day before last years fashion week,' Azzopardi wrote.

Jamie clapped back at Carolina's scathing observation on Tuesday, with brutal directness

Adding spice to the saga, the stylist revealed a direct message they received from Carolina, seeking last minute style assistance ahead of last year's Australian Fashion Week

Eyewitnesses described Azzopardi's arrival on Monday as nothing short of a performance.

Dressed in a detailed gown which featured layers of fine fabric and intricate embellishments, the stylist made sure all eyes were on them.

Azzopardi's 'minders' were seen constantly adjusting every detail of their attire, ensuring that not a single fold was out of place as photographers snapped away.

Australian Fashion Week has gone from one of the country's most prestigious events to one flanked by reality stars, wannabes and micro-influencers.

Industry insiders have told Daily Mail Australia that this year's designers are taking caution and want nothing to do with 'fame hungry MAFS stars desperate to be seen at fashion week'.

Eyewitnesses described Azzopardi's arrival on Monday as nothing short of a performance
Preparation for the 2024 Cannes Film Festival is well underway, with Anya Taylor-Joy and her Furiosa co-star Chris Hemsworth ready to make an entrance at the opening ceremony on Tuesday evening.

Hours before the 77th film festival kicks off, Anya wowed in a glamorous semi-sheer dress as she departed her hotel.

The actress oozed elegance in the racy calf-split garment, adorned with flower petal motifs.

She added a stylish straw hat to her ensemble, draping loosely behind her back to shield her face from the sunshine.

Anya elevated her frame with stylish white strappy heels and waved to fans in the distance.

Preparation for the 2024 Cannes Film Festival is well underway, with Anya Taylor-Joy, 28, (pictured) and her Furiosa co-star Chris Hemsworth, 40, ready to make an entrance at the opening ceremony on Tuesday evening

Meanwhile, actor Chris, 40, looked French-chic in a tailored blue and white suit and casual T-shirt

Meanwhile, actor Chris looked French-chic in a tailored blue and white suit and casual T-shirt.

He was seen mingling with fans and taking selfies at the Marriott hotel while he roamed about the area before his red carpet appearance.

Anya and Chris' much anticipated upcoming movie Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is set to premiere at the 77th Film Festival on Wednesday.

Shanina Shaik was also seen in Cannes dressed in a casual attire as she departed luxury Martinez hotel.

The Australian model, 33, wore trendy grey KSUBI jogging bottoms with a cropped white T-shirt.

She added a bit of jazz to her ensemble with a chic tailored blazer and black Dior handbag.

The glamorous opening ceremony - which is honouring Meryl Streep - will see Greta Gerwig, Eva Green and Lily Gladstone walking the red carpet at the Grand Theatre on the Croisette later this evening.

A host of A-list stars are expected to arrive in Cannes today, including Sienna Miller who is currently en route with boyfriend Oli Green, her mother and their four-month-old baby girl in tow, flying economy.

Hours before the 77th film festival kicks off, Anya wowed in a glamorous semi-sheer dress as she departed her hotel

He was seen mingling with fans and taking selfies at the Marriott hotel while he roamed about the area before his red carpet appearance

Chris appeared in great spirits as he stepped out ahead of the Cannes Film Festival

Chris made a fans whole day as he took the time to pose for a selfie

The actor looked incredibly handsome in the chic blue suit, teamed with trendy shoes

Shanina Shaik, 33, was also seen in Cannes dressed in a casual attire as she departed luxury Martinez hotel

The Australian model wore trendy grey KSUBI jogging bottoms with a cropped white T-shirt

. She added a bit of jazz to her ensemble with a chic tailored blazer and black Dior handbag

The beauty gave a graceful wave on her outing in the glum weather

Shanina received a helping hand off a male companion who held up an umbrella to cover her from the rain

The glamorous opening ceremony - which is honouring Meryl Streep - will see Greta Gerwig , Eva Green and Lily Gladstone walking the red carpet at the Grand Theatre on the Croisette later this evening

A host of A-list stars are expected to arrive in Cannes today, including Sienna Miller who is currently en route with boyfriend Oli Green, her mother and their four-month-old baby girl in tow, flying economy

Members of the crew were seen laying out the iconic red carpet, ready for a host of A-listers to debut for this years' ceremony

French Model Cindy Bruna, 29, is the latest star to touch down in Cannes ahead of the hotly-anticipated ceremony

The French beauty flashed her taut abs in a vibrant midi skirt and multi-coloured cropped top

Elsa Pataky cut a trendy figure as she arrived at the airport

The model and actress wore a plunging skin-tight bodysuit and joggers

Anya has recently been in LA promoting her upcoming film Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, the fifth in the Mad Max series.

Chris and Anya flew down Hollywood Boulevard in a chariot last week to promote the film.

The actors were on their way to The Jimmy Kimmel Show and a masked man who looked straight out of the Mad Max universe drove the gold vehicle.

In order to achieve the spectacle, parts of Hollywood Boulevard were shut down to allow for Anya and Chris' grand entrance.

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.
Bridgerton star Simone Ashley looked gorgeous in a red leather skirt as she left at Good Morning America on Monday where she promoted series three of the Netflix hit.

The actress, 29, wowed in head to toe red, teaming a racy leather skirt with a scartlet t-shirt and sling-back heels.

She draped a sweater around her arms and accessorised with Missoma earrings as she strutted out of the NYC studios with a huge smile on her face.

Earlier Simone, who plays Kate Sharma in the Netflix show, rocked an equally chic look for her early morning arrival at the studios, looking gorgeous in white and cream.

Bridgerton star Simone Ashley looked gorgeous in a red leather skirt as she left at Good Morning America on Monday where she promoted series three of the Netflix hit

The actress, 29, wowed in head to toe red, teaming a racy leather skirt with a scartlet t-shirt and sling-back heels

Her Bridgerton co-star Nicola Coughlan, who takes over the lead role for series three, cut a stylish figure in an all black ensemble as she arrived at the studios.

The actress, 37, wore a long blouse with a pair of flared trousers and towering boots as she arrived at the studio in New York City.

Leaving her long blonde tresses loose, she added a pair of chic sunglasses and carried her belongings in a coordinated crossbody Mulberry Pimlico Satchel handbag.

Nicola is known for her role as Penelope Featherington in the Netflix regency drama which season three is set to be released on Thursday.

Her co-star Luke Newton also joined her for the TV appearance to promote the show as he cut a dapper figure in a black long sleeved top which he tucked into a pair of grey trousers.

The actor, who plays the third eldest Bridgerton son, Colin, completed his daytime look with a pair of sunglasses and shiny black boots.

Luke recently opened up about how he and Nicola dealt with shooting their racy sex scenes.

The third series follows his blossoming romance with Penelope Featherington [Nicola Coughlan] as they navigate turning from friends to lovers.

Earlier Simone, who plays Kate Sharma in the Netflix show, rocked an equally chic look for her early morning arrival at the studios, looking gorgeous in white and cream

She looked sensational in a white cropped jumper, matching flared trousers and a bomber jacket as she arrived at the studio

Simone plays Kate Sharma in the Netflix hit and together with Jonathan Bailey led series two, while Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton take over the main roles for season three

Opening up on how they dealt with working on sex scenes after years as friends, Luke told High Life, British Airways' magazine, that it was a 'breeze'.

Luke explained: 'Looking back, it was a breeze. She's my friend, so we just giggle about it.'

'There are those moments when you come out of your body and go, "Oh, millions of people will see this."

But then I've been an actor for many years now. People have seen my performance on stage and other shows, so you feel confident.'

Nicola Coughlan cut a stylish figure in an all black ensemble as she arrived at Good Morning America on Monday

The actress, 37, was in good spirits as she rocked a long blouse with a pair of flared trousers and towering boots as she arrived at the studio in New York City

Nicola is known for her role as Penelope Featherington in the Netflix regency drama which season three is set to be released on Thursday

Her co-star Luke Newton also joined her for the TV appearance to promote the show as he cut a dapper figure in a black long sleeved top which he tucked into a pair of grey trousers

Discussing his close friendship with Nicola and how they'd spend time in between scenes, Luke revealed they would enjoy morning singalongs.

He said: 'We'd always get ready in the makeup trailer together so we'd be sharing playlists.'

Popular choices for the pair apparently included Beyonce, The 1975 and Shania Twain's Man I Feel Like A Woman.

During the chat, Luke also revealed the one thing he has to do before filming a scene, which he said has become a 'reset moment'.

Series three of Bridgerton is set to be released on Thursday - pictured Nicola as Penelope Featherington and Luke as Colin Bridgerton

Revealing that he has to brush his teeth before filming, he said: 'It's so random when they call me to travel to set and must be so frustrating for the assistant directors,' he laughs. 'But it's a reset moment.'

It comes after Nicola confirmed that she and co-star Luke got 'so comfortable' that they would lounge together naked in between filming sex scenes.

Nicola has already teased that series three will be even raunchier than the previous two, which became famous for their racy moments.

But despite admitting she was initially nervous about having her own intimate scenes, the Derry Girls star has gushed that she and Luke got to the point where they were able to relax, even while nude.
The former TOWIE star, 34, bundled up in a cream zip-up jumper and a blue gilet, teamed with skin-tight lilac leggings. She swept her brunette locks back into a ponytail and accessorised with dainty silver jewellery. Ferne couldn't contain her laughter during the session as she was helped around the ice by a trainer. She revealed her participation on GMB earlier this month, as the mother-of-two shared: 'I'm so excited, it's going to be a huge challenge but I'm excited for the glitz and glamour of the show.'
Farmer Wants A Wife fan favourite Bert Harris broke hearts around Australia on Tuesday night when he walked out of the show.

After postponing his 24 hour date with Brooke because of farm work, Bert, 30, took a moment to reflect on his priorities.

He then made the tough call to leave the reality series without picking any of his ladies.

'Coming into this experience, I was looking for someone to share my life with. I think all the girls are wonderful, but I don't have what it takes to be in a relationship right now,' he said.

'I just don't have the emotional time to be the person that people are deserving of. That's the reality of it,' he added.

Farmer Wants A Wife fan-favourite Bert Harris, 30, (pictured) sent hearts racing on Tuesday night after walking out of the show

'Goodbyes are pretty hard for me. It always hurts but I know that deep down that it was the right choice for me to make. I was fully open to the idea of falling in love.'

'The farm never stops taking. There's always more work to be done. Before I start a relationship with somebody, I want to be happy with the farm, happy with my life, and I guess happy with all of it,' he continued.

Bert's ladies Brooke, Catilin and Karli were left shocked by the decision.

After postponing his 24 hour date with Brooke because of farm work, Bert, 30, took a moment to reflect on his priorities

'I didn't expect that tonight. Obviously, you want to be the girl at the end, or someone that he's sure of and falls madly in love with, but I care deeply about him, so I feel okay about it,' Brooke said.

Meanwhile Karli admitted 'I want what's best for him and this is what has to happen at this point in time.'

Insiders claim Bert felt increasingly manipulated by production tactics, particularly from two male producers who were fresh off the set of FBoy Island and were pushing for heightened drama.

He then made the tough call to leave the show without picking Brooke, Catilin or Karli

'Farmer Bert was really sweet and it was sad to see him being treated like a prop,' a source told Yahoo Lifestyle.

Bert is now said to be secretly seeing Lauren McNeil, a contestant who chose to exit the competition due to intensifying pressures.

Lauren, who left the show two weeks prior, was reportedly a significant factor in Bert's decision to leave, with sources suggesting he was coerced into letting her go - a decision he regretted.

'Coming into this experience, I was looking for someone to share my life with. I think all the girls are wonderful, but I don't have what it takes to be in a relationship right now,' he said

The couple are expected to reveal their relationship publicly after the show's season concludes in late May.

It comes as Farmer Tom, a 22-year-old cattle and crop famer from Tabilk, Central Victoria, faced a tense decision between Sarah C and Krissy on Sunday evening.

In the end, it was Sarah C, 23, who stole the youngster's heart.

'I just don't have the emotional time to be the person that people are deserving of. That's the reality of it,' he added

'It has been an honour having you around the farm. I've absolutely loved every moment of it,' Tom declared to his lady love.

'Sarah, you are the person that I want a relationship with, and I am falling in love with you,' he continued.

Farmer Wants A Wife continues Sunday at 7:00pm on Channel Seven.
Nadia Bartel and Bec Judd made their presence known at Australian Fashion Week on Tuesday evening.

The Melbourne besties had heads spinning when they arrived at the Michael Lo Sordo runway show at Sydney's Machine Hall.

Nadia, 39, opted for angelic white on the night but the devil was certainly in the details.

The genetically blessed beauty turned up the heat in a sleeveless jersey minidress that featured tie detailing at the side.

Nadia kept her accessories to a minimum, but for a silver timepiece, and opted to pour her never-ending pins into a pair of white pumps.

Nadia Bartel and Bec Judd made their presence known at Australian Fashion Week on Tuesday evening. Both pictured

The Melbourne besties had heads spinning when they arrived at the Michael Lo Sordo runway show at Sydney's Machine Hall

She wore her caramel tresses down for the star-studded event and highlighted her natural beauty with defined brows, rosy cheeks and a plum lip.

Elsewhere, Bec, 41, sizzled in a black jersey minidress, also designed by Lo Sordo, that featured daring slashes across her torso and midriff.

The former WAG boosted her height in a pair of towering black heels, and also kept her accessories to a minimum but for a silver watch and classic clutch.

Nadia, 39, opted for angelic white on the night but the devil was certainly in the details

The genetically blessed beauty turned up the heat in a sleeveless jersey minidress that featured tie detailing at the side

Elsewhere, Bec, 41, sizzled in a black jersey minidress, also designed by Lo Sordo, that featured daring slashes across her torso and midriff

The former WAG boosted her height in a pair of towering black heels, and also kept her accessories to a minimum but for a silver watch and classic clutch

Their outing comes after Nadia announced plans to open her first store in Sydney.

The Henne designer is setting has already selected a property in Paddington and renovations are well underway.

It will be the second physical location for Nadia's fashion label, with another boutique located in Melbourne's Prahran.
Anya Taylor-Joy has gushed she's 'completely and utterly in love' with husband Malcolm McRae as she reflected on their two-year marriage.

Gracing the cover of ELLE's June/July 2024 issue, the actress, 28, posed for a stunning shoot while discussing the moment they secretly eloped together.

In April, Anya confirmed that she and Malcolm had tied the knot, two years after they actually married in New Orleans, sharing a gallery of snaps from the day.

She said: 'I'm an incredibly sensitive, hyper-feeling person. I did not realise that I could have more feelings, but I can. I feel so unbelievably lucky to be completely and utterly in love. I have found my person.

'I cannot believe that we get to do life together. And in talking about experiences where you get to grow, what an unbelievable thing to live your life with a mirrorand a mirror that causes you to become a better version of yourself.'

Anya Taylor-Joy has gushed she's 'completely and utterly in love' with husband Malcolm McRae as she reflected on their two-year marriage

Gracing the cover of ELLE's June/July 2024 issue , the actress posed for a stunning shoot while discussing the moment they secretly eloped together

Anya revealed that she and Malcolm decided to get married after she returned from filming Furiosa in Australia.

She explained: 'We're just real romantics. We were born on the same day. And we wanted to make sure that our first experience was something that was completely for us.

'So we eloped in New Orleans with our two best friends and had the time of our lives. It was magical.

'But I'm lucky to say that the second experiencewith all of our familieswas so beyond beautiful, and I just feel very, very lucky.'

Last month, Anya confirmed that she and Malcolm had previously married two years ago, six months after it was thought they'd tied the knot in a lavish Italian ceremony.

During her interview with the publication, Anya also discussed her role in the upcoming prequel Furiosa, which comes eight years after George Miller's critically-acclaimed action film Max Max: Fury Road.

She said: 'The most beautiful and heartbreaking thing about Furiosa is that she's the embodiment of impossible hopeliving in a world where everything is a violation to you.

'The air that you breathe, the lack of food, the fact that empathy is punished, that trust is punished.

She said: 'I'm an incredibly sensitive, hyper-feeling person. I did not realise that I could have more feelings, but I can'

In April, Anya confirmed that she and Malcolm had tied the knot, two years after they actually married in New Orleans, sharing a gallery of snaps from the day (pictured in April 2023)

Anya revealed that she and Malcolm decided to get married after she returned from filming Furiosa in Australia

In April, Anya confirmed that she and Malcolm had tied the knot, two years after they actually married in New Orleans, sharing a gallery of snaps from the day

She explained: 'We're just real romantics. We were born on the same day. And we wanted to make sure that our first experience was something that was completely for us'

During her interview with the publication, Anya also discussed her role in the upcoming prequel Furiosa

She said: 'The most beautiful and heartbreaking thing about Furiosa is that she's the embodiment of impossible hopeliving in a world where everything is a violation to you'

'I wanted to really understand grit in a different way. Because I knew that I had it. But I understood that in isolation, I was going to really experience it,' Anya added

Anya takes over as the younger Furiosa, which is set between 15 and 20 years before the events of Mad Max: Fury Road

Anya has been in LA promoting her upcoming film Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, the fifth in the Mad Max series also starring Chris Hemsworth

'And throughout it all, she just has this relentless conviction that she's going to make good on that promise she made. I still get chills thinking about it.'

'I wanted to really understand grit in a different way. Because I knew that I had it. But I understood that in isolation, I was going to really experience it. Okay, youre in a house in the middle of nowhere with just your thoughts and this character. How do you cope with that?

'And when you dont have comfort around youwhen theres nothing that you can turn to for distractionhow are you going to experience that?'

Read the full interview in the June/July issue of ELLE magazine

'My favorite flowers have always been seeded dandelions or the daisies that grow through concrete. I think I wanted to be placed in concrete. I wanted to understand how that would feel. When you get too comfortable, you stop growing.'

Furiosa will hold its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday, and Anya is expected to grace the red carpet alongside her co-star Chris Hemsworth.

Anya takes over as the younger Furiosa, which is set between 15 and 20 years before the events of Mad Max: Fury Road.

Anya was born in Miami, Florida and moved to Buenos Aires as a toddler before relocating to London at the age of six 'for political reasons' with her parents, banker father Dennis - a Scot born in South America - and Spanish-English mother Jennifer who hails from Zambia.

Her role as orphaned chess prodigy Beth Harmon in the Netflix series The Queens Gambit elevated her into one of the most in demand actresses in Hollywood, having bagged a Golden Globe for Best Actress and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie.

She received another Golden Globe nomination for her role in black comedy movie The Menu, starring alongside Nicholas Hoult and Ralph Fiennes, and is playing the lead in blockbuster action movie Furiosa, the prequel to 2015s Mad Max: Fury Road.
Michael Barrymore has revealed he's moving to Barcelona, Spain 'to change his life for the better' in a TikTok video.

The former TV host, 72, said he is already on the hunt for his 'dream villa' around the idyllic towns.

Michael was previously one of the UK's top stars but his decades long career ended after the death of Stuart Lubbock in 2001 following a party at his Essex home.

Captioning his post, he wrote: 'Never be afraid to change your life for the better #michaelbarrymore #movingabroad'.

Explaining why he is deciding to move ship, Michael said: 'Hey guys, yes I am moving to Barcelona. I'm 72 now and I realise that quality of life is more important to me than anything, so I'm going to Spain.

Michael Barrymore, 72, has revealed he's moving to Barcelona, Spain 'to change his life for the better' in a TikTok video

Michael was previously one of the UK's top stars but his decades long career ended after the death of Stuart Lubbock in 2001 following a party at his Essex home

'I love the place. It's not the Spain that I grew up with, there's all the package resorts that we all know, this is the mainland Spain, It's amazing.

'The culture there and the people and just the art and everything. I started looking around Girona and the Catalonia area for houses back in March.

'I've flown out a couple of times already to look for places and see what I like. Once I decide which villa I like, I probably maybe around Lloret de Mar, of course I'm gonna take Dave with me and of course I'm going to take you guys with me.

So don't worry, I'm going to vlog everything and you're going to join me all the way through this entire story.

'Until I find the villa of my dreams, I'm going to find out as much as I can about it, download Duolingo, learn the language. I can't wait.'

This comes more than 20 years after a young man was found dead in his swimming pool following a house party and Michael practically disappeared from public life.

The TV presenter lost his job at ITV shortly afterwards in 2003, and he was rarely seen again until he appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in January 2006 - managing to finish in second place.

A series of career revival attempts followed but they were often overshadowed by the ongoing investigation into the death of Stuart Lubbock.

Explaining why he is deciding to move ship, Michael said: 'Hey guys, yes I am moving to Barcelona. I'm 72 now and I realise that quality of life is more important to me than anything, so I'm going to Spain'

Captioning his post, he wrote: 'Never be afraid to change your life for the better #michaelbarrymore #movingabroad'

Michael was previously one of the UK's top stars but his decades long career ended after the death of Stuart Lubbock in 2001 following a party at his Essex home (pictured on his show Strike it Lucky in 1986)

RIP: Stuart Lubbock (pictured) was found dead in Michael's swimming pool more than 20 years ago

Between that year and 2019, Barrymore and others were arrested and questioned on multiple occasions, but no charges were ever filed and the star ultimately sued Essex Police for wrongful arrest, although he dropped his compensation claim of 2.4m after a court ruled he was due 'nominal' damages.

But the TV personality has been taking his career back into his own hands by building a loyal fan base on the social media app TikTok.

Michael posts multiple videos per day and has amassed 1.7million followers, many of whom leave him messages of love and support.

Michael is no stranger to the stage, having performed sell-out shows before his career collapsed in 2001 when Lubbock, 31, was found dead in the swimming pool of his Essex mansion after the star hosted a late-night party.

He has always denied any knowledge of what happened.
Teresa Giudice appears on the latest episode of Tori Spelling's MisSpelling podcast.

The interview was one big love fest with Tori proclaiming at the very start of the episode: 'Oh my gosh. I love you.'

Teresa gushed at the sentiment, saying: 'This is so surreal. I watched you growing up and it's so crazy for us to be sitting in the same room doing a podcast together.'

The Real Housewives of New Jersey star, 51, shared a pair of snaps from her visit with Tori on Instagram.

'Instant BFFs! I had the best time and conversation with my girl @torispelling on her raw and authentic new podcast, misspellingpodcast,' the reality TV star  who sizzled in a green jumpsuit  began.

Teresa Giudice appears on the latest episode of Tori Spelling 's MisSpelling podcast. The interview was one big love fest with Tori proclaiming at the very start of the episode: 'Oh my gosh. I love you'

Teresa gushed at the sentiment, saying: 'This is so surreal. I watched you growing up and it's so crazy for us to be in the sitting in the same room doing a podcast together'

'The Queen of 90210 and I discuss everything from relationships, divorce, kids and of course, #RHONJ! You can listen anywhere you stream your podcasts,' adding pink and green heart emojis and a palm tree emoji.

The brunette bombshell looked ready for another music festival in a sparkly green jumpsuit with cut outs at her waist.

Tori was California cool in a lace-trimmed yellow camisole, black leggings and black Converse shoes.

Back on the podcast, Tori divulged: 'And I watched you with my kids growing up, so there, we're even,' the Beverly Hills 90210 star, 50, said, adding: 'So we're even.'

The two giggled like teenagers over the things they have in common  including their ages and birthdays.

Tori will be 51 on May 16 while Teresa will be 52 on May 18, causing the women to squeal.

Another moment came when they both realized they are the OGs over their respective shows  Beverly Hills, 90210 and RHONJ.

The women talked about meeting before the podcast. Teresa was on the phone with her daughter Melania Giudice, 18, who wanted to get a bird. Tori encouraged the purchase but left out one very salient fact.

Tori's dog barked at her bird Rosie and the bird immediately passed out and fell off its perch and died. Teresa has four dogs.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey star, 51, shared a pair of snaps from her visit with Tori on Instagram. 'Instant BFFs! I had the best time and conversation with my girl @torispelling on her raw and authentic new podcast, misspellingpodcast,' the reality TV star began

'The Queen of 90210 and I discuss everything from relationships, divorce, kids and of course, # RHONJ ! You can listen anywhere you stream your podcasts,' adding pink and green heart emojis and a palm tree emoji

The two giggled like teenagers over the things they have in common  including their ages and birthdays

Another moment came when they both realized they are the OGs over their respective shows  Beverly Hills, 90210 and RHONJ

Later, Teresa said: 'You need to beon the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Then we could go on Watch What Happens Live together.'

Tori responded: 'Or New Jersey...,' and Teresa went wild for the idea, saying 'We'd be badass together.'

But Tori said she probably wouldn't survive that cast and its dynamic.

Teresa to quipped in a very New Jersey way: 'You'd survive. would have your back.'
kate moss linked arms with a male companion as she headed home from the Gucci Cruise 2025 show on Monday night.

The model, 50, was noticeably without her boyfriend, Count Nikolai von Bismarck, after the pair's frosty display on the front row at the fashion event earlier in the evening.

Despite raising eyebrows with their tense display, friends close to Kate have now brushed off any split concerns, insisting their 'bohemian' relationship has consistently been 'on and off.'

The outing at the Gucci show came just hours after snaps emerged of Kate holding hands with the reggae star grandson of Bob Marley, 27, in Turkey last weekend - which set tongues wagging that all is not well with their eight-year relationship.

On Monday night a stony-faced Count Nikolai, 37, was impassive as he sat next to the Kate - who then turned her back on him to speak to others on the front row at the Gucci fashion show instead.

Kate Moss linked arms with a male companion as she headed home from the Gucci Cruise 2025 show on Monday

The model, 50, was noticeably without her boyfriend, Count Nikolai von Bismarck , after the pair's frosty display on the front row at the fashion event earlier in the evening

And after the show she was seen leaving arm-in-arm with a beaming male companion.

The man - who wore a white shirt and blue trousers - looked in great spirits as he supported her and he spoke on the phone and guided her out of the event.

She put on a leggy display in a dark grey mini dress and sheer tights and boosted her height with black pointy heels.

Despite apparent tension between Kate and Count Nikolai, and lingering rumours about their romance, those who know the couple insist her decision to hold hands with Skip Marley, 27, may not be the death knell for their relationship.

'They are constantly on and off - but both are very bohemian about hook ups', an insider with knowledge of her relationship with Nikolai told MailOnline today.

For the past eight years Kate has been dating Count Nikolai - an aristocrat who shares her bohemian outlook and was once tipped to marry one of Prince Andrew's children.

But pictures of the her holding hands with the reggae star grandson of Bob Marley in Turkey last weekend has set tongues wagging that all is not well with their eight-year relationship.

And last night at the Tate Modern in London a stony-faced Count Nikolai was impassive as he sat next to the British supermodel - who then turned her back on him to speak to others on the front row at the Gucci fashion show instead.

He was then seen leaving the event with his 'mutual friend' Demi Moore.

The man - who wore a white shirt and blue trousers - looked in great spirits as he supported her and he spoke on the phone and guided her out of the event

The outing at the Gucci show came just hours after snaps emerged of Kate holding hands with the reggae star grandson of Bob Marley, 27, in Turkey last weekend - which set tongues wagging that all is not well with their eight-year relationship

On Monday night a stony-faced Count Nikolai, 37, was impassive as he sat next to the Kate - who then turned her back on him to speak to others on the front row at the Gucci fashion show instead

He was then seen leaving the event with his 'mutual friend' Demi Moore who carried a tiny dog

Kate, pictured with her daughter Lila last night, repeatedly turned away from Nikolai during the Gucci fashion show

But despite apparent tension between them, and lingering rumours about their romance, those who know the couple insist her decision to hold hands with Skip Marley, 27, may not be the death knell for their relationship.

'They are constantly on and off - but both are very bohemian about hook ups', an insider with knowledge of her relationship with Nikolai told MailOnline today.

And someone close to Kate's circle said: 'She's a passionate person - and she is still incredibly flirtatious with people. Whether it is Nikolai, or whoever she is with, they just have to accept it and get on with it or they'll go mad'.

Kate Moss famously had gone through 40 boyfriends by the time she was 40, but as she turned 50 in January, Nikolai has been by her side for most of the past decade.

Those close to her have brushed off what happened in Turkey last weekend.

Last summer he was seen heading to a hotel with French-American model Camille Rowe, however, he was central to Kate's 50th birthday celebrations in January.

But last night's fashion show appearance, their first together for four months, will mean rumours about their relationship won't go away.

The catwalk veteran was making her first public appearance with Nikolai since January, when they celebrated her 50th birthday in Paris - pictured in January together

Nikolai was left in the shadows, quite literally, on the far right, while Kate chatted with model daughter Lila, Blondie star Debbie Harry and Hollywood legend Demi Moore as well as Alia Bhatt on the front row at the Gucci Cruise fashion show in London

He left with Demi Moore - who looked much more chipper than him as she carried her small dog in her arms

He did not appear to be present during her recent trip to Turkey, during which she became so excited at a performance by Skip Marley that she ran on stage and had to be ushered away by guards.

Slip, the 27-year-old grandson of late reggae superstar Bob Marley, did not appear to be too perturbed by her passionate enthusiasm as he was later seen holding hands with Kate.

'Kate ran on stage as she loved it so much,' a spectator told the Mail's Richard Eden. 'She was escorted off the stage by security. I don't know whether there's a 'thing' [between the pair] but she's a fan for sure. It was all very sweet and non-confrontational.'

Marley was performing at the launch of cultural festival Med Bodrum at the Turkish holiday resort's Macakizi hotel, where the model is known to have stayed in the past.
Ant McPartlin has been flooded with congratulatory messages from his celebrity friends after revealing he has welcomed his first child, a son named Wilder Patrick McPartlin, with his wife Anne-Marie.

Hours after his wife gave birth, the presenter, 48, took to Instagram to share his joy that they were parents, in what marks his second chance of happiness after a rocky decade which saw the end of his first marriage and a drink-drive scandal.

Ant shared a Instagram snap sweetly cradling his baby boy, revealing he'd been born earlier that day on Tuesday, writing: 'Born, 14/05/24 at 8.54am. Baby is beautiful, Mummy's a legend, Sisters are over the moon. Dad's a mess!' he captioned the snap.

Ant was soon flooded with messages from pals including Jamie Redknapp, Davina McCall and Alesha Dixon, who were delighted to see the star finally become a dad, after he publicly discussed his desire to be a parent.

The baby will be Ant's first while Anne-Marie has two children, Poppy, and Daisy, from her previous marriage.

Ant McPartlin has welcomed his first child, a son named Wilder Patrick McPartlin, with his wife Anne-Marie Corbett

The presenter shared a black and white Instagram snap sweetly cradling his baby boy, revealing he'd been born earlier that day on Tuesday morning

Ant has been candid in the past about his desire to have children and he publicly spoke about how he had been trying for a baby with ex-wife Lisa Armstrong.

The couple were childless when they filed for divorce in 2018 after 11 years of marriage. Ant and Anne-Marie tied the knot in 2021.

When the news of Anne-Marie's pregnancy was revealed, it was claimed that Ant was over the moon because he didn't think fatherhood was on the cards for him.

A source told The Sun at time: 'This is the news everyone wanted. Ant and Anne- Marie are beyond delighted. It's no secret that Ant has always wanted children, but that it may never happen for him was something he had, sadly, come to terms with.

'When they found out last year, they were absolutely delighted, but obviously kept the news quiet for as long as possible.

'To be having a child two years short of his 50th birthday, with the love of his life, is the stuff of dreams for Ant.

'He's already a wonderful, doting father to Anne-Marie's kids, and together they're going to be brilliant parents to this latest addition to the family.'

In the image, Ant also revealed an intricate tree tattoo on his shoulder with sweet dedications to his stepchildren from Anne-Marie's previous marriage, and their pet dogs, Milo and Bumble.

It was previously rumoured in December that Anne-Marie could be expecting their first child, after she appeared to be pregnant while returning from a trip to Dubai (pictured in April)

Following the announcement, a slew of Ant's celebrity pals shared their well-wishes in the comments

Wilder's arrival came just two days after Ant joined his presenting partner Declan Donnelly at the BAFTA TV Awards

Following the ceremony, Ant was solo as he headed home, two days before Anne-Marie gave birth to their first child together

Following the announcement, a slew of Ant's celebrity pals shared their well-wishes in the comments.

Britain's Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon wrote: 'Awwwww darling I'm so happy for you both! Baby shares the same birthday as my mummy! Can't wait to meet buba and to celebrate soon! Love you both.'

Davina McCall wrote: 'Arrrrrgggghhhhh!! This is AMAZING!! Congratulations to ALL of you!' and Joel Dommett added: 'LOVE THIS!'

New This Morning host Cat Deeley penned: 'Amazing! What wonderful news . Congratulations.'

Vicky Pattison added: 'Congratulations guys! Omg!!! Love the name!', while Jamie Redknapp simply replied with some red hearts.

Ant's BGT colleague Amanda Holden then penned: 'Oh my gosh, this is just the most amazing news. Congratulations.'

Wilder's arrival came just two days after Ant joined his presenting partner Declan Donnelly at the BAFTA TV Awards, but left the ceremony solo 15 minutes before it was due to end, skipping the traditional afterparties.

There were previously fears that Anne-Marie's due date could coincide with one of Ant's biggest shows - the live finals of Britain's Got Talent.

Last year's final aired on June 4, with the five live semi finals traditionally taking place nightly in the week leading up to the finale date.

A source said that the 'timing caused something of a headache for bosses,' and they were considering having a back up presenter in case Ant couldn't be there.

Names in the frame included new This Morning host Cat Deeley or Dancing On Ice's Stephen Mulhern.

'They are considering whether Dec would present alone if Anne-Marie went into labour or, if time allows, a guest pres' the source revealed.

'Cat and Stephen, who the lads have worked with in the past, are front-runners.'

In February, Ant broke his silence on becoming a father for the first time in a candid interview as he spoke about taking a break from hosting Saturday Night Takeaway.

In February, Ant broke his silence on becoming a father for the first time in a candid interview as he spoke about taking a break from hosting Saturday N

Ant opened up about the real reasons for the show's pause in an interview with Fault Magazine as he publicly addressed his wife's pregnancy for the first timeHe said: 'We [he and Declan Donnelly] have both got children that we need to spend time with for a little bit.

'We need time to think and, and time to step back and look at the bigger picture and just see where we are now.'

Dec shares two children - Isla, age five, and Jack, one, with his wife Ali Astall.

It was previously rumoured in December that Anne-Marie could be expecting their first child, after she appeared to be pregnant while returning from a trip to Dubai.

According to The Sun, Ant, who was previously married to makeup artist Lisa Armstrong, had already confided the wonderful news to Dec following weeks of speculation, with a source telling the publication: 'This is the news everyone wanted. Ant and Anne- Marie are beyond delighted.'

'It's no secret that Ant has always wanted children, but that it may never happen for him was something he had, sadly, come to terms with.'

They went on to describe Ant as a 'wonderful doting father' to Anne-Marie's children and said the couple did everything they could to keep the news a secret for as long as possible.

Adding: 'To be having a child two years short of his 50th birthday, with the love of his life, is the stuff of dreams for Ant.'

Ant has always been open about his desire to be a father.

In 2013, he revealed his and ex-wife Lisa Armstrong's struggles, saying: 'There's a rumour that I'm holding off having kids till Dec finds himself Mrs Right.

'I love that idea, but I'm afraid it's not true. Lisa and I would love to have kids. We're trying. It's tougher than you think when you get a bit older.'

The TV star credits his wife, who he married in a lavish 500k wedding in 2021, for getting him through his alcohol and prescription drug addictions.

Previously saying: 'She's been my rock. She's a beautiful soul. We're very happy. I'm in the best place I've been in my life. It's great.'

There were rumours swirling for some months that the couple might be expecting  particularly after Anne-Marie decided against flying to Australia to be at her husband's side as while he hosted ITV's I'm A Celebrity.

Instead, he was there alone while his on-screen partner Dec was joined by his wife Ali Astall and their two children, Isla, five, and Jack, one.

The couple set tongues wagging when Anne-Marie was seen arriving at Heathrow airport in December on the way to a New Year break to Dubai, appearing to be several months pregnant.

One onlooker said of Ant: 'He couldn't stop smiling, he looked like the happiest man in the world.'

The pair got together after meeting while she worked for Ant and his former wife, Lisa Armstrong.

Friends previously told MailOnline's Katie Hind that Lisa would be 'very upset' if her former partner's happy news was confirmed  because she too was desperate to become a mother.

In fact, it is believed that she and Ant tried for a baby for several years and she was devastated when their marriage ended in 2018, still childless.

For make-up artist Lisa, who shares a brown labrador named Hurley with her ex-husband, what has made it harder is that Anne-Marie worked for them as a PA before she began dating the I'm A Celeb star.

A friend said in December: 'Anne-Marie was Lisa's friend, and she was heavily involved in getting her the job working for the McPartlins.

'Lisa would send Anne-Marie's children birthday and Christmas presents, she even went on holiday with them, and then bang, it all changed.'

The couple wed star-studded service in Hampshire in August 2021

Ant was always open about his desire to be a father and tried unsuccessfully for a child with ex-wife (pictured at their wedding in 2006)

Friends previously told MailOnline that Lisa would be 'very upset' if her former partner's happy news was confirmed  because she too was desperate to become a mother (pictured 2015)

Ant and Lisa  a former singer in the now defunct pop band Deuce  married in 2006 at a lavish ceremony at Cliveden House in Berkshire.

They split in September 2018 after he checked into rehab for addiction issues.

A lengthy divorce battle followed, mostly over the TV star's 60million fortune.

Rumours that the couple had split emerged in autumn 2017 after Lisa did not accompany Ant to Australia for I'm A Celeb.

She denied there were problems at the time, pointing out that she had a job and had not been to Australia for years.

But Ant's representative announced in January 2018 that the couple's 11 year marriage had ended.

Ant began to be linked with his personal assistant Anne-Marie just weeks later in March 2018.

Lisa was said to have indicated her disapproval of the relationship by liking a fan's tweet which said it was 'a major girl code breach' to 'start shacking up with your wife's friend'.

Her and Ant's marriage officially ended in October 2018 when she was granted a decree nisi after he admitted adultery.

Lisa split from her most recent partner, James, 40, in August 2023 after he surprisingly ended their romance and moved out of her 4.5m London home while she was working in Manchester.

Insiders close to the former couple have told MailOnline their relationship turned toxic over money, as Lisa claims she loaned him cash during their time together back, but he's resisting all approaches.

Lisa and James dated for three years and the electrician was her most serious relationship since her high-profile divorce from husband Ant, in which she received a reported 31m payout.

James was working for a company installing electric doors when they met, having recently moved out of the 450,000 family home he shared with ex-wife Kirsty in Winchester, Hampshire.

But James shocked Lisa by breaking up with her totally unannounced and moved his belongings out of her home when she was away.

A source told MailOnline at the time: 'I don't really know what has gone wrong. The two of them were only on a swanky holiday together in the Caribbean or somewhere about eight weeks ago.

'He was with her one day, and he just wasn't with her the next day. There was no inkling that anything was wrong.'

Despite the surprise split, friends told how the pair were initially on amicable terms but that is no longer the case, mainly in part to Lisa's demands for her money back.

During their divorce battle, Ant is said to have told lawyers: 'She can have anything she wants  except the dog' (Lisa pictured with dog Hurley)

Lisa and Ant split in September 2018 after he checked into rehab for addiction issues. A lengthy divorce battle followed, mostly over the TV star's 60million fortune

Anne-Marie and Ant are pictured together in January - where she was displaying her baby bump

A friend of James said: 'When Lisa gave him that money, he thought it was in good grace - he didn't see it as a loan with strict conditions to pay it back by a certain time.

'It's all got rather messy and Lisa threatening him with legal action is obviously concerning given her financial power.'

During their divorce battle, Ant is said to have told lawyers: 'She can have anything she wants  except the dog.'

The former couple reportedly agreed to take it in turns to look after Hurley.

The arrangement led to the TV presenter's chauffeur ferrying the dog between the two of them so they did not have to see each other.

It was reported in February this year that Lisa wanted her pet to live with her full time.

She is said to have argued that it was only fair as Ant also had two maltipoo dogs - Maltese and poodle crossbreeds - called Milo and Bumble.
Tom Cruise has divided the internet after flaunting his chiseled physique on a beach in Majorca over the weekend.

The Top Gun star, 61, turned heads after baring his six pack abs in a pair of blue swimming trunks as he waded into the water.

He also showed off his toned thighs and muscular derriere, which left many fans gushing about how good he looks for his age.

'Dude's like 60 and still crushing it, wild,' commented one.

Another wrote, 'Hes a couple of years older than me and I wish I looked that good.'

Tom Cruise has divided the internet after flaunting his chiseled physique on a beach in Majorca over the weekend

The Hollywood star is pictured in his younger years on the set of the original Top Gun in 1986

One fan wrote, 'Looks really good for his age. Respect anyone that keeps fit at that age like he does.'

While most of the comments were positive, some fans were critical of the Jerry Maguire actor's physique.

'Father Time catches up with all of us no matter how fast we think were moving,' one wrote cryptically.

'He may be in good nick for his age, but its what goes on in his head that concerns me!' joked one.

Another commented, 'You think thats a ripped body? Oh yeah, for a guy - if that was a woman who had that type of body everybody would be making fun of her. #doublestandards.'

There isn't one secret to Tom's ultra fit lifestyle, after the star previously revealed he enjoys a wide-ranging list of physical activities to keep in shape.

He told Men's Health: 'Sea-kayaking, caving fencing, treadmill, weights rock climbing, hiking I jog I do so many different activities.'

Constantly challenging his body, the star follows a five day workout plan which included three days of weight training sessions and cardio as well as two days of more 'out-there' activities like fencing or hiking.

Cruise looked like he hadn't aged a day when he returned to screens for Top Gun Maverick in 2022

The ageless actor flashed his signature smile at the premiere of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One in 2023

On top of having a great body, the actor has also maintained a youthful face

Incorporating a range of exercises into his routine, a few of Tom's favorite include one-armed barbell presses, weighted lunges and deadlifts.

Expert PT Nick Lower previously told British GQ that Tom has the best team in the world who keep on top of all the latest fitness science and technology.

He explained: 'I do know that he uses this very expensive, high-end machine that instead of just being a normal chest press machine, for example, it works you on your eccentric load, pushing you back.

'So instead of doing a set of 10, you could do a set of five and youve done just as much work.

'Whatever hes doing, it works. You meet him in the flesh and he looks 10 years younger'.
Angelina Jolie was a guest on the Today show on Monday.

And in the audience was a very special attendee: her daughter Vivienne JoliePitt, 15.

The teenager was watching her Oscar-winning mom as she plugged the musical they have been working on together.

Angelina and Vivienne are the minds behind the new incarnation of The Outsiders, a musical version of the 1980s film starring Tom Cruise and Patrick Swayze that was based on a book.

Vivienne smiled like a proud daughter as her mom talked away on the outdoor set called the Today Plaza about how their play is all about 'family.'

Angelina Jolie was a guest on the Today show on Monday. And in the audience was a very special attendee: her daughter Vivienne JoliePitt, 15. The teenager was watching her Oscar-winning mom as she plugged the musical they have been working on together

Jolie wore black tinted sunglasses with a black coat and her highlighted hair down

Angelina and Vivienne are the minds behind the new showing of The Outsiders, a stage version of the 1980s film starring Tom Cruise and Patrick Swayze that is based on a book

Vivienne smiled like a proud daughter as her mom talked away on the outdoor set called the Today Plaza

Jolie shared Vivienne 'connected' to The Outsiders and suggested that they work on a stage version of their own.

'You mentioned your daughter Vivienne. Shes here today too. Shes working along with the cast but she turned you onto this. Tell us, how this came to be,' Hoda Kotb asked Jolie.

That is when the camera zeroed in on Vivienne in the audience.

Jolie answered, 'She did. But I think thats to say for anybody watching and anybody who is going to see this and what they brought forwardthis is about family.

'And the same reason it responded to her and the same reason she wanted me next to her watching it and the same reason we all hugged when I came out here is because this is about family.'

Jolie shares her six kids with ex Brad Pitt: they are twins Knox and Vivienne, 15, daughters Shiloh, 17, and Zahara, 18, as well as sons Pax, 20, and Maddox, 22.

This comes after Jolie said that Vivienne was 'tough assistant' to her on her theatre project.

The siren shared on Thursday at the Broadway premiere of the musical adaptation of The Outsiders  which she produced  that Vivienne was the 'biggest theatre head' of the family, according to People.

'Viv. Definitely Viv,' she reiterated, while Justin Levine, who wrote the book and score to The Outsiders, chimed in: 'Definitely Viv.'

'Hands down,' the By The Sea filmmaker concurred as she arrived at the premiere with Vivienne and her son Pax.

Jolie revealed Vivienne is much more of a theater aficionado than a cinephile  and she ended up being a 'tough assistant' to her on her latest theatre project; seen at the premiere in April

She added that Vivienne was the 'biggest theatre head' of the family, according to People

Angelina added that her daughter was a taskmaster for her. 'Shell correct me. Shell say, "Didnt you read the memo? We have to do this, we have to go through this,"' she recalled

Angelina added that her daughter  a fraternal twin to son Knox  was a taskmaster for her.

'Shell correct me. Shell say, "Didnt you read the memo? We have to do this, we have to go through this,"' she recalled.

'Shes been a really tough assistant,' Angelina joked. 'She takes it very, very seriously.'

Vivienne, whom she shares with her ex-husband Brad Pitt, took on The Outsiders after it was previously adapted as a critically acclaimed 1983 film by director Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1967 novel by S.E. Hinton.

The film featured a number of actors just at the start of their careers who would be labeled as part of the 'brat pack,' a group of rising stars who often acted together, including Rob Lowe, Matt Dillon, Emilio Estevez, as well as supplemental members Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze and Ralph Macchio.

Jolie's youngest daughter was primed to work on The Outsiders after she caught another production in San Diego.

Jolie was seen walking up to the theater with Pax by her side while wowing in a shimmering metallic gold gown teamed with a rust-hued cape.

The star wore her blonde locks in soft waves and sported smoky eye make-up and red lipstick.

Pax looked as if he could have been a Brat Pack member himself as he emanated low-key cool.

He was dressed in a simple white T-shirt that he used to significantly dress down a black tuxedo jacket with slim notched lapels.

He paired it with black pants and added to his relaxed style with a pair of classic white sneakers.

Angelina and Vivienne joined members of the production on the red carpet

Angelina wowed in a shimmering metallic gold gown teamed with a rust-hued cape

The celebrity child sported a thin mustache and wore his shaggy hair slicked back.

Vivienne wore a stylish blue boiler suit and styled her long hair with a side part for the event as she joined the cast and her mother on the red carpet.

Pax appeared to steer clear of the red carpet while leaving his mother and sister to join the other members of the production.

After catching the show, the trio headed out to the swanky restaurant Cipriani for dinner.

Pax was seen walking next to his mother, while Vivienne hung back to chat with a friend.

Jolie and Pitt on their last red carpet together in 2015 in Hollywood

In a statement last year, Jolie said that her daughter, 'reminds me of my mother in that she isn't focused on being the center of attention but in being a support to other creatives.'

'She's very thoughtful and serious about theatre and working hard to best understand how to contribute,' the actress continued.

'I hope to be able to contribute while continuing to learn from this amazing team, who I have been working with since my daughter brought me to see the show at La Jolla Playhouse.'

'I can't begin to express how excited I am for this musical to make its Broadway debut and look forward to sharing this new adaptation of The Outsiders with the world.'
Wicked fans received a magical treat Tuesday with the promise of more to come.

A new poster for the musical starring Ariana Grande, 30, who performed a medley at the Met Gala, and Cynthia Erivo, 37, was released by the Universal Pictures.

In the graphic Grande, is dressed as her character Glinda, wearing a strapless pink ball gown with an enormous crown.

Her magic wand is in one hand, and with the other she is reaching up towards Erivo's Elphaba.

The Tony winner is covered is wearing a black dress and pointed hat as she sits on a broom pointed toward the sky, and her green hand reaches down toward her friend.

It is a re-create of Michelangelo's Creation Of Adam.

Wicked fans received a major treat on Tuesday when the first poster for the highly anticipated musical starring Ariana Grande, 30, and Cynthia Erivo, 37 was released on social media. 'Pink goes good with green,' the producers wrote. '#WickedMovie trailer tomorrow'

The two friends have stopped along the yellow brick road for their moment of parting.

The Emerald City is in the background and flying monkeys fill the air.

They sky is filled with clouds with backgrounds of pink on Grande's side, and green on Erivo's.

'Everyone Deserves a Chance To Fly' reads the poster, borrowing a line from the song Defying Gravity.

The poster represents a pivotal moment in the story in which the two friends decide to go their separate ways.

'Pink goes good with green,' the producers wrote. '#WickedMovie trailer tomorrow.'

'Now how in Oz am I supposed to wait till tomorrow when you drop a poster as epic as that right now?!' questioned one excited fan.

'Im seated. the theater employees are scared and asking me to leave because its not November yet but Im simply too seated,' joked a dedicated follower.

The poster follows Monday's release of a new featurette from the film offering clips, behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the cast

'The dream of a lifetime. #WickedMovie trailer Wednesday,' director Jon Chu wrote when sharing the video

'This movie is going to be so life changing idc what you say,' another stated.

On Monday, a featurette with clips, behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the cast and director Jon Chu was released.

The video also shows the emotional moments when the director breaks the good news to both Erivo and Grande that they had been cast in the film.

The featurette also offered a first look of Bridgerton hottie Jonathan Bailey as love interest Fiyero

Wicked, part one, will be released November 27 for Thanksgiving weekend.

Fans also got first looks of Bridgerton hottie Jonathan Bailey as love interest Fiyero and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz.

'The dream of a lifetime, trailer Wednesday' the director wrote next to the featurette which both he and Grande shared on social media.

Wicked, part one, will be released November 27 for Thanksgiving weekend.

Fans will have to wait a whole year to see part two, which is scheduled for release in November 2025.
Road House starring Jake Gyllenhaal will live to fight another day.

Amazon Prime Video announced that a sequel to the action flick is currently in the works and that the 43-year-old leading man will be returning for the flick.

The streaming giant also boasted very impressive numbers in an Instagram post with the announcement which read: 'With nearly 80 million viewers to date, Jake Gyllenhaal is set to reprise his role as Elwood Dalton in a Road House sequel.'

Details about the upcoming sequel still remain under wraps but the major studio revealed that it getting greenlit has a great deal to do with the success the movie saw when it came to streaming numbers.

Amazon MGM Studio chief Jennifer Salke said at the studio's first ever upfront presentation on Tuesday: 'As we saw this spring the world went crazy for a little movie called Road House.

Amazon Prime Video announced that a sequel Road House starring Jake Gyllenhaal currently in the works and that the 43-year-old leading man will be returning for the flick

The streaming giant also boasted very impressive numbers in an Instagram post with the announcement which read: 'With nearly 80 million viewers to date, Jake Gyllenhaal is set to reprise his role as Elwood Dalton in a Road House sequel'

'Nearly 80 million viewers globally have watched Road House. We like to watch this these results like a baby.'

The remake of the classic 1989 film starring Patrick Swayze was written by Anthony Bagarozzi and Charles Mondry and directed by Doug Liman.

Gyllenhaal was joined on screen by the likes of former UFC champion Conor McGregor, Jessica Williams, Lukas Gage, Billy Magnussen, Daniela Melchlor, and rapper Post Malone.

It remains unclear if the rest of the cast and crew outside of Gyllenhaal will be returning.

Back in March, writer of the original film Lance Hill sued Amazon.com in an attempt to halt the remake of the 1989 film Road House, arguing the film violates his rights in the original's screenplay.

Lance, 81, said in the California federal court lawsuit Amazon never received a license to remake his screenplay after he reclaimed his copyright in it.

He requested an unspecified amount of monetary damages and a court order to block Amazon from distributing the movie without a new license.

An Amazon MGM Studios spokesperson said the lawsuit was 'completely without merit.'

The remake of the classic 1989 film starring Patrick Swayze was written by Anthony Bagarozzi and Charles Mondry and directed by Doug Liman

Gyllenhaal was joined on screen by the likes of former UFC champion Conor McGregor (pictured), Jessica Williams, Lukas Gage, Billy Magnussen, Daniela Melchlor, and rapper Post Malone

Hill's attorney, Marc Toberoff, said that major studios should 'respect the fundamental rights and artistry of creators on whose sweat and toil their empires are based.'

The lawsuit said Hill wrote the Road House screenplay in 1986 and transferred his rights to the film's producer United Artists later that year.

U.S. copyright law allows artists to terminate transfers and reclaim their rights after decades in some circumstances. Hill told the court that he notified Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which owns United Artists, in 2021 that he was reclaiming his rights to the screenplay.

MGM allegedly responded that Hill could not reclaim the copyright.

Amazon acquired MGM in March 2022. Hill said he regained his copyright last November, and that Amazon set a deadline to finish the film the day before the termination became effective.

Hill said Amazon took 'extreme measures' to meet the deadline, including using artificial intelligence to recreate actors' voices during a Screen Actors Guild strike, but did not finish the movie until January.

Back in March, writer of the original film Lance Hill sued Amazon.com in an attempt to halt the remake of the 1989 film Road House - starring Patrick Swayze - arguing the film violates his rights in the original's screenplay

Amazon's spokesperson denied that the remake uses any AI in place of actors' voices.

Hill frequently used the pseudonym David Lee Henry in Hollywood and he is best known for the cult film Road House.

Henry is credited with creating the story for the original Road House and shares screenplay co-writing credit with Hilary Henkin, 71.

Reset to the Florida Keys, the remake is directed by Doug Liman, whose filmography includes Swingers, The Bourne Identity and Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
Aubrey Plaza admitted to relating to many of the quirky and stranger characters that she has played over the years as someone who grew up feeling 'different.'

In her latest interview, the Golden Globe nominee, 39, opened up about her history of playing outsiders, her upcoming film Megalopolis and her jammed-packed schedule.

'I think one thing that I really love about acting and about putting myself out there is to wear those icky feelings and portray all of those things that everybody feels, because it's a universal feeling,' she told Deadline in the digital edition of their Disruptors/Cannes magazine.

She continued: 'It makes people feel seen. And I think with a lot of the characters that I choose to play, there is an underlying sense of wanting people to feel seen. I felt that way when I did Emily the Criminal and Ingrid Goes West too.'

Aubrey Plaza admitted to relating to many of the quirky and stranger characters that she has played over the years as someone who grew up feeling 'different' (seen in March 2023)

The Parks and Recreation star noted that she 'personally' related to both those characters, in a way she insisted 'a lot of people do.'

Plaza explained that both those roles captured 'those feelings of feeling like an outsider' as well as 'not good enough, or a freak.'

'I feel like I, definitely, over the years, have embraced those things because I have this impulse: I'd rather humiliate myself and put myself in the line of fire for the good, so everyone else can sit back and feel like, 'I'm OK.' It's my own little way of trying to make the world a better place,' she explained.

Rising to fame without any industry connections also contributed to the Delaware native's 'sense of feeling out of place.'

'I always felt like something was different about me. I think I've always had this sense of strangeness, or feeling like I'm an alien or something. But I think also, that feeling has helped me always connect with other people that feel that way,' she said.

As a child, the star also recalled spending a lot of time volunteering at 'nursing homes and working with the elderly, or working with disabled people and homeless daycares.'

'So, thinking about it now, maybe that shaped me in a really big way,' she said.

While speaking about her role in Francis Ford Coppolas Megalopolis, which comes out on Friday, Plaza said she and the cast were 'so in it' most of time that they 'didnt have time to even think about the optics of what' else was going on.

In her latest interview, the 39-year-old Golden Globe nominee opened up about her history of playing outsiders, her upcoming film Megalopolis and her jammed-packed schedule

'I think one thing that I really love about acting and about putting myself out there is to wear those icky feelings and portray all of those things that everybody feels, because it's a universal feeling,' she told Deadline

'I was just so immersed in the experience. Its a pretty relentless approach of shooting those movies [with Coppola]. Its an intense set when you know that Francis is behind the monitor and its your turn. Of course, there were moments that were just insane,' Plaza continued.

The final two weeks of shooting overlapped with her filming Agatha, which were luckily both shot on the same lot in Atlanta.

'At one point, when I was dressed in the Marvel character, I snuck onto the Megalopolis set and I started harassing Giancarlo Esposito and Adam [Driver] and everyone. It was absolutely insane behavior,' she mused.

In the upcoming sci-fi epic, she portrays a woman named Wow, that Plaze describes as 'wildly confident and not scared of anything.'

She continued: 'It makes people feel seen. And I think with a lot of the characters that I choose to play, there is an underlying sense of wanting people to feel seen. I felt that way when I did Emily the Criminal and Ingrid Goes West too'

The Parks and Recreation star noted that she 'personally' related to both those characters, in a way she insisted 'a lot of people do'

'I felt empowered by the character, because I think my confidence lies mainly in my work. I find sometimes that in my personal life and when I go home, I dont have the same kind of confidence and assertiveness that I do somehow when Im working and when Im playing these other people,' Plaza reflected.

She stated that playing Wow gave her 'strength' and the ability to push through things that 'would normally take' her down or give her a hard time.

Still, she admitted portraying a 'big personality that walks into a room and demands attention and isnt afraid of anybody or anything' can be 'exhausting to play.'

'I think in my real life actually, I have much more social anxiety and insecurity, and, I tend to not want to be around anyone,' she confessed.

Despite battling anxiety and insecurity, the performer naturally gravitated toward the stage.

She credited a lot of her family members like her late uncle, who was an artist that ran a salsa dancing and made films, and great-grandmother, who was a flamenco dancer, for inspiring her.

Plaza explained that both those roles captured 'those feelings of feeling like an outsider' as well as 'not good enough, or a freak' (seen in the 2022 series The White Lotus)

'I think one thing that I really love about acting and about putting myself out there is to wear those icky feelings and portray all of those things that everybody feels, because it's a universal feeling,' she told Deadline (pictured in the 2022 crime thriller Emily the Criminal)

'No one ever really went to Hollywood and did anything, but I think Ive always had this feeling like theres unfinished business in the generations of people in my family,' she said. 'It almost felt like Im empowered by all of these people  especially the women  in my family that wanted to be actresses or wanted to be out there but didnt have the resources or the money to ever make their dreams come true.'

Growing up, she joked that she was 'always slightly delusional' and 'grew up very, very obsessed with Judy Garland.'

'I think I was inspired by just so many women that made it happen that didnt have a connection or came from nothing. And I felt like, well, if they can do that, I can do it too,' the actress noted.

Plaza, who is staying busy with recent roles in the hit series The White Lotus and the film Emily the Criminal, explained that she was intentionally keeping her schedule packed and 'striking while the iron is hot.'
Meryl Streep returned to Cannes for the first time in 35 years to be awarded the Festival's Honorary Palme d'or on Tuesday.

The Oscar winning actress, 74, follows in the footsteps in the likes of Jeanne Moreau, Jean-Pierre Leaud, Jane Fonda, Agnes Varda, Michael Douglas and Jodie Foster to receive the Festival's Honorary Palme d'or.

Just 35 years after winning the Best Actress award for Evil Angels, her only appearance in Cannes to date, Meryl made her long-awaited return to the Croisette.

In good company, the award was presented to her by French actress Juliette Binoche.

Speaking on winning the award, she said: 'I am immeasurably honored to receive the news of this prestigious award.

Meryl Streep returned to Cannes for the first time in 35 years to be awarded the Festival's Honorary Palme d'or on Tuesday

In good company, the award was presented to her by French actress Juliette Binoche

'To win a prize at Cannes, for the international community of artists, has always represented the highest achievement in the art of filmmaking.

'To stand in the shadow of those who have previously been honored is humbling and thrilling in equal part.'

Cannes Film Festival president Iris Knobloch and general delegate Thierry Fremaux said: 'We all have something in us of Meryl Streep.

'We all have something in us of Kramer vs. Kramer, Sophie's Choice, Out of Africa, The Bridges of Madison County, The Devil Wears Prada and Mamma Mia.

'Because she has spanned almost 50 years of cinema and embodied countless masterpieces, Meryl Streep is part of our collective imagination, our shared love of cinema.'

Mr Fremaux is said to have been trying to persuade Meryl to get back to the Croisette for several years now - wanting her to take an honorary role.

Throughout her career Meryl has earned herself 21 Oscar nominations and has one three.

The Cannes red carpet returned as the 77th Film Festival got underway on Tuesday evening.

The Oscar winning actress, 74, follows in the footsteps in the likes of Jeanne Moreau, Jean-Pierre Leaud, Jane Fonda, Agnes Varda, Michael Douglas and Jodie Foster to receive the Festival's Honorary Palme d'or

Speaking on winning the award, she said: 'To stand in the shadow of those who have previously been honored is humbling and thrilling in equal part'

Meryl looked nothing short of sensational in a white gown as she posed on the red carpet ahead of the The Second Act premiere

The star turned heads in the gown as she posed on the red carpet

The festival opened on Tuesday with the Quentin Dupieux's 'The Second Act,' a star-studded French comedy headlined by Lea Seydoux, Vincent Lindon, Louis Garrel and Raphael Quenard.

Meryk looked nothing short of sensational as she stepped out on the star-studded red carpet wearing a white gown.

She looked incredible in the long sleeved number which boasted a wrap front cinching in her waist.

The Mamma Mia star added inches to her frame in a pair of silver heels and carried her belongings in a matching clutch.

Meryl opted for a stylish pair of black framed glasses and accessorised with a pair of eye catching drop earrings.

The Devil Wears Prada actress flashed her gorgeous smile for cameras and waved to fans lining the red carpet.

Earlier in the day, Meryl was the epitome of chic as she attended a photocall ahead of Cannes Film Festival's opening ceremony.

The Hollywood star wore a white blazer and matching trousers, teamed with a blue striped shirt.

She looked incredible in the long sleeved number which boasted a wrap front cinching in her waist

The Mamma Mia star added inches to her frame in a pair of silver heels and carried her belongings in a matching clutch

Meryl opted for a stylish pair of black framed glasses and accessorised with a pair of eye catching drop earrings

The Devil Wears Prada actress flashed her gorgeous smile for cameras and waved to fans lining the red carpet

She elevated her height in silver stilettos, while accessorising with a straw hat and oversized sunglasses.

Meryl appeared in high spirts as she waved to onlookers, ahead of receiving the honorary Palme d'Or award at the opening night of the festival.

In a statement, Meryl shared with THR: 'I am immeasurably honored to receive the news of this prestigious award. To win a prize at Cannes, for the international community of artists, has always represented the highest achievement in the art of filmmaking.

'To stand in the shadow of those who have previously been honored is humbling and thrilling in equal part. I so look forward to coming to France to thank everyone in person this May!'

The last time she appeared at the festival was back in 1989, when she won the Best Actress award for her work in Fred Schepisi's Evil Angels a Cry in the Dark.

Preparation for the 2024 Cannes Film Festival is well underway, with Anya Taylor-Joy and her Furiosa co-star Chris Hemsworth ready to make an entrance at the opening ceremony on Tuesday evening.
Kevin Costner is ready to set the record straight on the behind-the-scenes drama of Yellowstone.

The 69-year-old actor, who plays John Dutton III in the Taylor Sheridan series, claims he honored his contract despite ongoing rumors and discusses the delay of the show's finale, as Season 5 ended prematurely.

Allegedly, a feud between Costner and Sheridan caused the hold up. Paramount claimed Costner refused to shoot more episodes, instead promoting his new film franchise, Horizon, while Costner asserts Paramount sought contract amendments due to Sheridan's delayed scriptwriting.

'There was no script,' Costner told Deadline on Tuesday. 'And then things imploded. Youve been reading one version [of the show's drama] for a year and a half.'

He added: 'I have taken a beating from those f****** guys and I know a lot of times where its coming from. I just elected not to get into that. But if you know me well enough, I made Yellowstone the first priority, and to insinuate anything else would be wrong.'

Kevin Costner is ready to set the record straight on the behind-the-scenes drama of Yellowstone; Seenin April

The 69-year-old actor, who plays John Dutton III in the Taylor Sheridan series, claims he honored his contract despite ongoing rumors and discusses the delay of the show's finale, as Season 5 ended prematurely

Costner, who revealed he has not filmed the remaining episodes of Season 5, also defended Sheridan, claiming, 'I did not initiate any of those things. They did. They were doing a tap dance and this poor guy was also having to write so much. And I dont know why they didnt stick up for me.'

After the first half of the fifth season of Yellowstone aired late last year, the show went on hiatus for the holidays. Their return to filming, originally slated for the beginning of the year, was postponed to sometime this summer, with no announced premiere date.

Since Yellowstone went on hiatus, Costner has borne the brunt of the blame.

'I didnt have to answer the slings and arrows over the last year and a half, because Ive just been busy working. Theyve been pretty slick about keeping their hands off; nobody was ever on the record.'

However, rumors claimed he only wanted to work for one week to film the rest of the episodes. Costner contends that Paramount deceived him.

'I havent felt good about it the last year, what with the way theyve talked about it,' he told Deadline. 'It wasnt truthful.'

'So now Im talking a little bit about what the real truth of it was. I made a contract for seasons five, six and seven. In February, after a two- or three-month negotiation, they made another contract. They wanted to redo that one, and instead of seasons six and seven, it was 5A and 5B, and maybe well do six. They werent able to make those.'

He went to to say he was willing to film Horizon around the Yellowstone schedule but the timeline kept changing.

'There was no script,' Costner told Deadline on Tuesday. 'And then things imploded. Youve been reading one version [of the show's drama] for a year and a half'

He added: 'I have taken a beating from those f****** guys and I know a lot of times where its coming from. I just elected not to get into that. But if you know me well enough, I made Yellowstone the first priority, and to insinuate anything else would be wrong'

'Horizon was set in the middle, but Yellowstone was first position. I fit [Horizon] into the gaps. They just kept moving their gaps.'

Costner, amid considerable scrutiny regarding the show's future, acknowledged feeling 'bothered' by the production's apparent lack of support.

He added: 'They were silent and that bothered me in the world of how you do things. Why dont you stick up for me? I went and sold this thing for you. I was going to only do one season. I made it for three. I fulfilled three.

'So I went from one to three, then I did a fourth one for them and they wanted to do three more. So I made the contract to do that. They imploded. I had a contract to do five, six and seven. I was contracted to do that. Theres nothing I could have done to get out of that, nor was I trying to just figure out how, when we started.

'I left my movie [Horizon] to be on time for them for 5B,' Costner continued. 'I left exactly when they wanted, and it made it hard on me.'

However, he alleged that the crux of the issue lay in the absence of scripts for the final stretch of Yellowstone episodes.

'It turns out they didnt have the scripts for 5B. They needed four more days just to complete the first eight episodes. I left early to give them what they needed to have a complete eight, and I felt bad that the audience didnt get 10. They didnt have the scripts for anything else.'

'So, what you read in the end was that I said, "Well, look, Im doing my movie. If you want me to work a week because you want to kill me or whatever else, I can give you a week." I really didnt have that week to give them, but I said, Ill do that. And then they [spun that] into, I only wanted to work a week.'

'I havent felt good about it the last year, what with the way theyve talked about it,' he told Deadline. 'It wasnt truthful; still from Yellowstone

When asked if things could be worked out if he sat down 'man-to-man' with Sheridan, Costner argued: 'Dont talk to me about man-to-man,'; Costner and Taylor Sheridan in 2018

Costner also hinted at Sheridan being stretched thin at Paramount, suggesting it as the reason for running out of scripts for the latter half of Yellowstone season 5.

Apart from his involvement in the popular Western, Sheridan oversees a multitude of projects including Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King, Special Ops: Lioness, and Lawman: Bass Reeves, alongside Yellowstone spin-offs like 1883 and 1923.

Reportedly, Paramount also intends to launch a new Yellowstone sequel/spin-off starring Matthew McConaughey.

'Theres a lot of product they were putting out,' Costner said. '[Yellowstone] didnt have the scripts. And they wrote these other three shows. They dont ever talk about that.'

When asked if things could be worked out if he sat down 'man-to-man' with Sheridan, Costner argued: 'Dont talk to me about man-to-man.'

Despite the drama, Costner hasn't closed the door on returning to Yellowstone; still from Yellowstone

Reportedly, Paramount also intends to launch a new Yellowstone sequel/spin-off starring Matthew McConaughey; seen in September in NYC

'I was straight up with him and he said what we would do and I believed him and we didnt get there,' he said.

Despite the drama, Costner hasn't closed the door on returning to Yellowstone.

'Im very open to coming back. If theyve got so many other things going on, maybe this circles back and its a really cool two seasons,' he said.

'Or end it, if the writings there and Im happy with it. Im open to that. But I took a beating over these guys not speaking up for me and allowing crazy stories to come out.'
Cannes Film Festival jury members Lily Gladstone and Greta Gerwig put on an animated display as they posed at the opening premiere on Tuesday night.

Killers of the Flower Moon actress Lily, 37, made a heart to the adoring crowds at The Second Act screening which kicked off the iconic French Festival.

President of the Jury and director Greta, 40, meanwhile was seen doing a peace sign as she posed for a selfie.

She looked stunning in a plunging sequin purple dress with a daring thigh-split and accessorised with silver earrings.

Meanwhile Lily turned heads in a similarly dazzling dark blue number and wore her brunette tresses in loose waves.

Cannes Film Festival jury members Lily Gladstone (right) and Greta Gerwig (left) put on an animated display as they posed at the opening premiere on Tuesday night

Killers of the Flower Moon actress Lily, 37, made a heart to the adoring crowds at The Second Act screening, while Greta, 40, (seen centre) was seen doing a peace sign as she posed for a selfie

She looked stunning in a plunging sequin purple dress with a daring thigh-split and accessorised with silver earrings

The long gown had a flattering v-neck design and was adorned with black flower detailing.

Tuesday evening was all about Lea Seydoux as her latest film was given the honour of opening the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival on the French Riviera.

The actress, who takes a starring role in new release The Second Act (Le Deuxieme Acte), was supported by a host of stars as the worlds of film, music and fashion descended on the resort town for two weeks of red carpet celebrations.

Supermodel Heidi Klum, Lea's French compatriot Eva Green, director Greta Gerwig and Oscar winning Hollywood legend Meryl Streep were among those on hand to toast the film's official launch.

But it was Lea's night and the actress stunned in a sweeping silver sequinned gown after joining the new film's cast and crew on the red carpet.

She completed the look with a pair of matching silver heels, while a tasteful choker necklace served as her only notable accessory.

Elsewhere, adding a touch of old school Hollywood glamour to proceedings, Meryl Streep opted for simple white evening gown on what transpired to be special night for the Oscar-winning actress.

The ceremony opened with the presentation of an honorary Palme d'Or for Meryl and the unveiling of Greta Gerwig's jury, as the French Riviera spectacular kicked off a potentially volatile 77th edition.

Meanwhile Lily (right) turned heads in a similarly dazzling dark blue number and wore her brunette tresses in loose waves

The pair posed with Eve Green who wore a strapless black dress that had a puffy lilac skirt

She beamed as the man took a selfie with her

The trio of women looked like they were having a great time at the premiere as they posed together

Greta flashed plenty of leg in the red number which she teamed with pointy heels

Jury president Greta Gerwig, second form left, poses with jury members Omar Sy, from left, Lily Gladstone, Nadine Labaki, Kore-eda Hirokazu, Ebru Ceylan, J.A. Bayona, Eva Green, and Pierfrancesco Favino

A 10-day stream of stars began flowing down the Cannes red carpet with the opening night film, The Second Act, a French comedy starring Lea, Vincent Lindon, Louis Garrel and Raphael Quenard.

They play squabbling actors filming a movie directed by an artificial intelligence.

The festival's first lengthy standing ovation, though, went to Meryl, who was awarded an honorary Palme d'Or during Tuesday's opening ceremony.

After Juliette Binoche introduced her, the actress alternatively shook her head, fanned herself and danced while the crowd thunderously cheered.

'I'm just so grateful that you haven't gotten sick of my face and you haven't gotten off of the train,' she said, who soon thereafter declared Cannes officially open with Juliette.

'My mother, who is usually right about everything, said to me: 'Meryl, my darling, you'll see. It all goes so fast. So fast', added Meryl.

The long gown had a flattering v-neck design and was adorned with black flower detailing

The Jury all posed together for a group snap at the first glitzy premiere

'And it has, and it does. Except for my speech, which is too long.'

The reception was nearly as rapturous for Gerwig, the first American female filmmaker to serve as president of the Cannes jury that will decide the festival's top award, the Palme d'Or.

Thierry Fremaux, Cannes' artistic director, on Monday praised her as 'the ideal director' for Cannes, given her work across arthouse and studio film and her interest in cinema history.

And, Fremaux said: 'We very much liked Barbie.'
The Eurovision Song Contest kicked off on 7 May in Malmo, Sweden, at the same time as Israel launched its assault on Rafah, where more than 1.5 million Palestinian refugees are now living. In a powerful show of solidarity, Malmo responded with one of the biggest demonstrations Sweden has seen in decades.

[Originally published in Swedish at marxist.se]

The atmosphere in Malmo was not one of celebration  it felt more like a besieged city, with more police than tourists on the streets. Along the so-called Eurovision street, Palestinian flags hung from windows. Streets and walls were covered with pro-Palestinian messages, despite the municipalitys frantic clean-up efforts.

The organisers did their best to ban any evidence of support for Palestine inside the arena, but failed miserably. During the opening act for the semi-finals, Swedish artist Eric Saade (a former contestant whose father is a Palestinian from Lebanon) wore a keffiyeh around his wrist, which was condemned by both the Swedish national broadcaster SVT and the EBU as going against the non-political nature of the contest.

The hypocrisy was answered by Saade himself: In my eyes its just racism. 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.

He also commented on the hypocrisy behind the ban on Palestinian flags and symbols on his Instagram story:

The EBUs handling of Eurovision is shameful. They dont allow any Palestinian symbols in the arena, while symbols representing all other ethnic groups in the world are welcome. Their slogan united by music (if you are not Palestinian) is already a joke. By broadcasting Israeli propaganda on primetime to the whole world, yet focusing on banning the Palestinian flag?

Ever since it became clear that Israel would be allowed to participate, and with a song adapted from a composition specifically about 7 October (Hurricane, originally October Rain), the anger against Eurovision has been growing. The more EBU or SVT representatives have tried to explain why it was reasonable to ban Russia from participating but not Israel, the more their hypocrisy has shone through.

Almost 20 percent of the booked artists, including Medina, Dotter, Titiyo and Magnus Carlsson, dropped out in protest. 10 percent of all volunteers refused to work. Even the venue Moriska Paviljongen and Malmo Pride withdrew from collaborations around Eurovision, as did the jury spokesperson from both Norway and Finland.

Frances entrant Slimane and Irelands Bambie Thug also showed their support for Palestine during the rehearsal. There is also the curious story of Joost Klein from the Netherlands. During a press conference, he interrupted a question directed at Israels Eden Golan and then refused to pose for a photo with the artist. The Joost Klein problem was solved just hours before the final when he became the first ever act to be disqualified from the competition, with the excuse that he had engaged in threatening behaviour towards a camera operator.

During the finals, loud boos (clearly audible on the live broadcast) against Eden Golan and Eurovision director Martin Osterdahl turned this years Eurovision into a modern and particularly unsuccessful version of the Emperors New Clothes, where the forbidden support for Palestine was constantly in evidence. In Belgium, the Flemish public service channel was interrupted by the ACOD-VRT trade union, which broadcast a message saying: We condemn the violations of human rights by the State of Israel. Moreover, the State of Israel is destroying freedom of the press. That is why we pause the video for a moment. #CeaseFireNow #StopGenocideNow.

Against the intentions of EBU and SVT, the spectacle itself became yet further proof of increasingly determined support for Palestine.

Largest Palestine demonstrations in Sweden

Demonstrations and protests took place during the whole event. On Thursday and Saturday, large protest marches were organised by the campaign Stop Israel  For Peace and a Free Palestine, endorsed by 66 organisations, including the RKP (Revolutionary Communist Party, Swedish section of the RCI). We estimate there were between 15,000 and 20,000 attending the marches on Thursday and Saturday, and we can safely say that these were some of the largest demonstrations in a very long time and certainly the largest demonstrations for Palestine organised in Sweden since October.

Spontaneous protests also broke out around the Eurovision arena and the so-called Eurovision Village in Folkets Park. On Thursday, the demonstration at Folkets Park started at 18:30 and continued well into the night. On Friday, it started already at 16:00 with the inauguration of the Gaza Roundabout, where activists painted graffiti in solidarity with Palestine, also lasting until after midnight. Protesters took over street after street, with a massive police presence desperately trying to keep up. Motorists who got stuck in the middle of the demonstrations honked enthusiastically in support.

The mood at the demonstrations was very radical. Slogans such as Long live Palestine, The people united will never be defeated and Intifada, revolution  stop, stop occupation echoed along the streets. Everyone that we in the RKP talked to agreed with our message: we need a revolution in Sweden and the whole world to crush imperialism. The RKP's newspaper Revolution, with the front page Free Palestine  Crush Imperialism  For a Socialist Middle East  For a Socialist World, was met with an enthusiastic response. We sold hundreds of newspapers and dozens signed up to join the party. This undoubtedly angered the right wing, with Kristianstadsbladets political editor Sofia Nerbrand, among others, tweeting about the extreme views displayed at the demonstrations with a video of our contingent.

Despite widespread concerns of a clampdown, especially given the history of racist abuse by the Malmo police, there were no big outbreaks of violence. Its clear that the police had been ordered not to interfere with the large demonstrations in the city, while at the same time being extremely heavy-handed with the few protesters who made their way to the arena. There, protesters were pepper-sprayed and arbitrarily arrested. The tactic was obvious: go after the most radical Palestinian activists when they are isolated from the masses, but avoid scenes like those during Limhamn 2014, with police horses and police cars running into large crowds.

The majority does not support Israel

Media outlets are now trying to make a big fuss out of the fact that Israel received the second-most public votes of all entries  with Swedish viewers giving them the highest score of all the acts. Some Israeli and pro-Israel media outlets have tried to use this as evidence that the people support Israel. But as The Times of Israel admits, this was obviously the result of an organised, dedicated effort by Israel supporters to give their votes to Golan, while it is much easier to vote in support of a country than against it. While Zionists and other right-wingers mobilised for Golan, many who sympathise with Palestine simply boycotted the contest because there was no single pro-Palestinian alternative.

For a more accurate picture, we can look at the results of the April 2024 YouGov survey, which found that 46 percent of Swedes agree with the statement that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, while only 26 percent disagree. 50 percent support an arms embargo on Israel (with 23 percent opposed), 49 percent think Israeli officials should be prosecuted for war crimes (with 25 percent opposed) and 41 percent support economic sanctions against Israel (with 31 percent opposed). This shows the true mood of the Swedish population, where there is strong opposition to Israel's brutal policies, especially among young people and people of non-European heritage.

The real balance of forces can also be seen in the fact that the Zionist demonstration on Thursday attracted only 120 people, protected by a massive police presence, compared to the tens of thousands who gathered over several days for Palestine.

More and more people see through the propaganda. This is perhaps best reflected in the wave of university occupations that has swept the world over the past month  and which has also begun to connect with the most radical layers of the working class.

With this in mind, the protests in Malmo should have been even bigger. One limiting factor was the scaremongering by police, politicians and media in the months leading up to Eurovision, with speculation about the risks of terrorist attacks inside the stadium, violent clashes between Zionists and pro-Palestinian protesters, and more.

But it is also a question of lack of mobilisation. No posters had been put up before the demonstrations. If you didnt know which social media accounts to check for information, it was impossible to find out when the demonstrations would take place. The main responsibility for this falls on the labour movement. Either siding with Israel (the Social Democrats), remaining on the sidelines of the movement (the Left Party) or remaining completely silent (the trade unions) has meant that there have been no organisations with the capacity for the kind of large-scale mobilisation that would be needed.

Next step for the Palestine movement

The question many are now asking is: what is the next step? Increasingly, we hear slogans about the need to escalate at demonstrations. This is absolutely right  but it would be a mistake if it only resulted in isolated direct actions by a few activists. We need to shake up the status quo as people say, but we need to do so in a way that connects with and mobilises the working class, who are the ones with the power to cut off western imperialisms support for Israel.

On 30 April, the Dockers Union published an open letter to the government demanding that they suspend all military cooperation and trade with the Israeli Defense Forces and defence industry. But the dockers should not wait for Ulf Kristerssons pro-Israeli right-wing government to act. Instead, they should follow the example of the Barcelona dockers and impose the blockade on their own.

The Swedish dock workers too have a history of militant action. In 2010, they imposed a blockade on all Israeli goods after Israel attacked ships that were supposed to break the blockade of Gaza. As the dockers' union points out in their letter, Swedish-based companies such as Aimpoint, SAAB, Hagglunds and Micropol have a partnership with the Israeli defence industry and the Swedish military buys billions of dollars worth of military equipment from Elbit, one of Israels largest arms manufacturers. The dockers can stop this, without waiting for Zionists in the government like Ebba Bush or Johan Pehrson to change their minds after months of open support for Israel's war.

The fact that many of the demonstrations have become smaller this spring does not mean that support for Palestine is declining  on the contrary. More and more people support Palestine, as the YouGov survey and Eurovision debacle also show. The more Israel escalates the war in Gaza, the more the anger against them will increase across the working class. But to really escalate the movement, other methods are needed than just calling for spontaneous demonstrations. It requires more careful mobilisation and that we, with the lessons from the student movement in the US, bring the movement into schools, universities and workplaces. The encampments set up outside some of the largest universities can become an important first step.

It is not the pro-Israeli politicians in Sweden, the US or the UK, nor the UN or the International Court of Justice in The Hague that will stop the Israeli war machine. It is the working class. We in the Revolutionary Communist Party, together with our comrades in the Revolutionary Communist International, will continue to participate in this movement and explain the need for class struggle against the war and oppression of imperialism. The working class has the power to not only cut off economic aid to Israel, but to abolish the capitalist system that gives rise to war, oppression and poverty. That is the escalation that is needed.
All That actress Lori Beth Denberg leveled accusations of disturbing sexual misconduct against the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series' producer Dan Schneider.

Denberg, now 48, claimed in a new Business Insider piece that Schneider  who took over as showrunner in the series' third season  showed her pornography during her time on All That and engaged in phone sex with her.

In the same story, Schneider, 58, denied Denberg's account, calling it 'wildly exaggerated' and 'mostly false.' She is speaking out in the wake of the docuseries Quiet On Set, which included multiple accusations of inappropriate behavior against Schneider from former Nickelodeon actors.

Denberg's account opens with a meeting with Schneider in which he seemingly apologized for the way a female producer on All That  which originally aired from 1994 to 2005  had spoken to the actress about her recent weight gain, before allegedly taking the meeting down an inappropriately sexual path.

According to Denberg, who had turned 19 around the time of the meeting, Schneider said he had wanted to speak to her himself since he knew what it was like to be overweight.

All That actress Lori Beth Denberg, now 48, leveled accusations of disturbing sexual misconduct against the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series' producer Dan Schneider to Business Insider; seen in 2023 in Connecticut

Denberg claimed that Schneider, 58, showed her pornography during her time on All That and engaged in phone sex with her. He denied the account as 'wildly exaggerated' and 'mostly false'; seen in 2024 reacting to the docuseries Quiet on Set

Denberg appreciated Schneider's understanding, but the conversation quickly changed, and soon the producer was allegedly showing her pornographic videos on a computer.

The 'grand finale' was allegedly a clip of a woman performing oral sex on a goat.

'I feel like that is the first time he preyed on me,' Denberg said.

According to her, Schneider would play porn for her multiple times throughout her tenure on All That's first four seasons, from 1994 to 1998.

She also claimed that he could be explosive on set  where he took over as showrunner starting with All That's third season  and she alleged that he once initiated phone sex with her.

Denberg also described Schneider allegedly sexually assaulting her in one story after she lost a bet to him.

After her meeting over her weight, Denberg said Schneider began to make frequent sexual phone calls to her, including one in which he allegedly initiated phone sex.

The series was originally filmed in Orlando, Florida, but after it moved to Los Angeles, Denberg said she began spending significant time at Schneider's home, which included multiple sleepovers.

The actress said the two didn't have sex at the sleepovers, but they did give each other massages, and she claimed that Schneider often showed her porn.

Her claims were corroborated to Business Insider by her high school friend Farah Alvin, who said Denberg told her at the time about the pornography, phone sex and how Schneider would ask for massages.

Denberg recounted a meeting around her 19th birthday when Schneider allegedly showed her pornography, including a video of a woman performing oral sex on a goat; still from All That

He also allegedly had her over to his house for sleepovers, where he would show her pornography. At other times they allegedly had sexual phone calls, all of which a high school friend of Denberg's says she told her at the time; Schneider seen in 2015 in NYC

In another disturbing incident, Denberg was a passenger in Schneider's car when he was pulled over by a police officer for an issue with his tags.

The showrunner had a gun with him, and he allegedly handed it to her to hide, so she slipped it out of view under her skirt.

Denberg claimed that the relationship took a more physical turn when she was 20 or 21.

During a night together at Schneider's home, the two watched Jeopardy and bet on who could guess more of the answers correctly.

Denberg won, and the bet stipulated that Schneider would give her a massage, but she alleged that he went further and touched her breasts and even put his mouth on them.

Denberg said that she didn't see these interactions as inappropriate at the time since she was over 18, but in the last few years she has come to see that there was a significant power imbalance between herself and Schneider, who was her boss on all That.

Now she believes that if she had refused any of his affections that he might have given her less screen time on All That or been even more aggressive with her on set.

'I couldn't have been more green,' Denberg said. 'I couldn't have been more vulnerable.'

Denberg said the two watched Jeopardy at Scheider's house one night and bet that whoever guessed the most right answers would get a massage. She won, but Schneider went further and allegedly fondled and put his mouth on her breasts

Schneider was allegedly explosive on set and would humiliate Denberg in front of the cast and crew; seen in 2017 with (LR) SVP of Talent and Casting for Nickelodeon Shelly Sumpter Gillyard and EVP of Global Inclusion Strategy and Diversity of Viacom Marva Smalls

As an example of Schneider's mercurial temper, Denberg recalled a dinner when she was 18 or 19 with writers and crew members at which Schneider allegedly asked the group  unprompted  if that had noticed that Denberg's breasts were different sizes.

She threw a dinner roll at him to move on from the awkward topic, but Schneider exploded, claiming that his allegedly injured eye was 'hanging on by a thread,' before he left the restaurant in a huff.

'It was one of those turns that was just really upsetting and scary,' Denberg said, but 'Everyone else seemed to completely blow it off.'

She says that Schneider began to lash out at her more and more on set in front of the cast and crew as her time on the show progressed.

A source who worked on All That who wished to be anonymous out of fear of professional repercussions agreed that Schneider could be cruel to Denberg, and they claimed he would sometimes change scripts to make scenes humiliating for her.

When the show's co-creator was was absent one day, Schneider allegedly had Denberg film a scene in which she was soaked with water for hours on a cold soundstage, and she claims he refused to write jokes for her until the last minute, forcing her to deliver them without rehearsal in front of a live studio audience.

She called his strategy a 'power play.'

Denberg left All That in 1998, after filming the fourth season. At the time, she didn't care to see Schneider ever again, but she was lured back to Nickelodeon when her former costar Amanda Bynes asked her to visit the set of The Amanda Show, which Schneider created.

'I decided that I loved her more than I hated Dan,' Denberg said of Bynes, who was only 10 when she joined All That for its third season.

Denberg also claimed that Schneider asked her to hide his gun after he was pulled over by a police officer; pictured with the cast of All That

Denberg thought that Bynes  who was 13 at the time  looked 'emaciated' on the set, and she heard Schneider say that the show had paused filming recently because Bynes was 'tired,' though she didn't speak to him directly.

Denberg shared her concerns about Bynes' health and the toxic environment that Schneider fostered to Brian Robbins, who co-created and executive produced All That.

He was also a producer on The Amanda Show, as well as Bynes' talent agent, and he was Schneider's boss.

Denberg claims she burst into tears as she shared her concerns to Robbins, who allegedly didn't ask any follow-up questions and defended Schneider. She worried he wouldn't take action, as he had witness Schneider's on-set blow-ups without criticizing them, and he and the showrunner had been friends and colleagues for years.

The actress subsequently had a meeting in 2000 at Nickelodeon's New York headquarters to share her concerns about Schneider, though she never mentioned his allegedly sexual behavior at either meeting.

Denberg was told that Bynes' schedule had been rearranged to make it easier on her.

But Denberg returned to LA to hear from a friend working on The Amanda Show that she had been barred from the set after her photo was placed in the guard shack. A source who worked on the show confirmed her photo was posted, and they claimed it was known to the crew that she wasn't allowed on set due to her meetings with Robbins and Nickelodeon about Schneider.

Denberg said she felt surging 'disgust and defeat and sadness' at the development.

'I felt like I tried to help her  to help Amanda, and couldn't,' she said.

Bynes has had numerous widely publicized mental health issues in recent years, leading to a conservatorship  which was ended in 2022  and two psychiatric holds last year.

Denberg complained to producers and execs of Schneider's treatment of Amanda Bynes (pictured)  then 13  on her eponymous show, but she was then barred from set

Schneider was subsequently pushed out at Nickelodeon after a 2018 investigation that didn't find evidence of sexual misconduct, but determined that he had been verbally abusive in the past.

Denberg recalled being furious that the executives she had warned about Schneider had gone on to be promoted and to have major success in subsequent years despite allegedly ignoring her.

Schneider responded to Denberg's claims, calling them 'wildly exaggerated and, in most cases, false.'

'As I have previously stated, there were times, particularly in the early years of my career, that I made mistakes and exhibited poor judgment as a leader,' he said. 'If I did that with respect to Lori Beth, I sincerely apologize to her. But I cannot apologize for things I did not do.'
Maria Bello has confirmed her wedding to French chef Dominique Crenn - weeks after the pair set off rumors that they had tied the knot.

The 57-year-old actress first went public with Dominique, 59, in 2020, announcing that they had gotten engaged the previous year.

Last month, they were both seen flashing their rings at the Time 100 Gala, leading to speculation they had already exchanged vows.

Now, Maria has revealed she and Dominique held their 'bohemian, chic' nuptials in Cabo San Lucas this past Sunday with 140 loved ones in attendance.

Their guest list included Mariska Hargitay, Gavin Rossdale, Vanessa Getty and Oscar-winner Patricia Arquette, Maria told People.

Maria Bello has confirmed her wedding to French chef Dominique Crenn - weeks after the pair ignited rumors that they had tied the knot

Last month, they were both seen flashing their rings at the Time 100 Gala, leading to speculation they had already exchanged vows

Maria went down the aisle in a flowing pink gown from Dior's Frida Kahlo collection, in keeping with the Mexican setting of their ceremony.

Dominique wore a white outfit from the same fashion house, opting for a sleek white waistcoat with a pair of matching trousers and jacket.

The brides spent a chunk of their engagement in Mexico during the COVID-19 lockdowns, and the nation became their 'home away from home,' they said.

For their venue, they selected the Montage Los Cabos in Cabo San Lucas, which they fell in love with in part because of the 'stunning' vistas on view.

During the ceremony, Dominique arrived to the Prince song KISS, accompanied by her 10-year-old daughters from a previous marriage and by her ex-mother-in-law, who is the children's grandmother.

Maria then appeared to Burna Boy's Time Flies, along with her son Jackson McDermott, 23, whom she had with studio executive Dan McDermott.

For her grand entrance at her wedding ceremony, Maria was also joined by her mother Kathy Bello, a teacher and nurse.

I Wanna Dance With Somebody by Whitney Houston played at the end of the official ceremony, after which the reception took place, with the two brides embarking on their first dance to Dancing Queen by ABBA.

Dominique, the first woman chef to earn three Michelin stars in the United States, got engaged to Maria in December 2019 while on holiday in Paris; pictured last year

They announced their engagement at Elton John's Oscars viewing party in February 2020, and later that night posed side by side at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party (pictured)

Maria is pictured with her son Jackson, 23, whom she had with her studio executive ex-boyfriend Dan McDermott

Dominique, the first woman chef to earn three Michelin stars in the United States, got engaged to Maria in December 2019 while on holiday in Paris.

Early in their relationship, the couple weathered a frightening storm together when Dominique was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Dominique recalled that upon hearing the news, Maria told her: 'Im here and Im going to be here for all the time during the time of this.'

'Listen, I just knew. I just knew and so did she,' Maria explained to People, saying she had 'never smiled as much' before as she did during her time with Dominique.

They announced their engagement at Elton John's Oscars viewing party in February 2020, and later that night posed side by side at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party.
He's already starred in an Oscar-winning film and rubbed shoulders with the stars at the awards ceremony.

And this Border Collie showed he was rather comfortable with his new lifestyle as he posed on the red carpet at Cannes last night.

Messi, star of Anatomy of a Fall, became the first dog to tread the strip in the South of France last night.

Not dissimilar to his celebrity friends, he stood on two legs on the red carpet and appeared to wave to the crowd  using his paws.

Messi, eight, was carrying a selfie stick and camera between his teeth to film TikTok videos for the festival.

He's already starred in an Oscar-winning film and rubbed shoulders with the stars at the awards ceremony

And this Border Collie showed he was rather comfortable with his new lifestyle as he posed on the red carpet at Cannes last night

At the event Messi was seen with cinema dog trainer Laura Martin Contini who wore a stylish light grey dress

He rose to fame after playing Snoop, a guide dog, in French murder mystery Anatomy of a Fall, which won Best Screenplay at this year's Oscars.

At the event Messi was seen with his owner and cinema dog trainer Laura Martin Contini who wore a stylish light grey dress.

Justine Triet's murder mystery Anatomy of a Fall premiered last year in Cannes where it went on to win the festival's top award, the Palme d'Or.

Messi won the Palm Dog, a journalist-created prize for the festival's top dog.

Aside from Messi, Tuesday evening was all about Lea Seydoux as her latest film was given the honour of opening the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival on the French Riviera.

The actress, who takes a starring role in new release The Second Act (Le Deuxieme Acte), was supported by a host of stars as the worlds of film, music and fashion descended on the resort town for two weeks of red carpet celebrations.

Supermodel Heidi Klum, Lea's French compatriot Eva Green, director Greta Gerwig and Oscar winning Hollywood legend Meryl Streep were among those on hand to toast the film's official launch.

But it was Lea's night and the actress stunned in a sweeping silver sequinned gown after joining the new film's cast and crew on the red carpet.

Messi, star of Anatomy of a Fall, became the first dog to tread the strip in the South of France last night

He rose to fame after playing Snoop, a guide dog, in French murder mystery Anatomy of a Fall, which won Best Screenplay at this year's Oscars

She completed the look with a pair of matching silver heels, while a tasteful choker necklace served as her only notable accessory.

Elsewhere, adding a touch of old school Hollywood glamour to proceedings, Meryl Streep opted for simple white evening gown on what transpired to be special night for the Oscar-winning actress.

The ceremony opened with the presentation of an honorary Palme d'Or for Meryl and the unveiling of Greta Gerwig's jury, as the French Riviera spectacular kicked off a potentially volatile 77th edition.

A 10-day stream of stars began flowing down the Cannes red carpet with the opening night film, The Second Act, a French comedy starring Lea, Vincent Lindon, Louis Garrel and Raphael Quenard.

They play squabbling actors filming a movie directed by an artificial intelligence.

The festival's first lengthy standing ovation, though, went to Meryl, who was awarded an honorary Palme d'Or during Tuesday's opening ceremony.

After Juliette Binoche introduced her, the actress alternatively shook her head, fanned herself and danced while the crowd thunderously cheered.

'I'm just so grateful that you haven't gotten sick of my face and you haven't gotten off of the train,' she said, who soon thereafter declared Cannes officially open with Juliette.

'My mother, who is usually right about everything, said to me: 'Meryl, my darling, you'll see. It all goes so fast. So fast', added Meryl.

Messi, eight, was carrying a selfie stick and camera between his teeth to film TikTok videos for the festival

Messi posed with owner Laura and a group of other guests at the premiere

He looked like he was having a great time at the event

He had the camera gear attached to his body too

He made headline earlier this years at The Oscars where he sat in the audience

Justine Triet's murder mystery Anatomy of a Fall premiered last year in Cannes where it went on to win the festival's top award, the Palme d'Or

'And it has, and it does. Except for my speech, which is too long.'

The reception was nearly as rapturous for Gerwig, the first American female filmmaker to serve as president of the Cannes jury that will decide the festival's top award, the Palme d'Or.

Thierry Fremaux, Cannes' artistic director, on Monday praised her as 'the ideal director' for Cannes, given her work across arthouse and studio film and her interest in cinema history.

And, Fremaux said: 'We very much liked Barbie.'
Heidi Klum changed into a black cut-out gown as she lead the stars at Cannes Film Festival's Opening Gala alongside Meryl Streep, Lily Gladstone and Greta Gerwig.

The German model, 50, was seen taking to the red carpet for the premiere of The Second Act on Tuesday sporting a dramatic red gown.

But hours later at the gala dinner for the festival's opening ceremony, held at the Casino Le Palm Beach, Heidi debuted a different dress - a sleek black number.

Her gala dinner dress had a cut out at one side of her waist and an asymmetric hemline.

She was joined at the gala by Hollywood icon Meryl, 74, Barbie director Greta, 40, and Killers of the Flower Moon star Lily, 37.

Heidi Klum changed into a black cut-out gown as she lead the stars at Cannes Film Festival's Opening Gala alongside Meryl Streep, Lily Gladstone and Greta Gerwig on Tuesday

The German model, 50, was seen taking to the red carpet for the premiere of The Second Act on Tuesday sporting a dramatic red gown (pictured)

Ensuring she claimed her own share of the spotlight, supermodel Heidi turned heads earlier in the day as she graced the red carpet in a deep red evening dress with a distinctive train and just enough length to show off her toned legs.

The German model needed the help of two male assistants to carry the lengthy train as she made her way along the Cannes Croisette ahead of Tuesday's screening.

Not to be outdone, this year's Cannes Jury President Greta stunned in a plunging crimson gown complete with thigh-high split as she mingled with her fellow jury members, among them actress Lily.

The ceremony opened with the presentation of an honorary Palme d'Or for Meryl and the unveiling of Greta's jury, as the French Riviera spectacular kicked off a potentially volatile 77th edition.

Lily made a heart to the adoring crowds at The Second Act screening which kicked off the iconic French Festival as she posed alongside Greta.

President of the Jury and director Greta meanwhile was seen doing a peace sign as she posed for a selfie.

She looked stunning in a plunging sequin purple dress with a daring thigh-split and accessorised with silver earrings.

Meanwhile Lily turned heads in a similarly dazzling dark blue number and wore her brunette tresses in loose waves.

But hours later at the official gala dinner for the festival's opening ceremony, held at the Casino Le Palm Beach, Heidi debuted a different dress - a sleek, black, off-the-shoulder number

Her gala dinner dress had a cut out at one side of her waist and an asymmetric hemline

Ensuring she claimed her own share of the spotlight, supermodel Heidi turned heads earlier in the day as she graced the red carpet in a deep red evening dress with a distinctive train

Adding a touch of old school Hollywood glamour to proceedings, Meryl opted for simple white evening gown on what transpired to be special night for the Oscar-winning actress

It was Meryl's first time at Cannes for over three decades as she was to be honoured with the Festival's Honorary Palme d'or

Not to be outdone, this year's Cannes Jury President Greta stunned in a plunging crimson gown complete with thigh-high split as she mingled with her fellow jury members, among them actress Lily

Greta looked stunning in a plunging sequin purple dress with a daring thigh-split and accessorised with silver earrings

Meanwhile Lily turned heads in a similarly dazzling dark blue number and wore her brunette tresses in loose waves

In good company, the award was presented to her by French actress Juliette Binoche (pictured)

The long gown had a flattering v-neck design and was adorned with black flower detailing.

Adding a touch of old school Hollywood glamour to proceedings, Meryl opted for simple white evening gown on what transpired to be special night for the Oscar-winning actress.

It was Meryl's first time at Cannes for over three decades as she was to be honoured with the Festival's Honorary Palme d'or.

Meryl follows in the footsteps in the likes of Jeanne Moreau, Jean-Pierre Leaud, Jane Fonda, Agnes Varda, Michael Douglas and Jodie Foster to receive the Festival's Honorary Palme d'or.

Just 35 years after winning the Best Actress award for Evil Angels, her only appearance in Cannes to date, Meryl made her long-awaited return to the Croisette.

President of the Jury Greta was accompanied by fellow Jury Member Lily at the ceremony on Tuesday

She looked stunning in a plunging sequin purple dress with a daring thigh-split and accessorised with silver earrings

Killers of the Flower Moon actress Lily, 37, made a heart to the adoring crowds at The Second Act screening, while Greta, 40, (seen centre) was seen doing a peace sign as she posed for a selfie

Meryl Streep returned to Cannes for the first time in 35 years to be awarded the Festival's Honorary Palme d'or on Tuesday

In good company, the award was presented to her by French actress Juliette Binoche.

Speaking on winning the award, she said: 'I am immeasurably honoured to receive the news of this prestigious award.

'To win a prize at Cannes, for the international community of artists, has always represented the highest achievement in the art of film making.

'To stand in the shadow of those who have previously been honoured is humbling and thrilling in equal part.'

Also stepping out for the gala after Tuesday's premiere was
Eva Green made a stunning arrival on day one of the annual Cannes Film Festival the Palais des Festivals on Tuesday afternoon as she attended a photocall.

The French actress, 43, was wearing an off-the-shoulder shirt and a stylish skirt, which accentuated her svelte waist and hourglass shape.

Eva showcased her toned pins in the skirt, which featured a daring slit up the middle as she flashed a beaming smile to the cameras.

The screen star boosted her petite frame with black high heels and finished her look with gold hooped earrings.

The former Bond Girl is a member of this year's jury - a group of filmmakers and actors who hold sole responsibility for choosing which films will receive an award.

Eva Green made a stunning arrival on day one of the annual Cannes Film Festival the Palais des Festivals on Tuesday afternoon as she attended a photocall

The French actress, 43, was wearing an off-the-shoulder shirt and a stylish skirt, which accentuated her svelte waist and hourglass shape

Eva showcased her toned pins in the skirt, which featured a daring slit up the middle as she flashed a beaming smile to the cameras

Eva posed with fellow jury member Nadine Labaki and the jury president, Barbie director Greta Gerwig.

The jury is complete with Spanish filmmaker Juan Antonio Bayona, 49, Turkish actress Ebru Ceylan, 48, Italian actor, 54, Pierfrancesco Favino;

American actress Lily Gladstone, 37, Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, 61, Lebanese actress and director Nadine Labaki, 50, and French actor Omar Sy, 46.

During the Festival's opening ceremony, the jury will present three-time Academy Award winner Meryl Streep with an honorary Palme d'Or.

In a statement Meryl shared with The Hollywood Reporter, she wrote: 'I am immeasurably honored to receive the news of this prestigious award.

'To win a prize at Cannes, for the international community of artists, has always represented the highest achievement in the art of filmmaking.

'To stand in the shadow of those who have previously been honored is humbling and thrilling in equal part. I so look forward to coming to France to thank everyone in person this May!'

In a joint statement, Cannes festival heads Iris Knobloch and Thierry Fremaux wrote: 'We all have something in us of Meryl Streep!

'We all have something in us of Kramer vs. Kramer, Sophies Choice, Out of Africa, The Bridges of Madison County, The Devil Wears Prada and Mamma Mia!

'Because she has spanned almost 50 years of cinema and embodied countless masterpieces, Meryl Streep is part of our collective imagination, our shared love of cinema.'

Past winners of the Palme d'Or include Jane Fonda, Forest Whitaker, and Jodie Foster.

Eva changed up her look with a pair of black sunglasses and sassily put a hand on her hip, ensuring all eyes were on her

She wore beautifully designed black high heels and finished her look with gold hooped earrings with points

The former Bond Girl is a member of this year's jury - a group of filmmakers and actors who hold sole responsibility for choosing which films will receive an award

Eva posed with fellow jury members (L-R) Juan Antonio Bayona, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Ebru Ceylan, Nadine Labaki, Pierfrancesco Favino, jury president Greta Gerwig, Lily Gladstone, and Omar Sy

During the Festival's opening ceremony, the jury will present three-time Academy Award winner Meryl Streep, 74, with an honorary Palme d'Or

Meryl arrived at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival wearing a white suit with a straw hat and silver stilettos.

A host of A-list stars are expected to arrive in Cannes for the opening ceremony, including Sienna Miller who is currently en route with her mother, her boyfriend Oli Green, and their four-month-old baby girl.

Anya Taylor-Joy and her Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga co-star Chris Hemsworth are also ready to make an entrance on Tuesday evening.

The Cannes Film Festival has been cancelled only twice in its almost eight-decade run: in 1968, after it had already begun, because of striking French students, and in 2020 because of Covid.
Scroll down for a table showing the salary needed in 50 biggest metros

You don't need to earn six figures to buy a home in America - provided you know where to look.

Across America the average income to buy a home in April was around $116,000, according to Realtor.com's latest report into prices acros the 50 biggest metros.

But - in 14 metros of those where prices are low - earning less than $100,000 is enough to afford a home. Scroll down for a table for the salary needed in each of the 50 metros.

'Homeownership is possible if you don't earn six figures,' says Realtor.com chief economist Danielle Hale.

'In these areas, prices are low enough that, even with high mortgage rates, prices aren't out of reach.'

The salary needed to buy a home in the 50 largest metros varies dramatically, according to a new report from Realtor.com. This map shows the top and bottom five

In fact, in Pittsburgh, prospective homeowners only earn about $67,000 to afford the typical home in the area.

But buying a home in Pittsburgh isn't without its challenges, warns Dawn Bierker, a local real estate broker at Re/Max 360 Realty. Each home gets multiple offers and first-time buyers are often outbid by investors.

'Pittsburgh used to be very affordable,' Bierker told Realtor.com.

'But in the last five years, we've seen a significant increase in property values. We're also seeing many investors coming in and buying up properties.'

At the other end is San Jose where the average listing price is $1,467,000. To cover the huge mortgage payments, homebuyers need a salary of $361,000.

To work out the salary required to buy a home, Realtor.com looked at median home list prices in the 50 largest metropolitan areas.

They assumed a 20 percent down payment, a mortgage rate of 6.99 percent, and factored in local taxes and insurance rates.

The economists behind the analysis also ensured that total costs for the mortgage and extras would not be higher than 30 percent of the buyer's earnings.

Meanwhile, a separate new report by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) revealed how a treasure trove of bargain property hotspots is popping up across the country.

Unlike the Realtor.com report - which matched average local house prices with local earnings - the NAR report looked simply at how much prices have gone up or down in the past year in different areas.

It found 15 cities where home values have fallen outright this year. Among them are neighborhoods in New York, Texas and Florida.

These areas are at-odds with a nationwide trend which has seen the median price of a single-family home rise 5 percent year-on-year to a median of $389,400.

At the same time, mortgage rates have surpassed 7 percent - meaning buyers face paying more than $900 a month on a standard home than if they had bought two years ago.

Top left shows a home in Cleveland on the market for $195,000. Bottom left shows a 1,898 sq ft home in Pittsburgh on sale for $199,000. Top right shows a $1.4 million home in Boston. Bottom right shows $1,488,000 home in San Jose
In the ever-evolving world of branding, where impressions and connections are paramount, film festivals emerge as vibrant stages

The success of any branding exercise is the impact & impression it creates on the target audience, visibility of products, recall value and deep connection with the audiences cutting across campaigns, launches, events and the wide array of trends and styles. In a similar vein, it is important to understand the impact of the branding idea or strategy on a visible platform, where eyeballs determine the yardstick of success.

Film festivals today are the perfect ecosystem to understand the value, intensity and impact of branding on such a glamorous circuit and ecosystem.

In the domain of cinema, where creativity meets commerce, film festivals serve as vibrant hubs where storytelling converges with culture, artistry intertwines with industry and communities bond around a shared love for the silver screen. Beyond the showcases of cinematic aptitude, these festivals have evolved into powerful brands, each with its own distinct identity and allure. From the glitz of Cannes to the heritage of the Venice Film Festival and from the cosmopolitan charm of Berlinale to the intellectual intricacies of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and the grandeur of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), the branding strategies of these festivals offer a fascinating glimpse into the intersection of culture, economics and politics.

Film festivals portray glamour, charisma, fashion and celebrity quotient that creates a unique buzz with audiences Cannes, Berlin, IFFI and Toronto, over the years have developed a unique brand identity that has crafted and shaped the storytelling and visibility narrative in the branding space. Festivals are known for their innovative burst disruptive proclivities that lead to unique out of the box Branding. The hustle and bustle of any film festival create a unique integral link and the relationship between arc lights that define cinema and colours, shades and images that constitute branding. A study of the branding quotient across film festivals portrays a reflection of the shifting strands of ideas, concepts & evaluation of branding across the festival space. The 4Cs = Creativity, Culture, Content and Consistency outline the integral link between branding and the festival circuit.

It is a perfect convergence of creative minds, storytellers, narrators and inspirational Talking heads. Every festival has defining branding moments, which leave an imprint on the minds of audiences and a lasting impression on prospective consumers and supporters of cinematic excellence. Opportunities at festivals are limitless.

Cannes, Berlin, IFFI & Toronto integrate branding platforms and ideas, with their filming culture leanings, narrators values and storytelling nuggets. At these festivals branding as a medium has reinforced the soft power dynamics & equitations leading to better visibility, product value, loaded positive perception and enhanced outreach and networking opportunities. An idea by technology brands brings out another level of product display. Interactive experience and marketing outreach. Each of the prominent festivals in their editions has reinforced the image, identity, influence, interaction and interface of brands with tech tools cross-cutting themes thereby positioning a unique product identity & space at the venues.

Each major film festival, whether its Cannes, TIFF, Venice, Berlinale, or IFFI, meticulously builds a blueprint for its branding elements to convey its individuality and values.

Cannes, renowned for its glamour, incorporates the illustration of the Palme dOr trophy and celebrities on the red carpet, alongside a sophisticated logo design often featuring the Cannes coastline. The festivals colour palette of black, gold and red represents poise, prestige and excitement.

Meanwhile, TIFF embraces diversity with dynamic iconography displaying film reels, diverse viewers and Toronto landmarks, complemented by vibrant shades like red, blue and yellow that reflect energy, creativity and inclusivity. Venice Film Festival, with its rich heritage, opts for classical depictions of Venetian landmarks such as the Rialto Bridge or St. Marks Square, accompanied by a refined logo design that captures the essence of Venices timeless beauty. IFFI celebrates Indian cinema with displays of aesthetic motifs and sceneries, traditional logo design and vivid hues of orange, red and gold, beside serene blues and greens that capture Indias cultural richness. Through these branding elements, each festival communicates its beliefs, attracts audiences worldwide and reinforces its significance within the global film industry.

For filmmakers, the choice of which festival to submit their work to often depends not only on the esteem and reputation of the event but also on its alignment with their artistic vision and career goals. A filmmaker seeking international recognition may gravitate towards Cannes or Berlinale, while those championing a wide and diverse range of filmography might find a home at Venice or TIFF. In this way, the branding of film festivals becomes a crucial factor in shaping the trajectory of filmmakers careers and the cultural nuances of movies as a whole.

(The writer was addl. DG, DFF & director IFFI. Views are personal. Inputs by Zoya Ahmed & Vaishnavie Srinivasan)
Early education is essential for shaping future innovators and entrepreneurs so that they can drive the nation towards a bright future

The boundary between science and engineering is so narrow that it is hard to differentiate them. They are two sides of the same coin and they go hand-in-hand. Whereas science explores the fundamental principles governing the universe, engineering focuses on applying scientific knowledge to design and develop solutions that meet specific requirements. So, engineers gather more respect in front of the public, as their output is tangible. Every year, the Govt. of India celebrates National Technology Day on 11th May to commemorate the contributions of Indian scientists, engineers and innovators who act as catalysts for the countrys development. This years National Technology Day was celebrated on the theme From School to Startups: Igniting Young Minds to Innovate, giving thrust to nurture innovation from the school period onwards.

One would doubt the need to promote a startup culture in schools. As the common adage goes, the seeds of character and attitude are sown during ones school life. When we look at the life histories of great entrepreneurs and scientists, we can see that the spark for doing something special was initiated during their school years. Elon Musk, the founder of companies like SpaceX, Tesla and Neuralink, reportedly sold a video game he created at the age of 12 and later started a web software company while attending the University of Pennsylvania. Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder of Facebook, started coding in middle school, where he developed a messaging programme called Zucknet for his fathers dental office.

Schoolchildren possess the ability to think freely and come up with crazy ideas. The limitations of reality do not shackle their minds. They are unfettered by the comments made by others and dont have any preconceived notions about an idea.

School students also have an inherent curiosity. The insatiable curiosity drives them to seek new knowledge and experience, fueling their creativity and innovation. The quality of innovation observed in the exhibits at various school science fairs, childrens science congresses and IISFs students science village provides ample proof of this. Some of the innovations displayed by the students in these exhibitions are at par or better than what our adult scientists have achieved in their lifetime. The Department of Science and Technology has instituted INSPIRE - MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspiration and Knowledge) Awards to support student innovators. MANAK, implemented through the National Innovation Foundation - India (NIF), seeks to inspire students in grades 6 to 10 to pursue their studies. The initiative aims to focus on one million unique ideas/innovations based on scientific principles and have practical applications in society. Its goal is to promote a culture of creativity and encourage inventive thinking among schoolchildren. Another premier scientific organisation, the CSIR, has instituted the CIASC (CSIR Innovation Award for Schoolchildren) to harness schoolchildrens creative and innovative spirit.

Though initiatives like Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATLs) by the Government of India foster curiosity, creativity and imagination in young minds, most of our schools still put more stress on the traditional mode of rote learning. Rote memorisation and standardised testing prioritise conformity over creativity, relegating innovation to the sidelines. Furthermore, the fear of failure and the pressure to excel academically discourage risk-taking and experimentation. As a result, many children are discouraged from pursuing their innovative impulses, losing their untapped potential.

(The writer is an adjunct faculty at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru; views are personal)
A lot of pilfering from fertiliser subsidies is happening due to policy flaws. This can be curbed if only the subsidy is given under Direct Benefit Transfer

On January 22, 2019, addressing NRIs and Indian-origin people at the inauguration of the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled what Rajiv Gandhi had Stated Of the funds the Central Government sends, only 15 per cent of that reaches the people. If one rupee is sent from Delhi, only 15 paise reaches the villages, 85 paise disappear. Even as the countrys middle class kept giving tax honestly, this loot of 85 per cent also continued. Modi added I also want to tell you todays truth as well. We used technology to end this loot of 85 per cent completely. Elaborating on this theme, he explained:-

In the last four-and-a-half years, about Rs 580,000 crore, our Government, through various schemes viz. for a home, for education, for scholarship, for gas cylinder and to other such ends etc directly gives to the people, transferring it in their bank accounts. Now, just consider that if the country was being run through the old system, then even today from this Rs 580,000 crore, about Rs 450,000 crore would have disappeared or leaked. If we would not have brought a change in the system then this amount would have been looted like the former Prime Minister had accepted, Modi said.

That was before the 2019 General Elections. Today, when the 2024 General Elections are underway, the same discourse reverberates in the air even as the PM cites a figure that is nearly seven times. The amount spent on welfare schemes during the last ten years under the Modi - regime has gone up to a gargantuan of around Rs 4000,000 crore. Had the old system (read: before 2014) continued, the amount disappearing from the distribution pipe would have been Rs 3400,000 crore (4000,000x0.85).

What do the facts say?

The Union Government executes a plethora of welfare programs aimed at providing basic and necessary amenities and upliftment of the most disadvantaged members of society. It does so mainly through Central Schemes (CS) which are fully funded and implemented by it. A total of 740 CS schemes are currently under implementation. During FY2022-23, the CS spending was Rs 1208,000 crore

In addition, there are Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) designed to supplement the efforts of the States in achieving various socioeconomic goals and implementing national priorities. These are funded by the central Government and the States in varying proportions viz. 90:10, 60:40, 50:50 and so on depending on the scheme. These schemes are implemented by the States. During FY2022-23, the spending on a total of 50 CSSs was Rs 412,000 crore. Put together, the total expenditure of the Central Government on CS and CSS schemes during the year was Rs 1620,000 crore.

Now, if we were to apply the 85 per cent magic formula dished out by the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, the amount pilfered while on the way to the beneficiaries would have been Rs 1377,000 crore. Only Rs 243,000 crore would have reached. Under the Modi - model, the entire Rs 1620,000 crore has been reached; courtesy of, the use of technology to transfer the money to their bank accounts.

How does it work?

Under its flagship Digital India program, the Modi - Government has been implementing what is popularly known as DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) for transferring the cash benefits and subsidies directly to the Aadhaar-linked bank accounts of individual eligible beneficiaries. Launched by the erstwhile UPA - Government on January 1, 2013, its use has picked up pace under Modi since January 2015. As of date, DBT is used in 314 CS schemes.

The JAM trinity (Jan Dhan, Aadhar, Mobile) is a DBT enabler the mover and shaker behind its successful implementation. Today, there are around 520 million Jan Dhan Accounts, more than 1.39 billion Aadhaar cards and 1.15 billion mobile connections. With this, the money can be instantaneously transferred at the click of a mouse to tens of millions of beneficiaries spread all over the country. The DBT is free from the delays corruption and associated pilferage that was germane to the earlier arrangements under which there was human intervention, a host of intermediaries/mediators and the money was flowing through multiple layers in administrative offices.

To improve transparency, the Government has put in place the Central Plan Scheme Monitoring System (CPSMS) which ensures that all transfers to bank accounts are made strictly as per the list of eligible beneficiaries. The persons included in the list are authenticated with the use of an Aadhaar card that contains their biometric details thus removing any scope for fictitious claimants. The provision for such checks and balances has helped hugely in preventing bogus claims. As per the latest update on the DBT portal, the total savings by way of plugging leakages in the schemes due to the implementation of DBT during FY2022-23 was Rs 63,000 crore.

However, if we look at the food subsidy (the excess of the cost of procurement, handling and distribution of food over the price paid by the beneficiary/consumer), during FY2022-23, the Government was able to save over Rs 50,000 crore which works out to around 18 per cent in the total food subsidy bill of Rs 272,000 crore. This was made possible because of the deletion of over 50 million duplicate and fake/non-existent Ration Cards.

Likewise, under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi or PM-KISAN (, the Union Government provides income support of Rs 6,000 a year to farmers with a valid enrolment, paid in three equal cash transfers of Rs 2,000 every four months; the money is credited to their account via the DBT mode), it was able to save over Rs 10,000 crore during FY2022-23. This is about 17 per cent of the total payment of Rs. 58,000 crores during the year. The savings were due to the deletion of over 21 million ineligible beneficiaries.

According to the DBT portal, the Government has been able to generate a cumulative saving of Rs 348,000 crore by plugging leakages since the inception of the DBT. Of this, more than half or Rs 185,000 crore are savings in the distribution of food subsidies alone.

Notwithstanding the above, there remains a huge untapped potential for garnering more savings. This is because in the initial years, neither States used Aadhaar for validation nor the Centre made it compulsory even as the latters efforts in this regard were hamstrung due to protracted litigation in the top court. In such circumstances, a large number of ineligible persons making their way to the beneficiary list was inevitable. While the Government has got rid of them in some schemes like PM-KISAN, it has a long way to go.

Meanwhile, Modi also needs to focus on areas where technology intervention alone wont help. For instance, in fertilisers, the Government asks manufacturers to sell fertiliser at a low price to farmers. The excess of the cost of supply over it is claimed by the latter from the former as a subsidy. Since the subsidy is embodied in the MRP (albeit low), the subsidised fertiliser product must reach the farmer and be used only for growing the crop. If it doesnt reach, then the benefit of subsidy is enjoyed by the person who grabs it. A lot of pilferage from fertiliser subsidies is happening due to this flaw in policy. This can be curbed if only the subsidy is given directly to the farmers under DBT.

(The writer is a policy analyst; views are personal)
Amidst predictions of a third-term triumph for Prime Minister Modi, internal rifts, defections and dwindling voter turnout inject an element of unpredictability

Like many other countries, political parties in India often claim victory during elections even before official results are announced. It is part of their politics. The ongoing polls are not just another political event; they are of paramount importance, as well as the fate of several political party leaders. They have profound and far-reaching implications.

In the current scenario, the ruling BJP has declared victory that the results will meet its expectations. However, the actual outcome remains uncertain, adding a layer of suspense to the political landscape. Four of the seven-phase polling have already occurred and the remaining three will occur on May 20, 25 and June 1. The outcome of these could significantly impact the election results, which will be revealed on June 4.

According to recent opinion polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is predicted to secure an unprecedented third-term win in these elections. There is a debate about whether the BJP tally will increase or decrease its tally. BJP leaders, including Narendra Modi, claim the NDA, led by the BJP, will win over 400 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. Home Minister Amit Shah says NDA will secure 200 of the 283 seats in the first three phases. The Congress party won over 400 seats only once in 1984. Political players need a game-changing strategy as there is no apparent wave of support.

To gain an advantage, the BJP has implemented five key strategies: Celebrity Candidates Fighting Polls, strengthening the Hindu base, appealing to minority groups, exploiting redrawn boundaries to maintain the Hindu vote in areas controlled by the opposition and projecting Modi magic. The Congress and its allies are making a strategic move, attempting to consolidate the Hindu subaltern.

The ongoing election witnessed a decline in voter turnout and it is still being determined whether it will recover or continue to decline. The Election Commission of India (ECI) expressed disappointment with the turnout in some metropolitan cities, highlighting the rigid voter apathy in high-tech cities. This underscores the significance of each voter in shaping the election results.

CP Joshi, former Chief Minister of Rajasthan, lost an election by one vote. His wife and daughter missed voting while praying for his victory. This shows how even one vote can significantly impact election results. This anecdote emphasises the potential impact of even one vote on the election results. High temperatures in some parts of India may reduce election turnout. However, low turnout can sometimes harm the ruling party, as local issues can sway the outcome.

BJP aims to improve in six Indian States: West Bengal, Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. However, it could face challenges from regional parties, which have the potential to sway State elections and impact overall results. During a recent rally, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi spoke about the uncertainties in predicting election results. Congress President Mallikharjun Kharge posted a message in Hindi on X, saying the Prime Minister attacked his friends, indicating that Modijis chair is shaking. SP leader Akhilesh Yadav tweeted that the BJPs condition will worsen after the first two voting phases. The Congress partys strategy primarily concerns social welfare and economic empowerment. This all-encompassing approach aims to address the primary concerns of the voters and has the potential to connect with a vast section of the electorate.

It could significantly impact the election results if it garners the voters support. The Congress Partys challenge is to keep its members united. Since Modis rise, many politicians, including State leaders, have defected to the BJP. The BJP has given tickets to some of them. How voters treat these turncoats remains to be seen.

Internal disputes within Congress are currently a significant concern. Allegations of connections with rival parties raise questions about loyalty. They could affect the partys unity, which could, in turn, impact their performance in the upcoming elections. Therefore, it is crucial to closely monitor any developments within the party to gain a more accurate understanding of their prospects in the polls.

Political leaders connections with rival parties have raised concerns about their loyalty. Between 2016 and 2020, 170 Congress MLAs and 7 Rajya Sabha members switched parties, causing an impact on Indian politics. It has created confusion and doubts about their loyalty. The allegations could influence voters perception of these leaders and their parties.

Indias Satta Bazaar predicts the BJP will win between 330 and 335 seats at Re. 1, 350 seats at Rs. 3 and 400 seats at Rs. 12-15. The odds for the NDA to win 400 seats are Rs. 4-5. The predictions reflect the market perception of election outcomes that could impact politics. Indias stock benchmarks fell by 1.5% on Tuesday as investors cut their bets, expressing concern that the BJP may not get as many seats as projected. The voters will decide the winner of the election on June 4.

(The writer is a popular columnist; views are personal)
Here, we publish two eyewitness reports from our comrades who were involved in the encampments in Alberta when the police violently broke them up. Videos of police brutality from these campuses went viral on social media over the weekend, fueling outrage at the violation of the right to protest. These occupations are the first demonstrations in Alberta to be broken up physically by the police in a very long time.

[Originally published at marxist.ca]

The flagrant and brutal crushing of these encampments is having a major effect on the consciousness of a broad layer of people. The encampments were peaceful and posed no danger to anyone. The only danger they posed was to the campus lawns, yet they were violently crushed. This demonstrates that the bourgeois state is willing to beat protestors and deprive them of the right to assemble in order to defend the interests of Canadian capitalism. The videos from Alberta of police smashing seated protestors with batons shatters the myth that Canada is more peaceful, and that its police are more civil, than in the U.S.A.

Members of the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP) in Canada have been active in the Palestine solidarity movement across the country, and we are continuing the fight against state repression, to free Palestine, and for a communist society free of war and exploitation.

Calgary

The University of Calgary (U of C) Palestine solidarity encampment started on May 9, with tents and barricades set up at 5:30 a.m.

Within an hour, the university administration arrived to give notice of trespass to the students. University admin then called the police. Initially, the Calgary Police Service (CPS) promised not to act so long as the protest was peaceful, so the encampment was left alone. With students arriving on campus shortly after, the encampment began growing steadily.

Around noon, U of C security, in conjunction with the CPS, blocked some entrances to the encampment, clearing room for police vehicles. Despite this, the encampment grew rapidly into the afternoon. By 5:00 p.m. it had grown to over 150 students, faculty, and sympathetic campus workers.

More than 60 police in riot gear arrived and demanded that we leave. Protestors initially linked themselves arm-in-arm around the encampment to defend it. A vote of all protestors confirmed the majoritys intention of standing firm against the police.

At #UofC, #Calgary police brutally cracked down on the encampment. This is the true face of the state: ugly and violent. What the working class has that the police don't, however, is numbers. This is why the movement must be spread. We keep us safe! Escalate the movement! pic.twitter.com/RgRA0xlE8b  Communist Revolution (@CanadaMarxists) May 10, 2024

Over the course of the next three hours, the CPS tried to get people to leave, promising that we would be able to return the next day with all of our supplies if we left then and there. A combination of fear, and the hope to return stronger the next day, led some to retreat and pack up. Like their promise earlier in the day not to escalate, these promises were hollow.

The chain of protestors, to withstand these pressures, began singing together. We sang, clapped, and swayed in face of threats of eviction. It was in the face of our singing that at 11:15 p.m. they attacked us.

The police moved forward and battered anyone in their way with shields. I was hit several times directly in the face and head. They continued to push and batter even after we had been beaten back past the encampment. It seemed that they were trying to push us back into a pond on the quad. When we moved to avoid ending up in the water, they began throwing flash grenades.

The first pepper bomb landed two feet in front of me, burning with a blinding explosion and filling my lungs with pepper spray. Police began shooting the legs of protestors with rubber bullets. Everyone, bruised and terrified by the grenades, was forced to retreat. The police followed us all the way to the border of the campus, throwing grenades the whole way. At least four protestors were arrested. So much for leaving us alone so long as we were peaceful!

The CPS announced that there had been no injuries, but one protester was carried off site by an ambulance. I saw concussions, bruises, and blood.

The police used their loudspeakers to lecture us about the right to protest. Their hypocrisy is obvious. The police, university admin, and the system they represent do not give a damn about our right to protest. They pay lip service to our rights until we exercise these rights for a cause they disagree with. They are acting in the service of the ruling class to smash Palestine solidaritybut they are at the same time smashing illusions in democracy.

-Cayden Ransom

Edmonton

At approximately 4:30 a.m. On May 11, 2024, the Edmonton Police descended on the encampment at the University of Alberta (U of A). They entered wearing armor and helmets, carrying batons and large riot projectile guns.

The camp, largely faculty and students, was sleeping. Given the equipment of the police, it was evident they planned to violently clear the area. Myself and three other RCP comrades formed a line with the camp.

At 5:30AM on #DAY3 of the #UofA Encampment, the EPS violently swept our camps. 4 protestors have been arrested, including one RCP comrade charged with assault. One protestor has been hospitalized with others being injured. pic.twitter.com/QrHDzf7NqR  Alberta Communists (@AlbertaMarxists) May 11, 2024

A campus security officer then read an order over a megaphone, saying that we were trespassing, and that this group was banned from U of A campuses for one year. Those who did not leave in 30 minutes would be arrested, fined, or given six months in prison.

At approximately 5 a.m. police advanced, crashing into the line of sitting demonstrators, swinging their batons. Police were captured on video striking demonstrators on the ground, including myself. I was struck twice on the left shin by a baton while on the ground. Many demonstrators were knocked to the ground as they tried to retreat. The police also deployed tear gas. Two demonstrators (including one RCP member) were knocked down, struck and held down, then dragged on the ground, hand-cuffed with zip-ties, and arrested.

The brutal assault of peaceful demonstrators forced the camp into a retreat. After flattening the camp, the police continued to advance toward the demonstrators, waving batons at anyone in their way. This continued for almost two hours. Police advancing aggressively, halting, adjusting formation, and advancing again. I remained in the front line of demonstrators, trying to keep the retreat orderly.

We were forced back through the quad, down the side paths bordering on a steep river valley.

At one point, an officer went around a tree, bumping into a demonstrator. The officer then shot them with non-lethal rounds from approximately one meter away. I heard at least four shots. The demonstrator was then dragged behind the tree, beaten with batons, and arrested.

We were pushed back along this sidewalk nearly a kilometer.

They used tear gas, pepper spray and battered protestors with their batons yet have the gall to charge US with assault. This is the capitalist state in action. They are willing to beat protestors and deprive them of the right to assemble in order to defend Canadian Imperialism. pic.twitter.com/xdzsusEETP  Alberta Communists (@AlbertaMarxists) May 11, 2024

The police, seemingly tired, withdrew to university grounds. They proceeded to mockingly eat food and drinks stolen from the camp in front of us.

We then attended to our injuries. There were many bruises from batons and non-lethal rounds. I noticed a fair deal of blood on my pants that had been oozing from the earlier baton strikes. It had taken a chunk of flesh out of my left shin, with bruising around the wound. A camp-designated medic cleaned, sanitized, and bandaged me.

We were able to get in touch with our arrested comrade. He had been charged with assaulting a police officer. This is a cruel joke. He had not assaulted anyone, but the bruises and lacerations on his face show that he was assaulted by the police.

-Zac Dabmann
In a rare feat aimed at swiftly resolving issues, the Election Commission of India has claimed to have addressed and resolved 400 grievances and complaints in record time out of a total of 425 major complaints received since the Lok Sabha elections began almost a month ago.

The poll watchdog said approximately 170, 95 and 160 complaints were filed by Congress, BJP and other political parties respectively. "Most of these complaints have been acted upon. A few complaints of INC and BJP against each other are pending alleging violation of MCC inter alia broadly in the genre of divisive statements by top star campaigners on communal, caste, regional language divide, or on sanctity of Constitution of India," it said.

"So far, 25 delegations from 16 political parties have met the commission to lodge their grievances/ complaints on alleged violations of Model code. Apart from this, many delegations have met at the level of Chief Electoral Officer in the States," it said

The ECI said action has been taken (or matter disposed of) in 400 cases which excludes canvassing related or clarificatory complaints from political parties and candidates so far.

Coming out with its second report on the enforcement of the model code of conduct since the March 16 announcement of the Lok Sabha election, the poll panel said it has disposed of over 90 per cent of complaints and no major complaint from parties was pending, except some by the Congress and the BJP.

The statement comes against the backdrop of the poll authority issuing show-cause notices to BJP president J P Nadda and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on complaints of model code violations by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

According to the Election Commission, top leaders of political parties should set "good examples" of campaign discourse expected of them in the ongoing Lok Sabha election. The EC also asserted that it was primarily the leaders' responsibility to correct their poll speeches in the remaining phases of the election to avoid a permanent dent on the social fabric of the country.

"With about two months completed since the MCC came into effect, campaigning by various political parties and candidates at constituency level has largely remained violence free, less noisy, less cluttered and intrusive, free of inducement...," the commission added.

The poll body said a few complaints of INC and BJP against each other are pending alleging violation of MCC inter alia broadly in the genre of divisive statements by top star campaigners on communal, caste, regional language divide, or on sanctity of Constitution of India. In the past, the commission has been issuing notices to individual leaders who had committed violations of MCC.

Sharing data, the poll body said suo motu removal of officers holding dual charges as Principal Secretaries to Chief Ministers in six States namely Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, as they were holding charge of Home/General Administration department also. This was to distance election-related senior officers with control over DMs/DEOs/ROs and SPs, from Chief Minister's offices.

Suo motu removal of DGP West Bengal as he was barred from election duty in previous elections also.

On Congress complaint of capturing of a polling booth and tampering of EVM in Dahod Parliamentary Constituency of Gujarat, re-poll was ordered and entire polling and police parties were placed under suspension, and concerned State authorities have been directed to initiate departmental proceedings against them.

On TDP complaint, the commission censured president YSRCP for violation of provisions of model code of conduct and commission's advisories relating to unverified allegations.

On complaint from Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee, president, BRS was barred for 48 hours from holding any public meetings, public processions, public rallies, shows and interviews and public utterances in media for making statements violating MCC during a press meet.

On complaints from BRS, a Minister in Telangana was censured for making unverified allegations and maligning the image of the Opposition party/leader. On complaint of Congress, a post from 'BJP4Karnataka' Twitter 'X' account was taken down on being found violative of MCC. A FIR was also registered in the matter.

On Congress's complaint that the morphed images of Congress leaders are being put up with a malafide intent on a social media site, the ECI directed to lodge FIR against the Instagram handle 'Bol Himachal' and directed to take necessary statutory action for removal of alleged objectionable social media posts.

On BJP's complaint, FIR lodged under Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 against Madhya Pradesh State INC president for making objectionable remarks against a former lady Minister.

The poll body further said in complaint of AAP, CEO Delhi was directed to re-examine and clear the song submitted by AAP for clearance. A FIR under provisions of Section 171F, 506 of IPC and Section 135 (c) of RP Act 1951 was ordered against an MLA of AITC for threatening local voters and opposition party workers about consequences after CAPF is withdrawn from West Bengal in an election rally in Chopra at North Dinajpur.

In a complaint, the Congress told the EC to direct the CBDT for verification of any mismatch in assets declaration by a Union Minister in his affidavit.

DGP (HoPF) of Andhra Pradesh removed. Further, DGP (Intelligence) Andhra Pradesh, Commissioner of Police Vijayawada, DIG Anantpuramu and SPs of Prakasam, Chittoor, Palnadu, Anantpuramu were also removed based on various complaints/inputs.

On similar complaints/inputs, four DySPs/SDPOs and 5 Police Inspectors/ SHOs/ Sub Inspectors were also shifted/ suspended in Andhra Pradesh.
The new KP.2 Covid-19 variant appears to be more transmissible, but is not virulent, said doctors on Monday, amid reports of 91 cases being detected in Maharashtra.

KP.1.1, and KP.2 strains are part of the new variant dubbed FLiRT, based on the technical names for their mutations, one of which includes the letters "F" and "L", and another of which includes the letters "R" and "T".

Genome sequencing of March and April revealed 91 cases of KP.2 in Maharashtra -- Pune (51), Thane (20), Amravati (7), Aurangabad (7), Solapur (2), Ahmednagar (1), Nashik (1), Latur (1), and Sangli (1).

"There is no reason to believe that the FLiRT group of variants being reported are more virulent than the existing variants," Dr Lancelot Pinto, Consultant Pulmonologist and Epidemiologist, P. D. Hinduja Hospital and MRC, Mahim, told IANS.

"KP.2 appears to be more transmissible," he added.

The doctor advised people who are immunocompromised to take precautions such as masking, avoiding crowded closed spaces, and keeping comorbidities under control.

FLiRT variants belong to the Omicron lineage, which was highly transmissible and showed great immune escape.

First identified globally in January, KP.2 is a descendant of Omicrons JN.1.

Data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that KP.2 accounted for about 25 per cent of new sequenced cases in the country in the last weeks of April. The symptoms of the new variant typically include a sore throat, runny nose, congestion, tiredness, fever (with or without chills), headache, muscle pain, and sometimes loss of taste or smell.

KP.2 has replaced the previously circulating JN.1 variant and is now driving cases in several countries, including the US, UK, and Canada.

"While KP.2 may be the most predominant variant, it is not causing a massive increase in infections," as seen in the data from other countries, Dr Tushar Tayal, Lead Consultant, Department of Internal Medicine, C.K. Birla Hospital, Gurugram, told IANS.
Fourteen Maoists, including 11 carrying a cumulative bounty of Rs 41 lakh on their heads, were arrested in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, it was announced on Monday.

The Naxalites -- six women and eight men -- were part of the outlawed Maoist group's Military Company No 2 and the Gangaloor Area Committee, Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yadav said.

They were held from the forests of Mutvendi and Pidiya villages on Sunday by a joint team of the District Reserve Guard and local police.

These include Renu Kovasi and Mangli Awlam with a reward of Rs 8 lakh each.

Bichchem Uika, Sharmila Kursam and Lakshmi Tati carried rewards of Rs 5 lakh each.

Four cadres had bounties of Rs 2 lakh each and two had rewards of Rs 1 lakh each on their head.

Security forces gunned 12 Maoists in the forests of Pidiya village on May 10 and had rounded up several persons from the site on suspicion.

Police are yet to disclose the details of those rounded up amid claims by villagers and activists that the May 10 gun battle was fake.

These persons have claimed those killed were villagers who had gone to pluck tendu leaves.

All these allegations have been rubbished by the police who asserted that the deceased were Maoists carrying cash rewards on their heads.
The Enforcement Directorate, probing the excise policy case, told the Delhi High Court on Tuesday that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will be named as a co-accused in the case in its next prosecution complaint.

The submission was made by the EDs special counsel Zoheb Hussain before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma this afternoon, during arguments to oppose the bail application filed by AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the same case.

AAP is going to be made a co-accused in the next prosecution complaint (charge sheet) to be filed in the case, EDs counsel said before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, who is hearing arguments on Sisodias bail plea while opposing his bail plea. The probing agency further said concerted efforts are being made by the accused to delay trial in the liquor policy case.

The high court, which was hearing arguments on Sisodias bail pleas filed in the money laundering and corruption cases lodged by the ED and CBI respectively, reserved its orders. It is pertinent to mention that a petition by AAP national chief Arvind Kejriwal contending that a political party is not covered under the anti-money laundering law is pending in the high court.

Recently, the high court while upholding Kejriwals arrest in the case has held that the rigours of Section 70 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), which deals with companies, are attracted in this case. The ED had likened AAP to a company and Kejriwal its director. The EDs lawyer further said there are concerted efforts by accused persons to delay the process of framing of charges in the case.

The CBI, which adopted the submissions made by ED, also opposed the AAP leaders bail plea in the corruption case and said the delay was totally attributable to the accused persons. While seeking bail for him, Sisodias counsel submitted that the ED and the CBI are still arresting people in the money laundering and corruption case and there is no question of early conclusion of the trial.Senior advocate Mohit Mathur, representing Sisodia, said the trial court judge, while dismissing the bail plea, has not shown how the AAP leader has contributed to the delay. I had filed an application to physically meet my wife. Thereafter, I moved an application to sign a cheque. How does it delay the trial? How have I contributed to the delay in the proceedings? The trial court has said that out of 38 applications, 13 were filed by Sisodia. But the court has not said how my application contributed to the delay, he argued.

Post dismissal of my earlier bail, three accused have gotten some relief from the Supreme Court. Benoy Babu in ED case. Sanjay Singh, again in ED case and Arvind Kejriwal most recently. There is no threat as far as my running away is concerned. I (Sisodia) have been in custody for 14.5 months, he argued.

Showing the conduct of the accused persons, the ED counsel said 250 pleas have been filed before the trial court despite there being only 17 arrests. The investigation officer needs to be there in the court almost every day, he said. He further argued that the offence of money laundering has been held to be as grave of an offence as terrorism and other serious offences.

The conspiracy was to see that AAP makes wrongful gains in the form of bribes and in the process ensure additional benefits to the persons who gave bribes. The present accused (Sisodia) was part of GoM, he was the member of highest body of the party, he was holding position of deputy CM and was minister in charge of the excise department, EDs counsel argued and added that the agency has digital evidences and statements of bribe givers that the accused reached to them.
The Government Railway Police (GRP) recovered the dead body of Harichandpur ABDO Bidhubhsan Jena (50) from the railway tracks near the Harichandanpur railway station in Keonjhar district on Monday morning,



Local residents had reported to the police about the mutilated body lying on the train line.

Though the exact cause of death was yet to be ascertained, locals suspected that someone killed the ABDO and dumped the body on the railway tracks.

A Harichandpur police team arrived at the spot and informed the GRP, who reached there and seized the body in presence of the local Tehsildar and started an investigation.

However, when the mobile and sandals were found near the body, after the police examined them, it was found to be the ABDO of Harichandanpur block, sources said.

Harichandanpur police station IIC Prafulla Barla said, The body has severe injury marks on the head and other parts. As the body was found on the railway tracks, we informed the matter to the GRP for probe

The body was recovered and sent to the Anandpur Sub Divisional Headquarter Hospital for postmortem. No complaint from any one so far received. After post-mortem and inquiry the exact cause of death could be clear, said GRP official Sushant Kumar Sethy.

According to the preliminary investigation of police, the ABDO had boarded the Visakhapatnam-Tata Express at around 1.25 am on Sunday to go to Keonjhar. However, the discovery of his body on the railway tracks, just a short distance from the station, has shocked everyone.


Amidst the backdrop of ongoing farmer protests in Punjab, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) finds itself recalibrating its political strategy to navigate the turbulent waters of agrarian discontent. The relentless opposition from the farmers, particularly in rural regions, has prompted the party to adopt a multifaceted approach aimed at mitigating electoral losses and consolidating support from other demographics.

Central to this revised strategy is a shift in focus towards migrants from the neighbouring states, predominantly Uttar Pradesh. Recognizing the significant presence of migrant populations in Punjab, the BJP sees an opportunity to mobilize support from this demographic segment, which may be less impacted by the agrarian grievances fueling the protests. By redirecting attention towards migrants, the party aimed at offsetting the potential losses in rural constituencies and broadening its electoral base.

Concurrently, efforts are underway to bolster the organizational framework of the party, particularly in regions where farmer opposition has been most pronounced. In response to this imperative, the saffron party has intensified its Uttar Pradesh Cell in Punjab, appointing new members across four key districts  Sangrur, Ferozepur, Mansa, and Moga.

Approximately 30 individuals have been tasked with spearheading organizational initiatives aimed at consolidating support and galvanizing grassroots mobilization. These appointments  at the level of conveners, co-conveners, and state executive members  reflect the party's commitment to fortifying its presence at the grassroots level and fostering a robust organizational structure capable of withstanding the challenges posed by the farmer protests.

Moreover, the BJP has prioritized the strengthening of booth-level operations in each district, recognizing the pivotal role played by grassroots mobilization in electoral success. Local committees, comprising representatives from diverse demographics, including youth and community leaders, have been established to spearhead campaign efforts and engage with voters at the grassroots level. This grassroots-centric approach underscored the party's commitment to grassroots democracy and its recognition of the importance of community engagement in electoral politics.

However, the BJPs electoral endeavours have not been without challenges, as evidenced by the significant opposition encountered during campaign activities. Instances of protests, including the display of black flags and the barring of entry into villages, have posed formidable obstacles to the party's electioneering efforts. Farmer unions, emboldened by their resolve to resist perceived injustices, have intensified their protests against BJP candidates, disrupting campaign events and impeding the party's outreach efforts in rural areas.

Despite these challenges, the BJP remained undeterred in its pursuit of electoral success in Punjab. A party delegation, led by the state BJP president Sunil Jakhar, had approached Punjabs Chief Electoral Officer, highlighting concerns regarding the unfair treatment of their candidates and advocating for equitable campaign conditions. The CEO's subsequent appeal to the farmers to allow candidates to campaign freely underscored the importance of preserving the integrity of the electoral process and ensuring a level playing field for all political stakeholders.

In tandem with these efforts, several senior BJP leaders have descended upon Punjab to bolster the party's campaign machinery and energize grassroots mobilization. Central Ministers and Chief Ministers from other states have been assigned pivotal roles in the partys electoral strategy, reflecting a concerted effort to harness the collective strength of the BJPs leadership cadre. The inclusion of prominent figures such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president JP Nadda, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, among others in the list of star campaigners underscored the party's resolve to mount a formidable electoral challenge in Punjab.
Interview of the week

Dr Ajit Kumar Tripathy, former Chief Secretary of Odisha, is a multifaceted personality with a knack for creative endeavours. He held key positions like Development Commissioner, CS and State Election Commissioner. After having had his Post Graduation in Political Science from the Utkal University, he had earned a PhD on Empowerment of Tribals through Education. Later, he was conferred with a D.Lit. from the North Odisha University. His creative ensembles include short story collections like Adrushya Posaka, Sakala Nischaya Asiba, Akuha Itihaas and Satya Ardhasatya. Another popular book Gotie Nadi ra Duiti Dhara is co-authored by popular writer Saroj Mishra. The dramatic rendering of his short stories Octopus and Parajita Kalidas were widely telecasted and broadcasted by Doordarshan and AIR. His spiritual creations comprise Jayadeva O Srichaitanya, Srimad Bhagabat Geeta Bani in five volumes. His contributions in English include Meghadootam of Kalidas (verse), Gita Govindam of Sri Jayadev, Gautam Buddha and Kalinga, The Real Birth Place of Gautam Buddha and New Horizons of Buddhism in Odisha. He has also authored the entire Ramayana in Ramayana Katha in two volumes, which has been widely acclaimed by readers. He has struggled, hoped and endured the struggle to prove that Jayadev of Gita Govindam fame and Gautam Buddha belong to the Odishan soil. He has also continued his epic struggle to rename the Soochana Bhawan as Jayadev Bhawan and to make Balipatna as Jayadev Constituency. Immortalising the faded memory of Jayadev and making him a household name in Odisha is the singular contribution of Dr Tripathy besides conducting State-level celebrations on Akhaya Tritiya on the very birthday of Jayadev that culminates after a memorable itinerary commencing from the Ananta Basudev temple to Puri via Kenduli, Kakatpur and Konark. He still follows writing and reading, which are his principal occupations now besides contributing articles regularly to various local news dailies and periodicals.

In an interview to The Pioneer, Dr Tripathy spoke to Sugyan Choudhury from his residence at Bhubaneswar.

How could you combine your literary pursuits with that of the hazards of your chequered administrative career?

Honestly speaking, I cannot be called as a prolific writer. I have only a few literary creations and not achievements. From the beginning, I was interested in writing short stories as it is my cup of tea. I have five collections of short stories during my entire career. I am not writing short stories now and have shifted to writing on philosophy and metaphysics, religion and on culture as these things will be useful for the younger generations. You should know that I have never compromised my service career for writing. Writing came to me when I was inspired by real life situations with the spontaneity to writing as and when the occasions arrived.

Could you tell us some major evidence by which you proved beyond doubt that Jayadev belongs to Odisha?

The first and foremost evidence is that Jayadev has mentioned in his book written by himself that the village where he was born is Kenduvilwa. That Kenduvilwa is none other than the village Kenduli of Balianta Balipatna area of Khordha district. Secondly, Jayadevs birthplace is beside the river Prachi with descriptions of nature which is depicted in the lyrical outburst in his book Geetagovindam. Legends lace the lands of the Prachi valley and temples dot her landscape. The innumerable references and allusions to these temples like Niali Madhab temple unmistakably point out that Jayadevs Geetagovindam was composed by the poet here at present-day Kenduli. Besides the above, we have invited prominent Bengali scholars and historians like Dr Satyakanta Sengupta and others who visited Kenduli of Odisha and the so-called claimed birthplace of Jayadev in West Bengal. Ultimately, the scholars of West Bengal along with the scholars of Dr Ashutosh Mukherjee museum candidly admitted at a New Delhi national seminar that Jayadev belongs to Odisha.

How could you prove that Gautam Buddha was born in Odisha?

There was no name of any place called Kapilavastu either in India or in Nepal before 1890. A man who was serving as a surveyor, who was neither an archaeologist nor a historian could manipulate things to create a name called Kapilavastu which came into vogue in books and records since those days after 1890. A German scholar who knew Brahmilipi could point out the mistake committed earlier. In reality, Kapileswar, a village near Bhubaneswar, is termed as Kapilavastu in later times. From old revenue records, it is revealed that Bhubaneswar, Balipatna, Balianta were called as LIMBAYAT PRAGANA, from which the word Lumbini was derived later on. Hence, Kapilavastu, i.e., Kapileswar and Limbayat Pragana, i.e., Lumbini are the real birthplace of Gautam Buddha which is very much adjacent to Bhubaneswar. Moreover, the Radhanagar excavations and such other excavations point out to the fact that Gautam Buddha was not born in Nepal and was born in Odisha. My books co-authored by historian Prafulla Tripathy and archaeologists Late Chandrabhanu Patel unmistakably proves beyond doubt that Gautam Buddha was born in Odisha. These books are Goutam Buddha and Kalinga, The Real Birth Place of Goutam Buddha and New Horizons of Buddhism in Odisha. Buddhism originated from Odisha and not that Ashok brought Buddhism with him.

Restoration of 3,000 acres of land at Sipasarubali in Puri was a resounding success in your administrative career. What is your opinion about it?

I was Settlement Commissioner, Commissioner of Consolidation and finally the Chief Secretary of the State. I had a thorough knowledge of the details of the land and was aware of the conundrums of Sipasarubali perpetuated by land grabbers and influential officers. I have taken it personally to rescue the land from the land grabbers and eventually succeeded without yielding to pressure and temptations and did my job to my fullest satisfaction without fear or favour, which resulted in restoration of 3,000 acres of land to the State Government. I should say this was all possible owing to the providence, power and sanction of the divine.

What is your message to the young generations of IAS officers?
In an effort to expedite the distribution of Voter Information Slips and ensure comprehensive coverage among the electorate, District Election Officer Ananya Mittal embarked on a comprehensive assessment of the distribution process. Accompanied by Deputy Development Commissioner Manish Kumar, the District Election Officer traversed various neighborhoods across Jamshedpur city, including Sidgora, Agrico, and Bhaalubasa, to gauge the progress of the distribution efforts firsthand.

The initiative, which commenced on May 7th, aims to conclude the distribution of Voter Information Slips to all eligible voters by May 13th. Emphasizing the critical importance of this endeavor, Ananya Mittal underscored the necessity for meticulous attention to detail. Booth Level Officers have been tasked with conducting door-to-door visits to facilitate the distribution process and to encourage voter turnout on May 25th.

Additionally, Booth Level Officers assigned to 1887 polling stations in the district are distributing Voter Information Slips along with visually engaging voter guides. These guides include pictorial instructions on how to cast votes via Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and elucidate the various services provided by the Election Commission of India, such as the Saksham-ECI app, Voter Helpline App, Know Your Candidate App, and C-Vigil App. Furthermore, provisions for voter registration, assisted voting for the differently-abled and senior citizens, and postal ballot facilities are also being highlighted.

The front side of the Voter Information Slip delineates pertinent details such as the part number and name in the electoral roll, serial number, name of the polling station, date of voting, and a QR code for easy reference. Meanwhile, the reverse side features a map of the polling station, the name and contact number of the Booth Level Officer, details of alternative documents accepted by the Commission for voting, and other crucial instructions.

The proactive engagement of the District Election Officer and the concerted efforts of all stakeholders underscore the commitment to ensuring a smooth and inclusive electoral process in Jamshedpur.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the mantra of victory at every polling booth to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers while addressing them at the Rudraksh Convention Centre (Sigra) after filing his nomination papers from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat on Tuesday.

Expressing gratitude for the grand success of his roadshow, he urged BJP workers to maintain their zeal and enthusiasm until June 1.

Modi emphasised that winning the trust of people is not easy. If one wants to win even in panchayat elections, one has to work hard and remain dedicated to the people 24 hours a day; only then do people give their love and blessings, he said, adding, The love, enthusiasm, and blessings seen in the roadshow should be reflected in the electronic voting machines (EVMs). It is the responsibility of BJP workers to ensure victory at every polling booth. I did a roadshow here in 2014 and then in 2019. These days, I am doing three or four roadshows a week across the country, but a day ago, all the records of roadshows were broken in Varanasi.

What you are doing today, I have also done for many years of my life. No one feels happier than a worker when his resolution is fulfilled, he said, giving credit to the workers for the accomplishments in Kashi over the past 10 years.

I am confident that you will handle it this time as well and leave no stone unturned to win the elections, he told the workers.

Reiterating the mantra of winning each and every polling booth, Modi stated that processions, slogans, and roadshows do not affect the election booth. It does not matter whether it is victory or defeat, but if we lag behind in the voting percentage, what will I show as a representative of Kashi? Therefore, the resolution should be to win the polling booth, he said, adding that to win the polling booth, party workers should turn voting into a celebration of democracy. They have 14 days to invite all the societies and localities in the entire polling booths.

He urged the workers to organise programmes to increase the voting percentage. On the day you go to vote, see who came to vote and who did not. Those who did not come, it should be your responsibility to somehow bring them to the polling booth to vote, he said. Giving an example, he said that if there are 10 workers at a booth, each should ensure they bring at least 30 voters.

Calculate the number of votes received at our booth last time. This time, that record has to be broken. Just as Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee sacrificed for the removal of Article 370, we have fulfilled this dream. The biggest event of my life is seeing large numbers of people vote in Jammu and Kashmir and Srinagar. These are signs of Indias bright future. This is the result of our 10 years of hard work, he said, adding that his concern is not whether someone from the party wins or not, but the satisfaction that democracy has been strengthened.

People should be shown this grand transformation that has taken place in Srinagar. If Srinagar can do it, then cant Kashi do it? he asked, wishing that out of the total votes cast in every polling booth, 370 new votes should be cast.

This will be my true tribute to Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, he added.
The State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Sunday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 15 lakh to the family of a government employee who was killed on election duty in Nabarangpur district.

Alekh Randhari, a Class-IV employee of a government school, was killed in a road accident near the Swami Vivekananda Vidyamandir in Nabarangpur on Saturday while he was on the way to a polling station for the first phase of the elections on Monday.

In another incident, a bus carrying polling personnel and EVMs overturned near Pitatali in Ganjam district on Saturday. The bus was transporting polling personnel along with EVM machines to Kharriaguda in the Chikiti Assembly segment in the district.

Brahmapur SP Sarthak Sarangi said that all the polling personnel and the EVMs were safe. The polling personnel were sent to their allotted booths by another vehicle.
Amidst the threat of Maoists violence, senior political figures from the Kolhan region, including Chief Minister Champai Soren, former CM Madhu Koda, and Union Minister Arjun Munda, along with other political icons turned up in large numbers to exercise their voting rights in the Singhbhum parliamentary constituency.



The fourth phase of polling in the country commenced at 7:00 am on Monday, with Singhbhum witnessing a significant turnout of voters eager to cast their ballots. Queues formed early at polling stations across the constituency, showcasing the enthusiasm of the electorate. By 9 am, 12.70 percent of the electorate had already exercised their franchise. Notable voting percentages were recorded in different assembly segments, with Chaibasa leading at 13.37 percent, followed by Manjhgaon (12.91 percent), Jagannathpur (12.67 percent), Manoharpur (12.22 percent), and Chakradharpur (12.36 percent) in the afternoon.



In the broader context of the Lok Sabha elections, Chief Minister Champai Soren exercised his voting right at Utkramit Madhya Vidyalaya in Jilinggora, Seraikela-Kharsawan district. His call for active participation resonated across the region, emphasizing the importance of every vote cast.



Political figures made their presence felt as well, with India alliance candidate Joba Manjhi casting her vote in Chakradharpur. MLA Sukhram Oraon exercised his franchise at his village booth in Banmalipur, underscoring the significance of grassroots participation. Minister Deepak Biruwa, accompanied by his wife, cast their votes in Sindrigauri of Hatgamharia block, highlighting the importance of familial involvement in the electoral process.



Meanwhile, BJP candidate Geeta Koda, along with her husband and former chief minister, Madhu Koda participated in the voting process. Union Minister Arjun Munda, contesting from the Khunti Lok Sabha seat, arrived at the Khalarisai booth number 72 under the Kharsawan assembly constituency to cast his vote, accompanied by his wife Meera Munda. He urged citizens to participate enthusiastically in the democratic process, expressing confidence in a BJP-led government at the center.



The Election Commission's meticulous planning was evident, with a total of 64.37 lakh voters expected to participate in the first phase of voting in Jharkhand. To facilitate smooth conduct, 7,595 polling booths were established, with 30,380 polling personnel deployed. Rigorous monitoring, including webcasting and the installation of 15,000 4D cameras, ensured transparency and accountability in the electoral process.



Singhbhum, a reserved constituency for Scheduled Tribes, boasts a substantial electorate of 14.32 lakh voters, with women comprising a significant portion at 7.27 lakh. Currently represented by Geeta Koda, the wife of former Chief Minister Madhu Koda, who has been nominated by the BJP for the upcoming elections. Koda, formerly the lone Congress MP from Jharkhand in the previous Lok Sabha, recently switched allegiance to the saffron party. This constituency comprises six Assembly segments, namely Seraikela, Chaibasa, Majhganon, Jagnathpur, Manoharpur, and Chakradharpur. While Seraikela falls under Seraikela-Kharsawan district, the remaining segments are situated in West Singhbhum district.


The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought the Centres stand on the allotment of accommodation to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for its offices on account of being recognised as a national party.

The senior counsel appearing for the political party told the court that presently, a minister in the Delhi government is occupying a unit on Deen Dayal Updhayay Marg and is willing to forgo it if it is allotted to the AAP until land is given to the party for the construction of its offices.

Justice Subramonium Prasad asked the BJP-led Centre to take instructions in this regard and listed the matter for further hearing on Wednesday.

The court was hearing petitions filed by the AAP last year, seeking allotment of land or a housing unit on licence basis in the national capital for the construction of its offices in view of its status as a recognised national party.

Senior lawyers appearing for the petitioner argued that an alternative housing must be allotted to the AAP as its current office on Rouse Avenue has to be vacated by June 15 and the construction of a new building on any allotted land cannot be completed in the meantime.The court was told that the allotment of the plot on DDU Marg, which is with the AAP minister, was initially for the construction of family courts, but it was subsequently cancelled and another plot for this purpose was marked elsewhere.

The central governments counsel is directed to take instructions, the judge said. In March, the Supreme Court granted the AAP time till June 15 to vacate its Rouse Avenue office after noting that the land was allotted to the Delhi High Court for expanding judicial infrastructure.

In its petition, the Arvind Kejriwal-led party has said since land has been allotted by authorities for the construction of office premises to all other national parties in central locations in New Delhi, it is incumbent upon them to ensure that a similar allotment is also made in favour of the petitioner in accordance with its entitlement.

The plea has sought quashing of last years June 26 and September 15 letters of the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs by which the AAPs request to allot land to the party for the construction of its national and state unit offices here was rejected. The request was rejected on the ground that no vacant land was available at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg or other centrally-located area of Delhi for allotment.

The AAP has claimed that it is entitled to a total area of 1,000 square metres for the construction of offices for its national and state units in view of the policies issued by the Union ministry.

It has, therefore, sought a direction to the Union ministry to take necessary steps in accordance with law to allot a suitable land to it in New Delhi to enable the party to construct offices for its national and Delhi state units at the earliest.

It has also sought a direction to the authorities concerned to ensure that the land so allotted is preferably in a centrally-located area of Delhi and free from encumbrances and encroachments, so that the construction of its offices may be commenced immediately.
Voting passed peacefully in four Lok Sabha constituencies of Jharkhand in the fourth phase of elections. Till 5 pm, an average of 63.14 percent voting took place in all four Lok Sabha constituencies. The four Lok Sabha constituencies where voting is took place includes Khunti, Singhbhum, Lohardaga and Palamu. The voting percentage in these four Lok Sabha constituencies was 65.82%, 66.11%, 62.60% and 59.99% respectively. The candidates whose fate has been sealed in EVMs today include Union Minister Arjun Munda, MP BD Ram, Geeta Koda, Joba Manjhi, Sukhdev Bhagat, Sameer Oraon, Mamta Bhuyan and Kalicharan Munda.

Till 1 pm, 43.80% voting took place. Voting was 43.83% in Singhbhum, 47.41% in Khunti, 41.85% in Palamu and 43.46% in Lohardaga. Whereas in Mandar assembly constituency falling under Lohardaga Lok Sabha constituency, 42.80 percent voting took place. The voting percentage of Tamar assembly constituency falling in Khunti LS area was 49.31. Meanwhile, there was reports of clash in Chhatarpur booth number 94 of Palamu Lok Sabha constituency, where BJP and RJD workers clashed with each other. Security forces chased away the miscreants.

Earlier till 11 am, 27.40% voting had taken place. Voting was 26.16% in Singhbhum, 29.14% in Khunti, 26.95% in Palamu and 27.77% in Lohardaga. Whereas in Mandar Assembly constituency falling under Lohardaga Lok Sabha constituency, 27.69 percent voting took place. The voting percentage of Tamar assembly constituency falling in Khunti LS area was 32.8. Till 9 o'clock, 11.78% voting took place in all four assembly constituencies. There was 12.67% voting in Singhbhum, 12.20% in Khunti, 11.47% in Palamu and 10.97% in Lohardaga. Till 9 am, 10.78 percent voting took place in Mandar assembly constituency falling in Lohardaga loess area and 11.25 percent voting took place in Tamar assembly constituency falling in Khunti loess area.

Union Minister for Tribal Affairs and Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and BJP candidate from Khunti Lok Sabha Arjun Munda cast his vote at booth number 172 of East Primary School, Khelarisai in Kharsawan. Along with him, his wife Meera Munda also voted.

Former Rajya Sabha MP Dheeraj Prasad Sahu reached polling station number 279 located in Thana Toli Girls Middle School of Lohardaga urban area and cast his vote. After coming out, he appealed to all the voters to vote in the national interest and use their franchise. Dheeraj Sahu said that he has voted for the development of the country. Let us tell you that a lot of enthusiasm is being seen among the voters in Lohardaga Lok Sabha constituency. From general to special polling stations, people are exercising their franchise.

A total of 7595 polling stations have been set up for voting in Lohardaga, Khunti, Palamu and Singhbhum Lok Sabha seats. In which 639 are in urban and 6956 in rural areas. 30380 polling personnel have been entrusted with the responsibility of conducting elections in a peaceful and fair manner in all four Lok Sabhas. This time all the booths have been made like model booths. There are 23 unique booths among these. Where the district administration will make artwork on the theme of their area. Out of 7595 polling stations, 519 are being operated by women voter workers. Besides, PWD personnel was present at 14 polling booths. The Election Commission is monitoring the voting taking place in these polling centers through web casting. 15000 4D cameras have also been installed. The Election Commission has sent security forces, polling personnel and election related materials to these polling stations.

These four seats, Lohardaga, Khunti, Palamu and Singhbhum, cover 10 districts and 23 assembly constituencies of the state. 45 candidates are in the electoral fray from these four Lok Sabha constituencies. There are 14 candidates from Singhbhum, 15 from Lohardaga, 9 from Palamu and 7 from Khunti. According to the Election Commission data, 64 lakh 37 thousand 460 voters of Jharkhand will participate in the fourth phase. In which there are 32 lakh 29 thousand 480 male voters and 32 lakh 07 thousand 938 female voters. Palamu has the highest number of voters 22 lakh 38 thousand 460. Whereas 14 lakh 36 thousand 351 voters in Lohardaga, 14 lakh 41 thousand 841 voters in Singhbhum and 13 lakh 20 thousand 808 voters in Khunti will exercise their franchise.

1715 polling stations have been made in Singhbhum Lok Sabha constituency. In which 250 are in urban and 1454 in rural areas. 1705 polling stations have been made in Khunti Lok Sabha constituency, out of which only 83 are in urban areas. Whereas 1622 polling stations are in rural areas. 1748 polling stations have been made in Lohardaga, out of which only 76 polling stations are in the urban area. Whereas in Palamu Lok Sabha, 2427 polling stations have been made, of which 230 are in urban areas and 2197 in rural areas.

There are 481 voters above 100 years of age in these four Lok Sabha seats. Of these, 223 are male and 258 female voters. Out of 481 voters, 182 are in Palamu, 120 in Lohardaga, 105 in Khunti and 74 in Singhbhum.

9878 VVPAT machines will be used to conduct elections in these four Lok Sabha constituencies. In which 30% has been kept in reserve. Whereas 9114 ballot units and 9114 control units will be used. In which 20 percent has been kept in reserve.
Karnal, which is named after the famous king Karna of Mahabharata and also known as Karna Nagri is all set to witness a direct contest between an experienced and seasoned politician cum-strategist and former Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Haryana Youth Congress president Divyanshu Budhiraja. The Polling in the State will be held in the sixth phase on May 25.



Senior BJP leader Khattar was elected twice as MLA from Karnal Assembly segment in 2014 and 2019 and now he has been fielded by the party for the Lok Sabha seat. A heavy-weight candidate and a Punjabi face in this constituency, KHattar replaced sitting BJP MP Sanjay Bhatia, who defeated Congress Kuldeep Sharma by over 6.5 lakh votes in 2019. Bhatia, who secured 70 per cent votes, was the second among the MPs with highest winning margins. With the entry of former Chief Minister Khattar into the poll fray, this Parliamentary constituency has turned into a political hotspot in the State.



Being a former CM, Khattar has to go around across the state and sometimes out of it for campaigning, which is another challenge, even as he had not even campaigned during assembly elections. Besides maintaining the winning spree while dealing with the strong undercurrent of anti-incumbency, Khattar has the tough task of maintaining the winning margin set by Sanjay Bhatia in 2019 polls.



Earlier, this seat was considered as Brahmin seat, but for the past two consecutive times, Punjabi face has won from here. Knowing this fact, the Congress party has pitted its youngest candidate 31- year -old Divyanshu Budhiraja, a Punjabi-Khatri and former head of the party's youth wing in Haryana, to take on about 70- year- old Khattar. Hailing from Gohana in Sonipat district, Budhiraja, a student leader and a close aide of two-time Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his MP son, Deepender Hooda, was known for taking on the Khattar government on unemployment and paper leak scams in the Haryana Public Service Commission and the Staff Selection Commission.



In one of his public meetings, Congress candidate Budhiraja said that the people of Haryana will seek from Khattar an account of his nine-and-a-half-year tenure as the chief minister of the state. Unemployment is the "biggest" challenge facing the state. "Seven years ago when I confronted (the then CM) Khattar on questions of unemployment, I was sent to jail for three days. I had raised questions about unemployed youth," he had added.



The other candidates in the fray from Karnal Lok Sabha Constituency are NCP (Sharad Pawar) state unit chief Virender Verma; Jannayak Janata Partys (JJP) Devender Kadyan, son of former Assembly Speaker and three-time legislator Satbir Kadian; and BSPs Inderjeet Jalmana. A native of Panipat, Kadian is Dushyants brother-in-law. During nomination, BSP candidate Jalmana was accompanied by farmer leader Gurnam Singh Charuni, who extended his unions support to Inderjeet after addressing a public meeting.



While talking to reporters, Charuni recently clarified that the support to the BSPs candidate is only for Karnal and not for other seats.



Verma, a candidate of NCP (Sharad Pawar), part of the INDIA bloc at the national level, has been extended support by the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD). He fought his first Lok Sabha elections on a BSP ticket in 2009. Karnal Lok Sabha Constituency has a total of 19 candidates, two of whom are women.



The BJP has been winning this seat since 2014, with Ashwani Chopra having got 49.96% of votes that had gone up to 70.08% votes for Sanjay Bhatia in 2019.



Introduction of e-tendering for development works in rural areas and the right to recall acts in panchayats by BJP led Government in Haryana, farmers agitation 1 and 2.0, Agniveer scheme, local anti-incumbency due to issues that rural folk had to face because of Parivar Pehchan Patras discrepancies, Development of Karnal Aviation Club as domestic airport; Establishing a pharma hub in Karnal; Stoppage of key trains; Development under NCR plan; Shifting of toll plazas; Karnal-Yamunanagar railway lines; Development of junction at Karnal railway station among others are factors that might impact the voting pattern in the Karnal Lok Sabha Constituency.



Karnal shares its borders with five other Lok Sabha constituencies-Kurukshetra, Hisar, Sonipat of Haryana; Kairana and Baghpat of Uttar Pradesh. The Karnal parliamentary seat comprises nine Assembly segments -- Karnal, Nilokheri, Indri, Assandh and Gharaunda in Karnal district, and Panipat City, Panipat Rural, Israna, and Samalkha in Panipat district.



According to statistics, the Congress had dominated this seat by winning 11 times out of 18 elections held so far since 1952, while the BJP had won four times, Janata party for two times and Bhartiya Jan Sangh for one time. This seat also witnessed a victory by a thin margin and a victory with the second highest margin in the country. During 1967 elections, Congress candidate Madho Ram Sharma won the elections with a margin of 203 votes, while in 2019 BJP candidate Sanjay Bhatia won with the second highest margin of the country of nearly 6.56 lakh votes.



Former CM Bhajan Lal had contested twice from here in 1998 and 1999. He had won the elections in 1998, but had lost in 1999 from BJP leader ID Swami. Similarly, Pandit Chiranji Lal secured victory by defeating veteran BJP leader Sushma Swaraj in 1980 and 1989, establishing his stronghold in the constituency. A byelection in 1978 witnessed the triumph of the Janata Partys Mahinder Singh against Chiranji Lal. However, the tide turned in 1980 when Chiranji Lal of the Congress won the seat, commencing a streak of four consecutive wins against formidable opponents.



The Karnal Lok Sabha constituency, which comprises Karnal and Panipat districts, has witnessed a surge in voter enrolment, with 2,25,840 new voters added to the voter list in the past five years. According to the data from the Election Commission, there were 18,55,720 registered voters during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, a number that has now increased to 20,81,560 voters as on March 16. In 2024, the number of men voters has risen to 10,95,941, and women voters to 9,85,582. Currently, there are 37 transgender individuals on the voter list.



Khattar not only has to ensure the victory of his 'protege' and successor CM Nayab Saini in the bypoll, but also win his maiden Lok Sabha battle to script BJP's hat-trick in Karnal, which is spread over nine Assembly segments. Congress candidate Budhiraja is depending upon cadre votes, Hoodas influence, anti-incumbency votes and shift of votes due to resentment among rural folk amid the farmer issues/protests.




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Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed confidence that Kashi would pave the way for Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar (Modi government once again).

Addressing the BJP workers conference at Rudraksh Convention Centre on Tuesday, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he conveyed that every individual in Kashi was keen on extending a warm welcome to their MP.

Every global citizen who values democracy and cares for the welfare of humanity closely followed the roadshow and nomination proceedings. The enthusiasm and warmth shown by the people of Kashi during the PMs nomination and visit on Monday have deeply touched the nation and the world. As the leader of the worlds largest democracy, PM Modi has dedicatedly and tirelessly served for a decade, Yogi said.

The CM urged the workers, stating, Kashi must strive to set new benchmarks, as the PMs connection with the people of Kashi, both as their elected representative and as a guide to the party members, serves as an inspiration.

Yogi emphasised that as one of the worlds most esteemed politicians, PM Modi has elevated Indias standing globally, reinforced security measures, provided a lasting solution to issues of terrorism and Naxalism, introduced innovative development paradigms, and initiated a fresh array of welfare schemes aimed at the underprivileged.

PM Modi has made an unparalleled contribution to enhancing and respecting faith for the first time in independent India. Under PM Modis leadership, New India is progressing towards self-reliance and emerging as a stronger nation. The world observed his nomination in Kashi with keen interest and astonishment, he added.

He noted that Kashi is forging a new identity, exemplifying the transformations of the past decade evident in the emergence of New Kashi.

The city has garnered global attention and successfully hosted numerous national and international summits. New Kashi offers everything, he stated.

Yogi highlighted how, as a guiding force for both the government and the party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi championed the mantra of Seva hi Sangathan during the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the crisis, BJP organisations and workers actively served the public on the streets, he said.

The CM emphasised the significance of the PM filing his nomination from Kashi for the third time. The ongoing campaign of cultural resurgence in the country over the last decade finds renewed inspiration in your nomination from Kashi. Its a matter of great honour, not just for Uttar Pradesh, but for all our countrymen and their faith, he stated.

With your nomination, Kashi, Uttar Pradesh, and indeed the entire nation will rally strongly behind the call of Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar. Every citizen and every segment of Kashi is deeply connected to this movement. With a determination to put an end to the negative politics of rumours, societal misguidance, and the divisive strategies of the opposition, the entire nation will, under the able leadership of Narendra Modi, secure a resounding majority for the government for the third time, with Kashi leading the way, he added.

BJP UP president Bhupendra Singh Choudhary, Union minister and BJP candidate from Chandauli Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey, sitting Machhlishahr MP and candidate BP Saroj, regional BJP president Dilip Patel, Varanasi Lok Sabha in-charge Satish Dwivedi, district president & MLC Hansraj Vishwakarma, city president Vidyasagar Rai, and others were present on the occasion.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will hold roadshows at Model Town and Jahangirpuri on Wednesday in support of his INDIA alliance partner Congress candidates of India Alliance for the Lok Sabha 2024 elections.

Delhi Congress President Devender Yadav said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will hold roadshows at Model Town and Jahangirpuri tomorrow (Wednesday) in support of the three Congress candidates of India Alliance for the Lok Sabha elections. Chandni Chowk candidate Jai Prakash Agarwal, North West Delhi candidate Dr Udit Raj and North East Delhi candidate Kanhaiya Kumar, will also take part in the roadshows.

Adding that this will add fresh impetus to the campaign of the Congress candidates, Yadav said, Thousands of Congress and AAP workers, who have been doing election work together for all the seven India Alliance candidates for the past many days, will take part in the road show.

He claimed that Congress and INDIA alliance workers have been canvassing in all the seven seats with complete coordination and understanding, and their united functioning will be reflected in Kejriwals road show. Further, a meeting of the Manifesto Committee of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee, under Chairman of the Manifesto Committee Anil Kumar, was held at the DPCC office, to give final shape to the draft constituency-specific manifestos, which will focus on the issues affecting the three Lok Sabha constituencies where Congress has fielded its candidates with the support of India Alliance.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Monday, addressed public rallies in support of party candidates in Barabanki, Rae Bareli and Banda Lok Sabha constituencies. He launched a blistering attack on the Congress and Samajwadi Party for misrule and anarchy during their regimes and contrasted it with the inclusive development being carried out under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi across the country.

The Modi wave has now turned into a tsunami with the voting in the fourth phase, he added.

Questioning the connection between Rahul Gandhi and Pakistan, the chief minister said that although Rahul Gandhi seeks votes from Rae Bareli, he receives support from Pakistan.

Issuing a warning to the Congress, Chief Minister Yogi said, Gai hamari mata hai, janam janam ka naata hai, ise kaatoge toh do-do haath ho jaega (cow is our mother and we wont allow cow slaughter in the country).

He also mentioned that people from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) were seeking reintegration with India for their unshakable confidence in Modis guarantee.

Addressing the public meeting in Haidargarh, Barabanki, the chief minister remarked that Congress and SP have a long history of scams and have set new benchmarks of corruption.

He added, On the other hand, Prime Minister Modi has demonstrated inclusive governance, ensuring that the benefits of schemes reach every individual irrespective of their appearance or caste.

Urging people to vote overwhelmingly for BJP candidate Rajrani Rawat, Yogi remarked, Even our Lord Ram wants his great devotee to take charge of the countrys governance once again.

The fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections is currently in progress, covering 96 seats across 10 states of the country.

Chief Minister Yogi remarked that the Modi wave, discernible in the third phase across the nation, had now gathered momentum akin to a tsunami in the fourth phase.

The resounding chant of Fir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar reverberates nationwide. Our global respect has increased, borders have been secured, and development work has progressed rapidly, Chief Minister Yogi added.

At a public gathering in Sareni, where he appealed for support for UP minister Dinesh Pratap Singh, the chief minister remarked, Indian soldiers were martyred in Pulwama. A Pakistani minister supported that incident. Now, this minister is endorsing the Congress candidate in Rae Bareli. What exactly are Rahul Gandhis ties with Pakistan?

Targeting Rahul Gandhi in the Gandhi bastion of Rae Bareli, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath asserted that while they were campaigning for votes in Rae Bareli, they were getting backing from Pakistan.

The chief minister exuded confidence that Rae Bareli would not align with a person being supported by Pakistan.

Hitting out at the Congress manifesto, the chief minister said, This is not a nyay patra but rather an anayay patra (letter of injustice) towards India. It is a blueprint of conspiracy against our nation. Within it, Congress discusses poverty alleviation. While the slogan Gareebi Hatao originated from the grandmother, it is still being echoed by the grandson today. They propose combating poverty by imposing inheritance tax through property scrutiny. Congress is eying the property of your ancestors.

While addressing a public rally in the Banda Lok Sabha constituency, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath highlighted that 80 crore people in the country were receiving free ration while a newspaper reported about violence erupting in Pakistan over a kilogram of flour, indicating ongoing unrest there.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath remarked that there was a clamour for integration with India among the populace of the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, adding that the faith in Modis guarantee transcends borders.

In a vehement assault on the opposition, he stated, Those who sing paeans to Pakistan on Indian soil, impeding countrys development and burdening its resources, should rather relocate there, beg and starve to death.

Chief Minister Yogi noted that while the whole country supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the wave in his favour has turned into a tsunami, there is a negligible minority of Ramdrohis and Pakistan sympathisers who envy his achievements.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addressed a public meeting in Naraini to seek support for RK Singh Patel, the ruling partys candidate from Banda Lok Sabha constituency. He remarked: A new, revitalised Bundelkhand has emerged in the new Uttar Pradesh of new India. The SP gave pistols to the youth while our government distributed tablets to them.
International Nurses Day was celebrated in collaboration with Nursing Services and the College of Nursing. The week-long celebration from May 6 to 13, 2024, aimed to appreciate the invaluable contribution of nursing workers.

On the occasion of International Nursing Day, a cultural evening was organized in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Auditorium of AIIMS Bhopal, in which the chief guest was Professor Dr. Ajay Singh, Executive Director of AIIMS Bhopal and the special guest was Medical Superintendent Prof. Dr. Shashank Purwar. At the beginning of the program, Executive Director Ajai Singh praised the entire nursing team for performing their duties.

Deputy Director (Colonel) Shri Ajit Kumar, Dean Academics, Prof. Dr. Rajneesh Joshi, Dean Nursing, Prof. Dr. Amit Aggarwal, Associate Dean, Nursing, Dr. Saikat Das, Principal, College of Nursing, Dr. Mamta Verma and Nursing Superintendent, Shri Akhil T. was present. A cultural program was presented by the nursing staff in the evening.
The first phase of polling in Odisha for four Parliamentary constituencies and 28 Assembly seats passed off peacefully except a few incidents of violence in Ganjam and Nabarangpur districts.

According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), 63.85% of voters exercised their franchise by 6 pm. The figure was most likely to go up significantly after the final computation.

The ECI, meanwhile, found evidence of dereliction of duty by three Presiding Officers, two in Chhatrapur and one in Gopalpur Assembly constituencies in Ganjam district, and suspended them.

According to State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Nikunja Dhal, arrest orders against two of the suspended Presiding Officers were issued for serious dereliction of duty.

The CEO did not elaborate the nature of dereliction of duty of the two officers. Sources said they were forcing voters to cast their ballots for the candidates of a particular party.

The four Lok Sabha constituencies which went into the polls were Koraput, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi and Brahmapur.

The major candidates who are in the LS fray include Koraputs Congress Lok Sabha member Saptagiri Ulaka, Pradeep Majhi of BJD (Nabarangpur) and Malavika Devi of BJP (Kalahandi seat).

Despite being a sensitive area in Maoist-infested Sunabeda sanctuary, the Katingpani booth coming under the Nuapada Assembly constituency recorded 85% voter turnout.
Misrod police have arrested accused of raping an 8 year old girl in the hostel of a private school in Bhopal, along with accused SI Prakash Singh Rajput who was accused of pressurizing and threatening the applicant was also arrested on Tuesday.

School director Miniraj Modi was caught from his house late on Monday night. In the police station the girl recognized Miniraj as soon as she saw him. She said that this bearded uncle was the one who had done dirty act to her.

On Tuesday, Misrod police also nabbed SI Prakash Singh Rajput, on the charge of pressurizing and threatening the applicant. He was already suspended.

Police are interrogating the accused about the two wardens who were present with him at the time of the incident. He will also be arrested soon. On April 30, the police had registered an FIR in the case. Miniraj could be arrested after 13 days of investigation. Miniraj and Prakash Singh Rajput were presented in the court on Tuesday afternoon. From where he was sent to jail.

The accused declared himself innocent in police custody. He has denied any atrocities against the girl. Miniraj told the police that he had given admission to the girl only on the advice of SI Prakash Rajput. It was only on Rajput's insistence that he agreed to meet the girl and her mother at home.

The girl's mother got her daughter a medical examination on April 29. Police received information from the hospital. Meanwhile SI Prakash Rajput reached the hospital. There he pressurised to withdraw the complaint.

Rape was medically confirmed on the same day. In the medical it was mentioned that the girl's private parts were molested but, FIR was not registered. The next day on April 30, an FIR was registered in this matter and Prakash Rajput was named in the FIR as well. Despite this he was not arrested.

Three days ago the CWC team recorded the statements of the girl. Even then the girl remained firm on her statements. After this the police came into action, and the accused could be arrested.

Four days ago, a written complaint was once again made by the mother of the victim girl. In which it was told that the bearded man who molested the girl was Miniraj Modi. Miniraj's Facebook profile was shown to her by the girl's mother.

Seeing the photo in it, the girl said that this is the same bearded uncle who had done wrong things to her. We also went to this uncle's house. After this, the police laid siege to Katara Hills and detained Miniraj from outside a house. On Monday night, the girl got the accused identified. She recognized the accused.

DCP Shraddha Tiwari said, 'The girl has recognized Miniraj. The girl has told that before admission, her mother had taken her along with the police uncle to the house of this bearded uncle. This same uncle had done dirty acts with her in a hostel room.

Despite various medical reports and medical boards not confirming rape, the girl remains firm on her statements. Statements made in the court under section 164 CrPC in the presence of her mother, she had narrated the entire incident in a sequential manner.
Barring sporadic incidents of scuffle, Lohardaga Lok Sabha elections were held in a peaceful atmosphere on Monday. A total of 62 percent voting took place till 5:00 pm. In which voting is reported to be 66 percent in Lohardaga, 62 percent in Mandar, 62 percent in Sisai, 62 percent in Gumla and 61 percent in Vishunpur. Even in the remote plateau areas, the voters' passion to cast their vote reached their peak. As the sun's rays became warmer, the enthusiasm of the voters increased. More than 70 percent voting is reported in the Naxalite stronghold. Contrary to expectations, there were long queues of voters at polling stations in rural and especially Naxal affected areas since morning. Voting was conducted peacefully with unprecedented security arrangements.

Out of the total polling stations, 324 polling stations were deployed in 72-Lohardaga assembly constituency and other 104 polling stations were deployed under 69-Vishunpur (Part) along with security arrangements in the elections. The enthusiasm of women voters was at its peak in urban and rural areas. Deputy Commissioner cum District Election Officer Dr. Waghmare Prasad Krishna is keeping an eye on the situation to ensure clean and peaceful voting. Police Captain Haris Bin Zaman, Deputy Development Commissioner Dilip Singh Shekhawat, AC Jitendra Munda, SDO Amit Kumar, SDPO Shraddha Kerketta, DSP Sameer Tirkey and other administrative top officials also visited the area and took stock of the voting situation. There is no news of any untoward incident during this period. The enthusiasm of voters in Naxal affected areas was quite pleasant. A huge crowd of women was seen. Similarly, in Udarangi, Masmano, Jamgai, Bhitha, Baragai of Bhandra block and Narauli, Hanhat, Sadhabe, Ghazni etc. of Kairo block, more than 55 percent votes are reported to have been cast till 3:00 pm. More than 63 percent voting is reported in the highly Naxal affected Kharta booth of Kairo block. Many people have gone to earn. Due to which voters at many booths were deprived of their voting rights. At some places a huge crowd of voters gathered since morning to cast their votes, while at many places there was commotion among the voters. In remote areas, voters started arriving much later in the voting process. At some centers, voters had started arriving even before the voting started. The pleasant aspect of voting was that women voters from urban areas as well as rural areas came out of their homes and participated enthusiastically in the voting process.

Along with national and independent candidates, leaders and workers of political parties kept reaching the polling stations to get information about the voting process and were asking their polling agents and workers to increase voting. The main contest in Lohardaga is between ruling BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Sameer Oraon and opposition party India Alliance Congress's candidate Sukhdev Bhagat. Apart from this, 13 other candidates are in the election race. BJP candidate Sameer Oraon meeting BJP workers after the completion of Lohardaga Lok Sabha elections, claimed his victory. Said Prime Minister's arrival at Lohardaga and Modi ji's guarantee has worked as a Brahmastra. The people of Lohardaga Lok Sabha have given full blessings. The people of Lohardaga Lok Sabha have blessed the BJP. At the same time, Indian Alliance Congress candidate Sukhdev Bhagat is looking optimistic about victory. He said that this time the people have voted to save the democracy and constitution of the country. He expressed his gratitude to all the leaders and workers of the India Alliance as well as all the seniors including Congress National President Shri Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, General Secretary Jairam Ramesh, Congress State President Rajesh Thakur, Working President Bandhu Tirkey, religious leader Bandhan Tigga. Said that he has received abundant blessings from every class and community. Our victory from Lohardaga Lok Sabha seat is certain.

High voting in Muslim and Christian areas

The voting percentage in minority dominated areas of Lohardaga Lok Sabha constituency was higher than other areas. The inclination of Muslim and Christian voters towards voting can be gauged from the fact that voters started heading towards the booth at 6:30 in the morning. More than 70 percent votes are reported to have been cast in minority dominated Panchayat booths like Arru, Senha, Kalhepat, Hanhat, Soranda, Pandara, Nari-Nawadih, Hisri, Chandu-Jima, Sundru etc. In these areas, Muslim women also came out of their homes in large numbers to the booths to vote. There was a lot of enthusiasm among men and women at the booths in Muslim dominated areas. Women in rural areas were very excited.


In this Lok Sabha election, the wives of three prominent leaders from Punjab, each representing a different political spectrum, have emerged as significant contenders on the political stage. Beyond their roles as spouses, they stand as formidable candidates in their own right, fiercely committed to defending their family legacies and political strongholds.

Preneet Kaur, wife of former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, joins the fray alongside Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the spouse of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal, and Anita Som Prakash, married to BJP leader and Union Minister Som Parkash.

While Preneet and Harsimrat bring with them years of political experience and have previously served as Central Ministers, Anita is stepping into the electoral arena for the first time, marking her debut in the political landscape. However, there is one common thread that binds them all together  they are all fighting their husbands political battles.

Preneet Kaur, an experienced politician and former Union Minister, is staunchly defending the family bastion of the Patiala Royals. However, in a notable twist, she is now representing a new team. Having previously been elected to the Parliament four times from Patiala as a Congress candidate, Preneet is now seeking re-election under the banner of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)  a move that has elevated the electoral contest from a simple race to a significant battle of prestige.

Furthermore, this election carries immense significance for Capt Amarinder Singh, especially in light of his decision to sever ties with the Congress after decades of association and align himself with the BJP; and also in the wake of his significant defeat in the 2022 state assembly elections from his stronghold in Patiala. The outcome of this election will undoubtedly shape his political trajectory moving forward.

With Preneet shifting from Congress to the BJP, the grand old party has fielded her former opponent Dr Dharamvir Gandhi, who had stunned the then Union Minister with a decisive defeat in Patiala in 2014. At that time, Gandhi was associated with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Besides the two, Health Minister and AAP leader Dr Balbir Singh and SADs former MLA NK Sharma are also in the fray.

Significantly, Preneet has been actively involved in campaign activities in the constituency for several months, alongside her daughter Jai Inder Kaur, who serves as the president of the Punjab BJPs Mahila Morcha. However, like other BJP leaders, Preneet is also facing mounting opposition from the farming community. Similar to other BJP candidates, Preneet encounters staunch resistance wherever she campaigns, noted a BJP leader, highlighting a recent incident where a farmer's death has further complicated the electoral landscape.

For Akali Dal, the 2022 state assembly elections were nothing short of a catastrophe as the party managed to secure only three seats with a meager 20.15 per cent vote share. In contrast, during the 2017 state assembly elections, the party clinched 15 seats with a 25.2 per cent vote share. As the Lok Sabha elections loom, SAD is determined to regain its lost footing. Consequently, the party has adamantly refused to compromise on issues concerning panth or agriculture and has opted not to forge any alliance with the BJP.

In an attempt to disrupt Harsimrats streak of victories, AAP has put forward Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, who previously defeated the Akali stalwart and five-time Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal in the 2022 assembly elections. With the SAD and BJP failing to reach any alliance agreements, the saffron party has nominated former IAS officer Parampal Kaur Sidhu  the daughter-in-law of former Akali Minister Sikander Singh Maluka. Unlike previous elections, the SAD won't be able to leverage an alliance with the BJP, particularly in urban areas where it traditionally holds sway.

Since her debut in electoral politics in 2009, Harsimrat has consistently emerged victorious in all elections  2009, 2014, and 2019. However, despite her three-time MP status, she faces a challenge of diminishing winning margins. In 2009, she secured the Bathinda seat with a substantial margin of 1,20,948 votes, which drastically reduced to a mere 21,772 votes in 2019.

Adding to the challenges, this election marks the first since the passing of the senior Badal, placing his son Sukhbir Badal at the helm of the party. It serves as a crucial test for Sukhbir as he leads the party independently. To bolster the party's prospects and energize its members, Sukhbir has personally taken charge, spearheading an impactful 'Punjab Bachao Yatra'.

Unlike Preneet and Harsimrat, Anita Som Prakash is venturing into electoral politics for the first time. She is stepping into the political arena from Hoshiarpur with a determination to safeguard her husband's political legacy.

Despite her husband, Som Prakash, being the sitting MP and a two-time MLA from Phagwara, he has chosen not to contest this time, passing the baton to his wife. This transition presented a significant challenge for Anita, especially since her candidacy was approved over the claims of former Union Minister Vijay Sampla, who has had friction with Som Parkash in the past.

While the state BJP leadership has made efforts to appease Samplas grievances, some of his close allies have stirred dissent within the party, with a few even opting to depart. Currently, Anitas foremost challenge lies in quelling factionalism within the party. Consequently, she is dedicating substantial efforts to unite local leaders.

In 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Som Prakash secured the seat by a margin of 48,530 votes, defeating Congress candidate Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal, who is now contesting on the AAP ticket. The Congress, meanwhile, has nominated Yamini Gomar, a former AAP leader; while the Akali Dal has put forward the candidacy of four-time MLA and former Minister Sohan Singh Thandal.
As the political landscape in Punjab heats up with the filing of nomination papers, a captivating narrative of financial dynamics unfolds, painting a picture of wealth disparities within prominent political families. Revelations from the affidavits submitted by candidates and their spouses have brought to light a fascinating twist  the wives are flaunting significantly higher assets and income compared to their husbands.

In Bathinda, Akali Dal candidate Harsimrat Kaur Badal has disclosed staggering details regarding her financial standing. Despite abstaining from purchasing any jewelry over the past five years, she boasts a jewelry collection valued at a whopping Rs seven crores. Additionally, her annual income has seen a substantial surge, rising from Rs 19 lakhs during the 2019 elections to a current figure of Rs 31 lakhs. In contrast, her husband Sukhbir Badal has recently acquired a Land Rover worth Rs 1.5 crores.

The Badal familys financial disclosures don't stop there. Harsimrats total movable assets stand at approximately Rs 30.49 crores, surpassing her husbands Rs 24.37 crores. Moreover, while Harsimrat owns properties worth Rs 19.96 crores, Sukhbirs property holdings amount to Rs 51.87 crores. However, both spouses share a collective debt burden of around Rs 38 crores, with Sukhbir Badal accounting for the majority of it.

Moving to another political household, BJP candidate Preneet Kaur from Patiala revealed her penchant for luxury cars and jewelry. With a jewelry collection worth nearly Rs 50 lakhs and assets totaling over Rs 3.7 crores, Preneet presents a formidable financial profile. Meanwhile, her husband, Patiala's scion, Capt Amarinder Singh, Punjab's former Chief Minister did not own a car, while Preneet owns an Innova, a high-end sedan, and a Scorpio car, with a market value of approximately Rs 50.68 lakhs.

When it comes to jewelry, Capt Amarinder shows a greater inclination. While the Maharani possesses 601.6 grams of gold and precious gemstones, the former Chief Minister boasts jewelry embedded with 1946.46 grams of gold and precious gemstones. Additionally, the family under HUF holds 1931.87 grams of jewelry.

On the other hand, Preneet possesses assets worth Rs 2.71 crores, whereas Capt Amarinder holds movable assets worth Rs 1.52 crores. Similarly, under the HUF, the Patiala royal family holds movable assets worth Rs 4.95 crores. Furthermore, Preneet holds assets worth Rs 3.70 crores, Capt Amarinder holds assets worth Rs 13.80 lakhs, and under the HUF, there are assets worth Rs 12.75 crores. Apart from this, the family also possesses separate properties worth Rs 35 crores.

In Ludhiana, Congress candidate Raja Warring's financial disclosures paint a similar picture of wealth asymmetry within political couples. His wife, Amrita, outshines him in both income and assets, earning 65 lakhs annually compared to his 34 lakhs. Amrita's assets amount to 4.16 crores, surpassing Raja's 3.64 crores, further highlighting the evolving financial dynamics in Punjab's political arena.

Close vigil will be kept on those sending objectionable SMS: Hry CEO

PNS Chandigarh



Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Agarwal on Monday said that the cost of bulk SMS sent by the candidate during the campaign in Lok Sabha General Elections-2024 will also be included in the expenditure account of the candidate concerned.



He said that the district administration and the Assistant Returning Officer concerned on getting the information about the use of bulk messages during the election campaign period, will assess the estimate of the expenditure incurred on it from the respective service provider and include the same into the expenditure account of the candidate.



The CEO said that as per the guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India, there will be a complete ban on sending bulk SMS of a political nature during the period up to 48 hours before the end of polling. During the election campaign in all the districts, mobile service providers have given instructions to bring the information about such bulk SMS to the notice of the monitoring team. The Commission has also issued detailed instructions for the conduct of elections in a free, fair and peaceful manner. He said that the teams will also keep a close vigil on those sending objectionable SMS during the election campaign. During the course of the investigation, the sender of such SMS will be traced and appropriate action will be taken against him as per rules, he added.
Police recovered a mutilated body of a youth from near a canal at Narayanpur under the K Nuagaon police station in Ganjam district on Sunday.

The deceased was identified as Milan Sahu, a resident of Deuliapada village of Chandapur panchayat under Chikiti block in the district.

Locals spotted Milans body and informed police, following which K Nuagaon police along with a forensic team reached the spot and began a probe. The body was sent to the MKCG Medical College Hospital in Brahmapur for postmortem.

Milans body was found with deep injuries in his head and face probably caused by a blunt object. His family members said to the police that they last spoke to him over the phone at around 10 pm on Saturday, but after some time he was not reachable.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said he felt that Ram Rajya will begin in the country now that the temple in Ayodhya has come up, but stressed that this does not mean a theocratic state.

Addressing an intellectuals meet in his parliamentary constituency, he said Ram Rajya does not mean a theocratic state, but developing a sense of responsibility and duty among people.

"We had said that Ram is the centre of our faith. If we get a majority, grand Ram Mandir will be built in Ayodhya. You saw, that work was also done. Now I have started feeling that Lord Ram has now come out of his hut and entered his palace, hence I have a firm belief that Ram Rajya will begin in India," he said.

Explaining the concept of Ram Rajya, he said, "If I talk about Ram Rajya, it does not mean that I am talking about any theocratic state. Ram Rajya means that a sense of responsibility and sense of duty should be developed among the common people. If a sense of duty is not developed, and there is only a sense of rights, then Ram Rajya cannot come.

"You should read the whole story of the Ramayan and see that Kaikeyi did not have a sense of duty but only sense of rights due to which the whole crisis had arisen, and Lord Ram had to go to the forest," he added.

The defence minister said that politics means a system that takes the society towards the right path, but the irony is that in independent India the word 'politics' has lost its meaning.

He said, "I believe that India needs such politicians who can re-establish the lost meaning and spirit of the word politics in the Indian political system."

Without naming anyone, he said, "In the field of politics, I believe that the crisis of credibility should not arise under any circumstances. There should be no difference between the words and actions of leaders. Whatever the leader says, he should do it, only then there will be no crisis of trust in Indian politics."

Asserting that he never gives assurance to people, he said, At the age of 26, when I was contesting the assembly elections, I had given some assurances once or twice. After that a thought arose in my mind that I have given assurances to the public so that we can get votes, but I have doubts whether I will be able to fulfil these assurances or not.

"The truth is that despite becoming an MLA, I was not able to fulfil some assurances, that is why I vowed that if I contest any election, I will not give any direct assurance to the public."

However, Singh also said that the party he belongs to had not only accepted the crisis of credibility that had arisen in Indian politics as a challenge, but also won over it.

"I am saying this so that someone can pick up our election manifesto and look at it. Whatever promises we made in it, we have fulfilled them," he added.

Referring to the abolition of the triple talaq system by the BJP government, Singh said, "If it is a question of triple talaq, I know many people will say why are you interfering in the matter of another religion.

"The question is not about religion. I believe that be it Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Jew, anyone, everyone's mother is like our, irrespective of the religion they follow. If we feel that she is being tortured, then to hell with politics... We don't worry about it. We will stand up to protect that sister and daughter. That is why we ended the practice of triple talaq," he added.

Polling in Lucknow will be held on May 20 in the fifth phase. Singh is vying to win the seat for the third consecutive term.
U.S. museum curator detained in Turkiye on suspicion of smuggling endemic species

Xinhua) 10:11, May 14, 2024

ISTANBUL, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police detained a U.S. museum curator and seized 1,500 endemic scorpions, spiders, and tarantulas from his suitcase in Turkiye's largest Istanbul Airport, local media revealed on Monday.

According to the Ihlas news agency, Istanbul's anti-smuggling police teams initiated the operation on Sunday in collaboration with airport security.

The police seized the animals within 58 clip-on bags, alongside 88 bottles of liquid in the suitcase of Lorenzo Prendini, curator of the American National Museum of Natural History.

The liquid was reportedly a drug derived from scorpion venom, valued at 10 million U.S. dollars per liter, said the report, noting that shipping such animals abroad is prohibited in Turkiye.

Prendini was detained by the police for allegedly attempting to smuggle the endemic species into the United States, according to the report.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing)
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Getting a glucose infant is something many ladies nowadays dream of. They desire guys to ruin them to make their particular resides painless. This indicates easy at first sight, but that is untrue. When you need to get a hold of a

glucose daddy

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sugar father pub



is how men and women socialize and have a great time and somewhere to locate romance or even your dream glucose daddy. Within blog post, youll discover various clubs with various traits, themes, demands, glucose fathers conditions, and some tips on bringing in a sugar daddy at a nightclub.

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Top-rated Glucose Daddy Clubs In The United States



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Glucose Daddy Clubs in Las Vegas



Vegas is called the metropolis of sin but has a track record to be where all wildest ambitions may come true. With of the globes the majority of luxurious motels and gambling enterprises, nevada is the perfect destination to spend cash, enjoy, and enjoy whatever fantasy youve got.

Las vegas, nevada normally home to a number of, whereLas Vegas sugar fatherand glucose momma meet their unique more youthful alternatives selecting really love or company. In case you are fresh to vegas or trying to find a thrilling date around town, weve put together a list of a number of Las vegas, nevadas most widely used Sugar Daddy Clubs below:



Gold Diggers Club







The Gold Diggers Club is just one of the newest clubs on Strip, situated right next-door to Ballys Hotel & Casino. This nightclub has been open since 2014 while offering its users to be able to socialize together with other affluent singles.



The Setai Club



This is one of the more common sites for glucose daddies and glucose babies in Las vegas, nevada. The pub provides numerous regular activities, such as food, dance, and. Its also open late, to enjoy yourself after hours if you stay at the dance club until closure.



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Sugar Daddy Clubs in New York City



New York City has actually a credibility if you are probably the most pricey spots to reside in the world. If youre looking for a glucose father dance club, you may be astonished to obtain that new york is home to probably the most special groups in the united states.

Nyc has-been where you can find a few of the most popular



glucose father clubs



for many years. Normally some of the finest:



The Glucose Manufacturer



 certainly one of nys most popular night life locations, The Sugar manufacturer attributes a trendy bar and lounge area along with a cafe or restaurant and nightclub. This is certainly a great destination to fulfill prospective

glucose daddies NYC

or mamas.



Babylon



 Located on Manhattans Upper East Side, Babylon is among nycs oldest and known nightclubs. It includes big party floor, VIP dining tables, and bottle solution options if you wish to make an impression your own big date.

21 yrs old and a legitimate ID are essential at sugar father nightclubs in nyc. You should be 21 years old to get in any of these clubs. Many have a minimum age of 25 or 30, very look at the principles prior to going.

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L . a . is best city in the field to

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There are numerous sugar father clubs in la that one may join should you want to meet some other sugar infants and sugar daddies in your area. Youll have a lot of enjoyment going out with your brand-new buddies and creating some funds from their store.

Listed here is a list of many of the leading sugar daddy groups in L. A.:



The Hollywood Supper Club



 this can be a well known location for

glucose children

and sugar daddies to meet. It has been around ever since the 1930s and it is perhaps one of the most well-known clubs in la. Its located on Hollywood Boulevard and has already been highlighted in many movies. The nightclub is acknowledged for getting stylish and stylish, that makes it the most popular places for those from all parts of society to be on times.



The Sugar Factory



 This club has become the common on this number, with more than 3,000 members. This has several locations throughout Los Angeles and nevada and. A number of membership levels are available, nonetheless will provide you with accessibility activities like speed dating and pleased hours together with other users.

Sugar Daddy Clubs in Miami



If youre searching for a

Miami Sugar Daddy

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best glucose daddy clubs



meet up with them.

Miami is a city that appeals to folks from all around the globe. From beaches of Southern Beach into the lifestyle of Wynwood, absolutely a lot to complete here in case you are solitary and looking having some fun!

And even though its easy sufficient to get a hold of love on the web, there are lots of options traditional. Many organizations and activities cater particularly to people who want more than simply everyday relationships. They arent hard to find either; most top places have a minumum of one club devoted specifically to assisting partners develop collectively helpful relationships based on financial settlement.

Here is our very own top spot and youll discover your next sugar father or sugar child:



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 this really is just about the most well-known clubs in Miami for all pursuing rich older men/women or younger men/women who want financial assistance from more mature associates.

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5 guidelines on how to bring in a glucose Daddy during the night Club



To draw a glucose daddy at a club, you must:

Dress to Impress in Sexy and Attention-grabbing



If you want to attract a glucose daddy at a nightclub, you have to make sure that you are clothed to impress. In terms of dressing up for a nightclub, it is all about looking hot and attention-grabbing. If youre not sporting any revealing costumes, there is no way that you will bring in the attention of ones target. For that reason, make sure you use something that makes you stand out from the group.

Smile together with your Vision



How to satisfy a glucose daddy at a club is always to smile along with your vision. That is correct, never laugh along with your mouth. Laugh together with your sight. It certainly makes you hunt gorgeous and mysterious. You arent choosing the cheesy grin but a subtle flirty laugh.

Among easiest ways for this is through applying an eyelash curler before you go out and a little makeup on your own leading eyelashes. The end result can be so much more apparent for those who have long eyelashes. Further, use some lip gloss or lip stick that fits your dress to both mouth. It will make them take a look fuller and sexier!

Alwaysre Mingling inside Right Avenues



If youre looking for an older guy ready to supply money, choose a pub with a



VIP area



and various other places where rich men and women go out. If the function is to look for a person who will allow you to get into modeling or behaving, after that try to find groups with lots of famous people coming in and out.

The ultimate way to get what you would like is through mingling utilizing the right audience. Pick a spot where rich men and women are available after work or on weekends, and make sure they see you here typically sufficient, so that they begin discussing just how hot youre.

Result in the very first step



How to bring in a glucose father is by deciding to make the very first action. If you are at the dance club, make visual communication and look at him. If the guy smiles right back, after that review and talk to him. Dont get worried in what others believe; just pay attention to enjoying your friends and fulfilling new people. The

10 basic conversation instances with sugar father

will help you attract a sugar father right away.

Be Secure and Express Yourself



Esteem is vital whenever wanting to draw in a glucose father at a nightclub! Even if you you shouldnt feel just like it, phony it until you make it! Smile at males exactly who take a look at you and try not to be timid around all of them, though theyve been over the age of you or have significantly more money than you do! You never know just what can happen if you merely place yourself available!

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Summation



In summary, here are some tips to assist you recognize ideal men to meet up with in the nightclub. Try to find some body into the proper age groups, approximately 28-38, whos reasonably good-looking and well-dressed. They ought to have expensive style and appearance like they are prepared to pay out lots of cash on you. Is apparently a simple target. However, dont be as well effortless. Imagine like youre having a good time and appreciating conversing with this option. If an individual of these males appears to be hitting it off to you, after that question them if they want your own wide variety in order to continue this talk over drinks and meal.
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The brutal and aggressive Chinese Communist Party has had their hands firmly dipped into Britains intellectual property for decades due to politicians like David Cameron and John Osborne stupidly inviting the Chinese into the UK without compunction. Chinese spies have even infiltrated parliament, invited by Cameron and Osborne during their flaccid tenure. Lax security and negligent government officials have basically held an open door policy for Chinese agents spying for China. Today, you cant throw a chopstick without hitting a Chinese spy, who are literally everywhere.

CHINA THREAT

Because of the economic hold over the West, and billions in the economy tied to China, the government and UK businesses have turned a blind eye to the blatant espionage and the horrific genocide of the Uighur people in China.

Will things ever change? Will the UK ever wake up to being bent over a table and fucked up the arse by a laughing China? Probably not is the answer, because as mentioned before the Chinese have infiltrated the UK economy to such an extent much like a parasite, it would be terminal to expel or limit the spies who are firmly positioned in every UK institution, company and government.

State Security Ministry

IPA: is the principal civilian intelligence, security and secret police agency of the Peoples Republic of China, responsible for foreign intelligence, counter-intelligence, and the political security of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The Chinese spy network is an all encompassing network invited into the UK by Tony Blair, David Cameron and George Osborne.

Within the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), intelligence organizations fall under the General Staff Department (the Second and Third Departments, or, respectively, Chinas MI5 and MI6 equivalents); the General Political Department for intelligence and covert influence operations; the PLA Navy, Air Force, and Second Artillery headquarters; and technical reconnaissance bureaus in the military regions. Much of the military intelligence infrastructure is based in China, but defence attaches and clandestine collectors do operate abroad, including from the service intelligence elements.

Chinese tourism has skyrocketed since the 1980s, as well as foreign students shipped to UK universities to collect important data to send to Beijing. Tourists are a great way of gathering data as they are given free rein in the West, as well as students who target scientific research facilities. For the collection of technology, spies working under the Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (ISTIC) infiltrate the West for the collection and cataloguing of foreign scientific publications and other sensitive information. Chinese researchers are able to gather crucial research materials and briefing packets on the state of the field as they please. ISTIC was instrumental in developing graduate programs with top universities in informatics, convening professional associations, and relinquishing professional literature  the hallmarks of an insidious network dedicated to stealing data with impunity. The ISTIC system credits the acquisition of foreign technological information with reducing research costs in China by 40 to 50 percent and research time by 60 to 70 percent, thanks to the plundering of foreign intellectual data.
Dalhousie lost a close friend and community member on Monday (May 13, 2024), when business magnate Arthur Irving, 93, the chairman emeritus of Irving Oil, died. His legacy will live on at Dalhousie, especially through the Irving Oil Auditorium, and through his support of Dal Engineering students.

Irving was born in 1930 in Saint John, N.B., the son of industrialist K.C. Irving. He was educated at Acadia University, where he later served as Chancellor from 1996 to 2010.

He became president of Irving Oil in in 1972. Today, Irving Oil operates Canada's largest refinery in Saint John, processing about 320,000 barrels a day. Irving Oil has more than 900 fuelling locations and a network of distribution terminals spanning Eastern Canada and New England, plus it also operates Ireland's only refinery, Whitegate.

A Canadian Business Hall of Fame Member (2008) and Officer of the Order of Canada (2002), Irving demonstrated a strong enthusiasm for people, education, and his community.

Generously supporting Dalhousie



In 2017, Irving was in Halifax to announce Irving Oils $2.2-million gift to the Dalhousies IDEA Project (Innovation and Design in Engineering and Architecture) on Sexton campus. The gift continues to enhance the entire student experience, support new infrastructure and financial awards, and cultivate a culture of safety among engineering students.

At the heart of Irvings investment was support for the construction of the 450-seat Irving Oil Auditorium, a state-of-the-art learning space, designed to meet the needs of engineering students. This space has been transformative for the engineering student experience, allowing full classes to convene on Sexton campus. It is also a cherished space for industry and community to bring groups together.



Arthur Irving visiting campus while the Irving Oil Auditorium was under construction.

Additionally, he supported high-performing engineering students who have completed their second year of studies. Besides providing several scholarships annually, the multi-year commitment includes the potential for a co-op placement with Irving Oil for each recipient, providing invaluable work experience for engineers of the future.

Arthur Irving was a cherished friend of the Faculty of Engineering. He valued education, and his gift not only enriches students experiences on campus, but the scholarships he created continues to give our students opportunities to get hands-on learning experiences through co-ops at Irving Oil, says Dalhousies Dean of Engineering, John Newhook. Additionally, Arthur was a true believer in the potential of the Maritimes. His dedication to our region included creating opportunities to train and keep future leaders here on Canadas East Coast and that will continue into the foreseeable future.



Upon announcing the 2017 gift to Dalhousie, Irving said: With this gift, we are happy to support the Faculty of Engineering at Dalhousie University, knowing we look to Dalhousie and other Atlantic Canadian universities for our best employees at Irving Oil. Atlantic Canadas success depends on the quality and skill of our youth  and we know Dalhousie is up to the challenge.

Dal awards Sandra Irving an honorary degree



Irving returned to Dalhousie in 2019 when his wife Sandra L. Irving (LLD19), a community leader and champion of education and health-care research, was made an honorary degree recipient. In her remarks at Dalhousies Spring 2019 Convocation, Sandra said, Arthur, thank you for working hard your whole life, to make our gifts to others possible.



Sandra Irving chatting with students at the official opening of the Irving Oil Auditorium.

The Dalhousie community is deeply grateful for the impact Arthur made and the example he set. Flags on campus are being lowered in honour of Arthur Irvings long-standing connections and contributions to Dal and the region.
The Snapshot



Community health researcher Dr. Alexa Yakubovich is addressing Nova Scotias high rate of violence against women by embedding within IWK Health to work more closely with front-line health professionals.

The Challenge



Its a public health epidemic that doesnt grab headlines like COVID or the opioid crisis. But when faced with the data, the urgency is hard to deny.

According to Statistics Canada, 44 per cent of women who have had an intimate partner relationship report experiencing abuse. Nova Scotian women report a higher rate of victimization from intimate partner violence than women living in Canadas other provinces. This striking distinction gives Dalhousies Dr. Yakubovich a sense of resolve in her work to build interventions in womens care that have the potential to improve and save lives.

Violence against women has a lot of negative health outcomes  injuries, mental health problems, chronic pain, disease and more. And many times, health care is the only formal service victims will access, says Dr. Yakubovich. Because we know that these women are more likely to access health care, it's a really important intervention point that can allow us to connect them to a wider array of supports that can help.

The Context



Beyond those immediately impacted, Dr. Yakubovich describes an expansive web of costs for society. The pressure of repeated visits to health providers in an already oversubscribed system. Missed days at work and job loss. A legacy of trauma for children who experience violence in their homes. She says all of it has a corrosive effect on quality of life and productivity that stretches well beyond the victims.

To provide stark clarity on what can result from unaddressed intimate partner violence, she details the example of the 2020 mass shooting in Portapique, Nova Scotia, which ended in the deaths of 22 people and began with the shooter assaulting his common-law wife.

The mass shooting provides an example of a situation where there was a history of intimate partner violence. There was contact with different social, health service, and justice systems and, unfortunately, there were gaps in the response, says Dr. Yakubovich.

But out of the mass shooting, there have been recommendations made provincially around how to strengthen the response to violence against women. This has led to a lot more space in terms of what we can do with research, policy, and practice.

The Solution



To get closer to the issue, Dr. Yakubovich has started a new program funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research that embeds her with IWK Health, the leading provider of health services to women, children and families in Nova Scotia. The new partnership will allow her to work with programs most likely to see patients experiencing violence.

Being immersed within the IWK and establishing this formal partnership facilitates the work that is going to be needed to get programs and providers on board with what is going to be a bit of a sea change, says Dr. Yakubovich. It gives us more capacity to work directly with providers in their own environment and get their buy-in than if we were coming to them as outsiders.

Dr. Yakubovich says health providers cannot be faulted for not having the risk of intimate partner violence top of mind when caring for their patients. Their jobs are intensely busy and focused on addressing specific needs. She says the key is to help them notice the signs of abuse and catch it by creating processes to routinely inquire about the subject. Further, she says care providers need to be equipped with training, information, and tools to assist victims and connect them with available support and services.

While the primary partnership is with the IWK, Dr. Yakubovich notes that it extends to Nova Scotia Health and provincial government, especially in priority areas such as women's and newborn health, mental health and addictions, primary health, emergency, and trauma.

The initial goal of the work is to understand what initiatives are currently in place at the IWK and other organizations to link them and maximize their impact. She is also aiming to develop processes to capture reported violence safely and privately on health records. She says this will help reveal the burden of the problem within the health system, which programs are most likely to see patients experiencing violence, and how to better connect patients with available supports.

In tandem with this focus on data collection, she is working with the IWK and other partners to improve interventions.

This includes health-care provider training and the establishment of screening and referral interventions, so patients are asked questions and providers know what to do when they get responses, says Dr. Yakubovich. They need to know how to connect patients to available supports within the health system, including sexual assault nurse examiners trained to respond to domestic and sexualized violence.

The Impact



Dr. Yakubovich has made partnerships with health-care providers and communities a major focus of her research career, noting that its the best way for health researchers to have a positive influence.

Ultimately, this way of working with organizations and with partners is the best way to create a pathway for research to move into policy. This is really the only way to have the latest evidence put immediately into practice, she says.

She aims for changes implemented by the program to create a new culture in Nova Scotia health care that is primed to support victims of intimate partner violence. But ultimately her goal is focused on preventing the violence from occurring in the first place.

In 10 years, that's really where I want to see the research program moving. But it involves other systems, as well. And so, the more we prepare the health system in terms of knowledge and capacity to respond to these issues, the more prepared they will be to play a role in that primary prevention strategy.
On Monday 22 April 2024, Paul Givan, Minister of Education and Dr Joanne McClean, Director of Public Health, presented Awards to St Columbas Primary School (Draperstown), Belfast Boys Model School and Knockevin Special School in recognition of their exceptional pastoral care of pupils and families.



St Columbas Primary School was awarded the Derrytrasna Award in the Primary school sector. The ceremony was hosted by the Department of Education and the Public Health Agency. The annual award is for school communities that have demonstrated exceptional pastoral care in supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of pupils and their families.

Presenting the awards, Education Minister Paul Givan said: Children and young people face many challenges as they grow up. Over the last ten years, the Derrytrasna awards have recognised the exceptional contribution and support, provided to children and young people by schools, during what can be a difficult time in their lives.

These award-winning schools have all demonstrated outstanding pastoral care, putting pupils needs to the forefront of school life. All three schools displayed a commitment and dedication to supporting the individual needs of pupils and their families. I am exceptionally proud of their efforts, which have made such an incredible difference to the lives of young people.

The Derrytrasna Pastoral Care award was created by the Department of Education in collaboration with the Public Health Agency in 2014. It seeks to recognise through nominations, those school communities that have demonstrated exceptional effort in supporting the pastoral care of pupils and their families.

Mrs Mc Alister Principal of St Columbas PS commented We are very excited about receiving this prestigious award especially when we found out that our school was selected as a winner out of 500 nominations. We feel very honoured. We pride ourselves on the excellent relationships between staff, pupils and parents in our school family. We firmly believe in the importance of a happy child along the journey of education.

Mrs Mc Alister added that she would like to thank all the school team for their outstanding contribution to school life and concluded that they hoped to organise some fun events in school to celebrate this success.
Stormonts Environment Minister has asked officials to reallocate resources within his department to ensure prioritisation of efforts to tackle environmental problems in Lough Neagh.

Andrew Muir told the Assembly the budget allocation for the lough was disappointing.

He said he had received 1.6 million in capital funding and no resource funding for the issues besetting the lough.

Lough Neagh is the biggest freshwater lake, by surface area, in the UK and Ireland, supplies 40% of Northern Irelands drinking water and sustains a major eel-fishing industry.

Noxious blooms covered large parts of the lough across last summer, and also affected other waterways and beaches in the region.

Nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural fertiliser running off fields were believed to be a major contributory factor.

The spread of the invasive zebra mussel species is also understood to have played a role, as they have made the water clearer, allowing more sunlight to penetrate, stimulating more algal photosynthesis.

Climate change is another factor cited, with the highest water temperature at Lough Neagh recorded last June.

Mr Muir told the Assembly on Monday he was aware of the re-emergence of algae this year, including build-ups below the surface.

I received 1.6 million of capital (funding in the budget) but I didnt receive any resource, so the budget allocation to my department was disappointing, but Im not going to just stop there, he said.

What Im doing is engaging officials to see how we can reallocate resources within the department so we can put the necessary resources into this area.

Hee added: We need to invest in turning the situation round in Lough Neagh.

The owner of Lough Neaghs bed, the Earl of Shaftesbury, has stated his openness to exploring future ownership options.

Mr Muir said public or community ownership models were being explored for the longer term.

He said his personal preference was for a community ownership model, citing successful examples of that approach in Scotland.

The minister also told the Assembly he had commissioned scientific research to assess the effect of removing sand from the lough.

Last week, members of the Save Lough Neagh campaign group met Mr Muir to discuss issues with the lough.

The group issued an update on that meeting on Monday.

Broadly, we wanted to receive the departments acknowledgement of the fact that the crisis at Lough Neagh was seen as an emergency and that urgent action would need to be taken  but unfortunately this was not forthcoming, the group said.

The ministers timescales seem to revolve around years or decades  something Lough Neagh does not have.

The group said it had not received concrete promises from the minister and called for people power to deliver action.

To the people concerned and outraged by this crisis, to lough shore communities  our campaign is committed to intensifying this fight and to keeping the pressure on, it said.

We have more protests and public meetings planned in the months ahead.

When the algae blooms return this summer, maybe then will the minister listen to the people and take the urgent action Lough Neagh needs to survive.
Two Eastern European men have been remanded in custody at Derry Magistrate's Court today charged in connection with cannabis cultivation.

Skirmants Jursa (34) a Latvian national and Paulius Rinkevicous (36) a Lithuanian national both of no fixed abode faced a series of charges.

Jursa was charged with cultivating cannabis, being concerned in the supply of cannabis, dishonestly using electricity and criminal damage to a ceiling on May 12.

He was also charged with possessing criminal property and possessing a Class A drug on May 13.

Rinkevicous was charged with possessing a fraudulent passport, having a fraudulent vehicle registration, cultivating cannabis, being concerned in the supply cannabis, possessing the drug, dishonestly using electricity, criminal damage to a ceiling and having no insurance.

All of the offences were said to have occurred on May 12.

A police officer connected the accused to the charges and opposed bail.

The court heard that police found the cannabis being cultivated at an address in Magherafelt.

While they were there Jursa cycled past and a civilian told police they had seen him going in and out of the property.

The police officer said that the immigration authorities were aware of Jursa but not under that name.

The officer said that they had been unable to fully verify the identity.

He said a sum of 8,000 and 8,000 had been found in the course of the investigation.

Defence counsel Sinead Rogan said that the evidence linking Jursa to the address was 'tenuous'.

She said police did not yet have a statement from the civilian witness.

District Judge Barney McElholm said that the defendant's identity still had to be confirmed.

He asked 'who runs around with 8,000 and 8,000 in cash?'

The police officer told the court that 'multiple bankcards had been found.'

The judge refused bail and remanded Jursa in custody to appear again on June 5.

As regards Rinkevicous the judge said that even his identity was unclear as he had a passport with a different name.

He said this defendant was found in a premises with cannabis plants and was 'completely unsuitable for bail.'

He was remanded in custody to appear again on June 5.
Northern Irelands First Minister Michelle ONeill has apologised for attending a large-scale funeral for veteran republican Bobby Storey during the coronavirus pandemic.

The then-deputy first minister and a number of Sinn Fein ministers attended the funeral of Mr Storey in west Belfast in June 2020 when there were restrictions on social gatherings.

Footage of large crowds gathered on the streets for the send-off sparked controversy at the time, and the UK Covid-19 Inquiry has heard evidence that it chilled relations within the Stormont Executive.

This included the ending of the joint Covid-19 press conferences with Ms ONeill and the then-first minister Arlene Foster.

Giving evidence to the inquiry on Monday, Health Minister Robin Swann suggested it contributed to the public losing confidence in the Executive.

Appearing at the inquiry on Tuesday, Ms ONeill said she was sorry for having gone to the funeral, and sorry for the harm that was caused.

I know that my actions also angered the families and for that Im truly sorry. I am sorry for going and Im sorry for the harm thats been caused after (it), she said.

Asked if she realised the anger that going to the funeral would cause, she said: I didnt but I ought to have.

Ive said it publicly on a number of occasions about how sorry I am and I am absolutely, from the bottom of my heart, sorry.

I do accept wholeheartedly that I in some way damaged our Executive relations with colleagues who had been working very hard with me the whole way through, and I also accept wholeheartedly that I damaged the public health messaging and I had work to do to regain that.

Inquiry chairwoman Baroness Hallett put to Ms ONeill that her criticisms of former prime minister Boris Johnson and allegations of lockdown parties at Downing Street were hypocritical.

Ms ONeill responded: I dont think so because they are two very different things in terms of the Boris Johnson approach of partying the whole way through the pandemic and drinking their way through it, to be quite blunt.

Baroness Hallett said: We didnt find out about the partying until after the pandemic, what you did was to do something the normal bereaved couldnt do because you wanted to go to a friends funeral. Isnt saying that what Boris Johnsons government did was wrong sort of hypocritical?

Ms ONeill replied: No, I dont think so because what I did I did under the understanding of the regulations at that time.

But I do accept wholeheartedly that I in some way damaged our Executive relations with colleagues who had been working very hard with me the whole way through.

I also accept wholeheartedly that I damaged the public health messaging, and I had work to do to regain that. But I did that, I worked hard to regain that trust and confidence and to lead us for the next year and a half through the pandemic.

Baroness Hallett said she was pressing because the point of principle is that those who set the rules should obey the rules, both in spirit and in the letter.

Ms ONeill: Yes, I should have anticipated the outworking of what I did.

She added that she attended the funeral on a personal invitation, with a cortege of 30 people.

Thats the basis on which I attended but I am sorry, I am sorry. I should have anticipated what would happen in the aftermath and that is why I worked hard to try to regain that confidence and trust, she said.

Equally and more importantly, I think its about all the families of bereaved and people who went through horrific circumstance and the experience that theyve had. Its just horrendous and I would never set out to try to compound that or in any way make it more difficult for them to deal with their grief.

Ms ONeill said it had been Baroness Fosters decision to stop doing joint press conferences together.

She replied yes, when asked whether that was because Baroness Foster felt she could not appear on a platform with Ms ONeill at that time.

We had a conversation and thats what the outcome of it was, she said, adding that they had resumed joint press conferences later in 2020.

Last week, former communities minister Caral Ni Chuilin gave an apology for attending the funeral while appearing at the inquiry.

The Sinn Fein MLA accepted she should not have gone to the funeral during lockdown and apologised to the families who lost a loved one.

I am very sorry. I absolutely do see the impact and I also recognise that people were more than angry. I accept that and I really am sorry, she told the inquiry last Wednesday.

In July 2020, Ms ONeill acknowledged some grieving families had been hurt by her actions, but said: I will never apologise for attending the funeral of my friend.

In April 2021, Ms ONeill offered a heartfelt and unreserved apology to families bereaved in the pandemic for her actions in relation to attending the funeral.

It came when the Assembly was recalled from Easter recess to debate a motion of censure against her.

Ms ONeill told MLAs she was truly sorry for the hurt caused to those who had lost loved ones.

However, Ms ONeill was then criticised for her apology not including an admission that she had been wrong to attend the funeral when strict limitations on public gatherings were in place.

During Tuesdays evidence session, Ms ONeill also denied playing politics during the coronavirus pandemic.

She told the inquiry she believed she gave good leadership during the health emergency.

Ms ONeill was shown a tense exchange of WhatsApp messages between herself and Baroness Foster from March 2020.

In them, Baroness Foster challenged Ms ONeill over criticism she had made of Health Minister Robin Swann amid the debate on whether schools should be closing.

The then-first minister told Ms ONeill her public undermining of Mr Swann was totally uncalled for.

If you want to effect change in a policy you are going completely the wrong way about it. You are playing politics when things are much too serious, she wrote.

It is hugely disappointing but unfortunately Im not surprised.

Ms ONeill responded in the exchange: Its too serious to tolerate. Lives will be lost. Start listening.

Giving evidence to the inquiry about the messages, Ms ONeill rejected the suggestion she was playing politics.

We had a difference of approach, thats not politicking, (its) about whats the right way and whats the wrong way, she said.

As I said, I refute the allegation of playing politics, this was about what I thought was the right thing to do.

Lead counsel for the inquiry Clair Dobbin KC put to Ms ONeill that she had blamed others throughout her witness statement.

Ms ONeill responded: I dont accept that I blame others throughout the statement.

I accept that I point out where I think things were wrong and in particular I do believe that my position is vindicated in terms of the fact that Boris Johnson and the government were too slow to act at the start of the pandemic.
An official portrait of former Stormont Assembly speaker Mitchel McLaughlin has been unveiled at Parliament Buildings in Belfast.

Mr McLaughlin was joined by his family, deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and current speaker Edwin Poots as the portrait painted in oil by local artist Catherine Creaney was unveiled.

Sinn Feins Mr McLaughlin was the first nationalist speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, holding the post from 2015 to 2016.

Delivering a speech at the ceremony at Stormont, Mr McLaughlin said society was in a better place with the Assembly operating.

He said: As speaker my maxim was you cant expect respect for your principles or your interests if you dont show respect for others.

My sense of the place we are in now is that it is much more positive.

There is a working dynamic as opposed to people who are hindering or antagonising colleagues.

Given the background of conflict in our society over many years, that was a challenge for people to rise above.

Mr Poots said: The election of Mr McLaughlin as the speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly was one of those moments of history for the institutions and for wider politics in Northern Ireland.

When he took up the office he became the first nationalist/republican to serve following the retirement of his predecessor William Hay.

Mr Poots said that at the time the running joke in Stormont was that you had to be from Londonderry to become speaker.

He added: I can give personal testimony to the authority, impartiality and dignity that he brought to the role.

Managing the business of the House can bring many challenges to a speaker.

However, Mitchel McLaughlin conducted business with self-assurance and confidence that ensured that matters were dealt with in a professional and a respectful fashion.

The portrait of Mr McLaughlin joins those of his predecessors Eileen Bell, Lord Alderdice and Lord Hay, which are on public display in the Great Hall at Parliament Buildings.
Are Taiwan's own LEO satellite programs combat-ready?

Taiwan's recent efforts to build its own "Starlink" have received growing attention as satellite communication has proven itself inalienable to wartime resilience, but to what degree are the ongoing government-backed satellite programs geared for modern warfare?

In a recent CNN interview with Wu Jong-shinn, the director-general of Taiwan Space Agency (TASA), Taiwan's satellite program has been put under the international spotlight: though Wu indicated that TASA has been developing a total of six Beyond 5G (B5G) communication satellites, and the first of which is expected to be launched by 2026, CNN also cited various experts noting that a larger satellite constellation would be needed to provide sufficient satellite coverage. For example, as reported by CNN, Australian astrophysicist Brad Tucker estimated that at least 50 satellites would be needed, and hundreds of satellites would be required to provide a reliable bandwidth. Su Tsu-yun, a director of Taiwan's National Defense and Security Research, was also quoted by CNN saying that it'd be "unrealistic" to think Taiwan would be able to provide all-around internet coverage with just a few indigenous satellites.

What's a realistic plan, then? Especially in terms of wartime deployment, figuring out the right application scenario at this time could be more decisive than the size of the constellation. Currently, there are two ongoing Taiwanese government-led projects to operate communication satellite constellations for wartime applications: one is the aforementioned TASA-backed B5G initiative that will launch the first low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite in 2026, followed by another in 2028. According to the TASA director-general, the first two LEO satellite buses will be made in Taiwan, but the Ku-band payload of the first B5G satellite will depend on cooperation with overseas suppliers via public tender, with 3-4 potential suppliers.

At the current stage, the Taiwanese electronics industry is more adept at making ground equipment. Nevertheless, TASA will cooperate with the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) to produce the payload on the second B5G satellite, and the follow-up four satellites are expected to be produced by the private sector in Taiwan. At least 120 such satellites are needed to reach a degree of communication resilience though, said Wu.

The other initiative has been undertaken by the Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) to strengthen national communication network resilience during contingency or wartime. Relying on Non-Geostationary Satellite Orbits (NGSO) as a backup communication network, the plan seeks to deploy 700 user terminals near key infrastructure across Taiwan, including sites related to defense, by the end of 2024. There will also be 3 user terminals deployed abroad, one of them in the United States, according to a MODA official. Out of 100,000 cell stations across Taiwan and its island outposts, 70 of them of strategic importance will also be strengthened by satellite backhauls in 2024. Currently relying on the LEO satellites operated by the UK-based Eutelsat Oneweb and the medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellites operated by the Luxembourg-based SES, MODA's plan ultimately seeks to build a system enabling functions like video conference, live streaming, and phone calls for Taiwan's president and municipal government heads.

Even though MODA mentioned cooperation with Taiwan's defense establishment in the satellite communication program, it remains unclear to what degree the satellite service providers OneWeb and SES will support Taiwan's defense endeavors if military tension rises in the region, according to a source familiar with Taiwan's armed forces. Likewise, the practical defense potentials of both MODA and TASA programs, such as integration with the Taiwanese military's command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems, remain under-explored.

In fact, when it comes to satellite communication, Taiwanese armed forces have been relying on the geostationary satellite ST-1, later succeeded by ST-2, from 1998 on. ST-1, jointly operated by Singapore Telecom and Taiwan's Chungwha Telecom, was de-commissioned in 2011, and its successor ST-2 is expected to be replaced in 2029. In early 2023, Chungwha Telecom revealed the intention to cooperate with Singapore Telecom on ST-X, the successor to ST-2, and relevant work will begin in 2026.

Back in 2003, Taiwan's army began to field a satellite communications system developed by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) to connect with ST-1 and its successors. Featuring both fixed and mobile terminals, the system was later upgraded to enable satellite connection on the move (SOTM), providing command and control (C2) information, video, audio, and data transmission during operations. However, the system is deployed as a backup mainly at the theater-command level and can support brigade-level tactical communications when primary communication means, such as fiber-optics, microwave, and tactical data links, fail. In other words, ST-2 seems to be inaccessible at the battalion level, even though combined arms battalions are the main maneuver units in Taiwan's army.

Additionally, according to sources, the MQ-9B unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) being procured by Taiwan and the indigenously developed Teng Yun UAVs will also be remote-controlled via the ST-2 satellite, showing the growing importance of satellites in multiple military applications in Taiwan. The reliance on ST-2, on the other hand, also sheds light on another dimension that Taiwan's wartime satellite communication programs should factor in, namely counter-satellite measures via kinetic or electromagnetic means. An expert previously pointed out that the commercial-grade ST-2 satellite is vulnerable to interference.

As the Taiwanese military service branches strive to complete, upgrade, and eventually integrate their respective C4ISR systems, it remains to be seen how the ongoing government-backed satellite communication programs can be incorporated to form a common operational picture for joint forces, as exemplified by a recent US Space Force experiment that successfully broadcasted Link-16, a tactical data link used by US and NATO forces, from LEO satellites, enabling beyond line-of-sight (BLOS) communications.
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TPCA teams up with Taiwanese industry association to bolster talent and supply chains in Thai electronics manufacturing expansion

Taiwan Printed Circuit Association (TPCA) convened an investment exchange summit for the electronics manufacturing industries in Thailand on May 2nd. During the assembly, Mr. Lawrence Chang, Chairman of TPCA Thailand PCB Sodality (also Vice Chairman of TPCA), underscored the advent of a transformative industrial landscape amid the backdrop of the U.S.-China trade war and geopolitical intricacies.

Presently, various Taiwanese industries, spanning from electrical and electronics to machinery, automotive, and beyond, are poised to venture into Thailand, necessitating adept facilitation from respective industry association to swiftly establish a foothold. Taking the PCB industry as an example, since 2023, 11 Taiwanese-funded PCB manufacturers and over ten suppliers have publicly disclosed investments in Thailand. Responding to the multifaceted overseas investment requisites of its members, TPCA formally inaugurated TPCA Thailand PCB Sodality at the year's end to orchestrate tailored initiatives in Thailand. Mr. Lawrence Chang, Chairman of the TPCA Thailand PCB Sodality, expressed aspirations for synergistic endeavors between governmental entities and industries. Collaborative endeavors are envisioned to encompass industry, governmental, academic, and research realms, perpetuating the enhancement of Thailand's electronic manufacturing supply chain integrity while safeguarding Taiwan's competitive edge and fostering a promising horizon.

At the May 2nd electronics manufacturing investment exchange summit, Mr. Chang extended invitations to key persons of pivotal industry associations, including the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI), Thailand Printed Circuit Association (THPCA), alongside TEEMA, TAMI, TEEIA, TAIROA, and more. Collectively, they deliberated on talent acquisition and supply chain construction conundrums encountered by diverse industries. Facilitated by in-depth briefings from representatives of the BOI Taipei Office and THPCA General Manager, pragmatic resolutions and complementary measures were elucidated to industry association

In parallel, representatives from Chan Chao International Co., Ltd. capitalized on this occasion to expound on the achievements of the inaugural "Intelligent Asia Thailand 2024," held in March in Thailand. Mr. Jack Hung-Lung Chung, Deputy General Manager of Chan Chao International, highlighted that the debut of Intelligent Asia Thailand 2024 achieved a robust presence of nearly 400 booths within three months. The bustling attendance at assorted exchange meetings and talent matchmaking activities during the exposition underscored Thailand's burgeoning electronic manufacturing landscape, epitomizing the prosperous outcomes of the inaugural event. Appreciation was extended to all exhibitors for their patronage, along with industry sodalities for their robust engagement in forums and talent matchmaking undertakings.

As Thailand's nascent electronic manufacturing hub continues to burgeon, industry associations are primed to confront diverse member expectations and challenges. TPCA remains steadfast in optimizing Thailand's operational milieu, nurturing indigenous talents, and facilitating investments and collaborations across Thailand's supply chain spectrum. TPCA eagerly anticipates synergistic collaborations with industry associations to invigorate the electronic manufacturing landscape. Mr. Lawrence Chang expressed gratitude to all attendees for their concerted efforts in exchanging insights on Thailand's affairs, aiming to foster a comprehensive industry ecosystem and fortify industry member talent development. Through this summit, deeper insights into Thailand's investment climate were gleaned, empowering Taiwan's electronic manufacturing sector to leverage its collective prowess, infusing newfound vigor into Thailand's industrial revolution, and showcasing Taiwan's robust competitiveness on the global stage.

Chairman of TPCA Thailand Sodality Mr.Lawrence Chang poses for a photo with secretaries from electronics manufacturing industries associations and representatives from the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI).
Taiwan announces IC Taiwan Grand Challenge Competition to attract innovative teams and talent

Taiwan's National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) announced the launch of the "IC Taiwan Grand Challenge" on May 14 to attract global IC-related teams to Taiwan to propose research, development, and commercialization plans and leverage the semiconductor ecosystem and capabilities.

Tsung-tsong Wu, Minister without portfolio and Minister of NSTC, said the IC Taiwan Grand Challenge competition is aimed to focus on "IC design innovations" and "Chip-based innovative applications."

Since semiconductors play pivotal roles in technological innovations sparked by Generative AI, and Taiwan is the world's semiconductor manufacturing hub, Wu said Taiwan has a lot to offer to help realize semiconductor-related innovative designs and research results. "We also hope, in the process of the collaboration, the project will also benefit various local industries and bring in talent and capital to Taiwan."

Wu emphasized that the IC Taiwan Grand Challenge is built upon the Taiwan Chip-based Industrial Innovation Program (Taiwan CbI), which focuses on IC design and semiconductor-related applications.

"The Challenge and its pilot program target not only startups, but also corporations, research institutes, and even individuals globally, who are interested in collaborating with Taiwan's semiconductor industry," said Wu.

The criteria for the competition will focus on three aspects: local connectivity (40%), value creation (40%) and technological innovation (20%).

By "local connectivity", teams joining the challenge need to clarify how they plan to leverage Taiwan's industry (not just one or two companies), while providing concrete development plans in Taiwan in the proposals, according to Andrea Hsu, director general of NSTC. "The most attractive part for startups is that they will get the opportunity to leverage the semiconductor supply chain here in Taiwan."

The first round of applications starts from now to June 30, 2024, and the second round starts from September 4, 2024, to January 31, 2025.

The winner will receive US$30,000 and mentorship from industry experts in Taiwan. They will also get industry support from semiconductor companies in Taiwan to realize their innovations. The NSTC will also provide resources to help the team commercialize and implement their projects.
Plans to cut payment rates for all Ukrainian refugees living in State accommodation has been described as fair and in line with best practice by the Taoiseach.

Ukrainian refugees who fled to Ireland in 2022 and early 2024 will have their allowances cut from the job seekers rate of 232 euro a week to 38.80 euro in the next three months.

The Government is today considering the memo and is expected to sign off on the plans.

It will mean many of the 100,000 people, who arrived in Ireland during the first two years of the war, will receive the same allowance as those who have arrived in Ireland since March, after the Government slashed rates for new arrivals.

Speaking on his way into Cabinet, Simon Harris said it is about consistency of approach.

It doesnt seem sensible to me that you could have two children from Ukraine at the same school today in a very different system of treatment for one persons family versus the other, he added.

There needs to be a consistency of approach.

Obviously, we have many people from Ukraine in our country. Many of them are working and making a valuable contribution to business right across Ireland, all of them with a legal entitlement to work.

I think we need to see that consistency of approach in relation to welfare and we need to make sure the system is financially sustainable.

I think Irish people have been incredibly generous and compassionate.

But at the same time, we also have to make sure the systems we have in place are grounded in common sense, that they are fair and in line with what is best practice across the European Union.

The move is among a number of measures to tighten rules around immigration.

The Cabinet is also to review entitlements of international protection applicants, as well as an increase in the number of workplace inspections.

Mr Harris said the Government will review the entire range of supports for migrants.

What we are going to do here is make sure that we have a sustainable migration system and that we have a consistency of approach in relation to a range of issues around welfare and accommodation, he added.

Todays memo should be very seen very much in that guise. This is a compassionate country but compassion does need to align with common sense.

I think there are a number of proposals coming from a range of ministers that will be helpful in relation to that.

He added: Firstly, we are not just reviewing payments, we are reviewing the entire range of supports and how the State interacts. So for example, you have many, many, many people who have status in this country, who are through the immigration system and who are still living in free State accommodation without making a contribution.

How do you best address that situation? When does the obligation in relation to social welfare end in terms of the process?

Its not necessarily just about a headline rate of payment, but more about how the welfare system and the accommodation system interacts.

Crucially, I want Ireland to be in line with the European Union. This is about looking at what other European countries are doing and making sure our country isnt out of kilter.

Ireland will always live up to its international obligations. Ireland will always take a compassionate approach. Ireland benefits from migration.

We also have to make sure our system is working, (our) system is efficient and effective, and meets the common sense test that Irish people wants to see us apply.
Pope Francis has given a 'tremendous' appointment to a Clare native.

Monsignor Seamus Horgan from Ennis has been assigned as Papal Nuncio to South Sudan.

A native of Tobarteascain near St. Flannans College where he completed his secondary schooling, Monsignor Horgan entered St Patricks College Maynooth in 1987 before being ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Michael Harty in 1994 at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Ennis.

He is currently First Counsellor at the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington D.C. and has previously held Diplomatic Service of the Holy See rolls in Uganda, Switzerland, The Philippines and Italy.

Speaking of the appointment, Bishop of Killaloe Dr Fintan Monahan said: "I warmly congratulate Monsignor Seamus Horgan on his appointment by Pope Francis to be Nuncio to South Sudan based in the city of Juba. He is also appointed to the titular See of Ard Sratha - Ardstraw, County Tyrone."

Bishop Monahan continued: "Monsignor Horgan brings a wealth of pastoral and practical experience with him to his new role. A conscientious, diligent and prayerful pastor, his engagement with people is marked with great kindness and courtesy. He served with distinction in his appointments at local level in Bodyke and Roscrea in the diocese and in his various appointments since he entered the diplomatic service."

"I wish Monsignor Horgan every good wish and blessing in his important role and assure him of the prayers of the faithful of Killaloe Diocese, added Bishop Monahan. At this time there are three Apostolic Nuncios, originally from Ireland, in active diplomatic service for the Universal Church - and here in Killaloe we are very proud of the fact that two of them are natives of our diocese.

St. Flannans College Principal Fr. Iggy McCormack said: This episcopal appointment is a tremendous honour for Monsignor Seamus and for our school. We are very proud of what he has achieved in his ministry to date during which time he has served as Secretary of the Apostolic Nunciatures in Kampala, Berne and Manila, as well as working at the Secretariat of State in Rome from 2015 to 2020 before assuming his current role in the United States.

This is the first time in many decades that a Papal Nuncio has emanated from our alumni. The students and staff of St Flannans College wish Monsignor Seamus the very best for the future, added Fr. McCormack.

Following six years of pastoral ministry in the Diocese of Killaloe Diocese, Monsignor Seamus Horgan was sent to Rome in 2000 for further studies. After completing a Licence in Canon Law (Pontifical Gregorian University), he joined the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome to prepare for the service of the Holy See. In 2008, he was appointed a Chaplain of His Holiness and in 2019 a Prelate of Honour. Monsignor Horgan speaks English, Italian and French and has a working knowledge of German.
The legacy of the Holocaust blinds some countries to the suffering of Palestinians, a Green MEP has said.

Ciaran Cuffe, who is seeking re-election, made the comments during a debate with other candidates in the Dublin constituency.

The politicians were engaging with representatives from youth charities on the European Parliaments role in online safety and targeting child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Mr Cuffe said there had been a sticking point in a recent parliamentary debate about mass surveillance of electronic communications.

He said: My political group is against that. We do allow targeted scanning when you have solid grounds of concern.

He added: So absolutely, you have to tackle child abuse, but we cant do that by letting Big State or Big Tech take over and look at everything that we put online.

And I think that will be the debate that continues over the next year.

Mr Cuffe was responding to a question from one of the youth representatives about German legislators attempts to restrict the phrase from the river to the sea amid a wave of pro-Palestinian protests against Israels military campaign in Gaza.

He continued: The words that you might use in Germany would be considered illegal  and the last nine months have been extraordinary.

I mean, for me, the Holocaust casts a really long shadow over the world and blinds many countries to the reality of the humanitarian toll on the Palestinian people.

He said this was a good example of differences across EU member states and a reason why there should not be broad scanning of electronic material.
NCT testers have given an update on a question often asked by Irish parents before attending their local NCT centre.

Many parents are unaware of the rules around car seats with most assuming they have to be removed from the back seat before a car is presented for a test.

This practice can be a time drain for parents who often have to bring their kids with them to the test centre.

However, now testers have reiterated to people that car seats don't have to be taken out for a test but they warned that if left in the back seat, they will be tested.

Responding to the question on social media, NCTS said: "No, but if the baby seat is left in the car for the NCT, it will be checked that it is secure."

The RSA regularly hosts free Check It Fits events where parents can go along and check that their baby seats are securely fitted.

Elsewhere, NCT Ireland recently revealed a number of other little known visual reasons your car could fail the NCT.

The NCT says: "Taking a few minutes to check some of the visual items below and ensuring they are all working in advance of your NCT could potentially save you valuable time and money."

One of the more obscure items that you could easily forget to check is the little bulbs on your registration plates. It is a legal requirement that your registration is visible at all times and if these bulbs aren't working, it cannot be seen at night.

Your car could fail its NCT if its registration plate lamps are "not working, faulty or not fitted; not white in colour; or if the lens is missing or broken." You can check these bulbs by turning your car on and checking the bulbs are on front and rear before the test.

You can see the full NCT visual checklist below:

Windscreen Wipers and Washers

Reasons for failure:

Missing

Not cleaning windscreen effectively

Wiped areas less than sufficient to give the driver an adequate view

Washer, not working, no water or incorrectly aimed

Seat Belts

Reasons for failure:

Belts cut, badly frayed or repaired

Belts not operating properly

Tyre Condition

Reasons for failure:

tread worn, distorted or damaged

tread depth of less than 1.6mm

Incorrectly seated on wheel rim

Valve Damaged

Registration Plate Lamps

Reasons for failure:

Not working, faulty or not fitted

Not white in colour.

Lens missing or broken.

Stop Lamps

Reasons for failure:

Missing or not clearly visible.

Not working or faulty.

Not brighter than tail lights.

Not red in colour

Insecurely mounted

Contains water/moisture

Lens missing or broken

Switch does not operate correctly

Indicator/Tell Tales

Reasons for failure:

Missing, not working or faulty

Insecurely mounted

Lens broken or missing

Contains water/moisture

Not amber in colour

Horn

Reasons for failure:

Control insecure

Horn insecurely mounted

Not working correctly

Not working or not fitted

Registration Plates Front and Rear

Reasons for failure:

One or both plates missing, insecure or not clearly visible.

Numbers or letters missing or illegible or incorrect size

Numbers, letter or background of incorrect colour

Side Lamps

Reasons for failure:

Missing or not clearly visible.

Not working or faulty.

Not white in colour

Insecurely mounted

Contains water/moisture

Lens missing or broken
Local man Eoghan McCabes three-year long journey of charity fundraising has totalled a staggering 94,906.

The annual campaign, Eoghans Home Run, an annual tractor run, has brought together thousands of people over the years and has contributed to connecting communities throughout northeast coast region.

The fundraising activity has consistently benefitted three well deserving charities since 2021 and throughout that time, Eoghan has also acted as an ambassador to raise awareness of causes, conditions and help for all three.

December 23s Home Run started in Dunleer, Co. Louth and on the lead up to the event was supported by YouTube legend Farmer Phil as well as receiving messages of support by All Ireland greats Johnny Sexton, Jamie Heaslip and Tommy Bowe.

Taking pride in his achievement, Eoghan recently presented the three supported charities, Williams Syndrome Ireland, Drogheda Special Olympics and Ardee Hospice with equal donations of 13,107.

Commenting on the campaign, Eoghan said: "For the past 3 Eoghans Home Runs, I would like to thank those who participated and supported. Without you, these events would not have been as successful. #WatchThisSpace."

All donations have been divided equally between the three excellent charities, Williams Syndrome Ireland, Ardee Hospice and Drogheda Special Olympics and we really hope it helps do more for more people.

To view images and video from all the events, Eoghans Home Run Facebook page remains live and can be found at https://www.facebook.com/eoghanstractorrun
Don't miss the chance to be part of something truly special! Join An Tain Arts Centre for the incredible journey of Little Amal, a giant puppet on a mission of hope and unity.

Little Amal is the 12 foot puppet of a 10 year old Syrian refugee child who has become a global symbol of human rights, especially those of refugees. Amal, whose name means Hope in Arabic, is from just outside Aleppo in Syria.

She has visited 160 towns and cities in 16 countries and has been welcomed by two million people on the street and by tens of millions online.

Her journeys are celebrations of art and hope that draw attention to the huge numbers of children and their families fleeing war, violence and persecution, each with their own story. Her urgent message to the world is Dont forget about us.

Little Amal will travel to Dundalk on her way from Belfast to Dublin, an especially powerful and meaningful journey. Other famous borders she has crossed include from the US into Mexico, from Turkey into Greece, from Poland into Ukraine.

She will arrive at Market Square, Dundalk on Wednesday 22nd May at 6:30pm and will be welcomed by Breifne Holohan and a band of Irish musicians, members of MAD Youth Theatre and Setanta Choir. As part of the visit, Primary School Children from Faughart Community National School have been partaking in art workshops with local artist Sophie Coyle in preparation for Amals arrival. MAD Youth Theatre will then take part in a short movement performance to welcome Amal. Members of the public are encouraged to greet and engage with Amal.

Amal is due to arrive at Market Square at 6:30pm where we hope she will make many new friends and experience aspects of Irish culture that will bring her joy.

Little Amal carries a message of hope for displaced people. Her journeys draw attention to issues such as immigration policy especially with regard to children fleeing war, violence and persecution. Her journeys are produced by The Walk Productions in association with Handspring Puppet Company.

Visit www.antain.ie or https://www.walkwithamal.org/ to learn more and get involved in this inspiring event! Walk with Amal Wednesday 22nd May at 6:30pm An Tain Arts Centre. This is a free off-site event at Market Square Dundalk. No booking is required.

Amals visit to Dundalk comes as she journeys from Belfast to Dublin as part of Belfast 2024, in partnership with ArtsEkta, Dublin city Council and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.

Little Amals journeys are produced by The Walk Productions, a not-for-profit company founded by Producers David Lan and Tracey Seaward with Artistic Director Amir Nizar Zuabi. The Walk Productions presents large scale participatory public art that brings communities together to challenge assumptions, rethink narratives and provoke change. Their next production  coming in 2025  is The Herds, a vast act of theatre to spark climate action.

Little Amal was designed and built by Handspring Puppet Company, whose work has been presented in more than 30 countries around the world spanning four decades. Their Puppetry design for War Horse established Handspring as one of the most important puppet companies in the world.

Since Little Amals creation in 2021, she has travelled to 160 towns and cities in 16 countries and been welcomed by over two million people and tens of millions online, through creative events led by artists and local communities. She has also won a range of awards, including being named New Yorks No. 1 Art Event by Time Out magazine in 2022. The Walk 2021 was a co-production with Good Chance Theatre.

Since Amal has started walking, she has raised 770,000 for The Amal Fund with Choose Love, providing urgently-needed support for refugee and displaced children all over the world.
Public funding for staff at community centres in Blackrock and Muirhevnamor has been raised with Minister Joe OBrien in the Dail by Louth TD Ruairi O Murchu.

The Louth centres were highlighted by the Sinn Fein TD, who said community centres were under pressure because of the added costs of wages, energy costs and the cost of business.

He said Muirhevnamor Community Centre currently has an application with the Department of Rural and Community Development for funding under the Community Services Programme (CSP).

Deputy O Murchu said: I can speak to the work that is done in terms of youth groups, youth training, addiction supports, disability supports, the HSE and everybody else who operates out of there. It has expanded and provides a fabulous service to the local community.

Minister OBrien said: "I acknowledge the Deputy's ongoing advocacy for Muirhevnamor community centre. He raises it with me regularly. We supply funding for it to support a manager and three full-time equivalents, so that is an annual contribution of 114,000 supplied to Muirhevnamor community centre.

"Over the past four years, there has been a list of financial pressures on the CSP that really started with Covid. Many CSP organisations depend on the income they generate themselves.

"That varies a lot depending on where organisations are situated. We had a job to make sure CSP organisations survived through Covid. Many of them were not able to generate their own income, so we developed a support fund to guide the 400-plus organisations through that challenge.

"We have a new model, which gives CSP organisations a graded contribution. I think Muirhevnamor is one of those getting a higher contribution under the new model because it is in an area of higher need with less ability to generate its own income. Applications are under review, but due to the volume of applications received, it is expected notifications will issue to organisations in the coming weeks."

Deputy O Murchu also raised Blackrock Community Centre. He said: "I also previously asked the Minister of State about Blackrock community centre and that his Department engage with it.

"It previously failed on the basis of displacement, but it said the sort of jobs it was looking at could not be dealt with by Tus and CE. While it might not be in the same sort of area as Muirhevnamor, it provides a huge service and we should look at facilitating it."

Minister OBrien said: "The past couple of years have been particularly challenging, and they have all stepped up to the plate. If the Deputy sends me more detail on the Blackrock situation, we can look into it. I do not know if appeal options were exhausted."
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Louth TD, Ruairi O Murchu, has paid tribute to Pat Muckian, who died in hospital on Monday evening.

Patricia Muckian had been seriously injured in an attack in the Glenwood Estate in Dundalk on Friday 3 May which also saw two other women injured. Gardai have confirmed that she died in a hospital in Dublin.

Speaking to LMFM, the Sinn Fein TD said his heart goes out to the family and the wider community, following Ms Muckians death.

Deputy O Murchu said: "Pat would have been known from her time in Dundalk Credit Union where she held every level of position and was involved in the wider community work that has become synonymous with the credit union.

"She comes from a very big and well respected family and her seven sisters are still alive. She lost one sister and three brothers and while she was not the eldest of the family, she was viewed as the matriarch of the clan.

"She had over 20 nieces and nephews and was very supportive of them. The family and the wider community are devastated by her death. It is a brutal tragedy for all her family and friends.

"This has been a very difficult time for the family since the incident on May 3. The wider community of Dundalk, her family and friends, will be incredibly supportive in the coming days and weeks, as Pat herself would have been.

"And as much as Pat was recognised for her work at the credit union, I also know she was involved in many acts of charity over the years for which she never took the limelight and just did things because they were the right thing to do. My heart goes out to the wider family at this extremely difficult time."
In a bid to crack down on booze-fuelled holidays in tourist areas, the sale of alcohol will be totally banned between 9.30pm and 8am in areas of "excessive tourism" in Majorca and Ibiza.

The new decree, passed by the government of Spain's Balearic Islands, completely prohibits late-night sales of alcohol in the popular tourist destinations of Llucmajor, Palma and Calvia (Magaluf) in Majorca, as well as San Antonio in Ibiza.

Party boats will also be stopped from operating within one nautical mile of the designated area under the toughening of a law passed in 2020 to limit the impact of alcohol-fuelled holidays of tourists from abroad. The vessels are reportedly banned from picking up and disembarking passengers in these areas.

The legislation comes with a 16 million funding package for security, inspections and advertising, the Balearic government said. Officials say it is part of an overall plan to promote responsible tourism, with the new law to remain in place until 2027.

The new decree comes after the government warned rowdy tourists they could face big fines under tougher sanctions for bad behaviour.

People could be fined between 750 and 1,500 if their consumption of booze on public roads "disrupts coexistence, involves crowds or deteriorates the tranquillity of the environment", according to the Canarian Weekly website.

If the offence is considered very serious, the fine could range from 1,500 to 3,000.

While the money generated by drinking alcohol is welcomed by some local businesses, the impact of drunk holidaymakers can be negative for the regions, especially for the people living there.

The measure comes as many European resorts brace for the influx of tourists over the summer season.
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Postal Code
A redevelopment plan for the Spring Lane halting site at Ballyvolane has been agreed on by Cork City Council.

The plan, which is worth 18m and includes the construction of 27 residential units at Spring Lane and the adjoining Elliss Yard, was passed with 25 votes in favour and three against, with councillors Joe Kavanagh and Des Cahill of Fine Gael and Independent Ken OFlynn against.

Green Party councillor for Cork City North East, Oliver Moran, said ahead of the meeting that the situation that has been allowed to develop over the course of decades at Spring Lane is intolerable.

He said that in 2019, one of his first acts as chairman of the Traveller accommodation committee was to organise a visit by mainly new councillors to the site.

It opened peoples eyes to conditions few would believe could exist outside of the Third World, he said.

Speaking at last nights council meeting, Mr Moran welcomed members of the Travelling community who were in attendance in the public gallery, saying: While no plan is perfect, this is as close as we can get, and inaction is, morally, not an option.

He said there will still be work to be done to deliver housing on a site with people living on it while simultaneously reducing the number of families at Spring Lane.

Councillor John Sheehan, who is also a GP, said that he had been to the site many times with GP trainees who are shocked at the conditions there, saying: There are rats running around and children playing in dangerous conditions.

The easy thing is to do nothing, but we have an obligation to do something.

Dr Sheehan acknowledged there are challenges, but said to do nothing risks continuing terrible living conditions.

Fine Gael councillor Joe Kavanagh proposed a vote on the topic, saying that he bases his votes on what residents of the Ballyvolane area feel, saying nobody knows the area better than people who live there.

Labours John Maher said that he lives in Ballyvolane himself and was in support of the plan, saying: Building homes for people is not a waste of money, in my opinion.

Independent Ken OFlynn called the plan flawed, saying there were no signed documents from the Travelling community around giving up livestock in particular.

I agree that nobody deserves to live like that, but we cannot ignore the elephants in the room  the elephants being horses, other accommodation that has to be found, people that will be displaced.

Sinn Feins Mick Nugent said his party had made a lengthy submission on the proposed plans, and were largely satisfied with the responses they had received on the issues raised.

Councillors Ted Tynan of the Workers Party, Independent Thomas Moloney, Fine Gaels Shane OCallaghan, An Rabharta Glas Lorna Bogue, and Fine Gaels Shane OCallaghan also spoke in support of the motion, saying the situation as it was could not be allowed to continue.
STAFF at a jewellers at Mahon Point in Cork had their own cash stolen by a man who went into a store room not open to members of the public and went through purses belonging to two of them.

Ciaran Callanan has now been jailed by Judge Mary Dorgan at Cork District Court for four months for this crime.

The 29-year-old, with an address Harbour View Road, Knocknaheeny, Cork, pleaded guilty to a charge of trespassing to commit a theft.

Sergeant Dave Delea said the incident occurred at Moores jewellers in Mahon Point.

The accused entered a private store room in the jewellers.

While there he stole money from purses belonging to two members of staff, totalling 380.

He was disturbed by one staff member, upon which he fled the scene through service corridors where are not accessible to members of the public.

Diane Hallahan defence solicitor, said, He is a serving prisoner - he was sentenced for matters occurring last year and he was not charged with this.

This is almost 26 months ago. Ordinarily, I could have made a delay argument but he is desirous to deal with it even though he is prejudiced by the fact that he was not charged sooner. He was always available to gardai. He is pleading guilty. He is sorry.

He had an addiction from the age of 13 that spiralled out of control. He has been taking part in education and dealing with his addictions in prison.

Judge Mary Dorgan said she would take into consideration that Mr Callanan had served sentences for offences he had committed since this occurred and she commented that this case could have come before the court sooner.

The judge sentenced him to four months.
Gardai are appealing for witnesses to a serious road traffic collision in Cork yesterday evening.

The collision between a car and a motorcycle occurred at approximately 9pm on Courtown Drive in Cork city.

The motorcyclist, a male youth in his teens was taken to the Cork University Hospital with what were described as serious injuries.

No other injuries to persons were reported.

Courtown Drive is currently closed with local diversions in place while a technical examination is being conducted at the scene.

Gardai are appealing for any witnesses to the collision to come forward.

Any road users who may have camera footage, including dash-cam, and were travelling in the Courtown Drive area between 8.45pm and 9.15pm on Monday, May 13 are asked to make this footage available to Gardai, said a garda spokesperson.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Gardai in Gurranabraher on 021-494 6200, the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station."
A teenager who had birthday presents for his girlfriends 16th birthday in his schoolbag had this stolen from his school and in a victim impact statement he described the theft as annoying, embarrassing and cruel.

Judge Mary Dorgan agreed with the victim and said it was a nasty type of theft, where John Campion trespassed at Fr Rocks school in Cork city centre and took the backpack which was never recovered.

As well as schoolbooks, the bag belonging to the 16-year-old boy contained presents that he had bought for his girlfriends birthday on January 11.

CCTV in the area showed John Campion leave the premises with the blue backpack.

This was only one of many such thefts carried out by 34-year-old John Campion of St Vincents Hostel, Anglesea Terrace, Cork, in the past year to which he pleaded guilty at Cork District Court.

Eddie Burke, solicitor, said John Campion was pleading guilty to all matters against him at the earliest possible time.

On October 7, 2023 at The Raven Bar he was seen on CCTV again with a bag that he took from an area of the premises that was not open to members of the public. There was no confrontation and he left after minute with the stolen bag.

Ten days later he stole the schoolbag. And on that same day he carried out a theft at The Oliver Plunkett Bar.

On January 17 this year he was found hiding at the scene after an alarm activation at the Coqbull restaurant on Academy Street.

On the same date he stole a bankcard from Crowleys Opticians on Grand Parade.

A number of shorter sentences were imposed, concurrent with the sentence of six months imposed on John Campion. One such sentence was imposed on him for going into a staff area of the Elbow Lane restaurant and stealing a jacket on July 30, 2023.

For two car crashes on the Ballinlough Road for which the same man was responsible, Judge Dorgan imposed a driving disqualification of two years and a concurrent four-month sentence.

Sentencing had to be put back on a number of other burglary/theft type offences committed by John Campion until May 27 as victim impact statements had to be prepared.
Paedophile is one of the most terrible insults one could shout at someone in todays society, a District Judge said in the case against a man who claimed that his abusive behaviour was entirely verbal.

Judge John King said that while the abuse of gardai by 35-year-old Conor Greaney was verbal it was of the worst kind.

Defence solicitor Michael Quinlan said at Cork District Court said that on the night in question the defendant was frustrated more than anything as his car was being seized by gardai. Mr Greaney of 30 Fairfield Meadows, Upper Fairhill, Cork, apologised soon afterwards.

It was verbal only. There were no threats of violence in any shape or form, Mr Quinlan said on the defendants behalf.

Judge King said: When you call someone a paedophile it is one of the worst insults in todays society  it is a terrible thing to call someone.

The judge convicted Conor Greaney on the charge of engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour and imposed a 600 fine or ten days in prison in default of payment.

Inspector Brendan McKenna said at Cork District Court today that the incident occurred after midnight on January 10 when gardai stopped his car which was being driven erratically at Upper Fairhill.

The driver and a number of passengers got out of the car when gardai were dealing with the situation.

When Mr Greaney was told that for reasons including the absence of up to date tax on the vehicle, it was being seized, he became aggressive and shouted, paedophiles, at gardai.

He continued to act aggressively until he was arrested, Insp McKenna said.
Cork City Councils executive has been criticised over a lack of transparency surrounding the robo-trees in the city centre.

The robo-trees, also known as CityTrees or Moss Walls, were installed at a cost of over 400,000 in 2021, with annual maintenance costs exceeding 17,000.

Sinn Fein councillor for the South-West Ward, Orla OLeary, asked in a written question ahead of Mondays full council meeting whether the chief executive could report on the next steps concerning the trees, given that a report on their effectiveness was due in February or March.

She told The Echo that the written response from David Joyce, director of services at the Roads and Environment Operations Directorate, was extremely disappointing.

Cork City Council continues to engage with a number of third parties with a view to identifying opportunities to evaluate the performance of the Moss Walls in alternative indoor locations, as proposed in the review of the Moss Walls undertaken in 2023, wrote Mr Joyce.

The next steps to be taken will depend on the outcomes of these engagements.

Ms OLeary put a supplementary question to the director of services at Mondays meeting, asking if he had a timeline for when he could expect engagements to conclude.

He couldnt commit to a timeline, its completely unacceptable, she said.

During a debate on one of the reports which came back inconclusive, the majority view was that we would give it a few months for further studies to be undertaken, and that timeline has passed.

Three options were presented to Cork City Council at the time: to let the trees as they are, to move them to an alternative location, or to commission further research into their benefits.

The third option was chosen, but the report is not yet complete and an election is fast approaching.

Its a real cause for concern, especially considering the very large amount of taxpayers money thats been spent on it and is continuing to be spent on annual maintenance, considering studies have failed to show any proof that they are improving the air quality, said Ms OLeary.

They are just kicking the can down the road. A new council will come in now in June, they will pause for summer and come back in September, I think theyre hoping it fades into the background.

Theres great interest in the robo-trees though. The councillors werent even consulted on them being bought, so at the very least, they should be giving us the information now so that we can make a decision.

The response was really disappointing, so, so vague.

I wouldve expected to have at least been given a specific timeframe, but it should be on the agenda at every meeting  what actions were undertaken each month to determine their effectiveness.
DR Anthony Fauci was in Dublin recently, honoured by the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland for his outstanding contribution to public health both throughout his lifetime and as advisor to the U.S President during the pandemic.

His outspoken advocacy for vaccination necessitates that he travels with six security personnel, as he warns about the normalisation of untruth, including by anti-vaxxers online, as people are being discouraged from vaccinating their children.

The esteemed public health and infectious disease expert said that anti-vaccination campaigners gained a lot of strength during the Covid-19 pandemic, and that a tremendous energy is being put into spewing anti-science narratives online.

This reality is playing out across Europe and the UK, as measles cases surge.

Now, whooping cough cases are also escalating rapidly across Northern Ireland, the UK and Europe, with the latest figures from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) showing whooping cough is on the rise in Ireland as well.

The most recent figures from HPSC National Notifiable Disease hub show there have been 70 cases in Ireland over the last 12 weeks, with more than half of those occurring in just the last four weeks (36). This compares to just 94 cases in the last 52 weeks and these are only the ones we know about, which is possibly the tip of a very large iceberg.

The trajectory is upwards.

This increase in cases is a concern amid evidence of falling uptake of the pertussis-containing 6 in 1 vaccine for children under the age of 12 months.

Figures from the HPSC show 6 in 1 vaccination rates at 12 months from the second quarter of 2023 were 84.6%, a fall of over 4 percentage points on 6 in 1 vaccination rates in the same cohort before the Covid- 19 pandemic in the first quarter of 2018.

While actual case numbers may appear low, the Public Health Agency (PHA) in Northern Ireland (NI) published a report this month on the unfolding picture of an upward surge in cases of whooping cough in our nearest neighbour since the beginning of 2024.

The PHA report 838 clinically suspected cases in NI this year with 670 (80%) of those laboratory confirmed up until April 28. While numbers in January were reported as between one and 12 cases per week, numbers in February climbed to 30 cases per week, with a surge of 163 cases per week in the last week in April.

With these kind of figures being described on the island of Ireland, it is only a question of time before similar figures for whooping cough are reported here.

A resurgence of whooping cough (pertussis) in England was reported in an editorial in the British Medical Journal this month, with similar patterns emerging in many countries across Europe.

This is thought to be the result of the natural cyclical pattern of pertussis, where cases rise every few years, in combination with a steady reduction in pertussis vaccine uptake among pregnant women and children.

Last September, Denmark declared a pertussis epidemic after the incidence rose throughout the summer. Similarly, the Czech Republic is experiencing its worst pertussis outbreak in a decade. Other affected countries include Belgium, Norway, Spain and the Netherlands.

Helen Bedford, Professor of Childrens Health at University College London, said this month that one reason for falling vaccination rates could be due to concern about the effect of the Covid vaccine on pregnant women.

My own assessment is that a lot of questions that were raised about the Covid vaccine have been transferred to other vaccines, she said.

There was so much discussion during the pandemic and some of that has made people more questioning.

Whooping cough causes long bouts of coughing and choking that is distressing for parents as well as the child as it can make it hard to breathe. A child may turn blue from lack of air, or vomit after a coughing spell. Between these coughing spells, a child gasps for air, causing the characteristic whoop.

Whooping cough is a very contagious disease that is easily spread from person to person. It is caused by bacteria called Bordetella pertussis that live in the mouth, nose and throat, and is spread by personal contact, coughing and sneezing.

Many reported cases occur among infants, some of whom are too young to have received the three primary doses of vaccine necessary to provide protection.

Since 2013, pertussis vaccine has been recommended for pregnant women in Ireland during each pregnancy- to provide protection by maternal immunity- to infants in the first few months of life when they are too young to be vaccinated and are at their most vulnerable.

Most cases of whooping cough involve some degree of collapsed lung and/or pneumonia. Babies may stop breathing.

Pneumonia may be severe enough to lead tragically, to death. About half the deaths from whooping cough are due to pneumonia. Thankfully, those who survive usually do not experience lung damage.

There may be altered consciousness or convulsions. This is most likely due to a lack of oxygen or small amounts of bleeding in the brain.

Overall, of the people who get whooping cough:

1 in five will go to hospital (1 in 2 if less than 6 months)

1 in 20 will get pneumonia (1 in 10 if less than 6 months)

1 in 100 will have fits (1 in 70 if less than 6 months)

1 in 500 will die from pneumonia or brain damage (90% of deaths are in children less than 6 months)

1 in 1,000 will get encephalitis or inflammation of the brain (1 in 500 if less than 6 months)

Despite what anti-vaxxers tell us, this really nasty infection can be prevented by vaccination.

The pertussis vaccine is given to children as part of their 6 in 1 vaccine at 2, 4 and 6 months of age. The vaccine protects against Pertussis as well as Diphtheria, Hepatitis B, Hib (Haemophilus Influenza b), Polio and Tetanus.

A booster vaccine is given at aged 4-5 that protects against Diphtheria, Pertussis, Polio and Tetanus, and another booster is given in 1st year of secondary school which also protects against Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus. This is particularly important to prevent whooping cough in teenagers with waning immunity.

Pertussis vaccine in combination with Diphtheria and Tetanus (Tdap) is also recommended as completely safe for pregnant women after 16 weeks and up to 36 weeks gestation in each pregnancy, to protect themselves and their infant in the first few months of life.

Dr Fauci counsels that if vaccination rates start to drop were all going to be in a lot of trouble..

Well, in Ireland now, falling vaccination rates are unfortunately and tragically for an increasing number of people, a stark reality.

Vaccination is the most effective tool we have to curb yet another highly contagious preventable infection from widespread transmission - risking serious illness in tiny infants that are the most vulnerable.

Dr Catherine Conlon is a public health doctor in Cork.
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Water flows down the Los Angeles River and under the North Atwater Bridge amid a break in heavy atmospheric rain on Feb. 7, 2024. Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Following several months of long and heavy rain, officials in Los Angeles have announced that the amount of stormwater captured from October 2023 through April 2024 is an estimated 96.3 billion gallons.

As the Los Angeles Times reported, the amount of stormwater captured in late 2023 through spring 2024 is enough to meet water demands of about 2.4 million people, about 25% of the county.

In February 2024 alone, the city captured 5 billion more gallons of stormwater compared to the previous year, according to Mayor Karen Bass. The total captured stormwater for that month reached 13.5 billion gallons.

In a regular year, the city captures an average of 8.8 billion gallons of stormwater, the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power reported. In the past year, stormwater capture has reached about 204 billion gallons, enough to supply water to about 5 million people, according to Water for LA, a county program.

The county had a particularly rainy winter and early spring, reaching the wettest day in over 20 years on Feb. 4, 2024, and February was the seventh-wettest month for Los Angeles in its recorded history, The New York Times reported. By April, Los Angeles had experienced more rainfall than infamously rainy Seattle.

Without proper stormwater management infrastructure, rainfall flows into storm drains, carrying pollution from the city with it, where it eventually is released into local waterways and the Pacific Ocean untreated.

The recent increase in stormwater capture can be linked to infrastructure projects designed to save more stormwater during the regions recent wet winters. The county has put about $1 billion in investments into stormwater capture and storage projects since 2001, the Los Angeles Times reported. As of December 2023, Los Angeles county had established 126 stormwater management infrastructure projects, NBC4 reported.

Los Angeles recently established the L.A. County Water Plan, adopted by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in December 2023. This plan is set to increase the local water supply by 162 billion gallons by 2045 and ultimately meet 80% of the countys water demand. Currently, about two-thirds of the areas water is imported from areas like Northern California or the Colorado River.

With improved stormwater capture management infrastructure and programs, the county is making progress toward its goal to source more water locally to meet demand.

We know with weather volatility, we have to save every drop of water that we can. So this has to continue to be a trend that we invest in, Lindsey Horvath, chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, told the Los Angeles Times. The more we see investment in infrastructure, the more were going to be able to capture and make a difference, and keep that water resource local.
(Photo: REUTERS / Denis Balibouse)Melinda Gates, Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, smiles during a news conference before her address to the 67th World Health Assembly at the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva May 20, 2014. The World Health Assembly, which is the annual meeting of the WHO's 194 Member States and is its highest decision-making body, took place from May 19 to 27.

MicroCHIPS, an offshoot of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has developed a wireless contraceptive that can be implanted under a woman's skin.

This contraceptive, according to a report by PC PRO, can deliver a small dose of the levonorgestrel hormone into the body.

The Vatican has banned artificial contraception since its 1968 encyclical Humanae Vitae, so it is not certain how it will regard this new iteration of birth control.

The Latin Post reported on July 6, the Catholic Church has now decided to debate its doctrine in an attempt to better reach the mass of its followers, many of whom believe in using some form of birth control contraception.

Contraceptive implants have been around for years but this new chip has new things to offer.

One, it is longer lasting compared to other chips. Current hormone implants need to be changed every three to four years while this new chip promises to last for sixteen years.

The device can also be turned off by a remote control and can be turned on again on the wish of the user.

The device is also significantly smaller, measuring just 20 millimeters (0.8 inches) 20 mm x 7 mm (0.27 inches), whereas current rod implants are about 4 centimeters (1.6 inches) x 2 mm (0.08 inches).

MicroCHIPS has worked on chip-delivered, dosed medication for a while, until Microsoft founder Bill Gates suggested a possible contraceptive application to be developed.

Backed with over $4.6 million funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, it is hoped to have the device on sale as early as 2018.

The innovation comes at a time when governments and non governmental organizations around the world seek to bring family planning to 120 million women by 2020.

The project aims to start preclinical testing in 2015, but the US Food and Drug Administration is skeptical.

The US FDA warns that most medical devices are vulnerable to hacking.

In the June 13 Verge reported that the FDA expressed concern that a remote-control drug can pose danger especially if manufacturers do not take the necessary precautions.

CONTRACEPTION AND THE CHURCH

Regarding the attitude of the U.S. Catholic Church, citing an Associated Press report the ABC website in the United States reported June 27 that the Vatican sent out a 39-point questionnaire on issues related to the family.

The document sought input from ordinary Catholics around the world about their understanding of, and adherence to, the church's teaching on sexuality, homosexuality, contraception, marriage and divorce.

The answers revealed a more liberal view of the church on the issues.

Confronted with this situation, Vatican officials were asked at a press conference if the church might change its position to align itself with the practice of most of its faithful rather than hold onto teachings that so many Catholics reject, the AP report said.

Based on Francis' own wishes to open the discussion at all, deliberate for so long and canvass ordinary Catholics for their input, "We will not close our eyes to anything," said Monsignor Bruno Forte, an organizer of a Vatican meeting on the family that will take place in October. "These problems will be considered."

The Pope has expressed the view that the Church teaching on contraception does not need to change but that they must be applied with mercy.
(Photo: Vatican News)Pope Francis delivers Christmas greetings and his Urbi et Orbi blessing in St. Peter's Square on Dec. 25, 2021.

The weapons and contraceptive industries have taken some heavy flak from Pope Francis, who has accused them of destroying or preventing life.

The Pope's stance came in a speech at a conference on the demographic crisis gripping Europe and also Italy, Reuters news agency reported on May 10.

The report noted that Europe's fertility rate has remained around 1.5 births a woman for the past decade.

That statistic is above the lows seen in East Asia but far short of the 2.1 needed to maintain population levels.

"There is a fact that a demographics scholar told me. Right now, the investments that give the most revenue are the arms factories and contraceptives. One destroys life; the other prevents life ... What future do we have? It is ugly," Pope Francis said.

"Some think, excuse me if I use the word, that to be good Catholics, we have to be like rabbits, but no," he had said during a flight home from the Philippines in 2015, adding that the church promotes "responsible parenthood."

At the conference, Francis said the number of births was the first indicator of "a people's hope," and Europe was increasingly turning into "an old, tired and resigned" continent.

"Homes are filled with objects and emptied of children, becoming very sad places. There is no shortage of little dogs, cats, these are not lacking. There is a lack of children," the Pope said.

PRO-FAMILY POLICIES

He said governments need "serious and effective" policies in favor of families to tackle the issue.

He urged young people to have confidence in the future and urged policies that do not force mothers not to have to choose between work and childcare and that give young couples the chance of a stable job and the possibility to buy a house.

An example of the gun problem afflicting a country like the United States came on May 13, according to a CNN report.

A Mass celebrating a group of children's first Communion at a church in southern Louisiana was interrupted on May 11, when a 16-year-old boy armed with a gun walked in, the church and police said.

The church said in a statement that no one was injured during the incident in Abbeville at the St. Mary Magdalen Church, during which a "suspicious person" opened the back door of the building while Mass was underway.

In a message to its community the church said that parishioners immediately confronted the person, took him outside, and called the police.

Authorities, responding to a call about a suspicious person with a gun, arrived at the church and took the teen into custody, according to the Abbeville Police Department.
China's tech giant Huawei hosts cloud database summit in Thailand

Xinhua) 10:14, May 14, 2024

BANGKOK, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese technology giant Huawei hosted the Cloud Database Summit Thailand 2024 here on Monday, aiming to enable the public and private sectors to access next-generation database technologies and accelerate digitalization in the Southeast Asian country.

The summit launched a pioneer program to promote innovation and application of artificial intelligence-native database technologies in the kingdom, with about 20 experts from 15 industries, including local customers and partners, sharing their insights and experiences through keynotes, panels, and a hands-on lab program.

The Thai government released a digital strategy last year with the goal of becoming a data-driven country. To achieve this, a prosperous database ecosystem rooted in local system integrators, software developers, and applications is essential for implementing the national digital blueprint, said David Li, CEO of Huawei Thailand.

The digitalization trend that has swept across all industries demands a robust local ecosystem. With experience investing in database technology for 20 years, the company's latest distributed database technology will offer Thailand a powerful solution to unlocking the full value of data, Li said in his opening speech.

Since entering the Southeast Asian market in 2019, Huawei's public cloud services have grown 20 times in the past four years, making it one of the fastest-growing mainstream cloud vendors in the region. The company has established digital transformation cooperation in multiple industries, such as government, finance, the internet, and retail, said Zeng Xingyun, president of Huawei Cloud Asia Pacific.

Southeast Asia is experiencing rapid digitalization, and data security is of paramount importance. Huawei Cloud places cybersecurity and privacy protection at the forefront, prioritizing these over its commercial interests, while compliance remains the company's top priority, Zeng told Xinhua at the summit.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing)
(Photo: REUTERS / Olivier Hoslet / Pool)U.S. President Barack Obama (L), Belgium's King Philippe (2nd R) and Belgium's Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo (R) visit the Flanders Field American World War I Cemetery and Memorial in Waregem March 26, 2014. Obama is on a one-day visit to Belgium where he will attend a EU-USA summit and hold a speech.

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Despite differences on moral issues, U.S. President Barack Obama will find in Pope Francis a welcome ally on issues of poverty and social justice when they meet for the first time at the Vatican on Thursday.

The president has sparred with the Catholic Church hierarchy in the United States over his support for abortion rights, gay marriage and the "contraception mandate" that requires employers to provide health insurance cover for artificial birth control.

But Francis, while making clear that there will be no changes to Catholic doctrine on such issues, has used softer language than his predecessors.

In taking some of the heat out of the issue, he has tried to focus the Church instead on helping the world's disadvantaged, and signalled his dislike for the polarising effects of "culture wars" among U.S. Catholics.

"Francis has made it clear that his emphasis is on poverty, immigration and other social issues," said Monsignor Robert Wister, theologian and professor of Church history at Seton Hall University in the United States.

Since his election a year ago, Francis has several times criticised unbridled capitalism, the excesses laid bare by the global financial crisis, and the growing gap between the rich and poor, even in developed countries.

For his part, Obama has repeatedly praised Francis for his compassion and emphasis on helping the poor, and the meeting could help to give impetus to some of his initiatives back home, such as boosting the middle class and helping low-income Americans succeed.

"CRUCIAL VOICE"

The White House said Obama wanted to discuss "pressing global challenges such as lack of economic mobility and opportunity," adding that the pope's voice was "a crucial one as we look around the world at areas of conflict, religious persecution, and poverty".

Francis' more open-minded attitude toward women and gays also resonates with Obama, who counted on both groups to help propel him to the presidency in 2008 and 2012.

Catholics were also an important constituency for his re-election and remain a key group for Democrats, who are hoping to hold on to the U.S. Senate in November's midterm elections.

When Obama met then-pope Benedict in 2009, Benedict raised abortion, a touchstone issue for many U.S. Catholics as the Church considers abortion a grievous sin. Obama promised to do everything he could to reduce the number of abortions.

U.S. Church officials want the pope to visit the United States for a meeting of Catholic families in Philadelphia in 2015, and Obama may extend an open invitation, a U.S. Church official said.

Obama, a Christian who has attended African-American churches in the past, has kept his religion a mostly private affair, rarely attending church in Washington since his election in 2008. He receives daily "devotional messages" from an informal spiritual adviser, mostly based on Scripture.

(Additional reporting by Jeff Mason, travelling with the president; writing by Philip Pullella; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
(Photo: REUTERS / Stoyan Nenov)Pope Francis releases a white dove prior to delivering a Holy Mass at the Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Istanbul November 29, 2014. Pope Francis began a visit to Turkey on Friday with the delicate mission of strengthening ties with Muslim leaders while condemning violence against Christians and other minorities in the Middle East.

Pope Francis and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, spiritual leader of the Orthodox world, have signed a Joint Declaration reaffirming their desire to overcome the obstacles dividing their two churches.

The Catholic and Orthodox church leaders also deplored the dire situation facing Christians and all those suffering in the Middle East.

They called for an appropriate international community response, the Vatican news service said on November 30 on the third day of Pope Francis's visit to Turkey, where around 98 percent of the people are Muslims.

"We express our sincere and firm resolution, in obedience to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, to intensify our efforts to promote the full unity of all Christians, and above all between Catholics and Orthodox," the declaration said.

Leaders of the Armenian and Assyrian Orthodox Churches of Turkey were also present at the joint Sunday Mass conducted by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Pope Francis.

The Ecumenical Patriarch is often seen as a key leader and a first among equals among Orthdox patriarchs, but the Russian Patriarchate is the most numerial Orthodox church.

The Roman Catholic schism with Eastern Orthodox Churches occured in 1054.

The churches split over differences on the primacy of the papacy, but in recent years the churches have grown closer together.

The Greek Orthodox church under the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is a member of the World Council of Churches that groups more than 550 global Christians from mainly Anglican, Protestant and Orthodox traditions.

WCC'S FAITH AND ORDER COMMISSION

The Roman Catholic Church is not a member of the WCC, but the two cooperate on many programs and projects and the Holy See belongs to the WCC's Faith and Order Commission.

"We intend to support the theological dialogue promoted by the Joint International Commission, instituted exactly 35 years ago by the Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios and Pope John Paul II here at the Phanar," the joint declaration said.

On the second day of his visit Francis visited the Sultan Ahmet mosque, also commonly referred to as the Blue Mosque known as one the masterpieces of Ottoman architecture.

There the leader of the world's 1.3 million Roman Catholics stopped for two minutes and clasped his hands in reflection. with his head bowed.

Facing Mecca, the Pope stood next to Istanbul's Grand Mufti Rahmi Yaran in a gesture the Vatican described the gesture as a "moment of silent adoration" of God.

Later Francis paid a visit to the Hagia Sophia, the most important cathedral of Orthodoxy for almost 1,000 years.

In 1453, the Ottoman Turks under Sultan Mehmed II conquered Constantinople. Mehmed then ordered this main church of the Orthodox Christianity converted into a mosque.

The basilica became an imperial mosque under the Ottomans when they conquered the city in 1453, and was turned into a museum in 1935 after the foundation of the Turkish republic in 1923.
(Photo:  Peter Kenny)Haga Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey in May 2017.

The head of the Geneva-based World Council of Churches has written to Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressing "grief and dismay" from WCC members at his decision to convert the world famous Hagia Sophia into a mosque.

Rev. Ioan Sauca, interim WCC general secretary, sent the letter to the Turkish president on 11 July noting that since 1934, "Hagia Sophia has been a place of openness, encounter and inspiration for people from all nations and religions.

He said it has been a "powerful expression" of Turkey's "commitment to secularism and inclusion and of its desire to leave behind the conflicts of the past."

The Turkish president announced his decision on July 10 after a court ruling said its museum status was not legal and different media-worldwide interpreted his move as one to shore up his Islamist-base in troubled times.

"Mr. Erdogan's opponents say he has raised the issue of restoring Hagia Sophia as a mosque every time he has faced a political crisis, using it to stir supporters in his nationalist and conservative religious base," The New York Times commented.

Hagia Sophia was first built 1,500 years ago as an Orthodox Christian cathedral and was converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest in 1453.

In 1934, however, it became a museum by Cabinet decree to underline the modern secular Turkish state founded by Kemal Ataturk and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Hagia Sophia is one of the most important Byzantine structures ever built. It holds historical significance as a culminating feature of the Christian era Roman Empire and stands as a monument to artistic and architectural achievement.

The WCC also fears the decision "will encourage the ambitions of other groups elsewhere that seek to overturn the existing status quo and to promote renewed divisions between religious communities."

Although the WCC statement did not refer to any site it might have been a reference to the al-Aqsa mosque.

The Jerusalem Post commented, "One day, Turkey could even aim its sights at Jerusalem. The speech about Hagia Sophia clearly indicated this is on the agenda in the future."

Polarizing move

Qatar-based Al Jazeera said, "The decision, however, has once again revealed the polarization between secular and religious Turks in the country."

Sauca wrote, "I am obliged to convey to you the grief and dismay of the World Council of Churches  and of its 350 member churches in more than 110 countries, representing more than half a billion Christians around the world  at the step you have just taken.

"By deciding to convert the Hagia Sophia back to a mosque you have reversed that positive sign of Turkey's openness and changed it to a sign of exclusion and division."

Sauca said that regrettably, the decision in Turkey was taken without notice or discussion with UNESCO regarding the impact of the decision on Hagia Sophia's universal value recognized under the World Heritage Convention.

"Over the years, the World Council of Churches has made great efforts to support the active engagement of its member churches in interreligious dialogue, in order to build bridges of mutual respect...between the different religious communities.

"Furthermore, in times of challenge, the WCC together with its member churches has spoken out in defense and support of other religious communities, including Muslim communities, for their rights and integrity to be respected," said Sauca.

Converting such an "emblematic place" as Hagia Sophia from a museum back to a mosque will "inevitably create uncertainties, suspicions and mistrust, undermining all our efforts to bring people of different faiths together at the table of dialogue and cooperation."
Google is adding Gemini-powered AI automation to more tasks in Workspace. In its Tuesday Google I/O keynote, the company said its advanced Gemini 1.5 Pro will soon be available in the Workspace side panel as the connective tissue across multiple applications with AI-powered workflows, as AI grows more intelligent, learns more about you and automates more of your workflow.

Geminis job in Workspace is to save you the time and effort of digging through files, emails and other data from multiple apps. Workspace in the Gemini era will continue to unlock new ways of getting things done, Google Workspace VP Aparna Pappu said at the event.

The refreshed Workspace side panel, coming first to Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides and Drive, will let you chat with Gemini about your content. Its longer context window (essentially, its memory) allows it to organize, understand and contextualize your data from different apps without leaving the one youre in. This includes things like comparing receipt attachments, summarizing (and answering back-and-forth questions about) long email threads, or highlighting key points from meeting recordings.

Google

Another example Google provided was planning a family reunion when your grandmother asks for hotel information. With the Workspace side panel, you can ask Gemini to find the Google Doc with the booking information by using the prompt, What is the hotel name and sales manager email listed in @Family Reunion 2024? Google says it will find the document and give you a quick answer, allowing you to insert it into your reply as you save time by faking human authenticity for poor Grandma.

The email-based changes are coming to the Gmail mobile app, too. Gemini will soon be able to analyze email threads and provide a summarized view with the key highlights directly in the Gmail app, just as you can in the side panel, the company said.

Summarizing in the Gmail app is coming to Workspace Labs this month. Meanwhile, the upgraded Workspace side panel will arrive starting Tuesday for Workspace Labs and Gemini for Workspace Alpha users. Google says all the features will arrive for the rest of Workspace customers and Google One AI Premium users next month.

Catch up on all the news from Google I/O 2024 right here!
AI Overviews are now available in the US and will roll out to more than a billion people by the year's end.

Google is shaking up Search. On Tuesday, the company announced big new AI-powered changes to the worlds dominant search engine at I/O, Googles annual conference for developers. With the new features, Google is positioning Search as more than a way to simply find websites. Instead, the company wants people to use its search engine to directly get answers and help them with planning events and brainstorming ideas.

[With] generative AI, Search can do more than you ever imagined, wrote Liz Reid, vice president and head of Google Search, in a blog post. So you can ask whatevers on your mind or whatever you need to get done  from researching to planning to brainstorming  and Google will take care of the legwork.

Googles changes to Search, the primary way that the company makes money, are a response to the explosion of generative AI ever since OpenAIs ChatGPT released at the end of 2022. Since then, a handful of AI-powered apps and services including ChatGPT, Anthropic, Perplexity, and Microsofts Bing, which is powered by OpenAIs GPT-4, have challenged Googles flagship service by directly providing answers to questions instead of simply presenting people a list of links. This is the gap that Google is racing to bridge with its new features in Search.

Starting today, Google will show complete AI-generated answers in response to search queries at the top of the results page in the US when the company's systems determine that AI-powered results can be especially helpful. Google first unveiled the feature a year ago at Google I/O in 2023, but so far, anyone who wanted to use the feature had to sign up for it as part of the companys Search Labs platform that lets people try out upcoming features ahead of their general release. Google is now making AI Overviews available to hundreds of millions of Americans, and says that it expects it to be available in more countries to over a billion people by the end of the year. Reid wrote that people who opted to try the feature through Search Labs have used it billions of times so far, and said that any links included as part of the AI-generated answers get more clicks than if the page had appeared as a traditional web listing, something that publishers have been concerned about. As we expand this experience, well continue to focus on sending valuable traffic to publishers and creators, Reid wrote.

In addition to AI Overviews, searching for certain queries around dining and recipes, and later with movies, music, books, hotels, shopping and more in English in the US will show a new search page where results are organized using AI. [When] youre looking for ideas, Search will use generate AI to brainstorm with you and create an AI-organized results page that makes it easy to explore, Reid said in the blog post.

Google

If you opt in to Search Labs, youll be able to access even more features powered by generative AI in Google Search. Youll be able to get AI Overview to simplify the language or break down a complex topic in more detail. Heres an example of a query asking Google to explain, for instance, the connection between lightning and thunder.

Google

Search Labs testers will also be able to ask Google really complex questions in a single query to get answers on a single page instead of having to do multiple searches. The example that Googles blog post gives: Find the best yoga or pilates studios in Boston and show details on their intro offers and walking time from Beacon Hill. In response, Google shows the highest-rated yoga and pilates studios near Bostons Beacon Hill neighborhood and even puts them on a map for easy navigation.

Google

Google also wants to become a meal and vacation planner by letting people who sign up for Search Labs ask queries like create a 3 day meal plan for a group thats easy to prepare and letting you swap out individual results in its AI-generated plan with something else (swapping a meat-based dish in a meal plan for a vegetarian one, for instance).

Google

Finally, Google will eventually let anyone who signs up for Search Labs use a video as a search query instead of text or images. Maybe you bought a record player at a thriftshop, but its not working when you turn it on and the metal piece with the needle is drifting unexpectedly, wrote Reid in Googles blog post. Searching with video saves you the time and trouble of finding the right words to describe this issue, and youll get an AI Overview with steps and resources to troubleshoot.

Google said that all these new capabilities are powered by a brand new Gemini model customized for Search that combines Geminis advanced multi-step reasoning and multimodal abilities with Googles traditional search systems.

Catch up on all the news from Google I/O 2024 right here!
Apples new iPad Pro is one of the most divisive (and thinnest) devices the company has made in years. Sure, its an undeniable feat of engineering and thinner than an iPod nano. Apple squeezed a new M4 chip and tandem OLED panel into its latest flagship tablet.

The new OLED enables more brightness and improved HDR performance compared to the old iPad Prostandard screen brightness is up to 1,000 nits, compared to 600 nits for the last model. Its so powerful and so beautiful. But this cutting-edge tech makes it more expensive than ever, putting it out of reach of most and pitting it against flagship laptops, price-wise.

As Nathan Ingraham explains in his review, the iPad Pro lineup has always been about showing off just how good an Apple tablet can be, but this one truly is without compromise. For the rest of us, there's the new iPad Air.

Later today, Google I/Os big keynote will reveal the companys latest AI ambitions. Well be reporting live, later today.

 Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

What to expect at Google I/O 2024: Gemini, Android 15, WearOS and more details

Metas next hardware project might be AI-infused headphones with cameras

iOS 17.5 has support for web-based app downloads in the EU

iPad Air (2024) review: This is the iPad to get

You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!

And it looks like a big ole black hole.

OpenAI

OpenAI on Monday announced GPT-4o, a brand-new AI model the company says is one step closer to much more natural humancomputer interaction. The new model accepts any combination of text, audio and images as input and can generate output in all three formats. It also sounds a lot more like digital assistant Samantha from the movie Her . During the presentation, OpenAI showed GPT-4o translating live between English and Italian, helping a researcher solve a linear equation in real time on paper and providing guidance on deep breathing. OpenAIs demonstrator even used the smartphones camera to show how GPT-4o would describe the room they were in. It could infer they were in a studio, filming video or possibly a livestream. OpenAI is making the new model available to everyone, including free ChatGPT users, over the next few weeks.

Continue reading.

The feature looks like an AI-infused version of Google Lens.

Not to be outdone, ahead of Google I/O (kicks off later today  stay tuned for all the news right here ), Google teased its own incoming AI camera features. Its not exactly clear what the feature is, but it bears some similarities to Google Lens, the companys camera-powered search feature. Whats shown in the teaser video, however, appears to be working in real-time and responding to voice commands.

Continue reading.

The Wash G1 is your upgrade from the humble mop.

Dyson

Its a new direction for Dyson: a floor cleaner without mention of suction, cyclone technology or any of its usual vacuum vocabulary. The Wash G1 is the companys debut hard-floor cleaner, and it swaps suction for high-speed rollers, water and nylon bristles. Itll go on sale later this year for $700  we got to test it at Dyson HQ, ahead of launch.

Continue reading.
The company pledges to distribute improved cookstoves to 10 million people in sub-Saharan Africa by 2027, reaching 20 million people with advanced cooking solutions by 2030.

Paris (France), 14 May 2024  Eni reaffirms its commitment to promoting improved cooking systems on the occasion of the "Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa" organized by the International Energy Agency (IEA). Eni has also endorsed the Clean Cooking Declaration: Making 2024 the pivotal year for Clean Cooking to accelerate universal access to more modern cooking systems, essential to ensure access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy for all, as established by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7. The declaration was signed by governments, the private sector, international organizations and civil society who attended the Summit, taking place in Paris.

According to the International Energy Agency, around 1 billion people in Africa still cook their meals through rudimentary cooking systems, breathing in the noxious smoke released by combustion. The lack of access to Clean Cooking systems has significant health, social, economic and environmental impacts, and contributes to 3.7 million premature deaths every year, especially to the detriment of women and children.

Through this endorsement, Eni reiterates its commitment to continue promoting access to more modern cooking systems in Africa, bringing benefits in terms of health, productivity, gender equality, forest conservation, biodiversity and emissions reduction.

In 2018 Eni has launched a broad Clean Cooking program that involved to date around 500,000 people in Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Mozambique, Rwanda and Angola, and has set itself the objective, made public on the occasion of the Summit, of reaching 10 million people across sub-Saharan Africa by 2027. Furthermore, Eni intends to encourage the transition from improved solutions, which guarantee a reduction of over 60% in woody biomass, to advanced solutions, which are characterized by the total reduction of use of unsustainable woody biomass. Following this evolution, the goal is to reach 20 million people by 2030, with an associate spending of 300 M$.

Enis model is the result of companys long experience in the continent and aims to contribute to reducing the impact of cooking activities on deforestation and the negative effects on peoples health. A distinctive of Enis model is that the cookstoves are distributed free of charge, overcoming any financial barrier. Furthermore, to promote the development of entrepreneurship and the economy of communities, Eni supports the local production of cooking systems, by evaluating the potential of producers and contributing to strengthening their technical and entrepreneurial skills, facilitating access to technology, capital and the market. Finally, the distribution of the stoves takes place through local and international organizations already present in the areas, which guarantee correct interaction with families and raise their awareness of the benefits of clean cooking systems.

The distribution of improved cookstoves - whose efficiency is certified according to the standards of the Clean Cooking Alliance - allows Eni to generate carbon credits used in line with the company's Net-Zero strategy, which envisages the achievement of carbon neutrality by 2050 through the reduction of emissions (scope 1, 2 and 3) and the compensation of residual emissions through high-quality carbon offset initiatives.
Tom Selleck's cherished California avocado farm is a source of pride for the 79-year-old  but was not devoid of turmoil. Recently, he shared his anguish over the devastation caused by years of drought, leading to the demise of his beloved trees.

However, well before his candid revelation, Selleck had been vigorously defending his avocado orchard and oak trees, even embroiling himself in controversy in the process.

In 2015, he faced accusations of water theft on a significant scale.

The Calleguas Municipal Water District in Ventura County, California, accused the 'Runaway' actor of pilfering around 1.4 million gallons of water over a span of two years.

Allegations surfaced that a tanker truck had been surreptitiously siphoning water from a nearby hydrant to irrigate Selleck's ranch during a prolonged and severe four-year drought. The district pursued legal recourse against the actor, going as far as expending $22,000 on a private investigator to ascertain whether he had unlawfully obtained water beyond district boundaries.

According to their assertions, a white truck was observed replenishing water from a hydrant in Thousand Oaks on multiple occasions and transporting it to his expansive ranch.

Selleck and his wife, Jillie, were implicated in the complaint for purportedly procuring water from a hydrant situated in a distinct water district.

During that period, a resources manager for the Calleguas Municipal Water District remarked: "Our 630,000 customers are ripping out their lawns, drastically cutting back on the water they use. The water that we have secured for them, that they have paid for, should remain in district boundaries." Ultimately, the couple reportedly opted to settle the matter by agreeing to pay a sum exceeding $21,000.

The Detroit native shared insights about the heartbreaking experience of losing his century-old trees to drought.

He told PEOPLE how it "Just breaks your heart...But with the rain we've had, the sick ones are getting better, and they're all sprouting a lot of healthy growth."

He described his favorite ranch activities as reading the morning paper and cruising around on his ATV to inspect the wildflowers. "I've planted them for years and they bloom in cycles," he stated.

As the Hollywood veteran concludes his tenure on CBS' 'Blue Bloods,' he's already contemplating his future and the place he calls home.

"You know, hopefully I keep working enough to hold onto the place," he told CBS regarding his residence on the farm.

Correspondent Tracy Smith inquired, "Seriously, that's an issue? If you stopped working?"

"That's always an issue. If I stopped working, yeah," Selleck replied. "Am I set for life? Yeah, but maybe not on a 63-acre ranch!"
After a whopping 114 years, the legendary 'Boy Scouts of America' organization announced this month that they're changing the household name in an effort to prioritize "inclusion."

Now known as 'Scouting America', their goal is to finally move past the turmoil of bankruptcy and a flood of sexual abuse allegations, per the Associated Press. The rebranded organization hasn't allowed participation from gay youth or girls until recently.

In a shocking scandal, the Irving Texas-based organization has continued to run while compensating more than 80,000 men who filed claims alleging they were sexually abused as a scout. In March, a federal judge ruled to uphold their $2.4 billion bankruptcy plan.

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New president and Chief Executive Officer Roger Krone gave a statement to The Press, saying: "In the next 100 years we want any youth in America to feel very, very welcome to come into our programs."

Krone took over last fall with the intention to revamp the declining membership and improve safety programs. "Scouting is safer today than it ever has been," Krone told AP by telephone. "And under my leadership, we will continue to evolve and improve our program so that we have the safest youth program that we can possibly have."

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In his new leadership role, Krone has active plans on offering opportunities for kids to enjoy the outdoors, including sailing, paddling, canoeing, hiking, mountain climbing, rappelling, and cave exploring.

"That means we need to meet the kids where they are. Get them off the couch, get them away from their small screen device, get them outdoors," he said. Between 2019 and 2023, the organization fell from $319 million to $188 million  however, Kroner remains encouraged.

"There are no admission requirements," he explained. "We want everybody to participate."

Many U.S. presidents were scouts as boys, including John F. Kennedy, Gerald Ford, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden.
According to the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority, Pfizer promoted unlicensed medicines and violated a total of five regulatory codes.

The pharmaceutical giant has been accused of "bringing discredit" to the industry after employees promoted the COVID-19 vaccine across social media during the height of the pandemic.

Per Biopharma-reporter, medical director of Pfizer Dr. Berkley Phillips retweeted a post on Twitter, now known as X, stating: "Our vaccine candidate is 95% effective in preventing COVID and 94% effective in people over 65 years old."

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"We will file all of our data with health authorities within days. Thank you to every volunteer in our trial, and to all who are tirelessly fighting this pandemic." Per the medical news outlet, fellow UK employees retweeted the reported misleading post.

The complaint against Pfizer cites the "promotional use of Twitter." The panel ruled a "breach" for the following clauses of the 2019 code, including bringing discredit to the pharmaceutical industry, promoting unlicensed medicine, making a misleading claim, not listing adverse effects, and failing to maintain high standards.

"The complainant alleged the tweet included relative efficacy rates without any information about absolute efficacy rates and that no safety data or safety information was provided, and therefore that Pfizer had misleadingly and illegally promoted its COVID-19 vaccine," the case summary alleged.

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According to Bio-Pharma Reporter, the misjudged tweets cost Pfizer 34,800, or $43,698.36 in administrative costs. In the end, Dr. Phillips claimed the tweet was "accidental and unintentional."

Dr. Ila Bhatia told Bio-Pharma that the unrefined behavior on their behalf was "less than ideal," however noted that it's more important that the information was never shared from the pharma giant's official handles.

"Such events lead to poor public perception, not just for the company and its brand but also the industry as a whole," she told the medical news outlet.

Bio-Pharma obtained a statement from a spokesman of Pfizer, claiming the company is "deeply sorry" and "fully recognizes and accepts" the issues highlighted by the PMCPA ruling.

On the other hand, Pfizer claimed it took its commitment to the code extremely seriously and had conducted a thorough investigation. Per the website, the case was received February 2023 and was marked completed as of March 1.

See more on the full report regarding Complaint V. Pfizer here.
A New York museum curator allegedly attempted to smuggle thousands of scorpions and spiders out of Turkey.

The Turkish police reportedly seized the smuggled valuable specimens when they arrested the suspect at Istanbul Airport on Sunday.

On Monday, the suspect -- who allegedly tried to smuggle dozens of bags containing 1,500 venomous scorpions and spiders and some plastic bottles containing unspecified liquids out of the country -- was identified as Lorenzo Prendini, a curator at New York's American Museum of Natural History, according to Reuters.

Per the police, the specimens Prendini tried to smuggle were endemic to Turkey, and their DNA and venom could be used to make expensive medicine.

RELATED : Over 30 Kentucky Prison Guards Involved In Sexual Misconduct And Drug Smuggling

"It is understood that these medicines have very high financial values, and, therefore, taking these animal species abroad is strictly forbidden," the police said.

The market value of one liter of medicine from a scorpion's venom is reportedly worth $10 million, Reuters reported, citing state media outlet Anadolu.

However, in a BBC report, the museum creator denied the accusations and charges against him. The outlet also noted that the specimens and samples seized from Prendini were dead.

He reportedly told the outlet via email that he had appeared before a Turkish judge and was released without charges after being detained for a night in jail.

He said that the airport officials "completely ignored" the government permits that allowed him to take the specimens out of the country, noting that the permits enabled him to conduct research with Turkish scientists.

"The police completely ignored this and relied on the testimony of an 'expert' who has a conflict of interest with my collaborators... and whose scientific research is highly questionable," Prendini told the BBC.

"The police have completely violated due process, and it appears they would like to find me guilty in the court of public opinion."

Based on Prendini's profile published on the American Museum of Natural History's website in 2012, he is the associate curator of the Division of Invertebrate Zoology at the museum.

"Dr. Lorenzo Prendini's research interests lie in the empirical study of phylogeny, macroevolution, speciation, biogeography and comparative evolutionary biology, using scorpions as model organisms," his profile read.

"Besides arachnids, he is interested in the evolution of insect-plant associations."
(Informacion remitida por la empresa firmante)

Munich, May 14th 2024 (News Aktuell).  The YER Group, an international recruiting company operating out of the Netherlands, is investing in the Munich-based recruitment specialist AVANTGARDE Experts, which operates throughout Germany. The partners will be moving forward together to strengthen their position on the German market for filling personnel vacancies in sustainable industries such as tech, mobility and energy. YER is acquiring one hundred percent of the shares formerly owned by the parent company AVANTGARDE and private equity company EMH Partners.

Joining forces for an international job market

As part of the international YER Group, AVANTGARDE Experts will continue to write its success story. As a result of the acquisition, the company will now also be separating under company law from the brand experience agency AVANTGARDE as the parent company. Started at the end of 2007 as recruitment experts for events, AVANTGARDE Experts has developed into one of the German market leaders in filling academic roles in the mobility & tech sector with its clear vision for the future. Around 1,200 employees currently provide support for automotive manufacturers and suppliers, OEMs as well as industrial and digital groups across Germany in modern staffing solutions. The company generated revenue of almost 100 million in 2023.

The YER Group, which reported record revenue of almost 400 million in 2023 and currently has a workforce of almost 4,000 employees in the Netherlands, Belgium and the USA, will gain large-scale access to the German market through the acquisition. The company has already invested in a Bochum-based personnel service provider Staffxperts this year, with a focus on the energy sector. The new strategic partnerships enable further growth areas to be developed while reinforcing the companys market position regarding the forward-looking MINT sector.

Philipp Riedel, CEO AVANTGARDE Experts: Becoming part of the YER Group marks a huge milestone in our companys history. The partnership will accelerate our journey to becoming the category leader in filling contemporary jobs in the mobility & tech sector. The merger, in particular, also benefits both our customers and our candidates. We provide customers access to international talents and create transnational offers for our candidates. Personally, I am especially pleased to have a new venture partner for AVANTGARDE Experts who is a perfect cultural and economic fit for us.

Johan Overgaauw, CEO YER Group: With its extensive expertise, its ambitions and its sustainable market position, AVANTGARDE Experts opens up a broad market entry for us in Germany. Acquiring AVANTGARDE Experts constitutes another important step in our international growth strategy. I am greatly looking forward to continuously improving our offering for both customers and candidates through this joint collaboration.

The terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. The transaction is expected to close subject to customary regulatory approvals.

AVANTGARDE Experts

AVANTGARDE Experts specializes as a recruitment agency in filling modern work roles in the tech & mobility sector. 250 internal employees support automotive manufacturers, suppliers, OEMs and industrial and digital corporations throughout Germany in their search for the best talents. With contract models including temporary employment, freelancing, direct placement and statement of work, the recruiting specialist provides customized staffing solutions that meet the flexibility needs of both companies and in-demand experts. With their expertise in the requirements of a dynamic working environment and their comprehensive industry knowledge, the specialized consultants bring innovative companies and highly qualified experts together.

YER Group

YER brings ambitious professionals and top-level companies together. The international recruitment agency is specialized in temporary and permanent posts and catering for professionals with a bachelors, masters or PhD degree. The company has nine branch offices in the Netherlands as well as locations in the United States and Belgium. Having been active in recruitment and placement since 1987, today YER is a leading international player in the market for both temporary and permanent jobs.

CONTACT

Antonie Hauswald

Tel.: +49 89 540 210 281

E-Mail: presse@avantgarde-experts.de

www.avantgarde-experts.de

Maisberger  Gesellschaft fur strategische Unternehmenskommunikation mbH Munchen

Tel.: +49 (0)89 - 41 95 99-33/-49/-51

Maren Vo/Karolin Bohm/Julia Kirchhoff

E-Mail: Avantgarde_Experts@maisberger.com
From: Author U -- Judith Briles Denver , CO Tuesday, May 14, 2024



Discover Magic, Mayhem, and Mystery in an Enchanting Award Winning New Fantasy Saga FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact Information



Louis Sauvain



AuthorLouisSauvain@gmail.com



Website: https://www.LouisSauvain.com/ Discover Magic, Mayhem, and Mystery in an Enchanting Award Winning New Fantasy Saga "Thaddeus of Beewicke," the first book in a nine-book epic fantasy series by Louis Sauvain, has been released, setting the stage for a captivating coming-of-age sword and sorcery saga. The novel has garnered acclaim, winning the Best Fantasy 2023 PenCraft Book Awards and receiving the Literary Titan Silver Book Award. Milwaukee, WI May 14, 2024, Emerging from the brilliant mind of former psychiatrist and International Amazon Best Seller Louis Sauvain comes the first installment of an enthralling nine-book epic fantasy series, "Thaddeus of Beewicke". Crowned as the Winner of the Best Fantasy 2023 PenCraft Book Awards and recipient of the Literary Titan Silver Book Award, this novel sets the stage for a riveting sword and sorcery saga that is captivating readers worldwide. Set in an alternate universe during the Dark Ages, "Thaddeus of Beewicke" traces the journey of a young man named Thaddeus, originally destined to be a beekeeper, whose life takes an unexpected turn when he is chosen by the Master Sorcerer to attend his prestigious School of Sorcery. Guided by a sentient, talking mule and accompanied by two other adolescentsa scholar and a street thiefThaddeus faces myriad dangers, including highway brigands, a sultry courtesan, a cursed witch, a mad tree demon, an Imperial assassin, and the mystical Greensward Aelvae. Literary Titan praises the novel, stating, "Louis Sauvain's storytelling skills are exceptional. The novel's pacing is smooth and well-orchestrated, providing a deep dive into a richly constructed world. "Thaddeus of Beewicke" is a spellbinding journey that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end." This coming-of-age tale not only weaves a compelling narrative but also explores the intricacies of friendship, destiny, and the arduous path to becoming a sorcerer. "Thaddeus of Beewicke" is perfect for young adults and all who relish sword and sorcery fantasies filled with dynamic characters and an immersive plot. As the first book in The College of Sorcerers Trilogy, it sets a high bar for the subsequent volumes and leaves readers eagerly anticipating the next adventure. "Thaddeus of Beewicke" is available now on Kindle, as an audiobook, and in paperback on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Join the adventure and discover why this novel is winning hearts and awards in the fantasy literature community. About the Book When a Master Sorcerer offers an ordinary boy a chance to trade bees for magic, his life spirals into an adventure of epic proportions. Guided by a talking mule and joined by a quick-witted scholar and a cunning street thief, he must navigate a world filled with dark magic, ancient curses, and lurking dangers. As he journeys to a mystical school of sorcery, he discovers that his path may be entwined with ancient prophecies and dark destinies. Will he master the magical arts in time to survive the perilous trials ahead? Join the adventure where magic is real, friendships are tested, and the journey is just beginning. About the Author Louis Sauvain, a former healthcare professional turned full-time writer, harnesses his deep understanding of human psychology to craft epic fantasy narratives that offer an escape from the mundane and the painful. Before his retirement, Louis recognized the power of fantasy as a distraction and a coping mechanism, something that helped his patients and himself endure life's more challenging moments. As he transitioned into writing, he tapped into a well of creativity that had been waiting to be released, guided by the voices of his characters and the muse of his high school English teacher, who had nurtured his love for storytelling and the written word. Now a dedicated author of epic fantasy, Sauvain's novels serve as a balm for the soul, providing himself and his readers a temporary refuge in worlds of his own creation. Born and raised in Wisconsin, where he still resides, he finds inspiration every day, often brainstorming his best ideas amidst the solitude of the shower, asking his characters to lead the way. His ultimate goal as a writer is to bring readers along on these imaginative journeys, crafting stories that resonate deeply and linger long after the last page is turned. With each book, he strives to transform ordinary paper trails into paths of adventure and emotional fulfillment, aiming to strike gold with every story he tells. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact Information

Louis Sauvain

AuthorLouisSauvain@gmail.com

Website: https://www.LouisSauvain.com/ Discover Magic, Mayhem, and Mystery in an Enchanting Award Winning New Fantasy Saga "Thaddeus of Beewicke," the first book in a nine-book epic fantasy series by Louis Sauvain, has been released, setting the stage for a captivating coming-of-age sword and sorcery saga. The novel has garnered acclaim, winning the Best Fantasy 2023 PenCraft Book Awards and receiving the Literary Titan Silver Book Award. Milwaukee, WI May 14, 2024, Emerging from the brilliant mind of former psychiatrist and International Amazon Best Seller Louis Sauvain comes the first installment of an enthralling nine-book epic fantasy series, Thaddeus of Beewicke. Crowned as the Winner of the Best Fantasy 2023 PenCraft Book Awards and recipient of the Literary Titan Silver Book Award, this novel sets the stage for a riveting sword and sorcery saga that is captivating readers worldwide. Set in an alternate universe during the Dark Ages, Thaddeus of Beewicke traces the journey of a young man named Thaddeus, originally destined to be a beekeeper, whose life takes an unexpected turn when he is chosen by the Master Sorcerer to attend his prestigious School of Sorcery. Guided by a sentient, talking mule and accompanied by two other adolescentsa scholar and a street thiefThaddeus faces myriad dangers, including highway brigands, a sultry courtesan, a cursed witch, a mad tree demon, an Imperial assassin, and the mystical Greensward Aelvae. Literary Titan praises the novel, stating, "Louis Sauvains storytelling skills are exceptional. The novels pacing is smooth and well-orchestrated, providing a deep dive into a richly constructed world. Thaddeus of Beewicke is a spellbinding journey that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end." This coming-of-age tale not only weaves a compelling narrative but also explores the intricacies of friendship, destiny, and the arduous path to becoming a sorcerer. Thaddeus of Beewicke is perfect for young adults and all who relish sword and sorcery fantasies filled with dynamic characters and an immersive plot. As the first book in The College of Sorcerers Trilogy, it sets a high bar for the subsequent volumes and leaves readers eagerly anticipating the next adventure. Thaddeus of Beewicke is available now on Kindle, as an audiobook, and in paperback on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Join the adventure and discover why this novel is winning hearts and awards in the fantasy literature community. About the Book When a Master Sorcerer offers an ordinary boy a chance to trade bees for magic, his life spirals into an adventure of epic proportions. Guided by a talking mule and joined by a quick-witted scholar and a cunning street thief, he must navigate a world filled with dark magic, ancient curses, and lurking dangers. As he journeys to a mystical school of sorcery, he discovers that his path may be entwined with ancient prophecies and dark destinies. Will he master the magical arts in time to survive the perilous trials ahead? Join the adventure where magic is real, friendships are tested, and the journey is just beginning. About the Author Louis Sauvain, a former healthcare professional turned full-time writer, harnesses his deep understanding of human psychology to craft epic fantasy narratives that offer an escape from the mundane and the painful. Before his retirement, Louis recognized the power of fantasy as a distraction and a coping mechanism, something that helped his patients and himself endure life's more challenging moments. As he transitioned into writing, he tapped into a well of creativity that had been waiting to be released, guided by the voices of his characters and the muse of his high school English teacher, who had nurtured his love for storytelling and the written word. Now a dedicated author of epic fantasy, Sauvain's novels serve as a balm for the soul, providing himself and his readers a temporary refuge in worlds of his own creation. Born and raised in Wisconsin, where he still resides, he finds inspiration every day, often brainstorming his best ideas amidst the solitude of the shower, asking his characters to lead the way. His ultimate goal as a writer is to bring readers along on these imaginative journeys, crafting stories that resonate deeply and linger long after the last page is turned. With each book, he strives to transform ordinary paper trails into paths of adventure and emotional fulfillment, aiming to strike gold with every story he tells.


Pickups for Peace, a charity founded by Scottish farmers, have delivered their 300th 4x4 vehicle to Ukraine after completing another 1,300 mile trip to the war-torn country.

The vehicles get used by firefighting, medical and air defence teams across the country and are packed with humanitarian aid for the trip.

Two of the participants in the 30 vehicle convoy were Scottish farmers Andrew Grey and Matty Steele, who purchased a second-hand Range Rover TDV6 to donate.

Andrew farms with his father near Carnoustie in Angus, where they grow predominantly soft fruit and vegetables with some arable.

Matty manages his 440ha family farm in Forfar, Angus, which includes combinable crops, free-range eggs, renewables and potatoes as well as being involved in NFU Scotland.

This is their third trip to Ukraine, their first was also the charities first, in March 2023. Matty says he originally heard about the project from one of the co-founders, who also farms in Scotland.

He said: "I first heard about it when I bumped into Mark Laird at the pub, on 22 December and he told me about his idea. So because of that we both joined the very first trip".

They both feel strongly that the Ukraine needs more support, as Matty says it is "quite important that Ukraine don't give up".

"I think it's just the right thing to do," he explained, "We got involved in a small way that we can support Ukraine".

The charity is still fundraising and looking for more 4x4 vehicles to deliver to Ukraine

With 12 convoys now completed the charity is still fundraising and looking for more vehicles to deliver to Ukraine, as well as aid items such as generators, medical equipment and 4x4 tyres.

The convoys are welcomed in Ukraine, with the handover taking place in Lviv, a city just inside the border with Poland, and attended by the head of the city administration and regional head of the air defence teams.

Maksym Kozytskyi, head of the Lviv Oblast Military Administration said: "While the farmers of our closest neighbour organised a blockade of the Ukrainian-Polish border and poured out grain that our people collect under shelling, risking their lives, other farmers travel thousands of kilometres to donate their SUV's so that Ukraine can win".

Co-founder Mark Laird runs farming businesses in both Scotland and Ukraine, with more than 100 employees in the country.

He said: Shortly after the invasion we put our heads together, a number of us, and said what can we really do? It was clear from Ukrainian sources, including the 24th Lviv Brigade, that pick-up trucks were in urgent need.

He said some members of his team had seen the vehicles in action. "Quite clearly, from what we're seeing and the stories we're getting back, they're making a difference".
Morrisons has announced it will ditch its commitment to source only British lamb as part of a new trial, with the sector calling it 'hugely disappointing' news.

The retailer, which is seen as a significant supporter of British farming, has dropped its pledge to sell only British lamb, albeit on a trial basis.

The retailer brought in its British-only commitment to lamb in 2017 and has traditionally been a strong supporter of the British livestock industry.

NFU's Livestock Board said the news was 'hugely disappointing' and came at a 'challenging time' for livestock farmers.

Board chair David Barton said: British sheep farmers and shoppers will be incredibly disappointed that Morrisons has dropped its commitment.

"The retailer has built its reputation on British-only sourcing and supported British farmers through its fully integrated supply chain.

This comes at a time when the livestock sector is already under pressure from the impacts of the unprecedented wet weather."

Mr Barton said that it was 'all the more disappointing' that British lamb would likely be replaced by products from overseas with 'significant food miles and produced to potentially lower standards'.

British lamb is a high-welfare, sustainable, delicious product and we know that shoppers trust its quality and high-production standards," he added.

British food is some of the best in the world and its important this is recognised, especially in times of enormous challenge.

"We hope that this trial by Morrisons is temporary and concludes with a return to 100% British lamb sourcing as soon as possible.

Recently, the UK's farming unions wrote to the CEO of Morrisons and other top retailers seeking support for the industry.

This included a commitment to local sourcing in order to maintain food production across the UK and to safeguard national food security.
The government has promised a new index that will track UK-wide food security issues on an annual basis as part of a substantial package of support unveiled today.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made the pledge at today's Farm to Fork summit in Number 10 following an extremely wet few months which has severely dented farmer confidence.

The first draft of the UK Food Security Index will allow the government and farmers to monitor the impacts of external factors, such as adverse weather and war.

It will set out how government will track UK-wide food security on an annual basis, monitoring domestic food production, land use, input costs and farmer productivity.

The Index highlights that currently the UK produces the equivalent of just 17% of the fruit and 55% of the vegetables that end up on British plates, significantly lagging behind meat, dairy and grains.

The prime minister also said at today's summit that he wants the government to help the horticulture sector to go further to tackle this challenge.

As part of this, a new Horticulture Resilience and Growth offer, which will replace the retained EU scheme, will be rolled out.

Through this new scheme, the government will look to double the amount of funding given to horticulture businesses compared to the current scheme.

This would take it to 80m per year, including making up to 10m available to help English orchard growers access equipment, technology and infrastructure.

Mr Sunak also launched a review into the barriers the horticulture sector is facing to upscale their businesses, including promising to cut red tape around the building of glasshouses.

And a further 15m will be invested into Genetic Improvement Networks to help boost access to more resilient crop varieties that require fewer inputs and cut farmer costs.

Mr Sunak said: This package of support will help farmers produce more British food, delivers on our long-term plan to invest in our rural communities, and ensures the very best of our homegrown products end up on our plates.

I know for many farmers, the impact of adverse weather in recent months has made working the land even harder, but my message is clear, our support for you is unwavering and we will be with you every step of the way.

More than 70 businesses and producers working and supporting the food and farming industry attended today's Farm to Fork Summit.

They discussed the challenges facing the sector, including adverse weather conditions and concerns around post-Brexit arrangements.

According to a recent NFU survey, the confidence of farmers is at an all-time low, with fears that this could lead to a decrease in food production.

Because of this lack of confidence, production intentions have also plummeted, with all farming sectors expecting to decrease production over the next year.

But Defra Secretary Steve Barclay said today that food security was 'vital to our national security'.

"We will continue to invest in and support farmers to produce the best of British food to strengthen our food security, championing innovation in the sector.

The prime minister also used today's summit to announce a fund of up to 3m towards supporting small and mobile abattoirs.

He also unveiled a 72m fund for the Endemics Diseases Scheme, which will help eradicate bovine viral diarrhoea in cattle, control porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome in pigs and tackle a range of different health conditions in sheep.

And a 22m infrastructure grant was announced for laying hens to help poultry farmers to improve the health, welfare and productivity of their flocks.
The MTV Movie and TV Awards have been axed for 2024.

MTV Movie and TV Awards scrapped this year but returning in 2025 with a refreshed format

The ceremony - which first aired back in 1992, when it was called the MTV Movie Awards - is expected to return in 2025 with a "re-imagined format", according to various outlets.

The 2023 ceremony was pre-recorded after Drew Barrymore stepped down as the host amid the Hollywood writer's strike in support of the Writers Guild of America (WGA).

The event went host-less, and ratings didn't suffer at all.

The 'Drew Barrymore Show' host, 49, was expected to return this year, and it's not known if she will be back for 2025.

In a statement issued to Variety at the time, she said: I have listened to the writers, and in order to truly respect them, I will pivot from hosting the MTV Movie and TV Awards live in solidarity with the strike.

Everything we celebrate and honour about movies and television is born out of their creation. And until a solution is reached, I am choosing to wait but Ill be watching from home and hope you will join me.

She added that MTV has "truly been some of the best partners I have ever worked with. And I cant wait to be a part of this next year, when I can truly celebrate everything that MTV has created, which is a show that allows fans to choose who the awards go to and is truly inclusive.

Bruce Gillmer, the president of music, music talent, programming, and events at Paramount Global, commented: Drew, without question, shes been incredible. Its hard to imagine that weve ever had a better experience with a host.

Shes more of a partner really, shes in it every day, just super passionate and super engaged and creative. She even bought some of her own team along for the journey. So when this all reared its head, we started to prepare for what could be. She is not surprisingly, standing in solidarity with the writers, which we have full respect for. She has our full support.

The executive producer of the awards added how the silver lining in all of this is that we really formed a partnership almost a family-like atmosphere. So we see this as a shift in direction, but also a pause for the initial plan, which weve all agreed and shes accepted to continue as our host in 2024.

The MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) are still set to go ahead in New York on September 10.
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex have sent their deepest gratitude to the people of Nigeria after their visit to the West African country  amid a charity scandal at home.

Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex spent three days in Nigeria

The 39-year-old royal and his former 'Suits' actress wife, 42, have yet to address the Archewell Foundation being listed as delinquent over unpaid fees and rendered unable to raise funds.

However, they have since released a statement about their three-day tour of Nigeria.

A news update on their official website read: "The Duke and Duchess would like to extend their deepest gratitude to all the event organizers, military officials and the whole Nigerian community for their tremendous hospitality and the first of many memorable trips."

The couple relinquished their royal duties in 2020 to move to Los Angeles to lead an independent life, and subsequently set up the Archewell Foundation, but now, it could face fines or suspension from the Department of Justice over unpaid fees.

A document from the Attorney General of California Rob Bonta, submitted on behalf of the Registry of Charities and Fundraisers to the Archewell Foundation, and dated May 3, listed the charity as "delinquent" for failing to submit required annual report(s) and/or renewal fees."

The document, obtained by PEOPLE, read: "An organization that is listed as delinquent is not in good standing and is prohibited from engaging in conduct for which registration is required, including soliciting or disbursing charitable funds," the letter outlines. "The organization may also be subject to penalties and its registration may be suspended or revoked by the Registry. Once you submit the delinquent record(s), you will be notified of the amount of any late fees that are owed."

The couple - who have Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, two, together - previously explained that the charity's name was inspired by their eldest.

Meghan said: "Before SussexRoyal came the idea of arche  the Greek word meaning source of action.

"We connected to this concept for the charitable organization we hoped to build one day, and it became the inspiration for our sons name. To do something of meaning, to do something that matters. Archewell is a name that combines an ancient word for strength and action, and another that evokes the deep resources we each must draw upon. We look forward to launching Archewell when the time is right."
Ryan Reynolds has cheekily joked his wife keeps him active when he gets home.

Ryan Reynolds has cheekily joked his wife keeps him active when he gets home

The Deadpool actor, 47, who has four children with his 36-year-old actress partner, made a gag about her energy after attending the premiere of his new film If.

He said when asked about what it was like to go home to Blake at the event in New York: (Shes) not a slouch, thats for sure.

My mission in life is to get home to be with my kids.

The couple, who are renowned for making fun of each other in their social media posts, have been married since 2012 and have daughters James, nine, Inez, seven, and Betty, four, as well as a one-year-old whose name and sex they have yet to reveal.

Ryan  who has admitted he has struggled to maintain his mental health  added being with his family helps his outlook.

Referring to his dad-of-two If co-star Steve Carells love of a quiet family life, Ryan added: Its funny that Im working with (him) because years ago somebody said to me, Oh, youre a real Steve Carell, and I was like, What does that mean? I love Steve Carell. What does that mean?

(They were) like, Oh, hes always just, as soon as hes done (at) work, theres no socialising.

Theres a Steve-sized hole in the wall, and hes on his way to his kids.

Thats how I am.

Family film If  about a girl who realises she can see everyones imaginary friends  is out in cinemas on Friday. (17.05.24)

Ryan gushed over his domestic bliss after it was reported he and Blake missed the recent Met Gala to stay at home with their kids.

Blake has been such a regular at the event she was dubbed its Queen, but a source has claimed she opted for mum duties instead of hitting the red carpet at the do in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on Monday. (06.05.24)

An insider told Elle: The couple chose to spend their night at home, rather than on the red carpet.

The outlet added Blakes appearance at a Tiffany and Co event in New York the week before had been her big fashion moment for early May.
Ryan Seacrest has hinted that Jelly Roll could replace Katy Perry on 'American Idol'.

Ryan Seacrest has hinted that Jelly Roll could become the new American Idol judge in place of Katy Perry

The 49-year-old presenter has hosted the singing competition since its inception in 2002 and following the news that 'Roar' hitmaker Katy, 39, is leaving the judging panel after seven seasons, he has hinted that country music star Jelly Roll, also 39, could be about to step up to the job.

He told E! News: "You cannot take your eyes off Jelly Roll. You cannot take your ears off of that voice. He is so charming, he's a force in music, and he really brought the best out of the contestants."

But when the former 'Live with Kelly and Ryan' star remained tight-lipped about whether the 'Save Me' hitmaker - whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord - will actually become a part of the show, as he simply shrugged.

He said: "Maybe, maybe not..."

But Katy is also confident that Jelly Roll should be the one to take her place on the show, and previously admitted that she was hooked on anything that the CMA Award winner said to her.

She said: "He could run for president, he could be my pastor, I might go back to church for him. He could sell me anything!"

Jelly Roll was pleased with Katy's comments about her and was quick to praise the 'I Kissed A Girl' hitmaker in return.

He said: "I love you, Katy Perry. Find you a friend that talks about you like Katy Perry talks about me in the media. Thank you, Katy Perry. I love you to death.

"She's the same person privately as she is publicly. Because every time I've seen her, she's like, you need to be on 'American Idol'. And the first time somebody asked her it was y'all and she was like, Jelly Roll."

"I'd go clean the A\'merican Idol' toilets if they wanted me toI'm in!"
Although Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal, Pokhara now comes under the spotlight as its tourism capital





It has had its share of the travel limelight over the years, but the declaration of Pokhara as the tourism capital of the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal will bring it fully under the spotlight. The announcement was officially made by the government at a ceremony held in March at the Barahi Ghat and presided over by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda.





Set in the Gandaki province, Pokharas elevation to tourism capital has come post the meeting of rigorous criteria set by the authorities. It marks the emergence of the city as it works towards becoming a vibrant and welcoming destination.





Sited on the shores of Phewa Lake (main image) with the Annapurna mountain range as a majestic backdrop, the picturesque city is well known for its ambience and natural beauty. Visitors enjoy boating on the lake, and the opportunity to paraglide, zip-line, and raft on the rivers nearby. Local attractions include the World Peace Pagoda (above) and the Bindhyabasini Temple.



Pokhara is also a gateway to popular trekking routes such as the Annapurna Circuit (below) and the Jomsom trek.







As part of the strategy to enhance the visitor experience, Pokhara will now be open 24 x 7 when it comes to businesses that relate to tourism. Night clubs, discos, and live music venues, among other establishments, will now embrace round-the-clock operations with immediate effect. Restaurants, bars, snack shops, spas, and grocery stores in areas such as Prithvi Chowk, Lakeside, Mahendrapul and Chipledhunga will remain open until 1 am.





Images: Shutterstock



Also Read: Do This To Avoid Visa Rejections
Almost two years since the adoption of the REPowerEU Plan, the European Commission yesterday provided additional support to member states to further accelerate the deployment of renewable energy and reduce Russian fossil fuel imports.

The Commission adopted a series of new and updated recommendations and guidance documents to improve and streamline permitting procedures and auctions for renewables.

The European Commission yesterday adopted a series of new and updated recommendations and guidance documents to further accelerate the deployment of renewable energy and reduce Russian fossil fuel imports. The step will help reinforce industrial competitiveness, increase the resilience of the energy system and deliver on the European Green Deal.

These documents will help to implement the European Union (EU) framework for renewable energy by improving the conditions for a rapid deployment of home-grown renewable energy.

The initiative will also help reinforce industrial competitiveness, increase the resilience of the energy system and deliver on the European Green Deal.

In the updated recommendation on speeding up permit-granting procedures and its accompanying guidance adopted, the Commission highlights ways to improve planning and permitting procedures for renewable energy and related infrastructure projects in the EU.

The updated permitting guidance provides examples of good practice on faster and simpler permit-granting procedures, highlights the importance of digitalisation and community participation, human resources and skills; and outlines how to best handle site selection procedures and network connections, the Commission said in a release.

It also adopted a further guidance document on designating renewables acceleration areas. Under the revised Renewable Energy Directive, these are locations where the deployment of renewable energy projects is not expected to have significant environmental impact and the necessary procedures are therefore fast-tracked to ensure quick deployment of specific technologies.

Key elements for selecting such areas are the availability of digital tools for planning and mapping, and data on the renewable energy capacity and on the potential environmental impact.

In its guidance, the Commission also highlights the role of proper stakeholder engagement and public consultation to facilitate a successful designation of such acceleration areas.

By outlining standard elements for the design of auctions for renewable energy, the Commission's recommendation and guidance will make these procedures more harmonised and efficient, in line with the Net-Zero Industry Act.

Yesterdays decision will help member states design auctions that take into consideration objectives like quality, contribution to resilience and environmental sustainability.

The use of non-price criteria will allow higher value-added projects to be rewarded. It will help to develop Europe's net-zero technology manufacturing ecosystem and ensure that projects are realised fully and on time.

To further enhance visibility and predictability for investors across the whole renewables value chain, the Commission has also updated the Union Renewables Development Platform, an online system where member states will publish basic information about their auction schedules.

This information should include the timing and frequency of the auctions, the auctioned capacity, the planned budget and the eligible technologiesas required by the Renewable Energy Directive.

The Platform will provide companies with a single point of information for all renewable energy auctions planned across the EU.

Under the revised Renewable Energy Directive, the EU is aiming to achieve a 45 per cent share of renewable energy by 2030, with a legally binding minimum target of at least 42.5 per cent.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Dearest gentle readers, Bridgerton is returning with its third season on May 16. This season will revolve around the third Bridgerton sibling, Colin Bridgerton, and Lady Whistledown, a.k.a Penelope Featherington's love story. While the two had a rocky ending in season 2, season 3 promises an epic love story between them filled with romance, pining, and will-they-won't-they moments.





While the leads have already revealed that the new season is going to have epic romantic moments, it would be interesting to note whether they follow through the plotlines from the last season that created quite the stir.



Here is a quick rundown of everything you need to remember from Season 2 of Bridgerton before you watch Season 3.



Lead characters: Where do they stand?



We left season two being excited for Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma but the leading pair of this season, Colin and Penelope, had an epic fallout. The story is supposed to pick up from the aftermath of Season 2s Featherington Ball where Penelope heard Colin telling a group of bachelors that he would never "dream" of courting her. Moreover, Penelope's friendship with Eloise Bridgerton was in shambles after the latter realized Penelope's secret identity, a.k.a Lady Whistledown.





As for lovebirds Anthony and Kate, the makers have promised to delve into their married life in season 3. However, it would be interesting to know more about the storylines revolving around Luke Thompson's Benedict Bridgerton, who was thriving in his art school last season.

The other characters, including the Featherington sisters Phillipa and Prudence along with their mother Lady Portia Featherington may have important roles this season. According to portraits released by the makers, Prudence Featherington has found her life partner in an obnoxious gentleman, Robert Huxley.



Major plotlines



As mentioned earlier, Penelope and Eloise's friendship sat in the ruins after the Featherington Ball. Eloise, who was hunting for Lady Whistledown throughout seasons 1 and 2 felt betrayed when she realized that her best friend Penelope was the notorious gossip writer all along.



Season 2 also saw Penelope writing a scathing article about Eloise's visits with Theo, "unchaperoned, with improper company, political radicals in fact" to safeguard her from being falsely labelled as Lady Whistledown. The pamphlet diverted the Queen's wrath but it ruined Eloise in front of the society.





Colin announced that he would never court Penelope, but he gave her mixed signals throughout season 2 by constantly praising her loyal personality. He also asked her to dance with him at the Featherington Ball and saved her family from being ruined due to the new Lord Featherington's fake jewels from America. Colin truly turned out to be the "hero" in the last episode of season 2, but his passing comment on never wanting to marry Penelope ruined it for him. It would be interesting to note how he reinstates himself as Penelope's well-wisher and (hopefully) husband by the end of season 3.



Bridgerton season 3 is scheduled to release on an OTT platform in two parts. Part 1 will release on May 16 while Part 2 is slated to release on June 20.
Skydweller Aero, Inc., Founder and CEO, Dr. Robert H. Miller met with French President Emmanuel Macron and his Ministers on May 13th to discuss how the company's large capacity, autonomous solar-powered aircraft can perform civil, commercial and defense-related missions for the French government working with French industries.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240513214125/en/

Dr. Robert Miller, Founder and CEO of Skydweller Aero, with French President Emmanuel Macron May 13, 2024 at Choose France 2024, Chateau de Versailles, France. (Photo: Business Wire)

The meeting occurred at the Chateau de Versailles during the 2024 Choose France summit, the country's annual exclusive flagship business and strategy conference. President Macron personally invited Dr. Miller to attend the event.

"I am honored to have had the opportunity to speak with President Macron and his Ministers. I look forward to pursuing follow-on discussions with French government and industry officials about strategic cooperation between Skydweller Aero and France's public sector and high-tech industries," Dr. Miller said. "From monitoring illegal activities offshore, to mitigating natural disasters within the homeland, the innovative capabilities of our aircraft can help protect France, the French people, and its global interests."

Established in 2018, Choose France promotes the country's economic attractiveness and encourages international investment in and cooperation with France by gathering hundreds of leaders from the world's largest multinational corporations. Since 2018, the event has generated more than 50 billion Euro in direct foreign investment.

About Skydweller Aero Inc.

Skydweller Aero Inc. is a pioneering transatlantic aerospace company developing and manufacturing a fleet of large capacity solar-powered autonomous aircraft capable of achieving perpetual flight while carrying a tremendous amount of payload. Our aircraft are manufactured from carbon-fiber each with a wingspan similar to a 747 jumbo jet and because they are solar powered, they are inexpensive to operate and maintain and feature zero carbon footprint.

With a flexible payload system, including communications relay, 4G/5G cellular, day/night full motion video, satellite communication, imaging radar, and more, these aircraft will be used for long duration missions such as providing continuous coverage above war zones, surveilling naval activity in contested waters, and detecting drug smugglers and pirates at sea. They will enhance commercial and government telecommunication, geospatial, meteorological and emergency operation efforts around the world, allowing customers to operate persistently in more challenging areas for longer durations, while reducing environmental impact.

Skydweller Aero Inc. has World and US headquarters in Oklahoma City and European offices headquartered in Spain.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240513214125/en/

Contacts:

Greg Caires, Communications Director

+1 (202) 870-4658

greg.caires@skydweller.aero
Denver, Colorado--(Newsfile Corp. - May 13, 2024) - Renowned interior design firm MARGARITA BRAVO, based in Denver, Colorado, with offices in Miami, Montecito and Barcelona opens up about the creative process behind its elegantly designed spaces in an exclusive Q&A session. Known for its luxurious and sophisticated approach to creating living spaces that balance high-end aesthetics with comfort and functionality, MARGARITA BRAVO is one of the top interior design choices for luxury homeowners.

Copyright @ Margaritabravo.com

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9721/209082_f2e412b3b4d3392f_001full.jpg

Q: What influences your design aesthetic and the creation of elegantly designed spaces?

A: Margarita Bravo: My design aesthetic fuses art, culture, nature, and the unique personalities of my clients. Every space tells a story, and I aim to express that narrative through carefully curated design elements, rich textures, and bespoke furnishings. Inspiration is drawn from the beauty of the natural world, the timelessness of classic design principles, and the innovation seen in modern architecture.

Q: How do you stay ahead of the latest trends and innovations in the interior design field?

A: Margarita Bravo: Remaining ahead of industry trends and innovations is crucial to providing top-tier service to our clients. I draw inspiration from various sources, including art shows, fashion trends, travel experiences, and industry conventions. Networking with other design professionals, attending workshops, and ongoing research on new materials and technologies keep us informed. By staying curious and receptive to new concepts, we bring fresh perspectives and innovative solutions to every project.

Q: How does MARGARITA BRAVO incorporate sustainability and eco-friendly practices into its design projects?

A: Margarita Bravo: Sustainability is a critical consideration in our design projects, and we strive to incorporate eco-friendly practices wherever possible. We source materials from sustainable suppliers, prioritize energy-efficient appliances, and look for ways to reduce waste during construction. By incorporating sustainable design practices, we create healthier living environments for our clients and contribute to a more sustainable future.

Q: What advice do you offer luxury homeowners aiming to remodel and redesign their homes?

A: Margarita Bravo: Luxury homeowners planning to remodel should trust their instincts, team up with professionals who grasp their vision, and emphasize quality and craftsmanship. Crafting a luxurious and refined living space needs meticulous planning, attention to detail, and a dedication to excellence. By collaborating with skilled designers who share your vision, you can transform your home into a sanctuary that reflects your sophisticated taste and enriches your family's lifestyle.

For more information about MARGARITA BRAVO and to explore their portfolio of exquisitely designed spaces, please visit their website at www.margaritabravo.com.

About MARGARITA BRAVO:

MARGARITA BRAVO is a prominent interior design firm based in Denver, Colorado, specializing in crafting luxurious and sophisticated living spaces for discerning clients within the interior design industry. Focused on excellence, creativity, and attention to detail, founding designer Margarita Bravo is devoted to translating her client's visions into reality through carefully curated design elements, exquisite furnishings, and innovative solutions that elevate every project. The firm's dedication to creating bespoke, high-end environments tailored to each client's unique style sets them apart in the industry.

MARGARITA BRAVO

www.margaritabravo.com

601 S Broadway G, Denver, CO 80209

720-735-7533

designers@margaritabravo.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/209082

SOURCE: United Press
Der Goldpreis haussiert und schwingt sich von Hoch zu Hoch. Getrieben von geopolitischen Unsicherheiten sowie der Aussicht auf eine lockere Geldpolitik der FED gehen Experten aktuell von weiter steigenden Notierungen bis sogar in den Bereich von 3.000 US-Dollar je Unze Gold aus.



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The GSMA's Mobile Economy Eurasia 2024 report charts growing 5G activities amid digitalisation ambitions in the region

BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- 5G will account for over 40% of Eurasia's mobile connections by 2030, according to the GSMA's newly published Mobile Economy Eurasia Report, launched ahead of GSMA M360 Eurasia.

The event, supported by host sponsor Azercell, will welcome global connectivity leaders and policymakers tomorrow for two days of discussion, debate and networking. Further, GSMA Foundry will feature a demo pod in collaboration with partners IBM, the European Space Agency and Barcelona Supercomputing Center. Demos will showcase how industry collaboration is unlocking groundbreaking innovations, through initiatives such as the GSMA & IBM AI Challenge, the GSMA Foundry & ESA Mobility Makerspace Challenge, and the Open Gateway Challenge. Click to view the agenda.

The GSMA's Chief Regulatory Officer, John Giusti, said: "M360 Eurasia provides a welcome forum for business leaders and policymakers to align on the issues that will help countries throughout Eurasia achieve their connectivity goals, whether it's paving the way for 5G rollouts or exploring opportunities for AI to benefit businesses and societies in the region."

5G momentum growing in Eurasia

The Mobile Economy Eurasia 2024 report finds that 5G is pivotal for ongoing transformation efforts in Eurasia. As governments in the region prioritise 5G's integration into national development plans, operators are investing in 5G to meet the growing demand for enhanced connectivity.

Other findings include:

5G will add almost $23bn to the Eurasian economy by 2030, with 5G adoption rising from less than 1% in 2023 to 41% by 2030.

The mobile industry added $200bn of economic value to the Eurasian economy in 2023 - equivalent to 7.9% of GDP - and supported 770,000 jobs, highlighting the importance of mobile to the digital economy.

However, there is a significant Usage Gap in Eurasia which is widest in Turkmenistan (51%) and Tajikistan (48%), compared to a global average of 37%.

Operators are rallying behind the GSMA Open Gateway initiative and integrating AI to enhance customer services and optimise networks.

M360 Eurasia opens the 2024 M360 series. The GSMA M360 events unify the regional mobile ecosystem to discover, deliver and develop innovation that serves as the foundation for positive business environments and societal change.

Click here to learn more.

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1882833/GSMA_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/gsma-m360-eurasia-returns-to-baku-with-a-focus-on-ai-next-generation-networks-and-mobile-technologies-302143627.html
EMU Enables Industries with Large Industrial Equipment, Including Defence, Mining, and Marine, to Quickly Print and Replace Large Metal Parts in the Field

Melbourne, Australia and Tournai, Belgium, May 14, 2024, a leading metal additive manufacturing company, announced the launch of its Expeditionary Manufacturing Unit (EMU), the complete on-site mobile additive manufacturing solution. EMU combines SPEE3D's expeditionary metal 3D printer, XSPEE3D, with its SPEE3Dcell post-processing and testing unit in two 20-foot shipping containers, which together can produce cast-equivalent metal parts in record time close to the point of need.

Participating in the European Defence Agency's AM Village 2024 Workshop in Tournai, Belgium, SPEE3D will demonstrate its deployable technology alongside the British Army to militaries from over 25 EU and NATO countries.

SPEE3D's EMU enables the replacement of metal parts in hours instead of days or weeks, minimizing the cost of disruption and downtime. Unlike other additive manufacturing solutions, the EMU does not require dangerous and expensive lasers or inert gasses. Additionally, no extensive prior expertise with additive manufacturing technology is required.

"The launch of our Expeditionary Manufacturing Unit addresses the current state of the global supply chain, which is fragile and increasingly under pressure," said Byron Kennedy, CEO of SPEE3D. "Part of the issue for defence and other heavy industries is getting critical equipment up and running quickly to avoid costly production delays. EMU will enable the British Army and others to take control, giving them the ability to print and post-process parts very quickly from anywhere."

The system includes two 20-foot containers with twist locks, a ruggedized, mobile metal 3D printer that can produce high-density metal parts in a wide range of materials, and a fully-equipped post-processing shop - including a heat treatment furnace, CNC three-axis mill, tooling, and testing equipment. As a truly expeditionary product, EMU can be transported on a single platform (truck trailer/ship/plane).

"Through its continual programme of modernisation, the British Army embraces new innovative manufacturing solutions to keep it at the forefront of emerging technology and at a tactical advantage over its potential adversaries," said a UK Army spokesperson. "Our collaboration with SPEE3D has produced the world's first fully field deployable 3D cold metal printing capability, heralding a step change in deployable engineering capabilities for our forces deployed overseas."

SPEE3D works extensively with defence around the world, including the Japanese, US, UK, and Australian Defence forces. Last fall, a team was in Poland training Ukrainian military personnel on the technology. In the future, SPEE3D will be working with the UAE Military of Defense.

About SPEE3D:

SPEE3D is a leading metal additive manufacturing technology company dedicated to the research, development, and delivery of metal 3D printers and integrated systems utilizing its patented Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing.







Attachment
Lonza Group AG / Key word(s): Quarter Results

Q1 2024 Qualitative Update: Performance In Line with Expectations for Full-Year 2024



14-May-2024 / 07:00 CET/CEST

Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR

Outlook 2024 remains flat CER sales growth and CORE EBITDA margin of high 20s

Softer performance in Q1 2024, normalizing across H1 2024

Sustained commercial demand in CDMO business with initial signs of early-stage recovery

Key growth projects due to start in 2024 progressing in line with plan

Revised definition of three Alternative Performance Measures from H1 2024

Basel, Switzerland, 14 May 2024 - In its quarterly qualitative update, Lonza reported a softer Q1, with performance across H1 expected to align with the Full-Year 2024 trajectory.

Lonza confirms its Outlook 2024 at flat sales growth in CER and Core EBITDA margin of high 20s. H2 2024 sales are expected to be solid, reflecting the timing of batch releases.

In Biologics, there was good momentum across the division with sustained commercial demand, while clinical demand remained softer, despite early signs of biotech funding recovery. The Small Molecules division also saw strong commercial demand, and made continued progress on strategic investments. Cell & Gene delivered improved commercial and operational performance in Cell & Gene Technology, while market headwinds impacted Bioscience primarily in its media business. Finally, the performance of the Capsules & Health Ingredients division was softer than expected due to a combination of weaker demand for pharma hard capsules in western markets, and lower margins in its nutraceutical business despite improved demand.

Lonza's key growth projects are progressing in line with plan. Operations are expected to commence at the large-scale Mammalian drug substance and highly potent API facilities in Visp (CH) in Q4 2024. Construction is on track at the large-scale commercial drug product facility in Stein (CH).

In Q1 2024, Lonza announced it had signed an agreement to acquire the Genentech manufacturing facility in Vacaville (US) from Roche for USD 1.2 billion in cash. Lonza plans to invest around CHF 500 million to upgrade the facility and enhance capabilities at the site to accommodate the next generation of mammalian biologics therapies. In this context, Mid-Term Guidance 2024 - 2028 sales growth range was updated from 11 - 13% CAGR in CER1 to 12 - 15%. All other Mid-Term Guidance metrics are unchanged.

On 2 April 2024, the Board of Directors was pleased to appoint Wolfgang Wienand as the new Chief Executive Officer of Lonza. He will join the company during the summer of 2024.

Albert M. Baehny, CEO ad interim, Lonza, commented: "We made good progress in Q1 2024 with the strategic acquisition of the large-scale biologics site in Vacaville and the appointment of Lonza's new CEO, Wolfgang Wienand. Looking at our industry fundamentals, we remain well-positioned to capture value by maintaining our focus on growing our commercial offering, while managing our costs and maintaining our focus on operational excellence."

Lonza has revised the definition of three Alternative Performance Measures including CORE EPS, Free Cash Flow and Divisional CORE EBITDA. The new definitions will be reflected in the H1 2024 reporting process. The changes are designed to enhance transparency and efficiency and will not change IFRS reporting. Additional information, including Restated Full-Year 2023, Half-Year 2023 and Full-Year 2022 results, can be found here .

About Lonza

Lonza is one of the world's largest healthcare manufacturing organizations. Working across five continents, our global community of around 18,000 colleagues helps pharmaceutical, biotech and nutrition companies to bring their treatments to market. United by our vision to bring any therapy to life, we support our customers with a combination of technological insight, world-class manufacturing, scientific expertise, process excellence and innovation. Our work enables our customers to develop and commercialize their therapeutic discoveries, allowing their patients to benefit from life-saving and life-enhancing treatments.

Our business is structured to meet our customers' complex needs across four divisions: Biologics, Small Molecules, Cell & Gene, and Capsules & Health Ingredients. Our company generated sales of CHF 6.7 billion with a CORE EBITDA of CHF 2.0 billion in Full-Year 2023. Find out more at www.lonza.com

Follow @Lonza on LinkedIn

Follow @LonzaGroup on X

Lonza Contact Details

Victoria Morgan

Head of External Communications

Lonza Group Ltd

Tel +41 61 316 2283

victoria.morgan@lonza.com
Loqate helps Shopify Plus merchants improve global data quality and reduce failed deliveries

CHESTER, England, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Loqate (a GBG solution), the leader in global address verification, today announced the release of its Address Verification solution for Shopify Plus. This integration offers Shopify Plus merchants an accurate way to capture, verify and enrich global addresses seamlessly within their eCommerce checkout.

The integration will help Shopify Plus merchants enhance customer data quality, improve user experience and reduce failed deliveries. As standard, the solution includes sub-premise-level data including flat, suite and floor numbers, which eliminate common customer address problems such as not being able to deliver directly to apartments.

Key features of Loqate's App for Shopify Plus include:

Comprehensive global data: Utilising data from multiple trusted sources, Loqate provides the world's most comprehensive repository of address data covering 250 countries and territories. This ensures international addresses are standardised in the correct local format.

Utilising data from multiple trusted sources, Loqate provides the world's most comprehensive repository of address data covering 250 countries and territories. This ensures international addresses are standardised in the correct local format. Premise and sub-premise level data : Loqate includes granular data like apartments, suites, and floor numbers in over 140 countries including North America, the United Kingdom and Germany.

: Loqate includes granular data like apartments, suites, and floor numbers in over 140 countries including North America, the United Kingdom and Germany. Advanced customer support: Loqate's product and support teams are global, data experts ready to assist at any time.

Chris Boaz, Chief Marketing Officer at Loqate said: "At Loqate, we understand the pivotal role that accurate address data plays in driving successful eCommerce operations. That's why our new integration provides Shopify merchants with the highest quality address data available. With Loqate's global dataset, merchants can unlock new markets, while our sub-premise data will reduce failed deliveries and deliver exceptional user experiences that keep customers coming back."

The launch of Loqate on the Shopify App Store underscores the commitment of both companies to empower ecommerce businesses with innovative solutions to improve customer experience. As merchants strive to provide seamless shopping experiences and reduce delivery issues, Loqate's advanced technology will be a valuable asset in their toolkit.

Shopify merchants can now explore the benefits of Loqate's address verification solution by visiting the Shopify App Store and installing the app today.

For more information about Loqate and its range of data tools, visit Loqate's website .

About Loqate: Loqate, a GBG solution, is a global location intelligence specialist, helping businesses of all sizes verify, validate, and geocode customer addresses. Loqate is trusted by thousands of organisations worldwide to deliver accurate location data for improved customer experiences and operational efficiency.

For more information, visit: www.loqate.com and www.gbgplc.com.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/loqate-launches-address-verification-solution-on-shopify-app-store-302142238.html
Erinnern Sie sich, als Moderna und BioNTech von unbekannten Unternehmen zu globalen Marktfuhrern wurden und fruhzeitige Investoren reich belohnt haben?



Die Branche steht vor einem erneuten Innovationsschub  von bahnbrechenden Medikamenten bis hin zu revolutionaren Therapien.



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Sie sollten jetzt in Biotech-Aktien einsteigen, weil wir am Beginn einer neuen Ara der medizinischen Innovation stehen konnten! Gen- und Zelltherapien, personalisierte Medizin und bahnbrechende Technologien konnten das Gesundheitswesen revolutionieren  und die Aktienkurse in die Hohe schieen lassen.



Die nachste Erfolgsgeschichte im Biotechbereich warten nur darauf, entdeckt zu werden. Wer jetzt investiert, hat die Chance, von gigantischen Durchbruchen und enormen Renditen zu profitieren. Warten Sie nicht, bis es zu spat ist - der nachste Biotech-Superstar konnte morgen schon durchstarten!



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STOCKHOLM, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hygiene and health company Essity is investing in a new global center for research and development, in Alsace, France, dedicated to tissue hygiene products. The state-of-the-art facility will focus on tissue to meet the evolving demands of branded tissue in both Consumer and Professional Hygiene markets.

Essity is continuously developing new methods to provide the market with sustainable and user-friendly products. The company's current R&D center in Kunheim, France, has filed 25 patents in recent years for ground-breaking innovations such as Lotus Aqua Tube (flushable toilet roll core), Lotus and Okay Sans Tube (coreless toilet paper), Tork SmartOne (dispenses one sheet at a time) and paper hygiene products based on alternative fibers.

"Essity's research and development is re-shaping paper making to contribute to a more sustainable and circular society, while improving people's hygiene and health. The new global R&D center in France, will enable us to continue to develop innovative new paper hygiene products and solutions that meet the needs and high expectations of customers and consumers," says Magnus Groth, President and CEO of Essity.

The new R&D center, strategically located near the current facility, ensures the retention of Essity's more than 80 experts and engineers working there today. Essity aims to create a larger, more efficient center equipped to address future challenges.

In addition to France, Essity has R&D centers in Mexico, Sweden, Germany and in the USA, led by the company's global unit focusing on brands, innovation and sustainability. In 2023, Essity invested SEK 1.7bn (approximately 1.2% of net sales) in research and development.

Essity is the world's largest supplier of hygiene solutions in Professional Hygiene with the globally leading Tork brand. Essity is also the world's third largest supplier of consumer tissue, with a presence primarily in Europe and Latin America. Essity's brands such as Lotus, Tempo, Zewa, Cushelle, Plenty and retailer brands lead the European market, while Regio and Familia are key players in Latin America.

For further information, please contact:

Karl Stoltz, Media Relations Director, +46 709 42 63 88, karl.stoltz@essity.com

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/essity/r/essity-invests-in-new-r-d-center-in-france,c3977804

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/15798/3977804/2792830.pdf Essity invests in new R&D center in France https://news.cision.com/essity/i/centre-de-recherches-kunheim,c3299094 Centre de recherches Kunheim https://news.cision.com/essity/i/essity-r-d-center-2,c3299095 Essity R D Center 2

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/essity-invests-in-new-rd-center-in-france-302144456.html
STOCKHOLM, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Tuesday 14 May, starting at 13:30 CEST, ASSA ABLOY hosts its Capital Markets Day in Prague, Czech Republic, where Nico Delvaux, President & CEO and Erik Pieder, CFO, will provide an update on ASSA ABLOY's strategy and direction. This will include an overview of strategic activities that ASSA ABLOY is working on to continue to grow the business profitably. The financial targets of an EBIT-margin of 16-17% and an annual sales growth of 10% over a business cycle are re-confirmed. No detailed outlook statement will be made.

The CMD will also include an overview of Global Technologies' business unit Global Solutions, the recently acquired Hardware and Home Improvement (HHI) as well as an overview of the Entrance Systems division.

Speakers during the day are Stephanie Ordan, Head of Global Solutions, Tim Goff, Head of Americas Residential (HHI) and Massimo Grassi, Head of Entrance Systems.

The CMD will continue tomorrow with a site visit at our cylinder factory in Rychnov, Czech Republic.

Some of the material from the CMD will be made available on our website www.assaabloy.com/group/en/investors a couple of days after the event.

For more information, please contact:

Carl Wahlberg, Investor Relations Officer

Phone: +46 (0) 733 27 27 38

carl.wahlberg@assaabloy.com

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/assa-abloy/r/assa-abloy-hosts-its-capital-markets-day,c3972444

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/assa-abloy-hosts-its-capital-markets-day-302144477.html
The GSMA, a global organization that conducts the world's largest exhibition and conference for the mobile ecosystem across different continents the annual Mobile World Congress (MWC) has selected Regula as an identity verification provider for its event in Barcelona. In 2024 alone, the company's solutions provided smooth and quick access for more than 100,000 attendees of the congress.

MWC attracts tens of thousands of visitors, including representatives of mobile operators, device manufacturers, technology providers, vendors, and content owners. To ensure everyone's safety, the GSMA has traditionally conducted thorough registration and ID validation processes for each attendee.

For many years, the ID validation process was done on-site at the venue, which caused queues and long wait times. With the advent of the pandemic in 2020, and attendance now regularly exceeding 100,000, the GSMA had to find a contactless solution to remove the need to have attendees wait in large numbers to collect badges and have their ID validated. To address these issues and improve the efficiency of the registration process, the GSMA decided to make it totally remote and digital, so that all attendees could swiftly get access to the venue through the entry gates. Any solution would also need to enable quick and efficient international document recognition, because attendees come from all over the world.

To achieve their goal, the GSMA ran an extensive competitive tender process to find the best technology solution. Ultimately, they chose a complete, single-vendor solution by Regula which includes Regula Document Reader SDK and Regula Face SDK. Natively integrated, these solutions facilitate a smooth customer journey and rapid onboarding through seamless and secure identity verification, eliminating the possibility of fraud.

Having successfully piloted Regula products during MWC Barcelona 2021, the GSMA fully transitioned to digital visitor registration and ID validation. After several years of collaboration, this long-term partnership led to a significant enhancement of the visitor registration process, enabling a fast and convenient user experience. Now, Regula Document Reader SDK and Regula Face SDK are easily integrated into the MWC's existing registration platform for full-fledged production use.

Now, as part of the registration process, an MWC visitor simply uploads their ID on the official website. The identity document is automatically scanned by Regula Document Reader SDK. The solution instantly recognizes the document type, reads its data, and verifies its authenticity with multiple cross-checks. Not only does it streamline the verification process (checks are completed in seconds), but it also minimizes the chance of missing compromised IDs.

Further, an MWC attendee has the opportunity to provide their selfie, which is rapidly captured by Regula Face SDK for user verification.

With the industry's largest and most comprehensive identity document template database, which contains over 13,600 templates from 249 countries and territories, Regula supports the verification of nearly any identity document from any part of the world. Taking into account MWC attendees' geographical spread, this ability significantly facilitates the registration process.

With Regula's complete IDV solution, the GSMA managed to create a custom, smooth, and seamless registration experience for all MWC attendees. During the Barcelona event in 2024, Regula solutions helped to efficiently validate more than 100,000 visitors all of them registered online beforehand, so there was no need to queue at the venue.

"Our collaboration with GSMA for MWC highlights the power of digital transformation in handling large-scale international events. By integrating our advanced ID verification technologies, not only did we enhance the security and efficiency of the registration process, but also ensured a seamless experience for attendees," says Ihar Kliashchou, Chief Technology Officer at Regula.

"The digital identity verification process has revolutionized the visitor experience, allowing more than 100,000 individuals to register and access the world's leading connectivity event swiftly, safely, and without interruption," states Xavi Casals, Director of Technology, Innovation Customer Experience at GSMA.

For more details on the business case, please visit the Regula website.

About GSMA

The GSMA is a global organisation unifying the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change. Our vision is to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry and society thrive. Representing mobile operators and organisations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA delivers for its members across three broad pillars: Connectivity for Good, Industry Solutions and Events.

Find out more at gsma.com.

About Regula

Regula is a global developer of forensic devices and identity verification solutions. With our 30+ years of experience in forensic research and the largest library of document templates in the world, we create breakthrough technologies in document and biometric verification. Our hardware and software solutions allow over 1,000 organizations and 80 border control authorities globally to provide top-notch client service without compromising safety, security or speed. Regula was repeatedly named a Representative Vendor in the Gartner Market Guide for Identity Verification.

Learn more at www.regulaforensics.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240514134027/en/

Contacts:

Kristina ks@regulaforensics.com
QAD Inc., a leading provider of next-generation manufacturing and supply chain solutions in the cloud, has opened registration for its new EMEA customer conference, QAD Transform Europe, a complimentary two-day event happening September 24-25 in Brussels, Belgium.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240514645828/en/

Customers, sponsors and other members of the QAD community will join manufacturing and supply chain leaders from across Europe for two days of networking, education and technology innovation. Attendees will hear from industry experts and peers about the state of manufacturing and supply chains, what the future may bring and how to stay adaptive.

"QAD Transform Europe is our fresh take on regional events designed for and tailored to the customer," said QAD Chief Product and Marketing Officer Carter Lloyds. "We recognize that manufacturing and supply chain leaders continue to face uncertainty and change in their business. The only way to survive and thrive is to transform. We look forward to sharing our roadmap for transformation at the event."

The agenda for QAD Transform Europe will address the fundamental reasons businesses need to transform to survive, and help map the journey to get there. QAD leaders will outline the company's plans for how to navigate today and tomorrow and QAD customers will share their success stories.

Agenda Highlights:

Introducing the Industrial Transformation Platform QAD's roadmap to help companies transform into an Adaptive Enterprise by QAD CEO Anton Chilton

QAD's roadmap to help companies transform into an Adaptive Enterprise by QAD CEO Anton Chilton Panel discussion with industry leaders on the transformation imperative

with industry leaders on the transformation imperative Effective change management across your organization

across your organization Uncovering root causes not symptoms of supply chain disruption

Keynote address on QAD's technology strategy and the benefits of the Cloud with QAD CTO Tony Winter

with QAD CTO Tony Winter Keynote address on Artificial Intelligence with Jeroen Baert, Computer Scientist, Comedian, Geek

Leveraging pragmatic AI in supply chains

Aligning ESG and sustainability with commercial objectives

with commercial objectives QAD new flagship ERP release - ERP O

Product updates on QAD Redzone Connected Workforce, QAD GTTE, QAD SRM, QAD DSCP and QAD Process Intelligence

The new QAD roadmap for the food and beverage industry

Breakout sessions and QAD Sponsor Expo

On Day 1, QAD executives and guest speakers will share an update on QAD today and the Industrial Transformation Platform, a panel discussion with industry experts on the need for transformation, the QAD roadmap and customer success stories. A networking reception and dinner with fellow manufacturing and supply chain leaders will follow.

On Day 2, guest keynotes will present on Effective Change Management, followed by a presentation on the state of Artificial Intelligence. More great breakout sessions and a networking lunch with QAD will follow as well as a Sponsor Expo to see QAD solutions in action.

The full agenda can be accessed here. For the latest updates on QAD Transform Europe, follow us on social media and engage using QADTransform.

Event Details

What: QAD Transform Europe Customer Conference

When: September 24-25, 2024

Where: Cardo Brussels Hotel Brussels, Belgium

Registration: To register to attend QAD Transform Europe, click here.

Not able to attend QAD Transform Europe? Save the date for QAD Transform Americas, happening November 4-6 in Chicago, Illinois!

About QAD Enabling Adaptive Enterprises

QAD Inc. is a leading provider of next-generation manufacturing and supply chain solutions in the cloud. To succeed in a turbulent world, facing disruptions in supply and fluctuations in demand, manufacturers and supply chains must rapidly respond to change and seamlessly optimize agility, efficiency, and resilience for effective customer service. QAD delivers Adaptive Applications to enable these Adaptive Enterprises.

Founded in Santa Barbara, California, QAD has customers in 84 countries around the world. Thousands of companies have deployed QAD enterprise solutions including enterprise resource planning (ERP), digital commerce (DC), supplier relationship management (SRM), digital supply chain planning (DSCP), global trade and transportation execution (GTTE), enterprise quality management system (EQMS), connected workforce and process intelligence. To learn more, visit www.qad.com or call +1 805-566-6100. Find us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram.

"QAD" is a registered trademark of QAD. All other products or company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240514645828/en/

Contacts:

QAD Inc.

Caleb Finch

Public Relations

805-566-6100

publicrelations@qad.com

Beth Hespe

Analyst Relations

609-709-3769

industryanalyst@qad.com
The 9th edition of the popular 'Prime Days' enabled significant savings for consumers through member-only personalised travel deals.

The benefits of Prime Days extended beyond travellers as it delivered significant yields to partners. Participating airlines saw an average uplift of 59% in their revenues compared to the previous week.

The growing appeal of Prime Days to the hospitality sector is evident in the 33% increase in the number of accommodations participating in the campaign.

eDreams ODIGEO (hereinafter 'The Company'), the world's leading travel subscription platform and one of Europe's largest e-commerce businesses, today reported the success of the 9th edition of its eDreams Prime Days campaign.

Held from April 30th to May 3rd 2024, the exclusive campaign for Prime members resulted, on average, in a significant 59% revenue increase for participating airlines1, driven by targeted promotions and exclusive offers for Prime members.

The campaign's focus on AI-driven personalisation helped generate on average a 68% surge in bookings for participating airlines, demonstrating the powerful impact of offering exclusive personalised offers to a community of avid travel subscribers. These efforts equipped airlines with sophisticated steering, ranking and marketing mechanisms that significantly boosted exposure and visibility, broadening their customer base and attracting more travellers eager to leverage special discounts.

The benefits of Prime and Prime Days extend well beyond just flights as Prime members also enjoy substantial discounts on dynamic packages, car rental and accommodations. The growing appeal of Prime to the hospitality sector is evident in the 33% increase in the number of accommodations participating in the campaign. This growth was accompanied by a marked increase in customer demand compared to the previous edition, as Prime members enjoyed significant discounts of up to 300 on their hotel bookings.

In addition to the focused efforts and extra discounts on participating partners, the campaign also extended special offers to all 700 airlines, millions of accommodations and thousands of car rental providers in the eDreams ODIGEO network, ensuring comprehensive coverage and benefits across the board for subscribers.

This latest achievement builds on the success of previous campaigns, affirming Prime Days as a highly valued travel booking event among travellers. With over 5.4 million members now enjoying the benefits of the Prime membership programme, eDreams ODIGEO continues to attract and satisfy a growing global community of travellers, underscoring the significant value and appeal of its travel subscription model.

Frederic Esclapez, Chief Marketing Officer at eDreams ODIGEO said: "Prime Days brings exceptional value to our customers with unparalleled discounts and personalised deals, and it also provides substantial benefits to our partners. Our Prime platform connects airlines, hotels and car rental providers with savvy and highly engaged subscribers, delivering an AI-driven personalised experience. Our platform's ability to deliver tailor-made travel options effectively meets the dynamic needs of today's travellers while providing our partners with robust tools to enhance their market presence without major additional investments. The success of the recent campaign reaffirms the mutual benefits of Prime Days, making it a win-win for both industry players and travellers alike. We are looking forward to continuing our collaboration with all our partners worldwide to continue to deliver ever greater value to travellers."

About eDreams ODIGEO

eDreams ODIGEO is the world's leading travel subscription platform and one of the largest e-commerce businesses in Europe. Under its four renowned online travel agency brands eDreams, GO Voyages, Opodo, Travellink, and the metasearch engine Liligo it serves more than 20 million customers per year across 44 markets. Listed on the Spanish Stock Market, eDreams ODIGEO works with nearly 700 airlines. The business launched Prime, the first subscription product in the travel sector which has topped over 5.4 million members since launching in 2017. The brand offers the best quality products in regular flights, low-cost airlines, hotels, dynamic packages, car rental and travel insurance to make travel easier, more accessible, and better value for consumers across the globe.

1 vs their revenues the previous week

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240514665440/en/

Contacts:

Media:

eDreamspressoffice@instinctif.com
Napier AI, the London-based financial crime compliance RegTech, is pleased to its solution as the anti-money laundering (AML) platform for Salt Bank, the first Romanian neobank with the fastest growing in Southeastern Europe.

Napier AI provides its Transaction Screening product in a cloud environment, to Salt Bank. The solution will enable Salt Bank to handle 100s of millions of transactions easily. This award-winning solution is equipped with:

a user-friendly interface with customisable workflows;

Deployment in the cloud;

a sandbox environment for optimising screening configurations;

and configurable dashboards with no-code rule building and AI insights for efficient decision-making.

With its name rooted in the Romanian word for leap, the neobank is set to transform Romanian banking. It offers a top-notch digital experience for the new generation of customers who prefer banking on their smartphones.

The collaboration reinforces Salt Bank's engagement in having robust tools within the current AML ecosystem, which is being reshaped by dynamic changes in regulations, evolving ML/TF and fraud risks, and ever-increasing customer demand for a seamless online experience. Partnering with an AML RegTech with NextGen technology and scalability will help Salt Bank address consumer demands for faster, more convenient ways to bank and strengthen its AML framework.

"We chose the Napier AI platform because it offered NextGen technology which enables us to strengthen our financial crime controls and matches our drive to offer clients a seamless digital experience, within a robust regulatory compliant environment. It is part of our amazing project to disrupt the Romanian banking sector as its first 100% digital bank Made in Romania. Napier's cloud-native platform was deployed at speed, delivering us tangible results for financial crime tools when launching as a neobank," says Gabriela Nistor, CEO of Salt Bank.

"Napier AI's industry-leading Transaction Screening solution is set to help Salt Bank succeed in setting a new standard for banking in Romania. It is an exciting time for the industry and market, and I am excited to see how we work together to bring best-in-class financial crime compliance to the next generation of digital banking users," says Greg Watson, CEO, Napier AI.

Napier AI is proud to support Salt Bank in its period of huge growth and set a new standard of excellence in the banking and financial crime compliance industry.

About Napier AI

Napier AI is a RegTech delivering anti-money laundering and financial crime compliance software to financial institutions, payments firms and buy side firms. Napier AI designs and engineers technological innovation to make a measurable difference in driving down financial crime. Trusted by over 150 institutions worldwide, the company's platform, Napier AI Continuum, is transforming compliance from a legal obligation to a competitive edge.

About Salt Bank

Salt Bank is based in Romania and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Banca Transilvania Financial Group, the largest financial group in Southeastern Europe. This month, the new digital bank was launched and offers simple, customer-centred financial and banking products and services.

Improve your compliance processes with an award-winning solution

Get in touch to see how our intelligent platform can help your organisation transform its compliance; or request a demo to see it in action.

https://www.napier.ai/contact

https://www.napier.ai/request-a-demo

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240514175225/en/

Contacts:

For media enquiries:

Elise Thrale

Head of Content, Napier AI

+4477890 952 278

Elise.thrale@napier.ai



Viorel Ruse

Head of Marketing and Communication, Salt Bank

vibe@salt.bank
CAMBRIDGE, England, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Alchemab Therapeutics (Alchemab), an antibody discovery company identifying naturally occurring antibodies from individuals resilient to disease, today announces the publication of a peer reviewed article titled "Predictability of B cell clonal persistence and immunosurveillance in breast cancer" in the journal Nature Immunology. The senior author Rachael Bashford-Rogers is a co-founder of Alchemab and the paper was a collaboration between the Cancer Dynamics Group at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, (ICR), the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge and Alchemab.

Alchemab is building a broad pipeline of protective therapeutics for hard-to-treat diseases, with an initial focus on neurodegenerative conditions and oncology. The Company has developed a highly differentiated platform which enables the identification of novel drug targets and therapeutics by analysis of patient antibody repertoires. The platform uses well-defined patient samples, deep B cell sequencing, and computational analysis to identify convergent protective antibody responses among individuals that are susceptible but resilient to specific diseases.

In cancer, Alchemab focuses on identifying antibodies from patients with certain solid tumors who are long-term survivors of the disease. In preliminary work, Alchemab has identified antibodies associated with checkpoint inhibition, angiogenesis, and cytokine modulation in cancer survivors. The opportunity to identify novel antibodies and targets associated with cancer survivors represents a unique approach to therapeutic development in oncology.

Jane Osbourn OBE, Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder of Alchemab, said: "Immunotherapies have transformed the outlook for a range of different cancers but, unfortunately, they still only work for a minority of patients. We are making great strides in our understanding of the role of B cells in the adaptive immune system, but if we are to develop broader and better immunotherapies, overcoming limitations of existing treatments, we need a deeper understanding of how they interact with cancer as it grows and spreads. This paper has given us an important perspective on the role that B cells play in the immune response to cancer and that will help us to develop improved therapies to treat these deadly diseases."

A comprehensive analysis of breast cancer immunosurveillance in biopsy tissue from metastatic and early breast cancer patients was performed in the study. By integrating B Cell Receptor (BCR), T Cell Receptor (TCR), DNA and RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data from patients with multiple metastatic tumor sites, and during neoadjuvant (chemo) therapy in early disease patients, clones were tracked and characterized that were persistent over time throughout therapy and across metastatic sites. Results showed that both B cell and T cell responses in each patient seem to coevolve with the metastatic cancer genomes and mirror the tumor mutational and neoantigen architecture. B cell clones associated with metastatic immunosurveillance and temporal persistence were more expanded and distinct from B cell clones found in single metastatic sites. B cell clonal immunosurveillance and temporal persistence are predictable based on the deep sequence analysis, which enables assessment of clonal relatedness. This predictability was generalizable across other immune-mediated disorders.

This work helps lay a foundation for Alchemab to prioritize antibody sequences for therapeutic targeting in cancer and immune disorders.

About Alchemab

Alchemab studies the unique antibody response of resilient individuals to develop drugs based on naturally derived antibodies to prevalent, hard-to-treat diseases which do not have disease modifying therapies. Alchemab's platform integrates data mining of patient-derived immune responses with the latest multi-disciplinary drug discovery approaches to understand what keeps people well. The goal is to unlock nature's engineering and harness the incredible human immune system to find breakthrough drugs.

Alchemab's highly experienced team has broad expertise and capabilities across discovery and development. Through collaborations with world class institutions, Alchemab taps into large ecosystems and millions of patient samples which it analyzes using advanced computational approaches.

Alchemab is headquartered in London, UK with labs in Cambridge, UK and Boston, US.

For more information, visit www.alchemab.com/.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/publication-in-nature-immunology-outlining-the-contribution-of-b-cells-to-anticancer-immunosurveillance-highlights-alchemabs-capabilities-and-potential-to-develop-new-cancer-therapies-302143750.html
The industry-acclaimed annual rankings recognise the top-performing hotels for MICE business, as well as the world's most coveted meeting destinations

Cvent, an industry-leading meetings, events, and hospitality technology provider, today released its lists of the Top Meeting Destinations and Top Meeting Hotels for Europe. These lists which also include regional rankings for North America, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East Africa were compiled based on sourcing activity through the Cvent Supplier Network, one of the world's largest venue-sourcing platforms. More than $16B of MICE business was sourced through Cvent's online platforms in 2023.

Cvent will host a live, in-person press conference at IMEX Frankfurt on Tuesday, 14 May, at 10.00am CET, to share more in-depth insights into this year's Cvent Top Lists results.

Cvent Top Meeting Destinations Europe

While the Top 10 cities remained consistent year-over-year with London retaining its #1 ranking from 2023, Madrid (#3) moved up after a strong year in which the city hosted 20 conferences with over 1,000 participants, driving an economic impact of 88 million euros. Berlin (#4) moved up two spots, reflecting the city's continued prioritisation of the MICE industry such as hosting ITB Berlin, and curating events and programs that support event organisers' needs such as BESTIVAL and Sustainable Meetings Berlin.

Top 10 Meeting Destinations

1. London, UK 2. Barcelona, Spain 3. Madrid, Spain 4. Berlin, Germany 5. Lisbon, Portugal 6. Amsterdam, Netherlands 7. Paris, France 8. Rome, Italy 9. Frankfurt, Germany 10. Munich, Germany

"We're delighted to once again lead the Cvent Top Meeting Destinations in Europe list. London saw significant growth last year with 30 new hotels. This year, we're on track to nearly double that number. We're particularly excited about the upcoming transformation of ExCeL London, with a 200 million investment breathing new life into the venue. Cvent has been instrumental in showcasing what London has to offer and bringing us great new clients. We truly value the partnership," said Fiona Plumpton, Head of London Convention Bureau Services.

"We're delighted to have retained our position on Cvent's Top Meeting Destinations, reaffirming Barcelona's status as a premier choice for corporate and incentive gatherings in Europe," says Christoph Tessmar, Director of the Barcelona Convention Bureau. "A big highlight is the collaborative spirit of the Barcelona and Catalan community that naturally extends to our MICE industry, fostering innovation and teamwork in event planning. Moreover, Barcelona's commitment to sustainability is evident in its eco-friendly venue options and carbon-neutral initiatives, ensuring that events are both memorable and environmentally responsible."

Cvent Top Meeting Hotels Europe

Melia Castilla moved up three places to take the number one spot this year. The hotel made significant improvements to its meetings and events offerings including state-of-the-art LED screens and Wi-Fi speed and continues to prioritise a zero-carbon footprint. These enhancements reflect planners' focus on technology and environmental sustainability when sourcing hotels for their events. Newcomers to the Top 10 include NH Collection Madrid Eurobuilding (#3), Lisbon Marriott Hotel (#5), Hilton Barcelona (#6), Melia Avenida America (#8) and AC Hotel Barcelona Forum (#10).

Top 10 Meeting Hotels

1. Melia Castilla 2. Hilton Prague 3. NH Collection Madrid Eurobuilding 4. Madrid Marriott Auditorium Hotel Conference Center 5. Lisbon Marriott Hotel 6. Hilton Barcelona 7. InterContinental Athenaeum Athens 8. Melia Avenida America 9. Corinthia Lisbon 10. AC Hotel Barcelona Forum

"Being recognised as the #1 Cvent Top Meeting Hotel in Europe is an incredible honour. We have a strong meeting and event-focused culture at Melia Castilla and this recognition is a testament to our deep commitment to building lasting relationships with our planners to deliver great events," said Marcos Mellado, Director of Sales at the Melia Castilla. "Cvent is to Melia Castilla, what technology is to Melia Hotels International. We cannot imagine our present, much less our future, without technology. Cvent gives us the chance to reach clients all over the world, helps us deliver exceptional experiences by enabling better communication, and gives our teams access to data that helps us anticipate our tactical sales movements and build on the right strategies to achieve our goals."

"We are honoured and delighted to be recognised as the #3 Top Meeting Hotel in Europe by Cvent," said Angel Villegas, General Manager, NH Collection Madrid Eurobuilding. "The recent renovations in our meeting rooms, each bathed in natural light, have helped our property stand out to planners who are looking for state-of-the-art audio-visual technology for more efficient, high-impact meetings. We're deeply committed to providing best-in-class service to our guests and our recently refreshed restaurant and bar offers a sophisticated, dynamic space to host exceptional events. Cvent continues to be a key and preferred partner of the NH Collection Madrid Eurobuilding as we look to welcome even more groups and events to our incredible property located in the heart of Madrid."

To view all Cvent Top Meeting Destinations and Cvent Top Meeting Hotels worldwide, click here.

Methodology

For Cvent Top Meeting Destinations, Cvent evaluated 12,500+ cities worldwide listed on the Cvent Supplier Network (CSN). Activity was tracked between January 2023 and December 2023. Rankings were determined by a set of qualifying criteria, including: the number of total room nights booked; the number of unique electronic request-for-proposals (RFPs) sent through the marketplace to venues within the city; the total value of the RFPs submitted; and the actual awarded value for meetings booked.

For Cvent Top Meeting Hotels, Cvent evaluated hotel properties that generated business through the CSN between January 2023 and December 2023. The properties were ranked according to various criteria, including total requests for proposals (RFPs), awarded RFPs, total room nights, awarded room nights, major metropolitan area market share, conversion rate, and response rate. The criteria are designed to provide the most accurate reflection of the top meeting hotels in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia-Pacific regions.

About the Cvent Supplier Network

The Cvent Supplier Network features more than 300,000 hotels, resorts and special event venues, serving as one of the world's largest and most accurate databases of detailed venue information. More than $16 billion in MICE business was sourced through Cvent's sourcing networks in 2023. The CSN contains listings of hotels and other venues in 18 languages that can be searched and filtered based on over 200 characteristics and criteria. The CSN is part of the comprehensive Cvent platform, which delivers solutions that hotels and venues leverage to conduct their MICE and corporate travel business and engage a global network of 125,000+ planners who rely on Cvent to source hotels destinations and manage their events.

About Cvent

Cvent is a leading meetings, events, and hospitality technology provider with 4,800+ employees and 22,000 customers worldwide as of December 31, 2023. Founded in 1999, the company delivers a comprehensive event marketing and management platform and offers a global marketplace where event professionals collaborate with venues to create engaging, impactful experiences. The comprehensive Cvent event marketing and management platform offers software solutions to event organisers and marketers for online event registration, venue selection, event marketing and management, virtual and onsite solutions, and attendee engagement. Hotels and venues use Cvent's supplier and venue solutions to win more MICE and corporate travel business through Cvent's sourcing platforms. For more information, please visit Cvent.com/uk.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240514448929/en/

Contacts:

For media enquiries, please contact:

Sharon Coleshill

Email: sharon.coleshill@spotlightcoms.com

Mobile: +44 7810 508 990
SiPearl, the company building the high-performance low-power European microprocessor for HPC1 and AI inference, collaborates with Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced memory technology, to provide the best performance and energy-efficiency for HPC and AI workloads. This partnership marks the emergence of a European pioneer in the use of High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) for high-performance low-power microprocessor.

SiPearl, the company building the high-performance low-power European microprocessor for HPC and AI inference, has signed a partnership with Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a world leader in advanced memory technology, to equip its Rhea series with Samsung's advanced memory solution ideal for HPC and AI applications.

After an extensive market survey, SiPearl has selected the global leading technology company Samsung, and its High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) for its outstanding speed and energy-efficiency combined with a reduced thermal resistance.

This collaboration will enable SiPearl to leverage Rhea family best-in-class performance and energy-efficiency for HPC and AI inference workloads.

"We are excited to contribute to the expansion of SiPearl's unique supercomputer/AI ecosystem with Samsung's advanced HBM technology," said Yongcheol Bae, Executive Vice President and Head of Memory Product Planning at Samsung Electronics. "As the HPC and AI market grows and diverse requirements increase, high-performance, high-bandwidth, low-power solutions are key to support development of the Rhea series in the future. We are committed to delivering memory solutions that can bring superior performance and efficiency for future HPC and AI applications in a close collaboration with SiPearl

"At SiPearl, we are thrilled to be a European pioneer in the use of HBM technology in conjunction with Samsung Electronics. Combining our high-performance, low-power microprocessor technologies with built-in HBM is key to meet all the requirements of supercomputing and AI inference workloads. On the fast-growing AI inference market, we think that our product will be a market leading solution for inference Large Language Model (LLM) tasks providing among other things high flexibility to model changes relative to solutions currently in use ", concluded Philippe Notton, CEO and founder of SiPearl.

About SiPearl

SiPearl is building the European high-performance low-power microprocessor dedicated to supercomputing and AI inference. This new generation of microprocessors will first target EuroHPC Joint Undertaking ecosystem, which is deploying world-class supercomputing infrastructures in Europe for solving major challenges in medical research, security, energy management and climate with a reduced environmental footprint.

SiPearl is working in close collaboration with its 30 partners from the European Processor Initiative (EPI) consortium leading names from the scientific community, supercomputing centres and industry which are its stakeholders, future clients and end-users.

SiPearl employs more than 190 people in France (Maisons-Laffitte, Grenoble, Massy, Sophia Antipolis), Germany (Duisburg), Italy (Bologna) and Spain (Barcelona).

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, digital appliances, network systems, and memory, system LSI, foundry, and LED solutions.

For the latest news, please visit the Samsung Newsroom at news.samsung.com.

(1) HPC: High Performance Computing

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240514089129/en/

Contacts:

SiPearl media contact:

Marie-Anne Garigue, Head of Communications: +33 6 09 05 87 80 marie-anne.garigue@sipearl.com

Gregory Bosson, Senior Communication Officer: 33 6 60 75 71 61 gregory.bosson@sipearl.com

Samsung media contact:

Ujeong Jahnke

Samsung Semiconductor Europe GmbH

Tel. +49(0)89-45578-1000

Email: sseg.comm@samsung.com
CommBox's market-leading AI and automation technologies are now available through a dedicated partner programme

Participants will enjoy new revenue streams, faster time-to-value, and a more diversified client portfolio

CommBox, the leader in AI and automated customer communications, is today launching its new partner programme, CommBox Connect. This programme opens CommBox's market-leading technology to the broader customer service ecosystem, offering new revenue streams, faster time-to-value, and a more diversified client portfolio. This extension of CommBox's AI and automation capabilities equips partners with an all-in-one solution to automate and digitise customer communications, an increasing priority as consumers expect instant, convenient, and diverse ways to communicate with brands.

Founded in 2013, CommBox is a customer service and engagement platform built with Generative AI and Automation at its core, helping brands dramatically lower CX costs. Since launching Era AI last year the integration of its proprietary AI technology with commercial LLM AI into its platform CommBox has seen users triple agent productivity and cut costs by up to 30%. Coupled with the platform's omnichannel core, CommBox has helped brands digitise their customer service operations for over a decade.

Over 350 global brands, such as IKEA, Brinks, AIG, and Suzuki, have joined the journey towards fully autonomous communications. CommBox's customers are already scaling traditional, agent-only communications to digital channels, from integrating instant messaging to a completely autonomous, AI-powered experience that leverages human support only when needed.

CommBox Connect is designed to open these capabilities to the broader partner ecosystem. The programme enables business and technology partners to expand their offerings and enter the domain of AI while benefiting the CommBox tech stack for extended services and business opportunities.

The program will support a range of partners, such as software resellers, system integrators, and consultancy agencies, offering benefits such as:

Helping scale existing operations

Open up new revenue streams across different verticals

Provide a faster time-to-value

Establish a more diversified portfolio

Dvir Hoffman, CEO of CommBox, commented on the launch: "Consumers are now demanding more from brands. Principally, this is the demand for a more diverse range of digital channels, and receiving the same level of service no matter how they opt to get in contact. It may seem simple on paper, but for many brands going from solely reliant on humans to a more digitised operation and leveraging the latest technology is still a barrier to matching these expectations. CommBox Connect is designed to equip key partners from across the ecosystem with all the technology and industry expertise they need to work alongside these brands, and ultimately facilitate the experiences consumers are growing to expect."

The partner program will operate selectively, with partners chosen according to their compatibility with the offerings available. Accordingly, qualified partners benefit from a specialised, comprehensive support package to facilitate their business imperatives. Partners can expect tailored onboarding and support, technical training, marketing and sales assistance, and event and campaign exposure.

Luc Francis Jacobs, CEO at Nixxis: "We selected CommBox as our digital partner because, after careful assessment, we concluded that they had one of the best digital solutions on the market. After some projects together, we realized that they also have a great professional service team as being flexible when it comes to doing business. Since our strategy is to concentrate on providing the best Voice stack on the market, combining it with CommBox has proven to be able to really deliver the best of both world to customers. We can now easily beat competitors that are 10X bigger than us and this comforts us in the vision that our partnership will allow us to achieve market leadership in all the fast-growing regions."

For more information about CommBox Connect partner programme, please visit: https://www.commbox.io/partners Contact us: partners@commbox.io

About CommBox

CommBox is revolutionizing how brands connect with customers by eliminating the outdated paradigm of live agent intervention for every customer engagement, replacing it with exceptional, automated CX.

With the first and only AI-driven autonomous customer communication platform, CommBox enables hundreds of the world's leading brands to deliver a complete, smart, and personalised experience using their suite of digital channels and to automate human-driven operations and the bulk of repetitive inquiries with powerful AI and deep automation. The result is greater customer satisfaction and loyalty, increased agent productivity, higher conversion rates, and a unique opportunity to grow the business like never before.

With a global presence headquartered in Israel, CommBox was founded in 2013 and is proud to drive innovation. It serves over 50 million experiences daily and sets the new standard for customer communications in the new digital age. CommBox is backed by the American equity fund PSG.

To learn more, visit us at https://www.commbox.io/.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240514675988/en/

Contacts:

CommBox

partners@commbox.io
LONDON, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, leading embedded finance and Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) platform, OpenPayd announces its partnership with Wirex , a prominent Web3 money app, to provide named virtual IBANs to its customers across the UK and European Economic Area (EEA) strengthening Wirex's core mission to provide easy, fast and secure payment methods to its customers.

The partnership will see OpenPayd issue virtual IBANs to Wirex customers in 30+ countries across the UK and EEA. Customers will have access to the Faster Payments network in the UK and Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) Instant payments for Euro-denominated deposits and withdrawals.

The service will be fully embedded into Wirex's infrastructure via OpenPayd's single, developer-friendly API. Wirex customers will receive a unique, named IBAN, enabling them to seamlessly transfer EUR and GBP between their Wirex and bank accounts. Payments across OpenPayd's SEPA Instant and Faster Payments rails take place in real-time, 24/7, 365 days of the year, leading to a significant improvement in customer experience.

"High-growth digital assets businesses need reliable, scalable banking and payments partners to deliver a seamless user experience without incurring delays or prohibitive fees," said Iana Dimitrova, CEO of OpenPayd. "Wirex is a trusted, established and growing player in the digital assets market. Our reliable platform, with 99.99% uptime, will support Wirex in its mission to make cryptocurrency more secure, accessible and available to everyone."

"At Wirex, we strive to bridge the gap between the traditional and digital economies, so it's vital that our customers can easily make and receive payments via SEPA Instant and Faster Payments. OpenPayd's tech stack is not only state of the art and easy to integrate, it's also proven at scale - processing millions of transactions monthly," said Pavel Matveev, CEO and Co-Founder of Wirex. "Named IBANs offer our customers an improved user experience and an even more personalised service. They also enable our teams to completely automate back office account reconciliation. OpenPayd is the perfect partner to facilitate the instant, accessible and secure payments our customers need."

About OpenPayd

OpenPayd builds embedded finance and banking-as-a-service infrastructure that powers business growth. With OpenPayd's financial services infrastructure, innovative companies can build new products, streamline their operations and manage their payments on a global scale.

The OpenPayd platform delivers a full suite of banking and payments infrastructure: accounts, FX, international and domestic payments and Open Banking services - all via a single API. With a growing network of licences across the UK, Europe and North America, OpenPayd is providing the banking infrastructure digital businesses need to thrive.

For additional information on OpenPayd, please visit https://openpayd.com/.

About Wirex

Wirex is a prominent UK-based digital payments platform with over 6 million customers spread across 130 countries. It offers secure accounts, making it easy for users to store, purchase, and exchange multiple currencies seamlessly.

As a principal member of both Visa and Mastercard, Wirex goes beyond traditional services, embracing the evolving trends of Web3 to provide mainstream access to digital finance and wealth management.

Having processed transactions totalling $20 billion, Wirex aims to contribute to the adoption of a cashless society by facilitating straightforward transactions in various currencies worldwide. Wirex is simplifying digital payments, making it more accessible and convenient for people across the globe.

For additional information on Wirex, please visit https://wirexapp.com/

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Increasing prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, technological advancements and shortage of donor organs for transplantation drive the growth of the global ventricular assisted devices market.

PORTLAND, Ore., May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Ventricular Assist Devices Market By Product (Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs), Right Ventricular Assist Devices (RVADs), and Biventricular Assist Devices (BIVADs)), Application (Bridge-To-Transplant (BTT), Destination Therapy, Bridge-To-Recovery (BTR), and Bridge To Candidacy Therapy), Design (Transcutaneous Ventricular Assist Devices and Implantable Ventricular Assist Devices), and Age (Adults and Pediatrics): Global Opportunity Analysis And Industry Forecast, 2024-2035". According to the report, the global ventricular assisted devices market was valued at $1.6 billion in 2023 and is estimated to reach $4.1 billion by 2035, exhibiting a CAGR of 8.1% from 2023 to 2035.

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Prime determinants of growth

Rise in adoption of ventricular assisted devices, advancements in technologies, and presence of key players are factors that drive the growth of the global ventricular assisted devices market. However, high cost of devices and procedures is anticipated to hinder the market growth. Moreover, rise in healthcare expansion is expected to offer remunerative opportunities for the ventricular assisted devices market during the forecast period.

Report coverage & details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2024-2035 Base Year 2023 Market Size in 2023 $1.6 billion Market Size in 2035 $4.1 billion CAGR 0.081 No. of Pages in Report 275 Segments covered Product, Application, Design, Age, and Region Regional scope North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and LAMEA Drivers Miniaturization and portability

Advancements in technology

Improved clinical outcomes Opportunities Growth opportunity in emerging markets Restraints High cost associated with devices and procedures

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The left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period.

By product, the left ventricular assist devices segment registered the largest share in 2023, accounting for more than three-fourths of the global ventricular assisted devices market revenue and is projected to register the highest CAGR of 8.2% during the forecast period. This increase in adoption of LVADs is mainly attributed as it is used more commonly than RVADs for several reasons such as the left ventricle is the main pumping chamber of the heart and providing support to the left ventricle can have a significant impact on overall heart function. Furthermore, heart failure is typically caused by dysfunction in the left ventricle, so LVAD can address the root cause of the condition. In addition, the availability of LVADs and the preference over RVAD device owing to their safety and efficacy is further contributing to the segment growth.

The bridge-to-transplant (BTT) segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period.

By application, the bridge-to-transplant (BTT) segment registered the largest share in 2023, accounting for nearly two-fifths of the global ventricular assisted devices market revenue, owing to rise in awareness among people regarding bridge-to-transplant therapy, which has significantly increased the success rate of transplant surgeries.

However, the destination therapy segment is projected to register the highest CAGR of 9.3% during the forecast period as VADs have become a prominent solution for people with heart failure and for those who are ineligible for heart transplantation.

The implantable ventricular assist devices segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period.

By design, the implantable ventricular assist devices segment accounted for the largest share in 2023, accounting for more than 90% of the global ventricular assisted devices market revenue and is projected to register highest CAGR of 8.1% during the forecast period owing to the rising prevalence of epilepsy worldwide and increasing adoption of deep brain stimulation as an effective treatment option for drug-resistant epilepsy, contributing to the segment's accelerated growth trajectory.

The adults segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period.

By age, the adults segment accounted for the largest share in 2023, accounting for more than 90% of the global ventricular assisted devices market revenue and is projected to register the highest CAGR of 8.2% during the forecast period owing to technological advancements in the field of VADs and development of pediatric VADs that are highly efficient in treating heart failure in pediatric patients.

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North America to maintain its dominance by 2035

Region-wise, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2023, accounting for nearly half of the global ventricular assisted devices market revenue. This is primarily attributed to rise in prevalence of heart failure, high adoption of technologically advanced ventricular assist devices, developed healthcare infrastructure, and increase in patient awareness about the availability of treatment options for heart failure.

However, the Asia-Pacific segment is projected to register the highest CAGR of 10.7% during the forecast period. This is attributed to the surge in demand for sophisticated ventricular assist devices, large number of healthcare reforms, high prevalence of cardiac disorders, and increase in focus of key players to develop technologically advanced & cost-effective devices.

Leading Market Players: -

Evaheart Inc.

Abiomed Inc.

Abbott Laboratories

CH Biomedical Inc.

Carmat SA

Bivacor Inc.

LivaNova PLC

Berlin Heart GmbH

Fineheart

AdjuCor GmbH

The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players of the global ventricular assisted devices market. These players have adopted different strategy such product launch, product development, and product approval to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario.

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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

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CHICAGO, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The report "Liquid-Applied Membrane Market by Type (Elastomeric, Bituminous, Cementitious), Application (Roofing, Walls, Building Structures, Roadways), Usage, End-Use Industry (Residential Construction, Commercial Construction), and Region - Global Forecast to 2029", is projected to reach USD 32.1 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 5.9% from USD 24.1 billion in 2024.

The major factors propelling the liquid-applied membrane market include the increasing spending on infrastructure development and the rising use of waterproofing membranes. The growing need for energy-efficient buildings and rising demand for green roofs will likely create opportunities for manufacturers. However, the availability of substitutes, such as sheet membranes, for large-scale and open surfaces may restrict market growth. The liquid-applied membrane market in emerging economies presents substantial growth opportunities driven by rising demand, technological advancements, and favorable regulatory environments. Despite these promising prospects, challenges persist, including the high membrane cost and raw material shortages. Notable contributors to market growth in emerging economies include China, India, Indonesia, and South Korea.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Liquid-Applied Membrane Market".

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55 - Figures

254 - Pages

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"Elastomeric membranes is projected to be the fastest growing type, in terms of value, during the forecast period."

Elastomeric liquid-applied membranes have exceptional durability and longevity, offer long-term safeguarding against weathering, UV exposure, and environmental elements. This properties mak them ehighly desirable for a wide range of construction needs. Additionally, certain formulations of elastomeric membranes integrate reflective properties, which helps in diminishing heat absorption, thereby reducing cooling expenses for buildings. This energy-efficient characteristic adds to their increasing favorability in construction projects aimed at sustainability and cost savings.

"Building structures segment is the second fastest growing segment by application, in terms of value, during the forecast period."

Builders and developers are recognizing the critical importance of waterproofing in building structures to prevent water damage, mold growth, and structural degradation. Liquid-applied membranes emerge as highly effective solutions for these concerns. Furthermore, as building codes and regulations increasingly mandate the use of waterproofing materials, especially in moisture-prone regions, liquid-applied membranes become a preferred choice for meeting regulatory requirements due to their proven effectiveness. These membranes offer versatility and reliability, catering to various building types and addressing diverse waterproofing needs. Additionally, they provide a cost-effective solution compared to traditional methods such as sheet membranes or cementitious coatings. This combination of factors significantly drives the market for liquid-applied membranes in building structures.

'Refurbishment is fastest growing segment on the basis of usage, in terms of value, during the forecast period."

LAMs are extensively used in refurbishment projects, primarily due to their seamless, joint-free, and waterproofing properties, offering an efficient means to extend the lifespan of roofs without the need for costly replacements. LAMs possess elastomeric properties meticulously selected to withstand significant stress, offering superior flexibility and effectively reducing the likelihood of cracks by accommodating structural movements. These qualities make liquid-applied membranes indispensable in refurbishment projects, delivering reliable and long-lasting solutions to rejuvenate and safeguard existing structures. Liquid-applied membranes provide refurbished structures with enduring waterproofing protection, ensuring reliability over an extended period.

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'Commercial construction is the second-fastest growing segment on the basis of end-use industry, in terms of value, during the forecast period."

Liquid-applied membranes play a vital role in commercial construction, particularly for roofing systems, where they are extensively utilized. These membranes are applied onto roofs to establish seamless, flexible, and waterproof layers, providing buildings with protection against water infiltration and weather-induced damage. Liquid membranes are adaptable and can effectively waterproof flat, sloped, or intricate roofs by conforming closely to the surface. Additionally, in commercial construction projects, liquid-applied membranes find application in plaza decks, parking structures, balconies, and exterior walls. The escalating population growth and the growing requirement for commercial infrastructure are anticipated to fuel the demand for diverse types of commercial buildings, consequently driving the need for Liquid-applied membranes (LAMs).

"Asia Pacific accounted largest market on the basis of region for liquid-applied membrane during the forecast period, in terms of value."

Asia Pacific accounted for the largest share in the liquid-applied membrane market in 2023. In the Asia Pacific region, advancements in liquid-applied membrane technologies are driving the development of more efficient and environmentally friendly products, thereby fueling market growth. The substantial investment opportunities and conducive business climates in countries such as China, India, and Singapore are incentivizing market players to extend their operations in the region, consequently fueling the expansion of the liquid-applied membrane market. Additionally, significant urbanization in the Asia Pacific region is resulting in a notable increase in construction projects spanning residential, commercial, and industrial buildings, intensifying the demand for liquid-applied membranes to address waterproofing needs.

New product launches and expansions are the major growth strategies adopted by the key players in the market. The key global players in the liquid-applied membrane market include are Sika AG (Switzerland), MAPEI S.p.A. (Italy), SOPREMA (France), Fosroc, Inc. (UAE), Saint-Gobain Weber (France), H.B. Fuller (US), Wacker Chemie AG (Germany), Bostik (France), GCP Applied Technologies Inc (US), and Ardex (Germany) among others.

Browse Adjacent Market: Membranes Market Research Reports & Consulting

Related Reports:

Liquid-Applied Membrane Market - Global Forecast to 2029

Waterproofing Membranes Market - Global Forecast to 2024

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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.

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DND Homes, a leading $300M US developer, unveils massive 30,000+ housing project expansion in Northern Cyprus, introducing luxury living standards.

DND Homes, a prominent name in residential real estate development with 120 projects across Massachusetts, USA, proudly announces the establishment of DND Cyprus in Northern Cyprus. Under the leadership of founder Ozan Dokmecioglu, the company aims to transform the real estate market in the region by delivering over 30,000 housing projects in areas like Iskele, Girne, Esentepe, Gecitkale, and Yedikonuk. This ambitious endeavor exemplifies DND's commitment to enhancing construction and design standards on the island.

Caption: DND Founder Ozan Dokmecioglu, TRNC President Ersin Tatar, Minister of Tourism Fikri Ataoglu, and other esteemed guests at DND Gala Dinner.

"At DND Homes, our goal is to lead the field in innovative residential real estate development, providing homes of unmatched quality and comfort," remarked Ozan Dokmecioglu. "We are determined to redefine industry standards by creating projects that blend luxury living with contemporary design and sustainability." Dokmecioglu, a respected executive with international experience from his tenure at Keurig Dr Pepper as CEO and CFO, envisions the development of DND Cyprus as a significant investment in Northern Cyprus.

Dokmecioglu further states, "Beyond residential projects, our company is also investing heavily in the tourism sector, developing a luxury five-star hotel in Bafra, another in Yedikonuk, and a beach club in the Iskele region. These initiatives reflect the region's burgeoning reputation as a hotspot for real estate investors and expats while bolstering the local tourism industry."

Regarding La Joya Resort and Residences, a cornerstone project of DND Cyprus, Dokmecioglu comments that, "We are all set to redefine luxury living in Northern Cyprus with our extremely prestigious project La Joya properties. Our company is envisioning that these developments will extend beyond luxury residences to create a vibrant, upscale community lifestyle. To be honest, featuring breathtaking landscapes, private pools, and a lively social scene, La Joya embodies the pinnacle of Mediterranean bliss." He further adds, "La Joya Resort and Residences, a 74-unit development, is scheduled for completion by late 2025. Meanwhile, La Joya Perla Resort and Residences, with 384 residences, will be delivered by the end of 2026, and La Joya Perla II Resort and Residences, featuring 128 residences, will be ready by late 2027."

About DND Homes

DND Homes, with assets exceeding $300 million, operates branches in Boston, USA, and Northern Cyprus. Founded by Ozan Dokmecioglu, a Turkish Cypriot, the company is dedicated to providing distinctive, aesthetically pleasing, sustainable, and high-quality living spaces. By prioritizing innovation, creativity, and excellence, DND Homes consistently seeks to elevate industry standards and enhance quality of life for its clients. DND Cyprus, a subsidiary, brings this same dedication to the Northern Cyprus market, crafting exceptional residential and tourism projects on the island.

Media Contact

Organization: DND Homes

Contact Person: Deniz Oktay Tuncay

Website: https://dnd-homes.com

Email: info@denizoktaytuncay.com

City: Boston

State: MA

Country: United States

SOURCE: DND Homes

View the original press release on accesswire.com
LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / American Lithium Minerals (OTC PINK:AMLM) is pleased to announce that a settlement has been reached concerning overstaking of 50 of its placer mining claims (1,000 acres) at Sarcobatus, Nye County, Nevada. Under the settlement agreement, the other claimholder is withdrawing its conflicting claims, resulting in unencumbered ownership of the AMLM Sarcobatus Lithium Project.

As previously reported, an individual from Utah overstaked much of the Company's Sarcobatus claim block in 2022, well after the AMLM claims were staked in 2021. The conflicting claims were then leased by the Utah overstaker, along with many other claims, to a subsidiary of Loyal Lithium Ltd. Loyal Lithium was made aware of the situation and had done no drilling on the conflicting claims. The settlement avoids the need to pursue litigation, and clears the way for additional AMLM work at Sarcobatus.

The Company was represented in this matter by Reno mining attorney Ross de Lipkau, Esq., of Robertson, Johnson, Miller & Williamson.

Sarcobatus Lithium Project

The AMLM Sarcobatus lithium property is located at Scotty's Junction in Nye County, Nevada, approximately 40 miles northwest of Beatty. It is about 20 miles southeast of the AMLM Stonewall Flat lithium property. AMLM's Sarcobatus property is immediately west of Nevada Lithium's "Bonnie Claire" lithium property, and is also adjacent to Loyal Lithium's "Scotty" lithium project. Sarcobatus is comprised of 73 placer mining claims (approximately 1,460 acres) covering most of a playa (dry lake) and adjacent land. It is primarily a brine / sedimentary lithium target.

Lithium Assay Results

In late 2023, infill hand auger sampling at a depth of one (1) meter was carried out at Sarcobatus. This program was concentrated at the south end of the claim block, close to recent drilling by a neighboring claim owner which reported encouraging results for a sedimentary lithium deposit. Infill sampling was also done at the north end of the claim block, focused on an interpreted "embayment," which could be positive for lithium accumulation. All samples were anomalous for Lithium.

The eight (8) south end samples ranged from 380 ppm to 590 ppm Lithium, with an average of 449 ppm Lithium.

The 10 north end samples ranged from 153 ppm to 463 ppm Lithium, with an average of 294 ppm Lithium.

AMLM views these results as encouraging and consistent with the results of the 2022 sampling program.

About American Lithium Minerals, Inc.: AMLM is a Nevada-based lithium exploration company with five (5) lithium projects in Central Nevada (Sarcobatus, Stonewall Flat, West End, Silverpeak and Claystone Hills). AMLM also has four (4) projects in Nevada, Arizona and Illinois for other battery metals, named Blue Bull Cobalt, Nickel and Manganese; Buckley Flat Graphite; Kingman Rare Earth and Hicks Dome Rare Earth.

Contact:

Barbara Bauman, President

702-533-8369

American Lithium Minerals, Inc.

SOURCE: American Lithium Minerals, Inc.

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'Bloodline' launching at the Cannes Film Festival on the 15th of May

The film showcases the cultural tapestry of the Kerala region and blends emerging acting talent with martial arts action sequences to explore India's colonial past

Filmed mainly in India and produced in the UK.

"Bloodline", a thrilling action film co-directed by Jojo George and production company Temple Capital Partners, has wrapped production and is now actively seeking a worldwide distribution deal. The film will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on the 15th of May at 20:00. www.BloodlineMovie.com

The film is co-produced with The Bashford Twins, who enjoy familial ties to India and are culturally sensitive to Britain's Colonial past in India. Filmed predominantly in Kerala, India, this action-packed saga promises to captivate audiences with its gripping storyline and breathtaking visuals.

"Bloodline" follows the journey of Bella (Adrianna Edwards), a resilient and determined character on a quest to rescue her sister, Alice, lured into the forests of modern-day India by an Ancient curse. Amidst police stations, villages, jungles, and manor houses, Bella uncovers her connection to an ancient bloodline, hidden treasure, and a centuries-old curse. The film unfolds through adrenaline-pumping action sequences, chases, sword fights, and martial arts showdowns across six distinct locations. Bella narrates her story in flashback to her therapist, Dr Harris (Suanne Braun) in present-day America.

Featuring a stellar ensemble cast, "Bloodline" stars Suanne Braun, known for Netflix's "The Princess Switch Trilogy," alongside rising talent Adrianna Edwards. The UK casting, led by Carolyn McLeod, ensured a diverse and dynamic lineup. Additionally, the film showcases martial artist Abbas Alizada, widely recognised as the Afghan 'Bruce Lee' for his striking resemblance. Actor Director Jojo George and actress Hannah Minnock, as the doomed Alice, round out the cast bringing romance, mystery and sensitivity to the screen.

Co-producers, The Bashford Twins, expressed their excitement about sharing this action-packed adventure with audiences, and cited their ancestral roots in India as a driving force to take on the project.

"As filmmakers with familial ties to India, the chance to produce a movie there has been an ambition for us and working with Temple Capital Partners felt like a perfect fit. Witnessing the breathtaking fight sequences orchestrated by seasoned stunt coordinator Mafia Sasi was incredible bringing back memories of watching Bruce Lee films with our dad."

Temple Capital Partners said:

"We're delighted to have been able to support JoJo George in realising this dynamic story and showcase the diverse talent and rich cultural tapestry of the region. We have taken a hands-on role in producing, directing, and rewriting the script for a Western audience. As the sole finance house for the entire project, we have been involved directly in every decision throughout the post-production and were keen to bring out the high-quality work undertaken in India, through working with The Bashford Twins to finalise post-production".

Additionally, Adrianna Edwards, the film's star, highlights the cinematic allure of Kerala's locations, enhancing the film's immersive experience.

"Filming across Kerala was an incredible experience," says Edwards. "from the vibrant energy of the city of Kochi, where we filmed the police station scenes, then moving into rural India for the village scenes and the world-famous 'Varikkasseri Mana', Manor House before wrapping filming in the Athirappilly Waterfalls and Rainforest. These locations made a stunning backdrop of diverse landscapes, adding depth to the storytelling and creating an immersive cinematic journey."

ENDS

Press Contact

Specialist Advisors Limited

00442078890000

Stuart@SA.uk.com

http://www.sa.uk.com

SOURCE: Bloodline

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London, United Kingdom--(Newsfile Corp. - May 14, 2024) - In a move to fortify online transaction security and enhance customer trust, Noda has announced the launch of its advanced range of end-user Know Your Customer (KYC) solutions tailored for online merchants. This innovative suite of tools is designed to streamline the verification process, reduce fraud, and comply with regulatory standards, thus enabling merchants to offer a more secure and efficient customer experience.

Caption: Noda Introduces KYC Solutions for Online Merchants

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10367/209107_1d07f892c492b847_001full.jpg

"Identity verification, which is part of KYC, is a valuable fraud prevention tool that can identify an account duplicate and prevent account takeovers," said Lasma Kuhtarska, Noda's co-founder & CSO.

Noda offers a Pay & Go solution, which allows business to onboard their customers with non-ID upload and liveness detection. This feature fully covers the entire process, including onboarding, verification and taking the first deposit.

Noda provides non-doc identity verification and full documental checks, including AML checks based on the customer's full name, address, and date of birth. If Noda is unable to match the data, the customer needs to pass the full verification flow by uploading the ID document.

The solution is based on the open banking infrastructure, where traditional banks share customer data under customer consent via secure application programming interfaces (APIs). "Open banking is a safe and reliable technology by itself, guaranteeing strong bank authentication and transaction protection during the payment," explained Kuhtarska. "However, the payment could not be used as customer identity verification due to the UK and European laws. For most businesses working with customers' personal details, regular identity verification by providing ID documents and a selfie video is needed. Fortunately, open banking allows us to optimise identity verification flow, decreasing customer friction."

About Noda

Noda, a leading global Open Banking platform, is revolutionizing the way online merchants operate. By tackling critical challenges such as end-user KYC, efficient payments processing, LTV forecasting, and UX optimization, Noda provides comprehensive solutions tailored for the digital age. The company's extensive network, partnering with 1,650 banks across 28 countries and encompassing over 30,000 bank branches, ensures that merchants have the support they need to thrive globally.

With Noda's advanced Open Banking API, online businesses can easily integrate direct bank payments, offering their customers a secure payment experience with lower fees. Whether businesses are seeking to enhance customer verification processes, optimize payment systems, forecast long-term value, or refine user experience, Noda serves as a partner in growth.



Contact

Darya Lyhach

Noda PR manager

d.lyhach@noda.live

+37069385176

London, United Kingdom

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/209107

SOURCE: Naudapay Limited
New research from Jumio also reveals consumers continue to overestimate their ability to spot deepfakes and want governments to do more to regulate AI

Jumio, the leading provider of automated, AI-driven identity verification, risk signals and compliance solutions, today released the Jumio 2024 Online Identity Study, the third installment of its annual global consumer research. This year's results highlight significant concerns among consumers about the risks associated with generative AI and deepfakes, including the potential for increased cybercrime and identity fraud.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240514516199/en/

(Graphic: Jumio)

The study examined the views of more than 8,000 adult consumers, split evenly across the United Kingdom, United States, Singapore and Mexico. The results suggest nearly three-quarters of consumers (72%) worry on a day-to-day basis about being fooled by a deepfake into handing over sensitive information or money. Only 15% of global consumers and only 7% in Singapore said they've never encountered a deepfake video, audio or image before.

Even with high anxiety around this increasingly prevalent and ever-evolving technology, consumers continue to overestimate their own ability to spot deepfakes 60% believe they could detect a deepfake, up from 52% in 2023. In Singapore, this number rises to 77%. Globally, men were more confident in their ability to spot a deepfake (66% men versus 55% women), with men aged 18-34 demonstrating the most confidence (75%), while women aged 35-54 were least confident (52%).

"As generative AI advances, the incidence of deepfakes continues to rise, revealing a significant gap in our collective ability to detect these deceptions," said Stuart Wells, Jumio's chief technology officer. "This continued overconfidence underscores the critical need for stronger public education and more effective technological solutions. It's essential that businesses and consumers collaborate to enhance digital security measures to effectively prevent identity fraud."

A significant majority (60%) of consumers call for more governmental regulation of AI to address these issues. However, regulatory trust varies globally, with 69% of Singaporeans expressing trust in their government's ability to regulate AI, compared to just 26% in the UK, 31% in the U.S. and 44% in Mexico.

The true cost of online fraud

Fraud is an all-too-familiar issue for many consumers across the globe, with 68% of respondents reporting that they know or suspect that they've been a victim of online fraud or identity theft, or that they know someone who has been affected. U.S. consumers were most likely to be direct victims of fraud (39%) either knowingly or by suspicion, and Singapore was the top country to report knowing a victim (51%).

While nearly half (46%) of the consumers who were or suspected they were a victim of online fraud or identity theft said the ordeal was a minor inconvenience, 32% said it caused significant problems and several hours of administrative work to resolve, and 14% went as far as calling it a traumatic experience.

Regardless of whether they've been a victim of fraud or identity theft, most consumers worry daily about falling victim to data breaches (79%) and account takeover attacks (77%).

Balancing security and user experience for identity verification

Identity verification is a key part of the solution for companies looking to secure themselves and ensure that their users are genuine. More than 80% of Singapore consumers said they'd be willing to spend more time on identity verification if those measures improve security in industries including financial services (85%), the sharing economy (85%), healthcare (85%), government (84%), travel and hospitality (84%), retail and ecommerce (83%), social media (82%) and telecoms (82%).

When creating a new online account, global consumers said taking a picture of their ID and a live selfie would be the most accurate form of identity verification (21%), with creating a secure password coming in at a close second (19%).

"As we navigate the complexities introduced by generative AI, the role of sophisticated security systems becomes crucial," said Philipp Pointner, Jumio's chief of digital identity. "To counter the rise in deepfakes and cyber deception, incorporating multimodal, biometric-based verification systems is imperative. These technologies are key to ensuring that businesses can protect their platforms and their customers from emerging online threats, and are significantly stronger than passwords and other traditional, outdated methods of identification and authentication."

Find additional data and insights here.

The research was conducted by Censuswide, with 8,077 consumers split evenly across the United Kingdom, United States, Singapore and Mexico. The fieldwork took place between March 25 and April 2, 2024. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct which is based on the ESOMAR principles and are members of The British Polling Council.

About Jumio

Jumio helps organizations to know and trust their customers online. From account opening to ongoing monitoring, the Jumio platform provides advanced identity verification, risk signals and compliance solutions that help you accurately establish, maintain and reassert trust.

Leveraging powerful technology including automation, biometrics, AI/machine learning, liveness detection and no-code orchestration with hundreds of data sources, Jumio helps you fight fraud and financial crime, onboard good customers faster and meet regulatory compliance including KYC and AML. Jumio has processed more than 1 billion transactions spanning over 200 countries and territories from real-time web and mobile transactions.

Based in Sunnyvale, Jumio operates globally with offices and representation in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East and has been the recipient of numerous awards for innovation. Jumio is backed by Centana Growth Partners, Great Hill Partners and Millennium Technology Value Partners.

For more information, please visit www.jumio.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240514516199/en/

Contacts:

U.S. Media Contact

Allison Knight

10Fold Communications

jumio@10fold.com

806-570-9819

Europe Media Contact

Harriet King

FleishmanHillard UK

harriet.king@fleishman.com

+44 7765673794

APAC Media Contact

Luke Nazir

FINN Partners

Luke.Nazir@finnpartners.com

+65 8139 2504
SAN FRANCISCO, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sojern , the leading digital marketing platform built for travel, today announces its suite of Guest Experience Solutions are now available in Europe. The launch will kick off in Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom and Ireland, with France and Portugal to follow. In 2023, Sojern acquired VenueLytics , hospitality's most integrated guest experience platform, and incorporated VenueLytics' capabilities as an extension of the Sojern Travel Marketing Platform, known as Guest Experience Solutions (GES).

In North America, Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) spoke highly of the increased guest satisfaction and new restaurant revenue since incorporating GES. "Sojern has significantly boosted guest satisfaction at our property. Our team gains access to real-time data that assists in delivering a seamless customer experience. Additionally, the platform acts as an added revenue stream for our restaurant," said Dhiren Masters, North Texas Regional Director, AAHOA.

Building off the initial launch, Sojern is also expanding its Guest Experience Solutions in Europe including working with GetYourGuide , a leading platform for travelers to discover and book experiences such as walking tours, local cooking classes, skip-the-line tickets and more across 10,000 cities. GetYourGuide Chief Marketing Officer Emil Martinsek said, "At GetYourGuide, our data shows a clear mindset shift. Not only are consumers finding and booking tours and activities earlier in their travel planning, they're doing this increasingly digitally. We are focused on developing and leveraging technologies that help travelers easily discover and book experiences worth traveling for."

Guests Want Personalized Experiences-and Hoteliers Must Deliver

Today's guests are seeking personalized experiences, and they're drawn to brands that deliver exactly that. According to a recent survey , only 65% of guests believe that a hotel "knew" them and 62% believe that a hotel truly heard them. What's more, only 60% of guests were satisfied with a hotel's proactive communication, and just 65% were content with its ability to provide personalized experiences. Guest Experience Solutions automate guest communications while giving hoteliers a pulse on customer sentiment, freeing up staff to deliver the special touches that make a hotel stand out from the crowd.

Elevating the Traveler Experience

Since 2007, Sojern has given hoteliers the tools to drive direct bookings, build loyal relationships with guests, and maximize revenue. With the addition of GES, hotel marketers can now engage with travelers before, during and after their stay to optimize net revenue per room (RevPAR). Sojern's Guest Experience Solutions gives hoteliers access to automated tools in a flexible model that fits their business needs.

Sojern's Guest Experience Solutions include:

AI Smart Concierge: AI Smart Concierge automates more than 500 responses to common guest questions via SMS, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Website Chatbot, enabling staff to prioritize face-to-face interactions while gathering valuable data on guest wants and needs. AI Smart Concierge has driven up to a 600% increase in guest engagement, a 65% decrease in front desk calls, and a 56% reduction in brand quality audits.





AI Smart Concierge automates more than 500 responses to common guest questions via SMS, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Website Chatbot, enabling staff to prioritize face-to-face interactions while gathering valuable data on guest wants and needs. AI Smart Concierge has a 600% increase in guest engagement, a 65% decrease in front desk calls, and a 56% reduction in brand quality audits. Reputation Manager: Sojern's data shows that every negative review can cost a hotel anywhere from $1,000-5,000 in revenue and loss in the lifetime value of the customer. Reputation Manager empowers hoteliers to efficiently gather and manage feedback. Generative AI instantly drafts responses for both in-stay and online customer reviews and streamlines the escalation of real-time issues to the relevant staff members or managers. With Reputation Manager, Sojern customers have increased their Net Promoter Scores by 35% on average over three months.





Sojern's data shows that every negative review can cost a hotel anywhere from $1,000-5,000 in revenue and loss in the lifetime value of the customer. Reputation Manager empowers hoteliers to efficiently gather and manage feedback. Generative AI instantly drafts responses for both in-stay and online customer reviews and streamlines the escalation of real-time issues to the relevant staff members or managers. With Reputation Manager, Sojern customers have increased their Net Promoter Scores by 35% on average over three months. Guest Marketing Suite: Hoteliers can cultivate genuine guest relationships by effectively using email, SMS, WhatsApp and chat features to engage with guests throughout the entire customer journey. Through consistent and tailored communication, they can boost direct bookings, ancillary revenue, and foster long-term loyalty.Some Sojern customers have generated more than $5,000 per day from email marketing campaigns using the Guest Marketing Suite.

"In a short-staffed market, the increasing expectation for customized experiences throughout the entire customer journey is placing unprecedented pressure on hotels. We are excited to introduce our Guest Experience Solutions in Europe to empower hoteliers beyond the booking, expanding our offerings to be an end-to-end marketing platform. Sojern's cutting-edge Travel Marketing Platform enables consistent engagement throughout the guest journey thanks to state-of-the-art technology," said Celine Chaussegros, Vice President of Property at Sojern. "We are dedicated to delivering innovative solutions for the travel sector by harnessing data, AI, and technology to achieve impactful outcomes. Through our Guest Experience Solutions, we analyze, unify, and act on data from diverse hotel management and marketing systems, enabling Sojern to strengthen our connections within the hospitality industry."

Sojern's Guest Experience Solutions equip hotel marketers with the tools to enhance their entire marketing funnel. Recently, Sojern introduced The Hotel Marketer's Playbook: A Guide to Navigating the Marketing Funnel to help hotel marketers leverage a full-funnel marketing approach and create a unified strategy. To download a copy click here .

For more information about Sojern's Guest Experience Solutions, click here .

About Sojern

Sojern is a leading travel marketing platform designed to boost growth and profitability for the travel industry. The Sojern Travel Marketing Platform is a set of easy-to-use software and services that delivers unrivaled traveler insight, intelligent audiences, multichannel activation and optimization, and a connected guest experience-all in one place. More than 10,000 travel marketers rely on our platform annually to find, attract, convert and engage travelers. Founded in 2007, Sojern is headquartered in San Francisco, California with teams in the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/sojern-expands-its-guest-experience-solutions-to-europe-302144396.html
Turin, 14th May 2024. Innovation, financial discipline, partnership and sustainability: these are the pillars at the base of Iveco Group's (EXM: IVG) recently updated Strategic Business Plan. The Group believes that long-term success is achieved by pairing innovation with resource efficiency, and financial prosperity with ESG performance. This implies conducting its business in an economically sound, environmentally friendly and socially beneficial manner in accordance with its Purpose "to advance a more sustainable society".

Evidence of this commitment was seen in 2023 when Iveco Group launched a company-wide initiative called the Sustainability & Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Week. The initiative is being held again this year, from 13th to 17th May, and the more than 36,000 employees around the world have been invited to participate in the full schedule of global and local activities. Virtual live stream events hosted by senior leaders and daily seminars will explore the Group's four sustainability priorities: carbon footprint, workplace and product safety, life cycle thinking, inclusion and engagement.

The Sustainability & DEI Week is also an opportunity to highlight the sustainability targets reached and some of the ambitious new targets the Group has set, as outlined in the 2023 Iveco Group Sustainability Report:

100% of total electricity consumption will come from renewable sources by 2026 instead of by 2030.

75% of industrial water will be recycled at company plants worldwide by 2026.

30% of office positions to be held by women by 2028, a new target for gender parity.

Gender pay equity will be maintained across the organisation and be certified by 2026.

Further, paying particular attention to DEI, throughout the Week the Group will focus on key initiatives underway that promote employee engagement, reduce biases, foster gender equity, address mental, emotional and psychological wellbeing, and ensure health and safety in the workplace.

Another major element of the Week is the "Volunteering Days". Local teams are partnering with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) to coordinate projects in support of the communities where Iveco Group operates and other activities involving employees. More than 1,300 colleagues will be engaged in 17 locations throughout Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Thailand.

On the occasion of the Sustainability & DEI Week, a compendium of the Group's sustainability priorities, targets and actions, together with the results achieved over the past year, has just been released and is now available on the corporate website: Sustainability Essentials | Iveco Group.

Michele Ziosi, Chief Public Affairs & Sustainability Officer, Iveco Group, said: "We at Iveco Group are on a journey to advancing a more sustainable society. The efforts we embed in business operations and daily activities have led to reaching the Sustainability targets we had set out, and to defining even more ambitious targets for the years ahead. In addition to that, we are also proud to have tangibly demonstrated our commitment to making a positive impact in the communities where we operate and all around the world."

Iveco Group N.V.

Media Contacts:

Francesco Polsinelli, Tel: +39 335 1776091

Fabio Lepore, Tel: +39 335 7469007

E-mail: mediarelations@ivecogroup.com

Attachments
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / Faraday Copper Corp. ("Faraday" or the "Company") (TSX:FDY)(OTCQX:CPPKF) is pleased to announce the results of five drill holes from its Phase III program at the Copper Creek Project, located in Arizona, U.S. ("Copper Creek"). One hole was drilled to test a new target area 275 metres ("m") west of Keel and one hole was drilled to test the westward extension of Old Reliable. Three holes were drilled at Area 51 as a follow-up to the recent Starship and Eclipse breccia discoveries (announced on January 16, 2024 and March 4, 2024).

Paul Harbidge, President and CEO, commented "The Phase III drill program continues to demonstrate the exploration potential of the Copper Creek Project on a number of fronts. At Area 51, we continue to intersect and expand near-surface mineralization. At Old Reliable, mineralization is being further delineated outside of the mineral resource pit shell. Additionally, the first reconnaissance hole drilled at depth, west of Keel, confirms our thesis that there is the potential for significant mineralization to be discovered below the Old Reliable breccia complex. This new data will enable us to vector to high grade zones for further drill testing".

Highlights

At Area 51, intersected 42.05 m at 0.41% copper from 48.55 m in drill hole FCD-24-056 at the recently discovered Eclipse breccia. This hole expands the known mineralization within the Eclipse breccia approximately 20 m to the east and 50 m to the north from previous intercepts .

from 48.55 m in drill hole FCD-24-056 at the recently discovered Eclipse breccia. Drilling 275 m west of Keel ("Keel West") intersected 51.45 m at 0.50% copper and 1.39 grams per tonne ("g/t") silver from 820.62 m in drill hole FCD-24-053. This intercept is within a longer intercept of 186.90 m at 0.32% copper from 820.62 m. This hole is in a previously undrilled area outside the Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE") and confirms that mineralization is open to the west of Keel and below the Old Reliable breccia.

and 1.39 grams per tonne ("g/t") silver from 820.62 m in drill hole FCD-24-053. This intercept is within a longer intercept of 186.90 m at 0.32% copper from 820.62 m. Step-out to the west of Old Reliable intersected 70.35 m of 0.29% copper and 1.31 g/t silver from 55.53 m in drill hole FCD-24-054. Mineralization is hosted in granodiorite porphyry and confirms that near-surface mineralization at Old Reliable remains open.

and 1.31 g/t silver from 55.53 m in drill hole FCD-24-054.

(For true width information see Table 1.)

Area 51 was identified as highly prospective by integrating airborne versatile time domain electromagnetic (VTEM) geophysical data and short wave infrared spectral data together with geological mapping and sampling. Area 51 encompasses a porphyry intrusion with nine mapped breccia bodies over an area of approximately 400 m by 400 m, including Starship and Eclipse. The breccias are interpreted to have been emplaced at a shallow crustal level in the hanging wall of the northwest trending Holy Joe thrust fault, which brought Proterozoic metamorphic rocks in contact with younger sedimentary rock units to the east of Area 51. This fault is also thought to have controlled the emplacement of the Paleocene Glory Hole volcanics and Copper Creek granodiorite which host the mineral resource.

Drill hole FCD-24-056 was collared northeast of the Eclipse breccia and drilled to the southwest to increase drill coverage for the Eclipse breccia (Figures 1 and 2). Mineralization is associated with chalcopyrite and minor bornite breccia cement. The hole started in granodiorite porphyry and intersected hydrothermal breccia from 28 m to 108 m followed by granodiorite porphyry to 131 m. The remainder of the hole to 187 m is in Glory Hole volcanics. The alteration in the breccia domain is quartz-sericite-pyrite with an interval from approximately 50 m to 70 m where tourmaline is abundant.

Drill hole FCD-24-051 was collared 250 m north of the Eclipse breccia and drilled to the southwest into the Ziltoid breccia (Figure 1). The hole intersected Glory Hole volcanics in the first 180 m, followed by 4 m of granodiorite porphyry. From 184 m to 247 m the dominant lithology is hydrothermal breccia. Alteration at the start of the breccia is sericitic but K-feldspar and biotite dominate from 190 m to the end of the hole.

Drill hole FCD-24-055 was collared southeast of the Eclipse breccia and drilled to the Northwest (Figure 1). The hole intercepted Glory Hole volcanics from surface to 49 m, followed by a series of granodiorite and monzogranite porphyries. From 136 m to 327 m the hole intersected hydrothermal breccia cemented by quartz, pyrite and specular hematite. Alteration within the breccia is intense quartz-sericite. Minor copper mineralization is associated with chalcocite near the upper contact of the breccia.

Keel West is the area between the Keel zone and Old Reliable. This area coincides with a prominent untested geophysical anomaly which extends westward from the known mineralization at the Mammoth breccia and Keel zone to below Old Reliable (Figure 3).

Drill hole FCD-24-053 was collared east of Old Reliable and drilled to the south-southeast (Figures 1 and 3). Mineralization is associated with bornite and chalcopyrite bearing veins with narrow sericite-biotite-K-feldspar alteration halos and the hole ends in mineralization. This type of bornite-rich, vein-hosted mineralization is known to be associated with high-grade mineralization and elevated gold grades at Keel and suggests the potential for other high-grade mineralized centers at depth below known near-surface mineralized breccias in the area.

Old Reliable was the site of small-scale underground mining for copper and molybdenum prior to World War II. Starting in the 1970s, an experimental in-situ leach operation recovered some of the near-surface copper oxide mineralization. The sulphide-hosted mineralization remains in place. During the 1990s, densely spaced vertical drilling led to resource definition to approximately 200 m below surface. Several of those drill holes end in mineralization and the resource is open at depth and laterally. Additional follow up drilling is planned for this area.

Drill hole FCD-24-054 was collared north of Old Reliable and drilled to the southwest (Figures 1 and 4). The hole was designed to test the westward extension of the mineralization outside of the open pit used to constrain the MRE. Mineralization is associated with disseminated and vein-hosted chalcopyrite within granodiorite porphyry. The drill hole intercepted Glory Hole volcanics from surface to 50 m and granodiorite porphyry to 208 m, returning to Glory Hole volcanics to 295 m and granodiorite for the last 12 m. Dominant alteration associated with the mineralization is sericite with kaolinite. Similar alteration is present in the Old Reliable breccia (as discussed in a news release dated April 10, 2024).

Figure 1: Plan View Showing Surface Geology and Location of Drill Holes

Figure 2: Cross Section Showing Drill Hole FCD-24-048 at Area 51

Figure 3: Isometric View Showing Drill Hole FCD-24-053 at Keel West

Note: The open pit shells and underground footprint are based on constraints used in the MRE as presented in the report titled "Copper Creek Project NI 43-101 Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment" with an effective date of May 3, 2023 (the "Technical Report") available on the Company's website at www.faradaycopper.com and on the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

Figure 4: Cross Section Showing Drill Hole FCD-24-054 at Old Reliable

Note: The open pit shell is based on constraints used in the MRE as presented in the Technical Report available on the Company's website at www.faradaycopper.com and on the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

Table 1: Selected Drill Results from Copper Creek

Drill Hole ID From To Length True Width Cu Au Ag Mo (m) (m) (m) (m) (%) (g/t) (g/t) (%) FCD-24-053 820.62 1,007.52 186.90 186 0.32 0.02 0.99 0.0064 including 820.62 872.07 51.45 51 0.50 0.01 1.39 0.0071 FCD-24-054 55.53 125.88 70.35 70 0.29 N/A 1.31 0.0002 including 65.84 77.74 11.90 11 0.53 N/A 2.56 0.0001 FCD-24-056 48.55 90.60 42.05 28 0.41 0.02 1.19 0.0003 FCD-24-051 No significant intercepts FCD-24-055 No significant intercepts

Note: All intercepts are reported as downhole drill widths. Mineralization includes bulk porphyry style and breccia mineralization true widths are approximate due to the irregular shape of mineralized domains. N/A: Not analyzed.

Table 2: Collar Locations from the Drill Holes Reported Herein

Drill Hole ID Easting Northing Elevation Azimuth Dip Target Depth Depth (m) () () (ft) (m) FCD-24-053 547894 3624015 1169 155 55 Keel W 3,070.9 1,007.52 FCD-24-054 547784 3624164 1218 228 46 Old Reliable 936.5 307.24 FCD-24-056 549747 3622351 1384 205 48 Eclipse 568.8 186.63 FCD-24-051 549560 3622527 1324 197 45 Ziltoid 752.5 246.89 FCD-24-055 549765 3622252 1391 305 65 Eclipse 1,118.9 367.10

Note: Coordinates are given as World Geodetic System 84, Universal Transverse Mercator Zone 12 north (WGS84, UTM12N).

Next Steps

Phase III drilling continues and is focussed on three objectives:

Reconnaissance drilling on new targets;

Expanding the MRE; and

Better delineating high-grade mineralized zones.

As part of the Phase III program, twenty-seven drill holes have been completed and results for nineteen have been released. Thirteen holes were drilled in Area 51, three in the Copper Prince-Copper Giant area, eight in the Bald-American Eagle area and three near Old Reliable. Current focus of drilling is on the near-surface breccias in the American Eagle area.

Sampling Methodology, Chain of Custody, Quality Control and Quality Assurance

All sampling was conducted under the supervision of the Company's geologists and the chain of custody from Copper Creek to the independent sample preparation facility, ALS Laboratories in Tucson, AZ, was continuously monitored. The samples were taken as  core, over 2 m core length. Samples were crushed, pulverized and sample pulps were analyzed using industry standard analytical methods including a 4-Acid ICP-MS multielement package and an ICP-AES method for high-grade copper samples. Gold was analyzed on a 30 g aliquot by fire assay with an ICP-AES finish. A certified reference sample was inserted every 20th sample. Coarse and fine blanks were inserted every 20th sample. Approximately 5% of the core samples were cut into  core and submitted as field duplicates. On top of internal QA-QC protocol, additional blanks, reference materials and duplicates were inserted by the analytical laboratory according to their procedure. Data verification of the analytical results included a statistical analysis of the standards and blanks that must pass certain parameters for acceptance to ensure accurate and verifiable results.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Faraday's VP Exploration, Dr. Thomas Bissig, P. Geo., who is a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101").

About Faraday Copper

Faraday Copper is a Canadian exploration company focused on advancing its flagship copper project in Arizona, U.S. The Copper Creek Project is one of the largest undeveloped copper projects in North America with significant district scale exploration potential. The Company is well-funded to deliver on its key milestones and benefits from a management team and board of directors with senior mining company experience and expertise. Faraday trades on the TSX under the symbol "FDY".

For additional information please contact:

Stacey Pavlova, CFA

Vice President, Investor Relations & Communications

Faraday Copper Corp.

E-mail: info@faradaycopper.com

Website: www.faradaycopper.com

To receive news releases by e-mail, please register using the Faraday website at www.faradaycopper.com.

Cautionary Note on Forward Looking Statements

Some of the statements in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are "forward-looking statements" and are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and are necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Faraday to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements and forward-looking information specifically include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the exploration potential of the Copper Creek property.

Although Faraday believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements should not be in any way construed as guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include without limitation: market prices for metals; the conclusions of detailed feasibility and technical analyses; lower than expected grades and quantities of mineral resources; receipt of regulatory approval; receipt of shareholder approval; mining rates and recovery rates; significant capital requirements; price volatility in the spot and forward markets for commodities; fluctuations in rates of exchange; taxation; controls, regulations and political or economic developments in the countries in which Faraday does or may carry on business; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, competition; loss of key employees; rising costs of labour, supplies, fuel and equipment; actual results of current exploration or reclamation activities; accidents; labour disputes; defective title to mineral claims or property or contests over claims to mineral properties; unexpected delays and costs inherent to consulting and accommodating rights of Indigenous peoples and other groups; risks, uncertainties and unanticipated delays associated with obtaining and maintaining necessary licenses, permits and authorizations and complying with permitting requirements, including those associated with the Copper Creek property; and uncertainties with respect to any future acquisitions by Faraday. In addition, there are risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining, including environmental events and hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations, pressures, cave-ins, flooding and the risk of inadequate insurance or inability to obtain insurance to cover these risks as well as "Risk Factors" included in Faraday's disclosure documents filed on and available at www.sedarplus.ca.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such an offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction. This press release is not, and under no circumstances is to be construed as, a prospectus, an offering memorandum, an advertisement or a public offering of securities in Faraday in Canada, the United States or any other jurisdiction. No securities commission or similar authority in Canada or in the United States has reviewed or in any way passed upon this press release, and any representation to the contrary is an offence.

SOURCE: Faraday Copper Corp.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Leveraging Infosys Cobalt to deliver industry-leading infrastructure-managed services

BENGALURU, India, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Infosys (NSE: INFY) (BSE: INFY) (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, today announced a multi-year strategic collaboration with First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), the largest bank in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to optimize and modernize FAB's IT infrastructure services.

As part of this collaboration, Infosys will leverage Infosys Cobalt, a set of services, solutions, and platforms for enterprises to accelerate their cloud journey, to deliver industry-leading, infrastructure-managed services, including service desk capabilities, to transform FAB's IT infrastructure. Infosys will help integrate a suite of enterprise tools to drive significant improvements in FAB's service quality, risk reduction, and business outcomes. These include:

Artificial Intelligence- (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)-based automation, providing self-healing and self-help capabilities.

Proactive and prognostic monitoring and observability, improving the resilience of the infrastructure estate.

Blueprint-based environment provisioning, helping to reduce provisioning time exponentially, allowing faster time to market.

Leveraging Infosys Topaz, an AI-first set of services, solutions, and platforms, using generative AI technologies to improve productivity and efficiency.

The collaboration aims to transition to an outcome-oriented, automated-managed services model that delivers high-quality, compliant IT services with increased speed and agility. In the long term, it will also establish a highly scalable and flexible IT infrastructure.

The Middle East is a strategic growth market for Infosys, and this collaboration furthers Infosys' committed focus in the region to enable large enterprises to navigate their cloud-first, digital-first, and AI-first journeys.

Suhail Bin Tarraf, Group Chief Operating Officer, First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), said, "At FAB, we are committed to transforming our IT organization and delivering world-class services that drive tangible business outcomes. After a thorough evaluation, we selected Infosys as our strategic partner due to their proven expertise, innovative solutions, and the strong trust they built at all levels. Infosys' outcome-oriented managed services model coupled with their automation-powered delivery approach will help us significantly improve service quality, compliance, and operational efficiency."

Dennis Gada, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Banking & Financial Services, Infosys, said, "We are delighted to collaborate with First Abu Dhabi Bank to optimize and modernize their IT infrastructure services, by leveraging Infosys Cobalt and Infosys Topaz. FAB recognized the need to transform their IT operating model, and entrusted Infosys with their IT infrastructure, enabling their digital journey to proceed faster and with more resilience on the backend. By leveraging our global expertise and investments in AI, cloud and infra, Infosys will also enable FAB to transition to an outcome-oriented, automation-driven execution model and help position it as a digital leader in the financial services industry."

About First Abu Dhabi Bank:

Headquartered in Abu Dhabi with a strategic global footprint across 20 markets, FAB is the finance and trade gateway to the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA). With total assets of AED 1.2 trillion (USD 323 billion), FAB is among the top 50 banks globally by market capitalisation and one of the world's largest banking groups. The bank provides financial expertise to its wholesale and retail client franchise across four business units: Investment Banking, Corporate and Commercial Banking, Consumer Banking, and Global Private Banking. FAB is listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and rated Aa3/AA-/AA- by Moody's, S&P and Fitch, respectively, with a stable outlook. On sustainability, FAB holds an MSCI rating of 'A', also ranked among the top 10% of banks globally by Refinitiv's ESG Scores and the best performer in the MENA region.

For further information, visit: www.bankfab.com

About Infosys

Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. Over 300,000 of our people work to amplify human potential and create the next opportunity for people, businesses and communities. We enable clients in more than 56 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over four decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer clients, as they navigate their digital transformation powered by cloud and AI. We enable them with an AI-first core, empower the business with agile digital at scale and drive continuous improvement with always-on learning through the transfer of digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem. We are deeply committed to being a well-governed, environmentally sustainable organization where diverse talent thrives in an inclusive workplace.

Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NSE, BSE, NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next.

Safe Harbor

Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects, or our future financial or operating performance, are forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding the execution of our business strategy, our ability to attract and retain personnel, our transition to hybrid work model, economic uncertainties, technological innovations such as Generative AI, the complex and evolving regulatory landscape including immigration regulation changes, our ESG vision, our capital allocation policy and expectations concerning our market position, future operations, margins, profitability, liquidity, capital resources, our corporate actions including acquisitions, and cybersecurity matters. Important factors that may cause actual results or outcomes to differ from those implied by the forward-looking statements are discussed in more detail in our US Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company unless it is required by law.

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Leading Healthcare Commercial Banks Provide Capital to Fuel Growth

SOUTHLAKE, TX / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / Allied OMS, the first and only doctor-led and governed management services organization (MSO) for top-tier oral and maxillofacial surgery practices, announced today that it has closed on a $116 million credit facility from four leading banks in the healthcare sector.

KeyBanc Capital Markets served as left lead arranger for the syndicate, which includes BankUnited, N.A., Umpqua Bank, and First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company.

The capital commitment is Allied OMS's first round of outside financing. It will fund the MSO's next phase of growth, specifically partnering with future OMS practices, building de novos and satellite offices to further support its doctors, and recruiting world-class practitioners into existing practices across the U.S. in keeping with the platform's high standards of quality and safety and commitment to furthering innovation and advancements in the specialty.

"Access to credit continues to be a challenge in the current market. We created this new facility with our commercial lenders to provide capital for our current and future shareholders at rates significantly lower than what traditional private equity-backed groups have been able to obtain," said Dan Hosler, Co-Founder and CEO, Allied OMS and Managing Partner, DuneGlass Capital. "We have taught our doctors about the differences in capital structures, what those mean for them as shareholders, and how to deploy the resources to deliver outstanding patient outcomes for decades to come."

Ryan Stilphen, Managing Director, KeyBanc Capital Markets Syndicated and Leveraged Finance, led the facility raise and noted, "Allied OMS's doctor-owned structure was especially appealing, given the strong alignment of interests, recession-resilient industry, and engaged, dedicated shareholders on the platform."

According to Hosler, the funding reflects the platform's solid track record and delivers on Allied's founding principles - better alignment of interests, better transparency into the MSO and private equity business models, and better economics for doctors - woven into every facet of the business. "Our success is a direct result of DuneGlass Capital's Doctor EquityTM model - specifically designed to make doctors more informed shareholders and to align the interests of all stakeholders - patients, doctors and staff, investors, and lenders."

Court Houseworth, Managing Director, Cain Brothers, a division of KeyBanc Capital Markets, added, "Allied OMS continues to redefine the structure of a traditional PE-backed MSO. Their commitment to ensuring shareholder alignment was a significant factor in the market appetite for this opportunity and makes them a highly desirable partner for future investment."

Miller Johnson provided legal counsel to Allied OMS, while Harris Williams served as Allied OMS's financial advisor in this transaction.



About Allied OMS

Allied OMS is a doctor-owned, doctor-led, and doctor-governed management services organization (MSO) in the oral and maxillofacial surgery space that combines the best of private practice with the best of private equity.

Leveraging decades of experience building platform businesses in the healthcare industry and collectively owned by member surgeons, private equity, and management consulting veterans, Allied OMS offers essential tools for maximizing practice value.

Grounded in clinical excellence, doctors in the Allied OMS network maintain essential roles in management, governance, and clinical practice and participate directly in the platform's growth. Seventy-five percent of the Allied OMS board of directors are doctor members, and Allied OMS doctors lead 100% of the platform's management committees.

Founded in 2020 in partnership with DuneGlass Capital, a healthcare services-focused independent sponsor, the Allied OMS network now includes 60 doctors serving patients from 39 locations in California, Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. For more information, please contact partner@alliedoms.com or visit alliedOMS.com.

About DuneGlass Capital

DuneGlass Capital was founded in 2018 to help independent healthcare practices realize their full potential. With expertise in multi-unit operations, private equity deal structuring, and healthcare business strategy, the founders of DuneGlass Capital have created a repeatable process for value creation so that doctors and entrepreneurs across medical and dental specialties can turn private equity into Doctor Equity.

Having grown up in families steeped in medicine and dentistry, DuneGlass Capital executives understand the difficulties of private practice and how important it is to mentor their clinical shareholders about private equity to maximize the intrinsic value of their practices. Email partner@duneglasscapital.com or visit duneglasscapital.com to learn more.

About Cain Brothers and KeyBanc Capital Markets

Cain Brothers, a division of KeyBanc Capital Markets, is a pre-eminent healthcare investment bank providing innovative solutions in mergers & acquisitions, debt, and equity financing, and strategic and financial advisory to healthcare services, health tech, medical technology, and life sciences clients.

KeyBanc Capital Markets is a leading corporate and investment bank providing capital markets and advisory solutions to dynamic companies capitalizing on opportunities in changing industries. Our deep industry expertise, broad capabilities and unique ideas are seamlessly delivered to companies across the Consumer & Retail, Diversified Industries, Healthcare, Industrial, Oil & Gas, Real Estate, Utilities, Power & Renewables, and Technology verticals. With over 800 professionals across a national platform, KeyBanc Capital Markets has more than $50 billion of capital committed to clients and an award-winning Equity Research team that provides coverage on over 500 publicly traded companies. Securities products and services are offered by KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., member FINRA/SIPC, and its licensed securities representatives, who may also be employees of KeyBank N.A. Banking products and services, are offered by KeyBank N.A.

Media Contacts

Sara Tumen Weinberg

Vice President, Marketing and Communications

Allied OMS

847.682.0802

sweinberg@alliedoms.com

www.alliedoms.com

Sandra Galvin

Media Relations

Galvin Ink LLC

646.421.9403

sandra.galvin@galvinink.com

SOURCE: Allied OMS

View the original press release on accesswire.com
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Aztec Group, a leading international fund and corporate services provider, has today announced the launch of its Alternative Investment Fund Manager (AIFM) service in Luxembourg.

LUXEMBOURG, May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The strategic offering consists of a broad range of services required by alternative investment managers seeking to establish and manage European alternative investment funds, including marketing, compliance, risk management, regulatory reporting and portfolio management.



Partnering with a third-party specialist removes the need for promoters to set-up their own regulated manager and can provide a more efficient and streamlined route to EU capital.

The addition of AIFM services significantly strengthens Aztec's proposition. Delivered as part of a wider award-winning offering comprising fund and corporate services, depositary services and an array of tax and regulatory services, it means the Group is now able to act as the single outsourcing partner for alternative investment managers of European funds.

Paul Conroy, Aztec Group Head of AIFM Services, said: "The set-up and ongoing operations of a regulated AIFM can be both complex and expensive. For this reason, we're seeing more and more investment managers take the third-party AIFM route to market, leveraging the local presence and specialist expertise of an outsourcing partner.

"The introduction of our AIFM service marks a pivotal expansion of our offering, enabling us to take care of our clients' full suite of operational and regulatory requirements and deliver the continuity and convenience that comes with working with a single trusted partner. Clients will now benefit from our best-in-class technology, award-winning service and specialist alternatives expertise across their entire fundraising and management journey."

Aztec Group, Europe's largest independent alternative fund administrator, services over 600 billion in assets across key jurisdictions in the Channel Islands, Luxembourg, Ireland, the United States and the United Kingdom. The Group specialises in alternative investments, administering more than 450 funds spanning major asset classes such as private equity, venture capital, private credit, real estate, fund of funds and infrastructure.

To find out more about Aztec Group's AIFM services, please visit https://aztec.group/services/aifm-services/

Aztec AIFM Services S.A. is incorporated under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg as an alternative investment fund manager and is authorised by the CSSF.

Notes to Editor

About the Aztec Group

Established in 2001, Aztec Group is an award-winning independent provider of fund and corporate services, employing more than 2,000 people across the UK, U.S., Luxembourg, Ireland and the Channel Islands. The Group specialises in alternative investments, administering more than 600 billion in assets, 450 funds and 4,500 entities for a range of clients, spanning the major asset classes including private equity, venture capital, private credit, real estate and infrastructure.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Calibre Mining Corp. (TSX: CXB; OTCQX: CXBMF) (the "Company" or "Calibre") is pleased to announce that on May 13, 2024, its Valentine Gold Mine ("Valentine") was awarded the 2023 John T. Ryan National Safety Trophy for Select Mines by The Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM"). This award reflects an outstanding safety performance in the 2023 calendar year with a reportable injury rate of zero and ongoing contributions to improving the mining industry's safety record. Calibre shares this award with Mosaic Potash Belle Plaine Operations and North American Construction Group, Syncrude Aurora Mine site.



Darren Hall, President and Chief Executive Officer of Calibre, stated: "I am very proud of the Valentine Team for their outstanding safety performance, and they have now been recognized by the CIM by being awarded the prestigious John T. Ryan National Safety Award. Well done! Achieving zero injuries requires a comprehensive approach that encompasses stringent safety protocols, training programs and constant vigilance. As a core value, Calibre fosters the culture of health and safety among workers through communication, empowerment and the understanding that safe practices play a pivotal role in preventing accidents. Calibre shares a unified vision of responsibility toward safe and responsible mining practices, safeguarding the lives of all personnel."

About Calibre

Calibre is a Canadian-listed, Americas focused, growing mid-tier gold producer with a strong pipeline of development and exploration opportunities across Newfoundland & Labrador in Canada, Nevada and Washington in the USA, and Nicaragua. Calibre is focused on delivering sustainable value for shareholders, local communities and all stakeholders through responsible operations and a disciplined approach to growth. With a strong balance sheet, a proven management team, strong operating cash flow, accretive development projects and district-scale exploration opportunities Calibre will unlock significant value.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Darren Hall"

Darren Hall, President & Chief Executive Officer

For further information, please contact:

Ryan King

SVP Corporate Development & IR

T: 604.628.1012

E: calibre@calibremining.com

W: www.calibremining.com (http://www.calibremining.com)

Calibre's head office is located at Suite 1560, 200 Burrard St., Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 3L6.

X (https://twitter.com/CalibreMiningCo) / Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/CalibreMining) / LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/calibre-mining-corp-cxb-/?originalSubdomain=ca) / YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@calibreminingcorp)

The Toronto Stock Exchange has neither reviewed nor accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.


Mr Arifin Kwek, Chief Executive Officer of AsiaMedic Limited and Ms Sarena Cheah, Executive Director of Sunway Berhad [L-R)]

SINGAPORE, May 14, 2024 - (ACN Newswire) - SGX Catalist-listed AsiaMedic Limited (the "Company" and together with its subsidiaries, the "Group") announced that the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, AMC Healthcare Pte. Ltd ("AMC"), has entered into a shareholders' agreement with Sunway Equity Holdings Pte. Ltd. ("SEH") to set up and operate a new medical diagnostics imaging centre in Novena, Singapore.AMC and SEH will establish AsiaMedic Sunway Pte. Ltd. to operate the new centre in Novena, which will provide a comprehensive range of general imaging as well as sub-specialised fields of radiology imaging such as computed tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans using the latest equipment.Mr Arifin Kwek, Chief Executive Officer of AsiaMedic Limited, said, "The partnership with Sunway presents an opportunity for expansion of the Group's diagnostic imaging business into Novena, which is a significant healthcare and medical services hub in Singapore. This will greatly complement the Group's existing integrated medical centre at Orchard Road and enable us to serve more patients with greater convenience."The new diagnostic imaging centre will offer the same cutting-edge imaging services as the Group's flagship centre at Orchard Road, which significantly expanded its capacity in September 2023 by being the first in Asia Pacific to operate the SIGNA Hero 3T MRI scanner. Once completed, the new centre in Novena will nearly double the Group's diagnostic imaging capacity.In FY2023, diagnostic imaging and radiology services revenue increased by 72% and contributed nearly 50% of Group revenue. Demand for the Group's services remained strong across the entire spectrum of healthcare providers with an increase in referrals from clinics and hospitals.Ms Sarena Cheah, Executive Director of Sunway Berhad, said, "We are confident in the long-term prospects of our partnership as AsiaMedic has a trusted track record and aptitude in providing tailored offerings to its patients. In addition, the new diagnostic imaging centre's strategic location and close proximity to other healthcare providers will position us as the preferred choice for patients. This partnership will offer strategic benefits to Sunway and enhance our existing healthcare ecosystem."SEH is wholly-owned by Sunway City Sdn Bhd which in turn is wholly-owned by Sunway Berhad, one of Southeast Asia's most prominent conglomerates and one of the leading private healthcare groups in Malaysia.AsiaMedic continues to invest in the latest technology to enhance the patient experience and maintain its position as a preferred provider of diagnostic imaging radiology services. In March 2024, the Group became the first in Singapore to install the latest Revolution Apex Elite CT scanner. The Group will also continue to explore potential opportunities for further expansion and long-term growth.This press release should be read in conjunction with the announcement uploaded on SGXNet.For media and analysts' queries, please contact:Waterbrooks ConsultantsWayne KooT: (65) 9338 8166E: wayne.koo@waterbrooks.com.sgAbout AsiaMedic LimitedAsiaMedic Limited together with its subsidiaries ("AsiaMedic" or the "Group") is a leading healthcare provider in Singapore which provides holistic solutions through integrated application of the latest medical technologies to prevent and detect early illnesses to achieve positive experiences and clinical outcomes for patients.The Group is committed to helping clients through practical and personalised solutions delivered with the highest professional standards of service and expertise in a timely, safe and consistent manner. Conveniently located at Orchard Road, AsiaMedic is a preferred one-stop centre for:Diagnostic imaging and radiology servicesMedical wellness and health screening servicesPrimary healthcare servicesMedical aesthetic services and productsFor more information, please visit www.asiamedic.com.sgSource: AsiaMedic LtdCopyright 2024 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 14, 2024) - Ophir Gold Corp. (TSXV: OPHR) (OTCQB: OPHRF) (FSE: 80M) ("Ophir" or the "Company") is pleased to announce plans for its inaugural exploration campaign on the Pilipas Lithium Property (the "Property" or "Project"), located in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay, Quebec. The Project is located proximal to existing hydroelectric power that flanks the Property to the east, an all-season road that crosses the western side of the Property, and is situated in greenstone terrain that is highly prospective for lithium pegmatite.

Shawn Wescott, CEO of the Company comments: "We are extremely excited for the commencement of the inaugural field exploration at Pilipas, which will see the first focused lithium exploration program on the Property to date. Having one of the best geological teams in Quebec and a strong balance sheet, which fully funds both the surface exploration and drill programs in 2024, puts Ophir in an enviable position."

The 2024 surface exploration program at Pilipas is planned to commence on May 20th, following completion of the annual goose harvesting season in James Bay. The program is planned to include three to four weeks of geological prospecting, rock sampling, and mapping, as well as a Property-wide LiDAR and orthophoto survey and interpretation. The total budget for the program is approximatively $500,000. Results from the initial phase of work will be used to prioritize drill targets for subsequent testing later in the field season.

The primary objective of the surface program is to evaluate the numerous high priority targets identified during a historical data compilation and satellite imagery analysis of the Property. Several large (up to 330 m wide) interpreted outcrops, historically described on the SIGEOM database as pegmatite dykes, as well as numerous satellite image derived pegmatite targets were identified (Figure 1). Several of the confirmed or probable pegmatite outcrops are proximal to the newly discovered 175-metre long by 42-metre wide Ninaaskumuwin spodumene pegmatite immediately to the south of the Property (Figure 2).

Management cautions that discoveries on adjacent properties (i.e., Ninaaskumuwin) may not necessarily be indicative to the presence of mineralization on the Pilipas Property.

The documented pegmatite dykes at Pilipas lie within a favorable geological setting for Li-Cs-Ta ("LCT") type mineralization, proximal to greenstone contacts and major structural corridors (Figure 3). Additionally, several historically documented samples contain pathfinder elements that indicate potential for a fertile LCT geological setting. From historical literature, rock samples with anomalous concentrations of Ta (tantalum), Ce (cesium), Nb (niobium) and Sn (tin) geochemistry have been reported on the Property (Figure 2). Additionally, numerous white pegmatite dykes with tourmaline have been historically documented but not sampled (Figure 2). Collectively, the information is strongly suggestive of a fertile LCT environment that has yet to be fully evaluated for its lithium potential.





Figure 1: Pegmatite targets (pink outlines) on the Pilipas Property (red boundary), with examples of zoomed in target outcrops (upper/middle right). The Ninaaskuwumin spodumene pegmatite on Quebec Precious Metals' Elmer East Property (bottom right) is located approximately 1.5km south of the Pilipas Property boundary.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6338/208985_0002bf96b488c918_001full.jpg





Figure 2: Pegmatite outcrops listed on SIGEOM and select historical samples displaying elevated tantalum and niobium mineralization.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6338/208985_0002bf96b488c918_002full.jpg





Figure 3: Regional geology, two regional dextral-normal faults: Saganash and Munischiwan and at least two stages of folding may provide favourable zones of dilation for pegmatite emplacement.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6338/208985_0002bf96b488c918_003full.jpg

In addition to the surface program, the Company has retained PHB Inc. to complete a LiDAR and orthophoto survey over the entire Property in early June. The LiDAR data, coupled with results from geological mapping and rock sampling over the Property, will be used to guide the next stage of exploration including additional surface exploration and drill hole planning. Permitting is underway for anticipated drill program later in the summer following completion of surface work.

Management cautions that discoveries on adjacent properties (i.e., Ninaaskumuwin which is noted on Figure 2) may not necessarily be indicative to the presence of mineralization on the Pilipas Property. The Company considers the Pilipas Property to host significant potential for spodumene pegmatite due to its favorable greenstone geological setting, regional faulting, sheer zones and hinge fold, as well as anomalous geochemistry and numerous documented occurrences of tourmaline in white pegmatites.

Ophir also announces that, pursuant to its stock option plan, it has granted an aggregate of 200,000 options to purchase common shares in the capital of the Company to certain consultants of the Company, exercisable at a price of $0.15 per share for a period of 5 years from the date of grant.

Qualified Person

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Nathan Schmidt, P. Geo., Senior Geologist for Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd., and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101 on standards of disclosure for mineral projects, who has prepared and reviewed the content of this press release.

The results discussed in this document are historical. An Ophir Gold Corp. qualified person has not performed sufficient work or data verification to validate these results in accordance with NI 43-101. The Company nevertheless believes that they provide an indication of the property's potential and are relevant for any future exploration program.

About the Pilipas Lithium Project

In December 2023, the Company entered into an option agreement with Azimut Exploration Inc (TSXV: AZM) (OTCQX: AZMTF) to earn 70% interest in the Pilipas Property consisting of 135 claims totaling 7,100 ha situated within the La Grande Subprovince (Archean Superior Province). It is primarily underlain by volcano-sedimentary rocks (Greenstone) of the Lower Eastmain Greenstone Belt: conglomerate, sandstone, basalts and felsic to intermediate tuffs. Two regional NW-SE dextral faults transect the southwestern and northeastern parts of the Property.

About the Company

Ophir is a diversified mineral exploration company focused on the exploration and development of the Radis and Pilipas Lithium Properties in James Bay, Quebec, and the past-producing Breccia gold property located in Lemhi County, Idaho.

Ophir holds an option to earn a 100-per-cent interest in the Radis property over a three-year period from Eastmain Resources Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Fury Gold Mines Ltd., an option to earn a 70% interest in the Pilipas property over a three-year period from Azimut Exploration Inc. and an option to earn a 100-per-cent interest in the Breccia property from DG Resource Management Ltd.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

"Shawn Westcott"

Ophir Gold Corp.

For further information, please contact:

Shawn Westcott, CEO

Phone 1 (604) 365 6681

swestcott@ophirgoldcorp.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.

Cautionary Note

The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" (collectively referred to as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable and include statements in this press release related to the exploration and discovery potential of the Property, the details of the planned exploration program on the Property including timeline and planned activities, the objectives of the exploration program, the strong lithium pegmatite exploration potential on the Property, the potential for a fertile LCT environment, the lithium potential of the Property, potential targets on the Property, the Company's future plans with respect to the Property including additional exploration work, permitting of a future drill program and that the Company's balance sheet fully funds both the surface exploration and drill programs in 2024. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risk related to the failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of technical reports, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements 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, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/208985

SOURCE: Ophir Gold Corp.
Additional highlights include:

198.00 meters ("m") of 0.68% Copper Equivalent ("CuEq") 1 (0.56% Copper ("Cu"), 0.12 grams per ton ("gpt") Gold ("Au") and 4.35 gpt Silver ("Ag")) from 10.00 to 208.00m in Hole CC24_016 including, 72.20m of 1.26% CuEq 1 (1.28% Cu, 0.08 gpt Au and 3.16 gpt Ag) 1.60m of 5.72% CuEq 1 (5.30% Cu, 1.95 gpt Au and 11.20 gpt Ag).





in Hole CC24_016 including, 133.20m of 0.64% CuEq 1 (0.42 Cu, 0.46 gpt Au, 2.22 gpt Ag) from 45.85 to 179.05m in Hole CC24_14 including 79.00m of 0.68% CuEq 1 (0.33% Cu, 0.65 gpt Au, 2.70 gpt Ag) and 2.35m of 13.52% CuEq 1 (4.71% Cu, 15.84 gpt Au, 39.26 gpt Ag).





in Hole CC24_14 including 99.45m of 0.68% CuEq 1 (0.54% Cu, 0.27 gpt Au and 3.11 gpt Ag) from 60.00 to 159.45m in Hole CC24_013 including, 44.40m of 1.28% CuEq 1 (1.08% Cu, 0.53 gpt Au and 3.57 gpt Ag) and 3.30m of 5.56% CuEq 1 (5.08% Cu, 1.86 gpt Au and 19.75 gpt Ag).

in Hole CC24_013 including,

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 14, 2024) - Intrepid Metals Corp. (TSXV: INTR) (OTCQB: IMTCF) ("Intrepid" or the "Company") provides results for 5 additional diamond drill holes from the Company's Corral Copper Property ("Corral Copper" or the "Property") located in Cochise County, Arizona. All 5 holes were drilled in the Ringo Zone which is located along the southern margin of a 3-kilometer-long trend of near surface carbonate replacement ("CRD") and related supergene enrichment oxide copper-gold-silver-zinc mineralization. Highlights from these 5 holes are shown in Table 1.

"The Corral Copper Project has once again returned remarkable shallow copper grades and mineralized intercepts at the Ringo Zone," stated Ken Brophy, Chief Execuitve Officer. "The drilling at Ringo is illustrating the Project's gold endowment with broad intercepts of highly continuous, locally high-grade gold mineralization, including 21.3 gpt Au over 1.1m in hole CC24_15 and 15.84 gpt Au over 4.71m in hole CC24_14, which we expect will make a significant contribution to the economic potential of the project."

The Ringo Zone is located at the southern end of a 3-kilometer-long string of copper-gold-silver-zinc bearing carbonate replacement bodies (Figure 1). The Ringo Zone measures approximately 900m (northwest to southeast) by 800m (southwest to northeast) and contains favorable Abrigo Limestone (and Bolsa Formation), pre-mineral intrusions, alteration and copper-gold-silver-zinc replacement style mineralization and secondary enriched copper oxide zones that are locally high-grade. To date, Intrepid has completed 9 holes in the Ringo Zone for a total of 2105m. Highlights from holes CC24-013 through CC24-017 are included in Table 1 below and full results are within Table 2. Hole CC24_16 was prematurely shut down due to drill rods breaking down hole and ended in robust mineralization.

Table 1. Highlight composite drill intercepts for the Ringo Zone1

DRILL HOLE DETAILS ANALYZED GRADE ANALYZED METAL EQUIVALENT1 DILUTED METAL EQUIVALENT1 HOLE FROM TO LENGTH COPPER GOLD SILVER ZINC CUEQ AUEQ CUEQ AUEQ ID (m) (m) (m) (%) (ppm) (ppm) (%) (%) (g/t) (%) (g/t) CC24_013 60.00 159.45 99.45 0.54 0.27 3.11 0.16 0.81 1.12 0.68 0.93 Incl. 85.75 130.15 44.40 1.08 0.53 3.57 0.13 1.54 2.11 1.28 1.76 Incl. 114.15 117.45 3.30 5.08 1.86 19.75 0.11 6.63 9.10 5.56 7.63 CC24_013 193.60 215.50 21.90 0.23 0.47 5.53 0.07 0.64 0.88 0.52 0.72 Incl. 193.60 195.00 1.40 0.11 2.25 8.20 0.00 1.82 2.49 1.46 2.00 CC24_014 45.85 179.05 133.20 0.42 0.46 2.22 0.02 0.78 1.07 0.64 0.88 Incl. 70.00 149.00 79.00 0.33 0.65 2.70 0.03 0.83 1.14 0.68 0.93 And 116.00 149.00 33.00 0.56 1.43 5.38 0.02 1.65 2.26 1.35 1.85 And 126.55 128.90 2.35 4.71 15.84 39.26 0.05 16.61 22.77 13.52 18.54 Incl. 163.25 179.05 15.80 1.27 0.46 3.79 0.02 1.64 2.25 1.38 1.89 And 172.50 178.10 5.60 2.22 0.99 8.23 0.05 3.02 4.15 2.53 3.47 CC24_015 35.90 137.65 101.60 0.31 0.41 4.96 0.25 0.73 1.00 0.60 0.82 Incl. 110.00 137.65 27.65 0.59 1.31 7.53 0.71 1.82 2.50 1.48 2.04 And 116.05 120.00 3.95 2.72 7.47 4.65 0.01 8.21 11.26 6.71 9.20 And 116.05 117.15 1.10 3.44 21.30 9.10 0.01 19.05 26.13 15.41 21.14 CC24_015 201.00 206.35 5.35 0.98 3.78 10.51 0.01 3.83 5.25 3.11 4.27 CC24_016 10.00 208.00 198.00 0.56 0.12 4.35 0.42 0.81 1.11 0.68 0.93 Incl. 60.10 132.30 72.20 1.28 0.08 3.16 0.42 1.49 2.05 1.26 1.73 Incl. 228.90 230.50 1.60 5.30 1.95 11.20 0.00 6.81 9.35 5.72 7.84 CC24_017 46.60 81.30 34.70 0.24 0.04 2.26 0.00 0.30 0.41 0.25 0.34 CC24_017 101.40 101.90 0.50 1.65 0.13 6.50 0.08 1.82 2.49 1.54 2.11

The Corral Copper 2024 Drill Campaign

Intrepid has completed 20 diamond drill holes (~3,900m) as part of a planned 5,000m program within its private lands at Corral Copper. Intrepid is drill testing a 3.5 by 1.5 km copper-gold-silver-zinc mineralized footprint to demonstrate its potential to host economic CRD, skarn, and related porphyry copper mineralization.

Precious and base metal mineralization at Corral Copper is concentrated in structurally controlled northeast dipping siliciclastic and carbonate sedimentary rocks including (oldest to youngest) Cambrian Bolsa Quartzite, upper-Cambrian Abrigo Limestone, Devonian Martin limestone and Mississippian Escabrosa limestone (Figure 1). The most intense mineralization occurs in the Abrigo Limestone (main host) and Bolsa Quartzite, which are intruded locally by a series of Jurassic (and possibly younger) mineralized intrusions including the Star Hill, Copper Bell and Sniveler porphyries, quartz latite sills, and cross-cutting mineralized breccia bodies.

The Corral Copper Property includes the Holliday, Earp and Ringo zones (northwest to southeast, which are related zones of discontinuously outcropping, locally high grade CRD and skarn related mineralization and associated supergene enrichment mineralization that are interpreted to have formed in the distal porphyry copper geological environment). Please refer to footnotes for details regarding assumptions for metal equivalent calculations and true widths.







Figure 1. Geological map showing diamond drill hole locations for the 2024 Drill Program2

Figure 1 includes historical data marked as such by the legend. Please refer to footnotes for additional details.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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Table 2. Composite drill intercepts for Corral Copper Project Holes CC24-013 to CC24-0171

DRILL HOLE DETAILS ANALYZED GRADE ANALYZED METAL EQUIVALENT1 DILUTED METAL EQUIVALENT1 HOLE FROM TO LENGTH COPPER GOLD SILVER ZINC CUEQ AUEQ CUEQ AUEQ ID (m) (m) (m) (%) (ppm) (ppm) (%) (%) (g/t) (%) (g/t) CC24_013 60.00 159.45 99.45 0.54 0.27 3.11 0.16 0.81 1.12 0.68 0.93 Incl. 85.75 130.15 44.40 1.08 0.53 3.57 0.13 1.54 2.11 1.28 1.76 And 85.75 106.40 20.65 1.19 0.62 2.37 0.06 1.69 2.31 1.41 1.93 Incl. 113.05 120.70 7.65 2.51 0.87 11.98 0.46 3.38 4.64 2.83 3.88 And 114.15 117.45 3.30 5.08 1.86 19.75 0.11 6.63 9.10 5.56 7.63 Incl. 124.00 130.15 6.15 0.52 0.48 1.46 0.10 0.91 1.25 0.75 1.03 CC24_013 193.60 215.50 21.90 0.23 0.47 5.53 0.07 0.64 0.88 0.52 0.72 Incl. 193.60 195.00 1.40 0.11 2.25 8.20 0.00 1.82 2.49 1.46 2.00 Incl. 210.50 213.35 2.85 0.20 0.90 2.24 0.08 0.90 1.24 0.73 1.01 CC24_014 45.85 179.05 133.20 0.42 0.46 2.22 0.02 0.78 1.07 0.64 0.88 Incl. 45.85 58.00 12.15 0.74 0.05 0.49 0.00 0.79 1.08 0.67 0.91 Incl. 70.00 149.00 79.00 0.33 0.65 2.70 0.03 0.83 1.14 0.68 0.93 And 116.00 149.00 33.00 0.56 1.43 5.38 0.02 1.65 2.26 1.35 1.85 And 126.55 128.90 2.35 4.71 15.84 39.26 0.05 16.61 22.77 13.52 18.54 Incl. 163.25 179.05 15.80 1.27 0.46 3.79 0.02 1.64 2.25 1.38 1.89 And 172.50 178.10 5.60 2.22 0.99 8.23 0.05 3.02 4.15 2.53 3.47 CC24_015 35.90 137.65 101.75 0.31 0.41 4.96 0.25 0.73 1.00 0.60 0.82 Incl. 35.90 58.00 22.10 0.39 0.05 2.53 0.08 0.47 0.65 0.40 0.55 Incl. 80.00 99.65 19.65 0.24 0.17 10.35 0.14 0.49 0.67 0.40 0.55 Incl. 110.00 137.65 27.65 0.59 1.31 7.53 0.71 1.82 2.50 1.48 2.04 And 116.05 120.00 3.95 2.72 7.47 4.65 0.01 8.21 11.26 6.71 9.20 And 116.05 117.15 1.10 3.44 21.30 9.10 0.01 19.05 26.13 15.41 21.14 CC24_015 181.75 208.20 26.45 0.30 0.87 4.86 0.18 1.02 1.40 0.83 1.14 CC24_015 201.00 206.35 5.35 0.98 3.78 10.51 0.01 3.83 5.25 3.11 4.27 CC24_016 10.00 208.00 198.00 0.56 0.12 4.35 0.42 0.81 1.11 0.68 0.93 Incl. 60.10 132.30 72.20 1.28 0.08 3.16 0.42 1.49 2.05 1.26 1.73 Incl. 178.30 208.00 29.70 0.57 0.35 11.14 0.22 0.99 1.35 0.82 1.12 Incl. 228.90 230.50 1.60 5.30 1.95 11.20 0.00 6.81 9.35 5.72 7.84 CC24_017 46.60 81.40 34.80 0.24 0.04 2.26 0.00 0.30 0.41 0.25 0.34 CC24_017 101.40 101.90 0.50 1.65 0.13 6.50 0.08 1.82 2.49 1.54 2.11 CC24_017 134.00 148.00 14.00 0.03 0.12 10.90 0.08 0.23 0.32 0.19 0.26

Table 3. Drill hole location information for holes CC24-013-CC24-0171

HOLE EASTING NORTHING ELEVATION AZIMUTH INCLINATION DEPTH ID (meters) (meters) (meters) () () (meters) CC24_013 613237.90 3513908.50 1425 0 -90 236.85 CC24_014 613336.00 3513918.00 1422 0 -90 198.1 CC24_015 613281.00 3513868.00 1423 0 -90 213.35 CC24_016 613392.00 3513679.00 1429 0 -90 236.2 CC24_017 613453.00 3513721.00 1426 0 -90 154.55

Technical Information

All scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared by, or approved by Daniel MacNeil, P.Geo. Mr. MacNeil is a Technical Advisor to the Company and is a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

Mr. MacNeil has verified the drilling data disclosed in this news release, including the assay and test data underlying the information or opinions contained in this news release. Mr. MacNeil verified the data disclosed (or underlying the information disclosed) in this news release by reviewing imported and sorted assay data; checking the performance of blank samples and certified reference materials; reviewing the variance in field duplicate results; and reviewing grade calculation formulas. Mr. MacNeil detected no significant QA/QC issues during review of the data and is not aware of any sampling, recovery or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the drilling data referred to in this news release.

However, some of the data disclosed in this news release is related to historical drilling results which have been identified as such. Intrepid Metals and Mr. MacNeil have not undertaken any independent investigation of the sampling nor have they independently analyzed the results of the historical exploration work in order to verify the results. Intrepid and Mr. MacNeil considers these historical drill results relevant as the Company is using this data as a guide to plan exploration programs. The Company's current and future exploration work includes verification of the historical data through drilling.

Quality Assurance and Quality Control

Drill core was first reviewed by a geologist, who identified and marked intervals for sampling. The marked sample intervals were then cut in half with a diamond saw; half of the core was left in the core box and the other half was removed, placed in plastic bags, sealed and labeled. Intervals and unique sample numbers are recorded on the drill logs and the samples are sequenced with standards and blanks inserted according to a predefined QA/QC procedure. The samples are maintained under security on site until they are shipped to the analytical lab.

All core samples were sent to ALS Geochemistry (ALS), a division of ALS Global, in Tucson, Arizona, for sample preparation, with pulps sent to the ALS Geochemistry laboratory in Reno, Nevada for analysis. ALS meets all requirements of International Standards ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and ISO 9001:2015 for analytical procedures and is independent of the Company. HQ size core was split and sampled over approximately two metre intervals. Samples were analyzed using: ALS's Fire Assay Fusion method (Au-AA23) with an AA finish for gold and by gravimetric finish (Au-GRA21) for samples assaying greater than 10 ppm (g/t) gold; by a 36-element four acid digest ICP-AES analysis (ME-ICP61) with additional analysis for Ore Grade Cu (Cu-OG62), Ore Grade Zn (Zn-OG62) and Ore Grade Pb (Pb-OG62); and for silver assays above 100 ppm (g/t) by Fire Assay Fusion method with gravimetric finish (Ag-GRA21). ME-ICP61 results were reported in parts per million (ppm), Ore Grade (OG62) results were reported in percent (%). In addition to ALS quality assurance- quality control (QA/QC) protocols, Intrepid implements an internal QA/QC program that includes the insertion of sample blanks, duplicates, and standards, with QA QC control samples comprising approximately 10% of the sample stream.

About Corral Copper

The Corral Copper Property is a district scale advanced exploration and development opportunity in Cochise County, Arizona. Corral Copper is located 15 miles east of the famous mining town of Tombstone and 22 miles north of the historical Bisbee mining camp which has produced more than 8 billion pounds of copper3. Production from the Bisbee mining camp, or within the district as disclosed in the next paragraph, is not necessarily indicative of the mineral potential at Corral.

The district has a mining history dating back to the late 1800s, with several small mines extracting copper from the area in the early 1900s, producing several thousand tons. Between 1950 and 2008, various companies explored parts of the district, but the effort was uncoordinated, non-synergistic and focused on discrete land positions and commodities due to the fragmented ownership. Intrepid has been able to secure data from various sources which provides a solid foundation in creating geological interpretations and identifying new target areas.

The Corral Copper Property is comprised of the Excelsior Property, the CCCI Properties, the Sara Claim Group and the MAN Property. The Company has completed the acquisition of the Excelsior Property and Sara Claim Group through purchase and sale agreements. The Company has the right to acquire the corporate group that holds the CCCI Properties through an option agreement. The Company has the right to acquire the MAN Property through an option agreement. See the "Commitments" section of the Company's most recently filed Management Discussion and Analysis for further details.

Intrepid is confident that by combining modern exploration techniques with historical data and with a clear focus on responsible development, the Corral Copper Property can quickly become an advanced exploration stage project and move towards development studies.

About Intrepid Metals Corp.

Intrepid Metals Corp. is a Canadian company focused on exploring for high-grade essential metals such as copper, silver, lead, and zinc mineral projects in proximity to established mining jurisdictions in southeastern Arizona, USA. The Company has acquired or has agreements to acquire several drill ready projects, including the Corral Copper Project (a district scale advanced exploration and development opportunity with significant shallow historical drill results), the Tombstone South Project (within the historical Tombstone mining district with geological similarities to the Taylor Deposit, which was purchased for $1.3B in 20184, though mineralization at the Taylor Deposit is not necessarily indicative of the mineral potential at the Tombstone South Project) both of which are located in Cochise County, Arizona and the Mesa Well Project (located in the Laramide Copper Porphyry Belt in Arizona). Intrepid has assembled an exceptional team with considerable experience with exploration, developing, and permitting new projects within North America. Intrepid is traded on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) under the symbol "INTR" and on the OTCQB Venture Market under the symbol "IMTCF". For more information, visit www.intrepidmetals.com.

INTREPID METALS CORP.

On behalf of the Company

"Ken Brophy"

CEO

For further information regarding this news release, please contact:

Ken Brophy, CEO

604-681-8030

info@intrepidmetals.com

Notes

1 Composite intervals are calculated using length weighted averages based on a combination of lithological breaks and copper, gold, silver and zinc assay values. All intervals reported are core lengths, and true thicknesses are yet to be determined. Mineral resource modeling is required before true thicknesses can be estimated. Analyzed Grade corresponds composite weighted ("composites") averages of laboratory. Metal Equivalent corresponds to undiluted metal equivalent of reported composites and Diluted Metal Equivalent takes into account dilution factors of 85% for Copper, and 80% for gold, silver and zinc for reported composites. Metal prices used for the CuEq and AuEQ calculations are in USD based on Ag $22.00/oz, Au $1900/oz, Cu $3.80/lb, Zn $1.15/lb The following equation was used to calculate copper equivalence: CuEq = Copper (%) (85% rec.) + (Gold (g/t) x 0.71)(80% rec.) + (Silver (g/t) x 0.0077)(80% rec.) + (Zinc (%) x 0.28)(80% rec.). The following equation was used to calculate gold equivalence: AuEq = Gold (g/t)(80% rec.) + (Copper (%) x 1.4085)(85% rec.) + (Silver (g/t) x 0.0108)(80% rec.) + (Zinc (%) x 0.4188)(80% rec.). Analyzed metal equivalent calculations are reported for illustrative purposes only. The metal chosen for reporting on an equivalent basis is the one that contributes the most dollar value after accounting for assumed recoveries.

2 Data disclosed in this news release includes historical drilling results, Intrepid Metals has not undertaken any independent investigation of the sampling, nor has it independently analyzed the results of the historical exploration work in order to verify the results. Intrepid considers these historical data relevant as the Company is using this data as a guide to plan exploration programs. The Company's current and future exploration work includes verification of the historical data through drilling.

3 Information disclosed in this news release regarding the historic Bisbee Camp can be found on the Copper Queen Mine website and on the City of Bisbee website (www.bisbeeaz.gov/2174/Bisbee-History).

4 Details regarding the sale of the Taylor Deposit can be found in South32 News Release dated October 8, 2018 (South32 completes acquisition of Arizona Mining).

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements contained in this release constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Such forward-looking statements relate to: economic potential of the Property; confirmation of historical results; expansion of Holliday, Earp and Ringo zones; disclosure of additional drill results; the Project's gold endowment; the significant contribution to the economic potential of the project; the potential of the Property to host an economic CRD, skarn and related porphyry copper mineralization; future exploration plans and drilling plans including the estimated number of drill holes, meterage and expected completion date; the Company's confidence in the drill program; details about potential mineralization; the exploration potential of the Corral Copper Property and the Company's other mineral projects; and potential future production.

In certain cases, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "occur" or "be achieved" suggesting future outcomes, or other expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, intentions or statements about future events or performance. Forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the Company can raise additional financing to continue operations; the results of exploration activities, commodity prices, the timing and amount of future exploration and development expenditures, the availability of labour and materials, receipt of and compliance with necessary regulatory approvals and permits, the estimation of insurance coverage, and assumptions with respect to currency fluctuations, environmental risks, title disputes or claims, and other similar matters. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect.

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 risks inherent in the exploration and development of mineral deposits, including risks relating to the ability to access infrastructure, risks relating to the failure to access financing, risks relating to changes in commodity prices, risk related to unanticipated geological or structural formations and characteristics risks related to current global financial conditions, risks related to current global financial conditions and the impact of COVID-19 on the Company's business, reliance on key personnel, operational risks inherent in the conduct of exploration and development activities, including the risk of accidents, labour disputes and cave-ins, regulatory risks including the risk that permits may not be obtained in a timely fashion or at all, financing, capitalization and liquidity risks, risks related to disputes concerning property titles and interests, environmental risks and the additional risks identified in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's reports and filings with applicable Canadian securities regulators.

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 cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information is made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information.

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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/209022

SOURCE: Intrepid Metals Corp.
LONDON, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- We are honoured to introduce British actor and producer Tom Hardy as our Jo Malone London ambassador for Cypress & Grapevine Cologne Intense.

Our Ambassador

As one of the most revered film talents to come out of the UK, Tom, a born and bred Londoner, is known for cerebral performances that showcase his depth, complexity and versatility as an actor. Inspired by Cypress & Grapevine Cologne Intense, Tom, alongside acclaimed director Edward Berger and his father Chips Hardy, brings London to life on the screen. A London that celebrates idiosyncrasies, dichotomies and quirks, with a Jo Malone London campaign film for the fragrance.

Bonded by British roots, a playful creative demeanour and a shared dedication to social impact and mental health - Tom was an obvious choice of ambassador for Cypress & Grapevine Cologne Intense.

'It has been a privilege and great joy to collaborate with Jo Malone London on this campaign. What started as a shared connection and passion over similar philanthropic pursuits has since evolved into a wonderfully rewarding creative partnership, rooted in a shared commitment to making a long-term positive impact. It was a wonderful experience to work alongside such a brilliant team, helping to create a film that not only challenged us to visualise fragrance in new ways but was also evocative of the London we love - a city that embodies the exceptional and the contradictory in all its brilliance.' - Tom Hardy

The Campaign

Tom stars in the campaign centred around London at nightfall, written by his father Chips Hardy, The Exceptional And The Contradictory, a campaign film for Cypress & Grapevine Cologne Intense. Directed by world reknown Edward Berger, cinematographer James Friend and composer Volker Bertelmann, the cinematic result of our partnership not only underpins a liberating sense of pride in being a Londoner but speaks to Tom's relationship with scent and the powerful role it plays in storytelling.

'Tom is undeniably a huge talent. He is intelligent, compassionate, generous and thoughtful. But it was his willingness to be involved beyond being just a face of a campaign that really struck us. This is a true partnership that celebrates both the roots of Jo Malone London and Tom's hometown. We have come together as creatives to challenge the perception of fragrance advertising, alongside having a real affinity with our shared values of mental health, continuing to spotlight the importance of taking the conversation further. It is a true privilege to have Tom as part of the Jo Malone London family.' -Jo Dancey, Senior Vice President/ Global General Manager Jo Malone London.

Cypress & Grapevine Cologne Intense

A fresh and woody cologne that unites the aromatic notes of cypress trees with the warmth of grapevine and the sensuality of amber. The refined, distinctive and bold scent for men is one Tom has long worn, hence he has a very personal relationship with this Jo Malone London cologne.

'To me, Cypress & Grapevine Cologne Intense is a wonderfully classic vintage and earthy scent.' -- Tom Hardy

To watch the campaign video, please click here.

Follow Jo Malone London on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest @JoMaloneLondon MrMalone TomHardy

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DENVER, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Voyager Space (Voyager), a global leader in space exploration, today announced the company has been awarded a Collaborative Announcement Notice (CAN) by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) for the joint development of an airlock for the Mars Transit Vehicle, also referred to as Deep Space Transport. This cost-sharing cooperative agreement with NASA is intended to complement the technology development interests of MSFC while also supporting the advancement of Voyager's technology and critical infrastructure capabilities.

This 12-month study, which will begin this month, will utilize resources from both Voyager and the Habitation team at MSFC to evaluate the extensibility of Voyager's Bishop Airlock design to the Mars Transit Vehicle architecture. Named the "Red Knight," this new airlock will leverage the flight-proven heritage of the Bishop Airlock to meet the challenges of deep space, provide support to, and enhance safety of the Mars Transit crew, and unlock unparalleled in situ science opportunities.

"The Voyager Exploration team continues to accomplish great things with the Bishop Airlock and we look forward to exploring how our technology and experience will translate to similar successes with Red Knight," said Marshall Smith, Chief Technology Officer of Voyager Space. "Through this partnership with NASA, we believe that the possibilities for deep space exploration activities on Mars are endless and we are excited to be a part of history."

The Bishop Airlock, owned and operated by Voyager, is the first permanent, commercial addition to the International Space Station and offers 5 times the payload volumes of previous airlocks on the Space Station. Bishop, the inspiration for Red Knight, has recently completed numerous on-orbit activities including the successful installation of GITAI's S2 robotic arm and the relocation of the self-built Gambit payload.

Future airlocks, including Red Knight, will be vital in facilitating more efficient movement of equipment, internal and external research, satellite and trash deployment, and maintenance aboard space stations and spacecraft to support science and planetary exploration missions, technology demonstrations and more.

About Voyager Space

Voyager Space is dedicated to building a better future for humanity in space and on Earth. With over 35 years of spaceflight heritage and over 2,000 successful missions, Voyager is powering the commercial space revolution. Voyager delivers exploration, technology, and defense solutions to a global customer base that includes civil and national security agencies, commercial companies, academic and research institutions, and more.

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements." All statements, other than statements of historical fact, including those with respect to Voyager Space, Inc.'s (the "Company's") mission statement and growth strategy, are "forward-looking statements." Although the Company's management believes that such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee that such expectations are, or will be, correct. These forward-looking statements involve many risks and uncertainties, which could cause the Company's future results to differ materially from those anticipated. Potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, general economic conditions and conditions affecting the industries in which the Company operates; the uncertainty of regulatory requirements and approvals; and the ability to obtain necessary financing on acceptable terms or at all. Readers should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve these known and unknown uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Company's control and which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects the Company's current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

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SouthGobi Resources Ltd. (Hong Kong Stock Exchange ("HKEX"): 1878, TSX Venture Exchange ("TSX-V"): SGQ) (TSX-V:SGQ)(HK:1878) (the "Company" or "SouthGobi") today announces its financial and operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2024. All figures are in U.S. dollars ("USD") unless otherwise stated.

Significant Events and Highlights

The Company's significant events and highlights for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and the subsequent period to May 14, 2024 are as follows:

Operating Results - The Company has been increasing the scale of its mining operations since 2023, as well as implementing various coal processing methods, including screening, wet washing and dry coal processing, which have resulted in improved coal quality and enhanced production volume and growth of coal export volume into China during the quarter.

In response to the market demand for different coal products, the Company focused on expanding the categories of coal products in its portfolio, including mixed coal, wet washed coal and dry processed coal. In addition, the Company has experienced success with processing its inventory of F-grade coal products through cost-effective screening procedures. As a result of the improvement in the quality of the processed F-grade coal, the Company was able to meet the import coal quality standards established by Chinese authorities and export this product into China for sale in the first quarter of 2024, which further enhanced the Company's coal export volume.

The Company recorded sales volume of 1.1 million tonnes for the first quarter of 2024 compared to 0.6 million tonnes for the first quarter of 2023, while the Company recorded an average realised selling price of $79.5 per tonne for the first quarter of 2024 compared to $104.1 per tonne for the first quarter of 2023. The decrease in the average realised selling price was mainly due to changes in the Company's product mix and decreased pricing for premium semi-soft coking coal and processed coal.

Financial Results - The Company recorded a $32.1 million profit from operations for the first quarter of 2024 compared to $27.9 million for the first quarter of 2023. The financial results were impacted by increased sales volume, as a result of expansion of its sales network and diversification of its customer base.

- The Company recorded a $32.1 million profit from operations for the first quarter of 2024 compared to $27.9 million for the first quarter of 2023. The financial results were impacted by increased sales volume, as a result of expansion of its sales network and diversification of its customer base. Deferral Agreements - On March 19, 2024, the Company and JD Zhixing Fund L.P. ("JDZF") entered into an agreement (the "2024 March Deferral Agreement") pursuant to which JDZF agreed to grant the Company a deferral of (i) the cash and payment-in-kind interest ("PIK Interest"), management fees, and related deferral fees in the aggregate amount of approximately $96.5 million which will be due and payable to JDZF on or before August 31, 2024 pursuant to certain prior deferral agreements dated March 24, 2023 and October 13, 2023; (ii) semi-annual cash interest payment of approximately $7.9 million payable to JDZF on May 19, 2024 under the Company's convertible debenture (the "Convertible Debenture"); (iii) semi-annual cash interest payments of approximately $8.1 million payable to JDZF on November 19, 2024 and the $4.0 million in PIK Interest payable to JDZF on November 19, 2024 under the Convertible Debenture; and (iv) management fees in the aggregate amount of $2.2 million payable to JDZF on November 15, 2024 and February 15, 2025, respectively, under the amended and restated mutual cooperation agreement (the "Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement") (collectively, the "2024 March Deferred Amounts").

The effectiveness of the 2024 March Deferral Agreement and the respective covenants, agreements and obligations of each party under the 2024 March Deferral Agreement are subject to the Company obtaining the requisite approval of the 2024 March Deferral Agreement from shareholders in accordance with the requirements of applicable Canadian securities laws and Rule 14.33 and Rule 14A.36 of the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the "Listing Rules"). The Company will be seeking approval of the 2024 March Deferral Agreement from disinterested shareholders through a special meeting of shareholders to be announced in due course.

The principal terms of the 2024 March Deferral Agreement are as follows:

Payment of the 2024 March Deferred Amounts will be deferred until August 31, 2025 (the "2024 March Deferral Agreement Deferral Date").

As consideration for the deferral of the 2024 March Deferred Amounts which relate to the payment obligations arising from the Convertible Debenture, the Company agreed to pay JDZF a deferral fee equal to 6.4% per annum on the outstanding balance of such 2024 March Deferred Amounts, commencing on the date on which each such 2024 March Deferred Amounts would otherwise have been due and payable under the Convertible Debenture.

As consideration for the deferral of the 2024 March Deferred Amounts which relate to payment obligations arising from the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement, the Company agreed to pay JDZF a deferral fee equal to 1.5% per annum on the outstanding balance of such 2024 March Deferred Amounts commencing on the date on which each such 2024 March Deferred Amounts would otherwise have been due and payable under the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement.

The 2024 March Deferral Agreement does not contemplate a fixed repayment schedule for the 2024 March Deferred Amounts or related deferral fees. Instead, the 2024 March Deferral Agreement requires the Company to use its best efforts to pay the 2024 March Deferred Amounts and related deferral fees due and payable under the 2024 March Deferral Agreement to JDZF. During the period beginning as of the effective date of the 2024 March Deferral Agreement and ending as of the 2024 March Deferral Agreement Deferral Date, the Company will provide JDZF with monthly updates of its financial status and business operations, and the Company and JDZF will on a monthly basis discuss and assess in good faith the amount (if any) of the 2024 March Deferred Amounts and related deferral fees that the Company may be able to repay to JDZF, having regard to the working capital requirements of the Company's operations and business at such time and with the view of ensuring that the Company's operations and business would not be materially prejudiced as a result of any repayment.

If at any time before the 2024 March Deferred Amounts and related deferral fees are fully repaid, the Company proposes to appoint, replace or terminate one or more of its chief executive officer, its chief financial officer or any other senior executive(s) in charge of its principal business function or its principal subsidiary, the Company will first consult with, and obtain written consent (such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld) from JDZF prior to effecting such appointment, replacement or termination.

On April 30, 2024, the Company and JDZF entered into an agreement (the "2024 April Deferral Agreement") pursuant to which JDZF agreed to grant the Company a deferral of the remaining US$1.1 million of PIK interest which was payable on November 19, 2022 under the Convertible Debenture, the payment of which was deferred pursuant to a certain prior deferral agreement dated November 11, 2022 (the "November 2022 Deferral Agreement") until November 19, 2023, as well as related deferral fees under the November 2022 Deferral Agreement (collectively, the "2024 April Deferred Amounts").

The effectiveness of the 2024 April Deferral Agreement and the respective covenants, agreements and obligations of each party under the 2024 April Deferral Agreement are subject to the Company obtaining the requisite approval of the 2024 April Deferral Agreement from shareholders in accordance with the requirements of applicable Canadian securities laws and Rule 14.33 and Rule 14A.36 of the Listing Rules. The Company will be seeking approval of the 2024 April Deferral Agreement from disinterested shareholders through a special meeting of shareholders to be announced in due course.

The principal terms of the 2024 April Deferral Agreement are as follows:

Payment of the 2024 April Deferred Amounts will be deferred until August 31, 2025 (the "2024 April Deferral Agreement Deferral Date").

As consideration for the deferral of the 2024 April Deferred Amounts, the Company agreed to pay JDZF a deferral fee equal to 6.4% per annum on the outstanding balance of such 2024 April Deferred Amounts, commencing on the date on which each such 2024 April Deferred Amounts would otherwise have been due and payable under the Convertible Debenture.

The 2024 April Deferral Agreement does not contemplate a fixed repayment schedule for the 2024 April Deferred Amounts or related deferral fees. Instead, the 2024 April Deferral Agreement requires the Company to use its best efforts to pay the 2024 April Deferred Amounts and related deferral fees due and payable under the 2024 April Deferral Agreement to JDZF. During the period beginning as of the effective date of the 2024 April Deferral Agreement and ending as of the 2024 April Deferral Agreement Deferral Date, the Company will provide JDZF with monthly updates of its financial status and business operations, and the Company and JDZF will on a monthly basis discuss and assess in good faith the amount (if any) of the 2024 April Deferred Amounts and related deferral fees that the Company may be able to repay to JDZF, having regard to the working capital requirements of the Company's operations and business at such time and with the view of ensuring that the Company's operations and business would not be materially prejudiced as a result of any repayment.

If at any time before the 2024 April Deferred Amounts and related deferral fees are fully repaid, the Company proposes to appoint, replace or terminate one or more of its chief executive officer, its chief financial officer or any other senior executive(s) in charge of its principal business function or its principal subsidiary, the Company will first consult with, and obtain written consent (such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld) from JDZF prior to effecting such appointment, replacement or termination.

Amendment of Convertible Debenture - On May 13, 2024, the Company and JDZF entered into an amendment agreement (the "Convertible Debenture Amendment") to amend certain terms of the Convertible Debenture.

Pursuant to the Convertible Debenture Amendment, the Company may, by resolution of the Board of Directors (the "Board") of the Company, at any time and from time to time prepay, without penalty, the whole or any part of the principal amount outstanding under the Convertible Debenture, together with accrued cash interest and PIK interest thereon to the date of prepayment, provided that:

the Company has, not later than three (3) business days prior to the proposed prepayment date, delivered to JDZF an irrevocable written notice, signed by an independent director of the Company and setting out the terms of the prepayment; the amount of such prepayment reduces the then outstanding principal amount under the Convertible Debenture by an amount that is (a) not less than US$500,000 and (b) if in excess of US$500,000, an integral multiple of US$500,000; and the proposed prepayment date falls on a business day.

The Company is not providing any additional form of consideration to JDZF in connection with the Convertible Debenture Amendment. Aside from the aforementioned amendments, the existing terms of the Convertible Debenture continue in full force and effect and unchanged.

The effectiveness of the Convertible Debenture Amendment is subject to the Company providing notice to, and obtaining acceptance (if required) from the TSX-V and requisite approval from disinterested shareholders of the Company in accordance with the requirements of applicable Canadian securities laws and Listing Rules. The Company must obtain the requisite approval from disinterested shareholders of the Company by August 30, 2024, or otherwise the Convertible Debenture Amendment shall automatically terminate and cease to be of any force and effect.

Additional Tax and Tax Penalty Imposed by the Mongolian Tax Authority ("MTA")- On July 18, 2023, SGS received an official notice (the "Notice") issued by the MTA stating that the MTA had completed a periodic tax audit (the "Audit") on the financial information of SGS for the tax assessment years between 2017 and 2020, including transfer pricing, royalty, air-pollution fee and unpaid tax payables. As a result of the Audit, the MTA notified SGS that it is imposing a tax penalty against SGS in the amount of approximately $75.0 million. The penalty mainly relates to the different view on the interpretation of tax law between the Company and the MTA. Under Mongolian law, the Company had a period of 30 days from the date of receipt of the Notice to file an appeal in relation to the Audit. Subsequently the Company engaged an independent tax consultant in Mongolia to provide tax advice and support to the Company and filed an appeal letter in relation to the Audit with the MTA in accordance with Mongolian laws on August 17, 2023.

On February 8, 2024, SGS received notice from the Tax Dispute Resolution Council ("TDRC") which stated that, after the TDRC's review, the TDRC issued a decision in relation to SGS' appeal of the Audit, and ordered that the audit assessments set forth in the Notice of July 18, 2023 be sent back to the MTA for review and re-assessment.

On February 22, 2024, SGS received another notice from the MTA stating that the MTA anticipates commencing the re-assessment process on or about March 7, 2024 and the duration of such process will be approximately 45 working days. Up to the date of this press release, the MTA is still reviewing the supplementary documents and information submitted by the Company and yet to have the re-assessment decision. Any decision of the MTA following the re-assessment process may not be conclusive as the Company retains the right to appeal such decision under Mongolian laws.

As at March 31, 2024, the Company recorded an additional tax and tax penalty in the amount of $85.1 million, which consists of a tax penalty payable of $75.0 million and a provision of additional late tax penalty of $10.1 million. The Company has paid the MTA an aggregate of $1.7 million in relation to the aforementioned tax penalty. According to Mongolian tax law, the MTA has a legal authority to demand payment from the Company irrespective of any potential appeal process that may change the aforesaid tax penalty. Based on the advice from tax professionals and the best estimate from the management, in the event that the Company's appeal is to be successful in future, it is probable that the Company may recover approximately $46.0 million which represents a portion of the tax penalty payable to the MTA. However, there are inherent uncertainties surrounding the development and outcome of the appeal. The Company cannot determine with virtually certainty the exact recoverability or recoverable amount of the tax penalty paid in future. If any subsequent event occurs that may impact the amount of the additional tax and tax penalty, an adjustment would be recognised in profit or loss and the carrying amount of the tax liabilities shall be adjusted.

Going Concern - Several adverse conditions and material uncertainties relating to the Company cast significant doubt upon the going concern assumption which includes the deficiencies in assets and working capital.

See section "Liquidity and Capital Resources" of this press release for details.

OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONAL DATA AND FINANCIAL RESULTS

Summary of Operational Data

A Non-International Financial Reporting Standards ("non-IFRS") financial measure. Refer to "Non-IFRS Financial Measures" section. Cash costs of product sold exclude idled mine asset cash costs. Per 200,000 man hours and calculated based on a rolling 12 month average.

Overview of Operational Data

As at March 31, 2024, the Company had a lost time injury frequency rate of 0.22 per 200,000 man hours based on a rolling 12-month average.

The Company recorded an average realised selling price of $79.5 per tonne in the first quarter of 2024 compared to $104.1 per tonne in the first quarter of 2023, the decrease was mainly due to changes in the Company's product mix and decreased pricing for premium semi-soft coking coal and processed coal. The product mix for the first quarter of 2024 consisted of approximately 34% of premium semi-soft coking coal, 27% of standard semi-soft coking coal/premium thermal coal, 11% of standard thermal coal and 28% of processed coal compared to approximately 55% of premium semi-soft coking coal, 2% of standard semi-soft coking coal/premium thermal coal and 43% of processed coal in 2023.

The Company's unit cost of sales of product sold was $43.4 per tonne in the first quarter of 2024 compared to $51.6 per tonne in the first quarter of 2023. The decrease was mainly driven by the economies of scale due to increased sales.

Summary of Financial Results

Revenue and cost of sales related to the Company's Ovoot Tolgoi Mine within the Coal Division operating segment. Refer to note 3 of the condensed consolidated interim financial statements for further analysis regarding the Company's reportable operating segments. A non-IFRS financial measure, idled mine asset costs represents the depreciation expense relates to the Company's idled plant and equipment.

Overview of Financial Results

The Company recorded a $32.1 million profit from operations for the first quarter of 2024 compared to $27.9 million for the first quarter of 2023. Revenue was $82.2 million for the first quarter of 2024 compared to $61.8 million for the first quarter of 2023. The financial results were impacted by increased sales volume, as a result of expansion of its sales network and diversification of its customer base.

Cost of sales was $45.5 million for the first quarter of 2024 compared to $31.0 million for the first quarter of 2023. The increase in cost of sales was mainly due to increased sales and the Company expanding into certain categories of processed coal with higher production costs during the quarter. Cost of sales consists of operating expenses, share-based compensation expense, equipment depreciation, depletion of mineral properties, royalties and idled mine asset costs. Operating expenses in cost of sales reflect the total cash costs of product sold (a Non-IFRS financial measure, refer to Section 3 of this MD&A for further analysis) during the quarter.

Operating expenses in cost of sales were $33.4 million for the first quarter of 2024 compared to $18.3 million for the first quarter of 2023. The overall increase in operating expenses was due to the increased sales and the Company expanding into certain categories of processed coal with higher production costs during the quarter.

Cost of sales related to idled mine assets for the first quarter of 2024 included $0.1 million related to depreciation expenses for idled equipment (first quarter of 2023: $0.1 million).

Other operating expenses were $1.1 million for the first quarter of 2024 (first quarter of 2023: $0.8 million). The change was mainly due to increased management fee.

Administration expenses were $3.4 million for the first quarter of 2024 (first quarter of 2023: $2.1 million). The change was mainly due to increase in legal and professional fees and salaries and benefits as a result of expansion of operations.

The Company continued to minimise evaluation and exploration expenditures in the first quarter of 2024 in order to preserve the Company's financial resources. Evaluation and exploration activities and expenditures in the first quarter of 2024 were limited to ensuring that the Company met the Mongolian Minerals Law requirements in respect of its mining licenses.

Finance costs were $11.0 million and $11.9 million for the first quarter of 2024 and 2023 respectively, which primarily consisted of interest expense on the $250.0 million Convertible Debenture.

Summary of Quarterly Operational Data

A non-IFRS financial measure. Refer to section "Non-IFRS Financial Measures". Cash costs of product sold exclude idled mine asset cash costs. Per 200,000 man hours and calculated based on a rolling 12 month average.

Summary of Quarterly Financial Results

The Company's condensed consolidated interim financial statements are reported under IFRS Accounting Standards issued by the International Accounting Standards Board. The following table provides highlights, extracted from the Company's annual and interim consolidated financial statements, of quarterly results for the past eight quarters.

Revenue and cost of sales relate to the Company's Ovoot Tolgoi Mine within the Coal Division operating segment. Refer to note 3 of the condensed consolidated interim financial statements for further analysis regarding the Company's reportable operating segments. A non-IFRS financial measure, idled mine asset costs represents the depreciation expense relates to the Company's idled plant and equipment.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Liquidity and Capital Management

The Company has in place a planning, budgeting and forecasting process to help determine the funds required to support the Company's normal operations on an ongoing basis and the Company's expansionary plans.

Costs reimbursable to Turquoise Hill Resources Limited ("Turquoise Hill")

Prior to the completion of a private placement with Novel Sunrise Investments Limited on April 23, 2015, Rio Tinto plc ("Rio Tinto") was the Company's ultimate parent company. In the past, Rio Tinto sought reimbursement from the Company for the salaries and benefits of certain Rio Tinto employees who were assigned by Rio Tinto to work for the Company, as well as certain legal and professional fees incurred by Rio Tinto in relation to the Company's prior internal investigation and Rio Tinto's participation in the tripartite committee. Subsequently Rio Tinto transferred and assigned to Turquoise Hill its right to seek reimbursement for these costs and fees from the Company.

On January 20, 2021, the Company and Turquoise Hill entered into a settlement agreement, whereby Turquoise Hill agreed to a repayment schedule in settlement of certain secondment costs in the amount of $2.8 million (representing a portion of the TRQ Reimbursable Amount) pursuant to which the Company agreed to make monthly payments to Turquoise Hill in the amount of $0.1 million per month from January 2021 to June 2022. The Company is contesting the validity of the remaining balance of the TRQ Reimbursable Amount claimed by Turquoise Hill.

As at March 31, 2024, the amount of reimbursable costs and fees claimed by Turquoise Hill (the "TRQ Reimbursable Amount") amounted to $6.3 million (such amount is included in the trade and other payables).

Additional tax and tax penalty imposed by the MTA

On July 18, 2023, SGS received the Notice issued by the MTA stating that the MTA had completed the Audit on the financial information of SGS for the tax assessment years between 2017 and 2020, including transfer pricing, royalty, air-pollution fee and unpaid tax payables. As a result of the Audit, the MTA notified SGS that it is imposing a tax penalty against SGS in the amount of approximately $75.0 million. The penalty mainly relates to the different view on the interpretation of tax law between the Company and the MTA. Under Mongolian law, the Company had a period of 30 days from the date of receipt of the Notice to file an appeal in relation to the Audit. Subsequently the Company engaged an independent tax consultant in Mongolia to provide tax advice and support to the Company and filed an appeal letter in relation to the Audit with the MTA in accordance with Mongolian laws on August 17, 2023.

On February 8, 2024, SGS received notice from the TDRC which stated that, after the TDRC's review, the TDRC issued a decision in relation to SGS' appeal of the Audit, and ordered that the audit assessments set forth in the Notice of July 18, 2023 be sent back to the MTA for review and re-assessment.

On February 22, 2024, SGS received another notice from the MTA stating that the MTA anticipates commencing the re-assessment process on or about March 7, 2024 and the duration of such process will be approximately 45 working days. Up to the date of this press release, the MTA is still reviewing the supplementary documents and information submitted by the Company and yet to have the re-assessment decision. Any decision of the MTA following the re-assessment process may not be conclusive as the Company retains the right to appeal such decision under Mongolian laws.

As at March 31, 2024, the Company recorded an additional tax and tax penalty in the amount of $85.1 million, which consists of a tax penalty payable of $75.0 million and a provision of additional late tax penalty of $10.1 million. The Company has paid the MTA an aggregate of $1.7 million in relation to the aforementioned tax penalty. According to Mongolian tax law, the MTA has a legal authority to demand payment from the Company irrespective of any potential appeal process that may change the aforesaid tax penalty. Based on the advice from tax professionals and the best estimate from the management, in the event that the Company's appeal is to be successful in future, it is probable that the Company may recover approximately $46.0 million which represents a portion of the tax penalty payable to the MTA. However, there are inherent uncertainties surrounding the development and outcome of the appeal. The Company cannot determine with virtually certainty the exact recoverability or recoverable amount of the tax penalty paid in future. If any subsequent event occurs that may impact the amount of the additional tax and tax penalty, an adjustment would be recognised in profit or loss and the carrying amount of the tax liabilities shall be adjusted.

Going concern considerations

The Company's condensed consolidated interim financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis which assumes that the Company will continue to operate until at least March 31, 2025 and will be able to realise its assets and discharge its liabilities in the normal course of operations as they come due. However, in order to continue as a going concern, the Company must generate sufficient operating cash flows, secure additional capital or otherwise pursue a strategic restructuring, refinancing or other transactions to provide it with sufficient liquidity.

Several adverse conditions and material uncertainties cast significant doubt upon the Company's ability to continue as a going concern and the going concern assumption used in the preparation of the Company's condensed consolidated interim financial statements. The Company had a deficiency in assets of $126.8 million as at March 31, 2024 as compared to a deficiency in assets of $141.3 million as at December 31, 2023 while the working capital deficiency (excess current liabilities over current assets) reached $240.8 million as at March 31, 2024 compared to a working capital deficiency of $218.8 million as at December 31, 2023.

Included in the working capital deficiency as at March 31, 2024 are significant obligations, represented by trade and other payables of $87.2 million and additional tax and tax penalty of $83.5 million.

The Company may not be able to settle all trade and other payables on a timely basis, and as a result any continuing postponement in settling of certain trade and other payables owed to suppliers and creditors may result in potential lawsuits and/or bankruptcy proceedings being filed against the Company. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that the Company will be successful in its negotiations with the MTA, or any appeal, in relation to the Audit. Except as disclosed elsewhere in this MD&A, no such lawsuits or proceedings were pending as at May 14, 2024. However, there can be no assurance that no such lawsuits or proceedings will be filed by the Company's creditors in the future and the Company's suppliers and contractors will continue to supply and provide services to the Company uninterrupted.

In the past, the Company has customarily entered into cooperation agreements with the local custom office in Mongolia on an annual basis to facilitate the Company's export of coal into China. The Company's most recently executed cooperation agreement expired on November 23, 2023. While the Company has applied with the local Mongolian custom office to renew its cooperation agreement, the Company has not yet been able to renew its cooperation agreement as of the date hereof due to administrative delay on the part of the local Mongolian custom office. Consistent with prior years when there has been a temporary lapse under the cooperation agreement, the Company has continued to be able to export its coal products into China in the normal course without any negative impact on its operations since November 23, 2023. While the Company expects the renewal of the cooperation agreement to be approved by the second quarter of 2024, there can be no certainty that the renewal will be approved within such timeframe or at all.

There are significant uncertainties as to the outcomes of the above events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the Company's ability to continue as a going concern and, therefore, the Company may be unable to realise its assets and discharge its liabilities in the normal course of business. Should the use of the going concern basis in preparation of the condensed consolidated interim financial statements be determined to be not appropriate, adjustments would have to be made to write down the carrying amounts of the Company's assets to their realisable values, to provide for any further liabilities which might arise and to reclassify non-current assets and non-current liabilities as current assets and current liabilities, respectively. The effects of these adjustments have not been reflected in the condensed consolidated interim financial statements. If the Company is unable to continue as a going concern, it may be forced to seek relief under applicable bankruptcy and insolvency legislation.

For the purpose of assessing the appropriateness of the use of the going concern basis to prepare the financial statements, management of the Company has prepared a cash flow projection covering a period of 12 months from March 31, 2024. The cash flow projection has considered the anticipated cash flows to be generated from the Company's business during the period under projection including cost saving measures. In particular, the Company has taken into account the following measures for improvement of the Company's liquidity and financial position, which include: (a) entering into the 2024 March Deferral Agreement and 2024 April Deferral Agreement with JDZF on March 19, 2024 and April 30, 2024, respectively for a deferral of the 2024 March Deferred Amounts and 2024 April Deferred Amounts; (b) communicating with vendors in agreeing repayment plans of the outstanding payable; (c) obtaining an avenue of financial support from an affiliate of the Company's major shareholder for a maximum amount of $127.0 million (equivalent to RMB900 million) during the period covered in the cash flow projection; and (d) entered into a new terminal agreement with Shiveekhuren Terminal LLC in March 2024, providing the Company an alternative transportation channel for coal export into China in the event the Company experience any export issues as a result of the expired cooperation agreement with the local custom office. Regarding these plans and measures, there is no guarantee that the suppliers would agree the settlement plan as communicated by the Company. Nevertheless, after considering the above, the directors of the Company believe that there will be sufficient financial resources to continue its operations and to meet its financial obligations as and when they fall due in the next 12 months from March 31, 2024 and therefore are satisfied that it is appropriate to prepare the condensed consolidated interim financial statements on a going concern basis.

Factors that impact the Company's liquidity are being closely monitored and include, but are not limited to, restrictions on the Company's ability to import its coal products for sale in China, Chinese economic growth, market prices of coal, production levels, operating cash costs, capital costs, exchange rates of currencies of countries where the Company operates and exploration and discretionary expenditures.

As at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Company was not subject to any externally imposed capital requirements.

Convertible Debenture

In November 2009, the Company entered into a financing agreement with China Investment Corporation (together with its wholly-owned subsidiaries and affiliates, "CIC") for $500 million in the form of a secured, convertible debenture bearing interest at 8.0% (6.4% payable semi-annually in cash and 1.6% payable annually in the Company's Common Shares) with a maximum term of 30 years. The Convertible Debenture is secured by a first ranking charge over the Company's assets, including shares of its material subsidiaries. The financing was used primarily to support the accelerated investment program in Mongolia and for working capital, repayment of debts, general and administrative expenses and other general corporate purposes.

On March 29, 2010, the Company exercised its right to call for the conversion of up to $250.0 million of the Convertible Debenture into approximately 21.5 million shares at a conversion price of $11.64 (CA$11.88).

Deferral Agreements

On March 19, 2024, the Company and JDZF entered into the 2024 March Deferral Agreement pursuant to which JDZF agreed to grant the Company a deferral of the 2024 March Deferred Amounts.

The effectiveness of the 2024 March Deferral Agreement and the respective covenants, agreements and obligations of each party under the 2024 March Deferral Agreement are subject to the Company obtaining the requisite approval of the 2024 March Deferral Agreement from shareholders in accordance with the requirements of applicable Canadian securities laws and Rule 14.33 and Rule 14A.36 of the Listing Rules. The Company will be seeking approval of the 2024 March Deferral Agreement from disinterested shareholders through a special meeting of shareholders to be announced in due course.

The principal terms of the 2024 March Deferral Agreement are as follows:

Payment of the 2024 March Deferred Amounts will be deferred until 2024 March Deferral Agreement Deferral Date.

As consideration for the deferral of the 2024 March Deferred Amounts which relate to the payment obligations arising from the Convertible Debenture, the Company agreed to pay JDZF a deferral fee equal to 6.4% per annum on the outstanding balance of such 2024 March Deferred Amounts, commencing on the date on which each such 2024 March Deferred Amounts would otherwise have been due and payable under the Convertible Debenture.

As consideration for the deferral of the 2024 March Deferred Amounts which relate to payment obligations arising from the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement, the Company agreed to pay JDZF a deferral fee equal to 1.5% per annum on the outstanding balance of such 2024 March Deferred Amounts commencing on the date on which each such 2024 March Deferred Amounts would otherwise have been due and payable under the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement.

The 2024 March Deferral Agreement does not contemplate a fixed repayment schedule for the 2024 March Deferred Amounts or related deferral fees. Instead, the 2024 March Deferral Agreement requires the Company to use its best efforts to pay the 2024 March Deferred Amounts and related deferral fees due and payable under the 2024 March Deferral Agreement to JDZF. During the period beginning as of the effective date of the 2024 March Deferral Agreement and ending as of the 2024 March Deferral Agreement Deferral Date, the Company will provide JDZF with monthly updates of its financial status and business operations, and the Company and JDZF will on a monthly basis discuss and assess in good faith the amount (if any) of the 2024 March Deferred Amounts and related deferral fees that the Company may be able to repay to JDZF, having regard to the working capital requirements of the Company's operations and business at such time and with the view of ensuring that the Company's operations and business would not be materially prejudiced as a result of any repayment.

If at any time before the 2024 March Deferred Amounts and related deferral fees are fully repaid, the Company proposes to appoint, replace or terminate one or more of its chief executive officer, its chief financial officer or any other senior executive(s) in charge of its principal business function or its principal subsidiary, the Company will first consult with, and obtain written consent (such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld) from JDZF prior to effecting such appointment, replacement or termination.

On April 30, 2024, the Company and JDZF entered into the 2024 April Deferral Agreement pursuant to which JDZF agreed to grant the Company a deferral of the remaining US$1.1 million of PIK interest which was payable on November 19, 2022 under the Convertible Debenture, he payment of which was deferred pursuant to the November 2022 Deferral Agreement until November 19, 2023, as well as related deferral fees under the November 2022 Deferral Agreement.

The effectiveness of the 2024 April Deferral Agreement and the respective covenants, agreements and obligations of each party under the 2024 April Deferral Agreement are subject to the Company obtaining the requisite approval of the 2024 April Deferral Agreement from shareholders in accordance with the requirements of applicable Canadian securities laws and Rule 14.33 and Rule 14A.36 of the Listing Rules. The Company will be seeking approval of the 2024 April Deferral Agreement from disinterested shareholders through a special meeting of shareholders to be announced in due course.

The principal terms of the 2024 April Deferral Agreement are as follows:

Payment of the 2024 April Deferred Amounts will be deferred until the 2024 April Deferral Agreement Deferral Date.

As consideration for the deferral of the 2024 April Deferred Amounts, the Company agreed to pay JDZF a deferral fee equal to 6.4% per annum on the outstanding balance of such 2024 April Deferred Amounts, commencing on the date on which each such 2024 April Deferred Amounts would otherwise have been due and payable under the Convertible Debenture.

The 2024 April Deferral Agreement does not contemplate a fixed repayment schedule for the 2024 April Deferred Amounts or related deferral fees. Instead, the 2024 April Deferral Agreement requires the Company to use its best efforts to pay the 2024 April Deferred Amounts and related deferral fees due and payable under the 2024 April Deferral Agreement to JDZF. During the period beginning as of the effective date of the 2024 April Deferral Agreement and ending as of the 2024 April Deferral Agreement Deferral Date, the Company will provide JDZF with monthly updates of its financial status and business operations, and the Company and JDZF will on a monthly basis discuss and assess in good faith the amount (if any) of the 2024 April Deferred Amounts and related deferral fees that the Company may be able to repay to JDZF, having regard to the working capital requirements of the Company's operations and business at such time and with the view of ensuring that the Company's operations and business would not be materially prejudiced as a result of any repayment.

If at any time before the 2024 April Deferred Amounts and related deferral fees are fully repaid, the Company proposes to appoint, replace or terminate one or more of its chief executive officer, its chief financial officer or any other senior executive(s) in charge of its principal business function or its principal subsidiary, the Company will first consult with, and obtain written consent (such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld) from JDZF prior to effecting such appointment, replacement or termination.

Amendment of Convertible Debenture

On May 13, 2024, the Company and JDZF entered into the Convertible Debenture Amendment to amend certain terms of the Convertible Debenture.

Pursuant to the Convertible Debenture Amendment, the Company may, by resolution of the Board of the Company, at any time and from time to time prepay, without penalty, the whole or any part of the principal amount outstanding under the Convertible Debenture, together with accrued cash interest and PIK interest thereon to the date of prepayment, provided that:

the Company has, not later than three (3) business days prior to the proposed prepayment date, delivered to JDZF an irrevocable written notice, signed by an independent director of the Company and setting out the terms of the prepayment; the amount of such prepayment reduces the then outstanding principal amount under the Convertible Debenture by an amount that is (a) not less than US$500,000 and (b) if in excess of US$500,000, an integral multiple of US$500,000; and the proposed prepayment date falls on a business day.

The Company is not providing any additional form of consideration to JDZF in connection with the Convertible Debenture Amendment. Aside from the aforementioned amendments, the existing terms of the Convertible Debenture continue in full force and effect and unchanged.

The effectiveness of the Convertible Debenture Amendment is subject to the Company providing notice to, and obtaining acceptance (if required) from the TSX-V and requisite approval from disinterested shareholders of the Company in accordance with the requirements of applicable Canadian securities laws and Listing Rules. The Company must obtain the requisite approval from disinterested shareholders of the Company by August 30, 2024, or otherwise the Convertible Debenture Amendment shall automatically terminate and cease to be of any force and effect.

Ovoot Tolgoi Mine Impairment Analysis

The Company determined that an indicator of impairment existed for its Ovoot Tolgoi Mine cash generating unit as at March 31, 2024. The impairment indicator was the potential closure of border crossings in the future. Since the recoverable amount was higher than carrying value of the Ovoot Tolgoi Mine cash generating unit, there was no impairment of non-financial asset recognised during the three months ended March 31, 2024.

REGULATORY ISSUES AND CONTINGENCIES

Class Action Lawsuit

In January 2014, Siskinds LLP, a Canadian law firm, filed a class action (the "Class Action") against the Company, certain of its former senior officers and directors, and its former auditors (the "Former Auditors"), in the Ontario Court in relation to the Company's restatement of certain financial statements previously disclosed in the Company's public fillings (the "Restatement").

To commence and proceed with the Class Action, the plaintiff was required to seek leave of the Court under the Ontario Securities Act ("Leave Motion") and certify the action as a class proceeding under the Ontario Class Proceedings Act. The Ontario Court rendered its decision on the Leave Motion on November 5, 2015, dismissing the action against the former senior officers and directors and allowing the action to proceed against the Company in respect of alleged misrepresentation affecting trades in the secondary market for the Company's securities arising from the Restatement. The action against the Former Auditors was settled by the plaintiff on the eve of the Leave Motion.

Both the plaintiff and the Company appealed the Leave Motion decision to the Ontario Court of Appeal. On September 18, 2017, the Ontario Court of Appeal dismissed the Company's appeal of the Leave Motion to permit the plaintiff to commence and proceed with the Class Action. Concurrently, the Ontario Court of Appeal granted leave for the plaintiff to proceed with their action against the former senior officers and directors in relation to the Restatement.

The Company filed an application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada in November 2017, but the leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada was dismissed in June 2018.

In December 2018, the parties agreed to a consent Certification Order, whereby the action against the former senior officers and directors was withdrawn and the Class Action would only proceed against the Company.

To date, counsel for the plaintiffs and defendant have completed: (i) all document production; (ii) oral examinations for discovery; and (iii) counsel for the plaintiffs have served their expert reports on liability and damages. Counsel for the plaintiffs and defendant have agreed on the case management judge, who has ordered certain motions brought by the defendant and the plaintiffs to commence on May 13 and 14, 2024. Further discovery motions before an Associate Justice has been scheduled for August 7-9, and September 17, 2024.

Following the determination of the motions and any subsequent order to re-attend examinations, counsel for the defendant will serve responding expert reports on liability and damages approximately one month following any re-examinations/further examinations are completed. Counsel for the plaintiff and defendant have requested a further case conference to set a new trial date following the undertakings motion and serving of expert reports. The Company has urged a trial as early as possible.

The Company firmly believes that it has a strong defense on the merits and will continue to vigorously defend itself against the Class Action through independent Canadian litigation counsel retained by the Company for this purpose. Due to the inherent uncertainties of litigation, it is not possible to predict the final outcome of the Class Action or determine the amount of potential losses, if any. However, the Company has determined that a provision for this matter as at March 31, 2024 was not required.

Toll Wash Plant Agreement with Ejin Jinda

In 2011, the Company entered into an agreement with Ejin Jinda, a subsidiary of China Mongolia Coal Co. Ltd., to toll-wash coal from the Ovoot Tolgoi Mine. The agreement had a duration of five years from the commencement of the contract and provided for an annual washing capacity of approximately 3.5 million tonnes of input coal.

Under the agreement with Ejin Jinda, which required the commercial operation of the wet washing facility to commence on October 1, 2011, the additional fees payable by the Company under the wet washing contract would have been $18.5 million. At each reporting date, the Company assesses the agreement with Ejin Jinda and has determined it is not probable that this $18.5 million will be required to be paid. Accordingly, the Company has determined that a provision for this matter as at March 31, 2024 was not required.

Special Needs Territory in Umnugobi

On February 13, 2015, the Soumber mining licenses (MV-016869, MV-020436 and MV-020451) (the "License Areas") were included into a special protected area (to be further referred as Special Needs Territory, the "SNT") newly set up by the Umnugobi Aimag's Civil Representatives Khural (the "CRKh") to establish a strict regime on the protection of natural environment and prohibit mining activities in the territory of the SNT.

On July 8, 2015, SGS and the chairman of the CRKh, in his capacity as the respondent's representative, reached an agreement (the "Amicable Resolution Agreement") to exclude the License Areas from the territory of the SNT in full, subject to confirmation of the Amicable Resolution Agreement by the session of the CRKh. The parties formally submitted the Amicable Resolution Agreement to the appointed judge of the Administrative Court for her approval and requested a dismissal of the case in accordance with the Law of Mongolia on Administrative Court Procedure. On July 10, 2015, the judge issued her order approving the Amicable Resolution Agreement and dismissing the case, while reaffirming the obligation of CRKh to take necessary actions at its next session to exclude the License Areas from the SNT and register the new map of the SNT with the relevant authorities. Mining activities at the Soumber property cannot proceed unless and until the Company obtains a court order restoring the Soumber mining licenses and until the License Areas are removed from the SNT.

On July 24, 2021, SGS was notified by the Implementing Agency of Mongolian Government that the license area covered by two mining licenses (MV-016869 and MV-020451) are no longer overlapping with the SNT. The Company will continue to work with the Mongolian authorities regarding the license area covered by the mining license (MV-020436).

On December 7, 2023, the Citizen representative Khural of Gurvantes soum held a meeting and passed a resolution claiming that the License Areas were part of local special needs protection area. A request letter was sent to Mineral Resources and Petroleum Authority of Mongolia ("MRPAM") on January 4, 2024.

On January 11, 2024, MRPAM issued an official letter to the Citizen representative Khural of Gurvantes soum and concluded that request was not reasonable and the License Areas will not be registered on the Cadastre mapping system.

OUTLOOK

The Company had been increasing the scale of its mining operations since 2023, as well as implementing various coal processing methods, including screening, wet washing and dry coal processing, which have resulted in improved coal quality and enhanced production volumes and growth of coal export volume into China during the quarter.

In response to the market demand for different coal products, the Company has focused on expanding the categories of coal products in its portfolio, including mixed coal, wet washed coal and dry processed coal. In addition, the Company has experienced success with processing its inventory of F-grade coal products through cost-effective screening procedures. As a result of the improvement in the quality of the processed F-grade coal, the Company was able to meet the import coal quality standards established by Chinese authorities and export this product into China for sale in the first quarter of 2024, which further enhanced the Company's coal export volume.

Both Chinese and Mongolian governments played a significant role in strengthening their ties on coal trade. The development of new cross-border railways, expansion of road infrastructure, deployment of automated technologies in export operations and streamlined customs clearances underscore the collaborative efforts to facilitate cross-border trade. These strategic initiatives position Mongolian coal favourably in the evolving dynamics of China's coal imports.

With the continuous assistance and support from JDZF, the Company will focus on expanding its market reach and customer base in China to improve the profit margin earned on its coal products.

In 2024, the Company will continue to ramp up its mining operations and production capacity to capitalise on the anticipated increase in sales volume.

The Company remains cautiously optimistic regarding the Chinese coal market, as coal is still considered to be the primary energy source which China will continue to rely on in the foreseeable future. Coal supply and coal import in China are expected to be limited due to increasingly stringent requirements relating to environmental protection and safety production, which may result in volatile coal prices in China. The Company will continue to monitor and react proactively to the dynamic market.

In the medium term, the Company will continue to adopt various strategies to enhance its product mix in order to maximise revenue, expand its customer base and sales network, improve logistics, optimise its operational cost structure and, most importantly, operate in a safe and socially responsible manner.

The Company's objectives for the medium term are as follows:

Enhance product mix - The Company will focus on improving the product mix by: (i) improving mining operations; (ii) utilising the Company's wet coal processing plant; and (iii) trading and blending different types of coal to produce blended coal products that are economical to the Company.

- The Company will focus on improving the product mix by: (i) improving mining operations; (ii) utilising the Company's wet coal processing plant; and (iii) trading and blending different types of coal to produce blended coal products that are economical to the Company. Expand market reach and customer base - The Company will endeavor to increase sales volume and sales price by: (i) expanding its sales network and diversifying its customer base; (ii) increasing its coal logistics capacity to resolve the bottleneck in the distribution channel; and (iii) setting and adjusting the sales price based on a more market-oriented approach in order to maximise profit while maintaining sustainable long-term business relationships with customers.

- The Company will endeavor to increase sales volume and sales price by: (i) expanding its sales network and diversifying its customer base; (ii) increasing its coal logistics capacity to resolve the bottleneck in the distribution channel; and (iii) setting and adjusting the sales price based on a more market-oriented approach in order to maximise profit while maintaining sustainable long-term business relationships with customers. Increase production and optimise cost structure - The Company will aim to increase coal production volume to take advantage of economies of scale. The Company will also focus to reduce its production costs and optimise its cost structure through engaging sizable third-party contract mining companies to enhance its operation efficiency, strengthening procurement management, ongoing training and productivity enhancement.

- The Company will aim to increase coal production volume to take advantage of economies of scale. The Company will also focus to reduce its production costs and optimise its cost structure through engaging sizable third-party contract mining companies to enhance its operation efficiency, strengthening procurement management, ongoing training and productivity enhancement. Operate in a safe and socially responsible manner - The Company will continue to maintain the highest standards in health, safety and environmental performance and operate in a corporate socially responsible manner.

In the long term, the Company will continue to focus on creating and maximising shareholders value by leveraging its key competitive strengths, including:

Strategic location - The Ovoot Tolgoi Mine is located approximately 40km from China, which represents the Company's main coal market. The Company has an infrastructure advantage, being approximately 50km from a major Chinese coal distribution terminal with rail connections to key coal markets in China.

- The Ovoot Tolgoi Mine is located approximately 40km from China, which represents the Company's main coal market. The Company has an infrastructure advantage, being approximately 50km from a major Chinese coal distribution terminal with rail connections to key coal markets in China. A large reserves base - The Ovoot Tolgoi Deposit has mineral reserves of more than 90 million tonnes.

The Ovoot Tolgoi Deposit has mineral reserves of more than 90 million tonnes. Several growth options - The Company has several growth options including the Soumber Deposit and Zag Suuj Deposit, located approximately 20km east and approximately 150km east of the Ovoot Tolgoi Mine, respectively.

- The Company has several growth options including the Soumber Deposit and Zag Suuj Deposit, located approximately 20km east and approximately 150km east of the Ovoot Tolgoi Mine, respectively. Bridge between China and Mongolia - The Company is well-positioned to capture the resulting business opportunities between China and Mongolia. The Company will seek assistance and support from its two largest shareholders, which are both experienced coal mining enterprises in China, and have a strong operational record for the past decade in Mongolia.

NON-IFRS FINANCIAL MEASURES

Cash Costs

The Company uses cash costs to describe its cash production and associated cash costs incurred in bringing the inventories to their present locations and conditions. Cash costs incorporate all production costs, which include direct and indirect costs of production, with the exception of idled mine asset costs and non-cash expenses which are excluded. Non-cash expenses include share-based compensation expense, impairment of coal stockpile inventories, depreciation and depletion of property, plant and equipment and mineral properties. The Company uses this performance measure to monitor its operating cash costs internally and believes this measure provides investors and analysts with useful information about the Company's underlying cash costs of operations. The Company believes that conventional measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS do not fully illustrate the ability of its mining operations to generate cash flows. The Company reports cash costs on a sales basis. This performance measure is commonly utilised in the mining industry.

Summarised Comprehensive Income Information

(Expressed in thousands of USD, except for share and per share amounts)

Summarised Financial Position Information

(Expressed in thousands of USD)

REVIEW OF INTERIM RESULTS

The condensed consolidated interim financial statements for the Company for the three months ended March 31, 2024, which are unaudited but have been reviewed by the audit committee of the Company.

The Company's results for the quarter ended March 31, 2024, are contained in the unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements and Management Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, available on the SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.ca and the Company's website at www.southgobi.com .

ABOUT SOUTHGOBI

SouthGobi, listed on the HKEX and TSX-V, owns and operates its ?agship Ovoot Tolgoi coal mine in Mongolia. It also holds the mining licenses of its other metallurgical and thermal coal deposits in South Gobi Region of Mongolia. SouthGobi produces and sells coal to customers in China.

Contact:

Investor Relations

Email: info@southgobi.com

Mr. Ruibin Xu

Chief Executive Officer

Office: +852 2156 1438 (Hong Kong)

+1 604 762 6783 (Canada)

Website: www.southgobi.com

Except for statements of fact relating to the Company, certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterised by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "could", "should", "seek", "likely", "estimate" and other similar words or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements relate to management's future outlook and anticipated events or results and are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the time the statements are made. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding:

the Company continuing as a going concern and its ability to realise its assets and discharge its liabilities in the normal course of operations as they become due;

adjustments to the amounts and classifications of assets and liabilities in the Company's condensed consolidated interim financial statements and the impact thereof;

the Company's expectations of sufficient liquidity and capital resources to meet its ongoing obligations and future contractual commitments, including the Company's ability to settle its trade payables, to secure additional funding and to meet its obligations under each of the JDZF Convertible Debenture, the 2024 March Deferral Agreement and the 2024 April Deferral Agreement as the same become due, the Company's ability to settle or appeal the tax penalty payable of $75.0 million imposed by the MTA and a provision of additional late tax penalty of $10.1 million;

the Company's anticipated financing needs, operational and development plans and future production levels, including ramp up of the Company's mining operations and capacity in 2024;

the results and impact of the Ontario class action (as described under section Regulatory Issues and Contingencies of this press release under the heading entitled "Class Action Lawsuit ");

"); the estimates and assumptions included in the Company's impairment analysis and the possible impact of changes thereof;

renewal of the Company's cooperation agreement with the local Mongolian custom office by the second quarter of 2024;

the agreement with Ejin Jinda and the payments thereunder (as described under section Regulatory Issues and Contingencies of this press release under the heading entitled "Toll Wash Plant Agreement with Ejin Jinda");

the ability of the Company to enhance the operational efficiency and output throughput of the washing facilities at Ovoot Tolgoi;

the ability of the Company to enhance the product value by conducting coal processing and coal washing;

the impact of the Company's activities on the environment and actions taken for the purpose of mitigation of potential environmental impacts and planned focus on health, safety and environmental performance;

the future demand for coal in China;

future trends in the Chinese coal industry;

the Company's outlook and objectives for 2024 and beyond (as more particularly described under Outlook of this press release); and

other statements that are not historical facts.

Forward-looking information is based on certain factors and assumptions described below and elsewhere in this press release, including, among other things: the current mine plan for the Ovoot Tolgoi mine; mining, production, construction and exploration activities at the Company's mineral properties; the costs relating to anticipated capital expenditures; the capacity and future toll rate of the paved highway; plans for the progress of mining license application processes; mining methods; the Company's anticipated business activities, planned expenditures and corporate strategies; management's business outlook, including the outlook for 2024 and beyond; currency exchange rates; operating, labour and fuel costs; the ability of the Company to raise additional financing; the anticipated royalties payable under Mongolia's royalty regime; the ability of the Company to settle or appeal the tax penalty payable of $75.0 million imposed by the MTA and a provision of additional late tax penalty of $10.1 million; there being no impediment to the Company renewing its cooperation agreement with the local Mongolian custom office; the future coal market conditions in China and the related impact on the Company's margins and liquidity; the anticipated demand for the Company's coal products; future coal prices, and the level of worldwide coal production. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on the information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect. Forward-looking statements are 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. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things: the uncertain nature of mining activities, actual capital and operating costs exceeding management's estimates; variations in mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates; failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; the possible impacts of changes in mine life, useful life or depreciation rates on depreciation expenses; risks associated with, or changes to regulatory requirements (including environmental regulations) and the ability to obtain all necessary regulatory approvals; the potential expansion of the list of licenses published by the Government of Mongolia covering areas in which exploration and mining are purportedly prohibited on certain of the Company's mining licenses; the Government of Mongolia designating any one or more of the Company's mineral projects in Mongolia as a Mineral Deposit of Strategic Importance; the risk that the Company is unable to successfully settle or appeal the tax penalty payable of $75.0 million imposed by the MTA and a provision of additional late tax penalty of $10.1 million (as described under section "Significant Events and Highlights" of this press release under the heading entitled "Additional Tax and Tax Penalty Imposed by MTA"); the risk that the import coal quality standards established by Chinese authorities will negatively impact the Company's operations; the risk that Mongolia's southern borders with China will be subject for further closure; the risk that the Company's existing coal inventories are unable to sufficiently satisfy expected sales demand; the possible impact of changes to the inputs to the valuation model used to value the embedded derivatives in the Convertible Debenture; the risk of the Company or its subsidiaries default under its existing debt obligations, including the Convertible Debenture, the 2024 March Deferral Agreement and the 2024 April Deferral Agreement; the risk that the local Mongolian custom fails denies the Company's application to renew its cooperation agreement; the impact of amendments to, or the application of, the laws of Mongolia, China and other countries in which the Company carries on business; modifications to existing practices so as to comply with any future permit conditions that may be imposed by regulators; delays in obtaining approvals and lease renewals; the risk of fluctuations in coal prices and changes in China and world economic conditions; the outcome of the Class Action (as described under section "Regulatory Issues and Contingencies" of this press release under the heading entitled "Class Action Lawsuit") and any damages payable by the Company as a result; the risk that the calculated sales price determined by the Company for the purposes of determining the amount of royalties payable to the Mongolian government is deemed as being "non-market" under Mongolian tax law; customer credit risk; cash flow and liquidity risks; risks relating to the Company's decision to suspend activities relating to the development of the Ceke Logistics Park project, including the risk that its investment partner may initiate legal action against the Company for failing to comply with the underlying agreements governing project development; risks relating to the ability of the Company to enhance the operational efficiency and the output throughput of the washing facilities at Ovoot Tolgoi; the risk that the Company is unable to successfully negotiate an extension of the agreement with the third party contractor relating to the operation of the wash plant at the Ovoot Tolgoi mine site and risks relating to the Company's ability to raise additional financing and to continue as a going concern. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements.

Due to assumptions, risks and uncertainties, including the assumptions, risks and uncertainties identified above and elsewhere in this press release, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. The Company uses forward-looking statements because it believes such statements provide useful information with respect to the currently expected future operations and financial performance of the Company, and cautions readers that the information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release; they should not rely upon this information as of any other date.

The English text of this press release shall prevail over the Chinese text in case of inconsistencies.

Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: SouthGobi Resources Ltd.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Patient advocacy groups form global collaborative to address unmet needs in CTCL, with support from Kyowa Kirin

Consensus statement highlights 12 recommendations for healthcare authorities, hospitals, and clinicians to drive positive change for the global CTCL patient community

Kyowa Kirin, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Kyowa Kirin Co. Ltd, today announced the publication of a patient-focused global consensus statement 'Time to Act: A Global Patient-Focused Consensus for Improving the Care of Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma (CTCL) developed in collaboration with patient advocacy groups.

The statement calls on healthcare authorities, hospitals, and clinicians to undertake 12 specific actions to enhance awareness, diagnosis, care, and support for people impacted by CTCL, which encompasses several types of rare blood cancer that primarily manifest in the skin.

The consensus statement is the inaugural output of the CTCL Global Care Collaborative, a newly established group united by a shared mission to reduce the time to an accurate diagnosis and improve the quality of care and support for people living with CTCL. Kyowa Kirin organizes and funds the group.

The Collaborative is focused on driving long-term change in four priority areas improving awareness of CTCL amongst healthcare professionals (HCPs); improving time to diagnosis and awareness of disease staging; ensuring all patients have access to appropriate care; and empowering patients with the information they need to make informed decisions. The insights informing the group's work reflect global perspectives, the unique needs of the patient community, and international nuances.

Dallas Pounds, Director of Services for Lymphoma Action UK, a patient organization in the Collaborative, said: "I've witnessed the debilitating challenges of misdiagnoses, delayed treatment, and unequal access to care for those living with CTCL. The consensus statement is an important publication for the global CTCL community, addressing the issues in disease awareness, access to care, and patient communication. It's a vital milestone for those living with CTCL, and I'm proud that patient organizations have united from across the world to drive change in healthcare systems for the benefit of those struggling with this debilitating disease."

CTCL can have debilitating physical, emotional, and social challenges. These are difficult enough to contend with, but their burden may be compounded by issues in testing, diagnosis, and care. Notably, in its most prominent subtype of mycosis fungoides (MF), the average time to diagnosis is 3-4 years. Like many rare diseases, issues in diagnosis may come from limited awareness and symptoms being mistaken for more common conditions. Once diagnosed, further health system issues, such as inaccurate disease staging and inequitable access to care, represent additional barriers for some patients. The Collaborative is dedicated to addressing these unmet needs globally.

Jeremy Morgan, President, Kyowa Kirin International, commented: "At Kyowa Kirin, one of our core values is Commitment to Life, ensuring the patient perspective is at the heart of everything we do. Testament to this value is our role as one of the founding partners of the CTCL Global Care Collaborative. We're honoured to be working with the CTCL community to help address long-standing issues in diagnosis, care, and support. These are unmet needs that have persisted in CTCL, and together I am confident we can drive transformational change in healthcare systems globally."

To learn more about CTCL, the Global Care Collaborative, and the 12 recommendations, click here.

About the CTCL Global Care Collaborative

The CTCL Global Care Collaborative aims to address the unmet needs faced by people living with CTCL, which encompasses several types of rare blood cancer that primarily manifest in the skin.

The Collaborative is organized and funded by Kyowa Kirin, a co-founder of the group.

It is comprised of global patient organizations the Cutaneous Lymphoma Foundation and Lymphoma Coalition; national patient organizations Lymphoma Action (UK), the Portuguese Association against Leukemia and Lymphoma APCL (Portugal), the Spanish Association of People Affected by Lymphoma, Myeloma and Leukemia AEAL (Spain), Stichting Huid Lymfoom (the Netherlands) and Haukrebs-Netzwerk Deutschland e.V. (Germany); Selbsthilfe Kutane Lymphome (Germany), Korea Blood Disease and Cancer Association (South Korea), and House086 (China); and Kyowa Kirin, a Japan based Global Specialty Pharmaceutical Company.

The physical and psychosocial burdens of CTCL can have a profound impact on those living with the disease. However, these burdens may be compounded by problems with testing, diagnosis, and care. This is why the Collaborative's mission is to drive reform of healthcare systems globally and resolve the unmet needs that have persisted for those living with CTCL.

To read the full press release, click here.

KKI/INT/MOG/1078

Date of preparation: May 2024

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240514480465/en/

Contacts:

Stacey Minton

Stacey.Minton@kyowakirin.com
"Project 4," a pro bono initiative by Oxylabs , is delighted to announce its collaboration with new members - "Global Witness," "The Ferret," and ISM University of Management and Economics . These partnerships mark the company's commitment to making public web intelligence insights accessible to all, thus enabling critical research questions and missions at the scale of global web data.

The speed and automation of gathering and analyzing web data are crucial for various organizations to support their research efforts and missions. Automated public web data collection tools can drastically enhance the effectiveness of environmental monitoring, investigative reporting, or academic research, enabling researchers to gather real-time insights swiftly and, by doing so, dedicate their time to in-depth analysis.

Julius Cerniauskas, CEO of Oxylabs, expressed his enthusiasm about new collaborations, "These new partnerships highlight the critical role of public web data collection solutions in diverse fields, from environmental advocacy to human rights and political research. We're excited to see how our partners utilize our tools to drive meaningful change and contribute to a better tomorrow."

"Project 4" partnered with "Global Witness" - an independent, not-for-profit organization. For over 25 years, Global Witness has investigated and exposed environmental and human rights abuses in the oil, gas, mining, and timber sectors and tracked ill-gotten money and influence through the global financial and political system. Through this collaboration, the organization receives complimentary access to Oxylabs' cutting-edge web scraping solutions.

"Responsible and ethical web scraping is an important part of Global Witness's data investigations to uncover corruption at the heart of the climate crisis. We appreciate that "Project 4" will give us access to Oxylabs products that will facilitate our search for publicly available information about the activities of fossil fuel representatives," - said Dr. Emily Clough, Head of Data Investigations at Global Witness.

Petra Matijevic, data journalist at The Ferret - an award-winning investigative journalism platform for Scotland and beyond, added: "We're excited about partnering with "Project 4". Oxylabs' tools will help us automate our misinformation and political monitoring. A lot of the data we're interested in resides across fragmented public sources. Powerful and reliable web scrapers will simplify our information gathering and boost our investigations."

Additionally, "Project 4" has partnered with ISM University of Management and Economics and Vincentas Vobolevicius, Economics and Politics Programme Director. ISM receives pro-bono access to Oxylabs' world's largest ethically sourced proxy network, which will help to create a publicly accessible ranking of the members of the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania. This ranking will be valuable for informed voter decision-making in upcoming elections next fall.

"The infrastructure provided pro bono by Oxylabs has helped political scientists at ISM University create an original online tool that allows voters to visually compare the similarities between members of parliament and factions based on their voting on legislative projects in various areas of state governance. We are grateful to "Project 4beta" for their constructive and warm cooperation," - stated Vincentas Vobolevicius, Economics and Politics Programme Director at ISM.

"Project 4" has already forged partnerships with dozens of organizations, including Bellingcat , the Environmental Protection Department of Lithuania, and members from academic institutions, such as the University of Edinburgh and Birmingham City University , to name a few.

Oxylabs extends its invitation to academia, researchers, NGOs and other organizations working towards public good to join the pro bono program and get free access to Oxylabs' know-how and robust web intelligence collection solutions.

About Oxylabs:

Established in 2015, Oxylabs is a web intelligence acquisition solution and premium proxy provider, enabling companies of all sizes to utilize the power of big data. Constant innovation, an extensive patent portfolio, and a focus on ethics have allowed Oxylabs to become a global leader in the web intelligence collection industry and forge close ties with dozens of Fortune Global 500 companies. In 2022, 2023 and 2024, Oxylabs was named Europe's fastest-growing web intelligence acquisition company in the Financial Times' FT 1000 list. For more information, please visit: https://oxylabs.io/

SOURCE: Oxylabs

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 14, 2024) - Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. (CSE: API) (OTCQX: APAAF) (FSE: A0I0) (MUN: A0I0) (BER: A0I0) (the "Company" or "Appia") announced today the results from the newly identified exploration targets Taygeta and Merope. A total of 111 samples from 18 auger drill holes were assayed by SGS-GEOSOL Laboratories in Vespasiano, Brazil. The results confirm that the regolith developed over the Ipora Granite presented significant enrichment of Heavy Rare Earth Oxides (HREO), characteristic of the Ionic Adsorption Clay (IAC) rare earth elements (REE) deposits identified at other PCH target zones.

Stephen Burega, President, commented, "These initial results from the auger drill program are very promising, and provide us with a strong indication that the PCH project can host multiple new IAC REE mineralized areas in addition to the resource already identified in our maiden Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) completed by SGS Canada. Additionally, these new target zones are considerably larger in total area as compared to the Target IV. Desorption test results will be reported once received."

Highlights

The new targets are in the Eastern portion of the PCH claims, approximately 15 km East from Target IV and the Buriti Zone (see Figure 1).

Selected intercepts for Heavy Rare Earth Oxide (HREO), Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO), Dysprosium plus Terbium oxides (Dy+Tb) and Praseodymium plus Neodymium oxides (Nd+Pr) grades in Parts Per Millions (ppm): PCH-AH-190 - 4m@ 1848ppm TREO, 1138ppm HREO, 106ppm Dy+Tb, 205ppm Nd+Pr from 1m. PCH-AH-193 - 5m@ 1254ppm TREO, 270ppm HREO, 29ppm Dy+Tb, 217ppm Nd+Pr from 1m. PCH-AH-194 - 2m@ 1175ppm TREO, 274ppm HREO, 31ppm Dy+Tb, 257ppm Nd+Pr from 4m. PCH-AH-199 - 2m@ 1131ppm TREO, 276ppm HREO, 30ppm Dy+Tb, 209ppm Nd+Pr from 2m. PCH-AH-201 - 4m@ 1022ppm TREO, 245ppm HREO, 28ppm Dy+Tb, 211ppm Nd+Pr from 2m. PCH-AH-202 - 8m@ 1696ppm TREO, 1070ppm HREO, 101ppm Dy+Tb, 172ppm Nd+Pr from 0m. PCH-AH-204 - 5m@ 1267ppm TREO, 754ppm HREO, 75ppm Dy+Tb, 168ppm Nd+Pr from 1m. PCH-AH-207 - 6m@ 1025 ppm TREO, 262ppm HREO, 29ppm Dy+Tb, 196ppm Nd+Pr from 3m.

The grade distribution signature found at depth in the auger drill holes is compatible with the pattern commonly found on IAC REE deposits (see Figures 2 and 3).

The Taygeta and Merope targets cover an area of 546 and 1,134 hectares respectively.

These first phase auger drill holes average 6.22 metres in depth, and most ended in mineralization leaving the interval open at depth.

Intercepts of all auger drill holes are presented in Table 1. The full set of results are included in this LINK.

Tom Drivas, CEO, stated, "Building on our recent news confirming the presence of IAC mineralization through desorption testing, I am extremely excited by the identification of new, large scale targets across the PCH project which are underlain by the IAC mineralization produced by these weathered Ipora granites. We have a lot of work to do over the coming months to fully delineate these new target zones, and to assess the implications of their addition to our maiden MRE, and true value to the marketplace."

Table 1 - Intercepts from all auger holes on targets Taygeta and Merope. For a full list of results, please click here.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5416/209087_table1.png

*Total Rare Earth Oxides: TREO = Y2O3 + Eu2O3 + Gd2O3 + Tb4O7 + Dy2O3 + Ho2O3 + Er2O3 + Tm2O3 + Yb2O3 + Lu2O3 + La2O3 + Ce2O3 + Pr2O3 + Nd2O3 + Sm2O3

*Heavy Rare Earth Oxides: HREO = Gd2O3 + Tb4O7 + Dy2O3 + Ho2O3 + Er2O3 + Tm2O3 + Yb2O3 + Lu2O3 + Y2O3

*Nd+Pr Oxides= Nd2O3+Pr2O3

*Dy+Tb Oxides= Dy2O3+Tb4O7

*Element to Oxide Conversion Factor - Cerium Ce2O3 1.1713, Cerium CeO2 1.2284, Dysprosium Dy2O3 1.1477, Erbium Er2O3 1.1435, Europium Eu2O3 1.1579, Gadolinium Gd2O3 1.1526, Holmium Ho2O3 1.1455, Lanthanum La2O3 1.1728, Lutetium Lu2O3 1.1371, Neodymium Nd2O3 1.1664, Praseodymium Pr2O3 1.1703, Praseodymium Pr6O11 1.2082, Samarium Sm2O3 1.1596, Terbium Tb2O3 1.1510, Terbium Tb4O7 1.1762, Thulium Tm2O3 1.1421, Yttrium Y2O3 1.2699, Ytterbium Yb2O3 1.1387

Figure 1 - Map presenting the exploration auger drill holes location and targets.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5416/209087_appia_figure1.png

Figure 2 - Strip log of selected auger holes from Taygeta Target.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5416/209087_appia_figure2.png

Figure 3 - Strip log of selected auger holes from Merope Target.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5416/209087_appia_figure3.png

Andre Costa, VP Exploration for Brazil, commented, "The confirmation of these new targets opens the prospect of finding new exploration targets associated with the Ipora Granite across the entirety of the PCH project area which covers an impressive +40,000 hectares. Auger samples for desorbability testing are being prepared to corroborate the IAC REE mineralization in Taygeta and Merope targets. Delineation drilling will follow upon favorable desorption results."

On March 1st, 2024, the Company announced its maiden Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) on Target IV and the Buriti Zone (Click here for the Press Release), and the companion NI 43-101 technical report on the PCH Project was filed on April 16th, 2024. (Click here for the Press Release)

John Tumazos Very Independent Research Presentation

Appia invites you to register for a webinar on May 14th at 9:45 AM EDT, Eastern Daylight Time (North America) with Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp.'s President, Mr. Stephen Burega and VP of Exploration, Brazil, Mr. Andre Costa, and renowned former Wall Street analyst, John Tumazos of Very Independent Research. John will dig in on the latest developments at Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp.

To register for the event click here.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

QA/QC

Auger drill holes are vertical and reported intervals are true thickness. The material produced from drill holes are sampled at one metre intervals, resulting in average sample sizes of 5-10 kg. Quartering of the material was performed at Appia's logging facility using a riffle splitter and continued splitting until a representative sample weighing approximately 500g each was obtained, bagged in a resistant plastic bag, labeled, photographed, and stored for shipment.

The bagged samples are sent to the SGS laboratory in Vespasiano, Minas Gerais. In addition to the internal QA/QC of the SGS Lab, Appia includes its own control samples in each batch of samples sent to the laboratory.

Quality control samples, such as blanks, duplicates, and standards (CRM) were inserted into each analytical run. For all analysis methods, the minimum number of QA/QC samples is one standard, one duplicate and one blank, introduced in each batch which comprise a full-length hole. The rigorous procedures are implemented during the sample collection, preparation, and analytical stages to insure the robustness and reliability of the analytical results.

All analytical results reported herein have passed internal QA/QC review and compilation. All assay results of Auger samples were provided by SGS Geosol, an ISO/IEC 17025:2005 Certified Laboratory, which performed their measure of the concentration of rare earth elements (REE) with the IMS95R analytical method that uses lithium metaborate fusion prior acid dissolution and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS).

The technical information in this news release, including the information related to geology, drilling, and mineralization, has been reviewed and approved by Andre L. L. Costa, Appia's VP Exploration for Brazil, with more than 29 years of relevant experience. Mr. Costa is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (FAIG) and is a Qualified Person (QP) as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. (Appia)

Appia is a publicly traded Canadian company in the rare earth element and uranium sectors. The Company holds the right to acquire up to a 70% interest in the PCH Ionic Adsorption Clay Project (See June 9th, 2023 Press Release - Click HERE) which is 40,963.18 ha. in size and located within the Goias State of Brazil. (See January 11th, 2024 Press Release - Click HERE) The Company is also focusing on delineating high-grade critical rare earth elements and gallium on the Alces Lake property, and exploring for high-grade uranium in the prolific Athabasca Basin on its Otherside, Loranger, North Wollaston, and Eastside properties. The Company holds the surface rights to exploration for 94,982.39 hectares (234,706.59 acres) in Saskatchewan. The Company also has a 100% interest in 13,008 hectares (32,143 acres), with rare earth elements and uranium deposits over five mineralized zones in the Elliot Lake Camp, Ontario.

Appia has 136.3 million common shares outstanding, 145 million shares fully diluted.

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements: This News Release contains forward-looking statements which are typically preceded by, followed by or including the words "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "estimates", "intends", "plans" or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance as they involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. We do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements and shareholders are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such statements.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For more information, visit www.appiareu.com

As part of our ongoing effort to keep investors, interested parties and stakeholders updated, we have several communication portals. If you have any questions online (X, Facebook, LinkedIn) please feel free to send direct messages.

To book a one-on-one 30-minute Zoom video call, please click here.

Contact:

Tom Drivas, CEO and Director

(c) (416) 876-3957

(e) tdrivas@appiareu.com

Stephen Burega, President

(c) (647) 515-3734

(e) sburega@appiareu.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/209087

SOURCE: Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp.
Highlights

Dr. Stephen J. Piercey, VMS expert, completed a lithogeochemical study of host rocks at the Company's BMK VMS Deposit and associated regional VMS targets situated on the 37 km long BMK Trend (Figure 1).

The Study confirms that the volcaniclastic- and sedimentary-rich assemblages within the BMK Trend are typical of those hosting high tonnage VMS deposits and districts globally, such as those observed in the high-grade VMS Bathurst Mining Camp, New Brunswick

New zone of precious metals, gold-silver-lead (Au-Ag-Pb) mineralization, has been identified at the BMK Deposit: Assay results from a previously unsampled interval of drill hole BR07-39 - situated below the lower zone of VMS mineralization at the BMK Deposit - returned grades of 0.84 g/t Au, 95.05 g/t Ag, & 0.48% Pb over 5.75 metres including 7.17 g/t Au, 663 g/t Ag & 4.57% Pb over 0.5 metres. The Company has identified similar lithological and alteration assemblages that are associated with the Au-Ag-Pb mineralization (Figure 3) in previously unsampled sections of other drill holes across the BMK Deposit - highlighting the prospectivity of growing the precious metals component of the Deposit in future resource updates.

Regionally, the study confirmed host lithologies and alteration types found at Main Lake (along strike to the south of BMK) and the Betty Target (located on strike to the north) are well developed and consistent with that observed at the BMK Deposit, verifying the prospectivity of the BMK Trend to host additional VMS Deposits.

Murchison Minerals Ltd. ("Murchison" or the "Company") (TSXV:MUR)(OTC PINK:MURMF) is pleased to announce results from a comprehensive Lithogeochemical Study of the Host Rocks at the BMK Deposit and associated VMS showings (the "Study") along the 37 km BMK Trend at its 100%-owned Cu-Zn-Ag-Pb-Au Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide (VMS) BMK Project in Saskatchewan.

The Study was conducted by Dr. Stephen J. Piercey (SJPGeoConsulting, St. John's, NL.), University Research Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at Memorial University, NL who is a globally recognized VMS expert. The Study focused on analyzing the geochemical signatures of the rock and alteration types at the BMK Project. Findings from the study are based on data collected from the Company's Spring 2023 re-logging and re-sampling program, which analyzed samples from a selection of drill holes from across the BMK Trend. The re-logging and sample selection was conducted by Dr. Piercey with support from Murchison's Exploration team. Results from the Study confirm the geological setting of the BMK Deposit and associated VMS showings as having formed in a volcaniclastic- and silicic-dominated dominated back-arc basin with mineralization associated with felsic volcaniclastic rocks, similar to other felsic-siliciclastic VMS districts globally, including the Bathurst Mining Camp (NB) and the Finlayson Lake district (Yukon). Results provides further evidence in support of the Company's thesis, that the BMK Project area is highly prospective to host additional VMS deposits.

As part of the Study, the Company selected drill hole BR07-39 for re-logging and re-sampling - the hole was drilled through the centre of the BMK Deposit. Assay results from an interval of BR07-39 located below the lower zone of mineralization at the BMK Deposit - an interval previously thought to be barren - returned high-grade Gold-Silver-Lead (Au-Ag-Pb) mineralization. The newly identified Au-Ag-Pb mineralization is associated with cryptic galena (Figure 3). Other drill holes across the BMK Deposit have intersected similar rock units, indicating a previously unidentified precious metals zone has been discovered. The Company is currently planning additional re-sampling to confirm the size and grade of the Gold-rich zone.

Figure 1: Plan Map showing the BMK Project Area, Prospective VMS Trends, and VMS Showings and Deposit

Figure 2- Long Section View of BMK Deposit Model, highlighting new precious metal mineralization discovered in BR07-39.

Table 1 - Assay Results from Hole BR07-39 with new and previous results highlighted

Hole ID From

(m) To

(m) Interval*

(m) Cu % Zn % Pb % Ag (g/t) Au (g/t) Historic BR07-39 304.50 307.00 2.50 0.48 6.13 0.07 20.34 0.06 *NEW* BR07-39 313.26 313.76 0.50 0.26 0.08 0.01 13.40 0.07 Historic BR07-39 316.40 322.60 6.20 0.43 3.41 0.79 37.98 0.18 *NEW* BR07-39 331.30 332.05 0.75 1.11 1.09 0.08 83.30 0.52 Historic BR07-39 334.59 340.40 5.81 0.62 10.06 0.36 40.48 0.15 Historic BR07-39 378.40 380.20 1.80 0.53 16.27 0.04 24.00 0.45 *NEW* BR07-39 383.74 384.75 1.01 0.15 0.02 0.01 15.80 0.03 *NEW* BR07-39 390.25 396.00 5.75 0.05 0.03 0.48 95.05 0.84 including 394.50 395.00 0.50 0.02 0.04 4.57 663.00 7.17

* Reported as core length, true thickness is approximately 90%.

Figure 3: Photo of BR07-39 historic drill core displaying the newly discovered cryptic galena (lead sulphide) which when sampled hosts significant gold-silver mineralization.

Murchison Minerals' Technical Advisor Dr. Stephen J. Piercey comments:

"It is nice to see the geochemistry verify what we anticipated based on the geological investigations of the drill core in 2023. The lithofacies and mineralization styles in the core are very similar to what we see in other metamorphosed felsic-siliciclastic VMS districts globally, and the lithogeochemical signatures of those rocks are also like signatures found in the host rocks in these districts. In addition, alteration signatures recorded in the host rock lithogeochemistry in the Main Lake and Betty prospects are similar to the Brabant-Mackenzie deposit illustrating that VMS alteration processes occurred elsewhere in the BMK Trend and that these areas are high-priority targets for further exploration and VMS targeting."

Murchison Minerals' Vice-President of Exploration John Shmyr comments:

"Findings from the Study demonstrate the continuation of prospective lithological and alteration assemblages along the 37 km BMK Trend, indicating the geological setting is right to host additional VMS deposits. Additionally, the new precious metals discovery at the BMK Deposit is extremely exciting and has the potential to add significant value to future resource updates. The Company is planning a robust relogging and resampling program on all off its historic drill holes at the BMK Deposit. The objective of which will be to determine the size and scale of the new zone and the potential identification of additional zones."

Table 2 - Collar Information for Hole BR07-39

Hole Easting UTM* Northing UTM* Elevation (m) Azimuth () Dip () Length (m) BR07-039 6221199 580719 380 120 -75 380

*UTM Projected Coordinate System: NAD83 UTM Zone 13N

QA/QC

Murchison has implemented and is adhering to a strict quality assurance/quality control program. NQ-size core mineralized intervals were marked by geologists during core description. The marked intervals were sampled using a core saw, one-half is kept as a witness sample at core facility in Brabant Lake, Saskatchewan and the other assigned a unique number and placed within a plastic bag. Samples were shipped directly to SRC Geoanalytical Labs in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The samples were ground and prepared for analysis by the lab using total digestion. Analyzes were performed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) for copper, zinc, lead and silver. Gold was analyzed by fire assay. Every 25th sample sent to the lab was a field duplicate (quarter core), blanks and certified reference material were also submitted approximately every 25th sample. All analyses were undertaken at SRC Geoanalytical Laboratories in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Qualifying Statement

The foregoing scientific and technical disclosures on the BMK Project have been reviewed by John Shmyr, P.Geo., VP Exploration, a registered member of the Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan. Mr. Shmyr is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. The Qualified Person has verified the data disclosed in this release, including sampling, analytical and test data underlying the information contained in this release. Mr. Shmyr consents to the inclusion in the announcement of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.

Some data disclosed in this News Release relating to sampling and drilling results is historical in nature. Neither the Company nor a qualified person has yet verified this data and therefore investors should not place undue reliance on such data. In some cases, the data may be unverifiable due to lack of drill core. Mineralization hosted on adjacent and/or nearby and/or geologically similar properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the Company's properties.

About the BMK Project

The Brabant-McKenzie Project is located 175 kilometres northeast of La Ronge, Saskatchewan and approximately three kilometres from the community of Brabant Lake. The area is accessed year-round via provincial Highway 102 and is serviced by grid power. The project hosts the Brabant-McKenzie VMS Deposit, and the mineral claims total 664 square kilometres, that cover approximately 37 kilometres of strike length of the favourable BMK trend.The project contains multiple known mineralized showings such as the Main Lake and Betty Showings and with many identified geophysical conductors that have yet to be drill tested.

Figure 4: Location map of BMK Project.

Table 3 - Mineral Resource Summary for BMK VMS Deposit

2018 BMK Deposit Resource Domain Tonnes Contained Grade Contained Metal Cu (%) Zn (%) Ag (g/t) Pb (%) Au (g/t) Cu Eq. (%) Zn Eq. (%) Cu (000 lbs) Zn (000 lbs) INDICATED MINERAL RESOURCE Lower Zone 1,200,000 0.75 8.13 48.00 0.67 0.28 5.56 11.53 19,842 215,083 Upper Zone 900,000 0.60 5.70 28.52 0.24 0.17 3.82 7.93 11,905 113,097 Total Indicated 2,100,000 0.69 7.08 39.60 0.49 0.23 4.82 9.98 31,945 327,783 INFERRED MINERAL RESOURCE Lower Zone 2,700,000 0.55 4.88 29.02 0.42 0.14 3.43 7.14 32,739 290,481 Upper Zone 4,900,000 0.57 4.22 12.46 0.06 0.08 2.79 5.81 61,575 455,871 Total Inferred 7,600,000 0.57 4.46 18.42 0.19 0.10 3.03 6.29 95,504 747,278

The above mineral resource estimate for the Brabant-McKenzie VMS Deposit was prepared by an independent qualified person ("QP") Finley Bakker, P. Geo., and has an effective date of September 4, 2018. The NI 43-101 Technical Report named Technical Report on the Resource Estimate Update for the Brabant-McKenzie Property, Brabant Lake, Saskatchewan is available on the Company's website and on SEDAR. The Mineral Resource of the Brabant-McKenzie VMS Deposit was estimated based on metal prices of USD $1.20/lb Zn, $2.50/lb Cu, $1.00/lb Pb, $16.00/Oz. Ag, and $1,200/Oz. Au, and a USD exchange rate of $1.25. A Net Smelter Return (NSR) cut-off of $90/tonne and a 3.5% zinc equivalent based on above metal prices and an average recovery of 75% for all metals.

About Murchison Minerals Ltd. (TSXV:MUR)(OTC PINK:MURMF)

Murchison is a Canadian-based exploration Company focused on the exploration and development of the 100% - owned Brabant Lake zinc-copper-silver project in north-central Saskatchewan and on nickel-copper-cobalt exploration at the 100% - owned HPM Project in Quebec.

Additional information about Murchison and its exploration projects can be found on the Company's website at www.murchisonminerals.ca. For further information, please contact:

Troy Boisjoli, President and CEO,

Erik H Martin, CFO, or

Justin LaFosse, Director Corporate Development

Tel: (416) 350-3776

info@murchisonminerals.com

Forward-Looking Information

The content and grades of any mineral deposits at the Company's properties are conceptual in nature. There has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource on the property and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in any target being delineated as a mineral resource.

Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking information that involves substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. This forward-looking information is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company, including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, and dependence upon regulatory approvals. FLI herein includes, but is not limited to: future drill results; stakeholder engagement and relationships; parameters and methods used with respect to the assay results; the prospects, if any, of the deposits; future prospects at the deposits; and the significance of exploration activities and results. FLI is designed to help you understand management's current views of its near- and longer-term prospects, and it may not be appropriate for other purposes. FLI by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such FLI. Although the FLI contained in this press release is based upon what management believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders and prospective purchasers of securities of the Company that actual results will be consistent with such FLI, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, and neither the Company nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any such FLI. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake, and assumes no obligation, to update or revise any such FLI contained herein to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by law. Unless otherwise noted, this press release has been prepared based on information available as of the date of this press release. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on the FLI or information contained herein. Furthermore, should one or more of the risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in FLI. Assumptions upon which FLI is based, without limitation, include: the ability of exploration activities to accurately predict mineralization; the accuracy of geological modelling; the ability of the Company to complete further exploration activities; the legitimacy of title and property interests in the deposits; the accuracy of key assumptions, parameters or methods used to obtain the assay results; the ability of the Company to obtain required approvals; the results of exploration activities; the evolution of the global economic climate; metal prices; environmental expectations; community and nongovernmental actions; and any impacts of COVID-19 on the deposits, the Company's financial position, the Company's ability to secure required funding, or operations. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed in the disclosure materials filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada, which are available at www.sedar.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Murchison Minerals Ltd.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Highlights:

First Results for 2024 Drill Program Return Best Ever Intersect from 4-T Trend, 400 meters East of Main Zone

Drilling Intersects 56.4 meters of 1.0 g/t Au, 18.3 meters from Surface in Drillhole JES-24-77

Including 9.2 meters of 5.3 g/t Au, 27.5 meters from surface

Top 5 Drill Result from Tocvan Programs to Date

JES-20-32, 94.6m of 1.6 g/t Au and 9 g/t Ag (RC)

JES-22-59, 116.9m of 1.2 g/t Au and 7 g/t Ag (Core)

JES-22-62, 108.6m of 0.8 g/t Au and 3 g/t Ag (Core)

JES-20-36, 24.2m of 2.5 g/t Au and 73 g/t Ag (RC)

NEW - JES-24-77, 56.4m of 1.0 g/t Au and 1 g/t Ag (RC)

Opens Up Resource Potential Along Eastern Corridor

Additional Results Pending

Tocvan Ventures Corp. (the "Company") (CSE:TOC)(OTCQB:TCVNF)(FSE:TV3), is pleased to announce first drill results from its 2024 Reverse Circulation (RC) drill program at its road accessible Pilar Gold-Silver project in mine-friendly Sonora, Mexico. A total of 1,825.4 meters has been drilled to date in 15 drillholes.

Results today are highlighted by drillhole JES-24-77 which returned 56.4 meters of 1.0 g/t Au from 18.3 meters vertical depth, including 9.2 meters of 5.3 g/t Au. The entire length of the hole returned anomalous gold values averaging 76.3 meters of 0.8 g/t Au. A high-grade center to the mineralized zone returned 5.3 g/t Au and 3 g/t Ag over 9.2 meters, including 1.5 meters of 26.7 g/t Au. Like the Main Zone, the 4-T trend is exposed at surface along a rounded ridge top, allowing the potential for a low strip ratio during early development. The hole tested near-surface mineralization and was stopped at 76.3 meters, mineralization at 4-T remains open at depth.

Results for eleven drill holes are currently pending analysis, including holes further northwest, along the 4-T trend.

"We are extremely excited with the results today highlighting the additional resource potential that exists along the several parallel trends to the Main Zone which we believe can be tied together into a sizable area." commented Brodie Sutherland, CEO. "Today's results are the best from the 4-T Trend to date and rank as a top five drill intersect in Tocvan's history of drilling at Pilar. Gold mineralization intersected in hole JES-24-77 is close to surface, projecting to workings exposed along a low rolling ridgeline much like the Main Zone. This allows for low-strip ratio potential in future mine development, reducing costs for extraction. We are confident the 4-T Trend will continue to develop into another key resource area for Pilar, being just 400 meters from the heart of our Main Zone. Part of our bulk sample was extracted from 4-T adding to that confidence of resource viability. More results from the trend are pending. As for our exploration drill targets, it is still early in testing these areas and the data available suggests more work is needed to fully evaluate and target mineralization. Surface mapping and geochemistry strongly suggests the known trends extend to the southeast and northwest, while new trends have yet to be tested. Recent sampling across the expansion area supports this thesis, indicating much more is to be uncovered."

Figure 1. Summary map of today's drill highlight and surrounding surface results. JES-24-77 returned 56.4m of 1.0 g/t Au, 400m east of the Main Zone trend.

In addition, three exploration holes on the southeastern flanks of known mineralization (JES-24-74, 75 and 76) are also included in this release, testing known areas of significant surface mineralization. Although anomalous intervals were encountered, no significant mineralization has been recorded yet.

Discussion of Results

JES-24-77

The drillhole targeted near surface mineralization vertically below the Four Trench (4-T) prospect. The Prospect gets its name from four trenches completed historically across a known area of artisanal underground workings. The prospect was first drilled in 1996 by Santa Catalina, a Lundin Company evaluating Pilar. First drilling hit 7.5 meters of 3.3 g/t Au and 31 g/t Ag in drillhole K-16 (hole was stopped at 7.5m). Follow-up drilling over 15 years later by a private operator returned 30.5 meters of 0.7 g/t Au (JESP-18). In 2021, Tocvan drilled 15.3 meters of 1.1 g/t Au along the same ridgeline 300 meters to the northwest. The result released today from JES-24-77 is the most significant result along the 4-T trend drilled to date and ranks as the fifth best drill result ever from the over 60 drillholes Tocvan has completed thus far at Pilar. JES-24-77 was a vertical drillhole testing the down-dip projection of surface mineralization, successfully intersecting several zones of low-grade gold and silver and one high-grade zone. Follow-up work is to be completed along this developing trend.

Exploration Drill Results

Drillholes JES-24-74 and 75 tested an area southeast of the Main Zone where local surface mineralization hosted along structures and veins had returned 5.1 g/t Au and 24 g/t Ag. Although no significant mineralization was recorded in these holes, anomalous values of silver warrant further investigation. Drillhole JES-24-76 tested the southernmost flank of the 4-T trend, alteration and veining was recorded in logging although no significant mineralization was recorded.

Figure 2. Pilar Project Planview map showing the southern block made up of the Pilar Main Zone and the newly discovered placer source with additional gold-silver mineralization extending to the south. Within the northern block, a large alteration zone that spans 3.3 km by 1.5 km (North Alteration Zone) has returned high-grade gold and silver values in the first few sampling programs across the newly acquired area.

Table 1. Summary of Drill Results Released Today from Pilar Project Drill Hole JES-24-77.

All interval lengths are drilled widths.

Table 2. Drillhole locations released today.

About the Pilar Property

The Pilar Gold-Silver property has returned some of the regions best drill results. Coupled with encouraging gold and silver recovery results from metallurgical test work, Pilar is primed to be a potential near-term producer. Pilar is interpreted as a structurally controlled low-sulphidation epithermal system hosted in andesite rocks. Initially three primary zones of mineralization were identified on the original property from historic surface work and drilling and are referred to as the Main Zone, North Hill and 4-T. Each trend remains open to the southeast and north and new parallel zones have been discovered. Structural features and zones of mineralization within the structures follow an overall NW-SE trend of mineralization. Mineralization extends along a 1.2-km trend, only half of that trend has been drill tested so far. The Company has now expanded its interest in the area by consolidating 22 square-kilometers of highly prospective ground where it has already made significant surface discoveries.

Pilar Drill Highlights:

2022 Phase III Diamond Drilling Highlights include (all lengths are drilled thicknesses):

116.9m @ 1.2 g/t Au, including 10.2m @ 12 g/t Au and 23 g/t Ag

108.9m @ 0.8 g/t Au, including 9.4m @ 7.6 g/t Au and 5 g/t Ag

63.4m @ 0.6 g/t Au and 11 g/t Ag, including 29.9m @ 0.9 g/t Au and 18 g/t Ag

2021 Phase II RC Drilling Highlights include ( all lengths are drilled thicknesses ):

39.7m @ 1.0 g/t Au, including 1.5m @ 14.6 g/t Au

47.7m @ 0.7 g/t Au including 3m @ 5.6 g/t Au and 22 g/t Ag

29m @ 0.7 g/t Au

35.1m @ 0.7 g/t Au

2020 Phase I RC Drilling Highlights include (all lengths are drilled thicknesses):

94.6m @ 1.6 g/t Au, including 9.2m @ 10.8 g/t Au and 38 g/t Ag;

41.2m @ 1.1 g/t Au, including 3.1m @ 6.0 g/t Au and 12 g/t Ag ;

24.4m @ 2.5 g/t Au and 73 g/t Ag, including 1.5m @ 33.4 g/t Au and 1,090 g/t Ag

15,000m of Historic Core & RC drilling. Highlights include:

21.0m @ 38.3 g/t Au and 38 g/t Ag

13.0m @ 9.6 g/t Au

9.0m @ 10.2 g/t Au and 46 g/t Ag

61.0m @ 0.8 g/t Au

Pilar Bulk Sample Summary:

62% Recovery of Gold Achieved Over 46-day Leaching Period

Head Grade Calculated at 1.9 g/t Au and 7 g/t Ag; Extracted Grade Calculated at 1.2 g/t Au and 3 g/t Ag

Bulk Sample Only Included Coarse Fraction of Material (+3/4" to +1/8")

Fine Fraction (-1/8") Indicates Rapid Recovery with Agitated Leach

Agitated Bottle Roll Test Returned Rapid and High Recovery Results: 80% Recovery of Gold and 94% Recovery of Silver after Rapid 24-hour Retention Time

Additional Metallurgical Studies:

Gravity Recovery with Agitated Leach Results of Five Composite Samples Returned

95 to 99% Recovery of Gold

73 to 97% Recovery of Silver

Includes the Recovery of 99% Au and 73% Ag from Drill Core Composite at 120-meter depth.

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.

Quality Assurance / Quality Control

RC samples were shipped for sample preparation to ALS Limited in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico and for analysis at the ALS laboratory in North Vancouver. The ALS Hermosillo and North Vancouver facilities are ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 17025 certified. Gold was analyzed using 50-gram nominal weight fire assay with atomic absorption spectroscopy finish. Over limits for gold (>10 g/t), were analyzed using fire assay with a gravimetric finish. Silver and other elements were analyzed using a four-acid digestion with an ICP finish. Over limit analyses for silver (>100 g/t) were re-assayed using an ore-grade four-acid digestion with ICP-AES finish. Control samples comprising certified reference samples and blank samples were systematically inserted into the sample stream and analyzed as part of the Company's robust quality assurance / quality control protocol.

Brodie A. Sutherland, CEO for Tocvan Ventures 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.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

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 4A4

403-829-9877

bsutherland@tocvan.ca

The Howard Group

Jeff Walker

VP Howard Group Inc.

403-221-0915

jeff@howardgroupinc.com

SOURCE: Tocvan Ventures Corp

View the original press release on accesswire.com
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / CBRE Group, Inc.

CBRE

Executive Summary

With more people driving electric vehicles (EVs), commercial property owners and large occupiers are installing EV charging stations as a crucial amenity. Last year, workplace charging sessions grew twice as fast as new installations, indicating an inability to keep pace with rising driver demand.

The use of public transportation has decreased with the rise of hybrid work schedules, leading to an increase in vehicle traffic and changed commuting patterns.

Post-pandemic workplace charging in North America became more concentrated from Tuesdays through Thursdays and in alignment with the highest office attendance days, according to ChargePoint, North America's largest public networked charging port provider.

Providing EV charging stations at workplaces is not only vital for accommodating the rapidly growing EV market, but also contributes to achieving environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals.

New workplace EV charging installations present a major opportunity for U.S. office property owners and large occupiers. More people are driving EVs due to government purchase incentives, environmental consciousness and an expanding charging infrastructure. EV drivers charge more often than gasoline drivers fill up because they tend to top-off rather than deplete batteries, making charging at workplaces a valuable amenity.

Last year, the U.S. was one of the world's fastest-growing countries for EV sales, with sales up 50% year-over-year, according to BloombergNEF. EVs sold in the U.S. last year represented 9.2% of new light-duty vehicle sales and accounted for about 1.6% of all light-duty registered vehicles.1 The largest and fastest-growing U.S. EV markets are California, Florida, Texas, Washington, New Jersey and New York. About 37% of all U.S.-registered EVs are in California.

Looking ahead, BNEF predicted that U.S. EV registrations will grow at an average rate of 40% annually over the next five years, potentially reaching 26 million by 2028. However, in April, it issued a revised forecast of 31% year-over-year sales growth in 2024, suggesting a near-term slowdown.

Active workplace charging ports from ChargePoint increased by 22% year-over-year in 2023.2 The number of unique drivers actively charging in workplace settings grew by 57% over the same time period. This surge in activity led to a 64% increase in charging sessions and higher utilization of existing ports. There was an average of twelve drivers per active port in 2023 compared with an average of eight pre-pandemic (2018-2019). This indicates that the growth of workplace charging ports has not kept up with rising driver demand and evolving commuting patterns.

The pandemic changed the frequency, destination and transportation mode for people commuting to work, with geographic variations. CBRE's Spring 2023 U.S. Office Occupier Sentiment Survey revealed that office workplace attendance policies became more decisive in 2023. Two-thirds of the 207 real estate executives surveyed mandated some office attendance, while only 30% have voluntary return-to-office (RTO) policies, a decrease from over half the prior year. Technology companies had the most flexible RTO policies, with only 26% requiring employees to be in the office more than 2.5 days per week. In contrast, over half of the respondents in the financial and professional services sectors required more than 2.5 days per week in the office.

People are using public transportation less as hybrid work schedules become increasingly common. Total U.S. public transit usage in 2023 was 71% of pre-pandemic levels, according to the American Public Transportation Association. Meanwhile, vehicle traffic volumes in California have nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels, though the timing and dispersion of congestion has shifted.3 This shift suggests changes in the day of week and time of day that drivers are commuting to their workplaces. For EV drivers, ChargePoint data shows increases in charging sessions that align with RTO schedules.

Kastle Systems data shows office attendance is highest across all markets on Tuesdays through Thursdays and lowest on Mondays and Fridays. According to ChargePoint, popular workplace charging days similarly shifted from Mondays through Thursdays in 2018-2019 to Tuesdays through Thursdays in 2022-2023. Austin, TX had the most change, transitioning from relatively flat charging behavior from Mondays through Fridays to peak charging occurring on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with a significant decline on Fridays. However, charging trends vary across top U.S. EV markets. For example, more Texans than Californians charge their vehicles at the workplace over the weekend, while Californians are more likely to do so on weekdays. This is partly due to better availability of charging infrastructure away from workplaces. The average time of day to start charging sessions remained consistent with pre-pandemic trends, peaking in the morning with a smaller surge around lunchtime.

Outlook

Workplace EV charging has become a valuable amenity, with roughly 70% of prime U.S. office buildings equipped with charging ports.4 CBRE's Occupier Survey reported that 30% of companies favor offices with EV chargers, a preference that rises to 40% at large companies. While charging alone may not be enough to bring workers back to the office, it could incentivize them to visit more and stay longer to charge their vehicles. On the ChargePoint network, 63% of workplace chargers are free for authorized users, who are typically employees.

EV chargers are increasingly recognized as a strategic asset for companies seeking to draw more employees back to the office and for property owners seeking to attract and retain tenants. Workplace charging sessions accounted for 28% of all charging sessions on the ChargePoint network in 2023, second only to the 40% share of home charging. Providing smart EV charging at workplaces is, therefore, crucial to accommodating the rapidly growing EV market while helping to achieve corporate ESG goals.

1 Registration data from U.S. Department of Energy, 2022. CBRE estimated 2023 EV registrations using sales data.

2 Includes general, government and municipal workplaces in the U.S. and Canada, but excludes retail and places open to the public.

3 National Library of Medicine. "Rush hour-and-a-half: Traffic is spreading out post-lockdown." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10499251/

4 Includes about 10% of U.S. office building inventory by sq. ft.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from CBRE Group, Inc. on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: CBRE Group, Inc.

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/cbre-group-inc

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: CBRE Group, Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Important milestone towards realization of 100 MW-class alkaline-water electrolysis systems

The Japanese technology company Asahi Kasei is further accelerating its hydrogen business activities. On May 13, company representatives and partners including the Japanese government celebrated the official opening of a new hydrogen pilot plant in Kawasaki, Japan. Operation start of this commercial-scale facility was in March 2024. The trial operation of four 0.8 MW modules is another milestone towards the realization of a commercial multi-module 100 MW-class alkaline water electrolysis system for green hydrogen production.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240514748940/en/

Asahi Kasei's multi-module hydrogen pilot plant in Kawasaki (Photo: Business Wire)

The hydrogen market is going to expand rapidly in the coming years. According to the Hydrogen Council, cumulative global installed capacity of water electrolyzers forecasted to reach approximately 300 GW by 2030. To meet this increasing demand, Asahi Kasei is currently developing the Aqualyzer alkaline water electrolyzer optimized for the production of green hydrogen.

In order to test this new system under realistic conditions in a multi-module setup, the company started constructing a pilot plant at its manufacturing site in Kawasaki in November 2022. The new facility started operation in March 2024, and on May 13, company representatives and partners gathered in Kawasaki to celebrate its official opening.

Multi-module approach for easy scale-up

Masami Takenaka, Lead Executive Officer at Asahi Kasei and responsible for the company's hydrogen business, said, "This pilot facility is milestone not only for Asahi Kasei, but also for the global hydrogen business in general. We believe that successfully operating our equipment in this test facility will be a door opener for commercial large-scale multi-module alkaline water electrolyzers and eventually the realization of a hydrogen society".

For the production of green hydrogen, electrolysis systems need to respond to fluctuating power supply from renewable energy sources such as wind or solar. In the pilot plant, four 0.8 MW Aqualyzer modules are being operated under realistic conditions, including operation during maintenance and low power supply during nighttime. In addition, the equipment is designed to simulate fluctuating power input from solar or wind power. By utilizing the data obtained from these trials, Asahi Kasei will further optimize the equipment design, operation methods, and control technology of the electrolysis system. With its multi-module approach, Asahi Kasei aims to combine up to ten modules with a capacity of 10 MW each, enabling commercial large-scale electrolysis systems with a capacity of up to 100 MW.

Start of commercialization in 2025

Asahi Kasei's hydrogen business is based on more than four decades of large-scale and long-term experience in the field of chlor-alkali electrolysis. Aiming for a total sales volume of 100 billion (600 million) by 2030, the company plans to start commercial business activities for its alkaline water electrolyzers in 2025.

The pilot plant in Kawasaki is an important step toward achieving this goal, after the successful long-term tests of its 10 MW single-stack alkaline-water electrolysis system at the Fukushima Energy Research Field (FH2R)1 in Namie, Fukushima, Japan, since 2020. The practical experience gained in Namie and the trial operation at the pilot plant in Kawasaki will further underpin Asahi Kasei's market entry with large-scale and highly reliable multi-module alkaline water electrolysis equipment. This experience will also be leveraged for the joint feasibility study with Gentari and JGC for a 60 MW-class electrolyzer in Malaysia targeted for 2027, as announced in November 2023.

Construction and operation of the pilot plant is supported by the "Green Innovation Fund2" of Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).

For more information regarding Asahi Kasei's alkaline water electrolyzers, please visit: https://ak-green-solution.com/

For a visual overview, view our video: https://youtu.be/LChkRlosk20

About Asahi Kasei

The Asahi Kasei Group contributes to life and living for people around the world. Since its founding in 1922 with ammonia and cellulose fiber businesses, Asahi Kasei has consistently grown through the proactive transformation of its business portfolio to meet the evolving needs of every age. With more than 48,000 employees worldwide, the company contributes to a sustainable society by providing solutions to the world's challenges through its three business sectors of Material, Homes, and Health Care. Its Material sector, comprised of Environmental Solutions, Mobility Industrial, and Life Innovation, includes a wide array of products from battery separators and biodegradable textiles to engineering plastics and sound solutions. For more information, visit https://www.asahi-kasei.com/.

Asahi Kasei is also dedicated to sustainability initiatives and is contributing to reaching a carbon-neutral society by 2050. To learn more, visit https://www.asahi-kasei.com/sustainability/.

1 Development of Technologies for Realizing a Hydrogen Society Development of Hydrogen Energy Utilization Systems Technical development concerning business model construction and large-scale proof of a hydrogen system for energy reuse

2 Green Innovation Fund Hydrogen Production through Water Electrolysis Using Power from Renewables Technology development for increasing the size of water electrolysers, and Power-to-X large-scale demonstrations Large-scale Alkaline Water Electrolysis System Development and Green Chemical Plant Demonstration

See also:

Asahi Kasei starts construction of alkaline water electrolysis pilot test plant for hydrogen production

Asahi Kasei, Gentari, and JGC signed MOU on FEED study for 60 MW class alkaline water electrolyser to produce green hydrogen in Malaysia

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240514748940/en/

Contacts:

North America Contact:

Asahi Kasei America Inc.

Christian OKeefe

christian.okeefe@ak-america.com

Europe Contact:

Asahi Kasei Europe GmbH

Sebastian Schmidt

sebastian.schmidt@asahi-kasei.eu
Blinken reiterates U.S. opposition to Rafah invasion in call with Israeli defense chief

Xinhua) 10:20, May 14, 2024

WASHINGTON, May 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over the weekend, in which the secretary reiterated Washington's opposition to a major ground operation in Rafah.

According to State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller, Blinken "reaffirmed the U.S. opposition to a major military ground operation in Rafah, where over one million people have taken shelter" during the Saturday call with Gallant.

"The Secretary underscored the urgent need to protect civilians and aid workers in Gaza and urged the Minister to ensure assistance can move into Gaza and help address distribution challenges inside of Gaza as Israel pursues Hamas targets," Miller said of the call in a statement.

Citing the Israeli Defense Ministry, CNN reported Monday that Gallant discussed with Blinken "developments in Gaza, including (Israel Defense Forces) operations across the Strip in the face of terror hotspots."

Gallant also spoke about what the ministry called "the precise operation in the Rafah area against remaining Hamas battalions, while securing the crossing," the report said.

The call came as U.S. President Joe Biden's administration began to limit the flow of U.S. weaponry to Israel in anticipation of a large-scale ground operation by Israeli forces in Rafah.

Earlier this month, Biden signed off on a pause of 3,500 bombs intended for Israel in the near term, for fear that they will be dropped in Rafah. Biden said should Israel go into Rafah and conduct operation targeting the population centers, his administration will not supply weapons for that cause.

In a high stakes State Department report that was published behind schedule on Friday, the Biden administration said that it is "reasonable to assess" that U.S. weapons supplied to Israel may have been used in violation of international law. The report added a caveat that information that Washington possessed was incomplete, not enough for reaching a definitive conclusion.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing)
Parents in the United Kingdom will soon have access to Owlet's Dream Sock with UKCA certification

Owlet, Inc. ("Owlet" or the "Company") (NYSE:OWLT), the pioneer of smart infant monitoring, has received UK medical device certification, following the recent achievement of CE Mark certification. This marks a significant milestone for Owlet, moving the company forward in its mission to increase access to medical-grade infant monitoring technology to parents and caregivers around the world.

The UKCA certification, granted by a recognized UK-approved body, follows the recent announcement of Owlet's EU CE mark certification of Dream Sock earlier this month and now provides Owlet with medical device certifications in key UK and European markets where its distribution partners operate. These certifications also follow the Company's marketing authorizations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the "FDA"), for Dream Sock, with new medical technology for healthy infants over-the-counter without a prescription, and for BabySat, a prescription-only pulse oximeter designed for use with babies that have a pre-existing medical condition.

"With the addition of the UKCA certification, Owlet is now able to increase its reach throughout the European market, where more than 3.8 million babies are born each year1. This represents a significant opportunity for Owlet to expand its business and reach more families with its innovative baby monitoring products," said Jonathan Harris, Owlet President and Chief Revenue Officer. "Owlet is extremely well-positioned to take advantage of both the UKCA and EU medical certifications with key retail partnerships across the European market. These partnerships will allow the Company to reach a wider range of consumers and make its products more accessible to families in the region."

Dream Sock comfortably wraps around a baby's foot and is intended for routine, in-home surveillance of healthy infants by measuring oxygen saturation and pulse rate, and will provide sleep insights for parents that are new for the UK market. Its advanced technology offers clinically-proven accuracy, while the connected Owlet Dream App delivers live readings directly to a mobile device and a nearby Base Station both of which can provide a notification to the caregiver, prompting them to assess the infant. Dream Sock, as certified for the UK, is intended for use with healthy infants between 0-18 months and 2.5-13.6 kg. Its notifications and associated data are intended to supplement the decision by caregivers to seek additional guidance for medical care of the infant. It is not intended to replace traditional methods of diagnosis and/or treatment.

Owlet's Dream Sock is expected to launch at major retailers in the UK, Germany, and France in the coming months, with other European countries to follow later this summer at www.owletbabycare.co.uk and Amazon in select markets.

About Owlet, Inc.

Owlet's digital health infant monitoring platform is transforming the journey of parenting. The Company (NYSE:OWLT), a small-cap healthcare growth equity, offers FDA-authorized medical and consumer pediatric wearables and an integrated HD visual and audio camera that provide real-time data and insights to parents who safeguard health, optimize wellness, and ensure peaceful sleep for their children.

Since 2012, over 2 million parents worldwide have used Owlet's platform contributing to one of the largest collections of consumer infant health and sleep data. The Company continues to develop software and digital data solutions to bridge the current healthcare gap between hospital and home and bring new insights to parents and caregivers globally. Owlet believes that every child deserves to live a long, happy, and healthy life. To learn more, visit www.owletcare.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Reform Act"). All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's certification of its Dream Sock in the UK and the impacts, growth prospects, and expanded product offerings and product availability in international markets. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as "estimate," "may," "believes," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "goal," "potential," "upcoming," "outlook," "guidance," the negation thereof, or similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company's expectations at the time such statements are made, speak only as of the dates they are made and are susceptible to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors. For all such forward-looking statements, the Company claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Reform Act. The Company's actual results, performance or achievements may differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. Many important factors could affect the Company's future results and cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the Company's forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, (i) the availability of, adoption and commercial success of Dream Sock and its new medical technology within these international markets, (ii) the regulatory pathway for Owlet's products, including submissions to, actions taken by and decisions and responses from regulators, such as the FDA and similar regulators outside of the United States, as well as Owlet's ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval or certification for our products and other regulatory requirements and legal proceedings; (iii) Owlet's competition and the Company's ability to profitably grow and manage growth; (iv) the Company's ability to enhance future operating and financial results or obtain additional financing to continue as a going concern; (v) Owlet's ability to obtain additional financing in the future, as well risks associated with the Company's current loan and debt agreements, including compliance with debt covenants, restrictions on the Company's access to capital, the impact of the Company's overall debt levels and the Company's ability to generate sufficient future cash flows to meet Owlet's debt service obligations and operate Owlet's business; (vi) the ability of Owlet to implement strategic initiatives, reduce costs, grow revenues, develop and launch new products, innovate and enhance existing products, meet customer demands and adapt to changes in consumer preferences and retail trends; (vii) Owlet's ability to acquire, defend and protect its intellectual property and satisfy regulatory requirements, including but not limited to requirements concerning privacy and data protection, breaches and loss, as well as other risks associated with Owlet's digital platforms and technologies; (viii) Owlet's ability to maintain relationships with customers, manufacturers and suppliers and retain Owlet's management and key employees; (ix) Owlet's ability to upgrade and maintain its information technology systems; (x) changes in applicable laws or regulations; (xi) the impact of and disruption to Owlet's business, financial condition, operations, supply chain and logistics due to economic and other conditions beyond the Company's control, such as health epidemics or pandemics, macro-economic uncertainties, social unrest, hostilities, natural disasters or other catastrophic events; (xii) the possibility that Owlet may be adversely affected by other economic, business, regulatory, competitive or other factors, such as changes in discretionary consumer spending and consumer preferences; and (xiii) other risks and uncertainties set forth in the Company's other releases, public statements and filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including those identified in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, and as any such factors may be updated from time to time in the Company's other filings with the SEC. All such forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or any person acting on the Company's behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to above. Moreover, the Company operates in an evolving environment. New risk factors and uncertainties may emerge from time to time, and factors that the Company currently deems immaterial may become material, and the Company can't predict such events or how they may affect Owlet. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date of this press release, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, although Owlet may do so from time to time. The Company does not endorse any projections regarding future performance that may be made by third parties.

References:

1 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20240307-1#:~:text=In%202022%2C%203.88%20million%20babies,4.68%20million%20children%20were%20born.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240514932514/en/

Contacts:

Media:

pr@owletcare.com

owlet@diffusionpr.com
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 14, 2024) - CubicFarm Systems Corp. (TSXV: CUB) ("CubicFarms" or the "Company"), a leading agricultural technology company, announces a sale through its ruminant livestock feed subsidiary company, HydroGreen Inc. ("HydroGreen"). The transaction involves the sale of 2 of its innovative DGS-66 Production Systems to Upgrowth Ag. Under the payment terms, Upgrowth Ag has paid 50% of the total sale, with the final 50% to be paid upon confirmation of shipment.

Upgrowth Ag is a Utah-based company committed to enhancing sustainable livestock feed options for the international market. This strategic move aims to transform agricultural practices and expand scalability in the United States and Asia. Founded by a unique East-West partnership, Upgrowth Ag blends traditional farming insights with modern agricultural technology effort to integrate vertical fodder growth systems and bring them to Korea, Japan, Mongolia, and eventually all of Asia.

John de Jonge, President of HydroGreen, stated, "The DGS-66 systems are ideally tailored to the needs of innovative farms like those operated by Upgrowth Ag, which are both traditional and forward-looking. These systems enable farmers to significantly enhance both the capacity and sustainability of their operations. Our technology offers the ability to produce high-energy, nutritious fresh forage 365 days a year, underpinning a revolution in how farmers approach animal agriculture. This is not only about elevating efficiency; it's about integrating resilience into the foundation of agricultural practices."

The DGS-66 Production System by HydroGreen is designed to excel in controlled environments, ensuring the daily production of fresh forage regardless of external weather conditions. This cutting-edge technology guarantees consistent, year-round feed quality, critical for the health and productivity of livestock.

With this partnership, HydroGreen reaffirms its commitment to advancing sustainable agricultural solutions globally. By equipping Upgrowth Ag with HydroGreen's DGS-66 Production Systems, we are enhancing their capability to boost productivity and provide superior, consistent livestock feed on a commercial scale, serving both local and international markets.

Contact info@cubicfarms.com for media or investors@cubicfarms.com for investor inquiries. Contact HGInfo@hydrogreenglobal.com to reach HydroGreen's Producer Education Team.

Forward-looking and other cautionary statements

Certain statements in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including, without limitation, statements with respect to: the estimated harvesting capabilities of the machines, nutritional benefits of feed produced by the machines and quality of the feed in general. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict", and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events, or results "may", "can", "could", "would", "might", or "will" be taken, occur, or be achieved.

These statements reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events, performance, and results and speak only as of the date of this news release. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except as required by securities disclosure laws and regulations applicable to the Company, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if the Company's expectations regarding future events, performance, or results change.

About Upgrowth Ag

Upgrowth Ag was founded by the pairing of East and West. Utah based farmers Nate and Colt Sargent recognized the struggles their international friends and associates faced supporting livestock, especially as much of the alfalfa surrounding them was being shipped to Asia at high cost. That's when they partnered with close friends Jake and Vivian Kim, North Korean defectors with a determination to assist their people in South Korea with sustainability in agriculture, and a bond was made.

With their combined backgrounds, the team at Upgrowth Ag is driven to finding the best sustainable livestock feed options and delivering them to the international market, particularly Asia. They represent a mix of the old and the new, and a willingness to sift to find the best products, solutions, and services in the livestock feed industry.

About HydroGreen

HydroGreen produces Automated Vertical Pastures, a type of smart farming equipment that uses a unique process to sprout grains such as wheat and barley, in a controlled growing environment to efficiently produce a high-performance feed ingredient for livestock 365 days a year. HydroGreen's equipment is simple and easy to operate and performs all growing functions automatically, including seeding, watering, lighting, harvesting, and re-seeding, which allows livestock businesses to feed consistent nutrition every day with minimal labour. When balanced correctly in the ration, HydroGreen sprouted grain modifies animal digestion which enhances productivity and reduces the amount of enteric methane emitted in ruminant livestock. The result also enables environmental benefits to the farm while helping to meet increasing demand for valuable farm-based inset and offset carbon credits. For more information, please visit www.hydrogreenglobal.com.

About CubicFarms

CubicFarms is a leading local chain agricultural technology company developing and deploying technology to feed a changing world. Its proprietary ag-tech solutions enable growers to produce high quality, predictable produce and fresh livestock feed with HydroGreen Nutrition Technology, a subsidiary of CubicFarm Systems Corp. The CubicFarms system contains patented technology for growing leafy greens and other crops on-site, indoors, all year round. CubicFarms provides an efficient, localized food supply solution that benefits our people, planet, and economy. For more information, please visit www.cubicfarms.com.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/209085

SOURCE: CubicFarm Systems Corp.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 14, 2024) - Miata Metals Corp. (CSE: MMET) ("Miata" or the "Company") announces that it has granted 535,000 stock options to certain consultants of the Company. The options were granted on May 13, 2024, have an exercise price of $0.25 and expire three years from the grant date. Half of the options vest six months from the grant date and half will vest twelve months from the grant date.

About Miata Metals Corp.

Miata is a Canadian company listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE: MMET). The Company is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties. Currently, the Company has an option to earn a 100% interest in the Cabin Lake Property in the Omineca Mining Division, British Columbia. The Company continuously evaluates opportunities to acquire interest in additional exploration stage mineral properties in stable jurisdictions.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD,



Dr. Jacob (Jaap) Verbaas, P. Geo | CEO and Director

info@miatametals.com

+1 647 689 6041

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements as well as historical information. Readers should not rely on information in this summary for any purpose other than for gaining general knowledge of the Company. The words "expected", "will" and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that its expectations as reflected in any forward-looking statements, are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties and no assurance can be given that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates, opinions or other factors should change.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/209101

SOURCE: Miata Metals Corp.
Deployment in Estonia's capital city marks Hayden AI's third program in Europe

Hayden AI, a global leader in artificial intelligence and spatial analytics, is partnering with the City of Tallinn, Estonia's capital, to pilot Hayden AI's automated bus lane and bus stop enforcement platform. The pilot is part of the city's "Test in Tallinn" initiative, which aims to develop and implement smart city solutions for global markets.

For this pilot, Hayden AI will install forward-facing, AI-powered camera systems behind the windshield of two transit buses to detect the number of parking violations occurring at bus lanes and bus stops. The pilot will also determine the impact of these obstructing vehicles on public transport service.

Hayden AI's technology is a proven solution for the safety and efficiency problems created by parking violations in dedicated transit zones and cycle lanes. Blocked bus lanes and bus stops delay transit service and create operational hazards for bus drivers, who have to frequently change lanes to avoid these vehicles. Additionally, passengers with disabilities or mobility issues cannot safely board or exit the bus when bus stops are blocked.

Kalle Killar, City Enterprise Director in Tallin, says that "this pilot plays a crucial role in enhancing the overall quality and sustainability of services that the city provides." Killar also anticipates that "companies using Tallinn as a testbed for their products will not only succeed on a global scale but also set the benchmark for creating innovative and sustainable urban spaces."

"We are thrilled to work with Tallinn on this pilot," said Chris Carson, CEO and founder of Hayden AI. "Tallinn is a pioneer in testing and deploying innovative technology for public services, and we are looking forward to piloting our vision AI technology in their city. We hope to help deliver the same benefits to transit riders in Tallinn that our technology delivers in cities like New York and Washington, DC."

Hayden AI is the United States market leader in mobile automated bus lane enforcement and bus stop enforcement, with hundreds of bus-mounted, AI-powered camera systems installed on transit buses across the country. This technology is proven to reduce vehicle collisions, improve bus on-time performance, and help ensure that bus stops are accessible to people with disabilities.

This pilot in Tallinn marks Hayden AI's third deployment in Europe. The company has piloted its technology in Gdansk, Poland and will soon begin a pilot in Braga, Portugal.

About Hayden AI: At Hayden AI, we're pioneering real world problem solving powered by AI and machine learning. From bus lane and bus stop enforcement to digital twin modeling and more, our clients use our mobile perception system to speed up transit, make streets safer, and create a more sustainable future. Learn more at www.hayden.ai.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240514654255/en/

Contacts:

Jezabel Martinez Fabregas

jezabel.martinezfabregas@hayden.ai
BEIJING, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading Chinese Baijiu maker Wuliangye has been voted as one of the most-favored Chinese brands for the third time in the Foreigners' Most-favored China's Brands event, according to the results unveiled at the 2024 China Brand Day gala held on May 10 in Shanghai.

As a typical representative of China's national brands and a leader in Chinese Baijiu industry, Wuliangye harvested the most online votes in the Chinese Baijiu category of the event, indicating the brand is highly recognized and favored by overseas consumers.

Wuliangye has been insisting on innovation while inheriting the over-a-thousand-year brewing techniques over the years, propelling breakthroughs in key technologies such as microbial fermentation mechanisms, in a bid to build a world-class brand with distinctive Chinese cultural features.

With these efforts, Wuliangye has seen increasing brand value. It topped the Baijiu brands on the 2024 list of world's top 500 most valuable brands released by Brand Finance with a brand value of 25.895 billion U.S. dollars, with the brand strength rating reaching the world's highest level of AAA+.

The Chinese Baijiu producer has also been endeavoring to strengthen its global presence. So far, it has set up three international marketing centers in the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, and the Americas, upgraded its business in Tokyo, Japan and China's Hong Kong, expanded the consumption scenarios of "Chinese Baijiu plus Chinese cuisine", and creatively leveraged the operation model of "culture plus experience" to convey the Chinese Baijiu culture to the world.

Meanwhile, it has made frequent appearances at the G20 Summit, the Boao Forum for Asia, the China International Import Expo, and other international events, constantly delivering the innovation and expression of the Chinese Baijiu culture and greatly improving the image and value of itself and the Chinese Baijiu brand accordingly.

In its continuous open cooperation, Wuliangye has been telling the Chinese Baijiu stories by continuously spreading the cultural concept of "harmony, coexistence, beauty, and cooperation", so as to enhance international value recognition of Wuliangye and Chinese brands.

The Foreigners' Most-favored China's Brands event was jointly launched by the National Brands Project of Xinhua News Agency, China Economic Information Service (CEIS) and many other institutions, aiming at promoting the international presence of more Chinese brands.

Original Link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/340151.html

(Edited by Gu Shanshan with Xinhua Silk Road, gushanshan.1987@163.com)

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2412182/b1e5e526404d4c428b9fb08e2305051f.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/xinhua-silk-road-chinese-baijiu-maker-wuliangye-voted-as-most-favored-chinese-brand-by-global-consumers-for-third-time-302144912.html
OSLO, Norway, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BlueNord ASA ("BlueNord" or the "Company") has today held its annual general meeting (the "AGM") as a digital meeting through the solution Lumi AGM.

All items on the agenda were resolved in accordance with the proposals.

"I would like to use this opportunity to recognise the job that Mr Rustad has done for almost a decade developing and monetising what was originally largely a company with tax losses into what is today a significant European E&P company. As a shareholder from the early days, and member of the board for the past three years, I'm confident that BlueNord is now in a solid position to further create, and return, value to its shareholders," said Jan Lernout in Kite Lake Capital Management (UK) LLP.

"After a fantastic journey that has lasted nearly ten years, I'm now leaving the board of BlueNord with great confidence that management and the new board will continue to take care of the business and further build value for us shareholders," said Riulf Rustad.

Minutes from the AGM are attached to this notice and will be made available on the Company's website: www.bluenord.com.

Contact:

Cathrine Torgersen, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer

Phone: +47 915 28 501

Email: cathrine.torgersen@bluenord.com

This information is subject to disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/bluenord-asa/r/bluenord--minutes-from-annual-general-meeting,c3979335

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/4225/3979335/2796169.pdf BlueNord Minutes of AGM 2024

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/bluenord-minutes-from-annual-general-meeting-302144913.html
$10M project in the Dominican Republic is part of the company's nearly $750M investments in North American manufacturing

Eaton creating 300 skilled manufacturing jobs in Santiago

SANTIAGO, CHILE / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / Intelligent power management company Eaton is opening its new 65,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art assembly plant in Santiago de los Caballeros to meet growing demand for its fuses. Announced in February 2024, the project will increase supplies of Eaton's Bussmann series fuses, which provide critical safety functionality in electric vehicles (EVs), renewable and energy storage projects, data center as well as other industrial applications.

"The latest expansion of Eaton's manufacturing capacity in Santiago was completed in record time to meet unprecedented demand for our solutions that are at the center of the world's energy transformation," said Rob Griffin, vice president and general manager, Eaton's Bussmann Division. "Across the globe, we're helping customers simplify intelligent power management to electrify their operations safely, resiliently and sustainably. The Eaton Santiago facility will assemble and package fuses and fuse accessories that provide vital functionality in these applications."

Eaton has operated in the Dominican Republic for more than 35 years and is one of the country's largest manufacturers. The Eaton Santiago facility is the company's fifth manufacturing site in the Dominican Republic.

The new Eaton facility in Santiago is part of the company's investment in North American manufacturing. In 2023, Eaton announced nearly $750M in investments to increase manufacturing capacity for electrical assemblies including switchgear, switchboards and circuit breakers; EV charging technology, transformers, voltage regulators and more; as well as underground protective connectors for the electric grid.

Eaton is an intelligent power management company dedicated to protecting the environment and improving the quality of life for people everywhere. We make products for the data center, utility, industrial, commercial, machine building, residential, aerospace and mobility markets. We are guided by our commitment to do business right, to operate sustainably and to help our customers manage power - today and well into the future. By capitalizing on the global growth trends of electrification and digitalization, we're accelerating the planet's transition to renewable energy sources, helping to solve the world's most urgent power management challenges, and building a more sustainable society for people today and generations to come.

Eaton was founded in 1911 and has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange for more than a century. We reported revenues of $23.2 billion in 2023 and serve customers in more than 160 countries. For more information, visit Eaton.com. Follow us on LinkedIn.

Contact:

Kristin Somers

+1.919.345.3714

Kristincsomers@eaton.com

Regina Parundik

Cobblestone Communications

+1.412.559.1614

Regina@cobblecreative.com

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Eaton on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Eaton

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/eaton

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Eaton

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Saguenay, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - May 14, 2024) - First Phosphate Corp. (CSE: PHOS) (OTC: FRSPF) (FSE: KD0) ("First Phosphate" or the "Company") is pleased to report results from another 29 drill holes at its Begin-Lamarche project located in Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean, Quebec, Canada. The Company's 25,929 m drill program was completed ahead of schedule on April 29, 2024. To date, 4,557 assays have been received representing 16,468 m of drilling. A remaining 1,775 assays are expected to be delivered by the end of May.

Highlights:

Phosphate Mountain Zone:

Drill hole BL-24-67 intersected 11.85% P2O5 (phosphate) over 84.0 m starting at a surface depth of 3.0 m. Drilling in the Phosphate Mountain Zone revealed a thick 90 m layer of phosphate bearing nelsonite rock outcropping at surface with numerous other high grade intersects grading at over 10% P2O5.



Drill hole BL-24-82 returned a sub-intersection of 20.51% P2O5 over 9.75 m within a 77.7 phosphate intersect grading at 11.07% P2O5. This sub-section also contains a 2.1 m massive apatite vein that returned 30.73% P2O5.

Southern Zone:

Drill hole BL-24-60 intersected 5.21% P2O5 over 194.0 m from a surface depth of 4.0 m and drill hole BL-24-83 intersected 5.81% P2O5 over 216.1 m starting at surface.



Drilling revealed many phosphate layers over 10% P2O5 at he base of the main phosphate layer.



Drill hole BL-24-84 intersected 8.41% P2O5 over 77.1 m starting at 6.0 m. Results demonstrate that high grade phosphate layers also occur in the Southern Zone.

"We are pleased with the continued high grade phosphate results encountered across the 3 km strike zone at our Begin-Lamarche project," said First Phosphate CEO, John Passalacqua. "The drill program is now completed and we begin preparations for a 43-101 resource estimate followed immediately by a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA")."

Phosphate Mountain Zone

A total of 23 drill holes have been completed to date in the Phosphate Mountain Zone while results from 14 drill holes have been received to date. Data received from these 14 drill holes shows grades of over 10% P2O5 over widths ranging from 7 m to 92 m. The Phosphate Mountain Zone has been drilled for a total length of 250 m to date. This zone is beginning to merge (from the southeast) with the Northern Zone where a 500 m thick phosphate mineralized envelope exists, one which has delineated up to 5 individual layers ranging from 60 m to 100 m in thickness starting at surface and continuing down to a depth of 300 m. The overall strike length of the Phosphate Mountain Zone and the Northern Zone is approximately 600 m.

Drill hole BL-24-67 intersected 11.85% P2O5 (phosphate) over 84.0 m starting at a surface depth of 3.0 m. Drilling in the Phosphate Mountain Zone revealed a thick 90 m layer of phosphate bearing nelsonite rock outcropping at surface with numerous other high grade intercepts grading at over 10% P2O5. Drill hole BL-24-82 returned a sub-intersection of 20.51% P2O5 over 9.75 m within a 77.7 phosphate intersection grading at 11.07% P2O5. This sub-section contains a 2.1 m massive apatite vein that returned 30.73% P2O5. (See Table 1).

Table 1 - Drill Results for the Phosphate Mountain Zone

Hole From (m) To (m) Length1 (m) P2O5 (%) TiO2 (%) Fe2O3T (%) BL-24-59 6.55 59.4 52.85 12.44 5.65 33.60 BL-24-59 71.0 88.0 17.0 10.68 4.58 23.33 BL-24-59 123.0 145.0 22.0 11.61 2.52 20.20 including 132.0 145.0 13.0 16.45 2.56 21.18 BL-24-59 150.35 166.4 16.05 7.98 1.13 11.13 BL-24-62 3.8 48.0 44.2 11.37 4.65 22.77 BL-24-62 69.0 144.65 75.65 9.97 3.66 20.71 including 69.0 128.3 59.3 11.04 4.30 23.55 BL-24-62 156.0 160.0 4.0 14.40 4.90 26.34 BL-24-64 3.0 42.0 39.0 9.06 4.11 25.45 including 3.0 26.0 23.0 12.04 5.40 34.63 BL-24-64 75.0 126.5 51.5 7.20 2.64 16.44 including 102.0 120.9 18.9 10.67 4.13 20.59 BL-24-67 3.00 87.0 84.0 11.85 5.09 32.49 BL-24-67 117.0 152.0 35.0 9.86 3.22 18.88 including 117.0 143.0 26.0 11.85 3.95 22.03 BL-24-69 2.4 10.43 8.03 13.81 5.07 31.14 BL-24-69 28.0 65.1 37.1 9.55 3.17 21.76 including 28.0 39.75 11.75 16.70 6.20 32.09 BL-24-74 11.5 21.4 9.9 9.81 3.65 22.68 48.0 57.0 9.0 6.25 2.96 16.14 82.0 102.3 20.3 10.30 4.28 19.01 66.8 102.3 35.6 8.78 3.49 16.44 BL-24-76 49.0 64.25 15.3 11.27 4.40 24.29 BL-24-78 50.55 62.1 11.55 11.88 4.90 29.82 including 47.55 102.7 55.15 8.72 3.18 19.87 including 82.4 102.7 20.3 10.04 3.53 19.32 BL-24-82 6.0 83.7 77.7 11.07 3.28 18.63 including 6.0 36.0 30.0 13.21 4.82 24.31 including 54.0 63.75 9.75 20.51 3.87 16.59 BL-24-82 102.0 119.1 17.1 9.96 2.78 14.97

1 Lengths are measured along the core. True widths are estimated to be between 70 and 90% of the core interval.

Southern Zone

The Southern Zone has been drilled at 100 m spaced sections over a strike length of 1,600 m. Results to date from the Southern Zone show continuous widths of over 100 m of phosphate mineralization. Drill hole BL-24-60 intersected 5.21% P2O5 over 194.0 m from a surface depth of 4.0 m and drill hole BL-24-83 intersected 5.81% P2O5 over 216.1 m from surface. Drilling also revealed many phosphate layers over 10% P2O5 at he base of the main phosphate layer. Drill hole BL-24-84 intersected 8.41% P2O5 over 77.1 m. Results demonstrate that high grade phosphate layers also occur in the Southern Zone.

Table 2 - Drill Results for the Southern Zone

Hole From (m) To (m) Length1 (m) P2O5 (%) TiO2 (%) Fe2O3T (%) BL-24-58 81.0 144.0 63.00 4.02 3.46 18.82 including 81.0 102.0 21.00 7.09 4.50 25.47 176.55 185.7 9.15 9.55 4.72 26.28 195.0 212.4 17.40 6.51 3.88 18.85 including 206.3 212.4 6.10 11.96 5.01 26.27 BL-24-60 3.7 197.7 194.00 5.21 3.81 22.50 BL-24-61 No significant results BL-24-63 37.7 297.0 259.3 5.21 3.80 21.65 including 37.7 60.0 22.3 8.02 5.07 30.02 including 240.0 285.0 45.0 7.57 4.54 26.60 BL-24-65 12.5 19.5 7.0 4.27 3.09 17.72 49.2 63.3 14.1 9.44 5.19 30.12 144.7 162.5 17.8 10.37 5.40 31.00 223.4 235.4 12.0 11.61 5.61 28.72 BL-24-66 6.0 97.0 91.0 5.35 4.43 26.85 BL-24-68 13.0 46.65 33.65 5.64 4.02 22.83 81.8 92.0 10.20 3.92 3.90 17.92 BL-24-70 73.6 148.0 74.40 4.27 3.49 20.55 BL-24-71 73.3 174.9 101.6 4.76 3.52 19.60 193.5 238.2 44.7 6.52 4.98 26.00 261.0 272.0 11.0 6.27 4.42 24.32 292.7 304.0 11.3 7.75 3.85 30.68 BL-24-72 196.0 305.0 109.0 4.72 3.70 21.26 including 278.35 305.0 26.65 7.46 5.29 27.45 BL-24-73 154.0 180.5 26.5 5.43 4.07 23.85 195.2 366.0 170.8 5.23 4.13 22.38 including 309.0 366.0 57.0 7.07 5.15 27.34 BL-24-75 118.2 135.0 16.8 6.01 4.34 26.65 BL-24-75 208.5 219.4 10.9 6.32 4.15 29.74 BL-24-77 174.0 360.0 186.0 4.53 3.23 19.64 including 2.4 288.0 114.0 5.39 3.63 21.54 BL-24-79 No significant results BL-24-80 2.4 74.55 72.15 6.59 2.37 16.23 including 2.4 12.55 10.15 9.35 4.25 27.10 including 25.25 52.5 27.25 10.27 3.24 19.77 BL-24-81 190.15 265.3 75.15 5.05 3.61 20.30 285.0 291.0 6.00 8.44 4.93 27.02 BL-24-83 5.0 216.6 211.6 5.81 3.52 24.00 including 46.5 61.45 14.95 11.37 4.99 35.52 including 117.0 157.3 40.3 8.49 4.66 32.83 BL-24-83 287.2 313 25.8 6.53 5.38 28.50 BL-24-84 177.85 193.55 15.7 7.46 3.69 22.45 205.9 283.0 77.1 8.41 4.14 22.75 BL-24-86 9.3 44.55 35.25 6.24 4.46 23.61 102.6 116.85 14.25 5.50 3.66 19.90 168.0 189.2 21.2 6.33 3.21 18.89 BL-24-87 173.6 198.0 24.4 7.12 5.57 28.79

1 Lengths are measured along the core. True width is estimated to be between 60% and 90% of the core interval.

The technical parameters of the drill holes being released in this press release are shown in Table 3 below and their location is shown in Figure 1 below. A summary of the mineralized intersections from the 2024 drilling program is presented in Table 4.

Table 3 - Parameters for the Current Drill Holes Being Released

Hole_ID Easting Northing Azimuth Dip Depth Zone BL-24-58 326371 5403264 125 -45 228 Southern BL-24-59 326899 5403859 150 -60 216 Mountain BL-24-60 325894 5402244 305 -50 200.5 Southern BL-24-61 326173 5403280 125 -45 312 Southern BL-24-62 326922 5403891 150 -45 201 Mountain BL-24-63 325866 5402145 305 -70 300 Southern BL-24-64 326933 5403801 150 -45 180 Mountain BL-24-65 325712 5402131 125 -45 285 Southern BL-24-66 326281 5403201 125 -45 150 Southern BL-24-67 326931 5403802 330 -45 161 Mountain BL-24-68 326400 5403111 125 -45 126 Southern BL-24-69 326894 5403856 0 -90 201 Mountain BL-24-70 326345 5403160 125 -45 201 Southern BL-24-71 325660 5402170 125 -45 354 Southern BL-24-72 326228 5403145 125 -45 315 Southern BL-24-73 325606 5402214 125 -45 375 Southern BL-24-74 326960 5403846 150 -45 201 Mountain BL-24-75 326126 5403222 130 -45 300 Southern BL-24-76 326993 5403785 150 -45 175.5 Mountain BL-24-77 325604 5402214 125 -60 366 Southern BL-24-78 326993 5403785 330 -45 250 Mountain BL-24-79 326126 5403222 130 -60 250 Southern BL-24-80 326921 5403897 0 -90 213 Southern BL-24-81 325560 5402121 125 -45 306 Southern BL-24-82 326921 5403897 150 -67 201 Mountain BL-24-83 326168 5403167 125 -45 327 Southern BL-24-84 325615 5402080 125 -45 301.3 Southern BL-24-86 325675 5402034 125 -45 293.5 Southern BL-24-87 325655 5401926 305 -45 210 Southern BL-24-88 326226 5403248 125 -45 366 Mountain

Table 4 - Other Previously Released Results for the 2024 Drill Campaign

Hole_ID From (m) To (m) Length (m) P2O5 (%) TiO2 (%) Fe2O3T (%) BL-24-22 195.00 259.50 64.50 5.80 2.94 21.04 BL-24-23 21.00 175.10 154.10 7.02 4.40 27.34 BL-24-24 61.30 190.90 129.60 5.22 3.63 22.32 BL-24-25 74.20 117.00 42.80 9.89 3.54 28.65 BL-24-26 6.90 96.00 89.10 9.44 3.92 27.59 BL-24-27 138.00 189.00 51.00 4.41 3.05 20.62 BL-24-28 73.25 152.20 78.95 5.48 4.07 24.68 BL-24-29 99.00 276.00 177.00 4.46 3.63 22.85 BL-24-30 33.00 78.65 45.65 4.28 2.97 19.83 BL-24-31 119.85 213.80 93.95 7.16 3.49 18.76 BL-24-32 159.00 228.00 69.00 5.51 3.82 24.60 BL-24-33 3.80 110.00 106.20 5.00 3.70 21.19 BL-24-34 93.00 192.00 99.00 6.34 2.74 20.09 BL-24-35 212.50 253.70 41.20 6.25 3.44 19.55 BL-24-36 234.0 342.0 108.0 6.83 4.33 28.34 BL-24-37 84.0 126.0 42.0 6.03 4.47 28.57 BL-24-39 102.0 150.0 48.0 5.51 2.20 16.64 BL-24-43 111.0 369.0 258.0 5.41 4.33 22.19 BL-24-44 192.4 283.0 90.6 7.48 3.38 23.64 BL-24-47 153.0 304.0 151.0 3.89 3.36 19.51 BL-24-48 32.0 39.65 7.65 15.01 2.59 19.17 BL-24-49 72.5 105.5 33.0 8.65 3.77 24.05 BL-24-50 4.2 93.0 88.8 5.90 4.14 23.62 BL-24-51 70.0 111.0 41.0 7.72 1.88 16.09 BL-24-52 204.0 247.7 43.7 7.04 3.62 24.50 BL-24-53 70.1 132.4 62.3 9.50 4.12 28.45 BL-24-53 154.1 246.0 91.9 6.92 3.50 20.08 BL-24-54 61.1 101.1 40.0 9.18 4.80 28.16 BL-24-55 4.0 194.8 190.8 4.60 3.64 19.83 BL-24-56 6.5 99 92.5 11.82 5.29 30.96 BL-24-56 123 162 39.0 8.43 3.18 17.56 BL-24-57 183.9 194.0 10.1 6.58 3.86 22.58

Detailed results from the 2024 drill program are available at:

April 2, 2024: https://firstphosphate.com/drilling-2m-vein-of-massive-apatite

March 19, 2024: https://firstphosphate.com/initial-assay-results

April 23, 2024: https://firstphosphate.com/April_23_2024

Results for the earlier 4,661 m drill program conducted in 2023 can be found in the June 5, 2023 press release available at: https://firstphosphate.com/begin-lamarche-2023.

Figure 1 - Drill Map for the 2024 Drill Program at Begin-Lamarche



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8917/209030_97d23f98e4dcba81_001full.jpg

Quality Assurance / Quality Control

The sampling of, and assay data from, the drill core is monitored through the Company's implementation of a quality assurance - quality control (QA-QC) program designed to the CIM Mineral Exploration Best Practices Guidelines.

A formal chain-of-custody procedure was adopted for security of samples until their delivery at the laboratory. Drill core (NQ size) is logged and samples are selected by Laurentia Exploration Inc. geologists and sawn in half with a diamond saw at the project site. Half of the core is retained at the site for reference purposes. Sample intervals may vary from 0.5 to 3 metres in length depending on the geological observations. A blank and a standard are inserted at the beginning of each sample batch, usually one complete hole, and a blank and a standard are then inserted alternatively each 10 samples. Half-core samples are packaged and sent by ground transportation in sealed rice bags to an independent laboratory, Activation Laboratories Ltd. of Ancaster, Ontario (ISO/IEC 17025:2005 with CAN-P-1579). The core samples are crushed up to 80% passing 2mm (10 mesh), riffle split 250 g and pulverized (mild steel) to 95% passing -200 mesh. Each sample is analyzed for whole rock analysis (code 4B) for 10 major oxides and 7 trace elements by lithium metaborate/tetraborate fusion of 3g of material and analyze by ICP-OES. The laboratory has its own QA/QC protocols.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical disclosure for First Phosphate included in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Gilles Laverdiere, P.Geo. Mr. Laverdiere is Chief Geologist of First Phosphate and a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure of Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101").

About First Phosphate Corp.

First Phosphate is a mineral development company fully dedicated to extracting and purifying phosphate for the production of cathode active material for the Lithium Iron Phosphate ("LFP") battery industry. First Phosphate is committed to producing at high purity level, at full ESG standard and with low anticipated carbon footprint. First Phosphate plans to vertically integrate from mine source directly into the supply chains of major North American LFP battery producers that require battery grade LFP cathode active material emanating from a consistent and secure supply source. First Phosphate holds over 1,500 sq. km of royalty-free district-scale land claims in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean Region of Quebec, Canada that it is actively developing. First Phosphate properties consist of rare anorthosite igneous phosphate rock that generally yields high purity phosphate material devoid of high concentrations of harmful elements.

-30-

For additional information, please contact:

Bennett Kurtz, CFO

bennett@firstphosphate.com

Tel: +1 (416) 200-0657

Investor Relations: investor@firstphosphate.com

Media Relations: media@firstphosphate.com

Website: www.FirstPhosphate.com

Follow First Phosphate:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FirstPhosphate

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/first-phosphate/

Forward-Looking Information and Cautionary Statements

This news release contains certain statements and information that may be considered "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. In some cases, but not necessarily in all cases, forward-looking statements and forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "targets", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "an opportunity exists", "is positioned", "estimates", "intends", "assumes", "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", "will" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" and other similar expressions. In addition, statements in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements, including, among other things, the Company's planned exploration and production activities, the properties and composition of any extracted phosphate, the Company's plans for vertical integration into North American supply chains, statements relating to the Company's planned exploration activities, including its drill target strategy and next steps for the Begin-Lamarche Property; and the Company's interpretations and expectations about the results on the Begin-Lamarche Property.

These statements and other forward-looking information are based on assumptions and estimates that the Company believes are appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances, including, without limitation, expectations of the Company's long term business outcomes given its short operating history; expectations regarding revenue, expenses and operations; the Company having sufficient working capital and ability to secure additional funding necessary for the exploration of the Company's property interests; expectations regarding the potential mineralization, geological merit and economic feasibility of the Company's projects; expectations regarding drill programs and the potential impacts successful drill programs could have on the life of the mine and the Company; mineral exploration and exploration program cost estimates; expectations regarding any environmental issues that may affect planned or future exploration programs and the potential impact of complying with existing and proposed environmental laws and regulations; receipt and timing of exploration and exploitation permits and other third-party approvals; government regulation of mineral exploration and development operations; expectations regarding any social or local community issues that may affect planned or future exploration and development programs; expectations surrounding global economic trends and technological advancements; and key personnel continuing their employment with the Company.

There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include: limited operating history; high risk of business failure; no profits or significant revenues; limited resources; negative cash flow from operations and dependence on third-party financing; the uncertainty of additional funding; no dividends; risks related to possible fluctuations in revenues and results; insurance and uninsured risks; litigation; reliance on management and key personnel; conflicts of interest; access to supplies and materials; dangers of mineral exploration and related liability and damages; risks relating to health and safety; government regulation and legal uncertainties; the company's exploration and development properties may not be successful and are highly speculative in nature; dependence on outside parties; title to some of the Company's mineral properties may be challenged or defective; Aboriginal title and land claims; obtaining and renewing licenses and permits; environmental and other regulatory risks may adversely affect the company; risks relating to climate change; risks related to infrastructure; land reclamation requirements may be burdensome; current global financial conditions; fluctuation in commodity prices; dilution; future sales by existing shareholders could cause the Company's share price to fall; fluctuation and volatility in stock exchange prices; and risks related to market demands. There can be no assurance that any opportunity will be successful, commercially viable, completed on time or on budget, or will generate any meaningful revenues, savings or earnings, as the case may be, for the Company. In addition, the Company will incur costs in pursuing any particular opportunity, which may be significant.

These factors and assumptions are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors and assumptions that could affect the Company and, though they should be considered carefully, should be considered in conjunction with the risk factors described in the Company's other documents filed with the Canadian securities authorities, including without limitation the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's Annual Information Form dated November 29, 2023 which is available on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca. Although the Company has attempted to identify factors that would cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those disclosed in the forward-looking information or information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/209030

SOURCE: First Phosphate Corp.
Regulatory News:

Publicis Groupe (Paris:PUB) [Euronext Paris FR0000130577, CAC 40] today announced the appointment of Nannette LaFond-Dufour as Chief Impact Officer.

In this newly created global role, Nannette will be responsible for driving immediate impact across the Groupe's long-term ESG commitments. These include Publicis' ambitious SBTI-approved climate goals, its concrete diversity, equity and inclusion action plans, as well as its flagship initiatives like the Working with Cancer pledge and the Women's Forum for the Economy Society.

A leading industry figure over the course of her 30-year career, Nannette joins Publicis from McCann Worldgroup where she was Chief Client Officer and McCann's inaugural Chief Sustainability Officer, responsible for driving sustainability goals across its global environmental footprint.

Nannette will head a centralized team in cultivating and partnering with the Groupe's ESG community around the world. Together, they will design and deploy a consistent strategy on impact, with clear and measurable KPIs, to enhance and expand Publicis' existing initiatives and implement new ones, at the service of its teams and its clients.

Her appointment underscores Publicis' ongoing commitment to creating positive change through environmental and societal impact. Consistently ranked first in the industry by leading ESG rating agencies, in the past year Publicis was the only holding company in the sector to appear in the S&P Yearbook, which evaluates the sustainability efforts of global businesses. Through the Working with Cancer Pledge, over the last 18 months the Groupe has also rallied more than 1500 of the world's most iconic companies to commit to erasing the stigma of cancer in the workplace.

Nannette will join the Groupe's Management Committee and report directly to Arthur Sadoun, Chairman CEO. She will work hand in hand with Agathe Bousquet, President of Publicis France and Directoire+ sponsor for ESG.

"With the Directoire+ we are delighted to welcome Nannette to the Groupe" said Arthur Sadoun. "Thanks to our transformation, we have been outperforming the industry on every business and financial KPI for the past four years. But we know that for our growth to be truly sustainable, on every front, it also needs to be responsible. That's why we have also worked to lead the way through our best-in-class ESG initiatives. With Nannette on board and her proven expertise in delivering impactful change with some of the world's biggest companies, we are confident we can take our ESG agenda even further, faster, for the good of our people, our clients, and our planet.

"I deeply admire the work that Publicis has done to transform itself, demonstrating both the ability to anticipate the future, and do the hard work required to prepare for it through tangible environmental and societal commitments. At this moment when evolution is the mandate on every front, I look forward to joining such a visionary, courageous and agile team" added Nannette LaFond-Dufour.

About Publicis Groupe The Power of One

Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris FR0000130577, CAC 40] is a global leader in communication. The Groupe is positioned at every step of the value chain, from consulting to execution, combining marketing transformation and digital business transformation. Publicis Groupe is a privileged partner in its clients' transformation to enhance personalization at scale. The Groupe relies on ten expertise concentrated within four main activities: Communication, Media, Data and Technology. Through a unified and fluid organization, its clients have a facilitated access to all its expertise in every market. Present in over 100 countries, Publicis Groupe employs around 103,000 professionals.

www.publicisgroupe.com| Twitter FacebookLinkedInYouTubeInstagramViva la Difference!

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240514533917/en/

Contacts:

Publicis Groupe

Amy Hadfield

Communications Director

+ 33 (0)1 44 43 70 75

amy.hadfield@publicisgroupe.com

Michelle McGowan

Corporate Communications

+1 312 315 5259

michelle.mcgowan@publicisgroupe.com

Eleanor Conroy

Corporate Communications

+447736746466

eleanor.conroy@publicisgroupe.com
Agreement will help businesses and organizations in Southeast Asia accelerate network modernization

TORONTO, May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BlueCat Networks, a leading provider of core services for network infrastructure management, announced a major agreement with Pacific Tech, a value-added distributor in Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. This strategic partnership will help businesses and organizations in the region modernize the core network services that enable users, devices, systems, and services to discover and connect to each other.



"Our industry-recognized solutions provide the flexibility and control that can transform networks into an advantage instead of a chokepoint," said Jason Jackson, BlueCat's Vice President of International Sales. "Partnering with Pacific Tech allows us to reach a broader group of businesses and organizations seeking to meet rising user demands, support transformation initiatives, and unlock new lines of revenue."

Network management has become more complex as the appetite for change increases but core infrastructure services like DNS, DHCP, and IP address management (collectively known as DDI) remain unchanged. Transformation initiatives like remote work, multicloud adoption, SASE, and SD-WAN only add to the complexity. BlueCat's portfolio drives the improved performance, reliability, and security required to build and maintain complex, multicloud networks.

Network modernization starts with consolidated and automated DDI management to streamline these core services, and BlueCat offers both mid-market and enterprise solutions. Additional offerings in BlueCat's portfolio allow businesses and organizations to enhance DNS security, multicloud management, network automation and integrations, as well as network observability and health.

"BlueCat's portfolio of core services for accelerated network modernization brings new innovation and capabilities to the region and addresses a growing need," said Andy Woo, managing director of Pacific Tech. "We look forward to sharing those benefits and BlueCat's reputation for customer success with our customers and prospects."

For more information about BlueCat's portfolio, please visit bluecat.com.

About BlueCat

BlueCat provides core services and solutions that help our customers and their teams deliver change-ready networks. With BlueCat, organizations can build reliable, secure, and agile mission-critical networks that can support transformation initiatives such as cloud adoption and automation. BlueCat's growing portfolio includes services and solutions for automated and unified DDI management, network security, multicloud management, and network observability and health. BlueCat's DDI management platform was recognized as a market leader and outperformer in GigaOm's 2022 and 2023 Radar reports. The company is headquartered in Toronto and New York and has additional offices in Germany, Iceland, Japan, Singapore, Serbia, and the United Kingdom. Learn more at bluecat.com.

About Pacific Tech

Pacific Tech is a Value-Added Distributor, providing cyber security, data protection, managed security services and IoT security solutions to various market verticals in the APAC region. We have direct business coverage in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, Cambodia, Myanmar and rest of APAC with thousands of partners supporting us, deploying our solutions across Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East, and America.

Pacific Tech is also an award-winning distributor in ASEAN and APAC for most of the vendors which we distribute. We have won awards such as Sophos and Fortinet's top distributor for Singapore since we started distributing their products as well as ASEAN and APAC Distributor Partner of the Year Award. We have also won Fortinet's Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) of the Year 2014 since we started our MSSP business.

www.pacifictech.com.sgLinkedInFacebook




Velox Energy Materials Inc. (TSXV:VLX) ("Velox" or the "Company") is pleased to report the review and definition of a drill-defined Exploration Target for the Runnymede area in the central tenement area of the North Queensland Vanadium Project ("NQVP") situated within the "Vanadium Hub", approximately 370 km west of the port of Townsville, Queensland, Australia (Figure 1).

The Runnymede Exploration Target is located approximately 66 km north-west of the township of Richmond and currently measures approximately 4.3 km in length and 3.5 km in width, with an average thickness of 10.70m and an average depth of 3.6m (Figure 2). The Exploration Target remains open to the northwest and north. The Exploration Target was calculated using validated historical drillhole data and hosts a target of 144.30 million tonnes up to 216.46 million tonnes, with an average grade ranging from 0.22 to 0.33 per cent (%) vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) and 147 to 220.8 ppm molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) utilizing a 0.12% V2O5 cut-off (Table 1). The potential quantity and grade are conceptual in nature. There has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource at the Runnymede area and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the target being delineated as a mineral resource.

Velox's President and CEO, Simon Coyle, commented:

"We have already proven there are significant mineral resources in the Cambridge Deposit, and we are currently progressing through the first stages of our metallurgical testwork from large diameter core drilling completed in September 20231. The new Runnymede Exploration Target adds significant upside potential to the existing Flinders River Exploration Target announced on 13 March 2023. This demonstrates the substantial unexplored potential within the 1,246 km2 near surface, oxidised Toolebuc Formation of the NQVP package. It is worth noting that we are also considering other areas covered by historical drilling to expand our Exploration Target inventory.

Vanadium redox flow batteries will soon begin to play an integral role in supporting power grids and bridging the gap of reliable alternative sources of energy. We believe that the NQV Project presents a massive opportunity to make our mark in the ever-evolving battery and energy materials markets."

Table 1- Runnymede Exploration Target Tonnes and Grades

Volume (m3) Tonnes V2O5 (%) MoO3 (ppm) Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum Cut-off Minimum Maximum 80,170,000 120,250,000 144,310,000 216,460,000 0.22 0.33 0.12 147.2 220.8

Notes:

The potential quantity and grade presented represent an Exploration Target and are conceptual in nature. There has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource at the Runnymede area and it is uncertain if future exploration will result in a target being delineated as a mineral resource. The Target has not been evaluated for reasonable prospects for future economic extraction. Metallurgical work is ongoing and future drill programs are planned for the NQVP.

For the conceptual estimate, the range of elemental V2O5 is provided by multiplying the mean volume, density and vanadium concentration of the Runnymede area Exploration Target by +/- 20%.

Molybdenum was treated as a by-product of Vanadium.

Volume and tonnes have been rounded to the nearest 10,000 and grade rounded to two decimal places.

Figure 1: North Queensland Vanadium Project - Location

The Exploration Target is based upon a mineralization horizon that was constructed utilizing the results of a 14-hole historic aircore (AC) drill program totaling 320m. The drill program was completed in 2006-2007 by Intermin2 and intersected anomalous vanadium mineralization in the coquina-shale horizons of the Toolebuc Formation. The Toolebuc Formation is a flat-lying, early Cretaceous (Albian ~100 Ma) sedimentary package that consists predominantly of black carbonaceous and bituminous shale and minor siltstone, with limestone lenses and coquinites (mixed limestone and clays). The exploration target was defined based on 20 aircore drillholes situated within NQVP tenement EPM 26490, with the results from 14 holes being used for the calculation. Section by section geological and mineralization interpretation at a 0.12% V2O5 lower cut-off was conducted, and the shapes were block modelled and estimated for V2O5. The mineralisation solid was intersected by a total of 14 drill holes, which have been sampled by 1m samples in their entirety. The mineralization solids contain a total of 150 sampled intervals representing 150m of sample drillhole chips. For the conceptual estimate, the range of elemental V2O5 is provided by multiplying the mean volume, density and vanadium concentration of the Runnymede area Exploration Target by +/- 20%.

The Runnymede Exploration Target is situated 25km north-west of the Company's flagship Cambridge Deposit. The Cambridge Deposit is hosted within the Toolebuc Formation, which is reported to be flat-lying and occurring from 1m below the surface.

Figure 2 - Plan view of Runnymede area Exploration Target outlining the size and potential of the area

Velox has undertaken drilling at the Cambridge Deposit, however has not yet completed any drilling at the Runnymede Exploration Target area. In preparation of the calculation of the Exploration Target, Mr. Nicholls reviewed Intermin Resources Ltd.'s annual technical report and drillhole database. The AC samples were submitted to SGS in Townsville, Queensland, for preparation and shipped to SGS in Perth, Western Australia for analysis. Analysis comprised ICPMS for Ag (ppm) and Mo (ppm), and using ICP Optical Emission Spectrometry for Al (%), Ca (%), Cu (ppm), Mn (ppm), Na (%),P (ppm), S (ppm),Ti (%), V (ppm), and Zn (ppm).

Photo 1 - Typical Surface view of the NQVP

NQVP Resources and Exploration Target Summary

Cambridge Deposit3

Table 2 - Cambridge Mineral Resource Estimate for the NQVP at 0.25 % Vanadium Cut-Off Grade

Cut-Off

V2O5 (%) Classification Ore Tonnes (Mt) V2O5

(t) V2O5

(%) MoO3

(t) MoO3 (ppm) 0.25 Indicated 61.33 210,300 0.34 14,600 234.6 Inferred 144.87 483,400 0.33 35,500 241.9

Notes :

Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves. Mineral resources which are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. There has been insufficient exploration to define the inferred resources tabulated above as an indicated or measured mineral resource, however, it is reasonably expected that the majority of the Inferred Mineral Resources could be upgraded to Indicated Mineral Resources with continued exploration. There is no guarantee that any part of the mineral resources discussed herein will be converted into a mineral reserve in the future. The estimate of mineral resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, marketing or other relevant issues. The mineral resources have been classified according to the Canadian Institute of Mining (CIM) Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (May 2014) and CIM Estimation of Mineral Resources & Mineral Reserves Best Practices Guidelines (2019).

The Mineral Resource Estimate is constrained in an LG pit optimization utilizing V2O5 at $USD 7.5/lb, Mining at $AUD 2.86/tonne, Processing and G&A at $AUD 7.86/tonne, pit slopes at 35 o .

. Differences may occur in totals due to rounding.

Tonnage estimates are based on a bulk density of 1.8 g/cm3.

Mr. Mike Dufresne, P.Geol., P.Geo. and Mr. Steven Nicholls, M.AIG of APEX Geoscience Ltd. ("APEX"), who are deemed a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101 is responsible for the completion of the updated mineral resource estimation.

Flinders River Exploration Target4

Table 3 - Flinders River Exploration Target*** Tonnes and Grades

Volume (m3) Tonnes V2O5 (%) MoO3 (ppm) Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum Cut-off Minimum Maximum 78,990,000 118,480,000 142,170,000 213,260,000 0.22 0.33 0.12 192 288

*The potential quantity and grade presented represent an Exploration Target and are conceptual in nature. There has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource at Flinders River and it is uncertain if future exploration will result in a target being delineated as a mineral resource. The Target has not been evaluated for reasonable prospects for future economic extraction. Metallurgical work is ongoing and future drill programs are planned for the NQVP.

** For the conceptual estimate, the range of elemental V2O5 is provided by multiplying the mean volume, density and vanadium concentration of the Flinders River Exploration Target by +/- 20%.

***Molybdenum was treated as a by-product of Vanadium.

****Volume and Tonnes have been rounded to the nearest 10,000 and grade rounded to two decimal places.

1 TSX-V Currie Rose Completes Drilling Program and Commences Environmental Studies at the North Queensland Vanadium Project in Australia, 27th September 2023

2 Intermin Resources - Annual Report EPM15869 Dec 2006 to Dec 2007

3 TSX-V - Currie Rose Announces Updated Mineral Resource Estimate at its North Queensland Vanadium Project 1 November 2022

4 TSX-V - Flinders River-Exploration Target-13-3-23

About Velox Energy Materials

Velox Energy Materials is a publicly traded energy materials company developing and progressing high-value assets in resource and research-friendly jurisdictions. The Company's priority focus is the advanced NQV Project in Queensland, Australia. The NQV Project hosts the Cambridge Deposit with a CIM compliant Indicated Mineral Resource of 61.33 Mt @ 0.34% V2O5 and 234.6 ppm MoO3 along with an Inferred Mineral Resource of 144.87 Mt @ 0.33% V2O5 (cut-off grade of 0.25% V2O5) and 241.9 ppm MoO3 (Dufresne et al., 2022). The Company is targeting shallow, high-grade mineralization that can be developed using low-cost mining and processing options.

The Company additionally owns Kotai Energy and the option to acquire 100% of the intellectual property rights associated with the Solid-State Hydrogen Storage Project from Curtin University in Western Australia. Kotai is focused on the commercialisation of technology that can produce high-pressure hydrogen following transport as an inert powder.

In October 2023, the Company acquired a package of tenements that are prospective for lithium in eastern Quebec.

The Indicated Resource of 61.33 Mt @ 0.34% V2O5 and an Inferred Resource of 144.87 Mt @ 0.33% V2O5 for the Cambridge Deposit was announced in November 2022 (see Currie Rose news release dated November 1, 2022 and the Technical Report by Dufresne et al., 2022).

Please visit our website at www.veloxenergymaterials.com.au for further information.

Approved by the Board of Velox Energy Materials Inc.

Simon Coyle

President & CEO

+1 416-214-7577

Investor Relations Contact

Andrew Rowell

Investor Relations - Australia

M: +61 400 466 226

Email: andrew@whitenoisecomms.com

Qualified Persons

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Michael Dufresne, M.Sc., P.Geol., P.Geo., and Steven Nicholls, BA.Sc., M. AIG., both qualified persons as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Nicholls conducted the most recent property visit in October 2023, compiled the mineralized domains for the mineral resource estimation of the Cambridge Deposit, and calculated the Runnymede area Exploration Target.

Forward Looking Statements

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on the Company's expectations, estimates and projections regarding its business and the economic environment in which it operates. Statements about the closing of the transaction, expected terms of the transaction, the number of securities of Velox Energy Materials that may be issued in connection with the transaction, and the parties' ability to satisfy closing conditions and receive necessary approvals are all forward-looking information. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to control or predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements and readers should not place undue reliance on such statements. Statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update them publicly to reflect new information or the occurrence of future events or circumstances, unless otherwise required to do so by law.

SOURCE: Velox Energy Materials Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
PHOENIX, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / PetroSun, Inc (OTC PINK:PSUD) (the "Company") announced today that a new Farmout Agreement has been reached with Pivot Point Energy, Inc covering approximately 207,663 acres located in the Holbrook Basin of Navajo and Coconino counties. A previous agreement with the Company covering this acreage was dated May 18, 2023 with JAYD Ventures LLC and has been in default and was terminated on April 30, 2024.

The terms and conditions of the Pivot Point Energy Farmout Agreement provides PetroSun with a $2,500,000 leasehold fee payable on or before June 12, 2024, a drilling commitment of two test wells based on seismic and a carried twenty-five percent working interest on the two test wells and the initial three development wells.

Pivot Point Energy will receive a seventy-five percent working interest participation covering the approximately 207,663 acres, a three-year extension of the base lease that is payable by PetroSun from the leasehold fee and an Area of Mutual Interest (AMI) that extends three miles from any lease line.

The primary resource target on the North and South Winslow 207,663-acre farmout will be helium from multiple formations down to basement. The secondary resource targets are oil from the Permian Fort Apache and natural gas from the Devonian that were encountered in the 26-1 well tested by a PetroSun subsidiary near the North and South Winslow leasehold.

After the receipt of the leasehold fee, seismic lines will be shot to develop the initial test well locations for the exploration program.

"The proceeds from the original Farmout Agreement were designated to retire the corporate debt of the Company and advance its Holbrook Basin helium program. The new Farmout Agreement will now allow the Company to achieve those goals. In my opinion and that of other contributing petroleum geologists during the past 25 years, the Central Holbrook Basin and the North and South Winslow areas in the western portion of the basin have always held the most promise for large accumulations of helium. It has been PetroSun that has controlled these areas during that timeframe, limiting helium exploration to other parts of the Holbrook Basin by several qualified operators. It is now the time to see what the Holbrook Basin has been concealing," stated Gordon LeBlanc, Jr, Executive Chairman, CEO and President.

About PetroSun

PetroSun, Inc. is a fully integrated energy and mining business focusing on Lithium, Zeolite Clays, Rare Earth Elements, Mine Tailings, Helium, Natural Gas and Water Processing through the use of cutting-edge technologies, a broad portfolio of assets and leases, and a management team with decades of research, development, and production experience. PetroSun is vertically integrated with control of all aspects of the business from exploration and production to delivery to end users, providing customers direct customized solutions and shareholders maximum returns by participating in profitability at each stage in the supply chain.

PetroSun, Inc. owns significant leasehold acreage that is prospective for helium exploration and production in the Holbrook Basin of Arizona and for natural gas and helium in the Paradox Basin of Utah. The Company holds mineral leases on approximately 280,000 gross acres in the Holbrook Basin and Pedregosa Basin of Arizona and over 26,000 gross acres in the Paradox Basin. PetroSun's greatest assets are its shareholders, partners, advisors, employees, and its patented and proprietary technologies. We seek to provide global solutions to some of the most critical challenges the world faces today and into the future.

The Company trades on the OTC Pink Sheets under the symbol "PSUD".

For additional information:

Contact PetroSun at mallison@petrosun.us

Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer:

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 Act of 1934, as amended. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "could", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "may", "ongoing", "plan", "potential", "predict", "project", "should", "will", "would", or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which such performance or results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time the statements are made and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainty and other factors that may cause our results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements in this press release. This press release should be considered in light of all filings of the Company that are disclosed on the OTC Market.com website.

Contact:

PetroSun, Inc.

2999 North 44th Street, Suite 620

Phoenix, Arizona 85018

480-425-4290

Website: www.petrosun.us

SOURCE: PetroSun, Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
By Marcella O'Shea

Ying Ying Yang migrated to Australia from China with qualifications as an electrical engineer, and confronted a challenge that many new migrants do: a language barrier.

"I studied Russian because my hometown was next to Russia," she says. "I studied Russian until I finished university!"

She decided studying a course in English would help and enrolled in an IT Certificate course at TAFE New South Wales.

"I remember when I started in the Certificate III class, and I had a teacher who looked at me as though she was thinking 'you even can't speak English, how are you going to pass the subject?' But I think I'm thinking, you know, you don't know whether I can pass it or not, but I know I can pass it, so that's how I got through, initially," she says.

Falling into IT

"I had no intention to do IT, it was just by opportunity," says Ying Ying. "Possibly you don't have confidence to do things, but as long as you stick to it, you work hard towards it, eventually you can get some good results."

Ying Ying did get those results. After passing her Certificate III, she started a Certificate IV course that included Cisco Networking Academy curriculum, and she was hooked, going on to get CCNA and CCNP certifications.

"I think the Cisco Networking Academy has got the best courses, especially when you're just starting in IT, because they don't just teach for their product," she says.

"A lot of other vendors have an academy, but they focus on their product, but Cisco Networking Academy is really good for someone who has no IT background because it provides courses at different levels, and they actually give you knowledge which you need to know."

"All the modules are well-organized, so easy to follow," she adds, "and also the labs are really good."

Change of direction

"I always encourage the students to do the fundamental courses, because IT is so big," she says, suggesting that students can then decide what area of IT work they would like to get involved in.

For Ying Ying, that was teaching.

"My teacher really helped me a lot, and because she thought I was a good student she recommended me to my boss. They said, 'we want you to join the instructor training.' I didn't think I could become a teacher!"

"My teacher changed my life, and I want to do the same for others," she says.

"Some students really like to talk to me about their worries, and things that have happened in their lives and get advice. I feel that is something meaningful. Sometimes I'm really tired but I walk into the classroom, and I feel just like I had two coffees, and immediately I'm back to the work mode," she says. "I just feel, just by chance, I found what I'm right at."

Volunteering with refugees

Ying Ying's determination to help others has extended to volunteering her time to help with a project with Community Corporate to train refugees with Cisco Networking Academy.

"The learners may have some background knowledge but because of the new environment, they are a bit shy to ask the questions to know where to start," she says. "When it comes to the new environment, I just use my own experience and to encourage them, to give them some idea, because I'm an immigrant to Australia too."

"Cisco provides a fabulous English course, English for IT," adds Ying Ying. "We decided to give the students access to the course. It has a focus on IT terminology. I think that course is really good, and I review it to learn the words in the IT work environment to communicate with others. It is a good course!"

At home in Australia

Thanks to enrolling in that initial IT Certificate course, Ying Ying has found a new career, and is grateful to call Australia home. "I always tell students-especially when we have international students-the thing I really love in Australia is that we have opportunity," she says.

"You can change your career at any point as long as you want it. My students include taxi drivers, accountants, and dentists. At some stage of their lives they decided to change to IT. I use them as role models to encourage other students. That's how I started!"

Explore more inspiring Networking Academy Success Stories

Ready to begin your learning or teaching journey? Explore all Networking Academy courses to get started.

View original content here.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Cisco Systems Inc. on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Cisco Systems Inc.

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/cisco-systems-inc

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Cisco Systems Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 14, 2024) - Silver Elephant Mining Corp. (TSX: ELEF) (OTC PINK: SILEF) (FSE: 1P2) ("Silver Elephant" or the "Company") announces in April, the Company mined a total of 20,894 tonnes of Paca oxide materials with an average grade of 194.2 g/t silver ("Products") and trucked the Products to Andean Precious Metals Corp. ("Andean").

John Lee, CEO of Silver Elephant commented: "Our Bolivian operation set a new monthly record in both Product tonnages (averaging 700 tonne-per-day) and gross metals content delivered to Andean.

The Company has been expanding Bolivian activities with the cash-flow from Paca oxide sales since October 2023. Silver Elephant has become a major employer at the Pulacayo township, and we would like to thank the local community and our partners for their continued support.

The Company is stabilizing the Paca oxide production rate and advancing towards Paca's phase 2 sulphide production. Paca's potential future sulphide production would provide additional revenue stream to Silver Elephant."

Month Tonnes Grade g/t Oct-23 4,502 244.9 Nov-23 7,269 156.5 Dec-23 19,704 144.9 Jan-24 4,283 146 Mar-24 15,809 176.6 Apr-24 20,894 194.2 Total 72,461 173.5

Pursuant to the sales and purchase agreement and master services agreement detailed in the news release dated September 12, 2023, Silver Elephant plans to sell and deliver up to 800,000 tonnes of Paca oxide materials to Andean for a total of between US$5 million and US$7 million depending on the silver price. Andean has also agreed to reimburse Silver Elephant for operating expenses under the sales and purchase agreement.

The Paca project hosts a high grade silver resource according to a technical report by Mercator Geological Services, dated effective October 13, 2020 titled "Mineral Resource Estimate Technical Report for the Pulacayo Project, Potosi Department Antonnio Quijarro Province Bolivia" (the "Technical Report"). The mineral resource estimate from the Technical Report is as follows:

Paca Zone Category Tonnes Ag g/t Ag Moz Zn% Pb % Phase 1 Oxide In Pit Indicated 800,000 231 5.9 - - Inferred 235,000 159 1.2 - - Phase 2 Sulfide In Pit Indicated 1,810,000 256 14.9 1.22 1.22 Inferred 190,000 338 2.1 0.61 0.98

Oxide resources are based on a Pit-constrained estimate using a 90 g/t Ag cutoff. Sulfide resources are based on a pit-constrained estimate using a 200 g/t Ag Eq cutoff. Ag Eq = Silver Equivalent (Recovered) = (Ag g/t*89.2%)+((Pb%*(US$0.95/lb. Pb/14.583 Troy oz./lb./US$17 per Troy oz. Ag)*(10,000*91.9%))+((Zn%*(US$1.16/lb. Zn/14.583 Troy oz./lb./US$17 per Troy oz. Ag)*(10,000*82.9%)). Sulphide zone metal recoveries of 89.2% for Ag, 91.9% for Pb, and 82.9% for Zn were used in the Silver Equivalent (Recovered) equation and reflect metallurgical testing results disclosed previously for the Pulacayo Deposit. Matthew Harrington P. Geo. is the independent Qualified Person for the resource estimate.

The Technical Report was filed on October 26, 2020 and is available under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. This news release includes an estimate of mineral resources as disclosed in the Technical Report. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.

About Pulacayo-Paca

The Paca project is part of the Company's Pulacayo project with a total indicated resource of 106.7 million oz silver, 1.4 billion pounds of zinc and 690 million pounds of lead published in the Technical Report and tabulated below. Silver Elephant and its subsidiaries have spent over $35 million on Pulacayo and Paca, which is considered to be an advanced project with over 96,000 meters of drilling, and a historic feasibility study.

Combined Pulacayo and Paca Indicated Mineral Resources Tonnes Ag g/t Pb % Zn % Oxide 2,185,000 155 - - Sulfide 45,855,000 65 0.69 1.37

Combined Indicated Mineral Resources includes Pulacayo pit-constrained and out-of-pit plus only Paca pit-constrained resources. Oxide resources use a 50 g/t Ag cutoff. Sulfide resources use a 100 g/t Ag Eq cutoff. Ag Eq = Silver Equivalent (Recovered) = (Ag g/t*89.2%)+((Pb%*(US$0.95/lb. Pb/14.583 Troy oz./lb./US$17 per Troy oz. Ag)*(10,000*91.9%))+((Zn%*(US$1.16/lb. Zn/14.583 Troy oz./lb./US$17 per Troy oz. Ag)*(10,000*82.9%)). Sulphide zone metal recoveries of 89.2% for Ag, 91.9% for Pb, and 82.9% for Zn were used in the Silver Equivalent (Recovered) equation and reflect metallurgical testing results disclosed previously for the Pulacayo Deposit. Matthew Harrington P. Geo. is the independent Qualified Person for the resource estimate.

A subsidiary of Silver Elephant entered into a Mining Production Contract ("MPC") with Corporacion Minera de Bolivia ("COMIBOL"), a branch of the Bolivian Ministry of Mining and Metallurgy on October 3, 2019. The MPC grants the Company's subsidiary an exclusive right to develop and mine at the Pulacayo and Paca concessions for up to 30 years.

The Pulacayo Project is at the center of a major silver mining district in Bolivia and is within 250 km driving distance to the San Cristobal mine, the Cerro Rico mine, Pan American's San Vicente mine, Eloro's Iska Iska project, and New Pacific's Silver Sands project.

Qualified Person

The technical contents of this news release have been prepared under the supervision of Bill Pincus, who is an independent consultant of the Company. Mr. Pincus is a qualified person as defined by the guidelines of NI 43-101.

About Silver Elephant Mining Corp.

Silver Elephant is a silver mining company, with its flagship Pulacayo-Paca silver project in production since October 2023 in Bolivia.

Further information on Silver Elephant can be found at www.silverelef.com.

SILVER ELEPHANT MINING CORP.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"John Lee"

Executive Chairman

For more information about Silver Elephant, please contact Investor Relations:

+1.604.569.3661 ext. 101

info@silverelef.com

www.silverelef.com

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is generally identifiable by use of the words "believes," "may," "plans," "will," "anticipates," "intends," "could", "estimates", "expects", "forecasts", "projects" and similar expressions, and the negative of such expressions. Such forward-looking information, which reflects management's expectations regarding Silver Elephant's future growth, results of operations, performance, business prospects and opportunities, is based on certain factors and assumptions and involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information in this news release includes the expected amount and timing for delivery of Product to Andean, and expected timing and benefits of phase 2 sulphide production for the Paca project.

Forward-looking information involves significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as a guarantee of future performance, events or results, and may not be indicative of whether such events or results will actually be achieved. A number of risks and other factors could cause actual results to differ materially from expected results discussed in the forward-looking information, including but not limited to: changes in operating plans; ability to secure sufficient financing to advance the Company's project; conditions impacting the Company's ability to mine at the project, such as unfavourable weather conditions, development of a mine plan, maintaining existing permits and receiving any new permits required for the project, and other conditions impacting mining generally; maintaining cordial business relations with strategic partners and contractual counter-parties; meeting regulatory requirements and changes thereto; risks inherent to mineral resource estimation, including uncertainty as to whether mineral resources will be further developed into mineral reserves; political risk in the jurisdictions where the Company's projects are located; commodity price variation; and general market, industry and economic conditions. Additional risk factors are set out in the Company's latest annual and interim management's discussion and analysis and annual information form (AIF), available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

Forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions by management as of the date of this news release, and there can be no assurance that actual results will be consistent with any forward-looking information included herein. Readers are cautioned that all forward- looking statements in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information in this news release to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date of this news release, except as required by applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/209114

SOURCE: Silver Elephant Mining Corp.
HONG KONG, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- CoinEx is launching the "One Bite of Bitcoin" campaign on Bitcoin Pizza Day, inviting the global crypto community to celebrate and experience the festive vibe.

Bitcoin Pizza Day is a celebration on May 22nd every year, commemorating the historic event when Laszlo Hanyecz exchanged 10,000 BTC for two pizzas on May 22nd, 2010, symbolizing a significant turning point in the practical application of Bitcoin.

As a celebration, "One Bite of Bitcoin" will be held both online and offline, with the following events:

One Line to Bitcoin: Participants are invited to craft slogans that encapsulate their perspectives on the prospects of Bitcoin on the designated post on CoinEx's official Twitter/X account. The most innovative and captivating slogan will be awarded 10,000 $CET, courtesy of CoinEx.

Share Your Slice: Participants are invited to share a photo of them with their pizza, or share a pizza image generated by AI or any other tools, in the comment of the designated post on CoinEx's official Twitter/X account. A 10,000 $CET award will go to the best work.

Offline Meetup: Offline meetups will be held in selected locations, including Brazil, Cameroon, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, the Philippines, Spain, and Vietnam. The meetup will be held in diverse forms to blend in with local culture, like meetings at pizza parlors, beside food trucks, with pizzas served. More details are on CoinEx's regional Twitter/X account.

To learn more about the campaign, please visit CoinEx's official website or follow us on social media channels.

About CoinEx

Established in 2017, CoinEx is a global cryptocurrency exchange committed to making trading easier. The platform provides spot and margin trading, futures, swaps, automated market maker (AMM), and financial management services for over 5 million users across more than 200 countries and regions.

With its "quality, speedy, and comprehensive" listing strategies, CoinEx has listed over 1,000 tokens and more than 1,400 trading pairs. This extensive selection empowers users to access the newest cryptos at the forefront of innovation. Since its establishment, CoinEx has steadfastly adhered to a "user-first" service principle. With the sincere intention of nurturing an equitable, respectful, and secure crypto trading environment, CoinEx enables individuals with varying levels of experience to effortlessly access the world of cryptocurrency by offering easy-to-use products.

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Growing applications in various fields such as genomics, oncology, agriculture, and infectious disease research, technological advancements and increasing demand for personalized medicine drive the growth of the global next generation sequencing market.

PORTLAND, Ore., May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Next Generation Sequencing Market By Product (Consumables, Platforms, and Services), Application (Diagnostics, Biomarkers And Cancer, Reproductive Health, Personalized Medicine, Agriculture and Animal Research, and Others), Technology (Sequencing By Synthesis (SBS), Ion Semiconductor Sequencing (IOS), Sequencing By Ligation (SBL), Pyrosequencing, Single-Molecule-Real-Time Sequencing (SMRT), and Others), and End User (Academic And Clinical Research Centers, Pharmaceutical And Biotechnology Companies, Hospitals and Clinics, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis And Industry Forecast, 2024-2035". According to the report, the global next generation sequencing market was valued at $13 billion in 2023 and is estimated to reach $97.8 billion by 2035, exhibiting a CAGR of 18.3% from 2024 to 2035.

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Prime determinants of growth

Growth in adoption of next generation sequencing, advancements in technologies and presence of key players are the factors that drive the growth of the global next generation sequencing market. However, complexity in data analysis and interpretation, requiring skilled bioinformatics expertise is anticipated to hinder market growth. On the contrary, a rise in healthcare expansion is expected to offer remunerative opportunities for the next generation sequencing market during the forecast period.

Report coverage & details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2024-2035 Base Year 2023 Market Size in 2023 $13 billion Market Size in 2035 $97.8 billion CAGR 18.30 % No. of Pages in Report 275 Segments covered Product, Application, Technology, End User, and Region Regional scope North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, LAMEA Drivers Rise in investments in research and development

Growth in focus on population genomics and large-scale sequencing projects

Increase in demand for personalized medicine and precision healthcare Opportunities Growth opportunity in emerging markets Restraints Lack of skilled professionals



Want to Explore More, Connect to our Analyst-

https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/connect-to-analyst/2048

The consumables segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period.

By product, the consumables segment accounted for the largest share in 2023, accounting for more than two-thirds of the global next generation sequencing market revenue. This is attributed to the recurring nature of consumable purchases, such as reagents, cartridges, and other materials necessary for sequencing experiments, which ensures a steady revenue stream for sequencing companies. Additionally, the growing adoption of sequencing technologies across research, clinical, and industrial settings increases the demand for consumables.

However, the services segment is projected to register the highest CAGR of 19.3% during the forecast period. As the adoption of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies increases, there's a parallel rise in demand for associated services such as sequencing data analysis, interpretation, and consulting. Additionally, outsourcing sequencing tasks to specialized service providers offers cost-efficiency and expertise, further driving the growth of this segment.

The biomarkers & cancer segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period.

By application, the biomarkers & cancer segment accounted for the largest share in 2023, accounting for more than one-third of the global next generation sequencing market revenue. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) plays a pivotal role in identifying genetic biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment selection. With advancements in NGS technology, the segment continues to thrive, offering tailored approaches to cancer management, driving its sustained leadership in revenue during the forecast period.

However, the agriculture and animal research segment is projected to register the highest CAGR of 20.0% during the forecast period. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies are increasingly utilized in agriculture and animal research for genome analysis, trait mapping, and breeding programs. The efficiency and precision of NGS enable accelerated genetic improvement in crops and livestock, addressing challenges such as food security and disease resistance. This drives the segment's rapid growth, presenting transformative opportunities in agricultural innovation and animal science.

The sequencing by synthesis segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period.

By technology, the sequencing by synthesis segment accounted for the largest share in 2023, accounting for two-thirds of the global next generation sequencing market revenue. This is attributed to its efficiency in generating high-quality sequencing data at scale, meeting the increasing demand for rapid and economic genomic analysis in diverse applications.

However, the pyrosequencing segment is projected to register highest CAGR of 20.3% during the forecast period. This is attributed to increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases and rise in demand for personalized medicine. This technology has various advantages such as faster detection technique and short reading time are further driving the segment growth.

The academic & research centers segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period.

By end user, the academic & research centers segment accounted for the largest share in 2023, accounting for more than two-fifths of the global next generation sequencing market revenue, owing to increase in the prevalence of genetic diseases, increased application-based usage in these institutes, and rise in oncology research.

However, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies segment is projected to register the highest CAGR of 19.3% during the forecast period. This is attributed to the increasing demand for personalized medicine and targeted therapies, which rely heavily on genomics and molecular diagnostics. Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are investing heavily in genomic research to develop tailored treatments for various diseases, including cancer, rare genetic disorders, and infectious diseases.

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North America is expected to maintain its dominance by 2035.

Based on region, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2023, accounting for almost half of the global next generation sequencing market revenue. This is primarily attributed to the rise in adoption of technologically advanced next generation sequencing, developed healthcare infrastructure, and increase in patient awareness about precision medicine.

However, Asia-Pacific is projected to register the highest CAGR of 19.9% during the forecast period. This is attributed to the surge in demand for sophisticated next generation sequencing, large number of healthcare reforms, high prevalence of genetic disorders, and increase in the focus of key players to develop technologically advanced & cost-effective technologies.

Leading Market Players: -

Illumina Inc.

F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG

Qiagen N.V

ABGI group

PerkinElmer, Inc

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Pacific Biosciences of California

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

Precigen Inc

The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global next generation sequencing market. These players have adopted different strategies such as product launch, product development, and product approval to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario.

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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.

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As federal and state governments implement far-ranging programs to address the crisis, PillSafe offers a technology-based solution that ensures patients comply with prescriptions.

EDMOND, OK / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / The nation's opioid epidemic costs the U.S. economy more than $1 trillion a year in lost labor hours, productivity, and healthcare costs. The federal and state governments are launching complex and costly programs to address the crisis. Yet, products like the PillSafe bottle, a patented "smart" pill delivery system, offer an efficient, technology-based solution.

Developed by doctors and designed to protect patients, PillSafe uses proprietary technology that distributes the appropriate amount of medication at the time prescribed by the doctor and prevents tampering with the bottle, ensuring compliance with the doctor's prescription.

PillSafe was developed to address an overdose epidemic that has killed more than 100,000 people in the United States every year since 2001 and is the leading killer of people 18 to 49 in the United States. From 2015-2018, the opioid epidemic cost the U.S. economy $2.5 trillion. In 2020 alone, the epidemic imposed a $1.5 trillion burden on the economy, equivalent to 7% of that year's GDP.

"Addressing this crisis requires continued efforts and resources to combat addiction and reduce fatal overdoses. Dollars and education alone will not solve the Opioid challenge. Funding 'smart' technologies is the next step," said Dr. John Barr, co-founder of PillSafe.

A review of recent legislation and programs from the federal government and several state governments, including New York, Illinois, and Washington, illustrates the extraordinary and expensive efforts dedicated to the opioid crisis.

The U.S. Congress has passed three laws, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), the 21st Century Cures Act, and the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, that will spend more than $10.6 billion by 2028 on programs to decrease the supply and demand for opioids.

The Department of Health and Human Resources (HHS) mentioned in a March 2020 report that $300 million, almost one-third of the State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis grant program's $970 million funding, was not spent by some of the states. Another 14 states spent less than half of their funding share. All but six states asked for a 12-month extension.

The federal government's Department of Labor has a program that hires individuals in recovery, providing fidelity bonds for "at-risk" and difficult-to-place job seekers. The bonds cover the first six months of employment at no cost to the job seeker or the employer. Also, New York and Illinois governments have created tax credits to incentivize employers to hire individuals in recovery. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce also promotes resources for second-chance hiring programs.

According to a survey by the National Safety Council, 75% of employers reported that opioid use has impacted their workplace, and only 17% reported being extremely well-prepared to address the issue. An estimated 12.6% of the American workforce receives an opioid prescription today. Workers with substance use disorders take 50% more unscheduled leave and have a turnover rate 44% higher than other people. Workers affected by opioids are also more likely to experience occupational injuries that result in time away from work.

The State Opioid Response grant program has allowed states to provide treatment services to over 1.2 million people in the U.S. since 2018, purchase roughly 10 million overdose reversal medication kits that helped with 550,000 overdoses, and offer funding for access to medications, treatment of opioid use disorder, and increase prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery support services for substance use disorder.

State governments across the country have approved or are planning elaborate programs to address the opioid crisis and its impact on the economy. New York and Illinois have created tax credits to incentivize employers to hire individuals in recovery. In Washington, the governor approved a measure in March to help tribes and indigenous people deal with their soaring overdose death rates. It would provide nearly $8 million annually until at least 2031 for the state's 29 federally recognized tribes.

In Texas, where a study showed that overdoses in 2022 cost the state $114.6 billion in gross product and 1.2 million years of work, the state is expected to spend about $700 million from a settlement with pharmaceutical companies on programs to reduce opioid addiction.

Given the scope of the issue and governments' scattershot response, the PillSafe developers want to announce an open invitation to partner with any State on sharing the licensing revenues from PillSafe technologies in support of their incentive programs on Employment, Compliance, and Recovery. We invite State Representatives to contact the PillSafe team at https://pillsafeprotection.com.

About PillSafe

PillSafe is a pioneering "smart" technology that shifts the standard of care in the pharmaceutical industry with home delivery and patient compliance in response to the opioid epidemic. The company creates prescription compliance by restricting access to medication to only the patient, keeping medication safe from divergence and abuse. PillSafe's "intelligent" design includes several innovative features that benefit the delivery network from the manufacturer to the pharmacy to the patient. The patented technology includes an electronic label that can increase adherence messaging, two-step verification, or active advertising from the manufacturer to the pharmacy to the patient.

In 2022, 27 million Americans had a drug use disorder. The economic impact of opioids has been substantial, affecting lives, families, and the working population directly. A CDC review of mortality data from 21 states reported that unintentional overdose deaths accounted for a disproportionate share of all deaths in six occupational groups: construction, extraction (e.g., mining), food preparation and serving, health care practitioners, health care support, and personal care and service.

Contact Information

Jessica Lombao

Media Advantage Account Manager

jessica.lombao@issuerdirect.com

SOURCE: PillSafe

View the original press release on newswire.com.
CHICAGO, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a research report "Global Agriculture Industry Outlook 2024 - Feeding the Future Through Innovation" published by MarketsandMarkets, the Top 10 Agriculture Markets Will Grow From USD 81.5 billion in 2023 to USD 94.3 billion by 2024 at A YOY Increase of 15.7%.

The Agriculture Industry Outlook covers vertical farming market, plant breeding market, precision farming market, regenerative agriculture market, blockchain in agriculture market, smart irrigation market, connected agriculture market, agriculture drones' market, and agricultural biologicals market.

The agriculture industry anticipates a transformative journey from 2023 to 2024, with a focus on agricultural biologicals, the demand for sustainable and carbon neutral agriculture, and innovative technologies like farm automation, and precision agriculture. This period promises unprecedented innovation and heightened competition as companies strive to meet evolving technology integration and embrace ethical organic farming.

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=131043025

Browse in-depth TOC on "Global Agriculture Industry Outlook 2024"

6 - Figures

34 - Pages

Agriculture industry developments in 2023 and upcoming predictions in 2024

In 2023, the agriculture industry is experiencing significant developments, marked by the rise of sustainable practices, increased adoption of advanced technologies, and strategic initiatives by key players. Growing population, increasing demand for food, widespread implementation of technology in agriculture, and a surge in demand for organic and sustainable agriculture are primary demand drives. As we look ahead to 2024, several trends are poised to shape the industry's trajectory. The integration of advanced technologies like AI and automation will continue to redefine production processes, while competition among industry leaders will intensify. High-tech and organic approaches are both driving sustainable agriculture. Precision agriculture and biotechnologies optimize yields and resource use, while organic practices prioritize ecological balance. In 2024, the emphasis on automated farm machinery, agriculture biotechnology, novel farming systems, organic and non-GMO seeds, are accelerating the agriculture industry growth. The agriculture industry is grappling with a perfect storm of challenges including increasingly extreme weather, rising costs for essentials like fertilizer and seeds, unpredictable economic conditions, and a shrinking pool of skilled workers. Agricultural companies are actively seeking solutions to navigate these complex issues and ensure the long-term viability of the sector

Top Key Companies in Global Agriculture Industry Outlook:

In the rapidly evolving landscape of the agriculture industry, key companies are spearheading transformative initiatives across various sectors. In the agrigenomics industry Eurfins Scientific (Luxembourg), and Illumina Inc. (US) are leading the charge. In the connected space IBM (US), AT&T (US), and Microsoft (US) are leveraging their expertise in technology to offer premium agricultural services. For organic agricultural production, Syngenta (Switzerland), UPL (India), BASF SE (Germany), Bayer AG (Germany), and Marrone Bio Innovation, Inc. (US) are at the forefront. Additionally, in plant breeding and CRISPR Plants technologies companies such as Corteva, Inc. (US), BASF SE (Germany), and Bayer AG (Germany), are leading the charge by offering biotechnological and conventional methods of plant breeding to obtain desirable agriculture outputs. The agricultural landscape is poised for a dynamic transformation driven by continuous investment in innovative technologies and product development. 2024 is expected to see a growing focus on expanding access to these advancements in developing nations. This global effort will be instrumental in achieving sustainable yield improvements and ensuring food security for all.

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North America currently reigns supreme as the largest agricultural market, while Asia Pacific is surging ahead in terms of growth rate.

North America currently holds the crown for the largest market owing to its well-established infrastructure, government support for large-scale farms, and a robust agribusiness sector. The US reigns supreme within the region, leveraging its vast fertile land, diverse climate, and heavy investments in research and development.

However, the Asia Pacific region is rapidly rising as an agricultural powerhouse. Soaring population particularly in China and India, are creating an immense and ever-growing demand for food. Many Asian governments are strategically investing in agricultural modernization through infrastructure development, irrigation projects, and technology adoption. AgTech solutions like precision agriculture and vertical farming are gaining traction as they promise improved yields and resource management. China and India are leading the charge in this region, with China being a major producer of rice, wheat, and vegetables, and India a significant producer of rice, wheat, and cotton. Other countries like Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia are also experiencing significant agricultural growth.

Investment is pouring into both regions, but with distinct focuses. North America is looking to maintain and expand its existing edge through further optimization of production with advanced technologies and infrastructure. In contrast, Asia Pacific is directing its investments towards building modern infrastructure, developing cold chain logistics to reduce spoilage, and promoting the adoption of AgTech solutions. Sustainability is also becoming a growing concern, with investments flowing towards practices that minimize environmental impact.

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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.

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G&A's Sustainability Highlights ( 05.01.2024 )

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / Four decades ago the United Nations projected that the travel and tourism industry would be ranked very high among the world's top industry categories for economic impact. Last year, Bloomberg News reported that the World Travel & Tourism Council's data projects the industry's contribution to the world's gross domestic product (GDP) to be about US$16 trillion by the end of the decade, or 12% of total GDP (with $3 trillion of those annual revenues within the United States).

The COVID-19 pandemic did slow down domestic and global travel for two years, but the revenues for the industry are climbing once again. Categories used to assemble the global data for travel and related expenditures included airline travel, hotels and resort stays, train travel, and local spending by tourists in 160 nations.

The economic boom in travel tourism certainly benefits local destinations in both developed and developing countries. But there is a downside cost: it was estimated that the travel and tourism industry's contribution to global GHG emissions was about 8% of the total from 2009 to 2013, based on study results published in Nature Climate Change in July 2018.

One major component was airline travel; the industry returned to profitability in 2023, with the global industry enjoying revenues of almost US800 billion last year, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The airline industry's energy-related emissions have also slightly increased (more revenues=more flights=more emissions), and a growing number of airlines have responded by committing to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

To help business travelers address their travel-related carbon emissions and make a contribution to GHG reduction, a start-up company - Airwise Travel - is launching a new software dashboard that will enable corporate travel managers to book travel and purchase carbon credits to offset emissions from airline flights, hotels, and other arrangements.

Does it matter to travelers that their business or personal journeys are contributing to the growing volume of carbon emissions? We found interesting survey results out of Germany from Booking.com. One-of-three German travelers apparently do not count "sustainability" as a primary concern when planning or booking flights. These respondents are "tired of constantly hearing about climate change."

The good news: 60% of German travelers do want to travel more sustainably in the next year. Many German travelers, says Bookings.com, feel that their sustainable travel experiences add value to their trips. Almost half of those surveyed feel they become the best version of themselves when they travel sustainably and carry the positivity back home.

We are sharing these survey results in our Top Stories. What are your considerations when you book travel for yourself, or your company travel department makes the arrangements? Are you a sustainable traveler? No doubt travel and tourism will be highlighted in the months ahead as disclosure of carbon emissions becomes mandatory for many large companies.

This is just the introduction of G&A's Sustainability Highlights newsletter this week. Click here to view the full issue.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc. on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc.

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/governance-accountability-institute-inc

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Dieppe, New Brunswick--(Newsfile Corp. - May 14, 2024) - Colibri Resource Corporation (TSXV: CBI) ("Colibri" or the "Company") is pleased to report that the co-owner of its Pilar Gold & Silver Project in Sonora, Mexico, Tocvan Ventures (51% interest) has announced the results from the initial four of fifteen holes drilled to date in the ongoing Phase 4 RC drill program. Hole JES-24-77 was drilled in the 4-T Trend area and is reported to be the longest and highest-grade gold intersection to date outside of the Main Zone. Colibri owns a 49% interest in the Pilar Gold & Silver Project.

Highlights from Tocvan Pilar News Release - May 14 th , 2024 :

Best Intersection to date from 4-T Trend (400 meters East of Main Zone) in Drillhole JES-24-77

Drilling Intersects 56.4 meters of 1.0 g/t Au , 18.3 meters from Surface in Drillhole JES-24-77 Including 9.2 meters of 5.3 g/t Au, 27.5 meters from surface

Top 5 Drill Result from Tocvan Programs to Date 1. JES-20-32, 94.6m of 1.6 g/t Au and 9 g/t Ag (RC) 2. JES-22-59, 116.9m of 1.2 g/t Au and 7 g/t Ag (Core) 3. JES-22-62, 108.6m of 0.8 g/t Au and 3 g/t Ag (Core) 4. JES-20-36, 24.2m of 2.5 g/t Au and 73 g/t Ag (RC) 5. NEW - JES-24-77, 56.4m of 1.0 g/t Au and 1 g/t Ag (RC)

Result of JES-24-77 Opens Up Resource Potential Along Eastern Corridor

Additional Results Pending

For full details please see the Tocvan Ventures news release dated May 14 th , 2024 below:

Calgary, Alberta - May 14, 2024 - Tocvan Ventures Corp. (CSE: TOC) (OTCQB: TCVNF) (FSE: TV3) (the "Company"), is pleased to announce first drill results from its 2024 Reverse Circulation (RC) drill program at its road accessible Pilar Gold-Silver project in mine-friendly Sonora, Mexico. A total of 1,825.4 meters has been drilled to date in 15 drillholes.

Results today are highlighted by drillhole JES-24-77 which returned 56.4 meters of 1.0 g/t Au from 18.3 meters vertical depth, including 9.2 meters of 5.3 g/t Au. The entire length of the hole returned anomalous gold values averaging 76.3 meters of 0.8 g/t Au. A high-grade center to the mineralized zone returned 5.3 g/t Au and 3 g/t Ag over 9.2 meters, including 1.5 meters of 26.7 g/t Au. Like the Main Zone, the 4-T trend is exposed at surface along a rounded ridge top, allowing the potential for a low strip ratio during early development. The hole tested near-surface mineralization and was stopped at 76.3 meters, mineralization at 4-T remains open at depth. Results for eleven drill holes are currently pending analysis, including holes further northwest, along the 4-T trend.

"We are extremely excited with the results today highlighting the additional resource potential that exists along the several parallel trends to the Main Zone which we believe can be tied together into a sizable area," commented Brodie Sutherland, CEO. "Today's results are the best from the 4-T Trend to date and rank as a top five drill intersect in Tocvan's history of drilling at Pilar. Gold mineralization intersected in hole JES-24-77 is close to surface, projecting to workings exposed along a low rolling ridgeline much like the Main Zone. This allows for low-strip ratio potential in future mine development, reducing costs for extraction. We are confident the 4-T Trend will continue to develop into another key resource area for Pilar, being just 400 meters from the heart of our Main Zone. Part of our bulk sample was extracted from 4-T adding to that confidence of resource viability. More results from the trend are pending. As for our exploration drill targets, it is still early in testing these areas and the data available suggests more work is needed to fully evaluate and target mineralization. Surface mapping and geochemistry strongly suggests the known trends extend to the southeast and northwest, while new trends have yet to be tested. Recent sampling across the expansion area supports this thesis, indicating much more is to be uncovered."





Figure 1. Summary map of today's drill highlight and surrounding surface results. JES-24-77 returned 56.4m of 1.0 g/t Au, 400m east of the Main Zone trend.



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4269/209115_a13c5e88140d3b29_001full.jpg

In addition, three exploration holes on the southeastern flanks of known mineralization (JES-24-74, 75 and 76) are also included in this release, testing known areas of significant surface mineralization. Although anomalous intervals were encountered, no significant mineralization has been recorded yet.

Discussion of Results

JES-24-77

The drillhole targeted near surface mineralization vertically below the Four Trench (4-T) prospect. The Prospect gets its name from four trenches completed historically across a known area of artisanal underground workings. The prospect was first drilled in 1996 by Santa Catalina, a Lundin Company evaluating Pilar. First drilling hit 7.5 meters of 3.3 g/t Au and 31 g/t Ag in drillhole K-16 (hole was stopped at 7.5m). Follow-up drilling over 15 years later by a private operator returned 30.5 meters of 0.7 g/t Au (JESP-18). In 2021, Tocvan drilled 15.3 meters of 1.1 g/t Au along the same ridgeline 300 meters to the northwest. The result released today from JES-24-77 is the most significant result along the 4-T trend drilled to date and ranks as the fifth best drill result ever from the over 60 drillholes Tocvan has completed thus far at Pilar. JES-24-77 was a vertical drillhole testing the down-dip projection of surface mineralization, successfully intersecting several zones of low-grade gold and silver and one high-grade zone. Follow-up work is to be completed along this developing trend.

Exploration Drill Results

Drillholes JES-24-74 and 75 tested an area southeast of the Main Zone where local surface mineralization hosted along structures and veins had returned 5.1 g/t Au and 24 g/t Ag. Although no significant mineralization was recorded in these holes, anomalous values of silver warrant further investigation. Drillhole JES-24-76 tested the southernmost flank of the 4-T trend, alteration and veining was recorded in logging although no significant mineralization was recorded.





Figure 2. Pilar Project Planview map showing the southern block made up of the Pilar Main Zone and the newly discovered placer source with additional gold-silver mineralization extending to the south. Within the northern block, a large alteration zone that spans 3.3 km by 1.5 km (North Alteration Zone) has returned high-grade gold and silver values in the first few sampling programs across the newly acquired area.



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4269/209115_a13c5e88140d3b29_002full.jpg

Table 1. Summary of Drill Results Released Today from Pilar Project Drill Hole JES-24-77.

All interval lengths are drilled widths.

Hole ID From (m) To (m) Width (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) JES-24-77 0.00 76.25 76.25 0.75 0.91 including 18.30 74.73 56.43 1.00 1.10 including 27.45 36.60 9.15 5.25 2.51 including 35.08 36.60 1.52 26.79 4.92

Table 2. Drillhole locations released today.

Hole ID Azimuth Dip Depth (m) Easting Northing Elevation (m) JES-24-74 243 45 125.05 617666 3144245 421 JES-24-75 060 45 128.10 617670 3144243 421 JES-24-76 000 90 91.50 617927 3144475 437 JES-24-77 000 90 76.25 617897 3144687 447

About the Pilar Property

The Pilar Gold-Silver property has returned some of the regions best drill results. Coupled with encouraging gold and silver recovery results from metallurgical test work, Pilar is primed to be a potential near-term producer. Pilar is interpreted as a structurally controlled low-sulphidation epithermal system hosted in andesite rocks. Initially three primary zones of mineralization were identified on the original property from historic surface work and drilling and are referred to as the Main Zone, North Hill and 4-T. Each trend remains open to the southeast and north and new parallel zones have been discovered. Structural features and zones of mineralization within the structures follow an overall NW-SE trend of mineralization. Mineralization extends along a 1.2-km trend, only half of that trend has been drill tested so far. The Company has now expanded its interest in the area by consolidating 22 square-kilometers of highly prospective ground where it has already made significant surface discoveries.

Pilar Drill Highlights:

2022 Phase III Diamond Drilling Highlights include ( all lengths are drilled thicknesses ): 116.9m @ 1.2 g/t Au, including 10.2m @ 12 g/t Au and 23 g/t Ag 108.9m @ 0.8 g/t Au, including 9.4m @ 7.6 g/t Au and 5 g/t Ag 63.4m @ 0.6 g/t Au and 11 g/t Ag, including 29.9m @ 0.9 g/t Au and 18 g/t Ag

2021 Phase II RC Drilling Highlights include ( all lengths are drilled thicknesses ): 39.7m @ 1.0 g/t Au, including 1.5m @ 14.6 g/t Au 47.7m @ 0.7 g/t Au including 3m @ 5.6 g/t Au and 22 g/t Ag 29m @ 0.7 g/t Au 35.1m @ 0.7 g/t Au

2020 Phase I RC Drilling Highlights include ( all lengths are drilled thicknesses ): 94.6m @ 1.6 g/t Au, including 9.2m @ 10.8 g/t Au and 38 g/t Ag; 41.2m @ 1.1 g/t Au, including 3.1m @ 6.0 g/t Au and 12 g/t Ag ; 24.4m @ 2.5 g/t Au and 73 g/t Ag, including 1.5m @ 33.4 g/t Au and 1,090 g/t Ag

15,000m of Historic Core & RC drilling. Highlights include: 61.0m @ 0.8 g/t Au 21.0m @ 38.3 g/t Au and 38 g/t Ag 13.0m @ 9.6 g/t Au 9.0m @ 10.2 g/t Au and 46 g/t Ag



Pilar Bulk Sample Summary:

62% Recovery of Gold Achieved Over 46-day Leaching Period

Head Grade Calculated at 1.9 g/t Au and 7 g/t Ag; Extracted Grade Calculated at 1.2 g/t Au and 3 g/t Ag

Extracted Grade Calculated at Bulk Sample Only Included Coarse Fraction of Material (+3/4" to +1/8")

of Material (+3/4" to +1/8") Fine Fraction (-1/8") Indicates Rapid Recovery with Agitated Leach Agitated Bottle Roll Test Returned Rapid and High Recovery Results: 80% Recovery of Gold and 94% Recovery of Silver after Rapid 24-hour Retention Time



Additional Metallurgical Studies:

Gravity Recovery with Agitated Leach Results of Five Composite Samples Returned 95 to 99% Recovery of Gold 73 to 97% Recovery of Silver Includes the Recovery of 99% Au and 73% Ag from Drill Core Composite at 120-meter depth.



Quality Assurance / Quality Control

RC samples were shipped for sample preparation to ALS Limited in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico and for analysis at the ALS laboratory in North Vancouver. The ALS Hermosillo and North Vancouver facilities are ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 17025 certified. Gold was analyzed using 50-gram nominal weight fire assay with atomic absorption spectroscopy finish. Over limits for gold (>10 g/t), were analyzed using fire assay with a gravimetric finish. Silver and other elements were analyzed using a four-acid digestion with an ICP finish. Over limit analyses for silver (>100 g/t) were re-assayed using an ore-grade four-acid digestion with ICP-AES finish. Control samples comprising certified reference samples and blank samples were systematically inserted into the sample stream and analyzed as part of the Company's robust quality assurance / quality control protocol.

Brodie A. Sutherland, CEO for Tocvan Ventures 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.

ABOUT COLIBRI RESOURCE CORPORATION:

Colibri is a Canadian-based mineral exploration company listed on the TSX-V (CBI) and is focused on acquiring, exploring, and developing prospective gold & silver properties in Mexico. The Company holds five high potential precious metal projects: 1) 100% of EP Gold Project in the significant Caborca Gold Belt which has delivered highly encouraging exploration results and is surround by Mexico's second largest major producer of gold on four sides, 2) 49% Ownership of the Pilar Gold & Silver Project which is believed to hold the potential to be a near term producing mine, and 3) three highly prospective interests in the Sierra Madre (Diamante Gold & Silver Project, Jackie Gold & Silver Project, and Mezquite Gold & Silver Project.

For more information about all Company projects please visit: www.colibriresource.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.

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release contains "forward-looking statements". Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the plans, expectations, and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that they will prove to be accurate.

For information contact: Ian McGavney, President, CEO and Director, Tel: (506) 383-4274, ianmcgavney@colibriresource.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/209115

SOURCE: Colibri Resource Corporation
ICSD establishes Chapter in Geneva, Switzerland

Certified ESG Planner Course First-ever Expands to the Greater Bay Area

HONG KONG, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) has become a global hot topic in recent years. Integrating ESG into business strategies and operational policies has become crucial for corporate success. To promote and professionalise ESG education and enhance individuals' and enterprises' recognition and awareness of sustainable development ideology, the International Chamber of Sustainable Development (ICSD) launched the first certified ESG Planner CEP course in Hong Kong. The CEPAR five-step methodology featured in the course was published in the international academic journal Public Administration and Policy: An Asia-Pacific Journal (PAP) in the United Kingdom in May, marking its official global reach.

In addition, ICSD will establish a chapter in Geneva, Switzerland, in May. Furthermore, the CEP course will expand to mainland China for the first time in September, making the course available for individuals in the Greater Bay Area.

CEPAR Five-Step Methodology Practical solutions for addressing ESG issues within enterprises

The CEP course adopts ICSD's pioneering CEPAR five-step methodology, which consists Challenge, Evaluation, Planning, Action and Review, as its framework. It integrates ESG knowledge and market tools in training students to become certified ESG planners. CEPAR has also been published in the international journal Public Administration and Policy (PAP), which further solidified its global recognition. More details: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/PAP-03-2024-0037/full/html

ICSD establishes Chapter in Geneva, Switzerland Facilitating international ESG knowledge exchange

To facilitate international ESG knowledge sharing and collaboration among ICSD members, ICSD has established a chapter at the Centre for Socio-Eco-Nomic Development (CSEND) in Geneva, Switzerland. CSEND holds special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Annually, the ICSD Geneva Chapter will exclusively organise two Free CPD webinars (ESG and sustainability-related) for its members, aiming to leverage the advanced practices of ESG and sustainability in Europe to benefit our members.

CUSCS expands Certified ESG Planner course to the Greater Bay Area in September

CUSCS will launch a new online ESG course in September this year, targeting individuals in the Greater Bay Area. The 'ESG Management' course covers content of the Certified ESG Planner (CEP) aiming to train more talents in the Greater Bay Area to cope with the challenges faced by enterprises and governments in sustainable development areas and align them with national policies and carbon neutrality goals. Registration is now open on the CUSCS website: https://bit.ly/CUSCS_ESG

The Certified ESG Planner (CEP) course is now available in three major institutions. For more information about the CEP course, please visit: https://www.icsd-global.org/

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EQS-News: European Healthcare Acquisition & Growth Company B.V. / Key word(s): AGM/EGM

European Healthcare Acquisition & Growth Company B.V. convenes its annual general meeting of shareholders and publishes the agenda thereof (news with additional features)



14.05.2024 / 17:00 CET/CEST

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





European Healthcare Acquisition & Growth Company B.V. convenes its annual general meeting of shareholders and publishes the agenda thereof

Munich, 14 May 2024

Today, European Healthcare Acquisition & Growth Company B.V. ("EHC"), a Dutch operators-led special purpose acquisition company listed on Euronext Amsterdam, convenes its annual general meeting of shareholders to be held on 25 June 2024 at 14:00 CEST ("AGM"). The AGM will be held at the offices of Houthoff Cooperatief U.A., Gustav Mahlerplein 50, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Shareholders will have the opportunity to attend the AGM via webcast. Shareholders have the option to vote by means of an electronic proxy.

The items on the agenda include, amongst others, the adoption of the financial statements for the financial year 2023 and the discharge from liability of the directors.

The convening notice, the agenda and explanatory notes, and the proxy form are now available on the website of EHC in the 'Investor Relations' section under 'Shareholders Meeting': www.ehc-company.com .

The annual report for the financial year 2023, including the financial statements, is available on the website of EHC in the 'Investor Relations' section under 'News & Publications': www.ehc-company.com , where a downloadable version in the European Single Electronic Format (ESEF) is also available.

European Healthcare Acquisition & Growth Company B.V.

General Enquiries

+49 89 896797200

info@ehc-company.com

Media Enquiries

Finsbury Glover Hering

Kai Peter Rath

+49 211 43079-209

kai.rath@fgh.com

European Healthcare Acquisition & Growth Company B.V. convenes the annual general meeting of shareholders and publishes the agen

14.05.2024 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.eqs-news.com


COVENTRY, England, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading cash management experts Volumatic and the foremost UK provider of Cash Security G4S Cash Solutions (UK) have joined forces to offer a cash solution, which has been designed to meet the evolving needs of retail businesses across the UK.

With more and more banks closing in city centres, towns and rural areas, the need for alternative cash solutions to enable efficient cash acceptance and management is growing.

Quick cash acceptance and security coupled with efficient transportation and crediting is paramount. With this new agreement, any businesses dealing in cash will benefit from the industry expertise, service reliability and dedication to ensuring an effective cash solution.

The new deal means Volumatic's CounterCache intelligent (CCi) system and the security services of G4S Cash Solutions will provide multiple customer benefits. Note validation, security and reporting remove the need for counting and reconciliation tasks, while indemnification and intelligent scheduling optimises cash collections. G4S can facilitate credit ahead of physical cash processing where a partner bank agrees to this. This one touch solution eliminates risks, including forgeries, miscounts, shrinkage, and theft.

Mike Severs, Sales and Marketing Director at Volumatic, said: "This collaboration with G4S means every business dealing in cash anywhere in the UK can have access to this managed solution.

"It also shows how valuable our CounterCache intelligent (CCi) can be to any business handling cash, making daily cash processing faster, safer, and more secure. Those businesses using the CCi currently benefit from efficient cash processing procedures, cash security, and no longer have to deal with counterfeit notes, discrepancies, or losses. The system really is the most efficient way for staff to handle cash.

"Adoption of this new full cash solution with G4S will save businesses time and money for years to come, making it a worthwhile investment for businesses."

Bob Lammin, Head of CASH360 Solutions at G4S, adds: "We are committed to providing our customers dealing in cash with an end-to-end cash solution with the highest level of reliability and service. We are delighted to expand our range of products supported in the market and work with Volumatic to deliver this full cash management solution. With the proven reliability of Volumatic's CCi unit and our own national cash solution services we can support any businesses left vulnerable from nearby banks closing."

To learn more about Volumatic, visit www.volumatic.com

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Medincell will Host Videoconference on May 15, 2024, at 10:30 AM CEST to Discuss Company's Latest News, Outlook, and R&D Activities

To join the conference, please subscribe by clicking here

Regulatory News:

Medincell (Paris:MEDCL) today announced that the Phase 3 trial for F14 (mdc-CWM) being conducted by Arthritis Innovation Corporation (AIC) did not meet its primary endpoint of time-weighted AUC1 of pain intensity over 14 dayswhen comparing treatment with multimodal analgesia (MMA) alone to MMA concurrent with a single dose of F14 administered in the knee at the time of Total Knee Replacement (TKR). The MMA control analgesia that every patient received was defined by the protocol as standard of care periarticular infiltration with bupivacaine, oral acetaminophen and opioid rescue medication.

A numerical improvement favoring F14 was observed for the primary endpoint.Secondary endpoints of time-weighted AUC of pain over 3 and 7 days also demonstrated numerical improvement favoring F14. The safety profile for F14 was consistent with the prior Phase 2 study, and no new safety signals were identified, and no SAEs2 were reported as related to F14 treatment.

Based on Medincell's BEPO technology, F14 represents a novel sustained-release, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) for intra-articular, targeted delivery. Thus, this study also investigated multiple outcomes related to inflammation (and not simply pain) following TKR. Substantial improvement was observed for F14-treated patients for the key secondary endpoint of knee range of motion (ROM) at 6 weeks, as well as at 3 months (p<0.005 and p<0.0005 respectively; unadjusted for multiplicity). Treated-knee effusion (i.e., swelling) showed highly improved outcomes for the F14-treated patients compared to MMA at 6 weeks and 3 months (p<0.005 and p<0.05 respectively, unadjusted for multiplicity). The widely used clinical-performance based measure of lower extremity function, the Timed-Up-and-Go (TUG) test was also improved for the F14 group at 6 weeks.

Notably, far greater improvements were observed for the endpoints of time-weighted AUC of pain, ROM, effusion, and TUG in a sub-group of patients representing over 70% of the trial population (108/151) who had not previously undergone TKR in their contralateral (non-study) knee. This subset analysis was pre-specified in the protocol, but not alpha-controlled for formal statistical testing. AIC intends to discuss the results from this trial with regulators and explore alternative approval pathways for F14 in this sub-group of patients.

Dr. Wayne Marshall, CEO of Arthritis Innovation Corporation and a practicing orthopedic surgeon commented: "Local inflammation is a serious adverse result of TKR, in addition to pain. So, although we did not meet our primary pain endpoint, the totality of our data which includes positive outcomes for multiple inflammatory and functional measures, gives us continued confidence that F14 is a critical adjunctive component to current standard of care MMA. The identification of a large sub-group of TKR patients where the impact of F14 is more clearly measured will likely be the focus of our future clinical development."

Dr. Richard Malamut, CMO of Medincell, added: "AIC has collected encouraging data through this study, confirming that F14 can significantly enhance recovery and reduce pain for a substantial portion of patients undergoing TKR. This paves the way for regulatory authority interactions to formulate a pathway for approval. It should not have significant impact on our timeline assumptions."

1 Time-weighted Area Under the Curve (AUC) of pain is a statistical measure used in clinical trials and pain management studies to quantify the overall experience of pain over a specified period. It integrates both the intensity of pain and the duration for which that pain is experienced.

2 Severe Adverse Events

About Medincell

Medincell is a clinical- and commercial-stage biopharmaceutical licensing company developing long-acting injectable drugs in many therapeutic areas. Our innovative treatments aim to guarantee compliance with medical prescriptions, to improve the effectiveness and accessibility of medicines, and to reduce their environmental footprint. They combine active pharmaceutical ingredients with our proprietary BEPO technology which controls the delivery of a drug at a therapeutic level for several days, weeks or months from the subcutaneous or local injection of a simple deposit of a few millimeters, entirely bioresorbable. The first treatment based on BEPO technology, intended for the treatment of schizophrenia, was approved by the FDA in April 2023, and is now distributed in the United States by Teva under the name UZEDY (BEPO technology is licensed to Teva under the name SteadyTeq). We collaborate with leading pharmaceutical companies and foundations to improve global health through new treatment options. Based in Montpellier, Medincell currently employs more than 140 people representing more than 25 different nationalities.

UZEDY and SteadyTeq are trademarks of Teva Pharmaceuticals

www.medincell.com

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding Company's expectations for (i) the timing, progress and outcome of its clinical trials; (ii) the clinical benefits and competitive positioning of its product candidates; (iii) its ability to obtain regulatory approvals, commence commercial production and achieve market penetration and sales; (iv) its future product portfolio; (v) its future partnering arrangements; (vi) its future capital needs, capital expenditure plans and ability to obtain funding; and (vii) prospective financial matters regarding our business. Although the Company believes that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, any statements other than statements of historical facts that may be contained in this press release relating to future events are forward-looking statements and subject to change without notice, factors beyond the Company's control and the Company's financial capabilities.

These statements may include, but are not limited to, any statement beginning with, followed by or including words or phrases such as "objective", "believe", "anticipate", "expect", "foresee", "aim", "intend", "may", "anticipate", "estimate", "plan", "project", "will", "may", "probably", "potential", "should", "could" and other words and phrases of the same meaning or used in negative form. Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control that may, if any, cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from those anticipated or expressed explicitly or implicitly by such forward-looking statements. A list and description of these risks, contingencies and uncertainties can be found in the documents filed by the Company with the Autorite des Marches Financiers (the "AMF") pursuant to its regulatory obligations, including the Company's registration document, registered with the AMF on September 4, 2018, under number I. 18-062 (the "Registration Document"), as well as in the documents and reports to be published subsequently by the Company. In particular, readers' attention is drawn to the section entitled "Facteurs de Risques" on page 26 of the Registration Document.

Any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of the Company speak only as of the date they are made. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ materially from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements, including in the event that new information becomes available. The Company's update of one or more forward-looking statements does not imply that the Company will make any further updates to such forward-looking statements or other forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

This press release is for information purposes only. The information contained herein does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe for the Company's shares in any jurisdiction, in particular in France. Similarly, this press release does not constitute investment advice and should not be treated as such. It is not related to the investment objectives, financial situation, or specific needs of any recipient. It should not deprive the recipients of the opportunity to exercise their own judgment. All opinions expressed in this document are subject to change without notice. The distribution of this press release may be subject to legal restrictions in certain jurisdictions.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240514147843/en/

Contacts:

David Heuze

Head of Corporate and Financial Communications, and ESG

david.heuze@medincell.com +33 (0)6 83 25 21 86

Grace Kim

Head of US Financial Strategy IR

grace.kim@medincell.com +1 (646) 991-4023

Nicolas Merigeau/ Arthur Rouille

Media Relations

medincell@newcap.eu +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94

Louis-Victor Delouvrier/Alban Dufumier

Investor Relations France

medincell@newcap.eu +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94
Regulatory News:

Aelis Farma (ISIN: FR0014007ZB4 Ticker: AELIS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of treatments for brain diseases, informs its shareholders and the financial community that the Company's Combined General Meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, at 2 p.m., at 1 rue Lafaurie de Mondabon, 33000 Bordeaux

The notice of the meeting, including the agenda and draft resolutions as well as the terms and conditions of participation and voting at the meeting, was posted on the website of the Bulletin des Annonces Legales Obligatoires "BALO" on April 26, 2024 (bulletin number 51).

Shareholders who are unable to attend the meeting in person, may exercise their voting rights remotely, before the general meeting:

either by sending a proxy to the Company,

or by voting by mail,

At this purpose, shareholders shall use the form available on www.aelisfarma.com in accordance with the procedures indicated in the notice of meeting published on April 26, 2024, in the BALO.

All documents relating to this General Meeting are available on request from the Company or can be consulted on the Company's website under the heading Investors General Meetings.

In accordance with the applicable legal and regulatory provisions:

any registered shareholder may, up to and including the fifth day before the general meeting, request that the Company send him the documents provided for in Articles L. 225-115 and R. 225-83 of the Commercial Code. In the event of an express request, such documents may be sent by electronic means. For holders of bearer shares, the exercise of this right is subject to the provision by their authorized intermediary of a certificate of account registration;

any shareholder may consult the documents referred to in Articles L. 225-115 and R. 225-83 of the Commercial Code at the company's registered office.

About AELIS FARMA

Founded in Bordeaux in 2013, Aelis Farma is a biopharmaceutical company that is developing a new class of drugs, the Signaling-Specific inhibitors of the CB1 receptor of the endocannabinoid system (CB1-SSi). CB1-SSi have been developed by Aelis Farma based on the discovery of a natural regulatory mechanism of CB1 hyperactivity made by the team led by Dr. Pier Vincenzo Piazza, the Company's CEO, when he was the director of the Neurocentre Magendie of INSERM in Bordeaux. By mimicking this natural mechanism, CB1-SSi appear to selectively inhibit the disease-related activity of the CB1 receptor without disrupting its normal physiological activity. CB1-SSi have consequently the potential to provide new safe treatments for several brain diseases.

Aelis Farma is currently developing two first-in-class clinical-stage drug candidates: AEF0117 for the treatment of cannabis use disorder (CUD), that has just completed a phase 2b study in the United States with result expected in Q3 2024; and AEF0217 for cognitive disorders, including those of Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21), currently in a phase 1/2 study in Spain in people with Down syndrome. The Company also has a portfolio of new innovative CB1-SSi for the treatment of other disorders associated with a dysregulation of the activity of the CB1 receptor.

Aelis Farma draws on the talents of more than 25 highly qualified employees.

For more information, visit www.aelisfarma.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

ISIN: FR0014007ZB4

Ticker: AELIS

B Compartment of Euronext Paris

Disclaimer

Forward-looking statements

Some information contained in this press release are forward-looking statements, not historical data. These forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions, including, but not limited to, assumptions about Aelis Farma's current and future strategy and the environment in which Aelis Farma operates. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance, or achievements, or industry results or other events, to differ materially from those described or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include those set out and described in detail in Chapter 3 "Risk Factors" of Aelis Farma's Universal Registration Document approved by the Autorite des Marches Financiers on April 24, 2024, under number R.24-004.

These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this press release and Aelis Farma expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any updates or corrections to the forward-looking statements included in this press release to reflect any change in expectations or events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such forward-looking statement is based. Forward-looking information and statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond Aelis Farma's control. Actual results could differ materially from those described in, or implied or projected by, forward-looking information and statements.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240514577480/en/

Contacts:

AELIS FARMA

Arsene Guekam

Chief Corporate Development Officer

contact@aelisfarma.com

NewCap

Dusan Oresansky Aurelie Manavarere

Investor Relations

aelis@newcap.eu

+33 1 44 71 94 92

NewCap

Arthur Rouille

Media Relations

aelis@newcap.eu

+33 1 44 71 00 15
Calix strengthens SmartBiz security with automated alerts and anti-spam compliance tools while launching two new powerful 10G Wi-Fi systems for fast and easy deployment, enabling broadband service providers across North America and the United Kingdom to be guardians for even more small businesses, no matter how complex their security needs

Today, Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) unveiled updates to SmartBiz, a purpose-built small business solution for broadband service providers (BSPs), that expand an existing set of robust security capabilities. These enhancements help BSPs ensure the safety, security, and compliance of critical small business online activities at scale. Updates include new security alerts and heightened cybersecurity reporting across primary, staff, and point of sale (POS) managed networks. Calix also enables extensive and flexible IP address management, opening a significant opportunity for BSPs to serve a wider variety of small businesses. With the launch of two innovative 10G Wi-Fi systems-the Calix GigaSpire u6t and u6txg-Calix simplifies installation and enhances small business network productivity. With these updates, BSPs can further elevate their trusted partnerships with customers to be seen as guardians of small businesses in their communities.

Integrated for the cloud-and-software-enabled Calix Broadband Platform-SmartBiz is a purpose-built small business broadband solution available for BSPs in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. According to 60 percent of US small businesses, cybersecurity is a top concern. In Canada, small business scam attempts surged 40 percent last year, while two-thirds of UK small businesses faced cyberattacks in the same timeframe.

Today, Calix released updates to SmartBiz that make it easier to deploy, further enabling BSPs to address small business owners' every connectivity need-right out of the box:

Increased safety and security capabilities. Enhanced IP address management for SmartBiz enables BSPs to seamlessly configure networks and subnets, servicing small businesses with static IP addresses without requiring device resets or IT support. This flexibility allows BSPs to more easily onboard small businesses with established networks like local pharmacies with electronic prescribing and family restaurants, jewelry shops, and storage facilities with online security cameras. As a result, even more small business owners gain peace of mind knowing their critical business systems are isolated, secure, and protected while also receiving reports on threats blocked across primary, staff, and POS networks via the personalized CommandWorx mobile app.

Enhanced IP address management for SmartBiz enables BSPs to seamlessly configure networks and subnets, servicing small businesses with static IP addresses without requiring device resets or IT support. This flexibility allows BSPs to more easily onboard small businesses with established networks like local pharmacies with electronic prescribing and family restaurants, jewelry shops, and storage facilities with online security cameras. As a result, even more small business owners gain peace of mind knowing their critical business systems are isolated, secure, and protected while also receiving reports on threats blocked across primary, staff, and POS networks via the personalized CommandWorx mobile app. Compliance with anti-spam laws. New cloud capabilities for the Calix Platform ensure all BSPs and the small businesses they serve with SmartBiz are compliant with local anti-spam laws. This feature prevents data collection without consent in Canada and the UK where these anti-spam laws are in effect. For example, when a patron connects to the customer network at a coffee shop in Vancouver, they will be automatically asked for consent to receive promotions from the business.

New cloud capabilities for the Calix Platform ensure all BSPs and the small businesses they serve with SmartBiz are compliant with local anti-spam laws. This feature prevents data collection without consent in Canada and the UK where these anti-spam laws are in effect. For example, when a patron connects to the customer network at a coffee shop in Vancouver, they will be automatically asked for consent to receive promotions from the business. New systems that streamline SmartBiz deployments. The new high-capacity GigaSpire u6t and u6txg systems enhance SmartBiz capabilities, offering transformative installation and deployment options for a wide variety of small businesses with their sleek, versatile design. These systems enhance network productivity with services like 10 Gbps security, flexible WAN options, and multiport support. Simple to deploy, manage, and support via Calix Cloud (the Calix Platform cloud insights engine), both systems are small business-ready, featuring 10GE LAN, POTS, and battery backup to meet diverse connectivity needs. The u6t and u6txg expand the industry's largest portfolio of indoor and outdoor Wi-Fi systems, which enables BSPs to mix and match to serve every small business use case-from the smallest bakery to the largest warehouse, marina, or RV park.

Small business subscribers will also continue to benefit from the extensive security features originally launched in SmartBiz. These include an integrated firewall guarding against unauthorized traffic, malicious websites, viruses, and intrusions. SmartBiz enables BSPs to secure small businesses with integrated wireless and wired resiliency options, ensuring continuous connectivity for critical systems like POS-minimizing costly downtime. Small business owners can also prioritize bandwidth for POS and other essential applications across staff and guest networks via CommandWorx while easily managing content controls for staff and customer protection.

"The ability to deliver broadband services tailored to support the unique connectivity, security, and productivity needs of small businesses is driving our business growth and deepening community ties," said Bill Gerski, vice president of sales and marketing at Beacon Broadband. "Our business subscribers have long requested these types of applications and security features. Without Calix, it would have taken us years to provide them, if ever. With our exclusive 'Business Plus' offering, built on SmartBiz, small business owners can take control of their networks with lightning-fast primary internet connections, state-of-the-art firewall and network security, and resilience. As Calix continually innovates for SmartBiz, we can ensure the seamless delivery of the features and services our business subscribers need."

Since it is a managed service fully integrated for the Calix Platform, SmartBiz is simple to adopt and launch. All BSPs launching SmartBiz are fully supported by resources from the Calix Smart Start for Managed Services program to accelerate time to market and time to revenue.

"SmartBiz charges ahead as BSPs now have an out-of-the-box solution for small businesses that differentiates their offering well beyond fiber speeds," said Michael Weening, president and chief executive officer at Calix. "The power of SmartBiz starts with more than 21 Wi-Fi systems-integrated with our platform-that can be mixed and matched to meet any physical premise requirements imaginable for small businesses, whether indoor or outdoor. Our platform uniquely enables BSPs to support small business owners with a rock-solid Wi-Fi experience via Calix Cloud along with core capabilities like advertising and business management that will further delight business owners. As a result, BSPs are earning unmatched Net Promoter Scores? (NPS

"We continue to innovate at a rapid pace to enable BSPs to become trusted security partners for small businesses, especially as they lack the resources of an IT department. Our ongoing enhancements to SmartBiz will ensure that our BSP customers serve as the anchor for all small businesses in the communities they serve."

Discover how BSPs are empowering small businesses in their communities by reading the e-book, "How Broadband Service Providers Can Become the Catalyst for Small Business Growth."

About Calix

Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX)-Calix is a cloud and appliance-based platform and managed services company. Broadband service providers leverage the Calix Broadband Platform, cloud, and managed services to simplify operations, engagement, and service; innovate for their consumer, business, and municipal subscribers; and grow their business and the communities they serve.

Our end-to-end platform and managed services democratize the use of data, enabling our customers of any size to operate efficiently, acquire subscribers, and deliver exceptional experiences. Calix is dedicated to driving continuous improvement in partnership with our growing ecosystem to support the transformation of our customers and their communities.

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based upon management's current expectations and are inherently uncertain. Forward-looking statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this release, and we assume no obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking statement to reflect any event or circumstance after the date of this release, except as required by law. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from current expectations based on risks and uncertainties affecting Calix's business. The reader is cautioned not to rely on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Additional information on potential factors that could affect Calix's results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed in its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC and available at www.sec.gov.

Calix and the Calix logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Calix and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Calix's trademarks can be found at https://www.calix.com/legal/trademarks.html. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

Net Promoter, NPS, NPS Prism, and the NPS-related emoticons are registered trademarks of Bain Company, Inc., Satmetrix Systems, Inc., and Fred Reichheld. Net Promoter Score? and Net Promoter System? are service marks of Bain Company, Inc., Satmetrix Systems, Inc., and Fred Reichheld.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240514605955/en/

Contacts:

Press Inquiries:

Alison Crisci

919-353-4323

alison.crisci@calix.com

Investor Inquiries:

Jim Fanucchi

investorrelations@calix.com
Global robotics leaders Universal Robots (UR) and Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR), both Teradyne Robotics companies, will share headquarters to increase synergies and accelerate innovation within advanced robotics.

Universal Robots, the Danish collaborative robot (cobot) company, and MiR, the Danish manufacturer of AMRs (autonomous mobile robots), today celebrated the Grand Opening of their new 215,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Odense, Denmark.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240514611493/en/

Kim Povlsen, President of Universal Robots, welcomes guests at the opening of the new joint headquarters with Mobile Industrial Robots. Panelists (from left) Deepu Talla, Head of Robotics at Nvidia; Rainer Brehm, CEO of Siemens Factory Automation; and Ujjwal Kumar, President of Teradyne Robotics, also participated in the Grand Opening, discussing the use of physical AI across industries. (Photo: Business Wire)

Partners from UR and MiR's global ecosystems attended the event, including NVIDIA and Siemens, with whom Teradyne Robotics and its companies have recently announced several collaborations.

"The launch of this new headquarters marks a significant milestone for Teradyne Robotics as we bring together two leading companies in robotics innovation," says Ujjwal Kumar, Group President of Teradyne Robotics. "We will now have the optimal environment to evolve our technological capabilities, which are already in high demand."

On the new robotics hub, Jean-Pierre Hathout, President of MiR, said:

"Our new headquarters is designed to foster innovation, providing the perfect setting for our teams to develop leading-edge solutions that will revolutionize automation. MiR is committed to being a one-stop-shop for material handling, continuously advancing our technology to meet the evolving needs of our large, global customers. Our recently launched AI-powered MiR1200 Pallet Jack exemplifies this dedication. I'm thrilled to witness the transformative impact of our endeavors and to showcase MiR's and UR's offerings to our customers and partners at this state-of-the-art facility."

Kim Povlsen, President of Universal Robots, added:

"Since our foundation, UR has become a platform of choice for thousands of customers and hundreds of ecosystem partners. This beautiful building reflects our strong design philosophy and provides the perfect location for us to continue our mission to deliver automation for anyone, anywhere."

Transformative power of advanced automation

The opening included a panel discussion featuring Deepu Talla, Vice President of Robotics and Edge Computing of NVIDIA, Rainer Brehm, CEO of Siemens Factory Automation, and Ujjwal Kumar, Group President of Teradyne Robotics. The panelists discussed the use of physical AI across industries, underscoring the transformative power of advanced automation for businesses and workplaces.

Photos from the Grand Opening and a recording of the panel discussion can be viewed on UR and MiR social media channels and are available here.

New HQ facts

About UR

About MiR

About Teradyne Robotics

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240514611493/en/

Contacts:

Media enquiries: PR@universal-robots.com or din@mir-robots.com.

Phone: +4528956993
PHOENIX, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / ArmorPoint, a leader in innovative cybersecurity solutions, announced today that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Emi Yokose, Partner Enablement Program Manager, to the Women of the Channel list for 2024.

Every year, CRN highlights women from vendor, distributor, and solution provider organizations whose vision and leadership have a beneficial influence on the technology industry. The CRN 2024 Women of the Channel honorees are creative, strategic leaders who show ongoing commitment to using their skills to innovate and drive success for their partners and customers.

With this recognition, CRN honors these women leaders for their unwavering dedication and commitment to furthering channel excellence.

Emi Yokose brings over a decade of invaluable experience in sales enablement to her role as Partner Enablement Program Manager at ArmorPoint. Throughout her career, Yokose has consistently demonstrated her expertise in crafting and implementing effective strategies that empower partners to excel in their respective industries. Her deep understanding of the industry dynamics, coupled with her innovative approach, has been instrumental in driving partner success and fostering mutually beneficial relationships.

As the driving force behind ArmorPoint's partner enablement initiatives, Yokose recently spearheaded the launch of an all-new partner portal. This new enablement platform better equips partners with the tools and resources they need to navigate the market landscape confidently, accelerate their go-to-market strategies, and ultimately, drive revenue growth. Yokose's leadership and dedication to enhancing partner capabilities have positioned ArmorPoint's channel program for sustained success in an increasingly competitive market. Notably, her efforts played a pivotal role in ArmorPoint's partner program being recognized by CRN with its prestigious 5-Star Award in its 2024 Partner Program Guide, further solidifying ArmorPoint's commitment to excellence in channel engagement and support.

"It is a great privilege to honor the remarkable achievements of these women leaders in the IT channel," said Jennifer Follett, VP, U.S. Content and Executive Editor, CRN at The Channel Company. "Each woman on the list has demonstrated a deep commitment to innovation and leadership that advances their organizations and drives transformation and success across the IT channel."

Ashley Capps, Chief Marketing Officer at ArmorPoint, expressed her pride in Yokose's accomplishments, stating, "Emi's recognition by CRN as one of the Women of the Channel is a testament to her exceptional leadership and contributions to our organization. Her relentless focus on empowering our partners and driving channel success has been instrumental in ArmorPoint's growth and market leadership. We congratulate Emi on this well-deserved honor and look forward to her continued impact on our channel program."

The 2024 Women of the Channel list will be featured in the June issue of CRN Magazine, with online coverage starting May 13 at www.CRN.com/WOTC.

About ArmorPoint

ArmorPoint, LLC provides proactive solutions for cyber resilience, not just reactive tools. Specializing in integrated cybersecurity program management, ArmorPoint delivers deep expertise fused with our innovative technology to continuously assess and mature your security posture, transforming cybersecurity from a defensive necessity to a strategic asset driving competitive advantage. To learn more, visit armorpoint.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 solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com

Follow The Channel Company: X and LinkedIn

 2024. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Channel Company Contact:

Kristin DaSilva

The Channel Company

kdasilva@thechannelcompany.com

ArmorPoint Media Contact:

Ashley Capps

Chief Marketing Officer, ArmorPoint

acapps@armorpoint.com

Contact Information

Ashley Capps

Chief Marketing Officer

acapps@armorpoint.com

(602) 282-3090

SOURCE: ArmorPoint

View the original press release on newswire.com.
CHICAGO, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Arizton's latest research report, the global blood culture tests market is growing at a CAGR of 7.81% during the forecast period.??

To Know More, Click: https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/blood-culture-tests-market

Browse In-depth TOC on the Blood Culture Tests Market

314 - Pages?????????????

123 - Tables?????????????

132 - Figures??

Blood Culture Tests Market Report Scope

Report Attributes Details Market Size (2029) USD 8.98 Billion Market Size (203) USD 5.72 Billion CAGR (2023-2029) 7.81 % Historic Year 2020-2022 Base Year 2023 Forecast Year 2024-2029 Geographic Analysis North America, Europe, APAC, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa Market Dynamics Increasing Prevalence of Sepsis

Rising Burden of Bloodstream Infections

Growing Demand for Early & Preventive Diagnosis

The growing burden of infectious diseases associated with the bloodstream is a major factor fueling the demand for blood culture tests. The increasing demand for blood culture testing, which results in growing research across the sector, delivers new pathways to improve blood culture tests through increasing the test's efficacy, turnaround time, and specificity. Sepsis is a rapidly growing global health concern, boosting the demand for early and preventive diagnosis. Sepsis poses a substantial economic burden, and government support for preventive measures is increasing. Blood culture is considered the gold standard in BSI disease diagnosis worldwide. Worldwide, the growing awareness of sepsis management positively influences the demand for blood culture tests.

Vendors Analysis

Danaher is one of the major companies operating in the blood culture test market. After the acquisition of Cepheid in 2016, the company expanded its presence in the market and witnessed increased market penetration of its products. It offers blood culture systems and tests. The company continuously focuses on blood culture test systems by integrating advanced tools. The increasing focus on the diagnostic sector and associated global programs are key considerations of the companies to increase consumer base and revenue growth opportunities for blood culture test solutions.

Terumo Corporation contributes to the global blood culture tests market by offering blood culture test equipment and consumables. The company provides solutions for processing donated blood and products and collecting blood components for several procedures, including blood culture tests. It has a strong consumer base across blood centers, medical institutes, research institutes, and pharma companies. The company increased its focus on digital solutions for blood and cell technology products.

Bruker is one of the leading companies working toward the requirement of accurate and rapid solutions to achieve rapid detection and resistance detection from positive blood culture solutions. Its MALDI Biotyper has revolutionized microbial identification, offering reliable, fast, easy, robust, and cost-effective solutions. The company has focused efforts on developing a novel solution using MALDI Biotyper to reduce microbial detection and phenotypic resistance detection within 60 to 90 minutes after a positive blood culture alert.

Development in Automated Blood Culture Test

Globally, the first automated blood culture test system that was created and used in the early 1970s was the BACTEC 460 Radiometric Blood Culture Test, followed by the BACTEC 660, a 730 non-radiometric blood culture test. These systems were developed based on the advanced and best technologies available at the time. After that, the BACTEC 460 system was later successfully developed and adopted for use with mycobacterial cultures till the 1990s. In the 1980s, the development of sensor technology allowed for the development of bottles that allow for non-invasive monitoring for markers of microbe growth and monitoring to enable earlier detection. Previous automated blood culture tests relied on predefined numeric threshold values to show sufficient CO2 creation in bottles to be identified as positive with a resulting subculture and Gram stain.

In the past few years, the development of blood culture systems and newer molecular methods for identifying bloodstream infection in blood culture has evolved along with and been accelerated by advances in knowledge of the critical factors in recovering microbial pathogens from blood, changes in the epidemiology of bloodstream pathogens and changes in technology, changes in expectation associating the prompter availability of blood culture results.

Regional Overview

North America emerges as the dominant force in the global blood culture tests market, capturing a substantial 35% share of the revenue in 2023. The region's prominence is fueled by the escalating incidence of bloodstream infections in hospital environments, the growing challenge of managing sepsis, and the rising recognition and adoption of automated blood culture systems. Furthermore, the concentration of key market players in the U.S. amplifies demand and uptake of blood culture testing equipment and consumables, propelling market expansion.

Meanwhile, the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is poised to experience the highest compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in the global blood culture tests market throughout the forecast period. This growth trajectory in APAC is underpinned by the mounting burden of infectious diseases, including bloodstream infections, sepsis, and hospital-acquired infections. The rapid advancements in healthcare and life sciences further drive market proliferation. Countries like China and India stand out as leaders in diagnostic developments for preventive measures and early disease detection, promising significant market growth within these expanding markets.

The Blood Culture Tests Market?Report Encompasses Crucial Data, Including:??????????

CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) during the forecast period: This metric provides insights into the annual growth rate of the blood culture tests market over the specified time frame.??????????

Detailed information on growth drivers: The report offers in-depth information on the factors that will propel the blood culture tests market growth from 2023 to 2029. This includes an analysis of various market influences.??????????

Precise estimation of market size: Accurate assessments of the blood culture tests market size and its contribution and focusing on key market segments.??????????

Predictions about upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior: The report offers insights into anticipated trends and shifts in consumer behavior that are likely to impact the blood culture tests market, helping businesses prepare for future market dynamics.??????????

Geographical market growth: The report covers the development of the blood culture tests market across different regions, including North America, Europe, APAC, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. This provides a comprehensive understanding of the market's global landscape.????????????

Competitive landscape analysis: A thorough examination of the market's competitive landscape is presented, including detailed information about companies operating in the blood culture tests market. This includes an overview of key players, their market share, strategies, and key developments.??????????

Analysis of growth challenges: The report includes a comprehensive analysis of factors that may pose challenges to the growth of companies in the blood culture tests market, providing a well-rounded view of the market dynamics.?????

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Vendors

Key Company Profiles

BD

BIOMERIEUX

Bruker

Danaher

Terumo Corporation

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Other Prominent Vendors

Abbott

Autobio

Axiom

Biolab Scientific

Cardinal Health

DiaSorin S.p.A.

F. Hoffmann-La Roche

Hardy Diagnostics

HiMedia Laboratories

ITL BioMedical

Kurin Inc

Labotronics Scientific

Meditech Technologies India Private Limited

OpGen

Render Biotech Co., Ltd.

SARSTEDT AG & Co KG

Siemens Healthineers AG

Scenker Biological Technology Co., Ltd

T2 Biosystems (T2Bio)

Market Segmentation

Sample Type

Bacterial Sample

Non-bacterial Sample

Method

Manual/Conventional Blood Culture

Automated Blood Culture

Product

Consumables

Test Equipment

End-users

Hospital-based Laboratories

Clinical Laboratories

Academic & Research Laboratories/Centers

Others

Geography

North America

The US



Canada

Europe

Germany



France



The UK



Italy



Spain



Russia



Poland

APAC

China



India



Japan



South Korea



Australia



Indonesia

Latin America

Brazil



Mexico



Argentina

Middle East & Africa

Turkey



Saudi Arabia



South Africa



The UAE

Key Questions Answered in the Report:?

How big is the blood culture tests market?

Which region dominates the global blood culture tests market share?

What are the significant trends in the blood culture tests market?

What is the growth rate of the global blood culture tests market?

Who are the key players in the global blood culture tests market?

How big is the blood culture tests market?

Which region dominates the global blood culture tests market share?

What is the growth rate of the global blood culture tests market?

Who are the key players in the global blood culture tests market?

What are the significant trends in the blood culture tests market?

How big is the blood culture tests market?

What are the significant trends in the blood culture tests market?

Which region dominates the global blood culture tests market share?

Who are the key players in the global blood culture tests market?

What is the growth rate of the global blood culture tests market?

Get the Detailed TOC @ https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/blood-culture-tests-market

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Redde Northgate Plc - Transaction in Own Shares

PR Newswire

LONDON, United Kingdom, May 14

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

14 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 14 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 406.25 pence per share Highest purchase price paid 408 pence per share Lowest purchase price paid 404.5 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 19,439,362 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 226,652,061 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 14 May 2024)

Number of shares

purchased Transaction price

(GB pence per share) Time of transaction Transaction reference number Venue 25,000 25,000 404.50 408.00 09:59:54 16:24:50 00069923925TRLO0 00069939971TRLO0 LSE 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:
Honolulu Electrical Engineering Firm Expands Coffman's Pacific Region Capabilities

HONOLULU, HI / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / Coffman Engineers, Inc. (Coffman) announced today an asset purchase agreement with electrical engineering firm ECS, Inc. (ECS). Representatives from both firms signed the deal on May 8, 2024. This strategic partnership brings together the experience of both firms. Coffman welcomes ECS's two owners Michele Adolpho, PE, and Timothy Higa, PE, founder Lennox Nishimura, PE, and seven staff members to the company.





ECS Joins Coffman Engineers

L to R: John Thielst, SVP, Pacific Regional Manager, Coffman; Timothy Higa, PE, VP, ECS; Michele Adolpho, PE, President, ECS





Established in 1980, ECS's legacy of electrical engineering consulting has deep roots in Hawaii and the Pacific. ECS's decision to join Coffman focuses on providing continuity of client services and long-term career opportunities for employees.

"Tim and I have had great long careers at ECS. This opportunity allows us to continue serving clients the way we have in addition to the added resources Coffman can provide," said Adolpho, ECS President.

"Coffman supports their workers, and that was important to us. We wanted to be sure our staff will have good career opportunities while allowing Michele and I to concentrate more on engineering and mentoring," said Higa, ECS Vice President.

ECS and Coffman's experience and markets align, particularly in federal, education, transportation, civic, and local government. Leadership and staff across both firms have long-standing relationships and strong partnership experience. This provides a foundation for a smooth transition of projects, clients, and employees.

"Bringing ECS together with Coffman is like bringing together a team of good friends. Staff at both firms have worked together on projects for many years - some for over 30 years. It's an honor to welcome ECS to Coffman and continue their 44-year legacy," said John Thielst, Senior Vice President and Pacific Regional Manager for Coffman.

As Coffman, ECS will continue to support clients and honor project commitments with the same staff and quality. ECS moved to Coffman's Honolulu office on May 13, 2024. Together, ECS and Coffman provide clients with increased electrical engineering capacity and capabilities in civil, structural, mechanical, and fire protection engineering. The addition of ECS expands Coffman's Pacific Regional electrical engineering group to 26 employees.

See the deal fact sheet and Coffman's website for more information: https://www.coffman.com/news/ecs-joins-coffman-engineers/.

About Coffman Engineers

Coffman Engineers is a multidiscipline engineering consulting firm that offers clients local, personalized services by integrating many disciplines including civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, fire protection, and other specialties. Coffman has 800+ employees in 21 offices across the U.S. committed to the team effort it takes to build a better world. This year, Coffman is celebrating 45 years in business. Visit coffman.com or connect with us on social media.

For more information about this topic, please call Beth Shimogawa at 808.687.8884 or email beth.shimogawa@coffman.com.

Contact Information

Beth Shimogawa

Corporate Communications

beth.shimogawa@coffman.com

808-687-8884

Related Files

ECS is now Coffman Engineers_PR

ECS Fact Sheet - Closing

Related Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmYvBLmBcVk

SOURCE: Coffman Engineers, Inc.

View the original press release on newswire.com.
Brooklyn, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - May 14, 2024) - Renowned artist Christian Caiazzo is set to make his much-anticipated New York debut with "A Shot In The Dark," an electrifying one-night-only art exhibition hosted at Elsker Studio, located at 56 Bogart St, Brooklyn, NY, on May 17th, 2024, from 8pm to 11pm EST.

Image 1

Christian Caiazzo, recognized for his captivating oil paintings blending Impressionism with a Surrealistic flair, has garnered attention for his emotionally evocative works. Notably, Caiazzo's artistic journey has been featured among the esteemed "Artists of the Dali Dozen 2022," underscoring his rising prominence in the art world.

This exclusive event promises an immersive experience, offering attendees the opportunity to explore and acquire pieces from Caiazzo's studio shop, including clothing, prints, and original artworks. Moreover, collaborating with @sabastudios.nyc, Caiazzo unveils a captivating photo backdrop, inviting guests to capture unforgettable moments throughout the evening.

Reflecting on his artistic evolution, Caiazzo shares, "My artwork is a testament to my life's journey-each brushstroke a reflection of my emotions and experiences. 'A Shot In The Dark' symbolizes not only my New York debut but also a statement of unity within the artistic community."

Hailing as one of the youngest artists ever accepted into the Dali Museum, Caiazzo's creative odyssey spans from California to Florida and now to the vibrant streets of New York City. His artwork transcends conventional themes, delving deep into the recesses of his psyche to create masterpieces brimming with authenticity and raw talent.

"My aim is to foster a sense of collaboration and appreciation within the art community," expresses Caiazzo. "Through 'A Shot In The Dark,' I aspire to dismantle the barriers that segregate artists and pave the way for a more inclusive and supportive environment."

With a vision to establish an art collective, Caiazzo endeavors to champion talented artists and combat the underappreciation prevalent in the contemporary art scene. His upcoming debut show serves as a beacon of hope, signaling a renaissance in the art world-a revival of collaboration, appreciation, and communal spirit.

Following the exhibition, a selection of Caiazzo's artworks will be submitted to esteemed galleries, including Guy Hepner Gallery, further solidifying his status as a visionary artist on the global stage.

For more information about Christian Caiazzo and "A Shot In The Dark," visit his Instagram profile @christcaiazzo.

About Christian Caiazzo:

Christian Caiazzo is a celebrated artist known for his emotionally resonant oil paintings blending Impressionism with Surrealism. With a diverse portfolio spanning from California to New York City, Caiazzo's artworks offer a glimpse into his personal journey and inner world, captivating viewers with their vibrant colors and metaphorical symbolism. As one of the youngest artists accepted into the Dali museum, Caiazzo continues to push the boundaries of artistic expression, aiming to unite and uplift the global art community.

Event Details:

Event: "A Shot In The Dark" Christian Caiazzo's New York Debut Art Show

Date: May 17th, 2024

Time: 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Location: Elsker Studio, Brooklyn, New York

Contact Details:

Ronald (Ron) Schall

soldbyrs@gmail.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/209134

SOURCE: 500Newswire, LLC
Launch of an offering of new shares for approximately 17 Million Euros through a Reserved Offering aimed at categories of institutional investors, and a PrimaryBid Offering aimed at retail investors via the PrimaryBid platform

Subscription commitments from existing shareholders and Directors of the Company for a total of 14.4 Million Euros

Concomitant sale of a maximum of 125,000 existing shares held by Seventure Partners, representing approximately 1% of the share capital for a maximum amount of 1 Million euros

Offering Price of new shares of 8 per share

Closing of the Primary Bid Offering on May 14, 2024, at 10 pm (CET) and of the Reserved Offering on May 15, 2024 before market opening subject to early closing

The funds raised will be used to fund the company's R&D activities, covering completion of the Phase 3 trial for MaaT013 in Europe, including top-line results/primary endpoint in mid Q4 2024, r continuing the pipeline development, including the initiation of Phase 3 trial activities for MaaT013 in the US and for working capital and other general corporate purposes, including repayment of current debts

Regulatory News:

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN, INTO OR FROM AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR THE UNITED STATES OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE OR CONTAIN ANY INVITATION, SOLICITATION, RECOMMENDATION, OFFER OR ADVICE TO ANY PERSON TO SUBSCRIBE FOR, OTHERWISE ACQUIRE OR DISPOSE OF ANY SECURITIES IN MAAT PHARMA OR ANY OTHER ENTITY IN ANY JURISDICTION.

MaaT Pharma (EURONEXT: MAAT the "Company"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company and a leader in the development of Microbiome Ecosystem TherapiesTM (MET) dedicated to enhancing survival for patients with cancer, today announces the launch of an offering of approximately 18 million euros, comprising a reserved offering of new ordinary shares to categories of investors and a public offering of new ordinary shares to retail investors (via the PrimaryBid platform) (the "Primary Offering"), and a sale of existing shares for 1 million euros, at a price of 8 per share (the "Offering Price

MaaT Pharma will use the net proceeds of the Primary Offering to fund the continued development of its Microbiome Ecosystem TherapiesTM, including:

completion of the Phase 3 trial for MaaT013 in Europe, including top-line results/primary endpoint expected in mid-Q4 2024;

refining the pipeline development, encompassing the initiation of Phase 3 trial activities for MaaT013 in the US and the broadening of the Phase 2b trial with MaaT033 across Europe; and

working capital and other general corporate purposes, including repayment of current debts.

In the context of the Global Offering, the Company benefits from the long-term support of its historical shareholders Bpifrance Investissement, Biocodex and Seventure Partners who have committed themselves to subscribe for a total amount of 14.3m in the Global Offering, subject to the Reserved Offering representing at least 17 million.

Excluding the proceeds of the Reserved Offering, on the basis of planned expenditure, total cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, 2024, of 18.2 million (unaudited), the Company estimates that it will be able to fund its operations until the end of September 2024. On the same basis, including the proceeds of the Reserved Offering representing more than 17 million, the Company estimates that it will be able to finance its operations into early Q1 2025. The Company is also engaged to seek further financing dilutive and/or non-dilutive financing solutions to finance operations beyond early Q1 2025 and remains confident in extending its cash runway to meet its financial obligations over the next 12 months. The Company reports in parallel revenues of EUR 0.8 million for the first quarter of 2024 compared with EUR 0.7 million for the same period of 2023, in relation to its Early Access Program for MaaT013 in Europe.

Concurrently with the Primary Offering, certain funds managed by Seventure Partners (together, the "Selling Shareholder") will sell a maximum of 125,000 shares, representing a maximum amount of 1 million euros (the "Secondary Offering" and together with the Primary Offering, the "Global Offering"). These funds are currently in a divestment period and are progressively selling the shares they hold in the Company, but Seventure Partners will continue to support the development and growth of the Company and has committed to participate to the Reserved Offering through other funds.

Herve Affagard, CEO and co-founder of MaaT Pharma, commented: We are pleased to announce a capital increase at a price of 8 per share with 14,4 million already committed by our longstanding investors and management. While anchored around our historical investors, this offering is strategically aimed at continuing expanding our shareholder base through retail investors, further increasing our market float. Thus, we have partnered with the PrimaryBid platform to offer them the opportunity to join us under the same conditions as institutional investors.

This transaction will enable us to finalize and present the primary endpoint of the Phase 3 trial of our lead product, MaaT013, in acute graft-versus-host disease, and to support the increase of maturity of our pipeline, including the expansion in the US.

Encouraged by the positive clinical data from our recent early access program, we are highly motivated to push forward in our development efforts. We are dedicated to a structured approach that aims to bring innovative therapeutic solutions to patients who are battling diseases with limited treatment options and challenging prognoses."

Terms and Conditions of the Global Offering

The Global Offering will be carried out in three concomitant components under the same pricing conditions:

a reserved offering (the "Reserved Offering") of new ordinary shares without pre-emptive subscription rights, to specific categories of investors, namely: (i) natural person(s) or legal entity(ies), including companies, trusts, investment funds or other investment vehicles, in any form, established under French or foreign law, that regularly invest in the pharmaceutical, biotechnological or medical technologies sectors, as the case may be, when an industrial, commercial, licensing, research or partnership agreement is entered into with the Company; and/or (ii) company(ies), institution(s) or entity(ies) in any form, French or foreign, which conduct a significant portion of their business in these sectors or in the field of cosmetics or chemicals or medical devices or research in these fields, or having entered into an industrial commercial, licensing, research or partnership agreement with the Company, in accordance with the 25th resolution of the annual general meeting of June 19, 2023 (the "AGM") and pursuant to article L. 225-138 of the French Commercial Code

a public offering of new ordinary shares, aimed at retail investors via the PrimaryBid platform, which will be carried out via an allocation proportional to demand, limited to the amount allocated to this public offering, with allocations reduced should demand exceed this limit, in accordance with the 23rd resolution of the AGM and pursuant to article L. 225-136 of the French Commercial Code and article L. 411-2-1 1 of the French Monetary and Financial Code (the "PrimaryBid Offering") and

a sale of up to 125,000 existing ordinary shares representing a maximum amount of 1 Million euros held by the Selling Shareholder to the same specific categories of investors defined in the Reserved Offering.

The total amount of the Global Offering would be approximately 18 million euros, with a possibility to increase this total amount, subject to investor demand.

The amount of the Global Offering will depend exclusively on the orders received for each of the above-mentioned components, with no possibility of reallocating the amounts committed to the Reserved Offering and the Secondary Offering, to the PrimaryBid Offering. The PrimaryBid Offering to retail investors is incidental to the Reserved Offering and may not exceed 20% of the total amount of the Global Offering. In any event, the PrimaryBid Offering will not be carried out if the Reserved Offering does not occur.

The Offering Price of the new shares will be at a price of 8 per share, representing an approximate discount of 15% of the Company's shares on the Euronext Paris regulated market at the time of the last trading session preceding announcement (i.e. May 13, 2024), in compliance with the 25th, 23rd and 27th resolutions of the Company. The Offering Price of the new ordinary shares issued under the PrimaryBid Offering and of the existing shares sold in the Secondary Offering will be equal to the price of the new ordinary shares issued under the Reserved Offering.

The Reserved Offering and the Secondary Offering will be carried out by "accelerated bookbuilding", at the end of which the number of new shares to be issued and the price per share will be determined by the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, pursuant to and within the limits of the sub-delegations of authority granted by the Board of Directors of the Company as of the date of this press release and in accordance with the resolutions of the AGM.

The accelerated book-building process for the Reserved Offering and the Secondary Offering will be initiated immediately following the publication of this press release and is expected to close before markets open tomorrow, subject to early closing. The PrimaryBid Offering will also begin immediately and is expected to close at 10 p.m. today, subject to early closing. The Company will announce the results of the Global Offering by press release after the order book closes, tomorrow before the market opens.

The Reserved Offering will be available, within the categories of investors defined above, (i) to institutional investors in France, outside France with the exception of the United States, Canada, Australia and Japan and, solely within the categories of investors specifically provided for in the 25th resolution mentioned above, and (ii) to certain institutional investors in the United States.

Settlement-delivery of the new ordinary shares and their admission to trading on the regulated market of Euronext Paris are expected to occur on May 17, 2024. The new shares will be of the same class and fungible with the existing shares, will carry all rights attached to the shares, and will be admitted to trading on the Euronext Paris market under the same ISIN code FR0012634822 MAAT.

Shareholders' subscription and lock-up agreements

Current shareholders Bpifrance Investissement, Biocodex and Seventure Partners which hold 15,51%, 10,62% and 22,31% of the Company's share capital, respectively on a non-dilutive basis, have pledged to subscribe 8 million, 5 million and 1.3 million respectively in the Reserved Offering, subject for the Reserved Offering representing at least 17 million. The Management of the Company has pledged to subscribe 100,000 in the Reserved Offering.

The subscription commitments received by the Company, as detailed above, thus represent a total of 14.4 million.

The press release announcing the results of the Global Offering will set out the shareholding resulting from the transaction.

The independent directors of the Company were called upon to vote alone on the transaction, unanimously approved both the principle of the transaction and its terms. Mr. Herve Affagard, Mrs Isabelle de Cremoux for Seventure Partners, and Mr. Jean-Marie Lefevre for Biocodex, did not take part in the vote of this decision.

In connection with the Reserved Offering, participating Directors and certain existing shareholders namely, Seventure Partners, Biocodex and Bpifrance Investissement have respectively entered into a lock-up agreement with the Placement Agent for a period ending 90 days after the settlement and delivery date of the Offering, subject to customary exceptions. In connection with the Reserved Offering, the Company has undertaken to refrain from issuing shares for a period of 90 days from the settlement-delivery date of the Offer, subject to customary exceptions.

Financial Intermediaries

Stifel Europe AG ("Stifel") are acting as Global Coordinator and Joint Bookrunner in connection with the Reserved Offering. Gilbert Dupont SNC, Groupe Societe Generale, is acting as Joint Bookrunner in connection with the Reserved Offering. Stifel is also acting as Centralizing Agent (together, the "Placement Agents"). The Reserved Offering is subject to a placement agreement entered into between the Company and the Placement Agents dated May 14, 2024.

Within the framework of the PrimaryBid Offering, investors may only subscribe via the PrimaryBid Partners mentioned on the PrimaryBid website. The PrimaryBid Offering is subject to an engagement letter entered into between the Company and PrimaryBid and is not subject to a placement agreement.

Prospectus

In connection with the Reserved Offering, a listing prospectus will be submitted to the Autorite des Marches Financiers (the "AMF") prior to the settlement and delivery of the new ordinary shares (the "Prospectus"). The Prospectus will consist of (i) the Company's universal registration document filed with the AMF on April 2, 2024, under number D.24-0225, with its amendment to be filed with the AMF, and (ii) a securities note including the summary of the Prospectus. This Prospectus will be available on the AMF's website (www.amf-france.org) and on the Company's website (www.maatpharma.com/) and may be obtained free of charge from the Company's registered office.

This press release does not constitute a prospectus under Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council of June 14, 2017, as amended, or a public offering.

Risk factors

The public's attention is drawn to the risk factors relating to the Company and its business, presented in chapter 3 of the universal registration document 2024 approved by the Autorite des marches financiers on April 02, 2024, which is available free of charge on the Company's website (www.maatpharma.com) and the website of the Autorite des marches financiers (www.amf-france.org). The occurrence of any or all of these risks could have an adverse effect on the Company's business, financial situation, results, development or prospects.

In addition, investors are invited to consider the following risks specific to the issue: (i) the market price of the Company's shares could fluctuate and fall below the Offering Price of the shares issued under the Offer, (ii) the volatility and liquidity of the Company's shares could fluctuate significantly, (iii) sales of the Company's shares could occur on the market and have an unfavorable impact on the Company's share price, and (iv) the Company's shareholders could suffer potentially significant dilution as a result of any future capital increases made necessary by the Company's search for financing.

About MaaT Pharma

MaaT Pharma, a leading clinical-stage biotechnology company, has established a complete approach to restoring patient-microbiome symbiosis in oncology. Committed to treating cancer and graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), a serious complication of allogeneic stem cell transplantation, MaaT Pharma initiated an open-label, single-arm Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with acute GvHD, building on the positive results of its Phase 2 proof-of-concept study. Its powerful discovery and analysis platform, gutPrint, enables the identification of novel disease targets, evaluation of drug candidates, and identification of biomarkers for microbiome-related conditions. The company's Microbiome Ecosystem Therapies are produced through a standardized cGMP manufacturing and quality control process to safely deliver the full diversity of the microbiome in liquid and oral formulations. MaaT Pharma benefits from the commitment of world-leading scientists and established relationships with regulators to support the integration of the use of microbiome therapies in clinical practice. MaaT Pharma is listed on Euronext Paris (ticker: MAAT).

Forward-looking Statements

All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release about future events are subject to (i) change without notice and (ii) factors beyond the Company's control. These statements may include, without limitation, any statements preceded by, followed by or including words such as "target," "believe," "expect," "aim," "intend," "may," "anticipate," "estimate," "plan," "project," "will," "can have," "likely," "should," "would," "could" and other words and terms of similar meaning or the negative thereof. Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control that could cause the Company's actual results or performance to be materially different from the expected results or performance expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Disclaimer

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of shares in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

The distribution of this document may, in certain jurisdictions, be restricted by local legislations. Persons into whose possession this document comes are required to inform themselves about and to observe any such potential local restrictions.

This press release is an advertisement and not a prospectus within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2017 (as amended, the "Prospectus Regulation"). Any decision to purchase shares must be made solely on the basis of publicly available information on the Company.

In France, the offer of MaaT Pharma shares described below will be made in the context of (i) a capital increase reserved to specified categories of beneficiaries, pursuant to article L. 225-138 of the French Commercial Code and applicable regulatory provisions and (ii) a public offering primarily intended to retail investors through the PrimaryBid platform, pursuant to article L. 225-136 of the French Commercial Code and article L.411-2-1, 1 of the French Monetary and Financial Code. Pursuant to article 211-3 of the General regulations of the French financial markets authority (Autorite des marches financiers) (the "AMF") and articles 1(4) and 3 of the Prospectus Regulation, the offer of MaaT Pharma shares will not require the publication of a prospectus approved by the AMF.

With respect to Member States of the European Economic Area, no action has been taken or will be taken to permit a public offering of the securities referred to in this press release requiring the publication of a prospectus in any Member State. Therefore, such securities may not be and shall not be offered in any Member State other than in accordance with the exemptions of Article 1(4) of Prospectus Regulation or, otherwise, in cases not requiring the publication of a prospectus under Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation and/or the applicable regulations in such Member State.

This press release and the information it contains are being distributed to and are only intended for persons who are (x) outside the United Kingdom or (y) in the United Kingdom and are (i) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the "Order"), (ii) high net worth entities and other such persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order ("high net worth companies", "unincorporated associations", etc.) or (iii) other persons to whom an invitation or inducement to participate in investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Market Act 2000) may otherwise lawfully be communicated or caused to be communicated (all such persons in (y)(i), (y)(ii) and (y)(iii) together being referred to as "Relevant Persons"). Any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire securities to which this press release relates will only be engaged with Relevant Persons. Any person who is not a Relevant Person should not act or rely on this press release or any of its contents.

This press release may not be distributed, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States. This press release and the information contained therein does not, and will not, constitute an offer of securities for sale, nor the solicitation of an offer to purchase, securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction where restrictions may apply. Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). The securities of MaaT Pharma have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act, and MaaT Pharma does not intend to conduct a public offering in the United States.

A listing prospectus will be submitted to the Autorite des Marches Financiers (the "AMF") prior to the settlement and delivery of the new ordinary shares (the "Prospectus"). The Prospectus will consist of (i) the Company's universal registration document filed with the AMF on April 2, 2024 under number D.24-0225, with its amendment to be filed with the AMF, and (ii) a securities note including the summary of the Prospectus. This Prospectus will be available on the AMF's website (www.amf-france.org) and on the Company's website (www.maatpharma.com/) and may be obtained free of charge from the Company's registered office.

MIFID II Product Governance/Target Market: solely for the purposes of the requirements of article 9.8 of the EU Delegated Directive 2017/593 relating to the product approval process, the target market assessment in respect of the shares of MaaT Pharma has led to the conclusion in relation to the type of clients criteria only that: (i) the type of clients to whom the shares are targeted is eligible counterparties and professional clients and retail clients, each as defined in Directive 2014/65/EU, as amended ("MiFID II"); and (ii) all channels for distribution of the shares of MaaT Pharma to eligible counterparties and professional clients and retail clients are appropriate. Any person subsequently offering, selling or recommending the shares of MaaT Pharma (a "distributor") should take into consideration the type of clients assessment; however, a distributor subject to MiFID II is responsible for undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the shares of MaaT Pharma and determining appropriate distribution channels.

The distribution of this press release may be subject to legal or regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions. Any person who comes into possession of this press release must inform him or herself of and comply with any such restrictions.

Any decision to subscribe for or purchase the shares or other securities of MaaT Pharma must be made solely based on information publicly available about MaaT Pharma. Such information is not the responsibility of Stifel and Gilbert Dupont and has not been independently verified by Stifel and Gilbert Dupont.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240514431876/en/

Contacts:

MaaT Pharma Investor Relations

Guilhaume DEBROAS, Ph.D.

Head of Investor Relations

+33 6 16 48 92 50

invest@maat-pharma.com

MaaT Pharma Media Relations

Pauline RICHAUD

Senior PR Corporate Communications Manager

+33 6 14 06 45 92

media@maat-pharma.com

Trophic Communications Corporate Communications

Jacob VERGHESE or

Priscillia PERRIN

+49 151 7441 6179

maat@trophic.eu
School Safety Directors to form Coalition

ORLANDO, FL / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / In early 2023, the School Safety Advocacy Council met with several leaders of our National School Safety Advisory Board and laid the foundation for an exciting move in the School Safety Industry with the creation of the Coalition of School Safety Directors. The industry was becoming overpopulated by product-related strategies, where corporate sales were dominating over the focus of keeping children and staff safe. As such, SSAC laid the foundation for the very first coalition of school safety directors that will not be product-affiliated.





School Safety Coalition

Coalition Logo





The Coalition of School Safety Directors will meet in person this July at the National School Safety Conference in Orlando, Florida, where over 1,400 school safety professionals will gather for the 20th-anniversary conference. Attendees will come from all 50 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and over 12 other nations for what has become the largest gathering of school safety decision-makers anywhere on the globe.

We fully support much of the technology that can aid seasoned leaders in the field. However, our seasoned leaders expressed concern that the "one-size fits all" much discussed national standards were being driven with product sales in mind and not the true focus of school safety. Therefore, we are excited to announce the creation of the Coalition of School Safety Directors, where the focus will remain on keeping children and staff safe, not on product sales. Other topics of discussion at the weeklong event will include Arming Teachers, School Safety Standards, Mental Health, Threat Assessment and many more. "We have led the charge in the field of school safety for the past 20 years," states Curt Lavarello, Executive Director of the group. "Having this many school safety decision-makers under one roof will significantly change our opportunity to save lives," continued Lavarello.

For additional information about the National School Safety Conference, go to www.SchoolSafety911.org

Contact Information

Curtis Lavarello

Press Contact

resourcer@aol.com

941-232-4633

Sean Burke

President

schoolsafetyadvocacycouncil@gmail.com

8884852440

SOURCE: School Safety Advocacy Council

View the original press release on newswire.com.
DAVIE, FL / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / BHG Financial (BHG), a national provider of innovative financial solutions to professionals, consumers, and financial institutions for over 23 years, announced today the promotion of three key executives in risk and regulatory relations. These executive promotions reflect BHG's long-standing attention to maintaining the highest standards within risk, regulatory, and compliance.

"BHG's emphasis on regulatory affairs, risk, and compliance standards is something we pride ourselves on. This critical area sets us apart in the fintech and banking industry. I have the utmost faith in Gale, John, and April as they proceed into the next chapters of their very respected careers," said Albert Crawford, BHG Financial CEO, Chairman, and co-founder.

With over 37 years of industry experience, 25 of which were at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporate (FDIC), Gale Simons-Poole joined BHG in 2016 as the Chief Regulatory Relations Officer. Leveraging her vast knowledge in banking operations, credit, regulatory filings, mergers, and more, Simons-Poole will take on the role of Chief Risk Officer, safeguarding BHG's interests and reputation by effectively managing and mitigating its business risk.

John Henrie has been with BHG Financial for two years, having spent the past 35 years with the FDIC. As the new Chief Regulatory Relations Officer, Henrie will be the cornerstone of navigating all regulatory and compliance matters while also being responsible for building and maintaining constructive relationships with state and federal regulatory bodies while navigating the complex landscape and setting BHG Financials' regulatory strategy.

April Brissette has over 17 years of tenure at BHG Financial. She has served as Chief Credit Officer, President of the SBA Lending Division, and most recently, Chief of Staff to the CEO, Chairman, and co-founder Albert Crawford. As Executive Vice President, Administrative and Operational Risk, Brissette will be pivotal in overseeing strategic multifaceted projects and acting as a bridge between various stakeholders to streamline government affairs, compliance, and the legal process.

About BHG Financial:

BHG Financial (BHG) is a national leader in providing financial solutions to professionals and financial institutions. Since 2001, BHG has provided over $18.5 billion in loans, helping customers achieve greater financial flexibility in their business and personal lives. With customizable financing, a simplified process, longer loan terms, and personalized service, BHG Financial's approach to lending sets it apart in the market. BHG Financial also provides high-quality assets to over 1,600 national banks that are members of its Institutional Network, one of the largest in the country. Members have access to BHG's state-of-the-art loan delivery platform and premium regulatory services. BHG Financial is partially owned by Pinnacle Bank (PNFP) and has headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Syracuse, New York. To represent the company's growth and dedication to continuously expanding its services, Bankers Healthcare Group became BHG Financial in 2021. For more information, visit https://bhgfinancial.com.

Contact Information

Meredith Crawford

SVP, Corporate Communications

press@bhg-inc.com

SOURCE: BHG Financial

View the original press release on newswire.com.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 14, 2024) - Impact Development Group Inc. (TSXV: IMPT) (formerly Yubba Capital Corp.) ("Impact Development Group" or the "Company") announced today that trading in the Company's securities will be suspended for failure to maintain the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") requirements. Re-instatement to trading can occur only when the Exchange has concluded its reinstatement review to ensure the Company has satisfactorily complied with Exchange requirements.

If the Company does not complete its reinstatement to Tier 2 as evidenced by the issuance of an Exchange bulletin, and/or is unable to meet Tier 2 Continued Listing Requirements ("CLR") by August 9, 2024, the Exchange may transfer the securities of the Company to NEX, without further notice to the Company.

About Impact Development Group

Impact Development Group is a Panamanian based real estate developer that provides affordable housing solutions to Panama's growing middle-class supported by a longstanding subsidized government program. The vision of IHC Panama is effectuated by a vertically integrated model which coordinates all services necessary to develop high-quality residential and commercial buildings, including land acquisition, financing, architectural, engineering, off-site manufacturing, general contracting, property management, and administration.

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.

For further information, please contact:

Tom Wenz, Director and CEO

Phone: + 1 (702) 329-8038

Email: twenz@ihcpanama.com

Forward-Looking Information

This document contains forward-looking statements about expected future events with respect to trading in the common shares of the Company. Actual results may vary from the forward-looking information. The Company may not be able to successfully complete its reinstatement to Tier 2. Risks and uncertainties exist that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated or implied in the forward-looking statements and information, such as: the Company's ability to complete a reinstatement application; the Company's ability to meet Tier 2 CLR; the Exchange's approval of the reinstatement application; reliance on key management; disruptions or changes in the credit or security markets; unanticipated costs and expenses; and general market and industry conditions. The forward-looking statements, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently based upon assumptions that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, they can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. The forward-looking information contained in this press release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this press release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. While the Company may elect to, it does not undertake to update this information at any particular time except as required in accordance with applicable laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/209155

SOURCE: Impact Development Group Inc.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 14, 2024) - Cassiar Jade Contracting Inc. ("Cassiar Jade") and Glenpark Enterprises Ltd. ("Glenpark") (together the "Companies") have received notice of the government's most recent Order in Council 2024-242 which constitutes the final nail in the coffin for the Northwest BC jade Industry. The order conclusively states that all jade mining throughout that portion of the province will end in five years, and suggests new requirements for those holding existing claims until that time.

"We previously filed a lawsuit against BC because of the harm they caused our businesses with a series of temporary freezes," said Kristin Rosequist, President of Glenpark. "But now they have really laid their cards on the table and shown they are wanting to drive this industry out completely."

"It is hard to understand what is driving government here, other than wanting to accede to Tahltan demands," said Cassiar Jade President Tony Ritter. "Government has never expressed any concerns about our environmental conduct."

To the contrary, less than a year ago, on "BC Jade Day", Premier Eby issued a statement (attached) that said the following:

Jade has been an important part of British Columbia's artistic and business communities for many years, and BC Jade Day is an opportunity to recognize the many contributions of those who work with this remarkable material. For a decade now, this annual celebration has shown a light on one of our province's most treasured resources. British Columbia is blessed with an abundance of this precious stone, which has been celebrated and prized for centuries for its beauty, value and cultural significance.

From jewelers to sculptors to collectors - the creative and entrepreneurial spirit of those involved in the jade industry has helped shape our province's cultural and economic landscape. As we mark the 10th anniversary of BC Jade Day, I want to express my appreciation for all those whose hard work has made this event a success

Premier Eby went on to state:

I wish you all the best for a wonderful celebration and continued growth in the years ahead.

It is impossible to reconcile the inconsistencies between the Premier's statements and the government's actions.

The Companies intend to vigorously pursue their previously filed civil claims and will be amending their court documents to incorporate these latest developments.

A copy of the filed Notice of Claim can be obtained from joan.young@mcmillan.ca or tom.hatfield@mcmillan.ca.

About BC Jade - Jade is the official gemstone of the Province of British Columbia. It is typically used for carvings and jewelry and BC had previously a global reputation as a responsible jade supplier. The industry has over several decades provided millions of dollars of investment in local communities, employed (directly or indirectly) hundreds people and resulted in millions of dollars of government revenues.

Media contact:

Tony Ritter, President, Cassiar Jade Contracting Inc.

rittertony@yahoo.ca

Image 1



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10420/209145_8a172fa9648feac6_001full.jpg

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/209145

SOURCE: Cassiar Jade Contracting Inc.
EYBENS, FRANCE / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / Rockingham County has selected Waga Energy (EPA:WAGA), a global expert in the production of Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) from landfills, to produce RNG at the Rockingham County Landfill, located in Madison, NC.

Following an award to Waga Energy as part of a public request for proposal (RFP), WagaEnergy entered into a 20-year agreement with the county to install an RNG production facility at the Rockingham County Landfill using its patented WAGABOX technology. Waga Energy will finance, build, own and operate the unit and share with Rockingham County the revenue generated from the sale of the RNG produced.

The WAGABOX unit is expected to be commissioned in 2026 and will produce approximately 207,000MMBtu per year of RNG, which will be injected directly into the local natural gas pipeline. A key pillar of the energy transition, RNG is a local, renewable energy source that substitutes fossil natural gas. The project will avoid 13,500 tons of CO2eq. per year based on the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calculation methodology.

Rockingham County Landfill provides services to over 92,000 residents and receives an average of 100,000 tons of municipal waste annually.

A result of 15 years of development, the WAGABOX patented technology revolutionizes landfill gas upgrading by coupling membrane filtration with cryogenic distillation. It maximizes the renewable energy production of landfills by ensuring the production of pipeline-quality RNG, regardless of the landfill gas variations in flow rate and composition. Waga Energy operates 23 WAGABOX units worldwide, including 3 units in North America. 13 more are under construction including 6 in the US.

Lance Metzler, Rockingham County Manager, said: "In late 2022, Rockingham County released a public RFP for the beneficial use of our landfill gas. We received multiple responses and through a committee began the process of vetting each proposer, ultimately selecting WagaEnergy. From this evaluation we selected the best partner to support Rockingham County in monetizing our landfill gas, Waga Energy has the experience, passion, and technology to maximize the value of this waste resource. Through our partnership with Waga Energy, Rockingham County is proud to be utilizing our landfill gas to provide sustainable energy to our community. By upgrading our landfill gas into renewable natural gas, this project supports Rockingham County in reducing our landfill's environmental impact, while generating new revenues for the county."

Guenael Prince, CEO of Waga Energy Inc. (USA), said: "We are proud to have been selected by Rockingham County as their partner to maximize the benefits of the landfill gas at the Rockingham County Landfill. Our WAGABOX RNG facility will convert the landfill gas into a source of energy, fueling the local community and supporting the circular economy. This will be the first WAGABOX unit in North Carolina and we are excited for the opportunity to contribute to RNG production in the state."

About Rockingham County

Nestled in the picturesque landscape of the Piedmont Triad region, Rockingham County, North Carolina embodies the charm of small-town living, just a few hours away from Raleigh, Charlotte, Asheville, and even Washington, DC. Rockingham Countyis home to a vibrant community of over 92,000 residents. It is bordered by the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, offering an array of outdoor recreation opportunities. With four major rivers crisscrossing its terrain, adventurers can enjoy over 88 miles of thrilling water escapades or explore 4,500 acres of serene lakeside settings. The county also boasts numerous scenic trails that wind through the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, perfect for nature enthusiasts and hikers alike.

About Waga Energy

Waga Energy (EPA:WAGA) produces competitively priced Renewable Natural Gas - RNG - (also known as "biomethane") by upgrading landfill gas using a patented purification technology called WAGABOX. The RNG produced is injected directly into the gas distribution networks that supply individuals and businesses, providing a substitute for fossil natural gas. Waga Energy finances, builds and operates its WAGABOX units under long-term contracts with landfill operators for the supply of raw gas, and generates income by selling the RNG it produces or by offering a purification service. Waga Energy operates 24 units (owned or sold) in France, Spain, Canada and the US, representing an installed capacity of 940 GWh per year (3,207,400 MMBtu). Each project initiated by Waga Energy contributes to the fight against global warming and helps the energy transition. Waga Energy is listed on Euronext Paris.

Press contacts:

Rockingham County

Ronnie Tate

+1 (336) 342-8104

rtate@co.rockingham.nc.us Waga Energy

Alicia Fanni

+1 (786) 300-9545

alicia.fanni@waga-energy.com

Regulatory filing PDF file

File: Download the press release

SOURCE: Waga Energy

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE:BHC)(TSX:BHC) and its gastroenterology business Salix Pharmaceuticals, today announced certain updates related to its litigation with Norwich Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

With respect to the April 11, 2024, decision of the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, both Bausch Health and Norwich have filed petitions for panel rehearing or rehearing en banc. The Company anticipates a decision on whether a rehearing will be granted within the next three months.

The Company has also received notice of a new Paragraph IV certification (the "Notice"), dated May 10, 2024, from Norwich advising that it has submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) an amendment to an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) requesting approval to market a generic version of XIFAXAN (rifaximin) 550 mg tablets for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea in adults.

Bausch Health is reviewing the Notice and has 45 days from receipt of the Notice to commence a patent infringement lawsuit against Norwich. Bausch Health understands that such a lawsuit would automatically preclude the FDA from approving Norwich's ANDA for up to 30 months or until the issuance of a decision by the district court in this matter that is adverse to Bausch Health, whichever occurs first.

Bausch Health intends to vigorously enforce its intellectual property rights relating to XIFAXAN.

About XIFAXAN

XIFAXAN (rifaximin) 550 mg tablets are indicated for the reduction in risk of overt hepatic encephalopathy (HE) recurrence in adults and for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) in adults.

About Salix

Salix 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 arm 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 Health

Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE:BHC)(TSX:BHC) is a global diversified pharmaceutical company enriching lives through our relentless drive to deliver better health care outcomes. We develop, manufacture and market a range of products primarily in gastroenterology, hepatology, neurology, dermatology, medical aesthetic devices, international pharmaceuticals and eye health, through our controlling interest in Bausch + Lomb. Our ambition is to be a globally integrated healthcare company, trusted and valued by patients, HCPs, employees and investors. For more information, visit www.bauschhealth.com and connect with us on LinkedIn.

Forward-looking Statements

This news release may contain forward-looking statements about the future performance of Bausch Health, which may generally be identified by the use of the words "will," "anticipates," "hopes," "expects," "intends," "plans," "should," "could," "would," "may," "believes," "subject to" and variations or similar expressions, including statements about the Company's actions and plans to vigorously defend its intellectual property. These statements are based upon the current expectations and beliefs of management and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. In particular, Bausch Health can offer no assurance as to the timing of any approval by the FDA of any ANDA or as to the outcome of any patent litigation. Actual results are subject to other risks and uncertainties that relate more broadly to Bausch Health's overall business, including those more fully described in Bausch Health's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and detailed from time to time in Bausch Health's other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Canadian Securities Administrators, which factors are incorporated herein by reference.

Investor Contact:

Garen Sarafian

ir@bauschhealth.com

(877) 281-6642 (toll free)

Media Contact:

Kevin Wiggins

corporate.communications@bauschhealth.com

(908) 541-3785

SOURCE: Bausch Health Companies Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
VALENCIA, Spain, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sigenergy, a leading energy innovator, hosted an exclusive event in Spain, unveiling its latest innovations tailored for the Commercial and Industrial (C&I) sector on May 14th at Vele E Vents in Valencia. With over 150 distinguished attendees, including distributors, installers, media representatives, and industry leaders from across the globe, the event sparked dynamic discussions on the future of energy storage.

A focal point of the event was the on-site visit of Sigenergy's groundbreaking SigenStor energy storage solution at an iconic winery in the region of Murcia, Spain. This on-grid project, commissioned in April 2024, was built for a prominent winery in Spain, boasting a century-long legacy in the realm of wine production. With over 2,000 hectares of vineyards across Spain, some exceeding 100 years of age, the winery produces renowned red wines of exceptional quality. Far from being resistant to progress, tradition and innovation harmoniously coexist within the winery, a foresight articulated by the owner in the early 2000s with the installation of his first PV plants.

By expanding the existing PV systems and adding storage solutions as well as EV charging, they are now accommodating the winery's continuous production growth and addressing increasing energy costs. This has been achieved through the deployment of over 63 SigenStor units across three different locations around the winery, boasting a combined capacity of around 2.88 MWh.

In terms of EV charging capabilities, the installation features 3 Sigen EVDC charging modules for free EV charging of guests of the winery, facilitating 25kW fast charging for electric vehicles (1hour/130km mileage), underscoring the winery's dedication to zero-carbon initiatives. The Sigen AI-driven intelligent charging and discharging modes further enhance the winery's energy savings efforts.

In C&I settings like this, a single SigenStor array is ideal for projects on MW-level supporting parallel connection of up to 20 systems in one array, each providing a total capacity of 960 kWh. All of this is achievable with the same system installers would use for residential scenarios. This makes SigenStor the most user-friendly and flexible solution for installers, offering both C&I and residential solutions on the market.

Tony Xu, Sigenergy's founder and CEO, highlighted the One-for-All concept of the Sigenergy flagship product, SigenStor, during the event: "We are witnessing the momentum of energy storage in residential and C&I segments, gradually supplanting PV-centric solutions. We aim to lead this industry change with our innovative 5-in-1 energy storage solutions and are very grateful to our customer for entrusting Sigenergy with this project, demonstrating that innovation and tradition are not contradictory concepts. In this C&I scenario, the SigenStor system can demonstrate its full potential as the premier 5-in-1 solution on the market - whether on-grid or micro-grid, with the assistance of our Sigen Energy Gateway. With its modular design offering unparalleled flexibility, the same SigenStor configuration can cater to diverse applications in both residential and C&I scenarios regardless of space restrictions and reduced labor costs."

The event preceding the site-visit featured engaging discussions led by industry experts from ASEALEN (Asociacion Espanola de Almacenamiento de Energia), Checkwatt/Sweden and EUPD Research/Germany, shedding light on emerging trends and challenges in the energy sector.

Sigenergy has recently been announced as one of the Intersolar Award's finalists in the Energy Storage category and will present its upcoming innovations, also in the C&I sector, at this year's Intersolar/ees, booth number: B1.579.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2412899/SigenStors_deployed_winery.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2412900/Sigenergy_Day_Europe.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sigenergy-presents-breakthrough-sigenstor-ci-solution-at-exclusive-event-in-valencia-spain-302145450.html
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

TUCSON, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 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, May 3, 2024, and May 8, 2024, the Company has closed a second and final tranche (the "Second Tranche") of its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Offering"), issuing 200,000 units of the Company ("Units") for additional gross proceeds of C$130,000. In aggregate under the Offering, the Company issued 4,012,981 Units at a price of $0.65 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of C$2,608,437.65.

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 C$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$8,720,616.45 and issued 13,416,333 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.

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.

All securities issued pursuant to the Second Tranche are subject to a hold period expiring on September 15, 2024, in addition to such other restrictions as may apply under applicable securities laws of jurisdictions outside Canada.

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.

Updated Disclosure Regarding Finder's Fees

The Company wishes to clarify its previously disseminated news release dated May 8, 2024, announcing the closing of the first tranche of the Offering. The news release inadvertently disclosed that the Company paid aggregate finder's commissions of $113,199.80 and issued an aggregate of 174,154 finder's warrants (the "Finder's Warrants") to certain qualified finders, with each Finder's Warrant exercisable for a period of 36 months from the date of issuance into one Share at a price of C$0.90. The actual finder's commissions paid and Finder's Warrants issued in connection with the Offering totaled $60,399.81 and 92,923, respectively.

About WAM

Our mission is to advance a mineable and scalable CRD, ultimately reshaping the mineral landscape of western Alaska and establishing a new CRD district.

WAM's 100% owned claims cover 73,120 acres (114.25 square miles or 29,591 hectares), approximately 45 km east of an ocean barge-compatible section of the Yukon River. WAM's intact mineralized CRD system encompasses the (past producing) Illinois Creek gold-silver mine, the Waterpump Creek high-grade silver-lead-zinc deposit, open to the north, and the Honker gold prospect. Twenty-five kilometers northeast of the Illinois Creek CRD lies the Round Top copper and the TG North CRD prospects. All prospects were originally discovered by Anaconda Minerals Co. in the early 1980's. Since 2010, WAM, along with its precursor company, Western Alaska Copper & Gold, reassembled the Anaconda land package and has been engaged in exploring the district.

Headquartered in both Alaska and Arizona, WAM brings together a team of seasoned professionals with a shared vision of pioneering new frontiers in mineral exploration. Our strategic approach is underpinned by cutting-edge technology, innovative techniques, and a deep understanding of the geological intricacies of the region.

On behalf of the Company

"Kit Marrs"

Kit Marrs

President & CEO

Phone: 520-200-1667

For further information please contact:

Vanessa Bogaert, Director of Corporate Communications/IR at

vanessa@westernalaskaminerals.com

Or visit our website at: www.westernalaskaminerals.com

Forward Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connation thereof. These forward-looking statements or information relate to, among other things, the 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
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 14, 2024) - NorthX Nickel Corp. (CSE: NIX) (OTCQB: RCHRD) (FSE: 6YR0) (the "Company" or "NorthX") is pleased to announce that, further to its news release dated April 26, 2024, it has closed its fully-subscribed non-brokered private placement of 9,479,166 units of the Company ("Units") at a price of $0.24 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $2,275,000 (the "Offering").

Each Unit is comprised of one common share of the Company (a "Unit Share") and one common share purchase warrant of the Company (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to acquire one common share of the Company (a "Warrant Share") at a price of $0.36 at any time until May 14, 2027. The Warrants are subject to an accelerated expiry date, which comes into effect after November 14, 2024 if the closing price of the common shares of the Company (the "Common Shares") on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") is equal to or greater than $0.72 for a period of ten consecutive trading days. Should such an event occur, the Company may issue an expiry acceleration notice (the "Notice") to Warrant holders and the expiry date of the Warrants will be deemed to be 30 days from the latest date to occur between the date of the Notice and the date on which the news release announcing the accelerated expiry period is issued.

The gross proceeds from the sale of the Units will be used by the Company for ongoing reclamation work and general corporate purposes. All securities issued in connection with the Offering are subject to a 4-month statutory hold period, in accordance with applicable securities laws and the policies of the CSE.

Strategic Investment by Mason Resources Inc. & Wallbridge Mining Pro Rata Participation

Pursuant to the Offering, Mason Resources Inc. (TSXV: LLG) (OTCQX: MGPHF) ("Mason Resources") acquired 4,166,667 Units (the "Strategic Investment"), representing a 14.6% ownership interest in the Company's issued and outstanding Common Shares on a non-diluted basis and 25.5% on a partially diluted basis assuming the exercise in full of the Warrants issued to Mason Resources. Mason Resources has agreed to restrict its exercise of any Warrants if doing so would result in Mason Resources owning or controlling more than 19.9% of the then issued and outstanding Common Shares. Prior to the Offering, Mason Resources held no securities of the Company.

In connection with the Strategic Investment, the Company entered into an investor rights agreement (the "IRA") with Mason Resources, pursuant to which Mason Resources has been granted certain rights in the event it maintains minimum ownership thresholds in the Company. So long as Mason Resources holds 10% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a non-diluted basis, it will have the right to designate (the "Nomination Right") up to two nominees to the board of directors of NorthX (the "Board"), as well as anti-dilution rights to participate in future financings, including semiannual top-up rights. Mason Resources' Nomination Right will decrease to one nominee in the event that it holds 5% or more (but less than 10%) of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a non-diluted basis.

In addition, Wallbridge Mining Company Limited ("Wallbridge") exercised its pro rata equity participation rights and acquired 1,487,500 Units for gross proceeds of $357,000. Wallbridge now owns 4,494,793 Common Shares and 1,487,500 Warrants, representing 15.8% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares and 19.9% ownership on a partially diluted basis.

Board of Director Changes

The Company is pleased to announce that, pursuant to the IRA, it has appointed Mr. Simon Marcotte and Ms. Adree DeLazzer to its Board. Concurrent with the closing of the Offering, Mr. David Cobbold, the Chair of the Board and director of NorthX, has tendered his resignation. Mr. Marcotte will assume the position of Executive Chair of the Company.

Management of the Company and the Board wish to thank Mr. Cobbold for his contributions to the Company's formation and guidance through this initial phase of its growth.

President and CEO of NorthX, Tom Meyer, stated: "We are delighted to welcome Mason Resources Inc. as a strategic investor of NorthX and we look forward to working with Simon and Adree as we continue to advance the high-grade Grasset Nickel Project in Quebec, Canada. This strategic investment is an endorsement of the quality and value within NorthX's asset portfolio and together with the investor interest we received from existing shareholders, including our major shareholder Wallbridge Mining, will allow the Company to advance technical and corporate initiatives into 2025."

Simon Marcotte, newly appointed Executive Chairman, added: "Partnering with NorthX Nickel marks a pivotal step forward for Mason Resources. This alliance underscores a mutual dedication to advancing the Grasset Nickel Project and maximizing its value. I am excited to serve as Executive Chairman in this promising venture and eagerly anticipate working alongside Tom and the NorthX team."

Simon Marcotte

Mr. Marcotte is President and Chief Executive Officer of Northern Superior Resources Inc., which is advancing several projects in the rapidly emerging Chibougamau Gold Camp in Quebec. He was the founder, President, and CEO of Royal Fox Gold Inc., until its acquisition by Northern Superior Resources in 2022. Mr. Marcotte's played a pivotal role in the launch of Arena Minerals Inc. within the lithium sector and remained instrumental to the company until its acquisition by Lithium Americas Corp. Mr. Marcotte was a co-founder of Mason Graphite Inc., which was renamed Mason Resources following a strategic transaction with Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc., which he spearheaded as an advisor. He is also a director of Freeman Gold Corp., a company he co-founded. Mr. Marcotte has nearly 25 years of experience in the capital markets, including with CIBC World Markets, Sprott & Cormark Securities. Mr. Marcotte is also actively involved in merchant banking activities in the junior mining industry.

Mr. Marcotte is a CFA Charterholder and has a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Sherbrooke.

Adree DeLazzer

Ms. DeLazzer is Vice President Exploration for Northern Superior Resources Inc. since the acquisition of Royal Fox Gold Inc. where she acted as Vice-President Exploration since September 2021. Ms. DeLazzer has been an independent director of Mason Resources since December 2022.

Prior to joining Royal Fox Gold, and ultimately Northern Superior Resources, Ms. DeLazzer was with Kirkland Lake Gold Limited, where she held the position of Superintendent of Geology for the Detour Lake Gold Mine in northeastern Ontario, as well as Exploration Manager responsible for overseeing several multimillion-dollar exploration campaigns covering 1,000 km2 of greenstone belt in the Abitibi. She is a skilled exploration professional geologist who was notably an integral part of the 58N zone discovery, and of the large West Detour exploration campaigns of 2020 and 2021.

Ms. DeLazzer has a B.Sc. in Earth Science from Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and is registered in Ontario as a professional geologist.

Insider Participation

Certain directors and officers of the Company (the "Insiders") participated in the Offering and purchased a total of 541,665 Units. Participation by the Insiders in the Offering is considered a "related party transaction" pursuant to Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company is exempt from the requirements to obtain a formal valuation and minority shareholder approval in connection with the Insiders' participation in the Offering in reliance of sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(a) of MI 61-101, respectively, on the basis that participation in the Offering by the Insiders did not exceed 25% of the fair market value of the Company's market capitalization.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the United States or U.S. persons. 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 to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

About NorthX Nickel

NorthX is a Canadian Ni-Cu-Co-PGE focused exploration and development company with an extensive portfolio of assets in Quebec and Ontario, Canada. The Company's flagship asset is the Grasset Project, located within the Abitibi Greenstone Belt, with an indicated mineral resource of 5.5 Mt @ 1.53% NiEq (such NiEq grade being established based on: 1.22% Ni, 0.13% Cu, 0.03% Co, 0.26 g/t Pt, 0.64 g/t Pd). In addition, the Company holds a portfolio of 37 properties and over 300 km2 in the world-class mining district of Sudbury, Ontario.

The Company's growth strategy is focused on the exploration and development of its nickel sulphide properties within its portfolio. NorthX's vision is to be a responsible nickel sulphide developer in stable pro-mining jurisdictions. NorthX is committed to socially responsible exploration and development, working safely, ethically, and with integrity. For more information, please visit www.northxnickel.com.

Scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Jacquelin Gauthier, P.Geo, Vice President, Exploration of the Company and a qualified person for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. On November 28, 2022, the Company filed a technical report entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report for the Grasset Property, Quebec, Canada", with an effective date of September 2, 2022, which is available on the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

About Mason Resources Inc.

Mason Resources Inc. is a Canadian investment corporation focused on the natural resource sector seeking to make strategic investments primarily in battery-related metals, precious and base metals, and green technologies. The Company holds a significant ownership in Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. (TSXV: NOU) (NYSE: NMG), a graphite development company in Quebec, Canada with multi-year offtakes from Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd. and General Motors Holdings LLC. The Company also is the largest shareholder of Black Swan Graphene Inc. (TSXV: SWAN) (OTCQB: BSWGF), a pioneer of large-scale production and commercialization of patented high-performance, low-cost graphene products. These innovations target diverse industrial sectors, including concrete, polymers, and Li-ion batteries.

For Information

Tom Meyer

President & Chief Executive Officer

Tel: +1 866 899 7247

Email: tom@northxnickel.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, identified by words or phrases such as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "is expected", "scheduled", "estimates", "pending", "intends", "plans", "forecasts", "targets", or "hopes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "will", "should" "might", "will be taken", or "occur" and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information herein includes, but is not limited to, statements that address activities, events or developments that NorthX expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including the proposed use of proceeds of the Offering, participation of certain related parties, the Company's exemption from certain requirements of MI 61-101, the effect of the Strategic Investment on the Company's quality and value, continued investor interest, expectations regarding the Company's technical and corporate initiatives; the timing of the resumption of drilling at Grasset; the impact of the IRA on the Company; and the acceleration of the Warrants' expiry period.

Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information relating to any future mineral production, liquidity, enhanced value and capital markets profile of the Company, future growth potential for the Company and its business, and future exploration plans are based on management's reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses and opinions, which are based on management's experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, and other factors that management believes are relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, but which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the price of metals; costs of exploration and development; the estimated costs of development of exploration projects; and the Company's ability to operate in a safe and effective manner.

These statements reflect the Company's respective current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of other assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information and the Company has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: the proceeds from the Offering being used as planned; the business synergies as a result of the Strategic Investment; the nominations and appointments to the Board; competitive risks and the availability of financing; precious metals price volatility; risks associated with the conduct of the Company's mining activities; regulatory, consent or permitting delays; risks relating to reliance on the Company's management team and outside contractors; the Company's inability to obtain insurance to cover all risks, on a commercially reasonable basis or at all; currency fluctuations; risks regarding the failure to generate sufficient cash flow from operations; risks relating to project financing and equity issuances; risks and unknowns inherent in all mining projects; contests over title to properties, particularly title to undeveloped properties; laws and regulations governing the environment, health and safety; operating or technical difficulties in connection with mining or development activities; employee relations, labour unrest or unavailability; the Company's interactions with surrounding communities; the speculative nature of exploration and development; stock market volatility; conflicts of interest among certain directors and officers; lack of liquidity for shareholders of the Company; litigation risk; and the factors identified in the Company's public disclosure documents. Readers are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements or information, other than as required by applicable law.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/209153

SOURCE: NorthX Nickel Corp.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 14, 2024) - Trojan Gold Inc. (CSE: TGII) (the "Company" or "Trojan") is pleased to announce that, further to the press release of the Company dated April 25, 2024, it has issued 5,000,000 common shares in the capital of the Company (the "Shares") to arms-length third parties, at a price of $0.05 per Share, as consideration for the assignment to Trojan of the option agreement disclosed in the press release noted above.

The Shares will be subject to a four-month and one-day hold period.

About Trojan Gold Inc.

Trojan is an active Ontario-based prospect generator junior exploration company, led by a team of professionals having exploration, engineering, project financing and permitting experience. Trojan has accumulated land positions in the Hemlo Gold Camp and Shebandowan Greenstone Belt which in management's view represent mineral exploration potential. For further information on the Company, please visit www.trojangold.com. Trojan is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol (CSE: TGII), on the OTC Pink Market under the ticker symbol TRJGF and on the Frankfurt Exchange under the symbol KC1.

For further information, please contact:

Charles J. Elbourne, President & CEO

Trojan Gold Inc.

82 Richmond St. East, Suite 401

Toronto, Ontario M5C 1P1

Telephone: 416-315-6490

Email: elbourne007@gmail.com

Website: www.trojangold.com

Further Information

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 these securities, in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by words or phrases such as "may", "will", "expect", "likely", "should", "would", "plan", "anticipate", "intend", "potential", "proposed", "estimate", "believe" or the negative of these terms, or other similar words, expressions, and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" happen, or by discussions of strategy. Forward-looking information contained in this press release includes, but is not limited to, statements relating to the future potential of the Company's mineral properties.

Where the Company expresses or implies an expectation or belief as to future events or results, such expectation or belief is based on assumptions made in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis. Such assumptions include, without limitation, that the Company will have the resources, financial and otherwise, required to complete exploration activities on its properties as currently anticipated or at all.

However, forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed, projected, or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks include, but are not limited to: the risk that the Company will not be able to proceed with anticipated exploration activities on its properties as anticipated or at all; risks relating to the junior mining industry; global economic trends; and other risks as described in the Company's public disclosure record at www.sedarplus.ca.

Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements and the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained herein are made as at the date hereof and are based on the beliefs, estimates, expectations, and opinions of management on such date. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or revise any such forward-looking statements or any forward-looking statements contained in any other documents whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required under applicable securities law. Readers are cautioned to consider these and other factors, uncertainties, and potential events carefully and not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/209164

SOURCE: Trojan Gold Inc.
TORONTO, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mandalay Resources Corporation ("Mandalay" or the "Company") (TSX: MND) (OTCQB: MNDJF) announces an exciting extension within the Eastern Prospect - the Norrberget deposit - and provides an update on the Vidmyran exploration target drilling program. Both areas are located approximately 6 km east from the Bjorkdal mine. This press release is the second in a series of updates on our regional exploration programs at Bjorkdal.

Program Highlights:

Successfully extended the Norrberget deposit down-plunge by approximately 120 m or by an additional 80%;

Intercepted significant grade deeper at Norrberget; and

Located sheeted gold bearing veining at the nearby Vidmyran target.

Assay Highlights

Norrberget

13.3 g/t gold over 5.55 m (ETW 5.22m) in NB23-004; and

(ETW 5.22m) in NB23-004; and 17.5 g/t gold over 1.50 m (ETW 1.41m) in NB23-007.

Vidmyran

17.2 g/t gold over 1.30 m (ETW 0.6m) in VM22-001; and

(ETW 0.6m) in VM22-001; and 12.1 g/t gold over 1.40 m (ETW 1.2m) in VM22-003.

Note: Further intercept details including significant intercepts within composite intervals can be found in the appendix to this document. ETW = Estimated True Width

Chris Davis, VP of Exploration and Operational Geology, commented:

"Mandalay has ramped up its regional exploration efforts at Bjorkdal with exciting results across three highly prospective areas: the Northern, Eastern, and Southern Prospects. Recent drilling has been focused within the Eastern Prospects, situated in a geologic setting analogous to that of the Bjorkdal mine and hosted within the same structural corridor. The Norrberget and Vidmyran targets are approximately 6 km east of the operating mine.

"Through the summer drilling campaigns of both 2022 and 2023, Mandalay drilled 19 holes into the two prospects. While the Norrberget orebody already has a Mineral Resource and a modest Reserve from previous drilling, it was noted that the system remained open at depth. Encouragingly, the drilling conducted in 2023 revealed the continued strength of the system, extending another 120 m down plunge and confirming its ongoing openness. A highlight was the discovery of a 13.3 g/t gold intercept over 5.55 m indicating a compelling potential for further depth extension. Moving southward, exploration at Vidmyran has shown promise with sheeted gold bearing veins present although for now the higher-grade intercepts are sparce.

"In 2024, Norrberget will again be a focus of exploration with a spring to summer drilling campaign. This initiative will further investigate the strong growth potential within this underexplored region of Mandalay's tenement holdings."

Eastern Prospects

Norrberget and Vidmyran, located approximately 6 km east of the active Bjorkdal mine, were identified as having strong potential for resource growth and subsequently drilled during 2022 and 2023. Both targets occur within a comparable stratigraphic horizon to the mineralization observed at Bjorkdal, and along strike of the regional shear system that aids in the formation of gold deposits in the district.

Norrberget

The Norrberget deposit is located about 6 km to the east of the Bjorkdal mine, on the eastern flank of the "Bjorkdal dome" (Figure 1-2). In 2016 Mandalay reported an Indicated Mineral Resource of 191Kt at 2.93g/t gold and Mineral Reserve of 170Kt at 2.74 g/t gold for Norrberget. The orebody, at that point, covered an area roughly 280 meters along strike, 150 meters down dip and 5-10 meters width, dipping ~20 to the North. The deposit was still open at depth but no further exploration occurred until the recent campaign.

During the 2023 summer campaign, a total of 2,077 meters were drilled across 12 drillholes. The objective of this campaign was to investigate the down-dip and along-strike continuation of previously defined deposit (Figure 2).

The program was successful in identifying high-grade mineralization in three holes down dip of previous drilling extending the previously known ore system by approximately 120m. A highlight of the drilling is 13.3 g/t gold over 5.55 m (ETW 5.22m) in NB23-004 (Figure 4). The area remains open and will feature in the 2024 drilling campaign.

Mineralization at Norrberget is hosted within a succession of altered volcaniclastic rocks and interbedded mafic tuffs sitting below a marble unit. The volcaniclastic rocks are strongly altered with bands of medium grained albite-actinolite alteration abundant throughout the unit. The contacts with the mafic tuff are sharp, the tuff is dark green, contains abundant amphibole and locally, randomly oriented albite grains. It is commonly overprinted by thin actinolite veinlets. The mineralization occurs commonly where the two rock types are interbedded, associated with alteration bands and veinlets in both rock types.

Vidmyran

The Vidmyran target is located 6 km southeast of the Bjorkdal mine, on the eastern flank of the "Bjorkdal dome" (Figure 1). Mineralization was initially identified in 1992, across a 1.5 km strike length that was described as similar in nature to that of Bjorkdal.

During the 2022 summer campaign a total of 1,901 metres were drilled across 7 drillholes. The main objective was to better understand the geology, veining orientations and controls on mineralization.

The program confirmed the presence of mineralization hosted below a marble unit, within moderate to strongly altered intercalated intermediate volcanics and mafic volcanics, injected by abundant tension quartz veins. Gold occurs predominantly in tension/sheeted quartz veins with minor sulphides. Also replicated was the high-grade nature of the mineralization with an intercept returning 53.8 g/t gold over 0.40 meters (Figure 6). In addition, drilling above the marble unit encountered low grade structurally controlled gold mineralization.

The mineralization in the area appears to be predominantly structurally controlled and shares similarities with that seen at Bjorkdal. Further investigation will be undertaken to unlock the areas full potential.

Drilling and Assaying

At Bjorkdal, all diamond drill core was logged and sampled by Bjorkdal geologists. Exploration drill hole samples were sent to CRS Laboratories Oy ("CRS") in Kempele, Finland for sample preparation and assaying.

Assaying was primarily conducted utilizing the Pal1000 cyanide leaching processes. For sulphide -rich samples, Fire-Assaying conducted at MSALABS (FAS-221, 50 g charge) in Canada, following sample preparations (crushing, pulverizing) at CRS Kempele. Mandalay's rigorous QA/QC program included the use of standard reference samples, blanks, duplicates, repeats, and internal laboratory quality assurance procedures. (see March 31, 2023, Technical Report entitled "Technical Report on the Bjorkdal Gold Mine, Sweden", available on SEDAR+ ( www.sedarplus.com ), which contains a complete description of drilling, sampling, and assaying procedures).

Qualified Person:

Chris Davis, Vice President of Operational Geology and Exploration at Mandalay Resources, is a Chartered Professional of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (MAusIMM CP(Geo)), as well as a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (MAIG) and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. He has reviewed and approved the technical and scientific information provided in this release.

Frazer Bourchier

President and Chief Executive Officer

Edison Nguyen

Director, Business Valuations and Investor Relations

About Mandalay Resources Corporation

Mandalay Resources is a Canadian-based natural resource company with producing assets in Australia (Costerfield gold-antimony mine) and Sweden (Bjorkdal gold mine). The Company is focused on growing its production and reducing costs to generate significant positive cashflow. Mandalay is committed to operating safely and in an environmentally responsible manner, while developing a high level of community and employee engagement.

Mandalay's mission is to create shareholder value through the profitable operation and continuing the regional exploration program, at both its Costerfield and Bjorkdal mines. Currently, the Company's main objectives are to continue mining the high-grade Youle vein at Costerfield, ramping up production from deeper Shepherd veins, both of which will continue to supply high-quality ore to the processing plant, and to extend Mineral Reserves. At Bjorkdal, the Company will continue to produce from the Aurora zone and other higher-grade areas in the coming years, in order to maximize profit margins from the mine.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the Company's exploration results and plans. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements depending on, among other things, changes in commodity prices and general market and economic conditions. The factors identified above are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that could affect Mandalay. A description of additional risks that could result in actual results and developments differing from those contemplated by forward-looking statements in this news release can be found under the heading "Risk Factors" in Mandalay's annual information form dated March 28, 2024, a copy of which is available under Mandalay's profile at www.sedarplus.com. In addition, there can be no assurance that any inferred resources that are discovered as a result of additional drilling will ever be upgraded to proven or probable reserves. Although Mandalay 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 as 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. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Appendix

Table 1. Drilling Composites

HOLE ID FROM (M) TO (M) INTERVAL (M) ESTIMATED

TRUE WIDTH (M) GOLD

GRADE (G/T) GOLD GRADE

DILUTED TO 1 M (G/T) NB23-004 108.85 110.30 1.45 1.26 1.0 1.0 NB23-004 111.80 117.35 5.55 5.22 13.3 13.3 NB23-004 127.30 129.40 2.10 1.61 2.3 2.3 NB23-005 134.20 138.70 4.50 3.69 1.7 1.7 NB23-006 130.65 135.15 4.50 3.90 2.0 2.0 NB23-007 120.80 122.30 1.50 1.41 17.5 17.5 NB23-007 138.50 139.00 0.50 0.47 2.5 1.2 NB23-008B 143.90 145.80 1.90 1.46 3.5 3.5 VM22-001 221.90 223.20 1.30 0.65 17.2 11.2 VM22-003 62.50 63.00 0.50 0.43 1.5 0.7 VM22-003 141.30 142.70 1.40 1.21 12.2 12.2

Notes 1. Where true widths are greater than 1m, grades are not diluted and are presented as the grade over the composite true width. 2. Composites that are below 0.5 g/t Au when diluted to 1 m are not reported in this table.

Table 2. Drill Hole Collar Details

HOLE ID SWEREF

NORTH SWEREF

EAST SWEREF

ELEVATION DEPTH AZIMUTH

(SWEREF) DIP DATE

FINISHED NB23-001 7211963 769127 124 150 220 -55 29/08/2023 NB23-002 7211963 769127 124 158.6 190 -40 30/08/2023 NB23-003 7211970 769155 124 182.05 190 -61 01/09/2023 NB23-004 7211970 769155 124 182.6 140 -60 02/09/2023 NB23-005 7212039 769130 123 182.5 140 -56 04/09/2023 NB23-006 7212039 769130 123 203.7 150 -50 06/09/2023 NB23-007 7212045 769093 122 163.8 170 -44 08/09/2023 NB23-008B 7212046 769095 123 171 140 -51 10/09/2023 NB23-009 7212045 769093 123 191.2 175 -60 07/09/2023 NB23-010 7211939 769390 125 170.7 200 -60 12/09/2023 NB23-011 7211840 769504 137 200.6 235 -40 14/09/2023 NB23-012 7211905 769003 124 120.1 205 -51 11/09/2023 VM22-001 7209709 769358 49 297.7 305 -53 29/05/2022 VM22-002 7209945 769435 108 250.4 235 -45 02/06/2022 VM22-003 7209817 769429 95 299.3 305 -55 09/06/2022 VM22-005 7210039 769245 112 251.5 355 -55 05/06/2022 VM22-006 7210268 769532 131 251 305 -54 13/06/2022 VM22-007 7210362 769723 132 351 305 -55 17/06/2022 VM22-008 7210707 769472 139 200.1 25 -55 19/06/2022

Contact: 647.258.9722

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NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / Klondike Gold Corp. (TSXV:KG)(FRA:LBDP)(OTCQB:KDKGF) ("Klondike Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement of up to 9,444,444 units at a price of $0.09 per unit for proceeds of up to $850,000 (the "Financing").

Each unit will consist of one common share and one share purchase warrant (the "Units"). Each full warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one common share at a price of $0.15 per common share for a period of twenty-four (24) months from the date of issuance (the "Warrants").

The Company intends to use the proceeds from the financing to fund ongoing and future exploration and drill programs and general working capital.

The securities issued in connection with the Financing are subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval and all securities will be subject to a four-month and one day statutory hold period in accordance with applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange.

ABOUT KLONDIKE GOLD CORP.

Klondike Gold is a Vancouver based gold exploration company advancing its 100%-owned Klondike District Gold Project located at Dawson City, Yukon, one of the top mining jurisdictions in the world. The Klondike District Gold Project targets gold associated with district scale orogenic faults along the 55-kilometer length of the famous Klondike Goldfields placer district. Multi-kilometer gold mineralization has been identified at both the Lone Star Zone and Stander Zone, among other targets. The Company has identified an Initial Mineral Resource of 469,000 Indicated and 112,000 Inferred gold ounces1, a milestone first for the Klondike District. The Company is focused on exploration and development of its 727 square kilometer property accessible by scheduled airline and government-maintained roads located on the outskirts of Dawson City, Yukon, within the Tr'ondek Hwech'in First Nation traditional territory.

1 The Initial Mineral Resource Estimate for the Klondike District Property was prepared by Marc Jutras, P.Eng., M.A.Sc., Principal, Ginto Consulting Inc., an independent Qualified Person in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101. The technical report supporting the Mineral Resource Estimate entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Klondike District Gold Project, Yukon Territory, Canada" has been filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca effective November 10, 2022. Refer to news release of December 16, 2022.

ON BEHALF OF KLONDIKE GOLD CORP.

"Peter Tallman"

Peter Tallman

President and CEO

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Telephone: (604) 609-6138

E-mail: info@klondikegoldcorp.com

Website: www.klondikegoldcorp.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.

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information:

"This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. This information and statements address future activities, events, plans, developments and projections. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information and statements are frequently identified by words such as "may," "will," "should," "anticipate," "plan," "expect," "believe," "estimate," "intend" and similar terminology, and reflect assumptions, estimates, opinions and analysis made by management of Klondike Gold in light of its experience, current conditions, expectations of future developments and other factors which it believes to be reasonable and relevant. Forward-looking information and statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause Klondike Gold's actual results, performance and achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information and statements and accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed thereon. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to vary include but are not limited to the availability of financing; fluctuations in commodity prices; changes to and compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including environmental laws and obtaining requisite permits; political, economic and other risks; as well as other risks and uncertainties which are more fully described in our annual and quarterly Management Discussion and Analysis and in other filings made by Klondike Gold with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and available at www.sedarplus.ca. Klondike Gold disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements except as may be required."

SOURCE: Klondike Gold Corp.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
NXT Energy Solutions Inc. ("NXT" or the "Company") (TSX:SFD)(OTCQB:NSFDF) today announced the Company's financial and operating results for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. All dollar amounts herein are in Canadian Dollars unless otherwise identified.

Financial and Operating Highlights

Key financial and operational highlights during the first quarter of 2024 are summarized below:

NXT completed the Turkish SFD Survey, delivered the final results thereof to its Turkish customers and completed the integration of SFD data with existing geological and geophysical data;

NXT recorded SFD-related revenues of approximately $0.60 million;

NXT and HULOOLQ LTD. (known as "Qamia"), an Abu Dhabi based startup focused on "deep tech" disruptive technologies, entered into a sales agency agreement covering the United Arab Emirates ("UAE");

On March 22, the Company extended its lease on its aircraft for an additional three years as a capital lease. Under the terms of the lease, the Company will own the aircraft at the end of the term;

debentures were finalized for a total of US$1.87 million (CDN$2.54 million). US$0.72 million (approximately CDN$0.97 million) of the debentures were received in Q1-24;

cash at March 31, 2024 was approximately $0.53 million;

net working capital was approximately ($2.64) million at March 31, 2024 versus approximately ($1.86) million at December 31, 2023;

a net loss of $1.79 million was recorded for Q1-24, including stock-based compensation expense and amortization expense of approximately $0.49 million;

net loss per common share for Q1-24 was $0.02 per share (basic) and $0.02 per share (diluted);

cash flow used in operating activities was approximately $0.59 million during Q1-24; and

general and administrative expenses increased by approximately $0.16 million or 19% in Q1-24 as compared to Q1-23.

Key financial and operational highlights occurring subsequent to Q1-24 are summarized below:

NXT surrendered approximately 3,207 square feet, or approximately 31% of its current office space to its landlord, and extended its lease on the reduced office space until September 30, 2030.

Summary highlights of NXT's first quarter 2024 financial statements (with comparative figures to 2023) are noted below. All selected and referenced financial information noted below should be read in conjunction with the Company's March 31, 2024 unaudited condensed interim consolidated financial statements, the related Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A").

(All in Canadian $) Q1-24 Q1-23 Operating results: SFD-related revenues $ 602,072 $ - SFD-related costs, net 730,520 301,634 General & administrative expenses 1,021,306 861,354 Amortization 440,564 439,868 Interest and other expenses 196,282 11,791

(2,388,672 ) (1,614,647 ) Net loss (1,786,600 ) (1,614,647 )

Loss per common share: Basic $ (0.02 ) $ (0.02 ) Diluted $ (0.02 ) $ (0.02 )

Common shares outstanding as at end of the period 78,121,746 77,599,131 Weighted average of common shares outstanding: Basic & Diluted 78,085,304 76,452,260

Cash provided by (used in): Operating activities $ (593,766 ) $ (1,400,019 ) Financing activities 741,783 1,604,133 Investing activities (24,102 ) - Effect of foreign rate changes on cash 6,994 (12 ) Net cash inflow (outflow) 130,909 204,102 Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of the period 401,713 263,437 Cash and cash equivalents, end of the period 532,622 467,539 Total cash and short-term investments 532,622 467,539

Net working capital balance (2,635,446 ) (1,174,237 )

NXT's first quarter 2024 financial and operating results have been filed in Canada on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca, and will soon be available in the USA on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar, as well as on NXT's website at www.nxtenergy.com.

Annual Meeting of Shareholders

NXT wishes to announce that it has rescheduled its annual meeting of shareholders from June 19, 2024 to July 15, 2024.

About NXT Energy Solutions Inc.

NXT Energy Solutions Inc. is a Calgary-based technology company whose proprietary airborne SFD survey system, applied in numerous basins around the world, uses the principles of quantum mechanics to infer stress anomalies of exploration interest. The method can be used both onshore and offshore to remotely identify areas conducive to fluid entrapment in order to recommend areas with commercial hydrocarbon and/or geothermal potential. The SFD survey system enables our clients to focus their exploration decisions concerning land commitments, data acquisition expenditures and prospect prioritization on areas with the greatest potential. SFD is environmentally friendly and unaffected by ground security issues or difficult terrain and is the registered trademark of NXT Energy Solutions Inc. NXT Energy Solutions Inc. provides its clients with an effective and reliable method to reduce time, costs, and risks related to exploration.

Contact Information

For investor and media inquiries please contact:

Eugene Woychyshyn

Vice President of Finance & CFO

302, 3320 - 17th AVE SW

Calgary, AB, T3E 0B4

+1 403 206 0805

nxt_info@nxtenergy.com

www.nxtenergy.com Michael Baker

Investor Relations

302, 3320 - 17th AVE SW

Calgary, AB, T3E 0B4

+1 403 264 7020

nxt_info@nxtenergy.com

www.nxtenergy.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information provided in this press release may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information typically contains statements with words such as "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "will", "expect", "plan", "schedule", "intend", "propose" or similar words suggesting future outcomes or an outlook. Forward-looking information in this press release includes, but is not limited to, information regarding: Business negotiations, opportunities, discussions, including the timing thereof and business strategies and date of the annual meeting of shareholders. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements 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. Additional risk factors facing the Company are described in its most recent Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2023 and MD&A for the three-month period ended March 31, 2024, which have been filed electronically by means of the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval ("SEDAR+") located at www.sedarplus.ca. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof, and except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company assumes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements made herein or otherwise, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Non-GAAP Measures

This news release contains disclosure respecting non-GAAP performance measures including net working capital which does not have a standardized meaning prescribed by US GAAP and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other entities. This measure is included to enhance the overall understanding of NXT's ability to assess liquidity at a point in time. Readers are urged to review the section entitled "Non-GAAP Measures" in NXT's MD&A for the three-month period ended March 31, 2024 which is available under NXT's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca, for a further discussion of such non-GAAP measures. The financial information accompanying this news release was prepared in accordance with US GAAP, unless otherwise noted. The MD&A and the unaudited condensed interim consolidated financial statements and notes for the three months ended March 31, 2024, are available in the Investor Relations section of www.nxtenergy.com, or under NXT's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

SOURCE: NXT Energy Solutions, Inc.

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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / NextGen Food Robotics Corp. (the "Company") (NEO:NGRB)(OTC PINK:NGRBF)(FRA:O83) announces that it has granted (the "RSU Grant") an aggregate of 2,527,775 restricted share units (the "RSUs") to Paul Rivas, the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, pursuant to the Company's equity incentive plan, as compensation for ongoing services to be rendered to the Company.

Each RSU, once vested, will allow Mr. Rivas to acquire one (1) common share of the Company. The RSUs will vest in three equal installments on the dates that are 4, 12 and 18 months following the date of grant.

The RSU Grant constituted a "related party transaction" as defined in Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority ?Security Holders in ?Special Transactions ??("MI 61-??101")?. The Company relied on section 5.5(a) of MI 61-??101 as the exemption from the formal ??valuation ?requirement of MI 61-101 and section ??5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 as the exemption from ?the minority approval ?requirements of MI 61-101 in respect of the ?RSU Grant, as neither the fair ??market value of the subject matter of, nor the fair market value ?of the consideration for, the RSUs granted exceeded 25% of the Company's ??market capitalization.??The material change report to be filed in relation to the RSU Grant was not filed at least 21 days prior to the date of grant, as contemplated by MI 61-101, given the Company granted the RSUs shortly before the issuance of this news release for sound business reasons.

About NextGen Food Robotics

Nextgen Food Robotics is a food manufacturing company that operates commissary kitchens from its two locations in Vancouver. Additionally, Nextgen is developing the "Lily app", which is an AI-powered food application.

For investor inquiries or further information, please contact:

Paul Rivas, Chief Executive Officer

1 (236) 471-1357

privas@nextgenai.ca

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws with respect to the Company. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by words such as "believe," "project," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "strategy," "future," "opportunity," "plan," "may," "should," "will," "would," and similar expressions and in this news release include statements respecting the vesting and exercise of the RSUs. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements and information are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements and information because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements and information address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. 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 laws.

Neither the Cboe Canada nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the Listing Manual of Cboe Canada) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

SOURCE: NextGen Food Robotics Corp.

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NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / Lincoln Gold Mining Inc. (TSXV:LMG) (the "Company" or "Lincoln Gold") is pleased to announce that it has closed the first tranche (the "First Tranche") of its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement"), whereby the Company has completed the issuance of 824,000 units (each, a "Unit") at a price of $0.25 per Unit for gross proceeds of $206,000. With this, the Company is well positioned to fund the essential update of Bell Mountain's Preliminary Economic Assessment (the "PEA") and address general working capital needs. Additionally, the Company is pleased to announce an extension until June 13, 2024, to close the balance of the Private Placement.

Each Unit consists of one common share in the capital of the Company (a "Common Share") and one-half of one non-transferable Common Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant is exercisable by the holder to acquire one additional Common Share for a period of 12 months from the date of issuance at a price of C$0.50 per Common Share.

A significant portion of the proceeds will be allocated towards the preparation of an updated PEA on the Bell Mountain gold project located in Nevada, United States (the "Project"), as required by the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") in connection with the Company's proposed acquisition of the Project. For this crucial step of the conditionally approved acquisition, Lincoln Gold has engaged Welsh Hagen Associates, an established engineering and consulting firm specializing in mining projects based in Reno, Nevada, to spearhead the PEA update. Recognized for their expertise and familiarity with the Bell Mountain project, Welsh Hagen Associates bring a wealth of experience to the table, providing a comprehensive re-evaluation of Bell Mountain's economic potential.

Commenting on the Private Placement, CEO and President of Lincoln Gold Mining Inc., Mr. Paul Saxton stated, "The successful closure of the First Tranche and our collaboration with Welsh Hagen Associates represent significant strides forward for Lincoln. With the support of our investors and partners, we are looking forward to fully satisfying the TSX Venture's conditions towards receiving a full approval for the Bell Mountain acquisition."

In connection with the First Tranche, the Company issued 32,680 finder's warrants (the "Finder's Warrants") and paid cash commissions of $3,870 to certain finders. Each Finder's Warrant entitles the holder to purchase a Common Share at a price of $0.25 for a period of 12 months from the date of issuance.

All securities issued pursuant to the First Tranche, including the Finder's Warrants, are subject to a hold period expiring on September 15, 2024, in addition to such other restrictions as may apply under applicable securities laws of jurisdictions outside Canada. The Company anticipates closing a second tranche of the Private Placement, subject to customary closing conditions, including approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

None of the securities sold in connection with the First Tranche have been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and no such securities may be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in the United States or any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

About Lincoln Gold Mining Inc.:

Lincoln is a Canadian precious metals exploration and development company headquartered in Vancouver, BC. Lincoln holds 100% interest in Pine Grove gold project located in Nevada, US, renowned for its mining-friendly regulations. Lincoln received conditional approval from the TSXV on its acquisition of the Bell Mountain from Eros Resources Corp. The anticipated completion of this transaction will mark a pivotal moment for Lincoln, enabling a potent operational synergy between these two properties. Lincoln is committed to maintaining steady and robust progress towards its goal of becoming a mid-tier gold producer.

For further information, please contact:

Lincoln Gold Mining Inc.

Paul Saxton

President and Chief Executive Officer

Phone: 604-688-7377

Email: saxton@lincolnmining.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

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, including the ability of the Company to complete subsequent tranches of the Private Placement on the proposed terms or at all, the anticipated use of proceeds from the First Tranche and the Private Placement and receipt of regulatory approvals with respect to the Private Placement.

Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connation thereof.

Such forward-looking information and statements are based on numerous assumptions, including among others, that the Company will be able to complete subsequent tranches of the Private Placement on the terms as anticipated by management, that the Company will use the proceeds of the First Tranche and the Private Placement as anticipated, and that the Company will receive regulatory approval with respect to the Private Placement. 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.

There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's plans or expectations include the risk that the Company will not be able to complete subsequent tranches of the Private Placement on the terms as anticipated by management or at all, that the Company will not use the proceeds of the Private Placement as anticipated, that the Company will not receive regulatory approval with respect to the Private Placement, risks relating to the acquisition of the Bell Mountain Project, including the risk that the Company will not receive regulatory or TSXV approval to close the transaction, that the Company will not complete the acquisition of the Bell Mountain Project at all, and that if the Company does acquire the Bell Mountain Project, the impact will be different than as currently anticipated, risks relating to the actual results of current exploration activities, fluctuating gold prices, possibility of equipment breakdowns and delays, exploration cost overruns, availability of capital and financing, general economic, market or business conditions, regulatory changes, timeliness of government or regulatory approvals and other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.

The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation.

SOURCE: Lincoln Gold Mining Inc.

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BASEL, Switzerland, May 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- New research, presented today at the 10th European Stroke Organisation Conference (ESOC) 2024, has revealed that high-income individuals have a 32% lower risk of post-stroke mortality. Additionally, those with a higher education have a 26% lower risk of death post-stroke, highlighting striking disparities in stroke survival based on key social determinants of health (SDoH).

The study analysed data from 6,901 stroke patients in Gothenburg, Sweden between November 2014 to December 2019 to examine the impact of SDoH factors on post-stroke mortality risk. The study focused on four factors: living area, country of birth, education and income.

As well as identifying a significant connection between income, education level and post-stroke mortality risk, the study uncovered a concerning trend regarding the cumulative impact of SDoH factors. Patients with one unfavourable factor faced an 18% higher risk of mortality compared to patients without any unfavourable factors. This risk escalated to 24% for patients with two to four unfavourable factors.

Lead author Professor Katharina Stibrant Sunnerhagen, University of Gothenburg, Clinical Neuroscience, Gothenburg, Sweden, comments, "Our findings underscore a stark reality - an individual's socioeconomic status can be a matter of life or death in the context of stroke, especially when they are confronted with multiple unfavourable SDoH factors."

The study also found a link between increased mortality risk and additional risk factors like physical inactivity, diabetes, alcohol abuse and atrial fibrillation.

Notably, insights emerged regarding gender disparities and the potential impact of risk factors when examining patient characteristics within the study cohort. The proportion of female patients increased with the number of unfavourable SDoH factors; 41% of the group with no unfavourable factors were female compared to 59% of the group with two to four unfavourable factors. Additionally, smoking, whether current or within the past year, was more prevalent in the group with two to four unfavourable factors compared to those with none (19% versus 12%).

Commenting on the actions required to reduce the stroke burden, Professor Stibrant Sunnerhagen explains, "In light of our study's findings, targeted interventions are essential. Policymakers must tailor legislation and approaches to account for the specific circumstances of diverse communities, while clinicians should consider identifying patients with unfavourable SDoH factors to prevent post-stroke mortality."

"By addressing these disparities, we have the potential to significantly enhance public health outcomes."

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/esoc-2024-higher-income-reduces-stroke-mortality-risk-by-a-third-new-study-shows-302141230.html
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 14, 2024) - Sixty North Gold Mining Ltd. (CSE: SXTY) (FSE: 2F40) (OTC Pink: SXNTF) (the "Company" or "Sixty North Gold").

Sixty North Gold is pleased to announce that it has purchased the tent camp and is acquiring other light equipment and supplies needed for the restart of mining operations. Mining crews have been engaged and are expected to be on site around the end of May 2024, once camp setup is complete. Dave Webb, President & CEO states, "We are very pleased to be moving crews into the property and driving our re-development of this very high-grade past producing gold mine. The Yellowknife gold camp hosts two mines that averaged 30 gpt gold or better, and two that averaged 15 gpt or better for a total production of over 14 million ounces of gold (Sixty North Gold NI 43-101 - August 3, 2023)."

Sixty North Gold further announces that it has arranged debt settlements with certain officers and a director of the Company, and a consultant to settle $233,000 in indebtedness for accrued management and consulting fees from the period May 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024, to be paid by the issuance and delivery of a total of 3,883,332 common shares of the Company in the aggregate, at a deemed value of $0.06 per share, plus GST. The shares will be subject to resale restrictions for a period of 4 months and a day from their date of issuance.

The Company further approved bonuses totalling $19,900 for certain officers and a director of the Company to be settled as debts for shares on the same basis as the debt settlements for the creditors noted above for a total of another 331,666 common shares at a deemed value of $0.06 per share.

The Company has also granted incentive stock options to its directors, officers, and consultants to purchase up to 2,750,000 common shares of the Company at an exercise price of $0.08 per share until May 14, 2029.

Dr. D.R. Webb Ph.D., P.Geol., P.Eng. is the Qualified Person within the meaning of NI 43-101 and is responsible for the technical details of this release.

About the Company

The Company is developing mining operations for gold on its 100%-owned Mon Gold Property, 40 km north of Yellowknife, NWT. Past production extracted 15,000 tonnes of ore to depths of only 15 m below surface, recovering an estimated 15,000 ounces of gold in the 1990's (NI 43-101, August 3, 2023). The North Ramp has been reopened and has been extended to within 60 m of the target portion of the vein. The Company plans to extend the ramp to where some high-grade historic holes intersected the vein beneath the previously mined stopes. The plan is to install cross-cuts and raises within the vein to extract and stockpile the vein material on surface. Upon confirmation of the grade and tonnage, a permitted mill will be brought in to process this and ongoing mined material.

For more information, please refer to the Company's public filings available on SEDAR ( www.sedarplus.ca ), under the Company's profile.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

"Dave Webb"

Dave Webb, President & CEO

For further information, please contact:

Dave Webb

Tel.: 604 818-1400

Email: dave@drwgcl.com

Website: www.sixtynorthgold.com

Statements about the Company's future expectations and all other statements in this press release other than historical facts are "forward looking statements". Such forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including risks inherent in mineral exploration and development, which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any projected future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Further details about the risks applicable to the Company are contained in the Company's public filings available on SEDAR ( www.sedarplus.ca ), under the Company's profile.

THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE HAS NOT APPROVED NOR DISAPPROVED THE CONTENT OF THIS PRESS RELEASE.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/209202

SOURCE: Sixty North Gold Mining Ltd.
ArgusEye, a Stockholm, Sweden-based provider of innovative sensor solutions for real-time monitoring of biological systems, raised 2.8M in funding.

The round was led by Voima Ventures and existing investor Eir Ventures.

The company intends to use the funds for continued development of Auga sensor system platform to accelerate the bioprocessing workflow.

Led by Erik Martinsson and Daniel Aili, ArgusEye develops novel sensors to enable realtime monitoring and analysis of biological systems and processes. Introduced in March 2024, the AugaOne is the first product in the companys sensor system platform, Auga, and is specifically adapted for downstream processing to increase process efficiency and intensify process development to accelerate detection and quantification of mAbs.

Commenting on the news, Erik Martinsson, CEO at ArgusEye, said: As ArgusEye embarks on its scale-up phase, our focus is twofold: expanding our market footprint geographically and diversifying our product offerings to encompass the entire pharmaceutical process chain, from upstream cell growth to downstream purification and late-stage formulation as well as GMP production. This strategic approach aligns with our commitment to deliver cutting-edge solutions that address the evolving needs of the biopharmaceutical industry and our vision to enable a more sustainable and democratic reach of biomedicines, transforming biopharma manufacturing through real-time inline quality control.

FinSMEs

13/05/2024
ChainML, a Silicon Valley-based AI and ML development and research lab that recently launched its Agentic Base Layer, Theoriq, raised $6.2m in seed extension funding.

The round, structured as equity with token warrants, was led by Hack VC with participation from Foresight Ventures, Inception Capital, HTX Ventures, Figment Capital, Hypersphere Ventures and Alumni Ventures.

The company intends to use the funds to expand its development efforts.

Led by CEO Ron Bodkin, ChianML is developing an AI platform called Theoriq, which is based on principles of social evolution and implemented with blockchain to lay the foundation for continuously improving, community-governed AI systems. Key features include:

Agentic Primities: Fundamental elements in the ecosystem that facilitate autonomous interaction, embodying roles, behaviors, and functions that contribute directly to an agents capacity to operate independently within its environment.

Fundamental elements in the ecosystem that facilitate autonomous interaction, embodying roles, behaviors, and functions that contribute directly to an agents capacity to operate independently within its environment. Modular Composability: Allowing developers to craft tailored AI solutions that can combine and be recombined to create sophisticated systems to evolve and adapt over time.

Allowing developers to craft tailored AI solutions that can combine and be recombined to create sophisticated systems to evolve and adapt over time. Community Permissioned Governance: Ensuring that decision-making authority is vested in a diverse group of community stakeholders who actively contribute to and provide feedback on the quality of AI agents, ensuring that the technology aligns with collective goals and values.

Commenting on the news, Ron Bodkin said: With Theoriq, were not just launching a productwere spearheading a movement towards a transparent, community-governed AI ecosystem. HTX Ventures support will be instrumental as we unlock new potentials for AI integration within the decentralized space.

FinSMEs

14/05/2024
Gausium, a Shanghai, China-based company providing autonomous cleaning solutions, raised USD50M in Series D funding.

The backers were not disclosed.

The company intends to use the funds to expand operations and development efforts.

Gausium is dedicated to advancing the commercial cleaning landscape through robotics technology. Gausium has made remarkable strides in international markets throughout the year. With a strategic focus on Europe, the company has solidified its presence by delivering over 1,000 units to key partners. In Japan, strategic alliances with industry giants such as SoftBank Robotics have resulted in a collaboration involving over 2,000 units of its flagship Phantas model. In the North American market, Gausium has grown at a triple-digit, underscoring the brands global appeal.

FinSMEs

14/05/2024
Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, May 14th, 2024, Chainwire

Liminal Custody, a leading provider of digital asset custody and wallet infrastructure solutions, announced a landmark achievement today, the acquisition of Financial Services Permission (FSP) from the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA). This prestigious license is a significant milestone in Liminals journey, solidifying its commitment to regulatory compliance and innovation within the burgeoning digital asset space.

Obtaining the FSP positions Liminal as a trusted partner for institutions seeking secure and compliant solutions for safeguarding their valuable digital assets. Notably, the license grants Liminal the ability to operate as a regulated custodian within the Middle East, a rapidly growing financial hub. This expansion broadens Liminals reach and allows it to serve a wider range of clientele seeking best-in-class digital asset custody solutions.

Building Trust Through Regulatory Compliance

Mahin Gupta, Founder of Liminal Custody, expressed his satisfaction with the achievement, stating, We are honored to receive the ADGM FSP license. This accomplishment represents the culmination of significant effort on behalf of our entire team, all dedicated to upholding the highest regulatory standards. Building trust within the digital asset industry, which is undergoing rapid evolution, is a core tenet of our mission. The ADGM FSP license serves as a powerful validation of our commitment to compliance. We are confident that this achievement will further empower us to deliver best-in-class custody solutions to our clients, ensuring the continued security and integrity of their digital asset holdings.

The Symbiosis of Compliance and Innovation

The digital asset industry is experiencing exponential growth, with a corresponding demand for regulatory clarity to foster long-term stability and mainstream adoption. Liminal believes that a robust regulatory framework, when coupled with continuous innovation, is the cornerstone for building a secure and thriving digital asset ecosystem. By adhering to stringent regulations, Liminal ensures the safety and security of client assets, while its unwavering commitment to innovation allows it to develop cutting-edge solutions that address the evolving needs of the digital asset landscape. This two-pronged approach  prioritizing both regulatory compliance and technological advancement  positions Liminal as a leader in the digital asset custody space.

Commenting on Liminal achievement, Arvind Ramamurthy, Chief of Market Development at ADGM said:  We congratulate Liminal on completing its licensing process and receiving the required Financial Services Permission (FSP) from the FSRA of ADGM. Liminals focus on regulatory compliance and innovative solutions in the space of digital assets aligns with ADGMs vision for fostering a dynamic and trusted financial ecosystem that prioritizes upholding the highest standards of security and innovation. We look forward to witness Liminals contribution to the growth of the digital asset industry in Abu Dhabi and beyond.

Amir Tabch, CEO of Liminal Custody Middle East and Senior Executive Officer of the Category 3C ADGM-regulated entity First Answer Middle East Limited, remarked: Earning the ADGM FSP license is a clear indicator of Liminals ironclad dedication to compliance and innovation. This achievement not only positions us at the forefront of digital asset custody but also signals our pivotal role in its future evolution. By equally valuing regulatory compliance and technological progress, we aim to equip institutions with the confidence to explore the digital asset realm, tapping into its vast, transformative potential. This milestone is a springboard for Liminals continued growth and a significant contribution towards the digital asset industrys maturity.

About Liminal Custody

Liminal is a compliant and insured digital asset custody and wallet infrastructure provider that provides both MPC wallets and multi-sig wallets. Launched in April 2021, Liminal is a CCSS Level 3, SOC Type 2 and ISO 27001 & 27701 certified organization. Liminal is based in Singapore, has operations spread across APAC MENA and Europe, along with offices in Singapore, India and UAE.

Liminal takes pride in supporting businesses with their qualified and insured digital asset custody platform, which enables stress-free safekeeping of digital assets for institutions. Liminal also provides a cutting edge wallet infrastructure platform that is secure, compliant and automated and comes with a plug-and-play architecture for faster onboarding of developers, business partners and government agencies.

About Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM)

The Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), an international financial center (IFC) located in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, opened for business on 21 October 2015. Established by a UAE Federal Decree as a comprehensive financial center, ADGM enhances Abu Dhabis stature as a global trade and business hub. It serves as a strategic connector between the burgeoning economies of the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia, and the rest of the world.

ADGMs strategy leverages Abu Dhabis key strengths in areas such as private banking, wealth management, asset management, derivatives and commodities trading, financial innovation, sustainability, and more. It comprises four independent authorities: the ADGM Authority, ADGM Courts, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority, and the Registration Authority. As an IFC, ADGM governs the entire 114 hectares (1.14 square kilometers) of Al Maryah Island, a designated financial free zone.

Contact

Sr. Manager  PR & Communications

Akansha Sharma

Liminal Custody

[email protected]
Lune Technologies, a Dubai, UAE-based financial data analytics company, raised $1.5M in Seed funding.

Backers included Dubai Future District Fund (DFDF), Plus Venture Capital, Reach International, Judah Ventures, and a group of unnamed family offices and angel investors.

The company intends to use the funds to accelerate further expansion of its MENA operations and consolidate its market position in the data-driven financial solutions market.

Lune provides financial data analytics solutions to simplify financial data for MENA based banks, financial institutions and fintechs. Its analytics tools enable businesses to drive revenue while delivering personalized experiences based on actual fact of spending and earning habits. Additionally, the solution provides a sustainability feature to allow clients by make carbon footprint estimates for each transaction.

Lune prioritizes data security by adhering to stringent industry regulations. This includes compliance with ISO 27001 and the GDPR.

FinSMEs

13/05/2024
Sona, a London, UK-based intelligent workforce management platform for frontline enterprises, raised $27.5M in Series A funding.

The round was led by Felicis with participation from Northzone, Googles AI-fund Gradient, SpeedInvest, Antler, BAG Ventures, and several angels.

The company, which has raised $40M+ to date, will use the capital to expand its go-to-market function and build more advanced AI capabilities on its platform.

Founded by Steffen Wulff Petersen, Oli Johnson and Ben Dixon, Sona provides an intelligent workforce management platform for frontline enterprises. With its configurable software, customers such as care homes, restaurants, and hotels, can pull multiple efficiency levers. AI acceleration, accurate forecasting, data-driven productivity models, and automated scheduling drive more intelligent deployment of labor which directly translates into significant profit increases. Leveraging the Elixir programming language and large language models, Sona offers AI-powered real-time actionable feedback driving intelligent decision making leading to workforce productivity gains.

In 2023 alone, the company experienced a 400%+ revenue growth. To date, over 4.6 million shifts have been created on Sona.

FinSMEs

14/05/2024
Worky, a Mexico City, Mexico-based provider of an HR and payroll software solution for companies, raised $6M in Series A funding.

The round was led by Atlantico, a Brazil-based fund, with participation from ADP Ventures.

The company intends to use the funds to accelerate product development, expand sales and marketing efforts, as well as strengthen the team.

Founded in 2018 by Maya Dadoo and Carlos Marina, Worky aims to modernize how companies recruit, manage and pay their employees, particularly focusing on the often-overlooked operative workforce sector. Worky is focused on serving Latin America, starting with Mexico, where approximately 60 percent of the 20 million SME employees change jobs annually, significant impacting the countrys labor and economic productivity.

In 2022, Worky released Worky Payroll, Mexicos first cloud-native payroll solution along with a shift management module. These innovations allow integration of workforce operations and revenue variability processes like commissions and bonuses, enhancing compliance and efficiency through Workys real time payroll system.

The company currently serves over 40,000 users in Mexico.

FinSMEs

14/05/2024
Will India see its first political debate this Lok Sabha election? Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was open to a discourse with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Now BJP youth wing president Tejasvi Surya has nominated his second-in-command, Abhinav Prakash, for the challenge read more

BJP youth wing's second in command Abhinav Prakash is up against Congress' Rahul Gandhi in a potential debate. Instagram/ @abhina_prakash

Debates in Indian elections? They are unheard of. However, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi recently proposed that his party chief Mallikarjun Kharge or he would like to hold a public debate with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The PM has not responded but Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha president (BJYM) Tejasvi Surya has picked the youth wings vice president Abhinav Prakash for a possible discussion.

Surya had earlier questioned Gandhis challenge to Modi, saying the Congress leader was not even a PM candidate. Now accepting a proposal for a public debate between the two rival parties, the BJP youth president has nominated his second-in-command Prakash in an enriching debate between a political scion (Rahul Gandhi) and a common youngster who has come up the hard way.

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But who is Raebarelli leader Abhinav Prakash and how did this debate drama unfold? Lets take a closer look

Who is Abhinav Prakash?

The BJP yuva morcha vice president hails from the Gandhi familys traditional turf, Uttar Pradeshs Raebarelli. He is not only a distinguished leader of our youth wing but also an articulate spokesman for the policies and reforms implemented by the government, Surya, wrote to Gandhi in a letter shared on X.

Dear Rahul Gandhi Ji,



BJYM has deputed Sri @Abhina_Prakash, our VP, to debate with you.



He is a young and educated leader from the Pasi (SC) community, who are around 30%, in Rae Baraeli.



It will be an enriching debate between a political scion and a common youngster who pic.twitter.com/8FarSmqrQe  Tejasvi Surya ( ) (@Tejasvi_Surya) May 13, 2024

The 30-year-old belongs to a Dalit community named Pasi, which makes up a significant proportion of over 30 per cent of the Scheduled Caste population in Raebareli where Rahul Gandhi is contesting in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

Prakash, an assistant professor of economics at Delhi Universitys Ramjas College, is an alumnus of Jawaharlal University. He has had various teaching stints at Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), one of the countrys most prestigious commerce colleges. This has given him a profound understanding of social, economic, and political dynamics of the country, Surya wrote adding he will enrich the debate significantly.

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Expressing gratitude towards Surya, the Raebarelli leader took to X saying he looks forward to Gandhi accepting the debate.

Thank you Shri @Tejasvi_Surya ji for nominating me. I am looking forward to Shri @RahulGandhi ji to agree to debate. Let there be open discussion on all the issues be it democracy, constitution, governance, employment under Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji. https://t.co/yNfD8xpTDX  Abhinav Prakash (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Abhina_Prakash) May 13, 2024

It remains to be seen if Gandhi accepts to confront Prakash in a potential debate.

We eagerly anticipate your acceptance, setting the stage for what promises to be a historic debate between the scion of a political dynasty which has ruled India for the longest time since independence and a commoner representing the new India of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Surya wrote.

How the idea of the debate started?

Last week, anticipation peaked for a highly anticipated political debate as a consortium of retired judges and a journalist wrote to Gandhi and Modi.

Former Supreme Court judge Madan Lokur, former Delhi High Court Chief Justice AP Shah, and N Ram, former editor of The Hindu, appealed to the two politicians to engage in a debate on key issues hosted on a neutral and non-partisan platform.

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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 a healthy and vibrant democracy, said the letter quoted in The Hindu.

Congress scion Rahul Gandhi took to X to announce his acceptance of the offer against PM Modi on Friday and said he expects the PM to participate, saying it would be a positive initiative for the major parties to present their vision to the country from one platform for a healthy democracy.

                   



             



              pic.twitter.com/YMWWqzBRhE  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 11, 2024

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However, the BJP declined the debate invitation, stating that Rahul Gandhi did not have credentials even within the Congress nor was he the PM face for Opposition, and hence, the PM had no reason to debate with him.

Who is Rahul Gandhi, that PM Modi should debate with him?



Rahul Gandhi isnt even the PM candidate of the Congress Party, let alone the INDI Alliance.



Let him first get himself declared as Congresss PM candidate, state he will take accountability for his partys defeat, and https://t.co/v1oTtVUuHX  Tejasvi Surya ( ) (@Tejasvi_Surya) May 11, 2024

Now will Gandhi take on Prakash remains to be seen.

_

With input from agencies_
The Enforcement Directorate has notified the Delhi High Court that the Aam Aadmi Party will be made an accused in the alleged liquor policy scandal. This development comes as three key AAP figures, including party supremo and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, are embroiled in the case. Remarkably, this marks the first instance of a political party being formally charged in a legal matter read more

A supporter with his body painted in colours of the Indian national flag, dances during a roadshow by Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi on 11 May, 2024. AP

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) informed the Delhi High Court on Tuesday that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will be implicated as a defendant in the alleged liquor policy scam. This announcement occurred during the central probe agencys opposition to a plea filed by former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and AAP leader Manish Sisodia in the money laundering case.

Special counsel Zoheb Hossain, representing the ED, informed Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma that the Aam Aadmi Party will be added as an accused in the case, with a supplementary complaint/chargesheet set to be filed, reported LiveLaw.

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Earlier in October last year, during a hearing for the bail plea filed by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the Delhi Excise Policy case, ED informed the Supreme Court of their contemplation to include the AAP as an accused.

Although Sisodias bail plea was denied at the time by the Supreme Court, the questions remain: can a political party be indicted in a money laundering case? what does the law say?

To gain clarity, it is imperative to examine the legal provisions pertinent to the case and understand the significance of each entity involved.

What are the laws governing formation of a political party?

Under Article 324 of the Constitution and Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1951, any association or group of Indian citizens can register as a political party, subject to specified guidelines.

Section 29A mandates that any association intending to avail itself of the provisions for political parties must apply to the Election Commission for registration, providing requisite details regarding its objectives, organisational structure, members, and party funds.

While there is no stipulated minimum membership requirement, prospective parties must have at least 100 members who submit individual affidavits affirming their status as registered electors and non-members of any other registered political party.

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So what does section 70 of the PMLA say?

Section 70 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) stipulates that individuals in charge or responsible within a company at the time of a money laundering offense shall be deemed culpable and subject to prosecution.

Also Read: Arvind Kejriwal is out of jail. But can he vote, campaign for AAP? Can he fulfil his CM duties?

Moreover, if a company is found in violation of anti-money laundering laws and it is established that such contravention occurred with the consent, connivance, or neglect of its directors, managers, or officers, these individuals are also liable to face charges.

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The provision states that, Where a person committing a contravention of any of the provisions of this Act or of any rule, direction or order made thereunder is a company, every person who, at the time the contravention was committed, was in charge of and was responsible to the company, for the conduct of the business of the company as well as the company, shall be deemed to be guilty of the contravention and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Minister of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann greet supporters from a vehicle during a roadshow in New Delhi, 11 May, 2024. AP

The provision elucidates that a company may be prosecuted independently of individual prosecutions, emphasising the distinction between a company and its members or operators.

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Can a political party be considered a company?

While a political party is not a company incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013, the provision has a crucial explanation that could bring a political party under the ambit of the anti-money laundering law, reported Indian Express.

It reads: Explanation 1[1].For the purposes of this section (Section 70),(i) company means any body corporate and includes a firm or other association of individuals;

The phrase association of individuals can include a political party. A party, according to Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, is any association or body of individual citizens of India calling itself a political party.

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Has any political party faced PMLA charges before?

To date, no political party has been implicated under Indias anti-money laundering laws, although several NGOs and other organisations have been scrutinised by the ED.

It remains to be seen whether the ED will go through invoking Section 70 of the PMLA against a political party and attribute money laundering offenses accordingly.

What is the Delhi Excise Policy case?

The case stems from allegations of irregularities in the Delhi Excise Policy for 2021-22, with the CBI registering a case on 17 August, 2022, following a complaint by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena.

Subsequently, the ED initiated a case related to money laundering on 22 August, 2022, against the accused individuals, including Sisodia and other AAP associates.

Also Read: How Arvind Kejriwal went from jail to bail in 51 days of peak election season

The allegations revolve around a purported criminal conspiracy involving Sisodia and others, including unidentified individuals/entities, during the formulation of the excise policy. It is alleged that government officials colluded to grant liquor licenses in exchange for bribes, exploiting loopholes intentionally left in the policy.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal smiles as he leave in his car from Tihar Jail in New Delhi, 10 May, 2024. AP

Among those implicated, former AAP communications officer Vijay Nair has been accused of orchestrating the scheme, while Sanjay Singh was arrested after the ED alleged a monetary transaction linked to the case occurred at his residence.

AAP Arvind Kejriwal was arrested on 21 March after his failure to respond to nine summons issued by the ED, marking a historic event as Kejriwal became the first sitting chief minister in Indian history to be arrested.

However, Kejriwal was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court of India, allowing him to campaign for the 2024 Indian general election. The bail period extends from 10 May, 2024 to 1 June, 2024, with 1 June coinciding with the final day of the elections. Vote counting is scheduled for 4 June, 2024.

Also Read: Who is Bibhav Kumar, Kejriwals sacked aide, who allegedly attacked Swati Maliwal?

With inputs from agencies
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will file his nomination papers from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat. The Supreme Court is set to continue its hearing against Patanjali on a plea of the Indian Medical Association alleging a smear campaign by Baba Ramdev against the vaccination drive and modern medicine read more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking his third consecutive term from the Varanasi seat which is set to go to the polls on 1 June. AP

Today is set to be a massive day in India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will file his nomination papers from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat.

The Supreme Court is set to continue its hearings on Patanjali.

A court in Uttar Pradesh will examine the 2018 defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

And the famed Cannes Film Festival 2024 to open in the South of France.

Lets take a closer look at todays big-ticket headlines:

PM Modi to file nomination papers

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to file his nomination papers from Varanasi today.

Modi is seeking his third consecutive term from the Varanasi seat which is set to go to the polls on 1 June.

The prime minister won the seat in 2019 by a massive margin of 4.8 lakh votes and an impressive margin of 3.7 lakh seats in 2014.

The seat has been a BJP stronghold since 1991.

Modi, accompanied by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, held a six-kilometre roadshow in Varanasi on Monday.

He garlanded a statue of educationist and social reformer Madan Mohan Malviya at the Malviya Chauraha in the Lanka area here before beginning the roadshow.

SC hearings on Patanjali

Will the Supreme Court continue to crack the whip on Patanjali?

The apex court is hearing a plea of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) alleging a smear campaign by Baba Ramdev against the vaccination drive and modern medicines.

The court in March had ordered Patanjalis co-founder Ramdev and the company managing director Balkrishna to personally attend the hearing.

It had also temporarily banned the company from advertising or branding certain products.

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The apex court had also come down heavily on the company for prima facie violating the undertaking given by it in the court about its products and also for statements on their medicinal efficacy.

It issued a notice to Patanjali Ayurved and its managing director asking why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them.

The bench also warned the company from making any derogatory statements about any medicine in the media.

Defamation case against Rahul

A special MP-MLA court in Uttar Pradesh will take up a hearing on a defamation case against Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress leader is accused of allegedly making objectionable remarks about home minister Amit Shah.

The complaint was filed against Rahul Gandhi by BJP leader Vijay Mishra for remarks made during the Karnataka elections six years ago.

Rahul Gandhi is accused of allegedly making objectionable remarks about home minister Amit Shah. PTI

Mishra referred to Rahuls comment that the BJP claimed to believe in honest and clean politics but has a party president who is an accused in a murder case.

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Shah was BJP chief at the time when Rahul made the remark.

A special CBI court in Mumbai had in 2014 discharged Shah in a 2005 fake encounter case when he was a minister of state for home in Gujarat.

The court issued a warrant against Rahul on 16 December, 2023.

Hearings in the case were postponed in April and March as the judge was on leave and Rahuls lawyer had sought more time saying he was busy with the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

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Cannes Film Festival 2024

The glamorous Cannes Film Festival is set to kick off in the South of France.

This edition, the 77th, comes against a backdrop of war, protest, potential strikes and quickening #MeToo upheaval in France, which for years largely resisted the movement.

Arguably the most feverishly awaited entry is Francis Ford Coppolas self-financed opus Megalopolis.

Coppola, is himself no stranger to high-drama at Cannes.

An unfinished cut of Apocalypse Now won him (in a tie) his second Palme dOr more than four decades ago.

There will also be new films from Kevin Costner, Paolo Sorrentino, Sean Baker, Yorgos Lanthimos and Andrea Arnold. And for a potentially powder keg Cannes theres also the firebomb of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

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On this day

In 1948, the dream that many had dreamed came true  an independent, Jewish state of Israel was established.

This after the United Nations General Assembly approved a partition of British-ruled Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states in 1947.

After Israel declared independence, many governments including the United States and the Soviet Union quickly recognised it.

But many of its neighbouring countries did not.

The dispute over the fate of those Palestinians and their descendants, now numbering several million people, remains at the core of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Reuters

Within days, five Arab nations of Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan had launched invasions of Israel in what would become known as the Arab-Israeli war of 1948.

The dream of Israel seemed to be under threat until Israeli forces managed to gain the advantage.

Every 15 May, Palestinians hold rallies to commemorate the nakba, or catastrophe  the term they use to describe the displacement, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes during the fighting.

The dispute over the fate of those Palestinians and their descendants, now numbering several million people, remains at the core of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

With inputs from agencies
Rajesh Kapoor, 40, was arrested from Delhis Paharganj, where he allegedly kept the stolen jewellery, after two passengers filed a police complaint against him over a two-month period read more

Since he used fake credentials at the time of booking, police were able to track him down through technical surveillance. Image used for representational purpose/Pixabay

A man took over 200 flights spanning over 110 days last year.

The reason was to steal jewellery and other valuables from passengers. And he was doing very well to earn the large sum of money, so much so that he purchased a hotel in central Delhi, only to be arrested on Monday.

Heres how he stole lakhs of rupees worth of jewellery from cabin baggage and how the police apprehended him.

200 flights, lakhs of jewellery, and more

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Last month, a woman travelling from Hyderabad to Delhi reported that jewellery worth Rs 7 lakh had been stolen from her bag. A man from the United States filed another complaint with the Delhi police, reporting that valuables worth Rs 20 lakh had been stolen from his cabin bag. After scanning several hours of airport footage, police arrested Rajesh Kapoor, the man who carefully carried out these thefts.

Rajesh used forged documents and an incorrect mobile number to book these flights. Deputy Commissioner of Delhi Police, Usha Rangrani, stated that he meticulously planned his every move. He would use his deceased brothers identity documents to book tickets. He would mostly stalk passengers on connecting flights and target elderly women carrying handbags, assuming they would not notice the theft right away, she explained as reported by Times of India (TOI).

The senior cop stated that he chose elderly and female passengers as targets and observed their behaviour at the airport. He would follow them or subtly read the information on the baggage declaration slip to learn more about the valuables in the bag. According to the police, the man mostly interacted at the boarding gate, but he would also observe the behaviour of his targets beforehand.

Exploiting the chaos of boarding, Kapoor would secretly rifle through overhead cabins, carefully assessing and stealing valuables from handbags of unsuspecting passengers who would be settling into their seats. His method, carefully timed to coincide with the distractions inherent in the boarding process, allowed him to operate undetected, said the DCP, reports TOI.

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Kapoor used forged documents and an incorrect mobile number to book these flights. Image used for representational purpose/Pixabay

If the target sat at a distance, Kapoor would even ask the crew members to change his seat so that he could sit near the person. The police also stated that he would frequently pretend to adjust the bags in the overhead section while other passengers boarded the plane in order to steal it.

Since he used fake credentials at the time of booking, police were able to track him down through technical surveillance.

The chase and arrest

Kapoor has been arrested from Paharganj, where he allegedly kept the stolen jewellery, said DCP Usha Rangnani, at a press conference, following police complaint by two passengers against him over a two-month period. He was planning to sell the jewellery to Sharad Jain, 46, who has also been arrested from Karol Bagh, she said.

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On 11 April, a passenger lost her jewellery worth Rs 7 lakh while travelling from Hyderabad to Delhi. Another theft was reported on 2 February, where a passenger had lost jewellery items worth Rs 20 lakh while he was travelling from Amritsar to Delhi.

Since he used fake credentials at the time of booking, police were able to track him down through technical surveillance.Image used for representational purpose/Pixabay

The police analysed the passenger manifests for these flights and scanned footage from over 100 CCTV cameras before identifying the suspect. His phone number was obtained from the airlines but turned out to be fraudulent. Technical surveillance revealed his original phone number, and his location was traced to Paharganj.

On sustained interrogation, he confessed to being involved in five such cases, including one in Hyderabad, the police said. He disclosed that he spent most of the cash on online and offline gambling. Kapoor was found involved in 11 cases of theft, gambling and criminal breach of trust, out of which five cases were of airport.

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Kapoors Ricky Deluxe

Kapoor owns Ricky Deluxe, a guest house in Delhi Paharganj, near the New Delhi Railway Station. The man lived on the third floor of the guest house, while the other floors accommodated the customers. According to the police, he operated a mobile repair shop in Delhi in addition to his money exchange business, reports NDTV.

He stole valuables in several airports, including Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Bangalore, Mumbai, and Amritsar. A large amount of gold and silver jewellery was recovered from his Paharganj home; however, he also admitted that on several occasions, he sold the stolen jewellery to a jeweller named Sharad Jain in neighbouring Karol Bagh.

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The thief who boarded flights previously stole from trains and gained success, according to police. After being caught, the man went silent and later decided to plan airport thefts.

With inputs from PTI
Donald Trumps former lawyer, Michael Cohen, in his nearly five-hour-long testimony in the hush money trial outlined how he made payments to Stormy Daniels, the adult film star, in an attempt to save the Republican leaders 2016 presidential campaign. He also described how the former US president signed off on everything  which could hurt him in the matter read more

Michael Cohen leaves his apartment building on his way to Manhattan criminal court to testify in the hush money trial. AP

He once said he would take a bullet for Donald Trump. However, on Monday (13 April), Michael Cohen, Trumps former lawyer, gave his testimony in court, which could be the nail in the coffin for the former US president in the hush money trial.

Everything required Mr Trumps sign-off, said Cohen , Trumps fixer-turned-foe and the prosecutions star witness, as the case enters its final and most pivotal stretch.

Cohens testimony is part of Donald Trumps trial in a Manhattan court for allegedly falsifying business records to hide the reimbursement of a hush money payment that the former US presidents lawyer made to Stormy Daniels in order to boost Trumps electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election. The $130,000-payment was to buy the adult film stars silence about an alleged 2006 sexual encounter, that Trump had continuously denied.

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Cohen will be back on the stand on Tuesday (14 May). But the question remains, will the jury believe his testimony.

Daniels payment was all about the campaign

One of the central defences that Trumps legal team has put forth in the case has been that the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels , the adult film star, in 2016 was to silence her owing to the effect her story would have on Trumps family and marriage.

However, in his testimony, Cohen has blown this defence. He said that the former US president wasnt thinking about Melania when Danielss story threatened to become public. He further stated that Trump was furious that Daniels was shopping a story about the sexual encounter she says she had with the ex-president.

He said to me, This is a disaster, a total disaster. Women are going to hate me, Cohen testified, Guys, they think its cool, but this is going to be a disaster for the campaign.

The lawyer in his testimony said, At the time, Trump was polling very poorly with women and coupled with the Access Hollywood tape, it would have been catastrophic for his electoral prospects.

Cohen also testified that Trump pushed him to delay paying Daniels until after the election. I want you to push it out as long as you can, Cohen said Trump told him about the Daniels story. Push it out past the election, because if I win, it has no relevance, and if I lose, I dont really care.

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In short, Cohen said, This was all about the campaign.

Just do it, said Trump to Cohen

Perhaps one of the most damning parts about Cohens testimony is when Trump allegedly told him to just do it in regards to the payment to be made to Daniels.

In his testimony, Trumps former lawyer painted the picture of how the hush money was paid to Daniels.

He said Trump advised him to meet Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg and figure it out. However, Weisselberg was appalled at the payment and thats when Cohen said he decided to come up with the money himself. Cohen further said that he initially resisted paying out of his own pocket, but relented after Trump promised him, You will get the money back.

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Michael Cohen is questioned by prosecutor Susan Hoffinger before Justice Juan Merchan as former US president Donald Trump sits with his eyes closed during Trumps criminal trial on charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016. Reuters

Until now, Trumps lawyers have argued that Cohen acted on his own. However, Cohen rejected that notion while being on the witness stand. He stated that everything required Mr Trumps sign-off.

This could spell trouble for Trump as the arrangement is the basis of the entire case.

Cohens efforts to quash bad press against Trump

In addition to how he silenced the Daniels story from getting out into the public domain, Cohens testimony also spoke of how he quashed bad media against Trump.

In his almost five-hour-long testimony, he explains how he worked with former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker to kill negative stories during the 2016 presidential elections. The testimony says that Trump told Pecker to let Cohen know if he became aware of negative press that might arise, and the three men agreed that Pecker would try to suppress any such stories.

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Cohen said that he went to Trump immediately after he was alerted that a story was being peddled about an alleged affair with former Playboy model Karen McDougal . He told the courtroom that he went to Trumps office with the story and it was then that Trump told him to make sure that the story doesnt get released.

Michael Cohen had once said that he would take a bullet for Trump. However, on Monday testified against his former boss, saying that everything he did was to protect him. File image/AP

A calm, loyalist of Trump

Michael Cohen has been described as aggressive and abrasive. However, on the stand, he was calm, cool and collected. He admitted to lying, but said that he only did so to protect his boss. He said that every action, every story that he killed was always in the name of protecting Trump.

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When asked whether he had bullied people in the past, he confirmed he had. The only thing that was on my mind was to accomplish the task to make him happy, Cohen said of Trump.

Cohen also testified that its fair to say he was once Trumps fixer and told the jury hed sometimes lie for Trump  including to his own wife.

The drama will continue

Cohen will return to the witness stand on Tuesday where he will likely face a hostile cross-examination from Trumps legal team. It will undoubtedly test Cohens temperament.

However, interestingly during Cohens testimony on Monday, Trump didnt see eye to eye with his former lawyer. He, in fact, had his eyes closed through most of Cohens testimony. The only time he stirred, according to a report in The Hill, was when Cohen was testifying to his disappointment with his bonus in 2016.

Trumps eyes had been closed for quite a while, but a brief expression of what appeared to be pleasure crossed over his face as Cohen describes Trump denying him on his end-of-year bonus, Jonathan Swan of The New York Times noted.

With inputs from agencies
Asian Americans continue to experience hate and expect to experience discrimination, a report has revealed. Nearly one in three Asian Americans has been called a racial or ethnic slur in the past year. Nearly three in 10 Asian Americans were verbally harassed or abused in the last 12 months because of their race, ethnicity, or religion read more

People holding signs march during a rally to support Stop Asian Hate at the Logan Square Monument in Chicago. File Image/AP

A recent comprehensive study conducted by the Asian American Foundation has shed light on the glaring disparity between the perceptions of hate crimes against Asian Americans held by the general public and the harsh realities experienced by the Asian American community.

The STAATUS Index 2024, a comprehensive survey examining the perceptions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) in the United States, has revealed alarming trends.

The survey, spanning 6,272 individuals across the US delved into the most prominent challenges faced by AANHPIs today.

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Here are the key findings:

While the majority of Americans believe that hate towards Asian Americans has not escalated, this sentiment sharply contrasts with the experiences and perceptions of Asian Americans themselves.

Only a third of Americans acknowledge an increase in hate towards Asian Americans. However, there has been a consistent rise in the belief that Asian Americans are treated fairly in the US since 2021.

In the past year alone, alarming statistics reveal that 32% of Asian Americans have reported being subjected to racial slurs, while 29% have endured verbal harassment or abuse.

These figures are even more distressing within certain subgroups, such as Southeast Asian Americans, where incidences of racial slurs (40%), verbal harassment or abuse (38%), and threats of physical assault (22%) have been notably higher over the same period.

Concerns regarding personal safety loom large among Asian Americans, with 41% fearing becoming victims of physical attacks and 59% expressing concerns about facing discrimination in the next five years due to their race, ethnicity, or religion.

Due to pervasive discrimination, violence, and a dearth of representation, a mere 38% of Asian Americans feel they truly belong, with even fewer feeling fully accepted.

This sentiment of belonging and acceptance is notably lacking among Asian Americans, with only 38% completely agreeing they belong and a mere 18% feeling fully accepted for their racial identity in the US.

For those who harbour doubts about their sense of belonging or acceptance, social media (34%) and various social settings such as workplaces, neighborhoods, and educational institutions (all at 31%) are perceived as the least welcoming environments.

Furthermore, 60% of Asian Americans who feel marginalised attribute their sentiments to past experiences of discrimination and/or violence, while 37% cite a lack of representation of individuals like themselves in positions of power.

The survey was conducted from 30 January to 13 March, 2024, by Savanta Research, with a margin of sampling error of +/-1.2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, based on a nationally representative probability sample of 6,272 US-based respondents aged 16 and above.

US Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock speaking during a stop Asian hate rally outside the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta on 20 March, 2021. File Image/AP

Most Americans cant name one prominent AANHPI face

A majority of Americans (55%) struggle to identify a single event or policy related to Asian Americans, revealed the report.

Despite increased awareness, over half of Americans (52%) remain unable to name a notable Asian American figure. When prompted, responses commonly include Jackie Chan (9%) - who is not American, Bruce Lee (5%), and US Vice President Kamala Harris (2%).

Also Read: Who was the Indian student who died in US? Why was he attacked?

There is also a notable lack of familiarity with movies featuring Asian American characters, with half of Americans (50%) unable to name a favourite. However, there is a growing desire among Americans to see greater representation of Asian Americans in both dramas (59%) and comedies (60%).

The survey identified three key strategies for combating racism: incorporating the history of Asian Americans into K-12 education (41%), enhancing the visibility of Asian Americans in society (41%), and fostering more opportunities for meaningful interaction with the community (39%).

People holding signs march during a rally to support Stop Asian Hate at the Logan Square Monument in Chicago on 20 March, 2021. File Image/AP

We need to break the STAATUS quo and it is our responsibility to advocate for and celebrate AANHPI stories beyond Heritage Month, the Asian American Foundation wrote.

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Norman Chen, CEO of The Asian American Foundation and co-founder of the STAATUS report, emphasised the importance of recognising and addressing the prevalence of hate crimes against Asian Americans.

Also Read: Joe Biden meets BTS at White House, interacts with them on anti-Asian hate crimes

Speaking to Axios, he said Its not a competition of who gets attacked the most. I think relative to other forms of hate, the percentage of mind-share that Asian Americans are getting is lower because there are so many other different forms of hate in our society.
Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff has moved the Delhi High Court, seeking protection against the unauthorised use of his name and personality by entities for commercial gain. In his plea, he has also sought protection against the illegal use of the term bhidu, stating that it is part of his personality rights? But what are they? read more

Aye bhidu, kya haal. Chal bhidu, jaate hai. This is common Bambaiya lingo. However, if actor Jackie Shroff has his way, the use of this colloquial Marathi word, bhidu, could soon be restricted from being used.

The Bollywood actor approached the Delhi High Court today (14 May) to restrain firms, social media channels, artificial intelligence (AI) apps and GIF-making platforms from using his name, voice, image or any other attribute without consent.

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As the court prepares to hear the case tomorrow (15 May), we take a closer look at what the matter is and if Jackie, in fact, can trademark the term bhidu.

Bhidu Nahi Bolneka!

Popular Bollywood Jackie Shroff has moved the Delhi High Court against the unlicensed used of his name and personality attributes by entities for commercial gain. He has also sought protection against the unauthorised use of the term bhidu.

Jackies advocate Pravin Anand appearing in court said that Shroff was not looking to stop parody or satire, but wanted an injunction against merchandising and defamatory and distorted uses of his personality.

A Bar and Bench report further stated that in his plea, Shroff has sought protection of the names Jackie Shroff, Jackie, Jaggu Dada as well as bhidu and said that his attributes cannot be used without his authorisation on any platform.

In court, Jackies lawyer said that individuals couldnt use the actors personality or images or voice to woo customers into buying products. Jackie Shroff is so well known. People will think it is endorsed by him. He has a certain marketability to his name. It cant be done without his consent, said the counsel, reports NDTV.

He added that certain derogatory and objectionable content was also available as memes, morphed images etc. All are using his name, images and earning huge money. This is all defamatory stuff there are distasteful dirty words in voice over. There is nothing legitimate about any of this, NDTV reported him as saying.

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In Anil Kapoors, Amitabh Bachchans footsteps

While arguing in favour of Jackie Shroff, his lawyer, used the example of fellow Bollywood actors, Anil Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan.

In September 2023, the Delhi High Court had allowed Anil Kapoors pleas for protection of his personality rights from misuse by third parties. In the Anil Kapoor matter, the Delhi High Court had sided with the actor, protecting his name, image, persona and even his famous catchphrase Jhakaas from being used without his authorisation.

Jackie Shroffs plaint in the court comes on the heels of Anil Kapoors plea last year. The actor had sought protection of his personality rights from misuse by third parties. File image/PTI

The court had noted that personality rights are equivalent to the source of livelihood of the individual. Hence, unauthorised and illegal usage of any celebritys persona is a direct attack on their livelihood. Using a persons names, voice, dialogue, image in illegal manner that too for commercial purposes cannot be permitted. The celebrities rights of endorsement could be a major source of livelihood for the celebrity which cant be completely destroyed by way of selling merchandise etc, the court had then said.

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And a year earlier, the court had passed an interim order to prevent the unlawful use of Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchans name, image and voice. At the time, the court had restrained persons at large from infringing the personality rights of the actor.

Law, trademarks and personality rights

But what are personality rights? Very similar to a trademark, personality rights refer to the right to protect ones name, photograph or even voice from being used by an entity for commercial gain. A celebritys name, a pose, a mannerism falls under personality rights.

Tushar Agarwal, a Supreme Court advocate, explained to Moneycontrol, In the simplest sense, personality rights are the rights of famous personalities and celebrities whose name, voice, signature or any other personality trait has commercial value and can mobilise and influence the public at large.

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Personality rights in India, still in the nascent stages, are governed by statutes like the Trade Marks Act 1999 and the Copyright Act 1957. These two laws deal with matters of trademark and copyright infringement, and also clarify what word can and cant be trademarked.

Section 9(1) of the Trademark Act, 1999 explicitly bars registration of commonly used words in the local language, terms describing qualities of goods and services, and words customary in trade practices. For instance, one cant trademark a word such as email, as it is generic in nature, offering no distinctiveness to a single source.

However, in the Sunil Mittal v Darzi On Call matter, the Delhi High Court noted that a distinction has to be drawn between the use of a word as descriptive of the services provided under a trademark, and the use of that word in the trademark itself. The Court concluded that the Urdu translation of the word tailor, darzi was not common for tailoring services in Delhi and thus it was not descriptive/generic.

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With inputs from agencies
Three years after her separation from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates has said she will step down as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Founded in 2000, the charitable endeavour is one of the most powerful private institutes in global public health read more

Melinda French Gates will step down from her role as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Reuters File Photo

Melinda French Gates has decided to resign as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the worlds largest philanthropic organisations started by her and her ex-husband Bill Gates in 2000.

This is not a decision I came to lightly. I am immensely proud of the foundation that Bill and I built together and of the extraordinary work it is doing to address inequities around the world, Melinda wrote on X on Monday (13 May).

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Her last working day at the foundation will be 7 June.

What have Melinda French Gates and Bill Gates said about her resignation? How has the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation transformed lives? Lets understand.

Melinda French Gates to focus on her venture

The announcement came three years after Melindas divorce from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. In 2021, the pair announced their separation after 27 years of marriage but had vowed to continue their joint philanthropic work.

The billionaire thanked Melinda for her critical contributions to the foundation, saying I am sorry to see her leave, but I am sure she will have a huge impact in her future philanthropic work, reported Associated Press (AP).

Melinda will receive $12.5 billion as part of her agreement with her ex-husband, which she said she would invest in her own charitable work on women and families.

She founded the investment company Pivotal Ventures in 2015 which focuses on the economic empowerment of women and minority groups.

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This is a critical moment for women and girls in the US and around the world - and those fighting to protect and advance equality are in urgent need of support, she said in her statement on Monday.

As per AP, a spokesperson said the foundations name will be changed to the Gates Foundation.

How the Gates Foundation came to be

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was set up in 2000 after merging two previous Gates family foundations.

Bill Gates was the richest person in the world at that time. Today, his net value is estimated to be $130.1 billion by Forbes. French Gates fortune is valued at $11.3 billion, noted BBC.

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The former couple say that they were moved to work on global health after they read a newspaper report about how millions of children died of preventable diseases in poorer countries.

As new parents, this hit us especially hard.

They recalled sending the article to Bills father with a note saying: Dad, maybe we can do something about this.

Those eight words changed the rest of our lives, they say on the foundations website.

Bill Gates fortune is estimated to be $130.1 billion by Forbes. AP File Photo

Bill started distancing himself from Microsoft to concentrate on the charitys endeavours. At the same time, Melinda steered the direction of the foundation as a co-chair with a special interest in empowering women and girls, reported BBC.

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Currently, the foundation has 2,026 employees in offices around the world, including in Washington DC, Delhi, Beijing and Johannesburg.

How the Gates Foundation is transforming lives

The Gates Foundation is one of the most influential private institutions in global public health, with an endowment of over $75 billion as of December 2023.

The foundation plans to spend $8.6 billion on charitable work throughout 2024.

As per the foundations website, Melinda and Bill have donated more than $36 billion of their own wealth from 1994 to 2018 to the nonprofit.

The US billionaire investor Warren E Buffett has reportedly given over $30 billion in annual donations to the foundation. As per Fortune magazine, he had said about the billionaire benefactors, They could have elected to do anything with their lives and both of them are not only spending money but huge amounts of their time and energy around the world to make life better for people. Think about that.

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Headquartered in the US Seattle, the Gates Foundation supports major international institutions like Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization (WHO) and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

A person passes by on a scooter in front of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle, Washington, on 5 May 2021. Reuters File Photo

In 2020, the Gates Foundation pledged $1.6 billion to Gavi, which aims to improve vaccination access in poor countries.

The organisation said at the time that this funding for a five-year period would help an additional 300 million (30 crore) children in the worlds most vulnerable communities and save up to eight million (80 lakh) lives, bringing the total number of children immunised with Gavi support to more than one billion (100 crore) since its inception in 2000.

The foundation also funds research into several health issues such as child malnutrition, maternal health, eradicating polio and tackling malaria , according to the AP report.

It previously said it would commit $1.2 billion to implement the Global Polio Eradication Initiatives strategy to end the polio virus in the last two endemic countries  Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Sanitation is also a field that the foundation focuses on. The organisation has put millions of dollars into pushing technological advances in sanitation.

In the United States, the foundation has provided at least 20,000 scholarships to high-achieving university students of colour from low-income backgrounds. The former couple had lamented in 2020 about not seeing significant improvements in US public education despite financial contributions over the past two decades.

The Gates Foundation has invested in family planning efforts and combating poverty and disease in poorer countries.

It also wants to improve agriculture technology and help small farmers adapt to climate change.

Concerns about the foundations influence

The Gates Foundation is one of the most powerful forces in global public health. Some have raised concerns about a private organisations monumental influence on global health.

The foundation is the largest private donor to the WHO, only second to the USs annual donation in 2018-2019.

Gates Foundation-backed Gavi was among the key players in distributing COVID-19 vaccines in developing countries.

Concerns arose after former US president Donald Trump threatened to pull funding from the United Nations health agency in 2020.

Currently, WHO has full control over only about a quarter of its budget, Lawrence Gostin, Director of the WHO Collaborating Center on National and Global Health Law, told Euronews Next last year.

WHO therefore cant set the global health agenda and has had to do the bidding of rich donors, not only rich nations in Europe and North America, but also rich philanthropies such as the Gates Foundation.

This evokes the persistent question of how unelected wealthy people have such an outsized influence on the global stage.

With inputs from agencies
Bhavesh Prabhudas Bhinde, 51, is the director of an advertising agency responsible for erecting the now-collapsed hoarding in Ghatkopar, which killed 14 and left 59 injured. He is also accused in a rape and molestation case that was filed at Mulund police station in January this year. As per his affidavit filed during his unsuccessful 2009 Maharashtra Assembly polls, there were 21 other criminal complaints were filed against him read more

The city police have registered a case against the owner of Ego Media and others for installing the hoarding that collapsed on the petrol pump. Image Courtesy: @ bhavesh.bhinde/Instagram

A massive tragedy unfolded in Mumbai after a huge billboard collapsed on a petrol pump in Ghatkopars Chheda Nagar due to an unexpected dust storm and unseasonal rains in the city on Monday.

According to PTI, so far, 89 people were pulled out from under the collapsed hoarding, of whom 14 were declared dead, and 75 others were injured.

At least 12 fire engines and other vehicles have been involved in the search and operation since around 4.50 pm on Monday. Two teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), comprising 100 personnel, also joined the operation at 7.10 pm on Monday evening, an official of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.

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According to civic officials, the billboard was illegal and no permission was given to install it.

The city police have registered a case against the owner of Ego Media and others for installing the hoarding that collapsed on the petrol pump.

Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar has said stringent action will be taken against those responsible for the hoarding collapse incident in the city. PTI

The owner, Bhavesh Bhinde, and others were booked under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 337 (causing hurt to another person by acting rashly or negligently) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), as per PTI.

Heres all we know about the owner of the hoarding company.

Who is Bhavesh Bhinde?

Bhavesh Prabhudas Bhinde, 51, is the director of Ego Media Pvt Ltd, the advertising agency responsible for erecting the now-collapsed hoarding in Ghatkopar.

According to Lokmat Times, the Mulund-based companys capital is Rs 20 crore and has been operational for the past seven years.

A rape and molestation case against Bhinde was filed with the Mulund police station on 24 January this year. The Bombay High Court eventually granted him anticipatory bail, according to a report in The Indian Express. In this case, a chargesheet has already been submitted.

According to his affidavit filed during his unsuccessful 2009 Maharashtra Assembly elections as an independent candidate, there were 21 other criminal complaints were filed against him.

According to an India Today report, the cases were filed under the Negotiable Instruments (NI) Act and the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act regarding issues such as cheque-bouncing, obtaining contracts for hoardings and banners from the Railways and BMC over the previous ten years, and alleged violations of BMC and Railways policies.

BMC has also reported incidences of tree poisoning against Bhinde.

He had previously owned Guju Ads, which the municipal authority had blacklisted as a result of several complaints against both the company and him, according to the news channel.

Despite this, he founded Ego Media Pvt Ltd and secured contracts for hoarding and billboards.

The hoarding, which was located next to a petrol pump in Pant Nagar on the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) and measured 120 x 120, was larger than what was allowed  40 x 40 feet  in the tragedy that occurred on Monday.

As per India Today, the hoarding was recognised as the Largest Hoarding in the Limca Book of Records.

Bhindes Mulund home was searched by Mumbai police yesterday night, but he remains untraceable, according to officials cited by The Times of India.

Since he has turned off his cell phone, the police have put teams together to find him.

According to the newspaper, a senior official said Ego Media was given notice by the assistant municipal commissioner of the N-ward to remove these hoardings immediately. However, the civic authority has not heard anything from them as of yet.

Former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya has claimed to have complained about the illegal hoardings on 29 April and that the GRP was subsequently given notice to take them down.

Additionally, the 24 civic wards licences for hoardings have been threatened with cancellation by the municipal council.

I had visited the site & filed complaints with Police & BMC Authorities & demanded action against Ego Media Co on 29/4/2024.



BMC had informed Me that yesterday they issued Notice to the company



I requested CM strong action against the EGO Media Owner & Arrest him immidiately pic.twitter.com/OYYX0VVcbx  Kirit Somaiya ( Modi ka Pariwar) (@KiritSomaiya) May 13, 2024

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With inputs from PTI
A crisis narrative, like the one in Gaza, attracts and holds peoples attention because it shocks us. It represents a breach of our expectations of how life should be and what we deem acceptable. The images of children and families who have been harmed by the Gaza war tell a horrific, yet recognisable, tale. And this has motivated protesters to act to try to right the wrong and correct the breach read more

Students in the US are demanding that their universities to pull their investment from companies that are profiting from the Gaza war. AP

University campuses around the world have become the site of tiny tent cities in recent weeks, with student activists protesting the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Though the protests on Australian campuses have been largely peaceful, tensions are starting to rise. There have been allegations of hate speech and clashes between student groups in recent days. And in the US, there have been disturbing scenes of police interventions to break up similar protests nationwide.

The students, and many others, are protesting the loss of life and worsening conditions in the current Gaza conflict.

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Many Israeli hostages taken in last years assault by Hamas have yet to be returned, while the Palestinian death toll from the Israel Defence Forces response is believed to have exceeded 34,000.

Many Palestinians are also experiencing what the United Nations has termed a  full-blown famine .

The situation in Gaza is undoubtedly severe and requires urgent international attention and a peaceful resolution. Yet it is not the only armed conflict or humanitarian crisis in the world  far from it.

Why, then, has the Gaza war generated such passionate and sustained interest, particularly among young people? Why are people motivated to protest on this specific issue, but not others?

Narratives and stories mobilise activism

There are many factors that explain why people choose to protest. Personal, family or community impacts are strong motivations to become an activist. But even for those without an obvious connection to a cause, news coverage and stories shared to social media can be enough to catalyse action.

Researchers have found some stories or narratives are more effective than others at mobilising political activism . In the case of the Gaza war, I believe three factors in the narrative have helped fuel the significant protest movements we are seeing globally.

First, narratives are powerful motivators of action when they combine elements of what social movement scholars call breach and resonance.

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A crisis narrative, like the one in Gaza, attracts and holds peoples attention because it shocks us.

It represents a  breach  with our expectations of how life should be and what we deem acceptable.

A powerful narrative must also be  culturally resonant , which means it is consistent with our understanding of how the world works. That is to say, it must reflect a familiar story.

The images of children and families who have been harmed by the Gaza war tell a horrific, yet recognisable, tale. And this has motivated protesters to act to try to right the wrong, and correct the breach.

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Protecting the ideal victim

Second, protesters are often motivated to engage in collective action to defend or protect an  ideal victim .

While the term ideal victim is far from ideal, the concept itself is ever-present in awareness campaigns and protest movements, due to the power of this central figure to compel action. In academic terms, ideal victims are those seen as being innocent and powerless.

Mass graves have been reported at Gazas Al-Shifa Hospital, Nasser Hospital, and Kamel Adwan. (Photo: AFP)

Historically, campaigns on behalf of the Palestinian people have not achieved the same support or urgency that we are seeing now. In the current Gaza conflict, the military strength of the Israel Defence Forces, contrasted with the vulnerability of the civilian population in places like Rafah, highlights the ideal victim in need of protesters urgent actions.

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Of course, there are many ideal victims in conflicts and crises around the world whose stories are not catalysing collective action.

This is, in part, because their stories are not being showcased through news outlets and on social media. While the ideal victim must be recognised as powerless, they must also be able to tell their story to motivate others to act, either themselves or through their advocates. Many victims of conflict are rendered invisible by inattention.

Real time nature of war

Third, protest or collective action is often more sustained when there is a clear call to action and activists can see a role for themselves within the narrative.

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The real time nature and urgency of the Gaza war is an important motivator for action. While the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not new, the current situation has played out in front of our eyes since October, when Israelis were kidnapped and killed in the Hamas assault and the government responded with military force.

With a ground assault on Rafah seemingly now imminent, activists may be motivated by the sense this is a critical juncture in the conflict where their protest may have a real impact.

The motivation to protest also rises exponentially when other types of activism fail to bring change.

For example, when political leaders ignore petitions and representations from community groups, protest movements emerge. And when legislatures fail to act, protesters call for action from others.

In the current protests, for instance, many students are calling for their universities to divest from weapons manufacturers profiting from the conflict, or Israeli companies linked more broadly with the occupied West Bank and Gaza, as a symbolic protest.

This is part of the wider boycott, divest and sanction (or BDS) campaign , which uses political consumerism and political investorism as protest tactics.

The conflict in Gaza may seem intractable, but the divestment demand gives protesters an achievable aim with a localised target  their own universities. Protesting at this important time, with an achievable demand, allows activists to write themselves into the narrative. They can contribute something to the push for peace.

In recent days, this action has led to tangible results.

Trinity College Dublin in Ireland agreed to divest from three Israeli companies linked to settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. After the university made the announcement, students began dismantling their protest camp.

Trinity College Dublin agrees to divest from Israeli firms after student protest



Five-day encampment in university grounds that caused the college major loss of income ended in victory for campaignershttps://t.co/fMREVHsg9s  William Dalrymple (@DalrympleWill) May 9, 2024

Protest is not always about achieving specific demands , though.

Protests also have significant symbolic value in raising awareness and bringing others to the cause.

Whether student protesters are motivated by powerful stories, a need to protect victims or the chance to have an impact, they exemplify a wider narrative message that protesting for peace is a worthwhile pursuit.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article .
The Delhi Police on Monday said that they had received a PCR call from Maliwal, alleging that she was assaulted by Kejriwals former personal assistant Bibhav Kumar at the chief ministers residence in Civil Lines read more

Delhi Police on Monday said that they had received a PCR call from Maliwal, alleging that she was assaulted by Kumar at the chief minister's residence in Civil Lines. PTI

In its first reaction since yesterday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday admitted that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals former personal assistant Bibhav Kumar misbehaved with Swati Maliwal, a Rajya Sabha MP and the former chief of Delhi Commission for Women (DCW).

During a press conference, AAP leader Sanjay Singh said, Yesterday, a condemnable incident took place. Swati Maliwal had gone to Arvind Kejriwals residence to meet him. While she was waiting for him in the drawing room, Vaibhav Kumar allegedly misbehaved with her. The CM has taken cognisance of the matter, and he will take appropriate action.

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VIDEO | "Yesterday, a condemnable incident took place. Swati Maliwal had gone to Arvind Kejriwal's residence to meet him. While she was waiting for him in the drawing room, Vaibhav Kumar allegedly misbehaved with her. The CM has taken cognisance of the matter, and he will take pic.twitter.com/8VlqkwdKCK  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 14, 2024

The Delhi Police on Monday said that they had received a PCR call from Maliwal, alleging that she was assaulted by Kumar at the chief ministers residence in Civil Lines.

A copy of the police entry shows that the caller said that the chief minister instructed Kumar to hit her.

We received a PCR call at 9:34 AM wherein the caller said that she has been assaulted inside the CM residence. Accordingly, local police & SHO responded to the call. After some time, MP Swati Maliwal came to the police station civil lines. No complaint was given by her. In this matter, no complaint has been received till now, DCP (North) Manoj Meena had said.

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What happened with Maliwal?

Maliwal reached the chief ministers house at 9:10 am as she wanted to meet Kejriwal but was denied by his personal staff

The Rajya Sabha MP reportedly made the call to the PCR at 9:31 am. The call was transferred to the North control room at 9:34 and an entry was made at 9:39 am

The Station House Officer (SHO) reached the chief ministers residence in Civil Lines after receiving the call and convinced Maliwal to come to the police station
The Enforcement Directorate is looking into the money laundering aspect of the alleged scheme, and the action comes only days after the Supreme Court granted Kejriwal interim bail to campaign in the Lok Sabha elections read more

The Enforcement Directorate has notified the Delhi High Court that the Aam Aadmi Party will be named as an accused in the alleged liquor policy scam, which has resulted in the imprisonment of three of the partys prominent figures, including the chief minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal. This will be the first legal proceeding in which a political party is named as an accused party.

The statement was made by the ED in opposition to former deputy chief minister of Delhi Manish Sisodias bail request in the money laundering case.

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The EDs counsel said that AAP was going to be made a co-accused in the next prosecution complaint (charge sheet) before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, who is hearing arguments on Sisodias bail plea.

The counsel for the ED further stated that the accused are making strenuous efforts to postpone the process of filing charges in the case.

While requesting bail, Sisodias attorney stated that the ED and CBI are continuing to arrest people in the money laundering and corruption case and that the trial will not be concluded quickly.

The Enforcement Directorate is looking into the money laundering aspect of the alleged scheme, and the action comes only days after the Supreme Court granted Kejriwal interim bail to campaign in the Lok Sabha elections.

As far as the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) is concerned, your whole case is that the benefits went to a political party. That political party is still not made an accused or Impleaded. How do you answer that? The political party is the beneficiary according to you, the bench asked.

With inputs from agencies
The premises of the Delhi hospitals, which received bomb threat emails, are being searched by bomb and sniffer dogs squad. Fire engines are also sent to these facilities read more

At least four hospitals in the national capital Delhi received bomb threats via email on Tuesday (May 14). Searches were carried out in these hospitals after the threat led to panic in these healthcare facilities.

Tuesdays bomb threat at hospitals comes two days after Delhis Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport and more than half a dozen government hospitals in the city received bomb threats through email.

Delhi bomb threat: Which 4 hospitals received email?

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Delhi Fire Service (DFS) chief Atul Garg said the fire department received calls regarding bomb threats from four hospitals:

1 - Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital in Ashok Vihar at 10:45 am

2 - Shri Dada Dev Hospital in Dabri at 10:55 am

3 - Hedgewar Hospital in Farsh Bazaar at 11:01 am

4 - GTB Hospital at 11:12 am

The premises of the hospitals are being searched by bomb and sniffer dogs squad. Fire engines are also sent to these facilities.

The bomb threat to hospitals on Tuesday also comes within days after nearly 100 schools in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), on May 1, received hoax bomb emails, triggering panic among students, parents and administrations.

The bomb threats to schools were received from a Russia-based mailing service, meanwhile, Sundays threats to hospitals and two other installations were received from a Europe-based mailing service company beeble.com, officials said.

A police officer said the e-mail was sent to one hospital with copies marked to others with the same content, an officer said. The officer said it was generated from sender id courtgroup03@beeble.com, which is being verified and cyber officials are trying to locate the IP address.

The bomb threat emails in schools, hospitals and other facilities in Delhi-NCR are being sent at a time when the national capital is gearing up for the Lok Sabha polls 2024 that will be held on May 25.

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With inputs from agencies
The bomb threat email received by Tihar Jail authorities was similar to the warnings sent to four Delhi hospitals on Tuesday morning and schools, IGI airport earlier this month read more

File photo of one of the gates of Delhi's Tihar Jail. Source: REUTERS.

Delhis Tihar Jail on Tuesday received a bomb threat email and soon extensive searches were initiated inside the prison that has high-profile inmates, including some key politicians.

The bomb threat email received by Tihar Jail authorities was similar to the warnings sent to hospitals on Tuesday morning and schools, Delhis Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport earlier this month.

The Tihar Jail administration alerted the Delhi Police soon after it received the bomb threat.

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Some of the political leaders imprisoned in Tihar Jail include Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) leader K Kavitha who are in custody for their alleged role in money laundering case.

Last Friday (May 10), Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor, who was also imprisoned in Tihar Jail, was granted interim bail till June 1.

Conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar, accused of cheating and extortion, is also currently lodged in Tihar Jail.

On Tuesday morning, four hospitals in the national capital received bomb threat emails. These hospitals were Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital in Ashok Vihar, Shri Dada Dev Hospital in Dabri, Hedgewar Hospital in Farsh Bazaar, and GTB Hospital.

Also Read: 4 Delhi hospitals receive bomb threat emails, police trace sender

On Sunday, IGI airport and more than half a dozen government hospitals in Delhi received bomb threats through email.

On May 1, nearly 100 schools in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) received hoax bomb emails, triggering panic among students, parents and administrations.

The bomb threats to schools were received from a Russia-based mailing service, meanwhile, Sundays threats to hospitals and two other installations were received from a Europe-based mailing service company beeble.com, officials said.

With inputs from agencies
In its second report on MCC enforcement since the announcement of the Lok Sabha election, the Election Commission highlighted the importance of leaders correcting their campaign rhetoric to prevent lasting damage to the nations social cohesion read more

The Election Commission issued a statement Tuesday calling on top political leaders to set an exemplary standard for campaign discourse, amid accusations from the Trinamool Congress of bias towards the ruling BJP and transforming the Model Code of Conduct into what they termed the Modi Code of Conduct.

Addressing concerns, the EC defended its decision to route MCC violation notices through party chiefs rather than directly to Prime Minister Modi and Rahul Gandhi.

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In its second report on MCC enforcement since the announcement of the Lok Sabha election, the Election Commission highlighted the importance of leaders correcting their campaign rhetoric to prevent lasting damage to the nations social cohesion.

While asserting that 90% of complaints related to MCC violations had been resolved, the Commission acknowledged pending complaints between the Congress and the BJP regarding divisive statements.

The EC noted that campaign activities across constituencies had largely remained peaceful and devoid of inducement, praising the festive spirit observed during voting, particularly in regions like Manipur, Tripura, West Bengal, and Jammu and Kashmir.

Regarding its altered approach to addressing violations, the Election Commission explained its decision to hold party presidents accountable for the conduct of their star campaigners. Previously, individual leaders received notices for violations, but the EC now urges party leadership to rein in their campaigners to uphold the MCC.

However, opposition parties, including the Trinamool Congress, expressed dissatisfaction with the ECs actions, accusing it of favoritism towards the BJP.

The Trinamool outlined instances of alleged violations by the BJP, criticising the ECs continued leniency towards Prime Minister Modi. They insisted on stricter enforcement of the MCC and prompt action on complaints to ensure fair elections.
The unseasonal rain and dust storms led to the suspension of flight operations at Mumbai airport for an hour in the evening due to low visibility, services of local trains were delayed while traffic snarls were seen in several areas read more

Firefighters stand next to the damaged vehicles trapped in the debris after a massive billboard fell during a rainstorm in Mumbai, India. Reuters

Heavy rains accompanied by strong winds ripped through Mumbai, the financial capital of India, on Monday, killing at least eight people, uprooting trees and causing power outages in many parts of the city, officials said.

Rescue workers from national disaster force and local police officers were called in to help free dozens of people trapped in the rubble after a billboard collapsed, in the eastern suburb of Ghatkopar.

14 people were killed and at least 60 injured after a billboard collapsed during a fierce storm in Indias financial capital Mumbai, officials said Monday.

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An excavator was digging through the wreckage as rescuers raced to find any survivors after the signage collapsed at a petrol station in the citys east, trapping dozens of people underneath.

The collapsed billboard measured 70 by 50 metres, according to a post on social media platform X by Mumbais police force.

Devendra Fadnavis, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra state, said the injured were being treated at Rajawadi Hospital.

A high-level inquiry has been ordered into the incident, Fadnavis said in a post on X.

In Bandra, a branch of a tree fell on a shop, trapping two persons. Of them, a 38-year-old died while another person was seriously injured, a civic official said.

In Wadala, an under-construction metal parking tower collapsed on a road amid gusty winds, injuring three persons and damaging vehicles.

Of the total injured persons, 56 were admitted to Rajawadi Hospital and others at three separate hospitals.

The unseasonal rain and dust storms led to the suspension of flight operations at Mumbai airport for an hour in the evening due to low visibility, services of local trains were delayed while traffic snarls were seen in several areas.

As many as 15 flights were diverted to different airports and the runways operation resumed at 5.03 pm, the airport operator said.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the spot of the hoarding collapse incident in Ghatkopar late in the evening and ordered a structural audit of all hoardings in Mumbai city.

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The hoardings, if found illegal and dangerous, would be removed immediately, he said.

It is a very unfortunate incident. The government will probe it, and the people responsible will face action. I have also asked the BMC commissioner to conduct a structural audit of all the hoardings in the city. Those found illegal and dangerous will be removed, Shinde told reporters.

He announced aid of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of each person killed in the hoarding collapse.

A Mumbai civic body official said 4 persons were declared as brought dead at Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar and 61 others are undergoing treatment. Three others are being treated at the civic-run HBT hospital, four at Vikhrolis Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Hospital and one at Kalwas Prakruti Hospital.

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A senior civic official said an NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) team reached the spot where the hoarding collapsed and a search and rescue operation is underway.

Machinery including cranes for lifting the hoarding and gas cutters arrived at the spot, the official said.

Speaking to media persons after visiting the disaster control room at the civic headquarters, Mumbai Municipal Corporation commissioner Bhushan Gagrani said the hoarding was illegal as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had not given permission (for erecting it).

It was an illegal hoarding. The location where the incident occurred has four hoardings set up on the railway land and one of them has collapsed.

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He said the civic body would issue a notice for immediate removal of the hoarding and lodge a criminal complaint against the landholding authority and the owner of the billboard.

The Railways has permitted to erect the hoarding, Gagrani claimed.

According to BMC officials, the hoarding measuring 120 x 120 feet crashed on the petrol pump at around 4:30 pm.

An official said the civic body doesnt permit any hoarding measuring above 40 x 40 feet.

He said the Mumbai civic body lodged an FIR on May 19, 2023, in connection with the poisoning of eight trees at the location near Chheda Nagar junction to increase the visibility of the concerned hoarding.

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We had repeatedly raised the issue for action, he claimed and added that the Licence Department of the BMC had also issued a notice.

A police official said out of the three persons injured in the metal tower collapse incident at Pooja Junction in Wadala, one was admitted to a private hospital and two others in the civic-run Sion Hospital.

The collapsed metal structure is being removed with gas cutters and it will take time, he said, adding an inquiry is being conducted and appropriate legal action will be taken.

A total of 187 incidents of tree or branch fall were reported in Mumbai and suburbs, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said. Of these, 16 incidents occurred in the island city, 104 in the eastern suburbs and 67 in the western suburbs.

One person was injured when the iron gate of a housing society collapsed, while a person practising on a yacht in the sea sustained a minor injury due to gusty winds.

Local train services on the Central Railway were suspended for more than two hours after the overhead equipment got damaged between two stations due to the storm and rains, inconveniencing passengers in the evening rush hour. Western Railway services were also delayed by at least 15-20 minutes.

Several parts of Mumbai witnessed heavy traffic snarls due to incidents of trees falling and rain. BEST buses were diverted at some locations due to rains and trees falling.

With inputs from agencies
Highlighting the need for a stronger democracy with a more formidable opposition, PM Modi welcomed Sharad Pawars suggestion to consolidate smaller parties into a unified opposition force. He expressed concern that the current opposition might not secure enough seats in the ongoing election to be recognised as a legitimate opposition read more

Prime Minister Modi (centre) along with his HM Amit Shah, UP CM Yogi Adityanath and other BJP leaders snapped on his way to collectorate to file his nomination in Varanasi. May,15, 2024. Photo Courtesy: Network18

In an exclusive interview with Network 18, Prime Minister Modi criticised the Congress and other opposition parties for their perceived inability to fulfill their role effectively in Parliament.

Prime Minister Modi, after offering prayers at the Dashashwamedh Ghat and the Kaal Bhairav temple, filed his nomination from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat on Tuesday.

When questioned about his partys ambition to win all seats, leaving none for the opposition, PM Modi highlighted the importance of a robust opposition in a democracy.

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PM said, I want to see a stronger opposition and I am working hard for that. But, stronger opposition doesnt mean they will create ruckus in the parliament, obstruct its functioning by doing undemocratic activities.

It is very unfortunate for our country that these people have failed even in fulfilling their responsibilities effectively as opposition, he said.

They do not have a single work that they can claim they have done while being in the parliament from past ten years, even as opposition, PM added.

Then he said, How can they succeed in governance when they are failing as opposition?

Highlighting the need for a stronger democracy with a more formidable opposition, PM Modi welcomed Sharad Pawars suggestion to consolidate smaller parties into a unified opposition force. He expressed concern that the current opposition might not secure enough seats in the ongoing election to be recognised as a legitimate opposition.

Changed Parliamentary rules to benefit opposition

Next, Modi said he even made a change in rules of the parliamentary committee to make the opposition leader sit in the committee meetings where important decisions are taken.

Since there was no leader of opposition, I made the change in the rules to make the leader of the biggest party in the opposition to sit in those committees, he said underscoring his commitment towards democracy.

Accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, PM Modi submitted his nomination papers at the collectorate on Tuesday, setting the stage for a closely-watched electoral battle in Varanasi.

The constituency will witness a contest between PM Modi, Congress Ajay Rai, BSPs Athar Jamal Lari, and independent candidate Shyam Rangeela, known for his mimcry of PM Modi.

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Varanasi will go to polls on June 1, during the last phase of elections.
India voted in favour of a draft UN General Assembly resolution last week that said Palestine is qualified and should be admitted as a full member of the United Nations and recommended that the Security Council reconsider" the matter favourably. read more

India has underscored its support for Palestines full membership at the UN while asserting that only a two-state solution, achieved through direct and meaningful negotiations, will deliver an enduring peace in the volatile region.

India voted in favour of a draft UN General Assembly resolution last week that said Palestine is qualified and should be admitted as a full member of the United Nations and recommended that the Security Council reconsider" the matter favourably.

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In keeping with our longstanding position, we support the membership of Palestine at the UN and, therefore, we have voted in favour of this Resolution, Indias Permanent Representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj, told the UN General Assembly on Monday.

We hope that Palestines application would be reconsidered by the Security Council in due course and that Palestines endeavour to become a member of the UN will get endorsed, she said. The 193-member General Assembly had met Friday for an emergency special session where the Arab Group resolution Admission of new Members to the United Nations, in support of the State of Palestines full membership in the UN, was presented by the United Arab Emirates, as Chair of the Arab Group in May.

The resolution got 143 votes in favour, including by India, nine against and 25 abstentions. The UNGA hall broke into applause after the vote was cast. The resolution determined that the State of Palestine is qualified for membership in the United Nations in accordance with Article 4 of the Charter of the United Nations and should, therefore, be admitted to membership in the United Nations.

It recommended that the Security Council reconsider the matter favourably in the light of this determination. Currently, Palestine is a non-member observer state at the UN, a status granted to it by the General Assembly in 2012. This status allows Palestine to participate in proceedings of the world body but it cannot vote on resolutions.

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Kamboj stressed that Indias leadership has repeatedly emphasised that only a two-state solution, achieved through direct and meaningful negotiations between both sides on final status issues, will deliver an enduring peace.

India is committed to supporting a two-state solution where the Palestinian people are able to live freely in an independent country within secure borders, with due regard to the security needs of Israel. To arrive at a lasting solution, we urge all parties to foster conditions conducive to resuming direct peace negotiations at an early date, she said.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that between October 7 last year and May 12, at least 35,091 Palestinians have been killed and 78,827 injured in Gaza. Over 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed in Israel, the vast majority on October 7, when Hamas attacked Israel. Kamboj said that the conflict in Gaza has been going on for over seven months and the humanitarian crisis it has triggered has been increasing.

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There is also the potential for growing instability in the region and beyond, she said. She said the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has led to a large-scale loss of civilian lives, especially women and children.

We have strongly condemned the deaths of civilians in the conflict, she said, adding that the terror attacks in Israel on October 7 were shocking and they deserve unequivocal condemnation from the international community. There can be no justification for terrorism and hostage taking. India has a longstanding and uncompromising position against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and we demand the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, she said.

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Emphasising that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire, Kamboj said humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza must be scaled up immediately in order to avert a further deterioration in the situation. Noting the recent facilitation of a greater flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza by the Israeli authorities, Kamboj said India has provided humanitarian aid to the people of Palestine and will continue to do so.

India was the first non-Arab State to recognise the Palestine Liberation Organisation as the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people in 1974. India was also one of the first countries to recognise the State of Palestine in 1988 and in 1996, Delhi opened its Representative Office to the Palestine Authority in Gaza, which was later shifted to Ramallah in 2003.

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In April this year, Palestine sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, requesting that its application for full UN membership be considered again. For a State to be granted full UN membership, its application must be approved both by the Security Council and the General Assembly, where a two-third majority of the members present and voting is required for the State to be admitted as a full member.

Last month, the US had vetoed a resolution in the Security Council on the Palestinian bid to be granted full membership of the United Nations. The 15-nation Council had voted on a draft resolution that would have recommended to the 193-member UN General Assembly that the State of Palestine be admitted to membership in the United Nations. The resolution got 12 votes in its favour, with Switzerland and the UK abstaining and the US casting its veto.
In an exclusive interview with Network18, PM Modi said that the fact that he is not attached to any family should not be offence but should be taken pride of read more

My country is my family and I live for the people of India, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi hours after he filed his nomination papers from the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency on Tuesday.

In an exclusive interview with Network18, PM Modi asked the Opposition when they would come out of their families and quit dynastic politics.

The Opposition has time and again raised questions over the prime ministers family. In March, RJDs leader Lalu Prasad Yadav took a dig at Modi, saying that the leader has no family. Following Yadavs direct jibe, NDA leaders declared themselves as Modis family and began suffixing Modi ka Parivaar with their X account names.

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The question should be asked to them: You have set out for the country, when will you come out of the family? Congress whole campaign this election season was a family campaign despite being a part of the INDI Alliance. Be it Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh or Jammu and Kashmir, the party is running a family campaign, PM Modi said.

The prime minister said that the fact that he is not attached to any family should not be offence but should be taken pride of. I am a person who does not live for his family and I am a person who considers his country his family. When someone raises questions over this, I often think what their intentions are, PM Modi said.

Targeting the Opposition, especially Congress over dynastic politics, PM Modi said that they are contesting the elections not for the nation but to strengthen their families and vote banks.

The Varanasi constituency will go to polls on June 1 during the last phase of Lok Sabha elections.

The constituency will witness a closely-watched contest between BJPs PM Modi, Congress Ajay Rai and Bahujan Samajwadi Partys Athar Jamal Lari. Notably, Shyam Rangeela, the comedian-turned-politician who is widely known for his impersonation of PM Modi, will also run up against the prime minister as an independent candidate.
Varanasi is one of the 80 constituencies of Uttar Pradesh. A stronghold of BJP, the city will go to polls on June 1 during the seventh phase of Lok Sabha elections read more

The temple town of Varanasi is all decked-up to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will file his nomination from the constituency on Tuesday.

Eyeing a third term in the city that runs along the River Ganga, PM Modi is expected to file his nomination at the district collectors office at 11:40 am.

Ahead of filing his nomination papers, the prime minister shared a video depicting his relationship with Kashi (another name for Varanasi) on X.

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Ma Ganga has adopted me

In the video, PM Modi can be heard saying, When I came to Varanasi in 2014 I felt that neither have I come here before nor anyone has sent me here but that Ma Ganga has called me. Today, after 10 years, I can say that Ma Ganga has adopted me.

      ,                   ! pic.twitter.com/yciriVnWV9  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 14, 2024

In the past 10 years, I have grown so close to Kashi that now I call it My Kashi. It is a democracy, and I will continue to seek the blessings of the people. However, my relationship with Kashi is something different, he added.

The rest of the video shows clips from PM Modis journey as an MP from the Varanasi constituency and the developments undertaken by the Bharatiya Janata Party in the holy state.

PM Modi offers prayer at Dasaswamedh Ghat

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On Tuesday, just hours ahead of filing his nomination, PM Modi offered prayers at the Dasaswamedh Ghat in Varanasi.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers prayers at Dasaswamedh Ghat in Varanasi



PM Narendra Modi will file his nomination for #LokSabhaElections2024 from Varanasi today. pic.twitter.com/cInaDFQzQ6  ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2024

PM Modi will be accompanied by chief ministers of various states including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh as well as Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during his nomination event.

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All you need to know about the Varanasi constituency

Varanasi is one of the 80 constituencies of Uttar Pradesh. A stronghold of BJP, the city will go to polls on June 1 during the seventh phase of Lok Sabha elections.

The constituency will witness a closely-watched contest between BJPs PM Modi, Congress Ajay Rai and Bahujan Samajwadi Partys Athar Jamal Lari. Notably, Shyam Rangeela, the comedian-turned-politician who is widely known for his impersonation of PM Modi, will also run up against the prime minister as an independent candidate.

The Varanasi constituency comprises five assembly segments: Rohaniya, Varanasi North, Varanasi South, Varanasi Cantt, and Sevapuri.

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In the previous elections, PM Modi won a landslide victory in the city, garnering 674,664 votes with a margin of 479,505.
In an exclusive interview with Network 18, PM Modi said I neither said Hindu nor Muslim I will not be able to be in the public domain the day I start doing politics of a Hindu or Muslim. I see everyone equally. read more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi clarified his remarks that Congress will distribute the countrys wealth between those who have more children, saying that he did not only talk about Muslims but talked about every poor family.'

In an exclusive interview with Network 18, PM Modi said I neither said Hindu nor Muslim I will not be able to be in the public domain the day I start doing politics of a Hindu or Muslim. I see everyone equally."

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Replying to the question of why has he not been successful in breaking the perception that he is not against Muslims, PM Modi said, This is not a question of a Muslim. After 2002, my image was tarnished.

In my house, there are all Muslim families around me. Eid was also celebrated in our house, there were other festivals in our house. Food was not cooked in our house on the day of Eid. Food used to come to my place from all the Muslim families. When Muharram started, we needed to come out from under the Tajiya, we were taught. I grew up in that world. Even today many of my friends are Muslims, he said.

Last month while addressing a rally in Rajasthans Banswara, PM Modi cited the Congress manifesto, saying that if the Congress came to power, it would redistribute the wealth of people to Muslims. He also cited former PM Manmohan Singhs remark that the minority community had the first claim on the countrys resources.

PM Modi said that he does not market love toward Muslims, and the day Hindu Muslims start doing so, he will not be able to live in the public domain. If people were allotted a house, it would go to anyone irrespective of religion, he said.

I do not work for a vote bank. I believe in Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, he added.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi filed his nomination from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat after offering prayers at the Dashashwamedh Ghat and the Kaal Bhairav temple. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was among the leaders present at the collectorate when Modi filed his papers on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the necessity of a robust Opposition, lamenting its absence over the past decade, during his conversation with Network18 aboard a boat on the Ganga river on Tuesday.

I want the Opposition to be strong. I am working on that. But a stronger Opposition should not mean that they dont allow the House to function, create a ruckus, and start working in an undemocratic manner. It is unfortunate for the country that these people have completely failed in their roles as the Opposition in the last 10 years. They dont have anything to showcase that they accomplished by being in the Opposition. The people who have failed as the Opposition, how can they succeed in power? There is a serious need for a strong democracy in India as well as a strong Opposition, Prime Minister Modi said.

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Therefore, I welcome (NCP supremo) Sharad Pawars suggestion that all small parties should be merged with the Congress. Whether they want to merge with Congress or somewhere else, thats not my concern. However, what I figured out is that if they are merged during this election, they are apprehensive that the Honourable Opposition wont be possible still because they might not get the requisite number of seats, said the prime minister.

Considering the circumstances, Prime Minister Modi attempted to ease the situation for the Opposition, allowing them to have a voice in significant matters.

You will be surprised to know that I brought some changes to the law. We have many committees where the Leader of the Opposition can participate. These committees usually make very important decisions. So, I initiated a change of law and facilitated the leader of the largest party to be allowed to participate in those committees as there has been no Leader of the Opposition since 2014, Prime Minister Modi said.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi filed his nomination for the ongoing Lok Sabha election from the Varanasi constituency at an event attended by several NDA leaders, including Union ministers and chief ministers, in a show of strength as he seeks a third term from the same seat.

Before reaching the district collectorate, the prime minister performed an aarti on the banks of the Ganga at the Dashashwamedh ghat and prayers at the citys Kaal Bhairav temple.

Immediately after filing his papers, the prime minister headed for the Rudraksha Convention Centre to address local party leaders and workers.

A local spokesperson of the BJP said Modi gave the partys office bearers the mantra of victory and asked them to make people aware of his governments schemes. A PTI report said that Modi also told them to ensure that every booth records at least 370 more votes than it did in the last general election, in celebration of the abrogation of Article 370.

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After filing his nomination, Prime Minister Modi posted on X, Filed my nomination papers as a candidate for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat. It is an honour to serve the people of this historic seat. With the blessings of the people, there have been remarkable achievements over the last decade. This pace of work will get even faster in the times to come.

I am honoured by the presence of our valued NDA allies in Kashi today. Our alliance represents a commitment to national progress and fulfilling regional aspirations. We will work together for the progress of India in the years to come, he said.

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In a separate post in Hindi, the prime minister said, Heartfelt gratitude to my family members in Kashi The love and blessings I have received from all of you in the last 10 years have inspired me to work with full determination. With your support and participation, I will continue to work with new energy for the all-round development of this place and the welfare of the people in my third term as well. Jai Baba Vishwanath!

BJP president JP Nadda and Union ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Hardeep Singh Puri, Anupriya Patel and Ramdas Athawale were among the leaders who flanked Modi as he emerged from the collectorate after filing his papers.

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad Sangma, NCP leader Praful Patel, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan, Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular founder Jitan Ram Manjhi and Rashtriya Lok Morcha chief Upendra Kushwaha were present at the collectorate among others.
Until Pakistan renounces its support for terrorism and commits to genuine dialogue and cooperation, the cycle of violence and instability in Kashmir will continue unabated read more

The high voter turnout symbolises a wave of change in the valley and the direction the people of Kashmir are choosing for themselves and their younger generations. Image: PTI

When one dares to traverse the history of terrorism in Kashmir, its a journey through a landscape marred by tragedy, where every step echoes with the anguished cries of the innocent. Its a tale etched in blood  the blood of countless Kashmiri civilians, whose lives were snatched away in the crossfire of conflict; the blood of Kashmiri Pandits, who were forced from their homes in a brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing, still yearning for justice and return; and the blood of valiant military personnel, who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nations borders.

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The elements responsible for this condition of Kashmir left no stone unturned in trying to foment discord in the Valley, preying on younger generations like vultures for their own religious diktats and political ambitions. They say pen is mightier than the sword; however, the demagogues claiming to fight for the Kashmiri azaadi were actively using both.

When we imagine the history of terrorism in Kashmir, our minds often conjure images of terror-related activities  a narrative dominated by gun battles, curfews, and military operations. Yet, amidst the clamor of gunfire and the roar of explosions, there exists another, more insidious form of insurgency  one that wields pens instead of rifles, and spreads propaganda instead of bullets.

This faction comprises activists, writers, and ideologues that operate not on the battlefield, but in the realm of ideas and information. They are the architects of a different kind of warfare, one fought not with guns and grenades, but with words and narratives. Through newspapers, social media platforms, and public speeches, they propagate a toxic ideology that demonises the Indian state, glorifies violence, and foments division within Kashmiri society.

One heinous example that immediately comes to mind is Hassan Zainagirees writings in the daily Greater Kashmir. On February 15, 2008, the pages of Greater Kashmir bore witness to an egregious betrayal of journalistic integrity and moral decency. Zainagiree, a terror ideologue masquerading as a writer, penned a venomous article, No Compulsion from UJC, spewing forth a torrent of propaganda in support of terrorism under the guise of armed resistance."

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In this despicable piece, Zainagiree shamelessly equated the heinous acts of terrorism with legitimate resistance, shamelessly justifying violence and bloodshed in the name of so-called liberation. He had the audacity to paint the actions of terror outfits as appreciable, accusing New Delhi of coercing unwilling Kashmiri masses into participating in elections for its own selfish interests. This twisted narrative not only distorted the truth but also insulted the intelligence of the readership.

What is truly mind-boggling is not just the fact that Zainagiree was given a platform by Greater Kashmir, but the utter audacity with which he openly supported terror groups and their nefarious agendas. By providing him with a space to spew his toxic rhetoric, Greater Kashmir became complicit in perpetuating the cycle of violence and instability that has plagued the region for far too long.

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Zainagiree went even further, attempting to whitewash the atrocities committed by Pakistani-sponsored terrorists, shamelessly portraying them as champions of human rights. He even asserted that Pakistani-sponsored terrorists exhibit greater concern for human rights than the Indian State. On one hand he was lecturing India on being a signatory to this Geneva Convention or that UN charter while on the other; he was all praise for the non-violent, pro-people approach of the United Jihad Council (UJC).

Lets take a closer look at the non-violent, pro-people approach of the United Jihad Council (UJC). The United Jihad Council (UJC), also known as the Muttahida Jihad Council (MJC), is an Islamist Jihadist organization formed by the Pakistan Army to coordinate and oversee the activities of various anti-Indian militant groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir. It was established in the summer of 1994 and is currently headed by Syed Salahuddin, the leader of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen. The organizations primary objective is to unify and streamline efforts against Indian rule in Kashmir, facilitating the distribution of resources such as arms, ammunition, propaganda materials, and communication channels among its affiliates. The UJC has 13 affiliate groups, including Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Harakat-ul-Ansar, and Tehrik-ul-Mujahideen, among others. Some of these groups, including Lashkar-e-Toiba and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, are recognized as terrorist organizations by the United States and the United Nations. In a 2012 interview, Syed Salahuddin openly acknowledged Pakistans support for Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and threatened to turn against Pakistan if it withdrew its backing for separatist militants in Jammu and Kashmir. Additionally, the UJC claimed responsibility for the 2016 Pathankot attack on the Pathankot Air Base, resulting in casualties on both sides.

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Just one week after writing this gem of an article, Zainagiree wrote another masterpiece. On February 22, 2008, the Greater Kashmir published an article authored by Zainagiree, Time to Act," further cementing his status as a terror ideologue.

In this latest diatribe, Zainagiree shamelessly advocated for Jamaat-e-Islami to intensify its efforts in spearheading door-to-door campaigns for election boycotts, echoing the tactics employed by factions of Hurriyat (G), (M), and JKLF. With unbridled zeal, he insisted that secessionist organizations must consolidate their efforts and adopt a singular, unwavering strategy to achieve their nefarious goals. His writings also had a menacing and threatening undertone for those not convinced of the tactics employed by his favorite terror organisations. Therefore, Fayaz Kaloo, the founder, editor, and owner of Greater Kashmir, played a pivotal role in sabotaging democracy from within. For three decades, he provided a platform to terror outfits, perpetuating their agenda through his newspaper up until the Abrogation of Article 370.

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Things are still far from perfect even today but it is truly baffling to see the audacity of a terror sympathizer openly writing in a leading daily merely a decade and a half ago.

Fast forward to 2024, the Greater Kashmir is reporting on the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat witnessing second highest voter participation in over three decades. It is rejoicing at India signing a historic contract with Iran, solidifying a pivotal agreement to oversee operations at the Chabahar port for the next decade. It is reporting on the phenomenal class 10th and class 12th board results in the valley and it is also questioning the growing turmoil in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as well.

From giving space to terror sympathizers to celebrating the high voter turnout, the Greater Kashmir has come a long way, further symbolizing the wave of change in the valley and the direction the people of Kashmir are choosing for themselves and their younger generations.

In the convoluted narrative surrounding the Kashmir issue, several writers, activists, and journalists have played a fundamental role in exacerbating tensions and perpetuating conflict. One notable example of anti-India misinformation warfare is Arfa Khanum Sherwani. She asserted that 99 per cent shops across the state were closed on the polling date, suggesting widespread disapproval among the populace. Countering disinformation debunked this assertion, clarifying that the claim is misleading. The J&K administration had announced a public holiday on polling dates in the UTs five parliamentary constituencies. Whether knowingly or unknowingly, these elements serve as willing pawns in the hands of the Pakistan Deep State, advancing its agenda of destabilization and violence in the region.

Its essential to recognise that in the ongoing clash between India and Pakistan over Kashmir, both parties are not equally culpable. Pakistan, driven by its nefarious ambitions and supported by its military establishment, has shamelessly wielded terrorism as a tool of statecraft, brazenly sponsoring and harboring militant groups to wage proxy wars against India. This deliberate strategy has inflicted untold suffering on the Kashmiri people and hindered any prospects for peace and stability in the region. Despite facing incessant provocations and terrorist attacks orchestrated by Pakistan-backed outfits, India has remained steadfast in its commitment to peace, refusing to engage in any meaningful dialogue until Pakistan ceases its support for terrorism.

Those who advocate for dialogue and reconciliation without holding Pakistan accountable for its role in fomenting violence are effectively peddling the agenda of foreign powers, such as the ISI, who seek to maintain instability in the region for their own geopolitical interests. By equating India and Pakistan as equally responsible parties in the Kashmir conflict, they perpetuate a false narrative that obscures the truth and undermines efforts towards genuine peace and resolution.

Until Pakistan renounces its support for terrorism and commits to genuine dialogue and cooperation, the cycle of violence and instability in Kashmir will continue unabated. And anyone who suggests otherwise is complicit in prolonging the suffering of the Kashmiri people and obstructing the path to peace.

The writer takes special interest in history, culture and geopolitics. The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
Foreign soldiers being deployed on Ukrainian frontlines can upset the equilibrium and precipitate tensions regarding a wider conflict that will have reaching global implications read more

Theres no immediate need for Western troops to take on combat roles by deploying boots on the ground as the implications are manifold and can result in a wider conflict. Image: REUTERS

There are reports that France has sent its first troops officially to Ukraine, with soldiers drawn from Frances 3rd Infantry Regiment, which is one of the main elements of Frances Foreign Legion (Legion etrangere), being deployed in support of the Ukrainian 54th Independent Mechanised Brigade in Slavyansk, as per the Russian news service Sputnik, reported by Stephen Bryan in the Asia Times.

However, there is another Russian report that claims the Ukrainian Brigade receiving these reinforcements is not the 54th but the 7th Mechanised Brigade.

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The initial group of French troops is reported to number around 100 out of around 1,500 French Foreign Legion soldiers scheduled to be deployed in Ukraine. Deploying these troops directly in the active combat area is probably intended to help the Ukrainians resist Russian advances in Donbas. The first 100 legionnaires are believed to be artillery and surveillance specialists.

On May 3, TASS quoted Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who said, New information is emerging about the preparation by Paris of a military contingent to be sent to Ukraine. To this end, the command of the French Foreign Legion in early March approved the makeup of a battalion tactical group of about 1,500 people. It is expected that in April the group will be brought to full combat readiness for an operational deployment to the Ukrainian theatre of military operations.

However, on May 6, France denied sending troops to Ukraine, dismissing ongoing Russian reports as a disinformation campaign. NO, France did not send troops to Ukraine, the Foreign Ministry said in a post on X, replying to recent reports about the deployment of the French Foreign Legion to Ukraine.

French Foreign Legion

The French Foreign Legion was founded in 1831 and is still in service. The Legion today is run by French officers, but the rank and file are generally foreigners. Under the current anonymity rule, a volunteer who joins the Legion can decide whether to keep his given name or adopt a new one. Legionnaires serve for five-year terms, after which they can ask for French citizenship. If a legionnaire is wounded, he is entitled to gain French citizenship without any waiting period.

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It isnt clear how the legionnaires can help the Ukrainians, apart from boosting their morale. Ukraine has access to sophisticated intelligence support, both through their own drones and also through US and other NATO intelligence and surveillance assets, including satellites.

As far as artillery is concerned, gunners are not the problem, but the main issue is the availability of 155 mm ammunition, as Ukraine continues to complain it lacks adequate supplies.

Incidentally, soon after the invasion, Ukraine raised the International Legion of Territorial Defence of Ukraine (also known as the Ukrainian International Legion or Ukrainian Foreign Legion), drawing thousands of sympathetic volunteers largely from the West and post-Soviet states. The International Legion has been deployed across the front lines and in some of the wars toughest battles. It consists of a mixture of idealists, retired military personnel, and mercenaries. Some of them have earned social media fame for their dispatches from the war zone.

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Unconfirmed reports state that there are 20,000 foreigners from over 50 nationalities as part of the International Legion. Following concerns over troop shortages, in February, President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a decree allowing foreign nationals legally residing in the country to enter Ukraines National Guard. He also proposed legislation in January making it easier for foreign nationals defending Ukraine to receive citizenship. Other volunteer brigades fighting for Ukraine include detachments of Belarusian fighters opposed to the government in Minsk, anti-Kremlin Russians and ethnically Turkic nationals from Russia, and post-Soviet states like Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Changed French Stance

For months, French President Emanuel Macron has been threatening to send French troops to Ukraine. He has found little or no support from NATO countries outside of support from Poland and the Baltic States. In an interview with The Economist, President Macron stated, Im not ruling anything out, because we are facing someone who is not ruling anything out. We have undoubtedly been too hesitant by defining the limits of our action for someone who no longer has any and who is the aggressor, he continued, and he said hed consider sending French troops to Ukraine if the Russians were to break through the front lines, if there were a Ukrainian request, which is not the case today.

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France itself does not have many regular troops to be deployed on Ukraines battlefields, should the French government want to do so. According to reports, France cannot support an overseas deployment of a full division and wont have this capability until 2027 at the earliest.

A decision to send foreign legionnaires should therefore be seen as an unusual compromise, as France is not deploying its regular army and, besides the small number of officers, the men sent are mostly not French citizens.

Frances decision also allows President Macron to send troops to Ukraine without encountering much domestic opposition. With few French citizens being sent and the lack of conscription or other measures in the offing, there is unlikely to be protests against the deployment.

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There has also been French anger after most of the French troops, mainly from the Foreign Legion, suffered a setback in Sahelian Africa, namely Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, and were replaced by Russians. A string of coups in the region since 2020 and the consequent rise in anti-French sentiments among the people saw relations nosedive with France and pivot towards greater rapprochement with Russia.

A five-country alliance, the G-5 Sahel, that partnered with France to fight terrorism across desolate territory south of the Sahara, has all but collapsed. The remaining members, Chad and Mauritania, feel its dissolution is near.

This humiliation as per President Macrons opponents, has lost France its influence and harmed French overseas mining and business interests.

A notable setback was Niger, an important supplier of uranium to France. France gets 70 per cent of its electrical power from nuclear power generators. Global uranium supplies are tightening, and prices are rising. Over the last ten years, the 88,200 metric tonnes of natural uranium imported into France came mainly from three countries: Kazakhstan (27 per cent), Niger (20 per cent), and Uzbekistan (19 per cent).

In 2022, France was also the leading importer of Russian nuclear industry products, with 359 million worth of imports, a jump of more than 250 per cent compared to 2021. According to a report by Greenpeace published in March 2023, the transit routes for natural uranium from Kazakhstan run through Russia and show that Russian influence is more extensive than the companies in the sector would have us believe.

The anti-nuclear NGO highlights in particular that the Russian Federation controls the transport of a large part of the natural uranium imported from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. It also notes that neither the French operators nor the government can confirm that the natural uranium used in the power plants was not extracted from mines operated by Rosatom in Kazakhstan. To add to the complexity, there are sanctions on Rosatom for deep connections to the Russian military-industrial complex.

Given the risk of losing access to uranium, or at least enough of it to supply Frances reactors, Macron has to hope that his troop deployments to Ukraine wont trigger a Russian embargo on sales to France.

A decision to put the Legion soldiers in Slavyansk is provocative and goes against statements from the French side, including President Macron, to the effect that if France sent troops, they would replace Ukrainian army units in western Ukraine who could, therefore, be moved eastward to fight the Russians. As Slavyansk is on the front lines, this French deployment is turning into a direct war with Russia.

Key Questions

One of the questions to immediately arise from Frances decision to send soldiers from its 3rd Infantry Regiment is whether this crosses the Russian red line on NATO involvement in Ukraine. Will the Russians see this as initiating a wider war beyond Ukraines borders?

A key question is also how NATO will react to the French decision to deploy. As France is acting on its own without NATOs backing, can the French claim support from NATO under its famous Article 5, the collective security component of the NATO Treaty?

The open use of military means outside of NATO is associated with risks. Should the Russians attack French troops outside of Ukraine, they could justify their actions on the grounds that France has decided to be a combatant. But for France, forcing an Article 5 response from NATO members may not be easy.

Of course, NATO members could individually support the French by supporting them with intelligence, communications, and logistics. For example, Foreign Legion soldiers cannot go to Ukraine without passing through Poland.

More than two years into the Ukrainian war, the French rhetoric has changed significantly, and there are analysts who believe that this change is permanent. But does this change in French strategic thinking create a window of opportunity to redesign the European security order.

President Macrons agenda has been the quest for European strategic autonomy. This means defining European strategy based on European interests and equipping Europe with the tools to act independently in defence of its security and sovereignty. Paris now believes this goal requires constructing a European security order without, and more precisely against, Russia.

Conclusion

Presently, no one can answer any of these questions with any degree of certainty. Russia has responded by announcing tactical nuclear weapons drills that target provocative statements and threats from certain Western officials.

Theres no immediate need for Western troops to take on combat roles by deploying boots on the ground as the implications are manifold and can result in a wider conflict. They can help with providing intelligence, supplies of weapons, logistics, and training and can free Ukrainian troops from these tasks, thereby freeing Ukrainian troops.

While some analysts argue that the deeper reality of the war in Ukraine is that there are already plenty of foreign fighters, the fact is that they are there in their individual capacities and not representing their governments. Most are motivated by an economic need and not by the fact that they are defending a flag.

But the fact remains that while the war presently has settled into some sort of stalemate, foreign soldiers being deployed on Ukrainian frontlines can upset the equilibrium and precipitate tensions regarding a wider conflict that will have reaching global implications.

The author is a retired Major General of the Indian Army. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
When Islamabad begins to fork out money rather than gather it in, the signal is that trouble is brewing. Thats what happened recently when Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif allocated a PKR 23 billion grant for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, or what it fancifully calls Azad Kashmir, a thin slice of the larger part of Kashmir that it occupied back in 1947, and from which it is more in the habit of extracting all it can for itself rather than giving it anything at all. But after months of protests, which escalated this week, it seems the PMs hand was forced. But trouble is far from over.

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PoKs flowing gold

Recent footage from the capital, Muzaffarabad, shows massive rallies, with people in their thousands coming out to protest against the high prices of basic essentials like flour and the severe power cuts in the area. This is despite the fact that the region provides Pakistan with plentiful power, with some 23 projects having a total installed capacity of 2,370 MW, a good slice of the total installed capacity of 10,852 MW as of 2022. The potential is even greater.

A Huge Rally in Azad Kashmir. pic.twitter.com/xpTvZur5Dq  Anwar Lodhi (@AnwarLodhi) May 12, 2024

Of total hydropower resources, the region, together with Gilgit Baltistan, accounts for roughly half of the total hydropower potential. And heres the irony: Gilgit sees about 20 hours of outages, while Muzzafarabad is marginally better, with about 12 hours on good days. Its not just that. A petition from Kashmiris abroad notes Pakistan buys electricity from Kashmir for Rs 2.59 per unit and sells it back to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir for Rs 59 per unit. It is hardly surprising that the locals are outraged and tired. And dont forget. Central government employees get free electricity. And the bottom line. Electricity is most susceptible to outages during the winter, when temperatures drop to minus ten or below.

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Taxation without representation

Then theres the issue of taxation. The Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir tax system was recently connected with the national tax system with a view to increasing the tax base in an increasingly strait jacketed economy. Thats all very well. But heres the problem: Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is not part of Pakistan. It sits outside its constitutionally decided boundaries and yet is taxed across the board by the occupying country. Thats what the present violent protests are about. Though far from American shores, the cry of no taxation without representation, which was the bedrock of American independence from the British, is precisely what the locals of the area want.

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In theory, there is a President who at present is Barrister Sultan Mehmood and a Prime Minister, Anwarul Haq, who was conveniently expelled from Imran Khans party and thereafter was elected unopposed with 48 votes from the 52-member assembly. In reality, the area is a fiefdom under the Federal Minister of Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan, and for any serious stuff, it runs through a Council of which the Pakistan PM heads. In simple words, the Prime Minister and his so-called cabinet have fewer powers than a district magistrate would in India. And heres the cherry on top: The National Finance Commission allots fully 57 per cent of direct taxes to the other provinces, while the allotments to these independent states are unspecified and remain at the whim of the minister in Islamabad. Since Azad persons cannot have a seat in Parliament, the problem is obvious.

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Blood, toil, and trouble

As of now, the Pakistani Rangers are out on the streets, with social media showing trucks speeding into the area via Kohala and scenes of buildings and cars burning, with a reported 14 dead and hundreds injured so far. As of the time of this writing, matters seem to have gotten worse with more scenes of arson and cries for freedom from Pakistan.

With the deaths, matters have worsened, leading to allegations of Indian involvement. That is ironic. The protests in both Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan have been going on for at least a year, and this is simply the culmination of peoples frustration. With a noisy election on, New Delhi hardly has the bandwidth to consider these events, and no, there was no tiranga waved during the protests. There is no India factor. There are a lot of people who have a lot to bear and have simply given way. But sooner or later, India will have to consider the situation. To claim PoK is not enough; there is a need to ensure some deliverance to the people, and more importantly, to be seen to be doing it in a transparent and democratic manner. One way is to offer an aid package; another is to raise this in the appropriate forums. So far, Islamabad has painted India as the villain in the Kashmir issue. Its time to show just who the good guy is: open that purse.

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The author is a Director (R&A) at the Centre for Land Warfare. She tweets at @kartha_tara. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
When your loan shark asks you to buy something, do you really have a choice? read more

Pakistan is South Asias best example of economic mismanagement. On Monday, there were developments in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir; the region has been in turmoil for days.

The people in the region were protesting over high electricity prices and ended up clashing with the police. Over the weekend, the protests intensified, and on Monday, Pakistan gave up as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved a grant for PoK. The grant is worth 86 million dollars.

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However, there is no clarity about how this money will be used. The people of PoK have to take Sharif at his word. It is doubtful if this bribe will placate the people of PoK, but it raises questions: How did perpetually broke Pakistan come up with this grant? How will it actually cobble the money together?

After all, Pakistans economy is in dire straits. It owes billions of dollars in loans. Thats about 42 percent of Pakistans GDP, and its not expecting high growth this year to make up for the debt.

By the end of June, their economy is expected to grow by just 1.8 percent over the 202324 financial year.

Its not really a good outlook for Pakistan. High debt and poor growth. So how is it suddenly finding money for PoK? The answer may lie in another development.

On Sunday, Pakistan signed a defence deal with Iraq. It reportedly includes the sale of fighter jets. As many as 12 jets for about 1.8 billion dollars. It will bring some much-needed funds to Islamabads empty coffers. Its one of the rare occasions where the countrys military is partially helping the economy because Pakistan is selling JF-Thunder fighter jets. Its a collaborative effort between Pakistan and its loan shark, China.

Beijing has given billions of dollars to Islamabad; a lions share of Pakistans external debt is owed to the Chinese. So how does Pakistan pay it back? Well, there are the regular repayments, and then there are the arms purchases.

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A report came out last week highlighting the different ways that Pakistan is in Chinas pocket. Or rather, how Chinas fingers are in Pakistans pocket.

Lets look at arms imports. Between 2019 and 2023, 82 percent of Pakistans arms imports were from China. Up from 69 percent between 2014 and 2018.

So Chinas share has gone up significantly in the last 10 years. Now, friendship is one thing, but why is Pakistan making itself completely dependent on Chinese arms? And these are not just small-ticket items. Pakistan is buying heavy weapons as well, like submarines. Last month, China launched a submarinethe first of eight hangor-class submarines it is building for Pakistan.

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The total cost is between 4 and 5 billion dollars. Thats not something Pakistan can really afford. So why and how is it buying these weapons? It is because when your loan shark asks you to buy something, do you really have a choice?

It explains Pakistans dire economic situation. It imports defence equipment from China. Its debt keeps piling on, and it has to pay back these loans with interest. So it doesnt have enough to spend on its own citizens, and the citizens also get squeezed by high taxes to generate money to pay back the loans.

In other words, Pakistan is spending heavily on Chinese weapons, which is crushing Pakistans economy. This is not hyperbole. A latest SIPRI report says in 2022, 14.5 percent of the Pakistani governments spending was on the military. Every other country mentioned has less than 10 percent, including India and Saudi Arabia. This shows Pakistans misplaced prioritieshow Chinese arms imports are more important to Pakistan than its own citizens.

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Unless this changesthe Pakistani people get the first share of state resourcesthe country will never recover from its financial crisis, no matter how many jets it manages to sell.

Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
The new AI model is a massive step up from GPT-4, despite not being a generational update. The new update makes the AI model more like a human, in the sense that it can accept inputs in any form  images, texts, audio  and answer in as many formats read more

OpenAI's GPT-4o is a massive leave in their GPT model, and far more capable and powerful than anything we have seen till now, even though, this is not a generational upgrade. Image Credit: OpenAI

OpenAI made waves on Monday with the announcement of their latest flagship model, GPT-4o, or GPT-4 Omni. This new model promises enhanced capabilities for all users, boasting smarter and faster real-time voice interactions.

Why is this important? Well, tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Apple are all pivoting towards a future powered by generative AI. With OpenAI leading the charge, theyre determined to maintain their position at the forefront of this rapidly evolving landscape.

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According to CTO Mira Murati, the standout feature of GPT-4o is its accessibility  it brings the formidable intelligence of GPT-4 to all users, including those on the free tier. During a livestream presentation, Murati emphasized that GPT-4o, denoted by the letter o for Omni, represents a significant leap forward in terms of user-friendliness and speed.

The latest model from OpenAI, GPT-4o, is breaking boundaries by accepting input in various formstext, audio, and imagesand seamlessly generating output in all three formats. But thats not allthis advanced AI is equipped with emotion recognition, allowing it to gauge the feelings behind your input. Plus, you can interrupt it mid-speech, and it responds with lightning speed, almost keeping pace with human conversation. With its multifaceted abilities and human-like responsiveness, GPT-4o is revolutionizing the way we interact with AI.

Say hello to GPT-4o, our new flagship model which can reason across audio, vision, and text in real time: https://t.co/MYHZB79UqN



Text and image input rolling out today in API and ChatGPT with voice and video in the coming weeks. pic.twitter.com/uuthKZyzYx  OpenAI (@OpenAI) May 13, 2024

But the excitement doesnt stop there. Murati hinted at an even more substantial update to the modelthink GPT-5  set to be unveiled later this year, promising further advancements.

In a demonstration, OpenAI showcased the real-time capabilities of ChatGPTs voice assistant, highlighting faster responses and the ability to seamlessly interrupt the AI. This glimpse into the future of AI-driven interactions underscores the potential of GPT-4o to revolutionize how we engage with technology.

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During one demonstration, OpenAI showcased a real-time tutorial on deep breathing, illustrating the potential for practical guidance using GPT-4o.

In another demo, ChatGPT displayed its versatility by reading an AI-generated story in various voices, ranging from dramatic recitals to robotic tones and even singing.

A third demonstration showcased ChatGPTs problem-solving prowess, as it helped a user work through an algebra equation instead of simply providing an answer.

Throughout the demos, GPT-4o exhibited significantly enhanced personality and conversational abilities compared to previous iterations.

OpenAI also demonstrated the chatbots ability to seamlessly switch between languages, facilitating translations between English and Italian in real-time.

These demonstrations underscored ChatGPTs multimodal capabilities, spanning visual, audio, and text interactions. The AI assistant was able to utilize a phones camera to read written notes and even attempt to discern the emotions of individuals.

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In the broader context, the online event coincided with Googles upcoming I/O developer conference, where advancements in generative AI are expected to take centre stage.

OpenAI has also announced the release of a desktop version of ChatGPT, initially catering to Mac users, with access rolling out to paid users starting today. While a Windows version is in the pipeline, OpenAI chose to prioritize Mac users initially due to their larger user base.

In addition, OpenAI revealed plans to grant free users access to custom GPTs and its GPT store. These capabilities will be phased in over the coming weeks.

The rollout of GPT-4os text and image capabilities has commenced for paid ChatGPT Plus and Team users, with availability for Enterprise users on the horizon. Free users will also begin gaining access, albeit with rate limits.

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Furthermore, the voice version of GPT-4o is set to become available in the coming weeks, expanding its utility beyond text-based interactions.

Developers can expect to leverage GPT-4os text and vision modes, with audio and video capabilities slated for release to a small group of trusted partners in the near future.

In a tweet, OpenAI confirmed that the enigmatic GPT2-chatbot spotted on a benchmarking site is indeed GPT-4o, shedding light on its identity.
AI will be the keyword for Alphabet at Google I/O 2024. From AI integrations into some of Googles most commonly used apps, to Android 15 and its AI features, Google is expected to unveil a detailed roadmap of its AI ambitions read more

Sundar Pichai is determined to turn Google into an AI-first company so expect to see many AI related announcements. Image Credit: Google, Reuters

Googles big annual developer gathering, Google I/O, kicks off today on May 14. For those interested to watch the latest that Google ahs to announce, they can catch the live stream of all the sessions on Googles social media handles, as well as Googles own YouTube channel. Now, theres been a lot of buzz about Google unveiling the Pixel 8a at the event. However, the tech giant threw us a curveball last week by dropping the Pixel 8a on May 7, catching many fans off guard.

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So, with the Pixel 8a out of the picture for Google I/O, whats on the agenda? Well, rumour has it that Google has a few surprises up its sleeve, with artificial intelligence (AI) expected to steal the show.

AI is the talk of the town

With the rise in popularity of tools like ChatGPT and CoPilot, Google is going all-in on its investment in generative AI, particularly with its Gemini model. This powerhouse AI not only fuels Googles own chatbot but also plays a role in features for devices like Samsungs Galaxy series. As we gear up for the upcoming conference, theres speculation about potential collaborations, perhaps even with Apple, to integrate Gemini into iOS functionalities.

Internally, Google seems to be making a shift from its traditional Assistant to the more advanced Gemini chatbot. This transition and its implications for Assistant-driven smart home gadgets are expected to be on the agenda at the conference. Additionally, theres anticipation for announcements regarding deeper AI integration across Googles product line, which could involve upgrades to Gemini and enhanced AI features for Pixel devices.

Apps get an AI makeover

When it comes to Googles suite of productivity tools like Gmail, Docs, Sheets, and Slides, theyve got some handy AI features in play already. Take Help me write, organize, and visualize, for instancethese tools streamline everyday tasks with ease. But whats next? Well, last I/O, Google teased us with the side panel, which has been quietly undergoing testing lately.

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But heres the thing: while these features are great for productivity, Im itching to see more AI magic in Gmail and Calendar that caters to personal use cases. I mean, who wouldnt want a little AI assistance in managing their personal lives?

Now, lets talk about Google Maps and Search. Remember the Search Generative Experience (SGE) announced a year ago? Im curious if Googles ready to take it out of the Labs preview program. Its all about providing direct answers instead of making us sift through endless links. But lets not forget the impact this could have on publishersits a game-changer, to say the least.

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And speaking of Google Maps, theyve been tinkering with generative AI search to make finding places a breeze. Compared to web search, I find conversational search really shines in this space.

Last but not least, lets not overlook Gemini, Googles application and website. Sure, its got potential, but on mobile, its still a bit lacking compared to the trusty old Google Assistant. Heres hoping upcoming updates will finally give Gemini the boost it needs to be a real contender in the world of phone assistants.

Android 15 sees the day of light

At Google I/O 2024, brace yourselves for a deep dive into Android 15, the next big release of the operating system. The first beta version has already hit the scene, but theres more to come as we eagerly await further details at the event. Google I/O is renowned for unveiling user-friendly features, serving as a hub for developers and tech enthusiasts to dive into the latest innovations.

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Early reports have hinted at exciting new additions like a universal dark mode, an improved interface for landscape use, and better notification handling. From the initial beta rollout, weve already seen some cool features in action, including partial screen sharing, a handy notification cooldown function, and expanded health-tracking capabilities.

Moreover, developers can look forward to new APIs that empower apps to optimize performance and provide users with detailed insights into app size. So, whether youre a developer or simply a tech enthusiast, Google I/O promises to be a treasure trove of insights and innovations that will shape the future of Android.

Any new devices?

So, with the Pixel 8a already out in the open, does that mean Google I/O will be devoid of any new gadgets? Not quite Rumours swirling around suggest that theres still a chance for some exciting hardware announcements at the event.

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Word on the street is that we might get a sneak peek at the next generation of the Pixel Fold, which could potentially be rebranded as part of the Pixel 9 series. However, dont hold your breath for a full-blown launch just yet. Theres also chatter about a Pixel Tablet 2 making its debut, but the recent release of a dockless version of the previous model might push back its arrival. While we might not see an official unveiling, a tantalizing teaser could very well be on the agenda.
NASA has unveiled how it plans to colonise the Moon soon, using a network of railways, that will use FLOAT or Flexible Levitation on a Track train. The FLOAT system will use robotic transports designed to move payloads around the lunar base and even to other outposts read more

NASA, DoD & Northrop Grumman have some impressive plans on colonising the Moon, and possibly even Mars pretty soon. Image generated by AI

NASA is gearing up to revolutionise lunar transportation with the development of a cutting-edge railway system on the Moon. This ambitious project aims to create a reliable, autonomous, and efficient payload transport network to support future lunar bases.

Dubbed FLOAT, which stands for Flexible Levitation on a Track, this innovative system will play a crucial role in the daily operations of a sustainable lunar base, as outlined in NASAs Moon to Mars plan and concepts like the Robotic Lunar Surface Operations 2 (RLSO2).

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How will FLOAT work?

The FLOAT system will feature durable, long-life robotic transports designed to move payloads around the lunar base, to and from landing zones, and even to other outposts. Additionally, it will facilitate the transportation of locally mined natural resources on the Moon.

What sets FLOAT apart is its utilization of unpowered magnetic robots that levitate over a flexible film track consisting of three layers. These layers include a graphite layer for passive levitation using diamagnetic forces, a flex-circuit layer for electromagnetic thrust to propel the robots, and an optional thin-film solar panel layer to generate power for the base when exposed to sunlight.

One of the key advantages of the FLOAT system is its ease of deployment. Tracks will be unrolled directly onto the lunar regolith, eliminating the need for extensive on-site construction typically associated with traditional roads, railways, or cableways.

How will a railway network help NASA colonise the Moon?

Once operational, a large-scale FLOAT system will have the capacity to move vast quantities of regolith and payloads, potentially transporting tens of thousands of kilograms over 1,00,000 kilometres per day.

With its groundbreaking technology and potential to revolutionize lunar logistics, the FLOAT railway system represents a significant step forward in NASAs efforts to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon.

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The project will kick off by developing, manufacturing, and testing a series of sub-scale prototypes for both the robot and track components. This process will culminate in a demonstration conducted in a lunar-analogue testbed. Researchers will also investigate the impact of environmental factors such as temperature and radiation on the systems performance and longevity. Additionally, a technology roadmap will be outlined to ensure the mature manufacturing capability of critical hardware components.

FLOAT was initially proposed in 2021 as part of NASAs Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program, showcasing its potential for groundbreaking innovation in space exploration.

NASA not the only one, US DoD also setting up railways on the Moon

Northrop Grumman has also been tapped by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the research and development arm of the US Department of Defense, to spearhead the development of an innovative concept: a railroad network on the Moon.

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This ambitious endeavour falls under DARPAs Lunar Architecture (LunA-10) Capability Study, which aims to nurture a sustainable lunar economy.

DARPA, known for its influential role in driving technological advancements, including its contributions to the historic Apollo program, envisions the lunar railroad as a transformative solution for transporting humans, supplies, and resources across the lunar surface.

The initiative aligns with the United States strategic goal of fostering a thriving space economy.

As part of the study, Northrop Grumman will undertake several pivotal tasks. Initially, the company will define the essential interfaces and resources needed to construct a lunar rail network. Subsequently, it will meticulously assess foreseeable challenges, encompassing cost, technological feasibility, and logistical considerations.

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To bring the concept to fruition, Northrop Grumman will start prototyping, demonstrations, and comprehensive analyses of the lunar rail systems design and architecture. The companys scope will also extend to exploring innovative methodologies utilizing robotics for various phases of system construction and operation. This includes tasks such as grading and foundation preparation, track placement and alignment, as well as inspection, maintenance, and repair protocols.
If data and data sovereignty come up as an issue, the US and Chinese delegates may even be forced to speak on the TikTok and ByteDance fiasco read more

The US has been some imposing some tough sanctions on China. It will be interesting to see how that effects their discussion on AI. Image Credit: Reuters

The United States is finally gearing up for diplomatic discussions with the Chinese government in Geneva this week, marking the start of a series of talks focused on artificial intelligence safety and risk standards.

The fact that both nations, hostile to each other, are ready to engage in diplomatic discussions is significant since both of them are locked in fierce competition to lead the global AI market, both in the private sector as well as their respective governments.

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However, despite their technological prowess, they have yet to reach a consensus on what constitutes safe and responsible use of the AI technologies they are developing.

Set to take place in Geneva, Switzerland on Tuesday, the talks will be led by officials from the White House and State Department for the US, while China will be represented by delegates co-led by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the National Development and Reform Commission.

The discussions will primarily centre around AI risk and safety, and will particularly focus on advanced systems. Additionally, representatives from both sides plan to share insights into the domestic efforts undertaken in their respective countries to mitigate AI-related risks.

Its important to note that while these talks mark an important step in fostering dialogue between the two countries, they are primarily intended to exchange initial thoughts on the technical risks posed by AI technologies.

As such, no joint statement or other deliverables are expected to emerge from the discussions at this stage.

The talks are not expected to result in any technical collaboration or cooperation on frontier research. The US governments policies to restrict certain technologies from reaching China are also not up for negotiation, at least not formally.

It will be interesting to see how the two discuss Issues such as how AI can further fuel China-linked election interference. Another possible point for discussion would be the US-imposed sanction, and the US cajoling other nations to impose similar sanctions on Chinese Companies. Although both of these subjects are not officially on the agenda, they are more than likely to come up.

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If data and data sovereignty come up as an issue, the US and Chinese delegates may even be forced to speak on the TikTok and ByteDance fiasco.

In a significant development, the UN secured China as a co-sponsor for a recent AI resolution in the UN General Assembly in March.

Furthermore, reports suggest that the UN is considering imposing restrictions on China, Russia, and other adversarial nations access to the most advanced AI models.

Looking at the bigger picture, the safety standards adopted by both the UN and China are likely to set a precedent for other countries worldwide. As both governments delve into deploying AI technologies across various sectors, including their militaries, their approaches will undoubtedly influence global AI policies and practices.

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(With inputs from agencies)
Russia has claimed to have captured nine villages in the eastern Ukraines Kharkiv province in an offensive that began late last week read more

In a show of support at a time when Russia is making steady advances in the countrys east, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Ukraines capital Kyiv on Tuesday on an unannounced visit.

Blinkens visit is the first by any senior US official since the long-awaited $61 billion aid package for Ukraine was passed by the US Congress last month. In the absence of any aid from the US, the Ukrainian troops were starved of ammunition in recent months in their defence against Russian assaults.

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Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, this is Blinkens fourth visit to Kyiv. The AFP reported that he is slated to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later in the day. He is also expected to meet Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and members of the civil society. He is further expected to deliver a speech focused on Ukraines strategic success, as per the agency.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Blinken said his visit demonstrated Americas unwavering support for Ukraine as they defend their freedom against Russian aggression.

I returned to Kyiv today to demonstrate our unwavering support for Ukraine as they defend their freedom against Russian aggression. pic.twitter.com/7ruIw6GgVd  Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) May 14, 2024

Visit to send strong signal of reassurance to Ukraine

Blinkens visit is intended to send a strong signal of reassurance to the Ukrainians in the war with Russia, said a senior US official accompanying Blinken, as per AFP.

The agency further quoted the official as saying that the Ukrainians are obviously in a very difficult moment. It was an apparent reference to the string of victories that Russia has scored in eastern Ukraine in recent months. Last week, Russia launched an offensive in the Kharkiv province in the countrys northeast and has so far claimed to have captured at least nine villages.

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First this trip is to send a strong signal of reassurance to the Ukrainians who are obviously in a very difficult moment both with grinding battle on the Eastern Front but also with the Russians now expanding some cross-border attacks into Kharkiv, said the official.

The official further said that Blinken intends to provide details of how the American aid will be executed in a fashion to help shore up their defences and enable them to increasingly take back the initiative on the battlefield, as per the AFP.

Russia makes gains in Kharkiv province

Since launching an offensive on Friday in northeastern Ukraines Kharkiv province, Russia has made steady advances and has claimed to have taken control of nine villages. Around 6,000 residents in the region have been forced to flee.

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The Russian offensive has involved ground assaults along with aerial and artillery bombardment. Ukraine has acknowledged that Russia was achieving tactical success in the offensive. One soldier was quoted as saying by AFP that Russian guided bombs were falling like rain.

Ukraines security council chief Oleksandr Lytvynenko told the agency that more than 30,000 are part of the ongoing offensive.

There are a lot of Russians, quite a lot. About 50,000 were on the border. Now there are much more than 30,000 coming, said Lytvynenko.

Separately, the DeepState Telegram channel, which is close to the Ukrainian army, said that Russia had captured around 100 square kilometres of territory in the ongoing offensive, according to AFP. The channel further said that Ukraine was mounting constant fire but unfortunately it does not stop them [Russian attackers].

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In an address to the nation on Sunday, Zelenskyy called for maximum efficiency in repelling Russian forces. He further said that fierce battles were raging and that the Ukrainian forces were mounting counterattacks.

Everything depends on what you are capable of in a war  whether you can withstand the attacks and hold your ground so that everyone else can do the same. Defensive battles are ongoing, fierce battles on a large part of our border area. There are villages that have actually turned from a gray zone into a combat zone, and the occupier is trying to gain a foothold in some of them, said Zelenskyy, as per The Washington Examiner.

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Zelenskyy further said, In particular, on the outskirts of Vovchansk, the situation is extremely difficult, the city is under constant Russian fire, and our military is carrying out counterattacks. Our task is obvious  we need to inflict as many losses as possible on the occupier.

The Russian offensive came at a time when the Ukrainian forces were stretched thin on the frontline. For months, the Ukrainians defenders had been starved of ammunition and suffering from low morale as Russia scored a string of victories in the countrys east.

Last week, before the Kharkiv offensive, Russia had claimed to won two villages in the east  one in Kharkiv and one in Donetsk province. The week before that, Russia had claimed to have captured another village near the town of Avdiivka, which Russians had captured in March after over a year of intense fighting. Last month, Russia claimed to have captured a village near the key battleground town of Chasiv Yair.
David McBride, 60, was sentenced in a court in the capital, Canberra, to five years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to three charges including theft and sharing with members of the press documents classified as secret read more

Whistleblower David McBride arrives at the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory in Canberra. AP

An Australian judge sentenced a former army lawyer to almost six years in prison on Tuesday for leaking to the media classified information that exposed allegations of Australian war crimes in Afghanistan.

David McBride, 60, was sentenced in a court in the capital, Canberra, to five years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to three charges including theft and sharing with members of the press documents classified as secret. He had faced a potential life sentence.

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Justice David Mossop ordered McBride to serve 27 months in prison before he can be considered for release on parole.

Rights advocates argue that McBrides conviction and sentencing before any alleged war criminal he helped expose reflected a lack of whistleblower protections in Australia.

McBrides lawyer Mark Davis said he planned to file an appeal against the severity of the sentence.

McBride addressed his supporters as he walked his dog to the front door of the Australian Capital Territory Supreme Court to be sentenced.

Ive never been so proud to be an Australian as today. I may have broken the law, but I did not break my oath to the people of Australia and the soldiers that keep us safe, McBride told the cheering crowd.

McBrides documents formed the basis of an Australian Broadcasting Corp. seven-part television series in 2017 that contained war crime allegations including Australian Special Air Service Regiment soldiers killing unarmed Afghan men and children in 2013.

Police raided the ABCs Sydney headquarters in 2019 in search of evidence of a leak, but decided against charging the two reporters responsible for the investigation.

In sentencing, Mossop said he did not accept McBrides explanation that he thought a court would vindicate him for acting in the public interest.

McBrides argument that his suspicions that the higher echelons of the Australian Defense Force were engaged in criminal activity obliged him to disclose classified papers didnt reflect reality, Mossop said.

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An Australian military report released in 2020 found evidence that Australian troops unlawfully killed 39 Afghan prisoners, farmers and civilians. The report recommended 19 current and former soldiers face criminal investigation.

Police are working with the Office of the Special Investigator, an Australian investigation agency established in 2021, to build cases against elite SAS and Commando Regiments troops who served in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016.

Former SAS trooper Oliver Schulz last year became the first of these veterans to be charged with a war crime. He is accused of shooting dead a noncombatant man in a wheat field in Uruzgan province in 2012

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Also last year, a civil court found Australias most decorated living war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith had likely unlawfully killed four Afghans. He has not been criminally charged.

Human Rights Watchs Australia director Daniela Gavshon said McBrides sentencing was evidence an Australias whistleblowing laws needed exemptions in the public interest.

It is a stain on Australias reputation that some of its soldiers have been accused of war crimes in Afghanistan, and yet the first person convicted in relation to these crimes is a whistleblower not the abusers, Gavshon said in a statement.

David McBrides jail sentence reinforces that whistleblowers are not protected by Australian law. It will create a chilling effect on those taking risks to push for transparency and accountability  cornerstones of democracy, she added.
This comes as the US is slated on Tuesday to issue major new tariffs on electric vehicles, semiconductors, solar equipment and medical supplies imported from China. read more

President Joe Biden, from second left, is greeted by Col. Tasha Lowrey, Joint Base MyerHenderson Hall commander, and Command Sergeant Maj. Michael Fisheras, as he walks off of Marine One at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, as he returns from a weekend in Delaware, Monday, May 13, 2024.- AP

Concerned over Chinas backed cryptocurrency mining firms attempt to own land near the Wyoming nuclear missile base, President Joe Biden issued an order Monday blocking the firm from owning land citing its proximity to the base as a national security risk.

This development comes as the US is set to impose significant new tariffs on electric vehicles, semiconductors, solar equipment and medical supplies imported from China on Tuesday, according to a US official and another source familiar with the plan told news agency AP.

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With election season underway, both President Biden and his presumptive Republican challenger, former President Donald Trump have promised voters a tough stance on China. Beijing, the worlds second-largest economy, is seen as an emerging geopolitical rival to the United States.

The order forces the divestment of property operated as a crypto mining facility near the Francis E. Warren Air Force Base. MineOne Partners Ltd., a firm partly backed by Chinese nationals, and its affiliates are also required to remove certain equipment on the site.

The divestment order issued on Monday was coordinated with the US Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). This powerful but little-known government committee investigates corporate deals for national security concerns. CFIUS has the authority to compel companies to alter ownership structures or divest completely from the US.

US intelligence officials have increasingly sounded the alarm on Chinas influence operations within the country. According to reports, approximately half of states in the US, have laws in place that restrict foreign ownership of agricultural land while around 20 states permit foreign land investments.

According to data from the non-profit National Agricultural Law Center, over 20 states are implementing new restrictions or updating existing legislation on foreign land acquisitions. Many states in the United States have already implemented laws to curb farmland sales to foreign investors and entities. A dozen states passed legislation in 2023 alone to restrict foreign investment in agricultural land, as per the National Agricultural Law Center.

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According to a 2021 Department of Agriculture report, Chinas ownership of agricultural land in the US stands at approximately 384,000 acres. This figure encompasses 195,000 acres, valued at nearly $2 billion at the time of purchase, held by 85 Chinese investors, including individuals, companies, or government entities.

According to a report by Forbes, an additional 189,000 acres are owned by 62 US corporations with Chinese shareholders, acquired for $235 million. Between 2015 and 2019, Chinese ownership of agricultural land in the US experienced a modest increase of approximately 550 acres.

However, a significant surge noted between 2019 and 2020, where a 30 per cent jump in ownership from around 247,000 acres to approximately 352,000 acres. Notably, US companies with Chinese shareholders contributed to this growth by acquiring 102,000 acres, more than doubling their acreage within that year.

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China further added another 32,000 acres of US agricultural land in 2021, while not as substantial as the increase in 2020, still marked a 98% rise compared to the total growth from 2015 to 2019, as highlighted in the Forbes report. Concerns have been raised regarding the potential for the Chinese government, through these Chinese corporations, to attain control over American assets or access sensitive information within the US.
Washington has floated incentives to persuade the Houthis to stop the attacks including the acceleration of the roadmap talks and lifting restrictions on Houthi trade. The Houthis now appear to want the deal signed either with the UN or bilaterally with the Saudis. read more

In an effort to engage Saudi Arabia in the peace process with Israel, the United States has given an informal green light to Riyadh to revive a peace deal with the Yemen-based Houthi rebels, who have been targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea since November.

The proposed Yemen UN peace roadmap for peace initially agreed upon in early December, faced a standstill as the Houthis intensified their Red Sea attacks in support of Palestine. The campaign, estimated a week ago by the Houthi leadership to have amounted to 112 attacks on ships, has led to a dramatic fall in maritime trade through the Red Sea and a surge in insurance costs

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The US and the UK have been trying to degrade Houthi mobile missile sites, but last week the Houthis said they planned to expand the scope of attacks and traffic volumes remain relatively low at 40- 50 per cent of those in the same period of last year.

It now appears Saudi Arabia, with the support of the UN special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, wants to press ahead with the roadmap, even though it could lead to large sums of money being handed to the Houthis, who will also eventually be given a permanent place in a proposed national unity government.

In a meeting on Monday, Grundberg told the UN-recognised government in Aden opposed to the Houthis that peace talks should go ahead. Grundberg said that he had told the Houthis he could not envisage the roadmap being signed if the Red Sea attacks continued. Grundberg later told the UN security council that despite the conflict a peaceful and just solution remains possible.

Leaders of the Aden-based government sounded the alarm on Tuesday, saying any roadmap would have to be recalibrated for it to be acceptable to them. In a briefing, Amr al-Bidh, a senior official in the Southern Transitional Council, a key part of the Aden-based government, set two major preconditions for the roadmap being launched. He demanded greater transparency over the roadmap itself, along with a UN-monitored ceasefire inside Yemen and an end to Houthi attacks on global shipping.

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He said: There can be no reward for terrorism. We cannot go ahead with the roadmap as it was designed six months ago. Things have changed. We need external guarantees about a ceasefire, through a UN monitoring mission, and there has to be transparency about giving any money to the Houthis. We should not be wanting to empower the Houthis by giving them large bulk payments upfront.

The UN roadmap largely reflected previous private bilateral peace talks between Saudis and the Houthis, including bulk payments to the Houthis to compensate for unpaid public salaries and an increase in resources provided to the north of Yemen, but the deal has never been presented to the UN-backed government.

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The Houthis now appear to want the deal signed either with the UN or bilaterally with the Saudis. It appears that the Saudis, sensing a military stalemate between the US Navy and the Houthis, are impatient to end their engagement in Yemen, even if it leaves the Saudi-backed Aden government as perceived losers in the process.

In a move that is being considered to may weaken Irans influence in the region, the US appears to be more amenable to the Saudis impatience for a Yemen deal and Washington needs Saudi support to end the conflict in Gaza, opening a diplomatic space for the US to persuade the Saudis to agree a defence pact with the US and to normalise relations with Israel.

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Washington has floated incentives to persuade the Houthis to stop the attacks including the acceleration of the roadmap talks and lifting restrictions on Houthi trade. UK officials favour a tougher approach with the Houthis on the basis that signing a peace deal beneficial to the Houthis is unjustifiable.

Saudi Arabia has been on the back foot in Yemen since 2016 when the Houthis, previously a relatively geographically confined tribe in northern Yemens highlands, waged a succession of wars that culminated in the capture of Yemens capital, Sanaa, driving the Saudi-backed opposition forces south to set up their headquarters in Aden.

Bidh acknowledged that the Iranian-backed Shia Houthis had enjoyed a short-term rise in popularity due to their attacks on Red Sea shipping but said this bubble was bursting as ordinary Yemenis saw the impact on Yemens economy.

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But he admitted: We are in a dire situation since the oil exports on which the souths economy is based are not being transported. The Houthis are saying they can go ahead with the roadmap and yet they can continue shooting at ships in the Red Sea. How can we reach an agreement with a group that is committing acts of terrorism in the Red Sea and wants to take over Yemen?

Bidh blamed the west for failing to launch a comprehensive economic, political and military strategy to degrade the Houthis influence. Simply designating the Houthis as a terrorist group was not enough, he said.

As many as 17 million people in Yemen are dependent on humanitarian aid. Only $792m of the $2.7bn called for in Yemens 2024 UN humanitarian response plan has been raised, prompting the UNs humanitarian coordinator Martin Griffiths to warn of a resurgence of cholera.

Biden has been pushing for Israeli-Saudi normalisation since coming into office in 2021. The two countries were reportedly close to normalising relations before the October 7 terrorist attacks. Now, the Saudis have publicly stated that an irreversible path for Palestinian statehood is a must for any normalisation of relations with Israel.
Relations between Beijing and Seoul came under new stress when South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said last year that democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory, was a global issue, not just an issue between China and Taiwan read more

China and South Korea should seek stable ties despite their recent difficulties, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his South Korean counterpart on Monday at a rare meeting in Beijing held amid tensions over Taiwan and other regional issues.

South Koreas Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said the countries needed to keep up momentum on cooperation and carefully manage ties, in a meeting that Chos ministry said lasted for four hours.

Cho arrived in Beijing on Monday, his first trip to China since taking office in January, and the first visit to Beijing by a South Korean foreign minister in more than six years.

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Relations between Beijing and Seoul came under new stress when South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said last year that democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory, was a global issue, not just an issue between China and Taiwan.

Yoon added last year that the increased tensions around Taiwan were due to attempts to change the status quo by force, and he opposed such a change. China protested, saying the comments were erroneous and totally unacceptable.

The Taiwan issue surfaced again in March when the island participated in a U.S.-backed democracy summit in Seoul. Beijing accused Seoul at the time of providing a platform for Taiwan independence forces.

On Monday, Wang told Cho that China-South Korea relations had faced difficulties and challenges, which are not in the common interest of both parties and not what China wants to see, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.

It is hoped that South Korea will abide by the one-China principle, properly and prudently handle Taiwan-related issues, and consolidate the political foundation of bilateral relations, Wang added.

South Koreas foreign ministry did not mention Wangs Taiwan comment in its own statement.

Trilateral Summit

Cho told Wang their countries should work together and even if there are difficulties, momentum of cooperation should be continued while carefully managing the relations, according to the South Korean foreign ministry.

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He added that they could continue to prepare for a summit of the leaders of China, South Korea and Japan in Seoul, planned for the end of May. The leaders of the three countries last met in China in 2019.

The Chinese statement made no mention of the summit.

Cho also called on China, as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, to play a constructive role for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, according to Chos ministry.

Cho also asked for Chinas cooperation so North Korean defectors in China could go to their desired destinations without being forcibly repatriated to North Korea by Beijing.

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China has long denied that there are any defectors from North Korea, which counts on Beijing as an ally, and says it follows the law when dealing people who enter its territory illegally.

Economic ties

Wang and Cho agreed, according to their ministries, that the economic ties of the two countries had been a force in each others development, and agreed to strengthen their cooperation, including the ensuring of stable supply chains.

Ahead of his talks with Wang, however, Cho had said that once mutually beneficial economic ties were seeing intensifying rivalry, and vowed support for businessmen seeking to harness market opportunities in China while minimising any accompanying risks.

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On his part, Wang said he hoped China and South Korea could work together to promote stable relations and eliminate interference, which he did not elaborate.

Chinese state media have reported that the differences between Beijing and Seoul were due to Yoons leaning towards the United States, amid intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry.

Yoon has also been vocal about the tensions between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea.
Congos mines ministry last month halted the activities of the COMMUS project, in which Zijin owns a 72% stake, to investigate mineral products returned from South Africa due to overly high radiation levels read more

Democratic Republic of Congos government has lifted a suspension order on a Congolese copper and cobalt operation majority-owned by Chinas Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd according to a letter seen by Reuters on Monday.

Congos mines ministry last month halted the activities of the COMMUS project, in which Zijin owns a 72% stake, to investigate mineral products returned from South Africa due to overly high radiation levels.

The mines ministry on Monday confirmed a letter to the director general of COMMUS dated May 10, in which it wrote that it had received a report on the investigations findings and that the suspension was lifted.

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Mining operations could resume as long as the company scrupulously ensured radiation levels remained in line with national and international standards, it said.

COMMUS said via email that it had received the ministrys letter and that both production and exports had fully resumed. The company was not sent the report mentioned in the letter, it added.

Congo is the worlds third-largest copper producer and its top producer of cobalt, a key component in batteries for electric vehicles and mobile phones.

COMMUS, based near Congos southern city of Kolwezi, produced 129,000 tonnes of copper and about 2,200 tons of cobalt in 2023, ministry data shows.
Amid tensions over the war in Gaza Strip, Egypt has said it will join South Africas case of genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) read more

Previous attempts at talks had faltered partly due to Netanyahu's threats to destroy Hamas's surviving terrorists in Rafah and the Palestinian organization's demand for an indefinite ceasefire Image Courtesy AFP

In the latest sign of mounting tensions, Egypt is reported to be considering downgrading the diplomatic relationship with Israel.

The development comes amid fears that an Israeli invasion of Rafah is just a matter of time. Much of the international community, including partners like the United States and the United Kingdom, have warned Israel against invading Rafah without any satisfactory plan to evacuate and rehabilitate civilians as they believe such an operation will lead to a grave humanitarian crisis. They maintain Israel has furnished no such plan so far.

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While Israel has not mounted a full-blown invasion of Rafah so far, it has captured the border crossing at Rafah with Egypt. The action has inflamed Israeli-Egyptian tensions and led to Egypt indefinitely suspending the entry of any humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Egypt may recall envoy from Israel: Report

Amid rising Egypt-Israel tensions, Cairo is considering downgrading the diplomatic relationship with Jerusalem, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The report said that the downgrading under consideration involves recalling the Egyptian ambassador to Israel.

The suspension of bilateral relationship or a break-up of the Camp David Accords are, however, not on the cards, as per the report.

As we stand, there are no plans to suspend ties or throw away Camp David. But as long as Israeli forces remain at Rafah Crossing, Egypt will not send a single truck to Rafah, an Egyptian official was quoted as saying in the report.

The Camp David Accords refer to a series of agreements between Israel and Egypt in 1978 that were facilitated by the US. In 1979, the agreements resulted in a landmark peace treaty between Israel and Egypt. It was the first such treaty between Israel and an Arab country in the region. It led to the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and Egypts recognition of Israel as a country.

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Egypt joins South Africas genocide case against Israel

Amid rising tensions between the two countries, Egypt has also said it will join South Africas case of genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

In a statement last week, Egypt said that it will join the case considering exacerbating gravity and scope of Israeli atrocities against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, and the continued perpetration of systematic practices against the Palestinian people. Egypt further accused Israel of creating an unprovoked human crisis in Gaza.

Previously, Columbia and Turkey had joined the case against Israel at the ICJ.

In its case against ICJ, South Africa argued that actions and omissions by Israel in Gaza are genocidal in character because they are intended to bring about the destruction of a substantial part of the Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group. It argued that what Israel is doing the military activities and what its not doing not taking care to avoid civilian deaths lead to the alleged genocide.
Chinese EV brand sets up logistics center at Spanish port

Xinhua) 10:28, May 14, 2024

FERROL, Spain, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Arcfox, the electric vehicle (EV) brand of Chinese giant automaker Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation (BAIC), in collaboration with Spanish Atium Logistic Group, has established a logistics center for vehicle storage, deposit, and exportation at the port of Ferrol in northwest Spain.

With prices ranging from 30,000 to 60,000 euros, the first four models to be distributed there are: S5, Alpha S, Alpha T and Kaola. Port authorities and representatives of Arcfox tested the four models at a ceremony held last Thursday at the port.

"This is an initiative with a long-term vision that promotes Ferrol's prominence on the map of global logistics and, of course, of China, which could be a magnet for new investments," said Francisco Barea, President of the Port Authority of Ferrol.

Victor Seoane, a local businessman, told Xinhua that this cooperation means the future of the region. "Work and future," he said, adding that foreign companies coming to the city "will bring benefits in all aspects."

To taxi driver Alejandro Valverde, Arcfox's decision to establish Ferrol as a logistics center for Europe "is a very important boost for the region."

"The arrival of Chinese electric cars is going to make the market more competitive and prices will be at once cheaper," Jose Luis Perez, manager of a Spanish driving school, told Xinhua. He has a training fleet and is interested in Chinese vehicles, he said.

The logistics center will cover a storage area of 9,000 square meters and has the potential to expand its space. By 2025, the Chinese firm plans to sell between 5,000 and 8,000 units to the European market.

During the ceremony, Yu Tao, Director of the Overseas Market Department of BAIC New Energy Vehicle Company, highlighted the importance of Spain in the execution of their expansion plan for the sale of electric vehicles.

He said the four models of Arcfox cars are designed for Europe and "this is the first step" of an agreement through which Ferrol will be an important point of cooperation.

The landing of the Chinese firm in Spain will help the decarbonization process of the country and Europe in general, which seeks a change in the mobility model as a key factor, he said.

Zheng Fang, executive director of Arcfox Automotive Spain, said that Spain is "a fundamental growth vector in the European electric car market, for which the strength of the port of Ferrol will be a very important lever in the coming years."

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing)
Hungary and Poland, which have long opposed any obligation for countries to host migrants or pay for their upkeep, voted against the package but were unable to block it. read more

In order to address the blocs failed asylum system, European Union nations endorsed comprehensive reforms on Tuesday with EU government ministers approving 10 legislative parts of the new pact on migration and asylum.

The pact outlines rules for the 27 member countries on handling people attempting to enter without authorization, from screening to determine eligibility for protection to deportation for those not permitted to stay.

It comes as campaigning for next months Europe-wide elections gains momentum, with migration expected to be a key issue. Mainstream political parties believe the pact addresses the issues that have divided member nations since over 1 million migrants, mostly fleeing war in Syria and Iraq, arrived in Europe in 2015. They hope the new system will diminish the appeal of far-right parties in the June 6-9 elections.

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Hungary and Poland, which have consistently opposed mandatory obligations for countries to host migrants or fund their upkeep, voted against the package but could not block it.

The reform package will only take effect in 2026, offering no immediate solution to an issue that has sparked one of the EUs biggest political crises, dividing nations over migrant responsibility and the obligation of other countries to assist.

However, critics argue the pact will allow nations to detain migrants at borders and fingerprint children, infringing on the right to claim asylum. There are also concerns it will lead to more dubious agreements with poorer countries that migrants leave or transit through to reach Europe.

Europes asylum laws have not been updated for about two decades. The system frayed and then fell apart in 2015. It was based on the premise that migrants should be processed, given asylum or deported in the country they first enter. Greece, Italy and Malta were left to shoulder most of the financial burden and deal with public discontent.

Since then, the ID-check-free zone known as the Schengen Area has expanded to 27 countries, 23 of them EU members. It means that more than 400 million Europeans and visitors, including refugees, are able to move without showing travel documents.

Some 3.5 million migrants arrived legally in Europe in 2023. Around 1 million others were on EU territory without permission. Of the latter, most were people who entered normally via airports and ports with visas but didnt go home when they expired.

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The pact applies to the remaining minority, estimated at around 300,000 migrants last year. They are people caught crossing an external EU border without permission, such as those reaching the shores of Greece, Italy or Spain via the Mediterranean Sea or Atlantic Ocean on boats provided by smugglers.

With inputs from agencies.
The oil and gas licences for 29 projects in total are mainly aimed at ramping up output for domestic use, with more than 20 companies pre-qualifying, including European, Chinese, Arab and Iraqi groups read more

Chinese companies won five more bids to explore Iraqi oil and gas fields, Iraqs oil minister said on Sunday, as the Middle Eastern countrys hydrocarbon exploration licensing round continued into its second day.

Chinese companies have been the only foreign players to win bids so far, taking licenses covering 10 oil and gas fields since Saturday, while Iraqi Kurdish company KAR Group took two.

The oil and gas licences for 29 projects in total are mainly aimed at ramping up output for domestic use, with more than 20 companies pre-qualifying, including European, Chinese, Arab and Iraqi groups.

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Iraq wanted this licensing round - the countrys sixth - in particular to increase the output of natural gas, that it wants to use to fire power plants that rely heavily on gas imported from Iran. However, no bids were made on at least six fields with gas potential, potentially undermining those efforts.

Also, notably no US oil majors have been involved, even after Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia met representatives of US companies on an official visit to the United States last month.

Among specific awards, Chinas CNOOC Iraq won a bid to develop for oil exploration Iraqs Block 7, which extends across the countrys central and southern provinces of Diwaniya, Babil, Najaf, Wasit and Muthanna, said oil minister Hayan Abdul Ghani.

ZhenHua, Anton Oilfield Services and Sinopec won bids to develop the Abu Khaymah oilfield in Muthanna, the Dhufriya field in Wasit and the Sumer field in Muthanna, respectively, the minister said.

Chinas Geo-Jade won a bid to develop Iraqs Jabal Sanam field for oil exploration in Basra province, Iraqs oil minister added.

Iraq, OPECs second-largest oil producer behind Saudi Arabia, has been hampered in its oil sector development by contract terms viewed as unfavourable by many major oil companies, as well as recurring military conflicts and growing investor focus on environmental, social and governance criteria.
Israels actions in Rafah, according to Qatars prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, have hampered efforts to achieve a truce in negotiations that are being mediated by Egypt and Qatar, while negotiations will still go forward read more

A week ago, Israel issued orders for civilians to evacuate some areas of eastern Rafah; on Saturday, more zones were included in the second batch of directives Image Courtesy AP

On Tuesday, Israeli tanks advanced farther into eastern Rafah and into some residential areas, intensifying their onslaught in the southern border city where over a million people sought refuge following seven months of fighting.

Israels diplomatic partners and humanitarian organizations have warned of a possible humanitarian disaster and repeatedly recommended against a ground invasion into the refugee-clogged Rafah.

Israels actions in Rafah, according to Qatars prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, have hampered efforts to achieve a truce in negotiations that are being mediated by Egypt and Qatar, while negotiations will still go forward.

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Israel has promised to advance into Rafah without the assistance of allies, claiming that the operation is required to eliminate the final four Hamas battalions that are holed up in the city.

The armed wing of Hamas claimed to have shot down an Israeli troop carrier in the eastern Al-Salam neighborhood using an Al-Yassin 105 missile, inflicting injuries and killing a few crew members.

The Israeli military remained silent at first.

A week ago, Israel issued orders for civilians to evacuate some areas of eastern Rafah; on Saturday, more zones were included in the second batch of directives.

They are making their way to desolate areas, such as Al-Mawasi, an Israeli-designated humanitarian region that is a sandy strip along the coast. The area lacks sanitary and other infrastructure to handle a flood of displaced people, as aid organizations have cautioned.

Since May 6, an estimated 450,000 Palestinians have left Rafah, according to UNRWA, the primary United Nations relief organization in Gaza.

In recent days, there has been more fighting throughout the strip, especially in the north, and the Israeli force is returning to locations where it claimed to have destroyed Hamas months before. Israel claims that the goal of the operations is to stop Gazas ruling Hamas organization from regaining its military prowess.

Gaza health officials report that the number of Palestinian deaths in the conflict has topped 35,000; their estimates do not distinguish between fighters and civilians. It stated that the number of Palestinian deaths in the last 24 hours had reached 82, the greatest number in a single day in some weeks.

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A U.N.-marked vehicle was struck on Monday near Rafah, killing a foreign member of the security crew. According to a spokesman, it was the first foreign U.N. death of the conflict, bringing the total number of U.N. workers killed to about 190.

After a horrific attack on October 7 by gunmen commanded by Hamas, who ran through Israeli communities surrounding the enclave, killing about 1,200 people and seizing over 250 captives, Israel began its operation in Gaza.

Residents of the densely populated 2.3 million-person enclave in the north and south said that gun clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian gunmen were the bloodiest in months.

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Bulldozers tore down buildings in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City in order to create a new road that would allow tanks to enter the eastern sector.

Under intense tank fire, inhabitants of Jabalia, a large refugee camp in northern Gaza that was established 75 years ago for Palestinian refugees, stated that Israeli soldiers were attempting to penetrate as far as the camps local market.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham argued that Hamas should be blamed for civilian casualties throughout Gaza war as it used the civilians in the strip as human shields read more

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham slammed US President Joe Biden for pausing the delivery of 3,000 bombs to Israel and said Benjamin Netanyahu-led country should be given the bombs they need to end the war with Hamas.

Graham also compared the Israel-Hamas war with World War II and even went on to say that the US dropping nuclear bombs on Japan to end the war was the right decision.

Israel cant afford to lose

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Recently in an interview on NBC News, Graham, a staunch supporter of Israel, said: When we were faced with destruction as a nation after Pearl Harbor, fighting the Germans and the Japanese, we decided to end the war by the bombing [of] Hiroshima [and] Nagasaki with nuclear weaponsThat was the right decision.

Give Israel the bombs they need to end the war. They cant afford to lose, he further said.

Recently, Biden paused the delivery of 3,000 heavy bombs to Israel and vowed to hold more offensive weapons if Israeli forces launch a major operation in Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians are sheltering.

Biden stopping delivery of heavy bombs, criticising Israels military campaign and threatening to withhold more weapons in the event of a Rafah invasion come amid college protests in the US and frustration with the war from some Democrats and his left flank.

Israel should do whatever to survive as a Jewish state

Drawing a comparison with the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki  which killed over 2,00,000 people and left much more badly traumatised  the US Senator said Israel should do whatever it has to survive as a Jewish state.

Why is it OK for America to drop two nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end their existential threat war? Why was it OK for us to do that? I thought it was OK, he said.

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Graham went on to say, So, Israel, do whatever you have to do to survive as a Jewish state. Whatever you have to do.

Hamas using their own population as human shields

The US Senator also argued that Hamas should be blamed for civilian casualties throughout Gaza war as it used the civilians in the strip as human shields.

I think its impossible to mitigate civilian deaths in Gaza as long as Hamas uses their own population as human shields. Ive never seen in the history of warfare such blatant efforts by an enemy  Hamas  to put civilians at risk, Graham said. The last thing you want to do is reward this behaviour.

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With inputs from agencies
Despite President Salome Zourabichvilis intention to veto the legislation, the ruling party possesses sufficient parliamentary support to override her decision. The government asserts that the law aims solely to promote transparency, dismissing allegations of broader censorship read more

Amid widespread condemnation from critics who view it as a Kremlin-inspired move to stifle civil society, Georgias parliament has passed a foreign agents law. Despite ongoing protests that have mobilised hundreds of thousands in Tbilisi, a majority of MPs endorsed the bill during Tuesdays vote.

Recent demonstrations have seen allegations of police brutality against protesters gathered outside parliament, with tensions escalating as violence spilled into the chamber. In one incident, a member of the ruling Georgian Dream party had to be restrained by security personnel after a confrontation with the leader of the main opposition, Levan Khabeishvili.

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The newly passed legislation mandates that media and civil society organisations in Georgia receiving over 20% of their funding from abroad must register as organisations serving the interests of a foreign power.

Drawing comparisons to similar laws enacted in Russia under Vladimir Putins leadership in 2012, critics argue that such measures are designed to silence dissenting voices.

In response to the bill, the US State Department has labeled it Kremlin-inspired, expressing concerns over its potential impact on freedom of expression. Georgias Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, met with US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Jim OBrien, to address Washingtons apprehensions.

The Prime Minister stressed the necessity of the law for ensuring transparency while committing to considering international feedback during the veto process.

Despite President Salome Zourabichvilis intention to veto the legislation, the ruling party possesses sufficient parliamentary support to override her decision. The government asserts that the law aims solely to promote transparency, dismissing allegations of broader censorship.
Criticising Gen Munir, Khan said: It is the misfortune of this country that a self-proclaimed King (Gen Munir) has taken hold of all the decision-making. I am currently in prison because if I am free, it will challenge the power of that one person read more

Pakistans former prime minister Imran Khan, who has been in jail since August last in different cases, on Tuesday asked Army chief General Asim Munir to apologise to him for his illegal abduction and for backing the London Plan and vowed not to cut a deal with the powerful military.

On the morning of May 9, 2023, my illegal abduction from the High Court was part of the London Plan (to topple the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government and impose a hybrid system led by the Sharif family on the country), for which General Asim Munir should apologise to me, Khan said on X.

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It is believed that his family is running his social media account.

Criticising Gen Munir, Khan said: It is the misfortune of this country that a self-proclaimed King (Gen Munir) has taken hold of all the decision-making. I am currently in prison because if I am free, it will challenge the power of that one person.

Khan said the Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) - the media wing of the armed forces - and the Chief of Army Staff are making threatening political statements and involving the army in politics which is tarnishing the image of the army.

The powerful Army, which has ruled the coup-prone country for more than half of its 75-plus years of existence, has hitherto wielded considerable power in matters of security and foreign policy.

ISPR DG Maj-Gen Ahmed Sharif last week said that any dialogue with the PTI could happen only if it earnestly apologises publicly in front of the nation, promises to adopt constructive politics, and forgoes politics of anarchy.

Khan said when political statements and press conferences are held, political parties have the right to respond to them.

When the government is given to people lacking democratic mandate, the country becomes an epicentre of corruption and chaos. The chaos that is seen in (Pakistan-occupied) Kashmir today is likely to spread across Pakistan. Form 47 (fake result) non-democratic governments have been established in the entire country.

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When a government is elected democratically, it is backed by the people. People value their elected government and if any issues arises, it is resolved through dialogue, he said, adding that people place no trust in the imposed governments in Gilgit-Baltistan, PoK, Punjab and Pakistan; hence the widespread unrest and frustration.

He said further backlash will ensue against Form 47 governments when the budget is announced.

He further said an artificial set-up has been imposed on the people in the country. This government has absolutely no authority. An unconstitutional institution like SIFC (Special Investment Facilitation Council, an initiative of the army) has been imposed on Pakistan and no one dares to question it. It was established with the sole purpose of bringing investments, while the Pakistan Business Council has openly stated that investors are withdrawing their investments instead of investing into the country. On the one hand, the nation was misled with the false hopes of the agricultural revolution and on the other hand, wheat importation to embezzle billions of rupees, has devastated the wheat farmer economically, he added.

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Khan said in this bogus setup, the government is given to those who have all their wealth lying outside in the form of dollars.

A leader has to make sacrifices and this group of Nawaz and Zardari will not sacrifice under any circumstances nor will they bring their money back to the country. General Musharraf and later ISI provided details to everyone including me on their looted money and today they have been imposed on us and their corruption charges are being cleared. The purpose of imposing this fake system on the nation is only to increase the power of this one man (Gen Munir) who has destroyed the entire country for his personal power, he said and vowed not to cut a deal with the military.

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This country is my country and I will never leave it. Moreover, any deal is also out of the question. Pakistan is being run in a dictatorial manner. Our total revenue is 13.9 trillion rupees, while we have to pay 9.8 trillion rupees annually as interest. The country can never progress with such a punitive use of coercive measures, Khan said.
The United States further said there is not going to be any exemption for India and the sanctions are potentially applicable to all the countries dealing with Iran read more

Following the signing of an agreement between India and Iran regarding the Chabahar port, the United States said anyone doing business with Iran is open to potential sanctions.

The US has imposed wide-ranging sanctions on Iran in the light of its nuclear programme. Iran is suspected to be developing nuclear weapons in violation of international treaties and sanctions are a result of it.

At a press conference, US Depart of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel further said that there is not going to be any exemption for India and the sanctions are potentially applicable to all the countries dealing with Iran.

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Well continue to enforce: US on Iran sanctions after Chabahar deal

Patel said that the United States will continue to enforce the sanctions it has imposed on Iran.

In response to a question on the Chabahar agreement signed on Monday, Patel said that is for the Indian government to speak on the matter and not that of the Biden administration.

Patel said, I will let the Government of India speak to its own foreign policy goals vis-a-vis the Chabahar port as well as its own bilateral relationship with Iran. I will just say, as it relates to the United States, U.S. sanctions on Iran remain in place and well continue to enforce them.

Patel further said that all entities considering business deals with Iran need to be aware of the potential risk that they are opening themselves up to and the potential risk of sanctions.

Whats India-Iran Chabahar port deal?

With eyes on trade with Central Asia, India on Monday signed a deal with Iran to operate the Iranian port of Chabahar for a period of 10 years.

The Chabahar port, first proposed by India in 2003, is intended to provide Indian goods a gateway to reach landlocked Afghanistan and further to Central using a network of rail and road projects. The port is formally called the Shahid Beheshti Port Terminal.

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The deal was signed between India Port Global Limited (IPGL) and Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) of Iran. Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal was in Iran for the signing of the deal.

The Ministerial visit and signing of the Long-term Contract will further strengthen ties between the two nations and highlights the importance of Chabahar as a gateway for trade with Afghanistan and broader Central Asian countries. The development of the Chabahar Port Project is an India-Iran flagship project, said Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways in a statement.
The aid was sent via and Indian Air Force aircraft from Ghaziabads Hindon Airport to Kenya. The first tranche of humanitarian aid was sent on May 10 read more

India has sent the second tranche of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) to Kenya which is currently witnessing one of its worst floods.

In a post on X, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar shared the development, saying, Standing up for a historical partnership, a Vishwabandhu to the world.

The second tranche of HADR material containg 40 tonnes of medicines, medical supplies and other equipment to assist flood victims leaves for Kenya.



Standing up for a historical partnership, a Vishwabandhu to the world. https://t.co/l4tkS1bQlD pic.twitter.com/Paz9nOoCcW  Dr. S. Jaishankar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrSJaishankar) May 14, 2024

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The aid was sent via and Indian Air Force aircraft from Ghaziabads Hindon Airport to Kenya.

The first tranche of humanitarian aid was sent on May 10.

STANDING IN SOLIDARITY WITH KENYA



Indian Naval Ship Sumedha, as the first responder in IOR, has handed over food, relief & medicine supplies for flood victims to the Government of #Kenya.  @ODP_kenya@indiannavy@MEAIndia@KenyaMOFA@HQ_IDS_India@SpokespersonMoD@DCMohd pic.twitter.com/xSJKXFBbbs  India in Kenya (@IndiainKenya) May 10, 2024

What does the aid contain?

The aid sent to Kenya included 40 tonnes of medicines, medical supplies and other equipment to assist flood victims.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: The second tranche of HADR material containing 40 tonnes of medicines, medical supplies, and other equipment to assist flood victims leaves for Kenya, from Hindon Airport, Ghaziabad https://t.co/ZgeE6W1sbu pic.twitter.com/933nHyCPI3  ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2024

Floods in Kenya

The floods in the African country swept away people and inundated homes, killing at least 267 people and impacting more than 380,000, according to government statistics. The floods are fueled by unusually heavy rainfall during Kenyas rainy season which starts in March and sometimes extends up to June.

In order to save lives in the future, the government last week ordered evacuations and the demolition of structures and buildings that had been built illegally within 30 meters of river banks. Officials say at least 181,000 people have been moved since last week and that measures have been taken to provide temporary shelter, food and other essentials.

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With inputs from agencies
Wadhwa mentioned that he had corresponded via email with the CEO of Tesla regarding the dangers in China a few years ago. He advised the billionaire to think about shifting Tesla production to India and threatened to rob him blind if he did not read more

Wadhwa's remarks follow Elon Musk's announcement that he would be traveling to China instead of India Image Courtesy Reuters

Indian-American author and entrepreneur Vivek Wadhwa questioned billionaire Elon Musks choice of China over India for Teslas manufacturing operations in a social media post. Choosing China over India, Wadhwa stated that Elon is going to be the biggest loser on X (previously Twitter).

He quoted a post by the Director of Centre for Russia Europe Asia Studies, Theresa Fallon, who said that US and European automakers are failing in China because they were looking only for short-term gain and transferring technology, management techniques and know-how to China. Ms. Fallon remarked, That era is over, but it was good while it lasted.

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In response, Wadhwa mentioned that he had corresponded via email with the CEO of Tesla regarding the dangers in China a few years ago. He advised the billionaire to think about shifting Tesla production to India and threatened to rob him blind if he did not.

Elon is going to be the biggest loser here. A few years ago, I exchanged emails with him about the risks in China. I warned him they would rob him blind and urged him to consider moving manufacturing to India instead, where he would have dominated the market by now, Wadhwa wrote.

On Monday, Wadhwa shared the post. It has received numerous comments and more than 87,000 views since then.

Notably, Wadhwas remarks follow Elon Musks announcement that he would be traveling to China instead of India.

The entrepreneur met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang during his visit, according to CNN, and the latter hailed Tesla as a successful model for US-China cooperation. Musk was in China requesting Beijings consent for the release of Full Self-Driving software and the export of its data abroad.
Col Waibhav Anil Kales death marks the first international casualty for the United Nations since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, 2023 read more

A couple of months ago, Waibhav Anil Kale, a former colonel with the Indian Army had started working for the United Nations as a staff member of the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS) in war-struck Gaza.

When he took the posting, little did he know that it would be his last. As per reports coming in from Gaza, Colonel Kale was killed tragically when the vehicle he was travelling in came under attack in Rafah where Israeli forces had intensified their attack.

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Col Kales death marks the first international casualty for the United Nations since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, 2023.

Who was the ex-Indian Army personnel killed in Gaza?

As per reports, 46-year-old Kale, served with the 11 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles of the Indian Army.

Kale took premature retirement from the Indian Army in 2022. He joined the UN as a Security Coordination Officer in the United Nations DSS two months ago.

Kale was originally from Pune, Maharashtra and is survived by his wife and two children.

His vehicle was attacked on Monday when he was travelling to the European Hospital in Rafah from Gaza.

It is, however, unclear whether there was a ground attack or an air attack on his vehicle.

His identity was revealed by Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson of the United Nations Secretary-General, in a statement on Monday night.

Another DSS staffer was injured in the incident when their UN vehicle was struck as they travelled to the European Hospital in Rafah.

Col Kale was killed in an active combat zone. As per reports, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) are investigating the incident.

A statement issued by Haq said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned all attacks on UN personnel and called for a full investigation.

Guterres sent his condolences to the family of the fallen staff member.

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The Permanent Mission of India to the UN condoled the death of Kale. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), it said: We are deeply saddened by the loss of Col Waibhav Kale, working for the UN Department of Safety and Security in Gaza. Our deepest condolences are with the family during this difficult time."

With inputs from agencies
The Indian personnel killed in Rafah is the first casualty among international UN staff in Gaza since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict following the October 7 terror attacks read more

An Indian personnel working with the United Nations was killed in Gaza when the vehicle he was travelling in came under attack in Rafah, making it the first international casualty for the organisation since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The individual was a staff member of the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS). While the identity of the victim has not yet been revealed, sources confirmed to PTI he was from India and a former Indian Army personnel.

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The Indian personnel killed in Rafah is the first casualty" among international UN staff in Gaza since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict following the October 7 terror attacks. Another DSS staffer was injured in the incident when their UN vehicle was struck as they travelled to the European Hospital in Rafah.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was deeply saddened to learn of the death of a United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS) staff member and injury to another DSS staffer when their UN vehicle was struck as they travelled to the European Hospital in Rafah Monday morning.

A statement issued by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, said that Guterres condemned all attacks on UN personnel and called for a full investigation. Guterres sent his condolences to the family of the fallen staff member.

With the conflict in Gaza continuing to take a heavy toll, not only on civilians but also on humanitarian workers the Secretary-General reiterates his urgent appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and for the release of all hostages, the statement added.

In a post on X, Guterres said the UN vehicle was struck in Gaza, killing one of our colleagues & injuring another.

He said that more than 190 UN staff have been killed in Gaza.

Humanitarian workers must be protected. I condemn all attacks on UN personnel and reiterate my urgent appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire & the release of all hostages, he said.

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Responding to questions on the incident during the press briefing, Haq said at this point, We are in the process of informing the relevant governments and the relevant family members, so I wouldnt share any names or nationalities.

He added that they were international staff.

Haq confirmed that this is, in fact, the first international UN casualty.

While there have been international casualties involving workers for the World Central Kitchen in Gaza, Haq said that of UN staff, I believe Ive not been previously aware of an international casualty.

Haq added that the vehicle was headed to the hospital as part of their regular work, they go to different locations to assess security conditions. And this was the European hospital in Rafah.

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When asked for details about how their vehicle was struck, Haq said This happened fairly recently. Were still accumulating details. We expect to get reports, including from the relevant authorities.

He added that close to around 190 UN personnel have been killed in Gaza since October 7, most of them national staff of the UN Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA.

Haq added that the UN is going to set up measures for accountability. A lot of that requires ultimately for an end to the conflict so that we can work these out, but we will be working with the authorities on the ground to get a restitution for all of those who have been killed.

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Haq said he did not have the full details of whether the vehicle that was struck was part of a large convoy. I believe it was in a convoy that was moving, and this was the DSS vehicle that was hit.

Director-General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X, We are devastated to learn about the death of a UN humanitarian worker and injury of another in Gaza. Too many civilian and humanitarian lives have paid the price for this war. Ceasefire and work towards peace, the WHO chief said.

In April, seven members of the World Central Kitchen were killed in an IDF strike in Gaza. One of those killed in the airstrike was Zomi Frankcom, who was of Indian descent, according to reports.

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The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that between October 7, 2023, and May 12, 2024, at least 35,091 Palestinians have been killed and 78,827 injured in Gaza.

More than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals, including 33 children, have been killed in Israel, the vast majority on October 7, when Hamas attacked Israel.
The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seized one vessel and sunk another since November, the U.S. Maritime Administration said late last month. Houthi attacks have dropped in recent weeks as the rebels have been targeted by a U.S.-led airstrike campaign in Yemen. Shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has declined because of the threat read more

The United States called on Iran on Monday to halt its transfer of an unprecedented amount of weaponry to Yemens Houthi rebels, enabling their fighters to carry out reckless attacks on ships in the Red Sea and elsewhere.

U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood told the U.N. Security Council that if it wants to make progress toward ending the civil war in Yemen, it should collectively call Iran out for its destabilising role and insist that it cannot hide behind the Houthis.

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He said there is extensive evidence that Iran is providing advanced weapons, including ballistic and cruise missiles, to the Houthis in violation of U.N. sanctions.

To underscore the councils concern regarding the ongoing violations of the arms embargo, we must do more to strengthen enforcement and deter sanctions violators, Wood said.

The Houthis say their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden are aimed at pressuring Israel to end its war with Hamas in Gaza, which has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians there. 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, the U.S. Maritime Administration said late last month.

Houthi attacks have dropped in recent weeks as the rebels have been targeted by a U.S.-led airstrike campaign in Yemen. Shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has declined because of the threat.

Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special envoy for Yemen, warned the council that hostilities continue, even though there has been a reduction in attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, as well as a reduction in the number of U.S. and British airstrikes on targets in Yemen.

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He pointed to an announcement by the Houthis that they will expand the scope of attacks," calling this a worrisome provocation in an already volatile situation.

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the council that the Israeli announcement on May 6 that it was starting its military operation in Gazas southern city of Rafah, where 1.2 million Palestinians had sought safety, ratcheted up the spiral of escalation in the region another notch further.

Theres no doubt that this will have an impact on the situation in Yemens surrounding waters, he said, noting the Houthis opposition to Israeli attacks that harm Palestinian civilians.

We call for a swift cessation of the shelling of commercial vessels and any other actions that hamper maritime navigation, Nebenzia added.

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He sharply criticized the United States and its Western allies, saying their totally unjustified aggressive strikes in Yemen violate the U.N. Charter. He said they further complicate an already complex situation in the Red Sea.

The war between the Houthis and pro-government forces in Yemen backed by a coalition of Gulf Arab states has raged since 2014. The Houthis swept down from the mountains, seized much of northern Yemen and the countrys capital, Sanaa, and forced the internationally recognized government to flee into exile to Saudi Arabia. Since then, more than 150,000 people have been killed by the violence and 3 million have been displaced.

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Fighting has decreased markedly in Yemen since a truce in April 2022, but there are still hotspots across the country.

Grundberg recalled that in December, the Houthis and the government took a courageous step towards a peaceful solution by agreeing to a series of commitments that would provide for a nationwide cease-fire, ensure desperately needed humanitarian aid, and initiate a political process to end the conflict.

However, U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths reported alarmingly high levels of severe food deprivation across the country that are expected to worsen during the lean season for crops, starting in June.

Griffiths also expressed serious concern about a rapidly worsening cholera outbreak. He cited reports of 40,000 suspected cholera cases and over 160 deaths  a sharp increase since last month, the majority in Houthi-controlled areas where hundreds of new cases are reported every day.
The United States is struggling to understand the theory of total victory of Israel over Hamas, said US Deputy Secretary of Defense Kurt Campbell read more

Israeli soldiers walk near tanks, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, near the Israel-Gaza Border, in southern Israel. Reuters

The Joe Biden administration of the United States does not believe that Israel can achieve total victory against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, according to a top US official.

The complete defeat of Hamas in which its fighting capabilities are dismantled and it is overthrown as the ruler of Gaza is one of the two principal objectives of Israel in the war in Gaza. The other objective is to secure the release of all the hostages that Hamas took during the October 7 attack.

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Speaking at the NATO Youth Summit, US Deputy Secretary of Defense Kurt Campbell on Monday said that the Biden administration was struggling to understand the theory of the complete victory that Israel has floated.

In some respects, we are struggling over what the theory of victory is. Sometimes when we listen closely to Israeli leaders, they talk about mostly the idea of a sweeping victory on the battlefield, total victory, said Campbell, as per Reuters.

We dont believe complete victory is likely or possible

Drawing a parallel between the October 7 attack of Hamas and the September 11 (9/11) attacks of 2001 that the United States faced, Campbell said that the Biden administration does not believe complete victory over Hamas is likely or possible.

I dont think we believe that that is likely or possible and that this looks a lot like situations that we found ourselves in after 9/11, where, after civilian populations had been moved and lots of violence thatthe insurrections continue, said Campbell.

Israel has maintained that most of the war-waging capacities of Hamas have been dismantled. However, it has further said that final four battalions of Hamas are based in Rafah, the town on the southern tip of Gaza where an Israeli expected offensive has raised worldwide concerns of a humanitarian crisis.

While Israel has maintained that an operation in Rafah is must to defeat Hamas, the US, the United Kingdom and the international community have asked it to not proceed without a satisfactory plan to evacuate and rehabilitate civilians sheltering there. While 1.3-4 million Palestinians displaced from monthslong war were initially sheltering in Rafah, around 1 million are still expected to be there.

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There has to be a political solution

Regarding the resolution of the ongoing conflict, Campbell said that there has to be a political solution.

Campbell also acknowledged that such a solution is more difficult than ever right now.

I think we view that there has to be more of a political solutionWhats different from the past in that sense, many countries want to move towards a political solution in which the rights of Palestinians are more respected. I dont think its ever been more difficult than right now, said Campbell.

The Biden administration has stressed that progress towards the realisation of the two-state solution should be part of the peace efforts for the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The two-state solution refers to the proposed solution for the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict in which a Jewish State of Israel and an Arab State of Palestine exist side-by-side.
Khawaja Asifs remarks prompted protest and sloganeering by the opposition lawmakers belonging to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and commotion went on despite speaker national assembly Ayaz Sadiq urging for calm read more

During a heated parliamentary debate, laced with barbs and vitriol, Pakistans Defence Minister Khawaja Asif demanded on Monday that the body of former military dictator Ayub Khan be exhumed and hanged for abrogating the constitution.

The problem began after opposition leader Omar Ayub Khan, a grandson of Ayub Khan, took a strong exception to the last week press conference of the military spokesman Maj-Gen Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry by terming it interference in politics by the army.

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Security agencies cannot indulge in politics as per the Constitution, he said, adding that they were tools of the state, not the state itself.

Quoting from different articles of the Constitution, he said that the oath of army officers barred them from interference in politics. Security institutions cannot indulge in politics as per this Constitution. This press conference should not have happened, he said.

He also read aloud Article 6 that abrogation of the Constitution was high treason punishable with death, and urged that all institutions should remain within the constitutional limits. Constitutionally, every institution has its limits, he reiterated. If institutions do not operate within them, then the country cannot progress.

Defence minister Asif said Ayub Khan was the first to violate the Constitution and he should be the first to face Article 6 also.

The body of the false Field Marshall Ayub Khan, who instituted the first martial law in the country, should also be dug out and hanged as per Article 6. Begin from there and the height should be the night when the Constitution was violated and the assembly was dissolved so the no-confidence motion could not pass, he demanded.

His remarks prompted protest and sloganeering by the opposition lawmakers belonging to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and commotion went on despite speaker national assembly Ayaz Sadiq urging for calm.

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Undeterred by the uproar, Asif pressed forward with his demand by repeating that Ayub Khan was the first who violated his oath.

Dig out the body of the one who is the root of all these problems, constitutional violations and lawlessness and hang him, Asif said.

However, later on a semblance of peace returned and Asif completed his barbed speech, with the opposition lawmakers booing him at times.
Polanski is wanted in the United States over the statutory rape of a 13-year-old in 1977 and faces several other accusations of sexual assault dating back decades and past the statute of limitations  all claims he has rejected. He fled to Europe in 1978 read more

Lewis in 2010 accused Polanski of abusing her in the worst possible way as a 16-year-old in 1983 in Paris after she travelled there for a casting session Image Courtesy Reuters

French-Polish filmmaker Roman Polanski was cleared on Tuesday by a French court of defaming British actor Charlotte Lewis, who had accused Polanski of raping her as a teenager.

Polanski, 90, was not present in court when the Paris criminal court rendered its decision.

Lewis testified in court in March that after coming forward about abuse she had experienced in the 1980s, she was the target of a smear campaign that nearly destroyed her life.

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He raped me, the 56-year-old actor told the court, explaining it had taken her time to put a name on the incident that occurred in Paris when she was 16.

The verdict by this court, which specialises in media cases, relates strictly to the charge of defamation and not over the actors rape accusation against Polanski.

The film-maker, whose titles include the Oscar-winning Rosemarys Baby, Chinatown and The Pianist, did not attend any hearings of the trial.

Polanski is wanted in the United States over the statutory rape of a 13-year-old in 1977 and faces several other accusations of sexual assault dating back decades and past the statute of limitations  all claims he has rejected. He fled to Europe in 1978.

Lewis in 2010 accused Polanski of abusing her in the worst possible way as a 16-year-old in 1983 in Paris after she travelled there for a casting session. She appeared in his 1986 film Pirates.

The film-maker said that it was a heinous lie in a 2019 interview with Paris Match magazine.

According to Paris Match, he pulled out a copy of a 1999 article in now-defunct British tabloid newspaper News of the World, and quoted Lewis as saying in it: I wanted to be his lover.

Lewis has said the quotes attributed to her in that interview were not accurate.

She filed a complaint for defamation, and the film director was automatically charged under French law.

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Stuart White, who wrote the 1999 News of the World article to which Polanski referred, was also present in court.

The interview I gave to Stuart White was not the interview that was in the newspaper, Lewis said, adding she discovered the article only years later.

White said he interviewed Lewis twice after the paper paid 30,000 for exclusive rights.

He said she had agreed to a vice girl angle to the 1999 story, but said he could not remember if she had asked to approve the text before it was published.

In 2010, Lewis said she decided to speak out to counter suggestions from Polanskis legal team that the 1977 rape case was an isolated incident.

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Switzerland, France and Poland have refused to extradite Polanski to the United States.

Between 2017 and 2019, four other women came forward with claims that Polanski also abused them in the 1970s, three of them as minors. He has denied all the allegations.

(With agency inputs)
The situation remained tense in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as the total strike against high prices of wheat flour and inflated electricity bills and taxes entered its fifth day on Tuesday. read more

Security forces in Pakistan-occupied Kashmirs capital Muzaffarabad opened fire on protesters during clashes with paramilitary Rangers, killing at least three and six injuring several others.

The situation remained tense in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as the total strike against high prices of wheat flour and inflated electricity bills and taxes entered its fifth day on Tuesday.

The paramilitary Rangers, which were called in to maintain law and order in the disputed region, came under attack while moving out of the region, the Dawn newspaper reported. Instead of exiting via Brarkot, the village bordering Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the 19-vehicle convoy, including five trucks, chose to exit the region from Kohala, it said.

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As the convoy reached Muzaffarabad in a charged atmosphere, it was pelted with rocks near Shorran da Nakka village, to which they responded with teargas and firing, the report said.

After entering the city through the Western Bypass, the Rangers were welcomed with rocks again, prompting them to use teargas and bullets. The shelling was so intense that the entire neighbourhood reeled from it, the report said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved a Pakistani Rs 23 billion subsidy for immediate release to the region following a deadlock in negotiations between protesters and the regional government. However, the subsidy decision did not pacify the region.

Clashes erupted on Saturday between police and rights movement activists, resulting in the death of one police officer and injuries to over 100 people, mostly policemen. Since Friday, a complete strike has brought life in the territory to a halt.

Before the violence, Prime Minister Sharif and the disputed regions prime minister Anwarul Haq approved the release of the subsidy for power and wheat. The subsidised rate for 40kg of flour was reduced to Pakistani Rs 2,000 from Rs 3,100. The electricity tariff was lowered to Pakistani Rs 3, Rs 5, and Rs 6 per unit for up to 100, 300, and more than 300 units, respectively, according to the Dawn.

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The protest, led by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) with traders at the forefront, demands electricity at hydropower generation costs, subsidised wheat flour, and an end to elite privileges. O

n Monday, the JAAC initiated a long march to Muzaffarabad, the capital of PoK, as the wheel-jam strike entered its fourth day. This move followed a stalemate in talks between the JAAC core committee and the regions Chief Secretary Dawood Bareach.

With inputs from PTI.
According to Chinese official media, Putins visit, which is scheduled on May 1617, is reminiscent of Xis own state visit to Moscow slightly more than a year ago, when he, like Putin, announced the unconventional beginning of a new term as president after revising the regulations governing the duration of office read more

Less than a week after taking office again and prolonging his despotic rule until 2030 as the outcome of an election with no real opposition, Putin is scheduled to arrive in China Image Courtesy AP

Vladimir Putin will visit China on Thursday for the second time in less than a year, at the invitation of Chinese leader Xi Jinping. This is the latest indication of the two countries growing alignment at a time when violence is wreaking havoc in Gaza and Ukraine.

Less than a week after taking office again and prolonging his despotic rule until 2030 as the outcome of an election with no real opposition, Putin is scheduled to arrive in China.

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According to Chinese official media, Putins visit, which is scheduled on May 1617, is reminiscent of Xis own state visit to Moscow slightly more than a year ago, when he, like Putin, announced the unconventional beginning of a new term as president after revising the regulations governing the duration of office.

Their meeting takes place months before the US presidential elections and amid growing worldwide criticism of Washington for its backing of Israels Gaza War. The leaders will be able to debate how all of this can further their goal of undermining American influence and providing a substitute.

The two leaders visit coincides with what analysts describe as a loose but developing alliance between Iran and North Korea, two nations that openly oppose the United States. Western nations suspect that Pyongyang, whose economy is almost totally dependent on China, is providing Russia with military supplies. The US claims that Tehran, a significant participant that is receiving economic support from China and Russia, is also in this category.

Encouraged by the survival of his wartime economy and a big fresh push along critical areas of the Ukrainian front line, Putin will come for the two-day state visit. After just returning from a trip of Europe, Xi sees this visit as a chance to demonstrate that his loyalty to Putin has not affected his capacity to interact with the West.

However, the outward display of the strong loyalty conceals a more difficult reality.

Beijing is coming under increasing pressure from Washington on its purported backing of Russias defense sector. In Europe, Xi had to deal with tense situations in France; he was only warmly received in Serbia and Hungary. Meanwhile, Russia, Chinas main ally, is still isolated globally.

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Xi has intensified his appeals for Europe and other nations to assist in preventing a Cold War, implying that they oppose what Beijing perceives as US attempts to control China.

However, the president is perceived as strengthening ties, especially when he hosts Putin this week, to highlight the widening gap in the world that may exacerbate differences with the West, whose investment and technology, analysts say, China desperately needs.

Xis hosting of Putin this week is clouded by Western warnings of more extensive measures against his nation should it persist in supplying certain items to Russia. According to the US government, Russias defense industry is expanding thanks to dual-use exports.

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China has stated that it keeps a careful eye on dual-use product shipments and disputes that its trade with Russia is anything more than regular bilateral communication. Last year, the two nations bilateral trade hit a record $240 billion.

On the question of whether Xi will try to utilize his time with Putin this week to push for an early resolution to the crisis, even astute observers of his evasive decision-making are split.

However, exports to Russia have decreased in March and April compared to the same months last year, according to Chinas official trade data. This suggests Beijing may be taking precautions to guard against Western sanctions penetrating further into its financial and commercial sectors.

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Recalibrating there, however, is unlikely to impede the two nations increasing collaboration in a number of sectors, since they regularly engage in military exercises and diplomatic visits. Analysts predict that it wont alter Beijings position on Russias conflict either.

Analysts say that the Gaza conflict has created a chance for the two nations common objectives, and that it is also anticipated to be a topic of conversation between Xi and Putin.

During a joint press conference with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi last month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov outlined these objectives in general terms. They include creating a fair multipolar world order free from American hegemony and neo-colonial practices and cooperating to consolidate the nations of the Global South.

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Regarding Gaza, neither of the two major nations has spoken out against Hamas terror strike on Israel on October 7. Additionally, they have attacked both Israel and the US, joining the growing global outcry against Israels war, particularly in the Global South.

However, as the world grows more divided and Xi fortifies his ties with Putin and Russia, concerns are raised about where this will take the second-biggest economy in the world, both publicly and within Chinas policy circles.

China, in spite of worries about its human rights record and aggression in the South China Sea and around Taiwan, is still seen throughout the West as an essential player and prospective collaborator on global issues like climate change, unlike internationally isolated Russia or Iran.
Christelle Cazabat, head of programs at the center, highlighted that not only are new crises emerging or old ones being rekindled, but long-term displacement is also exacerbating the situation, depriving individuals of the ability to rebuild their lives read more

Recent data from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre reveals a startling reality: Over 68 million individuals worldwide have been compelled to flee their residences by conflict, marking the highest figure in 15 years of available data.

Additionally, natural disasters have rendered 7.7 million people homeless, culminating in a record 75.9 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) as of the conclusion of 2023.

This surge in displacements stems from both ongoing conflicts and newly ignited hostilities, rendering it impossible for affected individuals to return to their homes.

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Christelle Cazabat, head of programs at the center, highlighted that not only are new crises emerging or old ones being rekindled, but long-term displacement is also exacerbating the situation, depriving individuals of the ability to rebuild their lives.

Its crucial to distinguish between IDPs and displacements. For instance, Gaza documented 3.4 million movements, resulting in 1.7 million people being internally displaced by the end of last year due to repeated forced relocations.

Sub-Saharan Africa has witnessed a drastic increase in IDPs, soaring from 16.5 million in 2018 to 34.8 million in 2023. With Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) accounting for nearly half of global displacements last year, the region has faced significant challenges.

Sudan, in particular, saw 6 million new displacements in 2023, primarily fueled by escalating violence.

Meanwhile, the resurgence of insurgency by M23 rebels in the DRC has contributed to a spike in IDPs, totaling 6.7 million. Even after a decade of conflict in Syria and a relative slowdown in fighting, 7.2 million people remain internally displaced. Similarly, Yemen and Iraq continue to grapple with protracted displacement despite ceasefire agreements.

According to the center, IDPs require enhanced support to facilitate their return home or integration into host communities. Cazabat underscored the misconception that internal displacement is merely a short-term predicament, highlighting the necessity for long-term solutions and assistance.

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Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, decried the situation, labeling it a condemnation of conflict prevention and peace-making efforts.

He stressed the enduring suffering endured by millions, often overlooked and neglected beyond the immediacy of news cycles. The imperative to provide protection and assistance to these individuals cannot be overstated.
The Investigative Committee, Russias top law enforcement body, wrote in a statement that Lt. Gen. Yury Kuznetsov, the chief of the ministrys main personnel directorate, was arrested on charges of bribery and placed in custody pending investigation and trial read more

Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, talks with Russian Chief of General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov, left, and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu after a meeting with military leaders in Moscow, Russia. AP File

Russian authorities arrested another senior Defence Ministry official on charges of bribery, authorities said Tuesday, days after President Vladimir Putin replaced the defence minister in a Cabinet shake-up and amid expectations of further purges at the ministry.

The Investigative Committee, Russias top law enforcement body, wrote in a statement that Lt. Gen. Yury Kuznetsov, the chief of the ministrys main personnel directorate, was arrested on charges of bribery and placed in custody pending investigation and trial.

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Kuznetsov is accused of accepting an exceptionally large bribe, a charge punishable by up to 15 years in prison, the statement said. The officials home and other properties were searched, the Investigative Committee reported, and the authorities seized gold coins, luxury items and 100 million rubles (just over $1 million) in cash.

Putin replaced Sergei Shoigu as defence minister Sunday in a Cabinet shakeup that comes as he begins his fifth term in office, moving him to a new post as secretary of Russias Security Council. He proposed Andrei Belousov, a top economic official, to take over as defence minister. Many expect Belousov to carry out further purges.

Belousovs candidacy needs to be approved by the upper house of Russias parliament, but it is widely seen as a formality.

Shoigus deputy, Timur Ivanov, was arrested last month on bribery charges and was ordered to remain in custody pending an official investigation. The arrest of Ivanov was widely interpreted as an attack on Shoigu and a possible precursor to his dismissal, despite his close personal ties with Putin.

Shoigu has been widely seen as a key figure in Putins decision to send Russian troops into Ukraine. Russia had expected the operation to quickly overwhelm Ukraines much smaller and less-equipped army and for Ukrainians to broadly welcome Russian troops.

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Instead, the conflict galvanized Ukraine to mount an intense defence, dealing the Russian army humiliating blows, including the retreat from an attempt to take the capital, Kyiv, and a counteroffensive that drove Moscows forces out of the Kharkiv region and out of the southern city of Kherson.
The international community has recently warned of a looming offensive on El-Fasher, the last major city in Darfur that is not under control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces read more

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is gravely concerned by fighting in recent days between the Sudanese army and rival paramilitaries in the key Darfur town of El-Fasher, a spokesman said Monday.

The international community has recently warned of a looming offensive on El-Fasher, the last major city in Darfur that is not under control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Guterres is alarmed by reports of the use of heavy weaponry in densely populated areas, resulting in dozens of civilian casualties, significant displacement and the destruction of civilian infrastructure, Farhan Haq, a spokesman for the secretary-general, said in a statement.

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The UN chief is particularly concerned for civilians in the area who are already facing a looming famine and the consequences of over a year of war, Haq added.

He repeated Guterress call for an immediate ceasefire and for all parties to allow civilians to move to safer areas and facilitate unimpeded humanitarian access.

Since April 2023 Sudan has been gripped by a devastating war between the army, headed by the countrys de facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary RSF, commanded by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

Fighting broke out on Friday and ran into the weekend with air strikes in the north and east of El-Fasher, as well as artillery fire, according to residents interviewed by AFP.

On Friday alone, clashes between the army and RSF left at least 27 people dead and 130 injured, the United Nations said.
By ramping up production and export of these in-demand products, India could enhance its trade footprint in the US market, GTRI said adding India may not get any export advantage on remaining products like EVs, and semiconductors as India is the net importer of these products read more

The escalation of a trade war between the US and China may push Beijing to dump goods in the Indian markets, economic think tank GTRI said on Tuesday.

In this backdrop, the commerce ministrys investigation arm Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has to remain vigilant, it said.

The US on Tuesday reignited the trade war with China by announcing a series of proposed tariff increases on imports including electric vehicles (EVs), batteries, and various other goods.

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The raising of tariff on EVs, batteries and many other new technology items by the US may push China to dump these products in other markets including India, the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said.

However, it said that higher duties on Chinese face masks, syringes and needles, medical gloves and natural graphite present a significant opportunity for India.

By ramping up production and export of these in-demand products, India could enhance its trade footprint in the US market, it said adding India may not get any export advantage on remaining products like EVs, and semiconductors as India is the net importer of these products.

The US and EU are taking active measures to cut reliance on China.

With stagnant exports and rising imports from China, India also needs an active China strategy, GTRI Co-Founder Ajay Srivastava said.

During FY2019 to FY2024, Indias exports to China remained static at about USD 16.7 billion, while imports surged by 44.7 per cent from USD 70.32 billion to USD 101.75 billion.

With the routine tariff increases that go beyond the WTO commitments, and large subsidy programmes to ramp up local production, the developed countries are in full protectionist mode, and trade policy gives way to the industrial policy in developed countries including the USA, EU, he said.

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Todays proposed increases are a part of the USs broader strategy under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, aimed at combating what it deems as unfair trade practices by China and this includes issues related to technology transfer, cyber intrusions, and cyber theft, the GTRI said.

In 2023, the US imported goods worth USD 427 billion from China and exported USD 148 billion, highlighting a significant trade imbalance.

It added that the US-China trade war involved multiple rounds of tariff increases on a broad array of products.

It effectively started on July 6, 2018, when the US imposed a 25 per cent tariff on USD 34 billion worth of Chinese goods, mainly industrial products like machinery, motors, and electronic components, it added.

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By August 23, 2018, the US targeted an additional USD 16 billion in Chinese imports, encompassing electronics, plastics, and railway equipment, also at a 25 per cent duty rate.

The conflict escalated on September 24, 2018, with tariffs extended to cover an additional USD 200 billion of Chinese goods such as luggage and seafood to industrial materials like chemicals and metals, it said.

The proposed tariff increases exceed the USs bound duty commitments at the WTO, potentially violating WTO provisions. The US has increasingly justified these increases under the rarely used National Security clause, Srivastava said.

The DGTR is an investigation arm of the commerce ministry which deals with anti-dumping duty, safeguard duty, and countervailing duty. These duties are trade remedy measures, provided under an agreement of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to its member countries.
After the iOS 17.4 roll out in March, Apple has rolled out iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.5 updates for the iPhone and iPad, bringing Cross-Platform Tracking Detection. The update also brings new features for Apple News+.

Cross-Platform Tracking Detection

Last year, Apple and Google proposed a new industry specification aimed at preventing the misuse of Bluetooth location-tracking devices, leading to unwanted tracking. The feature has been implemented in iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5. The tracking detection feature rolled out for Android devices running Android 6.0+ in April.

With this new capability, users will now get an [Item] Found Moving With You alert on their device if an unknown Bluetooth tracking device is seen moving with them over time, regardless of the platform the device is paired with.

If a user gets such an alert on their iOS device, it means that someone elses AirTag, Find My accessory, or other industry specification-compatible Bluetooth tracker is moving with them.

Bluetooth tag manufacturers including Chipolo, eufy, Jio, Motorola, and Pebblebee have committed that future tags will be compatible, said Apple.

Regarding the collaboration, Apple said:

This cross-platform collaboration  also an industry first, involving community and industry input  offers instructions and best practices for manufacturers, should they choose to build unwanted tracking alert capabilities into their products. Apple and Google will continue to work with the Internet Engineering Task Force via the Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers working group to develop the official standard for this technology.

New features for Apple News

Offline mode in Apple News+ gives you access to the Today feed and News+ tab, even when you dont have an internet connection

Quartiles is a new and original daily word game that is now available in Apple News+

Scoreboard in News+ Puzzles gives you access to new player data for Crossword, Mini Crossword and Quartiles, including stats and streaks

In the EU, the iOS 17.5 update brings support for web-based app distribution that lets users download apps directly from developer websites, without the need to use the App Store.
The Indian smartphone market shipped 34 million smartphones, marking an 11.5% YoY growth, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC)s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.

This growth trend has persisted for three consecutive quarters. In Q4 2023, shipments saw a 25% YoY increase.

New Launches and Promotional Activities

Numerous launches across various price ranges occurred in the quarter, alongside increased promotions, especially for premium offerings. Brands focused on microfinancing schemes to enhance affordability.

eTailers organized sales events, offering discounts on models nearing end-of-life, driving demand and reducing inventory, according to Upasana Joshi, Senior Research Manager, IDC India.

Key Highlights for 1Q24

Smartphone Average Selling Prices (ASPs) remained unchanged year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter at US$263, ending a trend of consistent ASP growth over several quarters.

Segment-wise Analysis

Entry-Level Segment (Sub-US$100)

Declined by 14% year-over-year, capturing a 15% market share, down from 20% a year ago.

Xiaomi led this segment, followed by POCO and itel.

Mass Budget Segment (US$100<US$200)

Witnessed a 22% year-over-year growth, reaching a 48% market share, up from 44% a year ago.

The top three brands were vivo, Xiaomi, and Samsung, collectively holding 53% of this segment.

Entry-Premium Segment (US$200<US$400)

Expanded to a 23% market share, growing by 25% year-over-year.

OPPO and realme gained significant shares, accounting for nearly 30% of this segment.

Mid-Premium Segment (US$400<US$600)

Experienced a 46% decline in unit terms, representing a 3% market share, down from 6% a year ago.

OnePlus led this segment with a 38% share, followed by vivo and OPPO.

Premium Segment (US$600<US$800)

Held a 2% market share and witnessed a 21% decline in unit terms.

Key models included the iPhone 13, Galaxy S23FE/S23, iPhone 12, and OnePlus12.

Apples share declined year-over-year to 45%, while Samsung increased its share to 44%, up from 16% a year ago.

Super-Premium Segment (US$800+)

Recorded the highest growth at 44%, increasing its share from 7% to 9%.

The iPhone14/15/14 Plus/15 Plus dominated this segment with a 64% share, followed by the Galaxy S24/S24 Ultra/S23/S24+ with a 25% share.

Apple led the segment with a 69% share, followed by Samsung at 31%.

5G Smartphone Trends

Out of the total shipments, 23 million were 5G smartphones, constituting 69% of the market. This reflects a significant rise from 46% in 1Q23.

The average selling price (ASP) of 5G smartphones decreased by 21% YoY to US$337 in 1Q24.

Within the 5G category, the mass budget segment (US$100<US$200) observed a threefold growth, capturing a 46% market share.

Top shipped 5G models included Xiaomis Redmi 13C, vivos T2x, Samsungs Galaxy A15, vivos Y28, and Apples iPhone 14.

Online Channel Growth

Shipments through online channels grew by 16% YoY, constituting 51% of total shipments in 1Q24.

POCO, vivo, and Motorola experienced significant YoY growth, surpassing 65% in the online channel.

Brand Performance

POCO exhibited remarkable YoY growth of 72.2% in Q1 2024, securing a 5.9% market share and surpassing OnePlus in shipments.

vivo emerged as the leading brand, overtaking Samsung, with a diverse product portfolio across price segments and distribution channels.

Motorola registered the highest growth among the top 10 brands, primarily driven by affordable launches.

Apple witnessed a 19% YoY growth in shipments, with iPhone 14/15 constituting 56% of total shipments.

Outlook and Challenges

The smartphone market in India has gained momentum in the first few months of the year. However, the second half will be crucial.

IDC predicts a modest annual growth in the mid-single digits for 2024.

Challenges persist in attracting first-time smartphone users and mitigating the impact of the second-hand market.

The markets concentration among top brands is weakening, with smaller brands and sub-brands gaining volume, as stated by Navkendar Singh, Associate Vice President, Devices Research, IDC.

Commenting on the brands performance growth in Q1 2024, Himanshu Tandon, Country Head of POCO India, said,

POCOs significant advancement underscores our steadfast commitment to innovation and our thorough comprehension of our consumers requirements. Moving ahead, our resolve to sustain this momentum and establish fresh standards in the industry is stronger than ever. This achievement is indebted to the immense support and affection from our POCO community. We are optimistic about the potential that 2024 holds for us.

Source
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2024.
Former spy alleges global Chinese spy network hunts and abducts dissidents

By Phil Mercer May 13, 2024

An investigation by Australia's public broadcaster accuses China's secret police service of tracking down dissidents living overseas.

A former Chinese spy now living in Australia told Australian Broadcasting Corp.'s Four Corners program that a unit of the Chinese secret service had been operational in Sydney as recently as last year.

The spy - named only as "Eric" - has described a shadowy world of deception and abduction. The former Chinese agent told ABC how he'd been ordered by the secret police in Beijing to target dissidents overseas, including in India, Thailand, Canada and Australia.

'Eric' said he would gain their confidence and lure them to countries where they could be kidnapped and sent back to China.

He told journalists from the investigative Four Corners program that he fled last year to Australia.

Australia's domestic spy agency has not confirmed any of the details of the alleged Chinese spy ring.

'Eric' said he worked as an undercover agent for a unit within China's federal police and security agency, the Ministry of Public Security, between 2008 and early 2023.

The specialist division is called the Political Security Protection Bureau, or the 1st Bureau, and targets so-called enemies of the Chinese state. It is alleged to have been working in Sydney as recently as last year.

'Eric' told the ABC that he was speaking out to expose the truth.

"I believe the public has a right to know the secret world. I worked for the Chinese Political Security Department for 15 years," he said. "Today, it is still the darkest department of the Chinese government."

The ABC said is the first time anyone from China's secret police has ever spoken publicly. It is using a pseudonym to protect his identity.

Peter Mattis is a China analyst at the Jamestown Foundation, a U.S-based conservative defense policy research organization. He told the ABC's Four Corners program that Beijing wants to curb dissent among the Chinese diaspora.

"The Political Protection Bureau has also had a role in trying to silence dissidents as well as to map dissident networks."

The ABC has said that it has seen hundreds of secret documents and correspondence that back up 'Eric's' allegations.

The broadcaster has reported that Chinese authorities have used anti-corruption campaigns to return more than 12,000 alleged fugitives to China in the past decade.

Chinese authorities have not yet commented on the allegations made in the Australian documentary.

There has also been no response from ASIO, the Australian Security Intelligence Organization to the claims.

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3 men charged with helping Hong Kong intelligence appear in UK court

By VOA News May 13, 2024

Three men appeared in a London court Monday after being charged with assisting the Hong Kong intelligence service.

Chung Biu Yuen, 63, Peter Wai, 38, and Matthew Trickett, 37, were released on bail following a brief hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

The three suspects, all from southeast England, were arrested earlier this month and charged with foreign interference and assisting a foreign intelligence service, violating Britain's National Security Act, police said Monday.

The security act, which was passed last year, allows police to detain suspects in national security and espionage cases without a warrant. The U.K. government said the act protects the nation from the "threat of hostile activity from states targeting the U.K.'s democracy, economy, and values."

Yuen, Wai and Trickett participated in "information gathering, surveillance and acts of deception" between December and May, assisting the Hong Kong intelligence service, according to the charges.

Eight other men were also arrested by counterterrorism police this month under the act, but they were released without charges.

"While these offenses are concerning, I want to reassure the public that we do not believe there to be any wider threat to them," Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command, said in a statement.

The Chinese Embassy in London said Britain should not interfere with Hong Kong's affairs, accusing Britain of fabricating the charges.

"The UK side must not go further down the wrong path of jeopardizing China-UK relations," the embassy said in a statement.

Hong Kong was a British colony for more than 150 years until 1997, when it was transferred to China.

Britain has repeatedly condemned Hong Kong for its treatment of pro-democracy activists. In 2021, it launched a visa program for Hong Kong residents to come to the U.K. after Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law in the port city amid an ever-expanding crackdown on dissent.

More than 180,000 Hong Kongers have moved to Britain since the program was established.

Exiled to the U.K. and wanted by the Hong Kong police, Hong Kong democracy activist Finn Lau told VOA's Cantonese Service that while the situation is chilling, cross-border oppression has been going on for quite some time.

"Today's news is not particularly surprising, but it is a reminder to me to be more vigilant about my personal safety," Lau said.

Lau said that while he doesn't want to create an atmosphere of panic, he believes that those involved in cross-border suppression are not limited to just these three individuals. He also said that what has happened is an abuse of the Chinese government and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office's powers.

"This is a very important time to revoke some of the diplomatic privileges of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office," Lau said.

Simon Cheng, founder of the British Hong Kong Overseas Association, is another Hong Kong activist who is living in Britain in exile and wanted by the Hong Kong police. He told VOA that British authorities' use of the new National Security Law to deal with new threats and challenges is like a "shot in the arm" for Hong Kongers in Britain.

Cheng said that over the past few years he regularly has been harassed and monitored and while the British police and relevant departments have been helpful, they have never taken clear action.

"However, this time they went ahead and prosecuted three individuals, which shows their determination to address these cross-border repression cases and also tells everyone that they take this seriously," Cheng said.

He said he hopes the case will deter those involved in cross-border oppression.

The three suspects are scheduled to appear at the Central London Criminal Court on May 24 for their next hearing.

Some information for this report was provided by Reuters, The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. VOA Cantonese Service reporter Kris Cheng in London contributed to this report.

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North Carolina National Guard Welcomes New Zambian Partnership

North Carolina National Guard leaders join fellow U.S. Military and Zambian leaders at a State Partnership Program Signing Ceremony, Livingstone, Zambia, April 26, 2024. The leaders were invited to the ceremony as part of the NCNG's expansion joining the Republic of Zambia and the Republic of Malawi in their State Partnership Program, a National Guard Bureau initiative joining individual state National Guards and host nations as part of U.S. security cooperation and international civil-military affairs.

By Maj. Ellis Parks , North Carolina National Guard Livingstone, Zambia May 13, 2024

What would make a member from the Governor's Office of North Carolina, several members from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS), and a host of members from the North Carolina National Guard (NCNG) pack their bags, board a plane or two, and travel more than 18 hours, over 7,000 miles to the Republic of Zambia? What exercise or operation is so important that all three components of the U.S. Army, National Guard Bureau, and the North Carolina Army and Air National Guard would be called up to take part in this country of 20 million people? If the agriculture group is going, it must have something to do with farming, right? But if the military is involved, it must have something to do with conflict. Or is North Carolina and the NCNG setting the framework to be one of the most impactful and instrumental state partners on the African continent? The Chief of Staff for the governor's office Kristi Jones, and 19 members from the NCNG joined NCDA&CS Chief of Staff Zane Hedgecock, Peter A. Thornton, the department's director of marketing, and Associate Dean for North Carolina State's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Dr. Richard Bonanno on April 22. The team boarded their Delta flight en route to take part in a ceremony that held the potential to be one of the most significant international endeavors that North Carolina has been part of in years, and possibly ever. After the long flight, the team touched down in Johannesburg and then made their way to the Republic of Zambia. There the team joined the Charge D'affair for the United States Embassy, Republic of Zambia, Linnisa Wahid, the Secretary for the N.C. Department of Public Safety Eddie Buffaloe, Deputy Commander, U.S. Army Africa Command Army Lt. Gen. John Brennan, and Army Maj. Gen. Todd Hunt, the Adjutant General of North Carolina. After a day of getting acclimated to the change in time, season, and weather, this determined ensemble of leaders met with various members of the Republic of Zambia's Army, Air Force, Ministry of Defense, and Ministry of Agriculture. The aim was to discuss various paths forward and ways in which both the Nation and the state could best help each other, and with these conversations, the State Partnership Program between the Republic of Zambia and North Carolina began. "Although, we are here to mark the official start of the state partnership between us (NCNG and Zambia)," said Hunt. "We have been working together for years already." Daily, the two groups were allotted time to discuss the needs of the Zambian people and ways that the state government and the NCNG could assist. Simultaneously, the Zambian leaders shared with the N.C. team their best practices and lessons they have learned over the years. With more than 75% of the Zambian population working in agriculture and North Carolina being one of the biggest agriculture states, both vocationally and through the university systems, this amazing country and North Carolina's partnership seemed almost destined. North Carolina continues to lead the U.S. in tobacco and potato production, which are Zambia's main exports, showing a simple example of how closely knit the partners are. "We are more than excited to have Zambia as our state partners," said Buffaloe. "This opportunity opens doors for both groups to share our cultures, our knowledge of the world, our military capabilities, and to improve upon our democratic ways of life." The partnership could not have come at a better time, as Zambia is experiencing the worst drought in over 40 years. The country has massive bodies of water throughout it, and it shares Victoria Falls, the largest set of waterfalls in the world, with Zimbabwe. Currently, the Zambian people lack the resources to access and use the water from these waterways to properly irrigate their farmland. "The State Partnership Program between my country and North Carolina is one that I hope helps with ensuring food security for our people," said Permanent Secretary for Zambia's Ministry of Defence, Norman Chipakupaku. "We must learn to use our natural resources to help with our food insecurities. We feel if we work with North Carolina and Malawi, we can learn to use our water and land to be the food basket for all of South Africa." The culminating event happened when Jones, Hunt joined the Republic of Zambia's MP Minister of Defence the Honorable Ambrose Lwizhi Lufuma, SC MP Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security the Honorable Jack Mwiimbu, approximately 250 guests, and about 30 members of the press came together for the State Partnership Program Letter of Intent Signing Ceremony on April 26, 2024. The ceremony took less than two hours but the intent behind it will last, what many hope, is a lifetime. "We need the building of the relationships between North Carolina, Zambia, and Malawi to be a historical one," said Chipakupaku.

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North Carolina National Guard Welcomes Malawi as Their New State Partners

North Carolina National Guard leaders and leaders from Malawi participated in a State Partnership Signing Ceremony in Lilongwe, Malawi, April 27, 2024. The leaders joined fellow U.S. Military and Malawi officials at a signing ceremony as part of the North Carolina National Guard's expansion bringing the Republic of Zambia and the Republic of Malawi into their State Partnership Program, a National Guard Bureau initiative joining individual state National Guards and host nations as part of U.S. security cooperation and international civil-military affairs.

By Maj. Ellis Parks , North Carolina National Guard Lilongwe, Malawi May 13, 2024

Leaders from various organizations across North Carolina, including the governor's office, the Department of Public Safety, and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, N.C. State University, and the North Carolina National Guard (NCNG) joined members from the U.S. Army Africa Command, the Republics of Botswana, Malawi, and Zambia to witness the signing of a National Guard State Partnership Program Letter of Intent between the NCNG and the Republic of Malawi, in Lilongwe, Malawi, April 27, 2024. This historic day was marked by speeches given by the Chief of Staff for North Carolina's Governor's Office Kristi Jones, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Todd Hunt, The Adjutant General of North Carolina, Malawi Defence Force Commander General Paul Valentino Phiri, Malawi Minister of Defence Honourable Harry Mkandawire, and the final address by the President of the Republic of Malawi His Excellency Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera. "The North Carolina National Guard put on full display the strength of the State Partnership Program in Southern Africa this week at the signing ceremony for Zambia and Malawi," said National Guard Bureau Director of Strategy, Plans and International Affairs, U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Darrin Slaten. Jones and Hunt, joined Mkandawire and Malawi Minister of Foreign Affairs Nancy Tembo as representatives to sign the SPP Letter of Intent. The SPP is a vital mechanism for fostering cooperation and building enduring relationships between states, both domestically and internationally. These programs typically involve the pairing of a U.S. state's National Guard with the military forces of a partner nation. Through joint training exercises, exchanges of personnel, and collaborative initiatives, state partnership programs facilitate the sharing of knowledge, expertise, and resources. "It was great to see this relationship start strong, the North Carolina National Guard flew a C-17 to the ceremony loaded with North Carolina State Senior leaders from Governor Roy Cooper's cabinet," said Slaten. "This multilateral relationship is well on its way to supporting security in the region." The Republic of Malawi will be North Carolina's third state partner in the local region, with the Republic of Zambia signing their letter of intent one day prior. The N.C. team chosen to attend the ceremony in Malawi did so with the intent of ensuring the right people were there to assess the possibilities of the new partnership, properly discuss the two groups' needs and capabilities, and begin to look at solutions and resolutions for the future. One of the individuals attending the ceremony was the Associate Dean for NC State's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dr. Richard Bonanno. "Our objective is to work with our partner states to help develop an inclusive, extension and academic network into a system that incentivizes and facilitates the process of creating solutions and innovations through research that is based on local need," said Bonanno. "Moving the research findings...to serve all aspects of the agricultural sector and value chain." The Republic of Malawi is a country teaming with both people and resources. As you ride through the city of Lilongwe, it is almost impossible to miss the dark rich soil, waiting to be cultivated. "You can see how amazing the resources here are by just looking at how rich the soil is," said U.S. Army Col. Mike Marciniack, the NCNG's J5 strategic plans officer. "If worked correctly, the possibility for agricultural growth here is limitless." Marciniack, born and raised in Pembroke, North Carolina has firsthand knowledge of the power of self-sustaining farming. Pembroke, known as a farming town, grows everything from livestock to produce. Marciniack hopes that North Carolina's new state partner, Malawi, taps into North Carolina's long farming history. The significance of the signing was captured by Chakwera, along with his staff, welcoming the team from North Carolina, allowing them to see parts of their astounding country and experience the vibrance of their culture. "I express my deepest gratitude to the government of the United States of America in general for sustaining this relationship," said Chakwera, "and the governor of North Carolina, Governor Cooper, in particular for extending to us this partnership."

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Thirteen nations participate in Obangame Express 2024 maritime interdiction training in Ghana

Over five days, 13 nations from across West Africa, Europe, and North America sent military delegations to collaborate, learn, and train together as part of the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF)'s Obangame Express 2024 military interdiction training events at the Ghana Western Naval Headquarters in Sekondi.

By Lt.j.g. Daniel Ehrlich , U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet Sekondi, Ghana May 13, 2024

Over five days, 13 nations from across West Africa, Europe, and North America sent military delegations to collaborate, learn, and train together as part of the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF)'s Obangame Express 2024 military interdiction training events at the Ghana Western Naval Headquarters in Sekondi.

In all, 111 participants from Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Liberia, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Togo, and the United States attended lectures, practiced maritime security tactics, and drilled cooperatively together.

Representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard's Tactical Law Enforcement Team (TACLET), Royal Netherlands Marine Corps (Corps Mariniers) Reconnaissance Sniper Team, NATO Maritime Interdiction Operations Training Centre, and INTERPOL led a robust series of training events in Sekondi. French interpreters from the Royal Netherlands Army provided translation of the lessons to over 50 personnel from five French-speaking West African nations.

"I think it's wonderful to see so many nations training together," said Royal Netherlands Marine Corps 1st Lt. Sergio D'Elia, team leader for the Dutch instructors at Sekondi. "Nations that don't get to meet often were training together as one team... [and it] happened very naturally."

During the first two days of the event, participants rotated between four stations covering hallway-clearing procedures, room-clearing procedures, and tactical casualty care treating wounds and major injuries. These events were mainly taught through joint instruction by the U.S. Coast Guard and Royal Netherlands Marine Corps. Two Greek Navy personnel from NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre (NMIOTC)'s mobile training team also joined the multinational contingent.

"Working alongside our Dutch and Greek allies to train our African partners in maritime focused tactical procedures and medical care empowers nations to handle crisis effectively," said U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Paul Avella, senior U.S. Coast Guard official overseeing Obangame Express 2024 training at Ghana Western Naval Headquarters. "It's a strategic investment in peace and security."

The following two days of training focused on learning about initial maritime crime scene investigation and evidence collection, as well as applying this to a shipboard setting. Trainees took to Snake-class patrol ship GNS Ehwor (P 37) and Cutter-class patrol ship GNS Anzone (P 30) to practice the skills they had learned about close quarters combat and maritime interdiction. They also snapped on pairs of surgical gloves to apply crime scene evidence collection training in a hands-on activity set up by INTERPOL Regional Maritime Security Directorate criminal intelligence officer Ludovic Payet.

"They are the first person at sea that will take action during an investigation," said Payet. "If they do not use personal protective gear, they could contaminate the crime scene... so we have to teach them the basics so we can have a strong police case."

On the final day of instruction, students once again embarked aboard Ghana Navy ships and small boats to apply all that they had learned, including boarding techniques and small boat helmsmanship. Together, the militaries meshed and worked alongside one another to complete each of the tasks, often communicating with hand signals to break the language barrier.

"It is important for all of these countries to come together because we are all Africans and we are all humans," said Machinery Technician Seaman Apprentice Erica Davis of the Liberia National Coast Guard. "It is good to share ideas from country to country so we can get better together."

After the completion of the final training day's events, U.S. Coast Guard and Royal Netherlands Marine Corps trainers awarded certificates in English and French signifying the successful completion of the week's activities. At the closing ceremony, trainers and trainees reflected on the great strides they made together, and the lasting relationships they built in Ghana. No one nation can manage transnational threats alone, so exercises like Obangame Express provide a foundation for collaboration throughout the year.

"In the case of maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea, it is very important that each nation has very good skills in order to cope with the threats of the area," said Royal Netherlands Navy Capt. Idzerd van Eysinga, The Netherlands Defense Attache for West Africa. "They need to train maritime interdiction procedures to work together internationally and ensure interoperability. Because of fast evolving threats in the region, they need to continue to train together." During exercise Obangame Express 2024, the 13th iteration of the exercise, partner and ally forces collaborate to enhance collective maritime law enforcement capabilities, bolster national and regional security in West Africa, and foster greater interoperability among U.S., African, and multinational partners. The U.S. routinely exercises with our partners in Africa to build enduring relationships and combined capacity to ensure the safety and security of the regional maritime environment.

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CENTCOM Commander Visits Israel

U.S. Central Command

Press Release | May 13, 2024

USCENTCOM

May 13, 2024

Release Number 20240513-01

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TAMPA, Fla. -- On May 10 - 12 Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command, traveled to Israel to meet with Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi and several other Israeli organizations to discuss the situation in Gaza, the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gazan citizens, and regional security. He also met with U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Ambassador Jack Lew, and visited U.S. Servicemembers and maritime vessels preparing to facilitate delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gazans via the sea. The visit concludes a multi-country trip to the CENTCOM area of responsibility.



-30-

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4th LE Battalion Provides Security During Exercise Native Fury

U.S. Central Command

News | May 13, 2024

By Cpl. Mary Kohlmann U.S. Marine Corps Forces Central Command

Yanbu, Saudi Arabia -- The day-to-day life of a security forces reserve Marine is varied to the individual, however, what they all have in common is no matter the clime or place they can quickly adapt and be a positive reinforcement of the world's most elite fighting force.

U.S. Marines with Delta Company, 4th Law Enforcement Battalion (4th LEB), Force Headquarters Group, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve, first deployed to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in April 2024 to provide security to Marines, Sailors, Soldiers, and their assets participating in support of Exercise Native Fury 24. Delta Company's mission is to provide inner perimeter security for initial staging and logistics areas in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in support of 2nd Distribution Support Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (MLG) and to provide security alongside Saudi and Emirati forces throughout the exercise as it progresses from Kingdom Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates.

Coming from austere regions of Alaska and Montana, Marines from 4th LEB had to quickly adapt to the significant temperature adjustments when they traveled to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Known as the "Alaska Marines," their journey to Exercise Native Fury 24 is almost as noteworthy as the exercise itself. U.S. Marines with 4th LEB from across Alaska, Montana, and other states traveled more than four days across the planet to execute their mission. In the case of some Marines, that journey begins with a bush-plane ride to the nearest regional airport and then onward to international flights, destination, Saudi Arabia.

These Reserves Marines are used to an environment of cold and snowy landscapes; therefore, it was quite a shock to them when they were providing support for the biennial exercise in an environment with temperatures stretching beyond 100 degrees in the peak desert heat.

Exercise Native Fury 24 is a key multi-lateral exercise that emphasizes the strategic use of logistics across the Arabian Peninsula, while maintaining and building partner relationships between the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Central Command, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

2nd MLG is "relying on us completely to support them and provide security for them as well, which we really value the trust that they have given us," said U.S. Marine Corps 1stSgt Jason Brice, senior enlisted advisor of Delta Company, 4th LEB "that's huge for us, and we're using that trust going forward and doing everything we can as Marines."

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. John Tidwell, a military police officer with 4th LEB, explains, "it was a pretty extreme transition but, we have taken a lot of precautions to transition properly," he continues, "I feel like we are getting used to it, rolling with it, and getting better."

The Marines within Delta Company are primarily comprised of military police officers, who are a part of 24/7 operations that guard entry control points, observation posts, and convoys.

Tidwell explains, "I take my duty of providing security really seriously, it is a lot of responsibility, but a responsibility I am happy to take and do well in, because this is what I trained for."

The integration of 4th LEB and 2nd DSB demonstrates the ability of Marines and Sailors to cohesively operate together, showcasing the "one team, one fight" mentality.

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May 13, 2024

Transcript

Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh Holds a Press Briefing

DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY SABRINA SINGH: Hello. Nice to see you. Hello. All right. Hello, everyone. Hi. All right. We will go ahead and get started. Okay. So just a few things here at the top, but probably first before we start out, Happy Mother's Day. Happy belated Mother's Day to all those who celebrate. Hope you had a good weekend. All right, so just a few things 

Q: We spent a lot of money.

MS. SINGH: Sorry?

Q: We spent a lot of money, but that's 

MS. SINGH: Great. Well, that's what Mother's Day is for. You got to shower the moms with all the gifts. That's great. Don't tell my mom because the flowers didn't arrive in time for her, so.

Q: Is this going to be on the transcript?

MS. SINGH: Let's hope it's all in the record. Yeah. All right, so we'll start to dive in. So on Friday, as you probably saw, we announced an additional security assistance package to meet Ukraine's critical security and defense needs through our 57th tranche of equipment that was drawn down since August 2021. This PDA has an estimated value of $400 million and includes capabilities to support Ukraine's most urgent battlefield requirements, including air defense, artillery rounds, armored vehicles, and antitank weapons.

Additionally, as we speak, Secretary Austin is hosting his Canadian counterpart, Minister of National Defense, Bill Blair, for bilateral meetings here at the Pentagon. And we will have a readout of their meeting later today, which will be available on Defense.gov.

And with that, happy to start taking questions. AP, you want to start us off? Tara?

Q: I wanted to ask again about Senior Airman Roger Fortson, the unit in Florida is having a stand down today. But is there any sort of wider conversation going on about this shooting and the fact that the deputy went through the door and seconds later took six shots at this Airman.

MS. SINGH: I mean, it's an incredibly tragic incident. And you know, we've expressed our condolences to his family and his friends and the unit from the department. We certainly welcome the investigation that's happening, that I believe was launched by or that the Sheriff's Department initiated. So because of  because that is an ongoing investigation, I just don't have more to share. But of course, our condolences are with the family.

Q: But what about a conversation in the building about race? I mean, are we getting back to where the building was in 2020 after George Floyd? Because if you look at some of these military boards, there's certainly a lot of angst about this.

MS. SINGH: Yeah. I mean, it's an incredibly disturbing horrible tragedy that happened. And you know, I don't have more to share because obviously this is an ongoing investigation. There's certainly support systems here within the building or at other units across the country around the world where if service members are, you know, experiencing or want to talk through some of the, you know, emotions that go along with a shooting like this. Though we have resources available for them, but I'm not aware of any type of changing, or change, or any new policy announcements to make from this building.

Great. Okay. Lara.

Q: Thanks, Sabrina. A couple questions. First of all, can you give us an update on the JLOTS, please?

MS. SINGH: Sure.

Q: Is that in place yet? And when do you believe it will be operational?

MS. SINGH: So the JLOTS you're referring to is still at the Port of Ashdod and remains there as we've, I think, most recently briefed to kind of - repeating information that you already know. But the floating pier has been fully assembled, the causeway is fully assembled. It's just awaiting to be affixed to the coastline of Gaza. Expecting that will be sometime this week.

Q: (inaudible).

MS. SINGH: Yes.

Q: Okay, so sea states are still bad.

MS. SINGH: Sea states were still bad, I believe, throughout the week. Of course, we're obviously assessing the security conditions on the ground as well. But the main concern for  or the main delay for not being able to move the JLOTS into position has been environmental factors.

Q: Okay. And then second question, I was wondering if you could provide any reaction from DOD on the news we had  we got over the weekend about the shakeup at the Russian Ministry of Defense.

MS. SINGH: I would let the Russians speak for their own personnel changes. But I think from given where the war has started that Russia launched, you know, over two years ago, they've certainly not had successes on the battlefield and had some pretty big defeats. So I'll let the Russians speak to their own personnel changes.

Phil.

Q: I was going to ask about the Russian shakeup as well, but just following up on the JLOTS.

MS. SINGH: Sure.

Q: You know, so did the transloading at the Benavidez actually happen?

MS. SINGH: Yes. Some aid has been transloaded onto the Benavidez and is in progress.

Q: Okay. And that's all happening at the port?

MS. SINGH: At the port of Ashdod, yeah.

Q: And then on the  as far as when it actually, when the sea states allow for the system to be installed, you know, have you resolved all the other issues? Have you got contracts for people on the beach to move the aid? Have you gotten, you know, all the things that you would need, the kind of constellation of requirements? Are those all settled or is that still TBD?

MS. SINGH: To my knowledge, everything is ready to go. It is just a matter of positioning this pier and causeway into Gaza so that we can start flowing aid off of the pier. But yes, in terms of contracted drivers, that has been settled. So that is in place. We have a distribution partner that's already ready to start distributing that aid once it's on the ground and, you know, ready to roll off the pier. So yes, we are ready to start the execution of this mission as soon as we can move it into place.

Q: Can you state who the contractor is and who the partner is?

MS. SINGH: I can just tell you it's a third-party contractor, but that's it. Yes.

Q: We understand that there are 300,000 people that already moved from the south to northward in Gaza. Is it part of a plan that the Israelis told us about and if it's a plan that you are aware of and you agree with? Another question is about Ukraine. I really appreciate if you can give us a little bit of details about what we know about the situation on the ground.

MS. SINGH: So, in terms of what you're referring to as Rafah, I think Secretary Blinken spoke to this very well yesterday, is that the U.S. government does not support a large-scale operation within Rafah. We have not seen a credible plan from the Israeli government that would take into account the very dense civilian population within Rafah.

We continue to have conversations with the Israelis. I think over the weekend there was a conversation at the White House level from the National Security Council. So, engagement with the Israelis is ongoing but we do not support a large-scale ground operation within Rafah.

In terms of your second question on Ukraine.

Q: There are a lot of stories about the Russians launching a new attack, and especially Kharkiv.

MS. SINGH: Yeah.

Q: And there were like small details of stories, but I don't know which one is true, which one is not.

MS. SINGH: Yeah.

Q: What I'm trying to say is, can you give us just an assessment about the situation on the ground?

MS. SINGH: So I think the latest assessment that I  that we've seen throughout the weekend is that Russia has launched an offensive in and around Kharkiv  the Kharkiv region. That's not something that was unexpected, it's something that the Ukrainians were also expecting. We know that they've intensified some of those cross-border fires. And they'll likely, in the coming weeks, increase that. But that's why we're doing everything we can to make sure Ukraine has what it needs. And the  from the $1 billion package, the PDA package that we rolled out a few weeks ago, right after the supplemental, was announced to the $400 million package that we announced on Friday. These are things that are getting to Ukraine pretty quickly. And as the Secretary has mentioned, before, we did pre-position some stocks so that when a supplemental was passed, we were able to flow that assistance right in. But of course, Ukraine is in a real fight, and they're fighting every single day (inaudible) we've seen them unable to push the Russians back. So, we have confidence that they will have what they need in this (inaudible)

Q: Okay.

MS. SINGH: Oren?

Q: I just did a follow up on JLOTS, we've now seen 

MS. SINGH: Sure.

Q:  weather delay, it's setting up a movement from (inaudible) to where it needs to be 

MS. SINGH: Yeah.

Q:  for more than a week now, I think. Is that to be the expectation that once you try to get up and running, weather will routinely interrupt its use? Or is it supposed to be once you get it running the (inaudible) break?

Q: (Inaudible) 24/7.

MS. SINGH: The concern about the weather was more -being able to secure the causeway to the beach. That is the problematic portion of the weather impacts. That's my understanding. So, no, I think, I mean, barring significant weather conditions, I think that the JLOTS will be able to be operational, it's just more about being able to secure it, the states have not allowed that to happen at this moment.

Q: And when its up and running will it operate in daylight hours 24/7. How frequently is it supposed to be able to operate throughout the day?

MS. SINGH: We'll have more to share on that. But my understanding is that it will be a pretty continuous loop as long as we can continue to get aid in as long as aid can  get distributed out within Gaza, and there's no, you know, jam ups or hold ups on the ground, we should be able to flow aid in pretty quickly.

Q:  so on the Rafah, what is the current assessment, you guys still believe it's a limited operation  what are you basing your assessment on?

MS. SINGH: What we're seeing on the ground and how they've positioned within Rafah, we still believe it's a limited operation. Again, we don't support a large-scale operation. We want to see humanitarian aid continuing to get in through the Rafah crossing as well. But it is our understanding right now that it is still limited in scope.

Q: I mean, the amount of bombing, you're seeing the casualties among civilians. Is it only about land grab or what they're doing in Rafah as well?

MS. SINGH: Why would, I mean, let the Israelis speak to their operations on what they're actually doing in Rafah. I can only speak to what we are communicating to them, which is that our priority is making sure that humanitarian aid is getting in, that civilians are getting the food, the water that they need, the medical treatment that they need. And we want to see these land crossings open. So that's like  that's been our big priority. And, of course, the JLOTS mission, making sure that that can get into place when we're ready.

Q: We're seeing a renewed push by the Israeli military in northern Gaza, specifically in (inaudible). This is a region where the  Gallant himself said they were able to destroy Hamas, all of its battalions now. They're going back to fight in the north. They're asking people in the north to evacuate. They're asking people in the south to evacuate. What is your assessment of this renewed operation in the north?

MS. SINGH: So, again, I'd let the Israeli speak to their operations. What I can tell you is we have been supportive of the Israelis going after Hamas, we know that there are battalions that are still operational within Rafah and other parts of Gaza. But we want to make sure that the humanitarian population, the civilians that are concentrated in Rafah are protected and so far, we have not seen that credible plan presented to us.

Q: That's the last question on this. Do you have a number of how many battalions Hamas still has?

MS. SINGH: I don't off the top my head.

Q:  just  as a follow up to that. Isn't the Rafah crossing, isn't there  isn't in trouble getting aid in through the Rafah crossing right now? I thought the crossing is closed.

MS. SINGH: I don't  I believe some aid has been able to get in. But no, it's not the amount of aid that we want to see flow in there. We absolutely want to see more aid getting through the Rafah crossing and other land crossings throughout Gaza. But yeah, no, absolutely more needs to flow in through there.

Q: Following up on this one.

MS. SINGH: Sure.

Q: So Axios is reporting this morning that far right Israeli protesters at the (inaudible) crossing, were blocking aid from coming in. Has any of the planning for JLOTS factored in the idea that Hamas launching mortars isn't the problem, but rather far right protesters would not want to see the aid distributed?

MS. SINGH: Well, JLOTS would be coming in from the coastline. And I think those protesters are on the Israeli side, if I'm not 

Q: I mean, there's actually a land connection, where (inaudible) 

MS. SINGH: Sure. I'm just saying like logistically, like jamming of trucks coming off the JLOTS 

Q: Sure.

MS. SINGH:  from a place that is controlled by us and then on land by the Israeli government. We should not see a blockade of aid from the JLOTS side and that pier being used. But of course, I mean, it's very troubling to see humanitarian aid being blocked to a population that needs it desperately. I think that's incredibly concerning. But from a JLOTS perspective, we shouldn't be able  we shouldn't see that just given that how the aid will be distributed as you know, it's contracted with partners and the IDF does control that area.

Q: Okay. And then just completely separate on the staff sergeant in Russia. Do you have any updates to share as far as his situation is concerned?

MS. SINGH: I don't. I know State Department would  I would refer you to State Department as they'd be the lead. And in terms of, you know, working with the embassy there, but I don't have more to share than what we shared last week.

Q: Thank you.

MS. SINGH: Yeah, no problem. I see 

Q: Can I ask question about JLOTS?

MS. SINGH: Sure.

Q: So according to international organizations and given the State Department's report kind of alluded to it in a very complicated way to avoid assigning any blame on Israel. Israel has been blocking aid to Gaza through very restrictive measures. What is the agreement with Israeli government and the JLOTS? How much can you enter every day? Is there a limit that the Israeli government is putting on aid through JLOTS? Or it's depending on its logistical capacity, whatever (inaudible)?

MS. SINGH: It's the limit on aid would be on the capacity, not on how much aid could get in. I think everyone wants to see, at least from a U.S. government side, everyone wants to see more aid getting in, in the most effective, fastest way possible. The best way for more aid to get in is through the land crossings. We know that. JLOTS is just a supplement to the land routes. It is not the solve, which is why this is a temporary solution. This is a temporary pier. This is not going to be  this is not the best way to get aid in, it is one additional way to get aid in.

Ellee?

Q: Secretary Austin talked about the one shipment being delayed.

MS. SINGH: Yes.

Q: Since then, you have any other shipments or (inaudible)?

MS. SINGH: No, just that one shipment that we announced last week was paused.

Q: Still on hold?

MS. SINGH: Still on hold. Yeah. Anything else? Okay, we got Nancy and then Lara. And then we'll wrap.

Yeah.

Q: Who makes a determination on how long the JLOTS ought to be in place. Or if they're  if they're no longer operational or functional that they need to be moved out. Who makes it that call?

MS. SINGH: Like if JLOTS isn't operational?

Q: That is the  you've had a number of delays and there's going to be some logistical challenges. Who's responsible for making the call that we're going to keep using JLOTS or not keep using them?

MS. SINGH: Well, ultimately, CENTCOM will make  will be doing the assessment of JLOTS itself, but of course that will be a conversation with the Secretary. And then this was, as you know, directed by the President, so of course, this is going to have a larger interagency conversation and component to it to keep the JLOTS running. But again, this is something that we've said, and I know that you know this well, but this is meant to be temporary. This is not a long-term solution by any means. It is meant to inject aid in a way that can get distributed as quickly, as effectively as possible, but we absolutely need to see those land routes open.

Lara, last question.

Q: Just could you give us an update on Niger, please?

MS. SINGH: Sure.

Q: When  have troops started leaving yet? And when is that going to happen? And then what's the plan for the drone base?

MS. SINGH: Sure. So we will have a DOD-led delegation leaving this week to meet with the CNSP. So, I will not get ahead of their conversations that they will have this week. But what we have said and committed to is that we are going to be executing an orderly withdrawal from Niger. Don't have a timeline for you. Troops have not started to leave yet. That's something that this delegation, when they go and meet with the CNSP, are going to set those terms for the orderly withdrawal. And when I have more to share from that delegation's meeting, I'm happy to read that out.

Q: I thought that delegation was already there or went like last week.

MS. SINGH: No, that did not happen last week.

Q: So that was delayed?

MS. SINGH: Yes. Jim?

Q: Sabrina, let me just 

MS. SINGH: Yeah.

Q: I'm sorry. I know you said this.

MS. SINGH: That's okay.

Q: This could be the last question.

MS. SINGH: Always for you, Jim.

Q: Ukraine.

MS. SINGH: Sure.

Q: Is Kharkiv under threat? Is it in danger of falling?

MS. SINGH: I mean, the Russians have launched a very aggressive offensive. But we believe the Ukrainians continue to prove themselves on the battlefield, that they not only can repel Russian attacks, but they can do it successfully. I think you saw what was unfortunate, because we were not able to provide Ukraine with PDAs or drawdown authority for a number of months due to the delay in passing the supplemental. They did suffer from that. And we did see them lose some territory to the Russians. But, you know, we have confidence in the Ukrainians. I'll let them speak to how they feel that they are faring on the battlefield. But, certainly, we believe that they'll be successful.

Q: And for a time, the Ukrainians were rationing artillery and air defense. Has the aid reached them now that they're not doing that?

MS. SINGH: Well, I'll  I mean, again, let the Ukrainians speak to their own security assistance. But I can tell you that because we pre-positioned some of our own stocks, when that $1 billion package was signed out, we were able to flow that aid pretty quickly into Ukraine. How it gets to the front lines, you know, I'll again let the Ukrainians speak to that. But you have to remember, during the time that we weren't able to provide a supplemental, our European allies and partners, countries part of the UDCG, were still providing artillery, air defenses, other things that the Ukrainians need on the battlefield. So, it's not that they were out without nothing. But, certainly, you know due to the delays in passing the supplemental, there were unfortunate gains that the Russians did make.

Q: Can you give us like a dollar amount, if you can't name the weapons systems that have moved forward? But can you give us a dollar amount of things that have already gotten to Ukraine quickly?

MS. SINGH: No, I can't. I mean, not a dollar amount.

Q: Or any sort of sense like, you know, we got this aid package passed. How much of that is now in Ukraine? Like, how much of it was able to get there quickly? Any sort of way to quantify it.

MS. SINGH: I can't. I can't speak to that. I can just tell you that things have been flowing almost immediately since we were able to pass that, to get that supplemental. And you have to remember, there are certain PDA packages that once it's announced, it does take a while to close out. But I don't have like a percentage or dollar figure of how much is there. I can just tell you that  honestly, I'll let the Ukrainians speak to what they used. But we know what they need which are those air defenses, the artillery right away. And that is getting there. That is getting there pretty quickly, so.

Okay? All right. Thanks, everyone. Happy Monday.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3773617/

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May 13, 2024

Release

DOD Statement on the President's Decision Prohibiting the Acquisition of Certain Real Property of Cheyenne Leads by MineOne Cloud Computing Investment I L.P. in Close Proximity to Francis E. Warren Air Force Base

Today President Biden issued an order prohibiting the purchase and requiring the divestment of certain real estate operating as a cryptocurrency mining facility located within one mile of Francis E. Warren Air Force Base (F.E. Warren AFB). The order also requires the removal of certain improvements and equipment at the property by MineOne Partners Limited, which is ultimately majority owned by nationals of the People's Republic of China; MineOne Cloud Computing Investment I L.P.; MineOne Data Center LLC; and MineOne Wyoming Data Center LLC (collectively MineOne), as well as their affiliates.

MineOne acquired the property in June 2022 and then made improvements to allow for use of specialized cryptocurrency mining operations near F.E. Warren AFB in Cheyenne, Wyoming, a strategic missile base and home to Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS or the Committee) reviewed and investigated this transaction pursuant to authorities provided by Congress in the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2018 (FIRRMA) to cover real estate transactions in close proximity of certain sensitive U.S. facilities, including F.E. Warren AFB.

The Department of Defense is a member of CFIUS. Through its annual review of Section 802 of FIRRMA, DoD regularly assesses its military installations and the geographic scope around them to ensure appropriate application in light of national security considerations. DoD will continue to assess its military installations on an ongoing basis to ensure the sites listed are appropriate.

DoD has also established inter- and intra-DoD working groups to prioritize and drive action within the Department and across the U.S. Government, including incorporating civilian defense critical infrastructure risks in internal DoD risk management decisions. DoD's relationships with state and local government and industry leaders are crucial to its work securing a robust and resilient industrial base, ensuring the foundation for U.S. military advantage.

For communities with concerns relating to foreign activity adjacent to military installations, DoD encourages them to engage directly with their local installation's public affairs office with any questions or concerns they may have. These communities and the public can also visit DoD's Global Investment and Economic Security website (OUSD A&S - Industrial Base Policy (businessdefense.gov)) to submit a tip about any potential foreign investment that may involve risk to national security and learn more about the work the office does.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/1926383/

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CCG law enforcement patrols near Kinmen waters increase; patrol model can be applied to entire Taiwan Straits: experts

Global Times

By Global Times Published: May 13, 2024 02:41 PM

Since May, the frequency of law enforcement patrols by the China Coast Guard (CCG) in waters near Kinmen Islands have been on an upward trend - with five patrols in less than two weeks in May, showing that the CCG is taking practical measures to safeguard the safety of the lives and property of fishermen from both sides of Taiwan Straits, including those from the Taiwan island, according to Yuyuan Tantian, a social media account affiliated with state broadcaster CCTV.

The CCG conducted a total of four patrols in waters near Kinmen in April and in the less than two weeks of May so far, the number of patrols has already reached five. Additionally, on May 3, during the law enforcement patrol operation, a CCG flotilla passed by Dadan Island and Erdan Island, where military personnel of the Taiwan island are stationed. In the footage released by Yuyuan Tantian, the Kinmen Bridge connecting the Kinmen Island and Little Kinmen Island clearly visible.

On May 7, the patrol route of the CCG changed once again with a flotilla sailing past Beiding Island, located in the eastern part of Greater Kinmen Island, which also hosts military personnel , according to the social media.

A video released by Yuyuan Tantian showed the CCG communicating with a mainland vessel, issuing the notice that " 'Vessel Xia Gang Jun 001', I am the CCG ahead of you, conducting law enforcement patrols. Please pay attention to safe navigation. If you need assistance, please call the maritime emergency hotline 95110 immediately, or contact us via radio. Wishing you a safe voyage."

Yuyuan Tantian cited a source familiar with the matter saying that the communication fully reflected the effective jurisdiction of the CCG in this area, indicating that the CCG is taking practical measures to maintain the orderly operation of this sea area, and will effectively safeguard the safety of the lives and property of fishermen, including those from the Taiwan island.

The waters near Kinmen have always been China's territorial waters. China has indisputable sovereignty, jurisdiction, and law enforcement rights over this area. The CCG releasing footage featuring landmarks on Kinmen Islands and neighboring islands underscores this fact, according to Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military expert.

While there has been a rise in CCG patrols in the adjacent waters, the media outlets in the Taiwan island have been referencing the term "prohibited or restricted waters" less frequently. Instead, in May, they have gradually shifted their focus to another term: "maritime jurisdiction."

On Thursday, led by the Fujian Maritime Safety Administration, multiple departments including the coast guard, marine surveillance, fishery administration, and marine rescue jointly conducted the "Anhai 2024" fishery safety rescue drill in the waters off Kinmen. Twelve participating vessels collaborated to initiate rescue drill under the simulated scenario of a collision between commercial and fishing vessels.

A long-time observer of China's maritime law enforcement actions was cited by Yuyuan Tantian as saying that from the perspective of departmental functions, the CCG is responsible for combating illegal activities at sea, the fishery administration is responsible for fishery protection, the maritime administration is responsible for organizing, coordinating, and guiding maritime search and rescue, while the maritime surveillance is responsible for conducting rights protection patrols and law enforcement in our jurisdictional waters.

Currently, law enforcement authorities in waters near Kinmen are divided among different maritime law enforcement departments. The Thursday exercise clearly indicates that the mainland is exercising law enforcement rights over the waters, said the expert.

Yuyuan Tantian also cited an insider as saying that in the future, the law enforcement patrol using the "Kinmen model," which simultaneously protects residents of both the mainland and the Taiwan island, may also be applied to Matsu, Penghu, and even the entire Taiwan Straits.

Once the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese fishermen are infringed, the CCG can refer to the "Kinmen model" to establish a normalized law enforcement patrol, said the professional.

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Jaishankar stirs controversy with border patrol remarks; experts warn of sovereignty infringement

Global Times

By Deng Xiaoci Published: May 13, 2024 10:00 PM

Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar reiterated India's desire for a resolution of remaining issues with China in a recent interview, highlighting that normal bilateral ties depend on peace and tranquility at the border. However, while expressing a seemingly positive stance, Jaishankar indicated that the remaining issues mainly revolve around "patrolling rights and patrolling abilities."

Chinese scholars and military experts strongly objected to these remarks, cautioning that they effectively annex the current disputed areas into Indian territory, constituting a severe infringement of Chinese sovereignty.

Jaishankar made the remarks during an exclusive interview with PTI and he emphasized that resolving border issues is a foundation on which the relationship between the two countries can come back to normal.

He also commented on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks to Newsweek magazine last month, in which he said that the border situation needs to be addressed urgently and that stable and peaceful ties between India and China are important for not just the two countries but for the entire region and the world.

"But today, our relations with China are not normal because the peace and tranquility in the border areas has been disturbed. So he (Modi) was expressing the hope that the Chinese side should realize that the present situation is not in its own interest," Jaishankar said.

Regarding Jaishankar's remarks, China should remain highly vigilant, Hu Zhiyong, a research fellow with the Institute of International Relations at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday.

His "patrol rights" remarks actually incorporate the current disputed areas between China and India into Indian territory, severely infringing upon Chinese sovereignty, Hu pointed out.

While Modi downplays the Chinese-Indian border issue, Jaishankar adopts a tougher stance, indicating that the softening of Modi's attitude may be only for the sake of domestic elections, Hu noted.

According to the expert, in order to secure 430 seats before the elections, Modi may try easing Chinese-Indian relations to woo a group of swing voters.

China must not only listen to India's soft words but also prepare for military struggles, Hu said, adding that Jaishankar confused the scope of border and patrol rights, deliberately provoking China.

Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times on Monday that Jaishankar possibly intends to deflect responsibility for the existing border issue by blaming China.

"It's quite obvious that the current border issues are entirely caused by India's continuous provocations in recent years. As long as India stops provoking, the problem can calm down," Zhang said.

Both parties need to place the border issue in an appropriate position within their bilateral relations, Zhang said.

If India attempts to use the border issue as leverage against China, it won't work because China is equally determined to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, Zhang noted.

China and India held the 29th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) on March 27, with the two sides vowing to continue talks through diplomatic and military channels to resolve border issues.

The two sides made positive comments on the progress made in bringing the border situation under control, holding a candid and in-depth exchange of views on the next stage of work, and agreeing to reach a mutually acceptable plan at an early date to ensure the border situation reaches a phase of regular control.

Ambassador-designate to India Xu Feihong said during an interview on May 10 that the Chinese side believes that China-India ties should not be defined by any single issue or area, and the boundary question is not the entirety of the relationship.

China is ready to work with India to accommodate each other's concerns, find a mutually acceptable solution to specific issues through dialogue at an early date, and turn the page as soon as possible, he said.

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China urges relevant countries to stop creating hurdles for Palestine to join the UN: FM spokesperson

Global Times

By Global Times Published: May 13, 2024 04:50 PM

China supports the United Nations General Assembly's (GA) latest resolution over Palestine and urges relevant countries to stop standing on the opposite side of the international community, international justice, and conscience of humanity, and to stop creating hurdles for Palestine to join the UN, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a press conference on Monday.

The UNGA on Friday adopted a resolution supporting the Palestinian bid to become a full UN member by recognizing it as qualified to join and recommending that the Security Council "reconsider the matter favorably." The resolution was adopted with 143 votes in favor and nine against, including the US and Israel, while 25 countries abstained. China voted for the resolution.

The independent statehood has been a long-cherished aspiration of the Palestinian people and full membership in the UN is a crucial step in this historic process. It is the strong call of the international community and the common responsibility of all parties to support and advance the process of Palestine's independent statehood and provide strong support for the implementation of the two-State solution and lasting peace in the Middle East, Wang said.

The GA Emergency Special Session adopted by an overwhelming majority a resolution to reaffirm the right of Palestinian people to self-determination, including the right to the Independent State of Palestine, determine that the State of Palestine is qualified for full membership in the UN, and recommend that the Security Council reconsider favorably its application to join the UN, Wang noted.

This reflects the will of the international community, he said.

Wang also urged relevant countries to stop standing on the opposite side of the international community, international justice, and conscience of humanity, and to stop creating hurdles for Palestine to join the UN.

He said that the resolution includes modalities for Palestine's participation in UN activities and relevant meetings, granting it additional rights and privileges. These special modalities are a remedy for the historical injustice long endured by Palestine and a rectification of the US abusive use of veto. The resolution makes it clear that these modalities are adopted on an exceptional basis without setting a precedent.

We hope Palestine will become a full UN Member State soon and will enjoy full and equal rights in the UN like other Member States, Wang said.

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Exclusive: China holds coast guard drills near Huangyan Dao, unveils evidence of Philippine pollution

Global Times

China holds coast guard drills near Huangyan Dao

By Liu Xuanzun Published: May 13, 2024 07:24 PM

The China Coast Guard (CCG) recently held a maritime rescue exercise in waters adjacent to Huangyan Dao (also known as Huangyan Island), a move analysts said on Monday highlighted China's sovereignty and jurisdiction over the island in the South China Sea.

With several Chinese fishing ships operating in Huangyan Dao waters, the CCG conducted the routine exercise in a move to ensure the safety of personnel on the vessels, the Global Times learned.

The exercise simulated a scenario in which personnel fell into the sea, prompting the CCG Ship Chuanshan to immediately launch rescue procedures, according to a video published by official media on Monday.

A small boat released by the Chuanshan quickly approached and retrieved the mock rescue target and brought it back to the mothership, before medical staff on the Chuanshan applied first aid, the video showed.

Official media also for the first time published an aerial photography video on Huangyan Dao in early summer.

The routine exercise is the representation a reflection of the constant presence of the CCG around Huangyan Dao, and it is completely legitimate and normal that the CCG holds this kind of drill around the Chinese island, an expert familiar with the matter told the Global Times.

In the event of an accident, the CCG will be ready to provide aid help to anyone in need, Chinese or foreign, the expert said.

Philippine fishing boats also often conduct fishing activities near Huangyan Dao under a temporary special arrangement reached by China and the Philippines in 2016, but Philippine fishermen are not allowed to enter its lagoon or conduct activities that could pollute or damage the island.

A set of exclusive videos obtained by the Global Times on Monday showed that a group of Philippine fishermen recently illegally landed on Huangyan Dao to conduct fishing activities, during which they not only engaged in uncivilized behavior such as spitting and urinating, but also produced and dumped domestic garbage at sea.

These moves by Filipino fishermen led to pollution to the environment on and around the beautiful island, observers said.

Coming at a time when the Philippines repeatedly stirred up trouble in the region recently, China's intensive release of information around Huangyan Dao highlighted its sovereignty and jurisdiction over the island, analysts said.

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Data on interceptions of aircraft completed near the Baltic States' borders on May 9-12, 2024

Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of National Defence

2024-05-13

International cooperation | Security and defense policy

On May 9-12 fighter aircraft of the NATO Baltic Air Policing Detachment were scrambled twice to intercept aircraft of the Russian Federation violating flight rules in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.

On May 6 the NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission fighter aircraft were scrambled to intercept IL-20 flying from Kaliningrad and back via international airspace. It had no pre-filed flight plan, the onboard transponder was switched off and the crew was not maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre.

On May 7 NATO fighter jets were scrambled to intercept one IL-20 flying from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia through international airspace. The IL-20 had no pre-filed flight plan, its onboard transponder as switched off, the crew was maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre.

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3rd LCT Demonstrates Interoperability During Largest Combined-Joint Live Fire Range of Balikatan 24

US Marine Corps News

13 May 2024 | 1st Lt. Anne Pentaleri 3rd Marine Division

LA PAZ/ILOILO, PHILIPPINES -- U.S. Marines with 3rd Littoral Combat Team, 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, and Philippine Marines with Marine Battalion Landing Team 8 joined forces to plan and conduct the largest combined and joint live fire range of Balikatan 24 on May 6, 2024. The Marines were supported by U.S. Army and Philippine Marine Corps and Army artillery, which added long-range fires to the counter-landing scenario.

A rifle company of U.S. Marines with 3rd LCT left Paredes Airfield for the La Paz Sand Dunes on April 29 to begin prepping the training area for one of the four Combined Joint All-Domain Operations events executed during the 39th iteration of Balikatan. La Paz was deliberately chosen as the training site that would host the counter-landing live fire range for its terrain profile and proximity to strategic waterways. Featuring high grounds with a line of sight extending well into the West Philippine Sea, as well as low grounds with sufficient overhead coverage to house and obscure heavy and medium machine guns from view, the La Paz Sand Dunes presented 3rd LCT and MBLT-8 planners with the ideal challenge - to create a training scenario in which U.S. and Philippine forces worked together in order to counter a simulated enemy attack on key maritime terrain.

At exactly 0800 on May 6, 2024, the range at La Paz went hot. U.S. Soldiers began by opening up on targets floating off the coast with 155mm artillery, while Philippine Marines suppressed with 105mm artillery. As the mock enemy approached from the sea, Philippine Army artillery added their ammunition to the symphony of high explosive rounds impacting on targets. 30 minutes into the drill, the U.S. Marines fired their first shots. The rounds came from two FGM-148 Javelins fired in perfect unison. Before the anti-tank missiles had even reached their targets, 3rd LCT's heavy machine gunners were already covering the Javelin gunners' egress with suppression from .50 Caliber machine guns.

As the scenario progressed and the mock enemy crossed the trigger line defined by where the ocean meets the beach, both U.S. and Philippine Marines engaged their M240B medium machine guns and M27 Infantry Automatic Rifles. The gun fight lasted approximately 45 minutes, at the conclusion of which a Multi-Purpose Anti-Armor Anti-Personnel Weapon System - a reloadable, recoilless rocket system organic to 3rd LCT - neutralized the remaining enemy threat.

"This range built on both forces' understanding of amphibious and littoral operations, improving our collective capacity as warfighters," said U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Mark Edgar, the operations officer with 3rd LCT. "We didn't execute an event to this scale and complexity last year. The success of all forces involved speaks volumes to the bilateral training built over years of shared experiences during Balikatan."

Approximately 150 U.S. and Philippine Marines and Soldiers participated in the counter-landing live fire range. Although the purpose of the counter-landing was to stress and test the ability of U.S. and Philippine Marines to integrate and implement the platoon and company-level tactics developed over the course of Balikatan 24, the event carried a deeper meaning for those observing. As the U.S. and Philippines' partnership continues to grow, the local and regional security environments will continue to see increased stability.



"3rd Littoral Combat Team came to the Philippines to train alongside our Philippine Marine counterparts in a variety of missions associated with the Archipelagic Coastal Defense Concept," said U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Mark Lenzi, Commanding Officer, 3rd LCT. "The successful execution of these training exercises highlights the exceptional capability we have to preserve Philippine territorial integrity when working alongside one another."

Balikatan is an annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military designed to strengthen bilateral interoperability, capabilities, trust, and cooperation built over decades of shared experiences.

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Israel orders new evacuations in Rafah after UN votes in favor of Palestine's membership

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 09:06, May 13, 2024

JERUSALEM, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Israel ordered new evacuations on Saturday in Gaza's southern city of Rafah as it prepared to escalate its military operation, a day after the United Nations (UN) passed a resolution endorsing the Palestinian request for full UN membership.

LOOMING CRISIS

More than 1 million displaced Palestinians are seeking refuge in Rafah, where a severe humanitarian crisis looms large due to shortages of essential supplies such as water, food and medical care. Now, the city is on the brink of a new impending crisis.

"The residents of the camps of Shaboura and the Al-Adari, Al-Jeneina, and Khirbet Al-Adas neighborhoods in Blocks 6-9, 17, 25-27, and 31 must leave their houses immediately," Avichai Adraee, spokesperson of the Israeli army, said in a statement.

Hamas militants used the mentioned areas for military activities against the Israeli people, which forced the army to expand its military operations there to eliminate Hamas fighters, said Adraee.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that to continue its precise operations in specific areas of eastern Rafah, it has urged the population from additional areas in eastern Rafah to temporarily evacuate to the expanded humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi.

The UN has warned that a Rafah invasion would further exacerbate the humanitarian crisis and lead to a rise in civilian casualties.

Georgios Petropoulos, an official with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Rafah, said the World Food Program will run out of food for distribution in southern Gaza by Saturday.

"We simply have no tents, we have no blankets, no bedding," he was quoted as saying.

Israel's latest move has caused discontent in the West. U.S. President Joe Biden has said the United States won't supply Israel with weapons if it launches Rafah offensive.

His administration said on Friday that there was substantial evidence suggesting that Israel had violated international laws protecting civilians.

European Council President Charles Michel also urged Israel not to carry out a military operation in Rafah. "Evacuation orders for civilians trapped in Rafah to unsafe zones are unacceptable," Michel wrote on X on Saturday.

HISTORIC RESOLUTION

The UN General Assembly on Friday adopted a historic resolution supporting the Palestinian bid to become a full UN member.

It showcased increasing support for the Palestinians, with numerous countries expressing outrage over the rising death toll in Gaza and concerns about a potential major Israeli offensive in Rafah.

The resolution was adopted with 143 votes in favor and nine against, including the United States and Israel, while 25 countries abstained. It "determines" that a State of Palestine is qualified for membership, dropping the original language that in the UN General Assembly's judgment it is "a peace-loving state."

"The overwhelming vote in favor of the resolution clearly indicates the compass of global will and the direction of international public opinion," Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit was cited as saying in a statement released by the Cairo-based, pan-Arab organization.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the "historic resolution" recognized the rights of Palestinian people who have suffered for more than seven decades of foreign occupation.

Also on Friday, South Africa submitted another urgent request to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), urging the court to persuade Israel to take steps to prevent genocide of the Palestinians, including a demand that Israel withdraw from Rafah immediately.

Israel has called on the ICJ to reject the urgent request. "The repeated requests for provisional measures made by South Africa, which are based on false claims and deliberate omissions of fact in order to assist Hamas, are yet another attempt to cynically exploit the ICJ in The Hague," Oren Marmorstein, a spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry, wrote on X.

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UN condemns killing of international staff member in Gaza

Iran Press TV

Monday, 13 May 2024 7:08 PM

A UN staff member has been killed and another wounded when their vehicle was struck in the southern city of Rafah in the besieged Gaza Strip.

In a statement released on Monday, Farhan Haq, spokesperson for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, confirmed there were two individuals in Rafah in a UN-marked vehicle on their way to the European Hospital as part of their duties.

"The Secretary-General was deeply saddened to learn of the death of a United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS) staff member and injury to another DSS staffer when their UN vehicle was struck as they traveled to the European Hospital in Rafah this morning," Haq said.

"The secretary-general condemns all attacks on UN personnel and calls for a full investigation."

"With the conflict in Gaza continuing to take a heavy toll - not only on civilians, but also on humanitarian workers - the Secretary-General reiterates his urgent appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire," the statement said.

Media reports, quoting local sources, earlier said a UN vehicle was hit by Israeli shelling in Rafah.

Last month, Israeli strikes on an aid convoy run by the charity group World Central Kitchen killed seven of its workers in Gaza. The killing set off international outrage and underscored the risks to humanitarian workers trying to alleviate a looming famine in Gaza.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) recently said 182 of its staff there had been killed and more than 160 of its shelters hit, resulting in the death of hundreds of people fleeing Israeli bombardment.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini recently called for countries to back an independent investigation into killings and detentions of its staff and damage to its premises in Gaza.

More than seven months into the savage Israeli campaign, the regime continues to kill civilians across the besieged territory.

Over 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October, when the US-Israeli genocide began. Most of those killed are women and children. Thousands of bodies also remain under the rubble.

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Maldives to join South Africa's genocide case against Israel at ICJ

Iran Press TV

Monday, 13 May 2024 6:10 PM

The Maldives says it will officially join South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), as the regime continues its genocidal aggression against 1.5 million people sheltering in Rafah, in southern Gaza.

In a statement on Monday, the government of Maldives "declared its intention to intervene in the case filed by South Africa against Israel at the ICJ."

"The Government of Maldives is resolute in guaranteeing a lasting solution to the long suffering endured by the Palestinian people by any means necessary."

Maldives also strongly condemned "the ongoing attacks on Rafah by Israel, which have led to an exacerbation of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza," the statement reads.

It said that the continuation of military aggression by Israeli occupying forces against innocent Palestinian civilians is a rampant breach of international human rights and humanitarian law.

Israel's genocidal war on Gaza prompted South Africa to file a case against the regime in December 2023. In its application, South Africa said Israel's actions in Gaza were "genocidal in character."

Seated in The Hague, the ICJ ruled in January that "there is a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza and the continuing serious harm to civilians since then."

The United Nations' highest court ordered Tel Aviv to take all measures to prevent genocide in Gaza, but stopped short of ordering a ceasefire.

Ever since, several other countries have declared their intention to join the case, including Turkey, Libya and Egypt.

The Libyan Presidential Council said Sunday that it filed the declaration because it believes Tel Aviv has been engaging in genocide against the people of Gaza, since it started its bloody military campaign in October.

And the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Cairo intended to join the case at the ICJ due to escalating Israeli aggression against Palestinian civilians.

South Africa asked the ICJ last week to order Israel to withdraw from Rafah as part of additional emergency measures over the war.

In the filings published on Friday, South Africa said it was seeking additional emergency measures in light of the continuing military action in Rafah, the "last refuge" for Palestinians in Gaza.

The city in the south of Gaza is crammed with hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians living in dire conditions. UN officials continue to warn that an Israeli ground offensive in Rafah would trigger a humanitarian catastrophe for civilians.

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Nasrallah says 1,500 Israeli soldiers killed since start of Gaza war

Iran Press TV

Monday, 13 May 2024 5:32 PM

Secretary General of the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah says some 1,500 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza, which has compelled resistance groups in the region, including Hezbollah, to launch attacks on Israel to force it to end the war.

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah revealed the death toll of the Israeli military during a Monday speech marking the martyrdom anniversary of Mustafa Badreddine, a senior Hezbollah commander killed in an attack by Israel in Syria's Damascus in 2016.

Nasrallah did not reveal whether the Israeli death toll includes the fatalities suffered by the regime in recent months in its cross-border trading of fire with Hezbollah.

The Israeli regime has kept secret the number of soldiers killed or wounded in the war on Gaza as well as those killed in Hezbollah's missile and drone attacks.

The Hezbollah leader said that Israel has failed to achieve its declared objectives in Gaza where it has killed over 35,000 Palestinians.

He said even people in the Israeli-occupied Palestine doubt claims of victory in Gaza by members of the Israeli regime led by prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"There is unanimity in Israel over Israel's failure... The Israelis are ridiculing Netanyahu when he speaks about victory," he said.

Nasrallah said that Israel is seeking to invade the southern Gazan city of Rafah, where more than a million have sought refuge from the regime's brutal attacks on other parts of the territory, in an attempt to cover up its defeat in Gaza.

On Hezbollah's ongoing confrontation with Israel, Nasrallah said that the Lebanese group will continue its campaign to pressure Israel to halt the war in Gaza.

"The Lebanese front will continue to support Gaza, this is decisive and final, and the Americans and the French have acknowledged this fact," he said.

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Israeli forces once again invade Gaza from north and south

Iran Press TV

Monday, 13 May 2024 4:03 PM

Israeli forces have pushed deeper into the ruins of northern Gaza to recapture an area where they had claimed to have defeated the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas months ago.

Local media reports quoting sources said the regime on Monday carried out new attacks in the Jabalia refugee camp area.

Several civilians were reportedly killed after Israel sent troops and tanks. The ground assault follows a night of intense airstrikes in the area.

The most intense fighting for weeks is now taking place on both the northern and southern edges of the besieged Palestinian territory.

In the central parts of the strip, over 60 Palestinians were killed in just 24 hours.

Palestinians also fled the western part of Rafah and dismantled their tents in the southern crowded city, where Israeli forces are preparing for a large-scale ground aggression, despite international warnings. Relentless Israeli bombings also claimed the lives of at least 18 people in the city.

Israeli forces have ordered medical staff at Rafah's Kuwaiti Hospital to evacuate as Gaza's Health Ministry warns the health system could collapse in "a few hours."

Junaid Sultan, a vascular surgeon who spent time volunteering in Rafah, says hospitals losing power is a "death sentence" for patients.

The UN agency for the Palestinians has said on X that "more than 150,000 pregnant women are facing terrible sanitary conditions and health hazards amid displacement and war" in Gaza. It called for an immediate ceasefire.

A foreign staff member of the World Health Organization (WHO) and a Palestinian driver have been injured by Israeli shelling that hit an UNRWA vehicle east of Rafah, according to local sources.

On Monday, the Israeli military forced hundreds of displaced families to evacuate six UNRWA schools that were turned into shelters for displaced people in the Jabalia refugee camp.

Palestinians say the need to return to earlier battlegrounds is proof Israel's military objectives are unattainable.

More than seven months into the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza, the regime continues to kill civilians across the besieged territory.

Over 35,000 Palestinians have been killed since October, when the US-Israeli genocide began. Most of those killed are women and children. Thousands of bodies also remain under the rubble.

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Libya files declaration of intervention in ICJ genocide case against Israel

Iran Press TV

Monday, 13 May 2024 3:48 PM

Libya has filed a declaration of intervention at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, joining South Africa in its genocide case against the Israeli regime.

The Libyan Presidential Council announced last week that it had joined the case of South Africa and Israel, now underway in the UN's principal court.

Libya filed the declaration of intervention concerning the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip.

Libya said it filed the declaration because it believed the Israeli regime has been engaging in genocide against Palestinians in Gaza since October 7, 2023, and failing to prevent and prosecute the direct and public incitement to genocide.

The African Arab state emphasized the Genocide Convention's significance, saying the ICJ has recognized the prohibition of genocide as a jus cogens norm in international law.

Libya's intervention focuses on the proper interpretation of provisions outlining the duty to prevent and not commit and genocide, and the duty to punish it, as stipulated in Articles I, II, III, IV, V, and VI of the Convention.

The case was initiated in December 2023 when the African country filed an application instituting proceedings against the Israelis concerning its violations by the Israeli forces of its obligations under the Genocide Convention in relation to Palestinians in Gaza.

Article 63 of the ICJ statute grants member states to a convention the right to intervene in the proceedings concerning its rulings.

South Africa complained Israelis' conduct towards Palestinians in Gaza breached its obligations under the Genocide Convention. The application filed by South Africa also sought provisional measures to safeguard Palestinian rights under the Convention and ensure the Israelis compliance.

On March 28, 2024, the Court indicated provisional measures, ordering Israel to prevent "plausible" genocide in Gaza, prevent displacement and loss of life in Palestine, desist from inciting genocide, and punish such incitements, among other directives.

On Friday, South Africa filed an urgent request with the Court for further provisional measures and modification of those previously ordered.

South Africa says the earlier measures "are not capable of 'fully address[ing]' the changed circumstances and new facts" underpinning its request, citing "the situation brought about by the Israeli assault on Rafah, and the extreme risk it poses to humanitarian supplies and basic services into Gaza."

In addition to Libya, Colombia and Egypt have also intervened in the case of South Africa and Israel, saying all the state members of the Genocide Convention should do everything in their power to contribute to ensuring the prevention, suppression, and punishment of genocide, and, therefore, assist the Court in establishing any state party's failure to comply with its orders.

Egypt's intervention comes amid an escalation in attacks by Israeli forces on Rafah, a city which borders the Arab country and hosts a crossing by the same name which is responsible for a bulk of aid supplies reaching the besieged Gaza Strip.

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China urges 'relevant countries' to end opposition to Palestine's UN membership

Iran Press TV

Monday, 13 May 2024 2:28 PM

China has warned "relevant countries" against creating further obstacles for Palestine's membership to the United Nations after the General Assembly voted by a wide margin to grant new "rights and privileges" to Palestine.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Monday that Beijing calls on "relevant countries not to continue to stand in opposition to the international community's moral and human conscience."

China urges countries "not to further obstruct resolutions on Palestine's accession to the UN," the official said.

"The Chinese representative has already comprehensively elaborated our position in the interpretative speech following the voting."

Independent statehood, he said, has been a long-cherished aspiration of the Palestinian people and full UN membership is a crucial step in this historic process.

China supports the UN Security Council in reconsidering Palestine's application to join the UN as soon as possible in accordance with the requirements of the resolution, Wang stated.

"We look forward to Palestine becoming a full UN member and enjoying full and equal rights in the UN like other member states."

On Friday, a UN resolution in support of Palestinian membership passed with a wide margin to grant new "rights and privileges" to Palestine and called on the Security Council to reconsider Palestine's request to become the 194th member of the United Nations.

The UN approved the resolution by a vote of 143-9 with 25 abstentions. The United States voted against it, along with Israel, Argentina, Czechia, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Papua New Guinea.

A General Assembly vote cannot confer UN membership, but the approved resolution grants new privileges to the Palestinian Authority in its current capacity as a non-member observer state.

Last month, the Palestinians officially revived their bid for a full member state in the United Nations.

In a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, UN envoy Riyad Mansour requested "upon instructions of the Palestinian leadership" that an application dating back to 2011 be reconsidered.

Citing Israel's hostilities in the Gaza Strip, Mansour said that UN membership is a priority for the Palestinians.

The United States has repeatedly warned that it will likely block Palestinian membership -- as it vetoed an earlier Palestinian membership request in April that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for Palestine.

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Gaza's healthcare system 'few hours away' from collapse: Ministry

Iran Press TV

Monday, 13 May 2024 9:49 AM

The Palestinian health ministry in the Gaza Strip, which is enduring a genocidal Israeli war, has warned about the imminent collapse of the coastal sliver's entire healthcare system.

"We are only a few hours away from the collapse of the health system in the Gaza Strip," the ministry said in a statement on Monday.

It attributed the likelihood to "the failure to bring in the fuel [that is] needed to operate electricity generators at hospitals and ambulances, and transport employees."

On May 7, the Israeli military seized the Rafah crossing in southern Gaza, which borders Egypt and serves as the main point of entry for aid supplies, including fuel, into Gaza.

The move came as part of the regime's efforts to tighten its grip on the city of Rafah, which it claims contains the "last" major strongholds of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas.

The movement has proven the regime wrong by re-establishing its presence elsewhere across the coastal sliver and launching heavy attacks against Israeli forces and the occupied territories from those locations.

The regime has been waging the war against Gaza since October 7 in response to Al-Aqsa Storm, a retaliatory operation by the Palestinian territory's resistance groups.

More than 35,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have died as a result of the brutal military onslaught so far.

The war has already taken a heavy toll on Gaza's healthcare system by killing at least 500 medical personnel and resulting in the destruction of dozens of hospitals throughout the Palestinian territory.

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May 12: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation

Iran Press TV

Monday, 13 May 2024 8:43 AM

By Press TV Website Staff

Amid Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians so far, including more than 16,000 children, resistance groups in Palestine and across the region continue their operations against the Tel Aviv regime and its Western backers.

The major operations carried out by the Palestinian and regional resistance groups on Sunday, May 12, are as follows:

Al-Qassam Brigades' operations on May 12:

In a joint operation with the Al-Quds Brigades, targeted a gathering of Israeli forces on "Route 10" south of the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood with heavy-caliber mortar shells.

Dropped an anti-tank shell with a drone on the Israeli military's Merkava tank east of Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip.

Targeted two Israeli military tanks using two Yassin-105 shells behind the Riyad Al-Salehin Mosque, east of the Jabalia refugee camp, in the northern Gaza Strip.

Bombed a group of Israeli troops near the Al-Mabhouh site, east of the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, with a barrage of mortar shells.

In a complex operation, detonated a Ra'adiya explosive device on a special Israeli military force and targeted an Israeli military troop carrier with a tandem shell east of Jabalia city in the northern Gaza Strip.

Bombed the settlement of "Sderot" with a barrage of rockets.

Targeted a special Israeli force barricaded in a home near Al-Mazaya Hall, east of Jabalia camp, with two TBG shells, which resulted in several casualties.

Targeted an Israeli military tank with an Al-Yassin 105 shell east of Jabalia camp.

Targeted the Salem military camp of the occupying forces west of the occupied West Bank city of Jenin with a heavy barrage of bullets.

Bombed the gatherings and vehicles of the Israeli military east of the Rafah land crossing in the southern Gaza Strip with heavy-caliber mortar shells.

Targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles at the Rafah land crossing in the southern Gaza Strip with a volley of mortar shells.

Bombed a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles inside the Al-Mabhouh site, east of Jabalia Camp in the northern Gaza Strip, with heavy-caliber mortar shells.

Al-Quds Brigades' operations on May 12:

Targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and vehicles infiltrating south of the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the Gaza Strip with a barrage of mortar shells.

Targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles around the Hassan Al-Banna Mosque and the vicinity of Gaza University south of the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood with mortar shells and guided rockets of the 107-type.

Bombed the positions of Israeli soldiers and artillery positions in the vicinity of the "Re'im" site, which the Israeli military forces use as the headquarters of the Gaza Division command.

Engaged in fierce clashes with a group of Israeli soldiers and their armored vehicles infiltrating east of the town of Jabalia, using machine guns and anti-tank missiles.

Targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles east of the town of Jabalia with a barrage of mortar shells.

Targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles positioned in the "Mazaya" area east of Jabalia camp with a barrage of mortar shells.

Targeted a group of Israeli forces stationed around the Civil Administration east of Jabalia camp with mortar shells.

Targeted Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles advancing in the Al-Shouka neighborhood, east of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, with a barrage of heavy-caliber mortar shells.

In a joint operation, with the Al-Qassam Brigades, bombed a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles penetrating east of the southern Gaza city of Rafah with a barrage of mortar shells.

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades' operations on May 12:

Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli regime forces in the axis of advance east of Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip.

Bombed a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles in the Al-Shouka neighborhood, east of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, with a barrage of heavy-caliber mortar shells.

Targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles stationed behind the Riyadh Al-Salehin Mosque, east of the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, with a barrage of heavy-caliber mortar shells.

Targeted an Israeli military vehicle with an RPG shell on the axis of advance on Street 8 in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City.

Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli forces with appropriate weapons in the axis of advance, south of the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City.

Fired an RPG shell at an Israeli military tank on the axis of advance, east of the Jabalia refugee camp, in the northern Gaza Strip.

Bombed a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles in the vicinity of the barracks of the Martyr Saad Sayel, 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 penetrating the combat axis east of Jabalia camp, north of the Gaza Strip, using appropriate weapons.

Martyr Omar Al-Qasim Forces' operations' on May 12:

Targeted a gathering of the Israeli forces and their military vehicles in the vicinity of the airport and the Zalata area in Al-Shouka, east of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, with short-range 107 rockets.

Targeted a gathering of Israeli regime forces in the "Netzarim" axis with a barrage of heavy-caliber mortar shells.

Al-Nasser Salah Al-Din Brigades' operations on May 12:

Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli forces on the axis of advance behind Abu Zeitoun schools, east of Jabalia camp in northern Gaza.

Hezbollah's operations on May 12:

Eastern sector:

At around 14:10 local time, an Israeli military vehicle carrying was targeted at the Honin barrack with guided missiles.

At around 16:25 local time, Israeli soldiers were targeted in the vicinity of the Zibdin site in Lebanon's Shebaa with new heavy missiles (Jihad Mughniyeh).

Western sector:

At around 19:35 local time, the surveillance equipment of the Israeli military forces at the Al-Malikiyah site was targeted with guided missiles.

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Hamas re-establishing itself as Israel war objectives proved 'elusive': US media

Iran Press TV

Monday, 13 May 2024 7:51 AM

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas is regrouping across the Gaza Strip, an American daily says, pointing out that Israeli forces are again fighting in the areas where they claimed to have defeated Hamas fighters.

"Now, [Israeli] troops are back fighting in the places they vacated," The Wall Street Journal wrote in an article published on Sunday.

The article cited the recent resumption of the Israeli regime's airstrikes against Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, which was followed by ground raids against the northern city and the nearby city of Beit Lahia.

Hamas's fighters "are re-establishing themselves" in northern Gaza, the article noted, saying the group had recently killed at least five Israeli forces in those areas.

"You leave and two minutes later, Hamas is back," Michael Milshtein, a former head of Palestinian affairs for the Israeli military intelligence, told the daily.

"It's impossible to build an alternative and create a new situation in Gaza, and at the same time, get out of any area you took," he added.

The regime has been waging a genocidal war against the Gaza Strip since October 7 in response to Al-Aqsa Storm, a retaliatory operation by the Palestinian territory's resistance groups.

More than 35,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have died as a result of the brutal military onslaught so far.

'Rafah op. won't defeat Hamas'

The Journal pointed to an underway operation by the Israeli military against the southern Gaza city of Rafah, which Tel Aviv has alleged, is aimed at dealing a final blow to Hamas.

Israeli analysts speaking to the daily said that the operation would not "deal a decisive blow to Hamas," noting that the group "can pop up anywhere."

"It wouldn't be an end to the war. An end to the war can be achieved only through a political decision by the two sides to agree on a ceasefire," said Shlomo Brom, a retired Israeli brig. gen.

"In this type of war, which is a war against a guerrilla force, I don't think there are decisive moments," he added.

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A new season: Hezbollah unveils heavy rocket in attack on Israeli military outpost

Iran Press TV

Monday, 13 May 2024 6:45 AM

The Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement has employed for the first time a heavy rocket to strike an Israeli military position in the northern sector of the 1948-occupied territories in retaliation for the bloody war on Gaza.

Hezbollah said in a brief statement that it had launched several Jihad Mughniyeh rockets, named after a member of the group who was killed in 2015 in an operation in Syria that was attributed to Israel, at a gathering of Israeli troops near the Zebdine site in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms at 4:25 p.m. local time (1325 GMT) on Sunday.

Mughniyeh was the son of Imad Mughniyeh, a senior figure in Hezbollah who was assassinated in Damascus in 2008.

The statement added that the projectiles hit the designated targets precisely, and caused significant damage in the area.

Earlier, the Lebanese resistance fighters targeted an Israeli military vehicle, which had surveillance equipment mounted on, with several guided missiles.

Technical devices at the Hounin barracks were also hit and destroyed by a number of missiles.

Hezbollah fighters targeted surveillance equipment at the Israeli al-Malkia military outpost as well, destroying the devices.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese resistance group released footage of an operation in which its fighters targeted sites and surveillance equipment belonging to the Israeli military near the southern Lebanese border.

Hezbollah also documented separate strikes on the Ramia military site, and a building housing Israeli troops in Shtula moshav in the northern part of the Israeli-occupied lands.

The occupying Israeli regime has repeatedly launched attacks on southern Lebanon since October 7, after commencing a genocidal war in Gaza that has killed at least 35,034 Palestinians, predominantly women and children.

As a retaliatory measure, Hezbollah has been carrying out almost daily rocket attacks on Israeli positions.

At least 390 people have been killed on the Lebanese border, including more than 70 civilians.

Two Israeli wars waged against Lebanon in 2000 and 2006 were met with strong resistance from Hezbollah, resulting in the retreat of the regime in both conflicts.

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UNRWA: Israel's 'safe zones' claim false, no place safe in Gaza

Iran Press TV

Monday, 13 May 2024 12:37 AM

The head of the United Nations' agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has rejected Israel's claim about setting up so-called safe zones for the displaced people of Gaza as "false and misleading."

UNRWA's Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini made the remark in a Sunday post on X social media platform.

Since the onset of its genocidal war on Gaza over seven months ago, the Israeli occupation forces have been pounding Gaza with incessant attacks from air, sea and land, mass-killing the helpless civilians in the blockaded territory.

Throughout its Gaza onslaught, the regime has claimed to have determined "safe zones" for civilians, encouraging them to take shelter there. However, as admitted by various UN officials, there have been actually no safe havens for displaced Gazans, as Israeli forces' indiscriminate strikes and artillery fire have been wreaking havoc on those areas, which had been previously declared safe by the regime, including the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Yunis.

"The claim of 'safe zones' is false and misleading. No place is safe in Gaza. Period," the UNRWA chief said.

On Saturday, the Israeli military ordered Palestinians to evacuate more areas in Rafah in a further indication that the regime is preparing to expand its military operations in the city despite widespread international opposition.

The new evacuation orders issued by the regime cover areas in the center of Rafah, forcing tens of thousands more people to move to "an expanded humanitarian area" in al-Mawasi, situated in the western part of Gaza, where aid workers have described its conditions as "horrific."

"The Israeli authorities continue to issue forced displacement orders also known as 'evacuation orders'. This is forcing people in Rafah to flee anywhere and everywhere," Lazzarini said.

He added, "Since the war began, most people in Gaza have moved multiple times: on average once a month. They desperately sought safety that they never found."

Lazzarini added that the displaced people of Gaza have no choice but to stay in UNRWA's shelters, which have been already bombed out by Israeli forces.

On Saturday, the UN agency estimated that "150,000 people have now fled Rafah since [last] Monday, looking for safety where there's none."

It added, "At least 300,000 people affected as further areas across Gaza Strip receive new evacuation orders today, both towards central Rafah in the south and Jabalia in north Gaza."

Since the beginning of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, the regime has killed at least 35,034 civilians, most of them women and children, leaving 78,755 Palestinians injured.

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Manila accuses Beijing of island building in South China Sea

The Philippines deploys ships to monitor China's suspected land reclamation work in its economic zone.

By RFA Staff 2024.05.13 -- The Philippine coast guard has sent ships to monitor what Manila suspects to be China's illegal island building in the South China Sea, the Presidential Office said.

The office of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in a statement that since April, the coast guard vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua had been operating near Sabina Shoal, known in the Philippines as Escoda Shoal, to keep a watch on China's "supposed illegal activities."

Sabina Shoal is a low-tide elevation in the Spratly Islands, well inside the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ) but also claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam. It is only 75 nautical miles (140km) from the Philippine island of Palawan.

An EEZ gives the coastal state exclusive access to natural resources in the waters and in the seabed.

Philippine coast guard spokesman Jay Tarriela said in the statement that crushed corals had been dumped on the reef - an indication of land reclamation. However, the suspected island building appeared to be at an initial stage, he said.

Tarriela also said that besides the BRP Teresa Magbanua, two more coast guard vessels had been deployed on a rotating basis to monitor the area.

"We are alarmed by this," said Jonathan Malaya, assistant director general of the Philippine National Security Council.

Malaya told a press conference on Monday that similar "crushed corals" were detected earlier on Sandy Cay, another group of low-lying reefs near Philippines-occupied Thitu island, also known as Pag-asa island.

"These were crushed corals and it was obvious that they came from another place," Malaya said.

The Philippines in March launched a scientific research mission on Sandy Cay, prompting China to protest.

Beijing has yet to respond to the latest allegations regarding Sabina Shoal.

Monitoring procedure

Tarriela explained in a post on the social platform X, formerly Twitter, that the Philippine coast guard had implemented a "standard operating procedure" to inspect Sabina Shoal for any dumped crushed corals.

After more than three weeks of monitoring, the coast guard discovered that "crushed corals were dumped and it is highly likely that the maritime features were altered." The force has released some photo evidence of the damaged corals.

"We must stay vigilant and not lose sight of the illegal activities and aggressive behavior exhibited by China in Escoda (Sabina) Shoal," Tarriela wrote in his post.

"Not only does this pose a threat to our sovereignty, but it also causes significant damage to our marine environment," the coast guard spokesman wrote.

In a report released last December, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) and the China Ocean Institute - both based in the United States - said that competing states in the South China Sea had caused "the largest active man-made reef destruction in human history."

The organizations named China as the most egregious actor by far, having wiped out roughly 4,648 acres (19km2) of reefs in four years between 2013 and 2017. Most destruction was due to dredging and landfill to construct infrastructure on artificial islands.

Beijing carried out most of its island building activities during that period and by 2022 had fully militarized the three largest reefs - Subi, Mischief and Fiery Cross.

Jason Gutierrez in Manila contributed to this report.

Edited by 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.

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Philippines probes alleged Chinese disinformation campaign over South China Sea

Manila also says Chinese diplomats illegally recorded a phone conversation with a Philippine military commander.

By BenarNews staff 2024.05.13 -- The Philippines said Monday it was officially investigating allegations that Chinese embassy staff in Manila had engaged in a disinformation campaign related to the South China Sea.

The move followed a call by the Philippine national security adviser urging the government to expel embassy staffers for allegedly recording a phone conversation with a senior Filipino commander about military resupply missions to a disputed shoal.

"The Department of Foreign Affairs will look into any reports of illegal and unlawful activities by diplomatic officials, and undertake necessary action in line with existing laws and regulations," the department said in a statement Monday.

While foreign diplomats are "accorded necessary liberties" in conducting their duties, they are expected to perform them "with the highest standards of integrity" and professionalism, it said.

Last week, top Philippine defense and security officials demanded an investigation into whether China had violated Manila's wiretapping laws during the alleged phone call between a Chinese official and the Filipino government military commander, Vice Adm. Alberto Carlos, who oversees the defense of the Second Thomas Shoal, also known as the Ayungin Shoal, among other contested South China Sea features.

Carlos, the head of the Philippine military's Western Command, or WESCOM, allegedly agreed with an unidentified Chinese official to a "new model" for arranging for notifications of resupply missions to the Ayungin Shoal, according to a transcript released by the Chinese embassy to select news outlets.

Last week, Philippine officials announced that Carlos had gone on leave and was temporarily replaced.

Outpost in contested region

Manila maintains the BRP Sierra Madre, an old ship grounded at the Ayungin Shoal, to serve as the country's outpost in the contested region. It is critical because the Ayungin lies near Mischief Reef, an artificial island where Beijing built a naval base in the 1990s.

WESCOM oversees Manila's defense of the Palawan and Kalayaan islands, including the disputed Spratly chain.

On Friday, a spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry hit back at the call from Eduardo Ano, the Philippine national security adviser, that Chinese embassy staffers be expelled.

"The Philippines' response shows exactly their guilty conscience in the face of facts and evidence and how exasperated and desperate they have become," spokesman Lin Jian said during a regular press conference.

"We ask the Philippines to ensure that Chinese diplomats can carry out their duty normally, and to stop provocations and infringements," he said. "The Philippines needs to quit denying the facts and must not make reckless moves that will only backfire on the Philippines itself."

Civilian mission

Against the backdrop of this controversy, a civilian coalition, Atin Ito! (This Is Ours!), was preparing for a sea voyage this week where a convoy of boats would deliver supplies to Filipino fishermen at Scarborough Shoal, known as Bajo de Masinloc in the Philippines.

The shoal, located 125 nautical miles (232 km) from the west coast of Luzon - the largest of the Philippine islands - has effectively been under China's control since 2012 and despite a 2016 international arbitration ruling that dismissed Beijing's sweeping historical claims to most of the South China Sea.

Filipino fishermen who venture out into the rich fishing ground at Scarborough Shoal are routinely harassed by the Chinese.

Rafaela David, chief convenor of the Atin Ito! coalition, said they remained undeterred despite several recent incidents between Philippine and Chinese ships in the disputed waters.

"China's actions are failing to intimidate Filipinos," David said in a statement. "Instead, they are only uniting us and inspiring us to go further in defending our rights."

Atin Ito! is a broad grouping of nationalist individuals and civilian organizations. It launched its first mission last December to deliver supplies and Christmas gifts to Filipino troops stationed aboard the BRP Sierra Madre at the Second Thomas Shoal.

That mission was forced to change its route and detour to less controversial parts of the disputed waterway. The convoy was subsequently forced to turn back to shore after four Chinese vessels started shadowing its lead ship.

Preparing a blockade

This week's convoy is scheduled to set sail for Scarborough Shoal on Wednesday morning from Masinloc town in Zambales province, a voyage that is expected to take two days.

Ray Powell, who heads Stanford University's Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation that monitors activities in the South China Sea, said on X that a huge Chinese force appeared to be preparing to intimidate the Filipino civilian mission.

"This will be by far the largest blockade I'll have ever tracked at Scarborough," Powell said.

The Filipino sea convoy will be escorted by the Philippine Coast Guard.

Jonathan Malaya, assistant director general at the National Security Council, said Monday that the upcoming trip to Scarborough Shoal would be "civilian" in nature.

"It is the government's responsibility to ensure maritime safety. We need to make sure that our fellow Filipinos who are joining that trip and the foreign nationals that they have invited are safe because that mission is within our 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone," Malaya told a news briefing.

"The objective of this mission is to help our fishermen in that part of the [West Philippine Sea] - that's why they are bringing supplies," Malaya said.

Jason Gutierrez and Jojo Rinoza reported from Manila.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content May not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Georgian Government Defiant As Protests Against 'Foreign Agent' Bill Continue

By RFE/RL's Georgian Service and RFE/RL's Echo of the Caucasus May 13, 2024

TBILISI -- Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has backed the parliament to pass a controversial "foreign agent" bill, which is seen by many as a threat to free speech and the country's drive toward membership in the European Union.

Georgian police arrested 20 people as they violently dispersed a rally outside parliament on May 13 as lawmakers from the ruling Georgian Dream party rushed the approval of the bill through the Legal Committee.

Kobakhidze said in a press conference after the bill cleared the committee that lawmakers will "act in accordance with the rational will of the majority of the population" and pass the bill in its final reading on May 14.

He accused the protesters of "following the agenda of the political minority" and charged that they were showing a "great irresponsibility" toward their country.

Two U.S. citizens and a Russian national reportedly were among those arrested outside parliament, although no details about their identities were immediately made public.

Security personnel used force to disperse protesters who had staged a nightlong protest outside parliament as lawmakers arrived to debate the bill in a third and final reading. The draft legislation has been condemned by the United States, the European Union, and others as mirroring a similar Russian law.

Video footage shared on social media shows several masked riot police officers taking turns as they violently beat a fallen protester before they apparently detain him.

In another video, a man whose face is bleeding is being violently detained by numerous masked men who are beating him and tearing off his shirt.

Despite the earlier violence, students during the day on May 13 held protests on central Tbilisi streets where they chanted that they would "protect the worthy future of Georgia, its independence and the country's European future."

"We will not give up the freedom of our country, the European future and the rights guaranteed by the constitution," they said while swearing an oath during the gatherings.

More students from various universities were marching toward the parliament building to continue the protests, according to RFE/RL's Georgian Service.

EU spokesman Peter Stano on May 13 praised the "loyalty" of the Georgian public "toward the European path" and criticized the government's treatment of protesters.

"What we have seen over the past few days in Georgia in terms of the response of the authorities, especially from the police, was violence," Stano said.

"We strongly condemn acts of intimidation, threats, and physical assaults against the protesters, against civil society activists, against politicians and against journalists and media workers."

For several weeks, tens of thousands of Georgians have protested against the "foreign agent" bill pushed forward by the ruling Georgian Dream party. The demonstrations have been repressed violently many times with water cannons, tear gas, rubber bullets, while being also attacked by gangs of thugs at night.

Protesters and journalists have shown injuries consistent with the use of rubber bullets, despite denials from officials that such methods have been employed against people on the streets.

The massive rallies against the bill are some of the largest protests since Georgia became independent in 1991.

As Georgian Dream lawmakers arrived by car at parliament on May 13, protesters who were being pushed away shouted in their direction, "Slaves! Slaves!

Shortly after gathering in the parliament building following the violent dispersal of protesters, lawmakers in the Legal Committee took only 67 seconds to review and approve the bill, allowing it to move on to the full assembly.

After the bill cleared the committee, Ivliane Khaindrava, an adviser to State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality Tea Akhvlediani, resigned from his post in protest.

"I resigned because I do not agree with the course that leads to civil strife," he told RFE/RL's Georgian Service in an interview.

Opposition lawmakers, who have not been allowed access to the parliament building for some time, did not attend the committee meeting.

Committee Chairman Anri Okhanashvili said the third reading only provides for editorial amendments, and none of the ruling party members proposed such amendments.

In a briefing on May 12, President Salome Zurabishvili, who has come out in support of peaceful protests, strongly criticized the government and Georgian Dream leaders for not taking into account the views of the throngs of citizens on the streets.

"It's very funny when politicians pretend to be able to count with high IQs and they can't count how many people there were," she said, adding that the government "has lost the confidence of the people."

The bill is expected to pass its final reading -- which could come as early as May 14 -- but Zurabishvili has vowed to veto it. However, a simple majority in parliament is enough to override the president's veto.

Under the terms of the proposed legislation, media outlets, NGOs, and other nonprofits would be required to register as "pursuing the interests of a foreign power" if more than 20 percent of their funding comes from abroad.

Critics say it is modeled after decade-old "foreign agent" legislation that Russian President Vladimir Putin has used to crush dissent and punish independent institutions, and EU officials have said the bill could be a significant setback to Tbilisi's membership bid.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/georgia-foreign-agent-protest- final-vote-tbilisi/32943846.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Wider Europe Briefing: The EU's Latest Attempt To Hit Russia (And Belarus) With Sanctions

By Rikard Jozwiak May 13, 2024

Brief#1: The EU Could Further Sanction Russian Energy

What You Need to Know: On May 8, the European Commission presented a new round of sanctions on Russia and Belarus to the ambassadors of the European Union member states. The proposal, seen by RFE/RL, is actually surprisingly ambitious, given that the bloc has adopted numerous rather weak packages in the past. The big question is whether the measures, if adopted, will retain their clout. As they have to be adopted unanimously, there is a risk of them being watered down.

Surprisingly, the proposed measures touch on Russian energy, something that has been a "no-go" ever since the EU managed to impose a near-ban on Russian oil imports in 2022 after months of diplomatic bickering. This time, the European Commission is proposing to hit Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG).

However, the sanctions proposal does not suggest banning direct imports to the EU, which make up some 5 percent of the bloc's energy consumption and can be replaced immediately, according to European Commission estimates. Instead, a gradual approach is being suggested by forbidding transshipment, meaning that EU countries would be prevented from reexporting Russian LNG and therefore forcing Russian ships to make longer journeys to reach their final destination.

There is also a ban on investing or providing services for huge Russian LNG-infrastructure projects under construction -- Arctic LNG and Murmansk LNG. Big countries such as Germany, France, and Italy have already asked for an impact assessment of how these LNG-related measures will work, suggesting that member states are nervous about this move.

Deep Background: Another issue that might be tricky for EU member states to green-light is a proposed import ban on helium. So far, EU helium imports from Russia only amount to about $1 billion a year, but Russia has the ambition of becoming one of the world's biggest helium suppliers in the future.

In the proposal, there is also a push to expand the liability of sanctions violations to EU subsidiaries abroad, which could be a step too far for EU member states as they would argue that it is too complicated to keep track of everything that has been decided in Brussels and too much of a regulatory burden for companies.

What else is in the proposal? There is a prohibition on using the System For Transfer Of Financial Messages (SPFS), a sort of Moscow-based SWIFT, which should pass even though Hungary has expressed reservations.

Then there are things that appear straightforward but which potentially may not cut it with member states. One is the restriction on the use and transfer in Russia of plant-variety rights, which give farmers the exclusive control over the planting, harvesting, selling, exporting, and importing of certain species. France and Portugal have voiced concerns here, arguing that such a move could lead to global food scarcity.

It will also be interesting to see if a proposed ban on Russian state financing for EU-based political parties, foundations, think tanks, NGOs, and media service providers in the union won't be watered down. Some countries, notably Hungary and Slovakia, enjoy warm relations with the Kremlin and might lack the political will; others, such as the Netherlands and Sweden, have constitutional restrictions on the state interfering in media and civil society funding.

The proposed ban on acquiring Ukrainian cultural goods if there are suspicions that these items have been illegally removed from Ukraine should, however, fly. As will a bid to block the operation in the EU of transport companies that are at least 25 percent owned by Russians -- a more stringent measure than the status quo, where companies can only be blocked if Russians hold a majority stake. Measures hitting Russia's so-called shadow fleet, vessels with unclear ownership that Moscow is using to circumvent the bloc's oil transport ban, are also expected to pass.

Drilling Down

A proposed broadcasting ban on the pro-Russian propaganda network Voice of Europe, the state-owned RIA Novosti news agency, and the Russian newspapers Izvestia and Rossiiskaya gazeta is also expected. Under such a measure, the four companies would be added to the same EU blacklist as Russia's state-owned RT and Sputnik. That means EU citizens can't access their media products in the bloc, but correspondents from these companies still have the right to report from member states. I understand that the decision on this issue could be taken separately and be rubber-stamped by EU ambassadors when they assemble again in Brussels on May 15.

There are also suggested asset freezes and visa bans on two people associated with Voice of Europe: Artem Marchevskiy and Viktor Medvedchuk, with the proposal stating that "Marchevskiy has used Voice of Europe as a vehicle for funneling financial resources designated for remuneration of propagandists, and for building an influence network connecting Medvedchuk and his associates with representatives of political parties in Europe."

As always, some interesting derogations are being proposed. A flight ban on Russian aircraft over EU territory was introduced shortly after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Since then, Russian travelers have been using creative ways of getting around this by using quick stopovers in places like Armenia, Georgia, or Turkey, or by masking which companies are running the flight. The European Commission is proposing to tighten this by adding the requirement for flight operators to disclose the owner of the actual aircraft, as well as the nationalities of the passengers. There is, however, an exemption from this requirement for aircraft with no more than four seats and with a maximum take-off mass of 2,000 kilograms. Sounds ideal for small private jets used by rich Russians.

And then you have Belarus, where the European Commission is suggesting measures for Minsk that have already been adopted for Russia. This includes, among other things, import bans on maritime navigation components, diamonds, gold, and coal, and a prohibition on providing Belarus with various IT services.

An important derogation has also been suggested: the possibility of allowing Belarusian potash, used in agricultural fertilizers, to be shipped via the EU to third countries where there is food scarcity. So far, Belarusian potash has been banned and it will continue to be prohibited, but there is now a suggestion that an empty annex to the document could be adopted in which the names of at-risk third countries can be added in the future in case there is a potash shortage. The Baltic states are against this move as they believe it would reward the regime of Alyaksandr Lukashenka and force them to allow Belarusian potash to transit their countries. Others like Italy, Portugal, and Spain have countered that the EU must be seen to do more to avoid accusations of causing food shortages globally and that the empty annex is a last resort that very well may remain empty.

Brief#2: EU Military Aid For Armenia And Georgia

What You Need To Know: One of the more successful, if perhaps underreported, European Union initiatives in recent years is the European Peace Facility (EPF), created back in 2021, to finance actions such as training missions and military equipment in third countries. The facility is outside the regular EU budget, meaning that the 27 member states of the bloc contribute as they see fit.

At the start, it was largely meant to finance projects and missions in Africa with a budget ceiling of 5.6 billion euros ($6 billion), but with the full-scale invasion of Ukraine a year later, the ceiling has now been elevated to 17 billion euros. The EPF has also allowed the EU as an organization for the first time ever to send lethal military aid, with assistance worth nearly $3.9 billion going to Ukraine.

Other countries in the EU's eastern neighborhood have also benefited from contributions from the fund. Last month, Moldova received some $44 million over a period of 40 months for nonlethal equipment in areas such as air surveillance, electronic warfare, and logistics. Georgia received more than $32 million last year to boost its army in the fields of military engineering, command and control, medical equipment, logistics, and cyberdefense -- a sum that came on top of previous contributions from the EU, worth $34.5 million, for similar purposes.

Deep Background: Now, once again, Georgia is in line for more cash from the EPF -- as is Armenia. For Armenia, it would be the first time ever it had received such funding and would signify a small but symbolic step for Yerevan in its relationship with the European Union. (There are even rumors in Brussels that Armenia might soon even apply to join the bloc.)

The draft EPF proposal, seen by RFE/RL, also hints at Armenia's closer cooperation with the bloc: "the assistance measure aims to allow the armed forces to enhance operational effectiveness, accelerate compliance with (European) Union standards and interoperability, and thereby better protect civilians in crises and emergencies. It will also strengthen Armenia's capacities in regard to its future participation in EU Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) operations and missions."

Interestingly, the proposal for Georgia contains the same wording. For both countries, the proposal states that the "objective of the assistance measure is to contribute to the strengthening of the armed forces of the Republic of Armenia/Georgia's capacities to enhance national security, stability, and resilience in the defense sector."

Drilling Down

There are key differences between the military proposals for the two countries. Armenia's is a rather modest one - worth nearly $11 million for the upcoming 30 months. The document makes it clear that it will finance the "types of equipment not designed to deliver lethal force" and spells out that it will contribute mobile field-camp capability for a battalion-sized unit and a medical treatment facility. For Georgia, the proposal is to the tune of more than $32 million for 40 months. As with Armenia, there is support for logistics equipment, but then additionally there is also money available for artillery command-and-control equipment, engineering equipment, and cyberdefense equipment.

For both countries, there are also safeguards in case things don't go to plan. The funding can be suspended or terminated altogether if Yerevan or Tbilisi are not following international human rights law, if the cash is not used for the purpose it was provided for, or if any equipment is transferred without Brussels' consent.

To make sure the money isn't frittered away, the EU has also insisted on delivery certifications and onsite visits upon request by the EU foreign policy chief or EU auditors, as well as reports on how the various projects are doing every six months.

These sorts of requests are standard in Brussels, but they also reflect potential unease as these decisions ultimately are political. All 27 EU member states must sign off on them.

In the case of Georgia, EU ambassadors already did so on May 8. Despite growing worries about the potential of Georgia adopting a "foreign agent" law --- which requires media outlets, NGOs, and other nonprofits to register as "pursuing the interests of a foreign power" if more than 20 percent of their funding comes from abroad -- the member states decided not to touch the EPF money for Tbilisi. One argument not to cut Tbilisi off was that the continued funding would lead to more transparency and the EU would have some oversight of the Georgian armed forces.

Instead, the EU is looking into other ways to respond in case the law is adopted, including halting Georgia's EU accession process, freezing some other EU funds meant for Georgia, or even looking into ways to suspend visa liberalization with the country.

It is actually Armenia's EPF proposal that is more problematic. So far, it hasn't reached the EU ambassadors' desks as it remains stuck in lower-level working groups partly as a result of Hungary blocking it. Hungary, which enjoys close ties with Azerbaijan, has conditioned its green light for Armenia on Baku getting its own EPF program as well. While other EU member states would be open to Azerbaijan also benefiting from the fund, there is one problem: the EPF functions in such a way that a third country must ask if they can be part of it and, so far, Baku has not shown any interest.

Looking Ahead

Watch out for the annual meeting of the foreign ministers of the Council of Europe, which focuses on promoting human rights, democracy, and the rule of law on the continent, in Strasbourg on May 16-17. There had been hopes that, after this session, Kosovo would be approved to join the organization. But as Pristina hasn't submitted a draft law on the establishment of an association of Serbian-majority municipalities -- a key sticking point between Kosovo and Serbia -- chances now appear slim that this will happen.

NATO countries' chiefs of defense will assemble in Brussels on May 16 to discuss weapon deliveries to Ukraine, a potential NATO mission to coordinate these deliveries and train troops, and how to ramp up military production in the alliance.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-rikard- jozwiak-eu-sanctions-russia-belarus/32944303.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Armenian Protest Leader Calls For More Pressure On Government Over Azerbaijan Border Deal

By RFE/RL's Armenian Service May 13, 2024

A protest leader in Armenia has called for more anti-government protests against a controversial border demarcation agreement with Azerbaijan.

Archbishop Bagrat Galstanian, the leader of the Tavush Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, said during a gathering in Yerevan in the evening of May 13 that "the pressure should increase" on the government.

The gathering was held at the end of a day of "civil disobedience" campaigns called for by the archbishop in the Armenian capital that resulted in the detention of 171 protesters. They were all released later.

Law enforcement authorities told RFE/RL that those detained had failed to comply with police orders.

The protesters blocked several streets and demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.

Rallies against the government have been held for weeks in protest against the border deal.

Under the border-demarcation deal with Baku, Armenia cedes control of four villages that were part of Azerbaijan during the Soviet era, but which have been controlled by Armenia since the 1990s.

The United States and the European Union have hailed the deal, but the Pashinian government has been accused by opposition politicians of giving up territory to Azerbaijan with no guarantees.

Pashinian has said the unilateral concessions are necessary to prevent Azerbaijani military aggression against Armenia. The Armenian opposition maintains he is encouraging Baku to demand more territory from Armenia and to use force for that purpose.

Armenia agreed to the handover as the initial step in defining the frontier between the two rival South Caucasus countries.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars in the last three decades over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which had been a majority ethnic Armenian enclave since the Soviet collapse and is internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory.

The region initially came under the control of ethnic Armenian forces, backed by the Armenian military, in separatist fighting that ended in 1994.

In 2020, Azerbaijan took back parts of Nagorno-Karabakh along with seven surrounding districts that Armenian forces had claimed during the earlier conflict.

After Baku took full control over the region as the result of a one-day military operation in September last year, nearly 100,000 ethnic Armenians fled Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/protesters-block-streets-yerevan- arrests-archbishop-azerbaijan-land-deal/32943990.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Russian UN Envoy Says Israeli Operation in Rafah Will Have Negative Impact on Red Sea

Sputnik News

20240513

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - Israel's planned operations in Rafah could harm the situation in the Red Sea, Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said on Monday.

"... Knowing the fundamental position of the Houthis condemning Israeli actions against Palestinian civilians, there is no doubt that this will have an impact on the situation in Yemen's surrounding waters," Nebenzia said in the UN Security Council chamber during a meeting on Yemen.

In addition, Nebenzia said that Russia is in favor of "free and safe" navigation.

Nebenzia also said that Western states disregard international law by advancing their agendas purely based on profit.

"Through their actions, they are just bolstering their reputation as total wheeler-dealers, who have no compunction about trampling on international law if it prevents them from making a profit or implementing their mercenary, geopolitical agenda," Nebenzia said in the UN Security Council chamber during a meeting on Yemen.

Last week, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the movement was ready to attack any ships heading to Israel from the Mediterranean Sea, as well as expand operations in the Red and Arabian Seas and the Indian Ocean against ships linked to Israel or bound for its ports if the Jewish state launches an offensive in the city of Rafah.

Yemen's Houthi rebels vowed in November 2023 to attack any ships associated with Israel until it halts military actions in the Gaza Strip. The attacks prompted the US to form a multinational coalition to protect shipping in the area, as well as to strike Houthi targets on the ground.

 Sputnik

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Israel Killed More Civilians Than Hamas Fighters - Blinken

Sputnik News

20240513

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken admitted Israel has killed more civilians than Hamas fighters, responding to the reporter's question about the National Security Memorandum 20 which he submitted to Congress on May 10.

In an interview with the CBS News broadcaster Blinken was asked "The prime minister himself said Israel assesses the IDF killed 14,000 terrorists and 16,000 civilians. Does the US share the Israeli assessment that more civilians have been killed than actual terrorists?"

The US State Secretary responded with a resolute "Yes, we do."

"It's reasonable to assess...there have been acts that have been inconsistent with Israel's obligations under international humanitarian law," Blinken clarified, adding that "there are hundreds of ongoing inquiries looking at different incidents."

Nevertheless, he responded negatively when asked if the State Department had been able to identify Israel's possible violations of "US laws and weapons-sharing agreements."

Blinken added that Washington does not prevent the transfer of any weapons to Israel, with the exception of one batch of 3,500 bombs.

"But at present, the only thing that we've delayed and are holding back are these high-payload bombs because we're in an ongoing conversation with Israel, given the impact that those weapons can have when they're used in densely populated areas, including an area like Rafah," Blinken noted.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel and breached the border, attacking both civilian neighborhoods and military bases. Nearly 1,200 people in Israel were killed and some 240 others abducted during the attack. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. Over 35,000 people have been killed so far by Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, local authorities said. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza.

 Sputnik

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The Houthis' reckless attacks on maritime shipping undermine the stability of Yemen: UK statement in the UN Security Council

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on Yemen.

13 May 2024

Thank you, President, and my thanks to Special Envoy Grundberg and USG Griffiths for your briefings and particularly to Martin for his long engagement on this file.

Colleagues, as a Council, we cannot falter in our support to Yemen, our support for an inclusive and sustainable peace, and we should remain unified behind the Special Envoy's efforts to secure that peace via de-escalation and ceasefire.

We therefore call on all parties to de-escalate tensions and preserve the space for negotiations, under the UN roadmap, to secure lasting peace and prosperity for the people of Yemen.

President, I will make three points.

First, on shipping, the United Kingdom condemns the latest Houthi threats to extend their attacks on shipping to the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

Continued escalation of maritime attacks undermines the security and stability of Yemen, worsening the already dire humanitarian situation. We cannot secure a sustainable peace agreement without a conducive security environment. So we reiterate our calls on the Houthis to respect freedom of navigation and cease their reckless attacks on maritime shipping.

Second, there has been a notable surge in vessels that have entered Houthi-controlled ports without reporting to UNVIM. Since October 2023, reported violations could equate to as much as 500 truckloads of un-inspected material entering Hodeidah.

We have been clear on this issue: UNVIM is a crucial mechanism for restricting the supply of illegal weapons entering Yemen and we call on all vessels to comply with necessary inspections.

Third, as we heard from USG Griffiths, Yemen remains one of the world's worst humanitarian crises and one of the largest humanitarian responses. Aid agencies are unable to reach and assist vulnerable people. We call on the authorities, and the de facto authorities, to do more to enable the delivery of aid.

Last week, at the sixth Yemen Humanitarian Senior Officials Meeting, donors committed over $790m towards Yemen's humanitarian crisis. But more is urgently required and the UK will shortly be announcing our pledge for 2024.

We call on others in the international community, and in the region, to help provide funding in support of the multi-cluster response plan outlined by USG Griffiths.

President, it's been almost a year since the Houthis unlawfully detained members of the Baha'i community. We continue to call on the Houthis to uphold freedom of religion or belief and immediately and unconditionally release the remaining Baha'is in detention.

I thank you.

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UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban concludes visit to Eastern DR Congo, emphasizes humanitarian situation now at a tipping point, the urgent need for peace and a central role of the new government

UNICEF

UNICEF official highlights the growing concerns for safeguarding children's rights and protection of civilians amidst worsening humanitarian crisis and calls for urgent action to reinforce diplomatic and long-term solutions to eastern DR Congo

13 May 2024

GOMA, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 13 May 2024 - UNICEF Deputy Executive Director for Humanitarian Action and Supply Operations, Ted Chaiban, concluded a five-day visit to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where he met with authorities and witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of escalating conflict on vulnerable populations, particularly women and children.

"The scale of the conflict in the east has reached new heights, displacing millions of people and creating the worst humanitarian crisis in the country since 2003", stated Chaiban. "Children are being killed, maimed, abducted, and recruited by armed groups with verified grave violations the highest-ever; their rights to education and a safe childhood have been shattered."

The all-time high of 7.2 million internally displaced persons could further spiral as armed groups take control of ever more territory in eastern DRC and confrontation on Congolese soil spreads, all at the same time as the departure of MONUSCO has begun. "We are seeing growing numbers of children killed and wounded with the recent shift to the use of heavier and sophisticated arms".

Chaiban visited the internally displaced persons sites of Bulengo and Lushagala on the outskirts of Goma, homes to over 36,500 families. "The intensification of fighting in recent months has worsened an already precarious situation for children and families in the camps", emphasized Chaiban.

Chaiban also met with displaced families in Minova where access is increasingly constrained, where the recent influx of over 250,000 people fleeing conflicts has added immense pressure on already vulnerable host communities.

"The only way to reduce this suffering is to double down on efforts by regional actors and the international community to negotiate a political solution to the conflict, including the Luanda process, Nairobi dialogue and other diplomatic efforts".

"The deteriorating security situation in the North and South Kivu and Ituri provinces has a significant impact on the delivery of humanitarian assistance," stressed Chaiban.

"We strongly condemn last week's bombings on three sites for displaced persons in the Lac-vert, Lushagala, and Mugunga neighbourhoods near Goma, which resulted in the tragic loss of 35 lives and left over 20 people injured, primarily women and children." UNICEF urges all parties to keep all military installations, arms and operations well away from civilian locations.

UNICEF reaffirms the need for centrality of protection in this crisis. "UNICEF remains committed to ensuring that every child's right to health education, and protection is upheld," reiterated Chaiban.

With dwindling humanitarian funding, UNICEF-led humanitarian response interventions are focused on the most vulnerable. "Responding to the full scale of the needs and bringing lasting solutions can only be achieved by government taking the primary responsibility for providing basic services in these difficult contexts, with our collective support".

"Support to government systems for communities to be more resilient is the only way to reduce humanitarian needs", Ted Chaiban said, underlining the importance of flexible funding as one of the key enablers. UNICEF works closely with WFP, FAO, and sister agencies to enhance resilience and social cohesion, linking humanitarian, development and peace interventions.

Chaiban visited water networks in the territory of Rutshuru, showing how lasting solutions are the way we can and should work, even in conflict zones and displaced people camps such as the extension of the Goma water network in Kanyaruchinya.

The world needs a peaceful and productive Congo, which with its tropical rainforest and green minerals, is critical to the fight against global climate change. With the international community's support, Congo can become the Solution Country.

"DRC is too big to fail. We need peace and security for displaced people to return home, to cultivate their fields and have their children back in school", concluded Chaiban.

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Rafah exodus reaches 360,000 as UN underscores $2.8 billion aid appeal for Gaza, West Bank

13 May 2024 - Nearly 360,000 people have fled Rafah in the last week amid continuing Israeli bombardment that has crippled humanitarian aid deliveries and is believed to have killed another UN aid worker, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said on Monday.

"Nearly 360,000 people have fled Rafah since the first evacuation order a week ago," the UN agency said in a post on X, referencing leafleting by the Israeli military ordering those in eastern Rafah to leave their shelters.

In another alert, UNRWA warned of ongoing "restricted humanitarian access" to and across the Gaza Strip that was now "a matter of life or death" for Gazans already suffering "relentless bombardments and food insecurity".

The development comes one week since Israel moved ahead with its military offensive in Rafah, seizing control of the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing and Kerem Shalom crossing.

"We immediately and urgently need safe passage for humanitarian aid and workers," the UN agency insisted, amid fresh reports of more clashes and shelling in Jabalia refugee camp in the north of the enclave.

"Bombardments and other evacuation orders have created more displacement and fear for thousands of families" in the north, UNRWA said. "There's nowhere to go. There's NO safety without a ceasefire."

The UN agency also reported on Monday that another staff member had been killed in Gaza, bringing the total number of staff killed in the war to 188.

The individual - a 53-year-old senior projects officer - was believed to have died in an Israeli strike in the central town of Deir Al Balah, after leaving Rafah. "He leaves behind a wife and four children," the agency said.

Funding appeal

In a related development, the UN again highlighted its $2.8 billion appeal to support more than three million people in Gaza and the West Bank over the next eight months.

"For months, women and children have been killed at a rate that exceeds any war in this century. And those who've escaped death and injury now risk losing their lives because of a lack of food, safe water, medicine and healthcare," said Joyce Msuya, Assistant-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator.

Speaking in Kuwait, Ms. Msuya described how every day, "scores of women give birth in horrifying conditions, often without anesthesia or medical aid, as bombs explode around them".

"Mothers watch their babies die in their arms because they don't have enough milk to keep them alive. And children are dying because they don't have enough food or water."

So much can still be done

After more than seven months of war, at least 35,000 people have been killed, according to the Gaza health authorities. Another 70,000 more are wounded or missing, with many more trapped under the rubble.

Continuing funding is needed urgently to help those who depend on humanitarian aid to survive, the OCHA senior official said, insisting that even in the absence of a ceasefire, "there is still much we can do given the right conditions".

She noted: "We are in daily access negotiations with the parties. We are coordinating the humanitarian response...We have pulled people out of the rubble and repatriated the bodies of aid workers, including those working for World Central Kitchen and Medecins Sans Frontieres who were killed serving those in need."

The OCHA official's comments came as the aid coordination office reported new demolitions of Palestinian buildings in Al'Arrub Camp in the West Bank governorate of Hebron.

Latest data from the OCHA online portal indicates that 435 structures have been damaged or destroyed across the West Bank so far this year, displacing 824 people.

Healthcare in jeopardy

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization said the incursion into Rafah has jeopardized the provision of health services, access to healthcare, and the delivery of life-saving supplies.

WHO said fuel shortages are also threatening the continuity of humanitarian efforts, noting that partners in Gaza require a minimum of 46,000 litres of fuel every day just for their operations.

In case of an expanded military operation in Rafah, WHO warned there would be a heightened demand for fuel.

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Calls for sustained peace efforts in Yemen as cholera outbreak worsens

13 May 2024 - The suffering of civilians in Yemen, a country enduring nearly a decade of conflict, remains severe and is worsened by a growing cholera outbreak, the UN's top humanitarian official cautioned on Monday.

Martin Griffiths, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, stressed the critical need for sustained peace efforts during a briefing to Security Council ambassadors.

"The conflict in Yemen has been the key driver of humanitarian needs. It has deeply undercut the country's economy, decimated half of its health facilities, displaced millions of people, and allowed hunger and disease to prosper under these circumstances," he emphasized.

Compounding these challenges is a rapidly escalating cholera outbreak, with over 40,000 suspected cases and a rising death toll, particularly affecting Houthi (known also as Ansar Allah)-controlled areas, where hundreds of new infections are reported daily.

Mr. Griffiths, also head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), highlighted concerns about impending heavy rains and flooding exacerbating the crisis in the coming weeks.

Shadow of the Gaza war

Hans Grundberg, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, also briefed the Security Council, noting that in December, the Government and the Ansar Allah both agreed to a "set of commitments" including a nationwide ceasefire.

These commitments aim to ensure humanitarian relief for Yemenis and initiate an inclusive political process to end the conflict sustainably.

However, challenges persist due to the war in Gaza and wider regional instability, and announcements by Ansar Allah to expand the scope of attacks are a "worrisome provocation in an already volatile situation."

Protect progress in Yemen

Reflecting on the impact of regional conflicts, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Griffiths emphasized the need to shield progress in Yemen.

"We cannot allow disruptions in global trade around the Red Sea to derail peace efforts in Yemen," he stressed.

Mr. Griffiths expressed deep concern for Yemeni civilians, advocating for collective international support and an end to hostile economic measures, as well as for the warring parties to do their part to de-escalate the situation.

He urged the resumption of oil exports to stabilize the economy and strengthen vital public services.

Personal reflection

In a personal reflection, Mr. Griffiths, who is preparing to step down from his role in June due to health reasons, highlighted Yemen's significance to him.

"My first briefing to the Security Council as Emergency Relief Coordinator, nearly three years ago, was on Yemen. It seems fitting that I should speak to you on Yemen today for one of my last briefings," he said.

"After nearly 10 years of gruelling conflict, Yemen's people deserve relief," he concluded, underscoring the importance of protecting civilians, ensuring humanitarian access, and advancing towards lasting peace.

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World News in Brief: Children in eastern DR Congo, Iran death sentence, support for Haiti

13 May 2024 - A senior official with the UN children's agency, UNICEF, appealed on Monday for urgent action to support diplomatic and long-term solutions to address the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Concluding a five-day visit to the region, UNICEF Deputy Director Ted Chaiban noted that fighting has reached new heights and created the worst humanitarian crisis there since 2003.

He highlighted growing concerns for safeguarding children's rights and protection of civilians as the situation worsens.

Grave violations mount

"Children are being killed, maimed, abducted, and recruited by armed groups with verified grave violations the highest-ever; their rights to education and a safe childhood have been shattered," he said.

UNICEF warned that the all-time high of 7.2 million internally displaced persons in eastern DRC could further spiral as armed groups take control of ever more territory, and as fighting spreads.

These developments are occurring at the same time as the UN peacekeeping mission, begins to depart from the country.

"We are seeing growing numbers of children killed and wounded with the recent shift to the use of heavier and sophisticated arms," Mr. Chaiban said.

While in the region he met with Congolese authorities and visited sites hosting thousands of displaced families.

"The only way to reduce this suffering is to double down on efforts by regional actors and the international community to negotiate a political solution to the conflict, including the Luanda process, Nairobi dialogue and other diplomatic efforts," he said.

Rights experts urge Iran to revoke death sentence against activist

UN-appointed human rights experts on Monday urged Iran to revoke the death sentence against an anti-corruption activist.

Mahmoud Mehrabi was convicted on charges of "corruption on earth", a term they said "refers to a broad range of offences, including blasphemy and 'crimes' relating to Islamic morals."

He was rearrested on 16 March 2023 in connection with his online activism on justice and corruption.

He later faced additional charges, including propaganda against the state, incitement of police and military forces to disobedience, incitement to war, crimes against national security, and insulting the founder and Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

"It is alarming that Iran's punishments for freedom of expression include the death penalty or long-term prison sentences," the experts said, noting that local rapper Tomaj Salehi also received the death penalty two weeks ago.

They noted that at least five people were sentenced to death in connection with nationwide protests in 2022 against the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody. At least 15 others are at imminent risk.

"We urge Iranian authorities to amend the Constitution and the penal code to prohibit executions and commute all death sentences," they said.

The statement was issued by Javaid Rehman, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran; Alice Jill Edwards, Special Rapporteur on Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.

The experts receive their mandates from the UN Human Rights Council. They are not UN staff and do not receive payment for their work.

Humanitarians continue support to Haitians affected by gang violence

Aid organizations continue to provide emergency assistance to thousands of people across Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, amid ongoing gang activity, UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, reported on Monday.

OCHA warned that some residents are extremely vulnerable, with armed groups continuing to perpetrate coordinated attacks.

On Friday, the commune of Gressier, south of Port-au-Prince, was attacked and several houses set on fire, forcing an unknown number of people to flee.

Humanitarian partners are conducting assessments both in Gressier and nearby areas where people fled.

Currently, some 362,000 people are displaced in Haiti, half of them children, with 160,000 in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area.

During the period from 8 March through 9 April, some 95,000 people fled the capital, 60 percent of them to the southern departments, according to UN migration agency IOM.

Humanitarians remain steadfast in their commitment to assist the Haitian people. Since March, the World Food Programme has helped more than 800,000 people nationwide through its school feeding, emergency and resilience programmes.

WFP has also distributed more than 825,000 meals to over 95,000 displaced people in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan zone.

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Middle East Instability Still Obstructing Progress towards Peace in Yemen, UN Officials Tell Security Council, Stressing All Parties to Conflict Must Act for Brighter Future

Meetings Coverage

Security Council

9623rd Meeting (AM)

SC/15693

13 May 2024

Several Delegates Call on Houthis to Stop Attacking Vessels Transiting Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Urged Scaled-Up Humanitarian Aid amid Spike in Cholera, Malnutrition

While regional instability is impeding the achievement of lasting peace in Yemen, senior United Nations officials told the Security Council today that the parties to the conflict, regional and international players and the 15-nation organ itself all must do their part so that the people of Yemen can realize a brighter tomorrow.

The "precarious environment in the wider region" continues to hamper progress towards a peaceful solution for Yemen, said Hans Grundberg, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for that country. Hostilities continue, although there has been a reduction in attacks on commercial and military vessels in the waters surrounding Yemen and reduced airstrikes by the United States and the United Kingdom against land-based targets within the country. Meanwhile, while the security situation along the front lines inside Yemen has remained contained, military activity continues and the parties have threatened to return to war.

"Let me be clear, further violence will not resolve this conflict," he stressed, urging the parties to exercise maximum restraint in both word and deed during this fragile period. Despite challenges, a peaceful and just solution remains possible and, towards that end, he detailed his Office's "three-pronged approach"  continued engagement; exploration of avenues for de-escalation and confidence-building; and continued preparations for a nationwide ceasefire and a resumed, inclusive political process. Calling for support in this regard from both the region and the Council, he stressed: "The Yemeni people expect nothing less."

"But the parties to the conflict need to do their part," added Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. Yemen's economy must be shored up, and therefore it is time to end hostile economic measures and put the interests of Yemenis first. Allowing the immediate resumption of oil exports and paying public-sector employees across Yemen a living wage would go a long way towards reducing humanitarian needs, he urged, and it would also enable Yemeni authorities to resume responsibility for providing basic services.

"Yemen is a place dear to my heart," he said, deploring that many things that he called for in his first briefing to the Council three years ago are still relevant  the protection of civilians, unhindered humanitarian access, funding for aid, more support for the economy and progress towards lasting peace. After almost 10 years of gruelling conflict, the people of Yemen deserve a brighter future, he stressed, urging the Council to do everything in its power to help them seize that opportunity.

In the discussion that followed, many Council members called on the Houthis to cease attacks on vessels transiting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, underlining that security is a prerequisite for peace. Others also expressed concern over a dire humanitarian situation characterized by spreading cholera and increasing malnutrition, urging scaled-up humanitarian support and unrestricted aid delivery. Some members also spotlighted the nexus between the situation in Yemen and that in the Gaza Strip.

Among them was China's representative, who urged the implementation of relevant Council resolutions and, in this context, called on "the relevant country to step up efforts to persuade and pressure Israel". The representative of the Russian Federation, expressing regret that events in the Middle East are impeding Yemen's normalization, said that Israel's operation in Rafah will undoubtedly impact the situation in Yemen. The situation is further complicated, he stressed, by "totally unjustified" Western strikes on Yemen's sovereign territory and the increasing militarization of the waters surrounding it.

However, the representative of the United States warned: "It is abundantly clear that the Houthis and their attacks in the Red Sea, and increasingly now in the Indian Ocean, are jeopardizing the potential benefits of a political resolution between the Yemeni parties." A sustainable peace agreement cannot be secured without a conducive security environment, stressed the United Kingdom's representative, stating that continued Houthi attacks on maritime shipping undermine Yemen's security and exacerbate the already dire economic and humanitarian situations there.

Meanwhile, Yemen's representative attributed the failure to resolve the Yemeni crisis to inadequate handling by the UN and the international community of the conduct of Houthi militias and to the ineffective implementation of relevant Council resolutions. While stating that the Government will continue implementing comprehensive economic, financial and administrative reforms, he stressed that the lack of funding for the 2024 humanitarian response plan for Yemen threatens to increase acute food insecurity and malnutrition  especially among women, children and the elderly.

Urging those present not to ignore that devastating humanitarian situation, the representative of Sierra Leone  also speaking for Algeria, Guyana and Mozambique  called for sustained support to address food insecurity and increasing malnutrition. He also urged support for efforts to mitigate the urgent health crisis triggered by cholera outbreaks and for education and child-protection programmes. "Investing in Yemen's children is investing in Yemen's future," stressed Malta's representative, calling for investment in health services, education, de-mining and explosive-ordnance risk education.

"I call on all to bring our childhood laughter back and to let my dreams for peace become real," said the representative of Switzerland as she echoed the appeal of Sawsan Alshamiri, a 10-year-old who lent his pen to a United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) campaign in Yemen. Urging the Council to support the Special Envoy's efforts and noting that 1.7 million children are at high risk for infectious disease because they lack drinking water and hygiene, she stressed: "Their fate reminds us that the price of inaction will only be higher."

THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Briefings

HANS GRUNDBERG, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen , recalled that, through dialogue, diplomacy and negotiation, the parties took "a courageous step towards a peaceful solution for Yemen when they agreed to a set of commitments to be operationalized through a UN road map" in December 2023. Such commitments would provide for a nationwide ceasefire, ensure much-needed relief for Yemenis and initiate an inclusive political process to sustainably end the conflict. "However, the challenges that I have highlighted in previous briefings continue to hamper progress  most critically, the precarious environment in the wider region," he reported. Although there has been a reduction in attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean  as well as reduced numbers of airstrikes by the United States and the United Kingdom against land-based targets within Yemen  hostilities continue.

Meanwhile, inside Yemen, the security situation along the front lines has remained contained in the past month, he said, nevertheless expressing concern over continued military activity in various locations. On 27 April, two women and three girls were killed in Ta'iz by a drone attack while collecting water near their home, he reported, highlighting the dire risks to civilians in the currently unresolved situation. Also expressing concern over the parties' threats to return to war, he underscored: "Let me be clear, further violence will not resolve this conflict." He therefore urged the parties to exercise maximum restraint "in both their actions and their words" during this fragile period. He stressed, however, that  despite these challenges  "I believe that a peaceful and just solution remains possible." He said that his Office, to that end, has increased engagement with the Government, Ansar Allah and other Yemeni voices  including political parties, women and civil-society activists  as well as the international community.

"The message we hear from our engagements is a continued desire for a peaceful solution to the conflict," he noted, adding that Yemenis are calling for equality as citizens before the law, for a chance to tap into their country's true economic potential and for functioning services and good governance. "These calls, ultimately, require an agreement to end the war and begin a political process," he stressed. He then detailed his Office's "three-pronged" approach to realize these objectives  namely, continued engagement with the parties to make progress on the UN road map; exploration of avenues for de-escalation and confidence-building; and continued preparations for a nationwide ceasefire and the resumption of an inclusive political process. While there are concrete and critical steps the parties can take right now, uncertainty in the wider region is impacting Yemen. However, he urged those present to "not lose sight of the intrinsic value of long-term peace" and called for support from the region and the Council. "The Yemeni people expect nothing less," he stressed.

MARTIN GRIFFITHS, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator , speaking via video link, recalled the past three years since he assumed his current roles to highlight "moments of great hope", such as the UN-brokered truce in 2022, and the resulting gains. But "Yemen is clearly not out of woods  far from it," he warned, noting that hunger, a defining menace of this crisis, remains prevalent. Levels of severe food deprivation are alarmingly high and are expected to worsen further when the lean season starts in June. In addition, 40,000 suspected cases of cholera and over 160 related deaths have been reported since his update to the Council in April, with the majority in Houthi-controlled areas. The UN and partners are taking urgent action, including the development of a multi-cluster response plan, which requires rapid funding to prevent the situation from spiralling out of control.

"The consequences of inaction are sadly all too familiar," he said, recalling that between 2016 and 2021, some 4,000 people  mostly children  lost their lives to cholera. In this context, he welcomed the announcement of $792 million in financial contributions by several donors at last week's Sixth Senior Officials' Meeting in Brussels. Noting that conflict is a key driver of humanitarian needs, he said progress towards a comprehensive political settlement over the past two years is fragile and needs to be protected and nurtured. The attacks on vessels in and around the Red Sea have disrupted global trade routes and continue to threaten a wider conflagration. Rapidly rising food and fuel prices continue to erode families' purchasing power, plunging them further into hunger and despair. Therefore, the second priority must be to shore up Yemen's economy, he said, noting that the UN  under the leadership of the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Julien Harneis, has created a framework aimed at encouraging job creation and is supporting economic reform.

"But the parties to the conflict need to do their part. It is time to put an end to hostile economic measures and put the interests of the people of Yemen first," he stressed. Allowing the immediate resumption of oil exports and paying public sector employees across Yemen living wage would go a long way towards reducing humanitarian needs and enabling authorities in Yemen to resume responsibility for providing basic services. "Yemen is a place dear to my heart," he said, deploring that many things he called for in his first briefing to the Council three years ago are still relevant  the protection of civilians, unhindered humanitarian access, funding for aid, more support for the economy, and progress towards a lasting peace. After almost 10 years of gruelling conflict, the people of Yemen deserve a brighter future, he stressed, urging the Council to do everything in its power to help them seize that opportunity.

Statements

The representative of the United Kingdom condemned the latest Houthi threats to extend the attack on shipping in the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, noting that continued escalation of maritime attacks undermines Yemen's security and stability and exacerbates the already dire economic and humanitarian situation there. Without a conducive security environment, a sustainable peace agreement cannot be secured, she observed, calling on the Houthis to respect the freedom of navigation and cease their attacks on maritime shipping. Moreover, she spotlighted "a notable surge" in vessels that have entered Houthi-controlled ports without reporting to the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen, which restricts the supply of illegal weapons entering Yemen. She also called on the authorities  and de facto authorities  to do more to enable the delivery of humanitarian aid and on the international community to provide funding for the response plan.

The representative of Japan , voicing concern over the "highly volatile" situation surrounding Yemen, observed that the Houthis continue to launch drones and missiles intermittently towards vessels transiting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and even announced that "they will expand the scope of their attacks". The Houthis have also held 25 innocent multinational crew members and the Japanese-operated Galaxy Leader for almost six months, she said, demanding the immediate cessation of threats to maritime security and the release of the Galaxy Leader and its crew. Furthermore, the ongoing Houthi attacks revealed that they possess "an enormous amount of advanced weaponry and military technology" despite the arms embargo imposed by the Council. Accordingly, she underscored the need to strengthen the existing mechanisms to prevent further illicit weapons transfers and military assistance to the Houthis. Turning to the worsening humanitarian situation in Yemen  such as the cholera outbreak and continued malnutrition  she urged the Houthis to lift restrictions on humanitarian aid.

The representative of Sierra Leone , also speaking for Algeria , Guyana and Mozambique , expressed concern over "the huge trust deficit in the political process". Calling on the parties to safeguard gains already achieved in the peace-making process and commit themselves to "prevent a rollback", he also urged them to continue building trust and confidence by exchanging prisoners, re-opening roads, resolving emerging economic fragmentation and committing to sustained implementation of the UN road map. Further, the parties to the conflict should refrain from unilateral actions or escalatory rhetoric that could destabilize the peace process, and he underscored that "good-faith dialogue among the parties is an indispensable element to achieving a sustainable peace in Yemen".

"While negotiations are ongoing on the political track, we must not ignore the devastating humanitarian situation in Yemen," he went on to say, calling for sustained support to address food insecurity and increasing rates of malnutrition, as well as for education and child-protection programmes and efforts to mitigate the urgent health crisis triggered by cholera outbreaks. Expressing concern that the Houthis have "expanded the zone of risk beyond the shores of Yemen", he condemned attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and called on the Houthis to remove restrictions imposed on vessels carrying humanitarian aid to Yemeni ports. He also underscored "the nexus between events in Gaza and the situation in Yemen", urging the Council to "prevent the spillover of the Gaza-Israel conflict and its potential escalation throughout the region".

The representative of the United States said that his delegation has repeatedly asked that the Secretary-General's monthly report submitted to the Council under resolution 2722 (2024) include information regarding the types of weapons used in each attack on international shipping and the likely origin of these weapons. "We have already pointed to the extensive evidence of Iran's provision of advanced weapons, including ballistic and cruise missiles, to the Houthis, in violation of UN sanctions, which further promote regional instability," he said, urging the Council to collectively call Tehran out for its destabilizing role and insist that it cannot hide behind the Houthis. "It is abundantly clear that the Houthis and their attacks in the Red Sea, and increasingly now in the Indian Ocean, are jeopardizing the potential benefits of a political resolution between the Yemeni parties," he warned.

The representative of Switzerland echoed the appeal of Sawsan Alshamiri, a 10-year-old who lent his pen to a United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) campaign in Yemen: "I call on all to bring our childhood laughter back and to let my dreams for peace become real". In this regard, she underscored that the current discussions on a road map are an opportunity to make a nationwide ceasefire operational while promoting an inclusive political process under the UN auspices. Noting that over 17 million people suffer from severe food insecurity and around 1.7 million children are exposed to a high risk of infectious diseases due to the lack of access to drinking water and hygiene, she stressed: "Their fate reminds us that the price of inaction will only be higher." The Council must remain fully mobilized and support the Special Envoy in his efforts to obtain an agreement between the parties to the conflict. "Switzerland is at all times ready to host discussions that will respond to the legitimate aspirations of the Yemeni population," she said.

The representative of Malta , expressing concern over the continued, rapid spread of cholera in areas under Houthi control, noted that the slowing spread of the disease in Government-controlled areas  due to cooperation between authorities and humanitarians  underlines the importance of support for the latter. "This is the only way to ensure the necessary response to address the cholera crisis," she stressed, calling for funding to restock essential supplies and strengthen water, sanitation and hygiene systems. However, a robust response can only be ensured if unimpeded humanitarian access is guaranteed and, to that end, she called on all authorities  "particularly the Houthis"  to allow for humanitarian partners' free movement. Further, she called on the international community to urgently scale up support to reach vulnerable children in Yemen by investing in comprehensive health services, education, de-mining and explosive-ordnance risk education, adding: "Investing in Yemen's children is investing in Yemen's future."

The representative of Ecuador called on the warring parties to reduce tensions and commit to stability and peace. "Intra-Yemeni political dialogue, under the auspices of the United Nations, is the only path to sustainable peace," he said. Noting that 17.6 million people face food insecurity, almost half of children under the age of five are stunted and nearly 20,000 suspected cholera cases have been identified, he said financial support to humanitarian organizations is key to addressing the most pressing needs of the population. He also highlighted the need for the immediate cessation of Houthis attacks on commercial shipping, which are putting considerable pressure on international trade, regional stability and economic recovery in Yemen and East African countries.

The representative of the Republic of Korea observed that the security situation in and around Yemen remains "perilously unstable", noting the persistent Houthi attacks against vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. "Even more concerning is their expansion of targets against ships navigating in the Indian Ocean," he said, also voicing concern over their intention to target any ships heading to Israeli ports in the Mediterranean. Accordingly, he urged the Houthis to immediately cease all reckless and illegal attacks that endanger freedom of navigation and impede global commerce. It is particularly alarming that the weapons used in these attacks indicate ongoing severe violations of the arms embargo, he stressed, emphasizing the essentiality of the Panel of Experts' activities. Additionally, he highlighted the importance of the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism in ensuring compliance with the arms embargo while facilitating the unimpeded flow of commercial items to Houthi-controlled areas.

The representative of the Russian Federation emphasized that "it really pains us" that events in the Middle East are impeding Yemen's normalization  "which, at one point, was experiencing a positive dynamic". The spiral of escalation in the region continued on 6 May, when Israel began its operation in Rafah that will undoubtedly impact the situation in Yemen. This situation is further complicated by "totally unjustified" Western strikes on Yemen's sovereign territory, he stressed, stating that these actions  along with the increasing militarization of the waters surrounding Yemen  have led to further escalation in the Red Sea. Emphasizing that attempts to justify these either through resolution 2722 (2024) or Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations are "unjustified", he said that the United States' actions are "bolstering their reputation as total wheeler-dealers who have no compunction about trampling on international law if it prevents them from making a profit or implementing their mercenary geopolitical agenda".

The representative of Slovenia said that the end of 2023 presented clear moments of opportunity and positivity on the country's trajectory to peace. However, so far in 2024, efforts have been stymied by a complicated regional dynamic due to a dangerous moment for the Middle East. Expressing regret that Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have continued, he called for their cessation. An environment conducive to dialogue between the parties is needed now for Yemen  an environment to advance discussions on the UN road map and its key elements. "We can't lose sight of the ultimate aim: an inclusive intra-Yemeni process leading to sustainable peace," he said, stressing: "This requires the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation of diverse Yemeni women in all stages of the peace process."

The representative of France condemned the attacks carried out by the Houthis in the Red Sea as they undermine the rights and freedoms of navigation, destabilize Yemen and the region, harm the interests of countries in the region and disrupt international trade. Reiterating her country's commitment within the framework of the European operation ASPIDES to guarantee maritime security and freedom of navigation, she underscored that States have the right to defend their ships against attacks and resolution 2722 (2024) must be fully implemented. Remaining collectively mobilized to meet the needs of civilians in Yemen is also vital, she said, voicing concern over the cholera epidemic that is spreading throughout the country. Accordingly, the international community must ensure that humanitarian workers, particularly female staff in the Houthi area, can carry out their missions unhindered. She also expressed concern about the increase in arrests and abuses committed by the Houthis against the population, such as "the brutal destruction of houses in Radaa last month", which killed several of their inhabitants, including women and children.

The representative of China called on the parties concerned to focus on political settlement, "meet each other halfway" and work together to facilitate a Yemeni-led and -owned political process. All those with influence should play a constructive role to that end, and he also called on the Houthis to respect all vessels' right to navigation in the Red Sea. Further, the international community should scale-up humanitarian assistance to Yemen and provide food, medicine and other urgently needed supplies without delay. Stating that the situations in Yemen and the Red Sea are closely linked with the conflict in Gaza, he urged the implementation of relevant Council resolutions and, in this context, called on "the relevant country to step up efforts to persuade and pressure Israel". For its part, China will work to facilitate a cessation of hostilities in Gaza, alleviate human suffering and achieve peace and stability in the Middle East.

The representative of Yemen expressed his country's commitment to peace, condemning Houthi militias for choosing escalation, terrorism, piracy, and the targeting of international maritime navigation in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. He attributed the failure to resolve the Yemeni crisis to the inadequate handling by the United Nations and the international community of the conduct of these militias and to the ineffective implementation of relevant Council resolutions and all the other agreements and commitments, including the Stockholm agreement, which represents the seriousness of the Yemeni Government to achieve peace.

He said that the Government of Yemen prioritizes achieving economic stability, including by providing basic services and regularly paying the salaries of civil servants, adding that it will continue implementing its comprehensive economic, financial and administrative reforms. However, the lack of funding for the 2024 humanitarian response plan for his country threatens to deprive millions of people of lifesaving assistance. It also threatens to increase acute food insecurity and malnutrition, especially among women, children and the elderly, he said, calling upon the international community to provide generous support to urgently bridge the funding gap. Furthermore, the Houthi militias continue to recruit thousands of children in "one of the largest child recruitment campaigns in the history of humanity" to use in the war, he said, stressing that the Houthi leaders responsible for child recruitment must be included in the Council's sanctions list. Against this background, he concluded: "Dialogue remains the best means to resolve conflicts and end wars. It is the best means to harness potential for construction and development."

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Modeling, Simulation Summit: Following through with training transformation

Published May 13, 2024

By Marilyn C. Holliday

Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas (AFNS) -- The third annual 2024 Department of the Air Force Modeling and Simulation Summit was held at the Grand Hyatt River Walk in San Antonio, Texas, May 7-9.

The summit was hosted by Richard Tempalski, Department of the Air Force chief modeling and simulation officer, and Lt. Gen. Brian Robinson, commander of Air Education and Training Command.

The goal of the M&S Summit is to gather U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force M&S experts to learn about new M&S initiatives and techniques, network across military services and industry experts, and hear technological leaders' perspectives on how M&S can transition more training from the real world to digital, following through with transforming training.

"In answering Gen. [David] Allvin's call to all Airmen to follow through, we are following through on training transformation across the learning ecosystemfor technical training, flying training, even basic training," Robinson said. "We are at an inflection point in the DAF, and transformation is required. In an era of Great Power Competition, deterring a war through training is accomplished by demonstrating increased readiness. The modeling and simulation community is a critical component to helping AETC maintain its competitive edge and will be integral to the rapid and accelerated training function of the Air Force, should it find itself in the face of conflict."

This year's summit theme, "Training in a Digital World," highlighted the DAF's digital training and included 29 exhibitors who showcased the latest technology available. About 900 attendees from across the nation were in attendance to hear from experts and learn more about tools that can be used to address the development of technologies to bring together multi-domain analysis, test, training and processing.

"The Airmen and Guardians we are developing right now will decide the future fight against our adversaries," Robinson said. "Panel discussions and breakout sessions provided unique perspectives, cutting-edge tools and innovative techniques to better execute the DAF training transformation for stakeholders, mission owners and ultimately the warfighter. We must modernize and accelerate change to keep in step with both demand and the fast-paced virtual learning world."

Senior leaders led six panel discussions, and attendees heard more about Senior Leaders' Perspective, Training Modernization, Government and Industry Partnerships, Medical Modeling and Simulation Innovation, Challenges and Ideas from an NCO perspective and M&S Enablers.

"The DAF M&S enterprise includes thousands of employees around 70 organizations, spending about $4 billion per year," said Tempalski. "Simply stated, Chief Modeling and Simulation Office's mission identifies enterprise M&S requirements and delivery of advanced M&S capabilities [including tools, data and services] to the warfighter."

Also in attendance were about 100 high schoolers from the Randolph Field Independent School District and CAST STEM High School, a public high school that partners with Southwest Independent School District. CAST Schools and Palo Alto College prepare students for jobs in engineering, advanced manufacturing and global logistics. Students toured the exhibit hall and heard from Airmen, who told the students more about their Air Force specialties and opportunities in the Air Force.

Senior leaders also took a closer look at technology being used and explored by members located at Detachment 24 at JBSA-Randolph. Those attending the tour were given a hands-on demonstration of the latest immersive training devices and previewed the immersive content being fielded today.

"We have found that the modeling and simulation community continues to impress and mature," Lt. Col. Steve Briones, Det. 24 commander, said. "The industry's internal research and development investments will be the reason that these solutions see the light of day."

Det. 24 is subordinate to the 19th Air Force commander and is a military and civil partnership forged through industry, academia and government. Members of Det. 24 focus on flying training innovation and advances in rapid prototype development, export technologies and training methods designed to modernize pilot training. Det. 24 has also partnered with the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Royal Air Force on innovation efforts.

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WASP ARG and 24th MEU Complete Joint Force's Most Complex Training

US Navy

13 May 2024

From Courtesy Story

Atlantic Ocean -- The Wasp Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and embarked 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) (WSP ARG-24th MEU) completed Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX), May 12, 2024. The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Cole (DDG 67) completed their COMPTUEX alongside the WSP ARG-24th MEU team, May 7.

ARG-MEU COMPTUEXs bring Navy, Marine Corps, Joint Force, and State Department trainers together to exercise the capabilities of a combined Navy-Marine Corps team. The exercise represents the Department of the Navy's commitment to deliver highly-capable, integrated naval forces to deter adversaries, reassure allies, secure the free flow of trade and commerce, and enable U.S. diplomatic engagement.

"You must continue to train and be at your highest level of performance and competitive advantage every day," said Vice Adm. Doug Perry, commander, U.S. Second Fleet and Joint Force Command Norfolk, who visited the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), May 7.

"While you are deployed, you are going to work extensively with our allies and partners, and your mission focus and leadership is critical. You are the men and women who directly support our national priorities and reinforce the rules based order that is critical to U.S. and Allied security."

The fleet commander's visit was one in a series of high-level visits during the at sea training period which included the Senate Appropriations Committee - Defense Sub-Committee and the Offices of the Secretary of Defense for Policy, Personnel and Readiness, and Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation.

During ARG-MEU COMPTUEXs, Carrier Strike Group 4 (CSG-4) and II Marine Expeditionary Force's Expeditionary Operations Training Group (EOTG) work together to train, mentor, and assess Navy and Marine Corps forces to prepare them for global operations.

"Our Navy and Marine Corps teams must be prepared for every contingency when they deploy," said Rear Adm. Max McCoy, commander, CSG-4. "Our obligation is to drive scenarios that challenge the training audience and prepare the ARG-MEU to perform at the highest level across a wide range of missions from humanitarian assistance to amphibious assault. Our naval forces must be able to deliver unquestionable capability at the point of impact."

The exercise made full use of Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) training to prepare for complex operations. The Navy and Joint Force developed an integrated LVC training environment that enables the services to execute high-end training earlier, using synthetic tools while operating live tactical systems. LVC also allows the force to rapidly explore and develop new multi-domain tactics with near real-time, continuous feedback.

"There is nothing as important today as our obligation to train, mentor, and assess the Marines and Sailors of the WSP ARG-24th MEU," said Col. Neil Berry, director, Expeditionary Operations Training Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force. "We often say the world gets a vote, though our mission with this team was to ensure that they - along with the Joint Force team - have the deciding vote when the nation calls."

The WSP ARG-24th MEU COMPTUEX exercise provided the environment for the team to execute the latest tactics, techniques, and procedures, informed by recent operations, and provides Navy type commanders and systems commands the data they need to improve future force generation. Feedback captured using the Root Cause Analysis Tool (RCAT), a Navy developed software tool, enables exercise assessors to deliver immediate recommendations to the training audience and actionable 'external fixes' to inform fleet-resourcing decisions to improve performance Fleet-wide.

The WSP ARG-24th MEU spent eight days at sea completing training as a team, before beginning the COMPTUEX scenario. It was an opportunity for the team to integrate their processes and sharpen their collective skill sets before increasing complexity.

"COMPTUEX was an invaluable opportunity to train as an integrated naval force," said Capt. Nakia Cooper, commodore of Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 4, WSP ARG. "We demonstrated the strength of our unique partnership with the 24 MEU, and our Sailors and Marines embodied the 'One Team, One Fight' mantra during the certification event."

During COMPTUEX, the WSP ARG-24th MEU team completed a variety of integrated events such as live-fire exercises, strait transits, maritime security exercises, amphibious landings, maritime interdiction, non-combatant evacuation operations, foreign humanitarian assistance, and counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) engagements.

The team also exercised a transfer of authority from national authority to NATO authority under Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO) in Lisbon, Portugal. Transfers of authority are an increasingly common feature in COMPTUEXs, as well as in the operational fleet as the U.S. and NATO Allies continue to train and operate with one another to deter and defend adversary aggression. The STRIKFORNATO team provided command-and-control of the WSP ARG-24th, while concurrently leading vigilance activity Neptune Strike 24-1.

"During COMPTUEX, the Marines and Sailors built an integrated 'Team of Teams' that showcased naval warfighting capability to assure our partners and allies and deter our potential adversaries" said Col. Todd Mahar, Commanding Officer, 24th MEU. "We are excited to get underway with our Shipmates and deploy forward as a ready force for our Nation."

Upon completion of COMPTUEX, the 24th MEU was designated as Special Operations Capable (SOC), signifying they demonstrated proficiency as a specially trained Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) capable of integrating with, enabling, and supporting SOF operations as part of their enhanced pre-deployment training program. The MEU (SOC) is a uniquely organized, trained, and equipped expeditionary force that provides geographic combatant commanders options for theater campaigning and crisis response.

The exercise also served as a venue to expand upon existing capability in the Navy and Joint Force.

For example, the WSP ARG-24th MEU became the first ARG-MEU team to train with the En-Route Care System (ERCS) and the Expeditionary Resuscitative Surgical System (ERSS). The ERCS and the ERSS are expeditionary medicine capabilities that provide a ready, rapidly deployable and combat effective medical forces to improve survivability across the full spectrum of care, regardless of environment.

Similarly, U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Security Response Team (MSRT) East, USCGC Stone (WMSL 758), and USCGC Angela McShan (WPC 1135) participated in numerous events alongside the Navy and Marine Corps team to train and increase proficiency.

ARG-MEUs are organized, trained, equipped, evaluated, and certified to conduct maritime expeditionary warfare and amphibious operations across the full range military operations. As a highly mobile, versatile, and integrated naval formation, the ARG-MEU offers geographic combatant commanders an organic combined arms force that remains forward deployed and capable of persistent competition.

The WSP ARG consists of the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS New York (LPD 21), Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship USS Oak Hill (LSD 51), and the embarked 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

The 24th MEU is a rapidly deployable MAGTF that consists of Battalion Landing Team 1/8, the Ground Combat Element; Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 (Reinforced), the Aviation Combat Element; and Combat Logistics Battalion 24, the Logistics Combat Element.

Carrier Strike Group 4's mission is to train, mentor, and assess carrier strike groups, amphibious ready groups, and independent deployers for global combat against peer competitors. You can find them on LinkedIn, Twitter (@CSG_4), and DVIDS.

II Marine Expeditionary Force's Expeditionary Operations Training Group (EOTG) mission is to train and evaluate deploying Marine Expeditionary Units (MEU) and other designated forces in select special individual and collective tasks, as well as their ability to conduct assigned mission essential tasks in order to prepare forces to support the geographic combatant commanders.

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Thirteen nations participate in Obangame Express 2024 maritime interdiction training in Ghana

US Navy

13 May 2024

SEKONDI, Ghana -- Over five days, 13 nations from across West Africa, Europe, and North America sent military delegations to collaborate, learn, and train together as part of the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF)'s Obangame Express 2024 military interdiction training events at the Ghana Western Naval Headquarters in Sekondi.

In all, 111 participants from Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Liberia, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Togo, and the United States attended lectures, practiced maritime security tactics, and drilled cooperatively together.

Representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard's Tactical Law Enforcement Team (TACLET), Royal Netherlands Marine Corps (Corps Mariniers) Reconnaissance Sniper Team, NATO Maritime Interdiction Operations Training Centre, and INTERPOL led a robust series of training events in Sekondi. French interpreters from the Royal Netherlands Army provided translation of the lessons to over 50 personnel from five French-speaking West African nations.

"I think it's wonderful to see so many nations training together," said Royal Netherlands Marine Corps 1st Lt. Sergio D'Elia, team leader for the Dutch instructors at Sekondi. "Nations that don't get to meet often were training together as one team... [and it] happened very naturally."

During the first two days of the event, participants rotated between four stations covering hallway-clearing procedures, room-clearing procedures, and tactical casualty care treating wounds and major injuries. These events were mainly taught through joint instruction by the U.S. Coast Guard and Royal Netherlands Marine Corps. Two Greek Navy personnel from NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre (NMIOTC)'s mobile training team also joined the multinational contingent.

"Working alongside our Dutch and Greek allies to train our African partners in maritime focused tactical procedures and medical care empowers nations to handle crisis effectively," said U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Paul Avella, senior U.S. Coast Guard official overseeing Obangame Express 2024 training at Ghana Western Naval Headquarters. "It's a strategic investment in peace and security."

The following two days of training focused on learning about initial maritime crime scene investigation and evidence collection, as well as applying this to a shipboard setting. Trainees took to Snake-class patrol ship GNS Ehwor (P 37) and Cutter-class patrol ship GNS Anzone (P 30) to practice the skills they had learned about close quarters combat and maritime interdiction. They also snapped on pairs of surgical gloves to apply crime scene evidence collection training in a hands-on activity set up by INTERPOL Regional Maritime Security Directorate criminal intelligence officer Ludovic Payet.

"They are the first person at sea that will take action during an investigation," said Payet. "If they do not use personal protective gear, they could contaminate the crime scene... so we have to teach them the basics so we can have a strong police case."

On the final day of instruction, students once again embarked aboard Ghana Navy ships and small boats to apply all that they had learned, including boarding techniques and small boat helmsmanship. Together, the militaries meshed and worked alongside one another to complete each of the tasks, often communicating with hand signals to break the language barrier.

"It is important for all of these countries to come together because we are all Africans and we are all humans," said Machinery Technician Seaman Apprentice Erica Davis of the Liberia National Coast Guard. "It is good to share ideas from country to country so we can get better together."

After the completion of the final training day's events, U.S. Coast Guard and Royal Netherlands Marine Corps trainers awarded certificates in English and French signifying the successful completion of the week's activities. At the closing ceremony, trainers and trainees reflected on the great strides they made together, and the lasting relationships they built in Ghana. No one nation can manage transnational threats alone, so exercises like Obangame Express provide a foundation for collaboration throughout the year.

"In the case of maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea, it is very important that each nation has very good skills in order to cope with the threats of the area," said Royal Netherlands Navy Capt. Idzerd van Eysinga, The Netherlands Defense Attache for West Africa. "They need to train maritime interdiction procedures to work together internationally and ensure interoperability. Because of fast evolving threats in the region, they need to continue to train together."

During exercise Obangame Express 2024, the 13th iteration of the exercise, partner and ally forces collaborate to enhance collective maritime law enforcement capabilities, bolster national and regional security in West Africa, and foster greater interoperability among U.S., African, and multinational partners. The U.S. routinely exercises with our partners in Africa to build enduring relationships and combined capacity to ensure the safety and security of the regional maritime environment.

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Humanitarian aid distribution halted in Gaza by closed border crossings

By VOA News May 13, 2024

Humanitarian aid is dwindling in Gaza as the two main crossings near Rafah, the southern Gaza city, remained closed Monday and aid workers struggled to distribute shrinking supplies and food to hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians.

U.N. deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said during a news briefing Monday that the distribution of humanitarian aid in the enclave has come to a halt.

"There is still no traffic of humanitarian goods going through the Rafah crossing, which is closed," he said. "And there is still a lack of safe and logistically viable access to the Kerem Shalom crossing. We are trying to get things, including through the Erez crossing, but the amount of stuff traveling has been very small in recent days."

He added "at this stage we are rationing fuel ... we are very low on fuel."

Haq announced that a staff member with the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS) was killed, and another injured in Gaza when their U.N. vehicle was struck Monday on the way to the European Hospital of Rafah.

"The secretary-general condemns all attacks on U.N. personnel and calls for a full investigation. He sends his condolences to the family of the fallen staff member," he said.

At a checkpoint between the occupied West Bank and Israel Monday a group of Israeli protesters halted a convoy of aid bound for Gaza. Videos circulating online showed them hurling some of the aid off trucks and destroying it. Police said arrests were made, without elaborating.

Almost the entire population of Gaza relies on humanitarian aid to survive.

Israel considers Rafah as the last stronghold of the militant group Hamas, dismissing concerns from the United States and other allies that a major incursion there would be catastrophic for civilians.

For the past week, the Israeli military has intensified bombardment and other operations in Rafah while ordering the population to evacuate from parts of the city. Israel insists this is a limited operation to destroy the militant infrastructure along Gaza's border with Egypt.

So far, 360,000 Palestinians, one-fifth of Rafah's population, has fled since the first evacuation order over the past week. Many of these civilians had been displaced multiple times since the start of the war in Gaza seven months ago, the United Nations' agency for Palestinian refugees said.

Clashes also raged in northern and central Gaza, including the Jabaliya refugee camp.

Israel marked a somber Memorial Day Monday, for the victims of terrorism in Israel and abroad, at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.

Israelis marked a moment of silence, and in a speech, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to keep fighting.

"Our war of independence is not over yet. It continues even today. ... We are determined to win this struggle," he said.

U.S. reaction

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said during a White House news briefing Monday that President Joe Biden's administration did not view the killings of Palestinians in Gaza by Israel in its war with Hamas as a genocide.

"We do not believe what is happening in Gaza is a genocide. We have been firmly on record rejecting that proposition," Sullivan said.

Sullivan said the United States wants to see Hamas defeated, that Palestinians caught in the middle of the war were in "hell," and that a major military operation by Israel in Rafah would be a mistake.

Biden, who is running for reelection this year, has faced heavy criticism from his own supporters domestically for his support of Israel; some of those critics have accused Israel of committing genocide.

The U.S. State Department said late Sunday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed "U.S. opposition to a major military ground operation in Rafah" as he spoke by telephone with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

The statement said Blinken also reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to "the shared objective of the defeat of Hamas," while also highlighting the need to protect civilians and urging Gallant to "help address distribution challenges inside of Gaza as Israel pursues Hamas targets."

Earlier Sunday, Blinken told NBC's "Meet the Press" show there is no specific Israeli plan to protect the Palestinians or provide sufficient humanitarian aid for them.

"So, the trajectory right now is that [Israel] going into Rafah, even to deal with these remaining [four militant] battalions, especially in the absence of a plan for civilians, risks doing terrible harm to civilians and not solving the problem, a problem that both of us want to solve, which is making sure Hamas cannot again, govern Gaza," Blinken said.

Blinken noted "we've seen in areas that Israel has cleared in the north, even in Khan Younis, Hamas coming back."

Biden has paused shipment of 3,500 227-kilogram (500-pound) and 907-kilogram (2,000-pound) bombs to Israel out of concern they could be used in an attack on Rafah.

In addition, Biden said last week that he would halt sending some other offensive weapons to Israel if it launches a full-scale Rafah offensive.

Israeli talks with Hamas for a cease-fire and the release of 100 or so hostages Hamas is still holding have stalled, while Netanyahu has repeatedly said his country will not end the war until it roots out the remaining Hamas militants in Rafah.

Blinken warned of impending chaos in Gaza.

"Israel is on the trajectory, potentially, to inherit an insurgency with many armed Hamas left or if it leaves a vacuum, filled by chaos, filled by anarchy and probably refilled by Hamas," he said.

"The quickest way for this to end is for Hamas to give up the hostages. We will get a cease-fire that we can build on and build to something more lasting and more durable. The different teams continue to talk," Blinken said, adding "Hamas purports to be interested in that. Its actions certainly demonstrate the opposite."

The war was triggered by the October 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and led to the capture of about 250 hostages according to Israeli officials. Israel's subsequent counteroffensive in Gaza has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza, which includes civilians and combatants in its count but says most of the dead are women and children.

Some material in this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

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Costs would be great if Israel-Hezbollah conflict were to escalate, analysts warn

By Dale Gavlak May 13, 2024

Despite the recent uptick in cross-border bombardments between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, analysts say both foes may not want it to escalate their conflict given the tremendous cost to both countries  both militarily, materially and economically.

Tens of thousands of people on either side of the Lebanon-Israel border have been displaced as attacks, which began on October 8 between Israel and Hezbollah as part of Iran's so-called "axis of resistance," have intensified. Hezbollah has put pressure on Israel's northern border as Israeli forces battle Hamas in the south.

Analyst Nicholas Heras of the Washington-based New Lines Institute told VOA that despite Hezbollah and Israel stepping up their attacks in recent weeks, limits are maintained for now. Hezbollah, he said, is better armed than the Lebanese military.

"On both sides of the border, civilian populations have been directly affected by this really tenuous escalation/de-escalation pattern between Israel, Hezbollah and Iran," Heras said. "There is a sense from both sides of the border that there is unfinished business. There is recognition that something big could very well happen as a result of the atmosphere right now. Both sides have tremendous pause in doing that because it would be in many ways a cataclysmic conflict."

Lebanon is fragile. A crippling economic crisis has gripped the tiny Mediterranean nation since 2019, and it is strained further by hosting more than 1 million Syrian refugees.

The United Nation's World Food Program provides aid to more than 158,000 people in Lebanon who are affected by war, but warns that should conditions worsen, it cannot supply more. Lebanese authorities say there has been more than $1.5 billion in damages so far from cross-border hostilities.

Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has warned that either a diplomatic agreement or a military solution was required for Israeli residents, who have fled the border region, to return home in the north.

Lebanese authorities say more than 350 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since the beginning of hostilities October 8; the majority being militants, while some 73 civilians have been killed. Meanwhile, Israel says some 14 soldiers and 10 civilians have been killed in militant attacks.

Lebanese analyst Dania Koleilat Khatib told VOA that the United States and France have tried diplomacy, urging Hezbollah to pull back from the border and see more international monitors posted. But Hezbollah has so far resisted, said Khatib, who is the president of the Research Center for Cooperation and Peace Building in Beirut.

"Israel wants a strong guarantee, Khatib said. "They cannot re-run the risk of having something like October 7. Hezbollah is cornered. They don't want war. If they are cornered, they will go to war. That's why it's the time for diplomacy. To find a buffer that will give assurances to both sides."

New Lines analyst Heras warns of the high stakes should war erupt.

"The IDF  Israel Defense Forces  has made it very clear that in a future war, that it would be near total destruction anywhere in Lebanon that Hezbollah has a presence," Heras said.

Heras said Israel knows that Iran has armed Hezbollah with hundreds of thousands of weapons, including precision-guided missiles. He said the armaments could potentially wreak material and "economic catastrophic destruction inside Israel."

Hezbollah would not just allow the Israeli military to have freedom of movement inside Lebanon, he said, but the Iran-backed group would, in fact, try to bring the war into Israel itself.

Other analysts say Hezbollah risks losing support if Lebanese civilians continue to suffer the attacks or if public confidence is undermined. Already, many Lebanese have expressed resentment over being dragged into a conflict with Israel.

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Israel advances deeper into Rafah as US calls for protection of civilians

By VOA News May 13, 2024

Israeli forces battled Hamas militants Monday in northern and southern Gaza, while the Gaza Health Ministry warned a shortage of fuel needed to operate hospital generators and ambulances has pushed the medical system to the brink of collapse.

Witnesses reported fighting in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, part of an area Israeli troops have returned to to battle what the military says is an attempt by Hamas to regroup.

Residents also reported intensified aerial and ground attacks in Rafah, near the Gaza-Egypt border.

The U.S. State Department said late Sunday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed "U.S. opposition to a major military ground operation in Rafah" as he spoke by telephone with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

The statement said Blinken also reaffirmed U.S. commitment to "the shared objective of the defeat of Hamas," while also highlighting the need to protect civilians and urging Gallant to "help address distribution challenges inside of Gaza as Israel pursues Hamas targets."

About 300,000 of the 1.3 million Palestinians who fled to southern Gaza months ago on orders from the Israeli military to escape the attacks on Hamas militants in northern Gaza have now been ordered to move again, this time to the northwest of Rafah, to an area along Gaza's Mediterranean Sea coastline.

U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk said Sunday the ongoing fighting and the evacuation orders brought "massive displacement of an already profoundly traumatized population."

Turk questioned where people should go in Gaza, saying there is "no safe place."

"I have repeatedly expressed my alarm about the catastrophic impact of a possible full-scale offensive on Rafah, including the possibility of further atrocity crimes," Turk said. "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."

Earlier Sunday, Blinken told NBC's "Meet the Press" show there is no specific Israeli plan to protect the Palestinians or provide sufficient humanitarian aid for them.

"There's something else that's important," Blinken said. "We also haven't seen a plan for what happens the day after this war in Gaza ends. Because right now, the trajectory that Israel is on is even if it goes in and takes heavy action in Rafah, there will still be thousands of armed Hamas left."

The top U.S. diplomat said, "We've seen in areas that Israel has cleared in the north, even in Khan Younis, Hamas coming back."

"So, the trajectory right now is that (Israel) going into Rafah, even to deal with these remaining (four) battalions, especially in the absence of a plan for civilians, risks doing terrible harm to civilians and not solving the problem, a problem that both of us want to solve, which is making sure Hamas cannot again, govern Gaza," Blinken said.

The U.S., Israel's chief arms supplier, has repeatedly warned Israel against a full-scale ground offensive into Rafah but the Israel Defense Forces have continued an aerial bombardment and more limited ground assaults.

U.S. President Joe Biden has paused shipment of 3,500 227-kilogram and 907-kilogram bombs to Israel out of concern they could be used in an attack on Rafah.

In addition, Biden said last week that he would halt sending some other offensive weapons to Israel if it launches a full-scale Rafah offensive.

Israeli talks with Hamas for a cease-fire and the release of 100 or so hostages Hamas is still holding have stalled, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said his country will not end the war until it roots out the remaining Hamas militants in Rafah.

Blinken warned of the ongoing chaos.

"Israel is on the trajectory potentially, to inherit an insurgency with many armed Hamas left or if it leaves a vacuum, filled by chaos, filled by anarchy and probably refilled by Hamas," he said. "We've been talking to them about a much better way of getting an enduring result, enduring security, both in Gaza itself and much more broadly in the region."

Blinken said, "The quickest way for this to end is for Hamas to give up the hostages. We will get a cease-fire that we can build on and build to something more lasting and more durable. The different teams continue to talk."

"It would also be the best way to make sure that we can really surge humanitarian assistance and better protect civilians in Gaza," he said. "Hamas purports to be interested in that. Its actions certainly demonstrate the opposite."

On Sunday, the U.S. political divide over American policies related to Gaza was readily apparent.

Progressive independent Senator Bernie Sanders, who aligns with Democratic opposition to Israel's conduct of the war, told NBC that Israel should "not be receiving another nickel in U.S. military aid. Israel has ... gone to war against the entire Palestinian people, and the results have been absolutely catastrophic."

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham compared the Israel-Hamas war to World War II, telling NBC, "Why did we drop two ... nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? To end a war we couldn't afford to lose. ... That was the right decision. ... Israel, do whatever you have to do to survive as a Jewish state."

On the battlefield, aside from attacks on Rafah, Israel bombarded the urban Jabaliya refugee camp and other areas in northern Gaza. The region has suffered widespread devastation and been largely isolated by Israeli forces for months. United Nations officials say there is a "full-blown famine" there.

Residents said Israeli warplanes and artillery struck across the camp and the Zeitoun area east of Gaza City, where troops have battled militants for more than a week.

The war was triggered by the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and led to the capture of about 250 hostages according to Israeli officials. Israel's subsequent counter-offensive in Gaza has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which includes civilians and combatants in its count but says the majority of the dead are women and children.

Some material in this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

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U.S. secures one Patriot battery for Ukraine from ally, senior official says

Xinhua) 11:21, May 14, 2024

WASHINGTON, May 13 (Xinhua) -- One U.S. ally has pledged to send Ukraine one Patriot air defense system, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Monday.

Sullivan told a daily press briefing at the White House that he has been consulting with allies "every single day" on how to get more Patriot batteries, a type of advanced surface-to-air missile defense system, to Ukraine to bolster its air defense capabilities in the face of intensifying Russian airstrikes.

"And I think we recently had some good news from an ally about getting one in," Sullivan said, adding that President Joe Biden's administration is also looking for other systems from allies to equip the Ukrainian forces -- ones that the United States is able to resupply its allies to "backfill" their air defense needs.

As regards the number of Patriots the United States and its allies are now able to provide to Ukraine, Sullivan said "dozens of Patriot batteries I don't think is the right order of magnitude for what we're trying to get in there."

Biden approved 400 million U.S. dollars Friday in additional weapons aid to Ukraine using the presidential drawdown authority (PDA). Sullivan said another PDA package for Ukraine is expected "just in the coming days."

Ukraine has for months been requesting additional Patriots from the West, with officials saying the country needs a total of 26 such systems to cover the entirety of its territory and at least seven to protect key targets from Russian aerial bombardments.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in late April that the United States was committed to supplying Ukraine with additional Patriots, but that in order to do so Washington would have to rely on help from its allies.

"I think going forward, we'll be able to hopefully work with a number of countries to put together additional Patriot capability," Austin told a Pentagon news conference at the time, seemingly suggesting that additional U.S. versions of system are not readily available for Kiev.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Pakistan, US discuss how to counter Afghan-based IS and TTP terrorists

By Ayaz Gul May 13, 2024

The United States and Pakistan have concluded their latest round of counterterrorism talks, agreeing to intensify their collaboration in the fight against terrorist organizations like the Pakistani Taliban and a regional Islamic State affiliate.

Washington and Islamabad issued a joint statement simultaneously on Monday, saying the May 10 bilateral dialogue hosted by the U.S. was centered on tackling "the most pressing challenges to regional and global security."

The meeting came amid a recent surge in terrorism in Pakistan, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people, including security forces. The violence is mostly claimed by Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), known as the Pakistani Taliban, who are believed to operate from sanctuaries in neighboring Afghanistan.

"Pakistan and the United States recognize that a partnership to counter ISIS-Khorasan, TTP, and other terrorist organizations will advance security in the region and serve as a model of bilateral and regional cooperation to address transnational terrorism threats," the statement read.

The statement used an acronym for an Afghanistan-based Islamic State affiliate known as IS-Khorasan, which routinely carries out terrorist attacks in the country and beyond its borders.

Pakistani and U.S. officials at Friday's talks in Washington resolved to step up communication and continue collaboration "to detect and deter violent extremism through whole-of-government approaches."

According to the statement, the two sides stressed the importance of capacity building, including sharing technical expertise and best practices, providing investigative and prosecutorial assistance and enhancing border security infrastructure and training.

Islamabad maintains that TTP-led terrorist attacks on Pakistani soil have intensified since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021 following the withdrawal of U.S.-led NATO forces after a 20-year counterterrorism mission.

Pakistani authorities allege that members of the Afghan Taliban are facilitating TTP fighters in carrying out cross-border attacks.

The Taliban government in Kabul denies the allegations, saying it is not allowing anyone to threaten other countries, including Pakistan, from Afghan soil.

In a new report slated for release on Tuesday, the U.S. Institute of Peace has warned that Afghanistan "presents growing space for terrorist groups compared to the period before the U.S. withdrawal."

USIP published a summary of the study on its website, noting that ISIS-K poses "a rising threat with reach beyond the immediate region, greater than during the pre-withdrawal period," and the TTP "has also returned as a regional security threat."

The report also stated that al-Qaida and its South Asia affiliate "continue to maintain ties with and receive support" from Afghanistan's Taliban rulers.

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Readout of Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer's Meeting with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi

May 13, 2024

Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer met with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, on Friday. Mr. Finer reaffirmed the strong U.S. commitment to refugees and displaced people around the world, and thanked the High Commissioner for his continued partnership. Mr. Finer and the High Commissioner discussed our shared efforts to address humanitarian and displacement crises, particularly those related to Sudan, Afghanistan, Syria, and Haiti. They also welcomed recent progress towards strengthening refugee self-reliance, such as the Shirika Plan in Kenya. Noting the success of the Los Angeles Declaration Ministerial held in Guatemala, Mr. Finer and the High Commissioner discussed our strengthened collaboration in promoting regional cooperation to protect refugees and integrate migrants in the Western Hemisphere and advancing the Safe Mobility Office Initiative.

###

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Blinken reiterates U.S. opposition to Rafah invasion in call with Israeli defense chief

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 10:20, May 14, 2024

WASHINGTON, May 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over the weekend, in which the secretary reiterated Washington's opposition to a major ground operation in Rafah.

According to State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller, Blinken "reaffirmed the U.S. opposition to a major military ground operation in Rafah, where over one million people have taken shelter" during the Saturday call with Gallant.

"The Secretary underscored the urgent need to protect civilians and aid workers in Gaza and urged the Minister to ensure assistance can move into Gaza and help address distribution challenges inside of Gaza as Israel pursues Hamas targets," Miller said of the call in a statement.

Citing the Israeli Defense Ministry, CNN reported Monday that Gallant discussed with Blinken "developments in Gaza, including (Israel Defense Forces) operations across the Strip in the face of terror hotspots."

Gallant also spoke about what the ministry called "the precise operation in the Rafah area against remaining Hamas battalions, while securing the crossing," the report said.

The call came as U.S. President Joe Biden's administration began to limit the flow of U.S. weaponry to Israel in anticipation of a large-scale ground operation by Israeli forces in Rafah.

Earlier this month, Biden signed off on a pause of 3,500 bombs intended for Israel in the near term, for fear that they will be dropped in Rafah. Biden said should Israel go into Rafah and conduct operation targeting the population centers, his administration will not supply weapons for that cause.

In a high stakes State Department report that was published behind schedule on Friday, the Biden administration said that it is "reasonable to assess" that U.S. weapons supplied to Israel may have been used in violation of international law. The report added a caveat that information that Washington possessed was incomplete, not enough for reaching a definitive conclusion.

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Israel intensifies offensive in Gaza, strikes 120 sites: army

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 08:44, May 14, 2024

JERUSALEM, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army said on Monday that it has intensified its offensive from north to south in the Gaza Strip, targeting 120 sites in Rafah city, the neighborhoods of Jabaliya and Zeitoun in Gaza City.

Israel's armored 162 Division was fighting in eastern Rafah and on the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing, launching "attacks on Hamas targets," including rocket launchers, and killing "several" militants in face-to-face clashes, the army said in a statement.

The military said it was conducting "a limited" operation against militant infrastructure in Rafah, while the United Nations reported that over 300,000 Palestinians have fled Rafah since the weekend as Israeli soldiers advanced further into the city.

Commando and infantry forces attacked Jabaliya from the ground as the Air Force carried out airstrikes. The troops were engaged in "close-range battles," the military said, adding that "many underground infrastructures and fighting spaces in the area were destroyed."

"In one of the attacks, a military building was destroyed where a group of Hamas terrorists gathered," stressed the statement, adding that ground and aerial attacks were carried out also in Zeitoun.

The military reported that a total of 11 soldiers have been injured in the Gaza Strip since Saturday. Among them, five soldiers and an additional civilian employee of the army sustained serious wounds, while the remaining suffered moderate injuries.

The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip climbed to 35,091, according to health authorities in Gaza, including 57 individuals killed by the Israeli army over the past day.

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Russo-Ukraine War - 14 May 2024 - Day 811

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 Russia's newly-formed Northern Grouping of Forces have attacked into Ukraine's Kharkiv region and taken control of several villages. The border town of Vovchansk is almost certainly an immediate Russian objective and is currently contested between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

By opening up an additional axis of attack, Russia is almost certainly attempting to divert Ukrainian resources away from other parts of the front line and to threaten Kharkiv, the second largest city in Ukraine. It is unlikely that Russia has built up sufficient combat power to take the city without diverting additional forces into the area.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that since the beginning of the day, there have been 145 combat encounters, Russia has fired 3 missile strikes, over 320 kamikaze drone strikes and carried out over 2,400 shelling of Ukrainian troops' positions. Actively zadiuvav aviation - Russian terrorists dropped almost 70 kerovanih air bombs on the territory of Ukraine.

In the north of Ukraine, in chernihiv and sumy oblasts, changes in the status and position of troops have not taken place.

In the Kharkiv direction, the units of Ukrainian troops repelled 11 Russian attacks in particular, in the directions of deep-liptsi, lukyanci-liptsi, borisivka-neskucne, sebekino (Russia) - vovcansk, 3 combat clashes are still ongoing.

In separate areas, in the areas of Lukyanciv and Vovchansk, due to the influence of Russian fire and assault, to save the lives of Ukrainian soldiers and avoid losses, the units maneuver and moved to more favorable positions. The battles are still going on. Ukrainian units don't let Russian occupiers secure. Counterattack actions are carried out, Russia is under constant fire control of artillery and UAV units of the Defense Forces.

In the course of combat, in this direction of losing Russian personnel, 162 soldiers today, destroyed and damaged 26 units of weapons and military equipment.

In the Kupians komu direction, Russian forces carried out 16 attacks on the positions of Ukrainian troops in the directions of Lyman the First - Synkivka, Vilshanka - Synkivka, Vilshanca - Petropavlivka, Kislivka - Ivanivka, Krohmalne - Brestove, Kolomyjciha - Stelmakhivka, Kolomyjchiha - Myasozarivka, Kovalivka - Novoyegorivka, Ploshanka - Makiyivka. The battles are still going on.

In addition, Ukrainian troops have recovered previously lost positions and improved the tactical position in some directions.

In the Limans komu direction, the units of Ukrainian troops repelled 2 Russian attacks in the directions of Chervonopovka - Ivanivka and Zhytlivka - Terny. Losing positions is not allowed.

In the northern direction, Ukrainian troops repelled 5 Russian attacks in the directions of Zolotarivka - Ivano-Daryivka, Mykolaivka - Spirne, Vesele - Verkhnyokamians ke, 4 combat clashes are ongoing, the situation is under control.

In the Kramators komu direction, the units of Ukrainian troops repelled 12 Russian forces attacks in the directions of Bakhmut - Novy, Bakhmut-Ivanivsk, Bakhmuth-Kli iivka, Odradivka - Kli i ivka, Bakhmud - Andriyivka, Mykolaivka - White Mountain, 9 combat clashes continue, loss of positions is not allowed.

Our troops conducted tactical improvement measures were successful.

In the Pokrovsk direction, Ukrainian units repelled 33 Russian attacks in the directions of Ocheretyne - Novooleksandrivka, Arkhangelske - Evgenivka, Arkhangelsk - Kalinove, Arkhangelsk - Novooleaksandrivka, Solovyove - Falcon; Ocheretyine - Solovyove, Novobakhmutivka - Solovyove , Semenivka - Novoselivka the First, Semenivka-Umanske, Orlivka - Novoselivka the first, Tonen ke - Umans ke, Tonenke - Netailove, Sand and - Netail's. 7 fighting clashes going on.

In the course of combat, as a result of Russian assault and intense fire in some directions, Ukrainian units changed positions to save soldiers' lives and improve tactical position.

In the Kurakhivs komu direction, the units of Ukrainian troops repelled 7 Russian attacks in the directions of Staromyhajlivka - Krasnogorivka, Marinka - Georgiivka, Slavne - Novomyhajlivka, 2 combat is ongoing.

In the vrmivs komu direction successfully repelled 10 Russian attacks in the direction of sweet-water, covenant desire-staromayors ke. Also, Ukrainian soldiers carried out measures to improve the tactical position and were successful.

In the Orehivs komu direction, units of Ukrainian troops repelled 3 Russian attacks in the direction of Novoprokopivka - Robotine, Russian forces had no success.

In the pridniprovs komu direction occupants continue attempts to push Ukrainian troops out of the left bank of the dnieper. Caught 5 Russian attacks in the direction of Oleshkivski Piski - Krynki, the situation is controlled, the loss of positions is not allowed.

In other directions, there have not been significant changes in the environment.

Across the front lines, Ukrainian warriors continued to suppress Russian pressure, destroying Russian personnel and equipment. In total, since the beginning of the day, the Russian occupiers lost 1075 people killed and wounded, 251 units of weapons and military equipment.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that as a result of active actions, units of the Sever Group of Forces liberated Bugrovatka (Kharkov region) and advanced into the depth of the enemy's defence.

In addition, losses were inflicted on manpower and hardware of the AFU 23rd Mechanised Brigade and 125th Territorial Defence Brigade near Veseloye, Volchansk, and Liptsy (Kharkov region).

One counter-attack launched by an assault detachment of the AFU 120th Territorial Defence Brigade was repelled near Staritsa (Kharkov region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 135 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, and seven motor vehicles.

In the course of counter-battery warfare, one Czech-made Vampire MLRS combat vehicle, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, three 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems, one Strela-10 SAM combat vehicle, and one German-made Gepard air defence system were neutralised.

Units of the Zapad Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on formations of the AFU 43rd Mechanised Brigade, 110th and 241th territorial defence brigades near Kislovka (Kharkov region), Rozovka (Lugansk People's Republic), and Torskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

Five counter-attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 77th Airmobile Brigade, 21st, 63rd, 116th mechanised brigades were repelled near Makeyevka, Stelmakhovka, Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic), and Sinkovka (Kharkov region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 120 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, two motor vehicles, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, one 122-mm D-30 howitzer, and one U.S.-made 105-mm M119 gun.

Units of the Yug Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the front line and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 10th Mountain Assault Brigade, 79th, 80th air assault brigades, 81st Airmobile Brigade, 92nd Assault Brigade, 54th, 67th, 72nd mechanised brigades, 116th, 119th territorial defence brigades near Belogorovka (Lugansk People's Republic), Georgiyevka, Kleshcheyevka, Razdolovka, Novomikhailovka, Paraskoviyevka, and Krasnoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to more than 520 Ukrainian troops, four motor vehicles, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, two 122-mm D-30 howitzers, one Bukovel-AD electronic warfare station, and one U.S.-made AN/TPQ-36 counter-battery warfare radar station.

Three AFU field ammunition depots were destroyed.

Units of the Tsentr Group of Forces improved the tactical situation, as well as inflicted losses on the enemy and repelled eight counter-attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 71st Jaeger Brigade, 23rd, 24th, 47th, 100th, 110th mechanised brigades near Novgorodskoye, Netaylovo, and Solovyovo (Donetsk People's Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 405 Ukrainian troops, three motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155-mm Paladin self-propelled artillery system, and one 122-mm D-30 howitzer.

Units of the Vostok Group of Forces captured more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on formations of the AFU 1st Tank Brigade, 58th Motorised Infantry Brigade, 72nd Mechanised Brigade, 108th and 128th territorial defence brigades near Staromayorskoye, Urozhaynoye, Vodyanoye (Donetsk People's Republic), and Dorozhnyanka (Zaporozhye region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 155 Ukrainian troops, two armoured personnel carriers, five motor vehicles, two Polish-made 155-mm Krab self-propelled artillery systems, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, and one Strela-10 SAM combat vehicle.

Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 35th Marines Brigade, 103rd and 121st territorial defence brigades near Tyaginka, Zolotaya Balka (Kherson region), and Kapulovka (Dnepropetrovsk region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 25 Ukrainian troops, three motor vehicles, one UK-made 155-mm Braveheart self-propelled artillery system, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, and one U.S.-made 105-mm M109 howitzer.

Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces destroyed one production and storage facility for AFU attack unmanned aerial vehicles.

In addition, strikes were delivered at ammunition depots, fuel depots, and aircraft on military airfields, as well as enemy manpower and hardware clusters were engaged in 143 areas.

Air defence units shot down 26 unmanned aerial vehicles, nine French-made Hammer guided aerial bombs, two U.S.-made HARM anti-radiation missiles, three U.S.-made ATACMS operational-tactical missiles, 43 Czech-made Vampire and Olkha MLRS projectiles.

?? In total, 596 airplanes and 274 helicopters, 24,046 unmanned aerial vehicles, 521 air defence missile systems, 16,016 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,296 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 9,570 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 21,701 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.

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Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco Delivers Remarks at the Election Threats Task Force Meeting

Monday, May 13, 2024

Location

Washington, DC

United States

Remarks as Delivered

Good afternoon, everyone.

The Department of Justice has no more important mission than keeping our communities safe.

And that includes those who work to ensure we can exercise our basic rights a the most fundamental of which is the right to vote.

It is, after all, the right that secures all our other rights.

The Election Threats Task Force plays a key role in that mission, and it reflects the critical collaboration needed to combat threats to election officials.

Together, you've prosecuted a series of important and demanding cases, making clear that we will not tolerate threats to our democratic process and to the election workers who serve and safeguard it.

A particularly disturbing trend across these cases is the way perpetrators use new technologies to mask their identities and communicate their threats.

Not that long ago, when a criminal wanted to convey a threat, they only had a couple options: a pen and paper a maybe a telephone. Later, a text message or an email.

But today, criminals use a range of anonymizing technology a not just burner phones and social media, but onion routers, VoIP platforms, and overseas internet service providers.

This isn't just limited to threats to election workers, it extends to other crimes involving intimidation and hoaxes, like swatting.

Now, some criminals may believe that these new technologies enable them to act with impunity.

But a they would be wrong.

Because as criminal tools get more sophisticated, so do our investigations.

Working with experienced investigators at FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Postal Inspection Service, we're unmasking these criminals and holding them to account.

Over the past several years, our democratic process and the public servants who protect it have been under attack like never before, as threats evolve and spread.

They're being supercharged by advanced technologies a the most disruptive of which is artificial intelligence a emboldening those threatening election workers and the integrity of our elections.

These advanced tools are providing:

New avenues for wrongdoers to hide their identities and obscure sources of violent threats;

New avenues to misinform and threaten voters through deepfakes that contain altered video or cloned audio, impersonating trusted voices; and

New avenues to recruit and radicalize with incendiary social media content and online harassment and hate.

As these crimes mutate with technology, they may be easier to hide and cheaper to perpetrate a but they are still crimes.

Violent threats using AI are still violent threats.

So, in these cases, where threat actors use advanced technology a like artificial intelligence a to make crimes more dangerous and more impactful, the Department of Justice will seek enhanced sentences.

Election workers are on the front lines of this threat-accelerated landscape, and the Election Threats Task Force will continue to pursue and hold accountable those who threaten these public servants, their families, and the functioning of our democratic process.

As I stated when we launched this Task Force nearly three years ago: a threat to any election official, worker, or volunteer is, at bottom, a threat to democracy.

I know the Election Threats Task Force is adapting to the threats and will meet these new challenges head on.

Thank you all once again - for your work to protect our democracy and to keep election workers safe.

Speaker: Lisa O. Monaco, Deputy Attorney General

Topics: Civil Rights

National Security

Voting and Elections

Components: Civil Rights Division

Criminal Division

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

National Security Division (NSD)

Office of the Deputy Attorney General

U.S. Attorneys (USAO)



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Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Delivers Remarks at the Election Threats Task Force Meeting

Monday, May 13, 2024

Location

Washington, DC

United States

Remarks as Delivered

Good afternoon.

Thank you all for being here - all of you.

In a few minutes, we will begin our meeting of the Justice Department's Election Threats Task Force.

We are meeting today for the same reason I launched this Task Force three years ago: we have seen a dangerous increase in violent threats against public servants, the ones who administer our elections. Those threats endanger our democracy itself.

That is why, over the past three years, we have accelerated our efforts to combat the increase in threats against election workers, officials, and volunteers that followed the 2020 election.

Our Election Threats Task Force has secured the guilty plea of a man who threatened an election worker in Michigan. The defendant made vile threats, saying that the election worker deserved a "throat to the knife."

We secured a 3 A-year prison sentence for a man in Texas, who threatened the lives of Arizona election officials and their children and advocated for a mass shooting of poll workers and election workers in precincts he believed had "suspect results."

We secured a 3 A-year prison sentence for a Massachusetts man for sending a bomb threat to an elections official in the Arizona Secretary of State's Office.

We secured a two-year prison sentence for a man in Texas who threatened Georgia officials in the wake of the 2020 election, including threatening to "put a bullet ... behind the ears" of an election worker.

And we secured 2 A-year sentence in prison for an Iowa man who threatened to lynch an election official in Arizona.

Each of these cases should serve as a warning: If you threaten to harm or kill an election worker, volunteer, or official, the Justice Department will find you. And we will hold you accountable.

The public servants who administer our elections must be able to do their jobs without fearing for their safety or that of their families.

We will aggressively investigate and prosecute those who threaten election workers.

Protecting the right to vote was a founding purpose of the Justice Department.

Today, fulfilling that charge means confronting the full range of threats to our elections.

That includes continuing our work a through this Task Force, our U.S. Attorneys' Offices, and our FBI offices across the country a to investigate, disrupt, and combat unlawful threats against those who administer our elections.

It includes the Civil Rights Division's essential work to enforce federal voting rights laws and to challenge discriminatory restrictions on access to the ballot.

It includes the work of the Criminal Division's Public Integrity Section and our U.S. Attorneys' Offices to investigate and prosecute election crimes.

And it includes our National Security Division's and the FBI's work to protect our elections from national security threats, including malign foreign influence and cyber-enabled campaigns.

The Justice Department recognizes the urgency of these threats. And we are prepared to confront them.

We will continue to protect peoples' safety. And we will continue to protect our democracy.

I want to close by expressing gratitude to the election workers across the country who ensure that the promise of our democracy is made real. I recognize that your work has become more difficult and dangerous these past few years.

I also want to express my gratitude to the members of this Task Force and to its leader, John Keller, for your devotion to this critical mission. And I am grateful as always to the brave men and women of the FBI for their work.

And thank you also to the Postal Inspection Service and the Department of Homeland Security, our partners in our effort to protect elections and election workers.

Together, we promise the Justice Department will be relentless in defending the right to vote a and in defending the safety of the public servants who make voting possible.

I'd now like to ask the Deputy Attorney General to say a few words.

Speaker: Attorney General Merrick B. Garland

Topics: Civil Rights

National Security

Voting and Elections

Components: Office of the Attorney General

Civil Rights Division

Criminal Division

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

National Security Division (NSD)

U.S. Attorneys (USAO)



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Poland Planning to Allocate $375Mln to Strengthen Fence on Border With Belarus

Sputnik News

20240513

WARSAW (Sputnik) - Poland plans to allocate about $375 million to strengthen the fence on the border with Belarus, Polish Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk said.

He added that the border fence is currently not effective enough to deter undocumented migrants. At the same time, he admitted that Polish border guards are pushing migrants caught directly at the border back into Belarus.

"There will be an upgrade, which was developed by the Silesian University of Technology and our engineers, so that it [the fence] becomes impassable. The modernization of the barrier itself will most likely cost about 1.5 billion zlotys," Tomczyk told reporters on Sunday.

Earlier Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Warsaw hopes to attract EU money to fund these developments, dubbing it an investment into European security.

In mid-2021, tens of thousands of migrants crowded the border between Belarus and Poland, as well as neighboring Latvia and Lithuania in an attempt to enter the European Union. Polish authorities tightened border controls, deployed troops, and accused Belarus of orchestrating a migrant crisis. Minsk rejected the accusation, saying Warsaw was abusing the migrant crisis narrative to aggressively push migrants into Belarusian territory.

A Sputnik

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Minister Blair meets with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III

National Defence

News release

May 13, 2024 - Washington, D.C. - National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

Today, the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, met with United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III at the Pentagon.

Minister Blair and Secretary Austin discussed Canada's renewed vision for defence, Our North, Strong and Free, which was unveiled by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Minister Blair on April 8, 2024. Minister Blair highlighted that this defence policy update prioritizes the security of the Arctic and the North, which are becoming increasingly accessible and facing new security challenges. Minister Blair noted that the policy invests in key new capabilities for the defence of Canada and North America, and that it will invest $8.1 billion over five years and $73 billion over 20 years. Canada forecasts its defence spending to reach 1.76% of GDP in 2029-30.

Minister Blair and Secretary Austin also discussed NORAD Modernization efforts. Minister Blair provided an update on the implementation of Canada's NORAD Modernization Plan, which was released in 2022 and is backed by an investment of approximately $38 billion. This is Canada's largest investment in NORAD in a generation, and this funding package will enable the construction of new Arctic and Polar Over-the-Horizon Radar Systems that will provide early warning radar coverage.

The two counterparts also discussed Russia's ongoing attacks on Ukrainian cities, towns, and critical infrastructure and resolved to continue providing Ukraine with the military assistance that it needs to defend itself. Minister Blair thanked Secretary Austin for his leadership of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, in which Canada has participated since its establishment in 2022. Minister Blair noted that Canada has committed over $14 billion in total support to Ukraine, including $4 billion in military assistance - and continues to train Ukrainian personnel under Operation UNIFIER.

As we approach the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit in Washington, D.C. in July 2024, Minister Blair provided an update on Canada's increased contributions to NATO - noting that Canada is more than doubling its military presence on Operation REASSURANCE to up to 2,200 persistently deployed troops by 2026.

As Allies scale up defence production, the integration of the Canadian and American defence industrial base is becoming increasingly crucial to our shared security. Minister Blair and Secretary Austin discussed the importance of maintaining and advancing this integration in the years to come.

Minister Blair and Secretary Austin also discussed how Canadian and American armed forces members are working together to promote the rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific region - and looked forward to continued collaboration in this regard.

Quick facts

This is Minister Blair's first official visit to Washington, D.C. as Minister of National Defence. This visit follows Minister Blair's trip to NORAD Headquarters in Colorado Springs on February 5, 2024.

Canada and the U.S. are like-minded global partners with a shared commitment to bolstering multilateralism and the rules-based international order. As long-standing partners in NATO and NORAD, we cooperate closely on security and defence issues. Our two countries are also members of the G7 and G20, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the World Trade Organization.

On April 8, 2024, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Defence Minister Bill Blair released Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada's Defence. This defence policy update prioritizes Arctic and northern security and will invest $8.1 billion over five years and $73 billion over 20 years to bolster the defence of Canada. With this investment, Canada projects its defence spending-to-GDP ratio to reach 1.76% in 2029-30. This is a significant step toward meeting our commitment to reach defence expenditures of 2% of GDP.

Initiatives under Our North, Strong and Free also put Canada on track to exceed NATO's target of 20% for major equipment expenditures as a proportion of defence funding in 2025-2026.

These investments are in addition to Canada's NORAD Modernization Plan, announced in June 2022. This plan, backed by an investment of approximately $38 billion, is Canada's largest investment in NORAD in a generation. NORAD is the cornerstone of Canada's contribution to the defence of North America, and the cornerstone of our defence relationship with the U.S.

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May 13, 2024

By David Vergun, DOD News

Canada Releases Defense Policy Update to Boost Security

Canadian Defense Minister William Blair today discussed updates to his country's defense policy with Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, who hosted an enhanced honor cordon and meeting at the Pentagon.

The policy update was needed because "the world is changing," Blair said, noting the war in Ukraine, conflict in the Middle East, and rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific.

Canada will need to make significant military investments to fulfill the policy update, but the increased defense spending will help Canada reach 2% of its gross domestic product to meet its NATO commitment, he said.

Blair said investments will include:

New capabilities and equipment to enhance Arctic and North American security;

Modernization of the North American Aerospace Defense Command;

Supporting Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression; and

Bolstering NATO's defense.

Blair said Canada is increasing its military presence in Latvia. Also, Canada is hoping to soon stand up a Canadian-led multinational brigade.

The accession of Finland and Sweden into NATO will strengthen the alliance's security in the Arctic region, Blair said.

"Canada has no closer friend than the United States. We have stood by each other in good times and in challenging times as close partners in defense and security," he said.

"Our unparalleled partnerships allow us to maintain stability and prosperity here in North America and around the world," he said.

Austin said the policy update underscores the importance of defending the Arctic, enhancing cyber and space capabilities, and modernizing Canada's defense infrastructure and equipment.

"I commend you on the DPU [defense policy update] and look forward to working together on implementation."

The secretary thanked Blair for his nation's support for Ukraine, including the announcement last month of Ottawa's plan for drone production in Ukraine.

Besides the policy update, Austin said today's talks will include:

1 - The United Nations-authorized, multinational security-support mission for Haiti;

2- Advancing a shared vision for a free, open, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific region;

3- Updating the positive progress of NORAD modernization efforts, which are critical for the air and maritime defense of both the U.S. and Canada; and

4- Ways to address continued Houthi attacks on military and commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

"Canada is a great neighbor, dependable friend and steadfast ally. Our countries have stood together for over a century, protecting our homelands, building a prosperous North America, upholding democracy and defending freedom worldwide. We're proud to continue working shoulder to shoulder with you," Austin said.

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Chinese, South Korean foreign ministers meet, seek to improve bilateral ties

Global Times

By GT staff reporters Published: May 13, 2024 11:09 PM Updated: May 13, 2024 11:30 PM

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday met South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, who began a two-day visit to China that marks the first trip to Beijing by a South Korean foreign minister in more than six years.

Eyeing the China-Japan-South Korea trilateral leaders' meeting as its primary task, the trip also aims to make an improvement-oriented adjustment in South Korea's foreign policy, with its relations with China needing to be eased and reconciled, and steady and improved neighborly relations are conducive to regional security and stability, experts said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, met Cho in Beijing on Monday.

In the meeting, Wang said that healthy and stable development of China-South Korea relations is in line with the trend of the times and in the fundamental interests of the two peoples. The recent ups and downs and challenges faced by bilateral relations have increased significantly. This is not in line with the common interests of the two countries, and it is something we do not want to see.

China is willing to strengthen communication and exchanges with South Korea, adhere to the original intention of establishing diplomatic relations, maintain good neighborly relations, take care of each other's major concerns, eliminate external interference, and work together to promote the continuous and healthy development of China-South Korea relations, Wang said.

Both China and South Korea need a stable and friendly bilateral relationship, which is a shared desire, some experts said. However, how this desire can be realized requires the two countries to pursue a consensus and foundation whereby both sides can formulate policies toward each other based entirely on their national interests. This foundation is the direction we should aim for, and with it, China-South Korea relations can develop in a stable and healthy manner, some experts said.

Before heading to Beijing, Cho said on Monday at Gimpo International Airport that he will have "frank and in-depth" talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang, and expects the meeting to help create fresh momentum for the development of bilateral relations, the Yonhap News Agency reported.

"I will take an important first step in creating new momentum in the development of South Korea-China relations," Cho was quoted as saying in the media report.

South Korea will make its position clear on issues of principle but focus on areas where we share great potential for cooperation to lay a solid foundation for the development of bilateral ties, the South Korean senior diplomat said.

Cho's visit will be the first meeting between the Chinese and South Korean foreign ministers since the trilateral foreign ministers' meeting between China, Japan and South Korea in the South Korean city of Bushan in November 2023.

It is the first official visit by a South Korean foreign minister to Beijing in six and a half years since Kang Kyung-wha came to Beijing in 2017.

In August 2022, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, then South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin held talks with Wang Yi in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province.

South Korea has been looking to improve ties with China, its largest trading partner and a key player in nuclear diplomacy with North Korea, the Korea Times said. Since Cho took office as foreign minister early in January, he stressed the importance of keeping a "stable" relationship with Beijing, citing the potential for deeper cooperation in the economy, North Korean issues and other areas, according to the South Korean media outlet.

Major focuses

"As the host of the three-way meeting this year, South Korea aims to further promote the successful convening of the China-Japan-South Korea trilateral leaders' meeting, which is an important task of Cho's visit to China," Yang Xiyu, a senior research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Monday.

Another major task is to stabilize bilateral relations, which have noticeably declined over the past few years. There has been a stronger desire to make an improvement-oriented adjustment in South Korea's foreign relations, especially since Yoon Suk-yeol's administration appointed a new foreign minister, Yang said.

While Seoul's pro-US approach will continue as the basic policy, its relations with Beijing need to be eased and reconciled, Yang noted, adding that this is not an overnight task but rather a goal that requires significant efforts to accomplish.

Against the backdrop of major fluctuations in China-South Korea relations in recent years, particularly after South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol suffered a big defeat in legislative elections, recently, the South Korean public is generally dissatisfied with the Yoon administration, and one aspect of this comes from its overly pro-US foreign policy, experts said.

"To some extent, Cho's visit to China is also an attempt at diplomatic correction, aiming to find as much of a balance as possible," Xiang Haoyu, a research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Monday.

Since taking office in May 2022, the Yoon administration has brazenly intervened in the Taiwan question. Yoon himself mentioned it several times, including during visits to the US and Europe, and during a trilateral meeting with the US and Japan.

In particular, the US-Japan-South Korea summit at Camp David last August, which aims to form a "mini NATO" structure, has been widely criticized as being destructive to regional security, making the situation more complex through more conflict.

The Camp David Summit was a key event in the institutionalization of trilateral cooperation. Although the three parties ostensibly focused on North Korea's nuclear and missile issues, advancing military intelligence sharing and joint exercises, the signs of targeting China became increasingly apparent, Wang Junsheng, a research fellow of East Asian studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, told the Global Times on Monday.

While it is unlikely that the Yoon administration will fundamentally change its China policy after the parliamentary elections, this visit does present an opportunity to push for improved relations with China, Wang noted.

"However, whether improvement can be achieved depends on how sincere the Yoon administration can be. If it continues to follow the US in pressuring China while simultaneously hoping to improve relations through mere gestures, it will be difficult," he said.

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US should not to dig holes while repairing roads: Chinese FM spokesperson on climate talks

Global Times

By Global Times Published: May 13, 2024 08:45 PM

The US should not to dig holes while repairing roads, a spokesperson from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday when briefing climate talks between China and US last week, slamming a reported US tariff on EVs and other green energy imports.

China's special envoy for climate change Liu Zhenmin led a delegation to the US from May 7 to 16 for talks with US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Podesta, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment said last week.

China and the US agreed on climate change cooperation including deploying emission reduction technologies for methane emissions control and reductions, following talks between Liu and Podesta.

The meeting reviewed the "The Sunnylands Statement on Enhancing Cooperation to Address the Climate Crisis", which was reached by China and US in November 2023, on strengthening cooperation to address the climate crisis, which was established during the previous meeting between two heads of state in San Francisco, Wang said.

In-depth discussions were held on energy transition, methane and other non-CO2 greenhouse gases, the circular economy, and resource efficiency between Liu and Podesta. The meeting also discussed cooperation on relevant multilateral issues in preparation for the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference (COP 29).

Both China and the US shared their experiences and challenges in climate policies and actions, and expressed willingness to engage in technical and policy exchanges. The two sides plan to hold the second Summit on Methane and Non-CO2 Greenhouse Gases during COP29, and look forward to the China-US Local Climate Action High-Level Event in Berkeley, California on May 29-30.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration reported plans to impose major new tariffs on electric vehicles, semiconductors, solar equipment and medical supplies imported from China, local media quoted US officials and a others familiar with the plan as saying.

Tariffs on electric vehicles, in particular, could quadruple a from the existing 25 percent to 100 percent, according to ABC news. The tariffs, expected to be announced Tuesday, come as officials across the Democratic administration have expressed frustration over China's manufacturing "overcapacity" of EVs and other products that they say pose a threat to US jobs and national security.

In response, Wang said that the US has expressed willingness to strengthen cooperation with China in addressing climate change, while at the same time hyping up the so-called "overcapacity of China's new energy production" and threatening to impose high tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, solar products, and other goods.

This contradictory approach not only goes against the consensus reached at the summit between the Chinese and US leaders on cooperating to address the climate crisis, but also harms the global green transition and undermines efforts to combat climate change worldwide.

"We urge the US side not to build roads on one hand while digging pits on the other, and to create favorable conditions for cooperation between China and the US on climate change and for global green transition," Wang said.

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Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on May 13, 2024

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China

2024-05-13 21:29

At the invitation of Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, Foreign Minister II Dato' Erywan Pehin Yusof of Brunei will pay an official visit to China from May 13 to 15.

CCTV: On May 10, the Tenth Emergency Special Session of the UN General Assembly passed a resolution with 143 countries in favor, nine against and 25 abstaining. The resolution determines that the State of Palestine is qualified for full UN membership in line with the UN Charter, and recommends that the Security Council reconsider its application to join the UN. China voted in favor and joined the co-sponsorship of this resolution. Could you further share with us China's position?

Wang Wenbin: Our UN representative has fully stated our position in the explanation of vote. Let me stress that independent statehood has been a long-cherished aspiration of the Palestinian people and fullamembership in the UN is a crucial step in this historic process. It is the strong call of the international community and theacommon responsibility of all parties to support and advance the process of Palestine'saindependent statehood and provide strong support for the implementation of theatwo-State solution and lasting peace in the Middle East. The GAaEmergency Special Session adopted by anaoverwhelming majority a resolution to reaffirm the right of Palestinianapeople to self-determination,aincluding the right to the Independent State of Palestine,adetermine that the State of Palestine is qualified for full membership in the UN, and recommend that the Security Council reconsider favorably its application to join the UN. This reflects the will of the international community. China supports the Security Council's early reconsideration of the application of the State of Palestine as recommended by the GA resolution. We urge relevant countries to stop standing on the opposite side of the international community, international justice, and conscience of humanity, and stop creating hurdles for Palestine to join the UN.a

Thearesolution includes modalities for Palestine's participation in UNaactivitiesaand relevant meetings, granting it additional rights and privileges. These special modalities are a remedy for the historical injustice long endured by Palestine and a rectificationaof the US abusive use of veto. The resolution makes it clear that these modalities are adopted on an exceptional basis without setting a precedent. We hope Palestine will become a full UN Member State soon and will enjoy full andaequal rights in the UNalike other Member States.

AFP: I'm wondering if the Foreign Ministry is able to confirm that President Putin is going to visit China in the coming days?

Wang Wenbin: This year marks the 75th anniversary of China-Russia diplomatic relations. China greatly values the strategic guidance of head-of-state diplomacy for our bilateral relations with Russia. The two presidents agreed to maintain close interactions to ensure the smooth and steady growth of bilateral ties. As for your specific question, I have nothing to share at the moment.

China-Arab TV: The Ministerial Meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum is said to be held in late May in Beijing. Can you share more details?

Wang Wenbin: This year marks the 20th anniversary of the inception of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum. Over the past two decades, under the guidance of head-of-state diplomacy, the Forum has always served its purpose of enhancing dialogue and cooperation and promoting peace and development, and has become a golden brand in promotinga collective dialogue and practical cooperation between China and Arab states. The Forum has made important contribution in advancing relations between China and Arab states and set up a fine example of South-South cooperation.

The 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum will be held in China and will be the first ministerial conference held since the inaugural China-Arab states summit. The meeting is highly important in building on past achievements and charting the future. The two sides are making intensive preparations for the meeting. We will release timely information about the meeting. Please stay tuned.a

Shenzhen TV: According to the US Department of State, the meeting of the China-US Working Group on Enhancing Climate Action in the 2020s was held days ago in Washington. Could you share more details with us? What's your comment on China-US cooperation on climate change?

Wang Wenbin: On May 8 and 9, the meeting of the China-US Working Group on Enhancing Climate Action in the 2020s was held in Washington, DC. It was co-chaired by China's Special Envoy for Climate Change Liu Zhenmin and Senior Advisor to the US President for International Climate Policy John Podesta. China released a readout which you may refer to. I can quickly go over some of the details for you.

The meeting recalled the discussion between the two Presidents in San Francisco and focused on areas identified in the Sunnylands Statement on Enhancing Cooperation to Address the Climate Crisis, including energy transition, methane and other non-CO2 greenhouse gases, circular economy and resource efficiency, as well as cooperation on multilateral issues related to promoting a successful UNFCCC COP 29. The two sides shared the experiences and challenges regarding their respective climate policies and actions, and further expressed their intention to engage in related technical and policy exchange. The two sides intend to host a second "Methane and Non-CO2 Greenhouse Gases Summit" at COP 29 and look forward to the China-US High-Level Event on Subnational Climate Action, to be held May 29 to 30, in Berkeley, California.

In that context, I need to point out that despite its professed willingness to strengthen cooperation with China on climate change, the US has been hyping up the so-called "overcapacity" in China's new energy sector and vowing to impose additional tariff hikes on Chinese electrical vehicles and solar products. This is self-defeating. It goes against the consensus reached in San Francisco on joint climate response, and more importantly, it will harm the world's green economic transition and climate action. We urge the US to stop repairing and digging up the road at the same time, so to speak, and create enabling conditions for China-US climate cooperation and global green transition.

Bloomberg: The South Korean Foreign Minister will be visiting Beijing, I think later tonight. Can you tell me what does China see as the main priority of the discussions? Will you be addressing issues of mutual concern, such as the upcoming trilateral summit with Japan, maybe North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons, and also whether the US is moving to place more restrictions on the export of semiconductors?

Wang Wenbin: We announced ROK Foreign Minister's visit to China last week. We will release timely information on the talks between the two foreign ministers. Please check back for updates.

AFP: There's a report out today by Amnesty International that concludes that China is putting pressure on overseas Chinese students who engage in political activism in other countries. Does China have any comment on this report by Amnesty?

Wang Wenbin: What you mentioned is sheer smear and vilification. Any objective media outlet will find that the vast majority of Chinese nationals overseas are proud of the development achievements of their home country.

Reuters: Regarding the Philippines coast guard on what they said today, the coast guards in the Philippines said that they are committed to a presence at Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea where it also said China attempted to build an "artificial island." The coast guard there said it discovered piles of dead and crushed corals dumped along the sand bars around the shoal and that it has been able to prevent China from carrying out reclamation activities there. Could we understand what happened at the shoal? Did China begin to reclaim land at the shoal? And also did the Philippines approach Chinese vessels or personnel to stop reclamation activities there?a

Wang Wenbin: The Philippines has repeatedly spread rumors, deliberately vilified China and tried to mislead the international community. None of those attempts will succeed. China urges the Philippines to stop making irresponsible remarks, face up to the facts and return to the right track of properly handling maritime disputes through negotiation and consultation.

Ukrinform News Agency: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the Special Representative of the Chinese government Li Hui carried out the third round of shuttle diplomacy on the issue of Russian war against Ukraine. Could you share more details about the results of this round?

Wang Wenbin: From May 3 to 9, Special Representative of the Chinese Government on Eurasian Affairs Li Hui carried out the third round of shuttle diplomacy on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. He visited TArkiye, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Before and after the visit, Special Representative Li Hui had discussions with officials from countries such as Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa and Kazakhstan. China's relentless effort of promoting talks for peace has been commended by various parties.

During this round of shuttle diplomacy, parties expressed concerns over the potential escalation of the ongoing conflict and they shared the view that the pressing need is to push for deescalation. They applauded China's proposal to call for deescalation, which is as follows:

First, China calls on all parties to observe three principles for deescalating the situation. Number one, no expansion of the battlefield. Fighting should not spread to a third country and no third party should be dragged into the fighting. Number two, no escalation of fighting. Weapon of mass destruction, especially nuclear weapons and biochemical weapons should not be used. Attacks on nuclear facilities should be opposed. Nuclear disaster should be prevented. Civilians should not be attacked. Number three, no fanning by any party of the flames. Any word or deed that is not conducive to ceasefire should be avoided.

Second, dialogue and negotiation are the only viable solution to the Ukraine crisis. The parties to the conflict should create conditions for the resumption of direct dialogue and deescalate the situation until the realization of a comprehensive ceasefire.

Third, efforts are needed to increase humanitarian assistance to relevant areas, improve humanitarian conditions and prevent a humanitarian crisis on a larger scale. Parties to the conflict should avoid attacking civilians or civilian facilities, protect women, children and other victims of the conflict, and respect the basic rights of prisoners of war (POW). China supports the exchange of POWs between the parties to the conflict.

Fourth, the use of nuclear weapons and chemical and biological weapons should be opposed. Nuclear proliferation must be prevented and nuclear crisis avoided.

Fifth, armed attacks against nuclear power plants or other peaceful nuclear facilities must be opposed. All parties should comply with international law including the Convention on Nuclear Safety and resolutely avoid man-made nuclear accidents.

Sixth, China calls for joint support for international cooperation on energy, finance, food trade, transportation, etc. and joint efforts to uphold the security of critical infrastructure, including oil and gas pipelines, electricity and energy facilities and undersea optical cables, so as to protect the stability of global industrial and supply chains.

All parties agreed to maintain communication and coordination. They welcome efforts by the international community to support and promote deescalation, and jointly play a constructive role for ceasefire and promoting talks for peace.a

CCTV: Registration for the 77th World Health Assembly (WHA) will close today. Taiwan has not received an invitation. The DPP authorities claim that its absence from the WHA will cause a "gap" in global anti-epidemic efforts. What's the Chinese government's comment?a

Wang Wenbin: There is but one China in the world. The government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. China's position on the Taiwan region's participation in the activities of international organizations, including the WHO, is consistent and clear, that is, this must be handled under the one-China principle, which is also a fundamental principle demonstrated by the UNGA Resolution 2758 and WHA Resolution 25.1.

China's Taiwan region, unless given approval by the Central Government, has no basis, reason or right to participate in the WHA. After coming into power in 2016, the DPP has refused to recognize the 1992 consensus and been hellbent on the separatist stance of "Taiwan independence." As a result, the political foundation for the Taiwan region to participate in the WHA no longer exists. Hence, China has decided not to approve the Taiwan region's participation in this year's WHA. This decision has sufficient reason and a solid legal basis. It's not just about upholding the one-China principle but also about the sanctity and authority of relevant UNGA and WHA resolutions.

For quite some time, the DPP authorities and certain country have been deliberately distorting and challenging UNGA Resolution 2758, trumpeting the notion that Taiwan's status is undetermined, and advocating support for Taiwan's participation in the United Nations multilateral forums, including the WHA. These moves mislead international public opinion and challenge the one-China consensus among the international community. They trample on the international law and basic norms governing international relations, and seek to turn back the wheel of history. Such attempts will not succeed.

The DPP authorities and some countries claim that Taiwan's absence from the WHA will cause a "gap" in global anti-epidemic efforts and use it as an excuse to demand "Taiwan's meaningful participation" in the WHO. That's a politically-driven and completely false claim. The Chinese Central Government has made proper arrangement for the Taiwan region's participation in global health affairs on the condition that the one-China principle is upheld. Over the past year alone, medical and technical experts from China's Taiwan region applied for participation in WHO technical activities 21 times, which involved 24 participants, and all the applications were approved by the Chinese Central Government. There is an International Health Regulations Contact Point in the Taiwan region for it to promptly access and report to the WHO concerning information related to health emergencies. Facts fully reflect that the Chinese Central Government has every sincerity and has taken credible and active measures to address the health issues that our compatriots in Taiwan care about, and that their rights to health are duly protected.

The one-China principle is where global opinion trends and the arc of history bends. China's decision of not letting the Taiwan region participate in this year's WHA has received wide support and understanding from the international community. Challenging the one-China principle will end up nowhere and turning back the wheel of history will not succeed. Any attempt to play the "Taiwan card" and use Taiwan to contain China will only be met with firm opposition from the international community and is doomed to failure.

Bloomberg: I just want to clarify the question about the reclamation. Has China sent ships or vessels to the Escoda Shoal? Can you confirm that?

Wang Wenbin: As I just said, the accusation of "China's reclamation" at Xianbin Jiao is sheer rumor spread by the Philippines, which is an irresponsible claim designed to vilify China and mislead the international community.a

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US, Chinese officials head to Geneva for AI talks

No 'deliverables' expected from the meeting, which Biden and Xi promised at their summit last year.

By Alex Willemyns for RFA 2024.05.13 -- American and Chinese officials will meet in Geneva on Tuesday for talks aimed at regulating artificial intelligence technology, which was one of the three key goals negotiated by presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping during their high-profile summit in San Francisco last year.

Officials from the White House, State Department and Department of Commerce and counterparts from China "will exchange views on how the two governments understand and seek to address the risks of advanced AI systems," according to a White House statement.

AI regulation appears to be one of the few areas where the world's two major powers have been willing to work together recently, with the two countries co-sponsoring a resolution at the United Nations in March to encourage more responsible development of AI technologies.

At their November summit, it was also one of the three major agreements struck by Xi and Biden, alongside a deal to reinstate military-to-military communications and work to end the export from China of fentanyl precursors that end up in the United States.

Six months on, this week's talks in Geneva mean that progress is being made on all three deals - the two countries' top generals held a telephone call in December leading to an in-person meeting of lower level military in January, and fentanyl talks are also underway.

Speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the meeting ahead of time, a senior Biden administration official said the talks would continue Cold War-era efforts with the Soviet Union to stave off a nuclear war.

"We do have a long history of engaging with competitors on issues of global safety and security," the official said. "We don't see eye-to-eye with [China] on many AI topics and applications, but we believe communication on critical AI risks can make the world safer."

Invest, align and compete

U.S. officials are billing the meeting as part of the "invest, align and compete" strategy, which seeks to increase investment in national security and align with allies in order to compete with China.

Led by Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, American officials have since last year's Biden-Xi summit in San Francisco also said that the United States and China need to work together where they have shared interests, even if they are strategic foes.

But the senior White House official said Tuesday's talks do not aim to secure any major deals and are instead meant to lay groundwork.

"The goals of the talks are scoped to be focused on risk and safety, with an emphasis on advanced systems," the official said, explaining that the results would influence future rounds of negotiations.

"These talks are not going to be focused on any particular deliverables, but rather an exchange of views on the technical risks of AI, and an opportunity to directly communicate respective areas of concern."

The official declined to comment on the likelihood both sides would pledge that AI systems will not be put in charge of decisions to deploy nuclear weapons, reiterating that no major deals were expected.

But he did note that the U.S. delegation would express its concerns about the Chinese military's increasing focus on AI capabilities.

China is "rapidly deploying capabilities across civilian as well as military national security sectors, and in many cases in ways that we believe undermines both U.S. and allied national security," the official said.

"So we've of course taken targeted actions to address those risks," he said. "And we will reiterate our concerns about Beijing's use of AI"

Edited by Malcolm Foster.

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Chinese students abroad can't escape a 'climate of fear'

In a new report, Amnesty International documents cases of 'transnational repression' on campuses.

By Jim Snyder for RFA 2024.05.13 -- Chinese students studying abroad report widespread fear that activities their peers take for granted - like attending vigils or openly discussing political views in class - could get them and their families back home in trouble, according to a report released Sunday from Amnesty International.

The London-based human rights group interviewed 32 students across eight Western Europe and North America countries from June 2023 to April 2024. One-third of those interviewed reported living in a "climate of fear" that had altered their academic experience.

Ten of the students said Chinese authorities had visited family members back in China to discourage their campus activities, in some cases with a remarkable swiftness that added to the students' sense of unease.

"Rowan" (the report used pseudonyms) said her father called just hours after she attended a commemorative event for the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, even though she hadn't registered for the event or posted anything online about her participation.

Her father was told to remind his daughter not to do anything that would put the Chinese government in a bad light.

The underlying message, Rowan told Amnesty in a 2023 interview, was that "you are being watched, and though we are on the other side of the planet, we can still reach you."

An email to the Chinese Embassy in Washington asking for a response to the Amnesty report had not been returned by press time.

A fear of peers

There are 900,000 Chinese students studying overseas, according to Amnesty International. Nearly 290,000 Chinese students were granted visas to study in the United States in fiscal year 2023, according to the State Department. China sends more students to the U.S. than any other country.

News outlets including Radio Free Asia have reported on several cases of "transnational repression" by China against students in the United States who took part in protests or other activities unaligned with Communist Party thinking.

Zhang Jinrui, a law student at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., told RFA last fall that state security officials in China visited his family after he took part in "white paper" protests that sprang up across the globe in opposition to harsh anti-COVID policies and restrictions on free expression in China.

Chinese students at Columbia University who were trying to start a student group in support of the white paper protests back home talked to RFA about the various precautions they were taking to avoid getting themselves or their families in trouble.

They wore masks at events and were wary of inviting Chinese students they didn't know to participate for fear of being reported to authorities.

One-half of the students who Amnesty International interviewed said they were fearful that fellow students would report on them. This fear compounds a sense of isolation and loneliness for students already dealing with the struggles of living in a foreign country, Amnesty said.

Michael, a student in North America, told Amnesty that "he was ostracized, removed from online chat groups and kicked out of a community hobby club" after the local Chinese community learned about his involvement in political protests.

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.

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US, China to hold AI talks in Switzerland

By VOA News May 13, 2024

U.S. and Chinese officials plan to meet in Switzerland on Tuesday to discuss artificial intelligence security concerns.

U.S. officials said the Geneva talks will not open the door for China to influence technology policy. Representatives from both countries will discuss ways to reduce the dangers associated with AI, U.S. officials said.

"We certainly don't see eye to eye...on many AI topics and applications, but we believe that communication on critical AI risks can make the world safer," a U.S. senior official said.

Beijing and Washington are in a tight race to dominate the AI landscape. China is leveraging AI "capabilities across civilian as well as military/national security sectors," a U.S official said. Beijing's use of AI could compromise "both U.S. and allied national security," he added.

Another official said the U.S. is competing with China to set the rules on AI and "explore if some of the rules can be embraced by all countries."

The AI talks were initiated last month following U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Beijing, where he met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

The U.S. will be represented by officials from the White House National Security Council and Departments of State and Commerce at Tuesday's discussion.

The U.S. delegation will lead the talks with representatives from China's foreign ministry and state planner, the National Development and Reform Commission.

A U.S. official said last week that the State Department wants China and Russia to make a commitment that AI will not make decisions about nuclear employment.

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration plans to safeguard U.S. AI models like ChatGPT, curbing countries like China and Russia from gaining access to the software.

Some information for this report came from Reuters and Agence France-Presse.

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China strongly condemns UK for unwarranted accusations against alleged spies linked to HKSAR

Global Times

By Global Times Published: May 14, 2024 08:15 AM

China's central government and the local authorities in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) strongly condemned the UK late Monday for its "malicious fabrication" and "unwarranted accusations" after three men were charged with "assisting Hong Kong's foreign intelligence service in Britain."

Chung Biu Yuen, 63, Chi Leung Wai, also known as Peter Wai, 38, and Matthew Trickett, 37, were arrested earlier this month following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command, according to Reuters.

Each of the trio was charged with two offenses under Britain's National Security Act, which was passed last year and introduced new measures to target threats from foreign states, the media report stated.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Yuen is a retired Hong Kong police officer who is listed as an office manager at the Hong Kong Economic Trade Office in London. Wai works at Heathrow Airport for the UK Border Force, which oversees immigration and customs controls, and is listed online as the founder of a consulting firm called D5 Security. Trickett, a British national, advertises himself on LinkedIn as a security specialist and previously served as a Royal Marines Commando, according to the WSJ.

The Chinese side firmly rejects and strongly condemns the UK's fabrication of the so-called case and its unwarranted accusations against the HKSAR government. It has made serious representations to the UK side on the matter, the Chinese Embassy in the UK stated in a statement late Monday.

For some time now, the UK has leveled a series of accusations against China, including those regarding "China spies" and cyber attacks. All these accusations are groundless and slanderous, the statement noted.

The British side has also wantonly harassed, arrested, and detained Chinese citizens in the UK under the pretext of judicial and national security. This constitutes a grave provocation against China and severely contravenes the basic norms governing international relations, the embassy said.

The embassy urged the UK to immediately correct its wrongdoing, stop spreading the so-called "China threat theory," end all forms of political manipulation against China, and ensure all the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens in the UK.

The duties of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London are to maintain close liaison with interlocutors in local government, business, think tanks, and various sectors, with a view to enriching bilateral ties in different areas such as trade, investment, arts and culture, enhancing local people's and enterprises' knowledge of Hong Kong's unique strengths, and promoting the economic and trade interests of Hong Kong, the HKSAR government stated on Monday night.

The HKSAR government has seriously demanded that the UK side handle the matter fairly, effectively protect the legitimate rights and interests of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office's office manager who was alleged to be involved, and ensure that the normal work of the Economic and Trade Office is not affected.

The British National Security Act has been widely criticized for its vague definitions and broad authorization of law enforcement agencies, the Commissioner's Office of China's Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR said in a statement on Monday night.

Under the pretext of national security, the British side has ignored basic human rights and made arbitrary arrests and detentions, which is not only against the spirit of the rule of law but also constitutes naked political manipulation. The UK's sinister intention of interfering in Hong Kong affairs and colluding with anti-China elements is laid bare, the commissioner's office stated.

It also urged the UK to cease and desist, immediately correct its wrongdoings, stop any slander against Chinese citizens based on the presumption of guilt, and stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs, warning that otherwise the Chinese side will take resolute countermeasures.

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North Korea appoints new ambassador to UN office in Geneva

The move comes 5 months after the previous ambassador returned to the North after ivory-smuggling allegations.

By Taejun Kang for RFA 2024.05.12 -- North Korea has appointed a new ambassador to its mission at the United Nations office in Geneva, the U.N. said on a website.

Jo Chol Su, who previously served as director-general of international organizations at North Korea's foreign ministry, presented his credentials to the U.N. Office at Geneva on Friday, it said.

The new envoy has "extensive experience" working with the U.N., including as first secretary at the North Korean U.N. mission in Geneva and as a national staff member for the World Food Program and United Nations Development Program delegations in Pyongyang, the U.N. added on its website.

Graduating from the prestigious Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies in 1993, Jo is a career diplomat who has held various senior positions in North Korea's foreign ministry, including in the North America department, handling negotiations over the country's nuclear weapons program.

The appointment comes five months after Jo's predecessor, Han Tae Song, returned to the North amid allegations of his involvement in ivory smuggling.

In December last year, reports emerged that North Korea decided to recall Han as both the panel of experts of the U.N. Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea and Swiss officials were investigating his purported involvement in ivory trafficking in Africa.

Botswana, along with South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, had been investigating a North Korean-affiliated ivory and rhino horn smuggling operation for over a year.

The ring was accused of pilfering at least 19 elephant tusks and 18 rhino horns from Botswana on two occasions in 2022 and 2023 and then channeling them through South Africa and Zimbabwe to Mozambican buyers linked to North Korea.

The investigation discovered two buyers from North Korea were central to a major smuggling operation involving wildlife products. One of these individuals, Yi Kang Dae, confirmed as an intelligence official in North Korea's state security, collaborated with the former ambassador, Han.

At that time, a security source in Zimbabwe told media outlets that there was a big chance that Han may have revived a smuggling network he ran while posted in the country in the 1990s.

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.

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Kashmir votes in India's general election first time since loss of special status

Iran Press TV

Monday, 13 May 2024 1:53 PM

Voters queued up in front of polling booths in Srinagar, the summer capital of the Indian-administered Kashmir, on Monday to cast their ballots in India's general election, the first time since the revocation of the region's special constitutional status in 2019

Nearly 1.75 million voters were eligible to vote in the Srinagar constituency on Monday, which includes the capital city of Srinagar and the important rural districts of Budgam and Ganderbal.

In the next two phases, elections will be held for the constituency of northern Baramulla district on May 20 and for the constituency of southern Anantnag-Rajouri on May 25 respectively.

In August 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration scrapped Article 370 of the Indian Constitution in a controversial move, which took away the Himalayan region's political autonomy.

After that move, all prominent political leaders and activists in the region were put under house arrest and the presidential rule (direct governance by New Delhi) was implemented in the territory.

The main parties contesting these elections in Kashmir include the National Conference (NC) and People's Democratic Party (PDP), both local parties that have previously ruled the region.

The NC has fielded influential Shia leader and former minister Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi while the PDP is represented by the party youth president Waheed Para, both young politicians.

On the campaign trail, both candidates of rival parties accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in New Delhi of doing injustice to Kashmiris by taking away the region's semi-autonomy.

Other candidates in the fray include the Apni Party's Mohammad Ashraf Mir and the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP)'s Amir Ahmad Bhat.

Modi-led BJP opted out of elections in the Kashmir valley with senior party leader and India's Home Minister Amit Shah saying the lotus bloom in Kashmir can wait. His statement was met with scorn from Kashmir-based parties, who said Shah and Modi knew the party would not win in Kashmir.

Before Election Day, Parra, who is contesting in Srinagar on a PDP ticket, accused a senior police officer of directing his officers to "minimize voter turnout by detaining, harassing our workers."

"Such actions serve the interests of anti-national elements, not India," Parra wrote on X.

Mehdi, who is Parra's main rival, also raised similar concerns on his social media pages.

"From detention before polling day to CASO a night before the polling to arresting the polling agent from polling stations on the day of polling. Police and the administration is trying everything in their dirty book," he wrote on X on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Srinagar constituency recorded about 35.75 percent voter turnout till 5 pm local time on Monday, India's Election Commission said in a statement.

In the 2019 elections, the voter turnout was recorded at 14.43 percent, significantly lower than this time. In 2014, the voter turnout was 25.8 percent and in 2009 the voter turnout was 25.6 percent.

The general elections in India commenced on April 19, and the voting process is being conducted across seven phases until June 1. The counting of votes is scheduled to take place on June 4.

One of the three parliamentary seats in the Himalayan region of Kashmir, Srinagar is among the 96 seats across the country voting in phase 4 of elections for the Indian parliament.

Around 166 million voters take part in the polls across 102 constituencies in 21 states and union territories, ranging from Tamil Nadu in the south to Jammu and Kashmir in the north.

Modi-led BJP is tipped to return to power banking on the predominantly Hindu vote, pitted against the main opposition Congress and allied parties who have joined hands under the INDIA coalition.

BJP has been in power in the world's most populated country since 2014.

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Iran says its nuclear doctrine remains unchanged

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

May 13, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani has reiterated that the Islamic Republic's nuclear doctrine remains unchanged.

Speaking to reporters at his weekly press briefing on Monday, Kanaani stressed that Iran's official stance on weapons of mass destruction (WMD) has repeatedly been expressed by senior Iranian officials.

"Based on our principled approach, Iran has a clear fatwa from the Supreme Leader that prohibits the use of inhumane weapons, and we also believe that these weapons pose a threat to the international community," he noted.

He was referring to a religious decree issued by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei that stipulates any acquisition, development, and use of nuclear weapons violate Islamic principles and are therefore forbidden.

Kanaani pointed out that in the West Asia region, only the Israeli regime has not joined the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

He further expressed hope that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will maintain its impartiality in dealing with Iran so that Tehran can continue its constructive engagement with the UN nuclear watchdog.

He explained that negotiations to resolve the remaining issues are ongoing, and both sides agreed to continue their consultations during the recent visit of IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi to Iran.

"We assess Grossi's visit to Iran to be positive," he said.

Kanaani emphasized that whenever the IAEA chief has acted in a technical manner, talks to resolve the issues between Iran and the agency "have progressed well".

However, he cautioned that the technical issues have diverted from their proper course whenever the IAEA has taken a "political approach" with Iran.

The official maintained that Iran will continue to advance its peaceful nuclear program regardless of pressure from the United States.

"If it was up to the United States, they would have wanted to dismantle all the industrial nuts and bolts of Iran's nuclear industry, but Iran continues to advance its peaceful nuclear program," he said.

Kanaani added that talks with the US are taking place through intermediaries and within the framework of lifting the economic sanctions.

"Iran has repeatedly stated that it is committed to a political approach and negotiations in order to achieve the removal of the unjust sanctions," he said.

Iran launches virtual embassy for Palestine

A law related to the Palestinian issues has called for the formation of a virtual embassy for this country in the website of Iran's Foreign Ministry, Kanaani said, adding that the formation of the virtual embassy also takes place in line with a legislation by the Iranian Parliament.

The spokesman noted that Iran has called for the consultative views of the Palestinian embassy in Tehran and the resistance groups about the opening of the virtual embassy, a pilot version of which he said has been launched on the website of the Foreign Ministry until its technical problems are found.

"Fortunately, we are witnessing an increase in new countries declaring political support for the South African government's action [in raising a genocide case against the Zionist regime at ICJ]," Kanaani said, adding that Iran gives political support to all honorable actions of governments.

He stressed that Iran supports such measures, but it has its own considerations and legal approach in joining the case for non-recognition of the Zionist regime.

Kuwait urged to return to negotiating table on disputed field

Kanaani also touched upon Iran's dispute with Kuwait over Arash gas field, saying that Iran's maritime borders with Kuwait have not been set and their share of this field cannot be determined yet.

The two sides have had nine rounds of legal negotiations in this regard so far and Follow-ups on border demarcation continue, the spokesman said.

He stressed that the only way to solve this issue is through technical and legal negotiations without resorting to media hype, urging the Kuwaiti government to return to the negotiating table.

Iran, Iraq will not allow any insecurity in common borders

Referring to the recent visit paid by the head of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region Nechervan Barzani to Iran, Kanaani said that Iran and the Iraqi Kurdistan Region enjoy deep-rooted friendly ties, noting that the two sides cooperated during the eight years of Holy Defense.

Standing against the ISIS terrorist group in Iraq was one of the other issues of the joint cooperation between the two sides, he said, adding that in this trip, the two sides held explicit consultations and positive discussions regarding this issue.

"When it comes to the security of the common borders of Iran and Iraq, we will not allow any insecurity and we will fight against any insecurity," he stressed, noting that Barzani also stated that the security of Iraq and Iran is the same, announcing that the Iraqi Kurdistan region adheres to the provisions of the Iran-Iraq security agreement.

Foreign countries eye expanding ties with Iran despite US sanctions

Kanaani has pointed out that many countries are willing to ignore unilateral US sanctions against independent nations, such as Iran, in order to establish a common interest.

He further added that the Iran-India agreement for the development of the Chabahar port is based on India's understanding of the nature of unilateral US sanctions.

Iran rejects any interventionist foreign comments about internal affairs

Regarding the biased reports of some Western movements in the field of human rights against Iran, Kanaani underlined that there is a clear double standard in Western behavior regarding this matter. On one hand, they unconditionally support the Zionist regime's ongoing war crimes against the Palestinian people. On the other hand, they violently crack down on their own citizens and university professors.

Kanaani described West's shameless comments on the judicial issues of other countries as a clear example of hypocrisy and dual standards behaviors.

Obviously, Iran rejects any interventionist comments made by the officials of such countries in its internal affairs, including judicial cases, he noted.

In response to the question of the IRNA correspondent about Iran's reaction to the recent movements of the terrorist group Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) and their leader's remarks to the representatives of the UK and US, Kanaani expressed doubts about the political wisdom of those who take advice from an unpopular and outcast group like MKO.

MKO has received their answer from the Iranians and are now living as homeless in other countries, he added.

4353**9341**3266**2050



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Iran: Israel's occupation, nuclear weapons main obstacles to region's security

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Mon / 13 May 2024 / 12:49

Iran Foreign Minister says the establishment of full and genuine peace, stability and security in the West Asia region hinges on the disarmament of Israel and an end to its occupation of Palestine.

Tehran-ISNA- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in an address to the third Iranian-Arab Dialogue Conference, dubbed "For Cooperation and Interaction", in Tehran on Sunday.

He added that the people of Palestine have been deprived of all their rights and Israel's "unequal war" in Gaza over the past seven months once more showed the reality of the Palestinian issue to the world.

The Israeli regime took shape based on violation of Palestinians' rights, occupation, warmongering and extremism and lacks the potential to have peaceful coexistence with regional nations, he noted.

The top Iranian diplomat lashed out at the United States for providing Israel with full and unconditional support for the regime's crimes and genocide against the people of Palestine.

The US has also violated all its false and deceptive claims of advocating peace, democracy and human rights, he emphasized.

Amir-Abdollahian said sustainable peace and stability will not be established in Palestine and the Arab-Islamic region unless the rights of the Palestinian people are realized.

He emphasized that regional nations, particularly Palestinians, have no option but to continue their resistance to achieve their absolute rights.

As a responsible actor and supporter of international peace and security, Iran stresses the importance of holding a referendum as a political solution to the Palestinian issue and establishing a Middle East free of nuclear weapons, the foreign minister added.

He said Iran expresses its full readiness to cooperate with the regional and neighboring countries as well as the member states of the Muslim and Arab world.

The Islamic Republic will spare no effort to realize the Palestinian people's cause, he added.

More than 35,000 Palestinians, mostly children and women, have been killed in the war that Israel began on October 7, 2023 following a retaliatory operation by the Palestinian territory's resistance movements.

The brutal military onslaught enjoys unreserved military and political support on the part of the Israeli regime's Western allies, including the United States and France.

Elsewhere in his address, Amir-Abdollahian reiterated Iran's determination to deepen understanding and convergence among the regional countries, saying the restoration of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia is an indication of such a policy.

Iran and Saudi Arabia enjoy ample capacities and capabilities which can be used to boost cooperation in the region and the Muslim world, he added.

He noted that Iran seriously heeds the promotion of ties with other Persian Gulf littoral states.

Iran has started to enhance its relations with the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait and welcomes Bahrain's move to release detainees on political charges, the foreign minister emphasized.

"We believe that today we have passed the phase of Iranian-Arab dialogue and have entered into regional dialogue...We are now in the stage of regional cooperation," Amir-Abdollahian said.

End Item

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Iran remains committed to intl. treaties; no change in nuclear doctrine: Foreign Ministry spokesman

Iran Press TV

Monday, 13 May 2024 4:24 PM

Iran remains committed to international treaties regarding the prohibition of weapons of mass destruction and has made no change in its nuclear doctrine, Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan'ani says.

Speaking to reporters at his weekly press conference in Tehran on Monday, Kan'ani said Iran's principled stance on weapons of mass destruction is based on a fatwa (religious decree) issued by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei which has banned such arms.

Iran believes that weapons of mass destruction pose a threat to international community, he added.

"In the West Asia region, it is only the Zionist regime (Israel) which has not joined the NPT (the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons)," the Iranian spokesperson emphasized.

Israel is estimated to possess 200 to 400 nuclear warheads in its arsenal, making it the sole possessor of non-conventional arms in West Asia.

In response to a question about a visit by Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi to Iran last week and his talks with senior Iranian officials, Kan'ani expressed hope that the agency will be committed to the principle of impartiality to help both sides continue constructive interaction.

He said Iran and the IAEA have managed to solve issues when the agency pursued a technical approach but bilateral talks were derailed whenever the agency adopted a political position.

The Iranian diplomat described Grossi's visit as a "good opportunity" to discuss topics of common interest and said the two sides agreed to continue negotiations about ways to solve the remaining issues.

In March 2023, Iran and the IAEA issued a joint statement in which both sides recognized that bilateral positive engagements can pave the way for wider agreements among state parties.

They also agreed that bilateral interactions will be carried out in a spirit of collaboration, and in full conformity with the competencies of the IAEA and the rights and obligations of Iran based on the comprehensive safeguards agreement.

'Iran took various legal, political measures to support Palestine'

Kan'ani also reaffirmed Iran's unflinching support for Palestine as one of the world's most important issues, as the nation has been suffering from Israel's war crimes in its latest war for more than 200 days.

In line with its principled stance, Iran carried out various measures, particularly in political, technical and legal fields, to support Palestine, he said.

The spokesman added that Tehran has made necessary arrangements to open a virtual embassy of Palestine in the system of Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after Palestinian resistance groups carried out a surprise retaliatory operation into the occupied territories.

Concomitantly with the war, the regime has been enforcing a near-total siege on the coastal territory, which has reduced the flow of foodstuffs, medicine, electricity, and water into the Palestinian territory into a trickle.

The regime has killed at least 35,091 Gazans since it launched the military onslaught. Another 78,727 Palestinians have sustained injuries as well.

Regional security lays foundation for lasting economic cooperation

Elsewhere in his remarks, Kan'ani said Iran has taken steps to establish joint mechanisms with neighboring and Arab countries in the Persian Gulf region in order to bolster multilateral cooperation.

He added that the issue of security is a common priority which can lays the foundation for lasting cooperation, particularly in the economic sector.

Iran will take new steps to secure common interests, he emphasized.

In an address to the third Iranian-Arab Dialogue Conference in Tehran on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian reiterated Iran's determination to deepen understanding and convergence among the regional countries, saying the restoration of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia is an indication of such a policy.

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Iran's authority result of resistance, advances in endless wars: IRGC chief

Iran Press TV

Monday, 13 May 2024 10:10 AM

The chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says Iran has become so powerful that it "fearlessly" attacks the heart of the global arrogance.

"The fact that the Islamic Republic attacks the heart of the [global] arrogance fearlessly and with the knowledge of all-round enmity and consequences shows the people's power of faith, resistance, will and progress," Major General Hossein Salami said in Semnan Province on Monday.

Referring to Iran's recent Operation True Promise against Israel, Salami said, "By relying on the strength and power of the zealous Iranian nation, the operation was not carried out as a surprise, but by taking responsibility for it and broadcasting its images."

"From the very first moments of the operation, Iranians took to the streets to express their support for the retaliatory attack and the IRGC," he stressed.

On April 14, Iran fired more than 300 drones and missiles at military bases in the Israeli-occupied territories.

The large-scale attack, dubbed Operation True Promise, was a response to a terrorist Israeli raid against Iran's consulate in the Syrian capital Damascus that killed 13 people, including seven IRGC military advisors.

Salami also noted that Iran achieved success whenever it faced obstacles and sanctions.

"The power of the Islamic Republic establishment today is the outcome of resistance and progress in an endless war in multiple forms with different countries of the world," he said.

The Iranian nation turned sanctions into an opportunity for advancement in various fields, the IRGC chief added.

Salami noted that, "The enemy's idea of aasanctioning Iran was to paralyze and make it surrender, however, our nation turned the sanction into an opportunity for progress, and this power's great achievements have been displayed to the world in various fields today."

The IRGC chief asserted that the key to overcoming sanctions and problems is "being with the people."

The United States under former president Donald Trump reinstated crippling sanctions on Iran after unilaterally walking out of the 2015 nuclear deal in May 2018, despite Iran's full compliance with the terms of the agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

In defiance of the illegal sanctions, Iran has made great strides in different areas and has become self-reliant in many sectors.

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Tehran Says No Changes Made to Iran's Nuclear Doctrine

Sputnik News

20240513

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - Iran has not made any changes to its nuclear doctrine, with the country's position on the matter expressed by its leadership more than once, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on Monday.

Last week, the head of the Iranian Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, Seyed Kamal Kharrazi, told Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera that Tehran did not plan to build an atomic bomb. However, if the country's existence is threatened, the Iranian authorities will be forced to change their doctrine, he added.

"Iran's official position on weapons of mass destruction has more than once been voiced by Iran's top leadership, and no changes have been made to Iran's nuclear doctrine," Kanaani was quoted by Iranian state-run IRNA news agency as saying.

In 2015, Iran signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, with the involvement of the European Union. The deal committed Iran to scaling back its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. The US withdrew from the deal in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump but resumed talks with Iran in a bid to revive the deal under incumbent President Joe Biden. The talks have since hit a deadlock.

Tehran maintains that its nuclear program is solely intended for peaceful purposes.

A Sputnik

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Excerpt from PM Netanyahu's Address to the State Ceremony for Victims of Terrorism in Israel and Abroad

Israel - Prime Minister's Office

Events and Speeches

The 37th Government

13.05.2024

Following is an excerpt from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address, today , to the state ceremony for Remembrance Day for the Victims of Terrorism in Israel and Abroad, at Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem:

"A massive wave of hatred came crashing down on the communities of the northern Negev on Saturday, October 7th, a Sabbath and the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah. The savagery of that dark day was unprecedented, even when compared with the cruelty of our enemies, a ruthlessness that we have known since the mid-19th century, when we suffered the first terrorist attack.

We will never forget how they slayed families, slaughtered babies and children, the elderly, men and women. We will never forget the bloodcurdling torture, the rape, the kidnapping, the mutilation of bodies, the devastation, the devouring flames, the crimes against our people, crimes against humanity. We will never forget, and we will not let anyone else forget.

We do not forget the hostages, not for one second. We are working tirelessly to bring them all home, the living and the dead. We have brought about half of them back, and we will return them all.

One specific incident illustrates for me and for others the depths of evil, the depths of depravity that we face. I am talking about the chilling recording of a vile terrorist. He calls his father in Gaza on the telephone of the person he has just murdered, a woman from Kibbutz Mefalsim. He gleefully gloats: 'I killed her and her husband. I killed ten Jews with my own hands.' On the other side, his father and the rest of the family rejoice and praise him over and over.

Indeed, on that dark day, the murderers and their supporters danced on the blood. Yet today they are no longer

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PM Netanyahu's Address to the State Ceremony for Remembrance Day for the Fallen of Israel's Wars

Israel - Prime Minister's Office

Events and Speeches

The 37th Government

13.05.2024

Following is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address, today , to the state ceremony for Remembrance Day for the Fallen of Israel's Wars:

"Distinguished guests, first and foremost my brothers and sisters in the family of bereavementaa family that includes Jews, Druze, Christians, Muslims, Bedouins and Circassians, my family,

'I miss you like a flower thirsts for water' - that is what Ashira Greenberg said at the funeral of her husband, the late Lt. Col. Tomer Greenberg. Tomer was the commander of the Golani Brigade's 13th Battalion. He fell in battle in the Gaza Strip while leading his soldiers. Amitai Zvi, an officer in the Armored Corps, fell in battle on the northern border. His father, Rabbi Tamir Granot, added to Ashira's words, 'The candle has been extinguished, the pain burns, but the light remains, and it will grow.' The pain is everywhere, but so is the light.

During the shivah for Cpt. Rotem Yosef Levy, from the Combat Engineering Corps, who also fell in battle, one of his soldiers said, 'During the fighting, I couldn't get the glow stick to work. I told Rotem, 'Enough! How much longer can we put up with this? Everything here is dark.' Rotem calmly answered, in the middle of fighting, 'Look back. You see Kibbutz Nir Oz? That is our light. That is what we are fighting for.'

Everyone who has fought in defense of the country, everyone who has crossed the border into enemy territory, is familiar with this light: The light of our home that instills in us perseverance. It is the light of 25,000 soldiers who fell in Israel's wars that illuminates our way.

At the beginning of the current war, which began with the horrific massacre, we witnessed countless acts of sacrifice, stories of bravery and expressions of mutual responsibility that will be remembered for generations: by IDF units; by civil emergency teams; by the Israel Police, by the Israeli Security Agency; by the Fire and Rescue Authority; by emergency medical crews; and by regular citizens. All demonstrated incredible courage as they defended our home. Our national home still stands, the country is still standing, and it is standing thanks to them - but at the same time, the pain is excruciating and heartbreaking.

Dear families, our loved ones who fell in battle - and every battle in Israel is a battle for our survival - represent eternal values: love of humankind and our nation, love of country, a willingness to make sacrifices, faith in the justice of our cause.

This is exactly what the war is about: It's us or them - Israel or the monsters of Hamas. It's existence, freedom, security and prosperity; or annihilation, massacre, rape and enslavement. We are determined to win this fight. We are exacting and will continue to exact a heavy price from the enemy for their criminal actions.

We will realize our goals of victory, foremost among them returning all our hostages home, a victory that, God willing, will ensure our existence and our future. But the price we are paying and that generations before us paid is heavy.

A mother who lost her beloved son, a father burying his child, a sibling who lost a limb, children who became orphans in a moment, women whose loving partners will never return. Is there a balm for the pain that cuts into living flesh? The real answer is no, there is none. There is life, but the wound remains open as long as we are alive.

Last week I met with Tami Shelach and IDF widows and orphans, as I do every year. The children spoke of their fallen fathers, and the profound sadness and grief was clear on their faces. It is doubtful that it will ever go away. And when it was his turn to speak, one child burst into bitter tears and left the room. And his brother, who is also very young, followed him out in order to hug him. We all sat in silence, crying along with them.

The void inside us, the longing, the sense that the sun has gone down - that never really goes away. Even after decades of tears that choke your throat. That is on the personal level. But is there a cure for the pain on a national level? The answer to that is: Yes. It lies in the goal for which our heroes fell: ensuring the existence of the State of Israel, ensuring the eternity of Israel.

With all the pain and the grief, we changed the fate of our people when the state was established. Beforehand, for many long generations, we could not defend ourselves against those who sought to destroy us. But today, today we hold the Sword of David in our hands, and we fight back against our enemies. The unity of our people and the embrace of the nation are the source of our strength, alongside appreciating the significance of our fight at this historic moment.

Our War of Independence is still not over. It is still being fought today. I was moved when I watched the video made by the veterans of the 1948 war for the current generation of fighters. Those veterans, some of whom are nearly 100 years old, said to our young heroes that they remind them of themselves, remind them of the eagerness, the total commitment to defending the country in times of trial.

The late Sgt. Ilai Tzair from the Egoz commando unit, who fell in battle, exemplified this commitment with every fiber of his being. Ilai wrote in his journal, which was found after his death, 'I am defending the people of Israel, the State of Israel, with my body despite the hardships and pain. All of that is nothing given the privilege to choose every day to be a fighter in the Israel Defense Forces, the dawn of our deliverance. Ilai's parents, Erez and Yaffa Tzair, had a postcard printed in his memory at the Kibbutz Beeri printshop. Yesterday, they sent one to me and added their own words on it: 'Please keep fighting our enemy and do not listen to anyone trying to stop us from safeguarding our people. We are a strong nation. 'Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant.' On the other side of the postcard, alongside a picture of the late Ilai, were the words, 'Our light cannot be extinguished.'

The pain is everywhere, but so is the light. The torch of our national existence, which shines bright, cannot be extinguished. We hold it together, as our soldiers and commanders in this fateful campaign stand together. Because only together will we be victorious.

I wish all those wounded in the campaign a full recovery. Your rehabilitation is the fight after the battle. When I visit the severely wounded in the hospitals, I am in profound awe of their strong spirits. A fighter who lost both legs from the hip said to me, 'It's important for us to know that we are going to beat them, not to give up. Keep going until the end, until we win.'

This is an accurate and distilled representation of the spirits of our fallen heroes: faith in the justice of our cause, determination in the fight and perseverance until victory. As Sarit Zussman, mother of Ben Zussman who fell in the Gaza Strip, said, 'Our story will have a happy ending. We will win!'

Together, we will remember our fallen.

Together, we will fight.

And with G-d's help, Sarit, together, we will win.

May the memories of the fallen soldiers of Israel's campaigns be treasured for generations."

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Thousands of Rohingyas flee to rebel territory amid clashes in Rakhine

Activists have welcomed the Arakan Army's assistance to Rohingyas.

By RFA Burmese 2024.05.13 -- Around 7,000 Rohingyas in western Myanmar's Rakhine state are sheltering in rebel territory amid escalating tensions between the military and the Arakan Army, according to residents and the AA.

Some 600,000 members of the mostly Muslim ethnic group remain in the state after a military clearance operation sent more than 700,000 fleeing to safety in neighboring Bangladesh in 2017. They face restrictions on movement and the threat of renewed violence, leaving them vulnerable to fighting that erupted in the region in November.

That's when the Arakan Army, or AA, of ethnic Rakhine fighters suspended a ceasefire agreement that had been in place since the military's February 2021 coup d'etat.

On May 8, some 7,000 Rohingyas fled the Buthidaung township's villages of Ka Kyet Bet, Kan Pyin, Myaung Nar, Ah Lel Chaung, Ba Gon Nar and Let Thar, where junta troops are firing artillery and conducting airstrikes, the AA's Humanitarian and Development Coordination Office said in a statement on Monday. It said some of the Rohingyas fled to the pro-junta No. 8 Border Guard Police Battalion in Buthidaung.

Highly produced video footage released by the AA on Sunday appeared to show rebel troops escorting Rohingya civilians - including children, the elderly and the disabled - and providing them with humanitarian assistance.

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.

But a resident of Buthidaung, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, told RFA Burmese that the AA has welcomed the thousands of displaced Rohingya.

"Troops of the United League of Arakan/the Arakan Army have provided the fleeing Rohingya with shelters and other fundamental needs, as well as medicines and medical treatment," the resident said. "The AA is expected to give shelter to the Rohingya, depending on the [conflict] situation."

Residents and members of the AA declined to provide information on where the Rohingyas had sheltered, citing consideration of their safety. Attempts by RFA to reach members of the Rohingya community that fled went unanswered Monday.

Tens of thousands on the run

The group of Rohingyas is the latest to join a greater exodus of civilians trying to outrun violence in Rakhine state.

On May 9, Nay San Lwin, a Rohingya rights activist who is monitoring the situation, told RFA that at least 40,000 Rohingyas had been forced to flee intense clashes between junta troops and the AA in Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships since the start of the week, and are now facing a humanitarian crisis.

He said that the Rohingyas would not be provided aid because they are "not allowed to take shelter at IDP [internally displaced people] camps."

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 fled last week accounted for nearly 15% of the Rohingya population in the two townships.

Widespread gains by the AA have 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 Army's advance.

'A good sign'

On Monday, Nay San Lwin welcomed the AA's assistance to the fleeing Rohingyas.

"The AA has also provided shelter to Rohingya people in other areas," he said. "Both communities are living in the AA-controlled areas. It is a good sign. We have always encouraged them [the AA] to promote peaceful coexistence and rebuilding in areas devastated by the fighting."

RFA was unable to reach Hla Thein, the junta's spokesperson for Rakhine state, by telephone for comment on Monday.

The AA seized the military's No. 15 Operations Command Headquarters and its four battalions in Buthidaung township during the first week of May, and the rebel group is continuing an offensive against the remaining battalions.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs announced on May 1 that more than 160,000 civilians have fled their homes since fighting resumed last year in Rakhine state.

The more than 700,000 Rohingya villagers who fled Myanmar in 2017 joined hundreds of thousands who escaped the country in previous years, bringing the total number languishing in camps for the displaced in Bangladesh to around 1 million, according to the latest U.N. figures.

Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content May not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Myanmar junta forces kill dozens in attack on monasteries

An airstrike the same day killed 7 people and injured 22.

By RFA Burmese 2024.05.13 -- Myanmar junta forces killed 32 civilians hiding in monasteries, witnesses and insurgent groups told Radio Free Asia, in what if confirmed would be one of the deadliest massacres in recent months of fighting.

A column of junta troops entered Let Htoke Taw village in the central region of Sagaing at around 5 a.m. on Saturday. The soldiers, apparently searching for medical facilities for anti-junta insurgents, then cornered and massacred 32 civilians hiding in monasteries, they said.

Nway Oo, an official with the anti-junta Civilian Defense and Security Organization of Myaung, told RFA that civilians were taken out and shot.

"The people were fleeing as the junta forces were shooting, some people were hiding in monasteries," he said. "All the men were asked to sit down and were shot dead."

Thirty-one men and one woman were killed, six people were wounded, a resident said.

The military regime has not released any information about its operations in the area. Telephone calls to junta spokesperson Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun and the Sagaing region spokesperson, Nyunt Win Aung, went unanswered.

Leaders of the National Unity Government (NUG), formed by pro-democracy politicians and allies after the military plunged the country back into bloody turmoil with its 2021 overthrow of an elected government, called the massacre in Myinmu township a war crime.

The NUG said about 70 junta troops from three combined battalions, as well as members of the pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee militia were responsible for the massacre.

The death toll, if confirmed, would make it one of the bloodiest incidents in Myanmar's latest round of war, which has brought unprecedented violence to central, heartland parts of the country occupied by the majority Burman community.

Photographs showed bodies stacked in the back of a truck and lined up on the ground. The victims were aged 15 to 60, the NUG said.

Troops also burned down village houses and abducted more than 20 people, including children and women, the NUG said.

RFA could not confirm the identities of the dead. The village resident said among the victims were three masons from nearby Wan Pyayt village who were doing some work on the monks' dormitories.

"There was no battle, they were shot dead," the resident, who declined to be identified fearing reprisals, told Radio Free Asia.

In a junta attack in nearby Tabayin township, seven people were killed in an airstrike in Ma Gyi Oke village on Saturday, residents and members of the anti-junta People's Defense Force said.

Four of the dead were anti-junta fighters, they said.

Residents told RFA that junta troops were hunting clinics opened by civilian public administration groups where they believed insurgents were getting treatment.

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.

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Myanmar refugees in India fear more arrests, deportations

By Zsombor Peter May 13, 2024

Refugees from Myanmar seeking shelter from their country's grinding civil war in neighboring India tell VOA they fear a wave of arrests and forced returns following the Manipur state government's recent moves to start deporting them.

Earlier this month, on May 2, Manipur Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh announced the deportation of 77 "illegal immigrants from Myanmar" on his social media page, calling it the "first phase."

In comments on social media again last Wednesday, the chief minister said the process of deporting some 5,400 more "illegal immigrants" was "underway."

The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, says nearly 60,000 refugees have fled to India since Myanmar's military toppled the country's democratically elected government and seized power in 2021, setting off a bloody civil war that has claimed thousands of lives.

The refugees are spread across three provinces in India's far east on the border with Myanmar, but authorities in Manipur have taken the most aggressive steps to send them back. Officials there blame the refugees for fueling the state's own spate of deadly communal clashes over the past year.

India does not officially recognize refugees and has not signed the U.N. refugee convention.

Refugees in Manipur say the recent deportations have put them on edge. Some have begun to relocate to avoid the government's anticipated dragnet.

"That is the very thing we are afraid of. That's why ... we moved here to another border village, because we are afraid of the Manipur government," said Seithang Haokip, speaking with VOA by phone from a hiding place a few kilometers from the border.

"All of us are very afraid of both sides, from both sides, of being arrested by the Manipur government and by the Myanmar military regime," he said.

Seithang Haokip said he crossed into India illegally about two years ago from Myanmar's Chin state, where he had joined a nationwide civil disobedience movement and was helping lead local strikes against the regime.

He and others say they fear for their lives if they were to be arrested and returned to Myanmar.

"They [the Myanmar military] already opened many files on me, so military junta already wanted me, so definitely they will arrest me and they will put [me] in jail for long time, or they can maybe kill me," said Myo, another refugee from Myanmar who is in hiding near the border. Myo asked that his full name not be used for his safety.

Myo told VOA that he also crossed into India illegally a few years ago after joining Myanmar's civil disobedience movement. He and his wife and son now share a small hut with two other families. He said they all have been on constant alert since the news of the recent deportations.

"When we hear [sounds] of truck or car or police or army coming around us, we are ready to run away or hide, so this kind of fear every day," said Myo.

"We all feel like that. This is a signal that we are no more safe in India," he said.

Right groups say their fears are well founded.

United Nations investigators have accused Myanmar's junta of widespread war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the rape, torture and murder of both civilians and rebel fighters in detention. They say indiscriminate air and artillery attacks against the resistance have razed whole villages. Some 2.5 million people have been displaced by the fighting inside Myanmar itself, according to the U.N.

In April, the junta also began enforcing a years-old conscription law that requires all men between the ages of 18 and 35 serve at least two years and banned military-age men from leaving the country.

At 31, Salai Dokhar, another refugee, said he could be forced to fight for a military he loathes and ordered to kill his fellow countrymen if sent back to Myanmar. Even in the relative safety of New Delhi, India's sprawling capital, more than 2,000 kilometers from the border, he said he too has a growing fear of being arrested and deported.

"I stay home. Except for emergency issues I never go out. We have to hide ourselves from the authorities to [not] be arrested," Salai Dokhar said.

"Most of the people who entered to India are not safe in the hands of the [Myanmar] military, including me," he added.

With the civil war in Myanmar still raging, Human Rights Watch says Indian authorities should allow the refugees to stay until they feel ready to return on their own.

"Conditions are extremely dangerous for civilians in many parts of Myanmar, where there is an ongoing armed conflict. Many civilians have been forced to flee to seek safety in India," Meenakshi Ganguly, the group's deputy Asia director, told VOA.

"The Indian authorities should protect their rights," she added. "Although India has not signed the refugee convention, it is still obliged to not forcibly return refugees to Myanmar when there are such extreme risks to life and liberty."

In a statement last week, the International Commission of Jurists said India was bound by other conventions it has signed to not force people back to countries where they are likely to be in danger. The commission has also urged Indian authorities to stop the deportations.

Refugees say they believe authorities in Manipur are currently holding well over 100 people from Myanmar in detention centers and fear that any day they may be the next to be deported.

The state government and chief minister of Manipur did not reply to VOA's requests for an interview or for comment.

Refugees and rights groups say the state's deportation drive is political, motivated by a bid for votes by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in a nationwide general election that started in April and runs until June.

Biren Singh, a member of the Hindu nationalist BJP, has blamed the refugees for stoking the communal clashes that have torn through Manipur since May 2023, pitting the majority and predominantly Hindu Meitei against the minority Kuki, who are mostly Christian. The Kuki are also kin to the ethnic Chin of western Myanmar, who make up many of the refugees in Manipur.

"Unfortunately, the refugees from Myanmar are being used by the ruling Biren Singh government in Manipur, and his BJP party, to stoke communal divisions. For petty political gains, the Biren Singh administration has created rifts between communities that will take a long time to heal, with hundreds killed and tens of thousands displaced," said Ganguly.

"They detain the Myanmar refugees to play their political games in general election," echoed Salai Dokhar, an ethnic Chin himself. "We are in a political game, for sure."

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Russia ready to 'play long game' in Ukraine as Putin proposes economist as new defense chief

Global Times

Russia ready to 'play long game in Ukraine, balance economy and military'

By Yang Sheng and Bai Yunyi Published: May 13, 2024 08:05 PM Updated: May 13, 2024 11:20 PM

Russia is ready to "play the long game" in Ukraine and balance the sustainable demand of its military operation with economic development, said experts on Monday, as a senior official who specialized in the economy was proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin to become the new defense minister.

According to TASS on Sunday, Putin has proposed appointing Andrei Belousov, who previously served as the first deputy prime minister, as Russia's new defense minister. Russia's current defense chief Sergey Shoigu will replace Nikolay Patrushev as the Security Council Secretary.

Other heads of security ministries and services, as well as Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, will retain their posts in the government. The president has also proposed appointing Boris Kovalchuk as the Chairman of the Accounts Chamber, a post that has been vacant for one and a half years.

Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the decision to appoint Belousov as the defense minister is linked to the need to "make the economy of the security bloc part of the country's economy." The current budget of the defense ministry is nearing the level of the 1980s, "which is not critical but... extremely important."

Belousov's appointment "will in no way change the current coordination system" in terms of defense issues, Peskov noted.

"On the battlefield today, the winner is the one that is more open to innovation, and therefore, at this stage, the president has made a decision for a civilian to head the Defense Ministry," Peskov said in response to a question about the new appointment.

"Belousov has no military background and appointing him as the new defense chief is aimed at using his economic expertise and experience to guarantee that the costly military demands are met, and to ensure that economic development will not be affected by the military operation in Ukraine at the same time," Cui Heng, a scholar from the Shanghai-based China National Institute for SCO International Exchange and Judicial Cooperation, told the Global Times on Monday.

Belousov, a Russian economist and government official, was born in Moscow on March 17, 1959. He graduated in 1981 with honors from Moscow State University where he studied economics.

He had been in various positions relating to economic matters before in 2020 when Belousov was appointed Russia's first deputy prime minister, and has held this position ever since.

In his capacity as deputy prime minister, Belousov handled the development of the primary vectors of Russia's social-economic development, coordination of efforts to fulfill Russia's national development goals and the completion of national projects, matters of unitary financial, credit and monetary policy, and the regulation of financial markets.

From 2022, Belousov also supervised the development of high-tech transportation technologies and intelligent control systems.

The decision to appoint Belousov proves that Russia is getting ready to "play the long game" in Ukraine, Cui said. Russia needs to use limited economic resources to pay for the military operation, which nobody knows at what point will end, and it seems like the Kremlin believes that the conflict is unlikely to end this year, he noted.

Yang Jin, an associate research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, echoed the view. Yang said that at this stage, Russia has realized that it cannot rely on purely military measures to solve the problem with Ukraine, but also needs to ensure sustainable development and a stable domestic society.

Some observers said Belousov is also one of the senior Russian officials who helped Russia successfully overcome the difficulties resulting from Western sanctions and realize economic growth for the country since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and this is also part of the reason why he has been selected for the key position of defense chief.

"In the future, Russia will try to combine its military targets with the demands of economic development, to make economic growth support the military operation and to make the military operation give momentum to development and drive sci-tech development," Wang Xiaoquan, an expert with the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday.

"This could probably become a special wartime economy for Russia under a hybrid warfare situation," Wang noted.

Chinese analysts do not believe that the change of defense chief will affect the military operation in Ukraine, as the whole military command structure of Russian forces has not been impacted, and Shoigu will continue playing a key role in the field of national security and remain close to Russia's top leadership. The new appointment also implied that Moscow seems not in a rush to end the conflict, whether Washington or Kiev want to continue to fight or not, experts noted.

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Kremlin explains decision to change defense minister

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Mon / 13 May 2024 / 12:43

President Vladimir Putin has proposed that Sergey Shoigu be replaced as Russian defense minister by acting First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov, the Federation Council said on Sunday evening.

Tehran -ISNA- Shoigu has been appointed secretary of the Russian Security Council.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has voiced support for the Russian president's pick for a new defense minister, amid a cabinet reshuffle.

The Federation Council announced on Sunday evening that Sergey Shoigu would be removed as defense minister, a post he had held since 2012, and that Vladimir Putin had proposed replacing him with acting First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov.

Speaking to reporters, Peskov said Belousov would be the best person to deal with the financial issues now facing the military.

Belousov, a trained economist, has worked for the government in various capacities, but until now dealt with civilian matters only. He, also, served as economic development minister in 2012-2013 and as the president's economic aide from 2013 to 2020, before taking the position of first deputy prime minister, which he held until May 7.

End Item

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Putin replaces defense minister Shoigu in major shakeup

Iran Press TV

Monday, 13 May 2024 10:35 AM

Russian President Vladimir Putin has nominated an economist to replace longtime defense minister Sergei Shoigu as the country is trying to better utilize defense spending and harness greater innovation to win the war in Ukraine.

On Sunday, Putin proposed Andrei Belousov, a 65-year-old former deputy prime minister who specializes in economics, to become the country's defense minister in place of Shoigu, as the Russia leader began his fifth term as president.

In line with Russia's law, the entire Russian Cabinet resigned on Tuesday following Putin's inauguration in the Kremlin. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin was reappointed by the president on Friday.

Belousov's candidacy will need to be approved by the Federation Council, the upper house of parliament.

Shoigu's replacement comes following the arrest of deputy defense minister Timur Ivanov, who was seen as a close Shoigu ally, on bribery charges.

Putin also dismissed Security Council chief Nikolai Patrushev, a key member of his inner circle, "in connection with his transfer to another job."

Noting that the military and law enforcement authorities accounted for 7.4% of gross domestic product (GDP), Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the decision made sense because it was vital to ensure such expenditures aligned with and better integrated into the country's overall economy.

"The one who is more open to innovations is the one who will be victorious on the battlefield," Peskov added.

The cabinet shakeup included proposals for other positions as well, but Shoigu is the only minister on that list who is being replaced.

According to the Kremlin, Putin appointed Shoigu as secretary of Russia's national security council.

Russia's economists have so far largely ensured economic stability and growth despite the toughest sanctions ever imposed on a major economy.

Russia launched the military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Western countries have responded to the Russian military operation by backing Ukraine with cash and heavy weaponry while imposing unprecedented sanctions on Russian officials and entities.

Moscow has repeatedly warned that such a flow of weapons to Kiev will only prolong the conflict.

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With Shake-Up, Putin Seeks The Upper Hand In Russia's Long, Costly War On Ukraine

By Robert Coalson May 13, 2024

Russian President Vladimir Putin has launched his fifth term with a rare shake-up of the government that analysts say is driven by the need to manage a long and increasingly costly war of aggression against Ukraine and the fallout from Moscow's mounting confrontation with the West.

Putin on May 12 removed Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu - long seen as one of Putin's closest confidants and mentioned periodically as a possible presidential successor -- and replaced him with acting First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov, a 65-year-old economist who formerly served as economic development minster and who aligns closely with Putin's statist, centralizing impulses.

By moving the man who has been overseeing the entire economic bloc of ministers in the cabinet into the Defense Ministry, Putin is signaling the primacy of the war against Ukraine and his growing efforts to challenge the West among the tasks now facing the government.

It's a message that Putin has delivered in numerous speeches since he launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and in recent months in particular.

"The proposal to name one of the key Kremlin-insider economists and the main statist in the economic bloc to the Defense Ministry could mean that Putin intends to win the war in the factories of the military-industrial complex and on international markets. This is logical, since the economic bloc has, overall, been more effective during the war than the security bloc," Aleksandr Baunov, an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, wrote on Telegram.

"The strategy for victory will not be through mobilizations and military breakthroughs, but by applying slow pressure on Ukraine through the superior power of Russia's military-industrial complex and the economy as a whole, which will apparently be pushed to work more effectively both on the front and in the rear," he added.

Kirill Martynov, editor in chief of Novaya Gazeta Europe, said Belousov's appointment meant that Putin intends to put the economy on a military footing -- even more than it already is.

"The main idea that Belousov represents is economic mobilization in the service of Putin's aims," Martynov told Current Time, the Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA.

'100 Percent' Putin's Man

Far-right nationalist-imperialist ideologue Aleksandr Dugin praised Putin for the move, calling it "a decisive step toward a government of victory" in a post on Telegram. Many nationalists who avidly support the war against Ukraine have harshly criticized Shoigu for the way it has been conducted.

Belousov has been a fixture among Russia's top economic managers for years, including a stint as Putin's main economic adviser in 2013-20. Through the 2000s, he was seen as something of a foil to relatively liberal Finance Minister Aleksei Kudrin, opposing many of Kudrin's privatization initiatives and leading the effort to divert much of the profits from oil and gas exports back into state coffers.

A government source told the media outlet The Bell in 2018 that Belousov was the only economist in the Russian government who supported the 2014 takeover of Ukraine's Crimea region. The source described Belousov as a "committed statist" who believes Russia is surrounded by "a ring of enemies."

In recent years, he has overseen the national project on "unmanned aircraft systems," which has spearheaded boosting Russia's production of military drones.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on May 12 explained Belousov's appointment as defense minister by saying his main task would be "to integrate the economics of the security bloc into the economy of the country." Peskov noted that Russia's budget was becoming similar to that of the Soviet Union in the 1980s, when spending on the military and security agencies was 7.4 percent of GDP.

Aleksandra Prokopenko, a former Russian central bank analyst and now a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that Belousov is "well-versed in military-industrial complex matters" and "holds Orthodox Christian beliefs." She added that he was "100 percent" Putin's man.

"Putin is aware that this war is not likely going anywhere anytime soon," Mark Galeotti, a Russian political and security analyst, told RFE/RL. "As he digs in for the long term -- and we see this in his rhetoric, but also we're now seeing it within the government apparatus -- from his point of view, this is a war that is going to be won to a large extent on industrial production. And this is why Belousov comes in."

Belousov's job will be "to put the Russian economy on a war footing and to transform Russia into a country in which the military economy drives everything else," political analyst Ivan Preobrazhensky told RFE/RL's Russian Service.

'Monstrously Unpopular'

Belousov's appointment came as a surprise, but analysts have speculated that the position of Shoigu, 66, had been growing weaker ever since the Russian military failed in its attempt to secure a quick victory over Ukraine in the weeks following the February 2022 full-scale invasion.

He and General Valery Gerasimov, the 68-year-old chief of the General Staff, were the primary targets of discontent during a short-lived but dangerous mutiny by Wagner mercenary fighters headed by Yevgeny Prigozhin in June 2023. Shoigu suffered a further blow last month when a deputy, Timur Ivanov, was arrested on suspicion of corruption.

Putin named Shoigu to head the Security Council, replacing fellow Putin insider Nikolai Patrushev, whose new appointment has not been disclosed.

Shoigu is "monstrously unpopular with the troops" in Ukraine, Galeotti said.

"But, on the other hand, Shoigu is a friend, a personal friend of Putin, and Putin is strangely loyal to his own," he added.

Shoigu's reassignment and the appointment of a civilian economist as defense minister could mean that professional military officers will take increased control over the military side of the war on Ukraine. The moves could presage the removal of Gerasimov as well, Galeotti said.

"Gerasimov has proven to be a massively underperforming and unpopular chief of the General Staff," he said. "He's even more despised amongst his own men than Shoigu was.... I wouldn't be surprised if we see a new chief of the General Staff."

Many of the most militaristic and aggressive pro-war bloggers were elated by the developments, which they saw as a blow against corruption within the Defense Ministry and a promise of improved military effectiveness both in Ukraine and beyond.

"Finally there is a chance to wipe out the last reserve of the era of [former President Boris] Yeltsin and manage to create a military central plan on the eve of the big war with Western Europe," blogger Dmitry Konanykhin wrote on Telegram.

Written by Robert Coalson with reporting by RFE/RL's Russian Service and Current Time

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-putin-shoigu- belousov-war/32944723.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Interview by Special Presidential Envoy of the Russian Federation for the Middle East and African Countries, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia M.L.Bogdanov to the online publication of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences "New Eastern Outlook", May 13, 2024

13 May 2024 15:46

871-13-05-2024

Question: In connection with the intensification of our country's foreign policy course towards Africa, how quickly will we be able to achieve the set pace, and what will it depend on?

Answer: In fact, the pace has already picked up and, in my opinion, it is quite impressive: in the last five years, two full-scale summits and as many parliamentary conferences have been held in the Russian-African space, the Action Plan of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum for 2023-2026 has been adopted, the first Russian-African conference of foreign ministers is being prepared, a number of bilateral and multilateral documents on high-level cooperation have been signed, trade turnover is growing, and the number of African students studying in our country is increasing.

The extent to which we will be able to maintain - and preferably increase - this momentum will depend on many factors, but above all on the political will of the parties, the creativity and tenacity of the business community, and the enthusiasm of the public. And - last but not least - on external factors, which are not always favourable: it is enough to recall the coronavirus pandemic, which recently seriously slowed down the dynamic development of Russian-African relations. Nevertheless, we at the Russian Foreign Ministry are optimistic, and we see the same spirit in our partners.

Question: In your opinion, what are the main results of last year's Russia-Africa Summit for the participating countries in the political, economic and humanitarian spheres?

Answer: The Second Russia-Africa Summit, held in St. Petersburg on 27-29 July last year, demonstrated the participants' firm commitment to further strengthening cooperation, making it strategic and focusing on effective solutions to the priority tasks of our partnership. We confirmed the fundamental convergence of our approaches to building a fairer world order based on equality and the principles of international law.

At the same time, Russia's priority is to support the strengthening of the sovereignty of African states and to ensure the national security of the continent's states. Progress in these areas, taking into account the cultural and historical peculiarities of African countries, as opposed to the Western policy of neo-colonialism, became a transversal idea of the St. Petersburg Summit, a doctrinal consolidation of our common attitude towards the continent as an emerging centre of a multipolar world.

Within the framework of the Summit and in accordance with its results, agreements were reached on the whole spectrum of Russian-African cooperation and the main vectors of future joint work in the political, trade, economic, investment and humanitarian spheres were defined. They were summarised in the aforementioned Action Plan of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum for 2023-2026, and the conference of foreign ministers scheduled for this autumn will assess the progress made, make any necessary adjustments and clarify the way forward.

Question: Who are our main competitors in Africa? And what can we offer to the continent that others cannot?

Answer: World interest in Africa is strong and growing, as a "continent of the future" with truly inexhaustible natural and human resources and an increasingly large and, in many respects, highly profitable market. Competition among external actors for a place under the African sun is therefore fierce, and increasingly involves representatives of the "global East and South", in addition to the traditional contenders represented by the states of the "collective West": China, India, Turkey, the countries of the Persian Gulf, South-East Asia and Latin America. As you can see, the list is long and growing.

Russia is not afraid of fair competition and is ready for it, offering Africa first and foremost the role of a serious guarantor of stability and security, as well as its traditional and newly developed competences, some of which are unique. Judging by the reaction of our African partners, there is a growing demand for our country's help in the Sahara-Sahel region and throughout the continent.

What we categorically reject is the West's attempts to tell Africans with whom they can and cannot do business. Fortunately, Africans themselves are increasingly rejecting such neo-colonial attempts.

In developing our cooperation with African countries, we start from the principle that the African continent is not an arena of confrontation between major international players, but a new, growing, diverse, distinctive and global pole of power. Russia is ready to actively help strengthen the existing potential of African countries without imposing political conditions or offering unsolicited advice - this is our competitive advantage.

Question: For more than two years now, the whole world has been living in a new geopolitical reality that has changed dramatically since the beginning of the special military operation. How has this affected the work of Russian companies in Africa, many of which have been sanctioned?

Answer: Today's realities require a change in our relations. The unprecedented political and economic anti-Russian sanctions imposed by the "collective West" require a significant reconfiguration of many parameters and mechanisms of cooperation with African countries. Work is underway at all levels to create new instruments. First and foremost, this concerns trade and economic relations. We are talking about the establishment of transport chains, systems for foreign trade payments and ensuring food, energy, sanitary and epidemiological security in Africa.

Even in these difficult conditions, work is continuing vigorously in specific areas, including the construction and modernisation of infrastructure and industrial facilities, the exploration, extraction and transport of minerals, the promotion of Russian developments in medicine and digital services, and the expansion of the supply of Russian products. Not only are our exports growing, but so are imports from African countries. The federal executive authorities, in cooperation with our embassies, are actively supporting Russian business in its work on the African track, including the search for promising areas for effective access to the continent's markets.

At the same time, major Russian economic players have been operating successfully in Africa for a long time, and the current world situation only favours further growth of their interest in this continent. We also see a reciprocal interest on the part of African partners, especially in direct investment from Russia based on domestic technologies applicable to African conditions.

Question: How ready is Russia today to cooperate with African countries in new promising areas such as digital technologies, peaceful nuclear and space exploration, and how much does Africa need it?

Answer: Moscow consistently favours the development of the full range of economic relations with Africa, both with individual states and regional groupings and, in the near future, with the emerging African Continental Free Trade Area. At the same time, there are no sectoral or thematic restrictions on the Russian side's cooperation with these countries - on the contrary, Russia is focused on strengthening the technological sovereignty of African countries along the entire chain of competencies - expertise, adaptation and transfer of technologies, establishment of enterprises and training of specialists.

Recently, the focus of our economic cooperation has gradually shifted to high technologies. Examples include the creation of a national satellite communications and broadcasting system in Angola and the construction of a space tracking station in South Africa. We are discussing cooperation projects with a number of African states in the peaceful use of nuclear energy and in space exploration and the application of its results. We see great interest on the part of Africans in these areas and we are endeavouring to meet it as far as possible.

The same applies to information and communication technologies. Russian ICT companies offer package solutions in the areas of digitisation, development of telecommunications networks, creation and implementation of mobile operating systems, radio control and cyber security. At the same time, some of our partners' developments are of interest to us, as demonstrated by the week-long Russian-African seminar held at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow at the end of last year.

Question: After the collapse of the Soviet Union, a number of our embassies on the African continent were closed. We are now actively working to reopen them. In which countries have diplomatic missions already been opened or are they planned to be opened in the near future?

Answer: Following the results of the Second Russia-Africa Summit, the leadership of our country set itself the task of expanding Russia's diplomatic presence on the African continent - not only in those countries where it was reduced in the 1990s. Just before the New Year, our embassy was opened in Burkina Faso, and another Russian diplomatic mission will soon be opened in Equatorial Guinea. Several more "points" are in the pipeline - we will let you know exactly where they will open as soon as we are ready.

Question: This year marks the 50th anniversary of your diplomatic career. What has changed in the work of a diplomat over these years?

Answer: Half a century is a long time in human terms, and in some ways almost everything has changed. Suffice it to say that when I joined the Foreign Office, a diplomat's main "working tools" were a ballpoint or ink pen (or a typewriter for the more skilful) and a landline telephone. Nowadays, people in our profession cannot imagine life without a computer, a mobile phone with a wide range of functions and an Internet connection that is as stable and fast as possible.

The relationship between the various components of a diplomat's work has also changed. Our profession has become much more open and public, which of course has its advantages and disadvantages. The importance of universalism has grown: not in the sense that a diplomat should know and be able to do a little bit of everything, but in the sense of deeper and more thorough economic, legal and media qualifications. What has not diminished is the ability to establish and maintain personal contacts, as well as knowledge of foreign languages and their use in work. What has remained constant is a high level of professionalism within the framework of functional and country specialisation, a broad and in-depth knowledge of international issues, general erudition, and an interest in the history and culture of the countries and regions in which the diplomat is based or active.

Question: To end our conversation, our traditional question. What is Africa like? What attracts and fascinates you? What is it like for you?

Answer: Africa is huge, literally immense, very diverse and at the same time has common features for different regions and peoples. Many things attract and fascinate me: the power and beauty of nature, the richness of flora and fauna, the abundance of monuments of ancient civilisations, but above all - the inexhaustible vitality of the people who inhabit the continent, their worldly wisdom, common sense and ability to overcome difficulties and hardships, to find joy and pleasure in the ordinary. In fact, this is what attracted me to the continent and has never let me go. I am always ready to fly to Africa, to receive guests from Africa and to meet Africans.

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Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's answer to a question during his remarks at the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Moscow, May 13, 2024

13 May 2024 13:05

867-13-05-2024

Question: Is the conference on Ukrainian issue convened by the West in Switzerland this June a potential threat to Russia's foreign policy interests? What are our plans of opposing and counteracting the destructive plots of the Kiev regime and its foreign supervisors?

Sergey Lavrov: The conference has long been discussed by all those, who is trying to defeat Russia on the battlefield, without rejecting diplomatic methods, as they say. However, their diplomatic methods (the conference in Switzerland is not an exception but just a continuation of the process in Copenhagen format) boil down to formulating an ultimatum to Russia.

In January I was in New York to attend UN Security Council meetings on Palestine and Ukraine issue. Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland Ignazio Cassis asked for a one-on-one meeting. He said that they planned such a conference. He said that we don't need to worry about not being invited there because they have to talk among themselves first, and then with us. That's no way to talk to anybody, especially Russia. I frankly explained it all to him.

The other day Mr Cassis said again that it was senseless to discuss anything without Russia. Why to convene it then? Vladimir Zelensky bluntly said the same what the Swiss told me in private: that they have to form a coalition and finally consolidate the "formula" first and then present it to Russia. It's not about negotiation. Even if they invited us right away, we would still be invited to discuss the Zelensky formula.

There were a lot of initiatives: offered by the China, South Africa, Brazil and the League of the Arab States (who came to us soon after the beginning of the special military operation). The Chinese one was most comprehensive, aimed at first considering the root causes and working on their removal. The other had an emphasis on humanitarian aspects (exchange of POWs, bodies, access for humanitarian organisations). Yet High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said that they were getting ready for a conference in Geneva on the Zelensky formula and all other initiative vanished. He decided for everyone else again.

If the West wants to fight on the battlefield (as they say) - they are welcome. The Finnish President said again of late that the Swiss conference is important, but they need to defeat Russia in the war, to weaken it so it's no longer a threat. You know the scare stories that they have invented and are constantly replicating.

Our readiness for talks is reaffirmed at the top level personally by President of Russia Vladimir Putin each time he deals with the Ukraine issue. The President explains the basis, on which we will be prepared to do it: everybody's recognition of the established realities, including amendments to the Russian Constitution. Not only in word, but in deed. Everybody knows and remembers that in Istanbul we were just a step away from signing an initialed document thereby completing the special military operation. As Kiev regime sponsors say now, on conditions very favourable for Ukraine. Our political scientists are of the same opinion. I agree with this.

That case was the last time when the Russian leadership, despite many previous deceits by the West, made up its mind to believe and display its good will. Deceived again and made us fight.

Whatever is the agenda, Switzerland is not fit enough as a venue for peace talks. Formerly it was a neutral country. Its territory as that of the other neutral countries (Austria, Finland, Sweden) hosted various conferences, because its platform was comfortable for everybody. Currently, Bern has unequivocally sided with Ukraine. And it is not just supports all Western sanctions, but in some issues even acts as the leader. I note in parentheses that Switzerland began to drift from neutrality much earlier than today's Ukrainian situation. The Americans "twisted their arms" many years ago and the Swiss substantially opened (and now practically fully opened) all aspects of the bank secret, although once it was a symbol of neutrality.

Our cause is right. If they want it on the battlefield then it will be so. Look how they are lamenting over a steady and extensive advance of our Armed Forces.

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How Andrei Belousov May Create Problems for Russia's Adversaries as Defense Minister

Sputnik News

20240513

While Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposal to replace Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu with veteran economist Andrei Belousov may come as a surprise to some, there seems to be a good motive behind his move.

Andrei Belousov's appointment as Russia's newest minister of defense may help take Russia's military-industrial complex and the entire weapon procurement system to a whole new level, argues Russian political analyst Sergei Poletaev.

According to him, a de facto grassroots "technological revolution" has happened in Russia over the past two years when groups of enthusiasts supplied the armed forces with repurposed civilian drones worth no more than $300 apiece that could be used to take out enemy military hardware worth millions of dollars.

Being a talented economist, Belousov can combine the pros of the two approaches in weapon procurement - the "planned, government" method and the "spontaneous grassroots" method - and weed out their cons, Poletayev suggests.

Many Russian soldiers in the field come up with technological and tactical solutions that could become a boon for the Russian Armed Forces, but there is no streamlined way for them to share their ideas with the higher-ups, he notes.

"If Belousov can create a system, a platform to convert this experience into orders that could then be sent to weapon manufacturers who would thus be allowed to better understand what is required and to better react to this input, and then to mass produce the most successful solutions - that would generate a tremendous impulse," Poletaev muses.

He also points out that Russia's military spending has been steadily growing in recent months, and while the situation is far from critical, it would be prudent for Moscow to ensure that this money does not go to waste.

Last weekend, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed the candidacy of Andrei Belousov for the position of Russia's defense minister.

Belousov is a veteran Russian economist who started off as a researcher at the Soviet Academy of Sciences' Central Economic Mathematical Institute and later with the Institute of Economic Forecasting of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

After being appointed deputy minister of economic development and trade in 2006, Belousov served in several prominent positions in the Russian government before becoming first deputy prime minister in 2020 - an office he held until now.

A Sputnik

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Shoigu Will Monitor Work of Russia's Service for Military-Technical Cooperation

Sputnik News

20240513

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Secretary of the Russian Security Council Sergei Shoigu will oversee the work of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, but will not become the head of the service, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

"Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Sergei Shoigu will oversee the work of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation. He will not be the direct head of this service," Peskov told reporters.

The current head of the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation is Dmitry Shugaev, the spokesman added.

On Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed to appoint Shoigu as the Secretary of the Russian Security Council. Later, Peskov added that Shoigu will continue to be in charge of the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation and serve as the president's deputy at the country's Military Industrial Commission.

A Sputnik

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Russian Military-Industrial Complex World's Most Powerful - Acting Deputy Prime Minister

Sputnik News

20240513

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian military-industrial complex is the most powerful in the world when it comes to production of major types of arms and military equipment, acting Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said on Monday.

The current geopolitical situation dictates the need to permanently improve the technical characteristics of weapons and military equipment, and increase the production of arms, the official added.

"Today the Russian military and industrial complex is the world's most powerful in terms of the output of major types of weapons and military equipment," Manturov said during his address to lawmakers.

Western countries, including the US, have been providing massive military and financial aid to Kiev since the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. The Kremlin has consistently warned against continued arms deliveries to Kiev, saying it would lead to further escalation of the conflict. In April 2022, Russia sent a diplomatic note to all NATO countries on the issue of arms supplies to Ukraine. Acting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russia.

A Sputnik

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Taiwan to monitor European elections for any cross-strait policy shifts

ROC Central News Agency

05/13/2024 05:49 PM

Taipei, May 13 (CNA) Taiwan's intelligence agency and foreign ministry announced on Monday that they will closely monitor several upcoming elections on the European continent, including the European Union (EU) elections in June, to see if cross-strait policies will be affected.

In his report to the Legislative Yuan following the conclusion of Chinese President Xi Jinping's () five-day visit to Europe, Hsu Hsi-hsiang (), deputy director-general of the National Security Bureau (NSB), said the trip's purpose had been to "divide EU members and divide the EU and United States."

Xi concluded his high-profile five-day European tour -- his first trip to the continent in five years -- on Friday, after signing dozens of agreements with France, Hungary and Serbia. The latter is not an EU member state.

According to Hsu's Monday report, although Xi and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed to call for a "truce" in Ukraine and other conflicts during the Paris Olympics, further consensus on Russia's war in Ukraine was not reached.

Hsu noted that the Chinese leader also visited Serbia and Hungary, two close economic and security partners of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Europe and members of its Belt and Road Initiative.

In Hungary, Xi called on the country to make the most of its turn serving as rotating EU president from July to promote the "steady and sound development of China-EU relations," Hsu said in his report.

Hsu said this shows Beijing regards Serbia and Hungary as "breach points" of Europe. It could try to tout success stories of their cooperation with China to steer the continent towards being more China-friendly.

The NSB deputy said although Taiwan-EU relations will not change following the visit, Taiwan still needs to pay close attention to how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is backing pro-China forces in Russia, and Central and Eastern Europe, and how it is trying to divide the continent.

As well as in the 2024 EU elections set to be held in early June, the CCP is likely to try and exert influence in a range of parliamentary elections this year, including in Lithuania and Belgium, to try and suppress pro-Taiwan candidates and squeeze the currently overall Taiwan-friendly atmosphere, the NSB warned.

Meanwhile, while fielding questions during the same Legislative session, Eric Huang (), head of the Department of European Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), said Hungary's upcoming rotating presidency is not expected to have a significant impact on EU policy regarding cross-strait issues.

It will be the results of the European Parliament elections in June, and of the parliamentary elections in several European countries this year that will have a more significant impact on the bloc's stance on Taiwan and China, Huang said.

(By Joseph Yeh)

Enditem/kb

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PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan May 13, 2024

ROC Ministry of National Defense

2024/05/13

PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

Date

6 to 6 a.m. (UTC+8) Sunday to Monday, May 12-13

PLA activities

2 PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 2 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and coastal missile systems in response to the detected activities.



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China's Taiwan has no right to participate in the WHA without approval from the central government: FM spokesperson

Global Times

By Global Times Published: May 14, 2024 01:31 AM

China's Taiwan, unless given approval by the central government, has no basis, reason or right to participate in the World Health Assembly (WHA), and the related matters must be handled in accordance with the one-China principle, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

China's position on the Taiwan region's participation in the activities of international organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), is consistent and clear, said spokesperson Wang Wenbin: It must be handled under the one-China principle, which is also a fundamental principle demonstrated by the UNGA Resolution 2758 and WHA Resolution 25.1.

There is but one China in the world. The government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, Wang added.

Wang also said it is politically driven and completely false for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities and some countries to claim that Taiwan's absence from the WHA will cause a "gap" in global anti-epidemic efforts.

Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said on Monday that from 2009 to 2016, Taiwan participated in the WHA as an observer in the name of "Chinese Taipei," which is a special arrangement made through cross-Straits consultation on the basis of the 1992 Consensus.

The DPP authorities stubbornly insist in their "Taiwan independence" separatist stance, refusing to acknowledge the 1992 Consensus which embodies the one-China principle, so the political basis for Taiwan's participation in the WHA no longer exists. This situation is entirely caused by the DPP authorities, according to the spokesperson.

Chen added that China has always been concerned about the health and well-being of compatriots in Taiwan and has made appropriate arrangements for Taiwan's participation in global health systems.

A total of 21 batches of 24 medical experts from Taiwan have participated in WHO technical activities over the past year, Chen said. Under the framework of the International Health Regulations, any information on public health emergencies from the WHO is also available to Taiwan.

Chen said that the DPP authorities have recently taken advantage of the international community's interest in global public health issues to repeatedly manipulate the issue of Taiwan's participation in the WHA, with the real purpose of highlighting its so-called "sovereignty status," and with the intention of using health issues to seek independence and challenge the international community's adherence to the basic pattern of the one-China principle.

The deceptive and provocative behavior of the DPP authorities has long been observed by compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits and by the international community, and will surely end up in failure, Chen said.

Chen also said on May 3 that the Taiwan question is part of China's internal affairs, and there should be no foreign interference, following a comment from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that encouraged the WHO "to reinstate an invitation to Taiwan to participate as an observer at this year's WHA."

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PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan May 14, 2024

ROC Ministry of National Defense

2024/05/14

PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

1. Dateis

6 to 6 a.m. (UTC+8) Monday to Tuesday, May 13-14

2.PLA activitiesis

10 PLA aircraft and 4 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. The 10 aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's southwestern ADIZ. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and coastal missile systems in response to the detected activities.







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"Our unity of understanding with Greece on the fight against terror is growing stronger"

Presidency of The Republic of Turkey

13.05.2024

Speaking at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Mitsotakis of Greece, President ErdoAYan said: "Our unity of understanding with Greece on the fight against terror is growing stronger. We are of the same opinion that there is no room for terrorist organizations in the future of our region."

President Recep Tayyip ErdoAYan and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece held a joint press conference following their tAte-A -tAte and the meeting between the delegations at the Presidential Complex.

Describing his bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Mitsotakis of Greece as sincere and constructive, President ErdoAYan said: "We work with a goal of increasing our bilateral trade volume, which approximated six billion dollars last year, to 10 billion dollars. The agreement signed between the Foreign Economic Relations Board and the Union Of Hellenic Chambers Of Commerce will contribute a lot to our efforts."

"FIGHT AGAINST TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS IS AT THE TOP OF OUR AGENDA"

Stating that the fight against such terrorist organizations as FETO, PKK and DHKP/C is at the top of their agenda, President ErdoAYan continued as follows: "Our unity of understanding with Greece on the fight against terror is growing stronger. We are of the same opinion that there is no room for terrorist organizations in the future of our region. Today, I have shared once again with Mr. Prime Minister our expectations from Greece, our neighbor and NATO ally. We see the issue of minorities as a bridge of friendship between our countries. We expect the positive atmosphere in our relations to contribute to the fulfillment of the rights of the Turkish minority and our kinsmen in Greece. It is important to produce a just and lasting resolution to the Cyprus issue on the basis of the realities of the Island. Taking such a step would strengthen the stability and peace of our entire region."

"WE WILL DETERMINEDLY MAINTAIN OUR DIPLOMATIC TALKS AIMED AT PUSHING ISRAEL FOR A CEASEFIRE"

Noting that they have exchanged views on regional developments, particularly the ongoing genocide in Gaza, as well during their talks, President ErdoAYan went on to say: "The Israeli administration not only turns a deaf ear to calls for a ceasefire but also do not hesitate to challenge its supporters. Despite the calls by all the conscientious circles, it continues to mercilessly target Rafah, which is the last haven of innocent civilians. The international community, western countries in particular, should raise a louder voice in the face of the massacre of over 35 thousand Palestinians, 15 thousand of them children."

President ErdoAYan said: "The resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on the full membership of Palestine has shown that establishing an independent, sovereign and geographically-integrated Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East al-Quds as its capital, is the key to a permanent resolution. We are glad that Greece has been one of the 143 member countries that have supported the resolution. I thank Mr. Prime Minister on behalf of our Palestinian brothers and sisters. We as TArkiye will determinedly maintain our diplomatic talks aimed at pushing Israel for a ceasefire and increasing the recognition of the Palestinian state. And we expect that our neighbor Greece will, too, contribute to the international efforts carried out to end the massacres in Gaza."

"IF WE CALL HAMAS A 'TERRORIST ORGANIZATION', THAT WOULD BE A RELENTLESS APPROACH"

Stressing that there is an important issue that he and Mr. Mitsotakis cannot agree on, President ErdoAYan stated: "I don't see Hamas as a terrorist organization. On the contrary, Hamas is an organization of resistance, whose territories have been occupied since 1947 and which has been defending its territories after the occupation. This organization of resistance has been defending those places despite nearly 45 thousand casualties caused mercilessly by Israel. We need to understand this. If we call Hamas, which has lost over 40 thousand people as of now, a 'terrorist organization', that would be a relentless approach. Therefore, I do not see Hamas as a terrorist organization. On the contrary I see them as a group of people who are fighting to defend their own territories and own people."

Thanking once again Prime Minister Mitsotakis of Greece for voting for the UN resolution, President ErdoAYan said: "If you call them a 'terrorist organization', it will upset us. I never see Hamas as a terrorist organization and closely follow them at the moment. Over one thousand Hamas members are now under treatment in our hospitals in TArkiye. You could have a wrong approach here, but I by no means agree with your approach. I cannot do it, it would be unjust. Because countless Hamas members are being killed. The entire West is attacking them with all kinds of weapons and ammunition. Despite all this, if you call Hamas, which has been displaced from their own territories and whose territories have been occupied by Israel since 1947, a 'terrorist organization', it will upset us."

Following the joint press conference, President ErdoAYan hosted an official dinner in honor of Prime Minister Mitsotakis of Greece.

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PM call with the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani: 13 May 2024

This afternoon the Prime Minister spoke to the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

13 May 2024

This afternoon [13 May 2024] the Prime Minister spoke to the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

The Prime Minister thanked Qatar for their ongoing efforts to try to negotiate a hostage deal. Both leaders agreed on the importance of a deal that secures the urgent release of hostages - ending the horrific ordeal of those being held and their loved ones - and getting more aid into Gaza, while progressing towards a sustainable and permanent ceasefire.

The Prime Minister shared his deep concern about the humanitarian impact of a full military incursion of Rafah, and updated the Amir on the UK's support to ensure more humanitarian aid was flowing into Gaza via land, sea and air.

Turning to wider regional security, the leaders agreed it was right to continue to work with our allies to focus on de-escalation. The Prime Minister added that this was vitally important and in all our interests.

The Prime Minister praised Qatar's recent work to support those in Ukraine who continue to face the devastating consequences of Russian aggression, including its efforts to reunite Ukrainian children with their families.

The leaders welcomed the already strong bilateral trade partnership and defence cooperation between the UK and Qatar. Both agreed on the importance of continuing to strengthen that cooperation in the future.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy

May 13, 2024

St. Thomas, Ontario

Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The Prime Minister reaffirmed Canada's unwavering support for Ukraine as it fights to repel Russia's latest attacks.

The leaders discussed the upcoming Summit on Peace in Ukraine, to be held on June 15-16, 2024, in Switzerland. The Prime Minister noted that he looked forward to attending and further supporting President Zelenskyy's efforts in working toward a just and sustainable peace, including through Canada's co-leadership of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children.

The Prime Minister and the President further exchanged on engagement with other countries also contending with the global impacts of Russia's brutal and illegal invasion.

Prime Minister Trudeau and President Zelenskyy reaffirmed their intention to remain in close and regular contact.

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EU extends trade support to Ukraine for one more year *

European Commission

Press release

13 May 2024

Brussels

The suspension of import duties and quotas on Ukrainian exports to the European Union will be extended for another year, following today's adoption by the Council and April 23 vote in the European Parliament. The EU is thereby delivering once again on its commitment to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.

These so-called Autonomous Trade Measures (ATMs) have been in place since June 2022 and are a key pillar of the EU's unwavering support for Ukraine, providing a lifeline to the country's economy through access to the EU market.

The measures are also mindful of EU stakeholders' concerns. To this end - and considering a significant increase in imports of some agricultural products from Ukraine to the EU in 2022 and 2023 - the renewed ATMs contain a reinforced safeguard mechanism. It allows for quick remedial action to be taken in case of significant disruptions to the EU market or the markets of one or more Member States.

In addition, an emergency brake applies to eggs, poultry, sugar, oats, maize, groats, and honey, which will be automatically triggered if import volumes reach the average yearly imports recorded between 1 July 2021 and 31 December 2023. Today, the Commission's Directorate-General for Trade has also published those import volumes

Now that the ATMs are adopted, the Commission is also taking the necessary steps, through consultations with Ukraine under Article 29 of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, to agree on longer term reciprocal tariff liberalisation. This process aims to provide economic certainty and a stable framework for trade to both Ukraine and the EU, as well as to farmers and businesses. This would also represent an important step forward for Ukraine's reconstruction and further integration into the EU internal market, with the ultimate goal of securing the country's future accession to the Union.

Next steps

The new ATMs will enter into force on 6 June, after the current regime expires on 5 June 2024. They will be in effect until 5 June 2025.

Background

In force since 4 June 2022, the ATMs have had a clear positive effect on Ukraine's trade to the EU. The measures help alleviate the difficult situation faced by Ukrainian producers and exporters as a consequence of Russia's unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression. Together with the Solidarity Lanes, the ATMs have ensured that trade flows from Ukraine to the EU have remained remarkably stable in 2022 and 2023 despite the major disruptions caused by the war and against the general trend of a decrease of Ukraine's trade overall. EU imports from Ukraine amounted to a22.8 billion in 2023 compared to pre-war levels of a24 billion in 2021.

Quote(s)

In the face of the devastation caused by Russia's war of unprovoked aggression, these renewed ATMs are a vital support to the Ukrainian economy. They will ensure that we keep Ukrainian goods moving, while also taking the concerns of the EU agri-food sector into account. Thanks to the earnings generated from Ukrainian exports to and via the EU, Ukraine will have more financial means to win this war and will be in a stronger position to recover from it

Valdis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice-President and Commissioner for Trade.

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Thousands evacuated as Russia scores major gains in Ukraine's Kharkiv

Iran Press TV

Monday, 13 May 2024 8:01 AM

Thousands of Ukrainians have been evacuated from a border town as Russian forces are making progress in the Kharkiv region.

On Sunday, Russia said it had captured four more villages in the Kharkiv region.

Russia's defense ministry said its troops had "advanced deeply into the enemy defenses", a day after announcing the capture of five villages in Kharkiv region.

Kharkiv regional Governor Oleh Synehubov said Russian forces were "intensifying their shelling of Vovchansk."

He added that about 6,000 residents have been evacuated from the area in the last few days.

Volodymyr Tymoshko, head of police in Kharkiv, said the border town was being attacked on three sides and Russian forces were on the outskirts.

Russian troops launched the operation against the Kharkiv region on Friday.

In his evening address on Sunday, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky described the situation around Vovchansk as "extremely difficult."

"Defensive battles and fierce fighting continue on a large part of our border," Zelensky said.

"There are villages that have actually turned from a 'grey zone' into a combat zone, and the occupier is trying to gain a foothold in some of them, or simply use them for further advancement," he said.

A "grey zone" is an area not fully controlled by either side.

On the other side of the border in the Russian city of Belgorod, emergency services said 15 people were killed when a residential building was struck by a missile fired by Ukraine and shot down by Russia.

Ukraine has repeatedly been fatally attacking Belgorod in recent months.

Ukraine blames delays in Western aid and manpower shortages for the losses it faces on the battlefield.

Russia launched the "special military operation" in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Western countries have responded by backing Ukraine with cash and heavy weaponry while imposing unprecedented sanctions on Russian officials and entities.

Moscow has repeatedly warned that such a flow of weapons to Kiev will only prolong the conflict.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the US, alone, has pledged more than $44 billion in security aid to Ukraine.

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Heavy Fighting Continues In Kharkiv As Russia Tries to Stretch Ukrainian Forces

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, Current Time and RFE/RL's Russian Service May 13, 2024

Kharkiv's governor on May 13 said Russian forces had begun attacking new areas in small groups to widen their assault in the northeastern region and stretch Ukrainian defenses.

The governor, Oleh Synyehubov, said on May 13 that evacuations were ongoing and that 1,600 people were expected to have been evacuated by the end of the day.

Earlier, Ukraine's military said Russian forces had stepped up the large-scale assault on the border region of Kharkiv and the situation in the area of the town of Vovchansk had become difficult, prompting the evacuation of the inhabitants of the small town.

Moscow's troops entered Ukraine's Kharkiv region on May 10, opening a new, northeastern front in a war that has for almost two years been largely fought in the east and south. The advance could draw some of Kyiv's depleted forces away from the east, where Russia has been slowly advancing.

The Ukraine's General Staff said in its evening report on May 13 that its forces had begun to push back against Russian troops in Vovchansk, where they were carrying out "clearance operations."

Russian forces are thought to be aiming to gain as much momentum on the battlefield as possible before a new wave of military aid for Kyiv from the U.S. and Kyiv's European allies arrives in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin appears poised for a longer-term war, analysts say, with his replacement of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on May 12. Shoigu will be replaced by Andrei Belousov, a former economy minister with no military experience.

An RFE/RL correspondent on the ground said people were being evacuated from the area under constant shelling Vovchansk, which had a prewar population of some 17,500.

Vovchansk, a town located at some 5 kilometers from the Russian border, has become the focal point of Russia's latest offensive as the Kremlin's forces attempt to take settlements just east of Kharkiv -- Ukraine's second-largest city with a pre-war population of some 1.4 million people.

Kharkiv is also one of Ukraine's most important economic and industrial centers and was one of the initial targets of Russia's invasion, experiencing heavy fighting in the spring of 2022.

A successful Ukrainian counteroffensive in September 2022 liberated most of the Kharkiv region, throwing Russian forces back and allowing the return of a large part of the city's population.

But in recent months, Russian artillery, drone, and missile strikes on the region and its capital have intensified massively as Ukrainian forces' shortage of ammunition and air defenses became more and more acute.

Russian forces have also stepped up their attacks in the south, where Ukraine's Southern Defense Forces said they attacked in the direction of Orihiv, in the Zaporizhzhya region. The situation there was difficult but stable, according to military spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk.

Separately, Russia's Defense Ministry said on May 13 that its air defenses shot down 31 Ukrainian drones and 16 missiles overnight over the regions of Belgorod, Kursk, Lipetsk, and Moscow-occupied Crimea.

An informed source told RFE/RL that Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) carried out drone strikes early on May 13 on two infrastructure targets in Russia's Lipetsk and Belgorod regions.

The targets of the attacks were the Oskolnaft oil depot near the city of Stary Oskol in Belgorod and the power substation Yeletska, in the Lipetsk region, with a capacity of 500 kilovolts, the source said.

The information could not be independently verified immediately.

On May 12, Russian authorities said 15 people were killed when a building collapsed in the border region of Belgorod after fragments from a Ukrainian-fired missile fell on an apartment building after being shot down by Russian air defenses. The claim could not be independently verified immediately.

With reporting by Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-kharkiv-fighting- strikes/32943891.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Russia's Involvement in Ukraine Peace Process Necessary - Swiss Foreign Ministry

Sputnik News

20240513

GENEVA (Sputnik) - Switzerland believes that Russia needs to be involved in the Ukraine peace process, as reaching peace without Moscow is impossible, Foreign Ministry spokesman Pierre-Alain Elchinger told Sputnik on Monday.

Earlier in the day, Russia's acting foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, said that Switzerland is no longer a suitable place for holding peace negotiations, and the goal of the upcoming June conference is to formulate ultimatums to Russia.

"After more than two years of war, it is necessary to try to begin the process of establishing peace in Ukraine. Switzerland is convinced that Russia should be involved in this process. A peace process without Russia is unthinkable. By organizing this first conference, Switzerland is doing its part to support discussions aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. The alternative would be to do nothing, and this is not an option for Switzerland," the spokesman said.

Ukraine's peace formula will not be the only peace plan that will be discussed at the upcoming summit in Switzerland, Elchinger added.

Switzerland's neutrality only applies to the military field, the spokesman said in response to Lavrov's remark that the country abandoned neutrality by siding with Ukraine.

Switzerland will host the high-level conference on Ukrainian peace at the Buergenstock resort outside of Lucerne from June 15-16. The event is expected to bring together more than 160 delegations from around the world. Russia is not on the guest list. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the peace conference is clearly not result-oriented, as it is impossible to have effective talks on Ukraine without Russia's participation.

A Sputnik

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Ukraine Lost Over 1,000 Soldiers in DPR in Battles With 3 Russian Groupings of Forces

Sputnik News

20240513

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukraine's military casualties reached over 1,000 servicepeople in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) in the past 24 hours in battles with the southern, central and eastern groupings of the Russian armed forces, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday.

Earlier former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter predicted that Ukrainian losses will mount to 2,000 servicemen a day as Russia expands its operation into Kharkov region.

"Enemy losses [in battles with the southern grouping] amounted to up to 540 military personnel, two tanks, including a German-made Leopard-2A1, two armored fighting vehicles, 11 vehicles [among other military losses]," the ministry said in a statement.

Russia's central grouping of forces has taken better tactical positions in the DPR, while Ukrainian forces have lost up to 395 soldiers in battles with it, the ministry said.

Russia's eastern grouping of forces has also improved its tactical position, while Kiev has lost up to 135 soldiers in battles with it, the ministry said.

"The enemy's losses [in battles with Russia's northern grouping] over the past 34 hours amounted to up to 250 servicepeople, two tanks, two armored vehicles, and 17 cars," the ministry said, adding that the northern grouping repelled five counterattacks by Ukraine in the Kharkov region.

The western grouping has also repelled 13 counterattacks by Ukraine in the Lugansk People's Republic, while Kiev has lost up to 80 soldiers, the ministry added.

A Sputnik

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Three People Killed, 4 Injured as Result of Ukrainian Shelling of City in LPR

Sputnik News

20240513

LUGANSK (Sputnik) - Three people were killed and four others were injured as a result of Ukraine shelling the city of Sorokyne, also known as Krasnodon, in the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR), LPR head Leonid Pasechnik said on Monday.

"As a result of the shelling of an industrial zone in Krasnodon, a strong fire broke out. At the moment, Ministry of Emergency Situations employees ... have begun eliminating the fires. Our military also helps in putting out the fire. At the same time, measures are being taken to evacuate employees of industrial enterprises. Unfortunately, three dead and four injured are already reported," Pasechnik wrote on Telegram.

A Sputnik

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Ukraine Replaces Commander of Kharkov Battlegroup Amid Russian Offensive - Reports

Sputnik News

20240513

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukraine shifted its military leaders to the north-eastern area after Moscow made considerable gains, the RBC-Ukraine news agency reported on Monday.

Mykhailo Drapatyi has reportedly replaced Yuriy Galushkin as Ukraine's Kharkov Battlegroup's commander. This is the second time in two months that the Ukrainian military leadership has made changes in the group.

Galushkin had been leading the Kharkov Operational Tactical Group since early April 2024 after replacing Andrey Gritskov. Drapatyi previously participated in what Kiev calls an "anti-terrorist operations" in Donbass.

Last September, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs issued a warrant for Drapatyi and another Ukrainian general, Viktor Nikolyuk, accusing them of causing the death and injury of over 150 people.

The head of the Kharkov regional military administration, Oleg Sinegubov, earlier acknowledged a real threat of the zone of combat expanding to various areas in the region. Recently, Russian military forces reported significant advances in Kharkov Oblast, capturing several locations.

A Sputnik

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If West Wants to Settle Ukrainian Conflict on Battlefield, Russia Ready - Lavrov

Sputnik News

20240513

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - If Western countries want to solve the Ukrainian crisis on the battlefield, Russia is ready for this, acting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.

"This is their [Western countries'] right, if they want to [settle the conflict] on the battlefield, it will be on the battlefield," Lavrov said during consultations at the parliament's upper house.

Moscow has repeatedly said that it is ready for negotiations to resolve the Ukrainian crisis, but taking into account the current reality, Lavrov added.

Speaking about the conference on Ukraine in Switzerland planned for June, with Russia was not invited, Lavrov likened the situation to "giving a schoolboy a reprimand."

"The conference... boils down to formulating an ultimatum to Russia once again," he added.

Switzerland will host the high-level conference on Ukrainian crisis at an alpine resort in Nidwalden canton outside of Lucerne from June 15-16. Switzerland said that it had invited over 160 delegations from around the world to attend the event. Russia was not included on the guest list.

In April, Russian Ambassador to Bern Sergei Garmonin told Sputnik that Russia would not participate in the Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland in June in any format.

A Sputnik

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Russian Air Defense Destroys Dozens of Ukraine's Drones, Storm Shadow Missiles

Sputnik News

20240513

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian air defense destroyed four Storm Shadow cruise missiles, launched by Ukraine, over Crimea, and 27 Ukrainian drones over Belgorod and Kursk Regions over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday.

The statement added that "the air defense systems destroyed 12 Vilkha rockets and 12 drones over Belgorod Region, eight drones over Kursk Region, four air-launched cruise missile Storm Shadow and seven drones over the Republic of Crimea, while four more drones were intercepted over Lipetsk Region."

"Over the past night, further attempts by the Kiev regime to carry out terrorist attacks using fixed-wing drones, Olkha multiple launch rocket systems and Storm Shadow guided missiles against targets on the territory of the Russian Federation were prevented," the ministry said in a statement.

A Sputnik

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Kharkiv Is a Strategic City; We Need Timely Assistance from the United States - Andriy Yermak

President of Ukraine

13 May 2024 - 22:41

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak met with Michael Carpenter, Senior Director for Europe at the U.S. National Security Council.

Andriy Yermak thanked U.S. President Joseph Biden and his administration for all their efforts to help Ukraine and for the adoption of a $60 billion defense package by the Congress. According to him, Ukraine expects to receive this assistance as soon as possible. The Head of the Presidential Office informed the interlocutor of the situation at the front, the offensive of Russian invaders in the Kharkiv sector and the urgent needs of Ukraine.

"Kharkiv is an important strategic city. A large number of people stay there. We have preserved and will preserve it. But now active hostilities are very close, and Ukrainians are concerned about it, so timely assistance is very important," emphasized Andriy Yermak.

The parties also discussed the security agreement between Ukraine and the United States. According to the Head of the Presidential Office, it should take into account the real capabilities of the United States and the best elements of the security documents already signed with partners.

During the meeting, the parties separately discussed preparations for the Global Peace Summit to be held on June 15-16 in Switzerland.

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Security Situation and Decentralization: Presidential Office Hosted a Meeting with Alexander Soros

President of Ukraine

13 May 2024 - 22:02

Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Oleksiy Kuleba met with American businessman and philanthropist, chair of the Open Society Foundations Alexander Soros.

Oleksiy Kuleba spoke in detail about the current security situation in Ukraine. Over the past week alone, Russia has fired more than 600 times at our cities and regions.

"First of all, our focus is on the frontline areas, the combat line, where the hostilities are taking place. Today, we are focusing primarily on the Kharkiv region. Over two thousand people have been evacuated from the region over the past few days, and this work is ongoing. Chernihiv, Sumy, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk regions are also under fire. Every regional military administration and local authorities are working to help people and save their lives," noted the Deputy Head of the Presidential Office.

The interlocutors also discussed the process of decentralization in Ukraine and the steps necessary to complete the reform.

Alexander Soros also spoke with representatives of the government. During the meeting with First Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Economy Yuliia Svyrydenko, the parties discussed the economic situation, the steps Ukraine is taking towards economic self-sufficiency, the policy of supporting Ukrainian business and "Made in Ukraine" producers, and the support of European integration processes in the country.

Minister of Energy German Galushchenko informed about the consequences of recent missile attacks on energy facilities, including power generation facilities, as well as the need for equipment for recovery.

This is the third visit of Alexander Soros to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion.

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Canada, Sweden and Luxembourg Will Participate in the Global Peace Summit

President of Ukraine

13 May 2024 - 19:35

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had phone calls with Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson, and Prime Minister of Luxembourg Luc Frieden. They confirmed their attendance at the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland.

The Head of State told the leaders about the situation on the frontline and the urgent needs, in particular, bolstering air defense. He thanked the interlocutors for providing defense assistance, supporting the Global Peace Summit and willingness to join efforts to involve as many countries as possible in the event.

According to the President, Canada leads the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children. The participation of this country in the Peace Summit is crucial for the reunification of thousands of people with their families.

The conversation with the Prime Minister of Sweden focused on the content of the next defense support package and preparations for the Ukraine-Northern Europe Summit.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Luc Frieden discussed the possibility of Luxembourg financing defense assistance for Ukraine.

"We are preparing to enshrine this in a bilateral security agreement," the President noted.

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Ukrainian Peace Formula and Ukraine's Priorities in International Politics: Andriy Yermak met with Alexander Soros

President of Ukraine

13 May 2024 - 17:08

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, met with American businessman, philanthropist, and chair of the Open Society Foundations, Alexander Soros.

The Head of the President's Office informed Alexander Soros about active preparations for the Global Peace Summit to be held in Switzerland on June 15-16.

He also spoke about the Ukrainian Peace Formula, which our country seeks to submit for consideration by leaders of states and international organizations. It is about security in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, ensuring exports from Ukraine, nuclear security, and especially the return of POWs and illegally deported Ukrainian children. Alexander Soros and the International Renaissance Foundation, which is part of the Open Society Foundations network, actively support the implementation of the Bring Kids Back UA plan.

"These issues are a priority not only for us, as they concern food and nuclear security, the return of citizens and children who will defend democratic values and build Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic future," the Head of the Presidential Office emphasized.

Andriy Yermak and Alexander Soros also discussed Ukraine's priorities in international politics and the upholding of democratic principles.

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Nearly 2,000 children killed or injured since the escalation of war in Ukraine

UNICEF

Statement by UNICEF Europe and Central Asia Regional Office and Special Coordinator for the Refugee and Migrant Response in Europe Regina De Dominicis

13 May 2024

GENEVA 13 May 2024 - "At least 1,993 children in Ukraine have been killed or injured since the escalation of war more than two years ago, an average of two child casualties each day. These are the figures the UN has been able to verify. We know the true number is likely much higher.

"As we see in all wars, the reckless decisions and actions of adults are costing children their lives, safety and futures. "Beyond the killings of children and the physical harm caused by the attacks, many children across Ukraine have experienced levels of loss and violence harmful to their mental health and well-being. Half of young teenagers report having trouble sleeping, and 1 in 5 have intrusive thoughts and flashbacks.

"Next month, another school year will draw to a close, marking the fourth year of disrupted education. Nearly half of children enrolled in school in Ukraine are missing out on in-person schooling, with almost one million children across the country not able to access any in-person learning at all due to insecurity.

"UNICEF is working across Ukraine to rehabilitate schools and shelters and provide at-home learning kits and online learning support to children. Last year alone we reached 1.3 million children with formal and non-formal learning opportunities and 2.5 million children and caregivers with mental health and psychosocial support services.

"UNICEF continues to call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and for all children to be protected from harm. This includes ending the brutal use of explosive weapons in populated areas and attacks on civilian facilities and infrastructure which disproportionally harm children.

"Ukraine's children urgently need safety, stability, access to safe learning, child protection services, and psychosocial support.

"More than anything, Ukraine's children need peace."

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US, allies 'doing everything humanly possible' to rush weapons to Ukraine

By VOA News May 13, 2024

The United States is working hard to rush weapons to Ukraine to fight against a surprise Russian ground offensive in the northeastern Kharkiv region, the White House said Monday.

"We're doing everything humanly possible, both ourselves and our allies," White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters, adding that a new arms package would be announced "in the coming days."

Outmanned and outgunned, Ukrainian forces are waiting for the badly needed U.S. military aid to arrive.

In the past two days, Moscow has captured about 106 square kilometers (41 square miles) and at least seven villages, most of them already depopulated, according to the open-source monitoring project DeepState on the Telegram messaging channel.

The channel, which is close to the Ukrainian military, said Russian forces aim to hold Ukrainian forces in the northeast while fighting also rages in Donetsk, southeast of Kharkiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his Sunday video address that the battles in the Donetsk area were "no less intense" than in Kharkiv, adding that the Kremlin aimed to "spread our forces thin" by opening a second active front in Kharkiv.

Russia "carried out 22 assaults" in five border areas on Sunday, 14 of which were ongoing, the Ukrainian army said, adding that the situation in Kharkiv was "complex and dynamically changing."

Kharkiv Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov wrote on social media Monday that over the last 24 hours, "more than 30" towns and villages "were struck by enemy artillery and mortar attacks," wounding at least nine people.

Some areas were also bombed by Russian aircraft, Syniehubov said, adding that about 6,000 people had been evacuated from their homes in the area since the start of the offensive.

Only 200 to 300 residents remain in Vovchansk, a border town with a pre-war population of 2,500. The town, in the line of fire, was barraged by "massive shelling" Sunday, Syniehubov said.

The Ukrainian military said Monday that it had repelled Russian forces from moving closer to the village of Lukyantsi to the north in the Kharkiv region, where it noted the Russians had a "partial success," deploying "significant forces numbering up to five battalions in the border town of Vovchansk."

In the Kharkiv region, "the gray zone and the front line are expanding," as Russian forces are "trying to deliberately stretch it, attacking in small groups in new directions," Syniehubov said on national television.

The Russian Defense Ministry said Monday that the Russian army had improved its tactical position near four settlements in the Kharkiv region a Vesele, Neskuchne, Vovchansk and Lyptsi.

Reuters could not independently confirm battlefield reports.

The European Union pledged long-term security support for Ukraine in a draft document first reported by Germany's Welt am Sonntag newspaper over the weekend.

In the document, the EU promised more weapons, military training and other aid to Ukraine for years to come. Officials hope to finalize the draft in June or July.

Ukraine attacks

Russia's Defense Ministry said Monday that the country's air defenses had destroyed 31 drones and 16 missiles that Ukraine launched in overnight attacks.

Regional authorities in the Kursk border region of Russia said one woman was killed and three other people were wounded when a drone struck several cars.

Ukraine also struck the Russian-held Luhansk region, according to a Moscow-appointed official.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said seven drones and four guided missiles were shot down over Russia-occupied Crimea, eight drones were destroyed over Kursk and four drones were intercepted over the Lipetsk region.

The focus of the Ukrainian attack was the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry said it destroyed 12 drones and 12 guided missiles over Belgorod.

The attack in Belgorod came a day after a Ukrainian missile attack killed at least 15 people and injured more than 30 others, the regional governor said Monday.

Russia's new war economy

Russian President Vladimir Putin's move to appoint an economist as the country's new defense minister indicates Moscow's intention to build a war economy, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said Monday.

"Russia is moving almost its entire economy onto military lines. It will be a militaristic country, and its economy will be built exclusively to produce for the military," Podolyak told Reuters.

Putin on Sunday named Andrei Belousov, 65, a former deputy prime minister who specializes in economics, as his new defense minister.

Former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu will become the secretary of Russia's powerful Security Council and have responsibilities for the military industrial complex, the Kremlin said.

"Without a doubt, these changes that we see today, they are evidence of the complete transformation of the Russian Federation," Podolyak said.

Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

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Tripoli Libya (PANA) - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has noted shortcomings in the Libyan financial sector and stressed the need for the authorities to carry out urgent reforms in the monetary sector
Newark, May 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As per the report published by The Brainy Insights, the global HVDC cables market is expected to grow from USD 14.11 Billion in 2023 to USD 20.96 Billion by 2033, at a CAGR of 3.83% during the forecast period 2023-2033.



The modernization of the grid, along with the integration of advanced products with advanced technology for transmission and distribution networks, are some of the factors propelling the growth of the HVDC cables. Moreover, there is a surge in the deployment of renewable energy sources to achieve clean energy goals, fueling the demand for HVDC cables worldwide.



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Scope of HVDC Cables Market



Report Coverage Details CAGR 3.83% from 2024 to 2033 Market Size in 2023 USD 14.11 Billion Market Size by 2033 USD 20.96 Billion Largest Market North America Base Year 2023 Forecast Year 2024 to 2033 Historical Year 2020-2022 Segments Covered Installation, Voltage, Application

Competitive Strategy



To enhance their market position in the global HVDC Cables market, the key players are now focusing on adopting the strategies such as product innovations, mergers & acquisitions, recent developments, joint ventures, collaborations, and partnerships.



 In March 2021: ABB won the order, worth more than USD 30 million, for the partial upgrade of the Inga-Kolwezi high voltage direct current (HVDC) power transmission line. It will help boost the transmission capacity and supply clean hydropower, which help enhance the grid reliability in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It helped the organization expand its market share in the HVDC Cables market.



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Market Growth & Trends



As the world grows, there is more investment in interconnecting grids, linking offshore wind-feeding metropolitan areas, etc. It has been observed that there is a growth in offshore wind energy projects globally, and hence, the sectors which are connecting these projects are also growing. All these factors are driving the HVDC cables market. There is work to modernize the grid for which advanced goods are used in the transmission and distribution network. Also, there is an increase in power consumption in emerging economies because of a surge in industrialization and commercialization. Many projects were happening, such as the Kenya-Ethiopia Electricity Highway in Africa. In this project, the bipolar 500 KV HVDC line is being built, starting from Welaya Sodo in Ethiopia and moving to Suswa in Kenya. The total distance of this project will be around 1068 km, with around 437 km in Ethiopia and 631 km in Kenya. Egypt is also investing in the region for grid infrastructure; hence, it is becoming a leader in Africa for the HVDC cables market. It shows that there is growth in the installation of HVDC systems worldwide as it is proven economically justifiable to strengthen the grid connections. Many renewable energy sources are being added to the grid from many dispersed locations, far from the load centres most of the time; hence, power needs to travel to satisfy the growing need. Hence, the demand for HVDC cables is growing worldwide. It has been observed that governments worldwide are providing financial support to upgrade the power transmission and distribution infrastructure to meet the energy demands. HVDC cables are very useful for manufacturing plants set up at distant locations as they are very efficient in transmitting large amounts of electricity over long distances. Moreover, there is a growing need for the interrupted electricity supply due to rapid urbanization and industrialization.



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Key Findings



 In 2023, the High(35 to 475 KV) segment dominated the market with the largest market share of 65.21% and market revenue of USD 9.20 Billion.



The voltage segment is divided into High(35 to 475 KV), Extra High(475-600 KV) and Ultra High(Above 600KV). In 2023, the High(35 to 475 KV) segment dominated the market with the largest market share of 65.21% and market revenue of USD 9.20 Billion. It is attributed to the growing demand for long-distance power transmission and the surge in renewable energy projects.



 In 2023, the Overhead segment dominated the market with the largest market share of 41.11% and market revenue of USD 5.80 Billion.



The installation segment is divided into subsea, underground, overhead and mixed. In 2023, the Overhead segment dominated the market with the largest market share of 41.11% and market revenue of USD 5.80 Billion. This market share is attributed to its easy installation and low long-distance transmission loss.



 In 2023, the Industrial segment dominated the market with the largest market share of 36.36% and market revenue of USD 5.13 Billion.



The application segment is divided into telecommunication, medical, industrial, oil &gas and others. In 2023, the Industrial segment dominated the market with the largest market share of 36.36% and market revenue of USD 5.13 Billion. This market share is attributed to industries' growing demand for HVDC transmission, as there is a huge power demand there.



Regional Segment Analysis of the HVDC Cables Market:



 North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico)

 Europe (Germany, France, U.K., Italy, Spain, Rest of Europe)

 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, Rest of APAC)

 South America (Brazil and the Rest of South America)

 The Middle East and Africa (UAE, South Africa, Rest of MEA)



The Asia Pacific region occurred as the largest market for the global HVDC Cables industry, with a market share of 33.41% and a market value of around USD 4.71 Billion in 2023. China and India are the key contributors to the APAC region because of their growing power demand. China is expanding its infrastructure, propelling the demand for HVDC cables in the region. Also, other than India and China, ASEAN countries like South Korea, Pakistan, Japan, and Indonesia will seem to significantly contribute to the expansion of HVDC cable in the region shortly as there is an ageing power infrastructure.



Key players operating in the global HVDC Cables market are:



 Nexans

 Mitsubishi Corp

 Hitachi Ltd

 General Electric Company

 Siemens AG

 ABB Ltd

 Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd

 LS Corp

 Prysmian SpA

 J-Power Group

This study forecasts revenue at global, regional, and country levels from 2020 to 2033. The Brainy Insights has segmented the global HVDC Cables market based on below mentioned segments:

Global HVDC Cables Market by Installation:



 Subsea

 Underground

 Overhead

 Mixed



Global HVDC Cables Market by Voltage:



 High(35 to 475 kv)

 Extra High(475-600kv)

 Ultra High(Above 600kv)



Global HVDC Cables Market by Application:



 Telecommunication

 Medical

 Industrial

 Oil &Gas

 Others

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About the report:



The global HVDC Cables market is analysed based on value (USD Billion). All the segments have been analysed on global, regional and country basis. The study includes the analysis of more than 30 countries for each segment. The report offers in-depth analysis of driving factors, opportunities, restraints, and challenges for gaining the key insight of the market. The study includes porters five forces model, attractiveness analysis, raw material analysis, supply, demand analysis, competitor position grid analysis, distribution and marketing channels analysis.



About The Brainy Insights:



The Brainy Insights is a market research company that provides actionable insights through data analytics to companies to improve their business acumen. They have a robust forecasting and estimation model to meet the client's objectives of high-quality output within a short period. They provide both customized (client-specific) and syndicate reports. Their repository of syndicate reports is diverse across all the categories and sub-categories across domains. Their customized solutions meet the client's requirements whether they are looking to expand or planning to launch a new product in the global market.



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HVDC Cables Market
Delhi, May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Oncolytic Virus Immunotherapy Market Opportunity & Clinical Trials Insight 2030 Report Highlights:

Global Oncolytic Virus Immunotherapy Therapy Market Opportunity: > USD 1.50 Billion By 2030

Oncolytic Viruses Immunotherapies Clinical Trials By Company, Indication & Phase

Comprehensive Insight On Oncolytic Virus Immunotherapies In Clinical Trials: > 180 Therapies

FDA & EMA Designations: Breakthrough Therapy, Fast Track, Orphan, PRIME

Patent Analysis Therapies in Clinical Trials

IMLYGIC, Oncorine, Delytact: Availability, Dosage and Price Analysis

Platforms Used For Developing Advanced Oncolytic Virus Immunotherapy

Download Report:

https://www.kuickresearch.com/report-oncolytic-virus-immunotherapy-market-oncolytic-virus-therapy-market-oncolytic-virus-fda-approved-oncolytic-virus-clinical-trilas

In the global landscape of cancer treatment, the market for oncolytic virus immunotherapy represents an intriguing frontier that is marked by scientific ingenuity innovation, and the search for game changing therapeutic solutions. As a result of the alignment of cutting edge research, clinical developments, and research partnerships, the domain of oncolytic virus immunotherapy signifies an opportunity to completely transform the treatment picture as well as combat various forms of malignancy.

By using the natural characteristics of viruses to target and kill cancer cells in particular, oncolytic virus immunotherapy serves as an innovative and tailored therapeutic option. This therapeutic paradigm presents a plethora of possibilities as well as obstacles that influence the dynamics of the commercial market as it moves from the arena of technological advancement to commercial triumph. In addition, as the application of oncolytic virus immunotherapy moves beyond research labs and clinical trials, an intricate framework of interrelated factors is determining its trajectory into the commercial sphere and making it a disruptive player in the global arena of cancer treatment.

Hitherto, three oncolytic virus immunotherapies, including Oncorine (H101), Imlygic (Talimogene laherparepvec), and teserpaturev (G 47; Delytact), have been approved in the market across the globe for the treatment of various types of cancer malignancies. However, it is expected that the arena will observe many more approvals in the upcoming years because of that fact that a handful of advanced oncolytic virus immunotherapies such as Oncos 102, CAN 2409, Pelareorep, CG070 in addition to VG161 have received designations like Fast track designations, Orphan drug designations, PRIME designations from regulatory agencies, FDA and EMA.

Conventional cancer therapies, such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy, frequently have serious drawbacks like toxicity and resistance. Novel approaches like oncolytic virus immunotherapy are gaining momentum as a result of patients' and healthcare professionals' search for alternatives that can be more effective while posing fewer side effects. This raises interest in novel strategies like oncolytic virus immunotherapy by increasing the need for more focused and less harmful treatments. With advancements in genetic engineering and virology, oncolytic viruses can be tailored to specific types of cancer or even individual patients, maximizing efficacy and minimizing adverse effects.

An important factor propelling the development of oncolytic virus immunotherapy is the increasing number of alliances, partnerships, and collaborations in the field. In order to develop as well as commercialize oncolytic virus immunotherapies, pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, and biotechnology companies are working together.

For instance, in July 2023, a strategic research collaboration has been established between US biopharmaceutical company, RenovoRx and clinical-stage immuno-oncology company, Imugene with the intention to enhance the delivery of Imugene's CF33 oncolytic virus therapy for the treatment of tumors that are challenging to access. As per the agreement, RenovoRx's exclusive TAMP (trans-arterial micro-perfusion) platform, which is intended to guarantee accurate administration of specific treatments to specific tissues, will be integrated with CF33. Compared to systemic (intravenous (IV) therapy), the TAMP therapy platform may potentially minimize a therapy's toxicities while guaranteeing precise therapeutic delivery to target the tumor directly. Targeted treatment with RenovoRx may be safer, more tolerable, and more effective thanks to its novel approach.

In the coming years, it is anticipated that the market for oncolytic virus immunotherapy will grow and multiply even more due to the increasing number of government regulatory approvals combined with investments, alliances, and partnerships in the pharmaceutical industry. Furthermore, the involvement of various stakeholders in the market is a secondary factor which aids to expand the growth of oncolytic viruses worldwide. Such as, in January 2024, TILT Biotherapeutic has announced that upon administration of TILT-123, either by intravenously or intratumorally, to patients with advanced, metastatic melanoma, either alone or in conjunction with tumor infiltrating lymphocyte therapy, it has been shown to be safe, feasible, and free of dose-limiting toxicities.

Growth in the market is mostly driven by the launch of new oncolytic virus products and the ongoing creation of next-generation treatments. Companies make strategic investments in order to expand their product pipelines, broaden the range of available treatments, address unmet medical needs, and foster a vibrant and competitive industry. For example, two US-based pharmaceutical companies, Repliumme and Candel Therapeutics, have introduced numerous oncolytic virus candidates that are currently in the preclinical and clinical stages of development.

All these examples illustrates that the market of oncolytic virus immunotherapy is growing at fast gait and is expected to multiple further in the forthcoming years on the account of clinical advancements, scientific discoveries, strategic collaborations, financial investments, and regulatory successes. This field will continue to evolve, providing new hope and creative ways to fight cancer, thanks to the dynamic nature of ongoing research and the cooperative efforts of scientists, clinicians, and industry stakeholders.
Kingsville, Ontario, Canada, May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Its a platinum year for Mastronardi Produce, the fourth-generation family-owned company that pioneered commercial greenhouse growing in North America. The greenhouse leader has reached its Platinum anniversary this month after 70 years in business. Adding to the cause for celebration, Mastronardi Produce is a 2024 winner of the Canadas Best Managed Companies Platinum Club designation; this is the 15th consecutive win for Mastronardi Produce by Deloittes distinguished business awards program.

There is plenty to celebrate this year and we are so excited to recognize these milestones with our employees, our partners, and the community, said Paul Mastronardi, President and CEO of Mastronardi Produce. This month marks our 70th anniversary as a family-owned company and receiving a Canadas Best Managed Company award is the perfect way to kick off the celebrations.



Founded in Kingsville, Ontario by Umberto Mastronardi in 1954, Mastronardi Produce pioneered commercial greenhouse growing in North America. Today, it is the leading greenhouse operator in North America supported by over 3,500 employees in Canada, the United States, Mexico, and the Netherlands, banded together under what the company affectionately calls its Flavour Nation.



The 2024 Best Managed winners exemplify the highest Canadian business standards of innovation, adaptability, and bold leadership, said Lorrie King, Partner, Deloitte Private, Global Best Managed Leader and Co-Leader, Canadas Best Managed

Companies program. Their relentless ambition, determined focus, and strategic agility have led them to remain competitive on the world stage, creating sustainable economic growth in an evolving global market.



Canadas Best Managed Companies is one of the countrys leading business awards programs recognizing innovative and worldclass businesses. Every year, hundreds of entrepreneurial companies compete for this designation in a rigorous and independent evaluation process.



Mastronardi Produce plans to celebrate both the awards and its platinum anniversary across its global network of employees. To join Mastronardi Produces Flavour Nation, apply online at www.sunsetgrown.com/careers.

####

About Mastronardi Produce Ltd.

A pioneer and industry leader in the gourmet greenhouse industry, Mastronardi Produce grows and markets award-winning products under the SUNSET, Backyard Farms, BerryWorld, and Queen of Greens brands. Mastronardi Produce has been family-owned for 70 years and prides itself on producing consistently flavourful tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, berries, and lettuce.







About Canadas Best Managed Companies Program





Canadas Best Managed Companies program continues to be the mark of excellence for

privately-owned Canadian companies. Every year since the launch of the program in 1993, hundreds of entrepreneurial companies have competed for this designation in a rigorous and independent process that evaluates their management skills and practices. The awards are granted on four levels: 1) Canadas Best Managed Companies new winner (one of the new winners selected each year); 2) Canadas Best Managed Companies winner (award recipients that have re-applied and successfully retained their BestManaged designation for two additional years, subject to annual operational and financial review); 3) Gold Standard winner (after three consecutive years of maintaining their Best Managed status, these winners have demonstrated their commitment to

the program and successfully retained their award for 4-6 consecutive years); 4) Platinum

Club member (winners that have maintained their Best Managed status for seven years or more). Program sponsors are Deloitte Private, CIBC, The Globe and Mail, Salesforce and TMX Group. For more information, visit www.bestmanagedcompanies.ca.

Attachments
Dublin, May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Automotive Ultrasonic Radar and OEMs' Parking Route Research Report, 2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



Over 220 million ultrasonic radars will be installed in 2028.



In recent years, the installations of ultrasonic radars in passenger cars in China surged, up to 121.955 million units in 2023, jumping by 13.7% year on year. It is expected to be more than 140 million units in 2025 and over 220 million units in 2028.



First, ultrasonic radars can satisfy the requirements of autonomous driving solutions of differing levels and routes, and has a long lifecycle. In recent years, as vehicle intelligence has accelerated, parking systems have kept expanding function boundaries from semi-automated parking to APA (automated parking assist) and integrated APA, from short-range remote parking assist (RPA) to home-zone valet parking (HVP) and even long-range automated valet parking (AVP).



According to the publisher, in 2023 the installation rate of integrated APA systems in passenger cars in China hit 8.2%, up 3.0 percentage points on the previous year; the installation rate of high-level parking (HVP or AVP) was 0.7%, up 0.4 percentage points. As driving-parking integration and cockpit-parking integration markets gather pace, low-speed APA (especially integrated APA), and high-level parking (especially HVP), are expected to enjoy a boom.



Second, under the domain controller architecture, driving and parking systems previously independent of each other tend to be integrated, namely, driving-parking integration with the biggest feature that driving and parking can deeply multiplex and share sensors and computing power. In 2023, driving-parking integration entered the stage of mass adoption, giving a big boost to the automated parking market and taking the core sensor, ultrasonic radar, into the 'fast lane'.



The publisher's statistics shows that in 2023, driving-parking integration was installed in 1.602 million passenger cars in China, a year-on-year spurt of 61.4%, with the installation rate reaching 7.6%, up 2.6 percentage points. It is expected that in 2025, driving-parking integration will be installed in over 3 million passenger cars, with the installation rate higher than 15%, a figured projected to hit about 25% in 2028.



New-generation AK2 ultrasonic radars are about to become widespread.



The optimization and upgrading of parking systems and the promotion and application of driving-parking integration require higher ultrasonic radar performance, involving longer detection range, greater anti-interference, and compliance with higher functional safety. On this basis, quite a few companies have developed the new generation of ultrasonic radar AK2 technologies and products.



Greatly differing from AK1, AK2 is codable, and improves the anti-interference capability of products by adjusting signals.



When AK1 works, all probes on the same side of the bumper send out waves in turn to avoid co-channel interference, leading to a relatively system refresh time. AK2 enables multi-sensor simultaneous transmission and reception via some special encoding modes, and some also support simultaneous transmission of different ultrasonic signals, thus greatly shortening the system refresh time.

Currently, more than a dozen companies like Audiowell, Baolong Automotive, ForVision and Longhorn Automotive Electronic have launched AK2 ultrasonic radar, and some of them have entered the mass production phase.



As an ultrasonic radar leader in China, with the ability to self-develop transducers and algorithms, Audiowell was the first to introduce the fourth-generation product, AK2, in 2021, and started batch delivery and sale of it in 2022. In early 2024, Audiowell AK2 has been designated by multiple automakers (including joint-venture and China's independent ones). It is expected that the driving-parking integration solution will be mounted on over 20 new models in the year.



Baolong Automotive invested in UDAS Automotive Technology in 2022. They co-funded BaoU Technology, a company specializing in ultrasonic radar for passenger cars.



In August 2023, Baolong Automotive released AK2, a new-generation high-performance ultrasonic radar featuring a self-designed transducer with the minimum vertical FOV, and 8K FM bandwidth. It improves anti-interference performance through variable frequency transmission, allows for transmission mixed with fixed frequency and encoding modes, and can meet ASIL B functional safety level requirements.



In Q3 2023, BaoU Technology under Baolong Automotive mass-produced AK2 ultrasonic radar sensors for China's independent automakers. In September 2023, the product was designated by another Chinese independent auto brand, and the volume production is scheduled to start in July 2024. In addition, Baolong Automotive has built a fully automated ultrasonic radar production line in Hefei Park, with AK2 capacity up to 300,000 units/month.



As a company engaged in 'ADAS + autonomous driving in low-speed scenarios', ForVision received strategic investment from ThunderSoft in 2020 and launched an AK2 product in 2022, with the detection range of 8m and accuracy of 1cm. In July 2023, the product was designated by Voyah for its AK2 algorithm and hardware mass production project based on the new-generation intelligent driving platform on which Voyah builds mid-to-large-size luxury electric executive sedans and new mid-size electric SUVs, with planned lifecycle output of more than 400,000 vehicles.



Localization of core components of AK2 speeds up.



Core components of AK2 ultrasonic radar include transducer, chip, and housing, of which transducer and chip makes up around 60% of the BOM cost.



Transducers are dominated by international Tier1s like Bosch and Valeo. China's local companies such as Audiowell, Zongmu Technology, Baolong Automotive and Youhang Technology make continuous investment and now have self-development and production capabilities. Wherein, Youhang Technology, positioned as a Tier2, was the first to deliver AK2 ultrasonic radar transducers on large scale in late 2022. It has three fully automated transducer production lines and plans to have capacity of 40 million transducers in 2024.



In terms of chips, in addition to Bosch, the industry mainly purchases products from Germany's Elmos, whose chips can support highway or urban low-speed scenarios, with detection range up to 6m, and can detect obstacles, pedestrians, cyclists, or animals. In 2021, Elmos introduced E524.17, a new-generation ultrasonic radar chip which has become the preferred solution for many suppliers.



To improve chip localization, Ninestar's company, Geehy Microelectronics, has made continuous efforts on development, and mass-produced its first ultrasonic sensor chip on a large scale in 2023. The product features high integration, small size, high precision and comprehensive data collection, and can be used in automated parking assist, ultrasonic parking assist, ADAS and so on.



Moreover, Youhang Technology is also developing an ultrasonic radar chip, and plans to produce it in quantities in 2024. In October 2023, Youhang Technology raised tens of millions of yuan in its Pre-A funding round led by South China Venture Capital and co-invested by Dingjia Ventures. The raised funds are largely spent on projects including automotive-grade validation test and mass production of AK2 sensor chip, ultrasonic transducer capacity expansion, and R&D of automotive micro-crash sensor chip.



The steady development of the downstream parking market and the faster localization of upstream core components provide favorable support for mass adoption of ultrasonic radars. Yet amid fierce competition in vehicle intelligence and diverse market demands, ultrasonic radars still face many challenges.





Key Topics Covered:



1 Automotive Ultrasonic Radar and Application Scenarios

1.1 Overview of Automotive Ultrasonic Radar

1.1.1 Introduction

1.1.2 System Composition

1.1.3 Working Principle

1.1.4 Main Types

1.1.5 Iteration History

1.1.6 Key Parameters

1.1.7 Industry Chain

1.1.8 Application Scenarios

1.2 Automotive Ultrasonic Radar Parking Scenarios

1.2.1 Development History of Parking

1.2.2 Automated Parking Assist (APA)

1.2.3 Remote Parking Assist (RPA)

1.2.4 Home-zone Parking Pilot (HPP)

1.2.5 Lane-tracking Reversing Assistance System (LRAS)

1.2.6 Automated Valet Parking (AVP)

1.2.7 Highway Side Assist



2 Automotive Ultrasonic Radar Installations and Solution Comparison in China

2.1 Installations of Ultrasonic Radars in Passenger Cars in China

2.2 Comparison of Products and Solutions between Passenger Car Ultrasonic Radar Companies



3 Development Trends of Automotive Ultrasonic Radar and Parking in China

3.1 Overview of Ultrasonic Radar Trends

3.2 Ultrasonic Radar Enters AK2 Era

3.3 Ultrasonic Radars Tend To Be Miniaturized and Integrated

3.4 Challenges and Trends in Ultrasonic Radar

3.5 Parking is the Mainstream Scenario of Ultrasonic Radar

3.6 Cockpit-parking Integration Facilitate Basic Parking Application

3.7 Driving-parking Integration Pushes Parking to Higher Level



4 Parking Routes & Ultrasonic Radar Installation Schemes of OEMs

4.1 Comparison of Passenger Car Parking Solutions between OEMs

4.2 BMW

4.3 Mercedes-Benz

4.4 Ford

4.5 GM

4.6 Honda

4.7 Volkswagen

4.8 Great Wall Motor

4.9 Changan Automobile

4.10 Geely

4.11 FAW Hongqi

4.12 GAC Aion

4.13 HAC Hyper

4.14 BAIC

4.15 BYD

4.15.3 FAPA

4.16 Dongfeng Motor

4.17 Xpeng Motors

4.18 NIO

4.19 Li Auto

4.20 Neta Auto

4.21 AITO



5 Foreign Automotive Ultrasonic Radar Companies

5.1 Bosch

5.2 Valeo

5.3 Continental

5.4 Murata

5.5 Denso

5.6 Hyundai Mobis

5.7 Nicera



6 Chinese Automotive Ultrasonic Radar Companies

6.1 Audiowell

6.2 Coligen

6.3 Longhorn Automotive Electronic

6.4 TungThih Electronic

6.5 Hangsheng Electronics

6.6 Zongmu Technology

6.7 Whetron Electronics

6.8 Softec

6.9 Hikvision

6.10 ForVision

6.11 Suzhou UDAS

6.12 Baolong Automotive

6.13 Shunhe Electric Technology

6.14 Ubidriving

6.15 IS Electronic Technology

6.16 Steelmate

6.17 Bestar

6.18 Youhang Technology

6.19 Ligong Technology

6.20 Chongqing Guangda Industrial

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/v1zmbv

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.
TORONTO, May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Humber River Health Foundation is thrilled to announce a donation of $10 million from the Honey & Barry Sherman Legacy Foundation to revitalize healthcare in one of Torontos most underserved communities. With this donation, the 17-acre Humber River Health Finch campus in the Jane and Finch Corridor will be re-imagined with a dedicated focus on closing the healthcare disparity gap in North West Toronto.



This investment is crucial given the areas pressing healthcare needs. People living in the Jane and Finch neighbourhood face many socio-economic challenges. The community is home to the highest percentage of lone-parent families, racialized and marginalized populations in Toronto. Additionally, our surrounding neighbourhoods have a disproportionate number of low-income seniors aged 80 and above who live alone and need their complex healthcare needs addressed closer to home.

My parents were long-time supporters of Humber River Health, and I am proud to build on their legacy of generosity with this gift, said Alex Krawczyk, daughter of Honey and Dr. Barry Sherman, who established the foundation in honour of her parents. As a nurse, I am keenly aware of the pressing healthcare inequities facing many people in North West Toronto and Humber River Health's important role in addressing them.

This $10 million donation is the Honey & Barry Sherman Legacy Foundations largest charitable gift since its inception by Ms. Krawcyzk in 2020.

The Honey & Barry Sherman Legacy Foundations gift will transform people's lives in one of our city's most diverse communities. We are planning for the future but recognize the urgency of our communitys needs today, said Sandra Sualim, President and CEO of Humber River Health Foundation. We are grateful to Alex Krawczyk for establishing this new foundation and building on the relationship her parents began with us more than 30 years ago.

The reimagined facility will be designed around specific community needs. It will identify a range of options to address any misalignment between current and future service delivery and potential solutions that will deliver the greatest short and long-term value for Ontarians. The assessment will explore various areas of care including:

A fully accessible urgent care clinic

Diagnostic imaging and lab services to enhance care and increase community access

Potentially, a new acute hospital on the site

For media inquiries:

Sheril Bose

sheril@headsandtales.ca

(613) 879 7034

About Humber River Health Foundation

Lighting New Ways in Healthcare. Humber River Health stands apart. As North America's most digital hospital, our state-of-the-art facility is enabling our physicians and staff to deliver healthcare in new and innovative ways and is a model of efficiency for hospitals around the world. Everything we do is designed to enhance not only outcomes but also the experiences of our patients and their families.

Humber River Health Foundation raises funds to invest in the programs, technologies, and equipment that make our Hospital's superior patient care a reality. Since the day we opened our new facility we've proudly lit a new path forward, always innovating to continue lighting new ways in patient care well into the future. This spirit of innovation is powered by the Foundation's donors and volunteers, who share our vision for better healthcare and who recognize that investment is always needed for the next innovation as much as the last one.

About the Honey & Barry Sherman Legacy Foundation

The Honey & Barry Sherman Legacy Foundation supports charitable organizations focused on healthcare, scientific research, and the Jewish community. Honey and Dr. Barry Sherman were committed philanthropists for over forty years. Tragically, on December 13, 2017, Honey and Barry were murdered in their home. In 2020, their daughter, Alex Krawczyk, established the foundation to honour their vision and create a lasting legacy in their memory. To learn more visit ShermanLegacyFoundation.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/519a7e1d-71fa-49dc-992a-199f355b8968

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/67a21329-94df-487f-9c18-ab1cbae78a3c

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ATLANTA, May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading hospitality management firm, Hotel Equities (HE), is thrilled to announce its selection as the management partner for the highly anticipated Hampton by Hilton hotel in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The hotel is the first new hotel development in the U.S. Virgin Islands in over 30 years. This landmark project, developed by Shaun Miller of Haven Development, also marks the first Hilton focused service hotel in the area, bringing the exceptional service and high standards of quality that Hilton is known for, to the region. The new hotel is the inaugural property under Hotel Equities' Trust Hospitality division, marking the companys debut in the Caribbean and Latin American markets.

Nestled adjacent to the picturesque West Indian marina and overlooking downtown Charlotte Amalie, the 126-guest room Hampton by Hilton St. Thomas is set to become a beacon of hospitality catering to both business and leisure travelers visiting the US Virgin Islands. Boasting charming Danish colonial architecture, the hotel will blend seamlessly with the vibrant cultural tapestry of Charlotte Amalie, the capital and largest city in the US Virgin Islands.

This partnership with Hotel Equities represents a significant milestone for our project, said Shaun Miller, Founder & Owner of Haven Development. Together, we are not only opening the first Hampton by Hilton hotel in the market but also contributing to the revitalization of tourism in St. Thomas. Our commitment to enhancing the visitor experience extends beyond hospitality, as evidenced by our investment in infrastructure, including a dedicated power plant and a private FBO airport.

Hampton by Hilton is a guest favorite that consistently raises the bar and sets the standard for its category in every country and territory where it debuts and we are excited to bring the Hampton by Hilton brand to the region alongside Haven Development and Hotel Equities, said Pablo Maturana, vice president of development, Hilton, Caribbean and Latin America. We are proud to serve quality-driven and value-conscious travelers at more than 3,000 properties in 40 countries and territories around the globe and to be the No. 1 ranked lodging franchise for the past 15 years.

Scheduled to open in Q1 of 2025, the Hampton by Hilton St. Thomas will offer a range of amenities tailored to travelers to include an indoor/outdoor bar and a restaurant serving tapas-style small plate offerings. Day passes will be available for cruise passengers to also enjoy the hotel's amenities, further enhancing the island's tourism offerings.

This marks an exciting start in the CALA region through our partnership with Trust Hospitality and we could not be more aligned in vision, remarked Joe Reardon, Chief Development Officer of HE. Our collaboration with Haven Development to manage this new Hampton by Hilton hotel exemplifies our dedication to expanding in new markets with our Trust Hospitality division to meet the needs of hotel owners and sets the stage for further growth and success.

The Charlotte Amalie market cries out for a new, branded hotel like a Hampton by Hilton, said Michael Register, Principal of Trust Hospitality. We are confident this hotel will perform extremely well. It will be the first of many that Hotel Equities and Trust Hospitality have planned for the region.

Bryan DeCort, Chief Operating Officer of HE, emphasized, With a focus on operational excellence, this partnership lays the groundwork for success. Drawing on our lengthy experience managing award-winning Hampton by Hilton properties [Hotel Equities current portfolio of open/operating hotels includes 20 Hampton by Hilton hotels], we are enthusiastic about making the Hampton by Hilton St. Thomas the top choice for travelers seeking comfort and convenience in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

With direct air service from major U.S. cities and its strategic location near the cruise ship port and nearby Havensight Mall, the hotel is ideally located to cater to business and leisure travelers alike.

About Hotel Equities

About Hotel Equities Hotel Equities (HE) is an award-winning full-scale hotel ownership, management, and development firm with a portfolio of approximately 300 hotels and resorts throughout the United States and Canada. Fred Cerrone, CHA, serves as Founder and Chairman; Brad Rahinsky serves as President and CEO. For more information on Hotel Equities, visit hotelequities.com.

About Hampton by Hilton

As the No. 1 ranked lodging franchise for the last 15 years by Entrepreneur, Hampton by Hilton  including Hampton Inn by Hilton and Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton  serves quality-driven and value-conscious travelers at more than 3,000 properties in 40 countries and territories around the globe. The brand continues to lead its segment by providing guests with high quality, thoughtfully designed accommodations and amenities, such as modern, spacious rooms and free hot breakfast featuring the signature Hampton Waffle. Hampton by Hilton is committed to delivering an exceptionally friendly and authentic service all backed by the 100% Hampton Guarantee. Experience a positive stay at Hampton by Hilton by booking at hampton.com or through the or through the industry-leading Hilton Honors app. Hilton Honors members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels have access to instant benefits. Learn more about Hampton by Hilton at stories.hilton.com/hampton, and follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Hilton Honors members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels have access to instant benefits. Learn more about Hampton by Hilton at stories.hilton.com/hampton, and follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Media Contact

Sommer Shiver

VP of Branding & Communications

www.hotelequities.com

sshiver@hotelequities.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ae11b8a6-6fb1-4785-99ae-e166d5b79983
Dublin, May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "North America Legal Cannabis Market Report by Products Derived, Distribution Channel, and Country 2024-2032" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The North America legal cannabis market size reached US$ 35.6 Billion in 2023. Looking forward, the market is projected to reach US$ 298.5 Billion by 2032, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 26.65% during 2023-2032.

The growing use for recreational use, wide availability through various distribution channels, and increasing utilization to treat chronic diseases represent some of the key factors driving the market.





Legal cannabis refers to a drug derived from dried leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of a plant called Cannabis sativa. It has various components, such as cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It can be easily smoked, vaped, and ingested while having psychoactive properties that provide relaxing and calming effects in the body. It offers an enhanced sense of hearing, vision, and taste and improves sleeping problems. It prevents relapse into drug and alcohol addiction, treats anxiety disorders, and lowers blood pressure. It assists in relieving chronic pains that are caused by numerous diseases among adults.



It aids in chemotherapy-induced nausea and multiple sclerosis spasticity symptoms. Besides this, it increases appetite and reduces the risk of migraine, inflammation, and seizures. As it is also consumed to treat asthma and glaucoma, as an antidepressant and anticonvulsant and anti-spasmodic, the demand for legal cannabis is rising across the North American region.



North America Legal Cannabis Market Trends



At present, the increasing consumer preference from conventional treatment to cannabis-based treatments represents one of the key factors impelling the growth of the market in the North American region. Besides this, the growing demand for cannabis to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression among individuals is offering a positive market outlook across the region. In addition to this, several banks are approving loans for marijuana businesses to enhance the production process, which is supporting the growth of the market in the region.



Moreover, the increasing utilization of legal cannabis to treat several chronic diseases, such as epileptic seizures, chronic pain, and Alzheimer's, among individuals is propelling the growth of the market in the North American region. Apart from this, the wide availability of legal cannabis through various distribution channels, such as regulated dispensaries, recreational stores, and stand-alone retailers, is positively influencing the market. Additionally, there is a rise in the demand for cannabis for recreational use among the masses.



This, coupled with the increasing utilization of hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) in the skincare and the cosmetic industry, is offering lucrative growth opportunities to industry investors in the region. Furthermore, the rising demand for marijuana oils and tinctures for treating vomiting and nausea problems among individuals is strengthening the growth of the market in the North American region.

The report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of the competitive landscape in the North America legal cannabis market. Competitive analysis such as market structure, market share by key players, player positioning, top winning strategies, competitive dashboard, and company evaluation quadrant has been covered in the report. Also, detailed profiles of all major companies have been provided.



Key Market Segmentation



This report provides an analysis of the key trends in each sub-segment of the North America legal cannabis market report, along with forecasts at the regional and country level from 2024-2032. The report has categorized the market based on products derived and distribution channel.

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the North America legal cannabis market based on the products derived. This includes marijuana, industrial hemp, and others. According to the report, marijuana represented the largest segment.

A detailed breakup and analysis of the North America legal cannabis market based on the distribution channel has also been provided in the report. This includes regulated dispensary, recreational stores, stand-alone retailers, and others. According to the report, regulated dispensary accounted for the largest market share.

Key Questions Answered in This Report

How big is the North America legal cannabis market?

What is the expected growth rate of the North America legal cannabis market during 2024-2032?

What are the key factors driving the North America legal cannabis market?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the North America legal cannabis market?

What is the breakup of the North America legal cannabis market based on the products derived?

What is the breakup of the North America legal cannabis market based on the distribution channel?

What are the key regions in the North America legal cannabis market?

Who are the key players/companies in the North America legal cannabis market?

Key Attributes:





Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 124 Forecast Period 2023 - 2032 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $35.6 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2032 $298.5 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 26.6% Regions Covered North America

Key Players

22nd Century Group Inc.

Medical Marijuana Inc

Hemp Inc.

Axim Biotechnologies Inc.

Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Canopy Growth Corporation

Aphria Inc.

Aurora Cannabis Inc.

Abcann Medicinals Inc.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/iylug0

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.

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MAPLE GROVE, Minn., May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TopLine Financial Credit Union , a Twin Cities-based member-owned financial services cooperative , held their third annual diaper and wipe drive during the month of April benefitting three local non-profits, Avenues for Youth, Karen Organization of Minnesota and YMCA of the North Youth and Family Services. TopLine members and employees generously donated diapers, wipes, and other baby care items to help bring comfort to families in need in our local communities.



Employees were able to participate by donating baby care items and money in exchange for a Foundation Friday/Saturday sticker, allowing them to wear jeans to work. TopLine and community members could also purchase items from the credit unions Amazon Wishlist or Target Registry and have them delivered directly to TopLine, and in return delivered to our charitable partners. When the program ended employees and members had donated 27 packs of diapers, 55 wipe packs and $835 in cash to assist local families.

We are committed to connecting with our community non-profit partners to help fulfill needs they are experiencing, says Mick Olson, TopLine President and CEO. Our people-first philosophy is supported and demonstrated by all our generous donors, and we are grateful for their compassion in helping others through challenging times.

Avenues for Youth provides emergency shelter, short-term housing and supportive services for homeless youth in a safe and nurturing environment. There are over 6,000 homeless youth in Minnesota each night. Avenues shelters in Brooklyn Park and Minneapolis help over 300 youth. Visit www.avenuesforyouth.org to learn more.

Karen Organization of Minnesota provides refugees with resources and programs to remove barriers and achieve economic, social and cultural well-being. Visit https://mnkaren.org to learn more.

The YMCA of the North Youth and Family Services is a leading nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. To Learn more about the Ys mission and work, visit ymcanorth.org/youthandfamilyservices.

TopLine Financial Credit Union , a Twin Cities-based credit union, is Minnesotas 11th largest credit union, with assets over $845 million and serves over 51,000 members. Established in 1935, the not-for-profit financial cooperative offers a complete line of financial services from its five branch locations  in Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Maple Grove, Plymouth and in St. Pauls Como Park  as well as by phone, mobile app and online at www.TopLinecu.com . Membership is available to anyone who lives, works, worships, attends school or volunteers in Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Washington and Wright counties in Minnesota and their immediate family members. Visit us on our Facebook or Instagram. To learn more about the credit unions foundation, visit www.TopLinecu.com/Foundation.

CONTACT:

Vicki Roscoe Erickson

Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer

TopLine Financial Credit Union

verickson@toplinecu.com | 763.391.0872

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8d575f56-83ac-49c0-a599-44b8bf6cdf5f
Dublin, May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Building Automation Market Overview, 2024-29" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global building automation systems (BAS) market is experiencing unprecedented growth, with projections to exceed USD 175 billion by 2029. A compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.22% from 2024 to 2029 underscores the dynamic evolution of this sector.

Driven by advancements in sustainable practices, the Internet of Things (IoT), and digitalization, BAS is reshaping the operation of residential, commercial, and industrial environments to prioritize energy efficiency, comfort, and sustainability.



Technological Innovations Spearheading the Market



The integration of BAS with AI, data analytics, and IoT devices advances the predictive capabilities and operational efficiency within buildings. This integration facilitates the shift towards smart buildings and cities, showcasing enhanced convenience, automation, and energy management. Occupants benefit from remote accessibility via smartphones and centralized dashboards help managers unlock insights into usage trends and operational effectiveness.



Challenges and Trends in Building Automation



As the BAS market surges forward, complexities of integration and a lack of standardization emerge as significant challenges impacting full BAS deployment. On the positive side, increased IoT adoption and cloud-based solutions mark the latest trends in the industry. COVID-19 has caused a pivot in the BAS sector, heightening the need for remote monitoring capabilities and emphasizing the necessity of maintaining airflow quality within buildings. Social distancing protocols have elevated the demand for touchless interfaces and controls, which BAS is already poised to provide.



Rising Energy Efficiency and Sustainability



Energy efficiency remains a central driver of BAS adoption. Building Energy Management Software (BEMS) is expected to witness rapid growth within the BAS market, providing analytical power and optimization opportunities essential for sustainable building operations. These systems play a critical role in forecasting energy demand, revealing patterns, and suggesting interventions for heightened efficiency.



Advancements in Wireless Technology and Industrial Applications



Wireless technologies are predicted to advance swiftly within the BAS market due to their adaptability and lower infrastructure requirements. Industrial applications are notably contributing to the expansion of the market, as BAS becomes integral to energy management and operational efficiency in complex industrial settings.



Regional Insights and Industry Innovations



Among regions, the Middle East & Africa are poised for significant growth in the BAS market, spurred by urban development, infrastructure projects, and smart city endeavors. Moreover, technological developments across the industry, with new product introductions and service enhancements, outline the trajectory of the market. Key industry players are investing in innovative solutions to ensure security, optimize energy, and enhance system functionality for various applications.

The BAS market is characterized by a landscape of collaborations and strategic evolutions, with industry leaders expanding their portfolios to include cloud-based technologies and cybersecurity measures, all aimed at further propelling the industrys growth and cementing its role in crafting the eco-friendly and intelligent buildings of the future.



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/zg84of

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.
Charleston, SC, May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For a unique picture book that teaches fun, respect for animals, and the importance of family, consider the newly published Kevin the Raccoon and Friends.

In this adorable picture book, readers get to meet Kevin, an orphaned raccoon, and his friends Opie Opossum and Freddy the Squirrel. All three animals were orphaned as babies, but their new life begins at the home of John and Jessica. Together, the three unusual pets become family with each other and their new parents.

Children, parents, and more will delight in the adorable animal antics of Kevin the Raccoon and Friends. It tells the real-life story of authors John and Jessica Harpers adoption of an abandoned raccoon and capturing their pets amusing activities. The vivid picture book even includes real photos of the three main characters

Through Kevin the Raccoon and Friends, children will learn compassion for animals while realizing just how quickly animals can become a part of the family.

Kevin the Raccoon and Friends is available for purchase online at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com. For more information about the author, please visit any of their social media platforms

Facebook  Kevin the Raccoon, Possums Plus

TikTok  Possums Plus

YouTube  Possums Plus

About the Author:

John and Jessica Harper own a wildlife rescue in South Carolina. Kevin, Opie, and Freddy are real life survivors that are non-releasable. This book is dedicated not only to them but to children everywhere, with the hope it will teach them compassion, love and acceptance for all animals as well as themselves.

Media Contact: possumsonly@gmail.com

Available for interviews: Authors, John and Jessica Harper

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Dakar, Senegal (PANA) - Nearly 100 humanitarian, civil society, human rights organizations and members of the #KeepItOn coalition, have launched an urgent appeal for the re-establishment of telecommunications infrastructure across Sudan
LAS VEGAS, May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In celebration of the arrival of Deadheads to Las Vegas, Thrive Cannabis Marketplace and its adjacent lounge, Smoke & Mirrors, are excited to announce a unique collaboration with Garcia Hand Picked, a collection of cannabis products and merchandise created in partnership with The Garcia Family to honor the legacy of Jerry Garcia. This partnership coincides with the much-anticipated residency, adding a special touch of music history and cannabis culture to the Las Vegas Strip.



Thrive Cannabis Marketplace, located on Sammy Davis Jr Drive, will feature an exclusive stock of Garcia Hand Picked pre-rolls and infused pre-rolls. You can stick around and step into "Garcia's Green Room" at Smoke & Mirrors, adjacent to Thrive, and immerse yourself in the ultimate pre-show experience.





Before each show, the lounge will deliver a full playlist of Jerrys music, setting the perfect mood for fans to connect and indulge in camaraderie. With a custom Garcia-inspired cannabis-infused beverage, the Electric Kool-Aid, alongside Garcia Hand Picked pre-rolls and infused options, this is the place to get into the groove before hitting the concert. Plus, don't miss the chance to explore the full range of Garcia Hand Picked merchandise at the pop-up store within Thrive. It's more than just a dispensary; it's a destination for like-minded fans to come together and celebrate the spirit of Jerry Garcia.

Highlights of the collaboration include:

Exclusive Product Launch: Garcia Hand Pickeds renowned pre-rolls and infused pre-rolls available exclusively at Thrive on the Strip and at Smoke & Mirrors Cannabis Lounge.

Merchandise Pop-Up: A full range of Garcia Hand Picked apparel and accessories.

Garcia's Green Room: A thematic takeover of Smoke & Mirrors, turning it into a haven for Deadheads.

Notable Happenings: Show ticket giveaways and memorabilia raffles.

Mitch Britten, CEO of Thrive Cannabis Marketplace, expressed his excitement. Coming from a family of Deadheads  Im honored to open our doors to Garcia Hand Picked to create a one-of-a-kind opportunity for fans like us to enjoy a consumption space as unique as Vegas filled with all of the sights, sounds, and everything else youd expect before a memorable show at the Sphere! Our team, along with Garcia Hand Picked have created a really cool offering and an amazing assortment of products that everyone is sure to love.

We created Garcia Hand Picked because cannabis has always been a part of our family. Our father would light up a joint with his friends and have a good laugh. Sharing a joint has always been a meaningful exchange in our home and at shows, said Trixie Garcia, daughter of the late Jerry Garcia. We are very excited to have a presence in Las Vegas this summer, and Garcia Hand Picked is pleased to supply the people with some superior cannabis during their stay. May it help you take your experience to the next level! Relax, unwind, and open up; this chapter of stoned American history includes the tale of Jerry Garcia, and may his legacy live on! We invite you to join the family and take a trip with us, one joint at a time! With love, Trixie Garcia.

The collaboration will kick off on May 16th and run through July 13th, aligning with the concert dates at the Sphere, which promises an immersive audiovisual experience unlike any other in Las Vegas.

For more information about the collaboration, the products, and special events during this period, please visit the website links below.

About Thrive Cannabis Marketplace

Thrive is dedicated to providing a broad selection of high-quality cannabis products in a modern and welcoming environment, serving both the local community and visitors on the Las Vegas Strip. For more information, please visit www.thrivenevada.com.

About Smoke & Mirrors

Adjacent to Thrive, Smoke & Mirrors offers a sophisticated lounge experience for cannabis enthusiasts looking to relax and enjoy their purchases in comfort and style. Whether you're here to savor our premium cannabis flower or to indulge in a unique beverage experience, we've got something special for everyone. For more information, please visit smokeandmirrorslv.com.

About Garcia Hand Picked

Garcia Hand Picked is a collection of cannabis products and merchandise created to honor the legacy of Jerry Garcia. From plant genetics to packaging design and marketing, Garcia Hand Picked has been carefully curated by The Garcia Family in collaboration with Holistic Industries to create an inspired cannabis experience thats the highest quality, spontaneous, harmonious, and can bring people together in the way only Jerry could. Garcia Hand Picked is available in Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. For more information, please visit garciahandpicked.com.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5a881284-f88f-4aac-a6ea-18511d052292




EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J., May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- May is Stroke Awareness Month, and starting this May patients in the Appalachian Highlands region of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia will be able to receive the fastest response to stroke care. Ballad Health, a 20-hospital health improvement organization serving the mostly rural region, is entering into a strategic partnership with Sevaro Health, to integrate Sevaro's revolutionary teleneurology services into their emergency departments.

With Sevaro's OneCall system, Ballad Health is set to deliver the fastest stroke response times in the nation, ensuring patients have immediate access to highly trained vascular and neurocritical care neurologists when every second counts.

Ballad Health, uniquely created to address health disparities and outcomes in rural areas, remains steadfast in its commitment to innovation and quality care. Its collaboration with Sevaro Health is a testament to Ballad Health's dedication to integrating state-of-the-art technology and specialized clinical expertise, aiming to substantially elevate the health services provided to the communities it serves.





"As a native of Virginia, the opportunity to partner with Ballad Health is both a professional and personal honor," expressed Branden Robinson, Chief Growth Officer of Sevaro Health. By choosing Sevaro as their system-wide teleneurology partner, it is clear that the leadership of Ballad Health wants to continue to offer the best level of neurological care for their patients.

Sevaro Health is at the forefront of teleneurology, renowned for its exceptional 45-second response times and dedication to helping health systems scale their neurological services. As a neurologist-led virtual neurology company, Sevaro expertly addresses the challenges hospitals face, enabling them to concentrate on patient care rather than technology. Their proficiency in integrating with hospitals' existing EHRs, utilizing AI imaging platforms, and compatibility with current televideo software streamlines processes, enhancing the capacity of healthcare facilities to provide critical care promptly and efficiently.

To provide healthcare in rural areas  already beset with challenges in geography and transportation, and now complicated by burgeoning shortages in certain physician specialties such as neurology and neurosurgery  we have to look at innovative, advanced solutions, said Dr. Mark Wilkinson, MD, chief medical officer for Ballad Healths digital health and hospital-based programs. The ability to leverage technology and expertise, working alongside our partners with Sevaro, will create an environment where we can not only increase access to lifesaving healthcare, but improve it and further the overall well-being of our region.

As we observe Stroke Awareness Month, Ballad Health and Sevaro Health are dedicated to the health and wellbeing of the communities in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. We advocate for stroke education and the importance of rapid response, highlighting the B.E.F.A.S.T acronym as a vital tool for recognizing the signs of a stroke and what to do if you recognize them.

Remember:

B - Balance: Watch for sudden loss of balance

E - Eyes: Check for vision loss or impaired vision

F - Face: Look for facial droop or uneven smile

A - Arm: Check if one arm is weak

S - Speech: Listen for slurred speech

T - Time: If you observe any of these signs, call 911 immediately

Together, we are elevating the standard of care and offering peace of mind that world-class stroke treatment is just a moment away.

About Sevaro Health

Sevaro Health stands at the forefront of the teleneurology and medical technology landscape, committed to delivering expert virtual neurological care that is rooted in compassion, collaboration, and data-driven telemedicine. Our services are designed to empower partner hospitals and healthcare systems, enhancing their capacity to provide superior neurological care and save lives.

At the heart of our innovation is Synapse 2.0, a game-changing solution in the world of virtual neurology. This technology streamlines acute care by connecting hospital staff directly to an on-call vascular neurologist within 45 seconds, bypassing traditional call centers.

Furthermore, Synapse 2.0 allows for seamless documentation, connection to EMRs, video platforms and imaging solutions like Brainomix, Rapid AI and Viz.AI. In emergency neurological care, where every second counts, this rapid response capability is not just innovative  its life-saving.

Our mission is driven by a commitment to empower patients by breaking down geographical barriers in access to healthcare. Through our pioneering approach and continuous innovation, Sevaro Health is redefining the standards of telemedicine and neurological care.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/987e052d-30e2-4654-8767-9b26056b20c9
SYRACUSE, N.Y., May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- U.S. Rep. Brandon Williams (NY-22) toured HIIs engineering facility in downtown Syracuse on Monday.



HIIs Mission Technologies division employs approximately 200 engineers and technicians in Syracuse and Rome, specializing in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) as well as electronic warfare. The Syracuse facility serves as a hub for integrating various technologies crucial for supporting all branches of the U.S. military and other national security agencies.

I was excited to see the cutting-edge technologies that support our warfighters being developed right here in Central New York, Williams said. The work on electromagnetic warfare, sensors and control systems here in Syracuse, supporting our Army and Navy, is increasingly relevant as we seek to deter the advances of our adversaries. Im proud of this facilitys strong contributions to our national defense and look forward to supporting these programs, along with the rest of our districts priorities, in the upcoming Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act and defense appropriations bill.

Andy Green, executive vice president of HII and president of Mission Technologies, said, HII is honored to have hosted Congressman Brandon Williams and to demonstrate the pride we have in delivering the advantage to our Department of Defense and national security customers.





Photos accompanying this release are available at: https://hii.com/news/u-s-representative-williams-tours-hii-syracuse-technology-facility/.

HII develops integrated solutions that enable todays connected, all-domain force. Capabilities include C5ISR systems and operations; the application of AI and machine learning to battlefield decisions; defensive and offensive cyberspace strategies and electronic warfare; unmanned autonomous systems; live, virtual, constructive training solutions; fleet modernization; and critical nuclear operations.

About HII

HII is a global, all-domain defense provider. HIIs mission is to deliver the worlds most powerful ships and all-domain solutions in service of the nation, creating the advantage for our customers to protect peace and freedom around the world. As the nations largest military shipbuilder, and with a more than 135-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities extending from ships to unmanned systems, cyber, ISR, AI/ML and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HIIs workforce is 44,000 strong. For more information, visit:

HII on the web: https://www.HII.com/

HII on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamHII

HII on X: https://www.twitter.com/WeAreHII

HII on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/WeAreHII

Contact:

Greg McCarthy

(202) 264-7126

gregory.j.mccarthy@hii-co.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1d6a2251-972e-4f62-ad93-66da79acf125
Chapel Hill, N.C., May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Carolina Meadows, one of the Southeasts leading continuing care retirement communities, located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, announced today its inclusion on U.S. News & World Reports lists of Best Independent Living and Best Assisted Living.

It is a huge honor to be named to both of these prestigious lists, said Kevin McLeod, President and Chief Executive Officer of Carolina Meadows. This recognition validates that were delivering on our mission every day to enrich and improve the lives of residents and those connected to our community. A heartfelt thanks goes out to our phenomenal staff whose compassion, attention to detail and hard work is responsible for creating our communitys special culture.

For its lists, U.S. News & World Report defines Independent Living as communities for seniors who can live on their own and do not require outside assistance, while Assisted Living refers to communities for those who need some help with the activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, and transferring from bed to chair or toilet.

To determine which communities should earn a place on its lists, U.S. News & World Report conducted satisfaction surveys among residents and their family members at 4,000 senior living communities nationwide in 2023. Respondents weighed in on their perceptions of safety, value, caregiving, management, staff, food and dining, and activities. The surveys data identified communities that excel at making residents feel safe, well cared for and highly satisfied with the services they receive.

Were hyper-focused on the well-being and enjoyment of each and every resident, said Ben Cornthwaite, Chief Operating Officer of Carolina Meadows. We want them to be able to lead a fulfilling and comfortable life in our community, and this award signals to families that their loved ones are in excellent hands.

For decades, U.S. News & World Report's rankings have served as a valuable reference for consumers when making life's toughest decisions on health care, college and more. In 2022, it began publishing its Best Senior Living lists to help families compare providers of independent living, assisted living, memory care and continuing care.



For more information about Carolina Meadows, visit https://us60.dayforcehcm.com/CandidatePortal/en-US/carolinameadows.



About Carolina Meadows

Carolina Meadows is a premier, non-profit retirement community in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Founded in 1985, Carolina Meadows offers a vibrant, engaging lifestyle for seniors on a beautiful 166-acre campus. The community offers a range of living options, including 476 independent living homes, 64 assisted living apartments, a 14-bed memory care household and a 90-bed skilled nursing facility. Carolina Meadows is committed to providing its residents with exceptional care, amenities and services, while fostering a strong sense of resident engagement where residents take an active role in its governance through its non-profit Residents Association and volunteer, community-based Board of Directors.



About U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report is a multifaceted digital media company dedicated to helping consumers, business leaders and policy officials make important decisions in their lives. It uses world-class data and technology to publish independent reporting, rankings, journalism and advice that have earned the trust of readers and users for more than 90 years. Its platforms on usnews.com include Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars, Real Estate, Careers, News and 360 Reviews.







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Charlestown, St. Kitts & Nevis, May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jake P. Noch Family Office, LLC. today announced that it has filed a complaint in the Circuit/County Court of the Twentieth Judicial Circuit, in and for Collier County, Florida (Case #: 11-2024-CA-000998-0001-XX), seeking custodianship of Baron Capital Enterprise, Inc. (OTC: BCAP).

The complaint alleges the necessity for custodianship to ensure the proper management and safeguarding of assets and interests associated with Baron Capital Enterprise, Inc. It asserts that custodianship is in the best interest of all stakeholders, including shareholders, employees, and other relevant parties.

It is important to note that the filing of the complaint does not guarantee the outcome, and custodianship proceedings are subject to court approval. Jake P. Noch Family Office, LLC. remains committed to adhering to all legal procedures and requirements throughout the process.

"We have taken this step with the utmost consideration for the well-being of all parties involved," said Jake P. Noch, Founder and Managing Director of Jake P. Noch Family Office, LLC. "Our primary objective is to ensure the stability and integrity of Baron Capital Enterprise, Inc., and we believe that custodianship is necessary to achieve this goal."

The complaint asserts that the appointment of a custodian will facilitate the preservation of assets, the protection of interests, and the restoration of confidence in the management and operations of Baron Capital Enterprise, Inc.

Jake P. Noch Family Office, LLC. emphasizes its commitment to transparency and compliance with all legal and regulatory obligations throughout the custodianship proceedings.

About Jake P. Noch Family Office, LLC. https://www.jakepnoch.com/

Jake P. Noch Family Office, LLC. is a single-family office with no outside clients, dedicated to strategically investing in Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) and fostering the growth of emerging companies. Our firm specializes in guiding these ventures towards successful exits through public market mergers, leveraging our expertise and resources to maximize their potential.

At Jake P. Noch Family Office, LLC., we are more than just investors - we are partners committed to the long-term success of the companies we support. Through continuous financial backing facilitated by court approved 3(a)(10) mechanisms, we provide ongoing support to ensure sustained growth and prosperity, driving value creation and innovation in the businesses we invest in.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release contains certain 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, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created thereby. Investors are cautioned that, all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, the ability of Jake P. Noch Family Office, LLC. to accomplish its stated plan of business. Jake P. Noch Family Office, LLC. believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate, and therefore, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements included in this press release will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by Jake P. Noch Family Office, LLC., or any other person.

Non-Legal Advice Disclosure:

This press release does not constitute legal advice, and readers are advised to seek legal counsel for any legal matters or questions related to the content herein.

Non-Investment Advice Disclosure:

This communication is intended solely for informational purposes and does not in any way imply or constitute a recommendation or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any securities, commodities, bonds, options, derivatives, or any other investment products. Any decisions related to investments should be made after thorough research and consultation with a qualified financial advisor or professional. We assume no liability for any actions taken or not taken based on the information provided in this communication

Contact: investors@ProMusicRights.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JPNFamilyOffice

SOURCE: Jake P. Noch Family Office, LLC.
FLORHAM PARK, N.J., May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For the twelfth consecutive year, BASF has been named one of Fair360s Top 50 Companies, ranking number 22 on the list in 2024. BASF was also recognized this year as a Top Company for Sponsorship, a Top Company for Latino Executives, and a Top Company for Executive Fairness Councils. Fair360 announced the 2024 list during its annual Top 50 Companies event on May 13, 2024, in New York City.



"Diversity, equity and inclusion are fundamental to attracting and retaining the best team, and ultimately to our companys success," said Michael Heinz, Chairman and CEO, BASF Corporation, and Member of the Board of Executive Directors, BASF SE. "We are committed to building a culture at BASF where everyone feels seen, heard and valued  for their contributions, for who they are as individuals and for the unique perspectives they bring to their work  all of which makes us stronger."

Our DEI strategy is focused on delivering competitive advantages and creating an inclusive work environment where people of all backgrounds can be their most authentic selves and contribute their biggest ideas, said Tejuana Edmond, Vice President, Plastic Additives Americas at BASF, who presented at the marquee event. At BASF, we rely on the full and combined power of our teams diverse perspectives to support our customers in the best way possible every day.

Since 2001, The Fair360 Top 50 survey has been the external benchmark and validator for large U.S. employers that model fairness in their talent strategy, workplace and supplier diversity practices and philanthropic engagement. This year, 160 employers, with roughly 7.3 million U.S. employees, submitted data and metrics on leadership accountability, human capital diversity, talent programs, workplace practices, supplier diversity and philanthropy.

Im delighted to recognize the companies on the Top 50 list for their ongoing commitment to workplace fairness, said Luke Visconti, Founder and Chairman of Fair360. The data shows that over the long-term, companies that consistently put their employees first and have strong track records of respecting and embracing diversity, equity and inclusion, are stronger performers and better equipped to adapt to market conditions.

To view the entire Fair360 Top 50 list, visit www.fair360.com/top50.

For more information about methodology, visit www.Fair360.com/Methodology.

About Fair360

Fair360, formerly known as DiversityInc, leverages comparative human capital data to help organizations develop fair and inclusive workplaces utilizing benchmarking and best practices. Its mission is to provide committed leaders with insights to drive an effective workforce planning strategy, ensuring equity for all employees. Fair360 is a VA-certified and veteran-owned business. It is certified by Disability:IN as a company owned by a person with a disability. For more information, visit the Fair360 website, X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook and LinkedIn.

About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has approximately 16,000 employees in North America and had sales of $20.5 billion in 2023. For more information about BASFs North American operations, visit www.basf.com/us.

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 112,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of 68.9 billion in 2023. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com.
VANCOUVER, B.C., May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Innovate BC is pleased to welcome Emilie de Rosenroll as the new Chair of its Board of Directors, effective May 14, 2024.

With nearly two decades of leadership experience in multi-stakeholder organizations, de Rosenroll has built and structured many partnerships with government and industry. She brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in innovation-led organizations to her role as Board Chair for B.C.s crown agency dedicated to advancing innovation across the province. Prior to this appointment, de Rosenroll has served on Innovate BCs Board of Directors since July 2021.

Im pleased to welcome Emilie de Rosenroll as the new board chair for Innovate BC, said Brenda Bailey, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation. Emilies expertise in public-private partnerships and her economic development experience will go a long way to support B.C. innovators and their companies to grow. The importance of innovation to B.C.s economy cannot be overstated. I would also like to give a heartfelt thank you to outgoing chair Andrew Petter for his leadership at Innovate BC and wish him every success in his future projects.

We are thrilled to welcome Emilie de Rosenroll as the new Board Chair of Innovate BC, said Peter Cowan, President + CEO, Innovate BC. Emilie is a visionary leader with an extensive background in high impact programming and will be invaluable in shaping our organizations strategic direction, helping to fulfil its mission of establishing B.C. as a global innovation leader.

de Rosenroll currently serves as the Chief Growth Officer of Atreides, a data analytics platform company in the defence and intelligence sector. Prior to joining Atreides, she served as Founding CEO of South Island Prosperity Partnership, Greater Victorias economic development partnership, and Startup CEO of COAST (Center of Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies). Additionally, she consulted as the lead architect to the Government of Nova Scotia on restructuring and launching six new economic development organizations.

Its an honour to be appointed the new Board Chair for Innovate BC, said de Rosenroll. Innovate BC is a vital institution within British Columbias innovation ecosystem, helping to build an inclusive, sustainable, and prosperous economy. Im grateful for the leadership and support of our outgoing Chair Andrew Petter, who has left a strong foundation and an invigorated organization to help propel us forward.

de Rosenroll is an accomplished and decorated contributor to B.C.s business community, holding an Institute of Corporate Directors designation, receiving the 2020 Business in Vancouver Forty Under 40 award, the 2022 Victoria Community Leadership Award for Belonging and Engagement, and recognition as a Woman of Influence western finalist for the 2022 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards.

Innovate BC would also like to thank Andrew Petter, outgoing Chair, as well as outgoing board members Lesley Esford, Michael Fergusson, and Gail Murphy for their dedicated service.

On behalf of Innovate BC, Id like to express our gratitude to Andrew and those with terms coming to an end for their outstanding commitment and contributions to advancing B.C.s innovation economy, said Cowan. "Andrew helped to guide the organization through the successful launch and execution of many important programs and his leadership and guidance have been instrumental in further establishing Innovate BC as a key driver for our ecosystem."

About Innovate BC

A Crown Agency of British Columbia, Innovate BC works to foster innovation across the province and bolster the growth of the local economy through delivering a wide range of programs that help companies start and scale, access talent and encourage technology development, commercialization, and adoption. Innovate BC also harnesses crucial data collection and research, and works to forge strategic industry and community partnerships that create more opportunities for B.C. innovators.

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WINNIPEG, Manitoba, May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (TSX Symbol: NWC): The North West Company Inc. (North West) will hold its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, at 11:30 a.m. (Central Time) (the Meeting) by virtualonly meeting via live audio webcast online at https://web.lumiagm.com/454508265. The webcast will be archived and available at www.northwest.ca.



North West is also hosting a conference call for its first quarter results on June 5, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. (Central Time). To access the call, please dial 1-800-952-5114 or 416-406-0743 with a pass code of 4938005#. The conference call will be archived and can be accessed on or before July 5, 2024, by dialing 1-800-408-3053 or 905-694-9451 with a pass code of 5582360#.

Corporate Profile

The North West Company Inc., through its subsidiaries, is a leading retailer of food and everyday products and services to rural communities and urban neighbourhoods in Canada, Alaska, the South Pacific and the Caribbean. North West operates 227 stores under the trading names Northern, NorthMart, Giant Tiger, Alaska Commercial Company, Cost-U-Less and RiteWay Food Markets and has annualized sales of approximately CAD$2.5 billion.

For further information, please contact: John D. King, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, of The North West Company Inc. at (204) 934-1397 or by email at jking@northwest.ca.

Visit: www.northwest.ca
Voltalia launches its third employee share purchase plan

Voltalia (Euronext Paris, ISIN code: FR0011995588), an international player in renewable energies, announces the launch of its third employee share purchase plan

Through its third employee share purchase plan, Voltalia offers a new opportunity for eligible employees to participate in the company's growth and success. This plan reflects Voltalia's firm commitment to attract and retain the talents that embodie its mission and contribute to its value creation.

With this operation, Voltalia enters a new stage after the introduction of the profit-sharing scheme at the end of 2017, followed by its first year of application in 2018 and the launch of the employee share purchase plan in spring 2019 and 2022.

The previous employee shareholding plans had enjoyed strong support from employees with a participation rate of 70%, positioning the company among those with the highest participation rate for a program with an international scope, according to figures from the French Federation of Employee Shareholder Associations (FAS).

This third plan offers existing shares reserved for employees of the Voltalia Group in France, Brazil, Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal and the United Kingdom. Eligible employees will thus be able to purchase Voltalia SA shares on attractive terms, within the framework of the Voltalia group savings plan.

The subscription period opens on May 15 and closes on May 29, 2024 included.

Sebastien Clerc, CEO of Voltalia, comments: " Voltalia's mission and remarkable development are both supported by the commitment of our employees. I am delighted to see eligible employees being offered the opportunity to once again be associated with the group's value creation."

Operation details

Issuer

VOLTALIA SA

Euronext Paris (France) - compartment A

Ordinary share ISIN code: FR0011995588

Security admitted to Voltalia's Deferred Settlement Service (SRD)

Objective of the transaction - reasons for the offer: On December 13, 2023, Voltalia's Board of Directors approved the implementation of an employee share purchase plan for the year 2024. This offer of existing shares under the Voltalia group savings plan is offered to employees of the Group who are eligible for the Voltalia group employee share purchase plan in France, Brazil, Greece, Italy, Portugal Spain and the United Kingdom. The shares will be subscribed by employees through an FCPE in France, Brazil, Portugal and the United-Kingdom and directly in Greece, Italy and Spain.

Shares offered

The transaction takes the form of a transfer of shares to employees within the limit of 300,000 shares.

The Board of Directors has set the subscription price on May 13, 2024 at 6.39, representing a 20% discount to the reference price (7.98). This reference price is obtained from the average of the opening prices quoted during the 20 trading days preceding the date on which the subscription price is set on May 13, 2024, i.e. between April 12, 2024 and May 10, 2024 included.

The conversion rates retained for the whole subscription period are:

EUR/BRL = 5.5133

EUR/GBP = 0.85712

Conditions of subscription

The beneficiaries

The beneficiaries of the offer of existing shares are employees of the Voltalia group, with permanent, fixed-term, full-time or part-time contracts, eligible for the Voltalia group savings plan in France, Brazil, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom, with at least three months' seniority between January 1, 2023 at the last day of the subscription period.

The companies included in the scope of the offer are Voltalia and its majority owned companies, which are related to it within the meaning of Article L. 225-180 of the French Commercial Code and Article L. 3344-1 of the French Labour Code, which have subscribed to the Voltalia group savings plan and whose registered offices are located in France, Brazil, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom.

The proposed subscription formula

Beneficiaries may subscribe at a 20% discount to the share price observed during the reference period for all eligible employees and a matching contribution under the group savings plan.

Beneficiaries who subscribe to the offer will be exposed to fluctuations in the share price, both upwards and downwards (the investment is therefore exposed to a risk of capital loss and to the risk of exchange rates (for countries outside the euro zone).

Other subscription conditions

The current operation is an offer of existing shares.

Terms of subscription: the shares are subscribed through a FCPE in France, Brazil, Portugal and the United-Kingdom and directly in Greece, Italy and Spain.

Matching contribution: a distinction is made between eligible employees who already participated in the Voltalia employee share purchase plan in 2019 or 2022 and first-time eligible employees:

Eligible Category Subscription amount Amount Maximum Amount Eligible Up to a subscription amount of 500 100% subscription top-up 500 Eligible first-time buyer Up to a subscription amount of 500 200% subscription top-up 1,000

Minimum subscription threshold: 50.

Subscription ceiling: the annual payments made by the beneficiaries of the offer may not exceed 25% of their gross annual remuneration, up to a limit of 5,000.

Voting rights: each employee shareholder exercises the voting rights attached to the shares he/she holds (directly or through the FCPE).

Dividends: the subscribed shares entitle the holder to dividends during the period of investment, if such a decision was made at the general meeting of shareholders.

Lock-up of Voltalia shares: subscribers to the offering will have to keep their shares for 5 years until

June 1, 2029, unless an early release event occurs.

Timetable of the operation

Subscription period: May 15, 2024 (included) to May 29, 2024 (included)

Settlement-delivery of the shares: expected on June 27, 2024

Specific mention for the international market

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy VOLTALIA shares. The offer of VOLTALIA shares to employees will only be made in countries where such an offer has been registered with the competent local authorities and/or following the approval of a prospectus by the competent local authorities, or in the context of an exemption from the obligation to prepare a prospectus or to register the offer. More generally, the offer will only be made in countries where all required registrations and/or notifications have been made and approvals obtained. This press release is not intended for, and copies thereof should not be sent to, countries in which such a prospectus has not been approved or such an exemption is not available or in which all required registrations and/or notifications have not yet been made or authorisations obtained.

Employee contact

For any question relating to the present offer, the beneficiaries can refer to their local contact.

Next on the agenda: Annual General Meeting, May 16, 2024

About Voltalia ( www.voltalia.com ) Voltalia is an international player in renewable energies. The Group generates and sells electricity from its wind, solar, hydro, biomass and storage facilities. It has 2.9 GW of capacity in operation and under construction, and a portfolio of projects under development with a total capacity of 16.6 GW.



Voltalia is also a service provider, supporting its renewable energy customers at every stage of their projects, from design to operation and maintenance.



A pioneer in the corporate market, Voltalia also offers a comprehensive range of services to businesses, from the supply of green electricity to energy efficiency services and the local production of its own electricity.



With over 1,850 employees in more than 20 countries on 3 continents, Voltalia has the capacity to act globally on behalf of its customers.



Voltalia is listed in compartment A of the Euronext regulated market in Paris (FR0011995588 - VLTSA) and is included in the EnterNext Tech 40, CAC Small and Euronext Tech Leaders indices. The company is also included in the Gaia-Index, the index for responsible mid-cap companies. Voltalia

Investor Relations: invest@voltalia.com

T. +33 (0)1 81 70 37 00 SEITOSEI.ACTIFIN

Press Relations: Jennifer Jullia

jennifer.jullia@seitosei-actifin.com  T. +33 (0)1 56 88 11 19

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BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI, May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Members and producers from the Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM), met in the Southeastern U.S. this month, for the groups annual conference where they presented the John Helmuth Award. Attendees joined from Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Kansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

The group was also joined by a raft of speakers that included Mississippi Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson, Deputy Assistant Attorney General at the U.S. Dept. of Justice, Michael Kades, and Andy Green, Senior Advisor to the Secretary at the U.S. Dept of Agriculture.

The John Helmuth Award  OCMs highest honor named in remembrance of OCMs late co-founder John Helmuth, and presented on select occasions  was awarded to OCM board director and secretary, Marty Irby, president and CEO of Capitol South, LLC, and Competitive Markets Action, in Washington, D.C. Helmuth was instrumental in forming OCM and laying the intellectual groundwork for analyzing meatpacker market power.

I applaud the work dedicated to the organization by Marty Irby and congratulate him on receiving the Helmuth Award this year  OCMs highest honor, said Taylor Haynes, president at OCM, and founder of the Wyoming Independent Cattle Producers Organization. Our voice and work on Capitol Hill are stronger than theyve ever been and the so-called National Cattlemens Beef Association is right in the middle of our crosshairs. We will continue to work alongside Irby and fight to defeat Chinas attempt to takeover American food production with the EATS Act and to enact the much-needed OFF Act that would reform USDAs compromised Commodity Checkoff Programs.

I am deeply humbled to receive the John Helmuth Award, have never been more surprised to have such a distinguished honor bestowed upon me, and truly believe that God is with us, said Marty Irby, secretary at OCM and president at Competitive Markets Action who is leading the groups lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C. Chinas front men and whipping boys continue to fuel my desire to work harder and make dramatic change that will improve the lives of the American family farmers that keep this country fed. Our country is on the verge of losing any remaining control we have over American food production because of the scandal-ridden USDAs Commodity Checkoff Programs, and groups like the so-called National Cattlemens Beef Association who lobbied for the repeal of Country-of-Origin Labeling.

The inscription on the Helmuth Award presented to Irby read in part:

For being a hard charging advocate for what is right.

His work was recognized by the late Queen Elizabeth II. However, it was also recognized by those who would abuse animals and livestock producers. They attacked him, attempted to shut him up by having him fired only to awaken a sleeping giant. He is known to be among the very best in his profession and has become the Energizer Bunny for OCM.

As he is so unique, his efforts in promoting independent family agriculture are legendary and consistent with the mission of this organization.

Irby was recognized by the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2020 for his work to end doping in American horse racing and abuse in the world of Tennessee Walking Horses. He is a native Alabamian from Mobile who graduated from UMS-Wright Preparatory School and the University of South Alabama, and was named one of The Hills Top Lobbyists in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2023.

Since 2023, Irby has been continuously attacked for his previous work on animal protection issues by Berman Co., whose managing partner Jack Hubbard, interestingly enough, served as the Chief Operating Officer at American Humane prior to joining Berman. Berman has long been known as Dr. Evil across the political sphere. Whats even more interesting is that Hubbard, during his time at American Humane, actually joined Irby in the Oval Office with President Donald J. Trump in 2019, for the signing of the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act that Irby lobbied for  the first federal anti-cruelty statute in American history. Hubbards cohorts at Berman Co. also led the charge against President Trump with their Never Trump movement that began in 2016 and still continues against the President in 2024.

I am proud to call Marty Irby my friend, and will continue to fight in solidarity for what is right for American family farmers, said Jonathan Buttram, OCM treasurer and president of the Alabama Contract Poultry Growers Association. Were in the best position weve ever been to make change in our food production system and are committed to achieving checkoff reform with the enactment of the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming Act.

Irby has worked for most of the past decade to see the enactment of the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming (OFF) Act, H.R. 1249 /S. 557 , led by Reps. Nancy Mace, R-SC, and Rep. Dina Titus, D-NV, and Sens. Mike Lee, R-UT, Rand Paul, R-KY, Cory Booker, D-NJ, and Elizabeth Warren, D-MA. The measure would reform the U.S. Dept. of Agricultures scandal-ridden checkoff programs that have been plagued by unethical and illegal activities for decades. OFF is backed by more than 200,000 farmers and ranchers across the country and groups like the American Grassfed Association, Contract Poultry Growers Association of the Virginias, National Taxpayers Union, and the Heritage Foundation, as well as Reps. Thomas Massie, R-KY, Alex Mooney, R-WV, Victoria Spartz, R-IN, and Mike Lawler, R-NY.

Over the past year since the Berman attacks began, Irby has led the Republican lobbying team against the Ending Agriculture Trade Suppression (EATS) Act, H.R. 4417/ S. 2019, led by Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-IA, and Sen. Roger Marshall, R-KS, that is designed to nullify state ballot measures across the country enacted by a direct vote of the people. Industrial agribusiness interests failed to secure the enactment of similar legislation led by former Rep. Steve King, R-IA, in the 2018 Farm Bill thanks to the work of OCM leaders and former House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway, R-TX, who is currently working with the Competitive Markets Groups on the issue in 2024.

Irbys lobbying efforts against EATS has helped secure two Republican-led letters to House Agriculture Committee Chairman, Glenn G.T. Thompson, R-PA, in opposition to the inclusion of EATS in the 2024 Farm Bill set to be marked up next week. The letters were led by Reps. Andrew Garbarino, R-NY, and Anna Paulina Luna, R-FL, and cosigned by House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good, R-Va., as well as Reps. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., Nancy Mace, R-S.C., Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., and Tim Burchett, R-Tenn. Andrew Garbarino, R-NY, David Valadao, R-CA, Mike Waltz, R-FL, and Nancy Mace, R-SC, was signed by Reps. Alex Mooney, R-WV, Carol Miller, R-WV, Early Buddy Carter, R-GA, Lance Gooden, R-TX, Mike Lawler, R-NY, Brian Fitzpatrick, R-PA, Young Kim, R-CA, Mike Garcia, R-CA, Tom Kean, R-NJ, Jeff Van Drew, R-NJ, and Chris Smith, R-NJ, and Vern Buchanan, R-FL.

The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Lincoln, Nebraska. The foundation of the Organization for Competitive Markets is to fight for competitive markets in agriculture for farmers, ranchers and rural communities. True competition reduces the need for economic regulation. Our mission, and our duty, is to define and advocate the proper role of government in the agricultural economy as a regulator and enforcer of rules necessary for markets that are fair, honest, accessible and competitive for all citizens.

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WEST LAFAYETTE, IN, May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Purdue University Airport (LAF) enters a new era on May 15th as it launches the first commercial air service since 2004, offering 4 weekly round-trip flights from West Lafayette to Chicago O'Hare (ORD). In addition, construction will soon begin on the new, $11.8 million, approximately 9,400-square-foot Amelia Earhart Terminal.

But LAFs proximity to Purdue University means its uniquely situated to address critical needs throughout the aviation industry. Beyond commercial air service, the airport is also a living lab, full of opportunities for Indianas second-busiest airport to supercharge the spheres of aviation, logistics and connectivity. The breadth of LAFs capabilities is a testament to the power of collaboration between academia, industry and government in achieving a common goal.

Commercial air service returns to Indianas second-busiest airport

Purdue and Surf Air Mobility Inc. (NYSE: SRFM) agreed last December to begin scheduled commuter air service between LAF and ORD. Plans for a new terminal to open in August 2025 to better serve the community coincide with the return of commercial air service.

Named for Amelia Earhart, who served as a counselor on careers for women at Purdue University and enjoyed access to the only airport at a U.S. university at the time, the terminal will include ticketing, passenger screening, baggage claims and a waiting area to comply with Transportation Security Administration and Federal Aviation Administration requirements.

Commercial air service is part of the Purdue Flies initiative which expands the Discovery Park District at Purdue, serves the Greater Lafayette community, and further accelerates economic growth in the area, says Adam Baxmeyer, director of airport operations at Purdue University Airport. The initiative honors Purdue Universitys aviation heritage by furthering the education, research, and innovation needed for the future of modern air mobility.

The lab to life model: where innovation and research take off

Whether working with Southern Airways Express to re-establish scheduled regional air service or major industry partners like Ericsson and Saab to build a 5G network research site, connecting with world-changing startups like Aerovy and Pierce Aerospace, or developing an advanced air mobility (AAM) accelerator, LAF is harnessing the power of innovation to create a robust ecosystem for aviation innovation  and enjoying tremendous growth because of it.

LAF offers a unique opportunity to advance aviation and mobility innovation and education, says Troy Hege, vice president of innovation and technology for Purdue Research Foundation, which manages the Lab to Life platform at LAF. The airport showcases an exceptional asset that is unlike anything else that exists today. Our aim is to leverage it alongside students, faculty, and industry to be a key driver of aviation and mobility innovation and education.

LAF is looking to solve some of the greatest challenges in the aviation industry for airports of all sizes and has embraced this unique selling point to serve as a neutral, in-the-wild space for the exploration and development of groundbreaking technology, i.e.  the space between  helping to bridge the gap between innovation and full-scale commercial application.

The airport is actively collaborating with industry partners and startups to tackle the aviation industry's greatest challenges and drive progress.

Solving for the future of freight and logistics

One industry hurtling towards the future at breakneck speed is freight and logistics. Smart Crossroads is Indianas answer to the problem, a pivotal ecosystem strategically connecting Purdues extensive resources  such as the Lab to Life platform and academic research within the airport  with leading industry partners. The collaborative process means the logistics industry titan Wabash joins Purdue University and other transportation fleets, 3PLs (third-party logistics), retail shippers, suppliers and pioneers in telematics, autonomous vehicles and more to ponder these far-reaching challenges.

The group is in the preliminary stages of bringing a large, complex ecosystem into information-gathering workshops. LAF hopes to serve as a critical testing ground for the aviation side of freight and logistics by supporting key industry partners. For example, Saab has installed two of its proprietary logistics platforms: Aerobahn, an operations platform for coordinating ground operations; SAFE, an integrated incident management and emergency response support tool; and air traffic surveillance in the form of ADS-B sensors and PTZ cameras.

With short flights to major business hubs, access to world-class research and tech, and major aviation industry buy-in, LAF stands to be an asset and proving ground for future Smart Crossroad efforts. The airports support of the aviation industry in all ways also serves a larger community purpose.

Beyond infrastructure: the outsized benefits of local airports

By linking people and businesses to a broader market, LAF aims to enhance the community and stimulate economic development. A U.S. Department of Commerce study found that every $1 spent at local airports adds another $2.53 to the local economy, a phenomenon known as the multiplier effect. This multiplier effect leads to increased investments in local quality of life and further boosts the economy.

As home to one of the top aviation technology and aerospace engineering programs in the country, we look forward to exploring innovation, educational and career opportunities for our students. Purdue Flies delivers on our strategy to serve the state and country, further accelerating job creation and prosperity in Greater Lafayette. And the opportunity to honor Amelia Earhart makes it even more special, said Purdue President Mung Chiang.

LAF's strategic location adjacent to the district, a 400-acre launch pad and incubator for business and technology, further amplifies the benefits of growth and innovation. Companies such as Saab, Rolls-Royce and Caterpillar have already established a presence in the district, positioning themselves to take advantage of increased connectivity and the opportunities it brings.

Setting the stage for aviation advancement

As LAF takes flight with the launch of commercial air service and the construction of the Amelia Earhart Terminal, it solidifies its position as a hub for aviation innovation, education and economic growth.

LAFs affiliation with Purdue University means its uniquely situated to solve critical problems throughout the aviation industry and its dedication to fostering collaboration and embracing groundbreaking technology sets it apart, making it a key driver of progress in the aviation industry.

About Purdue Research Foundation

Purdue Research Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation created to advance the mission of Purdue University. Established in 1930, the foundation accepts gifts; administers trusts; funds scholarships and grants; acquires and sells property; protects and licenses Purdue's intellectual property; and supports creating Purdue-connected startups on behalf of Purdue. The foundation operates Purdue Innovates which includes the Office of Technology Commercialization, Incubator and Ventures. The foundation manages the Purdue Research Park, Discovery Park District, Purdue Technology Centers and Purdue for Life Foundation.

For more information on licensing a Purdue innovation, contact the Office of Technology Commercialization at otcip@prf.org. For more information about involvement and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact Purdue Innovates at purdueinnovates@prf.org.

Media Contact:

Polly Barks, phbarks@prf.org

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Washington, DC, May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Academic freedom and freedom of expression are fundamental to higher education. Where these freedoms operate, ideas are shared, challenged, discussed, and debated without fear of retribution or censorshipeven when those ideas are unpopular, even when those ideas are offensive. Through this free exchange of ideas in pursuit of truth, knowledge advances and expands. Learning and understanding result when different points of view and deeply held beliefs are expressed freely, questioned openly, and evaluated critically. This is the essential purpose of a college or university in a diverse, democratic society.

While the boundaries of free expression are often contested, hatred and intimidation have no place on a college campus. With freedom comes responsibility, and no freedom is without reasonable limits. Yet, as places of open inquiry and inclusion, colleges and universities must treat the protection of academic freedom and freedom of expression as their highest priority. In the current context, shaped by the spread of campus protests in response to the Israel-Hamas war, this means responding to the discomfort and disruption of student activism in ways appropriate to institutions whose purpose is to educate and engage, not to discipline or silence. In doing so, they demonstrate that protecting these fundamental freedoms and ensuring both the safety of all members of the campus community and the unimpeded operation of the college or university are not mutually exclusive goals.

As college and university leaders continue to grapple with the challenges posed by the ongoing campus protests, those challenges are being compounded and widened by unprecedented political interference in higher education. Since 2021, state governments across the country have proposed or enacted restrictions on what can be taught and discussed at colleges and universities; sought to dismantle campus efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion; and targeted tenure and accreditation, key pillars upholding academic freedom and institutional autonomy. This alarming government overreach has lately moved onto the national stage, taking campus responses to the Israel-Hamas war as a pretext to exert political pressure on college and university leaders to restrict academic freedom and freedom of expression.

Next week, the US House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce will hold its third hearing ostensibly focused on antisemitism at colleges and universities. The hearing is likely to be, as the two prior hearings were, performative rather than informative and orchestrated to yield viral moments that can be used to feed a partisan narrative about higher education. Yet the hearing must be seen for what it is: a further escalation in an ongoing partisan attack on higher education that proceeds by taking aim at academic values and principles that are fundamental to advancing knowledge, developing an informed citizenry, and serving the common good. For a uniquely diverse national system of higher education whose unrivaled quality depends on a model of governance intended to shield it from direct government control and political interference, this attack constitutes an existential threat.

About AAC&U

The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) is a global membership organization dedicated to advancing the democratic purposes of higher education by promoting equity, innovation, and excellence in liberal education. Through our programs and events, publications and research, public advocacy, and campus-based projects, AAC&U serves as a catalyst and facilitator for innovations that improve educational quality and equity and that support the success of all students. In addition to accredited public and private, two-year, and four-year colleges and universities and state higher education systems and agencies throughout the United States, our membership includes degree-granting higher education institutions in more than twenty-five countries as well as other organizations and individuals. To learn more, visit www.aacu.org.
TORONTO, May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

The Canadian Animal Health Institute (CAHI) has opened public voting for the 2nd Annual Cutest Pets on Parliament Hill photo contest! The public can now choose which of the ten finalists they think deserves to be crowned this years Cutest Pet on Parliament Hill in three categories: Dog, Cat, and Other Pet.

Over the past month, CAHI received over 100 phenomenal entries from Parliamentarians, staffers, and members of the Press Gallery on Parliament Hill, who submitted adorable photos and fun bios of their beloved pets.

Facing the difficult task of choosing the finalists for the 2024 Cutest Pets on Parliament Hill was a panel of judges who are passionate about pets, including:

2023 Cutest Pets on Parliament Hill Winners: Shohei Ohtani, Matteo and Petunia

Dr. Rebecca Greenstein, Chief Veterinarian, Kleinberg Veterinary Hospital and veterinary expert on CTVs Your Morning and The Social

Dr. Enid Stiles, Chief Veterinarian, Sherwood Park Animal Hospital, and founding member of Veterinarians without Borders

Michel Picard, Radio Host, UniqueFM

This year's finalists comprise a diverse array of pets with a penchant for politics! From intricate costumes to whimsical backdrops and an assortment of six unique species in the Other Pet category, the public faces a delightful challenge in choosing who is cutest.

"Judging these incredible pets was no easy task. Each entry reflected a tremendous amount of time, effort, and creativity, showcasing the deep love and bond shared between these pets and their families. It's a testament to the significant role pets play in enriching our lives and those around us. I wish I could have chosen them all commented judge Dr. Rebecca Greenstein.

"We at CAHI are thrilled to announce the return of our beloved contest to Parliament Hill for its second consecutive year. This time around, we've expanded the number of finalists in each category from three to ten, adding an extra dose of excitement and opportunity for all participants says President and CEO, Dr. Catherine Filejski. This annual contest serves as a platform to celebrate the joy and companionship that pets bring to our lives, while also emphasizing the importance of access to essential veterinary medicines for pet owners and veterinarians across the country.

Now, CAHI is asking all Canadians to help choose 2024s "Cutest Pets on Parliament Hill". This years finalists can be viewed on the CAHI website (https://cahi-icsa.ca/cutest-pets-parliament-hill), where the public can select their favourite pet photo in each category. The winners will be announced at CAHIs Pet Gala event on June 11th in downtown Ottawa.

The competition is fierce, and each finalist will be working hard to get out the vote in their favour  vote today and have your say!

About the CAHI

Established in 1968, CAHI is the trusted, science-based voice of the Canadian animal health industry. Our members provide Canadas veterinarians and animal owners with the animal medications and tools necessary to maintain the health of our pets and food animal population. Healthier animals for a healthier Canada. www.cahi-icsa.ca.

Contact: Eleanor Hawthorn, Communications Manager

437-253-1667 ext, 105 ehawthorn@cahi-icsa.ca
ROUYN-NORANDA, Quebec, May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jack Stoch, President, Chief Executive Officer and a director of Globex Mining Enterprises Inc. (the Corporation), announces that he and his wife Dianne Stoch, a director of the Corporation, acquired an aggregate of 680,000 common shares of the Corporation (Shares) upon the exercise of stock options and that he indirectly sold 350,000 Shares in the secondary market for tax reasons. This news release is issued under the early warning provisions of the Canadian securities legislation.



Specifically, on May 13, 2024, Jack Stoch acquired 350,000 Shares at a price of $0.35 per share upon the exercise of stock options, Dianne Stoch acquired 330,000 Shares at a price of $0.35 per share upon the exercise of stock options, and Jack Stoch Geoconsultant Services Limited, a company controlled by Jack Stoch, sold 350,000 Shares at a price of $0.98 per share (collectively, the Transactions).

Immediately prior to the Transactions, Jack Stoch together with Dianne Stoch held, directly or indirectly, (i) 6,244,591 Shares, representing 11.31% of the 55,204,836 issued and outstanding Shares, and (ii) options entitling Jack Stoch and Dianne Stoch to purchase up to an aggregate of 1,565,000 Shares. Assuming the exercise of all options held by Jack Stoch and Dianne Stoch, prior to the Transactions Jack Stoch together with Dianne Stoch would have owned, directly or indirectly, 7,809,591 Shares, representing 13.76% of the Shares that would have then been issued and outstanding.

Immediately following the Transactions, Jack Stoch together with Dianne Stoch hold, directly or indirectly, (i) 6,574,591 Shares, representing 11.76% of the 55,884,836 issued and outstanding Shares, and (ii) options entitling Jack Stoch and Dianne Stoch to purchase up to an aggregate of 885,000 Shares. Assuming the exercise of all options held by Jack Stoch and Dianne Stoch, they would own, directly or indirectly, 7,129,591 Shares, representing 12.56% of the Shares that would then be issued and outstanding.

Jack Stoch and Dianne Stoch acquired the Shares described in this news release for investment purposes and Jack Stoch indirectly disposed of Shares described in this news release for tax reasons. In accordance with applicable securities laws, Jack Stoch may, from time to time and at any time, acquire additional shares and/or other equity, debt or other securities or instruments (collectively, Securities) of the Corporation in the open market or otherwise, and he reserves the right to dispose of any or all of his Securities in the open market or otherwise at any time and from time to time, and to engage in similar transactions with respect to the Securities, the whole depending on market conditions, the business and prospects of the Corporation and other relevant factors.

A copy of the early warning report to be filed by Jack Stoch in connection with the Transactions described above will be available on SEDAR+ under the Corporations profile.

For more information, contact:



Jack Stoch

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

Globex Mining Enterprises Inc.

86, 14th Street

Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec J9X 2J

E-mail: jstoch@globexmining.com
CONWAY, Ark., May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Home BancShares, Inc. (NYSE: HOMB) (Home or the Company), and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Centennial Bank (Centennial), while celebrating twenty-five years as a bank, announce some adjustments to the management team, as they look towards the future.

Stephen Tipton will assume the position of Chief Executive Officer of Centennial Bank, having served as Chief Operating Officer since 2015.

In addition to the role of Chief Lending Officer, Kevin Hester has been named as President of Home BancShares and President of Centennial Bank. Hester has served as the Companys senior lender since the Company began twenty-five years ago.

John Allison will remain as Executive Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Home BancShares, and Tracy French will remain as Chairman of Centennial Bank, with a focus on special projects, having previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer.

I would like to thank the Boards of Directors of Home BancShares and Centennial Bank for the opportunity to serve as Chief Executive Officer of Centennial Bank. Over the past 18 years, I have been blessed to work closely with Tracy French and John Allison, as our bank has transformed into one of the premier financial institutions in the United States. I am honored to work alongside our leadership team and nearly 2,700 associates as we continue our mission of consistently exceeding the expectations of our customers and shareholders while enriching the communities we serve, said Stephen Tipton, Chief Executive Officer of Centennial Bank.

It is an honor to be named President of Home BancShares and Centennial Bank, in addition to continuing my role as Chief Lending Officer. As a founding employee, I am very proud of all that we have accomplished over the last 25 years, and look forward to continuing to build on our reputation as one of the best banks in America, said Kevin Hester, President of Home BancShares and Centennial Bank.

Home BancShares and Centennial Bank are blessed with a deep bench in terms of talent and experience of the management team. I view this shift as an opportunity to effectively utilize the depth of our management team in a way that sets us up for the future. This group spans four decades and embodies over 130 years of banking experience and has worked together for many years and will continue to work together each day to ensure that Centennial Bank remains one of the best banks in America. Congratulations to both Stephen and Kevin, and I look forward to working with you both for many more years to come, said John Allison, Chairman of Home BancShares.

Ive had the good fortune of working with this management team for over twenty years and am very proud of the accomplishments we have made. I look forward to the future and continuing my work with this talented team and outstanding bankers at Centennial Bank. I think these strategic steps will allow us to continue to grow and focus on our core strengths that have made us one of the top performing banks in America, said Tracy French, Chairman of Centennial Bank.

Stephen Tipton was appointed to serve as the Chief Operating Officer of Centennial Bank in 2015. He previously served as Regional Vice President of Centennial Bank. He began his banking career in 2005 and joined Centennial Bank in 2006. Prior to becoming Regional Vice President, Tipton served as Director of Credit Risk Management and as a Commercial Lender. Tipton also has a vast array of experience in retail, business development, lending and acquisitions and is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville with a bachelor of science in business administration.

Kevin Hester joined Centennial Bank (formerly First State Bank) in 1998 as Executive Vice President of Lending and became Chief Lending Officer of Centennial Bank in 2010. He has more than 35 years of banking experience. Hester is a graduate of the University of Central Arkansas with a bachelors degree in accounting and is an honor graduate of the National Commercial Lending School in Norman, Oklahoma. He is also a board member of Centennial Bank.

Branches

The Company currently has 76 branches in Arkansas, 78 branches in Florida, 58 branches in Texas, 5 branches in Alabama and one branch in New York City.

About Home BancShares

Home BancShares, Inc. is a bank holding company, headquartered in Conway, Arkansas. Its wholly-owned subsidiary, Centennial Bank, provides a broad range of commercial and retail banking plus related financial services to businesses, real estate developers, investors, individuals and municipalities. Centennial Bank has branch locations in Arkansas, Florida, Texas, South Alabama and New York City. The Companys common stock is traded through the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol HOMB. The Company was founded in 1998. Visit www.homebancshares.com or www.my100bank.com for more information.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Donna Townsell

Director of Investor Relations

Home BancShares, Inc.

(501) 328-4625

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9e596d1f-f366-4c24-9623-cb999db02fe4

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f294a48b-dadd-40c8-a653-33f3c5ffb5f6
Rockford, Illinois, May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ROCKFORD, Illinois  Rockford Mutual Insurance Company (RMIC) was recently named as one of the 2024 Best Places to Work in Illinois, as well as a special honor of being named 1st-Best Place to Work for Women. This statewide survey and awards program is designed to identify, recognize, and honor the best places of employment in Illinois, benefiting the state's economy, workforce and businesses.

Statewide, companies entered the two-part process to determine the Best Places to Work in Illinois. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated companys workplace policies, practices, and demographics. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. Workforce Research Group (https://workforcerg.net/) managed the overall registration and survey process, analyzed the data and used their expertise to determine the final rankings. RMIC has been named one of the Best Places to Work in Illinois in the small employer category. In addition, RMIC was named the 1st-Best Place to Work for Women.

It is abundantly clear that the strength of our organization lies in the dedication, hard work, and passion that each of our associates brings to the table said Robert Jacobson, President & CEO of RMIC, Their commitment to excellence is not only evident in the remarkable results we achieve as a team but also in the positive and collaborative atmosphere that defines our workplace.

RMIC was recognized and honored at the Best Places to Work in Illinois Recognition Luncheon on Thursday, May 9, coordinated by The Daily Herald Media Group and sponsored by Shaker Recruitment Marketing.

About Rockford Mutual Insurance Company:

Rockford Mutual Insurance Company was founded in 1896. Rockford Mutual Insurance Company primarily writes auto, home, farm, and commercial multi-peril in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana. Policies are written through independent agents appointed within various areas of operation.

###

Attachments
Malvern, Pennsylvania (USA), May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rajant Corporation, the pioneer of Kinetic Mesh wireless networks, headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, with manufacturing and development operations in Morehead, Kentucky, is now a four-time consecutive award-winning employer. The distinctions of being The Philadelphia Inquirers Top Workplaces of 2024 and Best Places to Work in Kentucky were announced earlier this year. The selection process is based on anonymous employee answers to survey questions centering on company policies, procedures, and culture.

Greater Philadelphia entities earning the distinction in this 15th annual program are categorized by staff size. According to Energage, the company administering the survey, Being named a Top Workplace is a big deal  only 151 companies made this years list and you should be honored especially because the judges were your employees! An alphabetic listing of award-winning organizations appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirers May 12th issue.

This marked the 20th year for Best Places to Work in Kentucky. The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, the Kentucky Society for Human Resource Management KYSHRM), and CHI Saint Joseph announced the 100 companies in alphabetical order on March 15th. The winner rankings will be announced at an awards dinner Thursday, June 13, 2024, at the Central Bank Center in Lexington (KY). The Kentucky Chamber of Commerces March statement indicated that the competition is a multi-year initiative designed to motivate companies in the Commonwealth to focus, measure and move their workplace environments toward excellence. Numerous studies show a strong correlation between profitability and creating a good place to work.

Rajant values every employee. It is their excellent work that feeds our success and global expansion year-over-year, shares Rajant CEO and Co-founder Robert Schena. Whether in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, or any of our locations worldwide, partners comment that our family of products and services are enhanced by the staff working behind the scenes, who contribute to Rajants competitive advantage and brand reputation. Thank you to The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce for the continued recognition.

####

About Rajant Corporation

Rajant Corporation is the broadband communications technology company that invented Kinetic Mesh networking, BreadCrumb wireless nodes, and InstaMesh networking software. With Rajant and its family of products, customers can rapidly deploy a highly adaptable and scalable network that leverages the power of real-time data to deliver on-demand, mission-critical business intelligence. A low-latency, high-throughput, and secure solution for a variety of data, voice, video, and autonomous applications, Rajants Kinetic Mesh networks provide industrial customers with full mobility, allowing them to take their private network applications and data anywhere. With successful deployments in more than 80 countries for customers in military, mining, ports, rail, energy, manufacturing and logistics, municipalities, agriculture, and more, Rajant is headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, with additional facilities and offices in Arizona and Kentucky. For more information, visit Rajant.com or follow Rajant on LinkedIn and YouTube.

Attachments
Reston, VA, May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Young Americas Foundation (YAF) has joined Moms for Liberty to stand for students and parents whose rights have been violated by the Biden Administrations overhaul of Title IX. Today, Southeastern Legal Foundation (SLF) and Mountain States Legal Foundation filed a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of both organizations and all who value a basic truth that has been a bedrock of society for thousands of years.

YAF and Moms for Liberty are joined by the states of Kansas, Wyoming, Utah, and Alaska in the lawsuit, which aims at stopping the Department of Educations blatant disregard for the First Amendment rights of K-12 and college students.

Within days of taking office, President Biden and his administration started gutting the very rules Title IX was established to protect. Women and girls were no longer entitled to sex-separated facilities such as restrooms and locker rooms that are necessary to protect their dignity and privacy.

Biden issued an Executive Order unilaterally changing the definition of sex to include gender identity and ordered the Department of Education to rewrite Title IX regulations to forever remove equal access and other legal protections. In late-April 2024, the Biden Department of Education issued the final rule which Moms for Liberty and Young Americas Foundation now challenge in court.

Gender ideology is a bald-faced lie; men are men and women are women. With its new Title IX rules, the Biden administration is forcing everyone in college across the nation to repeat and live the lie that men can be women. Its unconscionable, said Vic Bernson, Vice President and General Counsel for Young Americas Foundation.

This lawsuit is YAFs opportunity to stand with our students on the side of truth and against those who would pervert it, Bernson concluded.

For decades, YAF has successfully defended the constitutional rights of our students on campus and in courtrooms across the country  this case will be no different. The Biden Rule is blatantly unconstitutional and illegal, but even more, it is an affront on the rights of Americas students and families.

I have a right to express the truth that there are two distinct sexes  men and women. The governments attempt to redefine who I am and what privacies Im entitled to is outrageous, said Rachel Flynn, incoming chairwoman of Young Americans for Freedom at the University of Utah.

Our teams look forward to defending the binary nature of gender against government overreach.

The Department of Educations drastic unconstitutional changes to Title IX will only further weaponize the campus thought police. We are proud to stand with these parent and student organizations as they fight back against the administrations most drastic steps yet, said SLF Executive Director Kimberly Hermann.
MONTREAL, May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Saputo Inc. (TSX: SAP) (we, Saputo or the Company), one of the top ten global dairy processors, today announced its plan for executive leadership succession. Lino A. Saputo, Chair of the Board, President, and CEO, indicated to the Board of Directors his intention to transition from President and CEO to a role of Executive Chair of the Board. In this capacity, Mr. Saputo will continue to provide invaluable oversight of the Companys strategic development to drive value creation. The transition will take effect on August 9, 2024, the date of the Companys upcoming Annual General Meeting.



As part of the transition, the Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Carl Colizza, currently President and COO (North America), as the new President and CEO of Saputo Inc. Since joining Saputo in 1998, Mr. Colizza has held key leadership positions in the area of engineering, operations, business development and strategy. He was appointed President and COO, Dairy Division (Canada) in 2015 before taking on the role of President and COO (North America) in 2019. His dedication to Saputos core values and his proven track record make him the ideal candidate to lead the Company into its next chapter of growth and innovation.

As I will be transitioning to the position of Executive Chair, my role will shift into a new capacity more focused on strategic oversight, continuing to promote the Saputo vision and values, and supporting the leadership team. As the Companys largest shareholder, Jolina Capital is committed to Saputo for the long-term, and we fully support Carls nomination as President and CEO, said Mr. Saputo. I am proud of what we have accomplished together, and I am excited to continue supporting Carl and the entire Saputo team in achieving even greater success in the years to come. Carl is an extraordinary business leader who is well-respected across our industry and has a strong track record of leading global teams. He has deep roots within Saputo and has played a pivotal role in developing our strategy and improving our business.

Carl Colizza, President, and COO (North America) said "I am honoured to lead Saputo and our talented team with Linos support, building upon the foundation we have established over the past seven decades. For over 25 years, I have had the privilege of working alongside Lino, whose commitment to Saputos culture, our people, and the communities we serve is truly extraordinary. I am excited to continue advancing Saputos business and delivering on the incredible opportunities we see ahead.

Following the transition, Mr. Colizza will continue to execute the functions of President and COO (North America) for the time being. Anthony Fata will continue to serve as independent lead director.

Biographical Information

Carl Colizza holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from McGill University. Since joining Saputo in 1998 as an engineer, he has held several senior management positions in the Dairy Division (Canada). In 2002, he was appointed to the position of Director, Engineering and in 2007, he became Vice President of Engineering and Environmental Affairs. In 2009, he was named Senior Vice President, Operations and, in 2014, Senior Vice President, Business Development. In 2015, he was appointed President and COO, of the Dairy Division (Canada), and in 2018, he also led the Dairy Division (Argentina). In 2019, he was named President and COO (North America). In addition to these responsibilities, he took on the leadership of the Dairy Foods Division (USA) on an interim basis in early 2020, and then the position of President and COO for the unified Dairy Division (USA) from August 2020 to November 2021 and from June 2022 to March 2023.

About Saputo

Saputo, one of the top ten dairy processors in the world, produces, markets, and distributes a wide array of dairy products of the utmost quality, including cheese, fluid milk, extended shelf-life milk and cream products, cultured products, and dairy ingredients. Saputo is a leading cheese manufacturer and fluid milk and cream processor in Canada, a leading dairy processor in Australia and the top dairy processor in Argentina. In the USA, Saputo ranks among the top three cheese producers and is one of the top producers of extended shelf-life and cultured dairy products. In the United Kingdom, Saputo is the leading manufacturer of branded cheese and dairy spreads. In addition to its dairy portfolio, Saputo produces, markets, and distributes a range of dairy alternative cheeses and beverages. Saputo products are sold in several countries under market-leading brands, as well as private label brands. Saputo Inc. is a publicly traded company and its shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol SAP. Follow Saputos activities at Saputo.com or via Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Investor Inquiries

Nicholas Estrela

Director, Investor Relations

1-514-328-3117

Media Inquiries

1-514-328-3141 / 1-866-648-5902

media@saputo.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f7c44219-7445-4185-9aec-053332d66878

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/91f984de-0e5f-43da-b45e-a5b8e66ca2c3
/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES/



TORONTO and KNOXVILLE, Tenn., May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Solar Alliance Energy Inc. (Solar Alliance or the Company) (TSX-V: SOLR), a leading solar energy solutions provider focused on the commercial and industrial solar sector, is pleased to announced its intention to complete a non-brokered private placement of up to 20,000,000 units of the Company (the Units) at a price of C$0.05 per Unit for gross proceeds of up to C$1,000,000 (the Offering). Each Unit will be comprised of one (1) common share of the Company (a Common Share) and one (1) Common Share purchase warrant (a Warrant). Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to acquire one (1) Common Share (a Warrant Share) at an exercise price of C$0.07 per Warrant Share at any time for a period of thirty-six (36) months following the closing of the Offering. Closing of the Offering is expected to be on or about June 20, 2024 or such other date or dates that that the Company may determine.

The Units will be offered by way of the listed issuer financing exemption (the Listed Issuer Exemption) under National Instrument 45-106  Prospectus Exemptions (NI 45-106) in all the provinces of Canada with the exception of Quebec, and such other jurisdictions as the Company may determine (the Selling Jurisdictions). Since the Offering is being completed pursuant to the Listed Issuer Exemption, the securities issued under the Offering will not be subject to a hold period under applicable Canadian securities laws.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering for general corporate and working capital purposes. Completion of the Offering 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 TSXV) and applicable securities regulatory authorities.

In addition, the Company has agreed to settle CAD$115,000 of debt owed to an Insider of the Company, in consideration for the issuance of 2,300,000 Common Shares at a deemed price of CAD$0.05 per Common Share (the Debt Settlement). The debt is payable in respect of loans owed to the Insider by the Company. The closing of the Debt Settlement is subject to the approval from TSXV. The Corporation expects that the proposed Debt Settlement will assist the Company in preserving its cash for working capital and the board of directors of the Corporation believes the Debt Settlement is in the best interests of the Corporation. The securities to be issued pursuant to the Debt Settlement will be subject to a four month and one day statutory hold period from the date of issuance.

Certain directors, officers and Insiders of the Company are expected to acquire Units under the Offering and to participate in the Debt Settlement. Such participation will be considered to be a related party transaction as defined under the policies of the TSXV and Multilateral Instrument 61-101  Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (MI 61-101). The Company anticipates relying on exemptions from the minority shareholder approval and formal valuation requirements applicable to the related-party transactions under sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a), respectively, of MI 61-101, as neither the fair market value of the Units to be acquired or the participation in the Debt Settlement by the participating directors, officers and Insiders nor the consideration to be paid by such directors, officers and Insiders is anticipated to exceed 25 percent of the Company's market capitalization. Units issued to directors, officers and Insiders of the Company will be subject to a hold period of four months in accordance with the policies of the TSXV.

There is an offering document related to the Offering that can be accessed under the Companys profile at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Companys website at www.solaralliance.com. Prospective investors should read this offering document before making an investment decision.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, 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 United States Securities Act) unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

Myke Clark, CEO



For more information:





Investor Relations

Myke Clark, CEO

416-848-7744

mclark@solaralliance.com







About Solar Alliance Energy Inc. (www.solaralliance.com)

Solar Alliance is an energy solutions provider focused on the commercial, utility and community solar sectors. Our experienced team of solar professionals reduces or eliminates customers' vulnerability to rising energy costs, offers an environmentally friendly source of electricity generation, and provides affordable, turnkey clean energy solutions. Solar Alliances strategy is to build, own and operate our own solar assets while also generating stable revenue through the sale and installation of solar projects to commercial and utility customers. The Company currently owns two operating solar projects in New York and actively pursuing opportunities to grow its ownership pipeline. The technical and operational synergies from this combined business model supports sustained growth across the solar project value chain from design, engineering, installation, ownership and operations/maintenance.

Statements in this news release, other than purely historical information, including statements relating to the Company's future plans and objectives or expected results, constitute Forward-looking statements. The words would, will, expected and estimated or other similar words and phrases are intended to identify forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Companys actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different than those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include but are not limited to: statements, projections and estimates with respect to the Offering and Debt Settlement, including the terms, timing and completion thereof, the use of proceeds of the Offering, the resale restrictions of the securities issued pursuant to the Offering, the issuance of the Units pursuant to the Listed Issuer Exemption uncertainties related to the ability to raise sufficient capital; changes in economic conditions or financial markets; litigation, legislative or other judicial, regulatory, legislative and political competitive developments; technological or operational difficulties; the ability to maintain revenue growth; the ability to execute on the Companys strategies; the ability to complete the Companys current and backlog of solar projects; the ability to grow the Companys market share; the high growth US solar industry; the ability to convert the backlog of projects into revenue; the expected timing of the construction and completion of the 565-kW and 872 KW Tennessee solar project; the ability to predict and counteract the effects of COVID-19 on the business of the Company, including but not limited to the effects of COVID-19 on the construction sector, capital market conditions, restriction on labour and international travel and supply chains; potential corporate growth opportunities and the ability to execute on the key objectives in 2024. Consequently, actual results may vary materially from those described in the forward-looking statements.

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."
Notice of Annual General Meeting

The Company announces that its Annual General Meeting will be held on Thursday 13 June 2024, at the offices of Travers Smith LLP, 10 Snow Hill, London EC1A 2AL, England at 2.00 pm (BST). The Company has published the formal notice of the meeting (the "Notice") on its website which can be accessed using the following link https://bit.ly/3QEicj1. Proxy voting forms are being posted to all shareholders providing details of how to access the Notice and instructions for voting. A copy of the Notice together with proxy voting forms is being posted to all shareholders who are required to receive or have formally requested to receive these documents.

The Notice contains a letter from the Chairman of the Company, Mr Michael Lynch-Bell, which is set out below in Appendix 1.

The person who arranged for the release of this announcement on behalf of the Company was Clive Line, Director.

Enquiries

Serabi Gold Plc

Michael Hodgson t +44 (0)20 7246 6830

Chief Executive m +44 (0)7799 473621

Clive Line t +44 (0)20 7246 6830

Finance Director m +44 (0)7710 151692

Andrew Khov m +1 647 885 4874

Vice President, Investor Relations &

Business Development

e contact@serabigold.com

www.serabigold.com

BEAUMONT CORNISH Limited

Nominated Adviser & Financial Adviser

Roland Cornish / Michael Cornish t +44 (0)20 7628 3396

PEEL HUNT LLP

Joint UK Broker

Ross Allister t +44 (0)20 7418 9000

TAMESIS PARTNERS LLP

Joint UK Broker

Charlie Bendon/ Richard Greenfield t +44 (0)20 3882 2868

CAMARCO

Financial PR - Europe

Gordon Poole / Emily Hall t +44 (0)20 3757 4980

HARBOR ACCESS

Financial PR - North America

Jonathan Patterson / Lisa Micali t +1 475 477 9404

Copies of this announcement are available from the Company's website at www.serabigold.com.

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange, nor any other securities regulatory authority, has approved or disapproved of the contents of this announcement.

See www.serabigold.com for more information and follow us on twitter @Serabi_Gold

Appendix 1

The letter from the Chairman of the Company included in the Notice is reproduced below (without material adjustment or amendment):

"Dear Shareholder

This document provides the formal notice (the "Notice") of the 2024 Annual General Meeting of the Company to be held at the offices of Travers Smith LLP, 10 Snow Hill, London EC1A 2AL England on 13 June 2024 at 2.00 p.m. (London time) (the "AGM"). The purpose of the AGM is to seek Shareholders' approval of the resolutions.

Action to be taken by Shareholders

A form of proxy for use by Shareholders accompanies this document. To be valid, forms of proxy must be completed and returned so as to be received at either the offices of the Company's UK Registrar, Computershare Investor Services Plc, The Pavilions, Bridgwater Road, Bristol, BS99 6ZZ or the offices ofthe Company's Canadian Registrar, Computershare Investor Services Inc., 100 University Avenue, 8th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2Y1 by not later than 2.00 p.m. (London time) (9.00 a.m. Eastern time) on 11 June 2024. Alternatively, Shareholders can appoint a proxy electronically by going to either www.investorcentre.co.uk/eproxy (for UK appointments) or www.investorvote.com (for Canadian appointments) or, if they hold their shares in CREST, Shareholders can appoint a proxy using the CREST electronic proxy appointment service, in each case by not later than not later than 2.00 p.m. (London time) (9.00 a.m. Eastern time) on 11 June 2024 in accordance with the instructions set out in the "Proxy Instructions" section below and the form of proxy.

Completion and return of a form of proxy will not prevent Shareholders from attending and voting in person at the AGM should they so wish.

Beneficial Shareholders (as defined in the "Voting by Beneficial Shareholders" section below on page 10) should note that only registered Shareholders or their duly authorised proxy holders are entitled to vote at the AGM. Each Beneficial Shareholder should ensure that their voting instructions are communicated to the appropriate person well in advance of the AGM.

Electronic Communications

The Company actively encourages all shareholders to register for the electronic communications service. UK Shareholders can elect for electronic communications and manage their shareholdings online at www.investorcentre.co.uk. Canadian shareholders can enrol to receive future securityholder communications electronically by visiting www.investorcentre.com.

Background

As I noted in our Annual Report, 2023 was a year in which the Group achieved some key milestones and 2024 has started well. We are on track with our plans for the current year which will build the platform for further future growth.

Key to this remains the development of Coringa and the installation of the crushing plant and ore-sorter which is a significant element in the growth of the Group's gold production for 2025 and thereafter. The ore-sorter cleared Brazilian customs during April and I am now pleased to report that it has arrived at site and work on the necessary civil works for its installation and commissioning later this year are underway. At the same time the crushing plant is also being prepared for installation.

Since the publication of our Annual Report at the end of April there has been little further movement in the licencing process. The latest version of the Indigenous Impact Study ("ECI") has been submitted to the government agency for indigenous communities ("FUNAI") as we continue the steps required in the consultation process with those indigenous communities.

In the past week I met with representatives of the Instituto Kabu, an association of the Kayapo Mebengorokre Indigenous community from the Bau and Menkragnoti Indigenous Lands, situated in the state of Para. It was a good conversation allowing us to further our understanding of the issues faced by the indigenous communities and assist in identifying solutions that can help meet their needs.

Whilst we have challenges ahead and the next six months will be pivotal in our plans, we have a dedicated and experienced team to steer us through this. I look forward to reporting further progress on 13 June.

The matters being considered at the 2024 Annual General Meeting, as set out in the Notice, are items that are routinely considered at such meetings.

I am very much looking forward to meeting with shareholders at the AGM and having the opportunity to discuss with them my hopes and expectations for Serabi for the coming years.

Canadian Designated Foreign Issuer Status

The Company is a "designated foreign issuer" for the purposes of Canadian Securities Administrators' National Instrument 71-102 - Continuous Disclosure and Other Exemptions Relating to Foreign Issuer ("NI 71-102") and, as such, the Company is not subject to the same ongoing reporting requirements as most other reporting issuers in Canada. Generally, the Company complies with Canadian ongoing reporting requirements by complying with the regulatory requirements of AIM, which is a "foreign regulatory authority" (as defined in NI 71-102), and filing any documents required to be filed with or furnished to AIM with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada.

Recommendation and importance of vote

The Directors consider that the resolutions set out in the Notice being put to the AGM are in the best interests of the Company and its Shareholders and are most likely to promote the success of the Company for the benefit of the Shareholders as a whole.

Accordingly, the Directors unanimously recommend that Shareholders vote in favour of the proposed resolutions as they intend to do in respect of their own holdings, where relevant, amounting to an aggregate of 143,398 Ordinary Shares, representing approximately 0.2% of the Company's Ordinary Shares in issue at the date of this document.

Yours faithfully

(Signed) "Michael D Lynch-Bell"

Michael D Lynch-Bell

Non-executive Chairman"

Assay Results

Assay results reported within this release are those provided by the Company's own on-site laboratory facilities at Palito and have not yet been independently verified. Serabi closely monitors the performance of its own facility against results from independent laboratory analysis for quality control purpose. As a matter of normal practice, the Company sends duplicate samples derived from a variety of the Company's activities to accredited laboratory facilities for independent verification. Since mid-2019, over 10,000 exploration drill core samples have been assayed at both the Palito laboratory and certified external laboratory, in most cases the ALS laboratory in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. When comparing significant assays with grades exceeding 1 g/t gold, comparison between Palito versus external results record an average over-estimation by the Palito laboratory of 6.7% over this period. Based on the results of this work, the Company's management are satisfied that the Company's own facility shows sufficiently good correlation with independent laboratory facilities for exploration drill samples. The Company would expect that in the preparation of any future independent Reserve/Resource statement undertaken in compliance with a recognised standard, the independent authors of such a statement would not use Palito assay results without sufficient duplicates from an appropriately certificated laboratory.

Forward-looking statements

Certain statements in this announcement are, or may be deemed to be, forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are identi?ed by their use of terms and phrases such as ''believe'', ''could'', "should" ''envisage'', ''estimate'', ''intend'', ''may'', ''plan'', ''will'' or the negative of those, variations or comparable expressions, including references to assumptions. These forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts but rather on the Directors' current expectations and assumptions regarding the Company's future growth, results of operations, performance, future capital and other expenditures (including the amount, nature and sources of funding thereof), competitive advantages, business prospects and opportunities. Such forward looking statements re?ect the Directors' current beliefs and assumptions and are based on information currently available to the Directors. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements including risks associated with vulnerability to general economic and business conditions, competition, environmental and other regulatory changes, actions by governmental authorities, the availability of capital markets, reliance on key personnel, uninsured and underinsured losses and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Although any forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are based upon what the Directors believe to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with such forward looking statements.

Qualified Persons Statement

The scientific and technical information contained within this announcement has been reviewed and approved by Michael Hodgson, a Director of the Company. Mr Hodgson is an Economic Geologist by training with over 30 years' experience in the mining industry. He holds a BSc (Hons) Geology, University of London, a MSc Mining Geology, University of Leicester and is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and a Chartered Engineer of the Engineering Council of UK, recognizing him as both a Qualified Person for the purposes of Canadian National Instrument 43-101 and by the AIM Guidance Note on Mining and Oil & Gas Companies dated June 2009.

Notice

Beaumont Cornish Limited, which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority, is acting as nominated adviser to the Company in relation to the matters referred herein. Beaumont Cornish Limited is acting exclusively for the Company and for no one else in relation to the matters described in this announcement and is not advising any other person and accordingly will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to clients of Beaumont Cornish Limited, or for providing advice in relation to the contents of this announcement or any matter referred to in it.

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange, nor any other securities regulatory authority, has approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release
Vancouver, May 14, 2024 - Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd. ("GCC" or the "Company") (CSE-GCC, OTC-GCCFF, WKN-A0RLEP) is pleased to announce it has mobilized field crews to map and prospect along the north-northwesterly trend of mineralized showings (MinFiles) on its Quesnelle Quartz Mine property. The trend of MinFiles extends at least 1.9 km through the Property and contains the historic Quesnelle Quartz and Pioneer Mines. Previous work by Golden Cariboo geologists has highlighted potential along this trend in the Halo zone which yielded surface results of up to 5.08 g/t Au from representative grab samples of rock, as well as the North Hixon zone with surface results of up to 9.87 g/t Au from float as reported in Company's News Release dated May 18, 2023. The North Hixon zone is actively being drill tested in hole QGQ24-08.

Objectives of the field program are to expand upon the limited surface work in these areas, and to traverse beyond them to potentially identify further greenstone contacts and mineralization. Additionally, this will be the first program of this nature since the Company completed a property-wide LiDAR survey in 2018, which can assist in identifying bedrock exposure within glaciated terrain.

About Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd.

Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd. is rediscovering the Cariboo Gold Rush by proceeding with highly targeted drilling and trenching programs on its Quesnelle Gold Quartz Mine property which is almost fully encircled on 3 of 4 sides by Osisko Development (NSE-ODV/TSXV-ODV). Historically, over 101 placer gold creeks on the 90 km trend from the Cariboo Hudson mine north to the Quesnelle Gold Quartz Mine property have recorded production and successful placer mining continues to this day.

Golden Cariboo's Quesnelle Gold Quartz Mine property is 4 km northeast of, and road accessible from, Hixon in central British Columbia. The Project includes the Quesnelle Quartz gold-silver deposit, which was discovered in 1865 in conjunction with placer mining activities. Hixon Creek, which dissects the old workings, is a placer creek which has seen small-scale placer production since the mid 1860s.

For further information please contact:

Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd.

"J. Frank Callaghan"

J. Frank Callaghan, President & CEO

Tel: 604-682-2928

VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE DETAILS

www.goldencariboo.com

LIKE AND FOLLOW

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin

Neither the "CSE" Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statements:

This news release contains statements which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company with respect to future business activities and plans of the Company. Forward-looking information is often identified by the words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" or similar expressions and includes information regarding; the expectation that the Company will receive all necessary exemptions and approvals to complete the Offering; the expectation that the Company will complete the Offering on the terms disclosed, or at all; the expectation that the proceeds will be used for property exploration and for general working capital; the Company's exploration plans with respect to its Quesnelle Gold Quartz Mine property; and the anticipated participation of the insider in the Offering.

Such forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions of management, including, without limitation, that the Company will receive all necessary exemptions and approvals to complete the Offering; that the Company will complete the Offering on the terms disclosed, or at all; that the proceeds will be used for property exploration and for general working capital; that the Company will have the resources required to proceed with its exploration plans; that the Company will not run into regulatory or other barriers in carrying out its business plans; that the insider will participate in the Offering, on the terms and conditions and in the amount currently expected by management; and that the Company will be able to rely on the exemption from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements on the basis anticipated.

Additionally, forward-looking information involve a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual plans, intentions, activities, results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future plans, intentions, activities, results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks include, without limitation: that the Company will not receive the necessary exemptions and approvals to complete the Offering; that the Company will not complete the Offering on the terms disclosed, or at all; that the Company will be unable to use the proceeds for property exploration and for general working capital; that the Company may incur unanticipated costs; that the Company may not have the resources required to pursue its exploration plans; that the Company's operations could be adversely affected by possible future government legislation policies and controls or by changes in applicable laws and regulations; that the insider may not participate in the Offering on the terms and conditions and in the amount currently expected by management, or at all; and that the Company may not be able to rely on the exemption from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements on the basis currently expected. Such forward-looking information represents management's best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. Neither the Company nor any of its representatives make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, sufficiency or completeness of the information in this news release. Neither the Company nor any of its representatives shall have any liability whatsoever, under contract, tort, trust or otherwise, to you or any person resulting from the use of the information in this news release by you or any of your representatives or for omissions from the information in this news release.

The forward-looking statements herein speak only as of the date they were originally made. The Company has no intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Copyright (c) 2024 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
Val-d'Or, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - May 14, 2024) - Val-d'Or Mining Corporation (TSXV: VZZ) (the "Company" or "Val-d'Or Mining") announces that subject to acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"), it proposes issuing up to $500,000 in debenture units ("Debenture Units") at an issue price of $10,000 per Debenture Unit. Each Debenture Unit shall consist of one convertible senior unsecured debenture with a principal amount of $10,000 (a "Debenture") and 70,000 detachable common share purchase warrants (each a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will be exercisable for a period of 36 months from the closing of the offering, at an exercise price per Warrant of $0.07.

The Debentures will have a term of 36 months from closing of the offering, subject to early redemption and will bear interest at the rate of 6%, accrued and compounded annually, which interest will be paid in cash or shares at maturity or redemption. At maturity, the Debentures and any accrued and unpaid interest will be converted into fully paid common shares of the Company, at a conversion price of $0.06 (the "Conversion Price") per share. At any time prior to the maturity date, on providing the holders with 30 days' notice, the Company will have the right to redeem the Debentures, by paying the principal amount of the Debentures and any accrued and unpaid interest in cash.

Within 30 days of a change of control of the Company (which means a change in the legal or effective control of the Company or affiliates, whether as a result of, or in connection with, a take-over bid, amalgamation, arrangement, merger, or other form of business combination, asset disposition, election of directors, or any combination of the foregoing transactions), the holders of the Debentures have the option to require the Company to repurchase its Debentures then outstanding, in cash, at a price equal to (i) 125% of the outstanding amount of the Debentures, plus; (ii) any accrued and unpaid interest, in cash.

The Debentures, Warrants and all securities issuable on the conversion or exercise thereof will be subject to a hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance of the Debentures and Warrants, in accordance with applicable securities legislation.

The offering is subject to the acceptance of the Exchange and receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals.

Directors and/or officers of the Company may participate in the offering. Participation by insiders constitutes a related party transaction under Policy 5.9 of the Exchange and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101"). The Company will avail itself of the exemptions contained in section 5.5(c) of MI 61-101 (distribution of securities for cash) for an exemption from the formal valuation requirement and Section 5.7(1)(b) of MI 61-101 for an exemption from the minority shareholder approval requirement of MI 61-101, as the fair market value of the securities distributed in connection with the Offering, and the consideration received by the Company for those securities will not exceed $2,500,000.

Funds raised pursuant to this offering will be used for the advancement of the Company's projects and for general corporate purposes.

About Val-d'Or Mining Corporation

Val-d'Or Mining Corporation is a junior natural resource issuer involved in the process of acquiring and exploring its mineral property assets, most of which are situated in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt of NE Ontario and NW Quebec. To complement its current property interests, the Company regularly evaluates new opportunities for staking and/or acquisitions. Outside of its principal regional focus in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt, the Company holds several other properties in Northern Quebec (Nunavik) covering different geological environments and commodities (Ni-Cu-PGE's).

The Company has an expertise in the identification and generation of new projects, and in early-stage exploration. The mineral commodities of interest are broad, and range from gold, copper-zinc-silver, nickel-copper-PGE to industrial and energy minerals. After the initial value creation in the 100%-owned, or majority-owned properties, the Company seeks option/joint venture partners with the technical expertise and financial capacity to conduct more advanced exploration projects.

For additional information, please contact:

Glenn J. Mullan

2772 chemin Sullivan

Val-d'Or, Quebec J9P 0B9

Tel.: 819-824-2808, x 204

Email: Glenn.Mullan@GroupZedZed.com

Forward Looking Statements:

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or realities may differ materially from those in forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

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.

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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/209076
Rio Tinto's Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) has won the Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) Environmental Excellence Award for its contributions to the Abandoned Site Rehabilitation Partnership: Nitassinan Cleanup project. This collaborative initiative, undertaken in partnership with the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Sustainable Development Institute (FNQLSDI), focuses on the remediation of legacy dumpsites within Nitassinan, the ancestral territory of Innu Nation of Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam, which were not the result of IOC activities, with the goal of restoring the land to its original state.

FNQLSDI environmental specialists, alongside members of the Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam community, are actively engaged in dismantling decommissioned structures and clearing abandoned sites. Leveraging rail cars and the extensive QNS&L Railway spanning 418 kilometers to Sept-Iles, the project facilitates the safe and efficient removal and relocation of materials, showcasing IOC's commitment to environmental care and community collaboration by utilizing its resources to support sustainable development initiatives outside its core operations.

IOC President and Chief Executive Officer Mike McCann said: "We are honoured to receive this award, which underscores our unwavering commitment to environmental responsibility and collaborative community engagement. Our collaboration with FNQLSDI and the Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam community demonstrates our dedication to reclaiming land responsibly while nurturing lasting relationships and creating real impact."

FNQLSDI General Director Alain Bedard said: "We are pleased that this initiative can serve as an inspiration in terms of environmental responsibility and collaboration with First Nations. This project could not have had the impacts it did without the participation of IOC and the members of the Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam community. We hope that the success of this project will serve as an example to others."

This initiative enhances IOC's understanding of Innu land use and traditional knowledge while cultivating connections and deepening relationships with diverse communities. Building robust collaborative relationships beyond IOC's usual operations is vital for fostering trust and supporting local communities, a principle Rio Tinto advocates for across the mining industry.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240513158001/en/

Contact

Please direct all enquiries to vanessa.damha@riotinto.com

Media Relations

Vanessa Damha

M +1 514 715 2152

Rio Tinto Plc

6 St James's Square

London SW1Y 4AD

United Kingdom

T +44 20 7781 2000

Registered in England

No. 719885

Rio Tinto Ltd.

Level 43, 120 Collins Street

Melbourne 3000

Australia

T +61 3 9283 3333

Registered in Australia

ABN 96 004 458 404

riotinto.com

Category: IOC
Reissuing release to correct ticker symbol for searching purposes.

The release reads:

GOLDEN MINERALS REPORTS FIRST QUARTER 2024 FINANCIAL RESULTS

Golden Minerals Company ("Golden Minerals," "Golden" or the "Company") (NYSE-A: AUMN and TSX: AUMN) has today released financial results and a business summary for the quarter ending March 31, 2024. (All figures are in approximate U.S. dollars.)

First Quarter Business Summary and Subsequent Events

The Company restarted silver-gold production at the Company's Velardena Properties (Durango State, Mexico) in December 2023, but stopped mining at the end of February 2024 and stopped processing mineralized material at the end of March 2024, after determining the initial performance of the mine and processing plant did not achieve the expected mine production ramp-up schedule or initial expected plant concentrate production results. Operational issues at the mine were caused by a combination of insufficient experienced miners, and issues with mine ventilation and mining equipment availability.

On March 27, 2024, Golden announced that Barrick Gold Corporation had notified the Company that it was withdrawing from the 2020 Earn-In Agreement between the two parties related to the Company's El Quevar silver project (Salta Province, Argentina). The agreement's termination was effective on April 20, 2024 and the El Quevar project has now reverted back into the full control of Golden Minerals. Golden now intends to focus on exploration activities at El Quevar as funding allows.

On April 29, 2024, two of Golden's Mexico subsidiaries, Minera William S.A. de C.V. ("Minera William") and Minera Labri S.A. de C.V. ("Minera Labri") entered into certain asset purchase and sale agreements with a privately held Mexican company whereby Minera William and Minera Labri agreed to sell certain mining concessions, equipment, land parcels and other assets to the buyer in exchange for an aggregate purchase price of $5.5 million in cash, plus Value-Added Tax ("VAT"). The assets being sold include the Velardena and Chicago mines, both of the Company's oxide and sulfide processing plants and related equipment. Under the terms of the purchase and sales agreements: On April 29, 2024, the buyer paid a non-refundable advance payment of $1.0 million in cash to the Company; On May 20, 2024, the buyer shall pay $2.0 million in cash, plus VAT (including VAT on the advance payment), to the Company, and On July 1, 2024, the buyer shall pay $2.5 million in cash, plus VAT, to the Company.



Although the Company believes the transaction will be completed, there can be no assurance that the transaction will be completed on the terms described or at all.

First Quarter Financial Summary

Revenue from discontinued operations was $1.2 million in the first quarter 2024 and included sales of concentrate, slag material and dore from the Velardena discontinued operations. Revenue was $4.2 million in the first quarter 2023, which was related to the sale of metals in dore from the Rodeo mine (Durango State, Mexico).

Net operating margin from discontinued operations (defined as revenue from the sale of metals less cost of metals sold) was negative $1.7 million in the first quarter 2024, which was related to the Velardena discontinued operations. Net operating margin was positive $0.2 million in the first quarter 2023, which was related to the sale of metals in dore from the Rodeo mine.

Cash and equivalents balance as of March 31, 2024 was $2.4 million, compared to $3.8 million on December 31, 2023.

Zero debt as of March 31, 2024, unchanged from December 31, 2023.

Net loss was $4.6 million or $0.32 per share in the first quarter 2024, compared to a net loss of $3.3 million or $0.47 per share in the first quarter 2023.

Cash Inflows and Expenditures

Cash expenditures during the three months ended March 31, 2024 totaled $3.5 million and included:

$1.0 million in general and administrative expenses;

$0.5 million in exploration expenditures;

$0.1 million in care and maintenance costs at the El Quevar project, net of zero reimbursements from Barrick;

$1.7 million of net operating margin from the Velardena discontinued operations (defined as revenue from the sale of metals less the cost of metals sold); and

$0.2 million in changes in working capital (mainly due to an increase in accounts receivable associated with the sales made near the end of the first quarter).

The above expenditures were offset by cash inflows of $2.1 million from the following:

$2.0 million from the collection of VAT receivables from the Mexican Government; and

$0.1 million of proceeds received from the sale of non-core assets in working capital.

Capital Resources and 12-Month Financial Outlook

The Company does not currently have sufficient resources to meet its expected cash needs during the twelve months ended March 31, 2025. At March 31, 2024, the Company had current assets of approximately $5.3 million, including cash and cash equivalents of approximately $2.4 million. On the same date, it had accounts payable and other current liabilities of approximately $6.5 million. Because the Company has ceased mining at the Velardena mine, its only near-term opportunity to generate cash flow is from the sale of assets and equity financings.

Golden Minerals will require further sources of capital. In order to satisfy the Company's projected general, administrative, exploration and other expenses through March 31, 2025, the Company will need approximately $6.0 to $8.0 million in total capital inflows. These capital inflows may take the form of asset sales such as from the anticipated closing of the sale of Velardena assets for $5.5 million, collection of the Company's outstanding receivable, equity financing activities, or otherwise.

As of March 31, 2024, Golden Minerals had VAT receivable in Mexico of approximately $1.1 million. Although the Company believes it is likely it will receive some material portion of this receivable in the second and third quarters of 2024, there is no certainty as to the timing and amount of such payment.

Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q

The Company's consolidated financial statements and management's discussion and analysis, as well as other important disclosures, may be found in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. This Form 10-Q is available on the Company's website at Golden Minerals Company - SEC Filings. It has also been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar and with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

About Golden Minerals

Golden Minerals is a precious metals mining exploration company based in Golden, Colorado. The Company is primarily focused on advancing its Yoquivo property in Mexico and its El Quevar silver property in Argentina. The Company is also focused on acquiring and advancing selected mining properties in Mexico, Nevada and Argentina.

Forward-Looking Statements

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, and applicable Canadian securities legislation, such as statements regarding (i) buyer's scheduled payments to the Company pursuant to the purchase and sale agreements, (ii) the Company's anticipated near-term capital needs, and potential sources of capital; (iii) the Company's plans to undertake further exploration activities El Quevar project, as funding allows; (iv) expectations pertaining to the recovery of VAT refunds from the Mexican government; (v) projected revenue and spending for the twelve months ending March 31, 2025; and (vi) statements concerning the Company's financial condition, business strategies, business risks and financial outlook for 2024, including anticipated expenditures and cash inflows during the year. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the failure by the buyer of our assets in Mexico to make the required payments on the agreed schedule; the inability of the Company to obtain sufficient capital to meet its obligations; increases in costs and declines in general economic conditions; changes in political conditions, in tax, royalty, environmental and other laws in the United States, Mexico or Argentina and other market conditions; and fluctuations in silver and gold prices. Golden Minerals assumes no obligation to update this information. Additional risks relating to Golden Minerals may be found in the periodic and current reports filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission by Golden Minerals, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Follow us at www.linkedin.com/company/golden-minerals-company/ and https://twitter.com/Golden_Minerals.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240514238376/en/

Contact

For additional information, please visit http://www.goldenminerals.com/ or contact:

Golden Minerals Company

Karen Winkler, Director of Investor Relations

(303) 839-5060
Sauber-Audi defends sudden Bottas change

Audi-owned Sauber has defended its decision to appoint a new race engineer for Valtteri Bottas as of the last Formula 1 race in Miami.

Valtteri Bottas, Chinese GP 2024

 Sauber

The Finn admits that he isn't sure what his next move in F1 will be, having also declared that Audi signing Nico Hulkenberg for 2025 and beyond was surprising and early .

I don't know, said Bottas. I'm obviously speaking to multiple teams, some talks have advanced more than the others. So we'll see.

Rumours connect Bottas with Haas, Alpine, and even a potential return to Williams, as the 34-year-old hinted that he is clearly being left out of Sauber's preparations for its works transition to Audi by 2026.

I think that's a question for the team, he said when asked why his engineer since 2022, Alex Chan, had suddenly been assigned to a different post in Miami.

It was quite a sudden change, Bottas added, "but obviously trying to make the most of it.

I think it's part of the kind of reconstruction of the team. And yeah, so I don't do those decisions.

Sauber team representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi defended the decision.

(CEO) Andreas Seidl has decided to initiate a transition to bring the current structure closer to the final structure that will be in place in 2026, he is quoted as saying by the Japanese source as-web.jp.

Alunni Bravi also denied that Bottas was caught out by the sudden change .

We spoke to Valtteri after China, he explained. We had a meeting immediately after the race. Steven Petrik had already been with Valtteri in Pirelli's two-day test at Suzuka.

Petrik is a former Ferrari performance engineer, but he was chastised by Bottas in Miami for making a critical radio call about traffic too late .

F*ck, that's too late man, I had no idea, Bottas said at the time.

Alunni Bravi said: "Of course it's up to us to integrate the new engineer and create a good working relationship, but also a personal relationship between Valtteri and his race engineer.

"Obviously, when you make a decision, you always make a good decision or a bad decision. Time will tell whether it was a good one or not.

But there was no connection between the change of race engineer and Nico (Hulkenberg)'s announcement. This was the first step we wanted to take in setting up a new organisation in the race team as soon as possible.

(GMM)
Schumacher to advise Vettel on Le Mans experience

Ahead of his Le Mans debut next month, Mick Schumacher says he will report directly to his friend and mentor Sebastian Vettel.

Mick Schumacher, Abu Dhabi GP 2022

 Haas

Despite a recent extensive test, Porsche left quadruple world champion Vettel out of its hypercar lineup for the fabled 24 hour endurance race this year.

As he pushes to return to the Formula 1 grid, however, 25-year-old Schumacher will be at Le Mans - at the wheel of Alpine's hypercar.

A dress-rehearsal for Le Mans took place at the fabled Spa-Francorchamps circuit last weekend, where Schumacher's car failed to score a point over the 6-hour endurance race.

We achieved our goal of a clean race, Mick, the son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher, told motorsport-magazin.com. "Unfortunately, the red flag hurt our chances of a better result.

Nevertheless, we can take a lot of positive points with us to Le Mans, where everything will have to be perfect.

Schumacher says the Alpine project is a good platform for his F1 return efforts.

I see it as a different challenge in the sense that I have to get used to something new as a driver, said the German.

It's already important that I can get used to new cars very quickly for my role in Formula 1 as reserve driver for Mercedes, McLaren and Williams.

As for Vettel, Schumacher hinted that his friend and mentor may be at Le Mans - even if he won't be racing.

I always like to see Sebastian, no matter where, he said.

I've never experienced it (Le Mans) myself, so after the race I will probably tell him whether it's worth doing or not.

(GMM)
Biden signs bill banning U.S. imports of Russian uranium

Xinhua) 13:34, May 14, 2024

WASHINGTON, May 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden signed into law Monday a bill that will prohibit U.S. imports of unirradiated low-enriched uranium from Russia.

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement that Biden signed the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act, which is aimed at "reducing, and ultimately eliminating, our reliance on Russia for civilian nuclear power."

Having already been passed in the House and the Senate, the bill stipulates that 90 days after its enactment, unirradiated low-enriched uranium produced in Russia or by a Russian entity may not be imported to the United States. Enriched uranium is the main fuel used by nuclear power plants.

The bill will provide waivers until Jan. 1, 2028 for utilities having to shut down nuclear reactors due to the cutoff of Russian uranium supply.

It also frees up 2.72 billion U.S. dollars in federal funding that Congress recently appropriated, according to Sullivan, who said the money will be used to "jumpstart new enrichment capacity in the United States."

U.S. companies pay around 1 billion dollars per year for enriched uranium from Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear power conglomerate, according to The Washington Post.

The paper said in a report that the newly enacted law intends to "cut off one of the last significant flows of money from the United States to Russia" amid the latter's conflict with Ukraine.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing)
HMD silently announced its first rugged 5G smartphone  the XR21. If that name rings a bell, its because the device is a carbon copy of the Nokia XR21 which was announced in May last year.



HMD XR21 (left) and Nokia XR21 (right)

HMDs XR21 comes with the same specs and looks as the Nokia XR21 with the only difference being the HMD logo in place of the Nokia one. As a reminder, the Nokia/HMD XR21 brings a 6.49-inch IPS LCD screen with FHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate.

The device is MIL-STD-810H military-grade certified and features IP69K certification  the highest ingress protection rating against water and dust. You also get a Snapdragon 695 SoC, 6GB RAM and 128GB storage as well as a 64MP main cam and 8MP ultrawide lens. The battery comes in at 4,800 mAh and supports 33W charging.

HMD XR21 ships with Android 13 out of the box and is promised two years of OS upgrades and three years of security updates.

HMD XR21 comes in a single Midnight Black color and retails for 600 in its 6/128GB trim. Interestingly enough HMD is still selling the Nokia-branded XR21 for 400 but those units are listed as low stock.

Source
With swimming, fishing and sailing the beach at Palma Sola South in Bradenton, Florida, is a popular spot to beat the heat  but as the Sunshine State dives into swim season, Manatee Countys Health Department is warning swimmers to stay away.

County officials issued a water quality advisory this week after water samples taken on May 6 and May 8 revealed high levels of enterococcus bacteria an indicator of fecal pollution.

As part of Floridas Healthy Beaches Program enacted in 2000, all 34 of Floridas coastal counties collect water samples at local beaches on a weekly basis, analyzing them for enterococci and fecal coliform bacteria.

Swimming in water contaminated with fecal pollution can cause illnesses, including gastrointestinal issues, ear infections, skin rashes and could lead to even more severe conditions in children, older people and those with compromised immune systems.

Because the water at Palma Sola South doesnt meet the criteria for recreational water quality, the Department of Health advises against any water related activities in the affected area, which is situated on Manatee Avenue West along State Road 64 on the south side of the causeway near Palma Sola Bay.

The advisory will be in effect until the water meets Environmental Protection Agency safety guidelines.

In taking a measurement of the number of viable bacteria or fungi in a sample, a sample measuring 70.5 or greater of enterococcus bacteria per 100 milliliters of marine water, is considered poor water quality. Good water quality would measure between 0 and 35, while moderate quality falls between 36 and 70.

Its not the first time health officials have warned against swimming at Palma Sola South. Similar advisories were issued after test results from samples taken last year in June, July and August, also showed elevated levels of enterococci bacteria.




Haiti - FLASH : Heavily armed men close the Cap-Haitien customs office





Monday May 13, 2024, heavily armed individuals set fire to the main customs barrier of Cap-Haitien then vandalized the premises, threatened employees and closed the offices...



Reacting to this attack on its "X" account, the General Customs Administration (AGD) says it is convinced that this attack is linked to arms traffickers because of the latest seizures and writes "Following the major seizure of firearms and ammunition which took place at the customs of Cap-Haitien on April 5 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42067-haiti-flash-cap-haitien-seizure-of-weapons-and-ammunition-2-men-wanted.html , the General Directorate of the AGD decided to send a Commission composed of customs agents responsible for strengthening the control capacities of the Cap-Haitien Customs and its employees.







On Monday, unidentified individuals, unhappy with this decision, made strong threats against Cap-Haitien customs employees as well as members of the Commission who had to take cover." These individuals subsequently proceeded to forcefully close the customs office and opened a hunt for the members of the Commission whom they are seeking, denounce the customs authorities...



All customs activities are at a standstill



According to testimonies, since the arrival of members of this Commission, customs control agents have been frequently threatened by unidentified individuals.



S/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





France: Repayment of the independence debt 3 cities favorable

3 French cities with a slave trading past, Nantes, Bordeaux and La Rochelle are urging the French political class to open negotiations with Haiti concerning the repayment of the independence debt which today amounts to several billion euros... Sse also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42325-haiti-flash-the-ueh-will-work-on-the-restitution-by-france-of-the-independence-debt.html



Gressier : apparent calm

The former deputy for the constituency of Gressier, Antonio Verican, confirms that an apparent calm reigned this Monday in the town, indicating that the bandits took refuge in the heights of the city following the deployment of PNH units.



Kenya will land first

The American Ambassador to Haiti Dennis Hankins confirms that the first Kenyan troops will be deployed to Haiti at the end of the month followed by those of other Nations.



DR : Limit of humanitarian aid to Haiti

Monday May 13, 2024, Dominican President Luis Abinader, interviewed in the program "La Semenal con la Prensa" a weekly press conference with the media, a few days before the deployment of elite police and military personnel as part of the Multinational Security Support Mission, when asked about the aid that the Dominican Republic will provide, Abinader wanted to be firm and precise We reaffirm that we are prepared to provide humanitarian aid in terms of health services, we will not provide any other assistance or collaboration regarding military matters, but strictly humanitarian aid in the area of our hospitals."



Diaspsora France : Conference debate on Konpa

The Embassy of Haiti in France invites you to a conference-debate on Haitian culture on May 15, 2024 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Theme: Konpa, this cement that unites us beyond our differences.

Speaker: Me Yves Lafortune

Address: 10 Rue Theodule Ribot 75017 Paris



D1 Arkema : "Corventina" in the final

Haitian Melchie Dumornay aka Corventina and her teammates beat Stade de Reims (6-0) this Sunday in the semi-final of the D1 Arkema playoffs. The OL Fenottes will face PSG next Friday at Groupama Stadium in the final.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the release of a national strategy today, with recommendations developed by the Task Force on Maternal Mental Health, a subcommittee of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrations (SAMHSA) Advisory Committee for Womens Services, to address the urgent public health crisis of maternal mental health and substance use issues. The Report to Congress and accompanying National Strategy to Improve Maternal Mental Health Care are part of broader federal efforts to address womens overall health, and maternal health in particular, across the nation, consistent with the White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis and the White House Initiative on Womens Health Research.

The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among high-income countries. Deaths from suicide, drug overdoses, and other causes related to mental health and substance use issues are the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S., accounting for more than 22% of those deaths. An estimated one in five individuals are impacted by mental health conditions  including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma-related disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and postpartum psychosis  and substance use disorders (SUD) during pregnancy and the postpartum period and disproportionately affect Black and American Indian/Alaska Native individuals and others in under-resourced communities.

Addressing the maternal mental health crisis is a top priority for the Biden-Harris Administration. Many of these tragic deaths can be prevented by eliminating health disparities and understanding the impact of mental health during pregnancy and in the first months as a parent, said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. We want to address the challenges people are facing, decrease stigma associated with these challenges, and improve access to support both inside and outside of the health care system. I want to thank the task force for developing recommendations on how we can work to expand access to equitable treatment that will improve outcomes and help families thrive.

At HHS we are working every day to transform behavioral health. This critically includes providing support for maternal mental health, said HHS Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm. This report, and the accompanying National Strategy, will further our efforts to improve access to care  including the integration of perinatal behavioral health care across our health and social systems.

The Task Force on Maternal Mental Health is co-chaired by Admiral Rachel Levine, M.D., HHS Assistant Secretary for Health, which oversees the Office on Womens Health, and Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D., HHS Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and the leader of HHSs SAMHSA.

The task force is a subcommittee of the Advisory Committee for Women's Services which is a federal advisory committee made up of more than 100 federal and nonfederal members, including experts in obstetrics and gynecology, maternal and child health, clinical and research, psychiatry, psychology, counseling, gender-based violence, strategic policy, community behavioral health, federal-community partnerships and those with lived experience.

This announcement is the result of the Task Force on Maternal Mental Healths efforts to support ways to address the nations maternal mental health crisis, said Admiral Rachel Levine, Assistant Secretary for Health. The effort this task force put forth in developing comprehensive recommendations on ways to address the maternal mental health crisis is important towards informing HHS strategy moving forward. We look forward to reviewing the recommendations proposed in National Strategy to Improve Maternal Mental Health Care to improve maternal mental health outcomes.

Untreated maternal mental health and substance use conditions can have negative and long-lasting effects on individuals and families; in the worst cases, these issues result in needless deaths, said Assistant Secretary Delphin-Rittmon. Many of these deaths are preventable, and we are grateful for the task forces recommendations included in this National Strategy to address these critical challenges.

In the national strategy, the task force vision calls for a seamless integration of perinatal mental health and substance use care across medical, community, and social systems that increases equity and access, improves federal coordination, and elevates culturally relevant supports and trauma-informed approaches.

Building upon existing federal government efforts, the task force outlines a path to achieve the vision in the national strategy within a framework of five core pillars, each with supporting priorities and recommendations.

The five pillars of the national strategy focus on: building a national infrastructure that prioritizes perinatal mental health and well-being, with a focus on reducing disparities; making care and services accessible, affordable, and equitable; using data and research to improve outcomes and accountability; promoting prevention and engaging, educating, and partnering with communities; and lifting up the voices of people with lived experience.

The national strategy is a living document that will be regularly updated by the task force. The federal government will consider the strategy as it continues addressing the maternal mental health crisis.

The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline provides free, confidential, 24/7 mental health support for moms and their families before, during, and after pregnancy. Counselors are available in English and Spanish, and interpreters are available to support callers in 60 other languages. Call or text 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262).

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

To learn how to get support for mental health, drug, and alcohol issues, visit FindSupport.gov. Anyone seeking treatment for mental health or substance use issues should call SAMHSAs National Helpline at 800-662-HELP (4357) or visit findtreatment.samhsa.gov.

Reporters with questions should send inquiries to media@samhsa.hhs.gov.
Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], May 14: In India, many traditional arts are struggling to survive. Block printing is one such art that has been in decline due to the onset of screen printing. This art, which found favour amongst the royal families of India and the world, is struggling due to a shortage of skilled artisans and a lack of interest from the consumer end. Yet, some are dedicated to preserving this ancient practice. Weaves, founded in 1992 by the Kedia family, is one such organisation dedicated to the revival of block printing. Kashyap Kedia, founder of Satishree, a sister company within Weaves, left his job at Deloitte to pursue a new venture in the colourful world of block printing.

Kashyaps family has been in the textile business for over six generations. In 2019, during his visit to Bagru village in Rajasthan, which is particularly famous for block printing, Kashyap discovered the beauty and complexity of this unique art form. As he visited the factories and watched artisans precisely carve intricate designs into wooden blocks, he realised he had found his calling. He was fascinated by how different techniques, use of natural colours and combinations of patterns were used to make one particular design. What really captivated him was the hard work involved in the process, such as the long hours of dyeing, washing, drying, and printing before a fabric could actually be worn. It showcased a special connection between the artisan and their craft, something he wanted to be a part of.

But there was another side to the story. Kashyap saw the challenges these artisans facedunfair wages, inconsistent payment, and a lack of recognition for their work. During his visit to a factory, one of the artisans commented, "Seth ji ko bolo kharcha karenge" (Tell the owner to spend money). Another artisan corrected her, saying, "Seth ji nahi, bade bhai" (He's not an owner; he's like our elder brother). This interaction deeply impacted Kashyap, who was emotionally moved by this gesture. He knew he had to do something to create lasting change for them.

Driven by a sense of responsibility, Kashyap, along with his brother Rishabh, founded Satishree, a brand dedicated to preserving and promoting the art of block printing while ensuring fair treatment and pay for its artisans. He began by recruiting a small group of block printers and gradually built a network of highly skilled artisans, one by one. Today, Satishree is run by a team of 30 master artisans, representing over 100 artisans, including women. There's no gender pay gap at Satishree, and the business has achieved economies of scale.

Most of the artisans hail from the Chippa community of Rajasthan. Chippas, a word derived from Chappa, which means printing, have continued the tradition of block printing uninterrupted for the past four centuries. "The market hasn't been kind to us," says Akash Chippa, a Satishree artisan. But things have changed since I joined Satishree. I no longer have to face issues regarding payment, and my work is finally getting the recognition it deserves."

Satishree sets itself apart by practising only original hand block printing techniques using natural dyes made out of natural sources like multani mitti, tamarind seeds etc. Kashyap sees a future where the artisans themselves flourish. He is setting up a state-of-the-art block printing factory, which will be functional from August 2024, in Bagru. His dream is to set up a museum dedicated to the craft of block printing and highlight its cultural importance. He also conducts regular workshops for block printing enthusiasts, and for those who want to understand this art.

Satishree is one of those few brands that focuses on the revival of this art and to give a voice to the artisans involved. It's a brand that considers ethical practices and sustainability as its core values. It makes use of natural fabrics like cotton, tussar silk. This brand is also working with Aditya Birla's Liva, which makes sustainable naturally derived fibre, to make eco-friendly and innovative fabrics.

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.
Cognizant warned its employees that they could be fired if they do not follow return to office rules despite repeated reminders, LiveMint reported. The IT major warned employees who have not returned to office despite warnings in a letter, the report claimed. Cognizant asked its employees in India to work from office for three days a week, news agency Reuters reported in February.

The company said as per the report, Please note that failure to adhere to the directions will amount to serious misconduct as per company policies and accordingly appropriate disciplinary action will be initiated against you which may lead up to termination.

Read more: Cognizant defers salary hikes by four months to August 1

This comes after the IT firm asked its employees in India to work from office for three days a week, news agency Reuters reported in February this year as Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar S said in a memo that all India associates are expected to be in the office an average of three days per week, or as defined by their team leader.

The company has around 254,000 based in India, as per its annual report. The mandate comes after Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys and Wipro also told employees to return to the office in 2023. TCS has been reportedly laying down a five-days-a-week schedule.
Taiwanese tech giant Foxconn on Tuesday reported a 72 percent jump in net profit during the first three months of 2024 as demand for artificial intelligence technology grows. The logo of Foxconn is seen outside the company's building in Taipei, Taiwan,(Reuters)

The firm -- also known by its official name Hon Hai Precision Industry -- is the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer and assembles devices for several companies, most notably Apple's iPhones.

It said net profit for January-March rose to US$679 million from US$396 million in the same period last year.

While the boost is the third consecutive quarter of profit growth, it is still below expectations, and Foxconn spokesperson James Wu sought to paint an upbeat picture during Tuesday's earnings call.

"We expect that the strong demand for AI servers will bring a new huge market, which is why we are optimistic about this industry," he said.

He added that "Hon Hai is almost the only manufacturer that can develop every key component by itself, from modules, basic servers, high-speed network switches, to data centres".

Foxconn's leadership also released a statement right before the earnings call to reaffirm its commitment to Japanese electronics maker Sharp, in which the Taiwanese firm holds the largest stake of more than 30 percent.

Its low base in 2023 was attributed to the losses of Sharp, according to comments made during the call.

"(Sharp) listed asset impairment... which affected Foxconn's non-operational and net profit performances in the first quarter," said Wu.

But "the worst is behind Sharp", he added. "Its future only gets better from here."

The company said Sharp would be transforming its Sakai factory into an "AI data centre", with no further details about what that would entail.

Wu said Foxconn intended to collaborate more with the Japanese firm "in the areas of smart products for people, vehicles, home and office... to seize new opportunities in the AI server technology revolution".

Foxconn had in the past credited its steady performance growth to strong demand for generative AI, a technology that has seen a surge in demand in recent years.

The firm has declared ambitions to move beyond electronics assembly, investing significantly to be part of the AI technology market to transition into a "comprehensive situations platform provider".

Most notably, Foxconn announced last October it would team up with US chip giant Nvidia to create "AI factories" -- powerful data-processing centres that would drive the manufacturing of next-generation products.

The bulk of Foxconn's operations are based in China, and it is the country's largest private-sector employer with more than a million workers.

But it is looking to diversify its manufacturing supply chain after production was impacted by three years of strict Covid policies, a bout of industrial unrest and diplomatic tensions with the United States.

Foxconn said in November it was planning an additional US$1.54 billion investment in India for "operational needs", after announcing the purchase of a huge tract of land on the outskirts of tech hub Bengaluru last year.
Bernstein reflected on recent voter turnout figures in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections and said that there is no obvious correlation between voting percentage versus election outcomes based on past elections. Investors should not to read too much into the turnout numbers, it said, noting, A large decline (over 5 per cent) without much anti-incumbency should see them repeating figures of 2019 with minor up/down revisions. Only the case of a large vote share decline (over 5 per cent) and significant anti-incumbency is where the elections become a market-defining event. The fact that the opposition is more united nationally this time should start having meaningful repercussions only at this stage. Stock market: BJP supporters during a public meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Lok Sabha elections, in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh.(PTI)

Lok Sabha elections began on April 19 and the seven-phase polls will conclude on June 1. Results will be announced on June 4.

Bernstein also said that the data released on voter turnout the same day does not include the ballot voting. Additionally the ballot paper impact is larger than what used to be in the past years, it said. But unless there is a steep decline in voter turnout or significant anti-incumbency, there will be no major impact on the overall election results and the BJP will easily win in the Lok Sabha elections, it said.

"A lack of any connection with an issue on the ground or lack of connection with opposition, for instance, may discourage these swing voters from coming out and voting. This also gets one interesting result: there werent enough swing votes in favor of INC in 2019 (barely 0.5 per cent). So, assuming the core voters will mostly turn up, the loss due to swing voters will likely be for NDA," Bernstein said.

It added, Assuming a minor decline of 2.5 per cent for overall voting and generously assuming INC captures 75 per cent of the anti-incumbency, we still have the BJPs vote share at 32.7% compared to that of INC at 22.2 per cent. The vote percentage difference is only marginally behind the 2014 difference, still translating to a comfortable victory. Thus, even with anti-incumbency, a minor vote share decline does not translate to any election surprises. The opposition seats will go up given that were seeing a combined INDIA alliance, but a major loss to BJP seats is unlikely.
Sam Altman reflected on the release of his company OpenAI's latest AI model GPT-4o. The new update brings more features to the chatbot and Sam Altman believes that it almost feels like something out of a movie. Expressing his astonishment at the capabilities of GPT-4o, he likened it to "AI from the movies" and noted in a blog that "the new voice (and video) mode is the best compute interface Ive ever used. It feels like AI from the movies; and its still a bit surprising to me that its real. Getting to human-level response times and expressiveness turns out to be a big change." Sam Altman on GPT-4o: Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in San Francisco, California, US.(Reuters)

Talking about the initial vision for OpenAI and how it has evolved, he said, We are a business and will find plenty of things to charge for, and that will help us provide free, outstanding AI service to (hopefully) billions of people. Sam Altman also talked about the potential of the new voice and video modes in the updated version which are making a computer feel genuinely natural for him.

What we know about GPT-4o

GPT-4o integrates voice, video, and text in a way to make interactions with AI more natural, OpenAI has said. The model will process text, understand as well as respond to audio and visual inputs in order to make interactions with AI more human-like.

Read more: OpenAI releases GPT-4o: What changes in ChatGPT? Is the version free or paid? All FAQs answered

GPT-4o also has reduced response time as it can react to queries in milliseconds which is concomitant to natural conversation pace, the company said. The updated version will be available to premium users and those in the basic tier as well.
Vivek Wadhwa- Indian-American entrepreneur, and author -questioned Tesla CEO Elon Musk's decision of choosing China over India for the company's manufacturing operations. Slamming the billionaire, Vivek Wadhwa wrote that "Elon is going to be the biggest loser" by picking China over India. Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his security detail depart the company's local office in Washington, US.(Reuters)

Read more: Elon Musk wants this Tesla network to expand after firing employees making it

He added, A few years ago, I exchanged emails with him about the risks in China. I warned him they would rob him blind and urged him to consider moving manufacturing to India instead, where he would have dominated the market by now.

Elon Musk's India visit

The comments come after Elon Musk cancelled his planned visit to India last month and said that he has postponed it due to unforeseen tasks at Tesla. During the visit, Elon Musk was set to meet PM Modi and reportedly announce investment of up to $3 billion in a car plant.

But days later, the billionaire visited China and won concessions for Tesla where he was seen meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. It was also reported that Elon Musk's visit helped Tesla make progress in rolling out its advanced driver assistance package in China.
Walmart is cutting hundreds of corporate jobs as it asked most of its remote workers to return to office, it was reported. Citing people in the know, Wall Street Journal reported that the worlds largest retailer and America's biggest private employer is asking workers in three tech hubs to relocate as well. Walmart layoffs: View of Walmart's newly remodeled Supercenter, in Teterboro, New Jersey, US.(Reuters)

Employees in smaller offices in Dallas, Atlanta, and Toronto are being requested to transition to larger hubs like Walmart's corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, the report claimed.

Walmart runs around 4,600 stores in the US and employed approximately 2.1 million associates at the start of the year, it said in regulatory filings.

The company had said in April 2023 that it sees 65% of its stores to be serviced via automation by 2026. Since then, Walmart has been downsizing and in December 2022, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon told investors that automated warehouses will eliminate a lot of time that workers spend in sorting merchandise.

This comes as Business Insider reported that Walmart will close a Bay Area store in May as well as a Neighborhood Market in Milwaukee bringing the confirmed closures in 2024 to eight. The report said that layoff notices were filed with the state of Wisconsin and California, following closure of four stores in California, one in Maryland and one in Ohio.

Earlier this month, Walmart also announced that it will close all 51 of its health clinics and shut its virtual health care operations, news agency Reuters reported.
Delhi Fire News Live: A massive blaze erupted at IT office in Delhi on Tuesday.

Delhi Fire News Highlights: A fire has erupted at the Income Tax CR Building, situated opposite the Delhi Police headquarters. Authorities have dispatched 21 fire tenders to the scene. "We received a call at 3.07 pm, regarding a fire in the Income Tax CR building. We have rushed a total of 21 fire tenders. We have also informed the local police about the matter for further investigation and to maintain law and order," officials of the Delhi fire services said....Read More

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

In the videos that are making rounds on social media, the building occupants are seen taking shelter on the window ledge while escaping the fire.

The building is located opposite the old police headquarters, which the force still occupies for some of its units.
One person died in the fire incident at the Central Revenue Building in the ITO area on Tuesday, police said. Delhi ITO fire: A total of 21 fire tenders have been rushed to the spot.

The victim, a 46-year-old male, worked as an office superintendent there, they added.

Seven people were rescued from the building.

"We received a call at 3.07 pm, regarding a fire in the Income Tax CR building. We have rushed a total of 21 fire tenders. We have also informed the local police about the matter for further investigation and to maintain law and order," officials of the Delhi fire services said.

The building is located opposite the old Police Headquarters, which is still occupied by the force for some of its units.

In the videos doing rounds on social media, the occupants of the building were seen taking shelter on the window ledge while escaping the fire.

Video of Delhi ITO fire:

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

"I got an information at 4 pm that total seven people -- five men and two women were rescued safely by DFS from the third floor of the building. The process of dousing flames completely is still going on," DFS chief Atul Garg said.

"As the firefighters reached the spot, they evacuated the building. We had to use gas mask due to toxic fumes, but all those who were in the building were rescued safely. We have informed the local police of the area for further investigation into the matter to know actual cause of the fire," Garg said.

On Sunday, at least seven people were injured in a blast and a massive fire in a chemical factory in Delhi's Bawana area. Police said the condition of three of the injured was critical.

"All of them have been referred to the Safdarjung Hospital for further treatment. The other injured people have been identified as Suresh, Rakesh, Pankaj Pal and Ghan Shyam and they are undergoing treatment at the hospital," PTI quoted a police officer as saying.

Preliminary investigation suggested that a spark from a short circuit led to the chemicals kept there catching fire.

This is a developing storyPlease check back for updates
Chief ministers of 12 BJP-ruled and alliance states, including U.P. chief minister Yogi Adityanath, are likely to be present when Prime Minister Narendra Modi files his nomination for a third consecutive term from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat on Tuesday, said a BJP leader. Prime Minister Narendra Modi to file his nomination for a third consecutive term from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat today.

Besides, several Union ministers, including defence minister Rajnath Singh and home minister Amit Shah, and presidents of various National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies are also likely to be there on the occasion, the BJP leader added. Before filing papers, the PM may also pay obeisance to Maa Ganga at Dashashwamedh Ghat at around 9 am. He is likely to take bath in the Ganga. The PM is also likely go to Namo Ghat.

Also read: PM Narendra Modi wears Sikh turban, serves food in langar | Watch

From there, he will go to Baba Kaal Bhairav temple to offer prayers. Then, Modi will go to collectorate to file his nomination. Later, he may to hold a meeting with party workers at convention centre. Moreover, there is a coincidence of Pushya Nakshatra with Ganga Saptami on May 14.

According to astrologer Pt Rishi Dwivedi, according to the scriptures, the combination is there due to positioning of the planets. It is believed that doing any work on this day leads to fulfillment of ones wish. If any work is done in Pushya Nakshatra, its completion is considered certain. he added.

As per the BJP leaders, those likely to be present at the PMs nomination include U.P. CM Yogi Adityanath, his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav, his Chhattisgarh counterpart Vishnu Deo Sai and Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde.

Also read: Edited video falsely claims Modi endorsed AIMIM in Hyderabad speech

Besides, Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma, his Assam counterpart Hemant Biswa Sarma, Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini, his Goa counterpart Pramod Sawant, Sikkim chief minister Prem Singh Tamang and his Tripura counterpart Manik Saha will also be there, they added.

Apart from this, Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan, Apna Dal (S) president Anupriya Patel and SBSP president Om Prakash Rajbhar will also attend the PMs nomination.
PRAYAGRAJ: Seven-time MLA from Kunda and president of Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik) Raghuraj Pratap Singh aka Raja Bhaiya has announced that he will not support any political party or candidate in the Lok Sabha elections. On Tuesday, Raja Bhaiya urged his supporters to vote independently after a meeting with party leaders and workers at his residence in Benti. Within moments, his video regarding the stand went viral on social media platforms. BJP MP and candidate from Kaushambi seat Vinod Sonkar with Raguraj Pratap Singh in Pratapgarh on Tuesday. (HT Phtoto)

Our party is not contesting on either the Pratapgarh or Kaushambi parliamentary seats, nor are we in alliance with any other political party. Our supporters and voters in both Kunda and Babaganj assembly constituencies were continuously in contact with us, asking whom to vote for. After a meeting with party leaders and workers, a decision has been taken that the party will not support any candidate in the Lok Sabha elections. Our voters and supporters may cast their votes as per their will, Raja Bhaiya said.

Responding to scribes query over his leaning towards the BJP, Raja Bhaiya said that his party had no political alliances with any party and that this decision was made with the consent of all party leaders and supporters.

Meanwhile, both the BJP and Samajwadi Party candidates contesting for the Kaushambi Lok Sabha constituency approached Kunda MLA Raghuraj Pratap Singh seeking support in the polls. Both candidates visited Raja Bhaiyas residence separately on Tuesday.

BJP candidate from Kaushambi, Vinod Sonkar, along with Union Minister Sanjeev Baliyan, reached Benti to meet Raja Bhaiya and request his support in the polls. Earlier, Samajwadi Party candidate Pushpendra Saroj also approached Raja Bhaiyya.

It is worth mentioning that Raja Bhaiyas party, Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik), has not fielded any candidates in the Lok Sabha elections. However, Raja Bhaiya has a strong following and base in the Kunda and Babaganj assembly constituencies of Pratapgarh district, which fall under the Kaushambi Lok Sabha seat.

All political parties in the poll fray were seeking Raja Bhaiyas support to ensure their victory in the elections.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had recently met Raja Bhaiya in Bengaluru, which sparked rumors of his extending support to the BJP for the parliamentary polls.
By SA Commercial Prop News

The 77-hectare Clairwood Racecourse was sold in the last quarter of 2012 to Capital Property Fund for R430m, and the group has plans for developing the land to meet the current needs in the area.



Durbans continuing shortage of flat land suitable for commercial and industrial use is preventing the development of major warehousing in the region.

Companies requiring access to the harbour, as well as close proximity to national road networks add another layer of complexity to the situation. But the development of the Clairwood Racecourse will bring viable opportunities that meet this need.



The last quarter of 2012 saw the sale of Clairwood Racecourse from Golden Circle to Capital Property Fund, who in turn will lease the 77-hectare Durban Racecourse to Golden Circle for a period of two years. During this time, Greyville Racecourse, also owned by Golden Circle, will be upgraded and operations will be moved from Clairwood to the newly renovated premises.



The Clairwood sale last year was negotiated by Galetti Commercial & Industrial, and achieved a selling price of R430m. John Jack, Director for Galetti, comments, The greater Durban area is of huge strategic importance to many large corporates in South Africa, and Capital Property Fund foresaw an opportunity here.



Capital Property Fund has ambitious plans in store for the site. Looking to capitalise on the new multibillion Rand Durban dig-out port that will be located near to Clairwood on the old Durban International Airport site, they plan to develop a mixed-use logistics park consisting of warehouse and distribution facilities.



According to John Jack,  We believe the 5km proximity within the new Durban port will prove attractive to the likes of freight and logistics companies looking to base themselves within a convenient distance of port facilities.



The Clairwood community is also set to benefit from these plans, with Capital Property Fund expecting the project to create jobs and improve security in the area. Special attention will be placed on attractive architecture, as well as constructing an environmentally sustainable development. This will ensure that no noise or harmful emissions will be emitted from the new logistics park.



Once completed the park will boast as much as 300,000sqm under roof space and potentially even more with clever planning. The logistics park will provide a modern offering at competitive rentals and Galetti anticipates a major focus in the wider area ahead, with more the more prudent investors acquiring property within the same precinct.
Mumbai is set to welcome two electric boats, the first of their kind in the city, for travel from Navi Mumbai to Mumbai, Elephanta Caves, and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA). The boats were commissioned by Union Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane on Tuesday as Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) celebrated its 250th anniversary. The boats were commissioned by Union Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane. HT Photo

The Defence Secretary also commissioned a Solar Electric Hybrid boat with a top speed of 11 knots, designed and co-developed with indigenous technology partners. The running cost of the electric boat is almost one-tenth of a diesel boat and has significantly lower maintenance costs.

Additionally, a 24-passenger Fuel Cell Electric Ferry named "SUCHI" was commissioned by the Defence Secretary. "Its advanced technology has zero emissions and low acoustic signatures, leading to cleaner waterways and contributing to environmental conservation," said the MDL spokesperson.

Sohel Kazani, founder and managing partner of Bharat Freight Group, the operator of these boats, stated that MDL has been working and guiding them in the development of fully electric and luxury-class passenger boats. The final delivery is expected by the end of this month, with operations commencing in June, subject to Maharashtra Maritime Board approval. During the monsoon season, the boats will operate from Navi Mumbai to the Domestic Terminal at Ferry Wharf, Elephanta, and JNPA.

To mark its 250th anniversary, MDL organised a series of events, including the inclusion of adjacent land acquired from Mumbai Port Authority, the launch of a prototype indigenous midget submarine named 'Arowana', the commissioning of the Solar Electric Hybrid boat, the release of MDL's commemorative coin, and a daylong technical seminar.

Giridhar Aramane, the chief guest at the event, congratulated MDL, stating, "MDL is a precious jewel in the crown of India and has contributed immensely in building capacities for naval and commercial purposes. MDL is the biggest shipyard in the country, contributing most to the assets of the Indian Navy."

MDL's history dates back to 1774 when a small dry dock was constructed in Mazgaon, Mumbai, to service ships of the British East India Company. Over the next 250 years, the dock developed into the massive conglomerate known today as Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited. In 1960, the Government of India took over the yard to further its warship development programme and incorporated it as a PSU under the Ministry of Defence.

From the initial order for building six Leander-class frigates under a transfer of technology from the British Admiralty to the sophisticated destroyers and submarines currently on order, the yard has come a long way. MDL is now the premier and lead warship building yard in the country, producing sophisticated world-class warships and other commercial crafts, including stealth frigates, destroyers, and submarines for the Indian Navy.
Bhavesh Bhinde, proprietor of the advertising agency allegedly responsible for the hoarding collapse onto a petrol pump in Mumbai's Ghatkopar area, has a troubling history with 23 criminal cases against him. He was also recently arrested on rape charges, reported PTI. After Monday's hoarding crash in which at least 14 people died, Bhinde has been absconding, while a case under IPC section 304 was registered against him at Pantnagar police station.(PTI)

Bhinde has been on the run since the Monday incident that claimed at least 14 lives. A case has been lodged against Bhinde under IPC section 304 at the Pantnagar police station in Mumbai in connection with the collapse.

In January, Bhavesh Bhinde was arrested in connection with a rape case filed at Mulund police station but later secured bail, according to the PTI report. Bhinde, the owner of Ego Media, also contested in the Maharashtra assembly elections in 2009, a police official said.

As per BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, a different company owned by Bhavesh Bhinde was placed on the blacklist by the commercial department of the Indian Railways in 2017-18 due to numerous complaints regarding the installation of unauthorized hoardings.

ALSO READ | Mumbai hoarding collapse: 14 dead, 74 injured in Ghatkopar; FIR registered | Latest updates

At least 14 people were killed, and dozens were injured after the iron hoarding collapsed in Ghatkopar. Following the hoarding collapse incident, Central Railway authorities instructed all five of its divisions to conduct audits of similar structures within their respective zones.

Central Railway's chief spokesperson said the engineering department has been asked to carry out the audit of all the hoardings.

"A detailed structural audit is being carried out and will be completed shortly as per the instructions of Ram Karan Yadav, the general manager of the Central Railway," Swapnil Nila said.

The Mumbai division of Central Railways has installed 138 hoardings across 99 different sites. These hoardings range in size up to 100 x 40 feet, with contract durations spanning from five years to a maximum of seven years.

ALSO READ | Mumbai Ghatkopar hoarding collapse: Ajmera Group reacts after old ad from the same spot goes viral

Speaking about the collapse of iron hoarding, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani on Tuesday said that action will be taken against all the illegal hoardings in Mumbai. The commissioner added that the hoarding that collapsed in Ghatkopar was not permitted by the civic body.

Speaking to reporters, BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani said, "BMC has ordered that action be taken against all illegal hoarding in the city. We are starting that today. A case has been registered in this case. This hoarding did not have any permission. A complaint was also received that some trees were also cut so that this hoarding would be visible. We have also registered a case again."

(With inputs from agencies)
Mumbai hoarding collapse updates: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday said that it would be taking strict action against all the illegal billboards being put up in the city after a 120x120-feet hoarding collapsed in the Ghatkopar area killing at least 14 killed and injuring dozens. Rescue and relief work underway near the site of the hoarding collapse at Ghatkopar(PTI)

Mumbai Ghatkopar hoarding collapse: Ajmera Group reacts after old ad from the same spot goes viral

"BMC has ordered that action be taken against all illegal hoarding in the city. We are starting that today. A case has been registered in this case. This hoarding did not have any permission. A complaint was also received that some trees were also cut so that this hoarding would be visible. We have also registered a case against this too," news agency ANI quoted BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani as saying.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department on Tuesday predicted light rainfall over the city and its suburbs on Tuesday. "Thunderstorm accompanied with lightning and moderate spells of rain with gusty winds reaching 40-50 kmph very likely to occur at isolated places in the districts of Mumbai suburban during next 3-4 hours. Take precautions while moving out," it said.

Here are the top updates on the hoarding collapse incident:

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, while expressing grief over the incident, said that strict action will be taken against the owner of the hoarding, and a case of culpable homicide has been registered.

Shinde also announced  5 lakh as compensation to the next kin of the victims. He also said that the government would bear all the expenses of the people injured in this incident.

BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani said that the hoarding which collapsed did not have any permission, and some trees were also cut to make the billboard visible. An FIR has been registered against this case too.

Squall topples illegal, oversized hoarding in Ghatkopar, killing 14

Rescue and search operations continued at the Ghatkopar hoarding site a day after the tragedy. A terrifying video showed the 120 x 120 square feet hoarding falling at a petrol pump.

At least 75 people rescued from the hoarding collapsed were taken to the hospital, out of which 31 have been discharged and treatment is still going on for 44 people. The incident claimed at least 14 lives.

Due to the billboard collapse and rescue operations, traffic came to a standstill in some areas of Ghatkopar. Traffic congestion was witnessed on roads near the petrol pump where the incident took place.

Action has already been taken against more than 1,500 illegal hoardings in Pune, the civic body said on Tuesday in the wake of the hoarding collapse incident in Ghatkopar. There were 1,564 illegal temporary hoardings and posters in the city, Pune Municipal Corporation's commissioner Rajendra Bhosale said.

Further, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya accused Bhavesh Bhide of Ego Media of absconding from Mumbai with his family. Somaiya demanded that Bhide be declared a fugitive in the hoarding collapse case. "Bhavesh Bhinde (Ego Media), responsible for this incident, has absconded with his family. I have demanded the police to declare him a fugitive. Bhavesh Bhinde's Ego Media has made more than 2 dozen illegal hoardings," he said.

Mumbai hoarding collapse: 14 killed; traffic jams in Ghatkopar

Somaiya also demanded the state government to thoroughly inspect and remove all the illegal hoardings, that were put up in 2020, 2021 and 2022 in Mumbai.

(With inputs from agencies)
Mumbai, Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar has said stringent action will be taken against those responsible for the hoarding collapse incident in the city. Mumbai, India - December 02, 2022: Vivek Phansalkar, Mumbai Police Commissioner at CP Office, in Mumbai, India, on Friday, December 02, 2022. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/Hindustan Times) (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT PHOTO)

At least 14 persons were killed and 74 injured after a 100 feet tall illegal billboard fell at a petrol pump in Ghatkopar during dust storms and unseasonal rains that lashed Mumbai on Monday, as per civic officials.

Phansalkar visited the spot late Monday evening where he spoke to reporters and assured of action against those responsible for the incident.

In a post on his official X handle on Monday, Phansalkar said, "Heartfelt condolences to families who lost their loved ones in the unfortunate mishap at Ghatkopar. @MumbaiPolice team is on the spot in the rescue operation. We assure citizens that stringent legal action will be taken against those responsible for this mishap."

A case has been registered against Bhavesh Bhinde, the owner of M/s Ego Media Private Limited and others for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code at Pant Nagar police station, another official said.

Search and rescue operations were going on at the Chheda Nagar-based petrol pump on Tuesday morning, according to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation officials.

The billboard was illegal and no permission was taken to install it, as per civic officials.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the incident spot late Monday evening and ordered a structural audit of all hoardings in the city. "The hoardings, if found illegal and dangerous, would be removed immediately," he said. "It is a very unfortunate incident. The government will probe it, and the people responsible will face action. I have also asked the BMC commissioner to conduct a structural audit of all the hoardings in the city. Those found illegal and dangerous will be removed," Shinde told reporters. He announced an aid of 5 lakh to the kin of each person killed in the hoarding collapse.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Mumbai: A day after strong winds and dust storms wreaked havoc in the city, the India Meteorological Department on Tuesday warned that thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and moderate spells of rain are highly likely to occur at isolated places within the Mumbai suburban area during the next three to four hours. Massive dust storm along with rains at Vashi area in Navi Mumbai on Monday. (HT Photo)

The IMD said that gusty winds reaching speeds between 40-50 kmph are expected to accompany the thunderstorm, advising the residents to take precautions while moving out.

Thunderstorm accompanied with lightning and moderate spells of rain with gusty winds reaching 40-50 kmph very likely to occur at isolated places in the districts of Mumbai suburban during next 3-4 hours, the Met department said.

On Monday, a 120x120 feet advertising hoarding collapsed over a petrol pump in Ghatkopar, killing 14 persons and injuring dozens. The hoarding sliced through the petrol pump's roof and crashed on the vehicles gathered there, prompting a massive search and rescue operation.

At least 12 fire engines and other vehicles have been involved in the search and operation, which is still underway, since around 4.50 pm on Monday.

According to civic officials, the billboard was illegal and no permission was taken to install it.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the incident spot late Monday evening and ordered a structural audit of all hoardings in the city.

The police have registered a case against the owner of Ego Media and others for installing the hoarding that collapsed on the petrol pump.

The owner, Bhavesh Bhinde, and others were booked under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 337 (causing hurt to another person by acting rashly or negligently) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), an official said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates
The Congress on Tuesday constituted a fact-finding committee to probe the Bijapur encounter in Chhattisgarh in which 12 suspected Maoists were killed on May 10, the party said, two days after the villagers alleged that the encounter was fake. A scene from Fridays encounter site in Chhattisgarhs Bijapur district.

The team is led by tribal leader and former deputy speaker of Chhattisgarh legislative assembly Santram Netam and includes Indra Shah Mandavi, Vikram Mandavi, Janak Ram Dhruv, Savitri Mandavi, Devti Karma, Rajnu Netam and Shankar Kudiam.

State Congress president Deepak Baij issued a letter in this regard and urged the members to submit a detailed fact-finding report as soon as possible.

On Friday, security forces said they gunned down 12 Maoists, including Budhu Oyam and Kallu Punem, both members of military company number 2 of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) outfit who carried rewards of 8 lakh each on their heads. Others killed in the encounter were Gangaloor area committee member of Maoists, Lakhe Kunjam, and member of military platoon number 12, Bhima Karam, who had rewards of 5 lakh each on their heads. The other deceased, militia platoon commander Sannu Lakom and vice-head of the Janata Sarkar (peoples government) Avlam, were carrying a bounty of 2 lakh each.

Two days later, on May 12, the local villagers who reached Bijapur for the bodies of deceased claimed the area residents were gunned down by the security forces and the encounter was fake. Villagers claimed that some villagers had gone to pluck tendu leaves from the forest and started running when security forces moved towards them and shot them.

Congress MLA and senior leader Kawasi Lakhma also questioned the encounter and demanded that there should be proper investigation by the government.

It has now come to light through the media that among the 12 people killed in Pedia, who were alleged to be Maoists, were in reality tendu leaf collectors from nearby villages. Therefore, on behalf of the society, the Congress Party is sending a state-level investigation team to look into the matter, said Lakhma.

He further said if the situation remains such, the tribals shall gradually go extinct away from this region.

It was the tendu leaves collecting season, and it is a known habit of the police to kill tribals indiscriminately and branding them Maoists. In such a situation, all the tribals will gradually get wiped out from there. If tribals who are the regions identity do not survive here, how can Bastar be there? Therefore, the BJP government must put an end to such incidents with immediate effect, and also initiate adequate investigation, Lakhma added.

Manish Kunjam, president of the Adivasi Mahasabha and former Communist Party of India (CPI) leader, said that he will visit the village on Wednesday as the encounter has raised several questions.

Police have recovered a 10 bharmaar (muzzle rifle) which can fire once, and it will take at least 30 minutes to reload it, which clearly indicates that something is fishy. I along with my team will visit the village and then talk to the media, said Kunjam.

State BJP leaders claimed that Congress should also think before speaking over encounters because it affects the morale of the security forces.

Congress leaders should think before speaking. It has an adverse impact on the morale of security forces. Secondly, the fact-finding team should also find out whether the villagers are speaking in fear of Maoists or not , said Ajay Chandrakar, chief spokesperson of the BJP.

Meanwhile, deputy inspector general of police, (South Bastar) Kamalochayan Kashyap refused to comment over the fact-finding team; however, he had earlier refuted the claims of villagers and said all killed were Maoists.
The agreement signed by India and Iran for long-term operations by an Indian State-run firm at the strategic Chabahar port is a significant development, given the disruptions affecting global trade due to the instability in West Asia. The Chabahar project began in 2016 as an initiative by Afghanistan, India and Iran to create a trade and transit hub, with the tacit blessings of the US, which provided a carve-out for the port in its sanctions regime for Iran, given its interest in Afghanistan then. The situation has now changed, and the Indian side will have to be wary about the US threat of enforcing sanctions against all entities engaging in business deals with Iran. A US State Department deputy spokesperson, when asked about Chabahar, said: Any entity, anyone considering business deals with Iran  they need to be aware of the potential risks that they are opening themselves up to and the potential risk of sanctions.

Still, for India and Iran, the project offers a chance to build a trade route that could access Afghanistan and the landlocked Central Asian States. The deal is also in continuation with New Delhis long-standing relations with Tehran, which are showcased as a civilisational legacy, and hence, shielded from the compulsions of geopolitics. Nonetheless, India-Iran relations have been impacted by the ebb and flow of the Wests ties with Tehran. The 10-year agreement assuages Iranian concerns about Indias long-term commitment to the project, especially against the backdrop of New Delhis burgeoning strategic relations with Washington. While India has maintained a steady commitment for the development of a terminal at Chabahar, it faced challenges in its efforts to acquire modern equipment for the port because of concerns among Western suppliers over US sanctions. Despite these obstacles, the Indian State-run firm has handled more than 8.4 million tonnes of cargo since it began operations at Chabahar in late 2018. Experts believe this figure is only a reflection of the true potential of the deep water port, and Indias plans to invest $120 million in new equipment will give a major boost to Chabahars capacity.

In the current context, the obvious gains for India are economic, as Chabahar will open up opportunities to further its interests in Iran, especially at a time when China is eyeing the countrys ports and coastal infrastructure, and facilitate trade with Afghanistan and Central Asia. Clearly, the port agreement is premised on long-term economic and strategic interests, and, perhaps, suggests how New Delhi and Tehran, despite their current diplomatic stance and friends, are careful to exercise strategic autonomy to further their respective national interests. That will require some balancing, though.
TN 11th Result 2024 Live: Tamil Nadu Plus One result out, check scores here

TN 11th Result 2024 Live: Directorate of Government Examinations, Tamil Nadu has declared Tamil Nadu Class 11th result on May 14, 2024. The direct link to check TN HSE Plus One result is available on the the official websites, tnresults.nic.in and dge.tn.gov.in. To download the TN 11th Result, students will need to use their registration number and date of birth. In addition, the board will also share the results with schools, and students will receive their marks via SMS on their registered mobile numbers. ...Read More

This year, 8,11,172 students appeared for the Class 11 exam, of whom 7,39,539 have passed. The pass percentage is 91.17 per cent.

The pass percentage of male candidates is 87.26 per cent and it is 94.69 per cent for female candidates. For the transgender category, the pass percentage in the HSE exam is 100 per cent.

To check the TN 11th +1 result 2024, the students need to follow the steps mentioned below:

1. Visit the official websites tnresults.nic.in or dge.tn.gov.in.

2. Look for the result link that mentions Class 11 or HSE (+1).

3. Enter the registration number and date of birth.

4. Check and download the TN Plus One result.

TN 11th result 2024 direct link

To pass the TN Class 11 exam, students must score at least 35 marks in each subject. For more updates, follow this TN HSE Class 11th result 2024 live blog.
MAH MBA CET Result 2024 Live: State Common Entrance Test Cell, Maharashtra has released MAH MBA CET Result 2024. Candidates who have appeared for the MAH-MBA/MMS-CET 2024 can check this result on the official website of MAHACET at mahacet.org. The result can be checked from candidate login....Read More

The objection redressal final report for MAH MBA CET 2024 was released on May 14, 2024. As per the official notice, the objection tracker was made available for the candidates who have appeared for MAH-MBA/MMS-CET 2024, which was held between 09/03/2024 to 11/03/2024 in total session 5 through out Maharashtra State & Other states of India as well.

MAH MBA CET new notice

The MAH MBA CET examination was conducted between March 9 to March 11, 2024. The answer key was released on April 1, 2024. After the answer key was released, many students raised concerns about the incorrect answers in it.

This year a total of 130927 candidates registered for MBA CET out of which 112209 candidates appeared and 18718 candidates were absent. The attendance percentage was 85.7%. Follow the blog for latest updates on results, direct link, date and time and more.
Days after Salman Khan's ex-girlfriend Somy Ali issued a public apology on his behalf, the head of the Bishnoi community reacted to it and issued an official statement. As per a report by Live Hindustan, the president of the All India Bishnoi Society, Devendra Budiya, has said that the community will forgive Salman in the blackbuck case that kickstarted the entire fiasco back in 1998: but under one condition. Also read | Salman Khan home firing: Five more Bishnoi gang members involved, say police Salman Khan has been in news since the firing incident outside his home last month. (File Photo)

No one else can apologise on his behalf

Devendra Budiya was quoted as saying in Hindi, "If Salman himself apologises, the Bishnoi society will consider the apology as the mistake was not made by Somy Ali, but by Salman. No one else can apologise on his behalf. If he himself comes to the temple and seeks forgiveness, our samaj (community) could think about forgiving him because one of our 29 rules is forgiveness. Salman should further take an oath that he will never make such a mistake and will work to protect wildlife and the environment, then we can consider a decision to forgive him."

About 1998 blackbuck case

During the shooting of Sooraj Barjatyas 1999 film Hum Saath Saath Hain, Salman had reportedly hunted a blackbuck at Bawad in Mathania near Jodhpur, Rajasthan. He alongside co-stars Tabu, Sonali Bendre, and Neelam were booked in 1998. Further, Salman was also sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment in 2018, but was issued bail.

Somy Alis apology to the Bishnoi community

In a recent interview with Hindustan Times, Somy expressed her concern for Salman's safety following the firing incident that occurred outside his Mumbai home on April 14.

She said, "I don't support hunting as a sport but this event took place so many years ago. Salman was much younger in 1998. I want to request the head of the Bishnoi tribe to forget about it and move on. I apologise on his behalf (Salman) if he has made a mistake and please forgive him.

Somy added, Taking someone's life is not acceptable, be it Salman or an average common man. If you want justice, you should move to the court. I have full faith in India's judicial system and lawyers, the same as America. I want to appeal to the Bishnoi community that harming Salman Khan will not bring back the blackbuck. Whatever happened to me cannot be changed; let bygones be bygones. I have made peace with myself. My life is completely dedicated to No More Tears now.
Winter storms forced the closure of some of the boat slips at Ayala Cove at Angel Island State Park in March. The deteriorating boat dock is slated to be replaced, officials say. Courtesy Angel Island State Park

The crumbling boat dock at Angel Island State Park in San Francisco Bay will soon be replaced, thanks in part to a $1.5 million federal grant.

The dock, in a cove that serves as the main entrance for visitors to the popular island, will be torn down and replaced by an expanded facility that is ADA-compliant and adds lighting and potable fresh water, officials said.

The federal funding, announced Monday by Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, came through the Boating Infrastructure Grant program authorized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This year, the program released $21 million nationwide to improve marinas and other facilities used by pleasure boaters nationwide.

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The California Department of Parks and Recreation will contribute $1.2 million and manage the Angel Island project, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials.

Communities up and down the coast of California rely on coastal infrastructure that keeps our region moving and supports countless jobs and recreation opportunities, Huffman said in a statement. Im glad I was able to secure this funding to repair the dilapidated boat docks on Angel Island so folks can continue to safely visit this treasured State Park.

The public dock was already in disrepair when winter storms caused further damage in March, forcing the closure of eight of the facilitys 19 boat slips, state parks officials said.

The exact number of slips that will be available at the new expanded dock is unclear. The construction project is expected to take two years, park officials said on social media.

Officially called the Angel Island Ayala Cove Boat Docks, the facility serves recreational craft that dock on the island for day trips and overnight camping. It is near the landing for the Angel Island ferry out of San Francisco and Tiburon.

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Actor Jackie Shroff on Tuesday approached the Delhi High Court to seek protection of his personality and publicity rights. As reported by news agency PTI, the petition has been filed against several entities using his name, pictures, voice and word bhidu without his consent for commercial gain. (Also Read | Jackie Shroff shares he became more cautious after becoming a father: I was a little reckless back in the day) Jackie Shroff has approached the court.

Jackie's objects to misuse of his personality

Jackie's counsel raised an objection to the "misuse" of his rights through the sale of ringtones, wallpapers, and merchandise. He also objected to "insulting" memes, GIFs and the use of artificial intelligence. He also alleged infringement of his trade mark rights on the Marathi word "bhidu (partner)".

What Jackie's counsel said

The actor's counsel said people can't be allowed to mislead consumers into buying products thinking they are endorsed by Jackie. "Jackie Shroff is so well known. People will think it is endorsed by him. He has a certain marketability to his name. It can't be done without his consent," the counsel said, as quoted by PTI.

Jackie's counsel also told the court that merchandise of mugs, signed posters, and bags were being sold online in violation of the actor's rights. "All are using his name, images and earning huge money. This is all defamatory stuff...there are distasteful dirty words in voice-over. There is nothing legitimate about any of this," added the counsel.

The lawyer informed that certain defendants have now discontinued the unauthorised use of Jackie's personality traits. The counsel relied on orders passed by the high court in similar lawsuits by actors Amitabh Bachchan and Anil Kapoor. Following this, Justice Sanjeev Narula issued summons to the entities on the lawsuit. Justice Narula listed the matter for further consideration on Wednesday.

Jackie's upcoming films

Fans will see Jackie in the spy espionage film Two Zero One Four alongside Akshay Oberoi. Directed by Shravan Tiwari, the film is slated to release this year. He also has the action thriller Baby John, directed by A Kaleeswaran, in the pipeline. The film will also star Varun Dhawan, Keerthy Suresh, Wamiqa Gabbi, and Rajpal Yadav in key roles.

with PTI inputs
Celebs react to Mumbai hoarding collapse

She took to the comments section of journalist Faye DSouzas Instagram post, in which she shared an update about the falling of the hoarding. Soni commented, "Terrible." She also wrote under another Instagram post by Faye, "But why do they only discover this illegal hoarding AFTER its killed people? Isnt the @my_bmc therefore liable for prosecution in this case then? For not doing their due diligence before such a disaster takes place?"

Life in our country has zero value

Actor and TV host, Roshan Abbas also commented, "Who did the hoarding belong to? Who is the owner. It is very easy to determine this." Meanwhile, actor Vijay Varma shared a video of the accident on Instagram Stories, and wrote, Oh no.

Actor Mini Mathur also took to Instagram Stories and wrote on Tuesday, "Life in our country has zero value. Whose hoarding is it? Who allowed it to stand there for years? The blame game this week will lead to no answers and the corrupt nexus that allowed the open flouting of rules will never be taken apart. Disgusting."

Mini Mathur reacted to the hoarding collapse in Ghatkopar.

What actually happened

14 people died and 74 were injured after a towering hoarding advertised alongside a petrol pump in Mumbai collapsed amid rain and gutsy winds. The incident occurred at around 4.30 pm near Chheda Nagar Gymkhana in the Ghatkopar area when the weather in the city suddenly changed with dust storm and rain.

Over 100 people were initially trapped after the 100-foot-tall illegal billboard fell on the petrol pump, triggering a search and rescue operation. An NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) team joined the rescue operation, said Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani.

The BMC said, in a statement, on Monday evening that 20 to 30 people were still trapped inside the rubble from the hoarding collapse. However, the NDRF was facing issues in removing the rubble due to the collapse that occurred at a petrol pump, which could lead to a hazardous situation.
Somy Ali was a popular actor in the Hindi film industry during the 1990s. However, she has now devoted herself entirely to the cause of supporting survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking. Somy is known for her candid opinions and never hesitates to speak her mind. In an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times, she expresses her support for Zeenat Aman's views on live-in relationships amid the latter receiving backlash. (Also read: Ex-girlfriend Somy Ali condemns death threats on Salman Khan: Nobody deserves what he is experiencing) Somy Ali has backed Zeenat Aman's views on live-in-relationships, stating rising divorce-rates.

Somy Ali justifies live-in-relationships

Somy defends Zeenat's social media post on live-in-relationships. She says, When I lived in Vidhyachal at Mount Mary, Zeenat Ji and Mazhar Bhai (Zeenat's late husband) were my neighbours. Jackie Shroff and Ayesha (Shroff) also used to live nearby. Whenever we used to go for a shoot, we would catch up. Recently, a lot of people have condemned her. Our population has peaked at 8 billion. I am not at all against live-in relationships. Whatever Zeenat Ji has said, I 100% support her in this. Because when you are in a live-in relationship with someone, you can set boundaries. No means no. You get to know about each other. We all have our idiosyncrasies. There can be habits that you like or dislike in an individual. So, you can learn a lot about personal likes and dislikes in a live-in relationship. It helps in bringing down divorce rates.

Somy Ali praises Zeenat's views on live-in relationships

Reflecting on the rising divorce rates, she points out, Currently, divorce rates have gone high in India, Pakistan and across the globe. Zeenat ji is highly intellectual and has studied journalism in San Fransisco through scholarship. She is intelligent, well-read and articulate. I want to tell the naysayers that we no longer live in the 1950s. In 2024, the world has changed a lot, and a man and a woman can be in a live-in relationship.

She further adds, We have seen so many cases where people get married without knowing each other and then end up getting into a divorce. This is quite common in arranged marriages in both Pakistan and India. Dowry is illegal in both India and Pakistan, yet people do not shy away from asking it. Everything goes on behind the curtains, be it India, Pakistan or America. One last thing I would like to say about Zeenat Ji. What she has suggested can help in bringing down the divorce rate. If you are in a live-in, then you will be able to figure out if you have compatibility with your partner. Zeenat Ji has done a huge favour to us by expressing her views on live-in relationships.

Somy was seen in the Om Puri-Jeetendra-starrer thriller Chupp before she quit her acting career and became a social activist.
It is time for the Cannes Film Festival! One of the most prestigious and widely covered film festivals of the world rolls out its red carpet tonight for the 77th edition. The French comedy, The Second Act, is going to be shown as the opening night film. Then there is Meryl Streep, who will be awarded with an honorary Palme d'Or at the opening ceremony. (Also read: Kiara Advani to debut at Cannes Film Festival 2024; will represent India at Women in Cinema Gala) Meryl Streep, who will be awarded with an Honorary Palme d'Or, poses during a photocall before the opening ceremony of the 77th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 14, 2024. REUTERS/Yara Nardi(REUTERS)

Opening film

Quentin Dupieuxs The Second Act is a star-studded surreal French comedy that features Lea Seydoux, Vincent Lindon, Louis Garrel and Raphael Quenard. The film will be played as part of the Out of Competition category and will also release in French theatres on the same day. Florence wants to introduce David, the man shes madly in love with, to her father Guillaume. But David isnt attracted to Florence and wants to throw her into the arms of his friend Willy. The four of them meet in a restaurant in the middle of nowhere, reads the official synopsis of the film as per the festival website.

Meryl at Cannes

Meanwhile, all eyes will be on Meryl Streep as she will take the stage on the Grand Theatre Lumiere to receive the honorary Palme d'Or. Meryl is no stranger to Cannes, she was at the festival back in 1989 for the premiere of the film A Cry in the Dark. She ended up winning Best Actress at the festival that year.

I am immeasurably honored to receive the news of this prestigious award. To win a prize at Cannes, for the international community of artists, has always represented the highest achievement in the art of filmmaking. To stand in the shadow of those who have previously been honored is humbling and thrilling in equal part. I so look forward to coming to France to thank everyone in person this May! Meryl said in a statement. At the photocall ceremony, the three time Oscar winner looked radiant in a blue printed shirt paired with white trousers and a white shirt.

Meanwhile, Cannes will have Greta Gerwig as the Jury president for the competition section. Indian film All We Imagine as Light, directed by Payal Kapadia, is in the list for the top prize, along with titles that include Yorgos Lanthimos Kinds of Kindness and Francis Ford Coppolas Megalopolis among others.
Director Greta Gerwig addressed the #MeToo movement growing in France at a press conference on the opening day of the Cannes Film Festival. According to a report by Variety, she stated that she saw substantiative change after the #MeToo movement in the American film community. (Also Read: Cannes Film Festival 2024 all set to open with French comedy The Second Act, and an honorary Palme d'Or for Meryl Streep) Greta Gerwig, Jury President of the 77th Cannes Film Festival poses during a photocall before the opening ceremony of the 77th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 14, 2024. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier(REUTERS)

Its important we expand the conversation

The director of Barbie was quoted as saying, I think people in the community of movies telling us stories and trying to change things for the better is only good. I have seen substantive change in in the American film community, and I think its important that we continue to expand that conversation. So I think its only moving everything in the correct direction. Keep those lines of communication open.

The French collective Sous les ecrans la deche has also called for a strike to protest against pending changes in labor policies. When asked about the change of unrest at the festival, with protectionists to drivers and caterers being a part of the organisation, she said, I certainly support labor movements and weve certainly gone through this just now with our unions. I hope that the festival workers can form an agreement that is good for them and supports them and supports the festival.

Greta at Cannes

Greta is serving as the president of this years competition jury, which will be awarding the Palme dOr at the end of the festival. Joining her on the jury are Spanish filmmaker JA Bayona, Turkish actor and screenwriter Ebru Ceylan, Italian actor and producer Pierfrancesco Favino, actor Lily Gladstone of Killers of the Flower Moon fame, French actor Eva Green, Japanese filmmaker and producer Hirokazu Kore-eda, Lebanese actor and filmmaker Nadine Labaki and French actor Omar Sy.

Quentin Dupieux's The Second Act serves as the opening night film this year at the Cannes Film Festival, where Meryl Streep will receive an honorary Palme d'Or.
Superstar Allu Arjun has been making headlines ever since he visited Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh during an electoral campaign. He has also landed in legal trouble due to the visit. Now, the actor has come forward to set the record straight, saying his visit was more of a friendly gesture, adding that he is not affiliated to any political party. (Also Read: Case registered against Allu Arjun for violating poll code of conduct, attending gathering in Andhra Pradesh: Report) Allu Arjun visited Nandyal on Saturday.

His visit was to support his friend and MLA Silpa Ravi Chandra Kishore Reddy. Earlier this week, a case was registered against him for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct.

Allu Arjuns clarification

Responding to the buzz and the complaint, Allu has issued an official statement to clarify his side of the story. Firstly, I want to clarify that I'm not affiliated with any political party. I remain neutral and support my people, regardless of their political affiliations. This includes my uncle Pawan Kalyan, whom I'll always stand by, along with my friend Ravi and my father-in-law, Mr. Reddy, Allu said in a statement.

He added, I made a promise to my friend, Mr Ravi, to support him, but I couldn't fulfill it last time. To keep my word, this time I went to Nandyal to support him.

Earlier this week, the actor touched upon the issue when he went to Hyderabad's polling station to cast his vote.

"Please cast your vote. It is the responsibility of all the citizens of the country. Today is the most crucial day for the next five years of our lives. There will be a huge voter turnout, as more and more people are coming out to vote. I would like to tell you; I am not politically aligned with any party. I am neutral to all parties, Allu said while speaking to the media after casting his vote.

What happened

On Saturday, Allu along with his wife Sneha Reddy surprised fans with an impromptu visit to Nandyal -- a visit which sent his fans into a tizzy and drew a huge crowd. They went to the home of Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) MLA.

Later, it was reported that a case has been registered against Allu for violating poll code of conduct and attending a large public gathering in Andhra Pradesh. The state went to polls on May 13.

Reportedly, the MLA invited the actor without prior permission to attend the gathering. The FIR was filed for violating Section 144, which has been imposed in Andhra Pradesh. Deputy Tehsildar P Ramachandra Rao from Nandyal Rural registered the case.

Allu Arjun's work file

The actor will next be seen in Sukumars Pushpa 2: The Rule, which will hit the theatres on August 15. It follows the first instalment Pushpa 1: The Rise, which sets up a clash between Arjun's titular character and Fahadh Faasil's inspector Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat. It also stars Rashmika Mandanna, Dhananjay, and Rao Ramesh, among others.
The Cannes Film Festival is almost here, and cinephiles are eagerly excited to see what the 77th edition has in store for them. Annually, celebrities, filmmakers, artists and film enthusiasts gather at the Palais des Festivals et des Congres to celebrate cinema. (Also Read | Kiara Advani to debut at Cannes Film Festival 2024; will represent India at Women in Cinema Gala) Sobhita Dhulipala will be a part of the Cannes Film Festival.

Like every year, this time also fans can expect the presence of Indian stars at the Cannes Film Festival. Actor Sobhita Dhulipala is all set to make her debut at Cannes this year. She will attend the Cannes Film Festival on the French Riviera, representing an ice cream brand.

Cannes regular Aishwarya Rai is also likely to attend the film festival. Aditi Rao Hydari will also mark her presence at the gala as one of the brand ambassadors of L'Oreal Paris. Speaking to ANI, Aditi recently expressed her excitement about attending the Cannes Film Festival for the third time.

"I have Lioness, which is an Indo-British production. It is headlined by two girls. There is Paige Sandhu from the UK. It's about the suffragette movement, and I think a lot of people are very excited about it. So I'm so looking forward to starting that. I'm also in preparation, leaving for Cannes with L'Oreal very soon. So I'm prepping for the work to be done there for that," she had said.

Aditi made her Cannes debut in 2022. She served gorgeous looks on the red carpet of the festival. She attended the film festival last year as well. In 2023, her first look at Cannes - off the red carpet - was a dreamy blue confection by Oscar De La Renta, which she wore for a L'Oreal shoot.

The Cannes Film Festival opens on Tuesday night with the world premiere of Quentin Dupieux's Le Deuxieme Acte (The Second Act), starring Lea Seydoux, Vincent Lindon, Louis Garrel and Raphael Quenard.

During the opening ceremony, Oscar winner Meryl Streep will receive the honorary Palme d'Or. "I am immeasurably honoured to receive the news of this prestigious award. To win a prize at Cannes, for the international community of artists, has always represented the highest achievement in the art of filmmaking. To stand in the shadow of those who have previously been honoured is humbling and thrilling in equal part. I so look forward to coming to France to thank everyone in person this May," Meryl had said in a statement about this honour, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
If you saw Delhi in any film or web show made in the last year, chances are high that its not the city: they may have just recreated it in Lucknow or Madhya Pradesh. Actors Aamir Khan and Ajay Devgn

The Capital is expensive to shoot in now. Want to shoot at Rajiv Chowk metro station? Prepare to shell out 2 lakhs per hour. Want to shoot at the international airport? A cool 12 lakhs for four hours. A production head tells us, while refraining to be named, If you want to shoot at Rajiv Chowk for 4 hours, it means eight lakh rupees for the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. GST ki baat agar nahi bhi karte, 2,36,000 will be taken by New Delhi Municipal Council, a lakh rupees will be taken by the parking guys. Around two lakh rupees by the Delhi Police for security. You can do the maths.

PAISON KI ULAJH

Now we have got to know that even shoots originally planned for longer duration, have been revised. Aamir Khans Delhi schedule for Sitare Zameen Par has been cut. A source tells us, The earlier plan was very long, but now it has been shortened. Instead of a month, now it will be shot in Delhi only for 8-10 days, around July.

Janhvi Kapoors Ulajh, which recently wrapped up, was another film. Earlier, it was going to be shot for 12-13 days in the Capital. But the budget was overshot in London, and the money remaining was less. They shifted the shoot to Bhopal, they will either show that as Delhi or base the plot in Bhopal instead, tells us a source.

And when we talk to the production teams, they lament that they are being driven out of work. I recently shot a big web series at Worldmark in Aerocity. It was a six to six schedule from evening to morning. 44 lakh rupees were spent. Bataiye Dilli kaun aayega? Also, earlier the crew size on outdoors would be 80-90 people, today it is more than 150 people, tells us Ravi Sarin, a veteran line producer who earlier used to handle shoots for 20-22 films in a single year. Its been cut down by 80 percent, he adds.

We even hear that producers and actors who own production houses have started telling their writers Delhi mat likhna story mein. The same haveli in Chandni Chowk which would earlier be made available by the owner for 25-30,000, now asks for 4-5 lakhs for a days shoot.

Tarun, who is currently line producing a web show starring Karan Wahi in Delhi, says, Uttarakhand is the most budget-friendly place for shoots in India.

JUGAAD OF RECREATION

Makers of Ajay Devgns Raid 2 have opted to most probably recreate Delhi in Lucknow. They shot in the city for four days, including India Gate, and then 47 days in Lucknow. Atleast 20-25 films in todays time are being shot in Lucknow because of the subsidies and quick permissions, we are told by a production person.

Aanand L Rais upcoming film Nakhreywali did something similar. The team shot in Lucknow for 40 days, and recreated Delhi there. That was cheaper. They wanted to shoot in a shoot friendly bungalow in Barakhamba Road, who will take a lakh rupees for a day. Aanand got that for 30,000 in Lucknow. They wanted to shoot in Delhi for 15 days, but a five star hotel stay for the actors will cost 15,000-18,000 plus GST. Lucknow mein 4500 mein milta hai, kitna paisa bacha. UP also gives subsidy of crores, our source says.

Navmeet Singh, who has been handling work for big films in the past in the Capital, says he is planning to shift work to Lucknow, Uttarakhand, among others, If theres a budget of 30 crores for a film, the outdoor will cost 20 crores, so makers cut it. They prefer to shoot in Mumbai instead, kam se kam accommodation ka cost bachta hai poore crew ka. If some story requires Delhi critically, they cut the schedule down from 50 to five, and cheat by recreating the galis somewhere else.
Barely days after Delhi Universitys (DU) Hansraj College administration called a parent-teaching meeting (PTM) for students with attendance lower than 50%, Aryabhatta College issued a similar notice. On May 8, the college authorities advised students with low attendance to get their parents and meet their teacher-in-charge (TIC), to decide the next course of action. Not only this, Shaheed Bhagat Singh College (SBSC) has introduced a new graded detention system for students with low attendance, based on which 1,343 students have been debarred from taking exams. DU's Aryabhatta College and Shaheed Bhagat Singh College have issued notices to students who have attained low attendance, (Photo: Instagram)

The news goes viral and people say administration is doing something wrong. But the rule has not been made by us." Manoj Sinha, Principal of Aryabhatta College

As per the DU rules, it is mandatory for students to have a minimum attendance of 66.67% in each semester. However, Manoj Sinha, principal of Aryabhatta College, feels Its being seen in a negative way. It is an ordinance by the university, not by us, and needs to be followed, he adds. When we ask him, why PTM? Sinha, who is also the president of the Delhi University Principals Association (DUPA), says, We are only calling parents of students who failed a condition of their admission.

Students who are a part of the cultural societies are not happy with the colleges decision. Im a part of the dance soc, and between morning to evening practice sessions and hopping between colleges during the fest season, I do miss a few classes, says a second-year student of Aryabhatta College, on the condition of anonymity, adding, But Ive never missed any tests or assignments. Now, despite getting good marks, I have to make my parents meet the teachers.

Some students feel its important to pad-up their CV at this juncture of their life. Among them is a final-year student of SBSC, who shares on condition of anonymity, We are in college, not school, and Ive been busy taking up internships that will add strength to my CV. The college should be happy that students are going beyond classroom learning. 

Meanwhile, principal of SBSC, Arun Kumar Attree, says, You cant treat someone with 60% attendance the same way you would a student with 12% attendance. The college is within its rights to detain a student if they dont meet the criteria. He adds that the detained students were given repeated notices, but they didnt pay any heed.

"Before the pandemic our college used to call parents in case of low attendance. But that was not the case last year. Weve been caught unaware!" A Final-year student of SBSC

SBSC's Exam Appearance Cut-off:

50% - 66.66%  Not allowed to appear for one paper

30% - 49.99%  Not allowed to appear for two papers

10% - 29.99%  Not allowed to appear for three papers

0% - 9.99%  Not allowed to appear for any papers

For more, follow @htcity.delhijunction
With a provisional voter turnout of 67.3%, more than 110 million people spread across nine states and one Union territory voted on Monday to elect their representatives in 96 Lok Sabha seats that went to poll in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, marking the end of another high-stakes round that saw citizens from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh to Jammu & Kashmir exercise their franchise. Voters queue up to cast their ballots at a polling station during the fourth phase of voting in Indias general election in Ganderbal district on Monday. (AFP)

With the end of this phase, a total of 379 seats  or nearly 70% of the Lok Sabhas strength of 543  have gone to the polls since the general elections kicked off on April 19. By now, all of Indias south has voted, as well as all of the countrys north-east. Barring a small part in Maharashtra (which votes in the next phase on May 20), nearly all of the countrys west has also been covered.

Mondays was the second-largest phase in the 2024 election cycle in terms of number of constituencies and also saw voting for the 175 assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh and 28 assembly seats in Odisha.

The provisional turnout stood at 67.25% at 11.45pm, said the Election Commission of India (ECI), adding that it was expected to rise once the final numbers are tallied. In 2019, the turnout in these seats stood at 69.5%.

The turnout in the first phase was 66.14%, in the second phase this figure was 66.71% and it was 65.68% in the third phase, according to ECI numbers.

The remaining 164 seats will go to polls in final three phases on May 20, May 25 and June 1. Votes will be counted for both the Lok Sabha and the assembly elections on June 4.

Polling was held smoothly and peacefully. The commission kept a regular close watch on each and every aspect of the poll process in all the phases and issued necessary directions, wherever required, ECI said in a statement on Monday evening.

The weather was largely conducive and there was no marked heatwave-like conditions. Voters participated enthusiastically and visuals of voting happening under bright blue to overcast skies emerged from the 10 states/UTs, it added.

In total, there were 1,717 candidates in the fray, including high-profile ones such as Samajwadi Party president, Akhilesh Yadav from Kannauj in UP, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury from Behrampur in West Bengal, BJP leader Giriraj Singh from Begusarai ib Bihar, Congress leader and sister of Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy YS Sharmila from Kadapa, TMC leader Mahua Moitra from Krishnanagar in West Bengal and Asaduddin Owasi from Hyderabad.

Also read: PM Modi applauds Srinagar voter turnout: Abrogation of Article 370 enabled

In terms of parliamentary constituency, the lowest turnout was reported from Srinagar at 38% as of 11.45pm. However, this was the still highest turnout that the city had seen since 1998, according to ECI. To be sure, a redrawing of the J&Ks PCs in a delimination exercise means that numbers are not directly comparable to previous rounds of voting. In the Kashmir valley, voting took place for the Srinagar PC today. Amidst ample security, voters were seen queuing up peacefully at various polling stations in Srinagar to cast their votes, ECI said.

Nearly all major urban centres voting on Monday saw a relatively low turnout. The voter turnout was 39.2% in Hyderabad, 51.3% in Pune, and 60.3% in Indore at 10pm.

The highest turnout of 81.2% was reported in the Bolpur PC in West Bengal.

West Bengal saw the highest turnout among the states, with voting percentage touching 78.4%, according to ECIs provisional numbers, as compared to 82.8% for these seats in 2019. Polling in the state was largely peaceful barring a few instances of clashes reported between workers of the Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in Behrampur and clashes between workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and TMC at Monteswar in Bardhaman. An ECI official said that the voting was largely peaceful with a few stray incidents of violence. We received more than 1,700 complaints across the states, he said.

The second highest turnout of 71% among states was recorded in Madhya Pradesh, where eight seats in the Malwa region voted. In 2019, 75.7% voting was recorded in these seats. The highest voting was recorded from Mandsour PC (74.9%) and the lowest was from Indore (60.3%), where the nomination of Congress candidate Akshay Bam was rejected.

In Andhra Pradesh, where the voter turnout was 76.5% compared to 80.2% in 2019, sporadic incidents of clashes between YSRCP and opposition TDP workers was reported.

With Mondays round of election, the fate of Andhra chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and NDA alliance led by TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu has been sealed. The NDA has been aiming to end Jagans dominance; his YSRCP won 22 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats and 151 of the 175 assembly seats in 2019.

In Telangana, voting percentage stood at 64.7% as compared to 62.8% in 2019. Hyderabad police registered a case against BJP candidate Madhavi Latha from Hyderabad parliamentary constituency for allegedly trespassing into a polling station and asking Muslim women voters to remove their burqa and reveal their identity, officials said.

In Odisha, where simultaneous polling for Lok Sabha and assembly poll took place, 74% voting was recorded for four Lok Sabha and 28 of the 243 assembly seats as compared to 74.2% in 2019. One prestige battle is in Berhampur where the BJP is attempting to wrest back a BJD citadel which it had last won in 1999. It has also become a key battle because the BJP candidate is Pradip Panigrahy, once the aide of Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik.

In Uttar Pradesh, where polling took place in 13 Lok Sabha constituencies, 58.1% turnout was recorded till 11.45pm. The keenly watched seats in this phase of polls in the state include Kannauj, from where Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav is contesting, and Kheri where Union minister Ajay Mishra Teni, whose son is an accused in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, is eyeing a hat-trick of wins. A bypoll is also being held for the Dadraul assembly constituency in Shahjahanpur district. The seat fell vacant following the death of BJP MLA Manvendra Singh on January 5.

Voter turnout was 59.6% in Maharashtras 11 Lok Sabha seats voting on Monday. Nandurbar PC saw the highest turnout at 67.1%, while Pune had the lowest.

For Bihars five seats, the voting percentage recorded was 57.1% as compared to 59.3% in 2019. Jharkhand, which saw beginning of its Lok Sabha poll schedule on Monday, recorded 65.2% voting in four of its 14 seats which went to the polls. The turnout in these seats was 66.9% in 2019.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating Amazons driverless taxi program Zoox after two of its test cars stopped suddenly and were rear-ended in separate injury crashes, including one in San Francisco. Brian Feulner/Special to the Chronicle Zoox is a Foster City-based self-driving-car startup that was founded in 2014, and in 2020 was sold to Amazon for $1.2 billion. Brian Feulner/Special to the Chronicle Zooxs entire test fleet is made up of retrofitted hybrid Toyota Highlanders. Brian Feulner/Special to the Chronicle

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating Amazons driverless taxi program after two of its test cars stopped suddenly and were rear-ended in separate injury crashes, including one in San Francisco.

The investigation was officially opened on May 10.

Both collisions involved Toyota Highlanders equipped with Amazons Zoox ADS (automated driving system). In each case, the Highlanders abruptly stopped and motorcyclists crashed into them from behind, according to documents posted on the NHTSA website.

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The agency said it confirmed that the vehicles were in autonomous mode before the collisions. No law enforcement agencies are investigating the incidents, according to the NHTSA.

The agency said it will specifically investigate the performance of the Zoox automated driving system and other general performance areas, such as the systems behavior in crosswalks around vulnerable road users and in other rear-end collision scenarios.

Following the crash in San Francisco, NHTSA officials said the motorcyclist appeared to suffer minor injuries to their hands but declined medical attention. Following the second crash, which occurred in Spring Valley, Nev., a Zoox operator reported lower back pain/tightness.

The NHTSA redacted information about where and when each crash occurred last month.

Our team is currently reviewing the request for information as part of NHTSAs Preliminary Evaluation, a spokesperson for Zoox said Monday. We do not have additional details to share at this time. Transparency and collaboration with regulators is of the utmost importance, and we remain committed to working closely with NHTSA to answer their questions.

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The Foster City-based self-driving-car startup was founded in 2014, and in 2020 was sold to Amazon for $1.2 billion. The company is currently testing its vehicles in San Francisco, Foster City, Las Vegas and Seattle, according to its website. The company said on its website that its entire test fleet is made up of retrofitted hybrid Toyota Highlanders. While the test vehicles operate autonomously, they always have a safety driver sitting behind the steering wheel, Zoox told the Chronicle.

The test vehicles, which operate with Zoox ADS technology, differ from what the company says is their official robotaxi, which the company said is a purpose-built vehicle that does not have traditional driving controls such as a steering wheel and gas or brake pedals.

Robotaxis have been a highly debated topic in San Francisco after several incidents involving driverless vehicles raised safety concerns. Currently, the only robotaxi with driverless operations in the city is Waymo, which recently reported a jump in ride-hailing activity since the start of this year.

Waymos top competitor, Cruise, was suspended from operating in the city last October after it withheld footage of one of its robotaxis running over a woman and trapping her underneath the robotaxi, which then led to the company ceasing all driverless operations. Last month, company leaders said they would resume manual driving operations in Phoenix, the beginning of what they hope is their return to driverless operations.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Modi was known for his administrative skills, pragmatism and grasp over political issues. But he also had the difficult task of striking a balance between the aspirations of his party and the compulsions of coalition dharma. The BJPs off-and-on alliance with the Janata Dal (United) has helped it share power in the state but is also perceived to have been detrimental to the partys growth by many. Late Sushil Kumar Modi. (PTI File Photo)

Modi, a man of dignified responses, measured speech and courteous demeanor, passed away on Monday night at 72. In April this year, he spoke about his inability to participate in the elections owing to the treatment he was undergoing for cancer. Although he had been unwell for a while, many of his party colleagues were shocked by the news, unaware that the man who doggedly turned up for Parliament and party work had been battling the dreaded disease.

A product of Patna Science College, Modi cut his teeth in politics as a student leader during the JP Movement and was jailed for over a year during Emergency. He was an MLA, MLC, a member of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, and the deputy CM of Bihar between 2005 and 2013, and from 2017 to 2020.

A former colleague of Modi recalled how his persistence led to the exposure of the infamous Fodder Scam in Bihar, leading to the arrest of powerful regional leader and the then chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav.

He was much loved and respected but there is a section of leaders who found fault in how the party grew in the state. But he never indulged in name-calling. If he found himself bound by limitations...he found other ways to serve the people and his party. An example of that is his role in the GST Council, said the former colleague.

In her tribute, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said his participation in the GST Council discussions was well informed and thoughtful and he took keen interest in debates, particularly on fiscal matters.

In Parliament, he was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Bihar in December 2020, he spoke on issues concerning people. His interventions made both the government and the opposition take note. In his quiet but compelling voice, he raised questions and demanded government attention to issue from the threats of Artificial Intelligence to online gaming and gambling addiction, from vacancies in teaching positions to raising the demand for declaration of assets by judges.

Often mobbed by reporters seeking a sound bite, Modi was also among the few leaders who took the trouble to answer endless questions, explain in detail the genesis of political twists and turns and the implications these could have on people and the polity. And above all, even disagreement was without disparaging comments and rancour. A gentleman politician passes on.
Days after Air India Express, part of Tata Air India cancelled several flights due to the unavailability of crew, and a month after a similar incident temporarily disrupted the operations of Vistara, the two airlines which will soon merge, conducted a townhall, the first such, for their employees, to address concerns arising from the imminent union. Employees of both airlines attended the virtual townhall. (File photo)

Ever since the merger was announced on November 2022, employee unions of both airlines have aired concerns ranging from career progression to inequality in treatment, lower pay to job security. Both recent disruptions can be attributed, directly or indirectly, to this.

Air India chief executive officer (CEO) and managing director (MD) Campbell Wilson and Vistaras CEO Vinod Kannan, who is also driving the integration process as the Chief Integration Officer spoke about the merged Air India.

Employees of both airlines attended the virtual townhall. The combined staff strength of the two airlines is over 20,000.

One of the concerns expressed by the pilots of Vistara was restricting flying time for a co- pilot from 70 to 40 hours and reducing salaries.

Addressing this, Campbell said 120 pilots have already been seconded between Vistara and Air India, officials familiar with the matter said. He spoke about the integrated pilot upgrade sequence where pilots would not lose out on their seniority in either of the two airlines and when integrated pilots sequence will be created.

According to the people, who asked not to be named, the movement of the employees will continue to happen via secondment, Campbell said. The leadership team will include Campbell as the CEO and MD of Air India Group, Kannan as CEO of Vistara and the Chief Integration officer and Aloke Singh as CEO of Air India Express.

The secondment is based on an assessment of employees across functions, flying and non-flying. The people said that Campbell told the audience that the assessment of 7000 staff is complete.

Also Read: Air India Express crew joins duty after mass sick leave, service to be normal by Tuesday

The assessment and secondment of staff had become a prickly issue with pilots of Vistara last month.

According to the people cited above, Cambell said that the assignment of existing employees into the new structure is being done on the basis of merit and competency, and by a reputed independent agency and that the companies would be transparent and forthcoming with employees on those parameters on which the organization structure was designed and the process of fitment done.

However, a section of pilots is worried about the future of their career.

The new merit-based career progression policy risks fostering a culture of cutthroat competition and prioritizing pleasing superiors over sincere performance, ultimately benefiting the organization at the expense of employee well-being, one of them said.

Kannan, the people familiar with the matter said, spoke about the process of integration and the work that has been undertaken so far in anticipation of the merger.

Campbell told employees that the anti- trust approvals have been received and the NCLT (National Company Law Tribunal) hearings are complete, with only the publication of orders awaited.

The merger will create Indias second largest airline in the domestic space, according to passengers flown.

AI group will have full-service Air India and low-cost Air India Express. The combined entity will have a fleet of 250 aircraft and 470 aircraft on order and the combined employee strength will be about 23,500

The group, therefore, will be second largest in domestic market and largest in the international market in and out of India.
Andhra Pradesh, where polling for all 25 Lok Sabha seats was held simultaneously with all 175 assembly seats in a single phase on Monday, registered a voter turnout of approximately 69% amid scattered incidents of violence and allegations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by political parties. Voters stand in a queue at a polling station to cast their votes for the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections and Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections in Tirupati on Monday. (PTI)

According to data provided by the Election Commission (EC) at 11pm on its Voter Turnout app, 69.49% of voters cast their franchise as part of the Lok Sabha polls while 69.61% as part of the assembly elections in the southern state.

The data shared by the poll body showed that Chittoor Lok Sabha seat, a seat reserved for the Scheduled Caste, registered the highest turnout of 77.50% and Visakhapatnam the lowest, at 60.3%.

There are massive queues of voters at all the polling stations across the state and hence, the polling might continue beyond 6pm, till 10pm, chief electoral officer Mukesh Kumar Meena said in the evening.

The final polling figures would be disclosed after obtaining reports from all the polling stations on the completion of the polling process, Meena added.

A total of 4.08 crore (40.8 million) people  nearly 20 million male, 20.7 million female and 3,482 third gender voters  were eligible to vote in the high-stakes polls in the southern state, where chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, who heads the YSRCP, is eyeing a repeat of his partys stellar performance in the 2019 polls and his bete noire N Chandrababu Naidu, who has joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and actor Pawan Kalyan-led JanaSena Party, is leaving no stone unturned to stop the Jagan bandwagon. The results will be declared on June 4, along with those of Lok Sabha polls across the country and assembly polls in three other states.

According to Meena, there were reports of sporadic violence in several parts of the state. We already had inputs that there could be violence in Anantapur, Palnadu and Annamayya districts; so we had taken adequate precautionary measures by rushing in additional security forces to those sensitive places, he said.

The CEO said an incident of destruction of EVMs was reported at a polling station in Macherla town in Palnadu district, but the engineers examined the devices and said the polling data could be retrieved.

Earlier in the day, there were complaints of kidnapping of three TDP polling agents in Punganur assembly constituency, while they were on the way to the polling stations from Bokaramanda village in Chittoor districts Sadum block. We alerted the Chittoor district election officials and the police department who responded quickly and rescued the kidnapped agents from Pileru and later enabled them to attend to their duties, Meena said.

In Tenali, a fight broke out between a voter and YSRCP MLA Annabathina Shiva Kumar, after the former confronted the legislator for allegedly skipping the queue. Irked by the questioning, the MLA was seen slapping the voter. In return, the voter also slapped the MLA, prompting the latters supporters to step in. The MLA was later kept under house arrest. In some places, police fired rubber bullets to contain instances of violence.

The TDP and YSRCP traded allegations of violence at several other locations in the state, especially in Kadapa and Annamayya districts. TDP alleged that YSRCP activists damaged three vehicles belonging to its Narasaraopeta Lok Sabha candidate L Sri Krishna Devarayalu.

At Dalavaipalli village in Railway Kodur constituency, an EVM was destroyed. Cars belonging to the ruling party and TDP were damaged. A TDP agent was hospitalised after an attack at Nakkaladinne village in Myduruku constituency.

The ruling YSRCP alleged that party agent Suresh Reddy was stabbed at Mandi Krishnapuram village in Chittoors Gudipala mandal.

The party also claimed TDP supporters damaged the vehicle of senior YSRCP leader Nandigam Suresh and attacked party member B Anji Reddy at Aravallipadu in Darsi constituency. He sustained a head injury, the party claimed.

Meena said the Commission had suspended a Sub-Inspector in Punganuru for letting off those who indulged in violence. He said stringent action would be taken against all the persons involved in violence.

The YSRCP is contesting in all 175 assembly seats and 25 Lok Sabha seats of the state. The TDP, which is contesting as part of the NDA, was allocated 144 assembly and 17 Lok Sabha seats. Its alliance partner BJP is six Lok Sabha and 10 assembly seats. Actor Pawan Kalyans Jana Sena Party is contesting two Lok Sabha and 21 assembly seats.
Gottumukkala Sudhakar, the voter from Andhra Pradesh who was brutally thrashed by Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) MLA A Sivakumar and his aides on a polling booth during the voting on Monday, has expressed his concern for his family's safety after the incident. YSRCP leader VS Shivakumar and a voter slap each other at a polling booth, in Guntur(PTI)

Viral video: Jagan Reddy's party MLA A Sivakumar slaps voter in Andhra Pradesh polling queue, he hits back

In a viral video, the YSR Congress MLA along with his several aides, was seen thrashing the voter who was standing in the queue after the latter objected to the legislator jumping the queue at a polling booth in Guntur district.

After the MLA hit Sudhakar, he retaliated and slapped the MLA back, but soon, Sivakumar's aides overpowered and started thrashing him.

While expressing his ordeal, Sudhakar said that he and other voters were in the queue when the MLA and his family members went inside the booth.

"Everyone should stand in queue and vote. No one enjoys special privileges. So I asked his followers to join the queue. They must have told him when he came out after voting. He came to me and asked me, 'who are you to question, how dare you?' And then he slapped me," he said to NDTV.

Andhra assembly, Lok Sabha polls end with 69% voter turnout

While expressing his concern over his safety, he sought protection for his family from the potential threat from the legislator. "I don't know if my family is under threat. I seek protection for my mother, me and my family," he added.

"I didn't even realise I had done it till they told me later. When police came, I said I won't go anywhere before I vote. Police took me in through the exit gate. I voted, and they brought me out to the police station. They (MLA and his aides) beat me up so badly that I was bleeding, just because I asked them to follow rules," he further said to the news outlet.

Sivakumar had claimed that the man was drunk, made casteist remarks against him and was abusing him and his wife while clarifying his violent action.

"The man in question was drunk, was creating a nuisance, and was abusing me and my wife. He accused me of supporting the BC, SC, ST, and Minority communities despite being a Kamma. I got enraged over his baseless accusations and the yellow media blew the incident out of proportion without knowing the context. He made some very shocking casteist remarks which were totally unacceptable to me," Shivakumar told ANI.

Andhra Pradesh LS polls phase 4: Voter turnout crosses 68 per cent

The state police have also filed a case against the MLA and his supporters based on the complaint lodged by Sudhakar.

Elections 2024

Polling for all 175 seats of the State Legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh was held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls on Monday. The ruling YSRCP, seeking a second straight term, is contesting on all 175 seats. Against the ruling YSRCP, the NDA comprising BJP, Telugu Desam Party and Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena is contesting polls. The TDP is contesting on 144 assembly seats, Jana Sena on 21 and BJP on 10.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will file his nomination from Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi constituency on Tuesday, May 14, for the Lok Sabha election 2024. Before filing his nomination papers, Modi offered prayers at Dashwamedh Ghat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers prayers at Kashi Vishwanath Temple, in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, Monday, May 13, 2024. (PTI Photo)(PTI)

The prime minister will file his nomination papers from Varanasi between 11:40 am and 12 noon. However, there is an auspicious significance behind choosing the time to file his papers.

There is a coincidence of Pushya Nakshatra with Ganga Saptami on May 14. According to astrologer Pandit Rishi Dwivedi, the scriptures say the combination is there due to the positioning of the planets.

"It is believed that doing any work on this day leads to fulfillment of one's wish. If any work is done in Pushya Nakshatra, its completion is considered certain." he said.

After Namo Ghat, Modi will visit the Baba Kaal Bhairav temple to offer prayers, and collect his file for nomination. After filing papers from Varanasi, the prime minister is likely to hold a meeting with party workers and ministers.

Ahead of filing his nomination, Modi posted on X, "My relationship with my Kashi is amazing, inseparable and incomparable... all I can say is that it cannot be expressed in words!"

On Monday evening, Modi held a mega roadshow in Varanasi on a six-kilometre-stretch on Monday evening. He was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and BJP state president Chaudhary Bhupendra Singh.

After the roadshow, the prime minister offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath Dham along with Adityanath and other BJP leaders.

Varanasi, a stronghold for the BJP and Modi, will go to polls on June 1 in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha election 2024.

(With inputs from ANI)
The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that lawyers cannot be sued in consumer courts for poor service, clarifying the extent of lawyers liability under the Consumer Protection Act. The bench noted that the legal profession is sui generis - unique in nature and cannot be compared to any other profession. (HT file photo)

In a verdict that potentially impacts the legal profession significantly, a bench of justices Bela M Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal held that legal representation for a fee cannot be classified as a service under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.

The court said that considering the unique nature of services lawyers provide, there is nothing to suggest that the legislature intended to include professionals within the meaning of the 1986 Act and therefore, lawyers would stand excluded from the rigours of the Act.

Furthermore, the bench noted that the legal profession is sui generis - unique in nature and cannot be compared to any other profession.

Also Read: Clear Delhi govts legal costs at the earliest, Supreme Court tells Centre

It added that the arrangement between a client and his lawyer is in the nature of a contract of personal service, and therefore, lawyers cannot be dragged to consumer court over alleged deficiency in service.

However, they can be sued in ordinary courts for negligence and other malpractices, added the bench.

By its judgment, the court set aside a 2007 judgment by the consumer commission, which had held that advocates do come under the purview of the Consumer Protection Act and can be dragged to a consumer court by their clients for deficiency in service.

The judgment declared that the legal services rendered by lawyers would come within the ambit of Section 2(1)(o) of the 1986 Act that defines service, making them liable under the law.

Undisputedly, lawyers are rendering service. They are charging fees. It is not a contract of personal service. Therefore, there is no reason to hold that they are not covered by the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act,1986, the national consumer commission held in its 2007 judgment that was stayed by the top court in April 2009.

There are at least 1.3 million lawyers in India, according to statistics with the Bar Council of India - the apex body to regulate legal education and profession in the country.

Various lawyers bodies, including the Bar Council of India, assailed the commissions judgment in the top court, emphasising that lawyers stand on a completely different footing from any other professionals, such as doctors or other service providers, for a variety of reasons.

First, they must act as officers of the court and their duty towards clients would always be subsumed in the ethical considerations inherent in the legal profession, they argued. They stressed that lawyers require a degree of immunity and independence to effectively perform their duties.

The Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA) intervened, emphasizing that lawyers do not control the environment in which legal services are provided.

Unlike other professions, lawyers operate within a framework determined by judges, and the final product of their servicesthe judgmentis not entirely within their control. Therefore, the association argued, it is inappropriate to assess lawyers solely based on case outcomes.

Assisting the bench as amicus curiae, senior advocate V Giri submitted that there could not be a relationship between the service provider and the service user once the lawyer appeared in court and represented his client.

The 2007 judgment by the national consumer commission had clarified that a lawyer may not be responsible for the favourable outcome of a case because the result does not depend upon only a lawyers work. But, if there is deficiency in rendering services promised, for which consideration in the form of fee is received by him, then the lawyers can be proceeded against under the Consumer Protection Act, it added.

Further, the commission held that a lawyer and a client have a bilateral contract.

On receipt of fees, a lawyer would appear and represent the matter on behalf of his client. To hold that contract is unilateral is to ignore the fact that even after discussion, the client may not engage the advocate, or the advocate may refuse to accept the brief. Hence, such a contract can never be said to be unilateral, stated the commission.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday arrested Dheeraj Wadhawan in the 34,000 crore DHFL bank fraud probe



Wadhawan was already charge-sheeted by the central agency in connection with the case in 2022. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday arrested Dheeraj Wadhawan in the  34,000 crore DHFL bank fraud probe(Vijayanand Gupta/Hindustan Times)

Dheeraj Wadhawan was earlier arrested by the agency in connection with the Yes Bank corruption case and was on bail.

The CBI had registered the DHFL case related to the alleged defrauding of a consortium of 17 banks to the tune of 34,000 crore, making it the biggest banking loan fraud in the country.



ALSO READ: Loan scam case: SC cancels bail granted to DHFL's former promoters Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan



In February this year, the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) had ordered the attachment of bank accounts as well as shares and mutual fund holdings of ex-DHFL promoters Dheeraj and Kapil Wadhawan, to recover dues worth 22 lakh.



The market regulator's move came after the Wadhawan brothers failed to pay the fine imposed on them in July last year in a case concerning the flouting of disclosure norms.

The pending dues of 10.6 lakh each from Wadhawans comprise the initial penalty amount, interest, and recovery cost.

In July 2023, the regulator imposed a penalty of 10 lakh each on Wadhawans, who were promoters of DHFL (now known as Piramal Finance), for flouting disclosure norms.

Kapil Wadhawan was the Chairman and MD of DHFL, while Dheeraj Wadhawan was a non-executive director of the company. Both of them were on the board of DHFL.



In another development, the Delhi high court last Saturday had issued notice to the CBI on a plea of Dheeraj Wadhawan seeking bail on medical grounds.

He had approached the High Court against the trial court order refusing him bail on medical grounds. He is under treatment at his home in Mumbai after discharge from the hospital post-spinal surgery. Justice Jyoti Singh issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and directed to file a reply. The matter has been listed on Friday (May 17) for a hearing.
Hours after India and Iran signed a long-term agreement for Indian operations at Chabahar port, the US has warned that all entities considering any business deals with Iran face the potential risk of sanctions. The agreement signed by India and Iran will facilitate the long-term development of Shahid Beheshti terminal of Chabahar port. (PTI photo)

The 10-year agreement signed by India and Iran on Monday will facilitate the long-term development of Shahid Beheshti terminal of Chabahar port, where operations are run by a subsidiary of state-run India Global Ports Limited (IGPL).

The firm plans to invest $120 million on further equipping the terminal and India has offered a credit window of $250 million to improve infrastructure around Chabahar.

The US had granted a carve-out for Chabahar from its sanctions regime for Iran when New Delhi, Tehran and Kabul signed a tripartite agreement for developing the port in 2016.

Also Read:India, Iran sign 10-year agreement for Indian operations at Chabahar port

At that time, the US decision was influenced by the ports potential to facilitating trade and development in Afghanistan and lobbying by the Indian side.

Asked at a regular media briefing at the US state department about the India-Iran agreement on Chabahar, deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said the American sanctions on Iran remain in place and well continue to enforce them.

Patel added that the US has maintained that any entity, anyone considering business deals with Iran, they need to be aware of the potential risk that they are opening themselves up to and the potential risk of sanctions.

He responded to a specific question on whether there was an exemption for the new India-Iran agreement by saying: No.

Even when the US withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018 and announced fresh sanctions against Iran that resulted in India completely ending purchases of Iranian crude, Washington had retained the carve-out for Chabahar port.

There was no immediate reaction from the Indian side to the remarks by the US state departments deputy spokesperson.

Both India and Iran see Chabahar, a deep-water port in Sistan-Baluchistan province, as a hub for the International NorthSouth Transport Corridor (INSTC), which will allow shipping companies to use an alternative route that bypasses the sensitive and busy Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.

The port is also key to Indias ambitious plans to forge greater connectivity and trade ties with Iran, Afghanistan and the landlocked Central Asian states.

Ports and shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who travelled to Tehran on Monday to witness the signing of the long-term agreement, said the project is about encouraging Indian entrepreneurs to venture into the region from a long-term perspective.

The ports integration with a special free zone augments its appeal, while Indias incentives, such as concessions on vessel-related charges and cargo charges, bolster trade flows through Chabahar, fostering economic growth and cooperation, he said.

The port also provides an opportunity for Indian business entities to expand their footprint in the Central Asian region, Sonowal said.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has taken charge of security of the Parliament complex after orders for the change in guard were issued by the home ministry last week, people aware of the matter said. CISF takes over Parliament security

At least 1,500 CISF personnel led by a deputy inspector general have been posted to Parliament. The team of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) earlier posted within the premises have been replaced by the CISF, an official said, seeking anonymity.

The CISF personnel are currently using the barracks of the CRPF team that are inside Parliament. At least 1,500 have taken charge of Parliaments security. There is a separate fire unit too. It is a comprehensive security plan under which the security commandos will reside in the base and have a separate fire unit, the official said.

All Delhi police personnel have also been withdrawn and only a few are posted outside the perimeter, he added.

Currently, the personnel of the Parliament Security Service (PSS),an in-house security unit of Parliament, is assisting the CISF in access control. Earlier, Delhi police was also in-charge of access control along with PSS staff but after the orders, police have been withdrawn and CISF is working with PSS. Until further orders, both CISF and PSS will conduct checks and frisk the people who enter the building, the officer said.

The CRPF personnel of the Parliament Duty Group were posted to deal with infiltrators. CRPF personnel were posted at the watchtowers and within the boundary of the complex. Their commandos were not engaged in frisking visitors or parliamentarians entering the compound.

Some of the best commandos of the CISF have replaced the Parliament Duty Group team, another official said, wishing to remain unnamed. This second team of commandos are not engaged in frisking or checking, he said. They are there to deal with any emergency and cases of armed infiltrators.

The home ministry on December 20 directed the CISF to conduct a security survey against the backdrop of a breach on December 13. On the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack, two men walked through three layers of security with smoke canisters concealed in their shoes, vaulted into the Lok Sabha from the visitors gallery and sprayed smoke inside the chamber during Zero Hour.

The breach led the Lok Sabha Secretariat to suspend eight security personnel for lapses. Until that day, the security of Parliament was jointly managed by Delhi police, CRPF and PSS. The survey and security detail was approved by the headquarters and then the ministry. The security is now with the CISF, the second official said.

With a strength of around 200,000 personnel, the CISF provides security to airports and metro stations, and at least 356 sensitive installations such as coal mines and nuclear and power plants. Many government installations in left-wing extremism areas of Chhattisgarh and Jammu and Kashmir are also secured by the CISF.

CISFs VIP protection unit provides Z plus security cover to people such as Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
The Election Commission of India on Tuesday said it expects top leaders of political parties to set good examples of poll campaign discourse and not vitiate the delicate fabric of society with their utterances. The poll body also stressed the responsibility of the party leaders to correct the course of their statements in the remaining phases of the election. The TMC asked the Election Commission to stop "blatant violations" of the poll code by the BJP and its leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In its second suo motu report on enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct, the ECI clarified the move to send notices to party chiefs instead of leaders who allegedly violated the poll code with their divisive statements.

Commission has adopted a new course with its advisory dated 01st March 2024 to Party Presidents/Chairpersons/General Secretaries of all recognised political parties urging them to ask their leaders/candidates/star campaigners not to make speeches/ utterances which are in direct or indirect violation of MCC, the poll body said.

The Commission has taken a view that while the individual star campaigner/leader/candidate would continue to remain responsible for speeches made, the Commission will address Party President/Head of the political party, on case-to-case basis, as the Parties have prime responsibility to rein in their star campaigners from committing such violations, it added.

Read: Narendra Modi files nomination from Varanasi | Watch

Last month, the ECI sent show-cause notices to BJP national president JP Nadda and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge after complaints of alleged poll code violation were filed against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The EC notices, however, did not directly name either Modi or Gandhi, but the representations received by it were attached to the respective letters.

While the Congress party said the notices to both party presidents in virtually identical language was a bizarre equivalence, critics wondered why the poll body refrained from sending the notices directly to the individuals accused of violating the poll code.

The purpose is to raise the accountability of the political party in compliance of MCC by all their cadres, the ECI argued.

The Commission said that both parties have sent their responses to the notices and appropriate action on complaints/counter complaints is under examination/ consideration.

Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress has asked the Election Commission to stop "blatant violations" of the poll code by the BJP and its leaders, alleging that the model code of conduct has been turned into "Modi Code of Conduct".

TMC MPs Sagarika Ghose and Saket Gokhale submitted a letter to the poll panel raising concerns over EC's alleged inaction against BJP leaders.

We have written to the EC demanding that for the remaining phases of the election, the Model Code of Conduct be strictly enforced, complaints be acted upon, and Prime Minister Modi not be given a clean chit every time he violates election rules, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale told reporters outside EC headquarters.

Ghose said, Under the watch of the Election Commission, the Model Code of Conduct has now become the Modi Code of Conduct. Any statement made by Modi goes unchecked and no action is taken against him. This undermines the fairness of our elections.
Putin to pay state visit to China

Xinhua) 15:06, May 14, 2024

BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay a state visit to China from May 16 to 17, foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced on Tuesday.

This is Putin's first state visit after he was sworn in as Russian president for a new term, Wang Wenbin, another foreign ministry spokesperson, told a regular press briefing.

As this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, during the visit, Xi and Putin will exchange views on bilateral relations, cooperation in various fields, and international and regional issues of common concern, Wang said.

He added that China will release relevant information on this visit in a timely manner.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing)
A view of Martins Beach in Half Moon Bay in 2018. A San Mateo Superior Court judge has ruled that California officials had cause to file their lawsuit over public access to Martins Beach  and set a trial date for next year. Cody Glenn/Special to the Chronicle

The seemingly endless battle over public access to Martins Beach in San Mateo County will continue after a Superior Court judge decided last week that the California State Lands Commission has cause to sue and set a trial date for next year.

But before then, on Sept. 9, the court will consider a motion to throw the case out, said Sheri Pemberton, a Lands Commission spokesperson.

The case pits surfers, beach lovers and the state against billionaire tech executive Vinod Khosla, who bought the land adjoining the crescent shaped beach south of Half Moon Bay in 2008.

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The Lands Commission filed suit in 2020. The suit, which then-state Attorney General Xavier Becerra filed on behalf of the Lands Commission and the Coastal Commission, contends that because the beach has been used by the public for decades, the traditional access route should be open under the legal doctrine of implied dedication. Californias Constitution grants public access to all coastal beaches below the mean high tide line.

Khosla, who erected a gate blocking access to the beach, disagrees, and has fought several lawsuits to keep the property private.

One suit, brought by the Surfrider Foundation in 2013, argued that Khosla had never obtained a Coastal Commission permit to close off access to the beach. After multiple courts ruled in favor of the complainants, Khoslas attorneys appealed the case up to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to consider the matter  a seeming victory celebrated by surfers and beachgoers.

But the following year, a ruling in a different case again threw public access rights in doubt. That suit, filed by Friends of Martins Beach, contended that the beachs owners nearly 90 years ago declared the beach open to the public. Khoslas attorneys argued that the owners had charged a fee, making the beach not public. A San Mateo County judge agreed with Khosla and rejected the lawsuit, and a state appeals court upheld that decision.

That ruling meant that if the Coastal Commission granted Khosla a permit to close the gate, he could restrict public use of the beach.

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But last week, San Mateo County Superior Court Judge V. Raymond Swope ruled that the state had cause to file its lawsuit  which Khoslas attorneys had disputed  and set a trial date for April 22. Khoslas attorneys did not contest the tentative ruling.

But they will try again in September to get the court to dismiss the case after taking a closer look at the evidence, Pemberton said  though it was unclear on what grounds.

The Surfrider Foundation of San Mateo County said it hasnt been keeping a close watch on the status of Martin Beach access but said it has been irregular, with the gate often closed and locked, but with paid parking part of the way to the beach sometimes open.



Chris DeVry, chairman of the San Mateo branch, said some beachgoers may turn back when they see the locked gate not knowing they can still walk to the beach, and some people with mobility problems may not know they can request to be allowed to drive closer and pay for parking or be dropped off.

Our San Mateo County Chapter of Surfrider are planning to start tracking gate closures more regularly, he said.
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate has told the Delhi high court that it will make the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party an accused in the liquor policy scam case. Earlier this month, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal walked out of jail on interim bail. (PTI file photo)

The central agency made the submission while the court was considering AAP leader Manish Sisodias plea seeking bail in the Delhi excise policy case.

It said AAP will be made an accused in the supplementary charge sheet.

Meanwhile, Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court deferred hearing arguments on consideration of the sixth supplementary charge sheet filed by the ED in connection with the Delhi liquor excise policy, to May 20.

The court also extended the judicial custody of BRS leader K. Kavitha till May 20.

Manish Sisodia, once Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's deputy in the Delhi government, has been in jail since February last year. His bail applications were turned down by several courts.

The Enforcement Directorate has accused several AAP leaders, including Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, of accepting kickbacks in return for formulating a liquor policy favourable to the interests of 'South Group', an alleged group of liquor businessmen and politicians.

The agency has also claimed that a portion of the alleged proceeds of the crime was used by the Aam Aadmi Party to fund its campaign for the Goa assembly elections.

In March, Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering probe linked to the Delhi excise policy case.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court released him on interim bail till June 1, in view of the Lok Sabha elections. The court, however, ordered Kejriwal not to take up administrative works as the chief minister of Delhi.

Also read: Swati Maliwal assaulted at Arvind Kejriwal's house? BJP takes 'boxing ring' dig

Kejriwal was arrested after he skipped nine ED summonses. The Delhi high court had upheld his arrest saying the agency had no other option because the Delhi CM wasn't joining the probe.

Apart from Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, AAP MP Sanjay Singh spent over five months in jail over the case. He is currently out on regular bail.

The Aam Aadmi Party has denied any wrongdoing, claiming the agency couldn't establish the trail of money.
Colonel Waibhav Anil Kale (retd), who was working for the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS) and was killed when his vehicle was attacked at Rafah in the Gaza Strip on Monday, was a counter-terrorism specialist who also served as a UN peacekeeper before he took premature retirement from the Indian Army in July 2022, officials aware of the matter said on Tuesday. He was 46. Colonel Waibhav Anil Kale (retd). (File)

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla, Kale was commissioned into the 11th Battalion Jammu and Kashmir Rifles (JAKRIF) in June 2000 and was known to be an outstanding officer who held a wide range of appointments during his 22-year military service, the officials said. This is the first time an international staff member of the UN has died since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict last October.

The officer commanded his battalion, 11 JAKRIF, in Punjab (Mamun and Dera Baba Nanak), served in the Democratic Republic of Congo as a UN peacekeeper and was an instructor at the Infantry School in Mhow, HT has learnt. He is survived by his wife Amrita and two children who live in Nagpur.

Also Read | Barely 2 months into new UN job, ex-Indian Army officer killed in Rafah attack

Before joining NDA in 1996, he attended school in Nagpur.

Before he left the army, Kale was the deputy commander of a counter-insurgency formation in Kishtwar for almost two years, the officials said, adding that he worked with Amazon in Delhi for a year after taking early retirement.

He was a competent and experienced officer who had served in conflict zones. He was also known for his sense of humour, said one of the officials.

We are deeply saddened by the loss of Col Waibhav Kale, working for the UN Department of Safety and Security in Gaza. Our deepest condolences are with the family during this difficult time, the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, New York, wrote on X.
Kompella Madhavi Latha, the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Lok Sabha candidate from the Hyderabad constituency, who has been booked for checking the identities of Muslim women voters at a polling station, clarified her act saying that she received information that the presiding officer of the booth had caught a minor girl casting her vote. BJP candidate Madhavi Latha checks identity of voters at a polling station during the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections, in Hyderabad.(PTI)

BJP's Madhavi Latha checks identities of Muslim women, asks them to lift burqa

"We got the information that the presiding officer caught a minor girl casting her vote... They are not registering an FIR. They are free to register an FIR on me but not on others... My FIR started from 'Ram Baan'... I am getting the medal like FIRs for telling the truth..." news agency ANI quoted Latha as saying.

The BJP leader triggered a controversy during the polling on Monday after a video emerged where she was seen checking identity cards of burqa-clad Muslim women at a polling booth, asking them to lift or remove their veil. The police have also registered a case against Latha under sections 171C, 186, 505(1)(c) of IPC and Section 132 of the Representation of the People Act.

Defending her act, Latha said that she had only requested the women to verify their identity and there was nothing wrong with this.

Case filed against BJP's Madhavi Latha over arrow gesture; she reacts

"I am a candidate. As per law, the candidate has the right to check the ID cards without the facemasks. I am not a man, I am a woman and with a lot of humbleness, I have only requested them - can I please see and verify with the ID cards? If somebody wants to make a big issue out of it, that means they are scared," she said.

Earlier, Latha was booked for allegedly hurting the sentiments of the Muslim community by purportedly gesturing to shoot an arrow towards a mosque during a Ram Navami procession on April 17.

Latha is contesting against Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. This is the first time that the BJP has fielded a female candidate from the Hyderabad constituency.

Case filed against Amit Shah for poll code violation in Hyderabad

In the polling, which concluded on Monday, Telangana has reported 64.93% voter turnout. Bhongir segment witnessed the highest turnout at 76.47% while Hyderabad logged 46.08%, according to the Election Commission statistics.
NEW DELHI: A former Indian Army officer working for the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS) was killed when his vehicle was attacked at Rafah in the Gaza Strip, the first time an international staff member of the UN has died since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Col Waibhav Anil Kale (retired) opted for premature retirement from the Indian Army in July 2022

The UN confirmed on Tuesday that a DSS staff member was killed and another injured when their UN vehicle was struck as they travelled to the European Hospital in Rafah on Monday. Condemning all attacks on UN personnel, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sought a full investigation.

The dead DSS staff member was identified as Col Waibhav Anil Kale (retired), who opted for premature retirement from the army in July 2022. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, he was commissioned in the 11 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles army in 2000. Kale started working for the DSS two months ago. He was survived by his wife and two teenage children.

Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman for the UN secretary-general, said the security personnel killed was an international staff member, marking the first such UN death in the Gaza conflict. Of UN staff, I believe Ive not been previously aware of an international casualty, he said.

Without attributing responsibility for the strike, the Israeli military maintained that it had not been made aware of the route of the UN vehicle. An initial inquiry conducted indicates that the vehicle was hit in an area declared an active combat zone, the military told news agency AFP.

There was no immediate word from the Indian side on the development. India has called for an immediate end to the fighting, release of hostages taken by Hamas during the October 7 terror attacks last year, resumption of humanitarian aid, and a return to dialogue aimed at a two-state solution.

Guterres said in a post on X that a UN vehicle was struck in Gaza, killing one of our colleagues & injuring another. More than 190 UN staff members have been killed in Gaza, he added.

Humanitarian workers must be protected. I condemn all attacks on UN personnel and reiterate my urgent appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire & the release of all hostages, Guterres said.

Haq said Guterres has called for a full investigation. He sends his condolences to the family of the fallen staff member, he added.

He said the UN vehicle was headed to the European Hospital in Rafah as part of the regular work of DSS staff going to different locations to assess security conditions.

Separately, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees or UNRWA reported another of its staff members was killed in the war, taking the total number to 188. The senior projects officer was killed on Sunday in an Israeli strike in the central town of Deir Al Balah, after leaving Rafah.

In April, seven volunteers of the World Central Kitchen were killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza. Among the dead was Zomi Frankcom, who was of Indian origin.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said that between October 7, 2023 and May 12, 2024, at least 35,091 Palestinians have been killed and 78,827 injured in Gaza.

The October 7 terror attacks by Hamas killed some 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Monday announced the examination results of classes 10 and 12 with the overall pass percentage marginally increasing for both grades compared to 2023. Like last year, girls performed better than boys in terms of pass percentages by two percentage points in Class 10 and 6.4 percentage points in Class 12. (Santosh Kumar/HT Photo)

The overall pass percentage of Class 10 this year was 93.6%, slightly higher than 93.12% last year. For Class 12, it was 87.98%, also a shade higher than 87.33% in 2023.

Like last year, girls performed better than boys in terms of pass percentages by two percentage points in Class 10 and 6.4 percentage points in Class 12.

CBSE officials attributed the increase to changes in the examination patterns.

This shows the students were prepared for competency-based questions, which made up 40% of each question paper, the board said.

The board revamped its assessment pattern for the 2023-24 academic session by introducing more competency-based questions and reducing the weightage given to short- and long-answer questions, as part of the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

The percentages are, however, lower than 2022, when the exams were conducted in two parts due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The number of students who scored above 90% and 95% increased in both classes compared to last year as well.

In Class 10, the data showed, 212,384 students scored 90% and above, compared to last years 195,799, and 47,983 scored 95% and above, against 44,297 last year.

In Class 12, 116,145 students scored 90% and above, more than 112,838, last year. Those scoring 95% and above also rose from 22,622 last year to 24,068 this year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated students in a series of posts on X.

Congratulations to all of you who have successfully passed the CBSE Class XII exams! I am immensely proud of your accomplishment and your relentless dedication. I also acknowledge the efforts of your supportive families and dedicated educators, whose unwavering support has been crucial to this success. All the best for the endeavours ahead, he said.

Your future holds limitless possibilities. Focus on what excites and drives you. Your unique talents will lead you to success and fulfilment. Keep pushing, keep pursuing! the Prime Minister added.

In Class 10, the overall pass percentage of girls was 94.75% and boys 92.71%. The difference was sharper in Class 12, the overall pass percentage of girls was 91.52% and 85.12% for boys. The pass percentage among transgender students was 50% in Class 12 and 91.3% in Class 10.

According to the board, 1,621,224 students appeared in the Class 12 examinations this year, of whom 1,426,420 passed. It also said 2,238,827 appeared for the Class 10 exams, of whom 2,095,467 cleared it.

In both the classes, the maximum number of students appeared from Uttar Pradesh, followed by Delhi.

To be sure, there is no data available to compare the category wise performance since CBSE did not release such a data set last year.

Meanwhile, the board continued with the practice of withholding a merit list of toppers to avoid unhealthy competition. It said it will issue merit certificates to the 0.1% of students who have scored the highest marks.

Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan congratulated the students on their results and advised them to make an effective plan for higher studies.

Heartily congratulate my young friends who have successfully cleared the CBSE Class X and Class XII examinations. While you cherish the success and enjoy the fruits of your labor, do also utilize this time to make an effective plan for higher studies. Wishing all a happy, healthy and bright future, Pradhan said in a series of posts on X.

To all my friends who have not met their expectations, dont lose heart. All of you have it in you to overcome any challenge. I am sure your moment of glory is not far away. Keep hustling, he added.
One morning in late February, Rahul Upadhyaya, in a crisp white shirt and grey trousers, a saffron gamcha around his neck, and six other men, each on a bike with a fluttering Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) flag attached to the handlebar -- an entry pass to just about anywhere in this part of the country -- are going house to house, shop to shop. BJPs Smriti Irani and Congresss Kishori Lal Sharma during roadshows in Amethi. (ANI & PTI)

The reason for this frenetic public outreach: headquarters has asked for a report on whether the mood in Amethi has shifted since Rahul Gandhi and his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra passed through town. Upadhyaya points to the posters of the Congress scion that line the streets. This is the difference. They have posters on inanimate objects. Our campaign is built on people like us, and the dirt on our feet, he says.

The same day, the only person at the Congress office at Amethi -- a low one-floor L-shaped building in a compound shorn of grass, a stone plaque proclaiming that it was inaugurated by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1988 -- is the caretaker, leaning back in a metal chair, his eyes transfixed on his phone, its charger plugged into the wall. He starts at any interruption; it may be three months before a crucial Lok Sabha election and he is not expecting visitors.

Let the BJP say what they want. Elections in Amethi and Rae Bareli are not fought just on the ground. They are fought from the heart, and the Gandhis are in our hearts, he says.

Those elections are now near (less than a week away; May 20), and somewhere between these two emotions, and world views, that the battle will be fought in Amethi, once considered a pocket borough of the Congress. and one that the party has now trusted to a loyal worker to win back from senior BJP leader and Union minister Smriti Irani. In a state where the party is struggling to regain a toehold, the seat represents both the possibility and the challenge of re-establishing a fading dominance in what is undoubtedly among Indias highest-profile constituencies

The stronghold

India has been free for 77 years, and has had parliamentary elections, the largest such exercise anywhere in the world, for 72 of these. Since 1952, political leaders have built legacies and then slipped precipitously; elections have been won and lost; governments have come and gone. And yet, there has always been one constant in Indias polity  that the path to national glory passes through Uttar Pradesh.

For the Nehru-Gandhi family, early dominance came from its stranglehold on UP  a fact demonstrated by the high-profile seat of Allahabad even before independence.

UB Singh, head of sociology at the Feroze Gandhi College in Rae Bareli, said that by 1952, the Congress was hunting for other constituencies that the family could fight from. Motilal and Jawaharlal Nehru were closely connected to Rae Bareli because they had taken part in the farmer agitation in the early 1920s, he said.

Rae Bareli  then a combination of Pratapgarh(West) and Rae Bareli(East)  was picked as the seat for Feroze Gandhi, Indira Gandhis husband and the prime ministers son-in-law. He won that election, and then again in 1957. Indira Gandhi took over the seat in 1967.

But in 1980, the Congress began another hunt, this time for seats for the next generation of Gandhis, and landed on Amethi, the neighbouring constituency that was once part of Rae Bareli district.

Sanjay Gandhi won the seat in 1980, and Rajiv Gandhi won the by-poll in 1981 following his brothers death, Singh said. Since then, Amethi was a fortress save a brief blip between 1998 and 1999, sending Rajiv, Sonia and Rahul Gandhi to the Lok Sabha.

Until it wasnt.

In 2014, the BJP fielded Smriti Irani, once a famed television actress but now one of their most aggressive national faces, against Rahul Gandhi. She lost that election, but did not go away, nurturing the constituency. Five years later, she was back and pulled off the once unthinkable by beating Rahul Gandhi.

On May 2, with the clock running down on the last date of nominations, the Congress Amethi compound, deserted on February 21, is packed . There are party workers milling around, their noses buried in their smartphones. There are media vans and television journalists, announcing one thing authoritatively and then another. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from Rae Bareli, they say with certitude, and Rahul Gandhi from Amethi. Both have refused to contest, they also say; then, 10 minutes later, that both have been convinced to fight. Rumours swirl, declarations are made, but nobody really knows anything.

KL Sharma, the short, fair, moustachioed man who is the Gandhi familys loyal representative, supervises a meeting of Congress workers in Rae Bareli that night, and then rushes the 60 kilometres to Amethi, to hold another. In both places, what the workers want is clear. There is a chance in both seats, they claim; they can win; didi and bhaiya (sister and brother) must fight.

As morning dawns on May 3, the Congress choices became clear. Only one Gandhi sibling is fighting the elections from Uttar Pradesh  Rahul Gandhi will attempt to defend the citadel of Rae Bareli. For Amethi, there is no Gandhi; KL Sharma, the man most synonymous with the familys campaigns, is to be given the opportunity.

That morning, Priyanka Gandhi first arrives in Amethi to speak to a crowd of party workers that doesnt quite know what to think. They wanted Rahul or Priyanka, but if it is to be someone else, Sharma is the closest to the family, they say. You all have known KL Sharma for the past 40 years. He knows every street, village, Congress worker and problem. I hope you will fight the election in the same manner and ensure his victory,Priyanka Gandhi reiterates.

Across town, Irani is smiling broadly: Rahul Gandhi has fled Amethi even before the vote, she tells news channels.

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath and Smriti Irani during the Jan Vishwas Yatra in Amethi. (PTI File Photo)

On the ground

Four men sit under the shade of a banyan tree in the bylanes of Munshiganj playing cards, a canopy of saffron Ram flags stretching out in front of them. All four grew up together; all four are in their fifties; all of them once loyal Congress voters. In 2014, Ram Prasad Sharma broke ranks, voting for Irani in 2014. Five years later, two others, Prahlad Singh and Nischay Kumar did the once unthinkable too; voting for the BJP. Only I have always remained loyal to the Gandhis. My loyalty cannot be bought or sold. It will exist for a lifetime, says Govind Kumar, thumping his chest.

This conversation around loyalty is a common theme across family bastions this time  Baramati, Saifai, Kolkata Dakshin  but it is particularly visceral here. Ram Prasad Sharma, for instance, first voted for the BJP, not just because of his growing faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but out of a sense of hurt. If Amethi is your home, treat it like that. He would come, stay in the Amethi guest house, and leave. How long can love be one-sided? Sharma says of Rahul Gandhi.

In comparison, he adds, Irani has shown heart, and a quantifiable loyalty to Amethi. She came to be a giant-killer, he says, but did not leave when she lost. She stayed for five years and kept coming. Then in 2019, she beat him, and now has made Amethi her home. Have you seen her house in Gauriganj? Even her vote is here. Who says she is not more loyal to us than Rahul Gandhi?

It follows that Rahul Gandhis refusal to return to Amethi is now the central argument of the BJP campaign. The framing is clear. Irani is backed by Modi; she has improved roads; but most importantly, she has stayed and fought.

KL Sharma has no recognition as a leader and the Congress does not have any presence in the constituency. It has no MLAs or MLCs in Amethi and has only two of 16 block chiefs . Against them, Irani takes no election lightly, canvasses every day and Sharma is not even a challenge. Everywhere we go, we tell people that by Rahul Gandhi leaving, Congress has already conceded defeat, says BJP leader Uma Shankar Pandey.

Disgruntled voters often point to the dilapidated roads and public facilities in Amethi, unthinkable for a so-called VIP constituency. Development has lagged. Sonia and Rahul Gandhi did not visit the constituencies as much as they should have. Even if they were in opposition, they did not use their offices to bring about development, says professor SK Dwivedi, former head of the political science department at Lucknow University

But there is also an opposing current. In Munshiganj, their legs crossed on a torn blue tarpaulin sheet, Prahlad Singh and Nischay Kumar speak of the political flux that is likely at the core of the Congress dithering on candidates. The two men have not yet decided that they will return to the Congress fold; there is no hatred for Modi or the BJP. But Kumar says he is disappointed with Irani. She has been present, yes. But I thought more big things would have happened for Amethi. No large industry has come here. We are where we were five years ago, he says.

Next to him, Prahlad Singh is clearer. For five years, he says, the decision to vote for the BJP has made him uncomfortable; a constant rumbling within. I did it, but I feel uncomfortable. Like I have been cheating in a relationship. Whatever they are, the Gandhis are our family, he says.

He looks up and points to the fluttering Shri Ram flags. Even Ram tells us to stay loyal. And that is what I will do. I will repent, he says.

The Congress plan

Congress candidate from Amethi seat Kishori Lal Sharma. (ANI)

For the Congress, Rahul Gandhi may not be fighting Amethi, but the messaging is clear: this is still a family bastion; KL Sharma is a member of that family; and this is a battle for pride. In his stead, Priyanka Gandhi has parked herself here since May 6.

Since nomination day, she has criss-crossed the constituency, addressed small gatherings in villages and large public rallies, visited homes and clambered on cars to speak to constituents. She has invoked her father, grandmother, and great-grandfather, even evoking memories of a loss to drive home her point. This constituency always sends the right message to the country. When your message was not in our favour(in 1977), you awakened us. Whatever message you send to the country will be discussed across the world, she says in one meeting.

On Irani, she is unequivocal; the minister came to Amethi not for Amethi, but to fight Rahul Gandhi. She came here to defeat Rahul Gandhi. Lies were spread that we did nothing, and some people got distracted. But our relationship will never end.

In Amethis central chowk, at the Rajiv Kirana store, Motilal Verma is poring over a Hindi newspaper. He is surrounded by politics. To the left is a lone Aam Aadmi Party office, nearly always empty. . On top of him is a BJP banner, replete with Ram temple imagery. But in front of him, is the statue of Rajiv Gandhi, garlanded so many times that municipal workers have given up cleaning the dried petals that collect every day. In Amethi, whether they win or lose, whether they fight or not, the elections are always decided by what people feel for the Gandhis, he says.

For the Congress, in that feeling, either warmth or derision, love or betrayal, there is both opportunity and jeopardy.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday issued a warning about cyber criminals who are engaged in 'blackmail' and 'digital arrest' while impersonating as officers from government agencies like NCB, CBI, RBI and other Law Enforcement Agencies as well as state and Union Territory Police. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday issued a warning about cyber criminals who are engaged in 'blackmail' and 'digital arrest' while impersonating as officers from government agencies like NCB, CBI, RBI and other Law Enforcement Agencies as well as state and Union Territory Police.

In a statement, the MHA mentioned that a large number of complaints are being reported on National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) regarding intimidation, blackmail, extortion and "digital arrests" by cyber criminals posing as police authorities, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Narcotics Department, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Enforcement Directorate and other Law Enforcement Agencies.

"These fraudsters typically call a potential victim and inform that the victim has sent or is the intended recipient of a parcel, which contains illegal goods, drugs, fake passports or any other contraband item," said the MHA.

ALSO READ| Cyber cell launches drive to save senior citizens from frauds

Sometimes, the Ministry said, they (the criminals) also inform that a near or dear one of the victim has been found to be involved in a crime or an accident and is in their custody.

A demand for money is made to compromise the "case", it said.

"In certain instances, unsuspecting victims are made to undergo "digital arrest" and remain visually available over Skype or other video conferencing platform to the fraudsters, till their demands are met."

The fraudsters are known to use studios modelled on police stations and government offices and wear uniforms to appear genuine, alerts the MHA.

Across the country, it further said, several victims have lost large amounts of money to such criminals.

As per the Ministry, this is an "organized online economic crime and is learnt to be operated by cross-border crime syndicates."

The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, coordinates activities related to combating cybercrime in the country, it said.

"MHA is closely working with other Ministries and their agencies, RBI and other organizations to counter these frauds. I4C is also providing inputs and technical support to Police Authorities of States/UTs for identifying and investigating the cases," said the Ministry.

It further added that its I4C wing has also blocked more than 1,000 Skype IDs involved in such activities, in collaboration with Microsoft. "It is also facilitating blocking of SIM cards, mobile devices and Mule accounts used by such fraudsters."

"I4C has also issued various alerts through infographics and videos on its social media platform 'Cyberdost' for eg X, Facebook, Instagram and others," the MHA mentioned.

"Citizens are advised to be alert and spread awareness about these types of frauds. On receipt of such calls, the citizens should immediately report the incident on cybercrime helpline number 1930 or www.cybercrime.gov.in for assistance," it added.
NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday despatched 40 tonnes of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief materials to Kenya, where devastating floods have killed 267 people and displaced more than 280,000. Kenya is grappling with one of its worst floods in recent history, the latest in a string of weather catastrophes, following weeks of extreme rainfall scientists have linked to a changing climate (AFP)

External affairs minister S Jaishankar said in a post on X that this was the second tranche of relief materials sent to Kenya and included medicines, medical supplies and other equipment to assist flood victims. Standing up for a historical partnership, a Vishwabandhu to the world, he said.

The Indian government has been extending humanitarian aid to Kenya following the devastation caused by the floods, which have affected 38 of the 47 counties in the African country. The floods have also injured 188 people.

An Indian Air Force aircraft airlifted a relief consignment on Tuesday that included 22 tonnes of relief materials such as tents, sleeping bags and mats, blankets, power generation sets, ready-to-eat meals, basic sanitary utilities and hygiene kits, the external affairs ministry said in a statement.

The consignment also contained 18 tonnes of medical aid, including life-saving drugs and surgical equipment needed for critical care and wound management. It also included baby food, items required for water purification, menstrual hygiene and repelling mosquitoes, malaria and dengue diagnostic kits, anti-venom treatment and several types of testing kits.

The Indian Naval ship INS Sumedha had reached Mombasa on May 10 to provide immediate assistance, including relief materials and medical supplies.

The assistance to Kenya is a reiteration of Indias strong and friendly relations with the country, in the spirit of South-South cooperation and our commitment to keep Africa on top of our priorities, the statement said.

India also extended deep sympathies to the government and people of Kenya for the damage and destruction caused by the floods.
An Indian personnel working with the United Nations lost his life in Gaza after his vehicle was targeted in an attack in Rafah, officials confirmed on Tuesday. Representative Image: UN personnel from India dies in Gaza attack, marking first international casualty in conflict.(X/UNRWA)

Indian personnel working with United Nations killed in Gaza after his vehicle comes under attack in Rafah, making it first international casualty for UN since the start of Israel-Hamas conflict, officials said, PTI reported.

The UN vehicle came under attack while en route to the European Hospital in Rafah. This claimed the life of the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS) staff member.

ALSO READ- Iran's nuclear bomb warning to Israel raises concern amid war with Hamas

UN vehicle with staffers was struck in Rafah

The secretary-general was deeply saddened to learn of the death of a United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS) staff member and injury to another DSS staffer when their UN vehicle was struck as they travelled to the European Hospital in Rafah this morning, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN secretary-general said on Monday.

The secretary-general condemns all attacks on UN personnel and calls for a full investigation, the statement added.

ALSO READ- 143 countries snub US to vote in favour of Palestine at United Nations

UN secretary-general mourns death

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres expressed his condolences and condemnation of the attack, highlighting the urgent need to protect humanitarian workers.

Today a UN vehicle was struck in Gaza, killing one of our colleagues & injuring another. More than 190 UN staff have been killed in Gaza.Humanitarian workers must be protected, Guterres said in an X post on Monday, without disclosing the nationality of deceased.

ALSO READ- Al Jazeera goes off air in Israel, office raided: Mouthpiece of Hamas

He stressed the need to safeguard the lives of UN personnel who are providing aid and assistance in conflict zones.

I condemn all attacks on UN personnel and reiterate my urgent appeal for an immediate humanitarian, he said.

Humanitarian crisis due to Israel-Hamas war simply unacceptble: India

India's permanent representative to the United Nations, Ruchira Kamboj condemned the deaths in Israel-Hamas conflict.

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has led to a large-scale loss of civilian lives, especially women and children. The resulting humanitarian crisis is simply unacceptable. We have strongly condemned the deaths of civilians in the conflict. International law and international humanitarian law must be respected by everyone under all circumstances, Kamboj said at the 10th Emergency Special session of the UN General Assembly on Palestine.
External affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Tuesday described the deployment of forces at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China as abnormal, adding that the security of the country should not be disregarded.



"After 1962, Rajiv Gandhi went to China in 1988 in many ways that was the key step towards normalising the ties (with China)...there was a clear understanding that we will discuss our boundary differences but we will maintain peace and tranquillity on the border. And the rest of the relationship will carry on," the minister was quoted by PTI as saying at an event in Kolkata.



"What changed now is what happened in 2020. In 2020, the Chinese, in violation of multiple agreements, brought a large number of forces to our border and they did it at the time when we were under COVID lockdown," Jaishankar said.



ALSO READ: PM Modi speaks on India-China border dispute: We need to urgently address



The minister asserted that India responded by counter deployment of force and for fours now, the forces have been deployed ahead of the normal base positions at Galwan. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said the security of the nation should not be disregarded(PTI)

"This is a very abnormal deployment along the LAC. Given the tension between the two countries... As Indian citizens, none of us should disregard the security of the country...it is today a challenge", he said.

There is also an economic challenge, he said, which is due to "neglect of the manufacturing and infrastructure sectors in the previous years. "Why is Indian business buying so much from China... Is it good to be so dependent on some other source?" Jaishankar added.



ALSO READ: Ludicrous: S Jaishankar on China's repeated claim over Arunachal Pradesh



The relations between India and China are strained since the June 2020 clashes in Galwan valley.



Last week, Jaishankar had said that New Delhi hopes for a resolution of the remaining issues with Beijing. The minister asserted that a return to normal bilateral ties hinges on peace and tranquillity at the border.



We would hope that there is a resolution of the remaining issues out there. These issues mainly pertain to patrolling rights and patrolling abilities there, Jaishankar had told PTI.



(With PTI inputs)
Protesters at UCSF set up an encampment that was taken down by UCSF police Monday, organizers of the encampment said on social media. Nanette Asimov/The Chronicle Protesters at UCSF set up an encampment that was taken down Monday. Around 30 students, faculty and supporters rallied. Nanette Asimov/The Chronicle

UCSF police took down a pro-Palestinian encampment hours after it was erected at the UCSF campus on Monday and arrested one protester, organizers of the encampment said on social media.

Police showed up in the evening after around 30 students, faculty and supporters rallied, calling on the university to divest from all companies, programs and organizations profiting from and aiding the occupation and genocide in Gaza.

A video posted to the ucsf4palestine Instagram account showed police pulling a protester out of a tent.

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The action follows weeks of unrest at universities across the U.S. as protesters have set up encampments and rallied to demand that universities divest from supporting Israel in any form.

UCSF police said they could not confirm any actions taken at the encampment and referred news media to the universitys spokespeople, who could not be reached for comment.
A 40-year old man allegedly booked more than 200 flights over the past year under his dead brothers name, stole jewellery and cash worth crores from his co-passengers cabin baggage and passed them onto a jeweller in west Delhi, police said on Monday, after arresting the prime suspect and his aide and cracking down on the elaborate operation. The suspect, Rajesh Kapoor, travelled for more than 110 days, taking more than 200 trips in that time, with Chandigarh and Hyderabad among his top destinations (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo)

The suspect, Rajesh Kapoor, travelled for more than 110 days, taking more than 200 trips in that time, with Chandigarh and Hyderabad among his top destinations. Most often, he took round trips that departed from Delhi, travelled on premium domestic airlines and targeted senior citizens.

Also read: Jewel thief in Bihar jail behind spate of heists?

He exploited the chaotic boarding process and sifted through the overhead baggage bins, stealing valuables from unlocked bags as passengers settled into their seats, said Usha Rangnani, Delhis deputy commissioner of police (Indira Gandhi International Airport).

He booked tickets using his dead brothers name, Rishi Kapoor, to give airlines and law enforcement the slip, she said. Rishi died a year-and-a-half ago.

Kapoor has allegedly been a serial offender for nearly 20 years, according to police, who added that he has been involved in 11 previous cases of theft. For years, Kapoor burgled passengers on trains, but upgraded to planes in 2022.

Police got on Kapoors trail after two passengers reported jewellery worth lakhs missing from their cabin baggage.

The first complaint was registered on February 2 this year by Varinderjeet Singh, a resident of the United States, who travelled from Amritsar on an Air India flight to Delhi, where he was to board a connecting flight to Frankfurt in Germany. During his travel to the Capital, though, his bag was burgled of jewellery worth 20 lakh, Singh told police.

The second was registered on April 11, when Sudharani Pathuri was travelling on an Air India flight from Hyderabad to Delhi. She was to board a connecting flight for the United States. She said her bag was missing jewellery worth 7 lakh.

As police pored over CCTV footage from airports in Delhi, Amritsar and Hyderabad and roped in Air India officials, they spotted a man who had travelled on both the flights in question. Investigators then found that he had booked the tickets using a phone number that wasnt his own.

Air India spokespersons did not respond to requests seeking comment on the matter.

Police narrowed Kapoor down to Paharganj, the popular backpackers hub in central Delhi, where he ran the guest house Ricky Delux. He lived with his family on the top floor of the four-storey building.

We raided the building and arrested him on Friday morning, said Rangnani, adding that the property is registered in his mothers name.

Kapoors interrogations, Rangnani said, revealed that apart from the two cases, he was also involved in three similar thefts over the past four months. Two of these cases, where jewellery worth a combined 62.5 lakh was stolen, were registered at the IGI Airport police station. The fifth case was registered in Hyderabad.

After examining his travel logs, collected from airlines, for the past year, we found that Kapoor travelled for more than 110 days and took around 200 flights, just for the thefts. We are now collecting his travel data for the past two years, she added.

Also read: Woman released from jail on car theft charge steals pickup truck, then this happens

He also led the police to Sharad Jain, a 46-year-old jeweller who runs a shop in Regharpura in West Delhi. He allegedly received stolen valuables from Kapoor for over a year, melted the ornaments and used them to make more jewellery.

Before melting the ornaments, Jain removed their diamonds and returned them to Kapoor  they were of no good use to him, added Rangnani.

Police said Kapoor mostly travelled between Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Amritsar and was arrested in 11 previous cases.

He stopped stealing around 2018, but began committing thefts again around two years ago, said police.
A court in Kerala on Monday sentenced a 27-year-old man to life imprisonment for breaking into the home of a 23-year-old woman in Kannur district and stabbing her to death in October 2022. Earlier on May 10, the accused Shyamjith was convicted by the Thalassery additional district sessions court. (Getty Images)

Earlier on May 10, the accused Shyamjith was convicted by the Thalassery additional district sessions court for the murder of Vishnupriya at her home in Panoor in Kannur district on October 22, 2022. The prosecution had argued that the accused murdered her as an act of revenge for breaking off a relationship with him and rejecting his advances.

On Monday, public prosecutor K Ajith Kumar expressed satisfaction with the courts order on the quantum of punishment for the convict.

The accused has been found guilty under IPC sections 302 (murder) and 449 (house-trespass). For the offence under section 449, he has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment and fine of 25,000. And for offence under section 302, he has been sentenced to imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life and fine of 2 lakh. The sentences will run concurrently, the public prosecutor told reporters.

The maximum punishment for these offences is either life imprisonment or death. The prosecution had demanded a death sentence considering the brutality of the crime and the accuseds lack of remorse. But the court has chosen to sentence the convict to life. There may have been some reasons behind the courts decision. Anyway, we are still satisfied with the courts ruling. This is a case that had shocked the conscience of the public in Kerala, he added.

Vipina, the sister of the victim, broke into tears after the courts ruling. We are happy that the convict has been given life term. But we are sad that we will never be able to see her again. I thank the police and prosecution for everything they have done, she said.

According to the Panoor police which investigated the case, Shyamjith, who was 25 at the time of the crime, entered Vishnupriyas home in Panoor on October 22, 2022 shortly after 11:30 am when her family members were away at a funeral home. After an argument, he proceeded to hit her head with a hammer following which she fell unconscious. He then stabbed her repeatedly with a double-edged knife and cut off the nerves on her hands and legs, leaving her bleeding in the bedroom. The postmortem report listed 29 wounds on the body of Vishnupriya.

Though Shyamjith left the victims house soon after the murder and headed for his own home, police were able to nab him within a few hours of the murder with the help of CCTV camera visuals. Though there were no direct witnesses to the murder, the police and prosecution relied on scientific clues and circumstantial evidence to link the accused to the crime.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi applauded the people of the Srinagar parliamentary constituency for the "encouraging turnout" of 38 per cent, which is more than double the 14.43 pc polling in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi

In the first general election in the valley after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, polling took place in 2,135 polling stations on Monday across the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency containing assembly segments of Srinagar, Ganderbal, Pulwama, Budgam and Shopian districts.

In his post on X, PM Modi said, "Would especially like to applaud the people of Srinagar Parliamentary Constituency for the encouraging turnout, significantly better than before. The abrogation of Article 370 has enabled the potential and aspirations of the people to find full expression. Happening at the grassroots level, it is great for the people of J&K, in particular the youth."

Srinagar voter turnout of 38 per cent in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls is the highest in several decades. There are 24 candidates in the fray as compared to 12 in the 2019 general election.

The voter turnout in Srinagar was 14.43 per cent in 2019, 25.86 per cent in 2014, 25.55 per cent in 2009, 18.57 per cent in 2004, 11.93 per cent in 1999, 30.06 per cent in 1998, and 40.94 per cent in 1996.

According to the Election Commission, voters from Srinagar, Budgam, Ganderbal, Pulwama, and Shopian showed up in record numbers to cast their votes in a show of faith and enthusiasm in the election process.

Chadoora, Ganderbal, Kangan, Khansahib and Shopian Assembly segments recorded more than 45 per cent voter turnout.

"Polling personnel, including security personnel, worked tirelessly to ensure that an atmosphere of calm, peace and festivities welcomed voters at the polling stations," the ECI said.

"More than 8,000 polling staff were on duty to cater to the over 17.47 lakh strong electorate. Command-and-Control centres have been working round the clock in Srinagar as well as Jammu since March 16, the date of announcement of general elections to ensure free, fair and inducement-free elections," it added.

The commission has enabled Kashmiri migrant voters residing at various relief camps in Delhi, Jammu and Udhampur to also have the option of voting in person at designated special polling stations or using postal ballot. 21 special polling stations were established at Jammu, one at Udhampur and four at Delhi.

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.

Voting for the Udhampur and Jammu seats was concluded on April 19 and 26 respectively while in Srinagar voting was done on May 13.

Baramulla seat will vote on May 20 while the Anantnag-Rajouri seat on May 25.
Is the current election campaign establishing the pecking order in the BJP on succession? While it is difficult to predict with any degree of precision in politics, the number game does reveal an interesting picture. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, a day after being released on interim bail by the Supreme Court to campaign in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, set the cat among the pigeons when he raised questions about the BJP's leadership succession plan, highlighting the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will turn 75 on September 17th. Prime Minister Narendra Modi with home minister Amit Shah.(PTI)

Kejriwal pointed out the Prime Ministers own rule mandating retirement for party leaders at 75, citing the examples of superannuated leaders like LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi. Speculating on potential leadership changes within BJP, Kejriwal suggested that if the party forms the government, Yogi Adityanath could be sidelined in favour of Amit Shah as the new prime minister.

In reply, the BJP for the first time affirmed that PM Modi won't retire at 75. Home minister Amit Shah was categorical in his denial. "The people of this country, be it from East, West, North, South or Northeast, are standing with PM Modi. All the leaders of the INDI alliance know that we are going to cross 400 seats and Modi ji will become the PM of this country for the third time, that is why they are spreading this type of misconception," he said.

Also read: Lok Sabha elections 2024: How will the lack of momentum in polling affect BJP, INDIA bloc?

There is little doubt, however, that the 2024 general election campaign blitz is largely being powered by the Modi-Shah duo, who have run the party and the government as a joint team.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has addressed more than double the number of election rallies attended by his Congress rivals put together. Following close on his heels is the Prime Ministers closest aide, Amit Shah. Modi addressed 83 election rallies across 18 states and Union Territories between March 31 and May 5  the last campaign date for the third phase of elections. During the same period, Amit Shah, the partys principal political strategist, attended 66 election events.

These numbers fare well against their Congress counterparts, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi. In comparison -- or shall we say in contrast -- with the Wayanad MP  who is now also trying his hand as Congress candidate from Rae Bareli, this figure stands at 40. With Priyanka as the main speaker at 29 political rallies, Modi was higher than the Gandhi siblings put together.

Also read: Lok Sabha election 2024: Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka see history come alive

Post the third phase of polling, it is very clear that this Lok Sabha election is about the complete dominance of the Narendra Modi -Amit Shah duo as campaigners for the BJP.. The rest of the BJP leaders follow later.

Says Jagdish Shetty, member BJP, national General Secretary, Virat Hindustan Sangam, and a social influencer, who is close to Subrmaniam Swamy: "This is the Modi-Shah style. They have run the organization and the government like this. It has now extended to the elections. All the other prominent leaders in the party have been sidelined. Sometimes, this can turn out to be counter-productive.

Under the circumstances, Shetty told this reporter that reaching the 300-plus target for the BJP "is a huge task," one that the party may not be able to reach.

With 12 rallies, Maharashtra  considered a swing state  appeared on the top of Prime Minister Modis list during the first three phases. He addressed 10 rallies in Uttar Pradesh that sends the highest 80 MPs in the Lok Sabha, followed by Karnataka and Rajasthan at eight, Bihar and West Bengal (six), and Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat (six).

Party watchers said that the BJP leaders have particularly focused on the Hindi-speaking states, and for good reason. In the Lok Sabha, the BJP has 170 of the 218 seats from the Hindi heartland states.

BJP leaders are also guarding against overkill. For instance, the fourth phase of Lok Sabha election in Madhya Pradesh, which will take place on May 13, has not seen either Modi or Shah campaigning in the state as the party has not scheduled their visit leaving the canvassing to the state and local leaders.

Likewise, there are no high-profile campaigning programmes of other national leaders like party president JP Nadda, other than a few road shows, while defence minister Rajnath Singh has been more involved in managing his own constituency, Lucknow.

Also read: Lok Sabha elections 2024: How political families dominate India's discourse

To be sure, some local BJP units like Chandigarh have called for the inclusion of Bhojpuri stars like Manoj Tiwari and Ravi Kishan, in addition to defence minister Rajnath Singh and party president JP Nadda.

Says political commentator and policy analyst, Sanjay Baru: "The Modi-Shah way of election campaigning, is the way they run the party and the government. Its a two-man show. I can sense a disquiet among the others in the party, who are hardly campaigning. Afterall, there are former chief ministers and BJP party presidents, who dont have much of a role to play. They cannot be too happy with such a situation.

BJP spokesman, Nalin Kohli, however, rubbished Kejriwals statement and played down the campaign numbers, which suggest that the two biggies in the BJP are hogging the limelight.

"It is but natural that PM Modi is the biggest star campaigner because it is his government, leadership and achievements that point to a third term for the party," he said.

He added, however, that many BJP leaders, including chief ministers and central ministers are pretty much part of the election campaign. A campaign has several layers; large rallies, road shows, small, focused meetings, personal contract programmes and all leaders are involved in their own way. It is wrong to suggest that only the Prime Minister and the home minister are campaigning for the elections.

As for Kejriwals statement on the war of succession, Kohli told this reporter that the Delhi chief minister "had no credibility and this is evident from the fact that he frequently issues contradictory statements".
Lok Sabha Elections News highlights: In the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections on Monday, 67.71 per cent of voters cast their ballots across 96 constituencies in 10 states and Union Territories. West Bengal had the highest turnout at 75.91 per cent, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 68.48 per cent. However, Jammu and Kashmir and Maharashtra reported lower turnouts, with 36.58 per cent and 52.63 per cent respectively. In addition to other states, Andhra Pradesh witnessed a turnout of 68.12%, Bihar 55.90%, Jharkhand 63.37 per cent, Odisha 63.85 per cent, Telangana 61.29 per cent, and Uttar Pradesh 57.76 per cent. ...Read More

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is gearing up to submit his nomination papers for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat. He has previously won this constituency with significant margins for two consecutive terms.

The spotlight is on two key political alliances in the Lok Sabha Election 2024: the INDIA bloc and the NDA led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The INDIA bloc includes parties like Congress, AAP, and TMC, while the NDA has BJP, PMK, and JDU among its members.

The NDA aims for a third straight win in this election, echoing 'abki baar 400 paar'. Meanwhile, the INDIA bloc adopts an economic campaign, pledging MSP for farmers and cash benefits for women in their manifesto.

Here's the phase-wise schedule for the Lok Sabha Election 2024:

Phase 1: April 19 (polling done)

Phase 2: April 26 (polling done)

Phase 3: May 7 (polling done)

Phase 4: May 13 (polling done)

Phase 5: May 20

Phase 6: May 25

Phase 7: June 1

Counting of votes: June 4
This Red Lobster restaurant in Rohnert Park is one of two in the Bay Area that abruptly closed Monday. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Some Bay Area fans of Red Lobster will have to travel farther to get their lobster and shrimp specials after two of the chain restaurants abruptly closed on Monday.

The closures of the Red Lobster restaurants in Rohnert Park and Fremont were part of a wave of closures around the U.S. More than 50 of the seafood restaurants closed suddenly on Monday as the chain faces possible bankruptcy, according to a UPI report.

A check on the Red Lobster website showed messages for the closed restaurants that read, Restaurant temporarily closed. According to social media posts, workers learned they were out of a job when they showed up at the restaurants to find closed signs on the doors.

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Red Lobster, headquartered in Florida, employs about 55,000 people across the country. The chain, known for its cheddar bay biscuits and Lobsterfest meals, was founded in 1968.

The company did not respond to a request for comment about the closures.

Red Lobster has another six restaurants in the Bay Area that were still open as of Monday, in Vallejo, San Bruno, Fairfield, Pittsburg, Milpitas and San Jose.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councilors on Tuesday disrupted a Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) meeting over the assault Swati Maliwal allegedly suffered at the chief minister Arvind Kejriwals residence a day earlier even as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha member was yet to file a police complaint and remained incommunicado for a second day. Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal. (HT PHOTO)

Delhi Police on Monday received two calls from Kejriwals residence, claiming the lawmaker was assaulted when Maliwal, who was out of the country for weeks and was largely absent during the chief ministers internment in the excise police case, went there to meet him. Kejriwals aide Bibhav Kumar allegedly prevented her from meeting Kejriwal before the calls were made.

No complaint has been lodged by Rajya Sabha MP [member of Parliament] Swati Maliwal until now in the matter, said a police officer.

Maliwal, a former Delhi Womens Commissions chief, did not take calls or reply to messages seeking her comments for the second day. Her associates did the same. Maliwal has not made any public appearance or posted anything on social media since the calls about the alleged assault were made.

The police were likely to send an action taken report to the National Commission for Women (NCW), which took cognisance of the matter. In a post on X on Monday, the NCW said Maliwal was reportedly assaulted while vowing action and demanding justice. It said it would depute an inquiry team and added perpetrators must be held accountable.

HT on Tuesday reported that the caller did not mention her name in the first of the two calls made about the alleged assault. In the second call around 9.34am, the caller told the police that her name was Swati Maliwal and that Kumar was manhandling her.

Police said Maliwal arrived at Kejriwals residence around 9.10am on Monday and unsuccessfully sought a meeting. Maliwal later went to the Civil Lines Police station, but she left saying she would file a complaint later.

The BJP has demanded a thorough investigation into the incident. There is pressure on Maliwal to not speak. A thorough investigation should be conducted to bring out the truth so that Kejriwals misogynistic face can be exposed again, said Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva on Tuesday.

BJP councilors protested over the alleged assault during the MCD meeting on Tuesday by climbing onto tables while raising slogans against Kejriwal. No discussions could be held at the meeting, prompting its adjournment.

BJP councillor Raja Iqbal Singh said they tabled a condemnation motion on the issue of the alleged indecency with Maliwal at the chief ministers residence. This incident which took place at the chief ministers residence...exposes AAPs anti-women face.

Singh said the BJP would stand with Maliwal irrespective of her party affiliation. If there is any misbehaviour with women, we will stand with them.

Singh said that mayor Shelly Oberoi did now allow the resolution, which called the chief ministers residence unsafe for women and sought to condemn the purported incident, to be tabled.

Oberoi repeatedly appealed to the BJP councilors to take their seats and finally adjourned the house citing the model code of conduct in place amid the ongoing national polls.

Oberoi said the BJP councillors created a ruckus and did not allow any discussion. The intention of BJP councilors is just to divert attention from MCD issues...We wanted to debate on issues. Over the last year, the BJP did not allow any standing, special or other committee to be formed. They want to disrupt the functioning of MCD.
Political parties like the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), which allowed extortion and kidnapping to flourish while in power in Bihar, will give away reservations to Muslims to pursue their vote bank politics, Prime Minister Narendra Modi charged on Monday, adding that as long as he was alive, he would not let that happen. Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Addressing back-to-back poll rallies at Hajipur, Muzaffarpur and Saran  the three Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar that will vote in the fifth phase on May 20  Modi lashed out at the opposition INDIA bloc, calling its leaders cowards who were scared of Pakistans nuclear power.

In the name of social justice, those carrying lantern (RJDs symbol) pushed the state into dark age and jungle raj, leaving the poor to fend for themselves and making kidnapping an industry. They destroyed everyone and built mansion for themselves, Modi said in Hajipur.

He was canvassing for NDA candidate and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan, who is in the fray for the first time from the seat his father late Ram Vilas Paswan represented nine times. Hajipur seat is reserved for Scheduled Castes.

Recalling Ram Vilas, Modi said it was the first general elections he was campaigning without his late friend, who had big dreams for Hajipur.

We are committed to realise his dreams. After June 4, there will again be Modi Sarkar (government). Any vote to the RJD and the Congress is set to go waste, Modi said, adding the people of Bihar are very mature.

In Saran, Modi attacked the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc over appeasement, accusing that the Congress and the RJD were only concerned about their vote bank even at the cost of the marginalised sections.

A person who ushered in jungle raj in Bihar and one who was convicted and sentenced to jail in fodder scam wants to give full reservation to Muslims, which means he wants to give the quota for OBC, EBC and adivasis to them (minorities), Modi said, in an apparent reference to RJD chief Lalu Prasad. They neither have regard for Babasaheb [BR Ambedkar] nor for the Constitution.

Modi added that as long as he was alive, the INDIA bloc will not be allowed to snatch the reservation of the backwards, dalits and adivasis. Now they will have to pay heavily if they dared tampering with it (reservation) to give your share to Muslims, as the Constitution does not have that provision, he added.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad stoked controversy earlier this month by saying Muslims should get reservation in full  a statement he later clarified and said the basis of reservation is always social and not religion.

In Saran, BJPs Rajiv Pratap Rudy is in a direct fight against Rohini Acharya, daughter of the RJD chief.

Modi said unlike his opponents, who were concerned about promoting their family, I have no waaris (successor). The common people are my waaris.

Addressing the poll rally in Muzaffarpur, Modi accused the opposition INDIA bloc of being scared of Pakistans nuclear power, in an apparent reference to recent statements senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah.

The INDIA bloc seems to have leaders who are scared of Pakistan and have nightmares of its nuclear power, Modi alleged.

The remarks come in the backdrop of comments by Abdullah about Pakistan having atom bombs and not wearing bangles. In a video that was widely circulated on social media, Aiyar was heard saying that India should give respect to Pakistan as it is a sovereign nation and engage with it as it also possesses the atom bomb.

But, we must look carefully at the opposition which seems to be full of cowards and timid people, who give a clean chit to Pakistan on terrorism, raise doubts on surgical strikes Modi added.

In Muzaffarpur, BJPs Raj Bhushan Choudhary Nishad is pitted against former party lawmaker Ajay Nishad, who is now contesting on the Congress ticket.

Speaking on a day when the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections were underway, Modi urged the people to turn out in large numbers and vote for the NDA to enable formation of a strong government.

Earlier in the day, Modi visited Takhat Sri Harimandir Ji Patna Sahib in Patna City, offering prayers and also served langar (food) to devotees.

Prayed at Takhat Sri Harimandir Ji Patna Sahib this morning. Felt truly blessed to experience divinity, serenity and rich history of this sacred place. This Gurudwara has a close link with Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Our Government had the honour of marking his 350th Parkash Utsav in a grand manner. May the teachings of the Sikh Gurus continue to inspire and guide us all, Modi posted on X.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held a six-km-long roadshow in his Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi, marking a mega show of strength in the high-profile seat a day before filing his nomination papers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Varanasi on Monday. (PTI)

The PM paid floral tribute to the statue of educationist and social reformer Madan Mohan Malaviya at Lanka Gate of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU). He was accompanied by UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath and other leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He also accused the Congress of neglecting Varanasi and contrasted it with his own record of development.

Today every pore of my body is saluting Kashi. The affection and blessings I have received from all of you in the roadshow are unimaginable and incomparable. I am overwhelmed and emotional! I did not even realise how 10 years passed under the shade of your affection. Then I had said that Maa Ganga has called me. Today Maa Ganga has adopted me, he said on X.

Three UP ministers  Anil Rajbhar, Ravindra Jaiswal and Dayashankar Mishra Dayalu  and BJP leaders, including UP BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary, UP BJP secretary organisation Dharmpal Singh, Gujarat BJP secretary organisation Ratnakar and dozens of BJP leaders were present.

The roadshow highlighted the achievements of the central government over the past decade. Modis arrival was marked by the echo of conches, shehnai tunes, rhythmic beats of the drums (damru) and the chanting of mantras. A hundred designated points along the route, including at Assi, Sonarpura, Jangambari, and Godaulia, were arranged to extend a warm welcome to the PM.

The street reverberated with chants of Har Har Mahadev and Jai Shri Ram and people singing Ram ko laye hai Hum.Crowds gathered along the route and on terraces to get a glimpse of the PM, who accepted peoples greetings with folded hands.

The event saw the participation of one million people, including BJP workers, sportspersons, artistes and other prominent people, besides locals, said Kashi region BJP spokesperson Navaratan Rathi.

A group of people from Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Maheshwari, Marwari, Tamil, Punjabi communities along with Muslims welcomed the PM.

In the last 10 years, with the cooperation and participation of all of you, I have left no stone unturned in the transformation of Kashi. Today, Baba Vishwanath Dham Corridor has become a grand and divine glimpse of the identity of Kashi in accordance with the dignity of the country. In a decade, we have done many unprecedented works, be it the expansion of rail, road and air network or inland waterways authority, education, health and cleanliness, to infrastructure development, the PM said.

In 10 years, a network of roads and bridges has been laid in Kashi. Along with many new trains including Vande Bharat, Jan Shatabdi and Banaras-Kanyakumari Tamil Sangamam Express, the railways have been modernised and beautified.

The roadshow offered a glimpse of the cultures of India and Uttar Pradesh, using folk tunes at various locations, including Lanka, Assi, and Sonarpura. Pictures of Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan, tabla maestro Pt Kishan Maharaj and vocalist Girija Devi were put up on dividers during the roadshow, showcasing the rich cultural heritage of Varanasi.

Family members of Bharat Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan welcomed Modi by playing the shehnai near Madanpura. More than 5,000 BJP womens wing workers were also involved in the roadshow, during which petals were showered at 100 points, said Rathi.

We have given top priority to the development of Varanasi in every field. Through the Banas Kashi Complex, the income of our farmer brothers and sisters has increased, while the dreams of women power have also turned into reality. With the development and expansion of many tourism related facilities, new employment opportunities are being created for the youth. The ghats of Ganga have become an example of cleanliness and beauty. Apart from this, due to the operation of cruise boats, Rudraksh Convention Center, Kashi-Tamil Sangamam and promotion of spiritual tourism, a record number of devotees are coming to Kashi today, Modi posted on X.

After the event concluded, Modi offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple. Later, he reached the Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) Guest House where he held a dialogue with prominent citizens. The PM will stay at this venue.

This city of spirituality and faith was always a victim of neglect during the Congress-INDI alliance, but we are working day and night with the resolution of a divine and grand Kashi. I have to do a lot more in the third term of the NDA government for this parliamentary constituency that resides in my heart, he said.

Varanasi is a stronghold of the BJP and Modi, who is seeking a third straight term from the seat. Varanasi goes to the polls on June 1 in the final phase. The Congresss Ajay Rai and the Bahujan Samaj Partys Athar Jamal Lari are also in the fray.

On Tuesday, he will offer prayers at the Kaal Bhairav temple and then file his nomination papers. The PM is also likely to take a dip in the Ganga and offer prayers to Maa Ganga at Dashaswamedh Ghat around 9am.

Around 12pm, chief ministers of BJP-ruled and alliance states, including Yogi Adityanath, are likely to participate in the nomination of the PM. Other than Adityanath, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav, Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal. Sharma, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sharma, Haryana CMs Nayab Singh Saini, Goa CM Pramod Sawant, Sikkim CM Prem Singh Tamang and Tripura CM Manik Saha will be present.

Home minister Amit Shah and defence minister Rajnath Singh will also grace the event. Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary, Lok Janshakti Party chief Chirag Paswan, Apna Dal S president Anupriya Patel, and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party president Omprakash Rajbhar will be present, among others.

Uttar Pradesh Congress committee president Ajay Rai, who is contesting against Modi, called the roadshow an extravagance and asked had there been so much development in Kashi during last 10 years, what was the need of roadshow.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday declared that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not return to power after the Lok Sabha elections.



While accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of spreading falsehood on Sandeshkhali row, Banerjee said,"The only guarantee in the Lok Sabha polls is that Modi is not returning to power. The INDIA bloc would secure between 295 and 315 seats while the BJP would be restricted to a maximum of 200." West Bengal chief mninister Mamata Banerjee said the INDIA bloc would form the next government at the Centre by winning over 300 Lok Sabha seats(PTI)

The BJP and the PM are spreading falsehood on the issue. The 'guarantee babu' (swipe at Modi's guarantee) is maligning West Bengal. Now, when the truth is emerging (referring to purported videos), they are asking TV channels not to show those. They are trying to hide the truth. The BJP hatched a conspiracy to tarnish the image of women of the state, PTI quoted Mamata Banerjee as saying at a rally in Kalyani in West Bengal's Nadia.



ALSO READ: Why are Hindus second-class citizens in Bengal?: PM Modi attacks TMC



During his election rally in Bengal's Barrackpore on Sunday, the prime minister alleged that Mamata Banerjee's party Trinamool Congress was trying to conceal its past misdeeds" in Sandeshkhali, where ruling party leaders have been accused of sexual assault and land-grabbing.



All of us have seen what the TMC has done with the sisters and mothers of Sandeshkhali. First, the police tried to save the culprits, now the TMC has started a new game. TMC goons are threatening the sisters of Sandeshkhali, just because the oppressor's name is Shahjahan Sheikh... They are trying their best to save and protect him from legal action. Don't be afraid of TMC, Modi said.



ALSO READ: PM still lying about Sandeshkhali, but mum on molestation allegation against Guv: Mamata



Several purported videos appeared on social media claiming that a local BJP leader made several women in Sandeshkhali sign blank papers, which were later filled up as complaints of sexual assault against TMC leaders, and that women were paid money to participate in the protests.

ALSO READ: Fresh clash erupts in Sandeshkhali after TMC releases new sting video

PTI could not independently verify the authenticity of the videos. She reiterated her opposition to the implementation of CAA and NRC in the state.
Three operatives of the banned separatist group Sikhs of Justice were arrested for writing pro-Khalistan slogans at public places in Delhi and Punjab's Bathinda, police said on Tuesday. Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is one of the founders of the US-based separatist group Sikhs for Justice.

The arrests were made by Bathinda Police and its counter-intelligence wing, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said.

In a major breakthrough, Counter-Intelligence, Bathinda & Bathinda Police have arrested three #SFJ operatives for writing Pro-Khalistan slogans at various public places including Bathinda, #Punjab & #Delhi, backed by #NewYork-based mastermind Gurpatwant Pannu of Sikhs for Justice (#SFJ) Yadav said in a post on X.

The investigation has been carried out in a professional and scientific manner to solve the case, he added.

Read: Gurpatwant Singh Pannun murder plot: India slams Washington Post's unwarranted report

The pro-Khalistani slogans were found written on the walls of the District Administrative Complex and Court Complex in Bathinda on April 27.

Similar pro-Khalistani slogans appeared on the pillars of Jhandewalan Metro Station and Karol Bagh Metro Station in Delhi on May 9, prompting police to launch an investigation.

A security guard at a building close to the Karol Bagh Metro station said that he noticed the writing in black paint on the pillars of the metro station when he came for duty on Sunday morning.

"I came to duty at 8 am and saw that something was written in black colour on the pillars of the metro station. A huge crowd had gathered there and was reading the slogans," Bajrangi, the security guard, said speaking to ANI.

"These slogans may have been written at night because no one was there at that time and no one saw who wrote these slogans," he added.

Read: To complicate Indian elections: Russia slams US report on Pannun murder plot

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is one of the founders of the US-based separatist group Sikhs for Justice and has been actively lobbying for a separate state for Sikhs, which they call Khalistan, in the US, Canada and the UK.

In July 2020, Pannun was designated a terrorist by the Union home ministry and two months later, the government ordered the attachment of his properties under Section 51A of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Pannun has been running a campaign against India and motivating Sikh youngsters in his home state Punjab to join militancy.
Patanjali Ayurved misleading ads case: The Supreme Court on Tuesday, May 14, reserved its order on the contempt notice issued to yoga guru Ramdev, his aide Balkrishna and Patanjali Ayurved Ltd in the misleading advertisements case. It also expressed dissatisfaction with the apology submitted by the president of the Indian Medical Association, Dr RV Asokan, for his remarks in a media interview over certain observations made by the court. Patanjali ads case: The Supreme Court expressed dissatisfaction with the apology submitted by president of Indian Medical Association Dr RV Asokan over his remarks in a media interview over certain observations made by the court.

A bench of justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah also dispensed with the personal appearance of Ramdev and Balkrishna. Ramdev and Balkrishna were present before the apex court pursuant to its earlier direction. The bench also granted Patanjali three weeks to file affidavits indicating the steps taken to recall misleading ads for Patanjali products, for which licences have been suspended.

"Public is cognisant, if they have choices they make well informed choices... Baba Ramdev has a lot of influence, use it in the right was," the bench said after reserving orders in the contempt case.

"What has been done for yoga is good, but Patanjali products is another matter," Justice Kohil replied when solicitor general Tushar Mehta said Ramdev has done a lot of good for yoga.

Supreme Court on IMA chief

The Supreme Court was hearing a case filed by the IMA against an alleged smear campaign carried out by Patanjali Ayurved Ltd. and its founders against the Covid-19 vaccination drive and modern medicine.

Pulling up IMA president Dr RV Asokan for giving an interview to the press on the Supreme Court's orders in the case, the top court said that it was not convinced with the affidavit he filed tendering unconditional apology.

You do exactly the same thing Patanjali did. You are not a layman, don't you know the consequences of such things? You can't sit on your couch lamenting the court's order, the bench told Asokan, who was present in the court.

"We are the first ones to uphold the freedom of free speech. But there are times when there should be self-restraint. As IMA President, you should have had self-restraint. That's the point. We didn't see that in your interviews," said the bench.

It added, "Dr. Asokan, you are also a citizen of this country. The amount of criticism judges face, why don't they react? Because personally, we don't have much of an ego, we are magnanimous. We are entitled to take action, but very rarely we do. We do that seldom... We use our discretion with some sense of responsibility. But that does not mean you go to town with these kinds of comments."

In an interview, Asokan said it was unfortunate that the Supreme Court criticised the practice of IMA and private doctors.

Patanjali had filed an application against the IMA president asking the bench to take judicial notice of wanton and unwarranted comments made by Asokan.

While hearing the matter on May 7, the top court had termed as "very, very unacceptable" the statements made by Asokan.

(With inputs from PTI, ANI)
Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already got a full majority in Lok Sabha after four phases of elections. Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a public meeting for Lok Sabha elections, in North 24 Parganas, Tuesday, May 14, 2024.(PTI)

Addressing a rally in West Bengal's Bangaon, Amit Shah said, Voting for four phases of Lok Sabha elections has been completed, voting has been done on 380 seats. In Bengal, voting on 18 seats is over. I must tell you that out of 380 seats, PM Modi has already got a full majority with 270 seats.

Read: Amit Shah claims Congress will lift PFI ban if voted to power: Have two options

Shah was speaking in the Matua community stronghold where he assured citizenship to their members under the CAA and accused West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee of spreading canards about it.

Mamata Banerjee can never stop the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act in Bengal as it is a law by the central government.

No power in the world can stop my refugee brothers from becoming citizens of India. This is the promise of Modi Ji. Mamata Banerjee must remember that citizenship falls under the exclusive authority of the central government, not the state governments, Amit Shah said.

Mamata Banerjee is lying that anyone who applies for citizenship under the CAA will face problems. I have come to assure the people of the Matua community that no one will face any trouble. You will get citizenship and will be able to live with respect in the country, he added.

Read: Delhi court grants bail to accused in Amit Shah doctored video case

A total of 96 seats went to polls in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha election, marking the completion of polling in 379 seats across 23 states and Union territories.

West Bengal sends 42 members to the lower house and 18 constituencies have voted in the four phases of the Lok Sabha elections.

The counting of votes is scheduled for June 4.
Vistara Airlines has advised its customers to prepare accordingly, as heavy traffic congestion and slow vehicle movement are expected en route to Varanasi airport on Tuesday. Narendra Modi, India's prime minister, during a campaign rally in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, on Monday, May 13, 2024. India began its seven-stage election on April 19, with voting scheduled to end on June 1. Photographer: Prakash Singh/Bloomberg(Bloomberg)

In a post, Vistara said, "Heavy traffic congestion and slow vehicle movement are expected en route to Varanasi Airport on May 14th. Customers are advised to allow more time for their journey to the airport."

Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to file his nomination for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat on Tuesday.

Ahead of filing the nomination, PM Modi held an extravagant roadshow on a five-kilometre-stretch on Monday.

PM Modi was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and BJP state president Chaudhary Bhupendra Singh. The whole stretch was reverberating with 'Har Har Mahadev' and 'Jai Shree Ram' chants as a huge crowd of supporters and residents gathered on either side of the road to cheer the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi started his roadshow by garlanding the statue of Mahamana Madan Mohan Malviya at the Singh Dwar of Kashi Hindu University at around 5 pm. After more than two and a half hours, the roadshow concluded at the Kashi Vishwanath Dham.

After the roadshow, the Prime Minister offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath Dham along with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other BJP leaders.

Varanasi is the stronghold of the Bharatiya Janata Party and PM Modi. He won the seat twice- the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The Congress has pitted Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai against PM Modi in Varanasi. This is the third time Ajay Rai will face PM Modi in the Lok Sabha contest.

Voting in Varanasi will be held on June 1 in the seventh and last phase of the Lok Sabha polls.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, PM Modi won the seat with over 6,74,664 votes and commanded a vote share of 63.6 per cent.
Chennai, The Madras High Court has directed the Commissioner of Revenue Administration to issue circular/instructions to all the competent Revenue Authorities across Tamil Nadu to register criminal complaint, if anyone has submitted application seeking legal heirship certificate by suppressing material facts or by furnishing false information. Register criminal complaint for false info for legal heirship certificate: HC

Justice S M Subramaniam gave the directive in a recent order, while disposing of a petition filed by M Marannan, which sought to quash the order passed by the Tahsildar, Mettupalayam, Coimbatore, rejecting his application for Legal Heir Certificate.

The judge said the details regarding the false information and suppression of facts have to be collected by the competent authorities and criminal complaints have to be registered.

The circular should be issued within five weeks.

The judge said in the event of failure on the part of the competent Revenue Authorities to prosecute the offenders under Criminal Law, the Commissioner of Revenue Administration/Competent Authority shall initiate appropriate disciplinary proceedings against such officials for dereliction of duty, lapses and negligence on their part. If any practices of abetment to commit offences were identified then the Government officials were also liable to be prosecuted under Criminal Law, the judge added.

Claiming that he was the only legal heir of one late Maranna Gowder, the petitioner submitted an application for issuance of a Legal Heirship Certificate. The revenue authorities conducted an inquiry and found that the deceased Maranna Gowder has four legal heirs i.e., his two sons and two daughters. Therefore, the revenue authorities rejected his application for suppression of fact regarding all the legal heirs of deceased Marana Gowder when four legal heirs were alive. Hence, the petitioner has filed the present petition.

The judge said recently, courts were coming across many such cases where false details were provided and suppression of facts were noticed, for the purpose of securing Legal Heirship Certificate. Through such Legal Heirship Certificates, valuable properties were transferred and revenue records were mutated.

Considering the facts that large scale illegalities and irregularities were noticed in the public domain and the Revenue authorities were struggling to identify the true facts relating to the legal heirs since they were residing in far off places, the person who all were suppressing the facts relating to the legal heirs of any deceased person were liable to be prosecuted under criminal law, the judge added.

Furnishing false information and suppression of facts for the purpose of securing Legal Heirship Certificate was an offence contemplated under the Indian Penal Code.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
In a scathing indictment, the Supreme Court on Monday chastised the state of Tamil Nadu for its prolonged delay in compensating landowners whose lands were acquired by the state for public purposes. (ANI)

You are violating the rights of people. You do not compensate poor landowners and when they are forced to come to this court, you say we can pay them now. This is what your officers are doing. Do they have any shame left? This is sheer high-handedness, a bench of justices Surya Kant and KV Viswanathan told senior counsel Amit Anand Tiwari. Tiwari was representing the state as its senior additional advocate general (AAG).

The apex courts criticism came during a hearing on a petition filed by aggrieved landowners seeking justice for the protracted delay in receiving compensation for their acquired lands in Markethiyanur Villag of Vellore district.

Tiwari, on his part, informed the bench that the land was used by the state to build a road from Matrapalli to Javadu Hills under the Tamil Nadu Tribes Development Scheme in 1979. He added that the state authorities had a private negotiation with the aggrieved landowners in 2002 under which landowners were to be paid 4.30 lakh. According to the AAG, the state was ready to compensate the landowners of their shares.

Irate, the bench retorted: Is your state obligating the landowners or this court by paying the compensation after 40 years? You are insulting poor landowners with your attitude. We will not allow this. And your officers are now telling us that we will compensate the landowners the same amount that was due to them 40 years ago.

The bench expressed strong disapproval of Tamil Nadus sluggishness in disbursing compensation to farmers and small landowners, lamenting the court had to deal with several such instances from the southern state. The court emphasised that the state cannot overlook the plight of poor farmers and small landowners, citing the fundamental principle of justice and fairness.

It also berated the state for having a junior officer file an affidavit in the top court. You make a tehsildar file an affidavit before the top court. Whats this? Your bureaucrats have become so arrogant that they will make any officer file affidavits, the bench told Tiwari.

Furthermore, the bench indicated its inclination to impose exemplary cost on the state for its lapses and delays in compensating the affected landowners, besides summoning the chief secretary of the state.

Tiwari, however, assured the bench that the state will make full compliance with the directives and that the top bureaucrat need not be called upon. Accepting the AAGs request, the court did not summon the chief secretary while it directed the state to disburse the compensation to the aggrieved landowners along with an interest of 12% per annum since 1982. The road project was completed in 1982. The bench gave the state eight weeks to disburse the amount, directing an officer of the rank of additional chief secretary to file a compliance affidavit.

In its order, the bench also recorded that this is not the first case in which the state of amil Nadu has brazenly violated the law and taken away the land of poor farmers without paying compensation.
Azucena Duran, center, and Dayan Nixon talk about changing the address on their childrens school records in the waiting room of Room 100 on May 3. Manuel Orbegozo/Special to the Chronicle

At a table next to the staff kitchen, Angelina Romano and Angela Moreno have a close-up view of the national surge in immigration.

This is Room 100 of the San Francisco Unified School Districts headquarters. For many years, immigrant parents generally flocked to its windowless waiting area for three things: enrollment assistance, a new backpack and bus passes to wherever they were staying.

Now, at Room 100s newcomer welcome station, Romano and Moreno connect families from all over the world with a range of services not available a block away at City Hall. They help with housing and transportation. They answer legal questions. They arrange health care and needed immunizations.

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Its just been a lot, said Romano, 45. Were doing what we can, but the needs are so great.

Over the past three years, SFUSD has set records for new immigrant enrollment amid a border crisis driven by a variety of complex factors. Waves of people seeking asylum  many after fleeing crises in their native countries, and increasingly with their families  have been met by a U.S. immigration system unsuited for the challenge.

Some newcomers arrive at Room 100 with no housing, no support, no English language skills and no job prospects. After risking their lives in a bid to realize their American dreams, they also often deal with mental trauma or serious illness.

Room 100 employees figure that sticking to their job description  enrollment  wouldnt feel right. Though SFUSD doesnt track how many of its students entered the U.S. illegally, district data shows that the average number of new immigrants has spiked: from around 1,000 per year between 2013 and 2021, to around 1,500 per year over the past three years.

School social worker Angelina Romano, the coordinator of SFUSDs refugee and immigrant program, began working out of Room 100 part-time in 2019. Manuel Orbegozo/Special to the Chronicle

The city is also struggling to assess the influx of migrant families because San Franciscos sanctuary-city law forbids city agencies from asking families about their immigration status. Still, San Francisco officials say that the waitlist of asylum cases for pro bono immigration lawyers hit a record 905 people in February.

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As Romano pointed out, calling it a waitlist is somewhat misleading. A waitlist assumes youre guaranteed an attorney, she said. Theres no guarantee here.

The evolving demographics of San Franciscos immigrant population have only compounded the issues.

Eric Cuentos  Room 100s community engagement manager  said that for years many of the citys undocumented immigrants were Mexicans, Guatemalans or Hondurans following family and friends to the Bay Area. Now, in any given month, Room 100 might have visitors from as many as 30 nations spanning the globe, officials said. Many newcomers hail from countries like Peru, Venezuela and Colombia that have fewer Bay Area connections, leaving enrollment-center staffers to scramble to provide them enough support.

Theres a much higher percentage these days of folks coming with nothing: no friends, no family, no place to crash on the couch while they figure things out, said Cuentos, who builds relationships with organizations that Romano and Moreno  the offices two social workers  might want to refer to newcomers. Its a stark difference from the past.

Community Engagement Manager Eric Cuentos helps facilitate partnerships between nonprofits and local organizations and Room 100. Manuel Orbegozo/Special to the Chronicle

Romano, the coordinator of SFUSDs refugee and immigrant program, began working out of Room 100 part time in 2019. After hearing horror stories about immigrants getting deported  or worse  because no one had helped them navigate San Francisco bureaucracy, she arranged last summer for the enrollment center to hire Moreno.

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In October, Romano and Moreno established the newcomer welcome station in Room 100 to help meet immigrants increased demands. Its still not enough. Just in the past five months, at least 53 families who visited Room 100 listed 555 Franklin St.  SFUSDs headquarters  as their home address because they had nowhere else to put down.

Staffers believe the actual number of homeless immigrant newcomers is much higher. Like many other people, migrant families arent always comfortable sharing personal details with strangers.

Claudia, a Peruvian immigrant who stopped by Room 100 in late April, was one of the more fortunate ones. A family friend, Liliam Angeldones, plans to host Claudia and Claudias 12-year-old son, Renzo, at her San Francisco home for as long as necessary even though they hadnt seen each other for decades.

Just a couple of days before their Room 100 visit, Claudia and Renzo had completed the 4,500-mile trek from Lima to San Francisco, where theyre seeking asylum. A woman had wanted them dead after Claudia learned of her husbands affair with the other woman.

It wasnt safe for us in Peru anymore, Claudia, whose last name was withheld for her own protection, said through an interpreter.

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Sitting at the newcomer welcome station, Claudia told Romano about the two schools Renzo was deciding between, her desire to find any work thatll allow her to spend time with him, and the tracking app Immigration and Customs Enforcement installed on her cell phone. All information Romano and Moreno collect is shared with the social worker at the students next school.

By getting a full picture of a newcomers situation up front, Romano and Moreno hope to ease the familys acclimation. Immunizations are particularly important. If immigrant students dont get all their required shots within three days of enrolling, they could lose their spot in school.

Sometimes, students lose their spot for other reasons. Lina Rivera, a young Venezuelan mother, came to Room 100 in early May feeling desperate.

Enrollment Counseling Manager Danielle C. Uttley, center, explains the enrollment process to John Taquire for his son Ghiorghio, 14, in Room 100. Manuel Orbegozo/Special to the Chronicle

After five months in San Francisco, she had taken her friends advice and moved to Dallas in March with her 9-year-old daughter, Aranza Ayona, only to quickly regret her decision. On top of not finding work there, she felt that immigration-services workers were unhelpful.

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Now back in San Francisco, Rivera wanted to reenroll Aranza in the bilingual program at Hillcrest Elementary School, where Aranza already had friends and knew the teachers. There was just one problem: Classes were full.

Danielle Uttley, Room 100s enrollment-counseling manager, urged the principal to make an exception. Reached by phone shortly after Hillcrest reenrolled Aranza, Rivera sounded emotional.

Im just so grateful, Rivera said through an interpreter. I feel much more positive about the future now.

Not every visit to the enrollment center is so uplifting. In fall 2022, a Venezuelan father visited Room 100 with his son and daughter.

Severely sick and in tattered clothes, the man told a staffer that his family had just crossed the southern border a day earlier. He kept saying that he wanted to get his kids in school so they could have a brighter future.

Hed lost his wife on the journey here, Uttley said, fighting back tears. That was heavy.

Uttleys staffers have each heard their own heartbreaking stories from migrant families.

While trying to gauge a students fluency in English, placement counselor Evelyn Orozco often feels like a therapist as the childs parents discuss escaping violence, political instability or economic collapse back home. As tears stream down the parents faces, Orozco can tell they just need someone  anyone  to listen.

Im not ever trying to probe, but they just want to share, Orozco said. A lot of them really miss having that sense of community.

On a couple occasions, Uttley has shared mental-health strategies with her staffers to help them cope. Romano  a school district social worker for almost two decades  has faced burnout herself. In spring 2012, she moved to the scenic port city of Santa Marta, Colombia, to unwind, only to immediately find herself working for a school that helped people displaced by the Colombian conflict.

Theres just something about the vulnerability of young people, Romano said. Its nothing that they chose. The needs are more there because theyre so vulnerable to adult things that happen around them.

School social worker Angelina Romano gives a backpack to Ghiorghio Taquire, 14, a recent immigrant from Peru, in Room 100. Manuel Orbegozo/Special to the Chronicle

After nine months in Santa Marta, Romano returned to San Francisco, where she took a new role with SFUSD in 2014. The district had established a program to accommodate the citys surge in asylum-seekers, and Romano would oversee it.

That surge now looks modest compared to what Room 100 sees day-to-day. Each of the past three years, SFUSD has broken district records for the percentage of overall enrollment new immigrants comprise.

This past December and January, almost 400 immigrant families filtered through Room 100s waiting room, which is papered with a map of San Franciscos public schools and signs in different languages. Sometimes, visitors must sit for 45 minutes before they meet with a staffer.

To satisfy Room 100s booming numbers, Romano has orchestrated a partnership with a local nonprofit called Good Samaritan Family Resource Center, which just started sending two employees to help Romano and Moreno at the welcome station three days a week. Stakes are high. With several major Latin American elections expected to bring even more asylum-seekers to San Francisco in the coming months, Room 100 staffers must prepare for chaos.

One afternoon last month, while giving five Good Samaritan employees a tour of the facility, Romano stopped at a white file cabinet across from the welcome station.

We give every kid who comes through here one of these, she said while pulling out a new backpack. Its not enough, but we do what we can.
What signal are we sending to the world if 3,800 TPD (tonnes per day) of solid waste remains untreated in the Capital, the Supreme Court asked on Monday, noticing the gap in the treatment of solid waste in Delhi and neighbouring cities of Gurugram, Faridabad and Greater Noida.

A fire at the Ghazipur landfill site in late April. (PTI)
Dharamshala/Shimla, BJP leader Anurag Thakur on Tuesday, in an apparent response to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu, who said he will complete his term and go for another, said "sometimes, a film fails so bad that the viewers leave it before interval." Sometimes a film is so bad people leave midway: Anurag Thakur's sally against HP CM Sukhu

The Union Information and Broadcasting Minister made the remark while speaking to reporters after the filing of nomination of BJP candidate Sudhir Sharma from the Dharamshala assembly seat.

Thakur said it would be a difficult enough task for Sukhu to complete his current term, let alone getting elected to another.

Polling for the four Lok Sabha seats and bypolls for six assembly seats will be held on June 1 in Himachal Pradesh.

"I still remember when Sharma contested his first election, BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal wanted him to be in the BJP and today we are strengthened as he has joined the party. The BJP workers will ensure his victory," Thakur told reporters.

Sudhir Sharma is one of the six Congress rebels who had voted in favour of the BJP in the Rajya Sabha polls held on February 27. These six MLA were disqualified for defying a whip to be present in assembly and vote for the government.

Later, all six joined the BJP and were given tickets from their respective assembly seats.

Sukhu, after the filing of nomination by Congress candidate Devinder Jaggi from Dharamshala assembly seat, told media, "We have fielded an honest candidate against the leader of the Congress MLAs who sold themselves in the political market. The people of Dharamshala would give a befitting reply to him on June 1."

On Tuesday, actor Kangana Ranaut also filed her nomination from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat as a BJP candidate.

She was accompanied by leader of the opposition Jai Ram Thakur and state BJP chief Rajiv Bindal.

The BJP cadres carried placards of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and shouted "Mandi ka sansad kaisa ho, Kangana Ranaut jaisa ho" as she headed for the election office.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Rahul Gandhi doesnt miss any opportunity to hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the latters comment that the Congress got black money stashed in tempo. As he landed in Lucknow on Monday, Gandhi took a dig at the Adani group (which operates the Lucknow airport) and reiterated his demand for a probe against Adani and Ambani. Sonia Gandhi during a virtual address in New Delhi on Monday. (Photo from X)

I was wondering how many tempos were required to do this thing at this tempo, Gandhi quipped as he said that seven airports have been given to the Adani group for 50 years.

Rahuls rally, townhall meetings in Delhi

Gandhi will hold a rally and a townhall in the Capital in the run-up to the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, during which Delhi will cast its vote on May 25 across all seven parliamentary constituencies, Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav said on Monday.

Congress has completed preparations to win the Lok Sabha elections across seven seats of Delhi. The backbone of a political organisation is its booth; the stronger the booth, the stronger the election can be fought. Booth management teams of Delhi Congress are training workers to directly contact 14.7 million voters across all 13,630 booths in Delhi, Yadav said.

Addressing a press conference at the Delhi Congress office, Yadav said: Training teams have been formed for this purpose. A control room has also been set up and 15 teams have been designated for each of the three constituencies to monitor the work of delivering the guarantees of the Congress to every household in the Capital.

The Congress party has fielded three candidates from Delhi in this Lok Sabha polls as a part of its alliance with Aam Aadmi Party.

Swati Maliwal assaulted, Delhi Police gets two PCR calls

The Delhi Police on Monday received two calls from chief minister Arvind Kejriwals residence, claiming AAPs Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal was assaulted there, people aware of the matter said.

The people said Maliwal, who was out of the country for weeks and was largely absent during the chief ministers internment in the excise police case, was at the residence to meet Kejriwal but his personal assistant Bibhav Kumar prevented her from doing so. HT reached out to Maliwal, a former chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women, for comments but she repeatedly disconnected the calls made.

An officer with the operations cell of the Delhi Police said that two calls were received regarding the alleged incident. In the first call to 100 [emergency response number] made at around 9.10am, the caller did not mention her name. But in the second call at around 9.34am...the caller told the police that her name is Swati Maliwal and Delhi chief ministers aide Bibhav Kumar is manhandling her, said the officer, asking not to be named.

BJP to Kejriwal: How would you protect Delhis women?

BJP leader Bansuri Swaraj hit out at Kejriwal following Maliwals allegations. Condemning the alleged incident, Swaraj called it shameful and asked Kejriwal how he would protect Delhis women if his own party MP wasnt safe in his presence.

If it is true that after getting instigated by Arvind Kejriwal, his OSD has beaten up and misbehaved with one of their party MP Swati Maliwal, in the presence of the Delhi CM, then the BJP strongly condemns this. It is shameful and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal needs to answer that if their party MP is not safe in his presence, then how will he protect the women of Delhi? Bansuri Swaraj said.

Sonia Gandhi campaigns for Mahalakshmi scheme

Amid the polling for the fourth phase, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi addressed women voters on Monday to highlight the partys key guarantee of providing 1 lakh annually to the women head of every poor family.

Under Congresss Mahalakshmi scheme, we will give 1 lakh every year to a woman from a poor family. Our guarantees have already changed the lives of crores of families in Karnataka and Telangana, Gandhi said in her second video message for this election.

Earlier this year, citing health and age-related factors, Gandhi had shifted to Rajya Sabha after serving the Lok Sabha for nearly 25 years. Senior Congress leaders indicated that while Gandhi, who is credited for bringing the Congress to power in 2004, is unlikely to take part in the physical campaign she will extensively participate in online campaign.

AAP mocks BJP over 400 paar claim

Punjab chief minister and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann on Sunday took a swipe at the Bharatiya Janata Partys target to win more than 400 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and said that there is no 400 paar this time.

Iss Baar No 400 Paar...Iss Baar Toh Beda Paar Bhi Nai Ho Raha..Iss Baar Tadipaar (This time its not just about crossing 400. This time, not even the shore or border is being crossed; this time BJP is going to be completely defeated, even sent into exile), Mann said.

Mann also spoke about Kejriwals interim bail and said, We thank the Supreme Court. The apex court said that you cant keep a national convenor of a national party in jail during elections. His (Arvind Kejriwal) release from jail is a big relief for the AAP.
In a shocking incident, a stray dog mauled a five-month-old baby to death at a village in Telangana's Vikarabad district on Tuesday, news agency PTI reported. The stray dog entered the house, attacked and fatally wounded the infant. (HT File)

Noida: Dog attacks, bites teenage girl in housing society lift | Video

According to the police officials, the incident took place when the boy was sleeping at his home, and his mother went out of the room in the morning as part of her household chores. The stray dog entered the house, attacked and fatally wounded the infant.

The attack caused severe injuries as the dog consumed certain body parts and left a deep bite on the boy's throat, the police said.

The child's parents work at a stone polishing unit.

Enraged by the incident, the anguished villagers later captured and killed the dog, which was often fed by the local residents.

Video: Mob attacks couple who fed dogs after stray bites 6-yr-old in Noida society

The incidents of dog attacks and fatalities are increasing day by day. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare report released in December 2023, the incidents of dog bites have surged by 26.5% year-on-year from 2022 to 2023.

Last week, a girl in Uttar Pradesh's Noida was attacked by a dog inside the lift of a housing society. The girl was bitten on the arm by the dog during the incident. The video showed the girl standing inside the lift. As the doors opened, the dog jumped inside the lift and attacked the girl.

At least two children were killed in stray dog attacks last month including a two-and-a-half-year-old girl, who was mauled to death by stray dogs while playing near an under-construction apartment building at Hyderabad. A four-year-old girl died after stray dogs attacked her in Uttar Pradesh's Deoria.

Mutilated body of dog found at Greater Noida West high-rise, FIR filed

Meanwhile, the central government in March asked the states to ban the sale and breeding of 23 ferocious dog breeds including Pitbull Terrier, American Bulldog, Rottweiler and Mastiffs. The Centre further said that those who already have these dog breeds must sterilise them at once.

(With inputs from PTI)
The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to civil rights activist Gautam Navlakha, who is facing charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in connection with the 2018 Bhima Koregaon violence case, subject to the payment of 20 lakh for his house arrest. Navlakha faces charges under the UAPA in connection with the 2018 Bhima Koregaon violence. (HT/File)

The decision was delivered by a bench comprising justices MM Sundresh and SVN Bhatti, which underlined the prolonged nature of the case and highlighted that it might take several more years for the trial to conclude considering the number of witnesses and other pertinent factors.

We are inclined to not extend the stay as the Bombay high court order is detailed in granting bail. The trial would take years and years and years to complete. Without going at length into contentions, we will not extend the stay, said the bench in its order on Tuesday.

The court was hearing the National Investigation Agencys (NIA) appeal against the high court order in December, granting bail to Navlakha. The high court noted that there was no material evidence to infer that he had committed a terrorist act under Section 15 of the UAPA. The high court order was stayed after the NIA sought time to challenge it in the Supreme Court. This stay was repeatedly extended.

Navlakha, a journalist and activist, was arrested on April 14, 2020, for his alleged involvement in the violence in the Bhima Koregaon, which concerns alleged provocative remarks made on December 31, 2017, at an Elgar Parishad conference in Pune. According to the Maharashtra police, these remarks caused unrest the next day outside the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial, which is on the outskirts of the city in western Maharashtra. In the incident, one person lost his life.

Navlakha, a human rights activist and former Secretary of the Peoples Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR), was initially arrested in August 2018. He was kept under house arrest but subsequently sent to judicial custody in Taloja Central Prison in April 2020 after a Supreme Court order. He was later placed under house arrest again in November 2022 after the Supreme Court approved his plea, citing his advanced age. He has remained under house arrest in Navi Mumbai since.

The court on Tuesday considered Navlakhas plea regarding the terms of his house arrest concurrently with the bail matter when it lifted the interim stay, noting that he has been incarcerated for more than four years and that the trial could take an extended period to complete. The court also considered that charges have not yet been framed against him.

During earlier proceedings, senior counsel Nitha Ramakrishnan, representing Navlakha, pointed out that there were 375 witnesses in the case, suggesting that the trial could extend for another decade. She also expressed concern that the high courts bail order had been stayed without hearing Navlakhas side.

Regarding the house arrest, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed Navlakha to pay 20 lakh as a pre-condition for bail, even as additional solicitor-general SV Raju, appearing for the NIA, claimed that the dues owed to it by Navlakha on account of expenses for the house arrest had risen to about 1.75 crore. The court listed the NIAs appeal against the bail for a later date, adding the issue of monetary dues for house arrest could also be taken up subsequently.

In an earlier hearing, the bench indicated that Navlakha must cover the surveillance expenses incurred by the NIA if he sought house arrest. Navlakhas legal team assured the court that paying these expenses was not an issue and that the concern was about calculating the correct amount.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its order in a contempt of court case linked to the misleading advertisements case against Patanjali Ayurved, Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna. A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, which had been making strongly worded observations against the firm and its promoters, exempted the duo from making personal appearances. Yoga guru and brand ambassador of Patanjali Ayurved, Baba Ramdev. (ANI file photo)

However, the bench appeared to make another critical remark against the Haridwar-based FMCG firm. Reserving its order in the Patanjali case, the bench advised Baba Ramdev, a world-renowned Yoga teacher, to use his influence in the right way.

The public is cognizant, if they have choices they make well informed choices... Baba Ramdev has a lot of influence, use it in the right way, the court said, per ANI.

When Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that Baba Ramdev has done good work for Yoga, the Supreme Court made an adverse remark.

"What has been done for yoga is good, but Patanjali products are another matter," Justice Kohil replied, per ANI.

Last year, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) moved the Supreme Court alleging that Baba Ramdev's Patanjali had launched a smear campaign against modern medicine. It said the firm had been claiming that Patanjali's products could cure diseases.

After critical remarks by the court, the company had given it an undertaking last year, saying it would steer clear of making such claims.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court found the firm in violation of its undertaking. It later issued contempt notices to the firm, Ramdev and Balkrishna. After the trio failed to respond to the notices, the court ordered the duo to remain physically present.

After the Supreme Court took a tough stance, Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna recently published full-page apologies in newspapers twice. Earlier this month, the court expressed satisfaction at the apologies.

The bench today granted Patanjali three weeks to file affidavits indicating the steps taken to recall misleading ads for Patanjali products, for which licences have been suspended.

Patanjali's counsel told the bench that the company has asked all platforms to stop running the advertisements for banned products. They also said that the firm has stopped the sale of banned products.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday recalled the active role of Bihars former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi in the implementation of Indias biggest indirect tax reform  the Goods and Services Tax (GST)  on July 1, 2017. Former BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi passed away on Monday after a long battle with cancer. (PTI File Photo)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Bihar and a Member Parliament (Rajya Sabha) was deeply involved in the GST implementation and subsequent fine-tuning of the indirect tax. Heading the empowered committee of state finance ministers, the all-powerful federal body that existed before the GST Council, his role was crucial in building consensus among states so that a unified taxation system could be established.

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman recalled his active role in not just establishing a uniform indirect tax regime across the country, but also resolving contentious issues by listening to divergent views in the Council and bringing consensus among member states.

Former Dy. CM of Bihar and Member of Parliament (RS) @SushilModi ji is no more. As Finance Minister of Bihar, his participation in the @GST_Council was well informed and thoughtful. He took a keen interest in debates, particularly on fiscal matters. Condolences to his family on this hour of grief, Sitharaman said in a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

Sushil Kumar Modi had immense confidence in the GST reforms, and he believed that parties opposing GST in public forums were also supporting the system in the GST Council. In an interview with Mint (a sister publication of HT) on January 21, 2019, he had said, I do not think politics will influence decision-making [on GST matters]. Even Congress party ministers are very reasonable. They may say something outside the meeting, and sometimes in the meeting too, but decision-making is by consensus.

The GST was rolled out by the Narendra Modi government and the then finance minister Arun Jaitley was leading the reform. Sushil Modi was his trouble-shooter for building consensus among states on divergent matters and smooth implementation of the new tax regime. That was why, when Jaitley constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) to monitor and resolve the IT challenges faced in the implementation of GST, Sushil Modi was appointed as its convener. As a result, a strong IT backbone of GST could be established with an exemplary compliance system.

Sushil Kumar Modi had been always optimistic about the success of the GST Regime and said the reform was irreversible. Speaking to Mint on May 30, 2023, he had said, The six years of GST has been a successful journey. Some leaders of Congress said that GST was Gabbar Singh Tax. Some even said when they come to power, they will scrap GST. I do not think anybody can dare to scrap GST. The design and architecture are very different from other countries. We do not require drastic changes in architecture. Here and there, minor tweaks are required, primarily regarding tax slabs. From four slabs, we may bring it down to two or three slabs.

In that interview, he summed up his experience of rolling out the GST regime. The preliminary decision regarding GST started taking place in 2005 or 2006, but the implementation took a long time. It was the most difficult proposition, and I must thank Arun Jaitley. If Arun Jaitley was not there, it would have been impossible to bring all states under one platform, he said.

All the rules are similar, and even when the constitution amendment was introduced in the Parliament, there was no note of dissent. Each state and every political party supported the bill. It was only the convincing power of Arun Jaitley, and he was very flexible, he added.

Apart from GST, Sushil Kumar Modi used his energy and expertise to resolve several diverse issues. He was a member of the Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Cooperation and was also associated with the National Khadi and Village Industries Board and the National Tiger Conservation Authority.

In Parliament, he was associated with the Committee on Finance, the Committee on Rules, the Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, and the Committee on Urban Development. He was also the chairman of the Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice.

Expressing condolences on his demise, senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Mahesh Jethmalani said, He was a prolific speaker in the House on wide ranging subjects and an inspiring Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Law and Justice of which I was a member.
Voting for all 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana concluded in a single phase on Monday with a provisional turnout of 64.20%, amid largely peaceful voting and poll boycott in a few villages, the Election Commission of India (ECI) authorities said. Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy along with his wife Geetha and daughter Nymisha Reddy shows their ink-marked fingers after casting their vote during the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha polls, at a polling station in Kodangal in Vikarabad on Monday. (ANI)

In Maoist-affected areas of Jayashankar Bhupalpally and Mulugu assembly segments in Warangal parliamentary constituency and Mahabubabad assembly segment in Mahabubabad parliamentary constituency, the polling concluded at 4 pm due to security reasons.

However, those who were already in the queue lines in these districts, too, were allowed to vote beyond stipulated hours, an official said.

The voting percentage in Telangana this time has already surpassed the figures of 2019 general elections when it was 62.77. We have got very good response right from morning. Weather was also supportive. So we had good turnout. There was no problem on law order side also, chief electoral officer Vikas Raj said.

Of the 17 parliamentary constituencies, Zahirabad recorded the highest 75.19% polling while Hyderabad logged the lowest turnout at 45.07%, according to ECI figures uploaded on its voter turnout app.

Meanwhile, voters in a few villages boycotted the polling completely in protest against certain governments decisions. In Balmoor village of Nagarkurnool district, the villagers boycotted the polling demanding cancellation of permission given to limestone mining.

In Rayamadaram village of Enkur block in Khammam, the voters did not turn up to the polling station in protest against the governments apathy in building a bridge of Nagarjuna Sagar project canal. Similar boycott of polling was reported from Kanumukkala village of Pochampally block in Yadadri Bhongir district and Allampalli village of Kadem block in Nirmal district demanding solution to local problems.

The CEO said no untoward incident was reported from any part of Telangana and there were no law-and-order issues anywhere. In Hyderabad, the BJP alleged that the workers of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) whose president Asaduddin Owaisi, tried to rig the polling at Jamal Colony and Riyasat Nagar.

The Lok Sabha elections in Telangana is witnessing a triangular contest among the ruling Congress, opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), and BJP, with a total of 525 candidates in the fray.

Meanwhile, polling was also held for the by-elections to the Secunderabad Cantonment assembly seat, which has fallen vacant due to the sudden death of sitting BRS MLA G Lasya Nandita on February 23.
India on Monday issued a strong condemnation of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as Israel continues to fight the militant group Hamas. India said the rise of civilian deaths amid the ongoing crisis is simply unacceptable. United Nations: Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations Ruchira Kamboj (PTI Photo)(PTI)

India's permanent representative to the United Nations, Ruchira Kamboj, condemned the civilian deaths on both sides in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, saying that there is a potential for growing instability in Gaza in the near future.

Speaking at the 10th UNGA Emergency Special Session on Palestine, Kamboj said, The conflict in Gaza has been going on for over seven months, and the humanitarian crisis it has triggered has been increasing. There is also the potential for growing instability in the region and beyond. In this context, we view the UNSC's adoption of resolution 2728 as a positive step.

"India's position on the conflict has been clearly articulated on more than one occasion by our leadership: One, the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has led to a large-scale loss of civilian lives, especially women and children. The resulting humanitarian crisis is simply unacceptable. We have strongly condemned the deaths of civilians in the conflict. International law and international humanitarian law must be respected by everyone under all circumstances," she added.

While speaking on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Kamboj asserted that Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7 last year deserved equivocal condemnation of the forum, saying that their is no justification for terrorism and hostage-taking.

The terror attacks in Israel on 7 October were shocking, and they deserve our unequivocal condemnation. There can be no justification for terrorism and hostage-taking. India has a longstanding and uncompromising position against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and we demand the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, she said.

Reiterating India's stand on the two-state solution of the matter, Kamboj said, My leadership has repeatedly emphasized that only a Two-State solution, achieved through direct and meaningful negotiations between both sides on final status issues, will deliver an enduring peace.

(With inputs from ANI)
New Delhi, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that the vice president should take suo motu cognisance of the incident with A Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's official residence. Vice president should take suo motu cognisance of incident with AAP MP Maliwal: Assam CM Sarma

"There was an earlier allegation that a Delhi chief secretary was beaten by Kejriwal. Yesterday, he also thrashed a Rajya Sabha MP. I think the vice president, who is also the chairman of the Rajya Sabha, should take suo motu cognisance of how a chief minister can beat a Rajya Sabha MP," Sarma told reporters.

Maliwal on Monday went to the Civil Lines Police Station and alleged that a member of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's personal staff "assaulted' her at the chief minister's official residence, police officials said.

The Assam chief minister also addressed a public meeting in support of BJP candidate Harsh Malhotra in Laxmi Nagar.

Sarma said, "The BJP government had promised the Ram temple and the government kept the promise. The BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has fulfilled all the promises."

He said that a magnificent temple will also be built in Mathura, and a grand temple of Baba Vishwanath will be built after winning 400 seats.

Attacking the Aam Aadmi Party , Sarma said, "The Lal Qila and the Qutub Minar are the main attractions of the capital, but the CM of Delhi invites people to show Mohalla Clinics, which are in bad conditions."

He further said that medical colleges are being built in every district of Assam, and if the BJP is voted to power again, the government will build super-specialty hospitals and medical colleges in the national capital.

Local MLA Abhay Verma, deputy president of Delhi BJP Lata Gupta and many other BJP leaders and workers were present during the meeting.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Alicia Cruz holds a Palestine flag during a rally Tuesday at a USF encampment in support of Palestinians. Benjamin Fanjoy/Special to the Chronicle A group gathers for a rally Tuesday at an encampment at the University of San Francisco in support of Palestinians. The encampment remained past a 3 p.m. deadline despite an offer of amnesty for protesters. Benjamin Fanjoy/Special to the Chronicle

University of San Francisco officials said Tuesday that students protesting the war in Gaza on the colleges main lawn must disperse by 3 p.m. or face potential discipline.

But as the deadline came and went, the students showed no intention of departing their cluster of about 50 tents erected on Welch Field. The campers were joined by dozens of additional students, faculty members and community organizers for a rally to reiterate their dedication to the encampment.

From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free! protesters shouted from their outpost on the universitys main lawn, where a large crowd held signs, donned kaffiyehs and clanged pots in support of the encampment. They also called for university spokespersons to condemn the war as a genocide.

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In an open letter to the universitys students, faculty and staff, USF President Paul Fitzgerald announced Tuesday that protesters involved in the Peoples University of Palestine who have been occupying the campus Welch Field since April 29 who voluntarily leave will not face school code-of-conduct violations. Protesters found to have committed vandalism and harassment would not be granted amnesty, Fitzgerald said.

USF student Lou Corrigan holds a megaphone during a rally at a campus encampment in response to a message that an order to disperse would be delivered Tuesday. Benjamin Fanjoy/Special to the Chronicle

A university spokesperson said there were no plans to clear the encampment or to call police so long as it remained peaceful and nonviolent.

Susu Steyteyieh, a student organizer for the encampment who is Palestinian, told the Chronicle that none of the student campers were planning to leave Welch Field until the university agreed to their demands. The demands include calling the war in Gaza a genocide, protecting pro-Palestinian speech and expression, divesting and disclosing their dealings in Israel, and ending a program called Beyond Bridges: Israel-Palestine that takes university students to the Middle East.

The students also want a student organizer from the encampment to have a seat on the universitys Board of Trustees. Until that happens, Steyteyieh said the students plan to remain camped on the field.

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Protest speakers at the rally included representatives from Jewish Voice for Peace, interfaith community organizers and students. Most of the students in attendance at the protests were wearing masks.

A group gathers for a rally at an encampment at USF in response to a message that an order to disperse would be delivered Tuesday. Benjamin Fanjoy/Special to the Chronicle

Fitzgerald said university administrators were committed to continuing  conversations and dialogues with the students.

At the same time, we are committed to ensuring the safety and orderly operation of our educational enterprise, including facilitating final exams and supporting commencement celebrations for all members of this university community.

USFs commencement ceremonies are slated to take place Thursday through Saturday.

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The campus Peoples University student encampment for Gaza accumulated more than 100 tents on Welch Field within a week of cropping up on campus last month, the student newspaper reported.

A similarly sized student encampment appeared earlier in April at San Francisco State University. Police officials also took down a pro-Palestinian encampment hours after it was erected at UCSF on Monday, the Chronicle reported.

A demonstrator wears a shirt reading Shame on USFbefore a rally at a pro-Palestinian encampment at USF. Benjamin Fanjoy/Special to the Chronicle

So far, university officials called for a cease-fire in Gaza, among other commitments, including continuing conversations with academic experts and others regarding the definition of genocide and U.S. support of Israels military operation.

USF officials also said they would ensure that the encampments organizers receive a seat on the universitys Socially Responsible Investment Task Force, which will form in the fall. Across the country, campus protesters have called on university officials to divest from companies that do business with the Israeli government, particularly firms that manufacture weapons or parts for weapons.
NEW DELHI: After India and Iran signed a long-term agreement for expanding Indian operations at Chabahar port, the US warned that all entities engaging in business deals with Iran face the potential risk of sanctions. Iranian ambassador Iraj Elahi said the importance of India would prevent any side from imposing sanctions on India over the Chabahar port deal (X/IranAmbIndia)

Responding to the position adopted by the US, Iranian ambassador Iraj Elahi said on Tuesday that the importance of India will prevent any country from imposing sanctions on India over its cooperation with Iran. Elahi told HT that any US sanctions would harm the trade interests of numerous countries that are looking at Chabahar as a transit hub.

The 10-year agreement signed by India and Iran on Monday will facilitate the long-term development of Shahid Beheshti terminal at Chabahar port, where operations are run by a subsidiary of state-run India Global Ports Limited (IGPL). The firm plans to invest $120 million on equipping the terminal and India has also offered a credit window of $250 million to improve infrastructure around Chabahar.

The US had granted a carve-out for Chabahar from its sanctions regime for Iran when New Delhi, Tehran and Kabul signed a tripartite agreement for developing the port in 2016. At that time, the US decision was influenced by the ports potential to facilitate trade and development in Afghanistan and lobbying by the Indian side.

Asked at a regular media briefing at the US state department about the India-Iran agreement on Chabahar, deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said American sanctions on Iran remain in place and well continue to enforce them.

Patel added that the US has maintained that any entity, anyone considering business deals with Iran...need to be aware of the potential risk that they are opening themselves up to and the potential risk of sanctions.

He responded to a specific question on whether there was an exemption for the new India-Iran agreement by saying: No.

Iranian ambassador Elahi responded to Patels remarks: I think the importance of India prevents any side from imposing sanctions on India regarding the cooperation between India and Iran on Chabahar.

Elahi added, Besides this, the Chabahar project is not just for the benefit of Iran or India. Chabahar will facilitate the transit of goods from Southeast Asia to Europe, Russia and Central Asia. If the US imposes any sanctions on this project, it means that the US is going to harm the trade of many countries, not just India or Iran.

There was no immediate reaction from the Indian side to the remarks by the US state departments deputy spokesperson.

Even when the US withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or Iran nuclear deal in 2018 and announced fresh sanctions against Iran that resulted in India completely halting the purchase of Iranian crude, Washington retained the carve-out for Chabahar port.

The US had provided an exception from sanctions under the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act of 2012 for the development of Chabahar port, the construction of an associated railway, the shipment of non-sanctionable goods through the port to Afghanistan, and Afghanistans continued imports of Iranian petroleum products.

The US state department had said at the time that this strategy underscored support for Afghanistans economic development and the close partnership with India.

Both India and Iran see Chabahar, a deep-water port in Sistan-Baluchistan province, as a hub for the International NorthSouth Transport Corridor (INSTC), which will allow shipping companies to use an alternative route that bypasses the sensitive and busy Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz. The port is also key to Indias ambitious plans to forge greater connectivity and trade ties with Iran, Afghanistan and the landlocked Central Asian states.

Ports and shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who travelled to Tehran on Monday to witness the signing of the long-term agreement, said the project is about encouraging Indian entrepreneurs to venture into the region from a long-term perspective.

The ports integration with a special free zone augments its appeal, while Indias incentives, such as concessions on vessel-related charges and cargo charges, bolster trade flows through Chabahar, fostering economic growth and cooperation, he said.

The port also provides an opportunity for Indian business entities to expand their footprint in the Central Asian region, Sonowal said.
Three months after Sandeshkhali hit the headlines for violent protests led mostly by village women over allegations of sexual assault and land grabbing, the riverine island in West Bengals North 24 Parganas district is on the boil once again.

On May 12 fresh violence erupted in the village as women said to be led by Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) candidate of Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency attacked Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers with canes, kitchen utensils, sandals and brooms.

The effect spilled over to newer areas on Monday with women blocking the main road for several hours with burning tyres, demanding the release of a woman, whom the police had arrested in connection with Sundays riot. Personnel from the Rapid Action Force (RAF) had to be deployed on Monday evening to disperse the protestors.

It was on January 5 that Sandeshkhali made headlines for the first time when Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials, who went to search local TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahans home in connection with the multi-crore ration distribution scam, were attacked; Shahjahan went into hiding, and Sandeshkhali went on to simmer for weeks.

A month later in February villagers, mostly women, staged violent protests, demanding the arrest of Shahjahan and his aides over multiple allegations. Properties belonging to Shahjahan's aides  Shibaprasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar  were torched and ransacked.

Shahjahan was arrested on February 29 on the orders of the Calcutta high court in connection with the attack on ED. He was later handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). In April, the Calcutta high court ordered that the CBI should probe all allegations from rape to land grabbing.

The incident, in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, which commenced on April 19, gave the BJP an edge while the ruling TMC went into a defensive and damage control mode. Top leaders of the BJP including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah started targeting the Mamata Banerjee-led party at every rally.

The women's rage will not be confined to Sandeshkhali. The storm of Sandeshkhali will sweep through Bengal, Modi had said while addressing a BJP rally on March 6.

Sandeshkhali became a major poll plank for the BJP as the party tried to get a foothold in South Bengal. The BJP, which lost to the TMC in the Basirhat Lok Sabha seat in 2019 by more than 3.5 lakh votes, fielded a local villager and one of the protestors Rekha Patra as its candidate this time.

"While these areas have become TMC strongholds after the fall of the Left, the BJP is now trying to make in roads. This is just a part of the electoral battle. This is likely to continue till the results are out. Both parties are trying to give their own narratives and are ready to grab any opportunity that comes their way to turn the tables. While the TMC is saying it was all fabricated, the BJP is trying to project how the TMC-government ignored the villagers to appease a particular community," said Biswanath Chakraborty, political commentator.

Resumption of tension and hostilities

On May 4, however, the TMC released a purported sting video in which a local BJP leader Gangadhar Koyal could be seen allegedly saying that the entire unrest was orchestrated and masterminded by BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari and women were paid in cash to lodge false complaints of rape.

Just see how they prepared a blueprint to win elections. They insulted the women in Sandeshkhali. This was their blueprint. They dont know that the honour of our mothers is more valuable than money. They conspired without realising that everything gets exposed some day or the other, Banerjee said on May 6, indirectly referring to the video.

With Lok Sabha polls ongoing, the TMC is now on the offensive over the developments in Sandeshkhali. The party has uploaded more videos in which women could be purportedly seen saying they either signed blank documents or didnt read the document. Fresh videos of Koyal were also uploaded on social media in which the BJP leader could be seen purportedly saying that he would need 50 pistols, 600 cartridges, alcohol and money to keep Sandeshkhali on the boil.

Allegations and counter allegations

Koyal, however, refuted the charges and lodged a complaint with the CBI alleging the video was doctored. The TMC too lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) against Adhikari and other BJP functionaries and leaders whose names surfaced in the purported sting video.

Sandeshkhali unrest was not a political protest, but a spontaneous agitation by locals against atrocities of TMC leaders. Koyal is a BJP leader but he was not associated with the protest. BJP leaders were stopped from entering Sandeshkhali. The voice (in the video) is not of Koyal. We demand a CBI probe, said a BJP leader.

Over the next few days, the two political rivals released a series of videos with the TMC alleging the BJP orchestrated the unrest with fake complaints and the BJP uploading videos featuring women who alleged that they were threatened by the TMC to tell lies. The TMC alleged that the BJP was threatening the women who were willing to withdraw their false complaints.

With the embers of the earlier tension and violence yet to die out, the new allegations and countercharges have become the latest flashpoint between the two parties, triggering fresh violence in the area.

On May 12, local women led by BJP candidate Patra attacked TMC worker Dilip Mallick, alleging that he was behind the doctored videos. It came on the day when Modi, while addressing an election rally on Sunday, referred to Sandeshkhali.

The entire Nation is watching whats happening in Sandeshkhali. First the state police shielded the culprits. Now the TMC has started a new game. TMCs goons are terrorising and threatening women in Sandeshkhali just because the culprit's name is Shahjahan Sheikh. Guns and explosives are being recovered from his house but in a bid to appease the vote bank, TMC is making efforts to give him a clean chit, Modi said in Barrackpore in North 24 Parganas.

Police arrested four persons the same day, including a woman Gita Bor, in connection with the attack. They were sent to police custody for 10 days.

Police are arresting innocent villagers. Multiple cases are pending against Shahjahans brother Sirajuddin. Police are not arresting him. But those who told the truth police are arresting them, said a woman protestor who took part in Mondays road-blockade but asked not to be named given the tension in the locality.

Basirhat goes into polls in the last phase on June 1. While the TMC is trying to hold on to its bastion, which it has been winning since 2009, the BJP is trying to make inroads in new areas in south Bengal.

With former state minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, who played a major role in the organisational affairs of the North 24 Parganas district, now behind bars in connection with the ration distribution scam and Shahjahan also in custody, the fight for the soul of Sandeshkhali is turning out to be close and bitter one.
The Supreme Court on Monday decided to revisit its order of 2017 making pollution under control certificate (PUC) mandatory to renew third-party motor insurance policy. Will revisit order that made PUC mandatory for car insurance: SC

The development came after the court was informed that after its order there are nearly 55% vehicles that do not have insurance cover, which is posing great difficulty for victims seeking settlement of compensation claims in road accidents.

A right balance has to be struck that vehicles remain compliant with PUC norms and all vehicles must also have insurance cover, a bench of justices AS Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan said. The issue was brought to the court in an application filed by the General Insurance Council (GIC), the apex body of insurers that highlighted the problem in implementing the courts August 10, 2018 passed in the MC Mehta case relating to pollution in Delhi.

For want of PUC, 55% of vehicles are uninsured. Due to this situation, in the event of an accident, victims are made to suffer, solicitor general Tushar Mehta appearing for GIC said. He urged the court to impose the strictest condition possible to ensure both issues are balanced.

It is certain that PUC has to be there. But if so many vehicles remain without insurance, it is a problem, the bench said. The court sought the help of amicus curiae and senior advocate Aparajita Singh to suggest how the 2017 order could be modified. The matter is posted for hearing on July 15.

Singh informed the court that the commission for air quality management for Delhi and adjoining areas (CAQM) can be consulted. The 2017 order was passed based on the recommendation of the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, or EPCA, a statutory body.

It is made clear that the insurance companies will not insure a vehicle unless it has a valid PUC certificate on the date of renewal of insurance policy, the order of 2017 said. The GIC claimed the order was passed without hearing it or any insurance company. In February 2018, the council moved an application for modification that was rejected by the Supreme Court registry on the ground that the application sought review of the top courts order.

Challenging this order of rejection by the registrar, the GIC urged the court to consider its application as it raised an issue of serious public importance. The resultant effect of this courts order was that if there is no PUC, there will be no third party insurance. This linking of PUC with annual insurance policy is creating problems. PUC is issued for six months and since they are not renewed, insurance policy cannot be renewed. This is affecting victims of accidents the most, Mehta said.

Interestingly, when the 2017 order was passed, the ministry of road transport and highways did not support the recommendation of EPCA to have 100% linkage of PUC with insurance policy. The ministry had stated that the coverage of insurance cover for motor vehicles was low and any attempt to link PUC with insurance will be counterproductive. Instead, it had assured the court that the linkage of PUC centres with VAHAN database and other enforcement measures will ensure PUC compliance.
The family of a woman said she couldn't bid farewell to her husband, who was in an ICU in Oman, before he passed away because her Air India Express flight was cancelled last week. Last week, Air India Express had to cancel many flights because of a shortage of cabin crew members. (File)

Amrita booked tickets for May 8 to visit her husband in Muscat. However, upon arriving at the airport, she was informed about the flight cancellation, ANI reported.

She protested at the airport and got a ticket for the next day on a different Air India Express flight. However, that flight also got cancelled, so she had to cancel her travel plans.

On Monday, she received the news of her husband's death.

Speaking to the media, Amrita's mother said, It was so unfair that she could not see him for one last time. We begged the airline to accommodate us on some other flight so that we could see him for one last time. But they did not do anything.

She added that Amrita's husband wanted to see her and their kids, hence the family booked tickets to visit him. Later, Amrita too spoke to reporters and said that after the second flight was cancelled, the airline couldn't help her anymore.

They said their flights for the next four days were full and they cannot do anything, she said.

Amrita informed that her husband was hospitalised after a heart attack. I spoke to him over the phone. Told him I will try to reach there if I can, she said.

Last week, Air India Express had to cancel many flights because of a shortage of cabin crew members. Some crew members called in sick to protest against what they saw as mismanagement at the airline, which is now owned by the Tata Group. This has been happening for over a month, especially since the airline started merging with AIX Connect, previously known as AirAsia India.

On May 10, some of the cabin crew who were on strike decided to end their protest. The airline also cancelled the termination letters they had sent to 25 of the crew members.

Between May 8 and May 10, Air India Express had to cancel more than 260 flights because they didn't have enough cabin crew available, a source from the airline told ANI.

On May 12, the airline said that it was gradually getting its flights back on track making its network stable. The airline expected full normalcy to return by Tuesday.
The family of a 24-year-old woman said she couldnt meet her ailing husband before he died, after her Air India Express flight got cancelled last week. The woman said that after the second flight was also cancelled, the airline told her nothing could be done. (Air India Express | Facebook)

24-year-old Amrita C was unable to travel to Muscat in Oman on May 8, where her husband Nambi Rajesh was admitted in the ICU of a private hospital following cardiac issues, after her 8:30am AIE flight from Thiruvananthapuram was cancelled due to shortage of airline cabin crew.

Subsequently, after much persuasion by Amrita and her mother Chitra citing her husbands critical condition, the airline rescheduled the ticket to the same flight the next day.

However, the flight on May 9 also got cancelled due to the flash strike after hundreds of crew members went on mass sick leaves.

Also Read: 86 Air India Express flights cancelled after cabin crew call in sick en masse

Amritas uncle Rajan, who drives an autorickshaw in Thiruvananthapuram, told HT over phone, We were all extremely distraught when the flight was cancelled for the second time. Rajesh was all alone in Muscat when he was admitted to the hospital and Amrita really wanted to be with him. After that, there was no other alternative but to cancel the ticket and get the refund. We tried for tickets through other airlines too, but we didnt get any due to massive demand.

Afterwards, the family spoke to Rajesh on the phone, when his condition improved in the hospital.

He sounded okay at the time and said he would fly to Kerala soon. He spent three days in the hospital ICU and got discharged on May 11. He told me that he felt fine, but my concern was that he was alone where he lived. The last time I spoke to him was on Sunday night when he told me he had booked a ticket to Kerala on May 16. But it was not to be, Amrita told HT.

The family said Rajesh, who worked in Muscat for the past 8 years as an IT manager in a school, died on Monday due to cardiac arrest.

He was alone there and so must have been mentally distraught. He had no major health concerns at all. If Amrita was able to travel to Muscat on the AIE flight, she could have helped him and he wouldnt have died, said Rajan.

The family said it would move legally against AIE as the airline deserved to provide them an explanation after Rajeshs death.

Amritas mother sent a text message to the airline manager at Thiruvananthapuram airport following Rajeshs death. But there has been no response yet. We are also yet to get the refund for the cancelled ticket, said Rajan.

He said the mortal remains of Rajesh are expected to reach Thiruvananthapuram airport on Wednesday.

Officials of Air India Express were unavailable for comment and the copy will be updated whenever it is received.
Cannes 2024: The 2024 Cannes Film Festival begins today (May 14). The 77th edition of Festival De Cannes will see many celebrities in attendance at the Palais des Festivals et des Congres. Many Indian stars are scheduled to attend this year. Kiara Advani will reportedly be among the Bollywood celebrities who will debut at the year's much-anticipated and publicised cultural event on the French Riviera. She will grace the Red Sea Film Foundation's Women in Cinema Gala dinner at Cannes 2024 as part of the panel. As the news came out, fans were delighted for the actor and expressed their excitement to see what she would wear on the red carpet. So, we decided to round some of Kiara's stunning red-carpet moments that prove she will slay her debut. Cannes 2024: Check out these red carpet looks worn by Kiara Advani in the past that prove that she will nail her debut. (Instagram)

Cannes 2024: Kiara Advani's past red carpet looks that prove she will slay her debut

The Sizzling Red Gown

Cannes 2024: Kiara Advani will attend the Cannes Film Festival this year. (Instagram)

This sizzling red gown, which Kiara Advani wore to attend an award show, is the perfect red carpet look with its eye-catching risque thigh-high slit, floor-sweeping train on the back, corseted bodice, and plunging strapless neckline. With such a striking ensemble, Kiara chose minimal makeup and skipped any distracting jewellery. She went for embellished clear pumps, centre-parted wavy locks, caramel lips, smudged shimmer smoky eye shadow, mascara on the lashes, darkened brows, and rouge on the cheekbones.

The Internet-Breaking Black Gown

If risque were the night's theme, Kiara Advani would undoubtedly deliver. The actor wore this black gown to attend another awards show. The ensemble comes with a plunging halter neckline, a backless design, a thigh-high slit, a train on the back, ruffles on the side, and a figure-hugging silhouette. She wore the gown with a statement neckpiece, black pumps, dewy makeup, and loose locks styled in soft waves.

The Powder Blue Beauty

This Sadek Majed powder blue gown transformed Kiara into a Greek Goddess. It features a drop shoulder design, a plunging strapless neckline, gathered details on the bust, cut-outs on the front, a thigh-high slit, and a train on the side. She styled the ensemble with a sleek updo, a statement ring, earrings, pumps, winged eyeliner, mascara on the lashes, darkened brows, and caramel lip shade.

The Floral Wonder

Kiara embraced spring in this gorgeous floral printed tulle gown featuring a corseted bodice, a mermaid silhouette, and a massive train on the back. She styled the multi-coloured ensemble by ditching all accessories, and for the glam, she chose centre-parted loose wavy locks, berry red lip shade, feathered brows, mascara on the lashes, rouge on the cheeks, smudged berry eye shadow, and glowing skin.

The Shimmering Yellow Number

Kiara wore this yellow gown to attend another red carpet-event. Its plunging halter neckline, backless design with crisscross ribbon ties, sequin embellishments, thigh-high slit, train on the back, and figure-skimming fitting make the ensemble a perfect red carpet look. However, it was Kiara's braided high ponytail, bronzer on the cheekbones, light rouge, feathered brows, smoky eye shadow, and berry lips that stole the show.
Happy International Day of Families 2024: International Day of Families, also known as International Family Day, is an annual event celebrated on May 15. The day promotes family well-being and awareness about the social, economic, and demographic changes that impact families. United Nations General Assembly established the International Day of Families in 1993 to raise awareness of family-related issues. This year, the theme for International Day of Families is 'Embracing Diversity, Strengthening Families', meaning accepting family practices of different communities and strengthening the bond between family members. If you celebrate the International Day of Families, you can make it special by sharing best wishes, images and quotes with your family members on social media. Check out our curated list inside. Happy International Day of Families 2024: Check out these best wishes, images, quotes, SMS, WhatsApp and Facebook status to share with your family on May 15. (HT Photo)

Happy International Day of Families 2024: International Day of Families falls on May 15. (HT Photo)

Happy International Day of Families 2024 Wishes, Images, Quotes, SMS, Greetings, WhatsApp & Facebook Status:

Your life is full of smiles and joy when you have your family by your side through thick and thin. Cheers to you and your loved ones. Happy International Day of Families.

Happy International Day of Families 2024: International Day of Families promotes the importance of families in our lives and societies. (HT Photo)

"Family is family, whether it's the one you start out with, the one you end up with, or the family you gain along the way." - Unknown.

Family is you, me, and our kids. I want to hug you all and say  I love you so much today, tomorrow and always. Happy International Day of Families.

Happy International Day of Families 2024: International Day of Families was established in 1993. (HT Photo)

"Family is the most important thing in the world." - Princess Diana.

"Home is people. Not a place. If you go back there after the people are gone, then all you can see is what is not there any more." - Robin Hobb.

Happy International Day of Families 2024: United Nations General Assembly established the day to raise awareness of family-related issues. (HT Photo)

"Being a family means you are a part of something very wonderful. It means you will love and be loved for the rest of your life." - Lisa Weed.

God has blessed us with a fantastic family. No matter what, let's stick together and love each other constantly. Happy International Day of Families.

Happy International Day of Families 2024: The theme for this year is 'Embracing Diversity, Strengthening Families'. (HT Photo)

"Families are the compass that guides us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our comfort when we occasionally falter." - Brad Henry.

The foundation of a good society is a happy family. Together, let's spread brotherhood and love among all the families. Happy International Day of Families 2023.

Happy International Day of Families 2024: Wish you loved ones on this day with these special wishes. (HT Photo)

"That's what people do who love you. They put their arms around you and love you when you're not so lovable." - Deb Caletti.
International Day of Families 2024: Family binds us together. The love that we receive from our family members helps us to grow as an individual and strength our emotional bonds. Family is the home that we grow up in and the home that we come back to when we stay far. Our family members hold us in love and affection till the end of time. They help us to grow up and become better individuals. The role of a family is very significant in personal development and promoting the sense of communities and social cohesion. Every year, International Day of Families is observed to raise awareness about the importance of a family. As we gear up to celebrate the special day, here are a few things that we must know about. Every year, International Day of Families is observed on May 15.(Unsplash)

ALSO READ: Happy International Day of Families 2024: Wishes, images, quotes, SMS, WhatsApp and Facebook status to share with family

Date:

Every year, International Day of Families is observed on May 15. This year, the special day falls on Wednesday.

History:

In the year 1993, the United Nations General Assembly declared in the resolution - A/RES/47/237 that every year, May 15 should be celebrated as International Day of Families. The day helps in raising awareness about the issues faced by families and how the social and economic processes can affect families throughout the world.

Significance:

The theme of this year's International Day of Families is - Families & Climate Change: International Year of the Family + 30. "The 2024 International Day of Families aims to raise awareness of how climate change impacts families and the role families can play in climate action. Climate change negatively affects family health and wellbeing through increased pollution, extreme weather events that displace people, disruptions to agriculture and food systems, and economic impacts. Families contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions through electricity usage, transportation choices, food consumption, and overall consumption patterns. Ambitious climate action is urgently needed by governments, businesses, and citizens to cut emissions and advance climate justice," wrote the United Nations on their official website.
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) is the most common preparation used in regenerative medicine and it is popular in the cosmetic and medicinal fields as it is used for vampire facials, hair growth and wound healing. It is considered safe, low-cost, natural and minimally invasive however, when we talk about the usage of PRP in gynecology, its primary association has been as an adjunct to treatment procedures related to various conditions, including thin Endometrium, Premature Ovarian Failure, Urinary Incontinence, Genitourinary Fistulas, or even Ashermans Syndrome (occurs when scar tissue forms inside the uterus and/or the cervix). Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy: What it is? How is it used for vaginal rejuvenation (Photo by Orthopedic Implants India)

What Is platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy?

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Sonamm Tiwari, Consultant Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Fortis Hiranandani Hospital in Vashi, explained, There are many growth factors present in the platelets. Since these platelets have numerous growth factors and rich proteins when released in the human system (locally or in the blood), they benefit the regeneration and repair process of damaged cells, tissues, or organs. The main advantage of PRP is its source, which is autologous, which means that it is prepared from the blood of the person undergoing the treatment.

She elaborated, As a result, there is no risk of immune reactions or transmission of any infection or disease from any donor. Moreover, it is not time-consuming as its preparation takes about thirty minutes and about fifteen minutes for application. Recently, platelet-rich plasma and its application have received much attention in cosmetic gynecology and functional gynecologic surgeries. PRP stimulates new blood vessels and collagen formation with the help of growth factors released from the concentrated platelets. However, this procedure is not recommended in patients with blood disorders, coagulation disorders (bleeding tendencies), pregnancy, lactation, active infections, or Cancer diagnosis.

How is PRP used for Vaginal Rejuvenation?

Dr Sonamm Tiwari answered, Vaginal laxity is like an anatomical deformation that causes orgasmic disorders. Vaginal rejuvenation involves the management of aging and repairing traumatic changes (caused by childbirth, Episiotomy scars, Cervical Ectopy, Lichen Sclerosis, Vaginal Atrophy following Chemotherapy, previous trauma or surgeries of the vagina or vulva) that may occur to the vagina. A lax vagina can cause decreased introital friction and therefore diminished arousal and orgasmic dysfunction. In the long run, it can affect a womans sexual health and body image, leading to decreased self-esteem and lowered quality of life. For many patients who complain of Vaginal Atrophy and laxity, PRP is a good form of treatment, along with other surgical/ non-surgical treatments if required.

She revealed, The other application of PRP is to improve the quality of sexual life. It has been noted that PRP administration at the right places by a trained Cosmetic Gynecologist has helped enhance female sexuality with higher satisfaction. Its application does not stop there; to add to the list, lack of lubrication, lack of libido, difficulty in arousal, and painful sexual intercourse can also be treated with PRP. Moreover, PRP can also be applied in urogynaecology as it is helpful to treat conditions like Urinary Incontinence, Vesicovaginal Fistulas, and Cystocele Repair as a supporting therapy. Platelet-rich plasma contributes to strengthening the ligament around the urinary bladder. Also, it helps in reviving the vaginal walls with new collagen formation, thus making the muscles strong and resolving Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI).
Cambodia's national flag carrier Cambodia Angkor Air on Tuesday said the first-ever direct flight services between the two nations will start from June 16 between Phnom Penh and New Delhi four times a week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. India to Cambodia first direct flight: Cambodia Angkor Air to launch direct flights between Phnom Penh and New Delhi (Photo by Twitter/ThaigerNews)

Koy Kuong, Ambassador of the Royal Embassy of Cambodia to India, said he was hopeful that the flow of tourists between the two nations will double year-on-year, with direct flight connectivity and demand for medical tourism in India.

Before the Covid pandemic, around 75,000 people from India used to visit Cambodia every year, and the number is around 45,000 per year as per 2021 figures, the Ambassador told PTI.

He added that he expects more people from Cambodia seeking medical treatment to come to India "because the cost of treatment is less as compared to neighbouring countries".

Cambodia Angkor Airline CCO Eng Molina said the pricing per person for a round trip from New Delhi to Phnom Penh is around 23,000, including taxes.
When a Monterey County resident was ordered by local authorities to conceal a boat parked in his driveway behind a fence, his neighbor Hanif Panni painted a realistic mural of the boat on the fence to sidestep a citation. Courtesy of Hanif Wondir

A Monterey County resident ordered by local authorities to conceal a boat parked in his driveway behind a fence has drawn international attention for his innovative solution to the problem.

Upon receiving a legal notice from the city, Seaside resident Etienne Constable took an unconventional route: After building the fence, he commissioned his neighbor to paint a lifelike image of the boat on the fence, effectively sidestepping a potential $100 fine.

Seasides municipal code stipulates that certain large vehicles, including boats, can only be parked in driveways if screened by a 6-foot-high fence.

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Constable, who has lived in the house for nearly three decades and had the boat in his driveway for years with minimal complaints, reportedly felt compelled to take action after receiving a sudden citation notice.

Constable couldnt be reached for comment, but told local news outlet KSBW: Im not a rule-breaker, but I like to make a political statement as necessary as well as a humorous statement and a creative statement.

Constables decision struck a chord globally, as images of the painted boat, named Might as Well, circulated widely on social media after the artist, local muralist Hanif Panni, shared them on Instagram and YouTube.

Im so glad its resonated with so many people, the artist, also known as Hanif Wondir, told the Chronicle. Its sparking so many different conversations.

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Panni and Constable, who share a backyard fence, deliberated for months on how to address the screening requirement before settling on the idea of an optical illusion, which they executed last week. Constable, a Silicon Valley tech worker, compensated Panni more generously than the initial $100 fine threatened by the city.

When you get a letter from the city, more often than not, its like, Damn, I have to do this. Theres no other way of approaching it. But I think because we dripped a little creativity into it, it caught peoples attention, Panni told the Chronicle. The discussions Ive seen online are the most rewarding aspect of this experience.

Since the images of his artwork went viral over the weekend, Panni has been flooded with calls and messages.

I do a lot of design and public artwork all over the place with a wide range of subject matter, he said. Its funny that this boat is what resonated with people. I think its more about the symbolism and what it stands for.

Requests for similar artwork have poured in from neighbors, but how does Panni feel about having to look at the boat every day?

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I like the boat, Panni said. My neighbor is awesome. He goes out fishing all the time and when he catches a lot, he comes over with a vacuum-sealed bag of salmon for the family. I see the boat out of my window every day and think its great.
To grasp the impossible political trap that Joe Biden finds himself in Israel, sample these four distinct moments, from four distinct sites, in Washington DC. (FILES) Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) greets US President Joe Biden upon his arrival at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport on October 18, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. Biden spoke by phone with Netanyahu April 4, 2024, the White House said, amid growing outrage over an Israeli strike that killed seven aid workers in Gaza. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)(AFP)

Emancipation Hall, Capitol Hill: May 7 was the Holocaust Museums Annual Day of Remembrance. Survivors attended a moving event marked by the spirit of Never Again. In New York, Columbia University had just called in the New York Police Department to remove student protesters outraged by Israels brutality in Gaza. But the political consensus on the issue, where the leadership of neither major American party deemed the protests as a legitimate political act, was striking. In an otherwise divided polity, the Democratic Biden and the Republican (House Speaker) Mike Johnson slammed what they saw as anti-Semitism in the campus protests.

Sitting in the hall, Irvin, whose grandparents died in Auschwitz and whose parents migrated from Hungary to the United States (US) in 1956, explained what, for him, was the line dividing criticism of Israel and anti-Semitism. I have no problem with criticism of Benjamin Netanyahu or the Israeli government. I support a two-State solution. But when you criticise the Israeli State, its right to exist, and chant slogans seeking its destruction, you attack the only Jewish State in the world. Thats anti-Semitism. For Irvin and many Jewish Americans in the hall that morning, Biden  whose political socialisation happened in the two decades after World War II and for whom liberalism meant standing up against anti-Semitism  was a hero.

Starbucks, Pennsylvania Avenue: House Representative Ro Khanna, a rising Democratic Party star likely to throw his hat in the presidential primary for 2028, is a surrogate for the Biden campaign, especially in swing states with sceptical voters on the Left.

Over coffee, a short walk from the Hill, he elaborated on what he saw was Bidens biggest mistake. We gave too much of a blank cheque. We should never have bear-hugged Netanyahu given his history of having insulted President (Barack) Obama, having been an anti-democratic voice within Israel trying to get rid of the Supreme Court autonomy, and having never been a partner for peace. Khanna added that while condemning the terror attack and supporting Israels right to get the Hamas perpetrators, the US should have insisted there could not be indiscriminate bombing of hospitals and refugee camps, that there could not be denial of sufficient aid. We should not have isolated ourselves in the UN in calls for a ceasefire. We should have made it clear our weapons would be contingent on Netanyahu not defying the American assessment of what it will take to preserve Palestinian lives.

As protests continued in universities, Khanna admitted that the war was hurting Biden not just among Muslim-Americans and Arab-Americans but also the young and progressives and voters of colour. Biden needed to have a more balanced approach and was coming around to it, the lawmaker insisted.

Dirksen Building, Capitol Hill: After seven months of standing up for Israels right to respond to Hamas and destroy the terror outfit in the manner it deemed fit and defending Israel from Iranian strikes, Biden finally did attempt to strike a balance. On Thursday, Biden told CNN that if Israel launched a full-scale invasion of Rafah, the US would withhold offensive weapons, soon after reports that it had withheld some bomb shipments.

On the Hill, there was fury. Johnson now attacked the President. At a hearing of a Senate committee in Dirksen, Lindsey Graham rebuked defence secretary Lloyd Austin for daring to tell Israel how to fight its war when everyone around them wants to kill all the Jews. A set of Democratic lawmakers opposed Biden. Speculation swirled in DC about how Biden risked losing the centrist, centre-Right and Jewish support, which was much larger than the anti-Israel, Left and Muslim vote. And Netanyahu publicly defied Biden saying Israel will go it alone.

White House press briefing room: Biden was now getting hit from all sides  the pro-Israel crowd for betrayal and the anti-Israel crowd for doing too little. And so, this Monday, Jake Sullivan offered a policy overview of what Biden believed.

The war began due to Hamas and the US wants the terror group defeated. Palestinian civilians are in hell. Israel should do more to protect civilians but what is happening isnt genocide. The US will surge humanitarian support. The US is sending a massive amount of military assistance to Israel to help it defend itself against Iran and its proxies. But it has stopped the delivery of 2,000 pound bombs since the US believes these should not be dropped on densely populated cities. The US also believes Israel shouldnt do a major military operation in the heart of Rafah. Biden wont provide offensive weapons for such an operation were they to occur, but it hasnt occurred yet and US and Israel are talking about other ways to defeat Hamas.

Biden also believes that military pressure is necessary but not sufficient to defeat Hamas and Israel needs a political plan for the future of Gaza and the Palestinians, or terrorists will return as they are in Gaza City. Israels future rests in greater integration with the region, including normalisation with Saudi Arabia, and this was a historic opportunity. The US is working on a ceasefire and hostage deal; this can happen immediately if Hamas releases wounded, old and women hostages. Iran and its proxies represented a threat to Israel, regional stability and the US, and Washington is working to prevent an escalation into a wider regional war.

Whether Bidens latest policy approach is enough to satisfy antagonistic constituencies within America, while shaping Israeli behaviour and carving out a wider regional accord, is to be seen. The recent track record doesnt offer much hope. But just listening to these voices reveals the complexity of the public debate on Israel in America and its multiple drivers, and offers some tentative understanding of why Biden is acting the way he is.

The views expressed are personal
I am not necessarily a fan of cookbooks. But I love books about food in general: Something like 40% of the books I buy each month are food-related. Some are travelogues, some are collections of journalism, some are memoirs, some are about the history of food, and some are about particular ingredients or dishes. I am not necessarily a fan of cookbooks. But I love books about food in general. (Pexels)

For a cookbook to catch my interest, it has to be unusual or extraordinary. And anyway, when I do cook (which is not very often) I never use recipe books.

Here are the three food books I am reading now. Two are new. One is a classic from decades ago.

An Omelette and a Glass of Wine by Elizabeth David

If you are interested in food, then you have probably heard of Elizabeth David. She was the most influential British food writer of the 20th century and her work (books, cookbooks and journalistic columns) has stood the test of time.

David wrote in a country that had no understanding of food. The Brits had won an empire but had lost their palates (assuming they ever had them).

Even the best restaurants in London were generally a) not run by Brits and b) were pretty dire.

Davids own reference points were France and Italy and she travelled extensively throughout Europe to record what she found. To read her work now is to realise how a different a world she lived in: You could not buy good cheese in much of England (except for a few regional variations), and pasta was a mystery to most Brits. Their view of foreign food was that it was dull: for instance, it was believed that the Spanish had the worst and most repetitive cuisine in the world which suggested the Brits had rather missed the point, given that Spain nearly supplanted France as the worlds leading culinary nation in the early 21st century.

Judging by Davids account, even Italian restaurant food in Italy has got much better now than it was then. And though we think of pre-Nouvelle Cuisine France as being full of stodgy, boring food with flour-thickened sauces, David writes with feeling and affection about little, regional, family-run restaurants where the food was fresh and light.

An Omelette and a Glass of Wine is a collection of her journalism and is probably not for the general readers. But if you are a foodie or in the food business, then it is an important and useful book to read.

Slow Food, Fast Cars by Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore

Massimo Bottura is Italys greatest chef and Lara Gilmore is his gifted American wife. This is a beautifully put together book about passions. Massimo is obsessed with cars and with speed and they get (nearly) equal billing with food and hospitality in this book. But there are also excellent recipes from Jessica Rosval, the Canadian-born chef of Casa Maria Luigia, the small hotel that Massimo and Lara run in Modena, the northern Italian town where their three Michelin star Osteria Francescana is located. It is somehow fitting that just after this book came out, Michelin started awarding keys (like stars) to hotels and in its very first list of Italian hotels, Casa Mario Luigia got three keys (the hotel equivalent of three stars).

It helps to know all this to understand the book better because it is intensely personal for the Botturas and the contents reflect their stories and memories. Gilmore writes about decorating the building and travelling to the grounds of what would become the Casa Maria Luigia hotel. She remembers her grandfathers camp in Rhode Island and discusses such personal obsessions as Elvis Presley. Bottura writes about cars and how he fell in love with them.

And then there are the recipes. You wont find the iconic Osteria Francescana recipes here --- there are other books for that. These recipes are for everyday food, elevated by the touch of great chefs. Rosval contributes a wonderful and perhaps definitive recipe for tiramisu and there are recipes for everything from crackers to pesto in the style of Modena (with pork).

The book has been a huge bestseller around the world which is particularly creditable because it makes no allowances for readers interests or moderates its intensely personal tone.

The Nepal Cookbook by Rohini Rana

One of the ironies of the complicated India-Nepal relationship is that most of us know so little about the food of our closest neighbour. With typical Indian arrogance, we imagine that they eat Indian food in Nepal.

Actually, the food of Nepal is varied and diverse. In this wonderful book Rohini Rana divides her 108 recipes between Nepals many tribes and communities (Madeshis, Sherpas, Newars, Gurungs etc.) and tells us how to cook many Nepalese dishes that most of us are not even aware of. Did you know, for instance, that the Tharus, an indigenous community that may have originally come from Rajasthan, make a delicious snail curry?

The one Nepalese dish most of us do know is the momo and even there, controversy follows. Is the momo really Nepalese? Or did it come with the Tibetans who fled to Nepal after the Chinese over-ran their country?

Rana, naturally enough, rejects the it is a Tibetan dish theory and states categorically that there are two versions of the origin of momos, both start and end in Nepal.

She concedes though that there were medieval Tibetan origins. Her first origin story says that in the 14th century, a Nepalese princess married a Tibetan king. She took Nepalese art, architecture, religion and culture with her. The tiny momo travelled with her, says Rana.

A second theory admits that Tibetans ate a primitive version of the momo. She says that Newari tradesmen travelled to Tibet and ate some dumplings called mog mog stuffed with yak meat. The tradesmen brought the dish back to Nepal, sophisticated it, substituted buffalo meat for the original yak and served it with a spicy tomato-sesame chutney. They renamed it ma neu (which means easily steamed). Later, the dish was called momocha which eventually became momo.

I guess the Tibetans and the Nepalese will argue forever about the origins of the momo, but Ranas book is full of delicious momo recipes with a whole section devoted to  fusion momos including chocolate momo and momo sizzlers. She does draw the line, however, at 'tandoori momos.'
Google on Tuesday rolled out a retooled search engine that will frequently favor responses crafted by artificial intelligence over website links, a shift promising to quicken the quest for information while also potentially disrupting the flow of money-making internet traffic. Google's big AI thrust into search engine, hopes for better results(Reuters)

The makeover announced at Google's annual developers conference will begin this week in the U.S. when hundreds of millions of people will start to periodically see conversational summaries generated by the company's AI technology at the top of the search engine's results page.

The AI overviews are supposed to only crop up when Google's technology determines they will be the quickest and most effective way to satisfy a user's curiosity  a solution mostly likely to happen with complex subjects or when people are brainstorming, or planning. People will likely still see Google's traditional website links and ads for simple searches for things like a store recommendation or weather forecasts.

Google began testing AI overviews with a small subset of selected users a year ago, but the company is now making it one of the staples in its search results in the U.S. before introducing the feature in other parts of the world. By the end of the year, Google expects the recurring AI overviews to be part of its search results for about 1 billion people.

Besides infusing more AI into its dominant search engine, Google also used the packed conference held at a Mountain View, California, amphitheater near its headquarters to showcase advances in a technology that is reshaping business and society.

The next AI steps included more sophisticated analysis powered by Gemini  a technology unveiled five months ago  and smarter assistants, or agents," including a still-nascent version dubbed Astra" that will be able to understand, explain and remember things it is shown through a smartphone's camera lens. Google underscored its commitment to AI by bringing in Demis Hassabis, the executive who oversees the technology, to appear on stage at its marquee conference for the first time.

The injection of more AI into Google's search engine marks one of the most dramatic changes that the company has made in its foundation since its inception in the late 1990s. It's a move that opens the door for more growth and innovation but also threatens to trigger a sea change in web surfing habits.

This bold and responsible approach is fundamental to delivering on our mission and making AI more helpful for everyone, Google CEO Sundar Pichai told a group of reporters.

It also will bring new risks to an internet ecosystem that depends heavily on digital advertising as its financial lifeblood.

Google stands to suffer if the AI overviews undercuts ads tied to its search engine  a business that reeled in $175 billion in revenue last year alone. And website publishers  ranging from major media outlets to entrepreneurs and startups that focus on more narrow subjects  will be hurt if the AI overviews are so informative that they result in fewer clicks on the website links that will still appear lower on the results page.

Based on habits that emerged during the past year's testing phase of Google's AI overviews, about 25% of the traffic could be negatively affected by the de-emphasis on website links, said Marc McCollum, chief innovation officer at Raptive, which helps about 5,000 website publishers make money from their content.

A decline in traffic of that magnitude could translate into billions of dollars in lost ad revenue, a devastating blow that would be delivered by a form of AI technology that culls information plucked from many of the websites that stand to lose revenue.

The relationship between Google and publishers has been pretty symbiotic, but enter AI, and what has essentially happened is the Big Tech companies have taken this creative content and used it to train their AI models, McCollum said. We are now seeing that being used for their own commercial purposes in what is effectively a transfer of wealth from small, independent businesses to Big Tech."

But Google found the AI overviews resulted in people in conducting even more searches during the technology's testing because they suddenly can ask questions that were too hard before, said Liz Reid, who oversees the company's search operations, told The Associated Press during an interview. She declined to provide any specific numbers about link-clicking volume during the tests of AI overviews.

In reality, people do want to click to the web, even when they have an AI overview, Reid said. They start with the AI overview and then they want to dig in deeper. We will continue to innovate on the AI overview and also on how do we send the most useful traffic to the web.

The increasing use of AI technology to summarize information in chatbots such as Google's Gemini and OpenAI's ChatGPT during the past 18 months already has been raising legal questions about whether the companies behind the services are illegally pulling from copyrighted material to advance their services. It's an allegation at the heart of a high-profile lawsuit that The New York Times filed late last year against OpenAI and its biggest backer, Microsoft.

Google's AI overviews could provoke lawsuits too, especially if they siphon away traffic and ad sales from websites that believe the company is unfairly profiting from their content. But it's a risk that the company had to take as the technology advances and is used in rival services such as ChatGPT and upstart search engines such as Perplexity, said Jim Yu, executive chairman of BrightEdge, which helps websites rank higher in Google's search results.

This is definitely the next chapter in search, Yu said. Its almost like they are tuning three major variables at once: the search quality, the flow of traffic in the ecosystem and then the monetization of that traffic. There hasnt been a moment in search that is bigger than this for a long time."
Expecting anything less than an onslaught of artificial intelligence (AI) announcements by Google at their annual developer conference keynote wouldve been fallacious, to begin with. The tech giant needed to flex muscles, considering how the competition is fierce. Theres an updated Gemini 1.5 Pro model with logical reasoning, a new Gemini Live thatll get more capabilities later this year, a new and lightweight Gemini 1.5 Flash, updates for Gemini Nano and more AI in Search. Yet it is the declaration of a new era for Android, wrapped in a blanket of AI, which will immediately reach out to a large subset within the 3 billion active Android users (and counting). Sameer Samant said it is reimagining Android's consumer experience and the way you interact with your phone with AI at the core

As Sameer Samat, who is vice president of Product Management for Android at Google told HT, it is reimagining Android's consumer experience and the way you interact with your phone with AI at the core, and that multi-year journey begins now.

With Androids AI chapter, Google potentially eclipses Microsofts Copilot AI assistant integration in Windows 11 in terms of influence. Copilot potentially reached 500 million PCs in a short period. A lot will depend on the speed at which these updates reach user devices. For Androids AI rollout, tablets are very much a part of the journey too.

Android x AI, its time

Three features form the basis of AI for Android, which are Circle to Search, Gemini becoming the default AI assistant replacing Google Assistant, and the deployment of the updated Gemini Nano model for a variety of on-device tasks. Thus far, Android has had some AI functionality, but that was often limited to certain devices (such as Googles own Pixel phones) or in scope. At the sharp end was Googles Recorder app, which uses AI to transcribe recordings. On the other end, the example of AI integration in the Messages app retained limited scope without conversation integration  that meant AI capabilities remained limited to text prompts by a user to generate draft messages or plan events.

HT asked Samat whether the diversity of Android hardware, particularly with mid-range and budget phones, may prove to be a problem to tackle in the next couple of years.

One of the strengths of the Android ecosystem is the diversity of devices available to consumers at different price points and with differing capabilities, he said, before adding that while its been great to get more users to buy powerful computing devices, there are premium Android devices that do have more powerful hardware complete with a neural processing unit (NPU; important for on-device AI processing) and accelerated AI capabilities.

Our strategy generally is to make sure that we have a hybrid model for execution. Some will be done on-device only for privacy and latency reasons. For most tasks it may be possible to execute them on adevice, but when not, go to the cloud. We believe this approach serves the ecosystem well, said Samat.

I think over time, you'll see bespoke models or models to split into sort of more specific use cases. Right now, Gemini nano multimodal model is really state of the art that is pushing the edge of what's possible, pointed out Dave Burke, who is vice-president for Engineering at Google.

The when, the how, and the phone makers

How long would it take for users to get access to the new AI features on their Android devices? The answer, Google tells us, lies in a two-pronged approach.

Android is always getting better and therefore many of our experiences are part of Google Play services and Play System Updates. We work closely with our partners to bring these experiences to their devices, said Samat. That means these two sets of updates should enable some of the new AI functionality on Android phones and tablets, dependent on the specs.

Alongside, theyre working closely with SoC partners (read, chip makers such as Qualcomm and MediaTek) to make sure Gemini Nano can run effectively on flagship devices.

And then there would be a third element, where phone makers would be required to further optimise for Androids underlying changes to work with their customisations (Samsungs One UI, Xiaomis HyperOS, OnePlus OxygenOS and so on).

With this, it is also the end of a period of exclusivity for Samsungs Galaxy S24 flagship phones, with Circle to Search. Samat said the broader integration of this search method has been optimised for tablets too, following feedback they got from students. He referred to the example of a physics problem, inwhich a student can circle on the screen to invoke search, which then details step-by-step instructions for solving it. This is only possible because of the deep integration between search and what we've done with the operating system, he said.

Android will use the larger Gemini Pro model, as well as a smaller Gemini Nano model, the latter focusing on tasks where on-device processing is an option.

For a while, Google gave users a choice, to switch Google Assistant to Gemini AI. Now that the transition is complete. Geminis contextual awareness capabilities, as Burke underlined, will be able to anticipate what a user is trying to do and thatll help build context and relevance of suggestions.

For instance, in the Messages app, Gemini can be invoked by a user as a floating assistant window for search and image generation. Burke illustrated with an example of receiving a video link in Messages, which opens on YouTube, and Gemini in Messages is aware of the video and proactively shows suggestions for more information. Or how it can contextualise and answer questions from a mammoth PDF document someone may have shared.

On-device AI, which means tasks will be processed locally on a phone or tablet and not sent to the cloud, figures prominently in Googles vision of AI for Android. At its core is the 3.8-billion parameter Gemini Nano model. This means your phone can now start understanding the world the way you understand it, not just text input but actual sights and sounds and spoken language, said Samat.

Thus far, the transcription capabilities of the Recorder app on Google Pixel phones are an example.

With Android's AI vision at the cusp of reaching millions of users, would there be an option or method for users to opt out of sharing data for AI training and improvement? You can choose how and where you want to use AI-powered features. For example, the Gemini app on Android is opt-in, and Circle to Search can be turned off in your phones Settings, Samant confirmed. Google said these developments are tethered to their AI Principles, and therefore users will be given the choice.
After Indian-origin Miss Teen USA, UmaSofia Srivastava, resigned from her post last week, the runner-up, Stephanie Skinner, has also declined the title. Skinner explained her decision on Instagram, saying that she had made the right decision in light of recent events. Stephanie Skinner, who became the Miss Teen USA 2023 runner-up in September last year, declined to fill the vacant position after the titleholder resigned from the post last week. (Instagram/@thestephanieskinner)

The world of pageantry was rocked by a double resignation in the second week of May after Miss USA Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava relinquished their crowns.

Skinner expressed that it wasnt an easy decision for her. She added that she doesnt have a full understanding of the reasons behind Voigt and Srivastavas decisions to give up their crowns, but she will always stand for female empowerment and support them.

Miss Teen New York said that she is grateful for the opportunity that she got and knows what it means to serve in the best interest of others.

Skinner further shared that she has committed to a global research career opportunity in Thailand, which would require her to live abroad during the summer.

Voigt stepped down on May 6, citing mental well-being, while Srivastava, who relinquished the crown two days later, said that her personal values no longer fully align with those of the organisation.

Both left comments on Skinners post where she announced her decision to decline the title. Voigt said, Ever since I met you have I loved and admired you. You continue to set a great example everywhere you go. Proud of you. Alongside, she dropped a white heart emoticon.

I am so grateful to call you my friend. You always leave me in awe of your dedication and integrity, commented Srivastava.
As an immigrant entrepreneur striving to succeed alongside other founders, it's crucial to stay well-informed about your surroundings. With this in mind, Pritika Mehta, the founder of Butternut AI, recently shared a set of valuable pointers to assist immigrant founders in San Francisco, USA. Snapshot of Pritika Mehta who shared the pointers on X.

Mehta's list of 22 points offers unique insights on how to thrive in the San Francisco entrepreneurial scene. For instance, she suggests ditching formal attire, avoiding ostentatious displays of wealth, and even learning unconventional games like pickleball and poker. (Also Read: Founder shares 5 tips on how to bounce back after losing confidence: This was mentally unhealthy)

Take a look at the post shared by Pritika Mehta here:

This post was shared on May 14. Since being posted, it has gained close to 58,000 views. The share also has more than 450 likes and the numbers are only increasing. Many people flocked to the comments section to post their thoughts on her list.

Here's what people had to say:

An individual wrote, "Agree with everything here except for the fashion advice. Develop your own style in everything."

A second said, "Wow. Definitely sending my kid to SF just to experience and learn from one of the best cities in the world. Great cheat sheet; some of them are life hacks, to be hones and valid no matter where you live. Thanks, Pritika."

"You forgot to add - speak woke and avoid the crazies. Forced dress codes sound like hell on earth. Move to a real city like London, New York, Dubai or Singapore, which will bring you closer to affordable talent and real customers and where you escape groupthink," commented a third.

A fourth added, "Hopefully, I will put this to use soon! Thanks for sharing these."

A fifth shared, "I am coming to SF as a 17-year-old this summer, excited to see what all the hype my mentors have told me about!"
A jewellery showroom in the Dariba Kalan area of north Delhi was allegedly robbed by a few people after drilling a hole into the wall of the shop, police said on Monday. Delhi Police has launched an investigation after a thief drilled a hole in the wall of a jewellery store to steal (representational image). (Unsplash/gwendal)

The police said they received a video of the incident and investigation has been launched into the matter.

The accused allegedly drilled a hole in the showroom from a neighbouring shop and carried out the robbery, they said.

Also Read: Jewel thief takes 200 flights in a year to steal from cabin baggage

"A PCR call regarding a burglary was received at the Kotwali police station. A team was immediately sent to the shop in Dariba Kalan," a senior police officer said.

According to the store owner, he closed his shop around 8.30 pm on Saturday and went to his home, the officer said.

When the complainant and his father opened the store on Monday, they found that a hole was made in its wall through an adjacent shop, which is in dilapidated condition and was empty, he said.

On checking the items of his shop, the owner found that various silver items were stolen, he added.

"The crime scene was examined by the forensic team and a case was registered against unknown people. We are checking the CCTV footage for clue and further investigation is on," said the officer.
Three men were arrested by UP Police for filming a kidnapping reel and were later released on bail. Ajit, Deepak and Abhishek were filming the kidnapping on a busy Noida road for some social media followers, but it backfired, as per reports. The kidnapping reel was filmed for some social media fame. (Screengrab)

The now-viral video shows a young man, who was handcuffed, being pushed by another man inside a car. This was recorded by a third person using a camera to upload it later on social media.

According to a report by TV9, one of the passersby filmed the entire incident and shared it on social media, saying that a person was kidnapped in Noida in broad daylight. The post quickly earned the attention of police alike, who sprung into action.

Upon investigation, it was found that it was a staged act. The trio went to Noida Sector 18 with a car and a camera to film a kidnapping reel, NDTV reported.

The outlet further reported that Assistant Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Manish Kumar Mishra condemned their actions and said that their actions not only caused public panic and disrupted the peace of a bustling market but also endangered their friends safety.

The men were released on bail with warnings not to repeat such things in future for social media likes.

This, however, is not the first time that police have taken action against people making reels. In March this year, the Noida police arrested three people, including two women, for multiple traffic violations and under sections of the Indian Penal Code.

The trio was arrested after their Holi reel went viral. The video shows a man riding a scooter while two women riding pillion apply gulal on each other. None of them were wearing helmets. The Noida traffic police also fined the scooter owner 47,500. The trio was later released on bail.
A womans post on X about prompts on the Zomato app on Mother's Day has gone viral. In her share, the woman slammed the food delivery company and asked it to stop doing things like this. The image shows a prompt that a woman received from Zomato on Mothers Day. (Screengrab)

Hello Zomato, how about you stop with things like "Reminder: call maa". Some of us are grieving the loss of mums. Others are struggling with poor relationships with parents. Can you stay out of our personal lives? Please do not go overboard with celebrations such as these, the woman wrote.

She also shared screenshots of the prompts she received on the Zomato app. While replying to her own post, the woman added that she lost her mother last year.

Take a look at the post here:

The image shows a post by a woman on Zomato's Mother's Day prompts. (X/@Sowmya @rosesfortweets)

The prompts a woman received on her Zomato app on Mother's Day. (X/@Sowmya @rosesfortweets)

The post was shared a day ago. Since then, the share has collected more than 6.2 lakh views - and the numbers are only increasing. The share has further collected nearly 400 likes. People shared varied opinions while reacting to the share. While some agreed with the woman, others suggested it was not wrong for Zomato to send reminders on Mothers Day.

What did X users say about this woman's post?

Fed up with the extent to which these companies commercialise Mothers Day, wrote an X user.

Ma'am, sorry for your loss. I get that it might be a tough time for you, but the world doesn't revolve around you. Others still celebrate this day, and some people at Zomato are doing their jobs assigned by the company. If you feel offended you can always uninstall the app, argued another.

I've lost mine, but it doesn't mean the world needs to stop loving theirs. Let people celebrate; close your Zomato for a day, expressed a third.

These companies have become far too comfortable and intrusive, commented a fourth.

I see your point, but I'm not sure about the target - how did you deal with the other 100 places celebrating mothers in some way? Your friends' profiles, messages, adverts, shop decors etc? Easiest is to ignore something like this that connects with masses but not few individuals, wrote a fifth.

On Mother's Day, Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal prepared a special surprise for some of their employees' mothers. They were invited to the companys headquarters and honoured.

And here's the surprise! We invited the moms of our employees to celebrate the day with us at the office. Also got great feedback on how to run @zomato better. So much love all around today, Goyal wrote in an X post.
Gunmen on Tuesday attacked a prison van at a motorway toll in northern France, killing at least two prison officers and freeing a convict who had been jailed last week. The inmate was being transported between the towns of Rouen and Evreux in Normandy.(Rep image)

President Emmanuel Macron vowed that everything would be done to find those behind the attack as hundreds of members of the security forces were deployed for a manhunt to find the attackers and the inmate who were all still at large.

Two prison officers were killed in the attack and two others are receiving urgent medical care, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said in a statement.

The incident took place late morning at a road toll in Incarville in the Eure region of northern France, a source close to the case added.

The inmate was being transported between the towns of Rouen and Evreux in Normandy.

A police source said several individuals, who arrived in two vehicles, rammed the police van and then fled.

One of them was wounded, the police source said.

It was not immediately clear how many attackers there were in total.

"Everything is being done to find the perpetrators of this crime," Macron wrote on X.

"We will be uncompromising," he added, describing the attack as a "shock".

'All means used

Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti immediately headed to a crisis cell at his ministry.

"These are people for whom life counts for nothing. They will be arrested, they will be judged and they will be punished according to the crime they committed," he said.

Both the officers killed were men and they were the first prison officers to be killed in the line of duty since 1992, he added.

One of them was married and had two children while the other "left a wife five months pregnant", he said.

"I am frozen with horror at the veritable carnage that took place at the Incarville toll," said Alexandre Rassaert, the head of the Eure region council.

"I hope with all my heart that that the team of killers which carried out this bloody attack will be arrested quickly."

A unit of the GIGN elite police force has been despatched to apprehend the suspects.

Traffic was stopped on the A154 motorway where the incident took place.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote on X he had ordered the activation of France's Epervier plan, a special operation launched by the gendarmerie in such situations.

"All means are being used to find these criminals. On my instructions, several hundred police officers and gendarmes were mobilised," he said.

Prosecutor Beccuau named the inmate as Mohamed Amra, born in 1994, saying that last week he had been convicted of aggravated robbery and also charged in a case of abduction leading to death.

The case has been handed to prosecutors from France's office for the fight against organised crime known by their acronym JUNALCO.

Law and order is a major issue in French politics ahead of next month's European elections and the incident sparked fierce reactions from politicians, especially the far right.

"It is real savagery that hits France every day," said Jordan Bardella, the top candidate for the far-right National Rally (RN) which is leading opinion polls for the elections.
The Klamath River flows through J.C. Boyle Dam near Keno, Ore., on April 16. On Monday, work crews began taking down the dam as part of a historic dam removal project. Loren Elliott/Special to the Chronicle

The removal of the last of four dams scheduled to be taken down on the Klamath River began Monday as work crews descended on Oregons 68-foot J.C. Boyle Dam.

Located about 12 miles north of the California border, the earthen dam with two turbines and a power-generation plant produced hydroelectricity from 1958 to earlier this year, when the reservoir behind the dam was drained for the historic dismantling work.

The dam is being removed, like the others downstream in California, in a monumental effort to help rewild the 250-mile Klamath River, where fish, notably salmon, have been shut out of the rivers remote upper watershed since the early 1900s because of the power project. The $500 million demolition is the largest dam removal in U.S. history.

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With deconstruction starting at J.C. Boyle, three dams are now in the process of coming out. Theyre expected to be fully razed by fall, including Copco No. 1 Dam and Iron Gate Dam. The smallest of the dams, Copco No. 2, was removed last year.

Things are moving really fast, said Barry McCovey Jr., a member of the Yurok Tribe and a subsistence fisherman who grew up on the Klamath River and is now director of the Yurok Tribal Fisheries Department, which has advocated for dam removal. Every week its something new happening.

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J.C. Boyle Dam, which was originally called Big Bend, was named in recognition of the late hydroelectric engineer responsible for designing the dams on the Klamath River, collectively known as the Klamath Hydroelectric Project.

While not the largest of the dams, J.C. Boyle Dam provided the greatest amount of power generation, coming online during the post-World War II expansion of the project. The project served parts of Northern California and southern Oregon.

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The plan to remove the dams followed a decades-long push by tribes, environmentalists and fishermen in the region to see the river restored to its natural state.

Of course salmon will benefit because theyll have access to new spawning grounds and improved water quality, McCovey said. But because its an ecosystem restoration, theres benefits to everything. Bears will do better. Osprey and eagles will do better. Killer whales out in the Pacific Ocean will do better. And, the people of the Klamath basin will benefit.

The most recent owner of the project, Portland-based PacifiCorp, agreed to the demolition after determining that the cost of modernizing the facilities was not worth the power they generated. PacifiCorp along with the state of California are financing the effort. The dams do not provide flood control, nor water for cities or farms.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which approved the dam-removal project, recently OKd moving forward with the dismantling of J.C. Boyle, as well as Iron Gate. The authorization comes as the wet season winds down and regulators can be sure river levels will remain low enough to do the demolition work.

The razing of Iron Gate began late last month.

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An Air Force instructor pilot was killed when the ejection seat activated while the jet was still on the ground at a Texas military base, the Air Force said Tuesday. This image provided by the U.S. Air Force shows a U.S. Air Force T-6A Texan II taxiing down the flight line at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas. The Air Force says an instructor pilot was killed when the ejection seat activated while the jet was still on the ground at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas, when the seat activated during ground operations.(AP)

The instructor pilot was in a T-6A Texan II at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas, when the seat activated during ground operations on Monday. The pilot was taken to a hospital and died Tuesday, the Air Force said. The pilot's name was being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

The T-6A Texan II is a single-engine two-seater aircraft that serves as a primary trainer for Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps pilots. In a training flight an instructor can sit in the front or back seat; both have lightweight Martin-Baker ejection seats that are activated by a handle on the seat.

In 2022, the T-6 fleet and hundreds of other Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps jets were grounded after inspections revealed a potential defect with one component of the ejection seat's cartridge actuated devices, or CADs. The fleet was inspected and in some instances the CADs were replaced.

When activated the cartridge explodes and starts the ejection sequence.

Ejection seats have been credited with saving pilots' lives, but they also have failed at critical moments in aircraft accidents. Investigators identified ejection seat failure as a partial cause of an F-16 crash that killed 1st Lt. David Schmitz, 32, in June 2020.

In 2018, four members of a B-1 bomber crew earned the Distinguished Flying Cross when, with their aircraft on fire, they discovered one of the four ejection seats was indicating failure. Instead of bailing out, all of the crew decided to remain in the burning aircraft and land it so they all would have the best chance of surviving. All of the crew survived.
China poses a genuine and increasing cyber risk to the United Kingdom, the head of British spy agency GCHQ said on Tuesday, adding that while Russia and Iran represented an immediate threat, Beijing was an epoch-defining challenge. In a speech last month, Sunak said Chinese state-affiliated actors had conducted "malicious cyber campaigns" against British lawmakers. (File)

In the U.S. and across Europe there has been increasing anxiety about Chinas alleged cyber and espionage activity, with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government at the forefront of those accusations which Beijing has repeatedly denied.

On Monday, Sunak said Britain was facing a threat from "an axis of authoritarian states like Russia, Iran, North Korea, and China", and those warnings were echoed by GCHQ's Anne Keast-Butler.

"As the prime minister said yesterday, the next few years will be some of the most dangerous and transformational," she told a security conference in Birmingham, central England.

In her first major public speech since being appointed director of the intelligence communications agency last year, Keast-Butler said the threat from Russia was acute and globally pervasive, with concern about growing links between the Russian intelligence services and proxy groups.

Iran remained aggressive in cyberspace, and groups associated with Tehran have been implicated in attacks against victims in many countries.

But she said China was her agency's top priority.

"In cyberspace, we believe that the PRC's (People's Republic of China) irresponsible actions weaken the security of the internet for all," she said.

Keast-Butler's remarks echo similar comments by the heads of Britain's two other spy agencies, known as MI5 and MI6, and from her counterparts in the United States.

U.S. National Cyber Director Harry Koker told the conference Chinese military hackers were circumventing U.S. defences in cyberspace and targeting U.S. interests at an "unprecedented scale".

"In a crisis or conflict scenario, China could use their pre-positioned cyber capabilities to wreak havoc in civilian infrastructure and deter U.S. military action," he said.

In a speech last month, Sunak said Chinese state-affiliated actors had conducted "malicious cyber campaigns" against British lawmakers.

He said last week a "malign actor", which British media said was China, citing government sources, had probably compromised the payments system used by the British armed forces, accusations Beijing described as absurd.

On Monday, three men appeared in court accused of assisting Hong Kong's foreign intelligence service in Britain, while two others, including a former parliamentary researcher, will go on trial next year charged with spying for China.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a press conference on Tuesday that Britain had repeatedly hyped up allegations about Chinese spies and cyber attacks.
Israels government is concerned that the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague will issue arrest warrants against senior Israeli officials in relation to the war in Gaza. Those under suspicion could include Binyamin Netanyahu , Israels prime minister, members of his cabinet and generals in the Israel Defence Forces. The ICC has not said it is considering such a move. Yet Mr Netanyahu felt the threat serious enough to state on April 30th that any warrant would be an outrage of historic proportions. The ICCs chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, warned that threats to retaliate against the court could undermine its impartiality. On what grounds would the ICC issue such warrants, and what would be the consequences?

Several accusations of war crimes have been made against Israel during the war. The International Court of Justice, for instance, which is not connected to the ICC, has conducted inconclusive hearings on whether Israel is carrying out a genocide in Gaza. Unlike that court, the ICC deals with individuals rather than countries.

Read all our coverage of the war between Israel and Hamas

The list of those it has charged in its two-decade history is a 54-name-long litany of infamy. It includes Muammar Qaddafi, the Libyan tyrant for whom an arrest warrant was issued on charges of crimes against humanity five months before his death in November 2011; Omar al-Bashir, a former dictator of Sudan, indicted in 2009, but still at large, as the ICC website puts it; and Vladimir Putin, Russias president, for whom the ICC issued an arrest warrant in March 2023, for the illegal deportation of children from Ukraine.

It is not a list that Mr Netanyahu would want to join, evenor perhaps especiallyif the ICC also indicts senior Hamas leaders, as seems likely. The perception of moral equivalence with Israels foes would be hard for him to stomach.

As for the alleged crimes, Israeli legal officials suspect the ICC is investigating the obstruction of humanitarian supplies into Gaza, which international aid organisations claim has brought parts of the enclave to famine. The ICC could be considering an indictment on intentional starvation, a war crime. It might be partly based on the statements of some Israeli ministers, which suggested that Israel should impose a siege on Gaza and block all supplies to it in the wake of the October 7th attack.

Israel is not a signatory to the Rome Statute, which gives the ICC its powers. The country would be unlikely to hand over its officials to stand trial. Still, the arrest warrants would make Israel an international pariah, says one Israeli official. It would also make it very difficult for the individuals named to engage with their foreign counterparts. They would be liable for arrest when travelling abroad to the 124 countries that recognise the ICCs jurisdiction. Even America, which is not a signatory, would be reluctant to host them.

Simply the threat of indictment can be powerful. Israeli officials privately link recent attempts to increase aid deliveries to Gaza to the fear of ICC warrants. That is also one reason Israel delayed for weeks the next phase of its ground attacks against the remaining Hamas stronghold in the city of Rafah. Still, on May 7th Israeli forces said they had taken control of the Rafah border crossing, a crucial route for aid into Gaza, as they continue the offensive.

Some of Israels supporters argue that an international courts intervention is unwarranted because the country has its own independent judiciary to hold the government to account. A petition from five human rights organisations is currently being heard in Israels high court, demanding that the government do more to allow supplies into Gaza. On May 3rd petitioners argued that the government was not fulfilling the aid commitments that it made in a previous hearing. If the government cannot abide by what it says in an Israeli court, its leaders may find themselves soon having to answer an international one.

 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com
Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan, who has been in jail since August last in different cases, on Tuesday asked Army chief General Asim Munir to apologise to him for his "illegal" abduction and for backing the 'London Plan' and vowed not to cut a deal with the powerful military. Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan(REUTERS)

"On the morning of May 9, 2023, my illegal abduction from the High Court was part of the London Plan (to topple the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government and impose a hybrid system led by the Sharif family on the country), for which General Asim Munir should apologise to me," Khan said on X.

It is believed that his family is running his social media account.

Criticising Gen Munir, Khan said: "It is the misfortune of this country that a self-proclaimed King (Gen Munir) has taken hold of all the decision-making. I am currently in prison because if I am free, it will challenge the power of that one person."

Khan said the Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) - the media wing of the armed forces - and the Chief of Army Staff are making threatening political statements and involving the army in politics which is tarnishing the image of the army.

The powerful Army, which has ruled the coup-prone country for more than half of its 75-plus years of existence, has hitherto wielded considerable power in matters of security and foreign policy.

ISPR DG Maj-Gen Ahmed Sharif last week said that any dialogue with the PTI could happen only if it earnestly apologises publicly in front of the nation, promises to adopt constructive politics, and forgoes politics of anarchy.

Khan said when political statements and press conferences are held, political parties have the right to respond to them.

"When the government is given to people lacking democratic mandate, the country becomes an epicentre of corruption and chaos. The chaos that is seen in (Pakistan-occupied) Kashmir today is likely to spread across Pakistan. Form 47 (fake result) non-democratic governments have been established in the entire country.

"When a government is elected democratically, it is backed by the people. People value their elected government and if any issues arises, it is resolved through dialogue," he said, adding that people place no trust in the imposed governments in Gilgit-Baltistan, PoK, Punjab and Pakistan; hence the widespread unrest and frustration.

He said further backlash will ensue against Form 47 governments when the budget is announced.

He further said an artificial set-up has been imposed on the people in the country.

"This government has absolutely no authority. An unconstitutional institution like SIFC (Special Investment Facilitation Council, an initiative of the army) has been imposed on Pakistan and no one dares to question it. It was established with the sole purpose of bringing investments, while the Pakistan Business Council has openly stated that investors are withdrawing their investments instead of investing into the country.

"On the one hand, the nation was misled with the false hopes of the agricultural revolution and on the other hand, wheat importation to embezzle billions of rupees, has devastated the wheat farmer economically," he added.

Khan said in this bogus setup, the government is given to those who have all their wealth lying outside in the form of dollars.

"A leader has to make sacrifices and this group of Nawaz and Zardari will not sacrifice under any circumstances nor will they bring their money back to the country. General Musharraf and later ISI provided details to everyone including me on their looted money and today they have been imposed on us and their corruption charges are being cleared. The purpose of imposing this fake system on the nation is only to increase the power of this one man (Gen Munir) who has destroyed the entire country for his personal power," he said and vowed not to cut a deal with the military.

"This country is my country and I will never leave it. Moreover, any deal is also out of the question. Pakistan is being run in a dictatorial manner. Our total revenue is 13.9 trillion rupees, while we have to pay 9.8 trillion rupees annually as interest. The country can never progress with such a punitive use of coercive measures," Khan said.
BERLIN  The memoirs of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be released in November, nearly three years after her 16-year tenure leading one of Europe's biggest powers ended. Memoirs of former German leader Angela Merkel, titled 'Freedom,' will be published in November

The roughly 700-page volume, titled Freiheit , will be published on Nov. 26, publisher Kiepenheuer & Witsch announced Monday. Merkel co-wrote the book with her longtime assistant and adviser, Beate Baumann.

Merkel, a former scientist who grew up in communist East Germany, became Germanys first female chancellor on Nov. 22, 2005. The 69-year-old steered Germany through a succession of crises including the global financial crisis, Europe's debt and migration crises and the coronavirus pandemic.

The publisher quoted Merkel in a statement as saying that for me, freedom is not stopping learning, not having to stand still but being able to go further, even after leaving politics. The company said the book will appear worldwide in over 30 countries but didn't elaborate.

Merkel has generally kept a low profile since handing over to current Chancellor Olaf Scholz in December 2021. She has stayed out of the political fray and away from events of her center-right party, the Christian Democratic Union.

Merkel was named The Worlds Most Powerful Woman by Forbes magazine for 10 years in a row, and was seen as a powerful defender of liberal values in the West and a role model for girls.

But her record has faced criticism as well since she stepped down, notably her approach to Ukraine and Russia.

Merkel has defended her actions, saying months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion that a much-criticized 2015 peace deal for eastern Ukraine bought Kyiv precious time and she wont apologize for her diplomatic efforts. She also has defended her governments decisions to buy large quantities of natural gas from Russia, which cut off supplies in 2022.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday announced privatisation of all state-owned enterprises except those that are strategically important, ARY News reported.Sharif made the decision while chairing a review meeting on matters related to the Ministry of Privatization and Privatization Commission in Islamabad. In the meeting, a roadmap for the Privatisation Program 2024-29 was presented, which includes the privatisation of power distribution companies. The Pakistan PM has instructed all federal ministries to take required action in this regard and cooperate with the Privatization Commission. Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday announced the privatisation of all state-owned enterprises except for strategically important entities,(File photo)

Sharif believes that the privatisation of state-owned enterprises would save the taxpayers' money and help the government provide quality services to the people.

"Government's job is not to do business but to ensure a business and investment-friendly environment," Pakistan's PM said, news agency ANI reported citing ARY News.

Sharif has directed the live telecast of Pakistan International Airlines Company Limited's (PIA) privatisation, including, bidding and other important processes. The process of privatising other institutions will also be broadcast live.

ALSO READ| Pakistan Occupied Kashmir violence is a red signal for Islamabad

In the review meeting chaired by PM Sharif, it was informed that the pre-qualification process for PIA privatization is to be completed by the end of this month. As per the report, loss-making state-owned enterprises will be privatised on a priority basis. A pre-qualified panel of experts is being appointed in the Privatization Commission to speed up the privatisation process.

The review meeting was attended by federal ministers Khawaja Asif, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Jam Kamal Khan, Awais Ahmed Leghari, Abdul Aleem Khan, Musaddik Malik and Ahad Khan Cheema, PM's Coordinator Rana Ehsan Afzal, and other senior officers.

Earlier, on Friday, the Cabinet Committee on Privatisation (CCOP) had approved 24 state-owned enterprises for the privatisation programme and directed the privatisation ministry to deliberate the phasing of each entity in consultation with the respective ministries.
At least three civilians were killed and several others injured after the Pakistani Rangers, a paramilitary force operating under the Pakistan Army, on Monday opened fire at them, who were protesting against rising prices in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The incident happened on a day when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the immediate release of PKR 23 billion for the region after an emergency meeting took place in Islamabad amid rising clashes. Pakistani rangers cordon off a street during a protest by Kashmiri demonstrators of Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). (AFP)

Pakistan's Friday Times reported that the latest tensions stem from the non-cooperation movement, which began a year ago to protest against rising electricity bills and flour prices.

The peaceful protest turned violent on Friday when local police and federal forces, like the Frontier and Punjab constabularies, sent by Islamabad to protect Chinese workers and projects in the region, cracked down on the protesters. On Saturday, there were violent clashes between the police and civilians in PoK during a strike that paralysed the area. One police officer was killed, and over 90 people were injured in the clashes, as reported by Dawn.

Videos circulating on social media depicted civilians chasing and attacking police officers on Saturday, following a day of intense police action against protesters, which included the use of batons, tear gas, and road blockades.

The rangers were called in to maintain the law and order situation in the region and were supposed to return after the PM's announcement. Dawn reported that instead of moving through Brarkot, they chose to exit via Kohala. As they reached Muzaffarabad, the atmosphere was charged and they faced stone pelting near Shorran da Nakka village, to which they responded with teargas and firing.

Viral videos showed three ranger vehicles set ablaze on the Muzaffarabad-Brarkot road.

A spokesperson of the PoK government Abdul Majid Khan, speaking to Arab News, said, Despite the issuance of notifications to reduce electricity and wheat prices, along with addressing other demands, protesters attacked a Rangers convoy, leading to an exchange of gunfire that resulted in the death of three civilians and many injuries on both sides.

As per reports, the new electricity tariff sets prices at 3 per unit for 1 to 100 units, 5 per unit for 100 to 300 units, and 6 per unit for over 300 units. Commercial rates are 10 per unit for up to 300 units and 15 per unit beyond that. Additionally, the cost of flour bags has been significantly reduced. A 20 kg bag is now 1000, down from 1550, and a 40 kg bag is 2000, reduced from 3100.

Taking place under the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) banner, the protests have been led by traders. The protestors are demanding electricity provisions, subsidised wheat and an end to privileges for the elites. Police detained around 70 activists on May 9 and 10 to stop a planned long march by the JAAC. This led to intense clashes in Dadyal and sparked a large-scale "shutter-down strike".
On Monday, King Charles III arrived by helicopter alongside Prince William for a ceremonial event. He officially transferred command of Prince Harrys former regiment. A new book has claimed that Prince Harry asked his father, King Charles, a heartbreaking question after he was asked to leave Frogmore cottage (AP/PTI, James Manning/Pool via REUTERS)

The monarch named Prince William, colonel-in-chief of the Army Air Corps.

This exchange took place at the Army Flying Museum in Middle Wallop, Hampshire, where the two men found common ground in their experiences with the side effects of cancer treatment, during a conversation with Aaron Mapplebeck, a British Army veteran and fellow cancer survivor

The 75-year-old monarch empathized with Mapplebecks account of losing his sense of taste during chemotherapy, saying that he had faced a similar challenge.

ALSO READ| Royal expert says Prince Harry must mature in order to reconcile with King Charles: He has no respect for his elders

Charles snubs Prince Harry

Now, Prince Harry's long-time friend threw a question at his majesty, saying he had time for all of these things but not for his younger son.

A friend of Charles told The Time, Its all very sad. While he was hardly going to roll out the red carpet the moment this Invictus trip was announced, with doctors advising him to focus on his treatment and recovery, the idea that he refused to find space in his diaryWell, lets say recollections may vary once again.

A friend of Prince Harry countered, Could His Majesty not have made a request to see his son? It was widely known he was coming.

ALSO READ| Prince William takes off in Apache helicopter as King Charles makes him leader of Prince Harry's army unit

Prince Harry 'in tears' over King Charles' decision

King Charles announcement  is a real kick in the teeth for the son who always felt marginalized and underrated, royal author Tom Quinn told The Mirror UK, and it left Prince Harry in tears.

What makes it much worse is that the role is being given to the very man who Harry sees as the cause of so many of his problems  his brother, Quinn added.
An angry royal commentator has blasted Prince Harry and Meghan Markle over their recent Nigeria tour. Mail on Sunday Editor at Large Charlotte Griffiths branded the tour a farce. Royal commentator brands Prince Harry, Meghan Markle's Nigeria tour a farce (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)(AP)

Its a fake royal tour, she said, according to GB News. Theyre cosplaying how to be royal and it was also a fashion show, as far as I can tell.

Its just a farce

There was one event where Meghan changed halfway through the event. She just rushed off to a side door to change, Griffiths added. Shes wearing an outfit that costs around 3000, in Nigeria, where there is a lot of poverty. Its just a farce. But at least it has given us some laughs because that clip of them staring straight ahead during the national anthem is just hilarious.

On the trip, Meghan is said to have explored her heritage. Several years ago, she discovered through a genealogy test that she is 43 percent Nigerian. According to Griffiths, although she expected Meghan to hammer home the point, she did not think the Duchess would do it so often.

She called it the motherland over and over again, she said. She said that shes home and amongst her family, maybe the Americans will enjoy it. But I take these things with too much of a pinch of salt, I must be a cynic in my old age.

Meghan engaged in conversations with locals and posed with them for selfies. She also co-hosted a womens leadership event with Ngoni Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation.

Previously, royal commentator Angela Levin said Meghan was awful and rude during an interaction while on the trip. She was very rude because one of the teachers was talking to her and there were two girls there joining in politely, Levin said, adding that the bored Duchess then sort of pulled Harry", which she usually does.
Beijing's top diplomat in London on Tuesday warned that the UK risked jeopardising relations with China, after he was hauled in by the government for a dressing down over spying claims. China ambassador to UK Zheng Zeguang (File)

The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office said it summoned Zheng Zeguang a day after three people were charged with assisting Hong Kong's intelligence service.

It made clear to him that "the recent pattern of behaviour directed by China against the UK, including cyberattacks, reports of espionage links and the issuing of bounties, is not acceptable", a spokesperson said.

Zheng confirmed the meeting in a statement on his embassy's website and said that during it he made "further, serious representations to the UK side on the UK's wrongful behaviour".

That included its "unwarranted accusation" against the Hong Kong government, and other "groundless and slanderous" accusations against China, he added.

"The UK must stop anti-China political manoeuvring and not go further down the dangerous path of jeopardising China-UK relations," he said.

"Hong Kong is China's Hong Kong. The UK has no right and is in no position to point fingers and meddle in Hong Kong affairs."

The summons came after police in London on Monday charged three people with assisting Hong Kong's intelligence service in a case that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesman called "deeply concerning".

Chi Leung Wai, 38, Matthew Trickett, 37, and Chung Biu Yuen, 63, all from southeast England, were subsequently released on bail after a court hearing.

The Hong Kong government said afterwards that one of the three men charged was the manager of its trade office in London.

China's foreign affairs commissioner in Hong Kong warned of a "firm and strong retaliation" against further UK claims.

Strained ties

London has been increasingly critical of Beijing since it handed back Hong Kong to China in 1997, accusing it of breaking its promise to rule the territory under the "one country, two systems" principle.

It has repeatedly condemned a national security law which it says erodes rights and freedoms, and a crackdown on pro-democracy campaigners in its former colony.

Zheng said the UK was "harbouring... wanted criminals" by offering residency and a route to citizenship in the UK of dissident Hong Kongers.

The summons will do little to improve strained ties between the two countries, which have been made worse by UK criticism of alleged human rights abuses against the Uyghur minority in China.

Last month, two men, including a former UK parliamentary researcher, were charged with spying for China, which was again denied by Beijing.

The head of the UK's intelligence, security and cyber agency GCHQ meanwhile warned that China posed a "genuine and increasing cyber risk".

"China has built an advanced set of cyber capabilities and is taking advantage of a growing commercial ecosystem of hacking outfits and data brokers at its disposal," GCHQ director Anne Keast-Butler told a conference on Tuesday.

"Through their coercive and destabilising actions, the PRC (People's Republic of China) poses a significant risk to international norms and values," she added.

Her agency now devotes "more resource to China than any other single mission", she added.

In March, the UK, United States and New Zealand accused Beijing-backed cybergroups of being behind a series of attacks against lawmakers and key democratic institutions.
A bounty hunter charged with murder in a mans death in Newark allegedly didnt identify himself and immediately pointed a Taser at the victim, prompting the victim to draw a gun on the bounty hunter, according to court records. Rafe Swan/Getty Images

A bounty hunter charged with murder in a mans death in Newark allegedly didnt identify himself and immediately pointed a Taser at the victim, prompting the victim to draw a gun on the bounty hunter, according to court records.

Charles Price, 49, pleaded not guilty Monday to the murder charge in Alameda County Superior Court. His attorney declined to comment.

On March 19, Price went to an apartment complex on Cedar Boulevard to detain Richard Turner on a felony warrant for weapons offenses in a case out of Santa Cruz County, according to Newark police.

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Investigators allege Price acted negligently and without regard for public safety because he failed to identify himself and pointed the Taser at Turner, prompting him to pull a gun on Price, which prompted the bounty hunter to pull out a gun and fire, according to the court records.

Police previously said an altercation occurred and both men exchanged gunfire.

An on-site security guard called 911 just before 5 p.m. to report the shooting. Price did, too, telling a dispatcher Turner had pulled out a gun, according to the court records.

Turner was taken to a hospital, where he died.

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured Ukraine on Tuesday that US military aid was "on its way", as Russia claimed a "deep" advance into Ukrainian defensive lines in a new offensive. President Joe Biden meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr ZelenskyPhoto/Evan Vucci, File)(AP)

Blinken's trip comes just weeks after the US Congress finally approved a $61-billion financial aid package for Ukraine after months of political wrangling, unlocking much-needed arms for the country's stretched troops.

"The assistance is now on its way. Some of it has already arrived. More will be arriving," Blinken told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"That's going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield," he said.

Zelensky thanked Washington for the aid, saying it was "crucial" and added that it was "important to get it as quickly as possible".

Zelensky said air defence was the "biggest problem" for Ukraine and requested two Patriot batteries for the Kharkiv region, where Russian forces have been advancing and pounding villages all along the border since Friday.

Blinken was on his fourth visit to Kyiv since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

After meeting Zelensky, he met Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Veterano, a pizzeria set up by a military veteran in the city centre.

Minimal human losses

Russia's surprise ground offensive in the Kharkiv region has forced thousands to evacuate and pushed Kyiv to mobilise troop reinforcements.

Ukraine said several civilians have been killed by Russian fire in the region, including on Tuesday two aged 80 and 83.

The governor of the Kharkiv region said 15 people were wounded by Russian strikes in the border territory's largest city, also called Kharkiv.

One civilian, a 47-year-old man, was also reported killed in the city of Nikopol in southern Ukraine.

In a call to Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the "intensification of Russian strikes" and the Kharkiv offensive.

In Moscow, Russia's defence ministry said on Tuesday its forces had captured another village in the Kharkiv region.

"Units of the North group of troops liberated the village of Bugruvatka in the Kharkiv region and advanced deep into the enemy defence," the ministry said in a statement.

The advance is the latest in a string of tactical successes for Russia on the battlefield this year after initial setbacks in a conflict that Russia hoped would be wrapped up in a matter of days.

Russia's incoming defence minister, economist Andrei Belousov, said that Moscow's priority was to secure victory on the battlefield against Ukraine while minimising human losses.

"The key task, of course, remains achieving victory and ensuring the military-political goals of the special military operation, set by the president, are achieved," Belousov told a session of the Russian parliament on Tuesday.

"In this respect, I want to especially emphasise 'with minimal human losses'."

The Ukrainian army has acknowledged Russian successes in Kharkiv but Zelensky has stressed that reinforcements have been sent there and Ukrainian "counterattacks are ongoing".

At a checkpoint outside the city of Kharkiv, a Ukrainian official said Russian forces had entered Ukraine through "villages on the very border that were complicated for us to defend".

Russian forces "are on high ground and are shelling us from there", added Volodymyr Usov, head of the Kharkiv district military administration.

The head of Ukraine's security council, Oleksandr Lytvynenko, said Moscow had massively upped its troop deployment for the new offensive in the Kharkiv region.

In an interview this week with AFP, he said Russia had sent more than 30,000 troops over Russia's border.

But he added that there was no threat of an assault on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city.

Bombs falling like rain

Usov, the Kharkiv district head, estimated there were still around 300 residents left in Lyptsi, a border village under Russian bombardment.

"They are shelling the villages, firing on everything they can," Sergiy Kryvetchenko, deputy head of the Ukrainian military administration in Lyptsi, told AFP.

Guided aerial bombs are falling "like rain" said one serviceman, who was resting after fending off Russian assaults in Lyptsi.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday pressed Kyiv's Western backers to accelerate the supply of weapons and air defence systems amid a new Russian offensive in the country's northeast. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky(AP)

"We need a noticeable acceleration of supplies. Now too much time passes between the announcement of packages and the actual appearance of weapons on the frontline," Zelensky said in an evening address after meeting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Kyiv.
OpenAI's Sam Altman has just taken the world to an AI revolution we had seen only in sci-fi movies. The newly launched ChatGPT-4o has the ability to see, hear, and talk like a real person. In launch videos OpenAI executives demonstrated how the latest ChatGPT can translate live conversations, tell bedtime stories in different voices and even give math lessons. OpenAI's new ChatGPT-4o can listen, talk and behave like a human, invoking memories from sci-fi film Her.(REUTERS)

OpenAIs head of frontiers research, Mark Chen, asked the chatbot to tell a bedtime story about robots and love.

Oh, a bedtime story about robots and love? I got you covered! an enthusiastic feminine, non-robotic voice responded immediately. Once upon a time, in a world not too different from ours, there was a robot named Byte. Byte was a curious robot. Always exploring.

If that didn't leave you shocked this will, ChatGPT helped a student solve a math problem, not just by telling him the steps but also making him understand the process. Many netizens worry this wil take away teaching and private tuition jobs.

As someone who spent a lot of time making a browser and researching it, I can tell you that this integration of ChatGPT on to the computer belies a greater purposeone where AI will eat the browser steadily. They will no longer have to be restricted by the Google's platform limits, Suhail, a tech influencer commented.

Here's another jaw dropping video that left netizens gasping for fresh air. ChatGPT participated in an online meeting and had casual and funny conversation with mates over dogs. By the way it can be interrupted in real-time and asked to change emotions.

Here's more - Now what GPT indulge in real-time translation and say bye bye to Duolingo. Murati Chen, and Zoph showed how ChatGPT-4o can translate a live conversation between Italian and French and how it can listen to you breathe and walk you through breathing exercises.

GPT-4o, short for omni, will power OpenAI's popular ChatGPT chatbot, and will be available to users, including those who use the free version, in the coming weeks, the company announced during a short live-streamed update. CEO Sam Altman, who was not one of the presenters at the event, simply posted the word her on the social media site X.

Gartner analyst Chirag Dekate told AP, the update, which lasted less than 30 minutes, gave the impression OpenAI is playing catch-up to larger rivals.

Many of the demos and capabilities showcased by OpenAI seemed familiar because we had seen advanced versions of these demos showcased by Google in their Gemini 1.5 pro launch, Dekate said. While Open AI had a first-mover advantage last year with ChatGPT and GPT3, when compared to their peers, especially Google, we now are seeing capability gaps emerge.

OpenAI's latest creation, has also sparked comparisons to the movie "Her," with OpenAI staff emphasizing its potential for human-like interaction. Following the launch, Sam Altman's tweet simply read "her," echoing the film's themes. Additionally, a staff member prominently features a still from the movie in their bio, hinting at the inspiration behind the technology's development. However, despite the technological marvel, questions arise about the ethical implications of such rapid advancements.

Drawing parallels to "Her," where Joaquin Phoenix's character develops a deep connection with an AI voiced by Scarlett Johansson, the resemblance between Johansson's voice and ChatGPT 4.0's responses is uncanny. Instances where GPT-4o laughed at jokes and expressed sweetness mirror the film's narrative, underscoring the potential for emotional attachment to AI companions.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson joined other Republican leaders who flocked to New York City Tuesday to stand firm alongside former President Donald Trump as he attends his hush money trial. U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson speaks at a news conference across the street from the Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in New York.(AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)(AP)

Trumps entourage on Tuesday included North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Florida representatives Byron Donalds and Cory Mills, and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who endorsed Trump after withdrawing from the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

However, Johnson arrived in New York when the US House was holding a crucial session to complete a vital business.

Speaking to reporters outside Manhattan court, Johnson said: President Trump is innocent of these charges." Trump is facing the first 34 of 88 criminal charges as he is accused of making hush-money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels to hide their alleged affair from the public ahead of US presidential elections.

Claiming that the judicial system in the US has been weaponised against Trump, he said: The system is using all the tools at its disposal right now to punish one president to provide cover for another.

He called the trials politically motivated, adding that they are a disgrace. It is election interference, and they show how desperate the opposition that President Trump is, how desperate they truly are, he added.

He went on to say that he is supporting Trump on my own as he is deeply concerned about this like hundreds of millions of people.

Also Read: Vivek Ramaswamy steps up attack on Biden administration as he joins Trump supporters at sham NY trial

US House in session with major agenda

Back on Capitol Hill, the House was scheduled to vote on the Federal Aviation Authority Reauthorization Act. House Democrats were also expected to confront a slew of messaging bills, or proposed legislation meant not to be approved but to entangle the opposing party in difficult political situation.

The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 includes several key AMFA priorities. The bill would require foreign repair stations who repair U.S. aircraft to adhere to rigorous safety and inspection standards as U.S. repair stations," according to US Senate Commerce Committee.

It would also provide $20 million every year to the FAA's grant program for AMT workforce development. It would also let military personnel who work on aircraft to shift into civilian AMT employment. It would safeguard whistleblower rights for AMTs to raise concerns about their safety without fear of punishment from their employers.

Trump uses hush money trial as loyalty test for supporters

Trump spoke with reporters before the proceedings began, while Johnson and other GOP leaders and his potential VP contenders stood behind him.

"I do have a lot of surrogates and they are speaking very beautifully," he stated. "They come from all over Washington, and they're highly respected and they think this is the biggest scam they've ever seen."

On being asked about such surrogates' capacity to make comments on the trial without being restrained by a gag order, for which Trump has been penalised and threatened with imprisonment, Trump said, "You ask me questions that I'm not allowed to answer."

He then complained about the courtroom, saying, "I've been here for nearly four weeks in the ice box," and added, "Vivek  can speak for himself."
Day 17 of Donald Trump's hush money trial was a display of solidarity, with key Republican leaders and possible vice presidential candidates rallying around the former president. On Tuesday, US House Speaker Mike Johnson, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Florida Reps. Cory Mills and Byron Donalds, and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy were pictured together at Trump's hush money trial in New York. Former US Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks outside the Manhattan Criminal Court as former President Donald Trump attends his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments linked to extramarital affairs in New York City on May 14, 2024.(AFP)

They were all seen entering the courtroom together as Trump started briefing the press ahead of Michael Cohen's testimony. Ramaswamy was spotted hooting and cheering for Trump as the former president talked about the support he is receiving from his party members.

Defending Trump and labeling the trial a sham, one thing that all Republican officials had in common was their dress code, which many netizens on X, formerly Twitter, speculated if they had pre-planned their attire. They were photographed wearing dark blue suits and scarlet ties, a look popularised by Trump.

Also Read: Donald Trump's plea to overturn gag order in hush money trial rejected as he blasts 'highly conflicted' judge

Netizens wonder why Republicans dressed up like Trump

CSPAN Editor Emmanuel Touhey shared a picture on X, showing four GOP leaders outside of the Manhattan Criminal Court as Gov. Burgum addressed the media.

Responding to his tweet, one X Democratic Representative Jasmine Crockett asked: Did they call each other in the morning to coordinate the fits?

Its cute how they all coordinated outfits for their mock indignation ceremony, another user wrote.

Republican strategist Brittany Martinez went on to say, "It's giving groomsmen vibes."

A fourth X user chimed in, Men's Wearhouse had a 4-for-1 sale! Good thing they got the memo to dress alike or Trump might've spoken out about their mismatched suits during the court's recess!

Trump's hush money trial entered its fifth week on Monday, with his former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen's testimony continuing on Tuesday. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office has charged Trump of falsifying company documents related to a $130,000 hush money payment made to former adult film star Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 election. The payment was made to cover up their alleged affair.

Trump, the probable presidential nominee, has pleaded not guilty to all 34 accusations, denying having an affair with Daniels and claiming that the lawsuit is politically motivated.
On Monday, former US President Donald Trump's fixer, Michael Cohen, took a stand in a New York court, and he has created a big gap in the legal defence of the former president. Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's one-time fixer and the star prosecution witness in the former president's criminal trial, testified Monday that he lied and bullied for his former boss whom he said told him to cover up an affair. (Photo by Steven Hirsch / POOL / AFP)(AFP)

Against everything Trumps lawyers tried to convince the jury that Trump wasn't aware of any detail about the $130,000 payment made to the porn actress Stormy Daniels, Cohen testified on Monday that the former POTUS knew the details of every penny he transferred to Daniels. Indeed, not only did Trump author the payments for the cover-up of his affair with Daniels before the 2016 presidential election, but he also personally pledged to pay Cohen for them.

Cohen said Trump asked him to take care of it.

ALSO READ| Michael Cohen takes the stand in hush money trial, recalls working for micromanager Trump

Cohen's testimony unveiled Trump's direct involvement

When questioned by prosecutor Susan Hoffinger, Cohen explicitly stated that Trump's approval was a prerequisite for any such disbursements.

Cohen emphasized Trump's explicit promise to reimburse him for the expenses incurred.

Everything required a sign-off from Mr. Trump, Cohen asserted in court.

But on top of that, I wanted the money back.

This testimony directly contradicted Trump's legal team's defence, which has sought to distance Trump from the hush-money payments, claiming they were done by Cohen and was unknown to Trump. However, Cohen's account aligns with similar accusations from other witnesses, notably Daniels's former attorney Keith Davidson, who testified to his understanding that Trump was the ultimate source of the funds.

ALSO READ| Trump overtakes Biden in 5 swing states; poll shows why US desires major change

Trump's reaction to these revelations was swift

Exiting the Manhattan courthouse, he lambasted the hush money trial Judge Juan Merchan and decried the trial as a scam.

Trump said, This is a scam, I think its its terrible thing thats happening to democracy in this country, and labeled the case a rigged deal.

Theres no fraud here, theres no crime here, Trump reiterated.

The Republican presidential hopeful is charged with 34 felony charges, accusing him of falsifying business records with the intent to advance an underlying crime.

Trump pleaded not guilty to all counts.
New York appeals court on Tuesday upheld gag order barring former president Donald Trump from making statements against witnesses, judges and others in hush money trial. Former U.S. President Donald Trump and attorney Todd Blanche arrive for his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 14, 2024 in New York City. (Getty Images via AFP)

In a five-page ruling, the appellate division, New York Supreme Court's first department, found that Judge Juan Merchan properly determined that [Trump's] public statements posed a significant threat to the integrity of the testimony of witnesses and potential witnesses in this case.

We find that Justice Merchan properly weighed petitioner's First Amendment Rights against the court's historical commitment to ensuring the fair administration of justice in criminal cases, and the right of persons related or tangentially related to the criminal proceedings from being free from threats, intimidation, harassment, and harm, the ruling said.

Merchan issued an order prohibiting the GOP leader from publicly making remarks on witnesses, prosecutors, court staff, or the judge's family. It does not stop him from blasting Merchan or Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D).

Also Read: Did Mike Johnson ditch crucial US House session to support Donald Trump amid hush money trial in New York?

Trump calls Juan Merchan an overseer of a kangaroo court

Notably, his plea was rejected a day after Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social and declared that Merchan is a highly conflicted overseer of a kangaroo court.



His fans and supporters quickly reacted to his post with a blitz of attacks on Merchan. The remarks quickly turned nasty. Some have called for Merchan and other judges who are hearing cases against Trump to be executed.

Treason is a hangable offense, one user commented. They should all be executed, added another.

Trump is charged with 34 charges of fabricating company documents in connection hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to hide their alleged affair ahead of 2016 election. Trump has denied extra-marital affair, claiming that there was no illegality with the payments. He has also pleaded not guilty.

Michael Cohen testifies in hush money trial

The former president's attorneys criticised Trump's former close aide and then fixer Michael Cohen for repeatedly attacking the GOP leader on social media and elsewhere in the run-up to his testimony, which kicked off on Monday, while Trump was barred from responding.

Merchan told prosecutors on Friday to inform Cohen that he should not make any further public statements on the issue.

The judge also concluded Trump had breached his gag order ten times since it was issued, ordering him to pay a $1,000 fee per violation and threatening that further violations might result in jail time.
A video has captured the moment a Delta plane went on fire, forcing people to be evacuated at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport last week. A video obtained by KOMO News revealed how a fireball exploded, with black smoke erupting from the Airbus jets nose below the cockpit on April 6. Fireball explodes on Delta jet at Washington airport (Photographer: Angus Mordant/Bloomberg - representational image)(Bloomberg)

Delta Flight 604 from Cancun, Mexico landed at the Washington airport safely. However, problems arose after the aircraft was plugged into the terminals electrical network, with the plug-in shorting out. Sparks were sent flying, and a fire sparked right below the cockpit of the Airbus A321 aircraft, according to a spokesperson for SEA Perry Cooper.

Cooper said that the pilots called for the emergency exit slides to be opened after they smelled the smoke. A passenger revealed that fliers began to panic when they were asked to evacuate.

I think people responded to that with panic, there was a little bit of jostling in the aisles to get to the exit, said Ashwin Menon, a Seattle software engineer who was with his wife at the time. But overall it was a pretty smooth evacuation process.

The passengers eventually walked out onto the wing of the plane and then stepped onto the inflatable chutes, sliding to safety.

It was like just jump out, jump onto the slides, and within a couple minutes everyone was out, Menon said. I was calmer than I thought I would be. Im quite afraid of flying.

Kudos to the airline crew

Cooper said that while two-thirds of the 189 passengers exited via the slides, the others went through the passenger loading bridge. The fire went out on its own. A few people were evaluated for possible injuries they may have sustained during the slide, but no one needed medical care at the hospital.

The passengers arrived into the terminal via a stairway to the loading bridge. They then went to international arrivals processing and customs.

Out of an abundance of caution, slides were deployed and passengers still on board deplaned via the rear of the aircraft. Passengers were fully evacuated, and those deplaned to the ramp returned to the terminal via the ramp stairs, Delta said in a statement. The aircraft has been removed from service for inspection and maintenance.

The electrical cord that malfunctioned is operating fine after being repaired. Kudos to the airline crew who reacted as trained with an abundance of caution, Cooper told New York Post. Rather have a little inconvenience than something that could have turned worse. An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the fire.
A bus carrying 53 migrant workers crashed and overturned early Tuesday morning in north central Florida, killing eight people and critically injuring at least eight, according to officials. The two vehicles collided, and the bus veered off the road, through a fence, and flipped, according to FHP.(X)

Speaking to NBC News, Marion County Fire Rescue confirmed that eight people were killed and 37 were hospitalised, with eight of them critically injured.

At 6:35 am, the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) reported a crash involving a 2010 International Bus conveying field workers and a 2001 Ford Ranger truck on State Road 40, 500 feet west of SW 148 Court. The crash site is situated approximately 45 miles south of Gainesville.

The two vehicles collided, and the bus veered off the road, through a fence, and flipped, according to FHP. All the migrant workers onboard were on their way to a watermelon farm. They were employed by a private firm and the company's owner was among those rushed to hospital, said the Ocala authorities.

Also Read: Travelling to Florida? Check out these best restaurants according to Michelin

Accident does not involve Marion County Public Schools Bus

Meanwhile, the Marion County Sheriff's Office rejected early reports that mistakenly claimed the tragedy involved schoolchildren.

The officials stated that a Marion County Public Schools bus was used to carry wounded individuals from the scene to the hospital.

Florida officials have blocked sections of State Road 40 West while they launched an investigation into the fatal accident.

West Highway 40 is still closed and will be for most of the day. If you're planning to travel on S.R. 40, please note that there's a detour in place: Eastbound on S.R. 40: Take U.S. 41 Northbound to West C.R. 328, then head East on West C.R. 328 back to S.R. 40. Westbound on S.R. 40: Take West C.R. 328 Westbound to U.S. 41, then go South on U.S. 41 back to S.R. 40. Plan your route accordingly and drive safely! Sheriff's Office said in a post on Facebook.
In a bustling metropolis like San Francisco, often hailed as the world's tech capital, immigrant entrepreneurs carve out their niche. Pritika Mehta gives advice on building network and staying resilient in tech capital, San Francisco(Facebook/SockSoho)

Against the backdrop of innovation and opportunity, Pritika Mehta, founder of Butternut AI recently shared some witty insights and tips to navigate the entrepreneurial landscape in the City by the Bay.

Mehta, whose journey from an Indian digital marketing geek to an immigrant to a successful entrepreneur mirrors the aspirations of many in the tech industry, took to X(formerly Twitter) to offer practical advice and words of encouragement to fellow immigrant founders.

Her tweet quickly amassed over 35k views.

The Chandigarh native started her X post, quipping, Ditch formal clothes. Be casual. If youre a billionaire, shorts and flip flops are your attire.

One of Mehta's key tips revolves around the importance of building a strong network within the startup community.

ALSO READ| GameStop stock climbs to 74% after Roaring Kitty returns with meme stock. Here's what happened

Get used to LinkedIn QR code wherever you go. Say bye to Starbucks. Its a passe here. Try blue bottle and local coffee shops. Collaborate with others. Help whoever you can. Karma is real. Dont ignore angels. Theyre helpful and are often send leads to big firms.Introductions by connected founders and super angels will get you meetings, she wrote.

Mehta suggests building connection in the City by the Bay

Forging meaningful connections in a city teeming with talent and innovation can open doors to opportunities, partnerships, and mentorship. By actively participating in networking events, joining industry-specific groups, and engaging with like-minded individuals, immigrant founders can tap into market.

The Butternut AI founder suggests, Dont get intimidated by successful founders. Youll be there too. Ignore obnoxious founders. Things might not work for long time and then they do suddenly. A friend came to raise seed. 72 rejections. 73rd gave him a check and intros.

Dont fear if you dont have the right background, schooling, accent and connections. Everyone gets a fair chance. SF is a majority-minority city. So, whoever you are and wherever you are from, youre a majority here.

ALSO READ| Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker calls out Joe Biden's delusional support for abortion: 'Our own nation'

The SockSoho pioneer emphasizes, Dont worry if youre coming from a new country. SF is so diverse, accepting and welcoming, and added, Ppl arent judging you on your present, theyll open doors for you if youve a vision for the future.

Mehta encourages immigrant founders to stay resilient. The entrepreneurial journey is rife with challenges and uncertainties, but perseverance and resilience are key to overcoming obstacles and achieving success.

Get ready for serendipity. Your surface area of good luck widens here, she suggests.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced a raft of charges Tuesday against a man accused of stealing more than $100,000 in merchandise with accomplices. Rafe Swan / Getty Image

A man accused of stealing more than $100,000 worth of merchandise from grocery stores, pharmacies and other shops throughout San Francisco pleaded not guilty to a raft of felonies, as prosecutors seek to dismantle the organized theft ring he allegedly helped coordinate.

District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced Tuesday that her office had charged Cuauhtemoc Ramirez, 20, of Daly City with multiple counts of robbery and vandalism in two separate cases that prosecutors seek to combine. Prosecutors have moved to keep Ramirez in jail as he awaits trial, due to the public safety risk he poses, a spokesperson for Jenkins said in a statement.

This California bill aims to stop theft at self-checkout lanes. Why are stores against it?

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According to the statement, Ramirez and his accomplices swiped items from Smart & Final, Walgreens, Safeway, LensCrafters, BevMo, ZGO Perfumery and other businesses in a spree of more than 24 thefts from Dec. 10, 2023, to April 17. In three instances, Ramirez allegedly threatened victims to seize items. On several occasions, prosecutors say, he wrecked property.

Prolific, brazen, organized retail thieves will be vigorously prosecuted; there will be accountability and perpetrators will face consequences, Jenkins said in the statement, underscoring retail theft as one of her administrations top priorities. She said her staff will continue its partnership with San Francisco police to arrest and prosecute perpetrators.

Despite the charges filed, the investigation remains active, spokespeople for Jenkins said. They ask people with information to call the Police Department tip line at 415-575-4444, or text a tip to TIP411 and start the message with SFPD.
During a debate on Monday, May 13, Rep. Jamaal Bowman insisted the phrase from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free is not hateful. The phrase, in simple words, calls for the destruction of Israel. Jamaal Bowman insists from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free is not a hateful slogan (Photo by Anna Moneymaker / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)(Getty Images via AFP)

The two-term congressman, during Mondays News 12 debate against Westchester County Executive George Latimer, defended anti-Israel protesters who use the phrase. The debate comes ahead of Junes Democratic primary. Notably, the Anti-Defamation League has said the controversial slogan calls for the annihilation of the Jewish state.

I know some do, others dont, I do not, Bowman said in response to a question from a member of the audience.

Hitting back, Latimer said, I think it is hate speech because I think its clear that from the river to the sea has meant specifically the eradication of the Jewish population from the land of Israel. Latimer added that it is possible that some protesters chant the phrase without knowing what it actually means.

Whats behind the marketing campaign thats being advanced is to try to delegitimize Israel and that there be a free Palestine is a hopeful sign, but it has to accept the fact that there is an Israel there as well, he said.

Earlier in the debate, Bowman insisted that he believes in Israels right to exist. He also said he wants a two-state solution.

Bowman has been a vocal critic of Israel. After the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, he called for a permanent ceasefire. He has consistently blasted Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

What does the Anti-Defamation League say about the controversial phrase?

On its website, the Anti-Defamation League says that the slogan From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free is antisemitic and is a call for a Palestinian state extending from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, territory that includes the State of Israel, which would mean the dismantling of the Jewish state.

It is an antisemitic charge denying the Jewish right to self-determination, including through the removal of Jews from their ancestral homeland, the website insists. The website adds that using the slogan can make members of the Jewish and pro-Israel community feel unsafe and ostracized.
President Joe Biden is set to host a star-studded fundraiser in Los Angeles in June, hosting stars like George Clooney and Julia Roberts. The guest list also features former president Barack Obama, as well as other top surrogates and supporters, a Biden campaign official told New York Post. Joe Biden set to host star-studded fundraiser in June (REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz)(REUTERS)

Roberts and Clooney will also take part in a contest as part of the campaign. This is expected to be blasted out on social media, digital advertisements, and emails and text messages in an attempt to engage grassroots donors, the Biden re-election official said.

It has been said that the Ticket to Paradise stars will also be pictured in the campaign materials so more votes can be reached. Back in 2020, Clooney endorsed Biden and held a virtual fundraiser for him. He is also known to have supported Obamas two terms. He went on to endorse Hillary Clinton during her presidential run in 2016.

Obama had already been enlisted to campaign for Biden. He even joined Biden in March for a Radio City Music Hall fundraiser in Manhattan, where former president Bill Clinton was also present. The three of them notably raised over $25 million at the event, where tickets ran for up to $500,000 each.

What is the aim of the June fundraiser?

The mega fundraiser in June will aim at shoring up more money for the Biden campaign. It also intends to grow the significant financial advantage Bidens re-election camp has over Donald Trump, the official said.

Trump has already hosted various huge donor events. In April, he hosted a large fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago, generating a record-breaking $50.5 million. The former presidents campaign acknowledged that they will possibly not be able to reach Bidens level of cash. However, they are certain that their strategy will be good enough to come out on top in November this year.
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker in a recent speech blasted Joe Biden over his delusional support for abortion. The three-time Super Bowl winner made the remarks during a commencement speech Saturday, May 11, at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. He also questioned the federal governments response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and addressed various other political, religious and cultural issues in his 20-minute speech. Harrison Butker calls out Joe Biden's delusional support for abortion (@greg_price11/X)

As a group, you witnessed firsthand how bad leaders who dont stay in their lane can have a negative impact on society, 28-year-old Butker said, referring to the COVID-19 lockdowns, while addressing the graduates of the Catholic liberal arts school.

While COVID might have played a large role throughout your formative years, it is not unique, he added. Bad policies and poor leadership have negatively impacted major life issues. Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as a growing support for degenerate cultural values and media, all stem from the pervasiveness of disorder.

Our own nation is led by a man who

Shifting his focus on Biden, Butker said, Our own nation is led by a man who publicly and proudly proclaims his Catholic faith, but at the same time is delusional enough to make the sign of the cross during a pro-abortion rally.

Butker was referring to Bidens strange use of the gesture, which Catholics are seen making before and after a prayer. The president made the gesture last month while listening to pro-abortion remarks by Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried. Biden happens to be the second-ever Roman Catholic president of America.

He has been so vocal in his support for the murder of innocent babies that Im sure to many people it appears that you can be both Catholic and pro-choice, Butker said.

He is not alone. From the man behind the Covid lockdowns, to the people pushing dangerous gender ideologies onto the youth of America, they all have a glaring thing in common  they are Catholic. This is an important reminder that being Catholic alone doesnt cut it, he added.

The kicker told the grads they must stop pretending that the Church of nice is a winning proposition. He also encouraged them to express their opposition to what he believes are declining morals.

While calling for voters to re-elect him, Biden has emphasised the need to elect a Democratic House and Senate that will codify the right to an abortion across the nation after the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court in June 2022.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday arrived in New York to attend former president Donald Trump's hush money trial, marking a remarkable moment in the country's politics. Johnson's appearance to support Trump drew backlash from some Republican leaders, including former Representative Liz Cheney and Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.(Getty Images)

Addressing the media, he used his powerful position to slam the US judicial system and label the hush money trial against Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee for 2024, as an illegitimate sham.

The House Speaker, who is second in line for the presidency, described the justice system as corrupt. He went on to describe that "this ridiculous prosecution that is not about justice" but "it's all about politics."

Johnson's appearance to support Trump drew backlash from some Republican leaders, including former Representative Liz Cheney and Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Cheney, an ardent Trump critic, represented Wyoming's at-large Congressional District in Congress from 2013 to 2022. Taking to X, she chastised Johnson, who is renowned for his strong belief in religion, for joining the other GOP leaders to attend the trial.

Have to admit I'm surprised that @SpeakerJohnson wants to be in the 'I cheated on my wife with a porn star' club. I guess he's not that concerned with teaching morality to our young people after all, she tweeted.

Trump is accused of fabricating company records relating to hush money payment to former adult film star Stormy Daniels to stay quiet about their alleged affair ahead of presidential elections in 2016, when Melania Trump was pregnant with her first and only child Barron.

Cheney served on the committee that probed the Capitol riots. In December 2022, the committee issued an 845-page report claiming Trump was personally accountable for the unrest and recommending that he face criminal charges.

Also Read: Did Mike Johnson ditch crucial US House session to support Donald Trump amid hush money trial in New York?

Greene calls Johnson's appearance at Trump's hush money trial pathetic

Meanwhile, Marjorie Taylor Greene, an avid critic of Johnson, resorted to X to express her displeasure over NY trial attendance, arguing that the US House Speaker should instead be dismissing the Department of Justice's (DOJ) special counsel Jack Smith.

The Speaker of the House should be defunding Jack Smith instead of watching Pres Trump be persecuted by a NY corrupt DA in a politically weaponized judge's courtroom. Pathetic, she wrote.

Smith has overseen the federal DOJ investigation into Trump's alleged election meddling. In August, the GOP leader was charged with four counts in that case, including seeking to alter the 2020 presidential election defeat to Joe Biden.

However, Johnson attended Trump's hush money trial in Manhattan, which is a different case.

Trump, who has become first ex-president in US history to face a criminal trial, was indicted in March 2023 on allegations of falsifying company documents regarding to hush money paid to Daniels, who claimed she had an affair with him in 2006. However, Trump has rejected all the allegations and has pleaded not guilty, claiming that the case is "politically motivated".
Donald Trump's fixer-turned-foe Michael Cohen returned to the witness stand Tuesday, testifying in detail about how the former president was linked to all aspects of a hush money scheme that prosecutors say was aimed at stifling stories that threatened his 2016 campaign. Michael Cohen testifies as a Wall Street Journal article is displayed on a screen in Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in New York. Donald Trump's fixer-turned-foe Michael Cohen returned to the witness stand Tuesday, testifying in detail how former president was linked to all aspects of a hush money scheme that prosecutors say was aimed at stifling stories that threatened his 2016 campaign. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)(AP)

Trump, the first former U.S. president to go on trial, was joined at the courthouse by an entourage of lawmakers that included House Speaker Mike Johnson, who claimed the case was politically motivated. Their presence was a not-so-subtle show of support meant not just for Trump but also for voters tuning in from home and for the jurors who are deciding Trumps fate.

It was a remarkable moment in American politics as the person second in line to the presidency held a news conference outside while the proceedings were playing out, using his powerful pulpit to attack the U.S. judicial system and seeking to turn his political party against the rule of law by declaring the trial illegitimate.

I do have a lot of surrogates, and theyre speaking very beautifully," Trump said before proceedings began, as they gathered behind him in the background. "And they come ... from all over Washington. And theyre highly respected, and they think this is the great scam theyve ever seen."

Cohen resumed his place on the witness stand a day after placing Trump at the center of the hush money scheme. He testified Monday that Trump had promised to reimburse him for the money he fronted for the payments and that Trump was constantly apprised of the behind-the-scenes efforts to bury stories feared to be harmful to the campaign.

Jurors were following along as Manhattan prosecutor Susan Hoffinger, in a methodical and clinical fashion, walked Cohen through the process of his reimbursement for a hush money payment on behalf of Trump to the porn actress Stormy Daniels.

It was an attempt to show what prosecutors say was a month-by-month deception to mask the true purpose of the payments. Some members of the 12-person panel were taking notes and alternating their gaze back-and-forth between Hoffinger and Cohen.

As jurors were shown the paperwork and business records that make up the crux of the case, Trumps former fixer explained the purpose of the documents. Cohen reiterated again and again that he had no retainer agreement with Trump and that the payments were reimbursements, not for legal services rendered. It's an important distinction, because prosecutors allege that the reimbursement records falsely described the purpose of the payments as legal expenses done pursuant to a retainer.

Were the descriptions on this check stub false? Hoffinger asked.

Yes, Cohen said.

And again, there was no retainer agreement, Hoffinger asked.

Correct, Cohen replied.

All told, Cohen was paid $420,000, with funds drawn from a Trump personal account.

On Monday, Cohen delivered matter-of-fact testimony that went to the heart of the former presidents trial: Everything required Mr. Trumps sign-off, Cohen said.

We need to stop this from getting out, Cohen quoted Trump as telling him in reference to Daniels account of a sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier. The then-candidate was especially anxious about how the story would affect his standing with female voters.

A similar episode occurred when Cohen alerted Trump that a Playboy model was alleging that she and Trump had an extramarital affair. Make sure it doesnt get released, was Cohens message to Trump, the lawyer said. The woman, Karen McDougal, was paid $150,000 in an arrangement that was made after Trump received a complete and total update on everything that transpired.

What I was doing, I was doing at the direction of and benefit of Mr. Trump, Cohen testified.

Trump has pleaded not guilty and has denied both sexual encounters.

The testimony of a witness with such intimate knowledge of Trumps activities could heighten the legal exposure of the presumptive Republican presidential nominee if jurors deem him sufficiently credible. But prosecutors reliance on a witness with such a checkered past  Cohen pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the payments  also carries sizable risks with a jury and could be a boon to Trump politically as he fundraises off his legal woes and paints the case as the product of a tainted criminal justice system.

The men, once so close that Cohen boasted that he would take a bullet for Trump, had no visible interaction inside the courtroom. The sedate atmosphere was a marked contrast from their last courtroom faceoff in October, when Trump walked out of the courtroom after his lawyer finished questioning Cohen during his civil fraud trial.

This time around, Trump sat at the defense table with his eyes closed for long stretches of testimony as Cohen recounted his decade-long career as a senior Trump Organization executive, doing work that by his own admission sometimes involved lying and bullying others on his boss's behalf.

Trump's lawyers will get their chance to begin questioning Cohen as early as Tuesday, where they're expected to attack his credibility. He was disbarred, went to prison and separately pleaded guilty to lying about a Moscow real estate project on Trump's behalf.

Trump's defense team will likely cast him as a vindictive, agenda-driven witness. The defense told jurors during opening statements that hes an admitted liar with an obsession to get President Trump.

Prosecutors aim to blunt those attacks by acknowledging Cohens past crimes to jurors and by relying on other witnesses whose accounts, they hope, will buttress his testimony.

Jurors had previously heard from others about the tabloid industry practice of catch-and-kill, in which rights to a story are purchased so that it can then be quashed. But Cohen's testimony is crucial to prosecutors because of his direct communication with the then-candidate about embarrassing stories he was scrambling to suppress.

Cohen also matters because the reimbursements he received from a $130,000 hush money payment to Daniels, which prosecutors say was meant to buy her silence in advance of the election, form the basis of 34 felony counts charging Trump with falsifying business records. Prosecutors say the reimbursements were logged, falsely, as legal expenses to conceal the payments true purpose.

To establish Trump's intimate familiarity with the payments, Cohen told jurors under questioning that Trump had promised to reimburse him. The two men even discussed with Allen Weisselberg, a former Trump Organization chief financial officer, how the reimbursements would be paid as legal services over monthly installments, Cohen testified.

He said Trump even sought to delay finalizing the Daniels transaction until after Election Day so he wouldnt have to pay her.

Because, Cohen testified, after the election it wouldnt matter to Trump.
Michael Cohen, the star prosecution witness in former President Donald Trump's hush money trial, took the stand again on Tuesday. Text messages from Cohen to New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman entered as evidence against the GOP leader in the court. Defense attorney Todd Blanche cross examines Michael Cohen in Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in New York. (AP)

They reveal how Trump's ex-fixer sought to shield him from scrutiny over the hush money payment that is crucial to his ongoing criminal prosecution.

On Feb. 6, 2018, Cohen sent a message to Haberman saying, Big boss just approved my responding to complaint and statement. Please start writing and I will call you soon."

According to texts, Cohen told Haberman that he used his own personal finances to transfer hush payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, who decided to come forward with allegations of an alleged affair with Trump ahead of 2016 presidential election.

Trump is currently on trial in New York on 34 charges relating to manipulating company documents in order to hide a $130,000 payment to Daniels in 2016, when his wife Melania Trump was pregnant with their child Barron.

Haberman was in court on Tuesday when Cohen's messages were read.

"That's a true statement, but it's deceptive, misleading," Cohen told prosecutors during the questioning.

Meanwhile, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Susan Hoffinger interrogated Cohen if the statement he provided to Haberman was purposefully deceptive, he answered, "Yes," adding that it was important "in order to protect Mr. Trump, stay on message."

It wasn't the first time that text messages exchanged between Cohen and Haberman were made public. They were also shown to the jury during the hearing on the case on May 2.

Haberman, a seasoned Times reporter, is well-known in the media and political worlds for her coverage of Trump. She was a member of the Pulitzer Prize-winning team that reported on the ex-president's ties to Russia in 2018 and wrote a book in 2023 about his public life and first time in office.

Also Read: Michael Cohen returns to stand, testifies about hush money payment to Stormy Daniels

Netizens blast Haberman as propagandist for Trump

Amidst the ongoing trial, Maggie Haberman started trending on X as Cohen was grilled about his texts to NY Times reporter.

Maggie Haberman received a Pulitzer Prize for her reporting on the Trump administration. Text message receipts in court show she was collaborating with Michael Cohen to use her reporting as a mouthpiece for Trumps lies, one X user wrote.

Raise your hand if you ALWAYS knew NY Times Maggie Haberman was in the tank for Trump, a second user reacted.

Maggie Haberman of the NYT was Trumps mouthpiece during the Stormy scandal! Just goes to show the NYT has been doing Trumps bidding for him for quite a while. And they wonder why their reputation is in shambles" one more responded.

A fourth user wrote: Maggie Haberman is finally getting dragged for what we all knew - being Trumps shadow PR for the New York Times. Cue up the fake pearl clutching by the NYT.
Republican U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson has joined former President Donald Trump at his hush money trial in Manhattan on Tuesday, a person familiar with the matter said. Republican U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson is joined by former President Donald Trump at his hush money trial in Manhattan on Tuesday, a person familiar with the matter said.(AP)

Johnson, the top Republican in Congress, is the latest and most senior party member to attend the proceedings, in which Trump is charged with trying to cover up a payment to an adult film star in the final weeks of his 2016 presidential campaign.

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, widely seen as a possible Trump running mate, were also due to attend on Tuesday, along with hardline House Republicans Byron Donalds and Cory Mills and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

Ahead of Cohen's second day testimony, Trump said: The gag order has to come off Theres never been anything like this in our country. Its a scam.

Trump has already drawn support in the form of personal appearance from several Republicans on Capitol Hill including Republican Senators Rick Scott, J.D. Vance - another potential Trump vice president - and Tommy Tuberville.

On Monday, Vance, Tuberville and House Republican Nicole Malliotakis stood behind Trump in a courthouse hallway as he railed against the proceedings, the judge and his November rival, Democratic President Joe Biden.

Outside the courtroom, the lawmakers echoed Trump's theme that the prosecution is politically motivated and have attacked the credibility of Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen, a star witness in the case.

Cohen returns to the stand for more testimony

Trumps fixer-turned-foe returns to the witness stand and could face a bruising round of questioning from the former presidents lawyers as soon as Tuesday.

Michael Cohen's testimony on Monday linked Trump to all aspects of a hush money scheme that prosecutors say was aimed at stifling stories that threatened his 2016 campaign. He's the prosecutions star witness.

Trumps lawyers will get their chance to begin questioning Cohen as early as Tuesday.

Cohen placed Trump at the center of the hush money scheme, saying he had promised to reimburse money the lawyer had fronted for the payments and was constantly apprised of the behind-the-scenes efforts to bury stories feared to be harmful to the campaign.

Text messages, audio recordings, notes and more have all been introduced or shown to jurors in recent weeks to illustrate what prosecutors say was a scheme to illegally influence the election that year. And sometimes dramatic testimony from witnesses that included former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, ex-Trump staffers and porn actor Stormy Daniels added to the intrigue.

(With agencies input)
Days after Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava stepped down, runner-up Stephanie Skinner refused to take over the title as it didn't feel right. The Indian-origin pageant winner, 17, resigned last week after allegedly being bullied by the organisation's CEO, Laylah Rose. UmaSofia Srivastava abdicated her Miss Teen USA title, runner-up Stephanie Skinner refused to take over the title

Miss Teen USA runner-up refuses to take over title

Over the weekend, Srivastava and Miss USA Noelia Voigt, 24, abdicated their titles over bullying issues. 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," the former said in an Instagram post Monday.

Explaining why she declined to take the title, Miss Teen New York, 19, told New York Post, I ultimately came to the decision to decline it. I didnt feel like it was the right decision considering all the circumstances." Ive been working at this [title] since I was 12 years old. I missed birthdays, proms and personal high school events training for this. Its really like a sport. You dedicate your entire life to this goal, she added.

Taking to Instagram on Saturday, Skinner wrote, I have put every ounce of my being to work towards my dream of earning an esteemed national title and the platform to do good that comes from it. I have never had anything handed to me in life and I have tirelessly worked towards this goal of mine for years.

She continued, In light of recent events, I have decided to decline the title of Miss Teen USA 2023. This was not an easy decision. I hope for respect of my choice as this was a decision I never asked to make, adding, I gave my commitment to a global research carer opportunity in Thailand that will require me to live abroad for the summer.

Skinner also addressed the Miss Teen USA and Miss USA winners' step down from their roles. Although, I do not know exactly what Noelia and Uma went through to led them to resign, I am sending them immense love and support. What I do know is that my core values are integrity, honor, kindness, and most importantly I will always stand for female empowerment, she added.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have landed into trouble in California as their philanthropic efforts hit a snag. Archewell, the charity foundation started by the estranged royal couple, has been deemed "delinquent" by the state's Attorney General's office. This development throws a wrench into Archewell's operations, as it's now prohibited from raising or spending any funds. Britain's Prince Harry (L), Duke of Sussex, and Britain's Meghan (R), Duchess of Sussex, attend a charity polo game at the Ikoyi Polo Club in Lagos on May 12, 2024 as they visit Nigeria as part of celebrations of Invictus Games anniversary. (Photo by Kola Sulaimon / AFP)(AFP)

Prince Harry and Meghan Archewell found delinquent

Established by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2020, Archewell is a non-profit organization. Additionally, under Archewell Inc., they operate for-profit business divisions that concentrate on media production, namely Archewell Audio and Archewell Productions. According to a report by PageSix, the charity foundation of Harry and Meghan has been labelled delinquent and instructed to cease raising or spending money.

Also read: Meghan Markle claims Nigeria as 'My Country' after exploring roots; Keeps her promise after arriving late

Archewell delinquency status explained

In California, charities and foundations such as Archewell are mandated to submit an annual report and pay registration fees in order to maintain their status as a charity or foundation. In the new report, California's attorney general Rob Bonta stated that Archewell had failed to do either. This is where the financial trouble began. As a result, the California Charities and Foundation Registry listed Archewell as a "delinquent." This means that Archewell cannot raise or spend money until this issue is resolved.

An organization that is listed as delinquent is not in good standing and is prohibited from engaging in conduct for which registration is required, including soliciting or disbursing charitable funds. The document obtained by PageSix reads. The organization may also be subject to penalties and its registration may be suspended or revoked by the Registry. It adds.

Also read: Prince Harry chose hotel stay over royal residence offered by King Charles on UK visit

Archewell temporarily halts activities

This situation has temporarily halted Archewell's activities until the registration fees are paid and the annual report is submitted to the appropriate authorities. According to a source, Harrys foundation did file for registration; however, a check was sent but never received. The foundation itself was not informed about this and only became aware after receiving a delinquency notice. The issue is expected to be resolved in the next few working days, but until then, the foundation has to pause its activities.

Harry and Meghan, currently touring Nigeria as part of their Invictus commitments and a special invitation, are set to return to California. Despite stepping down from their royal duties in 2020, their trip to the African country was akin to a royal meet-and-greet, as they were hailed for their efforts and appreciation of the culture.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have issued their first statement since their charity, Archewell, was deemed delinquent. The non-profit organisation, founded by the Sussexes in 2020, received a delinquency notice from the California State Attorney General's office on May 3. While the state finds Archewell not in good standing, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex seemingly remain unbothered as they address their recent quasi-royal Nigeria trip in the statement released Tuesday. Britain's Prince Harry (2ndR), Duke of Sussex, and Britain's Meghan (R), Duchess of Sussex, react as Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu (unseen), gives a speech at the State Governor House in Lagos on May 12, 2024 as they visit Nigeria as part of celebrations of Invictus Games anniversary. (Photo by Kola SULAIMON / AFP)(AFP)

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle break silence after Archewell charity's delinquency row

Following their 3-day trip to Nigeria, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex released an official statement, thanking the country officials and community for their tremendous hospitality. Per the statement on the Sussex website, Prince Harry and Meghan concluded their unforgettable trip to Nigeria with a cultural reception in Lagos and a polo match fundraiser for Nigeria: Unconquered.

The couple was greeted with a beautiful pre-game parade  a vibrant display of young enthusiasts in polo gear, proudly waving the green and white flags of Nigeria  followed by a procession of older children on horseback, setting the tone for a day filled with sport and spirit, the statement continues.

The friendly rivalry between the teams, aptly named Duke vs Duchess, added a layer of excitement to the event, with the Duchesss team claiming victory with a score of 5-3. The day was capped off with the couple presenting medals, a gesture of appreciation for the players prolific talent and dedication, it adds.

Prince Harry and Meghan concluded their message with, The Duke and Duchess would like to extend their deepest gratitude to all the event organizers, military officials and the whole Nigerian community for their tremendous hospitality and the first of many memorable trips.

Archewell charity receives delinquency notice

Ahead of their unforgettable trip to Nigeria, Prince Harry and Meghan were notified about their charity's delinquent status in a letter issued by the California State Attorney General. The letter states that Archewell Foundation is now prohibited from engaging in conduct for which registration is required, including soliciting or disbursing charitable funds. The organization may also be subject to penalties, and its registration may be suspended or revoked by the Registry, it adds.
An Alameda County ID card for Frank Somerville, who will serve in the Sheriff's Work Alternative Program. The former KTVU news anchor was allowed to avoid jail time by enrolling in a work program overseen by the Sheriffs Office. Provided by Frank Somerville

For the second time, former Bay Area news anchor Frank Somerville has avoided jail time for a misdemeanor conviction and will instead enroll in a work program overseen by the Alameda County Sheriff.

An Alameda County Superior Court Judge referred Somerville to the Sheriffs Work Alternative Program during a hearing Monday at which the once omnipresent KTVU journalist received a 30-day jail sentence after pleading no contest to alcohol-related reckless driving and admitting to a probation violation. Both charges stemmed from a family drama that turned violent in June, when Somerville confronted his brother at their dads house in the Berkeley hills, and the two came to blows.

Berkeley police arrested Somerville twice in a nine-hour span in 2023 on June 5 and 6  first for the altercation with his brother, Mark Somerville, and later for returning to the home intoxicated and incessantly ringing the doorbell after his release from jail. At the time, Somerville was on probation for a separate crime in 2021, when he plowed his Porsche into another car in Oakland, while driving with a blood alcohol concentration of three times the legal limit.

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On each occasion, he entered the work program, an alternative to incarceration for people convicted of low-level crimes. Conceived as a substitute for sentences of 365 days or fewer, the program allows participants to fulfill their allotted work hours on weekends, so that they can maintain jobs, attend school or fulfill other obligations during the week.

When Somerville last entered the work program in 2022, he washed police cars for eight to 10 hours a day. He might also be asked to pick up trash, move furniture or perform some other form of manual labor, said his attorney, Shannan Dugan.

She saw the work alternative as a just punishment, considering the level of the crime.

Not every offense belongs in jail, Dugan said.

Somerville struck a combative tone in an interview Tuesday morning, saying he had been vindicated by the plea deal, and emphasizing that prosecutors had dropped charges of trespassing, assault and making criminal threats.

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In addition to the work program, the court required Somerville to attend nine months of substance abuse counseling, pay a fine of $829 and stay 100 yards from his brother, which is fine with me, he said.

The DMV isnt even suspending my license, he said.

A representative of the Alameda County Sheriffs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Prince Harry's recent visit to a military base in Nigeria has sparked controversy. The Duke and the Duchess of Sussex recently took a trip to the African country as part of their Invictus commitments and toured various regions, including the capital Abuja and vibrant Lagos. Harry who stepped back from senior royal duties in 2020 and subsequently gave up his honorary military titles, was caught in a video inspecting troops in a manner some dubbed as "cringeworthy" and inappropriate for someone who no longer holds an official military position. Britain's Prince Harry (C), Duke of Sussex, waves to the crowd as he arrives with Britain's Meghan (unseen), Duchess of Sussex, for an exhibition sitting volleyball match at Nigeria Unconquered, a local charity organisation that supports wounded, injured, or sick servicemembers, in Abuja on May 11, 2024 as they visit Nigeria as part of celebrations of Invictus Games anniversary. (Photo by Kola SULAIMON / AFP)(AFP)

Prince Harry caught inspecting Nigerian troops

He is not a working royal why is he acting like one, an internet user wrote on X (Twitter) commenting on a video of the Duke inspecting the Nigerian troops. Several videos of the event emerged spotlighting the rebellious royal visiting the Nigerian Defence Headquarters in Abuja, where he was welcomed with ceremonial performances. A royal commentator criticised the couple for still cashing in the name of the Royal family despite stepping back from their royal duties in 2020.

Also read: Prince Harry and Meghans charity ordered to stop, facing delinquency; can only resume after

Harry receives flak for showing odd behaviour at Nigerian defence headquarters

Royal followers were not impressed with what they saw. Despite being the guest of Nigeria's highest-ranking military official, Christopher Musa, many found it extremely odd the way Harry tried to relive his old days, something he would have done 10 years ago.

Why King Charles cant stop them? They really think its a Royal Tour. Its cringy, a user wrote on social media. Several others chimed in too. Cmmon he is not even the working royal why is he doing this. Harry has only been away playing dress up, pretending to inspect the troops and standing to attention to the National Anthem as though he's still a Senior working Royal representing King & Country.

However, few even rallied to defend the Duke citing he was the special guest of the day, invited personally by the officials. know theres not a head of state involved but I guess that the head of the military can invite anyone who is his guest to inspect the troops. Prince Harry was invited on this private visit as Patron of the IG so its up to Nigeria to decide on the programme. Just ignore it!"

Also read: Miss USA scandal explained: Indian origin Miss Teen resigns amid toxic culture, financial trouble, mistreatment claims

Prince William receives the honourary military title

The divided views come on the heels of Prince William receiving the title of Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps, a post that many thought would go to Prince Harry because of his close relationship with the title. However, the Prince of Wales is now the head of the regiment once served by Harry during his time in the British Army. Prince Harry, who served for 10 years, rose to the rank of Apache helicopter commander and was deployed in Afghanistan twice.
In Manhattan's ongoing trial against former President Donald Trump, his former fixer Michael Cohen's testimony unearthed startling revelations about Trump's mindset regarding his marriage to Melania Trump, particularly amid the Stormy Daniels affair saga. Trump's former fixer, Michael Cohen, claims Melania was the one who coined the term locker room talk to save Trump's public image.(AFP)

Cohen, a key witness in the hush money case, disclosed Trump's shocking response to the potential exposure of his alleged affair with Daniels mere weeks before the 2016 election.

Amidst the possibility of Stormy going public, Cohen recalled asking his boss how things were going "upstairs" with his wife, to which Trump suggested he wouldn't be single long after. Trump's callous dismissal was stark. "How long do you think I'm going to be on the market for?" Trump allegedly quipped, displaying readiness to discard Melania if the need arose.

"He wasn't thinking about Melania," Cohen said from the stand Monday. "This was all about the campaign."

While Trump appeared indifferent to the marital implications, Cohen emphasized Trump's anxiety over the potential fallout on his presidential aspirations. He fretted over the scandal influencing his already strained relationship with female voters, confiding in Cohen, "Women will hate me. Guysthey'll think it's cool, but this is an immediate disaster for the campaign."

Cohen wasn't certain whether Melania knew about the Stormy affair but his testimony revealed Melania's role in managing the crisis. He revealed, it was Melania who suggested to spin the Access Hollywood tape incident as "locker room talk" to mitigate its impact on Trump's public image. Melania even proactively reached out to Cohen, urging him to communicate directly with Trump amidst fears of Daniels' story leaking to the press.

Regarding the hush money payment, Cohen divulged Trump's directive to delay payment until after the election, banking on a potential victory to neutralize the issue. However, sensing the urgency of the situation, Cohen went ahead with the payment, expecting reimbursement from Trump post-election.
After Donald Trump took a subtle dig at New Jersey rock icon Bruce Springsteen, ex-former president's son Eric Trump hailed his father for holding a massive Jersey Shore rally on Saturday. He claimed that the GOP leader is more popular than Springsteen. Appearing on Fox News' The Ingraham Angle, Eric blasted the ongoing hush money trial and Democrats, claiming that they wanna take my father down in New York.(AP)

Appearing on Fox News' The Ingraham Angle, Eric blasted the ongoing hush money trial and Democrats, claiming that they wanna take my father down in New York. They wanna do it civilly, they wanna do it criminally, they wanna do it in Georgia, they want to try to do it in Washington, D.C, he stated.

He went on to say that they have a damn mission to go after his father because he is winning in every single poll ahead of the November elections.

They go to the farthest-left areas of this country, they have radical prosecutors all with one thing in common, theyre all funded by Soros, every single one, Eric added.

Trump's son then highlighted the support his father received during his Saturday campaign rally in Wildwood, which reportedly drew roughly 100,000 people.

When you see Wildwood on Saturday, where he has 100,000 people show up. 100,000 people. I mean, Bruce Springsteen cant pull half of that amount! he claimed.

It is to mention that Springsteen has drawn some of the largest audiences in history. He performed in East Berlin in 1988 before hundreds of thousands of fans. While 160,000 tickets to the performance were officially sold, the number of attendance has been projected to be as high as 300,000.

Eric was mocked for his remarks on the iconic star, with one X user reminding him that Bruce Springsteen played in front of a crowd of 300,000 in East Berlin in 1988.

LOL! There were NOT 100K people at Trump's NJ rally! Maybe 15K!, another chimed in.

There weren't 100K people there. Stop. Lying, a third user reacted.

Also Read: Trump was ready to replace wife Melania amidst Stormy scandal saga, but locker room talk phrase was coined by her

Eric Trump tweets from Manhattan courtroom to blast Michael Cohen

Meanwhile, Eric attended his father's ongoing trial in New York on Monday and took the opportunity to live-tweet while sitting in the front row of the Manhattan courtroom.

Trump is facing criminal charges for making hush money payments to former adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep her silent about their alleged affair ahead of the 2016 presidential elections.

Taking to X, Eric slammed Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal attorney turned adversary, as he was testifying as the prosecution's star witness in the case.

"I have never seen anything more rehearsed!" Eric tweeted, despite the fact that cellphones are not authorised to be used for many people, including journalists, in the courtroom.

However, Business Insider, citing court authorities, reported that there is a relaxation for lawyers and individuals in the first row.

Netizens react to Eric's tweet as Cohen testifies

Reacting to his tweet, Model Jules Morgan wrote: Wait, why are you using your phone in the courtroom? Yet another example that the Trump family believes that rules dont apply to them.

Tell your daddy to testify. Lets see how he does, another X user commented.

On Monday, Cohen testified that his job included molding the media's opinion of Donald Trump and attempting to keep negative news about him out of the papers. Cohen said that he occasionally lied for Trump and intimidated others to please him.

"The only thing that was on my mind was to accomplish a task to make him happy," Cohen stated before the jury.

The Manhattan district attorney's office has charged Trump with 34 felonies for fabricating company records. However, Trump has rejected all the allegations, pleading not guilty.
Indian-American Republican leader Vivek Ramaswamy on Tuesday joined former President Donald Trump in Manhattan court as other GOP leaders and potential VP contenders arrived in New York to attend his ongoing hush money criminal trial as it enters its fourth week. Addressing the media ahead of the second day testimony of prosecution's star witness Michael Cohen, Trump said: Vivek Ramaswamy is here, the Speaker of the House is here. We have Byron Donalds. We have a lot of great people here.(AP )

Trump is accused of making $130,000 hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep their alleged affair a secret ahead of the 2016 election.

Besides Ramaswamy, a former Republican challenger and now a staunch supporter of Trump, US House Speaker Mike Johnson, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, United States Representative Byron Donalds, Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., ex-President's son Eric Trump and Republican National Committee (RNC) co-Chair Lara Trump also arrived in the court in show of GOPs solidarity.

Burgum, Donalds and Ramaswamy are considered potential running mate choices for Trump.

Addressing the media ahead of the second day testimony of prosecution's star witness Michael Cohen, Trump said: Vivek Ramaswamy is here, the Speaker of the House is here. We have Byron Donalds. We have a lot of great people here.

The gag order has to come off Theres never been anything like this in our country. Its a scam, he added.

He then read a statement from Jeanine Pirro, who brutally mocked Stormy Daniels on the show of Sean Hannity, calling the judge Juan Merchan a fool and crooked.

The ex-president went on to explain that his actions regarding the hush money payment were legitimate.

I paid a lawyer a certain amount of money we marked it down as legal expenses. So I had a legal expense and I marked it down as a legal expense. I didnt mark it down as a construction of a wall, construction of a building, I didnt mark it down as electricity, Trump said.

Claiming that there's no crime, the Republican presumptive nominee for president stated: Ive been here for almost four weeks in an icebox, they call it the icebox, listening to a judge who is totally corrupt and conflicted.

Also Read: Trump's son Eric claims ex-president is more popular than rock icon Bruce Springsteen, netizens say 'stop lying'

Vivek Ramaswamy blasts Biden administration over sham trial

Meanwhile, Ramaswamy took to X and chastised the Biden administration over the sham trial by referring to it as a politically motivated assault on the leading candidate for US President, green lit by his political opponent, Joe Biden, and carried out at the highest levels of the White House and Department of Justice.

He then slammed Matthew Colangelo, Bidens former number #3 at the Department Justice, as he is now leading the prosecution effort for Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, who himself ran for office on the promise of going after Trump.

Calling it an insult to American democracy, he went on to say that "no one has a clue what the alleged crime even is."

The irony here is that the crime is supposedly about bad bookkeeping, but the real bookkeeping scandal is how to account for Judge Merchans own family members being paid millions of dollars by Democratic operatives.

His entire legal theory depends on the ludicrous idea that Trump should have used campaign funds for a personal payment, yet if Trump had done that, theyd be prosecuting him for it - which is the ultimate proof that this is a politicised persecution.

Ramaswamy concluded his post saying, The American people will deliver the ultimate verdict in November: say NO to the weaponization of justice.

In another tweet, he said: Great to see President Trump in good spirits this morning. Headed to NYC courtroom now. Lets see whats going on down there, will share my thoughts over the day.

On Tuesday, Republican Sens. J.D. Vance and Tommy Tuberville, and Republican state attorneys general, Steve Marshall of Alabama and Brenna Bird of Iowa, and New York GOP Rep. Nicole Malliotakis were present in the court to extend support to Trump.
On Tuesday, the former Indian-American presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy is scheduled to join former US President Donald Trump at the New York court. Vivek Ramaswamy dropped out from the 2024 presidential race and endorsed Donald Trump on January 15, 2024 night. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP)(AFP)

Fox News claimed that he will be all day with Trump at his side throughout the hush-money trial.

Ramaswamy said in a statement, The best proof that the Trump trial is a sham: if DJT had done the exact opposite of the alleged crime, theyd still be prosecuting him & have an even stronger case.

Ramaswamy, who has long been touted as a potential vice presidential candidate for Trump, has vocally condemned the series of prosecutions targeting the former president.

ALSO READ| Donald Trump's former fixer Michael Cohen blew the former president's defence on the first day of hush-money trial

He contends that the criminal justice system has been wielded as a weapon against Trump in a concerted effort to obstruct his potential return to the White House.

During an April appearance on Fox News' Hannity, Ramaswamy said, Every one of these prosecutions is backfiring.

These people are sick and tired of being lied to. They're sick and tired of the lawfare, he added.

I've talked to many Democrats who disagree with Donald Trump on many policies but believe we're not a country where you're supposed to use prosecutorial power to eliminate your opponents.

Trump's allies rally in court

Not only the biotech entrepreneur but also US Senator JD Vance of Ohio, Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, and US Representative Nicole Malliotakis of New York, have attended court proceedings to show their support.

Attorneys General Steve Marshall of Alabama and Brenna Bird of Iowa have also stood with Trump in the criminal trial.

US Sen. Rick Scott of Florida was present with Trump in court just last week.

ALSO READ| Hush money trial: Michael Cohen admits he lied and bullied people on behalf of Trump

Vance expressed, The thing that the president is prevented from saying, which is a disgrace, is that every single person involved in this prosecution is practically a Democratic political operative.

The main argument in the case against Trump is the allegation of falsifying business records; prosecutors contend that Trump's former attorney and "fixer", Michael Cohen, paid porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 to silence her claims of an extramarital encounter with Trump.
Walmart is cutting hundreds of corporate jobs and asking most remote workers to move to offices, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. Walmart is revamping more than 800 store locations and adding high-end products. Photographer: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg(Bloomberg)

Meanwhile, workers at the U.S. retail giant's smaller offices in Dallas, Atlanta and Toronto are being asked to move to other central hubs such as Walmart's corporate headquarters in Bentonville as well as Hoboken or Southern California, the report added.

Walmart will still let staff work remotely part time, as long as they are in offices a majority of the time, the report said.

ALSO READ| Ground beef sold at Walmart recalled over risk of severe E. Coli contamination

Walmart employed approximately 2.1 million associates as of Jan. 31, 2024, according to regulatory filings.

Walmart's modernization plan

The company has been making moves to shrink its workforce over the past year and had said in April last year that it expects about 65% of its stores to be serviced by automation by the end of its fiscal year 2026.

In February 2023, it shut three of its U.S. technology hubs and asked hundreds of workers to relocate to keep their jobs, pushing for more employees to report to work from office.

Walmart didn't immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
New Delhi: The contrast could not have been more stark. While Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir recorded the highest voting percentage for the 2024 Lok Sabha at 37.98 after 1996, the Kashmiris in Occupied Kashmir were up in arms against step-motherly treatment by Islamabad since May 9. The trigger for protests was raiding and arrests of activists of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) on the intervening night of May 8-9. Violence in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.

Although the violent protests have been called off after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a package of 23 billion Pakistan Rupees on Monday, the conflagration is a red flag for Islamabad even as the economic disparities in Srinagar Valley and exploited public in Occupied Kashmiris increase by the day.

Although the Pakistan and western media tried to play down the PoK violence, the protests took place in Samahmi, Sehansa, Mirpur, Dadyal, Rawalkot, Khuiratta, Tattapani and Hattian Bala. It is understood that at least 70 JAAC activists were arrested, leading to a clash between police and protestors, as a result of which at least one police personnel and three civilians were killed and no less than 100 were seriously injured in the confrontation. The JAAC, a socio-political organization comprising traders, transporters and lawyers, has been at the forefront of protests in Occupied Kashmir due to rising costs of food (wheat), fuel and electricity bills. The JAAC had given a call for Long March to Muzaffarabad on May 11, which was preempted by Islamabad with raids and arrests of the activists on May 8-9. During the violent protests as many as three vehicles of Pakistan Rangers were torched with protestors chanting anti-Pakistan and pro-Independence slogans. The internet was shut down for the past week and so were schools and trading establishments.

Also read: Pokhran anniversary: Why May 11, 1998 is Bharats pivotal moment

The Pakistani paramilitary forces used excessive force to quell down protests with activists accusing them of human rights violations. So violent were the protests that PM Sharif had to call for peace with the protestors and in the end bow down to their demands for subsidized electricity and fuel. Apart from the local police, Islamabad deployed three battalions of Pakistan Rangers from Kohala besides Army.

Also read: View: Modi steals spotlight as NDA gathers momentum in Andhra Pradesh

Even though Pakistan police is blaming India for instigating the protests, dissent has been simmering in Rawalkot in Occupied Kashmir since May 2023 with activists up in arms against the provincial and federal; government over rises in electricity and wheat flour prices. This was followed by a boycott and non-payment of electricity bills. The electricity charges in PoK are five times the production costs and there is deep resentment in the locals over the same. The protestors have been demanding the following:

 Wheat subsidy similar to Gilgit-Baltistan,

 Electricity tariff should be based on cost of production from Mangla Dam hydroelectric project.

 Unnecessary perks and privileges of the ruling class (read Punjabis) and officials should be completely eliminated.

 Restrictions on student unions are lifted and elections are conducted.

 The Jammu and Kashmir Bank in Occupied Kashmir be made a scheduled bank.

 Municipal representatives should be given funds and powers.

 Cellular companies and internet services rates are standardized.

 Property Transfer tax be reduced.

 The Accountability Bureau should be made active and relevant amendments be made in the act.

 Restrictions are imposed on tree cutting and legislation is enacted to revitalize the local industry.

Also read: NSA Ajit Doval raises Sikh radicalisation concerns with UK counterpart

It is understood that the provincial government had agreed to these demands in February 2024 after a call strike was given in September 2023 for February 5, which ironically is celebrated by Islamabad propagandists as Kashmir Solidarity Day.
Several internal documents reviewed by The New York Times revealed that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has been overseeing a secret police force in Gaza for years now. The police force surveilled Palestinians and built files on people, including journalists, who questioned the government. This picture taken from Israel's southern border with the Gaza Strip shows destroyed buildings in the Palestinian territory on May 14, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP)(AFP)

The unit is known as the General Security Service. Their network of Gaza informants kept them updated; this included people who reported their neighbours to police. People who publicly criticised Hamas or participated in protests landed in the files. On some occasions, authorities allegedly followed people to find out if they had romantic relationships outside marriage.

Were facing bombardment by the occupation and thuggery by the local authorities, said Ehab Fasfous, a journalist in the Gaza Strip. Fasfous name appeared in the General Security Services files, having been labelled as one of the major haters of the Hamas movement.

The outlet got access to the files after they were handed over to it by officials in Israels military intelligence directorate. The files were reportedly seized during raids in Gaza. The documents include seven intelligence files ranging from October 2016 to August 2023.

What is the General Security Service and what does it do?

While the General Security Service functions like part of the government, it is actually formally part of the Hamas political party. One Palestinian individual with knowledge of the happenings said that this was one of the three extremely powerful internal security bodies in Gaza, the others being the Military Intelligence and the Internal Security Service.

Records revealed that the unit comprised 856 people, of which over 160 people were paid to spread Hamas propaganda. At present, the status of the unit is unknown.

Three Israeli intelligence officials confirmed that Sinwar directly oversaw the unit. A 62-slide presentation on the General Security Services activities, which were delivered weeks before the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 last year, revealed a lot of information on the unit. The officials said that the slide show was prepared specifically for Sinwar.

While certain slides focused on Hamas leaders personal security, some discussed how protests  such as the We Want to Live demonstrations  could be stamped out. Operatives from Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a militant group that partners with Hamas sometimes, were tracked by security officials.

Undertaking a number of offensive and defensive media campaigns to confuse and influence adversaries by using private and exclusive information, the document read.

The reports said, and Fasfous confirmed, that his phone was seized and he was asked to leave while on his way to a protest last year. He said he was approached by plainclothes officers. We advise that closing in on him is necessary because hes a negative person who is full of hatred, and only brings forth the Strips shortcomings, the document said.

In fact, Fasfous alleged that the officers snatched his phone and used it to send flirtatious messages to a colleague in order to pin a moral violation on me. While the report does not mention that, it does say that ways to deal with Fasfous included defaming him.

If youre not with them, you become an atheist, an infidel and a sinner, Fasfous said, acknowledging that he criticised Hamas online. He added that the people in Israel he was in touch with were actually Palestinians who owned food and clothing companies. He helped run these peoples social media accounts.

This General Security Service is just like the Stasi of East Germany, said Michael Milshtein, a former Israeli military intelligence officer who specialises in Palestinian affairs. You always have an eye on the street.

Analysts revealed that Palestinians in Gaza are afraid to express dissent, and live in fear. There are a lot of people practicing self-censorship, said Mkhaimar Abusada, a professor of political science from Gaza City. They just dont want problems with the Hamas government.

The General Security Service investigated a tip in December 2017 that a woman was acting immorally with a man. Without presenting any evidence of wrongdoing, the report proposed that relevant parties address the matter. Further, an October 2016 report described men and women performing immoral acts at a Palestine Liberation Organization office in Khan Younis. The acts, however, were not specified. The files also revealed that Hamas suspected certain foreign organisations and journalists.

Fasfous said that he complained to a government official in Khan Younis, but was asked to stop reporting and destabilizing the internal front. I told him I was reporting on the truth and that the truth wont hurt him, but that fell on deaf ears, Fasfous said. We cant have a life here as long as these criminals remain in control.
BUDEST, Hungary  When Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Hungary last week, he arrived to one of the few places in the European Union where his country is considered an indispensable ally rather than a rival. By the time he left on Friday, he'd secured deals that provide fertile ground for China's plans of economic expansion in Europe. Xi's visit to Hungary and Serbia brings new Chinese investment and deeper ties to Europe's doorstep

After meeting with nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Thursday, the leaders addressed a small group of select media in Hungary's capital, Budapest, announcing the formation of an all-weather partnership" that would usher in a new era of economic cooperation.

As most EU countries make efforts to de-risk their economies from perceived threats posed by China, Hungary has gone in the other direction, courting major Chinese investments in the belief that the world's second-largest economy is essential for Europe's future.

While Xi and Orban didn't unveil concrete agreements following their meeting, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto later said in a video that a deal had been reached on a joint Hungarian-Chinese railway bypass around Budapest, as well as a high-speed train link between the capital and its international airport.

The two countries also agreed to expand their cooperation to the whole spectrum of the nuclear industry, Orban said, and deals were reached on China helping Hungary build out its network of electric vehicle charging stations and on construction of an oil pipeline between Hungary and Serbia.

Zsuzsanna Vegh, a program assistant at the German Marshall Fund and visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said those deals were a clear signal that China sees Hungary as a key and reliable ally" in the EU as it seeks to reverse Europe's toughening de-risking policy.

Xi's visit, Vegh wrote in a statement, shows that Hungary's government "remains indifferent to its allies concerns and will continue to strengthen its bilateral ties with China in order to position itself favorably in what it perceives as a developing multipolar world.

Pursuing a similar strategy is Serbia, Hungary's neighbor to the south, which has also provided wide opportunities for Chinese companies to exploit its natural resources and carry out large infrastructure projects.

Like Orban, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has built a form of autocratic governance that eschews the pluralism valued in more traditional Western democracies  making both countries attractive to China as opaque direct deals help to eliminate red tape.

During Xi's visit to Serbia last week, he and Vucic signed an agreement to build a shared future," making the Balkan country the first in Europe to agree on such a document with Beijing.

Vuk Vuksanovic, a senior researcher at the Belgrade Center for Security Policy, said that Xi's interest in Serbia reflects his strategy of appealing to countries that are less committed to a U.S.-led economic and political community.

Xi's shared future agreement with Belgrade, Vuksanovic said, promotes Chinas vision of the international order, the one where China is much more powerful, the one where the Western powers, primarily the U.S., no longer have the ability to dictate the agenda to others.

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.

While Serbia formally wants to join the 27-nation EU, it has been steadily drifting away from that path, and some of its agreements with China aren't in line with rules for membership.

Vucic is friendly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and has condemned Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine but refused to join international sanctions against Moscow.

The red-carpet treatment by Serbia and Hungary has worried some of their Western partners, which see China's incursion into the region as both an economic and security risk. According to Gabriel Escobar, U.S. envoy for the Western Balkans, Xi chose to visit the neighboring countries because they "are open to challenging the unity of the Euro-Atlantic community."

"We caution all of our partners and all of our interlocutors to be very aware of Chinas agenda in Europe," Escobar said last week.

In February, Hungary followed Serbia's lead by concluding a security agreement with Beijing whereby Chinese law enforcement officers would be permitted to assist their Hungarian counterparts in police actions within Hungary.

The government has said the officers will ensure public safety among Chinese tourists and members of Hungary's large Chinese diaspora. But critics say the officers could be used as an extension of Xi's single-party state to exert control over the Chinese community.

As Orban has deepened relations with Beijing, he has also been engaged in a protracted conflict with the EU that has seen billions in structural funds frozen to Budapest over concerns that he has captured democratic institutions and abused the bloc's funds.

That money shows no sign of arriving any time soon, and Hungarys pursuit of additional Chinese developments shows its government "does not envision the possibility of financing such strategic infrastructure projects from EU funds, Vegh wrote.

While the inflow of Chinese capital is a boon to Hungary's sputtering economy, having production sites on EU territory also helps Beijing to circumvent costly tariffs and Europe's increasingly protectionist policies.

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, and has invited large direct investments in the production of EV batteries.

Such investments, Orban said Thursday, are what will keep Hungary competitive in the future, from wherever they come.

The concept driving the Hungarians is that we want to win the 21st century, and not lose it, he said.

Jovana Gec contributed to this report from Belgrade, Serbia.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Two-thirds of students enrolled at the country's top 25 schools reportedly say that antisemitism is a problem on their campus.

67% of students at universities ranked by U.S. News & World Report identified antisemitism as a problem.

14% called it a "huge problem." 53% of students called it a "small problem." One-third of students said antisemitism is not a problem on their campuses.

The survey was carried out as pro-Palestinian protesters have disrupted colleges across the United States. Some have led to claims of antisemitism.

The protests have led to hundreds of arrests and even the canceling of some graduation ceremonies.

About an equal number of respondents felt free speech rights on campuses were being protected or violated with about half finding they were neither protected or violated.

While a slim majority found that protests are not impacting campus safety, 10% of the students surveyed said they fix "much less safe" on campus.

The Anti-Defamation League reported earlier this year that at least 73% of Jewish college students surveyed experienced or witnessed antisemitism con campus during the past school year.

The News & World Report survey was conducted by Generation Lab between April 28-May 8 and 926 students took part in the survey.
China New Growth: Transformative AI makes Chinese automobiles smarter

Xinhua) 16:55, May 14, 2024

SHANGHAI, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Settling into the plush comfort of his vehicle cockpit, a driver surnamed Liu spoke to the sleek dashboard display: "Simo, how long before I reach home?"

"You have an hour's journey ahead," answered the onboard intelligence system supported by the large language model (LLM), an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered program that can recognize and generate multimedia text.

"Please activate the home air conditioning and close the curtains 30 minutes prior to my arrival." "Affirmative."

This scenario unfolded within Jiyue, an intelligent vehicle backed by Geely Auto, a prominent Chinese automaker, in collaboration with Yiyan, Baidu's LLM platform.

Despite the complexity of overlapping voices, simultaneous commands or ongoing conversations, the smart voice system can adeptly discern and address the unique requirements of the commander.

Its adoption rate has reached an impressive 98 percent among its car owners, who on average utilize the system more than 60 times daily, said Xia Yiping, CEO of Jiyue Auto.

"See it, say it, and get it done." Achieving this level of sophistication for smart cockpits is the goal of China's automotive industry.

China's competitive edge in the automotive market is not just a result of its burgeoning new energy vehicle (NEV) sector. The swift progression in the smart capabilities of these vehicles is equally pivotal in securing this advantage.

The country is committed to fortifying and elevating its vanguard status in the sector of intelligently-connected and new energy vehicles, according to this year's government work report.

China's auto landscape is now enriched with the integration of large-scale AI models, a collaborative effort between leading technology firms and automotive manufacturers.

Prominent tech firms contributed models like Huawei's PanGu, Baidu's Yiyan and iFlytek's Xinghuo. Carmakers also made strides with their own proprietary architectures, including BYD's Xuanji and XPeng's Lingxi.

Now, over ten Chinese vehicle brands have embraced this technological leap, incorporating advanced AI models into their lineup.

"Cars, serving as a terminal that harnesses a plethora of cutting-edge technologies, have evolved from electrification to intelligence, and are poised to seamlessly integrate with the broader transport infrastructure in the future," said Fang Yunzhou, the founder of Hozon Auto, a Chinese electric car startup.

Previously, drivers were required to issue direct commands to their voice assistants, like "activate the air conditioning." But now, with the incorporation of an advanced AI model, a simple statement such as "I'm feeling a bit chilly" suffices.

The sophisticated AI, demonstrating an understanding reminiscent of human cognition, can respond to the driver's needs by executing a sequence of actions. This includes closing the windows, tuning the air conditioning to the driver's accustomed temperature, and adjusting the fan to their usual setting.

"In the past, the process of voice recognition involved data analysis in the cloud followed by a download to the vehicle," said Xia. "Now, the task can be done offline, a transition that allows drivers to operate their vehicles seamlessly even in the absence of an internet connection."

"The AI was predominantly governed by explicit rules, while contemporary large-scale models are propelled by data," said Zhong Xinlong, an AI expert at CCID consulting, a think tank under China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

"This is akin to the concept of learning from specific examples and then applying that knowledge broadly, a skill that mirrors human learning and application of knowledge," Zhong added.

Intelligence in automobiles is not confined to smart cockpits. Chinese automakers have taken a significant step forward by integrating the AI model across the entire spectrum of vehicle intelligence to achieve a comprehensive and vertical alignment of applications in multiple scenarios.

"Large-scale AI models are far more intelligent in perception, behavior and control than we might imagine, as they can, for example, interpret signs such as 'ETC ahead is about to be repaired, please change lanes'," said He Xiaopeng, XPeng chairman and CEO.

XPeng's intelligent driving system, which once received updates on a quarterly basis, has seen an average of 3.87 new updates being rolled out daily, according to He.

"The integration of large-scale AI models into vehicles has already brought about a transformation from zero to one," said Fang.

"Looking ahead, the evolution will be exponential. As this technology matures, we anticipate a future where the responsibility of driving is progressively handed over to the vehicle's autonomous systems," Fang added.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Just over three weeks after it began, UC Berkeleys Sproul Hall encampment is over, after administrators pledged to look into some of the protesters concerns. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

Pro-Palestinian protesters who have camped out at UC Berkeley since April with a set of demands for the university agreed to dismantle their encampment on Tuesday after administrators came forward with a set of modest concessions.

The agreement hailed the end to a tent village around Sproul Hall that had swelled to nearly 200 tents at its peak.

We have a long way to go, one of the lead protesters, who goes only by the name Banan, said in an interview. But business is not as usual.

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Unlike other colleges that saw violence break out at similar protests, the encampment at Berkeley was mostly calm and did not result in a single arrest. Some schools, including Columbia University and UCLA, have called on police to clear out their campuses.

At UC Berkeley, by comparison, the protesters quietly took down their tents and rolled up sleeping bags on Tuesday afternoon before holding a peaceful but energetic rally they dubbed the encampments commencement.

After the rally, the university released a letter it sent to protesters outlining the agreements it had made in its negotiations.

The students had demanded the school divest from companies with a role in military and surveillance efforts in Israel, a complete academic boycott of Israeli academics and institutions, and the creation of a Palestinian studies program at the school.

Carol Christ, UC Berkeleys outgoing chancellor, outlined the concessions the school would make in the letter, which fell well short of those demands.

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People break down the pro-Palestinian encampment on the steps of Sproul Hall at UC Berkeley on Tuesday. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

As stated by the University of California Office of the President, divestment from companies on the basis of whether or not they do business with or in Israel is not supported, Christ said in the letter to the protesters.

Though high-level investment decisions are made by the UC Board of Regents, which controls the whole public university system, Christ said that decisions about Berkeleys investments should be examined to make sure they align with the schools values.

Those values include a respect for equality, human rights, a commitment to fostering the conditions for human growth and development, and an abhorrence of war, Christ wrote.

On Tuesday, the University of California chief investment officer responded for the first time to calls for divestment with specific dollar figures and details about UC investments. He offered an unambiguous no to selling assets across the board.

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What the students are suggesting is that we should sell $32 billion of assets out of (the total) $175 billion, Jagdeep Singh Bachher told the UC regents investment committee, which was meeting 125 miles away at UC Merced on the first day of the governing boards three-day meeting.

Bachher said that divesting in the way students demand would violate UCs fiduciary responsibilities.

These assets belong to the entire university, he said, noting that 350,000 people, including retirees, depend on the investment returns to fund their pensions and health benefits. Any of them could sue the university because you made a decision that was not in our best interest, he said.

Unlike other colleges that saw violence break out at similar protests, the pro-Palestinian encampment at Berkeley was mostly calm and did not result in a single arrest. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

In her letter to the protesters, Christ also insisted she did not support academic boycotts of any sort. But in lieu of such actions, she said the school would review its global exchange programs to make sure they are free from partnerships involving anti-Palestinian discrimination. The university will also set up a process to review complaints about this kind of discrimination, she said.

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UC Berkeley will address (including termination if remedy is unavailable) its programs that violate this policy and will cease its student participation in programs administered by the University of California or other institutions that also violate this policy, if other appropriate remedy is unavailable, she wrote.

The weekslong impasse between the protesters and the university began to show signs of thawing around 2 p.m. Tuesday, after people in the encampment area, which had been built in front of the schools main administration building next to Sproul Plaza, began taking down tents and folding them up. Other protesters began breaking down some of the makeshift barricades erected around the encampment.

Banan, the protester, said the negotiations with UC Berkeley involved considerable back and forth, with complicated and changing dynamics. She said she came away feeling like the regents ultimately controlled the process.

There was very obviously the presence of the regents in the room that were determining the limits of what we can and cant imagine, she said.

At the afternoon rally, protesters chanted that the university was complicit in the violence Israel was inflicting in Gaza.

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They said that while the encampment would go away, their efforts would not, and they promised to take their fight to the regents, including at their meetings in Merced.

A couple take a moment to watch as people break down the pro-Palestinian encampment on the steps of Sproul Hall at UC Berkeley on Tuesday. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

We will go to Merced and continue to follow the regents, until we make it to a liberated Jerusalem, said one of the speakers at the rally.

By early evening, the vast majority of the tents had been taken down. Some of the protesters said they were heading home for the summer.

The school year at UC Berkeley ended last week, capped off by protests at graduation on Saturday.

I am greatly relieved that we were able to bring this protest to a peaceful end, said Christ. We stand ready, as always, to also meet with any students from any community who wish to present requests and ideas for institutional action in support of their needs, interests and/or values.

On Tuesday, Christ told the Academic Senate she supported a cease-fire and end to the conflict.

I remain deeply concerned about the death and destruction of critical infrastructure in Gaza, and about the ongoing impact on our university and its community, she said. For those reasons, I personally support the efforts of our government to promote a cease-fire, gain the release of hostages, and initiate a process for negotiations that could bring the current conflict to a permanent end.
Before sending a convicted toddler killer to death row, a Mississippi judge asked that God have "mercy" on his soul.

Joseph David Heard, 41, was found guilty of first-degree murder for the fatal beating of his 2-year-old stepson, Hayden Lee Bataille, according to the Sun Herald, WXXV-TV, and WLOX-TV.

Heard's 24-year-old wife, Hailey Lynn Bataille Heard, who was already convicted of first-degree murder for her son's death and sentenced to life in prison, testified against her husband.

"God have mercy on your soul," Judge Larry Bourgeois told Heard, after revealing his fate Friday.

"The brutal and heinous killing of Hayden called for the maximum punishment under Mississippi law," Harrison County District Attorney Crosby Parker said, according to the Herald. "We commend the Harrison County jury for agreeing with us."

Parker said Hayden was beaten to death for "doing what 2-year-olds do."

The little boy was punched in the head and stomach repeatedly at the family's Biloxi, Mississippi, apartment in December 2021 because he defecated in his diaper and took too long to retrieve a juice box, the DA said.

Hailey joined in the abuse and suffocated Hayden by covering his mouth with her hand.

He became unresponsive and the parents called 911. Heard told responding officers Hayden liked to play rough when they questioned the boy's bruises.

Doctors determined Hayden also suffered from swelling in his head and several broken bones when he died.

Emergency room physician Dr. Leanne Lee testified it "was one of the most horrific scenes I've witnessed... I had never seen a kid that had sustained so much trauma."

It's unclear when Heard will be put to death.
A Minnesota doctor accused of murdering his pharmacist wife was already calling himself a widower before he killed her, a newly unsealed search warrant suggests.

Connor Bowman, 31, has been charged with first- and second-degree murder in connection with the death of Betty Bowman, a 32-year-old pharmacist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, according to authorities.

He has not yet entered a plea to the charges. His defense attorney, Michael Schatz, did not immediately respond to Headlines & Global News' request for comment.

Investigators allege in August 2023, Bowman, a poison control specialist, killed his wife of two years with a fatal dose of colchicine  a drug typically used to treat gout, an autopsy found, the criminal complaint stated.

Betty died in the hospital after experiencing heart issues, fluid in her lungs, and organ failure.

But by the time Bowman allegedly slipped a deadly amount of colchicine in Betty's smoothie, he was already referring to himself as a widower on the dating app Bumble.

A Google inquiry days before her death revealed Bowman allegedly searched, "is widow gender neutral," police wrote in a search warrant made public last week.

"These searches, and other conversations identified so far appeared consistent with the statements provided by witnesses during the investigation, that Connor was identifying himself as a widower, even before Betty died," Rochester Police Det. Alex Kendrick wrote, according to NBC News.

Within days of Betty's death, Bowman communicated with at least two women on the dating app, telling one woman that his late wife would have wanted him to move on, police said.

Betty's close friend, Sarah Leeser, told investigators that a "red flag" was that "Connor had not shown any grief after Betty's death" and he had "even invited her and some other friends out for drinks" two days after she died, the warrant stated.

"At the hospital, it [his reaction and behavior] was off," Leeser told NBC Wednesday. "I mean, everyone else was devastated, and he was not."

Detectives allege Bowman was motivated to kill Betty for a $450,000 life insurance payout.

He was arrested in October 2023, and is scheduled to appear in court in June.
The streets of Rafah are reportedly empty as nearly 450,000 people have fled ahead of an expected Israeli invasion.

The United Nations agency that provides aid for Palestinian refugees says those numbers are of people who have been "forcibly displaced" from Rafah since May 6.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency says families continue to flee the city in search of safety.

Israeli tanks moved deeper into Rafah on Tuesday, according to Reuters. Some fighting was reported in the city.

An estimated 1.3 million people were sheltering in the city as Israeli forces took control of much of northern Gaza.

"People face constant exhaustion, hunger and fear. Nowhere is safe," UNRWA said on X.

Empty streets in #Rafah as families continue to flee in search of safety.@UNRWA estimates that nearly 450,000 people have been forcibly displaced from Rafah since 6 May.



People face constant exhaustion, hunger and fear. Nowhere is safe. An immediate #ceasefire is the only hope pic.twitter.com/cwRWL6iF06  UNRWA (@UNRWA) May 14, 2024

It repeated calls for an immediate ceasefire in the war between Hamas and Israel calling it "the only hope" for civilians.

The U.N. says more than a million Palestinians in Gaza are on the brink of starvation.

Israel says Rafah is the last Hamas stronghold and it plans to eliminate the terror group.

The Israeli military invaded Gaza after Hamas gunman stormed into Isreal on Oct. 7, killing more than a thousand people and kidnapping hundreds more back into Gaza.
More than 10% of Americans say that they've used Ozempic or similar drugs at some point in their life, according to a recent survey, even as officials continue to raise concerns about both the price and the availability of the popular prescription medications.

Ozempic and its counterparts Wegovy and Mounjaro are part of a category of drugs called GLP-1 agonists that can be used to treat diabetes and prevent heart attacks. In the last year, however, the drugs have increasingly been prescribed off-label as weight loss medication.

Thirty-two percent of adults told the Kaiser Family Foundation that they've heard "a lot" about GLP-1 drugs, compared to just 19% last July.

With increasing awareness, there has also been an uptick in Americans who take the drugs, according to the same KFF poll. One in eight adults say they have taken a GLP-1 drug at some point in their lives, while six percent say they are currently taking the medications.

The majority of patients taking GLP-1 drugs say they received the prescription for diabetes or heart disease but about four in ten are taking the medication for weight loss. That percentage decreases to just 1% for adults over 65 - possibly because Medicare does not cover weight loss medication.

The increase in GLP-1 prescriptions comes as medical professionals sound the alarm about both a shortage in available drugs and the high cost of accessing the medication.

"It's been really, really terrible - patients don't know where to turn," endocrinologist Disha Narang told the New York Times. "We've been like hamsters in a wheel trying to figure this out."

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has been particularly critical of what he describes as the "outrageous" high price of the drugs - which can cost patients $1,000 a month, according to KFF.

"The scientists at Novo Nordisk deserve great credit for developing these drugs that have the potential to be a game changer for millions of Americans struggling with type 2 diabetes and obesity. As important as these drugs are, they will not do any good for the millions of patients who cannot afford them," Sanders wrote to the CEO of Ozempic's manufacturer.

"Further, if the prices for these products are not substantially reduced, they also have the potential to bankrupt Medicare, Medicaid, and our entire health care system."
Heavily armed gunmen freed a high-profile prisoner on Tuesday, attacking a prison van in France during a brazen, broad daylight ambush Tuesday that left two guards dead.

A massive search was launched following the deadly caper that also wounded three other guards around 11 a.m. at a highway tollbooth in Incarville, about 70 miles northwest of Paris, , Reuters reported.

"All means are being used to find these criminals. On my instructions, several hundred police officers and gendarmes were mobilized," Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Two of the wounded guards were in critical condition, Justice Minister eric Dupond-Moretti told BFM TV.

An unconfirmed video clip circulating on social media showed two masked men dressed all in black carrying rifles walking near a burning SUV that appeared to have been rammed head-on into a white van with the French words for "Penitentiary Administration" on its side.

#France : Armed gang members ambushed a van which transporting gang leader, Mohamed "The Fly", in #Incarville.



3 prison guards were killed and the gang leader managed to escape.



The gunmen seem to be armed with 5.56x45mm #NATO AR-15 carbine and a possible 7.62x39mm AK rifle. pic.twitter.com/4qZOIKLxQP  War Noir (@war_noir) May 14, 2024

The recording appeared to have been made through the windows of a bus as it passed the scene.

The ambushed van was carrying Mohamed Amra, known as "The Fly," to jail after a court hearing in Rouen, the Associated Press reported.

Amra was recently sentenced for burglary and is under investigation for a kidnapping and homicide case in Marseille, public prosecutor Laure Beccuau said, according to AP.

Amra, 30, reportedly has ties to a powerful gang in Marseille known as the "Blacks."

Tuesday's attack is being treated as a case of organized crime and murder, Beccuau said.

French President Emmanuel Macron called the incident "a shock for all of us," adding, "The nation stands alongside the families, the injured and their colleagues."
George Clooney is set to make his Broadway debut in "Good Night, and Good Luck," a theatrical version of the 2005 film in which he was co-writer, director and star.

The 63-year-old Oscar winner co-wrote the Broadway play with Grant Heslov, his co-writer for the film. The play, however, will be directed by Tony-winner David Cromer.

In another change from the film, Clooney will play legendary broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow, who died in 1965. In the 2005 movie, Clooney played Fred Friendly and David Strathairn starred as Murrow.

"I am honored, after all these years, to be coming back to the stage and especially to Broadway, the art form and the venue that every actor aspires to," Clooney said in a statement.

"Good Night, and Good Luck," the film version of which also starred Jeff Daniels, Alex Borstein, Patricia Clarkson, Robert Downey Jr. and others, follows the conflict between Murrow and U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin, who infamously led congressional investigations into alleged communists throughout the government and accused Murrow himself of being communist.

"Edward R. Murrow operated from a kind of moral clarity that feels vanishingly rare in today's media landscape. There was an immediacy in those early live television broadcasts that today can only be effectively captured on stage, in front of a live audience," Cromer said.

The upcoming Broadway show will be staged in a Shubert theater, though which one, and a potential opening date, have not yet been announced.

 with reporting by TMX
A Black discharged marine was arrested on Friday, after he allegedly threatened to "specifically" target white people in a mass shooting because he felt that they would "never understand" his struggles.

Joshua Cobb, 23, was originally from New Jersey but was stationed in South Carolina and California before he was discharged from the military on May 10. While posting under the username "1dayUsuffer" he wrote about a desire to kill others, especially white people, and said he was deliberately leaving a trail of evidence for the people who investigated his case.

"Tbh I hope I do progress into a serial killer because I f-ing hate life man," he wrote in the spring of 2023, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigations. "But one day everyone will suffer. I promise I will make everyone feel my f-ing pain. My deep, sincere, raw, & sharp pain."

Cobb implied on social media posts that he came from an impoverished background, writing that the "system" was stacked against "those like myself who are BLACK & come from poverty," according to NBC News.

In a December 2022 social media post, Cobb allegedly wrote that he wanted to "cause mayhem on the white community" and hoped to carry out an attack "close to an important holiday to their race." He added that he'd visited a possible location for the attack on several occasions and was confident that "nobody there is armed to be able to stop me from spraying them to the ground."

The FBI questioned Cobb while he was stationed in California. During the interviews, Cobb reportedly admitted he continued to have homicidal thoughts and that he was responsible for making several threatening online statements. He also told officials about his access to guns and his planned targets - a Jersey Strong gym and an Aldi grocery store in Robbinsville, New Jersey, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey.

Law enforcement also searched Cobb's cell phone and discovered that he had made notes indicating that he was both suicidal and homicidal. The notes also allegedly included information on how to bring guns into New Jersey.

"I hate all of this s-t and I feel like my only way out of the pain and suffering is by exploding," he wrote. "So I await... I await that moment so I can make those moments final. For whomever... myself or a victim."

Cobb was charged with one count of transmitting a threat in interstate and foreign commerce. If convicted he could face up to five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
Israel has long claimed inaccuracy in the total number of civilian fatalities in Gaza, as the World Health Organization confidently defends death toll figures.

On Tuesday, the WHO stated that they are getting closer to confirming the scale of losses following allegations presented by Israel over a change in the numbers.

Last week, Gaza's health ministry revealed that the total number of fatalities has been approximately 35,000 since October 7, and that about 25,000 of those have so far been fully identified, of whom more than half were women and children.

Israel's accusations stem from previous estimates made by Palestinian authorities that more than 70% of Palestinians killed were women and children; however, UN agencies have republished the Palestinian figures, which have since risen above 35,000, according to The Jerusalem Post.

"Nothing wrong with the data; the overall data (more than 35,000) is still the same,"WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier disclosed at a at a Geneva press briefing.

"The fact we now have 25,000 identified people is a step forward," Lindmeier told the Geneva press.

He added that it's "normal" for death tolls to shift in conflicts, highlighting Israel's revision of its own death toll from the October 7 Hamas attacks to 1,200 after checks, according the Jerusalem Post.

"We're basically talking about 35,000 people who are dead, and really every life matters, doesn't it?" said Liz Throssel, spokesperson for the UN human rights office, at the same press briefing.

"And we know that many and many of those are women and children, and there are 1,000s missing under the rubble."
The body of a hiker who had been missing for nearly a month has been located, officials in New Hampshire announced.

William Donovan, 65, of Cambridge, Mass. went missing on April 16. His vehicle was located at the Crawford Path parking lot in Carroll.

The Department of Game said Donovan appeared to be an avid hiker, but a search of his vehicle revealed several pieces of hiking gear that would have been beneficial if he was planning a hike in the White Mountains.

A search team was sent to the Dry River area on Monday after hikers found gear and a jacket believed to have belonged to him.

Crews found his body about 10:30 a.m. on Monday approximately 400 feet upstream from where the jacket was discovered.

Donovan's body was located just over 2.5 miles in from Route 302. The search team worked for hours to free the body from beneath a large boulder, but due to its size, freezing water temperatures, and the lack of tools required to move such a boulder, additional resources were called to assist.

Dozens of volunteers from Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue, Pemigewasset Valley Search and Rescue and Mountain Rescue Services all responded to assist.

These volunteers hiked in the additional equipment and then assisted with carrying Donovan's body. The teams arrived back on Route 302 with the body at 6:40 p.m.

Authorities don't know what brought Donovan into the Dry River Wilderness.

It is also unknown how he entered the water, but it appears he was somehow forced from the ridge by high winds or other adverse weather conditions between Mt. Monroe and Mt. Eisenhower.

The body was moved to the State Medical Examiner's Office in Concord for an autopsy.
As all eyes are focused on Russia's aggressive push into the Khakiv region, Ukraine's military intelligence chief, currently bunkered inside the city, is warning that another Russian offensive on a different front is imminent.



Russia is expected to launch an attack on the northeastern Ukrainian border region of Sumy after forcing nearly 6,000 people from their homes in the nearby Kharkiv region, as Ukraine's military struggles with shortages of troops, weapons and ammunition.

"The situation is on the edge," Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine's military intelligence agency, told the New York Times on Monday. "Every hour this situation moves toward critical."

Budanov said Russia's Friday morning cross-border assault, which led to the capture of at least nine villages and settlements, left him hard-pressed to call in reinforcements because all available troops were either in Kharkiv or the city of Chasiv Yar in the Bakhmut region to the south.

"I've used everything we have. Unfortunately, we don't have anyone else in the reserve," Budanov said during a video call from a bunker in Kharkiv.

Budanov said Ukraine would likely be able to stabilize the front in Kharkiv in a few days, after which he anticipated a new Russia offensive against Sumy, about 90 miles to the northeast.

On Tuesday, Budanov said in televised remarks that "a rapid trend towards a stabilization of the situation had emerged -- that is, the enemy is, in principle, already blocked at the lines that it was able to reach," Reuters reported.

The situation is unfolding as Ukraine awaits $60.8 billion worth of American arms that recently started trickling in after the House of Representatives approved the military aid on April 21 following months of delays.

What's happening in Kharkiv?

At least 5,900 people have been evacuated from the border areas around the city of Kharkiv, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov told reporters on Monday, according to the Kyiv Independent.

Only about 200 people remained in the town of Vovchansk, with urban combat continuing in its northern outskirts, Syniehubov said.

Vochansk, about five miles from the Russian border, had a population of 17,000 before Russia invaded Ukraine in Feburary 2022 and occupied it, but the town was retaken by Ukraine during a September 2022 counteroffensive.

Denys Yaroslavsky, a senior lieutenant in charge of a Ukrainian unit in Vovchansk, told the Times on Monday that Russian airstrikes were pounding the town.

"They're dropping five to seven bombs every three minutes," Yarsoslavsky said by phone Monday morning.

Hryhoriy Shcherban, a volunteer helping to evacuate the town, said he'd received more than 200 requests for assistance overnight.

"We are driving around trying to find the addresses. Russia is shelling the evacuation road," he told the Times. "You can hear explosions all the time."

Despite the intense combat, a top Ukrainian official told told AFP that the city of Kharkiv, Russia's second-largest after the capital of Kyiv, remained secure, according to the Kyiv Post.

"We can say that we don't see any threat of assault on the city of Kharkiv," said Oleksandr Lytvynenko, the recently appointed secretary of Ukraine's Security Council.

What's happening in Sumy?

Ukraine began beefing up Sumy's border last month after Russian intensified its near daily shelling and raids against the region, the Kyiv Independent reported at the time.

"Saboteur groups shoot at anything they see," Yevhen Tkachenko, an officer with the 129th Territorial Defense Brigade said.

A military commander said the plan involved planting landmines and building fortifications to prevent Russian forces from crossing without suffering heavy casualties.

In March, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pledged $520 million to install three lines of defense along 1,240 miles of the border with Russia, with the lion's share of $38 million earmarked for Sumy.

The following month, the Kyiv Independent reported seeing anti-tank concrete pyramids known as "dragon's teeth," ditches, trenches, dugouts with reinforced structures, firing positions and corrugated steel shelters along what it was told was Sumy's third line.

On Tuesday, Budanov, Ukraine's military intelligence chief, warned that Russia had small groups of forces gathered around its town of Sudzha, across the border from Sumy.

"As for the Sumy region, the Russians actually planned an operation in the Sumy region from the very beginning...but the situation did not allow them to take active actions and start the operation," he said.

What is the U.S. doing?

During an unannounced visit to Kyiv on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said some of the American military aid had already arrived and more was "now on the way," the Associated Press reported.

"We know this is a challenging time," Blinken said after meeting with Zelenskyy.

But Blinken added that American arms were is "going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield."

"The United States is determined, determined to help Ukraine succeed, succeed both in the battlefield victory but also succeed, as we would say, in winning the peace and building the strongest possible Ukraine," he said.

President Joe Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan also said the administration was "trying to really accelerate the tempo" of weapons shipments, AP said.

Blinken was scheduled to deliver a speech later Tuesday to tout Ukraine's "strategic successes" against Russia.

During a speech last year in Helsinki, Finland, Blinken blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin for starting the war, calling it a "strategic failure" that left Russia "significantly worse off today than it was before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine -- militarily, economically, geopolitically."
Chloe Webb as Mona Ramsey, left, with Laura Linney and Marcus DAmico in the TV adaptation of Tales of the City. PBS

Its never a bad idea to bring back a fan favorite character to end a beloved series. Thats what Armistead Maupin has done with Mona of the Manor, the 10th novel of his Tales of the City saga.

What began as a serial in the Pacific Sun in 1974 before appearing in the San Francisco Chronicle from 1976 through 1984s Babycakes, the Tales stories were groundbreaking in their sexually frank depiction of young singles at the mythical Russian Hill address 28 Barbary Lane and for its inclusion of a plethora of LGBTQ characters. We have seen central characters Michael Tolliver, Mary Ann Singleton, Bryan Hawkins and Anna Madrigal through five decades, television adaptations and even a musical at American Conservatory Theater. New generations continue to discover the original Tales trilogy and its snapshot of San Francisco in the era of 1970s upheaval, making it a fascinating piece of anthropology.

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In Mona of the Manor, Maupin revisits a central character from the early days of the series: Mona Ramsey, the free-spirited, searching lesbian and daughter of landlady Anna Madrigal.

Last we saw of the character was in the fourth book, Babycakes, where we learn of her green card wedding to a gay English lord who wants to move to San Francisco. Here we catch up with her a decade later as Lady Roughton, mistress of the stately Easley House and widow of Lord Teddy who has died of AIDS. Shes living with her adopted son Wilfred, the Aboriginal queer orphan (now a man in his 20s) introduced in Babycakes. Easley is run by the pair as a hotel, which brings the unhappily married Blaylocks of North Carolina to the manor. The Blaylocks are primarily introduced to hinge a plot around domestic violence and a mystery that nods to the original novel.

Mona is a happy excuse for Maupin to spend time with a character who remains vivid in her outspokenness and as a contemplative symbol of post-hippie liberation. The author delights in describing her with ringlets of red hair spilling down her head like lava and having her greet her conservative guests by declaring, Welcome to my bordello, an homage to Mona and Annas family history in the brothel business.

Mona of the Manor by Armistead Maupin. Armistead Maupin

When describing Monas tendency to invent stories about the Roughton ancestors, the author writes of the family portraits: The old faces on the walls were the sourdough starter for the fresh bread of her imagination  a line thats vintage Maupin.

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The novel really takes off with the reintroduction of Monas best friend Michael (aka Mouse), a groundbreaking gay character often thought of as Maupins stand-in, and 28 Barbary Lanes landlady Anna, a transsexual woman who fathered Mona before her transition. You get the sense that Maupin is savoring bringing them together again and writing for these old friends.

More Information Mona of the Manorz

By Armistead Maupin

(Harper Collins, 256 pages, $28.99)

In Mona, he also covers a period his first nine novels skipped due to the 18-year gap between 1989s Sure of You and 2007s Michael Tolliver Lives. Were reminded of the toll AIDS had taken on San Francisco and the wider LGBTQ community in Michael and Monas conversations about safer sex, his own HIV health and the friends lost. In fact, it serves as a reminder of how rare it is to have gay authors of Maupins generation (hes 79) because of the ravages of the epidemic.

But while there are great details that set the reader in the 1990s  including references to a celebrity known for gay cruising in public parks that feels like a hat tip to Rock Hudsons roman a clef inclusion in Further Tales of the City  its clearly a novel written with the priorities of the 2020s. One telling scene feels like a direct salvo to writers like J.K. Rowling and Lionel Shriver and their transgender exclusionary politics.

Then there are the passages where Maupin uses his own life in England to describe country culture, like festival bonfires and conservative Tory interlopers trying to buy up grand houses. Although I missed how San Francisco had functioned as a character in previous novels, the decision to set the story in England ultimately allows the focus to be on relationships.

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The real gift of Mona in the Manor for longtime Barbaryphiles, as Tales fans have dubbed themselves, is getting to spend more time with Mona, Michael and Anna. While most of the main characters fates are resolved in 2014s The Days of Anna Madrigal, Mona was missing for several novels and Maupin himself said he had unfinished business with the character.
Authorities are warning sailors to avoid a large zone in the Atlantic Ocean near the Spanish coast due to orcas who have been ramming boats.

Two people had to be rescued over the weekend after an encounter with a group of orcas caused the boat to sink in the Strait of Gibraltar.

Crew members said the orcas, also known as killer whales, had slammed the hull, damaged the rudder and caused a leak. A nearby tanker rescued the pair, according to the BBC.

It is an ongoing problem in the area. There have been five sinkings in the waters in the past few years that are believed to be attributed to the same pod of orcas, according to the New York Times.

Scientists from Spain, Portugal and Morocco have been studying the interactions in the so-called "orca alley."

Wildlife officials say the orcas are not trying to attack the boats but appear to be trying to play.

Officials say that boats should not stop if the orcas start approaching them but they should sail toward shallower waters toward the coast.

They are also alerting sailors to avoid the area of the Gulf of Cadiz and the Strait of Gibraltar during the months of April to August, and sail as close as possible to the coast within the security limits.

People on small boats are ured to make sure they are in areas of the boat that provide the greatest possible protection against possible sudden movements that could cause injuries or falling into the sea, and against blows caused by the orcas.

The good news is that the number of interactions appears to be declining.

The Atlantic Orca Working Group said the number of orca interactions with boats this year had dropped about 40 percent from previous years.
A white man accused of shooting a mother of two Black sons reportedly yelled "dead n" before firing off several shots from his AK-47 into his unarmed neighbor, according to a family member who witnessed the shooting.



John Shadbar, a 70-year-old convicted felon, is facing nine charges, including attempted first-degree murder and hate crime, in connection with the alleged racially-motivated shooting of Robertson in their Lockport Township, Illinois, neighborhood, according to authorities.

On Wednesday, Shadbar was reportedly angered he was woken up from his nap by the sounds of 45-year-old Melissa Robertson's 7-year-old son and their 3-year-old neighbor jumping on a trampoline in their backyard. He allegedly confronted Robertson with his semi-automatic rifle; then things turned near-deadly.



"I wasn't surprised by it. I was just really shocked that it happened the way it did. And it happened when it did," Mikeal Johnson, Robertson's 21-year-old son who was at work at the time, told HNGN on Monday.

"He ventured into her yard shooting, and his normal racial slurs escalated as well... he's got a whole repertoire of slurs," Jeanne Beyer, Robertson's aunt, accused. "He started yelling dead n. Over and over."

Robertson ushered the kids inside. The confrontation with Shadbar intensified and he subsequently fired off his rifle into her chest and hand. Robertson managed to crawl to the safety of her kitchen and call 911. The mom of two was transported to the hospital in critical condition, while Shadbar barricaded himself inside his home, before surrendering to authorities.

"I thought he was all bark and no bite," Johnson said of the alleged harassment his neighbor subjected the family to over the years. "I thought everything he did was just an intimidation tactic. I never foresaw this happening. But I saw something similar happening. Just not as serious as it did."

The family alleged Shadbar had been vocal about his prejudice against Black people since becoming neighbors 10 years ago, and the suspect's issues with the multi-racial family spiraled.

"He'd take his motorcycle out of the garage and park it right by the fence and rev the engine as loud as it could go," said Beyer. "That's kind of his normal routine. He does that and then he goes and gets a gun and starts shooting the gun off into the air. Sometimes across the street into the forest. But this time it just escalated more than it ever has."

Officers were called to the family's home three times for incidents involving Shadbar since March.

"The first call was about Shadbar acting very agitated and yelling at the victim and her children. Deputies responded and resolved the issue," the Will County Sheriff's Office said on Facebook. "The second call regarded Shadbar shooting fireworks and possibly a gun over the victim's backyard fence. The victim stated that she had on-going issues with Shadbar."

Authorities said there wasn't enough evidence to initiate an arrest, until last week's alleged shooting.

"Many times she made the comment that it's gonna take somebody dying for the police to do anything," Beyer said.

Robertson remains hospitalized in critical condition, but was recently taken off a ventilator. Her family has been by her side since day one.

"She's fully aware of what happened. She has all her memories and she's just processing," said Johnson "She can't believe it got to this point of where he got that angry that he did what he felt he needed to do. She's hurt  not just physically but emotionally, as well."

During an investigation of Shadbar's home, officers allegedly recovered five illegally possessed weapons concealed behind a makeshift wall: two AK-47 rifles, a shotgun, and two handguns.

Shabar was previously arrested for a felony in 1979, and his Firearm Owner's Identification Card  which identifies a person as eligible to possess a gun  was revoked, according to the WCSO.

"This is going to be a traumatic experience that she's going to remember for a long time," Johnson said of his mom, "but she's strong."
A wanted man was shot and killed by Arizona state troopers, on Monday, days after he allegedly shot and killed his mother and sisters in a Mississippi home.

Ida Thomas Welch, 76; Vicky Renee Welch, 56; and Crystal Lynn Welch, 42 were found dead on Mother's Day, after a relative requested a wellness check. The women's bodies were located in Ridgeland - a city north of Jackson.

Ridgeland Police Chief Brian Myers alleges that Ida's son, Ivory James Welch III, went on the run, shortly after his female relatives were killed.

"An arrest warrant was obtained and the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force began searching for Welch," Myers said in a press release. "Arizona State Troopers attempted to apprehend Welch and he fired upon the troopers and was fatally wounded in the gunfight."

Crystal Welch was a prominent attorney in Mississippi, who served as the board president for the American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi. She was also an instructor at the Mississippi College School of Law and helped lead the charge to alter the Mississippi state flag, so it no longer contained Confederate symbolism.

"I just cannot process today's news," Mississippi ACLU Director Jarvis Dortch said in a statement. "She was always asking what more she could do to support our team and our work. Our staff and board will forever be grateful for her commitment to equality and justice. Her passion for life, infectious spirit and enthusiasm will be missed."
A former Pennsylvania college student who is accused of sexually assaulting a classmate and later sending her a taunting Facebook message stating, "So I raped you," has been captured in France after a three-year search.

Ian Thomas Cleary was detained in Metz, France, a prosecutor confirmed to the Associated Press.

The Adams County District Attorney's office issued an arrest warrant for the former Gettysburg College student in June 2021.

It came more than seven years after Shannon Keeler reported the crime to law enforcement. Keeler, a star lacrosse player at the time of the attack, shared her story of on-campus rape publicly as she pushed for accountability.

She said she was frustrated with the failure of the Adams County District Attorney to prosecute despite physical evidence, eyewitness accounts and Facebook messages from Mr. Cleary confessing in 2020.

Cleary, 31, of Saratoga, California, was taken into custody on April 24 and will be held pending extradition proceedings.

He is accused of stalking Keeler at a party, sneaking into her dorm and sexually assaulting her while she texted friends for help.

Years later, he sent messages to her stating: "I'll never do it to anyone ever again," "I need to hear your voice" and "I'll pray for you."

Even with those messages, it took public outcry before charges were finally filed.

A French judicial official says Cleary told a magistrate that he had "arrived in France two or three years ago" from Albania and had only recently come to Metz.
Potential running mates are flocking to the historic "hush money" trial of former President Donald Trump's as his onetime lawyer Michael Cohen appears as the star witness against the presumptive Republican nominee to challenge President Joe Biden in November.

Former Republican candidates Vivek Ramaswamy and Gov. Doug Burgum, as well as Rep. Byron Donalds, all showed up at the New York City courthouse on Tuesday, after Sens. J.D. Vance and Tim Scott, another former GOP candidate, attended on Monday.

Speaking to reporters outside, Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur and conservative author, called the trial a "sham" that's "straight out of a Kafka novel," according to video broadcast by Fox News.

"I am ashamed as an American citizen to sit here in a courtroom watching the former leader of the free world -- and let's be honest, likely next leader of the free world -- sitting with the indignity in this dingy, third-rate courtroom with fourth-rate prosecutors and a fifth-rate lawyer on the stand as a witness," he said.

Ramaswamy's criticism of Cohen, who he also repeatedly mentioned by name, is something Trump is barred from doing under terms of a gag order that's led to $10,000 in fines for 10 violations and a warning that'll he jailed if he violates it again.

Cohen has testified that Trump directed him to buy porn star Stormy Daniels' silence about an affair she claims she had with Trump in 2006, and that Trump approved having the Trump Organization repay Cohen for the $130,000 he paid Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford, shortly before the 2016 election.

Trump, the first ex-U.S. president to face criminal prosecution, denies having had sex with Daniels and has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records to allegedly cover up Cohen's reimbursements.

Burgum, who helped warm up the crowd at Trump's massive rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, on Saturday, repeated the ex-president's frequent claim that the case against him was "election interference, and it's tying up the president from being out on the campaign trail."

"And the sooner that this scam trial can be concluded, the sooner that the president can get back to getting out campaigning and talking to the American people about the issues that matter to them," he said.

Donalds, of Florida, called the trial a "joke" and a "farce" and asked, "Where's the crime?"

"The only crime that's happening here is this Democrat judge and the Democrat Party, prosecuting their political rival right in the middle of a presidential election," he said. "The crime here is that the issues facing our nation are not being addressed by the Democrats, but they want to go after Donald Trump."

House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana also attended Tuesday's court session, becoming the highest-ranking Republican to do so, the Associated Press reported.

Johnson, who's second in line for the presidency after Vice President Kamala Harris, called the court system "corrupt" and said the case against Trump was "not about justice" but instead "all about politics."

Vance, of Ohio, was formerly a harsh Trump critic but plans to appear with him at a fundraiser in the Buckeye state during a scheduled Wednesday break in the trial, AP said.

Other Republicans who joined Trump in court on Monday included Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of New York, and Sen. Rick Scott of Florida showed up last week.
The oldest living survivor of the infamous Tulsa Massacre turned 110 this week  more than a century after her city was burned to the ground during an anti-Black race riot.

Viola Fletcher was just seven years old when a young Black man was accused of sexually assaulting a white woman, after the pair rode in an elevator together. The white woman said that the Black man had only touched her arm and that she did not wish to press charges.

The following day, the man was detained and a local newspaper published an inflammatory account of the incident that inflamed the city, already experiencing heightened racial tensions. White rioters soon descended on the city's Black neighborhoods burning 35 city blocks and killing an unknown number of Tulsa residents.

"The neighborhood I fell asleep in that night was rich - not just in terms of wealth, but in culture, community, heritage, and my family had a beautiful home," Fletcher testified to Congress in 2021. "Within a few hours, all that was gone."

In spite of her struggles, Fletcher remains proud of her heritage and identity.

I'm Black and I'm proud," she said, according to People. "Nothing you can do about who you are, regardless of what you look like... We have the same red blood as other people."

During her adult life, Fletcher lived outside of Oklahoma but she eventually settled in her home state again. During World War II, she assisted the war effort by working in a California shipyard, according to a 2014 oral history interview conducted by Oklahoma State University.

After returning to Oklahoma, she worked in private homes until retiring at the age of 85. She has three children and several grandchildren. Her husband Robert Fletcher was a truck driver and worked at filling stations before he retired.

During the oral history interview, Fletcher attributed her long life to doing "the things that are good for you- sleeping and eating and exercising."
Adam Lustig pours a beeer at Humble Sea Brewery in Santa Cruz. The brewery is opening its next taproom at San Franciscos Pier 39. Brian Feulner/Special to The Chronicle

A popular Northern California brewery known for its foggy IPAs will open its first San Francisco location.

Humble Sea Brewing Co. will open at Pier 39, confirmed company spokesperson Lee DeGraw. The waterfront location will accommodate around 80 seated customers. A final number of taps is still to be decided, but the companys sought-after foggy IPAs, Humble Seas term for hazy IPAs, and more beers will be available by the pour and in cans.

As a bunch of kooks from Santa Cruz, we love all things ocean-related so when a spot came up at the pier, we jumped all over it, DeGraw said to the Chronicle. After over five years of looking in (San Francisco), we finally found the right place.

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Humble Sea first teased the upcoming space on an Instagram post.

Humble Sea Helles, a Munich helles on the left, and Socks & Sandals, a foggy IPA on the right, at Humble Sea Brewing in Pacifica. The popular brewery is opening its first San Francisco location. Salgu Wissmath/The Chronicle

The brewery, which first opened in Santa Cruz in 2015, has become one of the most in-demand beer brands in the region. Its known for its brightly colored cans with cartoon illustrations.

DeGraw said Humble Sea is planning to open by summer, but that the timing will depend on the build-out process. A spokesperson for Pier 39 expressed excitement about the upcoming tenant, but declined to share a projected opening timeframe. Humble Sea plans to serve food, though a kitchen partner has not yet been selected.

The San Francisco taproom is the latest in Humble Seas portfolio. It first entered the Bay Area in 2021 with a location in Pacifica. Last year, the brewing company opened an Alameda location. Humble Sea operates two Santa Cruz taprooms and another spot in nearby Felton.

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The Taiwanese hot dog from Piglet and Co. at Outside Lands Music Festival in 2023. This years festival restaurant lineup has just been released. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle The $40 torta cubana at My Friend Fernando at Outside Lands Music Festival in 2023. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle Festivalgoers line up at concession stands near Hellman Hollow during the 2022 Outside Lands Music Festival. The festival has released its 2024 food lineup, which includes 100 vendors. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle People order from a vendor booth at the 2023 Outside Lands Music Festival at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle Outside Lands Music Festival attendees peruse food vendors at the 2023 music festival. This year's food lineup includes 100 vendors. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

Attendees to this years Outside Lands festival at San Franciscos Golden Gate Park are advised to bring sunscreen, a light jacket and a big appetite.

The three-day festival, Aug. 9-12, will feature 90 performers, including headliners Tyler, the Creator; the Killers; and Post Malone. And to eat, there will be 100 restaurants as part of its Taste of the Bay Area culinary showcase, making it the largest in the festivals 16-year history.

The culinary lineup is not only bigger than ever, up from 94 last year, but also the most diverse to date, with festival food curator Tanya Kollar putting together a roster that features 94% minority and female-led restaurants.

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There are 16 restaurants making their Outside Lands debut: San Franciscos classic Saigon Sandwich will be offering combination banh mi, along with vegan sandwiches. The Castros now-shuttered Copas will return with smashburger tacos and quesadillas. And Gumbo Social will bring its deep, dark Louisiana-style gumbos, in chicken-and-sausage and vegan versions, as well as its popular fried shrimp poboys.

Festival attendees have dinner on the grass during the 2023 Outside Lands music festival. The festival has released its 2024 food lineup, which includes 100 vendors. Adam Pardee/Special to The Chronicle

Returning festival staples include Richmonds quesabirria specialist El Garage, famed for its juicy birria tacos and grilled cheese sandwiches. Jos Modern Thai will bring its larb burgers  featuring a patty fried over aromatic greens  as well as its spicy-savory party wings and drunken noodles. Festivalgoers will have another chance to sample bites from Moon, an in-the-works restaurant from the group behind Pac Heights Michelin-starred Sorrel, which first appeared at last years event. Moon will be making fish and chip baskets and crispy chicken wings covered in honey-garlic sauce.

Nonprofit food business incubator La Cocina will highlight some of its participants with its Sabor del Mar, or Taste of the Sea, showcase. The multicultural seafood buffet will feature tuna tartare nachos from Latin American seafood pop-up Pacifico; Peruvian-style shrimp ceviche from Suyos; and crab salad musubi with roe from Tokachi Musubi.

An area for VIP access holders will include grilled skewers and zesty ceviches from Peruvian-Japanese restaurant Kaiyo. Pizza fans can keep an eye out for Cal-Italian favorite A16, which is baking Neapolitan-style white pies and assembling caprese sandwiches on focaccia. The hyper lavish Golden Gate Club  priced at $5,095 for all three days  will include fine dining options from lauded restaurant Dalida, downtown bistro Boulevard and Tyler Florences steak house Miller & Lux.

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Dessert is served in the VIP section of the Golden Gate Club during the 2022 Outside Lands Music Festival. The festival has released its 2024 food lineup, which includes 100 vendors. Michaela Vatcheva/Special to The Chronicle

Attendees looking to sample many of the festivals options can try the Bites of the Bay add-on for $20, which will grant purchasers access to bites from more than 70 of the participating restaurants. The festival will release the offerings for its beverage sections  Wine Lands, Beer Lands and Cocktail Magic  in the coming weeks.

Outside Lands 2024: Aug. 9-12. General admission: $449, plus fees three-day admission. VIP: $1,075, plus fees three-day admission. Golden Gate Park. S.F. https://www.sfoutsidelands.com/

A16 (VIP)

Neapolitan Bianca Pizzas, Focaccia Caprese Sandwiches, Cannoli

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Abaca

Sisig Fried Rice Topped w/ Poached Egg, Crispy Pork Lumpia, Calamansi Iced Tea

Abanico Coffee Roasters

Cafe de Olla, Pinolillo, Cold Brew Coffee, Banana Bread, Blueberry Muffins

Alicias Tamales Los Mayas

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Carnitas Tamales, Vegan Tamales, Mexican Street Corn, Aguas Frescas

Austronesia

Indo-Filipino Rice Bowls, BBQ Pork Buns, Steamed Chicken Dumplings

Azalinas

Malaysian Mee Goreng Beef Noodles, Crispy Shrimp Spring Rolls

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Baby Blues BBQ

Pulled Pork Sliders, Brisket Sliders, BBQ Rice Bowls, Mac & Cheese

BaconLands

Bacon Flights, Bacon Breakfast Sandwiches, Bacon Grilled Cheeses

Bar Iris (new; Cocktail Magic)

Chicken Kara-age, Japanese Potato Salad, Shishito Peppers

Bettes (new)

Chicken Parm Sandwiches, Korean Tofu Parm Sandwiches, Loaded Parm Fries

Binis Kitchen

Nepalese Momo Dumplings, Gurkha Chicken Rice Plates, Mango Lassi

Bloomstock

Churro Waffles, Chocolate Croissants, Horchata Cold Brew, Hot Cocoa

Bodega SF

Pancetta Lo Mein, Pho Ga Chicken Soup, Vietnamese Iced Coffee

Bohemian Creamery (VIP)

Local Cheese & Charcuterie Boards w/ Reserve Wine Pairings

Bun Mee Vietnamese Sandwich Eatery

Chicken Banh Mi Sandwiches, Salt & Pepper Fries, Cream Cloud Vietnamese Coffee

Charles Chocolates

Gourmet Smores, Brownie Hot Fudge Sundaes, Churro Tots, Thai Iced Tea

Chef Smellys

Surf & Turf Garlic Noodles, Blackened Prawn Garlic Noodles, Peach Cobbler

Copas (new)

Smash Burger Tacos, Smash Burger Quesadillas, Smash Burger Nachos, Churros

Curry Up Now

Chicken Tikka Masala Burritos, Paneer Tikka Masala Rice Bowls, Samosas, Mango Lassi

D.R.E.A.M. Doughnuts

Halo-Halo Mochi Waffles, Pandan Mochi Waffles, Strawberry Fields Croffles

Da Poke Man

Traditional Hawaiian Ahi Poke Bowls, Spicy Ahi Poke Nachos

Dalida (new; Cocktail Magic)

Mediterranean Pita Burgers, Fried Calamari Po' Boys, Blooming Fried Oyster Mushrooms

El Garage

Quesabirria Tacos, Vegan Al Pastor Tacos, Birria Grilled Cheeses, Tres Leches Custard

El Huarache Loco

Tinga Huaraches, Al Pastor Quesadillas, Pozole Mexican Soup, Dona Luz Salads

Event Specialists

Cinnamon Sugar Churros, Baked Soft Pretzels, Jalapeno Cheese Filled Pretzels

FOB Kitchen

Stir-Fried Veggie Glass Noodles, Pork Shanghai Lumpia, Mango Iced Tea

Fowl + Fare

Citric Hot Fried Chicken Sandwiches, Fried Chicken Sandwiches w/ Pear Slaw

FroGo

Pineapple Dole Whip, Chocolate-Strawberry Swirl Lactose-Free Frozen Yogurt

Global Gourmet (VIP)

Korean Beef Bulgogi Burritos, Vietnamese Chicken Tenders, BBQ Bacon Corn Dogs

Gumbo Social (new)

Chicken & Sausage Gumbo, Vegan Mushroom Gumbo, Fried Shrimp Po' Boys

Hard Knox Cafe

Southern Fried Chicken, Pulled Pork Sliders, Jambalaya, Hush Puppies

Hayz Dog (new)

Loaded Chili Frito Hot Dogs, Loaded Elote Hot Dogs, Nutella Smores

Hookt Mini Doughnuts

Cookie Butter Mini Doughnuts, Strawberries & Cream Mini Doughnuts, Cold Brew Coffee

Humphry Slocombe

Handcrafted Ice Cream Scoops, Bourbon Coke Floats, Secret Breakfast Sundaes

Izzys Cheesesteaks

Classic Philly Cheesesteaks, Tuscan Veggie Cheesesteaks, Cheesesteak Nachos

Jos Modern Thai

Brisket Drunken Noodles, Jos Party Wings, Pork Laab Burgers, Thai Tea

Johnny Doughnuts

Dulce de Leche Cake Doughnuts, Old Fashioned Doughnut Sundaes, Espresso Drinks

Kabob Trolley

Beef & Lamb Gyros, Cali-Style Falafel Gyrittos, Chicken Kabob Sliders

KAIYO (VIP)

Peruvian Anticucho Skewers, Ceviche Clasico, Lomo Saltado, Corn Ribs

Kantine (new; VIP)

House-Smoked Trout Bowls, Savory Mushroom Porridge, Pigs in a Blanket, Cardamom Knots

Kitiya

Chicken Pad Thai, Tofu Pad Thai, Brisket Massaman Curry Tots, Young Coconuts

Koja Kitchen

Korean Beef Loaded Waffle Fries, Zen Mushroom Loaded Waffle Fries

Konjoe Burger

OG Cheeseburgers, Maple Bacon BBQ Burgers, Wagyu Tallow Fries, Truffle Fries

Little Sweet

Jasmine Boba Milk Teas, Strawberry Matcha Lattes, Ice Cream Waffles

Lulu

Kefta Meatball Grain Bowls, Fried Halloumi Sandwiches, Loaded Falafel Fries

Mamahuhu

Sweet & Sour Chicken Rice Plates, Sesame Noodles, Mushroom & Seaweed Garlic Fries

Mandalay Restaurant (new)

Burmese-Style Curry Chicken, Kaw Soi Dok Noodles, Tea Leaf Salads

Marleys Treats

Flan Ube Cheesecakes, Flanana Pudding, Ube Milkshakes, Flickerdoodle Cookies

Merkado

Vampiro Tacos, Impossible Nachos, Birria Ramen, Chicken Adobo Rice Bowls

Mission Street Burgers

Western Bacon Cheeseburgers, Black Bean Veggie Burgers, Garlic Cheese Fries

Moon

Golden Fried Fish & Chip Baskets, Crispy Chicken Wings w/ Honey Garlic Sauce

Mozzeria

Neapolitan Margherita Pizzas, Neapolitan Salumi Pizzas, House-Made Thyme Lemonade

My Friend Fernando

Baja-Style Tortas, Hot Pork Milanesa Tortas, Birria Fries, Jamaica Aguas Frescas

Nizarios Pizza

Pepperoni Pesto Pizza Slices, Cheese Pizza Slices, Vegan Pizza Slices

Om Sabor

Chikn Verde Tacos, Hibiscus Flower Burritos, Vegan Ceviche, Empanadas

Otra

Sweet Potato & Corn Taquitos, Chicken & Spinach Taquitos, Spicy Yellowtail Ceviche

Out the Dough

Cookie Dough Bites, Cookie Dough Sundaes, Creme Pies, Italian Sodas

Pacifico Latin American Cuisine (new)

Tuna Tartare Nachos, Crispy Yuca Fries

Palmetto Superfoods

Bay Blend Acai Bowls, Chaga-Acai Smoothies, Berry Hangover Smoothies, Protein Oat Bowls

Pantry Pigeons

Artisan Cheese Plates, Baguette Cheese Sandwiches, Pretzels & Pimento Cheese Dip

Parche

Colombian Braised Short Rib Sandwiches, Chorizo Corn Dogs, Vegan Arepas

Peaches Patties

Jamaican Curry Chicken Patties, Jerk Chicken Wings, Fried Plantains

Piglet & Co

Chashao Roast Pork Bowls, Silken Tofu Bao Buns, Shoyu Dry-Aged Hot Dogs

Pink Onion

Spicy Pepperoni Pizza Slices, Truffle Mushroom Pizza Slices, Burrata Salads

Precita Park Cafe

Bacon Breakfast Sandwiches, Vegan Breakfast Burritos, Nacho Tots, Organic Drip Coffee

Ramen Shop (new)

Shoyu Ramen w/ Chashu Pork, Vegetable Fried Rice, Pork Lumpia, Pickled Cucumbers

Reems California

Sumac Chicken Flatbread Wraps, Vegan Zaatar Flatbread Wraps, Arab-Style Garlic Fries

Respectable Bird

Fried Chicken Sandwiches, Chicken Tender Baskets, Waffle Fries

Rockos Ice Cream Tacos

Ice Cream Tacos, Smores Tacos, Frozen Bananas, Caramel Lattes, Matcha Lattes

Rosamunde Sausage Grill

Grilled Sausage Sandwiches, Grilled Sausage & Pickle Snack Plates, German Potato Salad

Ruru Kitchen

Acai Bowls, Moringa Bowls, Mango Goji Smoothies, Smoked Salmon Avocado Toasts

Sabores Del Sur

Beef Empanadas, Ham & Cheese Empanadas, Alfajores, Hot Drip Coffee

Saigon Sandwich (new)

Combination Banh Mi Sandwiches, Vegan Banh Mi Sandwiches, Loaded Banh Mi Nachos

Sandys

New Orleans-Style Muffulettas, Roasted Mushroom Muffulettas, Hush Puppy Corn Dogs

Sataysfied

Indonesian Stir-Fried Noodles, Chicken Satays, Egg Rolls, Pot Stickers

Senor Sisig

Filipino Pork Sisig Burritos, Tofu Sisig Burritos, Chicken Sisig Rice Plates

SF Kebab

Lamb & Beef Wraps, Falafel Wraps, Chicken Kebabs, Hummus & Pita, Greek Salads

Sharonas Chocolate Shop

Chocolate Covered Smores, Chocolate Covered Brownies, Nutella & Banana Sandwiches

Shawarmaji

Jordanian Chicken Shawarma Wraps, Falafel Wraps w/ Garlic Toum, Seasoned Fries

Shuggies Trash Pie

The Pep the Roni Pizzas, Sausage Party Pizzas, the Big Cheese Pizzas

Smish Smash

Signature Smashburgers, Dac Biet Smashburgers, Beef Tallow Curly Fries

Sons Addition

Pork Carnitas Banh Mi Sandwiches, Loaded Chorizo Gravy Fries

Sorrel

Fried Chicken Sandwiches w/ Fennel Slaw, Grilled Sweet Corn, Rosemary French Fries

STIX

Korean Cheese Corn Dogs, Cornflake Dogs, House Boba Milk Teas, Guava Coolers w/ Lychee Jelly

Suppenkuche

Berlin-Style Currywurst & Fries, Bavarian Pretzels, Giant Dill Pickles

Suyos (new)

Nikkei Shrimp Ceviche w/ Leche de Tigre, Taro Chips

Sweet July (VIP)

Apple Bread Pudding, Coconut-Ginger Coffee, Cold Brew Coffee, Affogatos

Tacolicious

Chicken Tinga Tacos, Baja-Style Fish Tacos, Sweet Potato & Kale Tacos, Aguas Frescas

The Alice Collective

Loaded Lobster Tots, Spicy Kewpie Tots, Caviar Bumps

The Chairman

Miso Tofu Steamed Baos, Coca-Cola Braised Pork Baked Baos, Bao Chips

Timeless Coffee

Vegan Red Velvet Doughnuts, Pesto Cheese Rolls, Cappuccinos, Golden Milk Lattes

Tokachi Musubi (new)

Crab Salad Musubi w/ Ikura, Furikake Edamame

Total Meltdown

Mac & Cheese Grilled Cheeses, Kimchi Grilled Cheeses, Millionaires Bacon Mac & Cheese

um.ma

Tofu Bibimbap, Honey Butter Chicken Strips, Bulgogi Mandu, Hotteok Pancakes

Urban Ritual

House Boba Milk Teas, Creme Brulee Boba Milk Teas, Kumquat Mojitos

Wah Jee Wah (new)

Masala Mac & Cheese, Indian BBQ Rice Bowls, Grilled Lamb Wraps, Chai Tea

Wahpepahs Kitchen

Bison Fry Bread Tacos, Vegan Fry Bread Tacos, Native Berry Fry Bread Dessert Tacos

Woodhouse Fish Co. (VIP)

Lobster Rolls, Fresh Oysters, Clam Chowder Bread Bowls, Fish Tacos

Wooly Pig (new)

Curry Udon w/ Fried Chicken, Asian Cubanos, Shrimp Chips, Honey Ginger Tea

Xolo Taqueria
Everhome Suites Continues to Grow with its Third Opening and Over 60 Hotels in the Pipeline

Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) announced the opening of Everhome Suites in Nampa, Idaho, marking the midscale extended stay brand's third opening, with more than 10 open hotels forecasted within the next year. The Nampa hotel exemplifies the brand's Closer to Home design package, incorporating local community touches into signature spaces. The property is anticipated to meet hotel demand resulting from the booming commercial development and population growth in the Boise area.

"With over 60 Everhome Suites in various stages of development and an extended stay pipeline of more than 400 properties across four brands, Choice is continuing its leadership and growth in extended stay," said Matt McElhare, vice president and extended stay segment lead. "We're excited to officially mark the opening of the third Everhome Suites and look forwarding to demonstrating the brand's performance as a first mover in lower midscale."

Standard design elements include locally inspired artwork throughout the hotel, local food and beverage offerings in the HomeBase market with grab-and-go technology, and a signature mural at the main entrance amplifying distinctive elements of the community in partnership with local artists. The Nampa mural, created by artist Jess Wagner, was inspired by the region and incorporates comforting design elements.

Everhome Nampa is the first of 8 properties that Choice has developed in collaboration with Highside Companies. "Our relationship with Choice continues to be a great collaboration, and we couldn't be prouder that the first of many Everhome properties has opened its doors," said Justin Roberts, chief executive officer of Highside Companies.

"The Everhome brand was designed by developers for developers, and paired with the favorable demand fundamentals, it's no wonder it has continued to attract heightened interest from savvy commercial real estate investors," said Ron Burgett, senior vice president of extended stay development. "We're thrilled to work with Highside Companies and Superhost Hospitality in Nampa and look forward to collaborating on future properties."

Everhome Suites Nampa is situated at 16183 Idaho Center Blvd., just 20 minutes outside of Boise, blocks away from Amazon's recently opened fulfillment center and the Ford Idaho Center. Hotel demand in the market is expected to come from a mixture of healthcare, leisure, and advanced manufacturing. Projections show Nampa growing to an expected 150,000 residents by 2040, with recent migration leading to considerable commercial development. Nampa was ranked as the second fastest-growing city in the country in 2021.

The four-story, 122-room Everhome Nampa offers the comforts of home, including:

Fully equipped kitchen with full-sized refrigerator, dishwasher, stovetop, microwave, flatware, cookware and plenty of counter space to prepare meals

Spa-style bathrooms with high-quality fixtures

Large closets and additional open and closed storage

Pet-friendly

Free WiFi

Contemporary multipurpose lobby

Outdoor area with barbeque grills, firepits, and green spaces

Meeting space for business gatherings

24/7 self-serve, tech-enabled Homebase Market with food, beverages and groceries

24/7 fitness center with state-of-the-art cardio and strength-training equipment

24/7 guest laundry facilities

Everhome Suites participates in Choice Privileges, the award-winning rewards program where members earn points on eligible charges during their stay, which can be redeemed for reward nights at more than 7,000 Choice-branded hotels across a diverse portfolio of brands in 46 countries and territories. With the Choice Privileges Mastercard, members can earn more points faster, including on everyday purchases.

Choice Hotels, with a franchise-first focus and an industry-leading retention rate, has been committed to providing its hotel owners with the support they need to succeed since it launched the country's first hotel chain in 1941. Today, Choice offers franchisees a suite of cutting-edge cloud-based solutions, including the choiceEDGE guest reservation platform and the choiceADVANTAGE property management system to help franchisees effectively manage room rates, distribution channels, and inventory. Additionally, Choice University, the most widely awarded learning program in the hospitality industry, delivers customized and always evolving learning and development resources. From pre-opening to grand opening and every day forward, Choice provides hotel owners with best-in-class resources to help them maximize the return on their investment.

For more information on Everhome Suites development opportunities, visit https://choicehotelsdevelopment.com/everhome-suites.

Hotel website
Brush Creek Ranch, named among the Top 20 Resorts in the Mountain West in Conde Nast Traveler's 2023 Reader's Choice Awards, announced today the appointment of Chuck Collins as Vice President of Operations. Collins will oversee the Ranch's three luxury properties - Lodge & Spa, Magee Homestead, and French Creek - in addition to The Farm at Brush Creek which is home to the award-winning, fine-dining restaurant, Cheyenne Club, and Green Mountain private ski area. Collins comes to the Ranch with more than two decades of experience with White Lodging, one of the country's largest privately held hospitality companies that also manages Brush Creek Ranch.

As Vice President of Brush Creek Ranch, Collins will oversee the guest experience, manage and ensure quality service among Ranch employees, and maintain a positive and memorable environment for all Ranch guests. Collins comes to Brush Creek Ranch from the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown in Indiana where he served as General Manager. Collins started his career at White Lodging's first property in Merrillville, Indiana in 1996. Since joining White Lodging, he has held more than 15 roles in almost as many cities. Along the way, he's been a role model on how to "Have Fun" and live out White Lodging's Vision, Values, and Promises. Collins is a military veteran having served in the US Navy and has been awarded the Elsa Bruining Award for Excellence in Guest Service, received multiple Bruce White Living the Vision Awards, been named Full Service General Manager of the Year, as well as the Mike Howerton General Manager of the Year. Chuck has also been awarded the White Lodging Chairman's Award - the company's highest honor.
Booking Holdings, the U.S. company that owns Booking.com and a number of other travel websites, has been added to the European Unions list of companies now under heightened digital scrutiny.

The European Commission, the EUs executive branch, said Monday that its classing Booking Holdings as an online gatekeeper and that the companys Booking.com hotel reservation site meets the threshold to be classed as a core platform service under the 27-nation blocs Digital Markets Act. The sweeping set of rules is designed to prevent Big Tech platforms from dominating online markets.

The European Commission, the EUs executive branch, said Monday that its classing Booking Holdings as an online gatekeeper and that the companys Booking.com hotel reservation site meets the threshold to be classed as a core platform service under the 27-nation blocs Digital Markets Act. The sweeping set of rules is designed to prevent Big Tech platforms from dominating online markets.

European Commission Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager said the decision means that vacationers will start benefiting from more choice and hotels will have more business opportunities.

The company said it has been working with the European Commission for some time as we anticipated todays decision. We are reviewing their designation decision now and will continue to work constructively with them as we develop solutions to comply.

Read the full article at washingtonpost.com
WASHINGTON  American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) Interim President & CEO Kevin Carey released the following statement today after a committee in the New Jersey Assembly approved A3495, a bill that would destroy the hotel industry in the state.

The bill is still being considered in the state Assembly, and similar legislation (S2336) is pending in the state Senate.

If A3495 and S2336 become law, they will lower hotels quality, service, and safety standards and drive many brand-name hotels out of the state. On behalf of New Jerseys more than 45,000 hotel employees, we urge lawmakers to rethink this flawed legislation and have a transparent debate about the extreme negative effects it would have on the states economy and its hoteliers, said AHLA Interim President & CEO Kevin Carey. We applaud the committee members who today rightly acknowledged that the bill must be amended before full Assembly consideration and before they will consider supporting it. Franchising is too critical to the success of the hotel industry for this to be rushed through the legislative process, and we will be working closely with state legislators to ensure they understand the dangers this bill poses to New Jerseys tourism industry.

Background info

The New Jersey Assembly Committee on Commerce, Economic Development, and Agriculture on May 13 approved A3495. The vote came after the Assembly Committee on Financial Institutions and Insurance quickly called up and approved the same bill in February despite longstanding concerns from hoteliers.

The legislation is still being considered in the state Assembly. Today, the sponsor of the bill, Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak, said lawmakers are working on amendments to the bill that would address the concerns of hoteliers, and AHLA will be working with lawmakers to ensure the voices of our members are heard during this process. A Senate companion bill, S2336, is also pending before the Senate.

In its current form, the legislation would put severe limits on the ability of hotels to enforce brand standards related to quality, service, and safety guidelines.

Among other things, the bills would:

Require brand improvements such as Wi-Fi, mobile check-in, breakfast, etc., to be negotiated property by property, which will weaken brand standards.

Allow hotel owners to use comparable products to those required by brands, which will weaken brand standards and lead to increased litigation as both parties try to determine what is comparable.

Force hotels to allow their federally registered trademarks to be used on comparable products, undermining the value and destroying the trust in these trademarks.

Undercut the loyalty points system that many brands use to reward loyal customers, which could force many brands to terminate these loyalty programs in New Jersey.

About New Jerseys Hotel Industry

In 2022, New Jerseys 1,180 hotel properties:
If you're looking for avenues to amplify revenue and create a more loyal guest base, look towards fine-tuning your hotel's direct booking strategy.

Despite increased accessibility by third-party sites, direct bookings have quickly become a preferred method for consumers. In fact, in a trickle-down effect of COVID-19, direct hotel bookings increased from an average of 20% in 2019 to 30% in 2021.

Streamlining bookings and directing guests back to your hotel's website is a powerful way to showcase your unique digital identity, build a stronger connection with your guests, and retain more booking revenue.

There are several ways you can enhance your hotel's direct booking approach, and Im about to dive into a selection of effective strategies. By honing these tactics, your hotel will attract more guests, cultivate meaningful relationships, and increase bottom-line revenue.

Understanding Your Audience

The cornerstone of any successful direct booking strategy is a deep understanding of your audience. Delving into guest data and market research provides invaluable insights into your guests' preferences, behaviours, and needs. Tailoring marketing efforts and booking experience to address these insights can significantly boost your direct bookings.

For example, recognising that a segment of your guests prefers eco-friendly practices will enable you to highlight your hotel's green initiatives, resonating with their values and encouraging direct bookings. Similarly, understanding peak booking times and channels can optimise your marketing spend and strategy. Engage with your audience through targeted surveys or feedback tools to continually refine your approach and stay aligned with their evolving preferences.

For a head start on nailing your hotels different target audiences, use iVvys free buyer persona template.

Optimising Your Website

Your hotel's website is the digital front door to your property and should exude welcome, clarity, and ease of use. A user-friendly, aesthetically pleasing, and mobile-responsive website can significantly impact the guest's decision to book directly. The booking process should be streamlined and intuitive, minimising steps and requiring minimal internal and external effort.

High-quality images, engaging descriptions, and clear calls to action can enhance the user experience and encourage direct bookings. Additionally, ensuring your website is secure and displays trust signals like SSL certificates can reassure guests about their privacy and the safety of their transactions.

Leveraging SEO and Content Marketing

Effective search engine optimisation (SEO) strategies can catapult your hotel's visibility online, directing potential guests to your site. Utilising targeted keywords, optimising for local search, and maintaining an active blog can improve your search engine rankings. Content marketing goes hand in hand with SEO, providing value to your audience while showcasing your hotel's unique offerings.

Share local travel tips, highlight upcoming events, or feature guest stories to engage readers and entice them to book directly. Having your hotel as an authority in your locale or niche enables you to build trust and encourage guests to choose your site over third-party options.

Case Study: Hilton Expect Better. Expect Hilton

Hilton used the slogan "Expect Better. Expect Hilton" to showcase its direct booking features in 2018. Actress Anna Kendrick was featured in Hilton's first celebrity-driven campaign highlighting the benefits of booking through the official website. These benefits included a price match guarantee, free Wi-Fi, room selection, and a digital key.

The campaign was designed to appeal to millennial and Gen Z consumers and optimised for various mediums and platforms. The goal was to turn these consumers into brand advocates on social media.

Since the campaign launch, direct web bookings have grown three times faster than other channels. Customer perception significantly improved that booking directly with Hilton guarantees the best price. Hilton also enjoyed a significant increase in new guests who have not previously stayed with the brand. Membership in the free Hilton Honors rewards program increased by 20%, with over 94 million members.

Personalising Guest Experiences

In the era of personalisation, guests expect experiences tailored to their preferences. Utilising data analytics to understand your guests' habits and preferences allows you to create targeted offers and communications that speak directly to them.

For example, if data shows a significant number of guests are repeat visitors, consider creating a loyalty program offering perks for direct bookings. Personalised email campaigns highlighting special offers, events, or amenities can also increase direct bookings, making guests feel valued and understood.

Using an Online Booking Engine

Property owners and managers can utilise online booking engines to boost direct bookings and enhance the customer experience. The majority of these systems can be integrated into an existing hotel website to function primarily as its reservation processing system. They can also work as the hotel website, using customisable website templates.

The primary advantage of using online reservation systems for hotels is that they can secure new reservations without paying commissions to third-party distribution channels, which include OTAs, travel agents, GDSs, and online marketplaces. Guests can book hotel rooms, and meeting and function spaces online 24/7 from anywhere. Payments can be processed immediately using an integrated payment gateway.

Case Study: Comwell Hotels Online Booking Engine

Before the pandemic, Comwell Hotels in Denmark sought a more innovative approach to managing meetings and events. For over two decades, theyd been using the same system and were ready to make a sustainable and futuristic move.

Comwell became the first hotelier in Denmark to adopt iVvy venue management software. The company worked closely with the developers to upgrade its systems holistically, using the iVvy platform's open API to integrate easily with its PMS, POS, and spa systems.

With a centralised Sales & Catering solution, all of Comwell's sales activities now go through a single channel, whether communication takes place through its websites, CRM system, phone, or email, including the RFP process. The system also empowers each team member to act on booking requests, rather than wait for approval and potentially miss out on opportunities.

As a result, Comwell Hotels now saves 10 minutes of work per booking using an instant online booking engine. Additionally, the company has reduced paper consumption by over 25%, and the time required to generate reports has been reduced by 50%.

Utilising Social Proof and Reviews

Endorsements in the form of testimonials and reviews can be incredibly influential in promoting your hotel's experience. You can boost confidence in direct bookings by featuring positive reviews prominently on your website.

Encourage satisfied guests to share their experiences via reviews, testimonials, and social posts. Responding to reviews is a great way to demonstrate that you value guest feedback. Engaging with guest feedback will enhance your hotel's reputation and show your commitment to guest satisfaction and continuous improvement.

Increase Your Hotels Direct Bookings for Greater Revenue

Elevating your hotel's direct booking strategy is an ongoing process that demands attention to detail and an adaptive approach. By understanding your audience, optimising your digital presence, streamlining your enquiry and booking process, personalising experiences, and leveraging social proof, you can increase direct bookings, enhance guest satisfaction, and drive revenue growth.

For expert tips and strategies on increasing bookings and revenue in your hotel using guest personalisation techniques, download iVvys free ebook Personalising the Guest Experience; a Revenue Boosting Guide for Hotels- get your copy here.

About iVvy



iVvy is a leading global SaaS cloud-based technology solution designed to streamline booking and event management operations for venues worldwide. Our comprehensive platform offers a range of powerful features, including instant booking functionality and centralised function diary, to enhance the efficiency and productivity of venue operators.

With an integrated revenue management and distribution platform, iVvy equips hotels, restaurants, stadiums, and universities with the necessary tools to seamlessly manage inquiries, bookings, and event logistics. Including advanced reporting and analytics features, iVvy offers venues greater visibility into their business performance. This invaluable data empowers decision-makers to make informed choices, optimise revenue, and maximise the utilisation of group rooms, meeting spaces, and event facilities.

iVvy's scalable solutions cater to the unique needs of the travel, MICE, and events industries. Our global team, available 24/7, provides dedicated support to clients in five countries, ensuring seamless operations and prompt assistance whenever required.

We are proud to serve some of the world's most renowned hospitality groups, major corporations, travel companies, governments, associations, stadiums, universities, and nonprofit organisations.

To learn more about iVvy and our comprehensive product suite, visit ivvy.com

Brittany George

Content Marketing Manager

iVvy
Hyatt Centric Buckhead Atlanta



JLL Capital Markets worked on behalf of Songy Highroads LLC and Hyatt Hotels Corporation in this transaction

JLL Capital Markets announced today that it arranged financing for the 218-key Hyatt Centric Buckhead Atlanta in Georgia.

JLL represented the borrower, a joint venture between Songy Highroads LLC and an affiliate of Hyatt Hotels Corporation, in securing the loan from a global bank.

Hyatt Centric Buckhead Atlanta is an 18-story hotel that opened in 2021. The hotel features diverse food and beverage options including Three Arches restaurant adjacent to the hotels ground floor lobby and Spaceman, a one-of-a-kind rooftop bar experience with sweeping panoramic views of the Atlanta skyline. Additional hotel amenities include a fitness center, pool and more than 5,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space.

Located at 3301 Lenox Square Parkway NE, the hotel offers prominent visibility along GA 400 and sits immediately adjacent to Lenox Square Mall, as well as the Buckhead Financial District and Buckheads Historic Peachtree Park neighborhood.

Our collaboration with Hyatt has been a success in delivering new hotels in desired submarkets," said Todd Nocerini, President of Songy Highroads LLC. "This Hyatt Centric hotel is ideally situated in the heart of Buckhead, offering demand drivers and amenities attractive to local, national and international travelers alike."

The JLL Capital Markets team was led by Senior Managing Director Ed Coco and Managing Director Matt Casey.

Higher quality hotel assets continue to perform and demonstrate liquidity in todays market, said Coco. The combination of a high-quality property and well-capitalized, institutional ownership was instrumental in successfully executing on this refinance.
Image Credit AHLA

American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) Interim President & CEO Kevin Carey released the following statement today after a committee in the New Jersey Assembly approved A3495, a bill that would destroy the hotel industry in the state.

The bill is still being considered in the state Assembly, and similar legislation (S2336) is pending in the state Senate.

If A3495 and S2336 become law, they will lower hotels quality, service, and safety standards and drive many brand-name hotels out of the state. On behalf of New Jerseys more than 45,000 hotel employees, we urge lawmakers to rethink this flawed legislation and have a transparent debate about the extreme negative effects it would have on the states economy and its hoteliers, said AHLA Interim President & CEO Kevin Carey. We applaud the committee members who today rightly acknowledged that the bill must be amended before full Assembly consideration and before they will consider supporting it. Franchising is too critical to the success of the hotel industry for this to be rushed through the legislative process, and we will be working closely with state legislators to ensure they understand the dangers this bill poses to New Jerseys tourism industry.

Background info

The New Jersey Assembly Committee on Commerce, Economic Development, and Agriculture on May 13 approved A3495. The vote came after the Assembly Committee on Financial Institutions and Insurance quickly called up and approved the same bill in February despite longstanding concerns from hoteliers.

The legislation is still being considered in the state Assembly. Today, the sponsor of the bill, Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak, said lawmakers are working on amendments to the bill that would address the concerns of hoteliers, and AHLA will be working with lawmakers to ensure the voices of our members are heard during this process. A Senate companion bill, S2336, is also pending before the Senate.

In its current form, the legislation would put severe limits on the ability of hotels to enforce brand standards related to quality, service, and safety guidelines.

Among other things, the bills would:

Require brand improvements such as Wi-Fi, mobile check-in, breakfast, etc., to be negotiated property by property, which will weaken brand standards.

Allow hotel owners to use comparable products to those required by brands, which will weaken brand standards and lead to increased litigation as both parties try to determine what is comparable.

Force hotels to allow their federally registered trademarks to be used on comparable products, undermining the value and destroying the trust in these trademarks.

Undercut the loyalty points system that many brands use to reward loyal customers, which could force many brands to terminate these loyalty programs in New Jersey.

About New Jerseys Hotel Industry

In 2022, New Jerseys 1,180 hotel properties:
The sardine tartine at Tartine Manufactory MacKenzie Chung Fegan / The Chronicle

Pizza in the morning. Pizza in the evening. Pizza at suppertime. These are the lyrics to the earwormy Bagel Bites jingle, but it is also a factual account of the last several weeks of my life. The Chronicles list of the best pizza in the Bay Area dropped this morning, and associate restaurant critic Cesar Hernandez and I are now compositionally 50% dough, 50% mozz.

But man cannot live on pizza alone. Although we evaluated contenders primarily on the quality of their pies, we also ordered salads, sides and desserts when they were available. Here are my favorite non-pizza dishes from the restaurants that secured spots on our list.

Where to find the best pizza in the Bay Area  updated for 2024

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The Caesar salad at Del Popolo ($15): A terrific specimen, so peppery it made me sneeze. The green and red little gem leaves are left mostly whole  always a good sign, I find, if the kitchen wants to show off the produce rather than chopping it into oblivion. Whole Sicilian anchovies are available as an add on, four for $3, and theyre a zippy counterpoint to that nose-itching pepper. 855 Bush St., San Francisco. delpopolosf.com

The sardine tartine at Tartine Manufactory ($16): Continuing on the tiny fish beat, I loved this sardine tartine, which challenges Four Kings XO escargot for the title of most fun to verbally order. The sardines are draped over a slice of Tartines country bread, spread with a generous slick of nduja butter. Theres lemon zest and chiffonaded Thai basil to finish. Spicy, herbaceous, finger-licking good. 595 Alabama St., San Francisco. tartinebakery.com/san-francisco/manufactory

Soft serve at Psychic Pie ($5 plus $1 for toppings): I wrote about this last week, but it deserves a repeat shout-out. Double 8 Dairy buffalo milk, swirled into a freaky little vintage cup featuring a winking face, topped with local olive oil and flaky sea salt. My sister said it was the best soft serve shes ever had, and shes a dairy queen! 980 Gravenstein Hwy. S, Sebastopol. www.psychicpie.com

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Natural wine at the Laundromat: Not a dish, per se, but I thought the Laundromats wine list was delightful. Were mostly in France with some Italian and German representation, and plenty of California too  youll see local favorites Stagiaire and Populis. There are 13 options available by the glass and six magnums, which feels like an enticement to gather a crew, order every pizza on the menu and have yourself a little evening. 3725 Balboa St., San Francisco. thelaundromatsf.com
Select Board incumbent Robert Bishop was re-elected to a fourth term on Monday.

Dalton Elections See High Turn Out; Select Board Incumbent Wins

DALTON, Mass.  More than 800 residents cast their votes during Monday's town elections, resulting in Select Board incumbent Robert Bishop retaining his seat.

"I feel like it was it was a high turnout. We had a lot of mail-in ballots  I think the one contested Select Board race definitely brought people out," Town Clerk Heather Hunt said.

"I think we saw a lot of voters that we haven't seen in a very long time, and I think a lot of them came out specifically to vote for the Select Board."

The town sent out approximately 823 mail-in ballots and received back more than half, Hunt said.

Bishop has served on the Select Board for three terms, and the voters agreed they want him for a fourth three-year term.

In a previous interview with iBerkshires , Bishop emphasized the need for collaboration, obtaining project funding, and keeping taxes down while supporting town departments and employees.

Robert Collins challenged Bishop for the seat, running a campaign focused on the need for a new voice on the board and more discussion.

Bishop received 638 votes, while Collins received 201 votes. The race also had two write-in votes, and 12 voters left the Select Board race blank.

Although the voters overwhelmingly supported Bishop for the seat on the Select Board, Collins may still be able to serve the town in a different capacity  the Planning Board.

The Planning Board had one open seat but had no candidates running. It received a total of 62 write-in votes, with Collins receiving more than five write-in votes, thus far, and is projected to be the winner.

"That tells me that I may not have won the Select Board seat, but people liked my message or liked my ideas so they wrote me in on the planning board. I take it as a compliment that people didn't feel that I was possibly ready for the Select Board," Collins said.

"I needed to maybe learn or experience politics a little more because I was green, and I'll take the Planning Board in stride. And if I am awarded that seat, I will definitely contribute the best I can and I will take that experience and learn for the next time I run for selectman."

The town is still tallying all the write-in votes received for the vacant seats on the Planning Board, Finance Committee, library trustees, and cemetery trustees. There were 210 write-in votes in this election.

The Finance Committee received 103 write-in votes, with the projected winner, Susan Vigeant, receiving almost 70 thus far.

Many of the boards and committees didn't have a candidate for each of the open positions. The Finance Committee needed four candidates, but only three entered the race; the library trustees needed four, but only two entered the race; and the Planning Board received no candidates for its open seat. The high number of write-ins was likely mostly generated by the lack of candidates, Hunt said.
As part of the multi-year collaboration signed between the University of Naples "Federico II" and Oracle Italy in 2021, on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the University's foundation, Oracle has contributed by providing students with a new channel to interact efficiently with the University and take advantage of the services offered. This involves technological support for MyUniNa, the official application of the University of Naples Federico II, dedicated to students for managing their university career simply and quickly through their smartphones and mobile devices. The challenge was to integrate the new mobile app with the existing digital services in extremely tight (and non-compressible) timeframes, to ensure the performance and reliability necessary to support a "click-day" at the launch of the new app in conjunction with the anniversary. In this, the University was also able to rely on Oracle's cloud infrastructure, OCI (Oracle Cloud Infrastructure), a secure and high-performing platform, available locally with an Italian cloud region, and chosen by thousands of large customers - both in the private and public sectors - around the world. The modern cloud-native approach of the University's back-end application, based on the Open Source Java framework called "Spring Boot", was able to take advantage of the new "Oracle Backend for Spring Boot and Microservices" platform, which allowed for very rapid development, testing, and production environments complete with all the services necessary to support the microservices. The microservices are developed on a standard Kubernetes environment, in synergy with Autonomous Database, Oracle's cloud database that, thanks to the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning, manages and repairs itself, thus protecting the data from human error and other potential vulnerabilities. The solution developed by Oracle, quick to initialize but at the same time secure, scalable, and reliable, allowed the University to brilliantly overcome the production release, to the full advantage of the students who now have a new way to take advantage of the numerous services provided by the University. "The collaboration signed with Oracle is yielding several fruits, and MyUniNa is perhaps one of the most visible although not the only one," declared Matteo Lorito, Rector of Federico II. "We are pleased to continue to avail ourselves of technological partners who are attentive and ready to meet our needs." "At Oracle, we are always ready to support academic institutions with our technology, our cloud, and our professional services to make the learning journey better and students' lives easier, and MyUniNa is proof of this," concluded Andrea Sinopoli, VP and Cloud Tech Country Leader of Oracle Italy.

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Alice Munro, the short-story writer and Nobel prize winner known as the Canadian Chekhov, has died aged 92. She had suffered from dementia for more than a decade.

Munro died at her care home in Ontario on Monday, 13 May, her family confirmed to The Globe and Mail.

Over the course of her illustrious career, Munro published more than a dozen collections of short stories and was honoured with the 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature and the 2009 Man Booker International Prize.

Often set in her native Huron County in rural southwestern Ontario, Munros stories explored complex human themes like desire, mother-daughter relationships and moral conflict. She was a master of crafting complete characters within just a few pages.

Asked after she won the Nobel Prize, What can be so interesting in describing small-town Canadian life? Munro replied: You just have to be there.

Other leading novelists were fans of her work including The Handmaids Tale author Margaret Atwood, a fellow Canadian who wrote an appreciation piece on Munro in 2008.

open image in gallery An artist of small places and limited lives who adapted to the landscapes of modern suburbia: Alice Munro ( AP )

[Munro] is among the major writers of English fiction of our time, she wrote for The Guardian. [Her] stories abound in such questionable seekers and well-fingered ploys. But they abound also in such insights: within any story, within any human being, there may be a dangerous treasure, a priceless ruby. A hearts desire.

In a 2016 interview with The Independent, Cheryl Strayed named Munro as her favourite author. I think she's such a fantastic writer, on a craft level, to be able to create a feeling, a moment or an exchange between two characters, in ways that are so real to me, she said.

When I read her work I recognise the truth in it, yet she can also express things that I didn't even realise were true until I read her work.

Munro was born Alice Ann Laidlaw in Wingham, Ontario, in 1931 during the Great Depression era. Her father, Robert Eric Laidlaw, was a fox and mink farmer and her mother, Anne Clarke Laidlaw (nee Chamney), was a schoolteacher.

She married bookseller Jim Munro in 1951 and had four daughters, one of whom died shortly after birth.

After Alice and Jim Munro divorced in 1972, she married Gerald Fremlin, a cartographer and geographer whom she had met at university. Both Fremlin and Jim Munro died before her. She is survived by her daughters, Sheila, Jenny and Andrea and their families.

open image in gallery Alice Munros daughter, Jenny, accepts the Nobel Prize in Literature on her mothers behalf in 2013 ( Getty Images )

Munro began to write seriously in the Sixties as a stay-at-home mother when her daughters were asleep. I was big on naps, she told the Observer in 2005.

Her first collection of stories, Dance of the Happy Shades, was published in 1968 and won the Governor Generals Award, then Canadas highest literary prize. She intended to write a novel, but said that with three children there simply wasnt the time.

For years and years, I thought that stories were just practice, til I got time to write a novel. Then I found that they were all I could do and so I faced that. I suppose that my trying to get so much into stories has been a compensation, Munro told The New Yorker in 2012.

From the 1980s to 2012, Munro published a short-story collection at least once every four years, concluding with Dear Life. In 2009, she revealed she had undergone heart bypass surgery and had been treated for cancer.

My stories have gotten around quite remarkably for short stories, she told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation after winning the National Book Critics Circle Award.

I would really hope that this would make people see the short story as an important art, not something you play around with until you got a novel written.
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Mad Max: Fury Road director George Miller has addressed the notorious on-set feud that developed between the films leads, Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy.

Ahead of the premiere of the forthcoming prequel film, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Miller told The Telegraph: Tom has a damage to him but also a brilliance that comes with it, and whatever was going on with him at the time, he had to be coaxed out of his trailer.

Whereas Charlize was incredibly disciplined  a dancer by training, which told in the precision of her performance  and always the first one on set.

Miller, who is returning to direct the prequel to the 2015 film, chalked the dispute up to the actors being two very different performers.

Im an optimist, so I saw their behaviour as mirroring their characters, where they had to learn to co-operate in order to ensure mutual survival, Miller added. Theres no excuse for it, and I think theres a tendency in this business to use great performances as an excuse for other disruption that could be avoided.

The Australian filmmakers comments echo Therons remarks featured in Kyle Buchanans 2022 book Blood, Sweat, and Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road.

Speaking candidly about her strained working relationship with Hardy, Theron, who played Imperator Furiosa, said: I dont want to make excuses for bad behaviour, but it was a tough shoot.

Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road ( Warner Bros promotional )

I was in survival mode; I was really scared s***less, she added. We should not have done that; we should have been better. I can own up to that.

The oral history book included quotes from the films producers and camera operators, who claimed the co-stars boiling point came when Hardy arrived to set three hours late despite knowing that Theron had arrived early.

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Hardy later owned up to his behaviour, telling Buchanan: In hindsight, I was in over my head in many ways. The pressure on both of us was overwhelming at times.

What [Theron] needed was a better, perhaps more experienced partner in me. Id like to think that now that Im older and uglier, I could rise to that occasion.

Miller returns to helm Furiosa: A Max Saga, which stars Chris Hemsworth and Anya Taylor-Joy as the younger version of Therons military figure.

In the interview with The Telegraph, Miller noted that he warned Hemsworth and Taylor-Joy: You have to be obsessive about safety  physical safety, as the shoot goes on and fatigue sets in, but also psychological safety. Its not like the wild old days.

Furiosa will have its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival later this month before its debut in cinemas on 24 May.
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Filmmaker Roman Polanski has been acquitted by a French court of defaming a British actor who he described as a liar after she accused him of sexual assault.

The case stems from a 2019 interview with Paris Match magazine, where Polanski allegedly called Charlotte Lewis a liar following her accusations.

Lewis, who first made her allegations public in 2010, claimed Polanski sexually abused me in the worst possible way when I was just 16 years old, referring to an incident in 1983 in Paris during a casting session for his film Pirates.

The filmmaker has faced several other accusations of sexual assault that allegedly occurred over several decades, including a notable case from 1977 where he was charged with the rape of a 13-year-old in the United States.

He pleaded guilty but fled to Europe in 1978 before sentencing could take place.

At the heart of the accusations was that Polanski rebutted Lewiss allegations of sexual assault in the 2019 interview with Paris Match, describing them as a heinous lie. Lewis had contended the remarks were defamatory, launching a legal battle against the 90-year-old director, known for films such as Rosemarys Baby, Chinatown, and The Pianist.

open image in gallery British actor Charlotte Lewis reacts after the verdict against filmmaker Roman Polanski ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. )

The courts ruling did not address the truth of the rape allegation but focused solely on whether Polanskis comments in the interview constituted defamation against Lewis. Polanski denied the charges.

The verdict was delivered on Tuesday afternoon in a Paris court.

Lewis, who starred in movies such as Men Of War and The Golden Child, said she felt let down by the verdict and would appeal. I feel sad, she said. For us, its not over.

Direcotr Polanski was not in court. His lawyer Delphine Meillet called him to announce the news. She said the court recognized his right to challenge people who make accusations against him. She noted that the verdict came on the opening day of the Cannes Film Festival, calling it a symbolic day.

Its a victory for the rights of the defense, the lawyer said.
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Sarah Paulson has called out the actor, who she said emailed her six pages of extensive notes critiquing her performance in an off-Broadway play.

The 49-year-old Ratched star, who recently landed her first Tony nomination, recalled the outrageous moment on a recent episode of the Smartless podcast, hosted by fellow actors Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett.

I did do a play once. The last time I was on stage, I did a play called Talleys Folly at the Roundabout, and the actress  and Im going to say this, and Im not going to ask you to cut this out, because I dont f***ing care  this actress came to the play. Her name is Trish Hawkins  Hi, Trish! Hi, Trisha! Paulson said.

Trish Hawkins came to the play  am I going to get sued? I dont care, because I think this is outrageous, she continued. She came to the play, proceeded to say  she looked at me up and down and then she went, Your dress is yellow. Mine was pink. And I thought, What?

Hawkins, now 78, originated the role of the titular Salley Halley in both Talleys Follys off-Broadway 1979 run and its Broadway debut in 1980. Decades later, Paulson starred in the lead role in the New York Roundabout Theatre Companys 2013 revival of the play.

Paulson explained that her mother had invited Hawkins to the performance because they were in some kind of writing group together.

Cut to two days later, I got an email that was six pages long of notes and a communication to me about what she had done when she had done the play, what she recommended I do, the American Horror Story alum added. It was outrageous. It was really outrageous. Trish Hawkins, I have not forgotten it, and I hope to see you never.

open image in gallery Sarah Paulson attends The 2024 Met Gala ( Getty Images )

The Emmy-winning actor revealed that she still has the notes. I just put it back in the file of things my mother has done, she said.

Last month, Paulson received her first Tony nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her role in Appropriate, which is currently midway through its extended run at the Belasco Theatre.

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Appropriate follows the estranged members of the Layfette family as they return to their old plantation home in Arkansas to deal with the estate of their recently deceased father. Paulson stars as Toni, the eldest daughter.

Paulson made her Broadway debut in 1993s The Sisters Rosensweig. She later featured in The Glass Menagerie in 2005 and Collected Stories in 2010.
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Tom Holland waved to crowds gathered outside the Duke of Yorks Theatre in London on Monday (13 May) following the first preview of Jamie Lloyds Romeo & Juliet production.

Holland stars as the romantic lead in Shakespeares classic romance opposite Francesca Amewudah-Rivers as Juliet.

Shortly after the performance concluded, Holland and his co-stars were filmed walking out onto the theatres balcony where large crowds were gathered outside to see the Spider-Man actor.

Amewudah-Rivers was seen whispering in Hollands ear, after which he yelled out to the crowd: Thank you so much! We love you all!

Previews of the show were scheduled to open on Saturday; however, they were delayed due to the technical aspects of the production needing further preparation, a press representative stated.

Holland has been urged to speak out in support of his co-star following the torrent of racist abuse she received after her casting was announced in February.

Amewudah-Rivers is best known for playing Blessing in the Jack Whitehall comedy TV series Bad Education. She also played Gifty in Jocelyn Biohs play School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play at the Lyric Hammersmith theatre last year.

Last month, more than 800 Black female and non-binary actors, including Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim and Marianne Jean-Baptiste, signed an open letter in solidarity with Amewudah-Rivers.

The racist and misogynistic abuse directed at such a sweet soul has been too much to bear, it read.

For a casting announcement of a play to ignite such twisted ugly abuse is truly embarrassing for those so empty and barren in their own lives that they must meddle in hateful abuse.

Tom Holland and Francesca Amewudah-Rivers in Romeo & Juliet promo ( Jamie Lloyd Company )

The letter followed a statement issued by the Jamie Lloyd theatre company condemning the barrage of deplorable racial abuse.

Director Lloyd called Amewudah-Rivers an exceptional young artist.

Before his Marvel role, Holland got his break on stage playing the title role in Billy Elliot: The Musical at Victoria Palace Theatre.

The 27-year-old actor went on to appear as Peter Parker in several Marvel Cinematic Universe films, including his own trilogy: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).

While the MCUs fourth Spider-Man film has been confirmed, Holland has expressed concerns over the projects plotline.

Until weve cracked it, we have a legacy to protect, he said. The third movie was so special in so many ways that we need to make sure we do the right thing.

Romeo & Juliet opens at the Duke of Yorks Theatre on 23 May and runs until 3 August.
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Bill Maher and Bill Burr have slammed disgraced comedian Louis CKs exile over his sexual misconduct allegations  and have called for his return to Hollywood.

The pair railed against cancel culture on the Club Random podcast, saying that it may have started with good intentions but the impact of the #MeToo movement has resulted in it losing its way and getting weird with stand-up and comedy being so heavily scrutinised.

The duo then claimed that CK has been punished sufficiently and should now get his career back on track, adding that his behaviour was not the end of the world.

I mean, dont get me started on that, Maher said of CK working outside the Hollywood studio system.

Louis CK was accused of sexual misconduct in 2017 and he admitted masturbating in front of colleagues. While there was some fallout from the misconduct, with the comedian being dropped from multiple projects, he has since returned to touring and performing.

Isnt it time everyone just went: OK, It wasnt a cool thing to do, but its been long enough and welcome back. Enough! I mean for Christs sake, its not the end of the world, Maher said on the podcast.

People have done so much worse things and gotten less. Theres no rhyme or reason to the #MeToo-type punishments.

They took $50 million, I think they punished him, Burr responded.

Burr was referring to CKs statement where he said he had gone through hell and back after the accusations, and had lost around $50m in income.

Bill Burr | Club Random with Bill Maher

Burr then went on to describe how he felt about cancel culture, saying: Well, its like most things. It started off with something everyone could agree on, and then quickly it just spun out of control.

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I remember whenever that cancel culture got to the point of where it was, I dont like some of the topics in your stand-up act, yeah? Thats when it got weird. But thats all over. Its all over.

Yeah, no one cares anymore, Burr continued.

Well, if youre not doing anything. If its just like, You did this joke about, you know, this group of people, or that group of people, and Ive decided I dont know. I feel like Im going back two years in my life. I dont even think about it anymore.

Maher disagreed, saying either of them could get cancelled in the next two minutes.

In a separate podcast episode in April, Maher referred to actors who refuse to work with Woody Allen as a bunch of p***ies.

The #MeToo movementcoined by activist Tarana Burke in 2006gained momentum in 2017 after a story broke on Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein's decades of sexual misconduct. It was meant to encourage survivors of sexual assault to talk about their experiences and to also explain how pervasive rape culture had become.

The movement went on to spark a reckoning in society as millions of women across the world spoke up on the sexual violence theyd encountered in their personal and professional lives. Several prominent names in Hollywood, including Louis CK, and Kevin Spacey, Steven Segal, and Dustin Hoffman were called out and went on to foster an examination of the treatment of women in social and professional spaces.
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Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan has recalled her first costume fitting for the third season of the hit Netflix romance series.

Coughlan, whose character Penelope Featherington is the lead of the new season, expressed her feelings of gratitude in a new interview.

At the first fitting for season three, I got teary-eyed, Coughlan told The New York Times. It felt like a Pretty Woman moment. They were finally going to let me shine.

No longer will the Irish actor be donning frumpy, brightly coloured dresses for which her character was known in the first two seasons. Instead, shell be dressed in elegant, more tasteful gowns in season three, which will begin streaming on 16 May.

As she recently explained in a previous interview: For the first two seasons, the objective, in the nicest way, was not meant to make me look nice. A lot of the Featherington aesthetic was a more is more approach.

Last month, Coughlan, 37, revealed her disbelief at being the leading lady in a romance show.

And its not because I find myself hideous, as some people have assumed when I say that, the Derry Girls alum said. Pen was a supporting character, the oddball in the corner, but this time shes very much centre stage.

open image in gallery Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington in season 3 of Bridgerton ( LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX )

The only issue with this is that oddball in the corner is actually a niche I do very well. Im comfortable there! Strange girl no one pays attention to? Where do I sign up? she added.

Season three of Bridgerton will focus on Penelope Featherington (Coughlan), whos finally given up on her long-held crush on Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) after hearing his disparaging words about her last season, reads an official logline.

She has, however, decided its time to take a husband, preferably one who will provide her with enough independence to continue her double life as Lady Whistledown, far away from her mother and sisters. But lacking in confidence, Penelopes attempts on the marriage mart fail spectacularly.

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Speaking about her rare relationship with co-star Newton, Coughlan said their special bond stems from their shared exposure to Bridgerton stardom.

Its a very rare experience, she said. I think were aware of how unique this is.

Based on Julia Quinns best-selling book series, Bridgerton is produced by Greys Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimess company Shondaland. After its 2020 premiere, the series proved to be one of the streaming giants most popular originals.

Bridgerton season three will be released in two parts. The first four episodes will drop on Netflix on 16 May at 3am EDT, followed by the final four episodes on 13 June at 3am EDT.
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All That actor Lori Beth Denberg has accused Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider of inappropriate behavior when she was a teen star on the show.

The accusations come hot on the heels of Investigation Discoverys bombshell docuseries, Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, in which former child actors detail a toxic underbelly of abuse, harassment, racism and sexism on the sets of Schneiders shows.

Denberg  now 48  starred in four seasons of the kids sketch comedy series from 1994 to 1998 after being cast aged 17.

Around her 19th birthday in 1995, Schneider invited Denberg into her office, she told Business Insider, and showed her graphic pornography, including a video depicting bestiality.

Denberg alleges that during her four years on the show, Schneider put her in numerous uncomfortable positions and once initiated phone sex.

In a statement sent to The Independent, Schneider called Denbergs accusations wildly exaggerated and, in most cases, false.

As I have previously stated, there were times, particularly in the early years of my career, that I made mistakes and exhibited poor judgment as a leader, Schneider said. If I did that with respect to Lori Beth, I sincerely apologize to her. But I cannot apologize for things I did not do.

open image in gallery Lori Beth Denberg (pictured in 2015) starred in four seasons of the kids sketch comedy series All That from 1994 to 1998. She has accused Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider of inappropriate behavior ( Getty Images for Nickelodeon )

Schneider noted in his statement that the author of the Business Insider report, Kate Taylor, was also an executive producer on Quiet on Set: [The fact she] would pursue allegations regarding what may have happened between adults nearly 30 years ago  only a week after I filed a defamation lawsuit accusing Quiet on Set of being intentionally false and misleading  seems more than coincidental.

In the documentary, two female writers who worked on The Amanda Show alleged that series showrunner Schneider acted inappropriately in the workplace, showing them pornography and asking for massages.

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Dan was showing pornography on his computer screen. Hed ask me several times to massage him in the writers room and in the studio and he would say things sometimes like, Can you please give me a massage, Ill put one of your sketches in the show, one of the women, Jenny Kilgen said.

Following the release of the docuseries, Schneider released an apology video, saying that watching it was very difficult as he faced his past behaviors  some of which are embarrassing and that I regret.

Addressing Kilgens claims that he asked people to give him massages on set, Schneider added: It was wrong. It was wrong that I ever put anyone in that position. It was wrong to do. Id never do it today. Im embarrassed that I did it then. I apologise to anybody that I ever put in that situation.

open image in gallery Dan Schneider, center, accepts an award in Los Angeles. He exited Nickelodeon in 2018 after an investigation determined he committed verbal abuse on set ( Matt Sayles/Invision/AP, File )

However, in his lawsuit filed 1 May, the producers attorneys state: Quiet on Sets portrayal of Schneider is a hit job. While it is indisputable that two bona fide child sexual abusers worked on Nickelodeon shows, it is likewise indisputable that Schneider had no knowledge of their abuse, was not complicit in the abuse, condemned the abuse once it was discovered and, critically, was not a child sexual abuser himself. But for the sake of clickbait, ratings, and views  or put differently, money  Defendants have destroyed Schneiders reputation and legacy through the false statements and implications that Schneider is exactly that.

ID did not respond to The Independents request for comment.

Schneider began his career as an actor, best known for playing Dennis Blunden in Head of the Class. As a kids TV producer, he is credited with launching the careers of stars including Ariana Grande, Amanda Bynes and Kenan Thompson.

Schneider left Nickelodeon in 2018 following a ViacomCBS investigation that deemed he committed verbal abuse on set, but found no evidence of sexual misconduct.
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Comedian, actor, and disability rights activist Liz Carr has a message: assisted suicide should remain illegal in the UK. In a society where people campaign to have more rights over their bodies, and what we do with them, her stance may initially appear regressive. But Carr believes that, when it comes to disabled people, society sees assisted suicide as an easy way out  and that could be lethal for us. If a non-disabled person wants to commit assisted suicide its seen as a tragedy, she explains in her BBC One film Better Off Dead? If a disabled person does, its a release.

Over the past 20 years, there have been eight attempts to legalise assisted suicide in the UK, where it currently carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. In Scotland, a bill was drawn up in March proposing the introduction of assisted death. The issue isnt going away anytime soon, and Carr has a right to be worried.

Her fears are heightened when she visits Canada, where assisted suicide was legalised in 2016 via a process called MAID (Medical Aid In Dying). Initially, the law was introduced just for people who are terminally ill, but thats no longer necessarily the case. Dr Ellen Wiebe has euthanised hundreds of patients, so many that its now her main role. But, she says, its not straightforward: Youd have to be suffering unbearably, and youd have to convince me youre suffering unbearably, she tells Carr with a grin.

When Carr asks what the process is like, Wiebe points to a bog-standard black pleather sofa in a box room where she works, revealing that some of her patients sit there with a loved one as they pass, adding proudly: This is some of the best work Ive done in years. The scene is enough to make anyone shudder.

Carr then visits a Canadian woman whose mum was a psychiatric nurse, and so knew all the right things to say when applying for MAID. She was persuasive. And she starved herself. After that, things moved swiftly. Her GP wasnt consulted, MAID was approved quickly, and within 48 hours her body was being transported to a crematorium. Carr then meets a disabled man who applied for MAID because of his dire socio-economic status rather than his disability. When a local TV crew picked up his story, a fundraiser was started and suddenly he had $60,000 in his pocket. No longer in financial difficulty, he withdrew his MAID application.

In both cases, the stark commonality is that it was easier for the applicants to get MAID than for the Canadian government to deal with the underlying issues causing these people to apply for it in the first place. Is this, Carr asks, how our own government would view applications for assisted suicide made by disabled people  as an easy way out?

We hear the other side of the debate, too. Carr meets Melanie Reid, a journalist for The Times, who became disabled 10 years ago. She feels that Carr is part of one small group (disabled people) imposing their views on a larger group (the general population), and that she, Reid, has a human right to decide what happens to her body.

Reid makes an important point  although the number of disabled people in the country isnt exactly small, its at least one in five, and, even if theres no evidence on this, one would assume that this ratio is much higher for those who are considering assisted suicide.

open image in gallery Liz Carr (front) in the BBC documentary Better Off Dead? ( BBC / Burning Bright Productions Ltd )

While its a compelling and informative documentary, and the case studies provide real insight into disabled peoples different views and experiences around this complex issue, we dont hear from a Black disabled person or person of colour about the effects of racism in healthcare, and how this too could affect applications for assisted dying. We also dont hear from anybody with a terminal illness, which the BBC has argued is because the programme is a personal view documentary. These both feel like missed opportunities.

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Towards the end of the programme, Carr is shown spending time with her disabled activist mates. Its a joyful scene. They talk about how their lives arent a misery, how being disabled and needing assistance doesnt make them less worthy or sad. One says pointedly that assisted suicide is an alternative solution for governments, rather than investing in the services disabled people need.

The UKs reaction to Covid, where people were morbidly grouped into two categories  worth saving or underlying health conditions  has already cemented disabled peoples position as disposable in this country, Carr argues. If the UK legalises assisted suicide, it seems this could help to make that disposability a reality. And thats a pretty scary prospect for the millions of disabled people in this country whose futures are definitely worth fighting for.
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Hong Kong leader John Lee fielded awkward questions about his reported links with one of the three men charged by UK for spying as diplomatic relations between the UK and China continued to sour.

A graduation day picture showing Mr Lee with one of the men was doing the rounds of social media as he condemned the British government for fabrication of the case against the men.

The men have been charged with national security offences, including assisting the Hong Kong intelligence service, and foreign interference.

Chi Leung Wai, 38, Matthew Trickett, 37, and Chung Biu Yuen, 63, appeared in a London court on Monday but only spoke to confirm their identities. Mr Yuen is the manager of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London.

On Tuesday, British foreign secretary David Cameron ordered the Chinese ambassador to be summoned under the National Security Act. A spokesperson said the Foreign Office was unequivocal in setting out that the recent pattern of behaviour directed by China against the UK including cyber attacks, reports of espionage links and the issuing of bounties is not acceptable.

open image in gallery John Lee ( AP )

Mr Lee said Hong Kong has made serious representations to the British government.

The Chinese side firmly rejects and strongly condemns the UKs fabrication in the so-called case and its unwarranted accusation against the Hong Kong government, he said at a press conference.

The chief executive said his administration has demanded the UK government provide an explanation about the prosecution of Mr Yuen.

Any attempt to interfere with the work of the ETO offices in different places will be against free trade and free economy and will harm the economy of the countries that try to do bad things to operation of the ETO offices, he said.

open image in gallery Chung Biu Yuen and Chi Leung Wai leave Westminster Magistrates Court in London ( PA )

Asked by a reporter about his reported links to Mr Yuen, the chief executive said: I can tell you that the photo looks like a photo of a group of graduates. I am one of them.

"The person you mentioned is also in the photo, he added.

The photo showing Mr Lee with Mr Yuen was taken at a 2002 policing course graduation, the South China Morning Post reported. They were among eight police officers photographed at the ceremony held in Hong Kong at the conclusion of a self-learning course run by Australias Charles Sturt University.

The prosecution of three men is likely to further sour relations between the UK and China. The relations have been strained over Chinas handling of the former British colony which led to mass pro-democracy protests in the city in 2019 and 2020. Britain returned the colony to China in 1997.

The UK has criticised the Hong Kong administration for cracking down on the opposition while Hong Kong has raised the issue of London providing space to exiled pro-democracy leaders.

The spying charges drew a sharp response from mainland China as well. Foreign Ministrys spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday that China is gravely concerned about the prosecution of the Chinese national and called on Britain to safeguard the legitimate rights of Chinese in the UK.

For some time, the British side has been hyping up the so-called Chinese spying and Chinese cyberattacks, he said.

China firmly opposes such despicable acts of political manipulation in the name of justice and national security.
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A group of current and former politicians from nine countries has offered to present evidence in the ongoing trial of imprisoned tycoon Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong.

Mr Lai, 76, a British citizen, could be sentenced to life in prison if found guilty of sedition and collusion under Hong Kongs draconian national security law.

The media baron, who founded the now-defunct newspaper Apple Daily, has pleaded not guilty.

The politicians are members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), which describes itself as a platform for addressing threats to the rules-based and human rights systems posed by the rise of China.

They include former UK Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith, former defence minister of Japan Gen Nakatani, Labour peer Baroness Helena Kennedy, Czech Foreign Affairs Committee chair Senator Pavel Fischer, former Canadian attorney general Irwin Cotler, MEPs Reinhard Butikofer and Miriam Lexmann.

In a written petition to Hong Kongs Department of Justice, the foreign politicians pointed out that they have been named several times during Mr Lais trial but not asked to appear as witnesses.

The fact that members of IPAC have been mentioned dozens of times in court and yet havent been asked for statements or responses by any of the authorities in Hong Kong profoundly undermines the integrity of this entire process, Baroness Kennedy said.

They have claimed to possess evidence of clear probative value that would normally be considered essential to providing complete information to the court. The Hong Kong investigators were being highly irregular by not approaching all witnesses in possession of probative evidence, Baroness Kennedy said.

Mr Lais trial in the West Kowloon Court is expected to last nearly 80 days.

If the Hong Kong court really wants the truth, the Department of Justice will accept our evidence, said Luke de Pulford, IPACs executive director who has been named a conspirator by the prosecution.

In any normal rule of law jurisdiction, it would be inconceivable that apparent witnesses would be avoided simply because their evidence might be inconvenient, he said.

From the start, the National Security Law trial of Jimmy Lai has had the hallmarks of a foregone conclusion.

The US and the UK have condemned Mr Lais trial as an attempt to stop the peaceful exercise of his rights to freedom of expression and association.
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The whereabouts of a Chinese citizen journalist jailed for reporting on the Covid outbreak in Wuhan remain unknown, a day after she was scheduled for release from prison.

Zhang Zhan, a lawyer, was due to be released on Monday after spending four years in prison for documenting the outbreak in February 2020.

Ms Zhang, 40, travelled from Shanghai to Wuhan in the early days of the outbreak and posted firsthand accounts on social media from crowded hospitals and empty streets that projected a more dire picture than the official narrative.

She was arrested in May 2020 and convicted by a Shanghai court that December of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble", a vaguely defined charge often used in political cases.

Ms Zhang was scheduled to walk out of the Shanghai Womens Prison on Monday. However, activists said they were yet to receive confirmation of her release.

Zhang Zhan's relatives and family haven't yet responded to me, one of her lawyers, Zhang Keke, said.

Another lawyer Ren Quanniu, who previously represented Ms Zhang, said he could not reach her father.

Ms Zhangs parents have declined interview requests from the media in the past.

Jane Wang, founder of the Zhang Zhan concern group, said they were unable to contact Ms Zhang. "So far, we have not received any confirmation that Zhang Zhan has left the prison and is home with her family," Ms Wang, who appears to be based in the UK, said in a statement on X.

Ms Wang alleged that an activist from Henan who was en route to Shanghai to greet Ms Zhang after her release was intercepted at a train station.

Shen Yanqiu, who had planned to go with Ms Zhangs family to receive her at the prison, declined to speak to the media. She told the wire agency Associated Press that she had been invited to drink tea", a euphemism for a police interrogation.

A spokesperson for Chinas Foreign Ministry declined to comment on Ms Zhangs case, saying: Im not aware of the situation.

We have received warning signals that some activists and lawyers, based in China, have been threatened in recent weeks by Chinese authorities not to raise Zhang Zhan's case internationally," Aleksandra Bielakowska, an advocacy officer for Reporters Without Borders, said.

Ms Zhang's health declined in jail and she was admitted to a prison hospital, according to the nonprofit.

While in prison, Ms Zhang reportedly went on a prolonged hunger strike that impacted her health and prompted authorities to feed her forcibly. Her lawyer told reporters that she became very thin during her stay in prison and had a tube up her nose for forced feeding.

Another citizen journalist, Chen Qiushi, disappeared while filming in Wuhan in February 2020. He resurfaced on a friends YouTube live in September 2021 and said he had suffered from depression but didnt provide any details about his disappearance.
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An Indian man became the first international casualty for the United Nations in Gaza since 7 October after a vehicle in which he was travelling came under attack in Rafah.

Waibhav Anil Kale, 46, who started working with the UN last month as a security service coordinator in Gaza, was killed on Monday.

Another UN staffer was injured in the attack.

Even though a UN statement did not confirm his identity, the Press Trust of India reported that he was an Indian and a former member of the Indian Army.

The secretary-general was deeply saddened to learn of the death of a United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS) staff member and injury to another DSS staffer when their UN vehicle was struck as they travelled to the European Hospital in Rafah this morning, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres, said.

With the conflict in Gaza continuing to take a heavy toll  not only on civilians but also on humanitarian workers  the secretary-general reiterates his urgent appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and for the release of all hostages, the statement added.

The UN personnel was killed while he was travelling in a vehicle from Rafah to the European Hospital in the southwest corner of Khan Younis.

The Washington Post reported that the incident was currently being investigated. It cited sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, as saying that no conclusive information about who fired at the vehicle was available at the moment.

Mr Haq was quoted as saying that the UN has informed the Israeli side of the movement of all our convoys. They are all clearly marked UN vehicles.

Meanwhile, an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson mentioned that the IDF had not been informed about the vehicles route and stated that the incident was under review.

Since 7 October last year, 191 UN workers, predominantly Palestinians, have lost their lives in Gaza, including the recent casualty reported on Monday, according to Olga Cherevno, a spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Between 7 October 2023 and 12 May 2024, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs mentioned that more than 35,000 Palestinians have lost their lives, with over 78,000 sustaining injuries in Gaza.

Director-general of the World Health Organization, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, responding to the news of the news of the UN staffer who was killed on Monday, said: We are devastated to learn about the death of a @UN humanitarian worker and injury of another in #Gaza today.

Too many civilian and humanitarian lives have paid the price for this war.

Ceasefire and work towards peace.

According to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), approximately 360,000 people have evacuated Rafah since receiving the initial evacuation directive a week ago. Among them, many have been displaced on multiple occasions over the last seven months.

Meanwhile, evacuation directives issued last Saturday for northern Gaza, amidst continued Israeli bombardment, have led to the displacement of around 100,000 people so far.
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A comedian known for his viral impressions of Narendra Modi has accused officials of not allowing him to file the paperwork that will let him stand as an independent candidate against the prime minister in Indias mammoth general elections.

Stand-up comedian Shyam Rangeela, 29, had said he wanted to compete against the 73-year-old prime minister from the northern city of Varanasi, which has been Mr Modis constituency since 2014, but that his efforts to file nomination papers had been rejected by local election officials for the past three days running.

The holy city of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh will go to the polls on the seventh and final day of voting in the election, which is spread across six weeks and involves almost a billion registered voters. Mr Modi is seeking a rare third term as prime minister and his Hindu nationalist BJP is widely expected to win a large majority, riding on a wave of populism and dog-whistle campaigning.

Mr Modi filed his nomination papers in the city on Tuesday morning, after offering prayers at the River Ganges, a spectacle which dominated all major Indian news channels for much of the day. The nomination centre was heavily fortified ahead of the prime ministers arrival.

Mr Rangeela, a stand-up comedian who went viral on social media in 2017 for his impressions of Mr Modi, said he had lined up outside the nomination office on Friday, Monday, and again on Tuesday from morning until afternoon. A native of the western state of Rajasthan, he said he was not even allowed inside the office to wait to file his nomination, let alone submit his paperwork.

"[It was] not just mine, they are not accepting any other independent candidates nomination. They closed the doors at 3pm. I am still less troubled. Those who lined up at 8am have broken down and are crying. They have not eaten or drank water since morning, they are waiting till 3pm, he said in a video shared on his social media accounts.

The officials at the nomination office told us, please understand. Even they look helpless.

Talking to The Independent in New Delhi before he left for Varanasi, Mr Rangeela said his decision to fight the elections stemmed from what he claimed was unfairness and discrimination against political competition in some of the big seats such as Surat in Mr Modis home state of Gujarat.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) candidate Mukesh Dalal was declared the uncontested winner from Surat after other eight candidates in the fray withdrew following the rejection of the Congress opposition party candidate Nilesh Kumbhanis nomination. Local officials claimed Mr Kumbhanis nomination was rejected due to discrepancies in signatures of his proposers, but several local opposition politicians have alleged serious cases of obstruction and police intimidation.

Mr Modi is talking about taking 400 seats out of a total 543 constituency seats. He can take 450 seats also if he so desires. But if he gets even two like this (lack of option) in a democratic country, that is problematic because then you are taking away peoples right to vote, Mr Rangeela told The Independent.

He argued that the people of India should have options at the time of election if Indian democracy is to thrive. He said he wanted to fill that void for voters, even if he did not have the political acumen to actually pose a threat to the prime minister.

I see the entire countrys eyes there. I will address India from Varanasi by standing against Mr Modi. I want voters there to at least listen to me and cast their ballot. This is the beauty of democracy, let people enjoy choice, Mr Rangeela said.

But when he reached Varanasi on Friday to file his nomination, he said he was not given a copy of the required form, and was made to wait in a queue for hours alongside other aspirants. He said other people who queued up with him were asked to present their government ID card, 10 people proposing their nomination, and submit their phone numbers for an official form.

Candidates filing their nominations need to have at least one proposer who must be a registered elector in the same constituency, according to the rules set out by the Election Commission.

Even on Tuesday, during his third hours-long attempt, Mr Rangeela said he was not allowed inside the office.

Ive seen democracy being strangled today, it has not been completely killed but Ive seen democracy being strangled. They are not letting anyone enter the office, he said in a video shared on his social media.

Mr Rangeela has not even considered the prospect of actually winning against the PM; he said he would regard it as a victory just to be able to run against him.

I dont need the votes being guarded by Mr Modi. All his devout voters can back him, and those wanting to vote for me can vote, but they should at least provide a name against him for a competitive option. There is no other name other than Mr Modis on the voting machine, he said.

Whichever political party you are from, I urge you to see how democracy is being slowly murdered, he said.

The polling body officials at the Varanasi nomination office denied reports of discrimination against independent candidates, reported The Times of India.

They added that security measures had been scaled up to allow Mr Modi to file his nomination in person, with all the protocols followed.

Varanasi will not see Mr Modi run unopposed  for the third time running, his major competition in the city is set to be Ajay Rai from the opposition Congress party. In 2019 Congress came third in the constituency, with just over 152,000 votes compared to more than 195,000 for Shalini Yadav, representing the regional Samajwadi Party. Mr Modi secured more than 674,000 votes. Results this time around will be announced alongside the rest of the countrys on 4 June.
A kilo of potatoes in Kabul costs no more than five pence, but even that is unaffordable for many of the Afghans who are battling extreme poverty. Some parents are being forced to collect potato peel from neighbours to feed their children.

Adding to this brutal mix is the fact that humanitarian aid into the war-ravaged country is drying up  a cycle of droughts and flooding has also destroyed crops or rendered farming much more difficult.

Surviving on food scraps is still less desperate than having to marry off a daughter for money, something a number of families in northwestern Afghanistan have reportedly been compelled to do since the Taliban seized power.

The Afghan economy has been battered by decades of occupation and war, leading to foreign interventions  first by the Soviet Union, and then by the United States and its allies  before the Taliban takeover brought yet more instability.

That misery has been compounded recently by a series of natural disasters, including heavy rainfall, drought, flash flooding, and unseasonal frost every month of this year so far.

Last Friday and Saturday, massive flash flooding killed more than 300 people in the northern provinces of Baghlan and Takhar, wiping away mud houses and cattle and destroying standing wheat and vegetable crops.

open image in gallery An Afghan child crawls in the mud after floods in the Burka district of Baghlan province ( AFP via Getty )

The majority of those who died were women and children who could not run out of their houses in time, Abdul, a man in his twenties, tells The Independent.

The naked bodies of female flood victims were left in the open because of the Talibans mahram rule, which doesnt allow any man other than a womans husband, father, brother, son or nephew to touch her body, claims Abdul, who doesnt give his full name for fear of reprisals by the Taliban.

Abdul has never seen rainfall and floods like this past weekends, and neither has his 70-year-old father. All fields of wheat, potatoes and beans were ready for harvest. The Taliban will not offer any economic help, its officials looked at us from a helicopter, he says.

This is going to make us bleed economically in the coming months. Already there are women with kids in tow begging on the streets of Baghlan. What is next?

open image in gallery Afghan residents whose houses are swamped with mud gather on a hillside following flash floods after heavy rainfall at a village in the Baghlan-e-Markazi district of Baghlan province ( AFP via Getty )

Similar disasters last year  excess rainfall, flash floods and drought  extracted a heavy human cost from poor Afghans like Ismail*.

To feed his family, Ismail was forced to agree his one-year-old daughters engagement to a young boy from a local family in exchange for 5,000 afghanis (55). The desperate trade-off came after he had sold his five goats.

We had nothing, so we had to make this deal; its still something for us, he told a representative of the World Food Programme (WFP). His only source of income now is collecting goat droppings, which fetch him up to 100 afghanis a day. Thats about 1.

Ismails family is one of thousands in Afghanistan who are struggling for their next meal, according to the WFP. Its a humanitarian crisis that is only likely to worsen, as international aid is set to plummet this month, says Philippe Kropf, a spokesperson for the organisation.

According to the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, the UN has bought, transported and transferred aid worth at least $2.9bn (2.3bn) to the country using international donations since August 2021, when the last of the Western soldiers left and the Taliban retook Kabul after 20 years.

The bulk of the money, around $2.6bn, has come from the US in the form of funding for UN agencies and NGOs.

The WFP says that, between January and March this year, it gave emergency food assistance to 7.1 million people in Afghanistan, which has a population of about 43 million.

In May, it will be able to help only about 3.3 million people, Kropf says. Between June and September this year, with funding drying up, the number of beneficiaries is set to drop further to around 400,000. This means thousands of families like Ismails will no longer receive food or cash assistance.

Seeking charity from any source, including begging, has become common in the last couple of years. You see children, young women, and even men of around 25 years of age begging in bigger cities, asking for money for one or two pieces of bread. That is also a coping mechanism and much less a source of income, says Dr Qadir Assemy, head of the WFP office in Herat.

open image in gallery A woman carries a child as she begs from commuters in a car in Kabul ( AFP via Getty )

He was told about families collecting and cooking potato peel by a social activist he spoke to last month. He also knows of at least one family who had to marry off their daughter for a few afghanis.

It is a coping mechanism for poor families who have neither education nor work to support themselves, and do not have an escape route out of Afghanistan, says Assemy.

open image in gallery Afghan boys beg for food at a bread shop in Kabul ( AFP via Getty )

Sons, meanwhile, are sent to neighbouring countries such as Iran as cheap labour to help sustain their families. The level of trauma among Afghan boys and men is no less than what girls and women are being subjected to, he says.

In Badghis, the northwestern province near Turkmenistan, the WFP found a poor family who had given their two-year-old daughter in marriage to a 44-year-old man with two wives in order to receive a bridal dowry. They had nothing left to survive on after losing their crops to bad weather, and had already married their two older daughters in similar arrangements. Girls married off in this manner stay with their parents until they are teenagers.

It was like pouring salt on my wounded heart, Asmas father told the WFP.

Girls in such situations are generally married to boys of similar age, says Elise Blanchard, a French journalist who has reported from Afghanistan.

Blanchard met Mollah Alauddin in Qul Charkh. He had engaged his nine-year-old daughter to the son of a man he had borrowed seeds from, to clear his debt.

Blanchard quotes Alauddins words: Its very difficult to sacrifice a family member to save the others. Can you imagine seeing someone take away your daughter at the age of nine or 10?

Qul Charkh was one of many villages excluded from the WFPs aid distribution programme last September.

Badghis and Herat are marked in red on the organisations map of food security, as more than 3.5 million people across the two provinces are in desperate need of aid.

Afghan families assisted by the WFP receive either cash  the agency wont disclose how much  or 100kg fortified flour, 9kg fortified vegetable oil, 12.5kg pulses and 1kg salt. Given the average size of a family is seven, that meets the requirement of 2,100 kilocalories per day.

But lacking adequate international funding, the WFP has been forced to cut the rations by half.

open image in gallery Children affected by a flash flood sit outside their damaged home in the Qadis district, Badghis province, in May 2022 ( AFP via Getty )

The agency now prioritises families that meet at least six of its 13 vulnerability criteria. In the main, a family with more dependents has a better chance of receiving assistance.

So one head of household, say a man, and his wife, who also happens to have a couple of children, with no money or food whatsoever, will be rejected for assistance against someone who has already exhausted all coping options or has someone with disability in their household, Kropf says.

In March, the WFP realised it was running out of money in Afghanistan and would have to curtail its operations. In April, floods compounded the misery of the Afghan people. Now May has brought more devastation.

We are having to pick between families and beneficiaries that we never should have to pick between, Kropf says. Enough international aid should meet these requirements, but we are now going to halve the number of families we were helping out.

The situation is worse than dire, he adds. [Its] an absolute grim picture we are looking at.

open image in gallery Displaced Afghans arrive at a makeshift camp in Kabul from the northern provinces, leaving their homes behind ( Getty )

Rana Deraz, a WFP communications officer in Kabul, points out that the latest flash floods have affected some of the poorest people on the planet.

They were already struggling for their next meal, and now are left to deal with the most horrible conditions.

*Names have been changed to protect identities
Market Street near the McRoskey Airflex Mattress building is repaired in 1949. The building is part of the Market Street Masonry Landmark District. Joe Rosenthal/The Chronicle 1949 An initial artists depiction shows the proposed building at 1687 Market St. in San Francisco that would offer 100 units of affordable housing tailored for artists and their families. Artists Hub on Market/Mercy Housing

Regarding Exclusive: S.F. nonprofits secure $100 million gift for affordable artist housing on Market Street (Real Estate, SFChronicle.com, May 10): The McRoskey Mattress building is one of eight buildings in the San Francisco Market Street Masonry Landmark District, which according to the Planning Department, were identified as historic resources for their exceptional and remarkably intact architectural character.

Why select the beautiful McRoskey building to be demolished when several unattractive, non-historic buildings nearby could be used for development? Even better, just seismically retrofit and adaptively reuse the brick building at Franklin and Fell streets across the street from SFJazz.

Artists should understand the importance of preserving our architectural works of art. If the YIMBYs want to prove that they are not Redevelopment 2.0 as they claim, this would be a good opportunity to prove it.

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Richard Kurylo, San Francisco

Ulterior motive for moderates?

Regarding S.F. moderate groups rose to power promising solutions. But theyre already imploding (Emily Hoevan, SFChronicle.com, May 11): I couldnt agree more that we need less drama and more competence in San Franciscos government.

But shrugging off the withdrawal of a possible ballot measure that would dramatically shift the power of a mayor toward authoritarianism with: Fair enough  theres no point in pouring millions  into an initiative likely to fail.

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What could be the real reason for pulling the measure? The people backing it want to be sure who would wield that power before they put it to a vote. Its hard to think of a more anti-democratic position. This is from a moderate group. We are in a mess.

Donna Calame, San Francisco

Wine tasting too pricey

Regarding California wine is in serious trouble (Wine, Beer & Spirits, SFChronicle.com, May 8): Winery owner Megan Bell said in the story that adding a tasting room could save her business. I believe the tasting rooms are a salvation and a partial cause of the wine industrys demise.

I remember when all tastings at Napa wineries were free but if tasters liked the wine, they would buy, and when back home, buy again. Wineries were profitable then, but they got greedy by starting to charge for tastings.

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I just took my two 21-year-old nephews to a tasting. These new wine customers cant afford the $25 to $95 each for tasting. With these prices, wineries are not catering to their new potential customers.

I encourage the stressed-out wineries to market to a new generation of consumers, and older consumers, in a way that is easier on the wallet. Otherwise, people will find other ways to quench their thirst.

James Stanek, Novato

Refocus Gaza protests

Regarding Pro-Palestinian protesters often invoke anti-apartheid movement  but theres one big difference (Politics, SFChronicle.com, May 10): Understandably, many college students want to take strong stands against Israel for the way it is fighting in Gaza.

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And just like not all Palestinians support Hamas, not all Israelis support their government  perhaps especially Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Rather than divestment, college students and others should protest for a ban on supplying offensive weapons to Israel, supporting defensive weapons to Israel, supporting humanitarian assistance to Gaza and supporting Palestinians aspirations to govern themselves.

Keep in mind that if Israels enemies think it does not have adequate defensive capabilities, countries like Iran and others may attack Israel  which, like in Gaza  would cause an unconscionable amount of deaths and injuries.

Gary Farber, Walnut Creek

Disarm everyone involved

Regarding Protest misinformed (Letters to the Editor, May 12): The writer echoes the familiar demand that Hamas must be disarmed because it killed thousands and kidnapped hundreds of civilians. What, then, should be done about Israels government, which is killing tens of thousands of innocents, laying waste to cities, and cutting off food and supplies to Gaza, threatening millions with starvation?

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Further, what should be done about the U.S. government, which has financed this atrocity and blocked every international attempt to put a stop to it?

If anybody would like to disarm all three of these purveyors of brutality, lets talk. Otherwise, student protesters are right to focus on ending the violence that is happening today.
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A Thai activist has died in custody, the department of corrections said on Tuesday.

Netiporn Bung Sanesangkhom, 28, was part of a small anti-monarchy group called Thaluwang, a name that translates to shattering the palace, which organised actions such as opinion polls questioning the monarchys power and holding small gatherings seeking the release of the detained members.

A legal aid group said she had been on a partial hunger strike during her pre-trial detention on charges including insulting the countrys monarchy.

Netiporn had been jailed since January 26 this year. Initially she was held for one month on a contempt of court charge related to a scuffle with court guards in 2023, legal aid group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights said.

Her pre-trial detention was extended after a court revoked her bail from a separate royal insult case stemming from a protest in 2022, the legal aid group said.

While in detention, Netiporn refused to take food and water for a month as a protest against political activists not being granted bail. She started drinking water in late February, and then eating in April after she was sent to a prison hospital because of her deteriorating health, the legal aid group said.

open image in gallery Pro-royalist supporters wearing yellow shirts wave a Thai national flag attend a rally to show their support for the monarchy ( REUTERS )

Netiporns heart stopped suddenly on Tuesday, the department said in a statement, and the medical team at the prison hospital tried to revive her before sending her to Thammasat University hospital where she was declared dead.

The department said the university hospital will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Netiporn was facing seven court cases related to her activism, including two charges of lese majeste violations, or insulting the monarchy.

Thailands lese majeste law, one of the strictest in the world, protects the palace from criticism and carries a jail sentence of up to 15 years for each violation.

More than 272 people have been charged with insulting the monarchy since 2020, with 17 of those currently jailed in pre-trial detentions, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.

Two other activists from the Thaluwang group who have been held in pre-trail detention since February are also on hunger strikes.

Another two other members of the group have fled the country, and remaining members could not be reach for comment.
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Sarah Paulson has revealed why she and her longtime partner, Holland Taylor, live in separate houses.

The 49-year-old actor spoke candidly about the dynamics of her relationship with Taylor  who shes been dating since 2015  during Mondays episode of Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnetts podcast,SmartLess. During the conversation, Paulson acknowledged that while she and her partner spend plenty of time together, they dont actually live in the same house.

She continued to open up about the living arrangement, describing how its been one of the keys to their successful relationship.

Weve been together for a long time now and I think part of it has to do with, were together when we wanna be and were not when we dont, Paulson added.

When asked if she and Taylor, 81, would consider having separate rooms, rather than living in different houses, the American Horror Story star clarified that they still often share a bed, noting they fall asleep holding hands.

I like to sleep near her. I dont want to be around her the rest of the time, she quipped about her and Taylor having their space, before adding: Just kidding.

She also explained how she and Taylor had different experiences when dating, noting that the Two and Half Men alum had never previously been in a long-term relationship before Paulson. That wasnt the case for Paulson, however, as she said that before dating Taylor, shed been in two previous relationships that lasted more than five years.

The Oceans 8 star went on to describe how living in separate houses has been beneficial for both her and her partner.

And so, her life, and to get to be her age and sort of not having really cohabitated with someone for a long time, she explained. I think it was a lot to sort of all of a sudden have me and all my neediness in her space.

When the longtime couple went public with their romance in December 2015, they quickly raised eyebrows for their 31-year age gap. However, Paulson and Taylor have still continued to open up about their relationship and how happy they are together.

Paulson has also previously opened up about why she felt like the romance was meant to be. During an appearance on The View in November, she revealed that shed met Taylor long before they started dating. I actually had her picture on my refrigerator for 10 years before we were together, which sounds strange, she explained.

She recalled how she was at dinner with Taylor, actor Allison Janney, and the late screenwriter Buck Henry when the actors posed on top of a Lamborghini parked outside of the restaurant. Henry then snapped the picture and sent them all copies of the photo. It was on my refrigerator in my little apartment in West Hollywood for 10 years, Paulson said. There she was in my kitchen.

When asked by TV host Joy Behar if she had a crush on Taylor at the time, Paulson acknowledged that she didnt but admitted that maybe something was percolating and it was unbeknownst to me.

The Ratched star also described how her relationship with Taylor has helped her become a better person. I am thrilled and feel very lucky to be with a person who is smarter, wiser, wittier than I, Paulson said, before adding that the Legally Blonde star just makes my life better in every possible way.

[She] helps me want to be a better person and a more realised person and she just also makes me feel seen, which I think is the most important gift you can give to any person, Paulson added.
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Bumble addressed their controversial celibacy billboards with an apology on TikTok.

The dating app company issued a mea culpa after their latest ad campaign received a swift backlash from users online, with many taking issue with the campaigns slogan making a case against celibacy. Although the marketing team had been aiming for a tone of cheeky provocation, it ultimately didnt land how they wanted it to.

You know full well a vow of celibacy is not the answer, one billboard read, which Uncut Gems actor Julia Fox took issue with in the comments of a TikTok carousel showing images of the new campaign. She wrote, 2.5 years of celibacy and never been better tbh.

Within a day, the company took to TikTok to apologise for the ad. The statement noted that it wasnt their intention to offend, but to simply approach the topic of sex and dating with joy and humour.

We made a mistake, the company statement read. Our ads referencing celibacy were an attempt to lean into a community frustrated by modern dating, and instead of bringing joy and humour, we unintentionally did the opposite.

They continued, Some of the perspectives we heard were: from those who shared that celibacy is the only answer when reproductive rights are continuously restricted; from others for whom celibacy is a choice; and from the asexual community, for whom celibacy can have a particular meaning or importance, which should not be diminished.

We are also aware that for many, celibacy may be brought on by harm or trauma, they added. For years, Bumble has passionately stood up for women and marginalised communities, and their right to fully exercise personal choice. We didnt live up to these values with this campaign and we apologise for the harm it caused.

The company noted that they planned on taking down the billboards and go back to the drawing board to create a campaign more representative of their brands message. They added that they will be making a donation to the National Domestic Violence hotline as well as other organisations to demonstrate their support for survivors and marginalised groups affected by abuse.

They will also allow these organisations to display the ad of their choice for the remainder of the reserved billboard time to replace the controversial billboards the company has taken down.

Please keep speaking up and telling us how we can be better, the company concluded. We care about you and will always be here for you.

The apology has been well-received online, with internet users flocking to the comment section of the companys statement to commend their words.

This is actually a good response usually brands dont take accountability and on top of that Bumble is donating! one user gushed.

Honestly best corporate apology Ive ever seen, someone else added. In todays world someone is always offended and this is genuine representation of learning from ones mistakes.

Classy and receptive PR damage control, another person wrote, before jokingly adding: However, the bear and I just signed a 3-year lease on a cottage in the wilderness.

Others were not so readily convinced that the companys apology was genuine.

On paper, its a well-tailored apology, one person commented. And it will win some people back. But the fact that NONE of the decision-makers knew  or cared  how the ad could be received after research is a huge red flag.

The great Bumble fumble will never be forgiven or forgotten, someone else noted. Bumble will just have to settle with the lack of users.

Bumbles controversial ad campaign comes on the heels of the company announcing a rebrand in light of the frustrating dating climate. At the time, Bumbles new CEO, Lidiane Jones, revealed to Fortune that she was reconsidering having women initiate interaction on the app, despite the feature being the brands signature.

With their upcoming relaunch, Bumble aims to improve upon the already saturated dating app landscape, contending with companies such as Hinge and Tinder, which regularly play with new payment structures and features to bring people back onto their platform.
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Zendayas stylist Law Roach said he had to train the actor how to walk in painful Louboutin heels.

As the 27-year-old actor has committed to fully method dressing as she promoted Dune: Part Two and Challengers, she has consistently donned the Christian Louboutin So Kate 120 pump with the majority of her ensembles. The red-bottomed heels have been a mainstay in the Emmy winners wardrobe for years.

In a recent episode of Recho Omondis podcast The Cutting Room Floor, Roach revealed why the Euphoria star prefers wearing the iconic footwear brand. He started his story, by saying: So, I think that the So Kate is one of the most versatile shoes. Its also one of the most painful.

It actually started when she was like 14, and I remember she had these So Kates on all day, he continued. Its the first time shed ever worn them, and she was collapsing. And shes like, I have to take these shoes off. Im like, You will not take these shoes off. And she kept them on, and the next day she put them on again, and the next day she put them on again.

By sticking with the heels, the actor eventually learned to love them.

It kind of became our thing, Roach admitted. And now, her feet are just kinda like trained. She could wear them all day, she could dance in em, she could kick her legs up, she can run down stairs.

When asked if the reason she wore the heels was because of a sponsorship with Christian Louboutin, Roach was quick to refute any rumours or speculation.

People always ask thiswe get no monetary anything from Christian Louboutin, he explained. They have never wrote us a check. It has always been a really authentic, organic relationship that she just loves the shoes.

However, if anything, there has been a bit of a symbiotic relationship between the actor and the brand, with the latter having sent about 40 pairs of their heels to her for her Challengers press tour.

Now, did they just send me 40 pairs for the Challengers press tour? They did, Roach noted. But, they nevertheres never been any type of pay-for-play, any type of sponsorship, anything. I actually became really good friends with Christian because of it, and I know his team globally. And if we need one in a crunch situation, theyll call the store, theyll do whatever to get her the shoe, because its become so synonymous with her.

Roach added that the primary reason the actor has gravitated towards the iconic heels has simply been because she likes them. He added, [Theyre] just great with everything.

Elsewhere on the podcast episode, the stylist revealed that there were several big-name brands that refused to send Zendaya clothes when she was first coming up in Hollywood.

I would write [to] Saint Laurent, Chanel, Gucci, Valentino, Dior and they would all say: No, try again next year. Shes too green. Shes not on our calendar, Roach recalled. I still have all the receipts. I still have everything.

Even though the Disney Channel alum had landed her first American Vogue cover in 2017, none of those five major labels had worked with her. Roach admitted that it was only when she landed a contract with Valentino in 2020 that she began to wear their designs.
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An Australian court sentenced a whistleblower to five years and eight months in prison for sharing classified information about the countrys alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.

David McBride, a former military lawyer, pleaded guilty to three charges of stealing and unlawfully sharing more than 200 documents classified as secrets.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation used the information provided by McBride in 2017 as the basis for its investigative series The Afghan Files, which provided an unprecedented insight into alleged war crimes committed by Australias elite special forces in Afghanistan.

A four-year investigation, known as the Brereton report, found in 2020 that Australian special forces allegedly killed 39 unarmed prisoners and civilians in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016. Australia referred 19 current and former soldiers for potential criminal prosecution.

McBride, 60, admitted to supplying documents to the broadcaster, but said it was in the national interest. The whistleblower told the court he was concerned about the attitudes of commanders and the "over-investigation" of troops.

Supreme Court justice David Mossop rejected McBride's argument that he did not believe he was breaking the law. The judge found the offences were aggravated by his high-security rating, which gave him access to the materials.

The court rejected the defendant's lawyer's plea for leniency citing his "honourable" intentions.

Mr Mossop said the whistleblower appeared to have become obsessed with the correctness of his own opinions. Sharing classified military information was "a gross breach of trust", he said.

"It's important to deter others from such conduct. They must know that breaching their legal obligations  will be met by significant punishment."

The judge, however, accepted McBride's mental health condition, which included Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), may have had a minor contribution to the offending.

Surrounded by supporters, McBride arrived at the court in Canberra on Tuesday morning with his support dog. "I did not break my oath to the people of Australia and the soldiers that keep us safe," he said ahead of the sentencing.

He sat with his eyes closed for the nearly 150-minute-long sentencing with his support dog by his feet. The public gallery erupted with slogans of "you are a hero, David" after the judge pronounced his verdict.

Following the sentencing, McBride hugged his ex-wife and told her "it'll be fine", before being escorted out of the courtroom.

McBride will serve a non-parole period of two years and three months.

It is a travesty that the first person imprisoned in relation to Australias war crimes in Afghanistan is not a war criminal but a whistleblower, said Rawan Arraf, the executive director of the Australian Centre for International Justice.
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Significantly more young men are electing to get vasectomies after the Supreme Court ended Roe v Wade abortion protections across the US, researchers found.

University of Utah investigators said before the 2022 Supreme Court Dobbs decision, 6.2 percent of men under 30 reported obtaining vasectomies, according to a new study published in the American Urological Association. But after, that number jumped to 9.8 percent.

There was a significant increase in patients <30 years pursuing permanent contraception post-Dobbs. The increased rate of vasectomies post-Dobbs was consistent among states regardless of the legal climate, the study based on reporting to a national database reported.

In the wake of Roe being overturned, at least 27 states across the country have restricted or outlawed abortions, and some have placed criminal penalties on obtaining one. With more reproductive healthcare providers seeking work out of state to avoid strict laws and lawmakers targeting forms of contraception, the pressure to manage reproductive healthcare is front of mind for many young Americans.

As a result, some urologists suggest, younger men may be seeking more permanent solutions to birth control.

Protesters on both sides of the issue hold signs as North Carolina House members debate abortion access on May 16, 2023 ( Associated Press )

Vasectomies are a medical sterilization procedure that can be done in an outpatient setting under local anesthesia. Though they are supposed to be permanent, they can be reversed.

Dr Kara Watts, a urologist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City, told The Los Angeles Times that more patients were consulting doctors about a vasectomy, which has contributed to longer waits to get the surgery.

The numbers would probably be even more dramatic if wait times were not an issue, Dr Watts told the newspaper.

Dr Esgar Guarin, a vasectomy surgeon in Iowa, The New York Times in 2022 that over a third of the patients he saw were child-free men below the age of 30. When he asked why they were choosing to get a vasectomy now, he said they had a simple answer.

Theyll say, Well the Supreme Court, Dr Guarin told The Times.

Other studies support the findings that younger men are getting vasectomies.

A study published in the National Library of Medicine found that it was far more likely men under the age of 30 would seek vasectomies after June 2022.

Abortion rights activists hold a sign reading "Vasectomy Prevents Abortion" as they protest after the overturning of Roe Vs. Wade by the US Supreme Court, in Downtown Los Angeles, on June 24, 2022 ( AFP via Getty Images )

Dr Sarah Vij, a urologist with Cleveland Clinic, told the Urology Times last year the data suggests men are taking reproductive concerns into their own hands.

Reproductive decisions are not just affecting women. In many ways, men can be sort of demonized in that discussion. I think these data suggest that men are also doing their part in many ways and that the decisions that we make at a political level regarding reproduction affect every single member of this population, Dr Vij said.

In general, more men are getting vasectomies. The number of men, aged 18 to 64, who got the procedure jumped 26 percent from 2014 to 2021, according to a University of Chicago study.

But its not just men who are seeking a more permanent solution to birth control.

The recent study from The University of Utah found that more young women, aged 18 to 30, elected to get tubal sterilization after Roe was overturned in states where abortions are illegal.
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A young woman broke down in court as she was accused of obtaining and taking poison to illegally abort her baby, before dumping the body in a household black bin.

Sophie Harvey was aged 19 and more than 28 weeks pregnant when she took an abortion pill ordered over the internet, a jury at Gloucester Crown Court was told on Tuesday. In the weeks before, Harvey, now aged 25, had gone to have a legal abortion when an ultrasound revealed she was past the legal 24-week pregnancy limit for the procedure.

Hearing evidence on her arrest, when she allegedly told a police officer she had wrapped the 15cm-long infants body in a towel after giving birth in a bathroom, before disposing of it in a bin, Harvey broke down in the dock.

She was sat next to her former partner, Elliot Benham. The court heard how the pair had been in a relationship for a year before the miscarriage in 2018.

Harvey, of St Marys Road in Cirencester, denies procuring a poison and procuring own miscarriage by poison. Harvey and Benham, 25, of Wingfield in Swindon, deny perverting the course of justice by disposing of a child - but both admit concealing the birth of a child.

KC Mrs Anna Vigars, prosecuting, told the jury that Harvey was referred to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) after asking her local GP for an abortion, believing she was four months pregnant, on 13 August in 2018.

At her appointment at BPASs clinic in Swindon, an ultrasound scan estimated that the baby was 28 weeks and five days gestation and she was told she could not have the operation, Mrs Vigars said.

A client care coordinator spoke to the couple, and later said Harvey appeared scared and stunned and completely shutdown, said Mrs Vigars.

Mrs Vigars told the jury: Whatever your own view about abortion, whether you think that it is a womans right because of the risk and affect of childbearing, or you think abortion is wrong, it is clear that Harvey and Benham were in a desperate position and one that wasnt going to go way unless they did something about it.

What had no doubt been fun teenage sex had led to a baby they werent expecting or ready for.

The crown alleges that the pair then carried out internet searches on their mobile phones for ways to carry out an abortion, including the use of drugs and herbs.

Two sets of tablets to induce a medical abortion were then purchased over the internet for 309.44 on 7 September, said Mrs Vigars. She said they were picked up from Royal Mails collection office in Swindon by Benham on 22 September.

Harvey took one of the tablets before giving birth in the bathroom of her parents in Cirencester, Mrs Vigars said. The baby was then disposed of by wrapping it in a towel and placing it in the bin, she added.

The prosecution position is that the pregnancy was brought to an end by the taking of that pill, Mrs Vigars concluded, the crowns position is that having done the research, they obtained the pills and she took the first pill and then gave birth, before getting rid of the babys body.

In getting rid of the babys body they were also getting rid of any medical evidence that she had taken the pill.

Mrs Vigars said Harvey had ignored several attempts by a midwife to reach her after the abortion appointment on 30 August, before police were contacted in November.

When officers located Harvey at Benhams family home, she told them she had lost the baby. She denies taking a tablet to trigger a miscarriage.

The trial continues.
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The sentence of the Nottingham triple killer will not be changed, the Court of Appeal has ruled.

Valdo Calocane, 32, was handed a hospital order due to his mental health after he repeatedly stabbed students Barnaby Webber, Grace OMalley-Kumar and caretaker Ian Coates during a knife rampage in Nottingham last summer.

After pleading guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility as well as three other attempted murder counts, Calocane, who has treatment-resistant paranoid schizophrenia, was handed an indefinite hospital order to the dismay of his victims families.

Following his sentencing in January, the Attorney General referred the case to the Court of Appeal to examine whether it had been unduly lenient, given the pre-meditation of the attacks and the 32-year-olds history of refusing to take medication.

However, Court of Appeal judges dismissed the bid on Tuesday, stating that while Calocanes offences caused unimaginable grief, his sentence was not unduly lenient as his paranoid schizophrenia was the sole identified cause of these crimes.

Valdo Calocane was handed a hospital order due to his mental health after he stabbed three people to death ( PA Media )

Calocane, who attended via a video link from Ashworth high-security hospital near Liverpool, did not react as the three senior judges gave their decision.

Summing up their judgment, the Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr said: There was no error in the approach adopted by the judge. The sentences imposed were not arguably unduly lenient.

Describing Calocane as in the grip of a severe psychotic episode at the time of the attack, she cited experts as she said: He was entirely driven by the psychotic process.

She concluded: It is impossible to read of the circumstances of this offending without the greatest possible sympathy for the victims of these terrible attacks, and their family and friends. The victim impact statements paint a graphic picture of the appalling effects of the offenders conduct.

Parents of Grace O'Malley-Kumar, Dr Sanjoy Kumar and Dr Sinead O'Malley, arrive at the Royal Courts of Justice in central London on Tuesday ( Yui Mok/PA Wire )

Had the offender not suffered the mental condition that he did, the sentencing judge would doubtless have been considering a whole life term. But neither the judge nor this court can ignore the medical evidence as to the offenders condition which led to these dreadful events or the threat to public safety which the offender continues to pose.

Lawyers argued at the hearing last Wednesday that Calocane should be given a life sentence as part of a hybrid order, meaning he would be treated in hospital before serving the remainder of his sentence in prison.

Lawyer Deanna Heer KC, representing the Attorney Generals office, told the court on Wednesday the extreme crimes warrant the imposition of a sentence with a penal element, an element of punishment.

In a statement following the appeal courts decision, Emma Webber, Mr Webbers mother, said the families now face their own life sentence of ensuring the monster that is Valdo Calocane is not released.

Parents of Grace O'Malley-Kumar, Dr Sanjoy Kumar, centre, and Dr Sinead O'Malley, left, speak to the media outside the Royal Courts of Justice in central London on Tuesday ( Yui Mok/PA Wire )

Dr Sanjoy Kumar and Dr Sinead OMalley, the parents of Ms OMalley-Kumar, attended the Royal Courts of Justice on Tuesday while the relatives of Mr Webber and Mr Coates did not appear.

Ms Webber said: Despite the fact that the Attorney General herself feels that Valdo Calocane did not receive the appropriate sentence, todays outcome proves how utterly flawed and under-resourced the criminal justice system in the UK is. It also illustrates the need for urgent reforms in the UK homicide law.

The fact remains, despite the words of the judge, that almost 90 per cent of people serving hospital orders are out within 10 years and 98 per cent within 20 years. In effect, the families now face their own life sentence of ensuring the monster that is Valdo Calocane becomes the next Ian Brady or Fred West and is never released.

Reiterating the families calls for a public inquiry after the series of failures they have endured, she added: There are many, many more serious questions that the families will now continue to fight to get answered.

We do not and never will agree that the vicious, calculated and planned attacks carried out were that of an individual who was at zero level of capability.

Barnaby Webber's family (left to right) father David Webber, mother Emma Webber and brother Charlie Webber, previously arriving at Nottingham Crown Court ( PA )

Speaking outside the Royal Courts of Justice on Tuesday, Dr Kumar said: Missed multiple opportunities to prevent the Nottingham attacks and the murder of our children and Ian Coates is what has led us here today. We have continued to pursue agencies that failed us and hold them responsible for the Nottingham attacks, so that no other family is made to suffer like ours.

We thank everyone for the outpouring of support for our brave and beautiful daughter, Grace.

Calocane fatally stabbed Ms OMalley-Kumar and Mr Webber, both aged 19, as they walked home from a night out in the early hours of 13 June last year, before killing Mr Coates and stealing his van. He then used the vehicle to knock down three pedestrians, Wayne Birkett, Marcin Gawronski and Sharon Miller, in Nottingham city centre before being arrested.

Ian Coates son, James, previously making a statement outside Nottingham Crown Court ( PA )

Prosecutors accepted his not guilty pleas to murder at his sentencing at Nottingham Crown Court in January after multiple medical experts concluded he had paranoid schizophrenia.

Sentencing judge Mr Justice Turner told Calocane that his sickening crimes meant he would be detained indefinitely in a high-security hospital very probably for the rest of your life. He also ruled that Calocane should be subject to further restrictions if ever discharged from hospital, which would need to be approved by the Justice Secretary.

While a later review found that prosecutors were right to accept Calocanes pleas, Attorney General Victoria Prentis referred the sentence to the Court of Appeal, describing the killings as horrific.
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The families of the victims of the Nottingham killer have said they now face their own life sentence of ensuring the monster is never released after the Court of Appeal ruled his sentence will not be changed.

The loved ones of students Barnaby Webber, Grace OMalley-Kumar and caretaker Ian Coates hit out at the utterly flawed justice system after the ruling on Tuesday, as their hopes for a stiffer sentence were dashed.

Valdo Calocane, 32, repeatedly stabbed the three victims during a knife rampage in Nottingham last summer. After pleading guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility as well as three other attempted murder counts, Calocane, who has treatment-resistant paranoid schizophrenia, was handed an indefinite hospital order to the dismay of his victims families.

Following his sentencing in January, the attorney general referred the case to the Court of Appeal to examine whether it had been unduly lenient, given the pre-meditation of the attacks and the 32-year-olds history of refusing to take medication.

However, judges dismissed the bid on Tuesday, stating that while Calocanes offences caused unimaginable grief, his sentence was not unduly lenient as his paranoid schizophrenia was the sole identified cause of these crimes.

Ian Coates, Barnaby Webber and Grace OMalley-Kumar were killed in Nottingham last summer ( Nottinghamshire Police/PA )

In a statement following the appeal courts decision, Emma Webber, Barnabys mother, said: Todays ruling comes as no surprise to the families of the Nottingham attack victims. It was inevitable and was not a review of anything other than the letter of the law as it stands.

Despite the fact that the attorney general herself feels that Valdo Calocane did not receive the appropriate sentence, todays outcome proves how utterly flawed and under-resourced the criminal justice system in the UK is. It also illustrates the need for urgent reforms in UK homicide law.

The fact remains, despite the words of the judge, that almost 90 per cent of people serving hospital orders are out within 10 years and 98 per cent within 20 years. In effect, the families now face their own life sentence of ensuring the monster that is Valdo Calocane becomes the next Ian Brady or Fred West and is never released.

Valdo Calocane was handed a hospital order due to his mental health after he stabbed three people to death ( PA )

She continued: There are many, many more serious questions that the families will now continue to fight to get answered.

We do not and never will agree that the vicious, calculated and planned attacks carried out were that of an individual who was at zero level of capability.

We have never disputed that he is mentally unwell; however, he knew what he was doing, he knew that it was wrong, but he did it anyway. There should be an element of punishment for such a heinous act, alongside appropriate treatment.

This is just one part of the fight for justice and appropriate accountability for failures that the families have been forced to endure. So far, there have been no less than eight individual reports, reviews and investigations.

We do not believe that there is any chance these can be cohesive enough to ensure a full and detailed outcome, and therefore call for a public inquiry.

Barnabys family (left to right) father David Webber, mother Emma Webber and brother Charlie Webber, were among the relatives hoping for a tougher sentence ( PA )

Calocane, who attended via a video link from Ashworth high-security hospital near Liverpool, did not react as the three senior judges gave their decision on Tuesday.

Summing up their judgment, the Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr said: There was no error in the approach adopted by the judge. The sentences imposed were not arguably unduly lenient.

Describing Calocane as in the grip of a severe psychotic episode at the time of the attack, she cited experts as she said: He was entirely driven by the psychotic process.

She concluded: It is impossible to read of the circumstances of this offending without the greatest possible sympathy for the victims of these terrible attacks, and their family and friends. The victim impact statements paint a graphic picture of the appalling effects of the offenders conduct.

Had the offender not suffered the mental condition that he did, the sentencing judge would doubtless have been considering a whole life term. But neither the judge nor this court can ignore the medical evidence as to the offenders condition which led to these dreadful events or the threat to public safety which the offender continues to pose.

Parents of Grace, Dr Sanjoy Kumar and Dr Sinead OMalley, arrive at the Royal Courts of Justice in central London on Tuesday ( PA )

Lawyers argued at the hearing last Wednesday that Calocane should be given a life sentence as part of a hybrid order, meaning he would be treated in hospital before serving the remainder of his sentence in prison.

Lawyer Deanna Heer KC, representing the attorney generals office, told the court on Wednesday the extreme crimes warrant the imposition of a sentence with a penal element, an element of punishment.

Speaking outside the Royal Courts of Justice on Tuesday, Dr Sanjoy Kumar, the father of OMalley-Kumar, said: Missed multiple opportunities to prevent the Nottingham attacks and the murder of our children and Ian Coates is what has led us here today. We have continued to pursue agencies that failed us and hold them responsible for the Nottingham attacks, so that no other family is made to suffer like ours.

We thank everyone for the outpouring of support for our brave and beautiful daughter, Grace.

Dr Kumar and Dr OMalley, left, said there were multiple missed opportunities to prevent the attack ( PA )

Calocane fatally stabbed OMalley-Kumar and Webber, both aged 19, as they walked home from a night out in the early hours of 13 June last year, before killing Coates and stealing his van. He then used the vehicle to knock down three pedestrians, Wayne Birkett, Marcin Gawronski and Sharon Miller, in Nottingham city centre before being arrested.

Prosecutors accepted his not-guilty pleas to murder at his sentencing at Nottingham Crown Court in January after multiple medical experts concluded he had paranoid schizophrenia.

Ian Coates son James alongside the other victims families ( PA )

Sentencing judge Mr Justice Turner told Calocane that his sickening crimes meant he would be detained indefinitely in a high-security hospital very probably for the rest of your life. He also ruled that Calocane should be subject to further restrictions if ever discharged from hospital, which would need to be approved by the justice secretary.

While a later review found that prosecutors were right to accept Calocanes pleas, attorney general Victoria Prentis referred the sentence to the Court of Appeal, describing the killings as horrific.
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This is the moment a man was attacked with a huge machete on a busy London high street.

The horrifying brawl was caught on camera and appears to show the victim being knocked to the floor and slashed in the legs in the attack in Woolwich, south-east London.

Footage shot from inside an estate agent shows workers screaming for police as one of the attackers wields the large weapon and appears to strike the man in the leg. Others kick the victim as he holds onto a rucksack.

Scotland Yard said officers were called to reports of a group of men fighting on Plumstead Road just after 4pm on Monday.

The force added a man in his twenties was found at the scene with knife wounds. He was taken to hospital, but his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Officers searched the area for those involved but there was no trace of any suspects, they said. They said they are aware of the footage circulating on social media and further enquiries are ongoing.

The attack came the week after Anita Mukhey, 66, was knifed repeatedly in Burnt Oak Broadway, Edgware, on Thursday.

Anita Mukhey ( Met Police )

Her family released a statement through the Metropolitan Police alongside a heartbreaking picture of Mrs Mukey smiling and holding a grandchild.

They said: Anita Mukhey, 66 years old, was a married mother and grandmother devoted to her family, who also worked part-time in the NHS as a medical secretary.

The family ask for privacy at this difficult time.

Anyone with any information about the Woolwich incident is asked to contact the police on 101, referencing CAD 5218/13MAY. To remain anonymous, call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Workers process chickens at the Lincoln Premium Poultry plant, Costco Wholesales dedicated poultry supplier, in Fremont, Neb. Nati Harnik/Associated Press 2019

As avian influenza spreads through overcrowded factory farms and millions of birds are culled in response, everything from wild birds to undercover investigators has been blamed for the prevalence of this deadly avian disease. Blaming those without power  those with no control over the conditions that allow this deadly pathogen to proliferate  is an effort to distract consumers from the real problem: factory farming.

Since February 2022, over 100 million farmed birds have been killed or died due to bird flu outbreaks in North America. Even one case of bird flu forces the culling of an entire poultry flock; sometimes, due to the scale of industrial operations, more than 1 million birds are killed on a single farm.

This industrial-scale killing is a stark contrast to chickens being reported as a popular pet. Right now, 85 million chickens are living in homes across the country. Yet, as birds continue to be infected, cruel methods like ventilation shutdown  in which animals slowly die of heatstroke  are used to cull poultry flocks en masse.

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Meanwhile, migrating wild birds have been blamed for spreading bird flu to poultry flocks, with little evidence presented. More recently, Californias Department of Food and Agriculture opened an investigation into whether animal activists documenting cruelty may have introduced the disease to Sonoma County duck and chicken farms.

In both cases, the less powerful are blamed, while multibillion-dollar corporations are allowed to jeopardize animal and human health, and the government protects the industrys bottom line with assurances that eggs and milk are safe to consume. Wild birds and animal activists are not the only victims of efforts to demonize anyone animal agriculture sees as a threat. Take, for example, the abuse of a gray wolf killed this year in Wyoming, where ranchers are legally permitted to shoot the animals after they were removed from the federal Endangered Species Act seven years ago.

Bullies scapegoat others instead of taking responsibility for their misdeeds, and there is no bigger bully than the factory farming industry. Overcrowding cows, pigs, chickens and other animals in filthy, stressful conditions while giving them enormous quantities of drugs and feeding them feces and dead animals creates a fertile ground for disease.

Pigs are considered particularly liable to spread disease to humans because their bodies are capable of being infected by viruses from people and birds  creating a petri dish for mutations and viral spread between species that would otherwise be incapable of infecting one another. Yet there is no sign of changes to how pigs are being monitored for disease on U.S. farms.

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Animal advocates and concerned citizens who have challenged irresponsible farming practices have faced retaliation. When two sick and dying piglets were rescued from a Smithfield factory in Utah and brought to a sanctuary, agribusiness enlisted the Utah attorney general, law enforcement and even the FBI to pursue felony charges. This overreaction to removing animals considered property with no economic value reveals a lot about efforts to target activists. The matter went to a jury trial, and appropriately, the animal rescuers were found not guilty.

Agribusiness wages sophisticated communications efforts, often in conjunction with legal efforts, to bolster its position and weaken its critics. In addition to food disparagement libel laws and right to farm laws, the industry has introduced ag-gag laws across the U.S. to prevent its abuses from being exposed. These laws imperil free speech, transparency and accountability. In some states, ag-gag laws have been challenged in court and ruled unconstitutional. At the federal level, Big Ag was able to enact the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act after 9/11, opportunistically and inappropriately associating efforts to prevent animal cruelty with murderous terrorism. Animal advocates oppose violence, so this ill-advised law is largely irrelevant, but it allows animal exploiting industries to label and demonize their opponents unfairly.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we must do more to prevent the next global health crisis rather than endlessly searching for someone to blame without cause. Pandemic fatigue has left many of us ambivalent and worn out, as Kelsey Piper reported for Vox Future Perfect. This feeling is understandable, but it is also being used to distract the public.

Bird flu has now been detected in more than 34 U.S. dairy herds, and fragments of the virus have been found in pasteurized milk sampled from grocery stores. This influenza may pose little risk of human-to-human transmission today, but scientists caution that viruses can mutate  and that bird flus novel jump to cattle signifies that the danger may grow with time.

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

While blame is shifted, we are failing to recognize the dangers that birds and industry workers face  and what some experts warn is a growing pandemic threat.

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More than 200 factory farms have been set up in the UK in just five years, creating what campaigners called a living hell for an extra 139 million animals.

Numbers of intensive systems have ballooned by 13 per cent, with 209 more intensive pig and poultry units, according to a new report which looked at the latest available figures.

In 2017 there were 236 pig factory farms in the UK; by 2022 there were 268, a rise of 32. In the same period, poultry factory farms rose from 1,376 to 1,553  an increase of 177.

Sow stalls prevent mother pigs from standing, turning or moving ( World Animal Protection )

In all there were 1,821 intensive farms, designed to maximise production and profit and accounting for four in five farm animals. The government said all farms are closely regulated and inspected.

Residents in several places have fought campaigns against plans in recent years to open factory farms near them, fearing pollution of air, land and water from run-off, as well as foul smells.

World Animal Protection, which compiled the report, said the expansion of factory farming means cruelty has hit record levels.

Lindsay Duncan, the charitys farming campaigns manager, called on the government to stop approving new factory farms.

Some experts have previously called on banks and the International Monetary Fund to stop investing in factory farming to cut the risk of future pandemics.

According to the reports authors, pigs and chickens bred for meat are reared in the lowest possible welfare conditions legally allowed.

They claim high death rates are the norm, with more than a million broiler chickens dying each week.

Farrowing crates are being banned in other countries ( World Animal Protection )

The report, called Confined in Cruelty: The Stark Reality of UK Farming, sets out how factory farming harms the environment by using large quantities of feed, water, energy and medications, as well as causing high levels of air, water and soil pollution.

It says animals bred to grow rapidly or produce high yields suffer lameness, weakened or broken bones, infections and organ failure and reproductive difficulties.

Intensive farms drive the climate crisis through deforestation, the document warns: The UK imported 3.3 billion pounds of animal feed in 2022, and is a major contributor to deforestation of the Amazon, Cerrado, and other biodiversity rich regions, to produce grain and soy-based animal feeds.

Illegall deforestation by land-grabbers and cattle farmers is a problem in Brazil ( AP )

Factory farming also contributes to growing antibiotic resistance, it is also claimed.

World Animal Protection says the UK has fallen behind seven European countries on farmed animal welfare.

Sweden, Switzerland and Norway have banned routine use of farrowing crates where mother pigs cannot turn around but the charity says these horrific contraptions are still commonplace on UK farms.

Enriched cages for hens  described as battery cages with a postcard-size space added  are typical on UK factory farms but will be banned in Germany next year, in Czechia by 2027 and in Slovakia by 2030, while France has banned any new cages.

Crowded conditions contribute to disease and antibiotic resistance, it is claimed ( World Animal Protection )

Scotland announced a consultation on banning enriched cages last month but England and Wales have not.

The EU has banned preventative use of antibiotics, which activists say allows animals to survive in squalid conditions  but the UK has not.

A poll for World Animal Protection found more than two-thirds of people think allowing piglets to have their tails cut off without pain relief  often done in factory farms  is cruel.

World Animal Protection estimates by last year there were at least 1.71 billion animals in UK factory farms.

A government spokesperson said: All farms are closely regulated, with more than 4,800 government-funded farm inspections taking place last year. These help farmers improve their practices and reduce environmental impacts, especially on our waterways.

We have set highly ambitious legally binding targets to reduce water pollution from agriculture and our farming schemes are supporting farmers to reduce pollution and agricultural run-off.

All farm animals are also protected by comprehensive UK law on animal health and welfare.
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Hundreds of shoppers have been evacuated from the centre of Inverness following a gas leak from a freight train.

All railway lines going in and out of the city were closed while emergency services dealt with the incident, but have since reopened.

The citys Eastgate shopping centre and the nearby Morrisons supermarket were also evacuated.

In a statement, Network Rail Scotland said it was working with the emergency services who are dealing with an incident involving a freight train at Inverness depot.

The public was asked to avoid the Millburn Road and Academy Street areas while the situation unfolded.

Later this afternoon, Police Scotland confirmed the closed areas have reopened.

In a post on X, officers said: Following a gas leak the Millburn Road and Academy Street areas of Inverness reopened around 1.20pm on Tuesday 14 May. Access to buildings was also restored. Thank you to everyone for their patience while the area was made safe.

Gas firm SGN confirmed the gas escape involved a train carrying tanks that supply its network. In a statement, the company said it is working with Police Scotland and ScotRail to resolve the incident as quickly as possible.

British Transport Police said: We were called to the line near Inverness railway station at 9.49am today to reports of a gas leak on board a freight train.

Officers are currently in attendance alongside @fire_scot & @PoliceScotland. There are no reported injuries and precautionary cordon has been put in place.

Phil Campbell, ScotRail customer operations director, apologised to commuters for the disruption. He said: We are sorry to customers who have experienced disruption to their journey today.

Anyone delayed by 30 minutes or more is entitled to compensation through our Delay Repay Guarantee. Just keep hold of your tickets and claim on the ScotRail website or mobile app.

Ticket acceptance is in place with Stagecoach North Scotland Buses and Scottish Citylink services between Inverness, Glasgow, and Edinburgh.
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The UKs graduate visa scheme is not being widely abused and should remain in place, a Home Office commissioned report has found.

An independent committee was asked to look into the visa route after home secretary James Cleverly questioned whether it was undermining the integrity and quality of the UKs higher education system.

He wanted to ensure the route was not being abused and that demand for study visas was not being driven more by a desire for immigration rather than education.

The independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has now found no evidence of significant abuse of the route, which allows international students to stay in the UK for two or three years after graduation.

The MAC review concluded that the graduate route is not undermining the integrity of and quality of the UK higher education system and is helping universities to make up for financial losses on domestic students and research through income from international tuition fees.

University leaders have called on ministers to end the toxic uncertainty over the future of the graduate route by announcing there will be no changes.

There has been a large increase in the number of graduate visas granted since the routes introduction in July 2021 ( PA )

The migration advisors warned that universities would have to cut courses if the government decided to scrap the post-study visa, which allows graduates to stay in the UK for a few years after completing their studies.

Mr Cleverly has come under pressure from some Tories to curb the graduate visa route. Last week former immigration minister Robert Jenrick published a report that called for the visa to be abolished.

The report published with the Centre for Policy Studies said that graduate visas have allowed people to come and work in the gig economy and on very low wages, and claimed there had been widespread abuse of this route.

Data published alongside the MAC review showed that the median annual earnings of the 73 percent of graduates, who were in employment for at least one month in the year 2022/23, was 17,815. For the 27 per cent who were in employment across the entire year, this was 26,460.

Responding to the report, Mr Jenrick said the huge increases in people on graduate visas are concentrated in lower ranked unis, adding: This route isnt attracting top talent. He slammed the report as a whitewash, saying that the conclusions have clearly been constrained by the narrow terms of reference deliberately set by the government.

The MAC review said it was concerned about potential exploitation of international students due to poor practices by some agents recruiting people overseas who may be mis-selling UK higher education, but it stressed this is a separate issue from abuse of the graduate route.

There has been a large increase in the number of graduate visas granted since the routes introduction in July 2021, the report found.

In 2023, 114,000 visas were granted for main applicants, with a further 30,000 for dependants, according to the MAC.

Take-up of the visas is largely concentrated among four nationalities - India, Nigeria, China and Pakistan - which account for 70 per cent of graduate visas, with India accounting for over 40 per cent.

Graduate visa holders are initially overrepresented in lower-paid work, but their outcomes improve over time, the report said.

The MAC review was unable to assess the risk of overstaying due to a lack of Home Office data.

Home secretary James Cleverly commissioned the review to make sure the graduate visa route was not being abused ( PA )

The report warned: The potential poor practice by some agents recruiting international students does risk undermining the integrity of higher education in the UK.

In February, Universities UK said it would review international student admissions processes following the allegations of bad practice by agents recruiting overseas students.

The MAC has recommended that the government should establish a mandatory registration system for international recruitment agents, and universities should be required to publish data on their use of agents to help protect the integrity of the UK higher education system.

Professor Brian Bell, chairman of the MAC, said: Our review recommends the graduate route should remain as it is, and is not undermining the quality and integrity of the UKs higher education system.

Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK, said: The MACs recommendation that the graduate route should remain on its current terms is extremely important and welcome.

The uncertainty caused by the decision to review the visa has been toxic.

Tim Bradshaw, chief executive of the Russell Group, which represents some of the most selective institutions in the UK, said: We recognise concerns around the behaviour of some agents and we would support targeted measures to address this.

However, the overall message from the MAC is that the graduate route is achieving its objectives as set out by the government.

We would therefore urge ministers to end the uncertainty and confirm as soon as possible that the route will continue in its entirety.

A government spokesperson said: We are committed to attracting the best and brightest to study at our world-class universities, whilst preventing abuse of our immigration system, which is why the Home Secretary commissioned an independent review of the graduate route.

We have already taken decisive action to address unsustainable levels of migration and our plans are working, with a 24 per cent drop in visa applications across key routes in the first three months of this year, compared with the same period last year.

We are considering the reviews findings very closely and we will respond fully in due course.
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A woman who saved her twin sisters life by punching a crocodile in the face will be honoured for her bravery in the Kings first Civilian Gallantry List.

Georgia Laurie, a 31-year-old from Sandhurst, was bitten in the arm while fighting the reptile off as it dragged Melissa underwater and attacked her three times, while they were swimming at a lagoon in the Mexican state of Oaxaca in June 2021.

Both women were seriously hurt, with Melissa developing sepsis as a result of her wounds, but survived after treatment  with Georgia now set to receive the Kings Gallantry Medal.

Its an honour. I was so shocked as well when I received the letter because I didnt see it coming, I didnt expect it, said Ms Laurie, adding: I feel really privileged, its a silver lining to have come out of the terrible ordeal ... it kind of softens the whole traumatic experience.

Georgia will receive the Kings Gallantry Medal, which acknowledges exemplary acts of bravery ( Aaron Chown/PA Wire )

Its been a good thing for not just me but for the whole family. I feel like I have to share it with my sister because, lets face it, I dont think I would have been nominated for it if she didnt survive.

Whats made this story so incredible is Melissas unwavering bravery throughout it all because she was so strong during it and I dont think I would be here without her, she really gave me the strength to keep fighting.

Melissa suffered an open fracture to her wrist, severe puncture wounds to the abdomen and multiple injuries to her leg and foot, while Georgia was bitten on her hand.

Twin sisters Melissa and Georgia Laurie both survived the attack ( Facebook )

Georgia added: The further away it gets, the less it feels real. But then something like this happens and it puts it all back into perspective again, like wow, that actually did happen, its a crazy story. Because when you think about it, it does sound like a horror movie, but it is a part of our life, its part of the tapestry of our life.

This years Civilian Gallantry List, which includes nine people, is the first to be approved by the King, who was crowned last year on 6 May.

Also set to receive the medal is police constable Zach Printer, who confronted gunman Jake Davison while himself unarmed on 12 August 2021 in Plymouth, after Davison killed his mother before shooting dead three-year-old Sophie Martyn, her father Lee, 43, Stephen Washington, 59, and Kate Shepherd, 66.

Mr Printer was attending to Ms Shepherd when he saw Davison carrying the firearm, immediately sprinting towards the 22-year-old, telling him to stand still, and hoping that he could talk him down. But Davison  who had his pump-action shotgun positioned under his own chin  pulled the trigger.

Georgia (right saved twin sister Melissa from a crocodile attack in Mexico in June 2021 ( Aaron Chown/PA Wire )

The officer was acknowledged for his selfless and brave actions while confronting Davison, which prevented further harm to others.

Among the other recipients of the medal is police constable Steven Denniss, who was stabbed in the leg while apprehending a double-murder suspect while off duty in Louth, Lincolnshire.

Mr Denniss was walking his dog at Hubbards Hills on 1 June 2021 when he spotted Daniel Boulton, who was wanted for the murder of his 26-year-old former girlfriend Bethany Vincent and her nine-year-old son Darren Henson the previous evening.

Both sisters suffered injuries with Melissa developing sepsis ( Screengrab from itv News )

Without any protective equipment, Mr Denniss attempted to detain Boulton until colleagues arrived, and was stabbed by him while on the phone to colleagues.

The officer chased Boulton until he was joined by armed officers, before the suspect was arrested and later jailed for life with a minimum term of 40 years.

Also on the Kings list are Lawrie Elsdon-Dew, for protecting others during fierce fighting outside the British embassy in Sudan in April 2023, and Stacey Farrington and Jake Walker, who stopped a speeding car travelling the wrong way on a motorway using an ambulance.

King Charles has released his first Civilian Gallantry List ( Jordan Pettitt/PA )

The Kings Commendation for Bravery was awarded to Stephen Ellison, who rescued a stranger from a river in Chongqing, China, in November 2020.

Chhaganlal Jagaita  who helped people out of a burning hotel in Mati, Greece, in July 2018  and Paul Martin, who intervened during a knife attack in April 2021, also receive recognition.

Those honoured in the late Queens final Civilian Gallantry List included five individuals  Steven Gallant, John Crilly, Darryn Frost and Lukasz Koczocik  who fought with Fishmongers Hall terrorist Usman Khan in November 2019, and Adam Roberts, who risked his life to protect one of the wounded victims.
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Prince Harrys bombshell memoir Spare has been beaten in every category it was nominated for at the British Book Awards.

A puzzle book, childrens writer, comedian, and a former MP were among the winners that claimed victory over the duke at Monday nights awards.

The 39-year-olds book grabbed headlines when it was released last January as it included never-seen-before details of royal feuds including the accusation that his brother, the Prince of Wales, pushed him into a dog bowl in a row over Meghan Markle.

The ghost-written autobiography was given nods in the categories of Audiobook: non-fiction, which the Duke of Sussex provided, and non-fiction: narrative.

Unfortunately, Harry did not have the same success as his father, the King, did at the awards, also known as the Nibbies, when he won author of the year when it first launched in 1990.

He lost out in the non-fiction narrative category to former MP and international development secretary Rory Stewarts book Politics on the Edge and was beaten by comedian Fern Bradys memoir Strong Female Character in the non-fiction audiobook category.

The 39-year-olds book grabbed headlines when it was released last January as it included never-seen-before details of royal feuds ( AP )

Meanwhile, Harry was not shortlisted for the overall book of the year prize, which went to a puzzle book - Murdle by GT Karber - for the first time.

The judges include Mr Bates Vs The Post actor, Toby Jones, BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Nihal Arthanayake, ITV presenter Lorraine Kelly and crime author Janice Hallett announced the winner at Grosvenor House in London on Monday night.

The panel said they loved the whole concept, praising the book as a really clever idea done really well and agreed the genius book had expanded the market.

The book is described as 100 simple to impossible mysteries to solve using logic, skill, and the power of deduction.

The duke also missed out on a nomination in the author of the year category, which was instead won by childrens author Katherine Rundell.

Murdle is a collection of murder mysteries which the reader has to solve (Macmillan)

The memoir was the fasted-selling non-fiction book in the UK since records began in 1998, despite extracts being leaked online ( )

Harry used the tell-all book to make various claims about his family including that William called Meghan difficult, rude and abrasive, that the King was jealous of the Prince and Princess of Wales and Charles refused to allow the Duchess of Sussex to join the Duke in Scotland as the late Queen was dying.

The memoir sold 706,978 copies and also detailed events in his life including cocaine use and losing his virginity to an older woman.

According to Nielsen BookData, it was the fasted-selling non-fiction book in the UK since records began in 1998, despite extracts being leaked online.
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High-risk offenders have been freed from jail early without proper risk planning under the governments chaotic emergency scheme to free up space in prisons, inspectors have warned.

In one case, a dangerous prisoner had his release date brought forward under the scheme, despite having a history of stalking, domestic abuse and being subject to a restraining order. He was a risk to children and subject to an exclusion zone which included the local authority responsible for trying to house him.

The government has repeatedly insisted there are safeguards in place to stop such criminals being released under the initiative, which was introduced in October and has since been extended from a limit of 18 days early release to 70.

But an inspection carried out at HMP Lewes over 11 days, immediately after the introduction of the 18-day scheme, found numerous examples of high-risk offenders being released at short notice without sufficient risk management planning.

Vindicating experts previous warnings, inspectors also found early-release prisoners were among the 20 per cent of inmates who were released into homelessness, further exacerbating concerns for their safety and that of the general public. In one such case, a high-risk inmate was recalled to the prison within days.

In response to the damning report, the Howard League for Penal Reform urged the government to start publishing data on the schemes operation, as Labour warned that the Tories attempted cover-up of their prisoner early release scheme is unravelling.

Inspectors said the uncertainty created by the scheme was undermining good, safe release planning and risk management, with release dates for some high-risk inmates brought forward at short notice, forcing already stretched resettlement agencies to redraw existing plans from scratch in as little as two or three weeks.

Around 20 per cent of the roughly 65 prisoners freed from HMP Lewes each month were released as street homeless ( iStock/Getty )

Probation officers were not always aware of the scheme or how soon the prisoner they supervised would be released, with some appeals for the original release date to be reinstated  supported by managers in the prison  turned down despite clear risk issues, the inspection report states.

Remarkably, homelessness was not a barrier to some of these early releases if it was judged that a further 18 days in prison was unlikely to allow for accommodation to be secured. In some instances, arrangements were so last-minute that licences were still being prepared on the day of release, inspectors said.

During the inspection, a high-risk prisoner with significant class A drug misuse issues and a recent history of suicidal thoughts and self-harm was released from the segregation unit to homelessness under the scheme. This took place despite appeals for the decision to be reversed and staff having serious concerns for his and the publics safety. He was recalled to custody before the inspection had ended, according to the report.

HM chief inspector Charlie Taylor said the inspection raised serious concerns with the schemes introduction, including some chaotic planning for prisoners who were being released at short notice. He added: I hope that these are teething troubles and that as the scheme becomes embedded some of these problems will reduce.

HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor said the report raised serious concerns about the end of custody supervised licence scheme ( PA Media )

Februarys visit marked inspectors third to HMP Lewes  a Victorian resettlement prison with a high churn of remand prisoners  since a concerning inspection in 2022.

This time, Mr Taylor took the unusual step of giving the prison six months notice, after a visit last April found that things had got even worse, with some inmates routinely getting less than an hour out of their cell each day, and a workforce plagued by shortages and low morale.

While the most recent visit was more encouraging, with Mr Taylor praising an enthusiastic and ambitious governor, an invigorated leadership team and improvement in staff morale, he warned: There is a long way to go at Lewes, which remains a fragile jail with crumbling infrastructure in need of substantial investment.

Levels of violence had increased steadily since the last inspection, with serious prisoner-on-prisoner assaults among the highest of all similar jails over the past year. Self-harm was similarly high and rising, with staff failing to answer when prisoners used their cell bells.

Drugs were much too easily available, driving the risk of debts and violence, inspectors said, with 28 per cent of prisoners testing positive for drugs in random testing. Fuelling this demand was the very poor provision of purposeful activity, with only a third of prisoners engaged in education or employment, inspectors said.

HMP Lewes housed 578 prisoners at the time of inspection ( HM Inspectorate of Prisons )

And they warned that public protection work was not adequately staffed  with just four prisoners subject to phone and mail monitoring at the start of the inspection, despite the 578-strong prison housing a high number of prisoners remanded or convicted for domestic abuse or sexual offending.

In one case, a prisoner was known to have been grooming children by making phone calls from a previous prison, but there had been no work at Lewes to determine if he was still doing this, inspectors said.

Howard League chief executive Andrea Coomber KC said the report was the latest in a seemingly never-ending line to reveal major problems in a prison system that has been asked to do too much, with too little, for too long.

She added: Even when given warning that the inspectors are coming, how can a governor be expected to turn a prison around when there are chronic staff shortages and insufficient facilities to meet the needs of a growing number of men on remand arriving from London and Hampshire, where jails are already full?

Warning that the Tories attempted cover-up of their prisoner early release scheme is unravellingLabours shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood said: The public will rightly be worried to hear of cases where violent prisoners are being released without a proper assessment of the risk they pose to the public, and specifically children.

Its being left to prison inspectors to tell the public the truth because this government is refusing to level with them on the scale of the prisons and probation crisis. Its time for the prime minister to come clean about what 14 years of Conservative chaos has done to our justice system.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: While we will always ensure there is enough capacity to keep dangerous offenders behind bars, this scheme allows us to ease short-term pressures on prisons by moving some lower-level offenders at the end of their custodial term on to licence.

These offenders will continue to be supervised under strict conditions such as tagging and curfews, and the prison service can block the earlier release of any individual who poses a heightened risk.
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The government has been urged to reconsider changes to its Ukraine refugee schemes that are keeping families apart  as more cases emerge of parents unable to bring their children to the UK.

When the decision to close the Ukraine Family Scheme was implemented days before the two-year anniversary of Russias invasion, officials dismissed widespread warnings the move would keep families apart as cynical scaremongering.

But these warnings have now come to pass, with The Independent revealing the case of parents who arrived under the Homes for Ukraine scheme in April 2022 now left unable to bring their two-year-old daughter from Kyiv, having finally secured suitable accommodation and set up a business in the UK.

Oleksandra and her daughter pictured prior to Russias invasion in Kyiv, where Anna lives with her grandparents ( supplied )

While Oleksandra and Yaroslavs application to sponsor their daughter Anna stated that they were her parents, the Home Office rejected her visa request on 26 April on the grounds that her parents are not British or Irish citizens and have a time limit on their stay in the UK.

Have you been affected by this? Email andy.gregory@independent.co.uk

The Home Office insisted to The Independent that the Ukraine scheme rules have never prevented a child joining their family in the UK, and nor do the changes brought in overnight on 19 February  prompting Lib Dem MP Alistair Carmichael to suggest that they do not seem to understand their own rules.

Further cases have now emerged of families rendered unable to join loved ones in Britain, in a report published by the Refugee Council and Safe Passage on Monday, in which the charities urged the government to reopen a pathway to reunite Ukrainians with temporary status in the UK with their close family.

In one case, a couple named Andrei and Mira originally came to the UK for seasonal work and both have temporary leave to remain under the Ukraine Extension Scheme  but say they now have no way to bring their two children  aged five and nine  to Britain.

Mira has returned to Ukraine as a result, living with her children in a village close to key infrastructure being targeted by Russian forces. The children can hear missiles and rockets, and a drone was recently shot down in the neighbouring fields, the report states.

Intense fighting continues in Ukraines east, with much of the country frequently subject to missile attacks ( AP )

The ongoing separation from Andrei is having a significant psychological impact on the family, with both children have become more withdrawn and their parents worried about their mental health, the report states. Andrei said the heartbreaking situation had left him feeling very powerless.

In a separate case, a teenager named Yulia lives close to the Russian border under the constant threat of bombing and shelling  with her family losing their home, no longer able to afford food and struggling to find jobs in a decimated economy, following an intensive Russian siege on their city.

Whilst Yulias family are unable to flee, Yulia is desperate to join her aunt Darina, who moved in with a British host family in 2022 with her son, and has now found private rental accommodation nearby. But following the changes to the Homes for Ukraine scheme in February, Darina would no longer be entitled to act as a sponsor, the report said.

In addition to cases in which parents have travelled ahead to get set up in the UK before sending for their children and are now unable to sponsor them, the charities said they were also aware of men who have been injured or demobilised after fighting in the war and are unable to join their wives and children in the UK.

Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: Families are often forcibly separated by the horrors of war and conflict, so it is unimaginably painful that refugee families, especially parents and children, are stopped from reuniting with their loved ones by the Home Office.

The government rightly supported thousands of people affected by war and bloodshed in Ukraine to find safety here, and it has been incredible to witness communities up and down the country opening their arms to people from that conflict. However, the governments policy change in February means that displaced Ukrainians in the UK now have no way to bring their family to join them in safety  not even their children or their partners.

Labour peer Lord Alf Dubs described the situation as deeply shocking ( PA )

We urge the government to allow Ukrainians with temporary status in the UK to sponsor their close family members. Until they do, Ukrainians who have already suffered so much are being stopped from being with their loved ones and rebuilding their lives.

Kate Smart, chief executive of the charity Settled  which is supporting two-year-old Annas parents in trying to bring her to the UK  said the new report relects Settleds own caseload experience of Ukrainians being affected by the changes.

We call for an urgent change to the rules, to reinstate the right of Ukrainians in the UK to sponsor close family members, said Ms Smart. The spirit of these humanitarian visas demands that children are allowed to join their parents.

Labour peer Lord Alf Dubs, who arrived in the UK as a six-year-old fleeing the Nazis, told The Independent he found the situation deeply shocking, because the government will notionally say they support the rights of family reunion and then in practice they deny it.

This has happened over the years and this is just the latest example, he said, adding: I hope its not deliberate policy, but theyve said if people dont have refugee status or arent British citizens then they cant join their family, so Im not sure its a mistake. I would think that family reunion was absolutely fundamental to basic human rights.

A Home Office spokesperson said: We absolutely do not prevent a parent being joined by a child in the UK. The Ukraine scheme rules have never prevented this, nor do the changes prevent this.

We continue to provide a safe and secure haven for those fleeing the ongoing conflict, whilst providing certainty and assurance for Ukrainians in the UK on their future as the war continues.
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Brexiteers should have considered the consequences of their actions before complaining about a high court ruling which has potentially left UK immigration policy in chaos, a leading Northern Ireland MP has claimed.

Belfast South SDLP MP Claire Hannas intervention came as immigration minister Tom Pursglove was answering an urgent question in the Commons on the ruling by the court in Northern Ireland that the Illegal Immigration Act does not apply in that part of the UK.

Mr Pursglove insisted that the government will appeal the decision but came under fire from both sides of the House as Tory Brexiteer MPs joined the Opposition in condemning the chaos left in the UKs immigration system.

There were concerns expressed that a similar challenge on the Safety of Rwanda Act, to allow deportation flights, will also be successful in the Northern Irish high court.

The problems appeared to originate from Rishi Sunaks much vaunted Windsor Framework Agreement with the EU last year designed to try to resolve the chaotic Irish border problems left by Brexit, which were first warned about during the 2016 Brexit referendum by former prime ministers John Major and Tony Blair.

Tom Pursglove answered the urgent question (Richard Townshend/UK Parliament/PA) ( PA Media )

Former cabinet minister David Jones, who is deputy chairman of the European Research Group (ERG) of Tory Brexiteers, said: We were already aware that the Windsor Framework had resulted in a customs border in the Irish Sea. It now appears to be the case if this judgement stands that it has destroyed the ability of the UK government to determine who should remain in our own borders.

Another hard line Brexiteer, former home secretary Suella Braverman pointed out that the judgement said that Northern Ireland is effectively to be treated as part of the EU.

She said: Isnt it now patently clear that the Windsor Framework has served to undermine our sovereignty, undermine Northern Irelands place in the UK and, Im afraid, fundamentally failed on its first contact with reality.

Meanwhile, ERG chairman Mark Francois demanded that Britain goes even further and renegotiates the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) asking for a commitment in the Conservative manifesto to do that.

Suella Braverman says the Windsor Framework has failed ( Getty Images )

He added: On the Windsor Framework we told you so!

But while a long line of Brexiteer Tories demanded the Windsor Framework was torn up, Ms Hanna warned that they only had themselves to blame.

She said: The ECHR isnt just a key part of the UKs unwritten constitution it is fundamental to the Good Friday Agreement that is where the commitment to the vindication of rights flows from.

But, yes, Brexit and the provisions that have followed have underpinned those rights and have allowed for a pursuance of a remedy. Perhaps those who championed the Brexit project might at times better step through the consequences of their actions.

Immigration minister Tom Pursglove insisted that he did not agree with her comments on Brexit and said that immigration remains a reserved matter.

Meanwhile, DUP leader Gavin Robinson said the partys concerns on the legislation were dismissed.

He said: The issues that were elucidated yesterday by the High Court and Belfast were fairly and thoroughly explored in this House, and in the other place, during both the passage of the Illegal Migration Act and the Safety of Rwanda act as well.

When I and my colleagues raised these concerns here in Parliament, we were told by the Government we were wrong. And, yet, the High Court yesterday in Belfast said we were right.

Mr Robinson asked what steps the Government is taking to secure a British Isles solution to immigration, outside of the control of the EU.

Mr Pursglove said the Government intends to appeal against the judgment and would not be deterred.

He said: Weve consistently made clear that the rights commitments in the Belfast/Good Friday agreement should be interpreted as they were always intended and not expanded to cover reserved issues like illegal migration.

We are also equally clear that immigration is a reserved matter, which has always been applied uniformly across the UK. We do not accept that the Good Friday Agreement should be read so creatively as to extend to matters such as tackling illegal migration, which is a UK-wide issue and not in any way related to the original intention of the Good Friday Agreement.
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The irresponsible actions of Chinese state-backed hackers are making the internet less secure for the world, a British spy chief warned.

GCHQ director Anne Keast-Butler said responding to the coercive and destabilising actions of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) was her top priority.

She also highlighted the immediate threats posed by Russia and Iran, carrying out actions ranging from cyber attacks, espionage and surveillance.

In cyberspace, we believe that the PRC's irresponsible actions weaken the security of the internet for all Anne Keast-Butler

But the scale of the challenge from Beijing meant GCHQ devotes more resource to China than any other single mission.

In a speech at the Cyber UK conference in Birmingham, she said: Through their coercive and destabilising actions, the PRC poses a significant risk to international norms and values.

In cyberspace, we believe that the PRCs irresponsible actions weaken the security of the internet for all.

China has built an advanced set of cyber capabilities, and is taking advantage of a growing commercial ecosystem of hacking outfits and data brokers at its disposal.

China poses a genuine and increasing cyber risk to the UK.

China wanted to shape global technology standards and assert its dominance in the field within the next 10 to 15 years, she said.

The UK was working with its Five Eyes intelligence allies  the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand  on the challenges, she said.

She added: We have repeatedly called out Chinese cyber adversaries for activities that threaten the security of the UK or target the institutions important to our society, such as the compromise of the UK Electoral Commission.

On Russia, the GCHQ chief said there were growing links between Vladimir Putins intelligence services and proxy groups to conduct cyber attacks, as well as suspected physical surveillance and sabotage operations.

Previously, Russia simply created the right environment for these groups, but it was now nurturing and inspiring these non-state cyber actors, in some cases seemingly co-ordinating physical attacks against the West.

The threat from Russia was acute and globally pervasive, Ms Keast-Butler warned.

She said GCHQ continued to strengthen Ukraines cyber capabilities and shared vital intelligence to expose Putins malign plans and reliance on states including China, North Korea and Iran.

She said Iran was also aggressive in cyberspace and actors associated with the state had been implicated in attacks against victims in many countries.

Tehran was continuing to develop cyber espionage expertise alongside disruptive and destructive capabilities.

Whilst they might not always use the most advanced capabilities to conduct their operations, they should not be underestimated, she added.

The US government has already identified and disrupted the PLA's efforts to pre-position on our critical infrastructure networks and we are going to keep pushing back Harry Coker

The National Cyber Security Centres chief, Felicity Oswald, also raised concerns about Chinas online activity and urged network managers to bolster their defences.

She said: The Chinese authorities have introduced a new law requiring the discovery of security vulnerabilities to be provided to the government as a priority and at risk of severe penalty. This should worry all of us.

She said the UK, US and allies had warned about the activity of the Volt Typhoon cyber group which could be laying the groundwork for disruptive and destructive cyber attacks.

This is a clear warning about Chinas intent to hold essential networks at risk, she said.

And it is a warning that providers of essential services in the UK cannot afford to ignore.

Harry Coker, the White Houses national cyber director, said Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) has invested tremendous resources in building up their cyber programme and was intent on embedding capabilities in foreign states civilian infrastructure to wreak havoc at a time of crisis.

The US government has already identified and disrupted the PLAs efforts to pre-position on our critical infrastructure networks and we are going to keep pushing back, he said.
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The Foreign Office has summoned the Chinese ambassador to a meeting after three people were charged with spying for Hong Kong.

Zheng Zeguang met with senior officials at 10.30am on Tuesday over the growing row after instruction from the foreign secretary, Lord David Cameron.

It comes after Chi Leung (Peter) Wai, 38, Matthew Trickett, 37, and Chung Biu Yuen, 63, appeared in court on Monday charged with foreign interference and assisting a foreign intelligence service.

Chinas London embassy reacted with fury to the charges, describing them as a fabrication and an unwarranted accusation against Hong Kong.

A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson said: The FCDO was unequivocal in setting out that the recent pattern of behaviour directed by China against the UK including cyber attacks, reports of espionage links and the issuing of bounties is not acceptable.

The summons followed Mondays announcement that three people have been charged with offences under the National Security Act as part of an investigation led by officers from the Met Polices Counter Terrorism Command.

Chinas London embassy reacted with fury to the charges, describing them as a fabrication ( Supplied )

The foreign intelligence service to which the charges relate is that of the Hong Kong special administrative region.

In March, the government accused China of conducting a cyber espionage campaign against politicians and the Electoral Commission.

Foreign Affairs Committee chair and Conservative MP Alicia Kearns welcomed the summoning of the Chinese ambassador. She said: This is a relief to hear and long overdue.

Hostile interference on UK soil is a serious issue for which we should have absolutely zero tolerance.We must be absolute on that with all countries.

Chinas UK embassy spokesperson said: For some time now, the UK has staged a series of accusations against China, including those on China spies and cyber attacks. All those accusations are groundless and slanderous.

The British side has also wantonly harassed, arrested and detained Chinese citizens in the UK under the pretext of judicial and national security. This constitutes a grave provocation against China and severely contravenes the basic norms governing international relations.

Wai, Trickett, and Yuen did not enter pleas and only spoke to confirm their names at Westminster Magistrates Court on Monday. They were bailed and are due to appear at the Old Bailey on 24 May.

Sketch of, from left, Chung Biu Yuen, Chi Leung Wai, and Matthew Trickett appearing at Westminster Magistrates Court ( PA )

It is alleged that between 20 December 2023 and 2 May 2024, Yuen, Wai and Trickett agreed to undertake information gathering, surveillance and acts of deception that were likely to materially assist a foreign intelligence service.

All wearing grey sweatshirts, Wai, of Staines-upon-Thames, Surrey; Trickett, of Maidenhead, Berkshire; and Yuen, of Hackney, east London, who was also wearing a black jacket, sat side by side in the glass-fronted dock for a brief hearing before they were given bail.

Trickett is employed as a Home Office immigration enforcement officer and was previously a Royal Commando in the marines for six years.

Wai works as a Border Force officer at Heathrow airport and Yuen is employed as a Hong Kong trade official based in London.

District Judge Louisa Cieciora said they must abide by conditions including a 10pm to 5am curfew, reporting weekly to their local police station, not travelling internationally and informing police of devices used to access the internet.

They were charged with the offences under the National Security Act following an investigation by the Mets counterterrorism command that saw a total of 11 people arrested.

Eight men and a woman were arrested by officers on 1 May in the Yorkshire area, before a man was arrested in London and another man was arrested in the Yorkshire area the following day, the force said.

All 11 people were detained under Section 27 of the National Security Act.

The seven men and one woman who were not charged were released from custody on or before 10 May.

The Met said the investigation was not related to a separate case involving Russia.
Demonstrators protest at a pro-Palestinian encampment at Columbia University in New York on April 29. Ted Shaffrey/Associated Press

In 2009, the philosopher and social theorist Judith Butler wrote a book that crystallized one of the most difficult moral questions: Why do some deaths matter to us while others dont? Why do we disturb the heavens with our wailing when some die while countless others perish with only the barest of mention?

The book is called Frames of War, and it landed in 2009, at the height of the post-9/11 U.S. military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. The projects hook is the stark contrast between the careful tally news outlets kept of American service members killed in those conflicts and the relative silence that met the exponentially larger civilian death toll.

Throughout President George W. Bushs administration, the number of U.S. military deaths was splashed across front pages and cable news chyrons while civilian casualties were virtually ignored  a shade over 7,000 American soldiers died in Iraq and Afghanistan, and even conservative estimates count over 400,000 civilians perished, primarily in the Middle East and Pakistan.

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Butler puts this distinction in stark terms; of the civilian group, she writes, There are subjects who are not quite recognizable as subjects, and there are lives that are not quite  or indeed, never  recognized as lives. Butler argues that such lives arent recognized because they arent grievable; because we cant apprehend the absence their loss would leave, we dont really care if theyre lost.

The Bush administration was able to exploit the un-grievability of the citizens of Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere as it prosecuted its ill-conceived war on terror, fighting for a chimerical security while mowing down hundreds of thousands of innocents with near-impunity. And the fact that so many now seem to look at his presidency through rose-colored glasses suggests that the gambit worked. The lives his wars cost still dont really count as lives.

It is clear that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his supporters were counting on a similar logic taking hold in the weeks following Hamass truly horrific attack on Oct. 7. He and members of his administration called that day Israels 9/11, not only to call attention to the unimaginable tragedy but to justify the violent response.

This is a time for war, Netanyahu said later that month as his army ramped up an indiscriminate military operation in Gaza that has resulted in at least 34,000 casualties.

I assumed Netanyahus gambit would work  and that a putative anti-terror campaign carried out by one of Americas closest allies would play out much as Bushs wars did, with a mountain of Palestinian corpses barely mourned outside of Palestinian territories. But in the last few weeks, student protesters across the U.S. have been proving me wrong  and holding Netanyahu and his allies responsible in a way that Bush never was.

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For Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student and lead negotiator for protesters there, it was an unwillingness to forget those corpses that spurred activism on his campus.

Over the past six months, he said, these students, they have witnessed the killing of over 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza.

Protesters at Columbia and other students across the country have refused to let that witness turn into silence.

But the question is why  and why now? Butler again has a convincing explanation. In Frames of War, she tries to understand how visual images make people more grievable to us. She theorizes that through these images we have a trace of ourselves that will survive past our death. And that trace allows us to imagine the absence well leave behind and the pain that absence will evoke. In short, pictures turn lives that dont matter into lives that do.

Suppose we apply Butlers logic to the college protests. In that case, we might surmise that students exposure to an avalanche of images of Palestinian suffering on social media sites like TikTok and Instagram is making the civilians of Gaza into subjects for them. Subjects that demand attention and advocacy. Indeed, last weekend Sen. Mitt Romney and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken darkly indicated that this might be part of why lawmakers on both sides of the aisle recently voted to ban TikTok.

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But this logic might also help us understand why so many students have been protesting the deaths of Palestinians but not, for instance, more than 10,000 civilians killed in ethnic strife in just one Sudanese city last year. These deaths are not as visible to us, and these victims are not yet as grievable as they should be.

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
 Close Hunt attacks Labour and says he refutes 'myths' the economy is worse under Tories

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Chancellor Jeremy Hunt unveiled new tax cuts if the Conservatives win the general election as he accuses Labour of playground politics following Sir Keir Starmers speech on Thursday.

Speaking from London, he hinted at further National Insurance cuts before the general election kicks off after Summer.

He claimed Labours electoral pledges would cost tax payers 59 billion over the next four years and accused Labour of lying and labelled fake news their economic plans.

He has also pledged taxes will go down under a Conservative government and accused Sir Keir Starmer of planning to hikes as sure as night follows day.

Meanwhile, David Lammy has launched Labours foreign policy campaign pledge as he vowed voters to reinstall trust between the UK and the EU amid security threats.

He added the country is currently facing key challenges around war and security, over-dependency with unfriendly states, and low growth around West.
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It was supposed to be the most discreet place to go for those looking to cheat on their partner. But In July 2015, millions of people around the world watched helplessly as a nightmare came to life.

That summer, hackers targeted Ashley Madison, a dating website for married or partnered people who wanted to have an affair and released the personal information of some 37 million users. The breach destroyed countless relationships and reputations  and it may even be linked to multiple deaths by suicide.

Now, a Netflix documentary about the scandal, Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal, is set to premiere on Wednesday, revealing even more details about the devastating data breach.

Heres everything you need to know about the Ashley Madison hacking scandal before watching the highly-anticipated documentary:

What is Ashley Madison?

Ashley Madison is a Canadian dating website, which was founded in 2002 and aimed at people looking for an affair.

Life is short, the companys website reads. Have an affair.

The Independent previously reported that 86 per cent of the sites users were men, Sao Paulo had the most registered users of any city and its mainly used by rich, powerful men. Before the leak, the website reported more than 37 million users.

After the 2015 leak, it was reported that just three in every 10,000 accounts claiming to be women were run by real people. The website, meanwhile, claimed more than 5 million women used its platform.

The Ashley Madison homepage, pictured in 2024. The company settled a multi-million dollar class action lawsuit filed on behalf of those impacted by the hackers ( Ashley Madison )

Millions targeted in 2015 hack

An unknown hacker  or hackers  called The Impact Team obtained millions of users personal data in July 2015.

In August, the hackers ultimately exposed the names, passwords, emails, and personal preferences of more than 30 million users.

Those targeted in the hack included owner Noel Biderman  his leaked emails revealed he often sought young escorts, The Guardian reports.

Rick Thomas, an Ashley Madison user, said in 2017 he was part of the leak after joining the site just two weeks prior, The Independent previously reported. Mr Thomas, 56 when he joined and married for 19 years, said he was then blackmailed by an anonymous person calling themselves Mr X.

Mr X demanded $1,000 from Mr Thomas, threatening to tell his loved ones about his presence on the site if he didnt pay up. Mr Thomas eventually confessed to his wife instead, who he said forgave him.

Others did not have the same outcome as Mr Thomas.

In New Orleans, local pastor John Gibson died by suicide just days after the data breach revealed he used the site. Mr Gibson mentioned the dating site in a note left before his death, his wife told CNN in 2015.

Meanwhile the police in Toronto, Canada said in August 2015 that at least two suicides may be linked to the hack.

Several celebrities were also caught up in the data breach, including reality TV star Josh Duggar  who was later convicted in 2021 on child pornography charges.

An Associated Press investigation also revealed that hundreds of US government employees, including those working in the White House, Congress and law enforcement agencies, accessed the site while in their offices.

Other reports in 2015 indicated that officials with the UK government, the United Nations and even the Vatican had used the site.

The companys fate

Ashley Madison still exists today. Mr Biderman, who took over as the companys CEO in 2007, agreed to resign from the role shortly after the hack.

Then, in 2017 the company settled a $11.2m class action lawsuit filed on behalf of the millions impacted by the data breach.

Now, the dating site is the topic of Netflixs forthcoming documentary, Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies and Scandal. The documentary will be available on 15 May 2024.

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. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
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A pickup truck driver has been charged with driving under the influence after he crashed with a bus carrying migrant farm workers, killing eight and injuring around 40 others.

Bryan Maclean Howard is facing eight counts of driving under the influence-manslaughter after the crash in Marion County just after 6.30am on Tuesday.

Around 53 people were on board the former school bus heading to a farm to work when Mr Howards truck allegedly side-swiped the vehicle.

The bus spun off State Road 40, hit a tree and landed in a field. Eight people on board died, while around 40 others were taken to nearby hospitals, some in critical condition.

A bus, which had been carrying migrant farm workers, overturned in a field in Marion County, Florida on Tuesday 14 May 2024 ( Marion County Fire Rescue )

The workers were on their way to work at Cannon Farms in nearby Dunnellon, Florida.

They are hard-working individuals and there is absolutely nothing wrong with them being here, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said, after being asked if those on board were undocumented.

Just after midday, the Mexican Consulate in Orlando announced it was offering emergency phone numbers for the presumably Mexican migrants on board.

[We] would appreciate any information about the affected Mexican individuals and their family members, the consulate posted on X.

Florida Highway Patrol told The Independent that the approximately 40 people injured were taken to local hospitals for treatment, later saying that some were in a very serious condition.

The agency is investigating the cause of the collision, which it is treating as vehicular homicide.

A bus carrying farm workers crashed northwest of Orland, Florida on Tuesday ( Marion County Sheriffs Office )

Its probably going to be six months, at least, before we conclude factually what transpired here today, FHP Public Information Officer Pat Riordan told reporters on the scene.

Some victims were taken to nearby AdventHealth facilities in Ocala. The hospital told The Independent that 16 patients were in its care.

"Our prayers are with all those affected by the tragic bus accident in Ocala this morning, Dr Rodrigo Torres, Chief Medical Officer, AdventHealth Ocala, said in a statement. Our immediate priority is to provide exceptional medical care to those injured, and compassionate support to our patients and their loved ones."

Two were later taken to other facilities, while 14 were discharged.

EMS workers are seen transporting one of the dozens injured in a fatal bus crash in Marion County, Florida, on Tuesday 14 May 2024 ( Marion County Fire Rescue )

The farm where the workers were heading to, Cannon Farms, posted to Facebook saying it would be closed on Tuesday.

Please pray with us for the families and the loved ones involved in this tragic accident, the statement said.

The Florida Immigrant Coalition called the incident gut-wrenching.

This accident, just like the Key Bridge collapse, illustrates the intricate interconnectivity between migrant labour and the success of our country as an economic powerhouse, Adriana Rivera, Director of communications for FLIC, told The Independent.

We would not be who we are today without the sacrifice and labour of the men and women who, while vilified and spat upon by many, have been the backbone of our country for generations. From the Chinese who built our railroads, to todays construction and farm labourers, we owe our economic growth to them.

Investigators assess the scene of a fatal bus crash which killed at least eight migrant workers in Florida on Tuesday 14 May 2024 ( Marion County Fire Rescue )

We wish that this tragedy serves to amplify the voices of the labourers themselves; their dreams, their lives, and their full humanity. May they rest in power.

The identities of those involved had not been released on Tuesday evening.

Marion County Sheriffs Office was forced to clarify to followers on its Facebook page the vehicle involved was not a school bus after rumours quickly spread that children were involved.

The Sheriff called the collision a tragedy and said that the Highway Patrol was the best authority to investigate the wreck.
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A 21-year-old Florida man has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for firebombing a reproductive health clinic, prosecutors confirmed, with a judge saying he has no empathy for women and their rights.

Xavier Batten pleaded guilty in January to one count of possessing an unregistered destructive device and one count of intentionally damaging a reproductive health services facility.

US District Judge Cormac J Carney also sentenced Batten, of Brooksville, Florida, to three years of probation and ordered him to pay 1,000 dollars (798) in restitution, the US Attorneys Office said in a statement.

The judge said Batten had committed a cowardly crime that showed no empathy for women and their rights, according to the statement.

The clinic in Costa Mesa was bombed on March 13 2022 when surveillance footage showed two men throwing a Molotov cocktail at the front door of the facility.

The clinic was closed at the time and no one was injured.

Chance Brannon, 24, was sentenced last month to nine years in prison. Brannon, of San Juan Capistrano, California, was an active-duty Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton at the time of the bombing.

Another co-defendant, Tibet Ergul, has pleaded guilty to the charges against him and is scheduled to be sentenced May 30.
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The ongoing murder trial of Chad Daybell, who allegedly conspired to murder his wife and his now-convicted girlfriend Lori Vallows two children, took an intimate turn on Monday, as jurors listened to text messages the pair once exchanged.

The messages captured the two discussing romantic liasons after they met at a 2018 religious conference, and even appeared to reveal a nickname the couple had for Daybells penis, according to testimony from FBI tactical specialist Nicole Heideman.

One message described how Elena, a fictional name the pair used for Vallow when discussing their relationship, gripped the storm and they stare into each others eyes as intense waves wash over them, according to the FBI agent.

The agent added that the storm appeared to be a nickname for Mr Daybells anatomy, reportedly drawing a smile from the 55-year-old at the defence table.

The Idaho mans trial began in April. Hes charged with first degree murder and conspiracy to commite the murder of three people, to which he has pleaded not guilty. He could face the death penalty.

Prosecutors allege that Mr Daybell, an author of apocalytpic novels, was driven by a desire for sex, power, and money that eventually led him and Vallow to kill Mr Daybells wife Tammy, alongside Vallows two children Tylee Ryan and Joshua JJ Vallow.

Vallow was convicted in 2023 and sentenced to life in prison for the three deaths.

Vallows children vanished in fall of 2019, and Mr Daybells wife died in her sleep later that year, a death which an autopsy later showed was due to asphyxiation.

After her death, Mr Daybell and Vallow married in Hawaii.

The following year, the bodies of Vallows two children were found buried in the backyard of what was then Mr Daybells home in Rexburg, Idaho.

The trial of Mr Daybell has featured other bizarre moments.

Earlier in the proceedings, jurors learned about the mans system for rating people as light and dark, depending on his judgement of the degree to which they had been influenced by evil.
 Close Chad Daybells daughter testifies in his murder trial

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A new rebuttal witness for the prosecution testified that Chad Daybells son Garth had told him how he found his dead mother Tammy Daybell, which is different from what Garth told the court at his fathers triple murder trial earlier this week.

Shortly after the defense rested on Thursday, Jason Abegelen, who worked with Garth at a haunted house, recalled that Garth told him how he found his mother dead in the bedroom and that his father was not there.

But Garth had testified that in the early morning hours of October 19, 2019, his father woke him up to help after finding the mother-of-five dead and halfway off the bed on the floor, tangled up in sheets.

Daybell, 55, is on trial for the death of Tammy, and the murders of Lori Vallows two children, Tylee Ryan, 16, and JJ Vallow, seven. Two weeks after Tammys death, Daybell and Vallow married on a beach in Hawaii.

It was only after the children were reported missing  and authorities began delving into the couples bizarre cult beliefs  that questions were asked about Tammys death and her body was exhumed for an autopsy. It was determined she had died of asphyxia and Daybell was charged with her murder, as well as the murders of Vallows children, who were found buried in Daybells Idaho backyard nine months after they went missing.

Prosecutors say Daybell and Vallow justified the three killings by creating an apocalyptic belief system, which was part of an elaborate scheme to eliminate any obstacles from their life.

But Daybells attorney claims he was manipulated by Vallow, who was convicted of the murders last year and received three life sentences.

Like Vallow, Daybell did not testify in his defense.

Closing arguments are expected to be next week and then the case will be in the hands of the jury.

If convicted, Daybell faces the death penalty or life in prison.
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A mafia hitman who murdered a mob capo and harbours a deep hatred for snitches.

A Boston mobster involved in the savage 1996 murder and dismemberment of a 19-year-old girl.

And a man with no known mob ties who just recently walked free from prison.

On 17 August, these three men were charged with the 2018 jailhouse killing of one of the most notorious mob bosses in American history.

Fotios Freddy Geas, 55, Paul Pauly DeCologero, 48, and Sean McKinnon, 36, reached plea deals with prosecutors, according to court papers filed on May 13, 2024.

Geas and DeCologero were accused of repeatedly striking Bulger in the head while McKinnon served as a lookout. An inmate witness told authorities that DeCologero said he and Geas used a belt with a lock attached to it to beat Bulger to death.

Prosecutors said last year that they would not seek the death sentence for Geas and DeCologero, who were charged with murder. All three men were charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, which carries up to a life sentence. McKinnon was also charged with making false statements to a federal agent.

As the leader of the infamous Winter Hill Gang, James Whitey Bulger terrorised the streets of Boston in the 70s and 80s, murdering gangland rivals and ratting out fellow mobsters to the FBI.

He then became one of the nations most-wanted fugitives when  following a tip-off from an FBI insider  he went on the run for 16 years.

For more than a decade the Irish mafia boss topped the FBIs Most Wanted list, coming second only to Al-Qaeda leader and the man behind 9/11 Osama Bin Laden.

But now, US authorities are pursuing justice for his own murder.

Geas, DeCologero and Sean McKinnon were behind bars with Bulger at the US Penitentiary Hazelton in West Virginia when he was savagely beaten beyond all recognition over four years ago.

Nearly four months after their arrests, a damning Justice Department watchdog report found that serious prison failures occurred in the lead-up to Bulgers murder.

It was the morning of 30 October 2018 when Bulger  who had arrived at the federal prison just 12 hours earlier  was beaten to death with a heavy padlock inside a sock. He was found by prison guards wrapped in blankets and posed to appear as if he were sleeping. Bulger was 89 years old and in a wheelchair at the time.

James Whitey Bulger was beaten to death in prison in 2018 ( AP )

Geas is still behind bars at the Hazelton penitentiary and DeCologero is currently being held at a separate federal prison facility, prosecutors said.

McKinnon was out on supervised release and was arrested in Florida.

Following the indictment, US Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Rachael Rollins pointed to the irony that the same justice system that finally brought Bulger to justice for his life of violent crime was now seeking justice for his own family.

Today our hearts are with the 19 known murder victims and their loved ones, as well as anyone ever harmed by this man, she said in a statement.

He was a serial murderer, and each mention of his name is a trigger to the families he devastated, reopening wounds that we can only hope had finally started to heal In the truest of ironies, Bulgers family has experienced the excruciating pain and trauma their relative inflicted on far too many, and the justice system is now coming to their aid.

While its no secret that Bulger amassed a long list of enemies through his decades spent as both a notorious mobster and FBI informant, no motive has been given for his brutal death.

Neither of the three men appeared to have personally known him before he landed in their lockup just hours before he was killed.

In fact, four years on from the prison slaying, many questions still remain  including who exactly the three men responsible for murdering Bulger really are.

1984 photos show organised crime figure James Whitey Bulger ( AP )

Fotios Freddy Geas

It wasnt long after Bulgers murder that Geas was eyed by law enforcement as the prime suspect in his slaying. Like Bulger, Geas has long been involved in a Massachusetts mafia and has a long track record of violent crime and brutal murders.

But there is one thing that sets them apart: Geas has a history of hating law enforcement informants.

The 55-year-old is currently serving a life sentence at Hazelton for the murders of mob boss Adolfo Big Al Bruno and mob associate Gary Westerman and the attempted murder of a union boss Frank Dabado.

Along with his brother Ty, Geas was a longtime hitman and associate of the Genovese Organized Crime Family which operated out of the Bronx, New York, and Springfield, Massachusetts.

But the two brothers were never official made members because of their Greek heritage.

In November 2003, Geas carried out the execution-style murder of low-level mob associate Westerman in Agawam, Massachusetts, as punishment because he believed he was cooperating with police.

Geas had lured Westerman to a home one night where he shot him in the head, bludgeoned him with a shovel and then buried his body in a ditch.

The victims remains were finally found in April 2010.

The same month as the murder, Genovese crime family capo Bruno was also shot dead in Springfield, Massachusetts.

The hit had been ordered by the acting mob boss who had learned Bruno was talking to the FBI, according to prosecutors. It was Geas and his brother who plotted the murder and hired a hitman to carry it out.

The pair were also involved in the attempted murder of Dabado  a cement union boss in the Bronx  in 2003. Ty shot Dabado nine times while Geas drove the getaway vehicle. Somehow, the union figure survived the ambush.

Fotios Freddy Geas is currently serving a life sentence at Hazelton for the murders of a mob boss and associate ( Collier County Sheriff )

Several of Geas victims were killed because of their alleged cooperation with law enforcement.

During his trial, Geas then learned that Genovese crime family made man Anthony Arillotta had flipped and become an FBI informant. Arillotta became the governments star witness at Geas trial and received just 99 months for pleading guilty over the murders.

Meanwhile, Geas still refused to cooperate with prosecutors.

In 2011, he was convicted of multiple murders, attempted murder, murder conspiracies, racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, extortion and loansharking, along with other Genovese crime family members and associates.

Among the charges, he was also found guilty of conspiring to murder Louis Santos  because he believed he was cooperating with law enforcement  and rival mob member Guiseppe Manzi.

Geas was sentenced to life in prison on the slew of charges.

While Geas may not have crossed paths with Bulger on the Boston mobster scene, his hatred for government informants fuelled speculation that Bulger could be an easy target.

An undated FBI handout photo shows notorious Boston gangster James 'Whitey' Bulger ( EPA )

He has great disdain for informants, Geas longtime attorney Daniel Kelly told MassLive.com in 2018.

Im not saying Freddy did this just because the media says so, Im just telling you what I know about him.

The former mob hitman could also have been seeking revenge on behalf of his friend Frederick Weichel, The Boston Globe reported in 2018.

Mr Weichel has long accused Bulger of framing him for the 1980 murder of Robert LaMonica in Braintree, Boston.

In 2013, Bulger handed over letters to Mr Weichels attorneys saying that another man was the killer but refused to testify or sign an affidavit to support his claims.

Mr Weichel served 36 years in prison for the crime before his conviction was overturned in 2017.

Prosecutors have since said they will not seek a retrial and Mr Weichel is now suing Braintree and Boston police.

He told the Globe in 2018 that everybody in the world knew that Whitey screwed me.

Mr Weichel became friends with Geas while they were both serving time in Shirley, Massachusetts, and Mr Kelly told the paper that his client had repeatedly said he believed his friend had been framed.

Mr Kelly said on 17 August that the charges brought against Geas werent a surprise.

Paul DeCologero

DeCologero was a member of organised crime gang the DeCologero Crew which reigned over the North Shore of Massachusetts.

His uncle Paul A DeCologero was the leader of the gang which primarily traded in guns and drugs.

DeCologero is currently serving a 25-year sentence for his part in the 1996 murder of 19yearold Aislin Silva.

The gang leader had ordered the teenagers death because police had found a stash of guns hidden in her apartment and feared that she would betray the gang under interrogation by law enforcement.

Prosecutors said the plot was to get Silva to overdose on heroin, tricking her into believing she was taking cocaine.

Paul DeCologero was a member of an organised crime gang in Massachusetts ( Family handout )

It was DeCologero who bought the high-grade heroin which was then used to try to kill her.

When Silva didnt overdose and die as planned, other mob members broke her neck, dismembered her body in a bathtub and stuffed her body parts into bags.

Her remains were then buried in a wooded area in Massachusetts.

Several mob members were charged over Silvas murder including DeCologero who was convicted on racketeering and conspiracy charges.

Sean McKinnon

Unlike his alleged co-conspirators, McKinnon has no known ties to any mob group. The 36-year-old was just getting used to his newfound freedom after being released from prison,

That freedom was shortlived, as just three weeks later he was arrested over Bulgers death.

At the time of Bulgers death, McKinnon was sharing a cell with Geas in the West Virginia federal penitentiary where he was serving eight years for stealing and trading guns for heroin in Connecticut.

In March 2015, the then-29-year-old stole a Jeep from a Vermont car dealership and drove it to licensed firearms dealer R&L Archery.

There, he broke into the store and stole 12 .22-caliber handguns from a display case.

He then drove the vehicle to Hartford, Connecticut, where he traded the 12 handguns with a drug dealer for heroin and cocaine.

Two days later, police searched McKinnons home and found a 20-gauge shotgun, 45 bags of heroin, drug paraphernalia, several pry bars, and ammunition.

McKinnon confessed to the crime and also told investigators he had traded guns for drugs with the same dealer on multiple other occasions, including an SKS assault rifle, a .380 caliber handgun with a laser, and several other pistols.

Only one of the 12 stolen guns has been recovered by law enforcement.

Sean McKinnon was released from prison three weeks before his arrest for Bulgers murder ( Family handout )

In January 2016, McKinnon was sentenced to 96 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

McKinnon spoke out about Bulgers death in a jailhouse interview last year where he insisted he was innocent of any involvement and complained about being held in solitary confinement.

I told the feds if I had something to tell them, I would, he told NBC News . I know nothing. Im an innocent man.

He added: Theyre treating me as a guilty man.

McKinnon said he had been removed from the prisons general population just hours after the killing and was interviewed by the FBI.

A DNA sample was also taken and he had been held in solitary confinement ever since, he said.

Bizarrely, McKinnon said he was sharing a cell with DeCologero in the special housing unit, despite both of their connections to the killing.

In January 2021  more than two years after Bulgers death  he filed an official complaint requesting that prison officials hold a hearing to present evidence as to why I am being punished.

I have had my basic comfort privileges denied and forced to endure the cruel and inhuman living conditions in the SHU [special housing unit], without cause, he said in the complaint.

His request was denied, with prison officials citing an active investigation.

McKinnon told the outlet at the time that DeCologero and Geas were also innocent men and described DeCologero as his best friend.

Unanswered questions

After all, the trio had long been suspected of involvement in Bulgers murder and were all placed in solitary confinement in the immediate aftermath.

Surveillance footage had shown at least two inmates rolling Bulger into the corner of his cell and beating him with a padlock inside a sock, according to the New York Times. It is also likely that cameras around the prison captured the killer or killers entering and leaving the cell.

Yet the investigation rumbled on for years.

Questions also remain around how Bulger ended up being sent to the notorious prison in the first place and why he was placed among the general population.

Several New England mobsters were already housed at Hazelton and the penitentiary was also known to be a dangerous place for government informants. Bulger was, of course, both mobster and FBI informant.

In the six months before his arrival in October 2018, three other inmates had been murdered there.

For Bulger, he survived just 12 hours at the prison.

FBI Most Wanted Poster of James Whitey Bulger ( AP )

Before being sent to Hazelton, the high-profile mobster had been at Coleman II federal prison in Florida since 2014.

The Florida prison was known to be a safe haven for inmates like Bulger who were in need of extra protection and the elderly mobsters time there was largely uneventful.

That was until February 2018 when prison officials said he clashed with a female medical worker.

The notorious murderer allegedly threatened the staff member telling her your day of reckoning is coming.

After seven months in solitary confinement for the incident, he was transferred to Hazelton.

As part of his transfer, his medical classification had to be downgraded  despite him being 89, suffering heart conditions and being in a wheelchair.

Prison officials and Bulgers own family slammed the decision to put Bulger in general population in a troubled prison known to be dangerous to snitches.

An anonymous prison workers union official described the move as a death sentence in an interview with the Associated Press in 2018.

In 2020, Bulgers family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Federal Bureau of Prisons and 30 prison employees, saying that he was deliberately placed in harms way.

The suit, which sought $200m in damages, claimed that Bulger was subjected to a risk of certain death or serious bodily injury by the intentional or deliberately indifferent actions of prison officials.

A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit.

Serious prison failures revealed in bombshell DOJ report

Nearly a year later, a bombshell 99-page report from the DOJ office of the Inspector General revealed that inmates at Hazelton in West Virginia knew in advance that Bulger was being transferred there from Coleman in Florida and had been taking bets on how long before he would be killed.

More than 100 Bureau of Prison officials knew in advance about Bulgers transfer and had been speaking openly about it in front of inmates  against BOP policy and despite the 89-year-old being at risk of being targeted by other inmates.

The investigation also revealed that a manager at Hazelton had specifically requested Bulger to be moved to his unit, despite knowing that unit was home to at least one inmate who  like Bulger  had ties to organised crime in Massachusetts.

The manager reportedly denied being aware of any threats against Bulger  despite inmates saying that everyone knew he would be killed in the prison because they said he was a rat.

Several BOP officials interviewed as part of the probe also claimed to be unaware of the notoriety of one of the infamous figures in organised crime  who has been memorialised in books and movies including Johnny Depps Black Mass.

The report also cites the deeply troubling level of care for Bulger, given he was 89 years old, wheelchair-bound and suffered from heart conditions which often required hospital treatment.

In our view, no BOP inmates transfer, whether they are a notorious gangster or a non-violent offender, should be handled like Bulgers transfer was handled in this instance, the report states.

A life of crime

The frail white-haired man beaten to death in his wheelchair in his prison cell appeared to be a far cry from the man who reigned terror over south Boston in the 70s and 80s.

At the time of his murder, Bulger was serving two life sentences for the murders of 11 people, as well as a string of other charges including extortion, money laundering and drug dealing.

As the boss of the Winter Hill Gang in Boston, Bulger was said to enjoy violence and was known to pull out the teeth of his victims to prevent them from being identified.

While he was finally convicted of 11 murders, he is long believed to be responsible for at least 19.

Unbeknown at the time to his fellow mobsters, Bulger had also been an FBI informant from 1975, providing information to agent John Connolly in exchange for protection.

The grave site of James Joseph 'Whitey' Bulger is seen at St Joseph's Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts ( EPA )

In 1995  one day before Bulger was to be indicted on federal racketeering charges  Bulger went on the run. Connolly had tipped him off, sparking an investigation into law enforcement corruption.

For the next 16 years, Bulger evaded justice before he was finally arrested in Santa Monica, California, in 2011 where he had been living with his longtime girlfriend Catherine Grieg. He was 81 years old.

In 2013, his life of crime finally caught up with him when he was handed two life sentences.

Right up until his death, Bulger continued to deny that he was ever a government informant.

Now, three other men are facing life sentences for his own murder  a killing that was celebrated by some of the family members of Bulgers victims.

Patricia Donahue, whose husband Michael Donahue was murdered by the mafia boss in 1982, said after Bulgers death: All I really wanted to do was get that champagne bottle and pop that cork. Its been a long time waiting.

This story was originally published on 19 August
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The three men accused of killing infamous Boston mob boss James 'Whitey' Bulger have reached plea deals with the US government.

Fotios 'Freddy' Geas, 55, Paul J DeCologero, 48, and Sean McKinnon, 36, all stand accused of conspiring to murder the 89-year-old Irish American inside a West Virginia prison in 2018.

Authorities say that Geas and DeCologero were the ones who beat Bulger to death in his cell, while McKinnon allegedly kept lookout.

Now, court documents filed on Monday and seen by The Independent say that all three men have struck a bargain with federal prosecutors.

The documents also ask the judge to schedule a combined plea and sentencing hearing, indicating that the three men plan to change their previous 'not guilty' pleas to 'guilty'.

Prosecutors previously said they would not seek the death sentence for Geas and DeCologero, who are charged with first-degree murder and would therefore be eligible.

Fotios Freddy Geas, Paul Pauly DeCologero, Sean McKinnon, and James Whitey Bulger ( AP/Collier County Sheriff/Family handout )

Born in South Boston in 1929, Bulger ran the notorious Winter Hill Gang throughout the 1970s and 1980s, which became the top Irish mob organisation in the city after beating its rivals in a gang war.

Simultaneously, he also served as an FBI informant, passing information about his competitors to the authorities  though he reportedly denied this until the end of his life.

Fotios Freddy Geas appears for a court proceeding in his defense in the Al Bruno murder case, April 14, 2009, in Springfield, Massachusetts ( AP )

In 1994, a corrupt federal agent tipped him off that he was about to be arrested, and he went on the run. After 16 years as a fugitive, he was finally captured in California at the age of 81, and in 2013 he was convicted for his role in 11 murders and various other crimes such as money laundering and extortion.

Five years later, Bulger was moved to a new prison in West Virginia and placed among the general population, despite reports from prison workers that it was understaffed and could not keep a lid on violence. Within hours, he was dead.
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A suspect was caught on camera running over a man twice as he was going to get the mail, then kissing and stabbing his dying body nine times in front of horrified neighbors.

The incident in Houston was all caught on a doorbell camera on May 3, with the footage showing neighbors rushing to help Steven Anderson, 64, after he was hit by the car that police say was driven by Karon Fisher, 20.

Karon Fisher, 20, is accused of murder following the attack in Houston, Texas, on 3 May 2024 ( Houston Police Department )

Those who witnessed the incident told ABC 13 that Ms. Fisher got up and walked away after the stabbing as if nothing had happened.

"Its very disturbing. I have kids here; they could have been out here playing, and imagine them," one neighbor told the outlet.

The footage from Woodridge Square Drive, which was edited to remove the moments of impact, showed Mr Anderson heading to his mailbox before he heard a screeching, speeding vehicle.

A white car then came into view and aimed for the victim, who tried to move out of the way.

Doorbell camera footage showed Steven Anderson being hit by a car twice before his attacker stabbed him nine times ( ABC 13 )

He was then hit by the vehicle and landed on the street, with the car then reversing and pushing him further down the road.

Neighbors were then seen rushing out to help and call 911, with one appearing with a pillow for the victim as one making the emergency call said the dispatcher wanted them to turn him over.

Karon Fisher is seen on video near the body of a man she allegedly ran over ( ABC 13 )

At this point, the suspect - a woman with blonde hair and wearing workout clothing - appeared with a knife. She yanked the man around and straddled him, before kissing him.

Then she stabbed him nine times before trying to get into another vehicle to leave. When that driver wouldnt let them, she leaped over the body and left.

Karon Fisher is seen on video stabbing a man she had just run over, police say ( ABC 13 )

The Houston Police Department later arrested Fisher, 20, and charged her with murder. Ms Fisher is female-presenting but is identified as male in jail records. She is being held on a $2 million bond.

The suspect is also accused of assaulting a hospital professional on the same day as the murder.

Police have not said if the victim and suspect knew each other.
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Two hearings in the Bryan Kohberger quadruple murder trial were canceled at the last minute as the defense demanded new evidence from prosecutors.

Mr Kohbergers attorney Anne Taylor says state prosecutors are withholding evidence the defense team should be privy to, according to several motions that have been filed.

Judge John Judge postponed the closed-door hearings until 30 May so that both parties have time to review the information submitted between 7 May and 10 May.

Its the latest delay in the case that has hit multiple roadblocks over the past 18 months since four University of Idaho students were brutally stabbed to death in November 2022 at their off-campus home in Moscow.

Mr Kohberger, 29, a former PhD student who is accused of killing the victims with a military-style knife, appeared in the Latah County courtroom on Tuesday.

Bryan Kohberger, pictured here in September 2023,

The decision came after Mr Kohbergers defense team requested the new evidence relating to the probable cause affidavit used in his arrest, according to The Idaho Statesman.

This evidence includes cell phone tower data, a video of a vehicle seen near the 1122 King Road home and information relating to a driving test.

The state knows full well what they have and what theyre withholding from us, Ms Taylor said at a hearing earlier this month. We dont know what theyre going to show, but we know they exist.

In the alibi motion filed last month, the defence said they planned to call Sy Ray, a former police officer to dispute some aspects of the cell phone pings included in the probable cause affidavit, the newspaper reported.

The evidentiary hearing will now take place at 10am local time on 30 May and be open to the public, however, if issues arise that must be addressed in a sealed proceeding, the Court will clear the courtroom and discontinue the live stream of the proceedings on the Courts YouTube channel, according to court documents.

A second hearing scheduled for later this week has also been postponed until 30 May. It will begin behind closed doors at 130pm local time and will pertain to the investigative genetic genealogy records used by the FBI to identify Kohberger.

Last month, Mr Kohberger's lawyers shared his alibi for the night of the murders, claiming that he was out driving because he often enjoyed looking at the moon and stars.

Mr Kohberger was out driving in the early morning hours of November 13, 2022; as he often did to hike and run and/or see the moon and stars, Ms Taylor wrote. He drove throughout the area south of Pullman, Washington, west of Moscow, Idaho including Wawawai Park.

Pullman is approximately 8 miles west of Moscow, where the murders took place.

Ethan Chapin, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, were killed 13 November 2022 ( Instagram )

Earlier this month, Ashlin Couch, a former roommate who moved out six months before the murders spoke out for the first time, revealing the moment she realized her friends were dead and the final text she sent to them.

Ms Couch told KXLY that she moved into the doomed off-campus house on King Road in Moscow, Idaho, in 2020, with her friends Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen. She moved out in May 2022 and Xana Kernodle took over the lease.

Six months later, in the early hours of 13 November 2022, Goncalves, 21, Mogen, 21, Kernodle, 20, and Kernodles boyfriend Ethan Chapin, 20, were stabbed to death inside the student home.

Two other female roommates were in the home at the time but were unharmed. One of the survivors  Dylan Mortensen  came face to face with the masked killer, dressed in head-to-toe black and with bushy eyebrows, as he left the home in the aftermath of the murders, according to the criminal affidavit.

In an emotional interview, Ms Couch recalled the moment that she received an alert from the University of Idaho, alerting her to a suspected murder on King Road  the address that she had moved out of mere months earlier.

She sent a final text to Mogen, asking: Are you okay?

I remember, I think, getting a second alert or I had been driving home and I texted like our group of friends, and I just had said, Has anyone heard from Maddie? And I remember, like my last text message to her was like, Are you okay? she said.

And I felt it like right then and there, I kind of just knew that something was wrong.

Former roommate of murdered University of Idaho students speaks out for the first time

For months after the murders, she said she was scared to walk to her car in the dark.

Now, she works to raise awareness and educate students on social media safety.

In May 2023, Mr Kohberger declined to enter a plea in the case, prompting a judge to enter his plea as not guilty.

Idaho prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty against Mr Kohberger.

In March, the Idaho Supreme Court denied a request from Mr Kohberger for his grand jury indictment to be thrown out.

A trial date has not been set.
Rep. Jennifer Wexton, D-Va., uses a text-to-speech application to speak with a reporter on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. Wexton has been increasingly relying on the technology since she was diagnosed last year with a degenerative brain condition. Shuran Huang/Special to the Chronicle Jennifer Wexton, a Virginia Democrat, has used a text-to-speech app to help her communicate since she was diagnosed last year with a degenerative brain condition known as progressive supranuclear palsy. Shuran Huang/Special to the Chronicle

WASHINGTON  As House floor speeches go, the subject of recent remarks by Rep. Jennifer Wexton, D-Va., was unremarkable  she proposed renaming a small-town Virginia post office. But the speech nevertheless marked a new era for people with disabilities: Wextons words came from an app, not her own voice.

Wexton, 55, was diagnosed with a rare neurodegenerative disease in September 2023, a condition she describes as Parkinsons on steroids.

Progressive supranuclear palsy has affected the once-powerful voice she used as a trial attorney, state legislator and a candidate for the House. Now, her voice comes from a computer. Wexton, like other people who have difficulty speaking, uses an assistive app that converts written text into speech, known as augmentative and alternative communication, or AAC.

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Congress, the often-staid institution, can be slow to change and accommodate people with disabilities. Lawmakers who use wheelchairs were unable to access the podium on the House floor until 2010. But newer lawmakers like Wexton, Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman  who had an ischemic stroke during the 2022 campaign that left him with difficulty processing spoken language  and others are making disabilities like visual impairments and deafness far more visible.

Experts say their struggles to secure accommodations within the archaic structure of Congress mirror the challenges facing disabled people more broadly: Theyre often forced to advocate for their needs in a society that wasnt designed to include them. As more prominent people speak publicly about their need for accommodations, disability rights activists expect it will be easier for the people who come after them.

The Senate has been even more reluctant to allow technology within its walls than the House, but staff went out of their way to accommodate Fettermans needs, he said. Senate staff installed a display monitor with live captions at his desk on the Senate floor and an additional monitor that can be placed on the dais when he presides over the chamber.

Nearly two years after his stroke, Fetterman said he no longer needs the monitors and can get his captions via an app on his phone. Now I can just sit there at the chair, he said.

Fetterman spoke to the Chronicle via Zoom to allow him to more easily read captions. He also does impromptu interviews with reporters in the hallways of the Capitol  something he was unable to do in his first few months in the Senate  because of the captioning app.

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Ive been able to have this captioning program, and I can take this wherever I go. And now Im able to do this interview that Im having right now, or Ive lost count how many interviews I did just today, Fetterman said.

The technology was transformative in its ability to free him from the stress and isolation that contributed to a severe case of depression for which he sought inpatient treatment in February 2023, Fetterman said.

Fettermans Senate campaign was marked by questions over whether he was unfit for the job because of his need for accommodations.

Youre not illiterate if you need glasses to read. And thats the same situation. This is a tool that allows you to participate fully, he said.

Rebecca Cokley, a disability rights activist and former executive director for the National Council on Disability, said, things always improve when you have a pioneer who goes first. Im happy that (Fetterman) fought the fight and was very public about it and was very open about it in such a way that is hopefully making things better for Rep. Wexton and those that follow her.

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Wexton said she had some difficulties getting her colleagues used to the changes, but now it has become a normal part of her life. Some lawmakers initially spoke to her like a child, which she said was annoying and made me crazy.

Wexton spoke with the Chronicle last week, using both her own voice and her assistive app. Her speech was difficult to decipher and, at times, she needed to repeat herself or have her staff interpret what she was saying. Her staff assisted after the fact by reviewing her quotes to ensure their accuracy.

Rep. Jennifer Wexton, D-Va., right, makes her way to the House chamber for a vote with the help of a walker on Wednesday. Shuran Huang/Special to the Chronicle

Its hard for people to understand me, Wexton said, so (I) try to remember to slow down when I speak.

Wexton, using the AAC, said she was having trouble communicating verbally in a way that could be understood by others and using the AAC makes it easier for me to do my job.

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Wexton has been using her assistive app for several months, but people took notice when she gave a speech on May 6 in support of a bill to rename a post office in her district after former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

Wexton said she wanted to recognize Albright, but if I did it the way I did now, I wouldnt be understood.

House rules prohibit audio from being played or recorded on the floor. Wexton, who is the first person to use an AAC on the floor, had to get permission from the House Rules Committee. Nobodys ever seen anything like this before, so (we had) to make sure that it was OK, Wexton said.

Each time she wants to speak on the floor, she will need to seek approval. Allowing her to regularly speak on the floor using the AAC would likely require a change in this sessions rules, which Republicans are unlikely to allow. Wexton said she expects that to change when the next session begins in January 2025, even though shell be retiring and wont be able to take advantage of it.

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When people cant see your disability, its harder, Wexton said. Im the same person Ive always been, I just dont speak very well.

Fetterman and Wexton may be the most visible people with disabilities in Congress right now, but they arent the only ones. Rep. Kevin Mullin of San Mateo is a first-term lawmaker with progressive hereditary hearing loss that he began noticing in his 20s.

Now 53, Mullin wears hearing aids, uses captioning devices and reads lips, but still struggles to fully participate in large, noisy environments like the House chamber.

My hearing impairment has made me a little more insular, I think, because it is a struggle to have conversations in a noisy environment, Mullin said. You just learn to adjust to it and try to find quiet environments.

The Chronicle talked with Mullin in the House Speakers Lobby just off the House floor, a smaller and quieter environment with several alcoves for lawmakers to speak with reporters.

Mullin said occasions like the State of the Union or a speech by a foreign president are especially difficult.

You want to be in the moment, but the acoustics are terrible in the House chamber, and the technology is antiquated, Mullin said. I really want to hear what theyre saying. So actually, what I will do occasionally is watch it from my office because I have captions on my TV.

Watching speeches from his office is a better experience, he said, but it prevents him from being in the moment with the rest of your colleagues.

Mullin also struggles when receiving classified intelligence briefings. When he enters a secure facility used for intelligence sharing, it is often part of a House-wide briefing that includes all lawmakers from the chamber. He is allowed to wear his hearing aids into the room, but has to surrender all other technology, including captioning applications.

Its exceptionally hard to hear in the cavernous room, he said, so he goes early and tries to get as close to the stage as possible. Even then, Im not getting 100% of it.

Fetterman also struggles with classified briefings because the captioning software isnt allowed. He is able to send staff with proper clearance to those briefings, who can then share the information with him.

If we can live in this day and age when I can have 10,000 photographs on a phone, why havent we figured out how to be able to maintain the security of classified documents on technology? Cokley, program officer for the Ford Foundations disability rights grant program, said. Fetterman and Mullins inability to access captioning in the secure facilities that handle classified materials highlights the need for a formalized accommodations process within Congress, she said.

The Governmental Accountability Office, an independent agency that audits Congress, recently found a lack of consistency in how these secure facilities handle accommodation requests.

Mullin wants to see Congress make more changes like those made for Wexton.

Her app-assisted floor speech was a reminder that members have a variety of health things happening (and) that the institution should be flexible enough  with regard to our rules and so forth  to allow for those kinds of moments, Mullin said.

There are probably other lawmakers who need accommodations and arent using them, Cokley said. Maybe this will not only help people with disabilities see themselves as being able to serve as members of the House or Senate, but also maybe itll make it easier for those who are actively serving  who, frankly, are not doing their best job possible because of the stigma of asking for accommodations.

Even though Wexton will leave Congress at the end of the year, her efforts to secure accommodations will pave the way for another woman who could change how the chamber operates.

Lateefah Simon, the front-runner in the race to succeed Oakland Rep. Barbara Lee, is legally blind. While she does have some low vision, she expects to need accommodations.

Being born and raised in the Bay Area and San Francisco, I learned from a very young age to ask for what I need, Simon said, and she plans to do the same in Congress.

Its one of the things that does keep me up at night because Im not in that space yet, Simon said. She plans to meet with Democratic staff this week to discuss what her needs might be, including larger fonts for both printed and electronic materials and access to seating charts  since reading name plates across a room isnt possible for her.

Simon would be only the second legally blind member of Congress. The last one, former Sen. Thomas Gore of Oklahoma, retired in 1937. Four other lawmakers have had vision loss; only Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas is still serving.

Simon said she is most nervous about being a single mother in a place other than the Bay Area  the only place she has ever lived. She plans to bring her youngest daughter to Washington, D.C. with her, but is concerned about picking her up and dropping her off at school with the unpredictable nature of the House voting schedule and her inability to drive.

Simon said she is looking forward to having staff who can assist her, including with making her way through the Capitol and driving her around.

Seeing other lawmakers openly talking about the ways in which they move and how theyre different and what they need is exciting, Simon said. It actually opens the door for me and makes it easier, and I want to do that for other folks.

The difficulties the lawmakers are still experiencing, however, exemplify the problems disabled people have in society writ large.
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The armourer jailed for involuntary manslaughter on the set of Alec Baldwins movie Rust is asking to be let out while she appeals her conviction.

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed broke down in tears as she was sentenced to 18 months in prison in April  a sentence she is now seeking release from.

The 26-year-old was convicted over the 2021 death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, who was rehearsing a scene with the films producer and star Alec Baldwin when he drew a replica pistol and fired.

The firearm, provided by Ms Gutierrez-Reed, contained a live round that hit Ms Hutchins, mother of a young son, in the chest and killed her.

Hannah Gutierrez Reed watches her father Thell Reed leave the podium after he asked the judge not to impose prison time on his daughter in First District Court on 15 April 2024, in Santa Fe, New Mexico ( Getty Images )

Both the armourer and actor were charged with involuntary manslaughter, with Mr Baldwins trial happening in a few months.

At her sentencing, Ms Gutierrez-Reed said she had been the subject of media sensationalisation and was not a monster. Now her attorneys have filed a motion to have her conviction overturned and have asked she be released while that takes place.

Ms Gutierrez Reed is requesting to be released while she appeals, as if her appeal is successful, she will have served most or all of her sentence anyway, rendering a large part of the appeal meaningless, her lawyer, Jason Bowles, wrote in court papers seen by The Independent. She is not a danger to the community or a flight risk.

It is not clear if the motion, filed on 7 May, will be heard by the judge, who has shown little compassion for the armourer, whose job it was to make sure firearms and ammunition were handled safely.

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer listens to prosecutor Kari Morrissey and defence attorney Jason Bowles discuss testimony by firearms expert Frank Koucky III during the Hannah Gutierrez-Reed involuntary manslaughter trial ( POOL/AFP via Getty Images )

At sentencing in April, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer referred to jailhouse phone calls made by Ms Gutierrez-Reed, who was heard raising concerns about her future career prospects rather than showing remorse for her part in the death.

While youve heard [Gutierrez-Reeds] concerns that shell never work again as an armourer ... have her concerns changed? No, the judge said. Heres what she says: this whole thing has been a character attack on her. Just recently in her allocution, Im not a monster.

Taking these conversations into account, the judge said that a conditional discharge is not appropriate.

You were the armourer, the one thats to be between a safe weapon and a weapon that could kill someone. You alone turned a safe weapon into a lethal weapon, the judge said after sentencing. But, for you, Mrs Hutchins would be alive, a husband would have his partner and a little boy would have his mother.

A still from a video clip played in court shows actor Alec Baldwin during Hannah Gutierrez-Reeds involuntary manslaughter trial at the First Judicial District Courthouse in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on 29 February 2024 ( POOL/AFP via Getty Images )

Mr Baldwin, 66, is due to go on trial, also for involuntary manslaughter, in July. He denies the allegation and a motion hearing to dismiss the indictment is due to take place on 17 May.

The actor previously settled a wrongful death lawsuit in 2022 over the incident.
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A white supremacist who plotted to destroy the Baltimore power grid, believing doing so would break down society, is facing up to twenty years in prison.

Sarah Beth Clendaniel, 36, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to conspiring to lay this city to waste by damaging or destroying electrical facilities in Maryland.

Clendaniel worked with a co-defendant and another person on the plot which would have seen them shoot up multiple electrical substations to cut off the power to the city, in order to push for societal and governmental collapse.

Prosecutors say that the Catonsville woman and Brandon C Russell, from Florida, became acquaintances in 2018 when they were both serving jail time in separate prisons.

According to the Department of Justice, both believe in a white supremacist ideology called accelerationism, which means they see the current system as irreparable unless violent action is taken.

Russell is currently charged with the same conspiracy offence and is awaiting trial.

Investigators said the pair worked with others from December 2022 until February 2023 on their plot, which included damaging the energy facilities around the Maryland city.

Sarah Clendaniel and Brandon Russell, the founder of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen, in mug shots ( Maryland State Police / Pinellas County Sheriffs Department )

In January 2023, Russell and another person - known as CHS-1 in documents - allegedly discussed using Clendaniel, who lived near Baltimore, to achieve maximum impact.

The group used open map data of Baltimores power grid to plot out the substations they would hit.

Their plan was to target multiple substations at the same time to completely destroy this whole city, as Clendaniel told CHS-1.

The anonymous person would be the driver, while Clendaniel would be the shooter attacking the substations she had selected in Norrisville, Reisterstown and Perry Hall.

[I]t would probably permanently completely lay this city to waste if we could do that successfully, she said on January 29 2023, believing this would aid in achieving the goal of accelerationism.

When law enforcement agents searched Clendaniels home on 3 February 2023, they found multiple firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, despite her ban from possessing these as a convicted felon.

The threat posed by domestic violent extremists is evolving and persistent, Special Agent in Charge Thomas J Sobocinski of the FBI Baltimore Field Office said when the pair were charged.

The FBI will continue to work closely with our law enforcement and private sector partners to identify and disrupt any potential threat to the safety of our citizens.

Clendaniels family said in February that her fall into neo-Nazism happened against a backdrop of mental health issues and drug addiction that sometimes landed her in prison.

I knew what she believed, and she knew what I believed, her mother Lanette Clendaniel, whos raising two of the womans children, said at the time. There was nothing I could do.

Clendaniel pleaded guilty to conspiracy and felony possession charges. She now faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy charge and 15 for the possession offence.

Her sentencing is scheduled for 3 September, while Russell is due to stand trial in July.
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Crews detonated explosions on parts of Baltimores collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in an attempt to free the stricken cargo vessel Deli that crashed into it in March.

The demolition took place on Monday evening after a weekend of bad weather forced United Command to postpone the explosion.

The operation happened just after 5pm in the Port of Baltimore where the ship has been sitting since the collision happened. Charges were set off on the wreckage, followed by a loud boom as part of the bridge fell into the water.

Billowing smoke then rose from the ship.

The demolition was necessary to refloat the vessel and return it to the Port of Baltimore, which officials say could happen this week if the operation is a success, The Baltimore Sun reported.

United Command demolishes part of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Monday ( REUTERS/Leah Millis )

A small part of the bridge was still seen on top of the ship following the demolition. Plans for the operation advanced last week after authorities recovered the body of Jose Mynor Lopez, 37, the last of the Key Bridge construction workers recovered from the water.

The Dali ship hit a pillar of the Key Bridge on March 26, sending at least seven construction workers into the Patapsco River below. The men had been working to fill potholes on the bridge when the incident happened.

Six of the men died, while at least one was rescued from the water. Authorities have been able to recover the bodies of all of the deceased men from the river.

Explosive charges are detonated to bring down sections of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge resting on the container ship Dali on Monday, May 13, 2024, in Baltimore ( AP )

The 21-member crew on board the Dali remained on the ship when Mondays demolition took place, Darrell Wilson, a spokesperson for Synergy Marine Group, which is managing the Dali, said.

All of the crew are safe and remained in the aft of the ship when the demolition took place, he stated. Twenty of the men are from India and one person is from Sri Lanka. The crew have not left the ship since the collision.

In a statement last week, Unified Command said that the explosion was the safest and swiftest method to remove the bridge piece from on top of the Dali.

Explosive charges are detonated to bring down sections of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge resting on the container ship Dali on Monday, May 13, 2024, in Baltimore ( AP )

Officials have previously said that they plan to reopen the Port of Baltimore by the end of the Month. The area supports at least 8,000 jobs. Two days after the collapse, President Joe Bidens administration approved $60 million in federal funding for the project.

Last month, Maryland state legislators introduced a bill that would allow for complete federal funding for the removal of the bridge. However federal lawmakers have expressed differing opinions on who should be responsible for covering the cost of the damages.

In April, the city of Baltimore filed a lawsuit against the owner and manager of ship, claiming the vessel was unseaworthy.
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Billionaire philanthropist Melinda French Gates is exiting the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 24 years after co-founding it with her former husband.

Ms French Gates said her last day at the charity will be 7 June.

She will leave with $12.5bn (9.9bn) from the foundation to do her own charitable work for women and families as part of an agreement with her ex-husband, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation holds $75bn (59.7bn) in assets.

"This is not a decision I came to lightly," Ms French Gates said in a statement posted to X on Monday.

I am taking this step with full confidence the foundation is in strong shape, the 59-year-old said. The time is right for me to move forward into the next chapter of my philanthropy.

Ms French Gates is leaving the foundation three years after she announced her divorce from Mr Gates. She had pledged at the time to continue their charitable work and not let their separation affect the foundation.

Their separation after 27 years of marriage came after she could no longer trust what we had, Ms French Gates revealed in the wide-ranging interview with CBS Mornings.

It was reported that Mr Gates had contact with Jeffrey Epstein, the late disgraced financier who ran an international sex trafficking operation involving underage girls, and that he had an intimate relationship with a company employee in 2000. However, it was not just one thing that led to their separation, she said.

Bill and Melinda Gates pose for a photo in 2019 ( AP )

Following the departure of Ms French Gates as co-chair, the foundation will change its name to Gates Foundation and Mr Gates will be its sole chairperson, said CEO Mark Suzman.

"After a difficult few years watching womens rights rolled back in the US and around the world, she wants to use this next chapter to focus specifically on altering that trajectory," Mr Suzman said.

Mr Gates said in a statement: I am sorry to see Melinda leave, but I am sure she will have a huge impact in her future philanthropic work.

One of the largest and most influential philanthropic organisations in the world, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has spent billions of dollars on a range of issues such as poverty reduction, disease eradication, education and climate change.

The now-divorced couple donated more than $36bn (28bn) of their own wealth to the foundation from 1994 to 2018.

Last year, the foundation awarded over $7bn (5bn) in annual grants, becoming the largest philanthropic foundation in the US by a significant margin. It was a key supporter of the Covid vaccines.

Ms French Gates, who has a net worth of $11.3bn (9bn) according to Forbes, manages some of her investments and charitable work through her Pivotal Ventures, an investment company she founded in 2015.

Pivotal Ventures focuses on the uplift of women and minority groups.

"This is a critical moment for women and girls in the US and around the world - and those fighting to protect and advance equality are in urgent need of support," she said in Mondays statement.
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The runner-up for the 2023 Miss Teen USA, Stephanie Skinner, has turned down the winning title, days after the initial winner  UmaSofia Srivastava  stepped down.

Skinner, who was crowned Miss New York Teen USA in 2023, shared a post to Instagram on 12 May to open up about her career, as she showed her support for Srivastava. Since she was the runner-up to win Miss Teen USA in September 2023, she now has the opportunity to claim the title, since Srivastava has relinquished her crown.

However, after reflecting on everything shes learned throughout her career, Skinner revealed in a statement that shes turned down the title of Miss Teen USA. She said this wasnt a decision she came to lightly.

In light of recent events, I have decided to decline the title of Miss Teen USA, she wrote on Instagram. This is not an easy decision. I hope for respect of my choice as this was a decision I never asked to make.

She went on to acknowledge that her word is everything, before sharing some of the upcoming responsibilities that shes now focused on. I gave my commitment to a global research career opportunity in Thailand that will require me to live abroad for the summer, she added.

Skinner then showed her support for Srivastava, who recently stepped down as Miss Teen USA, and Noelia Vogt, who also recently resigned from Miss USA.

In addition, although, I do not know exactly what Noelia and Uma went through to led them to resign, I am sending them immense love and support, the 19-year-old pageant competitor added.

She also expressed how much she stands for female empowerment, and believes everyone deserves the power to use [their] voices. Skinner  who is a rising junior at the University of Pennsylvania  concluded her lengthy statement by sharing her hope to inspire young women on social media.

Yes, I would be grateful for this platform to be a national representation for young women across the country, but I believe this is the right decision to make, she concluded. I am even more grateful for the opportunity to make an impact by always supporting and serving those around me as Stephanie.

In the caption, Skinner reiterated that it wasnt easy to decline the Miss Teen USA title, writing: Please know this is such a difficult position to be put in. I pray for respect of my values and my decision. The hardest choices are never easy decisions to make, and I wanted to make this decision on my own. Thank you to everyone who has shown me kindness and love as Stephanie, it is appreciated MORE than you know. Sending love.

Many of Skinners fans and followers took to the comments section to praise her statement, including Srivastava, who wrote: I am so grateful to call you my friend. You always leave me in awe of your dedication and integrity.

Vogt added: Ever since I met you have, I loved and admired you. You continue to set a great example everywhere you go. Proud of you.

Hannah Lopa, who was crowned Miss New York USA in 2017, also commented: Wisdom is knowing the right path to take. integrity is taking that path. Ever impressed by you, but not surprised. New York is lucky to have you.

The Independent has contacted a representative for Miss Teen USA and the Miss Universe Organization for comment.

On 8 May, Srivastava revealed on Instagram that she was giving up her title, writing that she felt her personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organisation.

After months of grappling with this decision, I have made the choice to resign from the title of Miss Teen USA 2023, she wrote. 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 added: However, I will continue my relentless advocacy for education and acceptance, with my multilingual childrens book The White Jaguar and with the organisations that I have had the privilege to work with long before starting competing.

She said that she planned on enjoying finishing 11th grade, noting that she was eager to begin the college application process and continue being a part of the National Honour Society. She added that she had a brand new writing project that should be released later in the year. While she wrote that this was certainly not how [she] saw [her] reign coming to a close, she thanked her supporters who helped her along her journey to victory.

Two days earlier, Noelia Voigt revealed that she was stepping down as Miss USA to prioritise her mental health. The 24-year-old model won the annual beauty pageant last year as Miss Utah, before representing the United States in the Miss Universe competition in November.

In life, I strongly value the importance of making decisions that feel best for you and your mental health, she wrote in her statement. As individuals, we grow through experiencing different things in life that lead us to learning more about ourselves. 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.

Voigt continued her post by reflecting on her moments of pride throughout her seven-month reign as Miss USA, including advocating for anti-bullying schemes and working with the cleft palette correction charity Smile Train. She also expressed her gratitude for being able to shed light on my roots as the first Venezuelan-American woman to win Miss USA.

She concluded her message by expressing her hope that others remain steadfast, prioritise 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.

Both Voigt and Srivastavas posts came after the resignation of Miss USA social media director Claudia Michelle, who voiced a number of her own concerns about the Miss Universe Organization (MUO). In her resignation post on Instagram, Michelle said she had seen first-hand experience of poor treatment of Voigt and Srivastava and their families. I disavow workplace toxicity and bullying of any kind, she wrote.

I feel the way current management speaks about their titleholders is unprofessional and inappropriate, she said, adding that not enough time and attention was given to the teenager. I have first hand seen the disrespect towards Uma and her family. In my opinion, not enough time and attention was given to our national teen titleholder, especially on social media.

Michelle also claimed that both Voigt and Srivastava had been threatened by MUO about sharing personal advocacies on social media due to the organisations policies. Voigt in particular is an advocate for mental health and a champion for childrens charity Smile Train, which she highlighted in her resignation post.

In addition, Michelle claimed there was a lack of proper management, saying she had been brought in with zero in-house team members to assist her and was then not financially permitted to hire more. She also claimed to have worked unpaid for the first two months, and that multiple decisions were made by higher-ups instead of allowing her control and agency in her role.
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Arizonas 160-year-old near-total abortion ban will not take effect through the summer, the states Supreme Court said in an order on Monday  giving the attorney general 90 days to appeal the case.

The decision will pause the laws enforcement until 12 August but, when combined with a separate stipulation, pushes the date back to 26 September.

The order arrived after Kristin Mayes, the state attorney general, asked the court to pause the laws enforcement, giving her time to decide the best legal course of action. Among those options could be appealing to the US Supreme Court  possibly giving the highest court in the land another abortion case.

Ms Mayes said she was grateful the court awarded her request for a stay, saying she believes the case was wrongly decided, and there are issues that merit additional judicial review.

Last month, the state Supreme Court upheld the 1864 abortion ban in an unexpected decision. The ban, which was enacted before Arizona became a state, outlaws nearly all kinds of abortions and criminalises those who help a woman obtain an abortion.

The decision was met with outcry from Arizona citizens and people across the US. Democratic legislatures moved to repeal the strict abortion ban, successfully passing a repeal in the Arizona House of Representatives at the end of April.

Arizona Gov Katie Hobbs signs the repeal of the Civil War-era near-total abortion ban on 2 May 2024 ( AP )

Earlier this month, the Arizona Senate moved to pass the repeal, sending it to Democratic Governor Katie Hobbss desk for signing. However, the repeal cannot go into effect until 90 days after the legislative session ends.

Depending on when lawmakers finish the legislative session will depend on when the repeal can take effect.

The back-and-forth over the law has created a complicated and consuming situation about when and how the ban can be enforced.

Planned Parenthood of Arizona said they would continue providing abortions up to 15 weeks of pregnancy for the next several months. The Arizona legislature enacted a 15-week ban before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade in 2021  but failed to repeal the 1864 law beforehand.

While legal matters continue to play out in the courts, Arizona voters could be voting on a constitutional amendment in November that would enshrine the right to abortion up to 24 weeks.
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Donald Trumps middle son Eric Trump could be in trouble after tweeting from Manhattan Criminal Court on Monday as he sat to observe the first day of Michael Cohens testimony at his fathers hush money trial.

I have never seen anything more rehearsed, the former presidents son posted on X at 10.51am local time, presumably referring to Cohens performance on the witness stand, during which the former attorney calmly laid out how he paid the $130,000 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in October 2016 at his bosss behest and sought to be reimbursed.

Eric Trump was sitting directly behind the defendant at the time of the tweet, flanked by Mr Trumps legal spokesperson Alina Habba on his right and two Secret Service agents to his left.

The court does not allow the use of mobile phones within its walls when proceedings are active and Judge Juan Merchan has already admonished a member of the press for taking a photograph on their phone inside court, even before that days session was underway.

Court officers have since clarified that mobiles are banned in the courtroom, even among journalists, although credentialed press members are permitted to use their laptops when reporting, and lawyers for the prosecution and defence on the front bench are exempt from the rule.

It is not yet clear whether Judge Merchan will choose to address the tweet, which NBC News reporter Daniel Arkin first noticed, but he has already fined Mr Trump himself $10,000 for violating the gag order placed on him to protect the integrity of the proceedings and prevent the intimidation of witnesses and staff.

The former presidents son followed up his appearance in court by appearing on Laura Ingrahams Fox News show on Monday night.

There, he again rubbished the case against his father, declined to be drawn on details about who signed the cheques at the Trump Organization, and repeated the highly dubious claim that New Jersey rocker Bruce Springsteen could not have drawn the crowd Mr Trump attracted to his rally in Wildwood on the Jersey Shore on Saturday night.

Eric Trump, the son of former US president Donald Trump, attends his fathers criminal trial in New York on Monday 13 May 2024 ( Reuters )

He is the only member of his family to have attended the trial so far, with the defendants wife Melania Trump particularly conspicuous by her absence, especially since Cohen addressed her reaction to the hush money affair during his testimony.

There have been few pro-Trump demonstrators outside the courtroom either, much to the Republican presidential candidates reported chagrin, but a number of his political allies have begun to appear to show their support, some of whom are in contention to be his 2024 running mate.

On Monday, GOP senators JD Vance and Tommy Tuberville were there and, on Tuesday, House speaker Mike Johnson, North Dakota governor Doug Burgum and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy were among those expected to show their faces, apparently as an endorsement of the candidates complaint that the trial is a scam and a hoax being orchestrated by his enemies to thwart his latest run for the White House.
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Donald Trump has failed to overturn a gag order that blocks him from publicly attacking witnesses and jurors during his criminal hush money trial in New York.

On Tuesday, a New York appeals court rejected Mr Trumps request to throw out the gag order, saying Justice Juan Merchan properly determined that petitioners public statements posed a significant threat to the integrity of the testimony of witnesses and potential witnesses.

Since the trial began last month, Mr Trump has repeatedly raged against his fixer-turned-nemesis, Michael Cohen, the judge and prosecutors. Judge Merchan implemented a gag order to protect witnesses and the integrity of the trial.

Mr Trump and his lawyers argued the gag order violated his First Amendment right. A state appeals court had already rejected Mr Trumps attempt to stall the trial while he challenged the constitutionality of the gag order.

Last week, lawyers for the former president asked a state appeals court to issue a ruling quickly on his challenge, or allow them to take their request to a higher court.

That motion followed a ruling from Judge Merchan who warned Mr Trump could be jailed for any future violations of the gag order. Mr Trump has already violated the gag order 10 times in the trials first few weeks.

Donald Trump speaks on 14 May as his hush money trial continues in New York court ( EPA )

On 30 April, Justice Merchan fined Mr Trump $9,000 for a series of statements attacking trial witnesses Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels.

Manhattan prosecutors had accused Mr Trump of knowingly and wilfully breaching the crystal clear, unequivocal lines drawn up by the court.

On 6 May, following another motion by prosecutors, Judge Merchan fined Mr Trump $1,000 for a statement criticizing the makeup of the jury.

He also warned Mr Trump that he would consider sending him to prison for any future violations.

It appears that the $1,000 fines are not serving as a deterrent, Judge Merchan said. Its important to understand that the last thing I want to do is to put you in jail. You are the former president of the United States and possibly the next president, as well.

Jail remains truly a last resort as it would disrupt the proceedings, court staff and law enforcement, said the judge, adding that the magnitude of such a decision is not lost on me.

But at the end of the day I have a job to do, and part of that job is to protect the dignity of the 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.

The judge and lead prosecutors are not protected by the gag order but their families as well as jurors and other court staff are off-limits.

Mr Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with alleged reimbursement to Michael Cohen for paying off porn star Stormy Daniels in a catch-and-kill scheme that buried her story of an alleged affair with the former president ahead of the 2016 election.

The former president has pleaded not guilty and has denied the affair.
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President Joe Biden and his administration have been accused of being complicit in enabling a famine in Gaza by failing to sufficiently act on repeated warnings from their own experts and aid agencies.

Interviews with current and former US Agency for International Development (USAID) and State Department officials, aid agencies working in Gaza and internal USAID documents reveal that the administration rejected or ignored pleas to use its leverage to persuade its ally Israel  the recipient of billions of dollars of US military support  to allow sufficient humanitarian aid into Gaza to stop the famine taking hold.

The former officials say the US also provided diplomatic cover for Israel to create the conditions for famine by blocking international efforts to bring about a ceasefire or alleviate the crisis, making the delivery of aid almost impossible.

This is not just turning a blind eye to the man-made starvation of an entire population, it is direct complicity, former State Department official Josh Paul, who resigned over US support for the war, told The Independent.

Israel has vehemently denied that there is a hunger crisis in Gaza, or that it has restricted aid. It says fighting with Hamas, the militant group that triggered the current war when it killed 1,200 people and took over 250 hostages in Israel on 7 October, has hampered aid efforts.

As of the start of April at least 32 people, 28 of whom were children, have died of malnutrition and dehydration in Gaza, according to Human Rights Watch. The deaths of those children, and the likely many more to come, might have been prevented if president Biden had reacted more forcefully to concerns shared publicly and privately.

Palestinians line up for a meal in Rafah back in February ( AP )

From the time of the first warning signs in December, intensive US pressure on Israel to open more land crossings and flood Gaza with aid could have stopped the crisis taking hold, the officials said. But Mr Biden refused to make US military aid to Israel conditional.

Instead, the Biden government pursued novel and ineffective aid solutions such as airdrops and a floating pier. Now, some 300,000 people in Gazas north are experiencing a full-blown famine, according to the World Food Programme, and the entire 2.3 million population of Gaza is experiencing catastrophic levels of hunger.

The level of dissent within the US government agency responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and combating global hunger has been unprecedented.

At least 19 internal dissent memos have been sent since the start of the war by staff at USAID criticising US support for the war in Gaza.

In an internal collective dissent memo drafted this month by numerous employees of USAID, the staff assail the agency and the Biden administration for its failure to uphold international humanitarian principles and to adhere to its mandate to save lives.

The leaked draft memo, seen by The Independent, calls for the administration to apply pressure to bring an end to the Israeli siege that is causing famine.

Not acting upon repeated warnings like these was a political choice.

The US has provided both the military and the diplomatic support that enabled famine to emerge in Gaza, Jeremy Konyndyk, a former high-ranking USAID official under both Barack Obama and Joe Biden who worked on famine prevention in Yemen and South Sudan, told The Independent.

This investigation chronicles the Biden administrations repeated failures to act forcefully in response to months of warnings of a looming famine. Those failures continue to this day.

Children are the most at risk

Famine takes the youngest first. In Gaza today, many mothers cannot produce the milk needed to feed their babies because they do not have enough food to eat for themselves. People desperate for any sustenance are resorting to eating animal feed and boiling grass. Many families are living off one meal a day.

Arvind Das, team leader for the Gaza crisis at the International Rescue Committee who has spent months in Gaza, described seeing more severely malnourished children as the months went on.

Now its the norm to see paper-thin children and women, with literally no flesh, he said.

Ive seen children sitting in the corridors, infants and babies with no food, no proper drinking water, nothing. I have not seen that kind of severe malnourishment, said Mr Das, a veteran humanitarian who has worked Syria, Sudan and South Sudan.

A Palestinian child, who is suffering from malnutrition, receives healthcare at Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza Strip in April, amid widespread hunger, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas ( Reuters )

An emergency doctor from the UK working in a Gaza hospital near Khan Younis said over the phone that children in particular are suffering massively.

We have children here at the age of 10 and 12 years old who have the weight of children aged four or five years old, the doctor said. Theres chronic malnourishment and malnutrition across most of the children  if not all of them  and its absolutely heartbreaking to see whats happening to them.

This deadly famine was foreshadowed in the first days of the war. Israels response to the brutal Hamas attack of 7 October began with a crippling blockade announced by defence minister Yoav Gallant.

We are imposing a complete siege. No electricity, no food, no water, no fuel  everything is closed. We are fighting human animals and we must act accordingly, he said on 9 October.

Those words would be followed by action.

Israel launched its most ferocious bombardment yet and a crippling siege on Gaza in retaliation for Hamass bloody attack. Since then Palestinian officials say Israels offensive has killed at least 35,000 people, most of them women and children.

Israel tightly restricted the delivery of aid into the strip from those first days onwards. UN officials and aid agencies told The Independent that exhaustive inspections of trucks, systemic limiting of deliveries and arbitrary refusal of entry of dual-use items such as trucks and supplies that Israel said could be used by Hamas in the war have exacerbated the hunger crisis in Gaza.

I believe the US to be complicit in creating the conditions for famine. Not only has our response been woefully inadequate, but were actively responsible in large part for it USAID employee

Interviews with over a dozen UN officials, aid workers and diplomats coordinating aid revealed that there are also restrictions on the delivery of aid within Gaza, piling pressure on the north of the besieged strip. Fierce fighting and general insecurity across the strip all contributed further to the slowing of aid deliveries. On numerous occasions, people desperate for food swarmed aid trucks as they reached an affected area.

Some two-thirds of Gazas population were dependent on food aid before the war, and more than 500 trucks entered the territory each day, including fuel. Between 7 October and the end of February, the average number of trucks entering dropped to just 90 per day, an 82 per cent drop at a time when war made the need for aid much greater.

Israel vehemently denies there is a hunger crisis in Gaza, or that it has restricted aid. The defence ministry unit tasked with coordinating with the Palestinians, known as the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), has repeatedly said there is no limit to the amount of aid going to Gaza which they actively facilitate. The Independent reached out to COGAT for comment on these specific claims and has yet to receive a reply.

Vital infrastructure necessary for food production was also destroyed by bombing. On 15 November, Gazas last remaining wheat mill was bombed and rendered inoperational  that meant no more flour, and no bread, other than whatever outside organisations could bring in.

The last IPC report on Acute Food Insecurity for Gaza included this projection for the period 16 March - 15 July 2024. The dark red shows the area projected to experience famine. The lighter red shows areas experiencing an emergency level of food insecurity and at risk of famine ( Integrated Food Security Phase Classification: IPC )

Israels extensive bombing across Gaza also made it nearly impossible to deliver aid safely anyway. At least 254 aid workers have been killed throughout the conflict, including 188 UN staff  representing the highest number of UN personnel killed in a conflict in the history of the organisation. Multiple aid convoys have come under Israeli fire. UNRWA, the UNs Palestinian refugee agency, said that despite sharing GPS coordinates, the number of trucks and the contacts with the military, three of their aid convoys have been hit by Israeli naval artillery and gunfire.

The warnings begin

Casualties from Israels bombardment of Gaza quickly reached into the thousands, but the threat of starvation followed close behind.

By December, the two international institutions used by governments around the world to determine when famine is occurring  the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification and the Famine Early Warning Systems Network  had come to the same conclusion: famine was imminent, and threatened more than one million people.

Mr Konyndyk, who led USAIDs Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance for three years, said those warnings should have compelled the White House to act urgently. If the same conditions were appearing in most other countries in the world, he said, it would have. But the US had stubbornly refused to do anything that would hamper Israels war effort.

When the warnings start signalling that risk, there should be a forceful reaction, both on the relief aid front and on the diplomatic front, he said. Nothing about the Biden administrations response to the December famine forecast demonstrated that kind of hard pivot toward famine prevention.

What followed was a pattern of defence, deflection and outright denial from the White House.

Under questioning from The Independent, Biden administration spokespersons have routinely highlighted Mr Bidens repeated requests for the Israeli government to open up more crossings to aid, and pointed to temporary increases in aid trucks entering Gaza as proof of what they describe as his effectiveness.

What was left unsaid by those Biden aides was the fact that those piecemeal influxes of aid were not consummate to the scale of the crisis. Hunger continued to spread, and still the White House refused to use its leverage by threatening to condition military aid.

Nothing about the Biden administrations response to the first famine report demonstrated that kind of hard pivot toward famine prevention Jeremy Konyndyk, former director of USAIDs Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance

Behind the scenes, my impression is that the Biden administration was pushing Israel to resume opening crossings to aid. But it was this posture of pretty extensive deference to how Israel was choosing to fight the war, while continuing to supply it with arms and not putting any real conditions on that, Mr Konyndyk said.

A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said: Since the beginning of this conflict, president Biden has been leading efforts to get humanitarian aid into Gaza to alleviate the suffering of innocent Palestinians who have nothing to do with Hamas.

Before the presidents engagement, there was no food, water, or medicine getting into Gaza. The United States is the largest provider of aid to the Gaza response. This is and will continue to be a top priority to address dire conditions on the ground since much more aid is needed, the spokesperson added.

Inside USAID, career civil servants with extensive experience were horrified by the lack of urgency from their politically appointed leaders.

Internal USAID documents seen by The Independent showed that staff were passing their concerns about the lack of action up the chain to USAID administrator Samantha Power and other senior leaders in the form of letters and internal dissent memos, often to no avail.

What was surprising to me, and deeply disappointing, was the fact that we were hearing nothing about imminent famine in Gaza, said a USAID staffer, who asked to remain anonymous because they are still employed by the agency.

A Palestinian child transporting portions of food walks past a building destroyed by Israeli bombardment in Gaza City in May ( Getty )

Dissent memos  a kind of sanctioned internal protest through a dedicated channel for offering critical feedback on policy  are relatively rare in USAID compared with the State Department. However, the USAID staff member said they were aware of at least 19 memoranda being sent in objection to the lack of action by the agency  and the government  over the looming famine.

Mr Konyndyk described it as an extraordinary number, and noted that he didnt recall encountering a single dissent memo at USAID during his more than five years there under Mr Obama and Mr Biden.

A spokesperson for USAID told The Independent that the agencys leadership frequently meets with staff across the region and in Washington who understandably feel deeply about this conflict. This includes town halls with mission staff in the region, regular conversations and dialogue with our employee resource groups, and ongoing response meetings.

The expertise of our staff, many of whom have deep experiences in and connections to the region and the communities impacted by this conflict, shapes and informs our position as an Agency, they added.

By mid-January, aid agencies on the ground in Gaza were issuing desperate pleas for a humanitarian ceasefire so that food supplies could be delivered. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that 378,000 people in Gaza were facing catastrophic levels of hunger, and all 2.2 million people in Gaza were facing acute food insecurity.

A graphic showing the number of trucks to enter Gaza since the 7 October Hamas attacks ( UNRWA )

This is a population that is starving to death, this is a population that is being pushed to the brink, the World Health Organisations emergencies director Michael Ryan said at a press conference on 31 January.

The same day Mr Ryan described Gazas grim outlook, White House national security communications adviser John Kirby defended the Biden administrations decision to suspend aid to UNRWA. Mr Kirby denied that cutting off assistance to the UN entity with the largest footprint in Gaza would have a detrimental effect on the humanitarian situation there, and instead claimed that the US was working so hard to get more [humanitarian] assistance into the people of Gaza.

Even at this point, the White House was focused on giving Israel everything it needed to win its war against Hamas.

UNRWA loses ability to function

Hunger spread rapidly over the next month as the war raged on. On 27 February, three senior United Nations officials told a security council that at least 576,000 people were now one step away from famine.

Unfortunately, as grim as the picture we see today is, there is every possibility for further deterioration, Ramesh Rajasingham, director of UNs OCHA, told the chamber.

In one of the most deadly massacres of the conflict, dozens of Palestinians desperately trying to access supplies were killed after Israeli troops fired on a crowd collecting flour from aid trucks on 29 February near Gaza City. The Israeli army initially blamed a stampede for the chaos, but in a later review claimed that Israeli forces did not fire at the humanitarian convoy, but did fire at a number of suspects who approached the nearby forces and posed a threat to them.

During the course of the looting, incidents of significant harm to civilians occurred from the stampede and people being run over by the trucks, the Israeli army review added. More than 100 Palestinians were killed trying to access aid that day.

Before the war, UNRWA, the largest UN agency working in Gaza, provided and distributed the basic necessities for people to survive in the blockaded territory, such as food, medicine and fuel. The US was by far the largest donor to UNRWA, contributing nearly half the agencys yearly operating budget.

World Central Kitchen team prepare food for displaced Palestinians after resuming work in Gaza in this handout picture released on 30 April ( Reuters )

But the US suspended that funding following allegations by Israel that some 12 UNRWA employees were involved in the 7 October attack and around 10 per cent of its staff had ties to militants. (An independent review led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna later found that Israel has yet to provide any supporting evidence of these claims.)

By the end of February, UNRWA said Israel had effectively banned it from entering the north of Gaza.

At least 188 of its staff had been killed since the beginning of the war, more than 150 of its facilities were hit  among them many schools  and more than 400 people were killed while seeking shelter under the UN flag, the organisation said.

The killings had a severe impact on aid groups ability to deliver desperately needed supplies  and security conditions for aid workers continued to worsen. Following an attack on a food distribution centre in Rafah in March, UNRWAs head Philippe Lazzarini accused Israel of a blatant disregard for international humanitarian law.

Todays attack on one of the very few remaining UNRWA distribution centres in the Gaza Strip comes as food supplies are running out, hunger is widespread and, in some areas, turning into famine, he said, adding that the coordinates for the facility were shared with the Israeli army.

Mr Lazzarini frequently spoke out publicly against Israel blocking humanitarian aid convoys.

Ive said it many times: this is a man-made hunger and looming famine which can still be averted, he said in March.

The Independent reached out to Israels COGAT for a response to these claims but has yet to receive a response. In previous statements COGAT has vehemently condemned what it called false accusations that are being irresponsibly disseminated that Israel restricts aid into or through Gaza. It also accused Hamas of hindering and stealing aid. COGAT also rejected accusations that there has been a decrease in the number of aid trucks entering the enclave.

Israel assists, encourages and facilitates the entry of humanitarian aid for the residents of the Gaza Strip and for medical and other critical infrastructures in the Strip, COGAT said, adding that Israel is at war with Hamas not against the residents of the Gaza Strip.

A simple solution

To humanitarians on the ground, the solution to the problem was simple: a ceasefire was the only way to surge the amount of aid needed to prevent a famine. Barring that, at the very least, Israel would need to open up more land crossings in Gaza and allow more aid trucks to enter.

But successive attempts to broker a ceasefire at the United Nations Security Council were blocked by the US on behalf of its ally, Israel.

Explaining the justification for a third veto on 20 February, US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said an immediate ceasefire would jeopardise multilateral talks to broker a pause in the war and the release of hostages held by Hamas.

In the absence of a wide-ranging ceasefire, humanitarian groups called on the Biden administration to use its leverage to pressure Israel to immediately allow a flood of aid into Gaza that would be necessary to stop the famine.

Only the US, as the primary backer of Israels war and the benefactor of its defence to the tune of $4bn a year, had the leverage to persuade Israel to do so. But Mr Biden had stubbornly refused to even consider conditioning aid, recalling his long-held belief in the importance of supporting the worlds only Jewish state.

Jan Egeland, the secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, a humanitarian organisation with dozens of aid workers operating in Gaza, said he had written to secretary of state Antony Blinken in October and urged him to create an international monitoring mission at Gazas borders to facilitate the delivery of aid, instead of leaving it in Israels hands while it fought a war. His appeals fell on deaf ears.

The diplomatic impotence has been astounding, he told The Independent. Here are presidents and prime ministers travelling to [Israel] begging, urging appealing, and the answer is no. And then they just continue providing arms and support. Who are the great powers here?

Mr Egeland said the US should have known what would happen to Gaza when Israeli leaders threatened massive destruction in the first days after the Hamas attack.

They knew about it, they still didnt condition their support. This was a major, a major mistake. And of course now that has spectacularly backfired, he said.

Mr Paul said there was a double standard when it comes to Israel in the Biden administration  on everything from weapons to upholding international humanitarian law.

The administration had a host of tools at its disposal to press Israel to cease its aid restrictions, he added.

The administration could have done so through the application of Section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act, which prohibits assistance to countries restricting US-funded humanitarian assistance; it could have done so through the withholding of arms shipments; it could have done so by supporting resolutions at the UN calling on Israel to stop restricting humanitarian assistance, he said.

United States ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield addresses members of the UN Security Council in April at United Nations headquarters in New York ( AP )

Mr Konyndyk, who is now president of Refugees International, made a public call in an opinion piece in Februarys Foreign Affairs for Mr Biden to act now to make famine prevention a top priority and be prepared to deploy meaningful US leverage  including pausing arms sales  if the Israeli government does not comply.

Speaking to The Independent one month after its publication, he said that famine was likely inevitable without swift action from Mr Biden.

Within USAID, too, staff were angry at the Biden administrations repeated assertions that it was doing all it could to push Israel to allow in more aid. The amount of aid that reached Gazans dropped by half in February compared to the previous month.

On 3 March, vice-president Kamala Harris made what was at the time the boldest declaration of the importance of humanitarian aid to Gaza. In remarks commemorating the anniversary of civil rights protests in Selma, Alabama, Ms Harris said Israels government had to do more to significantly increase the flow of aid and warned that there were no excuses for not doing so.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre listens as White House national security communications adviser John Kirby speaks during a press briefing at the White House in April ( AP )

And days later, Mr Kirby, the White House spokesperson, told The Independent at a daily press briefing that it was not acceptable and not the right thing for any purpose for Israel to restrict aid deliveries into Gaza.

But Mr Kirby also categorically rejected the idea that Mr Biden should use the leverage of restricting weapons deliveries to force Israels government to allow aid to flow.

The USAID employee described the administrations insistence that it was doing all it could to stop the spread of hunger as very disingenuous.

I dont believe that the President of the United States  Israels most important ally and benefactor  has so little leverage that he cant force them to take meaningful steps to really allow in the amount of aid that is necessary to save lives, they said.

It feels like there was no real effort to force Israels hands, in terms of ensuring greater access to humanitarian assistance, they added.

After failing to persuade its ally to allow more aid to enter via land crossings, the US took the unusual step of launching aid airdrops into Gaza.

Mr Konyndyk, who oversaw similar humanitarian airdrops to Nepal, the Philippines and Iraq, described the plan as a major policy failure on the part of the Biden administration.

Airdrops are the most expensive and least effective way to get aid to a population. We almost never did it because it is such an in-extremis tool, he said.

When the US government has to use tactics that it otherwise used to circumvent the Soviets in Berlin and circumvent Isis in Syria and Iraq, that should prompt some really hard questions about the state of US policy, he said.

Biden finally takes action

On 2 April, the danger for those trying to deliver food to desperate Gazans was thrown into sharp relief yet again. A group of international aid workers with the World Central Kitchen (WCK) were killed by three successive Israeli drone strikes in Gaza.

The non-profit humanitarian aid organisation founded by celebrity chef Jose Andres said their members were travelling in cars branded with the charitys logo when they were hit, despite coordinating their movements with the Israeli military.

In an opinion piece headlined Let People Eat published in The New York Times in the days after the killings, Mr Andres said the strike was the direct result of a policy that squeezed humanitarian aid to desperate levels, and accused Israel of blocking food and medicine to civilians.

The reaction from the White House was different this time. Mr Andres is a friend of Mr Biden, and a popular figure in Washington DC. For the first time in the conflict, the president raised the prospect that the US might withhold its support if Israel did not immediately take certain actions.

President Joe Biden, sits with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at the start of the Israeli war cabinet meeting in October last year ( Getty )

In a call with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu two days after the WCK killings, Mr Biden made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers, according to a White House readout of the call.

The Israeli government responded immediately by approving the opening of three humanitarian aid corridors into Gaza, including the Erez Crossing in northern Gaza, which had not been open since the start of the conflict.

Still, the calls from aid organisations were becoming ever-more alarming. A Human Rights Watch report published on 9 April accused Israel of the continued commission of the war crimes of collective punishment, deliberate obstruction of humanitarian aid and using starvation of civilians as a weapon of war.

At the same time, USAID officials were becoming more forceful in sounding the alarm internally.

A cable drafted by officials at the agency and leaked to HuffPost in early April said that the threshold to support a famine determination has likely already been crossed, and that the level of hunger and malnutrition in Gaza was unprecedented in modern history.

People inspect the site where World Central Kitchen workers were killed in Deir al-Balah in April ( AP )

A separate memo written by USAID officials for Mr Blinken and leaked to Devex found that Israel may be violating a White House directive requiring recipients of US military assistance to permit the unimpeded delivery of US-funded humanitarian support.

Yet another memo leaked to Devex by food security experts was titled Famine Inevitable, Changes Could Reduce but Not Stop Widespread Civilian Deaths. It said that Israel-imposed administrative challenges are preventing the delivery of lifesaving humanitarian assistance.

Mr Bidens pressure on Mr Netanyahu appeared to have an immediate effect. More trucks carrying food and supplies were able to get into Gaza in late April, and Israel finally opened the Erez crossing on 1 May, leading to the entry of more than 200 trucks per day for several weeks.

For some, it was a sign of progress. But for others, it showed that Mr Biden had the power to have a direct impact on Israels actions whenever it chose to use its leverage.

But as had happened several times throughout the conflict, the pressure and the progress were short-lived.

A famine wasnt inevitable

The UN has said repeatedly that, by the time an official declaration of famine is made, it will be too late to prevent thousands of deaths. The declaration requires a painfully precise collection of data that is not possible to get while the north of Gaza remains cut off by the fighting.

It was likely with that in mind that Cindy McCain, the US director of the UN World Food Programme, became the most prominent international official so far to declare a famine in northern Gaza last weekend.

Its horror, McCain, widow of Bidens close friend, former Senator John McCain, told NBCs Meet the Press in an interview that aired 5 May. There is famine  full-blown famine  in the north, and its moving its way south.

To the humanitarian groups working on the ground, this was not an inevitable conclusion.

This is an entirely preventable, human-made famine caused by lack of humanitarian aid and humanitarian access restrictions over seven months, said Louise Wateridge, communications officer with UNRWA, in a phone interview from Gaza last week.

According to UN figures, more than half of Gazas population some 1.1 million people  face catastrophic food insecurity. This represents the highest share of a population ever recorded globally. One in three children under the age of two suffer from acute malnutrition.

It is about to get worse.

Israel had for some months now publicly announced its intention to invade the southern city of Rafah, the last refugee camp in Gaza which is sheltering more than one million people displaced from elsewhere across the destroyed territory. Among that number are around 600,000 children packed into tents, crowded buildings and hospital courtyards with little more than tarpaulin to hide under. The city is the main hub for aid agencies operating in Gaza, and according to Israel, the last remaining stronghold of Hamas. The White House had previously expressed its public opposition to a full-scale operation in Rafah, given the humanitarian disaster it would inevitably cause.

Palestinians arrive to Khan Younis after leaving Rafah following an evacuation order issued by the Israeli army ( EPA )

But just days after Ms McCains interview, Israel issued an evacuation order for 100,000 people in the city. On 7 May, Israeli forces captured the Rafah border crossing, halting the transfer of aid through what was a major conduit. It is also the only crossing wounded or sick Palestinians can evacuate through.

It also closed another crucial crossing, Kerem Shalom, after an attack two days earlier killed four soldiers in the area. While Israel says Kerem Shalom has since reopened, UN officials said it is too dangerous for humanitarians to properly access. Jens Laerke, spokesperson for OCHA said that Rafah and Kerem Shalom were main arteries of the humanitarian operation for the entire strip and that their closure has been catastrophic.

The move prompted a dramatic response from Mr Biden. For the first time, he threatened to pause the delivery of certain offensive weapons to Israel if its defence forces entered the city proper. Rather than dialling back their offensive, Israel widened the evacuation orders in the south and north of Gaza to affect an estimated 300,000 people and began its assault on Rafah.

Meanwhile, the president has not placed the same conditions on the delivery of much-needed aid.

It is that discrepancy that has caused so much consternation within the US government, especially among those whose job it is to prevent people from dying of hunger.

I believe the US to be complicit in creating the conditions for famine, the current anonymous USAID employee told The Independent. Not only has our response been woefully inadequate, but were actively responsible in large part for it.
Joe Garofoli is the San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer, covering national and state politics. He has worked at The Chronicle since 2000 and in Bay Area journalism since 1992, when he left the Milwaukee Journal. He is the host of Its All Political, The Chronicles political podcast. Catch it here: bit.ly/2LSAUjA

He has won numerous awards and covered everything from fashion to the Jeffrey Dahmer serial killings to two Olympic Games to his own vasectomy  which he discussed on NPRs Talk of the Nation after being told he couldnt say the word balls on the air. He regularly appears on Bay Area radio and TV talking politics and is available to entertain at bar mitzvahs and First Communions. He is a graduate of Northwestern University and a proud native of Pittsburgh. Go Steelers!
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Federal investigators have secured a third guilty plea in connection with an investigation into US Rep Henry Cuellar of Texas on charges that he accepted nearly $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company and a bank in Mexico.

Irada Akhoundova, 67, pleaded guilty on 1 May in Houston federal court to acting as an agent for Azerbaijan without registering with federal officials. Details of her guilty plea were unsealed on 9 May.

Federal authorities have charged Cuellar, 68, and his wife Imelda Cuellar, 67, of accepting the money from 2014 to 2021 in exchange for the congressman advancing the interests of the former Soviet republic and the Mexican bank in the U.S. He says they are innocent.

One of Cuellar's top former aides, Colin Strother, and a Texas political and business consultant, Florencia Roden, struck plea deals in March on felony money laundering charges related to the Mexican bank.

Court records noted Akhoundova's plea agreement comes from the same investigation, and like the other two, includes that she fully cooperate with the United States." The alleged bribes from Azerbaijani interests totaled more than $300,000.

As long as Akhoundova tells the truth, then we have nothing to worry about, Cuellar attorney Chris Flood said Monday. Congressman Cuellar never agreed to act as a foreign agent and has always voted his conscience and for the best interests of his constituents, consistent with many of his colleagues.

Rep. Henry Cuellar leaves a meeting with House Democrats at the U.S. Capitol November 17, 2022 in Washington, DC ( Getty Images )

Akhoundovas plea agreement described her as an active member of the Texas Azerbaijani-American community. It said she worked from 2014-2017 as director of a Texas affiliate of an Azerbaijan energy company, where she transmitted false consulting invoices and helped facilitate payments she thought were in the interests of the oil company and the Azerbaijan government.

The agreement also said she knowingly helped set up another Texas affiliate company that would act on behalf of the Azerbaijan government and a state-owned oil company, without registering as an agent of a foreign principal.

Akhoundova faces up to five years in prison. An attorney for Akhoundova has not responded to a message requesting comment Monday.

According to the indictments against the Cuellars, the Azerbaijan energy company initially made the payments through a Texas-based shell company owned by Imelda Cuellar and two of the couple's children. That company received payments of $25,000 per month under a sham contract, purportedly in exchange for unspecified strategic consulting and advising services.

Azerbaijan officials wanted to build support for the country in its conflict with Armenia over disputed territory, the immigration status of Azerbaijani citizens, and promotion of the country as a strategic U.S. ally, according to the indictment.

Among other things, Cuellar agreed to influence legislation favorable to Azerbaijan and deliver a pro-Azerbaijan speech on the floor of the U.S. House, the indictment states.

Cuellar was at one time the co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus and the indictment against him says an Azerbaijani diplomat referred to him in text messages as el Jefe or the boss.

In addition to bribery and conspiracy, the Cuellars face charges including wire fraud conspiracy, acting as agents of foreign principals, and money laundering. If convicted, they could face decades in prison and forfeiture of any property linked to proceeds from the alleged scheme.
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The United States is still working to get Israel to embrace a two-state solution despite the personal opposition of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and much of his far-right coalition government, the State Department said on Tuesday.

Spokesman Vedant Patel reiterated the USs position at the agencys daily press briefing and pushed back on assertions that such conversations had taken a back seat amid the USs support for Israels military assault on Gaza.

Its something we remain deeply focused on, Patel told reporters, stating that a two-state solution remains a goal of the secretarys, and a goal of the presidents.

Patel went on to say that Secretary of State Antony Blinkens planned trip to the region ahead of October 7 had been centered around the idea of furthering the normalization of relations between Israel and nearby Arab nations. Patel explained that the Biden administration had hoped that normalization would be coupled with the achievement of a two-state solution resulting in the formation of a recognised Palestinian state and serious progress for the Palestinian people.

Obviously, the brutal terrorist attack by Hamas on the Israeli people derailed some of those efforts in the immediate term, he added. But that is something we continue to remain focused on.

Benjamin Netanyahu and his government have shown no signs of embracing such a political solution to the conflict, instead showing overt hostility to the idea. Just days ago, Israels ambassador to the United Nations mockingly shredded a copy of the United Nations charter before a gathering of the General Assembly as the body considered a vote on full membership for the Palestinian people.

Netanyahu himself directly rejected the idea of a two-state solution in January, stating that he would accept nothing short of full Israeli security control in all lands west of Jordan, which neighbors Israel to the east.

[T]his is contrary to a Palestinian state, Netanyahu affirmed in the statement, which was posted to Twitter.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in May that the president remains committed to a two-state solution, and called it the only viable path forward for Israels security.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant meets with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Kerem Shalom border crossing in southern Israel ( POOL/AFP via Getty Images )

"Look, ultimately, it is the only way to ensure Israel's future as a Jewish and democratic state and, of course, the only way to give the Palestinians the state to which they're entitled," said the secretary on ABCs This Week. "That's where we have to go.

Israels military assault on Gaza has claimed more than 35,000 lives, according to estimates from international health agencies.

Hamas militants killed more than 1,100 Israelis including hundreds of security force members in an October 7, 2023 attack which provoked the hostilities last year.

President Joe Biden and his administration continue to face criticism for the USs role in the conflict, from both sides of the aisle. Conservatives  both in the Republican Party and Mr Bidens own  continue to insist that Israel has the right to fight a war against Hamas on its own terms, and say that calls for the consideration of Gazas civilian populations or criticism of Israels actions amount to a betrayal of a US ally.

Progressives and other opponents of that view argue instead that the US is complicit in a slaughter, and possibly an outright genocide. US officials have strongly pushed back on that notion, arguing that Israel is not targeting civilians or attempting to ethnically cleanse the population of Gaza. As the civilian death toll climbs staggeringly high and Israel appears to be on the brink of a major military operation into Rafah, where more than a million refugees have fled the fighting, the president is facing more pressure from his left to halt US weapon and munitions transfers to the Israeli government.

The US also remains under fire over allegations that it is slow-walking or compromising its official review process designed to determine whether recipients of US military assistance are committing war crimes as the assault on Gaza progresses.
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Donald Trumps former attorney and one-time fixer Michael Cohen has been looming throughout the former presidents criminal hush money trial in New York, on the lips of nearly every witness and all over documents at the heart of the case.

He made his debut on the witness stand on Monday, testifying for nearly six hours  giving jurors the crucial connective tissue for the prosecutions case against Mr Trump.

It was Cohen who negotiated hush money deals that kept stories of Mr Trumps alleged affairs away from voters. It was Cohen who wired $130,000 to Stormy Daniels. And it was Cohen who sent invoices to Mr Trump and was reimbursed for his payout to the adult film star.

On Monday, he testified that Mr Trump directed him to pay Ms Daniels in the hopes of keeping his chances of winning the 2016 presidential election alive, following a series of explosive controversies involving women that threatened to derail his campaign.

Cohen has now directly linked Mr Trump to the alleged cover-up, labelling his reimbursements as legal expenses when they were actually, as Cohen testified, made to buy the life rights to Ms Daniels story.

Here are the key takeaways from Mr Trumps day in court:

Trumps reaction to the Stormy Daniels story: This is a disaster

Mr Trump was furious with his attorney and feared disaster for his 2016 campaign when Cohen disclosed that Ms Daniels was preparing to share her story about having sex with him in 2006.

I thought you had this under control. I thought you took care of this, Cohen said, recalling Mr Trumps enraged reaction to news that the adult film stars allegations had resurfaced.

Just take care of it. Theres a lot going on at the campaign at the time. Just take care of it, Mr Trump said, according to Cohen.

This is a disaster. This is a total disaster, he said. Women are going to hate me. This really is a disaster. Women are going to hate me. Guys will think its cool, but this is a disaster for the campaign.

Melania came up with minimizing Trumps Access Hollywood comments as locker room talk

Mr Trumps campaign was in damage control mode with the release of a tape from 2005 that included Mr Trump bragging about grabbing womens genitals.

He told Cohen and his advisers that the campaign needed to put a spin on this, according to Cohen.

And the spin that he wanted to put on it was that this was locker room talk, something that Melania had recommended, or thats what Melania thought it was, he said.

He urged his campaign to get control on the story and minimize impact on his campaign, according to Cohen.

Cohen leaves his apartment building on his way to Manhattan criminal court on Monday ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. )

Trump was worried about losing women voters

Cohen was tasked with putting out fires from a series of damaging stories in the weeks leading up to the 2016 election, he said. He also told the court about how Mr Trump responded to such stories  and his concern about how those stories would play with women voters.

After hearing about the Access Hollywood tape, Cohen recalled thinking This was going to be significantly impactful, especially with women voters.

At the time, Trump was polling very poorly with women, he said. With this Access Hollywood, he thought it was a disaster. Cohen recalled Trump ordering him to get control of it.

This concern reappeared in early October when the threat of the Stormy Daniels story resurfaced after Cohen and Mr Trump thought they had buried the story in 2011 when the story of the alleged sexual encounter first appeared on the gossip website TheDirty.com.

Cohen recalled Mr Trump being very angry that the story resurfaced, adding: I thought you had this under control. I thought you took care of this.

This is a disaster. Women are going to hate me. Guys will think its cool but this is a disaster for the campaign, Mr Trump said, according to Cohen.

But the negative stories about Mr Trump threatening to repel women voters didnt end there.

Cohen testified that when he discovered the Wall Street Journal was working on a story about the National Enquirer covering up allegations from Karen McDougal, who alleged a months-long affair with Mr Trump, Cohen contacted her attorney Keith Davidson as well as Trump aide Hope Hicks and publisher David Pecker so we can all coalesce around this issue and again quell the effects of an article like this.

Mr Trump then called Cohen, who said that they addressed that this was a real serious problem, especially because it was so close to the election.

He was angry and upset, Cohen recalled, because there was a negative story that could once again impact the campaign as a result of women.

Cohen portrays himself as a fierce, but calm, loyalist

Trumps former attorney remained composed throughout his testimony  contrasting other witnesses opinions of his personality. In court, other witnesses have described him as a pants-on-fire type of guy, excitable, and aggressive, while outside of the courtroom, he often posts inflammatory tweets about Mr Trump.

Text messages shown in court also reflected that Cohen often worked with urgency, contacting many people to deal with the Trump issue du jour.

But on the stand, jurors didnt see that personality at all. He remained cool, calm and collected, even when he was testifying about touchy subjects.

Earlier this month, Mr Davidson testified that after he found out that Mr Trump wasnt considering offering Cohen a top position in the White House, I thought he was going to kill himself.

But in court on Monday, Cohen remained largely unfazed. He agreed with the prosecutor when she asked whether he was disappointed.

He also testified that despite his loyalty, his Christmas bonus was significantly cut in 2016.

Cohen testifies on the witness stand ( Elizabeth Williams via AP )

Cohen said he felt personally hurt and didnt understand it after all I had gone through in terms of the campaign and laying out $130,000 on his behalf to protect Mr Trump. It was insulting that the gratitude shown back to me was to cut my bonus by two-thirds, he said.

He even joked emphatically: I am unusually angry. But even that line landed with a smile on the stand.

As for lying, Cohen admitted on the stand multiple times that his invoices were intentionally falsely labelled as a retainer when they were actually payments for the life rights of others stories.

Push it as long as you can: Cohen confirms Trump wanted to stall until after the election

Prosecutors asked Cohen about his strategy to deal with the resurfaced Stormy Daniels story in October 2016.

Cohen recalled Mr Trump telling him to push it out as long as you can.

If I win, it wont matter, he said, according to Cohen.

Mr Davidson said that his client had expressed dissatisfaction with a delay of 10 days for funding, which was written into the contract.

Cohen said that Mr Davidson wanted an immediate wire transfer and Cohen replied that he needed 10 days. He told the court that the 10-delay was what I was instructed to do.

Push it past Election Day. I was following directions, he said.

The deadline for paying Ms Daniels was 14 October, 2016.

Assistant District Attorney Susan Hoffinger asked Cohen whether he expected to make the payment on deadline.

No maam, Cohen replied. When asked what he was planning to do, he said: Delay it.

Trump never uses email

Cohen testified that his former boss did not have an email address.

During some conversations, Mr Trump would comment that emails were like written papers, according to Cohen

He knows too many people who have gone down as a direct result of having emails that prosecutors can use in a case, he added.

Cohen then confirmed that by going down, he meant getting in trouble.

Be prepared, theres going to be a lot of women coming forward

Before he launched his 2016 presidential campaign, Mr Trump warned Cohen  who was then the Trump Organizations special counsel  that damaging stories about his relationships with women were imminent and could derail his bid for the White House, according to testimony from Cohen.

You know, that when this comes out  meaning, the announcement  just be prepared theres gonna be a lot of women coming forward, Cohen said, remembering what his former boss told him in 2015.

Mr Trump wanted to rely on the power of the National Enquirer and its placement in supermarkets and bodegas to place positive stories about him and negative ones about his rivals, according to Cohen.

During a meeting at Trump Tower in August 2015, two months after the launch of his campaign. Mr Trump met with Cohen and tabloid publisher David Pecker, who previously testified that he vowed to be the eyes and ears of the campaign.

Trump slumps during the criminal trial ( AP )

What he said was that he could keep an eye out for anything negative about Mr Trump and that he would be able to help us know in advance about what was coming out for us to stop it from coming out, according to Cohen.

The resulting catch and kill scheme helped bury a bogus story about an alleged love child with a Trump Tower maid as well a story from Ms McDougal.

Cohen admitted he would lie and bully for Trump

Cohen testified that upon reflection, he felt fantastic working at the Trump Organization for 10 years. He divulged that he referred to Mr Trump as boss.

I enjoyed working with my colleagues at the Trump Organization, the Trump children. It was a big family, he said.

But there were great times and several not great times, he added.

Ms Hoffinger asked whether he had ever lied for Mr Trump.

I did, he said. It was sometimes needed to accomplish a task.

Cohen confirmed that he would also bully on behalf of Mr Trump: The only thing that was on my mind was to accomplish a task to make him happy.

Cohen calls to Trump in days before election

By late October, weeks before 2016 Election Day, Ms Daniels attorney Keith Davidson was running out of patience with Cohens excuses, and Ms Daniels was shopping the story to The Daily Mail, according to Cohen.

Cohen met with Mr Trump, whose friends and very smart people told him to just pay Ms Daniels, he said.

Its $130,000, youre a billionaire, pay it, theres no reason to keep this thing out there, Cohen said, recalling the advice from Mr Trumps circle.

He expressed to me, Do it, meet with Allen Weisselberg and figure this out.

Mr Trump, Cohen and Weisselberg met at Trump Tower in January 2017, where then-president-elect Trump approved a payment plan that included reimbursements to Cohen over 12 months.

Mr Trump told them they were in for one heck of a ride in Washington, DC.

That amounted to $420,000 total spread out over 12 months  but it was not a retainer for future legal counsel, Cohen said.

It was a payment plan to cover up reimbursements, according to Cohen.

Weisselbergs separation agreement from the Trump Organization wont be in evidence

Judge Merchan is denying the admission of Allen Weisselbergs separation agreement from the Trump Organization, which came up last week when prosecutors wanted to explain to the jury why a prominent figure in the case is not there.

Not only is he in Rikers Island jail, but the agreement effectively stipulates that he cant speak out against the company in any way  without risking tens of thousands of dollars in severance.

Trump speaks to to press after arriving at Manhattan criminal court on Monday ( AP Photo/Seth Wenig, Pool )

On Friday, Judge Merchan suggested that Weisselberg could be brought up as a witness, though neither side has subpoenaed him.

The judge suggested he could be brought up, sworn in and questioned without a jury present first.

Trump cared more about his campaign than Melania, Cohen says

After the Access Hollywood tape was released, Cohen testified that Mr Trump feared how the offensive recording would affect his campaign  not his wife.

Cohen testified that he was strategizing with Mr Pecker about how to deal with the explosive story.

He wasnt thinking about Melania. This was all about the campaign, Cohen said on the stand.

Its the fifth week of the Manhattan criminal trial and Melania Trump is still nowhere to be seen.
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When Michael Cohens Manhattan home was raided in 2018 as part of a criminal probe, then-president Donald Trump reassured him everythings going to be OK  and then never spoke to him again, his former attorney told the court during his second day of testimony in Mr Trumps hush money trial.

That last communication between the two men was a canary in the coal mine for the demise of their relationship, paving the way for the one-time loyal fixer to become one of the former presidents harshest critics.

The raid was connected to the ongoing criminal probe of Cohen, in part related to a criminal investigation over potential campaign finance violations stemming from his hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels to silence her story about having sex with Mr Trump in 2006. That $130,000 payment  and Mr Trumps reimbursements  are at the heart of the former presidents criminal trial, where he is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records.

The former president has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has repeatedly denied that the affair took place.

On the witness stand on Tuesday morning, Cohen testified about the FBIs raid of his New York City apartment in April 2018, recalling how federal agents seized documents from his law office, tax books and his two cell phones.

Assistant District Attorney Susan Hoffinger asked Cohen how he felt after the raid.

He sighed, looked downpaused before responding.

How to describe your life turning upside down, he said. Concerned, despondent.

He told the court that he asked then-President Trump to call him. He did.

Cohen recalled Mr Trump reassuring him that everythings going to be OK.

Dont worry. Im the president of the United States, Cohen said Mr Trump told him on the phone. Theres nothing here. Everythings going to be OK.

That was the last time they spoke, he testified.

Michael Cohen leaves his home to head to Manhattan Criminal Court for a second day of testimony in Donald Trumps criminal trial on May 14 2024 ( AFP via Getty Images )

Others from Mr Trumps inner circle also reassured Cohen, he testified.

You are loved, they told him, according to Cohen. Dont worry. Hes got your back. Most powerful guy in the country if not the world. Youre going to be OK.

Mr Trumps call was extremely important to him because he was scared, he said.

I wanted some reassurance that Trump had my back  especially with issues that related to him, he testified.

Ms Hoffinger then asked how that phone call affected Cohen going forward.

I felt reassured, Cohen testified. Because I had the president of the United States protecting me. His Justice Department should go nowhere. So I felt reassured that I remained in the [Trump] camp.

The world now knows that Cohen and Mr Trumps relationship would never be the same after that phone call.

Just before the raid, Cohen had admitted in a public statement in 2018 that he had used his own personal funds to facilitate the payment of $130,000 to Stephanie Clifford  aka Ms Daniels  in a private transaction in 2016.

In the public statement, Cohen exonerated Mr Trump Neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction with Ms Clifford, and neither reimbursed me for the payment, either directly or indirectly.

In court on Tuesday, Cohen described that statement as inaccurate.

Michael Cohen testifies as a Wall Street Journal article is displayed on a screen in Manhattan criminal court on Tuesday 14 May 2024 ( AP )

Cohen testified that he paid $130,000 to Ms Daniels on behalf of Mr Trump in order to prevent Ms Daniels from coming forward with her story about the affair to ensure that the story would not affect Mr Trumps chances of becoming president of the United States.

Earlier in the day, prosecutors presented 11 monthly invoices and checks, each worth $35,000 and made out to Cohen in 2017. The documents showed that the payments were pursuant to a retainer fee, which Cohen said never existed, and that the descriptions in his invoices and on his pay stubs were false.

The payments were reimbursement of money to me for the hush money fee, and other money he was owed by Mr Trump, according to Cohen. He was paid $420,000 in total, according to documents shown in court.

His testimony, and accompanying evidence presented over the last several weeks, are connective tissue in prosecutors case against the former president.

During his first day of his testimony on Monday, Cohen recalled his unwavering loyalty to Mr Trump.

He told the court how he worked with former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker to kill damaging stories about the then-presidential candidate to ensure his path to the White House  including by putting his own money on the line with a shell company to separate Mr Trump from his hush money payment to Ms Daniels.

Donald Trump outside the courtroom on 14 May ( EPA )

On Tuesday, Cohen said he lied for Mr Trump out of loyalty and in order to protect him.

But Mr Trump repeatedly did not return the favor, Cohen said.

Mr Trump slashed his Christmas bonus one year by two-thirds, according to Cohen.

He also didnt consider Cohen for a top role in his White House administration, he said. Months after reassuring Cohen that everythings going to be OK after his FBI raid, Cohen wound up in prison.

Cohen pleaded guilty on August 2018 to campaign finance violations, tax evasion, and lying to Congress. One day after Cohens guilty plea, Mr Trump solidified distanced himself from his attorney in a tweet: If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you dont retain the services of Michael Cohen!

While Cohen was in prison, Mr Trump remained in office.

The pair have since become sworn enemies who often air their grievances with one another in venomous posts online. Mr Trump has called Cohen a sleaze bag and a liar while Cohen has called his former boss as Von S***zInPantz and a con man.
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House of Representatives speaker Mike Johnson lambasted the United States judicial system on Tuesday as he became the highest-ranking Republican to attend court with Donald Trump, echoing unsubstantiated or disproven arguments made by the former president and his allies.

It was a remarkable moment in modern American politics; the powerful House speaker signalled a turn for his political party against the federal and state legal systems and demonstrated further loyalty toward Trump, who is accused of having arranged secret payments to a porn actress to hide negative stories during his successful 2016 campaign for president.

Johnson  a lawyer who is second in line for the presidency after vice-president Kamala Harris  called the court system corrupt and the case against Trump a sham, while alleging without proof that the special counsel whos charged Trump in two separate cases has doctored evidence. He also attacked the credibility of Michael Cohen, Trumps former lawyer and fixer who began his second day of testimony in the former president's hush money trial.

Trumps campaign has lined up allies in recent days to appear at the New York courthouse to attack witnesses and others whom Trump is barred by a judges gag order from criticising himself.

Also supporting Trump on Tuesday were US Republican Byron Donalds of Florida and North Dakota governor Doug Burgum  both considered possible vice presidential candidates  as well as former GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, one of Trumps current top surrogates.

Senators JD Vance of Ohio and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama were among those who attended court on Monday.

Their presence and comments critical of the process and its participants have let Trump and his allies amplify their message without risking another explicit violation of a gag order.

Johnson specifically criticised three people Trump is prohibited from insulting. He assailed Cohen as a man who is clearly on a mission for personal revenge, said lead prosecutor Matthew Colangelo recently received over $10,000 in payments from the Democratic National Committee and said the daughter of Judge Juan Merchan has made millions of dollars doing online fundraising for Democrats.

Johnson has been using the pulpit of the speakers office in Washington to attack the US judicial system, criticising the courts as biased against the former president, claiming the case is politically motivated by Democrats and insisting Trump has done nothing wrong.

And Johnson, who is dependent on support from Trump to keep the speakers gavel, is far from alone. A growing number of Republicans have been turning against the US system of justice in a stark assault as they trek to the courthouse to stand with the indicted former president.

Johnson has aimed to strengthen his alliance with Trump as the speaker has come under fire from his own caucus in the House, including a failed effort at his removal by a fellow Trump backer, Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.

Johnson made an appearance with the former president at his Mar-a-Lago club last month to announce new House legislation to require proof of citizenship for voting, echoing Trumps baseless claims that Democrats are abetting immigrants entering the US illegally to swing elections. There isnt any indication that noncitizens vote in significant numbers in federal elections or that they will in the future.
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Democrats and Republicans will select their respective nominees for the US Senate in Maryland on Tuesday and in doing so will set up the most unique race of the cycle.

Two leading Democrats, Congressman David Trone and Prince Georges County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, are locked in a dead heat as the race enters its final hours.

The Democratic primary, which has grown negative in the past few weeks, carries incredible significance: the entrance of former Governor Larry Hogan into the race has given Republicans a breath of life and possibly their only real shot at winning the seat.

That dynamic is playing out in a year when Democrats hold the Senate by one vote and are looking desperately to protect that majority either for the start of a second Biden term or to throttle Donald Trumps first two years in office.

Senate races in Maryland are not usually competitive; the state is reliably blue in terms of its congressional delegation. But Mr Hogans two terms in office left him with widespread name recognition and a reputation bolstered by beating cancer while in office.

His centrist record  including his signature on a bill banning fracking and his support for the Paris climate agreement  helped him distinguish himself as an outlier within the Republican Party even as he frequently picked fights with Democrats in the state legislature, who were forced to override his vetoes.

Mr Trone, a member of the House, is pursuing a strategy that may seem surprising unless one is already familiar with the Total Wine & More mogul. Owner of the prolific beverage megamart chain, Mr Trone has poured more than $61m of his own money into this race, making it the most expensive Democratic Senate primary in state history. That would be surprising, had he not done the same in his two bids for the House, once in a losing battle against Jamie Raskin (which fostered bad blood that still persists) and once again in a crowded 2018 primary (ditto).

David Trone speaks at a press conference on Capitol Hill in 2019 ( Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

Ms Alsobrooks is taking a more familiar route. She declined an opportunity to run for governor in 2022, as Hogans second term came to a close. The Prince Georges County Executive was then promptly endorsed by the winner of that contest, Democrat Wes Moore, and a host of his allies across the state. Unable to match Mr Trones injections of his own personal wealth, she has leaned harder on statewide connections while attacking Mr Trone for missteps including his unintentional utterance of a racial slur at a House hearing.

Theres one other important factor which singles out Mr Hogan from his Republican colleagues: his clear, firm opposition to Donald Trump. Hogan was one of just a few prominent elected Republicans to support the impeachment of the 45th president after January 6, and came out in favour of the first Trump impeachment inquiry in 2019 as well.

In campaigning for the seat in 2024, he has positioned himself as an enemy of dysfunction in Washington and a Mitt Romney- or Lisa Murkowski-esque check on a possible President Donald Trump from within the Republican Party, though he rarely mentions the former president on the trail. His campaign website pointedly alerts viewers to the fact that his father was the only Republican to support the impeachment of Richard Nixon in the Senate in 1974.

All that being said, Mr Hogans greatest advantage over Mr Trone and Ms Alsobrooks is his name recognition. A poll in March found that a much wider quantity of voters had no opinion of the Democratic contenders compared to the likely Republican nominee. A poll taken in the final few days of the race contradicted some concerns about either Democratic candidates ability to beat Mr Hogan in November, though how voters feel may be another story.

One dynamic is playing firmly against Mr Hogan this time around: the realities of his sought office. Having served as the chief executive of a state and not a legislator, Mr Hogans reputation is built on being a stand-alone operative. Thats harder to do in the Senate, where despite his anti-Trump rhetoric he will inevitably end up caucusing with the GOP.

The reality of the situation is that the former governor was recruited by Republicans to run for this seat because he was the partys best chance of winning it and flipping the upper chamber  and voters know this. Some Marylanders who were featured this past week on The Bulwarks Focus Group podcast with Sarah Longwell described themselves as Hogan-Biden voters and explained that keeping the seat in Democratic hands was too important, regardless of Mr Hogans record.

After Ive seen what the Republicans have done with the House and the Senate...I think we need to keep that seat, one woman explained of her view.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan speaks to guests at the Republican Jewish Coalition Annual Leadership Meeting on November 18, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada ( Getty Images )

Theres the catch. In seeking to join a GOP caucus in the Senate, Mr Hogan is inadvertently tying himself to all the baggage that comes with that new club. In his case, that may include not just the Senate, where bipartisanship has carried on in a beleaguered sense, but the House of Representatives as well.

The lower chamber and the Republican House caucus specifically remain a chaotic scene, with members feuding openly in the media, endorsing against each other in GOP primaries, and deriding each other with petty insults. Just this past week, Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene and two of her colleagues brought a motion to oust a speaker of the House, the second such motion to reach the floor within the past 12 months. In a surreal scene, she angrily rebuked the uniparty as both Democrats and Republicans joined in booing her on the floor.

Donald Trump will also play a role directly. This will be the first time, thanks to the timing of Marylands statewide elections, that Mr Hogan and the former president will be on the ballot in the same year. Thats another factor that could weigh on Mr Hogan; in a deep blue state, he will be under increased pressure to distance himself from the top of his partys ticket as the election draws closer.

Whatever the outcome tomorrow, the Maryland race is set to be one of the most unique in the country in 2024. Two candidates are testing dramatically different strategies for gaining political power, even as they themselves differ only marginally in policy. The race it sets up in November will answer a bigger question: is the #NeverTrump faction of the Republican Party still a viable political force?
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Donald Trump appeared to fall asleep with his mouth open just minutes after his attorneys started to grill his former attorney Michael Cohen during his hush money trial in Manhattan.

Cohen, expected to be the final witness for the prosecution, has spent more than seven hours across two days on the witness stand directly tying the former president to a scheme to cover up payments to an adult film star before the 2016 presidential election.

But moments after his attorney Todd Blanche began cross-examining Cohen after Tuesdays lunch recess, Mr Trump sunk back into his chair and closed his eyes.

While sporting a permanent scowl, his head then dropped slightly with his mouth open before he appeared to snap awake and jerk his head to the left or right as his eyes remained shut.

Though Mr Trump appeared somewhat disinterested, the cross-examination immediately got off to a fiery start.

Mr Blanche instantly targeted Cohen about his news interviews and social media posts about the trial and his public criticism of the former president  as well as his comments about Mr Blanche and Mr Trumps other attorneys.

Do you remember going on TikTok and calling me a crying little s***? Mr Blanche asked.

Cohen appeared unfazed, responding: Sounds like something I would say.

Mr Blanche also asked Cohen whether he remembered calling Mr Trump a dictator douchebag.

Sounds like something I would say, he said again.

A courtroom sketch depicts Donald Trump inside a criminal courtroom in Manhattan on 14 May ( REUTERS )

Last week, New York Justice Juan Merchan had urged prosecutors to instruct Cohen to stop talking about the case and about Mr Trump, after his attorneys complained that the former fixer continued to speak publicly even as his testimony was imminent  including in a TikTok video where he was seen wearing a T-shirt with a picture of Mr Trump behind bars.

The Manhattan District Attorneys Office told him that it is probably better off if you dont speak about the case, Cohen testified on Tuesday.

Mr Trump has repeatedly denied sleeping at the courthouse, where his criminal trial is nearing the end of a fourth week of witness testimony, but he has admitted that he often keeps his eyes closed.

Donald Trump speaks with his attorneys during his hush money trial in Manhattan on 14 May ( AP )

Though he occasionally whispers to his attorneys, Mr Trump is largely unresponsive during testimony about him.

Contrary to the FAKE NEWS MEDIA, I dont fall asleep during the Crooked D.A.s Witch Hunt, especially not today, he wrote on Truth Social during a mid-day break in the trial on 2 May.

I simply close my beautiful blue eyes, sometimes, listen intensely, and take it ALL in!!! he added.

In an interview with Telemundo, Mr Trump said that for a big portion of trials, you just close your eyes and listen. He said he hears everything perfectly.

No, I dont fall asleep, he said. I close my eyes sometimes. You know, its very bright in that court, actually. Its also very cold.
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On Tuesday, Mike Johnson  the pious born-again Christian who uses an app that notifies him when his son watches porn (and vice versa)  appeared in public with Donald Trump, the man who faces a legal trial stemming back to his attempts to allegedly pay an adult film actress hush money.

Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House, said he came to New York as a friend to the former president. He then attacked District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Judge Juan Merchan, and the judges daughter  all of which the court has prohibited Trump from doing under the threat of a gag order. Who needs to be gagged when you have such proxies?

Of course, Johnson is not the only Republican who made the pilgrimage to Manhattan to defend Trump. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Ohio Senator JD Vance, Florida Senator Rick Scott and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy have all traveled to the city to show their solidarity with the former president and endear themselves to MAGA. The fact that this could clearly earn them a running-mate slot has made some describe these New York pilgrimages as veepstakes.

But Johnsons decision to come up to New York is different. Unlike the Republican hopefuls, he already has the top slot in Congress (after being a backbencher for much of his brief tenure in the House of Representatives.) His decision is just the latest movement in an odd marriage of convenience between the highest-ranking elected Republican and the de facto GOP leader. It offers an eye-opening preview into how they might lead together during a Trump presidency.

Contrary to the common belief that Johnson emerged from nowhere this year, he and Trump both came to Washington in 2017, albeit via different paths. Trump, a former Democrat from New York City who bragged about his sexual dalliances, staged a hostile takeover of the Republican Party on the back of anti-establishment anger and anti-immigrant xenophobia. Johnson worked his way up the evangelical conservative ladder, serving as an attorney for the conservative group Alliance Defending Freedom.

Johnson continued to quietly move up the ranks in the party, serving as chairman of the Republican Study Committee  a job once occupied by Trumps former vice president, Mike Pence  and as the top Republican in the amicus brief to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.

That latter move solidified Johnsons status in MAGA world. Meanwhile, Trumps nomination of the three Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v Wade endeared the former president to Johnson, as it did many evangelicals. Indeed, the day of the Dobbs v Jackson decision, I caught Johnson in Congress and he was absolutely ebullient.

That mutually beneficial relationship came in handy in October of last year when, amid the fracas to nominate a new Republican speaker, Johnson emerged. After his initial pick, Jim Jordan failed, Trump tanked House Majority Whip Tom Emmers bid to become speaker  and then gave Johnson his full blessing.

Since then, the two have worked together quite easily. Johnson played a major role in killing the bipartisan foreign aid-immigration package that the Senate negotiated and he endorsed Trump earlier than many of his colleagues. This would define the contours of Johnson and Trumps agreement: Johnson would provide Trump political ammo  indeed, Johnson called the trial in New York election interference  while Trump would offer Johnson his policy wins on social conservative brass rings like abortion.

But the true test of their union came when Marjorie Taylor Greene, the far-right Trump acolyte from Georgia and well-known conspiracy-monger, filed her motion to vacate. That couldve tanked Johnsons speakership just as it began. But surprisingly to almost everyone, Trump sided with Johnson, saying that he was doing a very good job.

Johnsons loyalty to Trump seems to have paid even bigger dividends than he could have imagined. Not only did Trump fail to turn against Johnson when he put a bill to potentially ban TikTok to the floor despite Trumps opposition, or when he put a standalone Ukraine-Israel-Taiwan aid bill to the floor, but he also continued to defend Johnson after Democrats said they would bail him out in a motion to vacate.

All of these sins against the whims of Trump would have felled a lesser Republican leader. Just ask Kevin McCarthy or Mitch McConnell on the Senate side. Yet Trumps defense of the speaker significantly weakened Marjorie Taylor Greene and empowered Johnson. Clearly, the former president likes having Johnson around.

All of this makes Johnsons seemingly strange decision to act as Trumps wingman in Manhattan seem reasonable, even if Trumps phone history would probably make the polite Johnsons phone blow up with notifications. The speaker is holding up his end of the bargain.

And that should also make Democrats worried. For the past few weeks, Democrats have praised Johnson for doing the right thing, however late, for finally putting aid to Ukraine on the floor. They showed their gratitude by saving him from the humiliation to which they subjected McCarthy: a motion to vacate.

But Johnsons appearance with Trump shows where his loyalties lie. They also show exactly how he would enforce the Trump agenda, should Trump re-assume the White House.

Johnson has shown that what started as a marriage of convenience is now an ironclad union for which divorce is not an option. Indeed, that makes sense, given the speakers dislike of no-fault divorce.
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Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson vocally defended former president Donald Trump outside the New York City courthouse where the former presidents criminal trial was taking place on Tuesday.

Mr Johnson said he was speaking out in defence of his friend, the former president, and decried the sham trial.

I wanted to be here myself, to call out what is a travesty of justice, Mr Johnson told reporters. President Trump is a friend and I wanted to be here to support him.

The Louisiana Republican is an ally of Mr Trump who assumed the gavel in October of last year and led House Republicans legal efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.

( Getty Images )

Mr Johnson spoke to reporters shortly after Michael Cohen, Mr Trumps former attorney and fixer who made the $130,000 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels at the heart of the case, began his testimony. Mr Cohen reportedly made the payment to keep Ms Daniels silent about a sexual encounter with Mr Trump in 2006, which the former president has denied.

I just listened to a few moments of his testimony this morning and it is consistent with what he's already done, Mr Johnson said.

He then alluded to the fact Mr Cohen previously pleaded guilty to lying in federal court and lying to Congress.

This is a man who is clearly on a mission for personal revenge, and who is widely known as a witness who has trouble with the truth, Mr Johnson said. He lied to Congress. He lied to the IRS. He lied to federal election officials. Even Cohen's own lawyer testified to a grand jury that he is not reliable. So, there's nothing that he presents here that should be given any weight at all by a jury and certainly not this judge.

Despite his reputation as a devout Christian, Mr Johnson has formed a strong bond with the former president who once appeared on the cover of Playboy. Mr Trump came out in support of Mr Johnson and opposed pro-Trump Representative Marjorie Taylor Greenes efforts to oust Mr Johnson last week.

Mr Johnson criticized the charge that Mr Trump falsified his business records.

I think everybody knows he is not the bookkeeper for his company, he said. President Trump is innocent of these charges, and again, anyone with common sense can understand what is happening here.

Mr Johnson is just the latest Republican-elected official to head to New York to show their support for the former president. Senators Rick Scott of Florida, JD Vance of Ohio and Senator Tommy Tuberville are among the many who have made the pilgrimage to the Manhattan courthouse.

The Democratic National Committee mocked the showing.

Trumps pathetic band of MAGA extremists seemingly have nothing better to do than echo Trumps lies and nod approvingly in the background  because they certainly arent doing their day jobs of serving their constituents or running a functional political operation, spokesman Alex Floyd said. If deploying this motley crew of cranks and conspiracy theorists was the Trump campaigns ham-handed attempt to divert attention from their candidates disappearance from the campaign trail, theyre in for a stormy six months ahead.

The speaker also decried the gag order in place to stop Mr Trump from speaking about the trial. The former president has already been fined for violating the order.

Mr Johnson then attacked the judge and his daughter in ways that had previously led to Mr Trump receiving the gag order in the first place.

The system is using all the tools at its disposal right now to punish one president and provide cover for another, Mr Johnson said. And meanwhile, among the atrocities here, the judge's own daughter is making millions of dollars doing online fundraising for Democrats. They're using this trial as a hook, it's so corrupt. It's so corrupt, and everybody knows it.

Loren Merchan, the judges daughter, previously worked as president and partner of Authentic Campaigns, a firm that helps elect Democrats.

Mr Johnson also said that the Republican-controlled House would take steps to rein in Special Counsel Jack Smith.

These are politically motivated trials, and they are a disgrace, he said. It is election interference, and they show the opposition that President Trump has and how desperate they truly are.
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Donald Trumps former lawyer Michael Cohen faced another day of fiery cross-examination on Thursday as the former presidents defense attorney Todd Blanche sought to discredit the one-time fixer as a revenge-seeking liar.

Mr Blanche launched several attacks against Cohens credibility and history of deception, including past false statements and guilty pleas for financial crimes  some related to the hush money payments at the center of Mr Trumps trial.

Mr Blanche zig-zagged through Cohens dubious history as an admittedly self-interested figure in Mr Trumps universe to undermine bombshell testimony in the case against his former boss.

Here are the key takeaways from the 18th day of proceedings.

Defense depicts Cohen as a serial liar

Mr Blanche argued that Cohens turn against the former president was only motivated by his self-interest and that he was lying both on the stand and throughout his career.

He argued that Cohen lied when he said he stated he hadnt been offered nor would he accept a pardon from Mr Trump, and that he was angry when Mr Trump didnt pick him for a White House role.

Cohen said he only wanted a job offer for his ego.

Former President Donald Trump waves as he returns to the courtroom after a break in his trial at Manhattan criminal court Thursday, May 16, 2024, in New York ( AP )

Cohen celebrates Trump indictment

Mr Blanche played audio from Cohens podcast Mea Culpa where he celebrated the 34-count indictment against the former president last year.

I truly f***ing hope this man ends up in prison, Cohen said in an October 2023 episode. Revenge is a dish best served cold.

You better believe I want this man to go down and rot for what he did to me and my family, he added.

Trumps lawyer shouts at Cohen

Mr Blanche was furious with Cohen during cross-examination and accused Cohen of lying about a pivotal phone call that tied Mr Trump to the conspiracy at the center of the case.

Cohen previously testified that he spoke to Mr Trumps bodyguard, Keith Schiller, after finalizing a deal to pay Stormy Daniels $130,000 in 2016.

But Mr Blanche suggested Cohen was only calling Mr Schiller to complain about some harassing phone calls he was receiving at the time.

Mr Blanche yelled at Cohen: That was a lie, wasnt it!

Michael Cohen is asked about taking an oath as he is cross-examined by defense lawyer Todd Blanche during former President Donald Trumps criminal trial ( REUTERS )

Crime-fraud exception

Cohen testified that he regularly recorded phone calls with journalists over the years  and even recorded a few with Mr Trump.

Mr Blanche noted it was unethical for an attorney to record client phone calls.

Yes, except of course in crime-fraud exception, Cohen replied.

Under the crime-fraud exception, a clients statements to lawyers are not protected by attorney-client privilege if they are meant to further or conceal a crime.

Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz show up at court

MAGA Republican Reps Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz became the latest lawmakers to show up at the courthouse for their surrogate duties in a bid to circumvent the gag order.

On X, Ms Boebert attacked Justice Merchans daughter, claiming she was being paid millions and millions of dollars by Democrat campaigns.

Meanwhile, Mr Gaetz echoed Mr Trumps call to far-right extremists the Proud Boys prior to the 2020 election. Standing back and standing by, Mr. President, he posted on X.

US Representative Matt Gaetz, Republican of Florida, listens as former US President Donald Trump speaks to the press before his trial ( via REUTERS )

The week ahead

On Monday morning, Mr Blanche will finish his interrogation of Cohen.

Manhattan prosecutors will not introduce any further witnesses, defense attorneys are deciding whether to introduce rebuttal witnesses when  or if  they decide to make a case, and Judge Merchan instructed attorneys to prepare for closing arguments as soon as Tuesday.

Mr Trump still has not indicated to his attorneys whether he will testify in his defense.

The defense hopes to introduce one expert witness  Bradley Smith, a former chair of the FEC  but want to expand the scope of what he can talk about.
A state appeals court has overturned an Oakland man's sexual abuse conviction, saying the prosecutor failed to justify her removal of a Black juror. ftwitty/Getty Images

A state appeals court has overturned an Oakland mans convictions and sentence of 15 years to life in prison for sexually abusing his girlfriends daughter, saying the prosecutor failed to justify her removal of a Black woman from the jury.

The ruling in the case of David Arias is the latest to raise racial concerns about jury selection in Alameda County. Last month, District Attorney Pamela Price, who took office in 2023, announced she was putting all 35 of the countys death sentences on hold for a new review after evidence surfaced that prosecutors, starting in the 1980s, had removed all Jewish and Black prospective jurors in capital cases.

Arias was not charged with a capital crime, and there was one Black member of the Superior Court jury that convicted him in 2021 of forcible lewd acts and sexual assault of a child under age 14. But the 1st District Court of Appeal said Arias was denied his right to a jury chosen without racial bias when the prosecutor failed to give adequate race-neutral reasons for dismissing another Black prospective juror.

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When Arias lawyer objected to the removal, Deputy District Attorney Emily Tienken said she was not motivated by the prospective jurors race but by some of her statements during questioning, including a comment that everyone has unconscious bias but that she would consider the evidence with an open mind. Tienken also said the woman had a doctoral degree and seemed pretty opinionated.

Superior Court Judge Allan Hymer, who presided over the trial, said Tienken had shown her challenge was not based on race, but the appeals court disagreed.

We are disheartened by the prosecutors desire to reject jurors who were concerned about implicit bias and fairness in the justice system, Presiding Justice James Humes wrote in a 3-0 ruling Friday granting Arias a new trial. He could seek release on bail while awaiting further proceedings.

Humes cited Californias Racial Justice Act, a 2021 law allowing defendants to challenge convictions that may have been based on their race or ethnicity. The law did not apply to Arias case because it had not taken effect when his trial started, but the court said it could rely on the Legislatures findings that all persons possess implicit biases, that these biases impact the criminal justice system, and that negative implicit biases tend to disfavor people of color.

Jurors should be encouraged to guard against the possibility that their decisions will be affected by bias, implicit or otherwise, Humes said.

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The ruling is a reminder that racial bias  implicit or explicit  harms all of us, degrades trust in the legal system, and undermines the promise of equal justice under law, said Arias lawyer, Matthew Siroka. Prosecutors have a special obligation to avoid bias and ensure fairness in criminal cases.

Lawyers for the prosecution did not immediately respond to requests for comment. They could seek review in the California Supreme Court.

Arias, an immigrant from El Salvador who worked as a carpenter, moved to a home with his girlfriend in 2012 and had a son with her. The girlfriends daughter, who was 4 when Arias moved in, told a school counselor in 2019 that Arias had sexually abused her several times, forcing her to touch his penis and on another occasion licking her vagina.

Arias denied it. His appeal drew support from the civil rights group LatinoJustice, which said Arias trial was infused with racial bias and that Latino defendants in sex-abuse cases are often accused of hypersexuality.

During jury selection in criminal cases, each side is entitled to remove 10 prospective jurors without stating a reason, but the removals may not be based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or national origin. The ruling centered on the prosecutors removal of a Black woman in her 30s who worked at a health care company and had a doctoral degree in education.

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During questioning, the prospective juror said everyone has unconscious bias, and that its hard to say check your bias at the door, especially if you dont know what that is. But she said she would approach the case with an open mind and would have 11 other peers around me to discuss the evidence in an objective way.
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Stephen Colbert has mocked Donald Trump for seemingly not being worried about his wife, Melania, leaving him when the story about his alleged affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels  with the former president claiming his time on the market would be fleeting.

Monday nights episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert landed on the hosts 60th birthday, and he was excited to announce that he had received his birthday wish: Donald Trump is still on trial.

As the criminal trial against the former president has moved into its fourth week, Michael Cohen, his former personal attorney, told the court of Mr Trumps various reactions to the alleged affair story possibly getting out.

Cohen, the star witness in the trial, told the Manhattan courtroom that when Mr Trump heard the adult film star was preparing to come forward with the affair allegations, he was particularly concerned about how this would affect his presidential campaign for 2016.

Former first lady Melania Trump in 2021 ( AFP via Getty Images )

What Mr Trump seemed to neglect, however, was how this may have affected his marriage to Melania, whom he had married the year before the alleged affair happened in 2006.

Mr Trump wasnt thinking about his wife, Melania, Cohen said. This was all about the campaign.

When Cohen decided to question Mr Trump on how this would impact his relationship with Melania, he testified that Mr Trump said, Dont worry How long do you think Ill be on the market for?

Coincidentally, not long is how Stormy described it, Colbert joked on Mondays show.

But its true, he would off the market soon, Colbert continued. I mean, hes clearly past his expiration date.

Michael Cohen in October 2023. Cohen is a key witness in the criminal trial against Donald Trump over alleged hush money payments ( AP )

Mr Trump is being is accused of covering up so-called hush money payments to the adult film star as legal expenses.

Cohen allegedly paid for Ms Daniels silence with $130,000, and Mr Trump reimbursed him with a series of checks in 2017, part of a months-long effort to try to suppress the stories in the lead-up to the 2016 election.

Mr Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records as part of an alleged election interference scheme. He has pleaded not guilty. He also denies the affair with Ms Daniels

Cohen also testified on Monday that even before Mr Trump had launched his campaign, he forewarned his then-attorney to be prepared because theres gonna be a lot of women coming forward.

Colbert joked, mimicking Mr Trumps voice: Mikey Mikey, be warned youre going to have to pay Karen, Stormy, Dusty, Misty, Crispy, Crunchy, Crinkly and Grizzly.

The Independent has contacted a representative for Mr Trump for comment.
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Former Fox News Host Tucker Carlson says conspiracy theorist and conservative commentator Alex Jones has tapped into a supernatural force that allows him to predict the future.

Carlson made the comments on a recent episode of Joe Rogan's podcast.

Hes channeling something, Carlson said. Ive asked him about it. How did you do that? At length, during dinner on my barn recently. Were talking about this. Howd you do that? I don't know. It just came to me. And thats real. That is real. The supernatural is real and I dont know why its hard for the modern mind  I guess because its a materialist mind  to accept that.

He continued, explaining the idea of the prophet throughout history.

Thats not a new phenomenon. Its happened throughout history," Carlson said. "There are people called prophets, and there are people who were prophets who werent called prophets, but there are people who have information or parts of information, bits of information, visions of information come to them and then they relay it.

Carlson supported the idea that Jones possessed supernatural gifts by telling Rogan that the Info Wars host had predicted 9/11.

Well, and hes also channeling some stuff. You cant call 9/11 in detail because youre super informed before the fact. He called it. He literally called it in the summer of 2001. He said, planes will fly into the World Trade Centers and they will blame a man called Osama bin Laden. We know that he said that because he said it on tape multiple times. And then he said, call the White House and tell them this," Carlson said. "Thats all we know about Alex Jones.

Except Jones wasn't the only one making those predictions.

Tucker Carlson and Alex Jones ( @TuckerCarlon via Twitter )

Jones did predict in the summer before 9/11 that a US-conducted false-flag terror attack might occur and that it might even happen at the World Trade Center in New York.

But a month prior to Jones' prediction, another noted conspiracy theorist and broadcaster, Bill Cooper, made an even more pointed prediction, claiming that Osama Bin Laden would be blamed for a major attack against the US, according to Rolling Stone.

Bin Laden was a known terrorist even before the 9/11 attacks. In 2020, members of al-Qaeda launched a suicide attack against the USS Cole, killing 17 sailors. He was also linked to the deadly bombings of two embassies in Africa in 1998. So, predicting a future Bin Laden attack wasnt a bold claim.

Jones is no stranger to outlandish claims as his denial of the Sandy Hook school shooting left him in legal trouble.

Last year, Jones was found to have defamed the families of Sandy Hook victims and was ordered to pay $1.5bn. He called the shooting a hoax and insinuated that the crying parents of the victims were crisis actors employed by the US government to help justify a Democrat-led gun confiscation program.

The ruling came just months after Jones was allowed to return to X/Twitter  thanks to X/Twitter owner Elon Musk  after the conspiracy theorist was banned in 2018 for posting harassing messages.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, speaks during an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson ( Sputnik )

The Rogan episode is not the first time Carlson has brought up the supernatural during an interview. In February, Carlson sat down with Russian President Vladimir Putin for a strange, rambling discussion.

The interview was full of unusual tangents  Mr Putin's alternative history lessons about Ukraine, Mr Putin making fun of Carlson to his face and Carlson doing one genuinely good thing by standing up for imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich  but may have peaked when Carlson asked Mr Putin about the supernatural.

"Do you see the supernatural at work as you look out across what's happening in the world now? Do you see God at work? Do you ever think to yourself, 'these are forces that are not human?" Carlson asked.

Mr Putin shrugged off Carlson's softball windup.

"No, to be honest. I don't think so," he said.
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Smoke from Canadian wildfires is threatening at least 21 million in the US as several states experience poor air quality levels.

The fumes from the fires, which started last week, are being carried into parts of the northern and central US. Air quality maps showed that levels in Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, the Dakotas, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana and Wisconsin were experiencing heavy smoke.

People in those areas with health conditions, such as asthma, should avoid being outside for extended periods of time.

In Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, the fumes were marked as unhealthy for sensitive groups.

The return of poor air quality reminds many Americans of last summer when smoke from Canada blanketed the US and left an orange haze around many major landmarks.

Wildfire smoke hangs over the Minneapolis skyline on May 13, 2024 ( AP )

On Monday morning, air quality levels were unhealthy for northern Wisconsin, southern Minnesota, northern Iowa, Nebraska and the Dakotas.

By Tuesday, those levels had improved slightly but poor air quality remained in parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska and northeastern Kansas, AccuWeather reported.

The smoke from the wildfires had largely stayed in Canada until last weekend when thousands were forced to evacuate from their homes in Fort Nelson, British Columbia.

Thanks to a change in upper-level winds in the atmosphere, that smoke has begun to make its way into parts of the northern Plains and the Upper Midwest, Matt Benz, a senior meteorologist for AccuWeather said.

An arial image of the Parker Lake wildfire burning near Fort Nelson in British Columbia. Strong winds fueled the fire over the weekend, officials said ( BC Wildfire Service/AFP via Gett )

The smoke is likely to result in hazy or milky conditions instead of blue skies, the outlet warned.

Compounding the issue, Mexico has started to experience its own wildfires that

are likely to spread smoke northward. Parts of southern Texas and Louisiana were experiencing heavy smoke levels as of Tuesday afternoon.

The smoke is likely to vary in intensity and could be hidden by clouds, rain and thunderstorms.

Over the next few days, the smoke from Canada could be confined to the Upper Midwest, parts of the Great Lakes and spread to the central Plains throughout the week.

In 2023, wildfires in Canada left many cities, such as New York City, covered in an orange haze ( AP )

Additionally, a storm moving from Kansas to the mid-Atlantic will help contain smoke in the northern states and parts of the Great Plains.

Poor air quality levels will continue to threaten the US as long as the Canadian wildfires continue.

Last year, wildfires turned large parts of New York City and the northeast orange as smoke traveled south. Though its not possible to completely predict how bad the air quality levels will be this year, experts say the smoke threat should be significantly lower even as the wildfires are expected to reach historic levels.
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Authorities in the French-ruled Pacific island of New Caledonia sent more police onto the streets, shut the international airport and imposed a curfew in the capital after protests over the territorys voting system turned violent.

New Caledonias capital Noumea was covered by a thick cloud of black smoke as the curfew started, local broadcaster NC La 1ere reported, adding that a local sport facility had been set ablaze.

The previous night, rioters burnt cars, supermarkets, clashed with police and set up barricades with tensions focused on plans to allow more people to take part in elections in New Caledonia, which indigenous Kanak protesters reject.

One of five island territories spanning the Indo-Pacific held by France, New Caledonia is the words third-largest nickel producer and is the centrepiece of French President Emmanuel Macrons plan to increase Pariss influence in the Pacific.

The streets were on fire, they were rioting in the streets, quite a frightening experience actually, New Zealand tourist Mike Lightfoot told TVNZ television.

We came through some very peaceful protests back towards Noumea but as we got closer to Noumea we could see that things were getting out of hand, he said. They had the roundabouts all on fire, black smoke.

This picture taken on May 14, 2024, shows smoke rising in the distance amid protests linked to a debate on a constitutional bill aimed at enlarging the electorate for upcoming elections of the overseas French territory of New Caledonia. ( AFP via Getty Images )

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said he was sending in police reinforcements after 54 police had been injured and some 82 people arrested over the past two days.

Our priority is to restore order and calm, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said.

Violence is never justified, he said, adding that he also wanted to see better communication between all parties involved.

Violence flared up as lawmakers in Frances National Assembly discussed a draft law to change New Caledonians voting statutes, with a final vote scheduled later on Tuesday in Paris.

The proposed changes would allow French residents who have lived in New Caledonia for 10 years to vote in provincial elections - a move local leaders fear will dilute the vote of indigenous Kanak.

At a peaceful protest march on Monday, in Poindime, New Caledonia, people wove banners reading This is Kanak land and No to enlarging the electorate.

We hope that our voice, our dignity and our pride of being the people of Kanaky, will be heard by the National Assembly, an unidentified woman said.

French gendarmerie armored vehicle Berliet VXB-170 (or VBRG) is seen at the entrance of the Vallee-du-Tir district, in Noumea on May 14, 2024, amid protests linked to a debate on a constitutional bill aimed at enlarging the electorate for upcoming elections of the overseas French territory of New Caledonia ( AFP via Getty Images )

Darmanin said on X that the proposed new election rules were a moral duty for those who believe in democracy, but should not stand in the way of attempts to reach a larger political agreement.

Darmanin, whose portfolio includes Frances overseas territories, was tasked by Macron with sealing a deal with Kanak leaders on the future status New Caledonia after decades of political tensions.

Macrons office at the weekend said the president would invite representatives of the territorys population to Paris for talks to reach a peaceful settlement.

The French government has been negotiating a rescue package for the loss-making New Caledonian nickel sector, including a commitment to supply Europes battery supply chain, but talks have stalled amid current political tensions.

Nickel miner Prony Resources said it activated a crisis unit to maintain our industrial facilities and prevent any damage to our assets. French miner Eramet did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment about its subsidiary there.

New Caledonia is 20,000 km (12,427 miles) from France and 1,500 km (930 miles) east of Australia, with a population of 270,000 including 41% Melanesian and 24% of European origin, mostly French.

A 1998 Noumea Accord helped end a decade of conflict by outlining a path to gradual autonomy and restricting voting to the indigenous Kanak as well as people who arrived in New Caledonia before 1998.

The accord allowed for three referendums to determine the future of the country. In all three, independence was rejected.
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The Georgian parliament has approved in its third and final reading a divisive bill that sparked weeks of mass protests and saw politicians fighting each other.

The bill requires media and non-governmental organisations as well as other non-profits to register as pursuing the interests of a foreign power if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad.

Critics see it as a threat to democratic freedoms and the countrys aspirations to join the European Union.

Georgian politicians brawled in parliament on Tuesday during a debate on the third and final reading of the bill that has plunged the South Caucasus country into a crisis and sparked mass protests.

Georgia television broadcast scuffles between ruling party and opposition lawmakers, who pushed each other and gesticulated angrily during debates on the bill, which government critics and Western countries have criticised as authoritarian and Russian-inspired.

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has said she will veto the bill. But parliament, which is controlled by the ruling party, can override her veto, setting the scene for further protests in a crisis that may determine whether Georgia stays on a path towards integration with Europe or pivots back towards Russia.

The bill would require organisations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as agents of foreign influence, imposing onerous disclosure requirements and punitive fines for violations.

Opponents have dubbed the bill the Russian law, comparing it to Russian legislation used to target critics of Vladimir Putins Kremlin.

Georgias government says the bill is needed to promote transparency, combat pseudo-liberal values promoted by foreigners and preserve the countrys sovereignty.

A protester wearing a Georgian and European flag faces off policemen blocking a street during a rally against a draft bill on 'foreign agents' near the Parliament building in Tbilisi, Georgia, 14 May 2024 ( EPA )

As Tuesdays debate got under way, about 1,000 protesters picketed the fortress-like parliament building amid a major police presence, with water cannon idling nearby.

Demonstrations have been running for weeks and typically peak in the evening, where crowds numbering in the tens of thousands have mounted some of the biggest protests seen in Georgia since it regained independence from Moscow in 1991.

The European Union, which gave Georgia candidate status in December, has repeatedly said that the bill will be a barrier to Tbilisis further integration with the bloc.

The ruling Georgian Dream party says it wants to join both the EU and NATO, even as it has adopted harsh anti-Western rhetoric in recent months.

Polls show Georgian public opinion is strongly supportive of EU integration, while many Georgians are hostile to Russia over Moscows support for the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Georgian law enforcement officers detain a demonstrator protesting the controversial foreign influence bill ( AFP via Getty Images )

The Kremlin, which denies any role in inspiring the Georgian bill, said on Tuesday that the crisis was Tbilisis internal affair and accused outside powers of meddling.

We see an unveiled intervention in the internal affairs of Georgia from the outside, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

This is an internal matter of Georgia, we do not want to interfere there in any way.

The United States, Britain, Germany, Italy and France all urged Georgia to withdraw the bill.
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An Austrian court said on Tuesday it had ruled that the countrys most infamous living criminal, 89-year-old incestuous rapist Josef Fritzl, could be transferred to regular prison from a prison psychiatric unit.

A transfer could eventually pave the way for his conditional release from prison, and his lawyer Astrid Wagner has said she would apply for such a release within a year of his transfer.

Fritzl, who has now changed his name, raped his daughter as he held her captive for 24 years, fathering seven children.

He was pictured for the first time in 15 years iearlier this year while being driven to court.

It comes after his lawyer Astrid Wagner announced he was applying for early release from jail on the grounds of old age and dementia, paving the way for his eventual move to a nursing home.

He has been in a prison for mentally abnormal inmates since his conviction in 2009 for incest, rape, enslavement, coercion and the murder, by neglect, of his newborn son.

He was a bit close to tears as he said once again that what he did was a terrible thing, and that he feels incredibly sorry for these people and that he wishes that he could undo it, Ms Wagner said.

Despite suffering from dementia, the rapist was able to follow proceedings. It followed a psychiatric assessment that he no longer posed a threat of reoffending, according to reports.

Austrian Josef Fritzl, who imprisoned his daughter in a cellar for over 24 years and fathered seven children with her, is escorted back to a prison ( AFP via Getty Images )

From regular prison he can request to be released from prison altogether. Ms Wagner said she planned to submit such a request next year.

His everyday life will remain similar. Prison is prison, Ms Wagner said, adding that he would continue to receive psychotherapy.

In 2008, his daughter managed to tell police that he was holding her captive. As a 42-year-old, she said she had been held underground for 24 years and abused since the age of 11.

Fritzl lured her into the cellar, built in the style of a cold war bunker, when she was 18. He told his wife and family acquaintances that she had run away to join a cult.
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Small vessels have been warned to stick to the coastline around Spain and the Strait of Gibraltar after another Killer Whale attack.

Authorities in Spain issued the warning to avoid often-scary interactions with killer whales during summer months.

In the latest incident, two people aboard a 15-meter (50-foot) boat in Moroccan waters requested help from Spains maritime rescue service on Sunday after reporting that an orca knocked the craft several times, damaging its rudder and causing a leak.

The passengers felt sudden blows to the hull and rudder before water started seeping into the vessel.

They were picked up by a passing oil tanker summoned by the rescuers, and their boat later sank.

It is the latest in a string of attacks in the region that seem to have become more frequent last year. In May 2023 alone there were 20 incidents between the highly social apex predators and small vessels sailing in the Strait of Gibraltar, according to the Atlantic Orca Working Group (GTOA). Dozens of orca attacks on ships were also recorded on Spanish and Portuguese coasts.

An orca swims by a boat in Salish Sea in the San Juan Islands, Washington ( AP )

Spains ministries for transport and the environment, along with its merchant marines, issued notices on Tuesday urging both sailing boats and small motorboats to beware of orcas between May and August in the area between the Strait of Gibraltar and the Gulf of Cadiz.

The Atlantic Orca Working Group, a team of Spanish and Portuguese marine life researchers who study killer whales near the Iberia Peninsula, says were 197 such known interactions in 2021 and another 207 in 2022.

Most interactions have been harmless, with orcas only touching an estimated one in every 100 boats passing through the area, according to biologist Alfredo Lopez Fernandez, of the GTOA and University of Aveiro.

A pod of orcas even disrupted a sailing race last year, when a boat sailing from the Netherlands to Italy had a 15-minute encounter with the animals, prompting the crew to drop their craft's sails and raise a clatter to fend them off.

An Aerial view of Gibraltar rock seen from the neighbouring Spanish city of La Linea

There have been no reports of attacks against swimmers. The interactions on boats seem to stop once the vessel becomes immobilized.

The researchers say that the killer whales seem to be targeting boats in a wide arc covering the western coast of the Iberia Peninsula, from the waters near the Strait of Gibraltar to Spains northwestern Galicia.

The orcas off the Iberian coast average from five to 6 meters (16-21 feet) in length, compared to orcas in Antarctica that reach nine meters (29 feet).

Despite being referred to as killer whales, orcas belong to the dolphin family. They can grow up to eight metres long and weigh up to six tonnes.
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More than 300 Syrian refugees headed back home to Syria in a convoy on Tuesday, leaving two remote northeastern towns in crisis-stricken Lebanon where anti-refugee sentiment has been surging in recent months.

Lebanese officials have long urged the international community to either resettle the refugees in other countries or help them return to Syria. Over the past months, leading Lebanese political parties have become increasingly vocal, demanding the Syrian refugees go back.

A tiny Mediterranean country of about 6 million people, Lebanon hosts nearly 780,000 registered Syrian refugees and hundreds of thousands who are unregistered  the worlds highest refugee population per capita.

In the northeastern town of Arsal, Syrian refugees piled their belongings onto the back of trucks and cars on Tuesday as Lebanese security officers collected their U.N. refugee agency cards and other paperwork before clearing them to leave.

As the trucks pulled away, the refugees waved to friends and relatives staying behind, heading to an uncertain future in Syria.

Ahmad al-Rifai, on his way to the Qalamoun Mountains after over a decade in Lebanon, said that whatever the situation was is in Syria, its better to live in a house than in a tent.

Lebanese security forces this year stepped up deportations of Syrians, although nowhere near the level threatened two years ago when the Lebanese government announced a plan to deport some 15,000 Syrians every month, to what they dubbed  safe areas, in cooperation with the government in Damascus.

Tuesday's convoy from the mountainous towns of Arsal and Qaa consisted of only 330 refugees who had signed up for repatriation, the first such voluntary return return organized by Lebanese security forces since late 2022.

Nobody can not be happy to return to their home, Ahmad Durro told The Associated Press while waiting in his truck. I signed up a year ago to be in the convoy.

But many other Syrians  especially young men facing compulsory military service or political opponents of the government of President Bashar Assad  say it's unsafe to return.

Others see no future in Syria, where in many parts the fighting may have died down but an economic crisis has pulled millions into poverty.

An increasing number of refugees in Lebanon have taken to the sea in an attempt to reach Europe.

The UNHCR has said it only supports voluntary returns of Syrians based on informed consent, while human rights organizations remain skeptical of the voluntary nature of these returns amid anti-refugee hostility in Lebanon.

Organizations like Amnesty International have documented cases of refugees being detained and tortured by Syrian security agencies upon their return.

The UNHCR says nine out of 10 Syrian refugees in Lebanon live in extreme poverty and need humanitarian aid to survive. That aid has declined amid donor fatigue and as international attention shifted to other crises.

Many increasingly impoverished Lebanese have accused Syrian refugees of benefitting from the aid while beating Lebanese to jobs by accepting lower pay.

Many in Lebanon have claimed that Syrians are staying here for economic reasons as the war, now in its 13th year, drags on at home. One of those who have made the allegation is Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group, an ally of Assad.

They have dollars and they are sending those dollars to relatives in Syria, Nasrallah said in a speech on Monday.

Lebanese security agents have in the past weeks raided shops and other businesses employing undocumented Syrian workers, and shut them down.

The European Union this month announced an aid package worth 1 billion euros  about $1.06 billion  of which about 200 million euros would go to security and border control, in an apparent bid to curb migration from Lebanon to Cyprus, Italy, and other parts of Europe.

While Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the aid, other officials described it as a bribe for tiny Lebanon to keep the refugees.

Parliament is to discuss the EU package on Wednesday, with lawmakers from the entire political spectrum expected to ramp up anti-refugee sentiment and call for more refugee returns and crackdowns.

___

Chehayeb reported from Beirut.
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A pod of orcas has sunk a sailing yacht near the Strait of Gibraltar in the latest incident of killer whales attacking boats in these waters.

The orcas reportedly started attacking the yacht, Alboran Cognac, at around 9am local time on Sunday and sank it soon after.

Spains maritime rescue service said on Monday that the yacht measured about 15m in length and had two passengers onboard.

The passengers felt sudden blows to the hull and rudder before water started seeping into the vessel. They made a call to the rescue service but were quickly found by an oil tanker and transported to safety.

This was the latest in a series of attacks by orcas in the Strait of Gibraltar.

Marine experts believe it is a subpopulation of about 15 orcas known as "Gladis that is carrying out these attacks.

They are uncertain about the motive behind the attacks, however, with theories ranging from playful curiosity to competition for prey, particularly bluefin tuna.

Despite being referred to as killer whales, orcas belong to the dolphin family. They can grow up to eight metres long and weigh up to six tonnes.

Since May 2020, when attacks by orcas on ships in the region were first reported, research group GT Atlantic Orca, which monitors populations of the Iberian orcas, has documented nearly 700 such incidents.

In November last year, the crew of a yacht called Grazie Mamma faced a 45-minute ordeal when a pod of orcas targeted the boats rudder, causing it to sink in the Strait of Gibraltar. The crew members were rescued safely.

At the time experts wondered whether there was a more complex reason like trauma or revenge behind the attacks.

Some researchers said it may be that the orcas like the feel of the rudder. What we think is that theyre asking to have the propeller in the face, Renaud de Stephanis, president at the CIRCE Conservation Information and Research in Spain, said in an interview with NPR last year.

He added that when they encounter a sailboat without its engine on, they get kind of frustrated and thats why they break the rudder.

Another hypothesis suggests that the behaviour might stem from a form of revenge possibly triggered by past traumatic encounters with fishing boats.

I definitely think orcas are capable of complex emotions like revenge, Monika Wieland Shields, director of the Orca Behavior Institute previously told NPR.

She said she doesnt think we can completely rule it out.

Additional reporting with agencies
The building at 550 California St. was empty when it sold for a discount in 2023, but the new owners are finding tenants for the 13-story office tower. Google Street Views

Apart from a handful of large lease deals, San Francisco companies continue to give up more office space than they are requiring, a trend thats driving vacancy to historic heights. But one building that, as recently as September, stood completely empty now appears to be attracting tenants with discount rates.

A total of nine new leases have been signed at 550 California St. since the fall, said Roger Fields, the buildings new owner, who confirmed the completed leases on Monday. When his investment firm, Peninsula Land and Capital, bought the 13-story office tower from Wells Fargo Bank last year, the bank took a loss of more than $60 million on the deal.

Two more leases are expected to close over the next two weeks, which would bring the roughly 360,000-square-foot buildings occupancy to about 62,000 square feet, or 17%.

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The buildings confirmed office tenants include investment bank PEAK Technology Partners, which has leased space on the eighth floor; Tobin Group, a real estate private equity firm; fitness consulting firm Optime; stenographic court reporting company Behmke; law firm Miura & Partners; business consultant United Litigation Discovery; hotel group Core Hotels; and biopharma research group Genedata, which so far has snatched up the most space in the building with an 11,200-square-foot lease.

Pre-pandemic, I would have been very surprised to see a price like this. Obviously, a lot has changed as a result of the pandemic, on many fronts, and this space reflects where the market is now, said Aram Shumavon, founder and CEO at Kevala, a data and analytics company focused on the electricity sector that has leased 7,000 square feet at 550 California.

The 10-year-old company was previously in a sublease agreement at 55 Francisco St., near Pier 33 at the waterfront. When its four-year contract there expired, Shumavon said that he wanted to bring his employees, who are on a hybrid work schedule, closer to public transportation.

There are three things that you are always trying to balance  a space that we like, that is affordable, and in the right location  and the joke is that you can only have two of them, said Shumavon. In this case, we got all three and onsite parking.

Fields said that hes also in early discussions with a large law firm that could require a full floor at 550 Montgomery, or about 23,000 square feet.

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He said hes pleased, but not surprised, at the influx of tenants his building is seeing, even as some of the citys most prominent employers, like Google, continue to shrink their real estate footprints.

Our rate, combined with the quality of the space and the location  its really the best value in the city, said Fields.

Fields is offering tenants space in the heart of the Financial District, at a price that would have been unheard of for direct leases just four years ago: He said the lowest rate that hes agreed to in recent lease negotiations is $36 per square foot.

For context, his building sits across the street from the 555 California St. complex, one of the citys most iconic skyscrapers thats known to have the whos who of tenants, and, even in a depressed market, is reportedly commanding rents upward of $90 per square foot.

Fields is, essentially, matching the lower rental rates seen across the millions of square feet of sublease space available in San Francisco as office tenants seek to cut costs and space. Hes also matching sublease terms, offering a tenants contract ranging between one and 10 years.

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You could find lower priced real estate in the city right now, but its not going to be anywhere near this good, Fields said.

Chad Harding, managing partner at Peak Technology, agreed. The company, a new 550 California tenant, had also been operating on a sublease, which is up this summer.

But when he began searching for a new space for his 10-person San Francisco team, he felt the rents were still too high.

Given the fact that people havent come back to work, it feels like the Financial District is a ghost town, especially on Mondays and Fridays, Harding said. It seemed like there would be deals at a certain point. We had a broker out there looking for deals for us and everything that she came back with was more expensive than we thought was appropriate.

Harding said that he plans to grow his team this summer, and that the new office at 550 California is probably big enough to handle 20 or 24 people. Its more than the company needs for the foreseeable future. Still, it was a good deal that made sense, he said.

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Last year, 550 California was viewed as a harbinger of change for San Franciscos office market, which, battered from the rise of remote work in recent years, saw occupancy losses far outnumber any types of significant gains.

The buildings sale, albeit heavily discounted, meant that investors willing to bet on the market were still there, waiting on the sidelines, ready to strike at the right opportunities. It also allowed market participants to more realistically gauge pricing moving forward, both for once highly valuable buildings and for office leases.

Some nine months later, Fields still sees the building as the poster child of the markets long-awaited reset.

We are right at the heart of it, he said.

Fields said that he plans to make some improvements at the building, such as adding a new gym featuring a steam sauna and a cold plunge, and launching a cosmetic renovation of its lobby. Once occupancy hits 50%, Fields said that he plans to search for a restaurant tenant for a 3,500-square-foot space on its ground floor.

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 Close Quality of Russian troops is now lower than beginning of war, says Nato Chief

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed there are no plans to take the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv despite tens of thousands of his forces having recently stormed across the border into the region and getting within artillery range of the city.

Speaking on the second day of his two-day tour of China, Putin claimed he had ordered the attack to create a buffer zone between Ukrainian soldiers and the Russian region of Belgorod.

When asked if Russian forces planned to take control of Kharkiv city, some 20 miles from the current fighting, Putin said: As for Kharkiv, there are no such plans as of today.

While Ukrainian officials and military analysts maintain that Russian forces in the Kharkiv region do not have the manpower or weaponry to take its namesake capital, and that the attack is likely an attempt to create a buffer zone, as Putin puts it, as well as draw Ukrainian forces away from other battles further east, there is little doubt that Russia would try to invade the city if it had the capability.
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Ukraine expects Russia to throw as many of its resources as possible at an attack around Kharkiv as Kyivs forces are on the edge given how badly they are outgunned by Moscows troops.

Spy chief General Kyrylo Budanov said the assault by Vladimir Putins forces is intended to exhaust Kyivs thin reserves across the frontline.

Russian troops have captured at least six villages in the last week after storming the northeastern border region, forcing thousands of residents to flee.

It comes as the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, made a surprise visit to Kyiv to reassure Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelensky that long-delayed American military aid is on its way and will make a real difference on the battlefield.

Last month, President Joe Biden signed a $60bn aid package for Ukraine after months of blocking by Donald Trump-supporting parts of the Republican party. The delay in passing the package has left Ukraines soldiers having to ration the use of shells and artillery on the frontline, creating a chance to gain ground that Moscow is keen to take advantage of.

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The Kharkiv region has come under particular pressure in the last couple of weeks, with officials making clear just how stretched things are.

All of our forces are either here [around Kharkiv] or in Chasiv Yar, Gen Budanov said, referring to a stronghold about 120 miles south of Kharkiv in the eastern Donetsk region, which is also under an intense assault by Russia.

A Ukrainian woman flees with her cat during the Russian advance on Kharkiv ( Reuters )

Ive used everything we have. Unfortunately, we dont have anyone else in the reserves, Gen Budanov told the New York Times.

Ukraine said up to 30,000 Russian troops were involved on the attack on Kharkiv Oblast, with around 50,000 amassed on the border.

Moscow has made clear it either wants to take Kharkiv  Ukraines second city  or destroy it  after its first attempt in the early stages of the 2022 invasion failed. However, Western intelligence officials claim it is unlikely Russia has built up the combat power, including tanks and artillery, needed to take the city.

Instead, defence officials in Kyiv believe the assault is intended to stretch Ukraines dwindling reserves across the front  with the possible creation of a buffer zone of around 10 miles on the Ukrainian side of the border.

Russia has also launched months of air strikes on Kharkiv city itself, the latest on Tuesday, when a strike hit a high-rise residential building, injuring at least 15 people, including two children, local officials said.

It was not immediately clear what kind of weapon was used in the strike, but it landed on the 10th floor of the 12-floor apartment block, officials said on Telegram. Ihor Terekhov, the citys major, said rescuers were searching for the injured.

One person was taken to hospital in a serious condition, Oleh Syniehubov, the regional governor, added.

Gunners from Ukraines 43rd Separate Mechanized Brigade fire at Russian positions in Kharkiv ( AFP via Getty )

In his evening address on Monday, Mr Zelensky said Ukraine had sent reinforcements to the Kharkiv region but would not forget about the rest of the battlefield.

We understand the enemys actions and their plan to divert our forces, he said. Of course, we do not leave the Donetsk direction without the necessary support and supplies. Our task is crystal clear: to thwart Russias attempt to expand the war.

A colonel told The Independent the Russian attack would be limited, and it was more likely Moscow was aiming to solidify a grey-zone no mans land between Russia and Ukraines Sumy and Kharkiv regions.

Mr Blinken admitted long-anticipated military aid was arriving at a challenging time for Kyiv during a surprise visit to the city on Tuesday.

He said: We know this is a challenging time. But we also know that in the near term the assistance is now on the way, some of it has already arrived. And thats going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield.

The trip aimed to send a strong signal of reassurance to the Ukrainians who are obviously in a very difficult moment, said a US official who briefed reporters travelling with Mr Blinken on condition of anonymity.

Mr Blinken also held talks over pizza with Ukraines foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, had coffee with civil society representatives in Kyiv, and was due to give a speech on Ukraines future at a university.

Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelensky, greets US secretary of state Antony Blinken in Kyiv ( AP )

But Mr Zelensky urged the US to provide two more air defence systems to protect Kharkiv.

Addressing Mr Blinken in English, Mr Zelensky said air defence supplies were the biggest deficit for us, with Russia conducting long-range aerial attacks since March that have hit electricity facilities and caused blackouts.

Really we need today two Patriots for Kharkiv, for Kharkiv region because there the people are under attack. Civilians, warriors, everybody, they are under Russian missiles.

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Washington was trying to get its aid to Ukraine as soon as possible in light of the hole created by congressional debate over the package.

On Tuesday, France said it will deliver extra military aid to Ukraine in coming days and weeks, after President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone with Mr Zelensky.

The president of the republic reiterated Frances determination to provide all the necessary support... He was also able to detail the deliveries for the coming days and weeks in support of the Ukrainian military effort, the presidents office said in a statement.

Ukraines defence minister, Rustem Umerov, called for more artillery shells to be sent to Kyiv for their forces on the frontline

We need more artillery shells as Russia is still many times ahead, Mr Umerov told the Copenhagen Democracy Summit 2024 in an online address. Under such conditions, its extremely difficult to hold the ground.

Reuters contributed to this report
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Russian forces have captured swathes of Ukrainian territory over the past four days after they opened up a second front in the northeast region of Kharkiv.

Beginning just after 5.30am on Friday, several small, infantry-led units, backed up by armoured vehicles, stormed across the Russia-Ukraine border on two next-door sectors.

Since then, according to DeepState, a Ukrainian open-source intelligence group that maps the war, Russia has captured around 45 square miles of territory. It is the first time they have launched an assault in the Kharkiv region since they were pushed out by Ukrainian forces in September 2022.

A Ukrainain colonel told The Independent that the situation has the potential to develop dangerously very swiftly, adding that they had deployed one of our most experienced brigades to reinforce positions in Kharkiv.

And Ukraines military said on Tuesday in its daily readout on the battlefield situation that the number of Russian attacks in the northern part of the Kharkiv region had decreased significantly overall.

They added that the situation had stabilised in one of the areas, around a small town called Vovchansk, from where thousands of Ukrainian citizens fled over the weekend. Around 200 civilians remain the city, according to the govenor of the Kharkiv region, Oleh Syniehubov.

But Russian officials have claimed that there are street battles [ongoing] in the city.

Vitaliy Ganchev, a Russian-installed official claiming to preside over the Kharkiv region, told the Kremlin-approved media outlet Tass on Tuesday morning that the western and northern parts of Vovchansk are now controlled by his forces.

DeepState, in their latest update on Telegram, confirmed that Russian forces have advanced near Vovchansk.

Their map suggests that Russian forces have advanced just under two miles from the border towards Vovchansk since the attack began last Friday. The Russians are currently contesting a village called Hatyshche.

Further north, almost directly above the Kharkiv regions namesake capital, where some 1.3 million civilians are residing, Russian forces appear to have advanced more than four miles in as many days, capturing eight towns in the process.

Russian forces have occupied around 45 square miles of Ukrainian territory in the northeast over the past four days, according to Ukrainian war tracker DeepState ( DeepState )

They appear to be pushing through the villages of Lukyantsi and Hlyboke, which is situated near the dam of the Travyansky reservoir, a long body of water that runs up to the Russian border.

Ukraines military admitted on Tuesday they had to withdraw to new positions near the village of Lukyantsi due to heavy Russian air strikes.

While Ukrainian officials maintain that the attack will not reach Kharkiv city, the position of Russian forces now leaves the centre of the city within the range of the Kremlins artillery.

Senior Ukrainian military officials suggest the attack is an attempt by Russian forces to draw away soldiers from the battle to the southeast, while others have claimed the assault is intended to create a buffer zone between the two countries.

Mr Putin, after his sham re-election in March, suggested his forces could look to create this zone to make it harder for Ukraine to strike neighbouring Russian territory.
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Israeli forces have killed and injured dozens of humanitarian aid workers, including British citizens, in eight strikes on aid convoys and shelters whose coordinates were shared with Israel to ensure their protection, according to research by The Independent and a new investigation by Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Israels forces did not issue warnings before the strikes, which killed or injured at least 31 people including several children, HRWs report alleges. The New York-based rights group identified eight different incidents in total, including the 1 April drone strike on a World Central Kitchen (WCK) convoy, which killed seven aid workers. It concluded that the eight strikes  which killed at least 15 people, including two children  were likely to have been unlawfully indiscriminate, or to have been carried out without sufficient precautions being taken to ensure that the target was military. The hits also had a massive impact on the distribution and coordination of aid  at a time when Gaza faces famine.

The report corroborated testimonies gathered by The Independent, which show that in several instances British doctors and aid workers were present and even killed or wounded by the strikes. The strikes have included naval shelling and drone strikes. At least one of them took place in a so-called humanitarian zone, al-Mawasi.

The Israeli military did not comment about the details of these specific incidents but said any incident involving humanitarian aid convoys, facilities or personnel is being thoroughly examined included those The Independent was investigating and those mentioned in the HRW report.

According to the examinations findings, lessons are learned and implemented in order to prevent reoccurrence of such incidents and if so required, command, disciplinary and other measures are taken against individuals responsible, the military added.

It said: The IDF has continuously worked throughout the war to allow and facilitate the entry and delivery of extensive humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, out of its commitment to international humanitarian law, and going even beyond. This is done partly by working in tight cooperation with aid agencies and organizations and with the international community via a joint coordination cell.

However, heads of aid agencies and UN officials told The Independent that a coordination system that is supposed to protect aid workers is clearly failing and that there needs to be dramatic change.

HRW said that the pattern of attacks despite proper notification of Israeli authorities raises serious questions about Israels commitment to, and its capacity for, compliance with international humanitarian law. It concluded that Israels allies, such as the US and the UK  whose weapons were apparently used in the attacks the organisation documented  should suspend military assurances and arms sales to Israel.

Israels killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers was shocking and should never have happened under international law, said Belkis Wille, associate director of the Crisis, Conflict and Arms division at HRW. Israels allies need to recognise that these attacks that have killed aid workers have happened over and over again, and they need to stop.

Palestinians inspect a vehicle used by World Central Kitchen that was damaged in an airstrike in Deir al-Balah in April ( AP )

Jan Egeland, the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, told The Independent that, in total, more than 250 aid workers have been killed since October, which we have never seen before. He added: Its a world record ... Gaza is the most dangerous place for human for aid workers in recent memory.

Tess Ingram, from the United Nations child agency Unicef, who was herself part of a UN convoy carrying aid to northern Gaza that was coordinated with the military but came under fire, said the system of deconfliction is clearly failing.

What happened to WCK was tragic, but its not an isolated incident. We need to know that when we get a safety assurance for a mission, it will be facilitated, that it will be safe, and that we can trust those safety assurances. At the moment, its clear that the coordination system is not being respected.

Israel launched its heaviest ever bombardment of Gaza, plus a ground assault and a blockade, in retaliation for a bloody attack by Hamas on 7 October during which around 1,200 people were killed and another 250 were taken hostage, including toddlers.

Since then, Palestinian health workers in the Hamas-run territory say Israels bombardment has killed at least 35,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom were women and children. Among the dead are more than 220 aid workers, including 190 UN personnel.

Most recently, this week saw the the first death of a foreign UN security staff member, who was killed on Monday (13 May) when a UN-marked vehicle travelling to the European hospital in Rafah was struck, a spokesperson said. Separately, the UNs Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, reported that another of its staff members, a 53-year-old senior projects officer, was killed on Sunday after leaving Rafah, in an Israeli strike on the central town of Deir al-Balah.

Displaced Palestinians arrive in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza after fleeing from the southern city of Rafah ( AP )

UNRWA officials told The Independent that they had registered 349 incidents affecting their premises and the internationally displaced people (IDPs) sheltering in and around them. They said these incidents had resulted in the killing of at least 408 IDPs (including at least 15 children and seven UNRWA staff). They said strikes from both sides had affected 30 UNRWA health centres, seven warehouses, six aid distribution centres, and 261 of their schools.

While facts surrounding many incidents remain subject to verification, UNRWA said the information so far available indicates that the vast majority of incidents were due to attacks and actions undertaken by Israeli forces.

These attacks are having a chilling effect on efforts to provide lifesaving aid in Gaza.

HRW said it has identified eight attacks that took place between 18 November and 1 April. These include an attack on a Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) convoy along with a guest house and a shelter; attacks on two UNRWA convoys and an associated guest house; an attack on a shelter belonging to the International Rescue Committee and Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP); and an attack on a home sheltering an employee of the aid group ANERA.

The Independent has separately interviewed staff and witnesses, who corroborated the findings in the HRW report.

On 18 January 18, Aseel Baidoun of MAP told The Independent that the Israeli military had hit a residential compound housing the charitys emergency medical team (EMT) and members of MAPs local team and their family members in al-Mawasi  the alleged safe zone  despite the compounds coordinates having been submitted to the deconfliction process. MAP said British government personnel had also confirmed on 22 December that the compound was registered as a sensitive site. Since then, an independent assessment by the UN has concluded that the damage was the result of an airstrike, most likely involving a weapon only owned by the Israeli military.

Tent encampments housing displaced Palestinians in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, by the border fence with Egypt ( AFP via Getty )

The attack injured several team members, caused significant damage to the building, and required the withdrawal of the six international members from Gaza, forcing the organisation to suspend lifesaving medical work at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.

Ms Baidoun said that since the attack, Israel had provided six different explanations as to why the airstrike took place, including that the Israeli military was unaware of what had happened; denying involvement; accepting responsibility for the strike but asserting that it was a mistake caused by a defective tail fin on the missile that was fired; and blaming the hit on a piece of aircraft fuselage.

The variety of responses highlights a continued lack of transparency regarding what occurred, she said. It is clear from this experience that the Israeli military and government are either unable or unwilling to properly investigate this serious incident.

She said the UK and the US, as current suppliers of arms and munitions to Israel, have a particular responsibility to hold Israel accountable for this and other attacks on aid workers and civilians.

UNRWA officials told The Independent that three of their aid convoys had been hit by Israeli fire  including in a 5 February incident in which naval gunfire punched a hole in a UNRWA aid truck that was flanked by marked UN vehicles. The vehicles were waiting at a previously agreed holding point for permission to proceed north.

The three incidents involved UNRWA personnel on the way in or out of the north of Gaza. Twice was Israeli gunfire; the third incident in February was [carried out] by the Israeli navy, said Juliette Toma, UNRWAs director of communications.

Every time there is a convoy, the GPS coordinates of the routes are shared, as are the names and nationalities of the members, the contents of the convoy, the vehicle details, and their estimated arrival and departure time, Ms Toma said. The convoy is also in constant communication with the Israeli army, she added.

Smoke rises following Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip ( AP )

The Israeli military has yet to reply to a request for comment about the attacks on UNRWA, though it has told CNN that it is looking into the 5 February incident.

HRW also documented an attack on 20 February on an MSF guest house in the al-Mawasi neighbourhood, which has been identified as a humanitarian zone by Israel. The coordinates had been shared with the Israeli authorities. HRW concluded that an Israeli tank had fired a medium to large-calibre weapon at the multistorey apartment building housing 64 people, all of whom were MSF staff and their families.

The attack killed two people and injured seven others. MSF alleged that the weapon was an Israeli tank shell. It said its staff had seen no military objects in the area at the time and received no warning.

The ANERA aid organisation alleged that an Israeli strike hit the building in al-Zuwaida where Mousa Shawwa, their supply and logistics coordinator, was sheltering, despite its coordinates having been shared with the military.

We did not receive any warning from the Israelis before the attack, Mr Shawwas wife Doaa told HRW. This is the thing that upsets me the most. My husband works for an American organisation and the Israelis knew we were there. They should have sent us a message to warn us to get out. Why didnt they?

Ms Ingram, from Unicef, said she was involved in an aid convoy, coordinated with the Israeli military, that was heading north on 11 April. They were asked to pull into a holding area at the Wadi Gaza checkpoint in the centre of the besieged strip, where they came under gunfire from the direction of the Israeli checkpoint.

Ms Ingram said three bullets hit her car: one hit the side window, one hit the door, and the third hit the bonnet of the car. She survived as she was in an armoured vehicle.

In the end they had to turn the convoy round.

We have only had five missions to the north of Gaza this year as Unicef, which is nowhere near enough, and they werent large convoys, she said. Theres an ongoing problem with the number of coordinated missions that are being facilitated, let alone the dangers and delays faced on missions that are facilitated.

The Independent reached out to the Israeli military for comment about this incident. The military said that after an operational examination by the commanders, it appears that the IDF forces who were closest to the area were not within firing range of the convoy at the time and place indicated, and it was found that no fire was carried out at the vehicle by the IDF forces as described in the question.

HRW has said that governments  including that of the UK  who continue to provide arms to the Israeli government risk complicity in potential war crimes. It urged them to instead use their leverage, including through targeted sanctions, to press Israeli authorities to cease such strikes and enable the provision of humanitarian aid and basic services in Gaza.

On one hand, Israel is blocking access to critical lifesaving humanitarian provisions, and on the other, attacking convoys that are delivering some of the small amount that they are allowing in, Ms Wille said. Israeli forces should immediately end their attacks on aid organisations, and there should be accountability.
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Google is expected to make several major announcements and unveil brand new products during its biggest event of the year on Tuesday.

The Google I/O developer conference, taking place in California, will likely include updates to Search, Maps and its Android operating system, however the biggest news will centre on artificial intelligence.

The continued integration of generative AI into its core products could include new ways to search the internet using the technology, while a brand new digital assistant to rival Apples Siri could also be a possibility.

AI will be the major theme for Google I/O and we expect updates from every part of the business, focusing on how Googles Gemini platform will become more integrated across the board, Leo Gebbie, principal analyst at CSS Insights, told The Independent.

All eyes will be on how AI becomes more integrated into connected devices, particularly smartphones, given the sheer scale of the opportunity. We expect news on Googles Gemini Nano model becoming even more powerful and how this can enhance smartphone experiences.

Rumours surrounding the AI digital assistant suggest it may be equipped with multi-modal capabilities, meaning it can interact with the world around it via text, images and audio. It comes just one day after ChatGPT creator OpenAI unveiled its latest flagship AI, GPT-4o, that can see, hear and speak.

Google is not expected to make any major hardware announcements, though it could preview its next Pixel smartphone lineup, as well as tablets and smart home devices.

The keynote, which begins at 10am local time (6pm BST), could see the official launch of a brand new mobile operating system: Android 15. New versions of Android TV, Android Auto and its wearables operating system Wear OS may also be unveiled.

Google has previewed the event by claiming it will offer the chance to discover how were furthering our mission to organise the worlds information and make it universally accessible and useful.
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Britains busiest airport has attacked the government for curtailing the UKs global connectivity by introducing more red tape for transit passengers and scrapping tax-free shopping.

Announcing its traffic figures for April 2024, Heathrows bosses deplored three specific government policies:

The introduction of unnecessary visas for transiting passengers.

The absence of tax-free shopping.

The recently proposed hike in business rates.

The airport says ministers should take a cross-government approach to policymaking that supports UK aviations global competitiveness.

The British government has gone far further than any other nation in demanding that all non-UK passengers in transit through Heathrow  the main hub airport  must obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) in advance.

Not only does this cost an additional 10 on top of the air fare, it also adds a delay of up to three days and extra red tape.

Heathrows rivals  Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Paris CDG  have no such hurdles except for a few specific nationalities. They are expected to pick up a significant proportion of Heathrows business as a result.

ETAs were first introduced in November 2023 and are currently being enforced for nationals of Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

The government says the rollout will continue throughout 2024.

A government spokesperson said: Requiring transit passengers to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation ensures we are making the border more secure, and stops people who may use connecting flights to avoid gaining their permission to travel to the UK when they do not have it.

We are keeping this under review as we continue to roll out the scheme.

Tax-free shopping and VAT refunds on purchases for visitors to Britain ended on 1 January 2021, the day the UK fully left the EU. They were scrapped by Rishi Sunak, who was chancellor at the time.

Kwasi Kwarteng, chancellor under Liz Trusss brief premiership, vowed to reinstate them. But this U-turn was itself reversed by his replacement, Jeremy Hunt, when Rishi Sunak became prime minister.

The government spokesperson said: VAT-free shopping remains available for all non-UK visitors buying items in store and having them sent directly to their overseas address.

The UK aviation industry is one of the best in the world and we remain committed to supporting airports to boost our global connectivity and grow our economy.

Heathrow returned to profit last year after suffering heavy losses during the Covid pandemic.
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An Indian man who took at least 200 flights last year to steal jewellery and other valuables from passengers carry-on luggage has been arrested, police in Delhi have said.

The accused, identified as 40-year-old Rajesh Kapoor, travelled for more than 110 days during the last year to commit these thefts, according to the police.

Delhis deputy commissioner of police Usha Rangnani said during a press conference at the capitals Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday that the accused is now in police custody.

Ms Rangnani said the man was arrested from the citys Paharganj area where he had allegedly kept the stolen jewellery.

Police mentioned that he was planning on selling his loot to one Sharad Jain, 46. Ms Rangnani said that he too was arrested from Karol Bagh in central Delhi.

She mentioned that within the last three months, two separate cases of theft were reported on different flights in India. A specialised team was assembled at IGI Airport to apprehend the perpetrators, she said.

On 11 April, a passenger reported the loss of jewellery valued at Rs700,000 (6,685) during their journey from Hyderabad to Delhi. A similar incident occurred on 2 February, where a passenger lost jewellery items worth Rs2,000,000 (19,000) while travelling from Amritsar to Delhi.

Ms Rangnani said during investigations, CCTV footage from Delhi and Amritsar airports, along with flight manifests, was scrutinised. A suspect was then identified who appeared on both flights where the thefts occurred.

Despite initially providing a fake number, the suspects original phone was traced through technical surveillance, leading to his arrest.

Police said Mr Kapoor confessed to involvement in five cases, admitting to spending most of the stolen cash on gambling. He was implicated in 11 cases, including theft, gambling, and breach of trust, with five cases occurring at airports.

Police said he targeted vulnerable passengers, especially elderly women. He also reportedly chose premium domestic flights, such as Air India and Vistara, flying to destinations such as Delhi, Chandigarh, and Hyderabad.

Mr Kapoor would discreetly search overhead cabins during boarding, stealing valuables from unsuspecting passengers handbags.

A report in Hindustan Times said that he sometimes changed seats to be closer to his target, taking advantage of boarding distractions to operate unnoticed.

To conceal his identity, Kapoor booked tickets under his deceased brothers name, further complicating detection efforts by airlines and authorities.

In 2019, a Times of India report mentioned a 37-year-old also named Rajesh Kapoor, who was arrested from Delhis IGI airport for allegedly cheating by impersonation.

The report added that Mr Kapoor had previously been also allegedly involved in several theft cases at railway stations and IGI airport. It reported that he had been blacklisted by several flights that barred him from flying.

However, there is no clear information to establish that the man arrested on Monday is the same person booked by the police in 2019.
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A passenger who is suing Delta Air Lines for $1 million accused the airline of negligence for injuries he suffered inside the cabin in 2022.

In a lawsuit filed to California Southern District Court in May, Joseph Hippensteel alleged that the seat armrest collapsed under his weight as he buckled his seatbelt, causing him to fall into the aisle and break his rib.

The complaint says that his right side was contorted, twisted, and overextended during the fall.

At the time of the 16 May 2022 incident, Hippensteel was travelling in the aisle seat on the first leg of a Delta flight from California to London Heathrow via Seattle Tacoma Airport.

The filing includes allegations that Hippensteel, on the cabin floor, injured both his ribs and hip, and had to be aided by a flight attendant and an off-duty doctor.

Two engineers were reportedly called to fix the armrest but were unsuccessful before the plane departed. The lawsuit claims Delta were negligent by failing to properly maintain its aircraft and leaving the armrest in disrepair.

The plaintiff is not only suing Delta for negligence, his lawyers say that under the Montreal Convention the US airline is responsible for his injuries.

According to Article 17 of the 1999 Montreal Convention, an airline carrier is liable for bodily injuries sustained by a passenger onboard their aircraft during international flights.

Delta could defend the case if the airline can prove that the injury was sustained due to the negligent behaviour of the passenger.

The Montreal Convention limits compensation damages to 128,821 Special Drawing Rights  a supplementary foreign exchange reserve worth around $170,000 (136,000).

Hippensteel was travelling on a domestic flight from California to Seattle at the time of the injuries, but his lawyers argue that the conditions of the convention still protect him onboard as his ticket was connecting to London.

The Independent has contacted Delta for comment.
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A Chinese hiker died on Sunday after falling off Hong Kongs popular Lion Rock mountain.

The 37-year-old tourist, identified by his surname Liang, is believed to have lost his balance after he climbed the rock face.

He dropped down about 82ft (25m) and was found unconscious.

Police said they were alerted to the death at around noon on Sunday. He was airlifted to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The victim from mainland China was with a group of about a dozen friends who began the hike on the mountain in northern Kowloon at around 10am.

The mountains granite peak, which is at an elevation of 1,624ft (495m), has become a tourist attraction for its distinctive shape, resembling a crouching lion.

The often steep and challenging trails to the peak attract hikers who not only seek physical exercise but also panoramic views of Hong Kong.

open image in gallery Several people have died after falling from the peak ( AFP via Getty )

Several visitors have died after falling from the peak in Hong Kong, where hiking has become popular after the Covid pandemic and scenic destinations have exploded in popularity.

In 2023, a 55-year-old woman died after falling about 20m down the cliff. In 2022, a 36-year-old man fell about 80m down the slope and died.
Grant Shapps was pressed on whether the up to six ships the government has pledged to build are from a Conservative pledge two years ago.

The defence secretary has claimed the UK was experiencing a golden age of shipbuilding, with "up to" 28 Royal Navy vessels either being constructed or planned.

When questioned if the vessels are "the same ones the government pledged to build two years ago", Mr Shapps said: "Yes, we've signalled that we'd want to build new ships for our commandos. And that's something we've said all along. What's changed is we're now able to do it because we've increased our defense spending."
The 555 Fulton St. project is the location of a new Trader Joes store, on the street level of the building. Liz Hafalia/The Chronicle 2020

After most recently having its launch delayed by a year, the Trader Joes that long has been planned to activate a new Hayes Valley condo building has opened ahead of schedule.

According to a timeline given last year for the stores 13,000-square-foot commercial space at the 555 Fulton St. condo project, the opening was expected to be in late June. Instead, Trader Joes opened its doors at 9 a.m. Friday.

As a neighborhood grocery store, Trader Joes prides itself on hiring where our store is located. More than 70 new Crew Members will be hired for this store from surrounding local neighborhoods, Trader Joes said in a statement shared with the Chronicle.

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Trader Joes new location features interior artwork highlighting San Francisco landmarks, including City Hall and the Davies Symphony Hall. The grocer also said that it plans to donate 100% of its unsold products to a range of nonprofit and community organizations through its long-standing Neighborhood Shares Program.

Recruiting and training at the site had been in high gear for several weeks, according to Aaron Chang, whose development firm Avery Bays Real Estate purchased units inside of the 139-unit condo building, including three commercial condos on its ground floor, from embattled Chinese developer Z&L Properties last year.

The Hayes Valley community had been awaiting the arrival of an affordable grocer for years  the condo projects developer was granted additional building capacity in exchange for bringing in a grocery store nearly 15 years ago. In 2015, Z&L purchased the site, and subsequently faced a series of delays in constructing the project.

A previous deal with Oregon-based food market New Seasons collapsed. Trader Joes ultimately signed on to occupy what, at the time, was the unbuilt Fulton project in 2019, and two years later won city approval for the deal. The plan was to open by early 2023.

When that didnt happen, Supervisor Dean Preston, whose district includes the 555 Fulton project, called for a hearing on the matter in February. The hearing was later canceled after Preston learned that Chang and business partner David Long were in negotiations to purchase the project.

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We are thrilled to fill this long-vacant space with a grocery store after all these years, Preston said last Tuesday. Despite the challenging history of this site, the neighborhood came together to make this happen, and Im proud our office could help bring this to fruition.

Chang, of Avery Bays, told the Chronicle that he is pleased that Trader Joes is opening earlier than we expected.

In all, construction in the space spanned seven months and cost roughly $3.2 million, Chang said.

Chang said that the next step is to fill two smaller retail spaces that remain vacant on 555 Fultons ground floor. He envisions a local cafe operator and a gym as the buildings other commercial tenants.

Trader Joes continued commitment to the 555 Fulton site has helped the projects new owner accelerate sales of the remaining condo units.

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Last spring, Chang and Long purchased 18 of the larger projects units that Z&L was unable to sell, for $12.5 million. The partners bought the ground floor commercial spaces in September, for $7 million. The separate deals were a result of complex negotiations related to the Trader Joes space, which involved an amendment to an existing lease with the grocer.

Talks with Z&L Properties dragged on as Z&Ls top executive, Zhang Li, negotiated the terms of his extradition to San Francisco from London. He faces charges in a high-profile bribery and kickback scandal involving Mohammad Nuru, San Franciscos former Public Works chief.

Chang told the Chronicle that nine of the 18 units have been allocated to investors, while three others have been sold and two more are under contract. In addition to two units that are being marketed, two more will soon come up for sale, including a luxury four-bedroom, three-bedroom penthouse unit that spans 2,400 square feet.

The 555 Fulton project was Avery Bays first purchase in San Francisco, but the Palo Alto-based developer has been busy around the state.

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Tensions were high on the northern Mexican border in Ciudad Juarez on Monday 13 May when a group of migrants attempted to cut through the fence erected by the Texas National Guard to prevent them from approaching the border wall.

Footage shows the National Guard arriving on the scene and using pepper spray to disperse the group.

The migrants appealed to be let across to the US side, arguing that they were a small group of less than 150 people, including children and adults.

US president Joe Biden has toughened his approach to border security in recent months, as immigration has emerged as a top concern among voters.
Grant Shapps has claimed the UK is experiencing a golden age of shipbuilding, with up to 28 Royal Navy vessels either being constructed or planned.

The defence secretary confirmed that up to six multi-role support ships (MRSS)  designed to deliver commandos onto coastlines around the world to conduct special operations  would be built.

New drone-carrying ships for the Royal Marines will draw on lessons learned from the Ukraine war and the Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea.

Meanwhile, Type 23 frigates HMS Argyll and HMS Westminster will be retired.
International sales and marketing group DCC has reported a rise in profits following strong growth in its energy division.

DCC reported an adjusted operating profit of 682.8m (794.1m) for the year ended March 31. This was up 4.1pc from its previous financial year.

The group said strong organic growth in DCC Energy was offset by more challenging trading in its healthcare and technology divisions, while acquisitions completed in the current and previous year also contributed to growth.

DCC said that it had committed around 490m to acquisitions in the year to March 31.

Revenue declined by 10.6pc to 19.9bn across the year.

This fall was attributed to the reduced wholesale cost of energy, with sales in the groups energy division declining 11.8pc to 14.2bn.

DCC supplies liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in Ireland under the FloGas brand and also owns the fuel supplier Certa.

Its energy business operates across Europe and in 2018 the company entered the US LPG market.

This division has also announced the acquisition of Next Energy which will boost its energy transition capability in the UK domestic sector.

DCC Healthcare saw sales rise 4.6pc to 859.4m across the year following the acquisition of Medi-Globe which was completed last September.

Medi-Globe develops, manufactures and distributes single-use devices for endoscopy in both diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

Revenue at DCC Technology fell 9.3pc to 4.8bn as a result of a weaker market for consumer technology.

The group proposed a 5pc increase in total dividend for the year, DCCs 30th consecutive year of dividend growth.

The firm expects further profit growth in its current financial year.

We are pleased to announce that we delivered a year of growth, development and strategic progress in our 30th year as a public company. The very strong growth delivered by DCC Energy was the highlight of the year, and it is also encouraging that DCC Healthcare returned to organic growth in the second half of the year, chief executive Donal Murphy said.

The group currently operates in 22 countries across the energy, healthcare and technology sectors, employing over 16,000 people.
The companies supported by the state agency included 85 high potential start-ups. A further 71 received pre-seed start fund investments which provide early stage funding to new businesses.

More than half of the companies supported by Enterprise Ireland were located outside of Dublin, while 45 start-ups led by women were approved for investment in 2023.

Enterprise Ireland reported that 12 had emerged from academic research, while 26 were spun out of third level institutions.

A total of 16 of these were supported through the Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund Programme. This fund supports third-level researchers to transform their work into products, services and companies.

Enterprise Ireland also takes equity stakes in companies through its Competitive Start Fund (CSF) and High Potential Start-Up (HPSU) funding, alongside the Department of Enterprise.

We will continue to help drive the success of the most forward-thinking Irish companies, enabling start-ups to thrive and influence the future of global business  cementing Irelands reputation as a prime hub for international trade, said Enterprise Ireland chief executive Leo Clancy.

He was speaking as more than 600 delegates, including entrepreneurs and representatives from early stage businesses and companies supported by the state agency, attend the Enterprise Ireland Start-Up Day event at Dublin Castle today.

Irelands open economy is built on resilient, internationally focused and productive Irish enterprises, said junior minister for trade promotion, digital and company regulation, Dara Calleary.

This is vital to the future growth of the Irish economy, supporting livelihoods and contributing to prosperity throughout the country.

Around 225,495 people were employed at Irish companies backed by Enterprise Ireland last year.

Firms supported by Enterprise Ireland created 15,530 new jobs in 2023, down from the 19,660 new positions reported in 2022.

The state agency reported that there was a positive net jobs results of 5,011 when job losses are included. This was down from the net figure of 10,841 reported in 2022, with Enterprise Ireland describing 2023 as a very challenging year for companies.
The International Monetary Fund's staff signed off on the eighth review of Argentina's $44bn (41bn) program, giving a key endorsement to President Javier Milei's shock therapy six months into his government.

The deal, if backed by the IMF's executive board, will give Argentina access to nearly $800m, according to an IMF statement. The cash will allow Mr Milei to honour upcoming debt repayments to the Washington-based lender, buying him time to decide whether to continue with the current program brokered by his predecessor or negotiate a new one.
Five Irish films are set to have their world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.

The 77th annual film festival has started today and will last until Saturday.

Andrea Arnold's Bird is in the Official Competition, starring Barry Keoghan and Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Robbie Ryan.

Two films set to premiere at the prestigious festival are projects supported by Screen Ireland - Ali Abbasi's The Apprentice, selected for Official Competition, and Ariane Labed's September Says - selected for Un Certain Regard.

Meanwhile, The Surfer by Irish director Lorcan Finnegan will receive its world premiere in the Midnight Screenings strand.

Rungano Nyoni's On Becoming a Guinea Fowl will screen in Un Certain Regard and Yorgos Lanthimos' latest film Kinds of Kindness is in Official Competition.

Dublin-based Element Pictures have produced three out of five Irish films premiering this week - September Says, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl and Kinds of Kindness.

Minister for Tourism Catherine Martin will travel with the Screen Ireland delegation to Cannes and attend the Marche du Film on Friday.

Ms Martin will meet with international industry stakeholders and promote Ireland and France's recent co-production partnership. This networking event aims for the Irish and French producers to discuss potential project collaborations.

Minister Catherine Martin said: I would like to extend my congratulations to the creative teams behind the five Irish films that will premiere at this years Cannes Film Festival, and to Barry Keoghan and Robbie Ryan whose work will also be showcased at the festival."

"The Irish screen industry continues to go from strength to strength and Cannes is an important annual promotional and business platform.

"The Cinematic Co-Production Agreement we signed with France has now come into effect and will support the development of closer working relationships with French producers and production companies, she added.

Screen Ireland manages the Irish Pavilion at the Marche du Film every year, and supports the delegation of more than 200 Irish producers and filmmakers as they meet with international distributors to sell their films internationally and pitch their projects to potential production partners.

Chief executive of Fis Eireann/Screen Ireland Desiree Finnegan said that the Marche du Film provides a "valuable business opportunity for Irish producers and filmmakers".

"The Cannes Film Festival showcases a very strong presence for Irish film this year, and were proud to showcase the breadth of Irish film coming to the international market," she added.

The Irish Pavilion is set to promote more than 20 projects currently in the market and those soon coming to the market.

These projects include the animated feature film Niko: Beyond the Northern Lights, the Irish co-production The Damned, the documentary The Flats, and the upcoming Irish-language horror film Frewaka.
I just knew I wanted to have children. In my 20s I reached the point where I just knew. But girls didnt want to have children until their late 30s
Bambie Thug from Ireland enters the stage during the opening ceremony of The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 Grand Final at Malmo Arena on May 11, 2024 in Malmo, Sweden. (Photo by Martin Sylvest Andersen/Getty Images)

The organisers behind the Eurovision Song Contest have said they are reviewing the events of the tumultuous 2024 event in Malmo, Sweden, after receiving complaints of a horrible atmosphere backstage.

This years contest was marred by controversy surrounding Israels participation, and also saw Netherlands delegate Joost disqualified after he was accused of intimidating behaviour by a female member of the production crew.

In a statement issued on Monday, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said it regretted that some delegations didnt respect the spirit of the rules in Sweden and confirmed that a number of contestants had made complaints.

Nemo of Switzerland, who performed the song The Code, celebrates after winning the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

We spoke to a number of delegations during the event regarding various issues that were brought to our attention, the organisation said.

The EBUs governing bodies will, together with the heads of delegations, review the events surrounding the ESC in Malmo to move forward in a positive way and to ensure the values of the event are respected by everyone.

Individual cases would be discussed at a later date, the EBU said.

Eurovision 2024 saw thousands of pro-Palestine activists march through Malmo and gather outside the arena where the contest was being held, with some protesters heard shouting shame on you at fans entering the venue for the grand final event on Saturday 11 May.

Israels delegate Eden Golan, who qualified for the final and performed her song Hurricane, ultimately came fifth in the competition but was met with boos and jeers during the televised show.

Irelands contestant Bambie Thug, who uses they/them pronouns, told journalists at a press conference after the final: F*** the EBU.

They claimed that they had yet to receive a statement from organisers after they accused Israeli broadcaster KAN of inciting violence against them. KAN did not respond to The Independents request for comment.

They previously said that the EBU stopped them wearing a painted ogham inscription  which translated to ceasefire and freedom  during their semi-final performance. The EBU said it went against Eurovision rules designed to uphold the non-political nature of the event.

'The foundations of Eurovision were a little shaken' - head of Irish delegation, Michael Kealy

Further controversy emerged when, just hours before the final was due to take place, it was announced that Dutch musician Joost Klein had been disqualified after an alleged run-in with a female member of the production crew.

According to the Netherlands state broadcaster AVROTROS, Klein repeatedly indicated that he did not want to be filmed, which led to a threatening movement from Joost towards the camera.

They said in a statement: Joost did not touch the camera woman.

The EBU confirmed that, contrary to some media reports and social media speculation, this incident did not involve any other performer or delegation member.

Explaining its decision to rule Kleins behaviour in breach of contest rules, the EBU said: We maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards inappropriate behaviour at our event and are committed to providing a safe and secure working environment for all staff at the contest.

In light of this, Joost Kleins behaviour towards a team member is deemed in breach of contest rules.

Swedish police said on Monday that Joost would likely be charged for making illegal threats and that a decision should come within a few weeks.

Klein has already left Sweden, according to reports.

Contestants including Switzerlands champion Nemo spoke out against the EBU after the final concluded. Nemo, who goes by they/them pronouns, hit out at organisers for allegedly preventing fans from bringing non-binary pride flags into the arena.

Nemo added that a lot of things took place during the contest to make it seem as though it was not all about love and unity, which made them really sad.

They suggested that maybe Eurovision needs fixing a little bit.

Meanwhile, Lithuanias contestant Silverster Belt, who performed immediately after Golan, said he regretted taking part at all in a statement shared to social media.

Going after that country, with the crowd being so intense, was one of the worst things I had to go through, I really did the best that I could in this situation traumatic experience, wish it all ended after the first semi, he said.
Further 5c cut to beef quotes set to be pushed through this week

Bases for bullocks are now at 5.05/kg and heifers at 5.10/kg, while quotes for young bulls and cull cows are also back this week. Photo: Roger Jones

A further 5c cut in beef prices set to be pushed through by factories this week sees quotes now back 15c in three weeks and 10-15c/kg below where they were this time last year.

Beef finishers are said to be reeling from the cuts as they contend with high costs, while factory agents point to higher-than-expected supplies due to the wet spring.

Bases for bullocks are now at 5.05/kg and heifers at 5.10/kg, while quotes for young bulls and cull cows are also back this week.

Michael OConnell, chair of ICMSAs livestock committee, claimed this weeks fall in prices paid by the factories was targeted and geographic.

He said there were indications that factories in the broader Border region were paying up to 5c per kg higher than was being offered to farmers selling in, for instance, Cork.

The proximity to the North is probably the decisive factor here; the fact that the Border factories know that the option to bring cattle north is relatively straightforward means that they have to pay that difference.

They dont offer that extra 5c per kg in Munster because that option to go north is much more problematic and expensive, he claimed.

Defending the price cuts to the Farming Independent, one factory agent pointed to the effect those six wet weeks have had on the trade. He claimed that as far back as February, processors were wary of numbers tightening in May and had asked some of their bigger suppliers to put in extra stock for feeding to help cover any potential shortfall.

But no one anticipated the number of grass cattle that would end up being housed and fed because of bad weather, and now you have both these numbers coming out together, he said.

IFA Livestock chair Declan Hanrahan said what he called gamesmanship by factories on beef price is unacceptable and must stop. He said market conditions are favourable, with no justification for what he described as negative propaganda coming from factories and their agents.

Farmers should reject the unfounded negativity on beef price. Demand is strong and will only increase as supplies tighten here and in our key markets. Despite attempting to offer lower quotes, when pushed, factories are freely paying an extra 10 to 15c/kg to secure cattle to fill lucrative contracts, he said.

Mr Hanrahan also said the Prime EU Benchmark Price compiled by Bord Bia has increased by 10c/kg over the past two weeks, clearly highlighting the demand for beef in this key destination.
Prices 10-15c/kg down on this time last year

The general feeling of those with cattle to sell is, the factories are doing it to us again  a reference to the price pulls 12 months ago when finishers who had been encouraged by processors to buy forward stores in January and February were roasted as prices fell coming into May.
American Eagle Outfitters is closing its store inside the former Westfield Mall in downtown San Francisco. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

American Eagle Outfitters, one of the largest remaining stores at San Francisco Centre, is the latest major retailer set to leave the citys troubled mall.

The store is scheduled to close permanently on July 12  four years before its lease is up  resulting in job losses for 52 employees, according to local official filings.

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In September, the parent company of American Eagle, a popular clothing company that occupies a large retail space at the malls main entrance near Fifth Street, filed a lawsuit against the former owners, Westfield. The suit accuses Westfield of allowing the mall to fall into disrepair and crime to escalate.

The lawsuit alleges that Westfield neglected security measures and basic mall management required by American Eagles lease after the pandemic began in 2020, leaving employees to suffer and respond to gun violence, physical assaults, burglaries, and robberies.

The American Eagle store was reportedly the scene of over 100 significant security incidents between May 2020 and May 2023, with patrons brandishing firearms and verbally assaulting store employees on multiple occasions.

Westfield and co-owner Brookfield Properties announced in June their intention to default on their $558 million loan for the property. They blamed the San Francisco city government for allowing rampant criminal activity that reduced sales and foot traffic in the mall.

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However, the lawsuit contends that the mall operators are equally at fault.

Westfield cannot walk away from the harm that it has caused without consequence, said the lawsuit filed in San Francisco Superior Court. It must be held accountable for the damages caused by its failures and broken promises.

It also claims that Westfield closed its management office in the mall during this period.

American Eagle is seeking all actual and compensatory monetary damages due to the alleged breach of contract regarding mall security and maintenance promised in the lease with the chain, which was set to run through 2028.

The mall at 865 Market St. has seen a steady departure of stores since losing its most prominent tenants last year, Nordstrom and the Cinemark multi-screen movie complex.

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Despite its challenges in San Francisco, American Eagle Outfitters reported a record fourth-quarter revenue of $1.7 billion, a 12% increase from the previous year, in its most recent earnings report.

We are entering 2024 with momentum and from a position of strength with an exciting line-up of innovation and customer engagement initiatives, Jay Schottenstein, the companys CEO, said in a statement.

American Eagle Outfitters also has locations in San Mateo, Concord, Livermore and Pleasanton.

Chronicle staff writer John King contributed to this report.
The EU's largest farm lobby group Copa and Cogeca raised concerns that the exemption of small farmers below 10ha from CAP inspections could create an unlevel playing field. Photo: Stock/Getty

Irelands CAP beneficiaries who are declaring greater than 10ha could be over 21.5pc more likely to undergo conditionality inspection as part of a new regulation from the European Commission.

The new rules state that those who are declaring 10ha or less are to be excluded from conditionality controls and penalties.

Department of Agriculture data shows that over the last three years, there is an average of approximately 20,000 beneficiaries declaring 10ha or less.

At least 1pc of CAP beneficiaries are selected for a conditionality inspection annually. Over 113,000 farmers have received funding under the new CAP Strategic Plan.

Depending on how the Department implements the new regulation, this could mean that the original 1pc (1,130) of overall farms will be inspected out of the remaining eligible 93,000 farms.

In other words, these 93,000 farms with greater than 10ha could now find themselves 21.5pc more likely to be inspected later this year.

The Department told the Farming Independent that it is examining the details of the proposals and can only confirm at this stage that those farmers who have 10ha or less will be exempt from conditionality controls and sanctions, but are still required to comply with national legislation and requirements.

The new regulation is part of the Commissions plan aimed at reducing the administrative burden on farmers, ensuring fair global competition and strengthening their position in the food supply chain.

The EUs largest farm lobby group Copa and Cogeca raised concerns that the exemption of small farmers below 10ha from CAP inspections could create an unlevel playing field.

The EU said this change would significantly reduce the administrative burden related to controls for small farmers who represent 65pc of CAP beneficiaries.

Under conditionality inspection in Ireland, approximately 25pc of farmers are chosen on a random basis, while the other 75pc are chosen on a risk.

Farmers are informed of an inspection usually by telephone two days before the inspection takes place. Many inspections do not require the farmer to be present.

On this first call, a Department officer may request certain records be available ahead of the inspection.

The Department recently warned that a lot of non-compliances centre around how slurry, manure and soil water is stored on farms, along with how fertiliser is applied.
The Lidl Sustainable Beef Programme will work with partners to implement innovative sustainable farming practices to reduce carbon emissions associated with beef farming

Lidl has become the first supermarket retailer in Ireland to launch an innovative new sustainability programme for Irish beef farmers.

Through the programme, participating farmers will benefit from on-farm knowledge-sharing sessions where farmers and external industry experts will share and demonstrate best practices in sustainability.

With an initial investment of more than 200,000 over four years, Lidl Ireland aims to create greater awareness of the environmental challenges of beef farming among consumers and to share insights on the initiatives undertaken by the participating farmers to make beef more sustainable, with a view to translating the impact of the programme in a clear way for customers.

The Lidl Sustainable Beef Programme has been developed by the retailer in partnership with Lidls beef supplier Liffey Meats, Bord Bia and more than 20 beef farmers from across Ireland, who will work together to implement innovative sustainable farming practices to reduce carbon emissions associated with beef farming.

The programme will be measured through Teagascs AgNav platform, where farmers will review their data and progress will be regularly measured.

Lidl said ongoing supports will be offered to the farmers as they progress on their sustainability journey.

JP Scally, chief executive officer of Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland, said that beef is hugely important to Irish agriculture and the recent granting of Protected Geographic Indication status for Irish grass-fed beef is further recognition of the quality of the product.

However, the industry faces a significant challenge in reducing its environmental footprint and, as a responsible retailer, we know that we have an important role to play in supporting our beef farmers to reduce their environmental impact, he said.
The Health Products Regulatory Authority said there have been interruptions in the supply of medicines for ADHD notified to the watchdog. Photo: Getty

Children and adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been hit by a shortage of medications to treat the condition this year.

The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) confirmed there have been a number of interruptions in the supply of medicines for ADHD notified to the watchdog. It has been the subject of significant engagement across the health service.

The HPRA, in partnership with the Department of Health and the HSE are actively working with stakeholders, including the pharmaceutical industry, wholesalers, and the medical and pharmacy regulators, to monitor the supply of ADHD medicines to Ireland, a spokesperson said.

Ken Kilbride, chief executive of ADHD Ireland, warned that families and adults with ADHD have faced numerous shortages of various medications over the past six months.

This is a situation which has come with little warning or planning for alternative treatments. This is now causing serious impacts and we call on the various stakeholders in the supply and delivery of this vital treatment to work together to resolve this ongoing situation, he said.

The HPRA said all parties were focused on pre-empting and responding to any potential impacts on medicines supply.

For some products, while an individual strength may be in short supply, suitable alternatives should be available. Where a shortage cannot be prevented, we aim to provide useful information to healthcare professionals and patients, in particular in the cases where the suitable alternatives available are limited, it said.

Takeda, the company that puts Tyvense 60mg capsules on the market, notified the HPRA of recent shortages of this product due to a manufacturing delay, with multiple countries affected.

Supply of Tyvense 60mg capsules in Ireland will resume the week starting June 10. There are a number of alternative strengths available.

Accord healthcare, which supplies Atomoxetine, notified the HPRA of shortages of 40mg, 60mg, 80mg and 100mg hard capsules due to an unexpected increase in demand, affecting multiple markets. Supply was due to resume at the start this month.

The company that puts Ritalin LA 40mg prolonged-release capsules on the market told the HPRA of an upcoming shortage due to a manufacturing delay, affecting Ireland. The shortage was expected to begin this week and the company anticipates resupply on June 24. There are a number of alternative products currently available.

Alternative medicines are authorised for the treatment of ADHD and in the event that patients or their carers are unable to source a medicine, they are advised to discuss possible alternatives with their doctor, the HPRA said.

Sandra Gannon of Azure Pharmacueticals, which produced a medicines shortage tracker for various treatments last year, said the problem had not gone away and cannot be wished away.

Other countries had taken measures including increasing price and stock-piling supplies of critical medicines, she said.
Experts advise we all take a daily vitamin D supplement for part of the year: heres what you need to know
Police at the scene after a womans body was found on a beach in Cultra. Image: Jonathan Porter/Press Eye

Police at the scene after a womans body was found on a beach in Cultra. Image: Jonathan Porter / Press Eye

Police at the scene after a womans body was found on a beach in Cultra. Image: Jonathan Porter/Press Eye

Police at the scene after a womans body was found on a beach in Cultra. Image: Jonathan Porter/Press Eye

Politicians have described how a Co Down community has been left in shock after a womans body was found on a beach in Cultra, Co Down.

The emergency services left the scene at the Seafront Road on Monday afternoon after the body was found in the morning.

Police have since confirmed the body of the woman has been removed.

The body of a woman found on the beach at Seafront Road in Holywood on Monday 13th May has been removed from the scene and a post mortem examination and formal identification will be carried out in due course, a spokesperson said.

North Down DUP MLA Stephen Dunne said he was shocked to hear of the discovery.

Our thoughts and prayers are with this womans family and friends at this most difficult time, he said.

The local community is naturally concerned by these events but we must allow the local PSNI to carry out its investigations without unnecessary speculation.

"I would encourage anyone that may have information that will assist the police in their investigations to come forward immediately.

Alliance councillor Martin McRandal said the death has shocked the whole community.

"It would be a very quiet area, people would come to walk their dogs on the walkway - they wouldnt really come for the beach, he said.

Its shocked the whole community, this isnt something you would expect to see. I just want to express my sympathies on to the womans family and anyone who may have had the misfortune of finding the body."

Alliance MLA Andrew Muir added: Shocked and saddened to learn that a body has been found on the beach at Cultra.

If anyone has any information that may help the police with their investigations, please contact PSNI.

My thoughts are with the family and loved ones at this distressing time.

Police at the scene after a womans body was found on a beach in Cultra. Image: Jonathan Porter/Press Eye

UUP councillor Linzi McLaren offered her sympathies to the womans loved ones.

"It is a tragedy, a terrible tragedy and my thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends at this time, she said.

She also encouraged anyone with information regarding the incident to contact the police.

"If anyone has any information relating to the tragedy I would encourage them to speak to the PSNI.

"Again, my thoughts and prayers are with the womans family and friends and with anyone involved in finding the body this morning.
Man who threatened to post intimate images of his ex on Facebook and send them to her mother is jailed

After they split, the man sent his ex a series of voice recordings in which he threatened to send the material to people she knew, including her mother, and post it on Facebook

Stock image

Eimear Dodd Tue 14 May 2024 at 16:01







A man who threatened to post intimate images of his former partner on Facebook and send them to her mother has been jailed.
Latest arson attack in area as feuding grows

Massive damage was caused to the property at Buirg An Ri Terrace in the Balgaddy area of Lucan in Dublin

A 45-year-old woman had a lucky escape when her home was destroyed in a petrol bomb attack in west Dublin.

Sources say the woman, who was the only person in the property at the time, was not the target of the gang that carried out the attack.
Dont elect MEPs who wont stand up for farming  Francie Gorman

IFA president warns against voting for candidates who are only interested in their own platform

MEP candidates take questions from the floor.

Niall Hurson Tue 14 May 2024 at 02:39

IFA president Francie Gorman has warned farmers against voting for MEPs who are only interested in their own platform, and wont deliver on key issues for agriculture.
The team found that the children in the study were active for an extra 45 minutes a day. Photo: Getty

Reducing the amount of homework children are given could make them more physically active and get more sleep, a new study suggests.

A trial of pupils in China found that cutting homework while also reducing screentime encouraged them to play outdoors and go to bed earlier.

As part of the scheme, online gaming companies were forced to limit children to three hours a week, while at the same time teachers were instructed to reduce the amount of homework they set, and tutoring businesses were restricted in the amount of lessons they could run.

Bai Li, a lecturer in behavioural science at Bristol Universitys School for Policy Studies, who led the study, said: The results are exciting as this type of regulatory intervention across multiple settings has never been tried before.

Teenagers in China spend more time on homework than anywhere else in the world, at 14 hours a week, according to a report from the OECD.

The team from Bristol University analysed data from more than 7,000 primary and secondary school students in 2020 and 2021 from the Guangxi province in southern China.

Primary school pupils could not be set more than 60 minutes of homework a day, and secondary school pupils aged up to 15, not more than 90 minutes. Tutoring companies were banned from offering sessions in school holidays or at weekends, could not set exams for preschool, primary or middle school children, and could not publish rankings.

The team found that the children in the study aged nine to 18 spent on average 45 minutes less each day being sedentary.

Students were also shown to be 20pc more likely to meet the overall screen time recommendation of less than two hours daily after the regulations were introduced.

Bai Li said that both in China and the UK, parents often find it difficult to set and impose their own rules on things like screen time.

She said: We know that leaving it to parents doesnt work, adding that it is easier for parents when they can tell their children that any more screen time would be against the law.

She added: With these regulatory measures [in China], the onus has shifted to online gaming companies, schools and private tutoring companies to comply. This very different approach appears to be more effective, because it is aimed at improving the environment in which children and adolescents live.

The results were published in the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity.

The researchers told The Times they are exploring whether similar rules could be feasible elsewhere, but stressed that the Chinese template would have to be modified.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed is pulling out of the first major political debate for the November mayoral election. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle

San Francisco Mayor London Breed has pulled out of what would have been her first public debate with three of her reelection challengers, partly over concerns that the deep-pocketed group organizing the event is too closely connected to one of her rivals.

Breed said in a statement she will no longer participate in the mayoral debate that the moderate advocacy organization TogetherSF Action has planned for Monday, citing numerous troubling connections between the group and the campaign of her opponent Mark Farrell.

Breed had been scheduled to appear alongside Farrell as well as mayoral candidates Daniel Lurie and Ahsha Safai. A fourth leading mayoral candidate, Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, already planned to skip the debate. Instead of taking part in TogetherSF Actions debate, Breed and Peskin are now set to appear in a Monday forum at Mannys, a civic engagement space in the Mission, moderated by Mission Local Managing Editor Joe Eskenazi.

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In addition to the Farrell connections that were reported on by the Chronicle and other media outlets, Breed also said Tuesday that TogetherSF Actions planning process for the debate had been marked by chaos.

The distractions have reached a fever pitch and tainted the debate beyond repair, Breed said in her statement. The public will not benefit from a debate that is orchestrated or unduly influenced by one of the campaigns.

The decision is a blow to TogetherSF, which has raised its profile over the past few years as a political power player in San Francisco. The group recently abandoned one of two proposed measures it was trying to get on the November ballot to empower the mayor.

Farrell said he would still participate in the debate, saying in a statement that it speaks volumes when political candidates hide from their opponents except for settings that are under their complete control. Safai also plans to be at the debate, according to campaign adviser Derek Jansen, who said in a statement that anyone who truly cares about the overdose crisis, City Hall corruption, and our citys failed leadership will show up not just when its convenient, but also when its challenging. The Lurie campaign did not immediately comment on whether Breeds decision to pull out of the debate would affect their plans.

TogetherSF Action has been under scrutiny because of its ties to Farrell, who has hired multiple alums of the advocacy group, including his campaign manager. The head of TogetherSF Action, Kanishka Cheng, used to work for Farrell as well as Breed.



Cheng told the Chronicle on Tuesday that her groups debate was still moving forward despite Breeds withdrawal. She said the organization had made a bunch of changes to the event to accommodate Breeds wishes, including changing moderators and choosing a date that suited the mayors schedule.

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Its unfortunate that the mayor has pulled out of the debate and shes choosing to align herself with another longtime political incumbent, Cheng said. We think its unfortunate that she and Aaron Peskin are trying to tarnish the reputation of TogetherSF instead of joining with other candidates and explaining to our 100,000 members, and to all registered voters, why they should be trusted to run the city for the next four years.



Cheng said her groups debate is set to be attended by about 1,000 people in person, and about 2,500 people have signed up to watch it virtually. Three bars are also hosting watch parties.



Its a pretty big citywide event, she said. Regardless of how candidates feel about TogetherSF, our goal is to give them a platform to talk to a large number of super engaged voters that want to hear from them.

Chengs husband, Jay, runs another big-money advocacy group, Neighbors for a Better San Francisco, and the Chronicle reported last month that he told a political insider they could land a $15,000-per-month gig as a consultant for Farrells campaign. Both Chengs have denied that their organizations are in cahoots with Farrell, a former supervisor and appointed mayor who is one of Breeds most formidable challengers in the November election. Farrell has also denied any improper coordination with the Chengs.

Breeds choice to back out of the TogetherSF Action debate also follows Mission Locals publication last week of a text message from a Farrell consultant who said that Kanishka Cheng was among those guiding the ship for Farrell.



Kanishka Cheng told the Chronicle again on Tuesday that shes not working for Farrells campaign.



I have provided advice to all of the campaigns that have asked me for them, and that includes Breed, Farrell and Lurie, she said. Its pretty normal, in our line of work, if people ask you what you think about a policy, to tell them what you think about it. My goal as an advocacy organization is to have elected officials align with us.

Peskin previously told TogetherSF Action that he would not take part in the May 20 debate because he thought the advocacy group was closely linked in an extremely partisan fashion with one or more other campaigns for Mayor. He told Kanishka Cheng that the Chronicles reporting on the connections between TogetherSF Action and Farrell had undermined any reasonable expectation that your organization could host a fair and balanced debate.

Jay Cheng also faced recent scrutiny on social media because of a nearly 14-year-old incident in which he was arrested but not charged after a former girlfriend accused him of sexual assault. Jay Cheng denied the allegations against him at the time and again in a recent letter to a San Francisco Democratic Party committee thats investigating reports of sexual misconduct in city politics. Neighbors for a Better San Francisco board members have stood by Jay Cheng despite the resurfacing of the assault allegation and the Chronicles reporting of the job offer he floated on the Farrell campaign.

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While the Neighbors group hasnt taken a position on the mayors race yet, the board told Jay Cheng he must not have any interactions with any of the mayoral candidates or their campaigns going forward, the board said in a recent email to donors.
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.
Ian O'Doherty: As global democracy is under threat, those with the vote should value that privilege at the ballot box
An election candidate in County Leitrim who has previous motoring and tax returns convictions has apologised to the public and promises my past will not become my future.

Fine Gael local election candidate in Manorhamilton, Kevin Comiskey, has opened up about his lengthy battles with addiction and depression.

It comes following an article in The Ditch publication which reported Comiskeys 15 past convictions, including offences of failing to make tax returns, drink driving and the use of green diesel.

Since the publication of the article, Mr Comiskey has publicly apologised for his actions on local radio station Ocean FM and has issued a statement via his Facebook page.

In his statement on Facebook he said he has made several mistakes and did things that he is not proud of in the past.

"I thought this chapter in my life was closed, and I would like to apologise to my family, friends and supporters for the hurt caused over that time as well as that caused by it being brought up again now.

"I suffered with an addiction to alcohol for most of my young adult life.

Almost 14 years ago, with the help of my family and some close friends I sought help, got it and have managed to turn my life around.

Anxiety and depression were also factors for which I received medical intervention for a short period.

Thankfully, after almost 14 years I am in a much better place with my recovery and my absolute resilience will continue, said Mr Comiskey.

Mr Comiskey continued by explaining that in 2006/2007, he had a haulage company but when the crash came, he was unable to keep up with his tax returns.

"Again, this is something I am not proud of but I was under severe financial pressure at the time.

"The company went out of business subsequently and I settled my case with Revenue, said Mr Comiskey.

Mr Comiskey is married to Michelle, and has three adult children.

Mr Comiskey works as a farmer in Fivemilebourne, where he has a small suckler and sheep farm. He is also a local peace commissioner.

Mr Comiskey said he has worked hard to turn his life around.

"I am disappointed that despite my best efforts to turn my life around, that these mistakes are now coming back to haunt me.

"But I can assure firstly my family, my friends and my colleagues, my past will not become my future, he said in the statement.

During an interview with Ocean FM, Mr Comiskey gave an emotional account of his journey and admitted it does not reflect good on his character.

When asked if there was 15 convictions, Mr Comiskey said, To be honest, I didnt read the article and I didnt count them.

"Some people have said to me that when they looked through them, there might have been no tax displayed and they could have been combined, a few of them.

"There possibly was. It was something I was putting in the past.

I didnt want to look back on it.

"There could have been and there could have been even more, I dont know, said Mr Comiskey.

Mr Comiskey said he lives in a close knit community, the incidents were widely reported in the public domain at the time and he has never made the incidents a secret.

"The party did ask me had I anything to say and I did disclose my financial difficulties and said I was in court for failing to make tax returns.

"In regards the drink driving and all that, I thought when once the endorsements was lifted off licences, that was the end of it.

"I am a different Kevin Comiskey now than I was then, he said.

When asked if he had considered stepping down from the election campaign, Mr Comiskey said no, he did not or would not consider stepping down.

"I did not consider it and would not consider stepping down because as I said I am not going to let my past become my future.

I am going to be very resilient on this and I am going to concentrate on the good work that I have done that people are speaking to me about for the last 14 years in my recovery and the good work I have done for the farmers.

"I think I can continue to do that and I simply will not let this get to me, said Mr Comiskey.

He admitted that in hindsight he should have made the situation clearer to the public and to his party before he sought to be selected as a candidate.

In hindsight, maybe I should have but I did in my own mind think it was a chapter that was closed and I also said it was out there.

"People were saying it to me on the doors even before I canvassed and people know about it.

"The party did ask and I thought the financial affairs was the big issue.

"As I said, I thought when the endorsements were lifted off the licence and you do the time and pay the fine, that was it, said Mr Comiskey.

In reference to Fine Gael's hard line on crime and Simon Harris previous statement that the party is a party of law and order, Mr Comiskey said he could be a positive example of recovery.

"Thats true and he has said that.

"I suppose that is what I would try and do. But going forward, say this, this man done wrong things, this is the way it should be done, he is not doing it anymore, he is in recovery and he is not doing it anymore and I certainly wouldnt do it anymore.

"Maybe use this as an example as how things should be done, said Mr Comiskey.

Mr Comiskey said since the news broke, he has received phone calls from all over the country and reiterated his apology to his wife, family, supporters and his party.

Mr Comiskey asked anyone who may need help or support for alcohol addiction or depression to reach out to him.

"My number is freely available and I will talk to anyone about it, said Mr Comiskey.
First Minister Michelle O'Neill has apologised for her attendance at the funeral of Bobby Storey at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Appearing before the Covid inquiry, Ms ONeill said her actions compounded the hurt of families who had lost loved ones.

I also know that my actions hurt those families and for that I am truly sorry, she said.

I am sorry for going [to the funeral] and am sorry for the hurt that has been caused after that.

Ms ONeill said she ought to have known her attendance would cause hurt and anger.

Michelle O'Neill said in July 2020 she would "never apologise" for attending the funeral of her friend Bobby Storey.

She acknowledged some families had been left upset. "I would never set out to hurt any family or compound their grief at such a sad time,'' she said.

But she added: "In terms of my attendance at the funeral, I am confident I can stand over the fact I worked within the guidelines and I worked within the regulations in terms of attending a requiem mass, which was allowed, and also to walk in a funeral cortege of up to 30 people.''

In April 2021, Ms O'Neill apologised to bereaved families and expressed regret for damage caused to Stormonts public health messaging.

Ms O'Neill said: I am truly sorry that my actions have contributed to the grief or the heartache that has been felt and experienced by many people whove lost a loved one during this pandemic.

That was never, ever, my intention and for that I offer my heartfelt and unreserved apology to those families that have lost a loved one.

Speaking today, Ms ONeill said she believed she did lead from the front throughout the pandemic, alongside her executive colleagues.

She added: "I do believe that I learned the whole way through, albeit I put my hands up [on attending the Bobby Storey funeral], because that took away from all of the work that I had to put into trying to lead us through the pandemic, which was hard on everybody, right across society."

'Damaged' relationship with Arlene Foster

Ms ONeill was asked about how her relationship with Arlene Foster became difficult after the Bobby Storey funeral and they stopped doing joint press conferences. I would never set out intentionally to damage things, but [my attendance at the funeral] did damage things, she said. Ms ONeill added she worked hard to regain the trust of her colleagues and the joint press conferences later resumed.

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On leaks from executive meetings and papers to the media, Ms ONeill was asked why the executive, collectively, let this go on for so long. She replied: I cant answer that question, but I can say there was a deep sense of frustration from me and Arlene when it came to chairing executive meetings that they had been rehearsed in the media before we even had the chance to take the papers into the room for discussion I certainly had no practice whatsoever of leaking documents. She said the leaks "made everyone's jobs more difficult".

Michelle ONeill (left) and Arlene Foster during the pandemic (Kelvin Boyes/Press Eye/PA)

Differing Covid advice between NI and Republic

Ms ONeill said politicians in Northern Ireland had lost peoples confidence in the first weeks of the health crisis because health advice was different on either side of the Border, particularly on the issue of closing schools.

On March 12, 2020, then taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced schools in the Republic would close.

Asked about a meeting of Stormont officials and ministers the same day, Ms ONeill said they were put in a difficult position by Mr Varadkar's announcement because they had not yet made a decision about closing schools in NI.

[The Irish Government] took that decision [to close schools] and didnt tell us, she said.

That wasnt good enough, because that fed into the confusion and led to us all being in a very difficult spot.

Michelle O'Neill apology in full

Appearing at the inquiry on Tuesday, Ms ONeill said she was sorry for having gone to the funeral, and sorry for the harm that was caused.

Michelle ONeill: Im sorry for attending Bobby Storey funeral during pandemic

I know that my actions also angered the families and for that Im truly sorry. I am sorry for going and Im sorry for the harm thats been caused after (it), she told the Covid-19 inquiry.

Asked whether she realised the anger that going to the funeral would cause, she said: I didnt but I ought to have.

Ive said it publicly on a number of occasions about how sorry I am and I am absolutely, from the bottom of my heart, sorry.

I do accept wholeheartedly that I in some way damaged our Executive relations with colleagues who had been working very hard with me the whole way through, and I also accept wholeheartedly that I damaged the public health messaging and I had work to do to regain that.

Inquiry chair Ms Hallett put to Ms ONeill that her criticisms of former prime minister Boris Johnson and allegations of lockdown parties at Downing Street were hypocritical.

Ms ONeill responded: I dont think so because they are two very different things in terms of the Boris Johnson approach of partying the whole way through the pandemic and drinking their way through it, to be quite blunt.

Ms Hallett said: We didnt find out about the partying until after the pandemic, what you did was to do something the normal bereaved couldnt do because you wanted to go to a friends funeral. Isnt saying that what Boris Johnsons government did was wrong sort of hypocritical?

No, I dont think so because what I did I did under the understanding of the regulations at that time.

But I do accept wholeheartedly that I in some way damaged our Executive relations with colleagues who had been working very hard with me the whole way through.

I also accept wholeheartedly that I damaged the public health messaging, and I had work to do to regain that. But I did that, I worked hard to regain that trust and confidence and to lead us for the next year and a half through the pandemic.

Ms Hallett said she was pressing because the point of principle is that those who set the rules should obey the rules, both in spirit and in the letter.

Ms ONeill: Yes, I should have anticipated the outworking of what I did.

She added that she attended the funeral on a personal invitation, with a cortege of 30 people.

Thats the basis on which I attended but I am sorry, I am sorry. I should have anticipated what would happen in the aftermath and that is why I worked hard to try to regain that confidence and trust, she said.

Equally and more importantly, I think its about all the families of bereaved and people who went through horrific circumstance and the experience that theyve had. Its just horrendous and I would never set out to try to compound that or in any way make it more difficult for them to deal with their grief.

Last week, former communities minister Caral Ni Chuilin gave an apology for attending the funeral while appearing at the inquiry.

She accepted she should not have gone to the funeral during lockdown and apologised to the families who lost a loved one.

I am very sorry. I absolutely do see the impact and I also recognise that people were more than angry. I accept that and I really am sorry, she told the inquiry last Wednesday,

In July 2020, Ms ONeill acknowledged some grieving families had been hurt by her actions, but said: I will never apologise for attending the funeral of my friend.

In April 2021, Ms ONeill offered a heartfelt and unreserved apology to families bereaved in the pandemic for her actions in relation to attending the funeral.

It came when the Assembly was recalled from Easter recess to debate a motion of censure against her.

Ms ONeill told MLAs she was truly sorry for the hurt caused to those who had lost loved ones.

However, Ms ONeill was then criticised for her apology not including an admission that she had been wrong to attend the funeral when strict limitations on public gatherings were in place.
Gardai are investigating after Social Democrats campaigners reported being threatened with a knife while putting up posters in Dublin last week.

Two women in their 20s were putting up posters for Ellen ODoherty, one of the partys candidates for a seat on Dublin City Council, in the Smithfield area last Tuesday when they say they heard shouting and roaring.

A man came out of a house and is alleged to have started roaring abuse at the two women, saying the Social Democrats are Nazis and demanding the poster be taken down.

They claim the situation escalated when a second man came out of the house a few minutes later.

The two women claimed this man tried to grab the ladder and pulled a box-cutter blade out of his pocket, saying he wanted to cut down the poster.

The incident was reported to gardai but a garda spokesperson said last week no criminal offence was disclosed.

However, the garda press office has confirmed that after further enquiries an investigation is now under way.

Social Democrats candidate Ellen O'Doherty of speaks about intimidation while hanging election posters

Following further enquiries carried out by this office, we can now confirm that An Garda Siochana is aware of an alleged incident that is reported to have occurred in the Smithfield area of Dublin, a spokesperson said.

This matter is under investigation by gardai at the Bridewell, Dublin.

The campaigners also made further statements to gardai last night, it is understood.

Ms ODoherty said as a result of the knife threat, she was uncomfortable about using her home address when formally registering herself as a local election candidate and put down the Social Democrats party headquarters address instead.

She said this makes her electorally disadvantaged as now it looks to voters on the ballot paper like she does not live in the area.

I am uncomfortable having my address accessible now, Ms ODoherty said.

She also described the garda response as disappointing.

It is disappointing because you do have to question what would have happened if there wasnt this level of media attention, if there wasnt perhaps a political element to it, she said.

Its really something that should be taken seriously in the first instance and its disappointing to have to go back in and re-engage. Were quite happy with the follow ups [from the gardai] and how we feel the investigation is going.

Im very conscious that there are huge resourcing issues with the guards at the moment, especially in Dublin, especially in the inner city.

Separately, Independent councillor Tania Doyle said she was left fearing for her and her husbands lives after they were allegedly attacked while putting up posters last week.

Ms Doyle and her team were hanging posters for the upcoming elections in a housing estate in Ongar in the early hours of last Wednesday.

It is believed two men were involved in the attack during which the councillor and her husband were allegedly punched. Ms Doyle said she was asked about her views on migration in the lead up to the incident.

They didnt like the answer and they started screaming at me, Ms Doyle told Newstalk.
Jonathan Healy, who was diagnosed with Crohns disease at the age of 11, shares his story

A young Galway man has revealed how he had to spend days as a child "glued to the toilet seat" because of an inflammatory bowel disease which affects 40,000 people in Ireland.

Jonathan Healy (31), from Galway, was diagnosed with Crohns disease at the age of 11 and found he was on the severe end of the condition.

"The first warning signs we noticed were ulcers in my mouth that would not heal and redness in my lips that would not go away."

He recalled how he missed a lot of school and in the days he was there was at risk of having an accident due to the bowel condition and being collected by his parents.

At home he was glued to the toilet or had to be within sprinting distance.

His health worsened and he was told when he was 16 that he needed an ostomy bag, which he refused.

However, he suffered a life-threatening perforated bowel three years later and was fitted with the bag which dramatically changed his life for the better.

He was speaking to raise awareness of the condition ahead of World Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Day this Sunday. The charity Crohns and Colitis Ireland released the results of a survey of almost 1,400 people with the illness, which causes inflammation, swelling and ulceration of the intestines, with the most common symptoms being urgent and frequent bowel motions, sometimes with blood, diarrhoea, and stomach cramps.

One in seven had to wait more than a year between being referred to hospital and getting diagnosed. And almost half had to go to an emergency department before getting diagnosed.

On their worst day, one in two would visit the bathroom more than 10 times.

Nearly four in five said their boss knew about their condition but almost a quarter had not disclosed it. Almost one in two said that their illness had stopped them from putting themselves forward for promotion or additional responsibilities at work One in four indicated that they do not find it easy to take a toilet break at short notice at work, and while the vast majority of employers had no issue with toilet breaks, 6pc noted their employer had queried the need for such breaks.

They are among the issues to be addressed at a free conference organised by the charity in the Kingsley Hotel, Cork city, on Sunday, which can be attended in person or joined via livestream with registration at www.crohnscolitis.ie.

Commenting on the results, Prof Aoibhlinn OToole, consultant gastroenterologist at Beaumont Hospital said delays in diagnosis, as well as emergency presentation to access diagnostics, are very disappointing. Patients with more severe disease can present as a medical emergency, such as acute severe colitis, bowel obstruction or a peri-anal abscess.

However, I suspect also that for some patients, there was no alternative to access care except via the emergency room. We must strive to improve referral pathways and access to diagnostics such as imaging, endoscopy and calprotectin stool tests for patients with suspected disease."
Broadcaster tells of sadness at not being recognised as his childrens father

Brian Dowling is overjoyed at the prospect of welcoming a second child into the world. However, the anticipation is tinged with sadness because, he says, Ireland still does not legally recognise him as a father.

Dowling has carved out a successful radio and TV career and he is currently filming The Real Housewives of Cheshire in England for ITV.

As he and husband Arthur Gourounlian await the birth of their second child on July 4, Dowling is disappointed there is still no legal recognition for him as a father.

I have no rights where my daughter is concerned in Ireland and I will have no rights with this baby, either, Dowling said.

Dancing With the Stars judge Gourounlian is recognised as father to the couples daughter, Blake, who will turn two in September. The professional dancer will be acknowledged as a father on the second infants birth certificate too.

Dowlings sister Aoife, who is surrogate to both children, is recognised as the mother. Yet Dowling (45) has no rights as a father under Irish legislation.

Arthur Gourounlian won 'Most Stylish Man' award after battling husband Brian Dowling for the gong

We wanted to be a family, he said. You dont put so much effort into really wanting this, even with the legality here in Ireland, unless you really want a family.

But Im not down as Blakes father on her birth certificate and I wont be on the new babys either. And though were very excited about baby number two, theres a sadness in the background because of this.

My sister, Aoife, is down as a mother, but we used an egg donor. And Arthur is down as father, but Im not down at all.

My book came out last year and it was like therapy for me. Id never talked about being infertile before because it was so personal. My daughter could read it in years to come and I wanted her to not be hurt by what anyone might say.

The surrogacy issue isnt just a gay issue, though. Its a people issue and lots of people are impacted by this lack of legal recognition where their own children are concerned.

The Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022 has recently cleared the Dails third stage.

However, Dowling feels the process is happening too slowly and there are still questions over exactly how the legislation will affect families.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: Minister [Stephen] Donnelly is aware that there is a number of families with existing children who were born as a result of surrogacy arrangements awaiting full parental recognition; he and his officials continue to have ongoing and close engagement with families who may have concerns on this issue.

Accordingly, he has prioritised the commencement of the retrospective surrogacy provisions, both domestic and international, and indicated that he plans that these will be the first parts of the legislation to be commenced after enactment.

Once operational, these will provide a court-based process to enable non-genetic and non-gestational intending parents of children born through surrogacy to be granted a Parental Order and therefore given equal parental rights and responsibilities, the spokesperson said.

Solicitor Aoife Byrne wrote on the Law Society of Irelands website last week that only time and trial and error will judge whether this voluminous bill will address the gamut of legal uncertainties presented by surrogacy.

Dowling said: Surrogacy is not illegal in Ireland but its not legal either. Theres a loophole to be able to do it, but it may not work for everyone.

It was our only option and I want legal rights to be my daughters father on paper. And for her birth certificate and the birth certificate of the new babys to be reflective of who her parents are. Aoife isnt my daughters mother, shes her aunt. And she doesnt want her name on her birth certificate, or on the other childs.

Im lucky that this is my sister and were so close, but thats not the same scenario for other families where the surrogate may be a stranger.

I remember worrying if we could even deliver Blake in Ireland, I didnt know. But there was never any issue with any of that, or with prenatal care.

People were so understanding and saw that family is family. But the legislation doesnt recognise family in the same way and we need to change that. If theres divorce or any problems down the line, everyone needs that security to know theyre legally recognised as a parent to their child.

The Government has talked about making changes to help families on this issue for a long time, but were still waiting.

The couple will be together to judge the Barberstown Castle Sapphire Style Award at the Irish Oaks Weekend at the Curragh, Co Kildare, on Saturday, July 20.

The winner will receive a 5,000 prize and a two night stay at Barberstown Castle in Straffan, Co Kildare, among other items.
Environment ministers from 11 EU countries have made a joint appeal to save the Nature Restoration Law from the scrapheap.

A letter signed by Environment Minister Eamon Ryan and 10 of his counterparts calls on countries that withdrew support for the law to get behind it, before it is too late.

The landmark piece of legislation, aimed at restoring degraded land and sea habitats to health, received majority backing in the European Parliament, so its passing into law was expected to be a ministerial rubber-stamping exercise.

However, a last-minute U-turn by Hungary and faltering by other countries meant it was left off the relevant agenda in March, throwing its survival into doubt.

They wobbled after a backlash from farming groups that led to demonstrations in multiple countries and riots outside EU institutions in Brussels.

Opponents say the law would take land out of use and restrict farming activities, even though it states any change of farming practices would be voluntary and compensated.

With a new parliament to be voted in following European elections next month, it has one last chance to be signed into law  when a final ministerial council meeting takes place on June 17.

The letter, an initiative led by Mr Ryan and junior minister Malcolm Noonan, says the backtracking on the law undermined both nature and democracy.

Europe is the fastest-warming continent and is facing unprecedented impacts from the intertwined nature and climate crises, it says.

Restoring ecosystems is essential to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change, and to safeguard European food security. Our failure as EU leaders to act now would fundamentally undermine public faith in our political leadership at home and internationally.

We must act urgently and decisively to conclude the political process. We hope you will join with us in calling on all colleagues in the Environment Council to conclude its adoption on June 17.

The letter is co-signed by the environment ministers of Germany, France, Spain, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Slovenia, Estonia and Cyprus.

It is being sent to the ministers of the 16 other member states and to the European Commission, urging all to get back around the table and agree to pass the law.

Environmental groups across the EU are also believed to be gearing up for a last-ditch push to get backtracking countries back on board.
Presenter Anna Daly will come to television screens live from a studio in the African Savannah habitat of Dublin Zoo this week, offering a behind the scenes insight into what happens at the zoo after hours.

The RTE show Zoo Live will broadcast over three nights from Monday 13 to Wednesday 15 May, with Maia Dunphy and some other celebrity guests  and Dublin Zoo resident Monty the python - also coming along for the journey.

"Its what happens when the gates of the zoo close to the public. Its not just feeding that goes on at night time, said Ms Daly, who will also take viewers to Fota Wildlife Park.

She describes live television as exciting despite the room for error or, in this case, the chance of a roving animal to walk across the screen.

"The foundation of doing three hours of live telly for over a decade, it prepares you for the rest of your life. Im not saying it will always be perfect, but there is the sense that even if you make a mistake, you just keep going.

"You have to say, this is happening, get on with it, put your big girl pants on! Theres also problems with that, anything can go wrong and of course, your brain can run away with you there but it also feels like an event when its live.

Today's News in 90 seconds - 14th May 2024

She remembers when things would go wrong live on-air while presenting Ireland AM, with the oven in studio a regular thorn-in-the-side of visiting chefs.

"People have walked across the shot  Ive walked in front of the shot  working with chefs, something always went wrong. The hobs might fail and nothing would be cooking and you would have to ask how are the eggs coming along now? And theyre literally stone cold.

"One thing I learned from Dermot OLeary, he said to me: The most important thing in those moments is to actually explain to the viewer what has happened.

"In my earlier days, I would have been covering it, trying to go to a break or throw to a different presenter but when you look at the camera and go, do you know whats happening here? Were looking at eggs and theyre not cooking at all.

"And thats live television. Youre being transparent and honest. I learned as the years went on to share the joke  theyll laugh, were all human.

The programme is a welcome escape from some of the more serious stories on television, which can be difficult to navigate when younger ears are listening in.

"There can be a lot of questions from children, she said. I always said to myself, I will never lie to my children. I think if they are big enough or old enough or emotionally mature enough to ask the question, then they deserve a straight answer  within reason, obviously.

She said a family television night should be a staple in the weekly schedule, also helping with getting kids off screens.

Theres a time and place  well, certainly not for a 7 year-old  but the two other boys are 11 and 12, so theyre allowed to have some limited access. But its a very solitary thing to do, that experience of watching a show together and sharing your laughs or your opinions, thats important.

Zoo Live airs on RTE One and RTE Player on May 13, 14 and 15 at 7pm.
Shreve & Co., which has had a store in San Francisco for 172 years, will be leaving the city. Klaus Lange

Shreve & Co., the historic San Francisco jeweler that has been in the city for 172 years, is shutting down its Union Square store and consolidating operations at its two Palo Alto locations.

In a statement released Monday, Shreve managing partner Lane Schiffman thanked customers for allowing us to be a part of your lifes most precious moments.

As we prepare to turn the page to an exciting new chapter, we want to take a moment to reflect on the journey weve shared with you here in San Francisco, Shiffman said in the statement. Shreve & Co. has been a proud member of this vibrant community since 1852, and it has been our honor to be a part of your most cherished moments.

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Shreve & Co. opened on 110 Montgomery St. in 1852 and moved to 200 Post St.  which still has the Shreve & Co. name etched above its front entrance  in March 1906, a month before the earthquake and fire. For 109 years the company operated there before being forced to move in 2015 when it was outbid on the 200 Post St. space by New York jeweler Harry Winston.

At the time the displacement of Shreve & Co. was held up as an example of local family-owned businesses being priced out of Union Square by national luxury brands.

One thing you can count on in San Francisco is the rent going up, Schiffman said at the time. The most important thing to know is that Shreve is a fantastically healthy fine jeweler with basically no debt. We are very strong and will transition to new space and be better than ever.

While Shreve & Co. was forced out of 200 Post, the jeweler didnt have to move far, leasing 11,800 square feet across two floors of 150 Post St.

Now nearly a decade later Union Square has been decimated by store closures  including North Face, Zara, Express, H&M, Crate & Barrel, Uniqlo, the Gap  even as there are increasing signs of a comeback.

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Ali McEvoy, a retail broker with Maven Commercial, said the Shreve & Co. decision to leave was abrupt  until a few months ago the company was in active negotiations to remain in Union Square.

While stores are still closing, she said the momentum in Union Square has shifted, with an increasing number of brands looking to take advantage of lower rents. She pointed to three Post Street spaces that are currently undergoing tenant improvement build outs for luxury watch companies  Rolex, Breitling and Patek Philippe  while high-end womens clothing brands St. John and Max Mara are also relocating to Post Street.

Its just a changing of the guards, an evolving market space, McEvoy said. Its not all people leaving the Square, its people relocating. New tenants coming in. We have a ton of new tours with big national brands coming to take a serious look at the market.

At 11,800 square feet the two-story Shreve space was far larger than retailers are looking for in the current market, she said.

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Junior minister Ossian Smyth said he looked forward to the new licences being available 'later this year'. Photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins

New digital driving licences are on the way, the Irish Independent can reveal.

The Government has been quietly trialling a digital driving licence since the start of the year.

And it can be conveniently kept in a wallet app on your phone.

The digital driving licences  which have a built-in electronic signature  are on the way for all, a minister confirmed last night. But people can still opt for a pink, plastic credit card-style licence to physically carry as a means of identity.

For many, however, it will be a major advantage to be able to show gardai your licence on your hand-held device.

Today's News in 90 seconds - 14th May 2024

Some motorists still do not carry their licences in their cars for fear of theft  and do not have it on their person  although legally you must have your licence with you when driving.

This major innovation of digital driving licences will allow people to leave their driving licence safely at home and show the digital licence on their phone if asked, junior minister for e-Government Ossian Smyth told the Irish Independent.

The app has been tested in a pilot programme with civil servants since the start of the year, and I look forward to it being available to everyone later this year.

Digital driving licences are in their infancy. In Sweden, an electronic driving licence has been developed and tested. The licence is a smart card containing personal information about the driver, including which vehicle types or even individual vehicles he or she is authorised to drive.

The smart card also serves as an ignition key in the Swedish version, and the vehicle will only start if there is correspondence between the card and the vehicle. No such refinement is expected here.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Public Expenditure and Reform said: A pilot Government Digital Wallet app is in development. It has the aim of developing a solution that would allow citizens to access credentials digitally.

No policy decisions have been made on which credentials would be included in the app, if progressed, but the department is pleased with progress of the pilot to date. The pilot will inform proposals which it is hoped will be brought to Government in coming weeks.

The vision of the Governments Better Public Services Transformation Strategy  backed by Taoiseach Simon Harris  is to deliver inclusive, high-quality and integrated public service provision that meets the needs and improves the lives of the people of Ireland.

The strategy sets out a clear objective of reorienting the design of services to better meet the needs of the public, the spokeswoman said.

This will entail providing services in a digital format that the public has come to expect, she added.

As part of this, the development of Government Digital Life Events programme has commenced, which aims to provide more services digitally in a safe, seamless, inclusive and user-centric manner.

More than four in five Irish adults hold a driving licence, and there are more than three million in the country. The cost is 55.

A field trial carried out by the Swedish Road Administration using the licence as a key to the registered vehicle has concluded the concept works in practice and that it could have a great effect on traffic safety by preventing unauthorised driving and car theft.
Displaced Palestinians flee Jabalia after the Israeli military called on residents to evacuate in the northern Gaza Strip. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas

A number of Irish citizens and their dependents remain in Gaza after more than seven months of war in the enclave, Tanaiste Micheal Martin has said.

Speaking at a meeting of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence today, Mr Martin said "four or five Irish citizens remain in Gaza along with about 30 dependents.

He said around 100 Irish citizens and their dependents have been evacuated since the escalation of the conflict last October.

Mr Martin also acknowledged that the current relationship with Israel is challenging as it disagrees with the Irish position, adding that Ireland is not anti-Israel or against the Israeli people.

It comes as the State will move on the formal recognition of the Palestinian state before the end of this month but Mr Martin today declined to get into specific dates.

He described the current situation as fluid as there are ongoing efforts to get as many members as possible on board with plans to formally recognise Palestinian statehood.

Encampment just the start of Gaza protests at Irish universities, says student

He said the ongoing situation in Gaza is absolutely shocking and the actions of Israel are unconscionable.

Gaza has been levelled. The destruction is shocking in terms of the destruction of schools, houses, hospitals, and society to live in any humane way. All those essentials have been destroyed by Israel and its continued bombardment.

He said many humanitarian organisations and Palestinian people fled to Rafah, adding that it is unconscionable that the Israeli military are pursuing an operation in Rafah and the killing of innocent men, women and above all, children.

Asked by Fine Gael TD David Stanton about the current state of the relationship between Israel and Ireland, Mr Martin said it was difficult and challenging.

Israel does not appreciate the Irish position, to put it mildly. Israel does not like the Irish position, to put it mildly, he said.

Weve always been consistent in saying we are not anti-Israel, we are not anti the Israeli people, but we do call these situations and make our judgements and observations and take positions through the prism of international humanitarian law, the UN Charter and the need for a two-state solution.

I think Israel  I would say this in a humble way  lack a strategic sense of any policy and have a very simple view of life, that if youre not on their side, youre offside. I say that in the context of understanding the horrific nature of the October 7 attack on the people of Israel by Hamas, which was heinous and horrific and has left a lot of trauma on the Israeli people as well.

That shouldnt be underestimated, but nothing can justify what has happened in Gaza and the nature of the destruction there.

He said Ireland is pro-Palestinian, but it is not partisan for the sake of it and believes in upholding international humanitarian law.

A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said: A small number of Irish citizens or immediate dependants of Irish citizens remain in Gaza. Our Embassies in the region are in regular contact with those Irish citizens remaining in Gaza.

The Government, through our Embassies in the region, has consistently sought clearance for all Irish citizens and dependents who wish to exit Gaza to do so. We continue to advocate with the authorities in relation to those who have not yet been able to leave.
Only 61 householders whose homes were damaged by defective blocks have received full remediation grants seven years after government committed to resolving the problem.

At least 8,500 homes in the North-West and Mid-West have structural faults from the use of concrete blocks blighted by crumbling pyrite or mica.

Many are no longer habitable and need major works or demolition.

After a long campaign, a compensation scheme was set up which was enhanced last year but a meeting of the Oireachtas Housing Committee heard that uptake was low and processing was slow.

While around 2,000 applications for grants have been received, just 195 have been fully determined with grants agreed.

Money has been drawn down for works on just 43 homes in Donegal and 18 in Mayo so far.

The update was provided as Housing Minister Darragh OBrien announced the extension of the scheme to Co Sligo.

Counties Donegal, Mayo, Limerick and Clare are already designated as eligible for the scheme and a Department of Housing official told the committee: There are currently a number of other local authorities at various points in the designation process.

Sinn Fein housing spokesperson Eoin O Broin said, however, he had concerns about how it was operating.

We are years and years into this scheme - 2017 was when the expert working group report was published - and you are only telling me that only 61 homes have received full grants.

That only 195 have received an offer and there have only been 436 new applications since the enhanced scheme was introduced last year.

That tells me the scheme is not working

Michael McCarvey, county council director of services in Donegal, where at least 6,000 homes are affected, said some people were waiting for a more convenient time to get their grant and begin works  such as when their children went off to college.

There are some homes in pressing need of remediation and some not, he said.

Fianna Fail TD Paul McAuliffe asked if it was not more likely that the difficulty finding alternative accommodation and the upfront costs of paying for it and for storage of belongings were forcing people to delay works.

Kevin Kelly, chief executive of Mayo County Council, said he had no details on why people were not applying but acknowledged it would be important to identify the reasons.

Aine Stapleton, assistant secretary at the Department of Housing, said efforts were being made to be more flexible with upfront payments for accommodation and storage.

Committee members suggested the schemes failure to provide funding to replace foundations of affected homes was also a key reason people were not submitting applications.

Householders could not be expected to rebuild on foundations that might also crumble in future, they said.

Geraldine Larkin, chief executive of the National Standards Authority of Ireland, said research was being carried out on the issue.

At the moment we dont have the answer to what might be the impact if there are deleterious materials found in foundations. Thats what the piece of research is working on.
An Ozempic needle injection pen, used by patients on one type of semaglutide. Photo: PA

A once-weekly treatment with semaglutide, the active ingredient in the Ozempic jab, can produce sustained weight loss for at least four years in adults who are overweight or obese and who do not have diabetes, a new study reveals.

It is one of two studies on the drug presented at this years European Congress on Obesity (ECO) which is being held in Venice, Italy, this week.

The first new study, led by Professor Donna Ryan from Pennington Biomedical Research Centre, New Orleans, and being published in Nature Medicine, examines the long-term weight effects of semaglutide.

Our long-term analysis of semaglutide establishes that clinically relevant weight loss can be sustained for up to four years in a geographically and racially diverse population of adults with overweight and obesity but not diabetes, Prof Ryan said.

This degree of weight loss in such a large and diverse population suggests that it may be possible to impact the public health burden of multiple obesity-related illnesses.

The second study examined the relationship between weight measures at baseline, and change in weight during the study with cardiovascular outcomes.

Between October 2018 and last June, 17,604 adults  aged 45 or older  from 804 sites in 41 countries who were overweight or obese were treated with semaglutide or a placebo for an average of 40 months.

They had previously experienced a heart attack, stroke and/or had peripheral artery disease.

The findings showed that treatment with semaglutide delivered cardiovascular benefits.
The Belfast ruling that parts of Britain's Rwanda law does not apply in Northern Ireland is being "studied" by the Government in Dublin, the Taoiseach has told the Dail.

However, Simon Harris said the ruling by Mr Justice Humphreys in the High Court, disapplying certain provisions because of the Windsor Framework, was expected to be appealed by the British Government.

For that reason he did not wish to comment further, he told Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik.

Legal experts say the current effect of the ruling is that migrants, asylum seekers and refugees who do not have a right to remain in the UK cannot be deported to Rwanda if they go to Northern Ireland.

This is because the Windsor Framework guarantees rights provided under the Good Friday Agreement, with reference to the European Court of Human Rights.

Meanwhile, Opposition parties have demanded a debate on migration and for the Dail to hear from ministers Helen McEntee and Roderic O'Gorman as the Cabinet made new moves.

Welfare payments to Ukrainians seeking temporary protection are to be equalised to a uniform low level of just over 38 per week, after some had received 220.

Taoiseach Simon Harris also promised new actions on International Protection applicants whose numbers "have risen very significantly".

Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik said there were now 48 tents on the Grand Canal, away from the stretch of the banks cleared last week.

Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon said the canal was an amenity for Dubliners, yet it had been largely fenced off in an act of "State-sponsored vandalism". Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald agreed there were 40 or more tents now back on the canal after more than 160 people who were living under canvass were cleared last week. It was no way for anyone to live, she said, decrying the fact that the State was paying for tents to be provided, then removing them in clearances and destroying them.

She said the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, and Minister for Integration Roderic O'Gorman should both come into the Dail to answer questions about a sustainable solution

Mattie McGrath of the Rural Independent Group said migration was an issue now because "it has arrived in the leafy suburbs of Dublin 4".

But he said people in Nenagh and Newtownmountkennedy had been "demonised and blackguarded" over any action they took in their own areas. He claimed there had been no debate.

The Taoiseach said however that some of what he was hearing was "Trumpian." Mr McGrath had denounced the Government's alleged "mouthpieces in the media," which was a slur, he said.

It was not true that there were no debates on immigration, he said, and he was ready to have one once it could be agreed by the business committee.
All Ukrainian refugees, regardless of when they came to Ireland, will be given three months notice before their social welfare payments are cut.

The Government will today sign off on plans to make social welfare rates for all Ukrainians the same, 38.80 per adult and 29.80 for a child while refugees are in a designated accommodation centre.

There are thousands of Ukrainian refugees currently receiving Jobseekers Allowance of 232 per week and this will be reduced to the same rates as new arrivals in 12 weeks.

The 12 week lead in time will allow the Minister for Children Roderic OGorman and the Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys to give notice to the people affected.

Both ministers will review entitlements of International Protection applicants and report back to government within six weeks.

The new plans to get a handle on migration will be brought to cabinet by the Taoiseach, Minister OGorman, Minister Humphreys and Minister Helen McEntee.

There will also be more targeted workplace inspections in sectors or firms where there is an increased risk or reports of non-compliance with the range of employment and workplace requirements and permit regulations under plans from Enterprise Minister Peter Burke.

The list of safe countries is set to be expanded and there will also be a review of visa-free travel for all States from which there are significant numbers of international protection applicants.

IPO offices will also have their staffing levels increased and the Government has already promised to put in faster processing of asylum applications, as well as the standing up of more safe and sanitary accommodation facilities on state lands.

Meanwhile, migrants arriving in the North to escape the implications of the UK's Rwanda bill may mean more asylum-seekers come into the State, a TD has warned.

The UK government is expected to appeal a ruling by a judge that parts of the UKs Rwanda law should not apply in Northern Ireland.

The Illegal Migration Act gives powers to the British government to detain and remove asylum seekers it deems to have arrived illegally in the UK and central to the new laws is the scheme to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.

A government spokesperson said the judgment will now be studied.

The government notes the court ruling in Belfast this afternoon, they said.

We will study the judgment carefully, including with regard to the findings on compatibility with the European Convention on Human Rights which is, of course, central to the Good Friday Agreement.

The Government will still press on with its plans to pass laws to designate the UK a safe country, it is understood.

There is nothing to stop Ireland designating part of the UK, namely Northern Ireland, as a safe third country

Immigration solicitor Sinead Marmion told RTE that the judgment was "hugely significant" as it suggested if asylum seekers impacted by the act made their way to the North from the UK, they could not be sent to Rwanda.

Her views were also echoed by Fianna Fail justice spokesperson TD Jim OCallaghan, who said asylum seekers in the North can be treated no less preferably than those in the State.

He said this may mean that asylum seekers dont have to go to the State to avoid deportation to Rwanda, but this may mean that more migrants go to Northern Ireland from the UK.

The arrival of more asylum seekers on the island of Ireland will inevitably mean more will apply for international protection in the Republic, he said.

Rishi Sunak's government wants to send illegal immigrants to Rwanda. Photo: Reuters

The judgment today underlines the importance of the Oireachtas promptly enacting legislation to make the UK a safe third country again. Even if there were doubts about designating all of the UK as a safe third country because of the Rwandan policy, there is nothing to stop Ireland designating part of the UK, namely Northern Ireland, as a safe third country to where asylum seekers could be returned.

He said the ruling also shows that supports for asylum seekers in Ireland must be identical to the ones in the North.

Otherwise all applicants will apply for international protection in the more generous location, he said.

Aontu TD Peadar Toibin also said that more people will "cross the Border and seek asylum in the south".

To ignore what the courts have said would not be merely a case of sleepwalking into the creation of immigration border in the Irish Sea but rather embarking on such a path with eyes wide open

"The Irish Government must now engage with the British government to ascertain how that will be managed. The loud hailer diplomacy that happened before the English local elections will not cut it," he said.

The DUPs Gavin Robinson warned the UK government that it must not facilitate the creation of an "immigration border" in the Irish Sea, with different rules applying in Northern Ireland to the rest of the UK.

Mr Robinson insisted that his party had repeatedly warned the UK government that its immigrations laws were incompatible with post-Brexit arrangements contained in the Northern Ireland Protocol/Windsor Framework.

"Whilst today's judgment does not come as a surprise, it does blow the government's irrational claims that the Rwanda scheme could extend equally to Northern Ireland completely out of the water," he said.

Taoiseach Simon Harris wants a conversation on the uniformity of supports offered. Photo: Eamonn Farrell

"For ministers to ignore what the courts have said would not be merely a case of sleepwalking into the creation of immigration border in the Irish Sea but rather embarking on such a path with eyes wide open.

"It is imperative that immigration policy applies equally across every part of the United Kingdom.

Delivering his court judgment yesterday, Mr Justice Humphreys ruled that a several sections of the Illegal Migration Act would lead to a diminution of the rights of asylum seekers residing in Northern Ireland.
The infant 18-month old Ennis boy, who died from injuries in a road traffic accident last week, radiated love and lived his life fully.

They are the words of Ennis parish priest Fr Tom Ryan who told the Molloy family that Hunter James Molloy received nothing but love and care from his Mam and Dad, Alisha and Peter.

At the Mass of the Angels at St Peter and Paul Cathedral in Ennis on Monday afternoon, family members, relatives and friends wore bright blue t-shirts with a colour image of Hunter to celebrate his short life.

The funeral mass today took place five days after Hunter lost his life in a road traffic accident at the Ballaghboy halting site, Quin Rd, Ennis before lunchtime last Wednesday.

Fr Molloy told the family today that in an instant second last Wednesday life stopped and changed.

He said: We dont know why accidents happened but they do.

Fr Ryan said: We have lots of questions but we simply dont have answers. We dont why and we will never know - it is simply not fair.

Hunters life was lived fullyHe never committed a sin in his life - he just radiated love.

Fr Ryan said that Hunters life ended so unexpectedly last Wednesday.

Hunter lived a life of love. Hunter both gave and received love - his presence in your lives brought great joy and his death has caused great pain.

Fr Ryan said that Hunter was no different to any other boy or girl of his age where he laughed, he smiled, he cried, he grew hair, he grew teeth and he ate and slept.

Fr Ryan said that with heavy hearts, we hand Hunter back to God who first gave him to us.

He added that Hunters life "has been a great lesson to all of us.

Addressing Hunter, Fr Ryan said: Today with heavy hearts, we give thanks to God in our sadness for your life, short and all as it was, for your inspiration and for legacy.

Hunter was later laid to rest at Drumcliffe cemetery outside Ennis and a horse-drawn white carriage brought his remains for most of his final journey.

Hunters father, Peter and other Molloy family members carried the blue coffin through Enniss streets before the coffin was placed within the glass covered carriage.

At the end of the funeral mass, Molloy family members carried Hunters coffin outside the Church to the sound of R Kellys The Worlds Greatest.

Images of Hunter were draped over two of the four white horses with one stating RIP, Our Hunty Wunty and a second stating RIP Our Blue Eyed Boy
Well-known Kildare businessman and charity founder Aubrey McCarthy, and charitable fundraiser and Toy Show hero Adam King, have won prestigious accolades at the Irish Red Cross Humanitarian of the Year awards.

Mr McCarthy won Humanitarian of the Year award for his tireless work in feeding and housing the homeless.

The Tiglin charity founder was also bestowed with the accolade for his work in providing accommodation for those that need help in overcoming addiction and other life controlling issues.

Mr McCarthy has also been prominent in assisting asylum seekers in Dublin city centre for which he has received threats both to himself and to the Tiglin premises at the Light House on Pearse St which provides meals and shelter to Irish homeless people as well as refugees.

He was awarded at the Irish Red Cross Humanitarian Awards on Tuesday evening, which have been running since 2018 to celebrate those in communities who are dedicated to helping people in need.

Kildare businessman and Tiglin charity founder Aubrey McCarthy

Deirdre Garvey Secretary General for the Irish Red Cross said: The aim of the Irish Red Cross Awards is to highlight the incredible and selfless efforts of people throughout Ireland who have gone out of their way to help those in urgent need.

RTE Toy Shows hero Adam King was awarded Young Humanitarian of the Year for his many charity initiatives involving his Virtual Hug .

To expand his charitable fundraising, Adams Virtual Hug has been turned into a postage stamp, greeting cards and postcards.

Adam, from Cork, who stole the nations heart after appearing on the Late Late Toy Show in 2020, suffers from Osteogenesis imperfecta, which is a rare, lifelong genetic condition of bone and connective tissue. As part of his charitable work, he has raised over 300,000.

Funding raised has gone to Cork University Hospital (CUH) Charity and Childrens Health Foundation Ireland at Temple St.

Today's News in 90 seconds - 14th May 2024

Adam has also supported charities and campaigns close to his heart such as Ronald McDonald House, Rare Diseases Ireland, Clean Coasts, Darkness Into Light and the Irish Wheelchair Association.

The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Tony Geoghegan who is one of Irelands leading advocates for the homeless and those suffering from drug addiction.

The Irish Red Cross described this award as timely as the organisation has been calling for more compassion and a kinder society, especially for those who have fallen on hard times.

Mr Geoghegan was chosen for his foresight in co-founding Merchants Quay Ireland back in 1989 and his subsequent years dedicated to working with the homeless and people who had serious issues with drug use.

He has constantly highlighted the growing issues of drug use, the lack of addiction centres and treatments as well as homelessness in Ireland, they said.

He joins Tuam Mother and Baby Homes scandal exposer and campaigner Catherine Corless, John Lonergan and the World Health Organisations (WHO) Mike Ryan in the list of previous winners.

Other winners on the night were Samaritans Ireland for the Humanitarian Organisation of the Year whose 1500 volunteers ensure some 400,000 calls for help are answered each year.

Electric Aid (ESB) claimed a Corporate Impact Award for their funding of over 2,500 charitable projects worth more than 25m in over 130 countries.

The Humanitarian Journalism Excellence Award went to Hannah McCarthy for her work in covering humanitarian issues in the Middle East, Ukraine and Central Asia for over three years.

She reported from Lebanon after the Beirut port explosion, Afghanistan after the return of the Taliban and from Ukraine during the Russian invasion, as well as from Israel/Palestine during the war on Gaza.

Ms Garvey, speaking on the night, added that the awards remind us all of the crucial role of community and love for one another.

That is what these Awards are here to do, to remind us all of our best selves, the best of Ireland.
Yellow graffiti daubed on the site of the old Cabra House pub at Fassaugh Avenue

Gardai have been alerted to hateful slogans that have appeared next to Mary Lou McDonalds Sinn Fein constituency office in Dublin.

"Mary Lou is a traitor," said one of pieces of yellow graffiti daubed on the site of the old Cabra House pub at Fassaugh Avenue in Cabra.

Ms McDonald, the Sinn Fein president and a TD for the local Dublin Central constituency, was asked for comment today, as was the Sinn Fein party.

Other prominent messages, believed to have been spray-painted on Sunday night, read: "Sinn Fein is scum" and "Irish Lives Matter".

Ms McDonald has increasingly been targeted by far-right protesters. When the Dail came back from its last summer recess, she was one of those threatened by a mock gallows.

Gardai then wrote to her to see whether she wanted to press charges, but no prosecution took place.

In 2023, the Sinn Fein leader was confronted by apparent anti-immigration protesters after attending a meeting in her Dublin Central constituency.

It was one of two incidents that evening where opposition politicians were targeted by protesters, with an attempt also made to disrupt a People Before Profit (PBP) meeting in Clondalkin. One of its TDs, Paul Murphy, accused far-right agitators of being behind both incidents.

Ms McDonald was also targeted by protesters in East Wall. A video on social media showed some among a crowd outside a community centre asking Ms McDonald about illegal aliens and shouting traitor as she exited and made her way to a car.

Other left-wing TDs have also been attacked and harassed by the far right, in particular Mr Murphy.

But the "traitor label" appears particularly aimed at Sinn Fein for political purposes. Another effort in the latest sloganeering attack appeared to say "Ireland is Ful" (sic).
The president of PDFORRA, the representative group for Defence Forces Personnel, has said their annual conference would be a silent disco if proposed laws preventing military personnel from speaking out against Government policy is introduced.

The Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023 proposes that members of the permanent Defence Forces cannot make public comment in relation to Government policy without authorisation from their commanding officer.

The proposed legislative change is among several topics being discussed by PDFORRA, which represents some 6,500 enlisted military personnel, at their annual conference in Cavan this week.

PDFORRA President Mark Keane has said that the section on public commentary has been "watered down from its previous wording but would still have an impact on its members to express their concerns.

"Our fear is that we go into the conference  it's an open and frank debate, we've the department and military management in the room and it takes a lot of courage for people to stand up there and highlight their concerns.

"If we're now going to ask: 'could we be penalised under military law even further?' we may as well have a silent disco in there. You can't criticise government policy....if [the Government] do something that reflects badly on us or undermines our pay and conditions, of course we're going to have to stand up and say we're not happy about it.

"If they take away that fundamental right, sure we're at nothing. All we want is a voice, we want to be heard."

Mr Keane said he hopes that a new High Court ruling would act as a catalyst for change in relation to the rights of Defence Force members.

The High Court on Tuesday found that a previous order by management preventing military personnel from attending a protest in a civilian capacity was unconstitutional.

It related to an event in September 2018 about the conditions of service of members of the Defence Forces which was organised by wives and partners of serving members and also attended by retired personnel.

Sergeant Martin Bright, then on secondment as PDFORRA deputy general secretary, decided not to attend the event in a private capacity on foot of the order but subsequently took a High Court challenge against it.

While acknowledging the "good faith and sincerely held convictions on both sides", Mr Justice Mark Sanfey found that the order breached Sergeant Bright's constitutional right.

PDFORRA president Mark Keane described the judgement as "historic", adding that it is a right that should be afforded to every member.

"We understand the constraints of military life and military law, we took an oath of allegiance and accept all of that, we're not talking about strike or public agitation.

"We're talking about the right to highlight our concerns; pay and conditions, terms of service, what happens in our communities," Mr Keane said.

More than 100 delegates representing personnel from over 40 Districts across the Army, Naval Service and Irish Air Corps, will debate 53 motions.

The main issues being discussed will be the proposed Defence Bill, the delayed implementation of the European Working Time directive, the provision of minimum levels of medical care for personnel going to sea, and calls for the proper payment of personnel assigned to the EU Battlegroup.
A United Airlines Boeing 787 similar to this one, bound for San Francisco, returned to Singapore on Tuesday after two hours due to an engine issue. Armando Franca/Associated Press

A United Airlines flight bound for San Francisco was forced to return to Singapore on Tuesday due to an engine issue.

United Flight 28, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, climbed to an altitude of approximately 31,000 feet before the 9-year-old aircraft circled back to land at Singapore Changi Airport to address the problem.

The flight, carrying 197 passengers and 14 crew members, was safely grounded and everyone on board deplaned without incident, a United Airlines spokesperson told the Chronicle. However, the remainder of the flight was canceled.

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String of incidents: Is it still safe to fly with United Airlines?

Were providing hotel rooms and meal vouchers in Singapore for customers, who are being rebooked onto another flight departing Wednesday on a different aircraft, the spokesperson said.

According to aviation records, the plane was airborne for roughly two hours before it had to return to its departure point.
Lucinda OSullivan: Its called September but this new Blackrock cafe/wine bar is the essence of summer by the sea

Sampling both the lunchtime and evening menus, our critic double-dips in Blackrocks latest hotspot  complete with sea views

Irish scallop crudo with citrus chilli ponzu, blood orange and Velvet Cloud yoghurt. Photo: Lucinda O'Sullivan

Lucinda O'Sullivan Tue 14 May 2024 at 03:30

When it came to the opening of September, a small cafe and wine bar near the old Blackrock Baths and Dart station with wonderful sea views, one might say we double dipped. No, we werent licking our spoons and dunking them into each others food but we did dine there twice over two days, checking out both the lunch and weekend dinner offerings.
Last year, cruise ships carried a record 31.7m passengers  but Caribbean nations are seeking a fairer share of the spoils

In April, Royal Caribbean and The Bahamas broke ground on the cruise lines new Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in Nassau

Opening in 2025, Royal Caribbeans Royal Beach Club Paradise Island will be "a 17-acre slice of paradise" in Nassau, The Bahamas

If you own paradise, you can profit off of it.

That's why cruise lines have spent at least $1.5 billion (1.39bn) since 2019 to expand or improve private stops in the Caribbean, according to Bloomberg calculations. Combined, they've amassed at least 15 islands and beaches spanning 5,200 acres across the Bahamas, Belize, Dominican Republic, Haiti and Mexico.

Carnival Corp., Disney Cruise Lines, Norwegian Cruise Line, MSC Cruises and Royal Caribbean Cruises are in the race for land. Royal Caribbean's so-called Perfect Day at CocoCay, a private island 55 miles from Nassau where 9,500 ship passengers a day can spend money on hot air balloon rides and zip-lines, delivers 40pc returns on investment or more, according to an estimate by UBS analyst Robin Farley.

"The No. 1 reason people cruise is for the destinations," said Jay Schneider, Royal Caribbean's chief product innovation officer. "So we create destinations."

However, the land acquisition is now sparking a shift. Caribbean nations - which for decades have offered tax breaks and prime locations for cruise giants' private destinations - are stepping up to fight for a fairer share.

The Bahamas recently took a stand when Royal Caribbean set its sights on Paradise Island, a legendary getaway known for its celebrity appeal and setting for films like James Bond's Casino Royale.

In April, Royal Caribbean and The Bahamas broke ground on the cruise lines new Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in Nassau

The government initially offered a sweetheart deal, leasing seven acres of public beach for just $140,000 a year. Public outcry and a change in government in 2021 led to a renegotiated deal. In the end, Royal Caribbean agreed to give the government a stake in the project, and a 1pc cut of future revenue for tourism projects like restoring downtown Nassau. Bahamian investors will also be able to invest - along with the government - to own as much as 49pc of the project. The size of the government's stake will depend on the assessed value of the public land.

Labor Minister Pia Glover-Rolle, a self-proclaimed cruise enthusiast, helped secure 200 jobs for Bahamians at the new beach club.

"I got married on a cruise," she said. "I've been on two cruises this year. I know the industry well."

Even still, the Paradise Island deal is a win for Royal Caribbean. Private island and beach stops helped revive cruise lines from the horrors of the pandemic, when deadly Covid-19 outbreaks aboard ships led the world to shut down cruising for more than a year. They've become a lynchpin of a cruise line machine - Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norwegian raked in $44 billion of revenue and gross profits of $19.1 billion in total last year.

As other once-popular destinations like those in the Red Sea and Russia have been scrapped because of conflicts, the Caribbean has become that much more crucial to cruise lines' bottom line. In March, however, Royal Caribbean halted cruises to Haiti - where it used to bring thousands of passengers a week to its private peninsula - citing security concerns. Rising gang violence had forced the US to evacuate much of its embassy.

Securing a coveted location on Paradise Island, just a few hundred feet from downtown Nassau, addressed another concern for Royal Caribbean. The cruise line considered the city's port area to be outdated and lacking appeal for its passengers.

"We don't want to replace Nassau as a port of call, but instead we want to provide another option," said Schneider.

Opening in 2025, Royal Caribbeans Royal Beach Club Paradise Island will be "a 17-acre slice of paradise" in Nassau, The Bahamas

It's understandable why so many tourism-dependent nations long agreed to these deals: Last year, ships carried a record 31.7 million passengers worldwide, surpassing pre-pandemic levels for the first time. The Caribbean now accounts for about 55pc of Royal Caribbean's passenger capacity. That translates into millions of visitors who will spend money on food, souvenirs and activities during their excursions.

It's also hard to overstate the weight cruise lines carry in the Caribbean. At $37 billion - the largest of any cruise line - Royal Caribbean's market value is almost three times the size of the Bahamas' economy.

"These companies, they're monoliths," said Gail Woon, executive director of Earthcare, a Bahamas-based environmental advocacy group that opposed plans by Disney and Royal Caribbean to create private enclaves.

Take the deal that Disney hammered out in 2019 to build Lighthouse Point on a swath of Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas, surrounded by waters rich in endangered staghorn and elkhorn corals and migrating sharks, bonefish, grouper and snapper.

Conservationists urged Disney to build in a more traveled part of the Bahamas, where ships and waves of passengers wouldn't run through such sensitive areas. Disney prevailed, promising to invest up to $400 million in a massive complex that includes a half-mile pier, cabanas and splash pools and will create 150 jobs. The government exempted Disney from paying taxes on everything from revenue to fuel and water.

In exchange, Disney donated 192 acres, valued at $6.3 million, to the government for the creation of a protected area. It also agreed to pay $1,000 per year, per-acre of seabed that it uses, and pledged to increase its ports of call to Nassau and Freeport by at least 30pc, among other perks.

Disney declined to comment.

Carnival's portfolio of six private destinations shows the myriad ways that they can be run. In Half Moon Cay, a small private island about 100 miles southeast of Nassau, Carnival controls "the whole aspect of it," said CEO Josh Weinstein. That includes the shore excursions, the food and beverage outlets, and more. There, the cruise line pays a per-person tax to the Bahamian government.

The company is also building Celebration Key on Grand Bahama Island, near the city of Freeport, where it will partner with the local community to run the destination rather than doing so on its own. Instead, Bahamians will run food and beverage outlets and shore excursion opportunities. "We're creating over 1,000 jobs," Weinstein said.

Some Caribbean countries have been attempting to form a bloc to negotiate better terms from cruise lines since the 1990s, but those efforts have failed.

That's why the Paradise Island deal stands out. It took years of negotiations, a review of documents and interviews with people involved in the process shows.

Icon of the seas at Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day at CocoCay

First, Royal Caribbean spent $50 million to buy private beach front parcels, including homes once owned by Nicolas Cage and the late Richard Harris.

Then, cruise line executives had to go up against Toby Smith - a tenacious, Bahamian-born former trader at a local hedge fund - who has spent 12 years trying to build his own, $3 million beach club.

In January 2020, the government agreed to lease him five acres of Paradise Island. In exchange, Smith committed to restore the abandoned, 200-year-old lighthouse at the entrance to the Nassau Harbor. But after Smith secured his deal, the Bahamian government agreed to lease Royal Caribbean seven acres of Paradise Island, from the harbor to the sea, for 25 years, according to a copy of the agreement seen by Bloomberg.

Smith, standing amid the decaying limestone walls of the lighthouse, says he was astounded. Initial surveys showed Royal Caribbean's parcel of public land overlapping much of his planned beach club, he said. Plus, Royal Caribbean wouldn't have to pay per-visitor fees or restore the lighthouse. Royal Caribbean executives deny there's an overlap in the final agreement.

He is now petitioning the UK Commonwealth's high court, the Privy Council, to hear his case after losing a lawsuit accusing the government of breaking his lease.

Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean, with the government's blessing, is moving forward.

In late April, top cruise line executives lined up next to Prime Minister Philip Davis, donning hard hats and colorful shirts, to break ground on Paradise Island. Sometime next year, an average 2,000 passengers a day will be ferried to the island to enjoy what the company promises will be the "ultimate beach day."

"I moved heaven and earth for this dream, me a Bahamian entrepreneur," Smith said. "But then a foreign company came in and took it away from me."
Agency spending 220m of taxpayers money doesnt have well-functioning leadership, says own board

Corporate governance is being eroded at Science Foundation Ireland amid investigationProf Philip Nolan on medical leave after bullying allegations by five senior managersDirector general denies claims but probe finds he displayed inappropriate behaviour

Prof Philip Nolan, director general of Science Foundation Ireland, denied allegations of bullying. Photo: Collins

Fionnan Sheahan Tue 14 May 2024 at 03:30

A government agency spending 220m of taxpayers money does not currently have a well-functioning, cohesive leadership team, according to members of its own board.
Almost 25 years ago, in June 1989, the EU heads of government signed off at a summit in Madrid on what amounted to membership rules for the blocs single currency. The euro became a reality on international money markets in 1999 and has been the money in our pockets since 2002.

A modified version of the EU Stability and Growth Pact, which sets out rules principally on debt and deficit, was signed off last month after long negotiations to take account of tougher economic challenges in the post-Covid era and the fallout from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

For now, at least, Ireland looks on target to be in line with the 3pc deficit ceiling, and moves to lower public debt proportionate to GDP towards a 60pc target.

That happy scenario may not always be the case. We know from warnings by experts and the Governments own economic police, the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, that much now depends on fickle company tax income.

This may not endure, reviving unpleasant memories of the 2008 crash after transitory public revenue from building taxes vanished.

Granted, Ireland will be one of the few countries in the western developed world to run a healthy budget surplus in 2024. Credit must also go to the economic ministerial pairing of Michael McGrath and Paschal Donohoe for creating two large funds that will be ring-fenced to meet future challenges.

All of this happens as preparations ramp up for what will be a highly politicised general election budget in October. But a lesser-noticed challenge for Ireland in the revised euro membership rules must not be overlooked.

The maintenance of current public service levels, without actually investing in improvements, has proved difficult to estimate.

This obliges member states to submit binding five-year public spending plans which are to be monitored by Brussels each year. The aim is to keep a tight rein on public purse strings to avoid politically-motivated splurges risking longer-term economic harm.

It will pose another key challenge for whatever government permutation emerges from the next election, due in a maximum 10 months from now.

The real sting in the tail is a condition that some public spending increases must be accompanied by higher taxes, something observers believe will radically alter public spending in Ireland.

Keeping public spending increases between the ditches has not always been Irish governments strong suit. Finance Department officials are warning that a current level of 15pc growth in public spending is not sustainable and we also know that the perennial problem of runaway health-spending increases continues to be with us.

We must concede that an era of strong population growth, added to by a high influx of migrants seeking refuge from Ukraine and elsewhere, has not made such forward planning easy. The maintenance of current public service levels, without actually investing in improvements, has proved difficult to estimate.

These revised EU single currency rules will require politicians to be more realistic in what they promise to win power. Our leaders must be stronger when facing demands of narrow-focused interest groups, encouraging people generally to see the bigger and longer-term economic picture.


Long before the Kremlin announced the predetermined results of Russias presidential election in March, it was clear that Vladimir Putins next term in office would be a watershed moment in his rule.

Not only would his fifth term in the Kremlin be his first unconstitutional one, but rumours abounded that the president would use the traditional cabinet reshuffle to clear out some of his ageing cronies, paving the way for a fresh generation to do his bidding. Who he chose to promote or sideline would be a good indicator of where Putin would choose to take Russia over the coming years.
Rugby player Paddy Jackson, who was one of the key people at the Belfast rape trial of 2018, has expressed his concerns over a proposed six-episode TV series that will dramatise the court case that rocked the island of Ireland.

It has been six years since the Belfast rape trial gripped the nation, igniting a wave of heated arguments and demonstrations both north and south of the Border.

Following nine weeks of a highly publicised courtroom drama, Ireland rugby players Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding were found not guilty of the charges against them, as were their friends Blane McIlroy and Rory Harrison.

The impact of the controversial trial still provokes intense conversation, and now the emergence of a forthcoming TV dramatisation has sparked fresh debate and dispute, with Paddy Jackson voicing his own concerns about the project.

Today on the Indo Daily, Fionnan Sheahan is joined by Ellen Coyne, Special Correspondent with the Irish Independent, to examine the details of this new TV series, the reaction to it, and to look at the problematic legacy of the Belfast rape trial across the island of Ireland.
Sheila Lane and Myra Sheehan looked ahead to hitting the road during the Millstreet Vintage Tractor Run. Picture John Tarrant

John and Amy O'Brien from Rathmore brought cousin Grace Doyle of Gneeveguilla to the Millstreet Vintage Tractor Run. Picture John Tarrant

A tractor run in support of Millstreet Community Hospital met with a resounding response. Hosted by Millstreet Vintage Club, a new departure saw the event confined to pre-1994 Tractors and it added appeal to the staging.

Participants supporting the event ensure the tractors dating back more than 30 years remain operating with the pride and dedication of their owners, who like nothing better than sharing their passion in Charity Runs.

Millstreet PRO Bernard Crowley applauded the success of the staging and extended delight at the response from vintage owners.

The beneficiary of the event was Millstreet Community Hospital and the tractors undertook a drive through the Hospital Grounds at the beginning of the route to allow the Hospital residents to sit out to view the tractors as they took on a 36km Route in favourable weather conditions, said Bernard.

The Vintage only concept was met with very favourable feedback from everyone who took part in the event and its hoped that this can be built up and improved on for the future going forward, he said.

Event organiser Dan Barry thanked the Canon ODonovan Centre for providing the sign-on venue and parking along with the provision of refreshment. Also commended were the Sign On Crew and the marshals for keeping the event running smoothly on a picturesque trail from Millstreet to Aubane and Kilcorney prior to a return to Millstreet.

Taking the John Barry Memorial Trophy for Best Tractor was Tom Linehan in his Ford 4000.
Letters are to be sent to the Minister of State for Disability Anne Rabbitte and Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Roderic OGorman requesting more support for early intervention diagnosis and early years education for children.

The initial motion which sought more support for children under the age of three was brought before last Mondays full council meeting by Fianna Fail councillor Deirdre OBrien.

Cllr OBrien admitted that children are being failed. The government are failing our children. Early intervention provides babies and toddlers with the skills they need to progress smoothly into their education and personal lives. It takes a look at a childs abilities and where their development may be lacking due to delay or disability. The intervention then helps children to nurture their skills for the rest of their lives, she said.

Unfortunately our under 3s do not qualify for this support, said Cllr OBrien. Creches are asking what can they do to support families who are crying out for help. One local creche had six children with this situation in the past week. They need help to support the wonderful children with development needs.

Creches are willing to do a pilot programme to show that they can work with local public health professionals and give the opportunity to our children under 3s which will reap the benefits later as they attend mainstream education. I do realise that the next age group are finding it difficult to get supports and access to occupational therapists. We need to write to Minister Rabbitte and to Minister OGorman, she added.

Fine Gael councillor Kay Dawson who seconded the motion said the issue is huge on the doorsteps. It is very much needed. It is huge on the doorstep. The under 3s have been accessed and they then cant access the next piece for speech or mobility through delays. It has such a profound impact on families that are struggling to terms with the diagnosis and then not being able to get the help that they need for their child. That is all they are looking for.

Cllr Dawson wondered if the initial motion could be broadened to include more children: Can we broaden it up along, rather than just the three year olds the suite of services?

Cllr OBrien agreed and it was unanimously decided to send letters to both ministers requesting more support for early intervention diagnosis and early years education for children.

Independent councillor Marcia DAlton brought proceedings to a conclusion with praise for Cllr OBrien. That was a really profound motion that Cllr OBrien brought. The rate of intervention needed for young children seems to be increasing. It is time we started looking at why those rates are increasing. It is time we started talking about it in a very sensitive way. We need to talk about this as a society.
A civic reception was held in County Hall on Monday, May 13 in recognition of Doneraile, Buttevant and Mallow Community First Responders contribution to the local community since they were established ten years ago.

Cork County Council honoured DBM (Doneraile, Buttevant and Mallow) Community First Responders along with a number of other individuals and groups with a special civic reception in County Hall.

The civic reception for DBM which was proposed by Fianna Fail councillor in the Kanturk-Mallow Municipal District Gearoid Murphy, was given to mark the occasion of ten years since the groups foundation.

At the reception, Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Frank OFlynn presented the group with an award to mark this achievement.

Speaking about the reception, Cllr Gearoid Murphy commended the invaluable work from the voluntary group. I was delighted to nominate DBM Community First Responders for this honour. Over the weekend, I attended a live demo organised by the group, which gave a good idea of the crucial services they provide in cases of emergency. It is wonderful to know that local volunteers are at hand when people need help and I would like to join with the Mayor in commending their work.
Cllr Eoghan Kenny has reiterated his call for the Irish Government to provide the necessary funding to bring the Mallow Relief Road to planning stage by the end of 2024.

It was announced in February of this year that the N72/N73 Mallow Relief Road had been allocated 300,000 by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).

The Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan recently said in the Dail the project is currently in the design and environmental evaluation phase and that the funding of 300,000 will now allow the project to be progressed through the planning and design process.

Cork County Council have previously stated that the 300,000 received will allow for very limited progress and more funding is required to progress the relief road to planning stage.

Labour Party councillor Eoghan Kenny said Minister Ryans recent comments were frustrating. It is not credible for a senior minister to say that 300,000 is enough to bring the relief road to planning stage. The cost of an Environmental Impact Assessment alone will cost in the region of 500,000, so nobody is fooled by this response. This reply, to me, is deeply disappointing and frustrating.

Cllr Kenny called for additional funding to be provided by the government to advance work on the relief road to planning stage by the end of this year. Cork County Council asked for 1.2 million to progress the road to planning stage and have confirmed to me, in writing, that the allocation is not enough. This Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Green Party government needs to provide the necessary funding to bring the Mallow Relief Road to planning stage by the end of 2024.

Cllr Kenny who was co-opted on to Cork County Council after outgoing councillor James Kennedy vacated his role for the Kanturk-Mallow MD in February said he will continue to lobby for additional funding. Whether the funding comes from a surplus in other road projects or extra funding from TII, I am assuring the people of Mallow and the local areas, that both myself and my colleague Deputy Sean Sherlock, will continue to lobby the government parties, TII and Cork County Council to give us the necessary funding.

It is high time now for the local Fianna Fail and Fine Gael representatives to be held to account regarding the funding, and take ownership of the lack of significant funding, considering the fact that their parties are in government, he added.
Indeed CEO Chris Hyams has announced more layoffs for the company. Niall Carson/PA Images via Getty Images

Indeed, the job search platform, has announced plans to reduce its U.S. workforce by approximately 8%, impacting around 1,000 employees nationwide, including dozens of positions in the Bay Area.

I am sad to share the news that we have made the difficult decision to reduce our headcount through a layoff, Indeed CEO Chris Hyams said in a letter published on the companys website Monday.

Tech layoffs: Here are the job cuts impacting Bay Area workers

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Hyams referenced the companys previous round of layoffs in March 2023, which affected various divisions and resulted in 2,200 lost jobs. He noted that the current layoffs are more targeted, primarily impacting the marketing and development teams.

Unlike last year, where our reduction was driven by cost savings, we are taking this action because we need to simplify our organization to make it easier and faster for us to make decisions, and help us to more effectively grow revenue and hires, he wrote.

As part of the restructuring plan, approximately 87 employees at Indeeds Foster City office will be let go starting July 12, according to a WARN notice filed with California authorities. The affected roles in the Bay Area are primarily in sales and customer services.

Employees at Indeeds offices in San Francisco, Mountain View and San Mateo are not expected to be affected by these cuts.

We know these decisions will have a significant impact on peoples lives, Hyams said.

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He also noted that the company, headquartered in Austin, Texas, achieved stable profitability following last years headcount reduction.
The event attracted over 50 people, who were entertained by live music and poetry

Attendees listen to the live music being performed at the event.

Cork North West Palestinian Solidarity Campaign group raised over 1,000 in support of emergency relief for Gaza at an event held at Kool Cafe in Macroom last week.

The fundraising event, held last Thursday, saw musician Ger Wolfe perform while Anton Floyd read a number of poems drawn from his personal experience of being a civilian during a war.

Kool Cafe owners Rami, Nadia and their family, who are Syrian with Palestinian relatives, contributed to the performances as well and also provided the 50 or so attendees with refreshments throughout the evening.

There will be future fundraising events held in Kool Cafe and while a fortnightly vigil open to everyone will continue to be held in support of Gaza at Macroom Square on Tuesdays at 8pm.
Gardai have renewed their appeal to the public to help trace the whereabouts of a missing teenage girl who was last seen in West Cork.

14-year-old Eire King was last seen on Wednesday evening, May 8 in the Skibbereen area.

Eire is described as being approximately 5 foot 4 inches in height with a slim build, light blonde/brown hair and blue eyes.

When Eire was last seen she was wearing grey school trousers and a long sleeved black jumper.

She was also carrying a black school bag.

It's believed Eire may currently be in the East Cork area.

Anyone with any information on Eire's whereabouts is asked to contact Clonakilty Garda Station at 023 8821570, the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.
Ernie had arrived here from a safari park in the UK. Pic: Dublin Zoo

Ernie only arrived at Dublin Zoo on May 3 and was reportedly 'settling in well'. Pic: Dublin Zoo

Ernie the hippo has died after just two weeks at Dublin Zoo

A hippopotamus that arrived in Dublin Zoo from a safari park in the UK less than two weeks ago, has sadly died.

The male hippopotamus, named Ernie, only arrived in Dublin on May 3 and was reportedly settling in well in his new environment.

Dublin Zoo released a statement saying that they were deeply saddened to announce the passing of Ernie.

They added that the team was devastated and mourning the unexpected loss of Ernie, whom they had already grown extremely fond of.

Ernie only arrived at Dublin Zoo on May 3 and was reportedly 'settling in well'. Pic: Dublin Zoo

The statement concluded by saying that the team is currently awaiting the results of a comprehensive examination to understand the cause of his sudden passing.

Ernie, who was aged 20, was introduced to Heidi, the female hippopotamus in the Zoo, upon his arrival.

The hippopotamus was welcomed to the African Plains, and Dublin Zoo said Heidi, the female hippo, had taken an interest in him already.

Today's News in 90 seconds - 14th May 2024

Helen Clarke, team leader at Dublin Zoo said at the time that they were thrilled to welcome him.

It has been great to see Heidi taking such an interest in him already and we know visitors will enjoy seeing Ernie grazing in his outdoor habitat and enjoying the indoor pool, she said.

Hippopotamuses are currently classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as vulnerable.

Ernie had arrived here from a safari park in the UK. Pic: Dublin Zoo

The main threats to this species are poaching, hunting, agriculture, building developments and climate change, causing drought in their areas.

Hippopotamuses are semi-aquatic and one of the heaviest animals on earth, sometimes weighing up to three and a half tonnes.

They are typically found in shallow lakes and rivers in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The death of Ernie follows the death of 45-year-old orangutan Sibu at Dublin Zoo earlier this year, who had been in Dublin since the 1980s and was hugely popular among visitors.
Second college encampment as 150 students demand action from university

Around 150 students have gathered in the encampment at UCD

A second university encampment in support of Palestine has been established at University College Dublin (UCD) over the weekend and remains intact on the campus grounds.

Following similar protests in both Trinity College Dublin and universities in the US, around 150 students have now gathered since Saturday in pitched tents beside a lake in the centre of the southside campus.

The protest is being led by the UCD Students Union and its Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) group, and the students have published a list of demands they want from UCD.

UCD Students Union president, Martha Ni Riada, said they were setting up the encampment in solidarity with the people of Palestine.

Trinity College Dublin agrees to divest from Israeli investments in deal to end student protest

She told the Irish Independent there are over 70 tents pitched and that students are willing to stay until their demands are met.

Ms Ni Riada said there was a stark contrast from the university on their response to the invasion of Ukraine.

They made a very strong statement in 2022 calling for ceasefire, she said.

This invasion of Palestine is more extreme and the findings from the UN and the ICJ show that there are findings of genocide.

Among the commitments the protesters are looking for from UCD are not investing in any Israeli companies, removing any Israeli goods from the university, an acknowledgment of the State of Palestine, and a recognition that genocide is taking place in Gaza.

They are also calling for a statement from the university calling for a ceasefire, agreement from UCD to not create any new ties with Israeli institutions and reviewing existing ties to similar groups.

A similar encampment at Trinity led to successful talks with the university and a public commitment to divest from all investment in companies active in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and on a UN blacklist.

In response to the encampment protest, UCD said it has no investments in Israel and no bilateral partnerships with Israeli institutions.

According to an email to students and staff, UCD confirmed its involvement in eleven EU research projects with Israeli partners and emphasised its respect for academic freedom.

However, UCDSU said the statement does not go far enough and the university hasnt really addressed the vast majority of the demands from students.

Until the university acts and gives a proper response, because what we currently have is stuff we knew before, well continue putting more pressure on the university, Ms Ni Riada added.

Students at other universities have also been taking action in pursuit of similar demands with Maynooth University participating in a sit-in as part of their campaign to encourage the university to sever ties with Israeli institutions.

UCD has been contacted for comment.
There has been frustration at a lack of signage along the Kerry-Limerick Greenway.

There is continued frustration at the length of time its taking to install signage along the Listowel-to-Limerick Greenway, and one Councillor has hit out at a previous marketing programme promoting the route.

Councillors were told at Mondays Listowel Municipal District meeting of several positive developments relating to the Greenway, including receipt of a 30,000 grant that will contribute towards an upcoming marketing programme.

Councillors heard procurement of marketing consultants is underway, with a contract expected to be signed for the one-year programme by the end of this month. A campaign with media group Mediahuis will take place to promote the Greenway over the coming weeks, and it was confirmed that Limerick City and County Council will highlight that the Greenway continues beyond the Limerick-Kerry border, as far as Listowel.

However, there was frustration at Failte Ireland as much-needed signage is still not in place, with particular emphasis on distance markers to let Greenway users know how far theyve proceeded along the route.

This is dragging on a while, said Cathaoirleach Jimmy Moloney (Fianna Fail). Do we have any kind of a timeframe at all? Its been brought up for the last two and a half years.

Fine Gaels Cllr Aoife Thornton said temporary signage is needed at the very least, and she called on Failte Ireland to attend a Listowel MD meeting. She also criticised previous marketing of the Greenway.

We all know there was disappointment at the marketing of the greenway last year, I dont think the contractors did a good job, and Im disappointed we have some of the same contractors involved going forward, she said. There wasnt proper engagement on the ground.

How hard is it to install this signage? Cllr Tom Barry (Sinn Fein) asked. Id consider it one of the first things that should have been done.

Cllr Mike Foley (Fine Gael) asked for more seating at the start of the Greenway, while Mike Kennelly called for clearer advertising of the facilities at the routes trailhead at the Neodata site, particularly its parking facilities. In response, Councillors heard that local stakeholder engagement was emphasised prominently as part of the tender for the upcoming marketing programme, and extra benches can be installed at the Greenway.

In relation to signage, the Council has said it will immediately look at putting in distance markers.
Eileen McGillicuddy and Teresa McCarthy participated in the Darkness into Light Walk in Caherdaniel. Photo by Michael Donnelly.

The team who organized the Caherdaniel Darkness into Light Walk from left: Aileen O'Donoghue, Jill Coffey, Tom Corridan, Tricia Galvin, Ger Deasy and Michael Donnelly.

Michael Donnelly preparing refreshments for the walkers who did the Caherdaniel Darkness into Light Walk.

Taking part in the Caherdaniel Darkness into Light Walk were Back Row: Abbie O'Sullivan, Noreen Sugrue, Cliona O'Connor. Front row: Andy O'Connor and Charlie O'Connor. Photo by Michael Donnelly.

Ella O'Sullivan and Lilymay O'Sulivan were up early for the Caherdaniel Darkness into Light Walk. Photo by Michael Donnelly.

Brid O'Donnell, Ciara Gleeson, Liam O'Leary, Eddie O'Donoghue, Eileen O'Donoghue and Eibhlin Lynch did the Darkness into Light Walk in Caherdaniel. Photo by Michael Donnelly.

Bernie O'Sullivan, Erika O'Sullivan and Trish Scanlon from Cork were in Caherdaniel for the Darkness into Light Walk. Photo by Michael Donnelly.

Heading off for Darkness into Light in Rossbeigh on Saturday morning were Angela Reidy, Christina O'Connor and Brendan Reidy. Photo by Michael G Kenny.

At The Darkness Into Light walk in Rossbeigh on Saturday morning were Noreen, Jack and David Gillespie. Photo by Michael G Kenny.

At The Darkness Into Light walk in Glenbeigh were Mary Hanlon, Holly Clifford and Lorraine Clifford. Photo by Michael G Kenny.

Sisters Theresa Spencer Lynch and Selina Spencer at The Darkness Into Light walk in Rossbeigh on Saturday morning. Photo by Michael G Kenny.

A group photo of some of the walkers that took part in the Darkness into Light walk at Cahersiveen.

Front l-r: Josephine Kennedy Sarah Cournane and back l-r: Aoife Cournane, Jacklie Cournane, Catherine Cournane and Brendan Cournane pictured at the Darkness into Light walk in Cahersiveen on Saturday morning.

Pat Cronin, Fr Gerard Finucane, Geraldine Fitzgerald and Martha Fitzgerald pictured at the Darkness into Light walk in Cahersiveen.

Front l-r: Martina O Sullivan, Sorcha O Sullivan, Jackie O Shea and back l-r: Cathy O'Donovan, Amy Fitzgerald, Mary Ward and Kay Curran pictured at the Darkness into Light walk in Cahersiveen on Saturday morning.

Bridie Begley, Castleisland (left) with: Breda O'Leary, Marian O'Connor and Margaret Carmody, Ballymacelligott at the start of the Darkness into Light Walk in Castleisland on Saturday morning. Photo by John Reidy

Locals out early for the Castleisland 5am start of the Darkness into Light Walk on Saturday morning included, from left: Tara Walmsley, Tina Brennan, Caroline Martin and Eilish O'Leary. Photo by John Reidy

Members of The Forge Restaurant team, as facilitators, were on duty early before the 5am start of Castleisland's Darkness into Light Walk on Saturday morning. Included are from left: Maurice O'Connor, Aisling O'Neill, Clodagh O'Connor, Laura Ward and Tadhg McGillicuddy. Photo by John Reidy

Darkness into Light volunteer William O'Connor preparing for the return of the main bunch at the Darkness into Light Walk at The Forge in Castleisland on Saturday morning. Photo by John Reidy

Sheila Lyons (left) and Chris O'Sullivan, Currans pictured with: Tara Walmsley, Tina Brennan, Caroline Martin and Eilis O'Leary, Castleisland at the 5am start of the Darkness into Light Walk on Saturday morning. Photo by John Reidy

David O'Connor, Castleisland pictured with: Jade O'Connor, Aoibhin and Deirdre Brosnan, Brosna at the start of the Darkness into Light Walk in Castleisland on Saturday morning. Photo by John Reidy

Saoirse (left) and Chloe Lucey, Mastergeeha with Michelle Reidy, Scartaglen were at the 5am start of the Darkness into Light Walk in Castleisland on Saturday morning. Photo by John Reidy.

Nathan O'Carroll's parents, the organisers of the 'Walking for Nathan - Darkness into Light' charity event, Marie and Denis O'Carroll pictured with Cathal P Walshe at the 'Walking for Nathan - Darkness into Light' charity event in Killarney on Saturday morning. Photo by Tatyana McGough

Christina Doyle and Jennifer Myers supporting the 'Walking for Nathan - Darkness into Light' charity event in Killarney on Saturday morning. Photo by Tatyana McGough.

Joshua and Sophia Edwards from Killarney supporting the 'Walking for Nathan - Darkness into Light' charity event in Killarney on Saturday morning. Photo by Tatyana McGough.

Niamh O'Connor, Bridget O'Connor and Maryanne O'Callaghan pictured at 'Walking for Nathan - Darkness into Light' event in Killarney on Saturday morning. Photo by Tatyana McGough.

Volunteers from l-r: Caoimhe Doyle, Aisling Doyle, Cathal P Walshe and Megan Lenihan pictured at the 'Walking for Nathan - Darkness into Light' charity event in Killarney on Saturday morning. Photo by Tatyana McGough.

Sinead Collins and Laura Mannix pictured at 'Walking for Nathan - Darkness into Light' event in Killarney on Saturday morning. Photo by Tatyana McGough

Cora, Laura and Paul Kelleher with Lorraine and Grace Nash during Darkness Into Light walk in Dingle. Photo by Manuela Dei Grandi.

JJ and Erin Curran, Lucy, Zara and Emma Kennedy, Eva Fitzgerald and Alisha Curran during Darkness Into Light walk in Dingle. Photo by Manuela Dei Grandi.

Morgan Flaherty with Dermot and Sarah OConnor during Darkness Into Light walk in Dingle. Photo by Manuela Dei Grandi.

Maura, Tadhg and Bride Evans during the Darkness Into Light walk in Dingle. Photo by Manuela Dei Grandi.

Mary Cremen and Helena McCarthy during Darkness Into Light walk in Dingle. Photo by Manuela Dei Grandi.

From l-r: Rachel Sexton, Amy Lucey, Michelle O'Sullivan pictured at 'Walking for Nathan - Darkness into Light' event in Killarney on Saturday morning. Photo by Tatyana McGough.

Kerry was out bright and early on Saturday morning, with thousands of people coming together in 10 different locations across the county to walk from Darkness into Light and raise vital funds for suicide- and self-harm-prevention charity Pieta House.

The walks this year took place in Tarbert, Tralee, Killarney, Kenmare, Caherdaniel, Glenbeigh, Dingle, Cahersiveen, Castlegregory and Castleisland, and hundreds  or even thousands  left the cosy comforts of their beds at each location.

Two of the longest-running events in the county are the Dingle walk (which celebrated its 10th year this year) and the Killarney walk  which is known as Nathans Walk, in honour of local boy, Nathan OCarroll, Ross Road, who died by suicide in 2007 when he was aged just 14  and both were, once again, hailed as huge successes by organisers.

Killarneys is the longest-running walk outside of Dublin, and Nathans mother, Marie, explained to The Kerryman that up to 3,500 people took part in Saturdays. renewal.

"Id also like to thank Flesk Valley Rowing Club, who raised to raise funds for Nathans Walk on the morning at Ross Castle, Marie said of a unique twist to this years event.

"We had about 3,500 people, and I was very happy because there were, I think, 11 official walks in Kerry.

"We want to thank everyone who took part on the night, all who helped in the smooth running of the event, all who sponsored the event: Sheahan Group and JM Reidys; Dalys SuperValu; Tesco Killarney; and Irish Health Foods. I also thank the Killarney Racecourse for the beautiful venue, the Office of Public Works for the National Park, the Order of Malta, and Dan Devane video production.

A group photo of some of the walkers that took part in the Darkness into Light walk at Cahersiveen.

Ciaran O Murchu, organiser of the Dingle walk, spoke to The Kerryman and said that the event could not have gone better.

"It was a great success, it was really good, he said. It was the 10th walk in Dingle, which was a brilliant milestone to reach. We had over 280 people in attendance, and sure the weather was fantastic!

"We started at the marina, did our 5k loop around the town, and then we headed back to the marina afterwards where there were teas, coffees, refreshments and hot food waiting for everyone.

Volunteers from l-r: Caoimhe Doyle, Aisling Doyle, Cathal P Walshe and Megan Lenihan pictured at the 'Walking for Nathan - Darkness into Light' charity event in Killarney on Saturday morning. Photo by Tatyana McGough.

Amazingly, Ciaran added that the event has raised over 7,500 for Pieta House, mainly gathered through online registrations and bucket collections held on the night. Additionally, an in-person registration night for the event raised 800.

Special thanks, Ciaran said, must go to others members of the events organising committee in Rosarii Galvin, Padraig Dennehy and Eoghan O Conchubhair, as well as numerous others who helped out in various roles on the morning.

In Castleisland meanwhile, an estimated 500 people took part in the walk, all of whom had the late, great Gerard 'Gerdie' Murphy on their minds following his recent passing; he had acted as Grand Marshall at last years walk.

They raised 8,500 on the morning.
Flowers left near the scene at the Grand Canal in Co Kildare

A teenage boy who died on Saturday after getting into difficulty while swimming in the Grand Canal in Co Kildare has been named locally as Max OConnor.

Max (15), from the village of Newcastle, in south-west Dublin, has been described as a well-liked and popular boy who had a lot of friends in his home area.

Max is survived by his parents Brian and Dolores, siblings Lee, Emma, Ava, Milly, Libby, Mark and Dwayne, and niece Esme and nephew Luan.

The funeral will take place at 11am on Tuesday, May 21, in the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Clondalkin Village.

It will be followed by burial in Newlands Cross Cemetery.

Cllr Trevor Gilligan told the Irish Independent that the tight-knit community of Newcastle is devastated and shocked by the tragedy.

"My thoughts and prayers are with his family at this terribly sad time He had his whole life ahead of him, Cllr Gilligan said.

He added that Maxs group of friends are terribly saddened and upset at the tragic news of his death.

It is understood that he was attending Colaiste Chilliain secondary school in Clondalkin.

At approximately 5.40pm on Saturday May 11, gardai became aware of a person who had gotten into difficulty in the water in the Grand Canal between Ardclough and Celbridge in Co Kildare.

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A number of emergency services attended the scene and the body of the 15-year-old boy was recovered from the water a short time later.

The local coroner had been notified, and arrangements were being made for a post-mortem examination.

Today's News in 90 seconds - 13th May 2024

The Irish Independent understands that no foul play is currently suspected and the incident appears to have been an accident.
Gardai are investigating two incidents involving suspicious approaches to women in Co Laois

Gardai are currently investigating the alleged abduction attempts of two separate women on two different occasions in Co Laois.

Laois Gardai have confirmed that they are actively investigating two incidents involving suspicious approaches to women in the area of Mountmellick in Co Laois.

The initial incident occurred on Friday evening, April 26 in Mountmellick. A second related incident, also in Moutmellick, took place at the weekend on Saturday evening, May 11.

This led to the swift arrest of a male suspect.

A spokesperson from the Laois Offaly Garda Division confirmed that the individual involved has been charged with a specific criminal matter and was remanded in custody following a court appearance. A file will be forwarded to the DPP in relation to further enquires.

Meanwhile, a statement from An Garda Siochana said that a male in his 40s appeared before Portlaoise District Court yesterday in relation to the first incident on April 26.

"Gardai received a report of an alleged incident that is reported to have occurred on Friday evening, April 26, 2024 in Mountmellick, Co. Laois, read the statement.

A male in his 40s has since been arrested in relation to this incident. He was charged contrary to the Section 23 of the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023 and appeared before Portlaoise District Court yesterday morning, Monday May 13, 2024.

As this matter is currently before the courts, An Garda Siochana is not in a position to comment further at this time.

The spokesperson added that An Garda Siochana are also investigating the second incident that occurred on May 11.

"Gardai are investigating an incident that occurred on Saturday evening, May 11, 2024 in Mountmellick, Co. Laois.

"A male in his 40s was arrested in relation to this incident and detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984. He has since been released from custody and a file will be prepared for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

"Investigations are ongoing, concluded the statement. It is unknown if it was the same man arrested in respect of both incidents.

Today's News in 90 seconds - 14th May 2024

Following on from the incidents, Gardai in Laois reassured the public that they are following a definite line of enquiry to ensure the safety of the community.

These incidents continue to be the subject of a thorough investigation by the gardai, who are following a definite line of enquiry to ascertain all pertinent details and ensure the safety of the community, said a spokesperson.

"Gardai wish to express their gratitude to the community members in Laois for their vigilance and assistance in this matter. The cooperation of the public has been instrumental in addressing these incidents promptly and efficiently.

"The safety and security of all community members are of utmost importance, and gardai are committed to maintaining public safety and responding decisively to any threats.

"Further updates will be provided as the investigation progresses. For any concerns or information related to these incidents, the public is encouraged to contact your local Garda Station. Gardai reassure the public that all information will be treated with the strictest confidence, concluded the spokesperson.
Work is due to start on site on the construction of Narrow Water Bridge before the end of May

Work is due to start on the construction of the long-awaited Narrow Water Bridge in the coming weeks following the signing of contracts for the 60m project.

The contract for the 620m cable-stayed bridge linking Warrenpoint, Co Down with Omeath Co Louth was awarded to BAM Ireland and the work is to be completed over a three-year period.

The First Minister of Northern Ireland, Michelle ONeill said on Monday evening that she was absolutely delighted that the contract for the Narrow Water Bridge has been awarded, with work due to begin within weeks.

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"This will be transformative for South Down and the Cooley area, creating a wealth of opportunities and unlocking the huge potential to create good quality jobs, boost tourism and create a stronger, all-Ireland economy.

"An exciting time ahead for local communities in South Down and Louth!"

Locally, Sinn Fein Councillor Antoin Watters has described the awarding of the contract for the Narrow Water Bridge Project as a significant day for the communities of North Louth and South Down.

This Project will be transformative in terms of tourism, jobs and an all-round stronger local and all-Ireland economy. At times, it was considered by other parties as unrealistic and they sought to have it shelved but I managed to keep it as a priority for Louth County Council, raising it at every opportunity. I also raised it at the Cross Border Strategic Alliance Committee with Newry, Mourne and Down Council.

The news has also been welcomed by Fianna Fail Senator Erin McGreehan who, in a social media post, said that An Tanaiste Micheal Martin had championed the project from day one and had ensured through the Shared Island Fund ensured that they were not just waiting on anyone else to fund it.

I am delighted we are at this point, she said, adding that there will be an official ceremony at Narrow Water in the coming weeks.

She congratulated Louth County Council and expressed her warmest thanks to An Tanaiste Micheal Martin and Minister Darragh OBrien.

Deputy Ruairi O Murchu also welcomed the news saying it was an absolutely necessary cross border project that has been supported by Sinn Fein since its inception.

Today's News in 90 seconds - 14th May 2024

We are, of course, supportive of the progress being made on the Narrow Water Bridge, but the project needs to be completed and delivered without any hiccups.

The Sinn Fein TD said it was not helpful that news of the awarding of the contract was made public on a construction X (formerly Twitter) account.

We need to make sure that everything is done correctly to ensure that the bridge is delivered on time and on budget, he said.

BAM Ireland is a wholly owned wholly-owned subsidiary of the Royal BAM Group (RBG) of the Netherlands and is construction company building the National Childrens Hospital. They have delivered a number of other bridge projects in Ireland including the River Suir Bridge in Waterford and the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge, which opened in Co Kilkenny in 2020 and is Irelands longest bridge and the Rathoath overbridge in Dublin.
Work had been expected to begin earlier this year

A contractor has pulled out of redeveloping the Gibraltar Point area.

Phase one of the refurbishment works which includes footpath reconstruction and reinstatement and the provision of access steps was to commence two months ago.

In March a public Notice went up on the Councils website advising the public of the proposed works, and then, at the eleventh hour, the contractor pulled out and withdrew from the contract.

The issue was raised at Mondays monthly meeting of the Council by councillor Declan Bree who has long campaigned for the work to be done.

This has delayed the entire project and it meant that the contractor who submitted the next lowest tender would have to be approached regarding availability.

I feel extremely frustrated about this and I can only imagine how frustrating it must be for Council engineers and staff.

And I gather that this is not an uncommon occurrence.

That is why I tabled the query regarding such situations. I would be of the opinion that where companies withdraw from contracts like this there should be some form of penalty imposed by the Council.

But I gather we cannot do so.

I am conscious that the engineering staff are as anxious as myself to see work start on this project and I wish to commend them on their patience, he said.

Cllr Bree said the fact that Gibraltar or The Rocks is located in a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and a Special Protection Area (SPA), significant issues had to be addressed so as to comply with the law before the Council could consider carrying out refurbishment works

We had to commission a full topographical survey of the area leading from Gibraltar Road to the old swimming pool

Following the survey an engineering company was engaged to prepare preliminary design drawings and a Method Statement including a draft design site layout for the proposed footpath refurbishment and access steps.

That work had to be completed in advance of preparing any Appropriate Assessment/ Natura Impact Statement.

Following the completion of the draft design an Environmental Consultant then had to be appointed to examine and consider the proposals.

The Council then commissioned the preparation of an Appropriate Assessment Screening Report in the expectation that the works could be successfully screened and a funding source identified.

When funding for Phase 1 of the project was put in place we then sought tenders and the company which submitted the lowest tender was awarded the contract.

There was an expectation that work on the project would commence in January of this year, however we were then advised by the Contractor that it would be March when construction work would commence.

We looked forward to seeing the recreation area back in use this summer.

In response, Head of Finance, Marie Whelan said that when a contractor withdraws from a contract the following applies:

The contractor is required to submit in writing their intention to withdraw from the contract and their inability to provide the goods/services/works as requested.

If the contract was awarded as a result of a Request for Quotations, the councils Request for Quotations documents states the Council reserves the right to award the contract to the next highest scoring economic operator on the basis of the terms advertised.

In the case where the contratc was awarded was the result of a request for tender, the original tender must be cancelled.

A Chief Executive order is required to cancel a tender awarded.

A new tender competition would then be run.
Precinct Properties New Zealand Limited (PPNZ) is pleased to advise a cash dividend for the FY24 third quarter of 1.497500 cents per share. This dividend has no imputation credits to attach for the quarter and therefore no supplementary dividend to be paid (see note 1).

Precinct Properties Investments Limited (PPIL) is pleased to advise a dividend for the FY24 third quarter of 0.234512 cents per share, comprising cash of 0.190000 cents per share, imputation credits of 0.030618 cents per share and a supplementary dividend of 0.013894 cents per share (see note 1).

The record date for both PPNZ and PPIL dividends above is 23 May 2024 and payment will be made on 7 June 2024.

Ends

For further information, please contact:

Richard Hilder

Chief Financial Officer

Mobile: +64 29 969 4770

Email: richard.hilder@precinct.co.nz

About Precinct (PCT)

Listed on the NZX Main Board under the ticker code PCT and ranked in the NZX top 30, Precinct is the largest owner, manager and developer of premium inner-city real estate in Auckland and Wellington. Precinct is predominantly invested in office buildings and also includes investment in Generator, Commercial Bay retail, third party capital partnerships, and a multi-unit residential development business. For information visit: www.precinct.co.nz

On 1 July 2023, Precinct effected a restructuring to create a stapled group structure. A stapled group comprises two listed parent companies whose shares are held by the same shareholders in equal proportions. The shares in each parent company can only be transferred or dealt with together.

Shareholders in Precinct Properties Group (Precinct) hold an equal number of shares in Precinct Properties New Zealand Limited (PPNZ) and Precinct Properties Investments Limited (PPIL) and these shares can only be dealt with together. The stapled issuers are described as Precinct Properties NZ Ltd & Precinct Properties Investments Ltd (NS) on NZX systems and the ticker code for the stapled shares remains PCT.

Note 1

A supplementary dividend is paid to non-resident shareholders to offset the amount of non-resident withholding tax (NRWT) that New Zealand companies are required to deduct from dividends paid to non-resident shareholders. A supplementary dividend is paid to ensure equitable treatment between non-resident shareholders and resident shareholders (whose dividends are not subject to NRWT). Theres no disadvantage to Precinct or our shareholders, and non-resident shareholders dont get a larger cash dividend than an equivalent New Zealand resident shareholder.

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The cover of a Joe Cuddy's 1976 album which featured "Any Dream Will Do" and 12 other tracks.

1 Any Dream Will Do Joe Cuddy

2 Waterloo ABBA

3 Seasons In The Sun Terry Jacks

4 Doctors Orders Sunny

5 The Town I Loved So Well Paddy Reilly

6 I See A Star Mouth and McNeal

7 Behind Closed Doors Brendan Quinn

8 Remember Youre A Womble The Wombles

9 The Most Beautiful Girl Roly Daniels

10 Behind Closed Doors Charlie Rich

Homegrown performer Joe Cuddy brought the brief Irish chart reign of ABBAs Eurovision-winning Waterloo to an end in May 1974.

The Swedish superstars spent two weeks on top before succumbing to the popularity of Cuddys Any Dream Will Do, a song written six years earlier for the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.

By the time Dublin-born Joe Cuddy released Any Dream Will Do as his fourth single in March 1974, he already had one No. 1 single under his belt.

The previous year he had topped the Irish charts with the aptly-named Im Gonna Make It, a Vince Hill composition which had given Cuddy victory in the internationally-recognised Castlebar Song Contest.

Cuddy had made the leap from cabaret star to TV recognition at the National Song Contest in 1972. His song Ma dhuachas Dun na ngall (My Lovely Donegal) finished tied for eighth place as Sandie Jones Ceol an Ghra claimed the right to represent Ireland at the Eurovision.

That same year Cuddys debut single climbed to number 14 in the Irish charts. The song Sticks and Stones, co-written with sister Eileen Clancy, earned him a performance on Gay Byrnes Late Late Show.

In the space of a couple of years, Joe Cuddy had made the successful transition from the cabaret and panto stage to reach a bigger, national audience, but his status as a giant among Irish entertainers in the Seventies is largely down to the enduring popularity of his version of Any Dream Will Do.

The single, arranged by the great Noel Kelehan (who conducted five winning Eurovision entries), spent three weeks at number one and a total of 21 weeks on the Irish charts. It sported a B-side also written for Joseph..., the Lloyd Webber/Rice song Close Every Door To Me.

In 1991, seventeen years after Cuddys number one, Any Dream Will Do returned to the top of the Irish charts in the hands of Jason Donovan who was at the time playing Joseph in the West End production of the musical at the London Palladium.

After a career spanning five decades, Joe Cuddy passed away just before Christmas, 2020, at the age of 78. RIP
Following a very successful tour of America earlier this year, Green Road is ready to wow the lucky patrons.

Green Road is a local folk/ballad band, who play a blend of Irish ballads and Traditional tunes with a Bluegrass and Americana flavour. Combining five string and Tenor banjos, Flat picked guitar, Mandolin, Uilleann Pipes and Whistles, bass guitar and vocal harmonies forging a unique sound, the band are playing in a fully open seated event. Patrons are advised to arrive early, the concert will start at 8.30 p.m. with doors opening at 8 p.m., however you are advised to allow time to park and enter.

Chairperson of Camross Hall, Breda Banville said: We are delighted to welcome Green Road to Camross again, this time to celebrate our centenary year. We are expecting a full house as only a few tickets remain at this stage. We would ask everyone to work with our car park attendants who will ensure everyone is sorted. We do have disabled parking for Blue Badge Holders, our hall also has disabled facilities. We have a great team who work to help everyone have a wonderful experience.

Of course, Camross Hall is accustomed to large audiences and late nights. Celebrating the 100-year anniversary, the home to many groups and organisations, the hall is a wonderful facility for any event.

Hosting a dance the first Friday of every month, concerts, meetings, drama, Irish dancing, question times, coffee mornings, it is a hub for the community, a facilitator for the All Vehicle Run, and so much more, even Mass when St. Garvans Church was refurbished and of course, bingo.

"The last 100 years has seen a varied and busy time for this building not alone the heart of the community but a constant in the community during a time of great change, said Breda.

Start time 8.30 p.m. Doors open at 8 p.m. and admission is 25

For tickets call 086 8369047 or see eventbrite.com/ Green Road at Camross Hall.
Arklow councillors have criticised their county TDs and central government for a shortfall in roads funding that has left rural communities across their district travelling in hazardous conditions and paying exorbitant maintenance costs on their vehicles.

Having repeatedly raised concerns about the shocking state of rural roads at county and district level, Councillor Pat Kennedy broached ongoing issues around the filtration of government funding for roads down to local level at the May Arklow MD meeting.

After commending Arklow District Manager Leonora Earls and District Engineer Avril Hill for stretching their budgets as far as possible, Cllr Kennedy added: I know Avril is doing a lot of work on the rural roads, but they are in a shocking state.

The sheer fact of the matter is that the money is not coming from Dublin to do these roads. We have the Taoiseach in the county, and we need money for rural roads. Its unfair to expect rural people to drive on the standard of roads they are driving on.

One Oireachtas member, in 2014, made a press release on February 14, and another one on February 16 or 17, and the statement read: With the addition of 8.15m that was given in that year, there was no need for rural people to drive on bad rural roads ever again, because the money allocated together with the councils own resources, was a record amount of money.

The problem is that the additional eight million never made it to the rural roads.

There are people out there now, and they have to have an NCT on the car, tax and insurance, and its only right that they have to have these things, he continued.

Whats not right is they have to pay additional maintenance above and beyond what the normal maintenance of a car is to drive from their home, to bring their children to school, go to work or about their daily business.

Now, that is not a reflection on our District Manager, and I take off my hat to Avril for what she is doing in relation to the rural roads, but she and the council are not being given the money to do it.

That money comes from central government, and our TDs are not delivering the funding for the roads in this county, and that is the bottom line  and I think if were all being honest, we know that.

Councillor Sylvester Bourke reminded the chamber that, at a previous meeting, there had been calls for a review of levies so that money collected through Wicklow County Councils Development Contribution Scheme could be used for the repair of rural roads, before he asked: Did that fall on deaf ears?

Its not that this is falling on deaf ears  the difficulty is that the development contributions collected are for capital works and the provision of new things, District Manager Leonora Earls replied.

It is very strict that that is what they are for, so they cant be used to repair roads. They have to create an asset of a new road, a new community facility etc.

As Cllr Kennedy says, Avril (Hill) does make the money stretch as far as she can, and we did give you the stats previously on how far the money goes.

We have had double the average rainfall from last year, and the extra maintenance costs that have caused are huge, Cllr Bourke interjected.

Central government should really set up funding to recognise and address that, and they often have in the past when there have been exceptional weather events.

Cumulatively, over the last 12 months, we have had an exceptional weather event, and its not fair that we and the public are left with a lack of funding for rural roads.

Responding to Cllr Bourkes comments, Ms Hill said that, any time there is a weather event, MD staff make an application, noting that: Our drainage budget is very small as well, and a lot of the time it is drainage that is needed on these roads.

Thats what we go back to the department with, Ms Earls added. We speak with the department inspector and say to them, can we look at how the money is distributed, because of the change in the weather and climate, the drainage and climate action areas are the ones where the money is needed.

After Councillors Miriam Murphy and Pat Fitzgerald expressed their dismay at the condition of rural roads in their district, Cllr Kennedy enquired about the almost 12m paid out by Wicklow County Council in public liability claims over the past 10 years and how much of that sum is linked to rural roads.

At last months meeting, I brought up the fact that there was over 11m paid out by Wicklow County Council in claims, and Id like to know if it is IPB (Irish Public Bodies) that insures the roads as well, and does anyone know what percentage of that 11m due to accidents on rural roads? he asked.

IPB are the insurer for all local authorities across the country, so any public liability claims that come in are dealt with solely by IPB, Ms Earls replied. We can ask them what percentage of that was from rural roads.
Arklow resident Lorraine Farrell has been selected to represent People Before Profit in the Arklow Local Electoral Area ahead of the June local elections.

A well-known activist in the town, Ms Farrell has recently been involved in organising events in solidarity with Palestine and, during the Covid crisis, she helped set up an online community group to help overcome isolation.

Ms Farrell has also been a key figure in organising a hub for Ukrainian refugees in Arklow, as well as campaigning for the Repeal movement and marriage equality, and is standing in the local elections to highlight the disastrous crisis in housing.

Despite repeated government claims, the housing crisis is getting worse and many young people are emigrating because of it, Ms Farrell said.

Read more Wicklow Local Elections 2024: Meet the candidates

In the past, unemployment was the main reason for emigration but now housing has become the main push factor. We need to use public land for public and affordable housing. We need a rent freeze and strict rent controls. Local authorities must monitor and ensure that homes are not left vacant.

If elected, Ms Farrell said she aims to continue fighting for equal rights and will use her voice to fight for special needs facilities, universal access to mental health services, dental care for all and housing for all.

She promises to disrupt the business as usual attitude of Wicklow County Council and fight for compulsory purchase orders on all buildings and sites vacant for longer than five years.
Independent Councillor for Greystones, Tom Fortune, has called on those responsible for removing his campaign posters to stop, as it is an attack on his democratic right.

Cllr Fortune, who recently held his local election campaign, during which he highlighted the provision of schools, better infrastructure and the threat to local councillors from central government as his key motivators, said he has been active in my community all my life and I became a local politician because my community asked would I put my name forward for election.

Reacting to the removal of the posters, he said that he made the decision at the outset of his campaign to only use a small number of posters (20), just to have a presence and after two posters were taken down at one location last Saturday, May 11, he replaced them only to have them ripped down again.

In addition, a marker was used to block my name, so this is not random. It is an attack on my democratic right. Posters at two other locations have also been messed with, he added.

The act of vandalism came just days after Cllr Fortune launched his campaign, at The Pantry, in Kilcoole, on Thursday, May 9, where he spoke of his decision to first run for local government.

At the time the community was neglected and in the view of many been dumped on, he said. I have always had an interest in current affairs and I enjoy a debate. Over my time as a councillor I work hard for the community. I have and continue to raise relevant issues and ask the hard questions of Wicklow County Council that effect our communities of Greystones, Kilcoole, Delgany, Newcastle, Killadreenan, he said.

With his experience as a councillor and his business background  over 30 years working in corporate and indigenous Irish companies at board level, as well as running his own business  he spoke of his approach in seeking out fairness on behalf of his constituents and his ability to navigate local and national government on the communitys behalf.

As an experienced independent councillor I seek what is right on behalf of my community, a key role of a councillor is to advocate strongly, he said, adding that this is more important than ever as the councillor role is been undermined.

As chairperson of Wicklow County Tourism for eight years, he highlighted his involvement in community across a wide range of areas and the infrastructural projects he has achieved  community centres, playgrounds, improved bus and rail services  as well as his contribution to education and tourism.

He promised to advocate continually on housing needs for people on the back of his contributions to the development of county development plans and local area plans.

Looking forward, Cllr Fortune said the local area plan is vital for the whole area and the input from the public is very important.

A massive challenge is the provision of schools, he continued, two key elements of this is the building of Greystones Community College and the extension to Colaiste Croabh Abhann in Kilcoole which will bring CCA to a 1,000-pupil school.

Asked what he would be doing if he were not in politics, Cllr Fortune pointed to his literary aspirations.

During Covid, the two years that we lost from our normal (whatever that is / was ) activity, I did a lot of reflecting and started a diary on my thoughts and reflections. In the last year, I started to write it all up in a book format, which will require editing. So I will add to and complete this project. My plan B is to write my book.
The restaurant's Google rating fell from 4.9 to 3.1 following the man's bombardment of bad reviews. Photo: Getty

A British man has been arrested in Thailand for allegedly bombarding a restaurant with one-star reviews after he was banned from walking through it as a short-cut on his way home.

The 21-year-old, identified only as Alexander, allegedly sought revenge after he was told he could not walk through an Italian restaurant on the island of Phuket because he was not a paying customer.
Hundreds of officers mobilised to hunt gunmen and fugitive reportedly nicknamed La Mouche

Images on social media showed at least two men in balaclavas carrying rifles circling near an SUV that was in flames. (snapchat)

A suspected drug boss is being hunted by hundreds of police officers after escaping from a prison van fatally ambushed by four gunmen at a motorway tollbooth in northern France.

At least two prison officers were killed in the attack launched shortly after 11am on the A154 motorway in Val-de-Reuil in Normandy, according to local reports. Three more are seriously injured, said Frances justice minister Eric Dupond-Morett.
Russians try to stretch front as they move in on Kharkiv region

New advance may draw Kievs forces away from other areas under threat

A police officer helps a local resident during an evacuation to Kharkiv due to Russian shelling, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv region, Ukraine May 13, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer

Yuliia Dysa Tue 14 May 2024 at 03:30







Russia pressed its ground assault into the north of Ukraines Kharkiv region yesterday, attacking new areas with small groups to try to widen the front and stretch Ukrainian forces, the regional governor said.
Frances Freedom Flame has arrived in the UK on its way to the US as part of a tour to thank the two countries for their key roles on D-Day.

The flame, which normally resides on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc De Triomphe in Paris, has left its home for the first time in its 101-year history to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings.
India Signs 10-Year Pact with Iran to Operate its Chabahar Port

After long periods of negotiations, India and Iran have finally signed a 10-year long-term bilateral contract for the operation of Chabahar Port. Indias union ministry of ports, shipping, and waterways has said that the agreement is a vital part of the countrys trade plans with Central Asia and parts of Europe.

Under the agreement signed between India Port Global Limited (IPGL) and the Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) of Iran, India will develop and operate the strategic port, namely Shahid Beheshti terminal, for 10 years. This is Indias first attempt at managing the seaport of a different country.

In order to avoid using the ports of Karachi and Gwadar in Pakistan, India has been building a port in Chabahar on the southeast coast of Iran along the Gulf of Oman as a means of transporting products to Iran, Afghanistan, and other central Asian countries.

India began developing the Shahid Beheshti Port in Chabahar by setting up and running a general cargo and container terminal. According to Indias Ministry of Port, Shipping, and Waterways, from FY 201617 to FY 202324, INR 4 billion (US$47.7 million) has been allocated for developing the port, of which INR 2.015 billion (US$24.06 million) has been spent on the port.

India celebrates the landmark deal

Following the agreements signing on May 13, 2024, Indias Union Minister of Port, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, stated that Chabahar Port is more important than just a bridge linking India with Iran; its a critical economic route that links India with Afghanistan and the Central Asian countries. Sonawal further stated that this connection has strengthened supply chain resilience throughout the area and opened up new trade opportunities.

Indias west coast is easily accessible from the Chabahar Port, which is situated on Irans southwest coast. In the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), it also serves as a vital link. The long-term agreement will solidify Indias expanding role in advancing international trade and commerce and significantly stimulate economic activity.

Through the INSTC, a road and rail project, the port will give Indian commodities a gateway to landlocked Afghanistan and Central Asia.

India sent 20,000 tonnes of wheat aid to Afghanistan in 2023 via the Chabahar port. In 2021, Iran received ecologically friendly insecticides from India via the Chabahar port.

India aims to create direct connectivity to Afghanistan and Central Asia by utilizing Chabahar Port. The distance between Chabahar and Mumbai is 786 nautical miles, with Kandla port in Gujarat being the closest port at 550 nautical miles.

Both India and Iran envision the site as a major INSTC project hub. A multi-mode transport project spanning 7,200 km, the INSTC is designed to move freight between India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia, and Europe.

A loan window of the equivalent of US$250 million has been offered for mutually identified projects aiming at strengthening Chabahar-related infrastructure, while the Indian Embassy in Iran has also declared that the IPGL will spend US$120 million in the port.

Paving way for long-term operational collaboration

While a formal 10-year agreement had been prepared in 2016, sanctions against Iran prevented improvements on that front, and India had been working on the harbor through short-term deals, which were intermittently renewed.

The unstable nature of the project due to geopolitical events have kept financial specialists and shippers hesitant to contribute to the port development project, citing the need for government long-term assistance. India is expecting to reap the benefits of this agreement in its supply chain only in the long haul.

India-Iran Chabahar Port Agreement Timeline January 2003: India begins dialogues with Iran on developing a seaport at Chabahar city, located on the Gulf of Oman coast in Irans southeastern corner.

India begins dialogues with Iran on developing a seaport at Chabahar city, located on the Gulf of Oman coast in Irans southeastern corner. August 2012: Ahead of the NAM summit, India, Iran, and Afghanistan hold a strategic trilateral meet in Tehran to discuss key issues, including trade and transit prospects through Chabahar port.

Ahead of the NAM summit, India, Iran, and Afghanistan hold a strategic trilateral meet in Tehran to discuss key issues, including trade and transit prospects through Chabahar port. January 2013: India pledges investments of US$100 million for Indias first deepwater seaport at Chabahar.

India pledges investments of US$100 million for Indias first deepwater seaport at Chabahar. May 2015: India-Iran ink deal on bilateral engagement; India to spend US$500 million to refurbish Shahid Beheshti terminal and reconstruct a 600-meter-long container handling facility.

India-Iran ink deal on bilateral engagement; India to spend US$500 million to refurbish Shahid Beheshti terminal and reconstruct a 600-meter-long container handling facility. May 2016: India and Iran sign a contract for equipping and operating Chabahar Port.

India and Iran sign a contract for equipping and operating Chabahar Port. October 2017: First shipment from India carrying wheat goes through port to Afghanistan.

First shipment from India carrying wheat goes through port to Afghanistan. December 2017: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani inaugurates Shahid Beheshti terminal.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani inaugurates Shahid Beheshti terminal. May 2018: India and Iran agree to short-term contract after previous deal faces delay in activation.

India and Iran agree to short-term contract after previous deal faces delay in activation. December 2018: India takes charge of operation at the port, including terminal area, cargo handling, and office building.

India takes charge of operation at the port, including terminal area, cargo handling, and office building. February 2019: The first Afghan cargo transits via Chabahar Port.

Indias sustained engagement in Chabahar underscores its role as an anchor for Indian trade in the region while enhancing its role in the global supply chain. India will use the port for humanitarian aid shipments, reaffirming its commitment to support regional development beyond commercial interests.

At present, India is undergoing its 18th general elections. While the Model Code of Conduct bars the government from making announcements of any new engagements, it has been reported that the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways sought special permission from Indias Election Commission to sign the Chabahar port deal in Tehran.

Indias trade engagements in Chabahar

The agreement specifies that India will procure equipment and machinery at the port. So far, India has acquired and supplied six mobile harbor cranes and other equipment valued at US$25 million. The sea port will play a crucial role in the eastern route of the INSTC.

India can benefit from Chabahar Ports advantageous location by expanding its trade flows in addition to having an optional transit route. Though the two countries have agreed to a 10-year extension, it can be extended further through mutual assent. Iran reportedly requested minimum guaranteed traffic (MGT), which is a common clause in port agreements based on concessions.

On to new trade opportunities

Experts in trade and taxation believe that the Chabahar Port offers the Indian oil and gas industry strategic advantages by diversifying import routes, opening up new markets in Central Asia, creating opportunities for infrastructure development, enhancing energy security through a variety of sources, and gaining geopolitical clout in the area. India can reduce the risks associated with using traditional import routes, increase its energy footprint, improve infrastructural capacities, guarantee a steady supply of energy, and make its presence known in the Central Asian regions.

(US$1 = INR 83.72)

This article was originally published on May 14, 2024. It was last updated July 29, 2024.
Indias Trade Performance in FY 2023-24 and Strategy to Explore New Export Markets

We discuss Indias trade performance in FY 2023-24 and the strategy to overcome the trade deficit by penetrating new export markets for its commodities and value-added products.

India has released its latest trade data, forecasting that export figures will sustain the peak achieved in the previous year, reaching an estimated US$776.68 billion in the fiscal year (FY) 202324, slightly surpassing the US$776.40 billion recorded in the preceding fiscal year. According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, FY24 concluded with the highest monthly merchandise exports of the fiscal year, totaling US$41.68 billion in March 2024.

Total goods imports by India in 202324 decreased by 5.66 percent to US$675.44 billion.

Looking ahead, India is actively working on expanding its export portfolio beyond traditional sectors like iron ore and agricultural commodities. The focus is on diversifying into electronics, pharmaceuticals, engineering products, and food items. The Ministry of Commerces initiative aims to strengthen export offerings by introducing goods such as alcohol beverages, prepared meals, confectioneries, and value-added products like jackfruit and bananas.

To tailor products to the preferences and legal requirements of each target market, the commerce ministrys strategy will entail thorough market research and analysis.

Indias trade performance in FY 2023-24

Trade during FY 2023-24 (April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024) *

Export/import 2023-24 (US$ billion) 2022-23 (US$ billion) Merchandise Export 437.06 451.07 Import 677.24 751.97 Services Export 339.62 325.33 Import 177.56 182.05 Overall trade (merchandise+services) * Export 776.68 776.40 Import 854.80 898.01 Trade balance -78.12 -121.62

Data provided by Ministry of Commerce and Industry

The information with (*) indicates that the values are an estimate and are subjected to revision after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) releases trade data for FY 2023-24.

The 2023-24 trade data indicates that non-petroleum and non-gems and jewelry exports have seen a modest increase of 1.45 percent, rising from US$315.64 billion in FY 2022-23 to US$320.21 billion in FY 2023-24. Key drivers of merchandise export growth in FY24 were electronic goods, drugs & pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, iron ore, cotton yarn, fabrics, and made-ups, handloom products, ceramic products, and glassware.

China surpasses the US to become Indias largest trading partner

According to data from the economic think tank GTRI, China has emerged as Indias largest trading partner, surpassing the US, with two-way commerce totaling US$118.4 billion in FY 2023-24. In the same period, bilateral trade between India and the US amounted to US$118.3 billion. Previously, the US was Indias top trading partner in 2021-22 and 2022-23.

GTRIs analysis shows that Indias exports to China experienced a notable increase of 8.7 percent in FY24, reaching US$16.67 billion. Key sectors driving this growth included iron ore, cotton yarn/fabrics/madeups, handloom products, spices, fruits and vegetables, as well as plastic and linoleum. Meanwhile, imports from China saw a moderate rise of 3.24 percent, totaling US$101.7 billion. Key import items included high-tech gear like telecom and smartphone parts, laptop and PCs, as well as industrial inputs such as plastic, iron and steel, and chemicals.

India top 15 trade partners for 2023-2024 (Apr 2023-Feb 2024) (Value in US$ million)

Rank Country/Region Export Import 1 China 15,102.42 93,997.58 2 USA 70,000.96 37,637.14 3 United Arab Emirates 31,618.56 43,129.60 4 Russia 3,820.24 55,591.65 5 Saudi Arabia 10,365.97 29,127.47 6 Singapore 12,822.40 19,614.52 7 Iraq 3,007.01 26,664.61 8 Indonesia 5,576.05 21,478.16 9 Hong Kong 7,743.86 18,479.46 10 Republic of Korea 5,899.10 19,471.66 11 Netherland 20,258.00 4,588.86 12 Germany 8,856.10 14,944.24 13 Australia 7,470.84 14,948.38 14 Switzerland 1,236.59 20,460.29 15 Japan 4,684.08 15,984.85

Data Source: Department of Commerce

Conversely, Indian exports to the US witnessed a slight decrease of 1.32 percent, amounting to US$77.5 billion in FY24, compared to US$78.54 billion in 202223. Additionally, imports from the US declined by approximately 20 percent, settling at US$40.8 billion, as indicated by the data.

Based on data from the commerce ministry, China held the position of Indias primary trading partner from 2013-14 to 2017-18, and then again in 2020-21. Prior to Chinas dominance, the UAE occupied the top spot as Indias largest trading partner. However, in FY24, the UAE ranked third with a trade volume of US$83.6 billion. Following closely were Russia with US$65.7 billion, Saudi Arabia with US$43.4 billion, and Singapore with US$35.6 billion in trade with India.

In FY24, imports from Indias key free trade agreement (FTA) partners (South Korea, Japan, Australia, UAE, Mauritius, ASEAN, and SAFTA) exhibited a robust growth rate, outpacing the overall influx of goods into the country. Specifically, these imports saw an impressive increase of nearly 38 percent, reaching a total of US$187.92 billion. This growth rate surpassed the 31.4 percent jump in Indias total imports, which amounted to US$675.45 billion during the same period. Indias total outbound shipments to its FTA partners grew at a more subdued pace.

Climbing up the ladder of merchandise exports

Indias position among the worlds merchandise exporters has advanced from 19th to 17th place, with a marginal increase in its share from 1.70 percent in 2014 to 1.82 percent in 2023. India states that, despite global economic uncertainties, its exports have expanded to 115 countries out of a total of 238 destinations during the 2023-24 period.

These 115 export destinations, which represent 46.5 percent of Indias export portfolio, include key markets such as the US, UAE, Netherlands, China, UK, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Bangladesh, Germany, and Italy.

While the countrys overall merchandise exports experienced a 3 percent decline to US$437.1 billion in the previous fiscal year, services exports increased to US$341.1 billion in 2023-24, up from U$325.3 billion in 2022-23.

Top Sectors in Merchandise Trade FY 2023-24 (value in US$ million) Export Growth/Degrowth Import Growth/Degrowth Iron Ore 3913.85 (117.74%) Cotton Raw & Waste 598.63 (-58.39%) Electronic Goods 29121.26 (23.64%) Fertilizers, Crude & Manufactured 10456.90 (-39.23%) Tobacco 1449.55 (19.46%) Sulphur & Unroasted Iron Pyrites 211.17 (-37.51%) Ceramic Products & Glassware 4277.37 (14.44%) Vegetable Oil 14871.65 (-28.63%) Fruits & Vegetables 3653.31 (13.86%) Pearls, Precious & Semi-Precious Stones 23831.88 (-22.37%) Meat, Dairy & Poultry Products 4527.31 (12.34%) Coal, Coke & Briquettes, Etc. 38886.93 (-21.81%) Spices 4251.05 (12.3%) Organic & Inorganic Chemicals 26710.73 (-20.13%) Coffee 1286.29 (12.22%) Newsprint 425.49 (-18.39%) Drugs & Pharmaceuticals 27849.24 (9.67%) Project Goods 1321.39 (-17.56%) Cereal Preparations & Miscellaneous Processed Items 2852.29 (8.96%) Petroleum, Crude & Products 179618.18 (-14.23%) Oil Seeds 1437.02 (7.43%) Transport Equipment 26937.03 (-14.02%) Handicrafts Excl. Hand Made Carpet 1802.36 (6.74%) Textile Yarn Fabric, Made-Up Articles 2277.85 (-12.98%) Cotton Yarn/Fabs./Made-Ups, Handloom Products Etc. 11682.93 (6.71%) Pulp And Waste Paper 1856.67 (-12.33%)

Data by Ministry of Commerce and Industry

India seeking new exports markets

Indias Ministry of Commerce intends to promote iron ore exports to Kenya, Saudi Arabia, and France. Additionally, it has identified new markets for engineering items in Sao Tome, Macao, Georgia, and Croatia. For agricultural and processed food products, it has secured markets in Nigeria, Switzerland, and Lithuania, and for pharmaceuticals, it is exploring new markets such as Montenegro and South Sudan.

To support these initiatives, policy interventions are underway to strengthen ties with the processed food industry through the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). Additionally, the government is contemplating lifting bans on certain exports, such as wheat and rice, to further balance trade dynamics.

In September 2022, India had imposed a ban on the trading of broken rice, followed by a prohibition on wheat exports in May 2022. Effective July 20, 2023, exports of non-basmati rice were also prohibited. Regarding onions, a notification from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) in December 2023 introduced a minimum export price (MEP) of US$550 per tonne. Furthermore, on May 10, 2024, a 40 percent export tariff on staple vegetables was implemented, with onion shipments remaining banned for over six months.

Considering lifting the export ban on additional commodities could open up trading opportunities for India, potentially enhancing farmers income through crop diversification and promoting processed food products in global markets.

China market access for Indian companies

Acknowledging Indias concerns regarding its substantial trade deficit with China, the newly appointed Chinese ambassador, Xu Feihong, expressed Beijings willingness to address this issue by enabling more Indian enterprises to access the Chinese market.

In 2022, Indias trade deficit surpassed the US$100 billion mark, reaching US$101 billion for the first time. India has approached China to open up sectors such as IT, pharmaceuticals, and grains, which hold significant export potential for India.

The bilateral trade between India and China continues to be robust, with total trade reaching a record US$136.2 billion in 2023. Indias trade deficit decreased marginally to US$99.2 billion in 2023, from US$100 billion in 2022, according to data from Chinas customs authorities.

China is reportedly prepared to assist Indian companies in meeting the demands of the Chinese market and exploring opportunities for commercial and trade collaboration. Xu noted that Chinese diplomatic missions in India issued nearly 190,000 visas in 2023, with over 80 percent being business visas, underscoring the importance of business travel for bilateral trade. Xu also said that China would offer more support for Indias participation in events like the China International Import Expo, the China-South Asia Expo, and the Canton Fair.

With inputs from Melissa Cyrill.
Photo Courtesy: Representational image from Wallpaper Cave

New Delhi/IBNS: There has been no shortage of pessimism regarding economic and trade relations between India and China, as Chinese companies are bearing the brunt of the most severe crackdown due to New Delhi's "tendency to generalize security issues in its China trade policy", though the latest data may indicate a different trend, serving as a reminder not to overlook the complementary strengths of both economies, according to a report by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-owned Global Times.

According to economic think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), India's exports to China rose by 8.7 percent.

After the United States became India's largest bilateral trading partner in fiscal years 2021-22 and 2022-23, this change in the South Asian nation's top trading partner status may come as a surprise to many, especially considering the tensions between New Delhi and Beijing, and India's scrutiny of Chinese companies, reports Global Times.

Global Times reported that the unexpected development underscores the potential for economic and trade cooperation between India and China, showcasing how the acceleration of the Indian manufacturing sector's development is leading to increasingly complementary economies.

China has a well-developed industrial system, solid manufacturing foundation and cutting-edge technologies in many sectors, while India has advantages in the services sector, particularly in information technology services, as per Global Times.

According to the Chinese state-owned newspaper, with the implementation of the "Make in India" strategy, the country's needs for industrial chain support have increased, especially in technology- and capital-intensive products.

This situation offers new market and collaboration prospects for China's manufacturing sector, reported Global Times.

Global Times reported, citing trade figures compiled by the GTRI, that in fiscal year 2023-24, India's imports from China increased by 3.24 percent to $101.7 billion, while exports to China reached $16.67 billion.

It is essential to attach great importance to this imbalance and find solutions to promote the healthy and long-term development of bilateral trade between the two Asian nations, according to Global Times.

The Chinese newspaper opined that promoting the localization of Chinese companies in India is a crucial strategy to address the existing imbalance, while by establishing production bases in India, Chinese companies can generate more employment opportunities and stimulate the growth of the local economy, ultimately aiding in the reduction of the trade deficit.

India and China can also enhance collaboration in science, technology and innovation, facilitating technology exchange and industrial advances through the establishment of joint research and development centers as this initiative could incentivize companies from both nations to pursue partnerships in various fields, including renewable energy, information technology and other emerging industries, thus diversifying their trade structures and uncovering additional business prospects to mitigate trade imbalances, according to Global Times.

The Global Times, in its report, expressed hope that by leveraging their complementary strengths and exploring opportunities for collaboration, China and India can forge a more stable and prosperous trade relationship that mutually benefits both countries.
Photo Courtesy: Unsplash

Mumbai: Amazon Seller Services' US parent company has injected a new equity investment of Rs 1,660 crore ($199 million) into the firm that operates Amazon's marketplace in India, according to a regulatory filing.

As a result of this capital infusion, the Indian entity issued 1.66 billion equity shares, each valued at Rs 10, to Amazon Corporate Holdings Ltd and Amazon.com, Inc, as per the April 15 filing by Amazon Seller Services.

This latest development is in line with Amazon's ongoing commitment to India, coming after investments exceeding Rs 1,000 crore in its local entities earlier this year.

In February, the marketplace entity received Rs 830 crore, and in January, Amazon invested Rs 350 crore in the entity managing its fintech unit, Amazon Pay.

Amazons biggest competitors in India, Flipkart and Meesho, are also securing fresh capital for their local operations.

In January, Flipkart received about Rs 924 crore in two installments from its Singapore-based affiliates.

Last December, it was reported that Flipkart is negotiating to raise up to $1 billion, with Walmart, its parent company, pledging $600 million.

Meesho recently completed a $275 million funding round, which included both primary and secondary share sales, as reported on May 11.

This is the initial portion of a larger $600 million funding round that the Bengaluru-based company is targeting.

In response to the competitive market, Amazon India launched a new segment called Amazon Bazaar, offering low-priced, unbranded fashion and lifestyle products, as reported in February.

This move aims to compete with Meesho in the budget e-commerce sector, which also includes Flipkart-owned Shopsy.

Furthermore, Reliance Industries is developing a similar platform named Ajio Street.

Amazon has been increasingly prioritizing its cloud services division, Amazon Web Services, over its core e-commerce business.

In June of last year, CEO Andy Jassy announced plans to invest an additional $15 billion in the Indian market, raising Amazon's total investment in the country to over $26 billion by 2030.

For the financial year ending March 31, 2023, Amazon Seller Services reported a 3.4% increase in revenue, reaching Rs 22,198 crore.

However, the company's net loss expanded by approximately one-third to Rs 4,854 crore, according to the most recent data available.
Photo courtesy: Avishek Mitra/IBNS

Kolkata: Emphasising the goal of 'Viksit Bharat' (developed India) by 2047, as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday urged business associations to partner with the government to ensure the revival of the country's manufacturing sector with the target of surpassing USD 30 trillion GDP.

"Not only 'Make in India,' we are urging businesses to procure from India," S Jaishankar said.

He said: "Businesses should take the 'Make in India' initiative as seriously as the government is taking it today."

Jaishankar made the remarks during an interactive session titled 'Viksit Bharat@2047,' hosted by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Kolkata.

Notably, the BJP-led government at the Centre has set ambitious economic goals of reaching a USD 5 trillion economy by 2027-28 and USD 30 trillion by 2047.

"The revival of the manufacturing sector can only happen if government and enterprises come together as a partnership," the Minister said.

His remarks come at a time when India is voting to elect a new Lok Sabha in a seven-phase poll.

In its manifesto, BJP has outlined a series of initiatives to transform India into a global manufacturing hub.

Photo courtesy: Avishek Mitra/IBNS

Ten years after storming into power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is eyeing for the third consecutive term with a massive win of over 400 seats.

Jaishankar said the foundation laid during the past 10 years by the current government has paved the path towards achieving Viksit Bharat.

India looking at USD 30 trillion economy

Jaishankar said now the government's sole focus is to attain a USD 30 trillion economy within a set time frame.

He said the immediate step of the government would be to achieve a gross domestic product (GDP) growth of USD 5 trillion.

"Our immediate step is to become a USD 5 trillion economy," he said.

"Our next target will be to see when we can become a USD 30 trillion economy in our Viksit Bharat journey," he added.

"Several studies have expressed confidence that we can certainly do it by 2047 or even earlier," he underscored.

(Reporting by Supriyo Hazra, Image by Avishek Mitra/IBNS)
Pakistan's PM Shehbaz Sharif said government's role is to foster a business-friendly environment rather than conduct business. (Photo courtesy: Shehbaz Sharif Instagram page)

Islamabad: Debt-ridden Pakistan has decided to privatise all state-run enterprises, except strategic ones, broadening its earlier decision to offload stakes only in loss-making companies, media reports said.

This announcement comes a day after Pakistan started negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a new long-term Extended Fund Facility (EFF).

Pakistans Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced this while chairing a review meeting on the privatisation process of loss-making state-owned enterprises (SOEs), according to media reports.

During the meeting, he stated that aside from strategic state-owned firms, all other enterpriseswhether profitable or loss-makingwill be privatised, reported Geo News.

Emphasising that the government's role is to foster a business and investment-friendly environment rather than conduct business, Sharif instructed all ministries to take action and cooperate with the Privatisation Commission.

Highlighting the need for transparency in the privatisation process, he ordered that the privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) be televised, including the bidding and other important steps in the process.

The report added that PIA's privatization is in its final stage.

Pakistan's ailing national flag carrier stood as the country's third-highest public sector loss-making entity, requiring Pakistani Rs 11.5 billion per month solely for servicing its debts.

The process of privatisation of other institutions will also be broadcast live, the report said.

A roadmap for the Privatisation Programme 2024-2029 was also presented during the meeting, The Express Tribune reported.

Ministers were informed that loss-making state-owned enterprises (SOEs) would be prioritized for privatization, and a pre-qualified panel of experts was being appointed to the Privatisation Commission to expedite the process.

The government, led by Prime Minister Sharif, has been pushing for the privatization of several state-owned enterprises to alleviate the burden on the exchequer and address the prevailing financial crunch.

Previously, cash-strapped Pakistan planned to privatize only loss-making SOEs, according to Dawn.

Privatisation has long been recommended by the Washington-based IMF for Pakistan, which faces a high fiscal deficit.

The country narrowly averted default last summer and has since stabilised its economy following the completion of the last IMF program.

Inflation has decreased to around 17 percent in April from a record high of 38 percent last May.

Despite this, Pakistan continues to struggle with a high fiscal shortfall.

The external account deficit has been controlled through import restrictions, but this has resulted in stagnating growth, which is expected to be around 2 percent this year compared to negative growth last year.
Kolkata: AJAX Engineering, India's premier concreting equipment manufacturer, becomes the countrys first manufacturer to export Slip-form Pavers, a specialised heavy concrete equipment utilised primarily in large scale infrastructure projects for the efficient and precise laying of concrete.

AJAX Engineering has indigenously developed the Slip-form Paver, a groundbreaking achievement as the first domestically designed and manufactured Paver in India.

With the export of the Slip-form Paver to global markets, spanning across Russia and Africa, AJAX is setting a remarkable precedent for Indias innovation and excellence in the global concrete equipment industry.

Currently exporting its equipment to 45+ countries, AJAXs growth trajectory is in alignment with the Indian governments vision of Make in India, made for the world.

AJAX is strategically positioned to meet the increasing demands of a growing global market with its comprehensive concrete solutions, establishing itself as a leader in the international arena. With an anticipated growth in operations, AJAX is poised to emerge as a pivotal player in the global concrete equipment market, leveraging its expertise and innovative solutions to meet the evolving needs of customers worldwide, according to a press release.

Commenting on this momentous occasion, Shubhabrata Saha, MD & CEO at AJAX Engineering, said, We have witnessed India's remarkable growth journey as the countrys engineering exports have grown from US$96 billion in April-Feb 2022-23 to US$98 billion in April-Feb 2023-24. AJAX is a testament to this growth story with our international business registering a growth of 58% in FY24, surpassing the industry growth.

This trend reflects the growing demand for Indian engineered and manufactured equipment in international markets. Our milestone of being the first Indian company to export Slip-form Pavers underscores our commitment to technological advancement and relentless pursuit of innovation. This achievement not only demonstrates our leadership in the industry but also serves as a witness to India's capabilities on the global stage, showcasing our prowess in engineering excellence and pioneering solutions."

He added: "Our current projections indicate that we are well-positioned to not only achieve but surpass industry growth, fortifying our trade relations and exemplifying the countrys prowess in manufacturing high-quality concrete equipment.

AJAX said it has made substantial inroads into global markets owing to its stringent quality assurance and adherence to the global regulatory standards guaranteeing compliance with the rigorous requirements of international markets.

With a robust ecosystem and streamlined supply chain management, AJAX ensures efficient production processes, timely delivery, and consistent product quality, further enhancing its reputation as a reliable & dependable manufacturer of concrete equipment manufacturer in India, and globally, it stated.

On its concrete Slip-form Paver, the company said, It is incredibly versatile, finding use in a variety of construction projects. It is commonly used in road and highway construction to lay down smooth and durable concrete surfaces as well as for apron areas in an airport, which connect runways to terminals and other airport facilities.

The AJAX Slip-form Paver has a paving width ranging from 3.5 to 12 meters which ensures uniformity, strength, and durability in the constructed surfaces.
Photo Courtesy: Unsplash

Mumbai: The CBI has arrested former DHFL Director Dheeraj Wadhawan for allegedly defrauding a 17-member bank consortium of Rs 34,000 crore, media reported, citing officials.

Wadhawan was arrested in Mumbai on Monday night and was presented before a special court on Tuesday, which remanded him to judicial custody, said a report in the media.

He and his brother, Kapil Wadhawan, had earlier been arrested in the case on July 19, 2022.

The Central investigative agency filed a chargesheet against 75 entities, including the Wadhawan brothers, on October 15, 2022.

They were granted "statutory" bail from the special court on December 3, 2022, on the grounds that the investigation was incomplete and the charge sheet filed was piecemeal. This order was upheld by the Delhi High Court as well.

The CBI had challenged the bail order in the Supreme Court, which overturned the decision, noting that the Special Court and the High Court had "committed serious error of law" by ignoring the legal precedents established by the top court.

Meanwhile, Dheeraj Wadhawan had managed to get an interim bail on medical grounds from the Bombay High Court for a separate matter, citing that he was undergoing treatment at Lilavati Hospital.

On May 2, the Bombay High Court regularised this bail and extended his protection from CBI arrest for one week. The CBI arrested Wadhawan after this protection period ended.

Currently, three peopleDheeraj Wadhawan, his brother Kapil Wadhawan, and Ajay Nawandarare in judicial custody.

The CBI had charged the Wadhawans and others following a complaint from the Union Bank of India, which led a 17-member lender consortium that provided DHFL with credit facilities totalling Rs 42,871 crore between 2010 and 2018.

The chargesheet alleges that Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan, connived with others, misrepresented and concealed facts, committed criminal breach of trust, and misused public funds, cheating the consortium out of Rs 34,615 crore by defaulting on loan repayments from May 2019 onwards.

The CBI claims the company engaged in financial irregularities, diverted funds, fabricated books, and round-tripped funds to "create assets for Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan" using public money.

DHFL's loan accounts were declared non-performing assets at various times by the lender banks, officials said.

When allegations of siphoning funds at DHFL surfaced in January 2019, lender banks appointed KPMG on February 1, 2019, to conduct a "special review audit" of DHFL's activities from April 1, 2015, to December 31, 2018.

The audit revealed fund diversions disguised as loans and advances to related entities and individuals associated with DHFL and its directors.

The CBI alleged that Rs 29,100 crore was disbursed to 66 entities linked to DHFL promoters, with Rs 29,849 crore still outstanding. These transactions were primarily investments in land and properties.
Image courtesy: PR Team

Kolkata/IBNS: Kolkata's BM Birla Heart Hospital hosted a knowledge sharing and learning workshop on Redo Valve Cardiac Surgery last week.

The two-day event, which was held on May 10 and 11, brought together leading international cardiac surgeons to exchange knowledge and experience in this specialized field.

Manoj Daga, Director - CTVS (Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery) of BM Birla Heart Hospital, led the workshop marking a significant milestone in the global advancement of cardiac surgery.

The workshop witnessed participation from several esteemed cardiac surgeons from Bangladesh.

According to Top Doctors UK, redo cardiac surgery is needed when a patient who has had previous heart surgery lives longer as a result, requiring further surgery to maintain the results and effectiveness of their heart's health.
Photo courtesy: Screenshot grab/Swati Maliwal X handle

New Delhi/IBNS: The political heat in the national capital Delhi further soared after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal alleged she was assaulted by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's PA, Bibhav Kumar.

The Delhi Police on Monday reportedly received two phone calls from Kejriwal's residence alleging an assault on Maliwal.

Maliwal, the former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson, went to Civil Lines Police Station but didn't file a complaint.

Who is Kejriwal's PA Bibhav Kumar?

Prior to this fresh allegation, Bibhav Kumar was under the ED scanner in the liquor policy scam case and the financial irregularities in Delhi Jal Board.

Bibhav was quizzed by the ED last month. He was questioned to give some clarity in the excise policy case.

In March, he was sacked as the Personal Secretary to Delhi Chief Minister by the Directorate of Vigilance (DoV) which termed his appointment as "illegal".

In a case dated way back to 2007, he was also accused of obstructing a public servant from discharging his duties through "assault and use of criminal force".
Photo courtesy: Videgrab of Mumbai dust storm from X

The death toll due to the billboard collapse in Mumbai's Ghatkopar area has touched 14, officials said on Tuesday.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation confirmed the death toll and posted on X: " Yesterday (13 May) evening, in the Chheda Nagar area of Ghatkopar, a tragic incident occurred due to speedy winds, resulting in the collapse of a hoarding."

Yesterday (13 May) evening, in the Chheda Nagar area of Ghatkopar, a tragic incident occurred due to speedy winds, resulting in the collapse of a hoarding.



Medical treatment is currently being provided to 44 injured individuals, with 31 already discharged after receiving   Mumbai,  BMC (@mybmc) May 14, 2024

"Medical treatment is currently being provided to 44 injured individuals, with 31 already discharged after receiving treatment. Unfortunately, 14 people scummbed to death in this mishap," the municipal body said.

The BMC said rescue operations are ongoing at the site.

"Disaster Management Department of BMC is overseeing co-ordination with all concerned agencies," it said.

Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar said stringent legal action will be taken against those responsible for this mishap.

"Heartfelt condolences to families who lost their loved ones in the unfortunate mishap at Ghatkopar today. @MumbaiPolice team is on the spot in the rescue operation. We assure citizens that stringent legal action will be taken against those responsible for this mishap." he posted on X.

Heartfelt condolences to families who lost their loved ones in the unfortunate mishap at Ghatkopar today. @MumbaiPolice team is on the spot in the rescue operation. We assure citizens that stringent legal action will be taken against those responsible for this mishap.   ,  - CP Mumbai Police (@CPMumbaiPolice) May 13, 2024

A massive Ghatkopar hoarding collapse in Mumbai has resulted in 14 deaths on Tuesday.

The hoarding, which was reportedly erected by a private body, crashed in the gusty winds on several houses and a petrol pump in Pant Nagar.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis have announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the citizens who died in the tragedy.
Videograb of billboard collapse in Mumbai/ courtesy: X

Mumbai/IBNS: After the billboard collapse during the Mumbai dust storm killed 14 and injured 74 in Ghatkopar on Monday, a case has been filed against its owner Bhavesh Bhinde for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

The owner of Ego Media, however, is no stranger to police cases and has over 20 charges against him, including one of rape.

Police officials said Bhinde is on the run and his cellphone is switched off.

The advertising agency owner had also contested the state election as an Independent candidate from the Mulund constituency in 2009.

In his affidavit filed during that time, he had said that there were 23 cases registered against him under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act and the Negotiable Instruments Act (for bounced cheques).

In January this year, a case of rape was registered against him at the Mulund Police Station and a chargesheet has also been filed.

According to reports, Bhinde had bagged several contracts from the Indian Railways and the Mumbai civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), for erecting hoardings and banners over the years.

However, he has violated the rules of both organisations several times.

Bhinde and others in his company have also been named as accused in tree-poisoning and tree-cutting cases.

The hoarding that fell on the fuel station in Ghatkopar on Monday was a 120X120-foot structure. It made it to the Limca Book of Records owing to its huge size and the BMC has said it does not allow billboards over 40X40 feet in size.

"We have ordered action against all illegal hoardings in the city. We are starting today. A case has been filed in this case as no permission had been given for the hoarding. A complaint was also received that some trees had been cut so this hoarding could be visible. We have filed a case in this regard too," BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani told reporters.

While Bhinde's agency has claimed it had received permission from the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Railways), BMC officials have said a nod from the municipal corporation is also necessary for all billboards in areas under its jurisdiction.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has announced a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh to the kin of the deceased and has said that the government will bear the cost of treatment for those injured in the tragic incident.
Photo courtesy: X/@LycaProductions

Chennai/IBNS: Tamil superstar Rajinikanth has wrapped up shooting for his upcoming film Vettaiyan.

The makers have shared pictures from the set on the last day of shoot.

Lyca Productions posted the pictures on X saying, "And it is a wrap for our Thalaivar! Superstar @rajinikanth completes filming his portion for Vettaiyan."

Written and directed by T. J. Gnanavel, the film is produced by Subaskaran Allirajah under Lyca Productions.

The film stars Rajinikanth, leading an ensemble cast that includes Amitabh Bachchan and Fahadh Faasil.
Photo Courtesy: UNRWA

Deploying tank fire, artillery and airstrikes against Hamas, Israeli forces are continuing their offensive across Gaza, marking one of the intense phases of the ongoing conflict.

In the far south of the devastated territory on Monday, witnesses reported helicopter strikes and street battles in Rafah as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) consolidated their hold on neighbourhoods east of the strategic Salah al-Din road, which bisects the city, reported The Guardian.

In the north, the IDF advanced into Jabaliya and Beit Lahiya, both areas in which fierce battles were fought early in the seven-month war, the newspaper reported.

Rafah exodus reaches 360,000, says UN

Nearly 360,000 people have fled Rafah in the last week amid continuing Israeli bombardment that has crippled humanitarian aid deliveries and is believed to have killed another UN aid worker, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said on Monday (May 13, 2024).

Nearly 360,000 people have fled Rafah since the first evacuation order a week ago, the UN agency said in a post on X, referencing leafleting by the Israeli military ordering those in eastern Rafah to leave their shelters.

In another alert, UNRWA warned of ongoing restricted humanitarian access to and across the Gaza Strip that was now a matter of life or death for Gazans already suffering relentless bombardments and food insecurity.

The development comes one week since Israel moved ahead with its military offensive in Rafah, seizing control of the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing and Kerem Shalom crossing.

We immediately and urgently need safe passage for humanitarian aid and workers, the UN agency insisted, amid fresh reports of more clashes and shelling in Jabalia refugee camp in the north of the enclave.

Bombardments and other evacuation orders have created more displacement and fear for thousands of families in the north, UNRWA said. Theres nowhere to go. Theres NO safety without a ceasefire.

The UN agency also reported on Monday that another staff member had been killed in Gaza, bringing the total number of staff killed in the war to 188.

The individual  a 53-year-old senior projects officer - was believed to have died in an Israeli strike in the central town of Deir Al Balah, after leaving Rafah. He leaves behind a wife and four children, the agency said.

After more than seven months of war, at least 35,000 people have been killed, according to the Gaza health authorities. Another 70,000 more are wounded or missing, with many more trapped under the rubble.

Continuing funding is needed urgently to help those who depend on humanitarian aid to survive, the OCHA senior official said, insisting that even in the absence of a ceasefire, there is still much we can do given the right conditions.

She noted: We are in daily access negotiations with the parties. We are coordinating the humanitarian responseWe have pulled people out of the rubble and repatriated the bodies of aid workers, including those working for World Central Kitchen and Medecins Sans Frontieres who were killed serving those in need.

The OCHA officials comments came as the aid coordination office reported new demolitions of Palestinian buildings in AlArrub Camp in the West Bank governorate of Hebron.

Latest data from the OCHA online portal indicates that 435 structures have been damaged or destroyed across the West Bank so far this year, displacing 824 people.
Photo Courtesy: UNICEF/Mohamed Zakaria

Reports have been coming in that a hospital in Sudans North Darfur has been damaged in a heavy uptick of hostilities, leaving two youngsters dead and fanning renewed famine fears, UN aid teams have said.

According to UN emergency relief chief Martin Griffiths, a strike damaged the roof of the intensive care unit at Southern Hospital in El Fasher Town  the only working hospital in North Darfur state  where medical supplies are running dangerously low.

Some 800,000 people live in and around El Fasher Town where countless lives are at stake. Sudan is at a tipping point, Mr. Griffiths said in a message on X late Sunday.

Key city at stake

In an update on the hostilities, the UN aid coordination office (OCHA) reported that dozens of civilians had been killed in renewed heavy fighting last Friday between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Force (RSF) soldiers in and around the city  the last one in North Darfur not yet under RSF control, it has been reported.

The clashes, including airstrikes and the use of heavy weapons, started mid-morning in the eastern part of El Fasher Town and continued until 6.30pm, said OCHA. The clashes extended into the centre of the town, the outskirts of the main market and into neighbourhoods, resulting in civilian deaths and injuries.

Before the latest bloodshed, humanitarians warned that months of escalating violence around El Fasher Town had been behind persistent aid access obstructions that had hampered the sustained flow of aid and basic commodities, pushing people to the brink of famine.

Nearly 25 million need help

In Darfur alone, some nine million people need humanitarian assistance today, but a staggering 24.8 million across Sudan  almost one in two people in the country - now require help from the UN and aid partners.

The latest assessment of hunger levels across Sudan from late March were already alarming, even before this latest escalation.

It revealed that 17.7 million people  more than one-third of the countrys population  faced acute food insecurity (IPC3) or worse, with level three indicating Crisis and five indicating Famine.

Of these, 4.9 million people are on the brink of famine, experts at the globally respected Integrated Food Security Phase Classification initiative warned. Nearly nine out of 10 people in IPC4 are in conflict-affected areas in Darfur, Kordofan, Khartoum and Jazirah. With the onset of the lean season from April onwards, food insecurity is expected to further worsen, their assessment noted.

Millions of lives upended

According to the UN migration agency, IOM, about 570,000 people have been displaced in North Darfur state in the last 13 months and 6.7 million have been internally displaced, while 1.8 million have fled across Sudans border, UN refugee agency (UNHCR) data shows.

Before reports of renewed clashes on Sunday in and around El Fasher Town, OCHA said that large numbers of people had moved from the east and northwest to the south.

Media reports cited the medical director of the El Fasher Town hospital describing that patients were being treated in any available space within the facility, including on balconies. Echoing concerns over damage to medical equipment and supplies, the director indicated that a key supply line to the rest of Sudan had been cut off by the RSF.

Guterres gravely concerned

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is gravely concerned by the outbreak of fighting in El Fasher, his spokesperson said in a statement issued on Monday evening.

Mr. Guterres recalled that civilians in the area are already facing a looming famine and the consequences of over a year of war.

He reminded the parties of their obligation to protect civilians, urging them to allow people to move to safer areas.

"He also requests that all parties facilitate safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access to all civilians in need in El Fasher, across Darfur and the Sudan," the statement said.

"Intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population and willfully impeding humanitarian relief for civilians in need may constitute war crimes."

The Secretary-General appealed to the parties to immediately stop fighting and resume ceasefire negotiations without further delay.
UNRWA flag-lowering ceremony at the UNRWA Lebanon Field Office in Beirut.Photo Courtesy: UNRWA/Fadi El Tayyar

An Indian national, who was working with the United Nations, was killed in Gaza when the vehicle in which he was travelling, came under attack in Rafah as the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has intensified over the past few weeks, media reports said.

Condemning all attacks on UN personnel, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a full investigation, his deputy spokesperson, Farhan Haq, told journalists in New York.

With the conflict in Gaza continuing to take a heavy toll  not only on civilians, but also on humanitarian workers  the Secretary-General reiterates his urgent appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and for the release of all hostages, he said.

Questioned by journalists, Haq said that the UN was still gathering information on the incident. He later confirmed that the security personnel killed was an international staff member, marking the first such UN death in the Gaza conflict.

The identity of the deceased person has not been revealed so far.
Photo Courtesy: Screengrab from X video

A prominent political activist from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) has urged the Indian government to summon the Pakistani envoy for an explanation after Pakistan Rangers opened fire on thousands of locals in Muzaffarabad recently.

Amjad Ayub Mirza said the situation in Muzaffarabad is very serious.

Muzaffarabad is the capital of the region.

The Indian repertoire in the United Nations, we request them to raise their voice at the United Nations Forum. We also request the Indian government to instruct the Ministry of External Affairs to summon the Pakistan ambassador and ask for an explanation. This is the broad daylight murder that is taking place in PoJK. Our lives are in danger. Peoples lives are in danger," Mirza was quoted as saying by ANI.

At the moment the situation in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani-occupied Jammu and Kashmir is getting very very serious. This morning, about 500,000 people descended upon Muzaffarabad and in the suburbs to protest against taxes on electricity bills, cuts in subsidies and to demand an end to the perks and privileges of the Prime Minister, the President, all members of the Legislative Assembly as well as the judges and bureaucracy, Mirza said.

The Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) residents have sought help from India amid Islamabad's crackdown on the protesters, who took to streets against the price rise in New Delhi's hostile neighbour, media reports said.

The protesters clashed with security personnel as they escalated their agitation.

The protests took colour after the agitators raised "Azadi" slogans prompting the Pakistan government to resort to crackdown.

The activists urge India to pay attention to PoK and help the region including Gilgit-Balochistan to become independent.

This comes at a time India's Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday declared New Delhi will take back PoK if his BJP-led NDA returns to power in the Lok Sabha elections.

"We will take back PoK," said Shah, the second most important person in the BJP.
Photo Courtesy: Pixabay

An unknown man raped a seven-year-old girl in Pakistan's Karachi city, media reports said.

As per details, a seven-year-old girl was raped in the limits of Pakistan Bazar police station in Orangi Town. The rapist fled the house after committing the crime, reported Ary News.

The girl was rushed to Jinnah Hospital in critical condition.

The doctor treating her confirmed sexual assault.

She is currently undergoing treatment.
Kedarnath Dham is one of the four holy sites of the Char Dham Yatra pilgrimage, which also includes holy shrines like Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri. Every year lakhs of Hindu devotees visit the temple, located in the Himalayas at a high altitude in the state of Uttarakhand, to offer their prayers to Lord Shiva. This year the temple opened its door for devotees on Akshaya Tritiya (May 10) and is likely to remain open till Kartik Purnima (November 15).

Unsplash.com

Registration for the Yatra has been made mandatory for all pilgrims by the Uttarakhand government on their portal. It is extremely important to register yourselves as providing your information to the government helps them keep track of your whereabouts during the trek. The information is also used to contact you or your family in case of an emergency.

Before embarking on the spiritual journey through challenging terrain and varying weather conditions, it is important to prepare yourselves. Here are for some tips for a safe & hassle-free journey.

Travel Tips For A Safe & Hassle-Free Kedarnath Yatra

1) Check the Weather

Pinterest

Kedarnath is nestled in the Himalayas, where the weather changes rapidly. Hence, it is advisable to plan your trek in the summers as snowfall and rains during winters often cause landslides making the journey extremely dangerous. So before you embark on your journey always keep an eye on weather forecasts.



2) Plan Your Trip Ahead of Time

Last-minute trip can take a toll on your planning and may compromise your safety. To avoid such disappointment, book your transportation, lodgings and darshan tickets well in advance.

3) Pack Essentials

Warm clothes and comfortable footwear are a must. Also, keep an emergency medical and hygiene kit along with your personal identification and travel documents. Flashlights, umbrellas and battery banks also coming in handy for a hassle-free trek.

4) Stay Hydrated and Nourished

gringosabroad.com/Pinterest

The trek is long and can be physically challenging so keep an adequate supply of water and healthy snacks to give you an instant boost of energy.



5) Respect the Trekking Guidelines

Diligently follow the guidelines and rules set by the government. Respect the timings set by the authorities. Do not disturb the natural flora and fauna and don't leave any trash behind.

6) Respect the Culture

pilgrimagetour.in/Pinterest

Kedarnath is a holy town. It is important to respect and follow the customs and traditions established by locals.



7) Acclimatize Properly And Take Enough Rest

Do not rush the walk. Allow your body to adjust to the altitude, especially if you are travelling from lower altitudes and take pauses whenever necessary. Take adequate amount of rest during your overnight stays to be rejuvenated and energised for the morning trek.

While the government is trying their level best for your smooth and safe journey, the Kedarnath Yatra is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that tests your physical and mental strength. Follow these tips to make your pilgrimage a transformative and memorable experience.

Also Read: World Heritage Day: 9 Off-Beat Heritage Sites In India That You Must Explore

For more on lifestyle, astrology and health from around the world please visit Indiatimes Lifestyle.
Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant are set for another pre-wedding celebration, this time on a grand cruise ship. Yes, you read that right. Mukesh and Nita Ambani, Anants parents, are hosting this lavish event from May 28 to 30, 2024, on a cruise travelling from Italy to South France. This follows their initial pre-wedding event held in Jamnagar from March 1 to 3, 2024. According to media reports, the cruise celebration will welcome 800 guests.

Anant Ambani-Radhika Merchant's Luxe Cruise Pre-Wedding: Details Revealed!

Only esteemed individuals connected to the Ambani family will be invited to this event. Notable personalities such as Salman Khan, Shahrukh Khan, and Aamir Khan are expected to grace the pre-wedding festivities with their presence. Additionally, 600 staff members will ensure the guests' comfort and luxury throughout the journey.

Why South France?

The reason why Amabnis chose South France can be because of the stunning beauty and azure waters of southern France, which are renowned globally. Cruise tourism in this region is immensely popular, attracting visitors from all corners of the globe who come here to revel in the experience of cruising.

Also Read: Rihanna Sets The Stage On Fire At Anant Ambani's Pre-Wedding Event In Jamnagar, Ambani Family Joins In - Watch

Romantic Beginnings And Special Ceremonies

Picture Of Anant Ambani And Radhika Merchant/Instagram

Anant and Radhika's journey began in 2017 when they met through mutual friends. Anant proposed it in 2023 at the Shrinathji Temple in Rajasthan. Their engagement included a Goldhana ceremony and a surprise party at the Ambanis residence, Antilia.

What Was The Jamnagar Celebration All About?

The Jamnagar celebration was a three-day extravaganza filled with joy. It served as the inaugural event for Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's pre-wedding festivities. Hosted in the hometown of the Ambani family, the celebration featured elaborate decorations, sumptuous feasts, and cultural performances. Family members, friends, and esteemed guests gathered to bless the couple and partake in the revelry. It was a memorable occasion that set the tone for the upcoming wedding celebrations.

Also Read: Anant Ambani And Radhika Pre-Wedding: Top Highlights From The Festivities In Jamnagar

The couple held a themed ceremony, "Hastakshar-The Valley Of Gods," marking their commitment. Now, they look forward to their upcoming wedding on July 12, 2024.



For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.


May 13,2024: Ukraine currently has three Patriot Air Defense Batteries and one more is about to arrive. Ukraine says it needs 25 batteries to provide protection for all of Ukraine. Patriot has been used in combat before, but never as intensively as in Ukraine. The war in Ukraine is a near peer war, where both sides are armed with modern weapons and neither side has an overwhelming advantage. Ukraine expects to get seven more batteries soon and has asked for more Patriot missiles. There are currently nineteen countries using Patriot and these nations have between them over 250 Patriot Batteries. The United States is the largest user, with 90 of those batteries before Russia invaded Ukraine, and that is now closer to 80 because of those sent to Ukraine. The Americans are purchasing more batteries, as are other user nations. American ground forces are based around the world and one or more Patriot batteries are often used for air defense there from local threats. Most of these threats are not aircraft but short-range ballistic missiles. This reveals that Patriot is more a Ballistic Missile Defense, or BMD system, than one that shoots down aircraft. Patriot missiles have intercepted far more missiles that aircraft.

Suddenly, there is more demand worldwide because Patriot has once more demonstrated its effectiveness in a wartime situation. In Ukrainian cities protected by Patriot, the loud boom off a missile being launched is reassuring for soldiers and civilians.

RTX, the manufacturer of Patriot, has increased Patriot missile production to 500 a year and that will soon reach 550 a year and by 2027 will be 650 missiles a year. Ukraine needs several hundred more missiles right away to replace those used against Russian missile attacks. Ukraine also wants more Patriot batteries so that more territory can be protected. Many of the 19 countries armed with Patriot have older missiles that are approaching their Use By Date. After that date you must refurbish these missiles for them to remain useful. The missiles receive periodic upgrades as the manufacturer develops improvements. There are also upgrades to the radar and fire control system

Now Ukraine and other Patriot users wants more Patriot missiles and support equipment. The United States and European NATO countries are sending all they have. One reason for this urgency and generosity is that Ukraine has developed some new ways to use Patriot missiles more efficiently and effectively. In early 2023 Ukraine received two Patriot batteries plus some additional missiles. Another battery is supposed to arrive by the end of the year. Soon after Ukraine received the first Patriot batteries, they managed to destroy two Russian jet fighters and three helicopters that were carrying out bombing attacks on Ukrainian targets in the north, near the border with Russias Bryansk province. This happened so quickly that Russia decided to cease launching airstrikes from bases in this region. The main reason for this was the unexpectedly effective Ukrainian use of their Patriot systems. The Ukrainians had developed some new techniques to do this. For example, Ukrainian Patriot system operators have developed methods for reliably and consistently using Patriot against several different Russian ballistic missile systems. These methods have stopped dozens of Russian ballistic and high-speed cruise missiles sent to attack the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, as well as other targets in Ukraine.

Ukrainians were not the first Patriot users to come up with novel ways to use the system. Patriot has proved to be very configurable and able to deal with many new situations the Patriot System designers never expected. That sort of thing has kept Patriots in service for over three decades.

Patriot has been in service since 1984 and experienced its first sustained combat in 1990, when it was used against Iraqi SCUD ballistic missiles fired at Israel and Saudi Arabia. Its success rate, 40 to 70 percent, was mediocre at best. That was largely due to the improvised modifications Iraqis made to their SCUDs to extend their range. As a result, the SCUDs tended to fall apart during the terminal flight phase as they were speeding down towards the target. This created unintended countermeasures. Some of the larger pieces of these modified SCUDs, like additional fuel tanks, broke away and were seen by Patriot radar as the actual missile warhead section. In some cases, non-warhead portions, like the fuel tanks carrying very toxic fuel, of the SCUD came down on military or civilian personnel on the ground. Subsequent upgrades to Patriot increased accuracy against deliberate or accidental countermeasures.

Patriot has been used against UAVs but firing a missile costing over three million dollars at homemade UAVs, as Israeli forces did a few times, isnt healthy for the economy so Israel developed cheaper solutions for UAVs.

Although initially designed to be used against manned aircraft, the Patriot did not face this threat very often and it wasnt until 2014 when Patriot downed one. An Israeli Patriot shot down a Syrian Su-24 fighter-bomber. While Patriot was originally designed for use against aircraft, most of what it has shot down have been ballistic missiles, either SCUDs or more recent Iranian and Russian designs. The UAE sent a battery to Yemen where it successfully defended major military bases from Iranian ballistic missile attacks. Arab Patriot users have developed a lot of missile crews with combat experience and that has helped attract capable recruits to air defense work, which is usually seen as less prestigious than traditional service with ground, air, and naval combat units. During 2023 Patriot Systems began operating in Ukraine, with the usual spectacular results. This was especially the case with the Ukrainians, who tended to find additional uses for many of the weapons they received from NATO countries.

Since 1970 nearly 11,000 Patriot missiles and over 1,500 launchers have been produced. After decades of service, some were updated while others were scrapped. Patriot missiles can, with regular upgrades and refurbishment, remain in use for over 40 years. A growing number of Patriot missiles are doing just that, but many are still fired each year for training and testing. Most Patriot batteries are equipped with both longer-range GEM-T missiles for aircraft and shorter-range PAC-3 MSE ones for ballistic missiles or, if necessary, aircraft. The PAC 2 is older, cheaper, and designed to intercept manned aircraft at ranges up to 160 kilometers, while the PAC 3 is the newest and about twice as expensive (over $4 million) with special features to make it better than the PAC 2 at ballistic missile defense. The Patriot system, with continued upgrades, will likely remain in production until the 2040s, though it badly needs a mobile replacement for various reasons such as attack by swarms of cheap UAVs, plus that the precise location of Patriot radars can be easily determined from orbit. Demand for Patriot missiles in Ukraine means that nearly all the older Patriot missiles are being used and the manufacturer is working overtime to produce more missiles.

Each Patriot battery is manned by about a hundred troops and contains a radar plus four or more launchers. The launcher is designed to use both the smaller PAC 3 missile as well as the original and larger PAC 2 anti-aircraft version. A Patriot launcher can hold sixteen PAC 3 missiles versus four PAC 2s. A PAC 2 missile weighs about a ton while a PAC 3 weighs about a third of that. The PAC 3 has a shorter range that was originally 20 kilometers, but the latest version can do 35 kilometers. The larger PAC-2 can reach 160 kilometers.

NATO countries are being asked to send Ukraine all the Patriot missiles they can. The NATO countries are also sending their Patriot System experts in order to learn about the novel methods Ukrainians have developed. It did not take long to train Ukrainian crews. Ukraine points out that it will take a lot less time for Ukrainians to master Patriot operation because it is wartime and time is of the essence. That proved to be the case.
As the Cannes Film Festival is around the corner, the anticipation for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's red carpet appearances reaches a fever pitch. With her grace, elegance, and impeccable sense of style, Aishwarya has consistently dazzled on the Cannes red carpet, making each appearance an iconic moment in the history of the festival.





Cannes Film Festival Throwback: Aishwarya Rai's iconic looks

Let's take a journey through time to revisit seven of the most unforgettable looks of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan at Cannes over the years.

Dolce & Gabbana, 2022

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In 2022, Aishwarya looked ethereal in the 3D flower gown by Dolce & Gabanna. She wore the aqfos gown with half ponytail and winged eye makeup.



Gaurav Gupta, 2022

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Aishwarya was seen in an exquisite Gaurav Gupta's pink petal gown in 2022. The gown was called The Venus Sculpture and was inspired by the birth of Venus, the goddess of beauty and love who rises from a scalloped shell. She completed her look with side-swept curls and shimmery makeup.



Michael Cinco, 2018

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A fashion spectacle unfolded as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan stunned in her first Cannes red carpet appearance in 2018, donning a breathtaking purple butterfly gown. Designed by Dubai-based couturier Michael Cinco, the gown featured a dramatic 20-foot long train adorned with Swarovski crystals and French palettes. Intricate ultra-violet, midnight blue, and red thread works added exquisite detail to the ensemble. Completing her look, the Indian diva accessorized with blingy earrings, shimmering purple eye-liner, a middle-parted hairstyle, and bold red lips.



Rami Kadi, 2018

In her second appearance at the Cannes 2018 red carpet, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan exuded ethereal beauty in a stunning Rami Kadi couture gown. Renowned as 'one of the most beautiful women in the world,' she captivated hearts worldwide with her dazzling off-shoulder ensemble. Aishwarya complemented the gown with an unconventional yet elegant hairdo and impeccable makeup, representing the brand she was associated with at the 71st edition of the film festival.

Michael Cinco, 2017

BF/ Pinterest

In 2017, Aishwarya Rai's Cannes appearance took inspiration from Elsa of Frozen, thanks to Michael Cinco's exquisite creation. The custom-designed ball gown, a part of Michael's 'Impalpable Dream of Versailles collection,' captivated with its impeccable structure, mesmerizing colors, graceful flow, and ethereal princess-like allure. Believe it or not, the powder blue brocade ballgown is still iconic and as fresh in our minds as ever.

Roberto Cavalli, 2014

Roberto Cavalli

In 2014, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan graced the red carpet in a breathtaking gold gown by Roberto Cavalli, featuring a long, trailing train. The glittering pattern of the dress beautifully accentuated her porcelain skin and hourglass figure. Opting for simplicity in accessories, Aishwarya let the gown speak for itself. Her choice of bold red lips and cascading hair perfectly complemented the ensemble, resulting in a flawless look. It's safe to say she deserves a perfect score for her stunning appearance.



Elie Saab, 2006

aishwarya at cannes

In 2006, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan dazzled on the red carpet in a stunning royal blue off-shoulder dress crafted by designer Elie Saab. Complementing her attire, she accessorized with a striking blue and silver serpentine necklace, striking a pose that captured the attention of shutterbugs everywhere.

From ethereal gowns to statement-making ensembles, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has graced the Cannes red carpet with her timeless beauty and impeccable style. As we look back on these seven iconic moments, we are reminded of Aishwarya's enduring charm and elegance, making her a perennial favorite at the Cannes Film Festival.

For more on lifestyle, astrology and health from around the world please visit Indiatimes Lifestyle.
After the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced the Class 10 and 12 Board results on May 13, there were celebrations everywhere. As information about the toppers and their scores emerged, it became evident that one region stood out above all others in the country.

BCCL

This region is top-performing nationwide in Class 10 and 12 Boards

The Thiruvananthapuram region in Kerala has emerged as the top-performing region nationwide in both the Class 10 and 12 examinations conducted by the CBSE Board.

In the Class 12 exams, the Thiruvananthapuram region achieved an impressive pass percentage of 99.91%, significantly surpassing the national average of 87.98%.

Similarly, in the Class 10 exams, the region attained a remarkable pass percentage of 99.75%, surpassing the national average of 93.60%.

Also read: CBSE 10th Result 2024: Results Announced, Check How To Download, Access DigiLocker & Past Year Statistics

ANI

During the Class 12 examinations conducted between February 15 and April 2, a total of 39,387 students, comprising 20,264 girls and 19,573 boys, appeared in the Thiruvananthapuram region. This region consisted of 655 schools, with examinations being conducted at 242 centers across the state.



In the Thiruvananthapuram region, students belonging to Scheduled Tribes (ST) achieved a perfect pass rate of 100%, while those from Scheduled Castes (SC) and other backward classes (OBC) recorded pass percentages of 99.86% and 99.9%, respectively.

Also read: CBSE Class 12th Results 2024: Students Flood Social Media With Hilarious Memes And Reactions

CBSE Class 10 and 12 examinations

PTI

The CBSE conducted the Class 12 exams from February 15 to April 2, and the Class 10 board exams were held from February 15 to March 13, in the traditional pen-and-paper format.



According to the board's announcement, this year, 1,633,730 students registered for the Class 12 board exam, of which 1,621,224 actually appeared.

Out of these, 1,426,420 students passed the exam successfully.

The overall pass percentage for Class 12 is 87.98%, which shows a slight increase from last year's 87.33%.

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Onboard a flight from Hyderabad to Delhi on April 11, a distraught traveler discovered that her jewelry, a whopping Rs 7 lakh worth, had mysteriously vanished into thin air. Rewind to another airborne escapade from Amritsar to Delhi on February 2nd, where another unfortunate soul lost their precious jewels, valued at a staggering Rs 20 lakh.

Two tales of airborne theft, one destination: Delhi. Something seemed fishy, and the Delhi police leaped into action, determined to unveil the jewelry thief lurking in the clouds.

An 'air-borne' mastermind

In a plot straight out of a gripping thriller, Delhi Police unveiled the 40-year-old mastermind, Rajesh Kapoor, allegedly behind a spree of mid-air thefts.

During a press conference held at the IGI airport, Rangnani mentioned that a specialised team from IGI Airport was formed to apprehend the perpetrators.

Subsequently, Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI) Usha Rangnani announced the arrest of Kapoor in Paharganj, where he allegedly stored the stolen jewelry.

How Gold Jewelry Price Is Calculated By Jewelers In India? | Unsplash

The officer explained that a suspect came under scrutiny as he was observed on both flights where thefts occurred. Despite providing a false phone number during booking, the airlines managed to obtain his actual contact details. Through technical surveillance, Kapoor's real phone number was traced, facilitating his apprehension.



Rangnani revealed Kapoor's intention to sell the stolen goods to Sharad Jain, 46, who was also arrested from Karol Bagh.

Upon interrogation, Kapoor admitted to his involvement in five similar cases, including one in Hyderabad. He confessed to spending the majority of his ill-gotten gains on both online and offline gambling activities.

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200 flights, 110 days: How Kapoor manage to steal onboard flights

According to the police, Rajesh Kapoor, the accused, undertook over 200 flights and spent more than 110 days traveling in the past year to carry out his thefts.

Another officer revealed Kapoor's tactics in targeting vulnerable passengers, especially elderly women.

Unsplash| Representational Image

"Recognising the tendency of such passengers to carry valuables in their handbags, he strategically travelled in premium domestic flights, notably Air India and Vistara, bound for destinations like Delhi, Chandigarh, and Hyderabad," the officer explained.



Exploiting the chaos during boarding, Kapoor would slyly go through overhead compartments, swiping valuables from unsuspecting victims' handbags while they settled into their seats.

Kapoor mentioned that on numerous occasions, after identifying his target, he went to the extent of requesting a seat change from the airline to sit near the target.

His strategy, perfectly timed to blend in with the chaos of boarding, allowed him to slip under the radar.

To throw off suspicion, Kapoor also pulled a cunning move by booking tickets under his deceased brother's name, shielding his true identity from both airlines and the law.

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It's not every day you hear the legendary tune of Muhammad Iqbal's Saare Jahan Se Achha echoing through the corridors of the White House. And when you throw in some pani puri and khoya being served to guests, it becomes a deliciously unforgettable gala, definitely breaking the norm for the White House!

A celebration of heritage at the White House

Credit: X

On Monday, the White House celebrated Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) Heritage Month.



The occasion marked 25 years since the establishment of the White House Initiative and the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.

Leaders from five presidential administrations gathered for the first time to commemorate this significant milestone and acknowledge the contributions of AA and NHPI communities to American society.

"From Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders whose ancestors have called their lands home for hundreds of years to Asian immigrants who have newly arrived and those whose families have been here for generations - AA and NHPI heritage has long been a part of the history of our great country and a defining force in the soul of our nation," stated US President Joe Biden.

Lip-smacking feast to go with it

Credit: X

Indian-American community leader Ajay Jain Bhutoria gave a sneak peek into the lively festivities at the White House, showcasing a vibrant celebration of minority communities and their vibrant lives in the US.



Among the highlights were a group of musicians jamming out to the iconic Saare Jahan Se Achha on violins and one man on the cello.

And then there was the mouthwatering feast, featuring a platter of pani-puris stealing the show!

Watch it here:

Thrilled to hear Saare Jahan Se accha Hindustan Hamara played at WHite House AANHPI heritage celebration hosted by President @JoeBiden with VP Harris @VP . Paanipuri and Khoya dish was also served .stronger US India relationship . @PMOIndia @narendramodi @DrSJaishankar @AmitShah pic.twitter.com/1M5lViwbF2  Ajay Jain (@ajainb) May 14, 2024

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Spain is one of the most popular tourist destinations globally. In 2023, Spain welcomed a record 85.1 million international tourists, ranking as the second-most visited destination worldwide that year. Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and the Canary Islands emerged as the top destinations in Spain for international tourists in 2023.

Villagers fed up with tourists

While a nearly 20 per cent year-on-year increase in international tourist footfall bodes well for Spain's tourism industry, not everyone in the country shares the same enthusiasm. Definitely not the residents of Binibeca Vell, a small village on the island of Menorca. The village, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, has been a tourist attraction for a considerable time.

Also read: Most Powerful Passports: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, And Spain Ranked The Highest

Menorca Diferente

The number of visitors to the village has surged to around 800,000 annually, mostly between May and October. This year, it's expected to reach a staggering 1 million.

Misbehaving tourists

However, now the villagers are saying no to people visiting Binibeca Vell and have even threatened to make the village off-limits to tourists. The reason? The behaviour of tourists! Villagers allege that tourists are entering homes, sitting on chairs, taking items, climbing on walls, and hosting outdoor drinking parties, much to the annoyance of the residents.

No choice, but to stop tourism

Oscar Monge, who heads the group representing Binibeca Vells 195 property owners, stated that while there are concerns for the families whose livelihoods depend on local tourism, they now feel they have no choice but to propose completely closing off access to the village.

Menorca Diferente

From the coast, you would still be able to visit the perimeter of the village, but you wouldnt be able to enter the interior lanes,' he told the Guardian, 'And thats the charming photo everyone wants for Instagram.

Also read: Uttarakhand's Jadung Village On Tibet Border Set To Welcome Tourists

Binibeca Vell is not alone in struggling with an influx of tourists. Recently, a Japanese town decided to block the view of Mount Fuji to reduce the flow of tourists there.

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How long can you go without having food or drinking water? Most of us would say a few hours or a maximum of a day! But not if you are Muluwork Ambaw, who claims she has not eaten or drunk anything in years. The 26-year-old Ethiopian woman has asserted that she has lived without food and water for the past 16 years.

Last meal when she was 10

And this is not because she is on a hunger strike or anything, but she just doesn't feel the urge. According to Ambaw, the last meal she had was lentil stew when she was a 10-year-old girl. Since then, she claims she simply hasnt had an appetite. While she claims not to have eaten anything in 16 years, Ambaw, a mother of one, has been cooking food for her family.

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Doctors find nothing wrong

Ambaw's peculiar condition hasn't gone unnoticed, and over the years, she has been examined by doctors in India, Qatar, and Dubai. But no one has so far been able to find anything wrong with her body, and they have all agreed that she is perfectly healthy.

Just not feeling hungry

Recently, Drew Binsky, a Guinness World Record holder and UK-based YouTuber, visited Ambaw to learn more about her. I used to live with my family, and they asked me to eat breakfast and go to school. I said I had eaten but I was pretending. I had lost my appetite for water or for any food, she told Binsky.

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Given glucose infusions during pregnancy

While Ambaw was healthy without food, things got a bit complicated when she became pregnant. She was given glucose infusions to replenish the bodys natural energy.

She also couldnt breastfeed because she wasnt producing milk, explaining, And when I gave birth, she fed on artificial milk, she said.

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Cannes Film Festival 2024: Cannes Festival is one of the most awaited film festivals in the world. The festival showcases critically acclaimed films across the world. The highly anticipated 77th edition of the Cannes festival is on the horizon, generating excitement among cinephiles worldwide. Many Indian artists have graced the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in the past and are now preparing for this year's event.

Cannes Film Festival 2024: 12-day event

Over the course of 12 days, the event will unfold with extravagant and iconic moments gracing the Cannes Red Carpet, culminating in the prestigious award ceremony and screenings of films representing global cinema. As anticipation builds for this illustrious film gala, let's explore the cost, ticket price and other details of how one can attend Cannes 2024.

Cannes 2024: How Much Do You Need To Pay To Attend The Cannes Film Festival? | Reuters

Cannes Film Festival 2024: Date And Venue

The 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival is set to take place from May 14 to May 25, 2024, at the Palais des Festivals et des Congres in Cannes, France. Over this period, a wide array of films selected across different categories will be screened. The opening ceremony is slated for May 14, showcasing "The Second Act," directed by Quentin Dupieux, as the inaugural film.

The Cannes Film Festival event will draw to a close on May 25 with the closing ceremony, where the winners of the competition section will be revealed. Under the guidance of filmmaker and actress Greta Gerwig, the jury will select the victors from among the 22 films vying for top honours this year.

READ ALSO: Met Gala 2024: Do You Know The Cost Of A Met Gala Ticket Is More Than Your Annual Salary?

Cannes Film Festival 2024 tickets

Tickets for the festival cost between Rs 5 lakh and 25 lakh. Each screening has its own price, depending on factors like the movie, crew, and more. Press members can choose which movie they want to watch and buy tickets for it. The ticket office opens four days before the screening, so people can reserve their seats. If you've booked your ticket online, make sure to bring it with you when you go to the festival.

Cannes Film Festival 2024 Ticket: How Much Do You Need To Pay To Attend The Film Festival? | thehollywoodnews

Cannes Film Festival 2024: FAQs

Who gets invited to Cannes?

Every year, thousands of people from across the globe come together to join the largest film festival. Cannes provides a chance for 35,000 to 40,000 film fans to fully enjoy the festival's magnificence. Anyone can take part in this grand occasion by buying tickets from the official website. Only industry professionals or accredited individuals are permitted to attend the event, according to the official website.

Can anyone buy tickets to Cannes?

Only individuals who have been accredited for the Festival or its parallel sections (Directors' Fortnight, Semaine de la Critique, ACID, and Cannes Cinema) are eligible to access the online ticket office and make reservations, depending on availability.

Is Cannes Film Festival an award show?

Cannes Film Awards is an international film festival with Official IMDb Award Listing Qualification for a LIVE SCREENING for film distributors and film professionals.

What is the purpose of the Cannes Film Festival?

First held in 1946 for the recognition of artistic achievement, the festival came to provide a rendezvous for those interested in the art and influence of the movies. Like other film festivals, it became an international marketplace where producers and distributors could exchange ideas, view films, and sign contracts.

How much does a Cannes ticket cost?

Tickets for the festival cost between Rs 5 lakh and 25 lakh.

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With a staggering net worth of 111.6 billion dollars (approximately Rs 9.2 lakh crore) as of May 14 as per Forbes, Asia'e richest person, Mukesh Ambani is making significant moves to propel the legacy of Reliance Industries forward. His children, Isha Ambani, Akash Ambani, and Anant Ambani, have joined the Board of Directors, indicating a generational shift in leadership.



Isha Ambani leads Reliance Retail, while her twin brother, Akash Ambani, oversees Reliance Jio. Anant Ambani, who is soon to be married, is taking charge of Reliance New Energy. While Akash and Isha have found success both personally and professionally, Anant's wedding plans are currently in the spotlight.

Isha, as the Managing Director of Reliance Retail, has played a pivotal role in its success. Forbes reported in August 2023 that Reliance Retail is valued at $100 billion (around Rs 8.2 lakh crore), largely due to Isha's business acumen. Her personal net worth stands at Rs 831 crore.

Under Isha's leadership, Reliance Retail has not only cultivated indigenous brands to compete with international markets but has also strategically acquired or partnered with renowned global brands. Some of these include Tira Beauty, Hamleys, AJIO, Netmeds, and 7-Eleven.

Mukesh Ambani with daughter Isha Ambani | Photo: Bollywood

Isha Ambani is not only a prominent figure and successor of the Ambani family but also an emerging business leader. Her status is reflected in her lifestyle, often making headlines and trending on social media for various reasons. Recently, she captured attention by making her debut appearance at the Met Gala 2024 in New York City.



Like other members of the Ambani family, Isha boasts an impressive collection of luxury and performance cars in her garage. Let's take a peek at some of the vehicles owned by the daughter of Mukesh and Nita Ambani.

Also Read: Isha Ambani Sold Her LA Mansion



Isha Ambani's car collection:

Isha Ambani's car collection is nothing short of impressive, featuring a range of luxury vehicles fit for a business scion. Here are some of the luxury cars owned by the daughter of Mukesh and Nita Ambani:

BMW 7-Series:

According to media reports, Isha owns the BMW 7-Series, a luxury sedan priced between Rs 1.82 to 1.84 crore. It offers powerful engine options and smooth transmission with an 8-speed Steptronic automatic gearbox.

Mercedes Benz S-Class:

This flagship sedan is a common sight among celebrities and industrialists. Reportedly Isha owns a Mercedes Benz S-Class. With a price range of Rs 1.77 to 1.86 crore, it boasts potent petrol and diesel engine options along with a nine-speed automatic transmission.

Rolls Royce Cullinan:

The crown jewel of Isha's collection, the Rolls Royce Cullinan, comes with a hefty price tag of Rs 6.95 crore. Powered by a massive 6.5-liter V12 engine, it delivers unparalleled luxury and performance.

Porsche Cayman S:

Isha also owns the Porsche Cayman S, priced at Rs 1.48 crore. It features a powerful V6 engine producing 325 bhp and comes with a DCT automatic transmission.

Bentley Arnage R:

Although discontinued, the Bentley Arnage R stands as another luxury addition to Isha's garage. With a price of Rs 2.25 crore, it boasted a mighty V8 turbocharged petrol engine and a 4-speed automatic gearbox.

With such a diverse and luxurious collection, Isha Ambani's passion for cars is evident, reflecting her refined taste and style.

Also Read: How Much Salary Do Mukesh Ambani's Children Earn?

Note: Details mentioned here are as per the information available.



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Jennifer Gates Net Worth: Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and his former wife Melinda Gates praised their eldest daughter Jennifer for graduating from medical school. Jennifer Gates completed her studies at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. The 28-year-old shared her reflections on her academic journey on Instagram. She described earning her doctoral degree as fulfilling her childhood dream and expressed, Its been a whirlwind of learning, exams, late nights, tears, discipline, and many moments of self-doubt, but the highs certainly outweighed the lows these past 5 years.

Jennifer also expressed gratitude to her professors, mentors, friends, and family for their support throughout her journey. Bill Gates, a proud father, commented, What you have achieved todayand every day leading up to itis a tremendous accomplishment. Im so proud of you for finishing medical school, and I cant wait to watch you take this next step into residency. Your patients will be lucky to call you doctor.

Meet Jennifer Gates, Daughter Of Bill Gates, Who Was Not Allowed To Use A Smartphone Until She Was 14 Years Old

Jennifer Gates is one of three children of Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. The 28-year-old is an established equestrian, enjoys traveling, and is currently studying medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. Here's what the life of the billionaire Microsoft cofounder's eldest daughter is like.

READ ALSO: Melinda Gates Resigns From Gates Foundation With Rs 1 Lakh Crore, Bill Gates Says 'Sorry To See Her Leave'

Who is Jennifer Gates?

Jennifer Gates, aged 28, is the oldest child of Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. She has two younger siblings, Rory and Phoebe.

Jennifer, their eldest daughter, recently completed her studies at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. Interestingly, she couldn't use a smartphone until she turned 14.

Meet Jennifer Gates, Daughter Of Bill Gates, Who Was Not Allowed To Use A Smartphone Until She Was 14 Years Old

In 2018, Gates graduated from Stanford University with a degree in human biology. Before attending medical school, she took a year off to focus on her passion for horse riding. In an interview with Sidelines Magazine, she mentioned that her childhood pediatrician inspired her to pursue a career in medicine.

READ ALSO: Wealth Wisdom: 5 Money Habits Of Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Elon Musk And Fellow Billionaires

Bill Gates didn't allow his kids to have cell phones until they were 14

Bill Gates, the renowned technology mogul, might appear to be the least likely person to impose limitations on his children's technology use, correct? However, that assumption is incorrect.

As the founder of Microsoft, the largest software company globally, Gates has implemented significant restrictions on his children regarding the usage of smartphones and tablets.

In an interview with the Mirror, the visionary technological innovator disclosed that he prohibits his children from possessing a smartphone until they reach the age of 14. Furthermore, he forbids them from using gadgets at the dinner table.

Jennifer Gates's Net Worth

As per several Times Now reports, Jennifer's net worth is $20 Million (approximately 167.04 crores in Indian rupees).

READ ALSO: Bill Gates Says This After Attending Radhika And Anant's Pre-Wedding

Meet Jennifer Gates, Daughter Of Bill Gates, Who Was Not Allowed To Use A Smartphone Until She Was 14 Years Old | Instagram

Jennifer Gates: FAQs

Does Bill Gates have grandchildren?

Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates are officially grandparents! Their eldest child, Jennifer, 28, and her husband, Nayel Nassar, welcomed their first baby in February 2023.

Does Jennifer Gates have a child?

Jennifer Gates and her husband Nayel Nassar have a daughter.

What did Jennifer Gates study at Stanford?

She earned a degree in human biology from Stanford University in 2018 and took a year off to focus on her equestrian passion before going to medical school.

Who is Bill Gates's new wife?

Bill Gates' relationship with Paula Hurd comes two years after his split from his wife Melinda French Gates in 2021, after 27 years of marriage.

Who is Jennifer Gates' partner?

Nayel Nassar

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Form 16 Explained: Filling Income Tax Return (ITR) is a big financial duty that everyone who qualifies should do. You need to earn more than a certain amount to fill ITR regularly and correctly. The main reason for doing this is following the law. If you don't fill ITR, you might get fined or face legal problems.

What is Form 16?

Form 16 is a crucial document issued by employers to their employees in India. It serves as a summary of the income earned by the employee during the financial year and the taxes deducted at source (TDS) by the employer on behalf of the employee. This form contains two parts: Part A and Part B.

Part A includes details such as the employer's name and address, the employer's and employee's PAN (Permanent Account Number), period of employment, summary of tax deducted and deposited with the government, and the Assessment Year (AY) for which the form is issued.

Part B provides a detailed breakup of the salary paid to the employee, allowances, deductions under various sections of the Income Tax Act, and the taxable income after considering these deductions. It also mentions any other income declared by the employee and the tax deducted on it.

Form 16 plays a vital role in the income tax filing process as it helps employees accurately report their income and taxes paid. It also serves as proof of income for salaried individuals when applying for loans, visas, or other financial transactions.

READ ALSO: ITR Filing For FY 2023-24: How To File Your Income Tax Returns Online? A Step-By-Step Guide

What Is Form 16? How To Download And Why It's Important For Salaried Employees | Stock Image

The form 16 includes these information:

Information about tax taken from salary, interest money, rent, and other places.

Any tax collected from sources.

Money paid in advance for tax, money paid for self-assessment of tax, or tax paid after a regular assessment.

If someone did any big transactions like buying property or making investments, it'll be listed.

Any tax refunds got during the year will also be mentioned.

READ ALSO: Difference Between New And Old Tax Regime, Which Is Better For You?

Is it possible to file your Income Tax Return (ITR) without Form 16?

Form 16 plays a crucial role in ITR filing, containing all the necessary information needed to compute taxable income and the corresponding tax liabilities. Its absence can pose challenges for salaried individuals, potentially leading to inaccuracies or inefficiencies in tax filings, which in turn may result in penalties or legal complications. Nonetheless, it is feasible to file ITR without Form 16 if taxpayers ensure meticulous submission of all requisite details.

Furthermore, besides aiding in tax filing, Form 16 serves as valid proof of income acknowledged by banks and financial institutions for various purposes, such as loan or credit card applications. Hence, it is imperative for salaried employees to diligently obtain Form 16 from their employers annually and securely maintain it for future reference.

Form 16 is an important document issued by employers in India to their employees. It contains details of the salary earned by the employee during the financial year and the taxes deducted on it. Here's a breakdown of its importance and how to download it:

Importance for Salaried Employees:

Proof of Income: Form 16 serves as proof of the income earned by the salaried employee during the financial year.

Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) Details: It provides details of the tax deducted at source from the employee's salary by the employer.

Tax Compliance: Form 16 helps employees in filing their Income Tax Returns (ITR) accurately and ensures compliance with tax regulations.

Claiming Deductions: It assists employees in claiming deductions under various sections of the Income Tax Act, such as HRA (House Rent Allowance), LTA (Leave Travel Allowance), and investments under Section 80C, among others. Verification: Form 16 acts as a cross-verification tool for the Income Tax Department to ensure that taxes deducted and deposited by the employer match with the employee's income.

How to Download Form 16:

From Employer Portal: Most employers provide Form 16 to their employees either physically or through email. Employees can also download it from their company's HR or payroll portal.

Income Tax e-Filing Portal: Employees can also download Form 16 from the Income Tax e-filing portal if their employer has uploaded it. They need to log in to the portal using their PAN (Permanent Account Number) and password.

Traces Website: The TRACES (TDS Reconciliation Analysis and Correction Enabling System) website also allows employees to download Form 16. They need to register on the TRACES website using their PAN and view Form 16 under the "Downloads" tab.

Steps to Download Form 16 from the Income Tax e-Filing Portal:

Login: Visit the Income Tax e-filing portal (https://www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/) and log in using your PAN, password, and date of birth.

Navigate to Form 16/16A: Go to the "My Account" tab and select "Form 16/16A" from the drop-down menu.

View Form 16: Choose the relevant assessment year for which you need Form 16 and click on the "View" button. The Form 16 PDF will be displayed, and you can download it for your records.

Form 16: FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about Form 16 in India:

What is Form 16?

Form 16 is a certificate issued by your employer that contains details of your salary income and the Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) on your salary for the financial year.

Who issues Form 16?

Your employer, if they deduct TDS on your salary, is responsible for issuing Form 16.

When is Form 16 issued?

Form 16 is typically issued by employers between February and June of each year, for the previous financial year (April 1st to March 31st).

What information does Form 16 contain?

Form 16 is divided into two parts:

Part A: Contains details about your employer, your PAN (Permanent Account Number), and your TAN (Tax Deduction and Collection Account Number).

Part B: Shows your salary breakup for the year, deductions claimed (like HRA, professional tax), and the total tax deducted at source (TDS) on your salary.

How do I use Form 16?

You can use the information in Form 16 to file your income tax return (ITR). It helps you accurately report your salary income and the TDS deducted on it.

What is the difference between Form 16 and Form 16A?

Form 16A is similar to Form 16, but it is issued for non-salary income, such as rent, interest on investments, etc., by the deductor (like bank, tenant). It is issued quarterly.

Is it mandatory to have Form 16 to file my ITR?

While not mandatory, it is recommended to have Form 16 as it simplifies filing your ITR. You can still file your ITR using the details in your Form 26AS (tax credit statement) available on the income tax portal.

How can I verify the validity of Form 16?

You can compare the details in Form 16 with your salary slips and Form 26AS.

For more information on Form 16, you can refer to these resources:

Income tax department website (https://www.incometax.gov.in/iec/foportal/)

Cleartax guide on Form 16 vs 16A (https://cleartax.in/paytax/UploadForm16)

For the latest and more interesting financial news, keep reading Indiatimes Worth. Click here


May 13, 2024: The Russian Air Force has been having a bad time in the Ukraine War. While its initial attacks were successful, Ukrainian air defenses quickly recovered and their Russian made SAM (Surface to Air Missile) systems were very effective against Russian aircraft. The reverse was not true. Many Russian SAMs didnt work at all when launched and others proved less accurate than they were supposed to be. Poor design and manufacturing defects in these missiles were not revealed until they were used. The reverse was not true. The same SAMs in Ukrainian service worked fine. The difference was that, after the Soviet Union collapsed, the Ukrainians began properly maintaining their SAMs, noticed the design and manufacturing defects and fixed them. The Russians didnt. This was an old problem. Before the USSRs collapse, jams and jellies produced in Bulgaria kept winning prizes in agricultural contests of the USSR and its Eastern European satellites such as Bulgaria. Soviet judges kept lauding the excellence of Bulgarian jams and jellies until the Bulgarian manufacturers told them they had used exactly the same recipes the Soviets did. I.e., Soviet jams and jellies used less expensive ingredients and were sloppily made.

One side effect of Russian corruption plus sloppy manufacturing is that 21 Russian guided bombs and SAMs landed on the Russian side of the Ukrainian border and caused some damage and an undisclosed number of casualties. One of these errant bombs landed in Belgorod City, the capital of Belgorod Province. That bomb left a large crater in a street and some damage to nearby buildings. The government would not reveal the extent of civilian casualties. The government tried to suppress any news reports of these embarrassing bombings on the Russian side of the border. Ukrainians reported the number of Russian missiles shot down or malfunctioning as they headed for Ukrainian targets. Few of the missiles actually landed on or near their targets. It was no surprise that Russian air strikes were failing on both sides of the border and the Russians could not suppress reporting of what happened inside Ukraine.

NATO is sending Ukraine about sixty F-16 fighter-bombers and these will be dispersed to several different airports and air bases and remain hidden most of the time. While the Russian Air Force is inept, they are not totally useless and will occasionally be successful. Ukraine doesnt want to take chances with its new F-16s and the Americans have asked Ukraine not to be too aggressive with their F-16s inside Russia. The U.S. fears that F-16 attacks deep inside Russia could trigger a state of war between Russia and the United States. The Ukrainians have plenty of targets along the Russian border and prefer to use Ukrainian made UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) for long range attacks inside Russia.
As the tourism industry gears up for a record-breaking season, a critical challenge looms: a significant labor shortage in the sector remains unresolved.

The previous year witnessed a deficit of nearly 60,000 workers, encompassing both unskilled and skilled positions, such as kitchen staff and receptionists. This year, the gap is projected to widen to 80,000. In 2023, the influx of foreign tourists peaked at 33 million, while

the average employment in tourism was 383,000. This translates to each employee catering to 86 visitors. Greeces commitment to quality over low-cost offerings, in contrast to competitors like Turkey , underscores the urgency to fill employment vacancies.Innovative JOBmatch Platform Aims to Resolve Employment Gaps

The JOBmatch platform, launched yesterday, seeks to address the exodus of young workers from the tourism sector, particularly in catering. The platform aims to reconcile the needs of businesses with job seekers who demand fair employment conditions. Exhaustive work hours, unpaid overtime, and poor living conditions, especially in tourist-saturated islands, have driven the workforce away. The platform facilitates the creation of business profiles and job listings, offering a streamlined process for matching employers with potential employees.

JOBmatch: Bridging Employers and Job Seekers

The application, available for free on Android and iOS, allows users to create profiles and specify job preferences. Employers can then search for candidates using various filters, including experience and desired wages. Notifications for interviews are sent through the app, with the option for phone interviews as well.

The platform promises a four-step process to employment: matching with an opportunity, confirming interest, scheduling an interview, and securing the job. Ratings for both employers and employees after job completion ensure transparency and accountability.

As the tourism industry prepares for a busy season, the JOBmatch platform stands as a beacon of hope for resolving the labor shortage, ensuring that Greece maintains its reputation for quality tourism.

Translated by ANTHEE CARASSAVA

   iefimerida.gr
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his confidence that the New Democracy party would do very well in the European Parliament elections on June 9, at a tour of the town of Makri near Alexandroupolis on Tuesday.

"If

some people want to turn these elections into a referendum against the government , I am absolutely certain they will receive the answer they deserve in the ballot box ,"said, as "citizens have entrusted us with a very high percentage a year ago and delivered a four-year mandate to us to change the country and bring it steadily closer to Europe . I can reassure you we are serving this mandate."

Mitsotakis said he always began his preelection tour of Greece from Evros, and spoke of the efforts to stem migration flows in 2020 from Turkiye, adding that Greece was possibly the only European country where the migration issue was no longer a subject of election campaigns "because we simply managed to control the issue, protecting our borders effectively, doing our job and honoring our obligation before the Greek people, especially the border residents."

Mitsotakis also spoke of efforts to convince the European Commission, Council, and Parliament that Europe must resolve the issue of protecting its external borders. The new migration plan approved recently is "fully aligned with the Greek priorities," he said. The European Commission must fund projects like the Evros fence that acts as a deterrent to migration flows, he added.

Referring to his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Monday, the Greek PM said Greece "always seeks good relations with Turkiye" without changing its set positions, while "always protecting its national sovereignty and sovereign rights with confidence."

Speaking of last year's fires and their extensive destruction, he said that several government initiatives included a committee to restore Evros working under a regular supervision by the government.

Among other issues, he touched on the high cost of living, which he said will slowly start improving, and to the lower unemployment rate since 2019, on the issue of wages, health services, and education. "I did not say that Greece became a paradise, but what I can say with absolute conviction is that Greece in 2024 bears no relation to Greece in 2019. It is a much better country," he concluded.

   iefimerida.gr
Following, Mondays meeting between Labour Partys (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar that set tongues wagging, details have emerged.

The Chief Spokesman of Obis Presidential Campaign Organisation, Yunusa Tanko, disclosed that the politicians met behind closed doors to deliberate on how to rescue the soul of Nigeria from the clutch of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

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Speaking during a chat with Punch, he said, I am not privy to their meetings. But what you are seeing are some of the long discussions we have had a long time ago. It is part of the discussions and efforts to battle for the soul of Nigeria.

It is not a surprising thing for Obi to meet some of his political allies to discuss the situation of the country. That is the few I can say for now.

Also an official statement released by Obis media team titled State of the Nation and Plight of the Poor: Obi visits Atiku, Saraki and Lamido corroborated Tankos earlier sentiment that Obi is determined to engage virtually all his political allies on the need to wrest power from the APC.

READ ALSO: Peter Obi Meets Atiku In Abuja, Amid Rumoured Coalition Ahead Of 2027

The 2023 Presidential flag bearer of the Labour Party, Peter Obi has continued to live up to his expressed commitment to the peace and progress of the nation. His abiding devotion is to the emergence of a Nigeria that works for all its people and where the people are quickly pulled out of poverty.

Worried about the state of the nation and the increasing uncertainty in the living conditions of the poor and underprivileged, Obi in Abuja on Monday visited some top Nigerians, among whom are Former Vice President, and PDP Presidential Candidate in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, the Former Senate President Senator Bukola Saraki and the Former Governor of Jigawa state, Alhaji Sule Lamido.

At the centre of discussion during each of these visits was the state of the nation and how to reduce the suffering of all Nigerians irrespective of class and location. In particular, the desperate condition of the downtrodden in our midst was highlighted. Of particular interest and emphasis in these discussions was the worrisome situation in the Northern parts of the country, the statement read.


Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, says he wont let the political crises rocking the State to affect how he discharges his duty in the State.

Fubara disclosed this on Monday, during the inauguration of Dagogo Israel Iboroma as Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice at the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

He further lamented that the political crises, which was deemed a family matter, has unfortunately degenerated into a crippling feud.

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However, he said in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Nelson Chukwudi, that his administration has moved on, following the presence of a well- constituted House of Assembly to discharge legislative duties, and the appointment of a seasoned lawyer as Attorney-General.

I am happy that this is happening today to mark the beginning of a new era in our administration.

When I said that I had a reason for being patient, it is because I know that we are all from one family. And if we have a disagreement, no matter how bad it is, it should be resolved amicably.

READ ALSO: Rivers Crisis: Gov Fubara To Probe Wikes Govt, Sets Up Panel Of Inquiry

But it has become very clear that this disagreement, there is no way to resolve it amicably. And for a lot of reasons, there are visible evidence that there is sabotage, deliberate attempt to sabotage this administration.

For that reason, we have to move forward. And, moving forward, if it means taking decisions that are going to hurt anybody, we are not going back.

Fubara also accused Zaccheus Adangor, former Justice Commissioner, of sabotaging the administration he served as chief law officer.

He said: It is good that you were already a SAN before your appointment. This means that youre a very thorough lawyer and has earned your appointment. Not like the one we had here.

Instead of you to close your mouth, you go publicly to claim that you are a learned person. But go publicly to tell people that you were the chief law officer.

Chief law officer? You were here and you went to stand before a magistrate court. At that time, you didnt remember that you were a chief law officer, going against the ethics of your job. Like I said, you will get your reward, not in the next world, but in this world.

According to him, God never makes mistakes when he elevates any person to whatever level, adding that the claim that he became Governor by mistake is unfounded


The Kogi State governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja has reserved judgment in the suit challenging the election of Usman Ododo as State Governor.

Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Ododo, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the Kogi election held on November 11, 2023.

Ododo polled 446,237 votes to defeat Murtala Ajaka, candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who came second with 259,052 votes, and Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 46,362 votes.

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However, SDP and Ajaka, filed petitions to challenge the victory of Ododo.

At the court session on Monday, lawyers to parties in the petition made their final submissions and adopted their written addresses.

The INEC, APC, and Ododo urged the three-member panel tribunal, led by Ado Birnin-Kudu, to dismiss the petition for lacking merit.

Kanu Agabi, a senior advocate of Nigeria and INECs counsel, who argued that the petition lacked merit and was incompetent urged the tribunal to either strike it out or dismiss it.

It is our humble submission that your work in the determination of this petition is simplified in recent judgments by the court of appeal and supreme court, he said.

He argued that the Appeal Court had decided that a petition should be struck out if the grounds on which it is established are inconsistent with one another, and are not consistent with the reliefs.

The INEC counsel also argued that the evidence of the petitioners was grossly insufficient, citing a supreme court decision in a case by Tonye Cole against INEC.

In that case, the petitioner filed 305 witness depositions but only adopted 40 of them. The petitioner only adopted about 13.1 percent of the witness depositions.

READ ALSO: Kogi: Arrest Anybody Protesting In My Name  SDPs Ajaka To Security Agencies

In this case, (the petition by the SDP and Ajaka), the depositions adopted represent just about 3.6 percent of their witness depositions, Agabi said.

He noted that the petitioners only called 25 witnesses, adding that in the mathematical calculation of evidence, 3.6 percent of Ajakas witness deposition adopted in the petition amounted to a failure and therefore ought to be dismissed.

Agabi argued that the petitioners witness, who testified about the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) machines, stated that he could not guarantee whether those were the BVAS used.

He added that out of the 25 witnesses called by the petitioners, there was no single polling unit agent among them.

On his part, Joseph Daudu, the lawyer to Ododo, faulted the competence of the petition which he said was statute-barred for having allegedly been filed out of time.

Daudu urged the tribunal to dismiss the allegation of forgery made by the petitioners against his client.

He argued that such an issue bordered on pre-election matters, which could not be raised in the state of post-election litigation.

Emmanuel Ukala, counsel to APC, also prayed the tribunal to dismiss the petition for lacking merit.

Petitioners lawyer, Pius Akubo, faulted the claim by the respondents that the petition was filed out of time.

He also submitted that the petitioners have provided sufficient evidence to support their case that the election was marred by irregularities and corrupt practices.

Akubo prayed to the tribunal to allow the petition and reverse Ododos victory.

After taking the arguments, Birnin-Kudu, the Chairman of the Tribunal, reserved judgment on the petition.

The date will be communicated to both parties, he said.
The Oyo State Government, announced the arrest of 32 individuals, including two Chinese nationals over illegal mining.

It was gathered that the suspected miners were arrested at Sooro market in Kishi, Irepo Local Government Area of the state.

The state Director-General of Operation Burst, Col James Oladipo Ajibola, made this known, shortly after a security stakeholders meeting held at the Deputy Governors Office, Agodi in Ibadan.

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INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that the state Deputy Governor, Bayo Lawal had, during a clearance operation against the illegal miners at the market, over the weekend, ordered its closure and immediate evacuation of all illegal structures and shanties built across the market and the precious stones.

Ajibola explained that the collaborative efforts of traditional leaders and the joint security task force enabled the instant restoration of peace and order in the area.

He said: About 32 illegal miners, including two Chinese migrants, were arrested at the Kishi-Sooro market and are currently undergoing investigation at the moment.

Earlier, the State Government had announced the closure of the market over the activities of illegal miners in the market.

The Executive Assistant to State Governor, Seyi Makinde on Security, retd CP Sunday Odukoya, who addressed newsmen warned that the government would not hesitate to pounce on any individual involved in illegal mining activities in the state.

He said: We just had an intensive meeting on security over the illegal mining happening in Oke-Ogun, especially in Sooro in Irepo Local Government.

READ MORE: DSS Reportedly Nabs Wanted Oyo Motorpark Boss, Auxiliary

The government has taken its position which means that everybody has to stand up to their responsibility to ensure adequate peace in the region.

The Kabiesi, Iba of Kishi, Oba Mashoud Lawal has promised to make sure the area is free of hoodlums and that all the criminalities within his area will definitely come to an end.

The government will not relent in ensuring that the area remains peaceful and the market remains closed until further directive is given by the State Governor, Seyi Makinde.
The Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara has announced plans by his administration to set up a panel of inquiry into the governance of the state.

Fubara led this out on Monday, while swearing in Dagogo Iboroma, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, as the new Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of the State at Government House in Port Harcourt.

The Governor told Iboroma that he chose to bring him in as the Attorney-General at this time, adding that the moment was critical in the governance of the state.

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He stressed that the state at the time has a lot of legal matters that need to be tackled with bravery and courage, pleading that the new attorney general should not fail the state.

Fubara said: So, my brother, Dagogo Iboroma, you are going to be the brand-new Attorney-General of our dear State. SSG, give him his letter, he is the Attorney-General.

Why are we bringing you at this very critical time? We have a lot of issues around us. We believe that you are not going to be the one that when they send service to you, you go and file nolle prosequi or you go and file one thing that would kill us here.

Let me also say this, you have a big task. We will be setting up a judicial panel of inquiry to investigate the affairs of governance. So, brace up, I am not going back on it.

Please, defend us. We know that you are going to defend us because your record is clean. You are a gentleman and peaceful. You are not a noise maker. People like you are endowed, and they have the fear of God.

READ MORE: Fubara Cant Change Rivers Assembly Sitting Venue  Falana

I am happy that this is happening today to mark the beginning of a new era in our administration.

But it has become very clear that this disagreement, there is no way to resolve it amicably. And for a lot of reasons, there are visible evidence that there is sabotage, deliberate attempt to sabotage this administration.

It is good that you were already a SAN before your appointment. This means that youre a very thorough lawyer and has earned your appointment. Not like the one we had here, who while in office, they went to pay money to get SAN. When you become a SAN, the only thing you will do is to sabotage government.
Olaka Nwogu, former federal lawmaker who represented the Rivers South-East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, has tackled Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara over the move by his administration to probe his predecessors.

Recall that Fubara, on Monday, announced that his administration will probe the past governments, particularly the immediate past administration led by Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

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The Governor stated this amidst the ongoing political crisis rocking the state following the feud between him and the Minister.

Reacting, Nwogu who spoke in Port Harcourt, urged the Governor to stop witch-hunting the minister.

The former lawmaker further lamented that despite President Bola Ahmed Tinubus intervention in the face-off, the incumbent Governor has decided to escalate the crisis by planning the probe.

READ ALSO: Fubara Voted Against Tinubu During 2023 Polls, His Followers Are Not The Presidents Supporters  Rivers APC Chair

Fubaras move, he added, signals disrespect for the President, stressing that the present disposition of the Governor has negated all the peace overtures and spited the President.

This is a direct spite of the President. If he chooses to abandon the eight-point agenda and to pursue this course, it means he has no respect for the Presidents intervention.

This is an unnecessary escalation. It tenses the place up. As a governor, do your job. You will be judged by the infrastructures you provide, but if you think that fighting people will add to your scorecard, let us see how.

If you want to probe the past administration, on which records? The person setting up the panel is also the record keeper.

What will be put before they are selective, are they doctored? This is just the most absurd of all the absurdities, he said.
President Joe Biden signed new legislation in April that would effectively ban TikTok unless the owners divest from the platform. Many experts believe a buyer will be found for the social media video platform that has 150 million active users in the U.S. The companys current owners have also filed a lawsuit contesting the ban, which could also cause further delays.

However, a potential ban could have major impact on how companies of all sizes engage with customers.

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There are three types of small businesses that make money from TikTok.

Creators who earn revenues from affiliate links, sponsors, and creator funds from generating short-form videos and other content. Small businesses that directly sell their products by linking to landing pages. Small businesses that advertise.

TikTok says that its platform drives more than $15 billion in annual revenues for their small-business content creators, sellers, and advertisers on their platform.

A ban on TikTok could not only disrupt businesses accessibility to their audience but also lead to a significant financial loss for them, said Marissa Bruette, vice president of digital marketing at Slice Communications in Wilmington. This is particularly concerning for those who have found a niche on the platform and rely heavily on it for their marketing efforts.

If you or your company will be impacted by a ban of TikTok in early 2025, here are a few things you can do right now.

Plan ahead

Its critical to make and start implementing an alternative plan sooner rather than later.

While the sale vs. ban discussions continues, any decision will unlikely affect your 2024 marketing strategies, Bruette said. However, its crucial to start considering the implications for 2025. This foresight will allow you to begin testing other strategies, specifically for small businesses and creators, and be prepared for any potential changes.

For many influencers and advertisers, their TikTok presence has been built over a period of time, so its going to take some time to build an audience elsewhere. The good news is that there are alternatives.

Consider alternative platforms

The two main competitors to TikTok are Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, both of which attract hundreds of millions of eyeballs. But other social media platforms like Snapchat, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Pinterest or even lesser-known platforms like Triller also have engaged audiences. All of these social media sites offer video capabilities similar to TikTok. But they also have their own unique features, and new users will require time to get up to speed and build a new audiences.

Fortunately, there are viable alternatives without requiring a drastic shift in your video strategy, Bruette said. It may be a good idea to find a small budget to create content on a new platform and use the platforms specific targeting segments that will allow you to reach your niche audience on that channel.

Revisit your target audience

Choosing the right platform really depends on where your audience is. Amy Jennette, a senior director of brand marketing at website host GoDaddy, says that its important to take the time, survey some of your followers, and truly understand where they engage.

The same audience that likes your content or clicks on an advertisement on TikTok might also be as active on Facebook or X, Jeannette said. The TikTok ban may be another opportunity for you to connect with that audience and to expand your reach in areas that you didnt previously consider.

Expand your website

Regardless of the social platforms you choose, Jennette says its critical to have a good website to support your online activities.

According to a recent survey from GoDaddy, 91% of small business owners think they offer a convenient online experience while just 21% of consumers agree. The overwhelming majority of young consumers (80% of Gen Z and 75% of millennials) said its that important small businesses have storefronts linked to their social pages for easy shopping.

TikTok creators and sellers should right now be building a website thats your home base for you to reach and transact with your audience, she said. The great thing about your website is that you make it whatever you want. Youre not confined to a time limit or format on your videos, and you can supplement your videos with blogs and other content.

Jennette says that having a website to support your social activities on other platforms will also help build email lists of engaged followers and provide a centralized place to sell your products and promote your brand.

With a website, you can engage with your followers regardless of what other platforms theyre on, she said.

Collaboration is also important

Small businesses routinely lack the resources to expand to all the markets they desire, and social media markets are no different. One way to address that issue is to collaborate with others. The potential TikTok ban provides a good opportunity to consider potential partners  such as other influencers  as well as to expand and diversify where theyre active.

Bruette recommends that influencers add multiple channels to their portfolios and then incorporate commitments in their contract negotiations with sponsors and advertisers to create content across all of these platforms.

Collaborating with brands across various channels diversifies income streams and enhances long-term sustainability, she said. The potential ban could significantly impact the reach and engagement of influencers, making it crucial to secure collaborations and contracts across multiple platforms to mitigate the potential loss of income. Begin looking for brands that have various channels and begin creating content for each of them.
William W. Latimer has stepped down as president of Chestnut Hill College after less than two years on the job. Read more

William W. Latimer, Chestnut Hill Colleges first lay and first male leader in its century-long history, will step down after less than two years on the job.

And although the resignation is effective June 30, the private Catholic college said Latimers personal obligations require that he be available immediately and that Brian McCloskey, vice president of financial affairs, would take over leadership responsibilities. Sister Matthew Anita will continue to serve as special assistant, the college said.

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Latimer, the college said, will become a special adviser to the board of directors.

 READ MORE: Chestnut Hill College names first lay president in its nearly 100-year history

While there are always challenges inherent in transitioning from a religious leader to a lay person as president, we appreciate the work that Dr. Latimer has done to move the college forward over the last two years, said Sister Maureen G. Erdlen, vice chair of the board and congregational president of the Sisters of St. Joseph, which founded the college in 1924.

The college said the board will appoint an interim president in the coming weeks and launch a search for a permanent president.

The college declined to explain the abrupt change or answer questions about it. Latimer did not return a call for comment.

I appreciate the opportunity to have led this outstanding institution, and I will always treasure my time at Chestnut Hill College, Latimer said in a statement, but I have decided that for my own reasons and in the best interests of the college, I need to transition to this new role.

An infectious-disease epidemiologist, Latimer replaced Sister Carol Jean Vale, who led the college for 30 years. Latimer had previously been a vice president at Mercy Colleges Bronx campus.
May 14, 2024: In April the Ukrainian intelligence service made it possible for a Ukrainian S-300 Air Defense missile system to shoot down a Russian Tu-22M3 heavy bomber that has been attacking Ukrainian forces near the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula. This was the first time the Ukrainians were able to shoot down a Russian Tu-22M3 heavy bomber that was operating hundreds of kilometers from its base inside Russia. The Tu-22M3 was attacking various Ukrainian targets near Crimea or bordering the Black Sea or the Sea of Azov extension in the northeast. Ukraine has been regularly attacking Russian land and naval bases in Crimea and usually destroying them. Ukraine also attacked Russian radars and SAM (Surface to Air Missile) installations. This made it easier for Ukrainian missiles to hit targets in Crimea. Russian civilians who came to live in Crimea since 2014 are leaving what they now consider a war zone.

When Russia seized control of Ukrainian Crimea in 2014, there were already several large Russian military bases there. The Russians paid Ukraine rent for the use of these bases and had a long-term lease. The 2014 seizure was believed to be cheaper and more useful to Russia than operating in Ukrainian-controlled Crimea. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, in an attempt to conquer all of Ukraine, the Ukrainians have managed to halt the Russian attack and inflict heavy losses on the Russian forces. The Ukrainian resistance included a growing number of attacks on Russian bases in Crimea, sometimes using Ukrainian commandos who sought to take prisoners and capture documents as well as destroying military facilities like air or sea search radars.

By 2o23 Ukraine had destroyed over a third of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and forced the remainder to move as far from Crimea as possible. This means anchorages in the Black Sea extension, the Sea of Azov that was more than a thousand kilometers from Crimea and reachable only via the narrow 15 kilometer-long Kerch Strait. This is also the site of the Kerch Strait bridge, which connects Crimea with the Russian mainland. This bridge has been under constant attack by the Ukrainians since Russia invaded in early 2022. Currently Ukraine is attacking the bridge with explosive armed USVs (Unmanned Surface Vessels). Similar USVs were used against the Black Sea Fleet. With Crimea stripped of its radars, anti-aircraft systems and warships normally based there, the area is now largely defenseless. Every Russian vehicle and electronic device in Crimea relies on imported fuel and the Crimea is now effectively blockaded by Ukrainian forces. No more fuel gets into Russian-occupied Crimea. When the last of it is used, Russian-occupied Crimea will be defenseless and Ukrainian forces can walk in and take over.
Sama Abdulhadi at Making Time at Fort Mifflin in 2023. David Pianka's electronic music-plus festival returns to the historic site near Philadelphia International Airport on Sept. 20-22. Read more

There wont be an infinite number of acts playing at the MakingTime  festival at historic Fort Mifflin this fall. But there will be a lot.

In its fourth year at the National Historic Landmark near the Philadelphia International Airport, Making Time impresario David Piankas outdoor electronic music-plus festival will present over 100 artists performing on five stages from Sept. 20-22.

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This years attractions at the 42-acre site (with a history that goes back to the Revolutionary War era) include British producer Floating Points; Philadelphia DJ and Blacktronika tastemaker and educator King Britt; a pair of UK duos in Optimo (Espacio) and Bicep; Detroit electro pioneer DJ Stingray; and the Belgian collective 2ManyDJs. Philly dance music makers Universal Cave, Jewelssea, Zillas on Acid, and Rich Medina will also play.

Making Time emphasizes electronic music but also features live bands. This years lineup features several sterling bookings, including Los Angeles folk songwriter Jessica Pratt  whose Here in the Pitch is one of the finest albums released so far in 2024  plus Guatemalan cellist Mabe Fratti, Brooklyn post-punk dance band Model/Actriz, and Norwegian sax player Bendik Giske.

Ricardo Riveras Philly lighting design company Klip Collective will supply the trippy visuals at the Fort, which was captured by the British army in 1777 and housed Confederate army prisoners during the Civil War. Its located six miles south of Center City on the western bank of the Delaware River.

For the second year in a row, Making Time is happening the same weekend as XPoNential Music Festival, the event presented by University of Pennsylvania radio station WXPN-FM (88.5).

Last year, both fests were hit hard by a weekend-long storm, which caused many Making Time festivalgoers to huddle inside at Fort Mifflins many casemates, once used to store munitions that served as chill-out rooms.

After the Forts grounds were damaged due to the heavy rain last year, Pianka staged a dance party fundraiser in Brooklyn that raised $20,000 to pay for repairs of the site. In announcing this years fest, Pianka said: Making Time  is about banding together to transcend inclement weather, by-numbers lineups, and corporate overlords of all persuasions. This is what makes Making Time  totally unique and totally unforgettable. Each year, we come to Making Time  for something different, something ambitious, abnormal and, yes, transcendent.

Thee-day passes are on sale for $225 (plus fees) on Dice.Fm. To avoid fees, tickets are available at the restaurants Middle Child and Middle Child Clubhouse in Philadelphia, and the Lot Radio in Brooklyn.
A sizzle platter of saganaki cheese bursts into flames at our table. In every corner, sparklers spray like Roman candles from birthday cakes, the effervescent glow illuminating diners, and giant white urns shoot pink and white bougainvillea vines into the rafters. As house music thumps through the 200-seat dining room  with a bouzouki solo lending it a distinctly Greek strut  I can see Im not the only one shimmying in my seat, one ouzo shot away from getting up to dance a sirtaki.

Is there a more festive new restaurant space in Philly right now than Almyra, the latest creation by the team behind Estia? I doubt it, as iPhone flashes pop off around the room and nattily dressed couples and large groups of women in half-moon booths clutch rainbow-colored cocktails in selfie poses between whipped feta spreads, kebab platters, and heaping bowls of creamy lobster pasta.

If the limestone floors, wooden beams, and classic taverna menu at the original Estia just a few blocks away were intended to capture the understated beauty of a Greek village  and the older Academy of Music pretheater crowd  Almyra, located on the ground floor of the new Hyatt Centric hotel, feels more like an island party from Mykonos transported to Rittenhouse Square, with a glam 40-and-under crowd constantly hovering near the large front bar below a handblown chandelier that hangs from a sunburst ceiling fixture of Australian cypress beams. The colorful flowers that twine throughout the entire space are fake, of course  not that it matters once the reels from dinner ascend to Insta-ternity.

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The name Almyra is a reference to a Greek goddess, but co-owner Gus Pashalis says its also meant to evoke a coastal breeze. The aromas I get instead near the bar are an unsettling mix of heavy cologne and table sanitizer competing with the occasional  and far more appetizing  scent of lamb chops and oregano roasting in the kitchen. Either way, the upscale new setting is ironic considering this space sits where the unpretentious haunt of Little Petes, the last of Center Citys 24 / 7 Greek diners, used to be before it was razed in 2017 for the new hotel.

I wish I could say Almyras kitchen makes up in quality or style for the loss of the late-night comforts of Little Petes humble patty melts, mushroom barley soup, and stuffed cabbage. Almyras menu promises modern Greek, which means some Asian fusion, from fried wontons stuffed with spinach pie to a salmon maki roll wrapped with grape leaves instead of nori. It is occasionally solid enough not to distract too much from the party ambience that is clearly the point, especially the most straightforward items like a filet mignon kebab, or those lamb chops, served beside golden bars of layered potatoes crisped in a fryer thats gluten-free (yay!).

As a fan of the original Estia and its consistent low-key excellence with the Greek classics, Id hoped for more interesting food from this ambitious new addition to the dining scene. The kitchen at Almyra has struggled on many levels during my visits: That includes a failure to replicate even some of the standards that Estia does so well, such as the signature zucchini and eggplant chips  fried too thick and stiff as boards (vs. the paper thin snap of the Estia originals). A grilled whole lavraki was overcooked to sea bass mush once it was butterflied and reassembled on a plate, although a lemony olive oil gloss of ladolemono sauce saved the dish.

Im disappointed by the lack of a compelling vision for what modern Greek food might be beyond recasting familiar flavors with touches like turning bifteki beef patties into dumplings, or the Greek riff on sushi, which is actually pretty clever; the grape leaves add a briny twang that differs from the oceanic note of the usual seaweed. But the rice was so cold and stiff, the salmon so generic, it merely rose to the level of supermarket sushi.

There can be compatibility between the ways Greek and Japanese chefs showcase their seafood bounties; the fusion works well enough with the crudos, the most rewarding corner of the menu. Tuna is lightly poached in garlic oil, and still rare when topped with olive tapenade. A tartare duo of minced salmon seasoned with a Mediterranean profile of mustard and capers makes a cross-cultural pairing with tuna tartare seasoned sesame and chili oils, striped with green tobiko and served with lotus chips.

No doubt theres wide appeal for a Nobu copycat starter like the crispy rice topped with spicy tuna, which segues from its Japanese base to a Greek topping of olive tapenade. Another starter, of spanakopita wrapped in fried wonton squares like spinach pie Rangoon, has hors doeuvres appeal, even if it lacks the delicacy of a layered phyllo crunch.

But turning solely to fusion to contemporize a cuisine is a dated approach that misses out on opportunities to dig deeper into forgotten traditions and reinterpret them with local ingredients and modern techniques. Bobby Saritsoglu does this well with his largely Greek (and pan-Mediterranean) flavors at Stina, with the citys most gorgeous octopus, various manti dumplings, baharat-spiced pastitsio, merguez pide, and chocolate-tahini layer cake. (Konstantinos Pitsillides had a similar approach with Cypriot flavors I miss  grape leaf-wrapped whole fish; roasted rabbit with yellow peas; guinea fowl bastilla  at various incarnations of his now-closed Kanella.)

My frustration was only amplified by the service, which was pleasant enough in the greeting and menu presentation (well-informed on gluten-free options), but was ultimately so amateurish afterward they walked past the empty water glasses on our table for nearly the entire meal, not even bothering to ask if we wanted to order a second drink. Its no surprise then that the rest of our table was pretty much done with their entrees by the time I was able to flag down a server to point out that the kitchen had forgotten the sauce for our $30 short rib, left high and dry atop feta mashed potatoes. We eventually got a cruet of thick au jus gravy, but it didnt occur to the staff that even a small gesture of apology for the long delay might be warranted.

That was hardly the kitchens only stumble. The big shrimp for the kadaifi appetizer were wrapped inside a wig-sized clump of fried shredded phyllo so dense and unruly, the big crustaceans inside were not fully cooked. The same shrimp were properly grilled on the entree kebab, but were no longer hot by the time they arrived at our table. A big hunk of Chilean sea bass marinated in truffled sherry soy was also just shy of fully cooked, still a little sinewy at its center. The ground chicken kofta kebab was cooked through, but too many bread crumbs and apricots blended into the pureed meat left it mushy. Better to stick with the herb-brined half chicken that gets roasted on the grill with basmati and ladolemono.

The signature Almyra zucchini chips were as stale on my second visit as they were on the first. This kitchen even had a hard time properly cooking a side of grilled vegetables, marking thick rounds of eggplant, carrots, and zucchini so lightly, they were essentially still raw. The saganaki went up with plenty of tableside flames, but the ouzo sauce over the kefalograviera cheese was boosted with so much honey the savory appetizer tasted too much like dessert.

When it came time for the actual dessert, Almyra returned to the classics, but without much finesse. At my last meal, a square of baklava came clumsily topped with a thick clump of dry phyllo; a similarly dry phyllo lid topped an undersweetened semolina custard dessert called galaktoboureko. Those desserts have evolved since, Im told, the baklava now a bowl of cut-up pastry cigars with ice cream; theres also a kataifi cheesecake now, too. Your best bet might be to stick with the frozen yogurt and cinnamon-roasted quince in syrup  or just cut your losses and head just a half block south to the fantastic new gelato bar called Vita.

The Pashalis family that owns the Estia group, which also includes the Estia Tavernas and Pietros pizzerias, does not employ a culinary director or traditional executive chef to oversee its kitchens. Theyve proven to be skilled at creating beautiful and transporting spaces with popular appeal. But the lack of a more dynamic culinary vision at Almyra shows. Perhaps Im expecting too much from a place that is really all about the vibes. But with a room as evocative as this, it is a lost opportunity to give diners a taste of something that might help define what, in fact, modern Greek dining can be.

Almyra

1636 Chancellor St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19103, 267-876-7070; almyrarestaurant.com

Dinner Sunday through Thursday, 4 to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, until 12 a.m.

Entrees, $22-$39.

Menu highlights: smoked eggplant and fava spreads; spanakopita manti; Greco roll; duo tartare; Cretan salad; bifteki dumplings; lamb chops; lavraki; shrimp kebab.

About 40% of the menu is naturally gluten-free, from the spreads served with rice crackers to the charred octopus, fish, and lamb chops.
CHOPs new Schuylkill Avenue research building will be known as the Morgan Center for Research and Innovation thanks to a $50 million gift from Mitchell L. Morgan and his family. Read more

Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia on Tuesday announced a $50 million gift from real estate investor Mitchell L. Morgan and his family for a new $480 million research building under construction near the South Street Bridge in Philadelphia.

The 17-story, 350,000-square-foot facility, expected to open next year, will be named the Morgan Center for Research and Innovation. CHOP said the new building will significantly expand its laboratory research capacity for biomedical and molecular studies.

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The Morgan Center is going up next to the Roberts Center for Pediatric Research, a $275 million building that opened in 2017 and was named for the family of Comcast CEO Brian Roberts following a $25 million gift.

Morgan and his wife, Hilarie, a former psychologist, have been longtime CHOP supporters and previously endowed a pediatric surgery position.

We are incredibly grateful to Mitchell, Hilarie, and their family as they help us write this next, essential chapter of our storied 169-year history, CHOP CEO Madeline Bell said in a press release. The new space will help recruit top physician-scientists to CHOP, she said.

Morgan is founder and CEO of Philadelphia-based Morgan Properties, which says on its website that it has more than 90,000 apartments in 19 states. He is also chairman of Temple Universitys board.

We are honored that our gift will enable CHOP to bolster research and innovation spearheaded by the next generation of scientific and medical leaders, Morgan said.

The Morgan Center adds to a substantial list of recent and future construction projects at CHOP. In addition to the $336 million King of Prussia hospital that opened in early 2022, CHOP opened a $492 million Hub for Clinical Collaboration on its University City campus in the fall of 2022.

The hospital also plans a $1.9 billion patient tower that will replace the Wood Center on CHOPs main campus. It will have more than 20 floors and is expected to open in 2028.

Editors note: This article has been updated on May 15, 2024, with the cost of the Morgan Center.
Lauren McNeal, a registered nurse, monitors patients in multiple facilities remotely from the Center for Connected Care at Penn Medicine Rittenhouse in Philadelphia. Read more

Philadelphia-area hospitals are rolling carts outfitted with video screens and virtual cameras into patient rooms with the hope that remote nurses can reduce patients risk of falling, pulling out tubes, or hurting themselves another way.

One remote nurse can do the work of up to a dozen in-person staffers by watching a bank of cameras stationed in patient rooms, and sometimes interacting with patients via video. Research has found these so-called virtual sitters can help reduce patient falls, because the nurses on the other end of the camera are not moving from room to room, but solely dedicated to watching patients every move.

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But virtual sitters can also introduce their own safety risks: Jefferson Abington Hospital was cited by state inspectors in March for using virtual monitors in behavioral health patient rooms, which hospitals are required to keep free of anything that patients could use to hurt themselves, such as shade pulls, extra bedding, and power cables. Inspectors said that patients could have used the virtual monitors 8-foot-long power cords to strangle themselves.

Jefferson hospitals follow national guidelines that deem virtual sitters acceptable in behavioral health units, a spokesperson for the 18-hospital system said. Still, Abington administrators removed the carts and assigned staffers to watch the patients, making the incident a teaching moment.

Elsewhere in the region, health systems are also learning through experience how to best use virtual sitters and nurses  technology that rose in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, when hospitals needed to limit interaction and staff were stretched thin.

Penn Medicine nurses have found the effort required to maneuver the bulky equipment sometimes offsets the time that virtual nurses would save for on-the-floor staff. And in South Jersey, Virtua Health is testing whether its virtual nurses can take on more of the duties typically assigned to in-person nurses.

Everyone is trying to figure out how to use the technology to improve patient care and safety, and were all learning as we go, said Bill Hanson, Penns chief medical information officer.

Penn: Hype meets reality

Penn initially hoped mobile virtual sitters would reduce the need to assign staff to one-on-one observation duties, said Ann Huffenberger, a nurse and the director of the Penn Center for Connected Care. Penn has six hospitals, from its flagships in Philadelphia to medical centers in Lancaster and Princeton, and each has 12 virtual sitters.

Everyone is thinking the technology is going to create such efficiency. We bought into the hype, she said. It didnt really work out for us in that manner.

Nurses found that patients requiring one-on-one observation werent a good fit for a virtual sitter. Many of these patients are disoriented or prone to confusion and less likely to take direction from the virtual nurse, whose voice may even leave them more agitated, said Huffenberger.

Patients admitted for behavioral health concerns also get in-person sitters, instead of virtual sitters, because they may act suddenly and endanger themselves. Staff can respond to an alert from the virtual nurse within seconds, she said, but even in 20 seconds, it might be too late, if theyre high risk.

The mobile units are helping to monitor less risky patients who can still benefit from a closer watch.

Virtual sitters work well for patients at risk of falling or trying to remove a wire or tube, but who will follow instructions from a voice coming from the screen, Huffenberger said. For instance, if a patient at risk of falling starts to get out of bed, the virtual nurse could ask them to remain in bed, then call the nurses station for help.

Huffenberger said Penn is considering transitioning its mobile virtual sitters to wall-mounted screens. Nurses often lose time troubleshooting connectivity problems, tracking down fresh batteries, or simply locating a cart thats not in use.

Installing permanent, wall-mounted virtual sitters has its own logistical challenges. It would require construction in patient rooms that are always in use, and regulatory approval.

Virtua: From sitter to admin work

Virtua Health uses mobile virtual sitters to monitor patients at risk of falling or pulling out service lines. Staff who were spending hours watching just one patient can now take care of multiple patients in the unit, said Catherine Hughes, the New Jersey health systems chief nurse officer.

Now, Virtua is testing whether virtual nurses can take over some of the administrative tasks nurses do, such as interviewing patients when theyre admitted, reviewing medications, and giving discharge instructions.

The virtual nursing pilot at Virtuas Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Camden and Willingboro Hospital in Burlington County also makes it possible for family members to virtually attend meetings about discharge or medication instructions that they may otherwise miss, Hughes said.

Through the pilot, Virtua learned that clearly explaining the virtual monitors to patients is critical. Once families learned they could ask questions through the virtual nurse, they were less likely to call the nurse station and reported feeling more involved in their family members care.

Jefferson: Virtual knocks and other tweaks

Jefferson has also found that its virtual nursing program works best when patients and families feel connected to the nurse at the other end of the camera.

When Abington Hospital tested out a new virtual nurse program last year, the health system found that small tweaks to the technology made patients more comfortable. The cameras were programmed to turn toward the wall when not in use, so patients wouldnt wonder whether it was constantly watching them. And instead of just flashing on without notice, programmers added a virtual knock, similar to a provider knocking on the door before entering.

Jefferson plans to extend the program to more of its hospitals this year.

Such expansion will help patients at Jeffersons smaller hospitals to access specialists without being transferred to another hospital in the system, said Colleen Mallozzi, a senior vice president and chief nurse informatics officer at Jefferson.

Jeffersons hospitals also use virtual sitters  the mobile carts with screens that can be used to monitor patients remotely  but they dont help with medications, check-ins, or discharge.

The incident at Abington Hospital has been a reminder that each patients needs are different, and the best way to keep each safe may vary, Mallozzi said. Behavioral health patients, in particular, may have complex mental and physical health needs.

What were finding is theres no replacement for the humans where the humans are needed, she said.
David Manley didnt drive, so he could often be found lugging his makeup and costumes onto buses and trains across the city, heading to his next performance. Drag was his whole life.

On the evening of May 9, Manley, who performed under the name Daelicious Ohare Mizani, was found dead at a friends home in Warrington, authorities said. He had just turned 23.

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Friends and family described him as a vibrant performer with a penchant for gravity-defying acrobatics, including jump splits in which he would launch himself off a bartop or stage, and land in a full split. He started performing in 2022 right after he turned 21, because he was finally old enough to get into the bars where many shows take place. He especially loved lip-syncing to Liquorice, by Azealia Banks, and was always on the verge of putting on a show.

If he heard music playing, even if it was just in the street, the alley, he was flipping, he was splittin, said Vanity Killz, a fellow performer and part of Daelicious drag, or chosen, family. Whenever I would see him, he would always scream Sister! and run into my arms.

The cause of Manleys death remains unclear. A friend told investigators that Manley was assaulted in Philadelphia a few days before he died, but the Bucks County coroners office said his autopsy showed no signs of trauma or assault-related injuries that could have led to his death. The office said it does not suspect foul play, and is awaiting the results of a toxicology report to determine the cause of death, a process that could take up to six weeks.

Philadelphia Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore said Manley did not report the assault to Philadelphia police, though investigators are still looking into what happened.

Theres a very good chance he was assaulted, Vanore said. But we dont have any reason to believe the assault was related to his death.

In the days since his death, grief, outrage, and grim rumors have ricocheted across Philadelphias drag community and beyond.

Manley was born in Yeadon and grew up in Sharon Hill, said his sister, Elizabeth Manley. One of four siblings, with an identical twin, Manley was a performer ever since he was a child. As a 9-year-old, he made his first dress out a sheet; as a teenager, he broke the familys living room floor doing splits.

The family was Christian and he often heard at church that people who were gay were going to hell, Elizabeth said. Even so, Manley came out to his family when he was 13.

I always said he was extra, Elizabeth said. He naturally was a performer, all of his life.

Drag became a refuge for him. He talked about performing so much it sometimes started to get on his fellow drag performer and close friend Shikita Karrs nerves.

Im like, Baby, listen, you aint got nothing else? she recalled asking him. Nothing else makes you happy? He said, No. I love drag.

At drag brunches and shows across the city, Manley, who friends called Dae Dae, impressed longtime performers and cheered on newcomers. After being cast in Snatcherella, a weekly competition show in Philly inspired by RuPauls Drag Race, Daelicious wrote on Instagram about his hopes for the next chapter.

As one of the baby queens of the cast, I not only want to prove to myself that I can play with the big kids and hold my own, but I also want to prove to everyone around me that Im more than just that Dancing Diva, he wrote last September.

Outside of drag, Manley was still mourning the death of his mother, said Karr, and that of Valencia Prime, an aunt and beloved Philly drag performer who died after collapsing onstage at Tabu in 2022. And while he and Karr planned to get an apartment together, Manley was bouncing between homes, staying with a friend in Warrington at the time of his death.

His friends and family are now left trying to reckon with his death.

Were trying to figure out if that wasnt the cause of the injury, what was? asked Nicolette Potts, Elizabeth Manleys fiance.

The drag community is hosting a benefit show to raise money for funeral costs on May 14 at Franky Bradleys. Doors open at 8 p.m.

I know he wouldnt want anyone around wearing black and being sad, said Vanity Killz. He would want everyone turning up, listening to his favorite stuff, and having it be nothing more than an outpouring of community love.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators with Jewish Voices for Peace shut down a street in Center City for an hour on Tuesday to protest the investment of private and taxpayer dollars in Israel Bonds, the latest action in an unrelenting local campaign against the war in Gaza.

The rally, which coincided with Israels Independence Day, is part of an ongoing divestment strategy led by the Jewish activist group, and comes three months after a similar demonstration in Harrisburg that sought to pressure the state treasurer over investment in Israeli bonds. It also comes days after police disbanded a protest encampment on the University of Pennsylvania campus, drawing criticism from some students, faculty, and local officials.

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Tuesdays action took place in front of a bank building that houses the Philadelphia office for the Development Corporation for Israel, the official name of the U.S.-based bond underwriter. Chanting break the bond, activists locked arms in the middle of Walnut Street while calling on people to divest from bonds that they said fueled the Israeli military siege in Gaza.

In this building  people are buying and selling and trading in genocide and apartheid, said activist Anissa Weinraub.

Israel Bonds are the official state-issued securities that the Israeli government sells to support government spending  and they have long been viewed as a symbol of political support for Israel. The underwriter touts more than $50 billion in sales worldwide since Israels founding in 1948.

In a statement, Israel Bonds dismissed the protest outside its Philadelphia branch as a fringe effort that paled in comparison to the support shown for Israel Bonds since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

The very small group of individuals outside our offices shouting hateful slogans cannot distract from the undeniable truth: Israel Bonds has enjoyed unprecedented support since October 7th, raising more than $3 billion worldwide, the statement said. We are grateful for the many investors  from college students to state treasurers  who have bought our bonds in Pennsylvania and across the country. We look forward to building on this success in the months ahead and continuing to make clear that boycott efforts are doomed to fail.

As morning commuters passed, protesters chanted and sang in Hebrew. Many donned black T-shirts that said Not In Our Name  a rallying cry for pro-Palestinian Jewish activists who are critical of Zionism, the belief that Israel is the nation state of the Jewish people.

Protesters shared childhood stories about how, often through family members, investing in the foreign bonds was a part of their Jewish upbringing.

Sarah Bishop-Stone received an Israel Bond as a bat mitzvah gift from her grandmother in the 1990s.

She lost track of the paper note over the years. But as she got older and watched the conflict intensify overseas, she grew more critical of Israels treatment toward Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. Eventually, she searched for the bond and withdrew the funds.

Bombs were everywhere and my money was paying for this, Bishop-Stone said. When I say not another nickel, not another dime, I mean not another $500 bat mitzvah gift.

Ro Adler said their family also had a long history of supporting Israel through the purchase of bonds. Adlers grandparents were concerned about the safety of Jewish people after World War II, and like many Jews, they viewed financially supporting Israel as the right choice.

Adler now disagrees, and views the divestment campaign as a way to return to the Jewish concept of tikkun olam  to heal the world  which predates the founding of Israel.

There are all kinds of entities from the personal to the national that are invested in Israel, and what were calling [for] today as Jews is for all of those entities to divest from Israel, and to divest from genocide, Adler said. I hope that Jews from all across the political spectrum can see that what were doing is returning to our moral compass as Jews.

Standing on a nearby street corner, Jaclyn Mason waved a small Israeli flag. She was on her way to work and said she stopped to stage a one-person counterprotest.

My first reaction was anger, but then my other reaction was really deep sadness, because there isnt ever anyone on the other end, Mason said, referring to the regular pro-Palestinian demonstrations throughout the city that rarely draw counterprotests.

Mason described the divestment message as misinformation, questioned whether the protesters were Jewish, and then asked why they were protesting Israel when all countries are engaged in acts of war.

Why only Israel? Its because of Jews. Its the only type of hatred thats still tolerated, Mason said. Its a form of antisemitism.

After less than an hour, the circle of protesters dispersed without incident, revealing a painted message in the street in front of the Israel Bonds office. Pinned between a string of red roses were the words: Jews say: stop funding genocide.
The former head of the Chester Housing Authority was sentenced to more than three years in federal prison Monday for fleecing the cash-strapped agency out of nearly $545,000 meant to provide affordable housing in one of Delaware Countys most impoverished communities.

Norman D. Wise, 58, of Mullica Hill, apologized to the authoritys board and acknowledged that he and his deputy, Douglas E. Daniel, had steered work worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to a company in which they both held a secret financial stake.

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Between 2019 and 2023, he and Daniel submitted more than 40 invoices to the authority they led  almost all of it billing for jobs that were never done or had already been completed by other contractors or salaried CHA employees.

I selfishly and greedily schemed to benefit financially by violating the trust that was bestowed upon me, Wise told U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone during his sentencing hearing in federal court. There is no bigger regret in my life than embarking down this path and willfully using the power and privilege that I had to help  fill my own coffers.

But Beetlestone balked at Wises pleas to be spared prison time because of his remorse and long tenure with the agency.

Your actions were not a momentary lapse in judgment  they took place over years, she said. You knew what you were doing was wrong. You traded on the respect you earned over years at the Chester Housing Authority, and you betrayed that trust.

Wises punishment came eight months after he pleaded guilty to counts of theft and wire fraud in connection with the scheme. His crimes are the latest setback for the struggling Chester Housing Authority, which has suffered under mismanagement, lack of funding, and court-ordered monitoring for much of the last three decades.

In fact, when Wise accepted his first job with the agency as a property manager in 1998, the Chester Housing Authority had been operating under the management of a court-appointed receiver for four years after a finding by a federal judge that it had allowed much of its affordable housing stock to become uninhabitable through inattention and lack of necessary repairs.

That judge, U.S. District Judge Norma Shapiro, spent much of the next two decades monitoring the Chester Housing Authoritys spending and upkeep on the 801 affordable housing units it maintains in 12 locations across the city.

She eventually handed control of the agency back to its board in 2015. And after her death in 2016, the housing authority renamed its headquarters in Shapiros honor.

Four years later, its board appointed Wise, a U.S. Army veteran with a long tenure at the authority, as its director of public housing. But by then, he and Daniel had already embarked on their scheme to skim money from the authoritys coffers.

Prosecutors said much of the work that Wise and Daniel billed the authority through their company, Trinity Management Group, was for small jobs like landscaping work or window replacement that would not attract much scrutiny from the authoritys board. But in phone conversations, secretly recorded by authorities, Wise left little doubt as to what he and Daniel were up to.

TMG hasnt done any real work, Doug, the housing authority director said in one 2022 call, quoted in government court filings. I know that is all BS. Yes, thats illegal. Yes, it is fraud. Yes, it is.

Since the discovery of Wises crimes and the authoritys decision to fire him in 2023, Chester Housing Authority officials say they have unearthed several other ways in which mismanagement by Wise has left the organization to suffer.

He artificially inflated tenant occupancy rates and caused lengthy delays in turning vacated units for reoccupancy, the authoritys general counsel Mary M. Zissimos said in a letter to the court. He also failed to complete tenant rent changes for many units, allowing inflated debts to accrue on the housing authoritys books for years.

These men eroded trust within our organization, harmed morale among our employees and damaged our reputation in the eyes of the public, Zissimos wrote. It will take CHA  and the people of Chester  years to fully recover.

Daniel is set to be sentenced Tuesday for his own role in the embezzlement scheme as well as a separate bribery scheme in which he has admitted to accepting more than $34,000 in bribes from Lester Coleman, a contractor seeking work with the agency.

Wise, too, received more than $42,000 in kickbacks from Coleman in exchange for steering CHA contracts worth $2.5 million his way. But Wise was not charged in connection with that crime, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis D. Lappen, because he withdrew from the bribery arrangement with Coleman in 2017, and by the time authorities discovered it, the statute of limitations had expired.

Still, as the former housing authority director sat in court Monday, he acknowledged the irony that his sentencing was taking place in Shapiros old courtroom at the federal courthouse in Philadelphia. He spent the proceeding at the defense table under her official portrait  fixed by the painted gaze of the woman whod spent much of her career on the bench seeking to transform the agency he once led.

It was another judge  Beetlestone  who would ultimately dole out his punishment. In addition to a 37-month prison term, she ordered Wise to pay back the more than $545,000 he and Daniel stole.

You were a public official, she said. You did not live up to those duties and responsibilities.
Two centuries ago, a developer created a new street in Center City, named it after himself, and built the countrys first rowhouses. Years later, the 700 block of Sansom Street became Jewelers Row.

The oldest diamond district in the country has long been home to retailers, wholesalers, and craftsmen. But, why are so many jewelry shops located together in Jewelers Row? Wouldnt it make more sense to be spread out? A reader asked Curious Philly, The Inquirers forum for questions about the city and region.

Why are all of the jewelry shops located in Jewelers Row together?

Due to a symbiotic relationship that traces back to the 1790s.

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Founding Father Robert Morris owned a lot big enough to encompass Chestnut, Walnut, Seventh, and Eighth Streets.

His ambition was to build a mansion. Instead, he went bankrupt financing the American Revolution and making unfruitful investments.

The property was auctioned at sheriffs sale and bought by developer William Sansom, who split the lot down the middle with a new street named after himself and built the set of town houses, designed by Thomas Carstairs, that would later be called Jewelers Row.

But Sansom couldnt find the type of permanent residents he envisioned, according to a 2016 report from the University of Pennsylvanias Department of Historic Preservation.

By the 19th century, Philadelphians were moving west, leaving Sansom Street in what was quickly shaping up to be the commercial district. Still, jewelry businesses didnt arrive overnight.

You had printers publishing in there, that led to engraving. And, engraving expertise is transferable to the jewelry industry, said Lawrence Duke, a Drexel clinical professor of marketing and international business. The primary materials were already there making it easier for everybody to come together.

This wasnt the only reason.

As Philadelphia was changing, Center City became more attractive to wealthier people, said Duke. Soon, businesses that cater to this demographic followed.

The proximity of the block to what was then the State House and the Philadelphia Mint also granted jewelers more safety than other locations.

One by one, jewelry shops began to open throughout the 19th century, building what Duke calls a pretty sophisticated cluster.

This amalgamation of business and suppliers, concentrated in one area, generated synergy, competition, customer convenience  at a time when comparing prices wasnt as simple as a Google search  and a sense of identity.

In 1971, the Jewelers Row Business Association pushed the latter with a modern spin on storefronts and streetlights, giving the district the aesthetic most Philadelphians relate to the area.

Today, stores have further emphasized their identity with navy blue stickers that identify stores as members of the Jewelers Row District.

Wouldnt it make more sense for Jewelers Row to be spread out?

Not according to Duke. But, there are still ongoing projects that could add elements of Sansoms original residential area plan.

In 2016, suburban developer Toll Brothers proposed demolishing four Jewelers Row buildings to accommodate a 16-story residential building, despite the dismay of jewelry store owners.

A petition to Save Jewelers Row was created by the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia, amassing more than 7,000 signatures and spurring conversation about how to handle developments in the area.

Three years later, demolition began, but was halted amid the pandemic, leaving a vast vacant lot on Jewelers Row.

Pearl Properties now has ownership over the lot, where a 35-story building is set to be constructed.

From a business standpoint, if the shops at Jewelers Row were to spread out, the supply chain could become less efficient, infrastructure would be harder to share, and the areas identity would weaken, Duke said.

These are family businesses; they are closely held; they are focused on quality, Duke said. Thats a competitive advantage for them.

The Penn study emphasized that the block and the businesses are linked in a way that cannot be separated.

People know and appreciate this site for the history of industry and craftsmanship, and many are connected personally by memories of gazing through windows at glittering displays or purchasing an engagement ring with a loved one.
Tonya McClary, new director of Philadelphia's Citizen's Police Oversight Commission in the office on her first day on the job on Monday. McClary is the first permanent director for the agency, after years with an interim director and in the wake of a tumultuous year. Read more

Tonya McClary, the former top police watchdog in Dallas, is taking on a similar role in Philadelphia as she steps into her new job as executive director of the citys Citizens Police Oversight Commission this week.

The agency, created by City Council in response to calls for police accountability after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, examines allegations of police misconduct, reviews complaints against police, and investigates the Police Departments handling of them. It has subpoena power and access to crime scenes and police records, and aims to improve transparency and accountability for Philadelphia police. The agency also accepts citizen complaints about police misconduct and is empowered to investigate those, in addition to reviewing the departments handling of complaints.

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McClary, 55, takes over the agency at a tumultuous time. Since its creation in 2022, critics say, CPOC, started with fanfare and given broad investigative power, has done little. Three commissioners, including the vice chair, resigned last year in protest, citing a lack of progress toward the agencys goals.

Since its inception, the commission has not investigated any complaints against police, a spokesperson for the commission said.

McClary aims to change that. She started in the new job Monday, overseeing an office with five unit directors and 22 staffers and reporting to a commission of six members.

McClary spoke to The Inquirer about her background, what led her to Philadelphia for the position, and her goals in her new role.

Where are you from?

I grew up in Prince Georges County, [Md.,] which is right outside of Washington, D.C.

Whats your educational background?

I got my law degree from University of Baltimore. I went to University of Baltimore and had a dual major in English and African American studies with a minor in psychology.

Whats your professional background?

I served as the chief defender for Baltimore City for a while. I spent a lot of time doing criminal justice work and that was some of the work I did when I lived in Philadelphia the first time and I was the national director of [criminal justice for] the American Friends Service Committee. We did a lot of work on issues around policing.

Why did you decide to pursue this type of work in police accountability?

My entire legal career has been as a defense attorney, and the majority of that time has been as a public defender. So when you are representing people that are accused of committing a crime, you spend a lot of time talking to police, looking at police investigations, etc.

Ive always had an opportunity to see how good investigations by police are and how theyre not and how they affect different people. Ive always had an interest in looking at policing and working on police reform.

Why did you decide to take this job in Philadelphia?

To be able to come when its still really in its infancy state is very exciting. And to be able to bring my experience to the city. The thing about oversight is it has a ripple effect. If we can do a really wonderful job here in Philadelphia, it would also impact some of my fellow people that do oversight in some of the smaller jurisdictions.

What led you to become the first police monitor in Dallas? What did you accomplish?

It was a chance to really make an impact on one of the largest police departments in the country.

We did a lot. I was the first civilian to ever be able to have an impact on internal affairs investigations.

Dallas had not been in the habit of releasing body-worn camera footage. I worked with the police chief at the time and we co-wrote the video release policy for the Dallas Police Department. Its really cutting edge because most major cities dont do in this short period of time. But they now have to release body cam footage within 72 hours of a police-involved shooting or a death in custody.

What goals do you have for your role as executive director?

The hope for the office for me is to make sure we are embedded into the law enforcement arena. So my vision would be that nothing happens about policing in the city of Philadelphia without people saying Wait, have yall talked to CPOC? Has CPOC weighed in on this?

The other thing is to really get our office investigating. I know some people have not been happy with the fact that the office has not done any investigation.

But the vision is to definitely start to do independent investigations ... to be able to show our community leaders and other stakeholders that the office is capable, that it has the level of expertise it needs to be able to take on investigations and complaints in the city of Philadelphia.

Why do you think this type of work is important at this moment in the city?

I think the climate is right. Ive put my ear to the ground and started talking to the community members and people are just feeling like with the new mayor, her vision and things of that nature, that there is an opportunity here to get in on the ground floor of this administration and embed this concept of police oversight.

Its been a tumultuous year at CPOC. How do you plan to improve relations among staff and commissioners and make progress?

I think one of the things is to come in and understand what those concerns are for the commissioners that resigned. What has been the tension between staff and the commission. And to also make sure the commission has what it needs.

What do you hope to do in Philadelphia outside of CPOC?

Im a pastor and so at some point in time Im hoping eventually Ill get an appointment to a church in the Philly area. So Im excited to get a new congregation.

I work with this group called Kairos International, which does prison ministry. So Im looking forward to joining the chapter in Philadelphia and doing that work with people that are physically incarcerated, but also women on the outside impacted by incarceration.
Old College Hall at the University of Delaware in Newark. Read more

A University of Delaware undergraduate student has been charged with a hate crime after witnesses reported her for vandalizing a Holocaust memorial on the universitys campus last Wednesday.

The Delaware Department of Justice has charged Jenna Kandeel, 23, with a hate crime, criminal mischief, and disorderly conduct  all misdemeanors  for damaging several flags, which were put up by the University of Delaware Hillel for Holocaust Remembrance Week.

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University leaders said Kandeel was also yelling hateful antisemitic slurs during the episode.

In a statement, Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings emphasized the countrys history of protecting free speech and political dissent.

But we need to be lucid enough to recognize the daylight  miles of it, in this case  between protest and hate, she said, calling the episode a wake-up call in an increasingly antisemitic climate.

University police quickly arrested Kandeel and she admitted being responsible for the vandalism, according to the Justice Department.

University leadership said Kandeels actions violated the schools student code of conduct and non-discrimination policy. She has been banned from campus.

Donna Schwartz, executive director of the Hillel at the University of Delaware, called the intentional destruction of the display honoring the millions killed in the Holocaust unacceptable.

We appreciate the university administrations swift response to address this incident and the clear message that hatred will not be tolerated at the University of Delaware, said Schwartz.

 READ MORE: A University of Delaware professors office was vandalized with a swastika, bringing the campus into the throes of far-right hate

The damage to the Holocaust display comes almost a year after someone defaced a poster promoting a drag show with a swastika, shaking Jewish and queer communities on campus. That vandalism occurred during a time when antisemitic acts were on the rise as pandemic restrictions eased.

The Israel-Hamas war has led to a surge in antisemitic and anti-Muslim acts across the country, according to organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League and Council on American-Islamic Relations. These acts have ranged from vandalism, to the use of ethnic slurs, and assaults.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has decided to seize or try to seize Taiwan before the end of the decade. Xi realizes Taiwan has a say in this matter and wants to mobilize sufficient forces and create the right psychological conditions in China and Taiwan. This includes having Chinese naval and air forces operating near Taiwan on a regular basis so the Taiwanese military is not alarmed every time Chinese forces operate near the island.

Some of these forces that regularly appear off the Taiwanese cast are those that would be used if China were seeking to blockade Taiwan. Chinese military forces will eventually blockade Taiwan and prevent any ships from getting in or out.

Preparations are also being made inside China. Laws have been passed allowing China to quickly nationalize foreign assets as part of a program to keep the Chinese people supplied if there is an international embargo and economic sanctions. China also plans to increase its emergency petroleum stockpile so there will be supplies for years of isolation. China is also building a pipeline to get petroleum to areas that normally receive it from the nearest coastal city and port. China is purchasing oil from as many suppliers as possible as these nations will feel the economic pain if China is embargoed because it seized Taiwan.

Xi Jinping expects most of the nations in the world to oppose a seizure of Taiwan. To deal with that, China is reducing its holdings of American government bonds. This reduces the damage to China if the United States declares war and seizes whatever Chinese assets it can. China hopes such a war will not involve much military action beyond that needed to blockade China. According to Chinese plans, that blockade would last a few years and would then be lifted because so many nations want to end their economic suffering because trade with China was blocked. China is the second largest (after the US) trading nation in the world and taking Chinese trade out of circulation would cause worldwide suffering. In theory, it would be worse for China but not if China can build up large enough reserves of essential industrial supplies to survive the economic catastrophe China created. These Chinese moves would lead to economic disruption outside China for years and have a lasting impact that could take a decade or more to recover from.

The Chinese plans are theoretical at the moment even though China is quietly implementing some aspects of their surviving the expected worldwide economic disruption a seizure of Taiwan would lead to. Another problem is that enough details of the Chinese plan have become known to trading partners and nations willing to use military and economic force to block a Chinese attack on Taiwan. China wants to avoid a war but Taiwan and its military allies, especially the United States, are willing to meet force with force. China doesnt want to get into a war because its forces are untested and, as recent corruption scandals have demonstrated, led by generals who are more concerned with getting rich than getting ready for war.

Taiwan and its allies have been increasing their military preparations for over a decade. This began before the current Chinese economic and military activities and China is now seen reacting to efforts to make the Chinese plans more difficult to implement. Taiwan has purchased new weapons as well as increasing stockpiles of ones it already has. That means more warships, warplanes, and equipment for ground forces.

Taiwan is the most troublesome independent portion of China. After World War II Taiwan acquired protection from the United States before the new communist Chinese government could get organized and do anything about the troublesome Chinese province of Taiwan.

China is also having problems getting control of territories in the South China Sea which historically were not Chinese. The Philippines and other nations bordering the South China Sea oppose Chinese efforts to take control of this watery region. In this case the opposition also has support from the United States and several other major powers in East Asia and Europe.

Similar situations exist because of islands off the Chinese coast controlled by Taiwan. A current example is China pretending to be angry at Taiwan because two Chinese citizens drowned when their speed boat overturned while they were trying to evade a Taiwanese coast guard ship. China responded that they would increase security around a small group of Taiwanese-controlled islands off the Chinese coast that China also claims.

Taiwan defended the actions of its coast guard because Chinese fishing boats and other vessels were operating in Taiwan-controlled waters, especially around the Kinmen and Matsu islands which sit a short distance from Chinas coast. Chinas coast guard declared that it would strengthen its maritime law enforcement forces and carry out regular law enforcement patrols and inspections in the waters around Kinmen and Xiamen. China insists that this is needed to maintain order and safeguard the safety of fishermens lives and property.

Chinese and Taiwanese fishing boats have been operating in the Xiamen-Kinmen maritime area since ancient times, and Taiwan points out that there never were any prohibited or restricted waters in that area. Chinas government professes goodwill towards Taiwans people but will never tolerate Taiwans disregard for the safety of Chinese fishermen. Taiwan continues to enforce the rules that ban unauthorized Chinese access to Taiwans waters around Kinmen. However, ships which carry no name, have no certification or port registration carry out continuous intrusions and make dangerous moves when trying to flee, lead to unfortunate incidents nobody wants to see or take responsibility for.

Kinmen, along with Matsu, has been controlled by Taiwan since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, when the defeated Republic of China government fled to Taiwan after losing to Mao Zedongs communists and the new communist Peoples Republic of China. Kinmen was the site of frequent fighting during the 1950s but is today a popular tourist destination, though many of the islets which are part of the island group are heavily fortified by Taiwans military and off limits to civilians.

Taiwan rejects Chinese sovereignty claims and accuses China of waging what it calls gray-zone warfare. This includes the Chinese use of irregular tactics to exhaust a foe without actually resorting to open combat, including sending civilian ships into or close to Taiwanese waters.

Taiwanese support their governments resistance to this Chinese aggression. China is still seeking ways to take control of Taiwan and reincorporate this lost province into China. Taiwanese do not want their country to become a Chinese province. As an independent state, Taiwan has prospered and became a major manufacturer of electronic devices and electronic components which are purchased by companies in the Americas and Europe as well as those in East Asia like Japan, South Korea, and many more in southeast Asia. China has become a major market for Taiwanese electronics and Taiwanese manufacturers have opened some factories in China. Taiwan is still where most of the production takes place and one reason China has for not attacking Taiwan is to avoid damaging the Taiwanese electronic components industry. Taiwan is a major world producer of these electronic components and an innovator when it comes to designing new components. The rest of the world would not appreciate China attacking Taiwan and disrupting all that electronics manufacturing and development of new items.
Former President Donald Trump takes the stage at the National Rifle Association's Presidential Forum in Harrisburg on Feb. 9. A new poll from The Inquirer, New York Times, and Siena College shows Pennsylvania voters favor Trump over President Joe Biden on crime. Read more

Former President Donald Trump may be currently standing trial, but Pennsylvania voters still trust him more to handle crime.

Thats according to a Philadelphia Inquirer/New York Times/Siena College poll that shows about half of Pennsylvania voters think crime is a major problem in the state and that the electorate favors Trump over President Joe Biden on the issue.

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When asked whether they trust Trump or Biden to do a better job on crime  regardless of for whom they might vote  51% of respondents said Trump compared to 42% who said Biden. The poll was conducted between April 28 and May 7.

Trump performs well on the issue even in some of the states deep-blue enclaves. For example, while Biden leads Trump by 13 percentage points in the voter-rich Philadelphia suburbs, the candidates are tied at 46% among those same voters when asked who would do a better job on crime.

The results come as the saliency of crime as a political issue has ebbed and flowed over the last several years. Violent crime rates and shootings spiked across the country in 2020, but have been generally declining for more than a year. In Philadelphia, where public safety was the hands-down No. 1 issue in last years mayoral race, shootings and homicides are markedly lower this year compared to last.

Democrats locally have attempted to respond to accusations from the right that the party is weak on the issue by distancing themselves from calls to reduce police funding and talking more openly about improving public safety. But Republicans have continued to hit Democrats on the issue and tried to portray progressives as soft on crime.

Wayne DeCaria, a registered independent from Springfield, Delaware County, who voted for Trump in 2020, said he intends to vote for him again this year, citing crime as a major reason.

One of the biggest issues is the crime rates in a lot of the major cities across America, DeCaria, 22, said. A lot of the support and aid that is going to other countries other than America, even though America has its handful of issues it needs to handle.

Here are three other takeaways from the poll:

Philadelphians feel the least safe, by far.

Philadelphia voters were far more likely than other Pennsylvanians to say crime is a major issue in the state, with 73% saying it is. Thats compared to 54% of voters in the Philadelphia suburbs.

The difference became even more stark when voters were asked how they would describe crime in their local area. Seventy-two percent of Philadelphia voters said its a major problem.

The city was a major outlier on this question. No other place came close to that figure; the second highest amount was 16% of voters in the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania.

Voters statewide were also far more likely to say that theyre confident their own community will be relatively safe in the future compared to voters in the city.

Across the state, 34% of voters said theyre very confident compared to 17% of Philadelphia voters who said the same. Forty percent of Philadelphia voters say they arent confident theyll be safe, more than double the statewide figure.

Three groups of voters are more likely to see crime as an issue

Older voters: Thirty-five percent of 18- to 29-year-olds said it was a major problem compared to 58% of respondents age 65 and over. Non-white voters: Statewide, 65% of non-white voters said crime is a major problem, while 47% of white voters did. The non-white category in the poll includes voters who are Black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, American Indian, Alaska Native, Middle Eastern or North African, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Trump voters: About two-thirds of people who indicated they are likely to vote for Trump in a head-to-head with Biden were more likely to see crime as a major problem, while just 30% of likely Biden voters said the same.

Its not clear if crime is driving votes

Most Pennsylvania voters see crime as a problem. Just over half of respondents said it was a major problem in the state, and an additional 41% said its a minor problem. Only 4% of voters said crime isnt a problem statewide.

Some of it might be perception. When asked if crime is a problem in their own local area, the picture changed: Just 19% said its a major problem and a third of voters said it isnt a problem at all in their area.

Whats unclear is whether the issue drives voters in a presidential race. It clearly motivated voters in last years local elections, but when voters were asked the most important issue deciding their vote in November, just 1% volunteered the issue.

Inquirer staff writer Aseem Shukla and Camille Baker of the New York Times contributed to this article.
NEW YORK  It wasnt until after a decade in the fold, after his family pleaded with him, after the FBI raided his office, apartment and hotel room, Michael Cohen testified Tuesday, that he finally decided to turn on Donald Trump.

The complicated break led to a 2018 guilty plea to federal charges involving a payment to the porn actor Stormy Daniels to bury her story of an alleged sexual encounter with Trump and to other, unrelated crimes. And its that insider knowledge of shady deals that pushed Manhattan prosecutors to make Cohen the star witness in their case against Trump about that same payment, which they say was an illegal effort to influence the 2016 presidential election. Under questioning this week, Cohen has described the nuts-and-bolts of how the scheme worked.

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To keep the loyalty and to do the things that he had asked me to do, I violated my moral compass, and I suffered the penalty, as has my family, Cohen testified Tuesday.

Defense attorneys tried to draw attention to Cohens social media commentary and persistent insults of Trump to try to undermine him as a witness. But there has been no bombast or fireworks so far from the man who was defined for years by his braggadocio as Trumps problem-zapper.

Instead, his testimony about purposefully mislabeled checks, false receipts and blind loyalty, however dry it was, placed Trump at the center of the scheme and underscored the foundational argument of the case  that its not about the spectacle of what Trump was paying for, but rather his effort to illegally cover up those payments.

A shocking moment did come, but it was courtesy of House Speaker Mike Johnson, who appeared at the courthouse with Trump and who used his powerful bully pulpit to turn his political party against the rule of law by declaring the Manhattan criminal trial illegitimate. He and other GOP lawmakers are serving as surrogates while Trump himself remains barred by a gag order in the case following an appeals court ruling Tuesday.

I do have a lot of surrogates, and theyre speaking very beautifully, Trump said before court as the group gathered in the background. And they come ... from all over Washington. And theyre highly respected, and they think this is the greatest scam theyve ever seen.

The Republican presidential nominee has pleaded not guilty and denies that any of the encounters took place.

Cohen has testified in detail about how the former president was linked to all aspects of the hush money scheme, and prosecutors believe Cohens testimony is critical to their case. But their reliance on a witness with such a checkered past  he was disbarred, went to prison and separately pleaded guilty to lying about a Moscow real estate project on Trumps behalf  could backfire, especially as Trumps attorneys continue to cross-examine him.

Defense lawyer Todd Blanche spent no time Tuesday asking about the allegations at the center of the trial. He instead worked to portray Cohen as a Trump-obsessed media hound, intimating that Cohen leaked self-serving information about himself.

 READ MORE: Star witness Michael Cohen says Trump was intimately involved in all aspects of hush money scheme

Amid rapid-fire objections from prosecutors, Blanche probed Cohens hyperfocus on Trump, quizzing him about various social media posts and comments hes made. Cohen was asked to listen through headphones to a snippet of his podcast, as was Trump while sitting at the defense table.

Cohen was asked by Blanche if he recalled an October 2020 podcast episode in which he said Trump needs to wear handcuffs and that people will not be satisfied until this man is sitting inside a cell. The line of questioning was designed to persuade jurors that Cohen was driven by personal animus to hold Trump accountable.

I wouldnt put it past me, Cohen testified.

Is it fair to say youre motivated by fame? Blanche asked.

No sir, I dont think thats fair to say, Cohen said. Im motivated by many things.

Cohen will be the prosecutions last witness. Trumps defense will begin after Cohen, though its not clear whether his attorneys will call any witnesses or if Trump will testify in his own defense.

Jurors have already heard how Trump and others in his orbit were reeling after the leak just a few weeks before the 2016 election of an Access Hollywood tape in which he bragged about grabbing women by the genitals without their permission. The publication of the tape hastened the payments to Daniels, according to testimony.

Cohen testified that Trump was constantly apprised of the behind-the-scenes efforts to bury stories feared to be harmful to the campaign. And after paying out $130,000 to Daniels in order to keep her quiet about an alleged sexual encounter, Trump promised to reimburse him.

Jurors followed along as Hoffinger, in a methodical and clinical fashion, walked Cohen through that reimbursement process. It was an attempt to show what prosecutors say was a lengthy deception to mask the true purpose of the payments.

As jurors were shown business records and other paperwork, Cohen explained their purpose and reiterated again and again that the payments were reimbursements for the hush money  they werent for legal services he provided or for a retainer.

Its an important distinction, because prosecutors allege that the Trump records falsely described the purpose of the payments as legal expenses. These records form the basis of 34 felony counts charging Trump with falsifying business records. All told, Cohen was paid $420,000, with funds drawn from a Trump personal account.

Were the descriptions on this check stub false? Hoffinger asked.

Yes, Cohen said.

And again, there was no retainer agreement, Hoffinger asked.

Correct, Cohen replied.

But prosecutors also spent time working to blunt the potential credibility issues, painting Cohen as a longtime Trump loyalist who committed crimes on behalf of the former president. On the witness stand, Cohen described in detail the April 2018 raid that marked the beginning of the end of his time being devoted to Trump.

How to describe your life being turned upside-down? Concerned. Despondent. Angry, Cohen told the jury.

Were you frightened? Hoffinger asked.

Yes, maam, he said.

But he was heartened by a phone call from Trump that he said gave him reassurance and convinced him to remain in the camp.

He said to me, Dont worry. Im the president of the United States. Theres nothing here. Everythings going to be OK. Stay tough. Youre going to be OK, Cohen testified.

Cohen told jurors that he felt reassured because I had the president of the United States protecting me ... And so I remained in the camp.

It was his wife and family who finally made him see how sticking by Trump was detrimental.

What are you doing? Were supposed to be your first loyalty, Cohen testified. It was about time to listen to them, he said.

The men were once so close that Cohen boasted that he would take a bullet for Trump. But as their relationship soured, Cohen became one of Trumps most vocal critics. The two have, over the years, traded vicious barbs. During their last courtroom faceoff in October during Trumps civil fraud trial, Trump walked out of the courtroom after his lawyer finished questioning Cohen.

Throughout Cohens testimony Tuesday, Trump reclined in his chair with his eyes closed and his head tilted to the side. He shifted from time to time, occasionally leaning forward and opening his eyes, making a comment to his attorney before returning to his recline. Even some of the topics that have animated him the most as he campaigns didnt stir his attention.

Mr. Cohen, do you have any regrets about your past work for Donald Trump? Hoffinger asked.

I do, Cohen said. I regret doing things for him that I should not have. Lying. Bullying people to effectuate a goal. I dont regret working for the Trump Organization. As I expressed before, I had some very interesting, great times.
Gov. Josh Shapiro votes in Montgomery County for the April primary. The county blames a state law for helping cause delays with mail ballots last month. Read more

Montgomery County officials are working to remedy internal issues that contributed to 183 voters receiving the mail ballots just three days before the primary election last month  endangering their ability to return them on time.

But the county officials says another factor was out of their control  a state law that resulted in just 30 days for county election offices to prepare, print, and distribute ballots before the election.

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That law could cause delays in November when Pennsylvania election offices confront more voters and higher stakes in an election that could decide control of both the White House and Senate.

State law says counties may begin processing mail ballot requests 50 days before an election. But the candidate list for the primary was not final until 30 days before the April primary election, which created a tight time frame for election administrators to process and distribute ballots.

Every day matters when the court is only giving you 30 days from certification to election, Montgomery County Commissioner Neil Makhija, a Democrat who chairs the Montgomery County Election Board, said during a recent board meeting.

The truncated timeline does not guarantee mail ballots will go out late, but it does make it more likely because of the time pressures placed on election offices. And it leaves little room for even normal delays in the process. If ballot access for independent candidates, like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., are challenged in court ahead of November, the appeals process could once again limit the amount of time counties have.

Changes to the law before November are unlikely.

Makhija and other Montgomery County commissioners have indicated plans to push the Pennsylvania General Assembly to change candidate filing and appeal deadlines after this election  in hopes that future elections will give counties more time to complete and distribute ballots.

But another round of delays in November could harm trust in elections, especially as former President Donald Trump continues to spread lies about Pennsylvanias 2020 election.

When notices of delays come out, it just erodes the trust, said Christian Nascimento, the chair of the Montgomery County GOP. If you believe in the integrity of elections, and you want people to be as enfranchised as possible, you have to recognize that there is a group of people in the county who dont trust it. And so you have to be extra diligent about making sure that the process is flawless.

What are the steps after ballot certification?

After ballots are certified, election officials in Montgomery County and across the state have to proofread their ballots, perform quality checks on their systems, print ballots, and mail them to voters.

Everything has to be perfect for the entire operation before the mail ballots are able to start going out the door, said Frank Dean, the county election director.

Its a detailed process that can be pushed back a day or two at various steps. For instance, if a formatting error is found on any ballots, the entire proofing process has to happen again. In Montgomery Countys case, their primary ballots went through three rounds of proofing before they could be sent off to the printer, where they were then delayed by a backlog.

The timelines that counties have to work with shouldnt be so short that we have to be in a fingers-crossed situation that everything runs super smooth in the proofing process, at the printer, and with USPS, Montgomery County Chief Operating Officer Lee Soltysiak said.

The U.S. Postal Service advises that any voters mail their ballot back to an election office at least one week before the election to ensure it arrives by the 8 p.m. Election Day deadline. But voters also have until a week before the election to request their mail ballot.

This delay was Montgomery County this time. It could very well be another county the next time, said Jamila Winder, the Democrat who chairs the Montgomery County Commission.

When ballots are approved late, counties sometimes must consider moving forward on preparing ballots before they know exactly who will be on them, said Lisa Schaefer, the executive director of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania.

Weve always seen challenges to candidates on the ballots and so we rely on the courts to resolve those in some kind of a timely fashion, which doesnt always happen, she said.

The Pennsylvania General Assembly is unlikely to take up any changes to the timeline before voters go to the polls in November. But Rep. Carol Hill-Evans, a York County Democrat who chairs the House Committee on State Government, said the state should act to help counties.

If they want more time, give them more time, Hill-Evans said, though she also said she had not looked into the possibility of changing candidate filing deadlines.

The Pennsylvania Department of State said in a statement the office is open to any common sense effort that does not make it harder for any registered voter to cast their ballot and would allow counties to finalize and mail their ballots earlier. The statement, however, noted that those decisions rest with lawmakers.

What is Montco doing to prepare for November?

In the meantime, election officials in Montgomery County said they are working to reevaluate their own internal processes and contracts to prepare for the November election, when the stakes and turnout will be much higher.

Makhija, the chair of the board, said he was meeting with the countys vendors about turnaround times and had directed the countys solicitor to renegotiate contracts. He also advocated for devoting significant resources to hiring additional staff within the countys internal voter services department.

Now that Im in a position to make changes, I will eat, sleep, and breathe election work until every voter has their voice heard and the 2024 general election is duly certified, he said.

Montgomery County Commissioner Tom DiBello, the Republican on the countys election board, said he wants the county to hold regular election board meetings to ensure they are on track.

I want people to feel and have confidence, he said.
Workers remove debris from the encampment on Kensington Avenue last week. The Parker administration defended the operation over the weekend, saying advocates interrupted the process. Read more

A tense encounter between police and advocates for the homeless precipitated the dismantling of a Kensington encampment last week, according to Mayor Cherelle L. Parkers administration and witnesses who said the episode altered plans for the clearing and led people to scatter through the neighborhood.

But the sides describe the early-morning incident in starkly different terms.

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According to a joint statement released by Parkers office and the Philadelphia Police Department, officers were securing a perimeter around two blocks of Kensington Avenue last Wednesday morning when a half-dozen advocates refused orders to move. The officials said that officers used bicycles to push them back, and while they were doing so, people who were living on the block left voluntarily amid the discord.

However, eight people who were there said in interviews that officers told people living on the street to leave the area, even though city social service workers hadnt yet arrived. Witnesses said sanitation workers sprayed water down the street and used leaf blowers near people sitting or laying on the sidewalk, leading them to flee before outreach teams got there.

For weeks, officials said the process would be led by city social service workers, but none were on scene when police arrived just before 7 a.m.

The Parker administrations explanation of why comes amid scrutiny of how the city handled the encampment clearing, the mayors most visible action yet to dismantle the yearslong, open-air drug market in Kensington.

Lawmakers said they were confused why outreach teams didnt lead the operation. Residents complained that people who had been living on the avenue ended up on adjacent residential blocks. The Citizens Police Oversight Commission expressed profound concern and said it will conduct an investigation of the clearing.

But the Parker administration said the effort on the 3000 and 3100 blocks of Kensington Avenue was a success. Outreach teams worked through the day and night to locate people on nearby blocks and connect them with medical services, treatment, and shelter. According to the administration, 31 people were placed into shelter or treatment on Wednesday alone  59 in total since early April.

And, despite fears that people in addiction could be incarcerated for low-level crimes, no one was arrested.

City Councilmember Quetcy Lozada, a Democrat who represents Kensington, delivered an impassioned speech in defense of city workers Thursday, saying they did what they were trained to do and went to find people.

She said dozens of families could sleep better last week knowing their loved ones who had been living on the street were, at least for a time, sheltered.

It may not have been how I wanted to see it, it may not have been how the community wanted to see it, it may not have been the ideal situation, folks may still be in the surrounding area. But we responded, Lozada said. Im hopeful that the residents of Kensington, that this administration, that all of you stay committed to fighting for a better quality of life for the children and families of that community.

 READ MORE: Philly police and city workers dismantled a Kensington encampment Wednesday

Others have been far more critical of the operation, particularly those who work in harm reduction, the public health strategy to keep people who use drugs alive until they are ready to enter treatment.

Sarah Laurel, the executive director at Savage Sisters, a nonprofit that offers wound care and other harm reduction services, said the clearing was led more by law enforcement than past clearings. She took videos of officers ushering people outside a taped-off area without city outreach workers.

About an hour later, city officials and police brass toured the depopulated area.

It looked like a photo op, Laurel said, and it didnt look like much else.

A contentious encounter between police and advocates

About a month ago, when the city posted notices that an encampment on Kensington Avenue would be cleared, about 75 people were living in the area, Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said. Some accepted housing or treatment before last Wednesday, and the city expected to engage with about 20 people still camped on the sidewalks.

Outreach squads with social workers and behavioral health specialists were scheduled to meet with officers supporting their work at 8 a.m., and teams were to start engaging with people living on the blocks at about 8:30 a.m. Sanitation teams were to clean the area and remove debris at 10 a.m.

On Wednesday, Philadelphia police officers arrived just before 7 a.m. to set up barriers and secure the area, a measure the city said is standard procedure for a variety of events, including encampment clearings.

According to the mayors office and police, six to 10 people who identified themselves as outreach workers and advocates attempted to interrupt the officers as they were setting up a perimeter with police tape and their bicycles. Police said that officers told the advocates that they were not removing people from the encampment and that social service workers were on their way.

Some of the advocates in question were with a group called Concerned Harm Reductionists United, a coalition of people who work in Kensington and were there to support those who were homeless by helping them pack their belongings, providing water and clothing, and offering transportation to shelters or treatment.

They were working alongside Aine Fox, a legal observer with Up Against the Law Legal Collective, who has for more than a decade attended protests and other public events to support the legal rights of activists.

Fox said police approached the advocates and told them to leave the cordoned-off area. She said she also saw and heard a police officer tell people standing in front of tents: You need to move.

The idea that we interfered with services is absolutely ridiculous, Fox said. Officers never communicated to us that they werent telling people to leave.

When the advocates wouldnt leave, officers used their bikes as barriers and pushed them off of Kensington Avenue and onto a side street.

Surveillance footage viewed by The Inquirer shows about a half-dozen officers moving four advocates. Another video captures officers escorting people away and onto side streets. A woman living on the avenue can be heard saying, Its a whole bunch of cops out here, but nobody to help us.

Several advocates remained in the cordoned-off area and continued to assist encampment residents. Eva Fitch, one of the harm reduction advocates, said street sweepers and city workers with leaf blowers then moved in on the camp.

There wasnt an option to stay, Fitch said. People were surrounded by police as [city workers] drenched their belongings in street water and blew them with leaf blowers.

City outreach teams arrived on the scene at about 8 a.m. after many of the people who had been living on the street left the area. Officials said those social service workers scoured the neighborhood for hours, locating people on side streets and residential blocks to bring them into treatment.

City reviewing status of belongings

During past encampment clearings  there have been five major clearings in the neighborhood since 2017  city outreach workers also packed and stored peoples personal belongings for at least 30 days while they were in treatment or shelter, under the citys policy.

On Wednesday, sanitation workers threw away items left on sidewalks after people had scattered.

According to a statement from the Parker administration, the space was cleaned early due to the unexpected activity that precipitated early action. Officials are reviewing any issues surrounding any belongings of the individuals who left the encampment voluntarily, the statement said.

Councilmember Nicolas ORourke, a member of the progressive Working Families Party, said hes concerned that city workers may have thrown away important documents or other personal possessions that belonged to the people who were unhoused, saying, Why would we be so dismissive about human beings belongings?

He referenced comments Parker has made indicating that her strategy in Kensington is a work in progress.

Theyve said were going to make mistakes, ORourke said. It feels to me that were saying all these things almost to give cover for when we do them, because we expect to do them. And, to me, thats not operating in good faith and I dont think thats good governance.
Its such a vindication of our decision to develop a building guided by the highest ESG principles and find in the RAA, a South Australian icon, a tenant who shares in our vision, he said. The central motivation was always to make a workplace that people would be proud to work at with the knowledge that the building would have the smallest carbon footprint as well as prioritising the health and wellbeing of staff by incorporating innovations not normally seen in modern office buildings.
The Tribunal found, said the release, that a permanent ban was appropriate as the fraud was blatant and relatively serious and occurred in the course of Mr Sweeneys work in the financial services industry.
This is a great start to the year and builds on our momentum following an equally strong finish to last year, ODonnell said. The company attributed its success to aligned drivers of profit, including underwriting fees and investment income. The acquisition of Validus Re has significantly contributed to this performance, ODonnell noted, with plans to retain at least $3 billion of Validus premium. ODonnell also emphasized that the integration process was on track and expected to be highly accretive to shareholders.
Were an underwriting agency, first and foremost, he said. But were using a different lens in risk management because were looking at the culture and behaviours of the people managing the risk and how we can help them run a better, safer business.
Many Australian travellers underestimate the potential costs associated with common travel mishaps. From minor medical incidents to lost luggage, the expenses can quickly add up, leaving travellers in a precarious financial situation. Investing in travel insurance is a simple yet crucial step in safeguarding against these unforeseen expenses, she said.
As I look across our business, we remain well-positioned to win new clients and retain our existing customers. I believe we have the best team in the business, with leading talent and expertise, stellar service, superior analytics, vast amounts of data, and a wide global reach. We are in an enviable industry position, and I am excited about the remainder of 2024 and beyond.
Commenting on his now permanent role at the helm, Zukerman said: I am grateful for the tremendous support of our board of directors, and it is an honor to lead an organization that is deeply committed to serving AAA members and our AAA club partners.
Vyacheslav Andriyko, WTW Ukraine head, had this to say: We are delighted to offer the first insurance solution for war risks within the borders of Ukraine to provide peace of mind to domestic companies, along with certainty for international companies who are offering their support and assistance in Ukraines rebuilding efforts.
If anybody thinks that the last 10 years are indicative of what the next 10 years are going to look like, we have another thing coming, she said. The climate is not going to look the same as it did the last 10 years. Everything we thought was predictable, is now becoming less predictable.
A former New York City assistant district attorney and his husband are suing the city, claiming its health plan discriminates against gay male couples by denying them coverage of in vitro fertilization benefits.

The city plans definition of infertile violates federal, state, and city civil rights law by excluding gay male couples, while including gay female couples and different-sex couples, former Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Corey Briskin and husband Nicholas Maggipinto argue in a proposed class action filed Thursday in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.

The lawsuit raises bigger questions about who qualifies for fertility-related care under employer-sponsored plans, an issue thats taken on more significance since the US Supreme Courts landmark Bostock v. Clayton County decision that affirmed protections for LGBTQ+ employees under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

At least two federal court decisions, one in California and another in Illinois, have since said that a health-care plan that excludes IVF for same-sex couples or imposes greater costs for them to use it than other couples can be deemed discriminatory, according to Thursdays complaint.

The complaint seeks an injunction to end the citys current policy that restricts coverage of IVF treatment for same-sex male couples.

The New York City health plan defines infertility as the inability to conceive through male-female sexual intercourse or through intrauterine insemination for 12 months, according to the complaint.

In this case, the City of New York has not just made it harder for gay men like Mr. Briskin and Mr. Maggipinto to qualify for IVF benefits, the complaint says, the City has made it impossible for gay men to qualify for IVF benefits.

The office of New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who is also named in the complaint along with former Mayor Bill de Blasio, said it is reviewing the suit.

The Adams administration proudly supports the rights of LGBTQ+ New Yorkers to access the health care they need, a city hall spokesperson said in a 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.

Legal History

The question of access has also been raised on a federal level. The Biden administration in March announced it was amending its IVF guidelines to extend the benefits to veterans and active servicemembers who are single or in same-sex relationships.

The New York City employee health care plan covers 75% the costs of IVF, including associated tests and procedures, according to the complaint.

Briskin and Maggipinto said they successfully created embryos last year without the plans coverage.

The couple previously filed a discrimination charge with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in April 2022, and was given a right to sue letter from the Department of Justice, their complaint said.

The city argued in a position statement following the EEOC charge that the two were asking for benefits related to a surrogatewhich are not coveredbut Briskin and Maggipinto countered they were only asking for coverage of egg retrieval and fertilization in the same manner that the service is covered for other couples.

Briskin left the city to clerk for a federal judge in January 2022, but he and Maggipinto remain covered under the city plan through COBRA.

The complaint says the citys health-care policy violates Title VII, the New York State and City Human Rights Laws, and the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the US and New York State Constitutions.

Briskin and Maggipinto are represented by Peter Romer-Friedman and Patrick David Lopez of Peter Romer-Friedman Law PLLC.

Lopez served as the general counsel for the EEOC from 2010 to 2016, where he advocated to advance protections for LGBTQ+ workers under Title VII.

The case is Briskin v. City of New York, S.D.N.Y., No. 24-cv-03557, complaint filed 5/9/24.

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.

Topics Lawsuits New York
Everest launched its Australian Insurance operations after receiving approval from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.

The business will operate under the name Everest Insurance Australia with offices in Sydney and Melbourne.

Christian Colombera, managing director, Australia and head of the Pacific Region will lead the business alongside a team of best-in-class regional underwriters to serve the growing needs of corporations across the Australian market.

As we continue enhancing our global presence, we bring Everests customer-first model and decades of underwriting discipline and financial strength to address the unique and growing needs of the Australian market, said Colombera. We have assembled a deeply experienced team with a keen understanding of local market dynamics and the challenges facing businesses demanding the capacity and expertise across a wide range of insurance needs that Everest will deliver.

Everest said it aims to help fill a crucial void for tailored risk solutions in the property, casualty, financial lines, professional lines, and energy and construction sectors with the speed and agility required in the current insurance landscape.

Source: Everest Group Ltd.

Topics New Markets Australia
European Union countries gave their final approval on Monday to a law to cut carbon dioxide emissions from trucks, which will require most new heavy-duty vehicles sold in the EU from 2040 to be emissions-free.

The law will enforce a 90% cut in CO2 emissions from new heavy-duty vehicles by 2040. That means manufacturers will have to sell a large share of fully CO2-free trucks  including electric vehicles and those running on hydrogen fuel  to offset any remaining sales of new CO2-emitting vehicles in 2040.

Most trucks on Europes roads currently run on diesel, which produces greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants linked to lung cancer and respiratory diseases. Heavy-duty vehicles produce a quarter of Europes road transport emissions.

Truck manufacturers will also have to reduce the CO2 emissions of their fleets by 45% by 2030  replacing an existing 30% target  and 65% by 2035.

From 2030, 90% of new urban buses sold in the EU will be required to have zero emissions, rising to 100% in 2035.

European autos group ACEA has described the EU policy as the worlds most ambitious, and said the targets will only be met if governments match them with a rapid roll-out of 50,000 truck-suitable public electric charging points by 2030.

The EUs truck CO2 policy has now won approval from EU countries and the EU Parliament, meaning it can pass into law.

That is despite recent complaints from Germany and center-right EU lawmakers, who had wanted the policy to allow more combustion engine trucks to be sold beyond 2040 if they ran on CO2-neutral fuels.

In Mondays vote, only Italy, Poland and Slovakia opposed the policy, while the Czech Republic abstained, an EU official told Reuters.

To win Germanys backing, EU countries last month added a preamble to the law which said the European Commission would consider developing rules in future to count trucks running on CO2 neutral fuels towards the targets.

(Reporting by Kate Abnett; editing by Jan Harvey)

Topics Europe
This edition of International People Moves details appointments at AXA XL Reinsurance and Fusion Specialty.

A summary of these new hires follows here.

AXA XL Reinsurance Names Sawyer to Expanded Role of Head of London Casualty, Reinsurance

AXA XL Reinsurance announced it has appointed Ian Sawyer to the newly expanded role of head of London Casualty, Reinsurance, with immediate effect.

Sawyer will be responsible for both the US and International Casualty Treaty propositions in London and will oversee AXA XLs Cyber Reinsurance offering internationally.

Sawyer brings more than 37 years experience to the business having re-joined AXA XL in 2022 after previously working with the business as head of Casualty five years earlier.

His career includes experience as head of Global Casualty, covering US and International Casualty business written in London and domestically within the US, and time spent as a US casualty treaty claims broker.

***

Fusion Specialty Hires 2 for M&A Team in London

Fusion Specialty, the Sydney-based MGA platform within Pop Group Holdings (POP), announced the appointment of two additional members to its Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) team in London: Alexander (Alex) Mackay joins Fusion UK as a partner and Tom Hopkins joins as an associate, driving the further development of broker relationships and expanding Fusion UKs underwriting capability.

Mackay joins Fusion after having spent some five years working in M&A insurance with a number of leading insurance companies in the London market. During his time with these companies, he was also responsible for developing key broker relationships within the London market and across international markets, on which he will capitalise in this new role at Fusion.

Hopkins joins Fusion from a legal background, having worked in several top firms, most recently with international law firm Orrick, Herrington and Sutcliffe in its venture capital practice.

Mackay and Hopkins join Samuel Shirley, Fusion managing partner, UK M&A, and both will be working closely with Fusions London-based team of M&A underwriters.

In announcing the new appointments, Shirley said: We are delighted to welcome Alex and Tom to Fusion as we continue to expand our footprint in the specialty M&A insurance sector both here in the UK as well as in our other key markets in the US, Europe, Australia and Asia.

Alex and Tom are joining us at an exciting time and will be integral in helping us drive Fusions future success and further solidify our position as a market leader in the transactional liability insurance sector globally, according to Katherine Simmonds, CEO, Fusion International.

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Excess Surplus Reinsurance London Casualty AXA XL
Tesla has settled a lawsuit by a former factory employee who says she was fired for complaining about severe sexual harassment, as the electric carmaker faces a series of sex and race discrimination lawsuits.

U.S. District Judge William Orrick in San Francisco dismissed Tyonna Turners 2023 lawsuit on Monday, one day after she and Tesla informed the judge of the settlement. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Turner worked at Teslas flagship Fremont, California, assembly plant, where the company is accused in a number of lawsuits of failing to address rampant harassment of Black and female workers. The settlement appears to be the first in a series of sexual harassment cases filed against Tesla since 2021.

Tesla, which has denied wrongdoing in those cases, and lawyers for Turner did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Turner in the lawsuit alleged that in the nearly two years she worked at the Fremont plant she was harassed about 100 times, including by a male coworker who followed her around the factory and stalked her.

She claimed that when she complained, a supervisor told her, Thats just how people are. Turner was fired in September 2022, which she says was retaliation for reporting the harassment and a workplace injury.

Orrick last August rejected Teslas bid to send the case to private arbitration, citing a 2022 federal law that bars mandatory arbitration of sexual harassment and assault claims.

Turners allegations are similar to those in at least six other cases pending against Tesla in California state court.

Tesla is also facing lawsuits accusing it of tolerating widespread racial discrimination at the Fremont plant and other facilities, including claims from a U.S. anti-discrimination agency, a separate case by its California counterpart, and a class action on behalf of 6,000 Black workers.

Those lawsuits claim that Black workers were subjected to constant racial slurs and graffiti, assigned to less desirable jobs and retaliated against for complaining. Tesla has said it does not tolerate discrimination and has fired workers found to have engaged in racist conduct.

Topics Lawsuits California Manufacturing Tesla
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  A teenager who video-recorded his mothers forceful arrest by Louisiana sheriffs deputies in 2020 has been awarded $185,000 by a federal jury in a lawsuit filed over one deputys attempt to interfere with the recording.

DeShaun Johnson was 14 when deputies arrived at his familys home in St. Tammany Parish to question his mother, Teliah Perkins, about allegations she had ridden a motorcycle without a helmet  a charge her attorneys said was baseless and that was never prosecuted.

The confrontation turned physical, and video showed the woman being forced to the ground.

A lawsuit against the deputies was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the law firm of Reid Collins & Tsai as part of the ACLUs Justice Lab project, aimed at addressing allegations of police abuses.

A federal appeals court largely sided with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriffs Office on many of the allegations, squelching much of the lawsuit over the deputies use of force. But it allowed the litigation to continue over allegations that one deputy interfered with Johnsons use of his phone to film the arrest. The ACLU said the deputy stepped in front of Johnson when he began recording the arrest and threatened Johnson with a Taser.

On May 1, after a federal court civil trial in New Orleans, a jury said evidence showed Deputy Ryan Morings actions constituted intentional infliction of emotional distress and awarded the teen $185,000.

We are thrilled to see justice served for DeShaun, Nora Ahmed, the ACLU of Louisianas legal director, said in a news release after the verdict.

The jury voted in the deputys favor on an accompanying issue, rejecting a finding that Moring violated Johnsons First Amendment rights by blocking Johnson from continuing to film his mothers arrest.

The Sheriffs Office didnt immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment. But Sheriff Randy Smith, through a spokesperson, told The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate that an appeal of the verdict against Moring was planned, calling the emotional harm finding meritless.

Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has signed into law Monday a bill, which aims to provide financial grants to construct or retrofit homes, making them more resilient against the destructive forces of tornadoes, windstorms and hail.

Under the new law, known as the Strengthen Oklahoma Homes Act, grants will be made available by the Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) to residential property owners who meet specific eligibility criteria.

These criteria include an owner-occupied, single-family primary residence. The grants are intended to help homeowners achieve safety standards outlined by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS).

Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready praises the Oklahoma Legislature and the Governor for approving this measure and the difference it will make to assist Oklahomans in fortifying their homes against natural disasters.

The recent destruction we have seen across our state is a grave reminder why this legislation will be so important to help Oklahomans rebuild and protect their homes from severe weather, said Mulready. I am grateful to legislative leaders and the Governor for understanding our goal to help Oklahoma consumers reduce their homeowners insurance rates and fortify their homes against mother nature.

The Strengthen Oklahoma Homes Act will establish a grant program aimed at assisting homeowners in reinforcing their roofs with impact-resistant materials that meet FORTIFIED standards set by the IBHS. These funds will enable consumers to construct or retrofit their homes with impact-resistant shingles and other enhancements. Additionally, many insurance companies offer reduced premiums for homes with such modifications.

The new grant program created by the law will be in development through the end of the year, with the first grants going out in 2025.

Source: Oklahoma Insurance Department

Topics Oklahoma
On the afternoon of May 3, Roger Fortson opened the door of his Florida apartment with a gun in his hand and was immediately shot six times by a sheriffs deputy responding to a complaint about an argument.

Fortsons supporters point to the deputys rapid decision to open fire and his mere presence at the apartment  where the Air Force senior airman was apparently alone and FaceTiming with his girlfriend  as proof that it was a blatantly unjustified killing and the latest tragedy involving a Black American being shot at home by law enforcement. Authorities, meanwhile, have seized on Fortson holding a gun when he answered the door to cast the shooting as a clear-cut case of self-defense for a deputy confronted with a split-second, life-or-death decision.

Investigators will consider these factors when deciding whether to charge the deputy in a case that also reflects the realities officers face every day in a country where millions of people carry guns, including in Florida, one of the largest gun ownership states.

Policing experts say Fortson simply holding a gun when he opened the door wasnt enough justification to use deadly force, but investigators will also have to consider what information the deputy knew when he responded and whether Fortson showed any behavioral indication that he posed a threat. They also say the proliferation of legal and illegal firearms is forcing officers throughout the country to have to decide faster than ever what constitutes a deadly threat.

The speed of the shooting is pretty intense. Its happening very, very fast, Ian Adams, an assistant professor who studies criminology at the University of South Carolina and a former police officer, said after watching the deputys body camera video of Fortsons shooting.

The presence of a gun enhances the risk. But mere presence is not at all justification for using deadly force, Adams said.

The redacted video released Thursday by the Okaloosa County sheriff in response to allegations raised by attorneys for Fortsons family shows the deputy speaking to a woman outside the Fort Walton Beach apartment complex who described someone hearing an argument.

The deputy, whose name and race havent been released, bangs on Fortsons door, pauses, then knocks again, yelling that hes from the sheriffs office. Fortson eventually answers the door while holding what appears to be a gun by his side pointed at the ground. Within a few seconds, the deputy shoots Fortson six times, only then yelling for him to drop his weapon.

Sheriff Eric Aden said the deputy acted in self-defense, and he rejected assertions that the deputy was at the wrong apartment. Ben Crump, an attorney for Fortsons family, said they remain adamant that the deputy went to the wrong unit because Fortson had been home alone and on a Facetime call with his girlfriend.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating.

Adams said beyond the body camera footage there has to be some behavioral indication that a person intends to cause deadly harm with their gun.

We also live in a nation with more guns than people. If the mere presence of a gun were the standard for reasonable use of deadly force, we would be awash with police shootings, he said.

The increase in gun ownership has changed policing in ways, said Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a Washington-based think tank that focuses on critical issues in policing.

This is a tragedy on so many levels, for everyone  for the family and for the officer. Guns accelerate decision-making and thats the challenge here, he said.

In a statement Friday, Crump focused on the deputys quick use of deadly force, and the lack of a verbal command for Fortson to drop his weapon until after the deputy shot him.

But experts say officers arent required to issue commands or warnings whenever they use deadly force. David Klinger, a criminal justice professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis who is also a former police officer, said the standard is to give a warning when its feasible.

But if pausing to give a warning or a verbal command is going to increase the risk of a deadly threat, then it isnt feasible, he said.

Scott Lacey, a former Air Force Special Operations Command officer who served in the same squadron as Fortson, said he believes Fortsons shooting was unjustified.

When he just opens the door, sees him with a gun and unloads six rounds on the senior airman, to me that just screams unjust right away, said Lacey, who spent time as an Arizona state trooper after leaving the military. The airman didnt raise his gun and showed no kind of hostile intent.

Lacey responded to a Facebook post from Air Force leaders that called for people on base to support Fortsons family while maintaining professionalism. Lacey called the shooting unjustified and urged the commander to instead, Take a stand and do something, adding that hed feel unsafe with the sheriffs department at his doorstep.

Its not the first time the Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office has come under scrutiny for its use of force.

LaTanya Griffin filed a federal lawsuit against the department in August alleging that deputies used a battering ram to enter her home while serving a search warrant in 2019. Griffin, who had been asleep naked, was ordered at gunpoint to walk outside and remain nude in front of officers and the public, she said. She was never arrested or charged with a crime.

In court papers, lawyers for the sheriffs office said the deputies actions were consistent with established, reasonable, and generally accepted police procedure. The litigation is ongoing.

I think the Department of Justice needs to take a look at whats happening with the Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office, said Kevin Anderson, a lawyer for Griffin.

In another incident six months ago, an Okaloosa County deputy reacted to the sound of a falling acorn hitting his patrol vehicle by firing multiple rounds at the vehicle, where a handcuffed Black man sat inside.

After hearing the deputy yell shots fired and Im hit, his supervisor also fired at the vehicle. The man inside survived the barrage rattled but unscathed.

Internal investigators found that the supervisors actions were objectively reasonable because she was acting to protect the other deputy in what she believed was an imminent and immediate danger of death. But the report found that the deputy who initially screamed shots fired hadnt acted reasonably in firing his gun. He resigned before the investigation was completed.

In her interviews with investigators, the supervisor mentioned that deputies had been through a lot in recent weeks, including the killing of a deputy who was responding to a domestic violence call and the involvement of another in an on-duty shooting.

The shooting of Fortson came just days after four members of a U.S. Marshals Service fugitive task force were killed while serving a warrant in North Carolina. Some officer groups have suggested such killings could affect how officers perceive threats.

I dont think the presence of previous shootings is ever going to be justification, Adams said. There is no world where officers dont encounter a firearm risk. Officers swim in risk. But risk alone is not cause for using force, let alone deadly force.

Photo: Chantemekki Fortson, mother of Roger Fortson, a U.S. Air Force senior airman, holds a photo of her son during a news conference May 9. With her is attorney Ben Crump, in Fort Walton Beach. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

JEFF MARTIN and CLAUDIA LAUER of the Associated Press produced this report.

Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Florida Gun Liability
Andy Anguis joined Crest Insurance Group as a commercial lines broker in the companys Chandler, Arizona, office.

Anguis 25 years of experience includes commercial lines, sales/service leadership, recruiting, claims, personal lines, workers compensation, life insurance and annuities.

He most recently served as vice president of sales, personal lines, at Arthur J. Gallagher (U.S.) LLC. He previously served as a State Farm agent/owner and as senior branch manager at Liberty Mutual Insurance.

Crest is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona.

Topics Agencies Commercial Lines Business Insurance
More than a dozen Southern California residents are reported to have conspired to create fraudulent insurance claims to illegally collect more than $350,000.

They were arrested last week after an investigation reportedly discovered a large-scale organized auto insurance fraud ring engaged in multiple schemes, including holding vehicles hostage and collusive collisions.

Three additional people were charged for their alleged involvement in the organized ring. The charges involve 19 fraudulent claims resulting in a loss of $353,035.

The Inland Empire Automobile Insurance Task Force began an investigation in 2022 after reportedly discovering a California Highway Patrol non-sworn employee, Rosa Isela Santistevan, 55, of Irvine, was unlawfully selling traffic collision report face pages with personal information of people who had been involved in collisions throughout the region.

Searches reportedly led to the seizure of more than 3,500 CHP traffic collision report face pages from the residence of Esmeralda Parga, 26, of Pomona, who the task force determined was connected to Santistevan through the organized rings ringleader, Andre Angelo Reyes, 36, of Corona.

The alleged conspiracy began after Reyes befriended Santistevan and other CHP employees by donating to various CHP events and parties. Santistevan printed and unlawfully sold thousands of traffic collision face pages to Reyes, who reportedly would then provide the reports to Parga. Parga would then pretend to be from the insurance company of involved parties and coordinate having the vehicle towed to a repair center, according to investigators.

Tow trucks were then sent to pick up the vehicles and take them to CA Collision, owned by Anthony Gomez, 35, of Jurupa Valley. Once at there, the repair shop held the vehicle hostage and demand cash payment from the insurers to have the vehicles released.

This investigation resulted in 15 suspects being charged with insurance fraud, grand theft by trick, and false impersonation.

The investigating task force included the California Department of Insurance, California Highway Patrol, San Bernardino County District Attorneys Office, and the Riverside County District Attorneys Office. The San Bernardino County District Attorneys Office is prosecuting the case.

Defendants include:

Andre Angelo Reyes, 36, of Corona

Rosa Isela Santistevan, 55, of Irvine

Esmeralda Parga, 26, of Pomona

Anthony Gomez, 35, of Jurupa Valley

Ezequiel Baltazar Orozco, 30, of Los Angeles

Antonio Terrazas Perez Jr., 19, of Los Angeles

Erika Garcia, 31, of Los Angeles

Israel Avila Sandoval, 45, of Pomona

Luis Alberto Ramirez Jr., 32, of San Bernardino

Robert Arzac, 49, of West Covina

Antonio Ramirez Perez, 44, of Los Angeles

Brian Anthony Lopez, 25, of Anaheim

Emily Marie Boatman, 26, of Ontario

Ricardo Parga Jr., 23, of Pomona

Steven Anthony Alfaro, 38, of Buena Park.

Topics California Auto Fraud
The widow of a man who died after his Tesla veered off the road and crashed into a tree while he was using its partially automated driving system is suing the carmaker, claiming its marketing of the technology is dangerously misleading.

The Autopilot system prevented Hans Von Ohain from being able to keep his Model 3 Tesla on a Colorado road in 2022, according to the lawsuit filed by Nora Bass in state court on May 3. Von Ohain died after the car hit a tree and burst into flames, but a passenger was able to escape, the suit says.

Von Ohain was intoxicated at the time of the crash, according to a Colorado State Patrol report.

The Associated Press sent an email to Teslas communications department seeking comment.

Tesla offers two partially automated systems, Autopilot and a more sophisticated Full Self Driving, but the company says neither can drive itself, despite their names.

U.S. 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.

The lawsuit, which was also filed on behalf of the only child of Von Ohain and Bass, alleges that Tesla, facing financial pressures, released its Autopilot system before it was ready to be used in the real world. It also claims the company has had a reckless disregard for consumer safety and truth, citing a 2016 promotional video.

By showcasing a Tesla vehicle navigating traffic without any hands on the steering wheel, Tesla irresponsibly misled consumers into believing that their vehicles possessed capabilities far beyond reality, it said of the video.

Last month, Tesla paid an undisclosed amount of money to settle a separate lawsuit that made similar claims, brought by the family of a Silicon Valley engineer who died in a 2018 crash while using Autopilot. Walter Huangs Model X veered out of its lane and began to accelerate before barreling into a concrete barrier located at an intersection on a busy highway in Mountain View, California.

Evidence indicated that Huang was playing a video game on his iPhone when he crashed into the barrier on March 23, 2018. But his family claimed Autopilot was promoted in a way that caused vehicle owners to believe they didnt have to remain vigilant while they were behind the wheel.

U.S. auto safety regulators pressured Tesla into recalling more than 2 million vehicles in December to fix a defective system thats supposed to make sure drivers pay attention when using Autopilot.

In a letter to Tesla posted on the agencys website this week, U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigators wrote that they could not find any difference in the warning software issued after the recall and the software that existed before it. The agency says Tesla has reported 20 more crashes involving Autopilot since the recall.

Top photo: This image provided by Colorado State Patrol shows a Tesla Model 3 that crashed on May 16, 2022 in Clear Creek County, Colo. The widow of a man who died after his Tesla veered off the road and crashed into a tree while he was using its partially automated driving system in Colorado in 2022 is suing the car maker, claiming its marketing of the technology is dangerously misleading. The Autopilot system prevented Hans Von Ohain from being able to keep his Model 3 Tesla on the road and he died after the car burst into flames after hitting the tree, according to the lawsuit filed by Nora Bass in Colorado state court on May 3, 2024. A passenger was able to escape, it said. (Colorado State Patrol via AP).

Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Colorado Tesla
Why It Matters: Designed as an AI-centric system from its inception, Aurora will allow researchers to harness generative AI models to accelerate scientific discovery. Significant progress has been made in Argonnes early AI-driven research. Success stories include mapping the human brains 80 billion neurons, high-energy particle physics enhanced by deep learning, and drug design and discovery accelerated by machine learning, among others.

Aurora Supercomputer's Details: The Aurora supercomputer is an expansive system with 166 racks, 10,624 compute blades, 21,248 Intel Xeon CPU Max Series processors and 63,744 Intel Data Center GPU Max Series units, making it one of the world's largest GPU clusters. Aurora also includes the largest open, Ethernet-based supercomputing interconnect on a single system of 84,992 HPE slingshot fabric endpoints. Aurora supercomputer came in second on the high-performance LINPACK (HPL) benchmark but broke the exascale barrier at 1.012 exaflops utilizing 9,234 nodes, only 87% of the system. Aurora supercomputer also secured the third spot on the high-performance conjugate gradient (HPCG) benchmark at 5,612 teraflops per second (TF/s) with 39% of the machine. This benchmark aims to assess more realistic scenarios providing insights into communication and memory access patterns, which are important factors in real-world HPC applications. It complements benchmarks like LINPACK by offering a comprehensive view of a system's capabilities.

How AI is Optimized: At the heart of the Aurora supercomputer is the Intel Data Center GPU Max Series. The Intel Xe GPU architecture is foundational to the Max Series, featuring specialized hardware like matrix and vector compute blocks optimized for both AI and HPC tasks. The Intel Xe architectures design that delivers unparalleled compute performance is the reason the Aurora supercomputer secured the top spot in the high-performance LINPACK-mixed precision (HPL-MxP) benchmark  which best highlights the importance of AI workloads in HPC.

The Xe architecture's parallel processing capabilities excel in managing the intricate matrix-vector operations inherent in neural network AI computation. These compute cores are pivotal in accelerating matrix operations crucial for deep learning models. Complemented by Intel's suite of software tools, including Intel oneAPI DPC++/C++ Compiler, a rich set of performance libraries, and optimized AI frameworks and tools, the Xe architecture fosters an open ecosystem for developers that is characterized by flexibility and scalability across various devices and form factors.

Advancing Accelerated Computing with Open Software and Compute Capacity: In his special session at ISC 2024, on Tuesday, May 14 at 6:45 p.m., (GMT+2) Hall 4, Congress Center Hamburg, Germany, CEO Andrew Richards of Codeplay, an Intel company, will address the growing demand for accelerated computing and software in HPC and AI. He will highlight the importance of oneAPI, offering a unified programming model across diverse architectures. Built on open standards, oneAPI empowers developers to craft code that seamlessly runs on different hardware platforms without extensive modifications or vendor lock-in. This is also the goal of the Linux Foundations Unified Acceleration Foundation (UXL), in which Arm, Google, Intel, Qualcomm and others are developing an open ecosystem for all accelerators and unified heterogeneous compute on open standards to break proprietary lock-in. The UXL Foundation is adding more members to its growing coalition.

Meanwhile, Intel Tiber Developer Cloud is expanding its compute capacity with new state-of-the-art hardware platforms and new service capabilities allowing enterprises and developers to evaluate the latest Intel architecture, to innovate and optimize AI models and workloads quickly, and then to deploy AI models at scale. New hardware includes previews of Intel Xeon 6 E-core and P-core systems for select customers, and large-scale Intel Gaudi 2-based and Intel Data Center GPU Max Series-based clusters. New capabilities include Intel Kubernetes Service for cloud-native AI training and inference workloads and multiuser accounts.

Whats Next: New supercomputers being deployed with Intel Xeon CPU Max Series and Intel Data Center GPU Max Series technologies underscore Intels goal to advance HPC and AI. Systems include Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Changes (CMCC) Cassandra to accelerate climate change modeling; Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development's (ENEA) CRESCO 8 to enable breakthroughs in fusion energy; Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC), which is in full production to enable data analysis in biology to supersonic turbulence flows and atomistic simulations on a wide range of materials; as well as United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) to solve memory-bound problems that underpin the design of future fusion powerplants.

The result from the mixed-precision AI benchmark will be foundational for Intels next-generation GPU for AI and HPC, code-named Falcon Shores. Falcon Shores will leverage the next-generation Intel Xe architecture with the best of Intel Gaudi. This integration enables a unified programming interface.

Early performance results on Intel Xeon 6 with P-cores and Multiplexer Combined Ranks (MCR) memory at 8800 megatransfers per second (MT/s) deliver up to 2.3x performance improvement for real-world HPC applications, like Nucleus for European Modeling of the Ocean (NEMO), when compared to the previous generation,1 setting a strong foundation as the preferred host CPU choice for HPC solutions.

More Context: Intel Tiber Developer Cloud | UXL Foundation | Intel Takes Next Step Toward Building Scalable Silicon-Based Quantum Processors | Intel Gaudi, Xeon and AI PC Accelerate Meta Llama 3 GenAI Workloads
US president Joe Biden has unveiled a bundle of steep tariff increases on an array of Chinese imports, including electric car batteries, computer chips and medical products, risking an election-year standoff with Beijing in a bid to woo voters who give his economic policies low marks.

China immediately vowed retaliation. Its commerce ministry said Beijing was opposed to the US tariff hikes and would take measures to defend its interests.

Mr Biden will keep tariffs put in place by his Republican predecessor Donald Trump while ratcheting up others, including a quadrupling of electric vehicle duties to more than 100% and doubling the duties on semiconductor tariffs to 50%, the White House said.

The new measures affect $18bn (16.6bn) in imported Chinese goods, including steel and aluminum, semiconductors, electric vehicles, critical minerals, solar cells and cranes, the White House said.

The US imported $427bn in goods from China in 2023 and exported $148bn to the world's number two economy. Even as Mr Biden's steps fell in line with Mr Trump's premise that tougher trade measures were warranted, the Democrat took aim at his opponent in November's election.

The White House said Trump's 2020 trade deal with China did not increase American exports or jobs, and it said the 10% across-the-board tariffs on goods from all points of origin Mr Trump has proposed would frustrate US allies and raise prices. Mr Trump has floated tariffs of 60% or higher on all Chinese goods.

Mr Biden has struggled to convince voters of the efficacy of his economic policies despite a backdrop of low unemployment and above-trend economic growth.

As part of the long-awaited tariff update, Mr Biden will increase tariffs this year under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 from 25% to 100% on electric cars, on lithium-ion batteries and other battery parts and on photovoltaic cells used to make solar panels. Some critical minerals will have their tariffs raised from zero to 25%.

More tariffs will follow in 2025 and 2026 on semiconductors, as well as lithium-ion batteries that are not used in electric vehicles, graphite and permanent magnets as well as rubber medical and surgical gloves.

A step Mr Biden previously announced to raise tariffs on some steel and aluminum products will take effect this year.

- Reuters
The chief executive of Kerry County Council, Moira Murrell, has been recommended for appointment as the chief executive of Cork County Council.

The recommendation from the Public Appointments Service (PAS) is for an initial seven-year period and will need to be ratified by members of the council. Ms Murrell has been head of Kerry County Council for the past ten years.

A native of Killarney, she began her career in Kerry County Council in 1993. She moved to Cork County Council in 2007 as a director of services, where she served for three years in the West Cork division. In 2010, she was appointed divisional manager with responsibility for the North Cork region.

The search for the new chief executive officer began in January. It followed the departure of former chief Tim Lucey last October, who left to take over as chief executive officer of Greyhound Racing Ireland. Valerie OSullivan, the council's southern divisional manager has served as acting chief executive officer until a permanent appointment was made.

Ms Murrell's recommendation is the first in a series of appointments expected in the coming months for top positions in councils and semi-state bodies in the Munster region.

The chief executive of Cork City Council, Ann Doherty ends her ten-year period in September with the search by the PAS currently underway for her successor.

The recruitment began in March for the position of chief of Waterford City and County Council after chief executive officer Michael Walsh's 10-year term came to an end.

The Port of Cork is also recruiting a new chief executive officer with current chief Eoin McGettigan stepping down this month after almost four years in the role.

The election will also take place next month of a directly-elected mayor of Limerick, the first such role in the country.

Council chief executive officers are recruited through a competitive process organised by the PAS and formally appointed by the minister for local government and ratified by the city councillors. They are appointed for an initial seven-year term which can be extended for a further three years.
Family psychotherapist and author Richard Hogan joins ieParenting editor Irene Feighan to discuss supporting a child with dyslexia.

One in ten people in Ireland have dyslexia and signs often emerge in early school years. In 2021, Richard Hogan spoke about his own diagnosis for the first time in the Irish Examiner.
A record 18,000 homes began construction last month as builders scrambled to get in ahead of a deadline for ending a waiver on development fees.

Housing Minister Darragh OBrien is expected to brief his colleagues on what has been described as extraordinary figures for April on construction commencements.

The data is expected to show that around 18,000 units got under way in April, which is unprecedented for any month on record and equates to over half of last years total commencements in a single month.

Sources have put the spike in building down to a push to submit commencement notices before a waiver on development fees was due to end.

However, this waiver has now been extended until the end of the year.

Mr OBrien will also update Cabinet on positive first-time-buyer figures which show that 25,600 mortgages were drawn down in 2023, the highest annual level since 2007. This represented some 500 first-time-buyer drawdowns every week.

Separately, Mr OBrien will bring forward a memo seeking to designate Sligo as an eligible town under the defective concrete block scheme.

Support for businesses

Meanwhile, a financial support mechanism for the retail and hospitality sector is to double, meaning that businesses will be able to claim back up to 10,000 in rates paid last year.

This will be done through a revision of the increased cost of business scheme, which had allowed businesses to claim 50% of last years rates up to 10,000, which provided a maximum rebate of 5,000.

The maximum will now be increased to 10,000.

In addition to this, Enterprise Minister Peter Burke is to improve an energy efficiency grant in a bid to help businesses such as retailers, hospitality, and services such as hairdressers that tend to have high electricity costs.

Under the changes, 75% funding will be provided by the State, with businesses having to pay the remaining 25%.

The grant, which goes towards any upgrades that aim to reduce energy consumption such as replacing fridges or upgrading insulation, had previously operated on a 50/50 match funding basis.

Separately, Education Minister Norma Foley and Childrens Minister Roderic OGorman will bring a new strategy for literacy, numeracy, and digital literacy that will run from this year until 2033.

It will cover learners ranging in age from birth to young adults.

Finally, Tanaiste Micheal Martin will update Cabinet on the five Global Ireland Regional Strategies, which take in the US and Canada, Africa, Asia Pacific, the Nordic region, and Latin America and the Caribbean.

It comes as the Department of Foreign Affairs is in the final stages of developing a whole-of-government strategy for the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region.
Waterways Ireland has refused to provide a timeline for the removal of barriers on the banks of the Grand Canal in Dublin, saying the cordons act as a mitigation measure.

Last week, barriers were erected along stretches of the south Dublin canal, following a multi-agency operation to clear tents housing asylum seekers.

Barriers have also been in place at the International Protection Office on Mount St for several weeks after a long-term encampment was also dismantled.

However, people have continued to pitch tents alongside the Grand Canal, as a shortage of available accommodation for asylum seekers remains.

A spokesperson for Waterways Ireland said there are serious concerns for the health and safety of people camped by the canal, particularly due to the lack of sanitation facilities in the area.

However, the spokesperson did not provide a timeline for how long the barriers would be in place.

There is serious concern for the health and safety of people staying in tents by the canal, and about the impact of the lack of sanitation facilities, the spokesperson said.

'Mitigation measure'

Whilst temporary barriers have been erected as a mitigation measure, access to the towpath and footpath adjacent to the canal is unimpeded.

Waterways Ireland is continuing to work with multi-agency partners in the best interests of all concerned. For operational reasons, no further comment can be offered at this stage.

Social Democrats TD for Dublin Central, Gary Gannon, described the placement of the barriers along the canal as horrific, saying it shows how the Government is failing Dublin.

The barriers on the canal are horrific, both in aesthetic and in the message that it sends out to the city, Mr Gannon said.

He said the tents gathered on the canal are due to the lack of accommodation provided to newly arrived asylum seekers.

People will congregate in crowds because thats where theyre safer.

He said that he believed Waterways Ireland is being pressured by the Government to keep the barriers in place, adding that they were a poor reflection on the leadership of Taoiseach Simon Harris.

Yesterday, Mr Harris said the State will absolutely provide shelter for asylum seekers, but said that it may not be housing.

They [the public] want us to be honest with people coming to this country about what we can and cant do. We can absolutely provide shelter but not necessarily housing for people who come here, he said.

We can absolutely use State land to provide people with access to sanitation and help people who are fleeing persecution, but we also have to be truthful in relation to what we can do.

Mr Harris also said that tents may continue to arise in parts of Dublin City, but said that long-term encampments similar to what happened on Mount St will not happen again.

It is understood that the Government is examining the use of new State sites to accommodate asylum seekers, alongside the expansion of existing tented accommodation.
Stormonts Environment Minister has asked officials to reallocate resources within his department to ensure prioritisation of efforts to tackle environmental problems in Lough Neagh.

Andrew Muir told the Assembly the budget allocation for the lough was disappointing.

He said he had received 1.6m in capital funding and no resource funding for the issues besetting the lough.

Lough Neagh is the biggest freshwater lake, by surface area, in the UK and Ireland, supplies 40% of Northern Irelands drinking water and sustains a major eel-fishing industry.

Noxious blooms covered large parts of the lough across last summer, and also affected other waterways and beaches in the region.

Nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural fertiliser running off fields were believed to be a major contributory factor.

The spread of the invasive zebra mussel species is also understood to have played a role, as they have made the water clearer, allowing more sunlight to penetrate, stimulating more algal photosynthesis.

Climate change is another factor cited, with the highest water temperature at Lough Neagh recorded last June.

Mr Muir told the Assembly on Monday he was aware of the re-emergence of algae this year, including build-ups below the surface.

I received 1.6 million of capital [funding in the budget] but I didnt receive any resource, so the budget allocation to my department was disappointing, but Im not going to just stop there, he said.

What Im doing is engaging officials to see how we can reallocate resources within the department so we can put the necessary resources into this area.

Hee added: We need to invest in turning the situation round in Lough Neagh.

The owner of Lough Neaghs bed, the Earl of Shaftesbury, has stated his openness to exploring future ownership options.

Mr Muir said public or community ownership models were being explored for the longer term.

He said his personal preference was for a community ownership model, citing successful examples of that approach in Scotland.

The minister also told the Assembly he had commissioned scientific research to assess the effect of removing sand from the lough.

Last week, members of the Save Lough Neagh campaign group met Mr Muir to discuss issues with the lough.

The group issued an update on that meeting on Monday.

Broadly, we wanted to receive the departments acknowledgement of the fact that the crisis at Lough Neagh was seen as an emergency and that urgent action would need to be taken  but unfortunately this was not forthcoming, the group said.

The ministers timescales seem to revolve around years or decades  something Lough Neagh does not have.

The group said it had not received concrete promises from the minister and called for people power to deliver action.

To the people concerned and outraged by this crisis, to lough shore communities  our campaign is committed to intensifying this fight and to keeping the pressure on, it said.

We have more protests and public meetings planned in the months ahead.

When the algae blooms return this summer, maybe then will the minister listen to the people and take the urgent action Lough Neagh needs to survive.
A livestream portal between Dublin and New York was temporarily closed after some inappropriate behaviour in the capital, which has led to changes in how the visual link operates.

The technical solutions are set to go live in the next 24 hours, according to the Dublin City Council.

It said a small minority of people have been engaged in inappropriate behaviour, which has been amplified on social media.

Thousands of people have visited the two-way livestream portal, which gives a real-time view of New York.

Unfortunately, we have also been witnessing a very small minority of people engaged in inappropriate behaviour, which has been amplified through social media.

The 24/7 stream is situated in north Dublin, facing OConnell Street, while the American installation is on North Earl Street.

Videos on social media have show how some on the Irish side have flashed body parts, displayed swear words on phone screens and images of the twin towers on 9/11.

Another woman was escorted away by Irish police after she was seen grinding against the portal.

In a statement, a spokesman for Dublin City Council said: The Portals artwork facilitates a wide range of human interactions and engagements.

Within days of the launch, the Dublin and NYC Portals have received hundreds of millions of positive impressions on social media and widespread global coverage in the press including CNN, BBC, USA Today.

We have also seen a significant increase in footfall to the Portal since its launch around North Earl Street and OConnell Street.

The overwhelming majority of interactions are positive. We have seen families and friends unite, dancing moves being shared as well as new friendships being made. There was even a successful marriage proposal.

The Portal offers a window to other cities and is connecting people and cultures in a unique manner  what we are seeing between Dublin and NY is reflective of a wider narrative of cultural behaviour.

Unfortunately, we have also been witnessing a very small minority of people engaged in inappropriate behaviour, which has been amplified through social media.

While we cannot control all of these actions, we are implementing some technical solutions to address this and these will go live in the next 24 hours.

We will continue to monitor the situation over the coming days with our partners in New York to ensure that Portals continue to deliver a positive experience for both cities and the world.

People view the live stream portal between Dublin and New York which was temporarily closed following some inappropriate behaviour in the Irish capital (Niall Carson/PA)

The Portal sculptures have been very well received in both New York City and Dublin.

The team at portals.org and partners are still working on improving the software for better stability and to prepare for Portals to expand to more locations on Earth.

Those works are being done mostly at night and during those hours, the livestream might be paused.

This will deliver a better experience for all participants and some surprises to keep the artwork engaging.

The Portal is for the public to use and we encourage people to enjoy it, interact with it and to continue to meet and say hello to people outside of their social circles and cultures.

The Portals Organisation said: As Portals Organisation, we do not intend to suggest people to interact with Portals in any particular way  our goal is to open a window between far away places and cultures that allows people to interact freely with one another.

We encourage people to be respectful and from our position as observers, we see that the absolute majority of experiences is on the bright side.

However, in an earlier statement a spokeswoman for Portals Organisation said that it briefly paused the livestream to update the software used on the Portal.

Its not broken.

Our goal is to provide a window between different locations, but the nature of this being a livestream sometimes requires us to pause, for updates, maintenance or to fix technical glitches, it said in a statement to the PA news agency.

The Portals are active again since noon today.
Northern Irelands First Minister Michelle ONeill has apologised for attending a large-scale funeral during the coronavirus lockdown.

The then-deputy First Minister and a number of Sinn Fein ministers attended the funeral of senior republican Bobby Storey in west Belfast in June 2020 when there were restrictions on social gatherings.

Footage of large crowds gathered on the streets for the send-off sparked controversy at the time, and the UK Covid-19 Inquiry has heard evidence that it chilled relations within the Executive.

This included the ending of the joint Covid-19 press conferences with Ms ONeill and the then First Minister Arlene Foster.

Giving evidence to the inquiry on Monday, Health Minister Robin Swann suggested it contributed to the public losing confidence in the Executive.

Appearing at the inquiry on Tuesday, Ms ONeill said she was sorry for having gone to the funeral, and sorry for the harm that was caused.

I know that my actions also angered the families and for that Im truly sorry. I am sorry for going and Im sorry for the harm thats been caused after (it), she told the Covid-19 inquiry.

Asked if she realised the anger that going to the funeral would cause, she said: I didnt but I ought to have.

Ive said it publicly on a number of occasions about how sorry I am and I am absolutely, from the bottom of my heart, sorry.

I do accept wholeheartedly that I in some way damaged our Executive relations with colleagues who had been working very hard with me the whole way through, and I also accept wholeheartedly that I damaged the public health messaging and I had work to do to regain that.

First Minister of Northern Ireland Michelle O'Neill arriving at the Clayton Hotel in Belfast to give evidence to the UK covid-19 inquiry hearing. Picture: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

Last week, former Communities Minister Caral Ni Chuilin gave an apology for attending the funeral while appearing at the inquiry.

She accepted she should not have gone to the funeral during lockdown and apologised to the families who lost a loved one.

I am very sorry. I absolutely do see the impact and I also recognise that people were more than angry. I accept that and I really am sorry, she told the inquiry last Wednesday, In July 2020, Ms ONeill acknowledged some grieving families had been hurt by her actions, but said: I will never apologise for attending the funeral of my friend.

In April 2021, Ms ONeill offered a heartfelt and unreserved apology to families bereaved in the pandemic for her actions in relation to attending the funeral.

It came when the Assembly was recalled from Easter recess to debate a motion of censure against her.

Ms ONeill told MLAs she was truly sorry for the hurt caused to those who had lost loved ones.

However, Ms ONeill was then criticised for her apology not including an admission that she had been wrong to attend the funeral when strict limitations on public gatherings were in place.

Main 10:52 14 May 2024 401 words INQUIRYCoronavirus I did not play politics during pandemic  ONeill (with pics and video) Northern Irelands First Minister Michelle ONeill has denied playing politics during the
A Ukrainian refugee who has lived in Kerry for the past two years has announced she will contest the local elections.

Natalia Krasnenkova will run as an independent candidate in her new home of Fossa, situated in the Killarney local electoral area.

Described as a well-known figure within the Ukrainian community in Killarney, Ms Krasnenkova hopes to bridge the gap between both cultures, uniting the community to solve common issues.

I strongly believe that a unified community is a strong community," Ms Krasnenkova told the Irish Examiner.

The professional experience I gained in Ukraine, combined with my experience as a refugee and my job as a community worker in Kerry, gives me a deep understanding of humanity, people's basic needs and how a whole-community approach yields the best outcome, she said.

The mother of two fled from war-torn Ukraine and arrived in Kerry in March 2022, along with her two teenage children.

She is one of four Ukrainian women running for the local elections this year.

We can use our experience, difference in perception, our experience of conflict, and our broader perspective of looking at local problems to renew and improve the local wellbeing of all members of the community, she added.

If elected, Ms Krasnenkova hopes to tackle the development of accessible housing and promote the development of small businesses.

Ms Krasnenkova has had a wide and varied career, holding a degree in financial management. She has also worked as a television reporter on both Ukrainian TV channels STB and Channel 5.

An experienced business owner, Ms Krasnenkova founded a social communications company in 2011, where she focused on medical issues, advocating for the rights of patients and vulnerable groups. Before the war, she promoted medical reform and worked towards the restructuring of orphanages in Ukraine.

Since landing in Kerry, Ms Krasnenkova has made a huge effort to get involved in her local area. She has worked as a community worker, actively engaging in volunteer work and arranging a number of events for the Ukrainian community in Kerry.

Having been employed as a community development worker for North East West Kerry Development (NEWKD) for the past year, Ms Krasnenkova's main focus has centered around helping Ukrainians settle into the community.

This gave her the opportunity to give back to those in a position that mirrored her own two years ago, when she first entered an unknown country.

Expressing pride in her new role, Ms Krasnenkova shared her love for helping Ukrainian natives with issues ranging from integration and employment to learning English and organising various leisure and cultural projects.

Every day, I hear them, and I understand them. I see a bigger picture and the needs of the entire community, so I want to work to improve life for everyone, she said.

Ms Krasenkova shared her hopes in becoming a powerful voice for the promotion of integration and justice in the community.

The election hopeful is eager to represent diversity and the new wave of immigrants in Ireland upon her election.

Twelve per cent of Ireland's population is of overseas origin, but only 1% are represented in the government, she said.
The family of a man who plunged to his death and drowned in the River Shannon after the steel cage carrying him and his colleagues as they worked on a Limerick bridge suddenly dropped into the water has settled for 1.1m a High Court action over his death.

Stonemason and father of two TJ OHerlihy, from Castleisland, Co Kerry, was 36 years of age when he and his colleague Bryan Whelan, 29, from OBriensbridge, Co Clare, were trapped in the cage which fell into the river nine years ago and the two men drowned.

Their co-worker, Paul Murphy, from Askeaton, Co Limerick, managed to free his harness and was rescued by emergency first responders after he was swept out along the Shannon estuary.

The stonemasons had been harnessed into the cage and were wearing lifejackets while they carried out specialised repair works on the south side of Thomond Bridge, Limerick City, when the tragedy occurred on August 29, 2015.

In the High Court on Tuesday, Mr OHerlihys partner, Therese Wigsten, and children settled a High Court action over his death.

Ms Wigsten attended the hearing by remote link from her home in Sweden and Mr OHerlihys father, Tim OHerlihy, from Castleisland, Co Kerry, attended at the Four Courts for the settlement ruling.

Cable snapped

The family's counsel, Maura McNally SC instructed by Andrew OConnell solicitor, told the court a cable holding the steel cage had snapped as the men worked on Thomond Bridge, Limerick.

She said it had been Mr OHerlihys first day on the job as he recently had returned to Ireland and his partner and children, Conor, then age four, and baby Katherine, were due to join him in Ireland from Sweden.

Mr Justice Paul Coffey was told the settlement which was reached after mediation was without an admission of liabililty.

Ms Wigsten from Sodertalje, Sweden, had sued Gaelach Droichead Ltd, trading as Irish Bridge with registered offices at Ballyengland, Askeaton, Co Limerick; his employer, Paul Mulcair Ltd of the same address; Nationwide Crane Hire Ltd, trading as NCG Crane, with registered offices at Dock Road, Limerick City; Palfinger Ireland Ltd with registered offices at Cloncollig Industrial Estate, Tullamore, Co Offaly; Limerick City and County Council and Malachy Walsh and Co Ltd, with registered offices at Park House, Mahon Technology Park, Bessboro Road, Blackrock, Co Cork.

It was claimed Mr OHerlihy was in the man cage being raised by a crane when suddenly and without warning it dropped into the river.

It was further claimed there was an alleged failure to provide a safe place of work and a safe system of work and Mr OHerlihy had been allegedly required to work in circumstances and conditions where it was allegedly known or ought to have been known were unsafe and dangerous.

Claims denied

All the claims were denied by all the defendants.

Mr Justice Coffey noted the settlement, which he said was fair and reasonable, and the division of the 35,000 statutory mental distress payment. The judge also extended his deepest sympathy to Mr OHerlihys family in Sweden and Kerry.

Two companies in 2022 were fined a total of 225,000 after pleading guilty at Limerick Circuit Court to breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act in relation to the incident.

Judge Tom ODonnell imposed a fine of 200,000 on Nationwide Crane Hire Ltd, Dock Road, Limerick, and a 25,000 fine on Palfinger Ireland Ltd, Tullamore, Co Offaly.

The court heard a safety mechanism aimed at preventing weight overloading on the crane had failed, resulting in unbearable stress on a wire rope that was holding the men in a steel cage platform hanging over the side of the bridge.

In a victim impact statement at the time, Ms Wigsten said their children Katie and Conor had lost one of the most important persons in their lives, their dad.

Katie wrote: Life would have been more beautiful and nicer if dad was alive, we would have been a family of four, he could help me with homework and pick me up from school, and if I could turn back time I would tell dad never to take the job so he could be with us.

Conor wrote: I miss my dad, I wish he was here to help me, to carry me and play with me, I wish he could help me in school.
An eight-month jail term was imposed on a 34-year-old Cork man accused of carrying out an armed and masked raid on an off-licence near his home.

Judge Mary Dorgan said: This is the gentleman who wore a balaclava and had a knife and took 350  the offence was very serious. I am going to sentence him to 10 months and I will suspend the last two months.

Defence solicitor Eddie Burke for the accused man, Keith Coleman, said at Cork District Court on Monday: He is doing extremely well in prison. The probation report is comprehensive. He did co-operate and there is a plan laid out for him now.

Judge Dorgan said the mitigating factors in favour of the defendant were set out comprehensively in the probation report.

CCTV captured Keith Coleman cycling to the grounds of UCC after the robbery and change his clothes and count the money.

Keith Coleman of 7 St. Finbarrs Road, off Gillabbey Street, Cork, pleaded guilty to robbery of 350 on January 5, 2023, at the Carry-Out on Gillabbey Street. Detective Garda Lorna Healy objected to bail when the charge against the 34-year-old first came before the court.

Det. Garda Healy said that after 7.30pm on January 5 last year he went to the Carry-Out on Gilabbey Street, Cork, wearing a balaclava, and that he produced a knife, putting a member of staff in fear and demanding cash.

Det. Garda Healy said: He produced a knife and demanded money putting the member of staff in fear. He got 350 and fled with it.

The entire robbery is captured on CCTV. He was wearing a balaclava. CCTV shows that he arrives and leaves on a pedal cycle.

Further CCTV was harvested 500 metres away on the grounds of UCC where he changes his clothes and discards the knife and clothing and leaves on the pedal bike.

CCTV shows that he enters UCC at Connaught Avenue and on the grounds of UCC where he counts out the money.
A group of postgraduate Chinese students at UCC are claiming they failed their exams due to different forms of discrimination, including the use of the Taiwan flag in a class rather than the Chinese national flag.

The group of more than 30 students are demanding they be allowed to resit exams in China rather than return to Cork.

According to sources familiar with the case, one of the main problems for the students, who were attending UCCs business school, was their difficulties with the English language.

An investigation is underway into the treatment of a lecturer who was at the centre of the complaint from the students.

An email circulated in the university contained allegations of racism against the lecturer for which there was no evidence.

The lecturer was hung out to dry because the authorities in the college are scared stiff of losing Chinese students, one source explained.

Theyre stepping around the real reason why there was a high failure rate with these students.

Multiple sources say that not all foreign students  who pay up 20k a year  are proficient enough in the English language for the courses they are accepted to.

The Chinese students wrote to the president of UCC and other senior college staff with their complaints.

The coursework for this subject contained a statement that was disrespectful to China, they wrote in the letter.

Specifically, the Chinese flag was incorrectly displayed ... which goes against the principle of one China.

They also complained that students who failed to attain the 40% pass mark in one exam, but still received above 25% would be given a second chance through an oral examination rather than a written test.

Adapting such a policy, the students complain, gives priority to some students based on their scores, which is unfair and non-humanitarian, and it is a great psychological harm to the students who scored less than 25 marks.

Sources in UCC say there is sympathy for the students but that the whole affair illustrates the problems that can arise when so much emphasis is put on recruiting high-paying students from abroad.

A separate email sent to the college from one of the Chinese students made allegations against a lecturer of unfair treatment and discriminatory behaviour but no evidence was provided about the claims.

The Irish Examiner understands the exam failed by the students was the only one in which full exam conditions for written work applied.

Once the failure rate became an issue an outside examiner reviewed the marking scheme and concurred with it.
Plans to cut payment rates for all Ukrainian refugees living in State accommodation has been described as fair and in line with best practice by the Taoiseach.

Ukrainian refugees who fled to Ireland in 2022 and early 2024 will have their allowances cut from the job seekers rate of 232 a week to 38.80 in the next three months.

The Government is today considering the memo and is expected to sign off on the plans.

It will mean many of the 100,000 people, who arrived in Ireland during the first two years of the war, will receive the same allowance as those who have arrived in Ireland since March, after the Government slashed rates for new arrivals.

Ukrainian refugees who fled to Ireland in 2022 and early 2024 will have their allowances cut from the job seekers rate of 232 euro a week to 38.80 euro in the next three months (Peter Byrne/PA)

Speaking on his way into Cabinet, Simon Harris said it is about consistency of approach.

It doesnt seem sensible to me that you could have two children from Ukraine at the same school today in a very different system of treatment for one persons family versus the other, he added.

There needs to be a consistency of approach.

Obviously, we have many people from Ukraine in our country. Many of them are working and making a valuable contribution to business right across Ireland, all of them with a legal entitlement to work.

I think we need to see that consistency of approach in relation to welfare and we need to make sure the system is financially sustainable.

I think Irish people have been incredibly generous and compassionate.

But at the same time, we also have to make sure the systems we have in place are grounded in common sense, that they are fair and in line with what is best practice across the European Union.

The move is among a number of measures to tighten rules around immigration.

The Cabinet is also to review entitlements of international protection applicants, as well as an increase in the number of workplace inspections.

Mr Harris said the Government will review the entire range of supports for migrants.

What we are going to do here is make sure that we have a sustainable migration system and that we have a consistency of approach in relation to a range of issues around welfare and accommodation, he added.

Todays memo should be very seen very much in that guise. This is a compassionate country but compassion does need to align with common sense.

I think there are a number of proposals coming from a range of ministers that will be helpful in relation to that.

He added: Firstly, we are not just reviewing payments, we are reviewing the entire range of supports and how the State interacts. So for example, you have many, many, many people who have status in this country, who are through the immigration system and who are still living in free State accommodation without making a contribution.

How do you best address that situation? When does the obligation in relation to social welfare end in terms of the process?

Its not necessarily just about a headline rate of payment, but more about how the welfare system and the accommodation system interacts.

Crucially, I want Ireland to be in line with the European Union. This is about looking at what other European countries are doing and making sure our country isnt out of kilter.

Ireland will always live up to its international obligations. Ireland will always take a compassionate approach. Ireland benefits from migration.

We also have to make sure our system is working, (our) system is efficient and effective, and meets the common sense test that Irish people wants to see us apply.
Dear Simon, I said last week Id write to you so here it is. I really wanted to focus on one issue, because it is the issue that informs everything else right now. Thats the issue of housing, Irelands great failure.

But youre probably preoccupied with the local and European elections because theyre just around the corner. And I have a terrible fear that hate is going to play a significant part in those elections.

Back in the day, I would have been one of the people advising party leaders about what to expect and how to approach any election campaign. Id have had science at my disposal then, all the latest polling data. I dont now. Just instinct and forty years of experience.

I always figured it was my job to be honest. So theres the hard news. Youre in for a hiding. Oddly enough, it may not be as bad as if Leo was still in charge. The fact that youre a new face and that youre very good on the telly will help a bit.

But there is no-one  no-one anywhere in Ireland  who is feeling enthusiastic about your government. I have yet to meet a sinner other than your own activists who are dying to go out and vote for any of you.

In the last local elections, Fianna Fail picked up 12 seats. You nearly passed out their total with a gain of 20 seats (and without the Maria Bailey and the swing fiasco  remember that?) youd have done even better. The Greens quadrupled their representation at local level. Sinn Fein took a bit of a beating in that election. Questions were asked in the aftermath about Mary Lous leadership ability.

All of that will be turned on its head this time. All of the government parties will lose seats in this election, buckets of them. Sinn Fein will defy current polls and clean up, especially in the cities.

The smaller established parties  my own included  will struggle to find relevance and a voice.

That may not be fair. When history is written, it may well find that the political parties who led Ireland out of the two biggest crises we have ever faced  apart from paramilitary violence  have performed magnificently well. Its only sixteen years since the banks crashed, and twelve years since a government fell apart in disgrace and foreign civil servants took over the running of the country. Were now one of the richest countries in the world.

Its only four years since covid arrived, and Ireland managed to achieve one of the lowest excess death rates in the world, and despite troubles came through it better than most. And our economy is even stronger now.

But theres a bitterness out there. I live in fear that it will become an ingrained meanness. Weve become angry, especially about immigration.

Actually not about immigration, because we depend utterly on immigrants to run huge swathes of our public services. Ive spent a lot of hours in the Dental Hospital in Dublin over the last few months (dont ask) and indeed in other hospitals, and Ive met doctors and nurses, porters and ward orderlies  every one more brilliant than the last  from every country in the world.

No, its not immigration that bothers us, but the fear of immigration. Foreign accents, different skin colours. We dont actually know an immigrant who has forced us out of our houses, or jumped the queue ahead of us in the health clinic, but were being told every day that its happening.

That bitterness, that meanness, has found a loud voice on social media, and it will find a dark and stealthy one in the local elections.

Fear and loathing

Over the weekend, for example, one of the better-known activists on X posted footage he (or maybe one of his acolytes) had taken at Powerscourt Waterfall. He described it as shocking and asked his nearly 60,000 followers (thats a quarter of what you have yourself) to share it.

Now, I know that spot very well  so do you, Simon  and I visit it often. There is no more beautiful place in Ireland. So I looked at the shocking footage. It was of a group of families, men, women, and children, enjoying a day out and a picnic in the rare beautiful sunshine weve been having. They seemed to be Muslim, perhaps (who knows) an outing organised from a mosque. There were babies in buggies, mums pushing prams, maybe 50 people in all.

It looked great fun and completely harmless, but it was being portrayed as another example (the activists words) of the level of population replacement happening in Ireland. And the comments underneath his post matched, one of them describing the people shown in the video as things, forcing us to work harder and pay more taxes (which we dont) so these things can be fed and housed.

This fear and hate-mongering is everywhere on social media, and its growing every day. As Taoiseach, you need to confront it. Take a stand on the Hate Bill now, and stick to it. Get the Hate Bill done.

But the real tangible source of alienation in these elections springs from housing and homelessness. The death of hope for young families in a cruel and dysfunctional housing market, the number of families living in overcrowded and unsuitable accommodation.

Perhaps most of all the children whose growth and development have been damaged.

I retired five years ago from Barnardos, Simon. When I was there I used to visit homeless hubs to meet families and kids. We ran Christmas parties in some of the so-called reception centres for people seeking asylum, bleak cheerless places that our teams tried to brighten up with festive decorations. In Cork and Dublin and all around the country our teams worked tirelessly with individual children whose hopes and dreams had been held back by homelessness.

It was cruel and unnecessary then, and I regularly railed against it, here in the Irish Examiner and in speaking opportunities my job gave me. But do you know what? I was absolutely convinced then that the problem would be fixed by now. I was absolutely certain that the list of decent politicians who occupied the housing portfolio would have it sorted.

But you know that it has got worse ever since. One of the richest countries in the world cant find a way to address a quality of life issue that is not just causing hardship, but is distorting politics.

What has happened as a result is potentially really damaging. Im not scaremongering when I say that anger over our housing crisis can be melded with intolerance about immigration in a way that can enable the early roots of fascism  not too strong a word, sorry  to be laid down in our country.

Fix housing  give hope again  and youll get rid of that fear. I dont want to make you sound like Trump, but this is one issue only you can fix. Only the power and influence of the Taoiseachs office, focused exclusively on solutions, can drive this issue to resolution. Next week Ill tell you how to go about it.
At a time when racism is on the increase in this country, a bizarre allegation has emerged from University College Cork.

A group of Chinese students, who failed a post-graduate exam in the universitys business school, are claiming their failure is attributable to racism and discrimination.

That, in itself, would be highly controversial at a time when third-level institutions rely heavily on income from foreign students.

What provides the bizarre turn is a body of evidence that suggests the racism card is being played to mask the real reason for a high failure rate in a particular subject.

The result is that a lecturer has been accused of racism and had their name blackened.

No allegation exists that this or any lecturer addressed or communicated with any student in any manner that might give rise to racism.

The only issue that arose was the use, in a classroom, of the former Chinese flag  currently the flag of Taiwan  rather than what is now the national flag of China.

Displaying the former flag of the People's Republic of China  which is still the flag of Taiwan  was deemed by the UCC students as 'disrespectful to China'. Picture: Chiang Ying-ying/AP

According to sources, this was done in a historical context (China officially changed its flag in 1971).

To call it racist in any way is ludicrous, one source says. And it is very damaging to that lecturer.

Apart from the racism issue, there is also an allegation of discrimination in the exam in question. Emails making allegations against the lecturer  for which there is no evidence  were circulated in UCC.

Read More Chinese students at UCC claim they failed exams due to discrimination

An inquiry is now underway to examine how exactly the lecturer was treated by the university authorities in dealing with the matter.

Issue arose in UCC business school

The issue arose in one of the Masters classes in UCCs business school. The class has more than 40 Chinese students, making up over a third of the class.

Income from foreign students is now a staple of university and college budgets in Ireland.

The failure of successive governments to properly address the whole area of third-level funding has left many institutions effectively fending for themselves in this manner.

Huge emphasis has been placed on attracting foreign students, who can pay up to 20,000 a year.

UCC, and particularly its business school, is no different from other Irish universities in assiduously courting this market.

Most of the students failed the written exam

In the only written exam on this masters course, conducted under full exam conditions, most of the Chinese students failed.

Other elements of the course were conducted on projects and group work.

The written exam results caused consternation among the Chinese students.

They returned to China mainly, it appears, because none of them got a placement in industry, a routine outcome for most students.

One of the big advantages for foreign students who come to Ireland is the offer of a two-year stay to work upon completing their studies.

From China, the students lodged a complaint about the high failure rate among their contingent.

Twenty-three students signed a letter sent to the university president and various senior college managers.

'Second chance' oral exam

They claimed that, in other years, the resits didnt include a written element, but there is dispute over the details of this claim.

The second ground of the complaint was that the college had decided that any student who didnt attain the 40% pass mark in the written exam, but did achieve over 25%, could have a second chance through sitting oral exams.

The students claimed this was discriminatory to those who didnt get 25% on the paper.

Students who scored below 25 were not offered the opportunity to take an oral exam at all, as well as additional support, the students wrote.

What are the criteria for grading such a subjective group of people or even being treated differently based on the merit of their performance?

They suggest that all those who dont get the 40% pass mark should be treated equally, rather than giving an oral option to those who got at least 25%.

Difficulty of the exam for non-native English-speakers

The third ground was Difficulty of the Course Exam.

Most non-native English-speaking students did not pass the exam, the students wrote. We kindly request that the school assess the reasonableness of the exams difficulty level. Otherwise, the exam results were not published for the entire class.

We need to ascertain the percentage of non-native English-speaking students who failed the exam.

The Irish Examiner understands that the non-native cohort is largely the Chinese students themselves.

The fourth ground of complaint was that the coursework lacked academic rigour. The only issue referenced was that of the flag, which was incorrectly displayed and was disrespectful to China.

Foreign students pay UCC up to 20k per year

Within UCC, there is sympathy for the students.

Culturally, the failure of an exam is regarded in some Asian countries as a source of shame. There is also the money involved.

Students pay up to 20,000 for various courses per year. There would also be travel and accommodation costs. For some Chinese families, this could involve a huge sacrifice.

English language proficiency

The issue, however, appears to be that the students may not have been properly tested as to the standard of their English before being accepted for the course.

That reflects, sources say, the policy to bring in as many foreign students as possible for the financial benefit they bring to the college.

A spokesperson for UCC said the college could not comment on any complaints from staff or students due to the requirement of confidentiality.

The spokesperson also said that UCC upholds robust academic standards.

The college did not answer directly a question as to whether this proficiency in the English language was a factor in the whole issue that has arisen in relation to the high failure rate among Chinese students.

The spokesperson did say that international students are only accepted at UCC if they have been awarded the required scores in international standardised tests of English language proficiency.

Questions remain unanswered

Yet questions remain. If proficiency in English was not an issue, why did so many Chinese students fail?

That, in turn, gives rise to whether the college is robust enough in testing the proficiency in the English skills of foreign students at a time when it desperately requires the financial boon that comes from such students attending the college.

The lecturer who was accused of racism, and that lecturers colleagues, deserve full answers to these questions.

So also do the Chinese students who failed in such high numbers.

Other students, who may question whether the course is operating at maximum efficiency as a result of these matters, also deserve to be fully briefed on what exactly is going on.
At 7.40pm on Monday May 6, Hamas issued a statement saying it had accepted a ceasefire proposal offered by Qatari and Egyptian mediators. Spontaneous demonstrations, led by the relatives of Israelis who were kidnapped on October 7, broke out in Tel Aviv and elsewhere in Israel, calling for the government to accept the deal.

At 10pm on the same night came the first reports from Rafah indicating the long-awaited and feared Israeli attack had begun.

In a nutshell, this sequence of events reflects the contradictory situation in which Israel finds itself: on the one hand, growing voices saying the only way to bring back the hostages is to end the war, a demand that was almost a taboo until just a few weeks ago; and on the other, the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, reluctant to accept any end to the war, claiming the only way to bring back the hostages is through military pressure, in Rafah and elsewhere.

Change of mood

The change of mood is also evident from the polls. In an opinion poll published on Channel 11, a public broadcaster, a week before the invasion of Rafah, 47% of those asked supported an end to the war in Gaza in return for the release of the Israeli hostages, while only 32% were against.

Even after the Israeli war cabinet unanimously rejected Hamass offer  the mainstream media described Hamass acceptance of the deal as fraudulent  41% of those surveyed wanted Israel to accept it, while 44% were against it.

Israelis are realising that despite the huge military force that Israel has exercised in Gaza, and despite the huge death toll of more than 35,000 Palestinians and the massive destruction of urban space all over the Gaza Strip, Hamas is not going to raise the white flag.

These figures are interesting because supporting an end to the war is hardly considered a legitimate position within Israel. Very few politicians have made this call, and in the media such voices are rare.

During the first months of the war, there was no need for polls to know the Jewish-Israeli public hugely supported crushing Hamas and believed only military pressure would bring back the hostages.

Two main elements have contributed to this change. The first is the realisation that, despite the huge military force that Israel has exercised in Gaza, and despite the huge death toll of more than 35,000 Palestinians and the massive destruction of urban space all over the Gaza Strip, Hamas is not going to raise the white flag, continues to fight and has regained effective civil control over many of the areas from which Israel has practically withdrawn.

Only last week, five Israeli soldiers were killed in the Zeitoun neighbourhood in southern Gaza City, an area over which the Israeli army had declared victory in November 2023. While most Israelis still support crushing Hamas, the goal seems less and less achievable.

Hostages issue more significant

The second is that the hostages issue has become even more significant. After almost 220 days of war, the Israeli army has managed to liberate alive only three hostages out of the 240 kidnapped by Hamas (104 further hostages were released through a deal; five more have been released unilaterally by Hamas).

The idea that only military pressure will release the hostages, repeated again and again by politicians, generals, and commentators, looks more and more like empty words.

The demonstrations organised by relatives of the remaining 132 hostages (not all the families participate, yet those who do are very vocal) have become an open challenge to Netanyahus governments refusal to end the war. Picture: AP/Ariel Schalit

The hostages relatives have played a decisive role in this change in public opinion. While in the first months of the war, the demonstrations they held in a piazza in Tel Aviv were marked mainly by grief and mourning, in recent months this grief has turned into anger and a clear preference for a ceasefire deal over the endless and seemingly futile efforts to defeat Hamas.

As these families were fighting a legitimate cause  freeing their loved ones  it was easier for them to demand what some other Israelis could not bring themselves to say: the only way to release the hostages is through a deal with Hamas, which will include the end of the war.

Einav Zangauker, a professed Likud supporter, whose son Matan, a soldier, was kidnapped, became an emblematic figure in this fight.

Release the hostages in a deal and stop the war, she has said time and again.

Open challenge to Netanyahu

The demonstrations organised by relatives of the remaining 132 hostages (not all the families participate, yet those who do are very vocal) have become an open challenge to Netanyahus governments refusal to end the war.

Many believe Netanyahu does not want to release the hostages and end the war  because an end to the war would mean an end of his government. Picture: Gil Cohen-Magen/ via AP

The more radical left, which at the beginning of the war was hesitant to go to the streets for justified fear of police reprisals, and whose marches are still limited in numbers, joined the families demonstrations; its messages against the war, and for a political solution, are welcomed with sympathy by the tens of thousands who attend these marches. It would not be exaggerating to define them as anti-war protests.

Netanyahu well understands this. The official reason given for the invasion of Rafah is to destroy the last four Hamas battalions and to pressure it into accepting Israels terms for the release of the hostages. But many Israelis simply do not buy this explanation. Many believe Netanyahu does not want to release the hostages and end the war  because an end to the war would mean an end of his government.

One may suspect, therefore, that Netanyahus real aim in invading Rafah is to stop this shift in Israeli public opinion vis-a-vis the end of the war. When the guns roar, the prime minister may think, protests are usually silent, especially in a militaristic society such as Israel. Yet Netanyahu could find its not only Palestinians resisting his plans; many Israelis may not accept them either.
In 1782, a judge in England gave husbands the right to use violence on their wives as long as any implement used was not thicker than their thumb. This standard of measurement led to the coining of the term rule of thumb.

Society has thankfully made enough progress to find such archaic ideas abhorrent. However, tens of thousands of women continue to be killed every year around the world just for being women. UN data shows that, on average, five women or girls are killed every hour by someone in their own family. Some countries are now passing laws to specifically criminalise femicide  an extreme manifestation of gender-based violence.

The first documented use of the term femicide was in an 1801 book by Irish writer John Corry called A Satirical View of London at the Commencement of the Nineteenth Century where it was used to refer to the killing of a woman. The term was brought back in the 1970s by Diana E.H. Russell, a specialist in violence against women, who worked to highlight the magnitude of male violence and discrimination against women.

While no agreed definition of the phenomenon exists, femicide is broadly defined as the killing of a woman or girl because of her gender. This might be as a result of intimate partner violence or killing in the name of honour, for example.

Making a specific law

Since the UN adopted resolution 68/191 in 2013, calling for nations to take action against gender-related killing of women and girls, many high-income countries have introduced femicide laws.

In 2022, Cyprus integrated femicide into the criminal code as a distinct crime and rendered gender-related killings an aggravating factor when imposing sentences. That same year, femicide was introduced in Maltas criminal code. It can now be considered a motivation of the crime of homicide, and in such cases, the judge can consider the highest form of punishment  life imprisonment.

Croatia is the most recent country to adopt a dedicated femicide law, making it a standalone offence punishable with a prison sentence of 10 years or more.

Latin America and the Caribbean have some of the highest rates of hate killings of girls and women. In response, 18 of the 33 countries in the region have created new legislation classifying femicide as a distinct hate crime.

Costa Rica became the first country to pass a law making femicide a legally defined crime in 2007. A man who murders his wife or partner can be punished with between 20 and 35 years in prison. There are also specific punishments against physical abuse and restriction of movement, in which a partner manipulates a woman to prevent them from leaving.

Laws are not enough

A report from Queen Mary University of London used the case study of Mexico to argue that the law alone has not led to the reduction of femicide there. The key findings from this report should certainly act as a crucial resource to not only understand the complexity of femicide as an extreme form of gender-based violence but to increase efforts to better respond to it.

One of the main problems is the misclassification of numbers. In many cases, only gender-related killings perpetrated by an intimate partner or family member are counted as femicides.

This leads to under-reporting and invisibility of femicide that happens as part of harmful practices such as female genital mutilation, hate crimes linked to sexual orientation, killing of indigenous women or connections with gangs and other forms of organised crime.

Costa Rica has sought to address this problem by signing into law an extended definition of femicide, which includes femicides perpetuated by those based on a relationship of trust, friendship, authority or power. This is to make it possible to punish crimes against women even if there is no romantic relationship between the perpetrator and the victim.

Today, Costa Rica has a lower rate of femicide compared with its neighbours, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico.

While the social and political circumstances of countries around the world may differ, there are several lessons in combating femicide that are universal.

The term feminicide also carries political connotations. In Latin America it is used to refer to a lack of responsiveness from governments in relation to the killings of women and girls.

Mary Crilly of the Cork Sexual violence centre speaking at a vigil in UCC to honour the victims of femicide last year. Photo: Eddie O'Hare

The idea of femicide emphasises state culpability and inadequate responses to this gender-based violence. This is particularly noteworthy as the rape and murder of women and girls are commonly used as abominable tools of conflict  this has recently been in evidence in Ukraine, for example.

Given that most femicides are perpetrated by current or former husbands or intimate partners, it is of utmost priority to tackle toxic masculinity and to promote gender equality.

Clearly, we need to go beyond the legal framework to combat violence against women and girls. It will take advocacy and active participation of community members to create long-term solutions to curtail femicides.
The Netherlands contestant in the Eurovision Song Contest, who was dramatically expelled from the competition hours before the grand finale, is likely to be charged with making illegal threats, Swedish police said.

Joost Klein had failed to perform at two dress rehearsals on Friday and the organiser, the European Broadcasting Union, said that police were investigating a complaint by a female member of the production crew at the competition in the Swedish city of Malmo.

Police spokesman Jimmy Modin told The Associated Press their investigation into the incident was over and that a decision on the charges should come within a few weeks.

Joost Klein, representing the Netherlands, during a press conference after the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest at the Malmo Arena in Sweden (Jessica Gow/TT News Agency via AP)

He did not elaborate on the nature of the alleged threats that the Dutch performer is accused of making.

The contest in Malmo followed a turbulent year for the pan-continental pop contest that saw large street protests against the participation of Israel which tipped the feelgood musical celebration into a chaotic pressure cooker overshadowed by the war in Gaza.

Details of what happened backstage are unknown.

The tabloid Aftonbladet said, citing an unnamed source, that Klein at one point became stressed by all the photographers and asked them to stop filming.

The Sydsvenska daily, a Malmo newspaper, said that the crime of making threats usually leads to fines upon conviction.

We expect there will probably be a prosecution, Emil Andersson, the police officer in charge of the case, told Swedish broadcaster SVT.

Joost Klein was representing the Netherlands (Jessica Gow/TT News Agency via AP)

He also said that a legal process of accelerated prosecution was likely to be involved as the alleged altercation did not involve a more serious crime.

The average time for an investigation in cases of accelerated prosecution is six to eight weeks.

The last-minute disqualification was unprecedented in the 68-year history of Eurovision.

The 26-year-old Dutch singer and rapper had been a bookies favourite, as well as a fan favourite, with his song Europapa, an upbeat Euro-techno ode to the continents diversity that is also a tribute to Kleins parents, who died when he was a child.

Klein has reportedly already left Sweden.

The 68th edition of the contest was won by Switzerlands Nemo.
One of Europes most notorious human smugglers has been arrested in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq, security officials said.

The regional governments security agency said it had arrested Barzan Majeed, known as the Scorpion, in the area of Sulaymaniyah, upon a request from Interpol and after the exchange of intelligence information.

He was handed over to the regional justice department, it said.

The UKs National Crime Agency announced Majeeds arrest on its X account  formerly known as Twitter.

The crime agency had issued an appeal for assistance in tracking Majeed down in 2022, after he was convicted in absentia in Belgium of people smuggling crimes, following a joint UK-Belgian investigation.

The agency said he had attempted to smuggle 100 migrants to the UK in small boats and trucks.

The NCA has been informed of the arrest of Barzan Majeed  nicknamed Scorpion - in the Kurdish region of Northern Iraq. https://t.co/DMY77IJhiB  National Crime Agency (NCA) (@NCA_UK) May 13, 2024

The number of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats has soared in recent years as individuals fleeing war, the effects of climate change, and economic uncertainty have sought a better life in Britain.

They pay smugglers thousands of dollars for the crossing, hoping to reunite with family members or find work in a country where immigration enforcement is seen as weak and where migrant groups from all over the world can easily blend into society.

Last month, the UK Parliament approved controversial legislation allowing the government to deport to Rwanda those who enter the country illegally.

Hours later, five people, including a seven-year-old girl, died while crossing the English Channel in an overloaded inflatable boat.

Many of the would-be migrants hail from Iraqis northern Kurdish region.

While the region is relatively more prosperous and stable than other parts of the country, increasing unemployment and corruption issues are driving many young Kurds to undertake the dangerous journey.

In November 2021, 16 Iraqi Kurds were among a group of 27 people who died while attempting to cross the Channel.
A court is expected to deliver its verdict in the trial of one of the best-known figures in the far-right Alternative for Germany party, who is accused of knowingly using a Nazi slogan in a speech.

Bjorn Hocke went on trial at the state court in the eastern city of Halle in mid-April, months before an election in the state of Thuringia in which he plans to run for governor.

He is accused of using symbols of unconstitutional organisations, a charge that can carry a fine or a prison sentence of up to three years.

Bjorn Hocke arrives for a session of his trial in court in Halle, eastern Germany (Jens Schlueter/Pool Photo via AP)

Hocke is accused of ending a speech in nearby Merseburg in May 2021 with the words Everything for Germany!.

Prosecutors contend he was aware of the origin of the phrase as a slogan of the Nazis SA stormtroopers, but Hocke has argued that it is an everyday saying.

The former history teacher told the trial that he is completely innocent and described himself as a law-abiding citizen.

The 52-year-old Hocke is an influential figure on the hard right of Alternative for Germany, or AfD.

He has led the AfDs regional branch in Thuringia since 2013, the year the party was founded, and is due to lead its campaign in a state election set for September 1.

He once called the Holocaust memorial in Berlin a monument of shame and called for Germany to perform a 180-degree turn in how it remembers its past.

Bjorn Hocke speaks at the special plenary session of the Thuringia state parliament in Erfurt, Germany in 2021 (Jens Meyer/AP)

A party tribunal in 2018 rejected a bid to have him expelled.

A conviction wouldnt necessarily have any direct effect on Hockes political ambitions.

Courts can in principle decide to bar a person who has been sentenced to at least six months in prison from voting or being elected for a time, but that is not automatic and the court already has indicated that a prison sentence is unlikely.

AfD is particularly strong in Germanys formerly communist east, where Thuringia is located.

Its unlikely that any other party will agree to work with Hocke and put him in the governors office, but AfDs strength has made forming governing coalitions in the region very complicated.

The Thuringia branch of AfD is one of three that the domestic intelligence agency has under official surveillance as a proven right-wing extremist group.

On Monday, a court ruled in a separate case that the agency was justified in putting the whole party under observation for suspected extremism.

AfD has portrayed the designation as a political attempt to discredit the party and said it will seek to appeal.
Rescuers are searching in rivers and the rubble of devastated villages for bodies, and whenever possible, survivors of flash floods that hit Indonesias Sumatra Island over the weekend.

Monsoon rains and a landslide of mud and cold lava from Mount Marapi caused rivers to breach their banks.

The deluge tore through mountainside villages in four districts in West Sumatra province just before midnight on Saturday.

People inspect the damage by a flash flood in Agam, West Sumatra, Indonesia (Sutan Malik Kayo/AP)

The floods swept away people and 79 homes and submerged hundreds of houses and buildings, forcing more than 3,300 residents to flee to temporary government shelters, National Disaster Management Agency spokesman Abdul Muhari said.

Mr Muhari said 50 bodies had been pulled from mud and rivers by Tuesday, mostly in worst-hit Agam and Tanah Datar districts, while rescuers are searching for 27 people who are reportedly missing.

Television reports showed rescue personnel using jackhammers, circular saws, farm tools and sometimes their bare hands, digging desperately in the Agam district where roads were transformed into murky brown rivers and villages covered by thick mud, rocks, and uprooted trees.

Scores of rescue personnel were searching through a river around the Anai Valley Waterfall area in Tanah Datar district where tons of mud, rocks and trees were left from flash floods.

Rescuers were focused on finding four people from a group of seven that were swept away with their cars.

Three other bodies were pulled out on Monday, said Abdul Malik, who heads the Search and Rescue Office in Padang, the provincial capital.

A vehicle damaged by a flash flood in Agam, West Sumatra, Indonesia (Sutan Malik Kayo/AP)

With many missing and some remote areas still unreachable, the death toll was likely to rise, Mr Malik said.

Heavy rains cause frequent landslides and flash floods in Indonesia, an archipelago nation of more than 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near floodplains.

The weekend disaster came just two months after heavy rains triggered flash floods and a landslide in West Sumatra, killing at least 26 people and leaving 11 others missing.
A baby girl who weighed just over 1lb when she was born prematurely in November has beaten the odds and gone home with her parents after spending her first six months in hospital in the US.

Nyla Brooke Haywood was treated to a send-off party at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, Illinois, attended by family, friends and hospital staff before the six-month-old was taken home by her first-time parents, NaKeya and Cory Haywood, of Joliet.

Nyla was delivered on November 17 at just 22 weeks after her mother, NaKeya, was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, a dangerous high-blood pressure condition.

Nyla Brooke Haywood at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, Illinois (NaKeya Haywood via AP)

She weighed 1lb and 1oz (482 grams) and was 11in (28 centimetres) long, making her what is known as a micropreemie.

But she left the hospital on Monday weighing a healthy 10lbs (4.536 grams) and at 21in (53 centimetres) long after months of treatment and nurturing in its neonatal intensive care unit.

I dont have the words, in all honesty. Im just grateful that shes here, shes healthy, and shes doing amazing, NaKeya Haywood told WLS-TV.

She said she was scared about her childs early delivery.

But Nyla came out fighting, said Dr Mario Sanchez, a neonatologist at Silver Cross Hospital, speaking to the station.

She cried at birth. It was a little whimper, but it was a cry. Her heart rate always remained over 100, which for us is where we wanted it to be. She came out fighting right off the bat, he said.

After her birth, Nylas lungs were tiny and underdeveloped, but a team of up to 15 people focused on the tiny newborn during her first minutes and days.

She has some residual scarring on her lungs and was sent home with oxygen.

Nyla Brooke Haywood has gone home from hospital after six months (NaKeya Haywood via AP)

Nyla will require regular check-ups to watch for any future complications, which sometimes arise with micropreemies.

Growing numbers of extremely premature infants are getting lifesaving treatment and surviving.

A pivotal study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2022 looked at nearly 11,000 such births in a neonatal research network that is part of the National Institutes of Health.

It found that 30% of babies born at 22 weeks, 56% born at 23 weeks and 71% born at 24 weeks lived at least until they were healthy enough to be sent home if doctors tried to save them.
US secretary of state Antony Blinken has sought to rally the spirits of Ukrainians facing a fierce new Russian offensive, assuring them they are not alone and that billions of dollars in American military aid on its way to the country will make a real difference on the battlefield.

After a day of meetings with senior officials, civil society figures and university students during which he exhorted them against being discouraged, Mr Blinken took to the stage at a Kyiv bar to play rhythm guitar with a local band on Neil Youngs 1989 hit Rockin In The Free World.

Earlier on his unannounced visit to Kyiv, Mr Blinken told Ukrainian leaders that despite a months-long delay in US assistance that left them vulnerable to renewed Russian military strikes, more weaponry is coming and some has already arrived.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken, centre, performs Rockin In The Free World with members of The 1999 band at the Barman Dictat bar in Kyiv (Brendan Smialowski/Pool photo via AP)

He made the case even as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed to him personally for more air defence systems to protect civilians under intense Russian fire in the north-east.

Mr Blinken also lambasted Russian President Vladimir Putin for underestimating Ukraines determination to fight back.

We meet at a critical moment, he told students at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.

The coming weeks and months will demand a great deal of Ukrainians, who have already sacrificed so much. Ive come to Ukraine with a message: You are not alone.

We sometimes hear that time is on Putins side, Mr Blinken said.

That Russias bigger population, Putins willingness to throw more Russians into the meat grinder of his making and sink more of Russias resources into trying to subjugate Ukraine means that Russia cant lose.

In fact, Russias been losing the battle to control Ukraines destiny for 20 years. And Putin has it wrong  time is on Ukraines side.

As the war goes on, Russia is going back in time. Ukraine is moving forward.

(PA Graphics)

And yet, in increasingly intense attacks along the north-eastern border in recent days, Moscows troops have captured around 100 to 125 square kilometres (40 to 50 square miles) in the north-east Kharkiv region that includes at least seven villages, according to open-source monitoring analysts.

Though most of those villages were already depopulated, thousands of civilians in the area have fled the fighting.

The Kremlins forces have also been making a concerted push in the east, seeking to drive deeper into the partly occupied Donetsk region.

The main focus of Russian attacks on Tuesday was Pokrovsk, just inside the Ukrainian border in Donetsk, where the Kremlins forces launched 24 assaults, the Ukrainian general staff said in a report.

Analysts have called this moment one of the most dangerous for Ukraine since Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022.

We know this is a challenging time, Mr Blinken told Mr Zelensky in his first meeting of the day after arriving in Kyiv on an overnight train from Poland.

But he added that American military aid is going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield.

The visit comes less than a month after Congress approved a long-delayed foreign assistance package that sets aside 60 billion dollars in aid for Ukraine, much of which will go towards replenishing badly depleted artillery and air defence systems.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken addresses students and professors at the Igor Sikorsky Polytechnic Institute in Kyiv, Ukraine (Brendan Smialowski/Pool via AP)

Moscows renewed offensive in Kharkiv is the most significant border incursion since the early days of the war  and comes after months when the roughly 1,000-kilometre (620-mile) front line barely budged.

More than 7,500 civilians have been evacuated from the area, according to authorities.

At the same time, the Kremlins forces are expanding their push to the northern border regions of Sumy and Chernihiv, Ukrainian officials say, and Kyivs outgunned and outnumbered soldiers are struggling to hold them back.

Troops fought street to street on the outskirts of Vovchansk, among the largest towns in the Kharkiv area, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said on national television.

Two civilians were killed in Russian shelling on Tuesday, he said.

The UN human rights office said the battles are taking a heavy toll.

We are deeply concerned at the plight of civilians in Ukraine, Liz Throssell, spokeswoman for the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in Geneva.

In the Kharkiv region, the situation is dire.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken visits the Barman Dictat bar in Kyiv (Brendan Smialowski/Pool photo via AP)

Russia has in recent weeks also launched wide attacks on Ukraines energy infrastructure.

The operator of the national high-voltage electricity grid, Ukrenergo, said late on Tuesday that it was starting controlled emergency shutdowns for industries and households because of a significant shortage of electricity in the system due to Russian shelling and an increase in consumption due to the cold weather.

Mr Zelensky thanked Mr Blinken for the US aid  but added that more is necessary, including two Patriot air defence systems urgently needed to protect Kharkiv.

The people are under attack: civilians, warriors, everybody. Theyre under Russian missiles, he said.

Artillery, air defence interceptors and long-range ballistic missiles have already been delivered, some of them already to the front lines, said a senior US official travelling with the secretary.

Ahead of the trip, US officials noted that since President Joe Biden signed the aid package late last month, the administration has already announced 1.4 billion dollars in short-term military assistance and six billion dollars in longer-term support.

Mr Blinken, on his fourth trip to Kyiv since Russian troops rolled over the border, told Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal that the US intends to support Kyiv beyond the wars end.

The United States is determined, determined to help Ukraine succeed, succeed both in the battlefield victory but also succeed, as we would say, in winning the peace and building the strongest possible Ukraine, Mr Blinken said.

Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky, fourth left, speaks during a meeting with US secretary of state Antony Blinken, third right, in Kyiv (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

But delays in US assistance, particularly since the Israel-Hamas war began and has preoccupied top administration officials, have triggered deep concerns in Kyiv and Europe.

Mr Blinken, for example, has visited the Middle East seven times since the war in Gaza began in October.

His last trip to Kyiv was in September.

Mr Blinken went with Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba for lunch at a Kyiv pizza restaurant founded by Ukrainian veterans, pronouncing it superb.

On Mr Blinkens last visit, the pair ate at a recently reopened McDonalds restaurant.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday blasted a resolution passed by a local government last week in Miami-Dade County  the most populous county in Florida  that calls for supporting peace and security for all innocent civilians in Israel, Gaza and Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The resolution  which does not include the word ceasefire was passed by the Doral City Council.

I think its a total fraud, and the fact theyre doing that here in South Florida is a joke, DeSantis said in Coral Gables, where he took questions from reporters Monday after signing a bill that cracks down on human trafficking. The people of Florida as a whole but certainly the people of South Florida, they stand with the state of Israel. Israel was the one who was attacked, he said to cheers.

The governor then went on to talk about the protests supporting Palestinians that have taken place on college campuses in Florida over the past few weeks. I think they have the right to do that. I mean, the more they open their mouth, I think they look like a horses patoot but thats fine.

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt, he added to applause.

The actual language in the resolution reads as such:

The City Council supports an immediate end to all hostilities in Israel, Gaza, and Occupied Palestinian Territories; release of all hostages, the unrestricted entry of humanitarian assistance into Gaza; the restoration of food, water, electricity, and medical supplies to Gaza; the respect for international law; the protection and security of all innocent civilians; and a peaceful and lasting political solution to the crisis.

The resolution also condemned the recent rise of Antisemitic, Islamophobic, and Xenophobic attacks in our neighboring cities and across the nation, including the leaking of personal information of students, professors, professionals and others expressing their political opinion.

This story appeared on the website of the Florida Phoenix, a nonprofit news organization dedicated to coverage of state government and politics from Tallahassee.
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Careers in 2024 are vastly different from those in the 1950s, where people spend 20 or 30 years working for the same company.

According to The Hill, in 2020 and 2022, the median worker aged 25 to 34 had been in their current job for 2.8 years, compared to three years in 1983. This indicates that companies, including small businesses, are frequently hiring, training, and losing employees, particularly millennials and Gen Z talent. Workers change jobs so frequently that it is not uncommon for someone to leave a company only to return later, similar to a boomerang.

Workplace experts believe that boomerang employees might emerge as the next major trend following the Great Resignation, where numerous workers quit their jobs during the pandemic in pursuit of higher pay or what they deemed as better opportunities.

Why Are Boomerang Employees Leaving Their Companies?

Boomerang workers typically depart from their jobs voluntarily, rather than being terminated or pushed out by their employer, as driven by personal or professional reasons, or a blend of both. While often for another job, the reasons can vary widely, with primary reasons including:

Poor work-life balance and burnout Lack of career development opportunities Not feeling valued Frustration with executive leadership Poor company culture

READ ALSO: The No. 1 Reason Workers Regret Their New Found Jobs- Here's What Shift Shock Means

Why Are Boomerang Employees Coming Back?

What defines someone as a boomerang employee is their eventual return to the company they once previously left. Once again, these individuals come back for a variety of reasons, which are just as diverse and personalized as the reasons they initially left. Sometimes, it is as straightforward as an employee taking a new job and realizing that it is not what they were promised, prompting them to return. Among those who quit their jobs during The Great Resignation, a pandemic-era phenomenon, 43% now acknowledge that they were better off in their previous role! Some may feel more capable of performing their former job now, armed with new skills, experiences, and perspectives.

The primary reasons employees return to their previous company include:

Missing their peers/coworkers (38%) Feeling more familiarity and comfort in the role (31%) Missing the customers (22%) Better compensation/pay (19%) Better work-life balance (16%)

What is The Edge of Boomerang Employees?

According to research, boomerang employees tend to stay with organizations longer than the average length of service for new hires, partly due to their in-depth understanding of the business. Whatever the reason, hiring teams recognize that recruiting boomerang employees can help reduce attrition rates.

Boomerang employees also offer unique perspectives. They have developed their skills and experience at other organizations and combined these assets with institutional knowledge gained from their previous tenure at the company. This not only contributes to a well-rounded understanding of the industry but also enables them to share skills and insights with their teams.

What Are The Bad Implications of A Boomerang Employee?

While boomerang employees can bring valuable skills and insights to a company, there is the risk that they may return with the same concerns or issues that prompted them to leave initially, potentially leading to repeated problems. Their return could also disrupt established team dynamics or relationships, particularly if there were unresolved conflicts during their previous tenure. Furthermore, some colleagues or managers may perceive boomerang employees as less loyal or committed, which could impact trust and working relationships.

RELATED ARTICLE: Job Hopping or Career Stability? Here are Some Expert Tips on How Often You Should Switch Jobs

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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

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Tesla is accused of keeping employees in Buffalo, New York, from unionizing, according to a complaint filed by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

An NLRB Complaint Alleging Tesla of Union-Busting

On Tuesday, Linda Leslie, the NLRB's regional director for Buffalo, filed a complaint alleging that Tesla "promulgated and maintained" an acceptable use policy for workplace technology in 2023 that purportedly aimed at discouraging employees from unionizing or engaging in concerted activities, following complaints from members of Workers United.

CNBC acquired a copy of the complaint via a Freedom of Information Act request. The complaint outlined restrictions on Tesla employees, prohibiting activities such as recording, unauthorized soliciting or promoting, and creating channels and distribution lists.

The NLRB also alleges that the policy had the impact of infringing upon employees' rights, such as restraining and coercing employees, guaranteed under the National Labor Relations Act, which generally safeguards workers' rights to discuss organizing, join a union, and collectively negotiate for improved pay and working conditions.

Tesla's Buffalo Plant

The Tesla Buffalo plant was initially intended for manufacturing solar panels but has recently been repurposed to assemble electric vehicle charging equipment and accommodate a team of AI software data labelers.

READ ALSO: Tesla Implements Broad Restructuring, Cuts Another 14% of Workforce, Affecting 285 Employees in Buffalo Factory

The Buffalo plant saw job cuts last month in a broader restructuring effort at Tesla. As per a WARN notice filed in the state, Tesla laid off 285 employees in New York, primarily at the Buffalo factory, as the company reduced thousands of jobs globally following a decline in EV sales in the first quarter.

Legal Disputes Concerning Tesla Over The Years

The new claims contribute to a growing list of legal disputes between Tesla, its employees, and government agencies regarding the electric carmaker's employment practices, including other cases alleging illegal anti-union behavior and a series of lawsuits concerning race discrimination.

Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, have long opposed unions and have been found to have engaged in anti-union activities. In 2021, the NLRB found Tesla guilty of union busting when it fired a union activist and when Musk's 2018 tweet questioned why Tesla employees would vote for a union, suggesting they would lose out on stock options and pay union dues for no apparent benefit. An administrative court instructed the CEO to delete the post. Despite Tesla's challenge, the request for review was denied. The post remains on Musk's X account, where he has 182.7 million followers.

Tesla has also encountered labor issues in Europe. Swedish service technicians initiated a strike last year that persists to this day, with the labor group intermittently allowing some authorized work. Employees in Sweden, where most of the workforce is unionized, are also pushing for a collective bargaining agreement with Tesla.

An administrative judge will initially hear the case in July, whose decision can be appealed to the five-member labor board and then to a federal appeals court.

RELATED ARTICLE: Tesla Confronting Wage Law Violations, Faces Class-Action Lawsuit from California Workers Demanding $5M in Damages

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Mother's Day marks a high point in flower sales and deliveries in the United States, with last year's spending exceeding $3 billion, including imports. This makes the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) wary of the potential threat that imported flowers pose to the nation's agriculture and environment.

Risks and Restrictions on Flower Importation

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol is reminding people about the restrictions and risks of importing flowers as Mother's Day gifts, including certain items from Mexico.

According to a press release from CBP, Mother's Day sees a surge in flower imports, which could bring pests and diseases harmful to U.S. agriculture and the environment. Certain items like flowers, greenery, potted plants, and soil are prohibited to avoid introducing plant diseases, invasive insects, and parasitic nematodes due to their destructive nature that diminish the quality of ornamental plants and crops and could result in millions of eradication efforts and export trade restrictions.

READ ALSO: Exploring Women's Month: Top 10 Interesting Facts You Need to Know

Prohibited Plants and Ornaments

One of the plants CBP mentioned was Chrysanthemums, a common cut flower from Mexico and the most popular Mother's Day gift. CBP warned that bringing these plants through passenger ports of entry is banned because a fungus called Chrysanthemum White Rust is common in them. This fungus causes a devastating floral disease to crops that could also endanger flower growers.

CBP also cautioned against various types of greenery used in bouquets to enhance the appearance of floral arrangements, such as "Orange jasmine," or Murraya, which could contain the potential presence of pests and diseases if illegally imported.

CBP Manning Port Entries

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is ramping up vigilance for floral arrangements ahead of Mother's Day weekend. It expresses concern about the possibility of invasive pests and plant diseases being inadvertently transported within flowers imported from other countries, which could have adverse effects on the ecosystem and lead to considerable damage to habitats across the nation.

On Wednesday, Hector Mancha, CBP's director of field operations in El Paso, Texas, stated that CBP usually experiences a surge in floral imports in the days leading up to Mother's Day observances. Hence, all the hard-working and vigilant CBP agricultural specialists will be stationed at ports of entry to ensure that all imported floral arrangements are devoid of insects, pests, or diseases.

Mancha also encourages travelers to declare all agricultural products they bring into the country to CBP and strongly advises the public to check the CBP website before importing floral arrangements to understand which flowers are allowed and which are restricted or prohibited.

According to the Library of Congress, the tradition of giving Mother's Day flowers can be traced back to Anna Jarvis, the holiday's founder, who began wearing white carnations in honor of her mother and later donated them to her church congregation in Grafton, W.Va., during Mother's Day celebrations. Her use of flower symbolism gained popularity nationwide in the early 1900s after an article in the Weekly Florist Review promoted carnations, her favorite flower, for Mother's Day.

RELATED ARTICLE: Flowers Do's and Don'ts in Business

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Hundreds of protesters opposing the expansion of a Tesla plant in Grunheide, near Berlin, clashed with police on Friday as some attempted to storm the electric vehicle manufacturing facility.

Opposition to Tesla's Gigafactory

The organizing group Disrupt Tesla reported that around 800 people participated in the protest, which alleges that the expansion would harm the environment. Tesla has faced significant criticism since opening the factory in March 2022 and subsequently announcing plans to expand into a nearby forest to boost production capacity.

To facilitate expansion, Tesla purportedly planned to clear 250 acres of forest near a nature preserve to construct a freight rail depot and storage facility. The company asserts the project will reduce dependence on external suppliers and mitigate delays in part production.

Despite locals voting against the proposed expansion in February in a nonbinding vote, Tesla and local officials opted to proceed with the plan. Since then, demonstrators have been stationed in an encampment nearby in protest. The facility was closed in March for a week due to suspected arson, which turned off its power. A different protest group, known as the Volcano Group, claimed responsibility for the fire, advocating for the complete destruction of the gigafactory.

Disrupt Tesla's Environmental Protest

A group of activists attempted to trespass on Tesla's property. At the same time, sit-in blockades disrupted vehicle road access, leading to scuffles between police and protesters, with some demonstrators attempting to escape the situation.

In a video depicted by Reuters, dozens of individuals wearing blue caps and masks emerged from a nearby wooded area. They tried to breach the company's premises, with police intervening through force. At least one protester was detained.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk questioned on his social media platform X on why the police were lenient to let the left-wing protestors off easily, noting that they failed to breach the premises.

READ ALSO: Elon Musk Railing Against $55 Billion Pay Ruling, Shifts Neuralink Incorporation from Delaware to Nevada

The video also depicted medical personnel assisting injured individuals. Disrupt Tesla spokesperson Ole Becker informed Reuters that they were there to raise awareness about the environmental damage caused by the Tesla factory in Grunheide. The group also aims to bring attention to environmental devastation in countries such as Argentina or Bolivia caused by lithium mining, emphasizing that lithium is a crucial resource for electric vehicle batteries.

Brandenburg police spokesperson Mario Heinemann emphasized that while they respect the freedom of assembly, they also prioritize maintaining public order and safety and, therefore, would intervene when necessary.

Heinemann confirmed that the protesters attempted to enter the plant's premises but were stopped, resulting in several individuals being taken into custody and reportedly receiving reports of few injuries and that some demonstrators had damaged a few Tesla cars using pyrotechnics and paint at a nearby car storage site.

Earlier this week, Tesla said it would shut the factory for one day on Friday without specifying a reason.

RELATED ARTICLE: Tesla Aiming for Expansion, Faces Hurdle as German Locals Cast Non-Binding Vote Opposition

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After dismissing senior director Rebecca Tinucci and her entire 500-person EV charging team, Musk has now changed direction, stating that the company remains dedicated to investing well over $500 million to expand its flagship network of Superchargers.

Musk Funding New Supercharger Sites

In a post on X last Friday, Musk asserted that the funds would be utilized to establish new 'Supercharger' sites across the country, reiterating the amount is solely for new sites and expansions, excluding higher operational costs.

As anticipated, Musk did not elaborate on his significant shift in stance. The unpredictable CEO faced considerable criticism, even from some staunchest supporters, for undermining an aspect of the company that distinguishes it significantly from its US competitors.

The Damage Caused by The Disbandment

The EV maker faced turmoil last month as several vital executives departed following multiple rounds of mass layoffs, causing the company's sales to plummet.

Earlier this week, the company caused a stir when it suddenly terminated all members of its EV charging team, including the executives responsible for its industry adoption. Among them was the head of the business, Rebecca Tinucci, raising doubts about the future of its network.

The disbandment of Tinucci's team has significantly tarnished the company's reputation. After all, Tesla's relatively dependable fast-charging network stands out in today's EV infrastructure scene, especially in the US, which many customers cited as the primary factor in their decision to purchase a Tesla.

READ ALSO: Tesla Aiming for Expansion, Faces Hurdle as German Locals Cast Non-Binding Vote Opposition

EV makers are increasingly adopting Tesla's North American Charging Standard, potentially positioning the company's superchargers as the industry norm, overshadowing the rival Combined Charging System. However, Musk's choice to dismantle the electric-vehicle charging team is disrupting plans to deploy new fast-charging stations, potentially causing delays in President Joe Biden's efforts to electrify US highways.

Biden's EV Infrastructure Program

The Biden administration has allocated $5 billion to states over five years to construct 500,000 EV chargers for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program. Tesla has emerged as one of the largest beneficiaries of these federal funds thus far.

Many Americans cite range anxiety as the primary reason for not transitioning to electric vehicles, fearing a lack of charging stations and the possibility of running out of battery charge during a journey. Now, Tesla's North American Charging Standard (NACS) system is being widely adopted by other automakers such as General Motors and Ford. Over 2,200 stations are installed in the US, and the goal is to have tens of thousands by 2030.

EV experts and officials informed DailyMail.com that Tesla's decision to back out of its agreements could pave the way for other companies to fill the void. Following the layoffs, BP's EV charging unit expressed interest in expanding its presence in the US, with a spokesperson for the company saying in a statement that they are aggressively seeking to acquire real estate to expand their network, which has become a top priority following the recent Tesla announcement.

However, Musk said on X that Tesla still plans to expand the network at a slower pace for new locations, emphasizing maintaining 100% uptime and expanding existing locations.

RELATED ARTICLE: "Disrupt Tesla" Protesters Storming German Plant, Clashed with Police Over Environmental Destruction

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The US could witness its first Apple Store strike as employees in a Baltimore suburb voted late Saturday to authorize a work stoppage.

Apple's Baltimore Suburb Slated for Potential Work Stoppage

Approximately 100 members of the IAM's Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (IAM CORE) have overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike at the Apple retail store in Towson, Maryland. The strike will highlight the workers' frustrations with unresolved workplace issues and mark the first unionized US Apple retail store following the June 2022 unionization.

READ ALSO: Tesla Restricting Tech Usage at Buffalo, Faces an NLRB Complaint Over Infringement of Employees' Rights

Maryland Workers Collectively Demanding for A Meaningful Change

After more than a year of negotiations with unsatisfactory outcomes, union members are now expressing their collective demand for significant change within Apple management regarding concerns over work-life balance, unpredictable scheduling practices, and wages that have not matched the area's cost of living, as stated in a news release from the union.

This vote marks the initial step in showing solidarity. It sends a clear message to Apple, emphasizing IAM CORE's steadfast dedication to advocating for workers' rights and well-being despite challenges and remaining committed to securing concrete improvements benefiting all employees.

Apple issued an emailed statement expressing its intention to engage with the union "respectfully and in good faith," emphasizing the company's high regard for its team members and commitment to offering industry-leading compensation and exceptional benefits.

The prospective work stoppage would occur after a strike at Apple stores in France in September 2023, centered on pay and working conditions.

Maryland Workers Unionization Efforts

Apple workers in Maryland made history by voting to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union, marking the first time retail employees of the tech giant had unionized in the United States. Workers at the store in the Baltimore suburbs voted by almost a 2-to-1 margin to unionize in June 2022, aligning with a broader trend in the US retail, service, and tech sectors to organize for increased workplace protections. Conversely, workers at Apple's Short Hills, New Jersey, store voted against unionizing, as reported by Bloomberg News on Saturday.

Addressing Apple's Unlawful Union-Busting Conduct

The Communications Workers of America (CWA), which lodged complaints with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) accusing Apple of unlawful union-busting activities at the New Jersey store and elsewhere, attributed the defeat to the company's conduct, as outlined in the report.

According to John Nagy, the operations lead at the Short Hills store, and a member of the organizing committee, Apple retail staff at the New Jersey store submitted a union representation request with the CWA on April 8.

Apple did not respond to requests for comment regarding the vote against unionization, and the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment regarding the Bloomberg report on the New Jersey workers' vote.

Out of approximately 100 employees at the Towson store, 98% voted in favor of the work stoppage, the date of which has not yet been disclosed.

RELATED ARTICLE: Hospitality Workers Reached 98% Vote, Ratifying New Contract's Increased Pay and Fair Workload Provisions

 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
(Photo : Unsplash/Damir Kopezhanov)

President Biden officially ended the national COVID-19 public health emergency. However, federal agencies have faced difficulties getting employees back to their offices, while some are still figuring out how to monitor those working from home.

The White House aims for a 50-50 arrangement, where employees with office jobs spend at least five days out of every 10-day work period in the office. While agency chiefs strive towards this goal, reports of low attendance remain evident otherwise.

The Public Buildings Reform Board analyzed cellphone location data to assess the occupancy rates of agency headquarters buildings in Washington from January through September 2023, revealing them only at 30% of their pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, department and agency heads are facing scrutiny from lawmakers as they attend hearings on Capitol Hill this spring to justify their budget requests for 2025.

Representative James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky and chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee challenged a senior official from the White House Office of Management and Budget, questioning the presidential authority as to why civil servants would disobey the president's orders if instructed to return to work. Representative Michael Waltz, a Republican from Florida, underscored the gravity of the situation by stating that lives are on the line.

READ ALSO: How The "Return to Office or Else" Mandates Are Causing Cracks on Companies' Success in 2024

"Back to Work Act of 2024"

Utah Senator Mitt Romney, a Republican, and West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat, advocate for federal employees to return to their offices. Their proposed legislation, named the "Back to Work Act of 2024," seeks to cap remote work to a maximum of 40% of days within a federal employee's pay period. Agencies are mandated to monitor and report on telework activities, including the potential adverse impacts on productivity, morale, security vulnerabilities, or instances of waste, fraud, or abuse.

An issue for Romney and Manchin, who are not seeking reelection, stems from a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released last fall. The report found that 17 out of 24 federal agency headquarters operated at 25% capacity or less during the first three months of 2023. The GAO recommended establishing new benchmarks for building utilization that consider increased levels of telework.

As for Romney, nearly a year has passed since the nation's COVID-19 public health emergency declaration ended. Yet, many federal office buildings remain largely empty, resulting in wasteful expenditure of taxpayer dollars, citing that Americans deserve a federal workforce that is both present and productive.

Independent Studies Revealing The Split Stances of Workers

According to an article in Federal Times last November, the 2023 annual government-wide survey conducted by the US Office of Personnel Management revealed that nearly 70% of federal employees work remotely at least occasionally.

In the survey of over 625,000 employees, approximately one-third stated they do not work remotely due to technological constraints, in-office obligations, or personal preference. Despite pressures from Congress and the White House to step up in-office work, the split remained unchanged from the previous year.

Employees and unions have long resisted the push for increased in-office work. The American Federation of Government Employees, representing approximately 750,000 federal and Washington, D.C. government workers, stated in a recent issue paper that telework fosters healthier workers, reduces burnout and sick leave usage, and allows for a better work-life balance.

A union spokesperson said that restricting telework could be a serious mistake that could lead to the departure of skilled employees and detrimentally impact the services expected from the federal government.

RELATED ARTICLE: Companies Compete Over Flexibility, Now Offering Competitive Paychecks to Workers Opting for a Five-Day Workweek

 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
(Photo : Unsplash/Colin Lloyd )

Hundreds of Virgin Hotel workers finished a 48-hour strike on Sunday, aiming to push Virgin Hotels Las Vegas into accepting a five-year contract regarding wages and benefits.

The Culinary Union's Strike

Ted Pappageorge, Culinary Union Local 226's secretary-treasurer, stated that the absence of wage increase proposals in negotiations with Virgin Hotels Las Vegas has prompted union workers to initiate an economic strike.

Negotiations with Virgin were stalled for five months because the resort did not present a five-year wage increase plan in any of its proposals. Pappageorge emphasized the significant rise in the workers' cost of living, increased gas expenses, groceries, rent surging by 40%, and housing costs have doubled over the past three or four years.

Pappageorge urged big Wall Street banks and Virgin to decide whether they would invest in workers like the rest of Las Vegas, citing that workers' neglect was a cause for the strike. The union advised customers against crossing the picket line and urged potential patrons to cancel reservations that coincided with the strike and book with other union hotels instead.

Hotel Workers Concluding a 48-Hour Strike

Over 700 workers from Culinary Union Local 226 went on strike at the 1,500-room hotel-casino near the Las Vegas Strip on Friday morning. The strike concluded on Sunday morning, and contract discussions are scheduled to resume on Tuesday. Among those participating in the strike outside Virgin Hotels, formerly the Hard Rock Las Vegas, were room attendants, cocktail and food servers, porters, bellmen, cooks, bartenders, and laundry and kitchen workers.

Reaching New Agreement on Pay and Benefits

Pappageorge expressed that workers were hopeful the 48-hour strike would accelerate the process of reaching a new agreement with Virgin Hotels, which expired 11 months ago.

READ ALSO: Worldwide Flight Attendant Day of Action: Thousands of Attendants Picketing for Better Pay and Working Conditions

Earlier this year, union members at other Las Vegas-area properties secured agreements entailing approximately a 32% salary increase over five years, with a 10% raise in the first year. The last instance of Culinary Union members going on strike occurred in 2002 at the Golden Gate Hotel Casino in downtown Las Vegas.

Virgin Hotels' Alleged Company Stunt

Ahead of the expected strike, Virgin Hotels filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on Wednesday, alleging that the union failed to negotiate in good faith despite their sincere efforts to meet and negotiate and that union officials were engaged in unlawful 'take it or leave it' bargaining.

Because the union has not communicated the necessary agreements to prevent a strike, Virgin Hotels has requested the union to mediate promptly to reach an agreement without disrupting the lives of guests and team members with a work stoppage.

Pappageorge informed reporters during a news conference on Thursday that the complaint filed with the NLRB had no validity, describing the charge as merely a company stunt for waiting until the eve of the strike to raise such concerns.

RELATED ARTICLE: Hospitality Workers Reached 98% Vote, Ratifying New Contract's Increased Pay and Fair Workload Provisions

 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
(Photo : Unsplash/ Nubelson Fernandes )

On certain days, we wake up with a work project or overdue tasks on our minds and feel a sense of dread in our chest. Although we know we must address them today, we may find ourselves unexpectedly deep-cleaning the bin instead of attending to emails or more important tasks.

What Is Procrastination?

Procrastination is a common human tendency. According to Psychology Today, summoning the willpower to focus and complete tasks usually helps improve productivity. Psychologists have found that procrastination is not primarily about time management but rather a coping mechanism to avoid an unpleasant task when we are leaning toward a temporary mood lift. Timothy Pychyl, a professor at Carleton University in Ottawa specializing in procrastination studies, refers to this behavior as giving in to feel good.

Types of Workplace Procrastination

Two primary forms of workplace procrastination:

Online Procrastination. Also known as cyberslacking or cyberloafing, occurs when individuals spend work hours engaging in non-work-related activities on digital devices, such as browsing social media sites on one's phone or engaging in other online distractions.

Also known as cyberslacking or cyberloafing, occurs when individuals spend work hours engaging in non-work-related activities on digital devices, such as browsing social media sites on one's phone or engaging in other online distractions. Offline Procrastination. Another form of workplace procrastination, also known as soldiering, occurs when individuals spend work hours engaging in non-work-related activities without using digital devices, including taking long breaks, gossiping, or daydreaming instead of focusing on work tasks.

READ ALSO: How to Stop "Energy Vampires" From Draining The Work Life Out of You

Steps to Manage Procrastination

The next time you are not motivated to tackle a task, consider these three steps:

Acknowledge Your Emotions

When you find yourself procrastinating, recognize that it is not due to laziness but rather fear. Procrastination often arises from avoiding the unpleasant emotions associated with a task that can stem from fear of failure, fear of success, or fear of not meeting perfectionist standards. Fear is a potent emotion, which, when confronted with tasks that trigger discomfort, gives us an anxiety that prompts us to avoid them altogether. However, seeking temporary relief through distractions like scrolling through social media only masks the underlying issue. By acknowledging and confronting your emotions, you can start to manage them effectively.

Forgive Yourself for Procrastinating

Pychyl and other researchers have discovered that practicing self-forgiveness is one of the most effective strategies for procrastinators, who are generally less compassionate toward themselves. Forgiving yourself can reduce the guilt associated with procrastination, removing one of the primary triggers for procrastination.

Just Get Started

Pychyl suggests that many of us incorrectly assume that our emotional state must align with the task at hand. However, in reality, you will seldom feel motivated. Instead of allowing your emotions to dictate your actions, Pychyl advises you to "Just get started" rather than pressuring yourself with the daunting command of "Just do it."

Break down tasks into smaller, achievable steps. Completing a modest action can contribute to progress and enhance your feelings about the task, boost self-esteem, and thereby reduce the urge to procrastinate. This approach also shifts your focus from emotions to action, enabling you to complete tasks more effectively.

RELATED ARTICLE: Disengagement vs. Depletion: Identifying and Treating The Root Cause of Workplace Burnout

 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.






THE VIETAGE BY ANANTARA LAUNCHES SECOND LUXURY RAILWAY CARRIAGE CONNECTING NHA TRANG AND QUY NHON IN SOUTH CENTRAL VIETNAM The Vietage by Anantara announces the introduction of a second railway carriage, which will operate a daily return journey between Nha Trang and Quy Nhon commencing its first journey on 15th May 2024. THE VIETAGE BY ANANTARA LAUNCHES SECOND LUXURY RAILWAY CARRIAGE CONNECTING NHA TRANG AND QUY NHON IN SOUTH CENTRAL VIETNAM The Vietage by Anantara announces the introduction of a second railway carriage, which will operate a daily return journey between Nha Trang and Quy Nhon commencing its first journey on 15th May 2024. Vietnam - Exclusive experiences - What's new?

This is a press release Category: Asia Pacific This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2024-05-14











Heralding a new age of slow and sustainable travel, the five-hour journeys meander through the picturesque Vietnamese countryside, transporting guests into a world of glamour and nostalgia with all the comforts of modern luxury.



12 reservation-only seats in private booths of two blend sleek modern interiors with inspiration from Indochina, along with big picture windows to admire the stunning views.



A trendy sit-up bar gives guests the chance to watch some mixology in action as the on-board hosts create rail-inspired cocktails and mocktails, while relaxation time beckons in the dedicated spa area for 15-minute head and shoulder treatments on the go.



An exclusively-curated and sumptuous afternoon tea experience takes guests on a culinary adventure, including poached Bai Dai Lobster and Da Lat Caviar to whet the appetite, a tea tower with selection of home-made finger sandwiches, pastries, cakes and traditional scones with all the trimmings. An artisanal cheese and charcuterie platter rounds off the occasion. A dedicated vegan menu is available to excite all plant lovers.



Refreshments come in the form of a distinctive tea selection from the Vietnamese tea brand Epicurean Sao, ethically-sourced local coffee from La Folliet, plus free-flowing wines, cocktails, beers, mocktails and soft drinks.



An a la carte menu also offers premium wines and champagnes for pre-order while caviar fans can purchase extra portions on board.



Catch a glimpse of water buffalo, Vietnams national animal, as the train makes its way through the countrys landscape, along with a plethora of lotus ponds, rice paddies and plenty of flora and fauna. Striking stretches of coastline fronting the East Sea and expansive bays are also not to be missed, after which the train heads more inland into the mountainous province of Phu Yen, which is home to one of the countrys Champa people communities and many historical points of interest.



While not visible from the railway itself, the train passes nearby Vietnams oldest lighthouse, Mui Dien, which sits at the easternmost point of the country making it the first place to witness the sunrise. Continuing its northerly track through the provinces capital city of Tuy Hoa, Vietnams longest wooden bridge, Binh Thanh Bridge at 800 metres in length, is a gateway to some other local notable landmarks.



Guests travelling from Nha Trang to Quy Nhon can enjoy combination accommodation experiences with Anantara Quy Nhon Villas for a luxury beachside retreat. For the ultimate Vietnam itinerary, jump on board The Vietage by Anantara running from Quy Nhon to Da Nang and enjoy the charming Hoi An Ancient Town with a stay at Anantara Hoi An Resort.



A one-way ticket aboard The Vietage by Anantara between Nha Trang and Quy Nhon costs US$ 420 per person, including luxury afternoon tea, a 15-minute head and shoulder treatment, free-flowing wines, cocktails, beers, mocktails, soft drinks and a selection of local tea and coffee.



The Vietage by Anantara departs from Nha Trang every afternoon arriving at Dieu Tri station in Quy Nhon in the evening. It then continues up to Da Nang arriving after midnight. Running in the opposite direction, The Vietage by Anantaras additional carriage departs from Da Nang every morning, arriving at Dieu Tri station in Quy Nhon in the early afternoon and then onto Nha Trang for a mid-evening arrival.



The Vietage by Anantara contributes to the Dollars for Deeds programme, in which US$ 1 per ticket is donated by us and guests are at liberty to make their own contribution. Donations are given to The Kianh Foundation, a not-for-profit charity providing a full-time, customised, special needs curriculum for children with disabilities in the Quang Nam Province of Central Vietnam.



The Vietage by Anantara operates two 12-seat reservation-only carriages on daily return railway routes between Da Nang and Quy Nhon and Nha Trang and Quy Nhon in South Central Vietnam, offering luxury slow train travel experiences for guests exploring Vietnam. About Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas Anantara is a luxury hospitality brand for modern travellers, connecting them to genuine places, people and stories through personal experiences, and providing heartfelt hospitality in the worlds most exciting destinations. The collection of distinct, thoughtfully designed luxury hotels and resorts provides a window through which to journey into invigorating new territory, curating personal travel experiences.



From cosmopolitan cities to desert sands to lush islands, Anantara connects travellers to the indigenous, grounds them in authentic luxury, and hosts them with passionate expertise. The portfolio currently boasts over 50 stunning hotels and resorts located in Thailand, Maldives, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Seychelles, Mozambique, Zambia, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Tunisia, Portugal, Spain, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, France, Ireland and Austria, with a pipeline of future properties across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and South America. About Minor Hotels Minor Hotels is a global hospitality group operating over 540 hotels, resorts and residences in 56 countries, pursuing its vision of crafting a more passionate and interconnected world. As a hotel owner, operator and investor, Minor Hotels fulfils the needs and desires of todays global travellers through its diverse portfolio of eight hotel brands  Anantara, Avani, Elewana Collection, NH, NH Collection, nhow, Oaks and Tivoli  and a collection of related businesses. Minor Hotels is rapidly accelerating its global growth ambitions, aiming to add more than 200 hotels by the end of 2026.



Minor Hotels is a proud member of the Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the world's largest alliance of independent hotel brands, and participates in the GHA DISCOVERY loyalty programme.






















The Conversation)  Irans leadership has been a direct beneficiary of the months-long war in Gaza. With every missile that Israel fires on Gaza, every US veto of a UN Security Council ceasefire resolution, and every arrest of an anti-war protester on American university campuses, Irans rejection of the US-dominated world order gains more credibility in the Muslim world.

The ruling clerical regime in Iran has built its foreign policy on the pillar of anti-Americanism, rejecting what it frames as the injustice of US domination and bullying of other countries. Washingtons continued support for Israels war on Gaza in the face of an increasing international backlash has only reinforced this narrative.

While the US has tried to backtrack and signal that humanitarian considerations should guide Israels conduct of the war, the damage to US credibility has been done. Many around the world  and specifically in Muslim countries  do not see the belated US warnings to Israel as genuine.

And Tehrans message of anti-Americanism is resonating with large segments of the public in the Muslim world.

In one regional opinion survey in late October, for instance, just 7% of respondents said the US had a positive impact on the war, compared to 40% who viewed Irans role as positive.

And in December, the highly respected Arab Barometer reported that approval ratings for the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had surpassed those of the Saudi crown prince and Emirati president.

This change in Irans standing in the region is being watched with concern by the political elite in the neighbourhood.

What Iran sought to achieve by attacking Israel

Irans image has been further enhanced by the fact it is the only Muslim state to attack Israel against the backdrop of public outrage over the war in Gaza.

The Iranian missile and drone attack on Israel on April 13 was calibrated to achieve two key objectives.

First, Irans leaders sought to preserve the countrys image as the self-appointed head of the axis of resistance, comprised of its proxies in the region  Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and other militia groups in Iraq and Syria.

Iran also wanted to demonstrate the effectiveness of its deterrence model, which is based on the threat of retaliation against Israeli aggression through its proxy actors and expanding missile and drone technology.

Hindustan Times Video: Get Out Now: Iran-linked Kataib Hezbollahs Ultimatum To U.S. Troops In Iraq | Details

Coming two weeks after the Israeli attack on its diplomatic mission in Damascus, Iran could not afford to outsource its response to its proxies. While Iran was clearly not ready to start a war with Israel, not responding in-kind to the Israeli attack would have made it look weak and seriously diminished its standing among its allies and proxy groups.

But Irans leaders sought to minimise the damage and mitigate the risk of escalation by warning Israel of its attack in advance through intermediaries. This way, Iran could save face without getting embroiled in an all-out war.

Irans second objective was to demonstrate to the world that it has the drone and missile technology to hit back at Israel, if it chooses.

For more than a decade, Iran has showcased its missiles during annual military parades to support its claim it can hit Israel if threatened. Its attack last month involved more than 300 drones and missiles. Notwithstanding the fact the damage was minimal, the attack was proof Iran now has the capacity to inflict pain on Israel.

Israels limited response to Iran suggests that war has been averted, much to the relief of neighbouring countries. But the long-term implications are more favourable for Iran. This show of strength has likely helped its rejectionist foreign policy find receptive ears in the Muslim world and beyond.

When Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi visited Pakistan on April 23, for example, he was greeted like a celebrity. This was ironic as, earlier this year, Iran and Pakistan had engaged in tit-for-tat aerial attacks.

The two countries agreed to boost bilateral trade to US$10 billion (A$15 billion) a year, about five times the current level. They also released a joint statement calling on the UN Security Council to take action against Israel, saying it had illegally targeted neighbouring countries and foreign diplomatic compounds.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also offered a message of support to Iran, saying:

China noted Irans statement that its action was restrained and was an act of self-defence in response to the attack on its embassy.

What this could mean for the region

The implications of a more emboldened Iran for the region are severe. The Iranian authorities feel vindicated by the events of the last seven months. This means their anti-US and anti-Israel rhetoric will remain staunch as ever.

Irans drone and missile research and development program is also likely to receive a boost. And Irans support for its network of proxies and allies will remain firmly in place, as this enables the Iranian leadership to project power beyond its borders and retain its deterrence capability.

None of this bodes well for Irans neighbours. An ideologically energised Islamic regime in Iran would be less accommodating to regional concerns, particularly those aired by governments that have already normalised relations with Israel (such as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain), or are believed to be heading in that direction (Saudi Arabia).

Moreover, the political credibility of many Arab leaders has suffered in the eyes of their citizens due to their perceived ineffectiveness in supporting the Palestinians in Gaza.

Irans leaders did not plan the series of events that started with the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7. In fact, they were just as surprised by Hamas actions as the Israeli intelligence agencies. But they are the obvious beneficiary of the turn of events.

The United States and Israel are gifting Iran and its message of defiance enormous appeal, well beyond the imagination of Iranian authorities.

Shahram Akbarzadeh, Convenor of the Middle East Studies Forum (MESF), and Acting Director the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Hamburg, NY (Special to Informed Comment; Feature)  Carl Schmitt wrote in Political Theology (1922) sovereign is he who decides on the state of the exception. What Schmitt meant in using the word exception is that in a specific historical timeframe a sovereign can suspend law in the context of a declared state of emergency. In so doing, he possesses absolute power over the judicial order and can decide what needs to be done, by ruling by decree. On April 25, 2024, the United States Supreme Court considered the case of Trump v. Anderson. All aspects of this case center on whether or not a former president has absolute immunity from prosecution for conduct considered official acts while in office.

Putting aside the chain of events leading to this case, it is, in essence about how politics prevails over law. The focus of the questioning by the various justices centered on Trumps official acts as president. To what extent are certain acts within a presidents official duties and which ones could be subject to criminal prosecution, committed while in office once the president leaves office? The questions were an effort to distinguish between those official acts within a presidents legal authority that are spelled out in the U.S. Constitution and non-official or private acts, which could be prosecuted after a president leaves office.

The justices questions centered on ahistorical, hypothetical examples. This line of questioning began with Justice Thomas asking what defines acts which are part of a presidents official duties? Justice Kagan expressed skepticism in her response to Trumps attorney questioning whether impeachment and conviction are prerequisites before a president could face criminal charges. Her hypothetical question was Lets say a president who ordered the military to stage a coup, hes no longer president, he wasnt impeached. He couldnt be impeached but he ordered the military to stage a coup. And youre saying thats an official act? A similar question was asked by Justice Sotomayer, but it was whether a president could decide that his rival is a corrupt person and orders the military or orders someone to assassinate him, is that within his official acts from which he can get immunity?

In another series of questions, the justices paid attention to what could be the difference between absolute and limited immunity. In addressing the issue of absolute immunity, Justice Jackson asked about the significance of Nixons pardon, which implies that a president could be prosecuted for his actions while in office. From her line of questioning, she appeared skeptical of a president having absolute immunity. Based on the line of questioning from the conservative majority on the Court, there was a willingness to entertain some form of immunity. In particular, Justice Alito expressed his concern over the danger of an incumbent president who lost a reelection be in as being put in a peculiarly precarious position, at the mercy of a prosecution by the incoming presidential administration. It needs to be stated that Alitos concern is at odds with the historical record.

It is in my view, quite surprising, not just that the justices are willing to overlook Trumps actions while in office, but most importantly that they ignore what the historical record tells us about the question of presidential immunity. This is where Schmitts concept of sovereignty is relevant. Schmitts insight appears in his theoretical construction of how politics exercised by a sovereign prevails over law. What his theory of the sovereign tells us is how presidents over time have been immune from prosecution. This immunity is evident in what are obvious violations of national and international law. So while the justices with their hypothetical questions appear to wrestle with the concept of immunity for presidents, historical examples demonstrate the matter of presidential immunity is settled. With the exception of the Nixon administration, presidents have been immune from prosecution.



Andrew Kolin, Trump and Trumpism: The Destructive Politics of American Fascism, Rowman and Littlefield. Click here to buy.

That is because presidents have acted in such a manner that their political actions as sovereigns prevail over law over time. How so? A representative historical samples indicates that presidents have consistently violated national and international legal norms. One way to sidestep law is to declare a state of national emergency. This option fits into Schmitts reference to a sovereign deciding on the exception. For example, President Lincoln suspended habeas corpus during the Civil War. President Wilson clearly violated key provisions of the first amendment prior to and during World War I, with the support of Congress, enacting legislation that led to the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts and the Espionage Act. These measures, in essence, made first amendment rights illegal.

During World War II, there was another political exception to the rule of law, with the confinement of Japanese Americans. In the 1950s, McCarthyism in the context of anti-Communist hysteria, undermined what are supposed to be civil liberties protections. Presidents Johnson and Nixon and Hoover, head of the FBI, made use of Cointelpro and undermined civil liberties while the Church Committee hearings exposed w the illegal actions of the Nixon administration and previous administrations. One significant result was a reform known as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a noble effort to place legal restraints on how presidents made use of illegal surveillance, and yet over time the FISA courts led to illegal acts being ruled as legal.

Consider the response of the Bush administration to the attacks of 9/11. Under the guise of a war on terrorism, and given legal cover under John Yoos Office of Legal Counsel ruling, the U.S. government found the political means to torture, a clear violation of the Torture Convention, to which the U.S. was a signatory. There is ample evidence of torture practiced in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay. The question this: were any officials, including former President Bush, subjected to prosecution? The answer is no. In fact, President Obama wanted to move forward and not consider legal remedies, such as prosecution.

These examples point to the use of politics by a sovereign in a time of a declared emergency that serve to justify the sidestepping of the law, eliminating any potential for prosecution. Previous presidents have justified putting aside any possible legal restraints on the exercise of power by declaring states of emergency in either peacetime or wartime. Whatever the Supreme Court decides, presidents in the past have been able to make use of Schmitts exception to discard legal-constitutional limits so that presidents can act outside the law by justifying either a real or manufactured emergency and in so doing, become immune from prosecution.

What is unique is that Trumps attorneys have requested that the Court rule to normalize immunity without any justification in relation to a declared state of emergency. If the Court rules to provide some form of immunity for Trump, it will be realizing Schmitts exception, which allows presidents to be completely above the law in all circumstances, acting, in essence, as fascist dictators.

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Featured image: Donald I, Digital, Dream/ Dreamworld v. 3, IbisPaint, by Juan Cole, 2024
( Middle East Monitor )  By granting its 2024 World Press Freedom Prize to Palestinian journalists covering the Israeli war on Gaza, UNESCO has acknowledged a historic truth.

Even if the decision to name Gazas journalists as laureates of its prestigious award was partly motivated by the courage of these journalists, the truth is that no one in the world deserved such recognition as those covering the genocidal war in Gaza.

As humanity, we have a huge debt to their courage and commitment to freedom of expression, Mauricio Weibel, Chair of the International Jury of Media Professionals, which made the recommendation for the award, truthfully described the courage of Gazas journalists.

Courage is an admirable quality, especially when many journalists in Gaza knew that Israel was seeking to kill them, often along with their families, to ensure that the horror of the war remains hidden from view, at worst, or contested as if a matter of opinion, at best.

Between 7 October, 2023, and 11 May, 2024, 143 Palestinian journalists in Gaza were killed by Israel. It is higher than the total number of journalists killed in World War II and the Vietnam wars combined.

This number does not include many bloggers, intellectuals and writers who did not have professional media credentials, and also excludes the many family members who were often killed along with the targeted journalists.

But there is more to Gazas journalists than bravery.

Whenever Israel launches a war on Gaza, it almost always denies access to international media professionals from entering the Strip. This go-to strategy is meant to ensure the story of the crimes that the Israeli army is about to commit goes unreported.

The strategy paid dividends in the so-called Cast Lead Operation in 2008-9. The true degree of the atrocities carried out in Gaza during that war, which resulted in the killing of over 1,400 Palestinians, was largely known when the war was over. By then, Israel had concluded its major military operation, and corporate mainstream western media had done a splendid job in ensuring the dominance of the Israeli political discourse regarding the war.

Israels behaviour since that war remained unchanged: barring international journalists, placing a gag order on Israeli journalists and killing Palestinian journalists who dared cover the story.

The August 2014 war on Gaza was one of the bloodiest for journalists. It lasted for 18 days and cost the lives of 17 journalists. Palestinian journalists, however, remained committed to their story. When one fell, ten seemed to take his place.

Occupied Palestine has always been one of the most dangerous places to be a journalist. The Palestinian Journalists Union reported that between 2000  the start of the Second Palestinian Uprising  and 11 May, 2022  the day of the Israeli murder of the iconic Palestinian journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, 55 journalists were killed at the hands of the Israeli army.

The number might not seem too high if compared to the latest onslaught in Gaza, but, per international standards, it was a terrifying figure, based on an equally disturbing logic: killing the storyteller as the quickest way of killing the story itself.

For decades, Israel, an occupying power, has managed to depict itself as a victim in a state of self-defence. Without any critical voices in mainstream media, many around the world believed Israels deceiving discourse on terrorism, security and self-defence.

The only obstacle that stood between the actual truth and Israels engineered version of the truth are honest journalists  thus, the ongoing war on the media.

What Israel did not anticipate, however, is that by blocking international media access to Gaza, it would inadvertently empower Palestinian journalists to take charge of their own narrative.

Interpretations depend very much on who the interpreter is, who he or she is addressing, what his or her purpose is, at what historical moment the interpretation takes place, late Palestinian intellectual, Edward Said, wrote in Covering Islam.

Like any other form of intellectual interpretation, journalism becomes subjected to the same rule of positionality in academia, as in the relationship between the identity of the researcher and the social or political context of the subject matter.

Journalist deaths in Gaza: A reckoning to come when war is over  FRANCE 24 English Video

Palestinian journalists in Gaza are themselves the story and the storytellers. Their success or failure to convey the story with all its factual and emotional details could make the difference between the continuation or the end of the Israeli genocide.

Though the war is yet to end, the Gaza journalists have already proven to be deserving of all the honours and accolades, not only because of their courage, but because of what we actually know about the war, despite the numerous and seemingly insurmountable obstacles created by Israel and its allies.

Most people all over the world want the war to end. But how did they acquire the needed information that made them realise the extent of horror in Gaza? Certainly not through Israels cheerleaders in mainstream media, but through Palestinian journalists on the ground who are using every means and every channel available to them to tell the story.

These journalists include self-taught youngsters, like 9-year-old Lama Jamous, who wore a press vest and conveyed the details of life in displacement camps in southern Gaza, reporting from Nasser Hospital and many other places with poise and elegance.

As for the accuracy of information provided by these journalists, they were certainly professional enough to be verified by numerous human rights groups, medical and legal associations and millions of people around the world who used them to build a case against the Israeli war. Indeed, all we know about the war  the death toll, the degree of destruction, the daily human suffering, the mass graves, the famine and much more  is possible because of these Gaza-based reporters.

The success, and the sacrifices of Gaza journalists should serve as a model for journalists and journalism around the world, as an example of how news about war crimes, sieges and human suffering in all its forms should be conveyed.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor or Informed Comment.

Via Middle East Monitor .
Three strategic claim groups located in Silvertip-Midway District

One claim group (Veronica) adjacent to Silver Norths Tim Property

Vancouver, BC, May 14, 2024  TheNewswire  Silver North Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: SNAG, OTCQB: TARSF) Silver North or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has completed an option agreement with three prospectors who hold the GDR Project in southern Yukon. The GDR Project consists of three claim groups totalling 150 claims in the Silvertip-Midway District and in the vicinity of Silver Norths Tim Silver Property which is under option to Coeur Mining, Inc. (Coeur). The GDR Project claims cover geology prospective for Carbonate Replacement Deposits (CRD) similar to that being explored at Tim and at Coeurs nearby Silvertip Mine Project.

The GDR acquisition represents a strategic move to acquire additional ground prospective for high grade CRD silver mineralization in this under-explored district, stated Jason Weber, P.Geo., President and CEO of Silver North. Despite the early-stage nature of these properties, all three have favourable characteristics for CRD mineralization. In particular, the Veronica claim group has a strong, unexplained multielement soil geochemical anomaly just west of our Tim Property. This complements the Tim Property nicely and gives Silver North access to more of the prospective stratigraphy in this district.

Under the terms of the agreement, Silver North will make staged cash payments totalling $102,000 over four years ($6,000 payable on the Closing Date defined as being 5 business days following the TSX Venture Exchanges approval) and staged share payments totalling 1,560,000 common shares over four years (180,000 shares on the Closing Date) to earn a 100% interest in the GDR Project, subject to a Net Smelter Return (NSR) royalty of 2.4% (0.9% of which can be purchased for $2 million).

GDR Silver Project

The three properties comprising the GDR Project (Veronica, MR, and MFW claim groups) are road and trail accessible with excellent potential for high-grade Ag-Zn-Pb CRD mineralization similar to the nearby Silvertip mine project owned by Coeur. The project claims have Ag-Pb-Zn showings and multi-element soil geochemical anomalies underlain by Paleozoic limestone, in a similar geological setting to CRD mineralization at Silvertip.

Veronica is located 11 km by road north of Silvertip and within 2km of Silver Norths Tim project. MR and MFW are located a further 10km and 17km north, and north of the Alaska Highway.

At Veronica a multi-element soil anomaly has been defined over an area 450 by 450 m and is open to the east with values that range from 0.3 - 31.1 ppm Ag, 60 - 3100 ppm Pb, and 50 - 612 ppm Zn. This new anomaly has not been trenched, drilled or explained by prospecting and presents a compelling target for exploration follow up. Limestone and quartzite outcrop in the area.

Further south on the Veronica property and along the Yukon border, high Ag, Pb and Zn values in soils are associated with quartz veins cutting Paleozoic shales. Soil values range from 0.1 - 8.67 ppm Ag, 28 - 2780 ppm Pb, 25 - 2500 ppm Zn, and have not been explained.

The nearby Stollery barite prospect has had historic soils sampling and cat trenching and may represent a sedex Zn-Pb-Ag-barite environment.

The MFW property covers a discontinuous 1500 m-long Ag-Pb-Zn soil anomaly that remains unexplained. Confirmation sampling within the anomaly conducted in 2016 returned 14 of 61 soil samples with >2.0 ppm Ag, with a high of 17.95 ppm Ag, 348 ppm Pb, 1060 ppm Zn, 143.5 ppm As and 10.65 ppm Sb. The anomalous elements are suggestive of a potential CRD style mineralized source. Nearby outcrops consist of limestone and quartzite.

The MR property covers a number of historic trenches excavated to explore a series of carbonate-hosted, zinc-oxide prospects. The best results include: 20m of 5.05% Zn, 1.97% Pb and 3.4 ppm Ag and 1.5m of 8.8% Pb and 51.4 ppm Ag. A vein structure discovered in 2016 and chip sampled in 2018 returned 1m @ 477 ppm Ag, 9.29% Pb and 0.91% Zn. Soil sampling to the southeast of this structure has defined an anomaly over 300 by 500m of > 2 ppm Ag and up to 7.6 ppm Ag with associated anomalous Pb and Zn concentrations. The anomaly remains unexplored and unexplained.

The Veronica claim group partially lies within the Area of Interest surrounding the Tim Property, and as such, Silver North is obligated to offer the Veronica for inclusion within the Tim Option agreement between Silver North and Coeur. If Coeur agrees to include the Veronica claims, it will reimburse one half of Silver Norths acquisition costs.

Other Properties

Silver North has dropped the lease on the Twin Canyon gold property in southwest Colorado and will be transferring its claim holdings to the underlying vendors. Management was unsuccessful in finding a partner to move the project forward and felt that focussing on Silver Norths core assets is the most effective use of it capital resources.

About Silver North Resources Ltd.

Silver Norths primary assets are its 100% owned Haldane silver project (next to Hecla Mining Inc.s Keno Hill Mine project) and the Tim silver project (under option to Coeur Mining, Inc.). Silver North also holds gold and base metal projects in Yukon Territory, Colorado and Nevada, and is actively seeking partners for them. Silver North also plans to acquire additional silver properties in favourable jurisdictions.

The Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol SNAG, trades on the OTCQB market in the United States under the symbol TARSF, and under the symbol I90 on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

Mr. Jason Weber, P.Geo., President and CEO of Silver North Resources Ltd. is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Weber supervised the preparation of the technical information contained in this release.

For further information, contact:

Jason Weber, President and CEO

Sandrine Lam, Shareholder Communications

Tel: (604) 807-7217

Fax: (888) 889-4874

To learn more visit: www.silvernorthres.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. STATEMENTS IN THIS NEWS RELEASE, OTHER THAN PURELY HISTORICAL INFORMATION, INCLUDING STATEMENTS RELATING TO THE COMPANY'S FUTURE PLANS AND OBJECTIVES OR EXPECTED RESULTS, MAY INCLUDE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS ARE BASED ON NUMEROUS ASSUMPTIONS AND ARE SUBJECT TO ALL OF THE RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES INHERENT IN RESOURCE EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT. AS A RESULT, ACTUAL RESULTS MAY VARY MATERIALLY FROM THOSE DESCRIBED IN THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS.




(All dollar figures are in US dollars unless otherwise indicated)

TORONTO, May 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New Gold Inc. (New Gold or the Company) (TSX and NYSE American: NGD) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement relating to its strategic partnership with Ontario Teachers Pension Plan (Ontario Teachers) at the New Afton Mine (New Afton), whereby New Gold will increase its effective free cash flow interest in New Afton to 80.1% (the Transaction).

On closing of the Transaction, Ontario Teachers free cash flow interest in New Afton will be reduced from 46.0% to 19.9% in exchange for an upfront cash payment of $255 million from New Gold. New Gold will fund the cash payment with cash on hand, borrowings from its existing revolving credit facility and net proceeds from a concurrent bought deal equity financing of common shares of New Gold (Common Shares) for approximately $150 million.

Anticipated Benefits to New Gold Shareholders

Increased free cash flow interest in an attractive copper/gold mine  With C-Zone on-track to achieve commercial production in the second half of 2024, New Afton is expected to enter a period of significant free cash flow growth driven by increasing production and improved costs.

 With C-Zone on-track to achieve commercial production in the second half of 2024, New Afton is expected to enter a period of significant free cash flow growth driven by increasing production and improved costs. Accretive and disciplined transaction  Expected to deliver a meaningful increase in attributable life-of-mine cash flow while maintaining New Golds balance sheet strength and financial liquidity.

 Expected to deliver a meaningful increase in attributable life-of-mine cash flow while maintaining New Golds balance sheet strength and financial liquidity. Investment in an existing high-quality operation  Through many years of building and operating the New Afton mine, New Gold has developed extensive technical, operational, and social knowledge and expertise. The Transaction provides growth without requiring any increase in general and administrative expenses.

 Through many years of building and operating the New Afton mine, New Gold has developed extensive technical, operational, and social knowledge and expertise. The Transaction provides growth without requiring any increase in general and administrative expenses. Increased upside exposure  New Golds renewed focus on exploration activities provides the New Afton mine with the potential to add value by improving the production profile and extending mine life.

This is an excellent transaction where we are able to increase our free cash flow exposure in a copper and gold asset which we already own and operate. This transaction is expected to allow us to grow accretively with no diligence risk and increase our free cash flow interest at New Afton, stated Patrick Godin, President and CEO. With key C-Zone milestones set for completion later this year, New Afton is on the verge of attractive production growth and cost improvement that we believe will lead to increased free cash flow generation. Our goal is not only to maximize this free cash flow generation at the mine, but to also maximize benefits for our shareholders.

Bought Deal Equity Financing

New Gold has entered into an agreement with a syndicate of underwriters led by CIBC Capital Markets (collectively, the Underwriters), pursuant to which the Underwriters have agreed to purchase, on a bought deal basis, 87,300,000 Common Shares at a price of $1.72 per Common Share (the Offering Price), for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $150 million (the Offering).

The Company has granted the Underwriters an over-allotment option, exercisable in whole or in part at any time at the Offering Price up to 30 days after closing of the Offering, to purchase up to an additional 15% of the number of Common Shares issued pursuant to the Offering to cover over-allotments, if any.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering to fund a portion of the cash payment to complete the Transaction.

Closing of the Offering is expected to occur on or about May 17, 2024, subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of all necessary approvals of the Toronto Stock Exchange and the NYSE American in accordance with their applicable listing requirements.

The Offering will be made in each of the provinces and territories of Canada, other than Quebec, by way of a prospectus supplement (the Prospectus Supplement) to the Companys short form base shelf prospectus dated May 13, 2024 (the Base Shelf Prospectus). The Company has filed a registration statement on Form F-10 (the Registration Statement) (including the Base Shelf Prospectus) and the Prospectus Supplement for the Offering with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) in accordance with the multi-jurisdictional disclosure system established between Canada and the United States. The Offering may also be made on a private placement basis in other international jurisdictions in reliance on applicable private placement exemptions. Before investing, prospective investors should read the Base Shelf Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, when available, the documents incorporated by reference therein, the Registration Statement containing such documents and other documents the Company has filed with Canadian securities regulators and the SEC for more complete information about the Company and the Offering.

When available, these documents may be accessed for free on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR+) at www.sedarplus.ca and on the SECs Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (EDGAR) at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, copies may be obtained from: CIBC Capital Markets, 161 Bay Street, 5th Floor, Toronto, ON M5J 2S8 or by telephone at 1-416-956-6378 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , and in the United States from: CIBC Capital Markets, 161 Bay Street, 5th Floor, Toronto, ON M5J 2S8 or by telephone at 1-416-956-6378 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any province, state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such province, state or jurisdiction.

Other terms of the Transaction

Closing of the Transaction is subject to customary conditions and is expected to close by the end of May, following completion of the Offering. The Transaction does not require shareholder approval.

At closing, the parties will enter into an amended free cash flow royalty agreement with an affiliate of Ontario Teachers to reflect the reduction in Ontario Teachers free cash flow interest to 19.9%. The amended agreement will, among other things, also remove the advisory committee, and reduce certain of Ontario Teachers governance rights with respect to the operating and capital expenditures of the New Afton mine and eliminate the option to convert the royalty into a partnership. New Gold will have a right of first refusal on a sale of the royalty by Ontario Teachers. On a change of control of New Gold announced prior to December 31, 2030, that is subsequently completed, Ontario Teachers will have the right to sell the royalty to New Gold or its successor at fair market value, for cash or share consideration. In addition, following a change of control within 20 months following completion of the Transaction, Ontario Teachers would also receive a one-time cash payment of $20 million.

About New Gold

New Gold is a Canadian-focused intermediate mining company with a portfolio of two core producing assets in Canada, the Rainy River gold mine and the New Afton copper-gold mine. The Company also holds other Canadian-focused investments. New Gold's vision is to build a leading diversified intermediate gold company based in Canada that is committed to the environment and social responsibility.

For further information, please contact: Ankit Shah Brandon Throop Executive Vice President, Strategy & Business Development Director, Investor Relations Direct: +1 (416) 324-6027 Direct: +1 (647) 264-5027 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information contained in this news release, including any information relating to New Golds future financial or operating performance are forward-looking. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, which address events, results, outcomes or developments that New Gold expects to occur are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects, is expected, budget, scheduled, targeted, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates, projects, potential, believes or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, should, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved or the negative connotation of such terms. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, among others, statements with respect to: the Companys ability to successfully complete the Transaction and the timing thereof, including receipt of all required regulatory approvals; the proposed benefits of the Transaction to the Companys business, strategic objectives, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations and to its shareholders being attained, including with respect to increased free cash flow and the timing thereof; maintenance of balance sheet strength and financial liquidity, and expectation of entering into a period of cash flow driven by increased production and improved costs; the completion of the C-Zone project and the timing and expected benefits thereof; the ability of ongoing resource conversion to add value by improving the production profile and extending mine life with minimal capital investment; the maximization of benefits to New Gold shareholders; the completion of the Offering, including the receipt of TSX and NYSE American approval; and the intended use of net proceeds from the Offering.

All forward-looking statements in this news release are based on the opinions and estimates of management that, while considered reasonable as at the date of this news release in light of managements experience and perception of current conditions and expected developments, are inherently subject to important risk factors and uncertainties, many of which are beyond New Golds ability to control or predict. Certain material assumptions regarding such forward-looking statements are discussed in this news release, New Golds latest annual managements discussion and analysis (MD&A), its most recent annual information form and technical reports on the Rainy River Mine and New Afton Mine filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. In addition to, and subject to, such assumptions discussed in more detail elsewhere, the forward-looking statements in this news release are also subject to there being no significant disruptions affecting New Golds operations, including material disruptions to the Companys supply chain, workforce or otherwise.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, without limitation, the Risk Factors included in New Golds most recent annual information form, MD&A and other disclosure documents filed on and available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Forward looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results and future events could materially differ from those anticipated in such statements. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are qualified by these cautionary statements. New Gold expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, events or otherwise, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / Faraday Copper Corp. ("Faraday" or the "Company") (TSX:FDY) (OTCQX:CPPKF) is pleased to announce the results of five drill holes from its Phase III program at the Copper Creek Project, located in Arizona, U.S. ("Copper Creek"). One hole was drilled to test a new target area 275 metres ("m") west of Keel and one hole was drilled to test the westward extension of Old Reliable. Three holes were drilled at Area 51 as a follow-up to the recent Starship and Eclipse breccia discoveries (announced on January 16, 2024 and March 4, 2024).

Paul Harbidge, President and CEO, commented "The Phase III drill program continues to demonstrate the exploration potential of the Copper Creek Project on a number of fronts. At Area 51, we continue to intersect and expand near-surface mineralization. At Old Reliable, mineralization is being further delineated outside of the mineral resource pit shell. Additionally, the first reconnaissance hole drilled at depth, west of Keel, confirms our thesis that there is the potential for significant mineralization to be discovered below the Old Reliable breccia complex. This new data will enable us to vector to high grade zones for further drill testing".

Highlights

At Area 51, intersected 42.05 m at 0.41% copper from 48.55 m in drill hole FCD-24-056 at the recently discovered Eclipse breccia. This hole expands the known mineralization within the Eclipse breccia approximately 20 m to the east and 50 m to the north from previous intercepts .

from 48.55 m in drill hole FCD-24-056 at the recently discovered Eclipse breccia. Drilling 275 m west of Keel ("Keel West") intersected 51.45 m at 0.50% copper and 1.39 grams per tonne ("g/t") silver from 820.62 m in drill hole FCD-24-053. This intercept is within a longer intercept of 186.90 m at 0.32% copper from 820.62 m. This hole is in a previously undrilled area outside the Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE") and confirms that mineralization is open to the west of Keel and below the Old Reliable breccia.

and 1.39 grams per tonne ("g/t") silver from 820.62 m in drill hole FCD-24-053. This intercept is within a longer intercept of 186.90 m at 0.32% copper from 820.62 m. Step-out to the west of Old Reliable intersected 70.35 m of 0.29% copper and 1.31 g/t silver from 55.53 m in drill hole FCD-24-054. Mineralization is hosted in granodiorite porphyry and confirms that near-surface mineralization at Old Reliable remains open.

and 1.31 g/t silver from 55.53 m in drill hole FCD-24-054.

(For true width information see Table 1.)

Area 51 was identified as highly prospective by integrating airborne versatile time domain electromagnetic (VTEM) geophysical data and short wave infrared spectral data together with geological mapping and sampling. Area 51 encompasses a porphyry intrusion with nine mapped breccia bodies over an area of approximately 400 m by 400 m, including Starship and Eclipse. The breccias are interpreted to have been emplaced at a shallow crustal level in the hanging wall of the northwest trending Holy Joe thrust fault, which brought Proterozoic metamorphic rocks in contact with younger sedimentary rock units to the east of Area 51. This fault is also thought to have controlled the emplacement of the Paleocene Glory Hole volcanics and Copper Creek granodiorite which host the mineral resource.

Drill hole FCD-24-056 was collared northeast of the Eclipse breccia and drilled to the southwest to increase drill coverage for the Eclipse breccia (Figures 1 and 2). Mineralization is associated with chalcopyrite and minor bornite breccia cement. The hole started in granodiorite porphyry and intersected hydrothermal breccia from 28 m to 108 m followed by granodiorite porphyry to 131 m. The remainder of the hole to 187 m is in Glory Hole volcanics. The alteration in the breccia domain is quartz-sericite-pyrite with an interval from approximately 50 m to 70 m where tourmaline is abundant.

Drill hole FCD-24-051 was collared 250 m north of the Eclipse breccia and drilled to the southwest into the Ziltoid breccia (Figure 1). The hole intersected Glory Hole volcanics in the first 180 m, followed by 4 m of granodiorite porphyry. From 184 m to 247 m the dominant lithology is hydrothermal breccia. Alteration at the start of the breccia is sericitic but K-feldspar and biotite dominate from 190 m to the end of the hole.

Drill hole FCD-24-055 was collared southeast of the Eclipse breccia and drilled to the Northwest (Figure 1). The hole intercepted Glory Hole volcanics from surface to 49 m, followed by a series of granodiorite and monzogranite porphyries. From 136 m to 327 m the hole intersected hydrothermal breccia cemented by quartz, pyrite and specular hematite. Alteration within the breccia is intense quartz-sericite. Minor copper mineralization is associated with chalcocite near the upper contact of the breccia.

Keel West is the area between the Keel zone and Old Reliable. This area coincides with a prominent untested geophysical anomaly which extends westward from the known mineralization at the Mammoth breccia and Keel zone to below Old Reliable (Figure 3).

Drill hole FCD-24-053 was collared east of Old Reliable and drilled to the south-southeast (Figures 1 and 3). Mineralization is associated with bornite and chalcopyrite bearing veins with narrow sericite-biotite-K-feldspar alteration halos and the hole ends in mineralization. This type of bornite-rich, vein-hosted mineralization is known to be associated with high-grade mineralization and elevated gold grades at Keel and suggests the potential for other high-grade mineralized centers at depth below known near-surface mineralized breccias in the area.

Old Reliable was the site of small-scale underground mining for copper and molybdenum prior to World War II. Starting in the 1970s, an experimental in-situ leach operation recovered some of the near-surface copper oxide mineralization. The sulphide-hosted mineralization remains in place. During the 1990s, densely spaced vertical drilling led to resource definition to approximately 200 m below surface. Several of those drill holes end in mineralization and the resource is open at depth and laterally. Additional follow up drilling is planned for this area.

Drill hole FCD-24-054 was collared north of Old Reliable and drilled to the southwest (Figures 1 and 4). The hole was designed to test the westward extension of the mineralization outside of the open pit used to constrain the MRE. Mineralization is associated with disseminated and vein-hosted chalcopyrite within granodiorite porphyry. The drill hole intercepted Glory Hole volcanics from surface to 50 m and granodiorite porphyry to 208 m, returning to Glory Hole volcanics to 295 m and granodiorite for the last 12 m. Dominant alteration associated with the mineralization is sericite with kaolinite. Similar alteration is present in the Old Reliable breccia (as discussed in a news release dated April 10, 2024).

Figure 1: Plan View Showing Surface Geology and Location of Drill Holes

Figure 2: Cross Section Showing Drill Hole FCD-24-048 at Area 51

Figure 3: Isometric View Showing Drill Hole FCD-24-053 at Keel West

Note: The open pit shells and underground footprint are based on constraints used in the MRE as presented in the report titled "Copper Creek Project NI 43-101 Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment" with an effective date of May 3, 2023 (the "Technical Report") available on the Company's website at www.faradaycopper.com and on the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

Figure 4: Cross Section Showing Drill Hole FCD-24-054 at Old Reliable

Note: The open pit shell is based on constraints used in the MRE as presented in the Technical Report available on the Company's website at www.faradaycopper.com and on the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

Table 1: Selected Drill Results from Copper Creek

Drill Hole ID From To Length True Width Cu Au Ag Mo (m) (m) (m) (m) (%) (g/t) (g/t) (%) FCD-24-053 820.62 1,007.52 186.90 186 0.32 0.02 0.99 0.0064 including 820.62 872.07 51.45 51 0.50 0.01 1.39 0.0071 FCD-24-054 55.53 125.88 70.35 70 0.29 N/A 1.31 0.0002 including 65.84 77.74 11.90 11 0.53 N/A 2.56 0.0001 FCD-24-056 48.55 90.60 42.05 28 0.41 0.02 1.19 0.0003 FCD-24-051 No significant intercepts FCD-24-055 No significant intercepts

Note: All intercepts are reported as downhole drill widths. Mineralization includes bulk porphyry style and breccia mineralization true widths are approximate due to the irregular shape of mineralized domains. N/A: Not analyzed.

Table 2: Collar Locations from the Drill Holes Reported Herein

Drill Hole ID Easting Northing Elevation Azimuth Dip Target Depth Depth (m) () () (ft) (m) FCD-24-053 547894 3624015 1169 155 55 Keel W 3,070.9 1,007.52 FCD-24-054 547784 3624164 1218 228 46 Old Reliable 936.5 307.24 FCD-24-056 549747 3622351 1384 205 48 Eclipse 568.8 186.63 FCD-24-051 549560 3622527 1324 197 45 Ziltoid 752.5 246.89 FCD-24-055 549765 3622252 1391 305 65 Eclipse 1,118.9 367.10

Note: Coordinates are given as World Geodetic System 84, Universal Transverse Mercator Zone 12 north (WGS84, UTM12N).

Next Steps

Phase III drilling continues and is focussed on three objectives:

Reconnaissance drilling on new targets;

Expanding the MRE; and

Better delineating high-grade mineralized zones.

As part of the Phase III program, twenty-seven drill holes have been completed and results for nineteen have been released. Thirteen holes were drilled in Area 51, three in the Copper Prince-Copper Giant area, eight in the Bald-American Eagle area and three near Old Reliable. Current focus of drilling is on the near-surface breccias in the American Eagle area.

Sampling Methodology, Chain of Custody, Quality Control and Quality Assurance

All sampling was conducted under the supervision of the Company's geologists and the chain of custody from Copper Creek to the independent sample preparation facility, ALS Laboratories in Tucson, AZ, was continuously monitored. The samples were taken as  core, over 2 m core length. Samples were crushed, pulverized and sample pulps were analyzed using industry standard analytical methods including a 4-Acid ICP-MS multielement package and an ICP-AES method for high-grade copper samples. Gold was analyzed on a 30 g aliquot by fire assay with an ICP-AES finish. A certified reference sample was inserted every 20th sample. Coarse and fine blanks were inserted every 20th sample. Approximately 5% of the core samples were cut into  core and submitted as field duplicates. On top of internal QA-QC protocol, additional blanks, reference materials and duplicates were inserted by the analytical laboratory according to their procedure. Data verification of the analytical results included a statistical analysis of the standards and blanks that must pass certain parameters for acceptance to ensure accurate and verifiable results.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Faraday's VP Exploration, Dr. Thomas Bissig, P. Geo., who is a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101").

About Faraday Copper

Faraday Copper is a Canadian exploration company focused on advancing its flagship copper project in Arizona, U.S. The Copper Creek Project is one of the largest undeveloped copper projects in North America with significant district scale exploration potential. The Company is well-funded to deliver on its key milestones and benefits from a management team and board of directors with senior mining company experience and expertise. Faraday trades on the TSX under the symbol "FDY".

For additional information please contact:

Stacey Pavlova, CFA

Vice President, Investor Relations & Communications

Faraday Copper Corp.

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Website: www.faradaycopper.com

To receive news releases by e-mail, please register using the Faraday website at www.faradaycopper.com.

Cautionary Note on Forward Looking Statements

Some of the statements in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are "forward-looking statements" and are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and are necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Faraday to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements and forward-looking information specifically include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the exploration potential of the Copper Creek property.

Although Faraday believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements should not be in any way construed as guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include without limitation: market prices for metals; the conclusions of detailed feasibility and technical analyses; lower than expected grades and quantities of mineral resources; receipt of regulatory approval; receipt of shareholder approval; mining rates and recovery rates; significant capital requirements; price volatility in the spot and forward markets for commodities; fluctuations in rates of exchange; taxation; controls, regulations and political or economic developments in the countries in which Faraday does or may carry on business; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, competition; loss of key employees; rising costs of labour, supplies, fuel and equipment; actual results of current exploration or reclamation activities; accidents; labour disputes; defective title to mineral claims or property or contests over claims to mineral properties; unexpected delays and costs inherent to consulting and accommodating rights of Indigenous peoples and other groups; risks, uncertainties and unanticipated delays associated with obtaining and maintaining necessary licenses, permits and authorizations and complying with permitting requirements, including those associated with the Copper Creek property; and uncertainties with respect to any future acquisitions by Faraday. In addition, there are risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining, including environmental events and hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations, pressures, cave-ins, flooding and the risk of inadequate insurance or inability to obtain insurance to cover these risks as well as "Risk Factors" included in Faraday's disclosure documents filed on and available at www.sedarplus.ca.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such an offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction. This press release is not, and under no circumstances is to be construed as, a prospectus, an offering memorandum, an advertisement or a public offering of securities in Faraday in Canada, the United States or any other jurisdiction. No securities commission or similar authority in Canada or in the United States has reviewed or in any way passed upon this press release, and any representation to the contrary is an offence.
Vancouver, British Columbia. May 14, 2024 - TheNewswire - Northern Lights Resources Corp. (Northern Lights or the Company) (CSE: NLR, OTC: NLRCF) is pleased to announce it has executed an option agreement to acquire a 100% interest in the Caldera Copper Project located in Lincoln County, Nevada (the Caldera Option) (See Figure 1).

Highlights

Exploration stage project acquired in Southeast Nevada along the southern extension of Battle Mountain Eureka trend.

The Caldera project consists of total 55 BLM mineral claims with a total area of 418 hectares.

The Caldera Project is highly prospective for copper porphyry, copper skarn, and IOCG mineralization.

No modern exploration in the area. Numerous historic workings focussed on copper and iron mineralization.

Initial rock sampling shows copper grades up to 6% copper with highly anomalous levels of Ag, Mo, Sn, Wo.

Northern Lights, CEO, Jason Bahnsen commented The Caldera Project is an exciting addition to our project portfolio that includes the 100% owned Secret Pass Gold Project in Arizona and exposure to the Medicine Springs Project being developed by Reyna Silver. The Caldera project is located in a relatively unexplored area of Nevada. There is significant copper mineralization observed in outcrops and around historic workings. Northern Lights is planning to begin an immediate exploration program at Caldera that will include mapping, geochemistry soil sampling, and geophysics.

The Caldera Project consists of a core group of five BLM mineral claims with a total area of 41.80 hectares. Concurrent with the execution of the Caldera Option, Northern Lights announces that it has staked an additional 50 mining claims contiguous with the Caldera Option claims with an area of 376.24 hectares. In total, the Caldera Project now consists of 50 claims with a total area of 418.04 hectares (See Figure 2).

The Caldera Project is a copper exploration project located along the southern extension of the Battle Mountain  Eureka trend in Lincoln County, Nevada. The Caldera Project is located in the historic Little Mountain mining district, an area with several historic mine workings but has not been subject to modern exploration techniques. The Caldera Project hosts outcropping high-grade copper and iron mineralization with anomalous multi element geochemistry that has potential to host copper porphyry, skarn, and IOCG mineralization.

Geology

The Caldera Project lies along the northern margin of the Caliente Caldera complex (80 x 30km) (See Figure 3). The mineralization at Caldera is mapped on the contact between the Miocene to Palaeocene diorite/monzonite porphyry intrusives and younger Tertiary volcanics (intermediate and rhyolite lave flows, and ash-fall tuffs).

There is evidence of skarn mineralization in a small outcrop of pre-Tertiary carbonate along a diorite contact. Diorite is locally sheared and is weakly chloritized with more intense alteration along the shear zones where it is altered to clay. Most of the shear zones in the area strike northwest.

The Caldera project lies within the Little Mountain historic mining district (Cu, Mo, Ag) (purple dashed line in Figure 3). Several historic prospects have been identified in the andesite and diorite contact and mineralization occurs in or near the stock. Malachite and chrysocolla as well as native copper have been identified along the southern mineral occurrence and on the project site. Historically, rocks sampled at site were found to contain as much as 4% Cu and average 1.5-2% Cu. The highest reported silver sample is 438 g/t with grab samples reported to be 3% Cu, 0.15% Pb, and 0.07% Zn.

Caldera has a similar geochemical signature and age as deposits mined in nearby districts which suggests that the project could be an extension of the NW-SE mineralization of the Battle Mountain-Eureka Trend and multiple Cu producing districts to the northwest. Existing roads on the project go by known occurrences and historical workings which will provide easy access to the property.

Rock Samples

During 2020, approximately 20 rock samples were collected on the Caldera mineral claims. Selected assay results are shown in Table 1. Grades of up to 6% Cu from samples containing chalcopyrite and bornite.

Table 1  Selected Rock Samples

NLR geologist, Lee Beasley visited the Caldera Project in April 2024 and collected an additional six samples of rocks containing copper oxides in fine-grained, silica-rich intrusives from around the historic mine workings. Assays pending.

Key Option Agreement Terms

Northern Lights has executed a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the Caldra Project mineral claims (the Project) from Syncline Consulting LLC and Nedeel LLC (the Optionors) over a 4-year option period.

Key terms of the agreement include:

Total cumulative work expenditures on the Project of US$250,000 by 1 September 2028 including US$25,000 by 31 December 2024, US$100,000 by 1 September 2026;

Cash consideration of US$10,000 to be paid following the completion of NLRs next equity financing;

Equity consideration of 2 million common shares of NLR to be paid to the Optionors by 1 October 2026;

Advance royalty payments of US$15,000 per annum for five years (2029) increasing to US$30,000 per annum for subsequent five years (2035), increasing to US$60,000 from 2036;

Net Smelter Return (NSR) of 2% over a three-kilometre area of interest from the Caldera mineral claims with a 1% NSR buyback for US$1,000,000 until 31 December 2035.

The Optionors are unrelated parties to Northern Lights.

Figure 1  Caldera Project Location

Figure 2  Project Caldera Claims and Rock Sample Locations

Figure 3  Caldera Project Geology

Qualified Person Statement

Information in this report relating to Exploration Results is based on information reviewed by Mr. Lee R. Beasley, a Certified Professional Geologist who is a Member of the American Institute of Professional Geologists, and a consultant to Northern Lights Resources. Mr. Beasley has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralization and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person for the purposes of NI43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. Beasley consents to the inclusion of the data in the form and context in which it appears.

Albert Timcke, Executive Chairman and President

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tel: +1 604 608 6163

Jason Bahnsen, Chief Executive Officer

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tel: +1 604 608 6163

About Northern Lights Resources Corp.

Northern Lights Resources Corp is a growth-oriented exploration and development company that is advancing two projects: The 100% owned, Secret Pass Gold Project located in Arizona. Northern Lights also has exposure to the Medicine Springs Project in Nevada via an equity position in Reyna Silver Corp plus a 1% future NSR royalty on the Medicine Springs Project.

Northern Lights Resources trades under the ticker of NLR on the CSE. This and other Northern Lights Resources news releases can be viewed at www.sedar.com and www.northernlightsresources.com.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain forward-looking statements under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: the terms and conditions of the proposed private placement; use of funds; the business and operations of the Company after the proposed closing of the Offering. There is no assurance any further advances of funds from the Investor will be forthcoming. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; delay or failure to receive board, shareholder or regulatory approvals; and the uncertainties surrounding the mineral exploration industry. 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. 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, except as required by law.




Highlights:

First Results for 2024 Drill Program Return Best Ever Intersect from 4-T Trend, 400 meters East of Main Zone

Drilling Intersects 56.4 meters of 1.0 g/t Au, 18.3 meters from Surface in Drillhole JES-24-77

Including 9.2 meters of 5.3 g/t Au, 27.5 meters from surface

Top 5 Drill Result from Tocvan Programs to Date JES-20-32, 94.6m of 1.6 g/t Au and 9 g/t Ag (RC) JES-22-59, 116.9m of 1.2 g/t Au and 7 g/t Ag (Core) JES-22-62, 108.6m of 0.8 g/t Au and 3 g/t Ag (Core) JES-20-36, 24.2m of 2.5 g/t Au and 73 g/t Ag (RC) NEW - JES-24-77, 56.4m of 1.0 g/t Au and 1 g/t Ag (RC)

Opens Up Resource Potential Along Eastern Corridor

Additional Results Pending

CALGARY, AB / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / Tocvan Ventures Corp. (the "Company") (CSE:TOC)(OTCQB:TCVNF)(FSE:TV3), is pleased to announce first drill results from its 2024 Reverse Circulation (RC) drill program at its road accessible Pilar Gold-Silver project in mine-friendly Sonora, Mexico. A total of 1,825.4 meters has been drilled to date in 15 drillholes.

Results today are highlighted by drillhole JES-24-77 which returned 56.4 meters of 1.0 g/t Au from 18.3 meters vertical depth, including 9.2 meters of 5.3 g/t Au. The entire length of the hole returned anomalous gold values averaging 76.3 meters of 0.8 g/t Au. A high-grade center to the mineralized zone returned 5.3 g/t Au and 3 g/t Ag over 9.2 meters, including 1.5 meters of 26.7 g/t Au. Like the Main Zone, the 4-T trend is exposed at surface along a rounded ridge top, allowing the potential for a low strip ratio during early development. The hole tested near-surface mineralization and was stopped at 76.3 meters, mineralization at 4-T remains open at depth.

Results for eleven drill holes are currently pending analysis, including holes further northwest, along the 4-T trend.

"We are extremely excited with the results today highlighting the additional resource potential that exists along the several parallel trends to the Main Zone which we believe can be tied together into a sizable area." commented Brodie Sutherland, CEO. "Today's results are the best from the 4-T Trend to date and rank as a top five drill intersect in Tocvan's history of drilling at Pilar. Gold mineralization intersected in hole JES-24-77 is close to surface, projecting to workings exposed along a low rolling ridgeline much like the Main Zone. This allows for low-strip ratio potential in future mine development, reducing costs for extraction. We are confident the 4-T Trend will continue to develop into another key resource area for Pilar, being just 400 meters from the heart of our Main Zone. Part of our bulk sample was extracted from 4-T adding to that confidence of resource viability. More results from the trend are pending. As for our exploration drill targets, it is still early in testing these areas and the data available suggests more work is needed to fully evaluate and target mineralization. Surface mapping and geochemistry strongly suggests the known trends extend to the southeast and northwest, while new trends have yet to be tested. Recent sampling across the expansion area supports this thesis, indicating much more is to be uncovered."

Figure 1. Summary map of today's drill highlight and surrounding surface results. JES-24-77 returned 56.4m of 1.0 g/t Au, 400m east of the Main Zone trend.

In addition, three exploration holes on the southeastern flanks of known mineralization (JES-24-74, 75 and 76) are also included in this release, testing known areas of significant surface mineralization. Although anomalous intervals were encountered, no significant mineralization has been recorded yet.

Discussion of Results

JES-24-77

The drillhole targeted near surface mineralization vertically below the Four Trench (4-T) prospect. The Prospect gets its name from four trenches completed historically across a known area of artisanal underground workings. The prospect was first drilled in 1996 by Santa Catalina, a Lundin Company evaluating Pilar. First drilling hit 7.5 meters of 3.3 g/t Au and 31 g/t Ag in drillhole K-16 (hole was stopped at 7.5m). Follow-up drilling over 15 years later by a private operator returned 30.5 meters of 0.7 g/t Au (JESP-18). In 2021, Tocvan drilled 15.3 meters of 1.1 g/t Au along the same ridgeline 300 meters to the northwest. The result released today from JES-24-77 is the most significant result along the 4-T trend drilled to date and ranks as the fifth best drill result ever from the over 60 drillholes Tocvan has completed thus far at Pilar. JES-24-77 was a vertical drillhole testing the down-dip projection of surface mineralization, successfully intersecting several zones of low-grade gold and silver and one high-grade zone. Follow-up work is to be completed along this developing trend.

Exploration Drill Results

Drillholes JES-24-74 and 75 tested an area southeast of the Main Zone where local surface mineralization hosted along structures and veins had returned 5.1 g/t Au and 24 g/t Ag. Although no significant mineralization was recorded in these holes, anomalous values of silver warrant further investigation. Drillhole JES-24-76 tested the southernmost flank of the 4-T trend, alteration and veining was recorded in logging although no significant mineralization was recorded.

Figure 2. Pilar Project Planview map showing the southern block made up of the Pilar Main Zone and the newly discovered placer source with additional gold-silver mineralization extending to the south. Within the northern block, a large alteration zone that spans 3.3 km by 1.5 km (North Alteration Zone) has returned high-grade gold and silver values in the first few sampling programs across the newly acquired area.

Table 1. Summary of Drill Results Released Today from Pilar Project Drill Hole JES-24-77.

All interval lengths are drilled widths.

Table 2. Drillhole locations released today.

About the Pilar Property

The Pilar Gold-Silver property has returned some of the regions best drill results. Coupled with encouraging gold and silver recovery results from metallurgical test work, Pilar is primed to be a potential near-term producer. Pilar is interpreted as a structurally controlled low-sulphidation epithermal system hosted in andesite rocks. Initially three primary zones of mineralization were identified on the original property from historic surface work and drilling and are referred to as the Main Zone, North Hill and 4-T. Each trend remains open to the southeast and north and new parallel zones have been discovered. Structural features and zones of mineralization within the structures follow an overall NW-SE trend of mineralization. Mineralization extends along a 1.2-km trend, only half of that trend has been drill tested so far. The Company has now expanded its interest in the area by consolidating 22 square-kilometers of highly prospective ground where it has already made significant surface discoveries.

Pilar Drill Highlights:

2022 Phase III Diamond Drilling Highlights include (all lengths are drilled thicknesses):

116.9m @ 1.2 g/t Au, including 10.2m @ 12 g/t Au and 23 g/t Ag

108.9m @ 0.8 g/t Au, including 9.4m @ 7.6 g/t Au and 5 g/t Ag

63.4m @ 0.6 g/t Au and 11 g/t Ag, including 29.9m @ 0.9 g/t Au and 18 g/t Ag

2021 Phase II RC Drilling Highlights include ( all lengths are drilled thicknesses ):

39.7m @ 1.0 g/t Au, including 1.5m @ 14.6 g/t Au

47.7m @ 0.7 g/t Au including 3m @ 5.6 g/t Au and 22 g/t Ag

29m @ 0.7 g/t Au

35.1m @ 0.7 g/t Au

2020 Phase I RC Drilling Highlights include (all lengths are drilled thicknesses):

94.6m @ 1.6 g/t Au, including 9.2m @ 10.8 g/t Au and 38 g/t Ag;

41.2m @ 1.1 g/t Au, including 3.1m @ 6.0 g/t Au and 12 g/t Ag ;

24.4m @ 2.5 g/t Au and 73 g/t Ag, including 1.5m @ 33.4 g/t Au and 1,090 g/t Ag

15,000m of Historic Core & RC drilling. Highlights include:

21.0m @ 38.3 g/t Au and 38 g/t Ag

13.0m @ 9.6 g/t Au

9.0m @ 10.2 g/t Au and 46 g/t Ag

61.0m @ 0.8 g/t Au

Pilar Bulk Sample Summary:

62% Recovery of Gold Achieved Over 46-day Leaching Period

Head Grade Calculated at 1.9 g/t Au and 7 g/t Ag; Extracted Grade Calculated at 1.2 g/t Au and 3 g/t Ag

Bulk Sample Only Included Coarse Fraction of Material (+3/4" to +1/8")

Fine Fraction (-1/8") Indicates Rapid Recovery with Agitated Leach

Agitated Bottle Roll Test Returned Rapid and High Recovery Results: 80% Recovery of Gold and 94% Recovery of Silver after Rapid 24-hour Retention Time

Additional Metallurgical Studies:

Gravity Recovery with Agitated Leach Results of Five Composite Samples Returned

95 to 99% Recovery of Gold

73 to 97% Recovery of Silver

Includes the Recovery of 99% Au and 73% Ag from Drill Core Composite at 120-meter depth.

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.

Quality Assurance / Quality Control

RC samples were shipped for sample preparation to ALS Limited in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico and for analysis at the ALS laboratory in North Vancouver. The ALS Hermosillo and North Vancouver facilities are ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 17025 certified. Gold was analyzed using 50-gram nominal weight fire assay with atomic absorption spectroscopy finish. Over limits for gold (>10 g/t), were analyzed using fire assay with a gravimetric finish. Silver and other elements were analyzed using a four-acid digestion with an ICP finish. Over limit analyses for silver (>100 g/t) were re-assayed using an ore-grade four-acid digestion with ICP-AES finish. Control samples comprising certified reference samples and blank samples were systematically inserted into the sample stream and analyzed as part of the Company's robust quality assurance / quality control protocol.

Brodie A. Sutherland, CEO for Tocvan Ventures 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.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

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 4A4

403-829-9877

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Howard Group

Jeff Walker

VP Howard Group Inc.

403-221-0915

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RENO, Nev., May 13, 2024 /CNW/ - i-80 GOLD CORP. (TSX: IAU) (NYSE: IAUX) ("i-80", or the "Company") reports its operating and financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2024. i-80's unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements ("Financial Statements"), as well as i-80's Management's Discussion and Analysis of Operations and Financial Condition ("MD&A") for the three months ended March 31, 2024, are available on the Company's website at www.i80gold.com, on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca, and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.

Unless otherwise stated, all amounts referred to herein are in U.S. dollars (C$ represents Canadian dollars).

2024 FIRST QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

Gold sales of 2,486 ounces at a realized gold price of $2,083 per ounce sold 1 .

per ounce sold . 10,167 tons of mineralized material sold for total revenues of $3.2 million .

. Continued drilling of polymetallic mineralization at the Ruby Hill mine (4,032 feet).

Continued underground core drilling delineation of the CSD Gap and Helen zones at the McCoy-Cove project (3,594 feet).

Completed non-brokered private placement of common shares for aggregate gross proceeds of C$23.5 million .

. March 31, 2024 cash balance of $13.1 million and $39.0 million in restricted cash.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Bought Deal Public Offering

On May 1, 2024, the Company completed a bought deal public offering of an aggregate of 69,698,050 units (each, a "Unit") at a price of C$1.65 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of approximately C$115 million (the "Offering"). Each unit consisted of one common share of the Company and one-half of one common share purchase warrant of the Company (each whole Common Share purchase warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant is exercisable to acquire one common share for a period of 48 months from closing of the Offering at an exercise price of C$2.15 per share. The Offering was completed pursuant to a short form prospectus dated April 25, 2024 (the "Prospectus").

"The extension of the delivery requirements under the gold prepay and silver purchase agreements with Orion Mine Finance coupled with the recently completed bought deal public Offering, significantly enhance our financial flexibility and positions the Company to continue to execute on its plans", stated Ryan Snow, Chief Financial Officer of i-80. "We continue to advance exploration and definition drilling at Granite Creek and McCoy-Cove and permitting activities at our projects allowing the Company to advance our projects towards the ultimate goal of building a mid-tier Nevada focused producer."

Three months ended

March 31, (in thousands of U.S. dollars, unless otherwise noted) 2024 2023 Revenue 8,413 4,548 Cost of sales(1) (7,904) (6,542) Depletion, depreciation and amortization(1) (377) (1,421) Mine operating income (loss) 132 (3,415) Expenses Exploration, evaluation, and pre-development 2,782 8,979 General and administrative 4,578 5,191 Property maintenance 3,405 2,449 Share-based payments 530 1,308 Operating loss (11,163) (21,342) (1) For the three months ended March 31, 2024, includes an inventory impairment of nil (2023 - $4.0 million)

Production and sales totaled 2,486 gold ounces for the quarter at a realized gold price of $2,083 per ounce sold1. Additionally, mineralized material sales totaled 10,167 tons for the quarter for proceeds of $3.2 million.

Exploration, evaluation, and pre-development costs were $2.8 million for the quarter. This expenditure mainly reflects the exploration and pre-development work at McCoy-Cove and Ruby Hill.

Granite Creek

Highlights for the three months ended March 31, 2024, include:

10,167 tons of mineralized material sold under the Ore Sale Agreement for proceeds of $3.2 million .

. 28,500 tons of mineralized material added to stockpile, bringing the total stockpile material to 37,907 tons before sales.

3,178 feet of horizontal development.

Management of increased groundwater inflows into the underground workings continues to be a top priority. Dewatering Well #6 was completed and is in operation, and a second contact water discharge line was commissioned from the underground workings.

McCoy-Cove

The Cove deposit and the McCoy-Cove Property is expected to be the core asset in the Company's "hub and spoke" business plan and likely the highest-grade gold deposit in i-80's portfolio. During the quarter the Company achieved high grade infill drilling results at Helen and Gap Zones with 3,594 feet of total drilling completed.

Ruby Hill

During the quarter drilling at Ruby Hill was focused on infill drilling of the Hilltop zones for metallurgical sampling in relation to the previously announced potential joint venture. 4,032 feet of core drilling was completed during the quarter, fully funded by the potential joint venture partner in order to complete due diligence during the exclusivity period. Drilling highlights for the quarter include:

0.2% Zn, 6.3% Pb, 180.0 g/t Ag & 2.2 g/t Au Over 5.0 m in hole iRH24-01

in hole iRH24-01 6.2% Zn, 5.6% Pb, 198.0 g/t Ag & 1.0 g/t Au Over 3.6 m and 13.4% Zn, 2.5% Pb, 93.7 g/t Ag, & 0.6 g/t Au over 5.5 m in hole iRH24-02

and 13.4% Zn, 2.5% Pb, 93.7 g/t Ag, & 0.6 g/t Au over in hole iRH24-02 13.7% Zn, 0.6% Cu, & 17.5 g/t Ag Over 57.8 m in hole iRH24-03

Residual leaching activities at Ruby Hill produced and sold 444 ounces of gold during the quarter at a realized gold price of $2,016 per ounce sold1. As the heap leach pad is nearing the end of its production cycle the Company continues to analyze the breakeven cost and anticipates that the heap leach pad will cease production in 2024.

Lone Tree

Lone Tree is expected to become the hub of i-80's Nevada operations and the central processing facility for gold mineralization from the Granite Creek, McCoy-Cove and Ruby Hill underground gold deposits. Importantly, Lone Tree is host to infrastructure that, following successful refurbishment efforts, will position i-80 as one of only three companies in the United States capable of processing both oxide and refractory mineralization.

During the quarter the Company continued its review of the value engineering studies and total refurbishment costs for the autoclave.

Lone Tree produced and sold from its residual leaching activities 2,042 ounces of gold during the quarter at a realized gold price of $2,097 per ounce sold1.

AGM & Investor Day Presentation

The Company will hold an "Investor Day" presentation immediately following its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on May 14, 2024, being held at Bennett Jones LLP office  100 King St W Suite 3400, Toronto in the Canada Boardroom on the 34th floor. The inperson AGM will begin at 4:00pm EST followed by the Investor Day presentation commencing at 4:30pm EST. The presentation can also be accessed via a conference call and webcast (details below). Investors are invited to attend the event inperson where they can meet and discuss details with members of i-80's Board of Directors and Management Team.

Conference Call Participant Details Webcast URL: https://app.webinar.net/eb85pbLyxrG Phone Number Information: North American Toll-free: 1-888-664-6383 Local Toronto: 1-416-764-8650

Qualified Persons

Tyler Hill, CPG-12146, Chief Geologist, and Tim George, PE, Mining Operations Manager, at i-80 have reviewed this press release and are the Qualified Persons for the information contained herein and are a "Qualified Person" within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101.

About i-80 Gold Corp.

i-80 Gold Corp. is a Nevada-focused mining company with a goal of achieving mid-tier gold producer status through the development of multiple deposits within the Company's advanced-stage property portfolio with processing at i-80's centralized milling facilities. i-80 Gold's common shares are listed on the TSX and the NYSE American under the trading symbol IAU:TSX and IAUX:NYSE. Further information about i-80 Gold's portfolio of assets and long-term growth strategy is available at www.i80gold.com or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Forward-looking information

Certain statements in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including but not limited to, actual production results and costs, results of operation outcomes and timing of updated technical studies at the Company's mineral projects, timing to advance mineral projects to production and advance permitting and feasibility work on its mineral projects and future production, development and exploration results, the expectation that Lone Tree will become the hub of i-80's Nevada operations and the central processing facility for gold mineralization from the Granite Creek, McCoy-Cove and Ruby Hill underground gold deposits; and the expectation that the Cove deposit and the McCoy-Cove Property will be the core asset in the Company's "hub and spoke" business plan and likely the highest-grade gold deposit in i-80's portfolio. Such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company, its projects, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict" and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events, performance and results and speak only as of the date of this release.

Forward-looking statements and information involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indicators of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements or information, including, but not limited to: material adverse changes, unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts with the company to perform as agreed; social or labor unrest; changes in commodity prices; and the failure of exploration programs or studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued exploration, studies, development or operations. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to i-80's filings with Canadian securities regulators, including the most recent Annual Information Form, available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

NON-IFRS FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES

The Company has included certain terms or performance measures commonly used in the mining industry that are not defined under IFRS in this document. These include: adjusted net earnings and average realized price per ounce. Non-IFRS financial performance measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS, and therefore, they may not be comparable to similar measures employed by other companies. The data presented is intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures prepared in accordance with IFRS and should be read in conjunction with the Company's Financial Statements.

Definitions

Adjusted earnings / (loss) and adjusted earnings / (loss) per share excludes from net earnings / (loss) significant write-down adjustments and the gain / (loss) from financing instruments.

Average realized gold price represents the sales price of gold per ounce before deducting mining royalties, treatment and refining charges and gains or losses derived from the offtake agreement with Orion.

Average realized gold price per ounce of gold sold

Average realized gold price per ounce of gold sold is a non-IFRS measure and does not constitute a measure recognized by IFRS and does not have a standardized meaning defined by IFRS. It may not be comparable to information in other gold producers' reports and filings.

Three months ended

March 31, (in thousands of U.S. dollars, unless otherwise noted) 2024 2023 Nevada production Revenue per financial statements $ 8,413 4,548 Mineralized material sales revenue $ (3,198)  Revenue without mineralized material sales (i) $ 5,215 4,548 Silver revenue from mining operations $ (37) (20) Gold revenue from mining operations $ 5,178 4,528 Ounces of gold sold ounce 2,486 2,349 Average realized gold price $/ounce 2,083 1,928 Lone Tree Revenue per financial statements $ 4,302 1,305 Silver revenue from mining operations $ (19) (4) Gold revenue from mining operations $ 4,283 1,301 Ounces of gold sold ounce 2,042 663 Average realized gold price $/ounce 2,097 1,962 Ruby Hill Revenue per financial statements $ 913 2,382 Silver revenue from mining operations $ (18) (16) Gold revenue from mining operations $ 895 2,366 Ounces of gold sold ounce 444 1,242 Average realized gold price $/ounce 2,016 1,905 Granite Creek Revenue per financial statements $ 3,198 861 Mineralized material sales revenue $ (3,198)  Revenue without mineralized material sales (i) $  861 Silver revenue from mining operations $   Gold revenue from mining operations $  861 Ounces of gold sold ounce  444 Average realized gold price $/ounce  1,939 (i) Does not include revenue from mineralized material sales.



Adjusted loss

Adjusted loss and adjusted loss per share are non-IFRS measures that the Company considers to better reflect normalized earnings because it eliminates non-recurring items. Certain items that become applicable in a period may be adjusted for, with the Company retroactively presenting comparable periods with an adjustment for such items and conversely, items no longer applicable may be removed from the calculation. Neither adjusted loss nor adjusted loss per share have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies.

The following table shows a reconciliation of adjusted loss to the net earnings / (loss) for each period. Adjusted loss and adjusted loss per share exclude a number of temporary or one-time items detailed in the following table:

Three months ended

March 31, (in thousands of U.S. dollars, unless otherwise noted)(i) 2024 2023 Net loss for the period $ (15,716) $ (13,118) Adjust for: Gain on warrants 2,630 5,568 Gain on convertible loans 6,115 8,366 Loss on deferred consideration  (427) Loss on fair value measurement of gold prepay derivative (3,498) (3,091) Loss on fair value measurement of silver purchase derivative (857) (857) Inventory impairments  (4,025) Total adjustments $ 4,390 $ 5,534 Adjusted loss for the period $ (20,106) $ (18,652) Weighted average shares for the period 305,324 245,603 Adjusted loss per share for the period $ (0.07) $ (0.08)
Including 22.0 g/t Au over 29.0 m, 18.4 g/t Au over 14.4 m & 60.5 g/t Au over 4.1 m

RENO, Nev., May 14, 2024 /CNW/ - i-80 GOLD CORP. (TSX: IAU) (NYSE: IAUX) ("i-80", or the "Company") is pleased to announce additional high-grade results from the ongoing drill program to define mineralization in the upper part of the South Pacific Zone at the Company's Granite Creek Property ("Granite Creek" or "the Property") located in Humboldt County, Nevada.

The new results are from seven new holes drilled in the underground campaign focused on the delineation of mineralization within the South Pacific Zone ("SPZ"). The SPZ is located immediately north of the current mine workings and is expected to become the primary zone for mining (see Figure 1). Initial stopes in the SPZ are being planned for H1-2024 once mine workings are extended to provide access.

The underground drill program is focused on the southern and upper part of the deposit, where initial mining is planned. Results from the underground program continue to demonstrate continuity of high-grade mineralization with some of the best results received to-date in the South Pacific Zone.

Highlight results from the most recent seven new underground drill holes testing the South Pacific Zone at Granite Creek include:

GCPU23-33: 17.7 g/t Au over 7.0 m

GCPU23-45A: 27.2 g/t Au over 4.0 m

GCPU24-01: 18.1 g/t Au over 14.4 m

GCPU24-02: 22.0 g/t Au over 29.0 m

GCPU24-04: 11.0 g/t Au over 22.4 m

GCPU24-04: 60.5 g/t Au over 4.1 m

"The ongoing surface and underground drilling program at Granite Creek continues to confirm impressive high-grade gold mineralization, including over substantial widths.", stated Tyler Hill, Chief Geologist of i80. "Importantly, the South Pacific Zone is expected to become the primarily source of mineralization at Granite Creek and remains open along strike to the north and at depth, providing considerable upside."

Table 1  Summary Assay Results from South Pacific Zone Underground Drilling

Drillhole ID Zone Type From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au (g/t) GCPU23-33 SPZ Core 75.0 75.7 0.7 37.7 And SPZ Core 158.2 161.2 3.0 8.9 And SPZ Core 194.8 195.7 0.9 37.3 And SPZ Core 206.7 213.7 7.0 17.7 GCPU23-44 SPZ Core 92.2 92.8 0.6 10.5 GCPU23-45A SPZ Core 168.2 172.2 4.0 27.2 GCPU24-01 SPZ Core 34.3 36.0 1.6 14.7 And SPZ Core 153.7 168.0 14.4 18.1 GCPU24-02 SPZ Core 200.9 229.8 29.0 22.0 GCPU24-03 SPZ Core 8.2 9.0 0.8 18.3 GCPU24-04 SPZ Core 181.2 203.6 22.4 11.0 And SPZ Core 208.5 210.0 1.5 14.6 And SPZ Core 214.6 215.8 1.2 23.9 And SPZ Core 219.9 224.0 4.1 60.5

True widths estimated 10-50%

Table 1a - Collar Coordinates UTM Drillhole ID East m North m Elevation m Azimuth Dip NAD83

Zone

11 GCPU23-33 478223 4554278 1328 046 -40 GCPU23-44 478223 4554278 1328 052 -47 GCPU23-45A 478223 4554277 1328 076 -57 GCPU24-01 478223 4554276 1329 096 -62 GCPU24-02 478223 4554277 1328 057 -77 GCPU24-03 478224 4554277 1328 067 -75 GCPU24-04 478224 4554278 1328 055 -51

With its improved financial position, the Company is in the process of ramping up a large-scale surface drill program to complete further definition and expansion drilling of the SPZ in advance of an updated resource estimate and Feasibility Study for the Granite Creek Property. Four (4) drill rigs will be used to complete this program. Additionally, the main decline is being extended to provide access to the SPZ and initial stoping of this new zone is expected mid-year.

The Granite Creek Property is strategically located proximal to Nevada Gold Mines' Turquoise Ridge and Twin Creeks mines at the north end of the Battle Mountain-Eureka Trend, at its intersection with the Getchell gold belt in Nevada (see Figure 2). High-grade mineralization occurs in a near-identical geological setting as that at the multi-million ounce Turquoise Ridge Mine located immediately to the north; proximal to a major regional fault (the Getchell or Range Front fault) on the eastern edge of the large Osgood Mountains intrusive complex. The Granite Creek deposit remains open at depth and along strike.

AGM & Investor Day Presentation

The Company will hold an "Investor Day" presentation immediately following its Annual General Meeting (AGM) today, May 14, 2024, being held at Bennett Jones LLP office  100 King St W Suite 3400, Toronto in the Canada Boardroom on the 34th floor. The inperson AGM will begin at 4:00pm EST followed by the webcasted Investor Day presentation commencing at 4:30pm EST. The presentation can also be accessed via a conference call and webcast (details below). Investors are invited to attend the event inperson where they can meet and discuss details with members of i-80's Board of Directors and Management Team.

Conference Call Participant Details

Webcast URL: https://app.webinar.net/eb85pbLyxrG Phone Number Information: North American Toll-free: 1-888-664-6383 Local Toronto: 1-416-764-8650

QAQC Procedures

All samples were submitted to ALS Minerals (ALS) of Sparks, NV, which is an ISO 9001 and 17025 certified and accredited laboratory, independent of the Company. Samples submitted through ALS are run through standard prep methods and analysed using Au-AA23 (ALS) (Au; 30g fire assay). ALS also undertakes their own internal coarse and pulp duplicate analysis to ensure proper sample preparation and equipment calibration. i-80 Gold Corp's QA/QC program includes regular insertion of CRM standards, duplicates, and blanks into the sample stream with a stringent review of all results.

Qualified Person

Tyler Hill, CPG-12146, Chief Geologist, reviewed the technical and scientific information contained in this press release and is a Qualified Person within the meaning of NI 43-101.

About i-80 Gold Corp.

i-80 Gold Corp. is a Nevada-focused, mining company with a goal of achieving mid-tier gold producer status through the development of multiple deposits within the Company's advanced-stage property portfolio with processing at i-80's centralized milling facilities. i-80 Gold's common shares are listed on the TSX and the NYSE American under the trading symbol IAU:TSX and IAUX:NYSE. Further information about i-80 Gold's portfolio of assets and long-term growth strategy is available at www.i80gold.com or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Certain statements in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including but not limited to, the expansion or mineral resources at Granite Creek and the potential of the Granite Creek project. Such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company, its projects, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict" and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events, performance and results and speak only as of the date of this release.

Forward-looking statements and information involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indicators of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements or information, including, but not limited to: material adverse changes, unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts with the company to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; and the failure of exploration programs or studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued exploration, studies, development or operations.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 14, 2024) - NorthX Nickel Corp. (CSE: NIX) (OTCQB: RCHRD) (FSE: 6YR0) (the "Company" or "NorthX") is pleased to announce that, further to its news release dated April 26, 2024, it has closed its fully-subscribed non-brokered private placement of 9,479,166 units of the Company ("Units") at a price of $0.24 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $2,275,000 (the "Offering").

Each Unit is comprised of one common share of the Company (a "Unit Share") and one common share purchase warrant of the Company (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to acquire one common share of the Company (a "Warrant Share") at a price of $0.36 at any time until May 14, 2027. The Warrants are subject to an accelerated expiry date, which comes into effect after November 14, 2024 if the closing price of the common shares of the Company (the "Common Shares") on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") is equal to or greater than $0.72 for a period of ten consecutive trading days. Should such an event occur, the Company may issue an expiry acceleration notice (the "Notice") to Warrant holders and the expiry date of the Warrants will be deemed to be 30 days from the latest date to occur between the date of the Notice and the date on which the news release announcing the accelerated expiry period is issued.

The gross proceeds from the sale of the Units will be used by the Company for ongoing reclamation work and general corporate purposes. All securities issued in connection with the Offering are subject to a 4-month statutory hold period, in accordance with applicable securities laws and the policies of the CSE.

Strategic Investment by Mason Resources Inc. & Wallbridge Mining Pro Rata Participation

Pursuant to the Offering, Mason Resources Inc. (TSXV: LLG) (OTCQX: MGPHF) ("Mason Resources") acquired 4,166,667 Units (the "Strategic Investment"), representing a 14.6% ownership interest in the Company's issued and outstanding Common Shares on a non-diluted basis and 25.5% on a partially diluted basis assuming the exercise in full of the Warrants issued to Mason Resources. Mason Resources has agreed to restrict its exercise of any Warrants if doing so would result in Mason Resources owning or controlling more than 19.9% of the then issued and outstanding Common Shares. Prior to the Offering, Mason Resources held no securities of the Company.

In connection with the Strategic Investment, the Company entered into an investor rights agreement (the "IRA") with Mason Resources, pursuant to which Mason Resources has been granted certain rights in the event it maintains minimum ownership thresholds in the Company. So long as Mason Resources holds 10% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a non-diluted basis, it will have the right to designate (the "Nomination Right") up to two nominees to the board of directors of NorthX (the "Board"), as well as anti-dilution rights to participate in future financings, including semiannual top-up rights. Mason Resources' Nomination Right will decrease to one nominee in the event that it holds 5% or more (but less than 10%) of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a non-diluted basis.

In addition, Wallbridge Mining Company Limited ("Wallbridge") exercised its pro rata equity participation rights and acquired 1,487,500 Units for gross proceeds of $357,000. Wallbridge now owns 4,494,793 Common Shares and 1,487,500 Warrants, representing 15.8% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares and 19.9% ownership on a partially diluted basis.

Board of Director Changes

The Company is pleased to announce that, pursuant to the IRA, it has appointed Mr. Simon Marcotte and Ms. Adree DeLazzer to its Board. Concurrent with the closing of the Offering, Mr. David Cobbold, the Chair of the Board and director of NorthX, has tendered his resignation. Mr. Marcotte will assume the position of Executive Chair of the Company.

Management of the Company and the Board wish to thank Mr. Cobbold for his contributions to the Company's formation and guidance through this initial phase of its growth.

President and CEO of NorthX, Tom Meyer, stated: "We are delighted to welcome Mason Resources Inc. as a strategic investor of NorthX and we look forward to working with Simon and Adree as we continue to advance the high-grade Grasset Nickel Project in Quebec, Canada. This strategic investment is an endorsement of the quality and value within NorthX's asset portfolio and together with the investor interest we received from existing shareholders, including our major shareholder Wallbridge Mining, will allow the Company to advance technical and corporate initiatives into 2025."

Simon Marcotte, newly appointed Executive Chairman, added: "Partnering with NorthX Nickel marks a pivotal step forward for Mason Resources. This alliance underscores a mutual dedication to advancing the Grasset Nickel Project and maximizing its value. I am excited to serve as Executive Chairman in this promising venture and eagerly anticipate working alongside Tom and the NorthX team."

Simon Marcotte

Mr. Marcotte is President and Chief Executive Officer of Northern Superior Resources Inc., which is advancing several projects in the rapidly emerging Chibougamau Gold Camp in Quebec. He was the founder, President, and CEO of Royal Fox Gold Inc., until its acquisition by Northern Superior Resources in 2022. Mr. Marcotte's played a pivotal role in the launch of Arena Minerals Inc. within the lithium sector and remained instrumental to the company until its acquisition by Lithium Americas Corp. Mr. Marcotte was a co-founder of Mason Graphite Inc., which was renamed Mason Resources following a strategic transaction with Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc., which he spearheaded as an advisor. He is also a director of Freeman Gold Corp., a company he co-founded. Mr. Marcotte has nearly 25 years of experience in the capital markets, including with CIBC World Markets, Sprott & Cormark Securities. Mr. Marcotte is also actively involved in merchant banking activities in the junior mining industry.

Mr. Marcotte is a CFA Charterholder and has a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Sherbrooke.

Adree DeLazzer

Ms. DeLazzer is Vice President Exploration for Northern Superior Resources Inc. since the acquisition of Royal Fox Gold Inc. where she acted as Vice-President Exploration since September 2021. Ms. DeLazzer has been an independent director of Mason Resources since December 2022.

Prior to joining Royal Fox Gold, and ultimately Northern Superior Resources, Ms. DeLazzer was with Kirkland Lake Gold Limited, where she held the position of Superintendent of Geology for the Detour Lake Gold Mine in northeastern Ontario, as well as Exploration Manager responsible for overseeing several multimillion-dollar exploration campaigns covering 1,000 km2 of greenstone belt in the Abitibi. She is a skilled exploration professional geologist who was notably an integral part of the 58N zone discovery, and of the large West Detour exploration campaigns of 2020 and 2021.

Ms. DeLazzer has a B.Sc. in Earth Science from Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and is registered in Ontario as a professional geologist.

Insider Participation

Certain directors and officers of the Company (the "Insiders") participated in the Offering and purchased a total of 541,665 Units. Participation by the Insiders in the Offering is considered a "related party transaction" pursuant to Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company is exempt from the requirements to obtain a formal valuation and minority shareholder approval in connection with the Insiders' participation in the Offering in reliance of sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(a) of MI 61-101, respectively, on the basis that participation in the Offering by the Insiders did not exceed 25% of the fair market value of the Company's market capitalization.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the United States or U.S. persons. 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 to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

About NorthX Nickel

NorthX is a Canadian Ni-Cu-Co-PGE focused exploration and development company with an extensive portfolio of assets in Quebec and Ontario, Canada. The Company's flagship asset is the Grasset Project, located within the Abitibi Greenstone Belt, with an indicated mineral resource of 5.5 Mt @ 1.53% NiEq (such NiEq grade being established based on: 1.22% Ni, 0.13% Cu, 0.03% Co, 0.26 g/t Pt, 0.64 g/t Pd). In addition, the Company holds a portfolio of 37 properties and over 300 km2 in the world-class mining district of Sudbury, Ontario.

The Company's growth strategy is focused on the exploration and development of its nickel sulphide properties within its portfolio. NorthX's vision is to be a responsible nickel sulphide developer in stable pro-mining jurisdictions. NorthX is committed to socially responsible exploration and development, working safely, ethically, and with integrity. For more information, please visit www.northxnickel.com.

Scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Jacquelin Gauthier, P.Geo, Vice President, Exploration of the Company and a qualified person for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. On November 28, 2022, the Company filed a technical report entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report for the Grasset Property, Quebec, Canada", with an effective date of September 2, 2022, which is available on the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

About Mason Resources Inc.

Mason Resources Inc. is a Canadian investment corporation focused on the natural resource sector seeking to make strategic investments primarily in battery-related metals, precious and base metals, and green technologies. The Company holds a significant ownership in Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. (TSXV: NOU) (NYSE: NMG), a graphite development company in Quebec, Canada with multi-year offtakes from Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd. and General Motors Holdings LLC. The Company also is the largest shareholder of Black Swan Graphene Inc. (TSXV: SWAN) (OTCQB: BSWGF), a pioneer of large-scale production and commercialization of patented high-performance, low-cost graphene products. These innovations target diverse industrial sectors, including concrete, polymers, and Li-ion batteries.

For Information

Tom Meyer

President & Chief Executive Officer

Tel: +1 866 899 7247

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, identified by words or phrases such as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "is expected", "scheduled", "estimates", "pending", "intends", "plans", "forecasts", "targets", or "hopes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "will", "should" "might", "will be taken", or "occur" and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information herein includes, but is not limited to, statements that address activities, events or developments that NorthX expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including the proposed use of proceeds of the Offering, participation of certain related parties, the Company's exemption from certain requirements of MI 61-101, the effect of the Strategic Investment on the Company's quality and value, continued investor interest, expectations regarding the Company's technical and corporate initiatives; the timing of the resumption of drilling at Grasset; the impact of the IRA on the Company; and the acceleration of the Warrants' expiry period.

Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information relating to any future mineral production, liquidity, enhanced value and capital markets profile of the Company, future growth potential for the Company and its business, and future exploration plans are based on management's reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses and opinions, which are based on management's experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, and other factors that management believes are relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, but which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the price of metals; costs of exploration and development; the estimated costs of development of exploration projects; and the Company's ability to operate in a safe and effective manner.

These statements reflect the Company's respective current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of other assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information and the Company has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: the proceeds from the Offering being used as planned; the business synergies as a result of the Strategic Investment; the nominations and appointments to the Board; competitive risks and the availability of financing; precious metals price volatility; risks associated with the conduct of the Company's mining activities; regulatory, consent or permitting delays; risks relating to reliance on the Company's management team and outside contractors; the Company's inability to obtain insurance to cover all risks, on a commercially reasonable basis or at all; currency fluctuations; risks regarding the failure to generate sufficient cash flow from operations; risks relating to project financing and equity issuances; risks and unknowns inherent in all mining projects; contests over title to properties, particularly title to undeveloped properties; laws and regulations governing the environment, health and safety; operating or technical difficulties in connection with mining or development activities; employee relations, labour unrest or unavailability; the Company's interactions with surrounding communities; the speculative nature of exploration and development; stock market volatility; conflicts of interest among certain directors and officers; lack of liquidity for shareholders of the Company; litigation risk; and the factors identified in the Company's public disclosure documents. Readers are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements or information, other than as required by applicable law.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orezone Gold Corporation (TSX: ORE, OTCQX: ORZCF) (Orezone or Company) reported its operational and financial results for the first quarter of 2024. The Company will host a conference call and webcast on May 14, 2024 commencing at 8:00am PT to discuss its Q1-2024 results. Additional details are provided at the end of this press release.

All dollar amounts are in USD unless otherwise stated and abbreviation M means million.

Patrick Downey, President and CEO, commented Our Bombore mine had another quarter of consistent performance, delivering 30,139 ounces of gold production, mine earnings of $27 million, and positive free cashflow. In addition, we successfully commissioned the powerline connection to the national grid and substantially completed the construction of the MV3 resettlement site which will open mining access to the Siga East deposit in the third quarter of 2024.

Importantly, we continue to reinvest in the Bombore mine and, after a careful review of available financing alternatives, the Company has decided to pursue its Phase II Hard Rock Expansion in two stages to better align capital requirements with funding sources. We have now received a debt proposal for the first stage of the expansion from our senior lender, Coris Bank, which we expect to finalize in the very near future.

2024 FIRST QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

(All mine site figures on a 100% basis) Q1-2024 Q1-2023 Operating Performance Gold production oz 30,139 41,301 Gold sales oz 31,229 43,139 Average realized gold price $/oz 2,066 1,892 Cash costs per gold ounce sold1 $/oz 1,127 799 All-in sustaining costs1 (AISC) per gold ounce sold $/oz 1,324 926 Financial Performance Revenue $000s 64,685 81,712 Earnings from mine operations $000s 26,882 39,670 Net income attributable to shareholders of Orezone1 $000s 11,697 22,560 Net income per common share attributable to shareholders of Orezone1 Basic

Diluted $

$ 0.03

0.03 0.07

0.06 Adjusted EBITDA1 $000s 25,928 42,645 Adjusted earnings attributable to shareholders of Orezone1 $000s 7,736 24,574 Adjusted earnings per share attributable to shareholders of Orezone1 $ 0.02 0.07 Cash and Cash Flow Data Operating cash flow before changes in working capital $000s 20,357 41,137 Operating cash flow $000s 13,637 38,926 Free cash flow1 $000s 2,013 31,498 Cash, end of period $000s 15,597 45,172

1 Cash costs, AISC, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted earnings, Adjusted earnings per share, and Free cash flow are non-IFRS measures. See Non-IFRS Measures section below for additional information.

Safety: Continued strong safety performance in Q1-2024 with 1.41 million hours worked without a lost-time injury.

Continued strong safety performance in Q1-2024 with 1.41 million hours worked without a lost-time injury. Debt Reduction: Principal repayment of XOF 3.0 billion ($5.0 million) in Q1-2024 on the Companys senior loans with Coris Bank International (Coris Bank).

Principal repayment of XOF 3.0 billion ($5.0 million) in Q1-2024 on the Companys senior loans with Coris Bank International (Coris Bank). Liquidity: On May 10, 2024, the Company closed and drew down on a XOF 12.0 billion (~$20 million) bridge loan with Coris Bank in order to improve the Companys cash position. The Company intends to refinance the bridge loan with the project loan for its Phase II hard rock expansion with Coris Bank expected in Q3-2024.

The Phase II Hard Rock Expansion

A hard rock plant, to complement the existing Phase I oxide plant, is required to process the fresh rock and lower transition mineral reserves of the Bombore orebody.

The Company originally contemplated constructing a 4.4 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) hard rock plant in a single stage as outlined in its 2023 feasibility study. Following a recent review of available financing sources, the Company has decided to complete this brownfield expansion in two stages to better manage its capital requirements. Stage 1 will consist of an initial 2.5Mtpa hard rock plant, with a future Stage 2 expansion increasing hard rock plant throughput to 5.0Mtpa  7.0Mtpa.

A preliminary capital cost for this initial 2.5Mtpa hard rock plant is estimated at $80 million, significantly less than the $167.5 million estimated for the 4.4Mtpa hard rock plant. The Company expects to finance the construction costs of this Stage 1 hard rock plant (rescoped Phase II Hard Rock Expansion) primarily through senior debt and cash flow generated from its Phase I oxide operations during the construction period.

The Company has significantly advanced discussions with Coris Bank for additional project debt and anticipates concluding a binding debt commitment in June 2024. Based on forecasted construction and key equipment timelines, the Company expects first gold from the Phase II Hard Rock Expansion to be achieved in late 2025.

The Company intends to provide more detailed guidance for its Phase II Hard Rock Expansion later this year after the Company has secured a binding debt commitment and Board approval to proceed with the expansion.

BOMBORE GOLD MINE (100% BASIS)  OPERATING HIGHLIGHTS

Q1-2024 Q1-2023 Safety Lost-time injuries frequency rate (LTIFR) per 1M hours 0.00 0.00 Personnel-hours worked 000s hours 1,410 928 Mining Physicals Ore tonnes mined tonnes 2,402,533 2,205,056 Waste tonnes mined tonnes 3,123,099 2,382,135 Total tonnes mined tonnes 5,525,631 4,587,191 Strip ratio waste:ore 1.3 1.1 Processing Physicals Ore tonnes milled tonnes 1,355,619 1,445,693 Head grade milled Au g/t 0.78 0.96 Recovery rate % 89.0 92.2 Gold produced Au oz 30,139 41,301 Unit Cash Cost Mining cost per tonne $/tonne 3.48 2.91 Mining cost per ore tonne processed $/tonne 8.02 6.51 Processing cost $/tonne 9.24 9.21 Site general and admin (G&A) cost $/tonne 3.79 3.23 Cash cost per ore tonne processed $/tonne 21.05 18.96 Cash Costs and AISC Details Mining cost (net of stockpile movements) $000s 10,867 9,417 Processing cost $000s 12,520 13,322 Site G&A cost $000s 5,134 4,667 Refining and transport cost $000s 117 148 Government royalty cost $000s 5,132 4,912 Gold inventory movements $000s 1,416 2,019 Cash costs1 on a sales basis $000s 35,186 34,485 Sustaining capital $000s 4,018 3,530 Sustaining leases $000s 73 187 Corporate G&A cost $000s 2,069 1,731 All-In Sustaining Costs1 on a sales basis $000s 41,346 39,933 Gold sold Au oz 31,229 43,139 Cash costs per gold ounce sold1 $/oz 1,127 799 All-In Sustaining Costs per gold ounce sold1 $/oz 1,324 926

1 Non-IFRS measure. See Non-IFRS Measures section for additional details.

Bombore Production Results

Gold production in Q1-2024 was 30,139 ounces, a decline of 27% from the 41,301 ounces produced in Q1-2023. The lower gold production is attributable to an 18% decrease in head grades, a 6% decline in plant throughput, and a 3% decrease in plant recoveries. The better head grade achieved in Q1-2023 was primarily the result of processing of high-grade stockpiles accumulated during the Phase I construction which have now been fully depleted. Mill availability in Q1-2024 was impacted by the commissioning of grid power to site and from the shortage of power from the national grid towards the end of the quarter. In addition, as mining deepens in the certain pits, the quantity of transition ore has started to increase. The presence of transition ore results in slightly lower metallurgical recoveries, lower plant throughput, and additional plant maintenance due to the harder nature of the ore.

Plant throughput, head grades, and recoveries are expected to improve from a greater blend of oxide ore once mining commences at Siga East in Q3-2024.

Bombore Operating Costs

AISC per gold ounce sold in Q1-2024 was $1,324, a 43% increase from the $926 per ounce sold in Q1-2023. The higher AISC is primarily the result of: (a) lower Q1-2024 gold production and sales as explained above; (b) greater per ounce royalty costs from new royalty rates that took effect in October 2023 and from a higher realized selling price; and (c) increased mining costs.

Cash cost per ore tonne processed in Q1-2024 was $21.05 per tonne, an increase of 11% from the $18.96 per tonne in Q1-2023. The higher cash cost in Q1-2024 was predominantly due to increased mining and site G&A costs, and from fewer ore tonnes processed. Mining costs have increased as lower benches are mined resulting in longer hauls and more transition material that requires drill-and-blast prior to excavation. In addition, unit mining costs have increased from a higher strip ratio and more management fees from the mobilization of a second mining contractor in July 2023 to supplement material movement of the main mining contractor. Site G&A costs reflect greater spending for security as the Company expands its operations into the southern portion of the mining permit.

Processing costs per ore tonne has remained relatively stable from $9.21 per tonne in Q1-2023 to $9.24 per tonne in Q1-2024. Unit processing costs were expected to decline in Q1-2024 from 2023 levels upon the introduction of grid power to the Bombore mine at the end of January 2024; however, the power costs savings from using grid power has been offset by greater blend of transition ore requiring higher per tonne consumption of power, grinding media, and main reagents; more plant maintenance to address higher equipment wear; and from lower plant throughput resulting in fixed processing costs being absorbed over fewer tonnes in Q1-2024. Furthermore, the mine relied on more self generated power beginning in March 2024 from lower-than-expected availability of grid power as the dry season impacted the contributions of hydropower to the national grid.

Bombore Growth Capital Projects

Grid Power Connection

The commissioning of the powerline to connect Bombore to Burkina Fasos national energy grid commenced in January 2024 and was successfully energized by the end of the same month. As of March 31, 2024, the Company has incurred costs of $19.3M for the grid power connection, of which $1.1M was incurred in Q1-2024.

Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) Phases II and III

RAP Phases II and III involve the construction of three new resettlement communities (MV3, MV2, and BV2) in order to relocate households currently residing within the southern half of the Bombore mining permit. The Company has sequenced MV3 first in order to gain access to mining areas that are currently contemplated in the 2024 mine plan.

Construction of MV3 was substantially completed in April 2024 with the Company now organizing with local leaders and residents to relocate families into their new resettlement homes later in Q2-2024. In parallel, the Company has commenced earthworks for the next resettlement site (MV2) and awarded contracts to local companies to begin construction shortly.

As of March 31, 2024, the Company has incurred project-to-date costs of $13.5M for RAP Phases II and III, of which $3.1M was incurred in Q1-2024.

NON-IFRS MEASURES

The Company has included certain terms or performance measures commonly used in the mining industry that is not defined under IFRS, including cash costs, AISC, EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted earnings, adjusted earnings per share, and free cash flow. Non-IFRS measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS, and therefore, they may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. The Company uses such measures to provide additional information and they should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. For a complete description of how the Company calculates such measures and reconciliation of certain measures to IFRS terms, refer to Non-IFRS Measures in the Managements Discussion and Analysis for the three months ended March 31, 2024 which is incorporated by reference herein.

CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST

The condensed consolidated interim financial statements and Managements Discussion and Analysis are available at www.orezone.com and on the Companys profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Orezone will host a conference call and audio webcast to discuss 2024 first quarter results on

May 14, 2024 at 8:00am PT (11:00am ET).

Webcast Date: Tuesday, May 14, 2024 Time: 8:00 am Pacific time (11:00 am Eastern time) Please register for the webcast here: Orezone Q1-2024 Conference Call and Webcast

Conference Call

Toll-free in U.S. and Canada: 1-800-715-9871

International callers: +646-307-1963

Event ID: 2084420

QUALIFIED PERSONS

The scientific and technical information in this news release was reviewed and approved by Dr. Pascal Marquis, Geo., Senior Vice President of Exploration and Mr. Rob Henderson, P. Eng, Vice President of Technical Services, both of whom are Qualified Persons as defined under NI 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

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

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / 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.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain information that constitutes forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian Securities laws and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable U.S. securities laws (together, forward-looking statements). Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as plan, expect, project, intend, believe, anticipate, estimate, potential, possible and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions may, will, could, or should occur.

All forward-looking statements are 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 including, but not limited to, terrorist or other violent attacks, the failure of parties to contracts to honour contractual commitments, unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; unexpected failure or inadequacy of infrastructure, the possibility of project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, accidents and equipment breakdowns, political risk, unanticipated changes in key management personnel, the spread of diseases, epidemics and pandemics diseases, market or business conditions, the failure of exploration programs, including drilling programs, to deliver anticipated results and the failure of ongoing and uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, and other factors described in the Company's most recent annual information form and managements discussion and analysis filed on SEDAR+ on www.sedarplus.ca. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are based on the applicable assumptions and factors management considers reasonable as of the date hereof, based on the information available to management at such time. These assumptions and factors include, but are not limited to, assumptions and factors related to the Companys ability to carry on current and future operations, including: development and exploration activities; the timing, extent, duration and economic viability of such operations, including any mineral resources or reserves identified thereby; the accuracy and reliability of estimates, projections, forecasts, studies and assessments; the Companys ability to meet or achieve estimates, projections and forecasts; the availability and cost of inputs; the price and market for outputs, including gold; foreign exchange rates; taxation levels; the timely receipt of necessary approvals or permits; the ability to meet current and future obligations; the ability to obtain timely financing on reasonable terms when required; the current and future social, economic and political conditions; and other assumptions and factors generally associated with the mining industry.

Although the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon what management of the Company believes are reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this press release.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 14, 2024) - Midnight Sun Mining Corp. (TSXV: MMA) (OTC Pink: MDNGF) (the "Company" or "Midnight Sun") is pleased to announce that the Company has now closed the books on its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") at $10,000,000. Overwhelming demand for the financing led to the receipt of $10,000,000 in subscription agreements. Under the revised Offering, the Company intends to sell up to 45,454,545 units of the Company (each, a "Unit") at a price of $0.22 per Unit.

Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company (each, a "Common Share") and one common share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Common Share for a period of 36 months following the closing date of the Offering at an exercise price of $0.33 per share. The Company intends to close the Offering as soon as practicable.

The net proceeds of this offering will be used by the Company to fund exploration work on its Zambian mineral properties as well as general working capital.

The Offering, including the future issuance of the Common Shares and Warrants, is subject to the final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. All securities issued will be subject to a hold period of four months and one day pursuant to applicable securities laws.

About Midnight Sun

Midnight Sun is focused on exploring our flagship Solwezi Project, located in Zambia. Situated in the heart of the Zambia-Congo Copperbelt, the second largest copper producing region in the world, our property is vast and highly prospective. Our Solwezi Project is surrounded by world-class producing copper mines, including Africa's largest copper mining complex right next door, First Quantum's Kansanshi Mine. Led by an experienced geological team with multiple discoveries and mines around the world to their credit, Midnight Sun intends to find and develop Zambia's next generational copper deposit.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF MIDNIGHT SUN MINING CORP.

Al Fabbro

President & CEO

For Further Information Contact:

Adrian O'Brien

Director of Marketing and Communications

Tel: +1 604 809 6890

Em: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.

These securities being offered have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) absent U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from the U.S. registration requirements. This release does not constitute an offer for sale of securities in the United States.

This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements." All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, the expected completion of the Offering, and the expected use of proceeds are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include, changes in market conditions, unsuccessful exploration results, changes in commodity price, unanticipated changes in key management personnel and general economic conditions. Mining exploration and development is an inherently risky business. Accordingly the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by the Company or on its behalf, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
Lawyers for victims of a 2009 massacre in Guinea on Monday called for the charges in the landmark trial to be reclassified as crimes against humanity as closing arguments got under way.

Former dictator Moussa Dadis Camara and 10 other former military and government officials are accused over the killing of 156 people and the rape of at least 109 women by pro-junta forces at a political rally.

They face a string of charges including murder, assassination, rape, torture, intentional assault and battery, kidnapping, arson and looting.

"For us civil parties, these events, these horrendous, regrettable, condemnable and unacceptable crimes, are crimes against humanity," said Hamidou Barry, one of the victims' lawyers.

As the trial which opened in September 2022 entered its final stage on Monday, the court asked lawyers to ensure that defendants know their fate before the August recess.

The civil parties' lawyers, who will speak on behalf of organisations representing hundreds of victims, are expected to present their arguments over several days.

On September 28, 2009, and in the days that followed, members of the presidential guard, soldiers, police and militiamen brutally cracked down on an opposition rally at a stadium in the suburbs of the capital Conakry.

At least 156 people were killed and hundreds injured, according to a UN-mandated commission of inquiry, in one of the darkest chapters in the West African nation's history.

The commission said that the acts could constitute crimes against humanity.

"There is no other qualification: these are crimes against humanity," said lawyer Barry.

He said the victims' requests to have the charges reclassified had been rejected by investigating judges in 2017, the court of appeal in 2018 and by the court of cassation in 2019.

The lawyer also spoke of the military camps where some of those arrested had been taken.

In these camps, "it is not enough to kill, it is not enough to rape, it is not enough to wound, it is not enough to throw into the ocean, it is also not enough to tear the cheeks off the woman selling tomatoes or potato leaves," he said.

Prosecutors in March sought a crimes against humanity charge, with the court deciding it would rule on the reclassification when it made its final judgement.
Protesters demanding justice for 43 students who disappeared nearly a decade ago launched fireworks at police in Mexico on Monday, leaving at least 26 officers injured, authorities said.

The police were treated by paramedics and taken to hospital after the demonstration outside the presidential palace in Mexico City, the capital's security secretariat said.

The protest came after eight soldiers accused of involvement in the disappearance of the students from a teacher training college in the southern state of Guerrero in 2014 were freed from pre-trial detention.

The case is widely considered to be one of the country's worst human rights atrocities.

In March, protesters angered by a lack of progress in bringing the perpetrators to justice smashed open a door to the presidential palace.

The students had been traveling to a demonstration in Mexico City when investigators believe they were kidnapped by a drug cartel in collusion with corrupt police.

The exact circumstances of their disappearance are still unknown, but a truth commission set up by the government has branded the case a "state crime," saying the military shared responsibility, either directly or through negligence.

Arrests have been made or ordered for dozens of suspects, including military personnel and a former attorney general who led a controversial investigation into the mass disappearance.

So far, the remains of only three of the victims have been identified.
On Monday May 13, the Brussels Assize Court had to do without the testimony of a key witness, Paul Rusesabagina. The former manager of the Hotel des Mille Collines in Kigali, who lives in the United States, refused to testify by videoconference and explain what he knows of Emmanuel Nkunduwimyes activities during the Tutsi genocide between April and July 1994. Rusesabagina, whose story is famous and inspired the film Hotel Rwanda - a successful work of fiction recounting how this manager of the Rwandan capitals main hotel took in and protected over a thousand Tutsis and Hutus threatened with massacre, knew well Nkunduwimye, currently on trial in Belgium. According to the investigation, between April and May 1994 he transferred to the hotel numerous people threatened with death, in exchange for payment. Nkunduwimye was also said to have regularly come to the hotel to sell food and drink from the loot, in the company of his friend Georges Rutaganda, vice-president of the National Committee of the Interahamwe, the militia that spearheaded the genocide.

Should Nkunduwimye be regarded as a self-interested saviour, or as an accomplice of Rutaganda and his militia who might have participated in the massacres while sparing the lives of some if there was the scent of money? This is a question that the trial is trying to clarify. However, its efforts are increasingly being undermined by the absence of key witnesses.

The accuseds version is that he supplied the Hotel des Mille Collines sometimes without being paid, aware that the most important thing was to help all the refugees there. But how can we verify this? He also said that Rusesabagina was not a saviour but a manipulator, driven by money. What does Rusesabagina have to say about this?

The big absentees

All these questions remain unanswered. After the genocide and his exile in the United States, the former hotel manager became a fierce political opponent of Rwandan President Paul Kagame. The success of the film made him a hero, and he was received by the American president, giving him a remarkable public platform and arousing the ire of the Rwandan authorities. In 2020, deceived by Rwandan intelligence services, he was forcibly returned to Rwanda, imprisoned, tried for terrorism and sentenced to 25 years in prison. He was released and deported at the end of March 2023, thanks to negotiations between the US and Rwanda.

Not knowing Rusesabaginas version of his regular contacts during the genocide with Nkunduwimye and Rutaganda (sentenced to life by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, ICTR, in 2003 and deceased in 2010), obviously hampers the debate. Back in April, the court deplored the absence of two key witnesses to the genocide, former top Interahamwe leaders Eugene Mbarushimana and Dieudonne Niyitegeka. Parties to the trial were expected to put many questions to these two men, whose testimony was eagerly awaited as they were respectively Secretary General and Treasurer of the Interahamwe National Committee.

Mbarushimana, who lives in Belgium, did appear in the witness room, but could not be heard given that an investigation by the Belgian Federal Prosecutors Office suspects him of personal involvement in the genocide. The court did not want to take the risk that he might incriminate himself in his own case by testifying in this trial. As for Niyitegeka, who lives under protection in Canada after having collaborated intensively with the ICTR prosecutor, he ultimately refused to testify, even by videoconference.

Risk of proceedings being inadmissible

But these three major absences are not the only ones. Many other witnesses were unable to be heard for various reasons. The court deplored the death of some of them between the dispatch of summonses and the start of trial on April 8. It also received several medical certificates for very elderly witnesses whose frail health prevented them from being heard. Others simply did not show up. These defections were so palpable that, on April 24, none of the three witnesses scheduled to be heard that morning turned up. Twenty minutes after starting, the hearing was suspended for the rest of the morning. And so, with the end of trial scheduled for the end of May, around a third of the witnesses called have evaporated.

The defence was quick to react, pointing out that reading out the statements of absent witnesses during the investigation does not replace a hearing in the context of an adversarial debate, and contravenes the sacrosanct principle of oral proceedings in the Assize Court. Are we still in a position to judge? asked lawyer Dimitri de Beco on April 24. It makes me uncomfortable, Madam President, because I cant ask the witnesses for certain details which would enable me to know whether what they are saying is what they actually saw or only what they heard. This is obviously very important. We know that with witnesses who came forward, they told investigators in their hearings what they thought they knew about the facts but that they hadnt actually seen anything."

The lawyer hinted that he was seriously considering asking for the prosecution against his client to be declared inadmissible, given that the defence does not have the opportunity to question witnesses. The risk of a judicial fiasco is very real.
Last month, South Korean actress Park Min-young captivated fans in Bangkok, Thailand, with an overseas fanmeeting that followed the massive success of her drama "Marry My Husband."

The fanmeeting provided an intimate setting for Park Min-young to engage with her dedicated fanbase. She shared personal stories, interacted with fans, and showcased her versatility by changing into various costumes throughout the evening.

Fans were treated to a memorable experience as Park Min-young took the stage, promising a night full of surprises. "I prepared a lot of special stages for you guys. Please look forward to it," she said during the greeting section ahead of the event.

park min young performing you&me by jennie pic.twitter.com/dJL18nXZJr   (@jnkoopsies) May 12, 2024

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 'Marry My Husband' Season 2: Viewers Want to Focus on Park Min Young, Na In Woo's Children

The highlight of the night came when Park Min-young stunned the audience with a surprise performance. Photos shared on social media by the organizing company revealed the actress's transformation into K-pop sensation BLACKPINK's Jennie.

ParkMinyoung dances to "You and Me" by Jennie 



  !!



2024 Park Min Young Asia Fan Meeting 



Sky Dome, North Edsa #ParkMinYoung #ParkMinYoungInManila #MyBrandNewDayMNL pic.twitter.com/lYdBRqn55W  noona yen  springcrush2002 (@springcrush2002) May 13, 2024

Donning a microphone like a seasoned idol, Park Min-young flawlessly covered Jennie's solo song "YOU & ME," showcasing her hidden singing talents.

Beyond her performance, Park Min-young made sincere efforts to connect with her Thai fans on a deeper level. She greeted them warmly and even sang in Thai, demonstrating her genuine appreciation for their support.

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars.

KDramaStars owns this article.

Written by Joana Cabigas.
Kim Ji Won's past relationship garnered attention again as THIS top actor has been rumored to have the "Queen of Tears" star for years.

Kim Ji Won Dated Yoo Yeon Seok? Actress' Relationship With Top Actor Circulates Amid 'Queen of Tears' Fame

Thanks to her comeback and hit drama "Queen of Tears," Kim Ji Won remains one of the most buzzworthy K-stars today. Since her name is all over the news and mentioned on multiple media platforms, the actress' dating life also gained a spotlight.

Since her debut to date, the breakout star has never publicly confirmed a relationship. However, some reports claimed that she and top actor Yoo Yeon Seok have been dating for almost a decade.

According to a source, in 2012, the two stars first met through the movie "Horror Stories." Despite an 8-year gap, they developed friendship.

In September 2015, Kim Ji Won and Yoo Yeon Seok's dating news broke out. There was also a claim from a magazine that the two were serious about each other and had introduced their families to one another.

However, at that time, both parties clarified that they were just good friends.

In March 2016, a media reporter said that the stars were spotted on a date, and witnesses claimed that Kim Ji Won and Yoo Yeon Seok had been sharing sweet moments.

Netizens Claim Yoo Yeon Seok, Kim Ji Won Are Still Together

However, even though there were detailed descriptions, no photos were released as evidence that the two were dating.

In response to the news at that time, both of their agencies denied the rumors. They added that the two were friends, and their managers were also present at the dinner, where the celebrities were seen.

Three years later, in 2019, the two made headlines again, reporting that they already broke up after seven years of dating. During that time, Kim Ji Won was also embroiled in a dating rumor with Park Seo Joon, whom she was working with in "Fight for My Way."

Meanwhile, in a report from DC Inside, a netizen claimed to have seen Yoo Yeon Seok and Kim Ji Won still together.

This 2024, with the heightening fame that the actress is receiving due to her smashing hit drama, the dating news resurfaced, with netizens assuming that since there was no breakup news, the two must still be dating.

However, these claims remain unverified.

On the other hand, Kim Ji Won is now busy working on her overseas schedule. On May 12, the actress departed Korea for Singapore as she was invited to a brand event. Apart from that, she will embark on her first-ever fan meeting since her debut.

What can you say about the news? Share your thoughts/replies in the comments!

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars.

KDramaStars owns this article.

Shai San Miguel wrote this.
Park Min Young delighted the audience during her visit to the Philippines for her fan meet in Manila.

As part of her highly anticipated 2024 Asia meet-and-greet, dubbed "My Brand New Day' in Manila," the South Korean star swooned her Filipino fans with her charm and beauty during the event on May 12 at the SM North EDSA Skydome.

"The Marry My Husband" star entertained the crowd with her versatility, showcasing her talent in singing and dancing.

Fans also enjoyed Park Min Young's interaction with them through games and the question-and-answer portion.

Speaking of the Q&A part, she talked about the massive popularity of "Marry My Husband" and hinted at her upcoming projects.

Park Min Young Reveals Why 'Marry My Husband' is the 'Hardest' K-drama She Worked On

In the segment "Min Young's Day," the South Korean star was asked about her latest K-drama, "Marry My Husband," which received huge responses not just locally but also globally.

"This drama has a lot of elements of Korea; that is why this drama has a very unique color about the Korean culture," she said, as obtained by a media outlet.

According to her, she is thrilled to receive positive feedback from viewers, especially with her portrayal of Kang Ji Won.

"As an actress, the compliments about my acting are one of the best compliments," she said.

In a separate segment, Park Min Young continued to mention the revenge drama and revealed that the first few scenes were "one of the hardest for the shoot."

To recall, her character has stomach cancer and is terminally ill. To portray the role, the top star lost 37 kg.

"Of course, I needed to show the character. For this role, I had no choice but to lose weight."

Other than her portrayal, viewers were also drawn to the cast lineup and their on-screen chemistry.

Joining Park Min Young are Na In Woo, Lee Yi Kyung, and Song Ha Yoon. Adding to the list of "Marry My Husband" cast members are Lee Gi Kwang as well as Gong Min Jung and Choi Gyu Ri, who played Ji Won's newly found friends.

Park Min Young Hints at Upcoming Project

While most of the fans wished that there would be "Marry My Husband" season 2, Park Min Young teased the crowd with an update on a forthcoming project.

According to her, she is in talks to star in a new project, but this time it will not be a romantic comedy.

"But after that, I will think about it," she said, referring to whether she'll return with a new rom-com K-drama in the future.

Other than "Marry My Husband," Park Min Young is best known for her roles in "City Hunter," "Healer," "Her Private Life," and, of course, "What's Wrong With Secretary Kim."

READ MORE : THIS Park Min Young Drama Garners Long-term Global Success Despite Wrapping Up

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars.

KDramaStars owns this article

Written by Geca Flores
All eyes are on Kim Hye Yoon as she takes her first solo magazine pictorial after the successful release of her hit drama "Lovely Runner."

Kim Hye Yoon To Be Featured in GQ Korea June 2024 Issue

While capturing the viewers with her excellent acting and natural chemistry with Byeon Woo Seok in tvN's "Lovely Runner," Kim Hye Yoon showed off her unique style for a fashion magazine.

On May 13, the actress was announced to be on the GQ Korea issue for June. As a glimpse, the publishing company released some of Kim Hye Yoon's cuts and interview through its official social media accounts.

In her published photos, the "SKY Castle" star is winking while clad in a black sleeveless top, revealing her shoulder line. The picture was posted in a black and white color.

Kim Hye Yoon Reveals Favorite Lines in 'Lovely Runner'

Meanwhile, in the chops of her interview, the rising star shared some stories about her new hit series "Lovely Runner," she even revealed her favorite lines!

Kim Hye Yoon confessed that even though she didn't deliver the dialogue, one of her favorite lines was from Byeon Woo Seok's character, Ryu Sun Jae, where he said, "Let's live today because the day is so nice."

She then elaborated on why it was her favorite, "It had a lot of resonance. I can't even imagine Im Sol's hardships, but those words that I heard when I had no motivation for life also resonated with me. And it helped me a lot."

Kim Hye Yoon added, "So when Sun Jae walks towards Im Sol on a snowy day, that was a feeling that really took my breath away. The person I have dreamed of all this time is walking in front of me, my favorite person is walking towards me. That really touched my heart."

Apart from that, the drama lead star also shared that the iconic "Sun Jae-ya" was added to one of her favorite lines, for the reason that it was what Im Sol says the most.

Furthermore, Kim Hye Yoon's full interview and other snaps will be uploaded on GQ Korea's website and social media accounts.

Where to Watch Kim Hye Yoon Next

With the ongoing craze led by "Lovely Runner," Kim Hye Yoon is starting to feel the warm love and support of the fans. She ranked second in the overall topicality of K-drama actors according to Fundex, along with her co-stars Byeon Woo Seok and Song Geon Hee, who ranked first and third, respectively.

Apart from her magazine feature, Kim Hye Yoon is scheduled to reunite with Byeon Woo Seok as they are confirmed to be the next guests in the famous variety talk show "Salon Drip 2," which will be released on May 17.

What can you say about the news? Share your thoughts/replies in the comments!

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars.

KDramaStars owns this article.

Shai San Miguel wrote this.
Yoo Ah In's doctor shared a shocking revelation regarding the actor during the fifth trial regarding the actor's violation of the Narcotics Control Act.

As the investigation continues, Mr. Oh, who was accused of prescribing the actor medical narcotics, revealed that it was the "Seoul Vibe" star who requested them due to complaints about his health.

In a report, the said doctor attended the trial at the Criminal Division 25-1 of the Seoul Central District Court under Chief Judge Park Jung Gil, Park Jung Je, and Ji Gwi Yeon.

During the court trial, Mr. Oh, who appeared as a witness, revealed the reason why he prescribed the actor narcotics.

According to him, "Yoo Ah In continuously complained of the urge to die."

Based on the records presented to the court, the actor visited the hospital for the first time on June 29, 2021, where he complained about

his depression and fatal accidents.

As the actor continued to visit the hospital, the doctor noticed Yoo Ah In's weight had dropped.

"He had lost a lot of weight. The urge to die had increased. In particular, he said, 'I feel restless,' 'anxious,' and 'I can't concentrate,'" he said, referring to the April 29, 2022, visit.

In addition, Mr. Oh recalled the actor saying, "I can't do it" and "I'm distracted," hence he wrote these to his chart and prescribed him medication to control his anxiety.

According to the report, the doctor's medical records were submitted to the court as evidence by Yoo Ah In's camp.

The actor's legal team reportedly noted that he is suffering from "physical problems" and "has lost a lot of weight."

The records state that amid his filming, the "Hellbound" star has expressed suicidal tendencies, along with the doctor's observation stating that his "symptoms seem to be developing."

"I have the urge to die, and I feel like my physical strength is lower than before. I feel like I am not getting better at all. It was like nothing before," as stated in his medical records.

Yoo Ah In's Performance in 'Goodbye Earth' Garners Hueg Praise from Viewers

Since February 2023, Yoo Ah In has been dealing with issues regarding his involvement with illegal drugs.

After testing positive for various types of drugs, the award-winning star is being investigated, which prompted him to drop out of upcoming projects.

However, his Netflix series "Goodbye Earth" had a successful release despite the setback of being postponed due to the actor's controversy.

Released on April 26, the 12-part K-drama showcased the pre-apocalyptic situation after the Korean peninsula is set to face a chaotic final 200 days before an asteroid will collide with the Earth.

Joining Yoo Ah In in the series are Ahn Eun Jin, Jeon Seong Woo, and Kim Yoon Hye.

Due to the issue, the controversial actor's airtime was reduced, but Yoo Ah In received huge praise from the viewers, lauding his impeccable acting skills.

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars.

KDramaStars owns this article

Written by Geca Flores
During an episode of MBC Radio FM4Us Jung Hee of Hope Music Kim Shin Young, Kang Dong Won was a guest discussing his new movie The Plot.

During a light-hearted exchange, DJ Kim Shin Young brought up Taeyeons previous appearance on the program.

When posed with the hypothetical scenario of either inviting Kang Dong Won to her home or being invited to his, Taeyeon had opted for the latter.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Gong Yoo, Lee Dong Wook to Skip Jo Se Ho's Wedding? - Here's What We Know

Kang Dong Won responded with a similarly playful comment, stating he too preferred receiving invitations, but hinted he might invite Taeyeon in the future.

The comment sparked laughter and further teasing from DJ Kim, who joked about supporting Taeyeon until she eventually dined at Kangs personally crafted ten-person table.

kim shinyoung mentioned that 2 years ago taeyeon chose to be invited to kang dongwons house during the balance game (the other choice is inviting kdw to your house) 



kdw: id like to be invited (to her house) too.. yeah.. when there is a chance.. pic.twitter.com/BouLXf7ixs   (@ultsootaeng) May 14, 2024

Though light-hearted and said in a seemingly joking manner, Ten Asias report on their comments has surged to the top of NAVERs most-viewed articles of the day.

NETIZENS' COMMENTS

Here's what fans are saying:

'Not this whole thing making it to Top 1 Most viewed news in Naver'

'that "i will support you, fighting" WKWKWK'

'someone please @ taeyeon'

'Taeyeon has fine ideal type.. '

'TAEYEON GET UP!!!!'

'f she ever date a handsome dilf whose years older than her, that'll be my roman empire fr'

'She still has a chance girl catch it lmao'

Within just a few hours, the article attracted nearly 140,000 views, becoming a hot topic across South Korea.

READ ALSO: Oh Jeong-tae Proclaims Himself as the 'Gang Dong-won of Comedy

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars.

KDramaStars owns this article.

Written by Joana Cabigas.
Kim Ji Won, renowned for her role in "Queen Of Tears," has once again captivated audiences, this time with her mesmerizing appearance at the Bulgari Allegra Chill & Sole perfume launch event in Singapore.

The actress exuded elegance and charm, instantly becoming the center of attention with her exquisite style.

On the occasion, Kim Ji Won graced the event in a stunning MAX MARA dress valued at over $2,000.

Hello Vogue korea this is Kim Jiwon, right now I am at Bulgari perfume launch event in Singapore, the scent is good and the mood is very very good, enjoy, thank you"#Kimjiwon pic.twitter.com/ydtq9J8FDO  PJ (@Justtvibing) May 14, 2024

The soft pink hue of the dress, coupled with its delicate design, flawlessly complemented her graceful demeanor.

Her choice of accessories and subtle makeup further accentuated her beauty, reaffirming her status as a fashion icon.

Hello Vogue korea this is Kim Jiwon, right now I am at Bulgari perfume launch event in Singapore, the scent is good and the mood is very very good, enjoy, thank you"#Kimjiwon pic.twitter.com/ydtq9J8FDO  PJ (@Justtvibing) May 14, 2024

Kim Ji Won's appearance at the Bulgari event swiftly became a trending topic in South Korea.

A post on TheQoo, a popular online community, garnered over 35,000 views and more than 170 comments, with fans and fashion enthusiasts alike praising her impeccable sense of style.

YOU MIGHT LIKE: Kim Ji Won's Poise Amid Airport Chaos Steals Spotlight - 'I Can't Help But Love Her More'

Netizens flooded the comments section, showering Kim Ji Won with compliments and admiration.

yeah all good thank you .

yeah all good thank you .

yeah all good thank you . pic.twitter.com/xjpJD2QXcd   (@_ahrha) May 14, 2024

NETIZENS' COMMENTS

'you're so pretty princess'

'Wow, the words 'true goddess of spring' come to mind....'

'You're so pretty, unnie.. The light pink looks great on you, you're so cool'

'Honor'

'this one is expensive and this one is pretty'

'How is it that you become more and more prettier?'

'The pink matches so well and is lovely.'

'Give HER the country...'

'It looks like a drama still cut. It's so cute.'

'Long black hair really suits you. It matches the style these days. It's all pretty.'

'It's Haein.'

'President Hong Hae In is on a business trip '

One user even humorously suggested she should be granted the country of Korea!

The buzz around Kim Ji Won's look transcended social media platforms, with clips and images of her circulating widely on platforms like X (formerly known as Twitter), accumulating thousands of likes and shares.

seeing all the #bulgari X #KimJiWon event post (fr official magazine, locals, influencer, OP) warms my heart so much 



its amazing to see that many people appreciate her beauty, not only fr outside but personality wise. The tender & delicate Kim JiWon pic.twitter.com/ys1wQ1hwRe  haizel (@hai_zeel) May 14, 2024

As she graced the Bulgari event, Kim Ji Won was met with a sea of reporters and fans, further solidifying her undeniable popularity.

Her charm shone through as she engaged with the media, fans, and fellow guests throughout the event.

READ ALSO: Kim Ji Won Relationship Status: Is It True? 'Queen of Tears' Star Dated THIS Top Actor for More Than 6 Years

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars.

KDramaStars owns this article.

Written by Joana Cabigas.




Tuesday, May 14, 2024 - Two Kenya Police officers are nursing serious injuries after being beaten to a pulp by a lone Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officer.

According to a local TV, the two police officers from Spring Valley Police Station were conducting an operation within the city when the incident happened.

The officers were on a routine patrol along Kitisuru Road when they spotted a suspected notorious thug riding a motorcycle and decided to chase him.

They trailed the suspect and managed to intercept him near the Kabete Barracks roadblock.

However, when they tried to arrest him, he beat up one police officer who was immediately rushed to South B hospital for specialised treatment.

Other KDF officers from the barrack came out and chased the other officer who also sustained injuries while escaping the wrath of soldiers.

Spring Valley Police officers are notoriously corrupt and we hope they have learned a lesson from this beating.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Tuesday, May 14, 2024 - Diddy's son Christian a.k.a. King Combs has taken a swipe at his father's rival, 50 Cent, while also responding to rumours that trailed reports of federal agents raiding homes owned by him (Diddy).

DJ Akademiks, a Jamaican-American podcaster, internet personality and live streamer got hold of the unreleased track and played it on his livestream feed. King addressed all the disrespect in his family's name.

One of his bars was "I dare one of you n****s to scream out No Diddy ... f**k that n****a up!!!" -- and then answers the constant question about Diddy's whereabouts, "Asking where my pops at?/He on a G6 getting a lineup."





He dismissed the federal raids as being off the mark, suggesting 50 Cent is the government's true prize. King also went off to a lyrical flurry that connects 50 with his song "Many Men," his Queens hometown, and Eminem into the mix.





50 Cent mockingly responded to the track today, May 13, claiming the threats made him fear for his life. He returned insults by bringing up King's ongoing lawsuit for sexual assault.

50 also fed into the rumours that Diddy was involved in Tupac Shakur's murder on account of his alleged killer Keefe D's testimonies.




Tuesday, May 14, 2024 - Kakamega County Senator Dr. Boni Khalwale is disappointed after President William Ruto rallied Kenya Kwanza Alliance MPs to save Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi from impeachment.

Speaking to journalists after the committee saved Linturi from impeachment, Khalwale urged Ruto to do Kenyans justice by sacking the corrupt CS, who is solidly behind the fake fertilizer saga.

Khalwale stated that Ruto would eventually stand with farmers who were affected by the fake fertilizer.

"I firmly believe that on this one, the president will use his immense constitutional powers and make the hard decision to keep his course on the fight against corruption by standing with the farmers who were scammed," Khalwale stated.

The MP further pointed out that the success of a special parliamentary committee is hinged on the actions of its chairperson.

Khalwale called out Marsabit County woman representative and Deputy Majority Whip Naomi Waqo, casting a shadow over her leadership of the committee.

"The fulcrum of a special parliamentary committee is its chairman.

"Hon Waqo, chair of the select committee on the dismissal of Mithika Linturi!

"The mercurial & incomparable late Hon Dr. Bonaya Godana, who hailed from her community, might surely have turned in his grave!"Khalwale stated.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Tuesday, May 14, 2024  The Kenyan police are a worried lot ahead of their deployment to Haiti.

This is after the Haiti gang leader warned them of what to expect, saying they will fight them to the bitter end

The dreaded gang leader Jimmy Cherizier, alias Barbecue, exuded confidence in defeating the Kenyan police force who are set to begin their peacekeeping mission in the Caribbean nation soon.

Speaking during an interview with United States-based National Public Radio (NPR) on May 13, the notorious gangster warned the Kenyan police that they will resist their incursion with everything they have got.

According to Barbecue, the battle is set to be a long one and eventually, the international forces will get tired of fighting the gangs and will leave without restoring peace.

When asked about surviving the expected high-voltage battles with the police forces, the gang leader claimed his life was dependent on God and his ancestors.

"If the Haitian revolutionary Jean-Jacques Dessalines worried about his life, Haiti wouldn't be free today," Barbecue commented.

The gang leader further accused the United States government of instigating the battles in Haiti, claiming Haiti would still not be free even if he died in the forthcoming battles.

When asked whether the presidential transitional council would restore peace in Haiti, Barbecue claimed the council would not succeed in its mission.

Barbecue further argued that the gangs were fighting the rich whom he claimed played a major role in Haiti's current situation.

The gang leader's comments come days after the US military began setting up a camp to host the Kenyan police force ahead of its deployment.

Sources privy to the mission indicated that the deployment could happen before the end of May, coinciding with President William Ruto's State visit to the US.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Tuesday, May 14, 2024  Saudi Arabia has postponed the execution of one Mr. Stephen Munyakho after intervention from President William Rutos government.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it had been able to negotiate the postponement of the execution of Stephen Munyakho in Saudi Arabia.

This was announced by Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Singo'ei.

Singo'ei noted that the authorities in Saudi Arabia had granted Kenya's request to postpone Munyakhos execution so as to allow further negotiation between all parties.

Munyakho, who has since changed his name to Abdulkareem, was set to be executed on Wednesday, May 15, after he was found guilty of killing a Yemeni national in Saudi Arabia.

"As we devise strategies to bring this matter to a more acceptable conclusion, and thereby giving both families the closure they so urgently need and deserve, we shall continue to lean on the warm and solid friendship that we have with our Saudi partners, as well as on the goodwill of all Kenyans," a statement from PS Sing'oei read in part.

"In the coming days, we shall be engaging stakeholders in Nairobi and Riyadh, including representations from our religious leadership, to agree on the next urgent steps."

While appreciating the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Singo'ei noted that this would not have been possible without diplomatic interventions led by the Foreign Affairs Ministry and Kenya's mission in Riyadh.

Munyakho is the son of veteran journalist Dorothy Kweyu who had begged the Kenyan government to intervene and save her son from the hangman.

The Kenyan has been behind bars since 2012 and he had been asked to raise Ksh150 million to compensate the Yemeni national family or face execution.

Kweyu sought the government's help after attempts to raise the hefty sum proved futile.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Tuesday, May 14, 2024 - The charity founded by Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, has been found delinquent in California over unpaid fees.

This means that Archewell Foundation cannot raise money because the state has determined the foundation has not paid its annual registration fees or submitted an annual report.

A source close to Archewell told NBC News that the groups initial check was lost in the mail but payment has been resubmitted.

The issue is expected to be resolved within days, the source said.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a notice of delinquency to Archewell Foundation this month, noting that the organization's renewal information was incomplete.

State records show the foundation's last renewal was May 2023 and has officially been marked "delinquent," meaning the charity cannot raise money.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been in Nigeria bringing attention to causes they have long supported, including wounded veterans.




Tuesday, May 14, 2024 - The Ministry of Agriculture on Saturday announced that all farmers whose crops were affected by floods would be compensated.

Speaking during a gathering in Kericho County, Agriculture Principal Secretary Paul Ronoh stated that the government had begun to map out affected farmers to facilitate the process.

The PS further warned farmers against carrying out their farming activities amid floods, urging them to commence their activities only when the waters subside.

"We have seen that floods have destroyed a lot of crops it has destroyed a lot of farms," PS Ronoh stated even as he urged farmers to be cautious.

"We are making arrangements as government to compensate all farmers whose farms have been affected, he added.

Ronoh stated the government had already assessed several affected farms and compensation would be done once the mapping is completed.

Last week alone, 33 hectares of farmland had been destroyed by floods and we are making rounds and consulting as a government how we will compensate farmers, the Agriculture PS noted.

The latest announcement comes barely a fortnight after the Ministry of Agriculture announced compensation for farmers who received substandard fertilizer.

The National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) in its announcement urged farmers to lodge formal complaints by filing a claim declaration form and submitting it to the nearest NCPB depot.

According to the produce board, farmers will also be required to present their original national ID cards while submitting the claims.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Monday, May 13, 2024 - King Charles has opened up about losing his sense of taste as he discussed the side effects of cancer treatment.

During a visit to the Army Flying Museum in Middle Wallop, Hampshire, today, May 13, Charles spoke with a British Army veteran named Aaron Mapplebeck who told the royal family member that he'd lost his sense of taste while undergoing treatment for testicular cancer last year.

During their conversation, King Charles confirmed he too had lost his sense of taste during the course of his treatment, though he didn't share whether the effects were temporary.

King Charles III is receiving treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer and was given permission by his doctors to return to public duties last month.

Ahead of his first major investiture on Tuesday, May 14, since his cancer diagnosis, the King officially handed over the role of colonel-in-chief of the Army Air Corps to Prince William today, May 13.

The monarch and the heir-to-the-throne were pictured smiling while chatting together during a visit to the Army Aviation Centre in Middle Wallop on Monday, May 13.

It came as Kensington Palace posted two photos of the Prince of Wales when he was an Apache pilot.

"Time flies! Looking back at the last two visits to @ArmyAirCorps in 1999 and 2008 ahead of today's handover at Middle Wallop," the post on X said.

The Army Air Corps is the Duke of Sussex's old unit, in which he served as an Apache helicopter commander and co-pilot gunner during his second tour to Afghanistan in 2012.

The decision to hand the role to William was seen as a blow to Harry when it was announced last year.

The King admitted the handover was "tinged with great sadness" - but hoped the Army Air Corps would continue to go from "strength to strength".

He said: "Let me just say what a great joy it is to be with you even briefly on this occasion but also it is tinged with great sadness after 32 years of knowing you all, admiring your many activities and achievements through the time that I've been lucky enough to be colonel-in-chief of the Army Air Corps.

"I do hope you'll go from strength to strength in the future with the Prince of Wales as your new colonel-in-chief.

"The great thing is he's a very good pilot indeed - so that's encouraging."

The King also unveiled a plaque commemorating an Apache AH Mk1 going on display, the first of its kind to be installed at a UK museum.




Tuesday, May 14, 2024 - A nephew of late former president Mwai Kibaki has stated that he will continue pushing for the unity of the Mt Kenya region because it drives the countrys economy.

Speaking on Monday when he briefed Kenyans on the Limuru III conference, former Laikipia Governor Nderitu Muriithi said they cannot ignore Mt Kenya region, which he claims has an economy bigger than 33 African countries.

"Mt Kenya region has an economy bigger than 33 African states and as a region, we have decided to come together to chart a way forward," Ndiritu said.

He said the meeting has no invitation and is an open meeting for Mt Kenya people at Limuru Jumuiya conference centre so that everybody can have a say on different matters that will be discussed.

"We are the ones who will bring ourselves to the meeting. This is not a political meeting or rally where people are mobilised with money.

"People should not have any idea that they will be paid as no one will pay them. This meeting has no financiers or bigger people than the other.

"We will all be equal in deliberations," he said.

He said the region has lagged behind in terms of development with increased unemployment and untapped resources, adding that the region can only liberate itself through unity.

"Other regions have come together and deliberated on their matters.

"There is nothing wrong with Mt Kenya region coming together to discuss their own matters," he said.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Tuesday, May 14, 2024 - President William Ruto has said the Executive will continue to support the Judiciary to serve Kenyans better.

Speaking during the swearing-in ceremony of 20 newly appointed judges of the High Court at State House, Nairobi, on Tuesday, President Ruto said an effective and efficient judiciary is good for the country.

This, he said, is because the countrys economy and security, and the peoples rights and freedoms depend on the judiciary.

We shall make our contribution to enhance the capacity of the judiciary to deliver justice in every part of Kenya, especially through infrastructure development projects, said President Ruto.

To support these efforts, the President noted that funding for the justice and law and order sectors to combat corruption and promote accountability has increased from KSh87 billion to KSh108 billion since the 2022/23 financial year.

Some of these resources have contributed to the judiciarys infrastructure development, including the construction of courts, staff recruitment, and capacity building for law enforcement agencies, he said.

He added: I am happy that the establishment of small claims courts across the country has brought justice closer to the people and resulted in a significant increase in the number of resolved cases.

At the same time, President Ruto asked the judges to reject any form of corruption and serve Kenyans with integrity and professionalism.

I encourage you to commit yourselves to serving the people with integrity and professionalism and to reject corruption in all its manifestations, he said.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Tuesday, May 14, 2024 - COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli is not going anywhere any time soon.

This is after he revealed that President William Ruto will hand over his file to the next president after finishing his two terms; a clear message that he will be in office after 2032.

He noted that his influence will play a significant role in determining Rutos successor in 2032.

According to Atwoli, the longest-serving general secretary in the countrys labour movement, no head of state has ever underestimated his influence.

The vocal 74-year-old labour ambassador took over the role in 2001 and boasted of having worked alongside the first president, the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.

He recounted how he also worked alongside the regimes of the late President Daniel Arap Moi and the late Mwai Kibaki, both of whom recognized his contribution to the countrys growth.

Each of them handed over my file to their successor, which was also handed over to President Rutos predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta, he explained.

Atwoli was heard saying that he has worked with every Kenyan president and that Dr. Rutos successor will also have his file.

I will be around for many years and that is why I will help you, he said, referring to President Ruto.

I have a history; I worked with Mzee Jomo Kenyatta. I wrote something in 1981 talking about women as young union leaders.

"I worked with Mzee Moi for 24 years; he then gave my file to Kibaki, who then gave it to Uhuru Kenyatta and Kenyatta gave it to William Samoei Ruto, said Atwoli.

He expressed confidence that after Dr Ruto completes his term, he will also have the privilege of working with his successor.

Ruto is waiting to hand over my file to the next president. I will be with you for some time to assist your leaders in protecting our image, our region, and our people, he affirmed.

This comes even as his critics have called for him to step down and pave the way for new leadership.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Tuesday, May 14, 2024 - Former Mandera County Senator Billow Kerrow has revealed how President William Ruto influenced the outcome of the impeachment motion against Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi.

On Monday, the National Assembly special committee probing the impeachment motion against Linturi cleared the CS of any wrongdoing, saying the motions grounds were not substantiated.

Seven of the 11 MPs in the committee voted to save the CS.

In Kerrows view, Ruto, whose Kenya Kwanza Alliance MPs constituted the majority in the committee, gave cues to vote against the impeachment motion.

The former lawmaker argued that the committees decision on Monday was from the Executive or an attempt to save one of their own.

There is political experience involved in these cases always. People take their cue from the Executive, he said.

The select committees verdict sparked a storm in Parliament as opposition MPs accused it of corruption and misconduct.

But Kenya Kwanza legislators defended the committees decision, maintaining that the impeachment motions backers had not presented enough evidence to make the case for Linturis ouster.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Tuesday, May 14, 2024  Former Prime Minister Raila Odingas right-hand man has incited Kenyans to rise up against President William Rutos government over the proposed and punitive Finance Bill 2024.

In a statement, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna called on Kenyans to intensify pressure on their MPs to ensure Rutos Finance Bill does not see the light of day.

Reflecting on the recent handling of the Division of Revenue Bill by senators, Sifuna noted the importance of public pressure in influencing elected leaders to act in the public interest.

"I was extremely encouraged by the way my colleagues from the Senate majority side dealt with the Division of Revenue Bill this time round.

"It demonstrates that public pressure works in pushing elected representatives to do the right thing," Sifuna stated on his X account.

According to Sifuna, the Finance Bill 2024 is even more concerning than its predecessor, and believes Ruto's administration is finding creative ways to burden Kenyans and it must be stopped by any means necessary.

The Nairobi Senator expressed confidence in his Member of Parliament Tim Wanyonyi and urged Kenyans to also engage with their MPs on the matter.

"I'm saying you must make life extremely unbearable for your MP now that we are in Budget Season. Rutos Finance Bill 2024 is significantly worse than the last one.

"He truly has depth, range, and creativity when it comes to ways of hurting Kenyans. So, call your MP. I know Tim Wanyonyi will reject this bill. What about yours?" he added.

Sifuna's call for public action follows a similar plea from Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah, who also urged Kenyans to participate in discussions surrounding the Finance Bill 2024 actively.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Tuesday, May 14, 2024  The bad blood between Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is far from over.

This is after Kuria blasted Gachagua over his sudden support for one man, one shilling policy which he rejected when it was being pushed by former President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga through the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).

On Monday, Gachagua told a congregation that the policy was the only way to ensure an equitable share of resources by the government.

However, Kuria, who has been in support of the policy for a while, read malice in the declaration arguing that the Mt Kenya region was well represented in the government's top echelon.

In fact, he revealed that more than nine leaders had been appointed to the Cabinet and leadership positions in Parliament and were better placed to spearhead the rollout of the policy.

"This is why I will not lie to the people of Mt Kenya region about one man one vote one shilling.

"Our region has produced the sitting Deputy President, 9 Cabinet members (Including AG (Attorney General), National Treasury, and Secretary to the Cabinet), Majority Leader, Chair Budget and Chair Finance In the National Assembly, Deputy Speaker, and Deputy Majority Leader in the Senate," Kuria stated.

"What other powers would we be looking for? We are a government and we can implement One Man, One Vote, One Shilling by Friday if we are serious. Let us be honest with our people."

In his support, Rigathi had justified that Mt Kenya was among the most populous regions in the country and held the most votes.

For instance, he argued that the Ruiru area alone has 800,000 people and it was unfair to allocate the same resources as other least populated areas.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Tuesday, May 14, 2024 - The brutal murder of 19-year-old Mount Kenya University student Faith Musembi in Thika has taken a fresh twist after it emerged that her boyfriend is behind the heinous act.

According to Thika West Sub-County Police Commander, Lawrence Muchangi, Musembis 25-year-old boyfriend, a student from Tom Mboya University, is the main suspect behind the murder.

It is believed that Musembis boyfriend murdered her after he found out that she was cheating on him with four other men.

Faiths body was discovered by her father Boniface Musembi at her rented house.



The father had rushed to his daughters house following a message sent to them by alleged abductors who were demanding a KSh27,000 ransom for the release of his daughter.

Police believe that Faith and her boyfriend, who is in custody, have been in a relationship for close to six years.

The killer boyfriend is also known to Faiths parents.

The suspect is a boyfriend to the late who is also known to the parents.

"After thorough investigations, it was revealed that the matter before us was because of what we believe to be unfaithfulness that led to the suspect to kill this girl, Muchangi told the press.

An autopsy conducted on the deceased students body revealed that she died due to excessive bleeding caused by placental abruption.





The Kenyan DAILY POST.
Shoot! Shoot in the heart, local Miami resident Donald Armstrong screamed while waving around a screwdriver on his front porch during the peak of a mental health episode. Despite pleas from his mother not to kill her son, Armstrong was tased and shot over a dozen times. A 911 call tragically escalated into a perilous encounter with the very people tasked to help.

Our city is facing a mental health crisis. Too often, people with severe mental illness (SMI) are deemed hostile or resistant by police. According to data from The Treatment Advocacy Center, in 2015, people with SMI were sixteen times more likely to experience police use of force. The Washington Post highlights that between 2015 and 2020, nearly a quarter of all fatal police shootings involved individuals with mental illness. Add in factors such as race and implicit bias, and the chance of a fatal police interaction increases exponentially.

It is imperative that we shift our approach from police intervention to funding more specialized non-police mental health crisis teams during these emergencies to safeguard individuals and, ultimately, communities.

Our current approach to mental health crises fails those suffering from SMI. Armstrong, albeit in an extreme situation, is not the first nor the last to suffer a similar fate. Police, despite lacking sufficient training in de-escalation techniques tailored to individuals with SMI, are frequently called upon to handle mental health emergencies. However, police intervention often leads to escalation and increased harm for everyone involved. They are, after all, law enforcement and not mental health experts.

Alternative models currently exist in Miami and deserve more funding. Programs like the Circle of Brotherhood, Freedom House Mobile Clinic of The Healing and Justice Center strive to help people like Armstrong and are trained to do so. These teams are composed of local community members, mental health experts trained in de-escalation techniques, and others more equipped to deal with the delicate situations that arise. Other cities that have implemented programming like this have shown decreased violence rates and better mental health outcomes. Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets, better known as CAHOOTS, is another example of an alternative to police interactions in Eugene, Oregon. These teams are tasked with assessing behavioral health crises and can even connect community members with state insurance plans and long-term care. Such programs have diverted calls from police to crisis units, reduced emergency department use, and ultimately, health care burden, which underscores the importance of funding alternative options.

Community health workers are vital to the health and wellness of our local communities. Investing in mental health crisis teams is not only morally imperative but has also shown financial benefits. Numerous studies have indicated that mobile crisis teams reduce health care utilization costs and psychiatric inpatient spending. Situations like Armstrongs highlight the dire need for alternative crisis response models and research has shown alternative models work. Funds should be allocated to conflict mediators and community-based policing programs just as much, if not more, than they are allocated to police.

Although many people believe police involvement will enhance community safety for people experiencing crises, patterns have shown otherwise. Others argue that there is little room in our budgets for training and implementing these practices. Funding constraints can be alleviated by the use of community health workers, and these aforementioned obstacles pale in comparison to the benefits of reforming our current practices.

Miami needs to address this crisis. It should listen to its various activists and reallocate some police funding to community members willing and able to respond to mental health calls. There is an urgent need for a paradigm shift in crisis response, and with the backing of policymakers, community leaders, and citizens, we may be able to help our most vulnerable community members.

Ashlee Guzman is a medical student.
The Anti-Corruption Coalition-Uganda is asking the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) to urgently address the enumerators concerns so it does not affect credibility of the results.

This comes after a section of census enumerators tasked government to expedite the process of releasing their allowances and increase the quantity of census materials used to ease their work.

In telephone interview with KFM, the Coalitions Executive Director- Marlon Agaba, says such developments may negatively affect the census results because lack of motivation affects productivity.

The biggest risk is that you dont expect someone who is hangry and tired to collect 100% accurate information no wonder motivation is low even chances of making mistakes either deliberate or not deliberate are high, w appeal to UBOS to address this concern. Mr. Agaba said.

The 2024 National Housing and Population Census (NHPC) exercise is running until May 19th under the theme; It matters to be counted.
The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) has set October 15th 2024 as the date to start hearing of evidence against former Lords Resistance Army commander Joseph Kony.

This developed has been revealed by the ICC Registrar Osvaldo Zaval Giler on his visit to Uganda.

He said this is meant to determine whether or not the 33 charges can be confirmed against him.

The confirmation of charges proceedings will be held in absence of Kony whose warrant of arrest has been pending for 19 years.

Osvaldo has explained that whatever the outcome of the pre-trial hearing, Konys major trial on war crime charges cannot commence without his arrest.

 the chamber acknowledged that it will take time before anything were actually provided to the victims and that not all victims will receive the symbolic preoperational award at the same time. Mr. Osvaldo said.

He has further revealed that while Dominic Ongwen sits in a Norway prison serving his 25-year sentence for crimes against humanity committed during the 29 years of Northern Uganda conflict, implementation of the 52.5million Euros Reparation Award for his victims is already underway with stake holders consultations being done despite an appeal lodged by Ongwen.
Makindye East MP Derrick Nyeko and four other suspects have been detained over illegal possession of army uniforms a monopoly of the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF).

The intelligence-led operation was conducted last evening after the Uganda police force and other security agencies secured a court order with which they cordoned off offices, residences, shops, among other targeted areas in Wandegeya and Kamwokya, Kampala.

Section 119 (1) of the UPDF Act 2005 stipulates that any person found in unlawful possession of any equipment ordinarily being the monopoly of the defence forces and other classified stores as prescribed, is subject to military law and can be tried in military courts as appropriate. The offence carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment on conviction.

The other four suspects include Mr. Geoffrey Katuruntu a Councillor, Mr. Waswa Musoke Hassan,18, a shop attendant at Costume world tailoring shop and resident of kimwanyi zone, Wandegeya parish, Kawempe division, Kampala district, Mr. Joseph Bukenya,32, whom police say is a cleaner at NUP party President Robert Kyagulanyis home in Magere Kyadondo East county in wakiso district and a one Marvin Biiso Marvin, 18, a phone cover seller and resident of Namungoona.

Mr. Patrick Onyango the Kampala metropolitan police Spokesperson has revealed that upon a search from assortment of military uniforms has recovered from MP Nyeko.

Desert military shoes, Police shoes black in colour, an Overall resembling that of Counter Terrorism, with the UG flag badge Katuruntu Geoffrey, red Berets, Red NUP party attires accompanied with police ranks Ronnie Guns shop, a live PK bullet, Four army look alike trousers, Two military look alike overalls, three army look alike berets a walk tokie branded alpha Romeo, a military poncho, two military look alike berets and Six army like Chevrons he noted

He adds that other recovered items include, Counterfeit dollars of 23 bundles of 20 notes, Two toy pistols, a stainless curved sharp metal, two military badges branded on auxiliary police department, Seven khaki shirts with star pepes, eight khaki trousers, three dresses with laneyards, one black cape branded with police Nationale wording, four sewing machines.

According to Mr.Onyango, the suspects are being processed for a court hearing and he has appealed to members of ghc public to voluntarily surrender armed force uniforms.

The public is urged to surrender these items to local authorities, the police, District/Division Internal Security Organisation (DISO), or the nearest UPDF unit.

This operation will extend to other parts of the country. He noted

On April 22, 2024, the Uganda Police Force, through the National Police Spokesperson, issued a directive to Private Security Organizations, Bouncers Associations, Political groups, and individuals, who are using Police uniforms and rank insignia (PIPS), stating its illegal, and they must stop immediately.

Relatedly on May 2, 2024, the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces, through their 4th Infantry Division Public Information Office, cautioned individuals wearing military outfits bearing UPDF imprints, such as warm suits, jackets, ranger boots, berets, caps, porches, backpacks/camel backs, among others, to cease immediately.
Kenyas Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora affairs Dr. Musalia Mudavadi has urged leaders of both Kenya and Uganda to urgently address issues on Non-Tariff Barriers that have continued to hamper cross-border trade between the two countries.

Speaking at the opening of the 2nd session of the Joint Ministeral Commission for Cooperation in Kampala today, Mudavadi has urged delegates to ensure their discussions reach a conclusive position to enable the augmentation of bilateral trade.

He noted that over the last two days, the two countries Principal Secretaries and Senior Officials have diligently undertaken a review of the commitments agreed during the Inaugural Joint Ministerial Commission held in Nairobi in March 2019.

Mudavadi thus urges them to assess and consolidate the gains made in the implementation of agreed resolutions.

He notes that this bilateral exercise is significantly important as it precedes the official State Visit by president Museveni, to Kenya from tomorrow May 15th  17th.

It is also imperative to address other outstanding issues relating to, immigration, boundary reaffirmation which has progressed at a slow pace due to challenges related to funding thereby impacting on the programme of action, and other cross border matters are addressed at the earliest. I am confident we shall reach agreement on these important instruments for enhancing our cooperation, he told delegates in Kampala.

It is incumbent upon us to come up with an Action Plan that has a realistic time frame and an inbuilt monitoring and evaluation mechanism to guide the implementation process. Our respective Diplomatic Missions and Foreign Affairs Ministries will be entrusted to engage in regular consultations regarding the implementation of all agreed decisions, he added.

Dr Mudavadi also expressed gratitude to the Government of Uganda for the release of 32 Turkana herdsmen that were arrested on 24th of April 2023 for being in possession of illegal firearms.

The gesture by the Government of the Republic of Uganda underscores commitment in building our relations to deeper levels, he stated.
By Patrick Okaba

More than 700 foot pilgrims are expected to converge at Namurwotho Chapel in Nebbi district to prepare for flagging off for the Namugongo trek.

Sam Okaba, the chairperson national foot pilgrims committee says they will tomorrow be driven to Kamudini Junction, where they will be flagged off by Archbishop-elect Raphael Okorach from Gulu Archdiocese.

According to Okaba, the pilgrims first stop will be Bweyale along the Kampala-Gulu Highway.

He says they have so far received support from various corporate entities including telecom company MTN Uganda in the form of reflector jackets and refreshments.

The foot pilgrims are expected to trek all the way to Namugongo shrine in Wakiso District, covering a distance of about 272 KM for the annual Martyrs Day celebrations slated for June 3rd.

This years event is organised by Nebbi Diocese.
Young Irish Film Makers are hosting an open invitation for guests to join them for their Level 4 Creative Multimedia course open day from 2 to 5pm this Friday.

We are passionate about nurturing creative talent in the area of multimedia production, explains Gareth Hanlon course coordinator.

"Whether you're interested in graphic design, photography, filmmaking, podcasting or web development, our course offers a diverse range of skills to unleash your creativity and prepare you for a successful career. This practical full-time course is aimed at anyone interested in exploring a future in the creative industries. Students work on projects including film, photography, graphic design, podcasting and much more as they build their skills and develop a portfolio. With a QQI level 4 award on completion.

"During the Open Day event, visitors will have the opportunity to meet the experienced staff members who are industry professionals and learn about their expertise and teaching approach. Explore the state-of-the-art facilities equipped with the latest technology, including editing suites, learning lab, and podcasting studio. Gain insight into the curriculum, opportunities, and career prospects in the multimedia field. Participate in interactive workshops and demonstrations. Connect with current students to hear about their experiences and success stories.

This course is an excellent grounding in creative media production and an excellent progression route to further levels of education, says Gareth Hanlon the course coordinator.

"The course is very practical from day one, with the first video creations happening in the first week. Drama, comedy, music and podcasting workshops are peppered throughout the programme. Learners can also expect a number of road trips to exhibitions, film festivals and college open days.

"The student-centred team at YIFM work with each learner to define their personal projects, which will include video, audio, photography and design. Where possible other students help you with productions, photography and other creative services. You feed into their portfolios and they into yours. Its like a creative family scenario, we even have a wellbeing officer on the team to ensure learners have their best experience," he added.

The Kilkenny City based course runs full time for 44 weeks and begins in September 2024. The course is a full-time foundation in all things Multimedia. Every September, 20 creative people aged 16+, sign up for 44 weeks of learning through practical creative projects involving community groups, local festivals and even working with local businesses to create social media content as part of their work experience module.

The feedback we get from our students is excellent, one student in particular, forwarded this message to the staff upon completion of the course, Thank you all so much guys the best year Ive ever had, explains Gareth.

Explaining the entry requirements, Gareth states, You must be over 16 yrs (and up to 35 yrs). It is usually Level 4 or equivalent to join us, however, the real requirement is a passion for creative media, film making, photography or graphic design.

Specific entry requirements for QQI Level 4 programme? Applicants should have a standard of knowledge, skill and competence equivalent to NFQ Level 3 when accessing a Level 4 programme. Applicants under 18 must be disengaged from secondary school for a minimum of three months (not including the summer months) and must provide a letter from their school confirming this. CEFR proficiency at B1 is required for access to Level 4 courses for those whose first language is not English.

What is the age range for a level 4 course? To be eligible for a LTI a person must be between the ages of 16 and 35 with either no formal qualifications or incomplete second level qualifications.

YIFM are located in St Joseph's Studios on the Waterford Road in Kilkenny.

For further details about the course contact course coordinator Gareth Hanlon on gareth@yifm.com or call 056-7764677.
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A Kilkenny student has won first place after undertaking a work experience placement and fostering independent career research.

Sarah Dunne from Presentation School Kilkenny won first place in The Careers in Tourism category. She chose work experience placement in Meubles Cafe in Kilkenny and would like to pursue a career in cafe management.

Each of the students in the winning categories won a MacBook Air laptop, those who came in 2nd place won Samsung Tablet and 3rd place students won Apple AirPods. There were also prizes for all those commended. The four winning schools came away with 1,000 for their school programmes.

From astronaut training in NASA to experiencing the hustle and bustle of the European Parliament, the sky was the limit for almost 1500 students who entered this years AIB Future Sparks Career Skills Competition by CareersPortal.

And today the winners descended on Dublin as secondary school students, their families, teachers, and guidance counsellors gathered from across the country to attend the awards ceremony at the Clock Tower in the Department of Education.

The competition, which was open to all senior cycle students who have undertaken a work experience placement, was developed 14 years ago by Irelands award-winning and leading career guidance website CareersPortal.

The competition encourages students to focus on the importance of career skills and understand the role these transferable skills can play in their future careers.

Close to 1500 students entered the competition this year and students could enter either in English or Irish through a written submission or Vlog entry.

The 33 winning entries were selected from an impressive shortlist that included a diverse range of occupations from across all sectors which saw students working in microbiology labs, food production sites, game design, primary schools, hair salons and hotels to students lucky enough to gain work experience in NASA learning how to become an astronaut and a student who secured a trip to Strasbourg to experience becoming a Member of the European Parliament!
Newstalk ZB report:

The man responsible for a horror hit and run in central Wellington last year was on a suspended licence and was so drunk he later asked police, Did I kill someone?

Jason Tuitama injured two women when he ran a red light in his BMW, striking them as they were on a pedestrian crossing in the early hours of June 18 last year.

Both were taken to hospital, one in a serious condition and one critical.

Casidhe Maguire, known as Cass, died in hospital several weeks later. The other pedestrian suffered serious injuries, requiring several operations.

Court documents show Tuitama had already been banned from driving multiple times in the months before the fatal incident and wasnt supposed to be driving.

While the impact threw both women in the air, Tuitama refused to stop, driving off while his victims lay critically injured on Cable Street.

Today before a packed public gallery in the Wellington District Court, Tuitama was jailed for four years and four months after earlier admitting charges of manslaughter, reckless driving causing injury, failing to stop and drink driving.
The Columbia School Board met Monday night to review survey results regarding proposed attendance areas, as well as the district's current cell phone procedure in classrooms.

Randy Gooch, chief operations officer for Columbia Public Schools, presented survey results to the board. The survey which closed Sunday, had more than 2,000 responses. Hickman and Rock Bridge accounted for 1,242 responses alone.

Parents and students have expressed concerns regarding the possibility of changing schools due to changes in attendance areas.

A Change.org petition is currently circulating that asks the district to give high school students the right to choose whether they want to leave their school or remain where they are.

The petition was created by Harvey Munter, a freshman at Hickman High School. The petition says the current options available negatively impact the student experience. However, Munter suggested an alternative option in the petition. Munter wrote giving students a choice would be the best way forward.

"We need to allow our high school students to choose whether they want to stay at the high school they currently attend, or switch schools based on redistricting," Munter wrote. "This only delays the benefits of redistricting by two years, and minimizes issues among CPS families."

Munter is not effected personally by the redistricting, but out of the five proposals, three could move his best friend to another school.

"If I had to say goodbye to one of my best friends, that would hurt me a lot," Munter said. "It would definitely effect my mental health, and in turn, my academic performance."

School Board member Blake Willoughby has been involved with the redistricting process since the beginning. He said he empathizes with families who will have to move schools, but he said the district is only doing this to benefit the district.

"The feeling is valid, don't let anyone tell you it's not, about having to move," Willoughby said. "The board is looking at this because it is a necessity to accommodate for the growth of the district."

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KOMU 8 News previously reported that parents also had reservations about changing attendance areas. One family said they selected their home based on the existing attendance areas at the time.

The School Board also reviewed the district's existing cell phone procedures in its public school system.

Chief Schools Officer Helen Porter said the point of Monday's review is to reinforce the existing procedures. She said now feels like a good time because of reports received from internal and external stakeholders. She also said the district would like to make concerns about cell phones public and speak to parents about becoming part of the solution.

"Kids are distracted by cell phones, and we feel it has gotten worse," Porter said said. "Scholars are not paying attention, and we believe the time for learning in the classroom is sacred."

Cell phones, including smart devices, are prohibited in middle school classroom learning environment, hallways, restrooms, and locker rooms, from 7:25 a.m. to 2:35 p.m.," according to Monday's presentation.

Cell phones, including smart devices, are also prohibited in all learning environments in CPS high schools.

"Specific tools/resources will be provided to all (high school) staff to create a system that clearly communicates when/what instruction looks like in all learning environments," Monday's presentation said.

Adam Taylor, executive director of secondary education, presented the current procedures with the goal of clarifying some grey areas within the procedures.

"It is our desire to provide clear, consistent cell phone and smart devices procedures in our secondary learning environments. We are recommending certain procedures during the 2024-2025 school year," Taylor said.
Allegations of preferential treatment within the K-pop industry have surfaced once again, this time centered around Bang Si Hyuk, the founder of HYBE Corporation.

Netizens have taken to social media platforms to voice their concerns over what they perceive as favoritism towards one of HYBE's girl groups, LE SSERAFIM, over another, NewJeans.

The controversy stems from observations made by fans regarding Bang Si Hyuk's involvement with the two groups. While the HYBE founder has been notably absent from any events related to NewJeans, he was seen personally attending LE SSERAFIM's pop-up store.

Witnesses reported that Bang Si Hyuk not only visited the store but also purchased a substantial amount of merchandise, even going so far as to transport the items himself in his personal vehicle.

Fans noted that Bang Si Hyuk's visit occurred on the fourth day of LE SSERAFIM's pop-up store, a gesture that many interpreted as a significant display of support for the group. Despite the absence of the members at the time, Bang Si Hyuk's presence alone was enough to draw attention and spark discussions among netizens.

READ ALSO: Bang Si Hyuk Ignores NewJeans? Members' Parents Speak Out Against HYBE In Explosive Letter

This isn't the first time allegations of preferential treatment have arisen within HYBE's roster of artists. Netizens drew parallels to the classic tale of Cinderella, painting NewJeans as the neglected stepsisters in comparison to the favored LE SSERAFIM.

Comments online reflect a sense of frustration and disappointment towards what some perceive as unfair treatment towards certain artists within the company.

Furthermore, netizens have highlighted the historical relationship between HYBE and Source Music, the former home of GFRIEND, suggesting a pattern of collaboration and favoritism across various projects and groups associated with the labels.

Online reactions have been swift and varied, with many expressing disappointment and disbelief at Bang Si Hyuk's alleged actions. Some questioned the necessity of such hands-on involvement from the CEO, while others speculated on the underlying dynamics within HYBE and its affiliated labels.

Here's what netizens are saying:

" So I guess LE SSERAFIM was HYBE's princesses all along."

"WOW, this is totally Cinderella and her stepsisters LOL."

"Wouldn't it be great to be good to all your artists?"

"Doesn't he have staff? Which CEO goes to that extent?"

"BigHit and Source Music were one since a long time ago. Back then, 8Eight also belonged to BigHit and Source Music. They also made GLAM together, and most of GFRIEND were trainees from BigHit. There were many rumors that the companies were helping each other out. Source Music was also the first label to be absorbed by HYBE."

"He's really doing the role of a sponsor. They suit each other."

"Legendary LOL."

"Did all the age he gained go to his belly?"

Comments from netizens ranged from humorous comparisons to fairy tales to more serious reflections on the dynamics of power within the K-pop industry. Despite the diversity of opinions, the consensus among netizens appears to be a call for fairness and equality in how artists are treated and supported by their management.

YOU MIGHT BE ALSO INTERESTED IN: Bang Si Hyuk Startling Revelation about BTS & BLACKPINK - We Should Have a Sense of Crisis Rather Than ...'

For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz.

KpopStarz owns this article.

Written by Cassidy Jones.
Korean netizens are discussing LE SSERAFIM's newest pictorial for Louis Vuitton and Marie Claire Korea. Read more to know why the photos are having mixed reactions.

On May 13, Korean netizens gathered in an online community that discussed LE SSERAFIM's photoshoot for Louis Vuitton and Marie Claire Korea for its June issue. The author uploaded a group photo and a few solo photos of the members.

The magazine uploaded the photos on its official Instagram account, where the photos received praise from loving FEARNOTs. In the forum, there were also those who were taken aback by LE SSEREAFIM's visuals, styling, and vibe.

However, some weren't satisfied with LE SSERAFIM's styling on the photos. They expressed frustration over the members having the same styling of long black hair, which led them to be "unrecognizable." Some called out the choice of clothes for the pictorial.

Here's how they reacted:

"Looks like Hybe has caught the disease where all their girl groups must have long black hair."

"Why are they so not photogenic?? Maybe the directing was weird, but I don't see the charm of the members at all."

"The clothes suck but it seems like that's not the biggest issue here?"

"They all look so-so here."

International netizens also dished their thoughts on the photos, as many agreed with the unsatisfied reactions, while others praised LE SSERAFIM, nonetheless.

"I hate this trend in K-pop where the entire group has the same hair."

"Those wigs. Oh, that's not."

"I didn't recognize any of them wtf."

"They look the same on the cover like the face gets pasted on everyone."

"Am I the only one that likes the wigs? I mean it's not for a comeback it was just a photoshoot. But yeah Yunjin's solo shot barely looks like her though."

"I blame the fits and styling not my girls. The hair, styling and clothes give nothing to work with if we're being for real."

"In the first photo, I didn't recognize anyone but Eunchae. The bangs really change a lot, wow."

"Feels like this is a nod to their recent anniversary. They look good and this is probably my favorite magazine shoot of theirs."

This really does remind me of their debut photoshoot and like the hardships of then, this too will pass."

Here's how fans reacted on social media platform X (Twitter):

YOU GUYS DID A GREAT JOB FOR THIS PHOTOSHOOT! SENDING TON OF LOVEEEE  ayurikuu (@ayurikuu) May 13, 2024 My girlss slay May 13, 2024 Five goddesses   . (@talkingmoon91) May 13, 2024

What are your thoughts on LE SSERAFIM's pictorial and styling? Let us know in the comments below.

Read KpopStarz for more K-pop news.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: LE SSERAFIM's New Louis Vuitton Campaign Sparks Controversy- 'It's a Mismatch'

KpopStarz owns this article

Written by Israel Monte
Danielle is trending in online communities for her captivating visuals!

On May 13, netizens gathered in an online thread titled, "NewJeans Danielle's National Treasure Visuals Found At Gyeongbong." In the forum, the author posted a few pictures showing Danielle wearing an elegant white hanbok. Apart from her getup, Danielle also wore an accessory, which emitted fairy-like visuals.

NewJeans Danielle poses in front of the Gyeongbokgung for the upcoming 'Korea On Stage' showhttps://t.co/Bwd0qRLhNn pic.twitter.com/aE6684Xs6u  pannchoa (@pannchoa) May 14, 2024

The photos are for Danielle's endeavor to take on the role of MC for the upcoming "2024 Korea on Stage," which will be held at the palace's Heyngnyemun Gate on May 21, at 7:30 p.m., KST.

Furthermore, the event will be hosted by the National Heritage Administration and organized by the National Heritage Institute, as well as the KBS Korea Broadcasting Corporation.

K-netz were mesmerized by Danielle's beauty, leading them to compliment the idol in the comments section. Read their reactions below:

"Wow, she really looks like a fairy."

"She looks like a spirit of the Gyeongbokgung."

"She's an elf."

"She looks like a fairy who lives there."

"The fairy of Gyeongbokgung."

"I audibly said 'wow.'"

"Wow, the coordi is so pretty and the traditional Korean socks are so pretty too."

"Danielle looks like a fairy, she's so pretty."

International Bunnies also joined the thread, with many expressing their compliments to Danielle due to her visuals, presence, and personality. The photos also gained traction on X (Twitter), where netizens voiced their awe of Danielle's aura.

"She looks like she could be a LOTR elf."

"Me when I'm in the most beautiful competition but my opponent is Danielle."

"Danielle is so sweet, but can we also talk about her personality? She's so adorable and so kind to literally everyone."

"Her family vlog was so cute. She seems very genuine and bubbly.

"She's a doll."

In other news, Danielle thanked Bunnies who sent supportive messages to her. On May 8, Danielle engaged in a conversation with fans through the fan platform Phoning, where the idol expressed how happy she was to see them during Minji's birthday livestream.

Danielle then brought up that some fans were worried about her since she was quieter than usual. The idol admitted that she was feeling heavy, but advised fans not to worry too much, as NewJeans are preparing a lot for them.

"I was really happy to see you all yesterday. Some Bunnies were worried about me because I was quieter than usual. I want to let you know that I'm grateful for your concern and support. Although my heart has been heavy these days, please don't worry. We're practicing hard and preparing for you, Bunnies. There are a lot of things that we want to show you in the future, so please look forward to it." . pic.twitter.com/T9rksfD9lO   (@modani_st) May 8, 2024



Did Danielle's lovely visuals make you faint? Are you excited to see her as the MC for "2024 Korea on Stage"? Let us know in the comments below!

Read KpopStarz for more K-pop news.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: NewJeans Danielle Pens Heartfelt Messages Thanking Bunnies For Support: 'My Heart Has Been Heavy These Days...'

KpopStarz owns this article

Written by Israel Monte
The backlash against ZEROBASEONE Kim Jiwoong has not died down, as banners have been spotted demanding his withdrawal from the group.

Earlier this year, Kim Jiwoong was accused of being rude to fans. During a fan call screen recording by a fan shared online, Kim Jiwoong was heard swearing when he thought the call had ended.

Unfortunately, the fan was still on the line, and questioned whether or not he was cursing at her and other fans waiting to meet him.

YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: ZEROBASEONE Kim Jiwoong Criticized For 'Lacking' Performance Skills + ZEROSEs Defend Idol



Kim Jiwoong has not released a statement on the matter, though WAKEONE has announced they will be taking legal action against those spreading misinformation and malicious comments against their artists.

On May 13, 2024, a post titled "Banners requesting ZEROBASEONE Kim Jiwoong's withdrawal" was uploaded to the popular South Korean online community forum TheQoo.

There, the original poster shared a tweet from a union that demanded Kim Jiwoong's withdrawal from ZEROBASEONE. In the tweet, they noted that the second banner protested Kim Jiwoong's status as a ZEROBASEONE member. The banner was placed from May 7 to May 9.

2024.05.07.  2 2        .

        .

58 2   59 2  . . pic.twitter.com/QfMCBMS7NF   (@kkjw_out) May 10, 2024

YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: ZEROBASEONE Kim Jiwoong Looks Before Vs After Scandal Draws Attention Online

The banners read, "Kim Jiwoong, who never apologized for swearing, withdraw." Another one states, "Kim Jiwoong, who is ruining the group, withdraw." The final banner reads, "WAKEONE who is standing idly despite the severity of the situation, take responsibility."

Those who saw the post were shocked that Kim Jiwoong was still part of the group, as they assumed that he had already left. Many sympathized with the fans, stating that it must be hard to stand with a group with a member so deep in his controversy.

Others slammed Kim Jiwoong for remaining silent all these months, stating that he is shameless and harming ZEROBASEONE.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION: ZEROBASEONE Kim Jiwoong Caught Swearing After Fancall

Some comments read,

"This is still a thing?"

"He's still part of the group? Please hurry up and leave."

"Wow, Kim Jiwoong is so shameless. He's making sure the group gets canceled."

"They are still going at it?"

"He's hasn't withdrew yet?"

"To the fans, fighting!"

"Please withdraw."

"If you can't kick Kim Jiwoong out, at least put him on hiatus. This is seriously annoying. Just withdraw. I want the group to promote without any worries."

"I still remember how WAKEONE dealt with the issue. It was legendary."

"I seriously pity the members and the fans."

What do you think of the situation? Tell us in the comments below!

KpopStarz Owns This

Written by Alexa Lopez
IVE member Jang Wonyoung appeared at a recent Miu Miu event, drawing attention to her gorgeous beauty.

On May 13, 2024, IVE's Jang Wonyoung made waves on social media following her attendance at the Miu Miu Select event in Seoul. The event featured a unique initiative where celebrities and brand ambassadors curate the store's decorative theme and select items for display.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: IVE Jang Wonyoung Reveals Her Real-Life Personality: 'Actually, I'm Not...'

At this event, Jang Wonyoung showcased her favorite pieces from Miu Miu's latest collection, which will be featured in five Miu Miu stores across Seoul, Busan, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

Remarkably, Miu Miu granted Jang Wonyoung the ability to curate the presentation of five stores, an honor unprecedented for the Italian fashion brand. This showcases Jang Wonyoung's significant influence in the fashion world.

YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: IVE Jang Wonyoung Seen Laughing During 'HEYA' Performance - Here's Why

Miu Miu's special treatment of Jang Wonyoung, allowing her to dictate the creative direction in multiple stores, is a testament to her growing prominence as a brand ambassador.

At the event, Jang Wonyoung charmed attendees and fans alike with her flawless style, scoring a "perfect ten" in fashion appeal and visual appeal.

CHECK THIS OUT: IVE Jang Wonyoung Garnerse Praise For Impressive Mindset: 'I'm Totally Lucky Vicky'

The female idol donned a chic polo shirt paired with a trendy pleated skirt, complemented by Mary Jane shoes and elegant accessories that enhanced her sophisticated look. Her remarkably long, slender legs garnered much attention, drawing immense praise from fans online.

Some comments from netizens read:

"Jang Wonyoung is absolutely stunning! Her legs are mesmerizing. She is like a living doll."

"At just 20 years old, having the influence to make decisions for five Miu Miu Select stores really speaks volumes about Jang Wonyoung's impact."

"These photos could be from a fansite; Jang Wonyoung looks incredibly gorgeous."

"Jang Wonyoung's figure is amazing, she always looks like a living doll."

"Truly the epitome of perfection, so beautiful!"

What do you think of the situation? Tell us in the comments below!

IVE Recent Activities

On April 29, 2024, IVE released their second Korean extended play, "IVE SWITCH." The album contains six songs, including two singles: "HEYA" and "Accendio." That same day, the girl group held a live event to introduce their comeback to the fans, as well as interact with them.

FOR YOU: IVE Jang Wonyoung Claims She Saw a UFO, But Her Members Aren't Convinced

The music video for "HEYA" was released on April 29. They will release the music video for "Accendio" on May 15.

KpopStarz Owns This

Written by Alexa Lopez
On May 14th, TWICE's official Instagram account set fans abuzz with an exciting post featuring members Sana and Chaeyoung dancing to Sabrina Carpenter's latest hit song, "Espresso."

The duo's fresh and charming moves brought a delightful energy that had fans eagerly calling for a collaboration between the K-pop sensations and the American pop star.

The video showcased Sana and Chaeyoung effortlessly grooving to the catchy beat of "Espresso," making it the perfect summer vibe. With their signature charisma and synchronization, the performance quickly became a fan favorite, sparking a wave of enthusiastic reactions on social media.

Netizens couldn't contain their excitement, flooding the comments with praise and hopes for a future collaboration:

"Sana is Sabrina's biggest fan!"

"Sabrina Carpenter x TWICE when?"

"Knowing that Sabrina actually sang Candy Pop once too, we need a collab soon!!!"

"E-S-P-R-E-S-S-O. That's who Sana is!"

"OMG TWICE USING A SABRINA AUDIO?! AYE!"

"I NEED A SHOT OF BOTH PLEASE!!!"

"Ok, this is actually so fun to watch it's so smooth lol"

"My jaw dropped."

"Sana's dance is the best!"

"You are very pretty and charismatic Sana. You also dance very cool!"

"My two girlfriends."

"COLLABORATION?"

"Sana-presso!"

IN CASE YOU MISSED THIS: This is TWICE Sana's Secret To Cheer Up Her Members

The post has garnered thousands of likes and comments, with fans expressing their admiration for Sana and Chaeyoung's performance. The playful and energetic dance routine has not only highlighted their talent but also strengthened the connection between TWICE and their global fanbase.

Sabrina Carpenter, known for her vibrant and catchy songs, has a significant fan following in South Korea. Her song "Espresso" has been well-received, and seeing TWICE members dance to it has only amplified the song's popularity.

Fans are now eagerly hoping for a collaboration between TWICE and Sabrina Carpenter, with many speculating that this could be a teaser for an upcoming project.

Recently, TWICE showcased their impressive live vocals in their performance on the YouTube channel Dingo Music's "Killing Voice," earning them the title of "K-pop Queen" by media outlets.

On March 12, the girl group performed a medley of their hit songs from their 10-year career, including tracks like "Like OHH-AHH," "CHEER UP," "TT," and "FANCY." They also introduced their latest song "ONE SPARK" from their 13th mini-album "With YOU-th."

The performance, which quickly garnered 1.7 million views, received praise for the members' vocal abilities, particularly Jihyo, Nayeon, and Jeongyeon, as well as Momo and Tzuyu. Fans and media alike commended TWICE for their growth and enduring presence in the K-pop industry.

YOU MIGHT BE ALSO INTERESTED IN: TWICE Sana Net Worth 2024: How Wealthy Is Group's Adorable 'Shiba Inu' So Far?

For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz.

KpopStarz owns this article.

Written by Cassidy Jones.
China plans to recruit 37,000 college graduates to teach in primary and junior high schools in rural areas, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Education on Monday.

The recruitment is under a special education program launched by the government in 2006. The program aims to help bridge the education gap between rural and urban areas by recruiting thousands of teachers with college degrees to work in rural areas each year, particularly in economically disadvantaged regions in central and western China.

Teachers recruited under the program generally serve a three-year tenure, during which their salaries and subsidies are paid by the central government and local governments.

According to the ministry, the recruitment this year will prioritize subjects short of qualified teachers in rural areas, such as physical education, English, science, arts and psychology.

Zarazeno ut 14.05.2024 03:05:04 Vydano Zdroj scio.gov.cn Original english.scio.gov.cn/pressroom/2024-05/14/content_117186627.htm lang en
China and the United States will hold the first meeting of the inter-governmental dialogue on artificial intelligence (AI) in Geneva on May 14 local time, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

As agreed by the two sides, China and the United States will exchange views on the technological risks of AI, global governance and other issues of respective concern. The meeting is held to implement the consensus reached at the San Francisco summit between the two heads of state, the ministry said.

Zarazeno ut 14.05.2024 05:05:24 Vydano Zdroj scio.gov.cn Original english.scio.gov.cn/pressroom/2024-05/14/content_117186761.htm lang en
TIMES STAFF WRITER

Falling Leaves, Adeline Yen Mahs poignant memoir of growing up as the outcast child of a wealthy family in China, was a surprise international bestseller when it was published in England in 1997 and in the U.S. a year later.

The retired Huntington Beach anesthesiologist has returned to her roots with a version of her story aimed at readers ages 12 and older.

Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter (Delacourt; $16.95) covers Mahs life up to age 14, when she was sent to boarding school in England.

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Mah says she was blamed by her father and four older siblings for the death of her mother, who died shortly after giving birth to her.

Her father ignored her and her malicious Eurasian stepmother treated Mah and her older sister and three older brothers like second-class citizens in their luxurious Shanghai home. They were given rice gruel and salted vegetables for breakfast while their father, stepmother and their stepmothers two children ate bacon and eggs, toast and fresh juice. Instead of the latest Western fashions worn by their stepmothers two children, Mah wore hand-me-downs and her brothers donned old-fashioned Chinese robes.

Mah, however, received the brunt of her stepmothers disfavor.

Sent to a convent boarding school in northern China when she was 10, she was forbidden, under her stepmothers orders, to leave the school or have visitors; she spent holidays alone. And while she yearned to receive letters from her beloved aunt and grandfather--her only allies in the family--no letters ever came. Later Mah discovered that her stepmother intercepted Mahs outgoing and incoming mail.

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But it was at school that Mah discovered herself, following her aunt and grandfathers advice that she could do anything she wanted in life if she excelled academically.

Says Publishers Weekly: That Mah eventually soars above her circumstances is proof of her strength of character. The author re-creates moments of cruelty and victory so convincingly that readers will feel almost as if theyre in the room with her.

Chinese Cinderella was published by Penguin Australia in New Zealand and Australia in August and by Penguin UK in England and Hong Kong (where its a bestseller) in September. The book arrived in American bookstores in October.

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Recently returned from a 2 1/2-month promotional trip that took her to Australia, Taipei, Hong Kong, London and New York, Mah said she wrote Chinese Cinderella in response to the many letters she received from young girls who had read Falling Leaves and identified with her unhappy childhood.

Because she wrote her first book for adults, Mah said, I was surprised they were reading Falling Leaves, let alone writing to the author. Then I realized a lot of girls really would like to discuss their problems with their parents, but if [their] parents are the ones abusing [them], they have nobody to turn to. So they wrote to me, and many of them told me things from their lives that they never had discussed before.

In reading the letters, Mah said, I realized what I went through [as a child] was by no means unique. There are so many divided families--stepparents, multiple stepparents--that a lot of children are feeling discrimination and [a sense of] being unwanted.

Mah said she wanted to write Chinese Cinderella to encourage these children to believe in themselves.

I think it is extremely important for the unwanted child to have a sense of self-worth, because each child who is unloved feels herself to be ugly, devoid of charm, and whenever she opens her mouth she knows it is not something welcome.

In rewriting her story for young adults, Mah said, she wanted to tell it from a different angle than she took in Falling Leaves.

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I wanted to compare my life at home with my life at school because I think a lot of children behave very differently at home compared to how they behave at school, she said. For the first 14 years of my life, I never opened my mouth when I had dinner with my parents at home because I knew whatever I said would not please them. Whereas at school, they nicknamed me Chatterbox because I wouldnt shut up. All the feelings I never had a chance to express at home came rushing out at school.

Mah, 62, said writing for a younger audience was essentially the same as writing for adults.

My belief is a writer tries to erase the boundary between feelings and expression. Thats the function of any artist: We try to project our emotions in our work. Thats what I tried to do in Falling Leaves and the same for Chinese Cinderella. 

In writing Chinese Cinderella, Mah, the mother of two grown children, said she has a message for all children.

For those who are lucky enough to have a mother, you should appreciate her and know that probably no other woman in your life will give you the type of unconditional love that your mother would, she said.

And for those unlucky enough not to have a loving mother, Mah said, I hope this book will encourage them to believe in themselves and transcend their abuse, transcend their loneliness and transform it into a source of courage, creativity and compassion.
On 13 May the international media reported that the European Union (EU) has suspended sanctions on the president of Venezuelas national electoral council (CNE),, in a move aimed at encouraging a fair presidential election on 28 July.

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Donald Trump vice presidential hopeful and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem is facing even more controversies as several Native American tribes have banned her from their lands in the state that she is governing. This is the latest blow to the Republican governor as a litany of controversies have hounded her, from killing her own puppy to lying about meeting North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

Several North American tribes have previously banned the governor, with two more tribes joining suit this week. This means that she is now banned in a total of six Native American reservations in the state, which also makes her banned from 20% of her state's territory.

The latest ban against her came as the South Dakota Republican had to cut her book tour short because of the back-to-back controversies regarding it, particularly the story where she took her two-year-old puppy to a gravel pit and shot it in the head. She also lied about meeting Kim Jong Un, a topic she has been avoiding in various interviews.

The two latest tribes that banned her are the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate and Yankton Sioux tribes, which passed separate resolutions to bar her from setting foot in their territory. They join the Cheyenne River Sioux, Oglala Sioux, Rosebud Sioux, and Standing Rock Sioux tribes in banning Kristi Noem, according to the BBC.

In their pact with the US government, "Tribal governments have a sovereign right to exclude non-tribal members from their lands, with tribal law enforcement prepared to act if necessary." Only tribal and federal authorities have criminal jurisdiction over reservations, which makes her powerless in their territories.

Noem had previously tried to expand state power into these reservations, which led to the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council banning her in 2019 as she tried to put down the Native-led protests against the Keystone XL pipeline. She was also previously banned for linking illegal immigration to crime on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem Says She Wants the 'Truth' To Get Out After Dog Killing Controversy

Before she paused her disastrous book tour to promote the new book, she appeared on CBS News's "Face the Nation" and doubled down on killing her dog while also failing to address her false claims that she met with Kim Jong Un.

READ MORE: Who Should Be Donald Trump's New Vice President? CPAC Straw Poll Has Surprising Results

"I'm so proud of this book and what it will bring to people," she said in her interview. "I'm not retracting anything."

However, when confronted about her lie about meeting the North Korean dictator, she said, "This is an anecdote that I asked to have removed because I think it's appropriate at this point in time," without admitting that she lied about it in her book.

French Official Disputes Kristi Noem Claims About Emmanuel Macron in Her Book

It also seems that Noem may have also lied about French President Emmanuel Macron in her upcoming book, "No Going Back," and not just Kim Jong Un.

"While in Paris, I was slated to meet with French president Emmanuel Macron," she wrote in an excerpt from her new book. "However, the day before we were to meet he made what I considered a very pro-Hamas and anti-Israel comment to the press. So, I decided to cancel."

However, a French official disputed this claim, telling NBC News that there is no record of a scheduled meeting between the two. The French official also added that Macron did not extend any invitation to her either.

READ MORE: Donald Trump Praises Hannibal Lecter, Attacks Bruce Springsteen During New Jersey Rally

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Noem banned from South Dakota Reservation - KELOLAND News
Haiti's interim ruling council, established amid internal political turmoil, has decreed a rotational leadership every five months.

The decision comes after Prime Minister Ariel Henry's resignation, prompted by pressure from armed gangs, Barrons reports.

Initially led by Edgard Leblanc Fils, the council faced internal disputes, notably over the formation of political alliances and the choice of prime minister.

To ensure smoother functioning, the council adopted a rotating presidency, requiring a majority vote for key decisions.

Leblanc Fils will serve until October 7, followed by other council members in succession.

The decree emphasizes the need for unity in tackling Haiti's deep-rooted crises, including poverty, instability, and Haiti gang violence.

The situation escalated in February, prompting US aid deliveries to prepare for a UN-backed multinational force led by Kenya aimed at assisting local authorities in combating the gangs.

Haiti, the poorest nation in the Americas, remains mired in socio-political challenges despite international efforts to stabilize the situation.

READ NEXT: Transitional Government of Haiti Appoints Fritz Belizaire as New Prime Minister

Restructuring Leadership Amid Violence

Haiti's transitional council, navigating the country's turmoil amid escalating gang violence, has quietly restructured its leadership dynamics.

Instead of a single president, four seasoned politicians will take turns as transitional council leaders every five months, a departure from traditional Haitian politics.

The council's voting threshold has been raised to five members from four out of the nine total members, enhancing decision-making legitimacy.

The rotating transitional council leaders include Edgard Leblanc Fils, Louis Gerald Gilles, Leslie Voltaire, and Smith Augustin.

Internal conflicts emerged soon after the council's formation, notably over the abrupt appointment of a president and prime minister, according to Fox News.

The status of Prime Minister nominee Fritz Belizaire remains uncertain.

Once confirmed, the council will focus on assembling a new Cabinet, which will likely face tough negotiations.

Amid these political maneuvers, Haiti grapples with surging violence, including fatal shootings and kidnappings, particularly in gang-controlled areas like Martissant.

The United Nations reports a sharp increase in casualties compared to the previous year, emphasizing the urgency of stabilizing the situation amid the country's ongoing challenges.

Children's Trauma in Haiti's Gang Violence Crisis

In northern Port-au-Prince, Haiti, rampant gang violence has severely impacted schoolchildren, leaving them traumatized and physically unwell.

Gangs controlling 80% of the capital have caused over 2,500 casualties in three months. This has led to initiatives aiming to tackle the mental health challenges faced by young people.

Despite attempts to destigmatize therapy, the closure of 900 schools has disrupted education for 200,000 children, worsening social inequalities, the Boston Globe noted.

The Haiti gang violence has displaced 360,000 people, with widespread sexual violence against children reported by UNICEF.

Organizations like Hearts for Change and Gerye Jwa Playmakers provide crucial support and advocate for mental health awareness.

While some children are drawn to gangs due to poverty, gang life often ends tragically.

Parents strive to create safety despite adversity, fostering hope for the future through support and efforts for recovery.

READ MORE: Investigation Launched into Peru President Dina Boluarte Following Brother's Arrest

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Ross Key

WATCH: Interim prime minister in Haiti appointed, transitional council sworn in - From CBS News
Jury selection for US Senator Bob Menendez corruption trial commenced on Monday, marking a pivotal moment that could impact the Democrat's political career and the composition of the US Senate.

The trial, unfolding in Manhattan federal court, includes bribery case, fraud, obstruction, and acting as a foreign agent against Menendez, New Jersey's senior senator.

Accompanying him in the trial are New Jersey businessmen Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, with Menendez's wife, Nadine Menendez, facing separate charges.

All defendants have entered pleas of not guilty, Reuters reports.

Prosecutors allege that Menendez and his associates engaged in a scheme where the senator received significant monetary benefits, including cash, gold bars, and a Mercedes-Benz convertible, in exchange for political favors and support to the governments of Egypt and Qatar.

The indictment outlines Menendez's purported involvement in aiding Egypt's acquisition of military aid and assisting Hana in securing a monopoly on halal meat export certification to Egypt.

Furthermore, Menendez is accused of leveraging his position to aid Daibes in obtaining funds from a Qatari investment fund and interfering in a federal criminal case against Daibes in New Jersey.

READ NEXT: Accusations: Menendez Accused of Taking Bribes for Qatari Investment Deal

Trial Dynamics and Prosecution's Claims

US District Judge Sidney Stein anticipates the trial lasting through June, with jury selection underway.

Prosecutors contend that Senator Bob Menendez and his wife received substantial bribes, including cash, gold bars worth $150,000, and a luxury vehicle, seized during an FBI search of their residence.

Additionally, they assert that Menendez facilitated the transfer of sensitive US government information to Egypt, acting as a foreign agent, during his tenure as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Despite stepping down from this role following his indictment, Menendez has vehemently denied all charges, according to the New York Post.

This marks Menendez's second federal criminal trial, following a previous mistrial in 2017 due to a deadlocked jury.

In this trial, Menendez's defense team is poised to argue that his wife withheld crucial information, potentially absolving him of culpability.

Moreover, they may present expert testimony suggesting Menendez's cash-hoarding habits stemmed from past traumas rather than involvement in a bribery case.

Amid these legal skirmishes, Menendez has stood firm, refusing to resign from his position.

He has stated his intention not to run for re-election under the Democratic banner but hasn't ruled out the possibility of an independent candidacy.

Prosecution's Evidence and Allegations

The prosecution has compiled extensive evidence, including photographs of cash piles discovered in the Menendez residence, alongside gold bars and luxury gifts allegedly received as bribes.

Specific details reveal cash hidden in various locations within the house, including closets, a safe, and even within Nadine Menendez's safety deposit box, CNN noted.

Moreover, the indictment outlines financial transactions, such as Nadine receiving $15,000 in cash from a co-defendant, Jose Uribe, in a parking lot preceding the acquisition of Mercedes-Benz.

As jury selection proceeds and the trial unfolds, the allegations against US Senator Bob Menendez corruption trial underscore the significance of this legal battle, not only for the individuals involved but also for the political landscape of New Jersey and the broader implications for the US Senate.

The outcome of this trial could reverberate beyond the courtroom, shaping Menendez's political future and influencing public perception of governmental integrity and accountability.

READ MORE: Biden Fundraiser to Feature Clooney, Roberts, Obama

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Ross Key

WATCH: Jury selection begins for Sen. Menendez's corruption trial - From FOX 32 Chicago
Actor Viggo Mortensen grew up in Argentina despite being born to Danish and American parents. He recently appeared on Argentinian TV and did not mince his words when it came to Argentina's libertarian President Javier Milei.

The Danish-American actor spent most of his childhood in Argentina and maintained close ties with people in the country. He is also very fluent in Spanish and has admitted to being a massive fan of the Argentinian club San Lorenzo. However, with his interview on RTVE, he was clearly no fan of Milei.

"I read, I observe, I have friends, I talk with my friends in Argentina," the "Lord of the Rings" star told the host. "Argentines are historically a people of great endurance. They are used to continuously overcoming and being in terrible situations like this," in reference to the current economic crisis in Argentina.

"This situation with Milei, the conservative Spanish media will say that he is a genius, that he is lifting the economy," he admitted, but then slammed Milei, adding, "Well... for one percent or less of the Argentinian population, it is convenient that this clown, a puppet of the right manipulated by others, is in charge."

"And for the rest of the people, it's a total disaster, not only for the arts, or cinema, for the people, the everyday people. The people in the province of Buenos Aires, for them it's a total disaster and will have lasting consequences that they will have to overcome," he added. "One day this clown will disappear. Will he come here? Maybe, it's a free country, of course, he can come but I certainly won't pay much attention to him."

Viggo Mortensen Reiterates Support for Argentina Arts and Cinema

Viggo Mortensen has been very supportive of the arts and film industry in Argentina and even participated in the campaign against cuts to the budget of the country's National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts (INCAA).

READ MORE: Argentina Inflation Is So High That Country Has Introduced a 10,000 Peso Bill, Which Is Only Worth US$11

"In Argentina, going to the movies has always been a sociocultural act," he said, voicing his displeasure at Javier Milei's austerity measures, which cut Argentina's budget for the arts. "But today it has become an essential sociopolitical act."

Mortensen was back in Argentina to promote his new film, "The Dead Don't Hurt," and he was actively trying to make his voice heard during his media rounds.

Argentina Recently Faced Massive Strikes Because of Javier Milei's Austerity Measures

Javier Milei's austerity measures have pretty much affected daily life in Argentina. While economists are praising these measures as they address the country's budget shortfalls, it has resulted in prices going up and people losing their jobs.

This resulted in a massive strike last week where unions across Argentina paralyzed the country, with trains and buses not running and several businesses also shutting down in solidarity. According to the BBC, union leaders are asking Milei to review some of the cuts to subsidies and social programs.

READ MORE: Argentina Top Criminal Court Finds Iran, Hezbollah Responsible for 1992 Embassy Attack

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: El western feminista de Viggo Mortensen I MANANA MaS - RTVE
After carefully laying out their case, including testimonies from Stormy Daniels and former Trump administration officials and Trump Organization employees, star witness Michael Cohen finally testified at the Donald Trump Hush Money Trial.

Cohen was reportedly calm throughout his testimony and showed more civility than his usual snark whenever talking about his former boss in recent interviews since their falling out.

"I was honored," he said, describing his reaction when Donald Trump offered him a full-time job in the early 2000s. He then described his role as Donald Trump's "fixer," before telling the jurors, "I would only answer to him."

"It was fantastic. Working for him, especially during those 10 years, was an amazing experience in many, many ways," he told the jury. "There were great times, there were several less-than-great times, but for the most part, I enjoyed the responsibility that was given to me. I enjoyed working with my colleagues at the Trump Organization, the Trump children. It was a big family."

The disgraced former lawyer admitted that he relished being praised by Trump but also cowered whenever his then-boss would criticize him. He also admitted that he often did dirty things such as dealing in deception in his efforts to appease the real estate mogul.

"To accomplish a task, the only thing on my mind was to accomplish the task to make him happy," Cohen said. "When he tasked you with something, he would say: 'Keep me informed,' and you would [go] straight back and tell him, especially if it was a matter that was upsetting to him."

Cohen also talked about how he controlled media narratives about Trump and also described helping catch and kill negative press that could affect his then-boss negatively. This included the $130,000 payment with his own money to keep Stormy Daniels quiet about her affair with Trump.

READ NEXT: Kristi Noem Banned in 20% of Her State by Native American Tribes in South Dakota

Donald Trump Gave Him the Green Light To Pay Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen Said

As this is the porn star hush money trial, Cohen eventually testified about that very hush money payment to Stormy Daniels, a former adult film actress who allegedly slept with Donald Trump while Melania was still recovering from giving birth to their son, Baron.

"He expressed to me: Just do it," testified Cohen regarding the $130,000 payment. While hush money payments are not illegal, Trump is accused of breaking campaign finance laws and election laws because of the undisclosed payment to Daniels.

Cohen also talked about other possible Trump scandals, such as when he learned about a Trump Tower doorman who falsely claimed that his boss had a child out of wedlock. He testified that Trump told him, "You handle it."

All of this was so that Trump would not face negative press as he ran for president back in 2016, admitted Cohen.

Michael Cohen Testimony Expected To Continue on Tuesday

Cohen still has a lot to say, as the former Trump lawyer and fixer is set to return for a second day of testimony on Tuesday, with him being expected to answer even more questions regarding his relationship with Trump and his hush money payments to Stormy Daniels.

According to CNN, Cohen described himself as Trump's protector, making sure he had no scandals coming into the 2016 election against Hilary Clinton. He reportedly testified for about five hours on Monday.

READ MORE: Donald Trump Hush Money Trial Gets 'Stormy' as Stormy Daniels Takes the Stand

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Michael Cohen Reveals What Trump Said About Melania in Dramatic Testimony: A Closer Look - Late Night with Seth Meyers
MANZINI  Over 650 job opportunities will be available to emaSwati as earthworks have started at the Old Trade Fair Grounds where the Manzini Mall is being constructed.

The first phase towards the construction of the Manzini Mall started yesterday and it was witnessed by the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade, Manqoba Khumalo. The minister said the beginning of the earthworks at the site was a conduit to the First World status. He said the mall would change the face of Manzini and the country as well. Khumalo said the construction of the mall would bring a variety of employment opportunities at its various stages of construction. It is worth noting that unemployment is currently at 35.4 per cent as per the findings of the Integrated Labour Force Survey 2023, which was officially released by the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Phila Buthelezi. The unemployment rate has also increased by 2.1 per cent from 33.3 per cent while on the other hand, the national unemployment rate among the youth stands at 56.0 per cent.

Initial

Meanwhile, Khumalos assertions were supported by Nthoese Development Manager Antonio Sousa, who said in the initial stages of the construction, between 650 and 750 emaSwati would be employed. Sousa said these figures excluded the number of casual workers who would be recruited, depending on the need on the ground at the various stages. He envisaged that as the project continued, more people would be recruited. Sousa said the economic impact of the project would be huge, as its tenants would also recruit more people and as such, increase the circulation of money in the country. The projected money for the project is E2 billion but it can go as high as E5 billion. This is a huge project and we are excited about it, he said.

Envisaged

The mall is envisaged to have over 50 tenants, which include banking institutions, eateries, clothing shops, supermarkets and jewellery shops, among many. It is worth noting that the Manzini Mall will have a bridge that will link it to the Mavuso Trade and Exhibition Centre. Also, it shall have a bus terminus, taxi rank and market stalls. Almost a year ago, His Majesty King Mswati III cut the sod at the Old Trade Fair Grounds marking the commencement of the project. Nthoese Development founder and Managing Director (MD) Seabelo Herbert Theledi said through the project, they would create about 4 000 job opportunities for emaSwati and 1 400 of them would be permanent, while the 2 600 would be created during the construction phases. He said this meant that, through the project, they would touch the lives of about 40 000 emaSwati, because generally, the salary of an individual benefitted about 10 people.

Undermining

They said they believed that they would play a major role in undermining the alarming rate of unemployment in the country, inequality and poverty. He promised the King that he would be invited to officially open the Manzini Mall in October 2025, as they targeted to complete it around that time. Nthoese Development is a black-owned property development and management company formed in 1993. The company, according to its website, has developed a formidable track record within the South African property investment and development industry through its expertise spanning a range of sectors which include: Retail, offices, and residential.

It is also said that Nthoese owns a property portfolio of dominant retail malls anchored by national retailers in non-metropolitan areas and government-tenanted office buildings in Gauteng and Mpumalanga provinces in the Republic of South Africa. According to the website, Nthoeses strong and sustained footprint within the property development and investment industry is underpinned by a strong balance sheet and strategic relationships, particularly with South African financial institutions and various industry stakeholders.
A livestream portal between Dublin and New York was temporarily closed after some inappropriate behaviour in the Irish capital, which has led to changes in how the visual link operates.

The technical solutions are set to go live in the next 24 hours, according to the Dublin City Council.

It said a small minority of people have been engaged in inappropriate behaviour, which has been amplified on social media.

Thousands of people have visited the two-way livestream portal, which gives a real-time view of New York.

The 24/7 stream is situated in north Dublin, facing OConnell Street, while the American installation is on North Earl Street.

Videos on social media have show how some on the Irish side have flashed body parts, displayed swear words on phone screens and images of the twin towers on 9/11.

Another woman was escorted away by Irish police after she was seen grinding against the portal.

In a statement, a spokesman for Dublin City Council said: The Portals artwork facilitates a wide range of human interactions and engagements.

Within days of the launch, the Dublin and NYC Portals have received hundreds of millions of positive impressions on social media and widespread global coverage in the press including CNN, BBC, USA Today.

We have also seen a significant increase in footfall to the Portal since its launch around North Earl Street and OConnell Street.

The overwhelming majority of interactions are positive. We have seen families and friends unite, dancing moves being shared as well as new friendships being made. There was even a successful marriage proposal.

The Portal offers a window to other cities and is connecting people and cultures in a unique manner  what we are seeing between Dublin and NY is reflective of a wider narrative of cultural behaviour.

Unfortunately, we have also been witnessing a very small minority of people engaged in inappropriate behaviour, which has been amplified through social media.

While we cannot control all of these actions, we are implementing some technical solutions to address this and these will go live in the next 24 hours.

We will continue to monitor the situation over the coming days with our partners in New York to ensure that Portals continue to deliver a positive experience for both cities and the world.

The Portal sculptures have been very well received in both New York City and Dublin.

The team at portals.org and partners are still working on improving the software for better stability and to prepare for Portals to expand to more locations on Earth.

Those works are being done mostly at night and during those hours, the livestream might be paused.

This will deliver a better experience for all participants and some surprises to keep the artwork engaging.

The Portal is for the public to use and we encourage people to enjoy it, interact with it and to continue to meet and say hello to people outside of their social circles and cultures.

The Portals Organisation said: As Portals Organisation, we do not intend to suggest people to interact with Portals in any particular way  our goal is to open a window between far away places and cultures that allows people to interact freely with one another.

We encourage people to be respectful and from our position as observers, we see that the absolute majority of experiences is on the bright side.

However, in an earlier statement a spokeswoman for Portals Organisation said that it briefly paused the livestream to update the software used on the Portal.

Its not broken.

Our goal is to provide a window between different locations, but the nature of this being a livestream sometimes requires us to pause, for updates, maintenance or to fix technical glitches, it said in a statement to the PA news agency.

The Portals are active again since noon today.
A man was set upon and assaulted by a gang at a Dart station in Dublin over the weekend, gardai have confirmed.

An investigation has been launched after Gardai in Howth received a report of an assault that occurred on the Station Road in Sutton, Dublin 13, at approximately 7pm on Saturday 11th May 2024.

What has been described as a shocking fight took place on the southbound platform of Howth Junction Dart Station at around 7pm on Sunday evening.

Footage of the incident in circulation shows the man being rushed at the platform by as many as eight other teens.

The incident only lasted only about 20 seconds but left the man bloodied with cuts along his arm.

The footage shows the man managing to push them away for a moment before getting punched in the head by one of the gang. The group then proceeds to kick and stamp on him as he lies on the ground.

Gardai confirmed that a man in his 30s sustained non-life threatening injuries as a result of the assault.

"Investigations into the incident are ongoing," a garda spokesperson said.
The health minister said there are no plans to ban the sale of alcohol to people under the age of 21, despite a move to raise the minimum age for the purchase of cigarettes.

Under plans approved by Cabinet, the legal age for buying cigarettes and other tobacco products will rise from 18 to 21.

It would make Ireland the first country in the EU to take the measure.

On raising the age for buying alcohol, Stephen Donnelly said there is no advice that it would necessarily be effective.

Theres no consideration of any changes on alcohol whatsoever. Its never come up. Its not being considered, Mr Donnelly said on Tuesday.

Its not being considered by anybody. We have no clinical advice that its necessary or would necessarily be effective.

He said that while there is a Government goal that no one in Ireland smokes, there is no such strategy for alcohol.

There are obviously health implications of excessive drinking and on that Ireland has taken an important global leadership position, he added.

Weve introduced the alcohol labelling to include a cancer warning and to include warnings on alcohol, which I think people really do need to know about.

We brought in minimum unit pricing. We brought in several measures which I think are important in terms of tackling excessive and harmful drinking.

But theres a very different national strategy between alcohol and cigarettes.

He said plans to increase the legal age of buying cigarettes to 21 should see a reduction in smokers by several percentage points.

Mr Donnelly also defended not including the sale of vapes in its proposed legislation, saying the clinical advice is not in at this point.

We got very clear clinical advice in terms of mandating a minimum age of 18 for the sale of vapes based on cognitive development and impairing cognitive development, he added.

Clinical evidence may be emerging but its certainly not at the point of increasing from 19 and 20-year-olds but it is something that I think should be should be kept under review.

The Fianna Fail minister went on to accuse the tobacco industry of coming and having another go in downplaying the dangers of vaping, similar to campaigns that were previously run by tobacco companies.

We have ongoing and emerging evidence of the harms that vaping causes, including damage to the lungs, he added.

He said the Government is introducing other measures around the advertising and licensing of vapes, and plans to ban the sale of disposable vapes.

Were also drafting legislation looking at colours and flavouring. My view, rightly or wrongly, is there has been a very cynical attempt to target young people with vapes, Mr Donnelly added.

Minister of State Ossian Smyth said he is concerned about the environmental impact of vapes.

What were seeing is in the last couple of years an explosion in use amongst teenagers, and thats resulting in tens of millions of these vapes ending up in the environment, he said.

Were now going to proceed, myself and the Department of Health, to seek a ban on disposable vapes.

The Governments latest move comes 20 years after Ireland became the first country in the world to ban smoking in workplaces, including pubs and restaurants.

Currently, 18% of the population over the age of 15 are smokers.

The new proposal is designed to reduce Irelands adult smoking rate to less than 5%.

Smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke kills an estimated 4,500 people a year in Ireland.

The Government said evidence shows that people are at high risk of becoming smokers between the ages of 18 and 21.

It added that raising the minimum purchasing age will make it harder for young people to access tobacco products through direct and proxy buys as well as social sources.

Health officials said smoking causes 13% of all cancers and contributes to many preventable illnesses including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, eye diseases, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

It is also responsible for 5% of hospital inpatient admissions, while the financial loss caused by smoking is estimated at 10.6 billion euro annually.

Chief Medical Officer Professor Breda Smyth said: Our smoking rates are still unacceptably high, so I am delighted that we are progressing a strong population protection measure that will help bring us closer to the goal of a tobacco-free Ireland.

The Bill will provide that the prohibition on tobacco product sales will not apply to those who are currently between the ages of 18 and 20.

The proposed legislation will not impact the minimum legal age of sale of nicotine-inhaling products or vapes.

Since December, the sale of vapes to under-18s has been banned. There is currently no proposal to extend this ban to the age of 21.

The Government said preliminary legal advice suggests Ireland cannot pursue a smokefree generation policy as has been suggested in other jurisdictions because of the EUs single market rules and Tobacco Products Directive.
It is difficult to get gardai to show up to incidents they are called about, a Fine Gael senator has said.

Regina Doherty made the comments as she said it was far fetched to suggest that gardai would use new EU regulations on child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to sit down and be looking at your photographs.

Ms Doherty made the remarks during hustings for some of the candidates vying for election as an MEP in the Dublin constituency.

The European parliament hopefuls were speaking at a Childrens Rights Alliance event focusing on online safety.

Sitting MEP Clare Daly said the CSAM regulation was one of the most controversial pieces of legislation in EU history.

She said: What it has mandated is the mass indiscriminate searching of all private communications, including encrypted ones.

Hugely controversial, hundreds of NGOs are having huge problems with it, I, as an MEP, have a massive problem with that.

Ms Daly said that it was an absolute invasion of fundamental rights to privacy, but would also not work and instead drive CSAM underground.

Sitting Green Party MEP Ciaran Cuffe said it was challenging to strike the right balance between privacy and targeting CSAM.

He added: Im not convinced that allowing big tech to scan everything that is on your device is the way to go.

Thats seen as a quick and easy solution that is promoted by big tech itself and Im also very wary of the power of lobbyists in Brussels.

Ms Doherty responded: The CSAM [regulation] was to make all of those companies  who already have access to all of the stuff that were sharing online and probably access to stuff that we dont even know that they have a good access to by forms that weve signed up to on our phones  report child sexual abuse material.

Theyre not interested in what we have in our cornflakes.

And Im not being disrespectful, I mean we all know how difficult it is when you ring the guards to get them to show up for something thats happening outside your house now.

You think theyre going to sit down and be looking at your photographs in the way that people who have mega concerns would say they are? I think its probably a bit far fetched.

Ms Doherty said a happy medium could be found to regulate the companies to protect children from heinous forces.

At the event, the Childrens Rights Alliance called on the candidates to ensure a high bar is set at European level to regulate social media giants and protect young peoples safety online.

Social Democrats candidate Sinead Gibney said young people were being scarred due to a lack of effective regulation, adding: Today, weve only seen blunt instruments applied to the problem.

She said: There is no sophistication or finesse in terms of how were tackling it.

Labour TD and candidate for Europe Aodhan ORiordan said not enough was being done in terms of regulation.

He added: We have had bad actors take over some of these social media platforms, including Twitter, in the last period of time and its really led to a poisoning of public discourse.

Ms Doherty also said there was not enough regulation in the space and added: Our young people need to be protected, our women need to be protected, our LGBTQI community, theres a whole range of life that needs to be protected, and were not moving fast enough.

The candidates, who took questions from representatives of youth charities, also discussed areas of concern for young people including hate speech, the far-right and misinformation.

Sinn Fein senator Lynn Boylan, also running to become an MEP, said there needed to be a twin approach to targeting misinformation which involved regulation but also engaging with communities on the ground.

She added: Youre not going to win the fight on social media because of the bots, its like whack-a-mole.

Mr O Riordain said he was very worried about where the country is going and accused some other Irish political parties of turning to the right.

He said there was a need for legislation on hate crime and hate speech to drive culture change.

Ms Gibney, who was the chief commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission as well as a former corporate social responsibility lead for Google, also said there was a need for hate crime legislation in Ireland.

Ms Daly said it would absolutely be the case that the MEP election will return more far-right candidates.

People-Before-Profit TD Brid Smith, also running to be an MEP for Dublin, said the far-right was organised on an international level and had poisoned a whole generation.

On the EUs Digital Services Act, Mr Cuffe said the legislation dealing with misinformation and illegal content is a a step in the right direction.

He added: When you have a law thats passed and Elon Musk is angry about it, it probably means youre doing the right thing.

However, Ms Gibney said Mr Musk was not angry enough, adding that the legislation was weak.
A candidate for Sinn Fein in Newbridge recently spoke at his party's official launch for its election candidates.

James Stokes opened up the event, which was held in The Helix on Sunday, April 28 last and introduced the First Minister of Northern Ireland, Michelle O'Neill.

Mr Stokes told the crowd how he inspired by his late grandfather James Stokes' activism for the Traveller Community in Newbridge.

He also said that he became involved in a campaign to provide feminine hygiene products for his school back in 2020.

This venture had a 'a positive outcome', and according to Mr Stokes, it further inspired him to become an activist and a change-maker.

He further said to those in attendance: "Sinn Fein wants to make politics work for all.

"We are truly at a turning point: I am one of the youngest local election candidates, and I know what its like to be locked out of housing, to not have this government represent your needs, what it is like to be continuously let down by this government of failure.

"But I also know that changes starts here."

He continued: "As candidates and as future councillors, we need to make the change for our communities, but also, for a better Ireland.

"Have those very important conversations (with constituents), and lets deliver that real change that our community needs, that our people needs, and lets build towards a new and united Ireland," he concluded.

The full speech can be viewed below:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by James Stokes (@jamesstokessf)

Mr Stokes also appeared alongside his party leader, Mary-Lou McDonald, and MP Michelle Gildernew when they visited Newbridge on Saturday, May 11 last.
The search is on to find out Kildares favourite classic artist ahead of the Ultimate Classics Party at The Curragh Racecourse

Its officially the start of the summer!

The Tattersalls Irish Guineas Festival, the first Classic weekend of the Irish flat racing season, takes place on Friday 24th, Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th May at the Curragh Racecourse



Themed as Friday Night Fever, the 24th May is a fun evening meeting of fabulous racing followed by a live performances from the best tribute acts in Ireland that will showcase the very best hits from some of Irelands favourite international acts such as Tom Jones, George Michael, Rod Stewart and Joe Dolan.

The events team at The Curragh Racecourse are asking racegoers to raid their wardrobes and come along in their copycat costumes of these iconic stars with Irish Derby tickets up for grabs for the best dressed on the night.

COMPETITION

To celebrate the big weekend of racing from Friday 24th through to Sunday 26th May, we want to know which of the following iconic classic stars is Co Kildares favourite?



Is it;

TOM JONES



GEORGE MICHAEL



ROD STEWART



JOE DOLAN

So, to be in with a chance to win a Pair of Tickets for the fabulous Tattersalls Guineas Festival at the Curragh Racecourse, tell us who your favourite singing star by emailing us at leinsterleader@gmail.com.

We hope to see you at the Curragh Racecourse to enjoy the racing action and then boogie on down to Kildares favourite singing star on Friday 24th May after racing!!

Tickets are available online now.

Under 18s are always free on race days at The Curragh Racecourse, when accompanied by an adult.

Bundle packages are available from 28 each and include:

- General admission

- Race card

- 5.00 Tote voucher

- 10 food voucher

(10 food voucher redeemable in public food areas for food items only in one transaction, no change given.)



See Ts & Cs on curragh.ie

Free shuttle bus available - The racecourse continues to provide a free shuttle bus service in association with Manguard Plus to and from Newbridge and Kildare for all race days.
MBABANE  Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Public Service Sipho Tsabedze has reported the PSUs leadership to the police for paying a surprise visit to his church.

This was confirmed by Tsabedze yesterday. According to Tsabedze, the Public Sector Unions (PSUs) members had not come to attend the service. He said their visit was an attempt to intimidate him, but said such would not work. He said his private space was invaded unnecessarily.

Issues

He said they clearly stated themselves during an interview with the publication that they were there on work issues and not to worship. You do not go to church to seek interventions regarding work issues, Tsabedze said. He said the church was not a platform where work-related matters were discussed, adding that the PSUs mission was wrong. The PS stated that the Government Spokesperson, Alpheous Nxumalo, had responded well to the media and everything he said was in order, hence there was nothing more he could add. The PS said whenever workers were disgruntled; there were due processes that needed to be followed, including the courts of law and the Conciliation, Meditation and Arbitration Commission (CMAC).

Tsabedze said whenever they were working, they did so with the employers mandate and were not personal.

Nxumalo in his previous comments said the visit by the PSUs was mere intimidation bargaining tactics that would yield no positive results. He said, in fact, the PS must report the underhanded intimidation to the nearest police station. Reacting to Tsabedzes statement of reporting them to the police, the National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU) President, Bawinile Ndlovu, said they would be grateful to be provided security by the police.

Promise

Ndlovu said nothing would prevent them from attending Tsabedzes church as it did not belong to him, but God, adding that they worshipped anywhere they wanted. This, she said was a promise and they were still going to attend churches, whether it belonged to the prime minister or anyone else.She said the people they were leading had also shown interest in attending, stating that the numbers could be doubled or tripled in their next visit, hence the PS should prepare more chairs for them. She said the PS happens to be a pastor in a church that belongs to God, which he was also personalising. We have a right to attend to any church and we are still going to visit his church whether he has reported us to the police or not, Ndlovu said.

The president stated that the church had nothing to do with Tsabedzes privacy as they had not visited his home but church and did not cause any chaos, but sat down and worshipped.
A man who was driving a car which contained 420,000 worth of cocaine has been jailed for two years.

Eamon Larkin (69) of Jenkinstown, Kilcock, County Meath, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for sale or supply on June 12, 2023 at the N2, The Ward, Dublin 11.

An investigating garda told prosecuting counsel today (Tuesday, May 14) that gardai had information that a Skoda with a D10 registration would be involved in the movement of a large quantity of drugs in the Ashbourne area.

Larkin was driving this car, which gardai later stopped and searched.

A total of six kilos of cocaine was found in a shopping bag in the boot of the car, valued at 420,000.

Larkin was arrested and during interview, said he was approached by a stranger in a pub and offered 200 for his role.

He told gardai he was aware he was transporting drugs, but didn't know which type.

Gardai checked CCTV from the pub, but there was no sighting of Larkin.

Other CCTV footage showed Larkin swapping vehicles with a man described in court as a close male relative at a petrol station one hour before the Skoda was stopped by gardai.

The court heard the Skoda was being driven by Larkin's male relative before the petrol station.

Larkin has six previous convictions for road traffic offences.

The garda agreed with Michael O'Higgins SC, defending, that Larkin has not been on the garda radar before this and has not come to recent attention.

Mr O'Higgins told the court his client has been living a 'modest home' in Portugal and intends to return there.

He suggested that his client received a request from 'someone close to him' and this resulted in the offending.

Larkin has a long work history and four adult children.

Mr O'Higgins outlined that his client is in poor physical health and has a history of mental health issues which have required periods of psychiatric in-patient treatment.

Counsel said his client found himself under financial pressure at the time of the offending.

He urged the court to take into consideration his client's guilty plea, co-operation, health issues and asked for as much leniency as possible for his client.

Judge Martin Nolan said the court accepted Larkin was transporting the drugs and had no interest in them.

He said it is not clear why Larkin got involved, adding that it could have been 'to do a favour or for some type of reward.'

Judge Nolan said there was 'strong' mitigation in this case, including the guilty plea and that Larkin had been a 'very hard working man all his life.'

He noted that a custodial sentence will be more difficult for Larkin due to his poor health, adding that he would have imposed a term of between four and five years on a 'healthy man.'

"I think he has to undergo a period in custody for his wrongdoing," Judge Nolan said, handing Larkin a two year sentence.
A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of a man in Sallins.

Valeriu Melnic, 23, whose address was given as Calliaghstown Lower, Rathcoole, County Dublin, faces an allegation of murdering Ion Daghi, on May 12 at The Close, Sallins Park.

He appeared before a special sitting of Naas District Court shortly before midnight on May 13.

Detective Garda Enda Coleman told of charging the defendant, who made no reply.

He said it will be alleged the incident arose at a small family gathering attended by five adults and three children.

Some went to bed and a dispute arose between the defendant and the deceased, who drank a lot of whiskey.

This turned physical, but calmed down before reigniting at about 3am.

He said it will be alleged that the defendant went to the kitchen and took a knife.

The deceased went to the kitchen where an altercation took place and it will be claimed the deceased was stabbed once in the chest with the knife, which is 30 centimetres in length.

The defendant is the brother in law of the deceased

Det Gda Coleman told Judge Desmond Zaidan that the argument was about nothing of substance and it escalated.

The deceaseds 12 year old daughter called the emergency services.

The defendant was granted free legal aid and this was extended to cover the services of a Russian translator.

The defendant was remanded in custody to appear again on May16 by videolink.

At the request of defending solicitor Cairbre Finan, the judge also ordered a psychological report.
Coillte, in partnership with Leitrim County Council, has welcomed plans for a new visitor experience at Glenfarne Wood in north Co. Leitrim.

The first phase of the ambitious new project will see enhanced facilities including a visitor centre, playground and sensory trail.

A popular destination for families, walkers and swimmers, the Wood sits on the shores of Lough MacNean which borders counties Leitrim, Cavan and Fermanagh.

Once completed, improvements to the main entrance and surrounding roads will provide better access to the woodlands for locals and visitors alike.

Funding for this phase of the project to the value of 2.3million was announced yesterday by Minister Heather Humphreys, T.D. and will be funded by the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund from the Department of Rural and Community Development.

Welcoming the funding for this exciting new project, Mark Carlin, Managing Director, Coillte Forest said, This is an ambitious project and Coillte is delighted to partner with Leitrim Country Council in bringing this initiative to life; were equally grateful to the Department of Rural and Community Development for its support.

Glenfarne Wood continues to be a great amenity for the people of Leitrim, attracted no doubt by the beauty of the landscape and the existing walking trails. The addition of a visitor centre, greenway, and tree-top platform will inject new life into the Wood.

The first phase of the project will see the carpark, visitor centre, play space and sensory trail developed initially, with the rest of the development planned to be delivered in later phases, including:

A new greenway beginning at the entrance to the Wood, running parallel to the Glenfarne river;

A multi-access panoramic platform providing a tree-top view of the Wood and lake;

A native tree arboretum representing various regions of Ireland;

New trail access points, additional picnic benches, and enhanced interpretative and information points;

New trail access to four designated bathing locations, and sheltered changing screens to provide facilities to swimmers at Ladies View;

A floating boardwalk extending from Ladies View to Bilberry Island before returning to shore.

Work on the visitor centre and play space is expected to begin in later this year with plans to open to the public in 2026.

Glenfarne Wood sits on Glenfarne Demesne, once part of the Tottenham Estate which in the 1870s included over 14,500 acres of land. The estate was later acquired by Sir Edward Harland, of Harland and Wolfe shipyard in Belfast, who used it as a hunting lodge. Today, it is home to some of the most beautiful walking trails in Ireland.
Building more child care spaces for families in Quebec





MONTREAL, May 13, 2024 /CNW/ - Every child deserves the best start in life.

That's why, today in Montreal, the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Transport and Quebec lieutenant, and the Honourable Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, announced $123 million over four years, with $82 million through 2025-2026, to help build more inclusive child care spaces across Quebec through the Government of Canada's $625 million Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund. This investment will help Quebec reach the shared goal of building 30,000 new child care spaces by 2026. The funding announced today builds on previous investments made under the asymmetrical agreement between the governments of Canada and Quebec on early learning and child care.

Funding from the Government of Canada will enable Quebec to support its priorities in terms of early childhood education and care, and measures to improve inclusiveness.

Across Canada, over 750,000 kids are already benefiting from affordable, high-quality child care, with some families saving up to $14,300 per child, per year. Alongside provinces and territories, the Government of Canada has also announced over 100,000 new spaces, well on the way to reaching the goal of creating 250,000 new spaces by March 2026.

Investing in affordable child care is about helping more families save thousands of dollars on child care and ensuring that every child has the best start in life. The measures highlighted above complement what the Government of Canada is doing in Budget 2024 to build a fairer Canada for every generation. The Government of Canada is building more homes, strengthening public health care, making life cost less, and growing the economy in a way that is shared by all?to make sure every generation has a fair chance at building a good middle-class life.

Quotes



"Young families who don't yet have access to affordable child care spaces can pay unregulated child care fees that are the equivalent of a rent or mortgage payment. This is unfair to parents of young children, especially Millennial and Gen Z parents, who need the help that comes with affordable child care. This agreement will provide thousands more Quebec families with affordable, regulated child care and will help Quebec strengthen a system that already inspires the country. It's a system that promotes women's participation in the workforce, creates jobs and gives children a good start in life. Thank you to the feminists of Quebec who have shown the way for the rest of Canada."

? The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

"Quebec has been a pioneer in early learning and child care in Canada, and this new funding will be part of an asymmetrical agreement with the province of Quebec that will enable the province to further improve its child care network. This agreement will support Quebec's priorities for early childhood education and care, and its measures to improve inclusiveness. All families should have access to high-quality, inclusive early learning and child care services. More spaces means more children can benefit. The Government of Canada remains committed to work with the Government of Quebec to give children the best possible start in life."

? The Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

"Quebec is truly a pioneer in childcare services. By investing to support Quebec's efforts to make these services even more accessible, we're making life easier for Quebec families. We continue to deliver for Quebecers by taking concrete action that makes a real difference."

? The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Transport

"We've done more than any government in a generation to expand Canada's social safety net, including investments in early learning and child care. Today's announcement will help more children in Quebec getting the best possible start in life, while ensuring that more families - especially young mothers - can participate fully in the labour market. It will help build a fairer society for all, and I look forward to seeing the difference it will make in the years to come."

? The Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec

"The educational child care network in Quebec is an example worldwide. It is a source of national pride and a model to follow?as much for its educational quality as for its flexibility. I'm glad that the Quebec government has made an agreement without conditions. Our objective is to continue developing a strong network for our very young children."

? Ministre de la Famille, Suzanne Roy

Quick Facts

As part of Budget 2021, the Government of Canada made a transformative investment of more than $27 billion over five years to build a Canada -wide early learning and child care system with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners.

made a transformative investment of more than over five years to build a -wide early learning and child care system with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners. Combined with investments since 2016, including investments in Indigenous early learning and child care, the federal government has announced investments of nearly $40 billion in early learning and child care.

in early learning and child care. To date, eight provinces and territories are delivering regulated child care for an average of $10 -a-day or less, including Quebec and the Yukon , which achieved this prior to the Canada -wide system. In all other provinces and territories, fees for regulated child care have been reduced by at least 50% on average. Provinces and territories are working toward lowering fees for regulated child care to $10 -a-day on average by March 2026 . Canada -wide early learning and child care is saving families, per child, up to $6,000 in Nova Scotia , $13,700 a year in Alberta , $8,500 in Ontario , $6,900 in Saskatchewan , $6,600 in British Columbia , $6,300 in Newfoundland and Labrador , $4,170 in Prince Edward Island , $3,600 in New Brunswick , $2,610 in Manitoba , $7,300 in the Yukon , $9,120 in the Northwest Territories , and $14,300 in Nunavut.

-a-day or less, including and the , which achieved this prior to the -wide system. In all other provinces and territories, fees for regulated child care have been reduced by at least 50% on average. Provinces and territories are working toward lowering fees for regulated child care to -a-day on average by . As part of the Canada -wide early learning and child care system, the Government of Canada is working with provinces and territories to create 250,000 new child care spaces across the country by March 2026 to increase access to affordable child care options for families, no matter where they live. To support this goal, the federal government previously announced the Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund. The Fund provides an additional $625 million to provinces and territories to support infrastructure projects for not-for-profit child care spaces in underserved communities, such as rural and remote regions, high-cost and low-income urban neighbourhoods, and communities that face barriers to access, including racialized groups, Indigenous Peoples, official language minority communities, newcomers, as well as parents, caregivers, and children with disabilities. To further accelerate progress, Budget 2024 announced a new $1 billion Child Care Expansion Loan Program, to help public and not-for-profit child care providers to build more child care spaces and renovate their existing child care centres.

-wide early learning and child care system, the Government of is working with provinces and territories to create 250,000 new child care spaces across the country by to increase access to affordable child care options for families, no matter where they live. To give every child the best start in life, the federal government is also: Giving families more money through the Canada Child Benefit to help with the costs of raising their children and to make a real difference in the lives of children in Canada . The Canada Child Benefit, which provides up to $7,437 per child per year, is indexed annually to keep up with the cost of living and has helped lift half a million children out of poverty since its launch in 2016. Improving access to dental health care for children under the age of 12 through the Canada Dental Benefit, and soon for children under 18 with the Canadian Dental Care Plan, because no one should have to choose between taking care of their kids' teeth and putting food on the table. Creating a National School Food Program to ensure that every child has the best start in life, with the food they need to learn and grow, no matter their circumstances. Supporting after-school learning with an investment of $67.5 million to help all Canadian students reach their full potential. After-school learning and supports play an important role in helping students succeed in their academic pursuits, especially for at-risk students.



Associated links

Toward $10-a-Day: Early Learning and Child Care

Federal Secretariat on Early Learning and Child Care

Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework

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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada

13 may 2024 at 19:24

News published onand distributed by:
Dundee Corporation Delivers Success in Its Core Strategy, A Profitable Start to 2024, and Sustained Cost Control





TORONTO, May 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dundee Corporation (TSX: DC.A) (the "Corporation" or "Dundee") today announced its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2024. All currency amounts in this press release are in Canadian dollars, except as otherwise indicated.



FIRST QUARTER 2024 RESULTS

Reported net income from portfolio investments for the first quarter of 2024 of $12.6 million (2023 ? loss of $7.5 million). The key driver of performance during the quarter was an $8.4 million market appreciation in the Corporation's investment in Reunion Gold Corporation ("Reunion"). Subsequent to March 31, 2024, Reunion Gold Corporation and G Mining Ventures Corp. announced they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine the two companies. Reunion shareholders will receive estimated share consideration valued at $0.65 per Reunion common share plus shares of a newly-created gold explorer ("SpinCo"). This represents a premium of 29% based on G Mining's and Reunion's closing price and 10-day VWAP on the Toronto Stock Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange as at April 19, 2024, respectively, without accounting for value of SpinCo. The Corporation held 183.3 million common shares of Reunion, representing a 15% interest in Reunion.





Reported consolidated general and administrative expenses for the first quarter of $4.1 million (2023 ? $4.8 million), representing a 15% year-over-year decline as Dundee sustains momentum with cost-cutting initiatives into 2024.





Reported net earnings attributable to owners of the Corporation for the first quarter of 2024 of $7.2 million (2023 ? loss of $11.4 million), or earnings of $0.07 per share (2023 ? loss of $0.14 per share).



Jonathan Goodman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dundee Corporation, commented:

"Dundee is pleased to report a return to profit in the first quarter of 2024, driven by strong investment performance amidst record gold prices and continued progress on cost reduction efforts. We anticipate more opportunities ahead as the market, in our view, continues to overlook the significant value of companies engaged in the discovery and development of high-quality precious metals, as well as base metals, and strategic resources. We see substantial opportunities in the sector given the disconnect between metals prices and mining stocks. We remain focused on investing in top quality projects for the long-term while working with our investee companies as advisors and partners to maximize asset value and realize their full potential."

"Subsequent to March 31, 2024, we were pleased to announce our support of a transaction with an implied premium of 29% for our top investment holding, Reunion Gold Corporation. This transaction delivers significant current value to our shareholders as well as a compelling future re-rating opportunity driven by multiple near-term catalysts. The value of Dundee's holding in Reunion approaches our current market capitalization, presenting a compelling investment opportunity in the stock."

Mr. Goodman concluded: "The entire team at Dundee continues to work diligently to implement and execute our strategy across all fronts. I am encouraged by our ability to sustain and grow our momentum in 2024 as we look forward to the opportunities ahead of us. Our team remains committed to growing the core business, streamlining operations, divesting our remaining non-core businesses and investments, and positioning Dundee to deliver long-term, sustainable value for our stakeholders, shareholders and partners. I would like to thank the entire team for their hard work in navigating a time of continued evolution."

SEGMENTED FINANCIAL RESULTS

Mining Investments

In the first quarter of 2024, the Corporation reported net earnings from the mining investments segment of $9.3 million (2023 ? loss of $9.7 million). Performance from the mining portfolio investments generated income of $9.7 million (2023 ? loss of $8.7 million), which is included in net earnings or loss from this segment. The key driver of performance during the current quarter was an $8.4 million market appreciation in the Corporation's investment in Reunion Gold Corporation.

The share of losses from equity accounted mining investments during the first quarter of 2024 was $0.5 million (2023 ? $1.0 million).

Mining Services

During the three months ended March 31, 2024, the mining services segment, comprised of the Corporation's 78%-owned subsidiary, Dundee Sustainable Technologies Inc. ("Dundee Technologies"), reported a pre-tax loss of $1.2 million (2023 ? $1.3 million). During the quarter, Dundee Technologies continued with the construction of a pilot plant at its Thetford Mines facilities, for the electronic waste recovery project with Enim Technologies Inc.

Corporate and others

The Corporation reported a pre-tax loss from the corporate and others segment, including non-core subsidiaries, of $0.4 million (2023 ? $3.3 million) during the three months ended March 31, 2024.

The fair value of portfolio investments in the corporate and others segment increased by $2.8 million during the first quarter of the current year (2023 ? $1.2 million).

The segment's equity accounted investments reported its share of pre-tax income of $0.1 million (2023 ? loss of $0.9 million), while the segment's subsidiaries reported a pre-tax loss of $0.6 million (2023 ? $1.3 million).

SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY ON A PER SHARE BASIS*

Carrying value as at March 31, 2024 December 31, 2023 Mining Investments Portfolio investments $ 133,758 $ 126,671 Equity accounted investments 15,273 15,731 Royalty 18,921 18,921 167,952 161,323 Mining Services Subsidiaries 2,421 2,439 Equity accounted investment - 98 2,421 2,537 Corporate and Others Corporate 16,996 18,342 Portfolio investments ? other 71,310 68,482 Equity accounted investments ? other 29,222 28,874 Real estate joint ventures 3,034 2,852 Subsidiaries Continuing operations 6,029 7,738 Held-for-sale 340 - 126,931 126,288 SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY $ 297,304 $ 290,148 Less: Shareholders' equity attributable to holders of: Preference Shares, series 2 (27,575 ) (27,667 ) Preference Shares, series 3 (18,125 ) (18,125 ) SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY ATTRIBUTABLE TO CLASS A SUBORDINATE SHARES AND CLASS B SHARES OF THE CORPORATION $ 251,604 $ 244,356 Number of shares of the Corporation issued and outstanding: Class A Subordinate Shares 85,711,707 85,832,805 Class B Shares 3,114,491 3,114,491 Total number of shares issued and outstanding 88,826,198 88,947,296 SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY ON A PER SHARE BASIS $ 2.83 $ 2.75 * Shareholders' Equity on a per share basis is calculated as total shareholders' equity per the financial statements, less the carrying amount of preference shares series 2 and series 3 and divided by the total number of Class A and Class B shares issued and outstanding.



The Corporation's unaudited interim consolidated financial statements as at and for three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, along with the accompanying management's discussion and analysis, have been filed on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval ("SEDAR") and may be viewed by interested parties under the Corporation's profile at www.sedarplus.ca or the Corporation's website at www.dundeecorporation.com.



ABOUT DUNDEE CORPORATION:

Dundee Corporation is a public Canadian independent holding company, listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "DC.A". Through its operating subsidiaries, Dundee Corporation is an active investor focused on delivering long-term, sustainable value as a trusted partner in the mining sector with more than 30 years of experience making accretive mining investments.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

This press release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, which reflects Dundee Corporation's current expectations regarding future events. Forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Dundee Corporation's control, which could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Annual Information Form of Dundee Corporation and subsequent filings made with securities commissions in Canada. Dundee Corporation does not undertake any obligation to update such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Investor and Media Relations

T: (416) 864-3584

E: [email protected]

13 may 2024 at 19:30

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Stavian Industrial Metal champions sustainable growth and international connectivity at SEAISI 2024





DA NANG, Vietnam, May 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Stavian Industrial Metal Joint Stock Company proudly announces its sponsorship and participation in the SEAISI 2024 Conference & Exhibition, held from May 13th to 16th, 2024, at the Ariyana Convention Center in Danang, Vietnam. This event serves as a pivotal platform for the Southeast Asian steel industry.

Stavian Industrial Metal is poised to make a significant impact at the conference, aligning with the theme "Surviving and Thriving in the Decarbonized World." As a Diamond tier sponsor, the company will directly engage with customers and partners at Booth 14, presenting forward-thinking solutions for the sustainable metal industry.

Emphasizing solutions and international collaboration

Stavian Industrial Metal distinguishes itself as more than a distributor; it is a comprehensive solution provider, facilitating international trade and connectivity. "Our mission extends beyond conventional metal trading. We offer a suite of 15 business solutions and 4 business models designed to enhance the purchasing experience for our clients," the Senior Leader of the company stated.

Moreover, Stavian Industrial Metal actively seeks collaboration in trade, investment, manufacturing, technology transfer, and data analytics, fostering partnerships that drive mutual growth and development. This collaborative approach underscores the company's role as a catalyst for international connectivity and economic prosperity.

Positioning as a Global Facilitator

Stavian Industrial Metal's positioning as a comprehensive solution provider extends beyond the boundaries of Vietnam. While rooted in Vietnam, the company serves as a conduit for global connectivity, facilitating the exchange of metals and expertise between Vietnam and the international community. "Our vision is not only to bring Vietnamese metals to the world but also to welcome the world to Vietnam," the Senior Leader of the company stated.

Commitment to Sustainable Development and Global Connectivity

Embracing a strategic vision that emphasizes both international connectivity and sustainable growth, Stavian Industrial Metal reaffirms its dedication to integrating green steel into its operational framework. "Our participation in SEAISI 2024 underscores our commitment to driving sustainable practices within the metal industry. We recognize the global imperative to reduce carbon emissions and are steadfast in our pursuit of innovative solutions that benefit our customers and society," a company representative remarked.

This strategic alignment positions Stavian Industrial Metal to capitalize on emerging opportunities, including the anticipated green taxation in Europe, enhancing prospects for future exports to European and American markets. By prioritizing the development of green steel products, the company aims to propel Vietnamese metal products to the forefront of the global market while fostering a network of innovative solutions and facilitating the integration of international expertise into the Vietnamese market.

About Stavian Industrial Metal

Stavian Industrial Metal, a subsidiary of Stavian Group, leverages its robust financial foundation and extensive global network to spearhead the trade and distribution of high-quality metals, including steel, aluminum, copper, and stainless steel. Renowned for its innovative business solutions tailored to the metal trading industry, the company is committed to promoting Vietnamese metal products on the global stage while facilitating the integration of international best practices and advancements into the Vietnamese metal industry.



Company website: https://stavianmetal.com/en/

SOURCE Stavian Industrial Metal

13 may 2024 at 23:00

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500 Global and Sanabil Investments announce Batch 7 of the Sanabil 500 MENA Seed Accelerator Program





Multi-stage venture capital firm 500 Global and KSA-based Sanabil, a financial investment company [wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF)] announced the seventh batch of their Sanabil 500 MENA Seed Accelerator Program, aimed at helping up-and-coming companies scale up in the region.

The final selected companies are focused on developing solutions across a diverse range of sectors, including Fintech, Foodtech, SaaS, ML & Software, E-Commerce, AgTech, AdTech, and Proptech. The twelve companies were selected out of around 400 applicants. The applicants come from the Middle East & North Africa, with Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Egypt as the top three countries.

The Sanabil 500 MENA Seed Accelerator Program provides pre-seed and seed-stage startups across the Middle East and North Africa with the foundation they need to validate and scale their business regionally and globally. Seventy-seven companies have already graduated from the program.

"This batch represents the 7th edition of the Sanabil 500 MENA Seed Accelerator, and showcasing these startups at the upcoming demo day fills us with pride. Their maturity and the exciting, diverse opportunities they offer, coupled with the keen interest from numerous international investors looking to engage with the region, highlight the vibrant theme of this era in the region. We are privileged to be contributing significantly to the development of this ecosystem as a global platform is exhilarating," stated Amal Dokhan, Managing Partner at 500 Global MENA.

"This is our seventh Sanabil 500 MENA Seed Accelerator Program and the competition is as intense as we have ever seen it. With around 400 applicants, this year's 12 finalists represent come from a diverse range of sectors including, food and agritech and other solutions-based tech from their industry. We believe the program will help shape their entrepreneurial journey and we remain committed to supporting and guiding them as they validate their product and plot a path to profitability," said a Sanabil spokesperson.

The 12-week program offers founders one-on-one mentorship with a focus on business strategy development, fundraising, and growth. It culminates on May 29, 2024, with Demo Day at the Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh, in front of a live audience of key stakeholders, including venture community members, corporates, and industry professionals. The event will also be live-streamed to a general audience on YouTube.

The following is the list of Batch 7 companies that have made it through to the final round:

Agile Loop (Saudi Arabia): A self-learning AI that listens to users, learns their tasks, and operates computers on their behalf.

Comfi (UAE): Frees up cash flow for B2B suppliers by paying them upfront while offering flexible payment terms for their buyers

Desert Farms (USA): A D2C baby formula that delivers the superfood benefits of Camel Milk.

Doos (Saudi Arabia): A lifestyle app that delivers your daily needs and wants with premium experience in less than 30 minutes

Fai (Saudi Arabia): An easy solution that automates tax management for SMEs and individuals, to ensure compliance.

Metric (UAE): A financial analytics app that helps business owners make better decisions by organizing their scattered financial data into actionable insights.

MLNetworks (Morocco): Helps Telcos to design, operate and optimize their networks more intelligently through an end-to-end data platform.

Octa (UAE): A one-click automated invoice collection process helping B2B companies get paid on time.

Poultry Sync (UAE): A genetics-to-table AI-powered platform to comply with safety regulations and boost profits for poultry producers.

Reno (UAE): Digital platform enabling homeowners make dream homes a reality by simplifying and managing the whole renovation process.

Sav (UAE): An inclusive platform helping consumers spend and save smarter through gamified personalized journeys.

Sweply (Saudi Arabia): Makes it simple to create, manage, and analyze digital marketing campaigns on multiple platforms from one place.

With the seventh cohort of the program concluding in May, the program is already accepting applications for the next batch. We invite innovative startups to apply for our upcoming batch and join us in this exciting journey by clicking here.

About 500 Global

500 Global is a multi-stage venture capital firm with $2.4B in assets under management as of March 31 2024 that invests in founders building fast-growing technology companies. We focus on markets where technology, innovation, and capital can unlock long-term value and drive economic growth. We work closely with key stakeholders and advise governments on how best to support entrepreneurial ecosystems so startups can thrive. 500 Global has backed over 5,000 founders representing more than 2,900 companies operating in 80+ countries. We have invested in more than 35+ companies valued at over $1 billion and 160+ companies valued at over $100 million (including private, public, and exited companies). Our 200+ team members are located in over 30 countries and bring experience as entrepreneurs, investors, and operators from some of the world's leading technology companies.

About Sanabil Investments

Sanabil is a financial investment company, wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF). We commit more than USD 3 billion in capital per annum into global private investments that include VC/growth and small buyout assets. We are a dynamic, nimble, and highly experienced team of investment professionals. We provide partners with patient capital, the ability to invest across multiple funding rounds, and access to the region. At Sanabil, we invest in great ideas, great minds, and great companies. For more information, please visit www.sanabil.com.

14 may 2024 at 04:40

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Indiva to Report First Quarter Results Pre-Market on Thursday May 23, 2024





Indiva Limited (the "Company" or "Indiva") (TSXV:NDVA), the leading Canadian producer of cannabis edibles, will report its results for the three months ended March 31, 2024 pre-market on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

CONFERENCE CALL - Thursday, May 23, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. (EST):

The Company will host a conference call to discuss its results on Thursday, May 23, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. (EST). Interested participants can join by dialing 289-514-5100 or 1-800-717-1738. The conference ID is 83291.

A recording of the conference call will be available for replay following the call. To access the recording please dial 416-764-8691 or 1-877-674-6060. The replay ID is 83291#. The recording will remain available until Thursday, June 20, 2024.

ABOUT INDIVA

Indiva is proud to be Canada's #1 producer of cannabis edibles. We set the gold standard for quality and innovation with our award-winning products, across a wide range of brands including Pearls by Gron, Bhang Chocolate, Indiva Doppio Sandwich Cookies, Indiva 1432 Chocolate, and No Future Gummies, Vapes and Chocolate, as well as other Indiva branded extracts. Indiva manufactures its top-quality products in its state-of-the-art facility in London, Ontario, and has a corporate workforce remotely distributed across Canada. Click here to connect with Indiva on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, and here to find more information on the Company and its products.

DISCLAIMER AND READER ADVISORY

General

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) has in any way passed upon the merits of the contents of this news release and neither of the foregoing entities accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release or has in any way approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release.

Certain statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the parties' current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information relating to the proposed telephone conference call expected to be held by the Company on May 23, 2024. Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to the Company. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is made as of the date hereof and the Company is not obligated to, and does not undertake to, update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions inherent in forward-looking information, investors should not place undue reliance on forward looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.

14 may 2024 at 07:05

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Fresh Del Monte Announces Partnership to Produce Biofertilizers from Fruit Residues, Launching Innovative Plant in Kenya





Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc., one of the world's leading vertically integrated producers, marketers, and distributors of high-quality fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, and Vellsam Materias Bioactivas, a leading producer of biotechnological solutions, today announced a partnership that will look into how to maximize the use of Fresh Del Monte's pineapple residues by way of biofertilizers. The Fresh Del Monte-led partnership, operating under the name De l'Ora Bio, is announcing this collaboration with the inauguration of a biofertilizer plant in Kenya, marking the initial step in the partnership's biofertilizer production endeavor.

The new biofertilizer plant is situated close to Fresh Del Monte's subsidiary in Kenya, Del Monte Kenya Ltd., and will use residues from the company's pineapple cannery to create different types of biofertilizers for its use and the eventual sale to other growers in Kenya and East African countries.

Biofertilizers are natural fertilizers that use microbes to help promote plant growth by increasing the supply of essential nutrients to the plants, improving the soil texture and yield of plants, and providing a more sustainable option to traditional fertilizers.

"Fresh Del Monte is committed to creating a circular economy and is taking active measures to repurpose and reuse its residues," said Mohammad Abu-Ghazaleh, Fresh Del Monte's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We see this collaboration as a transformative turning point that has the potential to revolutionize how the agricultural industry farms. De l'Ora embodies our commitment to innovation, environmental stewardship, and pursuing boundaries of what is possible in agriculture."

Estimates show that the global biofertilizers market size will expand to around USD 9.14 billion by 2032, according to Precedence Research. This figure is expected to grow steadily due to increasing awareness about sustainable agriculture practices, rising demand for organic food products and government initiatives promoting biofertilizer usage.

The new plant is currently running tests and will be fully operational in June. Del Monte Kenya is the single largest exporter in the country and already employs 6,500 Kenya workers directly. With the opening of this plant, the company can further support the local economy and work towards growing its footprint and impact in the region.

Together, through D l'Ora, the newly formed biofertilizer company, Fresh Del Monte and Almeria-based Vellsam, aim to maximize the use of residue utilization, enhance soil fertility, and meet the rising demand from consumers seeking nutritious, sustainably grown produce.

ABOUT FRESH DEL MONTE

Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. is one of the world's leading vertically integrated producers, marketers, and distributors of high-quality fresh and fresh-cut fruit and vegetables, as well as a leading producer and distributor of prepared food in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. markets its products worldwide under the DEL MONTE brand (under license from Del Monte Foods, Inc.), a symbol of product innovation, quality, freshness, and reliability for over 135 years. The company also markets its products under the MANNtm brand and other related trademarks. Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. is not affiliated with certain other Del Monte companies around the world, including Del Monte Foods, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Del Monte Pacific Limited, Del Monte Canada, or Del Monte Asia Pte. Ltd. Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. is the first global marketer of fruits and vegetables to commit to the "Science Based Targets" initiative. In 2022, 2023 and 2024, Fresh Del Monte Produce was ranked as one of "America's Most Trusted Companies" by Newsweek based on an independent survey rating companies on three different touchpoints, including customer trust, investor trust, and employee trust. The company was also named a Humankind 100 Company for two consecutive years by Humankind Investments, which recognizes companies that substantially impact areas such as access to food and clean water, healthcare, and digital services. Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. is traded on the NYSE under the symbol FDP.

14 may 2024 at 08:15

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Keysight Releases 2023 Corporate Social Responsibility Report and Disclosures





Keysight Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: KEYS) released its 2023 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report, highlighting the company's recent environmental sustainability, social impact, ethical business and governance, diversity, and equity achievements. The report, with its accompanying 2023 CSR Data Report, encompasses Keysight's sustainability performance in fiscal year 2023 and includes operations worldwide, unless otherwise noted. Data includes disclosures that have been prepared with reference to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) revised universal topic standards and aligned to the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) frameworks, as well as additional human capital metrics not included in the mentioned frameworks.

Keysight's 2023 CSR Report showcases how the company progressed toward long-term goals, exceeded its key impact goals in the social space, and met its ethical business and governance goals. These goals were attained all while continuing to make positive contributions to purposeful technology and transparency with key environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting frameworks.

Made progress toward environmental sustainability goals

The company made progress in environmental sustainability related to its commitment to net zero emissions for business operations by the end of fiscal year 2040, aligning with the Paris Agreement's preferred goal of limiting global warming to 1.5C. Highlights include:

Approval of the company's near-term science-based targets (SBTs) by the Science Based Targets initiative covering all three scopes of emissions.

Completed the company's first quantitative climate-related scenario analysis, covering a range of warming trajectories from 1.5C to 3.3C.

Continued its practice of transparency with the release of the company's first Taskforce on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) Report in 2023.

Due to a full year of production from the Penang, Malaysia rooftop solar array, the company increased its total global renewable electricity portfolio to approximately 5%.

Continuing progress toward its energy reduction goal, including the completion of an estimated 10,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of annual energy reduction projects.

Surpassed all social impact goals for fiscal year 2023

Keysight significantly surpassed its goals for positive social impact by focusing on community and education and advancing diversity and inclusion. Progress includes:

Continued science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education efforts and partnerships to further extend the company's reach and equity impact. This resulted in more than 1.8 million students, future engineers and technology skill learners engaged in fiscal year 2023 surpassing our goal of 1.5 million students.

Committing more than $319 million in value to strengthen communities through philanthropic, volunteerism and community engagement actions, which surpassed its $250 million goal for the fiscal year.

Exceeded goals to increase the percentage of new hires globally that identify as women, and new hires in the US that identify as underrepresented minorities1, while moving towards more balanced representation overall and across our leadership team.

Met stated goals for ethical business and governance in fiscal year 2023

The company met its ethical governance goals by not incurring any material negative impacts to its income statement from CSR-related matters in fiscal year 2023. This achievement aligns to Keysight's ethical operations and business commitments through the company's robust governance, which is provided by its Standards of Business Conduct (SBC), corporate policies, board and risk oversight, and environmental, health, and safety programs to name a few.

Continued quest to build a better planet

The Keysight 2023 CSR and Data Reports demonstrate the company's mission of accelerating innovation to connect and secure the world to help build a better planet through sustainably developed, leading-edge design, emulation, and test solutions. By providing these solutions, Keysight helps customers deliver breakthrough innovations in areas such as clean technology, social impact and wellness, and safety and security.

Looking forward, Keysight remains committed to its mid- and long-term targets supporting net zero emissions in its operations by the end of fiscal year 2040 and has announced another set of new metrics tracking progress in social impact ? including DEI ? and ethical governance throughout 2024 and into 2025.

Satish Dhanasekaran, President and Chief Executive Officer, Keysight, said: " Keysight has long strived to make a positive impact on society and fiscal year 2023 was no different. Through technology that accelerates innovation to connect and secure the world, and our practice of employing a global business framework of ethical, environmentally sustainable, and socially responsible operations, we remained steadfast in our commitment and are proud to have made material progress on our results."

Resources

1Keysight uses the following definition of underrepresented minorities (URM): employees in the U.S. who identify as Black, African American, Hispanic, Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian, Native American, Alaska native, or two or more races, or as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.

About Keysight Technologies

At Keysight (NYSE: KEYS), we inspire and empower innovators to bring world-changing technologies to life. As an S&P 500 company, we're delivering market-leading design, emulation, and test solutions to help engineers develop and deploy faster, with less risk, throughout the entire product life cycle. We're a global innovation partner enabling customers in communications, industrial automation, aerospace and defense, automotive, semiconductor, and general electronics markets to accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world. Learn more at Keysight Newsroom and www.keysight.com.

14 may 2024 at 11:05

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MBABANE  Police investigations have revealed how the plan to kill Matsapha businessman and biker Sifiso Simelane was hatched, as well as the role players.

The investigation pointed to Bongiwe Nhlabatsi, who is the sister-in-law of Simelanes fiance, Mbali Mamba, as the alleged ringleader. Nhlabatsi is alleged to have wanted Simelane and Mamba dead after she was purportedly consumed with jealousy after a visit to their home at Bethany. Nhlabatsi is currently in custody and has applied for bail. Her bail application is opposed by the Crown. She is one of the accused persons who have been charged with the murder of Simelane, who was brutally killed on January 22, 2024. Simelane was believed to have been robbed by unknown people who slit his throat and dumped his body in a forest at Mahlanya on the night of his death.

Conceived

Detective Sergeant Ayanda Dlamini, who investigated the matter, narrated how the plan to kill Simelane was conceived allegedly by Nhlabatsi, who is married to a brother to the deceaseds fiance, Mamba. The detective sergeant said Nhlabatsi paid a visit to Simelanes house and became jealous when she saw the opulence Mamba and the businessman were enjoying and allegedly hatched a plan to kill the two of them. According to the investigator, early in January this year, Nhlabatsi became aware that Simelane, who was engaged to marry her sister-in-law, Mamba, was rich and that he kept money in a safe in his house at Bethany. Simelane shared the house with his fiance, Mamba.

Ayanda told the court in the Crowns opposing papers that Nhlabatsi also became aware that a lot of money could be found in Simelanes bank accounts, as he was involved in the hospitality business, wherein he ran Matsapha Gallery Hotel. She (Nhlabatsi) envied the lavish lifestyle that her sister-in-law (Mbali Mamba) was exposed to and she devised a plan to get the money from the deceased, submitted Ayanda. He said on a certain date in January 2024, Simelane invited some members of the Mamba family to his home at Bethany for dinner to meet them before the official lobola ceremony. Simelane, according to Ayanda, wanted to get a feel of his future in-laws expectations regarding the lobola ceremony, which was scheduled for January 18, 2024.

Visited

Nhlabatsi was part of the Mamba delegation that visited the Simelane residence. She had a good time at the deceaseds home and decided that she wanted part of the wealth of the Simelanes. She there and then started planning how she could get a share of what was enjoyed by her sister-in-law. The applicant also got to know during the dinner that the bride price would be somewhere in the margin of a hundred thousand (E100 000) and that the money would be withdrawn a few days before January 18, 2024, which was the day scheduled for the lobola ceremony at the Mamba homestead. The appellant then planned that the deceased should be robbed and killed together with his fiance before the bride price is paid, submitted the investigator.

Ayanda submitted that Nhlabatsi allegedly started looking for people to assist her in committing the offences. She is alleged to have first approached one of the accused, Selby Sgaga Dlamini at Malkerns and told him about the plan to rob and kill Simelane and his fiance, to take their money and other valuables. Ayanda informed the court that Selby allegedly agreed and indicated that he would, however, need other people to be involved for the deal to materialise. Nhlabatsi, according to Ayanda, approached one of her friends (name deliberately withheld) whom she knew was in desperate need of money. She is alleged to have told the friend in question about the plan to rob and kill Simelane and his fiance to have access to their money and propeties.

She told the friend that she already had one person for the job (Selby Sgaga Dlamini) and she (friend) also had to get another person who would work with the accused so that she could get the money that she needed to settle her debts after the commission of the offences. The applicants friend also agreed to look for the people who were going to participate in the commission of the offences and she made a call to one Njabulo Magagula (who is still at large) who agreed to meet her and the applicant at Ezulwini.

The applicants friend then introduced Njabulo to the applicant and the applicant proceeded to explain their mission, wherein Njabulo agreed with them and informed them that he was the right person for the job, as he needed money as well. Njabulo indicated that he would look for a few more guys to beef up the team so that the job can be done well. The applicant insisted that this should happen before January 18, 2024 so that they could get a lot of money, narrated the investigator.

Informed

On the following day, according to Ayanda, the applicant, Nhlabatsi, allegedly called her friend and informed her to tell Njabulo to bring his team to Matsapha so that she (Nhlabatsi) could explain the job to them beforehand. Njabulo came with three more boys, they met and discussed the plan and the applicant then took the four men to show them the deceaseds home at Bethany. Another meeting between the accused and Njabulo was arranged and they met and agreed to do the job on the next Friday. The following week the applicant again went to meet Njabulo to finalise the logistics and left. On the Friday, the day planned for the commission of the offence, Njabulo was called but he did not pick his phone, the plan was then aborted.

Njabulo resurfaced on Sunday and made excuses about his unavailability on Friday and he suggested that they continue with the plan on Monday and all concerned should be informed, the investigator narrated. He said on January 22, 2024, Njabulo allegedly arranged that they should all meet at Mahhala around 7pm to fine tune the plan. The boys then left for execution while the ladies were excused. On Tuesday, January 23, 2024, the news broke that the deceased had been kidnapped and money had been stolen at his home. Njabulo, according to the investigator, confessed that all they did was as per Nhlabatsis orders or instructions.



The applicant, as the closest relative, was informed about what had befallen the Simelanes and she pretended to be shocked as everyone else. In the morning, she went to the deceaseds home to offer support to her sister-in-law. She got to know that the deceased was found dead at Malkerns and also that his BMW car, which had a tracker, had also been stolen and she informed her friend and told her to warn the fifth accused that the car had a tracker and, therefore, they would be caught. Nhlabatsi, according to the investigator, could not make that call since she was in the company of police officers, who had begun their investigations. The matter is pending in court. The Crown is represented by Principal Crown Counsel Lomkhosi Dlamini.




Perimeter Medical Imaging AI Reports Report First Quarter 2024 Financial Results and Provides Corporate Update





Conference Call/Webcast Today at 5 pm ET

TORONTO and DALLAS, May 14, 2024 /CNW/ - Perimeter Medical Imaging AI, Inc. (TSXV: PINK) (OTC: PYNKF) (FSE: 4PC) ("Perimeter" or the "Company") ? a commercial-stage medical technology company ? today reported financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2024 and provided a corporate update.

Adrian Mendes, Perimeter's Chief Executive Officer stated, "This past quarter we saw significant momentum in the clinical development side of our business. We are enrolling patients at a much higher rate than anticipated in our ongoing pivotal clinical trial, which is evaluating the use of our proprietary B-Series OCT with ImgAssist AI during breast-conserving surgeries. Due to the speed of enrollment, we have opted to forego the interim analysis, pending regulatory approval, and will focus our efforts on expediting full enrollment in the study, now anticipated in early Q4. We have a high degree of confidence that this pathway not only allows for the strongest data package for regulatory submissions to support potential commercial approval, but it is also the most capital- and resource-efficient option."

Mr. Mendes continued, "Our commercial team is also seeing growing market traction as they work to establish Perimeter S-Series OCT as a preferred technology for margin visualization in the OR. We successfully completed three S-Series placements year to date, including two additional previously unannounced placements, one within a current national healthcare network customer and one within a new healthcare network, showing our ability to expand our customer footprint. We fielded substantial interest from our demos and interactions at the recent ASBrS conference. In addition, we are seeing the power of peer-based recommendations, as current surgeon champions, who are already using Perimeter's technology in their operating rooms, are referring their colleagues to our sales team."

Quarterly Highlights

Perimeter continues its commercial expansion efforts and, year to date, has completed placements of its flagship Perimeter S-Series OCT system at three new hospital sites, including two additional follow-on placements in North Texas within a leading national healthcare system, and one placement within a new healthcare network.

within a leading national healthcare system, and one placement within a new healthcare network. In February 2024 , researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center published results from a new study in the Annals of Surgical Oncology . The study data demonstrated that high reoperation rates after breast-conserving surgery persist (ranging from 15% to 21%, and as high as 40% in some cohorts) and are correlated with elevated risks and adverse outcomes for patients and underscore the need for new approaches to address high operation rates and better methods of margin assessment for surgeons. Funding to support this research was provided, in part, by Perimeter.

, researchers from the Health Science Center and The MD Anderson Cancer Center published results from a new study in the . The study data demonstrated that high reoperation rates after breast-conserving surgery persist (ranging from 15% to 21%, and as high as 40% in some cohorts) and are correlated with elevated risks and adverse outcomes for patients and underscore the need for new approaches to address high operation rates and better methods of margin assessment for surgeons. Funding to support this research was provided, in part, by Perimeter. In February 2024 , Perimeter announced results demonstrating its proprietary AI algorithm combined with OCT identified 96.8% of pathology-positive margins in a peer reviewed retrospective study. These results highlight the clinical viability of AI-enhanced margin visualization using OCT in breast cancer surgery and its potential to decrease reoperation rates due to residual tumors.

, Perimeter announced results demonstrating its proprietary AI algorithm combined with OCT identified 96.8% of pathology-positive margins in a peer reviewed retrospective study. These results highlight the clinical viability of AI-enhanced margin visualization using OCT in breast cancer surgery and its potential to decrease reoperation rates due to residual tumors. Perimeter exceeded its goal of reaching sufficient patient enrollment numbers to conduct an interim analysis by the second quarter of this year within its ongoing pivotal clinical trial, which is evaluating the use of its proprietary AI technology combined with OCT during breast-conserving surgeries. With patient enrollment tracking significantly ahead of modeled expectations and now anticipated to be complete in early Q4, the Company has opted to forego an interim analysis, pending regulatory approval, and focus its efforts on expediting full enrollment in the study. Perimeter has a high degree of confidence that this pathway not only allows for the strongest data package to support regulatory submissions for commercial approval but is the most capital- and resource-efficient option.

First Quarter 2024 Financial Results

All of the amounts are expressed in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated and are presented in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board.

Operating expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2024 were $4,704,125 compared to $3,833,017 for the same period in 2023.

For the three months ended March 31, 2024, net loss decreased to $2,121,701 compared to $3,259,459 for the same period in 2023.

For the three months ended March 31, 2024, cash used in operating activities was $3,566,489.

As of March 31, 2024, cash and cash equivalents were $10,625,034. This amount does not include a Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) grant receivable of $1,407,555 as of March 31, 2024, which is related to the reimbursement of pivotal clinical trial project costs.

For detailed financial results, please refer to Perimeter's filings on SEDAR+ and the Company's website .

Conference Call

The Company will host a conference call and live audio webcast today at 5:00 pm Eastern Time to discuss its first quarter 2024 results and provide a corporate update. To participate in the call, please dial 1-800-717-1738 or 1-646-307-1865. The conference call will also be broadcast live online through a listen-only webcast , which will be posted on the Investors section of the Company's website and archived for approximately 90 days. A telephonic playback of the conference call will be available for 14 days after the event by calling 1-844-512-2921 or 1-412-317-6671 and referencing conference ID 1166195. The above listed dates and times are subject to change.

About Perimeter Medical Imaging AI, Inc.

Based in Toronto, Canada and Dallas, Texas, Perimeter Medical Imaging AI (TSXV: PINK) (OTC: PYNKF) (FSE: 4PC) is a medical technology company driven to transform cancer surgery with ultra-high-resolution, real-time, advanced imaging tools to address areas of high unmet medical need. Available across the U.S., our FDA-cleared Perimeter S-Series OCT system provides real-time, cross-sectional visualization of excised tissues at the cellular level. The breakthrough-device-designated investigational Perimeter B-Series OCT with ImgAssist AI represents our next-generation artificial intelligence technology that is currently being evaluated in a pivotal clinical trial, with support from a grant of up to US$7.4 million awarded by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. The company's ticker symbol "PINK" is a reference to the pink ribbons used during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Perimeter B-Series OCT is limited by U.S. law to investigational use and not available for sale in the United States. Perimeter S-Series OCT has 510(k) clearance under a general indication and has not been evaluated by the U.S. FDA specifically for use in breast tissue, breast cancer, other types of cancer, margin evaluation, and reducing re-excision rates. The safety and effectiveness of these uses has not been established. For more information, please visit www.perimetermed.com/disclosures .

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. In this news release, words such as "may," "would," "could," "will," "likely," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "estimate," and similar words and the negative form thereof are used to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information may relate to management's future outlook and anticipated events or results and may include statements or information regarding the future financial position, business strategy and strategic goals, competitive conditions, research and development activities, projected costs and capital expenditures, research and clinical testing outcomes, taxes and plans and objectives of, or involving, Perimeter. Without limitation, information regarding the potential benefits of Perimeter S-Series OCT and Perimeter B-Series OCT, the expected benefits of Perimeter's updated version of its ImgAssist AI, the expected timing of the completion of full enrollment in Perimeter's clinical trial, Perimeter's expectations regarding the outcomes of the clinical trial, and the timing of Perimeter's earnings call, are forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether, or the times at or by which, any particular result will be achieved. No assurance can be given that any events anticipated by the forward-looking information will transpire or occur. Forward-looking information is based on information available at the time and/or management's good-faith belief with respect to future events and are subject to known or unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other unpredictable factors, many of which are beyond Perimeter's control. Such forward-looking statements reflect Perimeter's current view with respect to future events, but are inherently subject to significant medical, scientific, business, economic, competitive, political, and social uncertainties and contingencies. In making forward-looking statements, Perimeter may make various material assumptions, including but not limited to (i) the accuracy of Perimeter's financial projections; (ii) obtaining positive results from trials; (iii) obtaining necessary regulatory approvals; and (iv) general business, market, and economic conditions. Further risks, uncertainties and assumptions include, but are not limited to, those applicable to Perimeter and described in Perimeter's Management Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2023, which is available on Perimeter's SEDAR+ profile at https://www.sedarplus.ca , and could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements. Perimeter does not intend, nor does Perimeter undertake any obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking information contained in this news release to reflect subsequent information, events, or circumstances or otherwise, except if required by applicable laws.

SOURCE Perimeter Medical Imaging AI, Inc.

14 may 2024 at 16:30

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This photograph shows a burnt Renault car shop amid protests linked to a debate on a constitutional bill aimed at enlarging the electorate for upcoming elections in the overseas French territory of New Caledonia, in Noumea, on May 14, 2024. THEO ROUBY / AFP

New Caledonia announced a night-time curfew on Tuesday, May 14, and a ban on public gatherings after protests against proposed voting reforms in the French Pacific territory erupted into overnight riots, with vehicles torched and shops looted.

At least two car dealerships and a bottling factory in the capital Noumea were set on fire in arson attacks, an Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalist saw. Several supermarkets were also looted in Noumea and the neighboring towns of Dumbea and Mont-Dore.

From late Monday night, groups of young masked or hooded demonstrators took over several roundabouts and confronted the police, who responded with non-lethal rounds. A police source said several vehicles were torched during violent clashes. A total of 36 people were arrested and 30 police officers were injured, according to authorities.

Read more Subscribers only High-risk demonstrations and calls for calm in New Caledonia

"Very intense public order disturbances took place last night in Noumea and in neighboring municipalities, and are still ongoing at this time," the high commission, the representative of the French state in New Caledonia, said in a statement Tuesday.

The commission said it was "massively mobilizing internal security and civil security forces" over the unrest but "no serious injuries were reported among the population." "The high commissioner strongly condemns these acts of violence, constituting serious harm to people and property." The New Caledonia government appealed for "reason and calm" and called on "all Caledonians to demonstrate a sense of responsibility" following the night of unrest.

Frozen voter lists

The unrest erupted Monday as protesters demonstrated against a constitutional reform being debated in the Assemblee Nationale in Paris which aims to expand the electorate in the territory's provincial elections.

France vowed in the Noumea Accord of 1998 to gradually give more political power to the Pacific island territory of nearly 300,000 people. Under the agreement, New Caledonia has held three referendums over its ties with France, all rejecting independence. The pro-independence Indigenous Kanaks rejected the result of the last referendum held in December 2021, which they had boycotted due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Noumea Accord has also meant that New Caledonia's voter lists have not been updated since 1998  meaning that island residents who arrived from mainland France or elsewhere anytime in the past 25 years do not have the right to take part in provincial polls.

The French government has branded the exclusion of one out of five people from voting as "absurd", while separatists fear that expanding voter lists would benefit pro-France politicians and "further minimize the Indigenous Kanak people."

After a night of unrest, the New Caledonia High Commission announced a ban on public gatherings and the sale of alcohol and said a curfew would be imposed from 6:00 pm Tuesday until 6:00 am Wednesday. Schools and colleges are closed until further notice and the international airport is also shut.

New Zealand said Tuesday that Foreign Minister Winston Peters had canceled his visit to New Caledonia due to the unrest. "In discussions with our French and New Caledonian hosts, we have decided to postpone this week's travel to Noumea to allow authorities to fully focus on the current situation," his spokesperson said in a statement.

Read more Subscribers only Macron defends 'French New Caledonia' before loyalist crowd in Noumea

During a visit to the territory last year, President Emmanuel Macron said he wanted a revised constitutional status for New Caledonia to be in place by the beginning of 2024. Macron has been seeking to reassert his country's importance in the Pacific region, where China and the United States are vying for influence but France has territories such as New Caledonia and French Polynesia.
A spectator carries a European flag during the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon, May 10, 2018. PEDRO NUNES / REUTERS

Rarely has the Eurovision Song Contest generated so much controversy. Following protests in Sweden against the participation of Eden Golan, the Israeli candidate in the European televoting competition organized on Saturday, May 11, and the disqualification of the Dutch candidate, Joost Klein, author of the song Europapa following an incident with a cameraman, the contest distinguished itself by banning the European flag from the show. This decision did not go down well in Brussels, where Margaritis Schinas, the Greek Commission vice-president responsible for promoting the European way of life, slammed the contest organizers.

"Eurovision is first and foremost a celebration of European spirit, our diversity and our talent," he said on social media network X. "The European Union flag is the symbol of this. With the European elections less than a month away, there should be no obstacles, big or small, to celebrating what unites all Europeans."

Internet users alerted the European leader, including Moldovan Dorin Frasineanu, former deputy director of the Moldova prime minister's office, who was in Malmo for the event. On X, he said on Saturday evening: "We were just denied entry to Eurovision with the EU flag. We were told by security it's 'political' and 'not allowed'. How could the European Broadcasting Union [EBU] ban the EU flag at Europe's biggest event?"

Read more Subscribers only Protesters gather in support of Israel or Palestine during Eurovision contest in Sweden

In Brussels on Monday, the Commission was still reeling from the shock. The blue flag with its twelve golden stars is not only the flag of the EU, displayed in many public places in the 27 member countries, but it is also the flag of the Council of Europe and its 46 members. All of these members, except for Israel, which is only an observer in the institution's parliamentary assembly, are present at Eurovision.

'We must uphold our values'

According to the EBU, flag policy is negotiated every year, and for the 2024 edition, the choice was to allow only the flags of the participating states and the rainbow flag, the symbol of the LGBTQ+ community. Above all, the EBU wanted to avoid seeing Palestinian flags in full bloom. "There was no explicit intention to ban the European flag," the EBU explained to Le Monde. "But owing to the increase in geopolitical tensions, this policy of verifying flags has been applied with greater zeal."

"It's precisely when the geopolitical situation is complicated that we need to uphold our values, the values of freedom, cultural diversity and understanding between peoples," said Commission spokesman Eric Mamer. "I don't think this is the right time to prevent people from expressing their values by flying the European flag, for example."

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LPRC Managing Director Amos B. Tweh (2nd from right) exchanged the agreement with the Executive Director of Stratcon Energy and Trading Ltd., Harry Campbell, after the signing ceremony
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Liberias participation in this international surfing event will drive the development of the countrys surfers, sportsmanship, and promote the spirit of healthy competition, the organizers say.
West Water has a 15-year contract with District Three B&C Community Forest in Grand Bassa County. The company is indebted to owners of the forest but is illegally being allowed to export timber. The DayLight/Derick Snyder
LOBAMBA  Why are we the only ones who have to declare assets?

This was among the many questions the Commission on Human Rights and Public Administration/Integrity had to provide answers to yesterday before senators, during a workshop on the declaration of assets for parliamentarians as public officers. The exercise of declaring assets by politicians is conducted when the public officers enter Parliament. It is repeated after two years and when they leave office.

This exercise is conducted by the Commission on Human Rights and Public Administration/Integrity. This is in fulfilment of Section 241 of the Constitution, where the prime minister (PM) and those in leadership positions are expected and directed to declare their assets and liabilities. This is a significant constitutional provision that enhances transparency and trust in leadership, preventing conflict of interest and the acquisition of illicit assets or attainment of wealth through corrupt practices.

Questioned

During the workshop, which was held in the Senate chamber yesterday, senators questioned why parliamentarians were the only officers who were compelled to declare their assets.

The senators asked the commissions officials, including Deputy Commissioner Duduzile Nhlengetfwa, Acting Executive Secretary Nelisiwe Zwane and Armstrong, who were in the Senate chamber, to capacitate them on the process of declaring, and its aim, if enforcing the declaration of assets meant letigebengu were only in Parliament.

This was after an informative session that was conducted by Zwane, who detailed what the commission was about, including some of the challenges that hindered them from performing at their level best. The senators were also taken through the code of conduct, principles and ethics. Zwane explained to the senators that declaring was part of the integrity sphere, which was expected of public officers like all parliamentarians, including senators. The senators questioned why declaring assets and liabilities should not be all-inclusive and extended to civil servants. The senators wondered if it was assumed that they were the only ones who could accumulate wealth through corrupt means.

Categories

I can see you are saying that by law, as provided in the Constitution, certain categories of people have to declare, including us as senators. How wide or narrow is the net? Kushokutsi letigebengu ngulaba labalapha? (Do you mean crooks are only here?). I am seriously asking because I am trying to understand that this means the cancer of corruption is in Parliament. Kushokutsi labonjinga beyisola (suspects) are here, said Senator Isaac Magagula. The senator further enquired from the commission if they thought the list of people who were compelled to declare their assets was wide enough. He said: Could not it be extended to those who are exposed to those who work in departments that may be abused or tempting? The way I see it, the net is narrow.

Senator Tony Sibandze told the senators and the commission that there were civil servants who were not listed among the group of people who should declare their assets, yet they were filthy rich and no one was holding them accountable. He added that there was a lot of wealth sitting with certain individuals and it was not accounted for. There is so much accumulation of wealth, mainly by public officials, that is not accounted for in this country. There is no accountability at all. I am not saying public officials shouldnt accumulate wealth; the country also encourages us to work and invest correctly, but here we are being told to declare assets and liabilities.

Declare

Since you are tasked to ensure that public officials declare their assets and liabilities, my question, therefore, is I declare when I assume office and again after five years. After five years, I will have 20 more than when I entered office. How do you do this? How close are you to these issues? I am not talking about parliamentarians, but some people occupy certain offices yet they are still public officials, he said. Sibandze added: There are officers who are not in Parliament, who have so much wealth than even a parliamentarian who has served more than three terms could not accumulate it, even if the parliamentarian can supplement it with businesses, but could not accumulate the wealth of some civil servants.

As the senator was presenting his point, some of the senators were nodding their heads in agreement with him. Senator Chief Mvimbi Matse also agreed with him and he was heard saying Nkosi yami (my Lord) as Sibandze was making his point. The senator said if the wealth of civil servants who are very rich could be accounted for, then government and the nation at large could benefit. He also stated that there was a need for the mandate to declare to be extended to all civil servants because some were getting away with murder, because they were not required by the law to declare.

As Tsabedze was on the floor, some senators agreed with him to the extent that others laughed as if they knew who he was referring to. Senator Magagula, after noting the tough questions and some tension, which gave the impression that the senators were against declaring their assets, or undermined the commission, explained that they were not fighting them but were merely giving them some food for thought. He explained that their concerns should be included in the legislation and emphasised that they were not interrogating the commission.

Vibrancy

The Senate President, Lindiwe Dlamini, after noting the vibrancy of the session, told the senators that they could also have a motion based on the questions they asked because the questions were valid and provoked a lot of questions. The motion could be directed to the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and speaks to the code of conduct, she said.

The deputy commissioner lauded the senators for the questions and assured them that the commission did not feel attacked. Nhlengethwa said there was a possibility of adding more people to declare their assets and liabilities. The Constitution allows us to come back to Parliament and include some officers. We also looked at it as a commission and questioned why under secretaries in government ministries, directors and parastatals CEOs were not included. I think if we could have the legislation, we would be able to do more on that issue, she said.
GREEN Party TD Brian Leddin has criticised "celebrity candidates" for the European elections, arguing that "serious" politicians should be elected instead.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) earlier this week, Leddin said that "it matters who we send to represent us" in the European Parliament elections, and implied that celebrity candidates are not viable options.

Leddin, a current Limerick Mayoral candidate, said this in reponse to a post from fellow Green Party member and MEP candidate Senator Pauline O'Reilly, who had said that the first hustings for the Midlands-Northwest boiled down to "Greens versus the self-declared Far Right".

The European elections are serious elections. It matters who we send to represent us in the European Parliament. We can send celebrity candidates to Brussels or we can send serious candidates such as my colleague @paulinegalway in Midlands Northwest. https://t.co/pd6hqDbv8h  Brian Leddin TD (@BrianLeddin) May 6, 2024

The European Parliament elections are taking place in less than a month on June 7, with Ireland set to send 15 MEPs to Brussels.

The elections have been seen as a lower priority for political parties, with many feeling the need to employ well-known personalities, given the vast geographical areas the constituencies cover.

This has led several well-known faces to put themselves forward for election, with high-profile candidates expected to do better in big constituencies where they might not be known locally.

READ MORE: Green Limerick: Experts tell of plans to future-proof Limerick

The 'celebrity' candidates running for MEP positions in the Midland North-West elections includes former RTE presenter Ciaran Mullooly, former presidential candidate and Dragons Den judge Peter Casey and former jockey and Dancing With The Stars winner Nina Carberry.

In Dublin, well-known radio presenter Niall Boylan is standing for election.
MINISTER Patrick ODonovans wonderful and hard-working mother, Nellie, will be laid to rest this Wednesday after she passed away peacefully at home on Monday.

Nellie O'Donovan (nee King), aged 83, of Churchtown Road, Newcastle West and formerly of Drawlin, Bruree went to her God while surrounded by her loved ones.

Cllr Stephen Keary, whose daughter Eileen is married to Minister ODonovan, said Mrs ODonovan was a wonderful mother.

She was a very strong lady - she had her own opinions. She was a wonderful mother to her children and loved her grandchildren dearly. They brought her great joy.

She was very hard-working and worked tirelessly, both herself and her husband John, for their family to put them through college. That was in their genes. She will be sadly, sadly missed, said Cllr Keary.

John and Nellie ODonovan raised six children - Joan, Miriam, Jerry, Stephen, John and Patrick. Mr ODonovan died 11 years ago on May 15, almost to the day that his beloved wife passed away.

Cllr Keary said Mrs ODonovan was very proud of all her childrens achievements. Despite being in ill health for a number of months she lived to see Patrick being named a minister in Cabinet.

She was very proud of him and all his achievements to date, said Cllr Keary.

After being appointed minister of Further and Higher Education, Patrick ODonovan told the Limerick Leader the biggest motivation his parents had in their lives was the education of their children because it was something that they never had.

When we were young and going to school it was all about work, work, work for them to be able to afford to give us the opportunity to go to third level or do your best in a trade that is going to get you a qualification to stay in the country and rear a family.

"Thats the biggest gift I think you can give anybody. In their day you didnt even get to second level, said Mr ODonovan.

He shared the photograph above with his mum and dad on his social media six months ago.

He wrote: "I walk passed this picture everyday of mam, dad and myself coming into my office. But this morning I realised it was taken just over twenty years ago in the Devon Inn October 2003 the night before I first became a member of Limerick County Council.



"A lot has changed since then, dad is no longer with us, Ive my own family now and the hair is greying but Im still as proud now as I was then to be their son and to be a public representative here in Limerick."

Mrs ODonovan is survived by her daughters Joan and Miriam, sons Jerry, Stephen, John and Patrick, brother Jerry (Chicago) grandchildren, great-granddaughter, daughters-in-law; Geraldine (OConnor), Anne-Marie (Downes), Hilary (OFarrell), Eileen (Keary), sons-in-law; John (OCallaghan), Mike (Burke), brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, relatives, and a wide circle of friends and carers. She is predeceased by her husband John, parents, sister Lil and brothers Jack and Patsy.

Reposing at her home at Churchtown Road, Newcastle West (V42 NY99), this Tuesday, May 14, from 6pm to 8pm. Arrival at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Newcastle West, on Wednesday, May 15, for 2pm requiem Mass. Burial afterwards in Calvary Cemetery, Newcastle West.

May she rest in peace.
The work of a Limerick artist will be part of a prestigious exhibition in London.

Noel Donnellan's work will be exhibited in London this week for London Craft Week at Cromwell Place, until May 19.

Co-created with Mike Byrne, the art piece is part of an exhibition presented by The Michelangelo Foundation for Creative and Craftsmanship, which is dedicated to the participants of the first edition of the Homo Faber Fellowship - a programme designed for duos of master artisans and craft graduates.

Noel Donnellan is a multi-skilled artist specialising in sculpture, gilding, gold leaf and painted decoration.

The Limerick native left mechanical engineering to become an artist.

"I just felt that there was something inside me that kind of wanted to come out and I started doing oil painting on canvas at home. I found an academic institute in Brussels, and it's the number one school in the world for decorative painting and I did that for six months," explains Noel.

After leaving the company Pigmentti, Noel recently started a new studio practice, the culmination of a two-year journey of self-discovery and creativity.

"It sparked a quest to redefine my craft, fueled by a passion to push boundaries and explore new artistic horizons," he said.

One of the catalysts of his "rebirth"? Andy Warhol.

"I watched the Andy Warhol movie on Netflix and I just fell in love again with the art world. So I decided to set up my own home based studio in our home, in an old farmhouse cottage."

Speaking of his partnership with Mark Byrne, he said: "Myself and Mike worked together, he is absolutely brilliant. I loved his language, he is very direct and it was like all the dots connected for me. We made quite a number of pieces and I could see the evolution of my work and the confidence that I began to gather in myself as an artist and under Mike's stewardship was great."

Noel added: "The Michelangelo Foundation is not just a course that you do as a hobby, they want you to be commercially viable. And that's my main goal. I want to support my family from this work full-time. I have no interest in being a part-time artist."

There is one thing Noel hopes people will take away from his piece, exhibited in London.

"I'd hope they would see something of beauty. Then, that they would see that it's handcrafted, the contrasts in the colour, in the interior, the attention to detail."

"It's very precise, um, and it's not machine done. It's all done by hand, and it's done out of passion. I've worked on these for quite a long time, and I would like people to come away and see that an Irish person has created."
A fundraiser has been launched and tributes have been paid to a young mother-of-two and "beloved wife", who tragically died after surgery.

Aoife Kelly (nee Keating) passed away suddenly after surgery due to unexpected complications at Tallaght University Hospital on Thursday, May 9. Aoife is sadly missed by her two young children Phoenix and Ariel, as well as her loving husband John.

A fundraiser has been set up on GoFundMe for the family of the mother-of-two from Arklow, Co. Wicklow, formerly of Ballybrack in Dublin.

The fundraiser, organised by Clodagh Rooney and Niamh McKeown, says that they "are trying to raise funds to support her little family at this time and try to take some pressure off. Please support our cause if you can with a small donation it would mean the world to Aoife's family."

In a death notice online, she was remembered as a "beloved wife and best friend of John" and an adored mother of Phoenix and Ariel. It reads: "Beloved wife and best friend of John and adored mother of Phoenix and Ariel.

"Sadly missed and always remembered by all her loving family, parents Noel and Patricia Keating, sisters Sarah, Laura, Rachel and Niamh, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, relatives, neighbours and her many friends and colleagues."

Aoife was fondly remembered by many people with family members of Knockrobin Care Home, where she worked. One condolance remembered Aoife's compassion and care in her work, saying that "she cared for our mum in Knockrobin Care Home, and was not only a huge to support to her but also to us as a family."

"She had that rare ability to put you at ease and always had a smile on her face and we had many great chats & laughs. Sending our deepest condolences to all of her family & friends, we will keep them all in our thoughts & especially the beautiful Aoife who has been taken too soon."

A former co-worker added: "Words cannot express the shock and sorrow I feel, my deepest sympathies go out to John, Phoenix, Ariel and all the family.

"It was truly a privilege to work alongside Aoife, her warm smile and kind heart touched us all. She will forever live on in our hearts. RIP Aoife."

Aoife will repose at her parent's home in Ballyrack on Tuesday from 5pm to 7pm. Her removal will be on Wednesday morning to arrive at St.'s Mary & Peter's Church, Arklow for funeral mass at 11:30am. Burial will follow in Sr. Gabriel's Cemetery, Arklow.

A link to the fundraiser for Aoife's family can be found here.
A 48-year-old grandfather who has spent 27 years in prison has been jailed for a further six years for a post office robbery and the attempted robbery of a B&B in Dublin City.

Jason Fogarty, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to one count of robbery at Merrion Row, Dublin on November 5, 2019 and one count of attempted robbery at Gardiner Place, Dublin on May 12, 2023.

He was on bail for the first offence when he committed the other. Additional counts of assault causing harm were taken into consideration.

Judge Pauline Codd sentenced Fogarty to four years for the 2019 post office robbery, during which he threatened the cashier that a grenade would be thrown into her home if anything went wrong. She sentenced him to a consecutive three years, with one suspended, for the attempted B&B raid in 2023.

Detective Garda Robert Mahoney said that on the day in question in November 2019, Fogarty entered a post office wearing a jacket, hat and gloves but his face was visible.

Fogarty approached the counter of the post office where one staff member was working. There was a protective screen separating the two.

He passed her a note which told her it was a robbery and also produced what appeared to be a firearm wrapped in a white plastic bag.

The letter said that if anything went wrong: There's another man at the door who will send a text and your home will have a grenade put in the window.

She opened the door and Fogarty came in. He took 7730 and 6000 from the tills and a safe before fleeing the post office. The staff member then pressed a panic alarm and gardai were called.

Gardai identified Fogarty using CCTV from the post office and found 5730 wrapped in tin foil at his home the following day. The rest of the money was not recovered.

Fogarty initially denied that he was the person shown in the footage and said he had received the money as inheritance. However, the note handed in to the post office had his fingerprint on it.

Fogarty was charged in November 2019 and stayed in custody until March 2020 when he was released on compassionate grounds due to family difficulties. While on bail, he attempted another robbery of a B&B.

Garda Darragh O'Connor told the court that at around 9pm on May 12, 2023, Fogarty entered the B&B wearing a medical mask around his chin and blue medical gloves. He approached a staff member who was working there and told him it was a robbery.

Fogarty said an air freshener he brought with him was filled with acid and that he would throw it in the man's face if he didn't open a safe.

There was pushing and shoving between the two men which ultimately ended up with both of them grappling on the floor. Fogarty punched the man two or three times but was overpowered.

The staff member pushed Fogarty out of the building and locked the door behind him. Fogarty picked up a stool and smashed the glass door and came back in.

At that stage, the staff member told Fogarty the safe was locked with a code and that only the manager could open it. Fogarty then left.

Gardai were called and they identified Fogarty again through the CCTV. They arrested him and he admitted the attempted robbery. During interview, he apologized and wished the staff member, the very best for the future.

The staff member told gardai he had a chest injury and cuts to his hand. When he attended hospital days later, he found out his rib had been fractured.

Fogarty has 66 previous convictions, including for burglary, theft, robbery, public order, criminal damage and misuse of drugs.

Emer Ni Chuagain BL, defending, told the court that Fogarty had significant difficulties from a young age and left school very early. By 13, he was addicted to heroin, she explained.

Mr Fogarty commits offences when in active addiction, she said.

Judge Codd imposed four years for the post office robbery and three years for the B&B offence, both to run consecutively, but suspended the final year.
Jenny Schaben |

Lincoln University (LU), a member of the Association of Research Directors (ARD)  comprised of 19 autonomous 1890 land-grant universities  participated in the 21st ARD Research Symposium this spring. The biennial event was held from April 6 to April 9, 2024, at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. More than 1,500 faculty researchers, college administrators, staff, and students from each of the 1890 land-grant HBCUs attended, providing a dynamic forum for students to exchange ideas, collaborate on research projects, and explore significant issues and solutions in science and agriculture.

Continuing its tradition of strong student engagement, 17 undergraduates and 23 graduate students from Lincoln University attended the symposium. Among them, fourAbby Sweezer, Layla White, MyRiah McCabe, and Poonam Karkiwere awarded for their outstanding poster presentations. This years theme was Climate, Health and Cultivating the Next Generation of Agriculture Leaders: Creating Solutions in Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources. Posters were separated by academic level and further divided into five classification areas for judging. Advised by LUs Kim Cash, Sweezer, White, and McCabe each placed in the top three of their category Family, Youth, Community, and Economic Developmentwhich had a total of 33 competitors in the undergraduate division. Karki placed third in Renewable Energy, Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change, featuring 64 competing graduate students.

"My poster presentation essentially focused on students' interest in future agricultural job opportunities," explained Sweezer, LU sophomore and agriculture education major. Sweezer's researchwhich earned her first placeinvestigated the impact of early participation in agriculture-related organizations and exposure to farm life on students' choices to pursue agricultural science careers. The study explored students' educational aspirations and their involvement in youth organizations like 4-H, FFA, and Jr. MANRRS. Results showed that 75% of students interested in agricultural careers had engaged in agriculture from a young age, underscoring the critical role of early educational exposure in shaping the future agriculture workforce.

Layla White, an LU sophomore agriculture major focusing on animal science, secured second place for her research on the impact of Agriculture Literacy Labs in fostering community and engaging students in agricultural education. Initially a single-day event, these labs were extended to an eight-week program at LU featuring activities like harvesting, planting, fishing, and cooking. White's findings indicate that these interactive experiences significantly boost students' sense of acceptance, belonging, and respectall vital for academic success and deepening connections to their major. White highlighted the value of practical learning in building a supportive educational environment, noting, "A community exists when its members experience a sense of belonging, and the members feel that the group is important to them and that they are important to the group."

MyRiah McCabe, a junior majoring in agriculture education at LU, presented her research about the impact of extracurricular involvementspecifically in Future Farmers of America (FFA)on students' plans to pursue post-secondary education and agriculture-related degree paths. Conducted at the 2023 State FFA Convention in Columbia, Missouri, a survey for the study showed that 60% of students plan to attend a four-year college degree program. This highlights a strong interest in further education among FFA members. The research also investigated students degree preferences and the challenges in filling agricultural sector jobs. McCabe emphasized that understanding the factors that encourage students to pursue higher education and specific career paths can help design targeted educational policies and programs.

Poonam Karki with her award certificate after winning third place in her category.

In the graduate division's Renewable Energy, Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change category, LU student Poonam Karki earned third place. Holding a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, she is also set to graduate this spring with a Master of Science in Sustainable Agriculture. Within her current degree, Karki focuses on soil health and climate-smart conservation practices for organic vegetable production systems in Missouri. Her research, conducted from 2021 to 2023, explored the use of perennial cover crops in these systems, assessing their impact on soil health improvement and biomass production for weed control. This study is critical as it confronts the degradation of soils caused by past traditional farming, which has reduced organic matter and disrupted nutrient cycles. Importantly, Karki's work validates perennial cover crops as a sustainable strategy to boost soil health and suppress weed pressure in farming. With the help of her advisor, Dr. Tunsisa Hurisso, and grant funding from the USDA Organic Transitions Program (OTP), Karki was able to build this study and offer practical solutions to local farmers.

In addition to students, 21 LU staff and faculty members attended the 21st ARD Research Symposium. Many contributed valuable research that supports ARD's mission to address challenges in food and agricultural innovation, particularly focusing on aiding financially underserved communities. This gathering not only showcased the vibrant academic community among the 1890 land-grant HBCUs but also underscored Lincoln University of Missouri's pivotal role in advancing agricultural education and research. Through their active participation and notable achievements, LU students and faculty demonstrated their commitment to leadership and innovation in the agricultural sectoraligning with the symposiums theme of cultivating the next generation of agricultural leaders.

ARD 1890 institutions include Alabama A&M University, Alcorn State University, Central State University, Delaware State University, Florida A&M University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Langston University, Lincoln University in Missouri, North Carolina A&T State University, Prairie View A&M University, South Carolina State University, Southern University and A&M College, Tennessee State University, Tuskegee University, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Virginia State University, and West Virginia State University.
Lincoln University of Missouri recently showcased the academic expertise of its political science program as it sent two undergraduate students, Nia Walker and Jackson Black, to the 81st Annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference in Chicago, April 4 to 7, 2024. The conference historically boasts over 5,000 attendees from every state in the U.S. and over 100 countries worldwide, representing more than 90 political interest areas.

Participating in the conference is an important opportunity for students to learn where they fit in a broader institutional environment. This opportunity not only underscores the University's commitment to nurturing scholarly excellence but also highlights these students' dedication to engaging with and contributing to political discussions at a national level.

At the conference, Walker presented her research on Charisma and the American Presidency. According to Dr. Brian Norris, associate professor of political science at LU, Walkers inquiry asked an important theoretical question about presidential charisma, as she sought to establish a correlation between charismatic leadership and presidential approval and effectiveness ratings.

Im really impressed to see how much Nia has improved in this, her third MPSA conference, Norris said. Elizabeth Dorssom, assistant professor of political science, guided Nia in her research.

Black brought his research on a significant legal case titled "Mr. Perry vs. the United States," which scrutinized a dilemma facing the US Supreme Court. The case dealt with the contentious issue of whether the federal government was justified in reimbursing Mr. Perry, a bondholder, with depreciated currency, a decade after his initial investment.

Jackson's research showed a genuine curiosity about the relationship between government and private property. I was impressed to see Jacksons understanding of the complexities of this theoretical issue develop throughout his research and presentation, Norris said.

Attending conferences such as this one allows LU students to exchange ideas, build connections, and collect insights from perspectives.

Walker and Black engaged in a dialogue with two esteemed senior scholars at the Midwest Political Science Association's annual conference. The focus of their discussion centered on the contentious issue of whether electoral systems should prioritize the overrepresentation of rural areas and explored the challenges and implications inherent in electoral design.

Walker and Black engaged in conversations with fellow attendees and covered a diverse range of topics, from current political affairs to academic pursuits.

Over a shared meal, Walker and Black met with Manuel Soque, an esteemed Angolan scholar from Wittenberg University in Ohio.
Telecom giant Bharti Airtel announced its fourth quarterly results on Wednesday, May 14. The telecom company witnessed a 31 per cent decline in its consolidated net profit to 2,072 crore, versus 3,006 crore same period a year ago. The profit significantly fell short of Street estimates, with the figure hovering around 3,274 crore.

The consolidated revenue for the company grew 4.4 per cent to 37,599 crore, led by devaluation of African currencies during the period, particularly Nigerian Naira.

Also read: Varun Beverages ramps up domestic capacity in Q1

We ended the year on a strong note with consistent performance across all businesses, both on customer metrics as well as financial parameters. India revenue (adjusted for Beetel) grew by 1.7% with EBITDA margin expanding to 54.1%, despite one day less in the quarter. Consolidated performance was impacted primarily by the devaluation of the Nigerian Naira, said Gopal Vittal, MD at Bharti Airtel.

Here are 4 key highlights from Bharti Airtel Q4 results - Operating performance The telecom giant reported a consolidated net profit of 2,072 crore for the March quarter of the financial year 2023-24, marking a 31.1 percent decline from the corresponding period of the previous year.

The company further revealed that its consolidated revenue for Q4 reached 37,599 crore, registering a 4.4 percent increase compared to the previous year.

In the March quarter, consolidated EBITDA increased by 4 per cent year-on-year to reach 19,590 crore, compared to 18,807 crore recorded in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. However, EBITDA margins experienced a slight decline of 10 basis points, settling at 52.1 per cent.

Dividend The Board has additionally proposed a final dividend of 8 per fully paid-up share and 2 per partly paid-up equity share for the fiscal year 2023-24.

For FY24, the Board has recommended a final dividend of Rs. 8 per fully paid-up equity share of face value of Rs. 5 each and Rs. 2 per partly paid-up equity share of face value of Rs. 5 each (paid-up Rs. 2.00 per equity share), the company said in its official release.

ARPU growth Airtel's average revenue per user (ARPU) for the quarter reached 209, marking an increase from 193 recorded in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. This growth can be attributed to the company's continued efforts in acquiring high-value customers and enhancing its product mix.

We added 7.8 million smart phone customers and delivered an industry leading ARPU of Rs. 209. Our relentless focus on improving customer experience has resulted in 20% churn reduction during the quarter. Our simple and clear strategy coupled with razor-sharp focus on execution enabled us to end the quarter with life-time high market share across all businesses. Our efforts on digitizing Airtel are now gathering velocity and is being visibly felt across all parts of our operations. At the same time, our return on capital employed continues to remain low due to the absence of tariff repair in the industry, Vittal added.

Segment-wise performance Homes business sustained its growth momentum and delivered a revenue growth of 20 per cent YoY, result of companys strategy to harness the growing demand of high-speed and reliable broadband in India.

Airtel Business delivered revenue growth of 14.1 per cent YoY by leveraging the converged portfolio of Airtel and harvesting the rapidly increasing demand for data and connectivity solutions.

Digital TV continues to consolidate its strong market position with 16.1 million customer base at the end of quarter. Companys focus on market specific strategy coupled with simplified pricing and convergence approach ensured that the business continues to grow its market share.
Bengaluru: Sometime before the initial public offering (IPO) of Godrej Properties Ltd, in 2009, Pirojsha Godrej, who was then its executive director, met up with the executives of a prominent Mumbai-based investment banking firm.

The investment banks feedback wasnt that encouraging. Godrejs property business, executives from the bank said, wasnt ready for an IPO yet; the developer needed to build scale.

In 2009-2010, Godrej Properties had reported revenue of 242.7 crore, as per a company presentation. In comparison, DLF Ltd, one of Indias largest developers, was many times its size with revenue of 7,422.9 crore that year.

Godrej Properties ignored the investment banks advice and went ahead with the IPO in December 2009. It raised around 469 crore in a public listing that was subscribed four times.

The IPO was the first listing by any Indian realty firm in at least two years, and came after the economic meltdown of 2008, which began after the Lehman Brothers collapse. The overwhelming response to the IPO, in a gloomy economic climate, was due to the Godrej Groups good corporate governance record, analysts had commented back then.

Indias residential real estate sector subsequently witnessed a massive shake-up among developers. Many real estate companies went bust and the sector suffered from a nearly eight-year-long slump until 2020.

The turnaround, since then, has been quick. Larger, listed developers consolidated the market and grabbed higher market share. A close battle emerged between the top four: DLF, Prestige Group, Macrotech Developers and Godrej Properties.

In 2023-24, Godrej Properties clocked 22,527 crore in sales bookings, an 84% jump from the previous year. In the process, it became the largest listed developer in terms of sales (see chart).

It sold 14,310 homes with a total area of roughly 20 million sq. ft during the year. The companys net profit increased to 725.27 crore in 2023-24 from 571.39 crore in the preceding year. Revenue from operations grew to 3,035.62 crore from 2,252.26 crore over the same period. The companys targets for 2024-25 are even more aggressivesales of 27,000 crore. Meanwhile, its shares have shot up 239% in the last five years and is currently trading at 2,814 a piece.

Can Godrej Properties grow from here on? And how did the company manage what it did?

Money and land

Pirojsha joined Godrej Properties in 2004 as a management trainee to learn the ropes. Milind Korde was then the chief executive officer (CEO). The company did about 40 crore of sales that year, he recalled.

After spending a couple of years at the firm, the Godrej scion pursued a degree in business administration from the Columbia Business School. He returned to India and joined the firm again in 2008, just weeks after the Lehman crisis. Four years later, he was appointed managing director and CEO.

View Full Image An artists impression of Godrej Zenith in Gurugram.

Pirojshas understanding of the sector has evolved with time. My sister Nisa and I work together, and discuss a lot of things. I have learnt many life lessons, and about leadership from my dad (Adi Godrej, chairman emeritus, Godrej Properties), but not real estate. The real estate business is something I learnt on the job, and from the mistakes we have made," Pirojsha said.

Pirojsha took over as CEO when he was 31. The company, back then, was not even counted among the top 10 developers. The focus was on how to make Godrej Properties a relevant player," Pirojsha said. Even if I was promoter-CEO, we wanted good talent and a professionally-run team that was different from other developers," he added.

Godrej Properties then spread across 12 cities, leaned heavily on an asset-light model that was risk averse, and took up projects through joint development agreements and the development management route. Development management is a low-risk model, where a developer strikes an agreement with a landowner or another developer to construct, market and sell a project for a fee/share of the revenue.

Unlike its larger peers, DLF and Unitech Ltd, Godrej Properties largely stayed away from land banking and land buying.

View Full Image DLF focuses on the high-end price segment and commands a pricing premium versus other developers. (Mint)

In the following years, Pirojsha changed tack.

Initially, he decided to focus mainly on four residential markets: Mumbai metropolitan region (MMR), Delhi-national capital region (NCR), Pune and Bengaluru. For plotted development projects, the company started buying land in smaller cities during the real estate slowdown of 2018 and 2019.

To fund its growth and land acquisitions, Godrej Properties raised 1,000 crore by selling shares to investment firm Gamnat Pte Ltd (managed by Singapore-based GIC), and then 2,100 crore by issuing equity shares to qualified institutional buyers during the period. In 2021, when the real estate market turned around as the covid-19 pandemic waned, the company again raised 3,750 crore, selling shares to a clutch of global investors.

In the past, we could never take advantage of an upcycle. We didnt want to miss that opportunity this time around," Pirojsha said. The capital raising gave us a war chest, and we acquired land quite rapidly. So, when this upcycle came, we took advantage of it. Real estate is a cyclical business. We want to make the right decisions at the right time in a cycle," he added.

When I took charge, Pirojsha and I brainstormed, and took a bold directionto go for the kill. We had a strong view that the market was turning around for the long-term. We started closing land transactions in our key cities," said Gaurav Pandey, who became the companys managing director and CEO in January 2023. Earlier, he was the CEO of the firms north zone business.

In the past, we could never take advantage of an up cycle. We didnt want to miss that opportunity this time around. Pirojsha Godrej

Between 2022-23 and 2023-24, Godrej Properties business development activity rose sharply, as it acquired land with 47.84 million sq. ft of developable area, and an estimated booking value of over 53,000 crore.

Apart from the four key markets it is operational in, the company entered Hyderabad last year with two land acquisitions. However, it is the companys success in the NCR market that differentiates it from other developers. From 1,482 crore of sales or booking value in 2018-19 in the region, it clocked 10,016 crore last year, making the NCR property market the largest contributor in its portfolio. The company launched Godrej Zenith, a high-end project in Gurugrams Sector 89. The project has been its most successful launch till date, with sales bookings worth 3,008 crore.

While DLF largely focuses on the high-end price segment and continues to command a pricing premium versus other developers in its core Gurugram market, Godrej Properties sells homes and plots across a wide price range.

Trust factor

View Full Image Keki Mistry, former vice chairman and CEO of HDFC Ltd.

Santhosh Kumar, vice chairman of property advisory firm Anarock Group, said Godrej Properties was able to capitalize on the NCR market during the downturn that preceded the pandemic. There was a trust deficit among homebuyers after many local developers failed to deliver projects. The Godrej brand worked again.

Keki Mistry, former vice chairman and CEO of the erstwhile HDFC Ltd, a leading housing finance company that was merged with HDFC Bank Ltd last year, said the Godrej brand brought in a lot of trust, which is a key factor in real estate. Over the years, whenever I met international investors and we talked about real estate in India, they always thought of Godrej Properties. The company was conservative in the early years when many developers were not, and investors liked that. So, the trust factor, Pirojshas style of communication, project execution and the fact that they always built for a wide homebuyer base worked well for them," said Mistry, who at HDFC has worked with all the top developers.

Execution and quality

The spurt in growth Godrej Properties is experiencing is internally referred to as its quantum growth phase.

Real estate, at the end of the day, is an execution business. And in this growth phase, Godrej Properties doesnt want to take its eye off the execution engine.

Besides the huge brand value, the companys quick decision making and customer-centric approach differentiated them. They identified the right land parcels, executed projects well, and engaged with channel partners closely," said Santhosh Kumar.

Pirojsha said the vision for the company is to continue to build scale, as well as improve quality. The aspiration is to (not only) sell the most, but also to execute well and deliver," he said.

Last year, Godrej Properties appointed a chief quality officer to head a pan-India team under a separate quality vertical. This team would audit every project.

In a regulatory filing in 2023, the developer had said that it had appointed an external expert to undertake an independent assessment of quality issues in its Godrej Summit project in Gurugram after certain flaws were identified in the construction quality. The company stated that it would pay up to 155 crore towards repair work. The assessment identified the presence of chloride in concrete used in the project, which leads to corrosion of the steel reinforcement when in contact with water.

The divide

In March, Godrej Vistas, a high-end residential project, was launched in suburban Mumbais Vikhroli area under a development management arrangement. Godrej & Boyce owns the land, while its unit, Godrej Construction, will design and build the project. Godrej Properties is the development managerit will market the project and get a 10% revenue share as fee.

View Full Image A file photo of Godrej One, a commercial building in Vikhroli, Mumbai. (Mint)

The same arrangement was followed earlier for Godrej Platinum, a million sq. ft residential project in Vikhroli.

However, the Godrej Group is in the middle of a split.

On 30 April, the conglomerate stated that the groups third-generation siblings, Adi and Nadir, had reached an agreement to separate from their cousins Jamshyd and Smita. Godrej & Boyce will go to the families of Jamshyd and Smita while the families of Adi and Nadir will inherit the groups listed companies, which also includes Godrej Properties.

So, what happens to these joint projects and the land the family owns in Vikhroli?

The Godrej family, in a joint statement, said the future development of the Vikhroli land would happen as per the existing memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the owner-developer (Godrej & Boyce) and the development manager (Godrej Properties).

Pirojsha told analysts that after six years, Godrej & Boyce is free to pursue development on its own, but cannot use the Godrej brand name for the projects.

The prime land in question is estimated to be around 3,000 acres. Half of the land bank is covered by mangroves and hence is a no-development zone. Another 300 acres or so are encroached upon. The remaining portion of the land, which is still sizable, could be used for real estate development.

According to the agreement, for the first six years, Godrej & Boyce will not carry out any real estate development outside the land it owns today, mainly in Vikhroli. In a post-earnings call on 3 May, Pirojsha told analysts that after six years, Godrej & Boyce is free to pursue development on its own, but cannot use the Godrej brand name for those projects. Hence, the two group companies will not compete in the real estate business using the same brand name.

But, while the MoU between the two Godrej entities remains intact for the Vikhroli land, the pace of development remains uncertain as Godrej Properties has no say in it, a report by brokerage firm Motilal Oswal Financial Services pointed out.

Delivery and debt

Like we mentioned earlier, there is rising competition between the top four developers. All of them are chasing growth and consolidating the market. It wont be easy for Godrej Properties, going ahead.

For these four developers, its going to be a game of funding to support their growth plans," said Parikshit Kandpal, vice president of research at HDFC Securities, a brokerage firm. In the next 10 years, the top 10 developers market share in pre-sales will increase from the current 30% to 65-70%," he added.

Among the four, Prestige and Godrej Properties have been the most aggressive when it comes to land or project acquisitions. They also have a huge pipeline of project launches.

But for Godrej Properties, given the kind of high sales momentum right now, further growth wont be easy.

They are already at the top. To grow from here and reset the entire sales base will be challenging. A lot will depend on how much business development they do, and if demand sustains," Kandpal said.

To grow from here and reset the entire sales base will be challenging. Parikshit Kandpal

The developer delivered around 12.5 million sq. ft in 2023-24 and aims to scale it up to 15 million sq. ft in 2024-25. Given the expanding project portfolio, analysts said that they would monitor execution, project delivery timelines, and debt management.

Godrej Properties had a net debt of 6,200 crore as of 31 March. Debt reduced by 700 crore in the March quarter mainly due to good cash collections from customers.

Pirojsha, meanwhile, remains confident.

The skys the limit. The company has the advantage of access to capital, including low-cost debt," he said. Customer loyalty to the Godrej brand is a huge advantage. We are a truly national developer with a presence in the key cities, and have every opportunity to remain the leading player."
Teva Pharmaceutical, one of the worlds largest makers of generic drugs, has been in the penalty box with investors for years. The crisis of confidence began in 2016, after the company agreed to pay a huge $40.5 billion for Allergans generic-drugs unit, doubling down on copycat drugs just as that industry imploded. The deal was largely to blame for pushing the companys market capitalization below $10 billion in recent years from about $60 billion a decade ago.

But exciting things are happening at the Israel-based company, and investors are taking notice. It isnt so much that the generics business is booming again. Rather, it looks like Teva is showing some sparks of innovation on the branded side of its business. Consistent success in that arena could lead investors to value it as an innovative company rather than as a pure play generic drugmaker, where valuation multiples are much lower.

Teva shares have nearly doubled in the past year, giving it a market capitalization of about $18 billion. Last Wednesday, the company reaffirmed its 2024 guidance and reported first-quarter adjusted earnings per share that fell short of the FactSet consensus. The stock surged 13% anyway. The reason: strong results of its once-monthly injectable for schizophrenia.

Teva is developing an extended-release version of olanzapine, the most prescribed second-generation antipsychotic for schizophrenia in the U.S. The company reported that the injectable met its primary clinical goals in a late-stage study. Importantly, the drug was well tolerated, with no incidence of post-injection delirium/sedation syndrome, a key problem that hobbled a similar Eli Lilly study. A once-monthly treatment could be a major advance for millions of people diagnosed with schizophrenia because it would provide an alternative to what is currently a daily pill.

The drug is part of a broader pipeline of branded assets that are gradually allowing Teva to reclaim its reputation as a generics powerhouse with some success in developing branded drugs as well. Teva has always had a strong generics core, but what catapulted it into the Big Pharma realm was the development of multiple sclerosis drug Copaxone, which became its biggest blockbuster. Cash flow from Copaxone allowed the company to become highly acquisitive, but the company never quite figured out how to replicate that huge success.

When former Bristol Myers executive Jeremy Levin sought to bring his string of pearls" strategy as Tevas chief executive by doing small deals on the branded side, he got pushed out by a board rife with conflicts of interest. The next CEO, Erez Vigodman, then doubled down on generics by doing the Allergan deala huge mistake in retrospect. Relatively new CEO Richard Francis is trying to once again bring back innovation, dubbed Pivot to Growth," as part of the companys overall strategy. Whether he can instill innovation into the DNA of a company used to copying others discoveries remains to be seen. What is certain, though, is that there are already some individual success stories.

Generics are still an important part of the story, but you have a bunch of these underappreciated programs that are starting to generate data," says Ashwani Verma, an analyst at UBS.

Austedo, a drug for Huntingtons disease, is leading the charge. The drug generated $282 million in sales during the first quarter, a 67% increase from the same period last year. Teva sees the drug garnering $1.5 billion in sales this year. Tevas inflammatory bowel disease treatment, known as an anti-TL1A therapy, is another pipeline drug with potential to be a blockbuster. Last year, Merck agreed to pay $10.8 billion for a drug in the same category, yet right now Wall Street isnt ascribing too much value to Tevas version, which is still in mid-stage studies. Initial results are expected later this year.

David Maris, a longtime industry veteran, is another bullish voice coming around to the stock. Maris, a shareholder, argues that there is more room to run despite the big recent gains. He points to a debt pile that has substantially decreased from more than six times net debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization to about 3.7 times. An announcement earlier this year that Teva will sell its active-pharmaceutical ingredient business should allow the debt pile to be reduced further. UBSs Verma says the asset could fetch about $3.5 billion.

The existential threat of its debt has significantly diminished," Maris notes in an interview.

Teva is still far from the halcyon days when it was one of Wall Streets favorite healthcare stocks, but the company is showing signs of life again.

Write to David Wainer at david.wainer@wsj.com
Novelis Inc., the aluminum products maker owned by billionaire Kumar Mangalam Birlas Hindalco Industries Ltd., is seeking to complete a planned US initial public offering as soon as early June, according to people familiar with the matter.

The company, owned by a unit of Indias Hindalco, could begin formally marketing the deal in about two weeks, they said, asking not to be identified as the information isnt public. Novelis on Monday filed publicly with the US Securities and Exchange Commission for the listing.

Hindalco is seeking to raise about $1.2 billion in the IPO for Atlanta-based Novelis and may target a valuation of about $18 billion, Bloomberg News has reported.

Details of the offering including timing could change, the people said. A representative for Novelis declined to comment.

Also Read | Hindalco takes its crown jewel to the public

Novelis is working with Morgan Stanley, Bank of America Corp. and Citigroup Inc. on the potential New York Stock Exchange listing, the filing shows. The stock will be offered by a Hindalco subsidiary and Novelis wont receive any proceeds of the sale, the filing shows.

Novelis is the worlds biggest maker of flat-rolled aluminum products, used in an array of goods, from cars to soda cans. The company said in February it had filed confidentially for the listing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Also Read | Novelis could be a good bet if valuations top $10 billion

Hindalco purchased Novelis in 2007 at about a $6 billion valuation including debt, a filing from the time shows. About 42% of Novelis global net sales come from North America, according to its IPO filing.
New Delhi: Elon Musk's Tesla Inc recently filed its first lawsuit in India  a trademark infringement case against Gurugram-based battery seller Tesla Power India Pvt.Ltd. The move is in line with the companys proactive efforts to protect its trademarks and patents worldwide through lawsuits.

Mint examines Tesla's aggressive trademark-protection strategy and how India's trademark regime shields foreign companies operating in India from infringement by domestic entities.

We also explain how this case could set a precedent for future trademark-infringement cases in Indias growing EV market.

Why did Tesla sue a battery maker in Gurugram?

On 2 May, Tesla Inc sued Tesla Power India Pvt Ltd, accusing the Gurugram firm of infringing on its trademark and misleading consumers by implying association with Tesla Inc's electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

Tesla Inc alleged that customers were buying batteries from Tesla Power assuming it was affiliated with the US firm, leading to confusion and potential damage to Tesla Inc's reputation as it looks to enter the Indian EV market.

In response, Tesla Power argued that its primary business was supplying lead-acid batteries for various applications such as automobiles, inverters and UPS systems, and that it was not involved in manufacturing EVs.

The company said any advertisements featuring the Tesla name were part of a marketing alliance with another EV manufacturer, E-Ashwa, and that it had no intention of producing or marketing EVs under its own brand.

Also read: Tesla gets ready to import German-made EVs to India

The company pledged not to use the Tesla trademark or any similar deceptive branding for EVs, and agreed not to feature Tesla's registered logos or trademarks in promotional material related to EVs.

Tesla Inc, however, sought a complete ban on Tesla Power using the Tesla trademark. The Delhi High Court has responded by issuing a notice and restraining Tesla Power from publishing any promotional advertisements featuring EV products with the Tesla trademark. The next hearing is scheduled for 22 May.

What protection does Indian intellectual-property law offer Tesla?

According to legal experts, Tesla can receive trademark protection even without officially entering the market, thanks to the concept of transborder reputation", which protects companies whose trademarks extend beyond local boundaries and enjoy global recognition.

The Indian legal system first encountered the concept in the case of NR Dongre vs Whirlpool Corporation in 1996, in which the Supreme Court held that a trademark could be protected on grounds of transborder reputation, even if the product was not being sold in India and was known only through media and advertisements.

Also read: Why Elon Musk priotitised China over India

Siddharth Mahajan, partner at Athena Legal, explained, Since the Whirlpool case, Indian courts have recognised the concept of transborder reputation of trademarks and protected the rights of trademark owners in numerous cases. Courts have recognised the fact that a mark may not have been used in India by its foreign owner but the rights vesting in the trademark can be protected in India if people are aware of the brand or trademark here."

However, Mahajan noted that the Supreme Court diluted its position in a case involving Toyotas Prius brand of hybrid cards in 2017. The defendant, Prius Auto Industries Ltd, began manufacturing spare parts and accessories for cars in India in 2001 and registered the trademark Prius in 2002. The court held that advertisements in various magazines and information available online was not adequate to establish the reputation and the goodwill of Toyotas mark in India.

How will the Tesla case affect future IP disputes in Indias EV sector?

Experts said the case could have a significant impact on similar cases in the future as it could establish precedents in intellectual property (IP) law related to the rapidly growing EV industry. "A verdict in favour of Tesla Inc may lead to stricter enforcement of IP rights, which would affect licensing negotiations and technology co-referencing businesses in this industry," said Amit Panigrahi, partner designate at Luthra and Luthra Law Offices India.

Also read: Elon Musk shows why India can't take China-plus-one narrative for granted

Panigrahi added that the outcome would also have an impact on investors confidence in Indias EV sector. "A fair process that upholds IP rights could lead to more investment and thus faster growth for the sector," he said. "The case could spark new legislation that addresses such technologies, strengthens enforcement, and creates a favourable environment for innovation and investment in EVs."

What are some of Teslas other trademark disputes worldwide?

Tesla was initially perceived as open in its IP strategy, particularly regarding sharing patents with other manufacturers. In 2014 the company introduced an open patent pledge, saying it wouldn't sue against any company that used its technology in good faith for sustainable transportation.

However, Tesla soon ditched this for a more aggressive stance, and filed several lawsuits for patent and trademark violations worldwide.

A recent case in northern England exemplifies this shift. The owner of a small chicken shop, Amanj Ali, found himself in a long legal dispute with Tesla after naming his business after Nikola Tesla.

Also read: Tesla needs India more than India needs Tesla

Initially, the EV company didn't object to the trademark. But when Tesla Inc registered its trademark in the UK it took legal action against Ali, saying his use of the Tesla name would unfairly capitalise on the company's reputation. After spending 8,000 in legal fees to fight Tesla, Ali lost the case and was ordered to pay the US company 4,000.

Tesla also emerged victorious in a trademark-infringement lawsuit against a Chinese food and beverage maker that was selling products with names similar to Tesla's brand. A Shanghai court ruled in Tesla's favour, ordering the infringing company to cease its activities, compensate Tesla, and issue a public statement.

Recently the US company settled a patent-infringement dispute with Cap-XX Ltd, an Australian supercapacitor firm. The conflict stemmed from allegations of patent infringement against Maxwell Technologies, which was later acquired by Tesla. While Cap-XX initially planned to appeal, it ultimately decided to settle the case, ending a prolonged legal battle.

Tesla was also sued for patent infringement by Sharp Corp in 2020. The Japanese electronics firm filed a lawsuit alleging that mobile communications equipment installed in some Tesla models violated patents owned by Sharp.
BENGALURU : London-based private markets firm Pantheon Ventures, which has backed Indian private equity firms including Kedaara Capital, Multiples and ChrysCapital, is bullish on Indias economic prospects and expects to increase its pace of investments in the country.

India represents a meaningful part of our Asia portfolio and continues to be a geography that we are excited about," said Kunal Sood, managing director at Pantheon based out of Singapore.

Pantheon joins a growing list of global investment firms such as US-based HarbourVest Partners that have turned their attention to India, drawn by not just robust economic, manufacturing and services growth, but also its burgeoning startup ecosystem.

I think there has been a lot of progress on various fronts starting with government reforms, digitization, production-linked incentive (PLI) support for manufacturing, and formalization of the economy," Sood said.

These are in turn being driven by factors such as manufacturers and retailers globally employing a China-plus-one supply chain strategy, a significant ramp-up in infrastructure investment, and robust GDP growth."

Also read | Why this Swedish PE firm is willing to bet $5 billion in India this year

While a significant chunk of Pantheons Asia portfolio is India-focused, Sood did not disclose the exact figures.

Recurring themes

Recently, US-based private markets firm HarbourVest Partners also detailed plans on scaling up its funds and direct investments in India. Pantheon and HarbourVest last month anchored Chrys Capitals $700-million continuation fund alongside a third investor, LGT Capital Partners.

Also read | HarbourVest expects material increase in India investments

Apart from private equity firms, Pantheon has also invested in a couple of Indian venture capital fundsMatrix Partners and Avataar Ventures.

In India, Pantheon is keen to invest in sectors such as business and technological services, med-tech and big pharma, and digital adoptiona recurring theme playing across business-to-business and business-to-customer streams.

With rising disposable incomes, Indians have become more aspirational and are finding newer categories to spend on, Sood said. Besides, he added, India is seeing a greater sense of financial inclusion as well as strong participation from retail investors in the capital markets.

Thriving startup ecosystem

Sood is responsible for the evaluation, completion and monitoring of primary and secondary investments and co-investment opportunities across the Asia-Pacific region.

Pantheon, which has invested in private markets for more than 40 years, has expanded its presence over the years with offices in 12 geographies, including Berlin, Chicago, Tokyo, New York, and Hong Kong. Last year, the firm opened an office in Singapore as a part of its plans to ramp up investment activity in Asia.

With about $62 billion in discretionary assets under management, the company handles asset classes including private equity, real assets, which include infrastructure and real estate, and private credit.

India, Sood said, is complementary to Pantheons larger Asia portfolio on several counts, including succession planning and business carve-outs.

Also read | The Godrej family saga: Business succession should be led by a common vision

India really stands out for the pace of economic growth, strong macroeconomic factors and the diverse consumer market it has. Creating an Asian portfolio is always so interesting as there are so many underlying themes and each market is unique with different strengths," he said.

Specific to India, Pantheon is focused on the venture capital and private equity space owing to the countrys thriving startup ecosystem.

"While venture capital and growth equity continue to be exciting parts of the market, India is also seeing a rise in the number of private equity buyouts as there is a lot of depth and maturity in the market now that is enabling fund managers to grow and evolve," Sood said.

This is why business owners are increasingly comfortable in handing over the reins to private equity buyers, and in many cases retaining some share for themselves to ride that upside."
Comedian Shyam Rangeela, known for his videos of mimicking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has alleged that he has not been allowed to file his nomination papers to contest the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 from Varanasi seat against the Prime Minister.

Rangeela, who said he tried to file papers in Varanasi since Friday, May 10, said he was not allowed to enter the district magistrate's office on Tuesday, the day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi filed nomination papers from the prestigious seat. They can reject by my papers. But at least, take the documents, Rangeela said in a social media post.

Tuesday, May 14, is the last day of filing nomination for Varanasi seat which is going to polls in the seventh and last phase of Lok Sabha Elections on June 1.

PM Modi, who is seeking a third term from Varanasi, won the seat by nearly 4.8 lakh votes in 2019 elections. In 2014 elections, the PM won the seat by a margin of 3.72 lakh votes.

Before PM Modi, about 14 people have filed their nomination form for the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency including candidates from mainstream political parties and independents. Congress candidate Ajai Rai and Bahujan Samajwadi Party's (BSP) Athar Ali Lari are other candidates from the seat.

Congress party jumped into the controversy too. "Everyone is free to file a nomination including PM Modi. However, other people are not allowed to file their nominations from the constituency. A YouTuber named (Shyam) Rangeela, who wished to file a nomination from Varanasi, isnt getting nomination papers from the administration. Why PM Modi is afraid of people? Let them contest against you, Congress leader Surendra Rajput told news agency PTI.

Who is Shyam Rangeela? Born and brought up in Rajasthans Hanumangarh, Rangeela studied animation. Rangeela is known for his mimicry skills, especially of political figures. He was seen as a comedian in The Great Indian Laughter Challenge on TV. On May 1, he announced his wish to contest against PM Modi in Varanasi.

Twenty-nine-year-old Rangeela shot to fame for the first time in 2017 when his mimicry act of PM Modi became widely popular on social media. Since then, Rangeela has been making videos mimicking the PM's speeches and interviews.
NOTA  short for 'None of The Above'  is a much-debated option available to voters during elections. Those who support the idea of NOTA say it at least helps one to exercise his/her right to vote when they don't wish to vote for any candidate. Those against it call it a "waste" of vote.

So what is this NOTA, why was it implemented and what are the arguments in favour and against it? Here's all you need to know about NOTA:

What is this NOTA? The Election Commission of India introduced the option of NOTA or 'None of The Above' on ballot paper and electronic voting machines (EVMs) in 2013. Since then, voters have been given the option of choosing NOTA in case they don't prefer to vote for any of the candidates contesting any elections in the country.

The NOTA symbol appears in the panel on all EVMs and other ballot papers.

NOTA was introduced in September 2013 after a Supreme Court order that year directed the Election Commission "to provide necessary provision in ballot papers/EVMs, and another button called None of the Above (NOTA) may be provided in EVMs".

Who designed the NOTA symbol? The NOTA symbol was designed by the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad.

What's the objective of NOTA? The Elections Commission said the main objective of the NOTA option is to enable "electors, who do not wish to vote for any candidate, to exercise their right not to vote for any candidate without violating the secrecy of their decision".

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court had noted in its 2013 verdict that the "right to vote also includes a right not to vote, i.e. right to reject".

It said the NOTA option was provided "so that the voters, who come to the polling booth and decide not to vote for any of the candidates in the fray, are able to exercise their right not to vote, while maintaining their right of secrecy  Representation of the People Act, 1951  ss. 79(d) and 128  Constitution of India, 1950  Art.19(1)(a)."

ALSO READ: How NOTA worked in the assembly elections

What happens when NOTA get the maximum votes? As per the existing law, there is no legal consequence if NOTA gets the majority of the votes. In such a situation, the next candidate will be declared as the winner, Live Law reported.

What are the arguments in favour of NOTA? The idea of NOTA primarily relates to the importance of a voters participation in a democracy  to choose not to vote for any candidate and express dissent/disapproval against the contesting candidates.

This option may also help in reducing bogus voting. Moreover, the need to introduce NOTA was felt to discourage the parties from fielding tainted candidates.

The Association for Democratic Reforms, an apolitical NGO, explained the importance of NOTA in a few points.

The ADR first argued that introducing a NOTA button can increase public participation in an electoral process. In its second point, it said the NOTA option provides a voter "the right to express his/her disapproval with the kind of candidates that are being put up by the political parties".

"When the political parties will realise that a large number of people are expressing their disapproval of the candidates being put up by them, gradually there will be a systemic change and the political parties will be forced to accept the will of the people and field candidates who are known for their integrity," the ADR said.

In its third point, the ADR highlighted "the dire need for negative voting" to sustain democracy in a country. It is believed that choosing the NOTA option will "compel the political parties to nominate a sound candidate".

What are the arguments against NOTA? Many experts have questioned the implementation of NOTA in the electoral process, claiming that the purpose for which the option was introduced was not fulfilled. They called NOTA a "toothless tiger" with no implications on the results.

One of the main reasons is that if, in elections, NOTA gets 99 votes out of 100 votes and a candidate gets one vote, even then the candidate will be declared the winner.

Major General (Retd) Anil Verma, Head of the ADR, told news PTI that NOTA should be made legally powerful. He said the concept of NOTA was that some pressure would be on the parties not to field tainted candidates. However, this has not happened.

"NOTA has made no difference as far as criminality is concerned; in fact, the number of candidates with criminal cases has increased," the head of ADR said.

"Unfortunately, it turned out to be a toothless tiger," Maj Gen Verma (Retd) added, saying that this option merely provided a platform to express dissent or one's anger for political parties to take note and nothing more.

He, however, noted that in the reserved constituencies, the percentage of NOTA votes has been higher. "Perhaps the tribals and SCs have more grievances so they go in larger numbers for NOTA," he was quoted as saying.

What can be done to make NOTA effective? Former Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat said NOTA could be effective only if it gets more than 50 percent votes in a seat.

"More than 50 percent of electors will have to once opt for NOTA in a seat to show the political community that they do not consider candidates with criminal backgrounds or other undeserving ones worthy of their votes. Only after this, pressure on Parliament and the Election Commission will increase and they will have to think about changing laws to make NOTA effective on the election results," OP Rawat told PTI.

Meanwhile, a plea recently was filed in the Supreme Court that sought a direction that an election must be declared as "null and void" if maximum votes from the constituency are polled for "None of The Above" (NOTA) and a fresh election should be held for the constituency.

Weighing in on the issue further, Axis India chairman Pradeep Gupta said he believes that candidates who have lost against NOTA should not get a chance to contest again. "...if a rule is brought in barring the rejected candidates from contesting again, I believe the number will go up like anything," he told PTI.

"...Since there is no such rule, many voters think what is the point of choosing NOTA," Gupta said.

How NOTA performed in last Lok Sabha polls? Since its implementation in 2013, NOTA polled 1.08 percent (60,00,197 votes) of total votes in 2014, while it received 1.06 percent (65, 23,975 votes) of total votes in 2019, as per an ADR report.

Meanwhile, an analysis of the Election Commission's data by the Quantum Hub, a public policy consulting firm, showed that in 2019, Bihar topped the list with 2 per cent NOTA votes, followed by Andhra Pradesh (1.48 per cent) and Chhattisgarh (1.44 percent). Haryana (0.33 percent), Kerala (0.51 percent) and Jammu and Kashmir had the lowest share of NOTA votes among large states.
URIM, IsraelEvery year on Israels Independence Day, Lea Ayash and her three sons decorate their home with flags and hold a traditional family barbecue. This year she wont be celebrating.

Ayashs 19-year-old son Itamar was killed on a military base in southern Israel during the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7 that left 1,200 people dead, according to Israeli authorities. His younger brother, Yohai, 13, is devastated by the loss and wont allow Ayash to hang up even one Israeli flag.

Who has the desire to celebrate this year?" she said. I dont have anything to celebrate."

Yom Haatzmaut, Israels Independence Day, marks the establishment of the state in 1948. It is usually a day of joyous celebrations, barbecues and fireworks. This year will be far more somber.

The annual flyby of military jets was canceled so the army can focus on the war. A national torch-lighting ceremony at the grave of Theodor Herzl, one of the founding fathers of Zionism, was prerecorded for the first time. And tens of thousands of peoplewho have been staging demonstrations on Saturdays for the past few monthsturned out to protest against a government they blame for failing to prevent the Oct. 7 attack and mismanaging the war.

Many Israelis like Ayash say they dont feel like celebrating at a time when they believe that the Jewish state is facing an existential threat. Some 272 soldiers have been killed since the start of the Israeli invasion of Gaza, according to the Israeli military. Around 130 of the more than 240 hostages Israel says were taken Oct. 7 are still being held, whether alive or dead.

Meanwhile, the war continues to grind on. Israeli troops backed by tanks clashed with militants in central and northern Gaza and fought at close quarters in Rafah while hitting more than 100 targets from the air, the military said. The breadth of the fighting, which is taking place not only in the suspected Hamas stronghold of Rafah but also in areas to the north that Israel cleared long ago, shows the difficulty of fully routing the militant group seven months into the war.

About 35,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war, most of them civilians, Palestinian officials say, not specifying how many were combatants.

Talks to agree to a pause in the fighting in exchange for the release of some of the hostages looked to be making progress last month but have since stalled. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani, whose country has been one of the hosts of the talks, said at a conference Tuesday that the negotiations had stagnated amid Israels incursion into Rafah.

Israel always packs a lot of emotion into national holidays in mid-May. Every year, the day before Independence Day, the country marks its Memorial Day, a somber occasion commemorating fallen soldiers and victims of terrorist attacks. Shops close and people stand motionless on the street while sirens sound for a moment of remembrance.

Then, after a day of grief, Israelis in most years seamlessly switch to celebrating their countrys freedom. This year, that emotional swing is especially difficult in light of the many victims of the continuing war.

As Memorial Day commemorations got under way, Ayash attended a small ceremony at Urim military base, where her son and seven other soldiers were killed in the Hamas-led attack. Before the ceremony, she privately lighted a candle in the corner of the base where her son was shot dead by militants.

I trusted the state," Ayash said. I never imagined that my son could be killed at home," inside his base in Israel, she said.

As the Israeli flag was lowered to half-staff to the sound of trumpets in Urim, airstrikes and warplanes could be heard in the distance as a reminder of the continuing war just 15 kilometers away. Soldiers stood still for a minute-long siren to remember the fallen.

Sagi Baruch, commander of the Southern District Home Front Command and commander of the Urim base, is still haunted by the Oct. 7 attack. That day, a number of militants on motorcycles invaded the base, which was staffed with only 13 soldiers at the time. Some were shot and others retreated to a control room, where many were killed with gunfire or grenades.

Baruch drove to the base as fast as he could, but was too late to save everyone.

Every night, I think about what I could have done differently," he said. I dont know how Yom Haatzmaut will happen."

Most Israelis want to tone down the festivities of Independence Day this year, with 31% of Israelis saying celebrations should be called off completely and 56% saying they should be more restrained and less prominent, according to a recent poll by the Israel Democracy Institute.

The transition between the sadness of Memorial Day and the happiness of Independence Day is marked with a national ceremony where 12 torches are lighted before an audience of bereaved families.

This year, hostages and victims of the Oct. 7 attack were at the center of the ceremony, said Col. Benzi Asher, who has been running the ceremony for the past 20 years. He, too, recently joined the circle of bereaved families: His niece, Shay Ashram, 19, was killed on a base near the Gaza border on Oct. 7.

I deal with memorial days every year, and Im in this years ceremony, and I feel what it is like to be a bereaved family," he said, breaking into tears. Its not easy."

Some families of hostages, as well as other bereaved families and survivors, skipped the national torch-lighting ceremony and organized an alternative gathering where they extinguished torches to express their disappointment in the government. People in the audience held up signs reading, Without the hostages there is no independence."

In Tel Aviv, Israelis set up makeshift memorials, lighting candles and writing messages in the memory of fallen ones on walls around the city. Reichman University in the city of Herzliya had to double the size of its stone monument for fallen soldiers at the center of its campus to make space for the names of nine students who died in the war.

During memorial ceremonies across the country, some protesters voiced their anger at the government by heckling ministers at military cemeteries. Protesters shouted Shame!" at National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir at a military cemetery in the city of Ashdod in southern Israel. While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke at a ceremony commemorating fallen soldiers, some bystanders appeared to heckle him, too.

Netanyahu didnt attend several traditional Independence Day events, including a ceremony honoring outstanding Israeli soldiers Tuesday morning, and sent a prerecorded message instead. The high-profile torch-lighting ceremony on Monday was also prerecorded for the first time, which analysts saw as an attempt to avoid public protests against the prime minister.

Raz Balaban, 25, whose red-headed girlfriend, Alina Pravosudova, 23, was killed by militants at the Urim base, said he wasnt planning to celebrate Independence Day due to his loss. He planned instead to visit Pravosudovas grave in the city of Haifa, then mark a friends birthday by sitting together and talking without music. He has tattooed the date of Oct. 7, 2023, on his arm along with the letter A" for Alina to commemorate her.

Balaban, a captain at the Home Front Command at the time, was wounded on Oct. 7. He was shot repeatedly as he passed groups of militants while trying to drive to the Urim base. He said the experience strengthened his resolve to keep fighting Hamas by pursuing a military career.

All these things they did here cant happen again," he said.

Anita Shapira, a historian of Israel and the Zionism movement, said the country was gloomy and uncertain about its future, contending with a war with no end in sight and a government that had lost a large part of the publics trust.

I dont remember an Independence Day like this in Israeli history, Shapira said. We are at a low point that I dont think we have ever been in."
After mandating that telecom service providers use trustedor non-Chinesevendors for their network equipment in 2020, the Centre is now mulling replacement of non-trusted equipment deployed before 2020 that are still being used.

Government officials aware of the matter said that Indias telecom department may ask service providers such as Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea to assess their networks and selectively replace equipment from non-trusted, or Chinese sources. This approach would be markedly different from that of the US government, which has embarked on a rip and replace exercise to change all telecom network equipment regardless of source.

Earlier this year, the department had asked the carriers to provide details of non-trusted equipment on their networks, but that information is yet to come in.

At this stage, were evaluating what needs to be done, which will depend on the information that we get from telcos," one of the officials cited above said, requesting not to be named. Either we do rip and repair, or they can mitigate it through active surveillance of their own systems, do a threat assessment, and then replace."

A second official said that taking the 'rip and replace' recourse that the US has adopted could lead to telcos spending billions of dollars in deploying new equipment at higher costs and, therefore, may not be the only solution that the government may look at. It will depend on the scale," he said, alluding to the volumes of equipment from Chinese vendors currently active in telcos networks.

According to sector experts, Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel, which have legacy networks, will be impacted by any move to replace older equipment. Noting that about 20-25% of gear could be from Chinese vendors, the experts said that most of these equipment came from Huawei and ZTE, and have been deployed over the past several years.

Queries to the telecom department, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea did not elicit a response as of Tuesday evening.

Indian vendors have used Chinese equipment prior to the National Security Directive on Telecommunication Sector (NSDTS) issued by the government in June 2020, which mandated that telecom equipment must come from trusted sources from June 2021.

The directive, at that time, did not envisage mandatory replacement of existing equipment that was already inducted in the networks of the telcos. It also did not cover ongoing annual maintenance contracts (AMCs) or updates to existing equipment already inducted in the network. Therefore, no disruption was created by the directive.

Since the directive, all equipment that goes into networks is approved by the National Cyber Security Coordinator. Indian telcos that have deployed 5G network over the past year or so have relied on European vendors such as Nokia and Ericsson. Till date, Huawei and ZTE have not been granted trusted source status.

From a monetary perspective, the value of Chinese gear in existing networks would be about 9,000-10,000 crore, but the disruption cost and replacement cost of these equipment would be much higher," a sector expert said, requesting anonymity.

In the US, the government-backed Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program, better known as the rip and replace program announced in 2020 requires US telecom companies to replace Chinese telecom equipment with modern non-Chinese alternatives. The US Congress has allocated $1.9 billion for the program, with the potential addition of another $3 billion for successful execution.

The Indian government has not announced any such financial support for the sector.
Since the start of Russias invasion of Ukraine, Europe and its allies have looked for ways to curb Moscows fossil fuel revenues without inflicting higher energy costs on their own citizens. The latest plan: ban use of European Union ports for re-exporting liquefied natural gas.

Russian producer Novatek PJSC relies on stopovers in the EU to move Arctic fuel from ice-class ships onto conventional tankers. While choking off its access wont prevent cargoes from reaching Europe  where LNG imports from Russia have actually increased in the aftermath of the war  it will make it harder to send them onward to third countries in Asia, potentially angering key buyers such as China or India.

EU policymakers are discussing the move as part of their 14th package of sanctions against Russia. While it isnt an outright ban, it would mark the first time Europe enforces concrete measures against Russian LNG.

If approved, the measure may lead to even more Russian fuel circulating in Europe. It would also likely trigger contractual challenges for European logistics firms and political backlash from other gas-buying nations.

What exactly will be sanctioned? To optimize shipping costs, the Arctic-based Yamal LNG project  led by Novatek  relies on the ports of Zeebrugge in Belgium and Montoir in France to transfer cargoes from its 15 ice-class vessels onto conventional tankers. Typically, an arriving ship discharges at the terminal and a standard LNG carrier loads at about the same time. That will no longer be possible under the ban.

For Yamal LNG, the stopovers are necessary to allow highly-specialized vessels to return to the Arctic plant, where conditions are too harsh for regular ones. Ship-tracking data indicate that up to eight Russian cargoes are transshipped in Europe in some months, although the number varies and drops significantly during summer and autumn, when the Northern Sea Route across the Arctic has less ice and provides faster access to China.

What will it mean for European LNG purchases? EU imports of Russian LNG totaled 14.4 million tons last year, according to consultant Energy Aspects Ltd. Transshipments, where the fuel is transferred, made up 2 million tons. A likely scenario is that a ban will lead to those extra volumes remaining in the bloc, where Russian LNG already holds a share of about 13%.

For example, Novatek could unload cargoes meant for Asia in Europe and use locational swaps, said James Waddell, head of European gas and global LNG at Energy Aspects. This means it would source gas elsewhere to supply Asian customers.

As a result, that would open up European governments to accusations that they are turning up their Russian LNG supply while claiming they are trying to minimize it, Waddell said.

Will Russian LNG production suffer? The sanctions would further complicate shipping logistics for Russia and force specialized vessels to travel over longer routes. Global fleets are already avoiding the Red Sea after attacks by Yemens Houthis, forcing journeys to reroute around Africa. Taking Yamal LNG cargoes directly to Asia would raise freight and logistics costs, according to Energy Aspects, and also tie up the icebreakers for longer.

Russia does have some alternatives: it conducts ship-to-ship transfers near its northern city of Murmansk, which it could use to free up vessels. It can also make use of its Northern Sea Route during summer when ice melts and a variety of ships can access the plant.

If alternative shipping arrangements fail, Russian LNG exports may be reduced. But the country has been pretty resourceful in getting around Western sanctions on oil.

What will the ban mean for Asian customers? Russian LNG exports to Asian buyers could decline or become more expensive to account for higher freight costs, according to Energy Aspects.

In an extreme scenario, if Novatek were unable to reconfigure its logistics and Russian LNG exports were shut in, Europe would be disrupting a Russian supply contract with China for 3 million tons per year, which may generate a political backlash from China, Waddell said.

Relying on the Northern Sea Route or Murmansk transshipment would also depend on ice conditions, shifting supplies to Asia to the second half of each calendar year, he added.

How would European companies be impacted? European companies such as Germanys state-owned Securing Energy for Europe GmbH, Shell Plc and TotalEnergies SE rely on transshipments in Zeebrugge and Montoir for Yamal cargoes, according to a contract base published by the global importers group.

Those contracts wont expire until 2038 and 2041, potentially opening the door to force majeure notices or contractual disputes if transshipments are banned.

SEFE, for example, needs Yamal LNG volumes transshipped in Zeebrugge to serve its long-term contract with Indias GAIL Ltd. The chief of the German company told Bloomberg earlier this year that Yamal supplies could stay on the continent if its cheaper logistically, while supplying GAIL from other sources. SEFE said its monitoring the developments and declined to comment in detail on the potential impact of the sanctions package.

Will there be other losers? One of the biggest losers might be Fluxys SA, which operates the Zeebrugge LNG terminal. The company built a dedicated storage tank at the terminal to service a 20-year contract with Yamal Trade, a trading arm for Yamal LNG.

The terminal may announce a force majeure in case of sanctions on transshipments, or face penalties as high as 1 billion ($1.1 billion) if it cannot provide Yamal Trade the service for the remainder of the contracts duration, according to one market estimate.

Should the Belgian governments actions prevent obligations under the transshipment contract, this would be classified as force majeure, according to the contract terms published on Fluxys website.

It would be bad for the European ports handling transshipment, said Katja Yafimava, senior research fellow of the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.
After one of the worlds top copper producers recently hit a financial crunch, the Biden administration started huddling with potential investors about taking a stake in the companys Zambian mines worth as much as $3 billion.

The search isnt restricted to American companies, with entities from the United Arab Emirates, Japan and Saudi Arabiaall viewed as friendly to U.S. interestsexpressing interest in the stake in First Quantum Minerals assets, according to people familiar with the matter.

The goal is simple: to keep it out of Chinese control and prevent the Asian superpower from tightening its grip over the global supply of crucial metals and minerals.

The bidding, expected to be concluded later this year, is part of a global rush to acquire more copper, a key component in everything from electric cars to transmission lines and the data centers powering the AI revolution.

BHP Groups record nearly $43 billion takeover bid for Anglo American, which was rejected Monday, puts a fresh spotlight on the intense demand for copper. While London-listed Anglo produces a range of commodities, from diamonds to nickel, Australias BHP has made clear that it most prizes the companys copper assets. Anglo rebuffed BHPs first offer last month, and other companies are believed to be weighing rival bids.

While the U.S. government doesnt have any oversight over a proposed deal, officials have communicated to Anglo executives that they are concerned consolidation could limit the overall supply of copper, said people familiar with the matter. The U.S. is also concerned that China could put pressure on BHP to sell some assets or agree to sell more of its copper to the country to address potential anticompetitive concerns.

For the U.S., the current frenzy highlights the importance of its yearslong effort to build up supplies of the metals and minerals critical to the green-energy transition.

Demand for copper is expected to rise as certain mines close or scale back production. Copper futures are up 20% this year.

The U.S. doesnt have a ministry for mining, a sovereign wealth-fund or much of a domestic mining industry. That has put it at a disadvantage with China, which can direct its state-owned enterprises to invest heavily no matter how commodity prices are performing.

The U.S. government is limited in how much money it can directly pump into projects of national security. That means it must work with private companies at home and abroad, as well as friendly countries with sovereign-wealth funds, to entice them to invest in assets helpful to national interests.

The Wall Street Journal reported last year, for example, that the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have held talks for potential agreements in the Democratic Republic of Congo, under which Saudi Arabia would take stakes in mines and U.S. companies would be guaranteed some of the rights to production.

One of President Bidens senior advisers, Amos Hochstein, is a linchpin of this effort. Hochstein and a small team at the State Department have been flying around the world, meeting with government officials in sub-Saharan Africa one day and with U.S. investors the next.

Regarding copper, We dont have a lot of new supply coming online around the world," Hochstein said in an interview. What concerns me is even when a discovery is made, it could take between seven and 15 years before the first copper comes out."

The U.S. has committed more than $1 billion to the Lobito Corridor to develop local infrastructure, including clean power and a railroad connecting Angola, Congo and Zambia to export critical minerals. Also in Zambia, the U.S. last year urged the U.A.E. to consider investing in Mopani Copper Mines, according to people familiar with the matter.

The effort was successful: Zambia in December chose the U.A.E.s International Resources Holding as a new equity partner.

Hochstein declined to comment on specific deals.

Hochstein said he and his team have made clear to African governments that the U.S. is trying to put forward an alternative model that wont result in debt, corruption and environmental degradation.

We are putting our money where our mouth is," he said.

A central part of the U.S. effort is the International Development Finance Corp., a federal agency that helps finance projects overseas. The agency agreed to invest $740 million last year in the mining sector, up from $245 million it had committed to legacy mining projects.

It is currently in talks to finance a multibillion-dollar copper mine in Pakistan that, when it comes online in 2028, will be among the worlds largest copper projects, according to people familiar with the matter.

An Irish company called TechMet is one of its signature investments. Under the Trump and Biden administrations, the agency has given TechMet some $105 million in funding and become its second-largest shareholder. An investment firm backed by a scion of the Walton family also invested in the most recent fundraising round, which valued the company at more than $1 billion.

We are in a second Cold War," said TechMet CEO Brian Menell, a South African. One has to increasingly pick sides. For me its never been a moments doubt. It is a competition between Western values and dictatorship."

TechMet owns stakes in lithium, cobalt, nickel, vanadium and rare-earth miners.

Meanwhile, Chinese miners, with government backing, are rapidly snapping up assets. In Belt and Road countries, which dont include Brazil or Australia, China spent more than $19 billion last year on metals and mining investments, up 158% from 2022, according to the Green Finance & Development Center at Fudan University in Shanghai. That is the highest level since 2013.

In the latest example, a Chinese firm is in advanced talks to buy Chemaf, a metals producer that is developing a cobalt and copper mine in Congo, according to people familiar with the matter.

At least two Western suitors were interested in buying the company, according to people familiar with the matter, including Chilean Cobalt Corp., or C3, a U.S. company with copper-cobalt operations in northern Chile.

Duncan Blount, chief executive of C3, said he spoke with the International Development Finance Corp and State Department about making a bid, but concluded it would have been too expensive. Still, he said, They were incredibly helpful on this venture and other projects. Theyre keen to see American businesses and entrepreneurs go back into Congo."

Joe Wallace and Alexandra Wexler contributed to this article

Write to Julie Steinberg at julie.steinberg@wsj.com
Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma-backed Go Digit General Insurance has raised 1,176.59 crore from anchor investors a day before its initial public offerings (IPO) opens for subscription.

According to the exchange filing, the company allocated 4,32,57,009 equity shares to anchor investors at a price of 272 per share.

The Board of Directors of the Company at its meeting held on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in consultation with the ICICI Securities Limited, Morgan Stanley India Company Private Limited, Axis Capital Limited, HDFC Bank Limited, IIFL Securities Limited and Nuvama Wealth Management Limited (formerly known as Edelweiss Securities Limited) as Book Running Lead Managers to the Offer, has finalised allocation of 4.32.57.009 Equity Shares, to Anchor Investors at Anchor Investor allocation price of Rs. 272/- per Equity Share (including share premium of Rs. 262/- per Equity Share), the company said in the filing.

The American multinational Fidelity Investments-backed fund received the largest allocation at 7.95%. Other notable investors in the pre-IPO round fundraising include Goldman Sachs Funds (5.31%), Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (5.31%), Custody Bank of Japan (4.25%), and Bay Pons Partners (4.11%).

Foreign and Domestic Institutions who participated in the anchor were Fidelity Investment Trust, Bay Pond Partners L.P., Goldman Sachs, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), Schroder International, East Spring Investments India, Custody Bank of Japan, SBI Mutual Fund, ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund, Axis Mutual Fund, Mirae Asset Mutual Fund, Ashoka WhiteOak Mutual Fund, Malabar Mutual Fund, Steadview Capital Mauritius Ltd, Optimix Wholesale Global Emerging Markets Share Trust, ACM Global Fund, HDFC Life Insurance, ITPL Invesco India Mutual Fund, Tata Mutual Fund, Volrado Venture Partners Fund, NHIT Global Emerging Markets Equity Trust, Florida Retirement System, Singularity Equity Fund, Motilal Oswal Mutual Fund, Edelweiss Trusteeship Co Ltd AC, Max Life Insurance, Tata AIA Life Insurance Company, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company, Bandhan Mutual Fund, PGIM India Trustees Private Ltd, Morgan Stanley Asia (Singapore) PTE ODI, and Ghisallo Master Fund LP.

According to an exchange filing on Tuesday, eleven domestic mutual funds have collectively applied through 23 schemes. They have secured 33.5% of the anchor portion amounting to 204 crore.

The company further said, Out of the total allocation of 4,32,57,009 Equity Shares to the Anchor Investors, 1,44,96,570 Equity Shares (Le. 33.51% of the total allocation to Anchor Investors) were allocated to 11 domestic mutual funds through a total of 23 schemes.

Go Digit IPO details. The offer consists of a fresh issue totalling 1,125 crore and an offer for selling up to 54.77 million equity shares by Promoters and Other Selling Shareholders.

The Company intends to commence its initial public offering of Equity Shares (referred to as the Offer) on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, and concludes on Friday, May 17, 2024. The price band for the Offer is set at 258  272 per equity share.

At the upper end of the price band, the IPO is expected to generate 2,614.65 crore.

Investors can bid for a minimum of 55 equity shares and multiples of 55 equity shares afterwards.
In recent sessions, Tata Group stocks have faced significant selling pressure, resulting in a sharp drop in share value. The group stocks, including Voltas, Tata Power, and Tata Motors, were the biggest laggards, and the sell-off was triggered following the release of their March quarter and full-year performance of FY24.

Analysts expect stocks to witness some more selling pressure in the near term. In the previous trading session, shares of Tata Motors tumbled 9.4% in intraday trade before finishing the trade with a drop of 8.30% to log the biggest single-day drop in 2 years.

During the past six trading sessions, Tata Motors' shares experienced a 6.70% decline, causing a loss of 22,592.60 crore in market value. Similarly, Tata Power witnessed a 9.4% drop in the same period, resulting in a 14,731 crore reduction in market capitalisation.

Additionally, Voltas saw its market capitalisation decrease by 5,985.83 crore as its stock dropped by 12.8%. Collectively, these stocks have suffered a loss of 43,310 crore in market capitalisation.

Tata Motors delivered a record-breaking financial performance in FY24, yet it signaled a cautious sales outlook for the ongoing fiscal year within its Jaguar Land Rover division. This cautious outlook prompted analysts to downgrade the stock, leading to a sharp decline in value.

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) announced on Friday that it anticipates margins on earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) for fiscal 2025 to be similar to the 8.5% reported in the previous financial year. The company mentioned that it would need to increase spending to attract customers, although it did not provide specific details.

As for Jaguar, the order book shrank to 133,000 units as of March 31, from 148,000 units at the end of December.

Following the company's announcement, global brokerage firms such as Goldman Sachs Group and Morgan Stanley downgraded their recommendations. Goldman Sachs shifted its rating from buy to neutral and revised its 12-month price target down to 1,040 a share from 1,080. Morgan Stanley also adjusted its rating from 'overweight' to equal weight.

Domestic brokerage firm Motilal Oswal has also revised its EPS estimates downward by 3% and 5% for FY25 and FY26, respectively. The firm has reaffirmed its 'Neutral' rating on the stock while reducing the target price to 955 per share, down from the previous 970.

The company's shares in CY23 delivered a multibagger return of 101%, making it the only Nifty 50 stock to achieve this feat in the year after a turnaround at JLR, the company's British luxury unit, helped India's No. 3 carmaker return to profit in Q3 FY24.

Back in March, the company greenlit a demerger plan for Tata Motors, dividing it into two separate listed entities. The first entity will focus on the Commercial Vehicles business and its associated investments, while the second entity will house the Passenger Vehicles segment, comprising PV, EV, JLR, and their related investments.
Investing in stocks can yield returns in two primary ways: capital gains, which is the more commonly known method where investors profit from the increase in stock prices, and dividends , a less flashy but stable income stream.

This analysis will focus on five top companies that have excelled in both areas in 2024.

#1 Cochin Shipyard

Leading the list, defence shipbuilder Cochin Shipyard has seen an impressive 82% rise in its stock price in 2024.

Additionally, it distributed a significant dividend of 70%, equivalent to 3.5 per share in January 2024. With a consistent dividend payout over the past 15 years and an average dividend yield of at least 2% since 2018, the company is on a solid trajectory.

Also, the company is executing several plans that will grow its revenue in the medium term.

Cochin Shipyard's strategic expansionsincluding a new dry dock, a 600-tonne gantry crane, and an upgraded International Ship Repair Facilityare set to enhance its shipbuilding and repair capabilities significantly.

Its acquisition of Temba Shipyards and focus on defence and alternative fuel vessels under the CRUISE 2030 plan further secure its position as a frontrunner in the shipbuilding industry poised for growth from India's push towards self-reliance.

#2 Oracle Financial Services (OFSS)

Next is OFSS, with its shares surging 80% in 2024 and generous dividends of 225 and 240 per share.

IT companies usually declare big dividends or reward shareholders by way of buybacks. In case of OFSS, the company has increased its dividend payout consistently throughout the years.

Starting 2024, OFSS share prices woke up from a long period of underperformance and almost doubled from 4,300 at the start of 2024.

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Initially, the stock price moved up after the IT company reported strong earnings performance for the December quarter, with net profit rising 69.4% on year 7.4 billion.

Managing director and chief executive Makarand Padalkar had said that licence fee signings aided margins during the quarter.

Our license fee signings were $49.5 million across our product lines for both Cloud/SaaS and on-premises deployment modes. For the nine months ended December 2023, our licence signings were $117.4 million, 76% higher than the corresponding period last fiscal."

During the quarter, the company's operating margin came in at 46.1% while net profit margins came at 40.6%.

OFSS signed a landmark cloud deal with Navy Federal Credit Union, US, during the quarter.

The company's management also highlighted that they continue to see a robust deal pipeline across all the regions.

With the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in every industry, the future of Oracle Financial looks promising.

In recent years, OFSS has made significant investments in rapidly moving its solutions to cloud and launched solutions for Liquidity Management, Virtual Account Management, and Supply Chain Finance as cloud services, much ahead of its peers.

The adoption of AI in financial services and fintech companies is expected to grow at a CAGR of 23.37% in the next two years, which is a huge prospect for Oracle Financial as a leader in the AI space.

#3 Cupid

Following closely is Cupid, which has seen its shares surge by 77% in 2024.

The company has consistently rewarded its shareholders with dividends since 2015. In the fiscal year 2023, it distributed 5 per share, achieving a 2% yield. While a dividend for FY24 has yet to be announced, there is expectation that a final dividend could be declared soon.

Cupid's diverse product range includes pregnancy and COVID-19 antigen test kits.

The company has a strong international presence, exporting 68% of its products to 105 countries and generating 90% of its revenue from these markets. Despite its global reach, Cupid maintains a significant presence in India, holding a 32% share of the domestic market.

The company is poised for significant growth, planning a massive increase in production capacities.

This includes expanding male condom production to 1.25 billion units and female condom production to 125 million units within the next two years.

Looking beyond its current markets, Cupid is exploring strategic expansions and acquisitions, particularly in the in-vitro diagnostics sector. Additionally, it aims to enhance its domestic footprint by expanding retail distribution and introducing product bundles.

#4 Kalyani Steels

Next up is Kalyani Steels, which has seen its stock prices rise by 76% in 2024, boasting a current dividend yield of 1.2%.

The company has a history of regular dividend payments dating back to 2010 and declared its highest ever dividend in FY23. Given its robust performance, there is a high likelihood of another substantial dividend payout this year.

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Part of the Kalyani Group, Kalyani Steels specializes in the manufacturing and sale of iron and steel products. Its product range includes camshafts, connecting rods, gears, transmission shafts, axle beams, and steering knuckles for the automotive industry, as well as round casts for the seamless tube industry and rolled bars for various engineering applications.

The company maintains a strong emphasis on financial prudence, holding significant cash reserves that play a critical role in risk mitigation and financial stability.

Furthermore, Kalyani Steels benefits from strong business relationships, holding approved vendor status with major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and strategic arrangements with suppliers for raw materials, despite the lack of long-term contracts, which supports consistent repeat business.

#5 Motilal Oswal

Rounding out this list is Motilal Oswal, whose shares have climbed by 74% in 2024.

In January, the company distributed an interim dividend of 14 per share, surpassing the total annual dividend of 10 paid in FY23. There is a strong likelihood of an additional final dividend being announced soon given the company's performance.

The steep rise in Motilal Oswal's share price can be attributed to the positive market sentiment in the sector and exceptional financial results in its fourth-quarter earnings.

For the quarter ended March 2024, Motilal Oswal Financial Services recorded a net profit of 7.2 billion, which is a substantial 334% increase year-on-year. The company's revenue from operations surged by 108% to 21.4 billion.

For the full fiscal year of FY24, the company reported a consolidated net profit of 24.5 billion, marking a 161% growth from the previous year.

Additionally, the board approved the issuance of three bonus shares for every one share held. During this period, the company also added 3.7 crore new demat accounts, reaching a total of 15 crore.

Motilal Oswal is strategically positioned for sustained growth, targeting a 20% increase over the medium term.

Here's what the company is expecting for FY25:

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Snapshot of Dividend Growth Stocks on Equitymaster Stock Screener

Apart from the above, heres a list of other dividend growth stocks:

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Please be aware that these parameters can be adjusted based on your specific selection criteria.

This adjustment allows you to filter out stocks that do not meet your standards and highlight those that perform well within your desired metrics.

Additionally, we are moving towards a period dominated by growth-oriented companies.

Therefore, the next time you evaluate a potential investment primarily for its dividend yield, consider delving deeper. This deeper analysis might reveal insights and perspectives that were previously overlooked.

Happy Investing!

Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only. It is not a stock recommendation and should not be treated as such.

This article is syndicated from Equitymaster.com
Systematix Institutional Equities, a domestic brokerage firm, has initiated coverage on Tilaknagar Industries with a 'buy' rating and set a target price of 317. This target indicates a potential upside of 41% from the stock's closing price today, which stood at 224.90.

The company's shares rewarded their shareholders handsomely in recent years as they maintained continued upward trajectory. Over the past five years, the company's shares have surged from 19 apiece to the current level of 224.50, marking an impressive gain of 1081%. Notably, in November, the stock reached a 15-year high of 291 apiece.

Despite the significant surge in share value, the brokerage believes that the stock is trading at reasonable valuations considering the current business metrics and scale of operations.

Rapid growth The company stands as a leader in the Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) brandy segment, which contributes to 93% of its total volumes. It has secured approximately 20% of the market share in this segment.

In the prestigious Prestige & Above (P&A) segment within the brandy category, the company commands around 28% market share. Its flagship brandy, Mansion House Brandy, holds the distinction of being the largest-selling brand in India and the second largest globally.

According to Drinks Internationals report 'The Millionaires Club 2023', Mansion House Brandy (MHB) is ranked as the worlds second-fastest-growing brand across categories.

The company's second 'Millionaire' brand, Courrier Napoleon Brandy (CNB), caters to the Deluxe to Super Premium segments. Both P&A brands, Mansion House Brandy (MHB) and Courrier Napoleon Brandy (CNB), have witnessed robust CAGR in volumes, with MHB registering 33.2% and CNB 35% growth over FY21-FY23, according to the brokerage.

India's liquor industry is experiencing rapid growth, driven by increasing disposable incomes and a burgeoning young demographic. Premiumisation, the introduction of flavored variants, and expansion in the out-of-home segment are expected to further propel growth in Indias alcohol markets in terms of value.

Displaying exemplary volume growth According to Systematix, the company is currently scouting for multiple initiatives in premiumisation and expanding its portfolio and geography. It said that the company has risen from its difficult past, where it committed some strategic errors, and has chalked out a clear growth roadmap for the medium to long term.

An industry-beating growth, a beefed-up balance sheet (post multiple fund raises), and a strong top management team are testimony to its new beginnings.

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The brokerage emphasised that the company has been achieving remarkable volume growth in the brandy segment for several reasons: it holds a leadership position in the category, faces limited competition, c) experiences relatively low premium salience, and is witnessing increasing penetration.

With multiple recent launches in the brandy category, the brokerage noted that the company is strengthening its leadership position by offering products across various price points within the category. Additionally, it is exploring new categories in the alcove space to unlock fresh avenues for growth.

The company achieved a 33% volume CAGR during FY21FY23, primarily driven by robust growth in the brandy segment. Over this period, the proportion of brandy to total volumes consistently increased from 84% in FY18 to 93% in FY23.

In contrast, the share of rum decreased by half from 10% to 5%, while vodka and gin remained steady at 1-2%. However, the volume share of whisky, operating in a highly competitive market, declined from 4% in FY18 to 1% in FY23.

Notably, in recent quarters, the brokerage observed that the company's volume growth has consistently surpassed that of the Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) industry.

Debt-free balance sheet With a virtually debt-free balance sheet and limited capex plans, the company is expanding its share of brandy by aggressively stepping up marketing and promotion spending to build the category and further solidifying its share in the South.

Stable input costs, continued remiumisation and improving state and brand mix should aid margin expansion, the brokerage noted.

Financials and valuation Systematix projects a CAGR of 13.3% for revenue, 18.6% for EBITDA, and 29.9% for profit before tax (PBT) from FY24 to FY26E. This growth is primarily driven by a 12.3% CAGR in volumes, excluding any contribution from new non-brandy segments.

"The stock holds significant re-rating potential, considering its debt-free balance sheet, 20%+ RoE, and above-industry growth. We initiate coverage with a 'Buy' and target price of 317, based on 35x FY26E earnings, which we find reasonable for the current business metrics and scale of operations," said the brokerage.

The brokerage notes that the company's peer, Radico Khaitan, is trading at 42.2 times consensus earnings, while larger listed multinational corporations (MNCs) are trading at over 50 times earnings.
Having been introduced on May 1, 2009 for all citizens of India; National Pension System (NPS) has recently completed 15 years of its existence.

The Government of India introduced NPS from Jan 1, 2004 (except for armed forces) before rolling it for the general public five years later. The scheme is aimed at providing pension cum investment as security for old age to the citizens of India. It enables citizens to effectively plan their retirement through safe and regulated market-based return.

Let us give a lowdown on the ubiquitous retirement saving scheme.

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What is NPS and who regulates it? It is a pension cum investment scheme launched which provides old age security to Citizens of India. It gives a long-term saving avenue to effectively plan your retirement through safe and regulated market-based return. It is regulated by Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).

Established by PFRDA, National Pension System Trust (NPST) is the registered owner of all assets under NPS.

Who can subscribe to it? Any individual citizen (resident as well as non-resident) who fall in the age group of 18 to 70 years can join NPS.

What are the key objectives of NPS? NPS has three key objectives:

A. Provide old age income

B. Reasonable market-based returns over the long term

C Extending old age security coverage to all citizens

Can an NRI open an account in NPS? Yes, NRI can also open an NPS account. Contributions made by NRI are subject to regulatory requirements as prescribed by RBI and FEMA from time to time. However, OCI (Overseas Citizens of India) and PIO (Person of Indian Origin) card holders and HUFs are not eligible for opening of NPS accounts.

How can one open an NPS account? In order to open an account, you need to do one of the two:

I. Visiting point of presence service providers (POP- SP).

II. Through eNPS.

When you visit POP-SP, you need to follow these steps:

I. At a point of presence - service provider (POP-SP) A. Procure your Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN) application form from any of the POP-SP.

B. Submit PRAN application form to the nearest service provider along with the KYC documents. The PRAN card will be sent to your correspondence address by CRA.

C. Track your PRAN application.

D. Submit your first contribution slip.

II. These are the steps to follow to open an NPS account online A You must have a permanent account number (PAN).

B. Bank / Demat /Folio account details with the empanelled Bank/Non-Bank for KYC verification for subscriber registration through eNPS.

C. Your KYC verification will be done by the Bank/Non-Bank POP selected by you during the registration process.

D. Fill up the details online.

E. Upload scanned copy of PAN card and cancelled cheque.

F. Upload scanned photograph and signature in JPEG format.

G. You will be routed to a payment gateway for making the payment towards your NPS account.

H. Contributions are credited to PRANs on a T+2 basis.

What happens after NPS enrollment? Upon successful enrolment, a Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN) is allotted to the subscriber under NPS. Once the PRAN is generated, an email alert as well as a SMS alert is sent to the registered email ID and mobile number of the subscriber by NSDL-CRA (Central Record Keeping Agency).

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Subscriber contributes on a regular basis towards NPS during the working life to make a healthy corpus that can be used for retirement.
Filing taxes may be a complicated procedure, packed with potential traps that can result in costly blunders and frustrations down the road. To confidently navigate this complex world, seek experienced advice. In this article, we'll look at several typical tax filing blunders and offer valuable advice from a seasoned Chartered Accountant (CA) to assist people avoid these problems.

Selecting the incorrect form: One of the most common mistakes people make is choosing the incorrect form to file their taxes. Each form is tailored to a certain sort of income and taxpayer profile, and using the incorrect form might result in mistakes and processing delays. CA expert advises taxpayers to thoroughly analyse the qualifying conditions for each form and seek professional advice if confused.



Also Read: Income tax return (ITR) filing 2024: How to show accrued interest on bank fixed deposits (FDs)?

Proper treatment of F&O transactions: Futures and options (F&O) transactions can be complicated, particularly in terms of tax treatment. CA urges clients to appropriately declare F&O transactions, including profits and losses, on their tax returns. Failure to do so may result in tax notifications and fines from the Income Tax Department.

Correct treatment of donations made: Section 80G of the Income Tax Act allows donations to charities to be tax-deductible. However, CA advises against claiming deductions for donations without adequate paperwork. Taxpayers should donate to qualifying organisations and acquire receipts to claim deductions.



Also Read: Is 80D Deduction the Only Way to Save Tax for Insurance Holders

Proper treatment of ESOPs: Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), which include Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), provide particular tax problems for employees. CA emphasises the need to know the tax consequences of ESOPs, such as tax timing and share valuation. Taxpayers should seek expert guidance to ensure that their ESOPs comply with tax rules.

Calculation for two or more job changes in a year: Taxpayers who change employment often throughout a fiscal year must precisely compute their earnings from each employer for tax purposes. To minimise errors in tax forms, CA encourages clients to keep thorough records of their income from each employment, including salaries, bonuses, and perquisites.



Also Read: Tax efficiency 101: How to maximise income tax benefits on home loans

Taxation of cryptocurrencies and coins: Many authorities, including India, continue to be unsure how to tax cryptocurrency transactions. CA emphasises the necessity of seeking advice from tax specialists on how to approach Bitcoin earnings and losses. Taxpayers should keep accurate records of bitcoin transactions to comply with tax requirements.

Tax deducted from interest income: Many taxpayers fail to realise that tax deducted at source (TDS) on interest income, such as fixed deposits or savings accounts, is not required to be disclosed on their income tax return. CA recommends taxpayers reconcile TDS certificates with Form 26AS and report just net taxable interest income on their ITR.

Calculating capital gains from land purchase sale: The sale of land or property acquired on prolonged payment plans, such as those provided by municipal governments, necessitates careful consideration of capital gains tax consequences. CA suggests that you speak with a tax expert to appropriately assess capital gains, taking into consideration the prolonged payment term and any possible exemptions or deductions.



Also Read: Income Tax: Want to opt out of the new tax regime? Here is a step-by-step guide

Strategies beyond common mistakes In addition to avoiding frequent tax filing mistakes, taxpayers should remain up to date on new tax law developments and modifications. Changes in tax rules, exemptions, and filing methods can have a major influence on tax liabilities and refund claims.

Furthermore, taxpayers should use the income tax department's online filing platforms and tools to ensure easy and correct filing. It is also critical to keep detailed records of financial transactions, investments, and deductions throughout the year to ensure a simple tax file.

By proactively educating themselves and being organised, taxpayers may ensure tax compliance and efficiently optimise their tax-saving methods. Consulting with a knowledgeable Chartered Accountant or tax expert can give vital insights suited to your specific financial position.

Why CA expertise is crucial? Incorporating the knowledge of a seasoned Chartered Accountant into tax filing efforts is critical for a variety of reasons. For starters, a skilled CA has a thorough understanding of tax rules and regulations, assuring proper compliance and reducing the chance of errors or omissions. Second, a CA may give personalised advice based on an individual's financial circumstances, maximising tax savings and refunds.

Furthermore, CA assistance provides peace of mind since taxpayers may rely on their experience to manage complicated tax issues efficiently. Finally, a competent CA acts as a trusted adviser, providing continuing assistance and direction throughout the tax filing process and beyond, resulting in a long-term partnership based on trust and dependability.

In conclusion, to avoid typical tax filing errors, you must exercise vigilance, be alert, and seek expert advice. Understanding the subtleties of tax legislation and receiving expert counsel when necessary allows taxpayers to confidently navigate the tax filing process and maintain regulatory compliance. Remember that when it comes to taxes, it's better to be cautious than sorry.
The Bureau of Indian Standards has initiated efforts to standardise and enhance transparency in the billing process at hospitals, a move that could benefit not only patients but also health insurers and governments agencies.

BIS, which is a part of the National Standards Body of India, has called for consultations from industry bodies and other stakeholders.

The development comes after the Supreme Court recently pulled up the government for its apparent failure to specify a range of prices that private hospitals and clinical establishments can charge for various treatments and procedures, although some argue uniform hospital rates across states isn't feasible.

A meeting has been called on 15 May on the issue. Suggestions have been sought from public representative bodies and think tanks on what changes can be brought in terms of regulations in the billing in hospitals, said an official aware of the matter.

Currently, we are in the stage of seeking recommendations and then some decision will be taken, said the official, asking not to be identified.

The issue of transparency in billing by private hospitals has been a longstanding concern, which was exacerbated during the covid-19 pandemic as patients encountered invoices charging for several unexplained items or services.

"Even doctors face the wrath of the public over confusion regarding billing. So there is a need to come up with a simpler version of billing systems in hospitals. This will help both public and hospital administration," said another official familiar with the developments.

Glaring discrepancies As far as defining billing format or template is concerned, it is a welcome step provided it is designed in consultation with key stakeholders, said Dr Girdhar Gyani, director general, Association of Healthcare Providers (India).

Such a template would, of course, need to be exhaustive to take into consideration all possible variables. But surely it will bring uniformity and more importantly ease of understanding and finally transparency, he added.

The Union health and family welfare ministry recently informed the Supreme Court that uniformity in charges for the same procedure across all hospitals was not feasible.

The apex court had earlier asked the ministry to hold a meeting with all state health departments after finding glaring discrepancy in the prices of medical treatments across government and private medical facilities.

Uniform template not feasible Harish Salve, senior advocate appearing for NatHealth-Healthcare Federation of India, a body comprising stakeholders in India's healthcare sector, said in a conversation with Mint that it was not for the courts to determine the price of medical services, and that it was the duty of the legislature.

Price fixation of medical services, for all hospitals, all across India is not possible. No one size can fit all, Salve said. There is no comparison between a government hospital which receives various subsidies from the government and private hospitals, who are not beneficiaries to any such subsidies. No other service industry in India is price capped as the same is not possible.

The apex court had in February criticized the Centre for failing to enforce the 14-year-old Clinical Establishment (Central Government) Rules, which are aimed at enforcing standard charges for various medical treatments and procedures.

The Union government had come up with a pricing template for all states, but state authorities had said fixing a price range for various treatments and procedures may not be feasible.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested former DHFL director Dheeraj Wadhawan in connection with a 34,000-crore bank fraud case, officials were quoted as saying on Tuesday.

Wadhawan was detained in Mumbai on Monday evening and subsequently presented before a special court in Delhi on Tuesday, where he was remanded in judicial custody.

According to reports, he had already been charge-sheeted by the CBI in connection with the case in 2022.

Wadhawan had previously been arrested by the agency in connection with the Yes Bank corruption case and was subsequently released on bail.

Furthermore, it was reported that the CBI had registered the DHFL case, which involved the alleged defrauding of a consortium of 17 banks amounting to 34,000 crore, making it the largest banking loan fraud in the country.

In February this year, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) directed the attachment of bank accounts, shares, and mutual fund holdings belonging to former DHFL promoters Dheeraj and Kapil Wadhawan to reclaim dues totalling 22 lakh.

The market regulator's action followed the Wadhawan brothers' failure to settle the fine imposed on them in July last year, relating to a case involving the violation of disclosure norms.

The outstanding dues of 10.6 lakh each from the Wadhawans encompass the initial penalty amount, along with accrued interest and recovery costs.

Back in July 2023, regulatory authorities imposed penalties of 10 lakh each on the Wadhawans, former promoters of DHFL (now known as Piramal Finance), for violating disclosure regulations.

Kapil Wadhawan served as the Chairman and MD of DHFL, while Dheeraj Wadhawan was a non-executive director. Both the brothers were members of DHFL's board.

In a separate development, the Delhi High Court, last Saturday, issued a notice to the CBI following a plea from Dheeraj Wadhawan seeking bail on medical grounds. He had appealed against a trial court's decision denying him bail, citing medical reasons. Wadhawan is currently recuperating at his residence in Mumbai after spinal surgery.

Justice Jyoti Singh instructed the CBI to submit a response. The case is scheduled for hearing on Friday, May 17.
Former Karnataka minister and JD(S) leader HD Revanna, who was arrested in an alleged abduction case by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing alleged sex abuse by his son and absconding Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, has been released from Parappana Agrahara jail on Tuesday, May 14, after he was granted conditional bail, ANI reported.

He was granted conditional bail yesterday by a Bengaluru court.

The case Revanna was arrested on May 4 by SIT officials in a kidnapping case registered against him at KR Nagar police station in the city. The JD(S) MLA from Holenarsipura termed the case a "political conspiracy" against him.

The SIT constituted by the Karnataka government is probing the alleged sexual abuse against Revanna and his son Prajwal Revanna.

Prajwal Revanna, the incumbent MP, is seeking another term from the Hassan Lok Sabha constituency. The voting for the seat took place on April 26.

Earlier, JD(S) chief HD Kumaraswamy alleged that the Karnataka government did not want a fair inquiry.

"They are misusing the office. Nothing is going to happen ultimately. They wanted character assassination of HD Revanna, and for that reason, they are using their office," Kumaraswamy told ANI.

A delegation of the Janata Dal (Secular) met Karnataka Governor Tawara Chanda Gehlot on May 9 and submitted a memorandum and urged Gehlot to recommend a CBI probe.

Prajwal Revanna flees country Prajwal Revanna fled to Germany after Karnataka State Commission for Women chairperson Nagalakshmi Chowdhary wrote to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seeking an investigation against Prajwal Revanna after obscene video clips allegedly involving the MP started making the rounds in Hassan. He has also skipped summons issued by the SIT to appear before it.

The obscene videos involving Prajwal Revanna surfaced ahead of the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka on April 26, triggering a political slugfest.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday said a case of culpable homicide was registered in connection with the hoarding collapse incident in Mumbai's Ghatkopar. As many as 14 people died, and over 70 people were injured after a giant "illegal" hoarding collapsed in Ghatkopar amid dust storms and rain on Monday.

Here's all you need to know about the hoarding collapse incident: 1. A 120 x 120-foot billboard collapsed on a Chheda Nagar-based petrol pump in Mumbai's Ghatkopar around 4 pm on Monday. The death toll in the accident remains at 14 as of Tuesday. As many as 89 people were pulled out from under the collapsed hoarding, of whom 14 were declared dead and 75 others injured. A total of 44 people were admitted to the hospital and 31 were discharged after treatment, news agency ANI reported.

2. The search and rescue operation continued after over 20 hours since the huge billboard collapsed in Mumbai's Ghatkopar area due to gusty winds and unseasonal rains, civic officials said on Tuesday.

"Rescue teams were facing a challenge as they cannot use gasoline-powered cutter equipment and oxyfuel cutter which can result in a blast or fire as there is a petrol pump at the site," an official of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said.

Meanwhile, Mohsen Shahedi, a senior NDRF officer, told Reuters, The operation was very challenging due to the weight of the structure and the presence of flammable liquid and gas at the site. Shahedi said the rescue operation was nearly over except for one last sweeping search.

3. Mumbai's civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), "has ordered that action will be taken against all illegal hoarding in the city," said BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani on Tuesday.

"We are starting that today...A case has been registered in this case...This hoarding did not have any permission...A complaint was also received that some trees were also cut so that this hoarding should be visible...We have registered a case against this too," Gagrani said.

4. CM Shinde ordered a structural audit of all hoardings in Mumbai. "To prevent such accidents from happening again, instructions have been given to conduct a structural audit of all hoardings in Mumbai and immediately take down dangerous ones," Shinde said in a post on X.

5. The Mumbai Police registered a case against the owner of Ego Media and others for installing the hoarding that collapsed on the petrol pump. The owner, Bhavesh Bhinde, and others were booked under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 337 (causing hurt to another person by acting rashly or negligently) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), an official told ANI.

Meanwhile, CM Shinde said strict action will be taken against the owner of the hoarding. "A case of culpable homicide has been registered," he said.

6. BJP leader Kirit Somaiya claimed that "Bhavesh Bhinde (Ego Media), responsible for this incident, has absconded with his family". He said he had asked the police to declare him a fugitive.

"Bhavesh Bhinde's Ego Media has made more than 2 dozen illegal hoardings... I have demanded Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis to thoroughly inspect and remove all the illegal hoardings that were put up in 2020, 2021 and 2022 in Mumbai...," the BJP leader said.

7. Congress leader Salman Khurshid said, Its our responsibility to not let such incidents happen. They (people who lost their lives in the incident) might be standing at a petrol pump to save themselves from rain. That hoarding must be illegal because no one can get permission from the municipality to install such a big hoarding."

8. CM Eknath Shinde assured that the government would bear the treatment expenses of the injured and that compensation of 5 lakh would be provided to the victims' families. "It is a painful and sad incident, I visited the spot yesterday. The government will bear all the expenses of the people injured in this incident. 5 lakh as compensation will be given to the next kin of the victims," Shinde was quoted by ANI as saying.

9. Earlier in the day, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge condoled the deaths of 14 people and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured in the hoarding collapse incident. In a post on X, he said, "Deeply pained by the tragic incident wherein several people have lost their lives by a hoarding collapse in Mumbai's Ghatkopar. Our deepest condolences to the families of the victims. Several people have been injured, and we pray for their complete and speedy recovery."
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  Criminal charges are not warranted in the rare liquor probe that shook Oregons alcohol agency last year and forced its executive director to resign, state justice officials said Monday.

In February 2023, the Oregon Department of Justice began investigating whether employees of the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission improperly used their positions to obtain bottles of top-shelf bourbon for personal use. The department reviewed thousands of documents and emails, and interviewed dozens of people, including current and former commission employees and liquor store agents. It concluded it did not have sufficient evidence to prove the criminal offenses it had considered  official misconduct and misuse of confidential information  beyond a reasonable doubt.

In a report released Monday, the department said that even though the employees behavior may have breached ethical standards, there is no explicit policy prohibiting the specific conduct, we found no evidence of relevant training, and the practice appears to have been longstanding and endorsed by at least one executive director.

The findings were announced in a news release from Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, who described the investigation as thorough and said it was critical that Oregonians have trust in our state agencies, their leaders and employees.

Justice officials launched the probe last year after news outlets obtained via public records requests an internal investigation by the agency that concluded its then-Executive Director Steve Marks and five other agency officials had diverted sought-after bourbons, including Pappy Van Winkle's 23-year-old whiskey, for personal use.

Officials were paying for the whiskey, which can cost thousands of dollars a bottle, but they had used their knowledge and connections at the commission to obtain them, and consequently deprived members of the public of the expensive booze, the internal investigation said.

The officials purportedly had very limited bottles of top-shelf bourbon routed to a liquor store, often in the Portland suburb of Milwaukie where the commission headquarters is located, and would reserve them for pickup later. They said they used the whiskey for personal consumption or as gifts.

In his responses to questions from the internal investigator, Marks denied that he had violated Oregon ethics laws and state policy. However, he acknowledged that he had received preferential treatment to some extent in obtaining the whiskey as a commission employee. Marks and the other officials said they never resold the whiskeys they obtained.

In its probe, the commission considered that the funneling of top-end whiskey to leaders of the state agency violated Oregon statutes, including one that prohibits public officials from using confidential information for personal gain. The state justice department's subsequent investigation, however, found this offense wasn't warranted, because the the nonpublic information relied on by the employees  that a rare liquor bottle was available  did not affect the bottle itself by increasing its value.

Justice officials said criminal charges of official misconduct weren't warranted either, as they would require proof that the employees knew their actions were unauthorized and there are no statutes that explicitly prohibit the conduct seen in the case.

Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek thanked the justice officials who worked on the investigation. She had called for the probe and requested Marks' resignation.

While the investigation found that the conduct reviewed did not meet the burden necessary for criminal prosecution, the documents and reports resulting from the extensive criminal investigation will be available to the Oregon Government Ethics commission for consideration in its pending review of ethics complaints related to this matter," Kotek said in a statement.
King Charles health update: King Charles has lost his sense of taste due to cancer treatment. The monarch revealed the personal detail during a visit to the Army Flying Museum in Middle Wallop, Hampshire, according to The Independent.

Also Read: Prince Harry chose to be in a hotel despite staying near King Charles, decided not to visit his father Charles was speaking with British Army veteran Aaron Mapplebeck. Mapplebeck shared his own experience of losing taste after chemotherapy for testicular cancer. It prompted the 75-year-old King to reveal his similar experience. Buckingham Palace has, however, not yet confirmed specific details about the King's cancer or treatment.

The King transferred the role of Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps to his son, Prince William, at Hampshire Airfield. Charles, the original holder of the title for 32 years, met the Prince of Wales at Middle Wallop base to pass on the role.

Also Read: Prince Harry, snubbed by King Charles, sits next to second father at Invictus Games The King expressed joy in meeting servicemen, families and veterans at the Army Flying Museum, where he unveiled a plaque for an Apache AH Mk.1 helicopter on display. This helicopter was used in a rescue mission during the 2007 Battle of Jugroom Fort.

Let me just say what a great joy it is to be with you even briefly on this occasion but also it is tinged with great sadness after 32 years of knowing you all, admiring your many activities and achievements through the time that Ive been lucky enough to be Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps, The Independent quoted the monarch as saying.

Prince Harrys Spare King Charles did not meet his younger son, Prince Harry, who was in the UK on May 8 to attend the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games. Days after that, Harrys book Spare lost in all categories at the British Book Awards.
The United States has issued a warning to nations considering business deals with Iran that run the "potential risk of sanctions." This development comes hours after India signed an agreement to operate the Chabahar Port in Iran for 10 years.

US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel on Monday, May 13, during his daily news conference said, Any entity, anyone considering business deals with Iran, they need to be aware of the potential risk they are opening themselves up to, potential risk of sanctions, while claiming that the country is aware of Iran-India deal concerning the Chabahar port.

Also read: India, Iran sign long-term contract for Chabahar Port after years of talks However, the US spokesperson noted that it would let the Indian government speak on its foreign policy goals as he stated, "I will let the government of India speak to its own foreign policy goals vis-a-vis the Chabahar port as well as its own bilateral relationship with Iran,ANI reported.

Also read: Iran's lawmaker makes big revelation: We have obtained nuclear weapons, but Details here In response to a question over Indias deal with Iran on the strategic Chabahar port, Vedant Patel said that US sanctions on Iran remain in place and the US will continue to enforce them.

The Indian Ports Global Limited (IPGL) of India and the Port & Maritime Organisation (PMO) of Iran on May 13 signed the Long-Term Bilateral Contract on Chabahar Port operation.

Following this deal, IPGL is entitled to operate Shahid-Behesti port in the Chabahar Port Development Project for 10 years.

IPGL is set to invest around USD 120 million in equipping the port during this 10-year long-term lease agreement. India also offered an in-credit window of USD 250 million for mutually identified projects aimed at improving Chabahar-related infrastructure.

Also read: Iran adviser hints at nuclear doctrine shift and builds bomb amid Israel threats Why is Chabahar Port important for India? The Chabahar Port is expected to serve as a crucial transit hub for trade with Afghanistan and other landlocked nations of Central Asia. India has played a significant role in the development and operation of the Chabahar Port.
The U.S. government has a specialized plane loaded with advanced sensors that officials brag is always ready to deploy within an hour of any kind of chemical disaster. But the plane didnt fly over eastern Ohio until four days after the disastrous Norfolk Southern derailment there last year.

A whistleblower told The Associated Press that the Environmental Protection Agency's ASPECT plane could have provided crucial data about the chemicals spewing into the air around East Palestine as the wreckage burned and forced people from their homes.

The man who wrote the software and helped interpret the data from the advanced radiological and infrared sensors on the plane said it also could have helped officials realize it wasn't necessary to blow open five tank cars and burn the vinyl chloride inside because the plane's sensors could have detected the cars' temperatures more accurately than the responders on the ground who were having trouble safely getting close enough to check.

But the single-engine Cessna cargo plane didn't fly over the train crash until a day after the controversial vent-and-burn action created a huge plume of black smoke over the entire area near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border.

Robert Kroutil said even when the plane did fly, it only gathered incomplete data. Then, when officials later realized some of the shortcomings of the mission, they asked the company Kroutil worked for, Kalman & Company, to draft plans for the flight and backdate them so they would look good if they turned up in a public records request, Kroutil said.

Kroutil said his team labeled the mission inconclusive because only eight minutes of data was recorded in the two flights and the plane's chemical sensors were turned off over the creeks. But he said EPA managers changed their report to declare the vent-and-burn successful because the plane found so few chemicals when it eventually did fly.

We could tell the data provided from the ASPECT planes two East Palestine flights on February 7 was incomplete and irregular. We had no confidence in the data. We could not trust it, Kroutil said.

The revelations about the use of the ASPECT plane in the aftermath of the worst rail disaster in a decade raise new questions about the effectiveness of the whole-of-government response in East Palestine the Biden administration touts.

The Government Accountability Project that represents Kroutil and has been critical of EPA's response in East Palestine sent a sworn affidavit detailing his concerns to the EPA inspector general Tuesday and requested a formal investigation. The group provided a copy of the affidavit and Kroutil agreed to an interview with the AP ahead of time.

In a statement Tuesday, the EPA said it didn't even request the plane until Feb. 5  two days after the derailment  and it arrived in Pittsburgh late that day from its base in Texas. Due to icing conditions, the flight crew decided it wasn't safe to fly it on the day of the vent-and-burn, but it's unclear why the plane didn't make a pass over the derailment on its way into the area. EPA Response Coordinator Mark Durno has also said he believes the agency had enough sensors on the ground to effectively monitor the air and water as the derailed cars burned.

The agency said its air monitoring readings were below detection levels for most contaminants, except for particulate matter in the first two days after the derailment and air monitoring did not detect chemical contaminants at levels of concern in the hours following the controlled burn. Officials say data gleaned from more than 115 million readings since then doesn't show any sustained chemicals of concern in the air.

But many residents of the town who still complain of respiratory problems and unexplained rashes while worrying about the possibility of developing cancer have doubts about the EPA's assurances that their town and the creeks that run through it are safe. More than 177,000 tons of soil and over 67 million gallons of wastewater have been hauled away as part of the ongoing cleanup that's cost the railroad more than $1 billion.

The head of the NTSB has said her agency's investigation determined the vent-and-burn wasn't necessary because the tank cars were actually starting to cool off, confirming that a dangerous reaction wasnt happening inside them  something the chemical company had tried to tell officials. But the people who made the decision to blow open those tank cars said they were never told what OxyVinyls' experts determined. Instead, they heard only about the fears the tank cars might explode.

The EPA said the ASPECT plane's flights in East Palestine were consistent with past missions and the plane gathered the requested information, but that doesn't match Kroutil's experience.

The East Palestine derailment was the oddest response I ever observed with the ASPECT program in over two decades with the program, said Kroutil, who helped develop the program when he worked for the Defense Department after the 9/11 attacks demonstrated the need for such airborne monitoring over New York.

Kroutil said he retired in frustration in January and wants to share his concerns about the East Palestine mission. He said this incident was handled differently than the 180 other times the plane has been deployed since 2001. Some of those times, the plane was even sent out as a precaution to be nearby political conventions and Super Bowls just in case something happened.

You want to fly over a train derailment in the first five to 10 hours after the incident and while the fires are still burning. It is really advantageous if you have a plume. That big black plume ... is when you want to get in and collect data," Kroutil said. "The EPA ASPECT airplane should have made passes over the derailment site right away but certainly before the vent-and-burn. I think they chose not to know.

Kroutils former boss, Rick Turville, is the program manager for the ASPECT plane data interpretation at Kalman. He said he trusts Kroutil completely because he is one of the worlds preeminent experts in spectroscopy and he shares Kroutil's frustration about the plane not flying sooner. The experts Kalman employs knew about the disaster in East Palestine but couldnt act until the EPA deployed the plane.

These kind of fires or refinery fires, fertilizer plant explosions, they dont happen often, Turville said. But when they do, you got to be there and you got to be there quick. And thats how you save lives.

Fortunately, no one died in East Palestine but thousands of lives were upended after the derailment and the worries about future health problems wont go away.

The EPA manager in charge of the program, Paige Delgado, didnt immediately respond to an email sent to her Monday with questions about her actions.

Kroutil said he heard Delgado order the planes operator during the mission to shut down the chemical sensors when it flew over the creeks in East Palestine even though officials were concerned about chemicals reaching those waterways, potentially fouling drinking water supplies downstream on the Ohio River. Kroutil said his satellite link to the planes instruments confirmed those sensors were turned off.
Beijing, on Tuesday, warned that the imposition of new US tariffs on $18 billion worth of imports from the country could have a "severe impact" on the relationship between US and China, as per a report by news agency AFP.

This will severely affect the atmosphere for bilateral cooperation, China's commerce ministry was quoted as saying by AFP.

Beijing urged the US to "promptly correct its erroneous actions and revoke the additional tariff measures imposed on China."

On Tuesday, the White House announced a tariff hike on $18 billion worth of imports from China, targeting key sectors such as electric vehicles, batteries, steel, and vital minerals.

This decision coincides with President Joe Biden's preparation for the upcoming November election, where he is expected to face Republican rival Donald Trump again. Administration officials criticized Trump's trade policies as they unveiled the tariff increase.

The tariff rate for electric vehicles is scheduled to increase fourfold to 100 percent this year, while the rate for semiconductors will rise from 25 percent to 50 percent by next year, according to the White House.

This action comes after a reassessment of tariffs implemented amid a trade dispute between Washington and Beijing, during which former President Trump imposed levies on approximately $300 billion worth of Chinese goods.

The so-called Section 301 investigation served as the principal basis for the tariffs under the Trump administration, and the US Trade Representative is obligated to assess the impact of these levies every four years.

In response to the announcement, Beijing expressed strong opposition, issuing stern objections. It accused Washington of politicizing and manipulating economic and trade matters, labeling it as a classic instance of political manipulation.
OMAHA, Neb.  A large group of Republican attorneys general on Monday took legal action against the Biden administration and California over new emissions limits for trucks.

Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers is leading the group of GOP attorneys general who filed a petition with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to overturn an Environmental Protection Agency rule limiting truck emissions.

A separate lawsuit against California claims a phased-in ban on internal-combustion trucks is unconstitutional and will hurt the U.S. economy.

Hilgers in a statement said the EPA and California rules will devastate the trucking and logistics industry, raise prices for customers, and impact untold number of jobs across Nebraska and the country.

Theres not one trucking charging station in the state of Nebraska, Hilgers later told reporters. Trying to take that industry, which was built up over decades with diesel and fossil fuels-based infrastructure, and transforming it to an electric-based infrastructure  its probably not feasible.

EPA officials have said the strict emissions standards will help clean up some of the nations largest sources of planet-warming greenhouse gases.

The new EPA rules are slated to take effect for model years 2027 through 2032, and the agency has said they will avoid up to 1 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the next three decades.

Emissions restrictions could especially benefit an estimated 72 million people in the U.S. who live near freight routes used by trucks and other heavy vehicles and bear a disproportionate burden of dangerous air pollution, the agency has said.

A spokesperson for the EPA declined to comment on the legal challenge to the new rules Monday, citing the pending litigation.

California rules being challenged by Republican attorneys general would ban big rigs and buses that run on diesel from being sold in California starting in 2036.

An email seeking comment from Californias Air Resources Board was not immediately answered Monday.

California has been aggressive in trying to rid itself of fossil fuels, passing new rules in recent years to phase out gas-powered cars, trucks, trains and lawn equipment in the nations most populous state. Industries, and Republican leaders in other states, are pushing back.

Another band of GOP-led states in 2022 challenged Californias authority to set emissions standards that are stricter than rules set by the federal government. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit last month ruled that the states failed to prove how Californias emissions standards would drive up costs for gas-powered vehicles in their states.

States that joined Nebraska's latest action against the EPA are: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.

States that joined Nebraska's lawsuit against California are: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Ballentine contributed to this report from Columbia, Missouri.
Sai Varshith Kandula, a 20-year-old permanent US resident from India, has pleaded guilty to an attack on the White House with the intention of overthrowing the US government and establishing a dictatorship inspired by Nazi Germany. The announcement was made by a US attorney following Kandulas admission in a US court.

Residing in St. Louis, Missouri, Kandula executed his plan on May 22 last year by driving a rented truck into the White Houses perimeter, aiming to breach the security and seize control of the government, as outlined in his plea agreement.

Details of the incident and motivation After flying from St. Louis to Washington DC on a one-way ticket, Kandula rented a truck at Dulles International Airport. He then drove to the White House, crashing into its barriers at 9:35 pm after making a brief stop for food and gas. Following the crash, which caused pedestrians to flee, he attempted a second breach, during which his truck malfunctioned. Kandula was arrested at the scene by the US Park Police and the Secret Service after displaying a Nazi Swastika flag.

US Attorney Matthew Graves stated that Kandulas motivations were to "replace the democratically elected government with a dictatorship based on the ideology of Nazi Germany," and he was prepared to assassinate US officials, including the president, to achieve his aims.

Consequences and upcoming sentencing The attack caused substantial financial damage, costing over $50,000 to U-Haul International and $4,322 to the National Park Service for repairs and cleanup. The Department of Justice indicated that Kandula had been planning the attack for weeks, demonstrating a persistent effort to fulfil his plot.

US District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich has scheduled Kandula's sentencing for August 23.
The top diplomats from South Korea and China held their first face-to-face talks in Beijing in some six years, showing differences over US policies on chip exports and North Koreas nuclear ambitions.

South Koreas Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Chinas Wang Yi agreed in their talks Monday to cooperate for a trilateral summit with Japan to be held soon in Seoul, South Koreas Foreign Ministry said. Seoul has said the meeting could take place on May 26-27.

The trilateral summits have been on hold since 2019 due to the pandemic and political tensions. China has been feeling pressure as Japan and South Korea moved closer to Washington in recent years. The US and its two key allies in Asia have raised their security cooperation to some of the highest levels in decades, largely because of concern about North Koreas behavior and China becoming more assertive militarily.

Wang pledged to work with South Korea to improve ties, according to a statement from Chinas Foreign Ministry, and appeared to reference Beijings concern about Seouls closer relations with Washington.

He urged South Korea to abide by the one-China principle by properly and prudently handling Taiwan-related issues, according to the statement. Both sides should jointly oppose trade protectionism, safeguard the free international trading regime, and ensure the stability and smoothness of the production and supply chains, he said.

Read More: China, Japan, South Korea Aim to Hold Summit in May, Reports Say

Cho also expressed concern over North Koreas growing military cooperation with Russia and asked China to use its influence on Pyongyang to rein in Kim Jong Uns nuclear weapons program. Beijing has been Pyongyangs biggest benefactor for years, providing a lifeline that has kept its economy afloat. China has also called on the US and its partners to do more to bring stability to the peninsula.

Read More: US Commander Warns China Fast Becoming More Aggressive in Region

Seoul has accused North Korea of accelerating its weapons development in recent years and sending munitions to Russia for its war on Ukraine in return for food, raw materials and parts for arms manufacturing. South Korean officials say the cooperation could increase Kims threat to the region. Pyongyang and Moscow have denied the accusations about their trade activities.

The meeting of foreign ministers also took place under the shadow of an intensifying US-China rivalry for chip supremacy.

Washington has imposed a wall of restrictions to deny Beijing access to the latest semiconductors, and the Biden administration is enlisting its partners to adopt export controls on sophisticated equipment needed to make the most advanced chips.

Read More: Global Chips Battle Intensifies With $81 Billion Subsidy Surge

South Korea has the biggest market share of memory chips in China, and it is the second-largest provider of silicon wafers for Chinese companies after Japan, according to a February report from the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy.

On the economic front, data this year showed that exports to the US overtook China as the biggest market for South Korean goods abroad for the first time in two decades.

The upcoming trilateral summit will be the first major test on diplomatic front for South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol as he tries to maintain the momentum for the remaining three years of his term after suffering a major defeat in parliamentary elections last month.

The last time a South Korean foreign minister visited Beijing for direct talks was in late 2017, though Wang met former South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin in Busan in November 2023.

With assistance from Jacob Gu.
In a relief to thousands of students from India who are planning to go to the United Kingdom this year, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) recommended the continuation of the graduate route work visa, also known as PSW or post-study work visa, in its current form.

This visa enables international students to work for two years in the UK after graduating from a British university such as a Russell Group university (top institutions) like Oxford, Cambridge or LSE, or a non-Russell Group one such as Sussex, SOAS and University of West London.

For the unversed, the committee was entrusted with the task by Home Secretary James Cleverly to review the graduate route visa and submit the report on May 14.

Key findings of the report: Will the graduate rote visa be axed, as was anticipated by some sections of students and agents? No, the visa category will continue in its current form, the MAC report has noted.

During the review, did they find that the objectives of introducing this category were met? It is mentioned in the report that there was a target of six lakh international students in the UK which was meant to be achieved by 2030. However, this target has been met way before the deadline. While it is difficult to assess the contribution of the graduate route towards meeting of this target, the review shows it has played a major role.

Based on our analysis, the graduate route is broadly achieving its objectives and supporting the International Education Strategy. We recommend retaining the graduate route in its current form, the report reads.

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Is there any abuse of the graduate route? The committee categorically mentioned that there was no evidence of widespread abuse of this visa category i.e., graduate route. The risks of abuse are low on account of the limited number of conditions the route imposes. However, the report mentions that the exploitation may be happening because of poor practices by agents who may be mis-selling UK higher education.

How many Indians make use of the visa? It was highlighted that a total of 1.14 lakh graduate route visas were issued in 2023, and another 30,000 were given to dependants. The report highlighted that the use of the graduate route was highest among four countries which are India, China, Pakistan and Nigeria  thus comprising 70 per cent of all graduate visas, out of which India alone accounted for 40 per cent, i.e. a total of 45,600.

The majority of those (91 per cent) on the graduate route finished their Taught Masters degree. Interestingly, most of the growth is from postgraduate courses of non-premier universities (known as non-Russell Group), accounting for 66 per cent of all graduate visas.

Is the graduate visa undermining the quality of the UK university system? The report concluded that the PSW (post study work) route is not undermining the quality of the UK university system. Under the current models, this route is enabling universities to expand the range of courses they offer while compensating for financial losses they incur on domestic students and research.

This visa has also contributed to diversifying the range of universities which benefit from the financial contribution made by global student body.

What work do graduate visa holders do during and after their time on the route and are they contributing to the economy? It was highlighted that the graduate visa holders generally find lower-paid work (such as in health and care occupations), but this does not remain forever. Their outcomes happen to improve gradually, over a period of time.

After one year, it was observed, their earnings do not deviate too much from those of locals, eespecially 15 months after their studies complete.
The much-anticipated meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping has bene finalized now. Putin will meet Jinping during his two-day state visit to China starting on Thursday, May 16, confirmed the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

"At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin will pay a state visit to China from May 16 to 17," Shina Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying announced on Tuesday.

According to reports, Russia also confirmed the trip and said Putin was going on Xi's invitation. The Kremlin was quoted by PTI as saying that this will be Putin's first foreign trip since he was sworn in as president and began his fifth term in office.

What will Putin-Jinping discuss? "Russian President Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping will discuss the conflict in Ukraine as well as energy and economic cooperation," Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, another China's foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the two leaders would discuss cooperation in various fields of bilateral relations ... as well as international and regional issues of common concern.

The Kremlin noted that it is planned to sign a joint statement of the heads of state following talks and several bilateral documents.

During his visit, Putin will travel to two cities: Beijing and Harbin. This will be Putins second visit to China in about eight months. Also, this year marks the 75th anniversary of China-Russia diplomatic relations.

What does the Putin-Jinping meeting signify? The latest between the two world leaders is seen as a show of unity between the two key allies against the US-led Western liberal global order. The meeting hold significance in the wake of the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, attacks in the Red Sea and tensions between Israel and Iran.

CNN reported that Putin's China visit mirrors Xi's own state visit to Moscow just over a year ago, where he had marked the norm-shattering start of a new term as president  like Putin.

Vladimir Putin was sworn in as President of Russia for the record fifth term during his inauguration ceremony on May 7, 2024. Last year, China's Xi Jinping was awarded a third five-year term as the countrys president Friday, putting him on track to stay in power for life.

Russia recently captured at least seven villages in Ukraine amid the ongoing "military operation". At this time, "Russia is looking to stabilize his countrys relations with China, including trade and energy," Zhao Minghao, a professor at the Institute of International Studies in Shanghai told Washington Post.

Moreover, Putin-Jinping's meeting comes just a few months ahead of the US Presidential elections, especially when Washington is under the fire over its support for Israel amid the Gaza war.

While Xi regards his ties with Putin as counter to the US' increasing hostility towards China, which Beijing says is aimed at countering its rise, there is unease here over Putins continuation of the Ukraine war, PTI reported.

The meeting stands crucial for Xi Jinping too, who recently visited Europe and held a trilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Now, Xi's meeting with Putin is broadly seen as an "opportunity to showcase that his allegiance to Putin has not broken his ability to engage with the West".
This year promises to be a whopper for elective government, with more than 40% of the worlds population able to vote in an election. But nearly five months into 2024, some government officials are wondering why the risk of AI hasnt apparently played out. Voters in Indonesia and Pakistan have gone to the polls with little evidence seen of viral deepfakes skewing outcomes, according to an article in Politico, which cited national security officials, tech company executives and outside watchdog groups." AI, they said, wasnt having the mass impact" they expected.

That is a painfully short-sighted view. The reason? AI may be disrupting elections right now and we just dont know it. The problem is that officials are looking for a Machiavellian version of the Balenciaga Pope. Remember the AI-generated images of Pope Francis in a puffer jacket that went viral last year?

Thats what many expect from generative AI tools that can conjure humanlike text, images and videos, making it just as easy to spot as previous campaigns that supported Donald Trump from Macedonia or spread divisive political content on Twitter and Facebook from Russia. So-called astroturfing was easy to identify when an array of bots was saying the same thing thousands of times.

It is harder to catch someone saying the same thing slightly differently thousands of times, though. That, in a nutshell, is what makes AI-led disinformation so much harder to detect. Its also why tech firms need to shift focus from virality to variety," says Josh Lawson, once head of electoral risk at Meta and now a director at Aspen Institute, a think-tank. Dont forget, he says, the subtle power of words.

Much of the public discourse on AI has been about images and deepfakes when we could see the bulk of persuasion campaigns could be based on text. Thats how you can really scale an operation without getting caught."

Metas WhatsApp makes that possible thanks to its Channels feature, which can webcast to thousands. You could use an open-source language model to generate and send legions of different text posts to Arabic speakers in Michigan, or message people that their local polling station at a school is flooded and that voting will take long, Lawson adds. Now something like an Arabic language operation is in reach for as low sophistication as the Proud Boys." A spokesman from Meta said that Channels isnt a free-for-all broadcast tool and that it could not be used to target specific users.

The other problem is that AI tools are now widely used. Regular people can create and share disinformation. In March, fans of Donald Trump posted AI-generated fake photos of him surrounded by African-American supporters. Its ordinary people creating fan content," says Renee DiResta, a Stanford Internet Observatory researcher who specializes in election interference. Do they mean to be deceptive? Who knows?"

What matters is that with the cost of distribution already at zero, the cost of creation has come down too for everyone.To tackle this, Meta cant just try to limit certain images from getting lots of clicks and likes. AI spam doesnt need engagement to be effective. It just needs to flood the zone.

Meta is trying to address the problem by applying Made with AI labels to videos, images and audio on Facebook and Instagram, an approach that could be counter-productive if people begin to assume everything without a label is real. Another approach would be for Meta to focus on WhatsApp. In 2018, a flood of disinformation spread via this platform in Brazil targeting Fernando Haddad of the Workers Party. Supporters of Jair Bolsonaro, who won the presidency, were reported to have funded the mass targeting.

Meta could better combat a repeat of thatwhich AI would put on steroidsif it brought its WhatsApp policies in line with those of Instagram and Facebook, specifically banning content that interferes with the act of voting. WhatsApps rules only vaguely ban content that purposefully deceives" and illegal activity."

A Meta spokesman said that this means the company would enforce on voter or election suppression." But clearer content policies would give Meta more authority to tackle AI spam on WhatsApp channels. You need that for proactive enforcement," says Lawson. If the company didnt think that was the case, it wouldnt have more specific policies against voter interference for Facebook and Instagram.

Smoking guns are rare with AI tools, thanks to their more diffuse and nuanced effects. We should prepare ourselves for more noise than signal as synthetic content pours onto the internet.

That means tech companies and officials should not be complacent about a lack of mass impact from AI on elections. Quite the opposite. bloomberg
In the modern workplace, the impact of board diversity on enterprise performance is of high relevance. The term board diversity describes the presence of people from different backgrounds in a companys leadership, including but not limited to gender, caste, age and professional expertise. This variety affects a companys overall performance and sustainability significantly.

The boards responsibility is to safeguard the interests of shareholders by holding management team responsible for its decisions and deeds. Through corporate governance, board directors aim to mitigate and even eliminate the principal-agent dilemma. They offer value by advising executives and overseeing management operations.

Gender diversification is at the forefront, with firms under pressure to appoint female directors, break glass ceilings and move towards gender parity. That many of them only meet the bare minimum regulatory requirement of having one female director is sometimes seen as proof of tokenism.

The 2023 edition of the Global 500 says 29 of these 500 big businesses are led by women CEOs. Thats up 20% from the previous years count, but the share is just 5.8%. The Global 500 trails the Fortune 500, where women now run 10.4% of businesses.

Research on board diversity shows that more women independent directors can lead to enhanced business success, and over half of all Fortune 500 companies have more than 40% non-male directors. As of January 2024, female directors had 20% of the total board seats in these businesses.

The relationship between board gender diversity and enterprise performance is a complex subject, but some conclusions can be drawn. Studies generally find a positive correlation between the proportion of women on boards and financial metrics like return on assets or equity (RoA and RoE). Some studies suggest the influence of other factors such as a companys cultural environment or industry.

For instance, diversity may have a positive impact on performance in certain sectors or in countries with strong gender- equality norms. Even if the financial performance link is weak in some enterprises with more female directors, research suggests potential benefits of board diversity beyond immediate finances. These include:

Improved decision-making: Diverse perspectives can lead to more comprehensive discussions and a wider range of ideas.

Enhanced risk management: Diversity might be better for identifying and mitigating potential risks.

Stronger corporate governance: Increased diversity can contribute to a more transparent and accountable board culture.

Reputation and talent acquisition: Firms with diverse boards are better able to attract and retain top talent and improve their public image.

A Credit Suisse study discovered that average RoE and RoA were higher in businesses with more gender-diverse boards. It is found that diverse boards are better at refuting presumptions, bringing new viewpoints to the table, producing better judgements and driving creative problem-solving. They also often benefit from a deeper comprehension of markets. Diverse boards tend to interact with a wider set of stakeholders, carry out efficient supervision and searching for alternate funding sources to avoid debt, the latter perhaps because of diverse views on risk.

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is increasingly considered a strategic driver of business performance, apart from being a moral imperative. Corporate diversity policies are often reflected in board diversity and vice-versa.

The presence of female board members surpassing the current regulatory requirement, as seen in some Indian businesses, is an encouraging sign. Also, a trend of increasing global participation, which brings wider viewpoints to the table. Yet, 41 companies listed on the National Stock Exchange do not even have a single woman director. Such businesses stand out and must do something about their diversity deficiency.

Why do India Incs boards have fewer women than they should? Some reasons:

Systemic biases: Subconscious behaviour could be a problem. Its possible that decision-makers, mostly men, unintentionally support candidates who meet traditional leadership stereotypes or look like them. This can mean qualified women are overlooked despite their qualifications.

Work-life balance challenges: The advancement of womens careers might be disproportionately impacted by societal expectations and the countrys scarcity of reliable childcare services. It is difficult to juggle highly demanding corporate roles with maternity or elder care.

Confidence and self-promotion: Studies reveal that women are less likely than males to promote themselves and tend to undervalue their qualifications. This may work against them in competitive settings where self-advocacy is an important factor.

Organizational haze: Women may find it difficult to strategically manage their careers if promotion criteria are unclear or if there are opaque routes to leadership.

Workplace hostility: Micro-aggressions, covert sexism and even outright discrimination can create a work environment that discourages women from trying to achieve leadership positions.

Gender diversity in businesses will get a fair run and chance to meet its potential once we eliminate all biases against women. This demands a shift away from male-dominated management mindsets.
For efficiency, the form of an instrument must follow its function. This logic applies to Indias defence too, which is why there is no valid argument against aligning our armed forces to focus on potential theatres of war. How well we fare could depend on how well were geared for hostilities on a particular frontbe it western, northern or maritime. As a departure from the legacy of different forces armed and trained apart for land, air and sea combat, it may seem disruptive to go in for a theatre-focused overhaul, but a better fighting stance would be worth the effort.

This rationale is well understood in policy and defence circles. Yet, the going has been slow. Nearly half a decade after the country appointed its first chief of defence staff (CDS) to oversee this project, reports recently surfaced of a concrete plan for integrated theatre commands (ITCs) to replace the old command system. As proposals go, it is inarguably pragmatic in terms of the leadership roles and command centres it envisages.

Apart from a CDS on top of an apex apparatus for defence, the reported plan would have a vice-CDS appointed of a generals rank (or equivalent) to look after strategic planning, capability development and procurement matters. It also envisions a deputy CDS of a lieutenant-generals level to overlook operations, intelligence and asset allocations. For the idea of getting Indias Army, Navy and Air Force into joint formats for action in specific theatres to prove effective, how the chain of command will work is crucial.

Under the plan, as reported, all forces assigned to the western theatre facing Pakistan will be under Jaipurs army base as their command headquarters, those braced for China in the northern theatre will be placed under the Lucknow base, and Indias joint sea-facing forces will be commanded by a base in Coimbatore.

While the three existing service chiefs will continue to lead their three classic forces designed for land, air and sea warfare, combat operations will be led by top-bracket officers who have a strategic view of an entire theatre in all its satellite-scanned complexity. Who will perform which role is expected to be chalked out later, as also the details of how armaments and other resources will be carved up or shared to optimize their use.

While care must be taken to ensure no reckless moves are made that might expose chinks in our armour, the adoption of a defence shield based on task-oriented ITCs should not be prolonged beyond a point. Crucially, it must not distract our strategists from the challenge of an equipment upgrade and all that it would imply if our forces are pressed into action. The very concept of military command is under debate, globally, and we must keep pace with evolving doctrines. This is not just about taking a posture on nuclear weapons thats strictly in line with their stated purpose.

Tech-enabled warfare has shrunk the old gaps between identifying a target, taking a decision, and acting upon it, as AI algorithms can do all three in a flash without any human restraint. This poses a dilemma. Studies on new technologies are usually kept under wraps, but the collateral damage that autonomous weapons may cause is reason enough to deploy these with extreme caution.

The extent to which we are ready to tolerate inaccurate AI-led strikes must have a consensus not only among military commanders, but among the rest of us as well. Lets align forces to fend off threats the best way we can, but also aim for utmost accuracy in our use of firepower.
Having displaced the US, China is back in the top spot as Indias biggest trade partner, with bilateral trade hitting $118.4 billion in fiscal 2023-24, according to Global Trade Research Initiative data. This was made up of $101.7 billion in imports by India, up 3.2%, and $16.7 billion in Indian exports, up 8.7%. The sharp difference is evidence of Indias heavy reliance on Chinese goods despite efforts at reduction.

Production-linked incentives have raised local manufacturing in some categories, but a greater weaning away from China would need a gargantuan expansion of factory output in India. A decoupling may not be possible beyond a point, given how cheaply Chinese factories churn out so many products we need. Free-trade advocates argue that its useful to import from China what its better at making.

But we also need to boost exports to China, as the trade traffic right now is too lopsided. While our economy only needs to maintain a broad external balance, geopolitical complexities have made many countries worry about supply risks. Reducing our exposure to China may be prudent in this context too.
Amid world-shaking crises in the Middle East, Europe and the Indo-Pacific, the news from Niger might seem unimportant. Yes, American troops are making an ignominious withdrawal as Russian forces sashay into the same Nigerien air base hosting U.S. personnel. And yes, until last Julys coup Niger was a poster child for American democracy efforts in Africa and the foundation for U.S. counterterrorism strategy in the region.

Today, the American-backed, democratically elected president is a prisoner in his official residence, and the coup leaders are working with Russias Wagner Group.

How much does Niger really matter? Though large (about twice the size of Texas), its landlocked and mostly desert. It has substantial uranium reserves and other minerals, including gold, but nothing that cant be found elsewhere.

With roughly 26 million people and a gross domestic product of about $15 billion, it is one of the worlds poorest and least developed countries. Since achieving nominal independence from France in 1960, Niger has lurched between ineffective intervals of civilian and military rule.

Let Vladimir Putin have it, most Americans would say if they thought about Niger at all. Under normal circumstances, U.S. secretaries of state wouldnt spend much time thinking about Niger or its neighbors. But these arent normal times.

Russias power move in Niger is part of a broader pattern. From Libya to South Africa, Mr. Putin is capitalizing on American and Western mistakes to acquire lucrative mineral resources, complicate Western security planning, and enhance the Kremlins ability to evade sanctions.

Not since the British East India Co. built an empire from the ruins of Mughal power has a semiprivate mercenary company enjoyed as much success as the Wagner Group has in Africa.

Wagner operatives have capitalized on widespread hatred of France and the inability of feeble Western-backed governments to deliver much in the way of security, prosperity or education. Their operatives have made fortunes in gold, diamonds and other minerals for themselves and their Kremlin patrons while delivering one humiliation after another to the West.

For Mr. Putin, the benefits of his Africa strategy are clear. Wagners operations make billions of dollars. Some of that flows to the oligarch community around Mr. Putin, helping him keep his minions happy. Some of it underwrites the Ukraine war. And Wagners links to mining operations and governments across Africa allow for lots of money laundering and sanctions evasion that further help Mr. Putin wage war.

Why has the West been so hapless? In part because this is a difficult part of the world to do business in. Most governments are weak, tribal loyalties matter more than formal institutions, borders are loose, and civil societies are fragmented.

In addition, almost everyone in the region hates France, the former colonial power and traditionally the most active outside force there. But its also because the U.S. foreign-policy system has designated Africa policy as a kind of laboratory for human-rights activism and democracy promotion.

Until recently, Africa mattered little in the calculations of American business or the national-security bureaucracy. Compared with other regions of the world, Africa attracted relatively little American foreign investment, and its importance to American military planners paled before the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East and Europe.

The absence of competing voices in American policy debates gives development nongovernmental organizations, other activist groups and their governmental allies, such as the U.S. Agency for International Development, disproportionate power to shape policy for the region.

That is unfortunate, because the Sahel is a place where the conditions for the sustainable rise of democratic societies largely dont exist. As a result, much American activity in the region consists of pursuing nebulous democracy and development objectives that we never reach.

Bad human-rights policy isnt merely futile. It can be murderous. Many of the regions problems can be traced to the Wests intervention in the 2011 Libyan civil warthe decision that unleashed a series of catastrophes that, one hopes, disturbs the slumber of the naive and arrogant human-rights crusaders who buffaloed Barack Obama into one of the most ill-considered steps of his presidency.

This foolish act ushered in more than a decade of misery and war in Libya. It also sent cascades of weapons into the fragile Sahel while loosening the restraint that Moammar Gadhafis regime, for all its faults, had imposed on jihadist groups.

Three decades of development aid, democracy promotion and human rights activism by Western diplomats and NGO staffers have culminated in the Wagner Groups conquests in Africa, just as 20-plus years of American social engineering failed to sideline the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Hope isnt a plan. Team Biden needs to rethink its Africa policy. Until the West absorbs the lessons of past failures, Wagner will continue to roll.
Aashir Sinha, the son of former Union minister and BJP MP Jayant Sinha, joined the Congress in Jharkhand on Monday. The move came a major blow to the BJP amid the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Aashir Sinha is also the grandson of former Union minister Yashwant Sinha.

Aashir Sinha joined the Jharkhand Congress in the presence of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Hindustan reported on Monday.

The development came days after Aashir's father Jayant Sinha was denied a ticket to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Hazaribagh, from where he is currently an MP. The BJP fielded MLA Manish Jaiswal from Hazaribagh against Congresss Jai Prakash Bhai Patel. The Lok Sabha seat goes to polls on May 20.

The change of face in Hazaribagh didnt go well with Sinha loyalists, a party leader was quoted by the PTI as saying. Meanwhile, the Indian Express reported that this is the first time since 1998 that no member of Yashwant Sinhas family is contesting polls from Hazaribagh.

This is why one of the family members has joined Congress to pull the traditional vote bank of Yashwant Sinha, a Congress source was quoted as syaing..

In March this year, MP Jayant Sinha had requested BJP president JP Nadda to relieve him from direct electoral duties. In a post on X, Jayant Sinha said, I have requested Honble Party President Shri JP Nadda to relieve me of my direct electoral duties so that I can focus my efforts on combating global climate change in Bharat and around the world."

Jharkhand started voting for its 14 Lok Sabha seats since May 13. The elections in the state will take place in four phases.

The BJP is contesting from 13 constituencies as per a seat-sharing pact with ally AJSU Party which will field its candidate from Giridih Lok Sabha seat.

Barring three, the BJP has given tickets to those who have come to the party either ahead of the Lok Sabha polls or earlier. This has sent a bad signal to the old-timers. What comes as a shock to us is the nomination of Baghmara MLA Dulu Mahto for the Dhanbad constituency. The party dropped sitting MP Pashupati Nath Singh. This has triggered a revolt among a section of our workers and upper caste voters, a BJP activist told PTI.

Accorsing to the seat-sharing pact of the JMM-led alliance in the state, the Congress would contest seven seats and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha five. The RJD and CPI(ML) are contesting one seat each.
The Srinagar parliamentary constituency, which went to polling on May 13, recorded a voter turnout of about 38 per cent. This marks the highest turnout in the constituency since the 1996 general elections when it saw 40.9 per cent of voters exercising their franchise.

Comprising volatile old city and other areas of Srinagar district, as well as Budgam, Ganderbal, Pulwama and Shopian, the constituency has witnessed low voter turnout in the last few decades during Lok Sabha elections.

The constituency has recorded 14.43 per cent turnout in 2019, 25.86 per cent in 2014, 25.55 per cent in 2009, 18.57 per cent in 2004, 11.93 per cent in 1999, 30.06 per cent in 1998 and 40.94 per cent in 1996 general election. No election was held in 1991 due to turmoil in the valley.

Departure from previous elections In a departure from previous elections, Mondays polling in Srinagar was held without any boycott calls from any group. This perhaps explains why people enthusiastically flaunted their fingers with indelible ink mark after casting votes, another rarity in Kashmir.

This time, there was no boycott, and no polling station recorded zero per cent votes, which speaks of peoples firm trust in the democratic system as imperative for their overall welfare," Chief Election Officer, Pandurang K Pole, said.

The CEO attributed the high turnout to improved security and law and order environment in last few years, and more importantly, a strong belief of the voters that it is the ballot which can lead to sustainable development in the region, among other things.

Some voters said their choice was driven by hope for a better future. I know three MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha is nothing numerically. At least we can have three leaders represent us in the Lok Sabha, said Mudasir Bhat, a voter from Bemina suburb. One of the three parliamentary seats of Kashmir, Srinagar, was among the 96 seats that voted in Phase 4 of Lok Sabha elections across ten states and J&K UT on May 13.

The Post Article 370 Polls The Lok Sabha Elections 2024 mark the first general elections in the erstwhile state since the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution in August 2019 by the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP)-ruled Union government.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi applauded the people of Srinagar for the encouraging turnout, saying that the abrogation of Article 370 has enabled people to fully express their potential and aspirations.

The BJP has not fielded any candidate in any of the three seats in Kashmir, including Srinagar. The contest in Srinagar is perceived to be between candidates from two regional parties, the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Both these parties had been vocal critics of the Centres decision to scrap Article 370 and 35A in August 2019.

Though rivals, but NCs Aga Ruhullah and PDPs Waheed Para have separately sought votes from people against the revocation of special status in 2019.

BJP Proxies in Fray The Altaf Bukhari-led JK Apni Party (AP) has fielded former minister Mohammad Ashraf Mir for the Srinagar seat. The AP candidate is backed by Sajad Lones JK Peoples Conference (PC). Both AP and PC are rumoured to be political parties close to the BJP, a charge they have denied.

The elections on Monday were held in a different political context. From what I understand, people have voted for the two main regional parties undermined by the Centre in recent times. We will know who wins later, but a relatively better turnout is a positive sign, said Noor Ahmad Baba, who retired as a professor of political science at the University of Kashmir. The turnout would have been higher, had BJP fielded its candidate, he said.

Many in Kashmir said that Mondays vote was against the decision of scrapping Article 370. We havent had an elected government since 2018. Who do you go for getting your work done when you have no local representative? We have had enough boycott calls now. We too want to prosper in life like others, said a voter in downtown Srinagar who did not want to be named.

Vote for Regional Parties Political analyst Siddiq Wahid said that the high turnout demonstrates that Kashmir was eager to voice its concern about its loss of voice.
Sushil Kumar Modi, former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, passed away on May 13 after an eight-month battle with cancer. The veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was 72.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first politicians to express condolences on Sushil Modis demise, hailing him for playing an invaluable role in the rise and success of BJP in Bihar.

Man behind BJPs rise in Bihar Sushil Modi is often credited for the saffron party's ascendance in Bihar, becoming the state's tallest leader of the BJP after Kailashpati Mishra, the former Finance Minister of Bihar.

The BJPs rise in Bihar began when it emerged as the principal Opposition party in 1995. Twenty-five years later, it became the second-largest party in the 2020 Bihar assembly elections, with 74 seats in the 243-member state assembly.

Currently, the saffron partys numbers in the Bihar assembly exceed that of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United), which has 43 members. Nonetheless, Nitish Kumar remains the Chief Minister of the state's National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.

Three-decade-long political career Sushil Modi entered active politics in 1990 and successfully contested the assembly election from the now-abolished Patna Central Assembly seat. He was re-elected in 1995 and 2000.

In 2004, he was elected from the Bhagalpur Lok Sabha seat. However, in 2005, he resigned from the Lok Sabha and took over as the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. He was given the Finance Portfolio along with other departments. After the NDA victory in the 2010 Bihar assembly polls, Sushil continued as the state's Deputy Chief Minister.

Sushil Modi-Nitish Kumar ties Sushil Modi was instrumental in establishing BJPs ties with Nitish Kumar in Bihar. He served as the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar for about 11 years in two stints, first from November 2005 to June 2013 and then again from July 2017 to December 2020. During these two terms, Sushil established a strong rapport with Nitish Kumar.

Its a personal loss for me. We were together during the JP Movement. His death has created a vacuum in the political arena of the country as well as in Bihar, Nitish said in his condolence message for his former colleague.

Sushil Modi emerged as one of the prominent figures of the JP Movement in Bihar, alongside former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar. Their association traces back to the JP Movement, where they first came in touch.

Nitish Kumar had often expressed regret over the sidelining of his trusted former deputy, who was shifted to Delhi with a Rajya Sabha berth in 2020.

The JP Movement leader The JP movement, also known as the Bihar movement, refers to a political uprising initiated by students against misrule and corruption in the Bihar government in 1974. The movement was led by the veteran socialist Jayaprakash Narayan, popularly known as JP.

Lalu called Sushil a friend of 51-52 years since our Patna University days while condoling his death. He was a committed and devoted leader, the RJD chief said.

Born in a Vaishya family in Bihar, Sushil Modi got involved in student politics while pursuing his BSc at Patna University. In the later years, he went on to become one of the prominent leaders of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Petitioner in Fodder Scam After Yashwant Sinha resigned as Leader of Opposition in 1996, Sushil Modi took charge and single-handedly took on the RJD, according to a report in the Indian Express. Sushil Modi was one of the five petitioners in the fodder scam in which Lalu Prasad Yadav was convicted.

Sushil Modi often took pride in having been one of the litigants in the petition on which the Patna High Court ordered that the infamous fodder scam be investigated by the CBI, which later submitted a charge sheet forcing Lalu Prasad to step down in 1997, but only to replace himself with his wife, Rabri Devi.

Sushil Modi was the leader of the opposition in the Bihar assembly till 2004, when he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Bhagalpur. A year later, however, the RJD-Congress combine was routed in the state assembly polls, and Sushil Modi was back in Bihar as the deputy to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. He was also made BJP President of the Bihar unit.

In April 2024, Sushil Modi announced his inability to participate in the Lok Sabha election 2024 due to his battle with cancer.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh charged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in a confused state and his language indicates the zehar (poison) being infused in public discourse by the ruling party.

We are fighting this election to save the Constitution. We have given 5 'Nyays' for Lok Sabha elections. We have also made 10 promises for Assembly elections, ANI quoted Congress leader Jairam Ramesh as saying in an election rally in Odisha's capital Bhubaneswar.

Also read: Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Prime Minister Narendra Modi files nomination from Varanasi He further alleged that the PM has acknowledged the discontent among farmers, youth, laborers, women, and backward classes. "It is clear from PM Modi's language that he is confused...Sometimes he talks about Hindu-Muslim, Muslim League, and Mangalsutra. He has realised that the farmers, youth, labourers, women and backward classes are upset with him. This election is extremely important for us. There is no 'lehar' only 'zehar' in the PM's language," Ramesh said.

Jairam Ramesh took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) urging PM Modi to answer queries regarding his failures in Varanasi before filing his nomination. The three questions put forth by the Congress leader are:

After spending  20,000 crore, why has the Ganga gotten dirtier?

20,000 crore, why has the Ganga gotten dirtier? "Why has the PM abandoned the Varanasi villages he had adopted?"

Why is the PM determined to destroy Mahatma Gandhis legacy in Varanasi? Also read: PM Modi in Varanasi LIVE: PM files nomination for Lok Sabha election Jairam Ramesh alleged that PM Modi had pledged to clean the waters of the Holy Ganga when he visited Varanasi in 2014 and had said Maa Ganga ne mujhe bulaya hain. However, soon after coming to power, he rebranded the existing Operation Ganga as Namami Gange costing over Rs. 20,000 crore in 2024. He cited data to prove his claims about increasing pollution levels in the water of Ganga river.

His post read, Outside the city of Varanasi lie 8 villages that have had the misfortune of being adopted by the outgoing PM. A March 2024 ground report found that despite big promises of smart schools, health facilities and housing, the villages have seen absolutely no progress in 10 years. 

Also read: PM Modi exhorts public to come and 'vote in large numbers' amid the ongoing Phase 4 of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 He accused PM Modi of following Godse's ideology instead of the Mahatma's, and charged that PM Modi was destroying the Sarwa Sewa Sangh, a Gandhian institute started by Acharya Vinobha Bhave. He alleged that the iconic campus was taken over by the Indian Railways in August 2023.
Google I/O 2024 event kicks off today at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California, with a keynote address by Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai. Meanwhile, Google is also expected to announce many major upgrades during the I/O 2024 event, including announcements regarding Android 15, Gemini AI integration in key apps, and the latest update to Wear OS.

When and where to watch Google I/O 2024?

Google I/O 2024 keynote speech by Sundar Pichai will be live-streamed via the company's official YouTube channel from 10:00 am Pacific Time (10:30 pm India time). In order to cut down the hassle, we have embedded a direct streaming link for the keynote speech below.

Google I/0 2024: All the expected announcements

In stark contrast to its hardware announcements, Google has managed to remain tight-lipped about its plans for I/O 2024. In fact, there isn't much information about the event apart from a few leaks and the official event schedule released by the company.

1) Hardware annoucements:

While I/O has traditionally been a software-focused event, Google has made many hardware announcements in the past. Last year, for example, the company launched the Pixel 7a and its first-ever Pixel Fold at I/O.

This year, however, Google has already announced the Pixel 8a, which will go on sale from today. Meanwhile, reports suggest that Google may not launch its Pixel Fold 2 smartphone at this year's I/O event. Instead, we could get a teaser for its upcoming foldable device, which is now expected to launch with the Pixel 9 series in September and also get a rebranding to Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

Google is still expected to spend some time talking about the newly launched Pixel 8a, and might even highlight its AI prowess thanks to the Gemini AI integration.

2) Android 15:

The wait is over for Android enthusiasts as Google is expected to reveal new features and the release date of Android 15 at its I/O 2024 event. The latest version of Android is currently in beta and can only be tested on Pixel devices.

Android 15 isn't expected to bring a major overhaul in terms of design, but it could instead include many upgrades that could help improve user privacy, productivity, and security. Google's latest operating system will also include many new features, including satellite connectivity, audio sharing, notification cooldown, app archiving and partial screen sharing.

3) Gemini AI everywhere:

Google is expected to add Gemini AI functionality to a wide range of applications, including Google Maps, Chrome, Google Workspace, Gmail and more. Gemini is also expected to play a more central role in all future Android devices, likely pushing Google Assistant to the sidelines.

Google is also expected to unveil a new Pixel-exclusive virtual assistant powered by Gemini called 'Pixie'. The new assistant could receive multimodal capabilities, meaning it might not be limited to text or voice input, but users might also be able to share images with Pixie.

4) Wear OS 5:

Google has finally decided to give its operating system for wearables a much-needed upgrade. However, the company has notoriously been tight-lipped about all the new features that will be coming to Wear OS 5.

A description of the Wear OS5 session states that the new operating system will include advances in the Watch Face format, along with how to build and design for an increasing range of devices.

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Personnel chief of Russia's Defence Ministry detained on criminal charges

Moscow, May 14 (UNI) Lieutenant General Yuri Kuznetsov, the head of the Main Personnel Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defence, has been detained on criminal charges, Russia's TASS news agency reported on Tuesday.

Searches were conducted at Kuznetsov's workplace and residence, the report said, without disclosing further details of the criminal case.

From 2010 to 2023, Kuznetsov served as the head of the 8th Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, which is in charge of protecting state secrets within the Ministry of Defence.
Consequential pieces of evidence that may weigh heavily into the prosecution and defense of Bryan Kohberger are the focus of a pair of closed-door hearings this week as his high-profile murder case works itself nearer a trial.

Kohbergers defense, led by public defender Anne Taylor, has alleged that prosecutors have intentionally kept from them key records and details about the University of Idaho student homicides that are due through the legal process known as discovery.

Theyve filed several motions with the court to compel prosecutors to give up the evidence so they can do their own investigation and build their clients legal defense.

The state knows full well what they have and what theyre withholding from us, Taylor said at a hearing earlier this month with Kohberger seated at her side. We dont know what theyre going to show, but we know they exist.

The states approach with some of the evidence has led to delays in allowing the defense to prepare for trial  and also contributed to delaying the case from even getting to trial, she said.

Now, 18 months since the homicides, the case already has cost Idaho taxpayers more than $3.6 million, an Idaho Statesman investigation found.

Despite the defenses repeated legal demands, Taylor said prosecutors have for months been unwilling to provide them with specific evidence that police relied on in the probable cause affidavit for Kohbergers arrest.

That includes cellphone tower data, drive test information and the full video and audio of a white sedan near the King Road house in Moscow where the crime took place, she said.

Kohberger, 29, a Pennsylvania man enrolled in a Washington State University graduate program at the time, is accused of the stabbing deaths of four UI students in November 2022.

He owned and drove a white 2015 Hyundai Elantra sedan. The student victims were seniors Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, both 21, junior Xana Kernodle and freshman Ethan Chapin, both 20. The three women lived at the off-campus house, and Chapin was staying over for the night with Kernodle, who was his girlfriend.

Kohberger is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary and is eligible for the death penalty if convicted.

The judge handling the case entered a plea of not guilty for Kohberger when he chose to stay silent at his arraignment last year.

Prosecutors previously sought to restrict the defense from having access to some DNA records that the FBI produced while using a process known as investigative genetic genealogy, or IGG, to narrow the list of possible suspects.

Judge John Judge of Idahos 2nd Judicial District in Latah County ruled in the defenses favor and awarded them the contested records.

Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson, who is leading the case against Kohberger, rejected the defenses claims that the state has worked to prevent the release of certain evidence.

The characterization that were just consciously withholding information to frustrate the defense is utter nonsense, Thompson told the court earlier this month. That is not true. We will provide everything we can that is providable under the rules.
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Over 200 dairy farmers, and industry and political stakeholders, gathered for a major water quality event hosted by Lakeland Dairies on the award-winning Fitzpatrick family farm in Lisryan, Granard, Co. Longford.

The Lakeland Dairies event - Farming for a Better Future: Protecting our Waters showcased the proactive steps that derogation farmers like Eugene Fitzpatrick are successfully taking to enhance and protect water quality, a critical aspect of sustainable farming practices for the future. The Fitzpatrick family are well recognised for their commitment to high-quality dairy production and environmental stewardship. They previously won the Lakeland Dairies Milk Quality Award and have also represented the co-op at the Kerrygold/NDC Quality Milk Awards.

The gathering highlighted the broad economic and social benefits of the dairy industry, linked to current and future sustainability and protection of the environment.

Speakers included Dr. Leanne Roche from the Department of Agricultures Water Quality Division, Eddie Burgess from Teagascs Agricultural Catchment Programme and Dr. Joe Patton, Head of Dairy Knowledge Transfer with Teagasc. There were also speakers from Lakeland Dairies technical and advisory teams. They provided insights into the current status of water quality and the innovative measures being implemented by the sector to preserve and protect the environment, including significant carbon reduction initiatives achieving demonstrably positive results.

The event stressed the economic and social imperatives of retaining the Nitrates Derogation for Ireland. The derogation supports agricultural productivity and competitiveness in Ireland's unique pasture-based, outdoor-grazing system, which is essential for farm family incomes and the wellbeing of rural economies and communities.

Niall Matthews, Chairperson of Lakeland Dairies, emphasised the co-op's dedication to improving water quality across its catchment area.

"Our commitment is unwavering. We have invested in numerous programmes and projects to support our farmers and ensure the sustainability of our practices and I know that this reflects the unstinting commitment of all co-operatives and the agricultural community across Ireland, he stated.

The entire foundation of our world-class dairy industry is built on protecting and enhancing our water quality. As a co-op and as an industry, we are constantly striving to make improvements to our water quality, which is already good by EU standards. We are leaving no stone unturned in our efforts to drive water quality improvements with the ultimate aim of retaining the derogation, he added.

Niall Matthews urged attendees, especially those in influential positions including public representatives, to advocate strongly for the continuation of the Nitrates Derogation.

Now is the time for action; we must continue to promote the future sustainability of our high-quality, grass-based dairy production system and not simply take matters as others might seek to present them to us. This is a matter for our Government and elected representatives in Europe to fully understand that they must protect and ensure the future of Irish agriculture which is fully committed to sustainability and the preservation of our environmental credentials, Mr Matthews continued.

Matthews warned that the dairy industry would be greatly diminished if the derogation was lost.

The potential impact for the rural economy is unfathomable were the derogation to go. Farmers were the originators of the circular economy  money that comes into the farm is spent and invested locally. The dairy industry is projected to be worth some 17bn to the national economy and this would be greatly diminished were we to lose the derogation, he commented.

Matthews said that Lakeland Dairies has committed five full-time positions to the ASSAP programme and has co-funded research projects focusing on nutrient efficiency and sustainable farming practices.

These projects are within the co-operatives environmental, social and governance strategy Pathway to a Better Future, underpinned by incentives and advisory programmes for milk producers. Lakeland Dairies has also worked with Dairy Industry Ireland and Teagasc to deliver the recently announced 60m Farming for Water (European innovation Partnership), and with ICOS in support of its sustainability and bio-economy initiatives.

The event successfully highlighted the critical role of dairy farming in local economies and its effects on the economic landscape. It also underscored the importance of collaborative efforts to meet water quality targets and the need for a realistic timeline to measure improvements effectively.

"Ensuring the economic viability of dairy farming is crucial not only for the present but for the future generations as well. Farmers deserve fair compensation for their hard work, comparable to any other profession requiring similar dedication. Dairy farming fuels significant economic activity, creating jobs on farms and in related sectors such as milk processing, transport, and local services. This creates a multiplier effect, traditionally the backbone of our rural economy, supporting local businesses, Matthews commented.

With the stringent regulations under the nitrates derogation, our farmers have adopted advanced practices that once seemed overly ambitious but are now part of everyday farming life. Without the economic powerhouse that is dairying rural Ireland would face significant challenges, he added.

Matthews went on to say that Lakeland Dairies continues to lead by example.

Lakeland Dairies continues to lead by example, demonstrating the viability of sustainable dairy farming and the essential nature of industry support through initiatives like the Nitrates Derogation. We must all be proactive, work collectively towards water quality targets, and at the same time highlight a realistic timeline required to see our efforts deliver results. I am confident that Irish farmers have a shared commitment to the benefits of environmental farming, as they have had this for hundreds of years past and will continue to do so for hundreds of years into the future. That also requires firm ground to be provided by all our leaders and policy makers in support of this unequivocally important agenda for Ireland, Matthews concluded.
Sinn Fein TD for Longford-Westmeath, Deputy Sorcha Clarke, has called on the Government to address the shocking underfunding of eating disorder services in Ireland.

Nearing the end of 2023, figures found that adult hospital admissions for eating disorders were at an all-time high. It is said to be the highest in a decade, according to Deputy Clarke.

We must remember that the people who were admitted to hospital are only a fraction of the people experiencing eating disorders in Ireland. There are too many obstacles to receiving treatment in Ireland. This must change, she added.

She lashed the Government for treating rural Ireland as an afterthought.

Every single person experiencing an eating disorder deserves the appropriate care and support. There is a lack of adequate resources locally in Longford and across Ireland. Rural areas cannot continue to be treated as an afterthought by the government. It is a very concerning issue. Lack of adequate funding and support translates into inadequate support for individuals who need it the most, she commented.

She went on to say that urgency was required by the Government in dealing with the issue.

There has been a propensity from the Government to react to crises, rather than adequately plan for the future in terms of staffing resources and funding for these services. Underfunding of services results in long waiting times for treatment, a lack of specialised care facilities and limited access to necessary trained professionals. It can also be harmful to prevention and early intervention programmes.

The people of Longford-Westmeath cannot wait any longer.

We now need to see a sense of urgency by the government in addressing this crisis, she commented.

Deputy Clarke added that in 2023, there was no new funding allocated to deal with eating disorders.

The National Clinical Programme for Eating Disorders requires three new teams to be delivered each year to meet its target. 2023 saw no new funding allocated to eating disorders. 2024 will see new funding for just one eating disorder team. This is not good enough.

Sinn Fein in Government would fully fund the National Clinical Programme for Eating Disorders as laid out in our alternative budget. We would end the recruitment freeze in the HSE to be able to deliver these teams.

The Government is out of ideas and is now out of time. We need a change of Government. We need a Government that will listen and will act in the best interests of those with eating disorders, Deputy Clarke concluded.
Government Customer Care Hub

The Government e-Services Hub has expanded its services to include additional customer service counters as well as an enhanced eGov chat service which is operated by a dedicated eGov support team, and will act as a co-ordination centre to support cohesive public interactions across all Government departments and agencies.

To be known as the Customer Care Hub, this Department will provide a one-stop-shop for access to HMGoG services. The Customer Care Hub has a clear remit to foster open communication. Its mission is to be a welcoming customer-driven service that bridges gaps between the administrative Government and the public it serves.

Members of the public should always first contact relevant departments with any enquiries. Customers who are unable to resolve their issues or concerns with Government departments directly, may contact the Customer Care Hub, who will be happy to assist.

The Customer Care Hub welcomes walk-in enquiries at 323 Main Street. Opening hours are Monday to Thursday from 8:30am to 3:00pm, and Friday from 8:30am to 2:30pm (excluding Public Holidays).
A man who assaulted his ex-partner whose baby was in a severely malnourished state has been jailed for nine months.

The 40-year-old Dublin man, who can't be named for legal reasons, left his victim with a fractured nose as a result of the assault, which occurred in her home on May 14, 2020.

It was the defence case that the man became emotional when the woman asked him to come to her home to give her money for baby food and he found her 10-month-old child in a very bad state.

The woman told gardai that they had both been drinking and the man assaulted her over a row about her mobile phone. Neighbours who heard her screaming alerted gardai, who found both the man and the woman still present when they arrived.

The woman was bleeding, had a black eye and a swollen nose. She and her baby were taken to hospital, where the woman was found to have a fractured nose and deviated septum.

Hospital staff became extremely concerned at the condition of the baby, who looked like a two- or three-month-old infant, but was actually 10 months old at the time.

The baby was found to be severely malnourished and had not been taken care of. The baby's nappy had not been changed for several days and the home was found to be in disarray with no electricity or running water. The baby was kept in hospital for a number of days and has since been taken into care.

The court heard the man and woman were in a relationship between 2012 and 2019 and share an older child together. This child has been in the care of the man's father  the grandfather - since 2019.

Passing down sentence this Tuesday, Judge Orla Crowe said that while the man told gardai that a scuffle took place between them: It takes some hitting to cause a fracture and a deviation to the nose.

She noted the pair had been drinking prior to the incident and the court heard there were different versions of events in relation to what happened.

The man alleged that he gave the woman money for baby food and she went out to the shops while he minded the children, but that she returned an hour and a half later with no baby food. She alleged he was the one who went to the shops.

The woman is still before the courts in relation to the alleged child neglect.

Judge Crowe said the aggravating factors in the man's case were the extent of the injuries caused and the fact it was an unprovoked assault. He has 22 previous convictions for minor road traffic matters.

In mitigation, she noted he has an excellent work history and has worked consistently as a factory worker, scaffolder and labourer. A number of testimonials were handed into court on his behalf.

He pays regular maintenance to his child who is living with his father and sees this child regularly, the court heard.

Judge Crowe handed down a sentence of two years and three months, but suspended the final 18 months on a number of conditions, including that the man undergo anger management and domestic violence programmes and that he have no future contact with the woman.

He is to arrange future childcare access with the woman through a third party, the judge ruled.
Dublin Airport is trialling autonomous robot helpers to carry food and luggage and assist passengers on their journey.

The airport's Innovation Hub has deployed four new AI-powered robotic recruits, which will carry up to two cabin bags and have space for additional belongings which can be placed there to take the weight off our passengers who utilise them.

AI has landed in T1 with the introduction of the Dublin Airport Robots #DublinAirport #Ireland #AI pic.twitter.com/leEYGDGnjh  Dublin Airport (@DublinAirport) May 14, 2024

The robots were designed "with passengers journeys at its core" according to the airport, and alongside carrying luggage these robotic solutions will guide passengers to their gate.

For the duration of the trial, this will be from post-Terminal 1 security to gates 102 - 119. This is the longest walk a Terminal 1 passenger can make post-security.

Service robots are now becoming more widely used in restaurants, bars and hotels. They are also used in airports internationally to deliver food or shopping to passengers at their boarding gate.

Below are the steps to use a robot:

- CALL the robot from a touchscreen tablet located at the window behind Terminal 1 security.

- WAIT for the next available robot which will arrive within 2 minutes, there is seating available to use while waiting.

- LOAD the robot with luggage and select the gate number of the departing flight.

- GO with the robot at a comfortable speed. It will advise of facilities available at the gate.

- ARRIVE at the gate, collect bags from the robot and avail of our seating or the available amenities.

If you would like to find out more, or participate in the trial, Dublin Airport is encouraging you to contact them at robotics@daa.ie.
Crime

By Chris Boyle Published: May 14 2024

Andrew Malitzis, 61, is charged with DWI and Driving While Ability Impaired, Criminal Mischief, Menacing, Making a Terroristic Threat and multiple Vehicle and Traffic Law Violations.

The Public Information Office reports the arrest of an Old Bethpage man for Driving While Intoxicated that occurred on Friday, May 10, 2024 at 5:14 pm in Bethpage.

According to detectives, Bureau of Special Operations Officers responded to 150 Main Street for a vehicle into a building. Upon arrival it was determined that a single vehicle had struck the 7-11 store front window pane, causing it to break. The operator of the vehicle had fled the scene in a red Toyota 4Runner prior to police arrival. A short time later, the fleeing vehicle was involved in a collision with a 2017 Grey Subaru Sedan being operating by a 46-year-old female at the intersection of Conklin Ave and Main Street in Farmingdale.

During the investigation, officers observed a red 2000 Toyota 4Runner that matched the description of the vehicle that left scene commit multiple Vehicle and Traffic Law Infractions and conducted a stop on Hicksville Road near the intersection of Hempstead Turnpike. The investigation revealed the driver, defendant Andrew Malitzis, 61, of 10 Lucille Lane with watery eyes, an odor of an alcohol emanating from his breath and to be unsteady on his feet resulting in positive results on the Standardized Field Sobriety Test. During the investigation the defendant threatened the lives of officers at scene. Defendant Malitzis was placed under arrest. No injuries were reported.
Local News

By Chris Boyle Published: May 14 2024

All residents are invited to attend.

In recognition of Jewish American Heritage Month and in support of the State of Israel, Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino and the Town will host a Stand with Israel Rally on Sunday, May 19th at 2PM in Plainview-Old Bethpage Park. At the event, a Holocaust Survivor, IDF Solider, and the family of Omer Neutra, who was taken hostage by Hamas, will speak. Officials will also unveil a plaque for the Tree of Life, symbolizing hope, love and unity while forever remembering those lost to terror.

On November 5, 2023, thousands of people gathered at this same park to express support for the State of Israel and pray for the safe return of hostages held captive by terrorists, Supervisor Joseph Saladino said. Now, we will unveil a plaque for the Tree of Life, symbolizing hope, love and unity while forever remembering those lost to terror. The Town of Oyster Bay will always recognize Israels right of sovereignty and peace and celebrate the Jewish community in our town.

We stand with the Jewish people and support the right for Israel to defend itself, added Receiver of Taxes Jeffrey Pravato. Please join us on May 19th as we come together as one voice in observance of Jewish American Heritage Month and call for the safe return of all hostages.

Local rabbis, Holocaust Survivor Alfred Weinberg, IDF Soldier Ira Kohler of Plainview, the family of hostage Omer Neutra of Plainview, and representatives from the Mid Island Y JCC, Schechter School of Long Island and Nassau County Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center will lead the event. All residents are invited to attend.

For more information, please visit www.oysterbaytown.com or call (516) 624-6380.

CREDIT: Town of Oyster Bay




Employee at Coram Smoke Shop Arrested for Selling Flavored Vape to Underage Person

Crime

By Chris Boyle Published: May 14 2024

Muhammad Sherwani, 40, was issued a Field Appearance Ticket and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on a later date.

Suffolk County Police today arrested a man for selling flavored vape products to a person under the age of 21 during a compliance check in Coram.

In response to community complaints, Sixth Precinct Crime Section officers checked seven locations for age compliance related to sales of vape products. One store was not in compliance.

Muhammad Sherwani, 40, of Selden, an employee of Smiley Convenience Smoke Shop, located at 191 Middle Country Road, sold flavored vape products to an undercover agent who is under the age of 21.

A large quantity of flavored products were seized. Sherwani was issued a Field Appearance Ticket and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on a later date.
Five People Arrested for Selling Flavored Vape Products to Minors, According to Suffolk Police

Crime

By Chris Boyle Published: May 14 2024

The suspects were arrested and charged with Unlawfully Dealing with a Child 2nd Degree and Public Health Law Sale of Flavored Vape Products.

Suffolk County Police today arrested five employees for selling flavored vape products in the Second Precinct.

As part of the departments Operation Smoke Out, Second Precinct Crime Section officers conducted an investigation into eleven smoke shops during which employees sold flavored vape products to an underage person at five of the businesses.

The following people were arrested and charged with Unlawfully Dealing with a Child 2nd Degree and Public Health Law Sale of Flavored Vape Products:

Ryan Lembeck, 29, of Huntington, an employee of Huntington Village Vapes, located at 4 Elm St. in Huntington

Kush Patel, 22, of Floral Park, an employee of E Smoke & Cigar, located at 312 Main St. in Huntington

Magdy Alameri, 19, of New York Mills, NY, an employee of Cloud Smoke & Cigar Convenience, located at 116 East 11th Street in Huntington Station

Kasat Karaarslan, 52, of Port Jefferson Station, an employee of Xtra Fuels, located at 201 Depot Road, Huntington Station

Sayanam Ghimire, 37, of Elmhurst, NY, an employee of New Paradise Convenience, located at 2024 New York Ave. in Huntington Station

All five individuals were issued Field Appearance Tickets and are scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on a later date.
The new western Erez crossing to Gaza. (IDF)

The Israel Defense Forces opened what they dubbed the western Erez crossing into northern Gaza on May 12, according to a statement. The opening of a new crossing in the north appears to mean that the IDF has now opened three crossings into northern Gaza. Most of the crossings were closed after the Hamas attack on October 7, but the IDF on May 1 opened the Erez crossing, and in early April the Ministry of Defense also coordinated the opening of a separate northern crossing. The new northern crossing means that there are now more options for delivering aid to northern Gaza.

In accordance with the directive of the government of Israel and in coordination with the U.S. government, the Western Erez Crossing was opened in the area of the northern Gaza Strip for the transfer of humanitarian aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip, the IDF said on May 12. The crossing was established under the operational control of the Engineering and Construction Directorate, the Ministry of Defense Crossings Points Authority and the IDF, the statement from the IDF added. It was led by the engineering unit of the Gaza Division, the engineering array and the construction unit of the Southern Command, as part of the effort to increase aid routes to the Gaza Strip, and to the northern Gaza Strip in particular. The IDF says that dozens of trucks of flour have now entered Gaza via the new western Erez crossing. The trucks come from Ashdod, which is about one hour north of the new crossing.

The new crossing was built near the community of Zikim and next to two IDF posts that are adjacent to the border. These two posts, one of them called Yiftah, were attacked on October 7 by Hamas. The entire area of Zikim beach and these bases continued to be threatened by terrorists hiding in the dunes for five days after the initial attack. Once the area was secured, the IDF deployed artillery and tanks not far from Zikim and also prepared for the entry into Gaza in this area. On October 27, IDF tanks of the 401st brigade entered Gaza from the Zikim area, heading south along the coast. The area has been secured by the 162nd division since then, and now by troops on the border. Because it has been relatively free from new terrorist threats, it was apparently judged to be a place where there could be a new crossing point. A parking lot and road was paved, linking up with existing roads in the area on both sides.

The northern crossings, at Erez, Western Erez, and the other crossing point that is sometimes called Gate 96, which is the access to the Netzarim corridor the IDF uses south of Gaza City, now together enable a plethora of ways for aid to enter northern Gaza. This is taking place as the IDF expanded operations in Jabalya in northern Gaza on May 13. It also comes as the IDF is fighting in Rafah, and Egypt has closed the Rafah crossing in the wake of IDF tanks seizing the Gazan side of the crossing on May 7. In addition, Hamas has carried out attacks on the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel which enables trucks to access Gaza. The attacks began on May 5 and killed four soldiers, and they then escalated as the IDF moved into eastern Rafah. This has put pressure on humanitarian aid reaching Rafah and southern Gaza. On May 13, the Palestinian Authority reportedly turned down a deal to run the Rafah crossing.

The closure of the Egyptian Rafah crossing and the attacks on Kerem Shalom mean that southern and central Gaza are now facing similar humanitarian concerns that northern Gaza did during the first months of the war. On February 29, trucks entering northern Gaza were stampeded by Gazan civilians, leading to more than 100 deaths. This led the US to send US Army ships to help build a floating pier off the coast of Gaza in order to facilitate aid coming from Cyprus. The pier was finally completed on May 7. Although a cargo ship sailed from Cyprus to meet it, questions remain about its deployment. The IDF has carved out a 67-acre site near a temporary pier south of Gaza City, which is supposed to receive aid from the floating pier. As the IDF expands operations in Rafah, the issue of aid delivery has become more acute. It remains to be seen if the new Western Erez crossing or other deliveries can stave off concerns about humanitarian aid reaching southern Gaza.

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).
Whether you have just switched from a PC to a Mac and have discovered that the  and @ keys arent where you were expecting, you cant find the euro sign, pound sign, or hash key on your Mac keyboard, or you need to type some unusual characters or accents and dont know how, are here to help.

The first problem is that the location of the special characters may depend on where you are based in the world: keyboard layout differs by country, with certain characters getting more prominence on the keyboards of the people who use them more. Youll find QWERTY keyboards for English speakers, while French speakers get a AZERTY keyboard, Germans get QWERTZ, for example. Keyboards have completely different key layouts depending on the country, so weve included the location of these special keys for a variety of keyboards.

Even U.S. and U.K. keyboards have a number of surprising differences in terms of key placement. Australians tend to use the American keyboard layout.

Another source of confusion is the fact that some Mac keyboards label the Alt key Option while others call the Option key Alt (depending on your viewpoint). This means that some guides you will read will talk about an Option or Alt key you cant see on your Mac. The key is one and the same. See: Where is the Option key.

And if you are using a PC keyboard with your Mac the Alt key will do the job of the Option key, while the Windows key will do the job of Command, and you will no doubt be very confused.

How to type $@#  and 

Thats not a concealed swear word! Those are all symbols that you may find yourself needing to type again and again, and yet they are hidden from view on your Mac keyboard. Dont worry though, well let you know what you need to do to type them.

Before we begin, this is a handy overview of the hidden characters that you can type using Alt (the keys might be a bit different if you arent using a U.K. keyboard).

How to type Euro symbol on a Mac keyboard  

On a U.S. keyboard to type euro you need to press: Alt/Option-Shift-2 = 

On a U.K. keyboard to type euro you should press: Alt/Option-2 = 

European keyboards give more prominence to the Euro sign, but the location of the euro key, and the combination of keys required, depends on the country.

On French Apple Magic Keyboards youll find the Euro sign (and dollar sign) next to the return key.

On German, Italian, Swiss and Spanish keyboards the euro sign is typed by pressing option/alt and the E key.

Portuguese keyboards have the Euro sign on the number 3: press option/Alt and that key.

For Norwegians and the Danish the euro is typed by pressing option/Alt and the number 4.

And Dutch keyboards have the euro on the number 2.

How to type the pound sign on a Mac keyboard

Not only is typing a pound sign tricky because the location of the key will differ depending on the keyboard, but also the word itself has a different meaning depending on where you are.

For U.K. residents the word pound represents the currency: . However, some countries call the hashtag or hash key a pound.

If you are in the U.K. the hashtag sign shares the 3 key with the pound sign () but on other countrys keyboards the U.K.  sign is found elsewhere (well get to that next).

How to type a # (hash)

On a U.S. keyboard to type # you need only press Shift-3 = #

On a U.K. keyboard to type # you should press Alt/Option-3 = #

The hash sign on French keyboards is found to the left of the number 1.

German keyboards have the hash key beside the return key.

Norweigen, Spanish, Swedish and Portuguese keyboards have the hash key on number 3.

Italian keyboards have the hash key (cancelletto) just above the lower right shift key.

How to type a  (pound sign)

Well mention the UK Pound sign here for everyone who is using a non-U.K. keyboard as its location on a U.K. keyboard is no mystery (ok  if you are still looking its on the 3 key).

On a U.S. keyboard you need to type  you need to press Alt/Option-3 = 

The  key may not even be illustrated on the U.S. keyboard!

On French and Swiss keyboards, the  is found above the right-hand shift key, beside the enter/return key.

Italian keyboards have the  on the number 3, like U.K. keyboards.

How to type at  @

This @ key is a point of confusion for PC users coming to Mac keyboards because the  key and @ key switch places.

On a U.S. or U.K. keyboard youll find the @ key on the 2 key. You need to press Shift-2 = @.

Spanish and Swedish keyboards also have the @ on the 2.

On Danish, Norwegian, Portuguese, and Swiss keyboards the @ key is next to the return key, above the right-hand shift key.

French keyboards have the @ sign to the left of 1.

German keyboards have the @ key on L.

Italian keyboards also have the @ next to the L.

Where is the  key?

On a U.S. or U.K. keyboard youll find the  key will be down on the right where the  key is located.

On German, Danish, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swiss, Swedish and Italian keyboards the  key is on the 2.

French keyboards have the  on 3.

  and 

The various copyright and trademark signs can be commonly used in certain lines of work. Luckily there is an easy way to type them on a Mac keyboard.

You might think that logically the Copyright sign would be hidden on the C key, but youd be wrong. The C key is the home of various accented Cs. If you want to type a  you need to press Alt/Option and G.

Alt/Option-G = 

If you want to type the Registered Trademark symbol less Option/Alt and R:

Alt/Option-R = 

As for the  how you type depends on the keyboard:

On a U.S. keyboard to type  you need to press: Alt/Option-2 = 

On a U.K. keyboard to type  you should press: Shift-Alt/Option-2 = 

Want to type the Pi () symbol? We have a tutorial that explains how to do that here: How to type the Pi () symbol on a Mac or iPhone.



This one was popularised by Elon Musk and Grimes when they named their child  A-12 Musk.



If you want to type  just press and hold the A key. Youll see a range of options appear in a box  just select the one you want or press 5.

Degrees

If its getting hot where you are you might want to tell someone. In which case a degree sign could be handy. Heres how to type a 

Shift-Alt/Option8 = 



You might wonder what circumstances would cause you to need to type an Apple logo, but with Apple naming a few products with the Apple symbol if might be that you need to type TV or Watch. If you do, the key combination is as follows:

Shift-Alt/Option-K

Read: How to type  on an iPhone.

A check mark or tick

This is a handy one  the V almost looks like a tick or check mark, add an Option/Alt and thats what you get.

Option/Alt-V = 

Other keys

There are a few keys that are hidden in plain sight. Well mention them here just in case you are struggling to find them:

~ (aka the Tilde sign)  Its on the left by the Shift key

/  on the right by the Shift key

 on the right above the Shift key

|  press shift and \ (beside enter/return)

Typing accents on a Mac keyboard

If you are trying to type accents on an English keyboard if can be a bit daunting  if you are using a keyboard thats designed for that language it will be considerably easier to type accents, for obvious reasons. To type an accented letter all you need to do is press and hold the relevant key. When you do so a menu will appear with the various accented characters to choose from.

For example, if you press and hold the E key then you will eventually see this menu pop up. You can choose the version with your pointer, or by pressing the corresponding number.

Youll find accents associated with the following keys: e, y, u, i, o, a, s, l, z, c, n.

Typing emoji on a Mac

You might think that emoji are restricted to iPhones and iPads, but they arent. Its possible to access emoji on your Mac. When you are using a word processor or similar program you can press Control-Command-Space to bring up the Emoji pallet.

Read our guide to using Emoji on the Mac here.

Typing other characters on a Mac

You may recall the Character Viewer  a tool which you could expand to find various characters to be added to text documents. It predated Emoji and since Emoji arrived it seems to have been hidden away, but its still there.

As above, press Control-Command-Space to bring up the Emoji pallet then click on the icon in the top right of the Emoji box to bring up the Character Viewer. Here youll find more than Emoji: there are also Arrows, other currency symbols, Maths Symbols, and more.

This is where you will find currency symbols such as       

Maths symbols such as xxx     >   

There are also some pictographs that predate emoji including all of these

How to see hidden characters on your keyboard

If you are curious to learn which characters are hidden underneath the keys on your keyboard you could use the Keyboard Viewer.

To get the Keyboard Viewer to appear you first need to go to System Preferences and choose Keyboard. Then tick the box beside Show keyboard and emoji viewers in the menu bar. Now youll see an icon in the menu bar (it includes a Command icon). If you click on it, you will see options to Show Emoji & Symbols and Show Keyboard Viewer. Choose Show Keyboard Viewer. When you press the shift and option keys you will see the various options available to you. You can just click on the key as seen on the keyboard on screen.

A bonus is the fact that when you type with this keyboard viewer on view you will see various suggested autocomplete words that you might want to use.

If you find yourself using different characters often you might like to try an app like PopChar X from Ergonis. The app makes it really easy to access the various characters that are available in the different fonts on your Mac. You can purchase it here for $29.99/30.85.

Wondering how to copy and paste on a Mac? You may also find our iPhone keyboard typing tips useful.
Lucas Chancel in Nature:

As radical as they might seem, calls for limits on wealth are as old as civilization itself. The Hebrew Bible and Torah recognized years during which debts should be cancelled, slaves set free and property redistributed from rich to poor. In classical Greece, Aristotle praised cities that kept wealth inequality in check to enhance political stability. And in 1942, then-US president Franklin D. Roosevelt argued that annual incomes should be capped at the current equivalent of US$480,000.

In Limitarianism, Dutch and Belgian economist and philosopher Ingrid Robeyns argues that its time for twenty-first-century governments to do the same. She explores what setting limits on wealth ownership might mean, and why our societies should want to do so. It is a fresh take on a much-needed discussion at a time when, for example, the richest 1% of the US population owns about as much wealth as the bottom 90%.

More here.
We were so jealous of Crocs' new kids range - turns out they have adult versions, too
Dear Annie: I have a younger co-worker who I met at a work social event, and we started talking a bit about novels we are writing as a hobby. A few weeks later, he came by my cubicle to ask me more about writing, so I gave him a few resources to a local writers group. Ever since then, he keeps stopping by, often interrupting my lunchtime.

Its clear that he never has a specific question for me and will grasp at straws or ask awkward questions just to keep conversation going beyond a normal or considerate time. I dont mind occasionally chatting, but these constant interruptions when I am busy or trying to take a break are grating on me. I have tried redirecting him or just telling him I am busy, but now he is asking to get together outside of work to talk about our books.

I have no interest in this, and he clearly is not getting the message. Im finding myself getting anxious over the looming potential of these random, unwanted visits. What should I do? Im pretty sure hes harmless, but is it too overboard to go to HR?

 Unwanted Visits from Co-Worker

Dear Unwanted: You mentioned that he is young. Maybe this is his first job and he is treating it more like he is still in college. You could try being direct and telling him you dont want to get together outside of work and that its really difficult to continue your work when he keeps interrupting you. Be clear and kind. If you dont want to do that, you dont have to, and going to HR does make sense, especially if he is making you anxious. It really depends on what path will make your work environment best for working.

Dear Annie: Im a single 52-year-old male who needs your advice, please. I come from a close-knit family of four. I am my handicapped nephews personal home caregiver, taking care of him 24/7, 365 days a year. I live a normal, happy life with no interference.

Lately, Ive been stuck in a rut of sorts, and I cannot figure it out. I am a Type 2 Diabetic who maintains and watches my health very well and carefully. I eat right and walk a mile or two every other day. I go to my doctors appointments when needed and stay on top of everything else that is important for me and my family.

I dont know if its a midlife crisis kind of thing or something else. Ive been feeling a little sluggish and down and out, but I dont feel anything else out of the ordinary. Annie, am I possibly going through something here?

I never married and dont have children, so I am not sure what this could possibly be. I dont have any outbursts or PTSD. All Im feeling is like life is slowing me down and I havent a clue as to why. I am writing you to see what condition or conditions that may be affecting me. Thank you in advance!

 Oblivious in New Mexico

Dear Oblivious: Seeking the help of a professional doctor is your best bet. It could be physical, in which case a general practitioner could help you. It could be psychological, in which case your general practitioner will guide you to seek help from a therapist. You sound like a wonderful human for taking care of your nephew 365 days a year. Maybe you just need a little vacation.

How Can I Forgive My Cheating Partner? is out now! Annie Lanes second anthology  featuring favorite columns on marriage, infidelity, communication and reconciliation  is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit http://www.creatorspublishing.com for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2024 CREATORS.COM
The Boston Bruins arent dead yet. They still have a chance to come back from their 3-1 playoff series deficit against the Florida Panthers.

But according to sportsbooks, the chances are not great.

DraftKings Sportsbook currently gives the Bruins +1200 (12/1) odds to win the series. Meanwhile, BetMGM gives them slightly better odds at +1100 (11/1).

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The Bruins-Panthers series did see a 3-1 series comeback last year. However, Boston was on the losing side of it. Currently, the Bruins face a tall task in trying to keep their season alive.

The Bruins started strong in the series, winning Game 1 at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida by a score of 5-1. But since then, Boston has dropped three in a row. That includes a 6-1 loss in Game 2 and a 3-2 loss in Game 4 that saw the Bruins surrender three unanswered goals.

Boston heads back to Florida Tuesday night for Game 5 as the team tries to keep its postseason run alive.
For the second time in a matter of weeks, a passengers plan to fly more than 70 pounds of pot through Logan Airport to London went up in smoke, authorities said.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents seized a 70-pound haul of marijuana from a British woman as she tried to fly home to the United Kingdom on Sunday night, according to a spokesperson for the Suffolk District Attorneys Office.

The womans arrest came roughly six weeks after authorities said they discovered 74 pounds of marijuana stored in vacuum-sealed bags in the luggage of a Michigan woman, also bound for London.

These two arrests in a fairly short time span should make it quite clear to anyone else trying to fly marijuana to the U.K. through Boston that its not a good idea, to say the least, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden said in a statement. It didnt work for these two women and its not likely to work for anyone else either.

Marijuana fetches a street price of about $5,000 per pound in the United Kingdom, according to Haydens office. That would place the value of 70 pounds of marijuana near $350,000.

Fareedat Folunsho, 19, the woman arrested Sunday night, was charged with trafficking between 50 and 100 pounds of marijuana.

She pleaded not guilty during an arraignment in Boston Municipal Court in East Boston on Monday and is now being held on $1,500 bail at the Nashua Street Jail in Boston, court records show.

A call to her attorneys office went unanswered.

Folunsho, of London, will return to court on May 21 for a probable cause hearing.

The other woman recently arrested on the same charge, Nalexus Palmer, of Clinton Township, Michigan, remains in custody on $3,000 bail, according to court records.

While marijuana is legal in Massachusetts, it remains illegal at the federal level. It is illegal to possess and/or use in the U.K.
Some states education is top of the class while others have the best health care. But Massachusetts excels in both, according to new rankings from U.S. News and World Report.

The Best States rankings by U.S. News were based off how well states are performing for their citizens by analyzing 71 metrics across eight categories including health care, education, economy and public safety.

Massachusetts, which ranked the 10th best state overall, specifically got high marks for crime and correction, natural environment, economy, health care and education.

The last two areas are also the top two fields that employ the most people in Massachusetts, according to U.S. News. Another top industry is manufacturing, especially computer and electronic products.

Massachusetts technology sector has flourished in recent years and is among the most concentrated in the nation, U.S. News wrote about the state. With a balance of historical destinations and picturesque beaches at Cape Cod, Nantucket and Marthas Vineyard, the tourism industry also is a major economic powerhouse.

Massachusetts has also paved the way for other states when it comes to legislation.

The state led the way in universal health care coverage, was the first state to legalize gay marriage and the second to pass discrimination laws for individuals who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual.

Here are the top 10 states, according to US News:

Utah New Hampshire Nebraska Minnesota Idaho Iowa Vermont Washington Florida Massachusetts

Click here to see The Best States rankings by U.S. News
Saxophonist David Sanborn, a 6-time Grammy Award-winner who worked with music icons like David Bowie, Stevie Wonder and The Rolling Stones, died of complications from prostate cancer on Sunday. He was 78.

Sanborns death was announced in a post to the late musicians Instagram page on Monday.

Sanborn had been dealing with prostate cancer since 2018, but had been able to maintain his normal schedule of concerts until just recently. Indeed he already had concerts scheduled into 2025, the post read.

David Sanborn was a seminal figure in contemporary pop and jazz music, it continued. It has been said that he put the saxophone back into Rock n Roll.

The post was flooded with comments from fans and musicians alike, expressing their love for Sanborn and his work. Grammy Award-winning drummer Vinnie Colaiuta wrote, This is so sad and surreal. Rest in peace David. Im honored to have known you. Thank you for all the amazing music.

Thank you for being a huge part of my musical career and your kindness, jazz artist Kandace Springs commented. Your gift will be forever remembered. One of the nicest greatest musicians of all time.

Inspired by the great Chicago blues artists, Sanborn began playing saxophone as a youth. By 14, he was able to play with legends such as Albert King and Little Milton, according to the late musicians website.

Over the course of his career, Sanborn recorded with dozens of music icons including David Bowie, Paul Butterfield, Stevie Wonder and The Rolling Stones.

When he toured with Wonder, he recorded for Wonders Talking Book album. Later, while touring with Bowie, Sanborn recorded the famous solo heard on Young Americans.

Sanborn started his solo career in New York, collaborating there with Paul Simon and James Taylor. He released his first album, Taking Off, in 1975 when he was in his late 20s.

His 1979 release of Hideaway became a popular hit. It served as a precursor for Sanborns single, Seduction that was featured in the movie, American Gigolo.

The musician won his first Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance for his work on, All I Need Is You, which was released as part of veteran bassist and composer Marcus Millers 1981 album, Voyeur.

Sanborn also hosted television and radio programs throughout the 1980s and 1990s, his website states.

He most recently hosted his own podcast series, called As We Speak, which featured guest musicians such as Sonny Rollins, Cecile McLorin Salvant and more.
A conservatorship has been granted for Brian Wilson  a co-founder of the iconic rock band The Beach Boys who is suffering from suffering from dementia  three months after his wifes death, People reported.

Wilsons conservators will be his longtime business manager LeeAnn Hard and longtime manager and publicist Jean Sievers, People reported, citing a May 9 court filing. According to the filing, the court found that the 81-year-old lacks the capacity to make his own healthcare decisions.

As a result, Hard and Sievers have been granted authority to authorize the administration of medications appropriate for the care and treatment of Major Neurocognitive Disorder, People reported citing the filing.

Hard and Sievers must also consult with Wilsons children  Carnie, Wendy, Dakota Rose, Dylan, Delanie Rae, Dash and Daria  regarding all material-related healthcare decisions.

Wilsons family filed for a conservatorship in February, shortly after Wilsons wife, Melinda Ledbetter Wilson, died at 77 in January.

According to court filings, Wilsons wife served as the agent for his health care and had taken care of the songwriters daily needs as Mr. Wilson is unable to properly provide for his own personal needs for physical health, food, clothing, or shelter, People previously reported.

Wilson struggled with drug abuse and a number of mental health issues, including auditory hallucinations, throughout his life and career. He stopped touring with the Beach Boys in the late 1960s and was later diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, Syracuse.com reported.

Wilson toured in recent years, performing at Upstate New York concerts at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in 2022, del Lago Resort & Casino in 2019, and the New York State Fair in 2016.

Wilson described his wife after her passing as giving him the emotional security he needed to have a career. They were married 28 years.

She encouraged me to make the music that was closest to my heart. She was my anchor. She was everything for us, he said.

Wilson has been inducted into both the Rock Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame and he is a Grammy award winner.

I want to be remembered as a great song writer, Wilson told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard in 2017.
Somebody in Massachusetts won during Monday nights Powerball drawing from a winning ticket they bought at a Big Y grocery store.

The winning numbers for the May 13 drawing were 5, 14, 29, 38, 66 and Powerball: 1.

The Massachusetts lottery player who won during the drawing matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball number on their ticket for a $50,000 prize.

The $50,000 winner purchased their ticket at the Big Y in Westfield.

Overall, at least 801 prizes worth $600 or more were won or claimed in Massachusetts on Monday, including 26 in Springfield, 38 in Worcester and 76 in Boston.

The Massachusetts State Lottery releases a full list of winning tickets every day. The list only includes winning tickets worth more than $600.

So far, the largest lottery prize won in Massachusetts this year was worth $5.37 million. The prize was from a Megabucks drawing held on May 4.
Two people were fatally struck by an MBTA Commuter Rail train in Natick on Monday, Transit Police Superintendent Richard Sullivan confirmed to MassLive.

Sullivan confirmed two people died from injuries after they were struck. Transit police and the Middlesex County district attorneys office are investigating the incident, he said.

No foul play is believed to be involved in the deaths, WCVB-TV reported, citing the Middlesex County district attorneys office. The district attorneys office did not immediately return a request for comment sent by MassLive Tuesday morning.

The incident occurred between Natick Center and West Natick during the Monday evening commute, grinding train service on the line, which shuttles passengers between Boston and Worcester, to a halt for hours as officials worked to investigate the deaths, according to the station and posts by the MBTA on X, formerly Twitter.

At 5:30 p.m. Monday, the MBTA said a train on the Worcester Line had been terminated at West Natick due to police activity. Trains began moving again more than 90 minutes later, around 7:10 p.m., but only on one track between Wellesley Farms and West Natick.

Both tracks were back in service just before 8:30 p.m., according to the MBTA.

Multiple witnesses told WCVB-TV they saw a woman near the tracks when a man on a bike attempted to come to her aid. Aerial footage from NBC10 shows a bike lying off to the side of the tracks.

The exact circumstances of the deaths were not immediately clear.
Three men charged in the 2018 prison killing of notorious Boston gangster James Whitey Bulger have reached plea deals with prosecutors, according to court papers filed Monday.

The plea deals were disclosed nearly six years after the 89-year-old gangster, who spent almost two decades on the lam, was beaten to death in his cell at a troubled West Virginia prison.

Fotios Freddy Geas and Paul J. DeCologero were accused of repeatedly striking Bulger in the head while Sean McKinnon served as a lookout. An inmate witness told authorities that DeCologero said he and Geas used a belt with a lock attached to it to beat Bulger to death.

Prosecutors asked the court to schedule hearings for the men to change their not-guilty pleas and to be sentenced, though they didnt provide further details about the plea agreements, which have not been filed in court.

Belinda Haynie, an attorney for Geas, declined to comment about the change of plea filing. Attorneys for the other two defendants didnt immediately respond to requests for comment.

Prosecutors said last year that they would not seek the death sentence for Geas and DeCologero, who were charged with murder. All three men were charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, which carries up to a life sentence. McKinnon was also charged with making false statements to a federal agent.

Bulger, who ran the largely Irish mob in Boston in the 1970s and 80s, served as an FBI informant who ratted on the main rival to his gang. He became one of the nations most-wanted fugitives after fleeing Boston in 1994 thanks to a tip from his FBI handler that he was about to be indicted. He was captured at the age of 81 after more than 16 years on the run.

In 2013, he was convicted in a string of 11 killings and dozens of other gangland crimes, many of them committed while he was said to be an FBI informant.

Bulger was killed just hours after he was transferred from a Florida lockup to USP Hazelton in West Virginia and placed in the general population. Bulgers transfer to Hazelton, where workers had already been sounding the alarm about violence and understaffing, and his placement in the general population instead of more protective housing were widely criticized by experts after his killing.

A Justice Department inspector general investigation found that his killing was the result of multiple layers of management failures, widespread incompetence and flawed policies at the Bureau of Prisons. The inspector general found no evidence of malicious intent by any bureau employees, but said a series of bureaucratic blunders left Bulger at the mercy of rival gangsters behind bars

Bulger never admitted to working for the FBI. Court papers made public in a lawsuit brought by his family showed that he was interviewed by staff after arriving at Hazelton about whether there were reasons he should be kept out of the general population. An intake screening form signed by Bulger said he answered no to the question have you assisted law enforcement agents in any way?
BEDFORD, Massachusetts (AP)  A Massachusetts Air National Guard member who pleaded guilty in March to federal crimes for leaking highly classified military documents appeared Tuesday before a military hearing officer who will recommend whether the guardsman should face a court-martial.

Jack Teixeira, of North Dighton, Massachusetts, is facing three charges in the military justice system: one alleging he failed to obey a lawful order and two counts of obstructing justice.

Capt. Stephanie Evans said at Tuesdays hearing that a court-martial was appropriate given that obeying orders is at the absolute core of everything we do in the U.S. military and that Texeira acted with malicious intent to cover his tracks. But one of Teixeiras attorneys, Maj. Luke Gilhooly, argued that further action would amount to prosecuting him twice for the same offense.

Teixeira was arrested just over a year ago in the most consequential national security leak in years. He pleaded guilty on March 4 to six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information under a deal with prosecutors that calls for him to serve at least 11 years in prison.

Referring to that agreement, Gilhooly said the government has now taken its big feast of evidence from the criminal courthouse and walked it down the street here to Hanscom Air Force Base to get their own pound of flesh.

Dressed in military uniform, Teixeira did not speak at the hearing other than to indicate he understood the proceedings, and family members in attendance declined to comment. In court, he admitted to illegally collecting some of the nations most sensitive secrets and sharing them with other users on Discord, a social media platform popular with online gamers.

Teixeira, who was part of the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts, worked as a cyber transport systems specialist, essentially an information technology specialist responsible for military communications networks.

On Tuesday, military prosecutors sought to include evidence they said showed Teixeira used Discord to ask others to delete his messages as the basis for one of the obstruction of justice charges. But his attorneys objected, saying they wanted the raw data that purportedly connected Teixeira to the messages.

The government wants you to take a leap of logic and connect the dots when there are no dots, Lt. Col. Bradley Poronsky said.

The hearing officer, Lt. Col. Michael Raming, initially agreed. He said he wouldnt consider the documents in making his recommendation, but later said he would consider an amended version submitted by prosecutors. Ramings recommendations, to be issued at a later date, will be sent to Maj. Gen. Daniel DeVoe, who will decide whether the case should continue.

Until both sides made brief closing statements, the three-hour hearing shed little light on the case as neither Teixeiras attorneys nor military prosecutors called any witnesses. Instead, they spent the bulk of the three-hour hearing discussing objections raised by Teixeiras lawyers to some of the documents prosecutors submitted as evidence.

The military charges accuse Teixeira of disobeying orders to stop accessing sensitive documents. The obstruction of justice charges allege that he disposed of an iPad, computer hard drive and iPhone, and instructed others to delete his messages on Discord before his arrest.

His actions to conceal and destroy messages became egregious, Evans said.

Authorities in the criminal case said Teixeira first typed out classified documents he accessed and then began sharing photographs of files that bore SECRET and TOP SECRET markings. The leak exposed to the world unvarnished secret assessments of Russias war in Ukraine, including information about troop movements in Ukraine and the provision of supplies and equipment to Ukrainian troops. Teixeira also admitted posting information about a U.S. adversarys plans to harm U.S. forces serving overseas.

The stunning security breach raised alarm over Americas ability to protect its most closely guarded secrets and forced the Biden administration to scramble to try to contain the diplomatic and military fallout. The leaks embarrassed the Pentagon, which tightened controls to safeguard classified information and disciplined members it found had intentionally failed to take required action about Teixeiras suspicious behavior.
As a means to go after former President Donald Trump six months before the 2024 election, President Joe Biden evoked one of the recent diss tracks released by Kung Fu Kenny himself, rapper Kendrick Lamar.

On May 6, Bidens campaign team released a video on TikTok and X, formerly known as Twitter, featuring several photos of the presumptive Republican nominee that follow the lyrics of Lamars single Euphoria, one of several diss tracks about fellow rapper Drake.

The video starts with a selfie of Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, followed by the lyrics written onscreen, Its always been about love and hate, no lemme say Im the biggest hater.

What follows are several unflattering photos of the former president, with the text altered from the lyrics. Lamar is heard singing I hate the way that you walk, I hate the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress, I hate the way that you sneak diss.

The text onscreen, in tandem with the lyrics, instead reads, I hate the way that you walk over womens rights, I hate 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.

The comment about Trumps dress features him when he wore a tuxedo with coattails when he met the late Queen Elizabeth II of England, (who can be see while mostly cropped from the photo, along with a smiling Eric Trump in the background), while the photo played during the last lyric shows Trump on his phone.

Rapper Kendrick Lamar appears at the MTV Video Music Awards, on Aug. 27, 2017, in Inglewood, Calif., left, and Canadian rapper Drake appears at the premiere of the series "Euphoria," in Los Angeles on June 4, 2019. (AP Photo)AP

The song is the first of several singles released as volleys in Lamars feud with Drake, dropping diss tracks back and forth over the last few weeks. The feud started after Drake questioned who the Big 3 rappers are, referring to himself, Lamar and J. Cole while collaborating with Cole on his single First Person Shooter in October 2023, according to Billboard.

Drake then went solo to drop his first two diss tracks about Lamar, with Push Ups on April 19 and Taylor Made Freestyle on April 24.

The two made more subtle jabs at each other until Lamar retaliated with Euphoria on April 30. Then on May 3, he released 6:16 in LA. That same day, Drake responded with Family Matters. Lamar followed by both Meet the Grahams and Not Like Us on the same day.

Not Like Us topped at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on Monday, May 13, according to Billboard. Its his fourth No. 1 on the Hot 100 since HUMBLE in 2017.
New Hampshire conservation officers rescued a Boston man and three teens he was leading on a hike Saturday night after the group found themselves unprepared for a dangerous trail in the White Mountains, according to the state Fish and Game Department.

Jonathan Long, 26, was leading three teens aged 13 and 14 up Mount Liberty and over to Mount Flume that day when a dangerous decision was made to descend the Flume Slide Trail, the department said in a press release. The group was trying to loop back to a different trail, but was unfamiliar with the hiking area.

The Flume Slide Trail is considered one of the most difficult trails in the White Mountains, and it is strongly recommended by all sources not to be used to descend from Mount Flume, the department wrote.

The group called for help around 9 p.m. when they could no longer continue descending the trail because they did not have flashlights or equipment to stay overnight on the mountain, the department said. Conservation officers organized a rescue due to the risk posed by cold temperatures and the unprepared state of the group.

The officers found the group around 11:35 p.m. and gave them lights and food so that they could continue descending the trail, the department said. With help from the officers, the group reached the bottom around 1:50 a.m. Sunday morning without further incident.

Hikers in New Hampshire are asked to not only make sure they are prepared with proper equipment, supplies, and clothing, but also with information about the trails, safe bailout or contingency plans, and current weather information, the department wrote. Presently, snow and ice still exist on many higher elevation trails, which can create dangerous conditions even on pleasant spring days.

For more information on how to prepare for a hike in the White Mountains, visit www.hikesafe.com.
Authorities are investigating the death of one woman and the hospitalization of another following medical procedures they underwent at the same Somerville home, the Middlesex County District Attorneys Office announced Monday afternoon.

The investigation began Friday after Everett police responded to a Bucknam Street home for a report that the woman who lived there was in medical distress, the district attorneys office said in a press release. The 35-year-old woman was brought to a hospital where she was declared dead.

Preliminary information suggests that the woman underwent a medical procedure at a home in Somerville the day prior, the district attorneys office said. Investigators soon learned that another woman had also undergone a medical procedure at the same home and was later taken to a Boston hospital. She is still receiving inpatient treatment there.

The case has been referred to the Chief Medical Examiners Office, and a ruling on the Everett womans cause of death is pending, the district attorneys office said. Local TV news outlets reported over the weekend that the women were undergoing liposuction surgeries at the home.

Somerville police and the district attorneys office are still in the process of investigating how the women were harmed. Anyone with any information about the case is asked to call Somerville police at (617) 625-1600 or Massachusetts State Police detectives at 781-897-6600.

No further information about the case  including the Everett womans identity  has been released.
A GoFundMe was created Monday to help the family of Ygor Correia, a 16-year-old from Bellingham killed in a shooting at a party in Northborough, pay for funeral costs and bring the boys body back to Brazil to hold a wake.

The fundraiser was organized by Leandro Correia, who identified himself as the teens father. In the posting, Leandro Correia wrote that the family needs everyones collaboration to raise funds and help ... in this moment of pain and need.

Any contribution, no matter how small, will be of great value so that we can provide a worthy goodbye to this dear young man, Leandro Correia wrote.

Read more: Ygor Correia IDd as Bellingham teen killed in shooting at Northborough party

Leandro Correia described Brazil as the boys homeland and called for unity and solidarity as the family continues to reel from the teens killing.

May we comfort each other and honor the memory of this very special young man who unfortunately had his life taken away brutally, the fundraiser reads.

Ygor Correia was shot and killed at a 21st birthday party with more than 300 attendees at 333 Howard St. in Northborough.

Read more: Northborough house that was site of fatal shooting has historic roots

Three men are facing weapons charges in connection with Correias death  Wallisom Texeira Da Silva, 20, of Hyde Park, Arnoldo Nogueira Filho, 19, of Marlborough and Pedro Desouza-Passos, 27, of Rockland. All three were arraigned in Worcester District Court on Tuesday.

Authorities began investigating the shooting after a party-goer flagged down a Northborough police officer around 1 a.m. Sunday morning and told them someone had a gun at the party, according to Worcester County District Attorney Joseph J. Early Jr. More than 25 officers from eight different departments  including Massachusetts State Police  were preparing to enter the home when they heard gunshots.

Police then rushed into the home and found Ygor Correia had been shot. He was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester where he was declared dead.

Read more: Northborough shooting took place at 21st birthday party, records show

The home where the party was held is known as The Vera Green House and traces its roots back to 1953.

The "Vera Green House" at 333 Howard St. in Northborough was the site of a fatal shooting early Sunday.Northborough Historical Society

A Zillow listing for the property says the 4,200-square-foot Frank Lloyd Wright-style home has five bedrooms, four-and-a-half bathrooms and an in-ground pool. The listing also shows a cottage on the property with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a full kitchen, a bar and a pool table.

Its quite a house, Early said during a press conference about the shooting Sunday afternoon.

Pictures of the home featured on the listing show that it has many full-length windows, more than one walk-out porch and a stone patio with a grill.

The homeowner  a man who police did not identify  was at the house while the party was happening, officials said. Investigators are still determining whether the homeowner was hosting the party, as well as what proportion of the guests were underage, according to Early.

A spokesperson for Earlys office declined to answer questions about whether or not the homeowner would be charged, saying it was still under investigation.

Click here for the GoFundMe.
Students at Harvard University on Tuesday said they would take down the pro-Palestinian encampment they had established several weeks earlier on the colleges Cambridge campus, the latest in a growing number of schools where the encampments have ended.

Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine, the student group that established the encampment, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that they believed the utility of this tactic had passed.

We have decided to re-group and carry out this protracted struggle through other means, the group wrote.

Unlike other schools where students opted to end their encampment without winning any concession from administrators, students at Harvard said administrators agreed to retract suspensions as a pre-condition of ending the encampment. On Tuesday, a Harvard spokesperson said the school would begin reinstatement of students, not retract the notices of involuntary leave as if they did not exist in the first place.

The school also agreed to arrange meetings between members of the Harvard Corporation and students regarding disclosure and divestment, according to the organization.

Interim Harvard President Alan M. Garber said he and the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences will meet with students to hear their perspectives on academic matters related to longstanding conflicts in the Middle East.

I acknowledge the profound grief that many in our community feel over the tragic effects of the ongoing war, Garber wrote in a message to the Harvard community, a copy of which was provided to MassLive. There will continue to be deep disagreements and strongly felt emotions as we experience pain and distress over events in the wider world.

Now more than ever, it is crucial to do what we do at our best, creating conditions for true dialogue, modeling ways to build understanding, empathy, and trust, and pursuing constructive change anchored in the rights and responsibilities we share.

On Oct. 7, Hamas attacked Israel, killing some 1,200 people in southern Israel. Vowing to stamp out Hamas altogether, Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza that has killed more than 35,000 people there, mostly women and children, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which doesnt distinguish between civilians and combatants.
The trial of Karen Read, a Mansfield woman charged in the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend, John OKeefe, resumed on Tuesday at 9 a.m.

Read, 44, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of OKeefe, who was found cold to the touch and unresponsive on Jan. 29, 2022, outside of a home in Canton.

Norfolk County prosecutors charged Read after his death and stated that she struck OKeefe with her SUV while driving intoxicated. Reads attorney, David Yannetti, said during the trials opening statements that her car never struck OKeefe and that others are to blame for his death.

The trial is taking place in Dedhams Norfolk County Superior Court.

On Monday, Brian Albert, a retired Boston police officer and homeowner of 34 Fairview Road, where OKeefe was found unresponsive, testified about what happened on the night of Jan. 28, 2022.

Cross-examination of his daughter, Caitlin Albert, resumed on Tuesday morning.

Jurors heard from a witness on Tuesday who said she saw a black blob on the lawn of 34 Fairview as she left in the early hours of Jan. 29, 2022.

Heres what we learned Tuesday about the testimonies of four witnesses.

Witness Julie Nagel describes birthday party at Canton home, says I did notice something  12 p.m.

Julie Nagel testifies during the Karen Read murder trail. Read is accused of backing her SUV into her Boston Police officer boyfriend, John OKeefe and leaving him to die in a blizzard. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)Boston Herald

Julie Nagel, the fourth witness to testify on Tuesday, described the party at the Canton home of her friend Brian Albert Jr.

Everyone having fun, hanging out, listening to music, drinking alcoholic seltzers, she said.

By 12:15 a.m. on Jan 29, 2022, Brian Albert Jr.s parents arrived with family members, Jennifer and Matthew McCabe, and friend Brian Higgins. Jennifer McCabe is the sister-in-law of Brian Albert, the homeowner of 34 Fairview Road when OKeefes body was found.

All were in the kitchen and dining room area, she said.

At one point, Brian Albert, the homeowner, took the familys German Shepherd, Chloe, outside and brought her back upstairs.

Nagel said she could see the front door from where she was seated in the house.

She said she could see from within the house a black SUV that pulled up to the house before she went outside to speak with her brother, who was there to pick her up. The SUV left by the time she walked outside to speak with her brother.

The SUV was in front of the mailbox, stopped, and then pulled up near the flag pole, she said.

She spoke with her brother for less than three minutes, she said. Nagel said she decided to stay at the party and find another way home.

Matt McCabe and Jennifer McCabe offered to drive Nagel and her friend Sara Levinson home.

I did notice something out of the ordinary, like a black blob in the ground by the flagpole, she said when they got into the car and drove away.

As the vehicle is going by the house, as you make the observation, what, if anything, did you say in the back seat of the car? Adam Lally, the Norfolk prosecutor, asked.

I did say out loud, I was like, I think I might have saw something. Im not kind of sure what it was. But I was also intoxicated, drinking, so didnt really know what it was, what I saw, Nagel said. But Sara was like, What, Julie? And I was like, I dont know what it was. And then that was kind of really it.

It was about five to six feet long, she said.

OKeefes body was later found near the flagpole on the front lawn of 34 Fairview Road around 6 a.m. that morning by Read and two other women.

Under cross-examination, Nagel said it wasnt until eight months later that a police investigator spoke with her.

Nagel confirmed that she never saw the black SUV move backward.

David Yannetti, Reads attorney, began to focus on a portion of testimony that Nagel gave under direct examination.

Nagel agreed she never told police investigators that the black object she saw was five or six feet long and Tuesdays testimony was the first time she mentioned the length of the black object.

Lally [Norfolk prosecutor] asked me how big it was so I just told him right now, yeah, Nagel said.

Yannetti asked whether she thought it was a body as they passed by in the car, and she responded, No.

At 1:45 a.m. and getting into the McCabe vehicle, and passing the Albert lawn, you did not think that you saw a person who was in trouble, correct? Yannetti asked.

Correct, Nagel said. She added that she said it out loud in the car that she saw a black object on the front lawn.

Is it your testimony now, that you said out loud in the car, Theres a person whos in trouble? Yannetti asked.

Thats not what I said, no, Nagel said. She agreed that she did not ask the driver to stop the car or check on the object.

You didnt see a body on that lawn? Yannetti asked.

I mean, I dont know what I saw but I saw an object, Nagel said.

You told investigators that when Brian Albert Jr. called you the next morning and you found out about the tragedy the previous night, you quote put two and two together, correct? Yannetti asked.

I did, yes, Nagel said but admitted she did not call Canton police, state police, or the district attorneys office about what she saw.

Testimony ended shortly after 1 p.m. Testimony in the Read trial will resume on Wednesday morning.

Karen Reads attorney David Yannetti questions a witness during Reads murder trial at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, MA. Read is accused of backing her SUV into her Boston Police officer boyfriend, John OKeefe and leaving him to die in a blizzard. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)BH

Third witness says they did not see OKeefe on the lawn after 1 a.m.  11:51 a.m.

Jurors returned at 11:24 a.m. for the cross-examination of Sara Levinson, a friend of Brian Albert Jr., the son of the homeowner of 34 Fairview Road when OKeefe was found unresponsive.

Levinson and Brian Albert Jr. are close friends and went to the junior prom together, she agreed under questioning.

She said she arrived at 34 Fairview Road at about 8 p.m. and left close to 2 a.m. Snow began to stick on the ground and there wasnt a lot of accumulation yet, she said.

She could still see the color of the pavement, but couldnt remember whether she could still see the grass in the front yard.

David Yannetti, Reads attonrey, handed her a transcript from an interview she had with a federal grand jury where she testified that she could sort of see grass as she left the house on Jan. 29, 2022.

She did not see a sneaker, a black hat, a 6-foot, 200-pound man on the front lawn, or 45 pieces of red plastic on the front lawn, she said.

You did not hear somebody get hit in the back of the head with anything, correct? Yannetti asked.

Correct, Levinson said.

Levinson left the stand at 11:49 a.m.

Sara Levinson, friend of Brian Albert Jr., describes the night of Jan. 28, 2022  10:58 a.m.

Sara Levinson testifies during the Karen Read murder trial on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.NBC Boston

Sara Levinson recalled eating, drinking, and listening to music at the Albert house on the night of Jan. 28, 2022.

The following day was the birthday of Brian Albert Jr., the son of the homeowner of 34 Fairview Road.

Besides Levinson and Albert, another four people came to 34 Fairview Road, but most left before midnight.

Everything was good, happy, everyone was celebrating, Levinson said. There were no issues.

Levinson said Brian Albert, Brian Higgins, Nicole Albert, Caitlin Albert, Jennifer McCabe, and Matt McCabe all came in from The Waterfall Bar & Grille in Canton around 12:15 a.m.

Read and OKeefe were drinking with them at the bar and received an open invitation to come back to 34 Fairview Road.

Colin Albert, the nephew of Brian Albert, arrived and left, but Levinson did not recall when. He was picked up, she said.

Levinson said she left around 1:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. She never heard of Read or OKeefe prior to Jan. 29, 2022.

The judge called a recess at 10:58 a.m.

Caitlin Alberts boyfriend Tristin Morris takes the stand  10:25 a.m.

Tristin Morris testifies during the Karen Read murder trial on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.NBC Boston

Tristin Morris has dated Caitlin Albert for roughly eight years. The couple lives together in Easton, he said.

On the morning of Jan. 29, 2022, Morris was scheduled to help plow snow from the storm that arrived overnight. He said he was on call from 3 a.m. to 4 a.m., ready to help plow if needed.

On cross-examination, David Yannetti, Reads attorney, showed Morris a photograph of 12 people in Ned Devines, a pub in Boston, that included Morris and members of the Albert family. The photo was taken on June 5, 2022, according to Morris.

The photo was taken four days before Reads arraignment, according to Yannetti.

Yannetti asked if they were celebrating the indictment of Karen Read?

The presiding judge allowed the question over the objection of Adam Lally, the Norfolk County prosecutor.

No, Morris said, shaking his head slightly and scratching the back of his head.

Morris testified that he picked up his girlfriend, Caitlin Albert, after midnight on Jan. 29, 2022. He said he waited less than 10 minutes for her to leave the house.

Morris said the first time an investigator spoke to him about the Read case was on May 7  over a week after the trial began.

Plans changed in the early hours of Jan. 29, 2022, Morris said. He needed to make a trip from Easton to Canton a second time that night even though he needed to be ready to plow by 3 a.m., he agreed to under questioning.

Morris said he did not see a 62 man on the front lawn, a black baseball hat, a black sneaker, or any pieces of red plastic.

You saw nothing out of the ordinary, correct? Yannetti said.

Correct, Morris said.

Asked by Lally why Caitlin Albert asked him to pick him up, Morris responded, Because she is high maintenance, I didnt really want to have to deal with it. Members of the courtroom gave a chuckle.

She said she didnt want to get snowed in, Morris said.

He left the stand at about 10:20 a.m.

The next witness was Sara Levinson, a friend of Brian Albert Jr. who was celebrating his birthday on Jan. 29, 2022.

Caitlin Albert says she saw nothing suspicious on parents lawn  9:50 a.m.

Caitlin Albert testifies during the Karen Read murder trial on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.NBC Boston

Defense Attorney David Yannetti continued to probe the connections between Caitlin Albert, whose parents owned the home where John OKeefe was found, and Canton firefighter Katie McLaughlin. The defense has attempted throughout the last two weeks to illustrate the ties between first responders and witnesses in the case.

Albert denied that she is close friends with McLaughlin but said they shared mutual friends and spent time in a group together on a weekend trip to Maine, at the beach and at college.

Yannetti then turned to the night of Jan. 28, 2022, when prosecutors allege Read hit OKeefe with her car.

Albert said she did not see or hear the signs of a car crash, nor signs of OKeefes body, as she left her parents home on 34 Fairview Road in Canton around 1:45 a.m. on Jan. 29.

Against that white snow, did you see a black baseball cap? Yannetti asked.

I did not, Albert responded.

As you stepped out of the house, did you see a white sneaker? Yannetti asked.

I did not, Albert said again.

Did you see 45 pieces of red taillight plastic?

I did not.

Did you see one piece of red taillight plastic?

I did not.

Did you see a 6-foot-2 man on your parents lawn in front of you? Yannetti asked.

Despite an objection from Assistant District Attorney Adam Lally, the judge instructed Albert to answer the question. She said she did not see a man on the lawn.

You saw nothing unusual on that front law of your parents home, did you? Yannetti asked.

I did not, Albert said.

She said she left the home when her boyfriend, Tristin Morris, arrived to pick her up. As the pair drove away, they passed by the entirety of the front lawn. Albert said she saw nothing suspicious outside the home, though she insisted she was not looking.

On re-examination from Lally, Albert said she did not recall whether the homes outdoor lights were on as she left the home. As Morris drove away from the home, Albert said she was looking toward him, away from the lawn.

Testimony resumes from Caitlin Albert  9:10 a.m.

Testimony has resumed in trial of Karen Read, the Mansfield woman charged with killing her boyfriend, Boston Police Office John OKeefe.

On Monday, defense attorneys grilled Brian Albert, a retired Boston police officer and homeowner of the home at 34 Fairview Road in Canton where OKeefe was found gravely injured the morning of Jan. 29, 2022.

Cross-examination of his daughter, Caitlin Albert, began Monday and resumed Tuesday morning. Albert attended high school with Katie McLaughlin, a Canton firefighter who testified last week, and the defense has zeroed in on their connection, aiming to highlight links between witnesses in the cases and first responders.
A 65-year-old Cambridge man who vanished during a hiking trip in New Hampshires White Mountains last month was found dead in a river Monday morning, according to the New Hampshire Fish & Game Department.

William Donovan went missing on April 16, and his body was found around 10:30 a.m. on Monday in the Dry River, roughly 400 feet from where officials found gear and a jacket they believe belonged to the man, the department said in a statement. Donovans body was stuck underneath a large boulder that required fish and game officials to call in additional resources and tools to move.

Search team members carrying Donovans body made their way down to Route 302 around 6:40 p.m., the statement reads.

Late last month, Donovans car was found in a parking lot at the base of a path with hiking equipment inside officials said would have been beneficial if he were planning a hike in the White Mountains. Donovan appeared to be an avid hiker, according to New Hampshire Fish and Game.

Cambridge police conducted a welfare check at the mans home, where they found a handwritten note indicating his desire to hike Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Adams. The area between the parking lot and Mt. Adams is huge and vast with several hiking trails and miles of dense forest, Fish and Game officials said.

An autopsy of Donovans body will be conducted by the New Hampshire State Medical Examiner, according to the statement.
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.

Nina LiangCourtesy of Nina Liang

Nina Liang

Age: 36

Community: Quincy and Greater Boston

Her story: Nina Liang, a lifelong Quincy resident, has served her community in various capacities. Shes served as an at-large city councilor in Quincy for the past eight years, with two of them as the citys first minority council president.

This is a job that I take very seriously because I want to give back to the city that gave me so much, Liang said. I want to ensure that each and every person who lives and works here has that same opportunity to enjoy everything that Quincy has to offer.

Liang said that she sees her role as breaking down barriers and making City Hall more accessible for the people of Quincy, especially for immigrant families.

Liang said she was born and raised in Quincy, and that she comes from a family of Chinese immigrants with a deep sense of community, strengthened by a shared desire to improve the place we called home.

She said her family owns a group of restaurants in the Greater Boston area and that a sense of giving back to her community has informed her time on the council.

I prioritize collaborative work among residents, small businesses, and community groups to address the evolving needs of our diverse population, she said. I understand the importance of smart growth and development that supports local entrepreneurs and Quincys best interests to truly create a future that is representative of all of us.

In her words: If you are passionate about changing your community, then jump into the power structure. Embrace the challenge, take the chance, and dont be afraid to fail.

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.
Planet Fitness, the nations largest gym chain, is increasing its monthly membership fee for the first time since 1998 after the company faced declines in membership in the first quarter of 2024, according to the companys executives.

This summer, a classic membership fee for Planet Fitness will go up from $10 to $15 per month for new customers, Craig Benson, the interim CEO of the gym, said during a conference call with several business analysts about the companys first-quarter earnings. The meeting was transcribed by The Motley Fool, a private financial and investing advice company.

Under the classic membership, customers have access to only one gym, according to Planet Fitness website.

Planet Fitness will also experiment with new prices for its $25-a-month Black Card membership, which gives customers access to all Planet Fitness gyms, Benson said, according to the transcript collected by The Motley Fool.

Read More: 13 WMass Planet Fitness gyms sold to Pennsylvania company

It is not going to come as a shock to anybody that we are moving a price thats been in effect for a long, long time, 25 years, the interim CEO said.

We think it is the right time to do it, he added.

There is no official date set for when the prices will increase. Current classic members will not experience an increase in their gym membership fees, only new members will be subject to the increase, Benson stated.

Read More: Planet Fitness offers teens free gym access nationwide throughout summer

Why is Planet Fitness increasing its membership prices?

Planet Fitness will increase its prices to minimize the loss of membership it faced at the beginning of the first quarter, Benson stated.

The first quarter of 2024, was below the companys expectations for a historically high net-growth quarter, Benson said. The interim CEO believes that the high cases of viruses like RSV and COVID-19 in January may have made people weary of going to the gym.

Benson also said he believes that Planet Fitness advertising campaign also contributed to lower first-quarter gains.

We believe that this was due in part to the messaging not resonating as broadly as we anticipated as well as our strategic decision to not include price pointed offers as part of our nationally funded portion of the advertising, he added.

Also affecting the companys gains was an isolated incident where Planet Fitness terminated an Alaska womans membership after she complained about a man shaving in the womans restroom on March 11. The incident, which was first reported by The Washington Post, contributed to some of the softness and cancellations Planet Fitness saw in Q1, Benson stated.

Benson said the companys nondiscriminatory policy  which has been in place for years  allows for members to use the restroom of their choice.

To find the best balance between the more expensive dues while minimizing loss of customers, Planet Fitness created a price test for the classic membership, Benson stated. Last fall, the company tested two price points for the Classic Card, a $15 and a $12.99 in nearly 100 stores each. The stores eventually reverted back to the normal $10-per-month fee during the national sales period. The company also included one more test in the New York market where they kept the price at $14.99 regardless of the national sale.

Based on our learnings, we decided to change the price of the Classic Card to $15. It drove the most significant increase to average unit volumes with the least impact to the rate of joins, Benson said.
Middlesex County prosecutors on Tuesday announced they had identified a 71-year-old man as the suspect in a pair of rapes at a Framingham clothing store in December 1989.

Stephen Paul Gale was indicted on four counts of aggravated rape, two counts of kidnapping, and one count of armed robbery, Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan announced during a press conference Tuesday morning. Gale, who was last seen at a family event somewhere in the United States in 2007, was identified through forensic genealogy using DNA evidence collected at the time, according to Ryan.

On Dec. 27, 1989, prosecutors say Gale entered a womens clothing store on Route 9 in Framingham where two women, 18 and 29, were working. As the women prepared to open the store, prosecutors say Gale approached one of the women and said he was there to buy clothes and asked for help picking out an outfit. Then, he showed the woman what he identified as a gun and forced the two women into the back of the store, Ryan said.

Gale is accused of forcing the older woman, who was working as a manager at the time, to empty the locked safe at the back of the store, the stores cash register, and her purse. Prosecutors say he then had the young woman tape a note to the front of the store indicating it would open late that day.

After doing so, Gale is accused of forcing the women into two back rooms, where he demanded they remove their clothes, Ryan said. He is then accused of bringing each woman into the store office, where he sexually assaulted them.

The two women were able to flee the store with their coats through a fire door and ran through backyards in Framingham to a home where they sought aid, according to Ryan.

Despite the fact that throughout their ordeal of being robbed and sexually assaulted, the defendant had continued to tell them that they should not look at him, that they should not make any wrong move at the risk of his using the gun, both women were able to provide investigators with important information relative to their assailants appearance, Ryan said.

Investigators were able to collect forensic evidence and developed a DNA profile of the man believed to be responsible, which was uploaded to the Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS, in 2001. For decades, investigators could not match the DNA to any DNA in the system.

In 2022, Middlesex County prosecutors and Framingham police contracted with Parabon NanoLabs, a Virginia-based company, to assist in conducting investigative genetic genealogy with a goal of developing new leads to identify the man responsible for the assault.

It was through the lab that prosecutors were able to identify Gale as the suspect, and investigators across the nation worked to locate the man, efforts that have thus far been unsuccessful.

Ryan attributed the difficulty in locating Gale to the fact that he has used a number of aliases over the decades, and has ties to numerous cities and states, including Los Angeles, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Phoenix, Arizona; and various cities in Texas, Utah, and Florida. Gale has used the names Stephen Pisarcik, John Rossi, Paul Costa, Paul DeRosa, Paul DiCarli, Paul Joseph DeCarlo, Steve Miner, Paul Williams, and Paul Ptaszynski, she said.

We are always looking and thinking about new ways to use evidence, Ryan said. Despite the passage of time, the clear message from this office is, we do not stop working on these cases they are never closed and we do not forget when people came into this county and did.

Gale is also suspected of other incidents in the metropolitan area in 1989, according to Ryan, though it is unclear if any of those cases may be related to the assault he is now charged with.

Ryan did not say where in the U.S. Gale was last seen, only that it was not in Massachusetts. Investigators also do not know how long he may have lived in the state, but Ryan said he has family ties.

Investigators have a lot of mixed information about Gales occupation.

Breakthroughs in cold cases are often bittersweet, Ryan said.

Youre obviously going back to something that was almost a lifetime ago. I think that reaction today when we spoke to both women was just real gratitude for the type of police investigative work thats been done and also obviously hope that this is the first step, she said.

While Gale has thus far evaded capture, Ryan said she had every expectation he would be located.
Editors note: This story incorrectly included the name of another restaurant claiming the UNO location. The story has been updated to remove the reference.

UNO Pizzeria & Grill in Leominster will close its doors in the Twin City Plaza at 905 Merriam Ave. on Tuesday, May 14, Chris Dellamarggio, UNO Pizzeria & Grill marketing director, told MassLive.

The closure comes months after the Uno Pizzeria at The Shops at the Blackstone Valley in Millbury was shuttered.

Nicole Dame, Leominster bartender and server, said the staff was notified of the closure at noon on Monday, May 13.

We were slower than most restaurants ... but I didnt think we were going to close for good, Dame told MassLive. Whats happening is an unfortunate situation, but its out of everyones control. Just have to accept it for what it is.

Dame worked there for three years before the pizzeria closed.

Dellamarggio said the closures are nothing more than lease situations, adding many of the Massachusetts locations have been around for two or more decades.

While some are being renewed ... some are not, he said. Its a matter of entering into a new lease in a plaza that isnt up to par.

The Uno Pizzeria and Grill in the Holyoke Mall closed after 34 years. Don Treeger/ The Republican

The Millbury and Leominster locations are the only two Massachusetts locations that have closed so far this year. There are 13 Uno Pizzeria restaurants still operating in the Bay State.

Dellamarggio said the corporation experienced a shift in the restaurants growth and is focused on partnering with hotels. Additionally, the company has opened seven new franchise locations over the past two years, mostly in the Midwest, he said.

There is a push and pull with opening and closing new locations, though the company is looking to open new franchise locations, Dellamarggio said.

Although he did not disclose the number of employees who were laid off due to the closures, Dellamarggio said, People are always given the opportunity to move to another restaurant.

We always prefer to keep people in the company if they want to stay. ... We thank our loyal customers for the years of patronizing.

The Millbury UNO Pizzeria & Grill closed about two months ago.Google Maps

News of the Leominster locations closure had Leominster Eats, a Facebook page for foodies, buzzing on Monday, May 13.

Paul Cruz, of Leominster, posted to the public Facebook page that the location would close down for good, on Tuesday, May 14, and urged people to use their gift cards.

Read more: Popular Springfield cafe and bakery expands to Gasoline Alley

Facebook users flooded the comments. Some questioned if the news was true, and others wrote they were not surprised.
Any chance your smartphones pictures of the northern lights from this weekend turned out better than in real life?

On Friday and over the weekend, several of the lower 48 states had a chance to see the northern lights, or aurora borealis, dance across the night sky. From Massachusetts to Utah to Northern California, people looked up to see the greens, blues and purples of the natural light show courtesy of the sun.

Electrons collide in the upper part of Earths atmosphere and excite the atoms and molecules to higher energy states, NOAAs website explained of the lights. As all of these particles relax back down to lower energy states, they release their energy into bands of light, similar to how neon light works.

So with all of this happening in the skies above, people often want to capture it on a camera. Through the convenience of a smartphone, thats possible, often yielding better-than-expected images.

The trick with an iPhone is to use night mode, which is particularly good for faint light photography and, in some cases, is better than simply taking a long-exposure image, The Verge wrote in 2023 about capturing the northern lights seen from Greenland.

Night mode is typically taking multiple images, like maybe five to ten images at a set speed that it optimizes for, astronomer Sten Odenwald at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center told the outlet. And then it compares the images to find the best ones and basically combines those into your final image. It does dark subtraction and flat fielding, which removes distortions, and also removes some of the graininess.

On an iPhone, night mode will automatically turn on when the camera detects a low-light environment, according to Apple. The icon appears at the top of the display and turns yellow when it becomes active. After you snap a photo, it could depend on how dark it is for the photo to finish being taken. It might be quick or it might take several seconds.

Night mode uses multi-frame processing to combine 30 images into one clear photo, according to Samsung about its Galaxy phones. The extra light captured by the phones camera sensors will help your photos appear bright and enhanced.

On an Android, night mode uses artificial intelligence to analyze the scene you are trying to photograph, according to Android Authority.

To try longer night mode photos, tap the arrow above the viewfinder. Tap the night mode button that appears below the viewfinder, then use the slider above the shutter button to choose Max, which extends the capture time. When you take the photo, the slider becomes a timer that counts down to the end of the capture time.

Odenwald told The Verge that if the aurora is much brighter and moving fast, maybe switch from night mode and use a camera app that allows the user to take a long exposure image.

Apps such as Northern Lights Photo Taker, NightCap Camera, ProCamera, and Slow Shutter for iOS, or ProCam X Lite for Android, come recommended by Icelands tourist website, Visit Iceland.

One tactic skywatchers can use is to prop up a steady tripod, according to Visit Iceland. These are considered essential for long exposures in low light, but should be weighted down if its windy. As well, use manual focus in order for the aurora to appear sharp.

Visit Iceland does not recommend flash when photographing the northern lights. The idea with capturing the aurora is to be far away from any light pollution that can dim even the most vibrant display, where long exposure and night mode will be essential.

USA Today recommends holding the phone horizontally for a wide-angle shot and using the panoramic feature to capture the northern lights in its entirety. The newspaper also suggests taking a candid photo of someone in front of the northern lights, which will capture their shadows in the foreground.
The 16-year-old Bellingham teenager killed at a massive house party in Northborough on Sunday was identified as Ygor Correia, the Worcester County District Attorneys office said Tuesday.

Correia was shot and killed at a 21st birthday party with more than 300 attendees at 333 Howard St. in Northborough.

Three men are facing weapons charges in connection with Correias death  Wallisom Texeira Da Silva, 20, of Hyde Park, Arnoldo Nogueira Filho, 19, of Marlborough and Pedro Desouza-Passos, 27, of Rockland. All three were arraigned in Worcester District Court on Tuesday.

Authorities began investigating the shooting after a party-goer flagged down a Northborough police officer around 1 a.m. Sunday morning and told them someone had a gun at the party, Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said. More than 25 officers from eight different departments  including Massachusetts State Police  were preparing to enter the home when they heard gunshots.

Read more: GoFundMe created for family of Bellingham teen killed at Northborough party

Police then rushed into the home  where approximately 300 people had gathered  and found Correia, who had been shot, Early said. He was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester where he was declared dead.

Investigators are asking that anyone with information about the shooting call Northborough police at 508-393-1515.

A Zillow listing for 333 Howard St. in Northborough says the 4,200-square-foot Frank Lloyd Wright-style home has five bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms and an in-ground pool. The listing also shows a cottage on the property with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a full kitchen, a bar and a pool table.

Its quite a house, Early said during a press conference about the shooting Sunday afternoon.

Pictures of the home featured on the listing show that it has many full-length windows, more than one walk-out porch and a stone patio with a grill. It was built on the 3.37-acre lot in 1953 using cypress wood and granite and is set a ways back from the road, according to the listing.

The cottage was listed as a short-term rental on Airbnb at the time of the shooting. Investigators are still determining whether the party or shooting involved an Airbnb guest, Early said Sunday.

A Northborough Airbnb listing showing the same pictures as the 333 Howard St. Zillow listing has a 4.92 guest rating and is a guest favorite. In an email to MassLive, Airbnb said there was no guest booked through the site to stay at the cottage Saturday night.

By Monday morning, the Airbnb listing had been removed.
A trio of Massachusetts lawmakers are calling on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to investigate federal funding for a gun-shot detection system used by many cities, including Boston, saying theyre concerned it may violate civil rights protections embedded in U.S. law.

The letter, led by Democratic U.S. Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren and U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-7th District, asks the agencys Office of Inspector General to look into whether there are potential violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits recipients of federal financial assistance from discriminating based on race, color and national origin.

ShotSpotter is an acoustic gunshot detection system thats intended to allow law enforcement to detect and locate incidents of gunfire. The system uses acoustic sensors tied to a cloud-based application that is supposed to capture the precise time and audio associated with sounds that may represent gunfire, the lawmakers said in a statement.

However, a review of more than 1,300 documents detailing the use of ShotSpotter by the Boston Police Department from 2020 to 2022 by the Massachusetts branch of the American Civil Liberties Union found there was no evidence of gunfire in 70% of alerts triggered by the system.

In 10% of those alerts, the system flagged fireworks explosions  and not gunshots, according to the MASS-ACLUs review. And in one such instance, the system was triggered by a pinata at a birthday party.

In Boston, ShotSpotter microphones are installed primarily in Dorchester and Roxbury, in areas where some neighborhoods are over 90% Black and/or Latine, according to the MASS-ACLUs review,

Civil libertarians nationwide also have raised red flags about the system being deployed in predominantly Black and brown neighborhoods at a high cost to the taxpayers.

City officials in Boston have spent more than $4 million on the system since 2012, mainly using it in communities to stay safe. Its very, very important to how we deploy and address certain neighborhoods and issues and crime.

Bostons three-year contract with SoundThinking, the California-based company that produces ShotSpotter, expires in June. The cost of that contract is reportedly $782,610, the newspaper reported.

The system is in use in 150 cities nationwide, according to Fast Company. But several large cities, including Atlanta, Chicago, Charlotte, North Carolina, New Orleans, and San Antonio, Texas, have discontinued or passed on its use amid a growing body of research showing that it does not reduce crime, Fast Company reported, amid a growing body of research showing it does not reduce crime, Fast Company reported.

Police in Fall River also ended their relationship with ShotSpotter in 2018, arguing they couldnt justify the cost, according to the MASS-ACLUs review.

The Massachusetts pols, who were joined on the letter by U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., echoed that concern, arguing research has shown biased deployment of the system can perpetuate the over-policing and unjustified surveillance of communities of color, exposing residents to police interrogations, confrontation and potentially creating dangerous situations for residents.

Their joint letter asks DHSs inspector general, Joseph V. Cuffari, to investigate DHSs spending of taxpayer dollars on ShotSpotter.

Markey, along with U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., are the cosponsors of legislation banning the government from using facial recognition and other biometric technologies, arguing that they disproportionately affect marginalized communities.
Ask a member of Congress what theyre doing when theyre not voting, and theyll usually tell you constituent service.

Its the catch-all that can range from helping someone straighten out their taxes with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and giving a community group a leg up on federal funding, to getting a child nominated to one of the service academies.

Charting actual accomplishments in that broad, grey middle can sometimes be hard to do. But one Massachusetts lawmaker is set to be honored for her work in this tough-to-define, but no less important, part of being a member of Congress.

U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-7th District, is one of 15 finalists for the nonprofit Congressional Management Foundations annual Democracy Awards. And if she wins, shell take home honors for Constituent Accountability and Accessibility.

This recognition is a testament to our teams dedicated work, day in and day out, the Boston lawmaker said in a statement shared exclusively with MassLive. I am so fortunate to work with outstanding staff who care deeply about our district and our constituents. We are always working to bring government to the people and make the resources and services our office provides more accessible to everyone who calls [the 7th District] home.

U.S. House and Senate lawmakers are nominated for the awards, which span four categories, with an online questionnaire.

Thats followed up with interviews with House and Senate offices and a review of any relevant documents, Pressleys office said. A selection committee, made up of former lawmakers and Capitol Hill staffers will pick the eventual winners in July. Finalists and winners are set to be honored at a ceremony in Washington D.C. in September.

As a Democracy Award finalist, [Pressleys] office is clearly one of the best in Congress, Bradford Fitch, the president and CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation, said in a statment. 

This designation demonstrates that Rep. Pressley has made a significant commitment to being the best public servant for her constituents, Fitch continued. Rep. Pressley and her staff are to be congratulated for not only being a model for her colleagues in Congress, but for helping to restore trust and faith that our democratic institutions can work.

Among other things, Pressleys office was picked as a finalist because it aims to practice cooperative governing and keeping those closest to the pain closest to the power, and it leverages every congressional tool available to communicate important updates to her constituents, including a periodical newsletter with updates on her legislative work and upcoming events, and using her social media platforms and press interviews to share federal resources.

Pressleys office has has inculcated into staff a mentality to look for and create access to constituents where barriers could exist. This includes language barriers, physically accessibility issues, even providing childcare services at events so parents can attend, according to the foundation.

Too many people feel left and out and left behind when it comes to the work of government, and across our team we are trying to shift that dynamic and build trust, Pressley said.
BOSTON  Amed Rosarios two-out, two-run triple in the first inning had a .940 expected batting average but center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela almost caught it.

Rafaela fully extended in the air but Rosarios line drive deflected off the top of the center fielders glove and into right field. Wilyer Abreu, who backed up Rafaela, had to sprint back into right field to chase it.

The 23-year-old rookie came within centimeters of helping starter Kutter Crawford escape the first inning without allowing a run. Instead, the Rays put a three spot on the scoreboard and won 5-3 over the Red Sox at Fenway Park on Monday.

Off the bat, I was like, That balls down, Crawford said. And as I started to take a few steps to go back up third or home or wherever it was going to be, I noticed the ball started to hang up a little bit and Rafaela just gaining ground on it. And obviously he Superman dove and it hit off his glove. But it was impressive to see him gain ground on that ball and even give himself a chance to make that play.

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Manager Alex Cora said Rafaela almost made the catch because he got an excellent jump, something hes really good at doing.

He gets moving, Cora said. He closes the gap very fast. Thats the cool thing about him. He hasnt played the outfield in a while and he almost made two great plays in consecutive days.

Rafaela  who has made 17 of his past 21 starts at shortstop  flipped over the right field wall into the bullpen trying to steal a home run when he started Sundays game in center field.

We talk about versatility and the fact that we can move him around ... it helps us, Cora said. The kid is really good defensively.

Crawford didnt have his best stuff, throwing 35 pitches during the three-run first inning. But he still went 6 innings and threw a career-high 101 pitches. He pointed to his two-out walk to Harold Ramirez right before Rosarios triple as what led to the Rays scoring three times in the first inning.

Obviously the two-out walk was kind of the icing on the cake as far as getting myself in trouble, Crawford said. I felt like they were kind of taking my spin away from me on the outside half of the plate  kind of leaning out there, shooting stuff the other way. But yeah, I think it all kind of started with falling behind. I was kind of throwing across my body a little bit there in the first with the four-seam and everything. Kind of just fighting that. But yeah, just kind of falling behind there in the first and obviously it led to a long inning.
SPRINGFIELD  Recent federal funding will assist 38 cities across the Massachusetts address key local housing needs.

Springfield, Chicopee, Holyoke, Northampton and Westfield were the five Western Massachusetts cities that were awarded millions of dollars in funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Totally, Massachusetts received $155 million to provide resources to build homes, support renters and homeowners, allow for municipalities to provide emergency assistance to people without homes, create jobs and improve local economies, according to a statement from Massachusetts congressional delegation.
AMHERST  The University of Massachusetts chancellor told the Faculty Senate that calling in police to break up an encampment and arrest 134 pro-Palestinian demonstrators May 7 was a last resort after the group failed to follow campus policies.

The Faculty Senate met Tuesday to discuss last weeks demonstration that led to the mass arrests. Some demanded the resignation of Chancellor Javier A. Reyes based on how he handled the protest. Others called for an apology or a vote of no confidence for the university head, who is finishing his first year in the position.
A West Springfield mobster accused of killing infamous Boston gangster and FBI informant James Whitey Bulger while in prison has agreed to take a plea deal in the homicide.

The U.S. Attorneys Office on Monday filed a three-page notice for change of plea and sentencing hearing in federal court in the Northern District of West Virginia, where the case is being heard.
Le Speaker a fait une annonce, le 14 mai 2024, sur le fait que Miss Urmeelah Devi Ramchurn est desormais Clerk de lAssemblee Nationale.

Hon Members,

I am pleased to inform the House that Miss Urmeelah Devi Ramchurn has been appointed Clerk of the National Assembly in a substantive capacity with effect from Monday 13 May 2024.

In 1996, Miss Ramchurn was awarded a Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of Mauritius. Thereafter, she joined the Best Graphics Law Publishers Ltd as Trainee Jurist under the supervision of the late Louis Edwin Venchard, QC, former Solicitor General.

Miss Ramchurn has also worked in the teaching profession prior to joining the Civil Service as Civil Status Officer in November 2005 at the Central Civil Status Office.

In October 2007, she joined the National Assembly as Clerk Assistant and in April 2014, she was promoted to the post of Deputy Clerk.

In December 2009, she was awarded a Certificate of Orientation by the Lok Sabha for having attended the Parliamentary Internship Program on the working of the Indian Parliament and its Parliamentary procedures and practices.

On behalf of Honourable Members and the staff of the National Assembly, and in my own name I extend my congratulations to Miss Ramchurn as Clerk of the National Assembly and wish her a successful career.

I thank you.
Promoters of the Pan-African Payment & Settlement System (PAPSS), namely African Export-Import Bank , African Union Commission (AUC) and African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, successfully organized the first Consultative Forum of CEOs of African Banks bringing together executives of African commercial banks, bankers associations, payment switches, the association of African stock exchanges and other financial service providers.

Participants reaffirmed their strong support to the decisions of the Assembly of the African Union Heads of States and Governments of 2019 and 2020. The 2019 decision adopted PAPSS as the African Financial Market Infrastructure for cross-border payments and settlements while the 2020 decision mandated Afreximbank, AUC and AfCFTA Secretariat to urgently introduce and scale up the implementation of PAPSS.

The Forum therefore provided an avenue for participants to deliberate on the successes and challenges of the PAPSS payment system and explore potential path forward on how it can be optimised to facilitate seamless and efficient cross-border payments to support the implementation of the AfCFTA.

Following productive discussions, participants at the Forum agreed to take collective ownership of the success and the future of PAPSS given its significant and hugely positive impact on the facilitation of cross-border payments and the development of intra-African trade. In addition, participants advocated to leverage PAPSS as a pathway to increasing the share of African currencies in intra-African trade and other cross-border payments, as well as increasing the volume of intra-regional payments for mutual benefits to drive rapid adoption of PAPSS by businesses. Participants agreed to embed PAPSS into their digital channels to enable ease of access and seamless integration for existing customers.

Mr. Mike Ogbalu III, Chief Executive Officer of PAPSS, stated:

 PAPSS is fully operational and making rapid progress. We have signed on thirteen African Central Banks, and connected over 115 commercial banks, and ten payment switches across Africa. Another 115 commercial banks are in the pipeline for connection. Our foundation is solid, and the time has come for action and acceleration. It is time to use the system to drive trade in Africa, for Africans, by Africans. We urge all banks to join us in our collective effort to promote intra-African trade and development through PAPSS. 

Further commenting, Mr. Ogbalu said:  We are pleased to see overwhelming support of this forum by the leadership of the African financial institutions. PAPSS is a revolutionary initiative that has the potential to significantly transform the financial and payments landscape of our continent. As managers of PAPSS, we are committed to ensuring it succeeds. We urge all African financial institutions to join us in transforming the way payments are done in Africa. 
Fianna Fail Senator Lisa Chambers has asked Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Jack Chambers, to raise the passenger cap on the Regional Airports Programme to allow Ireland West Airport Knock to expand and develop. The airport recently received over 3.6 million under the programme

SENATOR Lisa Chambers has called on the Department of Transport to increase the passenger cap on the Regional Airports Programme to allow further expansion and development at Ireland West Airport Knock.

The European election candidate has said that the Department is actively reassessing the passenger cap after she met with Fianna Fail colleague Jack Chambers, Minister of State at the Department of Transport.

At present, only airports with passenger figures under one million per annum qualify for financial assistance under this initiative, which provides capital and operational funding to Irelands smaller airports.

In April, the airport received 3,665,981 in exchequer funding for thirteen safety and security-related projects under the Regional Airports Programme 2021-2025.

Ireland West Airport Knock recorded a record number of 818,000 passengers last year with over 6,000 flights departing and arriving at the airport in 2023.

Senator Chambers said that raising the cap on the Regional Airports Programme to three million passengers annually would enable ongoing financial backing for regional airports while adhering to state aid rules.

Constricting the growth potential of Ireland West Airport Knock impedes regional economic advancement, said Senator Chambers, who is running in the Midlands North West constituency.

We must dismantle barriers to growth and empower the airport to achieve its objective of boosting passenger numbers. It is essential that we advocate for the removal of the current passenger cap on the Regional Airports Programme to ensure Ireland West Airport Knock can flourish and contribute to the economic prosperity of the Midlands Northwest.

Ireland West Airport is a cornerstone of economic growth and connectivity in our region, and we must take every measure to facilitate its expansion, Senator Chambers concluded.

Some 102,000 passengers travelled through the airport last August, with over 4,500 passengers travelling through the airport on August 29 alone.
A WESTPORT councillor has appealed to the Government to immediately reinstate the reduced VAT rate to assist the tourism industry as an uncertain tourist season looms.

Fianna Fail councillor Brendan Mulroy met Minister for Finance Michael McGrath during his recent visit to Mayo and called on him to restore the reduced VAT rate to assist the tourism industry as an immediate priority.

Cllr Mulroy said he told the Minister that the tourism industry is now at a crossroads having experienced unprecedented increases in operating costs over the last 24 months.

Hospitality businesses in Westport, Newport, Louisburgh and across Mayo are being hit hardest, particularly those businesses heavily reliant on food services which are dealing with very tight margins and who are struggling to keep their businesses open.

While the costs of operating a business is an issue throughout the wider economy, it is particularly acute for tourism and hospitality given the labour-intensive nature of its businesses, commented Cllr Mulroy.

Following discussions, Cllr Mulroy strongly pressed Minister McGrath for the Government to introduce offsetting measures that take into account the disproportionate impact faced by the tourism and hospitality industry.

Alleviation measures must be introduced without delay to off-set the increase in tourism VAT given the impact this decision has had on food-related services and where margins are very tight. At a minimum, the VAT should now be returned to 9 percent for food services within the hospitality sector and this will help secure jobs, boost employment and increase more economic benefits to towns like Westport, Newport and Louisburgh who heavily rely on tourism and where hundreds of jobs are dependent.

Darren Madden of the Clew Bay Hotel in Westport said he and his fellow tourism operators are very worried that unless the Government takes steps to support the tourism sector, the ongoing effect of the increase in VAT will further impact on consumer sentiment over the next 12 months. Businesses throughout the country, particularly regional tourism businesses like us, are already seeing the effect this is having on consumer spend on discretionary items, such as dining out. If the Government are serious about supporting tourism, the restructuring of Employers PRSI for our sector, including a targeted rebate for businesses within the sector is what is urgently needed.

Mr Madden said that a widening and expansion of the existing business supports scheme is urgently required as it currently has very restrictive thresholds for qualification. He cited the Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) Grant Scheme, where businesses with a 2023 rates bill for their property over 30,000, do not qualify for this grant.

Cllr Mulroy added that tourism is vital to Westport, Newport, Louisburgh and surrounding towns and villages and that the industry should be supported further by the Government given the massive challenges it faces.

Cost increases have been relentless, and it is not sustainable. I know from talking to tourism businesses in West Mayo that they face significant challenges in relation to competitiveness as tourism and hospitality is a labour-intensive business. Decisive action from the Government is what is needed now and without delay, he said.
People in Mayo are being invited to walk for peace and Palestine this coming Saturday, May 18 at the annual Famine Walk, at Doolough Valley near Louisburgh.

Organised by the human rights group Afri, the walk retraces the steps of several hundred people who walked the route in search of food during The Great Famine.

In 1849, the route was the scene of a tragedy when a number of starving people walked from Louisburgh to Delphi, where they were sent home without receiving any relief. Many of them subsequently died on the journey home.

This years Famine Walk is focused on Palestine and will be led by Faten Sourani, a Dublin-based Palestinian lawyer and human rights advocate from Gaza, and Donal OKelly, a renowned writer, performer, and activist, known for his long-term involvement with Afri dating back to the Dunnes Stores anti-apartheid strike in 1984.

There will also be a performance by Roisin El Cherif, an Irish-Palestinian musician from Galway, who will be accompanied by Katie OConnor.

Since 1988, the annual Famine Walk has highlighted the connection between the Great Famine and modern-day injustices worldwide.

Previous walk leaders have included Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Christy Moore, journalist John Pilger, Mahatma Gandhis grandson Arun Gandhi, actor Gabriel Byrne, Michael Davitts granddaughter Grainne, and Kim Phuc, the Vietnamese woman who was famously photographed as a child in a now iconic photo in which she is running from a napalm attack.

Speaking in advance of the walk, Afri coordinator, Joe Murray, says the event represents a chance for people to honour their ancestors and to stand in solidarity with those facing injustice and oppression today.

Mr Murray said there is a particularly strong level of interest from people wishing to express their support for the people of Palestine.

During An Gorta Mor, more than 26 million bushels of grain were exported from Ireland to England. We must never forget the million people who died from starvation or hunger-related diseases and more than a million forcibly displaced at the hands of colonial rule. Now, in the Congo, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen, and in Gaza, millions of people face hunger and starvation at the hands of those who have the power to prevent it.

These crises are not isolated. War anywhere threatens peace and security everywhere, he continued.

This is evident with the war in Ukraine, with the conflict not only devastating the people of Ukraine but also having a detrimental effect on food availability across the world. In what was once heralded as the breadbasket of Europe and one of the largest grain producers in the world, the war has seriously impacted Ukraines capacity for food.

Registration for the 18-kilometre Famine Walk takes place between 11am-12pm at the Parish Hall in Louisburgh followed by the opening ceremony.

Buses will start taking people to the starting people at 12.40pm. Registration is required and is by donation.
BALLINROBE will host this year's Africa Day celebrations on Saturday May 25 from 1 pm to 5 pm at the Ballinrobe Racecourse.

Africa Day is the annual worldwide celebration of the people, cultures, and potential of the African continent.

This year, all 31 local authorities across Ireland - including Mayo - will host various cultural, artistic, and family-friendly events. These will include contemporary African-Irish culture, as well as family fun days, fashion, art, film, music, dance, and food events, which will take place in towns and cities across Ireland.

The Mayo event will consist of a cultural celebration through music, art, dance and song, family fun day, and an exhibition highlighting the Irish Aid programme in Africa.

Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Sean Fleming TD, said:  Ireland has growing trade, political and cultural links across the continent of Africa. Africa Day is an opportunity to promote those links and learn more about the diversity and vibrancy of African cultures.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, May 13, 2024

Vermont lawmakers early Saturday morning passed a comprehensive privacy bill that would limit the amount of data that companies can collect, impose restrictions on online ad targeting, and allow consumers to bring private lawsuits in some circumstances.

If enacted, the bill would require companies to let consumers opt out of targeted advertising -- meaning ads served based on non-sensitive data collected across distinctly branded sites or apps.

The measure also would explicitly obligate companies to honor opt-outs made through mechanisms like the Global Privacy Control, which transmits opt-out requests to every site consumers visit.

The legislation also would prohibit companies from collecting or harnessing sensitive data -- including biometrics, location data and information that reveals consumers' race, religion, citizenship, sexual orientation or health -- without opt-in consent.

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Data-minimization requirements would ban companies from gathering more information than reasonably necessary and proportionate to provide specific products or services requested by consumers.

The measure's most controversial provision would allow people who have been harmed by the collection or transfer of sensitive data to bring private lawsuits.

The bill's exact wording -- including its provisions regarding lawsuits by consumers -- is expected to be available later this week.

The Association of National Advertisers plans to ask Governor Phil Scott to veto the bill.

"If signed into law, Vermont's privacy bill would be one of the most damaging in the nation, resulting in significant consumer harm, regulatory confusion, frivolous litigation, and economic injury to Vermont's small businesses, Chris Oswald, executive vice president of the organization said Monday.

He adds that the provision enabling private lawsuits would foment a flood of feckless filings, driving up costs for Vermont residents and businesses while enriching unscrupulous out-of-state trial lawyers.

But advocacy groups Consumer Reports and the Electronic Privacy Information Center praised the measure, calling it stronger than other state privacy measures -- largely because it allows for private lawsuits.

The inclusion of a private right of action in this law, while limited, is enormously significant, Matt Schwartz, a policy analyst with Consumer Reports, stated. It means that consumers who have been harmed by Big Techs data abuses will actually be granted the ability to defend their rights.

State privacy laws in California, Illinois and Washington also allow individuals to sue over violations -- but in more limited circumstances.

For instance, California's privacy law allows consumers to sue over data breaches, while the law in Illinois authorizes lawsuits against companies that violate the state's biometric privacy law.

Unless vetoed, the Vermont measure will take effect in October 2025.
by Ray Schultz , May 13, 2024

A media firm reportedly owned by conservative radio host Dan Proft will remove personal data on thousands of voters from its sites.

Local Government Information Inc. agreed to eliminate birthdates, addresses and whether the person voted in the 2020 presidential election, a detail it had on some voters, according to the Rockford Register Star.

The firm has been sued by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul for allegedly putting Illinois voters at risk of identity theft and other harms, according to the Star.

The company, which says it is a media watchdog, had until Monday afternoon to remove the information, the Star writes.

The data had not been provided by the State Board of Elections, the Star continues. However, political committees can purchase the voter data file for bona fide political purchases, although birthdates were not provided after 2018.

The Star reports that the media group operates more than 20 websites in Illinois and 12 print publications, including Rockford Sun, Sangamon Sun, Peoria Standard, Galesburg Reporter and NW Illinois News.
by Tanya Gazdik , May 13, 2024

Most seasoned marketers know that humor can be tricky, and the risk of offending is sometimes great than the reward.

So it goes for Bumble. The dating app has issued a press release saying it is taking down tongue-in-cheek billboards that have rubbed some viewers the wrong way.

The billboards, seemingly targeted at women, discouraged celibacy. The backlash online was from women who feel the messaging delegitimizes womens freedom of choice.

"Womens experiences are at the center of what we do at Bumble, a Bumble spokesperson told Campaign US. As part of our recent marketing campaign, we included an ad with language around celibacy as a response to the frustrations of dating.

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The spokesperson said Bumble has heard the concerns about the ads language and understands that rather than highlighting a sentiment toward dating, it may have had a negative impact on some of the apps community members.

This was not our intention and we are in the process of removing it from our marketing campaign, and will continue to listen to the feedback from our members, the spokesperson said, according to Campaign US.

After deleting all of its old posts on Instagram, Bumble teased a rebrand on its social media platforms, which launched April 30 by saying dating needs a wake-up call,' and featuring historic images of women exhausted from the dating scene, according to Forbes.

The ads, which feature images of women, include messaging like Thou shalt not give up on dating and become a nun,' and You know full well a vow of celibacy is not the answer.

The campaign seemed to be responding to the increasing conversation around voluntary celibacy  a popular TikTok hashtag  among young women, many of whom say they find dating and hookup culture so degrading that theyve opted out altogether.

"Dating apps, with their gamified format, questionable background-checking practices, and rampant harassment, have been criticized as part of the problem  and, though Bumble originally claimed to set itself aside by empowering women to make the first move, its never been clear how our lived experiences on the app are all that different from, say, Tinder or Hinge, according to The Cut. "The new billboards, which dismiss a decision that many women say made them feel safer and more powerful, are not doing the supposedly feminist dating app any favors.

Some on social media said they felt like Bumble was saying women could solve their dating problems by just having sex.

One TikTok creatorwhose viral video has almost 450,000 viewssaid Bumble is delegitimizing our celibacy because you want males to have more access to our bodies, per Forbes.

Some said the billboards were a great reminder of why they chose celibacy in the first place  including actress Julia Fox, who commented on one post, 2.5 years of celibacy and never been better tbh, according to Page Six.
by Sarah Mahoney @mahoney_sarah, May 14, 2024

Walmart, which releases quarterly results this week, keeps tightening expenses, eliminating several hundred corporate jobs. In moves first reported by the Wall Street Journal, the company is also asking many formerly remote corporate staff members to relocate.

It has been a little over four years since we faced the global pandemic that reshaped our lives in many ways, including our ways of working, writes Donna Morris, Walmarts chief people officer, in a memo Walmart shared with MediaPost. In February 2022, we made the decision to bring Home Office associates back into our campus offices. We believe that being together in person makes us better and helps us to collaborate, innovate and move even faster. We also believe it helps strengthen our culture and grow and develop our associates.

The company says it is asking most associates who are still working remotely and most of those based in their smaller offices in Dallas and Atlanta to relocate. Those working in the Global Tech office, based in Toronto, have also been asked to relocate.

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While most moves will be to the companys Bentonville, Arkansas headquarters, some people are being shifted to Walmart offices in the San Francisco Bay Area or Hoboken, New Jersey.

She confirmed that business changes mean a reduction of several hundred campus roles.

The news comes within weeks of the retailer announcing other key shifts in strategy. For one thing, it shuttered its healthcare business, citing profitability as the main reason. That effort, begun in 2019, had grown to 51 Walmart healthcare centers in rural markets, and the company promised to double that operation.

The abrupt closure came as a surprise following its intense five-year investment. Through our experience managing Walmart Health centers and Walmart Health Virtual Care, we determined there is not a sustainable business model for us to continue, the retailer said in its announcement.

The Bentonville, Arkansas-based company also surprised observers with the launch of Bettergoods, a higher-end private-label line of foods.

While Walmarts other private-label products build on the retailers Everyday Low Prices promise, Bettergoods is a little higher-end, delivering what Walmart calls an elevated experience.

The launch  Walmarts biggest private-label food debut in more than 20 years  positions it better against food retailers like Kroger, Safeway and Target, which have long offered more tiers of private label. Walmart says it is also its fastest launch, enabling it to pounce on food trends quickly.

Todays customers expect more from the private brands they purchase  they want affordable, quality products to elevate their overall food experience, says Scott Morris, senior vice president of private brands, food and consumables, in the companys announcement.

The 300-item collection is priced from $2 to $15. It falls into three categories: Culinary experiences, like specialty salts, Hot Honey Seasoning, Creamy Corn Jalapeno Chowder or Bronze Cut Pasta from Italy, plant-based foods, and Made Without, catering to various lifestyles.




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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH&RC) has recently welcomed Dr. Bjorn Zoega as its Deputy CEO, an appointment that underscores its commitment to promoting and fostering healthcare excellence. Dr. Zoega, renowned for his extensive experience in healthcare management and policy, joins a dedicated team as the hospital continues to drive key strategic initiatives.


Highlights: Almost 200 humans and nearly 100 pets are preserved in a state of suspended animation, awaiting advancements in medical technology

Cryonics involves meticulous steps to vitrify the body, preserving cellular integrity and preventing irreversible damage

While some see cryonics as hope, others dismiss it as science fiction, sparking debates on the boundaries of life and death

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Spending eternity in liquid nitrogen



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Did You Know?

Cryonics patients are suspended in a glass-like state, awaiting a future where science may grant them a second chance at life. #cryonics #futurerevival #medindia

Cryonics patients are suspended in a glass-like state, awaiting a future where science may grant them a second chance at life. #cryonics #futurerevival #medindia

The Science of Suspended Animation: Understanding Cryopreservation

Debating the Boundaries: Ethical Considerations in Cryonics

Spending eternity in liquid nitrogen - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3328517/)

In a quiet corner of Arizona lies a facility that challenges the boundaries of life and death. Here,their bodies preserved in liquid nitrogen-filled tanks, awaiting a future where technology may grant them a second chance at life ().The Alcor Life Extension Foundation, nestled in the heart of Arizona, is a hope for those who believe in the potential of cryonics. Max More, the President emeritus of the facility, oversees the intricate process that promises to defy mortality. Among the portraits adorning the facility's walls is that of Matheryn Naovaratpong, a young girl from Thailand whose life was tragically cut short by brain cancer at the tender age of three. Her story serves as a poignant reminder of the potential of cryonics to transcend the limitations of contemporary medicine.At its core, cryonics is a delicate dance between science and speculation. The process begins with the declaration of legal death, after which the body is carefully prepared for preservation. Far from a simple act of freezing, cryopreservation involves a meticulous series of steps designed to safeguard cellular integrity and prevent irreversible damage. Mechanical CPR devices maintain blood circulation , while a cocktail of medications shields cells from harm. The ultimate goal is not to freeze the body, but to vitrify ita process that transforms biological tissue into a glass-like state, preserving it in suspended animation until a time when medical science can offer a cure.For some, the concept of cryonics borders on the fantasticala relic of science fiction rather than a viable path to immortality. Dr. Arthur Caplan, a leading voice in bioethics, dismisses cryonics as little more than a fanciful notion born from idle speculation. In his view, the prospect of thawing oneself out of cryopreservation and stepping into a distant future is akin to a dorm room debatea whimsical fantasy divorced from the realities of our time.Yet, for believers like Natasha Vita-More, cryonics represents a beacon of hope in an uncertain world. She envisions a future where those who choose cryopreservation are reunited with loved ones, their ailments cured, and their bodies rejuvenated through advances in medical technology. It is a vision of immortality that transcends the confines of mortalitya testament to humanity's eternal quest for transcendence.As the debate rages on, the patients of Alcor remain suspended in a state of limbo, their fates intertwined with the march of progress. For now, they are but echoes of a distant futurea testament to the boundless potential of human ingenuity and the enduring quest for eternal life.Source-Medindia
Highlights: Traditional meditation techniques like Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi can effectively reduce societal stress and violence

Collective meditation may synchronize brain activity across individuals, fostering societal coherence and peace

Ayurveda and Yogas ancient wisdom finds modern scientific validation in the role of meditation for public health and peacebuilding

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Peace through health: traditional medicine meditation in the prevention of collective stress, violence, and war



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Unlocking the power of meditation: New research highlights its potential to reduce societal stress, foster peace, and enhance public health. #meditationforpeace #publichealth #medindia

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Can Ayurveda and Yoga Help in Reducing Stress?

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Group Meditation Reduces Societal Stress and Violence

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Increase in Collective Consciousness Can Help Avoid Wars

Transcendental Meditation Positively Impacts Public Health

Peace through health: traditional medicine meditation in the prevention of collective stress, violence, and war - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38633233/)

According to a study, traditional medical techniques such as transcendental meditation and the advanced Transcedental-Sidhi program can improve social health and build peace, hence lowering collective stress and violence. Amidst global armed conflicts such as the Israel-Hamas and Ukraine-Russia wars, there is an urgent need for creative public health tactics in peacebuilding, according to a recent study published in the journal).War has a terrible impact, including mortality, injury, disease, and the diversion of healthcare resources, necessitating effective and long-term interventions. This perspective is consistent with WHO recommendations and investigates the role of evidence-based meditation from Ayurveda and yoga in public health to reduce collective stress and avert collective violence and conflict, according to the study.Robert H Schneider, Dean of the College of Integrative Medicine at Maharishi International University in the United States and one of the authors, stated, "Our review indicates that when a relatively small group participates in these meditation programs, theres a correlated drop in societal stress and violence indicators."This demonstrates a scientifically measureable collective consciousness impact. Schneider described the recognition of meditations tremendous effects on public health and peace as a paradigm shift.According to Tony Nader, another author and neuroscientist at Maharishi International Universitys Institute for Consciousness and its Applied Technologies, "Population neuroscience provides a powerful framework. And this framework enables us to comprehend how the practice of collective meditation can not only stabilize societal stress on a large scale, but also potentially influence what we might call collective consciousness." This approach has the potential to function as a significant prophylactic tool, averting outbreaks of communal violence and wars," she stated.The study, headed by Maharishi International University, examines data to demonstrate a significant decrease in violence rates when a specified percentage of the population practices Transcedental Meditation (TM) and TM-Sidhi together. The study emphasized the critical role meditation can play in public health programs, particularly in conflict areas.Dr. Gunvant Yeola, Principal of D.Y. Patil College of Ayurveda in Pune, Maharashtra, and another study author, emphasized group meditations substantial impact on brain synchronization and societal coherence. The article, examined through the lens of population neuroscience, proposes that group meditation can reduce stress -related behaviors by synchronizing brain activity across individuals.Yeola stated, "Ayurveda and Yoga have long recognized the link between individual wellbeing and society health. These findings provide current scientific validity for old knowledge, emphasizing meditations critical role in public health and peacebuilding.""The introduction of group meditation was associated with a noticeable decrease in violent incidents and improved quality of life metrics in conflict zones," the researchers wrote.Source-Medindia
An Army officer died during a training event at the service's Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Johnson, Louisiana, on Saturday, the service confirmed.

First Lt. Zachary Galli died in an incident related to a fall, one source with direct knowledge of the situation told Military.com. He was assigned to the 749th Ordnance Company, 242nd Explosive Ordnance Battalion, of the 71st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group, based out of Fort Carson, Colorado.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of the Galli family, the 749th EOD Co., and the greater EOD community," Col. Brennan Fitzgerald, commander 71st EOD, said in a statement.

Read Next: Gordon Black, Soldier Held by Russia, Files Appeal in Court over Pretrial Confinement

Galli, 23, was an explosive ordnance officer. A Williamsburg, Virginia, native, Galli commissioned into the Army just under two years ago from the University of Virginia's Reserve Officers' Training Corps, or ROTC, program, where he studied kinesiology.

His awards include the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon and Basic Explosive Ordnance Disposal Badge.

The incident is still under investigation.

The Joint Readiness Training Center is one of the Army's premier training grounds. There, units often conduct large-scale training events before deploying abroad. Some 60,000 soldiers from the active-duty force, the National Guard and reserve rotate through the installation's pre-deployment training each year.

The death comes after an unrelated training incident in late April, in which a 7th Infantry Division soldier was accidentally shot at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state.

That soldier was shot by another service member with an M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, or SAW, when live ammunition was accidentally mixed in with blanks, according to three sources with direct knowledge of the situation. That soldier is still recovering after they were struck in the abdomen.

The service has also seen a string of back-to-back aviation incidents, with 14 fatalities last year and incidents on the rise this year.

Related: Soldier Shot During Special Forces Training Event After Live Ammo Mixed in with Blanks
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...
The Cubs designated left-hander Richard Lovelady for assignment Tuesday, per a team announcement. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to righty Tyson Miller, whose previously reported trade from Seattle to Chicago is now official.

Lovelady, 28, signed a minor league pact with the Cubs back in January and was selected to the big league roster in late April. Hes tossed 5 2/3 innings out of Craig Counsells bullpen and been tagged for five runs on nine hits and a pair of walks with six strikeouts. That marks the fifth big league season in which the southpaw has appeared; Lovelady made his MLB debut with the 2019 Royals and pitched in K.C. from 2019-21, and he logged 23 1/3 innings with the As last season. Overall, in 70 2/3 big league innings, he carries a 5.48 ERA but with a far more encouraging 22.7% strikeout rate, 8.8% walk rate and 49.8% ground-ball rate.

That blend of strikeouts, walks and grounders, coupled with a strong Triple-A track record, has made Lovelady appealing to MLB teams over the past year despite a history of success in the majors. The Cubs are his fourth organization since Opening Day 2023. Lovelady has been picked up by the Braves in a small trade, claimed off waivers by the As, and quickly selected to the big leagues with the Cubs.

In parts of six Triple-A seasons, Lovelady has a 2.95 ERA with a sharp strikeout, walk and ground-ball rates of 26.6%, 6.8% and 50.7%, respectively. Hes not a power arm, but he has added more than a mile per hour to both his four-seamer and sinker since last years showing with Oakland. He sat at 91 mph with both pitches last year but averaged 92.8 mph on the four-seam and 92.5 mph on his two-seam during his brief showing with Chicago.

Lovelady does have a minor league option remaining, so any club that picks him up via trade or waiver claim could send him to Triple-A without first passing him through waivers themselves. Hell be traded, claimed off waivers or assigned outright to Triple-A Iowa within the next week (if he clears waivers). Hes been outrighted previously in his career, so Lovelady would have the right to reject a minor league assignment from the Cubs if he does go unclaimed.
The Cubs announced today that right-hander Adbert Alzolay has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a right forearm strain. Fellow righty Jose Cuas was recalled from Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding move.

Its not yet clear how much time Alzolay is expected to miss, though there seems to be some level of worry. Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune relays word from manager Craig Counsell on X, with the skipper saying the righty became sore during yesterdays game in Pittsburgh and is getting imaging today. Per Counsells framing, since Alzolay is getting testing and has been immediately placed on the IL before the team even has the results, it indicates a level of concern.

The full results of the testing will provide more details on the severity and the timing, but theres always some uneasiness when a pitchers throwing arm is involved. This also isnt Alzolays first IL stint of this nature, as he missed about two weeks in September last year, also due to a right forearm strain.

Hes also experienced a drop off in results. He broke out as the Cubs closer last year, something MLBTR covered in August. He finished the year with a 2.67 earned run average in 64 innings. He struck out 26.5% of batters faced while giving out walks just 5.1% of the time and getting grounders on 42.2% of balls in play. He racked up 22 saves in the process.

Here in 2024, he has a 4.67 ERA through 18 appearances. His walk rate is up to 8% and his strikeout rate is way down to 17.3%. The velocity is down a bit on all five of his pitches, per Statcast. He was bumped out of the closers role a few weeks back, with Counsell saying that weve got to get Adbert some confidence.

Time will tell whether this is just a blip or a significant setback, but it should be a challenge for the Cubs either way. Their injured list already featured six pitchers before today, with Caleb Kilian, Jordan Wicks, Yency Almonte, Julian Merryweather, Daniel Palencia and Drew Smyly now joined by Alzolay. The clubs relief core has a combined ERA of 4.58 for the year, which places them 24th in the league. As the injuries continue piling up, it will be harder for the club to improve upon that mark.

For now, Hector Neris has taken over the closers role, with six saves already. He has an even ERA of 3.00 on the year despite walking more batters than he has struck out. He has an 18.6% strikeout rate and 20% walk rate. A 52.4% ground ball rate has helped him strand 86.5% of runners and keep his ERA down, but his 5.27 FIP and 5.75 SIERA suggest he may be on shaky ground. Mark Leiter Jr. has an excellent 0.53 ERA on the year with strong peripherals. He cant keep stranding 84.2% of baserunners but his 2.14 FIP and 3.24 SIERA are still strong. Pitchers like Colten Brewer and Richard Lovelady may also have to factor into the setup mix until other arms get healthy.
Left-hander Richard Bleier has opted out of his minor league deal with the Nationals, reports Andrew Golden of The Washington Post. Hell head to the open market and will be free to pursue opportunities with all 30 clubs.

Bleier, 37, signed a minor league deal with the Nationals in February. He joined them in Spring Training as a non-roster invitee and posted 1.69 earned run average over 10 2/3 innings. He didnt get a roster spot out of camp and reported to Triple-A Rochester.

He threw 16 2/3 innings for that club with a 4.32 ERA. He only struck out 14.7% of batters faced but Bleier has always been a low-strikeout guy who succeeds by keeping the ball on the ground and avoiding free passes. He walked just 2.9% of batters faced for the Red Wings and got grounders on 51.8% of balls in play.

Those numbers are all roughly in line with his career work in the majors as a journeyman grounder specialist. He has 330 1/3 innings of big league experience with the Yankees, Orioles, Marlins and Red Sox. Over that time, he has a 3.27 ERA, 13.6% strikeout rate, 3.9% walk rate and 60.9% ground ball rate.

The Nationals have selected the contracts of other veterans to their bullpen this year, such as Derek Law, Jacob Barnes and Matt Barnes. It seems that Bleier didnt expect to be next in line, so he will look for opportunities elsewhere. Left-handed relief tends to always be in demand and many clubs around the league are dealing with mounting injuries, which could open opportunities for Bleier elsewhere.
DETROIT, MI  The Detroit Lions have filed a motion in federal court, requesting a lawsuit brought against the organization by a longtime sports photographer be dismissed.

Photographer Allen Kee sued the Detroit Lions in January, claiming the organization used a photo he took in 1995 as the inspiration for the Barry Sanders statue erected outside Ford Field.

RELATED: Photographer sues Detroit Lions over image used to create Barry Sanders statue

Kee, who filed the suit in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, also named Getty Images, NFL Properties, NFL Enterprises, Fanatics, Dicks Sporting Goods, McFarlane Toys and others in the suit. Kee alleges the other parties committed direct, contributory and/or vicarious copyright infringement of his work.

Through his attorneys, Kevin P. McCulloch and Nate A. Kleinman, Kee claimed he was the sole author of the photograph and its exclusive owner.

The statue, which was unveiled outside of Ford Field in September 2023, was sculpted based off a photo taken of Sanders by Kee during a Sept. 3, 1995, Lions game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the suit claims.

RELATED: Barry Sanders legacy cemented: Lions reveal new statue outside of Ford Field

Kee, who was working as a freelance photographer when the photo was taken, was not an employee of any entity or organization at the time and did not create the photo under any work for hire arrangement or contract, the suit states.

The Lions filed a motion Friday, May 10, alleging the plaintiff lacked jurisdiction for his complaint by filing the lawsuit in New York. Kee is a resident of both Florida and Connecticut, whereas the Lions are located in Michigan and the statue was constructed in Illinois, the motion states.

Not only does the plaintiff not have jurisdiction, but the Lions have no business ties to New York and therefore the court has no jurisdiction over the Lions, the response states.

The claims should be dismissed for lack of personal jurisdiction under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12, Detroit Lions attorney Daniel J. Aaron wrote in his motion.

The NFL also filed a motion for dismissal on Friday, calling the photographers claims meritless.

While Kees attorneys state the photographer never granted an exclusive license of the photograph to any person or entity, he did, however, submit the photo to NFL Photos  a licensing agency that ceased operation in 2004, the complaint admits.

Despite that, Kee claims he did not relinquish his copyrights to it, nor did he grant the NFL or any of its subsidiary entities any license or rights to use the photo without purchasing an additional usage license.

When NFL Photos ceased operations in 2004, the NFL agreed to return any original slides submitted for licensing by freelance photographers, including Kee, to their owners. Kee claims his original slide of the Sanders photo was never returned and that it was moved to a storage facility in California owned by the NFL.

By failing to secure the rights and license necessary to copy, publish, distribute and otherwise use and/or exploit Kees photograph, the defendants jointly acted willfully, intentionally and/or with reckless disregard for (Kees) copyrights, the suit claims.

Jordan Feirman, representing the NFL, said in its response that the plaintiff had executed an agreement in 2004 that explicitly authorized the NFL to transfer any of Kees physical slides in their possession to a licensing agent called WireImage.

Apparently without investigating, plaintiff simply devised new claims in an attempt to plead around his 2004 authorization, Feirman wrote.

Feirman argued the NFL parties agreed to either return or physically transfer the slides to WireImage.

These allegations are the basis of a breach of contract claim that notably fails to identify the actual contract at issue, and is paired with a wholly contradictory claim seeking a declaration that the NFL Parties improperly transferred (the photo) to WireImage, Feirman wrote. Even if the contract was pled and the images identified, it is indisputable that the statute of limitations expired 14 years ago

Kee is asking for an undetermined amount of relief in the lawsuit, as well as a permanent injunction prohibiting the defendants from copying, displaying, distributing, advertising, promoting and/or exploiting his copyrighted work.

One week after the statues unveiling, the Lions also published a roughly eight-minute video on YouTube called, Sculpting Barry: The Making of Lions Legend Barry Sanders Statue.

The video is no longer available for public viewing and has since been made private. It includes footage of the sculptors working on the clay mold for the statue in the TCI studio.

At the 3:53 mark of the video, a blown-up copy of Kees photograph is visible hanging directly behind the clay mold of the statue. One of the sculptors acknowledged in the video they intended to slavishly re-create Kees photograph, the suit states.

The sculptor says: We have a photo thats considered the most iconic running photo ever taken of Barry Sanders. Thats whats being re-created in this sculpture.

Kee never authorized, licensed, or otherwise granted permission to the Detroit Lions or TCI to create a derivative work slavishly based on his photograph, his lawsuit claims.

In addition to the Lions, Kee is suing TCI to benefit monetarily off the use of the photo, as well as McFarlane Toys, who is profiting off three variations of Sanders figures patterned off the photo. He is also suing Getty Images for never giving them permission to resubmit his photo for relicensing.

Getty Images, McFarlane Toys and Fanatics all responded to the claims in Kees suit by stating they lacked knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief as to the truth of the allegations.
HOUGHTON, MI  Three men are accused of causing a wildfire at Isle Royale National Park that burned six acres and took nearly two weeks to completely extinguish.

The names of the defendants have been withheld by MLive pending initial court appearances in U.S. District Court.

Federal prosecutors charged the men with lighting, tending or using a fire causing damage to real property and violating conditions established by the superintendent of the park.

Isle Royale National Park is in the northwest part of Lake Superior.

Related: Isle Royale investigators ask public for information about Mt. Franklin wildfire

The charges are misdemeanors punishable by up to six months in prison, up to $5,000 in fines and mandatory probation. Court records said the three caused damage and a public-safety hazard after lighting a fire north of the junction of Mount Franklin Trail and Tobin Harbor Trails.

The fire violated the park superintendents order that fires were allowed only in provided grills and metal rings and that cross-country campsites must be a quarter mile away from any trail and portage, Assistant U.S Attorney Hanna Rutkowski wrote in court records.

Investigators said a fire was spotted the night of Aug. 12, 2022. The next morning, smoke was billowing over Isle Royale, near Three Mile campground, the National Park Service said.

Related: Wildfire closes Michigan campgrounds, trails at national park in Upper Peninsula

The plume could be seen from the Mott Island dock, where viewers gathered and came to a familiar conduction: Isle Royale was on fire, the park service said in a statement.

Isle Royale firefighters responded to the area and discovered a small fire near Mount Franklin Trail. Visitors were evacuated from Three Mile and Lane Cove campgrounds and other areas for their safety.

While firefighters worked on the ground, a single-engine air tanker from Minnesota scooped thousands of gallons of water from Lake Superior and dropped it on the fire.
An MLive documentary was featured on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver which airs on HBO.

Oliver did a segment on book banning and used clips from MLives documentary, Gender Queer and the culture war in Michigan libraries throughout the episode.

As you probably know from the fact that Im talking about libraries right now, theyre in trouble, Oliver said at the start of the segment. Because theyve become another front in the ongoing culture war.

MLives documentary focused on why Gender Queer: A Memoir, by Maia Kobabe became a flashpoint for the culture war. At library board meetings, whether to keep or ditch the book and others like it was characterized as outright war  a battle of good versus evil. It led to a divide in communities across Michigan. At public and school libraries, books like Gender Queer have sparked outrage over whether the materials should be available at all, and what roles libraries play in preventing children from viewing materials on sex, gender and sexuality.

Last Week Tonight used clips from MLive that told the story of the Patmos Library in Jamestown, which was defunded over LGBTQ books and other books with sexual content housed in the librarys collection. Voters there have since approved a three-year property tax that will keep Patmos Library open.

The show also used an MLive clip from a Lapeer County resident talking about Gender Queer, which was at the center of a controversy there. Throughout the episode, Oliver condemns censorship and defends libraries.

Protecting libraries is a fight, but its also winnable, Oliver said.

Attempts to have certain titles pulled from library shelves are ongoing. The American Library Associations Office for Intellectual Freedom documented 1,247 demands to censor library books, materials, and resources in 2023.
WEXFORD COUNTY, MI -- A Manistee man was arrested Saturday at his home as part of an investigation into claims that he threatened a family member on Facebook. Michigan State Police announced Tuesday that troopers arrested 60-year-old Timothy Decker days after a warrant was authorized by the Wexford County Prosecutors Office.

Troopers with the MSP Cadillac Post began the investigation in early April after a woman reported to troopers that a family member was making violent threats against her on Facebook. The woman identified Decker as the family member and also obtained a personal protection order against him after the postings were made.

Decker was lodged at the Wexford County Jail following his arrest and was arraigned in 84th District Court on one count each of unlawful posting of message and habitual offender second offense. Bond was set at $5,000 cash/surety and he is due back in court on May 28.
ANN ARBOR, MI - A federal judge has denied Ann Arbor Public Schools motion to dismiss a parents lawsuit alleging her autistic son was abused by a bus aide, and that the district did not review footage of the incident for five weeks, forcing the child to face his abuser.

In a May 8 order, U.S. District Court Eastern District Judge George Caram Steeh denied dismissing three counts of the lawsuit. Steehs order concluded there is enough evidence to go to trial for alleged disability discrimination under Michigans Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act.
FLINT, MI  Laurence Alexander, the former chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, has been recommended as the University of Michigan-Flints newest leader.

Pending approval from the University of Michigan Board of Regents on May 16, Alexander will begin his five-year appointment of chancellor on July 1, according to a news release from the university.
JACKSON, MI  Federal agents located in Illinois a man suspected of robbing a bank in Jackson and brought him back to the city to face charges.

Jarred Lamoyne Mihaila was arraigned Monday, May 13, on one count of bank robbery in connection with a hold-up March 6 at a branch of America One Credit Union at 718 E. Michigan Ave., court records show.
PORTAGE, MI -- Donations for Portage residents impacted by last weeks tornado can now be dropped off at a central location.

Gryphon Place is operating a donation management center at 9246 Portage Industrial Drive, according to a press release from the city. The center is open to the public for donation drop-off from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

Beginning Wednesday, May 15, families and individuals impacted by the tornado can contact the donations hotline at (269) 251-2211. A donation management center representative will gather information about the caller and their needs. Then, Gryphon Place and Salvation Army volunteers will build a box for them and even deliver it.

Food and clothing will not be accepted at the donation management center. The following items are:

Gift cards in $50 increments to Meijer, Target and Walmart, so affected families may purchase new items to meet their individual needs.

First Aid Supplies

Supplies for babies, infants and new or expecting mothers, such as diapers, baby wipes, formula, lactation supplies and childrens bath materials

Paper products, such as toilet paper, paper towels and wipes

Moving materials, like grocery bags, packing tape and bubble wrap

Toiletries, such as shampoo, conditioner, body wash, black hair care products, toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss, razors, deodorant, combs/brushes, Q-Tips, soap, hygiene packs, family planning and adult diapers

Cleaning supplies, including disinfecting wipes, cleaning solutions, garbage bags, laundry detergent, dish soap, buckets, mops, brooms and dustpans

Household items like batteries and flashlights

Pet food, cat litter, puppy pads, bowls and leashes

Building supplies, such as work gloves, goggles, face shields, tarps, plywood and tools

Bulk water

Food donations should be brought to Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes, 901 Portage Street in Kalamazoo. Clothing, toys, small appliances and furniture should be donated to any Goodwill Industries of Southwestern Michigan location.

Individuals needing food assistance may call the Loaves & Fishes food line at (269) 343-3663 or email info@kzoolf.org to learn how to access services according to their needs. Home delivery is available for those who are homebound or without transportation.

Individuals affected by the tornado will be eligible for a voucher to local Goodwill stores to help families replace items lost in the storms. Residents may contact the Get Help team at Goodwill Industries for assistance with the application at gethelp@goodwillswmi.org.

The American Red Cross shelter at Kalamazoo First Assembly of God church, 5550 Oakland Drive, has remained open to people and pets displaced by the tornado since Tuesday, May 7.

Consumers gives $77K to storm recovery

The Consumers Energy Foundation is giving $77,500 in grant funding to six Southwest Michigan nonprofits that are providing essential services to residents and businesses affected by the storm:

American Red Cross  Michigan Region Disaster Services $20,000

Kalamazoo Community Foundation  Community Urgent Relief Fund $20,000

United Way of South Central Michigan  Disaster Relief Fund $20,000

United Way of St. Joseph County  Disaster Relief Fund $7,500

Kalamazoo Salvation Army  Disaster Response $5,000

Branch County Community Foundation  Emergency Relief Fund $5,000

Consumers Energy is committed to helping the people of Kalamazoo, St. Joseph and Branch counties rebuild from this devastation, and we hope these funds will make an immediate difference, said Brandon Hofmeister, president of the Consumers Energy Foundation.

Want more Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark the local Kalamazoo news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Kalamazoo daily newsletter.
SAGINAW TWP, MI  In a stolen truck outfitted with a golden chain, thieves managed to yank an ATM free from its mount at a Saginaw Township bank. When police arrived, the culprits were gone, and their truck left behind.

The incident was reported about 3 a.m. on May 12 at United Financial Credit Union, 2510 Weiss St., according to Saginaw Township Police Sgt. Chad Brooks. Officers responded to the location after an ATM burglar alarm was tripped, Brooks said.

They arrived to find an ATM from the middle drive-thru lane had been torn free. It lay on the pavement with its door broken open, an unknown amount of cash taken from within.

Nearby was a tan Ford F-250 pickup truck, still idling in the lot. A gold chain ran from the ATM to the trucks tow hitch, Brooks said.

Amid the debris scattered along the lot, police recovered two prybars, Brooks added.

Police soon determined the F-250 had been reported stolen out of Genesee Countys Mundy Township on May 10.

No arrests have been made and detectives are obtaining surveillance camera footage. Anyone with information on the thieves identity or whereabouts is urged to call the Saginaw Township Police Department at 989-793-2310.
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Abhishek Sahu covers HR and Education (Careers) at Moneycontrol. He can be reached at Abhishek.Sahu@nw18.com and @Abhishek44sahu.
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He alleged that the JMM, Congress, and the INDIA bloc represent the worst examples of corruption, appeasement, and dynastic politics, and vowed to rid India of these issues.
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Indian films at Cannes 2024: Sister Midnight starring Radhika Apte to Shahana Goswami as Constable Santosh, 7 must-watch Cannes entries
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The markets have so far shrugged off the possibility of a serious escalation of the war in the Middle East

In today's edition of Pro Panorama: Life beyond TCS Q2, outlook for Indian stocks, what tied up RBI's hand and much more

Voltas (CMP: Rs 1,302; Market cap: Rs 43,026 crore; Rating: Equal weight), a leading air conditioning and cooling company, has posted an impressive revenue growth of 42 percent year on year (YoY) in the fourth quarter, primarily due to strong demand environment, increased commercial AC use, and the anticipation of a

Highlights - Quarterly performance largely backed by improved realisations - Medium-term triggers China plus and protectionist measures for tyre industry - Valuations not inexpensive; but improved medium-term outlook

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OPEC keeps global oil demand forecast unchanged, expects growth of 2.2M bpd for 2024
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US airlines forecast record 2024 summer travel, up 6.3% over 2023
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May 14, 2024 / 21:47 IST

The National Testing Agency (NTA) said Tuesday the The Common University Entrance Test (CUET)-UG scheduled for May 15 stands postponed for centres across Delhi due to "unavoidable reasons". The examination will now be held in Delhi on May 29 and revised admit cards will be issued for candidates, it said.

"It is being informed to all the concerned candidates and stakeholders that due to unavoidable reasons, the test papers (Chemistry - 306, Biology - 304, English - 101, and General Test - 501) which were earlier scheduled on 15 May 2024 stand postponed for the candidates appearing in Centres across Delhi only," the NTA said in a statement.

It further said that the examination scheduled for May 15 will be held in all other cities across the country, including in Gurugram, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Noida, and abroad.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson View Photo

House Speaker Mike Johnson, Congressman Chip Roy (TX), and Senator Mike Lee (UT) held a press conference to announce the introduction of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.

Johnson was Tuesdays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are his words:

We are here this morning for a very important reason, as you all know, because there is currently an unprecedented and a clear and present danger to the integrity of our election system. And that is the threat of non-citizens and illegal aliens voting in our elections. In last five and a half months or so, Ive been to over 101 cities doing events all around the country in more than half the states. The first or second question that Im asked in every public forum is about election security. Americans are deeply concerned about this. And it doesnt matter where you live or whether youre in a blue state or a red state, everyones concerned.

And due to the wide-open border that the Biden administration has refused to close  in fact that they engineered to open  we now have so many non-citizens in the country that if only one out of 100 of those voted, they would cast hundreds of thousands of votes. And since our elections are so razor thin in these days that were in, just a few precincts in a few states decide the makeup of Congress and who is elected to the White House. This is a dangerously high number, and its a great concern to millions and millions of Americans. It could obviously change the outcome of our elections, and this is not an empty threat or concern.

Ill let my colleague Chip Roy here in a moment get into the specifics of the SAVE Act, but I want to address why we need this legislation. Some have noted that its already a crime for non-citizens to vote in a federal election and that is true. But here are four things that are also true. Number one, its true that no current mechanism to ensure only those registering or voting are actually citizens. Theres no mechanism that exist to make sure that thats correct. If a nefarious actor wants to intervene in our elections, all they have to do is check a box on a form and sign their name. Thats it. Thats all thats required. And theres a very small chance that illegal would get caught. Because heres the other thing: our states do not have the election infrastructure in place to confirm what theyve said. Number two. Its true that Joe Biden has welcomed millions and millions of illegal aliens. We think the number I believe the number is close to probably at this point 16 million illegals who have come into this country since Joe Biden walked into the Oval Office. That includes sophisticated criminal syndicates and agents of adversarial governments, here in our borders and even on humanitarian parole.

And that means the millions that had been paroled can simply go to their local welfare office or the DMV and register to vote there. And please understand this, states are currently prohibited from asking someone to prove that theyre a citizen when they use the federal voter registration form. Third truth it is also true that a growing number of localities are blurring the lines for non-citizens by allowing them to vote in municipal local elections. In cities and towns in California and Maryland, Vermont, and even right here in DC. You might not know this, but non-citizens are voting. Number four: its true that Democrats have expressed a desire to turn on citizens and voters. Thats what this open border has been all about.

Former Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler admitted that to me, expressly stated to me in a committee hearing in a in a video thats gone viral, just last year, a year and a half ago. Stacey Abrams said it in 2018 on the campaign trail. In their rare moments of candor, they will tell you the truth that this is something they are for. Two months ago, every Senate Democrat voted to count illegal aliens in the census to help them shore up more seats in Congress and more votes in the Electoral College. And this week, House Democrats will also have an opportunity to go on record on the same issue.

In recent days, weve seen a growing number of folks on student visas show their willingness to break the law and utterly disrupt our way of life and threatened law-abiding students who are actually American citizens. If theyre willing to take over buildings and physically terrorize their fellow students, why would they not be willing to lie on a voter registration form?

Its clear that our election process is worth protecting. It is our responsibility as members of Congress and concerned leaders of citizens groups and organizations who care about the integrity of our system and our elections. It is our duty to ensure that this is done. 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. And thats why it is critical that we pass the SAVE act to safeguard our federal elections and ensure that only Americans get to decide American elections.

The event also featured remarks from Cleta Mitchell (FAIR Elections Fund and Election Integrity Network), Jenny Beth Martin (Tea Party Patriots Action), Stephen Miller (America First Legal), Ken Cuccinelli (Election Transparency Initiative), Rosemary Jenks (Immigration Accountability Project), Andy Roth (State Freedom Caucus Network), and Hogan Gidley (America First Policy Institute).

The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML.
Ansel Adams Stamp Collection View Photo

Yosemite, CA  The US Postal Service will host a ceremony in Yosemite National Park to celebrate the first day of issuing new Ansel Adams stamps.

The iconic photographer is known for his work in Yosemite and other parts of California and Western states. A first-day issue ceremony for the stamps will take place at 11 am on Wednesday and feature dignitaries such as Matthew Adams, the grandson of Ansel Adams, Cicely Muldoon, the Yosemite National Park Superintendent, Rangers Shelton Johnston and Scott Gediman, and photographer Alan Ross. The Honorable Daniel Tangherlini, a member of the US Postal Service Board of Governors, will serve as the dedicating official. The event, in front of the Ansel Adams Gallery, is open to the public.

The US Postal Service has printed 20 million Ansel Adams stamps which will be available at various post offices across the country.

Adams lived from 1902 to 1984 and devoted much of his career to the enhancement of photography as fine art.

The first row of stamps, left to right, features Half Dome, Merced River, Winter, Yosemite National Park, California (1938); Oak Tree, Sunset City, Sierra Foothills, California (1962); Thundercloud, Ellery Lake, High Sierra, Sierra Nevada, California (1934); and Denali and Wonder Lake, Denali National Park, Alaska (1947).

The second row, left to right, features The Golden Gate and Bridge from Baker Beach, San Francisco, California (c.1953); Road and Fog, Del Monte Forest, Pebble Beach, California (1964); Rock and Grass, Moraine Lake, Sequoia National Park, California (1936); and Leaves, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington (c.1942).

The third row, left to right, features Monument Valley, Arizona (1958); Tetons and Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming (1942); Jeffrey Pine, Sentinel Dome, Yosemite National Park, California (1940); and Mirror Lake, Mount Watkins, Spring, Yosemite National Park, California (1935).

The fourth row, left to right, features Maroon Bells, near Aspen, Colorado (1951); Aspens, Dawn, Autumn, Dolores River Canyon, Colorado (1937); Road After Rain, Northern California (1960); and Dunes, Oceano, California (1963).
Sonora Police Department logo View Photo

Update at 11:32 am: The Sonora Police Department reports that Lyons Street is back open in Sonora. No additional details have been released.

Original story posted at 11:19 am: Sonora, CA  The Sonora Police Department is asking travelers to use extra caution driving in the 300 block of Lyons Street in Sonora this morning.

The PD reports that there was an injury accident and one of the traffic lanes is blocked. Emergency officials are on the scene helping a victim. Slow down in the area. No additional information is immediately available.


Yves here. This article identifies how climate change is harming emotional well-being and focuses on populations that are particularly vulnerable. IMHO the impact on the young cannot be overstated. Even though they already have many stressors, like high income inequality creating insecurity even among the well off (if you lose your perch, it can be a long way down), extortionate and seemingly only rising real estate and health care costs, and for many, student debt loads, climate change puts a deep pall over all of them. The prospect of already stressful circumstances being fundamentally upended, whether by local conditions that wreak personal havoc like wildfires and floods or societal upheaval, cant be easy to contend with.

I am bothered that this story advocates what is essentially denialism as a coping strategy. Yours truly is not big on hope in general, and particularly in dealing with systemic crises. Some readings of the Pandoras Box myth depict Hope emerging last, after all the other evils have been loosed upon mankind, as not a form of relief but yet another curse.

But that seems fundamental to the human condition. I sometimes repeat this tale:

In the Indian epic Mahabharata, Yudhisthira goes looking for his missing brothers, who went searching for water. He finds them all dead next to a pond. In despair, but still parched, he is about to drink, but a crane tells him he must answer some questions first. The last and most difficult: What is the greatest wonder of the world? Yudhisthira answers, Day after day, hour after hour, countless people die, yet the living believe they will live forever. The crane reveals himself to be the Lord of Death and, after some further discussion, revives the brothers.

By Daisy Simmons, assistant editor at Yale Climate Connections. Originally published at Yale Climate Connections

Farmers who cant sleep, worrying theyll lose everything amid increasing drought. Youth struggling with depression over a future that feels hopeless. Indigenous people grief-stricken over devastated ecosystems. For all these people and more, climate change is taking a clear toll on mental health  in every part of the world.

Experts shared these examples and others during a recent summit organized by the Connecting Climate Minds network that brought together hundreds of scientists, doctors, community leaders, and other experts from dozens of countries who have spent the past year studying how climate change is harming mental health in their regions.

Although mental illnesses are often viewed as an individual problem, the experts made clear that climate change is contributing to mental health challenges everywhere.

The Connecting Climate Minds youth ambassador from Borneo, Jhonatan Yuditya Pratama, said his Indigenous community views nature as a sacred extension of being. Seeing the devastation of climate change on ancestral lands has brought his community a profound sense of grief and loss, he said.

For us, mental health isnt just about individuals, he said. Its about the collective well-being of our communities and the land itself. When nature suffers, so do we.

Extreme Weather and Air Pollution Are Taking a Toll

In her keynote, Marina Romanello, executive director of the Lancet Countdown and a Connecting Climate Minds advisory board member, explained the key ways that climate change threatens mental health.

Extreme heat is associated with increased self-harm and violence as well as more general feelings of negativity. It also leads to feelings of isolation when people feel trapped inside their relatively cooler homes.

Wildfire or extreme weather stokes anxiety leading up to an event  and afterward  that can lead to PTSD or depression for survivors who have seen cherished places or lives lost.

Farmers, fisherpeople, and others whose livelihoods are tied to the environment experience chronic stress, worry, and depression over things they cant control, like extreme weather, habitat loss, and drought.

Water scarcity increases stress for people in charge of seeking and transporting household water. Water scarcity also makes it hard for people to stay clean, potentially leading to isolation, loneliness, and depression.

Air pollution can keep kids out of school, leading to social isolation and, over time, a sense of hopelessness about the future.

Whats more, people are experiencing the compounding effects of multiple disasters, said Emma Lawrance, who leads the Climate Cares Centre, a U.K.-based team that researches and supports mental health in the face of environmental crises: With more frequent disasters, people can no longer recover psychologically from one before another occurs, Lawrance said.

And these escalating hazards are exacerbating social inequality, said Alaa Abelgawad, the Connecting Climate Minds youth ambassador representing northern Africa and western Asia. [Its] manifesting as anxiety, depression, and a profound sense of disempowerment among marginalized populations.

Who Is Most Vulnerable to Climate Change and Mental Health Challenges?

Many Indigenous communities have already been facing intergenerational trauma and a sense of deep disconnect from land and culture. Recurring climate devastation can intensify feelings of grief, stress, and disillusionment about the future, contributing to increased rates of addiction and suicide, participants said.

Farmers, too, are among the most vulnerable. Changing seasonal norms, increasing drought, and a higher risk of severe weather are directly affecting their livelihoods.

Sacha Wright, head of research at the youth-focused organization Force of Nature and part of Connecting Climate Mindss lived experience working group, said that in Kenya, many small farmers are struggling with declining harvests and out of desperation have resorted to cutting down trees for charcoal. Though they felt they had no choice, some said cutting down the trees made the whole situation feel even worse. She spoke of high rates of depression, hopelessness, trauma, and a widespread feeling of not knowing what to do.

For young people, climate change can also evoke a sense of hopelessness and powerlessness. In the Yucatan, one young person Wright interviewed said the only choices in life there are to migrate or enter the military.

When I see drought, I see my community leaving school and going to the military, the person interviewed said.

Mercy Njeru, a member of Connecting Climate Minds sub-Saharan Africa working group, said extreme heat is often leading to school closures across the region, setting youth up for failure and a sense of hopelessness.

When its so hot and youre so anxious you cant work, you cant do anything because youre feeling anxious or youre feeling so sad from all the heat around you, she said.

In addition to environmental impacts, generational inequity and a sense of moral distress also contribute to anxiety for many youth. Britt Wray, director of Stanford Medicines Special Initiative on Climate Change and Mental Health, said she hears from many young people that power holders arent taking sufficient action, instead depending entirely on their generation to solve climate change.

This offloading of responsibility  without adequate partnership from the elder and more powerful contingents among us  can make burdensome climate anxiety and distress much worse, she said.

What Can Be Done to Protect Mental Health as the Climate Changes?

To help address the rising tide of mental health challenges, governments and public health leaders need to know exactly what kinds of impacts people are experiencing in their own communities.

First step: looking at experiences in every region.

We will only be successful if we can continue to connect and engage people from very different sectors, from neighborhoods all the way to multilateral organizations, said Pamela Collins, chair of the department of mental health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Other examples of ways forward include everything from expanding health insurance to include climate-related mental health impacts to ensuring government policy supports people whose work has been affected by climate change to improve their job prospects. Several participants also spoke of the importance of returning to the wisdom of ancestral knowledge to address climate change in general, including mental health impacts.

Other specific solutions offered by Connecting Climate Minds participants include:

More public green space. Collins, the Hopkins professor, cited a study highlighting the need for more accessible green space in cities, a move that could have multiple positive outcomes, including on mental health. Forest bathing, AKA spending dedicated time in nature, reduces stress and anxiety, increases serotonin production, and improves mood regulation and overall mental health  all while being low-intensity and low-cost, said Niaya Harper Igarashi, part of Connecting Climate Minds eastern and southeastern Asia working group.

Focusing on reducing inequity. Making sure everyone has access to nutritious food, clean air and water, and sustainable energy sources is good for the climate and community.

Talking helps. In many communities, mental health is a taboo topic. By talking more openly about it on a personal level, in social or spiritual settings, at the dinner table, or in your doctors office, individuals can combat stigma and contribute to a growing understanding of these issues.

Meeting people where they are. From using vocabulary that makes sense for different communities to meeting peoples basic needs, solutions are most effective when theyre tailored for what real people are actually going through. For example, Wray, the Stanford expert, said meeting kids where they are includes screening for climate distress where many of them are every day: at school.

Lawrance, the Climate Cares lead who helped organize the summit, said it was heartening to see solutions being advanced around the world.

The dialogue showed this really strongly: that many solutions do already exist, she said. And its by learning from each others ways of knowing and doing that we can best find the ones that work for our context, and ensure people experiencing the worst climate impacts have a future where they cannot just survive, but thrive.
How to Treat a Patient Without His Consent New York Times

Cows have human flu receptors, study shows, raising stakes on bird flu outbreak in dairy cattle CNN (ma)

Clitoxin for Improved Female Sexual Function Feminine Wellness Newsletter. Dr. Kevin: Another miracle of modern medicine 

First Person To Receive a Genetically Modified Pig Kidney Transplant Dies NPR. Only 2 month survival. Seems like a lot of difficult medical intervention, as in probably not great quality of additional life.

Internet Use Is Associated With Greater Wellbeing, Global Study Finds Guardian. Wonder how careful they were about confounders.

#COVID-19

Panic. Its Good For You. Jessica Wildfire (Randy K) faecal contamination of surfaces [with SARS-CoV-2] could drive disease transmission.

Viral shedding has been reported to occur longer before COVID-19 symptoms appear and could last as long as 30 days after cessation of symptoms.

SARS-CoV-2 shedding time has also been found to  Hiroshi Yasuda () (@Yash25571056) May 11, 2024

Climate/Environment

China?

European Disunion

Old Blighty

Gaza

Gaza Protests

The Caucuses

Georgia opposition leaders urge UK to oppose foreign influence bill BBC (Kevin W). So much for any pretense of sovereignity.

New Not-So-Cold War

Blinken in Ukraine to offer strong reassurance as US weapons reach front line BBC. Blinken looks absolutely terrible in this photo. And on top of everything else, hes gotten pretty gray very quickly. Even with that hes getting off easy relative to his malfeasance. The Kharkov offensive and the replacement of Shoigu as Defense Minister Gilbert Doctorow (guurst). See also his food notes. The reason I am skeptical is there is no reason for Russia to turn a Patriot over to China. They are more than capable of reverse engineering it on their own. BTW Russia apparently has the most extensive set of wind tunnels in the world and has kept all the data from their inception, so they also have the best aerodynamics modeling: This photo from China purports to show an American Patriot system that is being carried transported to a factory for analysis and re-engineering. It is suspected, that the Patriot unit was sold to Russia by the people operating it. This has always been one of the great fears. pic.twitter.com/RejJky5R4h  Alternative News (@AlternatNews) May 14, 2024 The US also had a plan in the late 50s to nuke the moon, laid out in this document. The blast would have been visible from earth; its aim would have been to intimidate the Soviets. pic.twitter.com/JaJ0rSBME0  Scott Hamilton RTM (@SikotiHamiltonR) May 11, 2024

Imperial Collapse Watch

Trump

The Appearance of Michael Cohen: A Wreck in Search of a Race Jonathan Turley

Biden

GOP Clown Car

GOP infighting threatens to deliver primary losses The Hill

Queering the word queer WhiteHotHarlots

Our No Longer Free Press

Falling Down Bridges

Crews conduct controlled demolition on Baltimore bridge 9 News (Kevin W)

AI

The Bezzle

Antidote du jour. From reader Chet G. who just had a hip replacement! He has sent red squirrels before, and points out that US red squirrels do not have ear tufts, while their European cousins do.

And a bonus (Chuck L):

And a second bonus (guurst):

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
Yves here. It may seem that some independent sites and anti-Israel-genocide pundits are going on overmuch about the heavy-handed campaign to smear throughly warranted criticism of Israel as anti-Semitic. Yours truly has to disagree. As long as the slaughter in Gaza and the ethnic cleansing in the West Bank continue, opponents need to keep up all their many forms of protest. And that necessitates forcefully (and it appears repeatedly) rejecting the anti-Semitism canard.

The Rob Urie post below has some acid phrase-making, as well as an interesting consideration of what makes for a religious state.

By Robert Urie, author of Zen Economics, artist, and musician who publishes The Journal of Belligerent Pontification on Substack

With Israel launching genocide 2.0 in Rafah (Gaza) as this is being written, the implied purpose of the violent police repression of protesters on college campuses last week, in conjunction with the media effort to label anyone who objects to the events unfolding as anti-Semitic, is to provide political breathing room for the assault of Rafah. It wont work. The implied logic is clear the protesters must be cleared before the images of more murdered Palestinians light the world on fire. Missing from the conversation is the self-reflection needed to understand that it is the genocide that is politically incendiary, not objections to it.

The same (state) media outlets in the US, including many of the same media personalities who promoted the Iraq WMD and Russiagate frauds, have been telling their rapidly dwindling audiences that it is hatred of Jewish people, rather than abhorrence of Israeli atrocities against Palestinians in Gaza, that is motivating student protests in the US. Surely, the media based this charge on extensive interviews with the protesters to uncover their true motives, right? Well, no. In fact, the medias failure to engage with the protesters is evidence that these outlets dont want to know what the protesters true motives are.

Bizarrely, thousands, likely tens of thousands, of the protesting students have made clear through their protests what their goals are. The practice of the propagandist class of calling every person and institution that opposes American imperial slaughters abroad, including those by proxy in Ukraine and Gaza, pro the enemy may work in the tit for tat idiocy in the DC bubble where bought and paid for official blather is a currency of sorts. But it is stunningly socially destructive. Its almost as if the goal of officialdom is to keep us at each others throats to take the focus off of their own failures.

The Russiagate and Iraq WMD frauds are cited here for a reason. They were both politically motivated, state-sponsored, psyops. Their implied goals were to defraud the American public into supporting the foreign policy goals of the CIA. And the way in which they were advanced was to silence critics with fabulated, demagogic, drivel regarding fake threats to the nation. And no one from the FBI or CIA has been arrested or charged for the Russiagate fraud.

Since the end of WWII at least, America has acted as a Wizard of Oz fronting for the Einsatzgruppen. There used to be clever and sincere operators working within the bowels of major state institutions. But the official line over recent decades has always, always, always, been fabulist bullshit put forward to kill, torture, starve, and maim, large numbers of people so that a few rich folks could pay for their 37th dream kitchen. And thoughtful and sincere opposition to these never-ending American slaughters has always been portrayed as support for whatever enemy-of-the-week the good Wizard has conjured.

In terms of political logic, the loaded charge of anti-Semitism currently being applied to those who criticize the state policies of Israel reflects a category error that has been used by demagogues in the US and Israel for political benefit for several decades now. Some fair bit of the criticism of Israels state policies coming from American Jews is that the Israeli-right is overplaying its hand in slaughtering Palestinians, to the long-term detriment of Israel. While this view is critical of Israels state policies, the motive is to the ultimate benefit of Israel and Israelis. That the exterminationists in Israel lack the imagination to move their political vision forward without committing genocide makes them fascists.

A similar principle was at work in the US when the George W. Bush administration, acting in league with Congress, launched its misbegotten war against Iraq in 2003. While Mr. Bush and his minions were quick to claim that opposition to their war was pro-terrorist, many of us who opposed it had concluded that gratuitously slaughtering a million Iraqis while lighting the rest of the Middle East on fire would diminish the US national interest, not improve it. In retrospect, Mr. Bushs war was the beginning of the end of the US.

Within the terms of Mr. Bushs political logic, the American slaughter in Iraq was a demonstration of Americas military might. Missing from this logic was that there were few in world at the outset of the war who doubted American military might. And few would have noticed if the US had prevailed in Iraq. But it didnt, demonstrating to the world that while the US is capable of killing a lot of people and destroying nations, it is incapable of the imperial management needed to sustain the empire.

Recall: while Mr. Bush knew that it was his fathers (and his own) business partners who attacked the US on 9/11, he lied to the American people and blamed the act on Iraq. To be clear, he didnt just lie about Iraqi WMDs, he lied about who it was that perpetrated the 9/11 attacks for his own, and his familys, benefit. This isnt to suggest that Bush & Co. planned or participated in the attacks. In his letter to America, Osama bin Laden takes implicit credit for them. Nevertheless, missing from American discussion of 9/11 has been a single iota of truth regarding US military actions abroad, as well as al Qaedas true motives (bin Laden letter) for attacking the US.

Mr. Bushs they hate us for our freedoms was the anti-Semitism (or disinformation) of its day, self-serving bullshit that flatters the malinformed public into psychologically reaffirming American empire. However, most Americans arent privileged. Read Mr. bin Ladens letter (link above) to understand how insidious this unfounded belief in American privilege really is. Living in a state that has a billionaire or two doesnt make us all billionaires. And voting in a rigged system (the parties control ballot access) doesnt mean that we, the great unwashed, choose who governs us, or their policies.

With respect to Joe Biden, the Democrats have perfected their powerless schtick in order to carry out heinous acts without angering their constituents. Despite Democrats holding the White House and both houses of Congress in 2021, Joe Biden was powerless to enact his stated agenda. The Congressional bottle-washer (clerk) had the ultimate say, claimed Biden. Like Barack Obama before him, Biden has enacted one of the most audacious agendas of all time. He launched a pointless and gratuitous war against nuclear armed Russia in Ukraine for the benefit of ExxonMobil and Goldman Sachs as he is sponsoring a full-blown WWII-style genocide in Gaza.

While its difficult to avoid blaming the Israelis when watching images of the carnage unfolding in Gaza, it is the Americans who are funding Israel, supplying it with weapons and materiel, giving Israeli bombers air and logistical support including assistance in targeting Palestinians for death, and holding competing regional interests at bay. Here(starts 2:48) is US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stating that Israels attack on Palestine would end immediately if the US stopped supplying Israel with weapons. What will be revealed in coming months or years is that the Israeli genocide is a result of the long-term strategic vision of the US. And all of the world except the American people knows it.

What makes Bidens actual agenda so audacious is that its all Wizard of Oz-style bullshit. Of course, the killing is real. However, having participated in gutting the American manufacturing base (but not the military budget) as a neoliberal, neocon Senator, Biden is starting wars that the US cant finish. Bidens chosen targets, Russia and China, both have manufacturing bases with which to manufacture weapons and materiel. The US not only exported its industry starting half-a-century ago, it sent its engineers (knowledge base) to flip burgers at Mickie Dees until they died of old age.

While the impact of various state policies is always open to debate, the insistence that one side in the debate gets to claim the national interest for itself in either Israel or the US, is the realm of demagogues, not legitimate political difference. This is why the US and Israeli governments are working so hard to delegitimate assessments of their policies that differ from their own. If legitimate differences with state policies are admitted, then the ability of particular state actors to define them unilaterally is diminished. Question: without anti-Semitism to fall back on, what possible explanation could Israel give for its behavior in Gaza that would be deemed legitimate by outsiders?

Moreover, nation-states are political entities so organized to be able to conduct affairs of state with other nations. Given that all of the major religions have footprints that lie outside of any single national boundary, nations that claim state religions (e.g. Israel, Iran) dont represent those religions politically outside of their national borders. In this way, criticism of Israel over its treatment of Palestinians in Gaza has no bearing on Jews living in Canada or Brazil. This, despite Israel calling itself a Jewish state. No one holds Canadian or Brazilian Jews responsible for Israels state actions.

By analogy, the political right in the US has long claimed that the US is a Christian nation. In terms of religious self-identification, this is most certainly true. Most Americans who are religious identify as Christian. Yet in all of my years of publicly opposing US foreign policy (1969  2024), I dont recall being accused of being anti-Christian for doing so. A large contingent of the American anti-war movement during the Vietnam war was church-based, with prominent church leaders putting their lives and freedom on the line to end the slaughter.

The point here is that the political leadership in the US could have slandered American anti-war protesters of the era as anti-Christian because the US , according to them, is a Christian nation. But lots of Christians had already concluded that the war was an abomination. Israel is in a similar position today, with Zionists running the Israeli government. Many of the anti-genocide protesters in the US are Jewish. And for those who arent, there are multiple legitimate criticisms of Israeli and US state actions that bear no relation to the claimed religious status of Israel.

This latter point is crucial to the conception of how nation-states operate. When Venezuela negotiates legal arrangements with China, it is the nation-states that act as signatories. Religious communities within these nations may have input into the negotiations, but they arent the legal entities that act as signatories, and they arent the legal entities charged with enforcement. So, while history and religious passion may guide the tenor of state-to-state negotiations, every nation has internal interests acting behind the scenes.

Conversely, if some nations are religious-states, in the sense of being so governed, why arent religious entities (church, synagogue, mosque, etc.) the signatories to international agreements? For instance, since the Revolution in 1979, (the Islamic Republic of) Iran has had a hybrid secular  religious system of governance. While powerful religious figures (Ayatollahs) have significant say in the affairs of state, it is the nation-state of Iran with which international agreements are inked.

Within the Jewish community in Israel, half of Israeli Jews describe themselves as secular, versus a combined maximum of around 25% who describe themselves as orthodox or ultra-orthodox. Secular Jews by definition arent interpreting scripture to determine state policies. This doesnt mean that they are any less sincere in their religious beliefs than orthodox Jews. What it means is that the religious beliefs differ. They may all fall within the broad category of Judaism. But differences within the broad category make assertions that Israels state polices are Jewish simplistic to the point of being misleading.

Again, by analogy, evangelical Christians in the US provide support for the political right to an extent that activist and political commenter Chris Hedges crafted the term Christian fascists, to describe their politics. Conversely, variations on Liberation Theology inform the Christian left, if such a descriptor can be claimed. Support by American liberals and the evangelical right for Israeli state policies with respect to the Palestinians is antithetical to the secular Christian view that genocide is morally and politically repugnant. It was morally and politically repugnant to Israelis until the American MIC took over the West.

The commonly held view that evangelical Christians and orthodox Jews are more Christian or Jewish, respectively, than other denominations is a denominational quibble, not religious doctrine. As the Spanish Inquisition and Irish orphanages illuminated, individual and institutional assertions of superior righteousness are often used to place evil people in charge of Christian institutions. This occasional rule by demagogues renders visible the political natures of both church and state. Religionists who act politically are politicians acting within the realm of state power.

Following each of the World Wars, maps of the world were redrawn by the victors with little concern for political, economic, cultural, and religious differences. Since WWII ended, part of the rationale for the US crushing movements for democracy around the globe has been the desire to manage the resulting tensions through political repression. For instance, before he was the new Hitler, Saddam Hussein (Iraq) was the CIA asset in Iraq put forward to quash ethnic tensions resulting from these externally drawn maps.

List: remarkably, five of the ten countries with the largest oil reserves have been governed by the new Hitler in the last twenty years. Imagine, one Hitler in all of the twentieth century, but five in the last twenty years. In contrast to this Hitler-heavy concentration, four of the remaining countries, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, and the US, are liberal democracies (not). Readers are encouraged to read Osama bin Ladens letter to America (link above) to understand how insidious fake liberal democracy (US) can be for we little people. Source: oilprice.com.

With respect to the timing of police violence against protesters coincident with the state media putting on its crazy pants to point and shout anti-Semite, the likely reason is the resumption of the US / Israeli genocide Rafah. While the official lie coming from US / Israeli sources is that Hamas is dug in in Rafah, the politicians of the Israeli right have spent recent months openly describing their genocidal aims. Their goal is to clear Palestine of Palestinians. The nations surrounding Israel have stated publicly that they have no intention of absorbing Palestinians fleeing Israel.

While clever and knowledgeable people are (correctly) claiming that the police violence used against protesters was both unnecessary and excessive, the question back is: where in the hell have you been living? At the OWS (Occupy Wall Street) encampment at Zuccotti Park, the NYPD drove over protesters with their motorcycles. The NYPD soaked peaceful and compliant OWS protesters with pepper spray. In my first march against the Vietnam War at the tender age of twelve, boiling water was poured out of open windows onto us. I was threatened with being murdered twice by people with guns for my political views before my sixteenth birthday.

At Columbia University, an adjunct professor named Rebecca Weiner who also works for the NYPD anti-terrorism unit, coordinated the clearing of the encampment. In interviews after the campus was cleared, Ms. Weiner spoke in the conceptually-muddled techno-drivel of the anti-terrorism industry. Ms. Weiner circuitously clamed that 1) free-speech wasnt being suppressed because 2) it was a change in tactics 3) with respect to the language, 4) used by the anti-genocide protesters, 5) that was shut down by the NYPD.

That Ms. Weiners political logic isnt being reported as fallacious nonsense is likely a fashion issue particular to the industry that she works in. Briefly, a change in linguistic tactics still leaves the actions of the students at the level of Constitutionally protected speech. If it hadnt, legally actionable consequences unrelated to student speech would have ensued. But Ms. Weiner made no assertion that this was the case. What she did assert is that it was the change in tactics that rendered the protesters subject to legal sanction, not that illegal acts followed from doing so.

For example, my use of the term industry to describe the anti-terrorism industry is a tactic to place its motives in the commercial framework of political economy. In fact, the modern anti-terrorism industry was created when George W. Bush put thousands of people to the task of finding a very, very, small number of actual terrorists. The result: the FBI now exists to fabricate fake terrorist plots. What makes police entrapment a legitimate defense in criminal cases isnt that the FBI thought about, or discussed (both are linguistic tactics), entrapping people, but that it actually entrapped them.

The problem that Ms. Weiner as well as the Biden administration, the NYPD, and the exterminationist-right in Israel, are trying to overcome is that the protesting students have heard their explanations of the events in Gaza and come to different conclusions. Rather than trying to convince the students otherwise, the official response in the US has been slander, propaganda, censorship, and police violence. This is fundamentally different from making ones views known as citizens regarding the affairs of state by protesting. Shutting down free-speech isnt its opposite. Coerced speech is. Shutting down free-speech is political repression.

One illuminating / particularly troubling aspect of this police repression is that billionaires hired private militias to attack the protesters. The protesters didnt attack these private militias, they were attacked by them (link above). At UCLA in particular, a private militia allegedly funded by Jessica Seinfeld (link above), wife of comedian Jerry Seinfeld (listen to his stand-up and decide for yourself), had the look and presence of the Gestapo. Wearing masks to hide their identities, the counter-protesters softened up the UCLA protesters for the violent police assault that followed.

To be clear, the counter-protesters werent protesting anything. They are modern-day Pinkertons hired by Wall Streeters and celebrities (links above) to commit violence against actual protesters. One of the defining characteristics of the rise of Nazism in Germany in the 1930s was violence committed by private militias. This makes the claim that the counter-protesters are fighting anti-Semitism morbidly ironic. The comment by Chanamel Dorfman, aid to Israeli Security Chief Ben Givr, that the problem with the Nazis was that they killed the wrong people, suggests that he (Dorfman) knows who the right people are.

Finally, Donald Trumps value to the American people in 2016 was in bringing to light that political and economic power in the US is dug in like ticks, or possibly tapeworms. Now that he has officially joined the uniparty by telling House Speaker Mike Johnson to fund the campaign war chests of Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu with $91 billion in arms purchases, he has gone full AOC as a fake renegade sheep-dogging for empire. Cobbled to his Reaganesque Republican policies, this makes him, like Joe Biden, the wrong person for the age.

This written, it is the US war against Russia in Ukraine that is more ominous for the world, and in need of being taken out of American officialdoms hands very quickly. For details of the nuclear back-and-forth, here is Scott Ritter. Most frightening from Ritter is the abject stupidity of the American political leadership. George H. W. Bush was the last American political leader trained in statecraft (his father was banker to the Fuehrer during WWII, Prescott Bush). Following H. W. Bush, the requirement that American Presidents be able to speak at least one language (George W. Bush didnt, Joe Biden is a toss-up) was apparently deemed too onerous.

With Bidens recent major speech on the dramatic rise in anti-Semitism in the US, the calcification and irrelevance of American leaders on the world stage is sealed. What Biden and his minions conspicuously cannot comprehend is that we dogs are no longer eating the dogfood. This isnt revolutionary in any political sense. The powers that be can either stop lying or come up with better lies. But having the same people from the same three-letter agencies promoting the same lies eventually loses its potency as social engineering.

Listen to the Scott Ritter interview (link above) as you channel Jennifer Lawrences character in Dont Look Up shouting were all going to $#!?& die. Allowing one, two, or three morons in the basement (or Oval Office) of the White House to decide the fate of humanity is not reasonable. To Democrats get a handle on your boy. You inflicted this genocidal jackass on the rest of us. To Republicans get a handle on your boy. You inflicted this uniparty jackass on us. Then consider: with no political bench to draw from, possibly the problems are systemic.
As part of the resumption of events at the NATO-Istanbul Cooperation Initiative Regional Centre in Kuwait (NIRC), a NATO talk was held on Monday (13 May 2024) to address the future of NATO relations in the region. Twenty years of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative: What is the way forward for NATO-Gulf relations? covered the importance of NATO partnerships and the changing security environment in the region.

The NATO Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, Ambassador Boris Ruge  who was on an official visit to Kuwait - participated in the discussion, along with Dr Bader Al-Saif, Assistant Professor of History at Kuwait University. Ambassador Ruge said that security in the Gulf region matters for the security of NATO and he highlighted the work of the independent group of experts appointed by NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, to support NATOs reflection on its southern neighbourhood. Its report contains several recommendations to shape NATOs approach in areas including the Middle East, North Africa and the Sahel.

The Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) was launched in 2004 and provides a partnership forum to promote security cooperation between NATO and partner countries in the Gulf region. Four countries, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, have joined the initiative, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The NIRC opened in 2017 and is focussed on strengthening political dialogue, education and training, and public diplomacy.
Ben-Gvir faces calls for removal after posting Hamas loves Biden on X

Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Thursday posted "Hamas ? Biden" on the social media platform X after the US president warned he would halt arms shipments if Israel carries out a "full-scale" invasion of Rafah.

(Article republished from MiddleEastEye.net)

"Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centres," Biden said in an interview with CNN on Wednesday.

Biden's words mark the first time he has explicitly said that the US is considering conditioning arms transfers to Israel.

Around 80,000 people have fled Rafah since Israel launched an intensified military operation in the area on Monday, the UN Palestinian refugee agency (Unrwa) said.

Ben-Gvir, known for his ultra-right-wing views, has previously advocated for more lenient open-fire regulations for Israeli soldiers, publicly admitted that his right to movement is superior to the freedom of movement for Palestinians, and called for the execution of Palestinian prisoners to ease overcrowding in Israeli jails.

Following the post, Ben-Gvir faced calls for his dismissal among Israeli politicians, the Times of Israel reported on Thursday.

Shortly after the post, opposition leader Yair Lapid released a statement declaring that "if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not fire Ben Gvir today, he is endangering every soldier in the IDF and every citizen in the State of Israel".

Lapid's criticism of Ben-Gvir was echoed by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who called the comment "irresponsible and insulting" and emphasised that the American leader is "a great friend of the State of Israel".

Rafah's population at 'edge of survival'

Israel's military spokesperson Daniel Hagari on Thursday said the military has the amount of munitions it requires to proceed with its operations in Rafah, as well as operations in other parts of Gaza.

Netanyahu also responded to President Biden on Thursday, saying that his country would continue fighting the war by any means necessary. "As I have already said, if we must, we shall fight with our fingernails," Netanyahu said in a video statement.

Israel has already launched an operation into Rafah, seizing the crossing with Egypt, but the Biden administration says this is not the full-scale invasion it is opposed to.

In spite of Biden's warning, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday said that Israel would do whatever was necessary to achieve its war objectives in Gaza and the north.

"We will stand strong, we will achieve our goals - we will hit Hamas, we will hit Hezbollah, and we will achieve security", Gallant told Israel's "enemies and friends".

Earlier today, Gaza's health ministry released a new press release proclaiming that Israel's closing of the Rafah and Keren Shalom crossings constituted "a new genocide", as it prevented travel for wounded and sick people and blocked the entry of "aid, medicine, medical supplies, food, trucks, and the fuel needed to operate hospitals".

It also announced that 60 people had been killed in Israeli attacks on the Palestinian enclave in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 34,904 killed since 7 October when the war broke out.

An Israeli ground incursion into Rafah would expose the more than 600,000 children in Rafah already highly vulnerable and at the edge of survival" to "catastrophic risks, the UNs children agency, Unicef, has warned.

Read more at: MiddleEastEye.net
Biden approves legislation reauthorizing and broadening governments ability TO SPY ON AMERICANS without a warrant

President Joe Biden has quietly signed legislation reauthorizing and broadening the government's ability to conduct warrantless surveillance on American communications , facing backlash among critics and privacy experts.

The legislation, signed on April 20, reauthorizes Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) with expanded authority to compel a wider range of businesses to collect communications on United States citizens when they are in contact with foreigners. In other words, any company hosting any communication service, like a business that provides customer Wi-Fi, will be forced to surrender surveillance data to the National Security Agency (NSA) on demand.

"Buried in the Section 702 reauthorization bill (RISAA) passed by the House on Friday is the biggest expansion of domestic surveillance since the Patriot Act. Senator [Ron] Wyden calls this power 'terrifying,' and he's right," warned Elizabeth Goitein, co-director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice. (Related: New FISA bill includes vast expansion of surveillance powers, forcing U.S. businesses to become NSA spies.)

"Under current law, the government can compel 'electronic communications service providers' that have direct access to communications to assist the NSA in conducting Section 702 surveillance," Goitein continued. "In practice, that means companies like Verizon and Google must turn over the communications of the targets of Section 702 surveillance. The targets must be foreigners overseas, although the communications can  and do  include communications with Americans."

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Although the amendment delineates certain types of businesses exempt from being classified as "Electronic Communication Service Providers," such as public accommodations, dwellings, and restaurants, law firm ZwillGen underlines that the legislation still grants the government the authority to enlist "a wide range of additional entities and persons in conducting surveillance under FISA 702."

"The breadth of the new definition is obvious from the fact that the drafters felt compelled to exclude such ordinary places such as senior centers, hotels, and coffee shops. But for these specific exceptions, the scope of the new definition would cover them  and scores of businesses that did not receive a specific exemption remain within its purview," ZwillGen explained in a blog post.

Legal experts stated that entities potentially subject to surveillance under the amendment include "the owners and operators of facilities that house equipment used to store or carry data, such as data centers and buildings owned by commercial landlords," alongside individuals with access to such infrastructure, such as "delivery personnel, cleaning contractors, and utility providers."

Furthermore, ZwillGen highlighted the unsettling reality that "any U.S. business could have its communications" intercepted by a landlord with access to office wiring or the data centers where their computer systems are housed, particularly if communications involve foreigners.

FBI and CIA use FISA surveillance powers to unconstitutionally spy on Americans

Section 702 of FISA, originally passed in 2008, authorizes the NSA to collect communications of foreigners overseas without warrants. However, this surveillance often incidentally captures vast amounts of American communications.

In 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) unconstitutionally spied on Americans, including Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL), who serves on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, as well as Americans present at or near the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

"Although ostensibly targeted at foreigners, Section 702 surveillance inevitably sweeps in massive amounts of Americans communications, Goitein said. "Recognizing the impact on Americans privacy, Congress required the NSA to minimize the sharing, retention, and use of this incidentally collected U.S. person data. But the government and the FISA Court have embraced an interpretation of minimize that is remarkably maximal."

"The NSA shares raw data with multiple other agencies  including the FBI and the [Central Intelligence Agency]  and all of them retain the data for a functional minimum of five years. Moreover, the FBI routinely combs through it looking for Americans communications to use in purely domestic cases, even in situations where the FBI lacks a factual predicate to open a full investigation."

Surveillance.news has more stories about how the government violates the privacy of Americans.

Watch the video below that talks about how the members of Congress will allow the FBI to spy on Americans, except them.

This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

ADL calls for warrantless FISA spying on U.S. students, peace activists.

FBI Director Wray: Threats of terror attacks against the U.S. have reached a whole other level amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Congress approves extension of U.S. governments warrantless surveillance powers despite opposition.

Congress renews spying act that allows WARRANTLESS SURVEILLANCE of Americans, which is blatantly unconstitutional.

This everyones a spy insanity will lead to a free speech bloodbath if the American people let it: terrifying new FISA bill will solidify America becoming a full-scale police state.

Sources include:

LifeSiteNews.com

Twitter.com

APNews.com

Brighteon.com
Capitol Hill businesses call for intervention of city government as crimes spike in Seattles notorious CHAZ neighborhood

The Capitol Hill Business Alliance (CHBA), a group of business owners in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood, recently wrote a letter to the city government asking for its intervention in the current situation of the area, which seemed to have become a deterrent to visitors due to rampant vandalism and public drug use

In the letter addressed to the Seattle Mayor's Office, CHBA said: "People don't want to spend time in unclean neighborhoods. Consistent investment in cleanup, environmental lighting, and activation of vacant buildings will underscore the neighborhood's reputation as a retail and community hot spot. Business owners and community members on Capitol Hill can feel estranged from their local police precinct due to a lack of consistent presence and outreach. Calls to 911 often result in long wait times, which means people are often left to respond to timely issues  such as an individual sleeping outside a storefront in the morning  on their own."

KOMO News was able to talk with some of the business owners in the area who are also members of CHBA. Jon Milazzo told the news outlet that in the last five years, "we've gone from a little bit of riffraff, a little bit of theft, to massive theft, people on drugs, people being violent, people yelling at us all day long." He said his staff was scared. The business is now closing three hours earlier because of safety concerns, Milazzo added, "It's not for us the small business owners to take on and try to fix ourselves."

CHBA is requesting a mobile police precinct to supplement the East Precinct, more patrols at Cal Anderson Park and more police at the precinct. However, these may be declined due to a massive staffing crisis in the Seattle Police Department (SPD). SPD is currently at its lowest staffing level in more than 30 years.

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.

Another business owner, Russell Normann, said: The police department said 'hire your own security, we are just not available to take calls.' The violence is key  it's gone from being a sporadic thing to being a regular thing."

The said location is the site of Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ), a self-declared autonomous region that emerged in the city in June 2020. Seattle has settled a multi-million-dollar lawsuit with business owners who claimed the CHAZ violated their constitutional rights and caused damage to their property. (Related: Flashback: GoFundMe allowed support for CHAZ/CHOP zone in Seattle even after murders.)

CHAZ was established by protesters in response to the killing of George Floyd, a black American man who was murdered by a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The zone encompassed six city blocks, including the area surrounding the East Precinct, which was abandoned on June 8, 2020, when all the police left the area and turned over to Antifa and Black Lives Matter rioters and became the CHAZ.

The CHBA also asked the city to look for grants to fund security costs for businesses in Capitol Hill because the costs of private security are prohibitive for many small business owners. The CHBA is asking the city to explore grant funding to help pay for security costs for businesses in the neighborhood. "While the City works hard to recruit and retain its next generation of SPD officers, businesses struggle to respond to security concerns on their own. Additional investments in security infrastructure would equip businesses with the tools to deter some of the issues they experience consistently," the letter pointed out.

"We need immediate action from the city. I believe at this point, we have lives and jobs at stake," Normann said. The CHBA's letter also includes recommendations about graffiti abatement, trash cleanup, pedestrian and cyclist safety improvements and recommendations for Cal Anderson Park.

Man dies in Capitol Hill Station stabbing incident

Meanwhile, crimes continue to take place in the area despite the presence of a big crowd in a public space. SPD officers found a 37-year-old man stabbed inside the Capitol Hill Link light rail station in Seattle on Saturday evening, May 11. Crowds headed to the Seattle Mariners game and a Lumen Event Center concert filled the station at the time of the stabbing.

Seattle Fire Department, which was the first to respond, treated the victim at the scene. According to public information officer David Cuerpo, he was later transported to Harborview Medical Center where he was pronounced dead despite the life-saving efforts.

The male suspect reportedly fled and has not been identified. There were no immediate reported arrests. The SPD said it was working to determine what led to the deadly assault.

Capitol Hill Station is to remain closed indefinitely during the investigation.

Visit Violence.news to read more stories like this.

Watch the video below where a small business owner defended his store from BLM protesters back in 2020 in CHAZ, Seattle.

This video is from the Soberthoughts1 channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Seattle Mayor confirms that CHAZ became a hotbed of rape, assault, murder, drug use, gang activity, shootings and vandalism we will sure miss CHAZ.

"Welcome to CHAZ" tourism video shows amazing highlights of living under a lawless communist regime run by left-wing lunatics.

Looking to move into CHAZ? Prepare to give up your rights to Antifa and Black Lives Matter.

SOLVED! We should build a wall AROUND CHAZ and see how quickly their "autonomous zone" turns into a cannibalism fiesta while selling pay-per-view rights to the world.

Sources include:

ThePostMillennial.com

KomoNews.com 1

KomoNews.com 2

CapitolHillSeattle.com

Brighteon.com
Catholic bishops urge Congress to spend $20 BILLION on programs that could INCREASE illegal immigration

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is urging Congress to allocate $20 billion on migration-related spending projects that would inevitably increase illegal immigration into the United States.

In a letter dated April 25, Bishop Mark J. Seitz of the Diocese of El Paso, Texas and chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Migration, urged lawmakers to provide more taxpayer-funded resources for different government and non-profit-run initiatives for the upcoming 2025 fiscal year. These initiatives will support the humanitarian needs of immigrants, refugees, asylees, asylum seekers, unaccompanied migrant children, survivors of torture, victims of human trafficking and others.

"As Congress begins its work on Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations, several policy committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will be engaging lawmakers on appropriations matters under their purview, expressing views on funding that supports the poor, migrants and refugees, foreign assistance, environmental protection, access to healthcare, housing, and nutrition and other programs that help individuals and families to live with dignity," Seitz wrote.

However, the letter also includes an appeal for the government to provide resources to the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) to speed up court hearings for illegal immigrants, or so-called "noncitizens."

"In addition to EOIR's backlog reduction efforts, we strongly support increased funding for Legal Access Programs, which includes the Legal Orientation Program, the Legal Orientation Program for Custodians of Unaccompanied Children, and the Recognition and Accreditation Program. Collectively, these programs not only provide crucial legal information to those with immigration court cases but also help streamline proceedings, making them more efficient and cost-effective, as well as fair," he wrote.

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.

Seitz also echoed the statements of Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, head of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and former USCCB president, and Bishop Joe Vasquez of the Diocese of Austin, former chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, in an open letter to former President Donald Trump in 2019.

At that time, both former USCCB officials rebuked Trump for declaring a national emergency to build a wall across the U.S.-Mexico border. They claimed that the wall is "a symbol of division and animosity between two friendly countries."

"The Catholic Church acknowledges the right of countries to maintain their borders and the responsibility of governments to protect the people within their borders, consistent with the common good. At the same time, we believe that right and responsibility should be exercised in a manner that is consistent with the moral obligation to protect the humanitarian needs of migrants and refugees." (Related: Speaker Johnson reveals 64 instances Biden where sabotaged border security and encouraged illegal migration.)

Seitz even urged Congress to reject measures that "further restrict access to asylum, curtail due process for noncitizens, and create authorities inconsistent with the United States' obligations under international law."

Former Trump advisor labeled the USCCB as "one of the worst instigators of this open borders policy"

This is not the first time that the USCCB has drawn ire for its support for more lax migration policies. In 2018 former White House Chief Strategist and Senior Counselor to Trump Steve Bannon labeled the USCCB as "one of the worst instigators of this open borders policy" during an interview with Jonathan Karl on ABC News after religious leaders denounced the enforcement of a "zero tolerance" policy at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Bannon, not known to mince words, singled out Pope Francis as the root cause of the migrant "crisis" in Europe. He attributed the rise of anti-immigrant sentiment and political movements such as Italy's Five Star and League parties to the Pontiff's influence.

Additionally, Bannon claimed that "the pope is not infallible when it comes to public policy and that's a public policy issue."

Bannon's argument six years ago reflected the agenda of lawmakers, alongside Christian nationalists, advocating for an "America First" agenda. They said unregulated immigration fuels social discord and poses enduring threats to the collective welfare of the United States.

Head over to OpenBorders.news for more stories about the impact of the migrant crisis on America.

Watch this clip of illegals protesting against being removed from the Manhattan Hotel in New York City.

This video is from the GalacticStorm channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

ILLEGAL MIGRATION under Biden nears aggregate total of LEGAL MIGRATION processed at Ellis Island in New York for 62 years.

NGOs carefully planned mass migration INVASION of America, report reveals.

Biden regime providing travel loans to illegals using nefarious UN migration scheme.

Illegal immigrants in New York City are leaving their shelters to go door-to-door begging for money and food.

Sanctuary City New York spent over $5 billion in taxpayer money the previous fiscal year to provide services for ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.

Sources include:

LifeSiteNews.com

USCCB.org

Web.Archive.org
Finnish lawmaker charged for sharing Bible verse against homosexuality urges Christians to continue sharing the truth

A member of parliament (MP) in Finland who was charged for posting a Bible verse denouncing homosexuality has called on Christians to continue sharing the truth , even in the face of persecution.

Paivi Rasanen, former interior minister and MP under the Finnish Christian Democrats (KD), issued this call during an April 30 talk hosted by the John Paul II Academy for Human Life and Family. "The most dangerous threat to this freedom is self-censorship," she said, stressing that "now is the time to use these freedoms."

Rasanen recounted one instance in 2013 when she was still interior minister and the leader of the KD party, where she spoke at a church event. She tackled the Christian view on abortion and marriage at the time.

"All of us have come across situations in life when we have had to consider whether we have the courage to act contrary to public opinions or norms, and sometimes even the law, if this contradicts the word of God," the MP said during the 2013 event. "In [the book of] Acts, it is described how the authorities refused to allow the Apostles to preach about Jesus  but Peter and the other Apostles replied, 'We must obey God rather than men.'"

But after the 2013 event, Rasanen said "over 40 complaints about my speech were made to the parliamentary ombudsman accusing me as a minister [of] inciting to break the law." The ombudsman thankfully ruled that her comments fell within her right to religious freedom.

The MP awaits her third trial in front of the Supreme Court of Finland over "hate speech" charges despite being exonerated twice already. Her charges stem from a June 2019 tweet and her 2004 authorship of a pamphlet titled "Male and Female He Created Them." The 2019 tweet, which features the Apostle Paul rebuking homosexuality in his letter to the Romans, was in response to the LGBT event "Pride 2019." (Related: Finnish MP quotes Bible in pushback against church LGBTQ event, now facing criminal charges.)

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.

Bishop Juhana Pohjola of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland (LHPK) is also being charged alongside Rasanen for the 2004 pamphlet, which defends the traditional definition of marriage as being exclusively between a man and a woman. In a recent interview with LifeSiteNews, Pohjola also called on Christians to defend marriage and traditional sexual morals.

Rasanen stands by her opinions

Rasanen, also a member of the LHPK, had addressed the church leadership and criticized its official sponsorship of Pride 2019. This condemnation came in the form of the June 2019 tweet, which was used as one of the bases for the "hate speech" charges against her.

During the initial police investigation, the MP was asked if she would recant her views. Rasanen answered in the negative, sternly refusing to yield.

"I stand behind the teachings of the Bible. Whatever the consequences are, I will not apologize for what the Apostle Paul has stated," she remarked during the April 30 talk. The former interior minister warned that a conviction in her case "would open the floodgates to a ban on similar publications."

According to Rasanen, the female prosecutor did not just go after her individually for "hate speech." She also argued that affirming biblical teaching publicly would be a criminal offense. The prosecutor alleged that the MP's doctrine was "insulting and defaming" as she viewed that a person's identity and their actions are inseparable.

Rasanen pointed out that the prosecutors argument "goes against the Christian view of man, and also against common sense." She continued: "This court case has at its core  the question of whether it is allowed to share the teaching of the Bible and publicly agree with them."

"Protecting the right to speak freely, is not only necessary for the flourishing of society, but especially essential to proclaiming the Gospel. So I want to encourage you to use your foundational freedoms and rights. The more we keep silent about the teachings of the Bible and the painful issues of our time, the more powerful is the reaction. So it doesn't help to be silent  Christians need to encourage one another to stay strong in Jesus."

Watch Dr. Scott Lively explaining the LGBT mafia's oppression of Christians such as Finnish MP Paivi Rasanen in this 2021 episode of the Brighteon.TV program "Prophecy and Politics."

This video is from the BrighteonTV channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

New "hate speech" law in Poland would punish people who "insult" LGBT ideology with 3 years in prison.

Dr. Scott Lively talks about the LGBT mafia's oppression of Christians  Brighteon.TV.

Canada moves to ban Christianity  changes to bill C-367.

Sources include:

InfoWars.com

Brighteon.com
Historically, sea levels were much higher with lower CO2 levels, debunking climate hysteria

Climate change alarmists claim that sea levels are rising due to carbon dioxide levels. The climate change cult decry that rising oceans will soon destroy the Earths coastal cities if humanity does not collectively reduce CO2 levels from the atmosphere. However, according to earth scientists and paleontological evidence , the opposite reality occurred throughout historys last major ice age. During that time, there were other factors outside of CO2 that led to warmer summers, ultimately causing shrinkage of the ice shelf and rising shorelines. Evidence along the Moroccan coasts, for example, show that sea levels were once several meters higher than today. Ironically, these higher sea levels were prominent when CO2 levels were much lower (compared to todays world-ending levels).

Evidence from last Ice Age debunks rising CO2 and rising sea level myth

During the Last Ice Age, which lasted from about 129,000 - 116,000 years ago, the summer temperatures in the arctic were much higher than they are today. A new study has found that during this period, the Greenland Ice Sheet melted significantly approximately 121.9 thousand years ago, contributing to a 3-meter rise in sea level globally, when compared to todays sea level.

According to the study, sea levels were 6 to 9 meters higher during the last interglacial period, when CO2 levels peaked at 275 ppm. Today, CO2 levels are measured at over 400 ppm, yet the sea level today is much lower compared to historical measurements. In fact, there is global evidence that the sea level has actually retreated over time. Today, some coastline regions are simply changing in shape because they are affected by hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis. If CO2 was the greatest threat here, then over the last four decades coastlines would have already risen by multiple meters, putting many of our coastal cities underwater. This just isnt the case.

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 results of the studys simulations indicate that the Greenland Ice Sheet retreated to a minimum extent of 121.9 ka. This is equivalent to an increase of 3 meters in sea level compared to today. The ice sheet then regathered over time.

Most importantly, the regional warming that occurred during the last interglacial period was driven by changes in the Earths orbital configuration, which triggered high summer insolation anomalies. These feedbacks across the cryosphere, ocean and atmosphere, were the primary driving force for higher summer temperatures over the northern hemisphere, and these feedbacks allowed these higher surface temperatures to remain steadfast, year after year in the Arctic and over Greenland. This suggests that changes in ocean and climate are largely out of human control, and CO2 levels are not the boogeyman they are made out to be.

Paleontological evidence shows higher sea levels occurred during lower CO2 periods than today

Additionally, paleontologists found human footprints engraved into rock formations that were once part of a sand beach at the edge of the seashores swash flow. In order for the footprints to be preserved, there needed to be salt-crusting in a location at the landward limits of the spring high tidal zone and at the limits of swash flow.

This former high tide at this site was approximately 20 to 30 meters above todays sea level. The footprints can be dated back 90,000 years. Further evidence suggests that about 95,000 years ago, sea levels along the coasts of North Africa (Morocco) were once 20 m above the present level.

Interestingly, this same Moroccan shoreline has, in recent decades, remained stable, and has even advanced outward to sea, at a rate of +0.89 meters per year. In fact, coastal expansion has been occurring globally over the past few decades. Since the 1980s, shorelines have been advancing seaward at a rate of .26 meters per year. This evidence flies in the face of climate cult hysteria.

Sources include:

Whattsupwiththat.com

AGUPubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

CO2.earth

Nature.com

ScienceDirect.com
Jewish donors are demanding universities cancel free speech or lose financial support

Many Jewish people are outraged by the pro-Palestinian protests taking place at universities across the nation, and some big donors are now reconsidering supporting their alma mater financially in response. In some cases, they are even going so far as to demand the schools restrict students free speech on this matter or risk losing their financial support.

Battles between Israel supporters and those who are horrified by the genocide in Gaza have been taking place on campuses throughout the nation since the war began. It is a topic that is extremely divisive and has been dominating headlines for months. However, the situation has been escalating recently, prompting some educational institutions to cancel classes out of safety concerns and find reasons to send protesters home.

Now, some of the most influential donors to top Ivy League schools like the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University have said they will pull their donations to the schools as a form of expressing their displeasure with the way college administrators have been responding to what they claim is antisemitism on campuses.

Although it is not believed that such moves would cause a significant degree of financial damage to schools like these that enjoy significant endowments in the short term, there could be a devastating impact in the long run.

One expert in higher education finance, Lee Gardner, noted: The impact is less likely to be immediate as potentially longer term on gifts or donations that may not have been in the works or would come to fruition for years.

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.

In addition, if bigger and higher-profile donors cut ties to the universities, it could also convince smaller donors to stop making contributions as well. It could also have an effect on college admissions and damage alumni relations.

Although Ivy League schools are very wealthy and enjoy significant financial insulation from the impact of a few donors cutting ties, smaller private schools and state flagship schools are far more vulnerable to financial repercussions if this type of Jewish donor backlash spreads.

Ivy League schools are feeling the heat

The backlash is already being felt at Harvard, where the Wexner Foundation, a nonprofit organization that was founded by billionaire Leslie Wexner, broke off ties with the university on account of its stance on the controversy.

When a coalition of student groups there released a statement blaming Israel for the attacks against it by Hamas, the school was slow to react.

The leaders of the foundation said: We are stunned and sickened by the dismal failure of Harvards leadership to take a clear and unequivocal stand against the barbaric murders of innocent Israeli civilians.

At the University of Pennsylvania, billionaire Ronald Lauder, who is one of the university's most powerful financial backers, threatened to stop donations if they do not take more steps to fight against antisemitism.

Financial expert Charlie Gasparino cautions that the schools that lose donations over this issue could end up facing a massive liquidity crisis. This may lead to a major financial downfall.

He tweeted: Many endowments went so heavily into illiquid private equity where the payoff comes years later and they use donations to pay ongoing cash needs. A potential liquidity crisis at @Columbia @Harvard etc is not out of the question if the protests continue, something similar to what is happening at regional banks like SVB, my sources say.

Many universities are already finding excuses to restrict students rights to free speech, often claiming antisemitism and hate speech as an excuse to shut them down, even when all the students are protesting is the death of innocent civilians in Gaza. Apparently, they care a lot more about their financial survival than upholding fundamental rights.

Sources for this article include:

Revolver.news

CNN.com
Kyiv to penalize, block bank accounts of draft dodgers amid serious shortage of soldiers

Kyiv will soon block bank accounts and impose penalties on the property of those trying to avoid military service as Ukraine now faces a serious shortage of fighters to face Russia. This was according to Andrey Osadchyuk, a member of the country's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada.

The bill, which has not yet been signed into law by President Volodymyr Zelensky, includes raising fines for anyone caught trying to avoid the call-up and allowing authorities to detain draft dodgers for up to three days. This is in line with a law that introduced stricter penalties for breaching the country's mobilization rules, which the MPs voted on last month, Osadchyuk told journalists.

According to the UNIAN news agency, under the legislation that will go into force "sometime in late May," the fines for violations of the military registration rules for individuals have been increased to between 17,000 and 20,500 hryvnia (around $430 and $520).

Osadchyuk noted how the penalty is "a big sum for anyone in Kyiv," adding that "for some provincial towns and villages, it is a gigantic sum." Because of the pricey penalties, "we will, most likely, have a situation when these fines will not be paid by citizens on a mass scale, as they simply may not have the money or will just not want to do it," he said. In case this happens, the government will remove the dodgers' access to their bank account via enforcement procedure. The government will also impose a penalty on the property owned by those individuals.

These measures were provisions in the initial proposed mobilization legislation submitted last year to the unicameral parliament, but they were rejected because they were deemed unconstitutional. However, "a new scheme will be launched" that will allow the government to block the said accounts "through what are, in principle, absolutely legal means," the MP said.

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.

Ukraine's military indeed needs more manpower to sustain a bloody war of attrition against Russia. The nation's top military commander, Valery Zaluzhny, admitted that training and recruiting troops has been a serious challenge. "The prolonged nature of the war, limited opportunities for the rotation of soldiers on the line of contact, gaps in legislation that seem to legally evade mobilization, significantly reduce the motivation of citizens to serve with the military," he said last November. (Related: Ukraine RUNNING OUT of soldiers to fight Russia.)

Some reports even claimed that Ukraine may have no choice but to lower its fighting age. Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60 must register at military enlistment offices and are not permitted to leave the country under martial law, but only those over the age of 27 are eligible for conscription. Last year, Ukraine's parliament approved legislation to lower the conscription age to 25, but Zelensky did not sign it into law.

Kyiv does not publicly disclose its manpower targets nor does it reveal the total number of dead and wounded, although casualties on both sides since February 2022 are estimated to number in the hundreds of thousands.

Ukrainian lawmakers push for prisoners to enlist

Another measure the Ukrainian government thought of to resolve the fighters' shortage issue is making convicts enlist in the army. On May 8, Ukraine's parliament passed a bill allowing some convicts to enlist for a chance at parole. The move is only expected to generate several thousand new soldiers from a possible pool of up to 20,000 convicts, senior lawmaker David Arakhamia said.

According to another solon, Oleksiy Honcharenko, the bill, which is yet to be signed to become law by Zelensky, would not allow people convicted of the most serious crimes to enlist. People convicted of the premeditated murder of two or more people, rape, sexual violence, crimes against national security and serious corruption violations would still not be allowed to join the military.

"It's no secret that the mobilization resource of our enemy is huge, and therefore we should use all available opportunities to fight back armed aggression," a note attached to the bill indicated. "Some of these people are motivated and patriotic citizens who are ready to redeem themselves before society on the battlefield."

According to the bill, the prisoners who are interested in enlisting would have to write an appeal to the head of the prison and conditional probation would be granted by a court decision. "This must happen only by the convict's own will. Prisoners are not forced to mobilize," Honcharenko said on X. Earlier, Justice Minister Denys Maliuska said separate units in the armed forces would be introduced for convict fighters.

Visit UkraineWitness.com for more stories related to the current situation in Ukraine.

Watch the video below where Ukrainian bloggers reveal that corpses of military-age men trying to escape Ukraine were recovered from the border.

This video is from the Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Ukrainian men paying DISABLED WOMEN for marriage to escape the draft.

Ukraine suspends visa renewals for military-aged Ukrainians living overseas as punishment for NOT DYING in battle with Russia.

Ukraine warns its frontlines could COLLAPSE at any time as generals fear severe losses from upcoming Russian offensive.

Ukraine running out of air defense missiles, giving Russia a FREE PASS to Kyiv.

Sources include:

RT.com

KyivIndependent.com

Reuters.com

Brighteon.com
Jewish real estate developer charged with felony assault for intentionally striking pro-Palestinian demonstrators with his car

According to the official statement of the Columbia University Apartheid Divest, a student organizing group that gathered outside the residence of one of Columbia University's Board of Trustees members on the Upper East Side to voice their demands, the suspect identified as Reuven Kahane, 57, confronted a protester who attempted to hand him a flier by forcibly grabbing him. Kahane allegedly parked his vehicle across the street from approximately 25 protesters before accelerating toward them as they dispersed. (Related: Police use taser, tear gas to disperse pro-Palestinian activists at Emory University.)

However, Maryellen Novak, a 55-year-old safety marshal involved in the protest, bravely attempted to halt the vehicle's maneuver.

"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."

Novak sustained minor injuries and was subsequently taken into custody and later hospitalized, along with another protester, 63-year-old John Rozendaal, where they remained handcuffed to the bed. However, Novak was charged with criminal mischief and unlawful assembly and Rozendaal with criminal mischief, while Kahane faced charges of second-degree assault.

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.

"Maryellen jumping in front of the car helped save a bunch of people," said Ha Vu, another safety volunteer.

Fortunately, the Manhattan district attorney later dropped the charges against Novak and Rozendaal.

Suspect a distant cousin of Jewish Defense League and Kach Party founder

As it turned out, genealogical records suggest that Kahane is a distant cousin of Rabbi Meir Kahane, the founder of the Jewish Defense League and the Kach Party. Meir Kahane and his organizations became known for their militant and radical Zionist views, far-right ideology and explicit anti-Arab stance.

The group advocates for the forceful removal of Arab and Muslim populations from Israeli-occupied territories while orchestrating a series of violent attacks both domestically and internationally. In the 1980s, the Kach party was banned from the Israeli parliament, while the United States classified the Jewish Defense League as a terrorist organization. Rabbi Meir Kahane was assassinated in New York in 1990.

Moreover, the Kach movement faced legal repercussions after one of its followers perpetrated a massacre in 1994, resulting in the deaths of 29 individuals.

The suspect is now trying to dissociate himself from Meir Kahane. "What does my being a distant cousin of someone who passed away 35 years ago have anything to do with this?" he said.

Head over to Revolt.news for more stories about Palestine protests across the country.

Watch this report from Hala Jaber, an investigative journalist who has been reporting the events unfolding in the genocide of Palestinians.

This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Anti-war Code Pink group calls Israel an occupying force  "U.S.-backed Israeli apartheid regime inflicts daily settler violence and terror on Palestinians."

Jussie Smollett-style HOAX: Jewish students at Cooper Union LIED about "threats" from pro-Palestinian rally  "there was no danger to any students," NYPD chief confirms.

Jews against GENOCIDE: Protestors amass around home of NY Sen. Chuck Schumer to call for CEASEFIRE in Israel-Hamas war.

'My school abandoned me': California university cancels pro-Palestinian students commencement speech.

Google fires dozens of pro-Palestinian employees who protested against companys cloud deal with Israel.

Sources include:

TheNationalPulse.com

TheDailyBeast.com

APNews.com
Multiple passengers injured as Boeing plane skids off runway

A Boeing 737 aircraft skid off the runway in Senegal, injuring at least 10 people.

(Article republished from WLTReport.com)

Four individuals reportedly sustained serious injuries.

The incident occurred as Air Senegal flight HC 301 was taking off for the Malian capital Bamako in the early hours of Thursday, Dakars Blaise Diagne airport said in a statement, BBC reports.

According to the New York Post, the Air Senegal flight crashed mid-lift off shortly after 1 a.m. local time.

WATCH:

A Boeing 737 aircraft skid off the runway in Senegal, injuring at least 10 people.

Four individuals reportedly sustained serious injuries.

The incident occurred as Air Senegal flight HC 301 was taking off for the Malian capital Bamako in the early hours of Thursday, Dakars Blaise Diagne airport said in a statement, BBC reports.

According to the New York Post, the Air Senegal flight crashed mid-lift off shortly after 1 a.m. local time.

WATCH:

Following a Boeing crash in Istanbul, the company faced another public relations crisis when a 737 aircraft overshot the runway at Dakar International Airport, Senegal the next day. Multiple injuries reported. pic.twitter.com/4YqnqJfC5W  Insider Corner (@insiderscorner) May 9, 2024

BBC reports:

The pilot was slightly injured, but most of the 78 passengers on board were not hurt in the incident. Operations were halted at the airport for a few hours but have now resumed. Emergency services at the airport were mobilised to evacuate passengers, the airports statement said. An inquiry is under way to determine the causes of the incident, which took place at around 0100 GMT. Boeing has not commented on the incident, nor has Transair, the private company from which Air Senegal chartered the plane. Though it is not yet known what caused the crash, it comes as the manufacturer faces a deepening crisis over its safety record.

WATCH:

Latest report suggests ,the accident left 11 people injured, including 4 seriously out of 73 passengers and 6 crew members.#accidentpic.twitter.com/qUvHQRDwSp  FL360aero (@fl360aero) May 9, 2024

From the New York Post:

The Dakar disaster came just one day after a FedEx Airlines Boeing 763 skidded on its nose down the runway at Charles de Gaulle Airport thanks to a landing gear malfunction. Both incidents are the latest in a series of slip-ups for Boeing, which has been under much public scrutiny since a side door panel blew off an Alaska Airlines 737 Max mid-flight in January. The manufacturer is now facing a criminal investigation over that accident. More would-be whistleblowers with scathing accusations about the state of safety inspections at the company have also come out of the woodwork after two outspoken former employees died within weeks of each other.

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at 100 Percent Fed Up.

Read more at: WLTReport.com
Pfizer discloses death of young boy during clinical trial for investigational gene therapy

Pfizer has paused the clinical trial of an experimental gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy after a young boy died.

(Article republished from WLTReport.com)

The pharmaceutical giant told patient advocates in a letter released on Tuesday.

BREAKING: A young boy died in a trial for Pfizers experimental gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the company told patient advocates Tuesday. - Stat News pic.twitter.com/qXeeRNApYQ  Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) May 7, 2024

We are deeply saddened to share that a patient participating in our Phase 2 DAYLIGHT study for Duchenne muscular dystrophy has passed away suddenly. On behalf of everyone at Pfizer, we extend our sympathies to his family, friends, and those closest to his care, the letter read.

We do not yet have complete information and are actively working with the trial site investigator to understand what happened. The patient received the investigational gene therapy, fordadistrogene movaparvovec, in early 2023, it continued.

Initial dosing for the placebo-controlled, randomized Phase 3 CIFFREO trial, which utilizes a crossover trial design, was also completed in 2023. We have decided to pause dosing associated with the crossover portion of CIFFREO, and we are working with regulators and the independent external Data Monitoring Committee as we learn more about this event. Other than this pause in dosing, trial activities are continuing as scheduled, it continued.

The DAYLIGHT study included boys 2 years to less than 4 years of age.

Read the full letter below:

If you are Pfizer and your product kills a young boy who was in a trial, all you have to do is issue a community letter extending your sympathies. Literally thats it. Here is the letter. pic.twitter.com/t8p7491sGM  Champagne Joshi (@JoshWalkos) May 8, 2024

STAT News reports:

A young boy died in a trial for Pfizers experimental gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the company told patient advocates Tuesday. The boy was enrolled in Daylight, a trial studying the treatment in boys aged 2 or 3. The boy had received the therapy early last year, Pfizer told the advocates in a note posted online by Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy. Pfizer said the boy died of cardiac arrest, but that it was still working to understand what happened and the exact cause.

??TRAGIC: A child between the age of 2-3, participating in a Pfizer gene therapy clinical trial has died suddenly. They stopped further dosing in the trial while they investigate with regulators. My heart goes out to this family?https://t.co/YFxB6Y17W7  Brook Jackson ? (@IamBrookJackson) May 7, 2024

A young boy died in a trial for Pfizers experimental gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the company told patient advocates Tuesday. The boy was enrolled in Daylight, a trial studying the treatment in boys aged 2 or 3. The boy had received the therapy early last pic.twitter.com/hLLAk1kAdn  Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) May 8, 2024

Per Fierce Biotech:

Pfizer said in the community letter that it doesnt yet have all the information about what happened to the boy and is currently working with the trial site investigator to learn more. In light of the patient death, Pfizer has paused dosing associated with the crossover portion of CIFFREO. The pharma is also working with regulators and an independent external data monitoring committee as more information becomes available. Besides the halt to CIFFREO dosing, trials will continue as scheduled. Other ongoing trials evaluating the gene therapy have already finished the dosing phase. The safety and well-being of the patients in our clinical trials remains our top priority, and we are committed to sharing more information with the medical and patient community as soon as we can, Pfizer wrote in the letter. We are also aware that many in the patient community are hopeful about the potential benefit of fordadistrogene movaparvovec for the treatment of DMD, and we will continue to collect data from our trials to evaluate its ability to address this disease. The DAYLIGHT study is assessing the safety and dystrophin expression of fordadistrogene movaparvovec and has a primary completion date set for the end of this year, according to ClinicalTrials.gov. Back in October 2023, Pfizer Chief Scientific Officer and President of R&D Mikael Dolsten, M.D., Ph.D., called the investigational gene therapy the main game in town on a quarterly earnings call. The commentary came directly after a confirmatory trial for Sarepta Therapeutics DMD candidate Elevidys failed to hit the primary goal of a pivotal study.

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at 100 Percent Fed Up.

Read more at: WLTReport.com
Israels post-war plan for Gaza puts Israel, U.S. in charge of the very people theyre trying to exterminate

Once the dust settles after the Netanyahu regime finishes its ethnic cleansing operation in Gaza, Israel wants to share the loot with the United States and a coalition of Arab nations, sources close to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are saying

In statements made to The New York Times, the sources indicated that Netanyahu wants to divide the land in a shared custody deal with Israel's allies, calling it an "expansive plan" for the lucrative seafront property.

Three Israeli officials along with five others who discussed the proposal with the Israeli government say the plan is for the Jewish state to share oversight of Gaza with the U.S., Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), all nations that are under the thumb of the Zionist lobby.

In exchange for allowing Saudi Arabia to be part of the deal, Israel is expecting a normalization of diplomatic ties with the Arab nation. Meanwhile, local leaders in Gaza would be tasked with rebuilding the enclave with an entirely new education system and government order controlled by Israel and Washington, D.C.

According to the proposal, people living in Gaza after the war would have to wait 7-10 years before being allowed to vote on being absorbed into a "united Palestinian administration," to quote RT.

(Related: Turkey just halted all trade with Israel over Jewish state's genocide in Gaza.)

Israel wants a New Gaza Order

The Times made sure to stress the fact that the plan does not explicitly state whether the New Gaza Order would constitute a truly sovereign Palestinian state or if it would just be for show.

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.

We do know that Netanyahu is vehemently against a so-called "two-state solution," despite such a plan being supported by the U.S. and other world powers, so chances are his plans for Gaza exclude any kind of sovereign Palestinian state.

Once the conflict ends, Israel wants its military to remain in Gaza indefinitely, the officials added. Hamas is unlikely to accept such terms, which is why Netanyahu is eager to finish the job he started with a full-scale invasion of Rafah, the last remaining Hamas battalion.

"The post-war solution has already started since November when Jews started selling Gaza properties in synagogues," wrote one commenter at RT, referring to the same thing we reported on back in March about how American Jews had begun trying to sell besieged Palestinian properties at local synagogues.

"No nation claiming to be civilized can honestly support the shenanigans Israel is engaging in," wrote another. "End the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and the occupation of Palestine or face a torrent of sanctions."

"With the exception of diehard Zionists and their co-conspirator non-Jewish Zionists, most of the world's population has turned against Israel-USA-UK (The Evil Troika)," expressed someone else.

"Reality of such awareness of U.S.-Israeli-UK crimes has shocked the world about how impotent the USA and UK have become under the blackmail and bribery their masters have been engaged in since the early 1960s that has resulted in almost 96 percent of the U.S. Congress obeying Netanyahu or else their sex tapes and bribe tapes and documents will be released and their lives will instantly be ruined."

"Shamelessly these congressmen and women along with great majority of the U.S. Senate, the Pentagon, the media and the rest are all being pulled with their noses strung with very harsh ropes in the hands of their Zionist masters. Soon this network of Mossad's worldwide Jeffrey Epstein gangs will be exposed and a panic will deface the killers of Israel in every corners of the world. What an exodus that will be!"

The latest news about the Israel-Gaza war can be found at Prophecy.news.

Sources for this article include:

RT.com

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com
IBM subsidiary Red Hat SUED by America First Legal over alleged anti-White and anti-male employment practices

America First Legal has filed a discrimination lawsuit against Red Hat, a subsidiary of the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), over alleged discriminatory employment and termination practices against White males

The lawsuit, filed in a federal Idaho court on behalf of Allan Kingsley Wood, a White male who served as the senior director of Red Hat for eight years, accused Red Hat of using illegal anti-White and anti-male hiring and terminating practices to reach its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) quotas.

According to the lawsuit, spearheaded by Stephen Miller, a prominent anti-immigration figure and advisor to former President Donald Trump, Red Hat announced its plan to diversify its workforce by changing 30 percent of its employees worldwide to females and another 30 percent to associates of color in the United States during the kickoff event of their "Bold DEI Goals" in Texas on June 7. (Related: British Telecom CEO firing Whites, hiring minorities for diversity bonuses.)

Two weeks after the event, Allan Kingsley Wood, a White male who served as the senior director of Red Hat for eight years, along with 21 other employees, was terminated. Out of the 22 people terminated, 20 of them were White males.

Wood said his stance on religion and politics and refusal to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in 2021 may have influenced his termination despite his exemplary performance and contributions to the company.

Moreover, Wood alleged that Red Hat initially granted him a leave of absence to care for his ailing wife, but purportedly rejected this approval after four days. This potentially violates the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which permits employees to take up to 12 weeks off to attend to a family member with a serious illness. 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 line with all these anti-White male discrimination practices, America First Legal has filed charges against Red Hat in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin in employment practices. Red Hat now faces charges of racial discrimination, gender discrimination, retaliation against Wood's opinions and violating FMLA. The suit asks Red Hat to admit the allegations and award the ex-employee compensation for lost earnings, emotional damages and punitive damages.

"We will use every tool to hold IBM accountable," said America First Legal on X. "We are proud to file this lawsuit to continue to fight corporate America's destructive, illegal and odious use of illegal DEI initiatives that are fundamentally anti-White, anti-male and anti-equality."

IBM and Red Hat have a history of racist hiring practices

This is not the first time IBM and Red Hat have faced controversy for their racist hiring practices.

In 2023, investigative journalist James O'Keefe of OMG Media Group, released leaked video footage showing IBM Chief Executive Officer and Board Chairman Arvind Krishna talking about the racist hiring practices he wanted to see at the company.

"On December 11, 2023, a tape of IBM Chief Executive Officer and Board Chairman Arvind Krishna was released on X. In the video, Krishna promises to fire, demote, or deny bonuses to corporate executives who either fail to meet the corporation's racial and national origin hiring quotas or who hire too many Asian individuals," a letter from the American First Legal Foundation reads.

In the video, Krishna can be seen threatening his corporate executives for not meeting the DEI hiring quotas.

"You've got to move both forward by a percentage that leads to a plus on your bonus," Krishna said, referring to IBM hiring more Hispanics and decreasing the number of Asians. "And by the way: If you lose, you lose part of your bonus."

Furthermore, Paul Cormier, Chairman of Red Hat, was recorded acknowledging that the company has fired employees for refusing to engage in discriminatory hiring practices.

Visit AntiWhite.news for more stories about discrimination against White people in the workplace.

Watch this video about a man suing the city of Seattle for anti-White discrimination.

This video is from the HALOROCK channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

NASCAR goes woke, EXCLUDES WHITES from internship program.

Cambridge University blocked White students from applying for post-graduate program.

WHITES NOT WELCOME: Democrat supporters re-implement segregation at universities to exclude Whites.

UK state-run health system demands written explanation whenever white candidates are hired over ethnic "minorities."

PHARMA RACE WARS: While Pfizer places all races at risk with their COVID vaccines, WHITES and ASIANS are NOT allowed to apply for Pfizer's fellowship grant program.

Sources include:

ThePostMillenial.com

TheRegister.com

ZeroHedge.com
Twelve Israel-first U.S. senators just committed a FEDERAL FELONY by threatening judges over Netanyahu ICC arrest warrant

In an effort to protect Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from facing an arrest warrant and indictment from the International Criminal Court (ICC), 12 United States senators sent an official letter to the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands, threatening retaliation if the court moves forward in prosecuting top Israeli officials for war crimes in Gaza.

Written on official U.S. Senate stationery, the letter, dated April 24, 2024, objects to any and all prosecution of Netanyahu and other members of the Israeli government, claiming the court has no jurisdiction over them.

"Target Israel and we will target you," the letter threatens. "If you move forward with the measures indicated in the report, we will move to end all American support for the ICC, sanction your employees and associates, and bar you and your families from the United States. You have been warned."

The letter is signed by the following U.S. senators:

Tom Cotton (R-Ark.)

Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.)

Ted Budd (R-N.C.)

Ted Cruz (R-Tex.)

Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.)

Rick Scott (R-Fla.)

Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)

Katie Boyd Britt (R-Ala.)

Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.)

Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.)

Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)

Tim Scott (R-S.C.)

(Related: Why is Donald Trump speaking out of both sides of his mouth concerning Israel?)

Will these criminals in Congress be prosecuted?

The problem with the letter is that it appears to violate Title 18, United States Code, Sub-Section 1503, the relevant portion of which states that it is a crime for anyone to threaten via letter or communication to do things that prevent the due administration of justice.

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 12 aforementioned senators, all Republican, are in violation of federal law with their letter, which means all of them need to be prosecuted just as any other citizen would be for committing a crime.

While some sections of the law stipulate that offending actions worthy of prosecution are limited to those that occur within "Courts in the United States," the above-mentioned section of the law does not contain that stipulation.

Not only did the 12 senators utter their threat in the United States where they feel they have immunity, but they also sent it to the ICC. Doing this establishes what one media source describes as "a sufficient factual nexus to invoke the jurisdiction of that court, and of The Netherlands."

All 12 of the above-mentioned senators must be arrested, charged indicted, and criminally prosecuted right here in the U.S. for their crimes. Despite how they presumably perceive themselves, none of them is above the law.

"If the United States fails or refuses to arrest and prosecute these men, then the International Criminal Court should issue arrest warrants for each of them so that in the future, when these men travel to any country which is party to the ICC, they can be arrested in that country and extradited for trial," the same media source reports.

"Ted Cruz occupies the position of representing me in the U.S. Senate," one angry commenter wrote in response to the news. "However, I absolutely did NOT ask him to do this. I am beginning to think that NOBODY in politics represents me."

Another responded with a question asking whether or not any of these 12 senators have bothered to "lift a finger to help American political prisoners who are rotting in American jails," this referring to the January 6 "insurrectionists" who are still being denied due process under the law.

"Why is it that when Americans exercise their constitutional rights, they get arrested, sent to jail while senators who threaten the courts don't?" this person further asked.

The latest news about Israel can be found at IsraelCollapse.com.

Sources for this article include:

HalTurnerRadioShow.com

NaturalNews.com
U.S. plans new AI export restrictions to counter Chinas technological advances

The Biden administration is considering new regulations to limit Chinas access to advanced artificial intelligence software, including models like ChatGPT, to prevent military and cyber misuse.

(Article republished from YourNews.com)

The Biden administration is reportedly gearing up to introduce new measures aimed at protecting U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) technology from China, focusing on the advanced AI models that form the core of systems such as ChatGPT, according to sources reported by Reuters. The Commerce Department is exploring regulatory actions that would restrict the export of proprietary or closed source AI models, which keep both their software and training data confidential.

This initiative is viewed as a continuation of the U.S.s efforts over the past two years to impede Chinas acquisition of sophisticated AI chips, a move intended to slow down Beijings military advancements in cutting-edge technology. However, officials acknowledge the challenge of keeping regulatory measures in step with the rapid evolution of the tech industry.

Currently, major U.S. AI firms, including Microsoft-backed OpenAI, Alphabets Google DeepMind, and Anthropic, face no governmental restrictions when selling their advanced closed source AI models globally. This has raised concerns among government and private sector researchers about the potential for these models to be used by adversarial nations for cyber attacks or even the development of biological weapons.

In an effort to tighten controls, U.S. officials may use a computing power threshold from an AI executive order issued last October as a basis for determining which AI models should face export restrictions. This threshold relates to the amount of computing power required to train a model, necessitating developers to report their AI development plans and test results to the Commerce Department once certain levels are reached.

The discussions suggest that new export controls could initially apply only to unreleased AI models, as existing ones like Googles Gemini Ultra have not yet reached the defined threshold, though they are close. The Commerce Department has not yet finalized any rule proposals, but the deliberations indicate a concerted effort to close loopholes that could allow Beijing to exploit U.S. AI innovations.

Concerns extend beyond China, with potential implications for how other countries might use AI technology. The American intelligence community, along with think tanks and academics, has expressed increased worry about the risks posed by foreign entities accessing advanced AI capabilities, which could assist in creating cyber tools or biological weapons.

The U.S. has already taken steps to curb the flow of AI-related technology to China, including restrictions on AI chips and tools necessary for their production. Moreover, a proposed rule would require U.S. cloud companies to report when foreign clients use their services to train powerful AI models. The overarching challenge remains the practicality of imposing effective export controls on AI models, especially given the open-source nature of many developments, which would likely remain outside the scope of any new regulations.

Read more at: YourNews.com
Any U.S. troops deployed to Ukraine would immediately face devastation, warns former Army officer

Former United States Army officer Stanislav Krapivnik issued a stark warning about the potential consequences of deploying U.S. troops to Ukraine to support Kyiv in its conflict with Russia.

Speaking to RT, Krapivnik emphasized the significant challenges that the U.S. military would face in such a scenario, highlighting its current inadequacy for engaging in a conventional war with Russia.

Drawing parallels to the Cold War era, Krapivnik noted that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's primary objective at the time was to deter Soviet aggression rather than launch a full-scale ground assault. He pointed out that even during that period, the U.S. Army lacked the capability to directly confront the Soviet Union on the battlefield. (Related: MUTUALLY ASSURED DESTRUCTION: Russia can still launch its entire nuclear arsenal even if all Russians are dead.)

Krapivnik attributed the decline in Western warfighting capabilities to the extensive military interventions undertaken by the U.S. in recent decades. He highlighted the toll of prolonged guerrilla warfare on American forces, stating that it has significantly eroded their readiness for conventional conflicts, despite ongoing efforts to strengthen military capabilities.

Regarding recent reports suggesting the possibility of President Joe Biden deploying U.S .troops to Ukraine if reelected, Krapivnik criticized the idea as divorced from reality. He expressed skepticism about the Biden administration's grasp of the pragmatic considerations involved, warning of the potential dire consequences for US military personnel if such a deployment were to occur.

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 Krapivnik's view, any attempt to send U.S. troops to Ukraine would likely result in a devastating defeat for the American military. He stressed the importance of acknowledging the harsh realities of military engagement and urged against reckless decision-making that could endanger the lives of U.S. service members.

Kremlin warns of "huge danger" if NATO sends troops to Ukraine

The Russian government has expressed similar statements in its warnings against the U.S. and NATO deploying combat personnel to Ukraine.

On Wednesday, May 8, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was asked during a press conference to comment on a petition posting on the official government website of Ukraine's presidency calling for NATO troops from the U.S., the United Kingdom and the European Union to be sent to Ukraine.

In response, Peskov told reporters that such a move would pose a "huge danger" for the world.

"[The] Kyiv regime is quite unpredictable," he added. "We have repeatedly said that direct intervention in this conflict on the ground by militaries of NATO countries poses a huge danger, a huge danger. Therefore, we consider this an extremely defiant provocation, no less. And of course we are watching this very closely."

Earlier on the same day, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Maria Zakharova told reporters that any French soldiers would immediately be targeted by the Russian Armed Forces. This comes after French President Emmanuel Macron said that such a deployment could not be ruled out if Russian troops broke through Ukrainian frontlines.

"It is characteristic that 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 certain. We, too, have already decided a long time ago," she said. "If the French appear in the conflict zone, they will inevitably become targets for the Russian Armed Forces."

Watch this report discussing Russia's latest live nuclear drills and the military's pledge to defend Russia against the West.

This video is from the channel The Prisoner on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Russia has an anti-satellite NUKE currently in orbit that could render lower orbit UNUSABLE.

A secret German war plan reveals U.S. soldiers will soon be deployed on the front lines to fight Russia.

U.S. quietly sent Ukraine long-range missiles following a secret directive from Biden.

CIA officer confirms it has "advisors" in Ukraine  "a well-known secret."

War with Russia to massacre 50,000 Americans every two weeks, with forced conscription of young Americans now inevitable, warns US Army War College.

Sources include:

RT.com

CNBC.com

Brighteon.com
Trumps youngest son declines to be RNC delegate due to prior commitments

Former President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron, has declined to be a delegate to the Republican National Convention, according to the office of his mother, former First Lady Melania Trump.

"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," the office said. No further details were given. However, some observers believe he will be preparing for his first year of college over the summer.

Republican Party of Florida chairman Evan Power last week announced that the 18-year-old high school senior would serve as one of 41 at-large delegates from Florida, where the GOP is set to officially nominate his father as its presidential candidate for the November general election.

"We have a great delegation of grassroots leaders, elected officials and even Trump family members," 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 was chosen alongside his siblings, Donald Jr., Eric and Tiffany. Ivanka Trump, who served as a senior adviser in her father's White House, was the only Trump child not on the delegate list.

The convention is from July 15 to 18 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

When the former president learned about Barron being chosen to participate in the RNC, he said he was "all for it." Barron was rarely seen during his father's White House years, unlike his siblings. Melania rarely let Barron attend official White House events when she was first lady. Additionally, she would have Barron travel in a separate car when he rode in the presidential motorcade. She also had her son board Air Force One on the back stairs of the plane so there would not be photographs of him climbing the front stairs with his parents.

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 youngest child was not present during Trump's presidential bid announcement at Mar-a-Lago and the night of Super Tuesday when Trump effectively locked up the Republican presidential nomination. But during an interview at "Kayal and Company" on Philadelphia's Talk Radio 1210 WPHT, the former POTUS seemed to be presenting the idea that Barron may enter politics.

"He's really been a great student. And he does like politics. It's sort of funny," Trump said. "He'll tell me sometimes, 'Dad, this is what you have to do.'"

Trump also revealed that the 18-year-old, who is graduating from high school this week, is weighing what college he might attend. But, he noted, the campus protests have been a factor in that decision.

"He's a senior now in high school and he'll be going to college. And you know, a lot of, a lot of these choices of colleges are changing because you see what's going on in the last month," Trump said.

The former president also complimented his six-foot-seven-inch son's looks. "He's a little on the tall side. I will tell you, he's a tall one, but he is a good-looking guy," Trump said.

Attending a private school in Maryland, he rarely appeared in public, with his mother reported to be fiercely protective of his privacy. However, sources told the Daily Mail that the teenager, who has never uttered a word in public, is a steadfast supporter of the Trump 2024 campaign behind the scenes.

Trump allowed to skip court to attend son's graduation, speak at Republican Party dinner

Barron's name came up in Trump's Manhattan hush money trial when Judge Juan Merchan granted Trump's request to allow him to skip court and attend his sons high school graduation. The approval came after the judge faced a barrage of negative comments for his initial decision to decline to adjourn the Supreme Court's hearing on that date, claiming that Trump's priority should be attending the trial rather than going to his son's graduation ceremony. (Related: Donald Trump may be forced to miss his son Barrons high school graduation due to New York trial.)

Trump had also complained on his Truth Social website that he could be forced to miss the graduation of his "wonderful son" Barron, who attends a private school in Florida, due to the hush money case. Merchan on April 30 said the court won't sit on this date, commenting: "I don't think May 17 is a problem."

The day would be a hectic one for the former president as he would also have to deliver the keynote address at the Minnesota Republican Party's annual Lincoln Reagan Dinner. The dinner, which Trump is hosting along with GOP House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer, is taking place on the same day at Saint Paul RiverCentre.

In a statement, Minnesota GOP chair David Hann commented: "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."

Visit Trump.news for more stories related to the ongoing legal battle the former president is fighting while campaigning for the presidency.

Watch the video below where Donald Trump talks about his youngest son giving him political advice.

This video is from the Galactic Storm channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Judge deciding Trump's fate in 2024 election comes from family of Marxist revolutionaries.

CIA secretly targeted 26 Trump associates in 2016, including Alex Jones.

Tucker Carlson: Misuse of judicial system to go after Trump could threaten the future of democracy in America.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

Newsweek.com

Brighteon.com
Biden calls illegals crossing the border Hispanic voters

(Article by Steve Watson republished from Modernity.news)

During an interview with a Spanish radio show, Biden was talking about the border crisis, and stated Its even a bigger influx now in terms of Hispanic voters, or Hispanic  Hispanic citizens, who want to become citizens.

Listen:

In a telling slip of the tongue earlier this week, Joe Biden referred to the unprecedented rise in illegal immigrants entering the US as an "influx" of "Hispanic voters." Full report here: https://t.co/FYpTpE1j1m pic.twitter.com/ybcjVggVih  m o d e r n i t y (@ModernityNews) May 11, 2024

Its rare but sometimes the truth slips out  Todd Roy (@TheToddRoy) May 11, 2024

ILLEGAL ALIENS! Looks like Dementia Joe had a Freudian slip. He told the truth. Extremely rare for him.  Joe Blow (@srv2000) May 10, 2024

This was always the plan.  RingoTyler (@PKLakeDog21) May 10, 2024

Biden also ludicrously compared mass illegal immigration at the border to Irish people coming to America in the 1840s.

He said its a little bit like back in the 1840s and the great exodus of Ireland, because of the famine and the way Irish Catholics were treated. They said no, no, we dont need any more of those folks. There was a large influx.

Except the Irish weren't involved in human trafficking, drug smuggling, and corruption.  Tim Shorts (@TimShortsBBQ) May 10, 2024

The difference is the Irish came her LEGALLY!  ML (@mlvercle) May 10, 2024

The Hispanic community is part of the future of America, Biden further stated, adding Twenty-eight out of every 100 students in school speak Spanish, the idea that youre gonna ignore that? Thats our future.

He then repeated the claim that the economy is good because of mass illegal immigration, and suggested anyone who disagrees is xenophobic.

One of the reasons that were growing so much is we have a significant influx of immigrants coming into our country, only reason our economys so good. Were not a xenophobic nation. Other nations are, were not, thats why our economy is the best in the world, he claimed.

As we highlighted yesterday, amid the unprecedented explosion in illegals entering the US, there has been a six thousand plus percent increase in Chinese nationals being encountered at the border, with over 1000 being apprehended in just the past week.

Read more at: Modernity.news
Biden regime under investigation for 2024 ELECTION INTERFERENCE

New evidence has emerged to indict the Biden regime for election interference.

Independent journalist Kyle Becker, formerly of Fox News, tweeted about the ongoing probe, explaining that it is based on fresh evidence showing illegal collusion between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the various political processors that are trying to take down President Trump.

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests from Attorney General Andrew Bailey of Missouri show that Biden's handlers ordered the DOJ to hand over all "activity and / or communications between Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, New York Attorney General Letitia James, Special Prosecutor Jack Smith or Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis related to the investigation or prosecution" of the former president.

"I am demanding the DOJ turn over communications relating to the illicit prosecutions of President Trump," Bailey announced in a statement. "This includes communications between the DOJ and Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, New York AG Leticia James, and Fulton County DA Fani Willis."

"Thanks to evidence that has come to light, my office has reason to believe Biden's corrupt Department of Justice is the headquarters of the illicit prosecutions against President Trump."

(Related: Did you know that House Republicans want to send all student protesters to Gaza to die just because today's young people are speaking up in opposition to genocide?)

Bragg, Willis "selectively and vindictively" prosecuting Trump

Becker also claims that evidence exists to show that D. A. Alvin Bragg and D. A. Fani Willis, as well as Special Counsel Jack Smith, all chose to "selectively and vindictively" prosecute cases against Trump to try to stop him from becoming president again.

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 Biden regime is carrying out the most blatant election interference campaign in the history of the country against the leading presidential candidate," Becker writes. "This must be stopped if Americans seek to live in a free country ever again.

Love him or hate him, Trump still deserves a fair chance at running for office, assuming presidential candidates are elected and not selected. And as of now, he is being railroaded out of the presidency, again, and this time in broad daylight.

"It's not looking good in Georgia when they're finding huge discrepancies in the ballot count," tweeted Ret. Steamfitter (Local 290), U.S. Army Combat Engineer (12B30X) Sgt. Ret. Robert Mahar, who was diagnosed with amyloidosis of the colon and heart.

"Also, other states as well," Mahar added, "so start there because if you don't, they will continue to use that tactic."

Stop the Steal 2024

Other commenters on X praised AG Bailey for having the guts to even move forward with such a case against the Biden regime and its many political cronies.

"My new hero," one of them, a Christian named "Jericho" (@JerichoXVI) said about Bailey. "I wish more Republicans would step up regardless of their feelings towards Trump; this can not stand -- it has destroyed the peoples faith in our justice system which is one of the linchpins of our Republic, and the course we are on is irrable [sic]."

"Thank God for AG Bailey."

To our own readers who are suspicious of Trump: regardless of who he really is or isn't, we know he won the 2020 election fair and square and was robbed of it. And it appears he will be robbed of the 2024 election as well, unless someone like Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. can somehow win over Biden.

"Trump did nothing wrong," added "Sadie (@Sadie_NC), a "happily married southern girl with strong opinions," to the conversation started by Becker on X.

"Andrew Bailey is fighting the fights needed to be had," also said "TrashDiscourse" (@TrashDiscourse), a Spaces host and co-founder of @SleuthArmy.

"Missouri v Biden is when he landed on my radar and I've been impressed since."

Portfolio manager and SIO Andrew Fisher (@acpandy) wrote that some other people who belong on Bailey's probe list "include those unhinged lunatic MSDNC hosts and analysts like Joe Scumbag, Joy Raided, Rachel Madcow, Andrew Weissmann, Katie Phang and etc etc."

Another person expressed concern that there is about to be a whole lot of evidence destruction now that Bailey has spilled the beans publicly about what he is doing to try to stop Biden and his people from stealing the 2024 election.

"Hmm, something deep inside me is saying that lots of documents and emails will soon be destroyed, burned, and/or deleted," this person said. "It's just what the Democrats and banks with Democrat accounts (JPMorgan) do."

Another shared the following video from FOX Business featuring Bailey speaking about the investigation:

Biden's corrupt Department of Justice is the headquarters deploying personnel in the illicit witch-hunt prosecutions against President Trump. pic.twitter.com/KGH0P9zj86  Attorney General Andrew Bailey (@AGAndrewBailey) May 9, 2024

"So proud this man is our Attorney General here in Missouri!" wrote a local about Bailey's efforts. "Good job and keep it up, Att. Gen Bailey!"

All of this will definitely have an impact on the 2024 election. Find out more at Rigged.news.

Sources for this article include:

Twitter.com

NaturalNews.com
Egypt to join South Africa in ICJ genocide case against Israel

Since the political nation-state that calls itself Israel is becoming progressively more violent and ruthless towards those who remain in Gaza, Cairo is stepping in to join South Africa in pursuing a war crimes case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The suit out of South Africa alleges that the Benjamin Netanyahu regime is violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention with its genocidal operation in the Gaza Strip. South Africa had been standing alone in this effort, but now Egypt is on board.

On Sunday, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Cairo is ready to hit the ground running in pursuing justice against Netanyahu and his cronies who seem to have no regard for human lives other than their own.

"The submission ... comes in light of the worsening severity and scope of Israeli attacks against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, and the continued perpetration of systematic practices against the Palestinian people, including direct targeting of civilians and the destruction of infrastructure in the Strip, and pushing Palestinians to flee," reads a statement from the ministry.

(Related: Did you hear? The Anti-Defamation League [ADL] is pushing Congress to pass FISA amendments allowing for the warrantless spying on of student protestors.)

Colombia and Turkey join ICJ case against Israel

South Africa filed the case back in January before it was even undeniably apparent that Israel has been herding the people of Gaza to Rafah in order to slaughter all of them. Now that it is as clear as day what Israel is up to, Egypt and hopefully other nations will rise up and join the case.

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.

Starting in the northerly most parts of the Strip, the Zionist regime has been pushing Gaza residents to flee south, promising them safety in Gaza's southern cities. Now that all these refugees have been corralled into Rafah, Netanyahu's plan is to finish the dirty deed he started.

The wholly inept Biden regime seems to be the only thing restraining Netanyahu from dropping the nuke, so to speak, on Rafah. The ever-so-gentle and oftentimes duplicitous pushback from America's president seems to be at least part of the reason why Netanyahu is delaying his promised ground invasion.

Netanyahu is probably also in a state of pause over the interim ruling back in January from the ICJ, the United Nations' (UN) top court, that Israel probably is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. The mediation body ordered Israel to take certain provisional measures to avoid continuing to commit genocidal war crimes.

So far, Netanyahu is holding to his guns in taking a scorched earth approach to Gaza, regardless of what the world thinks about it. He has yet to finish Gaza off, though, and all eyes are waiting to see what he decides to do.

The problem with the ICJ is that it seems to be playing both sides, having rejected a second filing from South Africa back in March that requested emergency measures with the threat to Rafah.

There is a whole lot of talk going on but no real action, this as Israel continues to decimate Gaza as planned with no real opposition beyond just sentiment. Rafah is just days away from being wiped off the planet, and it would seem that the only one who can save the people of Gaza now is God Himself.

Both Turkey and Colombia have also requested to join the suit against Israel. In April, Colombia asked the ICJ to join the case to ensure "the safety and, indeed, the very existence of the Palestinian people." Immediately following this, Turkey signed on as well.

The government calling itself Israel is about to receive a rude awakening. Find out more at Prophecy.news.

Sources for this article include:

AlJazeera.com

NaturalNews.com
ICE Boston arrests three illegal immigrants suspected as child predators

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested three illegal immigrants for committing heinous sex crimes against children in southern New England.

According to the information from ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) agents at the Boston field office, the suspects came from Guatemala, Bangladesh and the Dominican Republic.

The first arrest occurred on April 15, when deportation officers in Providence, Rhode Island, arrested a 37-year-old Dominican male. This individual had illegally entered the United States before being arrested on charges of child molestation and sexual assault last November. He posted bail but was later taken into ICE custody pending deportation proceedings.

"This unlawfully present Dominican national represents a significant safety threat, as he currently faces multiple felony child sexual assault charges," said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd M. Lyons. "We will not relent in our mission to protect communities throughout the New England region from the most egregious noncitizen offenders. ERO Boston continues our commitment to this critical mission." (Related: Sexual predators avoid jail time by identifying as "transgender.")

Two days later, deportation officers in Providence arrested a 55-year-old Guatemalan male. This individual had been in the country illegally since 2008 and was convicted in 2022 of first-degree child molestation and sexual assault, receiving a reduced sentence of six years. After serving his sentence, he was taken into ICE custody pending removal.

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.

"This unlawfully present Guatemalan national has been convicted of sex crimes against a minor," said Lyons. "He has already violated U.S. immigration laws, and we will not allow him back out into our Rhode Island neighborhoods to re-offend. When local jurisdictions cooperate with immigration enforcement as happened in this case, the community is stronger and safer. ERO Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by apprehending and removing the most egregious offenders in order to make our New England communities safer."

On that same day, in Litchfield, Connecticut, ICE arrested a 47-year-old Bangladeshi male who had violated the terms of his admittance into the U.S. and was subsequently charged with multiple counts of commercial sex abuse and illegal sexual contact with a minor, among other offenses. He was taken into ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

"This unlawfully present individual allegedly brought harm to our Connecticut communities by sexually assaulting several children," said Lyons. "ERO Boston will continue to work with our local partners to prioritize the safety of the members of our New England communities."

ERO strengthens immigration enforcement through detainers and removals

In line with its mandate to arrest and detain illegal immigrants subject to removal, ERO issues immigration detainers against people arrested for criminal offenses and held by state or local law enforcement.

These detainers serve as requests from ICE to notify them before releasing a removable illegal from custody. They ask that the noncitizen be held for up to 48 hours beyond their scheduled release, allowing ERO to take custody for removal in line with federal regulations.

Additionally, ERO carries out removals of individuals lacking legal status in the U.S., often under the direction of immigration judges from the Department of Justice's Executive Office for Immigration Review, which operates independently from the Department of Homeland Security and ICE, with immigration judges making case-by-case decisions on whether an illegal should be removed or qualifies for relief from deportation.

As one of ICE's operational arms, ERO serves as the primary federal authority for enforcing immigration laws within the country. Its core objectives include apprehending and removing individuals who threaten the U.S. communities and immigration laws. ERO focuses on interior enforcement, managing detained and non-detained populations, and repatriating noncitizens with final removal orders. With a workforce exceeding 7,700 personnel across various locations domestically and overseas, ERO operates with a broad reach to fulfill its mission.

Watch this report from Bill O'Reilly about how over 200,000 deportation cases had to be scrapped because of "bad paperwork."

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Sen. Hawley calls out Metas DOUBLE STANDARD  censoring conservatives while ignoring child predators.

Former Arizona state senator sentenced to 1 YEAR in prison for child sex abuse.

YouTube protects child sex trafficking, pedophiles and groomers by BANNING interviews and videos about "Sound of Freedom" film.

Rolling Stone, Washington Post PRAISED pro-pedophile movie Cuties, ATTACKED anti-child sex trafficking movie Sound of Freedom.

DEMONIC: Radio station in Germany promotes pedophilia, sympathizes with how predators constantly "fight their urges."

Sources include:

InfoWars.com

ICE.gov 1

ICE.gov 2

ICE.gov 3

Brighteon.com
U.S. says Israel violated international weapons laws by using U.S. weapons to slaughter civilians

The Biden regime released a report this week indicating that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Israel committed, and still is committing, war crimes using weapons supplied to the Netanyahu regime by the United States.

According to the State Department document, Israel is believed to have on several occasions used U.S.-supplied weapons in ways that are "inconsistent" with international humanitarian law.

Washington thus far has been unable to definitively determine whether U.S.-supplied weapons were used in the incidents given the "lack of [U.S. government] personnel on the ground in Gaza."

The report was compiled after President Biden back in February issued a national security memorandum, called NSM-20, to investigate whether Israel's claims of denial match reality. It would seem as though Israel is lying, at least in some cases, about what it is doing with U.S.-provided weaponry.

(Related: There is no more way to get humanitarian aid into Gaza now that Israel has captured the border crossing at Rafah.)

Biden tasks Israel with investigating itself

If it is ultimately determined that Israel used U.S. weapons in violation of international law, then Washington would have to suspend all military assistance to the country. This would likely be the final nail in Israel's coffin, militarily speaking.

The Zionist regime has not yet pulled the trigger on its final assault on Rafah, the last remaining area in Gaza where refugees and residents alike are bunkered together, likely praying for mercy.

Though the State Department report is still incomplete, we know from what has been presented so far that investigators have "serious concerns" about what Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are doing in the Gaza Strip.

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.

One major incident on investigators' radar is the recent Israeli air strike on aid workers partnered with the World Central Kitchen charity, as well as IDF's "Flour Massacre" in northern Gaza.

On top of that, IDF has also been caught attacking other international aid groups and charities operating in Gaza, using the excuse that Hamas militants are using Gaza civilians as "human shields"  the human shield argument coupled with the we're just defending ourselves argument constitute Israel's free pass to commit open genocide.

"Israel has not shared complete information to verify whether U.S. defense articles covered under NSM-20 were specifically used in actions that have been alleged as violations of," the State Department report states.

"Nevertheless, given Israel's significant reliance on U.S.-made defense articles, it is reasonable to assess that defense articles covered under NSM-20 have been used by Israeli security forces since October 7 in instances inconsistent with its IHL obligations or with established best practices for mitigating civilian harm."

As usual, the Biden regime is also speaking out of the other side of its mouth by claiming that Israel's "overall commitment to IHL (international humanitarian law) is not necessarily disproven by individual IHL violations," whatever that is supposed to mean.

Hilariously and also sadly, the Biden regime has now tasked Israel with investigating itself concerning whether or not these individual violations constitute an overall commitment to genocide.

"The State Department will continue to engage with the Government of Israel to establish a dedicated channel ... to review incidents of concern and to make recommendations to reduce the risk of civilian harm," the report further states.

Israel, meanwhile, claims that it is doing nothing wrong and that all humanitarian aid is making it to the civilians still living in Gaza.

"We do not currently assess that the Israeli government is prohibiting or otherwise restricting the transport or delivery of U.S. humanitarian assistance within the meaning of section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act," Israel has already responded.

The Israeli government is digging its own grave deeper and deeper. Find out more at IsraelCollapse.com.

Sources for this article include:

MiddleEastEye.net

NaturalNews.com
SPECIAL JABS: Pfizer employees received a separate and distinct COVID-19 vaccine, according to leaked Pfizer email

Its now evident that multiple experiments were conducted on the global population under the pretense of vaccination. A Pfizer whistleblower leaked a company email explicitly stating that the COVID-19 vaccines offered to Pfizer employees were separate and distinct from the COVID-19 vaccines offered to the general public. The email, dated January 8, 2021, addresses Pfizer employees and contractors at Pfizers Pearl River research site in Rockland County, New York.

The email begins: I am pleased to inform you that we will begin offering COVID-19 vaccinations to eligible on-site essential colleagues and contractors over the next several weeks.

Eligible on-site essential contractors will be notified, either by e-mail or by their Pfizer sponsor, and will receive instructions for registering for an on-site appointment as well. The vaccine doses to be used for this program are separate and distinct from those committed by Pfizer to governments around the world and will not impact supply to national governments in any way, the email read.

Federal government dehumanized individuals to conduct multiple vaccine experiments

Since the beginning of totalitarian lockdowns, human beings were divided into essential and non-essential groups  their rights reduced to privileges contingent on dictatorial decrees. As experimental COVID-19 vaccines were rolled out in warp speed, governments further dehumanized individuals and categorized people into priority groups. Governments used social status to divide people into collective study groups so that they could be experimented on at different times and with different batches of vaccine.

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.

Since then, independent investigators have analyzed the data on adverse events from the individual batches, as reported by batch number in the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS). It turns out that certain batches of the COVID-19 vaccine are more toxic and more lethal than others.

This data has provided more evidence for a conspiracy alleging that vaccine companies like Pfizer, Moderna and Jansen conducted several vaccine batch experiments on the population (with varying toxicity), all within the grander experiment that was advertised as safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines. Now, there is new evidence that Pfizer reserved a separate and distinct batch of COVID-19 vaccines for the people who worked for and contracted with the company.

In the leaked Pfizer email, those eligible for the separate and distinct COVID-19 vaccine lot had to be site-essential colleagues. The email explained that these colleagues and contractors must be based at Pfizer Global Supply and at Pfizers Worldwide Research, Development and Medical/Global Product Development sites. Furthermore, these employees and contractors were ordered to get the vaccine specifically at a Pfizer location to ensure supply of our medicines and vaccines, critical research and development programs continue.

Specifically, the email reads: Once the specific dates for our site have been identified, we will share a more detailed plan and each eligible on-site essential colleague will receive an e-mail from Colleague Wellness (formerly known as Occupational Health & Wellness) with instructions for registering for an on-site appointment to receive your vaccination.

Pfizer employees confess that they received different COVID-19 vaccine than the rest of the population

In an interview with Infowars, the Pfizer whistleblower said they knew that Pfizer employees were receiving either a placebo or a different formula. I know we employees at Pfizer were receiving different vaccines and/or placebos and this was the word around my site when I worked there, the whistleblower said. This finding coincides with testimony before the Australian government. At a Senate hearing, Pfizer representatives said the company provided a specific batch of COVID-19 shots for its workers.

Your vaccine mandate was using your own batch of vaccine, especially imported for Pfizer, which was not tested by the TGA (Australias medicine regulator). Is that correct? Senator Malcolm Roberts asked the Pfizer representatives.

Senator, so, Pfizer undertook to import a batch of vaccine specifically for the employee vaccination program, one of the representatives replied.

If a specific vaccine batch was reserved for Pfizer and its associates, then the company knew that there were different batches with different risk profiles. The next investigation must find out the differences in these batches and what drove Pfizer to reserve a specific batch for their employees and contractors. It could be that Pfizer tested out different levels of antigen/lipid nanoparticles/mRNA/spike protein and reserved placebos for themselves without the consent of the public.

Sources include:

En-volve.com

Infowars.com

Jessicar.substack.com

HillMD.substack.com

Bitchute.com

WLTReport.com
South Carolina Senate bans use of puberty blockers and genital mutilation of children

The Republican-led Senate of South Carolina has approved a comprehensive ban on so-called gender-affirming care for children

House Bill 4624, which passed following a 27-8 Senate vote, prohibits medical professionals from administering puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones or performing gender reassignment surgeries for all patients under 18 years old. Any physician, mental health provider or healthcare professional found guilty of providing gender transition procedures to minors could face severe consequences, including the loss of their medical licenses and criminal charges of "inflicting great bodily injury upon a child."

Under HB 4624, minors who have already begun using puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones before August 1, 2024, must be gradually weaned off these medications by January 31, 2025. The bill also bans the use of public funds for gender transition practices and prohibits Medicaid from covering or reimbursing these procedures. (Related: Texas enforces BAN on gender-related medical procedures for teens.)

The bill also contains provisions that reinforce parental rights on gender identity issues within schools.

HB 4624 also mandates that school principals or vice principals should inform parents or guardians if a student requests to use a name, nickname or pronoun that differs from the sex assigned at birth. Additionally, the bill prohibits school employees from hiding information about a child's gender identity from their parents or encouraging children to withhold such information.

Initially, the House of Representatives passed the bill in January. However, the Senate made changes so either the House can vote to adopt the Senate version or it will go to a conference committee of three members from each chamber to resolve the differences.

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.

In the amendment, mental health counselors can discuss banned treatments and suggest where they might be legally obtained. Healthcare providers can also permit puberty blockers for conditions such as precocious puberty for children as young as four years old.

The bill, which was approved on May 9, would take effect immediately once Republican Gov. Henry McMaster signs it.

Study: Puberty blockers have irreversible effects

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Brad Hutto criticized the bill and argued that the government has nothing to do with the "gender identities" of children.

"Children are born who they want to be. Parents deal with the children that come to them. Doctors have been trained to deal with children who are having issues like this. Government really has no role in this," Hutto said. "Let the children be who they are."

Doctors and parents who testified before legislative committees emphasized that minors in South Carolina do not undergo gender-transition surgeries, while hormone treatments only begin following extensive consultations with health professionals. They claimed that these treatments can be crucial to improving the mental health and overall well-being of transgender youth.

But supporters of the bill said puberty blockers increase tendency to self-harm and can have irreversible effects.

An analysis of a 2011 study revealed that at least 34 percent of children placed on puberty-blocking pharmaceutical drugs became "reliably deteriorated." The study was conducted by the University College London Hospitals (UCLH) and the Tavistock Center Gender Identity Development Service.

The pool of those evaluated was only 44, so the sample size is small. Still, a good number of the kids aged 12 to 15 suffered greatly after being prescribed these poisons to become trans.

Head over to Gender.news for more stories about the pushback against transgenderism.

Watch this Epoch TV report about a California judge dropping a bombshell decision on a transgender-related case.

This video is from the GalacticStorm channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Ohio House of Representatives upholds trans surgery ban for minors, overrides DeWines veto.

While America embraces LGBT drag queens and pedophilia, Russia to BAN sex change surgery.

Ohio governor who vetoed bill protecting children from transgender interventions received $40,000 from hospitals that provide sex changes.

NHS announces plans to ban transgender patients from opposite sex wards: "Patients will have the right to share ward with people of same biological sex."

Texas Senate approves BANS on sex change for minors, FTM athletes in womens sports.

Sources include:

LifeSiteNews.com

WCNC.com

Breitbart.com
Tax revenues collapsing in CA as productive citizens flee, causing huge deficit in state finances

California Governor Gavin Newsom has been forced to slash his state's budget as tax revenues continue to be lower than expected as productive citizens flee the poorly run state and take their tax money with them.

In a span of just two years, California's $100 billion surplus has become a $73 billion deficit, which Newsom is blaming on reduced taxes from capital gains income and capital loss carryovers. He also identified unexpected rain bombs that prompted the IRS to extend its tax filing deadline for many Californians in 2023; those taxes turned out to be 22 percent lower than expected once they were finally collected.

To deal with this huge deficit, Newsom is making a number of cuts, including $6.7 billion that had been set aside for doctors who treat Medicare patients. They will also make nearly $95 million in savings by cutting off health care for thousands of disabled migrants in their homes, while $550 million that was earmarked for building new facilities at state schools has also been cut.

In total, he is proposing nearly $33 billion in cuts across the next two years, which includes an eight percent cut to the state's operations. Some believe, however, that these measures will do little to solve the problems that the state is currently facing. Republican State Senator Brian Dahle said that they are a hollow gesture at best.

He stated: "The governor's national ambitions have triggered a massive exodus of people and businesses creating an enormous revenue shortfall of personal and corporate income taxes. You can't have a good government without a strong private sector. Plain and simple, people are being priced out of California from bad policies and mismanagement."

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 California Policy Center reported that the Golden States total local and state government debt was $1.6 trillion in 2022  representing roughly half of the states GDP  and it is likely much higher now.

The cost of nearly everything has been growing there. For example, minimum wage hikes have caused the cost of running a McDonalds franchise location to rise by $250,000, while State Farm Insurance recently announced it will not be renewing policies on 42,000 businesses and 30,000 homes in the state.

The state is also leading the nation when it comes to unemployment, with figures from January 2024 listing it in the top spot among the states, with a rate of 5.7%, compared to the national average of 4.1%.

Liberal leaders and policies are pushing fed-up residents away

Although California remains the country's most populous state, it has been losing residents in droves as people become fed up with the liberal leaders of the state and those running many of its biggest cities. The Los Angeles Times reported that 30 percent of Californians surveyed said they were considering leaving because state laws and policies did not align with their political views. In April, figures showed that the states population dropped by more than 75,000 in a year and now sits below 39 million.

Many are fleeing for neighboring states such as Nevada, Arizona and Texas, and while this includes recent college graduates as well as residents of all income levels, the loss of its most productive citizens is responsible for much of its decline in tax revenue. Although some residents have said that politics were not a direct factor in their decision to leave, the effects of liberal policies in cities like San Francisco, such as rising crime rates and an increasing cost of living, have been prompting Californians to seek greener pastures.

Sources for this article include:

ZeroHedge.com

ABC7News.com

CaliforniaPolicyCenter.org

Planetizen.com
Whistleblowers detail ABUSE of Palestinian prisoners at Sde Teiman military base in Israels Negev region

Three Israeli whistleblowers have detailed the abuse of Palestinian prisoners in the Sde Teiman military base, located in the southern Negev region.

Risking legal repercussions and reprisals, the whistleblowers revealed this mistreatment and torture of Palestinian captives to CNN  which then published a report on the disclosures on May 10. The report shed light on disturbing practices and scenes in the detention facility where Palestinians from the Gaza Strip are being imprisoned.

The whistleblowers  who all formerly worked at Sde Teiman  described scenes of detainees subjected to extreme physical restraint, including being blindfolded and handcuffed for extended periods and enduring punishment for minor infractions. They also recounted harrowing scenarios such as strapping injured captives to beds, feeding them through tubes and even performing amputations due to constant handcuffing. (Related: Gazans held in torture camp by Israeli army: Report.)

"We were told they were not allowed to move. They should sit upright. They're not allowed to talk. Not allowed to peek under their blindfold," one Israeli whistleblower said.

Another whistleblower, who served as a medic at the field hospital within the camp, described how detainees were stripped of their dignity and subjected to punishment rather than being treated for their injuries.

"[The beatings] were not done to gather intelligence. They were done out of revenge," said the third whistleblower. "It was punishment for what they [the Palestinians] did on Oct. 7 and punishment for behavior in the camp."

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.

Medical personnel at the facility also allegedly participated in abusive practices, with reports of underqualified medics performing medical procedures without proper training or anesthesia. Shockingly, there are accounts of amputations being carried out on detainees due to injuries sustained from constant handcuffing.

"The detention camp is one of three holding an unknown number of Palestinians from Gaza, who are often swept up randomly en masse and accused of fighting with the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas," The Cradle noted. "Under Israels recently passed Unlawful Combatant Law, the abducted Palestinians can be held for 45 days before they are either released or transferred to the formal Israeli prison system."

18 Palestinians, including prominent surgeon, die while in Israeli custody

According to CNN, 18 Palestinians  including prominent surgeon Dr. Adnan al-Bursh  have died while in Israeli detention. Another surgeon, Dr. Mohammed al-Ran, was detained for 44 days and survived to tell his story. Al-Ran, a Palestinian with Bosnian citizenship, was interviewed by CNN last month.

Al-Ran was the head of the surgical unit at the Indonesia Hospital in the northern Gazan city of Beit Lahiya. The hospital was among the first to be targeted and seized during Israel's extensive aerial, ground and naval offensive. He fled the relentless bombings in Gaza's north and sought refuge at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, and was arrested by Israeli authorities on Dec. 18.

He described being forcibly stripped to his underwear, blindfolded, and his wrists bound before being unceremoniously loaded onto a truck with other detainees who were similarly scantily clad. They were transported to a remote detention camp in the heart of the desert, piled atop one another in the back of the truck during the journey.

"We looked forward to the night so we could sleep. Then we looked forward to the morning in hopes that our situation might change," al-Ran told CNN at the time. He recalled his detainment at a military facility where he said he endured desert temperatures, swinging from the heat of the day to the chill of night.

The Israel Defense Forces denied the whistleblowers' accusation of torture and unnecessary detention of Palestinians. "If there is no reason for continued detention, the detainees are released back to Gaza," it said in a statement.

Listen to the Health Ranger Mike Adams' warning about Israel potentially committing genocide against the more than two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on the Oct. 10, 2023 edition of "Brighteon Broadcast News."

This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Israeli airstrikes targeting Hamas leaders in Jabalia refugee camp left at least 195 Palestinians dead.

Palestinian political prisoners speak out about PHYSICAL and PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE they endured at the hands of Israeli captors.

Top Gaza surgeon tortured and killed in Israeli prison.

Head of Israeli town suggests flattening Gaza Strip like Auschwitz concentration camp.

World reacts to Israeli attack on Jabalia refugee camp, many calling it inhumane or war crimes.

Sources include:

TheCradle.co

Edition.CNN.com

Brighteon.com
The aftermath of the flash floods in Afghanistan has left a nation in mourning, yet amidst the ruins, the indomitable spirit of hope persists.

The floods have not only claimed lives but have also washed away the dreams and aspirations of many. As the waters recede, the focus shifts to the monumental task of rebuilding and recovery.

The Human Cost: Lives Altered Forever



The human cost of the disaster is immeasurable. Families have been torn apart, with many still searching for missing loved ones.

The United Nations reports that the death toll has crossed 300, and with many still unaccounted for, the number is feared to rise.

The World Health Organization has delivered 7 tons of medicines and emergency kits to address the immediate health crisis.

Infrastructure in Shambles: A Barrier to Aid

The infrastructure damage has been catastrophic, creating significant barriers to aid delivery. Roads, bridges, and homes have been destroyed or severely damaged, complicating relief efforts.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported that 4,186 families across seven provinces have been affected, with 331 fatalities and 396 injuries.

The destruction of over 450 km of roads and several bridges has left many areas inaccessible, delaying the arrival of much-needed assistance.

Also Read: Flash Flood Warning in Effect Over Parts of Tennessee Until June 10 as Potential Dam, Levee Failure Seen by Experts

Agricultural Devastation: Food Security Threatened

Agriculture, the backbone of Afghanistan's economy, has suffered a severe blow. Over 1,500 acres of farmland have been destroyed, threatening the food security of thousands.

The loss of crops and livestock has not only immediate implications but also long-term repercussions for the livelihoods of rural communities.

The Afghan government, along with international aid organizations, is scrambling to provide relief.

The Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) is at the forefront, coordinating with partners to deliver essential supplies and services.

However, the task is daunting, with ongoing rains threatening to exacerbate the situation

International Response: A Beacon of Hope

In response to the crisis, international aid groups have provided relief materials, including food, clean water, and shelter.

The World Food Program is distributing fortified biscuits to survivors, and the IOM is coordinating with humanitarian partners to assess response capacities and identify gaps in assistance.

Despite initial challenges such as safety concerns and blocked roads, the IOM has mobilized additional resources and deployed more personnel, including female staff from Kabul, to conduct needs assessments and coordinate the distribution of aid.

Resilience and Solidarity: The Path Forward

The resilience of the Afghan people shines through the tragedy. Communities are coming together, demonstrating solidarity in the face of adversity.

The recent floods have underscored the urgent need for improved disaster preparedness and infrastructure to withstand such calamities.

As Afghanistan grapples with the aftermath of the floods, the international community's role becomes ever more critical.

Increased funding and support are essential to bolster Afghanistan's capacity to respond to climate-related disasters and protect vulnerable communities.

Coordination and collaboration among stakeholders are crucial to ensuring an effective and comprehensive response to the ongoing crisis.

The road to recovery is fraught with challenges, but with concerted efforts and unwavering hope, Afghanistan can rebuild and emerge stronger from this disaster.

The nation's spirit, coupled with global support, paves the way for a future where such tragedies can be mitigated, if not entirely prevented.

Related article: Death Toll In Afghanistan Flash Flood Reaches 30, Several Others Are Missing
The United Kingdom is currently experiencing a meteorological marvel-a race between the Atlantic depressions and the tropical currents.

This climatic contest is set to bring a spectrum of conditions, from torrential rains to muggy heatwaves, leaving Britons grappling with the unpredictability of their skies.

The Onslaught of the Atlantic

The UK Met Office has issued stark warnings as heavy showers and thunderstorms threaten to disrupt the daily life of millions.

Recent reports indicate that the nation is witnessing one of the most severe weather episodes in recent history, with flash floods causing significant road damage and widespread travel chaos.

The deluge has not discriminated, submerging urban streets and rural pathways alike, as the heavens open with relentless ferocity.

Meteorologists attribute this sudden shift to a series of low-pressure systems barreling in from the Atlantic.

These tempestuous visitors are forecasted to collide with the warm currents from the tropics, leading to a dramatic showdown over the British Isles. The outcome? A meteorological melee that promises to keep the country on its toes.

The impact of these Atlantic depressions is far-reaching, affecting not just the weather but also the economy and infrastructure.

Roads have turned into rivers, homes into islands, and businesses into casualties of nature's wrath. The cost of damages is mounting as local authorities scramble to repair and reinforce, while insurance claims skyrocket.

Also Read: UK Weather: Flooded Roads and Railways Cause Travel Chaos

The Tropics' Turbulent Touch

Amidst the Atlantic's assault, the tropics have not been idle. The UK is simultaneously contending with the influence of tropical cyclones, which are weaving their way into the North Atlantic and disrupting established weather patterns.

The interaction between these cyclonic forces and the UK's climate is complex, with the potential to exacerbate the already volatile conditions.

The Met Office has highlighted the role of these tropical systems in the current weather narrative, noting that while they decay upon reaching cooler waters, their legacy lingers.

They inject moist, warm air into the atmosphere, which can intensify rainfall and thunderstorms across the region.

As Britain faces this tropical twist, the forecast remains uncertain, with experts closely monitoring the skies for the next chapter in this atmospheric saga.

The tropical influence extends beyond mere precipitation. It brings with it a muggy, oppressive air that clings to the skin and burdens the lungs.

The usual crispness of British air is replaced by a tropical heaviness, unfamiliar and unwelcome.

The psychological impact is palpable as citizens yearn for a return to normalcy, to a climate more recognizable as their own.

Conclusion: Weathering the Storm

The UK stands at the mercy of a climatic tug-of-war, with the Atlantic and the tropics vying for dominance. This week's weather is a stark reminder of nature's power and the importance of preparedness.

As communities rally to fortify against the elements, the nation watches and waits, hoping for a respite from the stormy siege.

For the latest updates and forecasts, residents are encouraged to stay tuned to the Met Office and local news outlets. With the situation evolving rapidly, staying informed is key to navigating the unpredictable weather ahead.

Related article: UK Weather: Heavy Rain Triggers More Than 150 Flood Alerts
BJP's Sushil Modi loses battle to cancer, leaders from PM Modi to Mamata Banerjee condole demise

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little over a month after he revealed he had cancer, veteran BJP leader and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi passed away at the AIIMS in Delhi on Monday. He was 72.

The longest-serving Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar (2005-2013 and 2017-20) , Sushil Modi also held the Finance portfolio, which made a key figure in the rollout and implementation of the Goods and Service Tax as a leading member of the GST Council.

A Rajya Sabha member since 2020, he had declined to contest the ongoing Lok Sabha elections on account of his health after he revealed the deadly disease he was suffering from in a post on X on April 3.

"I have been suffering from cancer for the past 6 months and the time has come to make it public. I won't be able to do anything for my party in the Lok Sabha election. I have already informed PM Narendra Modi about my disease. I am thankful and dedicated to my country, Bihar and my party", he said in the post.

PM Modi led the country in paying condolences to the departed leader.

In an emotive post on X in Hindi, he wrote that he was "deeply saddened at the untimely death" of Sushil Modi, whom he termed "an invaluable colleague and a close friend for decades".

"He had an invaluable contribution to the rise and successes of the BJP in Bihar. His steadfast opposition to the Emergency led him to create a unique identity as he rose from student politics. He was known as a hard-working and approachable lawmaker. He had a deep knowledge of political issues. He had a creditable tenure as an administrator. His constructive role in the rollout of GST will always be remembered. In this hour of grief, I extend my condolences to his family and friends. Om Shanti!" the PM wrote.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has expressed his deep condolences on the demise of Sushil Modi, terming it a big loss for Bihar.

"Very sad news was received about the demise of our friend Bhai Sushil Modi. He was my friend for the last 51-52 years. He was a dedicated social and political person. May God grant eternal peace to the departed soul and strength to the family to bear the loss," he said.

I am deeply saddened to hear the news of the untimely demise of respected Shri Sushil Kumar Modi, former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, our guardian, struggling and hardworking leader. May God grant peace to the departed soul at his feet and strength to his family and well-wishers in this hour of grief. Om Shanti Om," said Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, who was the Deputy Chief Minister between Sushil Modi's two tenures.

"Sorry to hear about the sad demise of Shri Sushil Kumar Modi, former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family & friends. May the departed soul rest in peace," West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on X.

BJP President J.P. Nadda, Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, and Giriraj Singh, former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, Bihar's Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, and RJD leader Tej Pratap Yadav, who met Sushil Modi after his illness, also expressed their shock at his passing away.

Born in Patna on January 5, 1952, Sushil Modi was a student of BSc at the prestigious B.N. College but he left his studies midway and jumped into the Sampoorna Kranti movement of Jai Prakash Narayan, starting his political career.

Joining active politics in 1990, he was elected to the Assembly from the Patna Central constituency (now Kumhrar) and re-elected in 1995 and 2000. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Bhagalpur in 2004.

One of the prominent leaders of the BJP in Bihar, he had been its most vocal leader, serving as Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly during the tenure of Chief Ministers Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi. He also shared a special rapport with CM Nitish Kumar.

In 2005, the NDA came to power in Bihar and Sushil Modi resigned from the Lok Sabha and became the Deputy Chief Minister in the Nitish Kumar government. He also became a member of the Legislative Council. After the NDA returned to power in the 2010 Assembly election, he retained the post till 2013 when Nitish Kumar parted ways with the NDA. When Nitish Kumar again joined hands with the NDA in 2017, he resumed the post, which he held till the 2020 Assembly polls.

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Monkeypox case detected in South Africa

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he South African Health Minister Joe Phaahla has urged the people to be vigilant as the country has reported a laboratory-confirmed case of monkeypox disease, also known as Mpox.

The National Department of Health headed by Phaahla said on Monday that the case involves a 35-year-old male, who resides in the Gauteng province and tested positive on May 9, 2024.

The patient had no recent history of travelling, Xinhua news agency reported.

The case was first tested by Lancet Laboratory, one of the leading pathology laboratories in the country, and then confirmed by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), which then alerted the department

"We urge the public to seek treatment as soon as they see symptoms of monkeypox," Health Department Spokesperson Foster Mohale told Xinhua news agency.

According to the department, Mpox is a rare viral infectious disease in humans caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV).

Although the virus is not highly transmissible from person to person, it has increased in global public health significance and can cause a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes, and fever.

The department also noted that Mpox presents with an acute illness characterised by fever and general flu-like symptoms, followed by the eruption of a blister-like rash on the skin.

The disease is rarely fatal and cases typically resolve within two to four weeks and most cases do not require hospital treatment, it added.

The last time South Africa recorded a monkeypox case was in August 2022 when there were cases across the globe.

 Monkeypox case detected in South Africa

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Zayn Malik turns his phone off for several days to spend time with his animals

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inger Zayn Malik revealed that he turns his phone off for "two or three days at a time" to spend time with his animals and loves doing so because there is "no catch".

The 31-year-old pop star now resides on a ranch in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and "enjoys" spending time with his furry friends.

"Ive got three dogs, four cats, three turtles, and ten chickens. Ill just turn my phone off for two or three days and not use it at all. They (the animals) just have that down. Theyre very present in their being," he said.

Theyre just in the moment there with you, and that helps me to be there with them too, thats why I enjoy animals. There's no hinge point, theres no catch, they dont want anything from you except love.

They dont judge you, they just love you," he told The Sun newspaper's Bizarre column, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Malik recently explained that one day he wants to have a "proper farm" and dreams of having horses.

 Zayn Malik turns his phone off for several days to spend time with his animals

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Germany's Scholz dampens expectations for Ukraine peace conference

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erman Chancellor Olaf Scholz has tempered expectations for the Ukraine peace conference set to take place in Switzerland in June.

"Nobody should have exaggerated expectations: We are not negotiating the end of the war there," Scholz said in an interview with the German news magazine Stern.

"At best, it's the start of a process that could lead to direct talks between Ukraine and Russia. In Switzerland, it will be about the safety of nuclear power plants, grain exports, the issue of prisoner exchanges and the necessary taboo on the use of nuclear weapons. Once again, this is all still in its infancy," Scholz said.

Following his appeals for more arms deliveries, the chancellor was disappointed with the commitment of European countries to the war in Ukraine. It was "frankly still not enough," he said.

"That is depressing because Ukraine urgently needs more air defence systems. Putin obviously wants to destroy Ukraine's infrastructure," the German leader said.

Scholz also anticipates further attempts by Russia to exert influence in Germany.

"The Federal Foreign Office has just temporarily recalled the German ambassador from Moscow - as a clear signal to Russia," he said.

"But we shouldn't fool ourselves: Ahead of the upcoming European elections this year and the German parliamentary elections next year, Russia's attempts to exert influence will tend to increase. The authorities must be very vigilant," he said.

The ambassador was recalled earlier this month in response to a Russian cyberattack on the governing centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) last year.

--IANS/DPA

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Antony Blinken makes unannounced visit to Ukraine

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S Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived unannounced for a visit to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on Tuesday.

"Blinken arrived in Ukraine today to meet with senior Ukrainian officials and highlight the United States' enduring support for Ukraine," US Department of State spokesman Matthew Miller said.

While in Ukraine, Blinken will meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to "discuss battlefield updates, the impact of new US security and economic assistance, long-term security and other commitments, and ongoing work to bolster Ukraine's economic recovery," Miller continued.

Blinken "will emphasise America's commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and democracy in the face of Russia's ongoing aggression," Miller added.

This is Blinken's fourth visit to Kyiv since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, as Kyiv is currently facing a new offensive in the northeast of the country.

Last week, the US government announced a further package of military aid for Kyiv totalling around $400 million, including ammunition for the Patriot air defence system, additional HIMARS multiple rocket launchers with ammunition, as well as Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and artillery ammunition in 155 and 105-millimetre calibres.

At the end of April, after months of domestic political deadlock, the US Congress approved billions in aid for Ukraine, thus clearing the way for new arms deliveries. The bill provides for aid totalling almost $61 billion for Kyiv.

--IANS/DPA

 Antony Blinken makes unannounced visit to Ukraine

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Off to London, Tara Sutaria flaunts cool chic look in black oversized tee, shorts & boots

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ctress Tara Sutaria on Tuesday gave cool chic look vibes in an all-black outfit at the Mumbai airport as she is off to London.

The visuals show Tara wearing an oversized black T-shirt paired with matching shorts. She opted for glossy lips, blushed cheeks, and her hair was left straight and flowing.

The actress accessorised the look with a cross-body sling bag, cat eye-shaped sunglasses, a watch, and black boots.

Tara was seen hugging her father as the latter came to drop her off at the airport.

The 'Student of the Year 2' actress took to Instagram stories and shared a beautiful selfie with the caption: "See you in a few hours London".

On the work front, Tara was last seen in the 2023 survival thriller Apurva. The film also stars Rajpal Yadav and Abhishek Banerjee.

Earlier, she was featured in movies like Ek Villain Returns, Tadap, and Heropanti 2.

 Off to London, Tara Sutaria flaunts cool chic look in black oversized tee, shorts & boots

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Divyanka seeks blessings of Lord Shiva, Goddess Durga, says fans 'integral part of our prayers'

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ivyanka Tripathi Dahiya on Tuesday shared some divine glimpses from her visit to Lord Shiva Temple along with her husband Vivek Dahiya, sharing how her fans are an integral part of their prayers.

Divyanka, who recently visited her hometown Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, to cast her vote in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections, took to Instagram and shared a series of photos, where the couple can be seen praying at a temple.

However, the actress did not disclose the temple's location.

The pictures show Divyanka wearing a navy blue suit, while Vivek opted for a white T-shirt and blue denim jeans. They are seen offering prayers to Lord Shiva, and Goddess Durga.

The post is captioned: "Om Namah Shivay... Om Durgay Namah... Sri Ganeshay Namah. While we pray for our loved ones, YOU are an integral part of our prayers."

On the work front, she last featured in 'Adrishyam' as Inspector Parvati Sehgal. It stars Eijaz Khan as Ravi Verma.

The show is streaming on Sony LIV.

 Divyanka seeks blessings of Lord Shiva, Goddess Durga, says fans 'integral part of our prayers'

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Ashutosh Rana cares more about character than length of the role

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enior actor Ashutosh Rana, who stars in the recently released psychological thriller 'Murder in Mahim', shared that when it comes to acting, he cares more about the character than how long he is in a role.

Talking about the length of the characters, Ashutosh said: "When it comes to acting, I care more about the character than how long I'm in a role. Recently, I did two shows for JioCinema within just two weeks, playing very different characters. In 'Murder in Mahim', I played a calm but determined person who does things his own way."

"What's important to me is not playing the same character twice. To really understand a character, you have to understand yourself first. In 'Murder in Mahim', I got to explore a new kind of person. I always try my best and stay true to the character in every moment on screen," he added.

The social commentary series explores the chilling murder mystery and the underbelly of Mumbai, highlighting the reconciliation of a lost friendship between Peter (Ashutosh) and Jende (Vijay Raaz).

Adapted from a critically acclaimed book by author Jerry Pinto, the gripping series is helmed by Raj Acharya and created by Tipping Point Films and Jigsaw Pictures. It also stars talented actors Shivani Raghuvanshi and Shivaji Satam in pivotal roles.

'Murder in Mahim' is streaming on JioCinema Premium.

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The ebb and flow of political rivalries: The Sushil Modi and Lalu Prasad Yadav story

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pall of gloom descended upon the political landscape of Bihar with the passing of Sushil Kumar Modi, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar. But amidst the mourning, one could not help but reflect on the intricate tapestry of his relationship with his long-time rival, Lalu Prasad Yadav.

Their political journeys had been intertwined for over five decades, forged in the crucible of student activism during the turbulent 1970s. Sushil Modi and Lalu Prasad, though ideological adversaries, shared a bond that transcended the boundaries of their political thought school.Lalu, the socialist firebrand, and Sushil, the Sangh-inspired stalwart, had clashed on many fronts, from the Patna University Students' Union to the corridors of power in Patna. Their political differences were deep-rooted, but their personal rapport remained cordial, a testament to their mutual respect.Sushil Modi was a fighter, dedicated, social and political person, reminisced Lalu, his voice tinged with a hint of wistfulness, as he recalled the days of their student activism. The two leaders had risen from the ashes of the anti-corruption protests that had rocked Bihar, each carving out their own distinct paths in the state's political landscape.The political rivalry between them intensified during the Fodder Scam, with Sushil Modi emerging as a relentless crusader, determined to expose Lalu's alleged misdeeds. Yet, even in the heat of their battles, there was an underlying respect that bound them together, forged in their shared experiences.As the years passed, the political landscape shifted, with the BJP, RJD, and JD(U) emerging as the dominant players in Bihar. Sushil Modi, alongside Nitish Kumar, played a pivotal role in unseating Lalu's 15-year rule, leveraging the Fodder Scam to deliver a decisive blow. But even in victory, Sushil's compassion shone through, as he advocated for the government to ensure Lalu's medical treatment during his recent health crisis.The passing of Sushil Modi has left a big void on Bihar's political landscape, a testament to the complexity and depth of his relationship with his long-time rival, Lalu Prasad Yadav. Their story serves as a poignant reminder that even in the heat of political battles, the bonds of shared experiences and mutual respect can transcend the boundaries of ideology and partisanship.

 The ebb and flow of political rivalries: The Sushil Modi and Lalu Prasad Yadav story

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Airtel registers 31 pc decline in Q4 net profit

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elecom major Bharti Airtel on Tuesday reported a 31 per cent decline in its consolidated net profit at Rs 2,072 crore for the Jan-March quarter of 2023-24 compared to the corresponding figure of Rs 3,006 crore in the same period of the previous year.

The Sunil Mittal-led company posted a 4 per cent increase in revenue from operations during the quarter at Rs 37,599 crore from Rs 36,009 crore in the same period last year.

The companys board of directors have recommended a dividend of Rs 8 per equity share of Rs 5 face value.

Airtel MD Gopal Vittal said that the consolidated performance was impacted primarily by the devaluation of the Nigerian Naira.

The telco added 7.8 million smartphone customers and delivered an ARPU (average revenue per user) of Rs 209 as compared to Rs 193 in Q4FY23.

Consolidated mobile data traffic was at 17,702 PBs in the quarter with a healthy YoY growth of 26.2 per cent.

The telco's India subscriber base grew 2.4 per cent to reach 406 million in the quarter.

Gopal Vittal said: "We ended the year on a strong note with consistent performance across all businesses, both on customer metrics as well as financial parameters. India revenue (adjusted for Beetel) grew by 1.7 per cent with EBITDA margin expanding to 54.1 per cent, despite one day less in the quarter."

"Our relentless focus on improving customer experience has resulted in the 20 per cent churn reduction during the quarter. At the same time, our return on capital employed continues to remain low due to the absence of tariff repair in the industry," he added.

 Airtel registers 31 pc decline in Q4 net profit

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Esha Deol happy to be back to work; says new projects to be announced soon

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sha Deol was in the news because of her divorce with Bharat Takhtani after 11 years of marriage. The actress, who is busy shooting for upcoming projects, revealed that she is happy to be working again.

Deol was present at a tree plantation drive In Mumbai when she spoke about her upcoming projects.

The actress, who was last seen last year with Suniel Shetty in the OTT series, 'Hunter Tootega Nahi Todega', said, "I am busy shooting for upcoming films. Announcements will be made very soon for them. I can only say I am very happy to be working."

The 'No Entry' actress also spoke about the importance of planting trees."It is a wonderful feeling to plant a tree as this is not for us but for our future generations," Deol said.

"Yesterday, we saw a terrible storm in Mumbai; earlier, Dubai got flooded because of freak rains. All these are wake up calls from Mother Nature to preserve her beauty," the actress added.

Staying on the subject of trees, Deol said, "Nowadays, more and more trees are being cut and new buildings are being constructed on the pretext of city life. It is our responsibility, however, to plant more and more trees for our future generations."

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Ive always been interested in the law, says Mahomet-Seymour senior-to-be Arianna Thompson. Ive always been told I should be an attorney but someone involved in civil rights.
In a recent study published in the journal NPJ Mental Health Research, researchers explore the causal association between educational attainment, intelligence, and well-being.

Study: An exploration into the causal relationships between educational attainment, intelligence, and well-being: an observational and two-sample Mendelian randomisation study. Image Credit: Gorodenkoff / Shutterstock.com

The long-term effects of education

Education is essential for gaining knowledge, working skills, and socialization skills, which collectively help young people prepare themselves for adulthood. Thus, educational attainment is an important determinant of occupational status, financial security, marital condition, and health later in life.

Existing literature supports a causal association of educational attainment with smoking habits, sedentary behaviors, body mass index (BMI), suicidal risks, insomnia, and major depressive disorder. However, no causal relationship between educational attainment and well-being has been established.

Educational attainment is highly correlated with many aspects of intelligence, including memory and learning, processing speed, and abstract, verbal, and spatial reasoning. Comparatively, observational studies have reported a negative association between intelligence and well-being after adjusting for other factors, including income and parental education.

About the study

In the current study, scientists use a two-sample Mendelian randomization approach to explore the causal and independent associations of educational attainment and intelligence with well-being.

Mendelian randomization methods utilize summary-level genetic data to determine potentially causal relationships. In two-sample Mendelian randomization studies, the associations between the genetic instrumental variable, otherwise referred to as the predicting variable, and the exposure and outcome are determined from different non-overlapping samples. Additionally, summary-level data is used to derive the Mendelian randomization estimate.

Genetic findings were supplemented using longitudinal observational data to further examine the relationship between educational attainment and well-being to clarify possible sex differences, non-linear trends, and moderating effects of intelligence.

Important observations

The Univariable Mendelian randomization findings revealed a strong causal and bidirectional association between educational attainment and intelligence. The magnitude of this effect was two-fold higher for educational attainment on intelligence.

The Mendelian randomization analysis observed a small positive causal effect of educational attainment on well-being. A causal effect of well-being on educational attainment was also observed.

The current study used the latest genetic instrument for well-being to determine causal effects. This instrument utilizes four well-being traits, including life satisfaction, positive affect, neuroticism, and depressive symptoms, which are collectively referred to as the well-being spectrum.

The current study revealed a 0.057 increase in well-being for every 3.6-year increase in schooling. The Mendelian randomization analysis also revealed a causal effect of well-being on intelligence; however, no causal impact of intelligence on well-being was observed. The magnitude of this effect was similar to that observed for educational attainment.

Independent causal effects of both educational attainment and intelligence on well-being were observed. More specifically, educational attainment was associated with a positive effect, whereas intelligence was associated with a negative effect.

After adjusting for intelligence, a positive causal effect of a genetic predisposition to higher educational attainment on well-being was observed. Comparatively, a negative effect of intelligence on well-being was observed after adjusting for educational attainment.

After adjusting for intelligence, further analysis revealed an independent association between well-being and educational attainment. After adjusting for well-being, a similar independent association was observed between intelligence and educational attainment.

Longitudinal observational findings

Observational data was collected from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a prospective cohort study conducted in the United Kingdom. No significant difference in happiness scores was observed between participants with and without a university degree. However, a significantly higher life satisfaction score was observed among participants with a university degree.

These observations indicate that higher educational attainment, defined as having at least a university degree, does not predict subjective happiness but may predict increased life satisfaction.

Females with a university degree were found to have significantly higher life satisfaction than those without a university degree, with this effect less pronounced among males with and without a university degree. In contrast, while females with a university degree exhibited higher subjective happiness, males with a university degree experienced lower subjective happiness.

An induction in intelligence correlated with reduced subjective happiness and increased life satisfaction. The gender-wide comparison revealed that males with lower intelligence scores have higher subjective happiness.

Study significance

The current study combines genetic and observational data to determine the causal associations between educational attainment, intelligence, and well-being. To this end, a bidirectional causal association was observed between educational attainment and well-being, with well-being having a higher magnitude of effect on educational attainment.

The negative impact of intelligence on well-being suggests that highly intelligent students are at a greater risk of experiencing academic stress and that additional well-being supports are needed to alleviate these pressures.
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Ultrasound imaging offers a valuable and noninvasive way to find and monitor cancerous tumors. However, much of the most crucial information about a cancer, such as specific cell types and mutations, cannot be learned from imaging and requires invasive and damaging biopsies. One research group developed a way to employ ultrasound to extract this genetic information in a gentler way.

At the University of Alberta, a team led by Roger Zemp explored how intense ultrasound can release biological indicators of disease, or biomarkers, from cells. These biomarkers, like miRNA, mRNA, DNA, or other genetic mutations, can help identify different types of cancer and inform the subsequent therapy. Zemp will present this work Monday, May 13, at 8:30 a.m. EDT as part of a joint meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the Canadian Acoustical Association, running May 13-17 at the Shaw Centre located in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Ultrasound, at exposure levels higher than is used for imaging, can create tiny pores in cell membranes, which safely reseal. This process is known as sonoporation. The pores formed due to sonoporation were previously used to get drugs into cells and tissues. In our case, we care about releasing the contents of cells for diagnostics." Roger Zemp, University of Alberta

The ultrasound releases biomarkers from the cells into the bloodstream, increasing their concentration to a level high enough for detection. Using this method, oncologists can detect cancer and monitor its progression or treatment without the need for painful biopsies. Instead, they can use blood samples, which are easier to procure and less expensive.

"Ultrasound can enhance the levels of these genetic and vesicle biomarkers in blood samples by over 100 times," said Zemp. "We were able to detect panels of tumor-specific mutations, and now epigenetic mutations that were not otherwise detectable in blood samples."

Not only was this approach successful at detecting biomarkers, but it also boasts a lower price compared to conventional testing.

"We've also found that we can conduct ultrasound-aided blood testing to look for circulating tumor cells in blood samples with single-cell sensitivity for the price of a COVID test," said Zemp. "This is significantly cheaper than the current methods, which cost about $10,000 per test."

The team also demonstrated the potential for applying intense ultrasound to liquefy small volumes of tissue for biomarker detection. The liquified tissue can be retrieved from blood samples or through fine-needle syringes, a much more comfortable option compared to the damaging core-needle alternative.

More accessible techniques to identify cancer will not only allow for earlier detection and treatment but will also allow medical practitioners to be nimble in their approach. They can establish if certain therapies are working without the risks and expenses often associated with repeated biopsies.

"We hope that our ultrasound technologies will benefit patients by providing clinicians a new kind of molecular readout of cells and tissues with minimal discomfort," said Zemp.
There is an urgent need to harness the potential of TikTok and other social media channels to provide scientific information about obesity to young people in engaging and accessible way, the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Venice, Italy (12-15 May) will hear.

The popularity and broad reach of such platforms provides the opportunity to reach diverse audiences, including teenagers and young adults, explains lead researcher Dr. Antonella Franceschelli, of Unicamillus International Medical University, Rome, Italy.

The percentage of obese children and adolescents worldwide more than quadrupled among girls (from 1.7% to 6.9%) and among boys (from 2.1% to 9.3%) between 1990 to 2022.

Italy has the fourth highest rate of childhood overweight and obesity in Europe, with almost 40% of children aged 7 to 9 years living with overweight or obesity. This compares to a European average of 29%.

"The growing obesity epidemic, particularly among young people, represents a global challenge that requires innovative approaches," says Dr Franceschelli.

"Over 90% of teenagers have at least one social media account and their social media presence continues to grow.

"Food and beverage brands capitalize on this trend by using social media to market their products, including unhealthy ones, to teens.

"But there is also huge potential use social media to disseminate scientific information on obesity and nutrition and support teenagers and young adults in eating healthily."

To learn more about this potential, Dr. Franceschelli and colleagues analyzed metrics from the Dr Anthos TikTok account. Run by Dr Franceschelli, this Italian language account contains short videos about the treatment of obesity. This includes information on healthy eating, exercise and drug treatments, as well as live Q&As with doctors.

The content was divided by topic and the number of views for each video counted.

108 videos posted from September 2021 to February 2024 were analysed. The videos were watched 4,631,982 times in total, giving an average number of views per video of 42,495.

Videos about obesity medication were the most popular, with an average number of views per video of 135,945. The most watched video, which was about semaglutide, was watched almost one million (959,536) times. The audience was 57% female and 4% (approx. 38,000) were young people aged 18-24 years.

Videos about combatting the stigma that can be associated with obesity drew 23,587 viewers on average and those on healthy eating attracted 10,262 viewers, on average.

Live Q&As, which provide the opportunity to put questions to an obesity specialist, attracted up to 2,000 participants each, with sessions on stigma generating a particularly large amount of discussion between patients and with the doctor.

The researchers concluded that social media is a powerful vehicle for communicating scientific data in a powerful and engaging way.
New research being presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Venice, Italy (12-15 May) has found that many people who are living with obesity conceal their body in their WhatsApp profile pictures.

Profile pictures of pets, family members, landscapes, flowers and cartoon characters may indicate the individual has body dysmorphic disorder, says lead Dr. Antonella Franceschelli, of Unicamillus International Medical University, Rome, Italy.

Body dysmorphic disorder is a condition in which a person has a distorted image of their body. They feel dissatisfied with their physical appearance, may experience shame or anxiety about their body and, in the case of those living with obesity, believe they are heavier than they actually are.

This excessive concern about physical appearance can be exacerbated by social media, where unrealistic standards of beauty and physical shape are often shared.

People with body dysmorphic disorder can be particularly sensitive to these influences, constantly comparing themselves to idealized images and feeling inadequate in comparison." Dr. Antonella Franceschelli, Unicamillus International Medical University, Rome, Italy

To explore the association between obesity and body dysmorphia, Dr Franceschelli and colleagues conducted a qualitative study of WhatsApp profile images of individuals living with obesity.

The study involved 59 patients (49 females, 10 males, mean age 53 years, mean BMI 32 kg/m2), each of whom submitted one WhatsApp profile picture.

The content of the pictures was then examined for the presence of body dysmorphic behaviour, for example, choosing to show their face but not their body or choosing an image of something else entirely.

The analysis provided clear evidence of body dysmorphia, with 90% of the men and 86% of the women using profile pictures that didn't represent their physical reality.

Some individuals used images of pets, family members, landscapes, cartoon characters or objects such as flowers. Others used headshots in which their face was almost covered and their body couldn't be seen, old photos or pictures that had been edited to make them look thinner.

Dr. Franceschelli says: "They may have chosen such pictures to have some control over the image they present to others and to avoid exposing themselves to criticism about their body.

"The pictures may also represent a desire to be seen and accepted for who they are, rather than how they look, as well as provide a source of comfort during social media use."

The likelihood of using a profile picture that didn't represent physical reality increased with the degree or severity of obesity.

The study didn't include a control group and so the researchers weren't able to look at how the images compared to those used by individuals of normal weight, for example. However, the finding that those with a higher degree of obesity were likely to use pictures that didn't represent their physical reality strongly suggests obesity was affecting choice of profile picture, say the researchers.

As it was a qualitative study, there isn't any data on the strength of the associations.

Dr. Franceschelli says: "This study suggests that something as simple a WhatsApp profile picture could give doctors a valuable insight into whether someone living with obesity has body dysmorphia.

"It is crucial that body dysmorphia is identified when treating obesity. Once identified, patients can be given psychological treatments, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, alongside medical treatments such as pharmacological therapy and nutritional programmes.

"This sort of holistic approach to obesity treatment increases the chance of weight loss and enhances the overall wellbeing of patients."
Health insurance is often advertised as offering cashless benefits, but its important to understand that its not truly cashless in all situations. Sometimes hospitals might push for unnecessary procedures to inflate bills, which can be contested by the insurer, leading to delays or denials. On the other hand, insurers might deny claims based on technicalities or policy exclusions, even if the treatment was necessary.

Also Read: 70% Bengaluru Firms Offer Sum Insured >Rs 5 Lakh, 72% Provide Maternity Benefits: Report

Is health insurance cashless? Heres what you need to know;

Coverage Limitations: Health insurance policies typically have coverage limitations, such as certain procedures or treatments not being covered, or coverage being limited to specific hospitals or healthcare providers. If the treatment or provider is not covered by your insurance, you may have to pay out-of-pocket expenses.

Deductibles and Co-payments: Most health insurance plans come with deductibles and copayments. Deductibles are the amount you must pay out of pocket before your insurance coverage kicks in, while copayments are fixed amounts you must pay for certain services. Even with insurance, you may still have to pay these costs.

Non-network Providers: If you receive treatment from a healthcare provider who is not in your insurance network, your insurance may not cover the full cost of the treatment, leaving you responsible for paying the difference. Cashless benefits typically apply only to hospitals within the insurers network. If you go to a non-network hospital, you most likely end up paying upfront and then claiming reimbursement later.

Documentation: During admission, hospitals verify your insurance and treatment coverage with the insurer. Incomplete or missing documents can delay approvals, forcing you to settle bills initially.

Pre-authorisation Requirements: Some treatments or procedures require pre-authorisation from your insurance company before they will be covered. If you fail to obtain pre-authorisation, your insurance may deny coverage, leaving you responsible for the full cost.

Exclusions and Limitations: Insurance policies often have exclusions and limitations on certain treatments, procedures, or conditions. If your treatment falls under one of these exclusions or limitations, your insurance may not cover it, requiring you to pay out of pocket.

Claim Scrutiny: Insurers carefully examine claims to ensure they align with your policy coverage. Discrepancies or exclusions in the policy can lead to claim rejections, requiring upfront payment.

While health insurance can significantly reduce your out-of-pocket expenses for medical care, its essential to understand your policys terms and limitations to avoid unexpected costs. Always review your policy documents carefully and ask your insurance provider if you have any questions about what is covered and what is not.

Despite these challenges, cashless hospitalisation is a significant benefit of health insurance. Many insurers and hospitals are working to streamline the process. However, its important to know your rights to get full advantage of your policy.
The Centre for High Energy Systems & Sciences (CHESS), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Hyderabad has published a detailed advertisement for various in the Employment News May (11-17) 2024. It is for the recruitment of Trainee Posts for one year in various disciplines/trades. The selection for these posts will be made on the basis of percentage of marks secured by the candidates in the requisite qualifications or through personal interview via video conferencing (virtual) of the shortlisted candidates. The CHESS DRDO has published a detailed notice on its official website with a schedule for online application for the Trainee recruitment drive.

Deadline for application

The deadline for the application is within 21 days from the date of advertisement on the website. Interested and eligible candidates can apply online for these posts within 21 days.

Job posts

There are a total of 25 positions available for graduates/technician apprentices in various disciplines. The job postings for each discipline are listed below:

1. Graduate (Degree) Apprentice  2 posts

2. Graduate (Degree) Apprentice  3 posts

3. Graduate (Degree) Apprentice  3 posts

4. Graduate (Degree) Apprentice  2 posts

5. Technician (Diploma) Apprentice  5 posts

6. Technician (Diploma) Apprentice  4 posts

7. Technician (Diploma) Apprentice  5 posts

8. Technician (Diploma) Apprentice  1 post

Eligibility criteria

Candidates should have BE/BTech degree in the relevant engineering field. For technician apprenticeship, candidates should have a diploma in a relevant engineering field.

Apprenticeship Salary

Graduate Apprentices will get a monthly stipend of Rs 9000. For Technician Apprenticeship, a monthly stipend of Rs 8000 will be paid.

How to apply?

Step 1: For Graduate Apprentice (BE/BTech) and Technician Apprenticeship (Diploma), candidates will first have to register through NATS 2.0 portal  https://nats.education.gov.in.

Step 2: Now, go to the DRDO website  https://drdo.gov.in/drdo/ and download the form.

Step 3: Fill the form and send it along with the required documents to hrd.chess@gov.in.

Stay ahead with all the exam results updates on News18 Website.
Maharashtra HSC, SSC Result 2024: Minimum Marks, Supply Exams Candidates will have to secure 35 per cent in each subject and overall to pass the MSBSHSE SSC and HSC exam. Those who are unable to secure the minimum marks will likely have to appear to the supplementary exam.

Maharashtra HSC and SSC Result 2024: Pass Percentage Likely to be Over 90% The Maharashtra SSC result 2023 pass percentage stood at 93.83% and for HSC results, it was 91.25%. This year too, the results are likely to cross the 90% mar

MSBSHSE 10th, 12th Result 2024: Steps to Check Using DigiLocker? Step 1: Go to the DigiLocker website  digilocker.gov.in or download the app Step 2: Click on Register for DigiLocker Step 3: Enter a valid mobile number. Enter the OTP sent to the registered mobile number Step 4: Set your username and password Step 5: Enter your Aadhar number Step 6: Sign in using your registered user name and password to check results.

Maharashtra Board 10th, 12th Result 2024: No Toppers List MSHSEB, like prior years, is not expected to release the names of the Science, Arts, and Commerce stream toppers. However, the results will be shared with the pass percentage, gender-wise statistics and district-wise performances among other important information.

Maharashtra HSC Result 2024 Update: Top Colleges to Apply For After 12th As per NIRF 2023, the top colleges to apply for after class 12 are: 1- Miranda House 2- Hindu College 3- Presidency College, Chennai 4- PSGR Krishnammal College for Women, Coimbatore 5- St Xaviers College, Kolkata 6- Atmaram Sanatan Dharm College 7- Loyala College, Chennai 8- Ramakrishna Mission, Howrah 9- Kirori Mal College, New Delhi 10- LSR

Maharashtra HSC and SSC Result 2024: What's Next? For the academic year 20242025, students who successfully complete the Maharashtra SSC exams are eligible to apply for First Year Junior College (FYJC) or Class 11 admissions. Similarly, those who complete their HSC or Class 12 will be eligible to apply for higher studies at colleges in India and abroad.

Maharashtra HSC Result 2024 Updates: Will Girls Outperform Boys This Year Too? Last year, girls had outperformed boys. Out of the total girls who appeared for the exam, 93.73 per cent passed and out of the total boys who took the exam, 89.14 per cent passed.

Maharashtra Announces Fee Waiver for Girls with Family Income Under Rs 8 Lakh In a move aimed at encouraging higher enrollment of girls in higher education, the Maharashtra state government has approved a full waiver of academic fees for girls belonging to families with an annual income of Rs 8 lakh or less. The state will bear the expenses, with the initiative expected to significantly boost girls participation in higher studies.The decision was announced by Maharashtras Minister for Higher and Technical Education, Chandrakant Patil, at the Joint Board of Vice-Chancellors (JBVC) meeting on February 2. Previously, a 50 per cent fee waiver was available to the same demographic, but it has since been widened to cover the entire academic costread more

Maharashtra HSC and SSC Result 2024: Results to be Out in 9 Divisions Maharashtra has been divided into nine divisions in total  Pune, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Mumbai, Kolhapur, Amravati, Nashik, Latur, Konkan.

Maharashtra HSC and SSC Result 2024: Roll Number Needed to Check Marks To check the results, students will have to enter their roll numbers and application number mentioned on the admit card.

How to Check MSBSHSE Class 10th Result via SMS? Step 1: Open the SMS app on your mobile phone Step 2: Type MH (Exam Name) (Roll number) Step 3: Send it to 57766 Step 4: You will receive your result via an SMS

Maharashtra Board 10th, 12th Result 2024: Top Things to Check The Maharashtra board Class 10th and 12th marksheet 2024 will mention the below details:  Student name,  Roll number or Seat number,  Parents name,  Date of birth of the student,  School name,  Grades, Marks scored in different subjects, and  Qualifying status (Pass or Fail).

Maharashtra HSC and SSC Result 2024: Supplementary Exams Candidates who fail to qualify in the Maharashtra class 10th and 12th board exams 2024, can appear for the supplementary exams. The complete schedule for the same will be announced after the results are declared.

Maharashtra Board Result 2024: HSC Result Release Dates Over the Years  2023  May 25  2022  June 8  2021  August 3  2020  July 16  2019  May 28

Maharashtra Board 10th, 12th Result 2024: Details on Mark Sheets Details like Name, Seat Number, Subjects, Subject Code, Subject-Wise Maximum Marks, Qualifying Status, and Total Marks Obtained will be listed on the SSC and HCS mark sheets.

Maharashtra HSC Result 2024 Updates: Stream Wise Performance Last Year  Science: 96.09%  Arts: 84.05%  Commerce: 90.42%  Business courses: 89.25%

Maharashtra Board Result 2024: SSC Performance Last Year Last year, 93.83 per cent of students passed the SSC examination. Of that, girls pass percentage was 95.87 per cent. A total of 96.94 per cent passed the Maharashtra SSC exam in 2022.

Maharashtra HSC and SSC Result 2024: Class 12 Result to be Announced First? The HSC or Class 12 results are usually announced first by the MSBSHSE, followed by Class 10 results a few days later. The date and timing of both results will be announced to students on msbshse.co.in.

Maharashtra HSC and SSC Result 2024: Minimum Marks Needed to Pass Exam Candidates will have to secure 35 per cent in each subject and overall to pass the MSBSHSE HSC and SSC exams. Those who are unable to secure the minimum marks will likely have to appear in the supplementary exam.
The Manipur Board has announced the class 12 result 2024 on May 13. The Council of Higher Secondary Education Manipur (COHSEM), formerly known as the Board of Secondary Education Manipur (BSEM Manipur) released the results through the official website, manresults.nic.in. Students can also check the Manipur Board Result 2024 on other websites including examsresults.net and results.nic.in.

A total of 97.63 per cent of the students who took the exam passed. Last year, the overall pass percentage stood at 88.68. Aiena Naorem secured the first position in commerce; Th Sheityajit topped the arts stream; L Malemnganbi Laishram bagged the first position in science, officials told PTI. The pass percentage for arts stood at 94.35 per cent, science at 98.91 per cent, and commerce at 93.51 per cent. 31,128 students took the Manipur board 12th exam that was held between February and March. Thoubal is the top-performing district with a 99.58 per cent pass percentage, while Ukhrul is the lowest with 85.95 per cent among the states 15 districts.

Manipur Board Class 12 Result 2024: Steps to Check

Step 1. Visit manresults.nic.in, the official website.

Step 2. Find the link for the Manipur Class 12 result 2024 on the homepage.

Step 3. After entering, enter the necessary information, such as your date of birth and roll number, as stated in your admit card.

Step 4. Press the submit button to see and download the result.

Step 5. Print off the page for your records.

Manipur Board 12th Result 2024: How to check via SMS?

Step 1. Start the messaging app on your phone.

Step 2. Enter manres12 in the message textbox.

Step 3. Forward it to 9212357123.

Step 4. The same mobile number will receive the Manipur Board 10th and 12th Result 2024.

Manipur Board 12th Result 2024: Details Mentioned on Scorecard

Students should check the following details in their mark sheet:

 Name of Student and Roll No.

 Names of the mother and father.

 Subject-wise marks.

 Subject-specific scores in the practical.

 Grades attained in every subject.

 Marks for each subject

 Total grade points.

 Status of Results.

This year, the exams for the Manipur High School Leaving Certificate were held from March 15 to April 3, 2024. Examinations for Manipurs class 12 were held from February 21 to March 23, 2024. Exams were given in an offline format throughout the morning hours of 10 am to 1 pm.

The Council of Higher Secondary Education conducts class 12 and Higher Secondary Examination every year. To pass an exam in a certain subject, students must secure 33 marks in that particular subject. Those who fail to secure a minimum of 33 per cent marks will have to appear for supplementary exams. Manipur supplementary exam dates will be announced soon and are expected to be conducted by June end. Students are advised to keep visiting the official website for the latest updates. The Manipur HSE pass certificate and mark sheet are available for pickup from the individual schools for students who have passed.

Stay ahead with all the exam results updates on News18 Website.
Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtras deputy chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, in an exclusive interview with CNN-News18, said that Uddhav Thackerays speeches show he needs a psychiatrist". He called Arvind Kejriwal shameless" for continuing as the Delhi CM even after his arrest.

In the interview, Fadnavis divulged the details of the talks between him, Home Minister Amit Shah and the Shiv Sena in 2019, and said that the media takes Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar too seriously, even though the latters birth as a CM happened because of the BJP".

Ahead of Mumbais voting on May 20, in which the BJP is in an alliance with the Shinde Sena and Ajit Pawars NCP, Fadnavis maintained that alliance politics was here to stay in Maharashtra. We will continue to strengthen our allies and will fight the state elections together," he said. Calling the Congress deshdrohis (traitors), he said that their statements were helping Pakistan.

WHENEVER SHARAD PAWAR GOES WEAK, HE JOINS CONGRESS

When asked about the Lok Sabha poll battles in Baramati, Thane and Kalyan, Fadnavis said, Look at Sharad Pawars body languageIf you look at his history, whenever he has grown weak, he has merged into the Congress. And when he regained his strength, he left the Congress. He has done it over four-five times. He senses that he has lost Baramati to Ajit Pawar."

About Sharad Pawars prediction of 30-35 seats for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (Congress-Uddhav Sena and his NCP), Fadnavis said, He has been very kind to us that he has given us at least 13 seats. Maharashtra will be with our Mahayuti. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), too, is with us. The political arithmetic is such that BJP is at the centre point. We have a formidable combination."

Sharad Pawar is known to say things which mean something else. He does exactly opposite of what he says. Pawar became the CM for the first time by pulling down Vasantdada. Who was he with? Jan Sangh. He became the CM for the first time because of us. Indira Gandhi dissolved that government. Whenever he has grown weak, he has merged with the Congress and has later come out of it. Pawars birth as a CM was because of the BJP. How can he say he believes in the Nehru-Gandhi ideology," he asked.

AJIT PAWAR, EKNATH SHINDE VICTIM OF FAMILY, FIRST FAMILY FIRST

Uddhav Thackeray needs a psychiatrist. The kind of speeches he is making show that his mind is derailed. The more they abuse Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the more people will vote for Modi. He needs help. He hasnt yet been able to come out of the trauma of the fall of his government. He is living in an illusion. He is so immature. He needs help," Fadnavis said.

Uddhav Thackerays MVA government fell after Eknath Shinde rebelled to join hands with the BJP and became the CM. Eventually, NCPs Ajit Pawar, too, split the party and joined the ruling alliance. Uddhav Thackeray isnt the inheritor of Balasahebs thoughts and ideologyUddhav wanted to become the CM in 2004. He clipped the wings of his party leaders to make sure his chances didnt reduce. He even clipped Narayan Ranes wings even though he had a good chance to win and form the government way back in 2004," said Fadnavis.

He added: There is a syndrome in Maharashtra politics  family first and first family first. Eknath Shinde was the victim of family first, Ajit Pawar was the victim of first family first."

NEVER PROMISED CM POST, UDDHAV BACKSTABBED US

Their lies have been called out. We had never promised them the CM post. A day before we went to their house, the topic of the CM post was closed. Neither Amit bhai, nor I promised him anything. But the minute the number game was stuck and Sonia ji was ready [for an alliance], he backstabbed us. He wanted to become the CM since 2004," said Fadnavis.

ALSO READ | Eknath Shinde to News18: BJP & Cong-NCP Had Offered Uddhav CM Post for 2.5 Years

ON INTERIM BAIL, HOW CAN KEJRIWAL ACT LIKE A FREEDOM FIGHTER?

Commenting on Kejriwals interim bail in the Delhi liquor policy case till June 1 and his remarks that Indias democracy was challenged by dictatorship, Fadnavis said, Rhetoric. The democracy in this country has been challenged time and again by those believing in this ideology. Kejriwal is on interim bail. There is a prima facie case established against him. Thats why he didnt get regular bail. There are conditions that he cant work as the CM. How can he make such a brave face? When such strictures have been passed by the court, how can he act like a freedom fighter? I am surprised. Where does this shamelessness come from," asked Fadnavis.

There is a syndrome in Maharashtra politics  family first and first family first. Eknath Shinde was the victim of family first, Ajit Pawar was the victim of first family first."

UJJWAL NIKAM A NATIONALIST LAWYER; CONGRESS SPEAKING PAKs LANGUAGE

Congresss Vijay Wadettiwar recently said that a cop affiliated with the BJP fountainhead Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and not terrorist Ajmal Kasab, killed former state anti-terrorism squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. He also accused lawyer and BJPs Mumbai North-Central candidate Ujjwal Nikam of hiding information regarding the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

Ujjwal Nikam is a nationalist lawyer. He has been a prosecution lawyer for all major terror cases and has fought against the enemies of the country. The Congress is speaking the language of Pakistan on the 2008 terror attacks. Isse bada deshdroh aur koi nahi ho sakta. If it were true, how could it have been hidden? Pakistan tried to bring this narrative in the international forum. When I was the CM, a special permission was taken to go to the US to present the evidence and confessions. Pakistan is now exposed. These people are shameless. You are worried about the insult of Kasab, but you are raising questions on the martyrdom of our valiant Karkare, Kamte, Tukaram Omble, Salaskar? This is treason."

It will 100 per cent be helpful to Pakistan because it keeps such things on the international forum that this is being said in India itself and India is making false propaganda. I dont ever use the word deshdroh, but they are deshdrohis," he said.

ALSO READ | Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis: BJP Took 2.5 Years, But Split 2 Parties While Coming to Power

BJP NOT AGAINST MUSLIMS; WE SAY THE POOR HAVE THE FIRST RIGHT TO ALL RESOURCES

Commenting on the claim that the BJP was anti-Muslim and would change the Constitution, he said, The BJP isnt against Muslims, but against appeasement politics. The Congress was in power for 60 years, why is the condition of Muslims like this then? Because they are only used as vote bank. Because the Congress never wants progress for Muslims. They only want to spread fear."

Fadnavis further said, We believe in justice for all and appeasement for none. We gave houses to four crore Indians. We didnt ask if there were Muslims who got water, gas, house. We dont look at them as vote bank. They say Muslims have the first right on the resources of the country. We say the first right is of the poor."

CONGRESS INSULTED THE CONSTITUTION, MODI SAVED IT IN BOTH TERMS

About the Oppositions claim that the BJP would change the Constitution if they get 400+ seats, he said, In 1975, the one who locked the Constitution in her tijori was Indira Gandhi, who was from the Congress. Modi saved the Constitution in both the terms. The Congress opposed Constitution Day. By not abrogating Article 370, the Congress had insulted Dr Babasaheb Ambedkars Constitution. In Karnataka, when Muslims are made part of the Other Backward Classes (OBC), they are going against it. The Constituent assembly had said no to religion-based, caste-based reservation."

5.20pm | 13-5-2024 Murbad, Thane | . . . | -- , . Pramukh Karyakarta Melava to campaign in Murbad, Thane for Bhiwandi LokSabha BJP candidate Kapil Patil ji          ,   pic.twitter.com/iobr6K0Z4S  Devendra Fadnavis (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Dev_Fadnavis) May 13, 2024

PM DIDNT MAKE AN OFFER TO UDDHAV, PAWAR TO JOIN NDA, IT WAS A SUGGESTION

Responding to PMs statement that Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray should join the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Fadnavis said, This isnt an offer. It is a learning, a suggestion. The PM said Pawar has realised that Baramati is lost. Even the Congress is a sinking ship. Decide and come with Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde. It isnt an offer There are no ifs and buts in politics."

PITRODA, AIYAR REMARKS SHOW CONGRESS HAS STOPPED THINKING OF THE COUNTRY

While Congresss Sam Pitroda recently made racist comments against citizens from various parts of the country, Mani Shankar Aiyar said that Pakistan has atom bombs and India should respect it.

After being defeated twice, the Opposition is in a destructive mode. They are not worried about the country. They want to bring Modi down. Did Pakistan dare to spread terror after the 2019 air strikes? Where are the khoon ki nadiyaan after revocation of Article 370? Pitroda insulted Indians. This is the oldest continuing democracy. The countries he speaks about didnt even have civilisations there. They have stopped thinking of the country," said Fadnavis.
The Hamirpur Lok Sabha constituency is one of 80 parliamentary constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. It is a general category seat and comprises entire Hamirpur and Mahoba districts as well as part of the Banda district. Five Assembly segments fall under the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat  Hamirpur, Rath-SC, Mahoba, Charkhari and Tindwari  all of which are currently held by the BJP.

Polling Date  May 20, 2024; Phase 5

Sitting MP  Pushpendra Singh Chandel (BJP)

Candidates  Pushpendra Singh Chandel (BJP), Ajendra Singh Rajput (Samajwadi Party)

Political Dynamics

A mostly bipolar contest is on the cards in Hamirpur constituency which falls in the politically significant Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh. From the opposition INDIA bloc, it is the Samajwadi Party that has challenged the BJP which has been winning the seat since 2014.

Its a tight contest between the BJP and the SP at the moment with both candidates running neck-and-neck. The Samajwadi Party candidate has the Lodhi caste factor on his side, but the BJP candidate holds a slim advantage by virtue of the partys dominance in UP politics as well as the tremendous popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

BJP Hunt for Hat Trick: Hamirpur is one of 26-odd constituencies in Uttar Pradesh where the BJP is aiming for a hat-trick in pursuit of its larger goal to win all 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh.

Hamirpur is one of 26-odd constituencies in Uttar Pradesh where the BJP is aiming for a hat-trick in pursuit of its larger goal to win all 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh. The party has given the Hamirpur ticket for the third consecutive time to Pushpendra Singh Chandel, who had wrested the seat from the BSP in 2014 elections.

In 2014, Chandel had defeated nearest rival, SPs Vishambhar Prasad Nishad, by a massive margin of 2,66,788 votes, gathering 46.41% of the vote-share.

In the 2019 elections, Chandels victory margin was 2,48,652 votes with 52.77% of the vote share.

According to data shared by PRS Legislative Research, Chandel was the most active member in Parliament, having participated in 1,194 debates in the 17th Lok Sabha.

Anti-Incumbency: While the BJP has an edge in Hamirpur elections, its candidate faces some degree of anti-incumbency.

While the BJP has an edge in Hamirpur elections, its candidate faces some degree of anti-incumbency. The publics main grouse against him is that he barely visited the constituency since the 2019 elections. Some voters as well as local BJP workers say he also remained inaccessible on phone.

The anti-incumbency factor, however, may be offset by the popularity of the party as well as PM Narendra Modi who is due to attend a rally in Hamirpur on May 16, 2024.

Modi and Yogi Double-Engine: PM Modi remains the BJPs biggest trump card in Uttar Pradesh, with his candidature from Varanasi having a major impact on other constituencies as well.

PM Modi remains the BJPs biggest trump card in Uttar Pradesh, with his candidature from Varanasi having a major impact on other constituencies as well. The construction and inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is the partys flagship pitch to voters in the state, with PM Modi as the driving force behind it.

The party is also banking on the perception that the Yogi Adityanath government has zero tolerance towards crime.

Tapping Into Bundeli Sentiments: The demand for creation of a Bundelkhand state by carving out districts from Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh has been around for decades. Hamirpur is one of the constituencies that falls within the geographical limits of this proposed state.

The demand for creation of a Bundelkhand state by carving out districts from Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh has been around for decades. Hamirpur is one of the constituencies that falls within the geographical limits of this proposed state. In 2018, around 250 people in UPs Mahoba district, part of which comes under the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat, had tonsured themselves in support of their demand.

All major parties in Uttar Pradesh  BJP, Congress, Samajwadi Party and BSP  have at some point paid lip service in support of Bundelkhand statehood but there has been no concrete action on paper or on the ground.

In February last year, sitting BJP MP Pushpendra Singh Chandel, who is the candidate this time too, reiterated the demand in the Lok Sabha.

He had claimed that Bundelkhand should be made a separate state for its development and to ensure that organic farming, employment, tourism, culture and religious sectors are promoted in the area.

SP Puts Up a Challenge: The last time Akhilesh Yadavs Samajwadi Party won the Hamirpur constituency was way back in 2009.

The last time Akhilesh Yadavs Samajwadi Party won the Hamirpur constituency was way back in 2009. This time, however, it has managed to pose a real challenge to the BJP, fielding Ajendra Singh Rajput from the Lodhi community to take on Pushpendra Singh Chandel.

He is the son of two-time MLA Chaudhary Chand Narayan Singh Rajput and is said to have made inroads into the Lodhi vote-bank.

Besides support from the politically significant Lodhi community, the SP is banking on its strong base in the OBC and Muslim communities in Hamirpur as well.

Its recently forged alliance with the Congress could help avoid splitting of votes, particularly within the Muslim community, in this constituency.

Caste Calculations: Caste arithmetic from the point of view of elections has always been a complicated affair in Hamirpur. The constituency has elected Brahmin and Kshatriya candidates five times each, but it is the Lodhi community that holds the sway in this seat. Candidates from the Lodhi community have won the seat six times so far.

Caste arithmetic from the point of view of elections has always been a complicated affair in Hamirpur. The constituency has elected Brahmin and Kshatriya candidates five times each, but it is the Lodhi community that holds the sway in this seat. Candidates from the Lodhi community have won the seat six times so far. The Samajwadi Party fielding a Lodhi community member in Ajendra Singh Rajput has shaken up the caste calculations once again in Hamirpur.

At present, the Hamirpur constituency counts around 3 lakh Lodhis. The Rath-SC and Charkhari Assembly constituencies have more than 12% voters from the Lodhi caste as well as 6.66% voters from the Yadav caste.

Overall, Brahmins account for 10.33%, Vaishyas 2.66%, Thakurs 12.85% and Scheduled Castes 22.64% voters in Hamirpur. Muslims account for 7.69%.

While the Lodhi, Yadav and Muslim votes are likely to go the Samajwadi Party way, sources say the BJP may get around 50% of the Brahmin votes.

Brahmins have traditionally voted for the BJP, but this time the BSP has fielded a Brahmin candidate in Nirdosh Dixit. The Mayawati-led party is not a significant competitor in Hamirpur in these elections but could eat into the Brahmin votes.

The BJP can also bank on Thakur votes since its candidate belongs to the community.

Key Constituency Issues

Bundelkhand Statehood Demand: Bundelkhand is a hilly region spread over Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Seven districts in Uttar Pradesh  Hamirpur, Banda, Mahoba, Lalitpur, Jhansi, Jalaun and Chitrakoot  and eight districts in Madhya Pradesh fall under this region.

Bundelkhand is a hilly region spread over Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Seven districts in Uttar Pradesh  Hamirpur, Banda, Mahoba, Lalitpur, Jhansi, Jalaun and Chitrakoot  and eight districts in Madhya Pradesh fall under this region. The demand for splitting Uttar Pradesh into Harit Pradesh (western UP), Poorvanchal (eastern UP), Bundelkhand and Awadh is raked up from time to time, and come elections, it gains momentum.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), headed by Mayawati, was once a strong supporter of the demand when the Samajwadi Party was in power, on development and law and order issues, maintaining that smaller states could be governed better.

Dalit icon BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution, had recommended division of Uttar Pradesh in his book Bhashayi Rajya.

As the chief minister, Mayawati had first raised the issue in 2007 and her government had even adopted a resolution in the Assembly seeking division of the state into four parts.

Both the BJP and the Congress had supported the resolution brought by Mayawati in the 403-member House.

But, as Mayawati lost power in 2012 after winning just 80 seats against 206 seats in 2007, her demand lost steam.

She has raked up the issue once again before 2024 Lok Sabha elections, saying her party will take concrete steps to make western Uttar Pradesh a separate state if voted to power at the Centre.

The BJP-led NDA had carved out Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh from UP, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh respectively, giving rise to speculation that it might favour further division of the most populous state.

Besides the RLD, Raja Bundelas Bundelkhand Congress, Kalyan Singhs erstwhile Jan Kranti Party, Amar Singhs now defunct Rashtriya Lok Manch and Ayub Khans Peace Party too had time to time pitched for division of the state.

Potholes on Bundelkhand Expressway: Stretches of the Bundelkhand Expressway have developed deep potholes leading to frequent road accidents, complain locals.

Stretches of the Bundelkhand Expressway have developed deep potholes leading to frequent road accidents, complain locals. Several other approach roads in Hamirpur are said to be in dire need of repairs but despite assurances, repair work is yet to begin.

Floods: Hamipur is vulnerable to floods whenever water levels rise in Yamuna and Betwa rivers. Hamirpur is located in the middle of the Yamuna and Betwa rivers.

Hamipur is vulnerable to floods whenever water levels rise in Yamuna and Betwa rivers. Hamirpur is located in the middle of the Yamuna and Betwa rivers. The area had borne the brunt of floods in 2021-2022 when 90 villages of Hamirpur were affected.

Floodwaters had submerged crops on 2,300 hectares of farmland in Hamirpur, Maudah and Sarila.

Water Shortage: More than 12 villages in Hamirpur still do not have regular supply of water.

More than 12 villages in Hamirpur still do not have regular supply of water. Bundelkhand is an infamously dry region and while the state government had directed the officials to achieve the governments target of installing tap water connections to every house in Hamirpur, the progress has been slow and erratic.

Officials say the Jal Jeevan Mission and Namami Gange project will soon help achieve 100% coverage of piped drinking water.

Lack of Industrialisation: Much of the land in Hamirpur is unfit for agriculture, making it viable to set up industries.

Much of the land in Hamirpur is unfit for agriculture, making it viable to set up industries. Yet, the constituency has not seen many factories and industries being set up, which locals say is essential to address unemployment in not just Hamirpur but the rest of Bundelkhand region as well.

Voter Demographics

Social composition

SC  22.7%

ST  0%

Religious composition

Buddhist  0.01%

Christian  0.09%

Jain  0.03%

Muslim  7.69%

Sikh  0.03%

Geographical composition

Rural  82.9%

Urban  17.1%

Major Infra Projects in Hamirpur

Bundelkhand Expressway: The Bundelkhand Expressway is a 296-km long, four-lane, access-controlled highway that passes through the Hamirpur district.

The Bundelkhand Expressway is a 296-km long, four-lane, access-controlled highway that passes through the Hamirpur district. It connects Bharatkoop in Chitrakoot district to Kudrail village in Etawah district, and also connects to the Agra-Lucknow Expressway and the Yamuna Expressway.

The expressway was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 16, 2022.

The expressway connects the districts of Auraiya, Jalaun, Hamirpur, Mahoba, Banda, and Chitrakoot.

It is a project of the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) and aims to develop the Bundelkhand area, especially in less developed districts.

The expressway will also connect the Bundelkhand area to Delhi through the Agra-Lucknow expressway and Yamuna expressway.

Water University: This under-construction 25-acre university in Hamirpur will be the worlds first water university.

This under-construction 25-acre university in Hamirpur will be the worlds first water university. The university is expected to open in 2025 and will offer undergraduate and graduate programs that include courses on water conservation and water scarcity.

The university will also conduct research to solve water mysteries and provide a place for students and researchers to find solutions to water-related problems using modern and ancient technologies.

The universitys initiative was led by Swedish environmental scientist Professor Ravikant Pathak and Padma Shri awardee Umashankar Pandey, a water conservationist.

JK Cement Operations: The Hamirpur plant is JK Cements second grey cement grinding unit in Uttar Pradesh.

The Hamirpur plant is JK Cements second grey cement grinding unit in Uttar Pradesh. The plants grinding unit began production on October 28, 2022, and the commercial production began on November 2, 2022.

It has a production capacity of 2 million tonnes of cement per year (MTPA).

It is operated by JK Cements wholly owned subsidiary Jaykaycem (Central) Ltd.

The plant is said to have addressed unemployment in Hamirpur to some measure.

Solar Plant: GAIL India is planning to build a 100-megawatt solar plant in Hamirpur district in Uttar Pradesh.

GAIL India is planning to build a 100-megawatt solar plant in Hamirpur district in Uttar Pradesh. The company has earmarked 200 acres of land for the plant and plans to invest several hundred crores of rupees in the project.

Construction is expected to begin in 2024 and the plant is expected to be operational by 2026.

The plant is expected to provide jobs for hundreds of people in the area.

Bundelkhand Industrial Development Authority: BIDA is an industrial development project in Uttar Pradesh modelled after Noida.

BIDA is an industrial development project in Uttar Pradesh modelled after Noida. The projects goal is to create a sustainable integrated industrial township in the Bundelkhand region, including Hamirpur.

The state government has allocated Rs 8,000 crore in the 2023 supplementary budget for BIDA and other bodies to purchase land.

Ken-Beta River Linking Project: In 2021, the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh signed a memorandum of agreement with the Union Jal Shakti Ministry to implement the Ken-Betwa River interlinking project.

In 2021, the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh signed a memorandum of agreement with the Union Jal Shakti Ministry to implement the Ken-Betwa River interlinking project. The projects purpose is to carry water from surplus regions to drought-prone and water-scarce areas through interlinking of rivers.

It will provide annual irrigation of 2.51 lakh hectares, 1,700 million cubic meters (mcm) of water to Uttar Pradesh and drinking water supply to about 62 lakh people and also generate 103 MW of hydropower.

Apart from Hamirpur, the project will benefit the districts of Jhansi, Mahoba and Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh.

Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Schedule, Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase And Much More At News18 Website
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that his governance model does not discriminate on the basis of religion or caste, while adding that there were attempts to sully his image after 2002  remarks that came amid a raging debate over religious polarisation in the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls. Speaking from the banks of the River Ganga in his Varanasi parliamentary constituency, he stressed that he celebrated Eid with his neighbours in his childhood and has a lot of Muslim friends. He also said that he believes the people of India will vote him to power for a third straight term, responding to a question on whether Muslims will back him in the ongoing elections.

I have lived among Muslim families in childhood. I have a lot of Muslim friends. After 2002, efforts were made to tarnish my image, PM Modi said while referring to communal violence in Gujarat in 2002 when he was the chief minister.

Muslim families used to live in our neighbourhood. On Eid, we didnt used to cook food in my house as the food used to come from the neighbouring Muslim households. On Muharram, we were taught to go under the taziya, he added.

The Prime Minister said that after 2002, when his image got tainted, he carried out a survey to know the ground reality. In Ahmedabad, there is a place called Manek Chowk where people go to eat in the evening. But during the day, all businessmen are Muslims and all buyers are Hindus. I sent some people to carry out a survey in that market. When one of them spoke against me, the shopkeeper stopped him and said do not say a word against Modi. My kids are going to school because of Modi. Almost 90 per cent shop owners had the same thing to say, PM Modi said.

He narrated another incident where, he said, that a woman came to him from the Muslim-dominated Juhapura area and congratulated him. She appreciated me for my work on getting electricity in every house. I said but I have cut connections, how is it good. She said its good because people used to steal the governments electricity and take money to give us electricity connections, he said.

The Prime Minister said that a lot of such things have happened in his life but he doesnt advertise all of this. My mantra is Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas. I dont work for vote bank. If something is wrong, Ill say its wrong, the PM said.

When asked why he called out Muslims for having more children, the Prime Minister said, Im shocked. Why do people assume Im talking about Muslims when I talk about people having too many children? Even poor Hindu families have this issue. They are not being able to give their kids proper education. I have neither named Hindus nor Muslims. Ive just made an appeal that have only many kids as you can take care of.

When asked whether Muslims will vote for him this election, PM Modi, who filed his nomination from Varanasi on Tuesday for the Lok Sabha Polls in a massive show of strength, said, I believe that the people of the country will vote for me. The day I start doing Hindu-Muslim, I wont be fit to live in public life. I will not do Hindu-Muslim divide, this is my commitment.

If I give a house, I am talking about saturation, 100 per cent delivery. This means, suppose there are 200 houses in a village  irrespective of which society, which caste, which religion  if there are 60 lakh Indians in those 200 houses, then those 60 lakh people should get it. And when I say 100 per cent saturation, it means true social justice. It is true secularism. When there is no possibility of corruption. You know, even if I get it on Monday, I will get my number on the next Monday, the Prime Minister added.

Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Schedule, Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase And Much More At News18 Website
Bolangir is one of the 21 Lok Sabha constituencies in Odisha, situated in the Western part of the state, which will vote in the fifth phase on May 20. The constituency comprises the following assembly segments: Birmaharajpur (BJD), Sonepur (BJD), Loisingha (BJP), Patnagarh (BJD), Bolangir (INC), Titlagarh (BJD) and Kantabanji (INC). Around 98% of the total electorate are Hindus while the remaining are Muslims. Scheduled Castes form 20% while Scheduled Tribes are 17.76%.

Political Dynamics

BJP On a Sticky Wicket

Despite the fact that Western Odisha has come to be known as a region in Odisha which the BJP is strongest in, the parliamentary constituency of Bolangir is proving to be a tough seat for the saffron party to retain this general election. Although the party had won Bolangir in 2019, Sangeeta Deos winning margin was merely 19,516 votes. In comparison, the BJD had won the seat in 2014 by a margin of 1.04 lakh votes.

Be that as it may, the BJP has indeed expanded both its support base as well as its organisational capabilities in Bolangir over the past five years. The contest in Bolangir is being described by our correspondents on the ground as a neck-to-neck fight, in which either party could emerge victorious.

The BJP campaign on ground appears to be tepid at best. In fact, during home minister Amit Shahs visit too, hoardings for his public event were nowhere to be seen. Sources on ground reveal that the BJP tasked its MLA and organisation in the constituency with ensuring there is a crowd at the event. This, on the surface, does not appear to auger well for the BJPs plans in Bolangir.

Sitting MP Sangeeta Singh Deo faces heavy anti-incumbency. She is accused of simply disappearing after winning the election in 2019 and taking no initiative to stay in touch with her constituents. Despite trying to reach her on several occasions, people were left high and dry. Voters are not shy in saying that if she was simply invisible over the past five years, Sangeeta Deo now has no right to ask for votes again.

Despite the significant anti-incumbency and anger against the sitting BJP MP, the BJP could marginally retain the seat owing to the Modi factor and the appeal which the Prime Minister commands among the electorate here. While voters are quick to highlight the lack of work undertaken by Sangeeta Deo, they are appreciative of the broader work which the Central government has been doing across the country since 2014. Central schemes and benefits have also reached the poor in the constituency, despite the state BJD government changing their names.

It remains to be seen whether the BJP has significantly increased its voter base here in Bolangir. If not, the results could be a touch-and-go moment for the saffron party. In light of this situation, PM Modis campaign in Bolangir assumes critical importance for the BJP, as the party is totally reliant on how many voters their star campaigner can deliver here.

Besides, the entry of independent candidates is expected to play a game changing role. Balram Singh Yadav, who was previously with the BJP, is contesting as an independent candidate. Interestingly, he is projecting himself as an alternative BJP candidate, and as such, could lead to division of core BJP votes here. That would spell some serious trouble for the party and Sangeeta Singh Deo.

The BJP appeared to address some of its challenges by inducting former MLA Jagneswar Babu into its ranks recently. Having stints in both the BJD and Congress, the hope from Babu is that he can bring considerable voters towards the BJPs side this election. Whether this strategy works remains to be seen.

BJD to Wrestle Back

The BJD is making a concerted attempt to regain ground in Western Odisha that it has lost to the BJP in recent years. This is evident from the fact that chief minister Naveen Patnaik is contesting the assembly election from Kantabanji in Bolangir district, along with his traditional Hinjili seat in Ganjam.

Much to the surprise of the local BJD unit, the party has reposed faith on former Congress leader from Saintala, Surendra Singh Bhoi who has been given the ticket from Bolangir. Bhoi was elected to the Assembly on Congress ticket in 1995 and 2000 and was made a minister in 1999. He got elected from Titlagarh Assembly seat in 2009.

Naveen Patnaiks candidature from Kantabanji has infused new vigour in the BJD cadre ahead of the elections and appears to have provided it with just the kind of energy needed to take on the BJP in Bolangir. Kantabanji is strategically placed, offering Patnaik an opportunity to influence voters not just in Bolangir but also Kalahandi.

Also, Patnaiks decision to fight from a Western Odisha seat is intended to send the message that BJD cares for the region. For BJD candidate Surendra Singh Bhoi, Patnaiks decision to contest from the region could prove to be instrumental and help him negate the tag of being a political turncoat.

The BJD is posing a formidable challenge to the BJP, at least in Bolangir. It is not surprising that PM Modi has begun aggressively attacking the BJD, even claiming in one of his public events in Odisha that he had come to invite all BJP supporters to the oath ceremony of the partys chief minister in June. The rhetoric is aimed at mobilising not just pro-BJP voters, but also making it clear to the partys cadre that it is serious about taking on the BJD, notwithstanding PM Modis cordial relations with Naveen Patnaik.

The BJD could, however, face voters ire over the slow pace of development and poor state of civic infra in Bolangir. There are several issues facing the electorate that have given rise to significant anti-incumbency against the state government. If this translates to an anti-BJP vote in both assembly and parliamentary elections, the BJP will have a smooth sailing in Bolangir. The saffron party, apart from the Modi factor, is also hoping there exists a silent undercurrent against the BJD among ordinary voters.

The Congress, meanwhile, has fielded actor-turned-politician Manoj Mishra, who has been campaigning on ground even before the date of polling was announced. Along with the independent candidates, Manoj Mishra remains the X factor of the election in Bolangir. He could both hurt as well as benefit either the BJP or BJD if he cuts into the votes of either of the parties. The Congress, on its own, however, is not slated for victory in the constituency.

Current MP: Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo (BJP)

Top Contenders: Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo (BJP), Surendra Singh Bhoi (BJD)

Key Issues

Unemployment and Emigration: There are no major industries in Bolangir. Unemployment is a major issue in the region, especially for the youth. A majority of the people migrate to Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu and Mumbai to work at the brick kilns. Around two lakh migrants from Bolangir and Subarnapur districts go out of the state in search for employment opportunities. Every election, they are deprived of exercising their franchise as they cannot return from their workplace before June since they have binding agreements with the kiln-owners.

Waterlogging: Waterlogging has become a major issue in Bolangir city. Due to incessant rains and an inadequate sewage system, the city gets submerged, and life comes to a standstill during the rainy season. Moreover, connectivity to some rural areas is disrupted after roads get washed away. Last year, an approach road to the bridge connecting Salepali to Kamakshyanagar in ward no. 18 was washed away due to rain leading to traffic disruption.

Water Scarcity: While some areas in Bolangir drown under incessant rains, others face acute drinking water scarcity in the summers. The region records temperatures of 40-45 degree Celsius. Residents outside the city in areas such as Bhalumunda village, Chanadtora, Gandharla, Sindhekela and Jharial face acute water shortage. Another reason for water scarcity is the declining ground water level in the area. In many areas like Bangomunda, Lathore, Sindhekela, Saintala, Muribahal, Agalpur, Gudvela, Tusra, Chudapali and Titlagarh, the situation is set to worsen in the coming days. Adding to the woes are drying up of rivers like Lanth, Arjuni, Rahul and Suktel that cater to the needs of people in many places of Patnagarh and Loisingha blocks.

Maoists: Maoist activities are one of the major issues of the Bolangir Lok Sabha constituency. Maoist presence is notable in parts of Belpada, Patnagarh, Turekela, and Khaprakhol blocks. Three of the seven assembly constituencies  Patnagarh, Titlagarh and Kantabanji  have been witnessing Maoist activities. In 2011, a BJD leader Raj Kishor Panda, who was the nominee of Bolangir MP Kalikesh Singhdeo, was shot dead by Maoists at his home in Telenpali village. The following year, Patnagarh MLA and BJP state president K V Singh Deo received two threat calls from Maoists.

Farmers Issues: Untimely rains, water scarcity, and high cost of pesticide and fertilizers are one of the major reasons of crop damage and sometimes total crop failure. Fertilisers and pesticides offered at government centres at lower prices mostly remain in short supply, forcing farmers to turn to private actors who charge excessive fees for the same bag of fertiliser. Small farmers are often unable to buy them which leads to pest infestation and end up buying lower grade pesticide which is not effective in combating the issue. Last year, a farmer committed suicide due to the issue.

Lack of Civic Amenities: Intra-regional road connectivity has been missing in the region. Many blocks in the hinterland are still devoid of electricity and piped water. The city still does not have a bypass, which leads to traffic congestion. People have demanded greater connectivity, and the government is addressing the issue through the Khurda Road- Bolangir line and the Biju Expressway. In terms of healthcare, the city has substantial infrastructure but the same cannot be said about the rural areas.

Infrastructure Development

Khurda Road- Bolangir new rail line: It is a much-awaited important stretch between Khudra Road Junction and Bolangir to connect peripheral towns in the state. The Khurda Road- Bolangir new line is 302 km long. It is going to cost Rs 1,350 crore.

Lower Suktel Irrigation Project: A significant irrigation project valued at Rs 2,723 crore was inaugurated in the drought-prone district in order to benefit the agrarian community here. The project is expected to provide irrigation facilities for over 1 lakh acres of farmland across 203 villages in Bolangir and Sonepur.

The Biju Expressway: The four-lane superhighway will connect several inner pockets of the Bargarh, Bolangir, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, and Nabarangpur districts. It is 650 km in length and the first phase was inaugurated in March 2023.

Railway Infrastructure: Several new train routes were introduced, connecting the region to various destinations, while existing lines like the Titlagarh-Sambalpur section underwent electrification for improved efficiency. Passenger amenities were upgraded at multiple stations, including the installation of automatic ticket vending machines, foot over bridges, waiting halls, and platform shelters.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday spoke about his emotional side, calling it both his strength and weakness. In an exclusive interview with News18 during his visit to Varanasi to file his nomination for the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, the Prime Minister also questioned the Congress party for not being able to look beyond family, adding that he considers India his family.

Responding to a question about how he is an emotional person and hides it from the world, PM Modi said he was beyond all this. Speaking from the banks of River Ganga, PM Modi said, The thing is, in the age of television, people get to know this emotional side. These things dont come later, we are born with it. And that is my strength, and weakness in the eyes of the world. It is also an opportunity for the opponents to taunt me. But I am beyond all this.

Modi is your child. You have raised him. You have brought him up. If there is anything missing, I will fix it. If it is good, I will move forward, he added.

PM Modi filed his nomination from Varanasi, which will go to polls in the sixth phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 on June 1. In a show of strength, PM Modi carried out a roadshow in Varanasi before filing his nomination and was also accompanied by several other Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders.

On a question on how the Opposition calls him an autocrat and questions him on not having a family, PM Modi launched a scathing attack at the Congress, saying their entire campaign is a family campaign.

They should be the ones to answer these questions. Now the entire campaign of the Congress Party has become a family campaign. Same is the case for other parties of the INDI alliance. In Tamil Nadu, it was a family campaign. In Karnataka, it was a family campaign. You see Andhra, it was a family campaign. You see Telangana, it was a family campaign. You see Uttar Pradesh, two families are campaigning. You see Jammu and Kashmir, two families are campaigning. They should be the ones to answer these questions. Even after so many years, why cant you leave your family, PM Modi questioned.

The Prime Minister added that he was proud of the fact that he was not connected to his family as he considered India his family. I am not connected to my family. I should not be guilty. I should be proud. This is the highest dignity of democracy  a person who does not live for his family, a person who considers his country his family. My India is my family. I live for it, PM Modi said.

Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Schedule, Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase And Much More At News18 Website
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the word nervousness does not exist in his dictionary, as Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi questioned his roadshow in Varanasi during filing of nomination papers for Lok Sabha elections. The PM also told citizens that hes their own child, and hell improve in areas where they think he lacks.

The word nervousness does not exist in my dictionary. I have done jeevan tapasya (spiritual discipline of life). Ive spent every second of my life on our citizens, and not on myself. Ive done this because I know these people are very deserving. Theyve been subjugated to injustice for 60-70 years. And when someone wipes their tears, thinks about toilets for them, they dont forget, PM Modi told News18.

Modi is your child. If he is lacking in something, hell improve on it, the prime minister added. The comments were made during PMs conversation with News18 after he filed his nomination from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat.

The event was attended by several NDA leaders, including Union ministers and chief ministers, in a show of strength as Modi seeks a third term from the constituency.

Attacking PM Modi over Varanasi roadshow, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi said, These are not the kind of jan samparks we did. Despite being a prime minister, my father Rajiv Gandhi used to visit villages on foot to listen to peoples problems; wipe their tears. Waving hands from a car, and citizens responding from metres away is not jan samparak.

Countering Priyankas attack, Union minister Giriraj Singh said, I will only say that the Nehru family exploited India. They cheated on the poor. Today, PM Modi came for them as their saviour.

VIDEO | Heres what Union Minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh said on Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi comparing Rajiv Gandhis padyatras with PM Modis roadshows.I will only say that the Nehru family exploited India. They cheated on the poor. Today, PM Modi came for them pic.twitter.com/ys12WAOLcY  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 14, 2024

Meanwhile, BJP chief J P Nadda, Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Hardeep Singh Puri, Anupriya Patel and Ramdas Athawale, and a host of chief ministers and other leaders of the ruling party and NDA constituents were present at the collectorate for as PM Modi filed his poll papers.

Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar did not attend the event citing health reasons.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad Sangma, NCP leader Praful Patel, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan, Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular founder Jitan Ram Manjhi, Rashtriya Lok Morcha chief Upendra Kushwaha, UP minister and NISHAD party chief Sanjay Nishad, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party chief Omprakash Rajbhar, RLD Chief Jayant Chaudhary, LJP (Ram Vilas) Chief Chirag Paswan, Anbumani Ramadoss, GK Vasan, Devanathan Yadav, Tushar Vellappalli and Atul Bora were also present at the collectorate.

According to the BJPs Varanasi district unit media co-incharge Arvind Mishra, the four proposers of Modis nomination were Pandit Ganeshwar Shastri, long-time RSS functionary Baijnath Patel, Lalchand Kushwaha and Sanjay Sonkar.

PM Modi is eyeing a hattrick at the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency, a seat he won for the first time in 2014.

He was dressed in a white kurta-pyajama and blue sadri when he arrived at the Varanasi collectorate to file his nomination paper. He waved at the crowd gathered there on the occasion.

The prime minister held a dazzling roadshow in Varanasi a day ago and vowed to do a lot more to serve the holy city in his third term.

A day later, he posted a clip from his Mondays roadshow on X and said, The love and blessings that my family members of Kashi showered on me during the road show has become an unforgettable moment in my life. Voting in Varanasi will take place in the seventh phase on June 1.

Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Schedule, Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase And Much More At News18 Website
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an exclusive interview with News18 Indias Rubika Liyaquat in Varanasi on Tuesday, the day of filing his nomination, said he was confident of a win in the Lok Sabha elections as 140 crore Indians are fighting it on his behalf because they feel connected to him.

When asked why these polls were so important for him, Modi said, Any poll should be important. In every persons life, every day and every moment should be important.

ALSO READ | PM Modi To News18: How Can Those Who Failed In Opposition Succeed As Ruling Government?

In a fun banter, on being asked what would be the first thing he would gift the nation if he gets a third term, Modi said, Why are you putting such a big question mark while we stand on the banks of the River Ganga? You have visited the entire country, and seen the ground situation

#BreakingNews | From the banks of Ganga, PM Modi (@narendramodi) shares an unseen side for the first time on TV. Not just political chat, but personal anecdotes & more in News18's Exclusive conversation with @RubikaLiyaquat! #PMWithNews18 pic.twitter.com/7I1tU66lHu News18 (@CNNnews18) May 14, 2024

Modi is not fighting this election. The 140 crore people of India are fighting this poll. I have seen peoples emotionsI am very experienced when it comes to elections. I have seen peoples mood and experience. This situation has gone beyond the polls. They dont want to be done after giving their votes. It is not like a contract where the work is done after voting. They are attached to Modi and want to stay connected with Modi. They think the country has seen models of various governments, but the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has given a model which includes modern Indias resolve and dreams. It has space for basic human needs, which people were waiting for 70-75 years after Independence, which they thought they would easily get after achieving freedomModi is doing the work of giving it to them.

Elaborating on the connect with the youth, Modi said, People from the grassroots are connected to me. Especially the younger generation, which did not see the bure din who were 5 or 10 years old before 2014. They think space reforms are happening, Chandrayaan is happening, Digital India is happening, startups are coming up, we are becoming the hubs of clean hydrogen and pharma. They think we are ready for the world. When such a person sees we are exporting mobile phones, he is proud that we are second in the world as mobile exporters The youth is weaving their dreams with my success and building a strong thread for a guarantee of their bright future.

When asked why he was confident of a victory, Modi said, Firstly, the word nervousness is not in my dictionary. Secondly, I have done jeevan tapasya (penance in my life). Every minute, I have worked hard for the country. I have not worked for myself. I have worked day and night for people because I know they deserve better. Injustice has been done to them for 60-70 years. When someone wipes their tears, builds toilets for them, they cant forget it. During the Covid crisis, we did not let the kitchen fires go out, did not let their children sleep hungry. There was a government which had said there were food grains in warehouses, but they couldnt distribute it. And there is our government which is determined to not let any kitchen fire go cold.
Uttar Pradesh witnessed an average voter turnout of nearly 58.09 percent in the 13 constituencies that went to polls on Monday in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Barring a few incidents of scuffle and Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) malfunctioning, the state election commission said polling was concluded peacefully on all the 13 seats  Shahjahanpur (SC), Kheeri, Dhaurahra, Sitapur, Hardoi (SC), Mishrikh (SC), Unnao, Farrukhabad, Etawah (SC), Kannauj, Kanpur, Akbarpur and Bahraich (SC).

As per the data shared by the state election commission, the voter turnout in constituencies was  Shahjahanpur (SC) 53.24, Kheeri 64.73, Dhaurahra 61.91, Hardoi (SC) 57.57, Mishrikh (SC) 55.79, Unnao 55.44. Farrukhabad 58.97, Etawah (SC) 56.38, Kannauj 61.00 Kanpur 53.06. Akbarpur 57.66, Bahraich (SC) 57.45 and assembly sub-constituency 136-Dadraul 53.31 percent.

Polling in all 13 Lok Sabha Seats went out peacefully. In order to ensure a free and fair voting process, webcasting was arranged at a total of 14,126 polling places, which was supervised at all three levels by the District Election Officer, Chief Electoral Officer and Election Commission of India, said Navdeep Rinwa, State Chief Election Officer while addressing the press late on Monday evening.

Rinwa said that webcasting videography was also arranged at 5,420 polling stations. By categories eligible for postal ballot voting in the fourth phase (such as voters above 85 years of age, Divyangjan, Essential Services and Polling Personnel), postal ballots were cast by 35,045 voters.

In the 13 Lok Sabha seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had repeated 11 sitting MPs and named two new candidates  Ramesh Awasthi from Kanpur and Anand Kumar from the Bahraich-SC seat. The Samajwadi Party, a key member of the opposition INDIA bloc, had fielded candidates on 11 Lok Sabha seats in this phase, while the Congress had fielded its candidates on two seats  Kanpur (Alok Misra) and Sitapur (Rakesh Rathor).

Of these seats, the fourth phase of the LS Polls witnessed a high-profile poll battle in two constituencies  Lakhimpur Kheri and Kannauj. The BJP had fielded Union minister Ajay Mishra Teni, whose son is an accused in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, from Kheri. On the Kannauj seat, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav contested as SPs candidate.

On the day of voting, Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP of rigging polls, claiming there were complaints of voting being disrupted in polling booths. As soon as I arrived, the goons ran away from the booths, claimed the SP chief at Chhibramau in Kannauj district.

Dip in Voter Turnout

Rinwa, while comparing the voters turnout with that of the 2019 Lok Sabha Polls, said that the average voter turnout on these 13 Lok Sabha Seat in the 2019 Election was 58.75 per cent.

Though the average voter turnout was just a little low from the past figures, this was not the first time when the average voter turnout remained low. The countrys most populous state, UP, witnessed a 57.34 per cent polling percentage in the 10 constituencies in the third phase, held on May 7, which was 2.58 per cent lower in comparison to that in 2019. Prior to this, the first phase of 2024 elections in eight parliamentary constituencies saw a 5 per cent decline in voter turnout in comparison to 2019 elections on the same seats. In phase-1 polling on April 4, the turnout was 61.11 per cent whereas in 2019, the turnout in eight constituencies was 66.37 per cent.

A similar trend was witnessed in the second phase polling (April 26) on eight Lok Sabha seats. There was a 6.71 per cent decline in turnout in 2024 polls in comparison to 2019. In the 2024 election, 55.19 per cent voter turnout was recorded whereas the 2019 election saw 61.90 per cent turnout in eight LS constituencies in the first phase.

Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Schedule, Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase And Much More At News18 Website
Historically, it is not uncommon for a candidate to contest from two Lok Sabha constituencies. Recently, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi filed his nomination from Raebareli after contesting from Keralas Wayanad in the second phase on April 26.

Not just Rahul Gandhi, Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik has filed nomination from two seats  Kantabanji and Hinjili  in the simultaneous state assembly elections.

What Does the Law Say?

According to the Representation of People Act, 1951, an individual is legally permitted to simultaneously contest elections from the two Lok Sabha constituencies.

Section 70 of the Representation of People Act stipulates that a candidate can hold only one seat at a time regardless of whether he or she has won from more than one seat.

The provision bars individuals from contesting multiple seats in the Lok Sabha, ensuring representation is not concerned in the hands of one individual. It also promotes fair elections.

A subsection, 33 (7), of the Act, allowing a candidate to contest from two seats, was introduced through an amendment in 1996. Prior to this, there was no bar on the number of constituencies from which a candidate could contest.

What if the Candidate Wins from Both Seats?

The individual can hold only one seat at a time if elected from both. If a candidate wins from two seats, a byelection is necessary from the seat he or she vacates. The opposition to a candidate contesting from many seats was basically due to the fact that many byelections had to be conducted after polls were over.

Over the years, the Election Commission (EC) has supported arguments that candidates should be restricted to contesting from one seat, citing the waste of public money and resources in holding a bypoll if a candidate were to win both seats.

How Many Times the Rule Was Contested?

In 2023, lawyer and BJP member Ashwini Upadhyay petitioned the Supreme Court (SC) to declare Section 33(7) of the Representation of People Act invalid. He said, as quoted by Business Standard, My petition argued that since one person one vote is a foundational principle of our democracy, so should be one candidate one constituency. The SC dismissed the petition, arguing that it was a matter of legislative policy.

Upadhyay maintained that the current law needs amending, with Law Commission and EC reports arguing restricting the number of seats for a candidate to one.

In 2002, the National Commission recommended discouraging Independent candidates, who are often dummy candidates or defectors from their parties, from contesting the polls.

To discourage non-serious candidates from contesting the polls, the EC increased the security deposits, which were Rs 250 for an assembly seat and Rs 500 for a Lok Sabha seat, to Rs 10,000 and Rs 25,000, respectively, for general seats, and Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively, for seats reserved for Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste candidates.

In July 2004, the Chief Election Commissioner urged the Prime Minister to amend Section 33(7), or else the candidate contesting from two seats should bear the cost of the bypoll to the seat that the contestant decides to vacate in the event of winning both seats. It suggested the candidate should contribute Rs 5 lakh for holding a bypoll on an Assembly seat and Rs 10 lakh on a Lok Sabha seat.

The Law Commission in its 255th report in 2015 agreed with the ECs suggestion of allowing a candidate to contest one Lok Sabha seat.

Politicians Who Contested from Two Seats

In 1957, former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, spelt Atal Behari Bajpai in the EC records of the time, contested from three seats in Uttar Pradesh  Mathura, Lucknow, and Balrampur, winning Balrampur on the Jana Sangh ticket. In 1962, he contested from two seats as he did in 1991.

Naveen Patnaiks father and founder of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Biju Patnaik contested from four Assembly and one Lok Sabha seats in Odisha in 1971.

In the 1980 Lok Sabha Election, and after her loss in 1977, former prime minister Indira Gandhi, for the only time in her electoral career, contested from two seats  Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradeshs (now in Telangana) Medak, winning both.

She defeated Vijaya Raje Scindia in Raebareli, and in Medak, her opponents included Janata Partys S Jaipal Reddy and human computer Shakuntala Devi. Indira Gandhi retained Medak, with Arun Nehru winning the subsequent bypoll in Rae Bareli. However, the list of her opponents in Raebareli that year also included Madan Lal Dhartipakad and Bhagwati Prasad Dixit. Madan Lal also contested that year against Charan Singh in Baghpat and Atal Bihari Vajpayee in New Delhi.

In 1989, former deputy prime minister Devi Lal contested from three seats in three states, Rohtak (Haryana), Sikar (Rajasthan), and Ferozepur (Punjab), winning from the first two.

In 1991, Bahujan Samaj Partys Mayawati contested from three seats, Bijnor, Bulandshahr, and Haridwar, losing all three.

In 1999, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi contested from Amethi in UP and Bellary in Karnataka. She won both the seats but chose to represent Amethi. She defeated veteran Sushma Swaraj in Bellary. Since the 2004 general election, Sonia Gandhi has been representing and winning Raebareli. This time, she has given up the seat for his son Rahul Gandhi, who will contest from Raebareli, which will go to polls on May 20.

In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi fought the Lok Sabha Election from Vadodara in Gujarat and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, and won both the seats. He retained Varanasi. PM Modi is expected to file his nomination from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat today.

In 2019, Rahul Gandhi contested from two constituencies  Amethi in UP and Wayanad in Kerala. He only won from the Wayanad seat.
Mumbai witnessed a massive storm on Monday, which turned into a tragedy after a huge hoarding in Ghatkopar collapsed killing 14 people. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team is leading the rescue operation, which is expected to continue till Tuesday evening.

A 120-foot-by-120-foot billboard was situated beside a petrol pump at Pant Nagar on the Eastern Express Highway, which collapsed at 4.30 pm on Monday after gusty winds lashed the city. Most of the victims were either refuelling or seeking refuge when the billboard collapsed, and around 100 people got trapped underneath it.

According to NDRF inspector Gaurav Chauhan, since the accident had taken place at the petrol pump, his team could not use metal cutters for dismantling the metal sheets of the billboard. Instead of a hydraulic crane, they used a manual hydraulic cutters for clearing the debris.

According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), 75 people were injured in the accident, of which 44 are currently admitted to hospitals, and 32 of them have been discharged.

What is BMC Policy on Hoardings?

As per the BMC, a notice was sent to the private agency, Ego Media, that maintains billboards, asking to bring down the hoarding and dismantle the structure due to violations. It pointed out that the BMC allows a maximum hoarding size of 40X40 feet, but the billboard that collapsed was 120X120 feet.

The BMCs tree department had also registered a complaint with the police against the owner in December 2023 after the trees planted around the billboard mysteriously perish, as per a report by The Indian Express.

The Government Railway Police (GRP) in a statement said the process of removal of hoardings began after the BMC sent them a letter last week. The BPCL petrol pump and the hoardings were managed by the Railway Police Welfare Fund Association since 2021.

The GRP appointed a private agency, Ego Media, in 2021 to set up billboards and had issued a NOC as well, as per The Indian Express report. The hoarding space was given out on rent to the agency under then GRP commissioner Quaiser Khalid for a period of 10 years, the GRPs statement said.

BMC receives Rs 100 crore revenue through 1,025 legal hoardings in Mumbai. As per rules, the BMC should seek a structural audit of hoardings every two years. There seems to be no uniformity in norms among the different approving authorities within BMC.

Who Is Ego Media Owner Bhavesh Bhinde?

Bhavesh Bhinde is the director at Ego Media Media Pvt Ltd advertising agency responsible for erecting the hoarding at Ghatkopar. Bhinde and others have been booked under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 337 (causing hurt to another person by acting rashly or negligently) of the Indian Penal Code.

The BMC has issued a notice to Ego Media, demanding the removal of eight other hoardings in the region within 10 days. It has also threatened to cancel licences for any hoardings in the 24 civic wards.

There are non-cognisable offences registered against him, including 23 criminal cases, as per reports. He had contested the 2009 state assembly elections from Mulund. There are also cases of tree poisoning registered against him by the BMC.

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya has alleged that he has absconded with his family. Mumbai police is working hard to track him.

How Did the Hoarding Collapse?

Reports suggest that the location where the billboard was erected has marshy soil. There are reports that soil testing was neglected during the construction phase.

With a towering height exceeding 100 feet, the construction of a robust foundation for the billboard should have been paramount. For such a height, the foundation ought to have reached a depth of at least 7-8 metres into the ground. However, it has been revealed that the foundation fell significantly short, measuring less than 3 metres in depth, as per an India TV report.

Regulations mandate the use of concrete material for construction but the foundation was built using soil and large stones.

There were several acres of open area in front of the billboard. When the storm struck, the wind pressure exerted directly onto the oversized billboard and uprooted it. If the billboard had adhered to standard size regulations, it might have been better equipped to withstand the force of the wind.

What Had Bombay HC Said About Illegal Hoardings?

The high court had rapped the Maharashtra government in December against illegal hoardings and banners. The bench sought to know whether the writ of law enforcing agencies will prevail or those who dont follow law while dealing with such cases and directed all civic bodies to take action against illegal hoardings and banners.

The BMC had submitted an affidavit which said as per earlier directions two police personnel have to accompany civic staff at the time of removal of illegal hoardings so as to avoid a law and order situation.

The court also said civic staffers do not require to be accompanied by police personnel for removal of each and every hoarding as not all would lead to a law and order situation.

In February this year, the High Court issued stringent directives concerning the proliferation of illegal hoardings, stating that no political party, religious organisation, or commercial entity can exploit public spaces for personal gains through advertising. No individual or group of individuals be it a political party or commercial or religious organisation can legally be permitted to utilise footpaths, street lights, roads for personal gains and advertisement, especially keeping in view the hazard caused to the pedestrian and other users of roads," the court had said.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will take action against his close aide Bibhav Kumar, senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh said on Tuesday. The development comes a day after AAP Rajya Sabha MP and former Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal alleged that Bibhav Kumar assaulted her at the Chief Ministers Delhi residence.

Issuing a response on Maliwals allegation, Singh admitted that Bibhav Kumar assaulted and misbehaved with the former DCW chief at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals civil lines residence in the national capital.

Yesterday an incident took place. At the residence of Arvind Kejriwal, an incident of misbehaviour took place with Swati Maliwal by Bibhav Kumar. Swati Maliwal has informed about this incident to the Delhi Police. This is a condemnable incident. Arvind Kejriwal has taken cognizance of the incident and has directed for strict action in the incident, AAP leader Sanjay Singh said in an official statement.

Swati Maliwal Alleges Assault By Kejriwals Aide

Swati Maliwal on Monday alleged that Bibhav Kumar from Kejriwals personal staff attacked and assaulted her while she was at the CMs residence. Following this, she made two PCR calls to Delhi Police and later went to the Civil Lines Police Station.

We received a PCR call at 9:34 AM wherein the caller said that she has been assaulted inside the CM residence. Accordingly, local police & SHO responded to the call. After some time, MP Swati Maliwal came to the police station civil lines. No complaint was given by her. In this matter, no complaint has been received till now, said DCP (North) Manoj Meena.

Who Is Bibhav Kumar?

Bibhav Kumar recently made headlines in April after the Delhi vigilance department sacked him from the position of Kejriwals personal secretary citing illegal appointment.

He was sacked in connection to a 2007 case against him for assault and use of criminal force to obstruct a public servant from doing his duty. In February, meanwhile, he was also summoned by the ED in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.

Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Schedule, Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase And Much More At News18 Website
Delhi police have arrested a 40-year-old man for allegedly stealing jewellery and other valuables from the handbags of co-passengers on various flights. The accused, Rajesh Kapoor, booked at least 200 flights under his dead brothers name, and travelled for more than 110 days during the past year to commit thefts, police said.

Kapoor was arrested from Paharganj, where he allegedly kept the stolen jewellery. Police also arrested one Sharad Jain, 46, from Karol Bagh.

Kapoor was planning to sell the stolen jewellery to Jain, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Indira Gandhi International Airport) Usha Rangnani said.

As per police, two separate cases of thefts were reported on separate flights in the past three months, after which a dedicated team from IGI Airport was formed to nab the culprits.

On April 11, a passenger lost her jewellery worth Rs 7 lakh while travelling from Hyderabad to Delhi. Another theft was reported on February 2, where a passenger had lost jewellery items worth Rs 20 lakh while he was travelling from Amritsar to Delhi.

During investigations, CCTV footage from Delhi and Amritsar airports and the flight manifests were analysed by the police. A suspect was shortlisted as he was seen on both flights on which theft incidents were reported.

The phone number of the suspected passenger was obtained from the airlines concerned, but he had provided a fake number at the time of booking, the officer said.

After technical surveillance, Kapoors original phone number was traced and he was caught, she added.

On sustained interrogation, he confessed to being involved in five such cases, including one in Hyderabad. He disclosed that he spent most of the cash on online and offline gambling.

According to police, Kapoor was found involved in 11 cases of theft, gambling and criminal breach of trust, out of which five cases were of airport.

Another police officer said Kapoor would target vulnerable passengers, particularly elderly women travelling internationally.

Recognising the tendency of such passengers to carry valuables in their handbags, he strategically travelled in premium domestic flights, notably Air India and Vistara, bound for destinations like Delhi, Chandigarh, and Hyderabad, the officer said.

Explaining the modus operandi, the officer said exploiting the chaos of boarding, Kapoor would secretly rifle through overhead cabins, carefully assessing and stealing valuables from unsuspecting victims handbags while passengers settled into their seats.

On several occasions, after zeroing in on its target, he even got his seat changed from the airline to sit near the target, he said.

His method, carefully timed to coincide with the distractions inherent in the boarding process, allowed him to operate undetected.

To further evade detection, Kapoor employed a deceptive tactic  booking tickets under his deceased brothers name  to shield his identity from both airlines and law enforcement agencies.

(With PTI Inputs)

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A 57-year-old man, who had allegedly killed a woman 17 years ago and locked her body in a trunk and fled, was arrested from Rohini. The accused, identified as Virender Singh from Bihars Vaishali district, came to Delhi in 1991 and was working as a taxi driver, but got into the flesh trade in 2001 to earn easy money, police said.

According to the police, he purchased the victim for Rs 10,000 and was bringing young girls from West Bengal to use in the flesh trade. He killed the 22-year-old woman at his rented apartment in 2007 and kept the body locked in a trunk, the police added.

While the body was found the next day, Singh had already escaped to West Bengal, police said. After killing her, the accused fled the city. However, during investigation, co-accused Shankar Ghosh was arrested by the local police, said deputy commissioner of police (crime) Amit Goel, adding that the accused was declared a proclaimed offender in 2008.

Goel further said an assistant sub-inspector of the crime branch was posted at the Kalkaji police station and was the beat officer of the area where the woman was killed. He continued to probe the case despite being transferred. He again started gathering information about the accused through people directly or indirectly involved in the flesh trade. He got to know that Singh is hiding in Haryanas Panipat. Raids were conducted, but the accused could not be traced as he was changing his rented accommodation frequently, he said.

The police further said in February, the ASI was transferred to the crime branch and he started investigating the case again. This time he was able to find the mobile number of the accused and he was identified from the database of tenants. He was apprehended from the Vijay Vihar area in Rohini, the DCP said.

On June 4, 2007, as the victim refused to go to work due to illness, the accused killed her and kept the body locked in a trunk, hid it in his rented accommodation and fled to West Bengal, Goel said, adding that he stayed in a womans house in Siliguri. The body was found the next day, he added.

In 2009, he came to Ambala and joined his friend Labhoo in the flesh trade. In 2013, he shifted to Panipat and continued to carry out the same business. He came back to Delhi in 2019 and started living in Vijay Vihar, the officer said.

(With PTI inputs)

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External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said the deployment of forces at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China is abnormal and the security of the country should not be disregarded. Speaking at an event organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) here, Jaishankar said India responded to the Galwan clash by counter-deployment of forces there.

After 1962, Rajiv Gandhi went to China in 1988 in many ways that were the key step towards normalising the ties (with China) there was a clear understanding that we will discuss our boundary differences but we will maintain peace and tranquility on the border. And the rest of the relationship will carry on, the minister said.

Since then, it has been the basis of the relationship with China, he said. What changed now is what happened in 2020. In 2020, the Chinese, in violation of multiple agreements, brought a large number of forces to our border and they did it at the time when we were under Covid lockdown, he said.

A total of 20 Indian soldiers died in the Galwan Valley clash, regarded as the worst in more than four decades at the India-China border.

Jaishankar said India responded by counter deployment of forces and, for four years now, they have been deployed ahead of the normal base positions at Galwan. This is a very abnormal deployment along the LAC. Given the tension between the two countries As Indian citizens, none of us should disregard the security of the country it is today a challenge, he said.

There is also an economic challenge, he said, which is due to neglect of the manufacturing and infrastructure sectors in the previous years. Why is Indian business buying so much from China Is it good to be dependent on some other source? he asked.

Jaishankar said there is a big economic security debate in the world. Countries feel today that many core businesses must stay within the country. The supply chain should be shorter and reliable In the sensitive sectors, we will be careful There is a national security obligation, he said.

Regarding Russia, the external affairs minister said Indias relations with Russia had been positive. There is also an economic factor as Russia is endowed with natural resources such as oil, coal and metals of various kinds that India can obtain, Jaishankar said.

He said what the country achieved in the last 10 years is extremely commendable, with the GDP poised to touch $5 trillion in the next few years. Proper focus was not given to the manufacturing and infrastructure sector earlier, and the erstwhile license and permit Raj had created hostility to growth, he said.

Many states including this one (West Bengal), there had been a culture of hostility to growth while job creation has become a challenge, Jaishankar said.

He added: Today, the economic growth rate is a source of hope for all. India has returned to a high growth path and emphasis has been given to building infrastructure and revival of manufacturing.

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Could the 16 lives, lost after a billboard came crashing on them in Ghatkopar after a dust storm on Monday, have been saved? Yes, if the authorities had conducted the necessary checks in the wake of two similar incidents in neighbouring Pune  one last month, in which, fortunately, there were no casualties, or last year, which saw five deaths. They were even reminded to do so by a Ghatkopar resident last year, who mentioned the 2017 Pune incident in which five lives were lost.

ALSO READ | Mumbai Hoarding Collapse: Owner Earlier Booked in Rape Case, Fined 21 Times Before for Illegal Billboards

The 120120-sq ft illegal billboard fell at a petrol pump at Chheda Nagar junction along the Eastern Eastern Expressway after a dust storm and unseasonal rain, with winds at a speed of over 96 kmph, lashed Mumbai. While 16 people died, 74 suffered injuries in the incident. Moreover, an under-construction metal parking tower collapsed on a road in Wadala on Monday, leaving three injured.

As of now, Bhavesh Bhinde, director at Ego Media Media Pvt Ltd advertising agency, who erected the hoarding at Ghatkopar, has been booked under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 337 (causing hurt to another person by acting rashly or negligently) of the Indian Penal Code. His firm has been asked to pull down their eight hoardings in the area.

#BreakingNews | RAP sheet of the hoarding owner accessed after the billboard collapsed in Mumbai; FIR filed@kotakyesha shares more details @vinivdvc brings you the ground report @akankshaswarups | #MumbaiHoardingCollapse #VivekPhansalkar pic.twitter.com/KFfUEvpd3q News18 (@CNNnews18) May 14, 2024

THE PUNE INCIDENTS

On April 17, 2024, following heavy rain and wind a hoarding collapse on a vehicle at the Ubale Nagar bus stop in Wagholi, Pune. No casualties were reported. On April 18, 2023, five people were killed and two injured as an iron hoarding collapsed on them at a service road in Pimpri-Chinchwad along the Mumbai-Pune highway. The incident took place in Ravet Kivale area. On October 5, 2017, four people were killed when a 40-ft metal hoarding fell on people waiting at a traffic signal near Juna Bazar in Pune.

THE LETTER

Ghatkopar resident Salim Magbul Pathan had written to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in August last year, raising concerns about the hoarding.

ALSO READ | Mumbai Billboard Collapse Sparks Blame Game Between BMC, Railways Over Land Ownership

His letter surfaced on the social media on Tuesday. He received a reply that it came under the jurisdiction of the Government Railway Police (GRP). There was no follow-up on his complaint by the GRP.

@SalimPathan78 social activist had raised the issue of regarding illegal hoarding. But @RailMinIndia @WesternRly @Central_Railway @CMOMaharashtra they not taken any action now today in huge Cyclone that hoarding has been Down. U are the responsible @MumbaiPolice take FIR pic.twitter.com/y9BfxfUrby Discovery of maharashtra news (@discoveryofmaha) May 13, 2024

SO MANY WARNINGS

The BMC said it had warned the railways of the dangerous nature of the boards. In the blame game after the incident, the BMC showed a letter stating the railways gave permission for the hoarding, while the railways have claimed the land didnt belong to them.

The GRP in a statement said the process of removal of hoardings began after the BMC sent them a letter last week. The BPCL petrol pump and the hoardings were managed by the Railway Police Welfare Fund Association since 2021.

Meanwhile, the high court had rapped the Maharashtra government in December against illegal hoardings and banners. In February this year, the High Court had issued stringent directives concerning the proliferation of illegal hoardings, stating that no political party, religious organisation, or commercial entity can exploit public spaces for personal gains through advertising.

BMC will file a complaint against Railway and Advertising company Ego Media in the matter of the hoarding falling incident in Ghatkopar which injured at least 35 people. The complaint will be filed for registering FIR under the Disaster Management Act: BMC PRO https://t.co/iFVxcHBQ4R ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2024

WHY CHECKS AND ACTION MATTER

The checks would have easily led to the fact that the permissible size for billboards is a maximum of 4040 sq ft, but the one that collapsed was 120120 sq ft.

Under the civic scanner for a year, the BMCs tree department had registered an official complaint with the police against Ego Media for violating protocols in December 2023. It had again approached the police for action two weeks ago in April.

The BMC on Tuesday started taking down the remaining hoardings on the GRP land at Chheda Nagar and has prepared a plan to raze the remaining hoardings on the GRP land. Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde has now ordered a structural audit of all hoardings in Mumbai.

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Scaffolding Collapsed in Wadala, FIR Filed At Wadala, due to gusty winds, a scaffolding had collapsed, wherein 3 people were injured and 18 vehicles were damaged. Mumbai police have registered an FIR in this case as well.

Mumbai Billboard Collapse: Petrol Pump Attendant Killed in Hoarding Collapse, Got Job Few Months Back Sachin Yadav (23), one of the victims of the hoarding collapse, had landed a job as an attendant at the ill-fated BPCL petrol pump in Ghatkopar just a couple of months ago, a family member said on Tuesday. Yadav is one of the 14 people who were killed when a 120 x 120 square feet illegal hoarding collapsed on a petrol pump in the Chheda Nagar area due to gusty winds during dust storms and rains that lashed the city on Monday.

Mumbai Billboard Collapse: Central Railway Orders Structural Audit of Hoardings in Its Zones In the wake of the hoarding collapse incident in Mumbais Ghatkopar that claimed the lives of 14 persons, the Central Railway (CR) authorities have directed all its five divisions to conduct an audit of all such structures in their respective zones, officials said.

Mumbai Billboard Collapse: Action Against Illegal Hoardings in Pune Action has already been taken against more than 1,500 illegal hoardings in Pune city, the civic body said on Tuesday in the wake of the hoarding collapse incident in Mumbais Ghatkopar area which claimed 14 lives. There were 1,564 illegal temporary hoardings and posters in the city, Pune Municipal Corporations commissioner Rajendra Bhosale said.

Mumbai Billboard Collapse: BMC To Act Against All Illegal Hoardings A day after the collapse of an illegal hoarding claimed 14 lives in Ghatkopar, the Mumbai civic body on Tuesday said it would take action against all hoardings erected without its permission.

Mumbai Hoarding Collapse: DDMS Directs To Remove Remaining 3 Hoardings District Disaster Management Authority asked the GRP to remove the remaining three hoardings immediately to prevent any calamity.

Mumbai Hoarding Collapse: BMC Commissioner Visits Accident Site Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Bhushan Gagrani visited the incident site where a hoarding collapsed in the Chheda Nagar area of Ghatkopar. He inspected the rescue operations and took stock of the situation. Municipal Commissioner & Administrator Shri. Bhushan Gagrani visited the incident site where a hoarding collapsed in Chheda Nagar area of Ghatkopar. He inspected the rescue operations and took stock of the situation. Joint Municipal Commissioner (Municipal Commissioners Office) pic.twitter.com/9A3yY1Usju   Mumbai,  BMC (@mybmc) May 14, 2024

Mumbai Hoarding Collapse: Owner Bhavesh Bhinde's Criminal History The owner of the billboard in Ghatkopar area, which killed 14 people after it came crashing down amid heavy rain and dust storm on Monday (May 13), is a rape accused and has been penalised at least 21 times in the past for putting up illegal hoardings. READ MORE

Mumbai Hoarding Collapse: What Challenges Were Rescue Teams Facing? Rescue teams were facing a challenge as they cannot use gasoline-powered cutter equipment and oxyfuel cutter which can result in a blast or fire as there is a petrol pump at the site, an official of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said.

Mumbai Hoarding Collapse: Accused Bhavesh Bhinde Was Fined 21 Times For Illegal Billboards Bhavesh Bhinde has NC (non-cognizable) complaints  21 instances about putting up banners without permission. These are under section 328 (putting hoarding without permission) and 471 (fines) of the MMC act.

Mumbai Hoarding Collapse: Absconding Billboard Owner Also An Accuse In Rape Case There was an FIR under section 376 (punishment of rape) of the Indian Penal code filed against Bhavesh Bhinde at Mulund police station earlier this year. This was filed by Bhindes partner in the firm, who had alleged that he had raped her. Bhinde was granted anticipatory bail in the same case from Mulund court. His legal team said that the two were in a relationship and the case against him was false.

Mumbai Hoarding Collapse: All About Bhavesh Bhinde, The Billboard Owner Who Went 'Missing' The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has ordered the removal of remaining hoardings on Government Railway Police (GRP) land at Chheda Nagar in the eastern part of Mumbais Ghatkopar, where at least 14 persons were killed and 74 injured when a 100-feet-tall illegal billboard fell at a petrol pump during massive dust storms and unseasonal rains on Monday. The hoardings on GRP land were installed by Ego Media, a hoarding company and the advertising agency owned by one Bhavesh Bhinde. The BMC has issued a notice to the company for installing the hoarding that collapsed. READ MORE

Hoarding Collapse: Can't Use Gas Cutters at Petrol Pump Site for Fear of Blast, Says NDRF Official An official of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), which is engaged in the search and rescue at the hoarding collapse site in Chheda Nagar here, said they cant use gasoline-powered cutters as the accident site is a petrol pump and it can result in a blast or fire. Two NDRF teams are engaged in the search and rescue operation along with the fire brigade, local disaster response teams, police, and dog squads.

Mumbai: Collapsed Ghatkopar Hoarding Was Under Already Scanner, BMC Wanted To Dismantle It Weeks Ago The huge hoarding which collapsed in Mumbais Ghatkopar area killing at least 14 people was reportedly under the scanner of civic authorities for the past year. As per Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations guideline, billboards of a maximum of 4040 feet are permitted to be installed. However, the one that collapsed was 120120 feet. According to a report by Indian Express, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations tree department had registered an official complaint with the police against Ego Media, the agency that maintains the billboards, for violating protocols in December 2023. It again approached the police two weeks ago in April.READ MORE

Mumbai: Airport Temporarily Halts Flights, Metro Services Disrupted Due To Heavy Rain Mumbais Chhattrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport faced a brief shutdown due to heavy rain and low visibility. Operations were suspended for about 66 minutes, causing 15 flights to divert. According to PTI, operations later resumed at 5.03 pm, the airport operator said in the statement.Due to the inclement weather and dust storms in the city, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) temporarily suspended flight operations for around 66 minutes due to low visibility and gusty winds, the airport operator said in a statement. Stating that the operations resumed at 17:03 hours, the statement added, during this period, the airport witnessed 15 diversions. CSMIA had only last week completed its pre-monsoon runway maintenance successfully to ensure safe and smooth aircraft operations. READ MORE

Hoarding Collapse: How Nod for Billboard Given by Police Instead of BMC? Asks Kirit Somaiya A day after a hoarding collapse in Mumbai killed 14 persons and injured several others, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya asked how the permission for erecting the billboard was given by a police officer when the city civic body is the authority for it. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the former MP also claimed permissions for the hoarding and a petrol pump (where the billboard collapsed) were given when Uddhav Thackeray was the chief minister of Maharashtra. Had the then director general of police been strict, such a hoarding would not have come up, he said. Somaiya also said the permission on paper was given for a 40 feet hoarding whereas the billboard which collapsed was 120 feet tall.

Mumbai Hoarding Collapse LIVE: Shiv Sena (UBT) Demands Action Against BMC, Railway State Commissioners Mumbai, Maharashtra: On the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse incident, Uddhav faction leader and spokesperson Anand Dubey says, Even after such an unfortunate incident happening, BJP and its leader Ram Kadam is not refraining from doing politicsThe size of a normal hoarding is 40/40 but the hoarding that collapsed its size was 120/120State Railway Police even gave permission for itWhen will action be taken against the BMC Commissioner and Railway State Commissioner? This is a complete failure of the State Government and BMC All the big leaders of Maharashtra are busy doing political rallies.

Mumbai: Ego Media's Bhavesh Bhinde Responsible For Billboard Collapse, Says BJP's Kirit Somaiya Mumbai: On the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse incident, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya says, Bhavesh Bhinde (Ego Media), responsible for this incident, has absconded with his family. I have demanded the police to declare him a fugitive. Bhavesh Bhindes Ego Media has made more than 2 dozen illegal hoardings I have demanded Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde & Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis, to thoroughly inspect and remove all the illegal hoardings, that were put up in 2020, 2021 and 2022 in Mumbai

After Billboard Collapse, BMC to Take Down Remaining Hoardings on GRP Land The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will on Tuesday start taking down the remaining hoardings on Government Railway Police (GRP) land at Chheda Nagar in the eastern part of Mumbai, where 14 people lost their lives after a billboard collapsed during a dust storm, an official said. At least 14 persons were killed and 74 injured after a 100-feet-tall illegal billboard fell at a petrol pump in Ghatkopar during dust storms and unseasonal rains that lashed the city on Monday. The civic body has prepared a plan to raze the remaining hoardings on the GRP land, the official said.
Hello, readers! In todays noon digest, News18 brings to you the latest updates on PM Modis Lok Sabha nomination from Varanasi, Mumbai hoarding collapse, White Houses Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) Heritage Month, bomb threat in Delhi hospitals and other stories.

PM Modi Files Nomination Papers In Varanasi Amid NDAs Show of Strength, To Address BJP Workers

Na Mai Yaha Aaya Hoon, Na Mujhe Kisi Ne Bheja Hai, Mujhe Toh Maa Ganga Ne Bulaya Hai (Neither have I come here nor has anyone sent me, Mother Ganga has called me), said Narendra Modi, then Chief Minister of Gujarat as he filed his nomination from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat in 2014. Recalling the same remark on Tuesday as he filed his nomination for the third time from Varanasi, Modi said that mother Ganga had adopted him and his bond with Kashi is similar to a mothers relation with her son. READ MORE

Mumbai: Collapsed Ghatkopar Hoarding Was Under Already Scanner, BMC Wanted To Dismantle It Weeks Ago

The huge hoarding which collapsed in Mumbais Ghatkopar area killing at least 14 people was reportedly under the scanner of civic authorities for the past year. As per Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations guideline, billboards of a maximum of 4040 feet are permitted to be installed. However, the one that collapsed was 120120 feet. READ MORE

Video: Saare Jahaan Se Accha Echoes Through Halls Of White House, Guests Feast On Paani Puris

The sound of Muhammad Iqbals legendary song Saare Jahaan Se Accha reverberated through the corridors and stewards served paani puris in the lawns of the White House as the Biden administration celebrated the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) Heritage Month on Monday. READ MORE

Several Delhi Hospitals Receive Bomb Threat Email, Search Operation Underway

A bomb threat email was received at several hospitals, including Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital, GTB Hospital, Dada Dev Hospital, Hedgewar Hospital and others. READ MORE

Woman Toll Staffer Run Over After She Asks Driver to Pay On Delhi-Meerut Expressway | WATCH

An unidentified car driver hit and ran over a woman staffer at the Kashi Toll Plaza on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway on being asked to pay. A video of the incident is now being widely shared on the internet. The viral video shows the unidentified driver engaging with the worker and running her over before abruptly fleeing. READ MORE

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A survivor of the alleged sex scandal involving suspended JDS Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna and his father HD Revanna has urged Karnataka politicians not to politicise our hapless state. Please do not politicise our hapless state. Our lives have been ruined by these demons. But making it an election issue will not make you (politicians) any less a demon than our perpetrators, said one of the survivors who lodged an FIR against Prajwal Revanna and his MLA father.

Not only are the victims terribly traumatised by the alleged sexual and mental abuse they had to endure over years, they said that they are now completely broken after it became an election pitch across party lines. The Prajwal Revanna sex scandal has raised a political storm with the ruling Congress and BJP-JD(S) engaged in a political slugfest amidst the Lok Sabha polls.

The survivors who have come forward have been secured and closely guarded by the SIT investigating the case, but they speak of feeling trapped within themselves, rather than the four walls of their safe house.

If we did not file an FIR, we would have been accused of taking money from a particular party. If we filed an FIR, we are still being accused of taking money from another party. All political parties are the same. Please do not demean our lives by making us a poster campaign especially during these elections, begged the male member of the family of one of the four victims who have come forward to file an FIR.

Speaking over the phone, recounting her horror has been a Herculean task, but the survivor said that she wanted to expose the father-son duo and their demonic acts.

We live in constant fear. It has taken a lot of courage and a lot for people persuading us that they will stand by us that made us come forward. We expect justice. We hope that that man (Prajwal) and his father are given a death sentence for what they have done to us, said one of the survivors whose daughter was also allegedly threatened and sexually abused over video calls.

She recounted the horror of the incident which allegedly took place in 2020 when she was working at the Basavanagudi residence in Bengaluru, as Bhavani (Prajwals mother) had come to the city to shop which she does often.

I was cleaning one of the rooms when suddenly he walked in latched the door and forced himself on me and raped me. He just said nothing will happen, while I pleaded to let me go, the elderly survivor said. The lady said that she was so scared that she could hardly speak to her family and would make a quick call to check on them at around 1 or 2 am in sheer fear.

The daughter of the survivor added, They used to feed her food that was kept in the fridge which was old. My mother did not even tell us what she was going through.

The survivors daughter was also allegedly threatened, emotionally manipulated by claiming her father and mother will be harmed, forcing her to remove her clothes over video calls. It was not just Prajwal, she alleged, even HD Revanna had sexually harassed her mother at their Holenarsipura residence.

The women servants of the house would tremble at the thought of Prajwal being present at their Hassan residence, she claimed. In her statement to the SIT, she spoke of how the male servants of the house would safeguard them by asking them to come to do their household chores after Prajwal left the place. She also spoke of how she was verbally abused and called indecent names. She alleged that Revanna had sexually assaulted her on the pretext of giving her a fruit which he had given to others in the main hall of the house, but asked her to take it from him from a private room inside the house.

The survivor claimed that the Revanna family used their influence to obtain a government site in Holenarasipura in their favour in 2018. The survivors family, after selling their land in KR Nagara taluk, Mysuru district, built a house on the land, but in 2023, Bhavani sent the police to evict them and took over the house.

Forced out of their home, with no place to sleep but the steps that led to their house, losing one job after another the survivor claimed that the powerful political family would ensure they were sacked from every new job they took up to survive. All we want is our house back, she said.

The owner of the small house we have rented after being thrown out of our home has told us to vacate immediately. He said our faces are all over the internet and WhatsApp and he does not want people like us on his premises. We cant even step out, people talk about us in whispers in front of us, said the survivor in a choked voice.

She claimed they (Revanna and Prajwal) have been misusing their power, influence and money to buy the silence of the victims or still physically assault families into submission.

Another survivor, whose video has been widely circulated, who had allegedly been subjected to sexual abuse over four years from 2019, said that she will only speak to the investigating agencies as they have no trust or hope otherwise.

We have no face in society, we quietly endured it thinking it was our fate as we were poor and downtrodden. Now we have taken this fight to the courts. We have nothing with us, we are penniless, fraught with despair with just hope in our hearts and a prayer on our lips, said the survivors family member whose detailed testimony has also been recorded by the SIT.

Many of the victims did not know they were being recorded on video until the clips began to be shared widely on social media platforms bringing the alleged sexual assaults to the fore.

The elderly survivor recalled how on April 24, two days before the polling day, their neighbour came to their home and showed them the video of a lady whose clips had become viral. We got to know that there were videos only when the police showed it to us. We were horrified and numb. They took away everything from us, even our soul, said the survivor and her daughter.

The son of another survivor, who managed to escape from the farmhouse she was allegedly kept captive in, said that the support they have been getting has given them courage.

In the FIR filed by the son of a former maid, he had alleged his mother was kidnapped by Satish Babanna, an aide of the former minister and the JDS MLA on April 29. Babanna had allegedly taken away his mother a few days before the Lok Sabha elections.

Babanna had allegedly dropped his mother back on April 26. He told my parents not to tell anything to the police if they came to our house. He threatened us that we would be booked in a case and told us to alert him if the police came by.

But Babanna returned on April 29 around 9 pm. He told us that if my mother is caught by the police, a case would be registered and all of us will go to jail. He claimed that HD Revanna had told him to bring my mother to him. He forced my mother into accompanying him on his bike, the complainant said.

The complainant got to know later that a video had been circulating of his mother being raped by Prajwal Revanna. They told me that despite my mother pleading to be spared, Prajwal Revanna had raped her.

My mother was in absolute fear that people now know about the videos, but we were there to give her courage and others are supporting us. They (SIT) said, they will stand with us. They treat us well and said dont hesitate or feel ashamed, he said.

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A bomb threat email was received at several hospital including Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital, GTB Hospital, Dada Dev Hospital, Hedgewar Hospital and others.

Search operation underway, said Delhi Fire Service as per news agency ANI.

Delhi | Bomb threat email received at several hospital including Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital, GTB Hospital, Dada Dev Hospital, Hedgewar Hospital and others. Search operation underway: Delhi Fire Service ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2024

This came days after a similar email was received by around 100 schools in Delhi-NCR.

Earlier on May 12, eight city hospitals and IGI Airport received bomb threats through emails, which later turned out to be hoaxes.

The bomb threats were reported from Indira Gandhi International Airport Terminal-3, Burari Hospital, Sanjay Gandhi Hospital, Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Bara Hindu Rao Hospital, Janakpuri Super Speciality Hospital, Deen Dayal Upadhyay and Dabris Dada Dev Hospital, a senior official of the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) said.

Security has been beefed up in all the hospitals in the city and additional police force deployment was made at the airport, however, nothing suspicious has so recovered from any of the locations so far.

On May 1, Around 130 schools in Delhi-NCR received bomb threats, prompting swift evacuation of students from campuses. The Ministry of Home Affairs asked people not to panic, adding that the threats were hoax calls.

Meanwhile, top intelligence sources had hinted that the hoax call might have been intended to create terror.

Bomb scare is a regular feature these days and agencies are trying to find out details from a period. This is happening on a regular frequency now. Similar threats were reported from Bengaluru and even a few schools in Delhi earlier, the intelligence agency sources had told News18.

Notably, four IP addresses suspected to be generated through a Russia-based mailing company, sent from Moscow but without any cyber footprint, have made central agencies struggle to obtain details about the threat mail sent to 131 schools in Delhi-NCR.

Importantly, two IP addresses were traced back to Mumbai by a government operation centre that monitors websites.

The agencies recovered basic technical details, but there is still a breakthrough needed to identify the user of the ID. Additionally, agencies found that the mail may have been sent from the web application and not from the mobile application of Mail.au, which is the largest Russian mailing platform.

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla has also reviewed the situation and pressed on the need to enhance security and regular email monitoring in schools.

The home secretary emphasised the need to prepare detailed protocols and standard operating procedures (SOP) to handle any such situation in the future.

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The Supreme Court has directed the Andhra Pradesh government to immediately constitute teams of officials to take action to stop the illegal mining activities in the state, as prohibited by the National Green Tribunal.

Expressing concern over widespread illegal mechanised sand mining, a bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan criticised the lack of concrete action mentioned in the state governments affidavit against such activities.

Moreover, the court directed the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to depute its officers to the sites mentioned in the application filed by one of the respondents, Nagendra Kumar, to verify whether mining activities have indeed ceased.

The order was passed in a civil appeal filed by Jaiprakash Power Ventures Limited and another against the March 23, 2023 order by the National Green Tribunals Southern Zone, Chennai. The NGT had cancelled the appellants sand mining permits.

On April 29, the top court directed the state and all the concerned authorities to take every possible step to stop illegal sand mining and set the criminal law in motion against those who were indulging in illegal sand mining. The court had also asked the state government to file an affidavit stating the actions taken in compliance of NGTs order.

On May 10, the court observed that the compliance affidavit dated May 8 filed by the state, though referred to the complaint made by respondent Nagendra Kumar regarding illegal mechanised mining carried out by M/s GCKC Projects and Works Private Limited and M/s Prathima Infrastructure Limited, did not mention any concrete action against illegal mechanised mining.

Our attention is invited to the various photographs which prima facie, show that the activity of mechanized mining prohibited by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has continued at various places in the State of Andhra Pradesh. The photographs show the date and time of the photographs as well as longitude and latitude of the places where illegal mining is being carried out, the bench noted.

Therefore, the court issued directions to the state government to immediately constitute teams of officials to curb illegal mining as prohibited by the NGT.

A compliance report shall be filed by the State before this Court on 16th May, 2024, the bench ordered.

The SC also granted four weeks additional time to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to file an affidavit in the matter.

By its order passed in March last year, the NGT had then set aside the amended EC permitting a semi-mechanised method for mining. NGT had held it illegal and directed that the mining operations be stopped forthwith and the project proponents to take fresh EC. It had further imposed environmental compensations on the appellants.

The appellants claimed that the mining operations were carried out under the auspices of the state of Andhra Pradesh by entering into a transparent tender process whereby the Director of Mines and Geology (DMG) through MSTC Limited had called for 3 different tenders in 2021 pertaining to excavation, storage and sale of rover sand in the state for 13 districts.

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Two suspected Bangladeshi terrorists belonging to Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) were arrested in Guwahati on Monday, police said.

Acting on a tip-off, the two Bangladesh nationals, who were illegally staying in India, were nabbed in Guwahati Railway station, a police statement said, adding they were in the city to radicalise youths to join the terror outfit.

They were identified as Bahar Mia from the Brahmanbari district and Rasel Mia from the Netrokona district of Bangladesh.

These cadres are Bangladesh nationals and were illegally staying in India without passport and obtained Indian documents to spread terror network in Assam, the statement said.

They are suspected cadres of ABT, an affiliate of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), which is banned in the country along with all its affiliated groups.

Incriminating documents, including Aadhaar and PAN cards, suspected to be fake, were seized from them, the statement said.

Explore in-depth coverage of voting in Telangana , Odisha , and Andhra Pradesh during Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 4 polling.
The 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival is here. It is indeed a one-of-a-kind gathering of celebrities, filmmakers, actors, and film aficionados. Cannes is regarded as one of the years most extensively discussed and anticipated events, and it also serves as a runway for celebrities to show off their stunning ensembles. Once again, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Aditi Rao Hydari will be seen at the Cannes Film Festival 2024. As LOreal Paris brand ambassadors, the actors will walk the red carpet, serving up some iconic fashion moments. As you eagerly wait for their Cannes 2024 look, heres a look back at what they wore last year.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is a Cannes regular, and her red carpet looks grab headlines every year. For her red carpet appearance in 2023, the actress went big and bold. Aishwarya Rai looked ethereal on the red carpet at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, wearing a one-of-a-kind Sophie Couture gown. Aishwaryas hooded costume, which included lightweight aluminium accents, sparkling embellishments, and a characteristic tight corset, was part of the labels Cannes Capsule Collection. The exquisite black bow that reaches to the bottom of the form-fitting gown is certainly worth emphasising.

For another look at Cannes 2023, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, the original beauty queen, made a colourful statement in Valentinos beautiful cape dress with emerald green sequins. She wore the look so effortlessly in a snapshot that went viral online. Her gigantic, transparent block heels make a statement on their own.

On the other hand, Aditi Rao Hydari, who is currently ruling over the internet for her performance in Heeramandi, will be seen gracing the red carpet this year again. Last year, she was seen in two of the most memorable outfits. First, she wowed in a magnificent blue gown that oozed utter magnificence. Aditi wore an incredible creation by Oscar de la Renta. The gowns sequined bodice, precisely created to perfection, added an ethereal shimmer that took Aditis outfit to new heights. The sequins emanated a regal allure and the gown featured an asymmetric voluminous skirt with a bow embellishment on the front.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aditi Rao Hydari (@aditiraohydari)

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aditi Rao Hydari (@aditiraohydari)

Aditi Rao Hydari walked the famous red carpet in an incredible strapless yellow gown from Michael Cinco. Her strapless gown had a plunging square neckline, a corseted bodice, a belted waist, layered ruffles on the voluminous skirt, and flower decorations.

The 77th Cannes Film Festival kicks off on Tuesday, May 14. Itll end on Saturday, May 25. It will take place at the Palais des Festivals et des Congres on the French Riviera. The festival will feature A-listers such as Meryl Streep, George Lukas, and Demi Moore, among others.
A recent study by scientists at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York indicates that pregnancy may accelerate biological aging in women. Researchers analyzed reproductive histories and DNA samples from 1,735 participants in a long-term health survey in the Philippines, using six different epigenetic clocks to estimate biological age based on DNA methylation patterns.

The study, which included 825 young women, found that each reported pregnancy was linked to an additional two to three months of biological aging. Women with more frequent pregnancies over a six-year follow-up period exhibited greater increases in biological aging. These findings held true even after accounting for socioeconomic status, smoking, genetic variation, and environmental factors. Notably, the study found no link between increased biological aging and the number of pregnancies fathered by 910 men from the same survey.

Calen Ryan, the lead author and an associate research scientist at the Columbia Aging Center, stated,Our findings suggest that pregnancy speeds up biological aging, and that these effects are apparent in young, high-fertility women. Our results are also the first to follow the same women through time, linking changes in each womans pregnancy number to changes in her biological age.

Ryan highlighted the context, noting that many pregnancies in the baseline measure occurred during late adolescence, a particularly challenging time for young mothers, especially those with limited access to healthcare and resources.

Dr. Sonia Golani, Consultant Gynaecologist and Obstetrician, Bhailal Amin General Hospital in Vadodara, added an insightful perspective, Pregnancy, a journey of unparalleled beauty and sacrifice, unveils a profound interplay between creation and aging within a womans biology. Each heartbeat of a mother-to-be echoes with the delicate dance of cellular aging, revealing the intricate tapestry of lifes chapters. As telomeres shorten amidst the miraculous orchestration of new life, we witness the nuanced dialogue between the gift of maternity and the toll it exacts on the bodys vitality. Yet, amidst the strains of pregnancys stressors, hope gleams like a beacon, for cells possess the remarkable capacity to rebound, to rejuvenate, and to reclaim their vigor postpartum.

Indeed, within the cradle of uncertainty lies the promise of renewal, as the march of time may briefly hasten, only to pause and recalibrate in the gentle rhythm of maternal care.

As science delves deeper into the nexus of pregnancy and aging, we stand poised to unravel the mysteries that shape our understanding of womanhoods divine alchemy. Let us embrace this revelation with reverence, for within its grasp lies the power to empower women on their sacred odyssey of motherhood, safeguarding their legacy of love and vitality for generations to come, Dr Golani signs off.
Travelling the world with your dog can be a dream come true for many pet parents. It allows you to create unforgettable memories with your furry best friend. But, it is important to acknowledge that travelling with a dog is not always sunshine and paw prints. Though many countries have made it extremely convenient for passengers to travel with their pets, there are some countries that have implemented new rules that make travelling a bit difficult.

Speaking on similar lines, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted some new rules in the federal register on Wednesday, May 8, that will take effect on August 1 when a temporary 2021 order expires. The 2021 order suspended bringing in dogs from more than 100 countries where rabies is still an issue.

Emily Pieracci, a rabies expert at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who was involved in drafting the updated regulations, said, This new regulation is going to address the current challenges that were facing. More people travel internationally with their pets, and more rescue groups and breeders have set up overseas operations to meet the demand for pets. Now, about 1 million dogs enter the US each year, reported the Hindustan Times.

Mentioned below are the latest rules by the government that need to be abided by if you are planning to take your dogs with you on your trip to the US.

The new rules require all dogs coming into the state from other countries to be at least 6 months old.

They must be microchipped with a code that can be used to verify rabies vaccination and have completed a new CDC import form.

The new guidelines also require vaccinations for dogs that have visited countries where rabies is common.

The update affects dogs brought in by rescue groups/breeders, and pets travelling with their US owners.

The media outlet further mentioned that there may be other restrictions and requirements depending on where the dog was in the past six months, which may include blood testing from CDC-approved laboratories.

These rules come after four rabid dogs were identified as entering the US in 2015. US officials were worried that more might get through. Moreover, CDC officials also saw an increase in fraudulent or incomplete rabies vaccination certificates. They also noticed that more puppies were denied entry as they werent old enough to be fully vaccinated.

These updated regulations grabbed a range of public opinions, including Angela Passman, a board member for the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association, who supports the new rules and says that it can be especially tricky for families that buy/adopt a dog overseas and then try to bring it to the state. It is definitely more work for the pet owners, but the end result is a good thing for all.

However, Jennifer Skiff, who works for Animal Wellness Action, a Washington-based group focused on preventing animal abuse and assisting organisations in importing animals, stated that some of the changes are unwarranted and expensive, reported the media outlet.
Anurag Basus directorial Metro In Dino has been grabbing attention ever since it was announced. The film cast includes Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Anupam Kher, Neena Gupta, Pankaj Tripathi, Konkana Sensharma, Ali Fazal, and Fatima Sana Shaikh in pivotal roles. Well, to increase the excitement level makers today shared the first look of Ali Fazal and Fatima Sana Shaikh from the set.

A source revealed, Ali and Fatima are being paired for the first time together. They have a great friendship both on and off sets. They have wrapped up two schedules together and will be shooting for another schedule soon in Mumbai. The film promises to be a captivating romantic drama, reminiscent of its predecessor.

Take a look at the picture here:

In the photograph, actors Ali Fazal and Fatima Sana Shaikh are captured alongside director Anurag Basu, appearing soaked in water, indicating they may be filming a scene in the rain. The glimpse offers a tantalizing peek into the world being crafted by Basu and his team. The two actors have become great friends since the shoot began and share a great camaraderie on sets and are being paired opposite each other for the first time in a project.

The movie was originally slated for release on March 29 this year. However, the makers only recently announced a change in its release date. The film is now set to hit the silver screens later this year on September 13, 2024.

The music will be composed by Pritam, who not only composed for Life In A Metro but also worked with Anurag Basu on films like Gangster, Barfi, Jagga, Jasoos and Ludo. Meanwhile, Aditya Roy Kapur is teaming up with Anurag Basu again after Ludoy, that had released on Netflix. Aditya was last seen in The Night Manager, which received positive reviews by the audience.

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.

He added, The storyline is very fresh and relevant, and I look forward to collaborating with amazing artists who bring that essence of contemporary aura with them. As music plays a very important role in any film, I couldnt be happier to be collaborating with my dear friend Pritam, who has literally added life to the characters and story with his work.
Ananya Panday, who is currently busy with the shoot of Call Me Bae, on Tuesday treated her fans with a series of photos. Ananya took to her social handle and shared bikini photos which immediately went viral. Fans dropped heart emojis in the comment section.

Taking to her Instagram handle, Ananya wrote, Forgotten photos from my camera roll (the last pic is a breadstick and its meant to be a cute pic pls calm down). In the photos we can see her flaunting her curves in bikinis. Shanaya Kapoor reacted. Many fans called her beautiful.

Take a look here:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ananya (@ananyapanday)

Recently, Ananya shared a photo of her vanity with Bae written on it. Look whos back, Cant wait to show you guys, read the caption. For her OTT debut, Ananya Panday will be seen essaying the role of a fashionista. The storyline revolves around a billionaire fashionista who, following a scandalous controversy, is disowned by her ultra-rich family and navigates life independently. Last year, in March the first poster of the same was shared. Prime Video revealed that the actress has kick-started the shoot of the series. The caption read, Hey, hey baes, theres a new fashionista in town who is here to stay and definitely slay all the way. Call Me Bae New Series, Now Filming.

Before the poster of the upcoming series was unveiled, Prime Video shared the first glimpse of the show in a hilarious video featuring Ananya and Varun Dhawan. The caption read, Pakki khabar hai guys, Ananya Panday is the new fashionista in the primeverse! Watch this first glimpse and stay tuned. Call Me Bae New Series, Now Filming! The video opens with Varun greeting the viewers by introducing himself as Prime Bae. He continues by saying, Today Im going to reveal Amazon Primes new show, Call Me Bae! Next, we see Ananya in the background talking to the stylist and claiming that Call Me Bae is her show, where I play a total fashion expert just like moi.

Apart from this, Ananya is currently in the news for her rumoured breakup with Aditya Roy Kapur. 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.
Following in the footsteps of Amitabh Bachchan and Anil Kapoor, Hindi film actor Jackie Shroff on Tuesday approached the Delhi High Court (HC) to restrain firms, social media channels, artificial intelligence (AI) apps as well as GIF-making platforms from using his name, voice, image or any other attribute without his consent.

Bar and Bench reported that Justice Sanjeev Narula heard the matter in some detail and issued summons to the defendants. The Court said it will hear the matter on the issue of interim injunction on May 15.

ALSO READ | Jackie Shroff Moves Delhi HC To Protect Personality Rights Over Misuse of His Name, Voice, Pics

SHROFF HOLDS THE TRADEMARK

As per the Intellectual Property India, Shroff holds the trademark Bhidu across multiple classes (application IDs (3227967, 3227968, 3227969), along with Apna Bhidu and Bhidu Ka Khopcha. He had applied for the trademark in April 2016.

DAMAGING REPUTATION, CAUSES CONFUSION

According to Bar and Bench, Shroffs lawyer Pravin Anand told the court that in some instances, offensive memes have been made using his images and that his voice has been misused for similar purposes as well. The court was informed that in certain cases, pornographic material is being created using Shroffs persona.

Anand said that Shroff was not looking to stop parody or satire, but wanted an injunction against merchandising, defamatory and distorted uses of his personality.

ALSO READ | Delhi HC Restrains Misuse of Personality Attributes of Actor Anil Kapoor

It was Shroffs case that several social media companies, stores, social media handles as well as AI tools are using his attributes without authorisation and not only making money from such unauthorised use, but also creating confusion and damaging his reputation. He has made Google-owned Tenor and another GIF making company Giphy as well as AI platforms parties to his suit.

WHAT HAS SHROFF SOUGHT?

Protection of the names  Jackie Shroff, Jackie, Jaggu Dada as well as Bhidu. Attributes cannot be used without his authorisation on any platform. A direction to the Department of Technology and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) to pull down all the links and websites which unlawfully infringe on his personality rights. An injunction against AI tools and platforms using his attributes to create, train and monetise bespoke AI personalities.

WHAT ARE PERSONALITY OR IDENTITY RIGHTS?

Personality rights or the rights over ones name, image, and unique characteristics, are crucial for celebrities. For example, Usain Bolts iconic bolting or lightning pose has been registered as a trademark, ensuring that only he or authorized parties can use it for commercial gain.

ALSO READ | Amitabh Bachchans Image, Name, Voice Cannot Be Used Without Permission, Says Delhi HC

In India, the personality rights are explicitly mentioned in statutes, but are derived from related legal principles  the right to privacy and the right to property, mainly intellectual.

An injunction is a court order that prevents the unauthorised use of rights.

RAJINIKANTH, AMITABH BACHCHAN AND ANIL KAPOOR HAVE DONE IT

Rajinikanth: The Madras High Courts judgment in a case involving actor Rajnikanth in 2015 held that personality rights apply to celebrities. Rajnikanth had filed a lawsuit against the producers of a movie, Main Hoon Rajnikanth, claiming that the films use of his name, image, and style of delivering dialogue infringed on his personality rights. The courts observation became a precedent in subsequent cases.

In January 2023, Rajinikanth issued a notice warning criminal proceedings against anyone who exploited his personality for commercial gain without his permission.

Amitabh Bachchan: In November 2022, the Delhi High Court had passed an interim order restraining persons at large from violating actor Amitabh Bachchans publicity rights. Renowned lawyer Harish Salve appeared for Bachchan, who filed a suit in the High Court, seeking protection of his name, image, voice, and personality attributes. The lawsuit stated that Amitabh Bachchans name was being used by mobile application developers to conduct lotteries illegally, while others were selling T-shirts with his image.

ALSO READ | Anil Kapoor Credits Amitabh Bachchan For Safeguarding Identity Rights: You Have To Protect The

The plaintiff is likely to suffer irreparable loss and harm. Some of the activities may even bring his disrepute It cannot seriously be disputed that the plaintiff (Bachchan) is a well-known personality and is also represented in various advertisements. The plaintiff is aggrieved by the defendants using his celebrity status to promote their own goods and services without his permission or authorisation, Justice Navin Chawla had stated.

Anil Kapoor: In September 2023, the Delhi High Court had restrained the misuse of the name, image, voice and other attributes of persona, including the jhakaas catchphrase, of actor Anil Kapoor for commercial gain. Advocate Pravin Anand, appearing for Kapoor, had said several websites and platforms have been misusing the personality rights of the plaintiff through various activities. Kapoors counsel pointed to the unauthorised sale of merchandise, collection of fees by using his photograph as a motivational speaker, morphing his image in a derogatory manner, and selling pictures with forged autographs and the jhakaas catchphrase, among others.

Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Schedule, Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase And Much More At News18 Website
Yes, Bradley Cooper the Oscars empty-handed but the actor got his two-minute moment to shine. The actor made a surprising cameo on an episode of Abbott Elementary that immediately followed the ceremony. Portraying himself, Bradley Cooper appeared briefly in Melissas classroom, where the students hilariously failed to recognise him during a show-and-tell session.

Months later, his name has been submitted for consideration in the Guest Comedy Actor category at the Emmys, marking a potential milestone in his career. ABC and award strategists have backed his nomination, highlighting the impact of his memorable guest appearance on the hit comedy series.

Il cameo di Bradley Cooper in Abbott Elementary potrebbe ricevere una nomination ai prossimi Emmy Awards pic.twitter.com/SBSjRdHfOW Rebelle Vague (@rebellevague) May 14, 2024

This comes at a time when the Television Academy has already changed the roles for submitting names in the guest actor categories. A brief cameo appearance is not eligible for entry, it states.

However, it still remains uncertain whether an actor like Bradley Cooper or Kevin Hart would constitute a cameo. The minimum stand-alone and contiguous screen time (the performer has an ongoing engagement in the scene, on or off camera) for eligibility is 5% of the total running time of the submitted episode, the academy further clarified. It is also explained that the changes have been made to ensure that the guest performers role is significant to the submitted episode.

With that said, while Coopers Abbott Elementary episode is 20 minutes and 31 seconds long, the actor must at least appear in 5 per cent of the runtime to be eligible. Considering his cameo was for a one-minute and 56-second scene, Cooper has a possibility of bagging the nomination.

On the work front, the Hangover alum is gearing up for the release of John Krasinskis IF. He features as the voice cast for the character of a glass of ice water called Ice.

Kevin Harts Cameo In Abbott Elementary

On the other hand, Kevin Hart also made a cameo in the final minutes of Abbott Elementarys recent episode, Mothers Day. The 21-minute, 37-second episode had the comedian scene in the last minutes for around 28 seconds. However, upon not meeting the required eligibility, Variety has confirmed that Harts name was not submitted as a guest comedy actor at the Emmy Awards 2024.
Ellen DeGeneres is a popular American comedian, television host, actress, and writer in Hollywood. Over the years, her talk show has garnered a lot of viewers and has become extremely popular. Being a comedian, Ellen is set to return to streaming giant Netflix with a new stand-up special. This is the second time she will bring her stand-up special, six years after the last comic show. The special is expected to be released later in 2024 and will be produced by Ben Winston and Fulwell73. Her fans are quite excited about her return to Netflix and are eagerly awaiting the official release date.

Ellen DeGeneres, a veteran comedian and former talk-show host, previously appeared in the 2018 Netflix special Relatable. Relatable was her first stand-up special in 15 years. The popular television host had actually signed a deal with Netflix for two stand-up specials. Apart from having her second stand-up special, Ellen will also kick off a multi-city stand-up tour on June 19 in San Diego, USA. In a statement reported by Variety, Ellen DeGeneres said, To answer the questions everyone is asking me,  Yes, Im going to talk about them. Yes, this is my last special. Yes, Portia really is that pretty in real life.

While this will be her second time on Netflix, her new special will be her first since the end of her popular daytime talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The show ran for 19 seasons, with many celebrities gracing the show with their presence. However, it went off the air after there were allegations of a toxic workplace, as reported by Buzzfeed News. It was also found that there was an internal investigation and that many key executives were fired from the show. Later, DeGeneres took responsibility for the workplace culture and apologised to her staff.

Talking about Ellen, she is also known for her prolific stand-up comedy career, which includes hosting the Oscars, Emmys, and Grammys. Apart from that, she has also created and hosted the popular Ellens Game of Games. Her show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, won 33 Daytime Emmy Awards as well.
Chris Pratt might be slipping into the shoes of his Guardians Of The Galaxy character Star-Lord again for a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie. The actor also expressed his desire to work with James Gunn in the DC Universe. With the conclusion of Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 3 last year, fans have been speculating about Chris Pratt taking on the role of Peter Quill aka Star-Lord one more time for MCU. The rumours kickstarted after the film concluded with a title card hinting at the possibility of Chris Pratts return. In a recent media interaction, the Hollywood star has opened up about the chances of him appearing in both MCU and DC films.

Chris Pratt engaged in an interaction with ComicBook.com for the promotion of his upcoming animated film The Garfield Movie. He lent his voice to the titular character. During the conversation, the host wanted to know whether the Jurassic World actor was looking forward to featuring as Star-Lord in an MCU movie or was thinking of shifting gears to DCU. In his response, Pratt claimed that he wished to be a part of both the superhero worlds.

It probably makes more sense that I would be Star-Lord again. But anything is possible, especially with James over at DC. Maybe there is something that would be right over there. Maybe both. How about both? Lets do both. I think it is 100 per cent both, said Chris Pratt.

Guardians Of The Galaxy ended with a loose thread with Star-Lord aiming to build a life on Earth as the other members part ways. The post-credits scene came with the tagline, The Legendary Star-Lord will return. While this does not confirm Chris Pratts return as the superhero character, it leaves a door open for the same.

Earlier, James Gunn teased the introduction of two Guardians Of The Galaxy cast members in DCU. One among them was Chris Pratt. However, the DC CEO did not want him to play Star-Lord but appear in a different character.

Meanwhile, The Garfield Movie, directed by Mark Dindal is slated to hit the big screens on May 24. Samuel L Jackson, Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames, Nicholas Hoult, Cecily Strong and Snoop Dogg have lent their voices.
Earlier this year, director SS Rajamouli introduced actor Mahesh Babu to his fans in Japan and spoke about his next project, SSMB 29. Rajamouli revealed that the film is in the pre-production process. Now, as per a new report, Mahesh Babu will be limiting his public appearances to keep the look of the upcoming movie under wraps.

Mahesh Babu will be having a certain look in the film, which is unlike anything he has done before, a source informed Pinkvilla. Over the years, SS Rajamouli has surprised the audience with the presentation of stars in his films and his next will be no different. Mahesh Babu too will be going the extra mile and not just work on his body language for the performance, but also work closely with the director on the look.

The source further said that the Telugu superstar will also be undergoing acting workshops and training in new forms of action. He will be cutting down on his public appearances to keep the look under wraps. The work is going on in full swing to take the film on floors by October this year. Several titles are also being considered, but knowing Rajamouli, nothing would be locked till the last minute to keep the intrigue intact, the source added.

Sharing an update on the movie, Rajamouli earlier said, We completed the writing and we are in the pre-production process. But we havent finished the casting yet. Only hero is locked, his name is Mahesh Babu. He is a very good actor. Many of you know him. He is very handsome. Hopefully, we finish the film a little bit fast and during the release I will bring him here.

#SSRajamouli in Japan :"We completed the writing and we are in the pre-production process. Only hero is locked, his name is #MaheshBabu. He is very handsome. Hopefully we finish the film a little bit fast and during the release I will bring him here."#SSRMB #SSMB29 pic.twitter.com/jM49NHC8nP  Gulte (@GulteOfficial) March 19, 2024

SSMB 29 has already generated a massive buzz. Reports have been doing the rounds that SSMB 29 will be Indias Indiana Jones. According to reports, Mahesh Babus character in SS Rajamoulis upcoming film is inspired by Lord Hanuman. Writer Vijayendra Prasad, who has penned the story of the film, revealed in his interview that the makers would be roping in Hollywood actors for an action-adventure set in Africa.
As per reports, Rakhi Sawant has been admitted to the hospital. A bunch of photos have been going viral on social media in which the internet sensation can be seen lying on a hospital bed with an intravenous cannula in her left hand. A pulse oximeter is clipped onto her fingertip on her right hand, while a nurse monitors her blood pressure. As of now, there is no clarity as to what has happened the actress. Paparazzo Viral Bhayani posted photos of Rakhi and wrote in the caption that she has been hospitalised due to a heart ailment. When News18 Showsha reached out to Rakhis ex-husband Ritesh, he said that he will update about her health soon. Check out the photos here:

Earlier today, Rakhi made headlines when she attended an event wearing a red towel. Videos of the internet sensation engaging in fun banter with the paparazzi and striking poses in the unconventional outfit went viral online. Known for her attention-grabbing public appearances, Rakhi Sawant recently astonished fans by sporting a unique towel dress at an event. Many videos capturing the actor walking the red carpet in the towel quickly spread across the internet. Rakhis outfit reminds us of Doja Cats polarizing white towel dress that caused a stir online. It seems Rakhi took inspiration from Dojas look but put her own spin on it. Her red towel mini dress had silver sequin straps and a belt, paired with a matching scarf and gloves. She accessorized with chunky silver jewelry and vibrant rose adornments.

Meanwhile, Rakhi was recently snapped by the paparazzi in Mumbai with her former husband, Ritesh. Soon after the video of the two went viral on social media, netizens were left wondering if the Bigg Boss 15 fame are back together once again amid Rakhis legal battle with Adil Khan Durrani. However, when News18 Showsha reached out to Rakhi asking if she has reunited with Ritesh, she dismissed all such claims and called them rubbish.

In October 2021, Rakhi Sawant left everyone shocked when she entered the Bigg Boss 15 house and introduced all to her husband, Ritesh. However, the two parted ways soon after the shows grand finale i.e. in February 2022. After her separation from Ritesh, Rakhi married Adil Khan Durrani. However, in 2023, they parted ways after the Bigg Boss fame levelled several allegations against Adil and accused him of being involved in extramarital affairs.
After the release of Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar trailer, netizens took to social media to point out a number of similarities between the Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Netflix series with Srijit Mukherjis 2015 Bengali film, Rajkahini. The critically acclaimed and commercially successful Bengali film revolved around the lives of women living in a brothel situated on the India-Bangladesh border and was set against the backdrop of the Bengal Partition. Its Hindi remake Begum Jaan starred Vidya Balan and had the Indian independence struggle in the backdrop.

In an exclusive chat with News18 Showsha, Rituparna Sengupta, who headlined Rajkahini, reacts to these comparisons and tells us, I saw a lot of people drawing comparisons between Heeramandi and Rajkahini and these similarities are quite obvious. The stories are almost similar. The backdrop of the revolution and the freedom struggle is the same in both. Those whove found similarities have watched Rajkahini and remember what we did in the film.

Rituparna, however, believes that theres one thread that differentiates Rajkahini and the Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial. Heeramandi is obviously more commercial in its treatment. We wanted to make our film more magnanimous. Bhansali has his own style of presenting things and hes unparalleled when it comes to that. We didnt have that splendour or grandeur but still tried to make the best out of what we had. All of us, girls, gave it our all to infuse life to the characters we played, she points out.

According to the National Award winner, her film sowed a seed that went on to inspire Bhansali in a big way and that has left her thrilled. With Rajkahini, regional cinema emerged at a bigger level. That emergence was significant enough to challenge other films as well. When Gangubai Kathiawadi was made, I could see a few shots similar to Rajkahini. I could see some of my postures in Alia (Bhatt). Rajkahini definitely inspired many other films when it comes to the subject of brothel life. It can be treated as a research material. It definitely set an example for a series like Heeramandi, she asserts.

Following the release of Heeramandi, Rituparna reveals that many of her fans reached out to her and stated that they wished to see her in the historical drama series. Does she feel the same way? I missed myself in Heeramandi. I was wondering how wonderful it would be if Bhansali had cast me for one of the roles. I wish I catch his attention enough to be his subject someday. I can only hope that he sees my work and calls me to be a part of his films, she says.

Lauding Bhansalis vision, the actor, who will soon be seen in Good Morning Sunshine alongside Revathi, continues, Ive watched most episodes of Heeramandi. Bhansalis work is spectacular. It dazzles your eyes. The costumes, the dialogues, the production value are so grand and are at a different level, altogether. Hes one of the most regarded directors. Im really dying to work with him.
Lawrence Bishnoi gang has demanded an apology from Salman Khan in connection to his blackbuck case. Recently, the President of the All India Bishnoi Society, Devendra Budiya, issued a statement and argued that the Bollywood superstars apology would be considered if he seeks forgiveness.

If Salman himself apologizes, the Bishnoi society will consider the apology. The mistake was not made by Somy Ali, but it was committed by Salman, the Bishnoi gang leader told IANS, as quoted by Pinkvilla.

Therefore, he should propose to the Bishnoi society that he wants to apologize. He should come to the temple and seek forgiveness. He should further take an oath that he will never make such a mistake in the future and will always work to protect wildlife and conserve the environment. If he does this, a decision of the society to forgive him will be considered, he added.

For the unversed, Salman Khan was accused of hunting down Chinkaras at Bawad in Mathania near Jodhpur in September 1998 during the shooting of his movie Hum Saath Saath Hain. A complaint against the actor was filed by the members of the Bishnoi community. Bishnois believe that blackbucks are the reincarnation of their spiritual leader, Bhagwan Jambeshwar, also known as Jambaji.

Khan was also arrested the same year but was later granted bail. It was in July 2016 that Salman was acquitted by the Rajasthan High Court in the case. The High Court had said that there was no evidence against Khan. However, the Rajasthan government later filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the high courts decision.

Meanwhile, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang leaders statement also comes weeks after gunshots were fired outside Khans Galaxy Apartments in Mumbais Bandra area. Later, it was reported that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang is alleged to be behind the attack as the gangsters brother, Anmol Bishnoi, claimed responsibility for the shooting incident via a Facebook post.

So far, five accused have been arrested in the case. Earlier this month, one of the arrested accused, Anuj Thapan, allegedly died by suicide in Mumbai Police custody. While the police claimed that Thapan killed himself in prison, his family alleged foul play and claimed that he was killed.

While fans are concerned about Salman Khans security, it should be noted that the actor has not issued any official statement regarding the firing incident as of now. However, previously, his father Salim Khan spoke to India Today about the incident when he said, Whats there to talk about ye jaahil log jo kehte hain maar denge tab pata lagega na (These illiterate people say youll learn your lesson when well kill you). Weve been given extra police protection. Theyve (Mumbai Police) assured protection for us and our friends. If theyve arrested two people today, that means theyre on it.
Prime Video series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will return with its second season on August 29, the streaming service announced on Tuesday. At Amazons inaugural upfront presentation this morning in New York City, the streamer unveiled a teaser as well as key art for the show, which is primarily based on the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, specifically the description of Middle-earths Second Age, and includes younger versions of some of the key characters from the original trilogy.

Set thousands of years before the events of JRR Tolkiens famed book series, the series follows the forging of the original rings of power that allowed the Dark Lord Sauron to spread evil across Middle Earth. The Rings of Power had launched on Prime Video with its first season in September 2022.

According to a press release, the sophomore chapter will plunge its most beloved and vulnerable characters into a rising tide of darkness, challenging each to find their place in a world that is increasingly on the brink of calamity.

Darkness will bind them. The Rings Of Power returns August 29 on Prime Video. pic.twitter.com/r1uSRtw4wu Prime Video (@PrimeVideo) May 14, 2024

Elves and dwarves, orcs and men, wizards and Harfoots as friendships are strained and kingdoms begin to fracture, the forces of good will struggle ever more valiantly to hold on to what matters to them most of all each other, the official logline read.

Actor Charlie Vickers will return to as Sauron, one of the worlds greatest literary villains, in the show, alongside Morfydd Clark as Galadriel, Robert Aramayo as Elrond, Owain Arthur as Prince Durin IV, Ismael Cruz Cordova as Arondir, and Charles Edwards as Celebrimbor.

The second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is produced by showrunners and executive producers JD Payne and Patrick McKay. Other executive producers include Lindsey Weber, Callum Greene, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, and Gennifer Hutchison, along with co-executive producer and director Charlotte Brandstrom, producers Kate Hazell and Helen Shang, and co-producers Clare Buxton, Andrew Lee, Glenise Mullins, and Matthew Penry-Davey.
Thirty eight years ago today, Tony Scotts action-packed movie Top Gun hit theatres and became a crucial piece of cinema history. Interestingly, this aerial action film was a major blockbuster that helped Tom Cruise become a Hollywood star. Cruise, who played the role of Pete Mitchell, aka Maverick, has fond memories related to the film and he celebrated its anniversary with a sweet social media post. Taking to his Instagram, the 61-year-old shared a series of nostalgic photos from the 1986 set, featuring his co-star Val Kilmer, the late director, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and a young Cruise in his 20s flying the fighter jets. He also included a picture from the filming of the sequel, Top Gun: Maverick.

The first photo features Cruise receiving direction from the late Tony Scott, who died in 2012. Another image shows Cruise with the films cast in the iconic air hangar turned classroom set. Theres also a snapshot of the superstar conversing with the producer and a picture shows his character looking at a frame of himself and Kilmer shaking hands at the end of the original movie while filming Top Gun: Maverick.

Additional photos show the crucial scenes from the film, featuring the iconic F-14 Tomcats and Northrop F-5 aircraft. The Hollywood star also thanked fans who have supported the film since its debut. Sharing the pictures, Tom Cruise wrote, Its incredible to look back on the thirty-eight years of Top Gun. To the fans who have been with us since the start, there wouldnt be a Top Gun Day without you.

Tom Cruises original movie was an immediate hit when it was released on May 16, 1986. The film follows Cruises character, Pete Mitchell, as he attends the US Navys Fighter Weapons School, known as Top Gun. The movie also starred Anthony Edwards, Kelly McGillis and Val Kilmer. The action thriller was one of the highest grossing films of the year. It went on to win an Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 59th Oscars in 1987 and was nominated in three other categories, including Best Editing, Best Sound and Best Sound Effects Editing.

Decades later, Cruise teamed up again with producer Jerry Bruckheimer to continue the legacy with Top Gun: Maverick, which also won over audiences. While Cruise and Kilmer reprised their characters, they were joined by Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Ed Harris and Lewis Pullman, among others.

Currently, Top Gun 3 is in development with Tom Cruise as lead, however, no release date has been confirmed yet.
While the trend nowadays has been of larger-than-life masala action films with exquisite sets, foreign locales and over-the-top action, Aamir Khan recently made a film that was deeply rooted in reality. Set in a rural backdrop with lesser-known actors, the film was high on content and some terrific performances. As you might have guessed, we are talking about the Kiran Rao directorial, Laapata Ladies, which has been widely appreciated from all quarters. Among the many new breed of actors that showcased their talent in the films, is Bhaskar Jha who made his debut with the film.

Bhaskar Jha played the negative role of an abusive husband in the film and although his screen time was lesser compared to the other protagonists, he left a lasting impression on the audience. In a recent interview, Bhaskar said that he is originally from Madhubani in Bihar but he did his primary education in West Bengal.

In 2002, we relocated to Delhi. In 2007, I completed an English Honors degree from Rajdhani College, where I began participating in theatre. After graduating, I enrolled in a course in radio and television journalism. While continuing my work in theatre, I also worked with various content writing companies and the regional Doordarshan channel, Bhaskar said.

During his stay in Delhi, he taught acting in schools and colleges to earn a living. He also said that he kept going to workshops in Mumbai with Rupesh Tillu and Ashwath Bhatt. Talking about how he got the film, he said that one of his friends Shivam Gupta recommended his name to Romil Modi and Ram Rawat who were the casting directors of Laapata Ladies.

Discussing the films success, he said it was incredible. People are recognizing me, so the response has been great. Every artist seeks appreciation, and Im receiving it generously from both the public and industry professionals. Im also getting offers for other projects, so lets see what happens next, he said.
We are more than halfway through the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. There is no denying that the Opposition INDIA bloc, led by the Congress, has been able to create a perspective that it isnt a one-sided battle and that it is for sure not going to be 400 paar (over 400 seats) for the ruling BJP.

The usual gimmicks of stock market predictions and illegal satta (gambling) forecasts have started to emerge on social media and private WhatsApp groups. However, the underlying message is that come what may, the BJP shall be able to form the government. This probably emerges from the faith the BJP supporters have in the abilities of Prime Minister Narendra Modi being a leader with gargantuan mass appeal.

However, there is also no denying the fact that the Opposition was in tatters when the poll campaign started, but by the passing of time, has been able to create an image of a close fight, which in the end could prove to be just a mirage. Nevertheless, the Congress campaign in the 2024 polls, whatever the results, would remain an area of discussion among the political scientists in the times to come.

The Congresss poll preparation could be said to have begun from the conclave it held in Udaipur in 2022. The declarations at the Udaipur Shivir talked of building a vibrant organisation. This came in the backdrop of desertions plaguing the party, especially from its most prominent leader Rahul Gandhis coterie. Prior to the Congress meeting in Rajasthan that year, leaders from Rahul Gandhis charmed circle like Jyotiraditya Scindia, Jitin Prasada, Sushmita Dev, and RPN Singh had already deserted the party.

From Sonia Gandhis protected circle, Ahmed Patel had fallen to the coronavirus, Ghulam Nabi Azad had walked out, many had aged, and many passed away. Given the situation, how was the party to revitalise itself? The one right decision it took was to hold the polls for the post of the president of the All India Congress Committee. It did activate the party and in Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress has found a good campaigner, who not only canvasses hard but makes a lot of sense with what he says.

Strategically, unlike the Vidhan Sabha polls held some months back in the four states, the leadership has consolidated on the alliance despite the initial hiccup caused by its very convener, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar walking out of the formation. Though some point out that Kharge and not Nitish was foisted as the chair of the alliance, given his track record, the Bihar chief ministers opposition to the BJP was always suspect.

The second move by the Congress has been to channelise the strength of the alliance partners to keep itself afloat. To this end, the Congress is contesting only 328 seats this time, significantly fewer than the 421 it contested in the 2019 polls. This number would have been 330, but one candidates nomination papers were rejected in Surat, and another withdrew in Indore.

This means that the Congress in INDIA has created an alliance base that is much wider than that of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). This also means that the party has shrunk from the position of a dominant partner to a senior partner with some other members of the bloc like the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab not even entertaining an alliance.

Those in charge of forging alliances for the Congress claim that this time the grouping is much more pragmatic than in 2019. Uttar Pradesh is a case in point. In 2019, the Congress went into the polls alone, with no major allies. Facing both the BJP and the SP-BSP alliance, it contested 67 of the states 80 seats but could win only one: Sonia Gandhi in Raebareli.

This time, in alliance with the Samajwadi Party, it is contesting just 17 seats, down by 50. People close to poll planning point out that it has been done to conserve the party resources for more realistic contests. Similarly, in West Bengal, from contesting 40 seats in 2019, the Congress is taking on just 14 seats this time, giving the remaining Ones to its alliance partner, the Left.

The Congress has extended its alliances with Left parties in Andhra Pradesh, giving the Araku seat to the CPI(M) and Guntur to the CPI. It has also partnered with local parties in other states, such as ceding the Dibrugarh seat in Assam to the Assam Jatiya Parishad and allocating three seats to regional parties in Rajasthan.

To avoid repeating past mistakes, the Congress allocated one seat to the Samajwadi Party in Madhya Pradesh. Ironically, the SP candidates nomination papers were rejected, leading the Congress and SP to back a candidate running on the All India Forward Bloc symbol. Similar arrangements have been made in Tripura, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

How would this affect the final results? The BJP aims to match the Congresss performance in 1984 when it won over 400 seats. However, its important to remember that those 400 seats came as a harvest of the sympathy wave in the favour of the party following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

What differentiates the BJP in 2024 from the Congress in 1984 is that it has delivered on its ideological agenda. This has solidified the commitment of its cadre, leading to an expanded poll machinery. This could work both ways. If there is an undercurrent, it would bring bonus points and if there is voter indifference, the performance should not fall below, as they say in commerce, the reserve price.

The writer is author and president, Centre for Reforms, Development & Justice. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
Union minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey mourned the death of Sushil Kumar Modi, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and ex-Rajya Sabha MP who passed away on Monday at the age of 72 after battling cancer. The emotional union minister said on Tuesday that he lost his brother and could not describe his pain in words as he remembered Modi.

#WATCH | Bihar: Union Minister Ashwini Choubey breaks down while talking about the demise of former Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Modi.Sushil Modi passed away at Delhis AIIMS yesterday. The 72-year-old was battling cancer and was admitted to the intensive care unit of AIIMS. pic.twitter.com/Wb563i2YRO  ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2024

I have lost my brother, my friend who was always by my side. I cannot explain my loss in words. I never thought I would have to face such a bad day ever, Ashwini Choubey said as he broke down in a video message.

Sushil Kumar Modi ji was just not my friend but he was my family. I cant explain it. He always supported me and gave me suggestions whenever I needed them. Sometimes I used to scold him too, but he never felt bad. Sushil Modi ji was a very polite leader. Whenever he used to get angry with someone, he used tell me, Choubey ji yeh mujhse lagta hai ki daat diya uss aadmi ko. I have never had such a leader who was dedicated to his party, the BJP, the Union minister said in the video.

The last rites of senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister of Bihar, Sushil Kumar Modi, will take place around 6 pm in Patna on Tuesday, party sources said. Modi, 72, who was suffering from cancer, died in a New Delhi hospital on Monday evening.

The mortal remains of Sushil Modi will be brought from Delhi to Patna around 11.30 am and taken to his house in Rajendra Nagar. Later, his body will be taken to the Bihar assembly and the BJP state headquarters where party workers will pay their tribute to the departed leader, said a senior Bihar BJP member. The funeral will take place at Digha Ghat Crematorium in Patna, he said, adding, BJP national president JP Nadda is likely to be present.

He will be cremated with full state honours, a statement issued by the Chief Ministers Office said. Modi served as the deputy chief minister of Bihar from 2005 to 2013, and again between 2017 and 2020.

He breathed his last around 9.45 pm at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. Last month, he took to X to announce that he was battling with cancer for the last six months, and will not be able to campaign in the Lok Sabha elections.

Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Schedule, Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase And Much More At News18 Website
The Supreme Courts (SC) interim bail for Delhi Chief Minister (CM) Arvind Kejriwal and hearing for interim bail for Jharkhands ex-CM Hemant Soren on May 17 seems to have set a legal precedent for politicians in custody of central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), or in jail in connection with cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) or Indian Penal Code (IPC).

ALSO READ | Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal Got Interim Bail From Supreme Court On These Five Conditions

The observations of the apex court may have a significant impact on the legal proceedings and push the central agencies to re-strategise their actions in cases where politicians are involved, said senior officers in the ED and CBI.

Kejriwal is said to have not cooperated with the ED during the custodial interrogation, and he is yet to unlock his phone, News18 has learnt. A division bench of the SC comprising Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta granted interim bail to Kejriwal, asking him to surrender on June 2. The same division bench on Monday heard Sorens case and asked the ED to submit its position through an affidavit, like it was done in case of Kejriwal.

According to sources, the Enforcement Directorate is likely to include crucial details related to the alleged corruption case, along with relevant information, findings and notes on his efforts to evade summons, tamper evidence, intimidate officers and file cases against them. The affidavit is likely to have a similar explanation of the legal framework as in Kejriwals case, added the source.

News18 spoke to senior counsels and officers of the central agencies connected with the cases.

RE-STRATEGISING ACTIONS FOR POLITICIANS?

The judgment in Kejriwals case and the hearing in Hemant Sorens case are going to have crucial ramifications on future proceedings. There are hundreds of politicians who are either in custody of the central agencies or in jail awaiting trial or going through a trial. They all may be granted bail under the same logic. In fact, we have senior cabinet ministers in judicial custody in connection with similar cases like Kejriwal. We are still trying to analyse and address the courts order and strategies accordingly," said a senior ED officer.

Both the senior politicians  Kejriwal and Soren  evaded 10 summons, which no regular person would do. The summons were called illegal and the arrest was called motivated. We submitted all our findings, evidence and relevant documents before the court. In Jharkhand, cases were registered against the ED officers. Those were not considered as of now. So, as an investigating agency, we need to re-strategise our actions for the sake of investigation," said another senior officer.

ALSO READ | Need Bail For Campaigning: Hemant Sorens Plea Against Arrest Mentions Kejriwal, SC Seeks ED Response

Presenting its case before the court, the ED, in affidavit filed in Kejriwals case, had argued, In a federal structure, no election is more significant than the other. Therefore, every politician, at every level, would argue that if he is not let out on interim bail, he would suffer irreversible consequences. Under the PMLA alone, currently there are many politicians 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 should be acceded to."

Grant of interim bail merely for political campaigning would militate against and would 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 the work of a small farmer or a small trader is any less important than the political campaigning of a political leader who admittedly is not contesting," the ED had added in the affidavit which has been accessed by News18.

Explore in-depth coverage of voting in Telangana , Odisha , and Andhra Pradesh during Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 4 polling.
What would you do if your friend messages you on WhatsApp with a different number and asks you for money? You would obviously ask him why he or she has changed his/her number but some innocent people land in the trap of cyber criminals and give away their hard-earned money.

28-year-old Himanshu Rawat, who hails from Unnao, a district located around 60 km from Uttar Pradeshs capital Lucknow, found himself in a precarious situation on Monday when one of his friends informed him about a scamster trying to con people in his name.

Using Rawats display photo, the scamster sent messages to four of his friends from college. The scamster then asked them to give him phone numbers of other friends of Rawat to build a sense of trust. Two of Rawats friends gave contact numbers to the scamster but then he asked for money.

Narrating the sequence of events, Rawat said, One of my friends, Shubham called me and told me that someone contacted him on WhatsApp in which he had put up my photo. So, my friend thought it was me who was messaging him from a different number. He (The fraudster) said that he has changed his phone. He then asked my friend to send him Rs 2000 on Gpay on this number. My friend suspected something fishy. So he asked him to give him his UPI ID. But UPI ID was of someone named Abhishek. Then my friends suspicion got confirmed that he is being scammed. So, he immediately called me on my number and narrated the entire incident.

Then within a few minutes, another friend informed Rawat about a similar incident. My friend Gaurav Singh told me that someone, who was using his photo on WhatsApp, contacted him and asked for phone numbers of 3 of my college friends. He then asked if Gaurav had Rs 2000. Gaurav was also suspicious so he asked the fraudster to call him. But he did not call him. Meanwhile, Shubham dropped screenshots of the entire conversation with the fraudster and narrated the entire incident on his friends WhatsApp group. Two other friends also got similar messages from the fraudster, the 28-year-old said.

However, Rawats friends outsmarted the fraudster and did not fall in the trap. Rawat then immediately put status on my social accounts about a fraudster impersonating him. He also dialed the 1930 toll-free number of the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India to report the fraud and later filed a complaint on National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Cybercriminals Gaining Access To Peoples Smartphones

Sachhin Gajjaer, Managing Director & Founder of Cybersecurity firm Sattrix, said a new trend in phone hacking has emerged where cybercriminals are gaining unauthorized access of peoples smartphones.

Hackers often start by phishing for login credentials or exploiting vulnerabilities in the app or device through techniques such as malware, spyware, or SIM swapping. Once they gain control, they impersonate the victim by using their display picture (DP) and accessing their contacts. They then use the victims identity to send convincing messages to their friends and family, urgently requesting money or sensitive information. If you are faced with such a situation, it is essential that you remain calm and think clearly, he said.

Cyber Expert Anuj Agarwal said that information of people is easily accessible in the age of social media. He also highlighted the increase in trends in which scamsters install malware in smartphones of victims to get their contact list. In cases like this, people should not respond to new numbers. They should talk to the person on his old number to ensure if he or she is actually a friend, he added.

Agarwal further advised people not to click on links tempting individuals with free subscriptions to some digital platform or big discounts on high pricing products. He said that people can report the fraud at cybercrime.gov.in, a portal launched the Ministry of Home Affairs to deal with cyber crimes.

Kumar Ritesh, Founder & CEO, CYFIRMA said data broker companies that collect and sell consumer data are oftentimes culpable as they either inadvertently or intentionally share phone numbers and contact lists with cybercriminals or other unauthorized parties. Data such as contact numbers can also be sold in underground marketplaces, and this makes tracking the source of the theft particularly difficult, he added.

Ritesh suggested investing in cybersecurity education and training programs to bring cybersecurity literacy to the masses.

How To Protect Yourself From Cyber Fraud

Exercise caution when sharing their contact details online

Always be cautious when receiving any calls, emails, text messages asking for private and sensitive information. Messages that urge you to click on links or download attachments are red flags

Make it a habit to regularly monitor your bank accounts, credit card statements, and other financial accounts for any unauthorized transactions or suspicious activity, and report any discrepancies to your banks immediately.

Use strong passwords, enable multi-factor authentication, use encryption and biometric authentication to protect sensitive data.

Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Schedule, Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase And Much More At News18 Website
Google I/O 2024 keynote is less than 24 hours from now, where Sundar Pichai and Co. will take the stage and talk to us for over an hour and showcase the new products they have been working on for a while. Google has already shown its AI prowess in the last few months, now available via Search, Gemini on mobile and more. But the company clearly has more in store, enabling developers to take their apps to the next level.

Google I/O 2024 Live: Event Timings And Where To Watch Online

Google I/O 2024 keynote will be live streamed on Tuesday, May 14 starting from 10 AM PT or 10:30 PM IST for those watching in India. You can head over to Googles YouTube page to get the latest updates from the keynote as Pichai and Co highlight and announce the new AI stuff from the company.

Google is expected to continue its focus on AI this year, and we might hear more about its applications for Android. The Pixel phones have already been boosted with the Gemini Nano AI model, but the company could have something lined up for the affordable devices as well. Google has an extensive plan for its AI products and now it is about bringing it to a wider audience.

We could also see new search integration for AI and also Gemini coming to all platforms, including your web browser in the near future. Well be keeping a close eye on the event and give you all the updates that will appeal to our readers.
OpenAI is ready to show us movie-level AI tech in our palms thanks to the advancement made in quick time. The new ChatGPT 4o (o stands for omni) promises to give you AI interaction like you have never seen before, except for in movies like Her that showed the power and potential of AI many years back.

her Sam Altman (@sama) May 13, 2024

Just say the wake word Hey, ChatGPT gets the new version of the AI chatbot talking and does a lot more this time around. ChatGPT 4o is built with the help of more advanced tech which makes it faster, accurate and more resourceful, more so than what Google Assistant or Siri has offered for years.

ChatGPT 4o: How Is It Better Than ChatGPT 4?

ChatGPT 4o is better than ChatGPT 4 in many ways that you could only imagine earlier but now OpenAI is slowly but surely making it real. The new version of the AI chatbot is able to help you with live translation. Check out this demo video where ChatGPT 4o is seamless helping the person translate from English to Italian and vice versa.

audience request to act as a translator pic.twitter.com/E2qbfhyVmX Sam Altman (@sama) May 13, 2024

But thats not all, in this video, you can see ChatGPT 4o enabling the person to interact with ChatGPT on another device, where you can access the AI chatbot through the phones camera and help the AI chatbot on the other device to see the person and his surroundings through its eyes.

Introducing GPT-4o, our new model which can reason across text, audio, and video in real time.It's extremely versatile, fun to play with, and is a step towards a much more natural form of human-computer interaction (and even human-computer-computer interaction): pic.twitter.com/VLG7TJ1JQx  Greg Brockman (@gdb) May 13, 2024

You can also see the range of emotions presented by ChatGPT 4o in all these demos and even for a version 1.0 of the 4o, the results and response time of the AI chatbot is quite something. If that doesnt get you excited or scared in equal measure, then OpenAI has even managed to get ChatGPT 4o singing to each other through separate devices.

The new voice (and video) mode is the best computer interface Ive ever used. It feels like AI from the movies; and its still a bit surprising to me that its real. Getting to human-level response times and expressiveness turns out to be a big change, Sam Altman, CEO, OpenAI penned his views in this post.

The most interesting aspect of these ChatGPT 4o demos is that OpenAI has extensively used iPhones to showcase its capability and no sign of Android phones during the event. Were likely to see things evolve once ChatGPT 4o is ready for a public release in the coming weeks.

ChatGPT 4o Availability And Support: Will The Free Users Get It?

OpenAI says GPT-4o will be available to all users in the coming weeks. And the best thing about the development is that ChatGPT 4o could be offered to those who use the free version of ChatGPT as well, the company adds.

If this is what AI promises to be in the near future then both Google and Apple will have to make huge strides in the next few months to battle it out in the arena.
A Chinese grandmother was forced to care for a toddler for months without any compensation after the childs parents disappeared without a trace with money they had loaned her.

Ms Yu, the victim in this bizarre case that has been making headlines in China for over a month, claims she was hired by a couple in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, to care for their newborn son for a monthly salary of 7,000 yuan (about Rs 83,000). Shortly after reaching an agreement, the parents told Ms Yu that they needed to travel to Tianjin to collect a sizable inheritance, including real estate and luxury goods, and asked if she could help them out with a loan for lawyers and paperwork.

As assurances that they would pay her back the money, the couple showed her photos of the goods they claimed to have inherited, as well as the title deeds for a hotel. They also decided to leave her child with the nanny while they sorted things out in Tianjin, so Ms Yu assumed there was nothing to worry about.

According to Ms Yu, she has not received any salary since November last year, even though she took care of the child after his parents disappeared. To make matters worse, she also lent them significant sums of money, including her savings and money borrowed from her brother, believing that the parents would pay her back once they received the sizable inheritance. In total, she claims she is owed over 110,000 yuan (Rs 13 lakh).

I gave them all my savings, but I have not received any salary since November last year, complained Ms Yu. They owe me my salary and the money I borrowed from my brother, she added.

The desperate woman showed journalists pictures of expensive watches, cars and other luxury items included in the inheritance the childs parents allegedly received. In hindsight, she admits that they may have faked it all to cheat her out of her modest savings, adding that she found traces of digital editing when she looked through the property papers of a hotel in Harbin. Moreover, the story that the inheritance came from a man the childs mother dated over ten years ago never sounded entirely genuine, but she was fooled.

Ms Yu repeatedly tried to contact the parents by phone and WeChat, but they seemed to have disappeared. She also contacted the hotel they claimed to own, but the owners there had never heard from them, so her fear of being the victim of an elaborate scam is greater than ever. The only thing that doesnt make sense is the child.

How could someone abandon their child for any financial gain, let alone a relatively modest 110,000 yuan? Ms. Yu doesnt have an answer to that question either, but she also doesnt have the heart to abandon the boy. She has been caring for him for months now and hopes that the parents will eventually return. It is unclear whether the police have been informed of this case, but many of the online commenters suspect that the suspects are not the childs biological parents.
A woman from Uttar Pradeshs Agra has reportedly sought divorce from her husband over a packet of Kurkure. The woman, whose name has not been disclosed, had a daily habit of asking her husband to get her a Rs 5 packet of the popular packaged snack. According to a report in Hindustan Times, the womans addiction to the same led to daily disputes between the couple.

Things reportedly escalated when the husband forgot to bring home the snack, which led to a heated argument between the two. Angry at being denied her daily indulgence, the woman left her marital home and went to her parents house. She later approached the police seeking a divorce from her husband.

The couple, who got married last year, was sent for family counselling by the Shahganj police in Agra, as per the report. The husband, in his statement, expressed concern over his wifes unusual craving for Kurkure, which had become a point of contention between them.

On the other hand, the wife alleged that she had to leave her husbands home as he had physically abused her, the report added. The police are investigating the matter to ascertain the truth behind the allegations.

Another Agra couple filed for divorce in February of this year due to the wifes political involvement who had become too popular for the husband. When the situation got to the police, the husband told them that he didnt like his wifes encounters with strangers, and hence he filed for divorce.

The husband is a Sikandra native, while the woman is from Thana, New Agra. They had been married for two years. As per the last update of the case, the wife wanted to pursue a career in politics and was not prepared to abandon it. While the husband was adamant that if she did not leave the field, he would not take her back.
Flying often involves its share of hassles, as travellers go through tight security, extended lines and long journeys. But on a recent IndiGo Airlines flight, a passenger recorded a sweet moment that left the online community delighted. During a flight in April, an artist on board decided to sketch one of the air hostesses and presented the artwork to her while on air. The touching moment between the artist and the flight attendant was captured on camera that has since gone viral online.

In the sweet video, the artist recounted her experience and shared that while she was on her way to Amritsar, busy making her artwork, an air hostess noticed her talent and praised it. Inspired by her appreciation, the artist decided to draw a cartoon character for her. She felt nervous as it was the first time she was doing something like this. Despite being hesitant at first, the air hostesss warmth and appreciation response made her feel valued. In return for the sketch, the flight attendant was seen giving the artist a variety of snacks and a handwritten note, which left her overwhelmed.

Sumouli Dutta, an illustrator, shared a video on Instagram showing her pleasant interaction with the flight attendant. I just did this for the very FIRST time. I always draw strangers but never share with them because I am a very shy and introverted person. But this beautiful kind person complimented me when I was working on my commission project in flight. And it gave me some courage to give her a small doodle of hers. I tried and she loved it, illustrator Dutta captioned her post.

Sumouli Dutta was delighted when the flight attendant returned her generosity with a big plate of goodies and a sweet handwritten card. Several social media users flooded the comments section with positive responses, some advised the illustrator to share more such sketches while few others shared their own similar experiences.

A user wrote, Dont be shy anymore. Share it with them and see how you make someones day. And seeing them smile will make your day too. Another commented, This is so kind. The air hostesses are always so nice to us. They deserve this.

A user compared the sweet gesture from both the illustrator as well as the air hostess, and said Aww, such a wonderful one and sweet gesture on both sides. Another remarked, Every time I come across your videos, they always put a smile on my face. Thank you.
Pakistan on Tuesday reiterated its outright rejection of anti-Pakistan rhetoric from Indian leaders amid the Lok Sabha elections. The countrys foreign office said it has witnessed an alarming surge in statements and allegations related to different topics, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

Pakistans foreign office once again issued a formal note on the statements made by Indian political leaders. We are witnessing an alarming surge in anti-Pakistan rhetoric from various Indian leaders amid the ongoing Lok Sabha election campaign. We [outrightly] reject these irresponsible statements, which cover a wide array of topics including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, counter-terrorism efforts, state of bilateral relations, and nuclear capabilities, it said.

Two few weeks ago, too, Indias neighbour had urged Indian leaders to stop dragging the country in their speeches for political mileage during the election season. Speaking at a press briefing, foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Islamabad rejects all the claims made by Indian leaders over Jammu and Kashmir.

Indian politicians to cease their reckless practice of dragging Pakistan into Indias populist public discourse for electoral motives, she said.

She added: We are witnessing an alarming surge in provocative statements from Indian leaders asserting unwarranted claims on Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan rejects these claims. Fuelled by hyper-nationalism, this inflammatory rhetoric poses a grave threat to regional peace and susceptibility.

Zahra claimed that Indians were making allegations contrary to historical and legal facts. Historical and legal facts as well as ground realities refute Indias baseless claims over Jammu and Kashmir, she said.

India has previously rejected such statements by Pakistan on the Kashmir issue. The ministry of external affairs has repeatedly asserted that the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh are and always will be integral and inalienable parts of India. No other country has locus standi to comment on the same.
A New York appeals court on Tuesday upheld the gag order in Donald Trumps hush money trial, finding that the judge properly determined that Trumps public statements posed a significant threat to the integrity of the testimony of witnesses and potential witnesses in this case as well.

Trump had asked the states intermediate appeals court to lift or modify the gag order, which bars him from commenting publicly about jurors, witnesses and others connected to the case, including Judge Juan M. Merchans family and prosecutors other than District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

At an emergency hearing last month, just days before the trial started, Trumps lawyers argued that the gag order is an unconstitutional curb on the presumptive Republican nominees free speech rights while hes campaigning for president and fighting criminal charges.

In its ruling, the five-judge appeals panel noted that Trump wasnt claiming that the gag order had infringed on his right to a fair trial. Rather, Trumps lawyers argued that prohibiting him from commenting restricted his ability to engage in protected political speech and could adversely impact on his campaign.

The appeals court ruled that Merchan properly weighed Trumps free speech rights against the historical commitment to ensuring the fair administration of justice in criminal cases, and the right of persons related or tangentially related to the criminal proceedings from being free from threats, intimidation, harassment, and harm.

Trumps fixer-turned-foe Michael Cohen returned to the witness stand Tuesday, testifying in detail about how the former president was linked to all aspects of the hush money scheme that prosecutors say was an illegal effort to purchase and then bury stories that threatened his 2016 campaign.

Trump, the first former U.S. president to go on trial, was joined at the courthouse by an entourage of GOP lawmakers that included House Speaker Mike Johnson and others considered vice presidential contenders for Trumps 2024 campaign. Their presence was a not-so-subtle show of support meant not just for Trump, but also for voters tuning in to trial coverage and for the jurors deciding Trumps fate.

As proceedings began, Johnson held a news conference outside the courthouse, using his powerful pulpit to attack the U.S. judicial system. It was a remarkable moment in American politics as the person second in line to the presidency sought to turn his political party against the rule of law by declaring the Manhattan criminal trial illegitimate.

I do have a lot of surrogates, and theyre speaking very beautifully, Trump said before court as the group gathered in the background. And they come  from all over Washington. And theyre highly respected, and they think this is the greatest scam theyve ever seen. Cohen, meanwhile, resumed his place on the witness stand as prosecutor Susan Hoffinger worked to paint him as a Trump loyalist who committed crimes on behalf of the former president.

Cohen told jurors that he lied to Congress during an investigation into potential ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign to protect Trump. He also described for jurors the April 2018 raid by law enforcement on his apartment, law firm, a hotel room where he stayed and a bank where he stashed valuables.

How to describe your life being turned upside-down. Concerned. Despondent. Angry, he said.

Were you frightened? Hoffinger asked.

Yes, maam. But he said he was heartened by a phone call from Trump that he said gave him reassurance and convinced him to remain in the camp. He said to me, Dont worry. Im the president of the United States. Theres nothing here. Everythings going to be OK. Stay tough. Youre going to be OK, Cohen testified.

Cohen told jurors that I felt reassured because I had the president of the United States protecting me  And so I remained in the camp. But their relationship soured, and now Cohen is one of Trumps most vocal critics. His testimony is central to the Manhattan case.

Cohen testified that after paying out $130,000 to porn actress Stormy Daniels in order to keep her quiet about an alleged sexual encounter, Trump promised to reimburse him. He said Trump was constantly apprised of the behind-the-scenes efforts to bury stories feared to be harmful to the campaign.

Jurors followed along as Hoffinger, in a methodical and clinical fashion, walked Cohen through that reimbursement process. It was an attempt to show what prosecutors say was a lengthy deception to mask the true purpose of the payments. As jurors were shown business records and other paperwork, Cohen explained their purpose and reiterated again and again that the payments were reimbursements for the hush money. They werent for legal services he provided or for a retainer, he said.

Its an important distinction, because prosecutors allege that the Trump records falsely described the purpose of the payments as legal expenses. These records form the basis of 34 felony counts charging Trump with falsifying business records. All told, Cohen was paid $420,000, with funds drawn from a Trump personal account.

Were the descriptions on this check stub false? Hoffinger asked.

Yes, Cohen said.

And again, there was no retainer agreement, Hoffinger asked.

Correct, Cohen replied.

Trump has pleaded not guilty and also denies that any of the encounters took place.

During his time on the witness stand, Cohen delivered matter-of-fact testimony that went to the heart of the former presidents trial: Everything required Mr. Trumps sign-off, Cohen said. He told jurors that Trump did not want Daniels account of a sexual encounter to get out. At the time, Trump was especially anxious about how the story would affect his standing with female voters.

A similar episode occurred when Cohen alerted Trump that a Playboy model was alleging that she and Trump had an extramarital affair. Make sure it doesnt get released, was Cohens message to Trump, according to testimony. The woman, Karen McDougal, was paid $150,000 in an arrangement that was made after Trump received a complete and total update on everything that transpired. What I was doing, I was doing at the direction of and benefit of Mr. Trump, Cohen testified.

Prosecutors believe Cohens insider knowledge is critical to their case. But their reliance on a witness with such a checkered past  Cohen pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the payments  also carries sizable risks with a jury.

The men, once so close that Cohen boasted that he would take a bullet for Trump, had no visible interaction inside the courtroom. The sedate atmosphere was a marked contrast from their last courtroom faceoff in October, when Trump walked out of the courtroom after his lawyer finished questioning Cohen during his civil fraud trial.

Throughout Cohens testimony Tuesday, Trump reclined in his chair with his eyes closed and his head tilted to the side. He shifted from time to time, occasionally leaning forward and opening his eyes, making a comment to his attorney before returning to his recline. Even some of the topics that have animated him the most as he campaigns didnt stir his attention.

Trumps lawyers will get their chance to question Cohen as early as Tuesday, when theyre expected to attack his credibility. He was disbarred, went to prison and separately pleaded guilty to lying about a Moscow real estate project on Trumps behalf.
Senator Lindsey Graham faced criticism for drawing comparisons between Israels Rafah offensive and the US decision to drop atomic bombs on Japans Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

When we were faced with destruction as a nation after Pearl Harbor, fighting the Germans and the Japanese, we decided to end the war by bombing Hiroshima, Nagasaki with nuclear weapons, Graham was quoted as saying by NBC.

Graham urged Israel to do whatever you have to do while speaking to the broadcasters anchor Kristin Welker.

Israel continued to fight Hamas in Rafah this week, despite US warnings against a full-scale assault on the south Gaza city that is crowded with displaced Palestinians.

The two atomic blasts and the radiation that followed are estimated to have killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people  most of them civilians and caused widespread health problems to the descendants of the victims who survived.

Graham said the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was the right decision.

Give Israel the bombs they need to end the war they cant afford to lose and work with them to minimise casualties, Graham said.

Why is it okay for America to drop two nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end their existential threat war. Why was it okay to do that? I thought it was okay, he continued, at times speaking over his host.

To Israel, do whatever you have to do to survive as a Jewish state. Whatever you have to do, he said.

Israel last week defied a chorus of warnings  including from top ally Washington which paused a shipment of bombs  and sent tanks and troops into the east of Rafah to pursue militants.

Graham had opposed the Biden administrations decision of pausing the shipment. He also said civilian deaths cannot be stopped in Gaza because Hamas allegedly uses Palestinians living there as human shields.

Its impossible to mitigate civilian deaths in Gaza as long as Hamas uses their own population as human shields. Ive never seen in the history of warfare such blatant efforts by an enemy, Hamas, to put civilians at risk. And the last thing you want to do is reward this behaviour, he further added.
An Indian personnel working with the United Nations was killed in Gaza when the vehicle he was travelling in came under attack in Rafah, making it the first international casualty for the organisation since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The individual was a staff member of the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS). While the identity of the victim has not yet been revealed, sources confirmed to PTI he was from India and a former Indian Army personnel.

The Indian personnel killed in Rafah is the first casualty among international UN staff in Gaza since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict following the October 7 terror attacks. Another DSS staffer was injured in the incident when their UN vehicle was struck as they travelled to the European Hospital in Rafah.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was deeply saddened to learn of the death of a United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS) staff member and injury to another DSS staffer when their UN vehicle was struck as they travelled to the European Hospital in Rafah Monday morning.

A statement issued by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, said that Guterres condemned all attacks on UN personnel and called for a full investigation. Guterres sent his condolences to the family of the fallen staff member.

With the conflict in Gaza continuing to take a heavy toll  not only on civilians but also on humanitarian workers  the Secretary-General reiterates his urgent appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and for the release of all hostages, the statement added.

In a post on X, Guterres said the UN vehicle was struck in Gaza, killing one of our colleagues & injuring another. He said that more than 190 UN staff have been killed in Gaza.

Humanitarian workers must be protected. I condemn all attacks on UN personnel and reiterate my urgent appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire & the release of all hostages, he said.

Responding to questions on the incident during the press briefing, Haq said at this point, We are in the process of informing the relevant governments and the relevant family members, so I wouldnt share any names or nationalities. He added that they were international staff. Haq confirmed that this is, in fact, the first international UN casualty. While there have been international casualties involving workers for the World Central Kitchen in Gaza, Haq said that of UN staff, I believe Ive not been previously aware of an international casualty. Haq added that the vehicle was headed to the hospital as part of their regular work, they go to different locations to assess security conditions. And this was the European hospital in Rafah. When asked for details about how their vehicle was struck, Haq said This happened fairly recently. Were still accumulating details. We expect to get reports, including from the relevant authorities. He added that close to around 190 UN personnel have been killed in Gaza since October 7, most of them national staff of the UN Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA. Haq added that the UN is going to set up measures for accountability. A lot of that requires ultimately for an end to the conflict so that we can work these out, but we will be working with the authorities on the ground to get a restitution for all of those who have been killed. Haq said he did not have the full details of whether the vehicle that was struck was part of a large convoy. I believe it was in a convoy that was moving, and this was the DSS vehicle that was hit. Director-General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X, We are devastated to learn about the death of a UN humanitarian worker and injury of another in Gaza.

Too many civilian and humanitarian lives have paid the price for this war. Ceasefire and work towards peace, the WHO chief said.

In April, seven members of the World Central Kitchen were killed in an IDF strike in Gaza. One of those killed in the airstrike was Zomi Frankcom, who was of Indian descent, according to reports.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that between October 7, 2023, and May 12, 2024, at least 35,091 Palestinians have been killed and 78,827 injured in Gaza.

More than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals, including 33 children, have been killed in Israel, the vast majority on October 7, when Hamas attacked Israel.
US ambassador to India Eric Garcetti on Tuesday said the US takes threats against Indian diplomats seriously while speaking to CNN-News18.

The seriousness with which we take any threats against Indian diplomats (and) the work that were doing makes sure that people are held accountable for any criminal acts that happened in the United States, Garcetti said.

Khalistani separatists attacked the Indian consulate in San Francisco last year and on several occasions targeted members of the Indian diplomatic community and members of the Indian diaspora.

Our law enforcement has never worked more closely together. We take very seriously any threats or acts that are criminal against either Indian diplomats or Indian diplomatic facilities. And I can assure you that we have gone very deep in coordinating that investigation and holding people accountable, Garcetti further added.

Speaking of coordination between agencies of both nations, Garcetti also said that India and the US are managing differences that have come up while probing the alleged plot to murder Khalistani separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun where US officials have claimed that Indian officials were responsible for hatching the plot.

US officials alleged that Indian officials planned to murder Pannun, who is a US citizen on US soil.

An Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, has been arrested by authorities in Czechia in relation to the case and the US has asked Czechia to extradite him but the European nations apex court will have the final word. Gupta has been indicted in the case by the US Justice Department.

India has rejected the claims made by US media that Indian officials were involved and set up a high-level committee to investigate the claims made by the US officials.

We are managing something, that for us, was an important line that cannot be crossed. I think both the United States and India are managing differences by doing that in a very mature, very thorough way that also adheres to our principles and our values, Garcetti said.

Garcetti also spoke on the differences that arose between the West and India when India decided to purchase Russian oil while the West and the US was trying to push the world away from Russian energy resources during the initial phases of the Ukraine war.

Ive heard commentators say that this has been the consistent policy of the US government with India and all nations that this oil can be purchased so that we can keep the price of oil affordable for all of our economies, Garcetti said. It should be able to reduce the profits for Russia which we have successfully been able to do and thanks to India and other nations for that, he further added.

Garcetti also spoke about the protests related to the Gaza War in US campuses. Democracies are never easy, especially when we disagree with each other. We have strong opinions, but we believe very strongly in the right of everybody to disagree with one another and to do that peacefully, he said.
The Indian national who was killed while travelling in a vehicle to a hospital in the Khan Younis area from the Rafah region has been identified as former army man Anil Vaibhav Kale.

The identity of Kale was revealed by Farhan Haq who is the deputy spokesperson of the United Nations Secretary-General in a statement on Monday night.

With the conflict in Gaza continuing to take a heavy toll  not only on civilians but also on humanitarian workers  the Secretary-General reiterates his urgent appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and for the release of all hostages, the statement added.

The UN official said that Kale joined the UN as a security service coordinator a month ago in Gaza. The UN officials said that he was travelling in a vehicle marked as that of the United Nations.

The officials at the UN are not sure who fired at the vehicle in which Kale was travelling with another UN aid worker. This is the first time an Indian has died in the ongoing war in Gaza.

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said that it is probing the firing and the death of the UN aid worker. It said that the attack occurred in an active combat zone. Kale was 46 years old at the time of his death.

Kale was a staff member of the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS) and a former Indian Army personnel.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was deeply saddened to learn of the death of a United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS) staff member and injury to another DSS staffer when their UN vehicle was struck as they travelled to the European Hospital in Rafah Monday morning.

A report by Financial Express said that Kale was originally from Pune, Maharashtra and is survived by his wife and two children.

UNDSS Under-Secretary-General Gilles Michod praised Colonel Kale for his dedication towards bringing positive change in some of the worlds most perilous regions, like the Gaza Strip, where he was involved with the UN, and said that he always influenced his colleagues.
David Sanborn, an influential saxophonist who blended jazz, pop, and R&B in his solo work while playing with the biggest pop and rock artists of the era, died Sunday. A statement posted to his social media accounts said he'd long battled prostate cancer, CNN reports. He was 78. Eight of the more than two dozen albums he released, beginning in 1975, went gold, and one went platinum. He won six Grammys. Born in Tampa and raised in St. Louis, Sanborn began playing after being diagnosed with polio at age 3. "Music has sustained my life," he said when honored by Jazz St. Louis in March, per the St. Louis American . "As a matter of fact, it kept me alive on every level."

By 14, his website says, Sanborn was playing with the likes of Albert King and Little Milton. After college, he joined the Butterfield Blues Band and played Woodstock. His career quickly took off. Musicians he played with include Paul Simon, the Rolling Stones, James Brown, Chaka Khan, Elton John, Carly Simon, Billy Joel, Steely Dan, and the Grateful Dead. His work on others' recordings included the signature sax solo on David Bowie's "Young Americans." There was no lead guitar on the Young Americans album, Sanborn later pointed out, per Rolling Stone. "So I played the role of lead guitar. I was all over that record," he said.

For years, Sanborn crossed into blues, pop, rock, and back to jazz, recording with BB King, Aretha Franklin, and Bruce Springsteen, for whom he played on Born to Run's "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out." He once told Downbeat, "I'm not so interested in what is or isn't jazz. ... Jazz has always absorbed and transformed what's around it." Sanborn added, "Real musicians don't have any time to spend thinking about limited categories." (More obituary stories.)
Vice President Kamala Harris apparently wanted a strong modifier to emphasize her point in answering a question at a gathering of young people on Monday. The word she settled on was a bad one. "We have to know that sometimes people will open the door for you and leave it open," Harris said. "Sometimes they won't, and then you need to kick that f---ing door down." Her response drew applause, the Hill reports.

Harris was appearing before young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders for a health forum discussion during the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies Legislative Leadership Summit. Actor and comedian Jimmy O. Yang had asked Harris about her experience as the first Black and South Asian American vice president, including how her heritage has affected her views and role. Harris added an "Excuse my language" to her answer, while Yang suggested it be printed on T-shirts. "Here's the thing about breaking down barriers. It does not mean that you start on one side of the barrier and end up on another," Harris added, per the Guardian, saying the effort may be painful but is "worth it every time." (More Kamala Harris stories.)
In data published by the UN May 6, Palestinian casualties during the Israel-Hamas war were reported to be 34,735, more than 14,500 of those children and more than 9,500 of them women. Two days later, the UN published data with very different numbers: 4,959 women and 7,797 children. As USA Today explains, the UN explained the change as having to do with the Gaza Ministry of Health having complete details for only 24,686 of the total number of reported fatalities, which is higher than 34,000. The ministry says more than 10,000 of the casualties are "missing or under the rubble," and thus complete details cannot be given for them. The numbers published on May 8 reflect how many women and children are included in the fatalities for which the ministry does have complete details.
UPDATE

May 20, 2024 5:34 AM CDT

The whispers are now official: Red Lobster has filed for bankruptcy protection. The seafood restaurant chain announced Sunday that it filed for relief under Chapter 11, under a stalking-horse agreement in which Red Lobster will sell the business to an entity created and controlled by its existing term lenders, reports the Wall Street Journal. The company says proceeding this way will allow it to streamline operations and continue operating while working out a plan to repay its creditors, per Bloomberg. That outlet notes that, per a court filing, Red Lobster listed assets of $1 billion to $10 billion, and liabilities equaling the same amount, in its bankruptcy petition. "This restructuring is the best path forward for Red Lobster," says CEO Jonathan Tibus, per the Journal. "It allows us to address several financial and operational challenges and emerge stronger and refocused on our growth."

May 14, 2024 9:05 AM CDT

Get your cheddar biscuits while you canRed Lobster is shutting its restaurants in droves. CNN reports that the chain is shuttering at least four dozen of its 650 or so locations around the nation, listing those sites as "temporarily closed" on its website, according to local news reports. An auction is also taking place through Thursday, via TAGeX Brands, of Red Lobster kitchen supplies, furniture, and more.
Austrian judges have ruled that a man who kept his daughter captive for 24 years, raped her thousands of times, and fathered seven children with her can be moved from psychiatric detention to a regular prison, a court said Tuesday. The decision on Monday was the latest in a legal back-and-forth on Josef Fritzl's future, per the AP . The state court in the town of Krems said in a statement that the 89-year-old can be moved as he no longer poses the kind of danger that requires keeping him in psychiatric detention. The decision was based on an April 30 hearing with Fritzl, as well as reports by forensic and psychiatric experts.

Because of Fritzl's advancing dementia and physical decline, psychiatric detention is no longer necessary for his "combined personality disorder," as there's no longer a danger of Fritzl committing serious crimes, the court said. The court said Fritzl can be moved to the prison for a 10-year trial period but that he cannot be released from detention altogether. Prosecutors appealed an earlier decision in January that Fritzl could be moved to a regular prison, and both sides also are entitled to appeal the latest decision.

His crime came to light in 2008 and he was sentenced in 2009 to life imprisonment for committing incest, rape, coercion, false imprisonment, and enslavement of his daughter, as well as for the negligent homicide of one of his infant sons. Fritzl became known as the "Monster of Amstetten" after the Austrian town where he locked up his then-18-year-old daughter in the sound-proofed basement of his house in 1984. Over the next 24 years, he repeatedly raped her and fathered seven children with her, one of whom died. (More Josef Fritzl stories.)
Screams were heard on Indonesia's Sumatra island before a man's body was discovered Thursday, with one of the hands torn off. Authorities say the 26-year-old, found dead on a plantation in Riau province, was attacked by a tiger. "The area is within the tiger habitat," said Genman Suhefti Hasibuan, head of the local conservation agency, per AFP. Speaking Friday, the local police chief said two workers heard the victim scream while spraying weeds in an acacia plantation. They searched for their friend but discovered only tiger prints. Police said the body was found later with bite wounds to the neck and a severed right hand.
Donald Trump's trial is becoming a must-attend event for his A-list supporters. As Michael Cohen continued his testimony Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson showed up at the Manhattan courthouse and denounced the case as a "sham," reports the AP . Also in attendance were North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills (both of Florida), and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, per the Washington Post . On Monday, Sens. JD Vance of Ohio (a possible running mate) and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama were in attendance , and Sen. Rick Scott of Florida attended previously.

As for Cohen, he continued to answer questions about the $130,000 hush-money payment he made to Stormy Daniels and said he discussed reimbursement with Trump himself in the Oval Office in 2017, per the Wall Street Journal. "I was sitting with President Trump, and he asked me if I was OK," Cohen testified. "He asked me if I needed money." The president eventually directed Cohen to deal with Trump Organization finance chief Allen Weisselberg to receive a check, he said.

Cohen also spoke of getting a phone call from Trump after the FBI raided Cohen's residence in 2018. "He said to me, 'Don't worry. I'm the president of the United States. There's nothing here. Everything's going to be OK.'" Cohen testified, per NBC News. He also spoke of lying to Congress and "misleading" the Federal Election Commission to protect his former boss. Prosecutors may finish their questioning of the star witness Tuesday, at which point the defense will start its cross-examination. (More Trump hush-money trial stories.)
A massive manhunt is underway in France for a drug dealer known as "the Fly" and the gunmen who freed him in a deadly ambush at a highway toll booth. Two prison guards were killed and two others were critically injured when the prison van was ambushed in Normandy Tuesday morning, the BBC reports. The inmate, whose real name is Mohamed Amra, was being transported between the towns of Rouen and Evreux after a court hearing. Authorities say Amra was serving an 18-month sentence for theft and faced new charges connected to a kidnapping and a drug-related murder in Marseille.

Amra was being taken back to a prison facility after a hearing related to the new charges. Police sources told AFP the attackers arrived in two vehicles and rammed the prison van before attacking officers with "heavy weapons." Eric Dupond-Moretti, France's justice minister, said the two men killed in the attack were the first prison officers killed in the line of duty since 1992. He said one of them was married with two children and the other "left a wife five months pregnant."

"All means are being used to find these criminals. On my instructions, several hundred police officers and gendarmes were mobilized," Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said, per the AP. Amra's lawyer, Hugues Vigier, told French news channel BFMTV that he was "utterly shocked" by the escape and the "unimaginable" violence. "I would like to believe that he didn't know about the plan to free him. That would not change the tragedy that took place but as his lawyer I want to believe he didn't plan this escape," he said, per the BBC. (More France stories.)
A French court acquitted filmmaker Roman Polanski on Tuesday of defaming a British actor whom he accused of lying after she alleged that he sexually assaulted her as a teenager. The case stems from a 2019 interview with Paris Match magazine where Polanski accused Charlotte Lewis of "a heinous lie" for alleging that he raped her in the 1980s when she was 16. The Paris court's ruling did not address the truth of the rape allegation but focused solely on whether the 90-year-old Polanski's comments in the interview constituted defamation against Lewis, the AP reports. Polanski denied the charges. Lewis said she felt let down by the verdict and would appeal. "I feel sad," she said. "For us, it's not over."
"People are less willing to take a punt on an unknown name - audiences are buying tickets for their tried and true comedy faves. That's great, but I think one of the most fun things you can do at a comedy festival is go and see someone you have never heard of. You might see a future star before anyone else, or you might see an absolute shocker," Matthewson said.

Fellow comedian Alan McElroy added they're trying to do what they can to help put bums on seats.

"Punters may wait until the last minute to book tickets so as an artist or producer, it's a bit stressful but if the product is good, people will buy. On the shows that I produce, I've found a balance of making the tickets affordable but I also offer a ticket with a donation for those that can afford it."

Sowmya Hiremath, whose show Seven Year Glitch begins its run in Wellington next week, says the comedians are also feeling it.

"It's getting difficult to produce or run shows with the cost of everything that has gone up and only limited audience turnout. We are still trying to keep the ticket price low so that it's not hard on people," she said.

All of the comedians Newshub spoke to voiced concerns that shows outside of the festival aren't quite hitting the mark when it comes to representation across Aotearoa.

David Correos, who has won fame on TVNZ's Taskmaster and will be familiar to many through his Burger King adverts, told Newshub: "We should be focusing on creating spaces for more Maori voices to come through in the scene." He says he's contemplating leaving New Zealand this year to give others the chance to rise up through the ranks.

It's a sentiment Matthewson echoes.

"The most pressing issue right now is the whiteness of comedy in this country, and the lack of Pacific and Maori voices at most stand-up gigs. This is about the venues and gigs that are booked being in spaces that cater to white audiences, and some work needs to be done to shift that."

But there are signs some work is being done to redress the issues the local comedy community has faced regarding its treatment of women.

In May 2023, Abby Howells told the audience at the Last Laughs ceremony she had quit the comedy scene for seven years after being sexually harassed by another comedian. She made a return to the stage in 2019 and went on to win the prestigious Billy T Award in 2023 with her show, but she's made no secret about how hard it has been.

Correos says the "variety in voices now is incredible".

"It's improved massively in the past ten years, the top comics to come out of NZ are predominantly women. The last man to win the Billy T was in 2016. Angella (Dravid), Mel (Bracewell), Kura (Forrester), Brynley (Stent) and Abby are the comics who have gone on to win it after. It's been less than a year since Abby won the Billy T award and she's already been recognised as a 5-star comic at Melbourne's comedy festival. An NZ comic getting 5 stars at the Melbourne comedy fest is nuts, 10 years ago it was almost unheard of."

However, female comedian Jess Loudon reckons there is still plenty of work to be done.

"The lack of female representation is not limited to just the comedy scene. Nor is it limited to women - there is also a lack of people of colour and our LGBTQ friends. Traditionally comedy has been very much a bastion of the straight white man and traditionally it was straight white men who were predominant in the audience. Now our audience is everyone from every walk of life so our lineups for our shows should reflect that."

Hiremath says for now, small steps such as those being taken in Wellington, are already starting to make a big difference on the local scene.

"In Wellington at an open mic night Raw Meat Monday, we have a female 'Greenroom assistant' who is there just to be a support person and make it feel welcoming for new women trying comedy."

Loudon also believes it's up to the comics themselves to be vocal about the need for change.

"Professional shows both here and overseas have a lineup of all men with one token female or one token POC or one token queer person. Producers are aware that they need to have at least some diversity in their lineups so they don't get cancelled," she says.

"But this kind of tokenism is not a commitment to change rather it is a very condescending pat on the head. It is a really cynical and disingenuous approach. And more importantly, it's just a bit boring."

Loudon cites "Kate Creatif Kate with Femmes and Thems in Wellington (representing women and non-binary people), Bridie Thomson starting Femmes and Thems in Auckland, Jaqi Taimana who specialises in all female lineups in the Waikato; Jess Karamjeet with her Asian Comedy Takeover and the Basement Theatre with their regular No Homo comedy shows" as trailblazers.

But she believes there is much more that New Zealand could do to bring change to what has traditionally been a pale, stale and male industry.

"We need to accommodate women when they become mothers - so many female comedians can't maintain their careers during their child bearing years so they either have to give up entirely or wait until their children are older to come back to it. This means we are losing so many amazing female comedians who are mid-career and they aren't being replaced. It's a vicious cycle. That is a barrier that men don't have to deal with."

"We should be accommodating mothers by offering enough money for professional gigs to pay for babysitting services, parking as well as the basic salary we all receive for shows. In my opinion, this needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency."

However, fellow comedian Brendon Green says many know it's an issue, and one that sadly can't be fixed overnight.

"Nobody is consciously making it harder for women to be in the comedy industry, but it's very clearly true that it is harder for women to be here, so we have to accept that it's unconscious and baked in to the system - which means working to change what is considered 'normal', because the 'normal' is not working."

Chief executive of the NZ Comedy Festival and NZ Comedy Trust Lauren Whitney told Newshub 40 percent of this year's festival consisted of women.

In a statement released in response to the article, Whitney said in terms of representation during the 2024 festival, there were entrants from 26 countries, including artists from Maori, Pasifika, LGBTQIA+, Asian and African communities.

However, Whitney said they were "working on strengthening and sustaining the voices of these communities within the festival each year".

"Our hope as we continue to programme diverse voices, is that the audiences too will broaden to support them, so more people are able to see themselves reflected on stage."

While the Comedy Trust emphasised it was "critical" performers felt safe, Whitney said they also "have a code of conduct in place so there is a clear understanding of the standard of behaviour we expect".

Whitney also added the desire to get more Pacific and Maori involved was already something that was being tackled, but would continue apace.

"The Comedy Mixtape showcase of solely people of colour, has launched in Wellington alongside Auckland.

"We understand that Maori and Pacific artists do not always find central city venues that traditionally tend to be Pakeha-led the most welcoming spaces.

"We have been working closely with Te Pou Theatre, a Maori-led theatre in Henderson, to host The Comedy Mixtape and our Billy T nomination showcase.

"We also offer Te Pou as a choice for artists to be programmed at in the Comedy Festival. The programming of the shows that the Trust produces in the Festival, is focused on showcasing a diverse line-up of artists."

The New Zealand International Comedy Festival is running in Auckland and Wellington until May 26. All of the comedians interviewed here are performing at the 2024 festival - for more details, visit comedyfestival.co.nz
Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe said the council opposed any events which might seek to cause division within the community.

"The graphic imagery in their promotion suggests this is the case. However, we have no ability to stop this event because it is at a private venue."

In a video of the New Plymouth event Tamaki preaches against transgender and rainbow community rights; puberty blockers; Palestine; and the environmental movement.

It appears he is implying that these are the 'Goliath', and his own movement, Destiny Church, is the 'David'.

Tamaki said in a statement "The story and imagery of David and Goliath is used figuratively. I have stated many times that Destiny Church and I do not hate anybody in the rainbow community. We are always peaceful, never hateful.

"Any terminology I ever use in relation to warfareis in relation to the spiritual battle we face every day as Christians. It is not directed at any individual. The term 'Time to Kill' also is a direct quote from the Bible found in Ecclesiastes 3:1-3. 'there is a time to kill, a time to heal'."

The giant he referred to in New Zealand was a "a spirit that wants to sexualise our children and young people. To kill, means to bring to an endfollowed by a time to heal".

'Dehumanising talk' - local fears for safety

A member of the local rainbow community, who did not want to be named but identified as non-binary, said the church's promotional material was extremely concerning.

"[This is] dehumanising talk, where we're the paedophiles, and we're the filth, and we're the degenerates. And there's a logical end point where we get attacked on the street."

They were planning on avoiding town for the next few days, and said they were especially worried for younger rainbow community members.

"I think Tamaki has gone far beyond expressing his free speech."
Ocean Flyer CEO Shah Aslam told AM on Wednesday he still wakes up pinching himself that this is real.

"It's exciting, it's cool to see all the support we've received locally and overseas and I think it just shows confidence not just in Ocean Flyer but also in the country of New Zealand from overseas investors," he said.

Ocean Flyer has placed an order for 15 of the 12-seater seagliders and 10 which are up to 100-seats.

"With this funding of $145m we'll be able to move up to a million passengers or about 43 million cages of cargo on an annual basis," Aslam said.

He likened the operation of the fleet to running a bus or train service.

"Every 20, 30 minutes you should be able to hop on one of these and get to the other side."

The next step was to get the seagliders into the country.

"The prototype has been flying, we're still a couple of years away. That gives us time to get the infrastructure ready and regulation and everything so that's the key aim now," Aslam said.

"We're still looking at that mid-decade timeline and I think this will definitely revolutionise the way transport's done in New Zealand."

And without the need for massive infrastructure, like long runways, Aslam said they would be taking advantage of the "natural infrastructure" Aotearoa has to offer.

"That's the beauty of this, the waterways."
A new record has been set as people leave New Zealand to live overseas in droves.

Stats NZ on Tuesday revealed a net migration loss of 52,500 New Zealand citizens in the year to March - made up of 25,800 arrivals and 78,200 departures.

That means, for every arrival of a New Zealand citizen there were three departures.

People aged 18 to 30 made up 39 percent of this loss. It's not uncommon, though, as those in their late teens and twenties are usually the biggest driver of net migration losses.

The data is based on provisional estimates. However, in comparison, before the current high levels, the record annual net migration loss of New Zealand citizens in the February 2012 year was 44,400.

"This is the first time the annual net migration loss of New Zealand citizens has exceeded 50,000," Stats NZ population indicators manager Tehseen Islam said.

"That equates to 1000 more New Zealand citizens departing long-term than arriving long-term each week."
A series of expletive-laden videos were uploaded as stories on Instagram.

"You fullas caught any f**king fish yet or what?" said the man filming.

"Ah, got a small feed, got a few in there and then just doing a bit of a clean up in here," said another fisher.

"A little bit of f**king marine life. Stop picking on the marine life aye. F**k, leave them alone."

Have a story or more information? Please contact Michael in confidence at michael.morrah@wbd.com

But the video depicted more than just harmless fishing banter.

According to those who know the area, the surrounding rocky islands are unmistakably the Poor Knights - a pristine and unique environment that has been a marine reserve where all fishing is banned since 1998.

"I felt sick to the stomach, it was really blatant, it's a total disregard," Dive! Tutukaka owner Kate Malcolm told Newshub. "It's disrespectful. It's like a raiding party."

Malcolm and her crew are at the Knights every day taking locals and tourists diving in the lush kelp forests which are home to an array of unique fish species.

"I had to look twice. I could not believe they would do that in broad daylight and put it up on their socials."

"They are flipping the bird to everyone. Everyone who sees that place as a special taonga and a turangawaewae. They are flipping the bird to the iwi, to the locals here. This is our area."
Despite widespread criticism, the Police Commissioner believes a controversial gang patch ban will be a crucial tool as part of a new national unit.

The new national gang unit, to be made up of specialist staff, was announced by Police Minister Mark Mitchell and Commissioner Andrew Coster on Tuesday.

In addition, the Gang Legislation Amendment Bill to ban patches is also set to be introduced to Parliament.

Coster told AM police wanted to see a reduction in the "visible presence" of gangs.

"The gang patch ban, when passed through Parliament, will be a key tool for us in that - as will our ongoing, active policing of events like gang runs and gang funerals," he said.

Among the concerns about the new gang unit included where the officers would come from to staff it.

But Coster wasn't concerned about that, saying police would be "looking at groups whose work is already broadly aligned with this area".

"We expect it will be a mix of reprioritisation and new investment, but we can't get ahead of Budget announcements."

Coster said gangs were linked to 18 percent of serious violence in New Zealand.

"So, when we see the overall gang contribution to crime reduce, that's when we know we're having long-term success."
Story by Olli Hellmann for The Conversation

The stories Aotearoa New Zealand tells itself about the history of Te Tiriti o Waitangi/the Treaty of Waitangi have evolved considerably over time. For many decades, starting with the 1940 centennial, state-sponsored commemorations of the signing, the event was romanticised as a coming together of two peoples.

Increasingly, these collective memories were challenged - primarily by Maori activism, but also by the work of revisionist historians. As a result, today's official narratives acknowledge the Treaty was broken repeatedly, often violently, during European colonisation. And they also recognise the Crown's obligation to remedy past breaches.

Some conservative politicians have seen this shift in collective remembering as an opportunity for political point scoring. They denounce recent reinterpretations of the Treaty as sowing social division and weakening national unity.

For example, in his 2004 Orewa speech, then National leader Don Brash reviled the Treaty settlements process for creating "a racially divided state". In 2017, National Prime Minister Bill English claimed many New Zealanders "cringe" at Maori protests on Waitangi Day.

Lately, ACT party leader David Seymour has attacked current interpretations of the Treaty as being "divisive". His Treaty Principles Bill aims to rewrite those principles, against loud opposition from Maori.

But my new research, published recently in the journal Political Science, does not support claims the Treaty divides New Zealanders. In fact, the survey suggests quite the opposite: the Treaty provides a powerful symbol that promotes mutual understanding and reconciliation.

Our most important historical event

The survey involved a broadly representative sample of over 1,000 people. The key question asked respondents to spontaneously name the most important event in the history of Aotearoa New Zealand. This may seem simple, but it is an effective way to tap into readily accessible - and therefore meaningful - memories.

The Treaty of Waitangi was the most frequent response, among both Pakeha/European New Zealanders (38%) and Maori (59%).

Younger respondents were significantly more likely to recall the signing of the Treaty than older generations. This possibly reflects efforts since the late 1990s to educate citizens on the Treaty and the role of the Waitangi Tribunal in redressing historical injustices.

In fact, among those respondents born between 2000 and 2006, more than 70% identified the Treaty as the most important event in national history.

Remembering the past matters

The survey data make it possible to investigate how collective memories of the historical past shape what individuals think about politics and society in the present.

In particular, we can compare two groups of respondents: those who recalled the Treaty of Waitangi as most important, and those who attached the greatest importance to Eurocentric historical events (such as the arrival of Captain Cook and European settlers, World War I, and women's suffrage).

Participants were also prompted to rate their "warmth" towards other social groups. In addition, the survey included a range of questions about national identity and redress of historical wrongs against Maori.

Analysis of the responses revealed four important findings.

There was no evidence Maori who rated the Treaty as the most important historical event felt markedly "cool" towards European New Zealanders. Rather, it was Pakeha respondents calling to mind Eurocentric historical events who exhibited little warmth for Maori. There was no evidence that singling out the Treaty as the most important event undermined individuals' sense of national belonging - among either Pakeha or Maori. Pakeha respondents who named the Treaty as the most important event were likely to support a broader definition of what it means to be a New Zealander. Specifically, they understood national identity to be inclusive of Maori culture and values, rather than insisting on a narrow, monocultural understanding. Pakeha who identified the Treaty as the most important historical event showed a significant tendency to support redress for historical injustices to Maori.

The symbolic power of the Treaty

When nations craft narratives about their historical origins - be it revolutions, wars or the making of constitutions - they tend to frame these stories positively.

Aotearoa New Zealand is different. The Treaty of Waitangi - often considered the nation's founding document - includes in its more recent narratives an admission of guilt and an obligation to remedy past wrongs.

Some politicians have taken aim at these narratives. They claim dwelling too much on historical breaches of the Treaty - for example, through Waitangi Tribunal proceedings or Maori protest - strains the social fabric.

However, the recently published survey findings indicate such concerns are misplaced. Rather, narratives that foreground Treaty breaches help forge a bicultural sense of belonging and commitment to work through those breaches.

The survey also finds the Treaty holds especially strong symbolic power among young people. This suggests electoral strategies that seek to undo decades of revisionist storytelling about the Treaty will likely lead to diminishing returns in the future.

Ollie Hellmann is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Waikato.

The Conversation
Police Minister Mark Mitchell said the unit would extend the work already done by Operation Cobalt and would build operational capability when combatting gangs.

"In addition, Police are investing in gang disruption units at a district level to identify, target and catch priority gang offenders," Mitchell said.

Operation Cobalt was introduced by the Labour Government in 2022 following a spate of shootings amidst rising tensions between the Killer Beez and Tribesmen gangs. It was a broadening of Operation Tauwhiro, which focused on unlawfully held firearms.

"I'm glad the strong law enforcement focus on gangs under Operation Cobalt and Tauwhiro will be embedded into each Police District. This was supported and funded by Labour," Labour police spokesperson Ginny Andersen said on Tuesday.

"Labour also funded the National Gang Unit. It was called the National Organised Crime Group."

Andersen added in 2022, Labour invested $94.5m to target gangs and organised crime.

"Unlike Labour, National has put no extra resources today into tackling gangs and organised crime. Just like they won't pay police properly for the extra work they're asking them to do," Andersen said.

"Mark Mitchell couldn't say how many people would be in what he says are 'new' units, what they would do or how they would be funded - this is a rebrand of Labour's approach, not anything new."

Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said the dedicated national operation launch is planned for July.

"Policing gangs and serious offenders is an all-of-police priority. The new gang units will boost our focus and capability but they are not working alone - our whole frontline is involved in preventing the crime and harm caused by methamphetamine, organised crime and gangs, whether through road policing, organised crime investigations, prosecutions or prevention activity," he said.

Mitchell said the National Gang Unit announcement is a big part of the Government's goal to "restore law and order".

"We have a plan to recruit 500 additional Police and we're giving them powers to crack down on gang offending, introducing legislation to ban all gang insignia in public, create greater powers to stop criminal gangs from gathering in groups and communicating, and give greater weight to gang membership at sentencing," Mitchell said.

He said there had been a 73 percent increase in gang membership from 2017 to 2023.

It comes after gang member Hone Kay-Selwyn allegedly shot and killed 33-year-old Robert Sidney Horne in Auckland's Ponsonby. Police said there was no known relationship between the two men.
She echoed concerns raised by fellow claimants - including linguists, academics, historians and legal professionals - about the ACT Party's interpretation of the Articles of the Treaty in its Democracy or Co-Government Policy Paper.

Prof Mutu said ACT's paper was "nonsensical" and its "cherry-picking" approach led to the creation of sentences in te reo Maori that "made absolutely no sense whatsoever".

"Which tells me, either that the person has absolutely no understanding of the reo at all or is so disparaging of the reo that they think nothing of doing it, such a damage, such a gratuitous violence to our language ... a language is precious and you don't go messing about with it," Mutu said.

It was a sentiment shared by Tribunal panel member and historian Monty Soutar, who thanked Mutu for her analysis, saying it is "just not possible to draw that English translation from the Maori that's there".

ACT's Democracy or Co-Government Policy Paper said the Treaty should be defined as:

Article 1: "Kawanatanga katoa o o ratou whenua" - the New Zealand Government has the right to govern all New Zealanders

Article 2: "Ki nga tangata katoa o Nu Tirani te tino rangatiratanga o o ratou whenua o ratou kainga me o ratou taonga katoa" - the New Zealand government will honour all New Zealanders in the chieftainship of their land and all their property

Article 3: "A ratou nga tikanga katoa rite tahi" - all New Zealanders are equal under the law with the same rights and duties

Speaking to the Waitangi Tribunal, she said the government was disgracing the Crown as Ngati Kahu held Queen Elizabeth II in a high regard, saying she was viewed as the rangatira of the English.

"She was the only one as far as our tipuna could see, she knew how to control the lawless Pakehas and they accorded her the great honour of being able to exercise her own rule of law in this country for her own people in a way that had to uphold the mana and the tino rangatiratanga of our people. That was a very solemn and serious and sacred undertaking that could only be undertaken by a person who held the necessary respect," Mutu said.

They would be giving King Charles a reminder of the agreement of Te Tiriti and how he needed to keep this government in line, she said.

"We still look to Charles III to do something about his government. We have just finished drafting a letter to him, reminding him of the undertakings of his ancestors, the very sacred undertaking of his ancestors and to therefore say something to his government about the fact that they cannot behave the way they are because they bring shame, they bring all sorts of disrespect on the head of the Crown," Mutu said.

"We still look to King Charles III, we look to Queen Elizabeth II in the same way, to stop the lawless behaviour of the Pakehas. And that's all we're dealing with here, is the lawless behaviour, ongoing lawless behaviour of Pakehas in this country."

The Treaty could change so much to a point where iwi might not be able to pursue their historical claims, she said.

Her evidence comes a day after the first day of the hearing on Thursday where te reo Maori expert and Ngapuhi historian Hone Sadler called out ACT's bill.

"This cutting and pasting exercise of Te Tiriti O Waitangi demeans, debases and trivialises our founding document as a nation and disparages and denigrates Ngapuhi, the guardian of these sacred covenants," Sadler said.

But ACT leader David Seymour, who is behind the Treaty Principals Bill, rejected that.

"I believe that he's entitled to that view, however, I just make the point that there's been people saying for a long time that the Treaty of Waitangi requires us to be divided by a partnership between races, rather than a compact that gives us the same rights, duties and then gives us, all of us the right to self determine," Seymour said.

He said he had listened to many experts over the years and was confident with the interpretation which had been taken.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

In a gesture of unparalleled unity, the Kingdom of Bahrain generously offers its hospitality to Arab leaders for a summit of critical significance. At this pivotal juncture, faced with challenges to our shared identity, the summit stands as a symbol of hope.

The streets of the Kingdom are adorned with flags representing Arab nations, portraits of Arab leaders, and banners that warmly welcome the participants, all in anticipation of the 33rd Arab Summit taking place on Thursday, May 16. The Summit, scheduled to be presided over by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. This event coincides with two momentous occasions as Bahrain celebrates the silver jubilee of the accession of

HM King Hamad and the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Arab league next year. Under the wise guidance of His Majesty, the Summit aims to forge a unified path forward for the Arab world. HM the King, a respected diplomat, will lead discussions on critical issues impacting the region, including security, stability, and economic prosperity.

Significant milestone

This Summit marks a significant milestone for Bahrain, a nation with a rich history of cultural and religious diversity. Bahrains commitment to fostering unity among Arab nations is evident in its leadership role, with His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, playing a key role in facilitating dialogue and cooperation.

The agenda of the Summit reflects the pressing imperative for united action.

The persistent strife in Gaza, the economic tribulations, and the spectres threatening the equilibrium of the region necessitate urgent and decisive action.

The assembly of leaders will engage in strategic discourse to confront these challenges, laying the groundwork for a future that is both secure and prosperous for the Arab nations.

Continuous progress

HRH Prince Salman has emphasised the importance of continuous progress across all sectors, particularly in the economic and social spheres.

This aligns with the aspirations of progressive Arab leaders, who seek to improve the lives of their citizens and build a brighter future for the region.

H.E. Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, the undersecretary for international affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed his viewpoint, stating, The convening of the Arab summit comes at a crucial juncture when the foundations of our national states and their legitimate institutions are under threat and their effectiveness is undermined by internal conflicts.

Furthermore, the proliferation of armed militias poses significant dangers.

These challenges not only jeopardise our sovereignty but also highlight the intrusion of foreign interference in Arab affairs, which flagrantly contradicts universally accepted international conventions, ranging from counterterrorism efforts to regional security concerns.

Renaissance and unity

He further emphasised, Our authentic Arab identity and ancient traditions serve as the bedrock of our renaissance and unity.

He fervently asserts that the Bahrain Summit conveys an indomitable message of peace and solidarity, radiating hope and optimism among Arab peoples who ardently anticipate concrete and decisive decisions that unify collective efforts under the banner of Arabism.

H.E. Dr. Lulwa Budalamah, a distinguished scholar, chronicles His Majestys dedication to unity in her latest book, emphasising his stance on the Palestinian cause as central to the Arab world. His Majesty has consistently supported initiatives for Yemen and upheld the United Arab Emirates territorial rights.

Resounding success

His Excellency Dr. Mustafa Benkhi, Moroccan Ambassador to the Kingdom, affirms the Kingdoms ability, under the leadership of HM the King, to make the upcoming Arab Summit a resounding success in terms of organisation and outcomes and serve as a distinguished milestone for a new phase of Arab action, a joint effort that safeguards the issues and interests of the Arab nation and produces strategic initiatives that contribute to building an integrated Arab partnership.

He stated, The Kingdom of Morocco has always been committed to giving the issues of development and Arab integration the attention they deserve in order to preserve the unity of the Arab ranks and respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national unity of Arab countries.

Adel Al Asoomi, Speaker of the Arab Parliament, affirms, One of the enduring principles of the Kingdom of Bahrains foreign policy is non-interference in the internal affairs of countries.

It consistently supports joint Arab action, which will ensure the summit will be calm and exceptional.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

In a momentous speech at the preparatory meeting of the 33rd Arab Summit in Manama, Bahrains Foreign Affairs Ministry Undersecretary for International Affairs, His Excellency Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, emphasized the significance of unity and solidarity in addressing pressing challenges facing the Arab world.

Against the backdrop of escalating tensions and crises, H.E. Shaikh Abdulla underscored the imperative of collective action and cooperation to navigate through the regions complex landscape.

Highlighting the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip and the humanitarian crisis it has engendered, he called for immediate measures to alleviate the suffering of innocent civilians and reiterated Bahrains steadfast support for the Palestinian cause.

Moreover, H.E. Shaikh Abdulla voiced concerns over internal conflicts and the proliferation of armed militias, emphasizing the need to safeguard national institutions and combat foreign interference in Arab affairs.

Emphasizing Bahrains unwavering commitment to promoting just Arab causes, he reaffirmed the kingdoms dedication to upholding Arab unity and stability.

As the Arab world grapples with multifaceted challenges, H.E. Shaikh Abdulla stressed the importance of revitalizing the Arab system and fostering greater integration to foster peace and development.

Opportunity He called upon Arab leaders to seize the opportunity presented by the Arab Summit to chart a new course forward, one that is rooted in shared values and aspirations.

In concluding his remarks, H.E. Shaikh Abdulla expressed optimism that the summit would herald a new chapter in the Arab worlds journey towards progress and prosperity.

He reiterated Bahrains pledge to support efforts aimed at advancing the collective interests of the Arab nation, invoking the blessings of peace, coexistence, and Arabism.
VAUGHAN, ON, May 14, 2024 /CNW/ - Recipe Unlimited and Gastronomous Technologies announced their strategic partnership today aimed at revolutionizing kitchen operations in the restaurant industry.

Recipe Unlimited and Gastronomous Technologies partner to set new standards of excellence and productivity in the culinary landscape (CNW Group/Gastronomous Technologies Inc)

Recipe, Canada's largest full-service restaurant company, is embarking on a new venture by testing state-of-the-art automation of the "flame grill" at select Harvey's restaurants across Ontario called the Chronogrill. After over two years of meticulous development by the Gastronomous team, an industry-leading automation firm, this innovative solution incorporates AI, advanced vision systems, and industrial-grade automation to grill the perfect burger in half the time while reducing energy consumption. "The goal of integrating this cutting-edge technology is to deliver an exceptional guest experience by serving top-quality flame-grilled burgers 100% of the time while simultaneously increasing our speed of service and lowering our environmental impact," says David Colebrook, President of Limited Service Dining for Recipe.

Utilizing Internet-of-Things connectivity, the system provides detailed operational insights, 24/7 remote monitoring, and seamless service support.

Kevork Sevadjian, CEO of Gastronomous Technologies, echoes David Colebrook's sentiments, emphasizing the success of the collaboration. "Recipe has been an exceptional partner throughout this journey," he remarks. "Recipe's forward-thinking leadership and their team's collaboration have been instrumental in realizing the potential of this partnership. This milestone not only marks a significant achievement for Recipe but also heralds a new era of innovation for the entire restaurant industry."

About Recipe

Founded in 1883, RECIPE Unlimited Corporation is Canada's largest full-service restaurant company. The Company franchises and/or operates some of the most recognized brands in the country including Swiss Chalet, Harvey's, St-Hubert, The Keg, Montana's, Kelseys, East Side Mario's, New York Fries, Bier Markt, The Landing Group of Restaurants, Original Joe's, State & Main, Elephant & Castle, The Burger's Priest, The Pickle Barrel, Marigolds & Onions, Blanco Cantina, Anejo, and Fresh Kitchen + Juice Bar.

RECIPE's iconic brands have established the organization as a nationally recognized franchisor of choice. More information about the Company is available at www.recipeunlimited.com.

About Gastronomous

Gastronomous is a leader in automation solutions for commercial kitchens. The company designs, builds and services AI-powered and purpose-built automation utilizing industrial-grade mechanics, vision systems and IoT connectivity. Dedicated to improving food quality, efficiency, and sustainability, Gastronomous' solutions optimize restaurant workflows, and reduce waste.

More information is available at www.gastronomous.ca.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Nicolette Garito

Public Relations, Recipe Unlimited

[email protected]

Yaser Al Sagha

Head of Business Development, Gastronomous Technologies

+1 (905) 330-4876

[email protected]

SOURCE Gastronomous Technologies Inc
QUEBEC CITY, May 14, 2024 /CNW/ - The Musee national des beaux-arts du Quebec (MNBAQ) and the Fondation du MNBAQ, in collaboration with the RBC Foundation, their valued financial partner since 2013, are proud to contribute to the recognition and effervescence of the Quebec contemporary art scene and have announced the five new recipients of the MNBAQ Contemporary Art Award: Eruoma Awashish, Remi Belliveau, Michelle Lacombe, Anne-Marie Proulx, and Santiago Tamayo Soler.

Photos from left to right: Anne-Marie Proulx  Photo Marcin Sz / Michelle Lacombe / Remi Belliveau / Eruoma Awashish  Photo Nadya Kwandibens / Santiago Tamayo Soler (CNW Group/Musee national des beaux-arts du Quebec)

A jury selected the artists from diverse backgrounds based on the excellence, sustained nature, and relevance of their work. The recipients are being announced this year and will benefit from outstanding visibility at a group exhibition to be held from February 13 to April 21, 2025 at the MNBAQ in addition to receiving an individual cash award of $10 000. "As one of the flagship projects of the RBC Emerging Artists program, the MNBAQ Contemporary Art Award enables us to pursue this rewarding adventure with the MNBAQ. The RBC Foundation is pleased to contribute to perpetuating this unique award in Quebec and to know that we are making a striking difference in the careers of Quebec artists," noted Nicolas Audet-Renoux, Regional Vice-President, Quebec, Beauce, Quebec Central and Mauricie, at RBC Royal Bank. "The MNBAQ and the Fondation du MNBAQ are facilitating opportunities for artists to draw closer to the public, thereby allowing them to make themselves known and achieve recognition. We are convinced that the forthcoming edition will be a resounding success and congratulate the new prize-winners."

A dynamic selection

The jury sought to represent broad artistic experience through intentionally eclectic choices. The diversity of the approaches adopted by these artists is equalled only by their respective careers and practices, including prints, video games, photography, performance, body art, and music.

A jury comprising reputable Quebec contemporary art specialists chose the five winners: Anne D'Amours McDonald, President and CEO of the Foire en art actuel de Quebec, Mike Patten, an artist and Director of BACA, Caroline Loncol Daigneault, an independent curator, Cheryl Sim, Director General and Commissioner, PHI Foundation for Contemporary Art, and Michele Theriault, an independent curator. Bernard Lamarche, Curator of Contemporary Art (2000 to the present) at the MNBAQ, chaired the jury.

A monograph will be published devoted to the winner, whose works the MNBAQ will acquire

Moreover, during the exhibition, a second jury will convene to determine a winner among the five finalist exhibitors in 2024. A monograph devoted to the artist's work will be published in 2026 and the MNBAQ will acquire the artist's works for its collection.

Profile of the five winners

The 2025 MNBAQ Contemporary Art Award supports artists living in Quebec with five to 20 years of practice, regardless of the discipline or medium. The artists have several exhibitions to their credit, but they lack representation in museums and have not yet had a significant monograph published. This recognition seeks to contribute to the blossoming of their careers by giving them a significant boost.

Eruoma Awashish

The Atikamekw artist Eruoma Awashish holds a BA in Interdisciplinary Arts from the Universite du Quebec a Chicoutimi and since 2023 has been pursuing an MA in visual arts at the same university. Her artistic approach seeks to create spaces for dialogue to facilitate the understanding of First Nations culture. Euroma Awashish has lived in the Opitciwan, Wemotaci, and Mashteuiatsh communities and has a keen sense of belonging to her Indigenous culture. Her work speaks of metissage and metamorphosis and is imbued with spirituality, symbolism, and syncretism. She has exhibited her works since 2007 at various venues. In 2018, she participated in BACA (Contemporary Native Art Biennial) and presented an installation at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. More recently, her work was exhibited at the Biennale Revelations 2023 at the Grand Palais in Paris. Her work will be exhibited in 2024 at the Art Souterrain Festival in Montreal and at the permanent exhibition Le Quebec autrement dit at the Musee de la civilisation de Quebec.

Remi Belliveau*

Interdisciplinary artist and Acadian musician Remi Belliveau is a native of Belliveau-Village in the Memramcook Valley in New Brunswick, an Acadian hamlet situated on Mi'kma'ki, an unceded ancestral territory of the Mi'kmaq people. Since 2012, their work has been presented at several events, group exhibitions and solo exhibitions, including the Sobey Award exhibition at the National Gallery of Canada for which they were a finalist for the Atlantic region. In parallel to their artistic practice, they co-curated the Galerie Sans Nom in Moncton from 2014 to 2018 and lectured at the Universite de Moncton in 2017. They have contributed texts to Canadian Art magazine. Acadian cultural heritage and the fiction underpinning the construction of the founding narratives are at the heart of their practice. Remi Belliveau's artistic work seeks to deconstruct and reprogram the foundations, structures, and imaginative world of the Acadian culture to which they belong with the intention of cultivating the capacity for (self)analysis and critical faculties. They were longlisted for the 2024 Sobey Art Award (Atlantic region). The artist lives and works in Montreal.

Michelle Lacombe

Michelle Lacombe lives and works in Montreal. Since obtaining her BFA from Concordia University in 2006 she has developed a unique body-based practice that is located at the intersection of visual arts and performance. Her work has been shown in Canada, the USA, and Europe in the context of performance events, exhibitions, and colloquiums. She received the 2015 Bourse Plein Sud and exhibited her work at the Art Encounters Contemporary Art Biennial in Romania in 2017. Her practice as an artist is paralleled by a commitment to supporting action art and other undisciplined practices. She is currently the director of VIVA! Art Action. By means of various alterations of her body such as tattooing or scarification, she calls into question the representation of white women's bodies and the archetypes linked to feminine gender through a historic and cultural perspective. Her work is characterized by a material simplicity, conceptual precision, corporal intensity, and assuredly feminist perspective.

Anne-Marie Proulx

Anne-Marie Proulx draws mainly by means of photography on our conversations with the territories. She creates poetic universes that concern the simultaneously individual and collective links that we maintain with our environments. Her current projects reflect in particular on the reciprocal links to be created or maintained with living beings and the natural spaces around us, a reflection that hinges on the sharing of ideas and perspectives, especially through Innu-Quebec friendship and various collaborative approaches. She holds an MA in Art History from Concordia University, where she also completed a BFA in Studio Arts after a year of attending NSCAD University. Engaged in her community, she has been working since 2014 as Codirector of VU, centre de diffusion et de production de la photographie. She lives and works between Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies and Quebec City, along the great river where she grew up and whose shores the Wendat, Wolastoqiyik, Innu, Abenaki, and Atikamekw have frequented for thousands of years.

Santiago Tamayo Soler

Santiago Tamayo Soler was born in Bogota, Colombia, in 1990. He is a Montreal based multidisciplinary artist working in video, with a background in performance art and film. He holds a BFA in Studio Arts from Concordia University. The artist is interested in world-building and juxtaposing digitally built locations with archival footage. Through the use of multiple narrative devices, Santiago Tamayo Soler proposes an eco-political examination of Latin America from a diasporic perspective, giving a home to immigrant and queer stories that suggest a radical futuristic fantasy. He has presented his works at the Canadian Cultural Centre in Paris, Trinity Square Video in Toronto, the Chromatic Festival in Montreal, and the Bradley Ertaskiran Gallery in Montreal. He is one of the recipients of the 2023 EDAA Emerging Digital Artists Award presented by EQ Bank and Trinity Square Video. Santiago Tamayo Soler is currently artist in residence at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts as part of the 2024 Impressions artist residency.

A noteworthy Quebec distinction

The MNBAQ Contemporary Art Award is the only contemporary art award in Canada that combines an exhibition, a publication, and acquisitions. It fulfils a need to recognize and disseminate contemporary art among the general public in addition to offering support to the artists and to their career development. The award confirms the MNBAQ's desire to play a leadership role in the realm of Quebec art by encouraging the most promising artists and supporting their career development. Since 2013, through the generous contribution of the RBC Foundation to the Musee national des beaux-arts du Quebec and the Fondation du MNBAQ, the work of four Quebec artists has achieved outstanding recognition: Diane Morin (2015), Carl Trahan (2017), Numa Amun (2019), and Stanley Fevrier (2021). In 2023, five artists were chosen: Maria Ezcurra, Anahita Norouzi, Celia Perrin Sidarous, Eve Tagny and Sara A.Tremblay.

The RBC Foundation is a committed partner

RBC recognizes that many artists struggle to achieve the recognition they need to succeed. Since 2007, under the RBC Emerging Artists program, RBC has supported organizations that offer artists an opportunity to advance their careers in the visual arts, music, theatre, dance, literature, and cinema.

The MNBAQ Contemporary Art Award is granted every two years through a remarkable partnership between the MNBAQ and the RBC Foundation. The Musee national des beaux-arts du Quebec is a government corporation subsidized by the Ministere de la Culture et des Communications du Quebec.

SOURCE Musee national des beaux-arts du Quebec

418 643-2150 or 1 866 220-2150, mnbaq.org
Syracuse, N.Y. -- At least two companies that supply Micron Technologys semiconductor plants in Taiwan have said they plan to come to Central New York to be near Microns planned complex in the town of Clay, Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon said.

McMahon declined to name the companies or describe what they supply, but said they were among seven companies he and other local officials met with in Taiwan in March. McMahon said he has verbal commitments from the two companies.

Weve had two that have given us the verbal, yes, McMahon said. We just dont have the real deals negotiated yet. There is still work to be done.

The two companies could be the first of many that decide to open up shop in the region to supply the chipmaking fabrication plants, or fabs, Micron plans to build over the next 20 years.

Micron says it will build two fabs over the next five years and two more by 2041 at the corner of Route 31 and Caughdenoy Road, in the town of Clay. The company could employ 9,000 people at full build-out, and supply chain companies are expected to employ 6,000 more, according to an economic impact study commissioned by New York state in 2022.

Those include companies that sell and service the expensive machines used in fabs, and companies that supply chemicals, including the class known as forever chemicals, that are used in many of the more than 1,000 steps that turn a silicon wafer into computer chips.

Micron is receiving billions of dollars in subsidies from the federal and state governments, including a $6.1 billion grant from the 2022 federal CHIPS Act and billions from the state and local governments. McMahon said supply chain companies could also get incentives.

McMahon said the county is negotiating with the two Taiwanese companies about where they would locate in Central New York, among other things. The county bought 105 acres across Route 31 from the proposed Micron campus for an industrial park, White Pine Science & Technology Park, specifically to house Micron suppliers.

The two Taiwanese companies are suppliers to Micron in Taiwan, where Micron makes its leading-edge memory computer chips. McMahon went to Taiwan for a week in late March with Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh; Bob Petrovich, executive director of the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency; Rob Simpson, president of CenterState CEO, the local economic development agency; and two other local people.

The hunt for supply chain companies to come to Clay has picked up speed this year as the Micron project moves forward. In April, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer and Sanjay Mehrotra, Microns chief executive officer, met with top executives from more than a dozen Japanese companies who had accompanied Japanese Prime Minister Fukio Kishida on his trip to Washington, D.C.

A delegation of officials from Taiwan plan to visit Onondaga County in June. McMahon said he will meet with suppliers from Taiwan, Japan and other countries when he attends a semiconductor manufacturing conference in July in San Francisco.
A former postal supervisor has pleaded guilty to charging more than $50,000 in personal expenses to government issued credit cards.

Austin T. Mahan, 44, of the Cape May Court House section of Middle Township, pleaded guilty to misappropriation of postal funds in Camden federal court, the U.S. Attorneys Office District of New Jersey said in a news release on Monday.

Mahan, who worked as a supervisor at the Somers Point and Sea Isle City U.S. Postal Service offices, was charged with the federal crime in May 2023 and waived a grand jury indictment.

During a six month period in 2022 and 2023, he made $54,356 in unauthorized purchases on the cards, federal prosecutors said. The purchases were made at retail stores and included gift cards, home decor, home improvement materials, tools, tool storage equipment, groceries and other personal items, authorities said.

Mahan will be sentenced on Sep. 25.

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Nicolas Fernandes may be reached at nfernandes@njadvancemedia.com.
Bruce Springsteen honored late musician Shane MacGowan at a performance in Ireland Sunday night, performing one of the revered punk icons songs live for the first time ever.

The Boss kicked off his Sunday night show with a cover of The Pogues 1986 track A Rainy Night in Soho, much to the crowds delight. The show, held at Nowlan Park, marked the first Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performance in Kilkenny since 2013.

MacGowan, the frontman of the iconic Irish punk band, died of pneumonia in November. He was 65.

Springsteen previously expressed his sorrows on social media following MacGowans passing.

Shane was one of my all-time favorite writers, Springsteen said in an Instagram post at the time. The passion and deep intensity of his music and lyrics is unmatched by all but the very best in the rock and roll canon.

Springsteen even detailed a final encounter with the Celtic rock legend.

I was fortunate to spend a little time with Shane and his lovely wife Victoria the last time we were in Dublin, Springsteen said. He was very ill, but still beautifully present in his heart and spirit. His music is timeless and eternal. I dont know about the rest of us, but theyll be singing Shanes songs 100 years from now.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are currently touring in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The European tour comes just months after the band postponed more than 20 shows as Springsteen battled peptic ulcer disease.

More music coverage:

 Inside Kelly Clarksons 1st N.J. concert in 9 years, a masterclass in triumph over sorrow

 Legendary rock and punk producer dead at 61

 How drunken rampage helped 80s rock icons write their monster hit

 Legendary singer extends restraining order against son days after major milestone

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Christopher Burch can be reached at cburch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @SwishBurch. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips/.
As a highly anticipated follow-up to his recent live comedy Netflix special, Katt Williams announced a 2025 tour.

The 52-year-old comic will begin his tour next year on Jan. 11 in Ontario, Canada and will wrap up on March 29 in Elmont, N.Y.

While on tour, he will perform at the Prudential Center in Newark on March 21 and then at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. on March 22.

If you are an AMEX cardholder you can access the American Express Card Member Entrance at the Barclays Center, which allows you to skip the line and enter the arena before non-cardmembers, and get discounts at concession stands.

If you are able to get tickets for his Heaven On Earth Tour, expect to hear jokes about the Illuminati, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Ron DeSantis, Nick Cannon and several other well-known figures, just like in Williams Netflix special.

If you want to see Katt Williams live, there will be an American Express presale which will begin on May 15 at 10 a.m. and will end on May 17 at 9 a.m.

The general sale will then begin on May 17 at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster.

If you miss out on presale and general sale tickets, then comedy fans can find tickets on StubHub, Vivid Seats, TicketCity and SeatGeek.

If you are struggling to secure tickets in the right price point or your preferred seating section 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.

You can find a full calendar of Katt Williams tour dates here.

Upcoming 2024 comedy tours

Katt Williams is not the only comedian heading out on tour this year.

Here are a few you dont want to miss out on: Sebastian Maniscalco, Impractical Jokers, Steve Martin and Martin Short and Matt Rife.

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The Rolling Stones are taking over MetLife next week, and we couldnt be more ready.

The English rock band will perform in East Rutherford on May 23 and 26 as part of their Hackney Diamonds tour, giving New Jersey based fans two shots to see them live.

This tour marks the groups first time returning to the U.S. for an official string of concerts since their 2019 No Filter Tour.

The tour will also be in support of their latest album, Hackney Diamonds, which is their first set of new material since 2005s A Bigger Bang.

If these arent enough reasons to convince you to see the Rolling Stones live, then just wait until you see the ticket prices.

Rolling Stones Tickets at MetLife Stadium

For their May 23 concert, tickets are priced as low as $84 on Vivid Seats and for their May 26 concert, tickets are as cheap as $82 on Vivid Seats.

If you arent able to get your hands on these specific tickets fast enough, as there is a very high chance they will sell, you can find Rolling Stones tour tickets on StubHub, Vivid Seats, TicketCity and Seat Geek.

First-time Vivid Seats users can save $20 on ticket orders over $200 by entering promo code NJ20 at checkout.

You can find a full calendar of the Rolling Stones tour dates here.

Upcoming 2024 rock tours

The Rolling Stones are not the only rock artists on a huge tour right now.

Here are a few more upcoming tours you wont want to miss: Bruce Springsteen, Hootie & the Blowfish, Creed and Deep Purple.

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You can safely say that all Swifties are Down Bad for the new version of the Eras Tour.

The last time Taylor Swift hit the Eras Tour stage in Singapore, it was just a month before she released her newest album The Tortured Poets Department.

So, when Swift began the European leg of her Eras Tour in Paris, France, fans were anxiously waiting to see how she would implement the new album into her already jam packed set.

All in all, Taylor Swift did not disappoint on Night 1 of her Paris shows.

From new outfits to axed songs and new songs, there has been plenty to talk about and fangirl over, and anticipation has only grown for the rest of the European shows to see what else Taylor Swift has up her sleeve.

Here are all the changes Taylor Swift has made to the European leg of the Eras Tour so far.

Taylor Swift Eras Tour changes

Tortured Poets added to the intro mash-up of albums

Every Swiftie who has either been to the Eras Tour or has watched every concert video on TikTok has the introduction of album titles memorized by heart. Thats so much so that when the TTPD title was added to the intro, fans immediately freaked out.

Besides the album title, she added the line in the intro, What if i told you Im back? which is from her song imgonnagetyouback.

Costume changes

There were several new costume changes throughout the night, which is one of the first extensive major outfit changes Swift has done across all eras since she announced 1989 (Taylors Version).

First, during the Lover set, Swift hit the stage in a sparkly orange bodysuit and matching boots, which left fans, including me, in awe. She then put on a matching oversized blazer when she began performing The Man.

Then, during the Fearless set, Swift donned a new fringe dress very reminiscent of a black and grey one she wore during her 2009 Fearless tour.

During the Red era, Swift wore a new T-shirt that said This IS NOT Taylors Version. During her Paris Night 2 show, she went with a I Bet You Think About Me shirt.

The direct references to her past tours did not end there.

For Speak Now, Swift came out in a stunning new gown, which had the audience stunned. It was a faded lilac color with a ribbon pattern of gold sequins and rhinestones wrapping around the entire dress.

This gown was a direct reference to an outfit she wore during her 2011 Speak Now world tour.

For her Folklore and Evermore sets, Swift combined the two dresses into one. Generally, the Folklore dresses have very billowy sleeves and skirt layers that swish around as she spins across the stage while singing August. The Evermore dresses usually give off more of a fall vibe as they are more yellow, brown and rust colored.

To combine the two, Swift donned a beautiful dress in the shade of yellow, which she used for both sets. For her Night 2 show in Paris, she wore a bright fuchsia dress.

Next was the 1989 set, where she came out in a completely new look. Swift took the stage in a bright turquoise skater skirt, which is something she wore quite often in 2015 when the album came out. She also wore a pink sparkly halter top and a mismatched pair of blue and pink Christian Louboutin ankle boots.

For Paris Night 2, she wore a purple skirt and orange top.

For the surprise song set, Swift wore a new pink dress and a new fringe bodysuit for the Midnights set, which closes out the show.

Song cuts

As much as we were dreading it, we knew song cuts would have to happen in order to add new songs to the set. The songs that were axed from the set were, The Archer, Long Live, Tis the Damn Season, Tolerate It, The 1 and The Last Great American Dynasty.

Set order change

If you have been to an Eras Tour show in the past, then get ready for a change up in the set.

The new order of Eras performed at the show is now, Lover, Fearless, Red, Speak Now, Reputation, Folklore and Evermore as one combined set, 1989, The Tortured Poets Department, surprise songs and Midnights.

New Speak Now visuals

This set now begins with a long, choreographed number while instrumentals from her Speak Now album play in the background.

There are also very purple new visuals playing as Taylor performs.

The Tortured Poets Department enters the Eras Tour universe

This is what every fan watching through a TikTok livestream or live in concert has been waiting for.

The TTPD set comes right after 1989 with literary themed visuals sprawling across the screens before Taylor and her dancers came out. There was new choreography, costumes and of course, a huge range of new songs.

As she sang, there were black and white visuals of stained glass, a haunted house, alien spaceships and the asylum from the Fortnight music video.

There was also a platform that moved around the stage as Taylor sang on it, which is something fans have not yet seen before on her tour.

Halfway through the set, Swifts dancers lifted her while old timey, black and white film music played in the background and as she changed into a new gold and black outfit.

Here is the setlist for the new era:

But Daddy I Love Him and So High School mash-up Whos Afraid of Little Old Me? Down Bad Fortnight The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived I Can Do It With a Broken Heart

New Eras Tour merchandise

The next best things after seeing Taylor Swift live is getting your hands on new tour merchandise.

After the concert, her website was updated with the merch: shirts and sweatshirts with the TTPD promo picture in the middle where the Midnights picture once was. The other eras surround the rectangular TTPD photo.

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NEW YORK  Mets ace Kodai Senga felt something off during his first live batting practice against High-A Brooklyn batters in April. After his second live, he confirmed that something felt different mechanically.

So the 31-year-old right-hander decided to pump the brakes. He felt healthy, but he needed to try to figure out what was wrong, specifically, with his mechanics.
Gov. Phil Murphys proposed corporate transit fee, designed provide the first dedicated funding to help NJ Transit, is not the business killer opponents say it is, according to a report authored by a progressive think tank.

Less than 1% of corporate taxpayers would pay the proposed corporate transit fee that would help the agency avoid a fiscal cliff in mid-2025, it was stated in a report released by New Jersey Policy Perspective on Tuesday.

It said that 99% of the state corporate tax filers would not pay the corporate transit fee. That fee, proposed by Murphy in February, would charge a 2.5% rate to corporation with net profit that exceed $10 million.
The second corruption trial of Sen. Robert Menendez, which began Monday, will tell a far more lurid story about his behavior than we heard during his first trial in 2017.

The first one was all about greed, about a friend showering Menendez with expensive gifts over several years, including private jets, luxury vacations in the Dominican Republic, and five-star hotels in Paris. Menendez escaped conviction by showing that he was personal friends with his benefactor.

This one will feature plenty of greed as well. Aside from the $500,000 cash and the bars of gold bullion, the suspect loot included a shiny new Mercedes.

But heres the remarkable part: The greed is not the worst of it this time. Not by a long shot.

For that, you have to turn to the torture chambers of Egypt, in places like the dreaded Scorpion prison in Cairo, where political prisoners are stuffed into crowded cells designed to block out sunlight, sleeping on concrete platforms amid human filth, and even denied medical care. Beatings and torture are routine, and inmates are rarely released, according to a devastating report from Human Rights Watch.

One former warden, Ibrahim Abd al-Ghaffar, described the prison this way: It was designed so that those who go in dont come out again, unless dead. It was designed for political prisoners.

This is the military regime that Menendez protected, according to the indictment. Congress passed laws intended to check the torture by conditioning a portion of the annual $1.3 billion in military aid to Egypt on its human rights record, despite Egypts strategic importance in the Middle East.

Menendez, as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, helped the dictators in Egypt navigate those restrictions to grease military aid, according to the indictment. He secretly drafted a letter for Egypt to send to his fellow senators, helping them hit just the right notes. He kept them informed of progress through text messages.

He even passed on secret information to the regime about Egyptians working at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, the indictment charges, putting them at risk. And when he met with his co-conspirators in his Senate office in Washington, he made sure to dismiss his staffers.

All of this while Menendez had built a reputation as a champion of human rights.

Thats whats so shocking about this, says Sarah Yager, Washington director for Human Rights Watch.

Tom Malinowski, a former human rights leader and member of Congress, often wondered why his efforts to restrict military sales to Egypt were watered down in the Senate. Now, he thinks he has his answer.

I made it a mission in the House to condition U.S. military assistance, and I got several provisions added to the annual defense bills, which were then dropped in negotiations with the Senate, he says. We never knew what happened in those closed-door meetings. But knowing now that he was apparently in a corrupt relationship with the Egyptian government while sitting in that roomis just horrifying.

There were definitely opportunities for him to do more, like putting a hold on more military aid in critical moments when human rights activists were asking committee chairs to do that.

Word of this alleged betrayal spread like fire in the human rights community.

Its disgusting, what were hearing about this case, says Amr Magdi, an Egyptian activist who fled to Berlin.

It is Magdis job to interview victims of torture in Egypt for Human Rights Watch, so he has seen the scars, to bodies and souls.

The roll call of horrors includes rape of prisoners, even threatening the rape of female relatives to make them talk. Electric shocks to the genitalia. Hanging prisoners by their arms, tied behind them, until the shoulders slowly dislocate. Or hanging them upside down by their bound arms and feet from a poll, like a hunted beast.

Its a lot worse than people think, Magdi says. Its become a matter of entertainment for officers to torture prisoners.

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Bob Torricelli, who served in the Senate while Menendez was in the House, is shocked at the moral depravity.

Theres a record of thousands of people in Egypt disappearing, he says. Theres a reason the United States, against its own strategic interests, took this position on torture. It gets to the point where I dont know how you live with yourself.

Well soon find out if prosecutors can prove their charges. In 2017, only two of the 12 jurors voted to convict, though the Senate later voted to severely admonish Menendez for the same scheme, saying he accepted lavish gifts and used the power of his office to advance the personal and business interests of his benefactor, Dr. Salomon Melgen.

But please, as this trial unfolds, remember the torture chambers in Egypt. If Menendez helped the dictatorship get away with that, as the indictment charges, then his sins go way beyond greed.

More: Tom Moran columns

Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com or (973) 986-6951. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.

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Denied.

A New York appeals court rejected Donald Trumps latest attempt to be stripped of a gag order in his criminal hush-money case Tuesday.

Trump has railed against the order by Justice Juan Merchan, which bars him from commenting publicly on witnesses, jurors and some others connected to the matter.

Justice Merchan properly determined that petitioners public statements posed a significant threat to the integrity of the testimony of witnesses and potential witnesses in this case as well, the decision from the five-judge panel reads.

The order doesnt stop Trump from talking about the allegations against him or commenting on the judge or the elected top prosecutor. And despite a recent Trump remark, it doesnt stop him from testifying in court if he chooses.

Generally speaking, a gag order is a judges directive prohibiting someone or people involved in a court case from publicly commenting about some or all aspects of it. In Trumps case, its titled an Order Restricting Extrajudicial Statements, with extrajudicial meaning outside of court.

Gag orders, particularly in high-profile cases, are intended to prevent information presented outside a courtroom from affecting what happens inside.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records as part of an alleged effort to keep salacious  and, he says, bogus  stories about his sex life from emerging during his 2016 campaign. On Monday, Trump called the case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg a scam and witch hunt.

The charges center on $130,000 in payments that Trumps company made to his then-lawyer, Michael Cohen. He paid that sum on Trumps behalf to keep porn actor Stormy Daniels from going public with her claims of a sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier. Trump has denied the sexual encounter ever happened.

Prosecutors say the payments to Cohen were falsely logged as legal fees. Prosecutors have described it as part of a scheme to bury damaging stories Trump feared could help his opponent in the 2016 race, particularly as Trumps reputation was suffering at the time from comments he had made about women.

Trump has acknowledged reimbursing Cohen for the payment and that it was designed to stop Daniels from going public about the alleged encounter. But Trump has previously said it had nothing to do with the campaign.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MatthewArco.
Longtime Donald Trump loyalist Steve Bannon is increasingly close to being inside a prison cell.

The Department of Justice filed a motion with the courts Tuesday to lift the stay on his four-month sentence after a court upheld his sentence last week. Bannon still has other options to appeal the ruling, though MeidasTouch Network pointed out that similar appeals in other cases werent successful.

The four-month sentence was from a 2022 case after he defied a subpoena from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

He had been allowed to stay free pending his appeal.

Bannon was convicted in July 2022 of two counts of contempt of Congress: one for refusing to sit for a deposition and the other for refusing to provide documents.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols Nichols handed down the sentence after saying the law was clear that contempt of Congress is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of at least one month behind bars. Bannons lawyers had argued the judge couldve sentenced him to probation instead. Prosecutors had asked for Bannon to be sent to jail for six months.

In my view, Mr. Bannon has not taken responsibility for his actions, Nichols said before he imposed the sentence. Others must be deterred from committing similar crimes.

The House panel had sought Bannons testimony over his involvement in Trumps efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Bannon has yet to testify or provide any documents to the committee.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MatthewArco.
Ousted Congresswoman Liz Cheney harshly criticized her former colleague, House Speaker Mike Johnson, for his trip to New York on Tuesday.

Johnson was among several Republicans to appear at former President Donald Trumps criminal hush-money trial. Cheney used the occasion to call the religious conservative who has been a longtime culture warrior in the courthouse, in the classroom, and in Congress a hypocrite essentially.

Have to admit Im surprised that @SpeakerJohnson wants to be in the I cheated on my wife with a porn star club. I guess hes not that concerned with teaching morality to our young people after all. Cheney posted to X.

Have to admit Im surprised that @SpeakerJohnson wants to be in the I cheated on my wife with a porn star club. I guess hes not that concerned with teaching morality to our young people after all. https://t.co/wTHWvA1m85  Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) May 14, 2024

Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records as part of an alleged effort to keep salacious  and, he says, bogus  stories about his sex life from emerging during his 2016 campaign.

The charges center on $130,000 in payments that Trumps company made to his then-lawyer, Michael Cohen. He paid that sum on Trumps behalf to keep porn actor Stormy Daniels from going public with her claims of a sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier. Trump has denied the sexual encounter ever happened.

President Trump is innocent of these charges, Johnson told reporters during his appearance in New York. These are politically motivated trials and they are a disgrace. It is election interference and they show how desperate the opposition that President Trump has, how desperate they truly are.

Former GOP Congressman Joe Walsh posted on social media how Johnsons visit was a smart thing to do politically. Despite it being pathetic.

Respectfully disagree with @MollyJongFast. Johnson attending Trumps trial today is pathetic, but its the smart thing to do politically. Hes a Republican. The GOP base, the vast majority of Republicans, believe this trial is bullshit (so do many indies). For Johnson to lean https://t.co/JjMxbCySA4  Social Contract with Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) May 14, 2024

Johnson attending Trumps trial today is pathetic, but its the smart thing to do politically. Hes a Republican. The GOP base, the vast majority of Republicans, believe this trial is bullshit (so do many indies). For Johnson to lean into that helps Trump & the GOP. I hate to say it, but its a smart thing for Republicans to embrace this trial. Itll help them this Fall. Its gross, but politically its not a mistake at all. Walsh wrote.

Johnson is a bona fide culture warrior, with a resume reading like a roadmap of powerful institutions of the religious right.

He has served as professor at the government school of Liberty University in Virginia, a Christian school and conservative bastion.

From 2004 to 2012, Johnson served on board of the policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, whose 13 million members comprise the nations largest Protestant denomination. During his tenure with the SBCs Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, it rallied members to place strong emphasis on values voting.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MatthewArco.
Elected county commissioners in New Jersey would risk being replaced if they fail to attend three consecutive meetings without good cause under a proposed law aimed at holding politicians more accountable.

The legislation sponsored by state Assemblyman Michael Inganamort, R-Morris, would give county commissioner boards statewide the ability to remove a member by majority vote if the commissioner is absent from three consecutive meetings without a legally sufficient reason.

Inganamort, who also represents parts of Sussex and Warren counties, said the absence of one Sussex County commissioner in particular from recent meetings is troubling.

The assemblyman did not provide a name.

But Sussex County Commissioner William Hayden, a Republican, has been criticized for missing several meetings following allegations earlier this year that he lied at political gatherings when he spoke about serving as a Navy SEAL.

Hayden did not immediately respond to requests to comment.

He previously declined to comment on the Navy SEAL allegations and referred questions to his attorney, who said the county commissioner never claimed in campaign literature, advertisements, biographies, websites, social media or public statements to have served in the military.

The bill that would allow county commissioners to remove members (A4102) mirrors an existing state law for local school boards. That law says any board member who fails to attend three consecutive meetings of the board without good cause may be removed by it.

If Inganamorts proposal becomes law, it would be up to county commissioners to decide whether, when, and how to use their ability to remove members who miss meetings.

It would need to be passed by both houses of the state Legislature  the Senate and Assembly  and signed by the governor to become law.

Commissioners are paid to do a job. Chronic absence is both an abuse of the position and unfair to the other commissioners on a board who have to pick up the slack, said Inganamort, who resigned last year as mayor of Chester Township in Morris County to become a state legislator.

County governments have a lot on their plate from roads and bridges to county colleges and human services. The chronic absence of one Sussex County commissioner is troubling, but this bill would apply equally to all 21 counties, Inganamort said.

Hayden is the only member of the five-person county board in Sussex County who has been absent for more than one meeting in recent months. Hayden has missed three of the 10 board meetings held so far this year, officials said.

The Sussex County Board of Commissioners meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. The job is considered part-time but its not unusual for commissioners to spend between 30 and 40 hours a week on activities related to the part-time position, according to the Sussex County government website.

Commissioners in Sussex County are paid an annual salary of nearly $24,000, according to public records.

Earlier this spring, Hayden came under fire by party leaders for allegedly lying about serving as a Navy SEAL.

In February, the Sussex County Republican Committee released a statement claiming Hayden told the leadership team and members of the public he had combat experience as a Navy SEAL.

Hayden has not been forthright regarding his military service, the committee said.

Robert Kovic, Haydens attorney, said he directed his client to remain silent until the probable crimes against him can be investigated and determined.

Hayden is the former president of the Skylands Tea Party and was elected to the Sussex County Board of Commissioners in 2022.

A spokesman for the U.S. Navy told NJ Advance Media the military would need Haydens alleged service dates to confirm or deny he ever served. The militarys database shows two people who served with the name William J. Hayden, but neither record indicates service as a SEAL.

Hayden is also employed by the state Department of Transportation. He is listed as a non-veteran in the public employees retirement system.

The Sussex County Republican Committee said Hayden spoke to party leaders, to volunteers and at public meetings about his combat experience.

Haydens betrayal of friends, supporters, voters and the county is clearly evident at this point. If there is one honorable thing left for him to do, it is to resign and cease disgracing the office of County Commissioner, the group said in a Facebook post.

New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy and U.S. Rep. Andy Kim joined the calls for Hayden to resign earlier this year as they ran for U.S. Senate.

In March, Hayden filed a notice that he intended to sue fellow commissioners and state lawmakers over their alleged efforts to push him out of office, the New Jersey Herald reported.

Hayden alleged other lawmakers were slandering, libeling, harassing, distressing, embarrassing, annoying, alarming, threatening and preventing him from engaging in his elected position.

A tort notice must be filed six months before a complainant can bring a lawsuit.

Jill Space, director of Sussex County Board of Commissioners, alleged Hayden struggles with being truthful.

It remains Commissioner Haydens burden to prove his legal claims as much as it remains his burden to dispel the rumors regarding his military service. His history is an indication he wont. On the other hand, the rest of the board will continue the good work for which we were elected to do, Space said.

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Jackie Roman may be reached at jroman@njadvancemedia.com.
New Jersey tax revenue is up slightly, state treasury officials reported Tuesday, a change trumpeted by Democrats as a sign of fiscal responsibility as Republicans warned the state is headed toward a fiscal cliff and cant sustain Gov. Phil Murphys long-term budget goals.

At the same time, the head of the state Senate Budget Committee floated the idea of raising the state sales tax to 7% rather than passing tax hikes on corporations that Murphy proposed to fund a cash-strapped NJ Transit.

State Treasurer Elizabeth Muoios appearance before the Senate committee at the Statehouse in Trenton is one of the big early moments in state budget negotiations, which will speed up in the coming weeks.

In February, Murphy unveiled a $55.9 billion budget proposal for how the state government will spend taxpayer money in the upcoming fiscal year. The Democratic governor and leaders of the Democratic-controlled state Legislature now have until June 30 to agree on a final plan.

This year, the big fight is expected to be over Murphys proposal for a new tax on corporations to help provide continual funding for NJ Transit. Lawmakers, meanwhile, are seeking more property-tax relief.

That includes more money for the Stay NJ program, which is designed to cut seniors property taxes in half, starting in 2026, but needs to hit several thresholds to be funded. State Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, the main sponsor of the law, is one of the primary legislators who negotiate the budget with the governor.

Muoio predicted the state is expected to see $54.3 billion in tax revenue through the end of this fiscal year that ends in June  which would be about $140.2 million more than earlier projections. She said this was welcome news after the revenue roller-coaster that followed the coronavirus pandemic.

The state Office of Legislative Services, which acts as a third-party nonpartisan monitor, had estimates that were only slightly different than state Department of Treasury numbers.

The office also stood by its previous analysis that New Jerseys surplus would be nearly depleted if spending continues at the current pace by 2027.

Sen. Paul Sarlo, D-Bergen, who chairs the budget committee, suggested looking into raising the states 6.625% sales tax to 7% instead of Murphys proposed 2.5% business surcharge to help fund NJ Transit, which has been strongly opposed by the business community.

Sources told NJ Advance Media in January that Murphys administration revived the idea of putting it back at 7% during talks with lawmakers earlier this year, though that didnt make it into the governors latest budget proposal in February.

On Tuesday, Sarlo said going back to 7% would be more stable than the corporation business tax on the higher earning income companies, which could vary from year to year.

Sarlo offered praise to Treasury officials and suggested that a variety of tax relief programs be combined under Stay NJ. Coughlin has threatened to hold up the tax on large corporations to make sure Stay NJ remains on track.

Republicans say the program asks for an amount of money thats currently not being generated by the state  a situation that will fall on the next governor and not the current one.

Republican Budget Officer Declan O Scanlon, R-Monmouth, likened the overall budget dynamic to a house of cards in an earthquake.

New Jersey Policy Perspective released a statement after the hearing also expressing concern for future projections.

Beyond the who pays question on CTF vs. sales tax, were very concerned about the nearly $2 billion shortfall, even with the CTF (corporate transit fee) built into the governors proposed budget, and how the state will need more revenue moving forward to balance the budget, said budget analyst Peter Chen.

Sen. Mike Testa, R-Cumberland, sparred with Treasury officials over previous reporting by Bloomberg that the states health plan paid more to hospitals than what they charged.

Treasury officials said the confidentiality of the settlement discussions prevented them from providing info on most of what he asked for, which frustrated Testa.

I think Treasury owes it at least to us even if we signed confidentiality agreements, to at least have some level of knowledge of whats happening with the Department of Treasury and these alleged overpayments, he said.

Republicans, the minority party in the Legislature, also asked about incoming special line items from Murphys office and Democrats, which are in known in Trenton as Christmas tree items.

The practice usually results in last-minute additions to the budget by Democrats.

Weve got to get to the bottom of that, OScanlon said.

NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report.

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.
LEER EN ESPANOL

State lawmakers on Monday voted to weaken New Jerseys 20-year-old public records law, passing a fast-tracked bill requested by local government lobbyists and derided by civil rights groups, open government advocates, and one of the states most respected former lawmakers.

The measure (S2930) passed both the Senate and the Assembly as opponents booed and hissed from the gallery of the Statehouse in Trenton. It would overhaul the Open Public Records Act (or OPRA) to allow governments in the state to sue people for requesting too much information and make it harder for lawyers to recoup fees against the government for withholding records  something opponents say would dissuade members of the public and news reporters from challenging local and state governments in court.

The bill now advances to Gov. Phil Murphy. Three sources told NJ Advance Media the Democratic governor is expected to sign it, though he could suggest changes. Murphys office declined to comment Monday.

Watchdog and activist groups who failed to convince lawmakers said they are requesting a meeting with Murphy.

New Jersey deserves accountable government, this bill is not that, said Sarah Fajardo, policy director for the New Jersey chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. This bill absolutely rolls back progress and its a step back into darkness. We all know democracy dies in darkness.

Supporters of the changes said the legislation  sponsored by both Democratic and Republican lawmakers  would not weaken access to records and that government clerks are overwhelmed by requests.

In an interview after his chambers vote, Senate President Nick Scutari, D-Union, brushed aside the contention that that the bill would make it harder to access records.

There wont be one piece of public records that you cannot get today that you couldnt get yesterday, Scutari said. This is about saving taxpayer dollars.

Former Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, a staunch supporter of records requests who retired in 2022, decried the bills bipartisan passage. It cleared the Senate 21-10  the minimum number of votes needed to pass  and the Assembly 42-27.

Today, the Democratic-led State Legislature, a body I served for more than two decades, collaborated with Republicans to fundamentally gut our Open Public Records Act, said Weinberg, a Bergen County Democrat.

Leadership reached across the aisle to pass this anti-democratic bill because they didnt have enough Democratic votes in their caucus. Secrecy and evading accountability, I guess, has turned bipartisan.

In his talk with reporters after the bill passed, Scutari quoted John F. Kennedy, saying: We dont do things here because theyre easy, we do them because theyre hard. The quote referred to landing astronauts on the moon.

When asked about Scutaris comment, Assemblyman Brian Bergen, R-Morris, who mounted vocal opposition to the bill, asked: Oh my God, was he  Did you drug test him?

Sen. Jon Bramnick, R-Union, said he voted against the measure because it would make too many changes that would ultimately harm transparency.

We should give as much transparency as the public wants, said Bramnick, a candidate for governor in 2025.

Government lobbyists have pointed to increases in privacy provisions as a beneficial part of the bill. They also claimed that records requests had become too much of a burden for governments to to handle.

There remains work to do on other reforms and we look forward to working with the Legislature on additional reforms going forward, the New Jersey League of Municipalities said in statement.

The New Jersey Association of Counties said in a statement that the changes could encourage more towns to put records online.

This process would save valuable time and resources and is long overdue, the group said.

Sen. Michael Testa, R-Cumberland, said he supported the bills privacy provisions but said it would make it harder to access records and reduce government transparency.

This bill restricts public access, makes it in my opinion more confusing, and difficult to attain records at a time when I think we should be making it easier for the public to navigate how government runs, Testa said.

Supporters said the final bill was part of a compromise because they didnt get all the restrictions they wanted. Those who mobilized against the measure said they received nothing at the negotiation table.

I wanted to see the bill worked out with a more diverse group of advocacy organizations, said Sen. Britnee Timberlake, D-Essex, who voted no.

The bill passed without debate in the Senate, where some in the gallery booed and shouted shame.

The Assembly sponsor for the bill, Joe Danielsen, D-Somerset, declined to answer questions from reporters on the Assembly floor, then gave a speech in support of the bill when the session started.

To say this is a rubber stamp or a fast-track bill is simply wrong, Danielsen said.

Danielsen described much of the litigation against governments as coming from an army of abusers. He said businesses are profiteering from requests made to local governments.

Like the Senate, opponents in the gallery shouted their displeasure, saying Lies and Remember November.

When Bergens name was called by Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, one of the security guards uttered, Uh oh.

This bill is malicious in its intention ... Its our job to stand up for those who cant stand up for themselves, Bergen said. Today we forgot that.

Using anecdotes of overburdened clerks as the reason for passing the legislation obscured an actual intent to shield the government from accountability, Bergen said.

Its been a brilliant PR campaign, he said. Youve been using municipal clerks and the burden on them and the burden on the mayors as your way to jam through some really catastrophic legislation.

Sen. Andrew Zwicker, D-Somerset, who voted no, said he doesnt believe the public favors the bill.

I literally received hundreds of emails and phone calls from constituents that were 100 percent opposed to this bill, Zwicker said.

NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report.

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.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio.
VALPARAISO  The owners called it bittersweet.

Saturday night marked the 10th anniversary of Four Fathers Brewing and their annual celebration with music and food trucks, held at their taproom in Valparaiso. It could also be their last.

After a decade in the business, Beth and Jason Lacny said they were ready to leave the taproom behind and are looking for potential buyers. If they dont find a buyer before the end of May, when their lease is up, they will close permanently, the Lacnys lamented.

Its been an amazing 10 years, Beth said. The brewing community in Northwest Indiana is awesome. Theres a lot of wonderful people brewing beer around here. Well miss that, for sure.

The Lacnys, who both hail from Merillville, cited a number of factors behind their decision to leave, most significantly that after running Four Fathers for so long, they wanted more time to be parents and to focus on their family.

We were looking at both of our boys going into high school, Jason said, and asked ourselves, do we want to keep putting time and energy into this or do we want to take a step back?

Four Fathers is a reference to the four fathers of beer: water, malt, hops and yeast. The Lacnys first opened a taproom in downtown Valparaiso in 2014 before moving in 2019 to their current, larger space a few miles east.

The brewery has gained a solid following for their mix of dark beers, such as the Blueberry Waffle House and Valhalla, and pale ales, according to Valpo resident Pat Shanahan, who said hes been enjoying their ales for the majority of Four Fathers 10-year run.

I enjoy their English style ales, Shanahan said. Too many other local breweries focus on hoppy IPAS. Theyve got some great one-offs, I do enjoy that.

Four Fathers first beer, the imperial coffee stout Wheelhouse, remains a favorite of patrons and is Jasons personal favorite; Beth is partial to their Hazy IPA, Chest Candy.

Theyd even experimented more recently with making cask ales, Jason said, which also drew out a loyal fan base.

However, as theyve slowed down production, the Lacnys brewed their last cask and one of the girls in the tap room put a sad face on the cask because too many people were coming in asking for more, Beth said.

After the pandemic, even successful and creative brewing outfits have found the industry stressful, Beth said, citing supply chain issues and changing trends.

The Lacnys also noted that fewer younger people, in the ages 21-35 demographic, are drinking and going out.

Recent Gallup polling confirmed that this is a national trend.

Tastes continue to change, and the Lacnys said they have worked hard over the past years to keep up with trends, like fruited sours or the return of more classic, crisp lagers.

Not all beer has to be chock full of stuff anymore, Jason said.

The Lacnys are looking for a buyer who will continue the Four Fathers label and brand with all their signature recipes.

Were hoping someone picks up the reigns and keeps this place going, patron Lori Balsley of Valparaiso said, citing the good beer vibe and family-friendly atmosphere.

Matt Metros, whose band Positive Vibe Technicians has played at all of Four Fathers anniversary events, said they were really going to miss the taproom if it closes.

Its sad to see them go, Metros said, Were gonna miss playing for them. Theyve been a community staple.

No matter what happens to the taproom, the Lacnys said theyre going to continue making beer out of their home.

We love beer, we love brewing, Jason said. Well set up a rig for our garage, and brew our garage beer. Thats how we started, and now were going back to it.
Castle Mitsubishi is closing in Portage after seven years.

The car dealership at 5020 US-6 had previously been operated by Nielsen Automotive Group as Nielsen Mitsubishi since 1971, according to state records.

"After seven wonderful years of serving the Portage, Indiana, community, we regret to inform you that Castle Mitsubishi will be closing its doors permanently. We want to express our sincerest gratitude for your loyalty and support throughout our time here. Your patronage has been instrumental in our success, and it has been our privilege to assist you with all your automotive needs," General Manager Mike Guistolisi said in an email to customers. "While this marks the end of an era for Castle Mitsubishi in Portage, we want to assure you that we are committed to ensuring a smooth transition for our customers. Our team will be available to address any questions or concerns you may have during this period."

Castle Automotive Group has 17 locations, including in Portage, Chesterton and Michigan City in Indiana, and McHenry, Naperville, Elk Grove, Downers Grove, Schaumburg and North Riverside in Illinois.

It originally operated the dealership at 5020 US-6 as Castle Subaru and then moved a short distance down the street to 6100 U.S. 6 after the Harbor Buick GMC closed there in 2018, converting it into Castle Mitsubishi.

Castle Automotive Group sold the Castle Mitsubishi site to another car dealer that will take it over and plans to move all its used car inventory over to Castle Subaru, an employee said.

"We understand that this news may come as a disappointment, and we apologize for any inconvenience it may cause. We encourage you to visit Castle Subaru for all of your sales and service needs after the doors of Castle Mitsubishi are officially closed today," Guistolisi said in an email to customers. "Once again, we extend our heartfelt thanks for your continued support and patronage over the years. It has been an honor serving you, and we hope you will continue your Castle Experience at Castle Subaru or any of our other locations across Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana."
WHITING  U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Joe Donnelly addressed the over 100 Calumet College of St. Joseph graduates and their families during its annual annual commencement ceremony on Saturday.

The former Democratic U.S. senator from the Hoosier State said he resonated with many of the graduates of the small private Catholic college, telling them he was also a first-generation college student.

Donnelly gave an optimistic outlook for the graduating students, telling them there was never a better time to enter workforce.

"You see wars, you see challenges, but the job opportunities, the personal opportunities have never been this much," said Donnelly.

He also advised the students to work as hard as they can and to never give up, as he reflected on his time in Congress, including voting for the Affordable Care Act in 2010.

"The easy thing would have been to vote no, the hard thing was to vote for it and know that it would take a little time to sink in," Donnelly said.

Donnelly concluded by telling the graduates he knew the country was in good hands with them.

"You're going to make sure for your children... that we pass on that American dream (that) for every generation, we try to hand our kids a better, stronger country," he said.

Additionally, Donnelly was also presented with a honorary degree from CCSJ.

Donnelly served one term as a senator before being defeated by Mike Braun in 2018.

Prior to being elected senator, Donnelly served in the U.S. House representing the 2nd Congressional District.

In 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Donnelly to be the top American diplomat to the Vatican.

PHOTOS: Calumet College dedicates first residence hall Calumet College dedicates first residence hall Calumet College dedicates first residence hall Calumet College dedicates first residence hall Calumet College dedicates first residence hall Calumet College dedicates first residence hall Calumet College dedicates first residence hall Calumet College dedicates first residence hall Calumet College dedicates first residence hall
Soon, the finest French fried shrimp, smelt and fish chips will be able to be savored the way they're meant to be  out of a paper carton outside overlooking rusting, hulking machinery along the post-industrial landscape of the Calumet River.

Calumet Fisheries, the nearly century-old Calumet Region institution that smokes seafood the old-fashioned way, plans to open in late May. The owners said they're cleaning up the newly renovated space and getting ready to open soon.

The interior space has been rebuilt and new kitchen equipment has been installed.

Hammond-based artist Casey King, whose father is a sign-maker at Region signs in nearby downtown Whiting, recreated the landmark exterior signs using extensive photos of the building.

The old school seafood shack has been closed since last fall.

Calumet Fisheries, at 3259 E. 95th St. in Chicago's far South Side South Deering neighborhood, suffered a devastating fire in November, requiring major renovations. It had just reopened after city health inspectors had shut it down after it failed a health inspection at the end of October.

The no-frills takeout restaurant on the 95th Street Bridge smokes salmon, sturgeon, catfish, oysters and other seafood the old-fashioned way in brick smokehouses for six or seven hours. The 96-year-old fish shack a short distance from Steelworkers Park at the site of U.S. Steel's former South Works mill has earned James Beard American Classic Award and recognition from CNN as one of America's 10 Best Historic Restaurants.

It's appeared on many best of Chicago lists and television shows like Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations," WTTW's "Check Please!" and "Hungry Hound."

Most notably, it appears in "Blues Brothers" in the scene where Elwood and Joliet Jake Blues jump the 95th Street Bridge to prove the bona fides of the new Bluesmobile, a former police car. Elwood famously tells a skeptical Jake: "It's got a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas. What do you say, is it the new Bluesmobile or what?"

The crew dined at Calumet Fisheries for three days while filming the bridge jumping stunt. Before the fire, the restaurant was filled with memorabilia about the film, including yellowing newspaper clippings.

It's a takeout-only, cash-only restaurant where people wait in line before ordering the fish out of glass cases. Many choose to eat the often deep-fried fish in their cars on the bridge or outside on picnic benches overlooking the Calumet River near its mouth on Lake Michigan.
Though he called Cotton's apology "half-hearted" in his comments at the lectern, FOP Vice President Joe Cowser did not join the chorus seeking Cotton's resignation as president. He urged the council to use its planned resolution in support of police "as a stepping stone to build trust between the City Council and your law enforcement community."

Cowser told The Times that the FOP hopes the City Council can resolve issues surrounding Cotton's comments "in house."

Cotton, who has served as council president since January, said that he is eager to meet with the FOP to discuss the matter further. He decried calls for his removal as president as politically motivated.

"Everyone should note how partisan this is," he told The Times.

The City Council's Pride Month resolution, which was drafted by the Mayor's Advisory Human Relations Council in consultation with local LGBTQ advocacy organizations, was cheered by the City Council's Democratic members and by Republican Mayor Jon Costas.

"This simple resolution shows our LGBTQ-plus community and especially our youth that they are not alone, that they are valued and they accepted," Councilwoman Ellen Kapitan, D-at large, said before the vote.

It was met with some skepticism by the council's two Republican members.

Pupillo argued that the resolution "sets a troubling precedent for the council moving forward."

"Are we to address every cultural/social issue we hear about on the national news?" he said. "Shall we discuss each national issue as it arises, such as the border crisis or the City of Chicagos vote on the Israel/Gaza conflict?"

Councilman Peter Anderson, R-5th, said that he agreed with "every single one of the whereas clauses" containing the resolution's rationale, but voiced similar reservations about the council's role in debates over social issues.

"I struggle to think that city government should instruct people on what they're supposed to celebrate," he said.

Anderson ultimately voted for the resolution, however, leaving Pupillo the sole vote against it.

The response during the public comment period was mixed, with most speakers who addressed the resolution speaking in its favor.

"You came as listeners," Ezra Burke, a founding member of LGBTQ Outreach of Porter County told the council, "I want to thank you for having a hard conversations and I want to thank you for being open-minded."
Democrats smoldering divisions over the war in Gaza flared in New York on Monday, as Representative Jamaal Bowman, one of the Houses most endangered incumbents, debated a party rival over Israels war tactics, American military aid and a powerful pro-Israel group.

In many ways, their exchanges echoed those playing out from Congress to college campuses. But for Mr. Bowman, there was something more at stake: His sharp criticism of Israel has put him at risk of losing his seat in a primary in the New York City suburbs next month.

That possibility appeared to be front of mind as he began the races first televised debate in White Plains, N.Y. Mr. Bowman joined his more moderate opponent, George Latimer, in reiterating support for two states  one Palestinian and one Jewish  and condemning antisemitism. He steered clear of incendiary terms like genocide that have cost him key Jewish support. Both candidates let some deeper differences slide.

The comity lasted all of 25 minutes.

Friction spiked  and never really abated  after the conversation turned to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the influential pro-Israel lobby that helped push Mr. Latimer into the race and has pledged millions of dollars to defeat Mr. Bowman and other members of the Houses left-wing Squad.
John McEntee  who started out carrying Donald Trumps bags and rose to become, in the chaotic final days of Trumps presidency, his most important enforcer  has a TikTok account. In a video he published last week, he explains how he likes to keep fake Hollywood money in his car to give to homeless people. Then when they go to use it, they get arrested, so Im actually like helping clean up the community, he said.

With his boyish face and slicked-back hair, McEntee, a former director of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel and a man likely to be central to staffing a future Trump administration, comes off a lot like Patrick Bateman, the homicidal investment banker played by Christian Bale in the 2000 film American Psycho. The clips smug villainy, I think, offers a clue to why South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, thirsty for a bigger role in MAGA world, might have thought she could ingratiate herself by bragging about killing a puppy.

Right wingers often rain contempt on what they call virtue signaling, a performative kind of sanctimony epitomized by the In This House yard signs that once dotted progressive neighborhoods. Partly in response, theyve developed whats sometimes called vice signaling, the defiant embrace of cruelty and disdain for social norms. Think of rolling coal, the practice of modifying diesel engines to make them belch dark exhaust in an effort to trigger environmentalists, or the way George Santoss promiscuous falsehoods endeared him to hard-core MAGA acolytes.

A cult of Bateman has developed on the very online right, which is why images from American Psycho appeared multiple times in a bizarre ad for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during his abortive presidential campaign. And no one, of course, does vice signaling like Trump, who keeps comparing himself to the gangster Al Capone.
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine in Kyiv on Tuesday, assuring him that American military aid is on its way at a challenging time for the countrys war effort against Russia.

The meeting was Mr. Blinkens first since his morning arrival in Kyiv, and came under the shadow of Russian military gains in the countrys northeast. In an ornate conference room at his presidential offices on Bankova Street, Mr. Zelensky said that Mr. Blinken had come during a tough period for the east of our country.

The Ukrainian leader profusely thanked Mr. Blinken for the crucial $60.8 billion aid package for his country that President Biden signed last month after months of infighting among congressional Republicans. But Mr. Zelensky quickly added that Ukraine was still in need, pointing to the Russian military advances around the northeastern city of Kharkiv in recent days. Russian forces captured another village, Lukiantsi, overnight and bombed the city of Kharkiv on Tuesday morning, injuring four people.

Calling air defense a deficit for us, Mr. Zelensky said, We really need it today, two Patriots for Kharkiv. The Patriot is a U.S.-made surface-to-air missile system.
Israelis gathered across the country on Monday for the first national day of mourning since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks, with protesters disrupting several ceremonies as they demanded that government ministers do more to secure the release of hostages.

Israels Memorial Day is normally one of the most somber on the countrys calendar, a date when Israelis put aside their differences to grieve fellow citizens killed in war or terrorist attacks. But the protests on Monday underscored how feelings of wartime unity have given way to deep disputes over the war in the Gaza Strip, the fate of hostages taken on Oct. 7 and domestic politics.

Critics heckled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he attended a memorial at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, the site of Israels national cemetery. One person was heard shouting, Garbage. Another said, You took my children.

At a ceremony in Ashdod, on the Mediterranean coast, bystanders shouted at the national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, calling him a criminal, before his supporters tried to drown them out.
The United Nations said that a staff member was killed when one of its convoys came under fire in Rafah on Monday. It was the first time an international U.N. staff member has been killed in Gaza since the conflict began in October.

The convoy, which the U.N. said was clearly marked with the emblem of the organization, was on its way to the European Gaza Hospital in Khan Younis to assess the aid and security situation when it came under fire, according to Farhan Haq, a U.N. spokesman.

Another staff member was injured in the attack, the U.N. said.

The nationality of the killed worker, a man, was not immediately announced. Jordans Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the injured staff member, a woman, was Jordanian and said the incident was a result of Israels expansion of military operations in Rafah," adding that Jordan holds Israel responsible for this.

The Israeli military said it had conducted an initial inquiry that found that the vehicle was hit in an area declared an active combat zone and that its forces had not been made aware of the route of the vehicle. It said the incident was still under review.
In 2017, Jordan Peeles Get Out was a critical and commercial smash that immediately became one of the defining movies of the Trump Era. The next year, Boots Rileys masterful Sorry to Bother You seemed to herald a new golden age for Black satire films. But as those movies stood out for using surreal plot twists to humorously  and horrifically  unpack complex ideas like racial appropriation and consumer culture, the crop that has followed hasnt kept pace. The current moment is defined by a central question: What does the Black look like in Black satire films today? Too often lately its not Black enough.

By that I mean to say a recent influx of films, including The American Society of Magical Negroes, American Fiction and The Blackening, have failed to represent Blackness with all its due complexity  as sometimes messy, sometimes contradictory. Instead, they flatten and simplify Blackness to serve a more singular, and thus digestible, form of satirical storytelling.

The foremost example is American Fiction, inspired by Percival Everetts 2001 novel Erasure, which won this years Oscar for best screenplay. In the film, a Black author and professor named Monk (played by Jeffrey Wright) finds literary success through My Pafology, a novel satirizing books that feed negative Black stereotypes. But Monks audience receives his book with earnest praise, forcing him to reconcile his newfound prosperity with his racial ethics.

The surface layer of satire is obvious: The white audiences and publishing professionals who celebrate My Pafology do so not because of its merits but because the book allows them to fetishize another tragic Black story. Its a performance of racial acceptance; these fans are literally buying into their own white guilt.
Steve Albini, who died last week at 61, was one of the most admired, and most divisive, figures in rock. He was an expert audio engineer who recorded ultra-classics by Nirvana, PJ Harvey and Pixies, along with key underground releases by the Jesus Lizard, Slint, Low, Neurosis and many, many others. For decades, he also relished his role as a brutally insulting critic  sometimes of the bands he worked with  and a gadfly who pushed uncomfortable buttons about race, politics and sex. He came to regret that, owning up to his history of provocation for its own sake.

On this weeks Popcast, guest hosted by the music reporter Ben Sisario, we delve into Albinis musical legacy and his singular role as a moral scourge in rock and of the music business overall.

Guests:

Jeremy Gordon, a senior editor at The Atlantic, who interviewed Albini last year in The Guardian

Joe Gross, freelance writer and former critic at The Austin American-Statesman

Connect With Popcast. Become a part of the Popcast community: Join the shows Facebook group and Discord channel. We want to hear from you! Tune in, and tell us what you think at popcast@nytimes.com. Follow our host, Jon Caramanica, on Twitter: @joncaramanica.
In todays newsletter, well offer a primer on Kennedys candidacy  who he is, which voters support him, how his level of support is likely to change and what hes emphasizing in his speeches and ads.

Who is he?

He is the third of 11 children of Robert F. Kennedy  the former attorney general, senator and presidential candidate  and Ethel Kennedy. He was 6 years old when his uncle was elected president and 14 years old when Sirhan Sirhan assassinated his father because of his fathers support for Israel during its 1967 war.
Biden fires a new round at China

President Biden announced on Tuesday a wave of new tariffs on billions of dollars in Chinese products, ramping up duties on industries like electric cars and solar energy that are core to his economic agenda.

The restrictions build on Trump-era measures, and many are likely to appeal to voters in battleground states ahead of the election. But its less clear if they are enough to rebuild Americas industrial base in a global race with China to lead in the new economy.

The new duties will apply to about $18 billion of annual Chinese imports, the Biden administration said. The president will also pledge to keep tariffs on more than $300 billion worth of Chinese goods put in place by President Donald Trump  measures that Biden said in his 2020 election campaign had hurt American consumers.

Heres what the new package looks like:

Tariffs on Chinese-made E.V.s, which are essentially locked out of the U.S. market anyway, will quadruple to 100 percent from 25 percent.

Rates on solar cells and semiconductors will double to 50 percent.

Duties on some advanced batteries and the key components used to make them will rise to 25 percent.

And tariffs on certain steel and aluminum products will triple to 25 percent.

Biden is at pains to say that hes being smarter than Trump on China. Trump imposed sweeping trade barriers and has vowed to impose more if hes re-elected. Biden has focused on specific sectors, including chips, artificial intelligence and clean energy. Trump spurned allies, while Biden has cultivated them and says his policies arent broadly anti-China.
President Biden signed a bill into law on Monday night banning the import of uranium enriched in Russia. Russia controls nearly half the worlds enrichment capacity, and American electric utilities have been spending around $1 billion per year on the fuel to run their reactors.

The bill had broad bipartisan support but had stumbled on its way to becoming law, held up at various points over the past year as a bargaining chip in unrelated legislative disputes. Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, had blocked it for months but dropped his opposition last month, clearing its way to unanimous approval.

The ban will take effect in mid-August. It provides waivers for utilities that would be forced to shut down nuclear reactors, allowing them to continue imports until 2028.

Russias government has threatened in the past to unilaterally halt exports to the United States if a ban were put into effect. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, did not reiterate the threat but called the bill unfair.
Other changes began to push into my speech. I realized that when my husband spoke to me in English, I would answer him in French. My mother called, and I heard myself speaking with a French accent. Drafts of my articles were returned with an unusual number of comments from editors. Then I told a friend about a spill at the grocery store, which  the words conveyor belt vanishing midsentence  took place on a supermarket treadmill. Even back home in New York, I found my mouth puckered into the fish lips that allow for the particularly French sounds of u, rather than broadened into the long ay sounds that punctuate English.

My mother is American, and my father is French; they split up when I was about 3 months old. I grew up speaking one language exclusively with one half of my family in New York and the other language with the other in France. Its a standard of academic literature on bilingual people that different languages bring out different aspects of the self. But these were not two different personalities but two separate lives. In one version, I was living with my mom on the Upper West Side and walking up Columbus Avenue to get to school. In the other, I was foraging for mushrooms in Alsatian forests or writing plays with my cousins and later three half-siblings, who at the time didnt understand a word of English. The experience of either language was entirely distinct, as if I had been given two scripts with mirroring supportive casts. In each a parent, grandparents, aunts and uncles; in each, a language, a home, a Madeleine.
The title Pressure suggests the force with which this first feature by the Trinidadian British director Horace Ove struck the conscience of a country. The movie, which premiered at the 1975 London Film Festival, was praised by critics and then shelved for three years. Apparently, its producer, the British Film Institute, deemed the public unready for Oves blunt depiction of the police violence and racial animus directed at Londons West Indian residents in Brixton.

The films landmark status has since been recognized by the institute and its maker knighted. Newly restored, the movie is making a triumphant return to the Brooklyn Academy of Music, where a 16-millimeter version was previously shown in 2016.

With consummate irony, Pressure was originally titled The Immigrant. Anxiously watched by his Trinidadian family, Tony (Herbert Norville), born and educated in London, attempts to join, and is repeatedly rejected by, the white British world. His mother (Lucita Lijertwood), an overworked house cleaner, is perpetually, vociferously anxious. His father (Frank Singuineau), an accountant turned grocer, is resigned. His older brother, Colin (Oscar James), a Black Power militant who is unemployed, is contemptuous. (The casting mirrors the situation: All but Norville were born in Trinidad.)

Written with the Trinidadian novelist Samuel Selvon, Pressure is a didactic film, opening with Tonys mother frying up a traditional English breakfast, with greasy bacon shown in unappetizing close-up, triggering Colins disdain for the local cuisine. (He peels and devours an avocado swiped from his fathers store.)
Pinned

Michael D. Cohen will be the last prosecution witness.

Follow our live coverage of Trumps hush-money trial in Manhattan.

Michael Cohen faced a fierce cross-examination on Tuesday afternoon in the criminal trial of Donald Trump, as the defense tried to tear down the prosecutions key witness.

Mr. Cohen was repeatedly attacked by Mr. Trumps attorney, Todd Blanche, who suggested he was being evasive on the stand, had selective amnesia and was a jilted former employee profiting off his hatred of the former president.

Mr. Cohen, once Mr. Trumps personal lawyer, has testified that Mr. Trump directed him to pay $130,000 in hush money to Stormy Daniels, a porn star, to suppress her account of a sexual rendezvous with him in a Lake Tahoe hotel in 2006.

Mr. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to hide the reimbursement of Mr. Cohen. 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 17th day on trial:

We could be near the end, but Trump is a wild card.

Prosecutors indicated Tuesday that Mr. Cohen would be their last witness, and the defense said that it hoped to be done with cross-examination Thursday, the weeks only remaining day of court.

After that, the defense can present its case, though it is not clear how long that might take. On Tuesday, Mr. Trumps lawyers told the judge, Juan M. Merchan, that they could begin Monday, and that the defendant might testify.

No determination yet? Justice Merchan asked.

No, Mr. Blanche said.

No knockout blow in a crucial cross-examination.

From his first question, it was clear that Mr. Blanche was ready for a fight: he immediately suggested that the volatile Mr. Cohen had referred to him online with a vulgarity. The judge stopped that line of questioning, but Mr. Blanche soon was peppering the witness with questions about his penchant for talking to reporters, his defiance of prosecutors requests to stop speaking and his feelings about Mr. Trump.

Mr. Blanche grilled Mr. Cohen about social media posts. Those included a suggestion that Mr. Trump belonged in a cage like an animal and a reference to him as a Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain.

Mr. Cohen responded calmly that those sounded like things he would have said, leaving the defense still hunting for a moment that would badly damage his credibility.

Cohen discussed emotions. He didnt show them.

The anticipation that Mr. Cohen would melt down seemed high. Late last year, when he testified at Mr. Trump's civil fraud trial, he made legal objections from the witness stand, refused to answer questions and cited court cases in his defense.

But in his first two days of testimony, Mr. Cohen has largely kept his composure. He has given short, basic answers and rarely strayed off topic.

Image Former President Donald J. Trump and Todd Blanche, an attorney, in the hallway of the Manhattan court. Credit... Pool photo by Mark Peterson

While some of Mr. Cohens insults of Mr. Trump were mentioned, he also complimented the president, describing his past admiration for his former boss.

All that, prosecutors probably hope, could reaffirm the idea that Mr. Cohen is simply acting out of virtue rather than a desire for revenge.

The case hangs on documents.

A month in, the jury has heard about porn stars, payoffs and campaign panics. But whenever jurors get the case, perhaps before Memorial Day weekend, they will also have a raft of documents to evaluate.

These include a series of checks sent to Mr. Cohen, who reaffirmed repeatedly on Tuesday that the description of the checks as payments for a legal retainer were false.

The jury is also likely to pore over transcripts of Mr. Cohens testimony about a meeting in the Oval Office in February 2017 where he says that Mr. Trump confirmed the plan to reimburse him.

The House speaker is carrying out Trumps attacks.

It was a striking sight: the speaker of the House, Mike Johnson of Louisiana, second in line for the presidency, standing in front of a courthouse in Manhattan, calling a criminal prosecution a sham.

Mr. Johnson blasted Mr. Cohen, calling him a man on a mission for personal revenge, and saying that no one should believe a word he says in there.

The Republican Party has traditionally made support for law enforcement a pillar, but such invective has become the norm in Mr. Trumps trial as the presumptive presidential nominees allies come to court to support him. (On Tuesday, those included North Dakotas governor, Doug Burgum, and the former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.)

Their defense of Mr. Trump follows a gag order that bars him from attacking jurors and witnesses like Mr. Cohen. Mr. Trump has already been cited for 10 violations so far and threatened with jail if he continues.

Mr. Trump said in a morning statement to reporters, I do have a lot of surrogates, and they are speaking very beautifully.

Who shows up next is anybodys guess when court meets on Thursday and the cross-examination of Mr. Cohen continues.
It took five hours, nearly 50 people and a makeshift bridge of ropes and logs, but a complex rescue effort in Connecticut this weekend successfully freed two horses, Damascus and Beau, after they became stuck in a swampy mess.

Jeanna Prink, the director of Stirrup Fun Stables Rescue, the nonprofit rescue and rehabilitation center where Damascus and Beau live, said that the horses got stuck up to their armpits in mud on Saturday while taking a shortcut that they shouldnt have taken, between a pasture and a barn.

Horses are known for getting themselves into trouble, they are curious by nature, Ms. Prink said.

Both horses had found a safe haven at the farm in Lebanon, Conn., after being rescued from difficult situations. Damascus, a 20-year-old Percheron, arrived at the stables after the farm saved him from an auctions kill pen, where horses are sold to buyers who take them to Mexico or Canada to be slaughtered for food. The previous owners of Beau, a 24-year-old quarter horse, brought him to the farm because they were unable to adequately care for him as they got older.

Ms. Prink said that Beau and Damascus went missing on Saturday, and farm workers spent a couple of hours looking for them before finding the horses stuck in the mud. After spending a couple more hours trying to get the horses out, the workers ultimately had to call for outside help.
Follow our live coverage of Trumps hush-money trial in Manhattan.

Little more than two weeks into Donald J. Trumps presidency, he and his personal lawyer met in the Oval Office for a private conversation about money.

I was sitting with President Trump and he asked me if I was OK, the lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, recalled on Tuesday from the witness stand at Mr. Trumps criminal trial. He asked me if I needed money, Mr. Cohen added, and volunteered that a check would be forthcoming.

When monthly checks started arriving  most bearing Mr. Trumps signature  they disguised the nature of the payments, Mr. Cohen testified. The stubs described the checks as part of a legal retainer agreement, but they were in fact reimbursements for hush money that Mr. Cohen had paid to silence a porn stars story of sex with Mr. Trump. Mr. Cohen said that Mr. Trump was present when a plan to fictionalize the records was cooked up weeks earlier in New York.
The Red Hook section of Brooklyn was once home to one of the busiest ports in the United States. But over the years, it was eclipsed by the container terminals that sprouted on the New Jersey side of the harbor.

The piers rotted as Red Hook played an increasingly insignificant role in the movement of goods around the region. The neighborhood became known more as a landing spot for cruise-ship passengers than for cargo containers.

But now, New York City wants to revive the Red Hook waterfront by rebuilding three dilapidated piers for the maritime industry and adding a new crane for unloading freight. Mayor Eric Adams announced on Tuesday that the city would take control of more than 100 acres of the Brooklyn waterfront and invest $80 million in improvements.

Beyond that, he said, city officials would work with local leaders and community groups to develop a plan to create a neighborhood on our shoreline that truly displays the promise of New York City. Mr. Adams said he envisioned a waterfront community with amenities that included open space and housing, but he did not provide any further details.
A New York State appeals court on Tuesday upheld a gag order imposed on former President Donald J. Trump in his criminal trial in Manhattan, rejecting arguments that the measure had violated Mr. Trumps First Amendment rights.

The judge overseeing the trial, Juan M. Merchan, initially issued the order in March, barring Mr. Trump from threatening many participants in the proceeding, including jurors, witnesses, line prosecutors and staff members of the court. The order does not cover the judge himself or Alvin K. Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, who brought the case against the former president.

Since then, Justice Merchan has twice held Mr. Trump in contempt for violating the order, imposing $10,000 in fines. The judge has also warned Mr. Trump that if he continues to break the rules, he could face time in jail.

In its decision Tuesday, a five-judge panel of the appeals court wrote that Justice Merchan had properly determined that Mr. Trumps public statements posed a significant threat to the integrity of the testimony of witnesses and potential witnesses in this case.
In a trial that has already had some never-before days, Monday was another: Michael Cohen, Donald Trumps former fixer-turned-archenemy, described a $130,000 hush-money payment to the porn actress Stormy Daniels.

Just take care of it, Cohen said Trump told him.

Cohen told the jury that Danielss story of a tryst in a Nevada hotel room posed a catastrophic threat to Trumps 2016 presidential campaign. Cohen paid Daniels himself, and he testified that Trump had approved a plan to reimburse him after the election. That repayment is the basis of the 34 felony counts against Trump, which charge that he falsified business records by putting the reimbursement in the category of ordinary business expenses.
Chris Gibbs, a farmer who raises soybeans, corn and cattle, spent much of his adult life as a leader of the Republican Party in Shelby County, Ohio. He rose from vice chair of the local executive committee to party chairman, a role he served in for seven years, until 2015. Last fall he was elected to a far tougher job: chairman of the Democratic Party in Shelby County, where registered Republicans outnumber Democrats more than eight to one.

The story of his political conversion offers a glimmer of hope to Democrats in otherwise inhospitable terrain and a possible path forward in places where the party has withered. His pitch? At a time when Republicans must fall in line behind Donald Trump, Democrats have the chance to rebrand themselves as the party of freedom, a concept valued by rural people everywhere.

In todays Republican Party, You either speak with a Trump voice or youre vaporized, Mr. Gibbs told me. We chatted on a recent evening in his garage in Maplewood, after we searched his pasture for newborn calves. (We found three.) In the Democratic Party, everybody gets a voice. You dont always get your way, but you get a voice.
When President Biden signed a bill requiring that TikTok be divested from its Chinese owner, ByteDance, members of Congress hailed the law as a blow to Beijing. They shouldnt be so quick to celebrate. The law would at best partially mitigate the hazards of misinformation or the risks to national security posed by China. The Communist Party, meanwhile, looks forward to a propaganda windfall, prizing off Washingtons mantle as champion of a free and open internet.

Americas moral authority on maintaining open internet platforms will look very different if it bans TikTok. After years of enduring American sermonizing about free speech and open trade, autocrats would now be able to cite Washingtons own example when they interfere with speech platforms that displease them.

Sponsors of the law say its purpose  prohibiting access to TikTok if its not divested from its Beijing-based parent  is to sever the short-video apps links to Chinas Communist Party. The reality is that the American government will likely end up banning TikTok, turning it off for 170 million American users. Last week, TikTok filed suit to challenge the law. It is not only that nine months is a tight timeline for a corporate sale of this complexity; its also that antitrust review alone often takes as long. A tech company like Meta or Google is unlikely to surmount the governments concerns of acquiring a leading competitor, and theres no guarantee that a private equity or investor group will be able to pull off this politically fraught deal.

More decisive for TikToks destiny in the United States is the will of the Communist Party. In 2020, Chinas Ministry of Commerce revised its technology export rules to assert control over the export of specialized algorithms. It has left little doubt that the legal change gives the state discretion to reject the sale of TikToks algorithm to any foreign entity. Signaling so in its typically oblique way, state media featured the comments of a professor saying exactly that. Whatever the wishes of ByteDance executives or its investors, any sale of TikTok will require Beijings blessing.
David French, a Times columnist, hosted a written online conversation with Rebecca Roiphe, a former assistant district attorney in the Manhattan district attorneys office, and Ken White, a former federal prosecutor, to discuss Donald Trumps Manhattan trial and Michael Cohens testimony.

David French: Lets start with a big-picture question. I have less trial experience than either of you, but this deep into a trial, I always had a sense of the momentum of the case, of who is winning and who is losing. Who is more pleased with the course of the trial so far  the prosecution or the defense?

Rebecca Roiphe: In my view, the prosecution is happier about how things are going than the defense. They have established the backbone of the case, which is the false records, and they have provided a great deal of circumstantial evidence tying Donald Trump to those records and establishing his intent.

Ken White: When you ask who is more pleased with the course of the trial, remember that Trump is usually pursuing a public relations and political strategy at the expense of good courtroom strategy. In that sense, I suspect Team Trump is happy that hes getting lots of airtime to push his narrative that hes a victim of the elites and that the trial doesnt seem to have had much of an impact on his polling numbers.
On the morning of Jan. 18, 2003, Penny Sackett, then director of the Australian National Universitys Mount Stromlo Observatory outside Canberra, received a concerning email from a student at the facility. Bush fires that had been on the horizon the day before were now rapidly approaching. The astronomers on site were considering evacuating, the student wrote.

That afternoon, from her home some miles away, Dr. Sackett watched burning embers fall from a smoky sky and worried. Later, she learned that her colleagues had escaped just in time: As the fire raced up the mountain, they fled down the other side carrying discs full of research data.

All but one of Mount Stromlos eight telescopes were destroyed that day, along with millions of dollars in equipment that engineers had been building for observatories around the world. The fires also destroyed 500 homes across greater Canberra, and killed four people.

The incident was an early warning for astronomy: Wildfires, exacerbated by climate change, were becoming a problem for their field. Since then, several other observatories have been damaged or threatened by fires and other extreme weather, and changing atmospheric conditions have made ground-based astronomical research more challenging.
Sandra Dolores Yawn has been locked up, left for dead on a Florida highway and chased through the Red Sea by pirates.

In the summer of 2018, Leah Rae Shafer reached out on Facebook to send Ms. Yawn her blessings. Not because she thought Ms. Yawn, who goes by Captain Sandy, needed her well wishes, but because she had started watching Below Deck Mediterranean on Bravo.

The show follows a crew tasked with catering to a revolving cadre of guests who have chartered a superyacht. Ms. Yawn, a star of the series, is at the helm. Ms. Shafer had written to congratulate her on the shows success. There was another reason, too. I thought she was hot, she said.

Ms. Yawn, 59, has been a yacht captain for more than 30 years. Her foray into television, which started in 2017, was not exactly foreordained. Until her mid-20s, I was a mess, Ms. Yawn said. I was always in trouble. I got kicked out of 11th grade. I didnt go to college. At 13, at the start of an adolescence spent between Dundee, Fla., where her father lived, and Bradenton, Fla., where her mother lived, she started drinking. By 17, I was getting arrested so many times I couldnt even count how many, she said. Usually a parent bailed her out. Her fathers refusal to do so after one drunken incident landed her a night in jail.
For the past year and a half since ChatGPT was released, a scary question has hovered over the heads of major online publishers: What if Google decides to overhaul its core search engine to feature generative artificial intelligence more prominently  and breaks our business in the process?

The question speaks to one of the most fragile dependencies in todays online media ecosystem.

Most big publishers, including The New York Times, receive a significant chunk of traffic from people going to Google, searching for something and clicking on articles about it. That traffic, in turn, allows publishers to sell ads and subscriptions, which pay for the next wave of articles, which Google can then show to people who go searching for the next thing.

The whole symbiotic cycle has worked out fine, more or less, for a decade or two. And even when Google announced its first generative A.I. chatbot, Bard, last year, some online media executives consoled themselves with the thought that Google wouldnt possibly put such an erratic and unproven technology into its search engine, or risk mucking up its lucrative search ads business, which generated $175 billion in revenue last year.

But change is coming.

At its annual developer conference on Tuesday, Google announced that it would start showing A.I.-generated answers  which it calls A.I. overviews  to hundreds of millions of users in the United States this week. More than a billion users will get them by the end of the year, the company said.
Last May, Sundar Pichai, Googles chief executive, said the company would use artificial intelligence to reimagine all of its products.

But because new generative A.I. technology presented risks, like spreading false information, Google was cautious about applying the technology to its search engine, which is used by more than two billion people and was responsible for $175 billion in revenue last year.

On Tuesday, at Googles annual conference in Mountain View, Calif., Mr. Pichai showed how the companys aggressive work on A.I. had finally trickled into the search engine. Starting this week, he said, U.S. users will see a feature, A.I. Overviews, that generates information summaries above traditional search results. By the end of the year, more than a billion people will have access to the technology.

A.I. Overviews is likely to heighten concerns that web publishers will see less traffic from Google Search, putting more pressure on an industry that has reeled from rifts with other tech platforms. On Google, users will see longer summaries about a topic, which could reduce the need to go to another website  though Google downplayed those concerns.
An anti-abortion activist who led a blockade of a reproductive health clinic in Washington, D.C., in 2020 and drew widespread attention after the authorities found human fetuses at her home was sentenced on Tuesday to nearly five years in prison.

Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of U.S. District Court in Washington sentenced the activist, Lauren Handy, 30, of Virginia, to 57 months in prison for her role in the blockade, officials said. Ms. Handy was one of several people convicted last year of civil rights conspiracy and of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act in connection with the blockade. That law makes it a crime to threaten, obstruct or injure a person seeking access to a reproductive health clinic or to damage clinic property.

Matthew Graves, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, said in a statement on Tuesday that Ms. Handy and her co-defendants had conspired to use force to prevent fellow citizens from exercising rights protected by law.

People cannot resort to using force and intimidation to prevent others from engaging in lawful activity simply because they disagree with the law, he said.
President Biden on Tuesday announced a sharp increase in tariffs on an array of Chinese imports, including electric vehicles, solar cells, semiconductors and advanced batteries, in an effort to protect strategic American industries from a new wave of competitors that he said were unfairly subsidized by Beijing.

The president also officially endorsed maintaining tariffs on more than $300 billion worth of Chinese goods that were put in place by President Donald J. Trump. Mr. Biden criticized those tariffs as taxes on American consumers during his 2020 run for the White House.

Mr. Bidens moves were the latest trade-war escalation from a president who initially pledged to repeal at least some of the Trump tariffs but now has refused to cede any ground to his rival in a tough-on-China appeal to swing voters in the industrial Midwest and beyond.

They also reflect Mr. Bidens efforts to build on Mr. Trumps consensus-defying trade confrontation with China while focusing it on sectors of strategic importance to the United States, like clean energy and semiconductors.
Joseph R. Biden Jr. ran for the White House as a sharp critic of President Donald J. Trumps crackdown on trade with China. In office, though, he has taken Mr. Trumps trade war with Beijing and escalated it, albeit with a very different aim.

The two men, locked in a rematch election this fall, share a rhetorical fondness for beating up on Chinas economic practices, including accusing the Chinese of cheating at global trade. They also share a building-block policy for countering Beijing: hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs, or taxes, on Chinese imports. Those tariffs were first imposed by Mr. Trump and have been maintained by President Biden.

On Tuesday, Mr. Biden announced that he is increasing some of those tariffs. That includes quadrupling electric vehicle tariffs to 100 percent, tripling certain levies on steel and aluminum products to 25 percent, and doubling the rate on semiconductors to 50 percent.

But Mr. Bidens trade war differs from Mr. Trumps in important ways. Mr. Trump was trying to bring back a broad swath of factory jobs outsourced to China. Mr. Biden is seeking to increase production and jobs in a select group of emerging high-tech industries  including clean energy sectors, like electric vehicles, that Mr. Trump shows little interest in cultivating.
At the end of a somber day in the Ukrainian capital, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken slipped into a seat at Barman Dictat, a crowded basement cocktail bar where a punk-jazz band was squealing away.

After a few songs, the bands frontman called Mr. Blinken onstage on Tuesday and, by prearrangement, Americas top diplomat slung a red Epiphone guitar over his shoulder.

I know this is a really, really difficult time, said Mr. Blinken, who had discarded his typical dark suit and tie for blue jeans and a dark button-up shirt. It was a reference to recent Russian military gains. Ukraines soldiers, particularly in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, he said, are suffering tremendously.

But they need to know, you need to know, the United States is with you, so much of the world is with you, he said, hitting the core message of his unannounced visit to Kyiv, a trip intended in part to spotlight nearly $61 billion in additional military aid signed into law by President Biden in April after months of delays mainly caused by a small band of right-wing House Republicans.
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken sought to reassure Ukrainians on Tuesday that they could weather an ominous new Russian military offensive and count on long-term support from the United States and its European allies.

You are not alone, Mr. Blinken declared in remarks in the capital city, Kyiv, where he arrived by train on Tuesday morning for an unannounced visit at what he called a critical moment for Ukraines future as Russia makes fresh military gains around the northeastern city of Kharkiv.

It is Mr. Blinkens fourth trip to Kyiv since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and the first by a senior U.S. official since President Biden signed a $60.8 billion aid package approved by Congress three weeks ago after months of infighting among House Republicans.

Mr. Blinkens trip was planned before the Russian offensive, which has only underscored the importance of the American support that he came to highlight.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is polling stronger than any third-party candidate has in decades, pulling in roughly 10 percent of registered voters across the battleground states as he saps support from both President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump, a new series of polls has found.

The overall results in the Biden versus Trump contest were virtually unchanged when Mr. Kennedy was included in the polls conducted by The New York Times, Siena College and The Philadelphia Inquirer. But beneath the surface of that seeming stability, the surveys revealed how Mr. Kennedy, powered by social media and younger voters, has emerged as an unpredictable X factor in what would otherwise be a 2020 rematch.

With less than six months until the election, the faction of the electorate giving Mr. Kennedy early support exposes some of the vulnerabilities inside the presidents Democratic coalition. Mr. Biden dropped all the way to 33 percent in a five-candidate race, an alarmingly low share of the vote for an incumbent president. The series of polls focused on what are expected to be the most contested states this fall: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Two of the groups that Mr. Kennedy performed strongest with in the surveys  voters under 30 (18 percent support) and Latinos (14 percent)  have traditionally been strong Democratic constituencies, unnerving some party strategists. Mr. Biden is also winning only half of Black voters in the multicandidate race.
Voters in Maryland, West Virginia and Nebraska go to the polls on Tuesday for primaries that will test the political resonance of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, the hold on the Republican Party by former President Donald J. Trump and the power of money in the Democratic Party.

Here is what to watch:

Marylands unexpectedly important Senate choice

Deep blue Maryland was not on anyones list of hot contests when Senator Ben Cardin, a Democrat, announced he would retire at the end of his third term this January. Representative David Trone, the deep-pocketed owner of Total Wine & More, an alcohol retailer, was ready to spend big on securing the Democratic nomination, and that should have been enough to secure himself a seat in the Senate.
There are many reasons to believe that former President Donald J. Trump will not be going to trial in Georgia anytime soon. A controversy involving sex, money and the district attorney has slowed down the election interference case. Dozens of pretrial motions have yet to be resolved, and the United States Supreme Court and the Georgia Court of Appeals must still weigh in on key legal questions.

While it may not create nearly as much drag on the proceedings, there is also the fact that the presiding judge is busy running for election.

Very busy.

In the last few weeks, Judge Scott McAfee of Fulton Superior Court has been on a dizzying tour of the Atlanta area in an effort to hold on to his job  and in so doing, hold on to the Trump case, one that could eventually secure the judges place in the annals of history. Since early March, he has, by his own count, attended more than 30 campaign-related events, including three fund-raisers, three candidate forums, seven church services and a parade.

In a recent interview, Judge McAfee, 34, said that campaigning was delaying every aspect of his job. And while he enjoys many advantages over his rivals  as an incumbent in a down-ticket election whose work on the Trump case has earned him broad name recognition  he said he has no choice but to give the race his all. Losing the election, after all, would mean turning over the case, a complex racketeering prosecution with 15 defendants, to a new judge.
The buses rumble into town day and night, dumping migrants in a city many didnt even know existed.

But instead of landing closer to the U.S. border, they are being hauled roughly 1,000 miles in the opposite direction  deep into southern Mexico in a shadowy program meant to appease the Biden administration and ship migrants far from the United States.

Mexican authorities rarely publicly acknowledge the busing program, making it much less contentious than the efforts by Republican governors to transport migrants to blue states that have become political theater in the United States.

Yet the busing program is exposing the chasm between the Mexican governments rhetoric promoting a humanitarian approach to migration, and the countrys role as a heavy-handed enforcer of U.S. border objectives, leaving many migrant families stranded to fend for themselves.
Michael Cohen faced Trumps lawyers

The testimony from Michael Cohen, Donald Trumps former fixer, is a linchpin in the Manhattan case against the former president. Heres the latest.

Yesterday, Cohen returned to the stand. Lawyers for the Manhattan district attorneys office have told the judge that he will be their last witness. On the stand, Cohen described to jurors a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels as an effort to influence the 2016 election on behalf of Mr. Trump.

After that, he faced Trumps legal team. In a barrage of questions, they sought to portray Cohen as an opportunist. Trumps lead lawyer, Todd Blanche, pressed Cohen about his social media posts, his efforts to monetize his connection to the former president, his own criminal history and his desire to see Trump behind bars.

Do you want President Trump to get convicted in this case? Blanche asked.

Sure, Cohen replied.

Blanche emphasized Cohens television appearances and insult-slinging online  all of which he did in defiance of the prosecutions wishes and at Trumps expense. He also noted that Cohen maintains a financial interest in attacking Trump, arguing that he cashed in on their feud with a podcast and books.
The authorities in New Caledonia, a semiautonomous French territory in the South Pacific, put a curfew in place on Tuesday and banned all public gatherings after protests over a proposed constitutional change turned violent overnight.

Frances High Commission of the Republic in New Caledonia said on Tuesday that a massive mobilization of security and defense forces had been sent to quell the protests. In addition, a curfew was imposed in the capital, Noumea, for Tuesday night, and all public gatherings were banned along with the sale of alcohol and the transportation of weapons, the High Commission said.

The international airport in Noumea shut down and canceled all commercial flights on Tuesday, and some consulates in the city shut their doors.

The protests started on Monday, before a scheduled Tuesday vote in the French Parliament on a change to New Caledonias Constitution that would expand French citizens eligibility to vote in provincial elections. Some pro-independence activists in the territory fear that the amendment would water down their movement.
When Chinas top leader, Xi Jinping, hosts President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in China this week, it will be more than two years since the two autocratic leaders declared a no limits partnership to push back against what they consider American bullying and interference.

Growing challenges from the West have tested the limits of that partnership.

Mr. Xi is walking a narrowing tightrope, coming under increasing diplomatic and economic pressure to curtail Chinese support for Russia and its war in Ukraine. A tighter embrace of Mr. Putin now could further alienate Europe, a key trading partner, as Beijing seeks to improve its image in the West, and retain access for Chinese exports to help revitalize its sluggish economy.

China sees Russia as an important strategic partner and wants to give Putin proper respect, but it also wants to maintain sound relations with Europe and the United States for economic reasons and beyond. It is a very difficult balancing act, said Shen Dingli, a Shanghai-based international relations scholar.
To Netiporn Sanesangkhom, the right to dissent and to question Thailands powerful monarchy belonged to all Thais. On Tuesday, her crusade to highlight this cause in the face of the countrys strict ban on royal criticism ended in her death.

Ms. Netiporn, also known as Bung, 28, was one of Thailands most prominent activists calling for changes to the monarchy. She died after a hunger strike that she began in prison on Jan. 27 to pressure the Thai authorities to put an end to jailing political activists. On Jan. 26, Ms. Netiporn had been sentenced to one month in prison for contempt of court in connection with a protest last year in support of another activist convicted of defaming the monarchy.

For more than two months, Ms. Netiporn refused food, water and all forms of medication. On April 4, she resumed eating and drinking while in the hospital but still rejected electrolytes and vitamins, according to the Department of Corrections. On Tuesday, she went into cardiac arrest and died in the morning.

Ms. Netiporns death could pose a public relations challenge for the Thai government, which has been silent about civil societys demands to weaken the law that makes criticizing the monarchy illegal. The ruling Pheu Thai Party had said during last years election that the issue had to be discussed in Parliament, but it backtracked later to say that it would firmly oppose any changes to the law.
The black Peugeot 5008 rammed the police van carrying a prisoner as it emerged from a tollbooth on a major highway about 85 miles northwest of Paris. Hooded men with automatic weapons leaped from the car, encircling the van and firing on it with unhurried precision for more than two minutes.

When they were through, two prison guards were dead  the first to be killed in the line of duty in 32 years  three more were wounded, and the still-handcuffed prisoner the van was transporting, Mohamed Amra, had escaped, setting off a manhunt involving several hundred officers.

The attack this morning, which took the lives of prison guards, is a shock to us all, President Emmanuel Macron of France said on X after the attack, which occurred around 11 a.m. on Tuesday and stunned the country with its brazenness and violence. We will be uncompromising, he added, promising to track down the perpetrators.

But more than 10 hours after the ambush, no trace of the assailants, who also used a white Audi that followed the van, had been found, and Mr. Amra remained at large.
The Parliament of Georgia gave final approval on Tuesday to a contentious bill that has prompted a series of tense protests in the capital, Tbilisi, spurred by fears that the legislation could push the country back into the Kremlins orbit.

President Salome Zourabichvili has promised to veto the bill. But Georgian Dream, the governing party in Georgia since 2012, has enough votes to override her veto.

Both the opposition and the government have presented the passage of the innocuous-sounding bill, titled On Transparency of Foreign Influence, as a momentous step in the history of Georgia, a mountainous country of 3.6 million saddled in the middle of the Caucasus Mountains.

The draft law would require nongovernmental groups and media outlets that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from foreign sources to register as organizations carrying the interests of foreign power and provide annual financial statements about their activities. Georgias justice ministry would be given broad powers to monitor compliance. Violations would incur fines equivalent to more than $9,300.
Summer is on the way, meaning that the orcas are out to play near the Strait of Gibraltar  which is bad news for sailors.

Two people were rescued on Sunday after an attack by a group of orcas caused enough damage to sink their boat, according to the Spanish maritime rescue service. It was the fifth such sinking in waters off the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa in recent years.

The Alboran Cognac, a sailing yacht about 50 feet long, was approached by the animals on Sunday morning, some 14 miles off Cape Spartel in Morocco, the rescue service said. Crew members onboard reported that the animals had slammed the hull, damaged the rudder and caused a leak.

A nearby oil tanker quickly maneuvered toward the boat and evacuated the two sailors, who were taken to Gibraltar, the rescue service said. The boat was left adrift, and the Moroccan authorities reported that it eventually sank.
A court in Paris ruled on Tuesday that the film director Roman Polanski did not defame Charlotte Lewis, a British actress who has accused him of raping her, by asserting in a 2019 interview that she was a liar.

Delphine Meillet, one of Mr. Polanskis lawyers, told reporters after the ruling that it was an extremely important day for the rights of the director, who is 90. The question the court was addressing was whether you can defend yourself publicly when you are publicly accused, Ms. Meillet said. The answer is yes.

Ms. Lewis, 56, has accused Mr. Polanski of raping her four decades ago, when she was 16, during a casting session at his home in Paris.

She told reporters at the courthouse on Tuesday that she would appeal the ruling, for which the court did not explain its reasoning. I feel sad, I feel let down, she said. But, she added: For us, its not over.
The day after U.K. police charged three men with assisting Hong Kongs intelligence service, Chinas ambassador to Britain was summoned for an official reprimand by the British foreign ministry in the latest sign of growing tension between London and Beijing.

The British government said that it had called the ambassador, Zheng Zeguang, to its Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office after the three men appeared in court on Monday.

The Foreign Office said in a statement that it had been unequivocal in setting out that the recent pattern of behavior directed by China against the U.K. was not acceptable. It cited cyberattacks, alleged espionage and the issuing of bounties for information leading to the prosecution of dissidents who fled Hong Kong after its crackdown on the pro-democracy movement and resettled in Britain.

The three men who appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on Monday have been charged with gathering intelligence for Hong Kong, a former British colony which is a special administrative region of China, and of forcing entry into a U.K. residential address.
The thunder of ferocious clashes unfolded at the nearby front line as the Ukrainian crew prepared to maneuver its American-made Bradley fighting vehicle out of camouflage and into the fire.

The commander of the team, a sergeant with the call sign Lawyer, nervously scanned the sky. If we are seen, the KABs will come, he said, referring to the one-ton bombs Russia has been using to target Ukraines most valuable armor and defenses.

What had started as a small Russian thrust into the tiny town of Ocheretyne was growing into a substantial breakthrough, threatening to unhinge the Ukrainian lines across a broad stretch of the eastern front. The crews mission was to help contain the breach: protect outmanned and outgunned infantry soldiers, evacuate the wounded and use the Bradleys powerful 25-millimeter cannon against as many Russians as possible.

But the 28-ton vehicle was soon spotted. Mortars and rockets exploded all around, and the gunner was badly injured, said the commander, identified only by his call sign according to military protocol.
The celebrated Iranian film director Mohammad Rasoulof said he had fled the country to Europe, after a court sentenced him to eight years in prison for his movies.

Mr. Rasoulof  known for his award-winning film There Is No Evil  had been barred from leaving Iran in 2017 after his work criticized the authoritarian rule in the country. His lawyer, Babak Paknia, wrote last week on social media that an Iranian court had sentenced Mr. Rasoulof to imprisonment, whipping and a fine for movies that it called examples of collusion with the intention of committing a crime against the countrys security.

On Monday, Mr. Rasoulof announced his escape from Iran in an Instagram post that featured a video of snow-capped mountains and said he had reached a safe place. He said in a separate statement that he had arrived in Europe after a long and complicated journey.

I had to choose between prison and leaving Iran, he said in the statement, which was shared by his spokeswoman, Claudia Tomassini. With a heavy heart, I chose exile.
Scott Radcliffe

Scott Radcliffe, who did a nearly four-year stint on Apples corporate communications team in Austin, has joined FleishmanHillard as global director of cybersecurity.

He will oversee the Omnicom units Cybersecurity Center of Excellence and report to Tim O'Keeffe, FH's global managing director of technology.

Prior to Apple, Radcliffe served as FH senior VP and its leading global data privacy and security specialist, and was a member of Team Dell at WPP.

The West Point graduate began his career in the U.S. Army where he tackled cybersecurity challenges while working under the Multi-National Corps-Iraq commanding general. He also ran for Congress in 2008.

Radcliffe said its critical for every business to be as prepared as possible for a cyberattack and to understand how to navigate through that moment should an incident occur.

Businesses also must better educate their customers and employees about how they can more securely interact with an organization's network and protect their data, he added.
Ballard Partners is the latest firm to sign on to represent Shein Technology, the Los Angeles-based arm of the embattled Singapore-based instant fashion retailer.

Shein, which filed documentation with the Securities and Exchange Commission last year to go public, has been criticized for its cozy ties with China, and concerns over its souring strategy and lax environmental controls.

Ballard, which has close ties to Donald Trump, will handle legislative and regulatory issues impacting the fashion and apparel industry, on-demand inventory, e-retailing and overall online competition, including trade related matters.

It also will educate policymakers about Sheins economic impact in the US and its operating footprint.

Brian Ballad, who was Trumps top fundraiser in Florida, leads the three-member Shein team the includes senior partner Syl Lukis and partner Lance Morgen, who served in the Trump White House as special assistant to the president for policy and strategy.

Morgen was principal advisor to Trumps economic advisor Peter Navarrom who is currently serving a four-month prison sentence for ignoring a subpoena from the House Jan. 6 Committee, and policy advisor/speechwriter Stephen Miller.

Shein hired Missy Edward Strategies in April and Forbes-Tate, which is part of Public Policy Holding Company, earlier this month.
Joe Biden

Nothing to see here... The White House remains in denial that President Biden is on track to lose the presidential race to a guy who could be in jail on Election Day.

The latest batch of polls released May 13 shows Biden losing to Donald Trump in five key battleground states.

Biden isnt just trailing the Mango Mussolini, hes being hammered by double-digits in Nevada (12 points) and Georgia (10 points).

White House staffers played down the importance of the polls.

A hand-out given to reporters by the head-in-the-sand White House staff quoted Biden pollster Geoff Garin saying most voters arent paying attention to the presidential contest.

The reality is that many voters are not paying close attention to the election and have not started making up their mindsa dynamic also reflected in todays poll. These voters will decide this election and only the Biden campaign is doing the work to win them over.

Thats hogwash.

The White House should take the wisdom of the immortal Yogi Berra to heart. It sure gets late early out there, said the Yankee Hall of Fame catcher who also played the outfield. His quote referred to the late afternoon shadows in the outfield of Yankee Stadium.

Yogi could do nothing about the shadows. But the 81-year-old commander-in-chief can do something about his lousy polling numbers. He should withdraw from the presidential race.

What will it take for Biden to realize that despite his awesome accomplishment of passing the most progressive legislative package since Lyndon Johnson, he is simply too old for a second term.

His blind eye to Israels wanton destruction of Gaza only furthered the hemorrhaging of support for the president among younger American voters.

Who can get through to Bidens stubborn Irish skull? Its Congressman Jim Clyburn of South Carolina.

At 83, Clyburn is a contemporary of the president. It was Clyburns endorsement of Biden ahead of the 2020 South Carolina primary that led the president to victory.

"You brought me back," Biden told Clyburn, the highest-ranking African American in Congress. He called Clyburn my buddy. Its time for Biden and Clyburn to have a buddy-to-buddy talk about the 2024 race. Clyburn got Biden into the White House. He can orchestrate his exit.

There still time to save the nation from the calamity of a second Trump presidency.

A Democratic dream ticket of Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer and Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock would ensure a Democratic hold of the White House for another eight years.

Hiring platform hires too many? In springing the news to staffers that eight percent of them working at the hiring platform Indeed are getting the ax, CEO Chris Hyams said the company simply has a lot of dead weight.

While the global economy has improved in several areas over the past year, we are not yet set up for sustainable growth, he wrote in an email to employees. Despite our efforts so far, our organization is still too complex, we still have significant duplication of effort and too many organizational layers that slow down decision-making. We have been working to simplify every aspect of our business, but without meaningful change, we cant get where we need to go.

Hyams said Indeed remains committed to helping 100M people get jobs by 2030.

He thanked the departing workers for helping millions of people get jobs. Those are empty words to the 1,000 people who got bounced from Indeed.

Sail4th 250 sets sail. Sail4th 250, the non-profit that is organizing events in the New York/New Jersey region to mark the nations 250 anniversary, has kicked off a $30M fundraising campaign.

Slated for July 3-8, 2026, the celebration will feature the greatest gathering of Tall Ships and naval vessels to sail into New York Harbor.

There also will be food and cultural festivities held in NYCs five boroughs and the NJ burgs with programming representing countries throughout the world.

FishBait Solutions is handling fundraising for corporate, brand and media partners, while Lynch Pinnacle Group is targeting individuals and philanthropic donors.

Peter Himlers Flatiron Communications is handling media for Sail4th 250.
Open class races were few and far between this week as many top trainers took their best dogs to Towcester for racing and trials in preparation for the English Derby which is just around the corner.

Stakes this week may not be as strong as other times of the year. However, there were still some valuable stakes on offer including the semifinals of the Shelbourne Open 550, the final of the A2 Spring Derby in Cork, the final of the Limerick Oaks where there was a magnificent Offaly winner, the quarter-finals of the Champion Open Unraced in Kilkenny and the second round of the Lee Strand A3 550 in Tralee. After the high of eleven Offaly winners last week we had a more modest returns this week but still some quality ones in the mix.

Early Week Racing



Monday, Quarter-finals of the April Unraced Open Stake in Enniscorthy, Hogans Hawk set the standard for Willie OConnor in a decent 28.80 (20 slow) by six lengths at 5/4 joint fav.

Friday Racing

First Offaly winner of the week was in Newbridge in the quarterfinals of the Friends Of Newbridge A1 Derby. Leeloo won for the second week in a row in this competition for Croghan owner Nuala Lynch in 30.12 by three lengths at 1/1 fav. Fastest of the four heats was Victory Lane for Ken ONeill in 29.88 by one length at 3/1.

Kilkenny, quarter-finals of the Champion Open Unraced Stake, joint fastest heat winners here as Broadstrand Syd for John Linehan and the classicly bred Neko Harbour (Droopys Sydney-Susie Sapphire) for Owen McKenna both won in 28.93 (30 slow). Other two winners were Hogan Stand for James ORegan in 29.30 (30 slow) and Julies Gem for Murt Leahy in 29.25.

One Offaly winner in Shelbourne Park, in the semi-finals of an A4 sweepstake Highview Emer had her first career win for Croghan trainer Gerry Merriman in 28.69 by a wide margin of thirteen lengths at 6/4.

In the second round of the Lee Strand A3 550, six heats with a double for Pat Buckley. The fastest of the sextet was Dashing Toro for the Twice-A-Day-Everyday Syndicate in 29.47 by seven lengths at 2/1.

Saturday Racing

The most valuable stake of the week was in Cork's Curraheen Park in the final of the 2024 A2 Spring Derby. The 7.5k first prize went to Katsumoto (Ballymac Bolger- Murlens Maura) for Gerry Holian who broke smartly and was never headed winning in 28.52 by a neck at 1/1 fav. Ballymac Slick was second for Liam Dowling and received a cheque for 3k.

There was a very popular Offaly winner of the AAO Clonbrien Treaty Limerick Oaks at the Dock Road track. Short Grip (Grangeview Ten-Mystical Luna) pinged the lids for Rhode owner P.J. Cocoman and was never in any bother coming home two lengths clear of the field in a super 28.11 at 7/4. The 4K first prize here has now brought this super brindle bitchs career earnings to over 12k, but more importantly proves that shes one of the fastest females in training, and can now head back to Shelbourne knowing she has a real live chance in the Sporting Press Irish Oaks which is about to start in a couple of weeks. This is a great win for her very popular Rhode owners as generations of Cocomans have put their lifetimes in greyhound racing. There will be some fun with the offspring of this champion in years to come.

Shelbourne Park staged the semif-inals of the Champion Open 550, Silverhill Adam won the first for Graham Holland in 29.81 by one length at 4/1, Offaly dog Carrick Keano was third in this heat for Edenderry owner Thomas Glynn, comfortably making Saturdays final. The second semi was won in a faster 29.66 as Carmac King made all to win by eight lengths at 1/1 fav for Owen McKenna who had a magnificent four timer on the night.

Two splendid Offaly winners on the night, in an AO 525 Highview Splash stopped the timer in 28.25 by five lengths at 4/5 fav again for Merriman. In the final race of the night last years Champion Stakes and Consolation Derby winner Trinity Junior looks like hes hitting form at the right time again for Edenderry owner Timmy Slevin when winning an AAO 550 recording his fourteenth career win in 29.96 by one length at 4/5 fav.

Sunday Racing

No Offaly winners at the matinee meeting in Mullingar which is a rarity or the evening meetings in Clonmel and Lifford.

Upcoming Events

Friday, semi-finals of the Islandbridge Open Sprint in Shelbourne, Kilkenny semi-finals of the Champion Open Unraced, semifinals of the A1 Newbridge Derby and quarter-finals of the Lee Strand A3 550 in Tralee.Saturday, final of the Shelbourne Champion 550 at the Ringsend Stadium.

Tribune Offaly Dog Of The Week

Easy decision this week again as Short Grip wins for the second week in a row for P.J. Cocoman when winning the very competitive AAO Clonbrien Treaty Limerick Oaks in a magnificent 28.11 by two lengths. Super performance.

Offaly Winners

Five Offaly winners this week. Well done to all connections.
An elderly woman who was seriously injured in an attack in the Glenwood Estate 10 days ago has died in hospital.

The woman, who was in her 80s, was being treated for serious injuries in a Dublin hospital. She was one of three women assaulted during the attack at a house in Glenwood on Friday, May 3.

The two other women, aged in their 40s and 70s, were also injured in the same incident.

A 47-year-old man appeared before Dundalk District Court last week charged in connection with the attack.

Nicholas Muckian with an address at Glenwood, Dundalk is charged with three counts of assault causing harm, at the same location, in Glenwood on May 3.

He is further charged with unlawfully intimidating another person with a hatchet at the same location on the same date.
Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly TD, and the Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy Colm Burke TD, have announced that the Cabinet has approved a proposal for legislation that will increase the age of sale of tobacco to 21.

Ireland will be the first country in the EU to introduce this measure, continuing our tradition of leadership in tackling smoking rates which began with the ban on indoor smoking in 2004.

The proposal is designed to accelerate the goal of reducing Irelands adult smoking rate to less than 5% of the population, in line with Government policy.

Currently, 18% of the population over the age of 15 are smokers. Preliminary legal advice suggests Ireland cannot pursue a smokefree generation policy as has been suggested in other jurisdictions due to the EUs Single Market rules and Tobacco Products Directive.

Smoking and exposure to second hand smoke kills an estimated 4,500 people per year in Ireland, and it causes an enormous range of preventable illnesses including types of cancers, cardiovascular diseases and respiratory diseases.

Evidence shows that people are at high risk of becoming smokers between the ages of 18 and 21. Raising the minimum purchasing age will make it harder for young people to access tobacco products through direct and proxy buys as well as social sources and is likely to lead to a reduction in the numbers taking up smoking.

Minister Donnelly said:

This is a tough new measure, but the health impacts of tobacco smoking are immense and require tough responses. I am determined to progress legislation that will protect children and young people from this lethal product and ultimately save lives.

I am confident this measure will help young people avoid a lifetime of addiction and illness from tobacco smoking. Analysis from the U.S.

Institute of Medicine shows that increasing the age of sale to 21 will act to limit the social sources of cigarettes for our children and young people under 18 as they will be less likely to be in social groups with persons who can legally purchase cigarettes.

Minister Burke said:

Tobacco smoking remains the biggest risk factor driving disability and death combined in our country and the life expectancy of a smoker is on average 10 years shorter than that of a person who has never smoked.

As Minister with responsibility for Public Health, I am committed to progressing initiatives that protect our population. Raising the minimum age of sale of tobacco is a significant action that will help create a tobacco-free generation and reduce the health harms associated with this behaviour.

I look forward to working alongside the Minister for Health to introduce this life-saving measure.

Chief Medical Officer Professor Breda Smyth said:

Smoking causes 13% of all cancers and contributes to many preventable illnesses including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, eye diseases, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

Its also responsible for 5% of hospital inpatient admissions, while the financial loss caused by smoking is estimated at 10.6 billion annually.

Our smoking rates are still unacceptably high, so I am delighted that we are progressing a strong population protection measure that will help bring us closer to the goal of a tobacco-free Ireland.

Minister Ossian Smyth said:

This is a welcome move by this Government to again be a leader in Europe in implementing changes that will ensure fewer young people access tobacco products and become addicted to them.

I look forward to seeing this legislation progress through the Oireachtas as quickly as possible.
Ireland will raise the minimum age for the purchase of cigarettes to 21, according to plans approved by Cabinet.

It would make Ireland the first country in the EU to take the measure.

It comes 20 years after Ireland became the first country in the world to ban smoking in workplaces, including pubs and restaurants.

Currently, 18% of the population over the age of 15 are smokers.

The new proposal is designed to reduce Irelands adult smoking rate to less than 5%

Smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke kills an estimated 4,500 people a year in Ireland.

The Government said evidence shows that people are at high risk of becoming smokers between the ages of 18 and 21.

It added that raising the minimum purchasing age will make it harder for young people to access tobacco products through direct and proxy buys as well as social sources.

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said it was a tough measure, adding: The health impacts of tobacco smoking are immense and require tough responses.

Health officials said smoking causes 13% of all cancers and contributes to many preventable illnesses including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, eye diseases, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

It is also responsible for 5% of hospital inpatient admissions, while the financial loss caused by smoking is estimated at 10.6 billion euro annually.

Chief Medical Officer Professor Breda Smyth said: Our smoking rates are still unacceptably high, so I am delighted that we are progressing a strong population protection measure that will help bring us closer to the goal of a tobacco-free Ireland.

The Bill will provide that the prohibition on tobacco product sales will not apply to those who are currently between the ages of 18 and 20.

The proposed legislation will not impact the minimum legal age of sale of nicotine-inhaling products or vapes.

Since December, the sale of vapes to under 18s has been banned. There is currently no proposal to extend this ban to the age of 21.

The Government said preliminary legal advice suggests Ireland cannot pursue a smokefree-generation policy as has been suggested in other jurisdictions because of the EUs single market rules and Tobacco Products Directive.
Home Instead, Ireland's leading home care provider, are hiring in various areas of Offaly, including Tullamore, Edenderry, Birr and more.

In a society that has long undervalued the pivotal role of caregivers, Home Instead is on a mission to redefine perceptions and elevate the status of those who dedicate themselves to the well-being of others.

This campaign is a celebration of the remarkable skills, commitment, and compassion that characterise Home Instead Caregivers.

In a world where caregiving is often seen as routine, Home Instead recognises the extraordinary contributions of family and professional caregivers.

According to recent findings by Family Carers Ireland, family caregivers alone save the state a staggering 20 billion annually.

This underscores the urgent need for increased recognition and support for those who play a vital role in our communities.

The Global Coalition on Aging's Workforce Report (2021), sponsored by Home Instead, identifies the "Image Problem" in the long-term care sector, emphasising the high level of skills, emotional intelligence, and determination required for caregiving.

Home Instead stands at the forefront of professionalising caregiving, maintaining high standards through best-in-class training and operations.

The commitment to the Caregiver experience is evident through initiatives that celebrate and support Caregivers continuously.

Home Instead Midlands, as a part of this commitment, conducts various events to acknowledge and appreciate the tireless efforts of Caregivers.

Throughout the year, Home Instead Midlands hosts events to celebrate the dedication and skills of its Caregivers.

These events go beyond recognition; they create a sense of community, providing a platform for Caregivers to share experiences and learn from each other.

Whether it's through training sessions, appreciation days, or skill-building workshops, Home Instead Midlands ensures that Caregivers feel valued and supported in their vital roles.

As we enter the Summer months, Home Instead invites individuals with a heart for caregiving to join our growing team, where your skills, compassion, and creativity can truly make a difference.

To learn more about Home Instead or explore career opportunities, visit careers.homeinstead.ie or contact 044 938 5260.

Join us in recognising that caregivers are not just caregivers  they are the heart and soul of compassionate care.

*Sponsored Content
Two multi-million euro projects, The Harbour Masterplan and the Tullamore Regeneration Project, both of which have been in the pipeline for some time, have taken a significant step forward with the announcement that public consultation is set to take place in June on both proposals.

The plans contain ''high level aspirations'' for the town and will ''set in train potential for a lot of other projects.'' director of Services, Tom Shanahan said at a presentation to members of Tullamore Municipal District at the May meeting.

Members of the public will be invited to view the plans and make their own submissions when they go on public display from June 10 to July 8. An open day for stakeholders will be held within that time frame.

Mr Shanahan reminded members that the plans are guiding documents and any individual project within the documents will be subject to further public consultation. They are not cast completely in stone,'' he said.

As regards the Harbour Masterplan, Mr Shannon pointed out that the harbour is owned by Waterways Ireland. ''They are the key stakeholders and decision makers in terms of what will happen. They have gone through a process in private themselves in terms of looking at a potential framework for the development of the Harbour site. That's just complete now, they will bring this to public consultation in parallel with the regeneration framework.''

He said the plans and concepts are reliant on funding under the URDF (Urban Regeneration and Development Fund) which is subject to gate approvals, which ''can be a drawn out process. But we will get through it,'' he added.

In addition plans are at an advanced stage for the O'Connor Square to Church Street link. This will go through the former Scanlon surgery on Church Street. ''We expect to go to Part 8 in Q3 of this year.'' Mr Shanahan said.

Meanwhile Senior Executive Engineer, John Connelly said it is hoped to begin work on the Tanyard to High Street link in June.

Councillor Neil Feighery welcomed the news. ''It's good to see that we will have public consultations. I do hope that the people and businesses in the town engage with it in a meaningful way. A lot of these plans will be dependent on the continuation of strong economic performance and we are able to fund these projects because these will be multi-million euro projects. They are very exciting plans for the town that I'm sure over the coming years the next council will be in a position to deliver on them.''

Councillor Sean O'Brien, said it was really exciting for the town, but a big challenge as well. ''The High St to Tanyard link will take place very soon.That's vital because the choking up of O'Connor Square with traffic is a daily problem and getting worse. Hopefully that will go a long way to sorting it out,''he said. ''The Harbour plan is the one we are most excited about, that is the one that's going to be the new Tullamore. It will involve Waterways Ireland it will be huge.''

Councillor Tony McCormack, said Councillors are getting mixed views about the town on the doorstep when canvassing. ''When we look at the streetscape, we don't have a variety of shops and there are shop units that are empty. The population of the town is growing the whole time, we can see that by the number of housing estates that are being built, so we need to have this vision for the town. The harbour plan is a game changer, using the same name as in Dublin, 'The Grand Canal Dock' in Tullamore and we hope we can get business in and get people to live in the area,'' he said
Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator

Dozens of Palestinians were killed across Gaza as Israeli warplanes and artillery attacked overnight, following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's order to seize the Rafah border crossing in Gaza.

Israeli warplanes dropped leaflets in eastern Rafah telling people to flee and move to what Israel called a humanitarian zone to the north, as the Israeli military bombarded the area.

Israel has told Gazans to move to a coastal section of Gaza for months. But the UN has said it is neither safe nor equipped to receive them.

Rafah, a city of around 170,000 before the war, has swollen to more than one million as Gazans driven from their homes in other parts of the enclave have taken shelter there. Conditions there are catastrophic, with inadequate shelter, sanitation, medical care, food and fuel.

A hospital in Deir Al Balah in central Gaza said it received 24 bodies, and reports of the heaviest assault are in the central and eastern areas of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, with air strikes in the south and the vicinity of the Rafah crossing.

Netanyahu said the Israeli military would proceed with an assault on Rafah, where it believes Hamas fighters are dug in. Tanks have sealed off eastern Rafah from the south this week, capturing and shutting the only crossing between Gaza and Egypt, a vital route for supplies.

At least seven people were killed in Israeli air strikes on dozens of houses in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip. Israel also bombed the north of the Nuseirat camp and the town of Al Zawaida in the central Gaza Strip.

Biden pauses arms to Israel and orders a report

This week, US President Joe Biden announced that his administration has "held up" at least one shipment of weapons to Israel, saying the US wouldn't transfer certain weapons to Israel if it proceeded with an assault on the city of Rafah's densely populated areas.

Immediately stopping all transfers of arms and military support would be consistent with the US's international and domestic legal obligations.

Since November, Human Rights Watch has called for the suspension of arms transfers to Israel given the real risk that weapons would be used to commit grave abuses. Providing weapons that knowingly and significantly would contribute to unlawful attacks make those providing them complicit in war crimes.

Several of the US's Western allies have already revised their policies of supplying weapons to Israel. In March, Canada announced it would cease future arms exports to Israel, while Italy and Spain also stopped.

Israel's plan for an all-out assault on Rafah has ignited one of the biggest rifts with America.

Biden ordered a report from the State Department and the Department of Defense concerning weapons to Israel.

The State Department report avoids a direct accusation, but raises the prospect that Israel may have violated humanitarian laws by failing to protect civilians in Gaza.

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This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here.

I was by nature the mildest and least courageous of young men. And yet, in April 1968, I well remember standing with two friends on the Boston Common, amid a large demonstration of young people, and turning in my draft card to protest America's brutal and bloody war in Vietnam about which I had been feeling increasingly outraged (as so many students today are by Israel's nightmarish set of crimes in Gaza). I then returned to my apartment and promptly wrote a letter turning down a National Defense Foreign Language Fellowship for which I had previously applied to study the Chinese language and history. In that moment, fearing I would be called up and sent to Vietnam, I had no idea whether I would end up in Canada, in jail, or indeed in the U.S. military. It was my striking luck that five women, who called themselves Women Against Daddy Warbucks, would later break into my draft board and destroy many of its 1-A files, including my own.

From that moment on, I was mobilized into a version of antiwar activism, like so many students horrified by the nightmare in Gaza today. In some strange fashion, the horror of that all-American war (and set of war crimes in a distant land) would quite literally change my life -- I was then a graduate student in Chinese history -- and turn me into an activist. So, I remember well how the feeling of needing to do something -- anything! -- can drive you into another world. That's a reality (or perhaps I mean a surreality) so many of the students now getting arrested across this country are undoubtedly experiencing in a distinctly up-close-and-personal fashion.

Today, TomDispatch regular William Hartung, a leading expert on the U.S. military-industrial-congressional complex, considers his own years of student activism in the context of what's happening now. He reminds us of just how a gut sense of what's right and truly wrong on this planet of ours can mobilize us, whether we ever meant to be mobilized or not. Tom

Reflections on Student Activism

And the Struggle for a Better World

By William D. Hartung

I've spent most of my life as an advocate for a more peaceful world. In recent years, I've been focused on promoting diplomacy over war and exposing the role of giant weapons companies like Lockheed Martin and its allies in Congress and at the Pentagon as they push for a "military-first" foreign policy. I've worked at an alphabet soup of think tanks: the Council on Economic Priorities(CEP), the World Policy Institute (WPI), the New America Foundation, the Center for International Policy (CIP), and my current institutional home, the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft (QI).

Most of what I've done in my career is firmly rooted in my college experience. I got a bachelor's degree in philosophy at Columbia University, class of 1978, and my time there prepared me for my current work -- just not in the way one might expect. I took some relevant courses like Seymour Melman's class on America's permanent war economy and Marcia Wright's on the history of the colonization of South Africa. But my most important training came outside the classroom, as a student activist.

Student Activism: Columbia in the 1970s

As I look at the surge of student organizing aimed at stopping the slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza, I'm reminded that participation in such movements can have a long-term impact, personally as well as politically, one that reaches far beyond the struggle of the moment. In my case, the values and skills I learned in movements like the divestment campaign against apartheid South Africa of the 1970s and 1980s formed the foundation of virtually everything I've done since.

I was not an obvious candidate to become a student radical. I grew up in Lake View, New York, a rock-ribbed Republican suburb of Buffalo. My dad was a Goldwater Republican, so committed that we even had that Republican senator's "merch" prominently displayed in our house. (The funniest of those artifacts: a can of "Gold Water," a sickly sweet variation on ginger ale.)

Although I fit in well enough for a while, by the time I was a teenager my goal had become all too straightforward: get out of my hometown as soon as possible. My escape route: Columbia University, where I expected to join a vibrant, progressive student movement.

Unfortunately, when I got there in 1973, the activist surge of the anti-Vietnam War era had almost totally subsided. By my sophomore year, though, things started to pick up. The September 1973 coup that overthrew the democratically elected socialist government of Chile's Salvador Allende and the ongoing repression of the Black population in apartheid South Africa had sparked a new round of student activism.

My first foray into politics in college was joining the Columbia University Committee for Human Rights in Chile. It started out as a strictly student organization, but our activities took on greater meaning and our commitment intensified when we befriended a group of Chilean exiles who had moved into our neighborhood on New York's Upper West Side.

In 1974, I also took time off to work in the New York branch of the United Farm Workers' boycott of non-union grapes, lettuce, and Gallo wine. I ran a picket line in front of the Daitch Shopwell supermarket at 110th and Broadway in Manhattan. One of my regulars on that picket line was an older gentleman named Jim Peck. It took a while before I learned that he had been a central figure in the Freedom Rides in the South during the late 1940s and early 1950s. He had first been arrested for civil rights organizing in 1947 in Durham, North Carolina, alongside the legendary Bayard Rustin. He and his fellow activists, black and white, went on to ride buses together across the South to press the case for the integration of interstate transportation. On a number of occasions, they would be brutally beaten by white mobs. In my own brief career as a student activist, I faced no such risks, but Jim's history of commitment and courage inspired me.

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Half of all UK construction workers, or 1.5m people have worked in a dangerous environment[1] while suffering poor mental health and close to 700,000 suffered injuries, according to new research from business insurer QBE. For the first time, QBE research shows the cost to the UK construction industry from poor mental health. QBE surveyed 362 UK construction workers about their mental health at work. The results indicate that 
Boeing orders tumbled in April and were outnumbered by canceled sales in another sign of the crisis gripping the troubled aircraft manufacturer.

Boeing said Tuesday that it received orders for seven planes last month, an unusually small number. That wasnt enough to offset canceled sales covering 33 planes, 29 of which were related to the shutdown of Lynx Air, a Canadian discount airline that stopped flying in late February.
Iconic seafood chain restaurant Red Lobster is closing dozens of locations across the US.

Restaurant liquidator TAGeX Brands announced this week that it would be auctioning off the equipment of over 50 Red Lobster locations that were recently closed as part of the seafood chains footprint rationalization. The locations span across more than 20 states  cutting back on Red Lobsters presence in cities like Denver, San Antonio, Indianapolis and Sacramento, California.

Only one Pacific Northwest Red Lobster location appears to be affected by the closures -- the chains Silverdale, Wash., location was listed as one of the closures.

The restaurant chain has three locations in the Portland metro area: in Gresham, Tigard, and Vancouver. There are three Oregon locations outside the metro area, in Salem, Eugene and Medford.

Its unclear if Red Lobster plans to shutter any additional restaurants in the near future. The Florida-based company did not immediately respond to The Associated Press requests for comment.

On Red Lobsters website, a handful of impacted locations were listed as temporarily closed or unavailable Tuesday morning.

Red Lobster has been struggling for some time. With lease and labor costs piling up in recent years, the chain is now reportedly considering filing for bankruptcy protection. A potential Chapter 11 filing could help Red Lobster exit from some long-term contracts and renegotiate many of its leases, unnamed sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg News last month.

Maintaining stable management has also proven difficult, with the company seeing multiple ownership changes over its 56-year history. Earlier this year, Red Lobster co-owner Thai Union Group, one of the worlds largest seafood suppliers, announced its intention to exit its minority investment in the dining chain.

Thai Union first invested in Red Lobster in 2016 and upped its stake in 2020. At the time of the January announcement on its plans to divest, CEO Thiraphong Chansiri said the COVID-19 pandemic, industry headwinds and rising operating costs had impacted Red Lobster and resulted in prolonged negative financial contributions to Thai Union and its shareholders.

For the first nine months of 2023, the Thailand company reported a $19 million share of loss from Red Lobster.

And then theres been the problem of endless shrimp. Last year, Red Lobster significantly expanded its iconic all-you-can-eat shrimp deal. But customer demand overwhelmed what the chain could afford, which also reportedly contributed to the millions in losses.

TAGeX Brands auctions for the more than 50 closing Red Lobster locations its handling liquidation for began Monday and will run through Thursday. The sales are winner takes all  meaning that one winner will receive the entirety of contents for each location. Images on TAGeX Brands website indicate that includes ovens, refrigerators, bar setups, dining furniture and more.

TAGeX Brands called the liquidation the largest restaurant equipment auction event ever. In a statement, founder and CEO Neal Sherman said that the goal of such online auctions was to prevent high-quality items from being discarded in landfills and instead promote sustainable reuse.

As of Tuesday morning, auctions for 48 locations were still live after another four sales closed Monday, TAGeX Brands said via email.

Red Lobsters roots date back to 1968, when the first restaurant opened in Lakeland, Florida. In the decades following, the chain expanded rapidly. Red Lobster currently touts more than 700 locations worldwide.
A man accused of plying his daughters sleep-over friends with sedative-laced smoothies must be monitored by GPS tracking, a Clackamas County judge ruled Monday.

The Clackamas County District Attorneys Office sought to have Michael Meyden, 57, tracked to ensure he stays away from the three girls hes accused of drugging and their Lake Oswego school.

Its an added level of security so the victims know that Mr. Meyden is not coming anywhere near them, Senior Deputy District Attorney Bryan Brock said.

The request came from the girls families after Meyden attempted to take his own life in March by overdosing on medication, Brock told Circuit Judge Katherine Weber during a brief hearing. Court records show Meyden was hospitalized after overdosing on the sedative Lorazepam.

Brock said Meydens apparent attempt to harm himself prompted the victims to worry that theyre not safe either.

Meyden already agreed not to have guns while the case is pending.

Meydens lawyer, Jeff Turnoy, told Weber that Meyden hasnt violated any court-imposed conditions while his trial is pending and that theres no evidence hes ever gone near the girls homes or their families.

Hes in counseling, Turnoy said, and is fostering stable relationships with his ex-wife and children.

Quite frankly, nothing really has changed that would cause any additional fear such that Mr. Meyden would need to be GPS tracked, he said.

Meyden faces charges of causing another person to ingest a controlled substance and application of a controlled substance to the body of another person, stemming from his alleged conduct while hosting his daughters sleepover last August at the Lake Oswego home where he lived at the time.

Court records allege he laced mango smoothies with benzodiazepine and served the drinks to his daughters friends. The affidavit written in support of a search warrant doesnt explain a motive.

During a search of the home, investigators seized computer equipment, a Vitamix blender, a hand-held blender, reusable straws, a mortar and pestle, bottles of a sedative called Temazepam and an opioid painkiller called Tramadol, court records show.

Temazepam is a benzodiazepine used to address insomnia and anxiety and, medical experts say, can cause too much sleepiness, loss of consciousness and can obstruct the airway.

Lake Oswego began the investigation after being called to the emergency room at Randall Childrens Hospital at Legacy Emanuel in Portland where three girls tested positive for benzodiazepine.

According to court records, the girls told police they attended a sleepover the night before at their friends home and suspected Meyden had given them drugs, leading them to feel groggy and even blacking out.

An affidavit written by Lake Oswego police Detective Nicole Palmeri states that Meyden served each of the girls two smoothies each. One girl drank both. One finished one of the drinks and the third girl sipped from a straw to be nice but she barely drank any, the affidavit says. Meyden gave each of them their own straws and then later grew upset when he thought his daughter and one of the girls were switching straws, the affidavit states.

The court filing says the girl who left most of her smoothie recounted for police what happened next, describing how he returned to the basement as the other girls slept and moved her arm and then moved her friends body. She told police she stayed awake afraid Meyden was going to harm her friend, according to the affidavit. At one point, the record notes, she said she saw Meyden place a finger under her friends nose to see if she was asleep and waved his hand in her face.

The girl, identified in court records by an initial, was terrified and repeatedly texted and called her parents, saying Mom please pick me up and say I had a family emergency. I dont feel safe. I might not respond but please come get me (crying emoji), Please. Please pick up. Please. PLEASE!! She then called and texted several friends asking for a ride.

Investigators saw the text the girl sent a family friend. The girls message said Meyden kept moving us away from each other but kept doing tests to make sure we werent awake, according to the affidavit. She texted that one of the girls wont wake up, the filing states.

The court record says the girl saw Meyden return to the basement a third time and he seemed drunk.

The family friend drove her home; she woke her parents who woke the other girls parents. They picked up the two other friends still at Meydens house, court records say.

Meydens next court appearance is later this month.

-- Noelle Crombie is an enterprise reporter with a focus on the justice system. Reach her at 503-276-7184; ncrombie@oregonian.

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The U.S. government on Monday provided its first public defense of a deputy U.S. marshal who fired an impact munition that struck the head of Donavan La Bella, saying the officer was aiming at La Bellas abdomen as he held up a music speaker across the street from the federal courthouse during 2020s downtown protests.

The government contends the unnamed marshal lawfully deployed the less-lethal round at La Bella after he saw La Bella pick up a gas grenade canister that federal officers had fired at the crowd and throw it back toward officers -- and then also reach up over his head with another object.
The leader of Portlands 18th Street Gang was sentenced Tuesday to 14 years in federal prison for conspiring to sell large amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine in the Portland metro area.

Gustavo Torres-Mendez established himself as the head of the local gang in March 2019, almost immediately after he was released from state prison on an armed robbery conviction, according to prosecutors Thomas H. Edmonds and Nicole M. Bockelman.

Through a wiretap investigation that initially centered on the second-in-command of the street gang, investigators determined Torres-Mendez led the gangs meetings and oversaw money collection and its drug trafficking, according to the prosecutors.

Torres-Mendez helped arrange a major purchase of methamphetamine in California in September 2022. Two so-called drug runners were sent to California with about $126,500 in cash and police stopped their rental car near Grants Pass on Sept. 7, 2022, as they drove back, authorities said.

The FBI, working with Portland police, seized more than 104 pounds of methamphetamine contained in 56 separate Tupperware containers, which was destined for distribution in the Portland area, according to the prosecutors.

Investigators kept surveillance on Torres-Mendez and his alleged accomplice, Noah Herrera, and watched as they traveled together to collect drug debts. During one encounter, Torres-Mendez was with Herrera when Herrera demanded a woman who owed them $1,400 for drugs pay up or Herrera threatened to kill her dog, according to court records.

FBI agents and Portland police arrested Torres-Mendez at his North Portland home in late November 2022 and also raided the gangs alleged stash location in the 9600 block of North Pier Park Place. The location had been used to plan and carry out drug deals and hold gang meetings on the 18th of each month, according to Edmonds and Bockelman.

Agents also seized 10 handguns, a short-barreled shotgun, extended magazines, ammunition, body armor, drugs, drug packaging material and several scales from the Pier Park house, according to court records.

In September, Torres-Mendez pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine. The 14-year sentence was jointly recommended by prosecutors and Torres-Mendezs lawyer, Tyl W. Bakker, according to court records.

Torres-Mendez rose to the top of the gang, which prides itself on the use of violence and guns, Edmonds wrote to the court.

Like other leaders in the drug trafficking world, he was effective at insulating himself and having Herrera and other subordinates do the dirty work, Edmonds wrote. " But it was this defendant who had the source of supply in California, and who was directing the overall work and discipline of the gang.

Charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to sell fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine are pending against Herrera.

-- 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.

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An unusual four-way Republican primary race is afoot in the 1st Senate District along the southern Oregon Coast.

The primary race pits the incumbent, Sen. David Brock Smith, R-Port Orford, against three fellow Republicans, who have diverse backgrounds in business, logging and construction.

With no Democrats filed to run for the seat, the winner should become the next senator in the heavily Republican district, which has nearly twice as many registered GOP voters as Democrats.

This is the first time in at least six years that Brock Smith has faced even one Republican challenger and comes at a time when he is fighting misinformation. He had his attorney send a cease-and-desist letter to a House candidate and a former conservative radio host to stop making false statements that suggest Brock Smith is tied to the Chinese Communist Party.

He is not.

Brock Smiths opponents also are fretting about the prospect of offshore wind turbines off the Oregon coast and believe he is pushing for their installation. That isnt the case either, he said.

Heres a look at the candidates and their policy positions:

David Brock Smith

Brock Smith is a familiar sight in Salem. He served in the House for nearly six years before being appointed to the coastal Senate seat after Republican Dallas Heard resigned.

David Brock Smith Party: Republican Age: 47 Residence: Port Orford Education: Courses at Southern Oregon Community College and Southern Oregon University, 1995-1998; Pacific High School high school graduate, 1995. Current occupation: State senator Prior elected experience: State senator since January 2023 after appointment to fill a vacancy; member of the state House, 2017-2023; Curry County commissioner, 2013-2017; Port Orford city councilor, 2005-2012; and Port Orford-Langlois School Board, 2010-2018. Family status: Unavailable Fundraising: $219,771 as of May 9, including 2023. Cash on hand: $16,136 as of May 9.

Brock Smith said he plans to focus on management of Oregons natural resources and fight against what he says are unattainable goals for carbon reduction. Oregon aims to cut emissions by 50% by 2035 and 90% by 2050, with about a quarter of that reduction from natural gas. Brock Smith said those goals are unattainable because the technology doesnt exist to wean the state off fossil fuels. Cold snaps demonstrate the need for traditional energy sources, he said.

Natural gas is critically important to create the energy to deal with the load needed to keep people warm, and safe and alive, Brock Smith said.

Brock Smith also supports better forest management, including of the national forests.

For example, hes pushed for thinning forests and prescribed burns to reduce wildfire risks.

As a House representative, he also championed a bill to research the prospect of wind energy off the Oregon coast. His proposal, House Bill 3375, required the state to review the benefits and disadvantages of offshore wind production and required public involvement on the concept. It passed with bipartisan support but fueled misinformation about his policy positions, he said.

His opponents insist its proof that he wants to install offshore wind turbines along the coast, which he denies. Brock Smith said the law has actually slowed federal efforts to allow offshore wind leases along the coast.

It was passed unanimously by the House for a reason and it was because, frankly, we needed this, he said. We needed a seat at the table.

Brock Smith said hes sent out a 21-page letter to constituents about his position but said that opponents arent backing down.

They just either are not reading it or just choose to perpetuate the lie, he said.

Paul Romero Jr.

Romero is a frequent candidate on the ballot. In the past decade, he has run in different races, including for congressional and U.S. Senate seats, and in 2022, he ran for governor. But hes never been elected.

Paul J. Romero Jr. Party: Republican Age: 57 Residence: Roseburg Education: Bachelors in workforce education and development, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, 2010; additional courses in mechanical engineering and mathematics, University of Louisiana 2004-2006. Current occupation: CEO, Youwalk Today, Inc., a medical device company Prior elected experience: None. Family status: Married with five children, three biological and two foster children Fundraising: $750 as of May 9 Cash on hand: No money as of May 9

Like other challengers in the primary, Romero said he fears that offshore wind turbines will pop up along the coast and undermine the regions way of life if the incumbent senator remains in office. Tribal communities worry about the effect of turbines on the environment and fishermen say they could hurt their livelihood. Romero called them a dumb idea on its face because maintaining a windmill onshore is difficult enough without putting it in the ocean.

Romero said he would focus on fiscal frugality as a legislator. He said he would support ending the state income tax and replacing it with a state sales tax, but not on groceries.

Other than that, Romero said hes opposed to any new taxes or fees, such as tolls to pay for highway or bridge projects. The money that Oregon taxpayers received this year through the kicker  which gives tax money back when state revenues exceed projections  demonstrates the state collects more than it needs, he said.

We have to get back to where were taking care of the things the states required to do to provide security for the state to make sure its conducted to promote economic growth and does not stifle it, he said.

Romero added he would like to see property taxes drop, too, as part of statewide tax reform that he said would take a year or two.

I think thats something that every legislator and every governor should be working towards, he said. Because with all the money theyre bringing in, theyre not actually increasing our economy.

Ashley Hicks

Hicks, a drywall contractor and former Roseburg City Council member, said she has demonstrated her commitment to serving the community in office and as a business owner by listening to constituents and focusing on community improvements. She said she has also served as a volunteer leading river cleanup projects in the area.

Ashley Hicks Party: Republican Age: 43 Residence: Roseburg Education: Pre-nursing and small business classes, Umpqua Community College. Current occupation: Drywall contractor Prior elected experience: Former Roseburg City Council member, 2016-2020 Family status: Unavailable Fundraising: None reported. Cash on hand: None reported.

Hicks said she wants to address squatters rights in Oregon, which allows them to claim legal ownership of property after continuously living on it without permission for at least 10 years. Hicks said she became aware of the issue when her mother died earlier this year and she was forced to go to court to evict squatters from the property. Hicks said its ludicrous for squatters to have rights after living on property without permission.

If theres not a tenancy agreement, there should be absolutely no squatters rights at all, she said. That shouldnt even exist. Because what these individuals are doing is just breaking into places.

Hicks also would like to see Measure 110 funding go toward emergency residential housing and mental health and addiction treatment. Measure 110 funding comes from a portion of cannabis tax revenues and pays for a variety of addiction-related services and programs. Voters passed the measure in 2020, which also decriminalized possession of small amounts of hard drugs, though lawmakers this year passed a new misdemeanor penalty with treatment programs.

Hicks also supports community engagement in policymaking, something she said she learned from being on Roseburgs City Council.

If you cut the community out of the decision-making process, then you start getting hit or miss and retaliation and then everybodys upset, Hicks said.

Todd Vaughn

Vaughn, a logger in Tiller, said hed offer a fresh perspective in Salem as a candidate who is not seeking a political career.

Todd J Vaughn Party: Republican Age: 64 Residence: Tiller Education: Courses in business and engineering at Arizona State University, 1979-1981; graduated from Camelback High School in Phoenix, 1977. Current occupation: Logger Prior elected experience: None Family status: Married, three grown children, four grandchildren Fundraising: $24,145 as of May 9. Cash on hand: $5,112 as of May 9.

Vaughn said he believes forests are becoming too regulated and restricted, with habitat conservation plans that limit logging and the ability of local communities to thrive.

Vaughn said he fears a dystopian future for Oregon, one in which global powers will have their way and force environmental policies upon citizens without Oregon legislators who are willing to preserve the states rights to set policies, such as for the management of land and timber.

Vaughn said hes also concerned about world powers with a global plan to subvert the nations sovereignty. He connects the plot to the Chinese Communist Party and the World Health Organization, without offering evidence.

And eventually, he said, these will be local issues.

They say all politics is local, he said. Well, sooner or later, even these things that are happening on a global level, work their way down to us in the counties.

Vaughn said that Brock Smiths House Bill 3375 about wind turbines is an example of outside influence taking root in the state.

The bill did not allow wind turbines on the coast  or approve any specific projects. It only allowed a study with public turbines. Still, Vaughn remains concerned.

The people on the coast do not want the windmills to happen, it will actually decimate the fishing industry, Vaughn said. Im already working on helping push back and helping those communities to push back against these windmills.

-- Ben Botkin, Oregon Capital Chronicle

Oregon Capital Chronicle, based in Salem, is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oregon Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence.
Voters for Responsive Government, a political group that popped up last month to rally Portland voters against Congressional candidate Susheela Jayapal, spent another $1 million on negative advertising last week, new filings show, taking its total spending against Jayapal to over $2.3 million.

The negative ads are incendiary and somewhat misleading. They attempt to pin the failings of the Multnomah County Commission and its powerful chair on Jayapal alone. Jayapal was one of five commissioners in charge of county business between 2019 and her resignation in late 2023.

One flyer shows a picture of caged dogs and draws from The Oregonian/OregonLives coverage of neglect at the Multnomah County animal shelter while Jayapal was on the commission. Another says Jayapal and the county commission gave crack pipes, straws and tin foil to drug addicts, in response to the area drug crisis.

In fact, the countys plan to provide smoking supplies to fentanyl and meth users as a method of harm reduction never happened before it was put on hold last summer. And the problems at the county animal shelter existed long before Jayapal joined the commission.

Jayapal didnt respond immediately to requests for comment.

OREGON ELECTION 2024: Live Results Page | Election Page

Voters for Responsive Government has not yet disclosed its donors to the federal government, making it hard to ascertain who is backing the negative ads. The new California based political committee does not have to disclose its donors until May 20, the day before Oregons primary election. Like other such committees, it is required to promptly disclose large spending for or against any candidate  and has only disclosed spending against Jayapal. Its website also features negative ads only against her.

Jayapal isnt the only one catching heat in the election, however. Jayapal and her competitor Gresham City Councilor Eddy Morales have both repeatedly accused candidate Maxine Dexter of benefiting from outside support from political groups funded by supporters of MAGA Republican candidates who are spending millions to undermine progressive candidates of color. There is no evidence to support their claims that more than a few Dexter supporters currently support Trump or Trump-aligned candidates.

Dexter, a state representative and doctor, has so far received $1.96 million in outside support from the 314 Action Fund, a group that backs STEM professionals running for office. Morales accused Dexter of being engaged in a scheme with 314 when she said she did not know who was giving big to that long-established political committee this spring.

Dexter also raised $575,000 in April alone, the vast majority from out of state donors, and reported raising $218,000 on a single day in May. More than 40% of the huge haul she took in May 7 came from donors whove given to pro-Israel lobbying groups and some have given to Republican candidates.

Dexters Salem colleagues came to her defense in a letter released by her campaign Monday. Thirty Democratic lawmakers, including leaders of the House and Senate, signed the letter calling Dexter a person of enormous integrity who has earned a reputation as a principled and effective legislator.

(Dexter) took an oath as a physician to do no harm and put the best interest of her patients first. Shes taken the same approach as a legislator, the letter says. The idea that she would ever do the bidding of any group or special interest is offensive and wrong.

Federal filings last week show that Dexter has a fundraising lead over Morales and Jayapal. Jayapal had previously said she expected the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, to work to oppose her in the race. One of Dexters donors, who has given big to AIPAC affiliated groups in the past, told The Intercept last week that she had no recollection of giving directly to Dexter but backs the candidates AIPAC asks her to.

I give all my contributions through AIPAC, donor Jone Dalezman told The Intercept. Whenever I am asked to give to their endorsed candidates, I give.

Sami Edge covers higher education and politics for The Oregonian. You can reach her at sedge@oregonian.com or (503) 260-3430.
Salt & Straw, Portlands quirky and beloved ice cream shop, is becoming a teenager (the big one-three). To celebrate, it is releasing a brand new flavor of ice cream cake that will be on its menu year-round called The Cake.

If youre thinking, I didnt know that Salt & Straw did ice cream cakes, youd be sort of right. The company released two flavors for the holidays at the end of 2023 which, according to a press release, sold out in just six hours.
A new documentary titled Spacey Unmasked, about former Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey is out now. The series features details of new and past allegations against the former Oscar winner that have taken the internet by storm. The documentary first aired in two parts over two nights on Monday, May 6 and Tuesday, May 7 in Britain, but you can now watch the the full documentary on demand now, streaming free on Investigation Discovery.

 You can watch all episodes of Spacey Unmasked for FREE with Philo (free trial), with Fubo (free trial), or with DirecTV Stream (free trial).

If you want a sneak peek before you decide to check it out, you can watch the first look sneak peek teaser trailer below, courtesy of ID:

How can I watch all episodes of Spacey Unmasked?

The entire series is now available to stream on Philo where both episodes can be streamed online for free right now with a seven day free trial.

What is Spacey Unmasked about?

The limited documentary series now on Investigation Discovery looks at actor Kevin Spacey, including some background about his meteoric rise to stardom, and eventually, his spectacular fall from grace amid allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior during his career.

10 men are interviewed in the documentary, many of which are identified by their first names, and all allege they were victims of assault by the Academy Award-winning actor. In the documentary, these men outline details about the alleged incidents in which they claim Spacey groped or inappropriately touched them.

What is Kevin Spacey doing now? Is he in jail?

Kevin Spacey was most recently acquitted of nine charges in the sexual assault of four men in July 2023 where he stood trial in the United Kingdom Those crimes were alleged to have occurred between 2004 and 2013.

I imagine that many of you can understand that theres a lot for me to process after what has just happened today, Spacey said. He also said he was enormously grateful to the jury for having taken the time to examine all of the evidence and all of the facts carefully before they reached their decision, according to Reuters.

Spacey also went to trial in New York back in October of 2022 where a $40 million sexual battery lawsuit was brought against him by a former child actor, Anthony Rapp. Rapp alleged that Spacey molested him when he was just 14 years old back in the 1980s, but a jury found that Spacey was not liable for battery. Jurors ultimately reached a unanimous decision that Rapps lawyers had failed to prove that Spacey touched an intimate part of Rapps body.

What is Kevin Spacey famous for? What movies has he been in?

In one of his most heralded performances, Spacey won an Oscar for his role in The Usual Suspects in 1995 and won another Oscar just four years later for his performance in American Beauty in 1999. In 2013, he became the star of the hit Netflix series House of Cards, but he has appeared in several top films and TV series as well as on stage in classical theater performances.

Heres a look at Kevin Spaceys full IMDB page, which notes his many films and accomplishments.

HOW TO WATCH

What: Spacey Unmasked (a two-episode documentary)

When: Available to stream on demand now

TV channel: ID Network

Watch the show live streaming online: You can watch the whole thing FREE with Philo (free trial), with Fubo (free trial), or with DirecTV Stream (free trial).

What TV channel is ID Network on? Find out by using the channel finders here: Verizon Fios, AT&T U-verse, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV and Dish.
Kinshasa, DRC (PANA) - A senior official with the UN childrens agency, UNICEF, appealed on Monday for urgent action to support diplomatic and long-term solutions to address the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
The first beneficiary of a kidney transplant from a genetically engineered pig has died nearly two months after the procedure, as verified by his family and the hospital where the surgery took place.

Richard "Rick" Slayman, aged 62, underwent the surgery for kidney transplant from a pig at Massachusetts General Hospital in March.

Pig Kidney Transplant Recipient Dies Two Months After Surgery

Despite surgeons' expectations that the pig kidney would function for at least two years, Slayman succumbed to unknown causes.

Massachusetts General Hospital's transplant team expressed deep sorrow over Slayman's death and extended condolences to his loved ones. They clarified that there were no signs indicating that the transplant directly led to his passing.

Slayman, a resident of Weymouth, Massachusetts, made medical history as the first living individual to undergo this type of transplant, which had previously only been performed on brain-dead donors.

While two persons had gotten heart transplants from pigs, both had unluckily died within months.

Slayman had formerly gotten a kidney transplant in 2018 but returned to dialysis the following year due to signs of kidney failure. When complications from dialysis necessitated frequent procedures, his medical team proposed a pig kidney transplant as an alternative.

In a statement, Slayman's family expressed gratitude to his medical team, acknowledging their tireless efforts in facilitating the xenotransplant procedure, which provided seven additional weeks for Rick's life. They emphasized his decision to undergo the procedure as a beacon of hope for the countless persons pending transplants, highlighting that his certainty and legacy will endure.

Xenotransplantation involves utilizing cells, tissues, or organs from animals to treat human patients. Historically, such efforts were overpowered by the rapid refusal of foreign animal tissue by the human immune system.

However, current progress, including the modification of pig organs to look like human tissue more closely, has shown promise in overcoming these difficulties.

Despite this progress, the demand for transplants remains high, with over 100,000 persons on the national waiting list, mostly for kidney transplants, and many die due to their conditions before getting an appropriate organ.

First Person To Receive Kidney Transplant from Pig

After being released from the hospital, the first beneficiary of a successful kidney transplant from a pig conveyed immense joy, deeming the moment as one of the happiest in his life and a fresh start.

Richard "Rick" Slayman, living in Weymouth, Massachusetts, left the hospital on April 3, less than three weeks after undergoing a groundbreaking procedure on March 16 at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. This marked the first instance of a human surviving with an organ from another species.

Slayman, a systems manager for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, conveyed gratitude to the hospital staff and doctors for their unwavering support throughout his treatment and the procedure, making the experience seamless.

The surgery, conducted amid a high demand for organ transplants, signifies a pivotal moment in medical history due to its success. Surgeon Tatsuo Kawai remarked on the immediate functionality of the pig kidney, highlighting the rapid production of urine, a visually striking indicator of the organ's efficacy.

The pig, sourced from an undisclosed Midwestern farm, generously donated its life and kidney for Slayman's transplant. This endeavor was facilitated by eGenesis, a biotech company specializing in breeding and raising gene-edited pigs for transplantation purposes.

Slayman's medical history, including 30 years of type 2 diabetes and seven years of dialysis before his first kidney transplant in 2018, underscores the necessity of the procedure. Despite efforts to maintain dialysis, complications arose, prompting consideration for the pig transplant as a viable solution.

Slayman's decision to undergo the surgery was driven by limited medical options and a desire to inspire hope for others awaiting transplants.
Over the weekend, a sequence of firings spanning from Florida to Massachusetts led to the demises of at least 11 persons, including a teen.

Series of Shootings Spanning from Florida to Massachusetts

In Stockton, Alabama, during an event attended by around 1,000 people, three persons were killed and 15 others were injured in firing, according to Baldwin County Sheriff's Capt. Andre Reid. The assault flares up around 9:30 p.m. at an outdoor venue, with investigators suspecting numerous shooters. No assaults have been made about these circumstances.

In Atlanta, two people were killed and four others were wounded in a shooting at the Elleven45 Lounge early Sunday. Atlanta police responded to the location at roughly 2:28 a.m. The initial investigation says that the firing stemmed from a physical altercation heightening into firing. No suspects are recently in custody.

Meanwhile, in Tallahassee, Florida, police found numerous firing casualties at 1147 Apalachee Parkway around 2:30 a.m. Two men were declared dead at the location, and two others were transferred to a local hospital with firing injuries. The situations resulting from the firing remain ambiguous, and police have not revealed whether any arrests have been made.

In another circumstance in Tampa, Florida, three men were shot in a parking lot argument, leading to the passing of two persons. The casualties were determined as Kenneth Washington, 28, and Kevon Christmas, 23, while the third casualty sustained non-life-threatening wounds. The argument is believed to have involved persons familiar with each other, although no arrests have been recorded.

Tragically, in Northborough, Massachusetts, a 16-year-old was killed and several others were wounded in a firing at a house party. Despite cautionary warnings from authorities, the party continued with over 200 attendees.

Police responded to reports of a gun at the party, and upon arrival, encountered a chaotic scene. Three persons were arrested on gun charges in connection to the incident.

Additionally, in Euclid, Ohio, a police officer was badly shot after answering a disturbance call. The suspect, determined as Deshawn Anthony Vaughn, remains at large.

Vaughn has a criminal record, including a guilty sentence for felonious attack and gun charges. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost conveyed condolences for the officer's demise, vowing that the killer will face justice.

Woman in Chicago Hosts an Event on Mother's Day

Some women experience Mother's Day with dread, especially those who have lost children. Octavia Mitchell, who lost her son to gun violence, has been hosting a Mother's Day event for four years to support others who share her grief.

Despite her pain, Mitchell founded the "Heal Your Heart Foundation" to assist others in their healing process. The event also offers solace to those mourning the loss of siblings.

Krista Loston, who lost her son to gun violence, highlights the need for change to prevent more mothers from suffering. Although shootings in Chicago have lessened by 7% compared to last year, there have still been 625 circumstances so far this year.
A new article of mine went up yesterday in Meridian Magazine. Enjoy it, if you can: The Heavenly Sign: Brigham Youngs Transfiguration at Nauvoo

Some of the objections that are being raised against construction of the proposed Lone Mountain Nevada Temple in Las Vegas are, at least outwardly, quite legitimate and worthy of being addressed. They involve worries about the height of the building, the brightness of its lighting, increased traffic, and so on. Others, though  feel free, please, to read through the reasons that have been publicly given by some for signing the petition against the temple  are fairly ignorant (e.g., the temple is bigger than its congregation requires) or presumptuous (this isnt what the Church should be spending its money on and it isnt needed), when they arent simply pretty naked expressions of religious prejudice (e.g., the Church is a cult, no additional temples should be permitted in the valley of Las Vegas [one is enough, if not more than enough], no temples should be permitted anywhere, there are too many Latter-day Saint churches in the valley already, Joseph Smith was a pedophile, temples are unnecessary, temple rituals are ridiculous, and the like).

I find this recent Meridian Magazine article quite helpful in considering the legitimate concerns: Religious Zoning Laws will Help the Las Vegas Lone Mountain Temple Be Built Despite Opposition

(The expressions of frank religious bigotry dont deserve consideration; they deserve marginalization and, yes, shame.)

Its difficult, in such cases as this, not to think of Brigham Youngs famous remark about the construction of temples:

Some say, I do not like to do it, for we never began to build a temple without the bells of hell beginning to ring. I want to hear them ring again (Discourses of Brigham Young, 410). We completed a temple in Kirtland and in Nauvoo; and did not the bells of hell toll all the time we were building them? They did, every week and every day (Discourses of Brigham Young, 410).

A petition in support of the construction of the temple is also available online, and it is important that those who favor the proposed Lone Mountain Nevada Temple  especially (but not necessarily only) those who live in the greater Las Vegas area  sign the petition: Support the Lone Mountain Temple

Some of you might enjoy this rehearsal performance by one of the choirs at Brigham Young University: An Inspiring Song of Ruth by BYU Womens Chorus

And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. (Ruth 1:16-17)

Many years ago, a friend of mine  a believing Latter-day Saint who holds an Ivy League doctorate in biblical studies  proposed to me the that Book of Ruth had been incorporated into the biblical canon for its inclusionary message. In depicting a Moabite woman not only as a noble exemplar of faith and faithfulness but as among the ancestors of David and the Davidic line (including the ancestry of the Messiah himself), he suggested, it offers a welcoming counterpoint to the ethnically exclusionary message of the book of Ezra.

And, now, here are two newly-posted items on the Interpreter Foundations website:

The Book of Mormon in Context Lesson 21: We Have Entered into a Covenant with Him: Mosiah 18-24

For the 28 April 2024 Come, Follow Me segment of the Interpreter Radio Show, Steve Densley and John Thompson discussed Book of Mormon lesson 21, We Have Entered into a Covenant with Him covering Mosiah 18-24. Their discussion was recorded, and it has now been edited to remove commercial breaks, archived, and made available to you online at no charge. The other segments of the 28 April 2024 edition of the Intrepreter Radio Show can be accessed at https://interpreterfoundation.org/interpreter-radio-show-april-28-2024. Interpreters weekly radio show can be heard on Sunday evenings from 7 to 9 PM (MDT), on K-TALK, AM 1640, or, alternatively, you can listen live on the Internet at ktalkmedia.com.

Come, Follow Me  Study and Teaching Helps (2024): Lesson 21, May 20-26: Mosiah 18-24: We Have Entered into a Covenant with Him

Editors Note: Four years ago, Jonn Claybaugh began writing the Study and Teaching Helps series of articles for Interpreter. We now have these wonderful and useful posts for all four years of Come, Follow Me lessons. Beginning this year we will be reposting these articles, with dates, lesson numbers, and titles updated for the current years lessons. Jonn has graciously agreed to write new study aids for those lessons that do not directly correspond to 2020 lessons.

And, finally, I draw yet another pair of horrors from the ever-productive Christopher Hitchens Memorial How Religion Poisons Everything File for your indignant gratification.
The dreaded moment for lovers of #dancechallenges and #funnyvideos is one step closer to reality. In April, President Joe Biden signed a law that will effectively ban TikTok in the United States unless the Chinese-owned social media giant is sold within a year. TikTok responded last week by suing the U.S. government, arguing the law violates First Amendment rights.

As we wait for all the legal issues to resolve, now is a good time to stay two steps ahead, and ponder a fundamental question: If the ban does go into effect, could a VPN help you get around the new restrictions?

Much of the answer keys into the specific nature of the bannamely, that app stores in the U.S. would ostensibly be forced to remove the TikTok app from their marketplaces. If thats how the ban plays out, then theoretically a VPN should put you back in business, with the caveat that youll already need to have the TikTok app installed prior to the ban.

Theres a lot to unpack here, including what the law would require of TikTok, and how technically savvy users could respond. Read on for details. And if youre looking for a VPN to make your digital life more more secureor, who knows, preserve TikTok accesscheck out my rankings of the best VPNs.

How would a TikTok ban likely play out?

The short but frustrating answer is that no one knows exactly how a TikTok ban would be implemented. While the law was passed and signed by president Biden, the actual details are still being worked out.

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Its too early to tell yet how this ban might play out, ExpressVPN Privacy Advocate Lauren Hendry Parsons told me. With TikTok seeking to fight this in the courts, and the timeline of the new law not requiring action for nine to 12 months, its possible that we wont know the concrete outcome of this latest legislation until late 2025 or beyond.

Still, there is some precedent that gives us an idea as to how it all could transpire. Over email, Surfsharks VPN Product Manager Justas Pukys wrote, Its difficult to predict how exactly the ban could take place, but it might be implemented in a similar manner as it was in 2020 when the U.S. Department of Commerce ordered Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores.

In that ban, which was ultimately blocked in court, the U.S. Dept of Commerce sought to remove the TikTok app from app stores and restrict updated versions of the app from being downloaded by users who already had the apps installed.

Another example we can turn to is a 2020 ban on TikTok in India, which saw both Apple and Google remove the app from their app stores. After the ban, Indian users who already had TikTok installed on their devices encountered an error message stating the app was complying with the Government of Indias directive.

The difference between the India ban and this new U.S. ban is that TikTok never really challenged the Indian government. In contrast, it appears as if TikTok will fight the U.S. ban to the bitter end.

How to get around the TikTok ban with a VPN

Motionstock Motionstock Motionstock

There are a few potential options to circumvent the TikTok ban, should it go into effect. The caveat here is that methods to get around the ban will depend on the exact implementation of the lawsomething were still waiting to see.

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One of the best options will presumably be to use a VPN. Laura Tyrylyte, Head of Public Relations at NordVPN told me, Usually, users circumvent bans of certain applications by changing locations with a VPN and reaching restricted websites.

Indeed, NordVPN reports it saw a demand uplift of more than 15 percent in the U.S. beginning March 14, the day the House of Representatives passed H.R. 7521, the so-called TikTok ban. Tyrylyte cautioned that its impossible to say the surge of interest was directly connected to the legislation though.

If the U.S. government restricts web servers hosting TikTok, then the simple solution would be to connect to a VPN server located outside of the U.S. that does not have the same restrictions. For example, it could be as simple as connecting to a VPN server in Canadacloser servers usually mean faster speedsand then loading up the TikTok app or website.

However, this would only work for users who already have the app installed on their devices prior to the ban. Indeed, its likely the ban would force app stores to remove the TikTok app entirely. If U.S. users will no longer be able to find TikTok through app stores, then a VPN may not be of much help, Surfsharks Pukys pointed out.

So, whats the solution if you dont have the app already installed? We can look to some savvy user recommendations for possible solutions.

A post on Quora detailing a potential means of circumventing the TikTok ban with a VPN. A post on Quora detailing a potential means of circumventing the TikTok ban with a VPN. Sam Singleton A post on Quora detailing a potential means of circumventing the TikTok ban with a VPN. Sam Singleton Sam Singleton

A post on Quora from a user claiming to be Surfshark Data Analyst Alice Matt has one idea: First of all, you will probably need to change your app store or Play store location Just dont forget to turn on your VPN before doing the changes. Changing your app store location should allow you to download apps that are not available in your own country.

The Quora users goes on to say, Then you might need to use a GPS spoofer to change your device GPS location. VPNs change your IP address, so it is much easier to bypass such restrictions on PC than on mobile. Since many mobile apps ask to allow for location data access, a GPS spoofer application could be required in addition to a VPN if you want to use TikTok on your mobile device.

Theoretically, this advice is sound. But I could not confirm the identity of the person who posted it, nor did Surfshark respond when I asked for comment. Therefore, its best to take it all with a grain of salt.

There is also the possibility of sideloading the TikTok app on your device. Sideloading is the process of using unapproved distribution channels to install apps on your phone or tablet. This entails downloading the app from a source far outside the safety zones of the Apple or Google app stores.

Sadly, downloading applications from unauthorized websites increases the risk of infecting devices with malicious applications, said NordVPNs Tyrylyte. So, if you decide to sideload the TikTok app, make sure youre doing it from a reputable third-party, and always use some form of malware protection such as a strong antivirus.

Why is TikTok being banned?

Ever since ByteDance bought the app in 2017, national security officials in the U.S. have been concerned about the Chinese governments relationship with the company, and how the app the could be tapped to collect data on Americans, and even influence our social fabric.

Since that time, TikTok has become one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. According to a Pew Research study, TikTok is now where 14 percent of U.S. adults and a staggering one-third of all people ages 18 to 29 regularly get their news.

FBI Director Christopher Wray has previously stated that ByteDance is controlled by the Chinese government and has warned that Chinese authorities could use the app to influence people by manipulating the algorithm and allowing the government to collect user data for traditional espionage operations.

The Senates H.R. 7521 bill was singed into law by Biden and prohibits the distribution, maintenance, or updating of ByteDances TikTok application. The Senates H.R. 7521 bill was singed into law by Biden and prohibits the distribution, maintenance, or updating of ByteDances TikTok application. Sam Singleton The Senates H.R. 7521 bill was singed into law by Biden and prohibits the distribution, maintenance, or updating of ByteDances TikTok application. Sam Singleton Sam Singleton

The same concerns that Wray referenced have caught fire among U.S. lawmakers. In March, the House crafted bipartisan legislation (H.R. 7521) to ban TikTok, and then the Senate voted overwhelmingly to move it to the presidents desk, with 79 senators in favor, 18 against, and three not voting.

For years weve allowed the Chinese Communist party to control one of the most popular apps in America that was dangerously shortsighted, said senator Marco Rubio, R-Fla. On the other side of the aisle, senator Mark Warner, D-Va, told NPR, The Communist Party of China has an authoritarian regime that doesnt respect privacy, doesnt respect individuals rights I dont think we should sit by and allow, in effect, a media presence that is five or 10 times the size of NPR to potentially be broadcasting Chinese propaganda in an election year.

Whether these fears have a basis in reality is a matter for debate. Brendan Gilligan, a legal fellow at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), told me, At least so far the governments talk about the harms have been very vague. They havent discussed why this specific step of banning the distribution, maintenance, or updating of TikTok is necessary, which the First Amendment requires. That likely means ByteDance and other groups have a strong case for challenging the law in court.

In the meantime, ByteDance has until January 19, 2025 to sell TikTok. Under the legislation, Biden has the option to extend the deadline an additional 90 days if he determines that progress is being made toward a sale. For now, ByteDance seemingly has no intention of selling TikTok, and made its position crystal clear by suing the U.S. government a few weeks after the law passed. The ensuing legal fight is now in the hands of the U.S. Court of Appeals. Its First Amendment rights in the red corner versus National Security in the blue corner, so get ready to rumble.

Could you get in trouble for using TikTok?

So, lets say ByteDance never sells, and the TikTok ban is the new status quo. Whats the impact on U.S. users if they find a way to use the platform?

The EFFs Brendan Gilligan explains: Number one, the law is targeted at intermediaries, not targeted at users. Second, the law explicitly denies the Attorney General the authority to enforce it against individual users. The upshot is the law itself could not be used to criminalize individuals who continue to use or access TikTokso, Gen-Zers, you can now collectively breathe a sigh of relief.

That being said, it gets a little murky when it comes to the legality of using a VPN to access TikTok. Gilligan notes, While the use itself is not [criminalized], how you get to the use potentially is. Regarding VPNs, he says, I havent seen VPNs being mentioned as a concern of the government. He goes on to say, It seems like theyre clearly focused on app stores.

Even if the use of a VPN to access TikTok is criminalized under this law, there isnt much that the U.S. government could do to monitor or enforce this. Most VPNs have strict no-log policies and do not keep records on user traffic.

As ExpressVPNs Parsons told me, Consumers are generally worried that VPN services may be compelled by government services to share user data. ExpressVPN does not do this and never shares data with third parties. We do not collect anything that would allow ExpressVPN or anyone else to match an individual to specific network activity or behavior. We have designed our systems to never have sensitive data about our customers. Even when compelled, we cannot provide data that we do not possess.

While this may be specific to ExpressVPN, the same structures are in place for most of the other top VPN companies. This is why its especially important to choose a good VPN provider with a strict no-logs policy, preferably verified by regular independent audits.

TikTok users who want to access the app via a VPN shouldnt be too worried, though. The main purpose of this ban is to restrict mass retention of user data by ByteDance and, by extension, the Chinese government. Its not intended to keep U.S. citizens from sharing short-form videos.

Whether banning TikTok will truly make U.S. citizens more safe is up for debate though. Gilligan said, Enacting this legislation has undermined the U.S.s longstanding championing of the free flow of information as a fundamental democratic principle The solution to protecting American data is not focusing on one specific app, but rather comprehensive consumer privacy data regulations.
Ransomware has gone corporate. These attacks, which hold files and PCs hostage until theres a payout, may seem savage but behind the scenes, its civilized. The hackers have days that look a lot like any paper pushers  bosses to report to, tickets to track. And accordingly, the major organizations behind this kind of malware have refocused their attention. Its not individuals theyre primarily focused on.

You and I just dont have enough money for them. However, for a multitude of mom-and-pop scammers, we do.

That point became clear during the 2024 RSA Conference in San Francisco, where members of Microsofts security teams spoke with the press on cybersecurity topics, including the most current threats to everyday people. While you could still get caught up in a ransomware campaign, the main targets nowadays are companies big enough to pay multimillions but too small to have robust IT security teams.

Instead, Sherrod DeGrippo, director of threat intelligence strategy at Microsoft, says you should watch most for seemingly innocuous tricks that play on your emotions: romance schemes, influencer scams, banking hoaxes, and other such deviousness.

Romance scams, for example, involve gaining someones trust and affection, and then using the relationship to start asking for money.

Influencer scams twist peoples legitimate desire to earn a living into fronting money for opportunities that never pan out  and potentially expose the victims to identity theft if tax identification numbers and other personal details are shared.

Scams can appear in all forms, and across many types of digital devices. Scams can appear in all forms, and across many types of digital devices. Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry Scams can appear in all forms, and across many types of digital devices. Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Banking scams prey on the fear of losing something important. Similar scams might focus instead on more immaterial losses, like your reputation. (Scams about keeping your secrets or your child out of trouble run in this same vein.)

Many of these scams arent new  even those that seem to be are just riffs on long-standing attacks, like the influencer ruses. And theyre still prevalent, rather than having gone away.

So what can you do? Stay alert, for starters. Besides these timeless scams, be on the lookout for seasonal ones, too. Microsoft says it anticipates a rise in scams related to the Olympics and elections as those events draw closer, and you can count on recurring periods like tax season in the U.S. to spawn fresh rounds of scam attempts. Vet your email and messages carefully, and if something feels urgent, get an outside opinion before acting on the situation.

(This piece of advice should be particularly familiar to us chronic overthinkers. Except you finally get to make productive use of your mistrust of everything.)

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You should also keep your antivirus software up to date. So long as youre not actively trying to click on bad links, run dodgy apps, or browse sites of dubious origin, it should keep you safe from malware looking to con you, as well as ransomware and other threats. (Remember, just because youre not a target, doesnt mean you cant get caught up in a malware campaign as collateral damage.)

Between these two approaches, you should be able to get through all the dangers online relatively unscathed.
Microsoft just unveiled a series of Outlook updates designed to combat spam emails. There are a number of new features for the web, desktop, and mobile versions of Outlook, which should ensure that spam mail ends up in the right place, and help you avoid phishing attempts.

Microsoft Microsoft Microsoft

To make sorting easier in your Spam tab, you will no longer need to open an email to see the senders email address, it will now appear directly under their name. You will also get a new warning box if you start opening links in emails that are in Spam.

Microsoft Microsoft Microsoft

It will also be easier for you to report spam and phishing emails. You will now be able to report an email address with the click of a button and unsubscribe or block all mail from that address. Previously, blocking a sender only deleted the email currently selected.

Further reading: Microsoft says you should always ask this one security question to avoid scams
Its the start of Googles yearly I/O developer event today. But Google doesnt seem all that interested in telling developers what theyll be able to do with Google  its more interested in telling regular users all the cool stuff that the companys Gemini AI can do right now, and will be able to do in the future. Presenters really wanted us to know were in the Gemini era.

What does that mean for regular users? More or less, its all about smarter searching that pulls more and deeper information from more websites, and organizes it in smart ways. It all starts with AI Overviews, the new, fancy version of the Rich Results you currently see before (and sometimes to the right of) standard text results. AI Overview will soon be graduating from the Search Labs walled-off area to standard users in the US, with Google hoping to expand it to over a billion people by the end of the year.

These auto-generated results created from indexed and crawled websites will include the familiar people also ask queries, shopping results (which, of course, earn Google some ad revenue), and results for more complex questions phrased in natural language. The example on the Google Search blog and given live on stage include find the best yoga or pilates studios in Boston and show me details on their intro offers, and walking time from Beacon Hill [Boston]. AI-generated results include the local studios in card form with a map showing their location relative to the smartphone user. Pretty standard stuff.

Its worth pointing out that Google claims people are visiting a greater diversity of websites for help with more complex questions with this tool. But how that actually translates into traffic to said websites was not elucidated. AI-powered general results, with their source context hard to dig into or purposefully obscured, is a concern for the sustainability of the websites Google Search is built upon.

Google Google Google

A much more impressive demo was taking a live photo with Google Lens, asking vocally about the context, and then being delivered relevant results. The presenter took a video of an analog record player, asked why this wasnt staying in place, and was given step-by-step troubleshooting tips for fixing the tonearm of that exact model of turntable. Thats more of the magic feeling Google was hoping for throughout its presentationthough youll only get to try it out in Search Labs, sometime soon in the US.
This marks the sixth time Danso Adjei has won this esteemed accolade, affirming his status as one of Ghana's leading entrepreneurs.



In a night of significant achievements at the Ghana-West Africa Business Excellence Awards held on Friday 10 May 2024, Nick Danso Adjei, chief executive officer and the executive chairman of Ghana Link Network Services Ltd was honoured with the prestigious title of Ghanas Entrepreneur of the Year.



This marks the sixth time Danso Adjei has won this esteemed accolade, affirming his status as one of Ghanas leading entrepreneurs.



Under his leadership, Ghana Link Network Services Ltd has revolutionised trade facilitation in the region with the implementation of the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS).



The system has been pivotal in enhancing operational efficiencies at Ghanas ports and borders, which in turn has significantly increased government revenue and improved the ease of doing business.



The company itself also garnered the Trade Facilitation Company of the Year award, recognizing its robust implementation of the ICUMS and its impact on the trade ecosystem.



This system connects over 8,000 daily users including freight forwarders, shippers, and numerous regulatory bodies such as the Ghana Food and Drugs Authority and the Environmental Protection Agency, streamlining processes that were previously cumbersome and time-consuming.



Reflecting on the awards, Danso Adjei said, I am thrilled to receive this recognition which not only highlights hard work but also fuels our commitment to continue improving our services. These awards are a testament to the dedication of our staff who strive to provide the best services at our ports and borders.



In addition to winning Entrepreneur of the Year, Danso Adjeis company has been recognized with several other awards this year, including the Trade Facilitation Technology Leadership Award, E-Solution for Trade Excellence Award, Excellence In Innovation and Technology Award, and more.



Nick Danso Adjei, addressing young entrepreneurs and the youth of Ghana, emphasized the importance of focus and diligence in achieving ones goals.



His repeated recognition as Entrepreneur of the Year is a compelling reminder of the impact steadfast leadership and innovation can have on a business and community.



The achievements of Nick Danso Adjei and Ghana Link Network Services Ltd highlight the transformative power of technology and leadership in advancing trade facilitation and economic growth in West Africa.



The astute businessman advising upcoming entrepreneurs and the Ghanaian youth noted that not only must the youth be focused in life but work hard and they can be sure that God will help them towards achieving their goals.



This award to Dr Nick Danso Adjei comes after the Porto Business School, University of Porto, proudly announces the conferment of the Lifetime Achievement Award upon him a month ago.



This prestigious accolade recognises Danso Adjeis exceptional leadership, dedication to excellence, and transformative contributions to the business landscape, not only in Ghana but across borders into The Gambia and other parts of West and Central African regions.



Danso Adjei graciously accepted the honour with heartfelt gratitude, acknowledging the collective efforts of the outstanding teams within the Ghana Link and the Nick Group of Companies.



Throughout his illustrious career, Dr. Adjei has spearheaded groundbreaking initiatives, from pioneering innovative solutions in trade facilitation with Ghana Link Network Services Ltd to venturing into the energy sector with Misyl Energy and Nick Petroleum.



The Porto Business Schools Lifetime Achievement Award not only acknowledges Adjeis past accomplishments but also serves as a call to continue the mission of making a positive impact in the business landscape.



This years Ghana-West Africa Business Excellence Awards which was the 7th edition was endorsed by the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI). The awards night witnessed several business entities and individuals who were decorated for their hard work and achievements.



The Ghana-West Africa Business Excellence Awards recognizes the industrys merits and sets a benchmark for excellence whilst rewarding innovative ideas that have pushed boundaries. The purpose of the awards is to bring together business players and recognize the achievements of local and international companies involved in various sectors.



All individuals and organizations that were awarded have contributed immensely to moving businesses forward and have demonstrated achievement across a wide variety of domains including customer service, safety, performance, leadership, prudence, operational and product excellence, innovation, and others.



About Ghana Link Network Services Ltd

Ghana Link Network Services Ltd is a pioneering company committed to leveraging technology for trade facilitation. Led by Dr. Nick Danso Adjei, the executive chairman, the company has been at the forefront of introducing innovative solutions such as the Integrated Customs Management Systems (ICUMS) to enhance efficiency in the nations ports and borders.

Source: Asaaseradio









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Minister of Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, has stated that the inauguration of Prempeh I International Airport presents a unique opportunity for Ghana to harness the benefits associated with tourism to drive socioeconomic growth and development.



He emphasized that the facility is proof that Ghana's aviation industry is displaying resilience and consistent growth as a result of the government's continued support for the sector.



"Both domestic and international passenger numbers have shown strong growth potential, with domestic passenger numbers exceeding pre-COVID-19 conditions by 23.4% as of the year-end 2023. This is indeed a historic performance that underscores the strong government support that our air transport sector enjoys.



"This airport will ultimately serve as the gateway driving economic development, strengthening international relationships, and inspiring all who come into contact with it."



The Transport Minister made this known while speaking at the inauguration of the Prempeh I International Airport in Kumasi, where he also recounted the approach adopted towards the construction of the airport.



He shared that a phased development approach was adopted to ensure passenger safety and comfort while ensuring Ghana had a fully functioning international airport.



This, he said included the rehabilitation of the runway and the installation of airfield lights and aeronautical ground lights to facilitate nighttime operations at the airport.



"As the government works to create a vibrant aviation industry, it is also important that we take steps to urgently address crippling challenges, including encroachment on airport lands. This issue threatens future expansion if not immediately addressed," Ofori Asiamah noted.



The minister also used the occasion to urge the Ghana Airports Company Limited and the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority to collaborate closely with the Lands Commission to properly secure and protect airport lands.



"It is also crucial that the operation of the airport complies with ICAO standards and recommended practices. We must do all we can to ensure that the investment that has gone into this project does not go to waste for the good people of this country," he added.



The Transport Minister reiterated that the government will continue to pursue strategies to make Ghana the aviation hub within the West African Region and beyond.



The Prempeh I International Airport Expansion Project was divided into three phases.



Phase 1, completed in 2014, involved the rehabilitation of the runway and the installation of Aeronautical Ground Lighting, allowing domestic airlines to operate at night.



Phase 2 began in 2018 and included the construction of a new international terminal with a capacity of 800,000 passengers per year, a new apron and taxi link, an access road to the airport, a car park, perimeter and security fence walls, an electricity substation, and Bulk Utility Services.



Phase 3 will involve extending the runway from 1,981m to 2,320m, currently in progress and expected to be finished by September this year. Additional taxi links and parking stands will also be completed in Phase 3.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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The Ministry of Health has been unable to capture all children for Measles-Rubella (MR) and other vaccines in the last six years, leading to fears of an imminent measles outbreak among children.



Over the period, more than 500,000 children in the country may not have received the measles-rubella-1 vaccination.



Although Measles-Rubella vaccine coverage is relatively high in the country, every year, there are pockets of children left out, especially in hard-to-reach communities and Peri-urban and urbanized areas.



In 2023, 88.4 percent of children in Ghana received the first dose of the measles and rubella (MR) vaccine with 82.1 percent of the children given the second dose.



The cohort of children missed and unvaccinated are more than 500,000 for the measles-rubella-1 over the past 5rys cumulatively. With a larger number yet to receive the 2nd dose.



These children have become vulnerable cohorts for an outbreak hence the periodic MR vaccination campaigns to help mop up those left behind and those with low measles immunity levels.



However, it has been six years since the last MR vaccination campaign was conducted. This means a bigger cohort remains unvaccinated, hence the current spate of focal outbreaks.



In March last year, there was an outbreak of measles in the Northern Region with a total of 209 suspected cases reported in 11 districts. Last month, some districts in the Western Region also recorded some cases of measles. The Western Regional Surveillance Officer. Public Health Services, Dennis Jubin, said the situation is under control.



As we speak now, we have been able to contain all the cases and whatever we are supposed to do for the people to remain healthy we have done that. Early treatment also forms part of preventing the disease so if you suspect the disease, you report to the health facility, we identify you and we offer treatment, he said.



Stakeholders are concerned the situation could deteriorate if urgent steps are not taken to reach all children. And Health authorities are not oblivious of the impending crisis for child health.



Program Manager for the Expanded Programme on Immunization, Dr. Kwame Amponsa-Achiano explained that:



In-fact theres no vaccine for which we have had 100% coverage. If you have a 1000 people, you are approximately getting about 950. And therefore you leave 50 out. And for us our birth cohort is quiet huge. Its about 1.1, 1.2 million so if you leave this 5% out, over time they accumulate this are unvaccinated children and that is a recipe for outbreaks.



This is not the first time and it is not going to be the last time. The only important thing is that we plan ahead to mitigate that. But as you ask, we have the routine vaccines. But I tell you the children who are getting the measles are not those due now. They are those we missed, Dr Amponsa- Achiano explained.



He further said, plans are ongoing for an immediate measles outbreak response vaccination in selected areas to be followed by a nationwide measles vaccination for all eligible children by close of year.



The last time we did in Ghana was 2018 and it was about time we did another one. In-fact we have been in the planning process to get another mass vaccination exercise especially for measles this year but unfortunately is likely to get to somewhere close to the year or maybe early part of last year. But we know and we recognize the fact that overtime, we turn to get outbreaks, he emphasized.



Its the Child Health Promotion Week & the African Vaccination Week, mothers are encouraged to get their babies vaccinated.

Source: 3news.com









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As part of activities to commemorate the World Mothers' Day, the Member of Parliament for North Dayi Constituency, Hon. Joycelyn Tetteh, has cleared all medical bills for all patients at the maternity and childrens ward of Anfoega Catholic Hospital in the Volta Region.



This commendable act of generosity was her show of love towards mothers and children to mark Mothers' Day which fell on Sunday, 12th May, 2024.



In her short message to mothers and staff of the hospital, Hon. Tetteh counseled the young mothers to consider family planning, ensuring proper spacing of the ages of their children to ensure the sanity of their mental and physical health, adding, frequent pregnancy and childbirth without recourse to proper spacing has consequences on a mother's health and well-being.



Being a mother herself, and appreciating the merits of maternal health, she donated diapers, toiletries, soft drinks and half pieces of cloth to all the mothers who were present at the maternity and children's ward during her visit, thereby lessening their burden in taking care of these innocent children. The MP further gave each mother a token amount to ensure a safe trip back home to their various communities.



Having helped the patients at the maternity and children's ward with their medical bills in the hospital, Hon. Joycelyn found it imperative to show appreciation to the staff by giving gifts to the health workers to motivate them, thereby encouraging staff of the hospital to continue rendering quality health delivery to the good people of North Dayi Constituency.



The patients, nurses and other workers of Anfoega Catholic Hospital were so thankful to Hon. Joycelyn Tetteh for the kind gesture and putting a smile on the faces of mothers on this august day. They asked for God's blessings and guidance for her in

all her endeavours.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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The Electoral Commission has updated the total number of persons who have been registered so far in the ongoing limited voter registration exercise.



In a letter signed by the deputy Director for Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Department of the Commission, Mr. Fred Tetteh, it stated that, though there was an error with the earlier publication of figures, the commission has corrected the anomalies.



According to the letter dated May 12, 2024 and issued by the commission, there has been a consistent increasing in the number of first time voters who have come to have their names captured in the electoral commissions data system.



The commission indicated in an infograph that, on the second day of registration, a total of Nineteen thousand, two hundred and sixty-seven (19,267) persons had registered across the country. This figure increased to forty-eight thousand, six hundred and sixteen (48,616) and fifty-eight thousand, six hundred and fourteen (58,614) recorded for days three and four respectively.



Ashanti region has so far, recorded the highest turn up of Twenty-five thousand, five hundred and fifty-eight new registrants followed by the Greater Accra region with seventeen thousand, eight hundred and thirty-seven new entrants.



The Savannah region has the lowest record as at day four (4) with a total number of Two thousand, nine hundred and eighty-nine (2,989).



The commission is hopeful of recording higher figures in the coming days as they work assiduously to address the myriad of challenges that confronts the registration exercise.





Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com









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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.
A group of university students and other victims who had been kidnapped in northern Nigeria were rescued on Sunday, authorities said.



Gunmen attacked the Confluence University of Science and Technology in Kogi state late on Thursday night, kidnapping nine students.



The abductees were rescued by local hunters and security forces who tackled the kidnappers in a shootout, Kogi information commissioner Kingsley Femi Fanwo said on social media platform X.



Mr Fanwo also said the rescued abductees had been taken to hospital for medical attention.



"Security agents are currently combing the forests to ensure all the kidnapped students are found and brought home safely," he added.



Nigeria is experiencing a resurgence of kidnapping gangs, known as bandits, which have abducted hundreds of people since the year began, mostly in the north-west of the country.



Many of the abductees have been freed, some after ransom payments were made.

Source: BBC









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The reconvening follows a summon the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, issued in a statement on May 10, this year, for the 275 lawmakers to resume sitting.



This is pursuant to article 112(3) of the Constitution and Standing Order 53 (1) and (2) of Parliament, the statement said. When the speaker adjourned the House sine die on March 20, 2024 there were three outstanding matters that the House did not consider even though they were advertised in the Order Paper for the day.



They were the adoption of the 34th report of the Appointments Committees to approve some ministerial nominees, the approval of a $150 million loan to finance the ongoing Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development project and a request for tax exemptions for selected companies under the One-District-One-Factory policy.



Majoritys petition

The summon comes in the wake of the Majority Caucuss petition for the Speaker to reconvene the House within seven days to consider the government's businesses which Parliament could not deliberate over at the last meeting which ended on March 20, 2024.



In the petition, the Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, cited Article 112(3) of the 1992 Constitution and Standing Order 53 of Parliament, which allows 15 per cent of the members of the House to request an early recall of Parliament.



The order obliges the Speaker to, within seven days, after receipt of the Memo, summon Parliament to reconvene. Per the permutations, 15 per cent brings the figure to 42, which the Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, told a press conference on Friday, May 3, 2024 that the caucus was capable of garnering.



Currently, more than 100 MPs from the Majority side have signed up to the request to compel the Speaker, Alban Bagbin, to reconvene the House.



"We are fortified by law to proceed to compel the Speaker to reconvene the House, he said.



Background

The Speaker adjourned the House sine die on March 20, 2024 after the House stopped short of considering the Presidents ministerial nominees. He told the House that the inability to consider the nominees followed an interlocutory injunction filed by the National Democratic Congress MP for South Dayi at the Supreme Court to restrain him.



The restraint, he said, was to stop him as the Speaker of Parliament from proceeding with the vetting and approval of persons submitted by the President until the provisions of the Constitution were satisfied.





The House is unable to continue to consider the nominations of His Excellency the President in the spirit of upholding the rule of law until after the determination of the application for interlocutory injunction by the Supreme Court, the Speaker said.

Source: graphiconline.com









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The largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has called on the Electoral Commission to find lasting solutions to the challenges engulfing the ongoing limited voter registration exercise.



The Electoral Commission started a limited voter registration exercise from the 6th of May, 2024 to give opportunity for persons who turned 18 and those who couldnt have their names captured during the last registration exercise.



However, the ongoing exercise has been characterised by a myriad of challenges which includes non functional BVRs and network challenges that last from the morning of the registration till later in the afternoon.



In an interview with Citi FM News, the Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Mustapha Gbande, underscored the essence of finding solutions to the challenges in order for Ghanaians to repose confidence in the Electoral Commission and the general electoral system.



Mustapha Gbande added that it is the prerogative of the Electoral Commission to ensure that priority is given to the proper functioning of the electoral equipment emphasising that the electoral machines ought to be available for the new voters to have their names captured in the commissions system.



He said, "One would expect that an Electoral Commission which controls every aspect of registration in terms of systems and machines, should focus on improving the availability of such systems. I think that we are beginning to also record pockets of violence from NPP parliamentary candidates in some of the places, using thugs and all of that."



We know that the police have been massively deployed to registration centres so we are wondering why issues of violence will occur at a registration centre. If the police have withdrawn and they want us to take our security into our own hands, they should let us know so that we can actively prepare for some of these atrocities. It is not in the right of anyone to go to a polling station and want to use thugs to beat people.



There were records of pockets of violence at the various registration centres.



The NDC have called the police service to be up and doing to ensure that, there is further mayhem during his exercise.

Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com









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In a dramatic U-turn on Saturday 11th May 2024, Lawyer Amofa at the Amansie Nsroma Social Center, decided to ignore his independent aspirations to join the NPP in their energetic Health Walk to promote Dr. Bawumia and Lawyer Ralph Poku-Adusei.



The Bawumia Ladies Walk was one of a kind that recorded colourful display of the NPP spirited energy.



The atmosphere crackled with energy amidst vibrant banners of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and Lawyer Ralph Poku-Adusei fluttering in the air, displaying slogans and symbols of the party.



The event also saw the full involvement of the outgoing MP Joseph Osei Owusu (JOE WISE).



It also witnessed a sea of passionate supporters, chants, slogans and waving flags; Music amidst brass band also added colour to the fervor.



According to participants at the Bawumia Ladies Walk and NPP loyalists, as we approach the 2024 elections, this move by Lawyer Akwasi Amofa is seen as crucial in prioritizing unity above anything else ahead of the December 7th elections.



He unceremoniously chose to come back to the NPP after posters and fliers of his intention to contest for the 2024 Dec 7 elections as an Independent candidate came out.



From hindsight, this gesture is a testament to the speculation that he would abandon his independent ambitions and rejoin the NPP to support the NPP Parliamentary Candidate, Lawyer Ralph Poku-Adusei in the general elections.



A source close to Lawyer Ralph Poku-Adusei underscored internal party coherence in policy formulation and implementation.



He said this coherence enhances the party's credibility and appeal to the electorate, as it demonstrates a clear and consistent vision for governance.



"As members of the party, it is incumbent upon us to accommodate divergent views and solidarity in order to fulfill our collective mission and aspirations.



....This indicates the party can more effectively advance its agenda and negotiate with other political entities to achieve compromise and consensus on key issues.



About Lawyer Ralph Poku-Adusei



Lawyer Ralph is the Managing Partner at Trent Legal Amansie Chambers, a British trained and well-seasoned legal practitioner with over eleven (11) years experience in all facets of corporate and commercial practice, land acquisition, criminal practice and has been intimately involved in leading ground-breaking litigation.



Throughout his years as a legal practitioner, he has successfully advised and represented both local and international clients working in Ghana.



He is a member of the Ghana Bar, the Bar of England and Wales and the International Bar Association. Ralphs Alma maters include; The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, UK. , Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Law, UK (formerly The College of Law of England and Wales, UK) Ghana School of Law, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana among others.



He is currently the 2024 NPP Parliamentary Candidate for the Bekwai Constituency in the Ashanti Region.



Through the Ralph Poku-Adusei Foundation (RPA) in Bekwai, he has offered his unwavering dedication to give back to the community that helped shape him in his formative years.



This deep-seated desire was birthed unofficially in 2015 and officially in 2018 and has since given back to the Bekwai community in multiple ways.



Through the help of God and the immense support of the people in Bekwai, the foundation has embarked on several social intervention programs within the community.



Among the interventions the foundation has made are donations of food, cash donations, renovation of an office complex for the Ghana Ambulance Service, and support for the zongo and Muslim communities in Bekwai.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com









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A Monday morning downpour in Walewale and its environs did not deter its enthusiastic residents from coming out in their mammoth numbers to welcome a son of the land, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.



The NPP flagbearer arrived in his home region, the North East Region, to commence a campaign tour of the Region as part of his nationwide tour.



Upon reaching Nasia, a town before his hometown, Walewale, scores of people, both young and old, defied the rains and besieged his bus amidst cheers and chants of support for him.



The enthusiastic crowd, many of whom were riding motorbikes, led Dr. Bawumia's convoy in a procession while making his way into Walewale en route to the regional capital, Nalerigu.



Dr. Bawumia got the crowd in a frenzy as he got down from his bus and joined them in the rains on the Walewale to Bolga road.



Dr. Bawumia is expected to call on the Nayiri, the Overlord of Mamprugu.



As has been a common feature of his regional tours, Dr. Bawumia will also hold discussions with the Clergy, Imams and the North East Regional House of Chiefs.



He will further engage the youth in an interactive session.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Andy Dosty, a renowned Ghanaian disc jockey and radio presenter, is set to host the next edition of Live Konnect, with performances from a number of A-list Ghanaian musicians.



Ghanaian music greats namely Okyeame Kwame, Kwabena Kwabena, Sista Afia, and Amerado, are the artistes performing at Live Konnect come Saturday, May 18, 2024.



The event is slated to take place at Soho, Marina Mall, Airport City, Accra.



Limited tickets and table reservations available now!



Secure your spot by purchasing Tickets *714*11*15#*



Kwabena Kwabena first performed at Live Konnect in October 2021. The successful highlife artist, at the time, was joined by some popular Ghanaian musicians such as Cina Soul, Adina, Kofi Bruce amongst others.



His upcoming performance at Live Konnect with Andy Dosty promises to be electric.



Okyeame Kwame, Amerado and Sista Afia are expected to dazzled music fans on the night.



The event is certainly going to be a blast. Organizers of Live Konnect including celebrated Ghanaian disc jockey, DJ Mensah, have promised music fans who will be attending the concert, true value for their money.









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In the ever-evolving landscape of the music industry, there are tales that resonate beyond the beats and melodies, stories that inspire and captivate.



One such narrative is that of Charles Akrofi, a name that once graced the screens of television sets and radio as a journalist, but now reverberates through speakers as the Afrobeat sensation known as XROVA.



Breaking away from the confines of traditional journalism, Akrofi has embarked on a new journey, one fueled by passion, creativity, and an unwavering belief in the power of music.



Under the showbiz moniker XROVA, an acronym for Xceeding Reach, Overcoming Vision Always, he has unleashed his maiden single titled "Watch Nobody," a pulsating anthem that urges listeners to pursue their dreams despite the presence of detractors.



From his early days as a news anchor to his role as a parliamentary affairs correspondent with notable media houses in Ghana, Akrofi's transition from journalism to music marks a significant chapter in his life.



Yet, his journalistic roots continue to shape his artistry, infusing his lyrics with depth, insight, and a keen awareness of the world around him.



In "Watch Nobody," XROVA delivers a message that resonates with authenticity and sincerity. The track speaks to the universal experience of facing obstacles and naysayers on the path to success, urging individuals to stay true to themselves and their aspirations regardless of external pressures.



Beyond the confines of the studio, XROVA's presence in the Afrobeat scene is already making waves.



His unique blend of vibrant sounds and thought-provoking lyrics has garnered attention from music enthusiasts across Ghana and beyond, positioning him as a promising talent on the rise.



As he continues to navigate the intricacies of the music industry, XROVA remains grounded in his journalistic ethos, using his platform to shed light on social issues and champion causes close to his heart.



With his debut single, he not only showcases his musical prowess but also offers a glimpse into the depth of his artistry and the breadth of his vision.



In a world filled with noise and distractions, XROVA's voice cuts through the clutter, offering a message of hope, resilience, and unwavering determination.



As he paves his own path in the Afrobeat scene, Charles Akrofi, AKA XROVA, stands as a testament to the transformative power of following one's passion and embracing the journey, wherever it may lead.











Source: Daniel Obeng









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Actress, Jackie Appiah, has been captured in recent photos with members of the British Royal Family Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during their visit to Lagos on Sunday, May 12, 2024.



Jackie took to Instagram to share snapshots of her encounter with the two, expressing her admiration for the royal couple.



In her post, she described the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as incredibly lovely people and expressed gratitude for the honour of meeting them.



This occurred at the reception of Delborough Hotel in Lagos, where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were lodging during their three-day stay in Nigerias bustling metropolis.



Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were in Lagos at the invitation of Nigerias Chief of Defense Staff to support the Invictus Games initiative.



The Invictus Games, spearheaded by Prince Harry, aims to rally global support for wounded-in-action troops and veterans.



Nigeria joined the initiative last year, marking its commitment to the welfare of its military personnel.

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com









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Seafood restaurant chain Red Lobster will be shutting down nearly 50 locations across the United States.

CNN reports that Red Lobster will close at least 48 of its locations, out of their 650 total restaurants. The chain is reportedly considering filing for bankruptcy protection.

The struggling company will be holding an online auction for kitchen equipment, furniture and other inventory through TAGeX Brands, according to TAGeX founder Neal Sherman in a post on Linkedin.

In the post Sherman said that the auction will be the largest restaurant liquidation ever.

According to CBS News, the closing restaurants are found across 21 states. USA Today reports that as many as 87 locations are temporarily closed across 27 states. The list includes one restaurant in Erie, thus far the only location in Pennsylvania to be affected.

Seafood supplier Thai Union became a key shareholder of Red Lobster in 2020, and since that time the company has gone through four CEOs in various attempts to guide the company to higher profits.
UPDATE: Woman dies after Harrisburg shooting: police

One person was wounded Monday evening in a shooting in the 2200 block of North Fourth Street in Harrisburg.

Police were called to the scene at 5:39 p.m. near N. Fourth and Woodbine streets. Officers stretched yellow crime scene tape across Fourth Street mid block a few doors down from the corner store at Woodbine Street. Officers then spent time in that space looking in a grassy area between some row homes for evidence.

Police also closed off a larger section of Fourth Street to traffic as they investigated.

Three area residents told PennLive the victim was a pregnant woman was shot and that the shooting occurred quickly within a matter of seconds. They said they heard multiple shots, then several people screaming. Officers soon arrived.

Police did not provide a description of a suspect, details about how the shooting occurred or the victims extent of injuries.

The shooting occurred two blocks from a shooting inside Antonio Grocery store in the 2200 block of North Sixth Street on May 3 that killed a man. A suspect was arrested in that case and police said they dont believe Mondays shooting was related to the homicide.
By HILLEL ITALIE, AP National Writer

Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the worlds most esteemed contemporary authors and one of historys most honored short story writers, has died at age 92.

A spokesperson for publisher Penguin Random House Canada said Munro, winner of the Nobel literary prize in 2013, died Monday at home in Port Hope, Ontario. Munro had been in frail health for years and often spoke of retirement, a decision that proved final after the authors 2012 collection, Dear Life.

Often ranked with Anton Chekhov, John Cheever and a handful of other short story writers, Munro achieved stature rare for an art form traditionally placed beneath the novel. She was the first lifelong Canadian to win the Nobel and the first recipient cited exclusively for short fiction. Echoing the judgment of so many before, the Swedish academy pronounced her a master of the contemporary short story who could accommodate the entire epic complexity of the novel in just a few short pages.

Munro, little known beyond Canada until her late 30s, also became one of the few short story writers to enjoy ongoing commercial success. Sales in North America alone exceeded 1 million copies and the Nobel announcement raised Dear Life to the high end of The New York Times bestseller list for paperback fiction. Other popular books included Too Much Happiness, The View from Castle Rock and The Love of a Good Woman.

Her best known fiction included The Beggars Maid, a courtship between an insecure young woman and an officious rich boy who becomes her husband; Corrie, in which a wealthy young woman has an affair with an architect equipped with a wife and young family; and The Moons of Jupiter, about a middle-aged writer who visits her ailing father in a Toronto hospital and shares memories of different parts of their lives.

I think any life can be interesting, Munro said during a 2013 post-prize interview for the Nobel Foundation. I think any surroundings can be interesting.

Fellow Canadian author Margaret Atwood called her a pioneer for women and for Canadians.

Back in the 1950s and 60s, when Munro began, there was a feeling that not only female writers but Canadians were thought to be both trespassing and transgressing, Atwood wrote in a 2013 tribute published in the Guardian after Munro won the Nobel. The road to the Nobel wasnt an easy one for Munro: the odds that a literary star would emerge from her time and place would once have been zero.

Although not overtly political, Munro witnessed and participated in the cultural revolution of the 1960s and 70s and permitted her characters to do the same. She was a farmers daughter who married young, then left her husband in the 1970s and took to wearing miniskirts and prancing around, as she recalled during a 2003 interview with The Associated Press. Many of her stories contrasted the generation of Munros parents with the more open-ended lives of their children, departing from the years when housewives daydreamed between the walls that the husband was paying for.

Even before the Nobel, Munro received honors from around the English-language world, including Britains Man Booker International Prize and the National Book Critics Circle award in the U.S., where the American Academy of Arts and Letters voted her in as an honorary member. In Canada, she was a three-time winner of the Governor Generals Award and a two-time winner of the Giller Prize.

Alice Ann Laidlaw was born in Wingham, Ontario, in 1931, and spent much of her childhood there, a time and place she often used in her fiction, including the four autobiographical pieces that concluded Dear Life. Her father was a fox farmer, her mother a teacher and the familys fortunes shifted between middle class and working poor, giving the future author a special sensitivity to money and class.

Young Alice was often absorbed in literature, starting with the first time she was read Hans Christian Andersens The Little Mermaid. She was a compulsive inventor of stories and the sort of child who reads walking upstairs and props a book in front of her when she does the dishes.

A top student in high school, she received a scholarship to study at the University of Western Ontario, majoring in journalism as a cover-up for her pursuit of literature. She was still an undergraduate when she sold a story about a lonely teacher, The Dimensions of a Shadow, to CBC Radio. She was also publishing work in her schools literary journal.

One fellow student read Dimensions and wrote to Alice, telling her the story reminded him of Chekhov. The student, Gerald Fremlin, would become her second husband. Another fellow student, James Munro, was her first husband. They married in 1951, when she was 20, and had four children, one of whom died soon after birth.
Bryan Hagerich, a Somerset County father of two, is facing a minimum of 12 years in prison on the island of Turks and Caicos after being detained when he was trying to fly back home from vacation back in February.

To Hagerich, the island law hes accused of breaking -- and meant to deter illegal firearm trafficking -- has an adverse effect and has had unintended consequences.

The 39-year-old appeared in court in Turks and Caicos on May 10, when the judge told Hagerich he must remain on the islands for another three weeks until his sentencing. During the sentencing, Hagerich will learn if hell serve the minimum sentence of 12 years or if his case can be adjudicated, according to Fox News.

The news comes after he was stuck on the island for more than 70 days as of May 1.

As previously reported, Hagerich says he unknowingly had hunting ammunition in his luggage at the airport.

It was found in my checked luggage after a random search, and my family was essentially just whisked away without even really having the chance to say goodbye or explain what was going on, so we were completely unaware of what was to follow, Hagerich told Americas Newsroom on Tuesday. Hagerich was on his way back to the U.S. from a family vacation with his wife and kids when he was arrested in February.

Youre not checked entering the country, youre checked leaving the country, and that to me makes no sense, Ashley Hagerich, Bryan Hagerichs wife, told WPXI in a previous report.

This was an honest mistake, anybody can make an honest mistake, she added.

Thats a bag my husband has used numerous times on hunting trips, and going to hunting camp, and it was just leftover in a secure pouch and it was just forgotten about, and you know, people make mistakes, and in this sense, the crime just doesnt fit the sentencing and the repercussions of this, Ashley Hagerich said to WPXI.

The TSA requires ammunition to be in a secure case in checked luggage, but Turks and Caicos laws differ.

In Turks and Caicos, firearms, ammunition, and other weapons arent permitted, and TCI authorities strictly enforce all firearms-and-ammunition-related laws. As a result, those who violate the law face a mandatory sentence of 12 years behind bars.

According to The U.S. Embassy in Nassaus travel alert, If you bring a firearm or ammunition into TCI, even inadvertently, we will not be able to secure your release from custody. You are subject to TCI laws and must follow local law enforcement procedures.

Its a very strict law. Theyre trying to combat violence  gun trafficking, etc., which I have the utmost respect for, but when you have a law that takes essentially a one-size-fits-all approach, there are unintended consequences, Hagerich said to Fox News. Were not a threat to the island. Were not a threat to the people. Were good, loving human beings that simply made a mistake.

Im a human.  I made a very honest mistake, Hagrich said to the news outlet. I had no intention  I had no knowledge that ammunition was in my checked luggage.

Three other Americans are alos awaiting sentencing for the same crime. One of those Americans, 31-year-old Tyler Wenrich, of Virginia, was allowed to go home last week after posting bail, Fox News reported.

Meanwhile, 40-year-old Ryan Watson, of Oklahoma, who  much like Hagerich  was recently arrested for unknowingly having ammo in his travel bag on April 12, remains on the island.

Michael Lee Evans, 72, pleaded guilty to having ammo in his bag on April 24. His sentencing hearing is set for June 18, the news outlet reported.
By Theresa Braine, New York Daily News (TNS)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markles Archewell Foundation has been forced to suspend operations at least temporarily after failing to file timely tax returns and other documents and being declared delinquent by California authorities.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who founded the charity after stepping back from their royal duties in Britain in 2020, has been listed as delinquent with the Registry of Charities and Fundraisers for failing to submit required annual report(s) and/or renewal fees, People reported, citing the office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

The duo did not comment on the development Monday. The foundations website lists it as an official tax-exempt nonprofit that is compliant with all deadlines and measures of the charitable sector and operates with complete transparency, and lists a series of annual reports and other required documents available for viewing that does not extend past 2023. The most recent IRS filing for tax exemption displayed on its website was for 2022.

As of May 1, the foundations fundraising ability had been curtailed.

An organization that is listed as delinquent is not in good standing and is prohibited from engaging in conduct for which registration is required, including soliciting or disbursing charitable funds, the document obtained by People stated.

The organization may also be subject to penalties, and its registration may be suspended or revoked by the Registry. Once you submit the delinquent record(s), you will be notified of the amount of any late fees that are owed.

Required documents and a check were submitted but got lost in the mail, a source told People. Foundation officials did not learn about the issue until the delinquency notice arrived. A new check has been mailed and the issue will be resolved within a week, the foundation stated.

The foundation has been posting updates from Harry and Meghans trip to Nigeria that is underway.

Their work has been praised, including in New York City, where in December 2022 they received the Ripple of Hope Award for their racial justice work from Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, a nonprofit.
Several animal rights activists set up outside a magisterial district court office in eastern Lancaster County Tuesday to protest an Amish dog breeder accused of killing four puppies he couldnt sell.

The protesters, from groups such as Animal Defenders and Animal Rescue, Inc., held up signs saying Breeders kill, Animals are not merchandise and other slogans in the crowded parking lot of District Judge Jonathan Weisses office.
LEWISBURG  A member of the senior class was honored at Bucknell Universitys commencement Sunday.

President John Bravman announced the posthumous award of a bachelor of arts degree in political science to Christian Mark Samay, 22, of Mountain Lakes, New Jersey.

He made note of the students unexpected death on March 30 when recalling the challenges members of the Class of 2024 faced during their four years at Bucknell beginning with the COVID-19 pandemic.
A post office will be named in honor of Lebanon police Lt. William Bill Lebo, who was gunned down by a burglar in a city home in 2022.

The announcement comes after President Joe Biden signed a bill introduced by Congressman Dan Meuser to name the Lebanon post office located at 101 South 8th Street as the Lieutenant William D. Lebo Post Office Building.
The operator of Hollywood Casino at The Meadows in Washington County was fined $10,000 for allowing an individual to gamble who was prohibited from doing so.

Under a consent agreement with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board last month, Washington Trotting Association, LLC, operator of Hollywood Casino at The Meadows, agreed to pay the fine as a result of the incident, the board said in a press release.

The individual, who was on the boards self-exclusion list, was permitted by the casino to gamble at slot machines and cash checks. A casino operator must refuse wagers from and deny gaming privileges to any self-excluded person, while also denying check cashing privileges, the board said.

Self-exclusion allows individuals with gambling problems to voluntarily ban themselves from casinos, internet-based gambling, video gaming terminals and fantasy sports wagering.

The self exclusion list allows for criminal charges in these cases. The individual in this case was charged with defiant trespass, the board said.
Police in western Pennsylvania have charged a 16-year-old boy with criminal homicide in the shooting death of a man in November.

Allegheny County police said that Cy-Miar Woods of McKees Rocks was arrested on Monday by McKees Rocks police.
On behalf of the Pennsylvania Professional Firefighters Association (PPFFA) and our 7,000 members, we applaud the House passage of HB 1632. This legislation, sponsored by Representative Jennifer OMara, establishes a standard for First Responders to be entitled to workers compensation benefits due to Post-Traumatic Stress Injuries (PTSI).

PPFFA understands firsthand the mental and emotional toll of this line of duty. An estimated 30% of first responders develop behavioral health conditions, including depression and PTSI. Sadly, more first responders die from suicide than in the line of duty.

PPFFA looks forward to working with the Pennsylvania Senate and Gov. Josh Shapiro on the final passage of this crucial legislation.

Robert Brooks, President, Pennsylvania Professional Firefighters Association
Trump appeared to be in total panic mode as he read quotes and attacked the judge after the first day of Michael Cohens testimony.

Trump ended up quoting Sen. J.D. Vance about how his trial is a threat to democracy, They view this as a scam. I think its a terrible thing thats happening to democracy in this country. And uh we have a lot of them that want to come and say, just stay back and pass lots of laws to stop things like this. Uh JD Vance, whats going on in that courtroom is a threat to democracy and we cannot have a country where we get to prosecute your political opponent instead of persuading voters.

A man who tried to end democracy by stealing an election is claiming that democracy is in peril because he is being held accountable for alleged crimes.

The ex-president went on and on reading quotes from stack of papers as if he was trying to convince himself that the American people are behind him.

Video of Trump:

Trump seems to know that he is not winning the trial. At some level, he also appears to understand that Michael Cohens testimony is very bad for him. Outside the courthouse, Trump was in panic mode, spending minutes throwing everything at the wall and hoping that something stuck.

Donald Trump knows that there is a sizable percentage of voters who say that they will not vote for him if the former president is convicted of a felony. Trump is trying to discredit the process in the hope of discrediting a conviction.

Michael Cohens testimony was bad for Trump, but what even worse was the show was put on outside of the courtroom.

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RFK Jr. is suing Meta the parent company of Facebook for election interference because he claims Meta is censoring one of his videos.

According to the Kennedy campaign:

Independent Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and American Values 2024 (AV24), a political action committee supporting Kennedys candidacy, today filed a First Amendment and election interference lawsuit against Meta after a biographical film, Who Is Bobby Kennedy?, was censored on Facebook and Instagram.

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against Meta, related entities, and Mark Zuckerberg.

The lawsuit alleges the defendants censored AV24s 30-minute film, narrated by Woody Harrelson, about the life of RFK Jr., his environmental activism, and why hes running for President.

After AV24 released the film on May 3, Meta users could not share or post it on Facebook or Instagram. When trying to post about the film, a variety of different and contradictory explanations were given to users and they were also warned and threatened with adverse consequences for posting about or sharing it.

The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages, and also an injunction barring Meta from continuing to interfere with the sharing and posting of Who Is Bobby Kennedy?

Suing entitles and claiming election interference is a very Donald Trump thing to do. Polls have consistently shown that Kennedy takes away more support from Trump than Biden. Kennedy has moved more to the right to the point where he is getting love from conservative media , and has drawn the attention of Trump who claimed that Kennedys anti-vaccine beliefs are fake.

Trump has never faced a general election challenge from the right during his political career. Kennedy is giving the right something that they have never had before. Those who arent hardcore MAGAs, but are too conservative to support President Biden have the option of voting for Kennedy.

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Fox News repeated a question asked by a Democratic strategist to Republican Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) wondering why Republicans were there to defend ex-president Donald Trumps affair with a porn star.

FOX: A Democratic strategist said, "why are they all there, defending his affair with a porn star." Is that what you're doing? JD VANCE: No, not at all. I mean, look, I was there to support a friend. pic.twitter.com/nGmi4Xy4Rx  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 14, 2024

Vance also suggested that he and so many others like what he stands for.

FOX: a Democratic strategist said, you know, why are they all theyre defending his affair with a porn star? Is that what youre doing?

J.D. Vance: No, not at all. I mean, look, I was there to support a friend aside from the political implications of this trial, and well certainly get to that. I think this is a very depressing way to spend five, six weeks of your life when you know that youre innocent as Donald Trump knows that he is and so you know, recognizing that sometimes its a little bit lonely to sit up there by yourself. I offered to come in and maybe you know, just be a friendly face in the courtroom. And thats all I wanted to do. And thats what I think you see, so many people want to come and show their support for the President. Because they actually like what he stands for. They think that this trial is pathetic, and they want to show some support to a friend that I think thats a good thing and an admirable thing. Thats certainly what I wanted to do up there.

Vances answer isnt strong, so if Republicans are going to gaslight the country about this, they need to make some quick changes. One issue is, if J.D. Vance was there to support a friend on trial for 34 counts of falsifying business records for covering up an affair with a porn star, why are the taxpayers funding his time?

Donald Trump is now an adjudicated rapist, and he has been credibly accused of sexual misconduct by at least 26 women, dating back to the 1970s and through 2016. In other words, its a pattern. One he himself bragged about on the Access Hollywood tape  which, by the way, was taped in September of 2005, mere months after he married Melania Trump in January of that year.

In March of 2006, Melania gave birth to their only child, Baron. In June of 2006, Playboy model Karen McDougal claims her affair with Trump started and lasted for months. In July of 2006, Trump had an alleged affair with Stormy Daniels.

Just yesterday in court, Michael Cohen testified that Donald Trump wasnt worried what Melania would think were she to find out about his affairs, because (paraphrase) he wouldnt be on the market for long.

So the party that claims to be so cultishly Christian that they simply cant tolerate abortion even when it would save the mothers life or is from incest or rape  although the Bible does not actually directly address abortion  are fine with actual, repeatedly addressed Biblical sin of adultery.

Heres just a few examples of what the Bible has to say about adultery:

Exodus 20:14: You shall not commit adultery.

Hebrews 13:4: Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.

How about this one?

Deuteronomy 22:22: If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman. So you shall purge the evil from Israel.

The Bible is VERY clear about adultery, and yet these Christian Republicans are fine with adultery with a porn star and a Playboy model.

But these same Christian Republicans are NOT okay with the one thing NOT mentioned in the Bible at all. This one, the not mentioned thing, is the thing that Christian Republicans will put womens and girls lives at risk over because they feel so strongly about it.

Here they are, led by Speaker Mike Johnson (whose son has had to monitor his porn use), who believes God chose him for this moment:

The common thread is that in both cases, these Christian Republicans side with men against women. Its safe to guess they would not be standing by a woman who cheated multiple times on her husband, weeks after the birth of their child.

But here they are just helping a friend  An excuse so flimsy it brings to mind parents asking their children if they would jump off of a bridge just because our friends did. Are these grown men so spineless? Do they have no values above their own ambition?

Lets hand it to Fox News for asking a member of the party of forced birthers why they are supporting a man who had an affair with a porn star weeks after his wife gave birth. Women voters deserve to hear the answer to this question, because it goes right to the heart of how Republicans see women.
Since March, there have been more than 150 physical threats against judges in Trump cases, according to a Reuters special report filed Tuesday.

The rhetoric is inspiring widespread calls for violence. In a review of commenters posts on three pro-Trump websites, including the former presidents own Truth Social platform, Reuters documented more than 150 posts since March 1 that called for physical violence against the judges handling three of his highest-profile cases  two state judges in Manhattan and one in Georgia overseeing a criminal case in which Trump is accused of illegally seeking to overturn the states 2020 election results, Peter Eisler, Ned Park and Joseph Tanfani reported for Reuters.

When Donald Trump attacks the integrity of judges hearing cases against him, his followers often respond with posts urging that the jurists be beaten, tortured and killed, they wrote, after a review of three pro-Trump websites.

The April 23 post by Trump and the menacing responses from his followers illustrate the incendiary impact of his angry and incessant broadsides against the judges handling the criminal and civil suits against him. As his presidential campaign intensifies, Trump has baselessly cast the judges and prosecutors in his trials as corrupt puppets of the Biden administration, bent on torpedoing his White House bid.

It is not s a surprise that the man who incited a deadly insurrection against his own country is also inciting physical threats against the judges who are in charge of three of his high profile cases, two in Manhattan and one in Georgia.

Indeed, Reuters spoke to former New York City Police Department director of intelligence analysis Mitch Silber, who drew a comparison between the Trump supporters who are today calling for violence against judges to the 1/6 insurrectionists who followed what they saw as Trumps marching orders.

This is just the 2023-2024 iteration of that phenomenon, Silber said. Articulating these ideas is the first step along the pathway of mobilizing to violence.

This is one reason why responsible social media platforms should not tolerate calls for violence and the language that supports it.

The Reuters report mentions that these physical threats are woven into a fabric of larger pool of hundreds identified by Reuters that used hostile, menacing and, in some cases, racist or sexualized language to attack the judges.

Its again not a surprise that some people who use racist and sexist language can be radicalized into violence; in fact, othering people has long been a way for elites like Donald Trump to get the masses to ignore what he isnt doing for them, and instead be willing to trash their own lives at times to serve him.

While many lawyers and pundits disagree that the guardrails are not holding, this special report by Reuters furthers the appearance that the U.S. judicial system is biased for wealthy white men. No poor white or Black person could get away with a sustained attack on judges, witnesses, juries, and more. The fact that Donald Trump is still able to incite his followers is dangerous for everyone in America, except apparently the people who tell us how much faith they have in the U.S. judicial system.

The system is failing to hold the Republican ex-president accountable. The law is not being applied fairly or even in a manner remotely suggestive of equality.

Donald Trump operates like a mob boss, using intimidation and threats to achieve his goals. His followers intuitively understand what hes asking them to do on his behalf and some of them act on it. In politics, we call using violence or threats of violence to achieve a political goal terrorism.

Director Wray labeled 1/6 domestic terrorism.

The MAGA movement can operate at times like a terror cell, and tolerating that is not how we keep a democracy. For every pundit who says the legal system shouldnt be pursuing Trump because instead he should be defeated at the ballot box: Trump was already defeated at the ballot box in 2020. He then tried to steal the election after the insurrection didnt work.

The legal system needs to step up to hold Trump accountable for inciting his followers.
Staple cast members of the Bravo reality show Vanderpump Rules, Stassi Schroeder and Kristen Doute, have been fired from the show.

The firings are a result of accusations of racism from fellow cast mate Faith Stowers, who hasnt appeared on the show for several seasons. According to CNN, New cast members Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni were also let go, after racist tweets from their past recirculated.

Stowers discussed her former cast mates racist behavior on Instagram Live last week, saying that Doute and Schroeder tried to get her arrested.There was this article on Daily Mail where there was an African American lady, Stowers said. It was a weird photo, so she looked very light-skinned and had these different, weird tattoos. They showcased her, and I guess this woman was robbing people. And they called the cops and said it was me. This is like, a true story. I heard this from actually Stassi during an interview.

Indeed, Schroeder discussed the incident on her podcast B*tch Bible, confirming that she had called the police in an attempt to get Stowers arrested. Additionally, Doute tweeted a link to the Daily Mail article about the alleged thief, saying, hey tweeties, doesnt this ex #pumprules thief look familiar? someone put her on mtv & gave her a platform for press. I didnt wanna go there but Im going there. This incident isnt the only time Schroeder has revealed herself to be racially insensitive. On her podcast Straight Up With Stassi, Schroeder once said, Why is it always just about the African Americans? she asked. Its always just that and then whenever they get upset, everybody has to go above and beyond to make them happy.

Now, in wake of the police murder of George Floyd and the resulting worldwide reckoning with Americas racist institutions, Stowers story and Schroeders past comments have gone viral, enraging fans. As a result, Schroeder was dropped by her agent and publicist, according to Variety.

Both Doute and Schroeder have attempted to apologize on Instagram.

Bravo and Evolution Media confirmed today that Stassi Schroeder, Kristen Doute, Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni will not be returning to Vanderpump Rules,' a Bravo spokesperson told CNN.
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Arden Hospice is proud to announce its recent acquisition of Mid-Delta Home Health, a 40+ year family-owned, Mississippi business covering predominantly the Mississippi Delta and surrounding areas.HATTIESBURG, MS / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / In the fall of 2023, Mississippi-based Arden Hospice opened its doors to Mississippi residents to address the growing need for exceptional end-of-life care and to provide quality career opportunities for Mississippians. As the demand for both continues to grow, Arden is committed to expanding its efforts and investing in its workforce to better serve the needs of patients and their families throughout the state.Arden Home Health & Hospice Arden Home Health & Hospice Acquires Mid-Delta Home HealthWith this in mind, Arden Hospice is proud to announce its recent acquisition of Mid-Delta Home Health, a 40+ year family-owned, Mississippi business covering predominantly the Mississippi Delta and surrounding areas. As of May 1, 2024, Arden is now the largest home health and hospice company that is proudly owned, headquartered, and operating in the State of Mississippi.Arden extends its invitation to all professionals in this new area interested in joining its "A-Team" to visit the company's website at https://ardencares.com/careers . With award-winning care now covering most of Mississippi, there are great career opportunities at Arden Home Health & Hospice.ABOUT ARDENArden Home Health and Hospice, founded and headquartered in Hattiesburg, MS, is dedicated to delivering premium home health and hospice services tailored to individuals across the state, with a special emphasis on serving rural communities. The Arden "A-Team" is a team of experienced, compassionate healthcare professionals who are committed to establishing a benchmark of care that not only surpasses expectations but also addresses patient's needs comprehensively and with genuine kindness. Connect with Arden today at https://ardencares.com or call (855) ARDEN4U.MEDIA CONTACT:Jennifer Payne(855) 273-3648 (ARDEN4U) jpayne@ payneco.com Contact InformationJennifer PayneMarketing Managerjpayne@ payneco.com 855-273-3648SOURCE: Arden Home Health & HospiceView the original press release on newswire.com
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Third Major Release in 2024 Marks Dramatic Improvements In Indoor Navigation & MappingTORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / ARway.ai ("ARway" or the "Company") (CSE:ARWY)(OTCQB:ARWYF)(FSE:E65) is an AI powered Augmented Reality Experience platform with a disruptive no-code, no beacon spatial computing solution enabled by visual marker tracking with centimeter precision is pleased to announce the launch of ARway V3.1, a major update to its spatial computing platform providing augmented reality navigation and immersive experiences. The new V3.1 technology updates and features include major improvements to the range and accuracy of AR experiences across large scale venues and increased speed of deployment of AR indoor navigation experiences. The company believes these major improvements will drive additional revenue and additional global deployments ARway.ai currently has over 5000+ total accounts, with 5400+ maps created and 60+ pilots and trials. Demand for ARway is accelerating in from around the world for various use-cases and industries looking to leverage the Company's augmented reality and spatial computing technology.Watch a video of the new technology and features in V3.1click hereKey Highlights of ARway V3.1: Increased Range of AR Tracking & Navigation : ARway V3.1 introduces new navigation styles, built to support diverse environments, enhancing the user experience in both expansive and confined spaces to serve ARway's customer base in shopping malls, airports, universities, hospitals, and corporate campuses. This new feature supports navigation range up to 600 meters after a single marker scan, ensuring precise guidance over long distances. V3.1 also includes improved route guidance, automatically redirecting users back to correct routes if they stray, thus maintaining engagement and ensuring a smooth navigation experience.Mini Map Navigation : The new Mini Map feature offers a real-time preview of the navigation route, displayed below the AR navigator for improved Visitor orientation. This ensures continuous guidance, even when the AR path is obstructed, enhancing the overall navigational efficiency. Updated visitor onboarding processes and dynamic UI adjustments for the 2D map improve the experience of first time end-users of Augmented Reality.Network Failure Back-up Flow : ARway Creators can now resume the map setup process seamlessly after network interruptions, thanks to new APIs that maintain progress during unstable connections, ensuring reliability and continuity.Web Studio 3D Map UX Upgrades : ARway V3.1 also brings significant upgrades to the Web Studio, including a Color-Changing Path Guide for precise path alignment and new controls for easier map editing. The addition of the 3D Map Navigator allows users to view and edit specific map sections with ease across large venues over 1,000,000 square feet.The impact of ARway V3.1 extends beyond the platform itself, offering unprecedented opportunities for scaling location-based AR deployments at scale. These new features unlock new possibilities for creating more compelling, customized AR experiences, fostering new business opportunities, and driving growth in the global Indoor Positioning and Navigation market.Sign up for Investor News - HERETo learn more about ARway, please follow on Social Media: Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook, and visit our website: www.arway.ai Recent News ARway.ai The Spatial Computing Company Launches Apple Vision Pro Compatibility and Early Access for ARwayKit SDK ARway.ai The Spatial Computing Platform to Present at Small-Cap Growth Virtual Investor Conference February 7th ARway.ai The Spatial Computing Platform Signs New Deal with Saudi Arabian Agency for AR Navigation ARway.ai Announces Localiza Rent a Car Extends Its Contract After Its Successful Airport Deployment of AR Navigation ARway.ai's Spatial Computing Platform Continues to See Increased Demand Ahead of Apple Vision Pro Release, Signs New Deal with F3 GeomaticAbout ARway.ai ARway.ai (CSE:ARWY)(OTCQB:ARWYF)(FSE:E65) is a spatial computing platform powered by artificial intelligence (AI) providing an array of augmented reality (AR) experiences for indoor spaces. ARway's breakthrough no-code no-beacon IPN allows for the easy creation of navigation, tours, information sharing, notifications, advertising and gamification. ARway works seamlessly as a cross platform solution on iOS/ Android. ARway's technology is optimized for both mobile devices and AR glasses: Apple's Vision Pro, Magic Leap and Microsoft's HoloLens. ARway has unlimited use cases for augmenting physical spaces, making it a valuable tool for creators, brands and companies in various industries. The complete ARway platform includes: the Web Creator Studio, the ARwayKit Software Development Kit (SDK) and a mobile app for iOs and Android.Nextech 3D.ai On October 26, 2022, ARway.ai . was spun-out from its parent Company, Nextech3D.ai (OTCQX:NEXCF)(CSE:NTAR)(FSE:1SS). Nextech retained a control ownership in ARway.ai . with 13 million shares, or a 50% stake. Nextech3D.ai is a Generative AI powered 3D modeling Company and leading provider of augmented reality ("AR") experience technologies and 3D model services. Nextech's AI-powered 3D modeling platform, "ARitize3D" has contracts with; AMZN, KSS, CB2, Genuine Parts & many others. To learn more about Nextech3D.ai , visit www.nextechar.com For further information, please contact:Investor Relations Contact Julia Viola investor.relations@arway.ai ARway.ai Evan Gappelberg CEO and Director 866-ARITIZE (274-8493)Forward-looking StatementsThe 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. ARway.ai 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: ARway Corporation
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TALLAHASSEE, FL / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / Ascend Plastic Surgery Partners (Ascend), a leading network of top-tier plastic surgeons and aesthetic centers, proudly announces the addition of Tallahassee Plastic Surgery Clinic to its distinguished "club" of visionary surgeons. This partnership exemplifies Ascend's commitment to fostering a culture of continuous learning, innovation, and collaboration among the best in the field.Ascend Plastic Surgery Partners Ascend LogoDr. William Hedden, Chief Medical Officer at Ascend Plastic Surgery Partners, commented on the union, "Our connection with Dr. Larry Harper, Dr. Alfredo Paredes, and Dr. Jeffrey Rawlings is much more than a partnership; it is a fusion of shared goals and values. It's about nurturing the purpose and vision of Ascend, which focuses on innovation, excellence, and continuous professional growth. Together, we are creating an environment that not only sets new standards in patient care but also fosters a collaborative community of the foremost experts in plastic surgery." Anthony Milonas, CEO of Ascend Plastic Surgery Partners, supports this vision, stating, "We view this union not just as a merger of facilities and talents but as a harmonious alignment of missions. Dr. Harper, Dr. Paredes, and Dr. Rawlings are integral to our journey towards redefining aesthetic medicine through collective expertise and shared ambition. We are particularly grateful to Dr. Rawlings, whose long-standing contributions have been pivotal to the clinic's success and will undoubtedly enhance our collective endeavors." Dr. Larry Harper, Co-founder of Tallahassee Plastic Surgery Clinic, expressed his enthusiasm, "Joining Ascend feels like becoming a part of a family that is dedicated to achieving optimal results while continuing to advance in the plastic surgery arena. This collaboration allows us to share insights and techniques that are vital for excelling our practice and enhancing patient outcomes." Dr. Alfredo Paredes, Co-founder of Tallahassee Plastic Surgery Clinic, added, "This union with Ascend Plastic Surgery Partners marks a significant milestone in our commitment to excellence and innovation in the field of aesthetic medicine. We are excited to contribute to and grow with this network of distinguished professionals." Ascend Plastic Surgery Partners continues to expand and is keen on welcoming additional plastic surgeons who are passionate about innovation and excellence to join its growing network. This union with Tallahassee Plastic Surgery Clinic is a testament to Ascend's dedication to enhancing the scope and quality of aesthetic care through a supportive and dynamic community.Tallahassee Plastic Surgery Clinic was advised by Physician Growth Partners. Ascend Plastic Surgery Partners was advised by McDermott, Will & Emery and Berkley Research Group.About Tallahassee Plastic Surgery Clinic: Tallahassee Plastic Surgery Clinic was founded by Dr. Larry Harper and Dr. Alfredo Paredes, and with the significant contributions of Dr. Jeffrey Rawlings, Tallahassee Plastic Surgery Clinic is a beacon of excellence and innovation in aesthetic and reconstructive surgery, enhancing patient experiences through expert care and advanced technology. For more information, visit: www.tlhplasticsurgery.com About Ascend Plastic Surgery Partners: Ascend Plastic Surgery Partners is dedicated to creating an elite network of plastic surgeons committed to continuous learning and mutual collaboration. By integrating top-tier surgical skills with cutting-edge aesthetic centers, Ascend fosters a community where innovation and expertise lead the way in delivering the highest standards of patient care. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Ascend Plastic Surgery Partners is at the forefront of the aesthetic medicine industry, committed to providing exceptional patient care and advancing the field through innovation and expertise. Led by CEO, Anthony Milonas and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. William Hedden, Ascend is dedicated to elevating the standard of care in plastic and cosmetic surgery. For more information, visit www.ascendpsp.com For Media inquiries and additional information, please contact: Lori Moonen, Creative Spark Marketing, Lori@ CreativeSparkJax.com Contact InformationLori MoonenMarketing Agencylori@ creativesparkjax.com 9042287318Related FilesAscend Plastic Surgery Partners Aquires Tallahassee Plastic Surgery Clinic 5.14.24Related ImagesAscend Plastic Surgery Partners Ascend Logo Tallahassee Plastic Surgery Clinic TPSC Logo SOURCE: Ascend Plastic Surgery PartnersView the original press release on newswire.com
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The planned close to 6,000 sqft facility at Royal Square in Novena is expected to commence operations by November 2024 and will nearly double AsiaMedics diagnostic imaging capacity.AsiaMedics continued capacity expansion follows three consecutive years of revenue growth which reached a record high for FY2023.SINGAPORE, May 14, 2024 - (ACN Newswire) - SGX Catalist-listed AsiaMedic Limited (the Company and together with its subsidiaries, the Group) announced that the Companys wholly-owned subsidiary, AMC Healthcare Pte. Ltd (AMC), has entered into a shareholders agreement with Sunway Equity Holdings Pte. Ltd. (SEH) to set up and operate a new medical diagnostics imaging centre in Novena, Singapore.AMC and SEH will establish AsiaMedic Sunway Pte. Ltd. to operate the new centre in Novena, which will provide a comprehensive range of general imaging as well as sub-specialised fields of radiology imaging such as computed tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans using the latest equipment.Mr Arifin Kwek, Chief Executive Officer of AsiaMedic Limited, said, The partnership with Sunway presents an opportunity for expansion of the Groups diagnostic imaging business into Novena, which is a significant healthcare and medical services hub in Singapore. This will greatly complement the Groups existing integrated medical centre at Orchard Road and enable us to serve more patients with greater convenience. The new diagnostic imaging centre will offer the same cutting-edge imaging services as the Groups flagship centre at Orchard Road, which significantly expanded its capacity in September 2023 by being the first in Asia Pacific to operate the SIGNA Hero 3T MRI scanner. Once completed, the new centre in Novena will nearly double the Groups diagnostic imaging capacity.In FY2023, diagnostic imaging and radiology services revenue increased by 72% and contributed nearly 50% of Group revenue. Demand for the Groups services remained strong across the entire spectrum of healthcare providers with an increase in referrals from clinics and hospitals.Ms Sarena Cheah, Executive Director of Sunway Berhad, said, We are confident in the long-term prospects of our partnership as AsiaMedic has a trusted track record and aptitude in providing tailored offerings to its patients. In addition, the new diagnostic imaging centres strategic location and close proximity to other healthcare providers will position us as the preferred choice for patients. This partnership will offer strategic benefits to Sunway and enhance our existing healthcare ecosystem. SEH is wholly-owned by Sunway City Sdn Bhd which in turn is wholly-owned by Sunway Berhad, one of Southeast Asias most prominent conglomerates and one of the leading private healthcare groups in Malaysia.AsiaMedic continues to invest in the latest technology to enhance the patient experience and maintain its position as a preferred provider of diagnostic imaging radiology services. In March 2024, the Group became the first in Singapore to install the latest Revolution Apex Elite CT scanner. The Group will also continue to explore potential opportunities for further expansion and long-term growth.This press release should be read in conjunction with the announcement uploaded on SGXNet.For media and analysts queries, please contact:Waterbrooks ConsultantsWayne KooT: (65) 9338 8166E: wayne.koo@waterbrooks.com.sg About AsiaMedic LimitedAsiaMedic Limited together with its subsidiaries (AsiaMedic or the Group) is a leading healthcare provider in Singapore which provides holistic solutions through integrated application of the latest medical technologies to prevent and detect early illnesses to achieve positive experiences and clinical outcomes for patients.The Group is committed to helping clients through practical and personalised solutions delivered with the highest professional standards of service and expertise in a timely, safe and consistent manner. Conveniently located at Orchard Road, AsiaMedic is a preferred one-stop centre for:Diagnostic imaging and radiology servicesMedical wellness and health screening servicesPrimary healthcare servicesMedical aesthetic services and productsFor more information, please visit www.asiamedic.com.sg
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 16:01:35

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PARKER, CO / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / BIOZONE, a leader in science education resources, is thrilled to announce the release of the third edition of IB Biology, expertly tailored for the latest IB Biology Diploma program (first assessed in 2025).BIOZONE IB Biology BIOZONE Corporation's IB Biology textbook and digital bookThis significantly upgraded, cutting-edge edition has evolved an already great resource into a full textbook replacement - but with so much more.Spanning 600+ pages, it seamlessly integrates standard level (SL) and higher level (HL) material, ensuring a cohesive delivery of the IB Biology program.Now in full color, this 3-in-1 hybrid worktext resource combines the very best of a visually engaging textbook featuring an infographic style, with the function of a study guide, and the utility of a workbook - that forms a student's "record of work." Karim Sumar of the UK reviewed the IB Biology, third edition and expressed, "I salute you all for this amazing book. I've seen a brief preview (thank you Biozone) and the colorful representations to illustrate some of the biological concepts are brilliant. e.g. when you look at Biological Molecules, some of the drawings and live photos are stunning and the text is beautifully written by the authors. Good pertinent test questions after every chapter - nice one! Well done everyone at Biozone in making Biology such an interesting topic!"Features That Shine:Full color for a visually stunning experience Clear chapter introductions and focused activities Key ideas that provide a focus point for each activity Numerous data-driven activities that provide students with excellent examples of real-world scientific investigations QR codes linking to interactive 3D models for an immersive experience Specifically designed summative assessments for a comprehensive reviewStandard level (SL) and higher level (HL) materialView BIOZONE's brand-new IB Biology title as aFREE FULL PREVIEW .Take a look at how our approach will improve your classroom and improve students' engagement and learning throughout the course.About BIOZONE: BIOZONE International is a world leader in delivering cutting-edge high-quality student instructional materials and teacher resources for high school sciences (grades 9-12).With a 30-year presence in the United States, New Zealand, Australia, and United Kingdom, along with a global footprint of dedicated educators, we possess an absolute passion for next-generation science.BIOZONE is committed to continually revising and improving resources to stay current and relevant. The company values teacher feedback and remains easily accessible through phone or email.For more information:BIOZONE WORLDAdditional products in BIOZONE's Range:AP Biology AP Environmental Science Biology Anatomy & Physiology Environmental ScienceExplore by SubjectAbout BIOZONE Corporation With over 30 years of experience, BIOZONE is a pioneer in developing engaging and effective science teaching and learning resources. BIOZONE's suite of resources features well-designed compact lessons that engage and challenge students.Contact Information Kimberly StilwellDirector of Sales & Marketing (North America) kimberly.stilwell@biozone.com 855-935-4555SOURCE: BIOZONE CorporationView the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 14:35:30

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STOKHOLM, SE / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / Storytel AB (publ) (STO:STORY B) The Annual General Meeting ("AGM") of Storytel AB (publ) ("Storytel" or the "Company") was held today on May 14, 2024, where the following resolutions were passed by the shareholders.Adoption of the income statement and the balance sheet The AGM resolved to adopt the income statement and the balance sheet and the consolidated income statement and the consolidated balance sheet.Allocation of profit The AGM resolved that all funds available for the AGM shall be carried forward.Discharge of liability The Board of Directors and the CEO were discharged from liability for the financial year 2023.Election of the Board of Directors, auditor and remuneration The AGM resolved, in accordance with the Nomination Committee's proposal, that the Board of Directors shall consist of eight directors and that the number of auditors shall be one registered audit firm.It was further resolved, in accordance with the Nomination Committee's proposal, that the remuneration to directors, shall be 3,840,000 SEK in total, including remuneration for committee work, to be paid in the following amounts:270,000 SEK for each of the non-employed directors, 800,000 SEK to the Chair; 100,000 SEK for each member of the Audit Committee and 225,000 SEK to the Chair of the committee; 75,000 SEK for each member of the Remuneration Committee and 175,000 SEK to the Chair of the committee; and 75,000 SEK for each member of the Strategy Committee and 175,000 SEK to the Chair of the committee.Remuneration to the auditor is to be paid according to approved invoice.In accordance with the Nomination Committee's proposal, Alexander Lindholm, Joakim Rubin, Jonas Sjogren and Jonas Tellander were re-elected as Directors of the Board. Helene Barnekow, Ulrika Danielsson, Filippa Wallestam and Erik Tiden were elected as new directors of the Board. Helene Barnekow was elected as new Chair of the Board of Directors.Ernst & Young Aktiebolag was re-elected as the Company auditor. Ernst & Young Aktiebolag has announced that the authorized accountant Johan Holmberg will continue to be the auditor in charge.Adoption of principles for the nomination committee The AGM resolved, in accordance with the Nomination Committee's proposal, to adopt principles for the nomination committee, which shall have effect until any changes are decided by the General Meeting.Authorisation for the board to issue shares, convertibles and/or warrants The AGM resolved, in accordance with the Board of Directors' proposal, to authorize the Board of Directors until the next AGM, on one or more occasions, with or without preferential rights for shareholders, to issue in total a maximum of shares, regardless of share class, warrants and/or convertibles, with the right to subscribe and convert to the respective share class in the Company, corresponding to not more than 10 percent of the share capital of the Company based on the number of shares at the time when the authorization is used for the first time.Amendment to the long-term incentive program 2023/2027 The AGM resolved, in accordance with the Board of Directors' proposal, to amend the performance based Restricted Stock Unit (" RSU ") program for the Senior Executives and other Key Persons at Storytel, resolved by the Annual General Meeting 2024 (" LTIP 2023/2027 "), and give the Board the possibility to allocate not yet allocated share rights in LTIP 2023/2027 also during 2024. The RSUs are allotted to the participant free of charge and entitle the holder to shares of series B in the Company.The RSUs vest over three years, from the date of allotment to 31 May 2027. The RSUs have a one-year cliff vesting of 25 percent on 31 May 2025. Thereafter, the RSUs vests linearly by each quarter during two years. Allocation of RSUs in accordance with this decision assumes that the person to whom the RSUs are allocated has not previously been allocated RSUs in LTIP 2023/2027.The resolution covers a maximum of 377,543 RSUs (which constitutes 15 percent of the total number of RSUs in LTIP 2023/2027) and a maximum of 11 participants but implies no further dilution for existing shareholders, or additional costs for Storytel, beyond what is communicated in the notice for the Annual General Meeting 2023.FNCA Sweden AB is the Company's Certified Adviser.For more information, please contact: Mattias Frithiof, Head of Investor Relations, Storytel GroupTel: +46 76 535 26 74Email: mattias.frithiof@storytel.com Malin Lindborn, Head of Communications, Storytel GroupTel: +46 735 33 17 70Email: malin.lindborn@storytel.com About Storytel Storytel is one of the world's largest audiobook and e-book streaming services and offers more than one million titles on a global scale. Our vision is to make the world a more empathetic and creative place, with great stories to be shared and enjoyed by anyone, anywhere and anytime.The streaming business within the Storytel Group is conducted under the brands Storytel, Mofibo and Audiobooks.com . The publishing business is managed by Storytel Books, and by the audiobook publisher StorySide. The Storytel Group operates in over 25 markets, with a focus on ten core markets: the five Nordic countries, the Netherlands, Turkey, Poland, Bulgaria, and the USA. The headquarters are located in Stockholm, Sweden.AttachmentsBulletin from Storytel Group's Annual General Meeting 2024SOURCE: Storytel AB (publ)
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 15:00:45

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BERWYN, PA / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / Chilean Cobalt Corp. (OTCQB:COBA) ("C3" or the "Company"), a US-based and US-listed critical minerals exploration and development company focused on the La Cobaltera, cobalt-copper project is pleased to announce the creation of the Advisory Board, which will advise C3's Board of Directors and Management Team on issues related to their respective areas of expertise. Concurrent with this, C3 has appointed three new Advisors to its team: Stephanie Ashton, an experienced mining entrepreneur and corporate advisor with global experience, including focus on Chile; Matt Korot, an environmental and sustainability expert with focus on waste management and responsible project management; and Michael Zehr, a government affairs strategist and consultant with focus on energy and critical minerals issues.About Stephanie AshtonMs. Ashton has over 27 years in exploration and development of mining projects in North America, Latin America, Central Asia & Eastern Europe. She has performed key roles as co-founder, shareholder, and in the business development and financing of a dozen junior exploration companies, one diamond drilling services company (Chile/Argentina), and a Santiago-based law firm specialized in natural resources. She has served on boards of junior mining companies, has an extensive network in the mineral sector, which includes technical people, service providers, projects, and financing sources. She was a regular contributor to the magazine, Mineria Chilena between 2009-2015. Her experience, entrepreneurial drive, and ability to communicate fluently in Spanish, French, and English are highly valued as an Advisor. She holds a Graduate Diploma in Mineral Economics from the Universidad de Chile, a Diploma in International Legal and Tax Strategy from HEC Paris, and a BSc in International Business from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.About Matt KorotMatt Korot brings 30 years of experience in the sustainability field, primarily leading high-visibility and customer-oriented programs for the public sector. His deepest areas of expertise are in waste management and the circular economy, and he has also led programs for business and government operations to advance water conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy use. He is versed in issues of social sustainability, such as living wages and benefits, and workforce equity for underrepresented communities. Matt has extensive experience collaborating with the private sector, from small businesses to the largest waste management companies in the US. He's formed funding partnerships with utilities and state government agencies, managed an EPA-funded technical assistance program, and created and implemented an environmental and social equity-oriented grant program. He's a former board member of SOLVE, one of the most well-known environmental and community involvement organizations in Oregon. Matt holds an MA from The George Washington University and a BA from McGill University.About Michael ZehrMichael Zehr is the founder of Capital City Ventures, a Washington, DC based strategic consulting firm that provides business development and public affairs services for companies operating in the energy sector. Zehr has over two decades of experience working as a senior policy and government affairs advisor providing guidance and counsel to elected officials, trade associations, and businesses. He works with clients to provide legislative and regulatory monitoring, strategic guidance on engagement, and development of beneficial partnerships to advance clients' interests. Prior to working in the private sector, Zehr served as a senior policy advisor in the U.S. Senate, where he served on the staffs of four U.S. Senators, including U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. A procedural and legislative strategist, Michael specializes in developing legislative proposals and advocacy plans dealing with complicated and politically sensitive initiatives. Zehr holds a Master of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College, a Master of Science degree in Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Virginia.This press release does not constitute an offer or sale of, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, securities of the Company nor shall there be any sale of any securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.About Chilean Cobalt Corp.Chilean Cobalt Corp. ("C3") is a US-based and US-listed critical minerals exploration and development company focused on the La Cobaltera, cobalt-copper project, located in the past-producing San Juan District in northern Chile, one of the world's few primary cobalt districts known globally. C3 has a deliberate focus on building a dynamic and sustainable business with an emphasis on applying leading environmental stewardship, social engagement, and corporate governance practices to its strategy.Safe Harbor StatementThis news release contains statements that involve expectations, plans or intentions (such as those relating to future business or financial results) and other factors discussed from time to time in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. These statements are forward-looking and are subject to risks and uncertainties, so actual results may vary materially. You can identify these forward-looking statements by words such as "may," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "intend," "plan" and other similar expressions. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors not within the control of the company. The company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The company disclaims any obligation subsequently to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.CONTACTS:Chilean Cobalt Corp.Duncan T. BlountChairman & CEO Duncan.Blount@chileancobaltcorp.com SOURCE: Chilean Cobalt Corp.
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 17:32:30

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STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / AlzeCure Pharma (STO:ALZCUR)(FRA:AC6) Today, 14 May 2024, the annual general meeting was held in AlzeCure Pharma AB (publ) (the "Company"). Below is a summary of the resolutions made. All resolutions were passed with the required majority.Resolution regarding the adoption of the accounts and allocation of the Company's result The annual general meeting resolved to adopt the profit and loss statement and the balance sheet. The annual general meeting also resolved to allocate the Company's result in accordance with the board of directors' and the CEO's proposal, meaning that no dividend is paid to the shareholders, and that available funds are carried forward.Discharge from liability for the members of the board of directors and the managing director The annual general meeting resolved to grant discharge from liability to the members of the board of directors and the managing director for the financial year 2023.Election of and remuneration to the board of directors and the auditor The annual general meeting resolved, in accordance with the nomination committees' proposal, on re-election of Thomas Pollare, Ragnar Linder, Janet Hoogstraate och Eva Lilienberg, and to elect Jan Lundberg as a new ordinary members of the board of directors. Thomas Pollare was re-elected as chairman of the board of directors.Jan Lundberg has more than 25 years of experience in senior positions in global pharmaceutical companies, including as Global Head of Research at Astra and then AstraZeneca (1996-2009) and Global Head of Research and Development at Eli Lilly (2010-2018). He has led the development of more than 200 pharmaceutical candidates, with 30 approved products in several therapeutic areas, including Alzheimer's and pain. Jan Lundberg holds a PhD in pharmacology from Karolinska Institutet, and has taught as a professor. His research has resulted in over 500 published articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and he is an honorary doctor at the Faculty of Pharmacology at Uppsala University and has received both the Fernstrom and Jahre Prize. Over the years he has also been active in several international regulatory committees. Currently, Mr Lundberg is a board member of four different pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.The annual general meeting further resolved that the remuneration to the board of directors shall be SEK 250,000 to the chairman and SEK 125,000 to each of the other board members who are not employed by the Company.The annual general meeting also resolved to, in accordance with the nomination committees proposal, re-elect Grant Thornton AB as auditor and that the auditor shall be paid according to approved invoice. Grant Thornton AB has announced that the certified accountant Camilla Nilsson will be the auditor in charge.Resolution on the approval of the remuneration report The annual general meeting resolved to approve the board of director's remuneration report in accordance with Chapter 8, Section 53 a of the Swedish Companies Act.Resolution to amend the Articles of Association The annual general meeting resolved, in accordance with the Board's proposal, to amend the Articles of Association. The amendment inserts a new  10, which enables the Board of Directors to decide that the General Meeting shall be held digitally.Resolution on guidelines for remuneration of persons discharging managerial responsibility The annual general meeting resolved, in accordance with the board of directors' proposal, to adopt the guidelines for persons discharging managerial responsibility to apply until the annual general meeting of 2028 at the latest. In summary, the guidelines concern the terms of employment for the CEO and other senior executives. The guidelines shall apply to remuneration agreed after the adoption of the guidelines by the 2024 annual general meeting. The guidelines do not cover remuneration decided by the AGM. The following are the main elements of the Guidelines:The guidelines shall promote the Company's business strategy and long-term interests and sustainability and provide the Company with the conditions to recruit and retain qualified employees. Remuneration to persons discharging managerial responsibility consist of a fixed, and for certain senior executives, variable salary, other benefits and pension. The base salary shall be proportionate to the executive's skills, responsibilities, authority and performance. A review of the fixed salary shall be conducted on an annual basis for each calendar year. The variable remuneration shall not exceed an amount equivalent to six months' salary for each executive. The annual variable remuneration is based on performance in relation to individually defined qualitative and quantitative measures and performance of the Company in relation to targets set by the Board of Directors. The performance criteria set shall be established and documented annually. Other benefits for the Company consist of customary benefits according to local practice. Such other benefits may include, for example, medical insurance. The pension terms for persons discharging managerial responsibility shall be in line with the market in relation to what generally applies to corresponding executives in the market. The pension shall be based on defined contribution pension solutions or be covered by the general pension plan, either through the ITP plan or through individual occupational pension insurance within the framework of the ITP. Pensionable salary consists solely of basic salary. No severance benefits are paid. Apart from what follows from employment contracts as described above, the senior executives are not entitled to any benefits after termination of employment/assignment. The Board of Directors may decide to temporarily deviate from the guidelines, in whole or in part, if there are special reasons for this in an individual case and a deviation is necessary to meet the Company's long-term interests, including its sustainability, or to ensure the Company's financial viability. Special reasons may also include, for example, that a deviation is deemed necessary in order to recruit or retain key personnel or in extraordinary circumstances such as the Company achieving a certain desired result in a shorter time than planned. Authorisation for the board of directors to resolve on new issues The annual general meeting resolved, in accordance with the board of directors' proposal, to authorise the board of directors, on one or more occasions during the period until the next annual general meeting, with or without deviation from the shareholders' pre-emptive right, to resolve on new issues of shares, warrants and/or convertibles that means issuing, subscribing to or converting a number of shares cor
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 18:33:17

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PHOENIX, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / ArmorPoint, a leader in innovative cybersecurity solutions, announced today that CRN , a brand of The Channel Company, has named Emi Yokose, Partner Enablement Program Manager, to the Women of the Channel list for 2024.Every year, CRN highlights women from vendor, distributor, and solution provider organizations whose vision and leadership have a beneficial influence on the technology industry. The CRN 2024 Women of the Channel honorees are creative, strategic leaders who show ongoing commitment to using their skills to innovate and drive success for their partners and customers.With this recognition, CRN honors these women leaders for their unwavering dedication and commitment to furthering channel excellence.Emi Yokose brings over a decade of invaluable experience in sales enablement to her role as Partner Enablement Program Manager at ArmorPoint. Throughout her career, Yokose has consistently demonstrated her expertise in crafting and implementing effective strategies that empower partners to excel in their respective industries. Her deep understanding of the industry dynamics, coupled with her innovative approach, has been instrumental in driving partner success and fostering mutually beneficial relationships.As the driving force behind ArmorPoint's partner enablement initiatives, Yokose recently spearheaded the launch of an all-new partner portal. This new enablement platform better equips partners with the tools and resources they need to navigate the market landscape confidently, accelerate their go-to-market strategies, and ultimately, drive revenue growth. Yokose's leadership and dedication to enhancing partner capabilities have positioned ArmorPoint's channel program for sustained success in an increasingly competitive market. Notably, her efforts played a pivotal role in ArmorPoint's partner program being recognized by CRN with its prestigious 5-Star Award in its 2024 Partner Program Guide, further solidifying ArmorPoint's commitment to excellence in channel engagement and support."It is a great privilege to honor the remarkable achievements of these women leaders in the IT channel," said Jennifer Follett, VP, U.S. Content and Executive Editor, CRN at The Channel Company. "Each woman on the list has demonstrated a deep commitment to innovation and leadership that advances their organizations and drives transformation and success across the IT channel." Ashley Capps, Chief Marketing Officer at ArmorPoint, expressed her pride in Yokose's accomplishments, stating, "Emi's recognition by CRN as one of the Women of the Channel is a testament to her exceptional leadership and contributions to our organization. Her relentless focus on empowering our partners and driving channel success has been instrumental in ArmorPoint's growth and market leadership. We congratulate Emi on this well-deserved honor and look forward to her continued impact on our channel program." The 2024 Women of the Channel list will be featured in the June issue of CRN Magazine, with online coverage starting May 13 at www.CRN.com/WOTC About ArmorPointArmorPoint, LLC provides proactive solutions for cyber resilience, not just reactive tools. Specializing in integrated cybersecurity program management, ArmorPoint delivers deep expertise fused with our innovative technology to continuously assess and mature your security posture, transforming cybersecurity from a defensive necessity to a strategic asset driving competitive advantage. To learn more, visit armorpoint.com About The Channel CompanyThe 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 solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com Follow The Channel Company: X and LinkedIn 2024. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, Inc. All rights reserved.The Channel Company Contact:Kristin DaSilvaThe Channel Company kdasilva@ thechannelcompany.com ArmorPoint Media Contact:Ashley CappsChief Marketing Officer, ArmorPoint acapps@ armorpoint.com Contact InformationAshley CappsChief Marketing Officeracapps@ armorpoint.com (602) 282-3090SOURCE: ArmorPointView the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 15:02:03

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Latest MLS partnership brings CubiCasa's easy to use scanning app to more than 26,000 agents throughout ColoradoSAN JOSE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / CubiCasa , the global leader of interior property data mapping through simple smartphone scanning, today announced its new partnership withREcolorado , a premier multiple listing service (MLS) provider serving more than 26,000 agents, brokers, appraisers and real estate professionals. This collaboration aims to increase adoption of floor plans on listings, bringing additional insights to brokers and agents that they can use to serve their clients.As part of the partnership, CubiCasa will provide REcolorado subscribers with free access to its innovative floor plan creation tools, as well as access through CubiCasa's growing roster of more than 300 Denver-area photographers who are already using CubiCasa daily. This addition to REcolorado's suite of services will empower agents to create more compelling listings and provide enhanced experiences for homebuyers and sellers.REcolorado is the largest broker-to-broker network in the state, facilitating more than 76% of Colorado's residential real estate transactions."In today's market, floor plans are no longer a luxury, they are an expectation for informed buyers," saidGene Milman , president and CEO of REcolorado. "That's why we're thrilled to partner with CubiCasa to bring cutting-edge technology to Colorado real estate professionals. Floor plans not only enhance listings, but also serve as a valuable tool for agents to use with their clients. By visualizing a property, buyers can make more informed decisions about which home will best suit their needs." CubiCasa's floor plan creation tools offer a user-friendly interface and rapid turnaround times, allowing brokers and agents to create professional-quality floor plans quickly and easily through use of their mobile device. And with its recent product release, CubiCasa has also introduced robust property data and imagery outputs from the same easy scanning process. CubiCasa's MLS Partnership Program is just a little over a year old, but already has more than 50 MLSs officially signed up and participating in the program."REcolorado is an innovative MLS, and dedicated to helping make their local market operate better than ever," saidJeff Allen , President of CubiCasa. "By enhancing the coverage of floor plans on listings in their region, consumers will be far better informed, and their subscribers will have a competitive edge in the market." CubiCasa's user-friendly floor plan scanning app is readily available for download from theApp StoreandGoogle Play Store . To learn more about CubiCasa's MLS Partnership Program and how it can benefit your organization, visit https://www.cubi.casa/ ###About CubiCasaHeadquartered in Oulu, Finland, CubiCasa is the global market leader in mobile indoor scanning and is known for its fast and easy-to-use floor plan app on the App Store and Google Play Store. CubiCasa's technology is used in 172 different countries and has helped create over 1 million floor plans to date. CubiCasa provides technology for the real estate, appraisal, and mortgage industries and is on a mission to digitize real estate. Learn more at https://www.cubi.casa/ About REcoloradoREcoloradois the largest Multiple Listing Service (MLS) in Colorado with over 26,000 professional subscribers who operate throughout the state. REcolorado's vision is to empower a trusted, cooperative, and comprehensive real estate marketplace to position customers for success by providing data, technology, and intelligence. The company is REALTOR owned and serves real estate professionals including the members of Denver Metro Association of REALTORS, South Metro Denver REALTOR Association, Mountain Metro Association of REALTORS, and REALTORS of Central Colorado.Media Contact:Ross StevensCaliber Corporate Advisers for CubiCasaross@ calibercorporate.com Deborah ShipleyREcolorado Corporate Communications and Marketing dshipley@ REcolorado.com SOURCE: CubiCasa
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 11:20:12

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DND Homes, a leading $300M US developer, unveils massive 30,000+ housing project expansion in Northern Cyprus, introducing luxury living standards.BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / DND Homes, a prominent name in residential real estate development with 120 projects across Massachusetts, USA, proudly announces the establishment of DND Cyprus in Northern Cyprus. Under the leadership of founder Ozan Dokmecioglu, the company aims to transform the real estate market in the region by delivering over 30,000 housing projects in areas like Iskele, Girne, Esentepe, Gecitkale, and Yedikonuk. This ambitious endeavor exemplifies DND's commitment to enhancing construction and design standards on the island.Caption: DND Founder Ozan Dokmecioglu, TRNC President Ersin Tatar, Minister of Tourism Fikri Ataoglu, and other esteemed guests at DND Gala Dinner."At DND Homes, our goal is to lead the field in innovative residential real estate development, providing homes of unmatched quality and comfort," remarked Ozan Dokmecioglu. "We are determined to redefine industry standards by creating projects that blend luxury living with contemporary design and sustainability." Dokmecioglu, a respected executive with international experience from his tenure at Keurig Dr Pepper as CEO and CFO, envisions the development of DND Cyprus as a significant investment in Northern Cyprus.Dokmecioglu further states, "Beyond residential projects, our company is also investing heavily in the tourism sector, developing a luxury five-star hotel in Bafra, another in Yedikonuk, and a beach club in the Iskele region. These initiatives reflect the region's burgeoning reputation as a hotspot for real estate investors and expats while bolstering the local tourism industry." Regarding La Joya Resort and Residences, a cornerstone project of DND Cyprus, Dokmecioglu comments that, "We are all set to redefine luxury living in Northern Cyprus with our extremely prestigious project La Joya properties. Our company is envisioning that these developments will extend beyond luxury residences to create a vibrant, upscale community lifestyle. To be honest, featuring breathtaking landscapes, private pools, and a lively social scene, La Joya embodies the pinnacle of Mediterranean bliss." He further adds, "La Joya Resort and Residences, a 74-unit development, is scheduled for completion by late 2025. Meanwhile, La Joya Perla Resort and Residences, with 384 residences, will be delivered by the end of 2026, and La Joya Perla II Resort and Residences, featuring 128 residences, will be ready by late 2027."About DND HomesDND Homes, with assets exceeding $300 million, operates branches in Boston, USA, and Northern Cyprus. Founded by Ozan Dokmecioglu, a Turkish Cypriot, the company is dedicated to providing distinctive, aesthetically pleasing, sustainable, and high-quality living spaces. By prioritizing innovation, creativity, and excellence, DND Homes consistently seeks to elevate industry standards and enhance quality of life for its clients. DND Cyprus, a subsidiary, brings this same dedication to the Northern Cyprus market, crafting exceptional residential and tourism projects on the island.Media ContactOrganization: DND HomesContact Person: Deniz Oktay TuncayWebsite: https://dnd-homes.com Email: info@ denizoktaytuncay.com City: BostonState: MACountry: United StatesSOURCE: DND Homes
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 19:15:13

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Honolulu Electrical Engineering Firm Expands Coffman's Pacific Region CapabilitiesHONOLULU, HI / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / Coffman Engineers, Inc. (Coffman) announced today an asset purchase agreement with electrical engineering firm ECS, Inc. (ECS). Representatives from both firms signed the deal on May 8, 2024. This strategic partnership brings together the experience of both firms. Coffman welcomes ECS's two owners Michele Adolpho, PE, and Timothy Higa, PE, founder Lennox Nishimura, PE, and seven staff members to the company.ECS Joins Coffman Engineers L to R: John Thielst, SVP, Pacific Regional Manager, Coffman; Timothy Higa, PE, VP, ECS; Michele Adolpho, PE, President, ECSEstablished in 1980, ECS's legacy of electrical engineering consulting has deep roots in Hawaii and the Pacific. ECS's decision to join Coffman focuses on providing continuity of client services and long-term career opportunities for employees."Tim and I have had great long careers at ECS. This opportunity allows us to continue serving clients the way we have in addition to the added resources Coffman can provide," said Adolpho, ECS President."Coffman supports their workers, and that was important to us. We wanted to be sure our staff will have good career opportunities while allowing Michele and I to concentrate more on engineering and mentoring," said Higa, ECS Vice President.ECS and Coffman's experience and markets align, particularly in federal, education, transportation, civic, and local government. Leadership and staff across both firms have long-standing relationships and strong partnership experience. This provides a foundation for a smooth transition of projects, clients, and employees."Bringing ECS together with Coffman is like bringing together a team of good friends. Staff at both firms have worked together on projects for many years - some for over 30 years. It's an honor to welcome ECS to Coffman and continue their 44-year legacy," said John Thielst, Senior Vice President and Pacific Regional Manager for Coffman.As Coffman, ECS will continue to support clients and honor project commitments with the same staff and quality. ECS moved to Coffman's Honolulu office on May 13, 2024. Together, ECS and Coffman provide clients with increased electrical engineering capacity and capabilities in civil, structural, mechanical, and fire protection engineering. The addition of ECS expands Coffman's Pacific Regional electrical engineering group to 26 employees.See the deal fact sheet and Coffman's website for more information: https://www.coffman.com/news/ecs-joins-coffman-engineers/ About Coffman EngineersCoffman Engineers is a multidiscipline engineering consulting firm that offers clients local, personalized services by integrating many disciplines including civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, fire protection, and other specialties. Coffman has 800+ employees in 21 offices across the U.S. committed to the team effort it takes to build a better world. This year, Coffman is celebrating 45 years in business. Visit coffman.com or connect with us on social media.For more information about this topic, please call Beth Shimogawa at 808.687.8884 or email beth.shimogawa@coffman.com Contact InformationBeth ShimogawaCorporate Communicationsbeth.shimogawa@coffman.com 808-687-8884Related FilesECS is now Coffman Engineers_PRECS Fact Sheet - ClosingRelated VideoSOURCE: Coffman Engineers, Inc.View the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 15:30:47

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BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / Global software developer eschbach, the provider of the Shiftconnector enterprise manufacturing platform for the process industry, has launched a new module, Shiftconnector Equipment Hub. Designed for the pharmaceutical industry, the Equipment Hub ensures data integrity, simplifies search and retrieval across logs for audits and inspections, and streamlines compliance reporting."The pharmaceutical industry must ensure data integrity to meet strict regulatory standards," said Andreas Eschbach, CEO and founder of eschbach. "This new module to our platform furthers our commitment to the industry to streamline data management and increase production efficiency and quality in GMP environments." The Equipment Hub falls on the heels of the eschbach release for the pharma market of its Tier Collaboration Dashboard that increases transparency among the various levels of communication in facility operations and plugs communications gaps between shifts and the multilayers in pharma manufacturing."Today, the Shiftconnector Equipment Hub will go even further by helping pharma eliminate paper-based logs and give operators accessible and transparent data access to assure quality and regulatory compliance," says Eschbach.The new offering is Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) compliant and meets FDA21 CRF Part 11 compliance regulations. Shiftconnector Equipment Hub standardizes logbooks manufacturing across suites, sites and global facilities to increase first-time right approaches and enable release by exception review approaches.About eschbach and ShiftconnectorWith U.S. offices in Boston, MA and European headquarters in Bad Sackingen, Germany, eschbach is the global enterprise software solution for plant process management. Shiftconnector incorporates AI technology and helps manufacturing teams take charge of operational efficiencies, safety, asset performance, and product quality. eschbach serves process industries and supports Industry 5.0, helping managers, operators, and technicians achieve successful digital transformation. The award-winning solution is trusted worldwide by leading manufacturing companies such as BASF, Roche, and Bayer. For more information, visit www.eschbach.com Media Contact:Dawn FontaineRipple Effect Communications dawn@ rippleeffectpr.com Tel. 617-536-8887SOURCE: eschbach
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 15:20:22

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PHILADELPHIA, PA / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / Exyn Technologies, a pioneer in multi-platform robotic autonomy for complex, GPS-denied environments, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Ted Tewksbury as its newest independent member to the Board of Directors, effective 13 June 2024.Dr. Ted Tewksbury Headshot of Dr. Ted Tewksbury, newly added to the Exyn Board of DirectorsDr. Tewksbury is a proven technology executive, CEO, and NACD-certified board director with a track record of building and leading successful teams, visionary new products, and growth businesses. With more than 30 years of leadership experience across public and private technology companies, he most recently served as CEO of Velodyne Lidar, where he restructured the company and led its successful merger with Ouster, Inc. Dr. Tewksbury has had several CEO and board positions at innovative tech companies, including Eta Compute, Entropic Communications, and Integrated Device Technology. Dr. Tewksbury holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from MIT."Ted's extensive experience, coupled with his proven track record of effective leadership, makes him an invaluable addition to our board," said Brandon Torres Declet, Exyn CEO. "We are confident that his insights and guidance will be pivotal as we continue to navigate our company into new market verticals and strategic partnerships." "I am thrilled to join the board of Exyn and look forward to contributing to its continued success and growth. Exyn has a compelling business model and a commitment to innovation, and I am eager to contribute my expertise towards achieving these objectives," said Dr. Tewksbury.The addition of Ted Tewsbury supports Exyn's commitment to innovation and expertise in its leadership team, positioning the company for continued growth and market leadership.Exyn would also like to take this opportunity to thank outgoing board member John Fijol for his years of counsel and help charting our course.About ExynExyn is a pioneer in multi-platform robotic autonomy for complex, GPS-denied environments. The company's cutting-edge technology enables industries such as mining, logistics, construction, and infrastructure to capture critical and time-sensitive data in a safer, more affordable, and more efficient way. With a team of experts in autonomous systems, robotics, and industrial engineering, Exyn is revolutionizing the way businesses operate and make data-driven decisions. Exyn is VC-backed and privately held, with headquarters in Philadelphia. For more information, please visit www.exyn.com Contact InformationVanessa VarianVP Marketingvvarian@ exyntechnologies.com 2155145332SOURCE: Exyn TechnologiesView the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 14:15:52

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Not for distribution to U.S. news wire services or for dissemination in the United States.TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / Forward Water Technologies Corp. (" FWTC ") (TSXV:FWTC) and Fraser Mackenzie Accelerator Corp. (the " FMAC ") (TSXV: FMAC.P) are pleased to announce they have entered into a letter of intent (the " LOI ") dated May 13, 2024, which outlines the general terms and conditions of a proposed business combination, by way of an amalgamation, arrangement, or other similar form of transaction, which will result in FMAC becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of FWTC or otherwise combining its corporate existence with that of FWTC (the " Transaction "). FWTC, after completion of the Transaction, is referred to as the " Resulting Issuer ".This strategic business combination between FWTC and FMAC marks a significant milestone for both entities. FMAC is contributing its founders' extensive public market and business experience to FWTC, a pioneering entity with a revolutionary method for economically filtering water. With FWTC's proven concept and existing customer base coupled with FMAC's financial resources and access to capital, this partnership heralds an era of accelerated growth and innovation. Together, we are poised to revolutionize the water filtration industry, offering enhanced solutions that drive efficiency, sustainability, and profitability. This combination not only amplifies the strengths of both entities, but also underscores our collective commitment to delivering value to our stakeholders and shaping the future of the industry.FMAC is a "capital pool company" which completed its initial public offering on February 22, 2023. The common shares of FMAC (" FMAC Shares ") are listed for trading on the TSX Venture Exchange Inc. (" TSXV ") under the stock symbol FMAC.P. FMAC has not commenced commercial operations and has no assets other than cash. It is intended that the Transaction, when completed, will constitute the "Qualifying Transaction" of FMAC pursuant to Policy 2.4 - Capital Pool Companies (the " CPC Policy ") of the TSXV.FWTC is a publicly traded Canadian company. Its common shares (the " FWTC Shares ") are listed for trading on the TSXV under the stock symbol FWTC. FWTC is dedicated to saving the earth's water supply using its patented Forward Osmosis technology. FWTC was founded by Green Centre Canada, a leading technology innovation centre supported by the government of Canada. FWTC's technology allows for the reduction of challenging waste streams simultaneously returning fresh water for re-use or surface release. FWTC's mandate is to focus on the large-scale implementation of its technology in multiple sectors, including industrial wastewater, oil and gas, DLE, mining, agriculture and ultimately municipal water supply and re-use market sectors. In addition, the Company has initiated early-stage R&D for the treatment of food and beverage process streams.Terms of the TransactionThe LOI was negotiated at arm's length. The LOI contemplates that FWTC and FMAC will negotiate and enter into a definitive agreement (the " Definitive Agreement ") including the following terms:All issued and outstanding FMAC Shares will be exchanged for FWTC Shares (as defined below) at an exchange ratio of 10.3666848 FWTC Shares for every one (1) FMAC Share (the " Exchange Ratio ") with a total of 213,253,073 pre-Consolidation FWTC Shares being issued based on the 20,571,000 FMAC Shares that are issued and outstanding (which excludes any securities that will be issued in connection with the Concurrent Financing (as defined below)).Each outstanding option and warrant to purchase an FMAC Share will be exchanged for or converted into comparable FWTC options or FWTC broker warrants based on the Exchange Ratio with each such FWTC Option or FWTC Broker Warrant entitling the holder to purchase FWTC Shares at the applicable exercise prices, with the appropriate adjustments for the Exchange Ratio.FMAC will complete a minimum concurrent financing of at least $1,500,000 in gross proceeds, such minimum subject to reduction to $1,400,000 at FMAC's discretion (the " Concurrent Financing "), consisting of one or more private placements of subscription receipts at a price of $0.15 per subscription receipt (equivalent to $0.0145 per FWTC Share on a pre-exchange basis - the " Concurrent Financing Price "), each subscription receipt entitling the holder to receive one common share and one-half of a common share purchase warrant, each whole such warrant entitling the holder to purchase one FMAC Share at an exercise price of $0.20 at any time prior to the third anniversary of the issuance of such warrant. The subscription receipts would convert into the underlying FMAC Shares and warrants immediately prior to completion of the Transaction, which FMAC Shares and warrants would be exchanged for FWTC Shares and like warrants of FWTC based on the Exchange Ratio pursuant to the Transaction. Assuming that $1,500,000 is raised in the Concurrent Financing this will result in 103,666,848 pre-Consolidation FWTC Shares being issued to the investors in the Concurrent Financing on closing of the Transaction.FMAC will provide FWTC with a secured loan in the amount of $250,000 (the " FMAC Loan "), $25,000 of which will be advanced forthwith, with the balance to be advanced promptly upon receipt of TSXV approval thereof. The FMAC Loan will follow advances by First Line Venture Partners Corporation (" FirstLine ") and Sustainable Chemistry Alliance (" SCA "), in an aggregate amount of $200,000. The First Line and SCA advances and the FMAC Loan will share a pari passu first ranking secured position, will mature on December 31, 2024 and will in each case bear interest at a rate of 20% per annum commencing on the date that is 120 days following the entering into of the Definitive Agreement, with no interest being charged prior to such date. $100,000 principal amount of the First Line and SCA loans will convert into FWTC Shares and warrants concurrently with the completion of the Transaction at a price equivalent to the Concurrent Financing Price and with the warrants having terms economically equivalent to the warrants issued pursuant to the Concurrent Financing. If the Transaction is not completed no portion of the First Line and SCA loans will be convertible.First Line and SCA each hold greater than 20% of the outstanding FWTC Shares and as such are considered related parties for the purposes of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Shareholders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The participation of First Line and SCA will constitute a "related party transaction" within the meaning of MI 61-101. FWTC
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 13:21:22

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SHARJAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / In a world first, a UAE-owned company will be performing a live robotic surgery in Abu Dhabi on a model in South Korea, demonstrating the immense power of remote telerobotic surgery for emergency interventional procedures in cases like stroke and cardiovascular emergencies.XCath, an early-stage medical device company dedicated to expanding endovascular treatment robotic systems, owned in part by Sharjah-based Crescent Enterprises, will demonstrate a live robotic telesurgery on a model during Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week (ADGHW), hosted by the Abu Dhabi Department of Health (DoH).The demonstration, to be held at ADNEC on Wednesday May 15, will include a live telerobotic model trial procedure between Abu Dhabi and South Korea, demonstrating XCath platform's potential to support remote minimally invasive procedures for the management of acute neurovascular conditions.The demonstration will be held by Dr. Vitor Mendes Pereira, Director of Endovascular Research and Innovation at St. Michael's Hospital Toronto, Canada, who will conduct the procedure live on stage at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC)."By enabling telerobotic procedures, we can provide a solution for reimagining complex care," said Eduardo Fonseca, CEO of XCath. "Dr. Pereira is a pioneer in endovascular neurosurgery and shares our vision for advancing telerobotic treatment options, which has become a humanitarian and economic imperative for conditions such as stroke. The telerobotic model trial will demonstrate the viability of our platform as a solution to serving a need for new treatment options to expand access to care for patients globally." In the session XCath will introduce the company, navigation challenges, and an overview of its platform. XCath will also spotlight the transformative impact of the endovascular revolution for Abu Dhabi institutions, illustrating how advanced robotic treatments can purpose the UAE as a center for transformational clinical outcomes."This is a world first model demonstration of a telerobotic procedure for emergency care coming from Abu Dhabi to the world," said Neeraj Agrawal, Executive Director of Crescent Enterprises and XCath Board Member. "Crescent Enterprises is dedicated to enabling disruptive companies like XCath to foster growth and innovation in the Middle East, and this demonstration underscores the tangible progress and potential of venture capital investments from the region." Dr. Pereira performed the world's first robotic-assisted neurointerventional procedure in 2019, a stent-assisted coiling procedure to treat a large basilar aneurysm. He serves as a Professor of Surgery and Medical Imaging at the University of Toronto and is the lead scientist of the RADIS lab, which focuses on applying innovative technologies on the treatment of neurovascular diseases.Separately EndoQuest Robotics ("EQR"), also partly owned by Crescent Enterprises, will demonstrate the world's first Scar Free Surgical Robot, and showcase the results of the first ever scar free endoluminal trials. EQR will present, for the first time, the results of their global collaboration between Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Cleveland Clinic Ohio, Harvard and IRCAD France.For more information about ADGHW, visit https://www.adghw.com/ . To learn more about XCath, visit https://www.xcath.com/ Media Contact: Name: AnishCompany Name: Crescent EnterprisesWebsite: http://www.crescententerprises.com SOURCE: Crescent Enterprises
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 22:21:08

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SAN DIEGO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 /Johnson Fistel, LLP, a leading stockholder rights law firm, announced today that it has initiated an investigation into the board members of Squarespace, Inc. (NYSE:SQSP) concerning potential breaches of fiduciary duties related to the proposed sale of the Company to private equity firm Permira.On May 13, 2024, Squarespace informed the public that it has agreed to a deal with Permira, in which stockholders will receive $44.00 per share in an all-cash offer. Upon completion of the deal, Squarespace will be a private Company.Johnson Fistel's investigation focuses on whether Squarespace's board failed to satisfy its duties to the Company's stockholders, including whether the board sufficiently pursued alternatives to the acquisition, and whether the board secured the best possible price for Squarespace's shares. It is particularly pertinent to note analyst projections for earnings and revenue growth, and Squarespace shares have historically traded at a much higher price.Stockholders of Squarespace are encouraged to contact Johnson Fistel to discuss their legal rights in this matter. You can click or copy and paste the following link to join this investigation:About Johnson Fistel, LLP | Top Law Firm, Securities Fraud, Investors Rights: Johnson Fistel, LLP is a nationally recognized shareholder rights law firm with offices in California, New York, Georgia, and Colorado. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in shareholder derivative and securities class action lawsuits. We also extend our services to foreign investors who have purchased on US exchanges. Stay updated with news on stock drops and learn how Johnson Fistel, LLP can help you recover your losses. For more information about the firm and its attorneys, please visit http://www.johnsonfistel.com . Attorney advertising.Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.Services may be performed by attorneys in any of our offices.Johnson Fistel, LLP has paid for the dissemination of this promotional communication, and Frank J. Johnson is the attorney responsible for its content. Contact:Johnson Fistel, LLP501 W. Broadway, Suite 800, San Diego, CA 92101James Baker, Investor Relations or Frank J. Johnson, Esq., (619) 814-4471 jimb@ johnsonfistel.com or fjohnson@ johnsonfistel.com SOURCE: Johnson Fistel, LLP
Japan Energy Summit and Exhibition Hosts and Sponsors Demonstrate the Importance of Accelerating Decarbonisation

PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 08:27:34

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- Japan Energy Summit & Exhibition emerges as a crucial platform for facilitating and showcasing collaborations between energy giants- The event convenes over 4,000 attendees, 150 exhibiting companies, 450 delegates, 130 speakers, 150 government representatives and senior leaders- Keynote speakers, government officials, and industry leaders will discuss Asia's growing role in global climate leadership and sustainable energy solutions.- 50% international attendance - Making this one of the most important international energy events in Japan- Key companies attending: JERA Co., Inc, Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd, Kraken, ExxonMobil, Cheniere, RWE, Rystad Energy, Abaxx Exchange, Asahi Kasei Group, Berkeley Research Group, IHI, King & Spalding, Sempra Infrastructure, TotalEnergies, University of Calgary, Vortexa, ENGIE, Wood Mackenzie, and Japan NRGTOKYO, May 10, 2024 - (ACN Newswire) - As the world grapples with the urgent need to transition to sustainable energy sources and reduce carbon emissions, international energy giants like JERA, Tokyo Gas, Kraken, ExxonMobil and more are stepping up to the challenge. They are spearheading efforts to overcome these global challenges through strategic collaborations and innovative projects that will be on the agenda at the Japan Energy Summit & Exhibition from 3-5 June 2024 at Tokyo Big Sight.Notable speakers slated to speak at Japan Energy Summit and Exhibition include:Shinichi Kihara, Director General for International Policy on Carbon Neutrality, Ministry of Economy, Trade and IndustryIzuru Kobayashi, Deputy Director General for Environmental Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)Kadri Simson, Commissioner for Energy, European CommissionHon. Brian Jean, ECA, KC, Minister for Energy and Minerals, Government of AlbertaMitsunori Fukuda, Director, Gas Market Office, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)Kiyoshi Hikino, Director of Power and Gas Market Policy Division, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)Yuya Hasegawa, Director Energy Resource Development Division, Ministry of Economy, Trade and IndustryEiji Ohira, Director Fuel Cell and Hydrogen, New Energy and Industrial Technology Development OrganizationTakashi Kawai, Director, Ocean Development and Environment Policy Division, Maritime Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and TourismShinichi Sasayama, CEO, President, Representative Executive Officer, Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.Junya Tawa, Senior Managing Executive Officer, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of the Planning Division, JERA Co., Inc.Takayuki Ueda, President & CEO, INPEX CORPORATIONH.E. Rachmat Kaimuddin, Deputy Minister for Infrastructure and Transportation Coordination, Coordinating Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Investment of the Republic of IndonesiaHelle Kristoffersen, President of Asia & member of the Executive Committee, TotalEnergiesKathy Wu, Regional President Asia Pacific, Gas & Low Carbon Energy, bpIrtiza Sayyed, President of Asia Pacific, Low Carbon Solutions, ExxonMobilHighlighting their commitment, JERA, Japan's largest power generation company, will return as the Co-Host of the event. Yuichi Shimada, Executive Officer, Head of Public Relations Group at JERA said regarding their participation: "As the largest power producer in Japan and a top-tier energy company worldwide, JERA is committed to developing cutting-edge solutions for a new era. We are proud to take the lead in developing a low-carbon fuel supply chain and to present the worlds first fuel substitution demonstration project. By participating in the Japan Energy Summit & Exhibition, we are happy to showcase our advancements and look forward to fostering more collaborations with industry partners toward a decarbonised future." Another participant of the leading international energy event is Co-Host Tokyo Gas, who is a pioneer in LNG introduction to Japan and now provides energy solutions globally. To realise a net-zero world, innovation to decarbonise gas and electricity is essential. We are developing methanation technologies, which recycles CO2, alongside the expansion of renewable power sources, and are making moves to replace city gas with  e-methane. Yumiko Yao, Executive Officer, Senior General Manager of LNG Business Dept, Tokyo Gas said."Tokyo Gas is at the forefront of integrating innovative technologies to meet Japan's energy needs sustainably. Participation in the Japan Energy Summit & Exhibition is pivotal in driving this transformation. As Co-Host of the Japan Energy Summit and Exhibition, we are pleased to help exemplify actionable steps towards a sustainable energy future, Yao continued.Christopher Hudson, President of dmg events, the organiser of the event, said: "The Japan Energy Summit & Exhibition serves as a platform for change, demonstrating the power of collaboration and innovation in the energy sector. He added: "This event facilitates connections which set the scene for the ground-breaking partnerships that lead to actionable solutions for a sustainable future. Our co-hosts and sponsors all play an important role in leading decarbonisation efforts to achieve a better future for all." Japan Energy Summit & Exhibition will be headlined by an address by Shinichi Kihara, Director General for International Policy on Carbon Neutrality Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) discussing the role that the Asia Zero Emissions Community (AZEC) will play in decarbonising the region. This will be followed by another crucial session for setting the tone of the event, senior officials from INPEX and TotalEnergies will be discussing the importance of strengthening global ties to achieve energy security.Read more: https://www.acnnewswire.com/press-release/english/90760/
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 23:26:07

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NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATESVANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / Klondike Gold Corp. (TSXV:KG)(FRA:LBDP)(OTCQB:KDKGF) ("Klondike Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement of up to 9,444,444 units at a price of $0.09 per unit for proceeds of up to $850,000 (the "Financing").Each unit will consist of one common share and one share purchase warrant (the "Units"). Each full warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one common share at a price of $0.15 per common share for a period of twenty-four (24) months from the date of issuance (the "Warrants").The Company intends to use the proceeds from the financing to fund ongoing and future exploration and drill programs and general working capital.The securities issued in connection with the Financing are subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval and all securities will be subject to a four-month and one day statutory hold period in accordance with applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange.ABOUT KLONDIKE GOLD CORP.Klondike Gold is a Vancouver based gold exploration company advancing its 100%-owned Klondike District Gold Project located at Dawson City, Yukon, one of the top mining jurisdictions in the world. The Klondike District Gold Project targets gold associated with district scale orogenic faults along the 55-kilometer length of the famous Klondike Goldfields placer district. Multi-kilometer gold mineralization has been identified at both the Lone Star Zone and Stander Zone, among other targets. The Company has identified an Initial Mineral Resource of 469,000 Indicated and 112,000 Inferred gold ounces 1 , a milestone first for the Klondike District. The Company is focused on exploration and development of its 727 square kilometer property accessible by scheduled airline and government-maintained roads located on the outskirts of Dawson City, Yukon, within the Tr'ondek Hwech'in First Nation traditional territory.1The Initial Mineral Resource Estimate for the Klondike District Property was prepared by Marc Jutras, P.Eng., M.A.Sc., Principal, Ginto Consulting Inc., an independent Qualified Person in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101. The technical report supporting the Mineral Resource Estimate entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Klondike District Gold Project, Yukon Territory, Canada" has been filed on SEDAR+ atwww.sedarplus.caeffective November 10, 2022. Refer to news release of December 16, 2022.ON BEHALF OF KLONDIKE GOLD CORP."Peter Tallman"Peter TallmanPresident and CEOFOR FURTHER INFORMATION:Telephone: (604) 609-6138E-mail: info@ klondikegoldcorp.com Website: www.klondikegoldcorp.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.Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information:"This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. This information and statements address future activities, events, plans, developments and projections. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information and statements are frequently identified by words such as "may," "will," "should," "anticipate," "plan," "expect," "believe," "estimate," "intend" and similar terminology, and reflect assumptions, estimates, opinions and analysis made by management of Klondike Gold in light of its experience, current conditions, expectations of future developments and other factors which it believes to be reasonable and relevant. Forward-looking information and statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause Klondike Gold's actual results, performance and achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information and statements and accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed thereon. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to vary include but are not limited to the availability of financing; fluctuations in commodity prices; changes to and compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including environmental laws and obtaining requisite permits; political, economic and other risks; as well as other risks and uncertainties which are more fully described in our annual and quarterly Management Discussion and Analysis and in other filings made by Klondike Gold with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and available at www.sedarplus.ca . Klondike Gold disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements except as may be required." SOURCE: Klondike Gold Corp.
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 18:18:01

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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / Levi & Korsinsky informs shareholders that a settlement has been reached in the pending class action lawsuit against Qihoo 360 Technology Co. Ltd. (NYSE:QIHU). The settlement provides for a fund of $29,750,000 to benefit class members. For the purposes of the settlement, the class is defined as: persons and entities that sold Qihoo Securities during the period from December 18, 2015 through July 15, 2016, both dates inclusive, and/or tendered/cancelled/exchanged Qihoo Securities in Qihoo's Merger, which took place on or about July 15, 2016.If you are a class member as defined above, you may be entitled to a pro-rata share of the settlement fund. In order to receive a share of the settlement, you must file a claim form by August 8, 2024.For more details on the settlement, including a copy of the claim form, please visit: https://zlk.com/settlement-form/?redirect=aHR0cHM6Ly96bGsuY29tL3NldHRsZW1lbnQvcWlob28tMzYwLXRlY2hub2xvZ3ktY28tbHRkLXNldHRsZW1lbnQ=&spr=433&wire=1&ticker=QIHU Levi & Korsinsky did not act as lead counsel or otherwise participate in litigating the above class action. We are providing this information as a courtesy to remind class members of the claims deadline so they can file their forms in a timely fashion.Over the past 20 years, the team at Levi & Korsinsky has secured hundreds of millions of dollars for aggrieved shareholders and built a track record of winning high-stakes cases. Our firm has extensive expertise representing investors in complex securities litigation and a team of over 70 employees to serve our clients. For seven years in a row, Levi & Korsinsky has ranked in ISS Securities Class Action Services' Top 50 Report as one of the top securities litigation firms in the United States.CONTACT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLPJoseph E. Levi, Esq.Ed Korsinsky, Esq.33 Whitehall Street, 17th FloorNew York, NY 10004 jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com Tel: (212) 363-7500Fax: (212) 363-7171 https://zlk.com/ SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 02:43:23

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JACKSONVILLE, FL / ACCESSWIRE / May 13, 2024 /LFTD Partners Inc. ("LFTD Partners" or the "Company") (OTCQB:LIFD), the corporate parent of Lifted Made, maker of the award-winning Urb Finest Flowers brand of hemp and psychoactive products, today announced that it will file first quarter 2024 financial results with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.LFTD Partners will host an earnings conference call and webcast on Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 8:30 AM ET to discuss the financial results.Earnings Conference Call and Webcast Information:Participant phone numbers:Toll Free: 877-545-0320International: 973-528-0002Participant Access Code: 362392Webcast event link:The participant phone numbers and webcast event link will be shown on the Investor Relations section of LFTD Partners' website at https://www.lftdpartners.com/investors The webcast replay will also be available on the Investor Relations section of LFTD Partners' website.Although attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions during the earnings conference call, attendees are encouraged to submit questions prior to the call by emailing them to: jakejacobs@ lftdpartners.com About LFTD Partners Inc.Publicly traded LFTD Partners Inc., Jacksonville, FL (OTCQB:LIFD) is the parent corporation of Lifted Made, Kenosha, WI ( www.urb.shop) , which manufactures and sells hemp-derived and other psychoactive products under its award-winning Urb Finest Flowers brand. Lifted Made is the worldwide, exclusive manufacturer and seller of Diamond Supply Co. ( www.DiamondSupplyCo.com) , and Cali Sweets hemp-derived products, and is the exclusive manufacturer and seller in the USA of hemp-derived products for a subsidiary of a large, publicly traded US marijuana company. LFTD Partners Inc. also owns 4.99% of CBD-infused beverage and products maker Ablis ( www.Ablis.shop) , and of craft distillers Bendistillery Inc. d/b/a Crater Lake Spirits ( www.CraterLakeSpirits.com) and Bend Spirits, Inc., all located in Bend, OR. Please read LIFD's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission which fully describe our business and the Risk Factors associated therewith. Stay updated with our company news and product launches by subscribing to our newsletters at www.LFTDPartners.com and at www.urb.shop CONTACT: William C. "Jake" JacobsPresident and CFO of LFTD Partners Inc.(847) 400-7660 JakeJacobs@ LFTDPartners.comwww.LFTDPartners.com SOURCE: LFTD Partners Inc.
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 04:51:04

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NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESSWIRE / May 13, 2024 / Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until June 24, 2024to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC), if they purchased or otherwise acquired the Company's securities between November 4, 2020 and November 2, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.What You May DoIf you purchased securities of Lincoln National and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ( lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com) , or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-lnc/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court byJune 24, 2024 .About the LawsuitLincoln National and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.On November 2, 2022, post-market, the Company released its 3Q 2022 financial results, disclosing a net loss of $2.6 billion for the quarter, compared to a net income of $318 million for the third quarter of 2021 the previous year, due to "net unfavorable notable items of $2.0 billion, or $11.62 per share, related to the company's annual review of DAC and reserve assumptions," and that the Company "incurred a $634 million goodwill impairment to the life insurance business." On this news, the price of Lincoln's shares fell by $17.27, or 33.2%, to close at $34.83 per share on November 3, 2022, on unusually heavy trading volume.The case is Meade v. Lincoln National Corporation, et al., No. 24-cv-01704.About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCKSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients - including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors - in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, Delaware, California, Louisiana and New Jersey.To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com Contact:Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCLewis Kahn, Managing Partner lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com 1-877-515-18501100 Poydras St., Suite 960New Orleans, LA 70163SOURCE: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 17:02:36

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Expanding Service Footprint and Strengthening Industry PresenceBENTON, AR / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / Michelli Weighing & Measurement, a leading provider of weighing and measurement equipment & services, announced today its acquisition of Pioneer Scale Company, a respected name in the industry for over four decades. This strategic acquisition marks a significant step in Michelli's growth strategy, expanding its service footprint across Arkansas, Texas, and Colorado, and strengthening its position as a leader in the weighing and measurement industry.Pioneer Scale Joins the Michelli Weighing & Measurement Team Two hands putting puzzle pieces together to symbolize Pioneer Scale joining the Michelli Weighing & Measurement TeamPioneer Scale Company, founded in 1976 by Ronnie Crews and his wife Jeanie, has been a family-owned business with a rich history of building relationships and providing exceptional customer service. Starting from humble beginnings at the kitchen table, the Crews family's dedication and hard work led to the development of a thriving business with four service locations, including headquarters in Benton, AR. Ronnie and Jeanie's sons, Keith and Brien, joined the family business in the late 1980s, further strengthening the company's commitment to customer service and innovation."Michelli Weighing & Measurement is thrilled to welcome the Pioneer Scale Company team to our family," said Bobby Feigler, CEO of Michelli Weighing & Measurement. "Pioneer's commitment to customer service, industry expertise, and family values aligns perfectly with our own, and we're excited to continue the legacy that the Crews family has built." "As we join forces with Michelli Weighing & Measurement, it feels less like an acquisition and more like a reunion of two families with remarkably similar values. Our dedication to honesty, integrity, and family has always been at the heart of Pioneer Scale Company, and seeing these values reflected so strongly in Michelli reassures us that we are on the right path. Together, we will continue to build on our legacy of exceptional customer service and drive towards even greater profitability and innovation. This partnership marks a significant milestone in our journey, and we are excited about the future we will create together." - Keith CrewsSince 1947, Michelli Weighing & Measurement has been a trusted name in the weighing and measurement industry, providing a wide range of services including preventative maintenance, calibration, equipment repair, and custom weighing system development. With this acquisition, Michelli gains additional expertise and a broader reach, enhancing its ability to provide customers with top-quality products and services.Andrew Gilbert, Partner at Summit Park, added, "The Pioneer business is very complementary to the Michelli platform, and we are excited to expand our footprint through the partnership. The combination enables us to offer superior service and high-quality products to a broader customer base, helping us continue our strong growth trajectory. From our first meeting, it was clear Keith, Brien and the entire Pioneer team shared our values and excitement for long-term growth." The combined expertise of Michelli Weighing & Measurement and Pioneer Scale Company creates a strong foundation for future growth, with a shared commitment to service excellence and customer satisfaction. Both companies look forward to a seamless integration process and a bright future ahead.About Michelli Weighing & Measurement: Michelli Weighing & Measurement provides equipment sales, service, calibration & rental in 31 service areas, located in 11 states throughout the Southern & Western United States. The Michelli team has been your trusted expert for scales & precision measurement equipment since 1947.Michelli carries top quality measurement products ranging from precision measurement instruments to industrial scales. We also provide both Standard NIST Traceable calibration & ISO 17025 Accredited calibration, both on-site & in our calibration labs.Contact InformationJaime RodriguezMarketing & Communications Managerjrodriguez@ michelli.com 504-733-9822Robin ToupsMarketing Specialistrtoups@ michelli.com 504-733-9822SOURCE: Michelli Weighing & MeasurementView the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 20:01:14

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School Safety Directors to form CoalitionORLANDO, FL / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / In early 2023, the School Safety Advocacy Council met with several leaders of our National School Safety Advisory Board and laid the foundation for an exciting move in the School Safety Industry with the creation of the Coalition of School Safety Directors. The industry was becoming overpopulated by product-related strategies, where corporate sales were dominating over the focus of keeping children and staff safe. As such, SSAC laid the foundation for the very first coalition of school safety directors that will not be product-affiliated.School Safety Coalition Coalition LogoThe Coalition of School Safety Directors will meet in person this July at the National School Safety Conference in Orlando, Florida, where over 1,400 school safety professionals will gather for the 20th-anniversary conference. Attendees will come from all 50 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and over 12 other nations for what has become the largest gathering of school safety decision-makers anywhere on the globe.We fully support much of the technology that can aid seasoned leaders in the field. However, our seasoned leaders expressed concern that the "one-size fits all" much discussed national standards were being driven with product sales in mind and not the true focus of school safety. Therefore, we are excited to announce the creation of the Coalition of School Safety Directors, where the focus will remain on keeping children and staff safe, not on product sales. Other topics of discussion at the weeklong event will include Arming Teachers, School Safety Standards, Mental Health, Threat Assessment and many more. "We have led the charge in the field of school safety for the past 20 years," states Curt Lavarello, Executive Director of the group. "Having this many school safety decision-makers under one roof will significantly change our opportunity to save lives," continued Lavarello.For additional information about the National School Safety Conference, go to www.SchoolSafety911.org Contact InformationCurtis Lavarello Press Contactresourcer@ aol.com 941-232-4633Sean Burke Presidentschoolsafetyadvocacycouncil@ gmail.com 8884852440SOURCE: School Safety Advocacy CouncilView the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 23:42:00

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CALGARY, AB / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / NXT Energy Solutions Inc. ("NXT" or the "Company") (TSX:SFD)(OTCQB:NSFDF) today announced the Company's financial and operating results for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. All dollar amounts herein are in Canadian Dollars unless otherwise identified.Financial and Operating HighlightsKey financial and operational highlights during the first quarter of 2024 are summarized below:NXT completed the Turkish SFD Survey, delivered the final results thereof to its Turkish customers and completed the integration of SFD data with existing geological and geophysical data; NXT recorded SFD-related revenues of approximately $0.60 million; NXT and HULOOLQ LTD. (known as "Qamia"), an Abu Dhabi based startup focused on "deep tech" disruptive technologies, entered into a sales agency agreement covering the United Arab Emirates ("UAE"); On March 22, the Company extended its lease on its aircraft for an additional three years as a capital lease. Under the terms of the lease, the Company will own the aircraft at the end of the term; debentures were finalized for a total of US$1.87 million (CDN$2.54 million). US$0.72 million (approximately CDN$0.97 million) of the debentures were received in Q1-24; cash at March 31, 2024 was approximately $0.53 million; net working capital was approximately ($2.64) million at March 31, 2024 versus approximately ($1.86) million at December 31, 2023; a net loss of $1.79 million was recorded for Q1-24, including stock-based compensation expense and amortization expense of approximately $0.49 million; net loss per common share for Q1-24 was $0.02 per share (basic) and $0.02 per share (diluted); cash flow used in operating activities was approximately $0.59 million during Q1-24; and general and administrative expenses increased by approximately $0.16 million or 19% in Q1-24 as compared to Q1-23.Key financial and operational highlights occurring subsequent to Q1-24 are summarized below:NXT surrendered approximately 3,207 square feet, or approximately 31% of its current office space to its landlord, and extended its lease on the reduced office space until September 30, 2030.Summary highlights of NXT's first quarter 2024 financial statements (with comparative figures to 2023) are noted below. All selected and referenced financial information noted below should be read in conjunction with the Company's March 31, 2024 unaudited condensed interim consolidated financial statements, the related Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A").(All in Canadian $)Q1-24 Q1-23Operating results:SFD-related revenues$ 602,072 $ -SFD-related costs, net730,520 301,634General & administrative expenses1,021,306 861,354Amortization440,564 439,868Interest and other expenses196,282 11,791(2,388,672 ) (1,614,647 )Net loss(1,786,600 ) (1,614,647 )Loss per common share:Basic$ (0.02 ) $ (0.02 )Diluted$ (0.02 ) $ (0.02 ) Common shares outstanding as at end of the period78,121,746 77,599,131Weighted average of common shares outstanding: Basic & Diluted78,085,304 76,452,260Cash provided by (used in):Operating activities$ (593,766 ) $ (1,400,019 )Financing activities741,783 1,604,133Investing activities(24,102 ) -Effect of foreign rate changes on cash6,994 (12 )Net cash inflow (outflow)130,909 204,102Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of the period401,713 263,437Cash and cash equivalents, end of the period532,622 467,539Total cash and short-term investments532,622 467,539 Net working capital balance(2,635,446 ) (1,174,237 ) NXT's first quarter 2024 financial and operating results have been filed in Canada on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca , and will soon be available in the USA on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar , as well as on NXT's website at www.nxtenergy.com Annual Meeting of ShareholdersNXT wishes to announce that it has rescheduled its annual meeting of shareholders from June 19, 2024 to July 15, 2024.About NXT Energy Solutions Inc.NXT Energy Solutions Inc. is a Calgary-based technology company whose proprietary airborne SFD survey system, applied in numerous basins around the world, uses the principles of quantum mechanics to infer stress anomalies of exploration interest. The method can be used both onshore and offshore to remotely identify areas conducive to fluid entrapment in order to recommend areas with commercial hydrocarbon and/or geothermal potential. The SFD survey system enables our clients to focus their exploration decisions concerning land commitments, data acquisition expenditures and prospect prioritization on areas with the greatest potential. SFD is environmentally friendly and unaffected by ground security issues or difficult terrain and is the registered trademark of NXT Energy Solutions Inc. NXT Energy Solutions Inc. provides its clients with an effective and reliable method to reduce time, costs, and risks related to exploration.Contact InformationFor investor and media inquiries please contact:Eugene WoychyshynVice President of Finance & CFO302, 3320 - 17th AVE SWCalgary, AB, T3E 0B4+1 403 206 0805 nxt_info@ nxtenergy.comwww.nxtenergy.comMichael BakerInvestor Relations302, 3320 - 17th AVE SWCalgary, AB, T3E 0B4+1 403 264 7020 nxt_info@ nxtenergy.comwww.nxtenergy.com Forward-Looking StatementsCertain information provided in this press release may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information typically contains statements with words such as "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "will", "expect", "plan", "schedule", "intend", "propose" or similar words suggesting future outcomes or an outlook. Forward-looking information in this press release includes, but is not limited to, information regarding: Business negotiations, opportunities, discussions, including the timing thereof and business strategies and date of the annual meeting of shareholders. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements 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. Additional risk factors facing the Company are described in its most recent Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2023
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 23:41:33

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NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATESVANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / Lincoln Gold Mining Inc. (TSXV:LMG) (the "Company" or "Lincoln Gold") is pleased to announce that it has closed the first tranche (the "First Tranche") of its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement"), whereby the Company has completed the issuance of 824,000 units (each, a "Unit") at a price of $0.25 per Unit for gross proceeds of $206,000. With this, the Company is well positioned to fund the essential update of Bell Mountain's Preliminary Economic Assessment (the "PEA") and address general working capital needs. Additionally, the Company is pleased to announce an extension until June 13, 2024, to close the balance of the Private Placement.Each Unit consists of one common share in the capital of the Company (a "Common Share") and one-half of one non-transferable Common Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant is exercisable by the holder to acquire one additional Common Share for a period of 12 months from the date of issuance at a price of C$0.50 per Common Share.A significant portion of the proceeds will be allocated towards the preparation of an updated PEA on the Bell Mountain gold project located in Nevada, United States (the "Project"), as required by the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") in connection with the Company's proposed acquisition of the Project. For this crucial step of the conditionally approved acquisition, Lincoln Gold has engaged Welsh Hagen Associates, an established engineering and consulting firm specializing in mining projects based in Reno, Nevada, to spearhead the PEA update. Recognized for their expertise and familiarity with the Bell Mountain project, Welsh Hagen Associates bring a wealth of experience to the table, providing a comprehensive re-evaluation of Bell Mountain's economic potential.Commenting on the Private Placement, CEO and President of Lincoln Gold Mining Inc., Mr. Paul Saxton stated, "The successful closure of the First Tranche and our collaboration with Welsh Hagen Associates represent significant strides forward for Lincoln. With the support of our investors and partners, we are looking forward to fully satisfying the TSX Venture's conditions towards receiving a full approval for the Bell Mountain acquisition." In connection with the First Tranche, the Company issued 32,680 finder's warrants (the "Finder's Warrants") and paid cash commissions of $3,870 to certain finders. Each Finder's Warrant entitles the holder to purchase a Common Share at a price of $0.25 for a period of 12 months from the date of issuance.All securities issued pursuant to the First Tranche, including the Finder's Warrants, are subject to a hold period expiring on September 15, 2024, in addition to such other restrictions as may apply under applicable securities laws of jurisdictions outside Canada. The Company anticipates closing a second tranche of the Private Placement, subject to customary closing conditions, including approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.None of the securities sold in connection with the First Tranche have been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and no such securities may be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in the United States or any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.About Lincoln Gold Mining Inc.: Lincoln is a Canadian precious metals exploration and development company headquartered in Vancouver, BC. Lincoln holds 100% interest in Pine Grove gold project located in Nevada, US, renowned for its mining-friendly regulations. Lincoln received conditional approval from the TSXV on its acquisition of the Bell Mountain from Eros Resources Corp. The anticipated completion of this transaction will mark a pivotal moment for Lincoln, enabling a potent operational synergy between these two properties. Lincoln is committed to maintaining steady and robust progress towards its goal of becoming a mid-tier gold producer.For further information, please contact:Lincoln Gold Mining Inc.Paul SaxtonPresident and Chief Executive OfficerPhone: 604-688-7377 Email: saxton@ lincolnmining.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements 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, including the ability of the Company to complete subsequent tranches of the Private Placement on the proposed terms or at all, the anticipated use of proceeds from the First Tranche and the Private Placement and receipt of regulatory approvals with respect to the Private Placement.Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connation thereof.Such forward-looking information and statements are based on numerous assumptions, including among others, that the Company will be able to complete subsequent tranches of the Private Placement on the terms as anticipated by management, that the Company will use the proceeds of the First Tranche and the Private Placement as anticipated, and that the Company will receive regulatory approval with respect to the Private Placement. 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.There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 15:03:17

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PHOENIX, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / PetroSun, Inc (OTC PINK:PSUD) (the "Company") announced today that a new Farmout Agreement has been reached with Pivot Point Energy, Inc covering approximately 207,663 acres located in the Holbrook Basin of Navajo and Coconino counties. A previous agreement with the Company covering this acreage was dated May 18, 2023 with JAYD Ventures LLC and has been in default and was terminated on April 30, 2024.The terms and conditions of the Pivot Point Energy Farmout Agreement provides PetroSun with a $2,500,000 leasehold fee payable on or before June 12, 2024, a drilling commitment of two test wells based on seismic and a carried twenty-five percent working interest on the two test wells and the initial three development wells.Pivot Point Energy will receive a seventy-five percent working interest participation covering the approximately 207,663 acres, a three-year extension of the base lease that is payable by PetroSun from the leasehold fee and an Area of Mutual Interest (AMI) that extends three miles from any lease line.The primary resource target on the North and South Winslow 207,663-acre farmout will be helium from multiple formations down to basement. The secondary resource targets are oil from the Permian Fort Apache and natural gas from the Devonian that were encountered in the 26-1 well tested by a PetroSun subsidiary near the North and South Winslow leasehold.After the receipt of the leasehold fee, seismic lines will be shot to develop the initial test well locations for the exploration program."The proceeds from the original Farmout Agreement were designated to retire the corporate debt of the Company and advance its Holbrook Basin helium program. The new Farmout Agreement will now allow the Company to achieve those goals. In my opinion and that of other contributing petroleum geologists during the past 25 years, the Central Holbrook Basin and the North and South Winslow areas in the western portion of the basin have always held the most promise for large accumulations of helium. It has been PetroSun that has controlled these areas during that timeframe, limiting helium exploration to other parts of the Holbrook Basin by several qualified operators. It is now the time to see what the Holbrook Basin has been concealing," stated Gordon LeBlanc, Jr, Executive Chairman, CEO and President.About PetroSunPetroSun, Inc. is a fully integrated energy and mining business focusing on Lithium, Zeolite Clays, Rare Earth Elements, Mine Tailings, Helium, Natural Gas and Water Processing through the use of cutting-edge technologies, a broad portfolio of assets and leases, and a management team with decades of research, development, and production experience. PetroSun is vertically integrated with control of all aspects of the business from exploration and production to delivery to end users, providing customers direct customized solutions and shareholders maximum returns by participating in profitability at each stage in the supply chain.PetroSun, Inc. owns significant leasehold acreage that is prospective for helium exploration and production in the Holbrook Basin of Arizona and for natural gas and helium in the Paradox Basin of Utah. The Company holds mineral leases on approximately 280,000 gross acres in the Holbrook Basin and Pedregosa Basin of Arizona and over 26,000 gross acres in the Paradox Basin. PetroSun's greatest assets are its shareholders, partners, advisors, employees, and its patented and proprietary technologies. We seek to provide global solutions to some of the most critical challenges the world faces today and into the future.The Company trades on the OTC Pink Sheets under the symbol "PSUD".For additional information: Contact PetroSun at mallison@ petrosun.us Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer: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 Act of 1934, as amended. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "could", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "may", "ongoing", "plan", "potential", "predict", "project", "should", "will", "would", or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which such performance or results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time the statements are made and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainty and other factors that may cause our results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements in this press release. This press release should be considered in light of all filings of the Company that are disclosed on the OTC Market.com website.Contact: PetroSun, Inc. 2999 North 44th Street, Suite 620 Phoenix, Arizona 85018 480-425-4290 Website: www.petrosun.us SOURCE: PetroSun, Inc.
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Advanced Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology Shown To Significantly Reduce Operating Costs and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Compared With Internal Combustion Engine While Exceeding DoE's UAM Mission Performance ObjectivesESSINGTON, PA / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 /Piasecki Aircraft Corporation (PiAC), a pioneer in advanced rotorcraft and unmanned aircraft systems technology, announced that it has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract by the Department of Energy (DOE) to evaluate the feasibility of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powered Urban Air Mobility (UAM) rotorcraft. The study is focused on the feasibility of using hydrogen fuel cells as a power source for vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) UAM vehicles, which are expected to play a significant role in the future of urban transportation. The company has already completed the first phase of the multiphase program and is on track to begin the second phase later this year.Piasecki PA-890 The SBIR program requires Piasecki to conduct a technical economic analysis (TEA), develop conceptual and preliminary designs, and ultimately develop and test a hydrogen fuel cell-powered VTOL UAM aircraft at scale. The first stage compares hydrogen technology to comparable internal combustion engine and battery rotorcraft to determine key metrics such as mission performance, Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) abatement potential, total cost of ownership, and technology readiness level.The initial study conducted by Piasecki provided a detailed comparison between a baseline internal combustion Robinson R44 helicopter and three variants: hydrogen fuel cell propulsion with gaseous hydrogen, hydrogen fuel cell propulsion with liquid hydrogen, and battery-powered propulsion. Utilizing the DOE's Techno-economic Energy & Carbon Heuristic Tool for Early-Stage Technologies (TECHTEST), the study demonstrated that hydrogen fuel cell and battery variants have negligible GHG emissions during use and that all variants abate more than 1,300 tons of GHG emissions over five years compared to the R44 powered by an internal combustion engine conducting the same UAM air taxi mission.Operational efficiency is critical for urban air mobility, where the ability to support high utilization rates at required UAM mission distances without refueling can significantly enhance service offerings and economic viability. The study found that the liquid hydrogen fuel cell variant offered the best performance of the three variants:Superior range: The liquid hydrogen variant matched the range of the internal combustion variant (270 nautical miles) and demonstrated superior range compared with the gaseous hydrogen and battery variants.Less refueling: The high specific power of the High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane (HTPEM) hydrogen fuel cells, coupled with the high energy density achievable with liquid hydrogen, allowed the liquid hydrogen variant to complete up to five 50-nautical mile sorties before refueling, compared with less than two sorties for the gaseous hydrogen variant. The battery-powered variant was not able to meet the minimum performance required by DoE's nominal UAM mission profile without stopping to recharge.Reduced operating costs: The lowered direct operating cost of both hydrogen fuel variants allowed for the recoupment of marginal additional acquisition cost over the ICE variant: one to four years for the liquid and gaseous hydrogen variants, respectively. The battery-powered variant, while suitable for shorter-range missions, was never able to recover its acquisition cost premium, due to the limited cycle life of batteries when subjected to high discharge and recharge rates required by the VTOL UAM flight spectrum. The United States is actively working to develop hydrogen infrastructure, which will be key to the country's long-term energy security and transition away from fossil fuels. In October, the Biden-Harris administration and the DOE announced $7 billion to launch the country's first clean hydrogen hubs and promote the development of a hydrogen infrastructure network that will provide clean, renewable energy to power homes, businesses, and transportation networks."The Department of Energy's request for this groundbreaking study underscores the urgent need for innovative, affordable zero-carbon vertical mobility solutions to reduce traffic congestion in urban areas, and vehicular greenhouse gasses," said John Piasecki, President and CEO of Piasecki Aircraft. "The results of our initial study reinforce the potential for hydrogen fuel cells to disrupt the $40 billion light helicopter replacement market and contribute to the growth of the emerging air taxi market. We are committed to developing innovative, sustainable solutions for the aviation industry and we look forward to further demonstrating the potential of hydrogen fuel cells to power urban air mobility." Piasecki recently announced a $37 million STRATFI contract with the U.S. Air Force to accelerate development of HTPEM hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system for its forthcoming PA-890 Slowed Rotor Compound Helicopter, which is expected to be the world's first zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell powered commercial helicopter. In partnership with ZeroAvia, Piasecki will develop and test HTPEM hydrogen fuel cells for VTOL applications, including a HAXEL proof-of-concept flight demonstrator and a full-scale 660kW HTPEM hydrogen fuel cell propulsion test stand for the PA-890. Last year, Piasecki acquired a 219,000-square-foot state-of-the-art helicopter manufacturing facility from Lockheed Martin Sikorsky in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, where it plans to assemble the PA-890.About Piasecki Aircraft Corporation (PiAC)Piasecki is an award-winning developer of vertical lift aircraft. It specializes in the design, fabrication, and flight testing of experimental rotorcraft and unmanned air vehicles and has developed and flown more than 25 advanced VTOL and UAV aircraft to date. Customers include the U.S. Air Force Research Lab and AFWERX; the U.S. Army Futures Command Aviation and Missile Center and Medical R&D Command; NAVAIR; DARPA; and SOCOM; as well as leading OEMs such as Lockheed Martin and Boeing. Piasecki is a recipient of numerous awards including the Presidential National Medal of Technology, Smithsonian Air & Space Achievement Award, and the prestigious Tibbitts Award for small business innovation from the U.S. Department of Defense. Piasecki has been a proud member of the Vertical Flight Society for more than 50 years. For more information, please visit piasecki.com and follow Piasecki on LinkedIn.Acknowledgment: This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Grants & Coop Agreements under Award Number(s) DE-SC0023929.Disclaimer: "This re
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As federal and state governments implement far-ranging programs to address the crisis, PillSafe offers a technology-based solution that ensures patients comply with prescriptions.EDMOND, OK / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / The nation's opioid epidemic costs the U.S. economy more than $1 trillion a year in lost labor hours, productivity, and healthcare costs. The federal and state governments are launching complex and costly programs to address the crisis. Yet, products like the PillSafe bottle, a patented "smart" pill delivery system, offer an efficient, technology-based solution.Developed by doctors and designed to protect patients, PillSafe uses proprietary technology that distributes the appropriate amount of medication at the time prescribed by the doctor and prevents tampering with the bottle, ensuring compliance with the doctor's prescription.PillSafe was developed to address an overdose epidemic that has killed more than 100,000 people in the United States every year since 2001 and is the leading killer of people 18 to 49 in the United States. From 2015-2018, the opioid epidemic cost the U.S. economy $2.5 trillion. In 2020 alone, the epidemic imposed a $1.5 trillion burden on the economy, equivalent to 7% of that year's GDP."Addressing this crisis requires continued efforts and resources to combat addiction and reduce fatal overdoses. Dollars and education alone will not solve the Opioid challenge. Funding smart' technologies is the next step," said Dr. John Barr, co-founder of PillSafe.A review of recent legislation and programs from the federal government and several state governments, including New York, Illinois, and Washington, illustrates the extraordinary and expensive efforts dedicated to the opioid crisis.The U.S. Congress has passed three laws, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), the 21st Century Cures Act, and the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, that will spend more than $10.6 billion by 2028 on programs to decrease the supply and demand for opioids.The Department of Health and Human Resources (HHS) mentioned in a March 2020 report that $300 million, almost one-third of the State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis grant program's $970 million funding, was not spent by some of the states. Another 14 states spent less than half of their funding share. All but six states asked for a 12-month extension.The federal government's Department of Labor has a program that hires individuals in recovery, providing fidelity bonds for "at-risk" and difficult-to-place job seekers. The bonds cover the first six months of employment at no cost to the job seeker or the employer. Also, New York and Illinois governments have created tax credits to incentivize employers to hire individuals in recovery. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce also promotes resources for second-chance hiring programs.According to a survey by the National Safety Council, 75% of employers reported that opioid use has impacted their workplace, and only 17% reported being extremely well-prepared to address the issue. An estimated 12.6% of the American workforce receives an opioid prescription today. Workers with substance use disorders take 50% more unscheduled leave and have a turnover rate 44% higher than other people. Workers affected by opioids are also more likely to experience occupational injuries that result in time away from work.The State Opioid Response grant program has allowed states to provide treatment services to over 1.2 million people in the U.S. since 2018, purchase roughly 10 million overdose reversal medication kits that helped with 550,000 overdoses, and offer funding for access to medications, treatment of opioid use disorder, and increase prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery support services for substance use disorder.State governments across the country have approved or are planning elaborate programs to address the opioid crisis and its impact on the economy. New York and Illinois have created tax credits to incentivize employers to hire individuals in recovery. In Washington, the governor approved a measure in March to help tribes and indigenous people deal with their soaring overdose death rates. It would provide nearly $8 million annually until at least 2031 for the state's 29 federally recognized tribes.In Texas, where a study showed that overdoses in 2022 cost the state $114.6 billion in gross product and 1.2 million years of work, the state is expected to spend about $700 million from a settlement with pharmaceutical companies on programs to reduce opioid addiction.Given the scope of the issue and governments' scattershot response, the PillSafe developers want to announce an open invitation to partner with any State on sharing the licensing revenues from PillSafe technologies in support of their incentive programs on Employment, Compliance, and Recovery. We invite State Representatives to contact the PillSafe team at https://pillsafeprotection.com About PillSafe PillSafe is a pioneering "smart" technology that shifts the standard of care in the pharmaceutical industry with home delivery and patient compliance in response to the opioid epidemic. The company creates prescription compliance by restricting access to medication to only the patient, keeping medication safe from divergence and abuse. PillSafe's "intelligent" design includes several innovative features that benefit the delivery network from the manufacturer to the pharmacy to the patient. The patented technology includes an electronic label that can increase adherence messaging, two-step verification, or active advertising from the manufacturer to the pharmacy to the patient.In 2022, 27 million Americans had a drug use disorder. The economic impact of opioids has been substantial, affecting lives, families, and the working population directly. A CDC review of mortality data from 21 states reported that unintentional overdose deaths accounted for a disproportionate share of all deaths in six occupational groups: construction, extraction (e.g., mining), food preparation and serving, health care practitioners, health care support, and personal care and service.Contact InformationJessica LombaoMedia Advantage Account Managerjessica.lombao@issuerdirect.com SOURCE: PillSafeView the original press release on newswire.com
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The PMAT Companies acquired another value-add anchored Select Open Air Retail (SOAR) center in suburban IllinoisROMEOVILLE, IL / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / In December 2023, the PMAT Companies acquired another value-add anchored Select Open Air Retail (SOAR) center in suburban Illinois. The Shops of Romeoville is an 82,660-square-foot SOAR center located in Romeoville, IL-a growing suburb of Chicago that is a net employment creator with three colleges and over 10,000 students as well-with national credit tenants like TJ Maxx, Petco, and Discovery Clothing.PMAT Companies Logo The property benefits from this strong existing tenant base and a fundamentally sound location at a market-dominant intersection shared with retailers such as Walmart, Aldi, Blaine's Farm & Fleet, and only one mile from a top-performing Jewel Osco. Additionally, the asset is shadow anchored by the Ovation Center-a partnership between Senior Services of Will County and the Village of Romeoville that is delivering more than 125,000 square feet of health care services, business space and a state-of-the-art event center to serve the 55+ population of Will County and the broader community.Despite these strong fundamentals and market momentum, this lender-owned property had significant remaining instability and legacy vacancy at only 65% occupancy with several month-to-month and short-term leases at the time of acquisition. Within months of closing, PMAT renewed existing anchor tenancy, to execute a new long-term lease with Ross Dress for Less, and to work with the Village of Romeoville to structure incentives to attract the right tenant mix to serve the remaining market gaps. PMAT's business plan is to reinvest in the site in conjunction with the Village of Romeoville and to work with the remaining existing retailers to achieve long-term commitments to the market while bringing exciting new tenants into the remaining vacancy. The execution of this intensive lease-up and management process-led by direct principal attention from PMAT ownership-updating and fully stabilizing the property is PMAT's proven strategy across the country.PMAT remains extremely active in the capital markets and is seeking to acquire fundamentally sound but value-add SOAR shopping centers in suburban secondary and tertiary markets across the U.S. While our most typical deal size is $10M to $100M, our targeted transactions range from $5M to more than $150M.For leasing info, contact leasing@ pmat.com For acquisition criteria, contact kevin@ pmat.com PMAT is a real estate development and investment platform focused on value-add Select Open Air Retail (SOAR) investments across the Southeast, Sunbelt, and Midwest regions. The initial PMAT platform was founded by ICSC Trustee Bob Whelan in 2003 and the team has since acquired and renovated primarily grocery-anchored shopping centers in fundamentally sound suburban secondary and tertiary markets. The PMAT Team has experienced over 100 transactions with a value of $1.5 billion consisting of nearly 12.5 million square feet across 17 states. PMAT's investment strategy is to acquire fundamentally sound but value-add SOAR assets anchored by grocery, off-price, necessity discount, and fitness tenants and to create long-term value through redevelopment, renovation, and re-tenanting.Contact InformationJack Piermarinijack@ pmat.com Ben BolzVP Asset Managementben@ pmat.com Matt WhelanAsset Managermatt@ pmat.com SOURCE: PMAT CompaniesView the original press release on newswire.com
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EYBENS, FRANCE / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / Rockingham County has selected Waga Energy (EPA:WAGA), a global expert in the production of Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) from landfills, to produce RNG at the Rockingham County Landfill, located in Madison, NC.Following an award to Waga Energy as part of a public request for proposal (RFP), WagaEnergy entered into a 20-year agreement with the county to install an RNG production facility at the Rockingham County Landfill using its patented WAGABOX technology. Waga Energy will finance, build, own and operate the unit and share with Rockingham County the revenue generated from the sale of the RNG produced.The WAGABOX unit is expected to be commissioned in 2026 and will produce approximately 207,000MMBtu per year of RNG, which will be injected directly into the local natural gas pipeline. A key pillar of the energy transition, RNG is a local, renewable energy source that substitutes fossil natural gas. The project will avoid 13,500 tons of CO2eq. per year based on the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calculation methodology.Rockingham County Landfill provides services to over 92,000 residents and receives an average of 100,000 tons of municipal waste annually.A result of 15 years of development, the WAGABOX patented technology revolutionizes landfill gas upgrading by coupling membrane filtration with cryogenic distillation. It maximizes the renewable energy production of landfills by ensuring the production of pipeline-quality RNG, regardless of the landfill gas variations in flow rate and composition. Waga Energy operates 23 WAGABOX units worldwide, including 3 units in North America. 13 more are under construction including 6 in the US.Lance Metzler, Rockingham County Manager, said: "In late 2022, Rockingham County released a public RFP for the beneficial use of our landfill gas. We received multiple responses and through a committee began the process of vetting each proposer, ultimately selecting WagaEnergy. From this evaluation we selected the best partner to support Rockingham County in monetizing our landfill gas, Waga Energy has the experience, passion, and technology to maximize the value of this waste resource. Through our partnership with Waga Energy, Rockingham County is proud to be utilizing our landfill gas to provide sustainable energy to our community. By upgrading our landfill gas into renewable natural gas, this project supports Rockingham County in reducing our landfill's environmental impact, while generating new revenues for the county." Guenael Prince, CEO of Waga Energy Inc. (USA), said: "We are proud to have been selected by Rockingham County as their partner to maximize the benefits of the landfill gas at the Rockingham County Landfill. Our WAGABOX RNG facility will convert the landfill gas into a source of energy, fueling the local community and supporting the circular economy. This will be the first WAGABOX unit in North Carolina and we are excited for the opportunity to contribute to RNG production in the state." About Rockingham CountyNestled in the picturesque landscape of the Piedmont Triad region, Rockingham County, North Carolina embodies the charm of small-town living, just a few hours away from Raleigh, Charlotte, Asheville, and even Washington, DC. Rockingham Countyis home to a vibrant community of over 92,000 residents. It is bordered by the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, offering an array of outdoor recreation opportunities. With four major rivers crisscrossing its terrain, adventurers can enjoy over 88 miles of thrilling water escapades or explore 4,500 acres of serene lakeside settings. The county also boasts numerous scenic trails that wind through the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, perfect for nature enthusiasts and hikers alike.About Waga EnergyWaga Energy (EPA:WAGA) produces competitively priced Renewable Natural Gas - RNG - (also known as "biomethane") by upgrading landfill gas using a patented purification technology called WAGABOX. The RNG produced is injected directly into the gas distribution networks that supply individuals and businesses, providing a substitute for fossil natural gas. Waga Energy finances, builds and operates its WAGABOX units under long-term contracts with landfill operators for the supply of raw gas, and generates income by selling the RNG it produces or by offering a purification service. Waga Energy operates 24 units (owned or sold) in France, Spain, Canada and the US, representing an installed capacity of 940 GWh per year (3,207,400 MMBtu). Each project initiated by Waga Energy contributes to the fight against global warming and helps the energy transition. Waga Energy is listed on Euronext Paris.Press contacts:Rockingham CountyRonnie Tate+1 (336) 342-8104 rtate@ co.rockingham.nc.usWaga EnergyAlicia Fanni +1 (786) 300-9545 alicia.fanni@waga-energy.com Regulatory filing PDF fileFile: Download the press releaseSOURCE: Waga Energy
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LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / American Lithium Minerals (OTC PINK:AMLM) is pleased to announce that a settlement has been reached concerning overstaking of 50 of its placer mining claims (1,000 acres) at Sarcobatus, Nye County, Nevada. Under the settlement agreement, the other claimholder is withdrawing its conflicting claims, resulting in unencumbered ownership of the AMLM Sarcobatus Lithium Project.As previously reported, an individual from Utah overstaked much of the Company's Sarcobatus claim block in 2022, well after the AMLM claims were staked in 2021. The conflicting claims were then leased by the Utah overstaker, along with many other claims, to a subsidiary of Loyal Lithium Ltd. Loyal Lithium was made aware of the situation and had done no drilling on the conflicting claims. The settlement avoids the need to pursue litigation, and clears the way for additional AMLM work at Sarcobatus.The Company was represented in this matter by Reno mining attorney Ross de Lipkau, Esq., of Robertson, Johnson, Miller & Williamson.Sarcobatus Lithium ProjectThe AMLM Sarcobatus lithium property is located at Scotty's Junction in Nye County, Nevada, approximately 40 miles northwest of Beatty. It is about 20 miles southeast of the AMLM Stonewall Flat lithium property. AMLM's Sarcobatus property is immediately west of Nevada Lithium's "Bonnie Claire" lithium property, and is also adjacent to Loyal Lithium's "Scotty" lithium project. Sarcobatus is comprised of 73 placer mining claims (approximately 1,460 acres) covering most of a playa (dry lake) and adjacent land. It is primarily a brine / sedimentary lithium target.Lithium Assay ResultsIn late 2023, infill hand auger sampling at a depth of one (1) meter was carried out at Sarcobatus. This program was concentrated at the south end of the claim block, close to recent drilling by a neighboring claim owner which reported encouraging results for a sedimentary lithium deposit. Infill sampling was also done at the north end of the claim block, focused on an interpreted "embayment," which could be positive for lithium accumulation. All samples were anomalous for Lithium.The eight (8) south end samples ranged from 380 ppm to 590 ppm Lithium, with an average of 449 ppm Lithium.The 10 north end samples ranged from 153 ppm to 463 ppm Lithium, with an average of 294 ppm Lithium.AMLM views these results as encouraging and consistent with the results of the 2022 sampling program.About American Lithium Minerals, Inc.: AMLM is a Nevada-based lithium exploration company with five (5) lithium projects in Central Nevada (Sarcobatus, Stonewall Flat, West End, Silverpeak and Claystone Hills). AMLM also has four (4) projects in Nevada, Arizona and Illinois for other battery metals, named Blue Bull Cobalt, Nickel and Manganese; Buckley Flat Graphite; Kingman Rare Earth and Hicks Dome Rare Earth.Contact:Barbara Bauman, President 702-533-8369American Lithium Minerals, Inc.SOURCE: American Lithium Minerals, Inc.
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BEDFORD, NS / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / Silver Spruce Resources Inc. (the "Company") (TSXV:SSE) is pleased to announce that it has closed the first tranche of its previously announced private placement ("Private Placement") of units ("Units") with each Unit consisting of one common share of the Company and one common share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant") at a purchase price of $0.015 per Unit. Each Warrant is exercisable into one common share at an exercise price of $0.05 per share for a period of five years from the date of the issuance of the Warrants.The Company issued 19,983,333 Units for aggregate proceeds of $299,750 in a first tranche of the Private Placement and no insiders participated in the first tranche. Insiders may participate in the next tranche of the Private Placement but the extent of insider participation, if any, has not yet been determined.The proceeds from the first tranche of the Private Placement will be used for exploration of the Company's mineral projects and general working capital. The Company paid cash finder's fees of $2,475 to one finder in connection with the first tranche.All securities issued in connection with the first tranche of the Private Placement are subject to a statutory hold period expiring four months and one day from issuance. The Private Placement is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.About Silver Spruce Resources Inc.Silver Spruce Resources Inc. is a Canadian junior exploration company holding 100% of the Melchett Lake Zn-Au-Ag project in northern Ontario and has signed Definitive Agreements to acquire 100% interest in the Mystery Au project near recent discoveries by Sokoman Minerals Corp. and New Found Gold Corp. among others in the Exploits Gold Belt, Newfoundland and Labrador, 100% interest in the Pino de Plata Ag project located 15 kilometres west of Coeur Mining's Palmarejo Mine in western Chihuahua, Mexico and up to 50% interest in Colibri Resource's Diamante Au-Ag project located from 5 kilometres to 15 kilometres northwest from Minera Alamos's Nicho deposit in Sonora, Mexico. Silver Spruce also has a 50:50 joint venture agreement with Colibri on the nearby Jackie Au project. Silver Spruce Resources Inc. continues to investigate opportunities that Management has identified or that have been presented to the Company for consideration.Contact:Silver Spruce Resources Inc. Michael Kinley, CEO(902) 402-0388 mkinley@ silverspruceresources.cominfo@silverspruceresources.comwww.silverspruceresources.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.Notice Regarding Forward-Looking StatementsThis news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, including with respect to: the plans of the Company; and the proposed use of funds of the first tranche of the Private Placement. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "potential," "goal," "objective," "prospective," and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and involve several risks and uncertainties, including that the Company may use the proceeds of the first tranche for purposes other than those disclosed in this news release; adverse market conditions; and other factors beyond the control of the Company. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate, and that actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with mineral exploration and difficulties associated with obtaining financing on acceptable terms. We are not in control of metals prices and these could vary to make development uneconomic. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate.SOURCE: Silver Spruce Resources Inc.
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Key Financial DevelopmentsBISHOPSGATE, LONDON / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / The Board of Directors of SolGold is pleased to share the substantial progress made in our financial initiatives. Management is currently in detailed discussions with capital providers who have shown a strong interest in committing to a robust, longer-term financing package for the Cascabel Project ("Project"). This proposed Financing ("Financing") is projected to cover a significant portion of the estimated initial capital development costs of the Project, highlighting its position as a Tier 1 asset and a premier investment opportunity.In parallel, SolGold has secured a US$10 million loan facility ("Loan Facility"). The Loan Facility provides an immediate cash infusion of US$10 million to support the Company's ongoing operations. Executed under customary terms and conditions appropriate for a loan facility of this nature, it offers favorable repayment options, thus enhancing our ability to manage our financial commitments efficiently. This funding is intended to give SolGold the flexibility required as we aim to finalize the more comprehensive Financing arrangement.Chris Stackhouse, CFO of SolGold, commented, "These developments are significant for SolGold as we continue to establish the financial foundations necessary for the next phases of the Cascabel Project. The strong interest from potential financiers not only validates the Project's exceptional prospects but also strengthens our capability to achieve planned milestones." It is important to note, however, that while the Financing discussions are advancing, the completion of a transaction remains subject to negotiation, and there is no guarantee of a finalized Financing transaction. The proposed Financing is expected to be subject to certain conditions, including the receipt of necessary permits and agreements, a final investment decision, and additional stipulations, some of which are still being defined.This announcement has been approved for release by Scott Caldwell, Chief Executive Officer. Certain information contained in this announcement would have been deemed inside information.CONTACTSScott CaldwellSolGold Plc (CEO)Tel: +44 (0) 20 3807 6996Tavistock (Media)Jos Simson/Gareth TredwayTel: +44 (0) 20 7920 3150ABOUT SOLGOLDSolGold is a leading resources company focused on the discovery, definition and development of world-class copper and gold deposits and continues to strive to deliver objectives efficiently and in the interests of shareholders.The Company operates with transparency and in accordance with international best practices. SolGold is committed to delivering value to its shareholders while simultaneously providing economic and social benefits to impacted communities, fostering a healthy and safe workplace, and minimizing environmental impact.SolGold is listed on the London Stock Exchange and Toronto Stock Exchange (LSE/TSX: SOLG). Seewww.solgold.com.aufor more information. Follow us on X @SolGold_plc.CAUTIONARY NOTICENews releases, presentations and public commentary made by SolGold plc (the "Company") and its Officers may contain certain statements and expressions of belief, expectation or opinion which are forward looking statements, and which relate, inter alia, to interpretations of exploration results to date and the Company's proposed strategy, plans and objectives or to the expectations or intentions of the Company's Directors, including the plan for developing the Project currently being studied as well as the expectations of the Company as to the forward price of copper. Such forward-looking and interpretative statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors beyond the control of the Company that could cause the actual performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from such interpretations and forward-looking statements.Accordingly, the reader should not rely on any interpretations or forward-looking statements; and save as required by the exchange rules of the TSX and LSE or by applicable laws, the Company does not accept any obligation to disseminate any updates or revisions to such interpretations or forward-looking statements. The Company may reinterpret results to date as the status of its assets and projects changes with time expenditure, metals prices and other affecting circumstances.This release may contain "forward looking information". Forward looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding the Company's plans for developing its properties. Generally, forward looking information 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 variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved".Forward looking 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 but not limited to: transaction risks; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; future prices of mineral prices; accidents, labour disputes and shortages and other risks of the mining industry. Although 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 information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, risks relating to the ability of exploration activities (including assay results) to accurately predict mineralization; errors in management's geological modelling and/or mine development plan; capital and operating costs varying significantly from estimates; the preliminary nature of visual assessments; delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, environmental or other required approvals; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future; changes in
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 01:00:27

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Not for distribution to U.S. Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States of America. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of U.S. Securities laws.TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 13, 2024 / Sparta Group (TSXV:SAY) (the "Corporation", the "Company", "Sparta Group", "Sparta Capital", " SAY.V" or "Sparta") is pleased to announce that, subject to regulatory approval, the Corporation intends to complete a non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement") of up to 50,000,000 units of the Company ("Units") at a price of $0.02 per Unit for gross proceeds of up to $1,000,000. Each Unit is comprised of one (1) common share of the Corporation ("Common Share") and one full Common Share purchase warrant ("Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional Common Share at a price of $0.10 per Common Share for a period of eighteen (18) months from the date of closing the Offering (the "Warrant Expiry").The Company intends to use the net proceeds for the launch of TruckSuite Canada's product offering, to cover some general corporate purposes that include, audit, legal, licenses and fees. Following a review of the product offering in Q4 2023, the groundwork was laid for TruckSuite Canada. Sparta management, alongside the team of experts from TruckSuite LLC in the United States, plan to launch TruckSuite Canada this year. TruckSuite Canada requires the funding to cover licencing and specialty insurance registration, sales and marketing materials, brokerage costs, communications planning, as well as initial setup of administration and operational functions.The price per Common Share has been set based on the weighted average and the last trading price on the TSX Venture Exchange prior to the issuance of this press release. If at any time before the Warrant Expiry the volume weighted average trading price of the Common Shares is greater than $0.12 for ten consecutive trading days, the Corporation may, at its sole discretion, accelerate the Warrant Expiry Date by giving 30 days notice to each holder of Warrants.None of the proceeds received will be used to pay non-arm's length parties nor will they be used to pay investor relations activities. Should the maximum Offering not be achieved, the use of proceeds will be adjusted by the Corporation. If Sparta receives total subscriptions pursuant to the existing security holders' exemption, which causes the Offering to exceed $1,000,000, Sparta may accept such subscriptions on a first come, first serve basis. There is no minimum Offering.The Offering is subject to certain conditions including but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange Inc. ("TSXV"). Pursuant to applicable securities laws, all securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a four-month hold period from the date of closing. Furthermore, Sparta will be relying on the existing security holders' exemption as well as other available prospectus exemptions. For those investors relying upon the exemption for existing security holders, the aggregate acquisition cost to a subscribing shareholder of all securities of Sparta cannot exceed $15,000 in the previous 12 months, unless that shareholder has obtained advice regarding the suitability of the investment from a registered investment dealer in the subscriber's jurisdiction. The offer to purchase Units is available to all security holders of Sparta who held Common Shares on November 25, 2022. Shareholders residing in Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, and countries other than Canada will need to meet local jurisdiction requirements to participate.About SpartaSparta Group (a.k.a. Sparta Capital Ltd.) is a technology-based company focused on integrating emerging technologies. It operates with a decentralized business model, with each active business functioning as a separate subsidiary. This structure provides brand recognition, insight, high-level strategic guidance, and financial monitoring. Sparta Group is divided into three operational business segments, each accountable for its day-to-day operations and performance. Those segments are, Environment, Energy, and Innovation.Sparta is a publicly traded company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange Inc. under the symbol "SAY" ( TSX.V: SAY). Additional information is available at www.spartagroup.ca or on SEDAR at www.sedar.com For more information contact:Tony Peticca, PresidentEmail: tony@ spartagroup.ca Telephone: 416-648-6506This above may contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. When used in this address, the words "estimate", "project", "belief", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "predict", "may" or "should" and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. Although the Corporation believes in light of the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information because the Corporation can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date of publication of this information and the Corporation undertakes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change. Furthermore, the Corporation undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third parties in respect of the Corporation. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.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 releaseSOURCE: Sparta Group
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 23:25:57

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Media tour conducted by the Humane Society of the United States discusses the More Than a Pet campaign.NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / A video accompanying this announcement with Humane Society of the United States president and CEO Kitty Block, is available at: https://youtu.be/qtc_jIvU_nU Media tour conducted by the Humane Society of the United States discusses the More Than a Pet campaign.Millions of loving pet owners cannot afford or do not haveaccess to veterinary servicesand pet resources. Over 20 million pets live in poverty with their families in the US and 70% of pets living in poverty have never seen a veterinarian.This is a serious issue that is being addressed by the Humane Society of the United States through its More than a Pet campaign.A nationwide media tour was conducted featuring Kitty Block, President and CEO, The Humane Society of the United States, discussing the aim of the campaign which is to help pets living in poverty with their families and keep people and their pets together, no matter what challenges they face.The Humane Society of the United States'More Than a Pet campaignaddresses this nationwide crisis head on by elevating awareness and providing solutions for those facing economic hardship and struggling to access care for their pets. With the help of campaign partnersTQL ,Motel 6 ,SmallsandTractive , along with the campaign's celebrity ambassador Jackson Galaxy-renowned cat behavior and wellness expert, author and television host-More Than a Pet focuses on advancing equity and access to care to keep families and their pets together, happy and healthy.Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, said, "The human-animal bond transcends demographics, and everyone should have the opportunity to experience the joy of animal companionship. Millions of loving pet owners cannot afford or don't haveaccess to veterinary servicesor pet resources. Most people are aware of how poverty and structural inequality create challenges and barriers to accessing healthy food, education, jobs, healthcare and housing for people. Pet resources are no different." Galaxy added, "There is no greater joy than the unconditional love and relationship we have with our animal family members. They are more than just pets; they're part of our lives and our hearts, and no one should ever have to even think about giving them up because they don't have access to pet food, supplies and essential resources. We need to do all we can to keep these families together. People can make a difference by helping a neighbor out, whether that be giving them a bag of cat food, offering to care for their cat if they have fallen on hard times, or driving them to veterinary appointments if they don't have a car. Every bit helps and means more than you know." An important component of the campaign is theMore Than a Pet Community Hero Award , recognizing the contributions of three community heroes who are making a difference by working to ensure the well-being of people and their pets in communities lacking access to resources like pet food and veterinary care. The public is encouraged to show their support byvotingfor the hero whose story impacts them most.People can also make a big difference by simply spreading the word about this enormous crisis and by helping their neighbors. Every act of kindness goes a long way:Offer to pet sit Drive them to a veterinary appointment Collect pet essential donations for them Buy an extra bag of cat or dog food Foster someone's pet if they fall on hard timesSince 2002, the Humane Society of the United States has served more than 500,000 pets and their families living in poverty with veterinary services such as spay/neuter and vaccinations at no cost to the pet's family. The HSUS has also donated more than $40 million worth of pet supplies, including 14 million pounds of pet food.For more information, visit HUMANESOCIETY.ORG/MORETHANAPET About More Than a PetLaunched in 2023, the Humane Society of the United States' More Than a Pet campaign honors the love people have for their pets, celebrates and protects the human-animal bond and aims to show that this bond transcends race, ethnicity, geography and socioeconomic status. Through programs like Pets for Life and Rural Area Veterinary Services, the HSUS supports hundreds of thousands of people and pets who do not have access to veterinary care and pet essentials. A key part of this work is to bring equity in access to pet care for underserved communities and increase diversity in the animal welfare movement, efforts which are long overdue and necessary to recognize the human in humane. Together with our corporate partners, More Than a Pet raises awareness and funds for these critical programs and the HSUS' work to fight for all animals.Contact Details YourUpdateTV+1 212-736-2727yourupdatetv@ gmail.com SOURCE: YOURUPDATETV
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 14:30:19

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BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / Independent PR, digital and creative agency,The PHA Group , has announced the opening ofDig & Dig , the group's first international agency which will have its HQ in Boston, Massachusetts.A digital and social agency, Dig & Dig will offer services including organic and paid social, influencer marketing, Digital PR, SEO, PPC and content marketing. The agency is headed up by a Boston-based team of Matt Raven, Executive Vice President who will lead Dig & Dig's day-to-day operations and will be supported by Desiree Dileso, Vice President, Head of Paid Media. Both will report to PHA's joint Group MDs Shelley Frosdick and Stuart Skinner.The agency launches with a roster of rapidly-growing clients including Workstorm - a leading secure work collaboration platform for the world's most operationally complex brands. The programs are serviced with staff from across the group's UK and US offices working collaboratively.With over 16 years' experience, Raven offers expertise in digital marketing, search, and content strategy across owned, earned and paid channels. Most recently, he worked for Look Left Marketing, where he served as Vice President and Head of Digital, leading the Digital practice to create and execute strategies helping technology companies breakthrough with insight-driven integrated programs. Prior to that, Raven worked for the Boston-based agency, SHIFT Communications, where he was tasked with developing and launching SHIFT's Optimized PR service, the industry's first true performance-based earned media offering. Raven has developed campaigns for brands including Warby Parker, Citrix and GoDaddy. Raven is deeply ingrained in the Boston business community, speaking regularly to local students at Boston University and sharing his knowledge at local industry events like DigiMarCon New England and PRSA's PRxNE conference.Dileso brings over 14 years' experience in planning, buying, and executing Paid Media campaigns. Prior to Dig & Dig, she spent over 13 years working for independent media agency, PGR Media, most recently serving as VP, Media Director, where she led end-to-end integrated channel planning from audience development and communication strategy to forecasting and reporting. She has a deep understanding of the paid media landscape having led campaigns across social, programmatic, CTV, audio, display, custom content, and outdoor. Her hands-on-keys experience coupled with strategic channel vision has helped many brands scale their investments with confidence. DiIeso has developed winning strategies for brands including Vera Bradley, Sheraton Hotels, Westin Hotels & Resorts, Celebrity Cruises and StriVectin amongst other spanning various industries such as CPG, finance and tech.Dileso is actively involved in Boston's ad community. She's a member of Boston Interactive Media Association (BIMA) and has proudly served on the board for the past 8+ years.This first international agency follows a period of growth and investment for PHA, driven by Frosdick and Skinner who were announced as joint MDs in April 2020.Shelley Frosdick and Stuart Skinner commented: "The launch of Dig & Dig follows 18 months of research and planning and marks a significant moment for the PHA Group. We couldn't be prouder of the Dig & Dig brand which will be the first of many new agency brands to be a part of the PHA Group."Client demand for international support, as well as access to a new market, have been the driving forces behind the launch of Dig & Dig and with Boston offering many thriving sectors and a great talent pool, it is a city we are excited to now call home."Our UK offices work collaboratively to deliver integrated solutions to clients and entering the international market with a Digital and Social first agency will give us an edge over competitors with teams across our five office locations working collaboratively to deliver exceptional results for our client partners."Finding the right US-based talent to lead the agency was a critical part of our planning and we couldn't be happier to have Matt and Desiree driving Dig & Dig forward. We will shortly launch a secondment program for staff across our UK offices to Dig & Dig and look forward to the benefits this will bring employees to learn from colleagues and work collaboratively on projects."This is a significant moment in PHA's growth; we are delighted to become a global group with expert, local networks and look forward to the opportunities that will bring." To find out more about Dig & Dig, visitdiganddig.com/ - ENDS -For any further media enquiries, please contact: matt@ diganddig.com Notes to editors:About The PHA GroupEstablished in 2005, The PHA Group is an award-winning independent PR, digital and creative agency founded by Phil Hall, the former editor of the world's bestselling newspaper and Director of Editorial Development at Trinity Mirror Group.With offices based in London, Manchester, Leeds and Wokingham, The PHA Group constitutes consumer, corporate and reputation PR specialists to deliver transformational results for clients, including household brands, international corporations, ambitious start-ups, and individuals with a story to tell.Our unparalleled network integrates top-level media and influencer contacts with strategic, creative, digital, and social insight, as well as global connections, to create a truly bespoke service.www.thephagroup.com About Dig & DigDig & Dig is a digital and social agency headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. The agency offers services including organic and paid social, influencer marketing, Digital PR, SEO, PPC and content marketing.It is the first international agency launched by The PHA Group, an independent PR, digital and creative agency based in the UK.www.diganddig.com SOURCE: Dig & Dig
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 16:06:43

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770 admission-free, live musical events presented throughout the United States and CanadaNEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / The recording industry's Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF), a leading non-profit organization enriching lives and uniting communities through the power of music, wrapped up its annual initiative to present admission-free live musical performances celebrating Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) in April.Nearly 5,000 professional musicians in 78 markets across North America performed for appreciative audiences from Honolulu to Saskatoon to New Orleans and beyond. Events were held in parks, libraries, schools, art galleries, assisted living residences, community centers, churches, and other venues where communities gather. This includes 66 live-streamed events available on the MPTF Facebook page to anyone in the United States and Canada.MPTF Trustee Dan Beck commented, "Our JAM initiative continues to grow, particularly coming out of the pandemic. We appreciate the enormous efforts of the American Federation of Musicians for organizing these admission-free performances across North America." Primarily funded by four major record companies, including Sony Music, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Walt Disney Records, the MPTF has also played a vital role in support of the music industry's gig economy. The independently run organization has distributed millions of dollars in financial resources and grants, engaging professional musicians who are members of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) to perform live in admission-free events across North America. Since its founding in 1948, the MPTF has distributed approximately $624.8 million (USD) in sponsorship money.In 2019 the initiative provided 125 fully funded performances throughout the U.S. and Canada; that grew to 270 events in 2022. In 2023, MPTF's JAM events grew again to 575 performances and in 2024, the number of events increased by nearly 30% to 770 admission-free performances featuring the rich and varied legacy of the history of jazz music.Awareness for the 2024 campaign benefitted from the addition of media partners Allaboutjazz.com and Jazznearyou.com , websites which boast the world's largest jazz events calendar and reach a combined 240,000 viewers per month."We were thrilled to work with the Music Performance Trust Fund and support union locals of the American Federation of Musicians throughout the U.S. and Canada," stated Michael Ricci, founder and publisher of AllAboutJazz.com and JazzNearYou.com . "By posting dates for these performances on our website, we gave presenters and performers a wider audience while helping more jazz enthusiasts locate and attend live jazz events in their communities." Events were organized by American Federation of Musicians locals to ensure fair compensation for all performers.###About the MPTF : The recording industry's Music Performance Trust Fund is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit public service organization whose mission is to support admission-free, live events performed by professional musicians throughout the United States and Canada. We seek to enrich the lives of the public, young and old, through music, and to contribute to the public's knowledge and appreciation of music. We also seek to make music and music education an exciting experience, and to expand it to every child's life experience. The MPTF was established more than 75 years ago by recording companies including Sony Music, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group. Interested parties may contact Natty Hepburn-Beaty, Manager of Marketing Services, at nhepburnbeaty@ musicpf.org or visit www.musicpf.org About the AAJ : All About Jazz has been a pillar of the jazz community since 1995, championing the music as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Their enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts, musicians and industry figures every month. For more information, contact Michael Ricci at mricci.aaj@gmail.com Contact:Natilyn Hepburn-Beaty, Manager of Marketing Services nhepburnbeaty@ musicpf.org SOURCE: Music Performance Trust Fund
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 22:50:18

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NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATESTUCSON, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 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, May 3, 2024, and May 8, 2024, the Company has closed a second and final tranche (the "Second Tranche") of its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Offering"), issuing 200,000 units of the Company ("Units") for additional gross proceeds of C$130,000. In aggregate under the Offering, the Company issued 4,012,981 Units at a price of $0.65 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of C$2,608,437.65.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 C$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$8,720,616.45 and issued 13,416,333 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.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.All securities issued pursuant to the Second Tranche are subject to a hold period expiring on September 15, 2024, in addition to such other restrictions as may apply under applicable securities laws of jurisdictions outside Canada.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.Updated Disclosure Regarding Finder's FeesThe Company wishes to clarify its previously disseminated news release dated May 8, 2024, announcing the closing of the first tranche of the Offering. The news release inadvertently disclosed that the Company paid aggregate finder's commissions of $113,199.80 and issued an aggregate of 174,154 finder's warrants (the "Finder's Warrants") to certain qualified finders, with each Finder's Warrant exercisable for a period of 36 months from the date of issuance into one Share at a price of C$0.90. The actual finder's commissions paid and Finder's Warrants issued in connection with the Offering totaled $60,399.81 and 92,923, respectively.About WAMOur 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 MarrsPresident & CEOPhone: 520-200-1667For further information please contact:Vanessa Bogaert, Director of Corporate Communications/IR atvanessa@ westernalaskaminerals.com Or visit our website at: www.westernalaskaminerals.com Forward Looking InformationThis news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connation thereof. These forward-looking statements or information relate to, among other things, the 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 inte
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-14 15:01:09

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New study finds human capital management in large private equity value creation is all about the C-suite - until it isn'tCHICAGO, IL / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / The Workforce & Organizational Research Center (WORC) today announced the launch of its new research report, "Thinking Beyond the C-Suite Pays Off - Well, At Least Sometimes: Human Capital Management in Large Private Equity Value Creation." The research, supported by the Ford Foundation Mission Investments team, examines the extent to which human capital management plays a role in value creation at large private equity firms.Based on interviews with fund managers, deal team members, and human capital operating partners at seven leading private equity firms, including BlackRock Impact Opportunities Fund and TPG, the findings suggest that human capital management in value creation for large private equity firms is all about the C-suite - until it isn't. Where lower-level workers play a clear and essential role in executing the value creation strategy for a particular deal, large private equity firms will dedicate resources to the bottom of the org chart.While decades of rigorous human capital management research have pointed to the potential for value creation through improving the quality of lower-level jobs, this strategy is too often overlooked in private equity investments. This new research suggests that, under the right conditions, large private equity firms will embrace this approach.The research also points to the likelihood of unrealized gains when investors confine human capital management efforts to the C-suite. Where private equity firms dedicate resources to value-capture through improving lower-level jobs, the efforts are likely to benefit investors, companies, and workers alike."We hope this research will prompt private equity fund managers, deal teams, and human capital operating partners to take a closer look at the unrealized gains that can be captured by treating lower-level workers as an engine of value creation, not a cost to be minimized," said Ellen G. Frank-Miller, Ph.D., founder and CEO of WORC."We're grateful to the investment professionals who generously shared their insights with us and to Ford Mission Investments for their valuable thought partnership. WORC's study supports the case for Patriotic Capitalism by demonstrating that leading private equity firms are reaping financial returns when they improve lower-level work, a strategy that also leads to a more satisfied workforce and healthier communities and families," Frank-Miller said.For more information, please visit www.worcimpact.com The Workforce & Organizational Research Center (WORC) is a woman-owned social enterprise dedicated to catalyzing a thriving economy where every worker has a job worth having.Contact InformationEllen Frank-MillerFounder & CEOellen@ worcimpact.com SOURCE: WORC (Workforce & Organizational Research Center)View the original press release on newswire.com
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Significant Momentum in Shift to Direct-to-Consumer Real Estate Focus;Announced Share Repurchase Program Subsequent to Quarter End for up to $1 Million;Announced Listing of Non-Core Asset in Chino Valley for $16 Million Subsequent to Year EndSCOTTSDALE, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / Zoned Properties, Inc. ("Zoned Properties" or the "Company") (OTCQB:ZDPY), a technology-driven property investment company for emerging and highly regulated industries, including legalized cannabis, today announced its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024, as well as recent highlights as it relates to the Company's ongoing progress.Recent Highlights:Subsequent to quarter end, the Company announced the Board of Directors approved a stock repurchase program, pursuant to which the Company is authorized to purchase up to $1 million of its common stock over an unlimited time period. Subsequent to year end, announced strategic geographic expansion with acquisition of prime dispensary location in Chicago leased to Justice Cannabis Co.'s BLOC, marking an entry into one of the largest urban markets for legalized cannabis at a 16.5% cap rate. Subsequent to year end, announced agreement to acquire property for $2.75 million leased to Sunday Goods after receiving cannabis approvals for new retail dispensary in Arizona at a 12.7% cap rate. Subsequent to year end, listed cultivation property in Chino Valley, Arizona for sale at a purchase price of $16 million. This potential transaction marks a significant development in the Company's strategic real estate portfolio optimization. The Chino Valley Property has been a valuable non-core asset within the Company's portfolio and this potential sale is part of a strategic shift to streamline the Company's portfolio and concentrate efforts on a direct-to-consumer real estate strategy.Financial Highlights for the Quarter Ended March 31, 2024:Revenues were $837,052 for the quarter ended March 31, 2024, compared to revenues of $688,024 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2023, representing an increase of 22%. The Company reported net income of $96,473, or $0.01 per fully diluted share, for the quarter ended March 31, 2024, as compared to a net loss of $309,648, or ($0.03) per fully diluted share, for the quarter ended March 31, 2023, representing a 131% increase. Income from operations was $128,909 for the quarter ended March 31, 2024, compared to a loss from operations of $23,386 for the quarter ended March 31, 2023, representing a 651% increase. Cash provided by operating activities was $207,218 for the quarter ended March 31, 2024, compared to $3,589 for the quarter ended March 31, 2023. Operating expenses were $708,143 for the quarter ended March 31, 2024, compared to $711,410 for the quarter ended March 31, 2023, representing a slight decrease. The Company had cash on hand of $1.52 million as of March 31, 2024, compared to cash on hand of $3.1 million as of December 31, 2023. The decrease in cash position primarily reflects the Company's acquisition of the Chicago, Illinois dispensary property.Management Commentary:"Our team continues to execute despite a difficult operating climate in the cannabis industry, achieving very impressive financial and operational results. The transition to a direct-to-consumer property investment model was demonstrated by our first quarter results, which saw a revenue increase of 22%, positive net income, and significant operating cash flow growth, evidencing what we believe is Zoned Properties' firm trajectory of value generation and sustainable growth. In light of the discrepancy between our tangible book value and market capitalization, and our confidence in future growth, we are pleased to have initiated a share repurchase program to enhance shareholder value. Our capital allocation strategy will always be methodical and adaptable, and we think this is a great way to return capital to shareholders while progressing through our acquisition pipeline. A crucial element of our focused attention on direct-to-consumer real estate is the announcements related to our recent and upcoming acquisitions of significant dispensary assets with top-tier cannabis operators and the strategic listing of our non-core Chino Valley cultivation property for $16 million. This opens up the possibility of raising a sizable amount of non-dilutive capital, which would accelerate our growth initiatives significantly. Looking at the remainder of 2024, we are committed to our strategic growth path, with the expectation of continuing to post strong financial and operating results," said Bryan McLaren, Chief Executive Officer of Zoned Properties.About Zoned Properties, Inc. (OTCQB:ZDPY):Zoned Properties Inc. ("Zoned Properties" or the "Company") (OTCQB:ZDPY) is a technology-driven property investment company focused on acquiring value-add real estate within the regulated cannabis industry in the United States. The Company aspires to innovate within the real estate development sector, focusing on direct-to-consumer real estate that is leased to the best-in-class cannabis retailers.Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Zoned Properties is redefining the approach to commercial real estate investment through its standardized investment process backed by its proprietary property technology. Zoned Properties has developed a national ecosystem of real estate services to support its real estate development model, including a commercial real estate brokerage and a real estate advisory practice. With a decade of national experience and a team of experts devoted to the emerging cannabis industry, Zoned Properties is addressing the specific needs of a modern market in highly regulated industries. The Company targets commercial properties that face unique zoning or development challenges, identifies solutions that can potentially have a major impact on their commercial value, and then works to acquire the properties while securing long-term, absolute-net leases.Zoned Properties targets commercial properties that can be acquired and rezoned for specific purposes, including the regulated and legalized cannabis industry. It does not grow, harvest, sell or distribute cannabis or any substances regulated under United States law such as the Controlled Substance Act of 1970, as amended (the "CSA"). Zoned Properties corporate headquarters are located at 8360 E. Raintree Dr., Suite 230, Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information, call 877-360-8839 or visit www.ZonedProperties.com Twitter: @ZonedProperties LinkedIn: @ZonedPropertiesSafe Harbor StatementThis press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements othe
Shaibu Husseini, the sixth executive director and director-general of the National Films and Videos Censors Board (NFVCB), says the agency will censor and classify skits.

Mr Husseini, who has been meeting with Nigerian film industry stakeholders regarding classification and censorship, recently outlined some of his plans for the NFVCB during a visit to Lagos on Friday.

He noted that other countries, such as Britain, Kenya, and South Africa, have moved from censorship to classification, hence the need for Nigeria to adapt to the changing times.

Classification is when we watch your content and give it the rating it deserves. That rating will be displayed on the content so that when the audience is watching, they will know which content to choose from instead of just watching general content and finding something more like violence or nudity in the middle of the film or skit, he said.

Mr Husseini said the board would become digitised so filmmakers could register their works, including skits, seamlessly online.

We should no longer be doing analogue at a time when we should be talking about digital, and we have agreed to digitalise the process. I found out that one of the reasons people are bypassing the board and releasing films without classification is the tedious process of getting their movies on DVD. It is time-consuming and cumbersome.

Therefore, we are committed to providing a convenient service for filmmakers. They can stay in the comfort of their homes wherever they are, upload their films, pay online, see how the film is being processed, and then print their certificates online, he said.

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More plans

Additionally, he stressed the need for the regulatory body to get accurate data to ensure that the film and TV industry moves to the next stage.

Mr Husseini also spoke about his plans to ensure that the motion picture in Nigeria goes smoke-free and engages practitioners cum stakeholders in minimal use of tobacco to mark the world tobacco-free day in Nigeria.

The established film critic and member of several film award boards stressed the need for filmmakers to show responsibility in carrying out their duties.

He noted that if filmmakers are responsible enough to avoid contravening the laws, the NFVCB has no reason to enforce any law because dragging a stakeholder to court doesnt help the board in its outlined objectives.

The DG also announced plans to embark on a nationwide media literacy campaign to ensure youths are enlightened about what and what not to watch. He said the objective is to also engage women, primarily mothers, in educating them on monitoring what their children watch, which can either mar or make their future.

30th anniversary

Mr Shaibu noted that he wishes to empower further and put to good use the 465 staff of the NFVCB, six zonal offices, and 26 state centres during his tenure.

The NFVCBs new boss also announced plans for the boards 30th anniversary. He said the board will be 30 in June 2024, and there are plans to present three publications detailing the boards progress over the past thirty years. The publications will contain all the necessary details of films classified and censored by the board since its creation.

He said, In June, we will present three publications to the public, each marking ten years on the censors board. This is also because of the cry for data. We have received information from universities, both local and foreign, asking us for classified films and other information.

These publications will contain all the classified movies from 1994. They are for documentation, and they will outlive us. Hopefully, we will have a big celebration if we have moved to a new headquarters in Abuja by then. The current one is a rented apartment we have used since 1998. 

He said the new space,  The Classifier, will have a Walk of Fame featuring the names and photographs of living and dead film stakeholders.

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The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has begun moves to stop the plan by the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, to marry off 100 orphaned girls in the state.

She said on Monday that she had reported the case to the police by petitioning the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, and sought a court injunction to stop the plan pending the completion of investigations.

Mr Sarkindaji announced his plan to marry off the orphaned girls, who lost their parents due to banditry attacks in Mariga Local Government Area.

The official, who slated the mass wedding to take place on 24 May, said the plan was part of his constituency projects.

He said the gesture was aimed at alleviating the suffering of the impoverished, pledging to pay the dowries for the bridegrooms and have procured materials for the mass marriage.

Full scale investigation

But the women affairs minister, Ms Kennedy-Ohanenye, while briefing journalists in Abuja, described the plans as unacceptable emphasising that a full-scale investigation has commenced on the issue.

I want to let the honorable Speaker of the House of Assembly in Niger State to know that this is totally unacceptable by the Federal Minister of Women Affairs and by the government. Totally unacceptable!

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Because there is something called the Childs Right Act and I said it from the outset, that is, no more business as usual.

These children must be considered. Their future must be considered. The future of the children to come out of their marriage must be considered.

So I have gone to court. I have written him a letter and written a petition to the IG (Inspector General) of Police.

And I have filed for injunction to stop him from whatever he is planning to do on the 24th (May), until a thorough investigation is carried out on those girls, find out whether they gave their consent, their ages, find out the people marrying them, she said.

Girl child education

The minister also emphasised the need to ensure girl-child education.

As the speaker did not think about empowering these women or sending them to school or giving them some kind of training support financially.

The women affairs have decided to take it up and we are going to educate the children.

Those that do not want to go to school, we will train them in a skill, empower them with sustainable empowerment machines to enable that child build his or her life and make-up her mind who and when to get married.

If for any reason the Speaker tries to do contrary to what I have just mentioned there will be a serious legal battle between him and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, she said.

The minister further emphasised within the Child Rights Act, every child belongs to the state, hence the rights of every child will be protected from harm, violence or anything that will infringe on their rights.

(NAN)

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When Sale Abdullahi developed symptoms, including severe headache, nausea, fever and vomiting, on 25 February, he had a test for malaria and typhoid which came back positive.

Mr Abdullahi, a nurse anaesthetist at the General Hospital, Kafin Madaki, in Ganjuwa Local Government Area (LGA) of Bauchi State, north-east Nigeria, was immediately placed on medications by a doctor at a private hospital, Remee Clinic and Maternity, in the Bauchi metropolis.

After days of trying out different medications, including artemether, ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin, Mr Abdullahs condition deteriorated and the fever worsened while on admission at the private clinic.

Nobody suspected it was Lassa fever until a urine analysis showed that his urine was looking bloody after which he was referred to the Lassa fever isolation centre for further lab investigation. There, he was diagnosed with Lassa fever and spent two weeks on admission.

I battled with Lassa fever for good 29 days in all, he said, adding that he observed at the isolation centre that healthcare workers (HCWs) are especially susceptible due to the close contact they have with patients.

Studies have shown that barriers to the control of Lassa fever include low index of suspicion, poor infection prevention and control (IPC) practices, lack of training on preparedness, and absence of local laboratories.

According to experts, early and accurate laboratory diagnosis is crucial for prompt initiation of treatments and prevention of further spread of Lassa fever because its symptoms at the initial stage can be mistaken for malaria.

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The Lassa fever burden and the health system

Mr Abdullahi is a survivor of this viral haemorrhagic fever that is primarily transmitted to humans via contact with food or household items contaminated with urine or faeces from Mastomys rats.

Lassa fever, which is endemic in Nigeria, peaks during the dry season from December to April and continues to endanger the lives of many healthcare workers.

Recently, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) confirmed that Lassa Fever was responsible for the death of three healthcare workers at the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital Kaduna (44 NARHK), Kaduna State, north-west Nigeria.

According to the disease control centre, as of 28 April, a total of 32 healthcare workers have been affected by the rampaging disease in the current year, out of a total of 5,963 suspected cases, 857 confirmed cases, and 156 deaths.

An analysis of NCDC data in the last five years shows that a total of 197 healthcare workers have been affected: 20 in 2019; 48 in 2020, 10 in 2021, 63 in 2022, and 56 in 2023.

The trio of Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi states accounted for 76 per cent of all the confirmed cases in 2023 and 63 per cent in 2024 as of 28 April.

Understanding Lassa fever

While the knowledge and attitude towards Lassa fever prevention and control among healthcare workers were good, the practice was poor, according to a 2023 study of the Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (JIEPH), published by the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET).

The cross-sectional study aimed to determine knowledge, attitude and practice toward Lassa fever prevention and control at the Alex-Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (AEFUTHA) in Ebonyi State.

Among 386 healthcare workers selected using a stratified random sampling technique, the study found that respondents who had previous training in IPC were 1.9 times more knowledgeable than others.

Only 28.2 per cent (109/386) of the respondents had adequate preventive practices towards Lassa fever. HCWs with tertiary education were 2.5 times less likely to have a good practice and those with less than 10 years of working experience in the hospital were 1.6 times less likely to have good prevention practice.

The study established that gender, educational status, patient contact and health workers years working in the facility were the factors associated with practice among them.

It recommended the provision of protective devices, routine training and supportive supervision of healthcare workers with a special focus on those prone to poor practices.

Another research by the PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases published in 2022 surveyed the level of knowledge of Lassa fever and its prevention and control measures among healthcare workers during a Lassa fever outbreak in Katsina State, in northern Nigeria.

Of the 400 healthcare workers who participated in the study, 51.8 per cent demonstrated inadequate Lassa Fever knowledge, with 62.9 per cent of those scoring low having a high self-perception of their Lassa fever knowledge on the global scale.

It found that the level of Lassa fever knowledge and its prevention measures among the study participants was low (64.4 per cent) and predicated on participants training status, place of work and their designations.

It emphasised the critical need for health authorities in Nigeria to prioritise continuous on-the-job training of HCWs on priority neglected tropical diseases such as Lassa fever.

More stories of infections, death

Similar to Mr Abdullahi, Jamila Suleiman of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi, developed some symptoms that suggested she had malaria, but her fever only worsened after anti-malaria medications.

Mrs Suleiman who was then a house officer at the hospital also had surgery for a perceived evaporated bowel, after which she started bleeding from the surgical wound, and later from her nose and mouth.

She was admitted to the hospitals intensive care unit after she lost consciousness and had a blood transfusion.

I was still at the intensive care unit when the index of suspicion was raised that it was Lassa fever case, and the samples were confirmed positive at a specialist hospital, Mrs Suleiman told PREMIUM TIMES.

Two days earlier, Mrs Suleiman had attended to a patient who presented symptoms that would look like malaria with fever and loss of consciousness.

I was managing the patients as a case of cerebral malaria but the patient later died after about 48 hours, and we obtained a history that he lost his daughter two weeks before his presentation at our hospital with a similar illness, she said.

They were able to take the sample of the patient before he later passed on and it was also positive for Lassa fever. I give glory to God that I am here and alive to share my story.

She admitted that poor prevention and control practices were the cause of her infection

Also in April 2022, Deborah Adekunle was diagnosed with Lassa fever at the Ondo State Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), now Reference Hospital.

Mrs Adekunle initially started with anti-malaria, then proceeded with antibiotics when she wasnt relieved of the fever and joint pains.

When I didnt get better, a colleague suggested they should take my sample for Lassa fever and by midnight, our hospitals managing director called to confirm that the result was positive and that I should come back for admission the next day.

Fortunately, I got relieved on the second and third day and I stayed in the hospital for 10 days to complete the ribavirin treatment.

Ribavirin is an antiviral drug that has been used with success on Lassa fever patients and is administered for 10 days.

In a recent documentary by Breakthrough Action Nigeria, a USAID-funded project, Jacob Mtswenem, a male surgical unit nurse at Benue State University Teaching Hospital, narrated how he survived Lassa fever after a colleague died from it due to a late diagnosis.

From managing their fever with anti-malaria, Mr Mtsenem and his son were diagnosed with Lassa fever. His wife, a food seller who also presented similar symptoms, also faced stigmatisation.

My son also presented similar symptoms, so they admitted us on the same day when my doctor said I was having signs of Lassa fever and he wouldnt like to take chances, he noted.

My wife is a food vendor who also came down with it, she suffered stigmatisation and it discouraged people from patronising her.

On 10 January 2022, a doctor with the World Health Organisation (WHO), Samuel Nyityo, lost his life in Benue State to Lassa fever.

Preparedness, low index of suspicion

In January, NCDC activated an Emergency Operations Centre for Lassa fever (LF-EOC) following a risk assessment that placed the country at high risk of increased Lassa fever transmission.

The centre explained that the country is at risk due to the increased number of states reporting cases, high case fatality in confirmed cases, the low index of suspicion among healthcare workers, infections and deaths of healthcare workers, and continued attrition of essential healthcare.

The disease control centre explained that the virus initially presents like other common illnesses accompanied by a fever, such as malaria.

Other symptoms include headache, general body weakness, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle pains, chest pain, sore throat, and, in severe cases, bleeding from ears, eyes, nose, mouth, and other body openings.

According to a field epidemiologist and Consultant Public Health Physician at the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), Adefisoye Adewole, health workers need to be proactive in managing Lassa fever.

Mr Adewole said Lassa fever is of public health importance because of its high morbidity and mortality, emphasising that healthcare workers should have a high index of suspicion on diagnosis and management of the virus.

Index of suspicion means the degree to which a healthcare provider suspects that a patient may be suffering from a particular illness or injury based on the patients clinical presentation of signs and symptoms, and the mechanism of injury, if applicable.

For instance in Bauchi, Mrs Suleiman and Mr Abdullahi observed that they had Lassa fever. However, the index of suspicion among healthcare workers was too low amidst late diagnosis due to the lack of a well-equipped laboratory at the hospitals.

Mrs Adekunle observed that there is a continuous outbreak of Lassa fever in Ondo State, emphasising the need for continuous sensitisation as many people dont believe the disease exists.

To prevent the disease, Mr Adewole said Public health Emergency Operation Centres (EOC) operations across affected states should be optimal for effective prevention and control of Lassa fever.

The epidemiologist emphasised the need for continuous public sensitisation and enlightenment on Lassa fever, and the need for good personal and environmental hygiene.

Safe waste disposal, encourage good hand washing practices, and discourage open drying of foodstuffs, he said.

For an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Irrua Specialist Hospital, Qudus Lawal, who is a fellow of Lassa Fever Clinical Management, Lassa fever can be severe in pregnant women but can be managed if detected early.

Mr Lawal said practising basic preventive measures like a high index of suspicion and preventing contamination with rodents are things that can easily be instituted and Lassa fever will be a thing of the past.

Lassa fever vaccine, funding

According to Mr Lawal, a vaccine for Lassa fever is urgently needed for routine immunisation to break transmission and the continuous spread of the virus.

There is no licensed vaccine to protect against Lassa fever, although some vaccines are currently under development.

In April 2024, participants at HJF Medical Research International in Abuja, Nigeria, were vaccinated in the first Phase 2 clinical trial of a Lassa fever virus (LASV) vaccine candidate to date, according to IAVI, a non-profit scientific research organisation and the trial sponsor.

The study is funded by CEPI, an innovative global partnership working to accelerate the development of vaccines against epidemic and pandemic threats.

More than 600 participants in Ghana, Liberia, and Nigeria are expected to enrol in the IAVI-sponsored trial, funded by CEPI.

There is a need for increased funding for epidemic preparedness and response by the Nigerian government to tackle the recurrent burden or improve national health security. But Nigeria has not even met the 15 per cent recommended by the Abuja 2001 Declaration, allocating less than seven per cent per year.

According to the 2024 fiscal year budget, the federal government allocated N1.3 trillion to the health sector out of its total budget of N28 trillion.

More on prevention, control

Infection Prevention and Control guideline, according to the NCDC in its national guidelines for Lassa fever case management, is an essential aspect of clinical management of Lassa fever which must always be implemented by health workers in managing the disease.

The guideline focused on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and hand hygiene in the care of Lassa fever patients.

It noted that all healthcare workers, including ward-aides and cleaners, must wear a full set of PPEs when providing direct care to patients managing medical or patient wastes, handling deceased bodies or cleaning.

Some of the IPC measures, according to WHO, are that healthcare workers caring for patients with suspected or confirmed Lassa fever infection should avoid contact with the patients blood and body fluids and contaminated surfaces or materials such as clothing and bedding.

When in close contact (within one metre) of patients with Lassa fever, health workers should wear face protection (a face shield or a medical mask and goggles), a clean, non-sterile long-sleeved gown, and gloves (sterile gloves for some procedures), WHO recommended.

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Tuesday issued President Bola Tinubu a two-week ultimatum to reinstate the dissolved governing councils of Nigerian universities.

Since Mr Tinubu dissolved the universities in June, they have operated without governing councils for close to a year. The dissolution affected all public institutions, including polytechnics and colleges of education.

In a statement signed by the unions president, Emmanuel Osodeke, a professor of soil science, ASUU described the dissolution as illegal and contrary to the Universities Miscellaneous Act.

The union said the illegal dissolution has paved the way for illegalities in the Nigerian university system.

Therefore, ASUU asked Mr Tinubu to reinstate those whose tenure had yet to elapse and reconstitute those whose tenure had elapsed.

ASUU noted that it would reconvene in two weeks to review the situation and take a decisive action to address the issues.

Nigerians should hold the federal and state governments responsible if the matter of governing councils is allowed to snowball into an avoidable industrial crisis, it said.

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ASUU also accused the Nigerian government of channelling funds accruable to Tertiary Education TrustFund (TETFund) to the Students Education Loan Scheme.

This is antithetical to the original intent of the Law establishing the Education Tax Fund which now operates as TETFund, it said.

ASUU said the TETfund grant should not replace adequate and regular budgetary allocations by federal and state governments for capital and recurrent expenditures in the public universities.

NEC enjoins the federal government not to divert TETFund resources to funding loans so as not to water down the impact of its intervention. In addition, both Federal and State Governments should rise to their responsibility of adequate funding to arrest the emergent rot and decay that are becoming more noticeable on the campuses of Nigerias public universities in spite of the intervention efforts of TETFund, the union said.

ASUU said there are no serious efforts by the Nigerian government to address the lingering issues that forced the union to embark on an eight-month nation wide strike in 2022.

Other perennial issues

Other grievances listed by the union are perennial issues that have pitted it against the Nigerian government in the last decade. They include the non-renegotiation of its 2009 agreement with the government, the proliferation of universities, underfunding of the universities, and the continuous use of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) for payment of their salaries.

ASUU has also rejected the Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standard (CCMAS) developed by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

Governing Councils

The union noted that Mr Tinubus dissolution of the governing council is a continuation of erosion of university autonomy.

University administrations now place advertisements for the appointment of Vice-Chancellor without authorisation from the appropriate quarters  the Governing Councils, it said.

It said outgoing vice-chancellors, working in cahoots with the ministry of education, are illegally running the universities on a daily basis.

ASUU said: They routinely usurp the powers of Governing Councils to recruit and discipline staff as well as manage university finances in manners bereft of transparency and accountability.

It is therefore stating the obvious to say that these and sundry activities that run contrary to the extant laws are compounding cases of corruption in our universities.

ASUU condemns these anomalies in strong terms and calls on the federal government and the equally affected State Governments to respect the Laws establishing their universities. Universities are supposed to be the bastion of democratic ethos and practices. We cannot entrench sustainable democratic culture in Nigeria if universities are run by the whims and caprices of individuals no matter how knowledgeable. We therefore restate our demand for reinstating Governing Councils whose tenures are yet to lapse and reconstitute those whose tenures had lapsed so that our universities can run in accordance with their Laws.

Renegotiation of agreements

ASUU called on Mr Tinubu-led administration to immediately set in motion the process that will lead to the review and signing of the Nimi Briggs-led renegotiated draft agreement as a mark of goodwill and assured hope for Nigerias public universities.

The union accused the former minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige, of truncating the renegotiation process that lasted more than four years.

The union said: The reviewed agreement with the Briggs-led government team has remained in its draft form from 2021 till date.

The last FGN/ASUU Agreement was in 2009. Consequent upon the unions advocacy spanning almost one decade, our union went into the renegotiation with the FGN as in 2017.

We started with the Wale Babalakin-led Joint Renegotiation Committee. Emeritus Prof Munzali Jibril took over when negotiation broke down owing to Dr. Babalakins highhandedness and fixation to impose his unworkable anti-worker orientations as terms of agreement. Also, at some point, the Federal Government dropped Prof. Munzali Jibril and directed Emeritus Prof. Nimi Biggs to take over the negotiation. A draft Agreement was reached with the Professor Briggs-led Committee in 2021. Unfortunately, agents of the Buhari government refused to approve the draft Agreement for reasons best known to them

IPPIS

In December, the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, a professor, announced that the government has exempted universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education from the use of the Integrated Personnel Payment System (IPPIS) for the payments of staff salaries and allowances.

However, months after the declaration, ASUU said, the government has yet to implement it as its members are still being paid from what they described as New IPPIS.

As at today, the salaries of our members are still whimsically withheld just as third-party deductions such as cooperative contributions, pension deductions and union check-off dues are not released. The platform, with all its encumbrances, is used to pay our members under the disguise of the New IPPIS contrary to the understanding reached at the 11th January, 2024 stakeholders meeting held at the National Universities Commission (NUC), ASUU said.

ASUUs position remains unchanged: Government should revert to quarterly releases of university funds to enable the institutions design and implement their salary payment plans under the supervision of their governing councils, it said

In the interest of industrial harmony, the government should direct the immediate release of all outstanding deductions, unpaid promotion arrears and salaries of university academics which were unjustly withheld by the corruption-ridden IPPIS regime.

CCMAS

ASUU also rejected the Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standard (CCMAS) developed by the NUC for use in Nigerian universities.

The union insisted that the university senates are the authorities recognised by university laws to initiate academic programmes and award degrees, diplomas and certificates.

The regulatory function of the NUC is mainly to ensure that universities operate according to their laws, rules and regulations, not to breath down the necks of universities. Once again, ASUU calls on the NUC to join forces with ASUUs efforts to address challenges associated with underfunding, understaffing, academic staff turnover, and other more pressing problems affecting quality teaching, learning, research and community service in our universities, it added.

Proliferation of Universities

On the proliferation of universities, ASUU condemned the continuous establishment of public universities without adequate plans of funding them.

The union said the continuous reliance on TETFund is stretched thin, the agencys intervention fund.

ASUU noted that its joint committee with NUC submitted a draft bill to the last National Assembly over the proliferation of universities.

However, that bill did not see the light of the day. The fallout from that is the reckless manner by which both the Federal and state governments have continued to pronounce universities without preparations for their funding. This recently came to a worrisome height when a sitting governor beastly declared that he would establish ten universities in his state before the end of his tenure, the statement added.

READ ALSO: Nigerian university reacts to declaration of strike by ASUU

However, rather than supporting our advocacy for adequate funding of public universities, each Senator is surreptitiously pushing for the establishment of a university as part of their constituency projects while visitors to state universities who could not fund existing universities are creating two or more purely for electoral gains.

ASUU vowed to explore all legal means to resist the pervasive moves by politicians to keep proliferating crisis centres for the children of the poor in the name of universities.

We urge the President Tinubu-led administration to refrain from further proliferation of universities and refocus the system. What we need are universities that are adequately empowered to address the challenges confronting Nigeria and stand shoulder-to- shoulder with their peers elsewhere in the world and mushroom glorified high schools, it added.

Arrears of Earned Academic Allowances

The union noted that the federal government has still not paid the backlog of the Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) which was part of the allowances captured in the 2023 national budget for federal universities.

The December 2020 MoA between federal government and ASUU reaffirmed our understanding on mainstreaming of EAA into lecturers salaries while the next tranche of the allowances was to be paid in 2021. However, the scheduled payment was not only aborted, the mainstreaming EAA as from 2022 has remained a mirage in federal and most state universities. In addition, the outstanding three and half months salaries withheld during the preventable 2022 nationwide strike action remains unpaid to our members in the federal universities. Similarly, our colleagues in many state universities are being owed arrears of EAA, withheld salaries, third-party deductions and other entitlements due to them. ASUU condemns this seemingly disinterested of concerned authorities about these issues of life and livelihood of our members across the campuses. It will be unfortunate if the union is forced to take some unpleasant decisions to address all these lingering issues.

Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe

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The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, and his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Peter Obi, met privately in Abuja on Monday.

Atiku, a former vice president of Nigeria, posted photos of himself with Mr Obi during the meeting on his X handle.

It was my honour and privilege to host @PeterObi today, he wrote.

The Mr Obi also held a meeting separately with former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido.

In a statement following the meetings, the spokesperson for LP presidential campaign, Tanko Yunusa , said Mr Obi visited Messrs Abubakar (Atiku), Saraki and Lamido to discuss the state of the nation.

The LP campaign spokesperson explained that the visit was also touched on the sufferings of Nigerians.

He also said the politicians discussed the worrisome situation of the northern parts of the country.

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Worried about the state of the nation and the increasing uncertainty in the living conditions of the poor and underprivileged, Obi in Abuja on Monday visited some top Nigerians, among whom are former vice president, and PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, the former Senate President Senator Bukola Saraki and the former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido.

At the centre of discussion during each of these visits was the state of the nation and how to reduce the suffering of all Nigerians irrespective of class and location. In particular, the desperate condition of the downtrodden in our midst was highlighted.

Of particular interest and emphasis in these discussions was the worrisome situation in the northern parts of the country, the statement said.

Mr Obi, a former governor of Anambra State was Atikus running mate in the 2019 presidential election on the platform of PDP.

Mr Obi exited the PDP in the build-up to the 2023 election and joined the LP, where he was elected as the candidate of the party for the presidential election.

Atiku and Mr Obi came second and third in the election which they lost to President Bola Tinubu. They challenged the result of the election in court but also lost.

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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said African countries including Nigeria made a mistake by adopting the western liberal democracy.

Mr Obasanjo stated this on Monday when members of the House of Representatives championing the reintroduction of the parliamentary system of government in the country, met with him in Abuja.

The lawmakers, under the aegis of the Parliamentary Group led by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers), met with Mr Obasanjo at the Shehu YarAdua Centre in the federal capital.

The meeting was part of their advocacy visits to prominent Nigerians to solicit their support for the transitioning of the country from the current presidential system of government to the parliamentary system.

Coincidentally, Mr Obasanjo, Nigerias military head of state from 1976-1979, midwifed the 1979 Constitution that produced the American presidential system which replaced the parliamentary system practised in the first republic.

He was subsequently elected president in 1999 after the return of democracy and was in office for eight years.

Adopting western liberal democracy was a mistake

Speaking on the state of democracy in Africa, Mr Obasanjo said countries in the continent made the mistake of adopting the western liberal democracy prescribed by the Europeans, stating that the Western liberal democracy is not consistent with the African value system.

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Let me go back to the beginning where we got it wrongthe western liberal democracy, that is what the Europeans have. When you look at the western liberal democracy, it is a product of their history, a product of their culture, a product of their way of life.

I have looked into most African languages, western democracy has what they call loyal opposition. What is opposition in African languages? Enemy. Western democracies called oppositions loyal because the oppositions are loyal to the monarchy. Thats where their loyal democracy began. They used to have monarchies.

There is nothing in the liberal democracy that is African. We ruled ourselves before the advent of colonialism. We had empires and striving kingdoms. We did not rule ourselves as opposition.

What is in it for us? I dont know but you can give it. For lack of an appropriate word, let us call it afro-democracy. That is where we have to begin, Mr Obasanjo said.

On the proposal by the lawmakers, Mr Obasanjo said the legislators are preaching to a convert, stating that he agreed that there is a need for a fundamental shift from the current system.

He, however, warned the lawmakers that they need to have a long-term plan and be tactical in presenting a position.

The former president counselled the lawmakers to drop the tag parliamentary system, and should instead push for a homegrown democracy.

You are preaching to the converted but as I have said, take parliamentary away.

We need to get the critical masses. Parliamentary and all thatonce you start that, you have gotten it wrong. Once you do that, you are putting yourself in a fix because there are those who would say We dont want parliamentary, he said.

Why we adopted the word parliamentary Chinda

Earlier in his opening remarks, Mr Chinda said the use of the word parliamentary is due to a lack of a suitable word.

He said the system proposed by the lawmakers is homegrown and not the textbook definition of the parliamentary system.

Also speaking project, the spokesperson of the group, Abdulsamad Dasuki (PDP, Sokoto), said the group is organising a national dialogue on the project.

According to the lawmaker, the dialogue is scheduled for 1 July.

Push for parliamentary system

PREMIUM TIMES reported the push by the lawmakers, known as the Parliamentary Group, pushing for the transition to a parliamentary system of government.

Nigeria operated under the parliamentary system pre-independence and in the First Republic. However, the coup of 15 January 1966 truncated that republic.

The military suspended the civil government and ruled the country until the transition to democracy in 1979. The Second Republic was built on the 1979 Constitution which prescribed the presidential system.

The proposal by the lawmakers is seeking to revert to the First Republic system with a prime minister, a member of parliament, serving as the head of government, similar to the British system.

In a parliamentary system, the executive branch derives its legitimacy and authority from the legislative branch. The head of government (often the prime minister) is typically a member of the legislature and is accountable to it. This system fosters a close relationship between the executive and legislative branches, allowing for efficient decision-making and policy implementation.

The lawmakers have already sponsored some constitution alteration bills to make the changes in the constitution. However, the timeline for the change is beyond this current Assembly. They have set a target of 2031 as the timeline for achieving the goal.

In the past couple of months, the lawmakers have been moving around the country meeting politicians who served in the Second and Third Republics.

They have met with the Chairman of Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Ango Abdullahi, the Interim National Chairman of APC, Bisi Akande, Sanusi Dantata and others.

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The Enugu State Government says it has taken proactive and tested measures to ensure the security and safety of farmers to boost food sufficiency in the state.

The Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Patrick Ubru, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Enugu, the state capital.

The commissioner said that the government collaborated with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to establish an Agro-Rangers Squad.

Mr Ubru said that the Agro-Rangers Squad, meant to complement other security outfits on ground, would be all out to protect farmers and farmlands in the state.

This squad with a specialised training on agricultural protection and other technological gadgets will checkmate all forms of insecurity complained about by our farmers, both commercial and small holder farmers in the state.

The squad is stationed in major farms in the state as well as special agro-processing centres and facilities, he said.

The commissioner said that the ministry was also discussing with the Miyetti Allah group so that they would also join in ensuring security for all.

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He said: We are meeting with them to ensure that they help in putting their members in check.

They would help us to identify those herders who are not their members that penetrate and instigate acts that cause misunderstanding among herders and farmers.

On the incessant farmers/herders clashes in Isi-Uzo council area, the commissioner said that the state government in partnership with the Federal Government had established a military base in Isi-Uzo.

Very soon, farmers/herders clashes and some persons moving with unauthorised weapons will be a thing of the past within the council area and its adjoining local governments, he said.

READ ALSO: Gov Mbah places N10m bounty on killers of two police operatives in Enugu

Enugus investment in agriculture

Mr Ubru noted that the state government had invested so much in agriculture as a business and did a lot of agro-industrial partnerships with donor agencies.

He said that the state government was poised to ensure that its agricultural transformation and revolution made the desired anticipated impact.

He said the Governor Peter Mbah-led administration has invested heavily on security, and that both covert and overt security measures have been taken.

This is to ensure that the state meets its set targets in agriculture holistically which also covers rural development, industrialisation, food sufficiency, food security and its attendant employment opportunities.

Upscaling agriculture through massive investment and massive mechanisation are the cardinal push in the state governments envisioned plan of moving the state from an economy of present $4.4 billion to $30 billion within the next eight years, he said.

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The new Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Nnaghe Itam, says law enforcement and better security service delivery are his priority in the state.

Mr Itam said this when he addressed strategic officers of the command in Awka, the state capital, on Monday.

The police commissioner said that on his watch, respective area commands and tactical units must reposition officers and men for an improved and better security service delivery in the state.

Mr Itam also charged police officers to be more responsive and committed to duty, and directed the creation of training officers at the area command levels to retrain officers serving in the police divisions in areas of police duties, musketry, and otherwise.

He also advocated the need to work with other security agencies for a well-coordinated response to insecurity in the state.

The commissioner later paid a visit to the supervisory commander of the zone, Godwin Aghaulor, an assistant inspector general of police who is in charge of Zone 13, Anambra and Enugu state commands.

The visit was to notify Mr Aghaluor of his assumption of office and also to familiarise with senior officers of the zone.

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(NAN)

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The Federal Government has unveiled the Nigerian Minerals Resource Decision Support System (DSS) aimed at helping investors make informed decisions in the sector.

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, unveiled the software on Tuesday in Abuja.

The DSS is a comprehensive software platform that serves as a one-stop shop for investors seeking credible and decisive information on Nigerias mineral resources, facilities and infrastructure.

It was established to create awareness of the Nigerian mineral potential to a broad public, demonstrate transparency and reliability of public services, and develop the national economy.

Mr Alake said the software was part of President Bola Tinubus renewed hope agenda to revamp the solid minerals sector and boost the countrys economic profile.

According to him, revamping the sector involved introducing technological innovations in marketing, which the software leveraged to achieve.

Generating investor traffic requires the deployment of strategies to gain competitive advantage. Technology has offered new ways to achieve that strategy.

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What we are here to inaugurate today is a game changer. It is the most investor-friendly magnet that has ever happened in this industry. It seeks to cut the cost of investment research,  he said.

He described the software as a marketing strategy to enhance the ease of doing business in solid minerals by helping investors access the necessary information to make informed decisions.

He said the software was designed to be interactive with its users and provide data on the geology, hydrology and urban geography of the mining business.

It answers these questions with electronic diagrams and maps enabling you to develop scenarios to project your mining investments, plan your budget and hit the ground running, he said.

According to the minister, Nigeria is determined to diversify its economy, especially with the global upsurge of energy transition, creating high demand for critical minerals which it possesses in commercial quantities.

Our mineral resources have the potential of superseding oil in generating Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the country, he said.

The minister said that since the inception of the Tinubu administration, the ministry had been embarking on aggressive marketing to attract investors to the sector, which was yielding positive outcomes.

He said the government had put in place policies and initiatives aimed at sanitising the sector, which included a dual-pronged approach of coercive and persuasive measures being concurrently implemented to combat illegal mining

According to him, part of the coercive measures is the establishment of the Mining Marshal Corp, which has been deployed to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to secure the mining environment.

He said the persuasive measure involved formalising artisanal and illegal miners into cooperatives, which has resulted in the establishment of more than 150 cooperatives.

In his goodwill message, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said the unveiled portal was for the benefit of all Nigerians and urged prospective investors to take advantage of it to explore investment opportunities.

On her part, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mary Ogbe, urged Nigerians to focus on marketing the country`s mineral resources and to be patient in achieving the projected results, as every country has its challenges.

(NAN)

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Senate on Tuesday adjourned plenary until Wednesday in honour of late House of Representatives member, Rep. Isa Dogonyaro, who died on May 10 in Abuja.

Mr Dogonyaro represented Babura/Garki Federal Constituency of Jigawa in the House of Representatives before his death.

Senate resolution followed the adoption of a motion for adjournment moved by the Deputy leader of the Senate, Lola Ashiru (APC- Kwara) and seconded by Minority Leader Abba Morro (PDP-Benue).

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, said the adjournment was in line with the tradition of the National Assembly to pay last respects to colleagues who passed on.

Before the adjournment, the Senate observed a minute silence in honour of the deceased.

Mr Akpabio also condoled the House of Representatives, family of the deceased lawmaker, constituents, government and people of Jigawa over the death of the lawmaker.

Until his death, Mr Dogonyaro was the Vice Chairman of the House Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Control.

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(NAN)

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Despite efforts by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to pacify aggrieved aspirants over the 20 April governorship primaries in Ondo State, one of the aspirants, Jimoh Ibrahim, has gone to court to seek cancellation of the election.

Mr Ibrahim has filed a suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking the nullification of the primary election.

In the suit filed, Mr Aiyedatiwa, the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are the defendants.

On Tuesday, the Court ordered the three defendants to file their defence within the stipulated time frame required by law, insisting that there would be no extension of time. The matter was adjourned till 29 May 2024.

Meanwhile, INEC has given 20 May as the deadline for the submission of the list of governorship candidates and their deputies.

The Usman Ododo-led Primary Election Committee had declared Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa the winner of the election despite protests by many of the aspirants that the election was not held in most of the wards across the state.

Mr Ododo declared that Governor Aiyedatiwa scored 48,569 votes to beat 15 other aspirants.

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Mr Aiyedatiwa was closely followed by Mayowa Akinfolarin, who polled 15,343 votes and closely followed by Olusola Oke, who garnered 14,915 votes.

Mr Ibrahim, the senator representing Ondo South, according to the declared results, polled 9456 votes; Wale Akinterinwa, 1,952; Isaac Kekemeke, 1,045; Gbenga Edema, 395; Olamide Ohunyeye, 424; Jimi Odimayo, 490; Olusoji Ehinlanwo, 492; Morayo Lebi, 290; Diran Iyantan, 348; Francis Faduyile, 353; Ifeoluwa Oyedele, 462; Funmilayo Waheed-Adekojo, 529 and Funke Omogoroye, 115 votes.

But the results were promptly dismissed by the aspirants who claimed that the results were cooked up and lacked credibility.

Following the tensions within the APC as a result of the primaries, the chairperson of the party, Abdullahi Ganduje summoned a meeting of all the aspirants in Abuja, perhaps, intending to get them to drop their ambition and support Mr Aiyedatiwa ahead of the 16 November governorship election.

Although some have accepted the pleas of the APC, Mr Ibrahim has refused to back down and has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking the nullification of the primary election.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that Mr Aiyedatiwa had also made personal efforts to appease Mr Ibrahim and others, but the senator is adamant.

The party had also set up a reconciliation committee composed of leading members of the party in the state to intervene and get all party members to align behind the governor.

It is yet to be seen if the efforts of the committee are yielding any results.

Publicity Secretary of the party in Ondo State, Alex Kalejaiye, said efforts were on to get all the aggrieved aspirants to see the reason why a united APC was better for all members ahead of the election in November.

The party has a constitution, but the Constitution of Nigeria is supreme and members of the party have the right to seek redress in matters such as the primaries.

A reconciliation committee is in place and we hope it will achieve its purpose, Mr Kalejaiye said.

He, however, said calls to sanction those seeking legal redress over the primaries were unnecessary since the aspirants were within the provisions of the law to do so.

Mr Ibrahim and his supporters insisted that the primary election was fraught with irregularities that run foul of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended); the Constitution of the APC; and the Party guidelines set out for the conduct of the primary election.

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The Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development on Monday said the introduction of helicopter landing levies was in line with global best practices and cost recovery measures.

This is contained in a statement by Odutayo Oluseyi, Head, Press and Public Affairs of the ministry in Lagos.

According to Mr Oluseyi, the ministry recognises the importance of helicopter operations in Nigerias aviation industry and is committed to implementing international best practices in helicopter operations.

He said that helicopter landing levies were commonplace in countries such as the US, the United Kingdom, India and various other regions worldwide.

He maintained that Tallahassee International Airport in Florida began implementing helicopter landing levies under Vector Airport Systems, since 1 October 2022.

Mr Oluseyi said helicopter landing levies were common across airfields in the United Kingdom, ranging from major commercial ones, to small general aviation fields.

He added that, typically, helicopter levies matched or exceeded those for fixed-wing aircraft, and varied based on factors like location and services provided.

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The federal government has granted NAEBI Dynamic Concepts Ltd. exclusive rights to collect helicopter landing levies in line with the MoU between NAEBI Concept and NAMA (focal Agency), Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

It is instructive to note that NAMA, under the Act as amended in 2022, is empowered to collect aeronautical revenues in both the upper and lower airspace to support her self-sustainability.

However, over the years, NAMA has predominantly relied on the upper airspace for her revenue generation.

Government in her wisdom, having discovered a lacuna on the lower airspace where helicopter operations is dominant, directed NAMA to live up to its responsibilities, to enable them generate enough resources, to sustain their aeronautical architecture, enhance security and surveillance and improve the overall quality of helicopter operations in Nigeria, he said.

According to Mr Oluseyi, the government is confident that the move will improve capacity, efficiency, safety, security and attract more investments in the aviation industry.

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The Chairman of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Group, Tony Elumelu, has suggested allocating part of climate funding to address healthcare issues worsened by climate change.

During a panel session at the Health Leaders Forum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Monday, Mr Elumelu observed that climate change is leading to new diseases, insisting that climate funds need to be accessed to address healthcare as well.

We hear so much about available climate financing for renewable energy projects, as well as climate change adaptation and resilience projects  but what about unlocking climate funding for healthcare delivery? he queried.

With private sector innovation, startup funding from foundations and financial institutions, health care policies from national and global health systems, investments from all as well as cross-sector collaboration, we can move humanity forward.

Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year, from undernutrition, malaria, diarrhoea, and heat stress alone, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

WHO noted that the direct damage costs to health are estimated to be between US$ 2 to 4 billion per year by 2030.

Impact of energy deficit

Mr Elumelu also decried the effect of the energy deficit on healthcare delivery in Africa, even as he called for innovative work across social sectors to achieve results.

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A high percentage of healthcare facilities in Africa do not have reliable power supply without power, the health outcomes will be low, he said.

He said during the COVID-19 pandemic, the power issue was a major problem, saying isolation wards had no power, and that it was also a challenge to store vaccines sent to the continent.

The global renewable energy sector, both thermal and hydro energy sectors should step in to address this massive energy deficiency in Africa to realise health outcomes in Africa.

Speaking about global health equity, Mr Elumelu said there are significant imbalances in the quality of health outcomes, noting that poor countries miss out while rich countries enjoy excessive investments in research and development, and medical devices and practices for health conditions.

He said: But the quality of healthcare in the worlds poorest countries can have an impact on the richest countries  the world is interconnected, and climate change is making transmission happen faster.

COVID-19 started in China and quickly spread to all parts of the world. The lesson here is that we should be interested in global health equity and not just national health because poor health outcomes affect all everywhere, he said.

About Abu Dhabi Health Forum

The Abu Dhabi Health Leaders Forum is an exclusive, invitation-only opening forum, and an integral part of the Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week.

The 2024 forum is tagged: Reimagining Health and Life: Partnering to Invest in Humanity.

Mr Elumelu revealed on his website that he will participate in a high-level panel session with other speakers including the UNAIDS Special Advocate on Young Women and Adolescent Girls in Namibia, Monica Geingos; Director of the Presidential Court Office of International Affairs, Mariam Almheiri; and CEO, Crescent Enterprises, Badr Jafar.

The forum convenes global health ministers, policymakers, and chief executives of global entities who are playing an influential roles in transforming the future of healthcare.

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Four persons suspected to be involved in the kidnapping of University of Abuja (UniAbuja) lecturers and their children in 2021 were, on Monday, arraigned at the Federal High Court Abuja.

The suspects who were arraigned by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), are Adamu Abubakar, Nura Muhammed Ahmadu, Ismailia Abubakar and Abdulrahman Ado, also known as Yellow.

They pleaded not guilty to the counts read to them before the trial judge, Donatus Okorowo on two counts of terrorism.

Defendants complaints

Prior to their arraignment, the four defendants signalled to the judge with intention to speak in the open court.

Mr Okorowo initially turned down their request on the basis that their lawyer was in court to speak for them. But on their insistence, the judge changed his mind to allow them to speak.

The suspects then told the court that since their arrest over two years ago, their families did not know their whereabouts.

They complained that they were subjected to inhuman treatment without food and proper care.

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Remand

After they pleaded not guilty to the charge, AGFs lawyer, David Kaswe, urged the court to order their remand and requested a trial date.

However, their counsel, C.S. Nwaogu, urged the court to order that the defendants be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre based on their complaints.

He said this would allow their family members to have access to them.

But Mr Kaswe opposed the request.

The government lawyer argued that due to the nature of the charge, the defendants should be remanded in the custody of the State Security Service (SSS)..

Mr Okorowo, who ordered the defendants to be remanded in the DSS facility, adjourned the matter until 24 July 24 for trial.

Kidnap, arrest and charges

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that gunmen had, on 21 November 2021, invaded the UniAbuja Staff Quarters in Gwagwalada, Abuja and abducted six persons, including a professor, Joseph Adavani, and Ferguson Tobins.

The abductors, who contacted the families of the victims a day after their kidnap, demanded a ransom of N300 million.

But the then-Police Public Relations Officer of the FCT Command, Josephine Adeh, on 5 November 2021, confirmed the release of the victims.

According to her, the development followed the efforts of the command in a joint operation with other security agencies.

She also stated that some suspects linked to the crime were nabbed by security operatives.

NAN reports that the federal government, through the Office of AGF, filed a two counts of terrorism act against the four suspects.

The case was filed on 11 July 2023 by Mr Kaswe, a Chief State Counsel in the Department of Public Prosecutions of the Federation in the Federal Ministry of Justice.

The federal government said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 15 and 17 of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act 2013.

(NAN)

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The Chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Group, Tony Elumelu, has said a total of 700 entrepreneurs have been empowered by the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) in advancing healthcare delivery in Africa.

Mr Elumelu highlighted the innovative ideas of some of the beneficiaries on Monday during a panel session at the Health Leaders Forum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

According to the TEF founder, private and public sectors and the development world need to prioritise appropriate capital allocation and investments in innovation to drive global improvements in health outcomes.

My foundation has funded 700 healthcare entrepreneurs, with a gender distribution ratio of 49 per cent male to 51 per cent female, but this is just the tip of the iceberg, he said.

Some beneficiaries

Mr Elumelu said one of the beneficiaries, identified as Ritalee Monde, is providing affordable medical oxygen in Zimbabwe.

Ms Monde is making medical oxygen accessible at one-third of the market price, even providing it for free to those unable to afford it through her company- Leemed Supplies.

Mr Elumelu said with her aspirations to establish a medical oxygen production plant; Ms Monde hopes to meet the needs of all 212 hospitals and 1,684 clinics in Zimbabwe while generating more employment opportunities.

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Another beneficiary in 2018, Giancarlo Beukes, founded Impulse Biomedicals, a South African medical device start-up aimed at increasing access to life-saving technologies through affordable innovation.

Mr Elumelu said the multi-award winning device adopts a Frugal Bio design approach  developing commercially sustainable and high-impact medical devices specifically tailored for developing countries.

He noted that for paediatric asthma patients, Impulse created the Easy Squeezy sleeve that reduces the inhalation force of standard inhalers by two-thirds, making them significantly easier to use.

Investment in research, development

Mr Elumelu further noted that to ensure a sustainable health future for all, there is a need to review the current patent system and effect reforms while still incentivising innovation.

He said there is also a need for incentives for big pharma to partner on research and development (R&D) for diseases from lower-income countries.

Incentives for investing in R&D and manufacturing facilities for big pharma in developing countries are also important  so leveraging the global trade system is also an important element of global health equality, he said.

Even beyond pharma, the same steps should be taken to open up access to medical device research and manufacturing, healthcare business model innovation, and so on.

On global health equity, Mr Elumelu said there are significant imbalances in the quality of health outcomes, noting that poor countries miss out on investments in research and development and medical devices and practices for health conditions.

But the quality of healthcare in the worlds poorest countries can have an impact on the richest countries  the world is interconnected, and climate change is making transmission happen faster, he said.

About Abu Dhabi Health Forum

The Abu Dhabi Health Leaders Forum is an exclusive, invitation-only opening forum and an integral part of the Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week.

The 2024 forum is tagged Reimagining Health and Life: Partnering to Invest in Humanity.

Mr Elumelu revealed on his website that he will participate in a high-level panel session with other speakers, including the UNAIDS Special Advocate on Young Women and Adolescent Girls in Namibia, Monica Geingos; Director of the Presidential Court Office of International Affairs, Mariam Almheiri; and CEO, Crescent Enterprises, Badr Jafar.

The forum convenes global health ministers, policymakers, and chief executives of global entities, playing an influential role in transforming the future of healthcare.

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The scheduled arraignment of a former Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika on fresh corruption charges was stalled at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Garki, Abuja, on Tuesday.

The proceedings stalled due to Mr Sirikas absence from court. His brother, Ahmad Abubakar, with whom he stands accused in the case, was also absent.

They face eight counts of fraudulent award of contracts worth billions of naira to Mr Abubakars company while Mr Sirika was serving as the aviation minister.

Their arraignment was scheduled to take place on Tuesday, days after the EFCC arraigned Mr Sirika alongside his daughter, Fatima, and her husband, last Thursday. The trio denied the charges, pleading not guilty to all five counts.

Why Sirika, co-defendants were absent

The prosecuting lawyer, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, said during the short, stalled proceedings on Tuesday that Mr Sirika and his brother could not make it to court because they were out of Abuja.

Mr Atolagbe said he was informed by the defendants lawyer, Kanu Agabi, that the pair could not get a flight out of their location into Abuja.

But, the trial judge, Suleiman Belgore, asked why the defendants were not in the custody of the EFCC from where they were supposed to be produced before the court for arraignment.

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In his response, Mr Atolagbe said the defendants were on administrative bail.

I apologise to the court, Mr Atolagbe said, adding that the defendants lawyer informed him that his clients were not within the jurisdiction of the court.

He also said that the prosecution had yet to serve the charges on the defendants.

The defendants were granted administrative bail by the prosecuting agency, the EFCC but unfortunately the defendants lawyer informed the prosecution lawyer that they were not able to make it to court this morning, Mr Atolagbe told the judge.

A lawyer, Olaniyi Anjorin, from the chambers of Kanu Agabi, representing the defendants on Tuesday, confirmed the prosecuting lawyers submissions.

I confirm the position of the prosecution lawyer, and there is no objection to adjournment, Mr Anjorin said.

After listening to the lawyers submissions, the judge adjourned until 23 April for the arraignment of the defendants.

Fresh case

In the fresh case, Mr Sirika is charged alongside his brother Ahmad Abubakar.

Just as in the previous case, the defendants stand accused of abuse of office concerning award of contracts. Also joined with them as a co-defendant is Mr Abubakars firm, Enginos Nigeria Limited, which was allegedly awarded the contracts.

Sources say the contracts were cumulatively worth N14 billion.

In one of the counts, the EFCC accused Mr Sirika of using his position as minister to confer unfair advantage upon Enginos Nigeria Limited, a company owned by Ahmad Abubakar, Mr Sirikas biological brother. The contract involving N1.3 billion (N1,345,586,500) was awarded for the construction of a terminal building at Katsina Airport, in breach of Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.

The prosecution, in another count, alleged that Mr Sirika, in November 2022, used his position to influence the award of another contract to Enginos Nigeria Limited for the establishment of fire truck maintenance and refurbishment centre at Katsina Airport to the tune of N3.8 billion (N3,811,497,685) in violation of the ICPC Act.

The fresh case comes less than a week after the EFCC arraigned Mr Sirika alongside his daughter, Fatima, and her husband, on charges of abuse of office in awarding some contracts.

In the earlier charge, Mr Sirika, who was the aviation minister during President Muhammadu Buharis two terms in office, was accused of abusing his office as minister through the award of contracts to a company in which his daughter and her husband had interest.

They pleaded not guilty to all six counts preferred against them before a judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja, Sylvanus Oriji.

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Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State and Chairperson of the Northern Governors Forum has said that the out-of-school syndrome among children in the region poses a great challenge to the forum.

Mr Yahaya said this on Tuesday when the Northern Governors Wives Forum paid him a courtesy call at the Government House in Gombe.

According to him, Northern Nigeria has the highest number of almajiri syndrome and out-of-school children.

He argued that although the world was going through various challenges, Nigeria is not an exception, but that of the North is the worst.

The most unfortunate thing is that we are in the 21st Century, but we are yet to key into the development agenda of the world, Mr Yahaya said.

He said that nothing ever happens without education because it brings development.

It changes the world and brings a good life.

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Above all, it helps us to modernise.

It is education that even makes us understand the dictate of Allah because if you are not educated, you will not worship God well. Therefore, we have an enormous task ahead, he said.

He underscored the need for the north to double its efforts to overcome the challenges facing education, healthcare and socio-economic development of the region by empowering people with entrepreneurship and skills.

Also, the northern part of the country is bedevilled with kidnapping and, banditry and other criminal activities.

The northern part of Nigeria constitutes about three-quarters of Nigerias landmass, maybe about 60 per cent of the countrys population.

If that big portion of the country is not in peace, it means the country and the whole of West Africa is not in peace, Mr Yahaya said.

He also decried the menace of drug abuse in the region, adding that the phenomenon was becoming more alarming.

He said the governors needed to come together to overcome the challenges.

About 75 per cent to 80 per cent of our population are farmers, and they engage in substance abuse to give them extra power to till their farms.

This trend gradually escalates the crisis of drug abuse and proliferation of arms and ammunition in the region.

If we do not check these problems, there would be no northern Nigeria, the governor further said.

Speaking earlier, his wife and Chairperson of the forum, Asamau Yahaya, said they were in Gombe for their quarterly meeting and to hold a seminar on drug abuse.

She said the forum was carrying out advocacy on drug abuse and almajiri syndrome.

We are looking for a way to help our spouses as well as empower the people in Northern Nigeria through our projects, she said.

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The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, said he was the highest beneficiary of judiciary in the country when there were incorruptible judges.

Mr Obi stated this during the Justice Anthony Aniagolus Memorial Lecture organised by the family and hosted by the Godfrey Okoye University (GOUNI), Enugu, the Enugu State capital, South-east Nigeria, on Tuesday.

Delivering a lecture on the topic, The Judiciary And The Future of Nigeria, Mr Obi said he won election in Anambra State and another candidate was declared winner and he approached the court for justice.

I spent three years in court and it was given to me and after few months I was impeached but judiciary restored me to power. After one year in office, they conducted another election and elected another person.

But I went to Supreme Court where judges with respect for rule of law reinstated me to complete my tenure.

All these things happened because there were incorruptible and independent judges, he said.

The former Anambra State governor, who noted that such jurists were hard to find in the present day Nigeria said, Our judiciary are weak and compromised by the executive and highest bidders.

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According to him, the future of our society is compromised because independent of the judiciary has been destroyed.

We need strong judiciary to fight criminality. Rule of law is the foundation in which any society survive and develop and the only thing that makes it sacrosanct is the independent of the judiciary.

And it is a strong judiciary that makes businesses, investments and democracy to thrive, Mr Obi said.

He pointed out that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was not the problem of Nigeria but judiciary, whom those denied their rights approached but ended up being disappointed.

Mr Obi explained that institutions were weak because there was no strong judiciary where litigants could report wrongdoings and got desired justice.

Proffering solutions, Mr Obi advocated for independence of judiciary and non interference by the executive, saying as a governor, I never appointed any judge but left the power to the Chief Judge.

I bought cars for them but never appointed any judge throughout my tenure.

Obi, however, extolled Aniagolu for his exemplary life, stressing that he served his country and practiced his law in an exemplary manner.

In a remark, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State represented by the states Commissioner for Health, Prof Emmanuel Obi, described the lecture as apt.

Mr Mbah said that the state had made several laws saying that the government used the instrument of law to create enabling environment for business to thrive.

Earlier in a welcome address, the Vice Chancellor of GOUNI, Prof. Christian Anieke, described Aniagolu as an erudite jurist and incorruptible judge who laid foundation for the establishment of GOUNI.

He commended the family for their support and resolve to immortalise him, saying God will continue to bless you.

He equally thanked Mr Obi for accepting to deliver the 5th Memorial Lecture on Aniagolu, saying our choice of you is based on our understanding of the spirited ability you have with Aniagolu.

You cherished the late Aniagolus sacrifices on the alter of legal technicalities.

You share with him that integrity and legacy one can bequeath to younger generation as well as your understanding in Nigeria democracy, Anieke said.

The son of the late jurist, Chukwuemeka Aniagolu, a professor, described his father as an icon who contributed immensely to the growth of the judiciary in Nigeria.

He thanked Mr Peter Obi for, the university and guests for honour given to the family.

Obis history of legal battle

Mr Obis political career has been punctuated by a series of legal battles since 2003. He fought a protracted legal battle to assume office as Anambra State governor.

Mr Obi ran for Anambra State governor on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in 2003, but INEC declared his opponet, Chris Ngige of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the winner of the election.

Displeased with the outcome of the election, Mr Obi challenged it at the Anambra State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal. After three years of legal battle, the Court of Appeal nullified Mr Ngiges victory in 2006. It declared Mr Obi the winner of the election. Mr Obi subsequently assumed office on 17 March 2006.

After barely seven months in office, Mr Obi was removed from office by the Anambra State House of Assembly, setting off another legal battle launched by Mr Obi to reclaim his position as governor.

Virginia Etiaba, who was Mr Obis deputy, replaced him.

He however successfully challenged his removal from office in court and was re-instated as the governor by the Court of Appeal in Enugu on 9 February 2007.

In 2007, INEC conducted governorship elections in Anambra State based on the assumption that Mr Obis four-year tenure, which arose from the 2003 poll, would come to an end in May 2007. The election was won by Andy Uba of the PDP.

Mr Obi handed over to Mr Uba but returned to court to court to seek a declaration that his tenure in office arising from the 2003 would extend beyond May 2007.

He argued that his four-year tenure only started to run when he took office in March 2006 after his protracted, successful battle in court. On 14 June 2007, the Supreme Court upheld Mr Obis contention and returned him to office, abruptly ending Mr Ubas reign as governor.

Mr Obi remained in office till March 2010 and subsequently won a second term which he completed in March 2014.

Mr Obi handed to his successor, Willie Obiano.

The former Anambra State governor was the running mate to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on the platform of the PDP in 2019.

They parted ways in the 2023 election, in which Atiku ran as the PDPs presidential candidate and Mr Obi his Labour Party rival.

Atiku came second and Mr Obi third in the results of the 2023 election which INEC declared was won by President Bola Tinubu.

Atiku and Mr Obi jointly challenged in court, although unsuccessfully, the outcome of the 2019 election won by then President Muhammadu Buhari. They also, in 2023, separately challenged Mr Tinubus election in court but also failed.

(NAN)

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I am writing my experience here not to brag but to tell our colleagues that they could earn enough money from their sweats to live a dignified life, without becoming slaves to their employers or beggars or blackmailers to their contacts. All it takes is some creativity and discipline.

This article was prompted by the claim of Segun Olatunji, former editor of First News, in his resignation letter that he was being owed one years salary by his former employer. He was, in fact, pleading with his employer to pay him his salary backlog. How pathetic.

The demand of Olatunji threw up discussions on social media about the plight of journalists and the state of the journalism profession in Nigeria. Many of the discussants blamed him for allowing himself to be owed salaries for so long, and some insinuated that this may have contributed to his incarceration, leading to the alleged indiscretion he committed against those behind his ordeal. As if that was enough for the power mongers to clamp him into an illegal detection without recourse to the courts.

I think Segun should come out clean on this issue. I have known him for close to 30 years now, since his days in the The Sketch, where I think he cut his teeth in journalism. He was in the Lagos Office of The Sketch on Broad Street, when I was heading Tribunes Lagos Bureau at Apogbon. I knew him to be a perfect gentleman.

But the thrust of my article today is why any journalist should not allow an employer to owe him or her for one year and still be working, even if s/he is getting tips from his beat, and things that journalists can do to fortify their incomes. I have another friend who claims Senator Jimoh Ibrahim is owing him two-and-a-half years salaries.

I made up my mind right from secondary school that I was going to be a journalist. So, I studied Mass Communication in the university, specialising in print journalism. Truth be told, however, I chose to study journalism so that I could be a good fiction writer. I remember the advice of American journalist and writer, Earnest Hemingway, when asked if it would help a writer to be a journalist. He said yes, if you get out of journalism on time.

I started earning money writing fiction, mainly short stories, by publishing them in magazines, Trust and Drum, while in the university. Then, when I joined the African Newspapers of Nigeria Plc, I used to publish short stories regularly in the Sunday Tribune, under the editorship of Folu Olamiti.

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I would have loved to live as a full-time fiction writer but I soon realised that was impossible in Nigeria then (I dont know about even now). You must have a job that brings you regular income to sustain yourself. Most of the writers I read under the African Writers Series, were either university teachers or journalists. I decided to be a journalist. Even for writers in the West, most of them found jobs to sustain themselves before finding success in their writing careers. Some were copy writers in advertising agencies (I was before Tribune), some were journalists or film and television writers; some even waited tables.

I have so far written five books, and one of these, The Reporters Companion, has fetched me more than N30 million since its publishing 20 years ago. Another journalism title, Secrets of Online and Multimedia Journalism, has fetched me over N15 million since it came out in 2010.

I chose to be a journalist and soon got bogged down by the frenetic chase of headlines and deadlines, which drained my fictional creative juices. But one thing soon became clear to me: I found out that most journalists were beggars, including my ogas, despite their braggadocio and swagger. They lived the good life on the goodwill of their benefactors. Some journalists (not my ogas) are into blackmail.

I made up my mind early on that I was not going to depend on bribes, blackmail, or begging to live. I was going to work hard and sweat it out to make money to take good care of my family, to the best of my ability, and live in dignity. How was I going to do that? I had read about multiple sources of income, and so I decided to create them.

My resolve was strengthened when I was booted out of ANN Plc unceremoniously. As editor of the Nigerian Tribune, I had travelled to Israel on the invitation of the Israeli government. As part of our itinerary, we were taken to Mount Masada, where they told us the story of how the Israelites were barricaded there for years by the Romans, until hunger eventually brought them down and they were conquered. Today, as part of their military training, young Israelites are taken to the mountain to learn that history, but more importantly, to never let it happen to Israel again. So, when I was kicked out of the ANN, I told myself that like modern Israelites, Never again would that happen to me.

I also decided to go back to my second love, teaching, and combine it with my first love, journalism. I decided to take up the teaching of journalism, even though I got offers to be on the editorial board of one Lagos-based newspaper, and later as the Managing Director of another fledgling newspaper in Ibadan, both of which I declined. However, I put the one year I spent at home unemployed to good use by writing a book, The Leadership Strategies of Mohammed (SAW) and a screenplay. Thus began my book writing career, though not fiction any longer.

I have so far written five books, and one of these, The Reporters Companion, has fetched me more than N30 million since its publishing 20 years ago. Another journalism title, Secrets of Online and Multimedia Journalism, has fetched me over N15 million since it came out in 2010.

The day I stepped into the Lagos State Polytechnic campus in Isolo to begin my teaching career, I told Allah I wanted to spend 10 years there and get out to mind my own business. And that was exactly what I did the moment I clocked 10 years there, despite pressures to stay on. If I had succumbed to the pressures, I would have retired in February this year when I clocked 65. However, I spent those 10 years preparing the ground for my current life.

While working there, I took two life insurance policies with Industrial and General Insurance (IGI) and Niger Insurance. Those were not the first time I was insuring my life. While with the ANN, I took a life policy with NICON, and also had an account with the Federal Mortgage Bank, in addition to the ANN Cooperative Society. But when Babangida came with his structural adjustment programme (SAP), he sapped the life out of my NICON life insurance and FMB savings. But I didnt give up as I went on take other life policies as pointed out above.

Create intellectual properties by writing books that would bring you income for life. A lot of our colleagues are doing this now. I suggest you buy Azu Ishiekwenes latest book, Writing for Media and Monetising It, and make sure you read it and implement the suggestions there.

The teaching job also gave me time to write books, which have been very profitable for me. And I was able to set up multiple small businesses that gave me the confidence to quit my teaching job and pursue my dream of self-employment.

In 2020, ten years after I left the full-time job, I stumbled on freelance writing and I have earned more than N20 million naira from that source in the past four years. So, while I am not a wealthy man, I dont also beg for bread. I have made at least N1.5 million so far this year from freelancing.

I am writing my experience here not to brag but to tell our colleagues that they could earn enough money from their sweats to live a dignified life, without becoming slaves to their employers or beggars or blackmailers to their contacts. All it takes is some creativity and discipline.

Discipline because you must jettison the extravagant lifestyle, the womanising, and the drinking parties. You must also learn to postpone your gratification. I remember the early days after leaving ANN. I had sold my car because it was becoming a drain on my resources and was walking along the streets one day, when a former colleague saw me. He gave me a lift and asked where my car was. I told him I had none. He said it was shameful for me, as a former editor of a national newspaper, to be trekking all over town. He said he couldnt do that. I told him I was building an abode for my family and that was more important to me than ego-tripping. My friend passed on a few years later still living in a rented apartment but cruising around town in his automobile.

So, my points in this article are:

1. Dont allow any employer to owe you more than three months salary. Quit after the third month.

2. Save, save and save as if your life depends on it, because it literally does. Save in life insurance policies, mortgage banks, cooperatives, etc.

3. Create intellectual properties by writing books that would bring you income for life. A lot of our colleagues are doing this now. I suggest you buy Azu Ishiekwenes latest book, Writing for Media and Monetising It, and make sure you read it and implement the suggestions there. (Azu, this na free advert o).

4. Invest in other small businesses that you can fall back on.

5. Engage in freelance work.

6. Write biographies and memoirs for your contacts, instead of begging them for money.

7. Be close to God, pray hard and fast. Seek the face of your creator.

It shall be well with you and with our profession.

Muda Ganiyu, a journalist, writer, teacher and publisher was editor of the Nigerian Tribune.

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The NNPC Ltd/FIRST E&P Joint Venture (JV), in line with its commitment to make a tangible difference in the lives of those who need it the most, has donated over fifty million naira to five outstanding NGOs through its newly launched Impact FIRST initiative. The initiative was launched with an official grant presentation ceremony which was held at Movenpick Hotel, Ikoyi Lagos.

The Impact FIRST programme is designed to provide much needed support to NGOs that are addressing critical issues ranging from healthcare access, education access, poverty alleviation and empowerment initiatives for vulnerable people and disadvantaged groups across the country. For this maiden edition of the initiative, The IREDE Foundation, Cerebral Palsy Centre, OISA Foundation, Human Development Initiatives (HDI) and Niola Cancer Care Foundation emerged as beneficiaries of financial grants.

The selection of the beneficiary organisations followed a rigorous selection process which kicked off with nominations of deserving charities by the Joint Ventures stakeholders.

At the event, the Chief Upstream Investment Officer, NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS), Bala Wunti commended the selfless work of the beneficiaries of the IMPACT FIRST grant. Mr Wunti, represented by Deputy Manager, External Relations, NUIMS, Mrs Edith Lawson said, NNPC Ltd is a firm believer in the power of corporate social responsibility. We are committed to working alongside our partners to make tangible differences in the lives of those who need it the most.

Our support extends far beyond donations, it encompasses sustainable initiatives that foster long-term economic empowerment and social progress.Through our strategic partnership with FIRST E&P and other partners, we have witnessed first-hand the transformative impact that corporate social responsibilities have had.

Also speaking on the initiative, the Executive Director, Corporate Services FIRST E&P, Mr Emmanuel Etomi said, As an organisation, we remain committed to contributing towards improving societal well-being and socio-economic development; and we firmly believe in the power of collaboration and community engagement in driving positive change. While corporate organisations like ours strive to make meaningful contributions to societal wellbeing, we recognise the limitations of our resources, expertise, and reach.

We believe that NGOs are instrumental in addressing the diverse and complex needs of our communities, particularly those who are most vulnerable. Through partnerships such as these that we seek to extend our collective impact and better address the multifaceted challenges facing our society.

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The IREDE Foundation, notable for providing custom-made prosthetic limbs to child amputees, received a N20,450,000 grant which will enable the foundation to provide prosthetic limbs to child amputees. The foundation also provides psycho-social support and rehabilitation for these children.The Cerebral Palsy Centre, the first organisation in Nigeria dedicated to working with children with cerebral palsy and established in 2010, got a grant of N10, 000,000 to continue providing quality therapy and care for children living with Cerebral Palsy.

Also, the OISA Foundation known for transforming lives through education and healthcare interventions received a grant of N10,000,000 to support initiatives ranging from scholarship programmes for indigent children to the establishment of digital innovation learning hubs. The Human Development Initiatives (HDI) which aims to empower vulnerable populations, particularly women and children, across Nigeria got a grant of N10, 000,000 which would support them to provide vocational skills training to widows in selected regions.

Lastly, the Niola Cancer Care Foundation, renowned for championing colon cancer awareness talks and screening, got a grant of N3, 000,000 to expand its colon cancer awareness and screening efforts and provide medical support for colon cancer patients.

In her acceptance speech, Crystal Chigbu, Founder of IREDE Foundation expressed gratitude to NNPCLtd& FIRST E&P for the opportunity to be one of the beneficiaries of the grant, explaining that more than 10 children will be provided with prosthetic limbs from the Grant received.

Earlier in the year, the NNPCLtd/FIRST E&P Joint Venture organized a health outreach that impacted over 3,400 residents of its 11 host communities in Bayelsa State including Koluama 1, Koluama 2, Ekeni, Fishtown, Foropa, Ezetu 1, Ezetu 2, Sangana, Oginibiri, Okumbiri, and Okumbiribeleu.

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The 21st-century customer is a dynamic global citizen, thanks to the proliferation of the digital media space. With mobile gadgets at our fingertips, the average consumer lives on the internet where content jostles for attention. Hence, cross-platform content amplification has become imperative for brands and advertisers, for wider audience reach.

Accessing the right combination of platforms for efficient content placement and exposure was at the front burner as brand managers, media buying professionals and advertisers in the marketing communication industry converged in Lagos for the 8th edition of the DStv Media Sales and the Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN) conference.

The conference, themed Cross-Platform: Content and Context, provided the industry stakeholders an opportunity to deliberate on cross-platform content exposure for efficient audience reach, engagement, and measurement.

The convener, Doris Ohanugo, Executive Head, DStv Media Sales Nigeria, in her opening remarks, stated that the conference, since inception, has delivered on its purpose and vision. The idea for this annual conference is for us to deliberate, share key learnings, and industry insights, establish strategic partnerships, and provide advertising opportunities to brands and our media partners. This forum has continued to deliver on this for the past seven editions, she said.

As advertisers deploy different platforms and channels for efficient content exposure and engagement, industry regulators at the conference stressed the need for decorum in the process. The Director General, Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) Lekan Fadolapo, represented by the Head of Legal, Chukwudi Ezeaba, outlined the process for advancing cross-platform content for excellence.

Mr Fadolapo explained that for excellence in brand communication, content must align with the ethical considerations for advertising in Nigeria. He stressed, For excellence of content for exposure across the platforms, advertisers need to ensure that content adheres strictly to the ethics of advertising in Nigeria. The content must be respectful, mindful of the cultural differences of the country, respect the privacy of individuals, and uphold decency by maintaining all forms of decorum and propriety.

Advertisers should also adhere to legality in the industry, by ensuring that content contains valid claims, authenticity, and dependable information, he added.

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Speaking on the power of cross-platform content strategy, Kholeka Maringa, Head of DStv Media Sales, Africa, noted that social media is reshaping content exposure and consumption, as content now lives across a variety of platforms. According to her, DStv service now runs on a variety of platforms like Showmax and DStv Stream. We play in this cross-media space to provide expanded reach, increased engagement, stronger brand presence, brand consistency, and more opportunities for brand growth.

While sharing insights from DStv and GOtv audience measurement, Nosipho Gama, EH, Business Enablement, DStv Media Sales, Africa, said the company provides brands a consolidated solution with cross-platform services for efficient audience reach and engagement. Disclosing data from DStv and GOtv audience measurement for the 2023 AFCON, Gama revealed that DStv reached 39.6 million households during the tournament, as 10 million viewers watched the matches live on DStv.

She revealed that the company recorded 3.1 million impressions on DStv Stream, while 2.9 million watched via their mobile phones. A total of 24.2 million viewers watched on the GOtv platform; 11.8 million watched the replay of matches, while over 7 million watched live. The company also recorded over 93.6 million engagements on social media during the tournament.

President, Advertisers Association of Nigeria, (ADVAN), Osamede Uwubanwmen, said, To survive in todays content landscape requires relentless focus, an audience-first approach and organisational agility.

He further explained that advertisers need to reliably connect user behaviour across marketing channels and platforms, as well as optimise budget allocations across each channel to maximise future growth.

Mr Uwubanwmen stressed that reach and frequency are now more important in the industry, noting that if accurately provided across screens, frequency and reach will help advertisers plan and optimise spending, while also helping media owners attract buyers to their inventory.

Also speaking at the session, President, Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN), Femi Adelusi, commended DStv Media Sales for raising the standards for audience reach and measurement, which he said is crucial to the growth of the industry.

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A young man was on Monday arrested with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) strapped to his tummy at a branch of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) in Dadinkowa, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Sources said the yet unidentified man had approached a teller with a note demanding to be handed N100m or he would detonate the explosive.

Understanding the demand of the suspect, the bank teller quickly communicated the situation to their supervisor, who promptly alerted bank security to open the emergency exit for people to run. Thereafter, customers were alerted to leave the banking hall for their safety, a worker in the bank told PREMIUM TIMES.

Realising that customers had started running out of the bank hall, he also joined them but was arrested by the bank security guards who later called in the anti-bomb squad. On their arrival, they took the man to Rantya police station for further investigation.

The bank staff, however, suspected that the suspected robber could enter the bank without triggering a security alarm at the door because the IED on his body was fake.

It was not immediately clear if the man was acting alone or as a member of a terror group.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the spokesperson of the state police in Plateau State, Alabo Alfred, had yet to respond to questions on the incident.

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Six more kidnapped students of the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH) in Osara, Kogi State, have been rescued unhurt.

This increased to 20 the number of students of the university rescued by a combined team of security operatives and local hunters.

The state Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, made the disclosure in a statement in Lokoja on Tuesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that suspected bandits invaded the institution on Thursday and abducted 24 students.

The students were abducted while reading for their first semester examination slated to begin on 13 May

Governments data shows that only four students are still missing from Thursdays abduction of CUSTECH students.

Meanwhile, frantic efforts are being made to locate and rescue the four.

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Fierce gun battle between security agents and the kidnappers forced the kidnappers to abandon the six rescued students, with some escaping with severe injuries.

The families of the six recently-rescued students have confirmed their safe return home as the first 14, he said.

The commissioner said the state Gov Usman Ododo had expressed deep appreciation to the joint forces that carried out the rescue operations.

READ ALSO: 14 abducted Kogi varsity students rescued

He quoted the governor as urging the forces to continue the search until the remaining students would be found.

This government wishes to assure the public that the security architecture around schools has been recalibrated for efficiency and early warning systems to prevent future occurrences, Mr Fanwo said.

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Terrorists have sacked about 50 communities and abducted hundreds of residents after weeks of incessant attacks in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State, a lawmaker from the area has said.

Bello Hassan, who represents the Zurmi/Shinkafa Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, told BBC Hausa Service on Tuesday that the gunmen also killed two police officers and three civilians during the attacks.

PREMIUM TIMES last week reported how Zurmi, the second most populous town in Zamfara State, was overrun by terrorists who killed three officials at the emirs palace and abducted many residents.

The lawmaker said over 500 people may have been abducted in the affected villages over the weeks. He said the wanton attacks have forced many of the residents to flee their homes.

Those who have stayed behind are being molested by the gunmen who are attacking the communities day and night, Mr Hassan said, calling for intervention by the security agencies in the area.

At Kanwa village on Saturday, the gunmen killed three people and abducted over 30 others. At Gidan Shaho in the Nasarawa area on Monday, they killed two police officers and wounded many people. We are now trying to ascertain the number of people missing following the (latest) attack, the lawmaker said.

He said the attacks were continuing despite the efforts of the federal and state governments to check the atrocities.

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There is a need to redefine some of the approaches being deployed by the security operatives in fighting the terrorists in Zamfara, Mr Hassan said.

The truth of the matter is that the security operatives deployed in Zamfara State are insignificant. Some of them deployed in the areas have overstayed, some for eight years, others 10 years. They have stayed longer than necessary, they need to be changed. We have reported this issue severally to those authorities concerned but without any response.

Mr Hassan urged the security agencies to send more officers to the area and change their tactics in fighting the terrorists.

Zurmi is the second most populous town in Zamfara after Gusau, the state capital. Lying on the border with Niger Republic and sharing boundary with Katsina State, it is one of the areas frequently attacked by terrorists in the state.

Many communities in Katsina, Sokoto, Kaduna, Kebbi and Niger states are being attacked by different terror groups, locally called bandits.

The bandits usually ride in long convoys of motorcycles to their targets despite the presence of security personnel in the areas.

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The Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Court in Awka, Anambra State has remanded two reverend sisters of the Catholic Church in the state.

The reverend sisters, Angela Onyenachi Ibe, 42, and Jacinta Yvonne Chiemelie, 41, were, on Monday, arraigned on a four-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, illegal dealings on children and fraudulent adoption.

Chidinma Ikeanyionwu, a media aide to the State Commissioner of Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

Ms Ikeanyionwu said the offences in counts one and two are punishable under sections 495(a) and 386 of the Criminal Code, CAP 36, Volume II,

The media aide added that the offences in count three and four are punishable under section 30(2)(b) of the Childs Rights Law of Anambra State, 2004 and the Revised Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria, 1991.

Not guilty

At the hearing on Monday, the charge was read to the defendants, but they separately pleaded not guilty to the offences, according to the statement.

During a cross-examination, the defendants said they both hail from Imo State, and belong to a Catholic Congregation, known as the Saint Francis of Compassion, also based in Imo State.

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They also said they were staff members and attendants at the Sam Damian Community Childrens and Old Peoples Home, located at Obosi, a community in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Bail application and remand

Mses Chiemelie and Ibe, through their defence counsel, applied for bail and prayed the court to grant them bail on the ground that they are reverend sisters of the Roman Catholic Church, and would religiously attend their trials whenever they are required to do so.

But, the presiding Chief Magistrate, Genevieve Osakwe, declined the bail application, describing the ground of bail application as very weak and unknown to law.

The chief magistrate consequently ordered that the defendants be remanded at the State Criminal Investigation Department in Awka.

Ms Osakwe condemned the rising cases of illegal adoption and dealings with children in Anambra State.

She asked the police in the state to thoroughly search, arrest and prosecute all persons involved in the management of illegal Community Childrens and Old Peoples Homes across the state.

The case was adjourned to 29 May and 26 June 2024 for a definite hearing.

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The immediate past governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, has reacted to an allegation that his administration diverted N10 billion earmarked for an airport project in the state.

Mr Ikpeazu served as a two-term governor of the state under the PDP platform between 29 May 2015 and 29 May 2023, when he handed over to the incumbent governor of the state, Alex Otti.

Mr Otti was elected as governor of the state on 22 March 2023 under the Labour Party ticket.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Mr Otti, in April, accused the former governor of allocating N10 billion to a non-existent airport project in the state, an allegation which the former denied.

The governor, on Thursday, further accused the former governor of transferring the N10 billion to 32 bank accounts of different companies from where they were diverted.

He also claimed that Mr Ikpeazu had already transferred the funds to the bank accounts long before he approached the state assembly for approval.

He claimed he obtained the information from a report of a forensic audit carried out by a firm contracted by his administration.

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Ikpeazus defence

Mr Ikpeazu, through a statement by his former Commissioner for Information, John Kalu, and forwarded to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, denied the latest allegation.

Mr Kalu said the 32 accounts mentioned by the governor belonged to contractors who were paid from the N10 billion for road construction projects after the suspension of the airport project.

It is also important to note that the transaction he is talking about is a contractor finance arrangement with UBA Plc for N10 billion which was not disbursed to the contractors until November 26th 2020. Not funds taken directly from our states account as he maliciously conveys, he said.

The former commissioner also responded to the allegation of Mr Ikpeazu approaching the State Assembly after the money had been moved.

His allegation of getting House of Assembly approval late is neither here nor there because the bank provisioned the facility, placed a lien on withdrawal until all relevant documents were obtained and submitted to them. That practice is not strange in public finance and of course, no bank will allow you to draw on a facility without submitting all relevant documents, he stated.

Mr Kalu stressed that, even if the governors allegation of the late approval was true, it was not unusual provided that the funds were not disbursed.

Evidence from the bank will confirm that the Ikpeazu administration did not authorise disbursements to the road contractors until November 26th 2020, he said.

The former commissioner contended that the past administration published the names of the road contractors and the roads they were paid for with picture evidence, and challenged Mr Otti to publish the 32 accounts and prove they are not road contractors registered with Abia State Government.

He said that the lead contractor contracted by Mr Ikpeazus administration was the Ferotex Construction company, claiming that the company had done road projects in nearly all states in the South-east and Rivers State.

Most importantly, the same company is working with Alex Ottis government in Abia State. Recently, the same Governor Otti praised the company for delivering good quality at Unuimo and Shallom streets in Aba and awarded a new 22km Umuahia-Uziakoli Road to the Ferotex Construction Company, he stated.

Mr Kalu accused Mr Otti of borrowing N50 billion from Access Bank to fund the construction of various roads within six months of his administration, saying the governor was only out to smear Mr Ikpeazu for defeating him in two elections in the state.

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The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, ordered Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State and others to file their defence in a suit instituted by Jimoh Ibrahim, a senator, seeking to void the 20 April All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election in the state.

The judge, Inyang Ekwo, gave the directive after the counsel for the APC, Tayo Oyetibo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), informed the court that the party had written a letter to the Chief Judge of Federal High Court, John Tsoho, for the matter to be transferred to the Akure division of the court.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/588/2024, Mr Ibrahim sued APC, Mr Aiyedatiwa and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Ondo State governorship election, in which other political parties, will field candidates, is slated to hold on 16 November.

Ibrahims grouse, prayers

Mr Ibrahim, an aspirant in the primaries and serving senator representing Ondo South at the Senate, is praying the court to set aside the 20 April governorship primary election of the party that produced Governor Aiyedatiwa as its candidate.

He urged the court to declare that Mr Aiyedatiwa is not the valid candidate of the APC by virtue of the partys non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 and the regulations and guidelines of the political party in the conduct of the poll.

He, therefore, sought an order of perpetual injunction, restraining the governor from parading himself as the APCs governorship candidate for the November general election in Ondo State.

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Mr Ibrahim, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Affairs, equally prayed the court for a mandatory injunction compelling INEC to delist the names of APC and Mr Aiyedatiwa from amongst the list of political parties and governorship candidates for the states governorship election.

He further asked the court to strip the party and Mr Aiyedatiwa of all rights appurtenant to political parties fielding candidates, and candidates at the said governorship election, except a fresh primary election is conducted and a candidate lawfully nominated.

Hearing

At Tuesdays hearing, Mr Ibrahims lawyer, Chris Uche, a SAN, told the court that he received a memorandum of conditional appearance from APCs lawyer.

Mr Uche said he had equally received a memorandum of conditional appearance from INEC but had not received any application from Mr Aiyedatiwa.

The senior lawyer said besides all these, the defendants had not filed any defence in the suit.

Mr Oyetibo confirmed filing a memorandum of conditional appearance, which was served on the plaintiff.

He said since the plaintiff served on them their processes on 7 May, he was still within time to respond.

The senior lawyer, who wondered why Mr Ibrahim filed the suit in Abuja, told the court that a letter had been written to the Chief Judge, Mr Tsoho, seeking for the transfer of the matter to Akure division of the court.

He said they were awaiting the Chief Judges response.

Counsel for the governor, Bode Olanipekun, also a SAN, said though they were served on 9 May, they were still within time to respond.

He confirmed Mr Oyetibos position about the letter to the Chief Judge.

INECs lawyer, Charles Edosomwan, also a SAN, who said he was still within time to file his clients response, said he was aware of the APCs letter to have the matter transferred.

But Mr Uche said writing a letter was a non-issue as the letter was not before the court.

Mr Ekwo said the issue of the letter cannot be discussed in the court since the letter was not before him.

The judge held that what was before him was what he was concerned about.

Taking into consideration the time for parties to file and respond, I will give you a time of return date and from there, we will get further directive, he said.

Mr Ekwo, who directed parties to file their applications, adjourned the suit until 29 May for mention.

(NAN)

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MINNEAPOLIS, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ally Law, a prominent global legal network with 80 member firms in 60 countries, kicked off its 2024 annual international conference in Vancouver, Canada, today. Hosted by member firm Kornfeld, this marquee event brings 125 lawyers and guests from 37 countries on five continents.

During the four-day event, delegates, client guests, and invited presenters will engage in dynamic discussions on a wide spectrum of emerging legal and business opportunities. The focus will be on developing client-centered, forward-thinking firms. The keynote address, panels, and breakout sessions will delve into key trends in the practice of law and law firm management, including mergers and acquisitions, international dispute resolution, taxation, intellectual property, the use of AI and other technologies to enhance client service and firm effectiveness, and much more.

Said Ramesh Vaidyanathan, President of Ally Law and co-founder of BTG Advaya, a law firm with offices in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and New Delhi, India, "In today's global economy, businesses of all sizes have relationships with partners, vendors, investors, and other stakeholders in multiple jurisdictions. To address their legal needs in a coordinated manner, they need advisors with strong, deep relationships and the ability to counsel across various disciplines. Our Annual General Meeting offers an important opportunity to strengthen our network and improve collaboration beyond traditional boundaries. We are particularly pleased to note the addition of seven new member firms and the expansion of services in 16 new countries  a testament to our network's ongoing strength and vitality."

New member firms include DRET Legal (Colombia), Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP (New York), Fafinski Mark & Johnson (Minnesota), Hernandez & Hernandez Abogados (Dominican Republic), Shehata & Partners (Egypt), Villarreal VGF (Mexico) and Zacarias & Fernandez (Paraguay).

Kornfeld partner and Ally Law Director Shane Coblin said, "Our firm is pleased to welcome our member-firm delegates and guests to the beautiful city of Vancouver. The substantive panel sessions, presentations, and discussions will deliver critical information on today's legal trends, and the informal social and networking events will help build the relationships that are key to our network's effectiveness."

In addition to the AGM, Ally Law members regularly attend annual regional meetings. These meetings are designed to focus on jurisdiction-specific business and legal issues, providing a platform for members to share current insights and experiences. This regular exchange of information gives members a distinct advantage over law firms outside the network, ensuring that our professionals are always up-to-date and well-equipped to serve our clients.

About Ally Law

Ally Law, a Chambers and Partners' Leading Law Firm Network (Global Market Leader), provides sophisticated legal services to major corporations, focusing on value and efficiency. For more information, visit www.ally-law.com.

Press contact:

Wendy Horn

Ally Law

[email protected]

+1.612.770.6046

SOURCE Ally Law
JACKSON, Mich., May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- During the Jackson Area Manufacturers Association's 87th Annual Meeting, JAMA Executive Director, Olivia Steele, and The Shop Rat Foundation Executive Director, Kelly Kofflin, made a groundbreaking announcement: the acquisition of a 26,000 sq ft facility to serve as headquarters for both organizations and as a dedicated training facility to support the community's robust manufacturing education pipeline.

For the past two decades, both JAMA and The Shop Rat Foundation have been at the forefront of manufacturing education. The Shop Rat Foundation has focused on guiding youth through career exploration and foundational skill development programs, while JAMA has served as the primary standards holder for manufacturing apprenticeship programs in the region, through their proprietary school, The Academy for Manufacturing Careers.

"This is truly an inflection point for both organizations, to grow exponentially in the depth and breadth of programming and resources that we can offer to the community," said Kelly Kofflin, executive director of The Shop Rat Foundation. "This space is the puzzle piece necessary for not only the growth of our organizations, but our community partners to truly meet the workforce needs of our manufacturers."

The facility will include a precision machining lab, welding lab as well as numerous classroom spaces; greatly increasing the capacity of the organizations to meet the training programs desired to serve local schools and companies.

When asked about the endeavor, Olivia Steele, executive director of JAMA shared:

"This new facility not only expands our technical capabilities but also breaks down the barriers that have historically limited access to crucial training programs, empowering our community and fostering a brighter future for all. Because, when we come together, we are stronger and better equipped to achieve our shared goals.

The organizations are engaging in a $7M capital campaign in support of the project, with significant contributions made to date from Alro Steel, The Hurst Foundation, Advance Turning & Manufacturing, Peak Manufacturing, and Orbitform.

"Alro Steel recognizes the critical need for a skilled workforce in today's manufacturing environment," said Randy Glick, CEO of Alro Steel. "Alro is proud to partner with JAMA and the Shop Rat Foundation on the Advanced Manufacturing Training Center which will help ensure we have a pipeline of qualified workers in the Jackson community. Investing in the future of manufacturing is a high priority for Alro."

Limited programming is planned to begin at the new facility beginning Summer 2024, pending completion of planned upgrades to the facility.

For details regarding sponsorship and donation opportunities available in support of the new facility, please contact Kelly Kofflin of The Shop Rat Foundation or Olivia Steele of JAMA.

About The Shop Rat Foundation

The Shop Rat Foundation is a Jackson-based, nonprofit organization with a mission to "ignite interest in manufacturing and professional trades careers among youth through innovation and outreach." The organization's curriculum focuses on construction trades, engineering, machining, robotics and welding; serving over 4,000 youth annually through in-school partnership programs, extracurricular classes and camps, as well as community events focused on opportunities for youth to gain awareness of, engage with and explore careers within the manufacturing and professional trades sectors. The Shop Rat Foundation is an active partner in the Jackson County Talent Consortium and facilitation of National Manufacturing Day related activities. Learn more at www.shoprat.org .

About Jackson Area Manufacturers Association (JAMA):

The Jackson Area Manufacturers Association (JAMA) is a leading organization in Jackson, Mich., dedicated to promoting the growth and success of local manufacturers. With a focus on advocacy, education, and networking, JAMA provides valuable resources and support to its members, helping them thrive in a competitive industry. As the primary manufacturing apprenticeship standards holder and facilitator in the region, JAMA aims to strengthen the manufacturing sector, enhance workforce development, and foster collaboration among industry partners. Learn more at www.jacksonjama.org .

MEDIA CONTACT:

Devon Bradley Roof

[email protected]

(517) 474-1573

The Shop Rat Foundation and JAMA Contacts:

Kelly Kofflin

Executive Director, The Shop Rat Foundation

[email protected]

(248) 207-5422

Olivia Steele

Executive Director/President, JAMA

[email protected]

(517) 917-6340

SOURCE The Shop Rat Foundation
Legislation will streamline patient access to nurse practitioner care

WASHINGTON, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) co-hosted a briefing at the U.S. Capitol, along with the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, American Nurses Association and American College of Nurse-Midwives, to urge Congress to pass the bipartisan Improving Care and Access to Nurses (ICAN) Act (H.R. 2713/S. 2418). The ICAN Act will strengthen patient access to care and increase the efficiency of our nation's health care system by removing federal barriers to practice for nurse practitioners (NPs) and other advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs).

The ICAN ACT would improve health care access for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries by removing federal barriers to practice for nurse practitioners and other advanced practice registered nurses.

"The ICAN Act will modernize our health care system to ensure patients receive timely, high-quality care from their chosen health care provider," said Stephen A. Ferrara, DNP, president of AANP. "NPs are the providers of choice for millions of patients. Now is the time to ensure that the policies governing our nation's health care system reflect who is providing care."

The nation's 385,000 licensed NPs deliver care to millions of patients across the nation. As the largest and fastest-growing, Medicare-designated provider specialty, 83% of NPs treat Medicare patients and 82% of NPs treat Medicaid patients. Despite the essential health care NPs provide, barriers still exist within the Medicare and Medicaid programs that prevent the effective and efficient delivery of care. It is critical that Medicare and Medicaid patients who choose NPs receive timely access to high-quality health care.

The ICAN Act will increase access to health care services for patients across the country by removing outdated federal barriers to care, including:

Authorizing NPs to order cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation services.

Authorizing NPs to certify their patients' need for diabetic shoes and refer patients for medical nutrition therapy.

Authorizing NPs to certify home infusion plans of care and patients' need for hospice.

Authorizing the removal of unnecessary barriers to practice in facilities and streamlining care delivery.

To learn more, visit https://ican.aanp.org

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) is the largest professional membership organization for nurse practitioners (NPs) of all specialties. It represents the interests of the more than 385,000 licensed NPs in the U.S. AANP provides legislative leadership at the local, state and national levels, advancing health policy; promoting excellence in practice, education and research; and establishing standards that best serve NPs' patients and other health care consumers. As The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner, AANP represents the interests of NPs as providers of high-quality, cost-effective, comprehensive, patient-centered health care. To locate an NP in your community, visit npfinder.com . For more information about NPs, visit aanp.org .

SOURCE American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
ANS-858 is a new selective, reversible, orally bioavailable ALDH2 Inhibitor in pre-clinical development to reduce craving.

BEL AIR, Md. and SAN FRANCISCO, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Amygdala Neurosciences (a private company) announced today that the Company has closed a new round of equity financing led by ABMRF, the Alcohol Beverage Medicines Research Foundation to fund the Company's IND-stage activities for ANS-858.

ABMRF/The Foundation for Alcohol Research is the largest, independent non-profit foundation in North America devoted solely to funding research on the effects of alcohol on health and behavior (https://www.abmrf.org/). The Foundation was established in 1982 as an independent philanthropic organization dedicated to the development and dissemination of new knowledge about the biological, behavioral and social aspects of alcohol consumption. The Foundation's mission is to 1) achieve a better understanding of the effects of alcohol on the health and behavior of individuals, 2) provide the scientific basis for prevention and treatment of alcohol misuse, 3) fund innovative, high-quality research, 4) support promising new investigators, 5) communicate information with the research community and other interested parties.

Bruce Ambler, Chair Board of Trustees ABMRF said "Amygdala Neurosciences has established itself as a leader in the field of alcohol research. Craving is a key component of the alcohol use disorder adaptation, which consists of craving, loss of control, and adverse consequences. Amygdala Neuroscience's lead clinical candidate, ANS-858, targets the first of these aspects of the misuse of alcohol."

Use of alcohol and alcohol use disorder (AUD) remains high. It is estimated that in 2020 over half of the adult population (54.9% of those 18 years or older) used alcohol resulting in 27.6 million adult Americans (11%) diagnosed with AUD. The US Centers for Disease Control estimated the annual average deaths attributable to excessive alcohol use to be more than 140,000 and the economic cost of AUD to be $249 billion. Current treatments for AUD include a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy, medication, and other counseling. Highlighting the need for more effective and better tolerated treatments, only 362,000 (1.3%) of patients with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) receive treatment with a medication.

"We are delighted to receive this investment from ABMRF in recognition of our innovative approach to the treatment of alcohol and other substance use disorders. This investment, combined with the grant to support the Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling and early stage development of ANS-858 made from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA, an Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)) under Award Number U43AA030689, further validates our innovative approach and enables the timely development of ANS-858 as an anti-craving therapy for AUD and other harmful cravings." said Brent Blackburn, PhD, Amygdala co-founder and CEO.

About ANS-858

ANS-858, a new chemical entity, works in the brain's 'neural interface between motivation and action' to reduce the dopamine surge responsible for craving. Inhibition of ALDH2 has been shown to reduce craving and drug seeking behavior in preclinical studies against multiple addictive agents and has the potential for use as pharmacotherapy for substance use disorders (SUD), binge-eating, and anxiety associated with these disorders. Preclinical and available clinical data demonstrate the potential of selective, reversible ALDH2 inhibition as a promising target for treatment of AUD. Amygdala Neurosciences is developing ANS-858, a proprietary, potent, selective, and reversible inhibitor of ALDH2, for the safe treatment of AUD.

About ABMRF

ABMRF/The Foundation for Alcohol Research was established in 1982 as an independent philanthropic organization dedicated to the development and dissemination of new knowledge about the biological, behavioral and social aspects of alcohol consumption. Since that time, it has developed into the largest, independent non-profit foundation in North America devoted solely to funding research on the effects of alcohol on health and behavior, and to the prevention of problems related to alcohol abuse.

About Amygdala Neurosciences Inc.

Amygdala Neurosciences is developing ANS-858 to curb craving. Its mission is to treat individuals who experience harmful cravings associated with chemicals of addiction and food. The company was formed based on technology discovered and developed by members of the companies' leadership team while at CV Therapeutics and acquired from Gilead Sciences.

For further Information visit www.amygns.com

The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

SOURCE: ABMRF, The Foundation for Alcohol Research, and Amygdala Neurosciences Inc

Related Links https://www.abmrf.org/, http://www.amygns.com

SOURCE Amygdala Neurosciences Inc.
Award honors up-and-coming plaintiffs lawyers who demonstrate litigation prowess

DALLAS, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Aldous\Walker LLP is pleased to announce that The National Law Journal has selected associate Caleb Miller among its Rising Stars of the Plaintiffs Bar.

The list recognizes attorneys under age 40 who are up-and-comers in the plaintiffs bar, based on their litigation prowess and impact on their firms.

"We are so glad that The National Law Journal is recognizing Caleb for something we already know about him," said Brent Walker . "Caleb works so hard for our clients and understands well the responsibility he carries as an advocate."

Mr. Miller has drawn notice for his instrumental efforts in securing million-dollar verdicts at Aldous\Walker. Throughout his career, he has secured 12 trial verdicts, leading as first chair on 11 of them. He has also been involved in numerous cases with seven- and eight-figure settlements in which he led depositions and hearings.

Earlier this year, Mr. Miller was recognized by Texas Super Lawyers on its Texas Rising Stars 2024 list and was included in the elite Up-and-Coming 100 category.

In 2023, Mr. Miller was presented with the Texas Trial Lawyers Association's Reich Chandler Outstanding Advocate Award, which honors members who display a balance of tradition and professionalism.

The Elite Trial Lawyers honorees are selected by Law.com and The National Law Journal's editors and reporters.

To read more about Rising Stars of the Plaintiffs Bar, click here.

The Aldous\Walker LLP law firm represents clients in civil litigation and specializes in high-profile, high-stakes cases. Learn more about the firm at http://www.aldouslaw.com .

Media Contact:

BeLynn Hollers

800.559.4534

[email protected]

SOURCE Aldous\Walker LLP
Scholarship awards showcase Alliance's commitment to a college-ready education and its scholars' drive to get to and through college.

LOS ANGELES, May 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of National Charter School Week, May 12-18, Alliance College-Ready Public Schools is proud to announce over $500,000 in college scholarship awards to 40 deserving high school seniors out of a competitive pool of over 400 applicants. This initiative underscores Alliance's unwavering commitment to educational equity, demonstrating their ongoing mission to prepare scholars for college success and to cultivate lifelong learners and leaders within local school communities.

Alliance College-Ready Public Schools Class of 2024 graduates. Clockwise from top left - Waldo Covarrubias (Gayle Miller Leaders of Change), Kattie Hayes (Carson Scholar), Alison Carter (Judy Burton Impact Award Scholar), Francisco Roldan (Dan Katzir Scholar).

For nearly two decades, Alliance has taken a transformative presence in historically underserved neighborhoods across Los Angeles County. All 26 Alliance charter public schools deliver high-quality instruction that significantly boosts high school graduation and college attendance rates.

While a majority of students enter an Alliance school 3 or more grade levels behind, 95% of Alliance scholars graduate from high school and 96% of those graduates are accepted to college. In addition, Alliance scholars are 3.5 times more likely to graduate from college compared to their peers from similar backgrounds.

According to the Association of Public Land-Grant Universities, college graduates are half as likely to be unemployed as their peers with only high school degrees. And on average, they also make more $1.2 million more over their lifetime.

"As Alliance prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary this coming school year, we have made remarkable strides in preparing our scholars for college and their overall futures," says Alliance CEO Pablo Villavicencio. "We remain committed to building upon past successes and finding innovative ways to teach, learn, and engage with our school communities to reach our vision of all Alliance scholars graduating from a four-year college or university because we still know this matters in long-term life outcomes for our scholars and their communities."

In a 2023 published National Charter School Study, the Stanford University Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) confirmed that students attending public charter schools nationwide are making greater academic strides compared to their peers in traditional public schools. Alliance schools in particular have become nationally ranked, and recognized for their excellent work by the U.S. Department of Education, the California Department of Education, U.S. News & World Report, and named by CREDO as a "gap busting" school system. In fact, in 2023, Alliance scholars proved to be 10-15% more proficient in English Language Arts (ELA) and math than more affluent L.A. County and California public school students.

In partnership with the Alliance Foundation 's Scholar Success Board and approximately 300 individual supporters, 40 graduating scholars have received a total of $545,000 in scholarships, ranging from $2,500 to $20,000.

As Kattie Hayes, an Alliance Judy Ivie Burton Technology Academy High School 2024 class graduate, and Johnny Caron Foundation scholarship recipients reflects, "One's gender should not define their opportunities in the professional world, particularly in STEM fields. Initially, the disparity was a fear, but now it's a challenge I'm willing to take. Looking ahead, I envision myself as an aerospace engineer, fulfilling the dreams of my ten-year-old self and showing her, "Lo hice!"  and I did it as a Latina woman." Hayes matriculates to UCLA this fall, Class of 2028. A complete list of 2024 awardees can be found here.

"These scholarships are more than just financial aid; they are gateways to equity, allowing students from all backgrounds to access the high-quality education they rightfully deserve. This commitment to inclusivity is at the heart of what we do at Alliance," adds Alliance CEO Pablo Villavicencio. "We believe that every scholar, regardless of their socioeconomic status, has the potential to achieve greatness, and our mission is to empower them to unlock that potential."

98% of Alliance scholars live in the heart of Los Angeles' Latinx, Black, and recent immigrant communities. 13% are English Learners, 65% speak a language other than English at home, and a majority of scholars are the first in their families to attend college.

About Alliance

Alliance College-Ready Public Schools is one of the largest and most successful nonprofit public charter school networks in the nation, operating 26 high-performing, middle and high schools that educate nearly 13,000 scholars who make up the heart of Los Angeles' Latinx, Black, and recent immigrant communities. Alliance schools have been recognized as among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, the U.S. Department of Education, and the California Department of Education. Since opening our first school in 2004, 95% of Alliance scholars have graduated from high school. We strive to uplift our scholars and their communities by fostering unparalleled educational opportunities that encourage scholarly thought, resilient learning, powerful communication, mind-body wellness, and community advocacy. To learn more, connect with Alliance: laalliance.org, X (formally Twitter) , Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn .

Contact: Jass Stewart, [email protected]

SOURCE Alliance College-Ready Public Schools
Infima, a venture-backed Stanford University spin-off founded in 2020, has developed large-scale deep learning systems that analyze the behavior of tens of millions of borrowers at the most granular level. These systems harness billions of data points spanning multiple economic cycles and deliver forecasts of borrower, security, and market behavior across a wide range of market environments.

"This transaction represents the culmination of years of dedicated research and development at the intersection of finance and AI," said Kay Giesecke, Founder and Chairman of Infima. "We are confident that through AD&Co., Infima's technologies will reach their full potential, helping to transform how financial institutions navigate the complexities of the mortgage market."

"We are excited to incorporate the advances in mortgage modeling developed by Infima into our research and analytics." said Andrew Davidson, President of AD&Co. "Infima's innovative systems harness advances in artificial intelligence to improve mortgage modeling. This acquisition demonstrates our commitment to maintaining leadership in mortgage analytics. In utilizing AI technology, we remain mindful of clients' needs for model explainability, robust sensitivity analysis, and rigorous model validation. Therefore, AI-based capabilities will initially be an add-on or separate service."

About Andrew Davidson & Co., Inc.

Andrew Davidson & Co., Inc. develops and licenses prepayment and credit models, as well as risk measurement tools used as benchmark analytics by top mortgage and commercial banks, insurance companies, mortgage insurers, reinsurers, credit unions, broker-dealers, and investment management firms. Since its inception, the firm has provided clients with high-quality models, applications, consulting services, research, and thought leadership, all aimed at yielding advanced, quantitative solutions for an array of financial and investment management needs.

For more products and services information, visit www.ad-co.com/models . For direct inquiries, contact [email protected] .

About Infima Technologies, Inc.

Infima Technologies, Inc. is a venture-backed Stanford University spin-off providing unique deep learning technologies that transform mortgage security analytics. Its solutions offer actionable predictive insights into future borrower, security, and market behavior, enabling investors, dealers, and other market participants to make better decisions to drive performance.

SOURCE Andrew Davidson & Co., Inc. (AD&Co)
WASHINGTON, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Kurt Owen, Area Manager of the Georgia, Florida, and Texas branches at Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group (ABMG), has been honored with the Mortgage Bankers Association of Georgia's (MBAG) prestigious Edna V. Latimer Spirit Award. Recognizing the individuals who are spearheading change within the industry, this award is given to those who demonstrate significant support to the association and are able to rise to the challenges of the housing industry.

"Kurt is a passionate leader and has tackled the challenge of growing Atlantic Bay's presence in the untapped Georgia market with great success," said Brian Holland, Chief Executive Officer of ABMG. "On and off the job, Kurt has shown dedication to his communities which is a core reason as to why thousands of borrowers and professionals across our Southern footprint experience lending peace of mind."

Kurt joined Atlantic Bay in 2015 and brings over a decade of mortgage expertise and a wide breadth of product knowledge to Atlanta homebuyers. Overseeing a team of sales managers, branch managers, and mortgage bankers, Kurt has led Atlantic Bay's entry and expansion into the Georgia market. In addition to being an active member of MBAG, he is also a special needs educator and Habitat for Humanity volunteer.

Recognized as a leading mortgage lender, Atlantic Bay has been helping families reach their dreams of homeownership since 1996. In recent years, Atlantic Bay was recognized as the #1 Best Large Mortgage Company to Work For by National Mortgage News and the Top 50 Best Companies to Work For by Mortgage Executive Magazine. Atlantic Bay prides itself on its commitment as an employer to its communities and to the more than 800 people who contribute to growing the company.

Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group

Atlantic Bay is a mortgage lender where the genuine care and consultation of our clients is our highest mission. We pledge to provide the finest personal service to our clients who will enjoy the entire mortgage process and become a "client for life." We're a trusted lender and have stayed true to our core values throughout our more than 27 years. We'll continue to hold our relationships, culture, commitment to the community, and credibility as our highest mission. Atlantic Bay is licensed in 17 states and offers a broad range of products and programs to meet the needs of our borrowers and the communities in which they reside.

Contact:

Rob Van Raaphorst

[email protected]

202-802-6227

SOURCE Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group
BOSTON, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. (the "Company", NYSE: BHLB) and Berkshire Bank (the "Bank") announced today that R. David Rosato, Chief Financial Officer, has decided to step down to pursue other interests. Mr. Rosato will remain with the company through June 14, 2024, as the Company transitions his responsibilities to Brett Brbovic.

Brett Brbovic

The Company and the Bank have appointed Chief Accounting Officer Brett Brbovic as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective June 14, 2024. Mr. Brbovic joined the Company from KPMG LLP in 2012 and has served as Chief Accounting Officer since 2015. He previously served as Interim Chief Financial Officer, from October 7, 2022, to February 6, 2023.

Berkshire CEO Nitin Mhatre stated, "We're grateful for the contributions that David has made in his service as CFO, and we wish him well in his future pursuits. David has been instrumental in developing the bench strength for our Finance group that has enabled us to transition to a new leadership team, including Brett, who will be assuming the CFO role. We have made strong financial and strategic progress during David's tenure, including strengthening the balance sheet, bolstering expense management discipline, and supporting our recent announcement of agreements to divest 10 financial centers and two well executed securities sales. Brett is a 12-year Berkshire Bank veteran with a strong track record and deep institutional knowledge. I'm confident in his ability to lead our Finance team and build on the changes that David has implemented. Berkshire's leadership is committed to maintaining recent momentum and our entire team is focused on the goal to be a high-performing, relationship-driven, community-focused bank."

Mr. Rosato added, "I am proud to have been part of Berkshire and to have had the unique opportunity to leverage my experience to bolster Berkshire Bank's Finance group and transition it over to the talented leaders who will help the Bank further improve its profitability in coming years. I enjoyed working with Nitin and the team to help Berkshire create a solid financial foundation for growth. My best wishes to Brett and the Berkshire team for continued success."

Incoming CFO Brett Brbovic stated, "I'm excited to step into this role and continue to work alongside the talented employees in our Finance department to create long-term shareholder value. I'm committed to continuing to build on the strong foundation we've created in Finance under David's leadership and accelerate our forward momentum to help deliver stronger returns for our shareholders."

ABOUT BERKSHIRE HILLS BANCORP

Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: BHLB) is the parent company of Berkshire Bank, a relationship-driven, community-focused bank with $12.1 billion in assets and 96 financial centers in New England and New York. Berkshire is headquartered in Boston and offers commercial, retail, private banking, and wealth solutions.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This document 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. You can identify these statements from the use of the words "may," "will," "should," "could," "would," "plan," "potential," "estimate," "project," "believe," "intend," "anticipate," "expect," "target" and similar expressions. There are many factors that could cause actual results to differ significantly from expectations described in the forward-looking statements. For a discussion of such factors, please see Berkshire's most recent reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect our expectations only as of the date of this document. Berkshire does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements.

Investor Contact

Kevin Conn, Investor Relations

617.641.9206

[email protected]

Media Contact:

Gary Levante, Corporate Communications

413.447.1737

[email protected]

SOURCE Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc.
The premier beauty lounge signs longtime customer as first franchisee, bringing the brand to Boca Raton, FL on the heels of their franchise opportunity announcement

NEW YORK, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Blushington , the blowout and makeup lounge disrupting the beauty industry by offering the most in demand express beauty services all under one roof, is pleased to welcome their first franchisee. A longtime customer, Dr. Karen Diaz Meaike, is spearheading the brand's entrance into South Florida. Blushington offers franchisees the lucrative opportunity to join them in bringing a comprehensive approach to express beauty services to communities throughout the country. The brand is aiming to sell at least three additional locations by the end of the year and 130 by 2028.

Blushington Lounge

The demand for beauty services continues to grow in a post-pandemic, health-conscious society, with the beauty and personal care industry expected to reach $646 billion by 2024, making it an optimal time for entrepreneurs to dive into the flourishing market. Blushington is filling the need in the beauty industry for an accessible, personalized experience by offering three of the most sought-after services all under one roof (blowouts, makeup applications, and skincare services) and a curation of beauty products. The brand is simplifying their guests' self-care routines by providing time saving convenience, eliminating the need for multiple appointments with multiple brands. Blushington has seen robust consumer adoption of their model, with guests averaging two services per visit and an average ticket of over $105 at their New York City Flagship. Blushington's franchisees will benefit from their proven business model offering multiple recurring revenue streams, and a repeat clientele coupled with outstanding employee retention.

"With over a decade of experience in multiple markets, Blushington is poised to offer franchisees a one-of-a-kind opportunity, empowering them to become their own bosses within a turnkey beauty franchise system," said Natasha Cornstein, CEO of Blushington. "Our brand offers customers consistent quality and a differentiated beauty offering where our Artist training aligns with our commitment to offering best in class services for customers of all ages, skin tones and hair textures. I am thrilled by the positive reception to our franchise model; it has been an honor to meet so many brilliant, entrepreneurial franchise candidates and I am especially pleased to welcome longstanding customer, Dr. Diaz Meaike as our first franchise partner."

The brand's first franchisee Dr. Diaz Meaike, will bring Blushington to Boca Raton, FL. With an impressive 20+ year career as a doctor of social work, real-estate broker and interior designer, her experience makes her the perfect franchise owner, showcasing her business savvy, her entrepreneurial spirit and creativity. Dr. Diaz Meaike also serves as the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Aurora Foundation for Women and Girls (CT) and on the Board of Directors for the Inspirame Latina Foundation among other charitable leadership roles.

Dr. Diaz Meaike has always wanted to own her own business. Upon learning that Blushington was opening up their franchising opportunity, she knew it was the right choice. She was drawn to the brand's inclusive approach to services, with every Artist trained to accommodate guests of all backgrounds. She is confident that their high-end experience and welcoming environment will resonate with the Boca Raton community.

"I've been going to Blushington for years and the incredible attention to detail and convenience they offer guests is unparalleled," said Dr. Diaz Meaike. "The brand's business model is unlike anything else in the industry and their unique position of offering affordable, luxury services under one roof appeals heavily to the growing market of consumers. Their stellar leadership and support team paired with the thriving beauty industry, made it an easy choice for me to take this next step in my career as a franchisee with the brand."

Blushington has also partnered with the world-renowned design firm RPG for close to a decade, creating serene and beautiful lounges for their guests. In preparation for franchising, they reimagined and value engineered the already visually captivating environment to create cost efficiencies and a turnkey design package for franchisees.

RPG CEO Bruce E. Teitelbaum, spoke on the strategy behind the design, "Advancement in design will serve Blushington well for exponential franchise growth in the future. The lounge's updated identity represents Blushington's stature as a pioneer and leader in the beauty industry, reinforcing their reputation for innovation."

Blushington is actively seeking franchisees who are motivated, detail-oriented, and collaborative with a passion for the beauty industry. With plans to expand nationwide, the brand is specifically targeting markets throughout Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and California. With a seasoned leadership team offering unmatched support and guidance along the franchise journey, they also offer a discount for veterans and multi-unit owners. The initial investment to open a lounge is $485,500 - $680,100.

For more information about Blushington, please visit https://blushington.com/ or their Instagram @Blushington. Additional information about the franchise opportunity can be found at https://blushington.com/pages/franchise.

About Blushington

Founded in 2011 by sisters and Co-Founders Stephi Cohen and Nicki Maron on the belief that people of all ages and backgrounds deserve to feel confident and beautiful, the brand has seen great success over a decade and has pivoted to a Franchise model. Blushington is the blowout, makeup and skincare lounge franchise disrupting the beauty industry by offering the three most in demand beauty services all under one roof. Committed to inclusivity, the brand welcomes customers of all ages, backgrounds and hair textures. Offering franchisees multiple recurring revenue streams through in-store and on demand services, Blushington has created a robust business model designed for longevity. To learn more, visit Blushington.com and @blushington on social media.

SOURCE Blushington
DUBLIN, Ohio , May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cardio Partners, Inc., a division of Sarnova, HC LLC, and a leading provider of emergency readiness solutions, has finalized its acquisition of One Beat Medical & Training, LLC (One Beat), a renowned distributor of automated external defibrillators (AEDs), accessories and CPR training services across the nation. The deal, completed on May 14, 2024, marks a significant expansion in the availability of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) preparedness solutions to customers throughout the country.

Headquartered in Miramar, FL, One Beat brings with it a portfolio of trusted cardiac response brands, including One Beat Medical, American AED, Altra Medical and LifeSure. By joining forces with Cardio Partners, the combined entity is poised to offer an even broader range of SCA solutions, training programs, and services catering to both professional and bystander first responder markets.

One Beat is eager to join with Cardio Partners to deliver an even broader range of SCA solutions and training. Post this

The joining of Cardio Partners and One Beat marks an important milestone towards the mission of both companies. Niraj Patel, President of Cardio Partners at Sarnova, highlighted the significance of this collaboration, stating, "The integration of these companies boosts our collective capabilities and dramatically strengthens our ability to reach, support and empower organizations and individuals to respond in emergencies. I look forward to working with Lawrence Franchetti and his team to propel our shared mission of improving sudden cardiac arrest survival rates and saving lives in the communities we serve."

"The One Beat team is eager to join hands with Cardio Partners to deliver a more robust set of solutions for our customers. With our combined expertise, resources, and incredible teams, we are confident this partnership will transform the industry," said Lawrence Franchetti, CEO of One Beat.

Patrick Greene, Manager of One Beat AS LLC, expressed enthusiasm about the merger, emphasizing the shared commitment to customer service excellence. Greene remarked, "The One Beat team is excited to join forces with Cardio Partners, a like-minded organization dedicated to enhancing customer experience. This union strengthens our collective ability to promote SCA preparedness in communities and workplaces throughout the United States."

Backed by substantial investment from Sarnova and its parent company Patricia Industries, Cardio Partners is poised for further expansion, both in operations and customer reach. Brian LaDuke, CEO of Sarnova, expressed his anticipation for the future, stating, "We are thrilled to unite these two organizations, advancing our commitment to SCA preparedness, CPR training and AED program management services."

Yuriy Prilutskiy, Co-Head of Patricia Industries, echoed this sentiment, affirming the organization's dedication to supporting Cardio Partners and Sarnova in their mission. Prilutskiy emphasized, "This transaction underscores our long-term vision for Sarnova's growth and our commitment to creating sustainable value for individuals and society alike by fostering easier access to health and safety solutions."

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP acted as legal counsel to Cardio Partners in the transaction.

About Cardio Partners

Cardio Partners is a national provider of emergency preparedness solutions for public access. We offer a proven and complete suite of products and services including employee CPR training, AED deployments and AED program management to help organizations of all sizes be heart safe. Cardio Partners is part of Sarnova, a family of companies, which lead specialty distribution of healthcare products across the continuum of care. For more information, visit www.cardiopartners.com

About Sarnova

Sarnova is the leading national specialty distributor of healthcare products in the emergency medical services (EMS) and acute care markets. The company is comprised of four major business units: Bound Tree Medical, Cardio Partners, Digitech and Tri-anim Health Services. Sarnova is a company of Patricia Industries, a part of Investor AB, which makes significant investments in best-in-class companies with strong market positions, brands and corporate cultures. For more information, visit www.sarnova.com

About Patricia Industries

Patricia Industries, a part of Investor AB, makes control investments in leading companies with strong market positions, brands and corporate cultures within industries positioned for secular growth. Our ambition is to be the sole owner of our companies, together with strong management teams and boards. We invest with an indefinite holding period and focus on building sustainable value. For more information, visit www.patriciaindustries.com

About One Beat

One Beat Medical & Training is one of the largest distributors of defibrillators and accessories in the United States. One Beat offers an expansive line of AED products and accessories, with an experienced sales team equipped to help the consumer select the products and services that best suits their needs. One Beat is also South Florida's leading American Heart Association (AHA), American Safety Health Institute (ASHI), and American Red Cross (ARC) authorized training facility. For more information, visit www.onebeatmedical.com

Cardio Partners Media Contact:

Lisa Gonzalez

Director of Marketing

615.657.7255

[email protected]

SOURCE Sarnova
CLINCHFIELD, Ga., May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cemex announced its U.S. operations have entered into an off-site renewable energy agreement for its Clinchfield Cement Plant that will play a role in its company-wide decarbonization efforts.

Through this long-term agreement with Georgia Power, the Clinchfield Cement Plant will secure approximately 25 percent of its power requirements from solar facilities throughout the state beginning in 2025. This agreement supports Cemex's Future in Action program, which focuses on achieving sustainable excellence through climate action, circularity, and natural resource management with the primary objective of becoming a net-zero CO2 company by 2050.

"Embracing solar power not only accelerates our own aggressive sustainability goals but also sets a powerful example for the entire industry," said Ernesto Felix, Cemex US Sr. Vice President, Cement Operations and Technical. "By integrating renewable energy solutions through Georgia Power, Cemex paves the way for a greener, more resilient future for generations to come."

Cemex expects the use of solar generated power at the Clinchfield Cement Plant to offset about 10,000 metric tons of indirect CO2 emissions per year, accelerating Cemex's 2030 Scope 2 goal of reducing indirect electricity GHG emissions in cement operations by 58% from a 2020 baseline. During 2023, Cemex achieved a 12% reduction in its Scope 2 specific emissions compared to a 2020 baseline. Cemex is among the first companies in the cement industry to achieve validation of their 2030 targets across Scopes 1, 2 and 3 and their 2050 net zero CO2 emissions goal by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) aligned to the 1.5C Scenario.

About Cemex US

Cemex is a global building materials company that provides high-quality products and reliable services with a rich history of improving the wellbeing of those it serves through innovative building solutions, efficiency advancements and sustainability efforts. Its U.S. network includes 8 cement plants, close to 50 strategically located cement terminals, nearly 50 aggregate quarries and more than 280 ready-mix concrete plants. Cemex US has been repeatedly recognized for its efforts in sustainability and energy management, including earning U.S. EPA ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year consecutively since 2019.

SOURCE Cemex USA
Will Hold Fireside Chat at 2:30 PM PT on May 22, 2024

BETHESDA, Md., May 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Centrus Energy Corp. (NYSE American: LEU) today announced that Amir Vexler, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Kevin Harrill, Chief Financial Officer, are scheduled to participate in the 24th B.Riley Securities Institutional Investor Conference on May 22, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California.

The company will participate in a fireside chat at 2:30PM PT and host one-on-one investor meetings that day.

To request an invitation or to schedule a one-on-one meeting with management at the conference, please contact your B.Riley Securities representative.

About Centrus Energy

Centrus Energy is a trusted supplier of nuclear fuel and services for the nuclear power industry. Centrus provides value to its utility customers through the reliability and diversity of its supply sources  helping them meet the growing need for clean, affordable, carbon-free electricity. Since 1998, the Company has provided its utility customers with more than 1,750 reactor years of fuel, which is equivalent to 7 billion tons of coal. With world-class technical and engineering capabilities, Centrus is also advancing the next generation of centrifuge technologies so that America can restore its domestic uranium enrichment capability in the future. Find out more at www.centrusenergy.com.

Contacts

Investors: Dan Leistikow at [email protected]

Media: Lindsey Geisler at [email protected]

SOURCE Centrus Energy Corp.
MABANK, Texas, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Chuck's RV Resort is thrilled to announce the grand opening of its premium destination in Mabank, Texas, on April 25, 2024. Offering an unparalleled experience for RV enthusiasts, Chuck's RV Resort combines community, experience, and convenience to create an unforgettable escape in the heart of North Texas.

Chuck's RV Resort, located at 19183 US-175, is set against the picturesque backdrop of Mabank, Texas, offering a serene and welcoming environment for visitors seeking relaxation and adventure. Situated just minutes away from all the activities at Cedar Creek Lake, guests can easily indulge in fishing, boating, and watersports. Additionally, the resort is conveniently close to Canton, famous for its renowned First Monday Trade Days, providing a perfect opportunity for guests to explore the vibrant local culture and artisanal offerings. Moreover, being only an hour's drive from Dallas, Chuck's RV Resort serves as an ideal retreat for city dwellers looking to escape the hustle and bustle and immerse themselves in the tranquility of nature without venturing too far from urban conveniences.

The resort boasts a variety of accommodations, including 127 spacious RV sites with full electric hookups and deluxe 1 and 2-bedroom cabins, ensuring that guests have the perfect home away from home.

What sets Chuck's RV Resort apart is the attention to detail and the upscale amenities designed to cater to every interest. Guests can make the most of their stay by indulging in our on-site amenities, including a putting green, pickleball courts, poolside relaxation, pet-friendly adventures in the dog park, and easy access to on-site laundry facilities. The camp store offers all the essentials and more, making Chuck's RV Resort a self-sustained haven for those seeking a retreat with the comforts of home.

Chuck's RV Resort is the embodiment of relaxation and leisure. Whether you're an RV traveler, cabin enthusiast, or simply looking to enjoy the Texas experience, the resort offers something for everyone. With spacious and well-maintained grounds, Chuck's RV Resort fosters a strong sense of community, allowing guests to connect and create lasting memories.

Chuck's RV Resort invites you to explore all that it has to offer. Visit us online at https://chucksrvresort.com/ for more information and to book your stay. Come join us and experience the best that Mabank, Texas, has to offer.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Ron Brooks - General Manager

Chuck's RV Resort Phone: 903.251.2140

Email: [email protected]

https://chucksrvresort.com/

About Chuck's RV Resort

Chuck's RV Resort, located in Mabank, Texas, is a premier destination for RV enthusiasts and cabin lovers. Offering a tranquil and welcoming atmosphere, Chuck's RV Resort provides a range of accommodation options, including RV sites with full electric hookups and deluxe cabins. The resort features upscale amenities, including pickleball courts, a dog park, on-site laundry, and a camp store, ensuring that guests have a delightful and comfortable stay. Whether you're traveling in an RV or looking for a cabin retreat, Chuck's RV Resort offers a memorable escape that combines community, experience, and convenience.

https://chucksrvresort.com/

SOURCE Chuck's RV Resort
PRESCOTT, Ariz., May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Circle of Life Alzheimer's Homes, an organization dedicated to preserving the dignity and well-being of individuals living with dementia, proudly announces that all of their homes have been accredited by the Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA). This accreditation underscores Circle of Life's commitment to providing exceptional care and support to individuals in advanced stages of dementia across multiple private residences in Arizona.

Circle of Life Alzheimer's Homes Circle of Life Alzheimer's Homes Earns Accreditation from Alzheimer's Foundation of America

Circle of Life Alzheimer's Homes operates seven distinct residences located throughout Arizona in Coconino & Yavapai counties. Each home is specifically designed to cater to the unique needs of individuals with advanced dementia, offering a safe, comfortable, and supportive environment where residents receive personalized care and attention.

The accreditation by the Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) reflects Circle of Life's dedication to maintaining the highest standards of care and excellence in dementia management. Through rigorous evaluation and adherence to AFA's stringent criteria, Circle of Life has demonstrated its commitment to providing quality services that prioritize the dignity, autonomy, and well-being of residents.

With a team of compassionate and highly trained caregivers, Circle of Life Alzheimer's Homes ensures residents receive individualized care tailored to their specific needs. From assistance with daily activities to specialized memory care programs, residents benefit from comprehensive support that promotes their overall health and quality of life.

As a trusted provider of dementia care, Circle of Life Alzheimer's Homes invites families seeking compassionate and professional support for their loved ones with advanced dementia to explore their accredited residences. With a focus on dignity, respect, and personalized care, Circle of Life is committed to enriching the lives of individuals living with dementia and providing peace of mind to their families.

For more information about Circle of Life Alzheimer's Homes and their accredited residences, please visit www.circleoflifecare.com to schedule a tour and learn more about their comprehensive dementia care services.

About Circle of Life Alzheimer's Homes:

Circle of Life Alzheimer's Homes operates multiple private residences in Arizona, dedicated to providing specialized care for individuals in advanced stages of dementia. With a focus on dignity, respect, and personalized support, Circle of Life is committed to enhancing the quality of life for residents and offering peace of mind to their families.

To learn more about Circle of Life please visit www.circleoflifecare.com .

Contact Information

Name: Susan Wielechowski

Email: [email protected]

Phone Number: (928) 237-4795

SOURCE Circle of Life Alzheimer's Homes
DALLAS, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Points of Light, the world's largest nonprofit dedicated to accelerating people-powered change, has named Comerica Bank to its 2024 list of The Civic 50. It marks the ninth consecutive year and 10th time overall that Comerica has received the honor in the program's 12-year history of recognizing top community-minded companies in the United States according to its annual survey.

The Points of Light, the worlds largest nonprofit dedicated to accelerating people-powered change, has named Comerica Bank to its 2024 list of The Civic 50.

For more than a decade, The Civic 50 has served as the standard for corporate citizenship and showcases how leading companies are moving social impact and community to the core of their business. The Civic 50 honorees are companies with annual U.S. revenues of at least $1 billion and are selected based on four dimensions of their corporate citizenship and social impact programs: 1) investment of resources and volunteerism; 2) integration across business functions; 3) institutionalization through policies; and 4) systems and impact measurement.

"For 175 years, Comerica has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to making a difference in the communities we serve," said Wendy Bridges, Comerica Bank Executive Vice President, Corporate Responsibility. "This recognition highlights the shared commitment of our dedicated colleagues who help deliver impactful change."

The following are highlights of the impact Comerica made on the communities it served in 2023:

Comerica volunteers contributed more than 79,000 hours of service to local communities.

Exceeded 100% of its three-year (2021-2023), $5 billion small business lending commitment. The funds helped deliver change by providing meaningful funding to more than 15,000 small businesses.

small business lending commitment. The funds helped deliver change by providing meaningful funding to more than 15,000 small businesses. Delivered valuable financial education to individuals, entrepreneurs and small business owners. The Comerica $ense financial education program instructed more than 105,000 individuals from low- to moderate-income communities about important financial skills. In addition, its Small Business Bootcamps educated more than 8,000 entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Opened its innovative Comerica BusinessHQ in Dallas . The state-of-the-art facility aims to empower underserved communities by providing access to capital and other meaningful resources including temporary workspaces, printing and scanning capabilities; access to high-speed Wi-Fi, and more.

The Civic 50 survey is administered by True Impact, and the results are analyzed by VeraWorks. The survey instrument consists of quantitative and multiple-choice questions that informs the scoring process. The Civic 50 is the only survey and ranking systems that exclusively measures corporate community engagement.

"Expectations for companies to be leaders in civic engagement continue to increase," said Jennifer Sirangelo, president and CEO, Points of Light. "Comerica demonstrates how to maximize the full range of their assets  from people power to policy to financial contributions  to meet pressing needs and create thriving communities where they live and work. We're thrilled to uplift and celebrate them as an honoree of The Civic 50 2024."

To view the full report and see the complete list of The Civic 50 2024 honorees, visit www.pointsoflight.org/the-civic-50.

About Comerica

This year, Comerica Bank celebrates its 175th anniversary. A subsidiary of Comerica Incorporated (NYSE: CMA), Comerica Bank is a financial services company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and is strategically aligned by three business segments: The Commercial Bank, The Retail Bank and Wealth Management. Comerica, one of the 25 largest commercial U.S. financial holding companies, focuses on building relationships and helping people and businesses be successful, providing more than 400 banking centers across the country with locations in Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan and Texas. Comerica continues to expand into new regions, most recently in the Southeast, including North Carolina and Mountain West Market in Colorado. Comerica has offices in 17 states and services 14 of the 15 largest U.S. metropolitan areas, as well as Canada and Mexico. Comerica reported total assets of $79.4 billion at March 31, 2024. Learn more about how Comerica is raising expectations of what a bank can be by visiting www.comerica.com, and follow us on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram and LinkedIn.

About Points of Light

Points of Light is a nonpartisan, global nonprofit organization that inspires, equips and mobilizes millions of people to take action that changes the world. We envision a world in which every individual discovers the power to make a difference, creating healthy communities in vibrant, participatory societies. Through 145 affiliates across 39 countries, and in partnership with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 3.7 million people in 16.7 million hours of service each year. We bring the power of people to bear where it's needed most. For more information, visit pointsoflight.org.

SOURCE Comerica Bank
Earned Nation's Highest Award for Valor during the Vietnam War

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C., May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Congressional Medal of Honor Society regretfully announces that Clarence E. Sasser, 76, a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Vietnam War, passed away May 13, 2024, at Sugar Land, Texas. Funeral arrangements are pending.

President Richard M. Nixon presented Sasser with the Medal of Honor at the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 7, 1969, for his actions in Ding Tuong Province, Vietnam.

On January 10, 1968, then-Pfc. Clarence Sasser was serving as a medical aidman when his unit was sent on an air assault. The unit came under heavy attack and more than 30 men were wounded in just a few minutes. Sasser sprang into motion, running across open rice patties to give aid to the wounded. Despite incurring several painful wounds and loss of blood, including some that immobilized his legs, Sasser continued to drag himself through the mud to render aid and encouragement to his wounded comrades.

Sasser commented about receiving the Medal of Honor, "It was confirmation to me that I did my job, and that's how I had to deal with it because, what's my job? I don't think what I did was above and beyond. I never have."

Sasser was born on Sept. 12, 1947, in Chenango, Texas. After leaving the Army, he completed studies he had begun prior to being drafted, earning a degree in Chemistry. He worked for an oil refinery and then later went to work for the Veterans Administration.

There are 61 Medal of Honor Recipients alive today.

About the Congressional Medal of Honor Society

The Congressional Medal of Honor Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Medal of Honor (the United States' highest award for military valor in action) and its Recipients, inspiring Americans to live the values the Medal represents, and supporting Recipients as they connect with communities across America. Chartered by Congress in 1958, the Society's membership consists exclusively of those individuals who have received the Medal of Honor.

The Society carries out its mission through outreach, education, and preservation programs, which are fully funded by generous donors. Learn more about the Medal of Honor and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's initiatives at cmohs.org.

Contact: John Falkenbury

[email protected]

SOURCE Congressional Medal of Honor Society
Factors that drive the growth of the container tracking market include an increase in the volume of international trade and globalization, along with growth in concerns regarding cargo theft and security.

PORTLAND, Ore., May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Container Tracking Market By Offering (Hardware, Software, and Service), Technology Type (RFID, GPS, Cellular, and Satellite), Mode of Transportation (Maritime, Land, and Air), and End User (Food and Beverage, Consumer Goods, Vehicle Transport, Healthcare, Industrial Products, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032". According to the report, the global container tracking market generated $10,075.00 million in 2022 and is anticipated to generate $21,627.26 million by 2032, witnessing a CAGR of 8.2% from 2023 to 2032.

Prime Determinants of Growth

The global container tracking market has experienced significant growth and transformation, driven by several factors such as an increase in international trade and globalization volume, rise in cargo theft and security concerns, and a growth in focus on supply chain optimization. However, the high initial cost of the container tracking solutions, along with the integration challenges and compatibility issues hampers the market growth. In addition, the surge in the development of customized solutions for industry-specific needs along with the global expansion of the cross-border trade industry presents significant opportunities for market expansion.

Request Sample of the Report on Container Tracking Market Forecast 2032 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/A311954

Report coverage & details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20232032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $10,075.00 million Market Size in 2032 $21,627.26 million CAGR 8.2 % No. of Pages in Report 265 Segments Covered Offering, Technology Type, Mode of Transportation, End User, and Region Drivers Increase in the volume of international trade and globalization Rise in cargo theft and security concerns Growth in focus on supply chain optimization Opportunities Surge in the development of customized solutions for industry-specific needs Global expansion of cross-border trade Restraints High initial cost of the container tracking solutions Integration challenges and compatibility issues

Procure Complete Report (265 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures)

https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/checkout-final/container-tracking-market-A311954

The hardware segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

By offering, the hardware segment held the highest market share in 2022 and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period 2023 to 2032, owing to its significant application in supply chain processes. These components are primarily designed to mitigate risks by offering early warning systems and enabling proactive measures in response to potential threats. However, the software segment is witnessing a CAGR of 9.8%, as advancements in technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), RFID, and GPS have made it simpler and more cost-effective to track containers in real-time.

The RFID segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

By technology type, the RFID segment held the highest market share in 2022, and is expected to witness a CAGR of 6.0% during the forecast period 2023 to 2032, due to the rise in need for inventory visibility and enhanced security, which fuels the demand for container tracking solutions, thus creating a significant growth prospect for the RFID segment. However, the GPS segment is witnessing the highest growth rate with a CAGR of 10.9%, owing to rise in the need for compliance with regulations and standards governing the transportation and handling of goods, along with the increase in focus on meeting consumer demands for transparency and visibility in the supply chain.

The maritime segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

By mode of transportation, the maritime segment held the highest market share in 2022 and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period 2023 to 2032, owing to its significant application in supply chain processes, along with the increase in the need for monitoring the movement of goods through maritime routes. However, the air segment is witnessing a CAGR of 10.6%, as the continual growth of global trade and e-commerce has led to an increase in demand for air cargo services, which paves the market growth prospect of container tracking solutions.

The industrial products segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

By end user, the industrial products segment held the highest market share in 2022, and a CAGR of 5.9% during the forecast period 2023 to 2032, due to the considerable adoption of container tracking solutions in inventory management and asset protection, thus creating a significant growth prospect for the industrial product segment. However, the healthcare segment is expected to witness the highest CAGR of 11.0%, owing to rise in the need for tracking and monitoring temperature-sensitive products along with the presence of stringent regulations governing the transportation and storage of healthcare products.

Asia-Pacific to maintain its dominance by 2032

By region, the Asia-Pacific region held the highest market share in 2022, growing a CAGR of 9.9% owing to the robust growth in e-commerce operations, along with industry upgrading through supply chains going global. Moreover, the strict implementation of regulations related to cargo security and transparency has driven the adoption of advanced container tracking in the Asia-Pacific region. However, Asia-Pacific is also expected to witness the highest CAGR throughout the forecast period 2022-2032, the ongoing developments and improvements in port infrastructure in countries such as India, Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam, are crucial for efficient container handling, which is further paving the adoption of container tracking systems.

To Talk With Our Industry Expert @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/connect-to-analyst/A311954

Leading Market Players: -

CMA CGM

COSCO

GoComet

Hanjin Logistics Corporation

Hapag-Lloyd AG

INTTRA

Maersk

Orient Overseas Container Line Limited

Project44

SeaRates

The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global container tracking market. These players have adopted strategies such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario.

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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

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SOURCE Allied Market Research
CWV: TSX.V

CALGARY, AB, May 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - (TSXV: CWV) Crown Point Energy Inc. ("Crown Point", the "Company" or "we") today announced its financial and operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2024.

Selected information is outlined below and should be read in conjunction with the Company's March 31, 2024 unaudited condensed interim consolidated financial statements and management's discussion and analysis ("MD&A") that are being filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and will be made available under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company's website at www.crownpointenergy.com. All dollar figures are expressed in United States dollars ("USD") unless otherwise stated. In the following discussion, the three months ended March 31, 2024 may be referred to as "Q1 2024".

Q1 2024 SUMMARY

During Q1 2024, the Company:

Reported net cash provided by operating activities and funds flow provided by operating activities of $0.5 million ;

; Earned $6.1 million of oil and natural gas sales revenue on total average daily sales volumes of 1,302 BOE per day, lower than in the first quarter of 2023 due to lower gas sales volumes in the TDF Concessions in Q1 2024;

of oil and natural gas sales revenue on total average daily sales volumes of 1,302 BOE per day, lower than in the first quarter of 2023 due to lower gas sales volumes in the TDF Concessions in Q1 2024; Received an average of $4.51 per mcf for natural gas and $62.47 per bbl for oil;

per mcf for natural gas and per bbl for oil; Reported an operating netback of $5.74 per BOE 1 ;

per BOE ; Obtained $2.2 million of working capital, export financing and overdraft loans, and repaid $2.1 million of notes payable and $0.3 million of working capital and export financing loans;

of working capital, export financing and overdraft loans, and repaid of notes payable and of working capital and export financing loans; Reported a loss before taxes of $2.1 million and a net loss of $0.9 million ;

and a net loss of ; Reported a working capital deficit 2 of $19.9 million ;

of ; As disclosed by press release issued on February 9, 2024 , the Company entered into an agreement to acquire a 100% working interest in the Piedra Clavada and Koluel Kaike hydrocarbon exploitation concessions ("Santa Cruz Concessions"). The Company is currently in the process of obtaining the approval of the Province of Santa Cruz and arranging the necessary financing to fund the cash portion of the purchase price (net of the $2.4 million deposit paid by the Company). The acquisition is expected to close in July 2024 .

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Subsequent to March 31, 2024 the Company:

Obtained working capital and overdraft loans for a total amount of $5.43 million and repaid $0.39 million on working capital loans.

and repaid on working capital loans. Repaid the second $2.1 million principal installment on the Series III Notes.

____________________ 1 Non-IFRS financial ratio. See "Non-IFRS and Other Financial Measures".

2 Capital management measure. See "Non-IFRS and Other Financial Measures".

OPERATIONAL UPDATE

Tierra del Fuego Concession ("TDF" or "TDF Concessions")

During Q1 2024, San Martin oil production averaged 405 (net 141) bbls of oil per day and Las Violetas concession natural gas production averaged 8,988 (net 3,122) mcf per day and oil production averaged 221 (net 77) bbls of oil per day.

Mendoza Concessions ("Mendoza Concessions")

Oil production for Q1 2024 averaged 798 (net 399) bbls of oil per day from the CH Concession and 166 (net 83) bbls of oil per day from the PPCO Concession.

OUTLOOK

The Company's capital spending on developed and producing assets for fiscal 2024 is budgeted at approximately $4.9 million of which $1.5 million is for a well workover and improvements to facilities in the TDF Concessions and $3.4 million is for well workovers, facilities improvements and optimization in the Mendoza Concessions. The Company also plans to spend $0.5 million on the testing of the gas bearing sandstone layers of the Neuquen Group at CLL. During Q1 2024, the Company incurred $0.3 million of capital expenditures in the Mendoza Concessions.

SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL INFORMATION

(expressed in $, except shares outstanding) March 31 2024 December 31 2023 Current assets 6,114,498 7,636,408 Current liabilities (25,975,815) (19,422,342) Working capital (1) (19,861,317) (11,785,934) Exploration and evaluation assets 14,103,353 14,103,353 Property and equipment 43,892,301 45,834,731 Total assets 66,725,317 67,785,665 Non-current financial liabilities (1) 12,749,949 18,317,856 Share capital 56,456,328 56,456,328 Total common shares outstanding 72,903,038 72,903,038

(expressed in $, except shares outstanding) Three months ended March 31

2024 2023 Oil and natural gas sales revenue 6,101,086 7,100,558 Loss before taxes (2,127,175) (2,393,195) Net loss (901,734) (1,861,570) Net loss per share (2) (0.01) (0.03) Net cash provided by operating activities 463,430 923,774 Net cash per share  operating activities (1)(2) 0.01 0.01 Funds flow provided by operating activities 471,494 135,443 Funds flow per share  operating activities (1)(2) 0.01 0.00 Weighted average number of shares  basic and diluted 72,903,038 72,903,038





(1) We adhere to International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"), however the Company also employs certain non-IFRS measures to analyze financial performance, financial position and cash flow. "Working capital" is a capital management measure. "Non-current financial liabilities" is a supplemental financial measure. "Net cash per share  operating activities" is a supplemental financial measure. "Funds flow per share  operating activities" is a supplemental financial measure. See "Non-IFRS and Other Financial Measures". (2) All per share figures are the same for the basic and diluted weighted average number of shares outstanding in the periods. The effect of options is anti-dilutive in loss periods. Per share amounts may not add due to rounding.

Sales Volumes



Three months ended



March 31



2024 2023



Total sales volumes (BOE) 118,480 140,935



Light oil bbls per day 898 995



NGL bbls per day 26 15



Natural gas mcf per day 2,270 3,337



Total BOE per day 1,302 1,566





Operating Netback (1)



Three months ended



March 31



2024 2023







Per BOE

Per BOE







Oil and natural gas sales revenue ($) 6,101,086 51.49 7,100,558 50.38







Export tax ($) (152,016) (1.28) (138,196) (0.98)







Royalties and turnover tax ($) (1,016,422) (8.58) (1,108,697) (7.87)







Operating costs ($) (4,252,711) (35.89) (4,652,387) (33.01)







Operating netback (1) ($) 679,937 5.74 1,201,278 8.52



























(1) "Operating netback" is a non-IFRS measure. "Operating netback per BOE" is a non-IFRS ratio. See "Non-IFRS and Other Financial Measures".

About Crown Point

Crown Point Energy Inc. is an international oil and gas exploration and development company headquartered in Calgary, Canada, incorporated in Canada, trading on the TSX Venture Exchange and operating in Argentina. Crown Point's exploration and development activities are focused in three producing basins in Argentina, the Austral basin in the province of Tierra del Fuego, and the Neuquen and Cuyo (or Cuyana) basins in the province of Mendoza. Crown Point has a strategy that focuses on establishing a portfolio of producing properties, plus production enhancement and exploration opportunities to provide a basis for future growth.

Advisory

Non-IFRS and Other Financial Measures : Throughout this press release and in other materials disclosed by the Company, we employ certain measures to analyze financial performance, financial position, and cash flow. These non-IFRS and other financial measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures provided by other issuers. The non-IFRS and other financial measures should not be considered to be more meaningful than financial measures which are determined in accordance with IFRS, such as net income (loss), oil and natural gas sales revenue and net cash (used) provided by operating activities as indicators of our performance.

"Funds flow per share  operating activities" is a supplemental financial measure. Funds flow per share  operating activities is comprised of funds flow provided (used) by operating activities divided by the basic and diluted weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. See "Summary of Financial Information".

"Net cash per share  operating activities" is a supplemental financial measure. Net cash per share  operating activities is comprised of net cash provided (used) by operating activities divided by the basic and diluted weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. See "Summary of Financial Information".

"Non-current financial liabilities" is a supplemental financial measure. Non-current financial liabilities is comprised of the non-current portions of trade and other payables, notes payable and lease liabilities as presented in the Company's consolidated statements of financial position. See "Summary of Financial Information".

"Operating Netback" is a non-IFRS measure. Operating netback is comprised of oil and natural gas sales revenue less export tax, royalties and turnover tax and operating costs. Management believes this measure is a useful supplemental measure of the Company's profitability relative to commodity prices. See "Operating Netback" for a reconciliation of operating netback to oil and natural gas sales revenue, being our nearest measure prescribed by IFRS.

"Operating netback per BOE" is a non-IFRS ratio. Operating netback per BOE is comprised of operating netback divided by total BOE sales volumes in the period. Management believes this measure is a useful supplemental measure of the Company's profitability relative to commodity prices. In addition, management believes that operating netback per BOE is a key industry performance measure of operational efficiency and provide investors with information that is also commonly presented by other crude oil and natural gas producers. Operating netback is a non-IFRS measure. See "Operating Netback" for the calculation of operating netback per BOE.

"Working capital" is a capital management measure. Working capital is comprised of current assets less current liabilities. Management believes that working capital is a useful measure to assess the Company's capital position and its ability to execute its existing exploration commitments and its share of any development programs. See "Summary of Financial Information" for a reconciliation of working capital to current assets and current liabilities, being our nearest measures prescribed by IFRS.

Abbreviations and BOE Presentation : "bbl" means barrel; "bbls" means barrels; "BOE" means barrels of oil equivalent; "mcf" means thousand cubic feet; "mmcf" means million cubic feet, "NGL" means natural gas liquids; "UTE" means Union Transitoria de Empresas, which is a registered joint venture contract established under the laws of Argentina; and "WI" means working interest. All BOE conversions in this press release are derived by converting natural gas to oil in the ratio of six mcf of gas to one bbl of oil. BOE may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A BOE conversion ratio of six mcf of gas to one bbl of oil (6 mcf: 1 bbl) is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead. Given that the value ratio based on the price of crude oil as compared to natural gas in Argentina from time to time may be different from the energy equivalency conversion ratio of 6:1, utilizing a conversion on a 6:1 basis may be misleading as an indication of value.

Forward-looking Information : This document contains forward-looking information. This information relates to future events and the Company's future performance. All information and statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature constitute forward-looking information. Such information represents the Company's internal projections, estimates, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, intentions or statements about future events or performance. This information involves known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. In addition, this document may contain forward-looking information attributed to third party industry sources. Crown Point believes that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable; however, undue reliance should not be placed on this forward-looking information, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur. This press release contains forward-looking information concerning, among other things, the following: under "Q1 2024 Summary", our expectations regarding the terms, conditions and timing for closing the proposed acquisition of the Santa Cruz Concessions; under "Operational Update", the Company's plans for future operations on its concessions and the anticipated benefits to be derived therefrom and timing thereof; under "Outlook", our estimated capital expenditure budget for fiscal 2024, and the capital expenditures that we intend to make in our concessions during such period; under "About Crown Point", all elements of the Company's business strategy and focus. The reader is cautioned that such information, although considered reasonable by the Company, may prove to be incorrect. Actual results achieved during the forecast period will vary from the information provided in this document as a result of numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors. A number of risks and other factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information contained in this document including, but not limited to, the following: that the Company is unable to truck oil to the Enap refinery and/or the Rio Cullen marine terminal and/or that the cost to do so rises and/or becomes uneconomic; that the price received by the Company for its oil is at a substantial discount to the Brent oil price; that the Company is not able to meet its obligations as they become due and continue as a going concern; that the Company is unable to complete the proposed acquisition of the Santa Cruz Concessions on the terms described herein or at all, whether due to the inability of the Company to obtain financing to fund the cash portion of the purchase price, obtain requisite regulatory approvals, satisfy applicable conditions precedent, or otherwise; risks associated with the insolvency and/or bankruptcy of our joint venture partners and/or the operators of the concessions in which we have an interest, including the risk that any such insolvency and/or bankruptcy has an adverse effect on one of our UTEs, one of our concessions and/or the Company; and the risks and other factors described under "Business Risks and Uncertainties" in our MD&A for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and under "Risk Factors" in the Company's most recently filed Annual Information Form, which is available for viewing on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. With respect to forward-looking information contained in this document, the Company has made assumptions regarding, among other things: that the Company will complete the proposed acquisition of the Santa Cruz Concessions on the terms described herein on a timely basis, including the ability of the Company to obtain the requisite financing to fund the cash portion of the purchase price on acceptable terms, obtain all requisite regulatory approvals and satisfy all applicable conditions precedent; trucking costs; that the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic (or any other pandemic or global or regional health related event) will not have a material impact on the Company and our operations going forward; the ability and willingness of OPEC+ nations and other major producers of crude oil to balance crude oil production levels and thereby sustain higher global crude oil prices; that our joint venture partners and the operators of our concessions will honour their contractual commitments in a timely fashion and will not become insolvent or bankrupt; the impact of inflation rates in Argentina and the devaluation of the Argentine peso against the USD on the Company; the impact of increasing competition; the general stability of the economic and political environment in which the Company operates (including in relation to the newly elected President and Vice-President of Argentina and their administration), including operating under a consistent regulatory and legal framework in Argentina; future oil, natural gas and NGL prices (including the effects of governmental incentive programs and government price controls thereon); the timely receipt of any required regulatory approvals; the ability of the Company to obtain qualified staff, equipment and services in a timely and cost efficient manner; drilling results; the costs of obtaining equipment and personnel to complete the Company's capital expenditure program; the ability of the operators of the projects which the Company has an interest in to operate the fields in a safe, efficient and effective manner; that the Company will not pay dividends for the foreseeable future; the ability of the Company to obtain financing on acceptable terms when and if needed and continue as a going concern; the ability of the Company to service its debt repayments when required; field production rates and decline rates; the ability to replace and expand oil and natural gas reserves through acquisition, development and exploration activities; the timing and costs of pipeline, storage and facility construction and expansion and the ability of the Company to secure adequate product transportation; currency, exchange, inflation and interest rates; the regulatory framework regarding royalties, taxes and environmental matters in Argentina; and the ability of the Company to successfully market its oil and natural gas products. Management of Crown Point has included the above summary of assumptions and risks related to forward-looking information included in this document in order to provide investors with a more complete perspective on the Company's future operations. Readers are cautioned that this information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing lists of factors are not exhaustive. The forward-looking information contained in this document are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking information contained herein is made as of the date of this document and the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable Canadian securities laws.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

SOURCE Crown Point Energy Inc.
The partnership that was announced earlier this year showcased its product catalog at the 2024 Automate Show last week.

DALLAS, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- RobotLAB, an award-winning robotics integrator that delivers impactful business innovations and solutions for companies across many industries, has proudly partnered with autonomous vehicle software developer, Cyngn Inc. ("Cyngn"), to expand the availability of its industrial self-driving DriveMod robots to large-scale manufacturers and warehouse businesses. Cyngn selected RobotLAB as a preferred U.S. partner because of its decades-long experience successfully deploying more than 10,000 robots worldwide. Under the agreement, RobotLAB will add Cyngn's autonomous DriveMod Tugger vehicles to its robust portfolio, which includes more than 200 robots.

Cyngn Partnership with RobotLAB

"Cyngn's DriveMod vehicles offer a tremendous opportunity for manufacturers and warehouses because they boast high weight capacities, while still allowing precise movements and self-driving capabilities," said Elad Inbar, Founder and CEO of RobotLAB. "Cyngn's efficiency-improving and risk-reducing autonomous vehicles are a welcome addition to our manufacturing portfolio, and we're eager to extend our years of robotics integration and expertise to meet the growing demand for robot solutions in the commercial production and construction segments."

Founded in 2013, Cyngn develops scalable, differentiated autonomous vehicle technology for industrial organizations. Cyngn's self-driving solutions allow existing workforces to increase productivity and efficiency, while addressing significant challenges facing industrial organizations today, such as labor shortages, costly safety incidents, and increased consumer demand from e-commerce.

Cyngn's DriveMod Tugger  which will be marketed, sold, deployed, and serviced by RobotLAB  unlocks the potential for manufacturing businesses to improve efficiency and productivity on the production floor.

"By adding RobotLab to our network of U.S. dealer partners, we are poised to accelerate our commercial reach and rapidly broaden the availability of our autonomous vehicles," said Lior Tal, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cyngn. "Demand for autonomous vehicles is growing in the manufacturing segment, and we're confident that RobotLAB's expertise and wide network will allow our DriveMod vehicles to reach widespread adoption."

Since its founding in 2007, RobotLAB has provided turnkey robotics solutions to companies of all sizes in industries including foodservice, hospitality, banking, education, assisted living, cleaning, delivery and hospitals. The company's talented team of roboticists has effectively deployed more than 10,000 robots that have provided an impressive array of businesses with a clear path to the successful and highly specialized integration of robotics solutions. RobotLAB oversees all aspects of the robotics integration process  from sales, tailored programming, onsite integration and repairs  to ensure businesses can access and understand solutions that will dramatically improve their performance.

For more information about RobotLAB's tailored integration and business solutions, visit www.robotlab.com .

About RobotLAB

Since 2007, RobotLAB has guided businesses to dramatic bottom-line increases by helping them harness and leverage the immense power of automation. Catering to an array of economically critical industries that span education, finance, healthcare, delivery and hospitality, RobotLAB provides robotic business solutions that improve ROI and enhance the user experience. With a multitude of in-house teams and department specialists, the company remains focused on a seamless integration process that begins with an in-depth assessment of client needs. Sales and delivery experts ensure proper product immersion while implementation and installation professionals ensure peak performance. In a world replete with business uncertainties, RobotLAB ensures operational consistency through technology. In 2023, RobotLAB launched the first robotics integration franchise program to best serve growing demand for robotics across the U.S. in nearly all business sectors. To franchise with RobotLAB, visit www.robotlab.com/franchise .

Media Contact

Selena Lane

Powerhouse+Co.

[email protected]

SOURCE Cyngn
ABU DHABI, UAE, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Department of Health  Abu Dhabi (DoH), the regulator of the healthcare sector in the Emirate, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with GSK, a leading biopharma company, during Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week (ADGHW) to establish a regional vaccine distribution hub in Abu Dhabi.

DoH inks partnership with GSK to Establish Regional Vaccine Distribution Hub in Abu Dhabi

In the presence of Edward Hobart, Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the UAE, H.E. Mansoor Al Mansoori, Chairman of DoH, and Sir Jonathan Symonds, Chairman of the GSK Board, the MoU was signed by H.E. Dr. Noura Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of DoH and Boyd Chongphaisal, Vice President and General Manager, GSK Gulf.

The key pillars of the collaboration are: the establishment of a regional vaccine distribution hub in Abu Dhabi; working together to maximise the strategic and healthcare impacts of the establishment of the GSK Vaccine Regional Distribution Hub; collaborating to ensure its successful establishment and operation; and exploration of opportunities to foster knowledge exchange and capability building through collaboration between GSK and the UAE; and jointly focusing on prevention strategies to address public health challenges.

Her Excellency Dr. Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health  Abu Dhabi (DoH), said: "Thanks to Abu Dhabi's close-knit community, diverse population, and continued investments in healthcare infrastructure, the city is ideally equipped to help make access to quality, responsible innovative healthcare a reality for all. Reinforcing Abu Dhabi's position as a leading destination for health life-science, the Department's collaboration with GSK reinforces Abu Dhabi's commitment to enhancing healthcare services, ensuring drug and vaccine security, and fostering resilience in the healthcare sector. By cultivating partnerships on the global stage, Abu Dhabi has earned a catalyst role in strategically mapping the future trajectory of the healthcare industry, focusing on improving patient outcomes, strengthening healthcare systems, and promoting equitable access to essential medicines and vaccines. This collaboration underscores our dedication to fostering innovation, technological advancement, and sustainability in the healthcare sector, ultimately contributing to the well-being of our local population and those in need around the world."

Boyd Chongphaisal, Vice President and General Manager, GSK Gulf, said: "As a global biopharma company, GSK is dedicated to developing transformational vaccines and medicines. With a focus on driving innovation, we aim to positively impact millions of lives across the Gulf countries through strategic partnerships. Through establishing a regional vaccines distribution hub in Abu Dhabi, we will be able to meet the increasing demand for GSK vaccines in the region, Near East and South Asian countries, advancing healthcare standards and addressing public health challenges."

This strategic approach emphasises the critical role of robust immunisation programmes in addressing the evolving healthcare landscape. As the UAE navigates demographic shifts, prevention emerges as a core principle driving these strategies.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week is a major government initiative taking place between 13 and 15 May 2024.

For more information please visit: https://www.adghw.com/

About Department of Health  Abu Dhabi (DoH):

The DoH is the regulatory body of the healthcare sector at the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and ensures excellence in healthcare by monitoring the health status of the population. DoH defines the strategy for the health system, monitors and analyses the health status of the population and performance of the system. In addition, DoH shapes the regulatory framework for the health system, inspects against regulations, enforce standards, and encourages adoption of world-class best practices and performance targets by all healthcare service providers in the Emirate. DoH also drives programmes to increase awareness and adoption of healthy living standards among the residents of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in addition to regulating scope of services, premiums and reimbursement rates of the health system.

For further information on DoH, visit https://www.doh.gov.ae/ and follow on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

About GSK :

GSK is a global biopharma company with a purpose to unite science, technology, and talent to get ahead of disease together. Find out more at gsk.com.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2412467/DoH_GSK_Vaccine.jpg

SOURCE The Department of Health - Abu Dhabi
ATLANTA, May 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A delegation of business leaders and government representatives recently led a week-long economic development tour to Korea with plans to ignite international investment in Fulton County. Develop Fulton, a major collaborator behind the overseas initiative, aims to position the county, particularly South Fulton, as the epicenter of unlocked business expansion opportunities in the United States.

Georgia State Senator and Develop Fulton Chairman Brandon Beach emphasized Georgia's unparalleled reputation as the premier location in the nation for business and economic development. "Fulton County is the nucleus of smart growth that represents an area uniquely positioned to attract major attention for future business development opportunities," said Beach. "This mission-driven trip to Korea taps into growing and emerging industries poised to call Fulton County home."

During the multi-city business development trip from April 20-27, the Fulton delegation engaged in a series of insightful meetings and tours with elected officials and leading business executives across various industries, including logistics, artificial intelligence, biomedical, advanced manufacturing, electric vehicles, and robotics. With a goal to foster strong relationships and showcase the county as a hub for strong business prospects, leaders emphasized Fulton's strategic positioning, diverse industry landscape, skilled workforce, and exceptional quality of life.

"As ambassadors and economic development evangelists for Fulton County, we remain laser-focused on leveraging every opportunity to highlight the countless ways Fulton remains the gateway for growth in our region," said Kwanza Hall, Develop Fulton Vice Chairman. Echoing Senator Beach's sentiments, "We're putting a special focus on highlighting the untapped opportunities that abound in South Fulton. By establishing, building, and nurturing these global business relationships, our hope is for these efforts to yield transformative and historic investments across our county and unlock limitless business opportunities."

Championed by Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts, the delegation also included College Park City Councilman Joseph Carn, East Point City Councilman Joshua Butler, and Director of Economic Development for the City of Fairburn Sylvia Abernathy. Pitts shared that the trip to Korea marked an opportunity to forge global connections and explore new possibilities, with the goal of collaboratively shaping a prosperous future for Fulton County.

"Fulton County is the catalyst for growth and economic prosperity across this region and the state of Georgia, and it is incumbent upon us to seek new business prospects, domestically and internationally," said Pitts. "We must remain intentional in our efforts to build on the undeniable momentum that has attracted major corporations and industries to Fulton County. The signing of our joint MOU marks a milestone in this international business effort."

To learn more about Develop Fulton, visit developfultoncounty.com.

About Develop Fulton and Fulton County

Develop Fulton, also known as the Development Authority of Fulton County, delivers diverse, targeted economic development financing services, connecting qualified development projects with taxable and tax-exempt bond financing and tax incentives to diversify the tax base, encourage thoughtful and balanced investment, retain existing businesses, promote job creation, and ultimately improve the quality of life for residents throughout Fulton County. Together, we are partnering for progress, powering development.

Fulton County remains committed to its mission of fostering business growth and sustainability across the county. Bolstered by its exceptional infrastructure and connectivityencompassing major highways and airportsFulton County offers unparalleled opportunities for business investments, industry expansion, and regional collaboration. Its robust infrastructure not only provides businesses with essential logistical support for navigating the global economy but also ensures seamless connectivity, facilitating access to diverse markets worldwide.

Contact: Erik Burton

770-294-8475

[email protected]

SOURCE Develop Fulton
Freight mobility company Einride and global supply chain solutions provider DP World announce joint ambition to scale operations to save 14,600 tonnes of CO2e annually, supporting the region's overall climate goals.

Commencing at Jebel Ali Port, the 10th busiest port in the world, the collaboration will deploy the full Einride technology offering, with Einride Saga powering a fleet of heavy-duty electric vehicles, autonomous pilots and charging infrastructure.

DUBAI, UAE, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Einride, a freight mobility company that provides digital, electric and autonomous technology, announced today its partnership with DP World, a renowned global leader in supply chain solutions headquartered in Dubai. The collaboration will electrify inter-terminal container flows at Jebel Ali Port, improving efficiency and sustainability at the 10th busiest port in the world. This will be the largest deployment of electric, autonomous freight mobility in the Middle East, operating 24/7 to reshape the landscape of transport in the region.

Starting at the end of 2024, the partnership will quickly scale up to support approximately 1,600 container movements daily. The expansion will be made possible through a fleet of 100 connected electric trucks, managed through Einride Saga, Einride's digital operating system designed to analyze, optimize and maximize the efficiency of electric and autonomous road freight operations. An autonomous pilot is slated for deployment in 2025.

Once at full operational capacity, the initiative will save up to 14,600 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) annually and 158 tonnes of nitrogen oxides (NOx) annually.

"Einride and DP World are driving a paradigm shift in the landscape of freight mobility in the Middle East. Our collaboration underscores a shared dedication to sustainability and innovation, merging Einride's expertise in electrification and autonomous technology with DP World's global logistics leadership," said Robert Falck, CEO and Founder of Einride. "By reshaping container transportation in Jebel Ali Port, we aim to set a new standard for sustainable transport practices, significantly curbing CO2 emissions. This collaboration showcases the effectiveness of combining visionary ideals with decisive action, paving the way for a more resilient future."

"DP World is committed to making trade smarter, faster and more sustainable, and our new partnership with Einride aligns perfectly with our vision," said Abdulla Bin Damithan, CEO and Managing Director of DP World GCC. "We have already made significant progress in electrifying and automating our terminals at Jebel Ali Port, and by leveraging Einride's cutting-edge technology, we can take that to the next level. Our partnership will drive greater operational efficiencies, further decarbonize terminal operations, and pioneer greener practices for the logistics sector."

This collaboration is integral to Einride's broader initiative with the UAE Government, fast-tracking the region towards sustainable shipping. Einride's ecosystem, comprising electric and autonomous vehicles, charging infrastructure, and transformative technology, will be deployed at scale throughout the Falcon Rise grid, marking a significant stride towards a more sustainable and efficient future in shipping.

Jebel Ali Port was recently ranked as the 10th busiest container port in the world by Alphaliner, a leading source of data, analysis, and insights on the global liner shipping industry, based on total container throughput in 2023.

About Einride

Einride designs, develops and deploys freight mobility technologies to accelerate the transition to sustainable transportation. Its platform includes connected electric and autonomous heavy-duty vehicles, charging infrastructure and an intelligent freight operating system. Founded in 2016, Einride became the world's first company to operate an autonomous, electric vehicle on a public road in 2019. Today, Einride operates one of the largest fleets of heavy-duty electric trucks servicing Global Fortune 500 companies across eight markets. For more information, please visit einride.tech.

About DP World

Trade is the lifeblood of the global economy, creating opportunities and improving the quality of life for people around the world. DP World exists to make the world's trade flow better, changing what's possible for the customers and communities we serve globally.

With a dedicated, diverse and professional team of more than 106,500 employees from 158 nationalities, spanning 73 countries on six continents, DP World is pushing trade further and faster towards a seamless supply chain that's fit for the future.

We're rapidly transforming and integrating our businesses  Ports and Terminals, Marine Services, Logistics and Technology  and uniting our global infrastructure with local expertise to create stronger, more efficient end-to-end supply chain solutions that can change the way the world trades.

What's more, we're reshaping the future by investing in innovation. From intelligent delivery systems to automated warehouse stacking, we're at the cutting edge of disruptive technology, pushing the sector towards better ways to trade, minimising disruptions from the factory floor to the customer's door.

Media Contact

[email protected]

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/22016/3978097/2793802.pdf Einride_DP World_Press Release_May14 https://mb.cision.com/Public/22016/3978097/a9c663f489d7fc53_org.jpg Einride DP World Port 1 https://mb.cision.com/Public/22016/3978097/8b26d309bb4c52b4_org.jpg Einride DP World Port 3 https://mb.cision.com/Public/22016/3978097/bb7ab176cef08f0d_org.png Einride DP World Saga 2 https://mb.cision.com/Public/22016/3978097/a36ddab57032111b_org.png Einride DP World Saga 2 1 https://mb.cision.com/Public/22016/3978097/a0fdacd22f3a5103_org.png Einride DP World Saga 1 https://mb.cision.com/Public/22016/3978097/97dbe76609a9a4db_org.jpg Einride Signing02 https://mb.cision.com/Public/22016/3978097/bd1a19f85edd0351_org.jpg Einride Signing01 https://mb.cision.com/Public/22016/3978097/942edf6ffddc8b24_org.jpg Photo Einride DP World Port2

SOURCE Einride
Enhancements support native or primary Spanish language speakers, people with disabilities and adults 65+

The Duke Energy Foundation will donate $1 to the Red Cross for every app download through June 30 , up to $20,000

CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Powered by a $100,000 grant from the Duke Energy Foundation, the Red Cross unveiled today its new and improved Emergency app for weather safety. Enhancements help remove language, location and ability barriers and improve the overall user experience, ensuring all customers can have critical tools and preparedness information at their fingertips.

"As storm threats continue to grow, we want to ensure our communities most vulnerable to climate risk and least able to prepare have access to trusted, tailored and actionable resources," said Amy Strecker, Duke Energy Foundation president. "This app will empower our customers to better prepare for, respond to and recover from risks most common in their area when it matters most."

The latest version of the Emergency app comes as 2024's Atlantic hurricane season nears, beginning June 1 and lasting through Nov. 30. It is free, is available in both English and Spanish and offers a variety of features informed by recent design studies and testing with differently abled audiences, including content at the Grade 6 reading level and enhanced gamification for disaster- and hazard-related updates.

"We're so grateful for Duke Energy and their generous sponsorship of the Red Cross Emergency app," said Allie Taylor, chief executive officer of the American Red Cross of North Carolina. "The app is an accessible, customizable tool that offers preparedness tips, area weather alerts, an interactive map of shelter locations and so much more to help keep your family safe, and we're thankful for partners like Duke Energy who help make this possible."

Building Resilient Communities

Over the past eight years, Duke Energy and its Foundation have donated nearly $2.7 million to the American Red Cross in support of disaster relief. To underscore its commitment to building resilient communities equipped to prepare and respond in times of crisis, the Duke Energy Foundation will also:

Donate $1 to the Red Cross for every download from iOS and Android app stores through June 30 , up to $20,000 . The funds will help ensure the nonprofit can continue building capacity and resources ahead of time, keeping up with the pace of disasters and assisting customers when in need.

to the Red Cross for every download from iOS and Android app stores through , up to . The funds will help ensure the nonprofit can continue building capacity and resources ahead of time, keeping up with the pace of disasters and assisting customers when in need. Work with local Red Cross chapters across Duke Energy's service territories to make additional grants throughout the 2024 storm season to assist with disaster preparedness and recovery.

Duke Energy Foundation

The Duke Energy Foundation provides more than $30 million annually in philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The Foundation is funded by Duke Energy shareholders.

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.

24-Hour: 800.559.3853

SOURCE Duke Energy
BEIJING, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- EACON Mining has once again demonstrated its expertise in the field of opencast coal mining with the 6th AHS contract. The latest project is the Shitoumei coal mine with reserves of 10 billion tons and an annual production capacity of over 15 million tons. Eacon Mining deployed more than 20 hybrid and diesel trucks and achieved a fully operational autonomous fleet in just 17 days.

EL100, Hybrid Electric Autonomous Haulage Truck in Shitoumei

EACON has deployed a total of 23 autonomous mining trucks in the initial phase, which are organized into three shovel truck fleets. These fleets consist of 13 hybrid EL100 trucks with a payload of 90 tons and 10 diesel-powered trucks with a payload of 70 tons, which are used for overburden mining and coal extraction. All trucks were mobilized by EACON from other projects. Both models were equipped with EACON drive-by-wire systems and ORCASTRA Pilot, EACON's autonomous driving system, at the LGMG and Tonly plants.

EACON has more than 250 EL100 trucks in operation, which have already covered 7.4 million kilometers autonomously. The continuous development of the turnkey AHS solution for coal mines ensures rapid deployment within remarkably short time frames. As of March 9, EACON has deployed the entire autonomous fleet at Shitoumei coal mine within 17 days, from initial setup to full operation, without safety drivers.

Elaine Jin, COO of EACON Mining Australia, said: "In the coal mine overburden removal sector, EACON's AHS solution has matured significantly, enabling rapid deployment in similar scenarios and significantly reducing the time and cost of implementing an autonomous haulage solution. Building on the foundation laid in coal mines, EACON will extend its AHS solution to metal mines, including gold and iron mines, in 2024."

Contact:

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: https://www.eacon.com/en/

About EACON Mining

Founded in May 2018, EACON is a leader in autonomous transportation solutions and new energy system development, equipping the most traditional mining industry with the most advanced technology. By combining cutting-edge autonomous driving technology with strong on-site operational capabilities, EACON provides a field-proven solution for autonomous transportation and zero-emission truck technology.

SOURCE EACON Mining Technology
CHICAGO, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Arizton's latest research report, the Europe HVAC maintenance and services market is growing at a CAGR of 5.90% during 2023-2029.

To Know More, Click: https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/europe-hvac-maintenance-and-services-market

Europe HVAC Maintenance And Services Market Research Report by Arizton

Browse in-depth TOC on the Europe HVAC Maintenance and Services Market

106  Tables

108  Figures

340  Pages

Europe HVAC Maintenance and Services Market Report Scope

Report Attributes Details Market Size (2029) USD 25.04 Billion Market Size (2023) USD 17.76 billion CAGR (2023-2029) 5.90 % Historic Year 2020-2022 Base Year 2023 Forecast Year 2024-2029 Geographic Analysis Western Europe, Nordic, and Central & Eastern Europe (CEE) Market Dynamics  Rise in Commercial Construction and Projects  Airport Modernization  Growing VRF Systems  Favorable Government Policies and Incentives  Demand for Low GWP Refrigerant Solutions in Heating Equipment

The total number of HVAC systems in Europe has surpassed the total population. This indicates unprecedented growth in the HVAC industry. Infrastructure developments, extreme climate conditions, and a rising customer focus on comfort and security are the main factors influencing the growth of the Europe HVAC maintenance and service market. Furthermore, with increased demand due to severe weather conditions in the European market, there has been a significant inducement for improved energy efficiency in the HVAC market. This has led to several new HVAC innovations involving more efficient AC units. Therefore, it helps raise the installation market value in the future.

Businesses have brought new attention to progressing office environments, whether employee well-being or productivity. HVAC systems augment traditional ventilation and air cleaning systems that come standard in office buildings by adding more robust air cleaning elements. It helps to improve employee productivity and protects against airborne pathogens.

An increasing number of start-ups has driven the growth of the coworking space market as they have opted for coworking spaces due to the rising rent of private office spaces. As the coworking model has become hybrid, with open floor areas and enclosed office spaces, the demand for innovative HVAC system solutions has increased in such spaces. In 2019, flexible working spaces accounted for around 18% of the total leasing activity in Central London. Hence, the demand for smart HVAC system solutions will rise proportionally and drive the demand for the HVAC market.

Heating Equipment to Contribute Largest Share in the Europe HVAC Maintenance and Services Market

The heating equipment market is characterized by intense competition and has high traction in Europe's cold climatic conditions. The heating equipment is bulky. Hence, many local/domestic vendors characterize the market. Since these tools cannot be transported over long distances, some domestic vendors cater to small but recurrent heating equipment. Moreover, the HVAC system required for these tools brings in high revenue. The heating industry is not based on niche technology. Heat pumps are the major revenue generators for the heating market, with air/water heat pumps and ground-source heat pumps having considerable applications. The heat pump market is mainly strong in single or two-family houses, with over 70% penetration rate. Apart from heat pumps, furnaces, and boiler units also have significant shares in the heating equipment market.

Western Europe Leading the Europe HVAC Maintenance and Services Market

The Western Europe HVAC maintenance and service market will reach $14.29 billion by 2029.

In Western Europe, air conditioning systems are leading the market due to rising temperatures in urban areas, driven by pollution and urbanization. Consequently, competition in the market is intense. However, the supply chain faced disruptions in the first two quarters of 2023 due to the pandemic, leading to increased procurement costs for European vendors. Intra-regional trade also suffered as the HVAC industry grappled with pandemic-related challenges across the value chain.

Despite these hurdles, companies in the HVAC sector, especially in air conditioning, experienced steady sales growth, maintained by the region's strong demand, particularly in Western Europe. This demand is fueled by a high concentration of commercial establishments, industrial facilities, and robust purchasing power compared to other European regions. The year 2022 proved profitable, marked by low political uncertainty in the UK and growing clarity on Brexit.

Throughout the HVAC industry's extensive value chain, efforts persisted to adapt to evolving technologies, embrace sustainability, and integrate Industry 4.0 principles. This included focusing on increasing the use of recycled or refurbished materials in products without compromising quality.

Competitive Overview

Daikin Europe is a crucial industry participant in the European HVAC industry. The company expresses its support for the REPowerEU plan. REPowerEU is a joint European Commission's plan to make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels by 2030 and to produce more secure, affordable, and sustainable energy. The main objective of this plan is to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels, thereby boosting energy efficiency and promoting renewable HVAC products. Daikin Europe manufactures HVAC systems made of renewable technologies, which will play a crucial role in this EU plan.

In February 2023, a contract was signed for a cooperative relationship between the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and Daikin Europe N.V., a Daikin subsidiary comprising ten wards and cities in northwest England. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) asks for coordination and cooperation between the two parties over five years through 2027, concentrating on the widespread implementation of heat pump heating, maintenance, education, and skill development for HVAC specialists.

The Europe HVAC Maintenance and Services Market Report Encompasses Crucial Data, Including:

CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) during the forecast period: This metric provides insights into the annual growth rate of the Europe HVAC maintenance and services market over the specified time frame.

Detailed information on growth drivers: The report offers in-depth information on the factors that will propel the Europe HVAC maintenance and services market growth from 2023 to 2029. This includes an analysis of various market influences.

Precise estimation of market size: Accurate assessments of the Europe HVAC maintenance and services market size and its contribution and focusing on key market segments.

Predictions about upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior: The report offers insights into anticipated trends and shifts in consumer behavior that are likely to impact the Europe HVAC maintenance and services market, helping businesses prepare for future market dynamics.

Geographical market growth: The report covers the development of the HVAC maintenance and services market across Europe.

Competitive landscape analysis: A thorough examination of the market's competitive landscape is presented, including detailed information about companies operating in the Europe HVAC maintenance and services market. This includes an overview of key players, their market share, strategies, and key developments.

Analysis of growth challenges: The report includes a comprehensive analysis of factors that may pose challenges to the growth of companies in the Europe HVAC maintenance and services market, providing a well-rounded view of the market dynamics.

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Key Company Profiles

Aldes

AquaCal

Daikin

Johnson Controls

Mitsubishi Electric

Ostberg

Pentair

Robert Bosch

Rheem Manufacturing Company

Samsung

Siemens AG

Systemair

Zehnder

Trane Europe

SWEP International

One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning

Sears Home Services

Aire Serv

Climate Control Heating & Air Conditioning

Carrier

Honeywell International Inc

LG

Panasonic

Midea

Regal

Raytheon Technologies

Flakt Group

Swegon

VTS Group

Nuaire

Nortek

Alfa Laval

Hitachi

LU-VE

Vent-Axia

Rosenberg

S & P

Wolf

CIAT

AL-KO GROUP

Dynair

Danfoss

Lennox

Backer Springfield

Dunhambush

TCL

Trox

Vaillant Group

Ingersoll Rand

Camfil

Market Segmentation

Service Model

Maintenance & Repair

Installation

Replacement

Consulting

Equipment Type

Heating

Air Conditioning

Ventilation

Service Type

Manufacturer Authorized Service Providers

HVAC Contractors

Others

End Users

Residential

Commercial

Others

Geography

Western Europe

Germany



France



The UK



Italy



Netherlands



Spain



Belgium

Nordic

Norway



Denmark



Sweden



Finland

Central & Eastern Europe (CEE)

Russia



Poland & Austria

&

Hungary



Czech Republic

Key Questions Answered in the Report:

How big is the Europe HVAC maintenance and services market?

Which region dominated the Europe HVAC maintenance and services market share?

What is the growth rate of the Europe HVAC maintenance and services market?

What are the significant trends in the European HVAC maintenance and services industry?

Who are the key players in the Europe HVAC maintenance and services market?

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NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Evergreen Nephrology, the leader in value-based kidney care, is thrilled to announce a partnership with Western Nephrology, a leading nephrology practice in the metro areas of Denver and Boulder, Colorado.

As an estimated 37 million adults in the US are living with kidney disease, this collaboration marks a significant step in raising the standard of kidney-care for the people Western Nephrology serves. This will be accomplished as the two organizations work to implement a comprehensive value-based-care model that emphasizes proactive, personalized treatment plans tailored to each patient's unique requirements. Through advanced data analytics, cutting-edge technology, and collaborative care practices, patients will benefit from a holistic approach to kidney care that prioritizes their well-being and fosters improved health outcomes.

"Western Nephrology prides itself on addressing all the health needs of people living with kidney disease," said Western Nephrology President, Matthew Esson, MD. "Evergreen Nephrology's approach to proactively identifying health needs, in addition to making necessary services more accessible to patients, reinforces the reputation of Western Nephrology as a clinical leader across the Denver area."

Western Nephrology is the third nephrology practice in Colorado to join with Evergreen in providing innovative, value-based-care strategies for people living with kidney disease. (Colorado Kidney Care in Denver, and The Nephrology Clinic in Fort Collins announced their partnerships in 2022 with Evergreen.) This breadth of coverage allows eligible patients to receive access to Evergreen's services across the Front Range, from South of Denver to the Wyoming border.

"We are excited to expand our reach and support more patients in Colorado who are living with kidney disease," explains Evergreen Nephrology President, Heather Trafton. "Evergreen's patient-centric approach ensures that we meet each patient where they are in their kidney-care journey, which will look different for each person. Working closely with our nephrology partners to provide personalized care plans for each patient improves outcomes and quality of life for those we serve."

About Evergreen Nephrology

Evergreen Nephrology takes a patient-centric approach to kidney care. In collaboration with our nephrologist and payor partners, Evergreen focuses on fostering a holistic-care experience for individuals living with chronic kidney disease and end-stage kidney disease by empowering them through shared decision-making to take an active role in their own health. With over 700 provider partners across 17 states, Evergreen is making personalized, physician-led care the national standard for kidney care. Learn more about our efforts to advance value-based care and personalized treatments for those living with kidney disease at EvergreenNephrology.com

Western Nephrology

For nearly sixty years, Western Nephrology has provided kidney care for people living in the Denver, Colorado area. Our 15 board-certified physicians and teams care for patients in nephrology clinics, dialysis clinics, and rehabilitation centers, also providing in-patient and acute dialysis consultation services. Western Nephrology physicians serve as Medical Directors and Attending Physicians for 16 dialysis clinics. In addition to caring for patients, our research team is actively involved in numerous clinical trials on hypertension, chronic kidney disease, acute kidney injury, and end-stage renal disease; resulting in approvals for kidney disease medications, and other opportunities to better understand the science behind nephrology. Learn more at WestNeph.com.

SOURCE Evergreen Nephrology
ATLANTA, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Time is running out to join us at the pinnacle of philanthropy and culinary excellence! The National Black College Alumni (NBCA) Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc. invites you to the 18th Annual Thomas W. Dortch, Jr. Taste of Heritage Gala, happening this Saturday, May 18, 2024, at the luxurious Hyatt Regency Atlanta from 6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

As we rapidly approach this monumental evening, we honor Mr. Dortch's profound legacya titan of leadership and a beacon of hope. This year's gala transcends its past iterations, championing education, mentorship, and an unyielding commitment to community. It's not just an event; it's a transformative experience that celebrates the ongoing impact of supporting HBCU students and forging future leaders.

Expect an evening charged with excitement under the esteemed co-chairmanship of Ambassador Andrew Young and Tim Mapes of Delta Air Lines, with Karyn Greer of WSB-TV hosting. The gala will showcase a dazzling array of culinary prowess from celebrated chefs Edgar "Dook" Chase, Shenarri Freeman, Edouardo Jordan, Vallery Lomas, Idris Muhammad, Deborah VanTrece and Erika Council. They are complemented by the innovative creations of the Hyatt Regency Atlanta's culinary team, led by Executive Chef Thomas McKeown.

Prepare your palates for the extraordinary as renowned mixologists Angela Barnes and Renauda Riddle stir up bespoke cocktails. The evening will reach new heights with soul-stirring performances from the legendary Will Downing, saxophone virtuoso Mike Phillips, and the exceptionally talented flutist and composer Abrielle Scott.

This year, we proudly welcome new sponsors Delta Air Lines and Georgia-Pacific, who join our dedicated supporters including Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Encore, and US Foods. Their contributions amplify our mission and enhance our community initiatives.

Don't miss your chance to be part of an evening that promises not only to delight but to inspire. With only a few tickets left, this is your final call to action. Join us as we continue to empower the next generation through scholarships and educational opportunities.

Act now! Tickets are almost gone. Secure yours today and ensure your spot at this legacy-defining gala by visiting - https://tasteofheritage.givesmart.com.

About the NBCA Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc.:

The National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc. is committed to the growth and development of HBCUs and their students through scholarships, training, and technical assistance. Our efforts are designed to empower students to reach their highest potential and propel them into a future filled with promise.

For more information or to request media credentials for coverage of this can't-miss event, please contact us directly.

Press Contact:

Jeniece Stewart-Dortch

National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc.

404-524-1106

[email protected]

SOURCE National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc.
HALETHORPE, Md., May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Fzata, Inc. is honored to be selected as a finalist to pitch at Start-Up Stadium during the BIO2024 International Convention, San Diego, CA, June 3-6. BIO will host over 20,000 industry leaders from across the globe. Start-Up Stadium is designed to provide start-up companies with the opportunity to engage key members of the investment community, venture philanthropy groups, strategic partners, and non-dilutive capital partners at the world's largest biotechnology partnering event.

We are proud that The Maryland Department of Commerce has selected Fzata to join a delegation of Maryland companies attending BIO2024 and has provided Fzata with Premier Access to the BIO One-on-One Partnering system for engagement with potential pharmaceutical strategic partners and investors.

At BIO2024 Fzata will be seeking strategic partners for drugs developed from the BioPYM platform including drug candidates FZ002 for C. diff infection, FZ004 for abdominal pain, FZ006 for inflammatory bowel disease, and FZ010 for diabetes/obesity. All four drug candidates have applications in both human and animal health. FZ002 is Fzata's lead drug candidate expected to enter clinical trials in 2024. Fzata is also seeking venture investments to support Company growth. The Company is also open to co-development with pharmas interested in developing their drugs in the BioPYM platform.

"We are grateful to the BIO selection committee and Maryland Commerce for recognizing the great potential of the BioPYM platform and our lead assets," commented Dr. Zhiyong Yang, Chief Executive Officer of Fzata. "BioPYM will be a game-changer for both industry and patients in terms of safety, efficacy and access. Our room-temperature, oral biologics will drastically improve the way biologics are manufactured, distributed, stored, and administered."

About Fzata, Inc.: The Company has innovated and developed a next-generation therapeutics platform called Biotherapeutic Probiotic Yeast Medicines (BioPYM) for oral biologics. Leveraging BioPYM, the Company is developing proprietary, novel, oral biologic therapies to treat a wide variety of GI diseases and gut-health axis disorders. BioPYM transforms probiotic yeast into a micro-factory within the gut, producing therapeutics right where the disease pathologies occur. The platform is designed to "plug and play" any gene to make any therapeutic protein including monoclonal antibodies, multi-specific antibodies, enzymes, cytokines, and hormones.

For additional Fzata information, visit www.fzata.com or LinkedIn.

For Investment opportunities, licensing, co-development, or collaboration inquiries, please contact:

Elizabeth Smith, PhD, MBA, Chief Business Officer, Fzata

E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Fzata, Inc.
The Agriculture Industry Outlook covers vertical farming market, plant breeding market, precision farming market, regenerative agriculture market, blockchain in agriculture market, smart irrigation market, connected agriculture market, agriculture drones' market, and agricultural biologicals market.

The agriculture industry anticipates a transformative journey from 2023 to 2024, with a focus on agricultural biologicals, the demand for sustainable and carbon neutral agriculture, and innovative technologies like farm automation, and precision agriculture. This period promises unprecedented innovation and heightened competition as companies strive to meet evolving technology integration and embrace ethical organic farming.

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6  Figures

34  Pages

Agriculture industry developments in 2023 and upcoming predictions in 2024

In 2023, the agriculture industry is experiencing significant developments, marked by the rise of sustainable practices, increased adoption of advanced technologies, and strategic initiatives by key players. Growing population, increasing demand for food, widespread implementation of technology in agriculture, and a surge in demand for organic and sustainable agriculture are primary demand drives. As we look ahead to 2024, several trends are poised to shape the industry's trajectory. The integration of advanced technologies like AI and automation will continue to redefine production processes, while competition among industry leaders will intensify. High-tech and organic approaches are both driving sustainable agriculture. Precision agriculture and biotechnologies optimize yields and resource use, while organic practices prioritize ecological balance. In 2024, the emphasis on automated farm machinery, agriculture biotechnology, novel farming systems, organic and non-GMO seeds, are accelerating the agriculture industry growth. The agriculture industry is grappling with a perfect storm of challenges including increasingly extreme weather, rising costs for essentials like fertilizer and seeds, unpredictable economic conditions, and a shrinking pool of skilled workers. Agricultural companies are actively seeking solutions to navigate these complex issues and ensure the long-term viability of the sector

Top Key Companies in Global Agriculture Industry Outlook:

In the rapidly evolving landscape of the agriculture industry, key companies are spearheading transformative initiatives across various sectors. In the agrigenomics industry Eurfins Scientific (Luxembourg), and Illumina Inc. (US) are leading the charge. In the connected space IBM (US), AT&T (US), and Microsoft (US) are leveraging their expertise in technology to offer premium agricultural services. For organic agricultural production, Syngenta (Switzerland), UPL (India), BASF SE (Germany), Bayer AG (Germany), and Marrone Bio Innovation, Inc. (US) are at the forefront. Additionally, in plant breeding and CRISPR Plants technologies companies such as Corteva, Inc. (US), BASF SE (Germany), and Bayer AG (Germany), are leading the charge by offering biotechnological and conventional methods of plant breeding to obtain desirable agriculture outputs. The agricultural landscape is poised for a dynamic transformation driven by continuous investment in innovative technologies and product development. 2024 is expected to see a growing focus on expanding access to these advancements in developing nations. This global effort will be instrumental in achieving sustainable yield improvements and ensuring food security for all.

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North America currently reigns supreme as the largest agricultural market, while Asia Pacific is surging ahead in terms of growth rate.

North America currently holds the crown for the largest market owing to its well-established infrastructure, government support for large-scale farms, and a robust agribusiness sector. The US reigns supreme within the region, leveraging its vast fertile land, diverse climate, and heavy investments in research and development.

However, the Asia Pacific region is rapidly rising as an agricultural powerhouse. Soaring population particularly in China and India, are creating an immense and ever-growing demand for food. Many Asian governments are strategically investing in agricultural modernization through infrastructure development, irrigation projects, and technology adoption. AgTech solutions like precision agriculture and vertical farming are gaining traction as they promise improved yields and resource management. China and India are leading the charge in this region, with China being a major producer of rice, wheat, and vegetables, and India a significant producer of rice, wheat, and cotton. Other countries like Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia are also experiencing significant agricultural growth.

Investment is pouring into both regions, but with distinct focuses. North America is looking to maintain and expand its existing edge through further optimization of production with advanced technologies and infrastructure. In contrast, Asia Pacific is directing its investments towards building modern infrastructure, developing cold chain logistics to reduce spoilage, and promoting the adoption of AgTech solutions. Sustainability is also becoming a growing concern, with investments flowing towards practices that minimize environmental impact.

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NEW YORK, May 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global guitar market size is estimated to grow by USD 1.95 bn from 2023-2027, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of over 7.75% during the forecast period.

For more insights on the forecast market size and historic data (2017 - 2021) - Buy Report

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Guitar Market 2023-2027

Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 7.75% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 1.95 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 5.72 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution North America at 43% Key countries US, Canada, China, Japan, and Germany Key companies profiled Armadillo Enterprises Inc., Astha Guitars, B.C. Rich LLC, C. F. Martin and Co. Inc., CorTek Corp., Fender Musical Instruments Corp., G and L Musical Instruments, Gibson Brands Inc., Godin Guitars, HOSHINO GAKKI Co. Ltd., Karl Hofner GmbH and Co. KG, Kiesel Guitars, Paul Reed Smith Guitars, Rickenbacker International Corp., Roland Corp., Schecter Guitar Research Inc., TAKAMINE GAKKI CO. LTD., Taylor Listug Inc., The ESP Guitar Co., and Yamaha Corp.

Market Driver

The global guitar market is undergoing a transformation, driven by advancements in technology and the rise of online retailing. This shift is influenced by various factors including curriculum policies, musical bands, demographic trends, and internet penetration. Online platforms offer unparalleled convenience, providing access to a vast selection of guitar brands, models, and price ranges. Key players in the industry, such as Guitar Center and E-commerce retailers, are capitalizing on this trend, reaching a wider audience and eliminating geographical limitations. Online retailing caters to diverse musical genres, including rock, metal, and acoustic, and offers virtual classes, online performances, and digital music tools. This trend is particularly significant in regions with high internet penetration, such as Dubai and the UAE, where commercial music schools and colleges are embracing online learning.

Market Challenges

The prolonged replacement cycle of guitars emerges as a primary obstacle to the growth of the guitar market.

Customers increasingly favor branded guitars for their reputation of reliability and high quality.

Various factors impact the lifespan of guitars, including environmental conditions, playing techniques, and music genres.

Guitar manufacturers prioritize durability, designing instruments to withstand rigorous use in diverse settings.

The guitar market encompasses diverse segments, such as live music performances, electric and acoustic guitars, and music education.

Branded guitars emphasize reliability and quality, utilizing premium materials to ensure longevity and resilience.

Consumer interest in guitars is driven by keywords like e-commerce, retail stores, guitar centers, and music schools.

Innovations such as digital whiteboards, mobile apps, and cloud-based systems enhance the guitar learning experience.

Traditional wood-based guitars face competition from lighter, more durable alternatives.

Market trends are influenced by factors like the endorsement of famous musicians, consumer hobbies, and sales data.

Demand for guitars remains strong, fueled by rock concerts and the growing popularity of online music education platforms.

Research report provides comprehensive data on impact of trend, driver and challenges - Request a sample report!

Segment Overview

This guitar market report extensively covers market segmentation by

Type

1.1 Acoustic

1.2 Electric

Distribution Channel

2.1 Offline

2.2 Online

Geography

3.1 North America

3.2 Europe

3.3 APAC

3.4 South America

3.5 Middle East and Africa

1.1 Acoustic- In the dynamic world of musical instruments, the guitar market continues to evolve, with both acoustic and digital segments gaining traction. Acoustic guitars, the largest segment, remain popular due to their affordability and accessibility in developing countries. However, the premium segment, including digital whiteboards and apps for digital sheet music, is witnessing significant growth in developed markets. These tools offer convenience and versatility, allowing users to learn and perform with cloud-based systems. Competitors in the musical instruments industry are leveraging technology to cater to consumer interest. For instance, solid-body electric guitars, a key offering in the premium segment, are increasingly being used in rock concerts and musical bands. Meanwhile, online music education platforms, such as YouTube and commercial music schools, are driving product demand through curriculum policies and school curricula in global schools. Demographic trends, particularly the adolescent population's growing interest in hobbies and leisure activities, are fueling sales of guitars. Online retail platforms and Internet penetration in economies like Dubai and the UAE are further boosting sales. The promotion industry, with its focus on online performances and virtual classes, is also playing a crucial role in driving consumer engagement. In conclusion, the guitar market is witnessing a shift towards digital tools and technologies, with both acoustic and electric guitars finding a place in the music ecosystem. From digital sheet music apps to online music education programs, the future of guitar playing is increasingly digital.

For more information on market segmentation with geographical analysis including forecast (2023-2027) and historic data (2017 - 2021) - Download a Sample Report

Research Analysis

In the dynamic world of music, the Guitar Market caters to various genres and preferences. From the strumming of six-string acoustic guitars for rhythm and lead parts, to the electrified sounds of electric guitars for metal and rock, our platform is a one-stop solution for musicians and enthusiasts. Our offerings include both new and used instruments, ensuring affordability for students and professionals alike. Our offerings extend beyond just guitars, with pianos, music schools, and even small amplifiers and PA systems available. We understand the importance of amplification in creating the desired sound, whether it's for a live music show or a home practice session. Our e-commerce platform provides consumers with the convenience of shopping from the comfort of their homes. Additionally, we offer features such as video conferencing, file sharing, and instant messaging for a seamless buying experience. Digital whiteboards and digital sheet music are also accessible, allowing for easier collaboration and learning. Joining our community grants you access to a wealth of knowledge, with famous musicians and educators sharing their expertise through tutorials on YouTube and other digital platforms. Explore the Guitar Market today and let your musical journey begin!

Market Research Overview

In the dynamic world of music, the Guitar Market serves as a central hub for musicians and enthusiasts alike. Here, you'll find a comprehensive collection of musical instruments, with a special focus on guitars. Musicians seek out this market for its extensive range of electric, acoustic, and classical guitars, each catering to various playing styles and preferences. Moreover, the market offers a variety of accessories such as strings, picks, amplifiers, and cases. These essentials ensure that every musician can optimize their playing experience. Additionally, the market provides expert advice and guidance, making it an invaluable resource for those new to the instrument or looking to upgrade. The Guitar Market is not just a place to purchase goods but also a community where musicians connect, share knowledge, and inspire one another. It's a place where passion for music meets practicality, making it an integral part of the musical journey for guitarists everywhere.

Table of Contents:

1 Executive Summary

2 Market Landscape

3 Market Sizing

4 Historic Market Size

5 Five Forces Analysis

6 Market Segmentation

Type

Acoustic



Electric

Distribution Channel

Offline



Online

Geography

North America



Europe



APAC



South America



Middle East And Africa

7 Customer Landscape

8 Geographic Landscape

9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

10 Company Landscape

11 Company Analysis

12 Appendix

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contacts

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
HERSHEY, Pa., May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) has been named a 2024 honoree of The Civic 50, a recognition of the top community-minded companies in the United States according to an annual survey by Points of Light, the world's largest nonprofit dedicated to accelerating people-powered change. Hershey was also named the Consumer Staples leader for the third year in a row and received the Volunteer Leader Award for having the leading volunteer culture and embracing volunteerism as a priority for civic engagement.

"Hershey is committed to business excellence, long-term resilience and making a positive impact for the planet and people," said Leigh Horner, chief sustainability officer for The Hershey Company. "Our philanthropic giving programs and employee volunteerism are key pillars of the strong culture that enables us to delight consumers with our beloved snacking brands."

Hershey's programs support a variety of community needs, such as education and workforce development, advancement of inclusive economic development, and youth programs that support social and emotional well-being. In addition to philanthropic giving and product-donation programs, Hershey employees show up for their communities by donating funds and volunteering for the causes they care about. In 2023, Hershey employees volunteered nearly 130,000 hours and raised more than $1.6M in matched giving.

For more than a decade, The Civic 50 has served as the national standard for corporate citizenship and showcases how leading companies are moving social impact and community to the core of their business. Civic 50 honorees are companies with annual U.S. revenues of at least $1 billion and are selected based on four dimensions of their corporate citizenship and social impact programs: investment of resources and volunteerism, integration across business functions, institutionalization through policies, and systems and impact measurement.

Hershey has been named to The Civic 50 every year since it was created in 2012. The Civic 50 survey is administered by True Impact, and the results are analyzed by VeraWorks. The survey instrument consists of quantitative and multiple-choice questions that inform the scoring process. The Civic 50 is the only survey and ranking system that exclusively measures corporate community engagement.

To view a complete list of The Civic 50 companies, visit civic50.org.

About The Hershey Company

The Hershey Company is an industry-leading snacks company known for making more moments of goodness through its iconic brands, remarkable people and enduring commitment to doing the right thing for its people, planet, and communities. Hershey has more than 20,000 employees in the U.S. and worldwide who work daily to deliver delicious, high-quality products. The company has more than 90 brand names in approximately 80 countries that drive more than $11.2 billion in annual revenues, including Hershey's, Reese's, Kisses, Kit Kat, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers and Ice Breakers, and salty snacks including SkinnyPop, Pirate's Booty and Dot's Homestyle Pretzels.

For over 130 years, Hershey has been committed to operating fairly, ethically, and sustainably. The candy and snack maker's founder, Milton Hershey, created Milton Hershey School in 1909, and since then, the company has focused on helping children succeed through equitable access to education.

To learn more visit www.thehersheycompany.com.

About Points of Light

Points of Light is a nonpartisan, global nonprofit organization that inspires, equips and mobilizes millions of people to take action that changes the world. We envision a world in which every individual discovers the power to make a difference, creating healthy communities in vibrant, participatory societies. Through 145 affiliates across 39 countries, and in partnership with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 3.7 million people in 16.7 million hours of service each year. We bring the power of people to bear where it's needed most. For more information, visit pointsoflight.org.

SOURCE The Hershey Company
Leading provider of Denver home services recommends regular maintenance to improve IAQ

DENVER, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- High 5 Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, a family-owned and operated home service company serving residents in the greater Denver metropolitan area, understands the importance of indoor air quality (IAQ) and how it can affect a person's health. With May being Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, the High 5 team is sharing tips to help improve IAQ for homeowners.

With May being Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, the High 5 team is sharing tips to help improve IAQ for homeowners. Pictured here are Ryan Jacoby (left), HVAC technician, and Isaac Jonsgaard, service manager.

"Asthma is a serious condition that affects many people in the Denver area and over 27 million people in the United States, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA)," said Levi Torres, co-owner of High 5. "Being part of the community, we feel it is our duty to provide homeowners with the necessary tips to help alleviate the issues that contribute to poor air quality. Better air quality means better living situations for those who suffer from asthma and other allergy-related illnesses."

Torres and his team of expert HVAC technicians recommend the following tips to help improve IAQ in your home.

Regularly service HVAC unit : Maintenance is one of the most important aspects for maintaining excellent IAQ. A unit that is running at optimum levels provides great ventilation while also filtering out allergens that can trigger asthma. In addition, preventative maintenance also extends the life of your HVAC system, increases energy efficiency, minimizes repairs and maintains your unit's warranty.

: Maintenance is one of the most important aspects for maintaining excellent IAQ. A unit that is running at optimum levels provides great ventilation while also filtering out allergens that can trigger asthma. In addition, preventative maintenance also extends the life of your HVAC system, increases energy efficiency, minimizes repairs and maintains your unit's warranty. Maintain optimal humidity levels : Moisture within the air can make it difficult for those with asthma to breathe. According to the AAFA, humidity levels should remain between 30% and 50%.

: Moisture within the air can make it difficult for those with asthma to breathe. According to the AAFA, humidity levels should remain between 30% and 50%. Dust and vacuum frequently: Dust is a major trigger for asthma. Frequently dusting and vacuuming a home will minimize the buildup of dander and dust mites. In addition, it will add an extra defense against airborne allergens that may be resting on surfaces.

"Performing small steps can provide your family with great IAQ and a better atmosphere for those who have asthma and allergies," Torres said. "Even if you don't have asthma, maintaining great IAQ provides you with better air to breathe and an improved living environment."

High 5 Plumbing, Heating & Cooling launched its new HVAC services recently after a year of explosive growth for the home service provider. Already a staple in the plumbing industry for over a decade, High 5 now provides homeowners in the Denver area with high-quality HVAC installation, repair and maintenance services.

To learn more about High 5 Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, visit http://high5homefix.com/.

About High 5 Plumbing, Heating & Cooling

Founded in 2012, High 5 Plumbing, Heating & Cooling is a local, family-owned company serving residents in the greater Denver metropolitan area. With a professional team that has extensive experience and a commitment to service, High 5 Plumbing, Heating & Cooling offers comprehensive plumbing, sewer, drain and HVAC services. The company was built on the values of solving plumbing problems and serving every customer with professionalism and respect. For more information about High 5 Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, visit http://high5homefix.com/.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Heather Ripley

Ripley PR

(865) 977-1973

[email protected]

SOURCE High 5 Plumbing
HANGZHOU, China, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hikvision unveils its highly anticipated 5th generation LED cabinet, introducing the latest breakthroughs in display technology. With advanced industrial design, this new release promises industry-leading performance and convenience, setting a new standard for visual experience.

Advanced industrial design with stunning performance

Hikvision launches the 5th generation LED cabinet with breakthroughs in performance and convenience

The Hikvision's 5th generation LED cabinet represents the great example of design and functionality. Its sleek yet robust structure, combined with big board splicing, streamlines installation while ensuring durability.

Superior cabinet features



This new release presents Hikvision's latest superior cabinet, boasting a sleek 29.3 mm design that seamlessly blends elegance with efficiency. Weighing just 17 kg/ m , installation is effortless. More than that, it has a remarkable tensile strength of up to 2,000 N and even the ability to splice 50 rows spanning up to 17 m without deformation.

Innovative big board splicing



Featuring larger lamp boards and fewer seams, the innovative big board design simplifies splicing, ensuring convenient and accurate installation. With reduced lamp boards, both time and effort are saved, while the risk of lamp bead dropping is significantly minimized. With a 16:9 aspect ratio and dimensions of 600*337.5 mm, the 5th generation cabinets enable convenient splicing into FHD / UHD resolutions.

Removable backplane plate



Each cabinet includes a removable backplane plate, allowing for easy passage of power and network cables. This not only enhances aesthetics but also functionality, ultimately improving the user experience.

Horizontal and vertical wiring



The Hikvision's 5th generation LED cabinet supports wiring in both horizontal and vertical directions, eliminating the need for power cables to detour. This innovation reduces the wiring costs and enhances efficiency.

Unified platform with exceptional convenience

The Hikvision's 5th generation LED cabinet marks a pioneering move with the introduction of a unified platform, accommodating three lamp board technologies: COB (chip on board), HOB (Hikvision glue on board), and SMD (surface mount device), which reduces the risk of obsolete inventory and minimizes product iteration costs.

Incredible compatibility and flexibility



The structure design of the Hikvision's 5th generation LED cabinet achieves an industry-leading standardization. In its Ultra series empowered by COB technology, lamp boards with different pixel pitches can be replaced according to requirements. Furthermore, the Ultra series is also compatible with both Solid and Solid Plus series lamp boards.



Particularly noteworthy is the color calibration process, which is seamlessly conducted on a single cabinet to ensure precise color accuracy and consistency across the display. This streamlines screen setup and eliminates the requirement for secondary calibration after cabinet replacement, providing a hassle-free experience for users.

Enhanced protection and maintenance



The Solid Plus series applies the HOB technology that adds a glue layer onto the surface of SMD, enhancing the durability and protection of LEDs. It enhances resistance against water, moisture, corrosion, dust, static, and oxidation, while a matte screen alleviates eye strain and increases the contrast ratio. In addition, the Solid Plus series streamlines HOB lamp board repairs with a special machine to address dead LED identification, replacement, and protective coating reapplication.

Widely-embraced with customizable features



The Solid series of the Hikvision's 5th generation LED cabinet adopts SMD technology, offering customizable features like FOB, energy-saving cold screen, and common cathode to meet diverse display needs. For instance, the FOB technology applies a nanoscale hydrophobic film layer to the lamp surface, swiftly draining water droplets to preserve display integrity.

The Hikvision's 5th generation LED cabinet is transforming display solutions across industries. From command centers to conference rooms, theaters to retail stores, they offer vivid color reproduction and immersive experiences. Whether for impactful presentations in corporate settings, engaging learning experiences in schools, or captivating displays in retail environments, they bring breakthroughs in performance and convenience.

Discover the future of display technology with the Hikvision's 5th generation LED cabinet. For further details, visit the homepage of Hikvision LED displays today.

SOURCE Hikvision Digital Technology
The 2024 Sweets & Snacks Expo Opens Doors To Record-Breaking Show

INDIANAPOLIS , May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2024 Sweets & Snacks Expo opens this morning to record-breaking numbers as it embarks on a landmark new partnership with the City of Indianapolis. Sweets & Snacks is the premier event for the confectionery and snack categories in the Americas, and this week, the show will draw 16,000 attendees to the Indiana Convention Center. With 1,000 exhibitors across more than 250,000 square feet of show floor, it's easy to see how Sweets & Snacks Expo is at the center of the sweets and snacks universe.

"For more than 25 years, Sweets & Snacks Expo has served as a launchpad for new products across the candy and snack categories and that innovation is on full display this week in Indianapolis," John Downs, president & CEO of the National Confectioners Association, host organization for Sweets & Snacks Expo, said. "The show offers attendees the opportunity to discover emerging trends, learn from industry experts, and connect with peers and partners from throughout the industry. As we embark on this next chapter, there is no doubt that Indianapolis is the right city to meet the growing demand for our show."

"Beyond the commercial impact the Sweets & Snacks Expo has on the Indianapolis-area economy, there is also another important economic impact driven by all the local candy and snack manufacturers that call Indiana home, providing thousands of jobs throughout our state," Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb said. "This fantastic partnership between the Sweets & Snacks Expo, the City of Indianapolis and the State of Indiana is so appreciated and represents a delicious future in the years ahead."

Sweets & Snacks Expo creates a vibrant, shared space to foster deeper connections among manufacturers, suppliers, and retail partners. The show features education sessions led by the industry's foremost experts and thought leaders. There are countless treats and snacks debuted at the show each year featuring the hottest flavor, packaging, and product trends. All of this combined enables Indianapolis and Sweets & Snacks Expo to have wide-reaching marketplace influence and deep cultural relevance.

"Indy has successfully hosted many of the country's largest and most anticipated events and now Sweets and Snacks joins the ranks of these world-class events," said Leonard Hoops, president and CEO of Visit Indy. "The show's impact will reach beyond the Indiana Convention Center to all corners of Central Indiana. With an estimated economic impact of more than $12 million, Sweets & Snacks will be a boon to the entire region."

Hoosier hospitality was on full display when Sweets & Snacks Expo temporarily relocated to Indianapolis in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. Everyone involved in the show  from attendees to show management  recognized that the city was a perfect fit and jumped at the unique opportunity to return. With support from Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, and other community leaders, we are all looking forward to a very bright future in Indy.

You can live stream the press conference here.

Please visit the official Sweets & Snacks Expo Media Kit for more information on the show and media resources including photos and b-roll from the press conference.

About Sweets & Snacks Expo

The Sweets & Snacks Expo is the premier event for the confectionery and snack industries. Featuring new product launches, business-building solutions and merchandising innovations, this annual trade show brings together qualified candy and snack retail professionals and company representatives who showcase the latest in candy and snack products. The event is sponsored by the National Confectioners Association. Learn more at SweetsAndSnacks.com .

About the National Confectioners Association (NCA)

The National Confectioners Association is the leading trade organization for the $48 billion U.S. confectionery industry. NCA advocates for an environment that enables candy makers to thrive and works to ensure that chocolate, candy, gum and mints are celebrated for their contributions to culture, society, the economy and everyday moments of joy. The industry employs nearly 58,000 workers in more than 1,600 manufacturing facilities across all 50 states and supports an additional 635,000 jobs in related fields. The U.S. confectionery industry has made a commitment to increasing transparency, providing more portion guidance options and educating consumers about the role of confectionery in a happy, balanced lifestyle. Learn more at CandyUSA.com or follow NCA on Facebook , X and Instagram .

Media Contact:

[email protected]

SOURCE Sweets & Snacks Expo
PITTSBURGH, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- "I wanted to create a convenient electronic sign for vehicles to enhance communication while driving," said an inventor, from El Cajon, Calif., "so I invented the E  ROADS. My design can be used to communicate changing road conditions, a humorous thought for the day, advertising, personal feelings, or a special driving situation."

The invention provides a practical electronic message display system for a vehicle. In doing so, it allows a driver to express thoughts and personal opinions while traveling or stopped in traffic. As a result, it increases communication, safety and convenience. It also offers an alternative to traditional bumper stickers, shouting, waving, etc. The invention features an eye-catching design that is easy to use so it is ideal for vehicle owners, professional drivers, businesses, etc. Additionally, it is producible in various sizes.

The original design was submitted to the San Diego sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 22-SDB-1812, InventHelp, 100 Beecham Drive, Suite 110, Pittsburgh, PA 15205-9801, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.

SOURCE InventHelp
SAN FRANCISCO, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- izmocars, a leading provider of innovative solutions for the automotive industry, today announced the launch of ReviewSoda, a groundbreaking AI-powered review response platform designed specifically for auto dealers.

Introducing ReviewSoda AI: Advanced Platform for Customer Engagement

ReviewSoda AI is a reputation management platform that engages customers, builds trust, and fosters loyalty. Post this

ReviewSoda automates the review management process by sending customized invitations for feedback and responding to Google reviews in real-time. The platform ensures that each response is unique, tailored, and timely, thus eliminating generic and repetitive responses that customers can easily spot and dislike. By addressing both positive and negative reviews, ReviewSoda helps businesses build a stronger online presence and improve customer satisfaction.

"ReviewSoda empowers businesses to enhance their online reputation by actively engaging with customer reviews," said Tej Soni, CEO of izmocars. "In a market where consumer decisions are heavily influenced by online feedback, showing that you genuinely care about your customers' experiences can significantly boost trust and loyalty."

Key Features of ReviewSoda:

AI-Generated Responses : Automatically crafts and posts responses to reviews, with options for manual approval and customization.

: Automatically crafts and posts responses to reviews, with options for manual approval and customization. Automated Invitations : Sends customized emails or texts to customers, inviting them to review their experience.

: Sends customized emails or texts to customers, inviting them to review their experience. Detailed Analytics: Provides comprehensive reports on review activity, including number of reviews, average scores, and customer engagement metrics.

Solving the One-Way Conversation Problem

Online reviews significantly influence consumer behavior, yet many businesses struggle to engage in these crucial conversations due to time constraints or inadequate tools. ReviewSoda's AI technology not only responds to reviews efficiently but also enhances the overall customer experience by showing that businesses care and value customer feedback.

Why ReviewSoda Stands Out

ReviewSoda distinguishes itself in the realm of online reputation management by leveraging advanced artificial intelligence to deliver personalized and timely responses to customer reviews. Unlike typical platforms that rely on generic replies, ReviewSoda's AI carefully analyzes the context and tone of each review, ensuring responses are specifically tailored to enhance customer satisfaction and strengthen a business's online presence.

Furthermore, its seamless integration with Dealership Management Systems automates the review solicitation process, significantly reducing manual effort and boosting operational efficiency. This blend of intelligent automation and precise personalization positions ReviewSoda as a frontrunner in transforming customer engagement for auto dealers and businesses alike.

ReviewSoda is available now. Businesses can sign up for a free trial and experience the full capabilities of this transformative platform.

To learn more about ReviewSoda and its benefits for you, please visit www.reviewsoda.com

About izmocars

izmocars is a San Francisco-based company with more than 20 years of experience in providing innovative solutions for the automotive industry. Our suite of products, including izmoauto, autogozo, PartsVelocity CRM, and izmoEmporio, empowers auto dealers and others to succeed in an ever-evolving market. With ReviewSoda, we are proud to offer a revolutionary solution for online reputation management and customer engagement.

Contact:

[email protected]

SOURCE izmo inc.
Pilates Franchise Introduces Key Hires to Strengthen its Team and Empower Franchise Success

MIAMI, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- JETSET Pilates  the Miami-based, modern Reformer Pilates franchise that combines curated music and fitness for the ultimate revitalizing experience  is proud to welcome five new individuals to its esteemed leadership team, further enhancing the brand's growth, training, and support infrastructure. The leadership team at JETSET Pilates has a collective 37 years of experience in franchising, coupled with 55 years of combined expertise within the boutique fitness industry.

Each key hire brings unique background experience and expertise to the brand:

JETSET Pilates

Sarah Buie , Head of Franchise Development , brings a wealth of diverse experience with a notable background in boutique fitness and strategic consulting. With over a decade of industry experience, including pivotal roles at Solidcore and renowned fitness brands such as F45, Balance Gym, and BLAST Fitness, Sarah is poised to drive JETSET Pilates' franchise development initiatives to new heights.

brings a wealth of diverse experience with a notable background in boutique fitness and strategic consulting. With over a decade of industry experience, including pivotal roles at Solidcore and renowned fitness brands such as F45, Balance Gym, and BLAST Fitness, Sarah is poised to drive JETSET Pilates' franchise development initiatives to new heights. Jo Gomez , Senior Director of Product & Talent , leverages nearly two decades of dynamic experience in the fitness industry. With transformative roles at Solidcore and Beachbody, Jo's innovative spirit and commitment to advancing the fitness landscape positions them as a driving force behind the brand's growth and success.

, leverages nearly two decades of dynamic experience in the fitness industry. With transformative roles at Solidcore and Beachbody, Jo's innovative spirit and commitment to advancing the fitness landscape positions them as a driving force behind the brand's growth and success. Lisa Thorsen , Director of Marketing and Merchandise , brings over 16 years of diverse experience with a background spanning fashion and boutique fitness. Lisa's expertise in marketing, retail operations, and brand management is instrumental in driving success for franchise owners while maintaining brand equity. Her experience across multifaceted regions of the United States positions her as a versatile asset, adept at navigating different markets.

, brings over 16 years of diverse experience with a background spanning fashion and boutique fitness. Lisa's expertise in marketing, retail operations, and brand management is instrumental in driving success for franchise owners while maintaining brand equity. Her experience across multifaceted regions of positions her as a versatile asset, adept at navigating different markets. Taylor Talcott , Head of Franchise Services , is joining the team with experience in both boutique fitness and high-level network management. Prior to her role at JETSET Franchising, Taylor managed all Miami JETSET corporate-owned studios, where she played a pivotal role in nurturing their continued growth and success. Taylor's strategic mindset, demonstrated through successful roles in practice management and studio operations, positions her to lead franchise services with innovation and dedication.

, is joining the team with experience in both boutique fitness and high-level network management. Prior to her role at JETSET Franchising, Taylor managed all Miami JETSET corporate-owned studios, where she played a pivotal role in nurturing their continued growth and success. Taylor's strategic mindset, demonstrated through successful roles in practice management and studio operations, positions her to lead franchise services with innovation and dedication. Erin Hildebrand , Director of Franchise Development, has seven years of invaluable experience in the fitness franchise industry. With a proven track record of success at Club Pilates, and its parent company, Xponential Fitness, and a deep understanding of franchise operations and development, Erin is committed to propelling JETSET Pilates towards continued success and expansion.

"At JETSET Pilates, we prioritize building a team of clock-builders, not just time-tellers. Our new leadership team embodies this ethos through their exceptional drive and dedication," said Bert Albertse, CEO of JETSET Pilates. "They don't just manage; they innovate and set new standards of excellence. This commitment to extreme ownership is what elevates our brand and ensures we deliver unparalleled support and training to our franchise partners."

Along with a strong franchise leadership team, JETSET Pilates is committed to ongoing success through their comprehensive post-opening support and training initiative, providing franchise partners and studio leaders with implementation, operational, and strategic support. Components include collaborative meetings for alignment, financial reviews for optimization, personalized mastery sessions, and seamless integration of operational initiatives. Additionally, the brand's product and talent department provides ongoing support through workshops, skill enhancement opportunities, and structured feedback for instructors.

Founded in 2010, JETSET Pilates uses personalized Reformer Pilates equipment and curated playlists to foster a mind-body connection for a comprehensive full-body workout. Since launching its franchise opportunity, JETSET Pilates has rapidly gained traction, establishing itself as a leading concept in the boutique franchise business space, and is now seeking driven professionals nationwide to share its personalized workout experience.

To learn more about JETSET Pilates or if interested in the opportunity to own a franchise in your community, please visit https://jetsetpilates.com/franchise/

About JETSET Pilates

Founded in 2010 and franchising since 2022, JETSET Pilates has rapidly established itself as one of the most attractive concepts in the boutique franchise business space. JETSET Pilates currently has plans to open studios in Florida, New York, North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Washington D.C., California, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Australia, with over 40 studios in development. JETSET now offers franchising opportunities to entrepreneurs in some of the largest and fastest-growing markets within the fitness franchise sector. For more information, please visit https://jetsetpilates.com/franchise/ .

Contact: Elise Fricilone, Franchise Elevator, [email protected]

SOURCE JETSET Pilates
The lawsuit challenges Kappa Kappa Gamma (Kappa) directors' breach of fiduciary duty to the sorority. In clear violation of Kappa's bylaws and the promise it has made to generations of female members, in fall 2022, the University of Wyoming chapter of Kappa was pressured to initiate a male. After months of being threatened with discipline for voicing their pain, six brave women sought to preserve the experience of sisterhood by filing suit. Westenbroek et al v. Kappa Kappa Gamma, now led by IWLC , seeks to hold Kappa to its own bylaws, which provide that "a new member shall be a woman."

In previewing the oral argument, May Mailman, Independent Women's Law Center Director and Lead Counsel in Westenbroek v. Kappa Kappa Gamma, stated:

"Kappa's directors have a simple duty. They must respect the clear terms of Kappa's bylaws. They utterly failed to do so by ending the sorority's women-only membership and threatening existing members to accept the unlawful change or else lose their own membership. If this fight were about any other common term, the violation would be obvious. Gender ideology is not a reason to upend simple legal principles, and we look forward to making our case to the Tenth Circuit."



Other women's organizations filed briefs with the Tenth Circuit to support IWLC's position:

By refusing to clearly define the word "woman" as used in its own bylaws, Kappa Kappa Gamma leadership and the National Panhellenic Conference, which filed a brief in support of Kappa , have denied women the single-sex sisterhood they were once promised. The NPC brief describes NPC as "the premier advocacy and support organization for the advancement of the sorority experience" which serves as the "umbrella group for its 26 women's-only social sororities."

View final brief in Westenbroek et al v. Kappa Kappa Gamma submitted by Independent Women's Law Center here .

EVENT DETAILS:

SPEAKERS TO INCLUDE:

May Mailman , Westenbroek et al v. Kappa Kappa Gamma Lead Counsel and Independent Women's Law Center Director

, Lead Counsel and Independent Women's Law Center Director Riley Gaines , Independent Women's Forum Ambassador and Lead Plaintiff in Gaines et al v NCAA

, Independent Women's Forum Ambassador and Lead Plaintiff in Allie Coghan , Westenbroek et al v. Kappa Kappa Gamma Plaintiff and Independent Women's Forum Ambassador

, Plaintiff and Independent Women's Forum Ambassador Maddie Ramar , Westenbroek et al v. Kappa Kappa Gamma Plaintiff and Independent Women's Forum Ambassador

, Plaintiff and Independent Women's Forum Ambassador Jaylyn Westenbroek , Westenbroek et al v. Kappa Kappa Gamma Plaintiff and Independent Women's Forum Ambassador

, Plaintiff and Independent Women's Forum Ambassador Hannah Holtmeier , Westenbroek et al v. Kappa Kappa Gamma Plaintiff and Independent Women's Forum Ambassador

, Plaintiff and Independent Women's Forum Ambassador Patsy Levang , Past Kappa Kappa Gamma National Foundation President and member of Independent Women's Network

, Past Kappa Kappa Gamma National Foundation President and member of Independent Women's Network Cheryl Tuck-Smith , Long-time member and active contributor to Kappa Kappa Gamma and member of Independent Women's Network

, Long-time member and active contributor to Kappa Kappa Gamma and member of Independent Women's Network Kara Dansky , Women's Declaration International USA President; WDI USA submitted an amicus brief in Westenbroek et al v. Kappa Kappa Gamma

, Women's Declaration International President; WDI submitted an in Lauren Bone , Women's Liberation Front Legal Director; WoLF submitted an amicus brief in Westenbroek et al v. Kappa Kappa Gamma

**Mult-box will be provided.**

**There will be media Q&A and opportunities for pull asides immediately following the press conference.**

Please direct all RSVPs and media inquiries to [email protected] .

www.iwf.org

Independent Women's Forum is dedicated to developing and advancing policies that aren't just well intended, but actually enhance people's freedom, choices, and opportunities.

www.iwlc.org

Independent Women's Law Center advocates for equal opportunity, individual liberty, and the continued legal relevance of biological sex.

SOURCE Independent Women's Forum
Announces Shareholder Meeting

CANTON, Conn., May 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Kelyniam Global (OTC: KLYG), a maker of custom cranial implants, today announced results for its quarter ended March 31, 2024.

Financial highlights for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and the same period in 2023 include:

Total revenue of $957,447 compared to $596,455 , an increase of 60.5%

compared to , an increase of 60.5% Gross Margin of $743,719 compared to $467,773 an increase of 59.0%

compared to an increase of 59.0% Operating profit of $123,599 compared to a loss of $67,978 representing an increase to profitability of $191,577

Profitability was strongly enhanced by a year's long effort in reconfiguring the Company's structural costs and a tight focus on this year's operations. The Company saw those efforts pay off with decreased consulting fees and information technology costs which positively affected the bottom line. The complete financials can be found at www.kelyniam.com.

Chief Operating and Revenue Officer, Desiree Webb, said, "Sales momentum from Q4 continued into Q1, resulting in record growth, quarterly revenue and profit. Surgeons and Distributors using Kelyniam custom cranial and craniofacial implants have increased, in addition to the level of case complexity. This is a result of proven outcomes, a laser focus on customer service and operations, and Kelyniam's ability to deliver RUSH cases within 24-48 hours to any hospital in the United States. Interest in the CustomizedBonea hydroxyapatite osteo-integrative cranial implant continues to grow, particularly due to the indication for pediatric patients. Looking forward we expect to see continued interest in this unique cranial implant because of the recent approval of the NEOS Cranial Loop fixation vs. traditional suturing, resulting in decreased OR time."

The company also announced the date of the annual Shareholder Meeting which will be held on Monday, June 24 at 8:30 am Central.

Kelyniam Inc., specializes in the rapid production of custom prosthetics utilizing computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing of advanced medical grade polymers. The Company develops, manufactures, and distributes custom cranial and maxillo-facial implants for patients. Kelyniam works directly with surgeons, health systems and payors to improve clinical and cost-of-care outcomes. Kelyniam's web site address is www.Kelyniam.com.

As a cautionary note to investors, certain matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such matters involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including the following: changes in economic conditions; general competitive factors; the Company's ability to execute its service and product sales plans; changes in the status of ability to market products; and the risks described from time to time in the Company's SEC reports.

SOURCE Kelyniam Global Inc
Fine Jewelry Brand Raises Over $100K in One Night for Alzheimer's Research

LAS VEGAS, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Master jeweler Steven Lagos delighted guests at Keep Memory Alive's Power of Love gala, with a unique,18K gold and diamond necklace, specially designed to support Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.

LAGOS 18K Gold & Diamond Collar Necklace

100 percent of the purchase helps fund research and programs dedicated to improving the lives of those affected by brain disorders. Featuring 231 full cut gems, totaling over 7 carats in weight, the collar necklace featured diamonds hand set in individually crafted 18K gold mountings, and was available for bidding as part of the gala's annual live auction.

In addition, a curated selection of styles totaling $60,000 was featured as part of LAGOS's annual contribution to the event's silent auction. In total, LAGOS has raised more than $1.3 million for Keep Memory Alive to date.

"This organization does such impressive work and we've seen great advances as a result," said LAGOS Founder and Creative Director Steven Lagos. "But we know there's still a long road ahead, and we'll continue expanding our commitment to the cause through the positive, timeless memories we create through jewelry."

The LAGOS Keep Memory Alive collection is available at LAGOS.com and features a suite of jewelry that follows the same design inspiration as the organization's Frank Gehry-designed headquarters. This collection is available for purchase year-round and donates 100 percent of the sale to the organization.

For over 25 years, LAGOS has supported Keep Memory Alive and its efforts to research and care for those in need. Steven Lagos became intimately involved with the foundation through his friendship with Co-Founder and Vice Chair Larry Ruvo and his personal connection to the cause. Steven's grandparents suffered from Alzheimer's, and he watched as the disease took a toll on the patients as well as their families and caregivers. He realized just how difficult the experience is for everyone involved and has been committed to Keep Memory Alive ever since.

"It's always a treat to see what Steven Lagos will bring to the table for our annual gala," said Ruvo. "His contributions are thoughtful, creative, and truly help us achieve our lofty goals. We're lucky to have a friend like him in our corner."

About LAGOS: Since 1977, LAGOS has been a pioneer in designer fine jewelry, combining precious materials and strong design to offer modern, iconic styles. LAGOS was founded by designer and master jeweler Steven Lagos, who developed the brand's signature Caviar design in 1984. Each Caviar collection has a bold, feminine design that encourages personal expression. LAGOS' national campaign, MY LAGOS MY WAY, was created to reinforce these core values and inspire the LAGOS woman. LAGOS is available at LAGOS.com, its flagship boutique in Philadelphia, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom and independent jewelers around the country. For more information, inspiration and latest styles follow @lagos_jewelry on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Visit www.LAGOS.com to learn more about the history of the brand and to shop the entire collection.

Media Contact:

Jamie Harris

LAGOS

973-536-6709

[email protected]

SOURCE LAGOS
AUSTIN, Texas, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Rapidly growing demand generation provider, Lead2Pipeline, announced an expansion of its global opt-in database of technology, business, and government buyers. This expansion is driven by enterprise customers seeking additional decision-makers in buying committees, especially for enterprise software and service deals. In tandem with its growth, the company has expanded its philanthropic efforts by raising thousands of dollars for pet shelters and adoption services.

Lead2Pipeline Expands to 63.3M Buyers Worldwide

Lead2Pipeline's Co-Founder and CEO, Chip Klang, explains the database expansion. "Our global database of opt-in buyers has increased to meet the demands of our enterprise customers running full funnel demand generation programs. While many tech marketers are focusing on the bottom of the funnel, customers with the most successful pipeline results are balancing their top, middle, and bottom of funnel opportunities with coordinated multi-touch programs that keep their solutions top of mind during active buying windows."

The majority of these programs are executed for Fortune 500 technology brands seeking in-market buyers for their sales teams. Lead2Pipeline recently partnered with memoryBlue to co-host their enterprise customers at Forrester's B2B Summit in Austin, TX.

"Almost every conversation we had at our co-hosted event was with enterprise performance marketing teams managing multi-faceted programs. These innovative marketers are finding new ways to engage their buyers alongside their traditional campaigns to increase their qualified opportunities," adds Kayleean Maritz, VP Global Marketing at memoryBlue.

At the same event, Lead2Pipeline embraced its commitment to animal welfare by hosting a Puppy Adoption Hour within its booth in the B2B Summit's Marketplace. To achieve this hour of attendee engagement, fundraising, and furry cuddles, the company partnered with Ausin Pets Alive!

Nigel Fuentes, Director of Philanthropy, Partnerships at Austin Pets Alive!, described the scene on Forrester's tradeshow floor. "It was so encouraging to see a hundred busy professionals swarm Lead2Pipeline's tradeshow booth to get just a few minutes of gentle cuddle time with our puppies. We're so grateful for partnerships like these that help us save the lives of innocent animals."

Lead2Pipeline's database growth comes on the back of higher funnel performance for the leads it generates for its customers. These demand generation programs are often managed by expert agency partners on behalf of their technology customers.

Melanie Kennedy, owner of Strategic Media, explains why her agency chooses to work with Lead2Pipeline. "We work with a number of demand generation providers, and we've seen great performance from Lead2Pipeline's programs for our customers. Especially for programs designed to drive conversion and new pipeline for their sales teams."

As AI platforms and intent data become increasingly commoditized, the ability to execute high-performing content syndication programs remains highly relevant. Especially for Account-Based Marketers and those targeting larger enterprise customers. In this environment, Lead2Pipeline continues to see new opportunities for its customers worldwide with a growing database of buyers, and brands wanting to reach those buyers, through multiple channels.

About Lead2Pipeline

Lead2Pipeline drives growth for the world's most innovative technology companies, including market leaders like Proofpoint, Slack, and Splunk. With a proprietary opt-in database of 63.3M technology, business, and government buyers worldwide, Lead2Pipeline uses artificial intelligence and early intent signals to execute full funnel programs for its clients. From inception, the company has been CAN-SPAM, CCPA, and GDPR compliant, allowing it to run bottom of funnel campaigns everywhere, including the DACH region in Europe. For more information, please visit www.lead2pipeline.com .

Media Contact:

Sourabh Kothari

(415) 418 0195

[email protected]

SOURCE Lead2Pipeline
Glass Lewis Concludes Boots Capital Presents a "Compelling Case" for Change

Recommends Shareholders Elect Ted. B. Miller and Charles C. Green to Replace Crown Castle's Long-Tenured Incumbent Directors Cindy Christy and Ari Fitzgerald

Boots Capital Urges Shareholders to Vote the GOLD Proxy Card "FOR" Boots Capital's Four Highly Qualified Director Nominees and "WITHHOLD" on ALL Crown Castle Nominees

HOUSTON, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Boots Capital Management, LLC ("Boots Capital"), an investment vehicle led by Ted B. Miller, co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Crown Castle Inc., (NYSE: CCI) ("Crown Castle" or the "Company"), today announced that Glass Lewis & Co. ("Glass Lewis"), a leading independent proxy advisory firm, has recommended that Crown Castle shareholders vote on Boots Capital's GOLD proxy card "FOR" the election of Boots Capital nominees Ted B. Miller and Charles C. Green, and "WITHOLD" from Crown Castle's nominees Cindy Christy and Ari Fitzgerald in connection with Crown Castle's Annual Meeting to be held on May 22, 2024.

In its report, Glass Lewis concluded that Boots Capital has "put forth a credible slate of nominees, as well as reasonable suggestions for the Company that we believe should earnestly warrant greater consideration by the Board" and there is "room for improvement at the Board level" at Crown Castle.

Ted Miller commented, "We are pleased that Glass Lewis agrees that new leadership is needed on the Crown Castle Board to add meaningful tower company operating experience and help restore value for all shareholders. Glass Lewis's recommendation for the election of two of our nominees supports our belief that Crown Castle's Board should be held accountable for years of value destruction, significant underperformance relative to its peers and poor decision making over the last decade.

"While Glass Lewis has recognized our nominees have the operational expertise, plan, tower industry experience, and leadership skills to restore value at Crown Castle, we continue to believe that the election of our four nominees is ideal to effect the changes that Glass Lewis agrees are needed at Crown Castle. Shareholders deserve a more capable Board with a detailed plan that will help restore credibility, leadership, and operational excellence to Crown Castle and create long-term value."

In making its recommendation "FOR" Boots Capital's nominees, Glass Lewis* noted the following:

"We believe shareholders should support the election of Dissident Nominees Miller and Green, both of whom are former executives of the Company and appear to us to have extensive operational and execution experience in the tower industry Accordingly, we recommend that shareholders vote on the Dissident Group's GOLD proxy card."

With respect to Ted B. Miller and Charles C. Green, Glass Lewis stated:

"In our view, Messrs. Miller and Green have been deeply enmeshed in the tower industry throughout their careers, and we believe this experience could be particularly beneficial to the Company at a time when the prevailing market view is that the Company should look to move away from its fiber business and focus more on its tower business."

With respect to Crown Castle Board's nominees, Glass Lewis said:

"One-third of the Company's board still comprises long-tenured directors who we believe bear the responsibility for overseeing the Company's extended period of underperformance and concerning governance missteps."

To ensure the election of Ted B. Miller, Charles C. Green, David P. Wheeler, and Tripp H. Rice, it is essential that all Crown Castle shareholders vote the GOLD proxy card "FOR" Boots Capital's highly qualified director nominees  Ted Miller, Charles Green, David Wheeler, and Tripp Rice  and "WITHHOLD" on ALL Crown Castle nominees.

As Crown Castle's Annual Meeting is less than two weeks away, it is important that shareholders vote TODAY. Every vote is important. Shareholders must submit their vote no later than May 21, 2024, at 11:59pm ET.

If you have any questions about how to vote your shares, please contact our proxy solicitor, Morrow Sodali, by telephone 1-800-662-5200 or 203-658-9400 or email at [email protected].

For more information, including voting instructions, visit our website www.RebootCrownCastle.com.

*Boots Capital has neither sought nor obtained consent from Glass Lewis to use previously published information or quotations in this press release.

INVESTOR AND MEDIA CONTACTS

Investors:

Morrow Sodali LLC

Paul Schulman/William Dooley/Jonathan Eyl

By Phone: 1-800-662-5200 or 203-658-9400

By Email: [email protected]

Media:

Jonathan Gasthalter/Nathaniel Garnick/Grace Cartwright

Gasthalter & Co.

By Phone: 212-257-4170

By Email: [email protected]

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

The information herein contains "forward-looking statements." Specific forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts and include, without limitation, words such as "may," "will," "expects," "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "estimates," "projects," "potential," "targets," "forecasts," "seeks," "could," "should" or the negative of such terms or other variations on such terms or comparable terminology. Similarly, statements that describe the Participants' (as defined below) objectives, plans or goals are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties and assumptions. There can be no assurance that any idea or assumption herein is, or will be proven, correct. If one or more of the risks or uncertainties materialize, or if the underlying assumptions of Boots Capital (as defined below) or any of the other Participants in the proxy solicitation described herein prove to be incorrect, the actual results may vary materially from outcomes indicated by these statements. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by Boots Capital or the other Participants that the future plans, estimates or expectations contemplated will ever be achieved. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results and actual results may vary materially from what is expressed in or indicated by the forward-looking statements. Except to the extent required by applicable law, neither Boots Capital nor any Participant will undertake and specifically declines any obligation to disclose the results of any revisions that may be made to any projected results or forward-looking statements herein to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such projected results or statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.

Certain statements and information included herein have been sourced from third parties. Boots Capital and the other Participants do not make any representations regarding the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of such third party statements or information. Except as may be expressly set forth herein, permission to cite such statements or information has neither been sought nor obtained from such third parties. Any such statements or information should not be viewed as an indication of support from such third parties for the views expressed herein.

CERTAIN INFORMATION CONCERNING THE PARTICIPANTS

The participants in the proxy solicitation are Boots Parallel 1, LP, Boots, LP, Boots Capital Management, LLC ("Boots Capital"), Boots GP, LLC, 4M Management Partners, LLC, 4M Investments, LLC, WRCB, L.P., Theodore B. Miller, Jr. and Tripp H. Rice (collectively, the "Boots Parties"); and Charles Campbell Green III and David P. Wheeler (together with Mr. Miller and Mr. Rice, the "Boots Nominees," and together with the Boots Parties, the "Participants").

Boots Capital and the other Participants have filed a definitive proxy statement and accompanying GOLD proxy card (the "Definitive Proxy Statement") with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on April 22, 2024 to be used to solicit proxies for, among other matters, the election of its slate of director nominees at the 2024 annual meeting of stockholders of Crown Castle Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Crown Castle" or the "Corporation").

IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND WHERE TO FIND IT

BOOTS CAPITAL STRONGLY ADVISES ALL STOCKHOLDERS OF CROWN CASTLE TO READ THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT, ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO SUCH DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT, AND OTHER PROXY MATERIALS FILED BY BOOTS CAPITAL AS THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. SUCH PROXY MATERIALS ARE AVAILABLE AT NO CHARGE ON THE SEC'S WEBSITE AT WWW.SEC.GOV AND AT BOOTS CAPITAL'S WEBSITE AT WWW.REBOOTCROWNCASTLE.COM. THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT AND ACCOMPANYING PROXY CARD WILL BE FURNISHED TO SOME OR ALL OF THE CORPORATION'S STOCKHOLDERS. STOCKHOLDERS MAY ALSO DIRECT A REQUEST TO THE PARTICIPANTS' PROXY SOLICITOR, MORROW SODALI LLC, 430 PARK AVE., 14TH FLOOR, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10022 (STOCKHOLDERS CAN CALL TOLL-FREE: (800) 662-5200).

Information about the Participants and a description of their direct or indirect interests by security holdings or otherwise can be found in the Definitive Proxy Statement.

SOURCE Boots Capital Management, LLC
Leviton's Network Solutions Business Unit committed to be Carbon Neutral by the year 2025 and is now the first of four Leviton Business Units to achieve Carbon Neutrality.

BOTHELL, Wash., May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Leviton's Network Solutions Business Unit announced today that it has achieved Carbon Neutrality. This achievement was completed with our global sustainability consultancy Sphera, and is inclusive of Scope 1, Scope 2, and selected Scope 3 emissions. Leviton employed a three-step process of measure, reduce, and offset to attain Carbon Neutrality. In 2021, Sphera measured Leviton's global carbon footprint and through analysis, we collectively identified areas of potential improvement. Leviton Network Solutions then went on to reduce its carbon emissions by 55% mainly through investment, including the transition to clean energy providers who power some of our largest manufacturing facilities to investing in on-site solar power at our Glenrothes, Scotland facility. Lastly, and because it is not possible to eliminate all carbon emissions currently, Leviton Network Solutions invested in clean energy-focused carbon offset projects offered through reputable companies in regions where we operate. Doing so allows Leviton to invest in energy projects that removed or prevented an equivalent amount of carbon from polluting the atmosphere.

Like Leviton Manufacturing of Canada ULC which achieved carbon neutrality in 2023, the Network Solutions business committed to be carbon neutral by 2025 and achieved the goal well ahead of plan. Leviton launched its CN2030 Sustainability Program in September of 2022 with the goal of achieving company-wide carbon neutrality by the year 2030. The company has made considerable progress towards that goal over the last two years and continues to be a vendor of choice for sustainability.

"As a global company, we can contribute to the fight against climate change and hopefully inspire others that this is possible. As such, we are focused on achieving our CN2030 sustainability program goals. Now that Network Solutions achieved carbon neutrality two years earlier than planned, we are more excited than ever to achieve carbon neutrality company-wide by 2030." said Ross Goldman, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Leviton Network Solutions and Chief Sustainability Officer, Leviton.

The company's 2022 Sustainability Report is published and available on the company's website. In it, Leviton details its commitment to sustainability, its plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, and its ambition to achieve Net Zero by 2050. Leviton announced that its 2023 sustainability report will be available mid-year 2024.

"We are very proud of our progress towards achieving company-wide carbon neutrality by 2030" said Daryoush Larizadeh, Leviton's President and CEO. "The scientific reports I have read say that as a global community, we are not reducing carbon emissions fast enough to achieve the goals outlined in the Paris Accord. This is something we all need to be concerned with and collectively need to act and expedite reducing carbon emissions."

More information on Leviton's CN2030 Sustainability Program can be found on the company's website, leviton.com/sustainability.

About Leviton Network Solutions

Leviton Network Solutions is a single-source global manufacturer of copper and fiber cabling systems. Leviton solutions are used in data centers, businesses, schools, hospitals, government facilities and commercial mixed-use markets around the world. All Leviton products are engineered to exacting standards, offer industry-leading performance and are backed by the industry's best service and support. IT management, builders, contractors, and other industry professionals consistently rank Leviton products as the most preferred brand in the industry. We can expand your network possibilities. Learn more at leviton.com/ns or twitter.com/LevitonNS. European customers can visit leviton.com/ns/emea or twitter.com/LevitonNS_EU.

About Leviton

Every day, Leviton is engineering possibilities that make the future happen, meeting the needs of today's residential, commercial, and industrial customers globally. From electrical, to lighting, to data networks, and energy management, Leviton develops thoughtful solutions that help make its customers' lives easier, safer, more efficient, and more productive. Driven by its commitment to its customers, the ingenuity of its employees and the safety and quality of its products and solutions, with Leviton, the FUTURE IS ON. For more information, visit leviton.com/, facebook.com/leviton, twitter.com/leviton, or youtube.com/Levitonmfg.

SOURCE Leviton
The global liquid adhesives market is driven by rise in industrial growth. One of the primary drivers of the liquid adhesives market is industrial growth. As industries expand, there is a proportional increase in the demand for bonding materials. Liquid adhesives find extensive applications across diverse sectors, including automotive, aerospace, construction, electronics, packaging, healthcare, and consumer goods. Expansion of manufacturing activities in these industries drives the consumption of adhesives for bonding various substrates such as metals, plastics, composites, and ceramics.

WILMINGTON, Del., May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Liquid Adhesives Market by Formulation (Water-based, Solvent-based, and Others), Substrate (Paper, Plastic, Glass, Wood, and Others), and End-User Industry (Automotive and Transportation, Building and Construction, Electronics, Packaging, Medical, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2033". According to the report, the "Liquid Adhesives Market" was valued at $38.3 billion in 2023, and is estimated to reach $56.7 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 4% from 2023 to 2033.

Prime determinants of growth

The global liquid adhesives market is driven by rapid technological advancements. Technological advancements play a pivotal role in driving innovation in the liquid adhesives market. Manufacturers continuously invest in R&D to enhance the performance characteristics of adhesives, including bonding strength, flexibility, durability, curing time, and environmental sustainability.

For instance, the development of hybrid and reactive adhesives that combine the advantages of different chemistries, such as cyanoacrylate and epoxy, polyurethane, has led to superior bonding solutions suitable for diverse applications. Also, advancements in nanotechnology have enabled the formulation of adhesives with enhanced properties such as improved adhesion on difficult-to-bond substrates, resistance to extreme temperatures and chemicals, and reduced curing times.

Furthermore, the growing emphasis on sustainability and environmental regulations has spurred the development of eco-friendly adhesives with low or zero volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions and reduced environmental impact. Water-based adhesives, solvent-free formulations, and bio-based alternatives are gaining traction as environmentally responsible bonding solutions. However, environmental and health issues associated with the use of liquid adhesives may restrain the growth of the liquid adhesives market.

Download Sample Pages of Research Overview:

https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/A323507

Report coverage & details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20232033 Base Year 2023 Market Size in 2023 $38.3 billion Market Size in 2033 $56.7 billion CAGR 4 % No. of Pages in Report 450 Segments covered Formulation, Substrate, End-user Industry, and Region. Drivers Industrial Growth and Manufacturing Trends Technological Advancements and Product Innovation Growing consumer preferences and DIY market Opportunities Emerging Market Expansion Collaborative Partnerships and Alliances Digitalization and Industry 4.0 Restraints Environmental and health issues associated with the use of liquid adhesives. High costs and price volatility of raw materials



The shaped segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period.

By formulation, the water-based segment accounted for the largest market share in 2023, contributing to nearly half of the global liquid adhesives market revenue. Water-based adhesives are considered environmentally friendly as compared to solvent-based alternatives as they have lower volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, reduced toxicity, and a smaller environmental footprint. Furthermore, rise in environmental awareness and stringent regulations aimed at reducing air pollution and promoting sustainable manufacturing practices have led to the adoption of water-based adhesives across various industries.

The paper segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period.

By substrate, the paper segment accounted for the largest share in 2023, contributing to more than one fifth of the global liquid adhesives market revenue. Liquid adhesives offer versatility in bonding various substrates, including paper, cardboard, wood, fabric, plastics, and metals. Paper, being a common material used in packaging, printing, crafts, and office supplies, benefits from the adhesive's ability to bond effectively to its surface. Furthermore, liquid adhesives are typically easy to apply on paper surfaces using applicators such as brushes, rollers, or nozzles. This ease of application enables precise control over the adhesive application, facilitating clean and efficient bonding.

Procure Complete Report (280 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/checkout-final/iquid-adhesives-market

The medical segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period.

By end-user industry, the medical segment accounted for the largest share in 2023, contributing to nearly one-third of the global liquid adhesives market revenue. Liquid adhesives play a crucial role in wound closure and surgical procedures, offering alternatives to traditional sutures, staples, and tapes. Moreover, surgical adhesives provide rapid and secure wound closure, minimizing tissue trauma, reducing the risk of infection, and promoting faster healing. Furthermore, the development of biocompatible and bioresorbable liquid adhesives tailored for medical applications has expanded the use of adhesives in surgical specialties such as orthopedics, cardiovascular surgery, neurosurgery, and plastic surgery.

Asia-Pacific to maintain its dominance by 2032.

Region-wise, Asia-Pacific held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2023, accounting for more than two-fifth of the global liquid adhesives market and is projected to register the highest CAGR of 4.6% during the forecast period. The Asia-Pacific region is experiencing robust industrial growth, driven by factors such as rise in population, expanding middle class, increase in consumer demand, and favorable government policies. Furthermore, growing manufacturing sectors, including automotive, electronics, packaging, construction, textiles, and consumer goods, drive the demand for liquid adhesives used in assembly, bonding, packaging, and product finishing applications.

In addition, rapid urbanization and infrastructure development in countries such as China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines fuel the demand for liquid adhesives in construction and building materials. Liquid adhesives are used in various construction applications, including flooring installation, tile fixing, wall paneling, insulation, waterproofing, and structural bonding, contributing to the growth of the liquid adhesive market in the Asia-Pacific region.

Want to Access the Statistical Data and Graphs, Key Players' Strategies:

https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/liquid-adhesives-market/purchase-options

Leading Market Players: -

3M Company

Company Avery Dennison Corporation

Beardow Adams

Bostik SA

DIC Corporation,

Dow Inc.,

H.B. Fuller Company,

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

Huntsman Corporation

Pidilite Industries Ltd

The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global liquid adhesives market. These players have adopted different strategies such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario.

Similar Reports:

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Pawan Kumar, the CEO of Allied Market Research, is leading the organization toward providing high-quality data and insights. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

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SOURCE Allied Market Research
ListEngage expands Salesforce practice with the acquisition of enterprise consulting firm 1to1.

BOSTON, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ListEngage has signed a definitive agreement to acquire 1to1, a premiere Salesforce Personalization consulting agency, providing enterprise solutions to organizations. 1to1 is led by longtime Salesforce trailblazer, and former Personalization Practice Lead at Salesforce, Pratik Desai. Upon completion of the acquisition, 1to1 will join the ListEngage team to enhance and expand services.

"The Salesforce ecosystem and MarTech landscape is undergoing massive change. We see this disruption as an opportunity to help hyper-personalize the customer experience to engage and delight the customer in the moment. Companies need help and will adopt these changes if we understand their unique needs better, present an accurate cost of ownership and business value. The acquisition of 1to1 puts us in a great position to solve these unique challenges faster than ever before," said Altaf Shaikh, ListEngage Founder and Chief Executive Officer.

1to1 has been an innovative force in the industry, helping to lead and shape the charge for personalized consumer marketing. "Two years ago, we leveraged our first-mover advantage in data and AI, allowing us to grow our partnerships significantly. Over this period, we've collaborated with over 40 brands to hyper-personalize their shopper experiences through AI solutions purpose-built on Salesforce, markedly enhancing customer engagement and satisfaction," said Pratik Desai, 1to1 Founder & CEO.

In addition to growing the Marketing Cloud Personalization practice, the acquisition of 1to1 expands ListEngage's capacity for integration and artificial intelligence-driven solutions for customers.

"After thorough analysis, we concluded that joining forces with the talented team at ListEngage provides the 1to1 team unparalleled resources and expertise. This partnership allows us to further enhance our offerings and expand our reach, continuing to deliver exceptional value to our customers as Data and AI become ubiquitous among Salesforce users. We are confident this new chapter will not only bolster our capabilities but also strengthen our collective market position in an increasingly competitive landscape," Desai continued.

"The talent and experience Pratik and the 1to1 team bring to the table will help organizations take customers from mere touchpoints to personalized and pointed experiences. On behalf of our entire team and ecosystem, I would like to welcome 1to1 to the ListEngage team," said Shaikh.

ListEngage is thrilled to welcome 1to1 to its decades-long legacy as a premier Salesforce exclusive consultancy. "We've been working with 1to1 for years, and the quality of service has been consistently exceptional, forging incredible results for our customers and partners. This acquisition improves our ability to service enterprise companies solving the biggest challenges in delivering a hyper-personalized customer experience," said Bryan da Frota, ListEngage Chief Operating Officer.

For more information about ListEngage, visit www.listengage.com

ListEngage is a full stack, full service, Salesforce-Ventures-backed certified partner. Our experts guide businesses to get the most out of Salesforce. We have successfully delivered 5,000+ projects across 3,000+ customers over our 20-year history.

SOURCE ListEngage
The company joins the prestigious list of Canada's Best Managed Companies for a second year.

MONTREAL, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - LOGISTEC Corporation ("LOGISTEC"), a leading marine and environmental services provider, has received the 2024 Canada's Best Managed Companies award, now for the second year. This award recognizes LOGISTEC's outstanding business performance, continuous sustained growth, bold strategy, and culture of innovation.

"We are very honored to be named a Best Managed Company for the second year," said Sean Pierce, Chief Executive Officer of LOGISTEC. "I am proud of our high-performing leadership team and our dedicated people across North America. This award not only acknowledges LOGISTEC's remarkable and consistent financial performance but also underscores our relentless culture of innovation that constantly pushes boundaries and exceeds expectations."

Now in its 31st year, Canada's Best Managed Companies is one of the country's most prestigious business awards programs, honoring Canadian-owned and managed businesses for their innovative, world-class business practices.

"Fuelled by our successful achievements, we will keep building on our strong foundation. Our long-term vision sets an ambitious destination while capitalizing on current market trends," added Sean Pierce.

The Best Managed Companies program celebrates companies that are demonstrating leadership in the areas of strategy, capabilities, innovation, culture, commitment, financials, and have a proven track record of achieving sustainable growth. Each year, hundreds of entrepreneurial companies undergo a rigorous and independent application process that evaluates the caliber of their management abilities and practices, but only the best are awarded this prestigious designation.

About LOGISTEC

LOGISTEC Corporation is based in Montreal (QC) and provides specialized services to the marine community and industrial companies in the areas of bulk, break-bulk and container cargo handling in 60 ports and 90 terminals located in North America. LOGISTEC Corporation also offers marine transportation services geared primarily to the Arctic coastal trade as well as marine agency services to shipowners and operators serving the Canadian market. Furthermore, the Company operates in the environmental industry where it provides services to industrial, municipal and other governmental customers for the renewal of underground water mains, PFAS treatment solutions, dredging, dewatering, contaminated soils and materials management, site remediation, risk assessment, and manufacturing of fluid transportation products. More information can be obtained on the Company's website at www.logistec.com.

About Canada's Best Managed Companies Program

Canada's Best Managed Companies program continues to be the mark of excellence for Canadian owned companies. Every year since the launch of the program in 1993, hundreds of entrepreneurial companies have competed for this designation in a rigorous and independent process that evaluates their management skills and practices. The awards are granted on four levels: 1) Canada's Best Managed Companies new winner (one of the new winners selected each year); 2) Canada's Best Managed Companies winner (award recipients that have re-applied and successfully retained their Best Managed designation for two additional years, subject to annual operational and financial review); 3) Gold Standard winner (after three consecutive years of maintaining their Best Managed status, these winners have demonstrated their commitment to the program and successfully retained their award for 4-6 consecutive years); 4) Platinum Club member (winners that have maintained their Best Managed status for seven years or more). Program sponsors are Deloitte Private, CIBC, The Globe and Mail, Salesforce and TMX Group. For more information, visit www.bestmanagedcompanies.ca .

SOURCE Logistec Corporation - Communications
Successfully extended the Norrberget deposit down-plunge by approximately 120 m or by an additional 80%;

or by an additional 80%; Intercepted significant grade deeper at Norrberget; and

Located sheeted gold bearing veining at the nearby Vidmyran target.

Assay Highlights

Norrberget

13.3 g/t gold over 5.55 m (ETW 5.22m ) in NB23-004; and

(ETW ) in NB23-004; and 17.5 g/t gold over 1.50 m (ETW 1.41m ) in NB23-007.

Vidmyran

17.2 g/t gold over 1.30 m (ETW 0.6m ) in VM22-001; and

(ETW ) in VM22-001; and 12.1 g/t gold over 1.40 m (ETW 1.2m ) in VM22-003.

Note: Further intercept details including significant intercepts within composite intervals can be found in the appendix to this document. ETW = Estimated True Width

Chris Davis, VP of Exploration and Operational Geology, commented:

"Mandalay has ramped up its regional exploration efforts at Bjorkdal with exciting results across three highly prospective areas: the Northern, Eastern, and Southern Prospects. Recent drilling has been focused within the Eastern Prospects, situated in a geologic setting analogous to that of the Bjorkdal mine and hosted within the same structural corridor. The Norrberget and Vidmyran targets are approximately 6 km east of the operating mine.

"Through the summer drilling campaigns of both 2022 and 2023, Mandalay drilled 19 holes into the two prospects. While the Norrberget orebody already has a Mineral Resource and a modest Reserve from previous drilling, it was noted that the system remained open at depth. Encouragingly, the drilling conducted in 2023 revealed the continued strength of the system, extending another 120 m down plunge and confirming its ongoing openness. A highlight was the discovery of a 13.3 g/t gold intercept over 5.55 m indicating a compelling potential for further depth extension. Moving southward, exploration at Vidmyran has shown promise with sheeted gold bearing veins present although for now the higher-grade intercepts are sparce.

"In 2024, Norrberget will again be a focus of exploration with a spring to summer drilling campaign. This initiative will further investigate the strong growth potential within this underexplored region of Mandalay's tenement holdings."

Eastern Prospects

Norrberget and Vidmyran, located approximately 6 km east of the active Bjorkdal mine, were identified as having strong potential for resource growth and subsequently drilled during 2022 and 2023. Both targets occur within a comparable stratigraphic horizon to the mineralization observed at Bjorkdal, and along strike of the regional shear system that aids in the formation of gold deposits in the district.

Norrberget

The Norrberget deposit is located about 6 km to the east of the Bjorkdal mine, on the eastern flank of the "Bjorkdal dome" (Figure 1-2). In 2016 Mandalay reported an Indicated Mineral Resource of 191Kt at 2.93g/t gold and Mineral Reserve of 170Kt at 2.74 g/t gold for Norrberget. The orebody, at that point, covered an area roughly 280 meters along strike, 150 meters down dip and 5-10 meters width, dipping ~20 to the North. The deposit was still open at depth but no further exploration occurred until the recent campaign.

During the 2023 summer campaign, a total of 2,077 meters were drilled across 12 drillholes. The objective of this campaign was to investigate the down-dip and along-strike continuation of previously defined deposit (Figure 2).

The program was successful in identifying high-grade mineralization in three holes down dip of previous drilling extending the previously known ore system by approximately 120m. A highlight of the drilling is 13.3 g/t gold over 5.55 m (ETW 5.22m) in NB23-004 (Figure 4). The area remains open and will feature in the 2024 drilling campaign.

Mineralization at Norrberget is hosted within a succession of altered volcaniclastic rocks and interbedded mafic tuffs sitting below a marble unit. The volcaniclastic rocks are strongly altered with bands of medium grained albite-actinolite alteration abundant throughout the unit. The contacts with the mafic tuff are sharp, the tuff is dark green, contains abundant amphibole and locally, randomly oriented albite grains. It is commonly overprinted by thin actinolite veinlets. The mineralization occurs commonly where the two rock types are interbedded, associated with alteration bands and veinlets in both rock types.

Vidmyran

The Vidmyran target is located 6 km southeast of the Bjorkdal mine, on the eastern flank of the "Bjorkdal dome" (Figure 1). Mineralization was initially identified in 1992, across a 1.5 km strike length that was described as similar in nature to that of Bjorkdal.

During the 2022 summer campaign a total of 1,901 metres were drilled across 7 drillholes. The main objective was to better understand the geology, veining orientations and controls on mineralization.

The program confirmed the presence of mineralization hosted below a marble unit, within moderate to strongly altered intercalated intermediate volcanics and mafic volcanics, injected by abundant tension quartz veins. Gold occurs predominantly in tension/sheeted quartz veins with minor sulphides. Also replicated was the high-grade nature of the mineralization with an intercept returning 53.8 g/t gold over 0.40 meters (Figure 6). In addition, drilling above the marble unit encountered low grade structurally controlled gold mineralization.

The mineralization in the area appears to be predominantly structurally controlled and shares similarities with that seen at Bjorkdal. Further investigation will be undertaken to unlock the areas full potential.

Drilling and Assaying

At Bjorkdal, all diamond drill core was logged and sampled by Bjorkdal geologists. Exploration drill hole samples were sent to CRS Laboratories Oy ("CRS") in Kempele, Finland for sample preparation and assaying.

Assaying was primarily conducted utilizing the Pal1000 cyanide leaching processes. For sulphide -rich samples, Fire-Assaying conducted at MSALABS (FAS-221, 50 g charge) in Canada, following sample preparations (crushing, pulverizing) at CRS Kempele. Mandalay's rigorous QA/QC program included the use of standard reference samples, blanks, duplicates, repeats, and internal laboratory quality assurance procedures. (see March 31, 2023, Technical Report entitled "Technical Report on the Bjorkdal Gold Mine, Sweden", available on SEDAR+ ( www.sedarplus.com ), which contains a complete description of drilling, sampling, and assaying procedures).

Qualified Person:

Chris Davis, Vice President of Operational Geology and Exploration at Mandalay Resources, is a Chartered Professional of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (MAusIMM CP(Geo)), as well as a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (MAIG) and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. He has reviewed and approved the technical and scientific information provided in this release.

Frazer Bourchier

President and Chief Executive Officer

Edison Nguyen

Director, Business Valuations and Investor Relations

About Mandalay Resources Corporation

Mandalay Resources is a Canadian-based natural resource company with producing assets in Australia (Costerfield gold-antimony mine) and Sweden (Bjorkdal gold mine). The Company is focused on growing its production and reducing costs to generate significant positive cashflow. Mandalay is committed to operating safely and in an environmentally responsible manner, while developing a high level of community and employee engagement.

Mandalay's mission is to create shareholder value through the profitable operation and continuing the regional exploration program, at both its Costerfield and Bjorkdal mines. Currently, the Company's main objectives are to continue mining the high-grade Youle vein at Costerfield, ramping up production from deeper Shepherd veins, both of which will continue to supply high-quality ore to the processing plant, and to extend Mineral Reserves. At Bjorkdal, the Company will continue to produce from the Aurora zone and other higher-grade areas in the coming years, in order to maximize profit margins from the mine.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the Company's exploration results and plans. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements depending on, among other things, changes in commodity prices and general market and economic conditions. The factors identified above are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that could affect Mandalay. A description of additional risks that could result in actual results and developments differing from those contemplated by forward-looking statements in this news release can be found under the heading "Risk Factors" in Mandalay's annual information form dated March 28, 2024, a copy of which is available under Mandalay's profile at www.sedarplus.com. In addition, there can be no assurance that any inferred resources that are discovered as a result of additional drilling will ever be upgraded to proven or probable reserves. Although Mandalay 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 as 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. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Appendix

Table 1. Drilling Composites

HOLE ID FROM (M) TO (M) INTERVAL (M) ESTIMATED

TRUE WIDTH (M) GOLD

GRADE (G/T) GOLD GRADE

DILUTED TO 1 M (G/T) NB23-004 108.85 110.30 1.45 1.26 1.0 1.0 NB23-004 111.80 117.35 5.55 5.22 13.3 13.3 NB23-004 127.30 129.40 2.10 1.61 2.3 2.3 NB23-005 134.20 138.70 4.50 3.69 1.7 1.7 NB23-006 130.65 135.15 4.50 3.90 2.0 2.0 NB23-007 120.80 122.30 1.50 1.41 17.5 17.5 NB23-007 138.50 139.00 0.50 0.47 2.5 1.2 NB23-008B 143.90 145.80 1.90 1.46 3.5 3.5 VM22-001 221.90 223.20 1.30 0.65 17.2 11.2 VM22-003 62.50 63.00 0.50 0.43 1.5 0.7 VM22-003 141.30 142.70 1.40 1.21 12.2 12.2

Notes 1. Where true widths are greater than 1m, grades are not diluted and are presented as the grade over the composite true width. 2. Composites that are below 0.5 g/t Au when diluted to 1 m are not reported in this table.

Table 2. Drill Hole Collar Details

HOLE ID SWEREF

NORTH SWEREF

EAST SWEREF

ELEVATION DEPTH AZIMUTH

(SWEREF) DIP DATE

FINISHED NB23-001 7211963 769127 124 150 220 -55 29/08/2023 NB23-002 7211963 769127 124 158.6 190 -40 30/08/2023 NB23-003 7211970 769155 124 182.05 190 -61 01/09/2023 NB23-004 7211970 769155 124 182.6 140 -60 02/09/2023 NB23-005 7212039 769130 123 182.5 140 -56 04/09/2023 NB23-006 7212039 769130 123 203.7 150 -50 06/09/2023 NB23-007 7212045 769093 122 163.8 170 -44 08/09/2023 NB23-008B 7212046 769095 123 171 140 -51 10/09/2023 NB23-009 7212045 769093 123 191.2 175 -60 07/09/2023 NB23-010 7211939 769390 125 170.7 200 -60 12/09/2023 NB23-011 7211840 769504 137 200.6 235 -40 14/09/2023 NB23-012 7211905 769003 124 120.1 205 -51 11/09/2023 VM22-001 7209709 769358 49 297.7 305 -53 29/05/2022 VM22-002 7209945 769435 108 250.4 235 -45 02/06/2022 VM22-003 7209817 769429 95 299.3 305 -55 09/06/2022 VM22-005 7210039 769245 112 251.5 355 -55 05/06/2022 VM22-006 7210268 769532 131 251 305 -54 13/06/2022 VM22-007 7210362 769723 132 351 305 -55 17/06/2022 VM22-008 7210707 769472 139 200.1 25 -55 19/06/2022

SOURCE Mandalay Resources Corporation

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Announces longevity preparedness research; builds on insurer's commitment to help people live longer, healthier, better lives

BOSTON, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - John Hancock, along with its Toronto-based parent company Manulife (NYSE: MFC), today announced a five-year, multimillion-dollar research collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) AgeLab, a multi-disciplinary research institute that works with business, government, and NGOs, leading innovation and research to help improve the quality of life for the aging population and their loved ones. Over the next five years, Manulife/John Hancock and the MIT AgeLab will collaborate to research the future of longevity innovation, developing research, thought leadership, and workshops with the goal of driving actionable insights for the business community, policymakers, and individuals and their families.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) reports that by 2050, the number of people aged over 60 is expected to double to 2.1 billion. Yet, one-fifth of an individual's life, on average, is now expected to be lived with morbidity or in a state of illness. Lifespans and healthspans are not evenly distributed at the national or global level: a significant outcome of socioeconomic and environmental disparities. As such gaps expand, so does the need for immediate action to address what is already a major longevity crisis in our communities and the world at large. As the aging population grows, better understanding the intersection of health and wealth, including preventative health measures and retirement planning, will be paramount.

"The fastest-growing age cohort in the world is people over 85. As we continue to see people live longer lives, it is crucial that we gain new insight into how we can make longer lives synonymous with better and healthier lives," said Brooks Tingle, president and CEO, John Hancock. "We fundamentally believe in helping make this a reality and know that this ambition does not start and end within the walls of our business. That's why we're committed to collaborating with leaders in the space, like the MIT AgeLab, to help provide othersfrom policymakers to industry leaders to healthcare advocateswith critical learnings that can scale our shared mission to drive better health and wealth outcomes."

This research will explore the critical tenets of longevity in the United States and hopes to develop a first-of-its-kind longevity preparedness index, to be produced annually over an initial five-year period. As lifespans continue to increase worldwide, the index will measure the readiness of Americans from every generation to live a longer, healthier, and better life; and provide data-driven insights for maximizing financial planning, health and wellness habits, work and retirement transition planning, housing choices, end-of-life planning, and technological advances that support critical health and financial needs at each step of the aging process. Research on the first annual index will begin in the spring of 2024. The index is expected to expand to include Canada as the collaboration evolves.

MIT AgeLab founder and director Dr. Joseph Coughlin will lead this work with a team of social and data scientists along with experts outside of MIT. In addition to the index, the group will host several workshops throughout the year to engage in discussions and activations around longevity, generational dynamics, new technology, and behavioral insurance. Manulife/John Hancock has also joined the MIT AgeLab PLAN, an industry consortium examining how the business of advice might better prepare people to live 100 good years.

"My research team is excited to embark on this research collaboration with Manulife/John Hancock," said MIT AgeLab's Coughlin. "The spirit of MIT is to think and do. We want not only to identify the many different dimensions of what it takes to live longer, better; but also to measure the preparedness of a nation to live 100 good years. It is our shared objective that our work will educate and motivate people to do what it takes for themselves, their families, and their communitiesto turn a longer life into a better life for all."

The MIT AgeLab, based within MIT's Center for Transportation & Logistics, is known internationally for its multi-disciplinary work exploring avenues of pragmatic, actionable innovation desired by, and useful to, aging consumers and workers, as well as their loved ones. This ongoing project spans sectors including automotive, healthcare, caregiving, housing and community design, and financial services; and inspired Coughlin's bestselling 2017 book, The Longevity Economy.

This announcement supports Manulife's Impact Agenda, which seeks to empower sustained health and well-being, and builds on John Hancock's inaugural Longer. Healthier. Better. Symposium hosted in Boston in September of 2023, where global leaders across public and private sectors convened to share the latest research and innovations driving the future of longevity. Globally, Manulife was proud to support WEF's recently announced Longevity Economy Principles, which offer a strategic approach to addressing the global longevity crisis. Manulife also recently announced a multi-year partnership with UpLink, WEF's open innovation platform, designed to help shape the future of, and investment in, longevity innovation.

Learn more about Manulife, John Hancock, and the MIT AgeLab.

About John Hancock and Manulife

John Hancock is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading international financial services provider that helps people make their decisions easier and lives better by providing financial advice, insurance, and wealth and asset management solutions. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as MFC on the TSX, NYSE, and PSE, and under 945 on the SEHK. Manulife can be found at manulife.com. One of the largest life insurers in the United States, John Hancock supports more than ten million Americans with a broad range of financial products, including life insurance and annuities. John Hancock also supports US investors by bringing leading investment capabilities and retirement planning and administration expertise to individuals and institutions. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at johnhancock.com.

SOURCE John Hancock
Mattamy's Raleigh division wins "Building Company of the Year," among other honors, at 2024 ceremony

RALEIGH, NC, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Mattamy Homes, North America's largest privately owned homebuilder, took home five top honors, including a "Building Company of the Year Award" from the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County.

Mattamy collected the prizes at the HBA's 2024 Major Achievements in Marketing Excellence Awards (MAME), considered "the Academy Awards of new home sales and marketing," according to the HBA's website. The HBA's Triangle Sales and Marketing Council presented the awards May 3 at the Raleigh Convention Center.

Mattamy Homes, North America's largest privately owned homebuilder, took home five top honors, including a Building Company of the Year Award from the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County. (CNW Group/Mattamy Homes Limited)

Mattamy's accolades include:

Building Company of the Year

(Level 4: Volume 301500 Total Homes Closed in Triangle Market)

Mattamy Homes Raleigh division.

Best Product Design for a Detached Homes: High Grove Oaks - The Prescott

(Sales Price of $750,000-$850,000)

The 3,876 sq. ft., five-bedroom, 4.5-bath model highlights an innovative, open-concept space with ample floorplan options.

Best Model Merchandising for an Attached Home: Magnolia Park Townes - The Blayre

(Sales Price of $300,000-$400,000)

Merchandising showcases simplicity, efficiency, flexibility and generous room for self-expression, thoughtfully designed for the Gen X target market.

Best Model Merchandising for a Detached Home: Magnolia Park - The Summit Model

(Sales Price of $451,000-$500,000)

Merchandising appeals to Millennials, the target market, with clutter-free functionality and emphases on sustainability, fitness and connection to the outdoors.

Best Monument - High Grove Oaks

The dramatic post-and-beam monument evokes the rusticity of the community's serene surroundings, while white brickwork and meticulous landscaping provide a contemporary feel.

"We are honored by the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County and thankful as always for these prestigious awards," said Bob Wiggins, President of Mattamy Homes' Raleigh Division. "At the same time, we know that these accolades belong to the people that brought these concepts to lifeMattamy's Raleigh division team that tirelessly works to create the best possible homebuying experience in the Triangle."

About Mattamy Homes

Mattamy Homes is the largest privately owned homebuilder in North America, with 40-plus years of history across the United States and Canada. Every year, Mattamy helps more than 8,000 families realize their dream of homeownership. In the United States, the company is represented in 11 markets  Dallas, Charlotte, Raleigh, Phoenix, Tucson, Jacksonville, Orlando (where its US head office is located), Tampa, Sarasota, Naples and Southeast Florida  and in Canada, its communities stretch across the Greater Toronto Area, as well as in Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton. Visit www.mattamyhomes.com for more information.

About the Home Builders Association of Raleigh - Wake County

The Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County is the largest single-county and second-largest HBA in the nation. Members include new-home builders, remodelers, developers, suppliers and sales and marketing professionals. The association provides members with a wide range of resources and information on issues involving the homebuilding industry such as land use, economic and legal matters. The HBA also provides opportunities for business development, education, professional growth and networking.

About The Triangle Sales and Marketing Council

The Triangle Sales and Marketing Council of the Raleigh-Wake County Home Builders Association presents the awards to showcase members' professional achievements. The Major Achievements in Marketing and Excellence (MAME) Awards is one of the TSMC's largest annual events.

SOURCE Mattamy Homes Limited
SAN JOSE, Calif., May 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Meditrina, a leading innovator in gynecologic medical devices, announces the successful receipt of UKCA Mark, and CE Mark approval in accordance with Regulation (EU) 20147/745, for its state-of-the-art Aveta Hysteroscopy System. With this significant milestone achieved, Meditrina is thrilled to enter international markets, marking a pivotal moment in the company's commitment to advancing women's health globally.

Receiving the UKCA and CE Mark approval underscores Meditrina's dedication to meeting the highest standards of quality, safety, and efficacy required for market entry in the European Union and the UK. This achievement not only validates the company's commitment to regulatory compliance but also positions Meditrina as a trusted provider of cutting-edge medical solutions.

Hysteroscopy is a crucial diagnostic and therapeutic procedure used to evaluate and treat conditions affecting the uterus. Meditrina's Aveta hysteroscopy system combines advanced technology with ergonomic design, enabling healthcare professionals to perform minimally invasive procedures with enhanced visualization and control, ultimately leading to improved patient outcomes and experiences.

"We are excited to receive UKCA and CE Mark approval for our hysteroscopy system, as it validates the exceptional quality and performance of our product," remarked Csaba Truckai, CEO of Meditrina. "Furthermore, the successful completion of our initial international procedures in Spain and Denmark signifies a significant milestone in our mission to revolutionize women's healthcare on a global scale. We are proud to collaborate with healthcare providers worldwide in delivering advanced solutions that empower women to lead healthier lives."

The appointment of Ray Gerena as the Senior Vice President of Global Sales further strengthens Meditrina's commitment to driving growth and expanding its global footprint. With Ray's extensive experience and leadership in strategic sales initiatives, Meditrina is well-positioned to capitalize on new market opportunities and forge strong partnerships with healthcare providers worldwide.

Ray remarked, "I am honored to join Meditrina at such an exciting time in its journey. The UKCA and CE Mark approval and successful international procedures represent significant milestones for the company, and I am eager to lead our global sales efforts in bringing our innovative hysteroscopy system to healthcare providers around the world. Together, we will continue to make a meaningful impact on women's health."

The inaugural international procedures conducted in Spain and Denmark exemplify the growing demand for Meditrina's groundbreaking hysteroscopy system beyond the United States. Healthcare professionals in Spain and Denmark have embraced the technology's capabilities, recognizing its potential in the diagnosis and treatment of various gynecological conditions while prioritizing patient comfort and safety.

Through ongoing innovation and collaboration, Meditrina remains steadfast in its commitment to empowering healthcare professionals and improving outcomes for women worldwide.

About Meditrina:

Founded in 2016, Meditrina, Inc. designs and develops innovative medical devices for minimally invasive gynecology. For more information, visit www.avetasystem.com.

Contact:

Abbey Taylor

Associate VP of Marketing

[email protected]

SOURCE Meditrina Inc.

Aveta is a registered trademark of Meditrina Inc.

SOURCE Meditrina, Inc.
Mews now serves 15% of available rooms in German hotels, apartments and hostels

DETMOLD, Germany, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mews, a leader in hospitality technology and cloud-native property management systems (PMS), today announced its acquisition of HS3 Hotelsoftware, the German-founded on-premises property management system.

The acquisition bolsters the presence of Mews in Germany, bringing significant market penetration of Mews in the market. The acquisition comes as more hotels adopt cloud technology, where Mews has grown its customer base by 93% as the post-pandemic digitalization in Germany gathers pace.

The German hospitality market is seeing rapid transformation which is raising the bar for guest experience. Post this

Following its latest funding of $110m, Mews is accelerating its growth with expansion in key markets. Today, Mews is used by over 700 hotels, apartments, hostels and campsites in DACH and over 30,000 beds in the region are managed via Mews software. 76% of Mews customers in Germany are small and medium hotels, including Hotel Oderberger in Berlin, harry's home and Paulinenhof.

"The German hospitality market is seeing rapid transformation which is raising the bar for guest experience. That's why it's such an exciting time to join forces with Mews, for our team, our customers and the future of hospitality in Germany," commented Thorsten Mesch, CEO of HS3 Hotelsoftware.

Founded in 2009, HS3 Hotelsoftware has over 15 years of experience helping hotels to exceed their guests' expectations and a team with deep knowledge of streamlining hotel operations. With over 3,500 customers using its software, HS3 Hotelsoftware is known for its intuitive operations and ability to make processes more efficient.

"More and more hoteliers in Germany are embracing automation and innovation to reshape the way hospitality is delivered. The transformation we're seeing isn't limited to the big hotel groups. A significant amount of innovation is in the independent hotel sector, with hoteliers digitizing their operations to create unique and remarkable experiences for their guests," Richard Valtr, Founder of Mews, commented.

Matt Welle, CEO of Mews added, "The DACH region has quickly become one of our fastest growing markets with more independent hoteliers seeking to modernize their technology. Acquiring HS3 Hotelsoftware is a significant step to help more German hoteliers onto the cloud, as we triple the number of rooms in Germany that are managed via Mews. We are incredibly excited to welcome the brilliant team to Mews and to support HS3's customers to provide remarkable hospitality for years to come."

The acquisition, which was managed by Mews Ventures to accelerate transformation in the hospitality industry, further strengthens the company's commitment to delivering technology that simplifies operations for modern hoteliers and their guests.

As part of its increased presence in Germany, Mews will be attending upnxt Das Hospitality Festival in June.

About Mews

Mews is the leading platform for the new era of hospitality. Founded by hoteliers in 2012, and now powering over 5,000 customers across more than 85 countries, Mews Hospitality Cloud is designed to streamline operations for modern hoteliers, transform the guest experience and create more profitable businesses. Customers include Generator-Freehand, The Strawberry Group, The Social Hub, and Airelles. Mews was named Best PMS (2024) and listed among the Best Place to Work in Hotel Tech (2021, 2022, 2024) by Hotel Tech Report, as well as World's Best Hotel PMS Provider (2023) and World's Best Independent Hotel PMS Provider (2022, 2023) by World Travel Tech Awards. The company has offices in Europe, the United States and Australia.

For more information, please contact Katie Halfhead: [email protected]

About HS3 Hotelsoftware

HS3 Hotelsoftware GmbH & Co. KG has been one of the leading front office system manufacturers for over 20 years. With its three editions - Basic, Professional and Premium - HS3 Hotelsoftware supports smaller hotels and guesthouses as well as centrally managed hotel groups and large medium-sized hotels. Thanks to its modular structure, HS3 can be individually configured for each hotel business using additional modules, interfaces or additional workstations. Short implementation times, intuitive user guidance and comprehensive functionality guarantee the high cost-effectiveness and efficiency of HS3 in day-to-day operations. Qualified support and a wide range of training programmes make HS3 Hotelsoftware a strong PMS provider. From its headquarters in Germany, HS3 supports well over 3,500 hotel and accommodation businesses in almost 20 countries.

SOURCE Mews
AUSTIN, Texas, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Interplay Learning , the leading provider of immersive skilled trades training, is thrilled to announce its partnership with Corvias , a world-class military housing services provider. This strategic collaboration enables maintenance teams across Corvias' seven military installations in six states to have mobile access to technical training. By integrating Interplay's cutting-edge 3D simulations directly to tablets, prioritizing safety training, and fostering career growth, the partnership equips maintenance teams with real-time skills and knowledge necessary to provide exceptional service to their residents.

Interplay Learning's platform has seamlessly integrated into Corvias' training program, with over 450 technicians accessing training courses directly on their tablets. This convenient and flexible approach to learning enables technicians of all skill levels to efficiently enhance their abilities anywhere, anytime, while minimizing disruption to their daily responsibilities. This ensures they can train on the go and promptly return to serving residents, which remains Corvias' top priority.

"Our industry is constantly changing and requires us to stay up to date," said Stanley Christensen, Corvias' regional vice president of facilities. "Interplay Learning provides a partnership that keeps us sharp, and it's well-received by our team because it's modern and comprehensively covers the troubleshooting and technical issues they face."

Recognizing the importance of ensuring maintenance technicians are equipped with the latest skills and knowledge, Corvias is leveraging Interplay's state-of-the-art 3D simulations to create immersive training experiences. These simulations replicate real-world scenarios, enabling technicians to develop practical skills and expertise in a risk-free environment. This innovative approach enhances technical proficiency and instills a strong commitment to safety, ensuring the well-being of both technicians and residents alike.

Furthermore, the Interplay platform helps Corvias establish clear career pathways for its valued maintenance team members, fostering professional development and ongoing advancement opportunities within the organization. This commitment to employee growth aligns with Corvias' core principles of providing exceptional customer service and being the best place to work.

"We want to be trendsetters in our industry, recognized as the best at what we do," said Christensen. "Training is key to achieving that goal, and Interplay is an invaluable partner in our journey towards world-class excellence."

"This partnership with Corvias embodies our commitment to revolutionizing technical training for the skilled trades," said Doug Donovan, CEO and founder of Interplay Learning. "By integrating cutting-edge technology, prioritizing safety, and fostering career advancement, we're not just training technicians  we're empowering them to become leaders in their field, ensuring the highest service standards for our military families."

About Corvias

Corvias partners with the Department of Defense and higher education institutions to solve infrastructure and energy resiliency challenges and to create long-term, sustainable value through our unique Solutions Through Partnerships approach. Corvias partnerships enhance the well-being of our communities, including at the largest renewable energy project in Kansas and resiliency projects nationwide. Our more than 72,000 residents consistently highly rank the courtesy and professionalism of our maintenance and leasing personnel. To learn more, please visit www.corvias.com .

About Corvias Property Management

Corvias Property Management applies its resident-first approach to provide housing operations, maintenance and service support for university and military communities to create safe, high-quality places to live, learn, work and interact. Across 10 U.S. states, Corvias Property Management maintains 42,000 residential units, totaling approximately 50 million square feet of real estate, including at seven military installations and 15 universities.

About Interplay Learning

Austin-based Interplay Learning is the industry leader in immersive training solutions for the skilled trades. Interplay's acclaimed training platform enables rapid upskilling and empowers new technicians to be job-ready within weeks, not years. Featuring expert-led videos, hands-on 3D simulations, knowledge checks, and personalized learning paths, Interplay's platform is more scalable and engaging than traditional training. Leveraging advanced technologies like AI and VR, Interplay is reshaping the future of online skilled trades training, delivering highly effective learning experiences that result in better careers and better lives.

Recent accolades include Fast Company's 2024 Most Innovative Companies in the World, AHR's 2024 Innovation Award, Forbes' 2023 America's Best Startup Employers, 2022 Inc. 5000 list, and 2022 Inc. Best in Business list. Visit www.interplaylearning.com to learn more.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Heather Ripley

Ripley PR

(865) 977-1973

[email protected]

SOURCE Interplay Learning
MFA's new "Texas Report Card" gives several GOP lawmakers poor grades ahead of critical runoff races

BRANSON, Mo., May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Moms for America Action (MFA)  a national network of 500,000 conservative moms  has launched a grassroots campaign calling out Speaker Dade Phelan and five other Texas House Republicans in the runoff election for their abandonment of conservative principles. MFA's network of mom activists is being deployed to each of the eight voting districts and is distributing its just released "Texas Report Card" to help educate voters ahead of the May 28 election.

The Texas Report Card encompasses nearly 200 policies, and just like school report cards, provides an A to F grade for each Texas lawmaker based on their voting records on the issues moms care about most. Some of the key issues evaluated in the report card include the expansion of school choice, parental rights in education, the economy, borders and immigration, law and order, election integrity, and medical freedom.

The Texas Republicans who have Failed Moms

Dade Phelan (41.67%) F

Frederick Frazier (61.54%) D

DeWayne Burns (64.25%) D

John Kuempel (64.55%) D

Gary VanDeaver (65.84%) D

Justin Holland (67.00%) D

"Texas moms have had enough of the big government policy agenda of Speaker Phelan and his allies," said Kimberly Fletcher, CEO of Moms for America. "We hold our children accountable for their poor grades in school, and it is about time that we do the same for our politicians. That is why we created the Texas Report Card and will be replacing the lawmakers who received failing grades with real conservatives who will fight for limited government principles."

Since our founding in 2004, Moms for America had been the trusted source for moms looking to promote a love of liberty in their homes and communities. Our national movement of over 500,000 mothers reclaims our culture for truth, family, freedom and the Constitution in our homes, communities, and through our vote.

SOURCE Moms for America Action
Performance and capabilities of the American government holding steady with Biden administration delivering improvements in leadership and institutions

LONDON, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chandler Institute of Governance (CIG) launches the fourth edition of the Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI) today live from London with an event featuring The Hon. Julia Gillard AC, Australia's 27th Prime Minister.

Standing out amongst this year's moves in the rankings, the 2024 CGGI reveals a major slide in government effectiveness and capabilities in Russia, likely exacerbated by the invasion of Ukraine and ongoing war. Russia fell 12 places in the overall rankings from 2023, with the slide most pronounced in the index 'pillars' for 'Financial Stewardship' (-27 places); 'Robust Laws & Policies' (-16 places); 'Global Influence & Reputation' (-16 places); and 'Attractive Marketplace' (-14 places).

The 2024 CGGI rankings also captured significant movements in government performance that reinforce existing global trends  most worryingly for those working in the development space, that the performance gap, or 'governance gap', between the better performing states and those which are weaker, appears to be widening. Put simply, countries that have improved the most were generally already performing well, while countries that declined the most were already not performing as well. Indicative of this trend, noteworthy moves up in this year's rankings were the UAE (+6 places, to 14th) and Greece (+4 places to 41st), while in the bottom half of the rankings were some of the most pronounced fallers: Honduras (-13 places to 97th), Ethiopia (-12 places to 106th) and Turkiye (-12 places to 70th).

United States performance

The US remains in the Top 15 of the CGGI. USA fell one place from last year to 15th overall in 2024. Canada ranks 12th place overall.

The US has made considerable progress in the 'Leadership & Foresight' pillar, rising to 6th place, up from 15th in 2021. A similar jump from 27th to 16th in the 'Strong Institutions' pillar can be seen over the same period. However, there were drops in two CGGI pillars: in 'Robust Laws & Policies' by two places to 16th, and in 'Global Influence & Reputation', where the US fell two places to 7th overall.

A sharp fall in the 'Helping People Rise' pillar from 31st in 2021 to 36th in 2024, captures how 'Social Mobility', which a constituent indicator within the pillar, is an area of concern. In this pillar, indicators for 'Satisfaction with Public Services', 'Personal Safety' and 'Income Distribution' all saw the US fall into the bottom half of the rankings.

US 2024 Index Performance

Pillar United States's results Leadership & Foresight 6 Robust Laws & Policies 16 Strong Institutions 16 Financial Stewardship 13 Attractive Marketplace 9 Global Influence & Reputation 7 Helping People Rise 36

The 2024 CGGI Top Ten Countries

Country CGGI 2024 Rank CGGI 2024 Score Change from 2023 Singapore 1 0.865 - Denmark 2 0.835 +2 Finland 3 0.829 - Switzerland 4 0.816 -2 Norway 5 0.810 - Sweden 6 0.806 - Luxembourg 7 0.796 New Germany 8 0.792 - Netherlands 9 0.790 -2 Ireland 10 0.771 +1

Key Global Insights from the 2024 CGGI:

Europe continues to dominate the top 10 positions in the rankings, with only one non-European country  Singapore .

continues to dominate the top 10 positions in the rankings, with only one non-European country  . Botswana is this year's biggest gainer in the overall rankings, moving up 12 places to 53 rd , and overtaking Rwanda as the 2 nd top-performing Sub-Saharan African country.

is this year's biggest gainer in the overall rankings, moving up 12 places to 53 , and overtaking as the 2 top-performing Sub-Saharan African country. Other major moves up the rankings include the United Arab Emirates (up six places to 14 th ) and Greece (up four places to 41 st ).

(up six places to 14 According to analysis captured in the 2024 CGGI report, good government is closely correlated with several critical future-forward capabilities. CIG analysis found that 'Good governments' are better able to: Achieve peace and stability. Retain and develop professional talent. Develop, adopt, and deploy new technologies like AI. Adapt to environmental threats and climate change.

CIG

Kenneth Sim, Managing Director at the CIG said:

"2024 is a monumental year for global governance, and potential leadership transitions around the world, as elections covering more than half the world's population are held. While the CGGI takes a neutral view on models of government, 2024 provides a moment to reflect on what a future-ready government looks like given the magnitude of the challenges national leaders face.

With the benefit of four years of data, the CGGI is starting to show some concerning trends, such as a widening of the 'governance gap', as better performing nations get better, and many poorer performing states decline. But we have also been able to see steady improvements and significant leaps in certain areas and with some nations, and want to recognise these efforts through our index, to help countries focus on long-term improvements that will create strong and prosperous nations, at a time when they are needed more than ever."

Julia Gillard, Former Prime Minister of Australia:

"Governance systems and political ideology are often thrown into the spotlight in the discourse on government. These matter, of course, as they reflect the values of government leaders and the people they represent. But regardless of where we stand on the political spectrum, most public sector leaders will agree that government capabilities, like ethical leadership, financial stewardship, long-term planning, and cross-government coordination matter greatly in determining national outcomes. In providing a measurement framework that zeroes in on the key elements of government capability and performance, the CGGI is a useful analytical tool to help government leaders on their respective paths toward improvement and innovation."

The full 2024 CGGI rankings and report will be available from 19:01 DST, 14 MAY 2024 // 00:01 BST / UTC+1, 15 MAY 2024, on the interactive CGGI website, here.

Media inquiries:

Eliza Wisbey

[email protected] // +44 7867 160 839

Yi Ting Koh

[email protected] // +65 91159848

SOURCE Chandler Institute of Governance
Top Trend in Education Lets Parents Tailor Education to Their Children

WELLINGTON, Fla., May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Parents seeking a better education are increasingly opting for microschools which offer a student-centered, high-quality education with flexibility that is ideal for today's busy families.

The latest venture in microschools is a partnership between Stanza Education Corporation and its network school Holston Academy (an accredited online private school), and bespoke tutoring center, Palm Beach International Academy (PBIA), that will launch its first location in Florida later this year. Holston's 6-12th grade private online school combined with PBIA's tutoring center offers a suite of tailored services to students including: the flexibility of online learning, 1:1 in-person academic support and a high-touch, personalized experience.

"At a time when students are busier than ever and struggling to fit it all in, families are searching for something better. This partnership with PBIA will allow students to receive an excellent education with balance and without compromise," said Megan O'Reilly Palevich, executive director of Holston Academy. "Students should have the time they need to fit in school, homework, studying, extracurricular activities and passions -- without sacrificing sleep, socializing or their mental health."

The education landscape has seen a recent surge in microschools, that boast small class sizes and a more personalized learning experience tailored to each student. Being described as a modern reinvention of the one-room schoolhouse, they've caught the attention of many parents during a time when public and private schools are dealing with ongoing challenges such as teacher shortages.

In 1989, PBIA was established as a learning center by Joanne Weiner and has become a highly regarded, beloved staple in the equestrian community. "Forming a partnership with Stanza Education is a perfect match for PBIA", says Weiner. "The quality and rigor of their academic programs meet the standards our families and students have come to expect, and they offer a superlative network of professionals to support this educational model. This relationship will create an incredible impact for students in the US and around the world."

About Stanza Education Corporation

Stanza Education Corporation empowers organizations to create small learning communities that cultivate future-ready students by providing personalized curriculum and instruction, streamlined processes and innovative systems. Our network of schools includes accredited, nonprofit online and brick-and-mortar private microschools for grades 6-12.

About Palm Beach International Academy

Since 1989, Palm Beach International Academy (PBIA) has been developing self-paced, individualized academic programs for K-12 and University students whose lifestyles, activities and passions require flexible and varied schedules, with 1:1 instruction and small group classes using live, in-person and on-line educators. Our mission is to provide educational programs that foster curiosity, instill knowledge and promote cultural awareness in positive, innovative and caring environments, while focusing on the unique learning styles and needs of each student. Our vision is to be among the global leaders in education by building long-term, multi-generational relationships with educated, principled, empathetic and accomplished individuals.

CONTACT:

Ann Abajian, VP of Communications

(559) 903-7893

[email protected]

Laura Loughead, Director of Communications

(661) 571-1660

SOURCE Stanza Education Corporation
PHILADELPHIA, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Asendia, a global leader in e-commerce and mail solutions, and ESW, leading global direct-to-consumer (DTC) e-commerce company, share the latest insights from Shipping and Returns: Leveraging Logistics to Unlock Global Loyalty.

About half of shoppers are willing to purchase products even if there is a nominal charge to make a return

Gen Z shoppers are nearly twice as likely as Baby Boomers to accept a returns fee.

A quarter of consumers would be more likely to shop cross-border if all import charges, taxes and duties were disclosed.

40% of shoppers are willing to wait up to a week for their international purchases to be delivered.

Key findings based on data from more than 18,000 respondents in 18 countries show customer expectations regarding the post-purchase journey  particularly regarding cross-border returns  are both high and varied.

The report highlights several key concerns customers have related to shipping and returns, and helps global brands and merchants understand how to meet consumer expectations. It offers insights into consumer sentiment regarding transparency around fees and return policies, charging a returns or restocking fee, and free returns in exchange for a subscription membership.

Returns logistics can be challenging and expensive, therefore many retailers have begun implementing return fees to cover costs and deter shoppers from making excessive purchases with the intention of returning most. Overall, nearly half of consumers said they are willing to make purchases even if there was a nominal returns charge. However, Gen Z was more than 1.7 times more likely to accept a fee than Baby Boomers. India, UAE, and South Korea were most willing to accept return charges.

27% of respondents said they are inclined to pay for a membership if it means they can return purchases for free. Another 27% would pay return shipping charges. More than four in 10 shoppers in India, China, and Mexico would pay a membership fee that includes free returns. However, only 15% of UK, German, and Swiss shoppers would pay a membership fee, though they would pay for return shipping.

"In today's global marketplace, a robust cross-border returns strategy isn't just another box to tick, it's a strategic imperative. Prioritising a seamless, customer-centric return process enhances satisfaction, builds trust, and ultimately fuels long-term success. Each market is a unique ecosystem, with distinct customer behaviors and preferences", comments Helen Scurfield, CEO Global Returns, Asendia.

To download the report, visit https://www.asendia.com/en-us/mastering-returns-webinar.

SOURCE Asendia USA, Inc
With the Oracle Nor 1 AI-powered upselling tool, properties can help increase revenue while providing tailored experiences to guests

Properties using Nor1 eStandby Upgrade averaged a 17% uptick in upsell revenue per transaction over booked rates

AUSTIN, Texas, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Oracle Hospitality today announced that it has signed an agreement with Choice Hotels International, one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world, to extend its AI-powered merchandising solution Oracle Nor1, to its portfolio of upscale hotels to help them capitalize on incremental revenue opportunities. With applied AI built into to the system, each hotel can present targeted offers via its mobile app or digital marketing channels with relevant and targeted options to have the highest probability of conversion. This includes offers at every stage of the guest's journey, from initiating a room upgrade at the time of booking to upselling daily breakfast during their stay, to offering late check-out.

"Our mission to deliver the intelligent, intuitive technologies that customers need to operate and build lasting loyalty aligns with the commitment Choice Hotels has made to its franchisees and owners," said Alex Alt, executive vice president and general manager of Oracle Hospitality and Retail. "With the AI-driven insights in Nor1, their hotels can give guests the power to customize the stay they want, while helping each property increase incremental revenue and profitability."

Choice Hotel's Radisson Americas brands have long used Nor1 eStandby Upgrade to provide additional pre-arrival upsell opportunities based on attributes such as room views and floor level, food and beverage preferences, parking, and a myriad of other products and services a guest values. With upwards of 100 properties utilizing Nor1 eStandby Upgrade in 2023, properties averaged 17% in incremental upsell revenue over booked rates per transaction. Individual franchisee results may vary.

"At Choice Hotels, we have a commitment to the success of owners and operators in our system, ensuring that each has the resources and support needed to help position them for future success," said Indy Adenaw, SVP & GM, Upscale at Choice Hotels. "Nor1 fits perfectly into this strategy by providing each hotel the ability to help increase their revenue opportunities, while providing guests with a personalized experience that can lead to increased satisfaction and loyalty."

Due the success of the upselling and merchandising solution, Nor1 eStandby will now be available across Choice's upscale hotels including Radisson Blu, Radisson, Cambria, the Ascend Collection and others, regardless of the franchisee or owner's existing property management system. Integrated with digital marketing channels, fully automated offers can be presented across the entire pre-arrival phase of the guest journey.

Oracle Hospitality

Oracle Hospitality brings more than 45 years of experience in providing technology solutions to independent hoteliers, global and regional chains, gaming, and cruise lines. Our hardware, software, and services enable customers to act on rich data insights that deliver personalized guest experiences, maximize profitability, and encourage loyalty. Cloud-based, mobile-enabled, with open APIs, Oracle's OPERA Cloud property management and distribution, Simphony point-of-sale, reporting and analytics, and Nor1 upsell solutions accelerate innovation, increase revenue, lower IT cost, and maximize operating efficiency. To learn more, please visit www.oracle.com/Hospitality.

About Oracle

Oracle offers integrated suites of applications plus secure, autonomous infrastructure in the Oracle Cloud. For more information about Oracle (NYSE: ORCL), please visit us at www.oracle.com.

About Choice Hotels

Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) is one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world. The challenger in upscale and a leader in midscale and extended stay, Choice has over 7,500 hotels, representing more than 630,000 rooms, in 46 countries and territories. A diverse portfolio of 22 brands that range from full-service upper upscale properties to midscale, extended stay and economy enables Choice to meet travelers' needs in more places and for more occasions while driving more value for franchise owners and shareholders. The award-winning Choice Privileges rewards program and co-brand credit card options provide members with a fast and easy way to earn reward nights and personalized perks. For more information, visit www.choicehotels.com.

Trademarks

Oracle, Java, MySQL and NetSuite are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation. NetSuite was the first cloud company--ushering in the new era of cloud computing.

SOURCE Oracle
The Chief Toy Tester search is back and submissions are now open for one lucky cat, dog, and their human parents to join the PetSmart team

PHOENIX, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- PetSmart is on the hunt for the next dog and cat to fulfill its coveted Chief Toy Tester position. After a busy year of product trials and feedback sessions, PetSmart's inaugural Chief Toy Testers  Whiskey and Loki  are ready to hand the leash to another deserving dog and cat. Pet parents are invited to submit their pet's application to become one of the 2024 Chief Toy Testers, reviewing the latest and greatest products from PetSmart and contributing feedback to upcoming collections. In return for their hard work, each Chief Toy Tester will earn up to $10,000.

Credit: PetSmart

"We have such a fun and exciting line up of toys, apparel and treats rolling out this year and we cannot wait to share them with our new Chief Toy Testers and all pet parents," said James Elasky, SVP of merchandising and chief merchant at PetSmart. "Our wide assortment has something for every pet, play style, season and price point to help pet parents create more moments of connection and joy, together."

The Job:

Each quarter of their one-year commitment, the Chief Toy Testers will receive boxes full of the newest toys, treats, and yes, costumes, as well as apparel. The Chief Toy Testers will share their official product reviews on social media to let all pets out there know which new toys and treats they must-have. Additionally, the Chief Toy Testers will be official PetSmart models, with their faces featured on displays or signs inside PetSmart stores across the country.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Abilities & Experience:

The next carefully chosen Chief Toy Testers should be committed to providing their fellow furry four-legged friends with recommendations and reviews of new PetSmart products. Ideal canines and felines possess:

The willingness to test out new toys which may require lunging, running, jumping or puzzle solving.

A nose for sniffing out the tastiest treats.

The perfect pose and strut to go down the catwalk and show off the latest pet apparel and accessories.

Human pet parents who can commit to a one-year partnership contract on their pet's behalf, and the ability to create trendy social media content.

Benefits:

Bragging rights to share at the water bowl

$10,000 cash  $2,500 check issued quarterly

cash  check issued quarterly Early access to toys, treats and more

Pet's face featured on displays or signs inside PetSmart stores

How to Apply:

Beginning today, pet parents can apply for a chance to have their pets become PetSmart's newest Chief Toy Tester at PetSmartChiefToyTester.com by filling out an application by 11:59 p.m. ET on May 29, 2024. PetSmart is looking for pet parents with a keen eye for capturing strong photo and video content, both of their pet in action and in still photos. To submit, the application requires a 15-30-second video of their cat or dog, and a review of their pet's favorite toy in 200 words or less. How to stand out? Be creative and find ways to showcase their pet's personalityit might mean filming them with their favorite toy when the zoomies start to hit.

Learn More:

For more information on the Chief Toy Tester opportunity and to see the full rules, visit PetSmartChiefToyTester.com. For more information on toys, treats, services and ways to shop, visit PetSmart.com.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. The PetSmart 2024 Chief Toy Tester Contest is sponsored by PetSmart LLC. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C. who are 18 years of age or older and the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence, as of the date of entry. Begins at 10:00 a.m. ET on 04/29/24 & ends 11:59 p.m. ET on 05/29/24. Void where prohibited by law. Prize restrictions apply. For complete Official Rules, click here.

About PetSmart

PetSmart is the leading pet retailer offering products, services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. At PetSmart, we love pets and we believe pets make us better people. Every day with every connection, PetSmart's passionate associates help bring pet parents closer to their pets so together they can live more fulfilled lives. This vision impacts everything we do for our customers, the way we support our associates and how we give back to our communities.

PetSmart operates more than 1,670 pet stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, as well as more than 200 in-store PetSmart PetsHotel dog and cat boarding facilities. We provide a broad range of competitively priced pet food and products as well as services such as dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding, PetSmart Doggie Day Camp and pet adoption.

PetSmart, PetSmart Charities and PetSmart Charities of Canada work with nearly 4,000 animal welfare organizations to bring adoptable pets into stores so they have the best chance possible of finding a forever home. Through this in-store adoption program and other signature events, PetSmart has facilitated over 10 million adoptions, more than any other brick-and-mortar organization.

SOURCE PetSmart
More than 80% of funding through historic Tomorrow Starts Today capital campaign

PORTLAND, Ore., May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Providence announced investments totaling $177 million to address Portland's most urgent health care challenges by re-imagining emergency and critical cardiac care at Providence Portland and Providence St. Vincent Medical Centers, including Providence Heart Institute.

Providence Tomorrow Starts Today Campaign Launch Video

Together, these improvements will provide room for an additional 50,000 emergency department visits each year  the equivalent of an entirely new emergency department for Portland  and support Providence Heart Institute as it cares for a growing number of patients with much more complex cardiac conditions than patients in the past.

This commitment is the result of Tomorrow Starts Today , a capital campaign to enable faster, better care for more people. More than 80% of the total funding  $144 million  for today's announcement will come from generous donors, making it the largest campaign in Providence Oregon's history.

"Philanthropy has enabled Providence to care for Oregonians and patients in the Pacific Northwest for almost 170 years," said Laurie Kelley, Providence chief philanthropy officer. "Today's health care challenges require urgent fixes that quite simply will not be possible without the generous support of our current and future donors."

With health care facilities nationwide struggling with overcrowding and dated infrastructure, Portland's providers face similarly pressing circumstances. Annually, patients make more than 200,000 emergency room visits to Providence's Portland area hospitals, including an increasing number of individuals with mental health needs.

Tomorrow Starts Today will create more capacity and innovation across Portland through investments of $92 million in expanded and re-imagined emergency departments at Providence St. Vincent and Providence Portland and $85 million to expand critical cardiac care facilities, including a new cardiac intensive care unit, at Providence St. Vincent.

"Our emergency departments in Portland are staring down challenges that grow more significant by the day," said Ray Moreno, M.D., Providence St. Vincent chief medical officer. "Far too often we are caring for people in hallways and turning away ambulances due to overcrowding. Our patients, our caregivers, and our communities deserve better."

Similar pressures are mounting for Providence Heart Institute, whose facilities were not built to handle patients who may spend weeks or even months in the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU). "Providence has proudly grown into one of the largest providers of complex cardiac care on the West Coast and a national center of excellence, but the patients we're seeing today have much more complex cardiac care needs," said Dan Oseran, M.D., Providence Heart Institute executive medical director. "This is our opportunity to re-imagine cardiac care for the next 50 years and ensure that Portland remains a world-class destination for heart care."

Tomorrow Starts Today will deliver transformative changes for Providence patients, including:

Reduced or eliminated wait times in the emergency department.

Critical innovations and new facilities so Providence Heart Institute can provide the very best in complex cardiac care to more people as a national center of excellence.

Improved safety, security, and comfort for patients and caregivers.

More lives saved and better outcomes in areas of urgent need, including behavioral health, pediatrics, and stroke care.

New flexible sites of care to accommodate more patients in moments of crisis such as a pandemic or natural disaster, and dedicated treatment rooms for people experiencing substance use crises and related behavioral health issues.

The large and complex expansion and renovation projects began in 2023 and are expected to be completed by 2027. Today's announcement is the first time the entirety of Providence's capital improvement plans has been shared with the public. Projects are being strategically staggered in phases to maintain care capacity during construction.

Andy and Nancy Bryant are co-chairing the effort to raise funds for the Providence St. Vincent emergency department, inspired by Andy and other family members' care in that facility.

"The critical care we received from Providence is the best we have received anywhere in the country," said the Bryants. "Now we want to give the same gift to others. We strongly believe that there is no more impactful investment you can make for Portland's future than donating to Tomorrow Starts Today. We invite others to join us and help Providence reimagine care for our city to ensure excellent care is available and accessible to all those who need it."

The Bryants are joined in their early support of this transformative campaign by other lead donors including Tim and Mary Boyle, the Lematta Family, Pat Reser and Bill Westphal, Mark and Mary Stevens, JTMF Foundation, The Chiles Foundation, The Zidell Family Foundation and others who have helped raise more than $125 million toward the campaign goal of $144 million in philanthropic funding.

"The fact that our community is rallying around this campaign is truly inspiring to all of us who work on the front lines providing care. We are so grateful," said Jeremy Lynn, M.D., Providence regional director of emergency services and Providence Portland emergency department physician. "We got into this work so we could help people on their worst day. We are excited to do that in updated and expanded spaces that will allow us to provide better, faster care for more people."

To learn more about the capital improvements and join the campaign, visit providencefoundations.org/tomorrow.

About Providence Foundations of Oregon

Providence is a national, not-for-profit Catholic health system compromising a diverse family of organizations and driven by a belief that health is a human right. The financial support of Providence donors is critical to continuing groundbreaking research, bringing the latest technology and equipment to our facilities, and improving the health of our communities through programs that simply would not exist without philanthropy. Learn more at www.ProvidenceFoundations.org

SOURCE Providence Foundations of Oregon
AUSTIN, Texas, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Red Oak Compliance Solutions (ROCS), a leader in compliance software solutions, proudly welcomes Mike Lubansky as Senior Vice President of Product Management, reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer.

Mike Lubansky Joins Red Oak Compliance Solutions as Senior Vice President of Product Management to Drive Innovation. Post this Mike Lubansky, Senior Vice President, Product Management, Red Oak Compliance Solutions

In this role, Lubansky will accelerate innovation initiatives and oversee continuous enhancements to Red Oak's software solutions, reaffirming the company's commitment to empowering clients with greater process efficiency and industry-leading risk mitigation tools. "I'm thrilled to be joining Red Oak as the organization enters its next stage of growth," said Mike. "They have an incredible foundation to build from with its best-in-class solutions, exceptional team, and base of extremely loyal and satisfied clients. I couldn't be more excited about the opportunity to lead the charge to bring additional automation and efficiency to our clients' web of expanding compliance responsibilities in new and innovative ways."

Mike brings over 15 years of experience building and leading industry-leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) product teams for high-growth companies in the financial technology space. Dave Dutch, Chief Executive Officer at Red Oak, expressed his complete confidence in Lubansky's ability to elevate Team ROCS product development game, stating, "Mike's proven track record in leading product strategy initiatives and his deep understanding of our industry make him a thought leader and an invaluable addition to our leadership team. We know he will continue to strengthen our product offerings and help us better serve our customers and their growing need for industry-leading software solutions to navigate the complex regulatory landscape."

Mike holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina. Throughout his career, he has pioneered key product advancements in the compliance technology space with companies including RIA in Box, COMPLY, Dun & Bradstreet, and Sageworks. Most recently, he led product organizations through transformative stages by launching and building the product team at RIA in a Box prior to its acquisition by COMPLY and subsequently leading the post-merger team of Product Managers across all COMPLY platforms.

With Lubansky at the helm of product management, Red Oak is poised to accelerate innovation, enhance customer satisfaction, and solidify its position as a leader in compliance software solutions within the industries it serves.

About Red Oak Compliance Solutions (ROCS)

Red Oak Compliance Solutions is an industry leader in compliance software for the financial services and insurance industries, serving over 1,800 firms globally, ranging from single-state advisors to over half of the top 20 asset managers. Their comprehensive suite of 17(a)-4/WORM compliant solutions allows firms to increase process efficiencies, minimize regulatory risk, and contain costs. To learn more about Red Oak Compliance Solutions, visit redoakcompliance.com or follow them on LinkedIn.

CONTACT: Amy Watson-512-696-1491

SOURCE Red Oak Compliance Solutions
IFCO partners with Rimi to provide reusable packaging solutions, enabling Rimi to pioneer sustainable practices across the Baltic fresh fruit and vegetable grocery sector.

Strategic collaboration highlights Rimi's commitment to sustainability, with estimated CO2 savings of 3,500 tons per year.

MUNICH, Germany, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- IFCO, a global leader in reusable packaging solutions for fresh food, announces a strategic collaboration with Rimi, one of the top retailers in the Baltics, to drive sustainable change in the region's fresh grocery sector. Through this partnership, IFCO empowers Rimi to pioneer innovative solutions that significantly reduce environmental impact by minimizing waste and carbon emissions across the supply chain. By implementing IFCO's reusable packaging, this collaboration not only strengthens Rimi's commitment to environmental responsibility but also enhances operational efficiency by streamlining logistics and reducing operational costs.

Rimi leads sustainable supply chain transformation with IFCO's RPCs for fruit and vegetable import and domestic flows in the Baltics

"We are proud to partner with Rimi and set a new standard for sustainability in the Baltics' fresh grocery sector. With this collaboration, we have the opportunity to inspire positive change and pave the way for a greener supply chain in the region," said Daniel Schellenberg, IFCO Vice President CEE & ACH.

IFCO and Rimi partnership: generating a tangible environmental and business impact

With the transition to IFCO reusable plastic containers (RPCs), Rimi eliminates the use of one-way cardboard boxes that previously serviced 95% of their fresh fruit and vegetable flows. The remaining 5% replaces rigid crates, further unifying the process, simplifying administration, and delivering additional environmental and operational efficiencies in reverse logistics due to the collapsible nature of the IFCO crates.

"By partnering with IFCO we are on a path to achieve an estimated CO2 saving of 3,500 tons per year, demonstrating the tangible environmental benefits of the collaboration. Additionally, the switch to sustainable packaging ensures that we are future-proofing our business, by already aligning with the upcoming EU PPWR regulation," explains Zanda Sadre, Rimi Baltic Corporate Responsibility and Communications Director.

Enhancing logistics efficiency with IFCO RPC adoption

Adopting IFCO RPCs streamlines processes and standardizes crate types across the supply chain. This simplifies logistics, improves efficiency, and reduces waste, by eliminating the need to manage individual crate fleets with local growers. The transition to IFCO crates promises increased overall effectiveness, ensuring a more streamlined and sustainable flow of produce from farm to store shelves.

Rimi's holistic approach: IFCO crates in import and export flows

Rimi solidifies its position as an industry leader by becoming the first retailer in the Baltics to adopt RPCs for both import and export flows. This strategic decision emphasizes Rimi's pioneering role in driving sustainability initiatives within the region's fresh grocery sector. The transition to RPCs on the international scope enhances operational efficiency and procedural transparency, greatly simplifying logistic processes.

About Rimi Baltic

Rimi Baltic is one of the leading food retailers in the Baltic States. It operates four favourite chains among customers  Rimi Hyper, Rimi Super, Rimi Mini and Rimi Express. Since 2020 Rimi has also an e-store in all three Baltic Countries. The company employs over 12,000 people across the Baltics. Rimi's mission is to create the shopping experience of tomorrow and drive healthy and sustainable choices that improve people's lives and societyevery day. Rimi Baltics' mother company is the Swedish company "ICA Gruppen." More information: www.rimibaltic.com.

About IFCO

IFCO is a leading global provider of reusable packaging solutions for fresh foods, empowering customers to participate in the circular economy in over 50 countries. With a pool of over 380 million Reusable Packaging Containers (RPCs) globally, IFCO facilitates billions of shipments of fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, bread, and other items from suppliers to grocery retailers every year. IFCO RPCs ensure a better fresh food supply chain by protecting freshness and quality while reducing costs, food waste, and environmental impact compared to single-use packaging. Learn more at www.ifco.com | Follow us on LinkedIn @IFCO SYSTEMS

Picture Download: https://www.ifco.com/wp-content/uploads/OneDrive_1_06-05-2024.zip

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2412184/Rimi_success_story_banner.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1999563/IFCO_green_logo.jpg
Updated data from the Phase I trial of RVU120 in patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (r/r AML) or high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (HR-MDS) demonstrate promising clinical activity.

Preclinical data support the synergistic combination of RVU120 and venetoclax in patients with AML, including RVU120's potential to overcome resistance to venetoclax treatment.

Combination data of RVU120 with other drug candidates in vitro support potentially new therapeutic options for patients with myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN). In vivo data further support CDK8 inhibition as a potential novel therapeutic strategy in MPNs, particularly myelofibrosis (MF).

A webinar with Professor Raajit Rampal covering the myelofibrosis landscape, latest data, and potential of RVU120 in MF. The webinar will be held on Friday, May 17 , at 3:00 PM (CET) . Registration is available at: https://ryvu.clickmeeting.com/pre-eha2024-webinar-rvu120-progress-and-opportunity-in-mf/register

KRAKOW, Poland, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ryvu Therapeutics (WSE: RVU), a clinical-stage drug discovery and development company focusing on novel small molecule therapies that address emerging targets in oncology, will present clinical and preclinical data from RVU120 at the 2024 European Hematology Association Congress (EHA), June 13-16, Madrid, Spain.

"At this year's EHA conference, we proudly unveil the latest advancements in RVU120 research and clinical development, illuminating its potential in addressing the unmet need in hematologic malignancies. RVU120 has demonstrated clinical activity as a single agent in 15 of 29 evaluable patients with AML and HR-MDS at tolerated doses. Furthermore, our preclinical data demonstrate the synergistic potential of RVU120 in combination with venetoclax, representing a promising strategy against resistance in AML. We are also excited about the emerging data in MPN models, where combination regimens with RVU120 could represent a new treatment paradigm."  Dr. Hendrik Nogai, Chief Medical Officer, Ryvu Therapeutics.

Based on these data and in line with prior guidance, Ryvu's development plan for RVU120 includes four Phase II studies: the RIVER-52 study in patients with AML/HR-MDS as monotherapy, the RIVER-81 study in combination with venetoclax in patients with r/r AML, the POTAMI-61 study in patients with myelofibrosis, and the REMARK study, an investigator-initiated trial in patients with LR-MDS.

Poster highlights:

Abstract Title: RVU120, a first-in-class CDK8 inhibitor for the treatment of relapsed/refractory AML and high-risk MDS: preliminary results from two ongoing studies.

Number: 6466

Session date and time: Friday, June 14 (18:00-19:00 CEST)

The abstract includes data on 29 evaluable patients out of 38 total dosed patients.

In the Phase I trial CLI120-001, RVU120 shows promising clinical activity in patients with AML or HR-MDS. 15 out of 38 patients experienced clinical benefit with RBC transfusion independence and/or blast reduction. A complete remission (CR) was achieved in a patient with NPM1 and DNMT3A mutations as well as 3 marrow CRs in patients with HR-MDS. Relevant target inhibition was achieved at a dose of 110 mg or higher, supporting a recommended Phase II dose (RP2D) of 250mg. The follow-on Phase II RIVER-52 study investigates RVU120 as a monotherapy in patients with genetically defined AML or HR-MDS and is currently recruiting.

Abstract Title: Synergistic potential of RVU120, a first-in-class CDK8/CDK19 inhibitor, with venetoclax in AML: preclinical and initial clinical insights.

Abstract Number: 6720

Session date and time: Friday, June 14 (18:00-19:00 CEST)

The abstract presents updated preclinical data supporting the synergistic combination of RVU120 and venetoclax in AML, including RVU120's potential to overcome resistance to venetoclax treatment. Ongoing preclinical research and an ongoing Phase II clinical study seek to refine patient stratification and enhance therapeutic outcomes, with initial safety profiles appearing favorable. The Phase II RIVER-81 study investigates RVU120 in combination with venetoclax in patients with AML and is currently recruiting.

Abstract Title: CDK8/19 Inhibition: A Promising Therapeutic Strategy in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms.

Poster Number: P1018

Session date and time: Friday, June 14 (18:00-19:00 CEST)

The presentation, prepared in collaboration with Prof. Raajit Rampal's group from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, includes the assessment of RVU120 as a monotherapy and in combination with JAK inhibitors and other drug candidates for the treatment of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). Analysis of the effects from combinations of RVU120 with other compounds in vitro has revealed potentially new therapeutic options for patients with MPN sensitivity and resistance to ruxolitinib (RUX). In vivo data further support CDK8 inhibition as a potential novel therapeutic strategy in MPNs. Additional mechanistic work will potentially elucidate disease mechanisms and therapeutic action independent of JAK-STAT attenuation. This work has led to a Phase II clinical study (POTAMI-61) for RVU120 as a monotherapy in patients with myelofibrosis patients not eligible for RUX or in combination with RUX for those patients with myelofibrosis and suboptimal RUX response.

The final posters that will be presented on June 14th will contain additional information.

Investor Event:

Ryvu will host a webinar on Friday, May 17, at 3:00 PM CET with Professor Raajit Rampal, who will present the myelofibrosis landscape, the latest data and the potential of RVU120 in MF.

To join the webcast, please register here: https://ryvu.clickmeeting.com/pre-eha2024-webinar-rvu120-progress-and-opportunity-in-mf/register

About Ryvu Therapeutics

Ryvu Therapeutics is a clinical-stage drug discovery and development company focused on novel small-molecule therapies that address emerging targets in oncology. Internally discovered pipeline candidates use diverse therapeutic mechanisms driven by emerging knowledge of cancer biology, including small molecules directed at kinase, synthetic lethality, and immuno-oncology targets.

Ryvu's most advanced programs include RVU120, a selective CDK8/CDK19 kinase inhibitor with the potential to treat hematological malignancies and solid tumors, currently in Phase II development (i) as a monotherapy for the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (r/r AML) and high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (HR-MDS) as well as (ii) in combination with venetoclax for the treatment of patients with r/r AML. Another clinical program, SEL24 (MEN1703), is a dual PIM/FLT3 kinase inhibitor licensed to the Menarini Group. Ryvu Therapeutics has signed multiple partnering and licensing deals with global companies, including BioNTech and Exelixis.

The Company was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Krakow, Poland. Ryvu is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange and is a component of the mWIG40 index. For more information, please see www.ryvu.com.

SOURCE Ryvu Therapeutics
Kiernan has spent much of his career leading local newsrooms, including Scripps' WXYZ and WMYD in Detroit and WTMJ in Milwaukee. In these roles, he strategically incorporated Scripps' content strategy within local newsrooms. He also held news leadership roles with WBBM-TV in Chicago, WBZ-TV in Boston and WCCO-TV in Minneapolis.

"Scripps' priority is to create the best possible local and national journalism for American audiences," said O'Brian. "As we continue to evolve our stations' delivery of local news to serve today's audiences, Jeff's years of experience implementing content and editorial strategy in newsrooms across the country make him an ideal leader to help guide our local newsrooms."

Kiernan received a bachelor's degree in journalism from Marquette University in Milwaukee. Marquette named him Communicator of the Year in 2010 and honored him with its James T. Tiedge Award for ethics and responsibility in 1999. He also served as a visiting faculty member for new managers at the Poynter Institute in 2007.

Kiernan's promotion follows Scripps' February announcement that the company was moving the responsibilities for local and national news strategy into one organizational structure, led by O'Brian. In this new role, Kiernan will work closely with Dean Littleton, senior vice president of local media to evolve Scripps' delivery of local news. Kiernan joins Christina Hartman, vice president, head of Scripps News, and Ethan Nelson, vice president, head of Court TV, as part of O'Brian's news enterprise leadership team under the new structure.

Anita Helt, vice president and regional general manager, will serve as interim general manager for KTNV and KMCC.

Media contact: Becca McCarter, The E.W. Scripps Company, (513) 410- 2425, [email protected]

About Scripps

The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) is a diversified media company focused on creating a better-informed world. As one of the nation's largest local TV broadcasters, Scripps serves communities with quality, objective local journalism and operates a portfolio of more than 60 stations in 40+ markets. Scripps reaches households across the U.S. with national news outlets Scripps News and Court TV and popular entertainment brands ION, Bounce, Defy TV, Grit, ION Mystery and Laff. Scripps is the nation's largest holder of broadcast spectrum. Scripps is the longtime steward of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Founded in 1878, Scripps' long-time motto is: "Give light and the people will find their own way."

SOURCE The E.W. Scripps Company
Effective August 1, Farmers to resume accepting applications from new California customers for Auto Service & Repair, Habitational, Manufacturing, Real Estate and Wholesale Distribution Businessowner policies

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif., May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Farmers Insurance today announced it will resume accepting new business Commercial Multi-Peril applications for Auto Service & Repair, Habitational, Manufacturing, Real Estate and Wholesale Distribution policies in California, as of August 1, 2024. This action follows the insurer group's recent decision to lift its temporary moratorium on writing new Commercial Automobile insurance policies in the state, effective July 1, 2024.

Farmers Insurance Logo. (PRNewsFoto/Farmers Insurance)

"As a leading insurer of small businesses, we are excited to be re-opening these key lines of our commercial insurance offerings to new customers in California and help provide business owners with more choices when shopping for coverage options," said Eric Coleman, president of Business Insurance for Farmers. "Farmers has operated in California for nearly a century, and while challenges remain, we are encouraged by the positive changes taking place in the state's commercial insurance marketplace."

For the past several months, Farmers has been working with the California Department of Insurance (CDI) on plans to re-enter the business insurance market after a temporary pause in offering coverage for a subset of new business insurance policies. Farmers continues to be a leading writer of small business insurance policies, offering coverage for Artisan Contractors, various Retail, Office, Service Industries, and Workers' Compensation insurance in California, all of which remained open for new business applications through its temporary moratoriums.

"We have been consistent in our belief that a fundamental condition for offering coverage is that rates need to reflect the risk exposure we are insuring. Fortunately, through constructive discussions with the CDI, we are now ready to take this step back into the market," added Coleman.

Small business owners are encouraged to contact their local Farmers agency owners for details regarding eligibility and rates. For more information about Farmers, visit www.farmers.com.

About Farmers Insurance

"Farmers Insurance" and "Farmers" are tradenames for a group of insurers providing insurance for automobiles, homes, small businesses and a wide range of other insurance and financial services products. For more information about Farmers Insurance, visit Farmers.com or follow Farmers on Twitter @WeAreFarmers, on Instagram @WeAreFarmers and Facebook.com/FarmersInsurance.

Contact:

External Communications



Farmers Insurance



818-965-0007



[email protected]

SOURCE Farmers Insurance
In response to growing customer demand, the Siemens Xcelerator as a Service portfolio will become available on Microsoft Azure, beginning with Siemens' Teamcenter X software for Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)

Integration of Teamcenter software with Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service and Copilot for Microsoft 365 to increase productivity and help organizations bring products to market, faster

LAS VEGAS, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Realize LIVE -- Siemens Digital Industries Software announced today an expansion of its partnership with Microsoft to make the Siemens Xcelerator as a Service portfolio of industry software available through Microsoft's cloud and AI platform Azure and integrating it with generative AI and Copilot features. This will increase flexibility and choice for Siemens' customers and make Microsoft's industry-leading AI solutions more accessible to Siemens customers.

Siemens partners with Microsoft to deliver AI-enhanced solutions for resilient product lifecycle management with Azure

"Our customers have asked for Siemens to bring our industry leading industrial software to Azure," said Tony Hemmelgarn, CEO and president, Siemens Digital Industries Software. "Siemens and Microsoft have been partners for more than 35 years, and we are pleased to expand this partnership so we can best enable our customers to digitally transform through our joint solutions."

As a first step, Siemens will deliver Teamcenter X software, the rapidly scalable and secure PLM solution, on Microsoft Azure, enabling customers to implement their mission critical solutions on their preferred cloud and AI platform. Built on the same trusted, robust and secure Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) architecture used by some of the world's leading manufacturers and innovators, Teamcenter X empowers teams to start fast and get their product data under control, enabling them to reduce cycle time, minimize IT costs and speed innovation. With the availability of Teamcenter X on Azure, organizations can benefit from Microsoft's responsible AI tools and access to enterprise-grade security.

This continued collaboration builds on the launch of the Teamcenter app on Microsoft Teams which connects frontline factory and service teams to the design and engineering teams through Siemens' industry-leading Teamcenter software for PLM. The new app takes advantage of the latest advances in generative AI and Natural Language Processing: With Azure OpenAI in Azure AI Studio, Siemens developers have built custom copilot functionality to enable frontline workers to access the engineering enterprise from the palm of their hand and collaborate in more inclusive ways.

Siemens is also developing a Copilot for Microsoft 365 plugin for the Siemens Teamcenter app on Teams, enabling workers across the entire product lifecycle and value chain to better track and prioritize their workloads. They will be able to ask Microsoft Copilot for help with summarizing outstanding tasks and workflows out of the comfort of their Teams app. To deliver new features like these to customers as fast as possible, Siemens developers are using GitHub Copilot.

"As Microsoft and Siemens continue to deepen our collaboration, we are excited to bring the power of Azure AI to the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio to meet growing market demand and help businesses focus on delivering differentiated customer value faster. By harnessing our latest advances with generative AI and Copilot capabilities, together we empower design engineers, frontline workers and teams across business functions and geographies, unlocking new levels of customer-centric innovation and productivity," said Nick Parker, President, Industry & Partnerships at Microsoft.

To learn more about how Siemens and Microsoft are working together to bring greater flexibility and choice for PLM on the cloud and making industry-leading AI solutions more accessible, visit: https://blogs.sw.siemens.com/teamcenter/teamcenter-teams-and-ai/

Siemens Digital Industries Software helps organizations of all sizes digitally transform using software, hardware and services from the Siemens Xcelerator business platform. Siemens' software and the comprehensive digital twin enable companies to optimize their design, engineering and manufacturing processes to turn today's ideas into the sustainable products of the future. From chips to entire systems, from product to process, across all industries. Siemens Digital Industries Software  Accelerating transformation.

Siemens Digital Industries (DI) is an innovation leader in automation and digitalization. Closely collaborating with partners and customers, DI drives the digital transformation in the process and discrete industries. With its Digital Enterprise portfolio, DI provides companies of all sizes with an end-to-end set of products, solutions and services to integrate and digitalize the entire value chain. Optimized for the specific needs of each industry, DI's unique portfolio supports customers to achieve greater productivity and flexibility. DI is constantly adding innovations to its portfolio to integrate cutting-edge future technologies. Siemens Digital Industries has its global headquarters in Nuremberg, Germany, and has around 72,000 employees internationally.

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a leading technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, transport, and healthcare. From more resource-efficient factories, resilient supply chains, and smarter buildings and grids, to cleaner and more comfortable transportation as well as advanced healthcare, the company creates technology with purpose adding real value for customers. By combining the real and the digital worlds, Siemens empowers its customers to transform their industries and markets, helping them to transform the everyday for billions of people.

In fiscal 2023, which ended on September 30, 2023, the Siemens Group generated revenue of 77.8 billion and net income of 8.5 billion. As of September 30, 2023, the company employed around 320,000 people worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.

Note: A list of relevant Siemens trademarks can be found here. Other trademarks belong to their respective owners.

SOURCE Siemens Industry Software
VALENCIA, Spain, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sigenergy, a leading energy innovator, hosted an exclusive event in Spain, unveiling its latest innovations tailored for the Commercial and Industrial (C&I) sector on May 14th at Vele E Vents in Valencia. With over 150 distinguished attendees, including distributors, installers, media representatives, and industry leaders from across the globe, the event sparked dynamic discussions on the future of energy storage.

SigenStors deployed at a Winery in Spain Sigenergy Day Europe 2024

A focal point of the event was the on-site visit of Sigenergy's groundbreaking SigenStor energy storage solution at an iconic winery in the region of Murcia, Spain. This on-grid project, commissioned in April 2024, was built for a prominent winery in Spain, boasting a century-long legacy in the realm of wine production. With over 2,000 hectares of vineyards across Spain, some exceeding 100 years of age, the winery produces renowned red wines of exceptional quality. Far from being resistant to progress, tradition and innovation harmoniously coexist within the winery, a foresight articulated by the owner in the early 2000s with the installation of his first PV plants.

By expanding the existing PV systems and adding storage solutions as well as EV charging, they are now accommodating the winery's continuous production growth and addressing increasing energy costs. This has been achieved through the deployment of over 63 SigenStor units across three different locations around the winery, boasting a combined capacity of around 2.88 MWh.

In terms of EV charging capabilities, the installation features 3 Sigen EVDC charging modules for free EV charging of guests of the winery, facilitating 25kW fast charging for electric vehicles (1hour/130km mileage), underscoring the winery's dedication to zero-carbon initiatives. The Sigen AI-driven intelligent charging and discharging modes further enhance the winery's energy savings efforts.

In C&I settings like this, a single SigenStor array is ideal for projects on MW-level supporting parallel connection of up to 20 systems in one array, each providing a total capacity of 960 kWh. All of this is achievable with the same system installers would use for residential scenarios. This makes SigenStor the most user-friendly and flexible solution for installers, offering both C&I and residential solutions on the market.

Tony Xu, Sigenergy's founder and CEO, highlighted the One-for-All concept of the Sigenergy flagship product, SigenStor, during the event: "We are witnessing the momentum of energy storage in residential and C&I segments, gradually supplanting PV-centric solutions. We aim to lead this industry change with our innovative 5-in-1 energy storage solutions and are very grateful to our customer for entrusting Sigenergy with this project, demonstrating that innovation and tradition are not contradictory concepts. In this C&I scenario, the SigenStor system can demonstrate its full potential as the premier 5-in-1 solution on the market - whether on-grid or micro-grid, with the assistance of our Sigen Energy Gateway. With its modular design offering unparalleled flexibility, the same SigenStor configuration can cater to diverse applications in both residential and C&I scenarios regardless of space restrictions and reduced labor costs."

The event preceding the site-visit featured engaging discussions led by industry experts from ASEALEN (Asociacion Espanola de Almacenamiento de Energia), Checkwatt/Sweden and EUPD Research/Germany, shedding light on emerging trends and challenges in the energy sector.

Sigenergy has recently been announced as one of the Intersolar Award's finalists in the Energy Storage category and will present its upcoming innovations, also in the C&I sector, at this year's Intersolar/ees, booth number: B1.579.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2412899/SigenStors_deployed_winery.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2412900/Sigenergy_Day_Europe.jpg
Financial and Operational Flexibility Continue to Drive Strong Results

TSX: SIL | NYSE American: SILV

VANCOUVER, BC, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - SilverCrest Metals Inc. ("SilverCrest" or the "Company") is pleased to announce its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2024 ("Q1, 2024"). This release provides additional operational results to supplement the April 17, 2024 release of Q1, 2024 operational highlights from the Company's Las Chispas operation ("Las Chispas" or the "Operation") located in Sonora, Mexico. All amounts herein are presented in United States Dollars ("US$"), unless otherwise stated.

N. Eric Fier, CEO, commented, "We are proud to deliver another quarter of strong financial and operational performance. Our ability to deliver consistent results is a function of the operational and financial flexibility we have created, which was showcased in a number of ways this quarter. The planned mobilization of our new underground mining contractor began in February, with ramp-up of the underground benefiting from excellent cooperation between our new and outgoing contractors leading to a 10% increase in average daily mining rates from Q4, 2023. Our ability to strategically blend from surface stockpiles and underground resulted in record silver equivalent process grades of 874 grams per tonne and recoveries of 98.3%, supporting higher than expected silver equivalent sales, despite planned processing plant maintenance. Our financial flexibility supported a planned lump sum payment for 2023 taxes and duties of $26.2 million while still ending the quarter with total treasury assets of $91.1 million, including $20.0 million of bullion. Our financial strength allows us to hold bullion thereby increasing the exposure to the metal for our shareholders without additional operating risk. The strong start to the year positions us favourably to deliver on our 2024 guidance."

References to average realized gold and silver price, sustaining and non-sustaining capital expenditures, free cash flow, free cash flow per share (basic), working capital, operating cash flow before changes in working capital, operating cash flow before changes in working capital per share (basic), operating cash flow per share (basic), treasury assets, cash costs, and corporate all-in sustaining costs ("AISC") are described in more detail in the "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" section of this news release.

Q1, 2024 Highlights

Recovered 14,719 ounces ("oz") gold ("Au") and 1.4 million oz silver ("Ag"), or 2.6 million oz silver equivalent ("AgEq" 1 ).

). Sold 15,000 oz Au and 1.4 million oz Ag (2.6 million oz AgEq) at average realized prices of $2,062 /oz Au and $23.37 /oz Ag.

/oz Au and /oz Ag. Revenue of $63.6 million and cost of sales of $26.2 million .

and cost of sales of . Mine operating earnings of $37.5 million (59% operating margin), exceeded the $36.9 million generated in Q4, 2023.

(59% operating margin), exceeded the generated in Q4, 2023. Net earnings of $33.9 million or basic earnings of $0.23 per share.

or basic earnings of per share. Cash costs of $7.09 per oz AgEq sold and AISC of $12.90 per oz AgEq sold.

per oz AgEq sold and AISC of per oz AgEq sold. Operating cash outflow of $1.1 million and operating cash flow before changes in working capital of $17.6 million or $0.12 per share, after payment of 2023 taxes and duties which totaled $26.2 million .

and operating cash flow before changes in working capital of or per share, after payment of 2023 taxes and duties which totaled . Free cash flow was negative $11.4 million or $0.08 per share for the quarter, due largely to the payment of 2023 taxes and duties and a $7.5 million prepayment for mining services.

or per share for the quarter, due largely to the payment of 2023 taxes and duties and a prepayment for mining services. Reported retained earnings of $21.5 million on the Company's balance sheet at the end of the quarter, achieving this milestone in only the sixth quarter since commercial production was declared.

on the Company's balance sheet at the end of the quarter, achieving this milestone in only the sixth quarter since commercial production was declared. Ended the quarter with treasury assets totaling $91.1 million ( $71.1 million cash and $20.0 million in bullion) and no debt outstanding.

______________________________ 1 Silver equivalent ("AgEq") ratio used in this news release of 79.51:1 based on the Las Chispas Operation Technical Report dated September 5, 2023, with an effective date of July 19, 2023 (the "2023 Technical Report").

First Quarter Operating Performance

The following operating performance refers to operating cash flow per share (basic), free cash flow, free cash flow per share (basic), cash costs, AISC, and treasury assets which are described in more detail in the "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" section of this news release.

OPERATIONAL Unit Q1, 2024 Q1, 2023 Ore mined tonnes 85,737 63,600 Underground development km 4.2 2.8 Ore milled(1) tonnes 93,373 104,400 Average daily mill throughput tonnes per day ("tpd") 1,026 1,160







Gold





Average grade gpt 4.97 4.06 Recovery % 98.6 % 97.5 % Recovered oz 14,719 13,300 Sold oz 15,000 14,200







Silver





Average grade gpt 479 419 Recovery % 98.0 % 91.9 % Recovered million oz 1.41 1.29 Sold million oz 1.40 1.36







Silver equivalent(2)





Average grade gpt 874 742 Recovery % 98.3 % 94.4 % Recovered million oz 2.58 2.35 Sold million oz 2.59 2.49

FINANCIAL Unit Q1, 2024 Q1, 2023 Revenue $ millions $ 63.6 $ 58.0 Cost of sales $ millions $ (26.2) $ (22.4) Mine operating earnings $ millions $ 37.5 $ 35.6 Earnings for the period $ millions $ 33.9 $ 27.2 Earnings per share (basic) $/share $ 0.23 $ 0.18 Operating cash flow $ millions $ (1.1) $ 26.6 Operating cash flow per share (basic) $/share $ (0.01) $ 0.18 Free cash flow $ millions $ (11.4) $ 19.0 Free cash flow per share (basic) $/share $ (0.08) $ 0.13 Cash costs(2) $/oz AgEq $ 7.09 $ 7.36 AISC(2) $/oz AgEq $ 12.90 $ 10.90

Unit March 31, 2024 December 31, 2023 Cash and cash equivalents $ millions $ 71.1 $ 86.0 Bullion $ millions $ 20.0 $ 19.2 Treasury assets $ millions $ 91.1 $ 105.2

(1) Ore milled includes material from stockpiles and ore mined. (2) Q1, 2023 figures have been recast to align with the current period's presentation as follows: 1. Silver equivalent ounces sold have been adjusted to reflect a ratio of 79.51:1, used in the 2023 Technical Report, from the previous 86.9:1, and 2. Cash costs increased by $2.1 million from the exclusion of adjustments for corporate salaries and other expenses, and changes in inventories.

Underground

In the quarter, a total of 85,737 tonnes were mined from the underground. Mining rates in Q1, 2024 averaged 942 tpd, a 10% increase from Q4, 2023. Ramp-up of the underground is planned to continue through 2024 with a target to exit the year at over 1,050 tpd. Key performance indicators which track the quality of mining, such as ore loss and mining dilution, continued to track to or better than plan.

The mobilization of the new underground mining contractor is largely on pace and continuing to progress, with good collaboration and coordination between the new and outgoing contractors contributing to the strong underground mining rates in the quarter. Mobilization of our new contractor is expected to continue through Q3, 2024.

In the quarter, the Company completed 4.2 km of horizontal and vertical underground development. Development rates and costs were inline with expectations.

Processing Plant

Average daily mill throughput was 1,026 tpd in Q1, 2024, a decrease from previous quarters due to planned maintenance that was completed ahead of schedule. Process plant availability returned to 92% in March 2024, which is in the range of planned availability.

Average processed grades of 4.97 gpt Au and 479 gpt Ag, or 874 gpt AgEq marked a record for silver equivalent processed grades. These higher grades were strategically planned to offset the planned downtime in Q1, 2024, facilitated by sizable surface stockpiles and a flexible mine plan. Process grades are expected to moderate in Q2, 2024 as processing plant rates increase to be more inline with the expected average rate for the remainder of 2024 of 1,200 tpd.

Average process recoveries in Q1, 2024 were 98.6% Au and 98.0% Ag, or 98.3% AgEq, setting another record for the plant. These higher recoveries benefited from consistent and higher grade feed.

Sustaining Capital

Sustaining capital totaled $10.2 million in Q1, 2024 which consisted largely of the costs attributed to underground development and infrastructure. Expenditures in the quarter were lower than planned due to the timing of some payments and delay in execution of some surface infrastructure projects which are expected to be made in Q2, 2024. The delay in sustaining capital spending is not expected to impact production with 2024 sustaining capital still expected to be in the range of $40.0 to $44.0 million.

Costs

During the quarter, cash costs averaged $7.09 per oz AgEq sold. Cash costs were below the 2024 guidance range of $9.50 to $10.00 per oz AgEq sold, mainly due to lower volume processed, higher grades, and lower maintenance costs. Cash costs are expected to increase over the balance of the year to align with 2024 full year guidance.

AISC averaged $12.90 per oz AgEq sold in Q1, 2024, lower than expected due primarily to a combination of lower cash costs and sustaining capital costs. It is anticipated that AISC will increase in Q2, 2024, with 2024 annual AISC guidance of $15.00 to $15.90 per oz AgEq sold reiterated.

Exploration

Beginning in H2, 2023 through Q1, 2024, a combination of infill (75%) and expansion (25%) drilling (161 holes totaling 34,384 metres) was completed to test Inferred resources that were identified as high priority for potential conversion to Indicated resources in the 2023 Technical Report. Approximately 10 million oz AgEq were targeted for potential conversion to Indicated resources in proximity to existing or planned underground development.

Drilling targeted the Babicanora Area where seven veins were tested. Drill results confirmed mineral continuity in these targets, with results in general verifying the grades and thicknesses of the targeted Inferred resource proximal to underground infrastructure as presented in the 2023 Technical Report. Opportunities for further expansion of mineralization were identified in the Babicanora Norte Splay 3 vein ("BAN Splay 3") and Babicanora Sur vein ("BAS") where drilling extended the mineralized footprint down dip and to the southeast of BAN Splay 3 and to the northwest of BAS beyond the initial area of the targeted Inferred resources. These results are being compiled and assessed for the potential conversion to Indicated resources for reserve consideration.

Drill intercept highlights from 161 drillholes are presented in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the three months ended March 31, 2024.

2024 Las Chispas and Regional Exploration Program

With the majority of the Las Chispas high priority Inferred resources now drill tested, exploration efforts will return to earlier stage targeting at Las Chispas and regionally.

The Company's strong regional geological knowledge and expertise is being applied to identify potential nearby satellite deposits which could eventually contribute additional feed to the Las Chispas plant. Throughout 2023 a regional evaluation program was carried out to identify priority opportunities. In 2024, a number of targets, including Picacho, have been chosen for further work including mapping, sampling, and drilling.

The 2024 exploration budget of $12.0 to $14.0 million is inclusive of this regional work.

Selected First Quarter Financial Results

Revenue

During Q1, 2024, the Company sold a total of 15,000 oz Au and 1.4 million oz Ag at average realized prices of $2,062/oz Au and $23.37/oz Ag, generating revenue of $63.6 million. During Q1, 2023, the Company sold a total of 14,200 oz Au and 1.4 million oz Ag at average realized prices of $1,879/oz Au and $23.00/oz Ag, generating revenue of $58.0 million. The increase in revenue for Q1, 2024 was driven by higher Au and Ag prices and quantities sold.

Income

Q1, 2024 net earnings of $33.9 million, or $0.23 per share, was $6.7 million more than Q1, 2023 net earnings of $27.2 million, or $0.18 per share, primarily related to $3.5 million in lower taxes from utilization of tax attributes in the current quarter, $1.9 million in higher mine operating earnings resulting from higher realized metal prices and increased sales quantities, and $1.4 million of other income, from bullion and derivative gains, in Q1, 2024 with no amount in Q1, 2023. Net earnings in both Q1, 2024 and Q1, 2023 benefited from relatively low effective tax rates, well below anticipated long term tax rates which are expected to approximate statutory corporate tax rates. The effective tax rate for Q1, 2024 was 5%.

Cash Flow

In Q1, 2024, cash flow used by operating activities was $1.1 million, primarily the result of a $26.2 million payment for taxes and duties, a $7.5 million prepayment for mining services, offset by strong cash mine operating earnings in the quarter.

The Company expects to pay a further $1.2 million in 2023 income taxes in Q2, 2024 and begin the payment of 2024 monthly income tax installments. Mining duties are paid annually in the first quarter based on the previous financial year. Guidance for tax payments related to taxable income generated in 2024 is $28.0 to $33.0 million based on metal prices of $1,850/oz Au and $22.80/oz Ag and Mexican peso to US dollar of 17:1.

During the quarter, a total of $14.8 million was recorded in payments for mineral properties, plant, and equipment, of which $10.2 million was related to sustaining capital expenditures. Q1, 2024 free cash flow was negative $11.4 million (or $0.08 per share) largely due to the $26.2 million payment for 2023 taxes and duties.

Financial Position

As at March 31, 2024, the Company had treasury assets of $91.1 million ($71.1 million cash and $20.0 million in bullion). The Company also had $4.9 million in trade and other receivables related to metal sales, which was received early in Q2, 2024. The Company remains debt free with access to an undrawn $70.0 million revolving facility.

Bullion assets increased by 4% during the quarter as a result of strong metal prices. Since undertaking the bullion holding strategy in Q1, 2023, bullion has outperformed all of the other currencies utilized by the Company and continues to add increased exposure to gold and silver for investors.

The Company's working capital was $148.3 million at March 31, 2024, an increase of $21.5 million from December 31, 2023, primarily due to the payment of income tax liabilities which were accrued at the end of 2023.

ESG

In Q1, 2024 installation of two kilometres of pipeline for water conduction for agricultural use in the community was initiated as part of the Company's ongoing commitment to water stewardship.

Also in the quarter, work continued to advance efforts to integrate renewable solar power at Las Chispas. This program is expected to be underway through 2024 with a target to begin implementation of a solar installation in 2025. The benefits of this program are expected to include cost savings and a reduction in GHG emissions.

First Quarter 2024 Conference Call

A conference call to discuss the Company's Q1, 2024 operational and financial results will be held Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 8:00 a.m. PT / 11:00 a.m. ET. To participate in the conference call, please dial the numbers below.

Date & Time: Wednesday May 15, 2024 at 8:00 a.m. PT / 11:00 a.m. ET



Telephone: North America Toll Free: 1-800-274-8461

Conference ID: SILVER (745837)



Webcast: https://silvercrestmetals.com/investors/presentations/

ABOUT SILVERCREST METALS INC.

SilverCrest is a Canadian precious metals producer headquartered in Vancouver, BC. The Company's principal focus is its Las Chispas Operation in Sonora, Mexico. SilverCrest has an ongoing initiative to increase its asset base by expanding current resources and reserves, acquiring, discovering, and developing high value precious metals projects and ultimately operating multiple silver-gold mines in the Americas. The Company is led by a proven management team in all aspects of the precious metal mining sector, including taking projects through discovery, finance, on time and on budget construction, and production.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Management believes that the following non-GAAP financial measures will enable certain investors to better evaluate the Company's performance, liquidity, and ability to generate cash flow. These measures do not have any standardized definition under IFRS, and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. Other companies may calculate these measures differently.

Average realized gold and silver price

Average realized gold and silver price per ounce is calculated by dividing the Company's gross revenue from gold or silver sales for the relevant period by the gold or silver ounces sold, respectively. The Company believes the measure is useful in understanding the metal prices realized by the Company throughout the period. The following table reconciles revenue and metal sold during the period with average realized prices:



Three months ended

March 31,

2024 2023 Gold revenue 30,923 26,676 Gold ounces sold during the period 15,000 14,200 Average realized gold price (per oz sold) $ 2,062 $ 1,879





Silver revenue 32,723 31,307 Silver ounces sold during the period 1,400,000 1,361,000 Average realized silver price (per oz sold) $ 23.37 $ 23.00

Capital expenditures

Capital expenditures are classified into sustaining capital expenditures or non-sustaining capital expenditures depending on the nature of the expenditure. Sustaining capital expenditures are those required to support current production levels. Non-sustaining capital expenditures represent the capital spending at new projects and major, discrete projects at existing operations intended to increase production or extend mine life. Management believes this to be a useful indicator of the purpose of capital expenditures and this distinction is an input into the calculation of AISC.

The following table reconciles payments for mineral properties, plant and equipment, and equipment leases to sustaining and non-sustaining capital expenditures:



Three months ended

March 31,

2024 2023 Payments for mineral properties, plant and equipment $ 14,804 $ 7,930 Payments for equipment leases 11 43 Total capital expenditures 14,815 7,973 Less: Non-sustaining capital expenditures (4,586) (320) Sustaining capital expenditures $ 10,229 $ 7,653

Free cash flow

Free cash flow subtracts sustaining capital expenditures from net cash provided by operating activities, serving as a valuable indicator of our capacity to generate cash from operations post-sustaining capital investments. The following table reconciles this non-GAAP financial measure to the most directly comparable IFRS measure.



Three months ended

March 31,

2024 2023(1) Operating cash flow $ (1,121) $ 26,617 Less: sustaining capital expenditures (10,229) (7,653) Free cash flow $ (11,350) $ 18,964 Free cash flow per share (basic) $ (0.08) $ 0.13 Weighted average shares outstanding (basic) 146,954 147,200

(1) Q1, 2023 operating cash flow has been adjusted to include $1.1 million in interest paid and $0.7 million in interest received which was previously presented in financing and investing activities, respectively.

Working capital

Working capital is calculated as current assets less current liabilities. The Company uses working capital as a measure of the Company's operational efficiency and short-term financial health.

Operating cash flow before change in working capital

The Company uses operating cash flow before change in working capital to determine the Company's ability to generate cash flow from operations, and is calculated by adding back the change in working capital to operating cash flow as reported in the consolidated statements of cash flows.



Three months ended

March 31,

2024 2023(1) Operating cash flow $ (1,121) $ 26,617 Less: change in working capital 18,735 8,544 Operating cash flow before change in working capital $ 17,614 $ 35,161 Operating cash flow per share (basic) $ (0.01) $ 0.18 Operating cash flow before change in working capital per share (basic) $ 0.12 $ 0.24 Weighted average shares outstanding (basic) 146,954 147,200

(1) Q1, 2023 operating cash flow has been adjusted to include $1.1 million in interest paid and $0.7 million in interest received which was previously presented in financing and investing activities, respectively.

Treasury assets

SilverCrest calculates treasury assets as cash and cash equivalents plus bullion as reported in the consolidated statements of financial position. Management believes that treasury assets provide a useful measure of the Company's most liquid assets that can be used to settle short-term obligations or provide liquidity. Treasury assets are calculated as follows:



March 31

2024 December 31

2023 Cash and cash equivalents $ 71,085 $ 85,964 Bullion 20,039 19,191 Treasury assets $ 91,124 $ 105,155

Cash costs

Cash costs include production costs, and government royalties. Management uses this measure to monitor the performance of its mining operation and ability to generate positive cash flow on a site basis.

AISC

All-in sustaining costs, a non-GAAP financial measure, starts with cash costs and includes general and administrative costs, reclamation accretion expense and sustaining capital expenditures. Management uses this measure to monitor the performance of its mining operation and ability to generate positive cash flow on an overall company basis.

Cash costs and AISC are calculated as follows:



Three months ended

March 31,

2024 2023(1) Production costs $ 18,203 $ 18,038 Government royalties 190 294 Total cash costs 18,393 18,332 General and administrative expenses 4,695 3,533 Reclamation accretion expense 136 107 Sustaining capital expenditures 10,229 5,181 Total AISC $ 33,453 $ 27,153 Silver equivalent ounces sold (koz) 2,593 2,490 Cash costs (per AgEq sold) $ 7.09 $ 7.36 AISC (per AgEq sold) $ 12.90 $ 10.90

(1) Q1, 2023 Figures have been recast to align with the current period's presentation as follows: 1. Silver equivalent ounces sold have been adjusted to reflect a ratio of 79.51:1, used in the 2023 Technical Report, from the previous 86.9:1, and 2. Cash costs increased by $2.1 million from the exclusion of adjustments for corporate salaries and other expenses, and changes in inventories.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation. These include, without limitation, statements with respect to: the Company's 2024 guidance and outlook; the amount of future production of gold and silver over any period; the strategic plans and expectations for the Company's operation and exploration program; working capital requirements; expected recoveries; expected cash costs and outflows, Au and Ag prices and currency exchange rates. Such forward-looking statements or information are based on a number of assumptions, which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: present and future business strategies; continued commercial operations at the Las Chispas Operation; the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the price of gold and silver; estimates of capital and operating costs; production estimates; estimates of mineral resources, mineral reserves and metallurgical recoveries and mining operational risk; the reliability of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates; mining and development costs; the conditions in general economic and financial markets; availability of skilled labour; timing and amount of expenditures related to exploration programs; and effects of regulation by governmental agencies and changes in Mexican mining legislation. The actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of risk factors including: the timing and content of work programs; results of exploration activities; the interpretation of drilling results and other geological data; receipt, maintenance and security of permits and mineral property titles; environmental and other regulatory risks; project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses; fluctuations in gold and silver prices and currency exchange rates; and general market and industry conditions. Forward-looking statements are based on the expectations and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. The assumptions used in the preparation of such statements, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statements were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements included in this news release if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as otherwise required by applicable law.

Qualified Persons Statement

The Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects for this news release is N. Eric Fier, CPG, P.Eng, CEO for SilverCrest, who has reviewed and approved its contents.

SOURCE SilverCrest Metals Inc.
Sojitz intends to use its extensive network to help Ginkgo foster business connections within the Japanese bioeconomy

TOKYO and BOSTON, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sojitz, a large Japanese general trading company with extensive networks within the Japanese bioeconomy, and Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA), which is building the leading platform for cell programming and biosecurity, today announced that they have entered into a binding definitive agreement. Together, Sojitz and Ginkgo aim to build connections with key Japanese businesses and encourage the use of synthetic biology to develop sustainable production processes.

Sojitz Corporation Sojitz Corporation and Ginkgo Bioworks Announce Plans to Use Synthetic Biology R&D Services to Accelerate Sustainable Manufacturing in Japan

Sojitz Corporation and Ginkgo will collaborate in a joint business development effort to offer Ginkgo's R&D services to Japanese customers. Sojitz believes Ginkgo's unique synthetic biology research and development services will appeal to customers within the Japanese bioeconomy that are looking to replace petroleum and chemical-based manufacturing processes with bio-based ones.

The Japanese government has formulated a Bioeconomy Strategy that envisions a $837 billion (USD) bioeconomy, and is looking to develop biotechnology applications across industries as it pursues its climate commitments to reach net zero by 2050 . Ginkgo hopes to apply its platform in support of the Japanese biotech ecosystem to accelerate progress to achieving this vision.

Koji Izutani, Managing Executive Officer, Sojitz: "We are pleased to introduce Ginkgo's technology to Japanese companies that have a desire to reduce their carbon footprint and develop sustainable fermentation processes. We are confident that Ginkgo's expertise in synthetic biology and the breadth of its technology platform can be used to transform processes across various Japanese industries, including industrial biotechnology."

Ena Cratsenburg, Chief Business Officer, Ginkgo: "We're thrilled to join efforts with Sojitz and collaborate on bolstering the Japanese bioeconomy. Sojitz is a well respected trading company that has extensive relationships with many of the major industrial and chemical companies in Japan. We look forward to working with Japanese companies to leverage our synthetic biology platform to accelerate the development and launch of bio-based and sustainable products in Japan."

Ginkgo's co-founder, Tom Knight, will present at the SusHi Tech Tokyo 2024 conference on May 15th at 12pm Japan Standard Time, where he will further discuss the collaboration with Sojitz.

About Ginkgo Bioworks

Ginkgo Bioworks is the leading horizontal platform for cell programming, providing flexible, end-to-end services that solve challenges for organizations across diverse markets, from food and agriculture to pharmaceuticals to industrial and specialty chemicals. Ginkgo Biosecurity is building and deploying the next-generation infrastructure and technologies that global leaders need to predict, detect, and respond to a wide variety of biological threats. For more information, visit ginkgobioworks.com and ginkgobiosecurity.com , read our blog , or follow us on social media channels such as X (@ Ginkgo and @ Ginkgo_Biosec ), Instagram (@ GinkgoBioworks ), Threads (@ GinkgoBioworks ), or LinkedIn .

About Sojitz

Sojitz Corporation was formed out of the union of Nichimen Corporation and Nissho Iwai Corporation, both companies that boast incredibly long histories. For more than 160 years, our business has helped support the development of countless countries and regions. Today, the Sojitz Group consists of approximately 400 subsidiaries and affiliates located in Japan and throughout the world, developing wide-ranging general trading company operations in a multitude of countries and regions.

GINKGO BIOWORKS INVESTOR CONTACT:

[email protected]

GINKGO BIOWORKS MEDIA CONTACT:

[email protected]

SOJITZ CONTACT:

Sojitz Corporation Public Relations Dept.

[email protected]

Website, https://www.sojitz.com/en/

Forward-Looking Statements of Ginkgo Bioworks

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding the capabilities and potential success of the partnership and Ginkgo's cell programming platform. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words "believe," "can," "project," "potential," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "strategy," "future," "opportunity," "plan," "may," "should," "will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to: (i) volatility in the price of Ginkgo's securities due to a variety of factors, including changes in the competitive and highly regulated industries in which Ginkgo operates and plans to operate, variations in performance across competitors, and changes in laws and regulations affecting Ginkgo's business, (ii) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations, and to identify and realize additional business opportunities, (iii) the risk of downturns in demand for products using synthetic biology, (iv) the uncertainty regarding the demand for passive monitoring programs and biosecurity services, (v) changes to the biosecurity industry, including due to advancements in technology, emerging competition and evolution in industry demands, standards and regulations, (vi) the outcome of any pending or potential legal proceedings against Ginkgo, (vii) our ability to realize the expected benefits from and the success of our Foundry platform programs, (viii) our ability to successfully develop engineered cells, bioprocesses, data packages or other deliverables, and (ix) the product development or commercialization success of our customers. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors" section of Ginkgo's quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on May 9, 2024 and other documents filed by Ginkgo from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Ginkgo assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Ginkgo does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.

SOURCE Ginkgo Bioworks
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- StretchMed, a leading innovator in the health & wellness industry, is thrilled to announce its upcoming Regulation Crowdfunding (REG CF) raise in partnership with Republic, the prominent investment platform democratizing access to investments in private markets. This collaborative effort marks a significant milestone in StretchMed's journey towards an IPO, revolutionizing the health & wellness landscape with its innovative solutions.

With a mission to eliminate chronic pain, increase mobility, rejuvenate, and help you move well, StretchMed specializes in cutting-edge technologies and therapies designed to enhance and optimize overall wellness, targeting the 116 million Americans in chronic pain. The company's commitment to innovation, combined with its dedication to improving lives, has garnered widespread acclaim within the medical, health & wellness community.

StretchMed Announces Exciting New REG CF Raise in Collaboration with Republic Post this

StretchMed's decision to pursue a REG CF raise underscores its commitment to inclusivity and accessibility in investment opportunities. By partnering with Republic, a trailblazer in democratizing finance, StretchMed aims to empower a diverse range of investors to participate in its growth story.

"We are thrilled to embark on this journey with Republic and offer individuals and investors the opportunity to join us in shaping the future of healthcare," said Brian Cook, Founder and CEO of StretchMed. "This REG CF raise not only enables us to fuel our expansion and product development efforts leading to an IPO, but also reflects our belief in the power of diversity, inclusion, and community-driven innovation, bringing cutting edge investment opportunities to everyone, not just the wealthy."

Republic, known for its user-friendly platform and dedication to supporting startups at every stage of growth, is equally excited about the collaboration. "StretchMed's commitment to improving patient outcomes aligns perfectly with Republic's mission to democratize access to investment opportunities," said Connor Simonok, Deal Operations at Republic. "We are proud to partner with StretchMed and provide our community of investors with the chance to support a company making a tangible impact in the healthcare sector."

The REG CF raise will provide accredited and non-accredited investors alike with the opportunity to invest in StretchMed's future success. Investors can look forward to being part of a dynamic journey poised to disrupt traditional healthcare paradigms and drive positive change on a global scale.

To stay updated on StretchMed's REG CF raise and investment opportunities, interested parties are encouraged to follow StretchMed's Republic campaign page .

About StretchMed:

StretchMed is a pioneering health & wellness company dedicated to revolutionizing patient care and rehabilitation through innovative technologies and therapies. Committed to enhancing mobility, alleviating pain, and optimizing wellness, StretchMed is at the forefront of driving positive change in the healthcare industry.

About Republic:

Republic is a leading investment platform that democratizes access to private markets, enabling individuals to invest in startups and innovative companies. With a mission to empower everyone to invest in their future, Republic provides a user-friendly platform and a diverse range of investment opportunities across various industries.

Media Contact: Margie Durado; [email protected]

SOURCE StretchMed
INDIANAPOLIS, May 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sweets & Snacks Expo announced today the winners of the 2024 Most Innovative New Product Awards, recognizing excellence in 13 categories and showcasing the most innovative ideas, concepts, and products across the candy and snack industries.

"With the Most Innovative New Product Awards, we celebrate the innovation that sets flavor and product trends for the confectionery and snack categories, and, in many ways, carries heavy influence across the entire food industry," John Downs, president & CEO of the National Confectioners Association which is the host organization for Sweets & Snacks Expo, said. "As consumers look to confectionery and snacks to enhance special moments, celebratory occasions, holidays, and everyday activities, this innovation is more important than ever before. Through these awards, we recognize the manufacturers, retail partners, suppliers, and brokers who play a role in delighting consumers across the country and around the world."

Each year, more than 300 confectionery and snack products are submitted for consideration in categories including Small Business Innovator and Best in Show, and retail leaders specializing in these powerhouse categories serve as judges. Beginning May 14, these products will be on display in the Featured Product Showcase at the Sweets & Snacks Expo.

The Most Innovative New Product Awards Winners are:

Chocolate: SKIPPY  Milk Chocolate PB Minis

SKIPPY  Milk Chocolate PB Minis Meat Snacks: CHYLER'S  Hawaiian Beef Chips  Original with Roasted Garlic

CHYLER'S  Hawaiian Beef Chips  Original with Roasted Garlic Savory Snacks: For the first time in MINPA historya TIE!

Our Home, YOU NEED THIS  Hot Cheddar Fries



PepsiCo Foods  Doritos Dinamita Smoky Chile Queso

Seasonal: Crazy Candy, Anderson's Crazy Candy  Peanut Brittle

Crazy Candy, Anderson's Crazy Candy  Peanut Brittle Gum & Mints: Mars Wrigley North America, HUBBA BUBBA  Mini Gum in Skittles Original Flavors

Mars Wrigley North America, HUBBA BUBBA  Mini Gum in Skittles Original Flavors Gourmet/Premium | Candy: Lakrids by Bulow  Passionfruit Chocolate-Coated Licorice

Lakrids by Bulow  Passionfruit Chocolate-Coated Licorice Baked Goods: Simply Good Foods Company, Quest  Strawberry Cake Frosted Cookies

Simply Good Foods Company, Quest  Strawberry Cake Frosted Cookies Novelty/Licensed: Amos Sweets Inc., Amos Peelerz  Gummy Banana

Amos Sweets Inc., Amos Peelerz  Gummy Banana Non-Chocolate Candy: Amos Sweets Inc., Amos Peelerz  Gummy Mango

Amos Sweets Inc., Amos Peelerz  Gummy Mango Salty Snacks: Nomad Snacks  Ramen Popcorn

Nomad Snacks  Ramen Popcorn Sweet Snacks: Nerdy Nuts  Banana Cream Pie Peanut Butter Treat

Nerdy Nuts  Banana Cream Pie Peanut Butter Treat Small Business Innovator: Issei  Dark Chocolate Covered Strawberry Mochi Gummies

Issei  Dark Chocolate Covered Strawberry Mochi Gummies Best in Show: Nerdy Nuts  Avalanche Peanut Butter Treat

To set up an interview with a Sweets & Snacks Expo spokesperson, please email [email protected].

Visit the official Sweets & Snacks Expo Media Kit for more information on the show and media resources.

About Sweets & Snacks Expo

The Sweets & Snacks Expo is the premier event for the confectionery and snack industries. Featuring new product launches, business-building solutions and merchandising innovations, this annual trade show brings together qualified candy and snack retail professionals and company representatives who showcase the latest in candy and snack products. The event is sponsored by the National Confectioners Association. Learn more at SweetsAndSnacks.com.

About the National Confectioners Association (NCA)

The National Confectioners Association is the leading trade organization for the $48 billion U.S. confectionery industry. NCA advocates for an environment that enables candy makers to thrive and works to ensure that chocolate, candy, gum and mints are celebrated for their contributions to culture, society, the economy and everyday moments of joy. The industry employs nearly 58,000 workers in more than 1,600 manufacturing facilities across all 50 states and supports an additional 635,000 jobs in related fields. The U.S. confectionery industry has made a commitment to increasing transparency, providing more portion guidance options and educating consumers about the role of confectionery in a happy, balanced lifestyle. Learn more at CandyUSA.com or follow NCA on Facebook, X and Instagram.

Media Contact:

[email protected]

SOURCE Sweets & Snacks Expo
This acquisition enables Synechron to enhance its technological capabilities, broaden its service offerings, and expand its coverage to the Australian market.

NEW YORK, May 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Synechron, a leading global digital transformation consulting firm focused on financial services and technology organizations, announced its acquisition of iGreenData, a modern, data-centric digital solutions company founded in 2018. iGreenData, headquartered in Melbourne with an additional office in India where Synechron has a significant presence, specializes in cloud-enabled data and digital engineering. The company serves a diverse array of blue-chip clients and has high domain expertise in the banking and financial services sectors, along with strengths in full-stack, DevOps, cloud, data engineering, automation, and blockchain. The acquisition of iGreenData was completed on May 13, 2024.

This acquisition enhances Synechron's leadership in digital transformation by combining their agile, creative approach with iGreenData's specialized skills in cloud technology and lean data engineering practices. The integration adds to Synechron's payments capabilities in delivering customized solutions that achieve substantial business outcomes, while continuing to swiftly and effectively meet their clients' evolving needs.

Moreover, the acquisition expands Synechron's global reach. By leveraging Australia's strategic location, Synechron is better positioned to provide continuous support across time zones in Asia, the Americas, and Europe.

Faisal Husain, Synechron Co-Founder and CEO, commented, "We're thrilled to welcome iGreenData into the Synechron family. This acquisition will enable us to continue deepening our payments technological strength and expand our footprint to the Australian market. Together, we will leverage our combined expertise in digital transformation and innovation to deliver value-added solutions that meet the evolving needs of our clients."

Max Sundaram, iGreenData Co-Founder and CEO, said, "We're very excited to become part of the Synechron team. With their global reach and our shared commitment to excellence, we're well positioned to provide the best-in-class transformative digital experiences."

About Synechron:

At Synechron, we believe in the power of digital to transform businesses for the better. Our global consulting firm combines creativity and innovative technology to deliver industry-leading digital solutions. Synechron's progressive technologies and optimization strategies span end-to-end Artificial Intelligence, Consulting, Digital, Cloud & DevOps, Data, and Software Engineering, servicing an array of noteworthy financial services and technology firms. Through research and development initiatives in our FinLabs we develop solutions for modernization, from Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain to Data Science models, Digital Underwriting, mobile-first applications and more. Over the last 20+ years, our company has been honored with multiple employer awards, recognizing our commitment to our talented teams. Synechron has a global workforce of 14,000+ and has 51 offices in 20 countries in key global markets. For more information on the company, please visit our website or LinkedIn community.

About iGreenData:

Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, and with presence in India, iGreenData is a fast-growing digital engineering organization with a prime focus on Cloud First, Data-Centric Digital Engineering and Blockchain offerings. The team is at the forefront specializing in cutting-edge modern software engineering technologies with a commitment to ensure our solutions and services bring value to our customers.

iGreenData brings deep Banking industry knowledge, with decades of Leadership experience and track record of success in Australia, delivering large complex programs, and a highly capable team to deliver industry-leading experiences for our customers. With close to 200 strong professionals, we set out to bring together talented individuals who are encouraged in their creativity and empower them to deliver new technological solutions to our stakeholders.

iGreenData was ranked third in Rising Star category at the prestigious Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Australia awards for 2 years in a row in 2020 & 2021 and also was inducted to nineteenth place at the prestigious CRN Fast 50 Australia 2021 as recognition of the exponential growth over 3 years.

For more information on the company, please visit our website.

For more information please contact:

Rashmi Joshi,

Synechron

+91-9560694654

[email protected]

[email protected]



OR



Zoe Forbes-Pyfrom

(+44) 7718 599666

[email protected]

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1943591/Synechron_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Synechron
TUSTIN, Calif., May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SYSPRO, a global provider of ERP software, today announced that SYSPRO 8 2023 was named the winner of a Gold Stevie Awards in the Best ERP category in the 22nd Annual American Business Awards.

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.

SYSPRO Honored as Gold Stevie Award Winner for Best ERP in 2024 American Business Awards

"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."

Nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word meaning "crowned," the awards will be presented to winners at a gala ceremony at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York on Tuesday, June 11. 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.

"This ERP solution stands out for its quality management, invoice automation, and advanced analytics features," wrote one of the Stevie judges about SYSPRO 8. "Customer retention (98%), CODiE awards, and positive reviews from Forbes Advisor solidify its market performance. User testimonials highlight benefits like automation and customization."

"Winning a Gold Stevie award in the ERP category is exceptional validation of the SYSPRO platform," said Brian Rainboth, CEO, SYSPRO Americas. "Tailored specifically for the needs of mid-market manufacturers and distributors, SYSPRO ERP enables our enables our customers to optimize operations across their business, while gaining deeper visibility and control. We're constantly honing and improving with every release based on the needs of our customers. We're proud to accept this award."

Details about The American Business Awards and the list of 2024 Stevie winners are available at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.

About SYSPRO

SYSPRO is a leading, global Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software provider specializing in key manufacturing and distribution industries. For over 40 years, SYSPRO's team of specialists have continued to address unique industry needs and enable customers to easily adapt and grow. The solution is scalable and can be deployed in the cloud, on-premise, or both, and accessed via the web on any device to provide customers with choice and flexibility.

SYSPRO remains focused on the success of partners and customers. Our evolving solutions are aligned with industry trends to leverage emerging technology that will enable partners and customers in securing a digital future.

With more than 15,000 licensed companies in over 60 countries across six continents SYSPRO offers guidance and support every step of the way as a trusted advisor.

For more information, visit www.syspro.com .

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 SYSPRO Americas
ACCRA, Ghana, May 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- New academic research released today from the West African country of Ghana shows that waste in the second hand clothes sector (SHC) is dramatically lower than has been previously claimed.

The report released by the Ghana Used Clothing Dealers Association, showed that less than 5% of the second hand clothing imported into Ghana could be considered waste.

New data-driven report shows the second-hand clothing market's contribution to the global circular economy and a robust and sustainable ecosystem

The data-driven report is the first such academic study and proves that the second-hand clothing market in Ghana is a robust and sustainable ecosystem that contributes towards the global circular economy.

Speaking on the report Edward Atobrah Binkley, General Secretary of the Ghana Used Clothing Dealers Association said:

"The continued use of inaccurate information circulating in some parts of the media about the second hand clothes trade must stop.

"Those who've spent years using and repeating false and inaccurate figures about waste in the trade should apologise now for the damage they have done and the harm they have caused.

"This report shows that the trade is low waste and an essential part of the global circular economy, providing a solution to the challenges of climate change and waste the world faces, as well as the over consumption of fast fashion that is wreaking damage on a global scale.

"It is also pivotal to Ghana's economy and way of life, providing affordable clothing to millions while supporting livelihoods across the nation and contributing significantly to Ghana's government tax revenues.

"Policy makers should be extremely cautious before they further regulate an already well run and regulated, global trade based upon bad data and misleading figures."

The report launched today in Accra found that the SHC trade in Ghana serves as a cornerstone of the nation's retail landscape, deeply ingrained in its cultural and economic fabric. The industry has evolved into a dynamic ecosystem, providing affordable clothing options to consumers while also supporting a significant proportion of Ghanaian livelihoods, stimulating economic activity and fostering entrepreneurship.

It also found that the trade was a noteworthy example of the circular economy in action; reducing waste, promoting resource efficiency and enabling sustainable consumption. The second hand clothes trade is an antidote to the detrimental effects of the global fast fashion industry which promotes exploitative labour practices, environmental degradation, excessive waste generation, and unsustainable consumption patterns.

The report examined the multifaceted nature of Ghana's SHC industry, exploring its economic contributions, demographic dynamics, and socio-environmental implications, while also highlighting opportunities for sustainable growth and development.

The research, which found that on average a maximum of 5% of clothing in imported bales could be considered waste, demonstrated that the prevailing international perception is not only wrong, but economically unsound and deeply patronising.

It asks significant questions of the prevailing narrative and should lead policy makers in the Global North to re-examine some of the unhelpful cultural assumptions they may have made about the ability of Africans to make informed choices and our agency in the SHC trade.

This research dismantles many of the negative perceptions of the SHC trade, while asking serious questions of activists and governments about what has led them to uncritically accept and propagate a misleading narrative around waste.

A full copy of the report can be found here .

Notes to editors:

For media enquiries or more information please contact the Ghana Used Clothing Dealers Association at: [email protected], +447759764174, +233540946151

The Ghana Used Clothing Dealers Association

The Ghana Used Clothing Dealers Association is the representative body for all used clothes, bags and shoes dealers and importers in Ghana and was created to represent all used clothes, bags and shoes traders, independent of any external control or authority.

The Association was established to ensure the organisation of all used clothes, bags and shoes importers and dealers in Ghana into a unified association and serve as their advocate and to uphold the dignity and promote the general welfare of importers, wholesalers and retailers of all used clothes, bags and shoes importers and dealers in Ghana.

The association provides an effective means of communication between used clothes, bags and shoes importers and dealers and the government as well as various stakeholders.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2411321/The_Ghana_Used_Clothing_Dealers_Association.jpg
SAN DIEGO, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- With the escalating costs of booking rental trucks, Californians are turning to more cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternatives for their moving needs. Laborhutt, the new platform that connects communities with local pickup truck owners for furniture and heavy item deliveries, has seen a surge in demand in major hubs like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego.

Laborhutt helper moves a couch

"We did the math and found out that aside from the $19.95 base for renting an 8' pickup truck, the $0.89 per mile charge, refueling costs, and the $15 insurance added up, making renting from larger institutions more expensive," said Omar P, a Laborhutt user in San Francisco. "I was looking at potentially paying $100, and that's before hiring labor help."

As the prices to rent moving vehicles increase in California, Laborhutt offers a more budget-friendly alternative. Community members can lean on each other, cutting costs and making moving less stressful. This collective effort not only saves resources but contributes to a greener environment.

Residents find that the platform offers a unique opportunity to collaborate with nearby movers  neighbors who own pickup and box trucksfor transporting bulky items. This shift highlights a significant change in how Californians approach moving and storage, demonstrating the power of community connection.

"With the increasing cost of living climbing and people constantly on the move in search of affordable housing, we're all in the same situation, looking for smart ways to save money," shared Jordan Sakala, Founder at Laborhutt. "The shortage of rental trucks in the state due to an increase in one-way trips has led to noticeable price hikes locally." Jordan also noted that renting 8' pickup truck mileage rates are 22.4% higher compared to other states.

With more than 600 neighbors across 26 states listing their pickup trucks, box trucks, and cargo vans on Laborhutt to help their communities, it begs the question: will we see a decrease in rental truck prices in California? This trend reflects a broader shift in how people approach moving and transportation, emphasizing community and resource sharing.

To learn more about Laborhutt visit laborhutt.com or for media inquiries, contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Laborhutt
"The Four-Minute Retirement Plan" by Michael Cannivet is released with Forbes Books

This release is posted on behalf of Forbes Books (operated by Advantage Media Group under license).

NEW YORK, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Four-Minute Retirement Plan: Preserve Your Past, Secure Your Future, Live for Today by wealth manager Michael Cannivet is published with Forbes Books, the exclusive business book publishing imprint of Forbes.

With The Four-Minute Retirement Plan, Michael Cannivet offers a revolutionary approach to retirement planning that points the way to financial freedom, security, and peace during your golden years.

Michael Cannivet releases The Four-Minute Retirement Plan with Forbes Books.

Cannivet's transformative method makes retirement planning accessible and manageable for everyone. Leveraging his expertise in all things finance and investment, Cannivet distills decades of wisdom into practical, actionable steps.

Whether you're just starting to think about retirement or are refining your plan, this book is designed to fit seamlessly into your busy life. It requires no more than four minutes to set a course for success.

"Retirement is not the end of our story; it's the beginning of a fresh new chapter," Cannivet said. "If we plan it right, retirement can be the time of our lives. A time when we have maximum resources. A time of maximum freedom to do whatever we want, wherever we want, with whoever we want. The only limit is the boundary of our imagination."

Available today on Amazon , The Four-Minute Retirement Plan is a must-read for anyone looking to simplify their journey toward a stress-free retirement.

About Michael Cannivet

Michael Cannivet is the president and chief investment officer at Silverlight Asset Management in Orange County, California. His life in finance began in 1995 when his grandmother gifted him his first stock in a little company called Starbucks. Cannivet's world would expand from there, receiving his education at Georgetown University. His next stop would be Fisher Investments, where he honed his macro investing skills and learned how to use empiricism to build new capital markets technology. From there, Michael joined Palo Capital as co-chief investment officer, achieving 5x growth during his tenure.

Cannivet founded Silverlight to help individuals actively and successfully manage their money and time.

About Forbes Books

Launched in 2016 in partnership with Advantage Media Group, Forbes Books is the exclusive business book publishing imprint of Forbes. Forbes Books offers business and thought leaders an innovative, speed-to-market, fee-based publishing model and a suite of services designed to strategically and tactically support authors and promote their expertise. For more information, visit books.forbes.com.

Media Contacts

Forbes Books Media Contact: Jules Thomas, [email protected]

SOURCE Forbes Books
Tractor, in partnership with HowGood, launched the Organic Impact Tracker in 2023, becoming the first beverage brand to track and disclose impact data about its ingredients.

DENVER and STONE RIDGE, N.Y., May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Tractor Beverage Company , the trailblazing pioneer of Certified Organic, Non-GMO beverages exclusively for the food service sector, and HowGood , a sustainability intelligence platform with the world's largest ingredient sustainability database, are proud to have been recognized by Fast Company's 2024 World Changing Ideas Awards for the Organic Impact Tracker.

HowGood

In 2023, Tractor and HowGood partnered to release the Organic Impact Tracker, a sustainability impact tracker that uses five metrics to quantify the benefit of sourcing organic ingredients versus their conventional counterparts: synthetic pesticides avoided, organic land supported, carbon emissions avoided, water saved, and improved soil health. As the first and only organic company dedicated to food service, Tractor is also the only company in the world to track Synthetic Pesticides Avoided as part of its impact reporting.

"We're honored by Fast Company's recognition of our achievement," stated Kevin Sherman, CEO of Tractor Beverage Company. "Over the past year, Tractor has steered clear of 34 tons of synthetic pesticides, a significant step towards leaving a better world for future generations. With HowGood's assistance, we're setting a new bar for accountability and transparency in the food and beverage industry and demonstrating our commitment to prioritizing people and the planet over pesticides."

HowGood supports food and beverage companies across the value chain to measure, manage, and communicate their sustainability impact. Tractor's Organic Impact Tracker is powered by HowGood's calculations, drawing from a database of over 90,000 agricultural emission factors.

Through their Fast Company award-winning Organic Impact Tracker (OIT), HowGood and Tractor have empowered Tractor's Pouring Partners and consumers to have a global impact. In 2023 alone, Tractor:

Avoided 729.4 tons of carbon emissions

Supported 3882.9 acres of organic land

Saved 187,453.3 gallons of water

Contributed to 3882.9 acres of improved soil health

Avoided 34.04 tons of synthetic pesticides

"Now more than ever, it's important that companies at every stage of the food value chain are collaborating to achieve impact reduction goals," said Alexander Gillett, CEO of HowGood. "Partnering with Tractor to power their trailblazing sustainability transparency has made it possible for restaurants and consumers to make informed, responsible sourcing decisions. We applaud Tractor's innovative approach to sustainability and are honored to have provided the model and calculations to make it possible."

HowGood powers sustainability transparency across the food industry, working with food and beverage companies to calculate and share their impact data, drive impact reduction for carbon, water, biodiversity, and more, and make verified sustainability marketing claims. One of HowGood's customers, Chipotle, has leveraged HowGood's ingredient-level data in their "Real Foodprint" menu feature, demonstrating radical transparency in their public communications.

Since 2020, Tractor has also partnered with Chipotle to pour drinks that serve a purpose. Beyond pouring certified organic drinks, Chipotle donates 5% of profits from Tractor Beverage sales to support farmers.

"We are proud to partner with Tractor Beverages, a company that offers delicious, all-natural drinks and shares our commitment to using real ingredients while supporting the farming community," says Chris Brandt, Chief Brand Officer at Chipotle. "Organizations like HowGood and Tractor are helping to create lasting change throughout the food system, and we applaud their transparency as a means to drive progress."

About Tractor Beverage Company

Tractor Beverage Company is revolutionizing the beverage station as the first and only USDA Organic Certified, Non-GMO full-line beverage solution for food service. Farmer-founded and employee-owned, the team is on a mission to create a cleaner, healthier planet, one drink at a time. 136 million+ Tractor drinks are served annually in more than 7,500 locations across 50 states, with a portfolio of 25 uniquely flavored Certified Organic and Non-GMO craft refreshers, lemonades, and premium craft sodas as well as organic frozen and organic mixology. Tractor's thoughtfully crafted drinks feature clean ingredients that deliver on taste, functionality, and experience, without any of the bad stuff. Tractor is the first beverage brand to track and disclose impact data about its ingredients through the Organic Impact Tracker , quantifying the benefit of sourcing organic versus conventional ingredients. The company was included on the 2023 and 2022 Inc. 5000 lists of America's fastest-growing private companies, and on Fast Company's 2021 list of the world's Most Innovative Companies. For more information, visit drinktractor.com or follow along on Instagram at @drinktractor .

About HowGood

HowGood is an independent research company and SaaS Sustainability Intelligence platform with the world's largest database on food product sustainability. With more than 90,000 agricultural emissions factors, HowGood helps leading brands, suppliers, retailers and restaurants to measure, reduce, and communicate their environmental and social impact. Through in-depth, ingredient-level insights into factors like greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, labor risk, animal welfare, and other key impacts, HowGood's data power strategic decision-making for the sourcing, manufacturing, merchandising, and marketing of sustainable products.

Media Contact

FischTank PR

[email protected]

(919)880-6423

SOURCE Tractor Beverage Co. and HowGood
HONG KONG, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- HGC Global Communications Limited (HGC), a fully-fledged ICT service provider and network operator with extensive global coverage and UCloud Technology Co., Ltd. (UCloud), a neutral cloud computing service provider, have announced the strategic partnership to jointly expand into the cloud market in Southeast Asia, starting in Thailand. This collaboration aims to provide enterprises and OTT with efficient, flexible, and reliable cloud services, enabling and accelerating their digital transformation.

Front row (from left to right): Steven Xu Tan, CEO, Overseas Business of UCloud; Cliff Tam, Senior Vice President, Global Data Strategy & Operations of HGC; 2nd row (from left to right): Coco Ke Ze Zhou, Senior Vice President of UCloud; Victor Tang, Assistant Vice President, Technology & Network Strategy of HGC

This collaboration marks a promising beginning for HGC and UCloud to jointly develop the market in Southeast Asia. With UCloud's comprehensive suite of cloud products and secure, stable technical solutions, HGC will swiftly establish an asset-light public cloud infrastructure and enhance its cloud service portfolio in EdgeX by HGC, a one-stop-shop solution that includes Global Connectivity, Data Center, Cybersecurity, Managed Services, and Cloud Connection. It will enable us to deliver exceptional, flexible, and customized cloud computing services along with comprehensive spectrum of Internet Services such as Eyeball-as-a-Service and AMS-IX backed by a robust Telecom infrastructure.

UCloud, as a leading cloud technology company, has been actively expanding its presence in international markets since 2013. Through years of dedicated efforts, UCloud has developed the capabilities of robust and reliable overseas infrastructure operation, gaining recognition from over 60,000 global users. With 30 years of experience as a network operator with extensive global coverage, HGC has profound insights and understanding of customer need in Southeast Asia. Moreover, HGC has rich local service experience in Thailand, playing a crucial role in accelerating the rapid deployment of UCloud's advanced cloud technology solutions in the region. By combining UCloud's technology prowess with HGC's local market expertise, the partnership is uniquely positioned to deliver tailored and effective integrated cloud solutions.

Steven Xu Tan, CEO, Oversea Business of UCloud said: "This collaboration represents a significant milestone in the integration of cloud computing and telecommunications ecosystems. It also marks the beginning of a comprehensive collaboration between UCloud and HGC's overseas team to effectively serve global customers. As one of the leading cloud service providers in China expanding globally, UCloud has achieved extensive overseas infrastructure coverage by establishing availability zones in Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. HGC has extensive global network infrastructure and expertise in digital services, enabling the delivery of customized solutions for customers across industries. We firmly believe that UCloud and HGC can work together to drive the adoption of cloud computing in Thailand and other regions."

Cliff Tam, Senior Vice President, Global Data Strategy & Operations, International Business of HGC said: "We are delighted to embark on this strategic collaboration with UCloud, leveraging their cutting-edge cloud infrastructure and service capabilities to swiftly establish EdgeX with HGC cloud service portfolio in overseas markets. With decades of expertise under our belt, we are committed to delivering excellence to Internet community and OTT customers, catering to their diverse requirements on the digital transformation of the region's agile environment. Building upon our collaboration in Thailand, we are confident that we will replicate this advanced experience and achieve greater breakthroughs across various industries and in other overseas regions.

About HGC Global Communications Limited

HGC Global Communications Limited (HGC) is a leading Hong Kong and international telecom operator and ICT solution provider. The company owns an extensive network and infrastructure in Hong Kong and overseas and provides various kinds of services. HGC has 19 overseas offices and staff presence in 31 cities worldwide. It provides telecom infrastructure service to other operators and serves as a service provider to corporate and households. The company provides full-fledged telecom, data centre services, ICT solutions and broadband services for local, overseas, corporate, SME and mass markets. HGC owns and operates an extensive fibre-optic network, five cross-border telecom routes integrated into tier-one telecom operators in mainland China and connects with hundreds of world-class international telecom operators. The company is committed to further investing and enriching its current infrastructure and, in parallel, adding on top the latest technologies and developing its infrastructure services and solutions. In 2019, HGC Group completed the acquisition of Macroview Telecom Limited (Macroview), a leading digital technology solution and managed services provider. The addition of Macroview further accelerates HGC Group's digital transformation path and positioning as a pioneering ICT and digital services leader. HGC is a portfolio company of I Squared Capital, an independent global infrastructure investment manager focusing on energy, utilities, transport, social infrastructure, digital infrastructure, and environmental infrastructure in North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia.

To learn more, please visit HGC's website at: www.hgc.com.hk

About UCloud

Established in 2012, Shanghai-based UCloud (UCloud Technology Co., Ltd.) is a neutral and secure computing service platform. Continuously achieving breakthroughs in key and core technologies, UCloud offers a comprehensive range of cloud products, including public, private, hybrid, and edge cloud solutions. The company has independently developed IaaS, PaaS, and the SafeHouse big data exchange platform, along with various AI terminals and service platforms. UCloud operates 31 cloud available zones globally, spanning 24 countries and regions such as China, Southeast Asia, Europe, North America, South America, and Africa. These data centers form the foundation of UCloud's digital information infrastructure, characterized by its seamless integration of cloud and network, security and stability, intelligent agility, and environmental sustainability.

UCloud adheres to the customer-first service principle, offering a wide array of products and application scenario solutions related to cloud computing, big data, and AI technology. Catering to users in diverse sectors such as industrial internet, education, healthcare, retail and finance etc., UCloud aims to accelerate digital transformation and innovation, enhance total factor productivity, and advance industry digitalization and digital industrialization.

SOURCE HGC Global Communications Limited (HGC)
LOUISVILLE, Ky., May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- USA Cares, a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting military families in crisis, proudly announces a significant achievement in its financial stewardship and operational efficiency. The organization's functional allocation percentage has soared to an impressive 88.78%, a figure that not only underscores its commitment to directing resources to those in need but also sets a new benchmark for fiscal responsibility within the nonprofit sector.

"This achievement is a testament to the hard work of our team and the generosity of our donors, who trust us to use their contributions to make a real difference in the lives of those who have served our country," said Trace Chesser, President and CEO of USA Cares.

This noteworthy accomplishment places USA Cares at the forefront of veteran support organizations, surpassing the guidelines set by the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance, which recommends a minimum of 65% of total expenses be allocated to program expenses. Furthermore, Charity Navigator, a trusted evaluator of charitable organizations, awards full credit to organizations that direct 70% or more of their total expenses to program activities. USA Cares' exceptional functional allocation percentage of 88.78% highlights its dedication to maximizing the impact of every dollar donated, ensuring the majority of its resources are devoted to providing financial and advocacy support to military families facing hardship.

In comparison to 2022 program expense ratios for some notable veteran nonprofits as listed on Charity Navigator's website, USA Cares leads the way with efficiency and impact. While organizations like the Wounded Warrior Project (71.31%), the Bob Woodruff Foundation (84.95%), Operation Homefront (84.88%), the Gary Sinise Foundation (83.16%), and the USO (71.00%) demonstrated their commitment to supporting veterans, USA Cares' latest milestone of 88.78% places it among the top tier of veteran support organizations in terms of financial efficiency.

About USA Cares

USA Cares is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. USA Cares' mission is to provide post-9/11 military veterans, service members, and their families with financial assistance and post service skills training to create a foundation for long-term stability. Their services improve the quality of life for veterans and their families and reduce potential factors that can contribute to veteran suicide.

SOURCE USA Cares
Victors Home Solutions is providing a new roof for Brett and Laura Weber, Cleveland Homeowners

CLEVELAND, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Victors Home Solutions is ready to support homeowners in Ohio with their first ever give back in the state.

The Webers have been married for over 20 years and built the home that they reside in. After struggling for years with insurance and financing issues to fix their roof, the Webers applied and were accepted for Victors Home Solutions' Give Back program.

Victors Home Solutions is ready to support homeowners in Ohio with their first ever give back in the state of Ohio. Post this

"Since 2004, we have been dealing with water and ice damage coming from our roof. Our builder went out of business shortly after our home was complete," says Brett Weber, Homeowner. "Over the years we have paid contractors to try and fix our roof, this has been unsuccessful. We had been saving to get a new roof. All of our plans stopped when I was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer. My wife is my angel as she has tirelessly taken care of me and my two children."

With three successful branches in Michigan already participating in the Give Back Program, Victors is ecstatic to make a difference in the Ohio communities as well.

Victors knows all too well about the importance of a roof for those who are in need of one. That's why the Give Back program through Victors was founded. The way this program works is for every 100 roof replacements installed, Victors will give one local family in their local communities a roof, free of charge. It's through this passion for community that many have received this life changing gift. If you know someone in need of a roof replacement, nominate them here.

About Victors Home Solutions

Victors Home Solutions has provided premier residential roofing and home improvement services to Michigan and Ohio communities for over 15 years. Victor's commitment to quality workmanship and integrity, along with his passion for roofing, has made Victors Home Solutions the highest ranked roofing company in Michigan. With over 200 employees and five locations, Victors is at the forefront and stands poised to revolutionize the roofing and home improvement industries. For more information, visit Victors.com.

Media Contact:

Samantha Dunn

[email protected]

SOURCE Victors Home Solutions
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Villa Vie Residences , a leading innovator in modern-day residential cruising, proudly announces the new Endless Horizons program, transforming the concept of retirement for adventurers who dream of traveling the world without the hassle of planning or ongoing expenses. With a one-time payment of $299,999 USD for single occupancy and $499,999 USD for double occupancy, individuals can now retire into a life of adventure and cultural immersion, with everything taken care of from meals and accommodations to community activities.

Villa Vie Residences presents Endless Horizons, offering lifetime access to a guaranteed Oceanview Villa from $299,999 USD With Villa Vie Residences Endless Horizons, residents will enjoy a guaranteed Oceanview Cabin aboard the Villa Vie Odyssey and access to more than 50 active interest groups. Retire into a life of adventure and cultural immersion, with everything included from meals and accommodations to community and wellness activities.

Endless Horizons caters to individuals who envision their retirement years as a time for exploration and personal growth. Villa Vie Residences makes this possible by combining the comforts of home with the excitement of travel. Residents will enjoy a guaranteed Outside Cabin and access to more than 50 active interest groups ranging from culinary arts to fitness and purposeful exploration, ensuring a vibrant and engaging community atmosphere.

"Our goal is to offer a seamless solution for those looking to retire on a fixed budget to never worry about ongoing expenses again," says Mikael Petterson, Chief Executive Officer of Villa Vie Residences. "This is more than just a travel opportunity; it's a new way of life. For less than the price of an average home, you can secure a lifetime of experiences."

The Villa Vie Odyssey, currently undergoing an extensive refurbishment in Belfast, is set to embark on a transformative journey across seven continents beginning on May 30th, 2024. Residents who wish to experience the Villa Vie Odyssey before departure are invited to participate in ship tours available at the Belfast port, for a firsthand look at the enhancements being done to their new home.

"One aspect most people nearing retirement age are concerned about is ongoing living expenses and the possibility of outliving their savings," says Kathy Villalba, Chief Operating Officer of Villa Vie Residences. "This program eliminates that concern altogether while offering the ultimate dream: exploring every corner of the world by sea."

For more information and bookings aboard the Villa Vie Odyssey, visit Villa Vie Residences' website .

About Villa Vie Residences: Villa Vie Residences takes a creative approach to cruise ship living with the flexibility travelers are seeking today. Villa Vie Residences' extraordinary Continual World Cruise invites travelers to discover more than 425 ports in 147 countries across all seven continents as it circumnavigates the globe every three and a half years. Through its ownership program, travelers can embrace life as a global resident by owning a villa at sea. Those unable to commit to the full world cruise program can curate their own unique journey and purchase segments ranging from 35 to 120 days. The onboard experience features the comforts of home, along with amenities most discerning travelers expect, creating a harmonious blend of convenience and wanderlust fulfillment.

For more information, please contact [email protected].

For images and assets, please click here.

SOURCE Villa Vie Residences
VANCOUVER, BC, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Vortex Metals Inc. (TSXV: VMS) (FSE: DM8) (OTCQB: VMSSF) ("Vortex" or the "Company") announces a correction regarding the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") bulletin dated May 07, 2024 regarding the previously closed private placement on April 25th, 2024.

The Company has informed the Exchange that it inadvertently excluded 360,000 units subscribed by an investor. These units have now been issued and included in the final tally.

As a result, the updated details of the private placement are as follows: 19,729,411 common shares and 9,864,706 share purchase warrants, with the total amount raised in the private placement being C$1,775,646.99.

All other information remains unchanged.

About Vortex Metals Inc.

Vortex Metals Inc. is the parent company of Mexican subsidiary Empresa Minera Acagold, S.A. de C.V., which is the owner of a 100% interest in two drill-ready high-potential copper volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) properties (Riqueza Marina and Zaachila) in the state of Oaxaca, and a third high-potential gold property (El Rescate) in the state of Puebla. The Oaxaca projects incorporate the most highly prospective areas of high-grade copper mineralized surface exposures ('gossans') and prominent gravity anomalies along an emerging copper VMS belt that includes Minaurum Gold's (TSXV:MGG) Santa Marta project.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward looking statements that are made as of the date hereof and are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions which involve risks and uncertainties associated with our business including permitting approvals, any private placement financings, the uncertainty as to whether further exploration will result in the target(s) being delineated as a mineral resource, capital expenditures, operating costs, mineral resources, recovery rates, grades and prices, estimated goals, expansion and growth of the business and operations, plans and references to the Company's future successes with its business and the economic environment in which the business operates. All such statements are made pursuant to the 'safe harbour' provisions of, and are intended to be forward-looking statements under, applicable Canadian securities legislation. Any statements contained herein that are statements of historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements require us to make assumptions and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. We caution readers of this news release not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements as a number of factors could cause actual results or conditions to differ materially from current expectations. Please refer to the risks set forth in the Company's most recent annual MD&A and the Company's continuous disclosure documents that can be found on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The Company does not intend, and disclaims any obligation, except as required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Vortex Metals
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Tehran, May 14 : Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani has called for Kuwait to re-engage in technical discussions to resolve the ownership dispute over the Arash gas field in the Gulf.

During a weekly press briefing in Tehran on Monday, Kanaani emphasised the necessity for technical and legal negotiations over media discourse to determine the respective shares of the Arash gas field, referred to as Durra by Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Spokesman claimed that maritime boundaries between Iran and Kuwait remain undefined, making it premature to discuss the allocation of the field's resources.

Kanaani reiterated Iran's stance on resolving the matter through formal negotiations and expressed Iran's rejection of any one-sided measures disregarding its interests.

The Durra gas field, situated in the Gulf, continues to be a focal point of geopolitical tensions among Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait signed a development agreement in March 2022, claiming the field in its entirety, while Iran has condemned the accord as "illegal" and contrary to earlier negotiations.
Gaza, May 14 : Israel army's gunfire killed a UN staffer and injured another UN employee in the city of Rafah, southern Gaza, the Hamas-run media office said.

In a statement, the media office said on Monday that the UN staffers were travelling in a vehicle belonging to the UN and bearing UN flags and markings when they were hit, Xinhua news agency reported.

The death of the UN staffer was confirmed by the United Nations.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday in a statement that he was "deeply saddened to learn of the death of a United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS) staff member and injury to another DSS staffer when their UN vehicle was struck as they travelled to the European Hospital in Rafah this morning".

Sending his condolences to the family of the fallen UN staffer, he condemned all attacks on UN personnel and called for a full investigation.

Meanwhile, Israeli public radio reported that the Israeli army is investigating the shooting incident at a United Nations vehicle, indicating that the source of the fire is unknown.

The Israeli army said in a statement that its forces continue their operations in three towns in the strip, including Rafah, Jabalia and Zeitoun, to stop Hamas from "reorganising its ranks".

The health authorities in Gaza reported 57 deaths and 82 injuries in the besieged enclave on Monday, bringing the total death toll and injuries since the break of the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, respectively, to 35,901 and 78,827.

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 October 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage.
Ankara, May 14 : Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and visiting Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis have stressed on the significance of maintaining the recent positive trajectory in bilateral relations, despite longstanding disputes.

In a joint press conference in Ankara on Monday, Erdogan emphasised the importance of dialogue, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Despite the differences, we focus on the positive agenda by keeping our dialogue channels open," he said.

The Turkish President added that the two sides held a constructive dialogue, addressing issues in Turkey-Greece relations, and agreed to aim for a bilateral trade volume of $10 billion.

Erdogan expressed hope that the improved relations would positively impact the rights of the Turkish minority in Greece.

He also stressed the necessity of a "fair and permanent solution" to the Cyprus issue, based on the island's realities, to enhance regional stability and peace.

Regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict, Erdogan diverged from Mitsotakis, saying, "I do not see Hamas as a terrorist organisation. Hamas is a resistance group that protects its lands."

Mitsotakis acknowledged the ongoing development of bilateral cooperation, saying the mutual understanding between the two sides and relations are evolving positively.

He also reaffirmed Greece's support for Turkey's EU accession process.

Mitsotakis noted a divergence in perspectives on the Gaza issue.

"We know that Turkey accepts Hamas, which we consider a terrorist group, in a different way," he said, noting that Greece also agrees that civilians must be protected.
Washington, May 14 : The US government has defended the Israeli leadership against accusations that it is committing genocide against Palestinians in the fight against the militant organisation Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

"We do not believe what is happening in Gaza is a genocide. We have been firmly on record rejecting that proposition," US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in Washington on Monday.

Sullivan added that the US had also presented its position on this issue in writing and detail before the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

"We believe Israel can and must do more to ensure the protection and well-being of innocent civilians," he said.

The Gaza war was triggered by the unprecedented attacks in which militants from the Palestinian Hamas movement and other Islamist groups killed more than 1,200 people in Israel on October 7.

Israel responded with massive airstrikes and a ground offensive.

Given the high number of civilian casualties and the catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip, Israel has come in for increasing criticism internationally.

At the end of December, South Africa took Israel to the ICJ for alleged violations of the Genocide Convention during the Gaza war.

In an interim ruling, the UN court ordered Israel to take protective measures to prevent genocide.

Israel has repeatedly rejected accusations of genocide and argues it invoked the right to self-defence after the October 7 attacks.

Nearly 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war so far, according to Gaza's Health authority.

The US government -- and US President Joe Biden in particular -- is also currently facing numerous accusations of aiding and abetting genocide through its military support for Israel.

Protesters have been interrupting public appearances by the President with corresponding slogans.

Others complain that Biden is letting his important ally down by adopting an increasingly harsh tone towards Israel.

--IANS/DPA

khz
United Nations, May 14 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condoled the death of a UN Department of Safety and Security (DSS) staff member and injury to another DSS staffer in an attack in Gaza, said his Deputy Spokesman.

The incident occurred on Monday morning when their UN-marked vehicle was struck as they were on their way to the European Hospital in Rafah, said Farhan Haq, the Deputy Spokesman.

"The Secretary-General condemns all attacks on UN personnel and calls for a full investigation. He sends his condolences to the family of the fallen staff member," he added as quoted by Xinhua news agency report.

With the conflict in Gaza continuing to take a heavy toll -- not only on civilians but also on humanitarian workers -- the Secretary-General reiterates his urgent appeal for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire and the release of all hostages, said Haq.

The DSS staffer became the first international staff member of the United Nations killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023. Nearly 190 Palestinian UN staffers have lost their lives.

The names and nationalities of the DSS staffers killed and injured were being withheld as the United Nations was in the process of informing the relevant governments and the relevant family members, the Deputy Spokesman added.

He said the world body is trying to get details of the incident.

The DSS staffers were doing their regular work of going to different locations to assess security conditions, he said.
Lucknow, May 14 : While the country speaks of women's rights, there is a political party that claims to fight for men's rights.

The party is called Mera Adhikar Rashtriya Dal (MARD) and was formed in 2009 by a group of men facing legal issues related to the Dowry Prohibition Act and the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act.

Since its inception, the party has contested seven elections, including the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Varanasi and Lucknow, a by-election in Bangarmau in 2020, and Assembly election from Bareilly, Lucknow North, Bakshi Ka Talab (Lucknow), and Chauri Chaura in 2022.

However, their candidates performed poorly each time, forfeiting their deposit.

Despite these setbacks, MARD is ready for the 2024 general elections, with candidates vying for the Lok Sabha seats in Lucknow, Gorakhpur, and Ranchi.

One of their founders and party president Kapil Mohan Choudhary, who is contesting polls from the Lucknow Lok Sabha seat, is facing a dowry case since 1999 that remains unresolved after 25 years.

"I have two kids from my first marriage, both taken away by my ex-wife. Later, I was falsely accused in dowry and domestic violence cases. While fighting these cases in Lucknow, I met many others facing similar charges in similar situations," says 52-year-old Kapil.

"I got divorced, but the dowry case is still ongoing. To highlight men's rights, we formed a political party," says Kapil, who remarried in 2011.

The party's tagline is 'Mard ko dard hota hai' (Men feel the pain).

Party candidates Sonu Rai and Dhananjay Kumar are in the fray from the Gorakhpur and Ranchi constituencies, respectively.

The party 'MANifesto' has interesting promises, including a 'Ministry of Men's Welfare' and a 'National Commission for Men'.

They also aim to pass a 'Men's Safety Bill' to prevent unfair treatment of men due to laws favouring women and establish a 'Men's Power Line' to assist them with family issues.

The members also want to establish a 'Family Welfare Committee' to handle family issues, implementing laws for child custody after divorce and immediately "halting live-in relationships".

But are they open to women joining their party? "By all means," says Kapil.

"Our aim is to protect men's rights, not infringe on women's."
Tel Aviv, May 14 : The aid worker of the United Nations (UN) who was killed while travelling in a vehicle to a hospital in the Khan Younis area from the Rafah region has been identified as an Indian national.

Waibhav Anil Kale (46) was a former Indian Army personnel.

Farhan Haq, Deputy spokesperson of the United Nations Secretary-General in a statement on Monday night announced the identity of the deceased aid worker.

According to the statement of the UN official, Waibhav Anil Kale joined the United Nations as the security service coordinator a month ago in Gaza.

Sources in the UN agencies told IANS that Kale was travelling in a vehicle marked as that of the United Nations.

However, the UN sources said that it was not unclear who fired at the vehicle in which Waibhav Anil Kale was travelling with another UN aid worker.

This marks the first such UN death in the Gaza conflict.

The IDF has already said that it is probing the firing and the death of the UN aid worker. In a statement late Monday night, IDF said that the attack occurred in an active combat zone and that it was investigating the attack and death of the UN aid worker.
Shruti Haasan needs to be on a movie set as she over acts under the lights. Image Source: IANS News

Mumbai, May 14 : Actress Shruti Haasan said that she needs to be on a movie set as soon as possible.

The actress took to her Instagram stories and shared a picture of herself with a towel wrapped around her head.

In the photo, a smiling Shruti looks away from the camera, with one hand covering her eyes from the light.

The actress shared the picture with the caption: "Overacting under the lights for no reason - I need to be on a movie set ASAP, are all the retrogrades over?"

Talking about her upcoming slate of work, Shruti, who is the daughter of veteran star Kamal Haasan and Sarika, will be seen in 'Salaar: Part 2 - Shouryaanga Parvam', alongside Prabhas and Prithviraj Sukumaran.

She is also set to appear in 'Chennai Story', directed by Philip John, featuring Viveik Kalra.
Tel Aviv, May 14 : Around 1,00,000 people attended a rally in Tel Aviv on the eve of Israel's Independence Day to remember the fate of the more than 100 hostages still in the hands of Hamas, according to rally organisers.

The demonstrators gathered under the slogan "Our hope is not yet lost" on Monday evening. The rally was attended by relatives of the hostages and former hostages, as well as people from the towns and communities affected by the October 7 terrorist attack, which triggered the Gaza war.

Monday was the annual day of remembrance for Israel's fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism.

"We have gone from being a united community to a broken and bereaved one," organisers quoted former hostage Ella Ben Ami as saying at the rally.

Ben Ami's father is still being held by Hamas.

The day of remembrance was full of memories of 101 killed members of her kibbutz, neighbours and friends. "Among them, seven are in Gaza and were not given a proper burial place, and their families could not cry over their graves."

Another speaker accused the Israeli government of failing to prevent the terrorist attack: "The government that abandoned its citizens to be abducted, murdered, and raped, the government that was supposed to guard them with the utmost vigilance, has no right to talk about the price for their return. There is no price for the lives of the hostages."

Many participants in the rally carried Israeli flags printed with a yellow ribbon, a symbol of the hostages whose relatives and friends have been waiting for more than seven months for their return.

Israel's Independence Day celebrations this year were dominated by the October 7 attacks and the war in Gaza.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a pre-recorded speech that this Independence Day would be like no other.

"The war is still raging," Netanyahu said. "It was forced upon us on that dark day of the horrendous massacre."

Israel began its military campaign to eliminate Hamas following the unprecedented October 7 attacks on southern Israel when the Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians and took more than 200 people hostage in the Gaza Strip.

Some 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war so far, according to Gaza's Hamas-controlled health authority.

The high number of civilian casualties and the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the territory have triggered sharp international criticism of Israel's actions.

--IANS/DPA

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Amaravati, May 14 : Voting in few places in Andhra Pradesh continued till midnight in simultaneous polls to the state Assembly and Lok Sabha while the final voter turnout figure is likely to cross 80 per cent.

According to the Election Commission, 78.36 per cent voters cast their votes but this figure may go up further and surpass the 2019 turnout of 79.64 per cent.

In places like Chintala colony in Tiruvuru (SC) Assembly segment in NTR district, Gotivada Agraharam in Madugula mandal of Anakapalli district, and in Bheemunipatnam in Padmanbham mandal of Visakhapatnam district, polling continued till midnight.

Enthusiasm among voters marked the polling in the southern state as thousands of people living in neighbouring states of Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and other parts of the country came to their native places to cast their votes. Some even came from abroad to participate in the polling process.

More than 4.14 crore voters were eligible to cast their votes in the elections for 175-member Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats in the single-phase polling.

Election authorities had set up 46,389 polling centres across the state. The voters decided the political fortunes of 2,841 candidates.

Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party President Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, former Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu, Jana Sena leader and actor Pawan Kalyan are among 2,387 candidates for 175 Assembly seats.

For 25 Lok Sabha seats, 454 contestants are in the fray and prominent among them are former Union Minister and state BJP chief D. Purandeswari, state Congress President Y. S. Sharmila Reddy and former Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy.

The polling, which began at 7 a.m. on Monday, concluded in the Left-Wing Extremist (LWE)-affected segments of Araku, Paderu and Rampachodavaram at 4 p.m. and in three other LWE-affected segments of Palakonda, Kurupam and Salur at 5 p.m.

When the polling came to an end at 6 p.m. in 169 Assembly segments, there were long queues at several polling stations. According to officials, 100 to 200 voters were waiting at about 3,500 polling stations.

While the process was completed in most of the polling booths by 10 p.m., it continued in a few centres till midnight. Similar scenes were witnessed at some places during the 2019 elections.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) M. K. Meena assured the voters standing in queues when the polling ended at 6 p.m. that no matter how long it takes, they will be allowed to cast their vote. "Anticipating such a situation, we had made necessary arrangements like lighting to continue the process," he said.

The state had recorded a turnout of 68.04 per cent till 5 p.m. With the reports pouring in from different parts of the state, the Election Commission kept updating it.

On Tuesday morning, the polling figure was revised to 78.36 per cent for Assembly elections. Dharmavaram Assembly constituency recorded the highest turnout of 88.61 per cent while Paderu was the lowest at 55.45 per cent.

The voter turnout was 78.25 per cent for Lok Sabha polls. Amalapaluram constituency recorded the highest polling percentage of 83.19. The lowest was 68 per cent in Visakhapatnam.
Rotterdam : , May 14 (IANS) India has set up one of the largest pavilions at the World Hydrogen Summit 2024, being held here, to showcase the country's progress in the field of Green Hydrogen.

The India Pavilion, set up by the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy is at the Summit and has been inaugurated by Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Bhupinder S. Bhalla on May 12.

The World Hydrogen Summit, being held in Rotterdam in Netherlands from May 13 to 15, is a prestigious event in the global green hydrogen ecosystem. Around 15,000 delegates from around the world are attending the Summit.

The Indian delegation headed by Bhalla also comprises officials from the Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and from private sector companies as well.

In addition to various government-government interactions, the summit provides a platform for Indian industry to engage with companies from around the globe.

India launched its National Green Hydrogen Mission in January 2023 with an overall outlay of Rs 19,744 crore and has set an ambitious target to achieve a green hydrogen production capacity of 5 million metric tonnes by end of 2030. Till date, the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy has awarded tenders for setting up of 412,000 tonnes of Green Hydrogen production capacity and 1,500 MW of electrolyser manufacturing capacity.

India has also notified scheme guidelines for use of Green Hydrogen in steel, transport/mobility and shipping sectors. The Department of Science and Technology has initiated Hydrogen Valley Innovation Clusters to foster innovation and promote Green Hydrogen ecosystem in India.

A dedicated portal for the National Green Hydrogen Mission has been launched recently, to serve as a one-stop location for information on the Mission and steps taken for the development of the green hydrogen ecosystem in India. The portal can be accessed here: https://nghm.mnre.gov.in/.
Berlin, May 14 : German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has tempered expectations for the Ukraine peace conference set to take place in Switzerland in June.

"Nobody should have exaggerated expectations: We are not negotiating the end of the war there," Scholz said in an interview with the German news magazine Stern.

"At best, it's the start of a process that could lead to direct talks between Ukraine and Russia. In Switzerland, it will be about the safety of nuclear power plants, grain exports, the issue of prisoner exchanges and the necessary taboo on the use of nuclear weapons. Once again, this is all still in its infancy," Scholz said.

Following his appeals for more arms deliveries, the chancellor was disappointed with the commitment of European countries to the war in Ukraine. It was "frankly still not enough," he said.

"That is depressing because Ukraine urgently needs more air defence systems. Putin obviously wants to destroy Ukraine's infrastructure," the German leader said.

Scholz also anticipates further attempts by Russia to exert influence in Germany.

"The Federal Foreign Office has just temporarily recalled the German ambassador from Moscow - as a clear signal to Russia," he said.

"But we shouldn't fool ourselves: Ahead of the upcoming European elections this year and the German parliamentary elections next year, Russia's attempts to exert influence will tend to increase. The authorities must be very vigilant," he said.

The ambassador was recalled earlier this month in response to a Russian cyberattack on the governing centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) last year.

--IANS/DPA

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Mumbai, May 14 : Actress Tara Sutaria on Tuesday gave cool chic look vibes in an all-black outfit at the Mumbai airport as she is off to London.

The visuals show Tara wearing an oversized black T-shirt paired with matching shorts. She opted for glossy lips, blushed cheeks, and her hair was left straight and flowing.

The actress accessorised the look with a cross-body sling bag, cat eye-shaped sunglasses, a watch, and black boots.

Tara was seen hugging her father as the latter came to drop her off at the airport.

The 'Student of the Year 2' actress took to Instagram stories and shared a beautiful selfie with the caption: "See you in a few hours London".

On the work front, Tara was last seen in the 2023 survival thriller aApurvaa. The film also stars Rajpal Yadav and Abhishek Banerjee.

Earlier, she was featured in movies like aEk Villain Returnsa, aTadapa, and aHeropanti 2a.
Thiruvananthapuram, May 14 : The Air India Express cabin crew strike last week has left a young woman called Amritha in tears forever, as she failed to be by her ailing husband's side in his final moments in Muscat.

Amritha's family has decided to take legal steps against the airline.

Amritha, who was seen wailing on May 8 when she and her mother reached the airport in Kerala's capital to fly to Muscat, was told that due to the strike of Air India Express cabin crew, flights have been cancelled.

She then broke into tears and said that her young husband has suffered a cardiac arrest in Muscat and she had to urgently be with him, but the airport authorities said they were helpless.

Her repeated attempts to fly to Muscat failed, and breaking into tears at her home in Thiruvananthapuram, she has now turned silent after being told her husband has passed away.

Her husband, 39-year-old N. Rajesh, was working in the administration department of a school in Muscat. On May 7, he suffered a cardiac arrest and was hospitalised there.

Amritha's mother, on Tuesday, said: "We did our best to be with him."

"All our attempts to reach Muscat failed due to the flash strike of the staff of the airline. We decided to go immediately as after he suffered the cardiac arrest, he told bystanders that he wished to see his wife. We knocked on all the doors at the airport but nothing happened," said Amritha's mother, unable to control her tears.

Meanwhile, the family of Rajesh has decided to sue the airline for the flash strike.

"The airline has to give us an answer. Had his wife reached there, his life could have been saved. We want an answer," said his mother.

Amritha has two young kids. Rajesh's body is expected to arrive later in the day.
Kolkata, May 14 : A special court of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at Asansol in West Bengal's West Burdwan district on Tuesday granted conditional bail to Anup Majhi a.k.a. Lala, the prime accused in the coal smuggling case.

Earlier in the day, the accused voluntarily surrendered in the court.

He was released on a personal bond of Rs 10,000. The special court also directed Lala to extend full cooperation to the CBI in the investigation process. The court also directed him to be physically present in the court during the next hearings.

The special court also directed him to reside only at his ancestral residence at Raghunathpur in the Purulia district, where his mother resides. He will also not leave the area without prior permission from the court.

The CBI is supposed to submit the charge sheet in the case on May 21, following which the trial process will start.

On Monday, the CBI officials faced the judge's ire for the approach they adopted during the course of the investigation.

The judge questioned why the central agency official did not approach the Supreme Court and oppose the latter's granting of "protection from arrest" to Lala three years ago.

Meanwhile, another prime accused in the coal smuggling case, Vinay Mishra, continued to remain absconding and as per the latest information available with central agencies, Mishra, a former youth Trinamool Congress leader, is hiding at Vanuatu Island and has also taken citizenship there.
Jaipur, May 14 : Over 2500 policemen, five bomb squads and 20 sniffer dogs searched over 60 schools in Rajasthan after bomb threat emails were received by them, said officials on Tuesday.

The private schools received threats on Monday at 2.49 a.m. The searches started at 6 a.m. and continued till late night hours.

After extensive searches, the threat turned out to be a hoax as nothing suspicious was found in any of the schools.

The bomb threat was sent from a mail ID 'instrumentt@inbox.ru' via the Russian domain.

Police are investigating the matter and analyzing the language of the emails. The wording of the email sent to Delhi schools and airports recently is also being studied.

Preliminary investigation has revealed that Russian servers have been used for sending the threat mail to Jaipur and Delhi schools. An email was sent to the schools of Delhi from the id 'awariim@mail.ru' and to the schools of Jaipur from the id 'instrumenttt@inbox.ru'.

Meanwhile, cyber experts said that criminals generally have been using VPNs from other countries to hide their location. "For example, in both the Jaipur and Delhi cases, it is being said that emails were sent from the Russian servers. It is possible that the emails were sent from some other place, but the location is shown as Russia," they added.

Cyber security expert Mukesh Chaudhary said that by hiding the location through VPN, such accused manage to escape from the police.

"Anyone can change their location through a VPN. In such a situation, the email receiver feels that the sender of the email is in the same country from where he has received the mail, however, the case is different," he said.

Meanwhile, officials did not deny a strong possibility that some organisation or gang may be behind the incidents in Delhi and Jaipur.

Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George said that a similar pattern of mail has been used in Delhi and Jaipur schools. There is no dateline mentioned and it uses the term Bcc under which one mail is being sent to many others. So one should not be scared of such emails.

Cyber security and law expert Monali Krishna Guha said that vicious criminals usually use darknet or proxy servers while sending such emails due to which the police investigation takes a long time to reach any conclusion.

Rajendra Prasad, former in-charge of the cyber crime police station, says that police should take help from the CBI and Interpol when VPN is being used.

The email sent to schools spoke of taking revenge. It referred to Gujarat and threatened to turn cities into ruins.

It needs to be mentioned here that miscreants have sent bomb threats to Jaipur airport six times in the last six months. In May, such bomb threats were sent twice on May 3 and then on May 12. However, no suspicious object was found during the search operation.

In April too, Jaipur Airport received bomb threats on February 16, April 26, April 29 and December 27 last year.
Mumbai, May 14 : Divyanka Tripathi Dahiya on Tuesday shared some divine glimpses from her visit to Lord Shiva Temple along with her husband Vivek Dahiya, sharing how her fans are an integral part of their prayers.

Divyanka, who recently visited her hometown Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, to cast her vote in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections, took to Instagram and shared a series of photos, where the couple can be seen praying at a temple.

However, the actress did not disclose the temple's location.

The pictures show Divyanka wearing a navy blue suit, while Vivek opted for a white T-shirt and blue denim jeans. They are seen offering prayers to Lord Shiva, and Goddess Durga.

The post is captioned: "Om Namah Shivay... Om Durgay Namah... Sri Ganeshay Namah. While we pray for our loved ones, YOU are an integral part of our prayers."

On the work front, she last featured in 'Adrishyam' as Inspector Parvati Sehgal. It stars Eijaz Khan as Ravi Verma.

The show is streaming on Sony LIV.
Jammu, May 14 : The J&K Police on Tuesday launched a search operation in the border area of Kathua district after villagers claimed that they saw six suspicious men moving around in the area.

The villagers of Jathana border village in the district informed police that they had seen six people moving suspiciously in the area.

"Since the village is close to the international border, police started a search operation in the area... So far, nobody has been detained during these searches. The operation is still going on," officials said.

Two days ago, the Indian Army fired at a Pakistani drone in Poonch district after it crossed the Line of Control (LoC) and started hovering over the Indian territory. The drone was forced to withdraw.

Drones are used by terrorists from across the LoC to airdrop arms and ammunition into the Indian territory.

Kathua was among the first of the five Lok Sabha seats in J&K that went to polls in the first phase on April 19.

The polling in the Kathua-Udhampur Lok seat was peaceful with over 68 per cent voter turnout.
New Delhi, May 14 : Ola founder Bhavish Aggarwal's brother Ankush Aggarwal has returned to the ride-hailing business after working with Ola Electric.

The company has appointed him as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Ola Financial Services, according to media reports.

His appointment comes after Hemant Bakshi resigned as CEO from the ride-hailing business last month. He was in charge of the mobility business, as well as key areas like financial services, logistics, and e-commerce.

As per reports, Ankush Aggarwal will be a part of the senior leadership of Ola Cabs.

In 2022, Ankush Aggarwal sold his startup Avail Finance to ANI Technologies (the parent company of Ola) for about $50 million in a share swap deal. After that, he joined Ola Electric as the chief business officer (CBO).

Last month, the ride-hailing platform also announced job cuts.

Bhavish Aggarwal addressed staff in a letter about a restructuring exercise to improve profitability and prepare for future growth.

The restructuring process will reportedly affect at least 10 per cent of the company's workforce.

Meanwhile, Ola announced to shut down all its existing global markets, namely the UK, Australia and New Zealand amid rising competition. It said that it will be focusing on the Indian market as it sees an "immense opportunity for expansion" in the country.
Jakarta, May 14 : Death toll in cold lava floods that destroyed houses, buildings and public facilities in Indonesia's West Sumatra province has mounted to 52, a senior official of a local disaster agency said on Tuesday.

Search for the missing persons resumed on Tuesday, as several heavy machinery equipment had been added to the scene to help with the operation, said Ilham Wahab, head of the rehabilitation and reconstruction unit of the provincial disaster management and mitigation agency.

"The number of bodies found is 52 now, and the missing number is 17. These figures will keep changing as people keep reporting about their missing family members," he told Xinhua via phone.

Wahab noted that the ongoing emergency relief efforts would be followed by a reconstruction and rehabilitation programme.

Experts would be involved to consider whether it would be necessary to relocate the residents living in dangerous areas, such as on the sides of rivers whose upstream is at the slopes of the Merapi volcano and Singgalang volcano, which keep erupting and exiting volcanic materials, he added.

According to Lieutenant General Suharyanto, head of the National Disaster Management and Mitigation Agency, the natural disaster has forced over 3,000 people to flee home and take shelter at safer grounds.

"Repair of the damaged roads is among the priorities during the relief efforts," he said in a text message, adding that the fulfilment of the basic needs of the flood-affected residents would be met.

Heavy rains on Saturday night triggered the waters of the rivers to overflow their banks, striking the regencies of Agam, Tanah Datar Pariaman, and Padang Panjang town.
New Delhi, May 14 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered Gautam Navlakha, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case, to be released on bail.

Observing that the completion of the trial would take "years and years", a bench presided over by Justice M.M. Sundresh refused to extend the stay granted by the Bombay High Court on the implementation of the bail order.

However, the Bench, also comprising Justice S.V.N. Bhatti, added a condition that Navlakha should deposit Rs 20 lakh with the authorities at this stage, as a part of the expenses incurred on him during house arrest.

The apex court took note of the submission made on Navlakha's behalf that the activist-journalist remains incarcerated for over four years and there exists a likelihood of prolonging trial proceedings since charges are yet to be framed in the case.

In December last year, the Bombay High Court granted bail to Navlakha, who has been in custody since April 14, 2020, for his alleged links with Maoists.

However, a division bench of Justices A.S. Gadkari and Shivkumar S.Dige of the High Court deferred the implementation of its order for three weeks after the anti-terror agency sought a stay for filing a special leave petition in the Supreme Court. This stay was extended from time to time by the apex court.

Navlakha, 73, has been in continuous custody in jail and after a Supreme Court order, was placed under house arrest in November 2022, on account of his advanced age and health conditions.

Navlakha, along with the other accused was arrested and charged by the Pune Police and later by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for plotting to overthrow the government and instigating the caste riots at the Bhima Koregaon memorial near Maharashtra's Pune on January 1, 2018 which left one youth dead, and created a political turmoil in the state.

A former office-bearer of the PUDR, he was also accused of Maoist links, furthering the agenda of the outlawed CPI(Maoist), possessing incriminating documents, supporting Kashmir separatists, and other offences. His earlier bail applications were rejected by the Special NIA Court.
Mumbai, May 14 : Shiv Sena (UBT) nominee and sitting MP Arvind Sawant and Shiv Sena candidate Yamini Jadhav are locked in a direct contest in Mumbai South.

The Mumbai South constituency is an important segment of the countryas financial capital with a mixed population of the elite, middle class, government employees, slum dwellers, multilingual and religious people.

Interestingly, both Sawant and Jadhav hope to win the elections by playing the Marathi Manoos card which has traditionally been the Shiv Senaas USP.

However, they are paying equal attention to the Muslim community whose votes are likely to play a decisive role in this election.

Even though the BJP had staked its claim on South Mumbai by shortlisting its nominees including the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar and Cabinet Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, it opted out after Eknath Shinde made it a prestige issue.

The time taken by the BJP and Shiv Sena in arriving at a consensus helped Sawant to complete the first round and start another round of campaigning.

However, Jadhav, who is a Legislator from Byculla, is now striving to complete her outreach programme in a limited span of time as polling is slated for May 20.

Sawant, who was elected in 2014 and 2019 banking on the Shiv Senaas (united) alliance with the BJP and riding on a aModi wavea, hopes to score a hat-trick despite a vertical split in the party after Eknath Shindeas rebellion in June 2022.

Sawant, who remained loyal to Uddhav Thackeray, is running his campaign arguing that the only visible difference in this election is change in the allies including the Congress, NCP, Communists and other like-minded parties.

In addition, Sawant is cashing in on his followers from the MTNL Union and Sthaniya Lokadhikar Samiti which is Shiv Senaas cultural organisation working to safeguard Maharashtrian interests.

On top of it, Sawant is riding on sympathy to his boss and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray especially from Muslims and other minority communities, and Dalits apart from the Marathi Manoos which he claims is hurt after the manner in which 40 Legislators led by Eknath Shinde walked out of the party and joined hands with the BJP.

On her part, Jadhav is cashing in on the BJPas poll machinery, the well-oiled network of the RSS Parivar, support from various organisations representing traders, apart from the Shiv Senaas Shakha-level organisational strength.

Her poll campaign is revolving around aModias guaranteea and making him the prime minister for the third time and also on the importance of a double engine government to push Mumbaias development.

Undeterred by the limited time at her disposal, Jadhav has stepped up her efforts to mingle with cross-sections of society, explaining that her party is the real Shiv Sena which is taking forward the thoughts and ideals of the party founder late Balasaheb Thackeray.

She is making it a point to mention how Shinde, a true Shiv Sainik and the peopleas chief minister, is well positioned to protect the interests of the Marathi Manoos and boost the development of Indiaas financial and commercial capital.

Incidentally, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sawant have accused Jadhav and her husband Yashwant Jadhav of tax evasion and money laundering, during the poll campaign.

However, Jadhav has put up a brave front saying that nothing has been proved so far and they are taking legal recourse.

Sawant and Jadhav are faced with a volley of questions over their plans to address a number of issues from the constituency.

There are a large number of dilapidated old chawls and most of them are over 100 years old.

These chawls are awaiting redevelopment. However, most of the residents are not ready to vacate their homes citing fraud by developers, lack of support from the government and lack of concrete assurance about the time required for the completion of redevelopment.

This has made redevelopment a time-consuming exercise.

These residents expect Sawant and Jadhav to not only present a workable redevelopment plan but also assure its timely completion not at the cost of buildersa interests but by protecting their interests.

Moreover, the infrastructure constraints, traffic bottlenecks, lack of water availability 24x7 and encroachment on open spaces are some of the other issues prevalent in the constituency.

(Sanjay Jog can be contacted at sanjay.j@ians.in)
Bhopal, May 14 : One member of a polling party was killed and nine others injured when the bus they were travelling in met with an accident in Madhya Pradesh.

The incident occurred on Tuesday morning when the polling party was returning from the polling booth to Mandsaur district headquarters.

Mandsaur was among the eight Lok Sabha seats where the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections was held on Monday.

Police said the private bus collided with a truck on the Muvasara-Mandsaur highway. A home guard died on the spot and those injured in the collision were rushed to a nearby hospital.

The condition of three of them was critical, police said.
Mumbai, May 14 : Senior actor Ashutosh Rana, who stars in the recently released psychological thriller 'Murder in Mahim', shared that when it comes to acting, he cares more about the character than how long he is in a role.

Talking about the length of the characters, Ashutosh said: "When it comes to acting, I care more about the character than how long I'm in a role. Recently, I did two shows for JioCinema within just two weeks, playing very different characters. In 'Murder in Mahim', I played a calm but determined person who does things his own way."

"What's important to me is not playing the same character twice. To really understand a character, you have to understand yourself first. In 'Murder in Mahim', I got to explore a new kind of person. I always try my best and stay true to the character in every moment on screen," he added.

The social commentary series explores the chilling murder mystery and the underbelly of Mumbai, highlighting the reconciliation of a lost friendship between Peter (Ashutosh) and Jende (Vijay Raaz).

Adapted from a critically acclaimed book by author Jerry Pinto, the gripping series is helmed by Raj Acharya and created by Tipping Point Films and Jigsaw Pictures. It also stars talented actors Shivani Raghuvanshi and Shivaji Satam in pivotal roles.

'Murder in Mahim' is streaming on JioCinema Premium.
United Nations, May 14 : An Indian working for the United Nations in Gaza has become the first non-Palestinian staffer to be killed during the current Gaza conflict when his vehicle was attacked on its way to a hospital in Rafah.

The victim was identified as Col. Waibhav Anil Kale, who had started working a month ago as a security coordinator for the UN in Gaza, according to The Washington Post, which quoted unnamed informed sources.

Kale, who worked for the UN Department of Safety and Security (DSS) joins the roster of more than 200 Indians who have died in the service of the UN.

The majority of them - 179 - are peacekeepers but many other Indian civilians, who like employees of the DSS are not peacekeepers, have died working for the UN in various capacities in trouble spots.

Earlier, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's Spokesperson Farhan Haq, who announced the death, did not identify him pending notification to his family and government.

Haq said that Guterres condemned the attack and called for a full investigation.

Another UN employee was injured in the Monday attack, he said.

The blame for the attack has not been fixed because the situation remains murky in Rafah.

Haq did not say who carried out the attack.

Al Jazeera broadcast clips showing windows with bullet holes on the attacked vehicle flying UN flags and bearing large UN markings.

From the nature of the damage, it did not appear to have been an air or heavy artillery attack.

He said that Monday's victim was the first international employee of the UN killed in Gaza since October 7, although 188 Palestinian employees of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the UN arm for humanitarian services for Palestinians, have been killed.

"We will be working with the authorities on the ground to get restitution for all of those who have been killed," Haq declared.

The Post said that according to its sources, Kale was a 46-year-old father of two teenage children.

Other media reports said that he had earlier worked for the Indian Army.

Israel Defense Forces said that according to an initial inquiry, Monday's attack happened in an active combat zone and that it was not made aware of the vehicle's movement.

Haq said that the DSS staffers were in the vehicle with clear UN markings that was in a convoy engaged in "their regular work [for which] they go to different locations to assess security conditions. And this was the European Hospital in Rafah".

Asked what the UN was doing to seek justice for the UN employees killed in the conflict, Haq said, "In all cases, we are going to set up measures for accountability".

"A lot of that, as you know, requires ultimately for an end to the conflict so that we can work these out," he said.

Guterres reiterated his call for a humanitarian ceasefire and the release of the hostages taken by Hamas, which sparked the conflict with an attack on Israel in which about 1,200 people were killed and 128 were kidnapped.

Israel's retaliation on Gaza, from where Hamas launched the attack, has killed about 34,000 Palestinians, most of them women, children or the aged.

Last month, four foreigners and three Palestinians working for a non-profit organisation, were killed in Gaza.

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis)
Mumbai, May 14 : The upcoming film 'Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha', which stars Ajay Devgn and Tabu in lead roles, is set to offer a sneak peek at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival.

The makers of the film will unveil a sneak peek at the Bharat Pavilion of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival on May 17.

The film is directed by Neeraj Pandey of 'A Wednesday' and 'Special 26' fame. It promises to take audiences on a rollercoaster ride as it traces the journey of love spanning 23 years. It sheds light on the complexities of mature love, exploring themes of enduring companionship and unwavering devotion.

Oscar-winning composer M. M. Keeravani has composed the music for the film.

Producer Shreyans Hirawat of NH Studioz said in a statement: "While I would be at the Cannes film market with our next few interesting line-up of films, I am thrilled to share a glimpse of 'Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha', exclusively at the Bharat Pavilion for Cannes delegates. It would be nice to see the reaction from film aficionados and industry professionals."

Produced by Shital Bhatia, Narendra Hirawat, Kumar Mangat Pathak (Panorama Studios), and Sangeeta Ahir, 'Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha' is scheduled to debut in theatres on July 5.
Surat, May 14 : Over 10 lakh people in Surat will face a water shortage on Wednesday due to Dakshin Gujarat Vij Company Limited (DGVCL) maintenance operations in collaboration with the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC).

The scheduled work will affect key areas, including Sarthana, Udhana, and Varachha zones, with additional disruptions in parts of the Limbayat zone.

Officials shared that the water supply interruption is necessary to address urgent issues, including repairing a leaking main pipeline that channels raw water to the treatment facilities.

To facilitate the repair works safely and effectively, DGVCL will shut down its feeder from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

In light of these disruptions and the ongoing heatwave that has seen temperatures soar above 41 degrees Celsius, SMC has appealed to the residents to conserve water. The city's authorities are urging citizens to store at least a day's water supply to mitigate the cut's impact.

Additionally, residents are advised to use water sparingly during this period of reduced supply.
Srinagar, May 14 : Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti is fighting a tough battle for her political survival and the revival of her party in the valley.

The battle has become interesting since its traditional rival, National Conference, became its partner when the Gupkar alliance was established to fight for the restoration of J&K's special status after the abrogation of Article 370, and the formation of the INDIA bloc.

But, both the alliances have crumbled in the union territory due to electoral compulsion, and are now once again pitted against each other in Kashmir. The PDP decided to contest three seats in Kashmir and gave two Jammu seats a miss.

PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti has been working hard to mobilise people in her favour. She has been vehemently campaigning for the restoration of the Assembly and the statehood status.

In an election rally in Budgam recently she said there has been a process of disempowerment after the abrogation of Article 370 which needs to be reversed. There is a need for elected representatives to advocate the region's issues fearlessly.

"With the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, everything is not over, since then efforts have been underway to snatch away the rights of the people and how to evict them from their lands... We are given electricity at the highest price," she said.

PDP's candidate for Srinagar Lok Sabha Constituency Waheed Parra said that elections will help to break the "stifling silence and political vacuum" in Kashmir that has gripped the region for too long.

During her election rallies, Mehbooba Mufti targeted the BJP for the 370 abrogation move and for allegedly disempowering Kashmiris.

She, however, has not attacked the National Conference directly, emphasizing that her fight was not against the party. Her only grudge is that she was not consulted by the National Conference leadership when the party announced its candidates.

"If stone pelting has stopped, why are our youths in jails and not released? If militancy has ended why are the people being picked up, why are people sacked from government jobs on the basis of suspicion, why are there curbs on getting passports, and why are youths of Kashmir denied NOC dues to political reasons," she said.

Mehbooba Mufti herself is a candidate for the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency of Jammu and Kashmir which spans four districts and boasts of a diverse electorate of over 17 lakh voters.

The party is banking on its old slogans like healing touch and opening the cross LoC roads besides emphasizing the party's role in alleviating the fear of violence and restoring a sense of security among the population.

Despite acknowledging grievances primarily for its alliance with the BJP that initially brought her father Mufti Sayeed to power as the Chief Minister followed by her becoming the chief minister after his death, Mehbooba is asserting that the PDP's legacy of governance, particularly during her father's tenure, remains unparalleled.

Mufti has sought to rekindle confidence in the PDP's ability to address the challenges facing the region.

But how does that stand any different from the stand of other regional parties, and how can the PDP reinvent itself and connect with the voters in the turbulent political waters of Kashmir is the party's biggest challenge.
Canberra, May 14 : Australia on Tuesday imposed targeted sanctions on an additional five Iranian individuals and three entities, in response to "destabilising behaviour" in the Middle East.

Targeted entities include Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, which seized an Israeli-linked, Portuguese-flagged, civilian vessel in international waters on April 13.

"Australia continues to call for the immediate release of the ship and its crew," stated Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

The seized container vessel MSC Aries also has 16 Indian crew members on board.

Among the senior officials sanctioned by Australia on Tuesday are Iran's Defence Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani and the Commander of the IRGC Qods Force, Brigadier General Esmail Qaani.

"The IRGC is a malignant actor that has long been a threat to international security, and to its own people," mentioned Wong in a statement released by the Australian government.

Those sanctioned also include Iranian senior officials, business people and companies that have contributed to the development of Iran's missile and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) programmes.

"Iran's proliferation and provision of these technologies to its proxies has fostered instability across the region for many years," Wong added.

The Australian government led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has now sanctioned 90 Iranian-linked individuals and 100 Iranian-linked entities.

"This action is in line with sanctions measures taken by our partners in recent weeks, following Iran's unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel in April. Australia will continue to deliberately and strategically apply pressure on Iran to cease its disruptive activities and adhere to international law," said Wong.
Mumbai, May 14 : Veteran Bollywood actress Zeenat Aman, who often shares anecdotes from her prime in cinema on social media, shared a word of appreciation for fellow actress Dimple Kapadia.

Zeenat shared that Dimple was by her side at the time when she was going through a lot.

On Tuesday, Zeenat took to her Instagram and shared a throwback picture of herself with Dimple and director Joy Mukherjee. \

The actress penned a lengthy note in the caption as she took a stroll down memory lane.

Zeenat, who looks stunning in her western attire and smoking a cigarette in the picture, wrote: "I can't recollect where this picture was taken, but it quite certainly had something to do with the film 'Chhailla Babu'. Perhaps it's a bts shot from the set. I say this because while the chairs scream 'production', I'm in my own clothes not a costume. With me are the director of the film Joy Mukherjee and the effervescent Dimple Kapadia, who must have been visiting the set as she was married to the lead actor (Rajesh Khanna)."

The actress further mentioned how filmmaker-actor Raj Kapoor played a significant role in boosting both her and Dimple's careers.

She continued, "Dimple and I both got big career breaks thanks to Raj Kapoor. She, as a teenager, when she was cast in and as Bobby. Whereas I was able to deliver a blow to my "western image" thanks to 'Satyam Shivam Sundaram'."

Zeenat then shared how Dimple stood by her during "a very difficult phase' in her life.

"This isn't a post about Dimple's talent though she has that in spades, it's about the little I saw of her character. During a very difficult phase in my life she was one of a mere handful of people who publicly stood by me. This despite the criticism and scrutiny of her own life that the decision invited! In those trying times she revealed to me a strength of character that I admire to date. I don't believe she is on Instagram, but perhaps @twinklerkhanna will pass on my love to her. Truly, a wave of appreciation washed over me when I found this picture some days ago," she wrote.

The veteran actress also made a point not to influence her younger followers about smoking a cigarette in any capacity as she categorically mentioned, "On another note, please don't be influenced by my smoking in this image! I'll admit I enjoyed a few cigarettes a day between my late teens and early 30s, but that all went out of the window the minute I became pregnant with my firstborn."
Chandigarh, May 14 : Three operatives of the banned outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) have been arrested for writing pro-Khalistan slogans in Bathinda in Punjab and Delhi, Punjab Police said on Tuesday.

The arrest was made by the Counter-Intelligence wing of Bathinda, said Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav.

"In a major breakthrough, Counter-Intelligence, Bathinda & Bathinda Police have arrested three SFJ operatives for writing Pro-Khalistan slogans at various public places, including Bathinda, Punjab and Delhi, backed by NewYork-based mastermind Gurpatwant Pannun of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ)," said Yadav in a post on X.

Pro-Khalistan slogans were found written on walls in Bathinda on April 27.
Moscow, May 14 : Following the dismissal of former Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu amid corruption investigations, another high-ranking Russian general has been arrested, state media reported on Tuesday.

Lieutenant-General Yuri Kuznetsov, head of the ministry's cadre administration, is accused of a "criminal offence," according to the state news agency TASS. It did not provide further details.

Meanwhile, the well-connected military blog Rybar said officials were probing Kuznetsov's activities in his previous post within the General Staff dealing with state secrets. Police reportedly searched his offices and home.

In late April, another high-ranking general and deputy defence minister, Timur Ivanov, was arrested by federal authorities for accepting bribes.

Responsible for construction projects, Ivanov was considered a close confidant of Shoigu, whom President Vladimir Putin has since replaced as defence minister as part of a government reshuffle.

However, the 68-year-old was given an honourable exit with his appointment as Secretary of the National Security Council.

Experts regard the uncovering of the scandals at the ministry in the context of Russia's more than two-year-long war against Ukraine, which has failed to achieve the Kremlin's initial goals.

--IANS/DPA

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Seoul: Kurt Campbell, National Security Council Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, is seen speaking in a forum hosted by the U.S. Institute of Peace on Nov. 19, 2021 in this image captured from the website of the Washington-based think tank.(Yonhap/IA. Image Source: IANS News

Seoul, May 14 : The US' bilateral and trilateral relationships with South Korea and Japan will help enhance prosperity and security for all parties in the Indo-Pacific, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said on Tuesday.

Campbell made the remarks in a virtual speech, pointing out that such partnerships have never carried more significance than now as the world faces many opportunities and challenges at the same time, Yonhap news agency reported.

"Both alliances have transformed from primarily security-focused relationships to truly comprehensive global partnerships, with impacts reverberating far beyond the Indo-Pacific," Campbell said in a prerecorded keynote speech during a forum hosted by the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, a Seoul-based think tank.

Campbell cast the series of bilateral and trilateral summits the US has had with South Korea, Japan, and separately with Japan and the Philippines as a clear demonstration of the "not just historic but unrivalled" level of commitment from Washington and its allies in the Indo-Pacific.

"As President Biden has made clear, our partners and allies are critical if we are to be successful in seizing these key opportunities and maintaining our readiness to confront the most pressing challenges of the 21st century," Campbell said.

"Our bilateral and trilateral bonds with the Republic of Korea and Japan will define the future of Asia and grow our collective prosperity and security," he said.

On the trilateral cooperation with Seoul and Tokyo, Campbell noted that such commitment was made possible by the leaders of the two Asian allies, which led to a dramatic improvement in their bilateral relations.

"We wouldn't be here without the tremendous courage that President Yoon (Suk Yeol) and (Japanese) Prime Minister (Fumio) Kishida have demonstrated in bringing Seoul and Tokyo closer together," Campbell said.

The Biden administration's Indo-Pacific strategy focuses on creating a "lattice-fence" structure of alliances, Campbell said, referring to trilateral or wider groupings of a handful of like-minded countries.

"We understand the tremendous importance of working together trilaterally and multilaterally and networking our alliances," he said. "We're creating a lattice fence arrangement with intertwined, overlapping and interlocking engagements."

The "latticework" alliances are compared with the "hub and spokes" alliances that centre around each country's close security bond with the US but not with each other.

The US AUKUS security partnership with Australia and Britain and the Quad security dialogue with Australia, India and Japan are cited as latticework alliance partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region -- groupings largely seen as aimed at keeping an assertive China in check.

Campbell also pointed out that modernising the alliances is about sharing the resolve to address regional threats, including North Korea.

"The people of the Republic of Korea and Japan know too well the danger to peace and stability posed by the DPRK, and we are absolutely united in confronting that shared threat," he said, referring to the South by its official name.

DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name.
Patna May 14 : Following the death of former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday announced that his last rites would be performed with full state honours.

A condolence letter issued by the Chief Minister's Office, said: "Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has expressed grief over the demise of former Deputy Chief Minister and former Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Modi. On the instructions of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the mortal remains of Sushil Kumar Modi will be brought from Delhi to Patna by a special plane. His last rites will be performed with full state honours. The Chief Minister has also consoled his wife Jessie George over the phone."

Sushil Kumar Modi (72), who was suffering from throat cancer, died in AIIMS Hospital in Delhi on Monday.

From PM Narendra Modi to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, including all the opposition leaders have expressed grief over his demise.

The mortal remains of Late Sushil Modi will be brought from Delhi to Patna by a special plane on Tuesday. It will be kept at his residence in Rajendra Nagar, following which the dead body will be cremated with full state honours at Gulbi Ghat in Patna.

Leaders from the ruling as well as from the opposition parties are likely to attend his funeral.
Cairo, May 14 : Negotiations to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza war are now at a stalemate, having suffered a setback due to the Israeli military operation in Rafah, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman said on Tuesday.

"Right now, we are in the status of almost a stalemate. Of course, what happened with Rafah has set us backwards a little bit," he told the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha.

Last week, Israel took control of the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, halting humanitarian aid deliveries via the vital facility into the densely populated strip.

Israel deems Rafah the last stronghold of Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which killed hundreds of civilians in Israel in last year's October 7 attacks.

Along with Egypt and the United States, Qatar has been trying to negotiate a truce deal in the ongoing conflict.

Mohammed said there has been "a fundamental difference" between the two parties, as one wants to end the war before releasing the remaining hostages, while the other party wants the hostages and continue the war.

"If those two elements align, I believe we can have a deal in a matter of days," the premier added.

"There is no clarity on how to stop the war from the Israeli side. I don't think they are considering this an option," he said. "And there is no clarity on what Gaza will look like after this."

--IANS/DPA

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Gaza/Tel Aviv, May 14 : Almost 4,50,000 people left the city of Rafah in Gaza in the space of one week as hordes of displaced people try to escape from heavy fighting in the south of the coastal strip, the UN said on Tuesday.

"Empty streets in Rafah as families continue to flee in search of safety," the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) wrote on X.

"People face constant exhaustion, hunger and fear. Nowhere is safe. An immediate ceasefire is the only hope."

The Israeli army advanced on Gaza's southernmost city from the east just over a week ago and has since also taken control of the Palestinian part of the Rafah border crossing to Egypt.

Israel is exerting military pressure on the Palestinian militant organisation Hamas to secure the release of hostages taken at the start of the Gaza war last October.

It also wants to dismantle any remaining Hamas battalions in Gaza.

Israeli attacks and fighting in the Gaza Strip continued on Tuesday, with Palestinian eyewitnesses reporting continuous shelling in the north, south and centre of the coastal strip.

The military wing of Hamas reported that it had repeatedly attacked Israeli troops at the Rafah crossing and hit a troop carrier near the city.

The Hamas-controlled health authority in Gaza reported that 35,173 Palestinians had been killed and more than 79,000 others injured in the Gaza Strip since the war began.

The figure, which is impossible to verify independently, does not distinguish between civilians and fighters.

On Sunday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated Washington's opposition to a major ground offensive in Rafah. Until last week, more than 1 million people had sought refuge there from fighting in the rest of Gaza.

--IANS/DPA

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Police still clueless about murder of 3 Trinamool workers in Canning. Image Source: IANS News

Kolkata, May 14 : Kolkata Police, on Tuesday, submitted to state secretariat Nabanna a confidential report on another complaint of "outrage of modesty" against West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose filed by an Odissi dancer last year.

Kolkata, May 14 (IANS) Kolkata Police, on Tuesday, submitted to state secretariat Nabanna a confidential report on another complaint of "outrage of modesty" against West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose filed by an Odissi dancer last year.

Although the state secretariat sources confirmed the submission of the report by Kolkata Police in a sealed envelope, they refused to divulge the content. However, they confirmed that the complaint was filed last year and the city police had been conducting an informal probe into the matter during the interim period.

Till the report was filed there was no reaction from Raj Bhavan in the matter.

To recall, on May 2, the political circles in West Bengal were rocked following a police complaint by a woman temporary staff of Raj Bhavan in Kolkata accusing the Governor of outrage of modesty.

However, the Governor vehemently denied those allegations and said that the entire event was plotted with the sinister motive to malign him in the political interest of a political party.

Recently, the video footage of two CCTV cameras installed at the North Gate of Raj Bhavan was screened for the public within the Governor's House premises.

Recently, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said at a public meeting that she is scared to go to Raj Bhavan.
Bengaluru, May 14 : Soon after Jailed JD(S) MLA H. D. Revanna on Tuesday walked out from the Bengaluru Central Jail, police resorted to lathi-charge the party workers who were celebrating the release of their leader on bail, in order to disperse them.

H.D. Revanna was arrested on May 4 by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the sex video scandal involving his son, JD(S) MP and Lok Sabha candidate Prajwal Revanna.

The JD(S) leaders escorted H. D. Revanna from jail premises to the residence of his father and former Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda.

After reaching his father's house, H. D. Revanna sought blessings of Deve Gowda.

On May 3, the Karnataka Police registered an FIR against H. D. Revanna in connection with the kidnapping of the woman, believed to be one of the victims of the sex video scandal involving his son Prajwal.

The victim's son had registered a missing complaint naming H. D. Revanna as the prime accused in the case. The victim's son alleged that his mother went missing after the surfacing of a purported sex video in which Prajwal Revanna could be seen sexually assaulting her.

The victim's son alleged that his mother was locked up in an undisclosed location, as he pleaded with the police to initiate legal action against H.D. Revanna and Satish Babu, a relative of H. D. Revanna's wife.

The victim was rescued from the farmhouse of H.D. Revanna's PA by the SIT sleuths.
Cairo, May 14 : Egypt may downgrade its diplomatic ties with neighbouring Israel in response to Tel Aviv's extensive military action in the Gaza Strip, US media reported on Tuesday.

According to the Wall Street Journal, unnamed Egyptian government officials indicated that one consequence of the Gaza operations could be the withdrawal of the Egyptian ambassador from Israel.

However, there are currently no plans to break off relations completely, the report added. There was initially no official comment from Cairo.

Now in its eighth month, the Gaza war is putting the relationship between the two countries to the test.

The government in Cairo is concerned that a large number of Palestinians could cross the border into Egypt if the Israeli offensive in Rafah in the southern part of Gaza is extended.

Egypt was the first Arab country to make peace with Israel in 1979. The country also supports Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip.

In a sign of growing frustration over Israel's war in Gaza, Egypt said on Sunday that it would join the genocide lawsuit brought against Israel by South Africa.

In December, South Africa took Israel to the International Court of Justice for genocide allegedly committed during the war. In an interim ruling, the UN court ordered Israel to take protective measures to prevent genocide.

Israel rejects the charges, saying that it is invoking its right to self-defence following the massacres carried out by the Islamist Hamas and allied groups in Israel on October 7.

As Israel and Hamas do not negotiate directly with each other, Egypt is acting as a mediator in the Gaza war alongside the US and Qatar.

--IANS/DPA

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Patna, May 14 : A pall of gloom descended upon the political landscape of Bihar with the passing of Sushil Kumar Modi, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar. But amidst the mourning, one could not help but reflect on the intricate tapestry of his relationship with his long-time rival, Lalu Prasad Yadav.

Their political journeys had been intertwined for over five decades, forged in the crucible of student activism during the turbulent 1970s. Sushil Modi and Lalu Prasad, though ideological adversaries, shared a bond that transcended the boundaries of their political thought school.

Lalu, the socialist firebrand, and Sushil, the Sangh-inspired stalwart, had clashed on many fronts, from the Patna University Students' Union to the corridors of power in Patna. Their political differences were deep-rooted, but their personal rapport remained cordial, a testament to their mutual respect.

"Sushil Modi was a fighter, dedicated, social and political person," reminisced Lalu, his voice tinged with a hint of wistfulness, as he recalled the days of their student activism.

The two leaders had risen from the ashes of the anti-corruption protests that had rocked Bihar, each carving out their own distinct paths in the state's political landscape.

The political rivalry between them intensified during the Fodder Scam, with Sushil Modi emerging as a relentless crusader, determined to expose Lalu's alleged misdeeds. Yet, even in the heat of their battles, there was an underlying respect that bound them together, forged in their shared experiences.

As the years passed, the political landscape shifted, with the BJP, RJD, and JD(U) emerging as the dominant players in Bihar. Sushil Modi, alongside Nitish Kumar, played a pivotal role in unseating Lalu's 15-year rule, leveraging the Fodder Scam to deliver a decisive blow. But even in victory, Sushil's compassion shone through, as he advocated for the government to ensure Lalu's medical treatment during his recent health crisis.

The passing of Sushil Modi has left a big void on Bihar's political landscape, a testament to the complexity and depth of his relationship with his long-time rival, Lalu Prasad Yadav. Their story serves as a poignant reminder that even in the heat of political battles, the bonds of shared experiences and mutual respect can transcend the boundaries of ideology and partisanship.
Kolkata, May 14 : The Calcutta High Court's recent cancellation of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching jobs was the result of a joint conspiracy hatched by the CPI-M, Congress, and the BJP, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged on Tuesday.

"Whenever we are trying to arrange jobs, they approach the court and stall the appointment process. We have heard of man-eating tigers... But they are job-eaters," the Chief Minister said while addressing an election rally at Kalyani under the Bangaon Lok Sabha constituency in support of party nominee Biswajit Das.

She also said that the lawyers of the Congress, CPI-M, and the BJP were disheartened after the Supreme Court put a stay on the Calcutta High Court order.

To recall, in a crucial ruling last month, the Calcutta High Court cancelled 25,753 appointments in teaching and non-teaching posts made by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) in 2016. The case is being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Later, the Supreme Court stayed the order of the Calcutta High Court, invalidating their appointment made by the WBSSC in the state-run and state-aided schools.

Addressing the gathering on Tuesday, the Chief Minister also launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the latter's recent pronouncement of five guarantees for West Bengal at an election rally in the state.

"Whenever someone gives a guarantee, he should honour that. Ten years back, he gave the guarantee to transfer Rs 15 lakh to each citizen's account. But the money never came. Five years back, he promised two crore jobs. But instead of creating government jobs, the public sector units are being privatised. So, such guarantees mean nothing," Banerjee said.

The Chief Minister also alleged that out of the fear of defeat (in the Lok Sabha elections), the BJP and the Union government are trying to manipulate the polling process by tampering the EVMs.

"An attempt was made at Krishnanagar on Monday, which was foiled after the Trinamool staged a protest," the Chief Minister said.

She also predicted that this time the BJP will end up winning 195-200 seats.

"The anti-BJP forces together will grab 295-315 seats," she claimed.
Mandi, May 14 : Donning a green saree and a Himachali cap, actor and BJP candidate from the Mandi parliamentary seat in Himachal Pradesh, Kangana Ranaut, on Tuesday filed nomination for the election, saying "hopefully she will get success in the field of politics as well".

Accompanied by her mother Asha Ranaut, sister Rangoli Chandel and party leaders Jai Ram Thakur and Rajeev Bindal, Kangana said she has filed the nomination and it is a matter of pride for her to contest from Mandi.

"I have been successful in Bollywood and I am hopeful that I will get success in the field of politics as well."

She said the people of Mandi and their love for her have brought her here.

"Women in our country are making a mark in every field but incidents of feticide in Mandi were high a few years ago. Today, the women from Mandi are in the Army, the field of education and politics," she said.

Later addressing the gathering amidst slogans of "Jai Shri Ram" and "Bharat mata ki jai", she praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his initiatives.

"In 2029, 22 of the 68 MLAs in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly will be women, all due to PM Modi making provision of 33 per cent reservation for women," she said, adding "Modi ji has filed the nominations from Kashi (Varanasi) and I filed it from Chotto Kashi (Mandi)."

Trying to build rapport with the people, Kangana said, "This is the blessing of the people of Mandi for their daughter, who has struggled hard to make a name for herself in the film industry."

In a unique electoral showdown in Mandi constituency, the battleground shifts between "royalty" and "stardom", as Congress legislator Vikramaditya Singh, the scion of the erstwhile royal family, challenges Bollywood's queen, Kangana Ranaut.

Amid the clash of heritage and stardom, the sprawling constituency, one of the toughest and covers almost two-thirds of the state, braces for a riveting electoral spectacle.

This seat is currently represented by Pratibha Singh, the mother of Vikramaditya who belongs to the erstwhile royal family of Keonthal state. She's a three-time MP from Mandi.

She declined to re-enter the fray, saying senior party leaders had proposed Vikramaditya's name as they were of the opinion that "he's young, energetic and a good orator with influence over the youth and will be a good competitor for Kangana".

Mandi is the home district of BJP leader Jai Ram Thakur, the first Himachal Chief Minister from Mandi. In most of the election meetings and during campaigning, he's accompanying Kangana.

Mandi had remained a political battleground for long for Congress veteran and six-time chief minister Virbhadra Singh, the father of Vikramaditya. After making it to the Lok Sabha for the first time by winning the Mahasu parliamentary seat in 1962 and then again in 1967, Virbhadra Singh switched to the Mandi in 1971 and registered a win. He, however, lost the seat in 1977 but was again elected from the constituency in 1980 and later in 2009.

Kangana belongs to Bhambla village near Hamirpur town, some 200 km from the state capital Shimla. She owns a cottage in the picturesque tourist resort Manali, which is part of the Mandi parliamentary constituency.

Besides the Mandi seat, which includes Kullu, Mandi and some areas of Chamba and Shimla districts, the tribal-dominated Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti, the other three constituencies in the state are Shimla (reserved), Kangra and Hamirpur, which will go to the polls on June 1.
Thiruvananthapuram, May 14 : There is a shortage of nearly 7,000 police professionals in Kerala, according to the Administrative Reforms Commission report.

At present, Kerala's police force has a strength of 53,222, which means one policeman for 656 people.

Even though this report came out a few years back, fresh recruitment based on the report is yet to be taken up.

Incidentally, the National Crime Records Bureau report has pointed out that in 2022 in Kerala, there were 2,5,858 criminal cases registered and one reason why the probe into cases gets delayed is because of the lack of the desired number of police officials.

However, over the years, the standard reply given by the authorities with regard to the cases getting registered is that unlike many other states, in Kerala, due to the increased social awareness, the tendency to register cases is high.

Very recently, those whose names appeared in the selection list prepared by the Kerala State Public Service Commission to the Kerala Police had staged a protest before the state Secretariat demanding the Pinarayi Vijayan government to either start recruiting from the list of qualified candidates or extend the date of the list, but it failed to happen.
Srinagar, May 14 : The state investigation agency (SIA) of J&K Police on Tuesday carried out multiple raids in South Kashmir in connection with the murder of a non-local person.

Officials said that the SIA carried out searches at 11 locations in Anantnag, Kulgam and Shopian districts in a case related to the killing of a non-local.

Raja Sah, a non-local street vendor was killed on April 17 in Jablipora village of Bijbehara tehsil in Anantnag district.

"SIA is trying to ascertain a larger criminal conspiracy behind this killing. During searches various articles, including mobile phones, electronic gadgets, and documents relevant to the ongoing investigation have been seized, which shall be forensically examined and analysed during investigation in the case," SIA statement said.
Bengaluru, May 14 : Responding to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's remarks about the collapse of the Congress government in Karnataka after Lok Sabha polls are over, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday that he (Eknath Shinde) should save his state first before talking about the Karnataka government.

"There is no infighting in the Congress. Had there been any disruption in the party, it would not have been possible for us to work unitedly during the Lok Sabha election in the state," the Chief Minister told media persons.

He dubbed the statements of Maharashtra Chief Minister and BJP leaders on the "collapse of the Congress government" as a "political statement".

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar said that Eknath Shinde's own government in Maharashtra will come under threat. "Everything will happen in reverse," the Deputy Chief Minister said.

Commenting over the BJP and JD-S alliance for the MLC election, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that during the Lok Sabha election, both parties had an alliance but failed to have any impact.

On the impact of the sex video scandal on the MLC election, the Chief Minister said that the voters are mature and know what is right and wrong.

"They can take a call over the achievements of our government and the Central government and decide for themselves what is right for them," the Chief Minister said.
Mumbai, May 14 : The prestigious Mumbai North East Lok Sabha seat is known for its 'mood-swings' as from 1967, it has repeated a political party/candidate only thrice and has elected several stalwarts in the 14 elections it has witnessed, including three who became Union ministers.

Mumbai, May 14 (IANS) The prestigious Mumbai North East Lok Sabha seat is known for its amood-swingsa as from 1967, it has repeated a political party/candidate only thrice and has elected several stalwarts in the 14 elections it has witnessed, including three who became Union ministers.

In these elections, the BJP stands within the constituencyas athreshold limita with its candidate, MLA Mihir C Kotecha fervently hoping to break the jinx by giving a hat-trick to his party.

Kotecha was fielded in place of the sitting MP Manoj Kotak (2019), who had been nominated in place of the then MP Kirit Somaiya (2014).

Now, the BJP is hopeful of bagging the seat for a third-consecutive time, which is a tough task, given the constituencyas history.

He is challenged by a formidable contender, INDIA-MVA-Shiv Sena (UBT)as Sanjay Dina Patil, who was the undivided NCPas MP from this seat in 2009, but lost to Somaiya in the 2014 BJP-Narendra Modi awavea.

The BJP repeated the feat in 2019 in the second aModi wavea when Kotak sailed through easily.

In the absence of a perceptible wave in 2024, the BJP is making an all-out bid to counter the anti-incumbency factor plus the discerning votersa attitude of rarely giving more than two opportunities to any party contesting from here.

The Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) has fielded Daulat K Khan, but unlike 2019 when the party was in alliance with the All-India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), this time heas contesting solo with a question mark on his prospects in the constituency.

Way back in 1967 when the Congressa SG Barve contested the seat, he won but died a week after the results were announced. The subsequent bypoll that year was won by his sister, Tara G. Sapre, while in 1971, Rajaram G Kulkarni bagged it.

In 1977, the Janata Party cannonball Subramanian Swamy was elected and repeated the feat in 1980.

The ping-pong game started from 1984 when the Congressa Gurudas Kamat was elected, followed by the BJPas Jayawantiben Mehta (1989), Congress' Kamat (1991), BJPas Pramod Mahajan (1996), Congress' Kamat (1988), BJP's Somaiya (1999), Kamat (2004), NCPas Patil (2009), BJPas Somaiya (2014) and Kotak (2019).

Against this backdrop, it remains to be seen whether or not the constituency lives up to its no-nonsense reputation of having a apolitically-conscious but incumbency-sensitivea electorate.

Three of the MPs (all deceased now) elected from here went on to become Union ministers in different governments over the years a" Kamat, Mehta and Mahajan a" while Swamy was a member of the defunct Planning Commission of India.

Largely a middle class-dominated area, the MNE constituency comprises a mix of Gujaratis-Marathis, plus a significant chunk of Dalits and minorities, particularly in the north-eastern parts that are considered a decisive factor for any candidate.

The seat comprises six Assembly segments, of which three are held by the BJP, three by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance comprising two of Shiv Sena (UBT) and one of Samajwadi Party (SP).

They include the BJPas Mulund (MLA Mihir C. Kotecha), Ghatkopar East (MLA Parag Shah), Ghatkopar West (MLA Ram Kadam); SS(UBT)as Vikhroli (MLA Sunil Raut) and Bhandup West (MLA Ramesh Korgaonkar); and SPas Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar (MLA Abu Asim Azmi).

The constituency has its share of woes akin to most other regions of Mumbai like pollution, traffic, crowded roads, overcrowded suburban trains, a concentration of industries, haphazard development, lack of adequate water supply and other civic amenities, et al, though things are gradually improving.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in )
Bengaluru, May 14 : Responding to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's remarks about the collapse of the Congress government in Karnataka after Lok Sabha polls are over, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Tuesday that "he (Eknath Shinde) should save his state first before talking about the Karnataka government".

"There is no infighting in the Congress. Had there been any disruption in the party, it would not have been possible for us to work unitedly during the Lok Sabha election in the state," the Chief Minister told media persons.

He dubbed the statements of Maharashtra Chief Minister and BJP leaders on the "collapse of the Congress government" as a "political statement".

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar said that Eknath Shinde's own government in Maharashtra will come under threat. "Everything will happen in reverse," the Deputy Chief Minister said.

Commenting over the BJP and JD-S alliance for the MLC election, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that during the Lok Sabha election, both parties had an alliance but failed to have any impact.

On the impact of the sex video scandal on the MLC election, the Chief Minister said that the voters are mature and know what is right and wrong.

"They can take a call over the achievements of our government and the Central government and decide for themselves what is right for them," the Chief Minister said.
Mumbai, May 14 : Actress Celesti Bairagey, who is best known for her work in the show 'Rajjo' has opened up on her OTT show 'Amber Girls School' and shared how she had a great time enjoying Punjabi cuisine.

The project was shot in Patiala and Chandigarh.

Celesti, who plays Ojas in the show, said: "It was a very hectic and packed schedule of 45 days. There was a flood in Patiala when we were shooting there. Most of the scenes were shot in Mahendra College, Patiala."

"People of Patiala were so kind and helpful. I had a great time enjoying Punjabi cuisine and a lot of lassi," shared Celesti.

The young diva shared that her role in 'Amber Girls School' is very different from what she has played before.

"It was a challenging and fun role to play. Ojas is a 15-year-old Punjabi girl from Chandigarh. I got the opportunity to learn to speak Punjabi and also to get back to my school days," she added.

The show also stars Adrija Sinha, Kajol Chugh, Ishika Gagneja and others. It is streaming on Amazon miniTV.
Kolkata, May 14 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of spreading falsehood on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Addressing an election rally in the Matua-dominated Bangaon Lok Sabha constituency in support of BJP nominee and sitting MP Shantanu Thakur, the Home Minister said: "Mamata Banerjee is misleading the people by saying that applying for CAA will attract trouble. I want to assure all of you that no one will be in trouble. You will get citizenship and stay in the country with dignity. No power in the world can stop Hindu, Sikh, and Jain refugees from becoming citizens of the country."

To recall, on March 11, the Centre notified the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules 2024, thus paving the way for enforcing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which seeks to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians who came to India from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan before December 31, 2014.

The news triggered celebrations among the members of the Matua community, a backward-class Hindu group that came to West Bengal as refugees from neighbouring Bangladesh, with a large section settling down in the Bangaon region.

He also said that on one hand the Chief Minister and the Trinamool Congress are trying to make infiltrators the citizens of the country, while on the other they are opposing the CAA through which people from the Matua community will be granted citizenship.

"I want to remind Mamata Banerjee that grating citizenship is within the authority of the Union government and the state government," he said.

Amit Shah also attacked Chief Minister Banerjee for not attending the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya despite being invited.

"Despite being invited, she did not attend the inauguration ceremony to appease her dedicated vote bank. The world knows who constitutes Trinamool's vote bank. Remember, you are not part of their vote bank. Infiltrators constitute their vote bank," Amit Shah said.
Kyiv, May 14 : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for Patriot air defence systems for Kharkiv, which is routinely threatened by Russian missiles.

Two of these systems are necessary to protect Ukraine's second biggest city and its surrounding area, which borders Russia, Zelensky said in Kyiv during Blinken's surprise visit.

US assistance for the campaign against the Russians was of crucial importance, and air defence was the "biggest deficit," Zelensky said.

According to Ukrainian media reports, Blinken promised Ukraine weapons aid that could change the situation on the battlefield.

Blinken said on X: "I returned to Kyiv today to demonstrate our unwavering support for Ukraine as they defend their freedom against Russian aggression."

The visit, which, as usual, was not announced for security reasons, is Blinken's fourth since the start of the war in February 2022 and is also the first visit since the US approved a long-delayed aid package of $61 billion.

Ukraine has been on the defensive for months due to a lack of weapons, ammunition and soldiers.

Russia has been bombarding Kharkiv, and last week Russian troops also began a ground offensive on the border and have already captured several Ukrainian villages.

--IANS/DPA

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Kyiv, May 14 : EU ministers on Tuesday gave their final approval to a massive overhaul aimed at tightening the bloc's migration and asylum laws that had been years in the making.

EU officials had been at pains to wrap up the migration reforms ahead of European elections scheduled for June. The issue has been politically divisive, especially since an influx of arrivals in 2015 that exposed the system's weaknesses.

The overhaul consists of 10 pieces of legislation, which were supported by the vast majority of EU member states. However, Hungary and Poland voted against the entire package, and countries such as Austria and Slovenia opposed particular parts.

The new body of law is the product of years of fierce debate, which came to a head in a tense European Parliament vote on April 11. Protesters disrupted the vote, throwing paper aeroplanes across the chamber and chanting, "This pact kills, vote no!"

The new laws require all 27 EU member states to take some responsibility for managing asylum applications - including those who voted against the reforms - but the package also makes the rules stricter for applicants.

Therefore, it has been attacked by both those who want to reduce immigration and by campaigners who want to ensure more humane treatment for people trying to reach the EU.

For the latter group, the most contentious part of the package involves establishing border procedures to hold certain types of asylum seekers while they are screened and to send back those who don't qualify. Applicants will spend up to 12 weeks in reception centres until a decision is made.

Applicants who come from a country with an asylum recognition rate in the EU of less than 20 per cent, as well as countries decided to be a public security risk, will be subject to such border checks.

According to the legislation, arrivals to the bloc will also be registered with fingerprints and photos to screen for threats to public security.

On the other hand, countries that get overwhelmed with applications will be able to call for the applicants to be sent to other EU countries.

EU member states now have two years to introduce the legislation into national law.

The relocation mechanism has drawn opposition from leaders trying to reduce migration to their countries, such as Polish Prime Minister - and former European Council president - Donald Tusk and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor OrbAn. The two are seldom found on the same side of major EU political debates.

If an EU country does not want to accept people applying for asylum, then that member state must give alternative assistance like financial contributions to a support fund.

The legislation was adopted in a meeting of finance ministers. EU rules allow any formation of national ministers to give final approval to a law on any subject once it has been through all the other steps.

--IANS/DPA

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Seven rescued from after fire breaks out at Income Tax office in Delhi (Lead). Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, May 14 : Seven people, including two women, were rescued after a fire broke out at the Income Tax Office (ITO) building in the national capital on Tuesday, officials said.

Several people working in the building were evacuated through windows using ladders, a fire department official said.

Delhi Fire Service (DFS) Director Atul Garg said a call regarding the blaze at the CR building, ITO opposite the old Delhi Police Headquarters was received at 2.25 p.m.

"A total of 21 fire tenders were rushed to the spot," he said, adding that at 4 p.m. a message was received from the spot that seven persons (5 men and 2 women) were rescued safely by DFS personnel from the third floor.
New York, May 14 : Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots are increasingly inclined to echo the views of people who use them, according to US researchers who found that platforms limit what information they share depending on who is asking.

"Because people are reading a summary paragraph generated by AI, they think theyare getting unbiased, fact-based answers," said Ziang Xiao of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

But such assumptions are largely wrong, Xiao and colleagues argue after looking at the results of tests involving 272 participants asked to use standard internet searches or AI to help them write about news topics in the US, such as health care and student loans.

The "echo chamber" effect is louder when people seek information from a chatbot using large language models (LLMs) than via conventional searches, the team found.

"Even if a chatbot isnat designed to be biased, its answers reflect the biases or leanings of the person asking the questions. So really, people are getting the answers they want to hear," Xiao said, ahead of presenting the teamas findings at the Association of Computing Machineryas CHI conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.

The research, published in the science journal Cell Press, meanwhile showed AI to be sometimes able to bluff even card sharks while playing poker and to come out best in diplomacy simulations.

The researchers found the bots to be capable of a form of sycophancy, as they were "observed to systematically agree with their conversation partners, regardless of the accuracy of their statements" and "to mirror the useras stance, even if it means forgoing the presentation of an impartial or balanced viewpoint."

--IANS/DPA

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New Delhi, May 14 : Delhi's Tihar jail on Tuesday received a bomb threat via email, which turned out to be a hoax.

Jail authorities conducted checks on the premises but no suspicious object was found.

A senior prison official said that they received an email regarding the threat after which Delhi Police were informed.

"Thorough checks were conducted by bomb disposal squads and police teams, and nothing was found," said the official.

Earlier in the day, four hospitals in the National Capital got bomb threats, just two days after over eight health centres were searched by police and bomb disposal squads following a hoax email regarding the presence of explosives on their premises.

Calls to the fire department were received from Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital in Ashok Vihar at 10:45 A.M., from Shri Dada Dev Hospital in Dabri at 10:55 a.m., from Hedgewar Hospital in Farsh Bazaar at 11:01 a.m. and from GTB Hospital at 11.12 a.m.

Few days before over 150 schools across Delhi-NCR received hoax threat emails, prompting widespread police response.

On Sunday, bomb threat emails were sent to 21 addresses, prompting hospitals to notify the police, who along with bomb disposal squads conducted extensive searches on each premises, yet no evidence of any explosives was discovered.
Mumbai, May 14 : Director-choreographer Farah Khan, who is known for 'Main Hoon Na', 'Happy New Year' and 'Om Shanti Om', isn't very pleased with those stars who add to the woes of the producer with mounting costs.

Farah recently appeared on Twin Encounter's latest episode on Chinki Minki's YouTube channel and spoke about the positive changes that she would like to see in the Hindi film industry.

She said that the entourage costs of some actors are piling up and they burden the producers. This could affect the work which gets reflected on the screen.

She said: "I think bahut zyada entourage cost ho gaya hai. Ek actress 9 jan saath mein leke aate hain. Ek actor 8 jan leke aata hai. That is a waste of resources. Woh film mein dikhta nahi hai, wo cost (An actress brings 9 people, an actor gets 8 people. That does not show on the film)".

She added, "I think that needs to be controlled a bit. Producers pe bahut bhari padta hai (It weighs down on the producers)."
Chennai, May 14 : The Madras High Court on Tuesday ordered stringent action against corrupt practices in the issuance of legal heir certificates.

A single judge bench of Justice S.M.Subramaniam took serious note of the corrupt practices involved while issuing legal heir certificates and sought criminal action against those who suppressed vital facts while applying for them.

The court also said that strict action has to be taken against those government officials who issue these certificates by colluding with fraudulent applicants.

It directed the Commissioner of Revenue Administration to issue a circular, within five weeks, instructing all revenue officials across the state to lodge police complaints, if and when they come across any application having been filed for a legal heir certificate by suppressing vital information.

The single bench judge issued the direction while disposing of a writ petition filed by M. Marannan of Coimbatore. The petitioner had challenged an order passed by the Mettupalayam Tehsildar rejecting his request for issuance of a legal heir certificate to him, following the death of his father, Maranna Gowder.

However, Additional Government Pleader U. Bharanidharan told the court that the petitioner had suppressed the fact of having a brother and two sisters while making an application for the certificate and therefore, the Tehsildar had refused to issue it to him.

On hearing this, the court expressed its concerns in coming across many such cases related to false claims for legal heir certificates.

Government Advocate (Criminal Cases) S. Vinoth Kumar informed the court that Sections 177 (furnishing false information to a public servant), 182 (furnishing false information with intent to make public servant to use his lawful power to the injury of another person) and 199 (false statement made in a declaration) of the Indian Penal Code could be invoked against the applicants who suppress vital information for legal heir certificates.

He also said that if the false certificates had been used to take away the property or insurance amount of the deceased, the police could invoke Sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document) of the IPC against the applicant.

Justice Subramaniam then directed the revenue authorities to promptly lodge criminal complaints against all dishonest applicants.

"Unless such penal actions are initiated, it would be very difficult to control the menace," he said, adding that if any practice of abetment to commit the offences is identified, then the government officials are also liable to be prosecuted under criminal law.

The judge directed the Commissioner of Revenue Administration to warn Tehsildars of disciplinary action if they failed to lodge police complaints against fraudulent applicants.
New Delhi, May 14 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) will soon file a supplementary charge sheet in the excise policy case arraying the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as an accused, the probe agency's counsel informed the Delhi High Court on Tuesday.

New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) will soon file a supplementary charge sheet in the excise policy case arraying the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as an accused, the probe agencyas counsel informed the Delhi High Court on Tuesday.

Opposing the bail plea of former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, ED counsel advocate Zoheb Hossain apprised a bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma that the ruling party in the national capital will be formally added as an accused in the money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam.

In its probe, the ED found that the proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs 45 crore, which was part of the 'bribes' received from the 'South Group', were used by the AAP for campaigning in the 2021-22 Assembly elections in Goa.

One of the main allegations is that AAP was the major beneficiary of the proceeds of crime generated in the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam.

On May 3, the Delhi High Court issued a notice on Sisodiaas pleas seeking replies from both the agencies -- the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Meanwhile, Delhias Rouse Avenue Court extended has the judicial custody of Manish Sisodia in the case being probed by the CBI till May 15.

He is currently in judicial custody in EDas case too.
New Delhi, May 14 : A 57-year-old man, who has been absconding since 2007 after allegedly killing a 22-year-old woman in Delhi, was arrested from the Rohini area, said Crime Branch official on Tuesday.

The accused was identified as Virender Singh, a resident of Vaishali district in Bihar, who rented an apartment in Delhi on June 2, 2007 and killed the woman and then hid the body in a trunk.

"He fled from the spot however, during investigation, co-accused Shankar Ghosh was arrested by Local Police. Virender Singh was absconding and was declared 'Proclaimed Offender' in 2008 by the court," said a senior police official.

Assistant Sub-Inspector (Crime Branch) Ramesh, who was posted at Kalkaji police station and was the beat officer of the area in which the murder was committed, continued to probe the case despite being transferred.

"Ramesh again started gathering information about the accused through other persons, who were directly or indirectly involved in the business of flesh trade. He collected information that accused Virender is hiding in Panipat, Haryana. Few raids were conducted there but the accused could not be traced as he was changing his rented accommodations very frequently," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Amit Goel.

In February, ASI Ramesh was transferred to the Crime Branch and he took the case as a challenge and again started working on it.

"He got specific input about the accused and mobile number being used by him. He carried out technical surveillance and accordingly, on the basis of the photograph of the 'Tenant Verification Form', Virender was apprehended from Vijay Vihar area in Rohini," said the DCP.

During interrogation, it was revealed that he came to Delhi in 1991 and started living in Chittaranjan Park area, while working as a taxi driver. During that period, he came in contact with different persons and came to know about flesh trade.

"In 2001, he brought young girls from West Bengal and then forced them into flesh trade. The victim of the case was purchased by him for Rs 10,000. On June 4, when she refused to go to work due to her illness, he murdered the victim, kept her body inside an iron box, locked it, hid the box inside the rented accommodation and flew away to Kolkata," said the DCP.

Thereafter, he stayed in Siliguri in the house of one of the girls, who used to work for him in Delhi.

"Then, he kept changing his locations in West Bengal. In 2009, he came to Ambala and joined his friend Labhoo who was also involved in the flesh trade. Thereafter, in 2013, he shifted to Panipat and carried out the same business. He came back to Delhi in 2019 and started living in Vijay Vihar. Presently, the accused was working as a commission agent in recruiting young girls who have come from Bihar, West Bengal and other parts of India, as maids in Delhi," said the DCP.
Bengaluru, May 14 : The political slugfest continued in Karnataka on Tuesday over the developments surrounding the alleged sex video scandal involving former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda's grandson and JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna.

Former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, who is also Prajwal Revanna's uncle, indirectly dubbed Karnataka Deputy CM, DK Shivakumar a 'shark' and demanded his arrest.

In response, Dy CM Shivakumar stated, "They are a big family. I really wish this had not happened to them. Whatever they (Kumaraswamy) wish for me, I will not wish any harm upon their family."

He expressed pity over the plight of JD(S) MLA and Deve Gowda's son HD Revanna, who is Kumaraswamy's brother.

"I am a believer in the rule of nature and justice. I have also been a victim of political conspiracy. Only I know how confident I was and how I stood my ground then. God has protected me. However, I will address my brother Kumaraswamy in the Assembly," Dy CM Shivakumar added.

He further clarified that he did not need to stage protests or issue statements through legislators.

"I am busy in election campaigning, and I am the state President of a political party. I am ready to face consequences if any interference on my part is proven. I won't talk about that now; time will answer all questions," Dy CM Shivakumar stated.

Earlier, Kumaraswamy launched an attack on the Karnataka Congress President and compared him to a 'shark'. He alleged that BJP leader G Devaraje Gowda was arrested following the release of an audio clip exposing him.

Kumaraswamy asked, "What document was Devaraje Gowda about to release? Which document is the Congress government trying to obtain from him? If the shark is arrested, truth will come out. Legislators had been asked to issue statements against me by this shark."

BJP leader Devaraje Gowda, who had contested for the Holenarasipur Assembly seat during the 2023 polls, claimed that he possessed video and photo content related to Prajwal Revanna.

However, the content was leaked by unknown individuals ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

He blamed Congress leaders for the leak and circulation of the objectionable content.

Kumaraswamy also highlighted the significance of the case registered with the National Commission for Women.

"Who has threatened the victim to lodge a complaint against Prajwal Revanna? Why is the case not being investigated?" he questioned.
Esha Deol happy to be back to work; says new projects to be announced soon. Image Source: IANS News

Mumbai, May 14 : Esha Deol was in the news because of her divorce with Bharat Takhtani after 11 years of marriage. The actress, who is busy shooting for upcoming projects, revealed that she is happy to be working again.

Deol was present at a tree plantation drive In Mumbai when she spoke about her upcoming projects.

The actress, who was last seen last year with Suniel Shetty in the OTT series, 'Hunter Tootega Nahi Todega', said, "I am busy shooting for upcoming films. Announcements will be made very soon for them. I can only say I am very happy to be working."

The 'No Entry' actress also spoke about the importance of planting trees."It is a wonderful feeling to plant a tree as this is not for us but for our future generations," Deol said.

"Yesterday, we saw a terrible storm in Mumbai; earlier, Dubai got flooded because of freak rains. All these are wake up calls from Mother Nature to preserve her beauty," the actress added.

Staying on the subject of trees, Deol said, "Nowadays, more and more trees are being cut and new buildings are being constructed on the pretext of city life. It is our responsibility, however, to plant more and more trees for our future generations."
New Delhi, May 14 : It was sometime in the first week of April 2004. Trying to shield myself from the sweltering heat, I was trying to cover my eyes with my right hand to see the response of the gathered crowd on what then Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani was speaking during his Bharat Uday Yatra. Someone lightly touched my shoulder and asked: "How are you?" I was a bit startled, though he was a well-known public figure, I had never met him in person. I smiled and said: "Thanks, sir. I am fine."

The conversation didn't proceed further. I thought it was not unusual for political leaders to casually ask such things even with persons they are not so familiar with. I soon found that Sushil Kumar Modi, then Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly, was different.

About an hour or two later, at one of the stopovers, I got an opportunity to get into Advani's bus. Sushil Modi was standing at the doorstep, warmly smiling. I gave him my name and the media organisation I represented. He said: "I know you, I have seen you and read most of the pieces you write." I was a bit puzzled: "You actually read them?" He perhaps sensed my thoughts, saying: "Internet makes everything possible. I read that on a laptop, I read many outstation newspapers every morning on the net." Later an iPad was his constant companion, he would marshal data, facts, and reports with one touch.

That was my first meeting with him. We struck a lasting rapport. He instantly won my admiration through his simplicity, unassuming charm and grasp over issues. And most of all, he led a very disciplined life.

In 2005, the BJP-JD-U combine won elections handsomely against Lalu Prasad Yadav-Rabri Devi's RJD and he became Deputy Chief Minister. On one of my visits to Patna, I called him, and he responded with an invite for tea. Though he was allotted a spacious official bungalow near the Raj Bhawan, he lived in his own house Rajendra Nagar, a property built by his father. He asked me: "What will you have, chai?" I said: "Whatever you will have". To my surprise, he said he does not take tea." Next he asked: "Anything to eat?" Again I said: "Whatever you will have", and he replied: "I never eat anything from outside", pointing to a small bag on the other side of the table. "I only take home cooked food."

We had a long chat about family and politics.

Years later, out of the office of Deputy Chief Minister because Nitish Kumar had switched sides, deserting the BJP and aligning with RJD, a resilient Sushil Modi dug out Lalu Yadav's "land for job scam", listing out facts with exact number and location of properties acquired, which Lalu family and RJD family found difficult to defend. The CBI registered the case, which is still causing a great deal of trouble to Lalu and his family. He was also one of the prime movers in Lalu Yadav's fodder scam.

Sushil Modi took it up with such vigour that Nitish Kumar was forced to flip once again, desert Lalu and re-align with the BJP. Modi became Deputy Chief Minister again.

He never left Bihar. His party colleagues chose to fight parliamentary elections when the BJP seemed to be on the upswing in 1998 and 1999, but he chose to remain in Bihar. Those who became Union Ministers in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government respected him and considered their leader in Bihar. His understanding of Bihar politics and grip of the party's organisational structure was total. But then with the passage of time, a generational shift had to happen in the organisation in Bihar and Sushil Modi had to pass on the baton, which he carried for decades, to others.

Along with his stint as the longest-serving Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar (2005-2013 and 2017-20), Sushil Modi, who also held the Finance portfolio, played an appreciable role in the implementation of the Goods and Service Tax as a leading member of the GST Council and his contribution won him many admirers across the political spectrum.

A few months ago, I got an early call from him, to talk about a piece I had written on Kashmir and its transformation post abrogation of Article 370. He said he was leaving for Patna in the afternoon and before he disconnected the call, insisted with usual warmth that we must meet on his next visit.

During my last trip a month ago, I tried to reach him with a bit of a heavy heart. By then the news was already out that he was suffering from cancer. I was told by someone close to him that he was suffering from a great deal of pain and had difficulty talking. He advised me to pray for him and hope for a speedy recovery, and meet him, God willing, next time. He kept on saying: "How could this happen to him, to a person who led such a disciplined life".

That next time is never going to come.
Kolkata, May 14 : The Union Home Minister on Tuesday said that NDA has already secured the requisite number of seats to secure a majority in the Parliament and will form the government again at the Centre.

"We have already secured 270 seats and ensured Narendra Modi's third term as the Prime Minister. From the fifth phase, we will achieve our target of 400 seats," the Union Home Minister said while addressing an election meeting at Uluberia Lok Sabha constituency in Howrah district in support of the party candidate Arun Uday Pal Chaudhury.

Amit Shah also accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of misleading the people about the centrally-sponsored scheme.

"The funds for these schemes are provided by the Central government and the Mamata Banerjee-led state government is changing the names of these projects and projecting them as the state government projects," the Union Home Minister said.

He also accused the Chief Minister of spreading rumours that if the BJP comes to power 'Lakshmir Bhandar' woman scheme will be stopped. "I want to assure you that Lakshmir Bhandar will continue and that too with a higher payment amount," the Union Home Minister said.

He added that those responsible for the sexual harassment of women in Sandeshkhali will not be spared. "All the accused will be dragged and put behind bars," Amit Shah said.

He also said that the people of West Bengal are frustrated with the appeasement politics pursued by Trinamool Congress.

"These Rohingya and Bangladeshi infiltrators are the principal constituents of the Chief Minister's vote bank. But how long can this continue and time has come for a change," he said.
New Delhi, May 14 : Apollo Tyres on Tuesday reported a 13.7 per cent decline in net profit at Rs 354 crore for the Jan-March quarter of 2023-24 compared with the corresponding figure of Rs 410.30 crore for the same period of the previous year.

The Apollo Tyres board has "recommended a dividend of Rs 6 per equity share (i.e. 600 per cent) on the face value of Rs 1 each for FY24, subject to the approval of the shareholders at the ensuing AGM of the company, which shall be paid/ dispatched on or before 30 days from the conclusion of the AGM," the company said in a stock exchange filing.

The tyre major posted revenue from operations at Rs 6258.20 crore, marginally up from Rs 6247.33 crore during the same period last year. The company's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) stood at Rs 1028 crore, up 3 per cent year-on-year.
Patna, May 14 : A day after the RJD filed a complaint against a section of people for preventing people from casting their votes in Munger Lok Sabha constituency, Tejashwi Yadav targeted the Nitish Kumar Government on Tuesday.

The RJD leader also questioned the parole given to strongman Anant Singh during the ongoing General Elections.

Earlier, convicted ex-Legislator Anant Singh had held a massive roadshow for a candidate fielded by Nitish Kumar's JD(U), hours after he left Beur Central Jail in Patna on 15-days' parole.

Anant Singh, also known as Chhote Sarkar, has been a five-time MLA from Mokama.

Tejashwi Yadav, without taking the name of Anant Singh, held him responsible for the uproar during voting in the Munger Lok Sabha seat.

"People can understand why the parole was given to him (Anant Singh). It was given for a purpose. To those who talk about 'Jungle Raj', I want to say that they have themselves established 'Jungle Raj' by preventing voters from exercising their voting rights. Their faces have been exposed now," Yadav said.

"Many supporters and workers of RJD were beaten and some of them were even hospitalised. The car of a candidate was destroyed during polling. This is Jungle Raj," he said.

Tejashwi also took a dig at Nitish Kumar and said, "Chief Minister Nitish Kumar postponed his trip to Varanasi due to health reasons today. I remembered when the Chief Minister said that those coming in 2014 will go in 2024. Whatever he has taught us, we are trying to implement it in 2024 and we are getting his full support and blessings in this."

Earlier on Monday evening, a delegation of RJD leaders headed by Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha filed a complaint before the Election Commission and pointed out the irregularities that allegedly took place during voting in the Munger Lok Sabha constituency.

They took a letter signed by RJD state President Jagdanand Singh. The RJD leaders claimed the voters of Lakhisarai, Mokama and Barahia under the Munger Lok Sabha constituency were not allowed by a section of people to use their voting rights and the district administrations of Patna and Lakhisarai did not help them.

They have urged the Election Commission to take cognisance of the above matters and take appropriate action.

The RJD leaders pointed out irregularities at booth numbers 200, 201, 202, 205, 207, 208, 209, 210, 211, 212, 213, 219, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, 228, 229, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236 of Mokama Assembly constituency.

They said that booth numbers 236, 237, 238, 265, 266, 349, 392 in Lakhisarai Assembly constituency and booth number 29 of Badhiya Municipal Council and 157 and 179 of Suryagarh Assembly constituency were taken over by JD(U) supporters and people were not allowed to vote.
Patna, May 14 : A day after the RJD filed a complaint against a section of people for preventing voters from casting their votes in Munger Lok Sabha constituency, Tejashwi Yadav targeted the Nitish Kumar Government on Tuesday.

The RJD leader also questioned the parole given to strongman Anant Singh during the ongoing General Elections.

Earlier, convicted ex-Legislator Anant Singh had held a massive roadshow for a candidate fielded by Nitish Kumar's JD(U), hours after he left Beur Central Jail in Patna on 15-days' parole.

Anant Singh, also known as Chhote Sarkar, has been a five-time MLA from Mokama.

Tejashwi Yadav, without taking the name of Anant Singh, held him responsible for the uproar during voting in the Munger Lok Sabha seat.

"People can understand why the parole was given to him (Anant Singh). It was given for a purpose. To those who talk about 'Jungle Raj', I want to say that they have themselves established 'Jungle Raj' by preventing voters from exercising their voting rights. Their faces have been exposed now," Yadav said.

"Many supporters and workers of RJD were beaten and some of them were even hospitalised. The car of a candidate was destroyed during polling. This is Jungle Raj," he said.

Tejashwi also took a dig at Nitish Kumar and said, "Chief Minister Nitish Kumar postponed his trip to Varanasi due to health reasons today. I remembered when the Chief Minister said that those coming in 2014 will go in 2024. Whatever he has taught us, we are trying to implement it in 2024 and we are getting his full support and blessings in this."

Earlier on Monday evening, a delegation of RJD leaders headed by Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha filed a complaint before the Election Commission and pointed out the irregularities that allegedly took place during voting in the Munger Lok Sabha constituency.

They took a letter signed by RJD state President Jagdanand Singh. The RJD leaders claimed the voters of Lakhisarai, Mokama and Barahia under the Munger Lok Sabha constituency were not allowed by a section of people to use their voting rights and the district administrations of Patna and Lakhisarai did not help them.

They have urged the Election Commission to take cognisance of the above matters and take appropriate action.

The RJD leaders pointed out irregularities at booth numbers 200, 201, 202, 205, 207, 208, 209, 210, 211, 212, 213, 219, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, 228, 229, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236 of Mokama Assembly constituency.

They said that booth numbers 236, 237, 238, 265, 266, 349, 392 in Lakhisarai Assembly constituency and booth number 29 of Badhiya Municipal Council and 157 and 179 of Suryagarh Assembly constituency were taken over by JD(U) supporters and people were not allowed to vote.
Mumbai, May 14 : A day after a gigantic hoarding measuring 14,400 sq ft (120x120 feet) crashed in Mumbai, killing at least 14 persons and injuring around 88 more, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday initiated action against illegal hoardings that flout norms in different parts of the city, even as the Opposition blamed the state government for the tragedy.

The move follows a missive by the Mumbai Suburban District Disaster Management Authority (MSDDMA) late on Monday to wield the axe on all illegal hoardings, which violate various rules, including the crashed structure owned by EGO Media Co., an official said.

The Pant Nagar police station lodged a complaint against EGO Media proprietor Bhavesh Bhinde, invoking charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and launched a probe into the incident.

The tragedy proved an embarrassment for the ruling MahaYuti government, coming barely a week before the fifth and final phase of Lok Sabha elections in the state on May 20 in all the constituencies in Mumbai.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi-INDIA-Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Sanjay Dina Patil cancelled all his election campaign programmes on Tuesday as a mark of respect for the victims who perished or were injured in the disaster.

AICC General Secretary Ramesh Chennithala, state Congress President Nana Patole, Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar, and other leaders visited the Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar where many of the injured are being treated.

"The BMC and the state government are directly responsible for this huge tragedy. The government has not conducted civic polls for two years, there are no people's representatives as officials are taking all the decisions. The investigation will reveal the full details of the mishap," said Chennithala.

The BJP, meanwhile, has alleged that Bhinde is reportedly linked with the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders after his photos with Uddhav Thackeray and other leaders went viral on social media.

Hitting back, the Mumbai Congress posted on X: "The Ajmera Group, inspired by Narendra Modi, erected Asia's largest hoarding at Ghatkopar, which tragically collapsed yesterday, claiming the lives of 14 people & injuring 74 others. Despite its size, its illegal construction led to this devastating outcome."

The other MVA allies -- Shiv Sena (UBT) and Nationalist Congress Party (SP) -- have also reacted sharply to the disaster and demanded a thorough probe into the incident.

The hoarding, weighing hundreds of kilos along with the supporting metal rods and girders, got uprooted in seconds in the squally winds, collapsed, and crushed several homes and a petrol pump in the Pant Nagar area of Ghatkopar East, killing 14, and injuring 88 others.

The BMC said there are a staggering 1,025 hoardings of various sizes dotting the city of which 573 are illuminated, 70 are LED lit, while 382 are non-illuminated.

Among the norms considered are: The Mumbai skyline, the location, height from the ground, other structures in the vicinity, the material it is made of etc. The permitted hoarding size is 40x40 feet (1,600 sq ft), an official explained.

As per some reports, EGO Media was earlier 'blacklisted' by the Central Railway (CR), and it is not clear how the firm was allowed to erect the mammoth hoarding - billed as the biggest in Asia - holding a Guinness World Record (2023) and commanding a huge hiring price from the advertisers.

The BMC said on Tuesday it has uprooted three illegal billboards in the vicinity of Monday's tragedy site.

On Monday evening, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the tragedy site and ordered the BMC and Mumbai Police to thoroughly investigate the incident, carry out a special audit of all illegal hoardings across the city, and take necessary remedial measures.
Cannes, May 14 : 'Barbie' super hitmaker and president of the Cannes Film Festival's competition jury, Greta Gerwig, addressed the growing #MeToo movement in France at the jury press conference on the opening day of the annual celebration of global cinema.

Gerwig, according to 'Variety', said it is only good that "people in the community of movies are telling us stories and trying to change things for the better." She was responding to #MeToo-related rumours swirling ahead of the festival.

"I have seen substantive change in the American film community, and I think it's important that we continue to expand that conversation," Gerwig said. "So I think itas only moving everything in the correct direction. Keep those lines of communication open."

Gerwig is serving as the president of this year's competition jury, which will be awarded the prestigious Palme d'Or at the end of the 11-day festival. The jury, reports 'Variety', comprises Spanish filmmaker J.A. Bayona, Turkish actress and screenwriter Ebru Ceylan, Italian actor and producer Pierfrancesco Favino, 'Killers of the Flower Moon' star Lily Gladstone, French actress Eva Green, Japanese filmmaker and producer Hirokazu Kore-eda, Lebanese actor and filmmaker Nadine Labaki and French actor Omar Sy.

The ongoing war in Gaza and the incendiary debate around Israel and Palestine came up when 'Variety' asked the jury about Cannes' decision to ban protests on the Croisette.

Earlier at the conference, Favino referred to the festival as a "free space", and was pressed on how ignoring the Gaza situation is perhaps impossible -- after all, the official Cannes programme has a film about Gaza and jury member Sy recently urged politicians to take action to stop Israel's ground invasion of Rafah, 'Variety' notes.

"When I say free space, it's not just physical space. It's also the possibility of time," Favino said, according to 'Variety'. "One of the most difficult things we could do is seek beauty. Reminding the world that there's beauty in the world with filmmakers. Movies can talk to people ... if we look for beauty, then we might look for peace."
New Delhi, May 14 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the 'looters' of public wealth will have a tough time and his government in the third term will not only deprive them of a sound sleep but also empty their coffers.

PM Modi's stern message for 'looters and plunderers' came at a public rally in Jharkhand's Koderma and was directed at the rampant corruption under the INDIA alliance government in the state.

Notably, a mountain of cash, amounting to Rs 35 crores was recovered during ED raids from the servant of the personal secretary of Jharkhand Congress minister Alamgir Alam.

"I will not let the thieves sleep peacefully. I will take away their sleep and also empty their coffers. You are the owner of this money. No one can steal or loot it. Our govt is taking strict action against them," said PM Modi at the public rally and added that his political rivals are peeved over him because of this.

"It's because of our government's zero-tolerance on corruption, INDI alliance is hurling abuses at me," he said.

He held the 'Shahi Parivaar' responsible for criminals and ruffians 'gaining ground' in the state and exploiting people for their personal prosperity.

"I had said from the Red Fort, I will spend my life to free the country from corruption, nepotism and appeasement. The INDI alliance of JMM-Congress-Left is the biggest model of all these evils," the Prime Minister pointed out.

Notably, PM Modi was addressing the public rally in Jharkhand, hours after filing the nomination from the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency in UP.

Addressing the huge gathering, PM Modi listed out many milestones of his government and explained how the Centre's welfare policies were benefitting the people.

"Rs 5 lakh free medical treatment is our guarantee for all. Our government has built 4 crore houses for the poor and marginalized, after returning to power, we will ensure that others also get this benefit. In Koderma alone, 1.25 like puccas houses have been built," he informed, drawing applause from the gathering.

"In the third term, free ration for 80 crore people will continue for another five years while farmers will continue to get the benefits under Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana," he added.

He also slammed the ruling dispensation in Jharkhand and said that despite the state being a powerhouse of mining resources, the locals haven't benefitted from it.

"Our govt framed a policy which mandated that the region with mining resources will be entitled to a share in its earnings. It's because of this policy, Jharkhand has got Rs 12,000 crore till date," the Prime Minister pointed out.

PM Modi also took the Opposition to task over calls for vote jihad, by a Samajwadi Party leader, and their opposition to Ram Temple.

He said that Ram Lalla has found his right place in Ayodhya after 500 years but this hasn't made these people happy.

"Some are saying that Congress wants to revoke the Supreme Court's order on Ram Mandir while some claim that it wants to send Ram Lalla back in the tent. Will you allow it to happen?," asked PM Modi, evoking loud voices of support from the crowd.

He also said that the JMM-Congress regime has neglected people and their problems for a long and they must be 'taught a lesson' by the public in these elections.
Itanagar, May 14 : Days after the Arunachal Pradesh Police busted an inter-state prostitution racket and rescued four minor girls, an NGO on Tuesday demanded the cancellation of licence of hotels and beauty parlours involved in the trafficking of minor girls.

The Arunachal Pradesh Women's Welfare Society (APWWS), an apex women's group in the northeastern state, said in a petition to Shweta Nagarkoti Mehta, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Itanagar Capital Region, that the gravity of the situation necessitates immediate and decisive action to address the root causes and prevent further exploitation of vulnerable girls from poor families.

APWWS President Kani Nada Maling said they strongly demand the immediate cancellation of licence of hotels and beauty parlours found to be involved in facilitating illegal activities, particularly those related to trafficking of minor girls.

"The fast action would serve as a deterrent and indicate the zero-tolerance policy of the state government towards such reprehensible practices," the APWWS's letter to the DC said.

The NGO said that as part of the stringent measures, all the guests must produce valid ID cards, and a daily guest list must be submitted to the local administration and the police for thorough scrutiny and verification.

"These measures would ensure accountability, thereby preventing illicit activities and ensuring the safety and well-being of vulnerable individuals, particularly minor girls," she said.

The APWWS also demanded a proper examination of the licence of all the parlours to ensure compliance with the regulations that are in place.

"Parlours operating without a licence and engaging in unscrupulous activities such as prostitution must be shut down immediately," Maling said.

The NGO also suggested other measures, including strengthening the security at all entry and exit points of the Itanagar Capital Region and the adjoining areas.

The APWWS delegation also met Superintendent of Police Rohit Rajbir Singh, and officials of the Itanagar Municipal Corporation and submitted similar letters.

Earlier this month, the police busted an inter-state prostitution and human trafficking racket, rescued four minors, and arrested 15 persons, including six government servants, in connection with the case.

The police had said that the minor girls, aged 10 to 15 years, were trafficked into Arunachal Pradesh from Dhemaji in neighbouring Assam by two sisters, who allegedly ran a brothel-cum-residence in Itanagar.

The rescued girls told the police that they were brought to Itanagar from Dhemaji by the two sisters -- Pushpanjali Mili and Purnima Mili. Subsequently, two more minor girls trafficked from Dhemaji were rescued from the custody of Pushpanjali Mili.

The girls were forced into prostitution by the sisters along with two other women.

The police also identified two hotels and a beauty parlour involved in the crime.
Chennai, May 14 : Tamil Nadu's Director General of Police, Shankar Jiwal has directed police officials across the state to monitor the bail condition of accused persons and to get their bail cancelled if they were seen violating mandatory conditions they had agreed to comply with for the grant of relief.

The action came following a letter from State Public Prosecutor Hassan Mohamed Jinnah asking the state police chief to ensure that the bail granted to accused persons is cancelled if they indulge in other offences, tamper with evidence, or threaten witnesses. T

In a circular, the DGP noted that as per Section 437(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), courts grant bail to accused persons, booked for offences punishable with prison terms of seven years or more, with certain mandatory conditions.

As per these mandatory conditions, the accused persons should not be involved in similar offences, not induce or threaten any person connected with the case, or tamper with evidence. The legal provision also makes it clear that the courts can impose any other condition as they deem necessary.

The Supreme Court in P.K. Shaji versus the State of Kerala had made it clear that even Judicial Magistrates could cancel the bail granted by the high courts and sessions court if the accused were not complying with the mandatory bail conditions.

The DGP instructed all investigating officers to keep a watch on accused persons who are out on bail and get it cancelled if they had violated any conditions
Bhubaneswar, May 14 : Odisha Police on Tuesday arrested an independent candidate from the Berhampur assembly seat Siva Shankar Dash for assaulting Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) candidate for Berhampur Lok Sabha constituency Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy during a brawl.

Bhubaneswar, May 14 (IANS) Odisha Police on Tuesday arrested an independent candidate from the Berhampur assembly seat Siva Shankar Dash for assaulting Bharatiya Janata Partyas (BJP) candidate for Berhampur Lok Sabha constituency Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy during a brawl.

Sources said that Panigrahy was having discussions with polling officers and police officials near a booth at Gosani Nuagaon over the proper sealing of EVM boxes. Dash along with his supporters reached the spot and started engaging in an argument with Panigrahy and others alleging booth rigging.

Soon the argument between the two leaders escalated and a scuffle ensued at the spot. Panigrahy sustained serious injuries during the brawl and was immediately rushed to the MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur for treatment.

On Tuesday, the senior BJP leader was shifted to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar for advanced treatment. Panigrahyas wife informed the media persons that Panigrahy sustained fractures in his chest and some injuries on his neck.

Meanwhile, Dash was detained at the Gosani Nuagaon Police Station after the incident.

Based on the complaint of Panigrahy, Police Tuesday arrested Dash registering a case (130/24) under sections 324 (hurting someone intentionally using dangerous weapons) and 307(attempt to murder) of the IPC.

He was later presented before the local court that remanded him to judicial custody.

Notably, Dash was the former mayor of Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC). He had reportedly contested from Berhampur assembly seat as an independent candidate in the 2019 elections from jail. Around 30 criminal cases are pending against Dash at different police stations in Ganjam district.
Islamabad, May 14 : At least five people were killed and several others injured in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said on Tuesday.

Police officials in the area, reported Xinhua News Agency, said that the blast occurred in the Ladha area of the South Waziristan district of the province, killing five people, including women and children on the spot while injuring two others.

The IED was planted in a house and was detonated with a remote-controlled device, said the police, adding that an investigation has been launched to find the motives behind the incident.

After the explosion, police and security forces rushed to the site immediately. Police cordoned off the area and launched a search operation in the surroundings to arrest the culprits.

No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.
Seoul, May 14 : A number of F-22 stealth jets from the U.S. Air Force arrived in South Korea earlier this week, a Pentagon website showed Tuesday, raising the possibility of a joint air drill involving the latest air assets.

The U.S. 8th Fighter Wing posted a photo showing the arrival of F-22 stealth jets at Kunsan Air Base in Gunsan, 178 kilometers south of Seoul, on the Pentagon's Defense Visual Information Distribution Service website.

"The Raptors' arrival demonstrates the Pacific Air Forces' ability to deploy, posture, and redeploy forces from various strategic locations to increase command and control in the Indo-Pacific region," it said in the caption.

The website, reports Yonhap news agency, did not reveal the exact number of F-22 jets that arrived here, although the photo appears to show at least three.

It marked the first time in seven months for the U.S. Air Force's F-22 jets to openly arrive in South Korea since October last year for the Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition.

Pundits suggested the two countries may conduct joint air drills involving F-22 jets and South Korea's F-35A fighters.
Agartala, May 14 : A militant belonging to the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT), Swarna Kumar Tripura, who was serving a life sentence in multiple cases, escaped from the central jail in Tripura's Sepahijala district on Tuesday, the police said.

Agartala, May 14 (IANS) A militant belonging to the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT), Swarna Kumar Tripura, who was serving a life sentence in multiple cases, escaped from the central jail in Tripuraas Sepahijala district on Tuesday, the police said.

The police said the inmate was found missing during routine checking on Tuesday morning.

According to a police officer, the NLFT cadre was sentenced to life imprisonment after he was found guilty in multiple cases, including for murder and kidnapping.

Police stations across the state have been alerted and an intensive search operation has been launched to locate the convict.

The Border Security Force (BSF) has also been put on high alert to prevent the convict from crossing over to neighbouring Bangladesh.

The same militant had escaped twice before -- from the central jail in 2016 and from the Kanchanpur sub-jail in 2022. He was re-arrested in 2023 and since then he was lodged at the central jail.

Sepahijala Superintendent of Police, Bogati Jagadeeswar Reddy, visited the central jail in Bishalgarh to take stock of the situation after the jailbreak.

There are around 650 inmates in the central jail located around 30 km from here.

Based out of Bangladesh, NLFT is a banned militant outfit.
Pune, May 14 : In a major breakthrough, the Pune zonal unit of the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) has busted a multi-state fake input tax credit (ITC) racket worth over Rs 145 crore and arrested one person from Rajasthan, official sources said here on Tuesday.

The operation was carried out by the Pune zonal unit over the weekend after starting a probe involving some firms in Pune and Goa, and finding that the tentacles spread across Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Delhi, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, with the possibility of other states not ruled out.

The sources said that the scam involved at least 50 bogus firms which used fake/morphed/amended copies of documents and then claimed huge amounts of ITC without any actual supply of goods.

The sleuths of the zonal unit probed the CDRs, CAFs, and pattern of filing returns and analysed bank accounts to conclude that the syndicate, operating from different cities/states in the country, was creating bogus firms using aliases or fake identities using forged legal documents and even by-passing the unique biometric requirements for issuing SIM cards.

After chasing the culprits in several cities in different states, the GST sleuths got a tip-off that Rahul Kumar, the alleged mastermind of the bogus firms and the whole racket, was operating from Jaipur.

"We finally traced his exact location based on some e-commerce deliveries and SIM operatorsa inputs. The team raided his home on Friday, found incriminating evidence and arrested Kumar," said a DGGI Pune zonal unit official.

The GST sleuths also uncovered his unique modus operandi whereby they created many fake identities of proprietors/authorised signatories, using SIM cards based on forged Aadhar cards to have full control of filing the GST registrations, returns, payments, cancellations, getting OTPs, etc at any time as per their convenience.

Kumar was produced before a Jaipur court, which granted transit remand, and was brought to Pune where a Chief Judicial Magistrateas Court sent him to 14 days remand on Monday.

The sources said that further investigations are underway to trace out more fake firms that may have been created for committing fraud, the involvement of other associates/scamsters in this racket, mapping the end beneficiaries and recovering the cheated amount.
Kochi, May 14 : The Kerala High Court on Tuesday sought a response from the state government on a petition filed by a trans-woman seeking Rs 10 lakh compensation from the state for denying her gender-affirming care in prison.

The counsel for the Kerala government informed the court that the jail authorities will be directed to provide the petitioner with all necessary medical care.

"Considering that the matter relates to the treatment of the petitioner who is in custody, and the submission of the learned counsel of the petitioner that she will file the required affidavit within one week, the registry is directed to number the petition.

"The learned public prosecutor submitted that necessary directions will be issued to the prison superintendent of the sub-jail in Kakkanad to provide necessary medical aid to the petitioner," the court said in its interim order.

The petitioner trans-woman was accused in a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act), for allegedly possessing 193 gm of MDMA.

The petitioner, a sex worker, claimed that she had no prior acquaintance with the first accused in the case, and was unaware that he was carrying any banned substance.

She also said that since November 29, 2023, the day she was arrested, all gender-affirming treatments including hormone therapy were denied by the authorities, which has affected her mental well-being.

The petitioner in April approached the trial court for medical bail, but the report called for by the court from the jail authorities has not been submitted yet.

She then pointed out that she was denied her rights according to the provisions of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act.

The petitioner added that since she is an under-trial prisoner and not a convict, she has the right to be presumed innocent and hence she should be paid Rs 10 lakh compensation by the state government for the denial of medical treatment, causing her mental trauma.

Besides the compensation, she also sought directions to the state government to formulate a sex workers' policy in line with the Supreme Court's guidelines.

After hearing the arguments, the high court posted the case for next hearing on May 17.
IZHEVSK, July 3, 2017 (Xinhua) -- Photo taken on June 2, 2017 shows the well drilling field of the Udmurtia Petroleum Corp project in Udmurtia, a republic in western Russia. On the vast east European plain 1,200 km east of Moscow, lines of pumping ma. Image Source: IANS News

London, May 14 : Russian oil is still ending up in the United Kingdom despite sanctions, a committee heard.

The import, acquisition, and supply of Russian oil and oil products into the UK was banned in December 2022. G7 countries also agreed to cap the price of Russian oil and petroleum products, more generally, to reduce Vladimir Putin's ability to finance his war in Ukraine.

Richard Bronze, head of geopolitics at Energy Aspects, a research company focused on global energy markets, gave evidence about the success of the sanctions to the Treasury Committee on Tuesday.

He was asked if, despite the sanctions, it was likely Russian oil was still ending up in the UK.

"Once it has been processed, or transformed by a refinery, yes," he said. He was asked to estimate how much.

"Probably not significant, these refineries, particularly in India, are a long distance from UK markets," he said.

"So, just from an economic perspective, we import far more of our oil from European countries, far more from the US, so most of it will be going to other destinations.

"It will probably be well below 5% of our total imports, but there will be some."

He added it would be "technically quite complex" to prevent it.

He said his organisation does not take policy positions, so he could not recommend anything.

"But in the question, are there refineries that are importing crude oil, processing it, and are those same refineries exporting to countries that are part of the price cap coalition - yes, it appears so," he said.

However, he said it was "trickier" to say if the "molecules" of Russian oil remain the same after they have been refined.

"It is trickier to say are the molecules of Russian oil the same ones, once processed, that are loaded onto tankers and coming back in," he said.

He added that if the molecules are refined or processed, then that flow is permitted under the rules as they have been set by the UK and other G7 countries.

Bronze was also asked if the oil price cap was working.

"In a short answer, no," he said.

"If we take the big picture, what are sanctions intended to do - deter or prevent Russia's activities and invasion of Ukraine. They failed to deter, and they're failing to stop or seriously hinder.

"That doesn't mean they're not having any impact at all."

He said there had been a "significant impact" on "many parts of the Russian economy" due to the sanctions in total.

"I think even within the energy sector there is a substantial loss of revenue," he said.

Russian oil sells at much greater discounts than it did historically, Russia is selling less gas than it did by pipeline, and those are affecting Russian private sector and government revenues.

"But I think the amount of that we can attribute to the price cap, and the mechanism that was intended to drive those prices down, feels very limited."

"I think much more of that impact has come from the EU import ban, and from the ban on imports by the UK, the US, and by the Western financial sanctions more broadly."

He was asked if he would agree that the oil price cap was being breached "very frequently".

"There is certainly indications of that," he said.

"We just started over the turn of the year to see a bit of enforcement by the US authorities, a little bit, and very limited, enforcement by UK authorities."

He said there was circumstantial evidence that a lot of oil was moving above the price cap - "particularly last year" - with potentially forged or misstated documents provided by the maritime serviced providers.

"But I think more significantly we're seeing less and less of Russia's oil exports relying on Western vessels or Western financial services," he said.

--IANS/DPA

int/as/dan
Chennai, May 14 : Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai lashed out against the DMK government over the increase in stamp duty which will bring more burden on the people of the state.

He said that the DMK government has been adding to the burden of the people of Tamil Nadu in one way or another over the past few years.

He said that it is shocking to note the multi-fold increase in stamp duty in the state.

The BJP leader said that the Madras High Court had nullified the decision taken by the Inspector General of Registration in 2023 to collect stamp duty and registration charges based on the guideline value for immovable properties in 2012.

"The court had directed the State government to follow the decision taken in 2017, however, the DMK government has not complied with the court order and has continued to collect extra fees," Annamalai said

He said that the DMK government has been taking steps to increase the Market Value Guidelines (MVG) of immovable properties.

He also alleged that the increase in stamp duty, proposed increase in MVG and not following the Madras High Court's order raises the question of whether the DMK government is favouring certain real estate and construction companies close to them.

He called upon the state government to immediately withdraw the hike in stamp duty and implement the order of the Madras High Court by collecting fees based on the 2017 guideline values.

--IANS

aal/dan
Amaravati, May 14 : Telugu Desam Party (TDP) President N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday demanded immediate action against those involved in a series of attacks on the party workers and their properties in the aftermath of the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh, which were held on Monday.

Voicing concern over the incidents of post-poll violence at Macherla, Chandragiri, and Tadipatri, the senior politician spoke to the Director General of Police, Harish Kumar Gupta.

Blaming the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) for the series of attacks on TDP workers and their properties, he urged the police chief to initiate immediate action against those behind the violence.

Naidu also alleged that YSRCP MLA from Macherla in Palnadu district, Pinneli Ramakrisha Reddy, resorted to violence in a pre-planned manner after Monday's polling.

The former Chief Minister alleged that hundreds of supporters of YSRCP attacked the TDP workers, as he demanded that additional forces be sent there to check the violence.

Naidu also demanded that police pickets be set up in all the villages and those indulging in violence be arrested

Referring to post-poll violence in several districts, he urged the DGP to act immediately to restore law and order in the state.

Earlier, Naidu urged the Election Commission and the police to focus on restoring law and order in Andhra Pradesh, as he demanded that they deal firmly with those indulging in violence and provide protection to the people.

In a social media post, he alleged that even after polling, the YSRCP 'goondas' were attacking TDP workers and people.

He also voiced concern over the tense situation at some places, including Palnadu and Chandragiri.

The TDP chief alleged that YSRCP's Macherla MLA and his followers attacked a TDP office in Karampudi, ransacked furniture, and damaged the vehicles parked near the office. They also allegedly attacked police personnel who tried to stop them.

The TDP candidate from the Chandragiri Assembly constituency, Pulivarti Venkata Mani Prasad alias Nani, was also attacked by a group of people in Tirupati on Tuesday.

Pulivarti Nani was returning after a visit to the strong room at the Padmavathi Mahila University when his car was attacked by a group armed with rods and sticks. Nani, his security guard, and the driver were injured in the attack.

Condemning the attack on the TDP candidate, Naidu alleged that YSRCP was resorting to violence out of fear of defeat in the elections.

"When 150 YSRCP rowdies armed with knives and rods can carry out an attack in the strong room at Padmavathi Mahila University, where is the protection for people's mandate," he asked.
Mumbai, May 14 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the fifth polling phase in 13 constituencies from Maharashtra slated for May 20 will have a busy schedule on May 15.

PM Modi will hold a roadshow in Mumbai North East Constituency on Wednesday evening for party nominee Mihir Kotecha and he will also address two campaign rallies in Nashik and Kalyan.

Shiv Sena has fielded the sitting MP Hemant Godse from Nashik while BJP has renominated the Union Minister Bharati Pawar from the adjoining Dindori constituency.

In Kalyan, the Shiv Sena has nominated the sitting MP and Chief Minister Eknath Shindeas son Shrikant Shinde.

BJP has made a comprehensive planning for the success of PM Modias road show which will start from Ghatkopar East at 6.45 pm and end at Ghatkopar West at 7.45 PM.

State BJP Chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Tuesday held the meeting of office bearers and it was decided to send invitations to every home from North East Mumbai to attend the roadshow. There are about 38 municipal wards which will be covered in a bid to reach out to the voters with an invite for Wednesdayas roadshow.

Currently, Mumbai North East is represented by BJP MP Manoj Kotecha, who has now been dropped, as the party has fielded the sitting legislator Mihir Kotecha.

PM Modias visit is crucial not just to charge up the cadres from the BJP and Shiv Sena from Mumbai North East and also from the five other constituencies ahead of the polling.

Mumbai BJP Chief Ashish Shelar and Kotecha in separate videos have appealed to the Mumbaikars to participate in a big way in the roadshow.

Meanwhile, the Mumbai Police have issued an advisory regarding traffic diversion in the wake of the roadshow. They have appealed to the citizens and travellers to plan their journeys accordingly and use alternate routes to reach their desired destinations.
New Delhi, May 14 : 'Triveni Sangam' in Prayagraj and the banks of river Ganga in the holy cities of Varanasi and Haridwar keep brimming with influx of pilgrims throughout the day, with boatmen giving them a hearty welcome and also a memorable ride for the picturesque evening aarti.

Boatmen termed 'Mallah' in the local dialect, comprising a sizeable community here, would often take naps and be found slouching in their boats in earlier days but today they are a busy lot. Not just overly occupied with work, they are also a happier lot today because of the spurt in their income and earnings.

On one such morning, as the dawn broke and the river shimmered with sunlight, the mesmerising pictures of the Sangam were caught in the camera. The boatmen arrived for work and so did the excited tourists for the boat ride.

While a group of tourists embarked on their 'joyride' on riverboats, the first experience for some, the IANS team stood by them to gauge their opinion not just on the pilgrimage but also on the electorate dynamics emerging from the region.

It is said that what the nation thinks about elections, the boatmen of Prayagraj anticipate in advance and often 'predict' the right outcome. The premise for their forecast is believed to be the congregation of individuals from across the globe and their extensive interaction with these boatmen.

We spoke to a couple of boatmen about what changed for them over the years and also to understand how the political and electoral landscape was taking shape in the river belt.

Boatman Pappu Nishad said that earlier, days would pass waiting for tourists but today, the times have changed. It is 'dhakaadhak', he said, expressing his views in one word.

"Today, we are loaded with work and very happy about it. Religious tourism has come as a boon for us," he said.

A couple of boatmen showered lavish praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and vowed to support him for a third term.

"The scale of work has been immense over the years. Not just our city but the whole country is changing. It's because of the Modi government, our lives have changed and are getting better every day," he said.

According to some reports, the Mallahs of Prayagraj reflect the pulse of the nation and have been rightly gauging the mood of the nation, for the past three decades.

Notably, Pappu Nishad is not a solitary voice but he represents many fellow 'Mallahs' who feel grateful to the current dispensation for a slew of opportunities.

The community, unskilled and untrained for other works feels circumscribed due to their 'backwardness' and sees this surge in tourism as a welcome change.

Anil Nishad, another boatman praised the Modi government for the positive changes in their lives.

"Since the pandemic, the Modi government is providing free ration. We have also much support in the fishing business," he told IANS.

Naresh Kumar Nishad, declaring his support for the BJP, said that it will surely cross the 400 mark on the back of its farmer-friendly, women-friendly policies.

"Today, looting and robbery have taken a backseat and growth has taken precedence over everything. The objective of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas is taking everyone along," he added.

Boatman Rajesh Nishad is happy not just with the surge in business but also with the free education of his children. He said that he doesn't have to pay school fees for his children anymore, and neither does he have to pay for the textbooks.

"For girl child, free online education is doing wonders," he added.

Rajesh Prasad, another boatman credited the incumbent government not just for re-inventing spirituality among the youth but also for refurbishing many spiritual centres and turning them into fresh 'pilgrimage hubs'.

"Because of the good initiatives of this government, we are getting ample work. Our earnings have increased, we and our family are happy," he said.

Notably, Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj, the erstwhile Allahabad, marking the confluence of river Ganga, Yamuna and the invisible Saraswati comprises one of the most revered spots for Hindus, where a mere bath is said to wash away all the sins and frees oneself from the cycle of re-births.
Kochi, May 14 : A recently-married woman on Tuesday complained to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the State Women's Commission about "inaction" by Kozhikode police on her complaint about the dowry harassment she had to undergo at her husband's home.

The wedding took place on May 5 and on May 12, ending the marriage, the woman returned to her home with her parents.

The 29-year-old bridegroom, Rahul is an aeronautical engineer in Germany, and his parents are now settled in Kozhikode.

The victim, who works in a leading multinational firm, said that her harassment started a few days after the wedding.

"He (Rahul) told me that he had all the credentials to get 150 sovereigns of gold and a car. I was beaten by him (on the night of May 11). He used the cable of the mobile charger to try to strangulate me. When I cried loudly, he told me not to cry as his parents, who stayed on the ground floor, would hear. I did hear sounds of someone coming up but, when I stopped crying, they seemed to have gone back," said the harassed young woman, who accused him of trying to kill her.

"When I was taken to the hospital, he managed to convince the doctor that I had a fall and suffered the injuries," she added.

The victimas mother said it was on May 12, as part of the custom to visit the in-laws, a big group of relatives reached their house in Kozhikode.

"We waited for a while but we could not see my daughter. I then called her mobile, but it was switched off. Later I called Rahul, he said they were freshening up and would come down soon. After a while, he came down and later I saw a woman walking down. It took me a while to realise it was my daughter. Her face was swollen and she looked completely in distress," the mother said.

"Later I spoke to her in person and at first she denied any harassment, but later she revealed how she was harassed and beaten up. We decided to see that we end the marriage and we took our daughter back with us," she said, adding that the police at Kozhikode - whom they first approached - did not rise to the occasion on their complaint.
Jaunpur : , May 14 (IANS) In a major development, former BSP MP Dhananjay Singh on Tuesday announced his support for the BJP in Jaunpur for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the seat.

Dhananjay Singh, a gangster-turned-politician, held a meeting with his supporters on Tuesday evening before announcing his support for the BJP.

Dhananjay Singh wields considerable support in the constituency and is often referred to as the kingmaker.

The BJP candidate in Jaunpur is Kripa Shankar Singh, a former minister of state in the Maharashtra government.

The move comes a week after the BSP cancelled Dhananjay Singh's wife Shreekala Singh's ticket for the Jaunpur Lok Sabha seat.

Dhananjay Singh had said the move was a conspiracy to humiliate him.

"My wife is feeling hurt due to this," he said earlier.

The BSP has nominated its sitting MP Shyam Singh Yadav for the seat.

Dhananjay Singh, who was elected as an MP from Jaunpur in 2009 on a BSP ticket, said, aThe BSP has betrayed me for the fourth time. In 2012, 2014, and 2017, the party assured me of a ticket but cheated me at the last moment."

It is noteworthy that earlier this week, the Lokayukta launched a probe against Dhananjay Singh over allegations of an illegal land deal, which is also being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate.

On March 6, a court in Jaunpur sentenced Dhananjay Singh to seven-year rigorous imprisonment in a 2020 case of kidnapping and extortion of a Namami Gange project manager.

However, the Allahabad High Court granted him bail on April 27 but refused his plea to suspend or stay the sentence.

The Jaunpur constituency goes to the polls on May 25.

In a related development, former minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh a.k.a. Raja Bhaiyya on Tuesday held a meeting with his supporters, before announcing that he would not support any party, and his supporters were free to make their choice.

Raja Bhaiya, who heads the Jansatta Dal, wields considerable influence in Kunda and Babaganj -- two Assembly segments under the Kaushambhi Lok Sabha seat.

Vinod Sonkar, the BJP candidate in Kaushambhi, met Raja Bhaiya earlier in the day to seek his support.

Interestingly, both Dhananjay Singh and Raja Bhaiya held meetings with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the past three days.
Bengaluru, May 14 : H.D. Revanna -- the JD-S MLA who was arrested in a case of kidnapping a victim of alleged sexual abuse at the hands of his son and JD-S MP Prajwal Revanna -- was in tears after his release from the Bengaluru Central Jail on Tuesday.

Sources said that H.D. Revanna, the son of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, was comforted by his family members after he walked out of the prison.

Revanna headed straight to his father's residence at Padmanabhanagar in Bengaluru after being released from jail. His brother and JD-S state President H.D. Kumaraswamy, along with his sisters, was present to receive him outside the prison.

Meanwhile, hundreds of party workers who gathered outside Deve Gowda's residence raised slogans against the Congress government, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar.

On seeing his brother Kumaraswamy, H.D. Revanna hugged him and broke down in tears.

When he met his father Deve Gowda, he touched his feet and broke down again.

Before Revanna's arrival, a special prayer ceremony was held at Deve Gowda's residence.

Revanna later left for Mysuru along with JD-S MLA A. Manju to seek the blessings of goddess Chamundeshwari. He plans to visit the Sringeri Sharada temple on Wednesday before returning to Holenarasipura, sources said.

Meanwhile, JD-S workers in Hassan district have decided to accord Revanna a grand welcome before he enters Hassan city.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the sex video scandal involving JD-S MP Prajwal Revanna arrested his father H.D. Revanna on May 4 after his anticipatory bail plea in a victim kidnapping case was rejected by the MP/MLA court in Bengaluru.

Karnataka Police had registered an FIR against H.D. Revanna in connection with the kidnapping of a woman, believed to be one of the victims of the sex video scandal involving his son Prajwal Revanna.

The woman's son had registered a missing complaint naming H.D. Revanna as the prime accused in the case.
Hyderabad, May 14 : A day after polling in the Lok Sabha elections in Telangana, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Tuesday exuded confidence that his Congress will win 12-13 out of 17 seats in the state.

He claimed that itas all over for Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and predicted that it will forfeit deposits in 6-7 constituencies. He also alleged that BRS cadres worked for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in these elections.

Talking to media persons, Revanth Reddy, who is also the state party chief, exuded confidence that Congress candidate D. Nagender will win the Secunderabad Lok Sabha seat by a majority of 20,000 votes.

The seat is currently held by Union Minister and state BJP President G. Kishan Reddy.

Revanth Reddy said there was no BJP wave in Telangana. He claimed that the BJP will finish third in the Medak constituency.

Replying to a query, he said there was no possibility of Hyderabad being made a Union Territory. He also said that if Hyderabad is made the second national capital, the stateas revenues will not be affected.

To a query about who will form government in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, where Assembly polls were held simultaneously, he said he would work with whoever becomes the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh to solve the inter-state problems.

He made it clear that he will not have any issue with anybody and that Telanganaas interests are paramount for him.

Revanth Reddy said with the completion of the polling process, political activity has come to an end and he would now fully focus on administration. He said the government would establish the Farmersa Welfare Corporation, which will go for borrowings to waive the loans of farmers. He reiterated that the government will waive off farm loans up to Rs 2 lakh by August 15 as promised during the election campaign.

He assured farmers who suffered losses due to unseasonal rains that the government would give priority to the procurement of soaked paddy.

--IANS

ms/vd
New Delhi, May 14 : Calling it the "most consequential relationship" that is passing through a "historic era", US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, asserted on Tuesday that the ongoing investigation into an alleged plot to assassinate Sikh radical Gurpatwant Singh Pannun will not affect ties between Washington and New Delhi.

"How we manage those moments defines the strength of a relationship... I would say our work every single day at the embassy, every single day at the Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian Embassy in Washington, has not slowed down one bit," Garcetti told NDTV in an exclusive interview.

Last November, the US prosecutors had alleged a foiled plot to assassinate Pannun, a US citizen and head of the pro-Khalistan outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), on behalf of an Indian government employee.

Likening the India-US relationship to a marriage, which has its share of inevitable fights and disagreements, Garcetti added: "It continues to accelerate because we want this relationship, we need this relationship, and we have this relationship."

Criticising certain reports in the US media, India has maintained that "unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations" on a serious matter should be avoided.

"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," Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, said last month.
United Nations, May 14 : An Indian security official with the UN, killed in an attack on his vehicle, became the first foreigner working for the world organisation killed during the current Gaza official, according to a UN source.

Colonel Waibhav Anil Kale (retd) had started working a month ago as a security coordinator for the UN Department of Safety and Security (DSS) in Gaza on Monday, the UN official told IANS.

Kale was a 46-year-old father of two teenage children who had retired from the Army and joined the UN, the official said.

He joins the roster of more than 200 Indians who have died in the service of the UN. The majority of them - 179 - are peacekeepers but many other Indian civilians, who like employees of the DSS are not peacekeepers, have died working for the UN in various capacities in trouble spots.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack and called for a full investigation, his spokesperson Farhan Haq said. He said that the DSS staffers were in the vehicle, with clear UN markings, that was in a convoy engaged in "their regular work (for which) they go to different locations to assess security conditions. And this was the European Hospital in Rafah".

DSS provides security for UN installations and personnel and often works under warlike conditions across the world. The UN provides food and humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, where its infrastructure has been destroyed in Israeli attacks and the UN has warned a famine is imminent.

The UN has not fixed blame for the attack on the UN convoy because the situation remains murky in Rafah where more than a million people fleeing Israelas incursion into Gaza are sheltering, but now face an attack by Israelas forces that have begun operations there.

But Jordanas Foreign Ministry said that Israel had carried out the attack in its expanding military operations in Rafah.

It said that a Jordanian woman working for the UN in the vehicle was injured.

Israel Defense Forces said that according to an initial inquiry, Monday's attack happened in an active combat zone and that it was not made aware of the vehicle's movement. Al Jazeera broadcast clips showing windows with bullet holes on the attacked vehicle flying UN flags and bearing large UN markings. From the nature of the damage, it did not appear to have been an air or heavy artillery attack, but surface firing.

Haq said that Monday's victim was the first international employee of the UN killed in Gaza since October 7, although 188 Palestinian employees of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the UN arm for humanitarian services for Palestinians, have been killed.

"We will be working with the authorities on the ground to get restitution for all of those who have been killed," Haq declared.

Asked what the UN was doing to seek justice for the UN employees killed in the conflict, Haq said: "In all cases, we are going to set up measures for accountability".

"A lot of that, as you know, requires ultimately for an end to the conflict so that we can work these out," he said.

Guterres reiterated his call for a humanitarian ceasefire and the release of the hostages taken by Hamas, which sparked the conflict with an attack on Israel in which about 1,200 people were killed and 128 were kidnapped.

Israel's retaliation on Gaza, from where Hamas launched the attack, has killed about 34,000 Palestinians, most of them women, children or the aged.

Last month, four foreigners and three Palestinians working for a non-profit organisation, were killed in Gaza.

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis)
Jaipur, May 14 : The tussle between ex-Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former Deputy Sachin Pilot came to the fore once again on Tuesday after the former launched a veiled attack on the latter without taking his name for saying that he wasn't invited to Jalore for campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections.

Answering a question recently on why he did not campaign in Jalore, Pilot said that he was not invited.

Gehlot, while speaking to the media in UP's Amethi on Tuesday, said, aNo one should make such comments during elections. One shouldn't say 'stupid' things such as aI was not called...' Such a statement was not required."

Gehlot also said that Priyanka Gandhi came for campaigning in Jalore-Sirohi.

"Had he come along, he would have been accorded a warm welcome. I was invited to campaign in support of Anil Chopra in the Jaipur Rural seat. He spoke to my OSD. However, my programme could not be rescheduled. Now if I say that I was not invited by Anil Chopra, it will not look decent. Such statements would have sent a wrong message to the public that Gehlot did not come because he was not invited," the senior Congress leader said.

It needs to be mentioned here that Gehlot's son Vaibhav Gehlot is contesting from Jalore on a Congress ticket.

In 2019, Vaibhav Gehlot had unsuccessfully contested from Jodhpur against BJP's Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
Hyderabad, May 14 : The voter turnout in Monday's elections to the 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana was 65.67 per cent, it was announced on Tuesday.

The Election Commission on Tuesday announced the final polling figure, which is higher than the 2019 Lok Sabha polling figure (62.11 per cent) but lower compared to the November 2023 Assembly elections, when the state had recorded a turnout of 71.34 per cent.

A little over 3.17 crore voters, half of them women, were eligible to cast their votes. Of them, 2.18 crore cast their votes.

Bhongir Lok Sabha constituency recorded the highest turnout of 76.78 per cent, while Hyderabad saw the lowest polling at 48.48 per cent.

Urban constituencies saw lower polling than rural areas. In Secunderabad, the turnout was 49.04 per cent.

Malkajgiri and Chevella recorded 50.78 per cent and 56.4 per cent polling, respectively.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Vikas Raj stated that voting was conducted smoothly, peacefully, and without any major untoward incident for 17 Lok Sabha seats and the by-election to the Secunderabad Cantonment (SC) Assembly constituency, where the turnout was 51.61 per cent.

He said out of 2,20,24,806 voters who cast their votes in Lok Sabha polls, 2,18,14,035 voters cast their votes at 35,809 polling stations while 2,10,771 voters exercised their franchise in Voter Facilitation Centre (VFCs), Postal Voting Centres (PVCs), and through home voting.

A total of 1,89,091 electors on election duty cast their votes at VFCs or PVCs while 21,680 voters participated in voting at their homes.

Among Assembly segments, the highest poll percentage of 84.25 per cent was recorded in Narsapur, a part of the Medak Lok Sabha constituency, and the lowest, at 42.76 per cent, was recorded in the Malakpet Assembly segment of the Hyderabad parliamentary constituency.

In terms of numbers, the highest votes (3,85,149) were polled in the Medchal Assembly segment of the Malkajgiri parliamentary constituency and the least votes (1,05,383) were polled in the Bhadrachalam Assembly segment of the Mahabubabad parliamentary constituency.

The CEO said that all polled material including EVMs were sealed in the presence of observers/contesting candidates /election agents and stored safely in strong rooms, under constant monitoring by CCTV and security forces.

Counting of votes will take place on June 4 at 34 counting locations in the state under CCTV cover in the presence of counting observers, contesting candidates, election agents, and counting agents.
Bhubaneswar, May 14 : The Congress in Odisha has now jumped into the Odia Asmita and Odia language debate, alleging both the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of raising the issue keeping in view the ongoing Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the state.

Speaking at a press conference here, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, "I gave a speech in the Parliament regarding Odia language on March 16, 2020. I said that Rs 650 crore has been spent on Sanskrit, while for Odia language the amount is zero under the Modi government."

"During Manmohan Singh's rule, six languages -- Sanskrit, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, and Odia -- were given classical language status on February 20, 2014. Nothing has been done for the promotion of Odia language during the last 10 years. Yet, neither the Odisha government nor the MPs from the state raised any objections," Ramesh added.

He also claimed that Congress is the only alternative before the people of Odisha in the face of the 'BJP-BJD alliance', as he accused the BJD of giving support to the BJP at the Centre on all the issues, including the anti-farmer laws.

He also accused the BJP government at the Centre of suppressing the CBI probe into the chit fund scam, mining scam, etc., in the state.

Ramesh said that so far voting has been completed in 379 Lok Sabha seats in four phases, and it is now apparent that the BJP will be wiped out from South India, and reduced to half in the rest of the country.

"It is also clear that the INIDA bloc will get a decisive majority on June 4," he claimed.

"PM Narendra Modi has realised that the common people are angry with him. The farmers, labourers, youth, women, and the backward classes are upset with him. There is no Modi wave at the grassroots level," the Congress leader said.
United Nations, May 14 : Expressing appreciation for India's contribution to the UN, Secretary General Antonio Guterres sends his "apologies" and "condolences" to the nation over the death of soldier-turned-UN staffer Waibhav Anil Kale in an attack in Gaza, his spokesperson Farhan Haq said on Tuesday.

The indications are that the vehicle Kale was traveling in was fired on by Israeli forces on Monday.

Haq said that the UN has set up a fact-finding panel to determine responsibility for Mondayas attack on the clearly marked UN vehicle that Kale, a security coordinator with the UN Department of Security and Safety (DSS), was travelling in.

The vehicle appears to have been hit by firing from a tank and the details of the incident "are still being verified with the Israeli Defense Forces", he said.

Without naming Israel, he indicated that the attack was carried out by its forces.

"At this point, we are in discussion with Israel to determine exactly how this incident happened and the nature of what happened. I don't think at this stage we are in doubt about where the shots came from as much as what the circumstances were," he said, adding: "We believe it came from a tank in the area."

Jordan has blamed Israel for the attack in which a woman from the country was injured.

Israel Defense Forces said that according to an initial inquiry, Monday's attack happened in an active combat zone and that it was not made aware of the vehicle's movement.

The white vehicle flying a UN flag and with large UN markings was attacked in the Rafah area of Gaza where more than a million Palestinians ordered out of other parts of the territory by Israel are crowded in.

Defying UN and international warnings, Israel has launched an incursion into Rafah in pursuit of Hamas.

Haq said: "We appreciate the contribution that India has made (to the UN) and we also express our apologies and our condolences to the government and people of India."

Kale joins the roster of more than 200 Indians who have died in the service of the UN.

The majority of them - 179 - are peacekeepers but many other Indian civilians, who like employees of the DSS are not peacekeepers, have died working for the UN in various capacities in trouble spots.

Kale, a retired Indian Army colonel, was a 46-year-old father of two teenage children who had retired from the Army and joined the UN last month, according to a UN source.

Haq said that Kale is the first non-Palestinian killed in the current conflict in Gaza that flared up in October.

There were 71 foreigners working for the UN in Gaza but he did not have a breakdown by nationality, he said.

Haq said that 188 Palestinian employees of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the UN arm for humanitarian services for Palestinians, have been killed.

"We will be working with the authorities on the ground to get restitution for all of those who have been killed," Haq declared.

DSS provides security for UN installations and personnel and often works under warlike conditions across the world.

The UN is supplying food and humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, where its infrastructure has been destroyed in Israeli attacks and the UN has warned a famine is imminent. Haq said that Kaleas vehicle was in a convoy engaged in "their regular work (for which) they go to different locations to assess security conditions. And this was the European Hospital in Rafah".

Guterres, who condemned the attack on Kaleas vehicle, reiterated his call for a humanitarian ceasefire and the release of the hostages taken by Hamas, which sparked the conflict with an attack on Israel in which about 1,200 people were killed and 128 were kidnapped. Israel's retaliation on Gaza, from where Hamas launched the attack, has killed about 34,000 Palestinians, most of them women, children or the aged.

Last month, four foreigners and three Palestinians working for a non-profit organisation, Worldas Kitchen, were killed in Gaza. Israel admitted to carrying out the attack, which it asserted was inadvertent.

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis)
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Blue Lagoon Airport IATA Code: BXL Blue Lagoon Airport ICAO Code: Latitude : -16.9361 Longitude : 177.364 City : Blue Lagoon Country : Fiji World Area Code : 821 Airport Type : Small Timezone : Pacific/Fiji Blue Lagoon Airport Timezone : GMT +12:00 hours Current time and date at Blue Lagoon Airport is 03:35:56 AM (+12) on Sunday, Oct 13, 2024

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Blue Lagoon Airport Map - Location of Blue Lagoon Airport Load Map Fiji - General Information Country Formal Name Republic of the Fiji Islands Country Code FJ Capital Suva Currency Dollar (FJD)

 1 FJD = 0.453 USD

 1 USD = 2.206 FJD

 1 FJD = 0.407 EUR

 1 EUR = 2.457 FJD

 More FJD convertion rates Tel Code +679 Top Level Domain .fj

This page provides all the information you need to know about Blue Lagoon Airport, Fiji. This page is created with the aim of helping travelers and tourists visiting Fiji or traveling to Blue Lagoon Airport. Details about Blue Lagoon Airport given here include Blue Lagoon Airport Code - IATA Code (3 letter airport codes) and ICAO Code (4 letter airport codes)

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BXL - Blue Lagoon Airport IATA Code
Korolevu Airport, Korolevu, Fiji [ KVU / ]

If you are planning to travel to Korolevu or any other city in Fiji, this airport locator will be a very useful tool. This page gives complete information about the Korolevu Airport along with the airport location map, Time Zone, lattitude and longitude, Current time and date, hotels near the airport etc... Korolevu Airport Map showing the location of this airport in Fiji. Korolevu Airport IATA Code, ICAO Code, exchange rate etc... is also provided.

Korolevu Airport Info:

Korolevu Airport IATA Code: KVU Korolevu Airport ICAO Code: Latitude : -18.2115 Longitude : 177.732 City : Korolevu Country : Fiji World Area Code : 821 Airport Type : Small Korolevu Airport Address / Contact Details :

Korolevu (KVU), Fiji Timezone : Pacific/Fiji Korolevu Airport Timezone : GMT +12:00 hours Current time and date at Korolevu Airport is 03:35:56 AM (+12) on Sunday, Oct 13, 2024

Looking for information on Korolevu Airport, Korolevu, Fiji? Know about Korolevu Airport in detail. Find out the location of Korolevu Airport on Fiji map and also find out airports near to Korolevu. This airport locator is a very useful tool for travelers to know where is Korolevu Airport located and also provide information like hotels near Korolevu Airport, airlines operating to Korolevu Airport etc... IATA Code and ICAO Code of all airports in Fiji. Scroll down to know more about Korolevu Airport or Korolevu Airport, Fiji.

Korolevu Airport Map - Location of Korolevu Airport Load Map Fiji - General Information Country Formal Name Republic of the Fiji Islands Country Code FJ Capital Suva Currency Dollar (FJD)

 1 FJD = 0.453 USD

 1 USD = 2.206 FJD

 1 FJD = 0.407 EUR

 1 EUR = 2.457 FJD

 More FJD convertion rates Tel Code +679 Top Level Domain .fj

This page provides all the information you need to know about Korolevu Airport, Fiji. This page is created with the aim of helping travelers and tourists visiting Fiji or traveling to Korolevu Airport. Details about Korolevu Airport given here include Korolevu Airport Code - IATA Code (3 letter airport codes) and ICAO Code (4 letter airport codes)

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General information about Fiji where Korolevu Airport is located in the city of Korolevu. General information include capital of Fiji, currency and conversion rate of Fiji currency, Telephone Country code, exchange rate against US Dollar and Euro in case of major world currencies etc...

KVU - Korolevu Airport IATA Code
The horrors and heroes of World Wars I and II have long been commemorated on the page and screen, yet comparatively little is known of the individuals who did more than keep calm and carry on off the battlefield. From switchboard operators to covert codebreakers, unsung workers at home and overseas played a pivotal role in securing Allied victory. We spoke with the authors of three new books for young readers that shine the light on some of the lesser-known stories of civilian ingenuity and braverywomen and teens who contributed to the war efforts in their own invaluable way.

Hello from the Other Side

Monica Hesse was deep in the writing trenches with another YA novel set in 1918 when the concept for The Brightwood Code (Little, Brown, May 14) first struck her. Whenever Im struggling with a piece of historical fiction, the answer is usually that I dont understand the time period fully enough. I was talking about this with my husband, and he started doing research, too. He came to me and asked, Well, have you thought about the Hello Girls? Id never even heard of them; it was like a whole new chapter had been unlocked. It started from there.

The more she learned about these young women, who were hired by the U.S. Army as bilingual telephone operators and stationed in France to improve wartime communication, she wondered, How have I been so immersed in this time period for so long, and theres this aspect of history that Ive never heard about? I just felt like, if this was something that I wasnt aware of, chances were good that a lot of people wouldnt have heard of it either.

Hesse noted, Whats doubly interesting is that even though these women were being recruited and trained by the government and were being sent to the front lines, they were never considered military. They were considered civilian contractors, which meant that they didnt get military benefits. They came home, and then a 50-year fight ensued for them to try to get recognition for the work that they had done. And the recognition did eventually come, but it was generations later. In addition to writing historical YA, Hesse is a columnist at the Washington Post, reporting on feminist issues and gender discrimination, and she sensed this was fertile ground for a novel.

The Brightwood Code alternates between flashbacks of teen Edda in WWI France, where she is one of 200 women serving as a Hello Girl with the American Expeditionary Forces; and after the war, in D.C., where she works as an American Bell Telephone operator. Late one night during her shift, she receives a mysterious call that plunges her back into intrigue connected with her wartime activities. Hesse said she takes a three-dimensional, multi-sensory approach to her historical investigations. Equally important is the research about the life that people would have been living at that time. I like to read books, visit museums, and try to get my hands on fashion or lifestyle magazines from the era, so that I know what my character would have been wearing or eating or reading. Even though a lot of that might not make it into the book, she said, I find it necessary to think about the culture that my main characters are absorbing.

The everyday details she uncovered about the life of a telephone operator were especially illuminating. They gave a window into the struggles that women made at the time to be respected in the workplace, and how that is similar or different to the things that women continue to think about today, Hesse said. She hit on a treasure trove of primary sources, in the form of archival footage. AT&T has a collection of YouTube videos that go back to the beginning of the companys history, and you can watch the training videos for operators in the 1910s and 1920s!

Placing the job in the context of womens restricted professional lives during that period, she said, At the time, the opportunities for womens work were extremely limited. The respectable professions basically would have been librarian, teacher, or nurse. Telephone operator wouldnt have been a scandalous profession, but it was not considered a professional class. It wasnt something that parents would have been necessarily excited about their daughters doing. And so there was this big push to make it look respectable, which was reflected in the training videos of the day.

Hesse found that the work culture was very regimented. The girls had to meet height and weight requirements because they sat in very small booths. You werent allowed to have romantic relationships, you werent allowed to date, and you werent allowed to socialize in between your calls, because they really wanted the Bell Girls to be the model of decorum. It was kind of a pressure cooker in that way. That level of detail was really helpful to me in thinking about this time where we were trying to figure out what women were and werent allowed to do.

Looking at the impact of these young women on future war efforts, she said, The Hello Girls really were the foremothers for womens participation in the war. They were the first example of a codified program in which the country said, we need women to fight and win this war. It was a test case that the suffragettes and feminists were behind. They knew that if the Hello Girls could be successful, it could leave an open door for the rest of the women in the country to prove their worth. It was a high-stakes operation. And it worked. The things that codebreakers were doing by the time of Bletchley in World War IInone of that would have been possible if the Hello Girls hadnt proved how valuable they could be a generation prior.

Spies Among Us

A trip to the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C., sparked author Marissa Mosss interest in the life and work of cryptanalyst Elizebeth Smith Friedman (18921980). I knew about the Enigma machine and Alan Turing, she said, but I didnt know about what Americans were doing [at that time]. And all that stuff was recently declassified, so it was exciting to know that I could get a hold of information that was previously not available, including interviews, radio programs, Friedmans own writing, and others research. It was just too juicy not to do.

The author of books on Civil War hero Sarah Emma Edmonds, 20th-century Jewish physicist Lise Meitner, and many other female historical figures, Moss said, Ive been writing about women who should be better known for decades now. And I feel like the timing has always been right for that.

As in her previous book, The Woman Who Split the Atom, Moss integrates original drawings throughout Spying on Spies: How Elizebeth Smith Friedman Broke the Nazis Secret Codes (Abrams, out now), which is aimed at middle graders. I thought that using graphic novel pages in front of each chapter would make the subject matter more accessible, she said. You see the time period, and it takes away the distancing that often happens [with books set] in the past.

Moss has also written picture books and said shes partial to visual storytelling. I like to go back and forth between words and pictures, because thats how my brain works. Theres a lot of information you get through images that you dont get through words. She found that the hybrid format of prose and illustration lent itself to the topic of codebreaking. I feel like it really gives you a fuller story. And codes are visual; Friedman was looking at visual patterns.

Mosss research led her to several unexpected discoveries. I was shocked that Elizebeth and her husband [William Friedman] were the only codebreakers during the whole first half of World War I. There was no CIA. There was no NSA or spy apparatus. And this young couple who had no training were breaking all the codesI found that mind-blowing! Especially impressive, Moss said, was the fact that Elizebeth was cracking codes in Chinese and Portugueselanguages she couldnt readbecause she could recognize patterns. She had a Chinese translator come in and work on the code, but her guesses for the words were all 100% accurate.

During World War II, even though Friedman didnt have access to the extensive codebreaking machinery and staff of Bletchley Park, Moss said, she broke the Enigma machine [the cipher device used by Nazi Germany] at the same time as Turing, which I find very satisfying and validating. Because, of course, we hear about Turing, and he deserves itnot to take away from that. But she had even more prejudice against her and a steeper hill to climb to get to where she was, because women couldnt be in the military. All the other codebreakers were men.

Thankfully, Friedman found a supportive partner in her husband. She had this partnership with William where they were both working on spy stuff, and they couldnt even tell each other what they were working on. They slept in separate rooms, so they wouldnt let something slip while they were sleepingjust amazing, amusing details like that.

Moss hopes that readers of her book see that you can do things that people tell you you cant. Elizebeths father told her she couldnt go to college. Everybody told her she couldnt get a job. But she just soldiered on. She was really determined to do something, and she had an incredible life.

Inside Station X

Like Moss, Candace Fleming found inspiration for her nonfiction book, The Enigma Girls: How Ten Teenagers Broke Ciphers, Kept Secrets, and Helped Win World War II (Scholastic Focus, out now), during a field trip: to Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire, the site of the famous WWII codebreaking factory. One of the displays on view at the estateonce the top-secret Station X and now open to the publicshows the demographics of the nearly 9,000 individuals who worked there. When I looked at it, Fleming said, I realized that most of them were women. And then when I looked closer, I saw that most of those women were between the ages of 14 and 19. She was eager to learn more. I discovered lots of stories left behind by these womenmost of them now deceasedabout their time in Bletchley Park: how they arrived, how they lived, how they had to leave their families and go to a place that no one could talk about. I just thought it was an astonishing story, all the way around.

While many are familiar with the work of Alan Turing and Tommy Flowers, all these experts, these geniuses, she said, we never talk about those people who went in and did the work every single day. And those girls did the slogging grinding work. The government needed their energy and their youth to do what they knew were going to be repetitive, dull jobs. I think too often we dont call those people heroic. Nevertheless, their contributions were crucial. According to historians, the team at Bletchley Park shortened the war by three years.

Narrowing her field of inquiry to 10 women was a challenging undertaking for Fleming. I had a span of 1939 to 1945from Bletchleys developmental stage, towards the very end when they had Colossus, the worlds first programmable computer, built by Flowers to decipher encrypted German messages. Fleming explained, I wanted to bring in different young women who came to Bletchley at different times, so that my readers could see the change. And I also wanted girls from different parts of society, including Sarah Norton, the daughter of an English lord, as well as girls like Gwen Watkins, who came from ordinary homes. Fleming also selected her subjects to reflect the diverse roles within the operations. I wanted to show readers all the different jobs that were being done by young women, not just running those massive Bombe machines [used for codebreaking] like Diane Payne, but also the indexing, the translating like Sarah Norton, and using the Typex [cypher machines].

Its clear the author has developed a deep respect and admiration for these intrepid young women, referring to them at several moments in the interview as my girls. Aside from a select few, such as 18-year-old Mavis Fleming, who worked closely with Dilly Knox, a Greek scholar and papyrologist, Fleming said, most of my girls were not cipher breakers. The rest of them didnt even hear the word Enigma during the time they were there. Therein lies the heart of the storys appeal for Fleming. I think thats probably one of the most fascinating parts. They were so secretive; they werent allowed to talk to anybody at work about what they were doing. Even if you had two women sitting next to each other on the Typex machine.

The bitter irony is that, when the men returned from war, the women were cast out from this dynamic world of codebreakers to take up their role in the traditional sphere as homemakers. These were women who were actually in some cases using their skills and degrees. There was one mathematician from Oxford, which was rare in and of itself, and she had an unbelievably difficult technical job that required a lot of patience and intelligenceand she loved every minute of it. But then, of course, she was unable to get work as a mathematician. Due to the Official Secrets Act, they were forbidden to disclose the nature of their work at Bletchley Park to friends or family for decades afterward.

Their stories are also coming to light in the forthcoming middle-grade historical adventure The Bletchley Riddle, cowritten by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin (Viking, Oct. 8) and in the recent picture book Codebreaker Charlotte by Cedar Wang (Clavis, Apr.). Why the seemingly sudden confluence of books on these topics? Fleming said, Maybe its because were so interested in women in STEM. You worry about those women being forgotten, right? We will probably remember Elizebeth Smith Friedman, but we might not remember Diana Payne, and others featured in The Enigma Girls. So I hope when readers get to the end they will have had a really great read about some really great women.

On the broader relevance and resonance of books set in previous eras, Hesse said, I think historical fiction is a safe space to discuss complicated and thorny issues, because it allows young readers to think about and wrestle with big things like gender discrimination or the atrocities of war from a step of remove. That kind of thinking helps you prepare yourself for how to engage with the world. She added, I hope that readers think about this complex, messy world that we live in, and the role of everyone in it, and what that means for where we want to go in the future.

The Brightwood Code by Monica Hesse. Little, Brown, $18.99, May 14 ISBN 978-0-316-04565-0

The Enigma Girls: How Ten Teenagers Broke Ciphers, Kept Secrets, and Helped Win World War II by Candace Fleming. Scholastic Focus, $19.99, Mar. ISBN 978-1-338-74957-1

Spying on Spies: How Elizebeth Smith Friedman Broke the Nazis Secret Codes by Marissa Moss. Abrams, $19.99, Feb. ISBN 978-1-4197-6731-9
The 10th annual Kweli Color of Childrens Literature Conference, held April 1921, featured a notable lineup of authors, illustrators, and publishing professionals participating in the nations largest childrens book conference exclusively for Black, Indigenous, and other creators of color. For the first time since 2019, the entire event was held in person, at Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York City. All photos by Ozier Muhammad.

The conference kicked off in earnest on Saturday, April 20, but attendees could opt to participate in one of six master classes on Friday, including Writing Home with Ibi Zoboi (American Street), Touching the Heart: Revising the Verse Novel with Aida Salazar (Jovita Wore Pants: The Story of a Mexican Freedom Fighter), or Picture and Word with Aya Ghanameh (These Olive Trees).

On Saturday and Sunday, the Kweli conference offered full days of programming. Censorship and silence were a common through line in many of Saturdays panels. In Free People Read Freely: Fighting Book Bans with Seema Yasmin (Unbecoming) and Gwendolyn Maya Wallace (The Light She Feels Inside), moderated by Hannah Moushabeck (Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine), the panelists named the unprecedented censoring of books about race, racism, gender, and sexuality, and brainstormed how to strategically challenge such bans. In Walk Straight: Resisting Silence and Self-Censorship, Frederick Joseph (We Alive, Beloved), Rhonda Roumani (InshaAllah, No, Maybe So), Zoboi, and Autumn Allen (All You Have to Do), who served as moderator, exhorted writers to resist silence and self-censorship when creating works about empowerment, identity, or social justice, and to embrace the importance of speaking truth to power.

Sundays panels focused on the nuts and bolts of writing, illustrating, and publishing. Editors Traci N. Todd (author), Irene Vazquez (Levine Querido) and Phoebe Yeh (Crown Books for Young Readers) weighed in on excerpts from writers in the Kweli audience during a session titled Voice and Audience: First Pages. Ghanameh, Rahma Rodaah (Dear Muslim Child), and Jasmin Rubero, associate art director at Kokila, examined peritext and design elements in Rodaah and Ghanamehs book, as well as in Being Home by Traci Sorell and Michaela Goade, during Behind the Scenes: Art and Design. Authors Jyoti Rajan Gopal (Sister Day), Meghana Narayan (A Little Bit of Everything), and Wallace discussed all the things they wish theyd known before their first books came out, including how to plan a book tour and how to practice self-care even as simultaneous deadlines loom, in Marketing: What I Wish I Knew Before My Debut.

Keynote highlights

The weekend was punctuated by inspirational keynotes by Allen, Safia Elhillo (Girls That Never Die), Amina Luqman-Dawson (Freewater), and Jason Reynolds (Aint Burned All the Bright) in conversation with Cozbi A. Cabrera (Me & Mama).

Allen gave the opening keynote. In here, we hold a sacred space for freedom, she said. We are free to dream, we are free to bond and unite and focus on love and joy and healing and striving and shaping our gifts so that we can give them to the world. Keep writing and keep making art; keep speaking up and keep telling our truth. We who write for young people are in the business of saving lives.

In her address, Elhillo encouraged writers to play with language, especially those with access and faculty in more than one tongue. What gives Shakespeare more of a right to play with language? she said. Make a little more room for the stuff you are trying to say with other languages. Often hybridity and hyphen-ness is used to invalidate. If we dispose with the premise of purity when it comes to language, what are the possibilities of populating that canon, and making it so that purity of language or fluency or mastery are not prerequisites to enter into it?

Luqman-Dawson spoke of showing grace towards oneself. Some of your perceived weaknesses may in fact be part of your writing superpower, she said. I encourage you to do a nice little audit of your weaknesses. [They] may be the ingredient that makes our art great.

I dont have any fear of writing badly because it is guaranteed, Reynolds said in his conversation with Cabrera. It is foolish to be fearful of the inevitable. It is guaranteed that whatever I put on the page will be bad first. What you worried about? All your OGs, all your heroes, aint none of us ever seen Tonis first drafts. The greatest writer of our time, but we aint never seen her first drafts. We all have to go through the process.
Canadian author Alice Munro died at her home in Port Hope, Ontario, on May 13. She was 92.

Munro, who is best known for her many short story collections depicting the lives of those living in small town Ontario, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013, when she was recognized by the Swedish Academy as a "master of the contemporary short story." At the time of her award, Peter Englund, then permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, praised Munro as "a fantastic portrayer of human beings," noting that her consistent depiction of the rural Canadian landscape proved that she "has everything she needs in this small patch of earth."

Upon news of Munros death, Kristin Cochrane, CEO of Penguin Random House Canada, Munro's longtime publisher, said in a statement: "Alice Munro is a national treasurea writer of enormous depth, empathy, and humanity whose work is read, admired, and cherished by readers throughout Canada and around the world. Alice's writing inspired countless writers too, and her work leaves an indelible mark on our literary landscape."

Munro's literary career began with her first story, "The Dimensions of a Shadow," published while she was attending the University of Western Ontario. Her first collection of stories, Dance of the Happy Shades (1968), was awarded the Governor General's Award, marking the start of a distinguished career that included thirteen story collections, a novel, and two volumes of selected stories. Among her best-known books are Lives of Girls and Women, The Moons of Jupiter, Open Secrets, and Runaway. Two of Munro's stories have been adapted into films: "The Bear Came Over the Mountain," adapted by Sarah Polley in 2006 as Away from Her, and Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage," adapted by Liza Johnson in 2013 as Hateship Loveship.

Munro's final book, Dear Life, for which she was awarded the Man Booker International Prize, was published in 2012, just prior to her winning the Nobel. Throughout her career, Munro received numerous awards, including the National Book Critics Circle Award, two Giller Prizes, three Governor General's Literary Awards, the Lannan Literary Award, the Rea Award for the Short Story, the Trillium Book Award, and England's W. H. Smith Literary Award.

Munro was born in 1931 and grew up in Wingham, Ontario, a small town in southwestern Ontario. She attended the University of Western Ontario, in nearby London, for two years before marrying Jim Munro, in 1951, and moving with him to Vancouver. He worked for Eaton's department store, while she stayed home to raise their daughters. There, she wrote all the time, discarding most of it but publishing occasionally; she thought of herself, as told PW in an interview in 1986, as "promising" for too long. The couple then opened a bookstore, Munros Books, in 1963, where Alice worked for three years. The store still exists today. After a divorce, she returned to Ontario and remarried.

Despite her obvious talent from a young age, Munro did not see literary success as inevitable. "When I was into my 30s I became increasingly depressed by rejection letters," she said. "I had had the feeling that by the time I was 30 I would be established. But I was not at all. By the time of Lives of Girls and Women, I was into my 40s and I had become more thin-skinned."

A private person, Munro has long shied away from the spotlight. On winning the Nobel, Munro expressed her surprise and gratitude. "I am dazed by all the attention and affection that has been coming my way this morning," she said at the time. She hoped, she added, that her win would foster further interest in Canadian writers and bring more recognition to the short story form.

The short story, Munro told PW in 1986, was a form she felt better suited to reflecting contemporary life than a novel. I no longer feel attracted to the well-made novel, she admitted. I want to write the story that will zero in and give you intense, but not connected, moments of experience. I guess that's the way I see life. People remake themselves bit by bit and do things they don't understand. The novel has to have a coherence, which I don't see any more in the lives around me."

She added that it wasnt plot that interested her in literature, but something more ephemeral, perhaps even spiritual. What is important to me about the story is not what happens.... It's like a view of realitya kind of reality that I can go into for a while, and I know right away if I can go into it [further] or not. Then, once I'm into it, I'll find out what happens. It's getting into it that's important, not caring what happens. A story is a spell, rather than a narrative."
Thirty-six years after former Motorbooks publisher Tom Warth founded Books for Africa, to ship donated textbooks and library books to school children in Africa, the organization, headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., has become the worlds largest shipper of donated books to the African continent. A fundraiser event held on May 10, which featured Mathilde Mukantabana, the Rwandan ambassador to the U.S., as its keynote speaker, celebrated that success, drawing 350 donors to a country club in suburban St. Paul.

The event spotlighted the success of BfA and its donors in fulfilling the organization's mission: the organization has shipped a total of 60 million print books and nearly seven million digital booksalong with devices to access themto all countries on the African continent since its launch in 1988. Still, organizers and speakers acknowledged that, in spite of BfAs successes, the extreme need for books in Africa remains, and there is yet more work to be done.

BfA has historically held successful fundraisers, but this one drew so many supporters of the organization that it had to be divided into a breakfast, for approximately 100 people, followed by a luncheon, for another 250 people. Attendees included representatives of U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison; Bryan Kay, director of editorial and licensing for American Bar Association Publishing in Chicago; and Adam Lerner, the CEO of Lerner Publishing Group in Minneapolis, among other dignitaries. One woman joined the gathering from Cameroon, in hopes of discussing with BfA how best to ship books to her country. Approximately $170,000 was raised by the organization at Fridays back-to-back programs.

BfA board president Tammie Follett kicked off the proceedings, noting that a shipping container filled with a library of legal books would be directed to the University of Rwanda School of Law in honor of Ambassador Mukantabana. In his own remarks, Patrick Plonski, executive director of BfA since 2003, said that in fiscal year 2023, BfA had shipped more than four million total books to 32 countries, as well as 800,000 digital books loaded onto computers and e-readers. Pointing out that 2023 marked the organizations biggest year ever, Plonski praised the 10,000 volunteers who sort the books in BfAs Atlanta warehouse, adding: This is a high volume operation we are running, and I can tell you, the needs are very, very great for more books across Africa.

In her keynote, Ambassador Mukantabana expressed her appreciation for the work that BfA does, noting the importance of shipping books to an impoverished country devastated by genocide, as was Rwanda in 1994. Emphasizing the importance, and elusiveness, of receiving an education in Rwanda and having access to books, Mukantabana pointed out that, for many in her homelandwhich is striving to rebuild after the genocide of 30 years agoyou can't buy a book when you are still trying to purchase the food to put on the table. To find a book is something that is almost like finding gold."

Concluding the program, Warth marveled that an organization founded after a trip he took to Uganda in the mid-80s, where he observed libraries lacking in books, has to date shipped 60 million books to that continent. Its incredible, he declared, expressing his wish that BfA would send another 340 million books to Africa within the next 35 years, so that every one of Africas 400 million children would have a book.

As for Lerner Publishing Group, one of the organizations major sponsors, CEO Adam Lerner recalled in a conversation with PW that his father, Lerner founder Harry Lerner, connected with Warth as he was launching BfA. Pronouncing his pride in LPG having been involved from the beginning, Lerner added, its a great group of people; its a great organization.

This year, BfA will ship books to schools, libraries, universities, law schools, bar associations, womens legal organizations, and other organizations in Africa. Books are shipped from BfA's own warehouse, as well as partner warehouses in such cities as Hong Kong, Houston, London, Montreal, Paris, and San Francisco, Houston, Montreal, London, Paris, Hong Kong. For more information, click here.
The 2024 British Book Awards, administered by The Bookseller magazine, announced its winners across various industry categories at a ceremony held on May 13 in London that drew 1,000 people. Nonfiction publisher Ebury was named Publisher of the Year, while Profile received the award for Independent Publisher of the Year. Profile's Murdle by G.T. Karber took home Overall Book of the Year honors. Russian-Georgian author Boris Akunin was given the new Freedom to Publish award in support of his criticism of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has led to his books being banned in Russian and his being forced into exile.

Fourth Estate's Kishani Widyaratna took home the award for Editor of the Year, praised for bringing her imprint up to date with such authors as Yomi Adegoke, author of The List, and Monica Heisey, author of Really Good, Actually. HarperCollins won Marketing Strategy of the Year for their work on Rebecca F. Kaung's Yellowface, which also won the Fiction Book of the Year. Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing won the Pageturner of the Year.

The Literary Agent category had joint winners, with Curtis Brown's Norah Perkins and Becky Brown recognized for their work on literary estates. Small Press of the Year went to Magic Cat Publishing, while Imprint of the Year was awarded to Little, Brown's Piatkus for its commitment to genre fiction and innovative sales and marketing strategies.

Bloomsbury Children's Books, winner of the Children's Publisher of the Year, also took the British Book Award for Export, driven by the success of authors such as T. C. Boyle, Sarah J. Maas, and J. K. Rowling. Welsh store Book-ish was crowned Independent Bookshop of the Year for the second time, while Amanda Dunne Fulmer of Halfway up the Stairs in County Wicklow, Ireland was named Individual Bookseller of the Year.

The Children's Bookshop in Muswell Hill, north London, became the first indie in more than a decade to win the Book Retailer of the Year award.

Freelance designer Jack Smyth was awarded Designer of the Year for his work on the Booker-winning Prophet Song (Oneworld), Henry Dimbleby's Ravenous (Profile), and Pushkin Press' Japanese novellas collection.

Earlier, nine independent bookshops from across the UK and Ireland were named regional and country winners for the Independent Bookshop of the Year Award, sponsored by book wholesaler Gardners. These winners were selected for their outstanding support of local communities through creative, specialist, and community-centered activities.

The nine regional and country winners were:
What is a speakeasy bar?

The speakeasy was a secret, hidden bar illegally selling alcohol during Americas 1920-1933 Prohibition era, when alcohol was outlawed across the United States. Many Americans found ways to keep drinking: bribing pharmacists for medicinal whiskey prescriptions, creating their own alcohol privately at night (moonshine), employing bootleggers to smuggle alcohol into the country, or going to speakeasy bars for a tipple.

Speakeasies may have gained their name from how their patrons had to quietly speak a password to be admitted to the unlicensed bar. They helped give rise to organised crime, dating without parental supervision, table service, jazz bands...and cocktails. Cocktails exploded in popularity at speakeasy bars as bartenders would combine the low-quality alcohol sold to speakeasies by bootleggers with mixers like soft drinks, fruit juices, sugar, herbs and other flavourings to hide the poor taste of the alcohol. Notorious bootlegger Al Capones favourite cocktail, for example, was purported to be the Southside Fizz.

Modern-day speakeasy bars in Melbourne and around the world mimic the secrecy and time period of the old Prohibition-era speakeasies with hidden entrances, minimal (or no) signage, dim lighting, 1920s-30s jazz music, and elaborate cocktail menus.
Car theft, above, might be a better barometer of the state of crime than other measures. Unlike other crimes, they tend to be logged accurately -- and have risen markedly.

By James Varney, RealClearInvestigations

May 14, 2024

Americans can be forgiven for suffering from whiplash regarding law and order.

In recent weeks the Biden administration and many news outlets, including USA Today and The Hill, have touted declines in violent crime statistics to argue that America is becoming a safer place.

Right now, with 2023 figures and early 2024, the trends are all pointing down, in a positive direction, Jeff Asher, whose New Orleans-based AH Datalytics is developing his own Real-Time Crime Index, told RealClearInvestigations.

Conservative outlets, including City Journal and the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal, assert that minor declines in headline grabbers like homicides fail to capture what is really happening in the U.S.

Declining arrest rates and slowing police 911 response times help explain why polls show Americans believe crime is rising

From 2017 to 2019, the U.S. had an average of 16,641 homicides a year. In 2021 and 2022, however, the country saw considerably more bloodshed, with an average of more than 22,000 annual homicides. Even if the 2023 number drops slightly, it will still represent a large increase over the recent past, before the pandemic and racial upheaval set in motion in 2020.

Many criminologists say this illlustrates one of the problems with the official numbers that are at the center of public debate: They give a distorted impression of true levels of crime. They note that crime stats have become notoriously incomplete in recent years. In some years many big cities did not report their numbers to the FBI, and there are such wide discrepancies in these tallies that the picture they provide has more blur than clarity.

Declining arrest rates and slowing police response times to 911 calls also help explain why polls show Americans believe crime is rising. The experts say the numbers only give some sense of lawbreaking, while most Americans  the vast majority of whom are not crime victims in a given year  are influenced by their largely media-driven perception of whether society feels orderly.

Southern California smash-and-grab: Perceptions of crime are shaped by videos of "no consequences  thats part of the problem.

There are social media videos of people walking into a CVS and walking out with a shopping cart full and there seems to be no consequences  thats part of the problem, said Jay Town, former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama. And then you have people arrested a dozen times and theyre out with no bail. There are no consequences, and thus there are more criminals in the street.

Americans may fall back on such perceptions in part because the official reports are incomplete and rife with error. I dont think with any crime statistics we can ever be precise, said Asher.

For decades, the traditional gold standard for criminologists was the FBIs Uniform Crime Reports, annual compilations by the Bureau of stats provided to it by state and local law enforcement agencies. The FBIs data, which currently show declines in several criminal categories, especially homicide, provide the basis for many of the stories arguing that, in terms of crime, the U.S. situation is improving.

But the FBI statistics aren't what they used to be, according to several criminologists who pointed to gaps in coverage and apparent errors. The problem began in 1988 when the bureau began to move toward a complex new system of reporting  the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). It promised to provide more comprehensive detail and enable authorities to pinpoint high-crime areas, criminals, and victims more accurately.

Viral face punches feed an impression of crime with impunity -- and out of control.

But the transition proved to be a herculean task, so much so that the FBI allowed departments to delay their full adherence to the program even after the feds doled out $120 million to agencies to assist with compliance. Still, in 2020, 2021 and 2022, either all or some of the biggest police forces in the U.S. -- New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles -- did not provide data.

There have also been problems with the data that was submitted, including the news in 2022 of major problems with the St. Louis Police Department data, and more recent revelations that figures for sexual crimes provided by the New Orleans Police Department were wrong.

In Baltimore, the Police Department and various news reports put the total for 2022 homicides between 332 and 336, but the FBIs dataset puts the number at 272. Baltimore police officials did not reply to RCIs inquiries about the wide spread in the reported numbers, and if anyone in the citys police department had brought the matter to the FBIs attention.

The Baltimore department acknowledges its numbers may not be the same as those it submits to the FBI, but states on its website that any comparisons are strictly prohibited.

Similarly, the police departments in Milwaukee and Nashville did not respond to questions about divergences between their stats on robberies and those from the federal bureau. Milwaukee police reported a 7 percent increase in robberies in 2023, but the FBI recorded a 13 percent decline.

An FBI spokesperson told RCI, It is the responsibility of each state UCR [Uniform Crime Reports] program or contributing law enforcement agency to submit accurate statistics and correct existing data that are in error.

Criminologists cite other discrepancies in the official measurements they use to assess the situation. While FBI stats show declines in violent categories, the Department of Justices survey reports more people saying they have been victims of such crimes. The Centers for Disease Control figures for homicides, which have long moved in the same direction as the FBIs, started exceeding the FBIs in 2020 and the gap has widened since then.

I wouldnt say the FBI is cooking the books, but that the data they are putting out is half-baked, said Sean Kennedy, the executive director of the Coalition for Law, Order and Security, which has pushed back against recent media reports that crime is falling noticeably in the U.S.

So its not a conspiracy but a rush job, and its giving people a false picture, he told RCI. They infer something is true, and then because its politically expedient they dont bother correcting it.

A Sharp Decline in Arrests

Some criminologists say there is another, hidden dynamic within the crime statistics that helps explain why most Americans think crime is on the rise  the dramatic decline in arrests. Scouring FBI data, John Lott, the founder of the Crime Prevention Research Center, found that arrests for reported violent crimes in major cities fell 20 percent in 2022, from 42.5 percent in 2019  the year before the COVID pandemic and BLM protests in response to George Floyds death while in police custody.

The percentage of murder and rapes cleared by arrests fell to 40.6 percent from 67.3 percent in those years; for rapes from 33.8 percent to 17.4 percent, and arrests for reported property crimes in major cities dropped to 4.5 percent in 2022 from 11.6 percent in 2019.

It is not clear how much of this decline is due to reductions in the size of many departments  New Orleans, for example, reportedly lost 20% of its force between 2020 and 2022.

There are lots of issues here, and Im in disbelief about some of them, said Lott. Its mind-boggling to me  we already know many crimes have always been underreported and now it seems to be, Why bother reporting a property crime to the police? The bottom line is our law enforcement system seems in some ways to be falling apart, especially in the big cities.

Calling the Cops ... and Then Waiting

Longer responses to 911 calls, in minutes: As a result, weve seen a significant problem with reporting of crime right now.

The plummeting arrest rates contribute to the general sense of lawlessness, a feeling compounded by surging increases in response times to calls. Comparing data for 15 law enforcement agencies from 2019-2022, Asher found only one city  Cincinnati  that reduced its response time, and that by 0.7 minutes. In New Orleans, the average response time nearly doubled, from 50.8 to 145.8 minutes, while Nashville saw a rise from 44.2 minutes to 73.8 minutes and New York City a 33-minute increase.

Some cities are even worse.

If its not a shooting or a stabbing were up to about two hours for responding to property calls, Jared Wilson, president of the San Diego Police Officers Association, told RCI. As a result, weve seen a significant problem with reporting of crime right now.

Wilson said auto thefts better capture the state of crime and perceptions of it: As thefts of essential registered property, they tend to be reported. In San Diego, Wilson said, those have risen year-to-year, with a whopping 27% jump in 2021, all of which contribute to peoples perception of increased criminal activity.

Betsy Branter Smith, a retired cop and spokeswoman for the National Police Association, said such issues contribute to a deteriorating relationship between citizens and the police. That unraveling, along with increasing hostility between police departments and district attorneys in some big cities like Philadelphia and Los Angeles, has made some cops less pro-active on the job.

Its not so much hostility toward cops, but frustration and resignation, she said. Its time-consuming to be a crime victim, and if prosecutors arent going to do anything, why report it?

Smith said many police officers, in turn, are frustrated by bail reform and other efforts that put many alleged lawbreakers back on the streets quickly. Yes, she said , many officers have almost certainly become less pro-active. We know it, we see it. Its a sad state of affairs for law enforcement. Cops represent the government, basically, and were losing faith in the government were supposed to represent.

Then there is media coverage. Although if it bleeds, it leads journalism is not new, the steady flow of stories in traditional and social media of mass shootings, smash-and-grab crime sprees, cops beaten on the streets of Manhattan and young women punched in the face for no apparent reason spawn a sense of disorder. So too do migrants pouring across the southern border, students taking over campus quads, squatters commandeering other peoples homes, the rise of homeless encampments and open-air drug use in several major cities.

There is this tension there - this reality of visible signs of lawlessness and disorder that generate a feeling of unease, said Rafael Mangual, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute of Policy Research.

Asher agreed: People are inundated by pictures of lawlessness and theres no doubt that contributes to a lack of a full awareness among Americans about what might actually be happening.
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'It is advisable to stay away from the markets for now and buy only on a dip.'

IMAGE: Voters show their ink-marked fingers after casting their votes during the fourth phase of voting for the Lok Sabha elections at a polling booth in Birbhum, West Bengal, May 13, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

The low voter turnout in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls compared to the 2019 polls seems to be worrying Dalal Street, observed analysts, who remain cautious.

India voted in the fourth phase to elect representatives to the 18th Lok Sabha on Monday, May 13, 2024.

A total of 96 Lok Sabha seats went to polls on Monday across 10 states and Union Territories, including Bihar, Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh.

Meanwhile, the markets saw the S&P BSE Sensex and the National Stock Exchange Nifty 50 slip nearly 1 per cent each, with the India Vix -- the volatility/fear gauge -- spiking over 14 per cent in intraday deals.

Interestingly, during the earlier three phases of elections, the market witnessed similar volatility, with the Nifty 50 taking a substantial hit.

Market experts attributed the spike in volatility (India Vix) to lower voter turnout for the polls, raising speculation on the victory margin of the ruling government, perceived to be over 400 seats.

From a short-term standpoint, Chokkalingam G, founder and head of research at Equinomics Research, said the Sensex and Nifty stocks are relatively better positioned in terms of valuations than their small and midcap peers.

"Investors are keeping an eye on the turnout in the ongoing polls and remain cautious amid the low numbers compared to 2019. That said, they will give more preference to the government's stability and the reform process that the next government undertakes," Chokkalingam said.

"While the Sensex trades at a trailing price-to-earnings of 23.25x, the smallcap index trades at 32.2x, and the midcap index trades at 30.8x," he added.

The first phase of the Lok Sabha polls took place on April 19. The Nifty plunged 1 per cent in intraday deals but eventually ended 0.7 per cent higher.

The voter turnout, according to the Election Commission of India, stood at 66.14 per cent, a drop of 4 percentage point from 2019.

Against this backdrop, investors, sugests Gaurang Shah, senior vice-president at Geojit Financial Services, should brace for volatility and sharper intraday swings as the poll process keeps the newsflow thick and fast-paced.

"For the markets to stabilise, the India Vix needs to cool off. Investors need to brace for volatility in the short term," Shah said.

"The downside appears limited from the current levels. It is advisable to stay away from the markets for now and buy only on a dip," he added.

"Banking, financial services and insurance, cement, defence, power, automotive, non-banking financial company, and fast-moving consumer goods are some of the sectors I am bullish on," Shah said.

Foreign money exit

Foreign investors, too, have preferred to stay on the sidelines until there is clarity on who will form the next government -- and with how much muscle.

Another key factor driving the foreign institutional investors/foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) out of the Indian stock market, according to V K Vijayakumar, chief investment strategist at Geojit Financial Services, is the relative attractiveness of other equity markets across the globe, especially China.

The recent FPI selling in the Indian stock market, he said, is also due to a change in FPI stance from 'Sell China, Buy India' earlier to 'Sell India, Buy China' now.

This change in stance, he said, has been caused by the recent outperformance of China (Shanghai Composite up by 3.96 per cent and Hang Seng up by 10.93 per cent in past month) and underperformance of India (Nifty down by 2.06 per cent in the past month).

"This is likely to be a near-term trend triggered by the cheap valuations of Chinese stocks and relatively high valuations of India.

"It is important to understand that India's long-term prospects are much better than China's," he said.

Disclaimer: This article is meant for information purposes only. This article and information do not constitute a distribution, an endorsement, an investment advice, an offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities/schemes or any other financial products/investment products mentioned in this article to influence the opinion or behaviour of the investors/recipients.

Any use of the information/any investment and investment related decisions of the investors/recipients are at their sole discretion and risk. Any advice herein is made on a general basis and does not take into account the specific investment objectives of the specific person or group of persons. Opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice.

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com
Last updated on: May 14, 2024 15:10 IST

Passenger vehicle wholesales in India rose to record levels in April driven by strong demand for utility vehicles, automobile industry body SIAM said on Tuesday.

Photograph: Babu/Reuters

The overall passenger vehicle dispatches from companies to dealers rose 1.3 per cent year-on-year to record levels of 335,629 units in April, as compared to 331,278 units in April 2023.

Utility vehicle sales stood at 179,329 units last month, up 21 per cent from 148,005 units in the same month last year.

Passenger car dispatches, however, declined by 23 per cent to 96,357 units, as compared to 125,758 units in April 2023.

Van sales rose 15 per cent to 12,060 units last month, as against 10,508 units in April last year.

As per the data issued by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), two-wheeler wholesales rose 31 per cent to 17,51,393 units last month, as compared to 13,38,588 units in April last year.

Motorcycle wholesales stood at 11,28,192 units last month, up 34 per cent, as compared to 839,274 units in the same month last year.

Scooter wholesales rose 25 per cent year-on-year to 581,277 units in April, as compared to 464,389 units in the same month last year.

Three-wheeler wholesales rose 14.5 per cent to 49,116 units last month, as against 42,885 units in April 2023.

SIAM president Vinod Aggarwal said the current fiscal has started on a reasonably good note for the auto industry, as all the segments have posted growth in April 2024, compared to April 2023, driven by positive consumer sentiments and festivities during the month.

"Above normal monsoon rainfall, policy continuity post-elections and government's push on manufacturing and infrastructure would propel the overall economic growth which would help in continuing the auto sector's growth trajectory," he added.
Are we so ready to believe that in this country whose virtues we constantly shout from the rooftops, there is no single person -- other than Modi -- in a minimum of 272 elected MPs with the talent and ability to lead this country, asks Prem Panicker.

IMAGE: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Narendra D Modi and Uttar Pradesh leader Yogi Adityanath greet supporters during a roadshow in Varanasi, May 13, 2024. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

Much has happened since my previous post, but what has fascinated me the most is an interview ANI's Smita Prakash did with K T Rama Rao of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi.

Where to begin? Maybe start with Prakash's opening gambit -- that there is Modi, but no alternative.

This 'TINA' trope has been a constant during the ten-year rule of Narendra Modi, and I personally find it baffling that so many people are so willing and eager to buy into it.

What does 'TINA' actually mean? 140 crore Indians (or at least, those among the population who actually turn up to vote), elect 543 members of Parliament. Of this, the party or alliance that attains a simple majority has a minimum of 272 MPs.

Are we so ready to believe that in this country whose virtues we constantly shout from the rooftops, there is no single person -- other than Modi -- in a minimum of 272 elected MPs with the talent and ability to lead this country?

Have the proponents of 'TINA' considered the implications of what they are saying about the country they are so shrilly proud to belong to?

***

A couple of days earlier, Amit Shah during a rally in Telangana had said this is a Rahul Gandhi versus Narendra Modi election, though no Opposition party, least of all the Congress, has projected Gandhi as the PM face.

In passing, it is worth noting that Gandhi has consistently said he has no desire to be the PM. He said as much, as far back as 2013, again in 2014 in the run up to the elections, even more recently in 2018, and he also said the same at the start of this latest electoral campaign.

I'd written about why the BJP wants to make this a one-on-one contest here -- what is significant is that as each successive phase ends, the BJP gets increasingly desperate to frame the election to its advantage.

The most telling comment on the BJP was made by Ms Prakash herself: 'For this, they will vote for the Samajwadi Party, or they will vote for the DMK, or they will vote for Modi... they are voting for people...'

Two of the three names she invokes are parties, not people. And therein lies the problem. The SP, the DMK, BRS, CPM, RJD, TMC, AAP, Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar), Congress... these are all parties, with an ideology (that you may or may not agree with, but that is another argument). The electorate is not just voting for the candidate but for a party, and for the ideology that party stands for.

Against that, there is no BJP as a party -- there is just Modi, and a ragtag cohort whose sole stated purpose is to perpetuate Modi's hold on power.

Candidate after BJP candidate has said as much: Tejaswi Surya in Bangalore said that a vote for him is actually a vote for Modi; Kangana Ranaut said the same thing in Mandi; Amit Shah has repeatedly said the same thing... why, even Modi on the stump says a vote for X candidate is actually a vote for him.

The BJP is clearly a party in name only, packed with people who owe their careers to Modi. Hell, a sizeable chunk of them are not even BJP -- an April 5 report in Business Standard points out that of 417 candidates announced as on that date, 116 (28%) are turncoats from other parties.

In other words, more than one in four BJP candidates are not wedded to the party ideology, such as it is, but are opportunistic imports. In phase four of the elections, 50 opportunists are in the fray.

The BJP does not campaign on its ideology because it no longer has a recognisable one. The BJP does not campaign on its achievements because it has no landmark achievements worth boasting about. The BJP does not campaign on its manifesto because that is a hastily put together document shorn of substance.

This leaves just one trope for the BJP to campaign on: Modi. And to make it work, there needs to be an opposing face. The Opposition is stubbornly refusing to give Modi that satisfaction -- and that is telling on a ruling party that is increasingly mired in mud fights with local leaders conversant with local issues, and who are fighting on their chosen battleground.

IMAGE: Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at the Nyay Sankalp Sabha in Nandurbar, May 11, 2024. Photograph: Mohd Zakir/ANI Photo

***

Staying with that theme, if the BJP using its tame agencies to put Arvind Kejriwal in jail was a blunder, failing to keep him there is a worse misstep.

The very first thing Kejriwal did on being released was to set the cat among the pigeons. The BJP, he pointed out, has a rule that no one over 75 will be given tickets, or party responsibilities. And so, he argued, when Modi turns 75 in September next year he will quit, and Amit Shah will become PM -- so you are actually voting for Shah.

It was a blow below the belt. Under Modi and Shah, the BJP had as far back as 2014 conjured up this 'rule' (which, by the way, does not exist in the party's constitution) to sideline the likes of L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Yashwant Sinha and other senior leaders with a mass base and standing of their own. The idea then was to eliminate any potential challenger to Modi's supremacy.

In 2018 Shah, then the party president, had said that no official responsibilities would be given to those above 75. And in the run-up to the 2019 election, when the question of tickets being denied to Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi came up, Shah explicitly said it was a party decision that no one above 75 would be given tickets to contest.

In the wake of Kejriwal's body blow the likes of Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, Rajnath Singh, J P Nadda, Amit Malviya and others all rushed to declare that Modi would complete his third term and be PM till 2029. (In doing this, they forgot that Modi's self-declared goal is to bring in 'Viksit Bharat' in 2047 -- 'I am already planning for 2047,' Modi had boasted at the recent India Today conclave).

Not for the first time in this campaign, the BJP has been forced on the defensive -- never a good thing for a party that wants to be front-runner.

IMAGE: Aam Aadmi Party leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann at a roadshow for the Lok Sabha polls at Moti Nagar in New Delhi, May 12, 2024. Photograph: Mohd Zakir/ANI Photo

What has gone almost unnoticed is the other shiv that Kejriwal stuck in the BJP's ribs in course of that same speech. Naming the many BJP chief ministers with local stature who have been sidelined by Modi and Shah, Kejriwal said that within two months of assuming office, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath would also be among the discards.

The thing is, Adityanath's fate in the event of a Modi third term is already the subject of considerable buzz.

Everyone is aware of this rumour possibility, which has been doing the rounds not just in BJP circles and among Opposition leaders, but also in the media. (It is not like I have some extra special source of information -- I first heard this from a local reporter from Lucknow, who told me he hadn't filed a story on these lines because no one would want to publish).

Whether there is truth in the rumour or not, it has given the BJP's ground troops in UP pause for thought, and created some distance between Adityanath and Modi/Shah at a time when the party can least afford it.

No one was speaking about this publicly, though -- until Kejriwal came along and let the genie out of the bottle.

Significantly, none in the BJP hierarchy has thus far addressed the Adityanath question Kejriwal raised -- not even the senior leaders who were quick off the blocks to give assurance of Modi's continuance in office. And on the ground in UP, this is being noted with increasing concern.

IMAGE: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at a public meeting in support of Y S Sharmila, the party's candidate from Kadappa. Photograph: ANI Photo

***

The cumulative impact of all this is a Modi campaign that increasingly sounds unhinged.

The first sign of stress came on May 8 when, out of the blue, in course of a speech in Telangana, Modi said that Rahul Gandhi has not, since elections were announced, referenced Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani.

I want to know, Modi said in his characteristic up-tempo style, how much black money the Congress has received from them, how many gunny bags of cash has been sent in tempos...

Modi had scored a monumental self-goal. Rahul Gandhi was quick to capitalise on it when he asked Modi why he hadn't sent the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax officials to raid the two industrialists he was accusing of trafficking in black money.

Modi went into hibernation for a day -- the first day since the start of this election cycle when he did not address a single election rally -- and the buzz was that he spent part of the time mending fences with the two industrialists he had intemperately attacked.

Then, on May 10, he was back on the stump. He steered well clear of the themes of Ambani, Adani and black money; what he did have to say is instructive of where the party's campaign is at.

At a rally in Nandurbar, he told Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar that rather than die with the Congress, it would be better for them to join the NDA. This came just a few days after he had called Pawar a bhatakti aatma and Thackeray a nakli santaan of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray.

This gave Uddhav Thackeray the opportunity to frame Modi's words as a grave insult to the memory of the late Balasaheb -- always an emotive chord to strike in Maharashtra.

Unmindful of cognitive dissonance, Modi simultaneously accused the Uddhav Sena of wanting to bury him and the Congress of wanting to dig his grave.

Modi teri khabar khudegi is one of the prime minister's greatest hits. It makes an appearance every time an election is in the offing. The trope dates back to February 2023 -- when, not coincidentally, assembly elections were being held in Meghalaya.

It was recycled again in the run-up to the Karnataka elections in a speech in Parliament on August 10, 2023 -- and the odds are good that this is not the last time we will hear this particular peeve.

A day after Modi's Nandurbar rally, Priyanka Gandhi addressed a rally as big or bigger at the same place -- and brutally mocked Modi for 'crying like a baby'. That is the last thing the people of that constituency heard before Nandurbar voted on Monday, May 13.

So now you have an upset Adityanath and worried UP cadres. You have an angry Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, with Uddhav liberally pouring oil on the flames. You have Kejriwal on the loose -- and the AAP leader has a singular gift for spotting the BJP's weak points and sticking the stiletto in, deep.

As if all this wasn't enough, Modi went to Odisha and gratuitously called out Naveen Patnaik, who promptly converted it into an issue of Odia pride.

The bottomline is that at this point, the BJP has lost complete control of the narrative, and it is the Opposition setting the agenda.

If only it were a Rahul Gandhi versus Narendra Modi battle, after all...

IMAGE: People walk next to a cutout of Modi in Varanasi, May 13, 2024. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

PostScript:

Recently, retired Justices Madan Lokur and Ajit Prakash Shah along with N Ram of The Hindu issued an invitation to Modi and Rahul Gandhi to engage in a public debate.

Gandhi was quick to accept. Modi has not been heard from.

BJP spokesperson Sudanshu Trivedi questioned Gandhi's standing and his knowledge of issues and pointed out that he is neither the leader of his party, nor of the Opposition.

Fair point, but Trivedi needs to pass this message on to their party leader, who appears to be so singularly obsessed with this 'nobody' that since campaigning began, he has not let a single rally, speech, or scripted interview pass without bringing Rahul Gandhi up, not by name but by the slighting, communal shehzada tag.

Modi -- and his party -- knows that he cannot engage in public, unscripted debate because his track record does not stand up to even amateur scrutiny.

So, nice try by the two judges and Ram, but the debate is a no-starter, more is the pity.

As to the 'Who is Gandhi?' question, besides the obvious response that he must be someone for Modi and his cohort to be so obsessed with him, will the BJP then agree to a debate between Modi and, say, Mallikarjun Kharge who is both president of the Congress and leader of the Opposition alliance?

You know the answer to that one as well as I do.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
A 46-year-old income tax officer died while six people were rescued after a massive fire broke out at the Income Tax CR Building at ITO in central Delhi Tuesday afternoon, the police said.

IMAGE: A firefighter at the spot of the CR building where a fire broke out, at ITO, in New Delhi, May 14, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

The Delhi Fire Service said 21 fire tenders were rushed to the site after it received a call at 3.07 pm and it took around four hours to douse the blaze.

According to a police officer, the fire started in the office of the Commissioner in room number 325 on the third floor of the building. He said many of the employees were outside the building as it was lunchtime, otherwise, the casualty could have been more.

"It is suspected that fire occurred due to a short circuit in the air conditioner but the actual cause will be ascertained only after forensic examination's report," the officer said.

The employee, an office superintendent, who died in the incident was in room number 316 when the fire broke out. "It appears that he was not able to come out due to the dense smoke inside of the building and suffocated to death ," the police officer said.

According to some purported videos of the incident that were shared on social media, some people took shelter on a window ledge while escaping the fire.

The firefighters helped them get down through ladders.

The income tax department said there was no data loss pertaining to taxpayers due to the fire and condoled the death of the officer.

In a post on X, the income tax department said the fire is now under control and the cause is being ascertained.

"A tragic fire incident occurred today in the Central Revenue building, New Delhi... The fire broke out in room no. 325 and adjoining room, primarily used for administrative purposes," the I-T department said, adding immediate evacuation was carried out and fire brigades were promptly called in.

"No physical records have been damaged. There was no data loss pertaining to taxpayers as all Income Tax Returns are being filed online and all related proceedings are also being conducted electronically," it said.

The tax department said the office superintendent was trapped due to smoke and lost his life, despite best efforts to save him.

"Income Tax Department extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved family of the departed soul and is extending every assistance to his family in this hour of grief," it said.

The fire service personnel broke open the window panes during the rescue operation and seven people - five men and two women - were brought out from the building.

"A 46-year-old, posted as officer superintendent, was found unconscious and later he was declared dead at the hospital," a senior police officer said, adding that forensic teams visited the spot.

The police said that the officer was a resident of east Delhi.

The building is located opposite the old Police Headquarters, which is still occupied by the force for some of its units.

"As the firefighters reached the site, they started evacuation efforts. We had to use gas masks due to toxic fumes, but all those who were in the building were rescued safely. We have informed the local police of the area for further investigation into the matter to know the actual cause of the fire," DFS chief Atul Garg said.

A senior official of the fire department said that the building does not require any NOC as it is not above 15 metres and comprises ground-plus-three floors.

"The building has all the firefighting equipment but very less people were inside due to lunchtime. An NOC is only required if the building is above 15 metres or has ground-plus- four floors or more," said the fire official.

The officer said the other six rescued "took shelter either close to the window ledge or ran down".

"It is an unfortunate incident as the officer was found unconscious in front of his door which was barely 10 metres away from the window and only 20 steps away from the stairs.

"The smoke was so dense inside the office that we were not able to see inside the premises," said the official of the fire department.

The officer said that they received the fire call late which is possible as it was lunchtime.

"There was not a single burn mark on the body of the officer, but it was unfortunate that he could not come out or scream for help on time. We always request everyone to call the fire department immediately in case of any emergency," said the officer.
Among all parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party has submitted the highest number of advertisements related to the ongoing Lok Sabha polls for approval, sources at the office of the Delhi chief electoral officer said.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with NDA leaders during his nomination filing for the Lok Sabha elections, in Varanasi, May 14, 2024. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president JP Nadda and others are also seen. Photograph: ANI Photo

To seek approval for about 2,084 political advertisements in the city, the BJP submitted nearly 517 applications to the poll body from March 13 till May 8, data accessed by PTI showed.

It was followed by the Indian National Congress with 118 applications for 349 political advertisements.

The Aam Aadmi Party submitted six applications for an equal number of advertisements related to Lok Sabha elections.

A total of 2,423 advertisements have been approved by the chief electoral office against 638 applications sent by all political parties.

Three applications for 16 advertisements by the BJP are pending approval with the poll body.

"The political parties submit applications for running short films, creatives, advertisements during election time. One application can contain requests for multiple advertisements and short films," an official said.

With the Model Code of Conduct in place due to the ongoing general elections, parties are required to seek approval from the Delhi chief electoral office to put up any kind of political advertisement in the city.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi is tasked with removing the political advertisements by parties put up without approval from the CEO office across all 12 zones of the civic body.

It removed over 8.84 lakh posters, banners, hoardings, signage, flags, among other forms of political advertisements without approval from the CEO office till May 13.

The Aam Aadmi Party and Congress are contesting the elections in Delhi in a 4-3 seat-sharing arrangement, while the BJP is contesting all seats.

AAP candidates will be contesting from West, South, East and New Delhi seats while the Congress candidates are in fray from Chandni Chowk, North East and North West Delhi.

Delhi will go to polls on May 25 and counting of votes will take place on June 4
Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C on Tuesday said that Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi terming the Poonch terror attack, in which an Indian Air Force soldier was killed, a 'poll stunt' violated the model code of conduct.

IMAGE: Congress candidate from Jalandhar Charanjit Singh Channi addresses a press conference after filing of his nomination for Lok Sabha polls in Jalandhar. Photograph: ANI Photo

The Punjab chief electoral officer (CEO) has written to the Election Commission of India for further action on the matter.

"According to a report of the Jalandhar District Election Officer, it (Channi's remark) is the violation of MCC (model code of conduct)," Punjab CEO Sibin C told PTI on Tuesday.

One soldier was killed and four were injured as terrorists ambushed an Indian Air Force (IAF) convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on May 4.

Replying to reporters' questions on the attack on the IAF convoy, Channi had said, "These are all stunts, not attacks ('Yeh stuntbaazi ho rahi hai, hamle nahi ho rahe'). Whenever elections are near, such stunts are performed to make the BJP win. There is no truth in it."

"The BJP knows how to play with people's lives and bodies," he had further alleged while speaking to reporters in Jalandhar.

The former Punjab chief minister's remark had triggered a row with several political leaders seeking action in the matter.

Union Minister Anurag Thakur had termed Channi's remarks 'deplorable' and asked the Congress leadership to seek an apology from the people of the country for insulting soldiers.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa had called Channi's statement appalling and disrespectful towards soldiers.

Channi had later said that he was proud of the country's soldiers but targeted the Centre over the 2019 Pulwama terror strike, saying the government could not ascertain who carried out the attack.
Seven Delhi hospitals and Tihar Jail received bomb threats by email on Tuesday, two days after similar messages were sent to 20 hospitals, the airport and the office of the Northern Railways' CPRO in the capital, officials said.

IMAGE: Bomb Disposal Squad arrive at the GTB Hospital after it received a bomb hoax mail, in New Delhi. Photograph: ANI Photo

Nothing suspicious has been found as of now, officials said.

While the Delhi Fire Service said that they received bomb threat calls from four hospitals, the Delhi police said that they received calls from seven hospitals and Tihar Jail.

According to police, the emails were sent from 'beeble.com', a Europe-based mailing service company, with the same content sent to hospitals on Sunday.

The officer said on Tuesday the email had come from the ID "courtisgod123@beeble.com".

The content of the letter read, "I have placed explosive devices inside your building. They will explode in the following hour. This isn't a threat, you have a few hours to disarm the bomb or else the blood of innocent people inside the building will be on your hands."

"The group called 'Court' is behind this massacre," it said.

The officer said the e-mail was sent to one hospital with copies marked to others and Tihar Jail.

According to a DFS official, the spate of calls began at 10.45 am.

The first hospital to call was Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital in north Delhi's Ashok Vihar at 9.45 am. The second call came at 10.55 am from Dada Dev Hospital in Dabri in southwest Delhi, the third at 11.01 am from Hedgewar Hospital in east Delhi's Farsh Bazar and the fourth at 11.12 am from GTB Hospital in Shahdara, also in east Delhi.

The other hospitals, Attar Sain Jain Hospital in Keshavpuram, Chacha Nehru Hospital in Geeta Colony and DDU Hospital in Hari Nagar also received the same mail, they said.

The police officials said that they had received some calls directly at their respective police stations from the hospitals.

A senior police officer said they received a call from Tihar jail about a similar email threat at 1 pm. A thorough check was conducted.

The bomb disposal squad, bomb detection team, fire department and local police rushed to the spot to conduct searches, the officials said.

"The police and the bomb disposal squad have conducted the checking. We have also conducted checks twice. Nothing suspicious has been found so far," said VK Sharma, security officer at Hedgewar Hospital.

Dr Vatsala Agarwal, Medical Superintendent of Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital, told PTI Videos, "We got to know around 10 a.m. when we received an email on our official mail about a bomb threat. Right after, we informed the local SHO, who reached with his team within 5 minutes. The crowded areas were evacuated, but we kept the admitted patients inside."

"However, the emergency treatment was not halted while the checks were ongoing, but everyone was alert. After the bomb squad came and checked the premises, we restarted the OPD," Dr Agarwal said.

Similarly, GTB officials also confirmed receiving the email, stating, "At noon, we received the same email."

Doctor Ravinder Singh, Joint Director of Delhi State Cancer Institute, said, "Like other hospitals, we also received the bomb threat. During this time, to ensure safety, we shifted the maximum number of patients from the OPD who could be moved out, so that the bomb squad could check the area properly."

"Even though the staff and doctors were on high alert, there was no panic and the situation was handled calmly," an official from the Dada Dev hospital said.

This is the fourth time in two weeks that various places, including schools, have received such threats in Delhi.

Before Sunday, when the airport and the 20 hospitals got bomb threats, Delhi's Chacha Nehru Hospital received a bomb threat on April 30. On May 1, about

150 schools got email threats generated from a Russia-based mailing service company.
Reacting to the voter turnout in the Monday polling at the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, Democratic Progressive Azad Party chief Ghulam Nabi Azad remarked that the figures are not high enough to know whether the people are happy or angry with the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories, People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti said it is a message that the people have not accepted the Centre's decisions.

IMAGE: Voters stand in queues as they wait to cast their votes during the fourth phase voting for the Lok Sabha elections, at a polling booth in Budgam, Jammu and Kashmir, May 13, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

The Srinagar constituency in Jammu and Kashmir witnessed 37.98 percent voting on Monday in the first Lok Sabha election in the valley since the scrapping of Article 370 in 2019, with the Election Commission stating that it was the "highest turnout in decades".

Democratic Progressive Azad Party president Azad Tuesday said, "I had hoped that Kashmir will witness 80 to 90 percent turnout in view of what has been happening in the past seven to eight years. Article 370 was removed, statehood was snatched. So I thought the turnout will be high, like 90 to 95 percent."

"The increase of a few per cent hardly matters as it happens in every constituency of India. That way, we can not know whether the people are angry or happy (with the abrogation of Article 370 and snatching of statehood). It is a new thing for me," Azad told reporters while campaigning for his party candidate in Kulgam district.

About the rise in poll percentage in the militancy-infested areas like Tral town of Pulwama, Azad said the increase of a few per cent in the turnout is normal after every election across India.

"There were some pockets affected by militancy. After 1994-95, the militancy started waning. Today the militancy is next to nothing. The areas affected by militancy also witnessed 30-40 per cent votes and the areas which were not affected, also had similar turnout," he added.

On the other hand, Peoples Democratic Party president Mufti Tuesday said the "high" voter turnout in the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency polls is a message to the Centre that people have not accepted the abrogation of Article 370 and other decisions regarding Jammu and Kashmir that followed.

"Polling yesterday was good because the people wanted to send a message to Delhi that the decision taken in 2019 and afterwards with regard to our land and state subjects and jobs are not acceptable to the people of Jammu and Kashmir," Mufti told reporters at Qazigund in Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency.

The PDP president is contesting the Lok Sabha polls from the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok sabha seat where polling is scheduled to be held on May 25.

"However, I would like to tell the Election Commission that wherever the footfall of voters was higher in favour of the PDP, the polling was deliberately made slow. I want the people of Rajouri-Poonch-Anantnag-Kulgam-Wachi to make sure that they vote even if it means standing in the queue for 10 hours," she said.

The former chief minister said the "good" voter turnout in the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat will have a positive impact in the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency as well.

"The situation in Anatnag-Kulgam is just like that of Srinagar and Pulwama where the people feel suffocated. I am sure that a large number of people will come out to vote in Anatnag-Kulgam-Rajouri and Poonch to express their resentment and make their voice heard across the nation through the Parliament," she added.

Out of the five Lok Sabha constituencies in J-K, Udhampur went to the polls on April 19 and Jammu on April 26. With elections held in Srinagar on Monday, the Kashmir valley voted for the first time in the Lok Sabha elections.

Elections will take place in Baramulla on May 20. After representations from some political parties, the Election Commission deferred the polls in the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency from May 7 to May 25.

Meanwhile, asked about the protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Azad said he had sympathies with the people of Pakistan as they did not get a democratic setup like India.

"I pity the people of Pakistan as they did not get the kind of democratic government that India has got. The generals either directly run the government or their nominated people run the government in Pakistan," the former chief minister added.
'If the Congress loses this time, Rahul Gandhi will not look back at Amethi ever again.'

IMAGE: Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party leader Yogi Adityanath with Smriti Irani, the BJP candidate in Amethi, May 12, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

In the rural expanses of Amethi district, nilgai, Asia's largest antelope, and other stray cattle graze leisurely on freshly harvested farmlands. To someone from India's sprawling metropolises, this scene might exude an exotic charm, but for local farmers, it's a nightmare in broad daylight.

In the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency, which goes to poll on May 20, awaara or chutta pashu (stray cattle/animals) seem to be the biggest pain and complaint of the farming community. "My husband toils in the fields all day, only to spend the night guarding our land against these stray cattle," laments Seeta Devi of Korari Lachchan Shah village.

Over the past decade, the menace of stray cattle has forced farmers to abandon the cultivation of certain crops like pulses and peas. They argue that local gaushalas (cow shelters) are ill-equipped to handle the situation, lacking both the land to grow feed and the funds to purchase it.

For women, who constitute nearly half of total votes in Amethi, stray cattle troubles and the rising prices of food items are the most pressing election issues.

For men, the spectre of unemployment looms large. "Our boys are aimlessly wandering. No jobs have been created here," says Shiv Sharan Singh, a retired teacher.

These villagers, on a sultry summer afternoon, have been waiting for about an hour for the arrival of Congress candidate Kishorilal Sharma for a nukkad sabha (street meeting). Just a few days ago, Smriti Irani, Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party candidate, had addressed them from the same spot.

Amethi, known to be a Congress bastion, made way for Irani in the 2019 elections, giving her a victory over Rahul Gandhi with a margin of over 53,000 votes.

"Ladai zadarbast hai. Aur achchi kaante ki takkar hoti agar Rahul Gandhi khade hote (It was a tough battle and would have been a good contest had Rahul Gandhi contested this time)," says Pawan Kumar Jaiswal, a grocery shop owner near Amethi's Gauriganj, when asked about which way the winds of this Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha constituency are blowing.

This sentiment is echoed in most parts of Amethi, where people refer to Sharma as Gandhi's "doot" (ambassador). Upon his arrival for the nukkad sabha, Sharma clarifies: "I have no misconception. the Gandhi family is our strength."

Addressing a gathering of 150-odd people, Sharma recounts the years gone by when he worked shoulder-to-shoulder with the late prime minister and Congress leader Rajiv Gandhi. "Earlier big leaders were respected even if they were from the Opposition. Today this is missing. Basic ethics of politics have gone," he says.

A non-Congress leader has never won the Amethi seat twice, a fact many Congress supporters here cite to stress that Sharma will win with big numbers.

However, Amarjeet Yadav, a milkman from Parsauli village, is confident that Irani will bag the seat. "Kishorilal has Rahul Gandhi behind him but Smriti Irani has the backing of the Centre. It is no small thing," says Yadav, ignoring his friends who keep asserting that he is a "Congressi".

Back in 2019, it was this village -- Parsauli -- that put out the slogan: 'Road nahi toh vote nahi' (No vote without a road). Soon, Rahul Gandhi got into action and got villagers their road.

This election, Jaiswal of Gauriganj says, would be make or break for Rahul Gandhi as far as Amethi goes. "If the Congress loses this time, he will not look back at Amethi ever again," he adds.

Many in Gauriganj feel that Narendra Modi needs to stay in power and their vote would be for him. Vijay Kumar, a corner shop owner, says Congress leaders have not visited the residents since the Amethi loss, while Irani has been a regular visitor.

"She has done work here. She will win," he stresses.

Irani has even constructed a house in Amethi, several residents point out.

IMAGE: Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at an election meeting in Amethi, May 13, 2024, for party candidate Kishori Lal Sharma. Photograph: ANI Photo

But driving down from the smooth national highways into the rugged, rough paths of the villages shows a different picture. Some 20 km from Gauriganj is the village Bhetua where people seem unhappy with the BJP.

"Roads are in bad condition. Stray cattle are a big problem; two women died after a bull attack here. They have funds for the Ram temple, but not to fix our woes," said Hari Mangal Singh, a medicine shop owner in Bhetua.

So why did Rahul Gandhi lose the seat? Singh offers his explanation: "Even he did not do any work. The Aam Aadmi Party did the anti-Congress campaign in 2019 and the BJP bore its fruits."

While people may not entirely be happy with either of the two parties, back in Korari Lachchan Shah women seem to have their priorities right.

They are busy collecting as many caps and sashes as they can collect from party workers who come there to campaign. Why? A woman explains: "Children will use these caps to cover their heads from the sun and we will make bena (hand fan) out of these. It is very handy in this heat."
An Indian national living in the United States as a permanent resident has pleaded guilty to attacking the White House with a rented truck with the intent to replace the democratically elected government with a dictatorship fuelled by the ideology of Nazi Germany, according to a US attorney.

IMAGE: A view of a rented box truck that crashed into security barriers at Lafayette Park across from the White House, in Washington, DC on May 23, 2023. Photograph: Nathan Howard/Reuters

According to the plea agreement, Sai Varshith Kandula (20), of St Louis, Missouri, crashed a rented truck into the White House perimeter, and he was attempting to gain access to the White House to seize political power.

US District Court Judge Dabney L Friedrich has scheduled his sentencing for August 23.

US Attorney Matthew Graves on Monday said Kandula intended to replace the democratically elected government with a dictatorship fuelled by the ideology of Nazi Germany and for himself to be put in charge of the United States.

Kandula admitted to investigators that he would have arranged for the killing of the US President and others if necessary to achieve his objective. His actions were calculated to influence or affect the conduct of government by intimidation or coercion, the Department of Justice said.

According to court documents, Kandula flew on a commercial flight from St Louis, Missouri, to Washington, DC in the afternoon of May 22, 2023, connecting through another airport on a one-way airline ticket.

Kandula arrived at Dulles International Airport at about 5.20 pm and rented a truck at 6.30 pm.

He stopped for food and gas and then drove to Washington, DC, where he crashed into the barriers protecting the White House and President's Park at 9.35 pm at the intersection of H Street, Northwest, and 16th Street, Northwest.

Kandula drove onto the sidewalk, sending pedestrians running from the scene. After striking the barriers, the truck backed up in reverse, then lurched forward, striking the metal barriers a second time.

The second impact disabled the truck which began smoking from the engine compartment and leaking fluids.

Kandula exited the vehicle and went to the back of the truck. From a backpack, he removed a flag and a three-by-five foot red-and-white banner with a Nazi Swastika in the centre and brandished it.

US Park Police and the US Secret Service officers arrested Kandula at the scene and took him into custody.

His actions caused $4,322 in damage to the National Park Service and over $50,000 in damage to U-Haul International.

This amount included costs for repairing the metal bollard barriers to their original condition and ensuring structural soundness, oil and chemical removal, spill cleanup, and disposal of fluids from the crashed U-Haul, and the cost of the destroyed U-Haul truck, federal prosecutors said.

'Kandula planned the attack for several weeks. Prior to renting the truck and crashing it on White House grounds, he made several attempts to gain access to vehicles or armed security guards. For example, on April 22, 2023, Kandula requested 25 armed guards and an armoured convoy from a security company located in Virginia,' the press release said.

'On May 4, 2023, Kandula attempted to contact several other companies in an attempt to rent a large commercial tractor-trailer truck, a dump truck, or another large truck. Kandula was unsuccessful in arranging for security guards or a tractor-trailer truck or dump truck. Kandula had attempted to arrange for the services of these security guards and the use of large vehicles in order to carry out his offense against the US Government,' it said.
Actor Jackie Shroff on Tuesday approached the Delhi high court against the unlicensed use of his name and personality attributes by several entities for commercial gain.

IMAGE: Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff interacts with the media during a promotion of his upcoming Hindi film Two Zero One Four, in Ahmedabad, February 23, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

Counsel appearing for the actor objected to the "misuse" of his personality and publicity rights through sale of merchandise, ringtones, wallpapers as well as "insulting" memes and GIFs and the use of artificial intelligence.

He also alleged infringement of his trademark rights on Marathi slang bhidu.

Justice Sanjeev Narula issued summons to the entities on the lawsuit and listed the matter for further consideration on Wednesday.

Shroff's counsel said individuals cannot be allowed to mislead consumers into buying products thinking they are endorsed by the actor who has worked in over 200 films.

"Jackie Shroff is so well known. People will think it is endorsed by him. He has a certain marketability to his name. It can't be done without his consent," the counsel said.

The court was told that merchandise in nature of mugs, signed posters, bags were being sold on the Internet in violation of Shroff's rights.

The lawyer for the plaintiff also said certain derogatory and objectionable content was also available as memes, morphed images etc.

"All are using his name, images and earning huge money. This is all defamatory stuff...there are distasteful dirty words in voice over. There is nothing legitimate about any of this," added the counsel.

The lawyer informed that certain defendants have now discontinued the unauthorised use of Shroff's personality traits.

In support of his case, Shroff's counsel relied on orders passed by the high court in similar lawsuits by actors Amitabh Bachchan and Anil Kapoor.
The search and rescue operation at the site of the collapse of a giant hoarding in Ghatkopar continued even 30 hours after the incident and may go on for a few more hours, officials said late Tuesday evening as the death toll in the tragedy rose to 14.

Photograph: Hitesh Harisinghani/ Rediff.com IMAGE: Search and rescue operations underway at the site where a 100-ft-tall hoarding collapsed during dust storm in the Ghatkopar area of Mumbai, on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.

Victims trapped under as much as 90 percent of the 120 x 120 feet hoarding have been rescued but search was yet to be conducted under its central part, said an official of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

The illegal hoarding that stood on a piece of land in possession of Government Railway Police crashed on a petrol pump in Chheda Nagar area on Monday evening when the city was hit by dust storms and unseasonal rains. At least 89 persons were extricated from under the hoarding, of whom 14 were declared dead while the other 75 were injured and undergoing treatment, officials said.

"We want to ensure that nobody is left under the hoarding," the BMC official said, adding that the rescue team was planning to lift and cut a part of it so as to gain access to its centre.

The search and rescue operation was likely to get over by 2 am on Wednesday and they have called for additional cranes, he told PTI.

An NDRF official said the rescue team tried to lift the hoarding with two cranes of 500 MT capacity, but did not proceed considering safety concerns. The main concern is the possibility of fire as the petrol pump has underground fuel storage tanks and a CNG refueling facility.

"We could not use gas cutters as there is a chance of fire due to sparks. Even while using cranes and other machinery, we were continuously spraying water," a Mumbai Fire Brigade official said.

The five iron pillars of the hoarding got uprooted along with chunks of its concrete foundation when it came crashing down, he said.

The BMC, meanwhile, started demolition of other hoardings near the petrol pump, also located on the GRP land.

Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani said the BMC had not given any permission for the hoarding. It had been conducting correspondence (with the owner and concerned agencies) regarding it for the last two years, and also lodged a police complaint for the poisoning of trees on its periphery, he said.

"A stand was taken that we (GRP) do not need permission (for a hoarding on railway land) under the Railway Act. The BMC's response was that it was not legally correct. And hence, in the whole episode, so far there was no action," the commissioner claimed.

Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar assured strict action against those responsible. A case has been registered against Bhavesh Bhinde, the owner of Ego Media Private Limited which had installed the hoarding, and others for culpable homicide not amounting to murder under the IPC at Pant Nagar police station, another official said. Bhinde remained absconding.

Two NDRF teams, comprising 100 personnel, joined the operation on Monday evening. Two heavy duty cranes and two hydra cranes were being used in the operation along with two earth-excavating machines and 25 ambulances.

The NDRF teams used two cranes weighing 500 tonnes each to pull up the hoarding from both sides. After creating a gap of about 3.5 to 4 feet, the rescuers crouched into the tiny space to look for people trapped underneath, NDRF assistant commandant Nikhil Mudholkar said.

An assistant police commissioner (Admin) had given permission for erecting four hoardings on behalf of the Commissioner of Railway Police, Mumbai, including the one which collapsed, but no official permission or NOC was obtained from the BMC, as per a civic official.

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya asked how the permission for erecting the billboard was given by a police officer when the city civic body is the authority for it.

The former MP also claimed permissions for the hoarding and a petrol pump (where the billboard collapsed) were given when Uddhav Thackeray was the chief minister of Maharashtra. Had the then director general of police been strict, such a hoarding would not have come up, he told reporters.

Somaiya said the permission on paper was given for a 40 feet hoarding whereas the billboard which collapsed was 120 feet tall.

"I believe that there are similar 400 hoardings in various parts of Mumbai, which are exceeding their size limits and standing on a weak foundation like the one in Ghatkopar," he said.

The BMC had earlier said that it issued a notice to M/s Ego Media Private Limited for installing the hoarding that collapsed on the petrol pump. A senior civic official said the assistant municipal commissioner of the N-ward had issued a notice to an advertisement agency to remove these hoardings with immediate effect, but the civic body has not received any response so far.

Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra posted a clip on his X handle showing the hoarding collapsing and said such an incident was unacceptable.

"And we're a city trying to transform itself into a modern metropolis. CM Shinde has ordered a probe into all hoardings. Stringent rules must follow," he added.

CM Shinde visited the incident spot late Monday evening and ordered a structural audit of all hoardings in the city.

"The hoardings, if found illegal and dangerous, would be removed immediately," he said.

"It is a very unfortunate incident. The government will probe it, and the people responsible will face action," Shinde told reporters.

He announced an aid of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of each person killed in the incident.
Refusing to accept his unconditional apology, the Supreme Court on Tuesday posed some tough question to Indian Medical Association president RV Asokan, over his "damaging" statements against the apex court in an interview to PTI where he answered queries about Patanjali Ayurved Ltd's misleading advertisements case.

IMAGE: The Supreme Court of India. Photograph: ANI Photo

"You cannot sit on a couch giving an interview to the press and lampooning the court," a bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah told Asokan, while making it clear that at this stage, the top court will not accept his affidavit tendering apology.

"We are the first one to uphold the freedom of speech, the right of free speech and right of thought but there are time when there has to be a self-restraint," Justice Kohli observed, adding, "We did not see it in your interview, that is the point."

Asokan, who was present in the court, offered an unconditional apology to the bench and prayed for clemency.

"Your conduct is not something which we can condone so easily," the bench told him and asked him why he made the statements in a pending matter where the IMA is the petitioner.

The bench said that with 45 years of experience in the profession and his role as the IMA president, he was expected to have more sense of responsibility while giving the interview.

"You can't vent your internal feeling in the press like this. That too, against an order of this court," Justice Amanullah said.

Terming his statements "very unfortunate," the bench said though he has unconditionally apologised, the other part was whether the court will accept such an apology after the "kind of damaging statements" he had made.

It said the IMA was the one which dragged Patanjali Ayurved Ltd to the court claiming they were taking the whole world for a ride, they were misrepresenting and denigrating the allopathy.

"You are aware of the fact that we took whatever you said seriously enough to call the other side and make them explain and their apologies did not impress us, not once, not twice, more than three times, because we thought it was not coming from the heart. We have the same to say for your affidavit," the bench said.

"Just because we are indulgent does not mean that anyone can get away with saying anything," it observed, while saying the court was not at all happy with Asokan's affidavit.

It said he was leading a team of members of IMA which according to him has 3.5 lakh doctors across the country.

"What kind of example is this voluntary association's president setting for the rest of his colleagues?" it said, adding, "And why you also did not give a public apology? Why did you wait till you had to come here?"

"After all, we have been able to uphold the Constitution to the best of our ability," Justice Amanullah observed.

He said the judges do not react to the amount of criticism personally they face for the orders.

"For the simple reason that personally, they don't have any ego. But when it comes to this institution, you have attacked the institution. Your comment was on the institution," Justice Amanullah said.

"Personally, we are magnanimous, we don't take it otherwise. We can do that because we are entitled to take action. But we don't do that because we don't have any ego," he said.

The bench told senior advocate PS Patwalia, appearing for IMA, that at this stage, the court was not inclined to accept the affidavit of apology tendered by Asokan.

"We have taken a cue from what your lordships have observed. We need one chance, we will correct it," Patwalia said.

The bench said, "We are not questioning his competence. We are not questioning any of his professional conduct. We are questioning something entirely different. He is a litigant before this court.

"Your intentions are shown only by your conduct. We don't have any mechanism to know what is going in in your heart and mind."

The bench said it was not too sure about his affidavit and his intent at this moment and "we don't propose to accept it."

"Probably too little too late," it observed, and posted the matter for further hearing in July.

On May 7, the top court had termed as "very, very unacceptable" the statements made by Asokan in a recent interview to PTI.

Expressing displeasure over Asokan's comments a day before the top court was slated to the hear the matter, the bench had sought his response on an application filed by Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, which had urged the court to take judicial notice of the statements made by him.

In an interaction with PTI editors on April 29 for its programme '@4 Parliament Street,' the IMA president had said it was "unfortunate" that the Supreme Court criticised the association and also some of the practices of private doctors.

Asokan was replying to a query about the Supreme Court's observations during a hearing on April 23, when it had said while it was pointing one finger at Patanjali, the remaining four fingers were pointed towards IMA.

The top court is hearing a plea filed in 2022 by the IMA alleging a smear campaign by Patanjali against the Covid vaccination drive and modern systems of medicine.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Patanjali Ayurved Ltd whether the sale of its 14 products, whose manufacturing licences were suspended by the Uttarakhand State Licensing Authority last month, have stopped.

IMAGE: Yoga guru and brand ambassador Patanjali Ayurved Ramdev arrives at the Supreme Court to attend the hearing relating to alleged misleading advertisements by Patanjali Ayurved, in New Delhi on April 30, 2024. Photograph: Jitender Gupta/ANI Photo

The apex court, which reserved its order on the contempt notice issued to yoga guru Ramdev, his aide Balkrishna and Patanjali Ayurved Ltd in the misleading advertisements case, was told by senior advocate Balbir Singh, appearing for Patanjali, that they have stopped the sale of these products.

"Is it also correct that your stockists have stopped storing them and selling them?" a bench of justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah asked, adding, "you need to check it and give an affidavit".

Singh told the bench that they will file an affidavit on this.

He said the firm has written to the channels where advertisements of these products were being shown.

"We are proposing to reserve orders but your affidavit will make a difference," the bench said.

It noted that the counsel appearing for Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, Balkrishna and Ramdev have sought time to file affidavits indicating the steps that are being taken to recall the advertisements of products whose licences have been suspended and for recalling these products.

"The said affidavit is sought to be filed within three weeks. Needful shall be done within three weeks," the bench said.

It also noted the submissions of Patanjali's counsel that the affidavit proposed to be filed was without prejudice to their right and contention to assail the order of suspension of the licence of these products before the appropriate forum.

"Orders are reserved on the contempt notice issued to respondents five to seven (Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, Balkrishna and Ramdev)," the bench said.

It said the presence of Ramdev and Balkrishna would be dispensed with till the court passes specific orders for their presence.

During the hearing, Justice Amanullah observed, "The only concern was that the public should be well informed."

He said Ramdev has a lot of following and "people blindly follow him".

"Please don't take the public for granted," the bench said.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was present in the court, said Ramdev has his own contribution in the field of yoga and Ayurveda.

"People look up to him," Justice Amanullah observed.

"On international platform, yoga having been brought to the notice of all is a major contribution by him and his team," Justice Kohli said, adding that issue related to the products of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd was another matter.

The bench noted that affidavit of the state licensing authority of West Bengal was on record in the matter while the counsel appearing for Nagaland has stated that the affidavit was filed yesterday.

The bench observed that Nagaland's affidavit was not on record.

It granted the last opportunity of four weeks to all the other state licensing authorities of the states and union territories to file their respective affidavits.

"Besides pointing out the action taken on the complaints that may have been received by the concerned state licensing authorities, the affidavits shall also indicate the nature of suo motu action taken by each of the said authorities to ensure that there are no misleading advertisements issued by manufacturers, advertisers, advertising agencies of the relevant health products/food items/food supplements," it said.

The bench said the authorities have to have much more sense of responsibility towards the public health of the consumers.

During the hearing, the bench also dealt with the issue concerning the Uttarakhand State Licensing Authority.

The counsel appearing for Uttarakhand State Licensing Authority said manufacturing licenses of 14 products of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd was suspended last month.

"Did you check whether these products are still available in the market?" the bench asked.

The counsel said they were making inventory of the stocks and they have said about it in their affidavit.

When he said the authority has offered unconditional apology for not taking requisite steps in the past, the bench observed, "For the past period, you have to be candid, they were as complicit as they could be."

The bench has posted the matter for further hearing in July.

The Uttarakhand State Licensing Authority had earlier told the apex court that manufacturing licences of 14 products of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd and Divya Pharmacy have been "suspended with immediate effect".

The apex court is hearing a plea filed in 2022 by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) alleging a smear campaign by Patanjali against the Covid vaccination drive and modern systems of medicine.

The Patanjali Ayurved Ltd had assured the top court on November 21 last year that it will not violate any law, especially those relating to advertising or branding of products manufactured and marketed by it.

It had also assured the bench that "no casual statements claiming medicinal efficacy or against any system of medicine will be released to the media in any form".

The top court had said Patanjali Ayurved Ltd is "bound down to such assurance".

The non-observance of the specific undertaking and subsequent media statements had irked the bench, which later issued notices to show cause why contempt proceedings should be not initiated against them.
At least three people were killed and six others injured when security forces opened fire on protesters during clashes with paramilitary Rangers in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's capital Muzaffarabad which has been rocked by protests against high prices of wheat flour and inflated electricity bills, a media report said on Tuesday.

Photograph: ANI on X

The paramilitary Rangers, which were called in to maintain law and order in the disputed region, came under attack while moving out of the region, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Instead of exiting via Brarkot, the village bordering Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the 19-vehicle convoy, including five trucks, chose to exit the region from Kohala, it said.

As the convoy reached Muzaffarabad in a 'charged atmosphere', it was pelted with rocks near Shorran da Nakka village, to which they responded with teargas and firing, the report said.

After entering the city through the Western Bypass, the Rangers were welcomed with rocks again, prompting them to use teargas and bullets. The shelling was so intense that the entire neighbourhood reeled from it, the report said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had on Monday approved a Pakistani Rs 23 billion subsidy for immediate release to the region after the negotiations between the protesters and the regional government ended in a deadlock.

However, the government's decision to dole out the subsidy failed to pacify the region, the report said.

The disputed region also witnessed clashes on Saturday between the police and activists of a rights movement, leaving at least one police officer dead and injuring over 100 people, mostly policemen.

A complete strike has also been observed in the territory since Friday, bringing life to a halt.

Shortly before the violence, Prime Minister Sharif and the disputed region's 'prime minister' Anwarul Haq after a meeting had approved the release of Pakistani Rs 23 billion for the region on account of power and wheat subsidies.

The subsidised rate for 40kg flour will be Pakistani Rs 2,000, down from Pakistani Rs 3,100.

The electricity tariff was reduced to Pakistani Rs 3, Rs 5 and Rs 6 per unit for up to 100, 300, and more than 300 units, respectively, the Dawn reported.

The protest is led by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which has traders at the forefront in most parts of the region, who have been seeking the provision of electricity as per hydropower generation cost in the region, subsidised wheat flour and an end to the privileges of the elite class.

A long march led by the JAAC left for Muzaffarabad, the capital of PoK, on Monday as the wheel-jam strike entered its fourth day.

The movement announced its march on Muzaffarabad after the talks between the JAAC core committee and Chief Secretary of the region Dawood Bareach ended in a stalemate.

Expressing deep concern over the violent clashes between the police and the protesters, Prime Minister Sharif on Sunday said that there should be 'absolutely no tolerance for taking the law into one's own hands'.

"I urge all parties to resort to a peaceful course of action for resolution of their demands. Despite the best efforts of detractors, the matter will hopefully be settled soon," he said.

As part of his efforts to calm down tensions, President Asif Ali Zardari urged all the stakeholders to exercise restraint and resolve the issues through dialogue and mutual consultation.
'We can't sit back clutching our memories of the riots. The country, the future of our children are more important.'

Jyoti Punwani reports on an unusual election meeting in Mumbai.

IMAGE: Amol Kirtikar, the INDIA alliance candidate for the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency. Photograph: Kind courtesy amolgkirtikar/Instagram

Barely 20 minutes away from Radhabai Chawl, an area that became the symbol of the Mumbai 1992-1993 riots, some 300 Muslims gathered on Sunday, March 12, 2024m night to express support for INDIA alliance candidate Amol Kirtikar, representing the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena from the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency.

Six Hindus were killed in Radhabai Chawl (the actual name was Gandhi Chawl), in January 1993. The incident was used by the Shiv Sena to instigate a 'Hindu backlash' against Muslims, according to the Justice B N Srikrishna Commission Report of Inquiry into the riots.

The Srikrishna Report also named then Sena MLA Gajanan Kirtikar as having led a morcha to the Jogeshwari police station, defying ban orders.

While dispersing, the mob attacked Muslims and their properties, including a masjid.

The Srikrishna Report described this as the 'first major communal incident of violence in January 1993 in Jogeshwari, which occurred even before the Radhabai Chawl incident'.

In 2008, Kirtikar was acquitted of the charge of rioting by a special magistrate's court set up to try riot cases.

Gajanan Kirtikar is Lok Sabha candidate Amol Kirtikar's father.

IMAGE: Amol Kirtikar with Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray. Photograph: Kind courtesy amolgkirtikar/Instagram

On Sunday night, listening to the vociferous shouts of "mashaal" (the Sena UBT symbol), it seemed those riots had never taken place.

There were a few elderly residents in the hall who had seen the riots.

Shamsuddin Mohammed Multani claimed to have witnessed not just the 1992-1993 violence, but all the riots that had taken place in Jogeshwari East since 1974.

The 57 year old said he was voting not for Kirtikar, but for Uddhav Thackeray. "He helped all of us during Covid. He has not taken one wrong step; he takes everyone along."

Husne Jahan and Syed Nazneen were children when the riots took place. "We cannot forget them," said Nazneen, "because people were killed. But what happened then in Jogeshwari, is now happening all over India. We have to vote for the INDIA alliance to stop that."

"Price rise is killing us, but all that the PM talks about is Hindu-Muslim. This kind of talk will damage our children," said Husne Jahan.

"We need to vote out the party that promotes this. We can't sit back clutching our memories of the riots. The country, the future of our children are more important."

And that future was best secured by ensuring the INDIA alliance won, said Nazneen, quoting the Congress manifesto's assurances of jobs and allowances.

Both these home makers were members of the Jan Parivartan Party (JPP) that had organised the meeting.

Started in 2022 by Sajeed Sheikh, who has been working in the area on social issues since the last 30 years, the party aimed to be an alternative to existing political parties that paid no attention to the problems of Jogeshwari's residents.

It has gained enough prominence in these two years for Amol Kirtikar to reach out to it.

As part of its support to the INDIA alliance, the JPP has thrown itself into campaigning for Kirtikar; its flags can be seen in Kirtikar's election office.

The effectiveness of its campaign was evident not only from the way Nazneen cited the Congress manifesto, but also by the speeches of JPP speakers at the meeting.

IMAGE: Former Mumbai mayor and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sunil Prabhu speaks at the meeting. Photograph: Jyoti Punwani

From time to time, they asked the audience which symbol they had to vote for, and every time, the audience responded with a full-throated shout: "Mashaal".

Knowledge of party symbols has become vital in Maharashtra in these Lok Sabha polls, with the Nationalist Congress Party and the Shiv Sena having split into two and the breakaway factions having been allotted the traditional party symbols. The torch or mashaal is the new symbol of the Uddhav-led Sena.

Muslims in Mumbai have traditionally voted Congress, but the party is contesting only two Lok Sabha seats in the city.

In the remaining four, which includes Mumbai North West, volunteers have been educating voters that a vote for the mashaal is in effect, a vote for the Congress panja (hand).

This was repeated on Sunday night by JPP speakers. "Don't look for the panja; look for mashaal."

IMAGE: Jan Parivartan Party Founder Sajeed Sheikh with Amol Kirtikar in Sheikh's office. Photograph: Jyoti Punwani

The meeting held on Sunday was an unusual election meeting. Nether did the candidate turn up for it nor did the speakers talk about him much.

Instead, the emphasis was on the significance of this particular Lok Sabha election.

A vote for the mashaal, said Sitaram Shelar of the Pani Haq Samiti, was aimed at removing from power those who had felicitated Bilkis Bano's rapists, supported 8-year-old Asifa's rapists and also supported Brij Bhushan Singh, the man accused of molesting wrestlers.

The election was so crucual, said speakers, that Muslims would have to snap out of their traditional lethargy when it came to voting.

"We usually get up early for namaaz and then go back to sleep," said former Congress minister and Rajya Sabha MP Husain Dalwai, chief guest at the meeting.

"This time, please don't go back to sleep. A 60% turnout won't do; we need an 80% turn out if our votes have to make a difference."

IMAGE: JPP women sing Ley mashaalein chal padey hain log mere gaon ke. Photograph: Jyoti Punwani

With women outnumbering men in the audience, one speaker urged them to forego filling water or doing other essential household chores on voting day.

"This isn't like any other election," said JJP member Imtiaz.

"Don't look at the candidate; look at who he is opposing. Innocent Muslims in jail all over the country are waiting to be freed; they are hoping you will create this change. Every one here must make sure ten families around you come out and vote for the mashaal."

Among the speakers was Lalit Babar of the Bharat Jodo Abhiyan, part of the team that had worked for the Congress' victory in last year's Karnataka Assembly elections.

The Congress had won in Karnataka on the basis of Dalit and Muslim votes, Babar told the audience.

"We made sure both communities persuaded candidates of their community to withdraw so that votes didn't get divided; we also convinced them that not one vote should go waste. If we do the same in Mumbai, we could win all six seats."

IMAGE: JPP member Imtiaz speaks at the meeting. Photograph: Jyoti Punwani

The Jan Parivartan Party meeting was unlike routine election meetings in another way too.

With his activist background, party founder Sajeed Sheikh had invited a broad spectrum of speakers: Politicians as well as activists.

The slogans "Hum Ek Hain" and "Ladengey Jeetengey:, not normally raised at election meetings, were raised by JPP workers.

Indeed, even former Mumbai mayor and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sunil Prabhu, who came briefly to express gratitude to the JPP, ended his speech with the slogan: "Hum sab ek hain."

If this slogan from a Sena leader was unexpected, even more surprising was seeing Muslim women, members of the JPP, sing "Ley mashaalein chal padey hain log mere gaon ke".

Written in 2000 by Balli Singh Cheema as part of the movement for a separate state of Uttarakhand, the song has acquired the status of an andolan song, not exactly a category used during election campaigns. It was a happy coincidence that it reminded the audience of Amol Kirtikar's symbol.

Unusual as it was, this meeting is one of many that have been taking place across Mumbai to motivate people to vote for the INDIA alliance.

Regardless of the antecedents of the candidates, activist groups have, since July last, been urging people to vote to "save the Constitution and defeat the politics of hate."

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com
'In Western UP, last time a lot of Dalits voted for the BJP.'

'This time, there is a rethink among Dalits about the extent of their support for the BJP.'

Kindly note that this image has only been posted for representational purposes. Photograph: PTI Photo/Rediff archives

With all political parties weighing in on the scheme of Constitutional reservation for Dalits, the community watches warily as an issue on which there has always been political consensus moves into the arena of contention.

Speaking at an election rally in Ratlam (Madhya Pradesh), Congress leader Rahul Gandhi promised that if he comes to power, 'the Congress will remove the Supreme Court-mandated 50 per cent cap on caste-based reservation and increase quota benefits for people from Dalit, backward, and tribal communities'.

He also charged the Bharatiya Janata Party with attempting to change the Constitution and do away with these rights.

Speaking to Business Standard from Karnataka, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said: "Everyone knows it is the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) and BJP that want to change the Constitution to end reservation. Their leaders have spoken openly about it."

"The government is trying to undermine reservations in different ways. There are around 3 million vacancies in central government posts, of which 50 per cent are reserved for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBCs (Other Backward Classes), while the other 50 per cent are for the general category. They are not even filling these vacancies."

However, Prime Minister Narendra D Modi, Home Minister Amit A Shah, and other members of the government strongly contest this.

Modi told a gathering in Warangal (Andhra Pradesh) and elsewhere that the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, commonly known by its backronym INDIA, bloc's project is to cut into scheduled castes, scheduled tribes reservations and divert them to the minorities.

Shah says the BJP is committed to scheduled castes, scheduled tribes reservation. He said in multiple television interviews last week that if the government had wanted to, it could have changed the provisions any time in the past 10 years, as it had the parliamentary majority to do so.

'It did not, and it never will. It was the Congress that changed the Constitution and imposed the Emergency,' Shah he said.

Information Minister Anurag Thakur told Business Standard from Hamirpur (Himachal Pradesh): "The Congress is bent on giving reservations on the basis of religion, snatching the rights of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBCs. We will never let this happen."

Origins of the debate

The debate on changing the reservation provisions in the Constitution started with statements by various BJP leaders, including current Lok Sabha candidate from Nagaur (Rajasthan), Jyoti Mirdha, who said in a campaign speech: 'Desh ke hith mein kai kathor nirnay karne padte hain. Unke liye humein samvidhanik badlav karne padhte hain. Agar samvidhan ke andar humein koi badlav karna hota hai toh aap mein se kai log jaante hain ki uske liye dono jo humare saadhan hain, Lok Sabha aur Rajya Sabha, unke andar haami chahiye hoti hai (Several tough decisions need to be taken in the country's interest, and for that we have to make Constitutional amendments. If we have to make amendments to the Constitution, we need the nod of both Houses of Parliament).'

As the election campaign progressed, the issue gained momentum, with all political parties jumping into the fray to use it to their maximum advantage.

During a campaign speech at Shahjahanpur (Uttar Pradesh) on May 8, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav targeted the BJP: 'The current Lok Sabha polls are an election of Constitutional churning in which on one side there are rakshak (protectors) of the Constitution and on the other side there are its bhakshak (destroyers). Our task is to save the countrys Constitution, democracy, and reservation for the poor and the deprived.'

The Samajwadi Party's closest competitor in UP, the Bahujan Samaj Party, retorted that it was actually the SP that was targeting Constitutional reservations.

Commenting on social media, BSP leader Mayawati said: 'Samajwadi Party's behaviour, character, and face, as always, are those of a party that is strongly opposed to the rights of Dalits, extremely backward people, and the reservations given to them in the Constitution. Abolishing reservation in promotion and tearing up the Bill in this regard in Parliament are actions that are difficult to forgive.'

What reservations mean to Dalits

In Nagpur, Satish (22), a taxi driver, says he is worried.

"Do you think that if the BJP gets over 400 seats, it will rewrite the Constitution?" he asks. "We are from the Dalit Samaj. Father has a government job, so we are economically comfortable. But we have seen and heard BJP leaders say they want to rewrite the Constitution. They are all upper caste. No Dalit is saying this. And, if they return in such large numbers, they can easily do it."

This sense of disquiet is not limited to Vidarbha (Maharashtra), considered the birthplace of Dalit assertion and also the birthplace of B R Ambedkar. More than 1,000 kilometres away, in Western Uttar Pradesh, Dalits were asking similar questions.

In 2019, the BJP won 15 of the 17 reserved seats in the state, which sends 80 to the Lok Sabha.

Monu Gautam (32), a barber in Meerut whose shop is adorned with images of Ambedkar, fears the BJP might scrap caste-based reservations.

"They should not change what's written down. We must follow the Constitution. They are changing things in it. What Babasaheb has said and done should be followed," said Monu, also a Jatav, a Dalit subcaste that handles leather.

In the Dadri assembly constituency of the Gautam Buddha Nagar Lok Sabha constituency, Vinod Kumar, also known as 'Thekedarji', says his community is not convinced of reassurances from the BJP brass that Constitutional provisions regarding reservation will remain untouched if the BJP has a majority that is large enough. He says that the government has already given reservations to upper castes on the basis of economic backwardness.

Vinod's father is considered a legend in the semi-urban locality. In his lifetime, he set up the Ambedkar Library, which is now flourishing. It was packed with youngsters studying for the UPSC and state service examinations.

"We've sent 14 children who studied here to the government so far," Kumar says with pride.

A Dalit professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University who did not want to be identified concedes that the Dalits are in the grip of a political dilemma.

"Of course, there are worries about rewriting the Constitution. But there is also a feeling among Dalits that when the system is disproportionately powerful, then everything is weighted against them," he said.

"Many Dalits do feel that neither the judiciary nor the police are entirely impartial or neutral. And the sense of insecurity deepens when there is the prospect of a massive electoral majority," the professor added.

"Dalits feel the system will act against the weak. For instance, most issues that can be settled at the level of lower courts are now being taken to the Supreme Court. Weaker sections don't have the capacity to escalate legal battles. And when you add a brute majority to that, Dalits believe that is a very dangerous situation."

Says Sudha Pai, author of Maya, Modi, Azad: Dalit Politics in the Time of Hindutva and an expert on Dalit politics: "In Western UP, last time a lot of Dalits voted for the BJP. This time, there is a rethink among Dalits about the extent of their support for the BJP."

"There are three reasons for this. One is the issue of rewriting the Constitution; the second is the rise of the INDIA alliance. Even though important Dalit political actors like Mayawati and Chandrashekhar Azad are not part of it, there is the thought that if Muslims and Dalits join up, they can beat the BJP's hegemony and prevent it from getting a brute majority; and the third is the rise of Azad."

Dalit communities seem to be reordering their electoral priorities. The result on June 4 will show how.
TOWNSHEND  NewBrook ranked the best of the three elementary schools in the West River Education District for consolidating them, according to
Golden Dragon 2024 to be the largest wargame to date between the two countries.

A Chinese amphibious landing ship carrying 300 troops has arrived in Sihanoukville in Cambodia to take part in the largest bilateral military exercise to date between the two countries.

Photographs published on the Facebook page of the Ream naval base show the welcome ceremony for the Type 071 ship Qilianshan (Hull 985) at Sihanoukville autonomous port. Last week, China Military Online said the Qilianshan left Zhanjiang port in Guangdong for Cambodia with more than 300 Chinese troops from the army, navy, air force and joint logistic support force on board.

The 6th Golden Dragon exercise is set to begin on May 16, marking a new step in the deepening military cooperation between Cambodia and China. It will last for 15 days at two main locations in Kampong Chhnang and Sihanoukville provinces.

Major Gen. Thong Solimo, spokesman for the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, told a press conference in Phnom Penh on Monday that with more than 1,300 Cambodian troops, more than 700 Chinese troops, three large Chinese warships and 11 Cambodian warships, the Golden Dragon exercise this year will be even larger than before.

It is not clear how the other 400 Chinese troops will get to the exercise.

An armored vehicle being loaded onto the landing ship Qilianshan before it departs for Cambodia, May 9, 2024. (CCTV)





The Qilianshan, a 25,000-ton helicopter landing dock, appears to have replaced the Jinggangshan, which took part in last years Golden Dragon and was mentioned in an earlier Chinese defense ministry announcement about the exercise.

Besides the Qilianshan, two Chinese navy corvettes, which have been at Ream naval base since December, are expected to take part in the joint drills. The semi-permanent presence of the ships led to assertions that the Chinese navy had been using facilities at Ream as a military base. Cambodia has rejected that suggestion.

Not harming any countries

Cambodia and China have been holding the annual exercise since 2016 but it was canceled in 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cambodia held its last joint military drills with the United States in 2016. The annual Angkor Sentinel began in 2010 but Cambodia called it off in 2017, citing domestic reasons, and it has not been held since. The suspension of the exercise with U.S. forces comes as Cambodia builds closer ties with China.

In 2021, the U.S. imposed an arms embargo on Cambodia over concerns about growing Chinese military influence.

Thong Solimo was quoted in Cambodian media as saying on Monday that the joint exercise with China this year is aimed at enhancing the militarys capabilities as well as its combat skills and does not threaten or harm any countries.

Edited by Mike Firn,.
Defendant Chung Biu Yuen leaves Westminster Magistrates' Court after being charged with assisting Hong Kong's foreign intelligence service, in London, Britain, May 13, 2024.

Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee on Tuesday confirmed that one of three defendants charged with spying for his government in the United Kingdom holds a senior post at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London, but defended the role of his city's global network of offices.

British police on Monday charged three people with spying for the Hong Kong government after a nationwide operation that saw 11 arrests using powers under new national security legislation.

Peter Wai, 38, Matthew Trickett, 37, and Chung Biu Yuen, 63, have been charged under the United Kingdom's National Security Act 2023 with "assisting a foreign intelligence service," and "foreign interference," London's Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

"The foreign intelligence service to which the above charges relate is that of Hong Kong," the statement said.

Lee said his government has demanded full disclosure from the British government.

"We have seriously demanded that the U.K. handle the matter fairly, and effectively protect the legitimate rights and interests of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office's office manager, who was alleged to be involved," Lee told reporters in Hong Kong.

He was referring to the defendant named by the police as Chung Biu Yuen, and listed on the Office's official website as Bill C.B. Yuen, office manager.

Lee appeared to deny that the city's economic and trade offices were engaged in espionage. He said they were tasked with developing trade, economic and cultural ties between Hong Kong and other countries, and called on governments around the world to respect the rightful duty of the offices.

Defendant Chi Leung Wai, also known as Peter Wai, leaves Westminster Magistrates' Court after being charged with assisting Hong Kong's foreign intelligence service, in London, Britain, May 13, 2024. (Toby Melville/Reuters)





Lee also confirmed that he appeared in a 2002 photo alongside Yuen as they graduated from a Graduate Certificate in Police Management at Australia's Charles Sturt University.

China said Monday it has made "serious representations" to the British government regarding the spying allegations, calling the case a "fabrication" and a form of "political manipulation."

"All those accusations are groundless and slanderous," the Chinese Embassy in London said in a statement on its official website, adding that the British authorities had "wantonly harassed, arrested and detained Chinese citizens in the U.K. under the pretext of judicial and national security."

"This constitutes a grave provocation against China," the statement said.

Latest in string of spy cases

The charges are the latest in a slew of China-related espionage cases across Europe in recent weeks, highlighting concerns over the extent to which agents of the Chinese state have penetrated the workings of democratic governments and activists in exile, and prompting angry protests from Beijing.

They also come after repeated reports from Hong Kongers in exile of violent attacks and surveillance on foreign soil by suspected Chinese agents, as well as bounties placed by Hong Kong national security police on the heads of several prominent activists in exile.

The three men, who appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday, are accused of assisting a foreign intelligence service between December and May by "agreeing to undertake information gathering, surveillance and acts of deception" in Britain, according to the charges.

Journalists wait outside Westminster Magistrates' Court on May 13, 2024, where three men appeared charged with spying for the Hong Kong government. (RFA)





The second charge alleges the three men conducted "foreign interference" by forcing entry into a residential address in Britain on May 1.

All three men appeared in court on Monday only to confirm their personal details, and entered no plea. They were all released on bail, and will appear in court again on May 24.

The indictment named U.K.-based former pro-democracy lawmaker Nathan Law, exiled activist Finn Lau and veteran labor unionist Christopher Mung, all of whom have bounties on their heads and warrants for their arrest issued by Hong Kong's national security police amid an ongoing crackdown on public dissent, as among the targets of the alleged activities.

Hong Kongers in the United Kingdom have also spoken in recent months about threats to their personal safety and acts of violence by Beijing supporters and officials.

11 arrested in sweep

British counter-terrorism police arrested 11 people in a nationwide sweep of suspects, but charged only three of them. The others were released by the end of last week, the Metropolitan Police statement said.

The force's counter-terrorism chief Cmdr. Dominic Murphy said the operation had been nationwide, and that investigations are ongoing.

"A number of arrests were made and searches carried out across England as part of this investigation," Murphy said. "The Counter Terrorism Policing network has been crucial to disrupting this activity."

Espionage suspects named by German police as Thomas R, Ina F and Herwig F. (RFA)





Authorities in Germany last month arrested three Germans on suspicion of stealing military science and technology secrets for the Chinese government.

While the three were only identified as Thomas R., Ina F. and Herwig F., the trio were linked in media reports to an organization called the Smart City Association, whose chairman is listed on its website as Thomas Reichenbach.

According to Reichenbach's bio, he has a background in strategic management consultancy, and specializes in electric vehicle technology transfer between Germany and China.

Hong Kong's English-language South China Morning Post newspaper reported on May 9 that Reichenbach had also worked as a marketing manager at the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, starting in July 2022.

The Council confirmed to RFA Cantonese on May 10 that Reichenbach was a former employee, but said the investigation was into his "personal activities," and had nothing to do with the government.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.
The parents say they have nowhere to mourn their children and authorities havent delivered on promises.

Thousands of Chinese middle school students gather to form a heart-shape and letters "Wenchuan" to mourn the Sichuan earthquake victims in Wenchuan county during a ceremony in Linfen, north China's Shanxi province on May 19, 2008. (AFP)

Sixteen years after a devastating earthquake killed thousands of schoolchildren in Chinas southwestern province of Sichuan, bereaved parents say they still have nowhere to publicly commemorate their lost children, and that the government has yet to deliver on promises made in the aftermath of the disaster.

The magnitude 7.9 earthquake that struck on May 12, 2008, left more than 80,000 dead across the province, including more than 5,000 children.

On Sunday, dozens of parents whose children died in disaster due to substandard construction in school buildings -- known as "tofu buildings" -- said they were met with a heavy police presence when they went to lay flowers at the site where their children died at the Juyuan Junior High School in Dujiangyan, one of the worst-hit areas.

More than 100 bereaved parents tried to get through to the site of the former school, but were met by large numbers of uniformed police and plainclothes officers who linked arms to stop them getting through.

Video clips shared with Radio Free Asia showed one individual in plain clothes snatching away offerings of flowers from a woman at the scene. Eventually, police allowed parents to pose for personal photos at the site, but forced them to make their offerings further away on the street, some of the participants told RFA Mandarin.

Parents hold portraits of their deceased children during a protest along a highway on the outskirts of Mianzhu on May 25, 2008, in southwest China's quake-stricken Sichuan province. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP)





"A lot of the parents there were in a low mood and angry," Zhou Xingrong, a bereaved parent from Sichan's Dujiangyan city who has lodged more than 100 complaints with the central government over the loss of her son, told RFA.

"It's the 16th anniversary, and we only wanted to commemorate our children at the place where they were killed," she said. "They haven't allowed this in 16 years."

"We parents are extremely angry, because they've done nothing to pursue those responsible for the tofu buildings," Zhou said.

Corruption and harassment

The families of the children who died when their school buildings collapsed in the quake blame rampant official corruption for shoddy construction work, but say that a promised investigation into the causes of the children's deaths has never materialized.

They have also complained of repeated harassment at the hands of the authorities as they seek redress for the deaths of their children.

Grieving parents holding portraits of their deceased children voice their complaints at government officials after taking their protest from along a highway on the outskirts of Mianzhu to government offices in Deyang on May 25, 2008, in southwest China's quake-stricken Sichuan province. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP)





Sang Jun, whose son died in the Fuxin No. 2 Elementary School in Sichuan's Mianzhu city, said the government won't even give them a dedicated location at which to mourn.

"We don't have a place to mourn our children," Sang said, in a reference to calls to set up a dedicated cemetery.

He said the authorities -- who gave special dispensation to bereaved quake parents to have another child despite the one-child policy that was in effect at the time -- had also failed to deliver on promises to subsidize the upbringing of the second child to the age of 18.

Not giving up

Bereaved parent Lu Biyu said she is getting older and her health is failing, yet "would feel terribly guilty towards my child if I didn't keep mourning."

"I can't imagine not commemorating my child, even though I'm physically and mentally exhausted," Lu said. "I will definitely keep going, year after year."

Zhou agreed.

"My kid died unjustly there, so I'm not giving up. I'm determined to stand up for my rights," she said, despite a failed petitioning trip to Beijing where she was forced to leave the city. "I haven't stopped."

A woman holds a portrait of her 12-year-old son Feng Junwei as she walks over students' bags to reach a memorial altar at the ruins of the destroyed Fuxing primary school in the earthquake-hit Wufu town of Mianzhu county, Sichuan province May 21, 2008. (Jason Lee/Reuters)





Li Dequan, a bereaved parent from Luoshui township who lost his 12-year-old daughter in the quake, has made repeated attempts to meet with local deputies to local branches of the People's Congress, to no avail.

"I didn't manage to meet with anyone," he said, adding that he couldn't give a longer interview because police were monitoring his phone calls and WeChat messages, and would haul him in with a summons if he spoke to the media.

Former chef Yang Yu, who was in Chengdu when the quake struck, recalls escorting a film crew from Radio Television Hong Kong into the worst-hit areas of Sichuan in the days that followed.

"The schools collapsed across the board, unlike other residential buildings," said Yang, who is currently in the United States. "Some residential buildings did collapse, but some just cracked, or tilted."

Left: Police link arms to prevent bereaved parents from entering the site where their children died in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake May 12, 2024, in Dujiangyan, Sichuan, China. Center: An altercation takes place between a bereaved parent and a police officer over offerings to a child who died in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Right: An individual in plain clothes standing in the police line snatches offerings away from a parent trying to commemorate a child who died in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, dragging her pet dog upwards by the neck in the process. (Citizen journalist)





"But the school buildings were razed to the ground," said Yang, who later helped dissident writer Tan Zuoren and documentary film-maker Ai Xiaoming with their research into the deaths of schoolchildren.

He said local authorities had even refused to publish the names of the 5,335 children who are known to have died in local newspapers, despite repeated requests.

Learning nothing

Three years after the disaster, dissident artist Ai Weiwei made an audio recording featuring all of the names of the children known to have died.

U.S.-based Jin Ji was in a Chengdu primary school on the day of the quake, but said that despite feel-good comments from Chinese leaders at the time of the disaster, the ruling Chinese Communist Party appeared to have moved on from the disaster rather than learning from it.

"It's as if the whole thing is over," said Jin, who used a pseudonym for fear of reprisals. "Nobody is talking about improving the construction of school buildings to meet seismic standards because this happened."

Floral offerings made by parents of children who died in the 2008 earthquake lie on the ground in Sichuan's Dujiangyan city, May 12, 2024. (Courtesy photo)





Xia Ming, professor of politics at New York's City University, also took a camera crew into the quake-hit area in May 2008, where they were followed by suspected government agents.

He traces the beginnings of China's current surveillance state to the year of the Beijing Olympics, which took place in the same year as the Sichuan earthquake.

"They normalized the monitoring and stability maintenance mechanisms set up for the Olympics," Xia said. "[Now] we have a surveillance state focused on stability. Eventually, the whole of China was put on an emergency footing."

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.
Many Chinese-speaking Lao guides moved to other jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chinese travel companies are illegally hiring Chinese to be tour guides in Laos to meet growing demand for Chinese speakers as visitor numbers surge after the pandemic border closures were lifted in 2022, residents in the country told Radio Free Asia.

While many Lao citizens speak Chinese, most choose to work in other industries, and the Chinese companies actually prefer to hire their own, even if they lack work permits and are not registered with the police, the residents said.

Yes, we lack Chinese-speaking Lao tour guides these days, said a Lao guide, who like other sources in this report insisted on not being identified for security reasons. Some of them found something else to do when COVID hit Laos and theyre not coming back to work as tour guides anymore.

Laos is a popular destination for Chinese visitors  many from neighboring Kuming province  because the two countries are connected by rail and have good diplomatic relations, sources said.

Chinese tourists visit Luang Prabang, Laos, March 2024. (RFA)

According to official statistics, nearly 700,000 Chinese visited Laos in 2023, the third-highest number behind Thailand and Vietnam. In the first quarter, that trend continued, with more than 240,000 Chinese visited the landlocked Southeast Asian country.

There is no reliable data on the number of illegal Chinese tour guides, but many are known to work in Luang Prabang province and in the capital Vientiane, both popular tourist spots.

As of May, there are 270 registered Chinese-speaking Lao tour guides nationwide; 140 work in Luang Prabang province and 60 in Vientiane.

Chinese package tours

Chinese tourists, who typically are herded around on buses from site to site, prefer to use Chinese tour companies based in Laos, the guide said. Those companies arrange transportation into and around Laos with other Chinese companies, lodging with hotels run by Chinese owners, and meals with restaurants owned by Chinese.

The tour companies sometimes will hire only one or two Lao guides to hide their many illegal Chinese guides, the sources said.

A third guide said that sometimes the Chinese companies will hire Lao guides who speak languages other than Chinese, but they rarely ever do their jobs as guides and are only there to bail out the illegal Chinese guides.

Chinese tourists visit Luang Prabang, Laos, March 2024. (RFA)

If police approach a tour group to ask if they have a guide registered with the police, the Lao tour guides will show up with their credentials, while the Chinese guides lay low, another guide, who is registered, told RFA.

Local guides are skeptical that Chinese guides explain Lao history and culture accurately.

I have seen that when the Chinese tour guides explain something, sometimes the tourists will laugh, she said. When the Chinese tour guides lead the tour groups to temples, I am not sure if they explain about the Buddha statues with the correct information or not.

Despite the growing number of Lao youths interested in learning Chinese, most of them choose to work as interpreters in other sectors rather than to work as tour guides.

A steakhouse with a Chinese-language menu in Luang Prabang, Laos, March 2024. (RFA)

And while some Lao youth speak Chinese language, they do not know Lao history and culture well enough, an English-speaking Lao guide told RFA.

To deal with the shortage and encourage those who left the industry during the pandemic to return, the Lao Mass Media, Culture and Tourism Institute recently announced plans to conduct training for national level Lao tour guides from May to July, an official said.

Now, Chinese tourists are visiting Laos more and more, but we still do not have enough Chinese-speaking Lao tour guides, the official said. Thus, we will have tour guide training for those who want to be tour guides as priority to fill this gap.

Translated by Phouvong. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.
The move to upgrade its fleet follows years of successful drone strikes by rebel forces.

A building destroyed by a drone attack by the junta in Sa Ne township of Kyaukphyu district, Rakhine state, Myanmar, May 8, 2024.

Myanmars military is adding advanced Chinese drones to its arsenal and using them to attack its enemies with increasingly devastating effect, rebel groups say.

A recent investigation by RFA Burmese found that the military is now deploying more advanced, Chinese-built first-person view drones, equipped with special cameras that allow the controller to clearly observe their targets.

An official with the anti-junta Myingyan District Drone Strike Team said that the new CH-2 and CH-4 drones include six-bladed hexacopters that can take-off and land vertically.

The quality of their equipment has improved, and the possible damage [they can inflict] has increased, said the official, who spoke to RFA on condition of anonymity due to security concerns. The military is now using advanced methodology.

Rebel groups have also used drones to fight junta forces.

Since the military seized power from Myanmars democratically elected government in a February 2021 coup, and embarked on a nationwide offensive to solidify its rule, guerilla forces have embraced drones as a low-cost method to level the playing field against airstrikes and artillery.

Members of the anti-junta Federal Wings drone squad, September 4, 2023. (Photo: Federal Wings)

In a commentary published by RFA earlier this month, Zachary Abuza, a professor at the National War College in Washington and an adjunct at Georgetown University, noted that the shadow National Unity Government, or NUG, and Myanmars ethnic armies have used modified hobby and crop dusting drones with incredible efficacy, including in an attack that purportedly wounded Soe Win, the deputy junta commander.

But he said that with the military experiencing a shortage of spare parts and regular servicing of its overtaxed air force, which has led to the crash of several aircraft, it is now looking to armed drones to bolster its air power.

Evidence has surfaced that the military is already fielding more lethal drone-specific munitions, rather than relying on mortar shells, Abuza said.

Casualties increasing

According to data gathered by RFA, in the first four months of 2024, junta drone attacks killed eight people and injured 26 others in Chin, Rakhine, Kayin and Shan states, as well as in Sagaing region.

Of the eight dead, three were members of local anti-junta forces, while the remaining five  including one child  were civilians. All 26 of those injured were civilians.

In the last four months of 2023, junta drone attacks injured four civilians  including one child  in Rakhine and Kayah states, RFA data showed.

The pro-junta Peoples Media, based in Myanmars capital Naypyitaw, reported on April 25 that the military had deployed Chinese-built CH-4 drones in an offensive it launched to recapture the Kayin state townships of Kawkareik, Thingannyinaung and Myawaddy.

In a report published May 4, it said the junta had officially formed a drone force, and was receiving technical training from Russia, India and China.

Members of the anti-junta Federal Wings drone squad, September 4, 2023. (Photo: Federal Wings)

First manufactured in 2013, the larger CH-4 drone is equipped with missiles and can be deployed on reconnaissance and combat missions for several hours at a time, according to Captain Ze Thu Aung, who left Myanmars air force to join the Civil Disobedience Movement of civil servants boycotting the junta.

But the CH-4 has its disadvantages, said the former officer, who now advises anti-junta forces.

Its big and requires a runway, he said. The military has largely refrained from using this drone. Instead, they mostly use the same type of drones used by the rebel forces, as they dont need a runway and can be carried easily.

Attempts by RFA to contact junta spokesperson Major General Zaw Min Tun for further information on the militarys use of drones went unanswered.

Weaponizing drones

Salai Peter Thang, the vice president of the ethnic Chin National Defense Force, told RFA that the military always had drones at its disposal, but mostly used them for reconnaissance.

The junta troops used drones even before we [rebel forces] could, he said. But they didnt use bombs, which theyve started using recently.

He said that the military now deploys drones to conduct limited airstrikes as reinforcement for its ground troops.

Two members of the ethnic Chinland Defense Force - Zophei and one member of the Zophai CDF were killed in junta drone attacks during fighting in Chin states Tedim township and Sagaing regions Kalay township on April 27.

Members of the anti-junta Federal Wings drone squad, September 4, 2023. (Photo: Federal Wings)

In both attacks, junta troops also suffered casualties from rebel drones.

A former military official, who also declined to be named, told RFA that as the number of drones used by both the military and rebel forces increases and technology improves, so will the number of casualties and extent of damage.

At present, both sides are suffering casualties, he said. Victory will depend on their ability to endure.

Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.
Nearly 50 villages in the west are impacted by this years intense hot season, residents said.

Nearly 50 villages in western Myanmar are facing shortages of water, residents told RFA on Tuesday, after the hot season brought record high temperatures across the region.

Ponds and small lakes across Rakhine State are drying up, leaving residents with limited water for drinking and cooking. The United Nations has warned that tens of thousands of people displaced by conflict face the risk of disease as a result of the lack of water.

Villages across Ponnagyun township have faced severe drought since April, as the hot season reached its most intense period, said one resident, who declined to be identified in fear of reprisals. There are two or three ponds in the village. But this year, the daytime temperature rose so high that the ponds went dry, he said. Some people dont even bathe regularly and sometimes even lack drinking water. There are some aid groups donating water but its not enough because most of the villages need it.

Ponnagyun faces a water shortage every year but this year has been the worst, he said, adding that some residents were suffering from diarrhea from drinking dirty water.

Nearly a quarter of the households in Ah Htet Myat Hle villages camp for internally displaced people are facing a water shortage, a camp administrator said. Water-borne illnesses killed three people in the camp in April, with similar symptoms killing nearly 80 in other camps across the state in the same month, aid workers have said.

Camp official Aung Myint told RFA that hundreds of people were facing various symptoms from drinking unclean water.

We are already having a lot of trouble in the camp. Hundreds of people are suffering from diarrhea. My child is also suffering from it, too, he said. Three people from the camp have died from disease. It is caused mainly due to unclean drinking water, rising heat and the toilets.

Mass displacement and disruption in Rakhine State from fighting between junta forces and ethnic minority insurgents from the Arakan Army, has forced thousands of people from their homes and deprived them of their livelihoods. Those forced into camps, mostly members of the persecuted Rohingya minority, lack access to doctors and sanitation.

RFA tried to contact Rakhine States junta spokesperson, Hla Thein, but he did not respond.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Kiana Duncan and Mike Firn.
Thousands of northern Myanmar residents took to the streets on Monday in a rare public protest to express their anger and grief over the rape and murder of a 15-year-old girl whose body was discovered in a field, residents told Radio Free Asia.

The case occurred in Puta-O township, in Kachin state, a relatively peaceful town that has remained under military control even as much of the rest of the state has seen fierce fighting between junta and rebel groups.

While one suspect has been arrested, local news outlet 7Stars News reported, others are believed to remain at large, drawing ire from the public.

The demonstration took the form of a funeral procession, and the victim was buried at the close of the march, the outlet said.

Protesters urged authorities to do more to stop child rape, cases of which are believed to have risen in the area since the February 2021 military coup, according to Kachin News Group .

In photos of the march, demonstrators can be seen wearing black arm bands and carrying signs reading, "Let's help each other to eradicate any child rapes and murders," and, "Please take effective actions against anyone who committed child rape.

Protesters went around in the wards, namely Duttan, Lone Swut, Kaung Ka Htaung, Air field, Out Gyient and Myoma, and they called for the end of child rape, a local who declined to be identified for security reasons told Radio Free Asia.

Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Abby Seiff and Malcolm Foster.
One of them said he was tortured and forced to confess, like many of the others.

A street is seen blocked in Dong Tam during a land dispute protest on the outskirts of Hanoi, Vietnam April 20, 2017. The banner reads "The people of Dong Tam commune absolutely trust the policy and path of the Party and the State".

More than four years after the 2020 violent police raid on Hanois Dong Tam commune, two more people that were arrested that night were released from prison for good behavior.

Le Dinh Quan, 48, and Bui Van Tien, 45, had been in the fourth year of their five-year sentences, but were allowed to return home ahead of schedule.

Quan told Radio Free Asia that during interrogations after his arrest, he was beaten into signing an inaccurate confession.

They beat me a lot, breaking all of my front teeth, he told RFA Vietnamese over the phone. They used their limbs and batons to hit me. They knew how to torture, leaving no trace, but the victims still suffer. Now I still endure the pain and I am not healthy at all.

The two men were among 29 who were arrested on Jan. 9, 2020, during the attack on land rights protesters in the commune by 3,000 riot police.

The raid resulted in the death of Le Dinh Kinh, the communes elderly spiritual leader, and three officers. Of these, 19 were initially charged with murder, though for some, the charges were lowered to resisting police officers on duty.

Three others were released early in April.

Forced confessions

Two days before the attack, Quan had returned home from a distant province where he worked to celebrate Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, with his family.

When the police started to attack the village, he got out of his home to sound the alarm and then was arrested on the way to Kinh's home.

Quan said that at the detention facility, he was forced to admit that he was a member of the protesting faction and in charge of defending the land that was central to the dispute.

Investigators also coerced him into stating that Kinh had received money from overseas which he had shared with others, including himself.

He said he did not know the names of the investigators beating him but said that almost all defendants in this case were beaten and forced to make statements. He saw others return to their cells with bruises and other signs of torture.

This picture taken and released by the Vietnam News Agency on September 14, 2020 shows defendants involved in a land dispute attending a court trial in Hanoi. - Two villagers were sentenced to death for murder on September 14 by a Vietnam court, after a long-running land dispute spiralled into rare violence which left three police officers and a villager dead. (Vietnam News Agency/Vietnam News Agency/AFP)

During his trial, he denounced the polices use of physical violence against him but the presiding judge ignored the accusations.

Quan said that both he and his lawyers had strongly opposed the indictment. On the fifth day, his charges were surprisingly changed from murder to resisting officers on official duty.

RFA called Hanoi Police and its Security Investigation Agency, using the numbers provided on their website to seek their comments on the allegations but no one answered the phone.

In a recent interview with RFA, Dang Dinh Manh, one of the defense attorneys for the Dong Tam case, said that numerous defendants reported being tortured and forced to give coerced confessions during their pre-trial detention but the judging panel did not pay attention to their allegations.

In addition, Quan said, throughout his stay in prison, he was forced to do hard labor continuously without pay or adequate food.

He was released eight months early for working diligently and adhering to prison rules, he said.

Six others who were initially charged with murder remain in prison. Of these, Le Dinh Cong and Le Dinh Chuc were sentenced to death.

Le Dinh Doanh has a life sentence. Bui Viet Hieu was sentenced to 16 years. Bui Quoc Tien was given 13 years and Nguyen Van Tuyen 12 years.

Translated by Anna Vu. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.
Ukrainian officials who served during the reign of Kremlin-aligned President Viktor Yanukovych poured millions of dollars into Dubai real estate, including public servants who failed to report these assets or have faced charges of corruption, abuse of office, or treason, a new report by Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, reveals. The Schemes investigation is part of cross-border collaboration by more than 70 media outlets across the globe based on a trove of leaked data that provides a detailed overview of thousands of properties in Dubai and information about their ownership or usage, largely from 2020 and 2022. Among the former Ukrainian officials reporters found in the records are Yanukovych's environment minister and several lawmakers with the Party of Regions headed by the former president, whose decision to flee Ukraine amid mass street protests in 2014 was among the triggers that led to Russia's seizure of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and, ultimately, its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. While Ukrainian laws do not prevent citizens -- including state officials -- from acquiring real estate in the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), anti-corruption watchdogs have long noted that the Persian Gulf kingdom has been a magnet for illicit wealth.

Dubai Unlocked: Where The Data Comes From The Dubai Unlocked data was obtained by the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS), a nonprofit organization based in Washington that researches international crime and conflict. It was then shared with Norwegian financial outlet E24 and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP). The property data at the heart of the project comes from a series of leaks of more than 100 datasets. Most of the data comes from the Dubai Land Department, as well as publicly owned utility companies. Journalists spent months verifying the identities of the people who appeared in the leaked data, as well as confirming their ownership status, using official records, open-source research, and other leaked datasets. Dubai Unlocked is a collaboration involving more than 70 media outlets from around the world. OCCRP and E24 coordinated the investigative project.

Tom Keatinge, director of the Center for Finance and Security at the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based defense and security think tank, told Schemes that the U.A.E. has been a place where one's "money is safe and the questions are few." "So if you're anybody who has money that you want to move it beyond scrutiny in your own country, then the U.A.E. has historically been a great place to do that," Keatinge said. 'Bags Of Cash' Among the most prominent names revealed in the Dubai Unlocked leak is that of Mykola Zlochevskiy, who served as Yanukovych's environment minister and founded Burisma Group, Ukraine's largest privately owned natural gas producer. Burisma became enmeshed in U.S. domestic political battles over one of its board members, Hunter Biden, the son of U.S. President Joe Biden. In July 2019, Zlochevskiy bought two apartments at the W Residences Dubai -- The Palm, an elite residential complex on the shores of the Persian Gulf -- purchases totaling nearly $11 million. While Zlochevskiy was no longer a public servant at the time of these real estate acquisitions, he was later put on a wanted list by Ukrainian authorities on suspicion of embezzlement and charged with trying to bribe law enforcement officers with more than $5 million. He eventually pleaded guilty to the charge. Under his plea agreement with investigators, Zlochevskiy donated more than $15 million to the Ukrainian military for the purchase of drones and other assistance. Ownership of the two Dubai apartments was transferred to Zlochevskiy's daughter, Anna, in 2022, and real estate records show the former minister's family used Cypriot passports to acquire the properties. Neither Zlochevskiy nor his daughter responded to a request for comment sent to several of their family's companies.

Journalists from Swedish public broadcaster SVT managed to get a property tour from a leading Dubai real estate development firm, Damac, during which the undercover reporters were told they could buy the apartment with "bags of cash" or cryptocurrency and face "zero question[s]" about the source of the funds. "In properties you are not going to be questioned from any department...especially the developer himself," the salesman said. "Anyone who wants to buy can buy." He also explained how buying real estate with cash helps customers avoid bank inquiries about the origins of their money. "If you sell the property and then you transfer all the amount in the bank account, then there is no problem, you will not be questioned from where you bring the cash to buy the property and then to put it in the bank," the salesman said. A Damac representative later said the firm vets its clients and that it is not the company's policy to recommend that clients purchase real estate with cash. "Had your undercover reporter proceeded further through the sales process beyond the mere first encounter with a salesperson, they would have witnessed the scrutiny and the heightened measures we apply to transactions that trigger red flags," Damac said, adding that the company would investigate the salesman's statements.

The opacity of the Dubai real estate market makes it difficult for governments to ensure that its citizens who own property there are paying the required taxes. "If a Ukrainian owns real estate in Dubai and sells it or rents it out, he must pay income tax and the military levy," Ukrainian economist Vyacheslav Cherkashin told Schemes. "Of course, no one will be in a hurry to pay such taxes," Cherkashin added. Posh Properties And Party Of Regions Multiple former lawmakers with Yanukovych's now-banned Russian-friendly Party of Regions are also among the erstwhile Ukrainian officials whose names surfaced in the Dubai Unlocked data, including Vyacheslav Bohuslayev, a former parliament member for the southern Zaporizhzhya region. Bohuslayev was the president of the aerospace company Motor Sich, which the Ukrainian government nationalized in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. From 2009 to 2018, Bohuslayev and his son, Oleksandr, purchased at least 19 apartments and office premises in Dubai for a total cost of some $15 million. One of the apartments was registered to Bohuslayev, while the rest were owned in the name of his son, who served as deputy chairman of Motor Sich's supervisory board. Their connection to these properties has never before been revealed to the public.

Only five of the 19 properties remain in the Bohuslayevs' ownership. Beginning in 2019, the year Bohuslayev ceased being a parliament deputy, the family began selling off their Dubai real estate assets. Bohuslayev was detained by Ukrainian law enforcement in 2022 following Russia's invasion earlier that year on charges of treason, financing of terrorism, and opposition to the armed forces of Ukraine -- allegations he denies. He is currently in custody until at least June 10. Earlier investigations by Schemes revealed Bohuslayev's links to representatives of state-owned Iranian military companies, including the manufacturers of Shahed drones that the Russian military has deployed in its war on Ukraine. The Ukrainian Prosecutor-General's Office told Schemes that it had yet to receive "reliable information and documents" about the Bohuslayev family's U.A.E. assets but said that "measures are being taken to identify and seize" foreign property owned by Bohuslayev and his son. Questions sent to Bohuslayev through his lawyer about his Dubai real estate holdings went unanswered. Another former lawmaker with the Party of Regions, former State Migration Service deputy head Vasyl Hrytsak, and his family purchased two Dubai apartments for a total of more than $700,000. In 2019, ownership of one of the apartments was transferred to Hrytsak's son, Ihor. Hrytsak's wife and another son are co-owners of the other. Both apartments have been rented out, yielding income of more than $370,000, according to the Dubai Unlocked data. Reached for comment by Schemes, Hrytsak claimed he was "hearing from you for the first time" that he owns Dubai real estate. Prosecutors And Judges Former state servants in Ukraine's justice system also acquired multiple Dubai properties, the Dubai Unlocked data show. These include Oleh Kornilov, the former deputy prosecutor in the southern Odesa region, who bought a $90,000 apartment in the upscale Jumeirah Bay X1 Tower -- which features access to artificial lakes and nearby beaches -- in the winter of 2011-12, when he had already been named deputy prosecutor in Odesa. Kornilov later became deputy head of the investigative department of the regional prosecutor's office and then a unit head. Following his dismissal in 2014 in the wake of Yanukovych's flight to Russia, Kornilov became locked in a protracted battle to keep his job. He also kept buying real estate in Dubai, records show, snapping up a hotel apartment in an elite part of the emirate for $210,000 in 2016. None of these properties -- two of which have since been sold -- were listed in Kornilov's declarations, nor were they mentioned in the declaration of his wife, who as of 2013 was also a prosecutor in the Odesa regional prosecutor's office. She filed a 2018 declaration as a candidate for a senior regional position under the Ukrainian parliament's human rights commissioner. Reached by telephone, Kornilov denied having any apartments in Dubai. When told that his ownership was reflected in official U.A.E. property data, he hung up and did not respond to further calls and messages. The wife of Artur Yemelyanov, an influential judge of the Yanukovych era, was also listed as the owner of three apartments in the elite Dubai Marina area of Dubai that cost a total of $1.8 million, the Dubai Unlocked data show. Svitlana Yemelyanova served as a deputy in the city council for the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk until 2014. In December of that year, she bought the first of these three apartments for $650,000, the Dubai records show.
TBILISI -- Georgian activists and politicians protesting against a controversial "foreign agent" law say that they and their children are receiving threatening phone calls from abroad.



According to numerous stories shared with RFE/RL's Georgian Service, unidentified individuals have been calling the activists and opposition politicians late at night or very early in the morning.



The calls have been coming from international numbers, including from Azerbaijan, South Africa, Burundi, Morocco, and Ukraine, as well as through local mobile operators.



The alleged harassment comes as several Georgian opposition figures have suffered serious injuries after being attacked by unknown assailants and police have violently dispersed protesters in the capital, Tbilisi, with rubber bullets, tear gas, and water cannons.



Under the proposed "foreign agent" law, which parliament on May 14 adopted on its third and final reading, media and nongovernmental organizations that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad would be obligated to register as "pursuing the interests of a foreign power."

Opponents say the legislation, if passed, would be a threat to free speech and is similar to "foreign agent" legislation passed in Russia, which has been used to clamp down on opposition and curtail independent journalism.



One of the children said to have received a threatening phone call was the 11-year-old daughter of Sopo Gelava, a researcher at the Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab), a disinformation analytical unit of the Washington-based Atlantic Council think tank, and Giorgi Noniashvili, a member of the opposition European Georgia party.

Gelava told RFE/RL's Georgian Service that her daughter was enjoying her birthday party on May 9 and didn't hear the calls from abroad. After noticing the missed calls on her phone, she informed her parents.



Gelava says she'd heard about threatening calls targeting politically active individuals, but "had no idea that these calls would target a minor." The phone number her daughter uses is registered under Gelava's name, although she says that she has never personally used this number.

Giorgi Noniashvili's Facebook post showing the calls from abroad

A member of the opposition It's Time party, Tamta Gogoladze, said that she received a threatening phone call,where unidentified individuals swore at her and used "unpleasant words."



"I warned my mother that they might call her and verbally abuse her," Gogoladze said. "My mom and I both laughed it off, but when they called my little sister, a child I don't even live with, it obviously wasn't funny anymore."

'She Told Me That I Was A Traitor'



According to Gogoladze, the callers asked her 13-year-old sister over the phone why her elder sibling went to rallies and why she was ruining the country. "I apologized to [my sister] for having such a bad day because of me. She actually calmed me down, but, obviously, it was a stressful experience and it affected her."

Now that parliament has passed the law, it will go for approval to Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, who has supported peaceful protests and criticized the government for ignoring the views of those taking to the streets. If the president does veto the law, parliament then has one month to override the veto.



Archil Mchedlishvili, a political activist from the eastern city of Telavi who has taken part in the recent protests, told RFE/RL that both he and his young son were called from different numbers.



"It was a woman's voice.... [She] told me that I was a traitor...and then hung up," Mchedlishvili said. "Then they called my son from the same number and asked if I was paid to go to the protests. That caller was also a woman, and she spoke politely."



Social media users have also posted accounts of similar phone calls that they say demonstrators and their families have received.



Khatia Dekanoidze, an opposition deputy in parliament, said her 16-year-old niece received a call from a foreign number on May 9.

"It was a man's voice," she said, "and as soon as [my niece] realized what was happening, she immediately hung up. The person [calling] realized that a child answered, but he stayed on the line."



Ana Tavkhelidze, a lawyer from the Tbilisi-based Partnership for Human Rights group, said that she suspects the people behind the phone calls illegally obtained the private numbers from the Interior Ministry's database.



"No other agency, except the Interior Ministry, has collected such data, including the contact details of family members. Personal identification numbers, addresses, of family members, even cousins and aunts, are included in this data," Tavkhelidze said. "I have personally seen these databases and I know what they look like."



Tavkhelidze called on those who have received the phone calls to proactively contact the Special Investigation Service (SIS), a state body that investigates public officials -- including those in law enforcement and the government -- accused of wrongdoing.



However, Tavkhelidze adds that, under Georgian law, the SIS should initiate an investigation based on the available public information, without needing direct complaints from victims.



It's not clear whether the SIS has opened an investigation into the alleged threats. RFE/RL's Georgian Service has sent repeated requests to the SIS asking for clarification, but at the time of publication had received no answer.



On May 7, the SIS announced that it was gathering evidence concerning reports of police violence against protesters in front of parliament. The agency has also opened an investigation into the violent attack on parliamentary deputy Levan Khabeishvili, the leader of Georgia's biggest opposition party, the United National Movement (ENM).



Activists say the threats against them and their family members are intensifying. Journalist Davit Chabashvili told RFE/RL that he received a phone call "forbidding" him from participating in the protests.



In a recording of part of the call that Chabashvili posted on his Facebook page, an unidentified man can be heard saying: "I'm telling you, I won't see you coming to the rallies again. I'm warning you.... I know very well that you are going to the ENM's rallies. If I notice you there again, I will talk to you differently."



Despite the threats, many of the activists have said they won't be frightened into not attending.



"They cannot scare us like that, on the contrary," opposition deputy Dekanoidze said.



Especially not her niece, she said. "She is a very intelligent girl. She goes to the protests and knows what she stands for."
Thousands of Georgians rallied near the parliament building in Tbilisi on the evening of May 14, hours after lawmakers gave final approval to a controversial bill affecting groups receiving foreign funding. There were reports of arrests and some protesters being beaten by police earlier in the day. Activists have been protesting against the bill for weeks, and some vowed to continue their movement after the bill's passage.
In front of the parliament building in Tbilisi, a dedicated group of volunteers stands with the protesters. They march with trumpets and slogans, demanding "No Russian law, but Europe." Amid the demonstrations against the controversial "foreign agent" bill, they bring essential supplies: food, water, sweets, protective equipment, and raincoats. These volunteers provide first aid to the injured, transport them to ambulances, and offer their own cars to those staying late into the night. In the morning, they bake cakes for the evening demonstrations, and during the rallies they collect garbage, ensuring the area remains clean. These Georgians, from all walks of life, are known as the April-May campaign volunteers. Despite weeks of massive protests in Tbilisi and other cities, Georgian lawmakers approved the "foreign agent" bill on May 14 pushed by the ruling Georgian Dream Party, which has used the security forces to violently crack down on protesters, using water cannons, tear gas, and rubber bullets.

Mariam Pirashvili: The Girl With The Trash Bag If you've attended the protests, you might have noticed Mariam Pirashvili. Draped in a Georgian flag and carrying a large black trash bag, she follows the protest marches, diligently collecting any waste. Pirashvili can be seen walking behind the protesters, asking, "Do you have any trash?" She often joins the rallies but spends most of her time ensuring the protest areas are clean, especially after the event ends.

"At first, the protesters were surprised," she said. "I also go up to the police. They once asked: "Why are you collecting these bottles? Are they going to be thrown at us again?" At the end of the day, her bag is always full.

Koka And Friends Koka Jakhutashvili was present at the March 2023 protests, and when this year's demonstrations began, he did not hesitate to join the crowds again. Initially, Jakhutashvili and his friends pooled their resources to help however they could. Their efforts attracted dozens of volunteers, forming "Koka's team," which evolved into a dedicated volunteer group. Sometimes they distribute raincoats; other times they distribute masks and saline solutions. They also assist people affected by tear gas or pepper spray, ensuring they receive medical attention. "I know that every person standing there is crucial for the country, and that I am standing on the right side," Koka said. "I feel that what we are doing makes it a little easier for others to stand there."

Salome Kvaratskhelia: The On-Site Doctor Salome Kvaratschhelia, a medical student at Davit Tvildian Medical University, joined the protests to ensure that anyone injured would receive medical care. Her bag contains essentials for both self-defense and assisting others: bottles of saline, medical bandages, specially treated cotton pads for cleaning up pepper spray, and protective eyewear.

Zura Tatanashvili: Need A Raincoat? Meet Zura Tatanashvili, who is happy to distribute raincoats to those who were not prepared. He is also on hand to distribute food to those who have been standing for hours.

Mariam Gaprindashvili: Mother Of Three Who Protects The Protesters "Today I received 200 face masks and 60 glasses. We will distribute them at Republic Square," wrote Mariam Gaprindashvili. She divides her day into several parts: work in the morning, a little time for her three children, taking care of her cats and other pets, and volunteering at the rally in the evening. Gaprindashvili was also one of the first to raise funds during the initial days of protests, purchasing essential supplies like water, masks, glasses, and food for the participants. "At first, my Facebook friend Teona Kobidze wrote to me that she wanted to make sandwiches and take them to the rally and asked if I could organize it," she said. From that point on, Gaprindashvili's efforts grew into raising money, and they were able to collect over $750 for supplies for the protesters.

On May 11, the day of the European march, she distributed protective glasses, masks, water, and chocolates in advance; everything was gone in a second.

Guja Tughushi: The Courier With His Trusty Moped Guja Tugushi, a dedicated courier known for zipping through crowds on his trusty moped, stands out as a key figure among the convoy of two-wheelers seen at the rallies. Driven by a deep sense of empathy, Tugushi didn't hesitate to offer his assistance long before the protest against the "foreign agent" bill started and even during the tumultuous times of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the onset of war. His initiative was evident when he took to social media groups, expressing his willingness to transport essential supplies such as medicines and food to the Ukrainian refugees seeking shelter in Georgia, utilizing the mobility of his moped for the greater good. "I can't just sit and watch what's going on. I want to do something. I came up with the idea of taking people during these rallies together with Gvantsa Pertia," he said before adding, "I have a 3-year-old daughter, and when she grows up, I want her to know which side of history her father stood on."

Nina Zhvania: From In-Person To Cyberspace Nina Zhvania's commitment to the cause extends across various platforms, from the streets to cyberspace. While she takes part in the rallies, she also spearheads a Telegram channel, disseminating crucial information and discussing the significance of the ongoing protests with her peers. Her TikTok and Instagram accounts serve as additional avenues for amplifying her message of activism. "It's a wonderful feeling when you help someone at an event; for example, you provide a physiological solution. At that time, you think that you have wings and you can do anything, but sometimes I feel a little weak when you can't help everyone, and this anger turns into physical pain," the 17-year-old Zhvania said.

Nana Tsomaya: The Young Woman With The Sweets "I should have bought more bananas," said 25-year-old Nana Tsomaia, distributing fruits and sweets in parks. She and her friends have been regularly distributing foods purchased through collective contributions. "Everyone was very happy, some were shy at first, but when you offered it a second time, they accepted it happily. It is a very nice feeling to feel love and unity in the battle that we are in now."

Robi Khuroshvili: Helping Those Who Need It The Most Robi Khuroshvili, 23, has also been a familiar site at the rallies, distributing sweets and water to fellow demonstrators. Whether it's providing assistance or aiding in the distribution of goods brought by friends, he is committed to serving his community. Having spent six years away from Georgia, Khuroshvili closely monitored the March 2023 rallies from abroad. "I wanted to help people as much as I could," he said. Now back in his homeland, he balances work, training, and late-night rally attendance with a sense of fulfillment and pride. "I am proud to be here in my country on such days as this."
One year ago, Hamas -- the U.S.- and EU-designated Palestinian terrorist group that controls the Gaza Strip -- carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel, the deadliest in the countrys history.

In response, Israel launched an aerial bombardment and ground invasion of the Palestinian enclave to destroy Hamas and rescue the 251 hostages taken by the group.

Israel has expanded its war in recent weeks by invading Lebanon and launching air strikes targeting Hezbollah, the armed group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon.

RFE/RL spoke to Lior Yohanani, manager of quantitative research at the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem-based independent research center, which on October 7 released a wide-ranging survey of Israeli public opinion after one year of war.

RFE/RL: Can you explain what your study found as to how Israelis view the past year since Hamas's October 7 attack?



Lior Yohanani: Well, I think Israelis still don't see October 7 as an event that's over. Sure, the actual horrific events of that day ended, but Israelis are still living with the consequences.

There are two main aspects to this. First, since October 7, Israel has been in this multifront war that doesn't seem to have an end in sight. And then, of course, there is the issue of the hostages still being held in Gaza. So, we're seeing a sharp drop in people's sense of personal security. Almost three quarters of the public feel less safe compared to before October 7, and that's despite a year of war and some significant military achievements. On the flip side, we're also seeing that most people say their lives have returned to normal when it comes to things like work, media consumption, and family and social gatherings.

Another thing we're noticing is that the Israeli public is giving pretty low marks to all the political and military leaders for the performance since October 7. For example, almost two-thirds of Israelis are rating Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu's performance since then as poor or not good.

RFE/RL: How has Israel's involvement in a two-front conflict, in both Gaza and Lebanon, as well as a confrontation with Iran affected public opinion among Israelis?



Yohanani: It's tough to answer that question, because we're at the point where things could go in a few different directions. In the last few weeks, we've seen a major escalation in the conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and just last week, Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, which Israel is expected to respond to. In a survey we just did recently, we asked whether Israeli society and the military could handle fighting on two or more fronts for an extended period of time, and the results were pretty striking. Over 70 percent believe that yes, both Israeli society and the military can handle that kind of prolonged fighting. So, while the situation is complex and evolving, there seems to be a strong sense of resilience and capability among Israelis, even in the face of these multiple threats. But of course, public opinion could shift depending on how events unfold in the coming weeks or months.



RFE/RL: Is there support for Netanyahus response to October 7? Is there debate in Israeli society, as well as political circles, over Netanyahus strategic choices?



Yohanani: First of all, it's important to say that the Israeli public has largely supported significant military operation against Hamas in Gaza. That said, the Israeli discourse around the October 7 events, the ongoing war, and especially toward Prime Minister Netanyahu, is very polarized between right-wing supporters on the one hand and left and center supporters on the other.

People are hoping for a future where Israel can exist without constant threats, rather than expecting a harmonious relationship with its neighbors in the near-term."

So, on the left and the center, there is a high level of distrust and suspicion toward Netanyahu and his government. For instance, Netanyahu's apparent reluctance to pursue a deal for returning the hostages in exchange for ending the fighting in Gaza is seen by large parts of the public, even on the right, as resulting from Netanyahu's dependence on far-right, ultranationalist members of his government who refuse any compromise or ceasefire.

Now for a long time, Netanyahu and his ministers argued that only significant military force would lead Hamas to compromise and release the hostages. Now, with military attention and resources shifting to the north, people are asking, where is this massive military force that was supposed to bring the hostages home?

One question we have asked several times since October 7 in our polls is what should be the main goal in Gaza: Dismantling Hamas or bringing back the hostages? And as time goes on, public opinion is increasingly supporting the return of hostages. In our current survey, 62 percent saw bringing the bringing back the hostages as Israel's main goal, while only 29 percent pointed to dismantling Hamas as the primary objective.

RFE/RL: How do ordinary Israelis see the question of the remaining hostages amid the continued protests by the hostages' families?



Yohanani: As I mentioned before, most of the public supports a deal to release the hostages, even if it means ending the war and withdrawing the military forces from Gaza. There's this widespread feeling that we've left the hostages behind, and that's really hitting at our sense of solidarity, which is a deep and fundamental value, I think, in Jewish history in general and in Israel society in particular.

At the same time, the campaign run by the Hostages And Missing Families Forum has become very politicized. Many right-wing supporters see it as weakening Israel. As time goes on, we're seeing more and more harassment of protesters who support bringing the hostages back. There are cases of passersby cursing, even hitting and throwing eggs, at hostages' families. In our latest survey, we asked about the effectiveness of the protests and actions taken by the hostages' families.

Despite most of the public feeling empathetic toward the hostage issue, only less than a third think these actions are actually helping to advance a deal for the hostages' release, while almost 40 percent think they're actually hurting the cause. So, you've got this complex situation where people want the hostages back, but there is disagreement and some backlash about how to make that happen.

RFE/RL: Can you explain the reasons behind the apparent contradiction in views regarding prioritizing a negotiated return of the hostages, or destroying Hamas?

Yohanani: You're right to point out that apparent contradiction. Let me break it down a bit. As I mentioned earlier, a clear majority of the public sees a deal to release the hostages as the main goal. But there is a big gap between political camps on this issue. In the center and left, about 80 percent support the deal for the hostages' release, while the opinions on the right are evenly split. So, for most of the left and center, the fighting in Gaza has run its course. They feel most military objectives have been achieved, and Hamas's military power has been significantly weakened. From their perspective, continuing the fight now only puts the hostages at greater risk.

It's important to know that about half of the right-wing also shares this view of prioritizing the hostages' release, but the other half of those on the far-right thinks dismantling Hamas is more important.

Why? For a couple of reasons.

First, there's a security stance that Hamas must be wiped out and not allowed to recover. There is also a very strong sentiment of revenge, with minimal consideration for the cost, whether it's the lives of the hostages, soldiers, let alone innocent civilians in Gaza. Another significant component openly discussed in religious nationalist circles is the return of Jewish settlement to the Gaza Strip after Israel evacuated Jewish settlements from there in 2005.

RFE/RL: Is there public confidence that Israel will ultimately be able to remove the threat of Hamas and Hezbollah and come out of this conflict with greater prospects for a peaceful and stable near-term future?



Yohanani: Right now, the Israeli public isn't showing a lot of optimism. In our current survey, when we asked people if they're optimistic or pessimistic about Israel's future, we found more pessimists, 48 percent, than optimists, 45 percent.

I also think it's important to note that a peaceful future, as you put it, or peace in general, isn't really a common concept in the current Israeli discourse. I would say the hope of Israelis is that the military actions against Hezbollah and Iran will lead to a situation where Israel's existence isn't in question, and that Israeli military superiority will prevent events like October 7 from happening again. So, it's less about peace in the traditional sense, and more about security and deterrence. People are hoping for a future where Israel can exist without constant threats, rather than expecting a harmonious relationship with its neighbors in the near-term.
ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- Earlier this month, while millions in Kazakhstan and beyond were still processing the horrors of a spousal murder trial that drew parallels with the O.J. Simpson trial in the United States, a young woman announced that she had been beaten by her husband -- a serving Kazakh diplomat.

Like Saltanat Nukenova, the deceased partner of ex-Economy Minister Quandyq Bishimbaev, Karina Mamash's face was covered in egg-shaped bruises.

Unlike Nukenova, she lived to accuse her alleged aggressor in an video posted on Instagram by the NeMolchiKZ group, an organization that assists women and children subjected to physical and sexual violence.



"I am the wife of the adviser to [the Kazakh] Embassy in the U.A.E., Saken Mamash," Mamash said in the video. "I declare that I have been subjected to violence for 10 years. I want my husband to be deprived of his diplomatic status and put in prison for all the abuses that he committed against me."



The Bishimbaev trial, which saw the main defendant found guilty of murder and handed a 24-year jail sentence by a court in the capital, Astana, on May 13, has shattered the myth that domestic violence in Kazakhstan is a mostly socioeconomic phenomenon.

The trial also provided momentum for the passage of a historic law that should, in theory, afford greater protections to all survivors of domestic abuse.



That in turn raises the questions of whether members of Kazakhstan's political and economic elite may face further accusations of violence from women, including allegations of past misconduct, and how a system that has in the past downplayed the problem might address that challenge.



"I think there will certainly be more public accusations of this type," Dina Smailova, the founder of NeMolchiKZ, said in an interview with RFE/RL.



But the self-exiled Smailova, who is under criminal investigation in Kazakhstan for fraud and other charges that she attributes to the impact of her organization's work, points out that Bishimbaev did not serve in Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev's government.



Moreover, she says, Nukenova's death resonated strongly with the public and abroad, conditioning the government's response. Past practice "shows that the system will punish with one hand and shield with another," Smailova added.



'Image Of The Country'



Karina Mamash's May 6 video accusation came on the back of what she described as a violent assault on her husband's part, allegedly directed against her and her older sister, who was visiting the family at their home in the U.A.E.



The same day, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry said that Mamash had been recalled from his diplomatic posting and was to be fired from his job. The ministry also reunited Mamash with her children and arranged her flight home.

The case is currently under police investigation.

On May 12, the politics-focused YouTube channel Nukte published an interview with the diplomat's wife, in which she described how she had felt under pressure not to file complaints against her husband, due to the effects they may have "on the image of the country."



"When we were waiting for the consul [in the U.A.E.], I felt very bad," said Mamash, whose face was still swollen with bruises when she gave the interview.



"[Foreign Ministry staff] did not want to take me to the hospital.... If something had happened to me, the incident could have been dismissed as an 'unfortunate accident.' It would all have been hushed up," Mamash said.



"Saltanat [Nukenova]? I understand that the same thing could have happened to me."



At a briefing on May 13, Foreign Ministry spokesman Aibek Smadiyarov said the ministry was "together with" Mamash and was now conducting checks among its personnel. Smadiyarov said the Kazakh consul's response to the situation had been adequate.



When it comes to Kazakhstan's image, the Bishimbaev trial has proven a mixed bag.



On the one hand, there has been widespread shock at the footage of a former political high flier savagely beating Nukenova inside a food mall that his family owned. Instead of immediately calling an ambulance, the partner of the former economy minister was left to die.



On the other, Kazakhstan's Supreme Court gained credit for live streaming the trial, a decision that ensured massive domestic viewership, as well as strong interest from Russia and other countries where Russian -- the language of the trial -- is spoken.



The Kazakh authorities have also received praise for re-criminalizing two offenses that the authorities had decriminalized back in 2017: battery and intentional infliction of light bodily harm, both of which are closely associated with domestic violence.

The new domestic-violence law signed by President Toqaev last month eliminated "reconciliation" between parties as a reason for police to drop cases of repeated spousal violence.



According to the Interior Ministry, police processed nearly 100,000 complaints related to family violence in 2023, while courts handed administrative sanctions to 67,270 people.



But advocacy groups -- including Smailova's NeMolchiKZ and the global rights groups Equality Now and Human Rights Watch -- have highlighted how there is still much work to do.



They have argued that the new law still leaves women with few protections against stalking, bullying, economic harassment, and psychological violence -- actions that often precede and accompany physical violence.



'You're Extorting Me!'

There was widespread public appetite for Bishimbaev's heavy punishment, and not just because of the evidence that the former official subjected Nukenova to hours of brutality and likely beat her multiple times before that.



For many, he was a symbol of elite impunity, continuing life as a wealthy businessman after his release from jail in late 2019, having been convicted of embezzlement and bribery at the beginning of the previous year.



Before that fall from grace -- and relative slap on the wrist -- he was serving as the country's fresh-faced national economy minister, apparently a favorite of then-President Nursultan Nazarbaev, who granted him a pardon just over a year into his sentence.

There have been a number of cases in the last few years demonstrating that acts of violence and intimidation against women are very much a problem in Kazakh officialdom.



Just last month, a former chief of police in the southern town of Taldyqorghan, Marat Kushtybaev, was sentenced to 11 years in prison for raping a woman in his office.



Then there was the more convoluted case of the well-known economist Olzhas Khudaibergenov, who served as an adviser to Toqaev in 2019, his first year in office.



In November 2023, days after Nukenova's violent death, Khudaibergenov's wife, Moldir Kabylova, went public with claims that the economist had engaged in coercive and controlling behavior during and after their marriage.

After they separated, Kabylova said that Khudaibergenov made her sign agreements allowing him to monitor the movements of her and her four children in London, where she was studying.



In a press conference, Kabylova revealed that she had filed charges against Khudaibergenov in the United Kingdom for attempting to abduct their children in March 2022.



But in April of this year, a court sentenced Kabylova's father to seven years in jail for extortion, honoring Khudaibergenov's claim that his father-in-law had demanded money from him in exchange for Kabylova dropping those charges.



Khudaibergenov has publicly denied Kabylova's accusations, while portraying both her father and her brother as fraudsters.



Smailova, the advocate for victims of domestic violence, told RFE/RL that there is a risk that other powerful men with access to resources will be able to use similar tactics to turn the tables on their accusers.



"We studied the materials of this case closely. The authorities freed his hands and allowed him to persecute his wife and her family," she said.



Critics have argued, meanwhile, that the authorities' targeting of Smailova, is a question mark over the government's avowed commitment to preventing violence against women.



In December 2023, police said that Smailova was the subject of six criminal cases that encompassed crimes including disseminating false information, violation of privacy, and large-scale fraud. A number of ordinary citizens who had donated to the organization reported being called in for police questioning.

"We have worked to defend women and children for the last eight years," Smailova told RFE/RL. "During that time we regularly cooperated with state bodies. But after I was charged, none of those bodies, not even the human rights ombudsman, spoke up in my defense. This system knows well how to protect itself."
WASHINGTON -- The production team of the new film Words Of War felt a jolt of excitement when a set designers search for props turned up a leather-bound day planner owned by someone who clearly felt a connection to the very story they were working on.

In part through its meticulous prop selection, producer Mark Maxey said, the film about Anna Politkovskaya will take audiences back to the early 2000s, when the late investigative journalist was doggedly pursuing stories about high-level corruption and rights abuses in Russia and its Chechnya region.

Before deciding how the planner would be used to make the offices of Novaya Gazeta look more authentic, set designer Crispian Sallis flipped it open to October 7, the day Politkovskaya was killed in 2006, and found that that its anonymous owner had pasted in a photo of the courageous journalist and her obituary. Maxey described the discovery as a goose bump moment that only served to validate his and the films other backers motivation to record her story.



Words Of War was being marketed to distributors this week at the Cannes Film Festival, where its production team planned to sign multiple deals to get the movie into as many theaters as possible worldwide. Filmed in Latvia in late 2022 and early 2023, the movie centers on Politkovskayas trips to Chechnya during the wars there, her efforts to win the trust of the Chechen people to let her tell their story, and the government corruption she uncovered.



The film begins with gripping scenes of Politkovskayas poisoning in 2004 on a flight to North Ossetia, which borders Chechnya. The flight is diverted and she is rushed to a hospital, surviving the ordeal after her family and boss sneak her out when they discover the hospital staff had no record of Politkovskaya having been admitted.



The film goes on to document the conflict within her family over the risks she is taking and her relationships with her editor, 2021 Nobel Peace Prize co-winner Dmitry Muratov. The producers originally wanted to film in Ukraine, but the launch of Russias full-scale invasion in 2022 changed that plan, and Latvia, whose architecture Maxey said is similar to that of Russia, made for a suitable -- and safe -- substitute. It even snowed at the right time to make the war scenes more authentic, he said.

Muratov, who was branded a foreign agent after winning the Nobel, is played by Irish actor Ciaran Hinds, while British actress Maxine Peake plays Politkovskaya. Audiences will be reminded that the journalist was killed in cold blood -- a murder that shocked the world and now ranks as one of the first in a long list of journalists, opposition politicians, and dissidents who have been poisoned, killed, or forced to leave the country since Vladimir Putin came to power in 2000.

Politkovskayas family, which had no role in making the film, expressed concern about the preliminary script in a statement quoted by the entertainment industry publication Deadline in March 2023. The statement said there were significant inaccuracies in the script and that it misrepresented Politkovskaya's life, work, and family."*

Attempts by RFE/RL to reach Politkovskayas family were unsuccessful.

A representative of the production team said the familys comment in 2023 was not about the Words Of War film but a reference to a preliminary script titled Mother Russia that had been shared with the family by the writer, Eric Poppen.

The representative also said the producers stand by the accuracy of the story, which they say was based on true events, though some scenes have been dramatized.

Maxey and Miriam Segal, one of the films other producers, felt strongly that Politkovskayas life story deserved to be made into a movie before it is further overshadowed by the string of other deaths and the atrocities of the war in Ukraine. They say the arrests in Russia last year of American journalists Evan Gershkovich of The Wall Street Journal and Alsu Kurmasheva of RFE/RL point to the prescience of the film.



Maxey told RFE/RL in a recent phone interview that the availability of the film now makes it tragically timely as the number of unlawfully detained journalists in Russia increases and as journalists in other parts of the world face more and more danger just for doing their job. The number of deaths, detentions, and intimidations is higher than many people realize, he said.



The goal this week at Cannes is to begin marketing efforts to reach a broad audience and raise awareness around that issue, Maxey said. The problem is not just a Russian issue but a global one that can be difficult to grasp until you realize that corrupt leaders go after the journalists, he said, and after they are killed or otherwise silenced no one knows about the corrupt leaders bad acts because theres no one there to report it.

'This Is So Important'



Everyone involved in Words Of War felt strongly that it was important to tell her story now, Maxey said, connecting it with the plight of journalists like Gershkovich and Kurmasheva.



Annas story is still very relevant and very real. Anna represents the best of all these people, Maxey said. For me personally, this is so important. Journalists should be able to report without fear of death or reprisal.

Though the film wont be competing for a prize at the Cannes Film Festival, Maxey and his team, which includes Sean Penn as executive producer, will screen the film as part of their efforts to draw as much attention to it as possible.



The marketing team is aware that they will have virtually no chance to seal a distribution deal for Russian cinemas because involvement would be a big risk for anyone inside Russia; Maxey said he believes anyone associated with the film in Russia would be jailed.



Politkovskaya was shot dead in an apartment building in Moscow. Two men were sentenced to life in prison and three others to long prison terms in 2014 for their involvement, but relatives, colleagues, and Western governments suspect that Russian authorities will never pinpoint or punish the masterminds of her killing because a thorough investigation would lead too close to Putins government or the Kremlin-backed leadership in Chechnya.

But Russians are resourceful when it comes to getting around government censorship, Maxey said, and the hope is that the film will be widely enough available that anyone who wants to see it will be able to.



Maxey added that a portion of the proceeds from the film will be donated to the Committee to Protect Journalists, which documents the killing of reporters around the world. In this way, Maxey said, Politkovskayas story will contribute to making the world safer for journalism.

*This article has been amended to include reference to remarks from Politkovskaya's family in 2023, efforts to reach her relatives, and additional comments from producers.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in an unannounced visit to Kyiv, vowed Washington will take "tangible steps" to ensure Ukraine's accession to the NATO military alliance and that the United States will support the country to ensure its security and sovereignty as Russia's attacks in the east intensify.

In a televised address to students in the capital, Blinken said the United States had been by Ukraine's side since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, and that it is still "with you today, and we will stay by your side.... You are not alone."

Blinken's speech focused mainly on enhancing Ukraine's security and building economic infrastructure as a means to pave the way for Kyiv's membership in NATO.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.

"When we hold the Washington summit in July, we'll take tangible steps to increase NATO's role in building a resilient, capable Ukrainian force, supporting its ongoing reforms that are integrating Ukraine into the alliance," he said.

"We are bringing Ukraine closer to and then into NATO.... We will make sure Ukraine's bridge to NATO is strong," Blinken added.

Russia has claimed it was forced to launch the invasion because the West was escalating tensions after years of provocative NATO expansion eastward and that deeper ties between the alliance and Ukraine represented a red line.

The alliance's leaders reject the accusation saying NATO does not seek confrontation and poses no threat to Russia.

Blinken told the students Russia would be made to pay for Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction and added that Congress had empowered the administration of President Joe Biden to seize Russian assets in the United States.

"It's what international law demands. It's what the Ukrainian people deserve," Blinken said, adding that Washington would work with its G7 partners on the seizure of Russian assets abroad for that purpose.

Before his speech, Blinken met with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and other senior Ukrainian officials and said badly needed weaponry had already arrived in Kyiv as part of a $61 billion military aid package recently passed by Congress.

Zelenskiy told the secretary of state that his country desperately needs Patriot air defense systems, particularly in the northeastern Kharkiv region, where Russia has ramped up its offensive in recent days.

Earlier on May 14, a Russian air strike hit a residential high-rise building in Kharkiv, killing nine people.

Russia has been pressing forward into the north of the Kharkiv region, with the Defense Ministry saying it had taken the border village of Buhruvatka. The claim could not be independently verified.



Blinken also met with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, and dined at a military-themed pizzeria founded by a war veteran, where he gave a ringing endorsement of the food, calling it "superb." He was due to also meet with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

On the ground in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine's General Staff said on May 14 that its forces had repelled a new attack in the direction of Vovchansk, a small town near the border with Russia that has been the focus of Moscow's offensive in recent days.

However, the military later said it was moving troops to new positions in the north of Kharkiv in response to Russian advances.

"In certain sectors in the area of Lukyantsi and Vovchansk, units have moved to more advantageous positions as a consequence of enemy fire and storming action and in order to preserve the lives of our servicemen and avoid losses," the General Staff said in a statement.

Earlier, Kyrylo Budanov, the chief of Ukraine's military intelligence, told Ukrainian television that the situation was stable in the Kharkiv area but that Russia may send in more reinforcements in the coming days.



Separately, Oleksandr Lytvynenko, the chief of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, told AFP in an interview that Russia had concentrated some 50,000 troops near the border with the region of Kharkiv, and that more than 30,000 Russian soldiers were currently taking part in the operation there.

However, Lytvynenko said the scope of Russia's move appeared limited. "We can say that we do not see the threat of an assault on the city of Kharkiv," he said.

British intelligence, meanwhile, said that, rather than attempting to take Ukraine's second-largest city, the Russian move was aimed at stretching Kyiv's depleted forces by forcing their reallocation from other battlefields.

"Russia is almost certainly attempting to divert Ukrainian resources from other parts of the front line and to threaten Kharkiv," the British defense ministry said in its daily intelligence update on May 14.

"It is unlikely that Russia has built up sufficient combat power to take the city without diverting additional forces into the area," it added.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service and Reuters
Tom Tuite

CCTV footage capturing the final moments of gunman Tristan Sherry and the fatal shooting of Jason Hennessy Sr in a restaurant on Christmas Eve was shown at a youth's hearing on Tuesday.

A 17-year-old boy accused of violent disorder by delivering kicks to Mr Sherry in Browne's Steakhouse in Blanchardstown faced a preliminary hearing to decide his trial venue.

Judge Paul Kelly refused jurisdiction to keep the case in the Dublin Children's Court, where sentences cannot exceed 12 months. He agreed with the Director of Public Prosecutions that the boy must be tried at a higher level with co-defendants in the Central Criminal Court.

Tristan Sherry (26), from Finglas, died of blunt force trauma to the head after shooting Jason Hennessy Sr at the restaurant.

Mr Hennessy (48), from Corduff, Blanchardstown, died in hospital 11 days after the gun attack.

Gardai charged the teenager in January with engaging in violent disorder in the restaurant on December 24th by using or threatening to use violence with others, which would cause another person present to fear for their safety.

Outlining the case, Detective Garda John Hayes said Mr Hennessy had been with family and associates when two gunmen entered and "opened fire".

"One gunman fled, and the other was grabbed by Jason Hennessy Sr; this gunman was Tristan Sherry. Both fell to the ground, and the firearm Tristan Sherry had was picked up by a person there," Detective Garda Hayes said.

"A number of people attacked the gunman on the ground," he said, adding that the boy was identified and kicked Sherry two or three times.

The court heard Sherry also suffered stab wounds.

Footage

The youth, accompanied to court by his mother, did not address the court and sat silently as the footage was played.

The video showed two masked gunmen entering and opening fire in the crowded restaurant while customers, including a small child, rushed for cover.

Detective Garda Hayes pointed to a youth onscreen sitting in a booth and alleged he was the defendant who hid under the table when the shooting began.

It was claimed he remained there during the initial attack on Sherry and that he emerged and helped another person lift Jason Hennessy Sr to carry him out of the restaurant.

However, it was alleged he then broke away from holding Mr Hennessy as he got closer to Mr Sherry and struck him two or three times with his feet.

Footage showed a youth, allegedly the accused, attempting to exit through a fire door, which he could not open, and he re-entered the restaurant, got his jacket and left while others were still attacking Sherry.

Detective Garda Hayes agreed with defence counsel Doireann McDonagh that the youth had no prior criminal convictions.

Counsel said the boy had average maturity for his age and was affected by peer pressure but maintained his innocence.

Judge Kelly, the District Court President, noted that the teenager did not face the most serious charge from the incident.

Refusing jurisdiction, however, he said the boy allegedly joined in the assault on Sherry after three or four minutes. "And at that stage, Mr Sherry was on the ground, clearly very badly injured and therefore unable to resist or pose a threat," Judge Kelly said.

The boy was remanded in continuing custody pending the preparation of a book of evidence, which the prosecution must serve before a trial order is granted.

He will appear again at the Children's Court in two weeks.

Seven other males aged 17-26 are before the courts.

Wayne Deegan (26), from Linnetsfield Avenue, Phibblestown, Dublin 15; David Amah (18), of Hazel Grove, Portrane Road, Donabate, Dublin; Michael Andrecut (22), with an address at Sheephill Avenue in Dublin 15; and a 17-year-old boy who cannot be named because he is a minor, were previously charged with murdering Sherry.

Three other men are also before the courts on related charges, including assault, violent disorder and production of a weapon during the incident.

One is accused of removing the submachine gun used by Sherry, which has not yet been recovered.

Another co-defendant, Brandon Hennessy (20), of Sheephill Avenue, Dublin 15, is a son of Jason Hennessy Sr. A court has heard he allegedly "retaliated" after his father was fatally injured.
High Court reporters

A Defence Forces order prohibiting attendance at unofficial protests and parades by a serving soldier is unconstitutional, the High Court has found.

Sergeant Martin Bright, who is also the deputy general secretary of the Defence Forces representative organisation, PDFORRA, brought a challenge over the August 29th, 2018, order by since-retired Deputy Chief of Staff Major General Kevin Cotter.

The case centred on whether Sgt Bright was entitled to attend a protest in Dublin in September 2018 over pay and conditions in the armed forces, organised by a newly formed and separate group calling itself Wives and Partners of the Defence Forces (WPDF).

Sgt Bright said, as a result of Maj Gen Cotter's order, he did not attend the demonstration as he believed the order meant he could be in breach of part of the 1954 Defence Act (Section 103.1) prohibiting Defence Forces members from joining, being a member of or subscribing to any political organisation, society or secret society.

He brought High Court proceedings against the Minister for Defence and the State claiming, among other things, the order was in breach of his rights under the Constitutional and European Convention on Human Rights.

The defendants denied the claims.

On Tuesday, Mr Justice Mark Sanfey ruled Sgt Bright had succeeded in establishing that Maj Gen Cotter's August 2018 order was in breach of the soldier's constitutional rights and outside his powers as being disproportionate.

Given those decisions, the judge did not consider the reliefs sought under the European Convention were appropriate or necessary.

Earlier, the judge said the attendance of soldiers at the WPDF protest in civilian clothing, in circumstances where they pointedly took no part in the event, other than listening and observing, seemed to be indicative of a conscious decision not to subscribe to the entity which organised the event.

Properly construed, the relevant section of the Defence Forces Act does not contain a general prohibition on political activity as such, he said.

The General Staff may be entirely correct as to the desirability of keeping a strict separation between military matters and involvement in political affairs, he said.

However, there is no statutory basis for compelling members to observe this separation, other than the limited imperative set out in the Act, he said.

In his view, the order was a blunt instrument which went much farther than necessary. There was no indication that the nature of the WPDF event in September 2018 was considered, he said.

There were no indications in advance of the events that they would be conducted other than in an orderly, respectful and non-confrontational manner, and the evidence made it clear that this is what transpired, he said.

He did not consider the "somewhat nebulous and ill-defined purpose of the order", insofar as it can be ascertained at all, was to warrant "a wholesale, blanket curtailment of the rights protected by Article 40 of the Constitution".

The judge also said the issue of what members of the Defence Forces may or may not do off duty in relation to matters which might be deemed "political" is a difficult issue.

However, he said, it is an area which requires regulation by the Minister in a manner which takes account of the interests and sensitivities of all concerned.
High Court reporters

A plastic surgeon has apologised to the husband and family of a mother of three who collapsed and later died 11 days after breast implant revision surgery.

In a letter read to the High Court, Prof Nadeem Ajmal offered a sincere and unreserved apology for the death of the woman, who was in her 30s, six years ago.

The apology was read out as the womans husband and family settled a High Court action for 3.23 million. The woman cannot be identified by order of the court.

The familys counsel, Patrick Treacy SC, instructed by Cian OCarroll solicitor, told Mr Justice Paul Coffey the mother collapsed in front of her family nine days after her surgery and was rushed to a hospital where a pulmonary angiogram showed a blood clot.

She was admitted to intensive care, intubated and ventilated but remained deeply comatose and died two days later in June 2018.

Mr Treacy said it was their case the woman should have been given compression stockings after the surgery.

It was also their case that when she was seen by the plastic surgeon seven days after the operation when she was complaining of pain and swelling in her leg, if a proper examination and investigation had been carried out, Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) would have been identified, and she would have been given anti coagulants and would not have suffered the blood clot.

The womans husband and children had sued consultant plastic aesthetic and hand surgeon Prof Nadeem Ajmal, with an address at Beaumont Private Clinic, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, and Bon Secours Health System Company, with registered offices at College Road, Cork, which managed the Bon Secours Hospital at Glasnevin, Dublin, where the woman attended.

Prof Ajmal, the court heard, admitted a breach of duty in the case and Bon Secours Health System denied all claims.

Apology

A letter read to the court signed by Prof Nadeem Ajmal said : I wish to offer you my sincere and unreserved apology for the death of your wife and mother and for my failings in care.

It added: I acknowledge and deeply regret the lifelong impact her loss has had on your lives.

In the proceedings, it was claimed the woman attended an appointment with the plastic surgeon at the end of April 2018 in relation to revisional breast augmentation.

In June, she was admitted to the Bon Secours Hospital, a private hospital in Glasnevin, Dublin, under the care of Prof Ajmal, and had the bilateral exchange of implants and bilateral capsulectomy in an operation which took about 95 minutes.

She was discharged the following day. It was claimed she was not provided with prophylactic compression or TED stockings on discharge.

Five days later, she developed pain in her left leg and swelling from her hip to her foot.

She attended Bon Secours Hospital and was seen by Prof Ajmal, who physically examined her without removing her leggings.

It was claimed there was a failure to arrange an ultrasound scan or to arrange urgent admission and give anti-coagulants.

Two days later, the woman collapsed and was rushed to another hospital, where a CT pulmonary angiogram showed massive pulmonary emboli.

She was admitted to intensive care and was intubated and ventilated, but died two days later.

Noting the settlement, Mr Justice Paul Coffey offered his deepest sympathy to the womans husband and family.
High Court reporters

A High Court judge has expressed significant concern about a pattern of alleged unlawful conduct by a company at the direction of controversial landlord Marc Godart, who is to be summoned before the court.

Mr Justice Brian Cregan said Green Label Short Lets Ltd has unlawfully terminated a womans tenancy, unlawfully evicted her, unlawfully removed her personal belongings from the rental property, ignored two Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) directions to pay her compensation, breached planning and fire safety regulations and refused to company with a District Court order.

This is an appalling litany of unlawful conduct, he said, adding that it is clear Mr Godart (35) believes he can defy the laws of this country, including orders of the courts.

The judge was satisfied it was appropriate for the court, of its own motion, to compel the Luxembourg national to give evidence to the court under oath about the financial circumstances of Green Label.

The judges ruling came in an application by the woman who was unlawfully evicted by Green Label from a property at Vintage Court, Cork Street, Dublin 8.

Lizet Pena-Herrera wants to enforce RTB awards of more than 15,000 she secured against the company for a termination notice and an egregious unlawful eviction.

She was evicted in 2022 after raising health and safety concerns arising from alleged overcrowding in the premises.

The RTB awards were not paid, so she got a District Court order for payment of the debt plus costs.

Mr Godart (35), a Luxembourg national with substantial property interests in Ireland, has told the High Court in an affidavit that Green Label has no assets and has effectively ceased operations.

Ms Pena-Herrera, a psychologist originally from Bolivia who has been living in Ireland since 2008, asked the High Court to order Mr Godart  Green Labels sole director  to come to court to give evidence about the financial affairs of the company, with a view to identifying resources that can satisfy the RTB awards.

Mr Godarts legal team argued the High Court did not have jurisdiction to hear the case.

Accounts

Mr Justice Cregan was satisfied the court could, of its own motion, direct Mr Godart to give evidence. He said he would also direct him to produce all relevant accounting records of the company.

The judge said he was not satisfied Mr Godart has set out the full truth of matters in affidavit, so it is necessary to question him further. In particular, Mr Justice Cregan was concerned about whom the correct landlord was in this case.

Ms Pena-Herrara entered a tenancy agreement with the company, which she thought was the landlord. However, Mr Godart has said this was only a letting agent that did not own any assets.

The judge said that Mr Godart solemnly and sincerely declared in the notice to quit served on Ms Pena-Herrera that Green Label owned the property and that he intended to agree to sell the building nine months after termination of the lease.

In an affidavit to the High Court, Mr Godart said Green Label was the landlord, the judge said. However, there is no evidence that the company was the owner or that it sold the property or that any proceeds of sale were reflected in the companys accounts, the judge added.

Previously, Mr Godarts senior counsel, Gary McCarthy, submitted that the property is owned by a woman living in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford.

After delivery of the judgment, Mr McCarthy, with Darragh Haugh BL, instructed by Shields Solicitors, said he needs an opportunity to consider the judgment. He does not yet have instructions from his client (who was not in court) but he may need to seek a pause on the rulings effects if his client elects to appeal the decision.

Senior counsel John Kennedy, with Liam Bell BL, instructed by McGrath Mullan Solicitors, for Ms Pena-Herrera, said any application for a stay would be contested.

The matter returns to court on Thursday.
Eoin Reynolds

A man who punched his former partner, held a broken bottle to her neck, threatened to kill her and imprisoned her in his home has had his two-year jail term increased to three years by the Court of Appeal.

The three-judge court quashed the original sentence after the Director of Public Prosecutions appealed it on the grounds that it was unduly lenient. They substituted the sentence for one of three years and six months with the final six months suspended for 18 months.

Ms Justice Tara Burns delivered the court's ruling on Tuesday afternoon, saying the original sentence of two years and six months with the final six months suspended, did not adequately reflect the aggravating factors.

She said the offending was "very serious" and was aggravated by the false imprisonment and the fact that it took place in a domestic setting. The original sentence, she said, did not adequately reflect those factors.

At the Central Criminal Court trial in 2023, Detective Garda Brian Holland gave evidence that the parties, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, had been in a relationship for some years but at the time of the offences they were not together.

The victim was in the defendant's home eating food when he accused her of having an affair.

He threatened her with a glass bottle, fractured her nose with a punch and struck her. When she tried to take the bottle from him, he smashed it off a table and told her he was going to kill her.

She believed he was going to stab her to death with the bottle and begged him not to kill her. When she ran, he assaulted her again by pulling her hair, punching her in the stomach and banging her head against a door.

When she tried to make for the front door, he blocked her exit and then knelt on her head on the floor.

She managed to call 999 by secretly taking his phone from his pocket.

The call was recorded by the emergency operator and the recording was used as evidence at his trial. Gardai were able to trace the call and arrived a short time later.

Conviction

The 36-year-old accused, who has an address in Cork, denied wrongdoing but was convicted by a jury of assault causing harm, production of a bottle during an assault, threatening to kill and false imprisonment at his home on February 13th, 2019.

He was further charged with seven counts of rape and one of aggravated sexual assault, but the jury found him not guilty of four rape counts and could not agree on a verdict in respect of the other charges.

In May 2023, Ms Justice Eileen Creedon set a headline sentence of three years' imprisonment but reduced that to two years and six months, having considered mitigating factors, such as the defendant's good work record and lack of previous convictions. She suspended the final six months of the sentence.

In submissions to the court on Tuesday, Alice Fawsitt SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said the judge had erred by choosing the assault charge as the central offence rather than the false imprisonment.

The maximum sentence for assault was five years' imprisonment while false imprisonment can attract a life sentence, counsel said.

Had the judge nominated the false imprisonment as the central offence, Ms Fawsitt said the three-year headline would have been too low given the serious nature of the offending.

Ray Boland SC, for the defendant, said the trial judge was in the best position to understand the nuances of the case. The assault, he said, was the central offence.

Ms Justice Burns said the sentencing judge had sentenced the defendant for assault, taking the false imprisonment and other charges into account.

However, Ms Justice Burns found that the judge had erred by not adequately accounting for the false imprisonment as an aggravating feature.

She said the offence happened in a domestic situation, which is a further aggravating factor under the Domestic Violence Act.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can contact Womens Aid (24-hour freephone helpline at 1800-341 900, email helpline@womensaid.ie) or Mens Aid Ireland (confidential helpline at 01-554 3811, email hello@mensaid.ie) for support and information.

Safe Ireland also offers a number of local services and helplines at safeireland.ie/get-help/where-to-find-help/. In the case of an emergency, always dial 999/112.
By Rebecca Black and Grainne Ni Aodha, PA

Northern Irelands First Minister Michelle ONeill has apologised for attending a large-scale funeral during the coronavirus lockdown.

The then-deputy First Minister and a number of Sinn Fein ministers attended the funeral of senior republican Bobby Storey in west Belfast in June 2020 when there were restrictions on social gatherings.

Footage of large crowds gathered on the streets for the send-off sparked controversy at the time, and the UK Covid-19 Inquiry has heard evidence that it chilled relations within the Executive.

This included the ending of the joint Covid-19 press conferences with Ms ONeill and the then First Minister Arlene Foster.

Then-deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill (left) and then-First Minister Arlene Foster during the pandemic. Photo: Kelvin Boyes/Press Eye/PA.

Giving evidence to the inquiry on Monday, Health Minister Robin Swann suggested it contributed to the public losing confidence in the Executive.

Appearing at the inquiry on Tuesday, Ms ONeill said she was sorry for having gone to the funeral, and sorry for the harm that was caused.

I know that my actions also angered the families and for that Im truly sorry. I am sorry for going and Im sorry for the harm thats been caused after (it), she told the Covid-19 inquiry.

Asked if she realised the anger that going to the funeral would cause, she said: I didnt, but I ought to have.

Ive said it publicly on a number of occasions about how sorry I am, and I am absolutely, from the bottom of my heart, sorry.

I do accept wholeheartedly that I in some way damaged our Executive relations with colleagues who had been working very hard with me the whole way through, and I also accept wholeheartedly that I damaged the public health messaging and I had work to do to regain that.

Last week, former Communities Minister Caral Ni Chuilin gave an apology for attending the funeral while appearing at the inquiry.

She accepted she should not have gone to the funeral during lockdown and apologised to the families who lost a loved one.

I am very sorry. I absolutely do see the impact and I also recognise that people were more than angry. I accept that and I really am sorry, she told the inquiry last Wednesday.

In July 2020, Ms ONeill acknowledged some grieving families had been hurt by her actions, but said: I will never apologise for attending the funeral of my friend.

In April 2021, Ms ONeill offered a heartfelt and unreserved apology to families bereaved in the pandemic for her actions in relation to attending the funeral.

It came when the Assembly was recalled from Easter recess to debate a motion of censure against her.

Ms ONeill told MLAs she was truly sorry for the hurt caused to those who had lost loved ones.

However, Ms ONeill was then criticised for her apology not including an admission that she had been wrong to attend the funeral when strict limitations on public gatherings were in place.
The Department of Integration has today confirmed that part of an apartment complex in Castlerea is being earmarked for International Protection Applicants (IPAs), who are seeking asylum in Ireland.

In response to a query from Roscommon-Galway Sinn Fein

TD Claire Kerrane, the Department of Integration confirmed to the Deputy that International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) has been engaging with the provider of this property and discussions are at an advanced stage.

The Department response also said it was anticipated that the property could be brought into use in the near future to provide accommodation to IP applicants.

No IPAs have been moved into the property. In advance of this property coming into use, the Community Engagement Team will provide a detailed briefing note to all local public representatives, the response noted.

Growing concerns have been raised in recent weeks by local people and public representatives about the lack of clarity around the future use of a section of the apartment complex in the town.

It emerged earlier today that a peaceful protest march organised by local people will take place on Sunday next in the town to allow the community voice its concerns about the issue.

The demonstration commences from the Lidl Store at 1 p.m. on the Knock Road and will move up through the town centre.
Uncertainty over the future use of apartments in Castlerea is leading to fear and confusion among local people, according to a local councillor.

Fianna Fail Councillor Paschal Fitzmaurice has raised concerns about what he describes as the lack of clarity around the future use of part of an apartment complex in the town.

There has been local speculation that a section of the property will be used to accommodate International Protection Applicants who are seeking asylum in Ireland.

In a statement Cllr Fitzmaurice said that after numerous contacts with International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS), he has received no confirmation to date that the apartments will become an IPAS centre.

Describing the lack of clarity on the issue as unacceptable, he said that information on their use should have been given to elected members of Roscommon County Council and Oireachtas members. This has brought fear and confusion for the people who live in Castlerea, he said.

The councillor also pointed to an accommodation shortage for local people and families, and believed the town was not the right place for this style of accommodation due to a housing shortage and it being a small town with limited service.

We have many Ukrainian and other families who live in Castlerea and they have been made welcome. We have people from many countries living and working in Castlerea and they contribute greatly to our local society," he said.

Cllr Fitzmaurice said he was contacting Oireachtas members, Roscommon County Council and IPAS again in a further bid to establish clarity on the propertys future use.

Roscommon-Galway Sinn Fein Deputy Claire Kerrane has also contacted the Department of Integration to seek information.

Deputy Kerrane said it was unacceptable that elected representatives had no information. We are now getting queries from constituents with genuine concerns and I am being put in a position where I cannot answer them truthfully and correctly, she said.

At the time of going to press the Department of Integration had not responded to queries on the issue from the Roscommon Herald.
A group of Irish Defence Forces veterans set off yesterday on a 170 km famine trail march across Ireland to raise vital funds for Veterans Charity, Oglaigh Naisiunta na hEireann / the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel (ONE). Taking place over seven days, the group of veterans will walk all the way from Strokestown to Dublin.

Donations can be made online, with members of the public encouraged to support participants as they make their way along the route. The march commenced at 8 am yesterday morning from Strokestown Famine Museum, County Roscommon.

The team is expected to arrive at their final port of call, Custom House Quay, in the Dublin City Docklands on Sunday 19th May at 3 pm.

ONE is a registered Irish veterans charity that was established to support ex-service personnel. Its primary objective is to support the needs of homeless defence forces personnel by the provision of accommodation in its veteran homes. It also offers counselling services and support to ex-service personnel, through its nationwide network of branches and veterans support centres.

Taking part in the fundraiser are veterans Jimmy Fullam, Peter Malone, Peter Downes, Ken Cleary, John Rabbitte, and Hugh O'Neill. After months of preparation, the team is ready to embark on the lengthy seven-day march, supported along the way by a number of Defence Forces members, and US Veteran Lt Col Bryan Bean Retd. A team of veterans will support the walkers at various stages of the trail march.

The famine trail dates back to 1847 when 227 families were evicted from their homes on Strokestown Estate in County Roscommon. As a result, 1,490 men, women, and children were forced to undertake a gruelling 170 km walk to Dublin in order to start a new life overseas. It was here that they sailed to Liverpool before being forced to board coffin ships bound for Canada. Over two-thirds died on the journey. For more information on the fundraiser please click here.

Speaking ahead of the march yesterday, Defence Forces Veteran and CEO of ONE, Cormac Kirwan, said:

We are absolutely delighted to be a part of such a fantastic fundraiser. We want to say a huge thank you to the 8 Irish Veterans lacing up their boots this morning and raising money for vital ONE services. Without the continued support of the public, we would not be able to provide the critical support our veterans so desperately need.
A major public protest is being planned in Castlerea town on Sunday afternoon to voice concerns about the future use of an apartment complex in the town.

The peaceful demonstration organised by local people will commence from the Lidl Store at 1 p.m. on the Knock Road and will make its way through the town.

Growing concerns have been raised by local people and public representatives about the lack of clarity around the future use of part of an apartment complex in the town.

There has been local speculation that a section of the property will be used to accommodate International Protection Applicants who are seeking asylum in Ireland.

Despite ongoing efforts by Oireachtas members, local councillors and the local media, no information of any kind has been forthcoming to date from the International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS).

It is understood that there are 13 apartments in the block, 10 of which have been completed and three are being finished.

One of the organisers of Sundays protest told the Roscommon Herald that people were very worried about the lack of information along with concerns about increased pressures on local services.

Yesterday evening, a protest involving local people took place outside the apartment block.
A protest is currently underway in Castlerea outside an apartment block.

According to the group the protest is to voice the concerns of the people of Castlerea in relation to the planned use of a number of apartments in the block.

There has been local speculation that a section of the property will be used to accommodate International Protection Applicants who are seeking asylum in Ireland.

No official confirmation has been forthcoming on this issue from the International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) to Oireachtas members, local councillors or the local media.

It is understood that there are 13 apartments in the block 10 of which have been completed and three are being finished. According to the group at the apartments this evening seven of the apartments are ready to move into.

Posting on social media, a spokesperson for the group said that they were there simply to register their concerns and to try and put pressure on to get information as to what was happening.

The spokesperson did acknowledge the efforts of the local councillors to try and get information and thanked them for doing so.
Gardai have seized a number of offensive weapons following the search of a vehicle at approximately 11.45 p.m. on the night of Sunday, May 12th in County Longford.

Gardai stopped and conducted a search of the car on the Athlone Road, Ballymahon, Longford.

Two men (aged in their 20s) and a male juvenile were arrested at the scene and were detained at a Garda Station in County Longford under Section 4, Criminal Justice Act, 1984 in relation to the seizure.

All three males have since been charged and are due to appear before Longford District Court tomorrow morning Tuesday, May 14th at 10.30 a.m..
By Cate McCurry, PA

Plans to cut payment rates for all Ukrainian refugees living in State accommodation has been described as fair and in line with best practice by the Taoiseach.

Ukrainian refugees who fled to Ireland in 2022 and early 2024 will have their allowances cut from the job seekers rate of 232 a week to 38.80 in the next three months.

The Government on Tuesday considering the memo and is expected to sign off on the plans.

It will mean many of the 100,000 people, who arrived in Ireland during the first two years of the war, will receive the same allowance as those who have arrived in Ireland since March, after the Government slashed rates for new arrivals.

Ukrainian refugees who fled to Ireland in 2022 and early 2024 will have their allowances cut from the job seekers rate of 232 a week to 38.80 in the next three months. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA.

Speaking on his way into Cabinet, Simon Harris said it is about consistency of approach.

It doesnt seem sensible to me that you could have two children from Ukraine at the same school today in a very different system of treatment for one persons family versus the other, he added.

There needs to be a consistency of approach.

Obviously, we have many people from Ukraine in our country. Many of them are working and making a valuable contribution to business right across Ireland, all of them with a legal entitlement to work.

I think we need to see that consistency of approach in relation to welfare and we need to make sure the system is financially sustainable.

I think Irish people have been incredibly generous and compassionate.

But at the same time, we also have to make sure the systems we have in place are grounded in common sense, that they are fair and in line with what is best practice across the European Union.

The move is among a number of measures to tighten rules around immigration.

The Cabinet is also to review entitlements of international protection applicants, as well as an increase in the number of workplace inspections.

Mr Harris said the Government will review the entire range of supports for migrants.

What we are going to do here is make sure that we have a sustainable migration system and that we have a consistency of approach in relation to a range of issues around welfare and accommodation, he added.

Todays memo should be seen very much in that guise. This is a compassionate country, but compassion does need to align with common sense.

I think there are a number of proposals coming from a range of ministers that will be helpful in relation to that.

He added: Firstly, we are not just reviewing payments, we are reviewing the entire range of supports and how the State interacts. So for example, you have many, many, many people who have status in this country, who are through the immigration system and who are still living in free State accommodation without making a contribution.

How do you best address that situation? When does the obligation in relation to social welfare end in terms of the process?

Its not necessarily just about a headline rate of payment, but more about how the welfare system and the accommodation system interacts.

Crucially, I want Ireland to be in line with the European Union. This is about looking at what other European countries are doing and making sure our country isnt out of kilter.

Ireland will always live up to its international obligations. Ireland will always take a compassionate approach. Ireland benefits from migration.

We also have to make sure our system is working, (our) system is efficient and effective, and meets the common sense test that Irish people wants to see us apply.
Vivenne Clarke

Fianna Fail TD Jim OCallaghan has expressed doubt that the UKs 'Rwanda Policy' will ever become operational.

Mr OCallaghan was speaking on RTE radios Today with Claire Byrne show, responding to a Belfast High Court ruling on Monday which found the policy cannot be used in Northern Ireland as it breaches human rights protections.

"I have my doubts as to whether it will ever become operational, but what the High Court in Belfast determined was, because of the [Nothern Ireland] protocol, which is now called the Windsor Framework.

"Article Two of that provided that there shall be no diminution of the rights of people in Northern Ireland that they have under the Good Friday Agreement, and consequently any proposal to remove people to Rwanda was determined by Mr Justice Humphreys to violate Article Three, which prohibits inhuman treatment," Mr OCallaghan said.

"My own assessment is that if you are a migrant in Britain at present, and you're concerned about the Rwanda policy becoming operational, I suppose it is an option, an attractive option is to go to Northern Ireland, where at present, under the judgment yesterday, that Rwanda policy cannot apply."

Mr OCallaghan pointed out that a decision was given by the Irish High Court on March 22nd, which said that Ireland could no longer view the UK as a safe third country.

"Many people have said, well, we can't make it a safe third country'.

"I think we should, but even if there is a question mark over making the UK a safe third country, I think the new legislation coming before the Oireachtas should definitely promise the making of parts of a country to be a safe third country, and certainly Northern Ireland, as things stand at present today is a safe third country," he added.

Asked if Northern Ireland should be designated a safe third country in legislation, Mr OCallaghan responded "absolutely".
Reduction in payments to Ukrainian refugees and threats to politicians are among the stories on the front pages on Tuesday's papers.

The Irish Times leads with plans in the next 12 weeks to cut payments to Ukrainian refugees in Ireland.

The Irish Examiner reveals politicians have been given security advice in the lead up to the June elections.

The Echo leads with the mother of a man who is jailed for attempting to murder her as she criticised the community health services.

The Irish Independent reveals mortgage gaps are costing some homeowners an extra 7,800 a year.

The Irish Daily Mail reveals migrants who may have mental disorders or victims of human trafficking are not being screened by the state.

The Irish Daily Mirror leads with the daughter of a victim of the Dublin Monaghan bombings as she calls for truth leading up to the 50th anniversary.

The Irish Daily Star leads with the headline "This is why we can't have nice things" as the livestream portal between Dublin and New York is temporarily closed.

British papers

Trials of a weight-loss drug which could cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes by a fifth feature heavily as a range of stories compete for attention on Tuesdays newspaper front pages.

The Times reports that the biggest study of semaglitude  known as Ozempic or Wegovy  could pave the way for millions of middle-aged patients to receive injections.

The Times: Trump ordered porn star payoff to save first presidential run #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/mCLiZb29Z6  George Mann (@sgfmann) May 13, 2024

The jabs are labelled a game-changer by the Daily Mail, a line echoed in the Daily Express which says the drug could cut weight and save lives.

Daily Mail: Ozempic slashes heart attack and stroke risk #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/PtzAU6Wa8W  George Mann (@sgfmann) May 13, 2024

The study also appears on the front of The Daily Telegraph, which leads on the arrest of three people accused of spying on Hong Kong dissidents in the UK.

The front page of tomorrow's Daily Telegraph:



'China fury at arrest of 'UK spies''#TomorrowsPapersToday



Sign up for the Front Page newsletterhttps://t.co/x8AV4Oomry pic.twitter.com/nVUMTLMqZf  The Telegraph (@Telegraph) May 13, 2024

The Independent concentrates on the Prime Ministers pitch to voters, saying he has pushed the nuclear general election button, while The Guardian looks at a Labour report calling for action on rent amid a growing housing crisis.

The Guardian: Labour report calls for rent caps

to tackle growing housing crisis #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/ltQi6BgqHt  George Mann (@sgfmann) May 13, 2024

The whole political spectrum comes under fire on the front of the i, which says all parties are failing save British wildlife.

The Metro turns its attention to royal matters with the King revealing he has lost his sense of taste during cancer treatment.

The families of Manchester United players have been told to make their own way to Wembley for the FA Cup final, according to the Daily Mirror.

The Financial Times concentrates on Anglo American rejecting an improved takeover proposal from BHP.

Just published: front page of the Financial Times, UK edition, Tuesday 14 May https://t.co/385Y5A4A80 pic.twitter.com/zHcVVXabiL  Financial Times (@FT) May 13, 2024

And the Daily Star reports on former US president Donald Trump labelling fictional cannibal Hannibal Lecter a wonderful man.
Protests against excessive taxation

Trade unions are protesting the high level of taxation

Protests against excessive taxation

Leyla Cheamil, 14.05.2024, 14:00

The excessive tax on labor imposed by the Romanian Government prompted the National Trade Union Bloc and 29 affiliated federations to take to the streets of Bucharest on Monday to protest against taxation policies. Under the slogan Respect for work and those who work! Workers in Romania no longer want to be the guinea pigs of fiscal experiments, representatives of trade union federations from all over the country organized a rally in front of the Government building, demanding a reduction in taxes, which they consider too high compared to salaries. Current labor market conditions are not encouraging, because high taxes translate as even more illegal work, trade unions say. According to the National Trade Union Bloc, Romania is the only country in the European Union and in the world where business contributions to the social security system have been shifted to employees since 2018. Thus, the contribution to health and the pension systems has doubled for employees, leaving employers with zero contribution. Therefore, Romania today has one of the highest tax burdens on labor costs in the EU: 42.8% compared to the European average of 38.6%, the National Bank of Romania states.

Over 87% of the fiscal burden is represented by contributions to the social security system. 82.6% of the budget allotted to the pension system and the health insurance system is covered by taxpayers, 97% of whom are active on the labor market. The fiscal burden placed on the shoulders of employees exceeds 50%, the maximum value stipulated by the Convention of the International Labor Organization and the European Social Security Code, protesters also pointed out. At the same time, Romania reported the third-lowest employment rate in the EU in 2023 after Italy and Greece, mainly due to low salaries and soaring taxation, Eurostat figures show. Only 69% of Romanians aged 20-64 are currently active on the labor market, meaning nearly a third of Romanians are out of work.

Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu admitted that labor taxation in Romania is one of the highest in Europe, arguing, however, that the main problem is labor taxation for low incomes. I cannot risk coming up with tax reductions for the minimum wage, only to realize that the number of minimum wage employees in the public sector has doubled, the Romanian official said. Marcel Ciolacu added that the Government will try to come up with a system of deductions for people with low incomes, and part of these measures might be introduced starting this year. (VP)
Strategy against human trafficking

Romania has launched the National Strategy for Combating Human Trafficking, an area in which it has been harshly criticized in international reports in the past.

Photo: Eric Ward / unsplash.com

Daniela Budu, 14.05.2024, 13:50

Criticized in past years for the inefficiency of its measures to combat human trafficking, Romania launched on Monday the 2024-2028 National Strategy for Combating Human Trafficking which aims to reduce this scourge, identify victims, offer them assistance and punish traffickers. Compared to the early 2000s, the country has made significant progress in its effort to combat human trafficking, both in creating the legal framework and in providing the necessary institutional organization, but there are still things to be done, according to those who participated in the launch.

According to the Interior Ministry, the Strategy is built on four pillars: prevention, punishment, protection and partnership. At the same time, it offers a clear framework for action aimed at improving the capacity of all structures involved in combating human trafficking. In a summary of the Strategy launched on Monday, the Interior Ministry said that there is a small number of specialized services for the assistance and protection of victims, including minors, cooperation between public and private institutions to ensure assistance to victims is difficult, and the funds allocated are insufficient. The US State Departments most recent annual report on human trafficking last summer noted that Romania did not meet minimum standards in the fight against human trafficking.

The document also showed that the judiciary, investigators and child protection authorities in Romania were rather on the side of the traffickers and, at the same time, were extremely harsh with the victims. Another report, published this year by the International Justice Mission, an international organization that fights against the vulnerability of victims of human trafficking, pointed out that the legislative changes in the field were not carried out in a coordinated manner by reporting on the problem of human trafficking, but, rather uncorrelated. The situation is also recognized by Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu who says that, unfortunately, Romania is also on the map of human traffickers, being recognized for almost 20 years as one of the main source countries for exploited victims in Europe. According to the data of the National Agency Against Trafficking in Persons (ANTIP), since the establishment of the agency in 2005, in 19 years, 19,000 victims of human trafficking have been registered in Romania and there have been over 4,000 convictions. In the first three months of the year, 173 people were investigated for crimes related to human trafficking.

In the message sent on the occasion of the launch of the Strategy, the Prime Minister also said that the official statistics from recent years show that over 500 Romanian citizens are identified as victims annually, and the figure does not include those who are already being trafficked, who cannot be found in official statistics. Furthermore, approximately half of the identified victims are children or young people, something that worries us even more, the PM also said. The authorities claim, however, that intervention methods have been identified, there are partnerships in place and the necessary resources will be allocated to combat this scourge. (EE)
The CMA issued a statement related to its probe of the completed acquisition by Pennon Group Plc of Sumisho Osaka Gas Water UK Limited. The CMA stated that that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the undertakings offered by the parties, or a modified version of them, might be accepted by the CMA under the Water Industry Act 1991.

On 7 March 2024, the CMA announced the launch of its merger inquiry. On 3 May, the CMA said the merger will be referred for a phase 2 investigation unless the parties offer acceptable undertakings to address the adverse impact of the merger on Ofwat's system of comparative regulation.

Following completion of the acquisition, Sumisho Osaka Gas Water UK Limited's name was changed to Sutton and East Surrey Group Holdings Limited.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
US forces have shot down two drones and a missile launched by the Houthi militants in Yemen Monday.

The U.S. Central Command said that its forces successfully destroyed the first drone in a Houthi controlled area of Yemen.

Later, the second drone launched by the Iranian-backed militants from Yemen was struck down over the Red Sea.

In the evening, missile destroyer USS Mason destroyed one anti-ship ballistic missile launched from Yemen over the Red Sea.

There were no injuries or damages reported by U.S., coalition, or merchant vessels.

"It was determined these weapons presented an imminent threat to U.S., coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region. These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels," USCENTCOM said in a press release.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Ukraine within weeks of passing the crucial US supplemental security funding to support the war-torn country in its fight against Russia.

While in Ukraine, Secretary Blinken will meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to discuss battlefield updates, the impact of new U.S. security and economic assistance, long-term security and other commitments, and ongoing work to bolster Ukraine's economic recovery.

"He will emphasize America's commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and democracy in the face of Russia's ongoing aggression," the State Department said.

On Tuesday, Blinken is scheduled to speak at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute in the capital. "He will address how the United States and other Allies and partners will help Ukraine achieve its goal of building a free, prosperous, and secure democracy - fully integrated into Europe and the Transatlantic Alliance".

Blinken's visit comes at a time Ukrainian troops are fighting furiously to blunt the Russian attacks on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city.

Ukrainian forces are supported on the warfront with arms and ammunition provided by the U.S. government after Congress approved a budget supplemental aid package on April 24. President Joe Biden announced a $1 billion assistance package at that time to meet Ukraine's critical security needs. On Friday, the United States announced another tranche of $400 million in aid.

The most recent package provides military capabilities to support Ukraine's most urgent battlefield requirements, including air defense, artillery rounds, armored vehicles and antitank weapons.

The delay in passing the supplemental aid package did have an effect on the battlefield, Sabrina Singh, deputy Pentagon press secretary, said in a news conference.

News reports from Ukraine noted that Ukrainian service members had to ration ammunition to front-line outfits. Ukrainian forces did lose some territory to Russia in Eastern Ukraine.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
The following are some of the stocks making big moves in Tuesday's pre-market trading (as of 08.30 A.M. ET).

In the Green

GameStop Corp. (GME) is up over 114% at $65.25.

AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (AMC) is up over 100% at $10.41.

SunPower Corporation (SPWR) is up over 56% at $4.30.

MicroCloud Hologram Inc. (HOLO) is up over 29% at $2.59.

Koss Corporation (KOSS) is up over 28% at $5.60.

Cheetah Net Supply Chain Service Inc. (CTNT) is up over 27% at $1.50.

BlackBerry Limited (BB) is up over 20% at $3.73.

Big Lots, Inc. (BIG) is up over 19% at $4.44.

Beyond Meat, Inc. (BYND) is up over 16% at $9.25.

Harrow, Inc. (HROW) is up over 15% at $14.00.

Rent the Runway, Inc. (RENT) is up over 13% at $22.73.

Maxeon Solar Technologies, Ltd. (MAXN) is up over 12% at $2.77.

Tupperware Brands Corporation (TUP) is up over 12% at $1.98.

Dawson Geophysical Company (DWSN) is up over 11% at $1.61.

In the Red

Augmedix, Inc. (AUGX) is down over 41% at $1.37.

Inotiv, Inc. (NOTV) is down over 34% at $2.75.

Eastside Distilling, Inc. (EAST) is down over 26% at $1.09.

Akoya Biosciences, Inc. (AKYA) is down over 24% at $3.10.

Alpha Technology Group Limited (ATGL) is down over 18% at $3.55.

Inspire Veterinary Partners, Inc. (IVP) is down over 17% at $2.67.

Shimmick Corporation (SHIM) is down over 16% at $3.02.

NuZee, Inc. (NUZE) is down over 11% at $1.87.

BuzzFeed, Inc. (BZFD) is down over 10% at $1.90.

Jamf Holding Corp. (JAMF) is down over 9% at $18.50.

INVO Bioscience, Inc. (INVO) is down over 9% at $1.10.

JanOne Inc. (JAN) is down over 7% at $3.55.

AGBA Group Holding Limited (AGBA) is down over 7% at $3.45.

MacroGenics, Inc. (MGNX) is down over 8% at $3.99.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Panel discusses challenges in South Africa's democratic journey [PIC CREDIT: Luyanda Dube]

By Ephreeda Banda

On 9 May 2024, the historic Albany Museum in Makhanda, South Africa hosted a significant event organised by Rhodes University's Political and International Studies Department, along with the School of Journalism and Media Studies and Makhanda Legends. The gathering brought together intellectuals, activists, and community leaders to discuss "The Erosion of Democratic Institutions and the Future of Knowledge."

Advocate Vusi Pikoli, the keynote speaker, reflected on South Africa's 30-year journey since democracy. He praised the improvements in infrastructure, such as better access to water and electricity for marginalised communities. Yet, Pikoli also acknowledged ongoing economic disparities, emphasising the wide gap in wealth as indicated by the Gini coefficient. He celebrated the progress but urged recognition of the mistakes along the way.

Politics honours student Ayabulela Mtshungwana spoke on the need to use the current constitutional framework to tackle issues like land reform and ethnic tensions. He suggested amending specific constitutional clauses to allow land expropriation without compensation, highlighting the potential for ethnic conflicts under the current law.

The discussion also covered the education system's failures, particularly its inability to fulfil promises of free quality education. Mtshungwana critiqued the judiciary, questioning the lack of female chief justices and citing perceived political interference in their appointments. He pointed out that despite the recommendation of Chief Justice Mandisa Maya, the president appointed Chief Justice Zondo, who had fewer endorsements.

Professor Siphokazi Magadla, Head of Rhodes Universitys Political and International Studies Department emphasised the underappreciated role of Africans in the making of the South African constitution, which is often understood to have been imported from elsewhere. She recalled the significance of the appointment of the Constitutional Committee of the African National Congress by then president Oliver Tambo on the 8th January 1986, as detailed in Andre Odendaals book, Dear Comrade President: Oliver Tambo and the Foundations of South Africas s Constitution She emphasized that Politics, Law and Journalism students need to be taught about the key role of people like Pallo Jordaan, Albie Sachs, Brigdet Mabandla, Penuel Maduna, Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri, Ruth Mompati, Vusi Pikoli and others, in the making of the South African constitution. She argued that these intellectual and liberation fighters belong to a long and proud African intellectual tradition that deserves to be theorized and celebrated.

Former Makana mayor Mzukisi Mpahlwa and Advocate Pikoli both stressed the negative impact of corruption on growth, underlining the need for meritocracy and warning against nepotism and political favouritism.

The event concluded with Archbishop Nkosinathi Ngesi calling on all present to pay respect to the fallen hero Makhwezi Mtulu, who was recently presented with the Order of Mendi for Bravery by the President of South Africa. His award was received posthumously on his behalf by his sister, Mama Thobeka Madyibi. This was followed by a performance of the hymn composed by Tiyo Soga "Lizalise Idinga Lakho," symbolising the resilience and unity of the South African people.

Reflecting on the discussions, the lecture highlighted the mixed experiences of South Africa's democratic journey, marked by progress, setbacks, and continuous challenges. The insights from the gathering were seen as a beacon of hope and a call to action for a more equitable and just society.

This dialogue went beyond academic discussion, resonating with the everyday experiences of South Africans and reaffirming the significance of civic engagement in shaping the nation's future. As South Africa moves into its fourth decade of democracy, the event's discussions inspire a renewed commitment to the ideals of freedom, justice, and equality for all.
NEW ORLEANS  Louisiana-born porn star Stormy Daniels announced Thursday that she will not run for U.S. Senate in her home state, ending a yearlong flirtation with politics that began as Republican incumbent Sen. David Vitter was working to overcome a sex scandal.

In an e-mailed statement, Daniels said she cannot afford a run for the Senate and, comparing herself to former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, complained that the media never took her interest in the race seriously.

To begin with, like Governor Palin, I have become a target of the cynical stalwarts of the status quo, Daniels said. Simply because I did not fit in their mold of what an independent working woman should be, the media and political elite have sought to relegate my sense of civic responsibility to mere sideshow antics.

Daniels recently declared herself a convert to the GOP with a press release making light of news that the Republican National Committee had picked up a nearly $2,000 tab at a sex-themed California nightclub. But her political publicity has been handled by Democratic operative Brian Welsh.

If nothing else, a Daniels campaign for the Republican nomination would have been a constant reminder of the 2007 scandal that broke when Vitters phone number appeared in the records of a Washington prostitution ring. Other than admitting a serious sin, he has steadfastly refused to discuss the matter.

Meanwhile, his political career seems to have survived intact. He has raised plenty of campaign money while bashing the policies of President Barack Obama, who is not popular in the state.

At the end of the latest filing period, Vitter had $5 million in campaign cash on hand, compared with $2.3 million for his Democratic rival, U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, according to Federal Election Commission filings released Thursday by the campaigns.

Vitter may yet gain another well-known rival because former Republican state legislator James David Cain has said he may enter the race as an independent. Vitter so far has no major opposition in the GOP primary.

Daniels (real name Stephanie Clifford) said during a listening tour last spring that she decided to explore a possible campaign after fans tried to draft her in light of Vitters troubles.

I completely ignored the whole thing for a while, and then I just got so much encouragement and feedback that I thought at the very least I owe it to myself and to the people to come out and see what they have to say, Daniels said at the time.

An exploratory committee incorporated last year solicited funds through the Web site TeamStormy.com, but because Daniels never became a candidate, she was not required to report finances to the FEC.

The TeamStormy site has not been updated in months, nor have there been any posts on the TeamStormy Twitter account as of midday Thursday. On another Twitter site, Daniels has made no mention of the possible campaign, but has continued to promote her adult films and personal appearances  including one this week in Raleigh, N.C.

Her political story took a bizarre turn last summer when she was arrested on a domestic violence battery charge after she allegedly hit her husband at their home in Tampa, Fla., during a dispute about laundry and unpaid bills. Charges later were dropped.

Her arrest came two days after Welsh, the Democratic operative, said his parked 1996 Audi was damaged by fire outside his apartment in an upscale downtown area of New Orleans. She didnt say much about her campaign after that until her announcement earlier this month that she was becoming a Republican.

Daniels accused Vitter of financing his campaign with special interest money but said she still might support him if he goes along with her proposal to abolish the Internal Revenue Service and the federal income tax in favor of a fair tax plan that includes a national sales tax.
The northern population of the giant hummingbird (Patagona gigas) stays in the high Andes year-round while the southern population migrates from sea level up to 4,200 m (14,000 feet) for the nonbreeding months, according to a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The two species appear identical, but their genomes and behaviors tell a different story.

The giant hummingbird of western South America is the worlds largest hummingbird.

This species breeds across 39 of latitude and over 4,400 m (14,400 feet) of elevation, but this is not the only way in which this hummingbird seems to bend the rules of life.

It is the most distinct hummingbird, having evolved on its own branch for 14 million years.

It evolved massive size (17 to 31 g), approximately twice as large as the next largest hummingbird, rendering its hovering, nectivorous lifestyle biomechanically and energetically improbable.

At tropical latitudes, giant hummingbirds reside year-round in the high Andes; however, southern temperate populations breed at sea level and embark on a mysterious migration during the austral winter.

In 1834, Charles Darwin witnessed their spring arrival from the parched deserts of the north, a reference to the Atacama Desert of northern Chile.

Ornithologists have since hypothesized that the nonbreeding range might include the Andes of southeastern Bolivia or northwestern Argentina, but the migratory journey and nonbreeding range have remained unknown, in part due to the technical challenges of tracking lightweight species.

Dr. Jessie Williamson from the University of New Mexico and Cornell Lab of Ornithology and colleagues wanted to figure out where these migratory giant hummingbirds spend the winter.

By affixing miniature backpacks tracking devices to hummingbirds, they discovered that migratory giant hummingbirds ascend over 4,000 m (13,000 feet) in elevation to the high Andes, flying as far north as the mountains of Peru.

This roundtrip migratory journey covers more than 8,400 km (5,200 miles)  about the distance between New York City and Buenos Aires.

It took a lot of trial and error to come up with a suitable harness design, Dr. Williamson said.

Hummingbirds are challenging to work with because they are lightweight with long wings and short legs. Theyre natures tiny acrobats.

One of the teams discoveries was that migratory giant hummingbirds dont just fly straight up to high altitudes  they pause their upward climb for periods of days to allow their blood and lungs to acclimate.

In this way, the giant hummingbirds employ the same acclimatization strategy used by human mountaineers.

Nobody had figured out where migratory giant hummingbirds go because they were hiding among the non-migratory giant hummingbirds, said University of New Mexicos Professor Christopher Witt.

The two forms of giant hummingbird look almost identical  for centuries, ornithologists and birders never noticed that they were different.

We couldnt have figured this out without the miniaturized trackers.

Genome sequencing of museum specimens allowed the team to distinguish the two forms of giant hummingbirds for the first time.

Natural history collections were absolutely essential to this work, said Ethan Gyllenhaal, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of New Mexico.

Including DNA from 154-year-old type specimens was key to solving this evolutionary puzzle.

In fact, these valuable historic specimens led the authors to the groundbreaking finding that the migratory and high-elevation resident giant hummingbirds had been evolving separately for about 3 million years, more than enough time to make them distinct species.

The giant hummingbird population that lives year-round in the high Andes is larger and has notably different blood and lungs than the migratory form.

The researchers are proposing straightforward common names: northern giant hummingbird and southern giant hummingbird.

The southern migrant species will retain the name Patagona gigas. The proposed scientific name for the resident northern population is Patagona chaski.

We have to figure out where these two forms come together and how they interact, Professor Witt said.

Do they compete, is one dominant over the other, how might they partition resources, and do they mix or spatially segregate within the winter range? Lots of interesting questions to pursue!

Im really interested in how southern giant hummingbirds make such dramatic shifts in elevation during migration. They travel from sea level to the high Andes in just a few weeks, Dr. Williamson said.

Theyre like miniature mountain climbers. How do they change their physiology to facilitate these movements?

_____

Jessie L. Williamson et al. 2024. Extreme elevational migration spurred cryptic speciation in giant hummingbirds. PNAS 121 (21): e2313599121; doi: 10.1073/pnas.2313599121
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Starlinks Growing Pains Saturday, 5 October 2024, 1:01 pm | Bill Bennett In this week's Download Weekly newsletter: Starlink is growing fast, but expanding subscribers numbers means more network congestion. Smishing comes to New Zealand. We don't look great in the GSMA digital transformation report. More >>

New Research Finds Significant Warming Of Ross Sea Region Thursday, 3 October 2024, 3:18 pm | University of Canterbury Nielsen, who moved from Denmark to New Zealand to study Antarctic Studies at UCs School of Earth and Environment, says Antarctica will experience significant changes due to global warming. More >>

Reforming Building Consents - Expert Reaction Wednesday, 2 October 2024, 11:01 am | Science Media Centre The options under consideration include reducing the number of Consent Authorities, as well as allowing building inspections to be done by private companies. More >>

Groundbreaking Polar Weather Research Initiative Launched Wednesday, 2 October 2024, 10:27 am | University of Canterbury The four-year Polar Coupled Analysis and Prediction for Services project is an international collaboration addressing the critical need for timely and high-resolution weather forecasts in the Antarctic and Arctic, where operations are high-risk, and observational ... More >>

Global Campaign For World-First Drone Set To Boost NZs Screen Sector Tuesday, 1 October 2024, 4:31 pm | HoverAir Industry experts say the campaign which required 70 scenes to be shot across mountain snow, forest and beach locations in two days could not have been made elsewhere in the world in the same time frame and with the level of scenic diversity found here. More >>

Beekeepers Share Expertise To Improve Hive Health Tuesday, 1 October 2024, 3:18 pm | Biosecurity NZ The beekeepers already had many of the answers, our study has just given them a voice to connect and share those answers with each other, says Principal Scientist Dr Richard Hall. More >>

New 3D Mapping Tool Launched To Assist Nature Investment Decisions Tuesday, 1 October 2024, 1:28 pm | Ecoindex Navigator X allows users to explore a 3D landscape with different coloured layers draped across the riverbanks, plains and slopes of Waitaha / Canterbury. More >>

Nothing To Sneeze At: Researchers Discover Microbiome Unique To Pine Pollen Monday, 30 September 2024, 10:18 pm | Scion This world-first discovery reveals that pine pollen carries specific microorganisms consistently across regions and years. This microbiome may also offer insights into future environmental and allergy research. More >>

Rare Species Discovered At Bennetts Stream Restoration Site Monday, 30 September 2024, 5:08 pm | Real Communications The recent discovery has prompted WIL biodiversity project lead Dan Cameron to consider further investigations to understand what other species could be living in Bennetts Stream & how their lifecycles interact with the unique nature of an ephemeral stream ... More >>

Proposed Stewart Island 1080 Drop An Ecological Disaster? Sunday, 29 September 2024, 4:18 pm | CORANZ Trying to control nature with poisons has not gone well for DoC in its other island eradications of mammals. More >>

Spark top for reliability in opensignal report Friday, 27 September 2024, 7:24 pm | Bill Bennett Spark tops table for reliability experience, 2degrees sweeps the board for 5G experience in 2024 Opensignal report. Chorus looks to Wireless IoT to expand its business. More >>

COVID-19 Tests No Longer Free In NZ - Expert Reaction Thursday, 26 September 2024, 3:32 pm | Science Media Centre Te Whatu Ora says the free tests collected now will have a shelf life ranging from December 2025 to May 2027. From October, the tests will only be available for purchase. More >>

Air Pollutant Trends Decrease At Most Monitoring Sites Over The Last Eight Years Thursday, 26 September 2024, 2:40 pm | Stats NZ Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) trends decreased at 99 out of 114 NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi monitoring sites between 2014 and 2023, environment and agricultural statistics senior manager Stuart Jones said. More >>

Understanding The Risk Of Acute Gastrointestinal Disease From Contaminated Drinking Water Thursday, 26 September 2024, 2:22 pm | Te Niwha Te Niwha is the national infectious diseases research platform and involves scientists from universities, crown and private research institutes in partnership with communities across the motu to be best protect Aotearoa New Zealand from current and emerging ... More >>

First Application Of New MetService Wind Speed Data At Counties Energy And ClimSystems Climate Risk Workshop Tuesday, 24 September 2024, 1:31 pm | ClimSystems ClimSystemss climate models have shown a consistent increase in extreme weather events over the next 50 years owing to climate change. Utility providers such as Counties Energy are looking into early adaptation to minimise service disruptions ... More >>

New Species Of NZ Ghost Shark Discovered Tuesday, 24 September 2024, 12:19 pm | NIWA It was previously thought to be part of a single globally distributed species, until research revealed it is genetically and morphologically different to its cousins. More >>

Making Livestock Feed From Greenhouse Gases In World-first Research Monday, 23 September 2024, 12:13 pm | Scion The four-year research project will be the first in the world to pioneer biomass feedstock production from gases and robust microorganisms that thrive in the extreme conditions found at geothermal sites. More >>

Funding Round Open For Greenhouse Gas Inventory Research Monday, 23 September 2024, 10:42 am | Ministry For Primary Industries The annual funding round for the Greenhouse Gas Inventory Research (GHGIR) fund is now open, with $2.9 million of funding available for new GHGIR projects in the 2024/25 financial year. More >>

Volcanic Ashfall: What Damage Could Be Caused After An Eruption? New Research To Assist Authorities And Communities Monday, 23 September 2024, 9:53 am | Natural Hazards Commission A volcanic eruption could affect thousands of buildings around the North Island, and we need a New Zealand model that provides us with a quick assessment of the scale of the damage, says Dr Josh Hayes, Natural Hazard and Risk scientist at GNS, who ... More >>

How The 2degrees-Vocus Merger Affected Competition Saturday, 21 September 2024, 4:15 pm | Bill Bennett Two years after 2degrees merged with Vocus the broadband market shows signs of being more competitive while there are mixed results in the mobile market. Spark to train SMEs in AI. Network for Learning gets an app. More >>

Spark To Power Transpowers TransGO Network Refresh Friday, 20 September 2024, 12:30 pm | Spark NZ TransGO is a fully converged fibre optic telecommunications network, connecting substations and sites with critical services including protection signalling, SCADA control system architecture and communication technology services. More >>

Widescale Harm Predicted From Microplastics Pollution  Expert Reaction Friday, 20 September 2024, 11:14 am | Science Media Centre A review of 20 years of microplastics research concludes that addressing the pollution problem, which could more than double by 2040, needs regulations that involve the public, social sciences, and natural sciences. More >>

Trust The GE Science  Whose? Friday, 20 September 2024, 5:22 am | GE Free NZ Removing the ethical and precautionary approach allows the Bio-tech developers to ignore the proper scientific process. It allows the release of patented, dangerous, polluting GE organisms into the farming and horticultural environment, failing New ... More >>

Tesla Powerwall 3 Launches In New Zealand: A Game Changer For Home Energy Storage Thursday, 19 September 2024, 5:11 pm | My Solar Quotes Kristy Hoare, founder of My Solar Quotes, has become one of the first in New Zealand to install the highly anticipated Tesla Powerwall 3 at her home in Matua. The installation was completed by Chris & Co, her trusted local electrical and solar experts, and ... More >>

"Now Or Never": Fight Against Invasive Clam Gets Critical Boost Thursday, 19 September 2024, 8:13 am | NIWA NIWA Principal Scientist - Freshwater Ecology Dr Deborah Hofstra is leading the MBIE funded research programme on corbicula. She & her colleagues will work over the next 5 years to improve our understanding of the clams and develop tools and approaches More >>

Molecularly Imprinted Polymers Successfully Remove Smoke Taint In Wine Tuesday, 17 September 2024, 5:58 pm | amaea Wine science researchers from the University of Adelaide have found that a tailor-made polymer developed in New Zealand could hold the key to removing smoke taint in wine. More >>

Culture Meets Tech At IBC2024 Monday, 16 September 2024, 4:19 pm | KIWA Digital Kiwa Digitals novel SaaS solution CultureQ was a finalist in the Social Impact category of the awards, which recognise an innovation that makes a positive impact in the industry and/or the wider world. More >>

Innovative Kiwi Businesses Unlock Global Opportunities With AI Monday, 16 September 2024, 3:39 pm | Callaghan Innovation Designed to boost economic growth and exports via the rapid adoption of AI, the AI Activator is a Callaghan Innovation collaboration with partners NZTE and NIWA. More >>

Carterton Celebrates World Space Week 2024 Monday, 16 September 2024, 3:24 pm | Go Carterton Go Carterton is thrilled to announce the launch of Carterton's World Space Week, running from Saturday 5 October to Friday 11 October, 2024. As part of the global celebration of World Space Week, this local event promises an exciting lineup of ... More >>
Latest Top Scoops Headlines

On Luxon Living In Denial About His Privilege Friday, 11 October 2024, 1:05 pm | Gordon Campbell Chris Luxons latest bout of self-congratulation was entirely irrelevant to the actual point at issue. Which was: shouldnt New Zealand tax the income earned from capital gains, for the same reason that we tax the income earned from wages? More >>

Welcome To Tariff Land: The Retreat Of Free Trade Friday, 11 October 2024, 12:42 pm | Binoy Kampmark Free trade remains, in general, a fantasy, dangerous for the naive who feel that by embracing it, they are somehow enlarging their appeal and standing. Often, countries extolling its value are only those desiring exclusive or privileged access to a market. More >>

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Edmonds Aims To Follow Willis - And Roger Douglas Friday, 11 October 2024, 10:46 am | Peter Dunne Edmonds admiration of the speedy way the current government went about its early changes simply confirms that a future Labour-led government will perform just the same as current government. Therefore, the National-Labour political merry go-round ... More >>

No Matter The Cost  Things The Israeli Genocide In Gaza Taught Us About Palestine, And The World Friday, 11 October 2024, 9:26 am | Ramzy Baroud One year of war has taught us that, while superior firepower may determine political outcomes in the short run, no amount of weapons can possibly break the will of a nation that has vowed to restore its dignity and win its freedom, no matter the cost. More >>

Why Socialism (Why Not New Zealand) Thursday, 10 October 2024, 6:41 pm | Ian Powell Ian Powell discusses an Albert Einstein 1949 article on socialism and its relevance to New Zealand. More >>

A Year Of Genocide - Despite The Unbelievable Pain, Palestinians Emerge Stronger Thursday, 10 October 2024, 3:43 pm | Ramzy Baroud The ongoing war has exposed the limits of Israels military machine. The typical trajectory of Israel's relationship with the occupied Palestinians has been predicated on unhindered Israeli violence and deafening international silence. More >>

License To Muzzle: Taking Offence At Flag Wavers For Hezbollah Wednesday, 9 October 2024, 2:24 pm | Binoy Kampmark In the previous first three instances, all outfits were integrated into the political fold of their countries, revealing the flimsy nature of badging organisations as terrorist entities. War makers and practitioners of violence can become peacemakers ... More >>

Animals Dont Have Complicated Relationships With Death Wednesday, 9 October 2024, 11:56 am | Martin LeFevre - Meditations Its no longer necessary or fitting to have all these symbolic representations of death. We can directly perceive the actuality of death, without fear and blind cultural immersion. And there is tremendous freedom doing so. More >>

On The Coalitions Fast-tracked Speed Dates With Property Developers Tuesday, 8 October 2024, 10:57 am | Gordon Campbell Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop admitted that not everyone will like his fast track wish-list, before adding: We are a government that does not shy away from those tough decisions." More >>

Raw Deals: The Continued Shafting Of The Chagossians Sunday, 6 October 2024, 2:46 pm | Binoy Kampmark The advocacy group, Chagossian Voices, deplored the exclusion of the Chagossian community from the negotiations which have produced this statement of intent concerning the sovereignty of our homeland. More >>

Effectiveology Saturday, 5 October 2024, 9:22 pm | Ian Powell Ian Powell discusses a new word for improving health systems. More >>

Handmaiden To The Establishment: Peter Grestes Register Of Journalists Friday, 4 October 2024, 1:34 pm | Binoy Kampmark Greste now wishes, with dictatorial sensibility, to further impress his views on journalism through Journalism Australia, a body he hopes will set professional standards for the craft and, problematically, define press freedom in Australia. More >>

Why Trump Could Become POTUS Again Thursday, 3 October 2024, 3:13 pm | Martin LeFevre - Meditations It may be wishful thinking, but I dont feel the outcome has been metaphysically determined, as it was with Bush before the 2000 election and Trump in 2016. More >>

On The Perils Of Israels War Fever Thursday, 3 October 2024, 12:25 pm | Gordon Campbell Israel seems on the brink of achieving the war with Iran that Benjamin Netanyahu has been trying all year to provoke. Until now, Iran had not replied in kind to Israels genocide in Gaza, its bombing of Irans consulate in Syria, and its assassinations More >>

Unrealisable Justice: Julian Assange In Strasbourg Wednesday, 2 October 2024, 2:24 pm | Binoy Kampmark Assanges full testimony began with reflection and foreboding: the stripping away of his self in incarceration, the search, as yet, for words to convey that experience, and the fate of various prisoners who died through hanging, murder and medical neglect. More >>

Presidential Marxism: AKD And The Sri Lankan Elections Tuesday, 1 October 2024, 1:11 pm | Binoy Kampmark AKDs presidential victory tickles and excites the election watchers for various reasons. He does not hail from any of the dynastic families that have treated rule and the presidential office as electoral real estate and aristocratic privilege. More >>

On The Dunedin Hospital Fiasco Tuesday, 1 October 2024, 12:01 pm | Gordon Campbell Finance Minister Nicola Willis was still insisting this morning that Dunedins promised new hospital project has gone  off track and that we all need to be sensible. So let's be sensible - the increase in costs has been the absolutely More >>

War Of Legitimacy - How The ICJ, UNGA Challenged Decades Of Israeli, US Arrogance Monday, 30 September 2024, 11:14 am | Ramzy Baroud UN resolutions are merely an expression of the balances of power that exist on the international stage. Therefore, Palestinians and their supporters should not expect that a UN resolution, binding or otherwise, will drive the Israeli military out of ... More >>

Zelenskyy Joins The US Election Friday, 27 September 2024, 1:13 pm | Binoy Kampmark The Ukrainian president has succeeded most brazenly in getting himself, and the war effort, into the innards of the US presidential election. In doing so, he has become an unabashed campaigner for the Democrats and the Kamala Harris ticket while offering ... More >>

Conditioning Is Not A Given Friday, 27 September 2024, 11:42 am | Martin LeFevre - Meditations Self-knowing parents and teachers deepening in insight will see how to help children intelligently navigate society, in which the old strictures and structures have broken down, replaced by toxic social media. More >>

African Union Must Intervene - Asylum Seekers Enlisted To Kill Palestinians In Gaza Thursday, 26 September 2024, 1:34 pm | Ramzy Baroud Many countries throughout Africa have already raised their voice in solidarity with Gaza and the Palestinian people. The bond between Africa and Palestine should now be strengthened by Israels utter disregard, not only for the lives of the Palestinians ... More >>

On The Governments Bizarre Hostility To A Capital Gains Tax Thursday, 26 September 2024, 12:11 pm | Gordon Campbell Antonia Watson, CEO of the biggest bank in NZ has come out in favour of a capital gains tax! Over the past three decades institutions and mainstream economists have all treated our lack of a capital gains tax as a globally unusual flaw in our tax ... More >>

Dunne's Weekly - No Quick End To Tana Saga Thursday, 26 September 2024, 8:41 am | Peter Dunne Under the Electoral Integrity Act 2018, there is a deliberate process for expelling a Member of Parliament who has left the party for which they had originally been elected. It is triggered by a letter from the Members party leader to the Speaker. More >>

Ancient Ancestry, Israel And Palestine Wednesday, 25 September 2024, 6:16 pm | Keith Rankin Why cannot these Levantine people just settle with each other, create a post-apartheid liberal secular state in which all races & religions are constitutionally equal, & compensate the descendants of the dispossessed for the loss of their land? And More >>

Sorry Secretary-General Guterres, Multilateralism Is A Pipe Dream Wednesday, 25 September 2024, 11:04 am | Martin LeFevre - Meditations The international order is dead, and the ideal of multilateralism is a pipe dream. The old institutions like the UN can still serve humanity, but only if they are superseded by enough human beings who have ended tribalism/nationalism within themselves. More >>

Careful What You Ask For Labour Party: Following UK Labour Not Smart Politics Tuesday, 24 September 2024, 7:52 pm | Ian Powell Ian Powell discusses the importance of the Labour Party demonstrating smart politics in considering UK Labours recent election win in the context of Chris Hipkins current visit to the UK. More >>

Project Disharmony: The Murdoch Family In Court Tuesday, 24 September 2024, 2:21 pm | Binoy Kampmark In upending the nature of the trust, Rupert intends to consolidate the power of the media imperium in the hands of his eldest son Lachlan. More >>

On Nicola Willis Perverse Hostility To Working From Home Tuesday, 24 September 2024, 11:00 am | Gordon Campbell Work-in-the-office mandates? Hell yes, Finance Minister Nicola Willis is all for them. Given half the chance, she believes, some people but not all will just skive off, otherwise. Willis is happy to barge in and tell departmental heads how ... More >>

Concerning Death, Hell And Illumination Monday, 23 September 2024, 10:58 am | Martin LeFevre - Meditations It is deeply mistaken to gloss over evil with fey love, within or without. Its only by facing and continuously learning from the darkness within us that we dissolve it, and thereby do our part to end the rule of evil in the world. More >>

Predatory Instincts: The Phoney Pharaoh Of Harrods Sunday, 22 September 2024, 1:50 pm | Binoy Kampmark Underneath Harrods glitz and glamour, observes US lawyer and prominent womens right advocate Gloria Allred, was a toxic, unsafe and abusive environment. That, it seemed, was far from phoney. More >>

An Attack On The Whole Of Humanity Saturday, 21 September 2024, 1:15 pm | Martin LeFevre - Meditations The insertion of explosives in thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies is one of the most evil acts ever perpetrated by a state in the history of nations. So the pervasiveness of the evil pertains not just to the Lebanese, much less demonized Hezbollah, but ... More >>

Failed Machismo: Israels Pager Killings Friday, 20 September 2024, 1:15 pm | Binoy Kampmark The pager killings in Lebanon and parts of Syria on September 17 that left almost 3000 people injured and 12 dead were just another facet of this move. On September 18, a number of walkie-talkies used by members of Hezbollah were also detonated, ... More >>

Israels True Objectives In Gaza, And Why It Will Fail Friday, 20 September 2024, 9:02 am | Ramzy Baroud The most optimistic estimation of Israeli army is that their war, which has practically destroyed all of Gaza, has resulted in a stalemate. A more sober reading of the war, according to former Israeli PM General Ehud Barak, is that Israel must end it before ... More >>

On New Zealands Timid Reluctance To Tax The Rich Thursday, 19 September 2024, 12:37 pm | Gordon Campbell In one respect at least, New Zealand appears to be the Monaco of the South Pacific. Our wealthy pay low income taxes, face no significant tax on their capital gains, and there is no wealth tax at all. If you were rich, why live anywhere else? More >>

Dunne's Weekly: Hipkins' Risky Overseas Trip Thursday, 19 September 2024, 7:58 am | Peter Dunne If there is a move afoot within the Caucus for change, Hipkins absence will give any challengers the opportunity to quietly canvass Caucus support and then to assess the mood of the Party overall. More >>

Peter Doherty: Public Science Communicator Wednesday, 18 September 2024, 2:20 pm | Binoy Kampmark When it finally comes to Dohertys turn to speak, one is immediately disabused by the image of a tyrannical professor lording over labs, staff and students. With mischief, he enters, unevenly, that treacherous field of educating the public about ... More >>

Beyond Irritation: Balis Tourism Scourge Tuesday, 17 September 2024, 5:42 pm | Binoy Kampmark In its modern form, Balis tourism industry has become a plague of monumental proportion. A group calling itself Responsible Travel is not shy in calling the Indonesian island one of the worlds most high-profile victims of mass tourism. More >>

Gordon Campbell On ACTs Plans To Strip Away The Rights Of Gig Economy Workers Tuesday, 17 September 2024, 12:38 pm | Gordon Campbell The ways the ACT Party are aiming to redraw the lines between being an employee and being a contractor will set back the clock, and reduce the ability of workers to organise collectively. In all parts of the gig economy, ACT wants to individualise More >>

Sunday Morning In California As The Season Changes Monday, 16 September 2024, 11:45 am | Martin LeFevre - Meditations Behind the impossibility of finding freedom in mans theological contortions is a refusal to face the human condition as it is, and do the spadework of finding out for oneself what is true and what is false. More >>

Abbas Postponed Democracy - So, Who Speaks On Behalf Of The Palestinian People? Monday, 16 September 2024, 9:35 am | Ramzy Baroud Only those who truly reflect the wider collective Palestinian experience and aspiration deserved to be centered, listened to or engaged with. Doing so would help protect the Palestinian cause of the self-seeking few, who use the Palestinian struggle as ... More >>

Bypassing Sanctions: Russia, Trade Routes And Outfoxing The West Monday, 16 September 2024, 2:19 am | Binoy Kampmark Russias inventive response to sanctions has revitalised its economy and trade, forging new routes and partnerships, particularly with China and India, amidst ongoing conflict in Ukraine. More >>

Zionism Vs Zionism - Ben-Gvir And The Acceleration Of The Collapse Of Israel Monday, 16 September 2024, 1:53 am | Ramzy Baroud The winners and losers of Israels ideological and political war are most likely to emerge following the end of the Gaza war, the outcomes of which will determine other factors, including the very future of the state of Israel, per the estimation ... More >>

Gordon Campbell On The Mindset Driving The Crisis In Public Health Monday, 16 September 2024, 1:52 am | Gordon Campbell Largely because of the financial crisis in GP practice, fewer medical students are choosing GP primary care as a career option. These problems have been decades in the making, but the response by the coalition government has been particularly abysmal. More >>

Gordon Campbell On Crickets Betrayal Of Afghan Women And Girls Monday, 16 September 2024, 1:52 am | Gordon Campbell What fresh horrors does the Taliban government have to inflict on women and girls before New Zealand will decide not to play cricket with Afghanistans national team? Does Cricket New Zealand think that the ICC should recognise an Afghan womens ... More >>

PM And New Maori Queen Need To Work Together Monday, 16 September 2024, 1:45 am | Peter Dunne In the wake of the sentiments expressed at Kingi Tuheitias tangi, and the goodwill his reign engendered, the Prime Minister and the new Kuini, Nga Wai hono i te po are now well-placed to work together to guide and shape that way ahead, if both are ... More >>

Craven Tokenism: The UK Suspension Of Arms Export Licenses To Israel Sunday, 15 September 2024, 11:20 pm | Binoy Kampmark To offer some mild reassurance to the disgruntled, notably regarding arms sales to Israel, the UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy promised to revisit the policy, editing it, as it were, to see if it stood the test of international humanitarian law. More >>

An Email That Almost Says It All Sunday, 15 September 2024, 10:54 pm | Ian Powell Ian Powell discusses an email by business journalist Bernard Hickey in the context of unfairness and inequity along with the social wage. More >>

Resolving The Problem Of Evil Sunday, 15 September 2024, 12:06 am | Martin LeFevre - Meditations At the peak of the meditation, when the mind had grown wholly still and present, a trio of river otters submarined by, heading upstream. River otters are as rare as coyotes in Lower Park, but here they were, totally adapted to the environment, ... More >>

Erdans War On The UN: The Brutal Wish Of Failed Israel Diplomat Saturday, 14 September 2024, 11:54 pm | Ramzy Baroud Even if the angry Israeli diplomat gets his wish, nothing will alter this historic truth: Israel will remain a colonial regime, and Palestine will continue to resist, till justice is finally restored. More >>
Latest World Headlines

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UNODC Report Exposes Escalating Threat Of Organized Crime In The Pacific Friday, 11 October 2024, 7:18 pm | UNODC The report highlights how foreign criminal groups are capitalizing on the regions geographic isolation, infiltrating legitimate businesses and using new technologies to advance their illicit operations while evading law enforcement. More >>

Success Story: Bougainville Cocoa Boom Fostered By Aid Donors Friday, 11 October 2024, 6:49 pm | RNZ For Bougainville, whose cocoa trees were old, tired and ignored by the end of the civil war, what was needed was the lift provided by aid donors through the Bougainville Partnership. More >>

Pacific News In Brief For 11 October Friday, 11 October 2024, 6:46 pm | RNZ A round-up of news in brief from around the region, including a damning report into the Solomon Islands government's Covid-19 economic stimulus package spending. More >>

Not One Country Is Doing Enough To Provide Clean, Accessible, And Affordable Energy Friday, 11 October 2024, 5:30 pm | Climate Action Network In the name of clean energy, big corporations are supplying the world with the hardware needed for the energy transition. At the same time, they are extracting the critical minerals needed without the consent of Indigenous Peoples and impacted ... More >>

MSF Urges Protection Of Civilians And Medical Staff Amid Israeli Bombardment In Lebanon Friday, 11 October 2024, 4:55 pm | MSF Australia As Israeli attacks intensify in Lebanon, healthcare facilities in areas most affected by airstrikes are being forced to close. This is leading to devastating consequences for civilians and their access to healthcare. More >>

Call For De-militarisation After Manawanui Sinking Friday, 11 October 2024, 2:19 pm | Stop AUKUS We are calling on New Zealands government and citizens to reconsider our foreign policy priorities, said Margaret Franken of Stop AUKUS. More >>

A Girl Marries Every 30 Seconds In Countries Ranked Fragile And Child Marriage Hotspots - New Report Friday, 11 October 2024, 12:40 pm | Save The Children Nour-, 15, in the tent where she lives with her family in Maban, South Sudan. (Photo/Supplied) A girl is married every 30 seconds in countries ranked as fragile states and with high child marriage rates, with about 32 million adolescent girls living in these ... More >>

At Least 3100 Children Aged Under Five Killed With Others At Risk As Famine Looms Friday, 11 October 2024, 9:12 am | Save The Children About 30% of the 11,300 identified children killed in Gaza between last October and 31 August were younger than five, according to a newly published breakdown of the ages of about 34,000 people whose deaths have been verified by Gazas Ministry ... More >>

Manawanui Surveyed Wreck Of 'Suspicious' Taiwanese Fishing Vessel In Niue Thursday, 10 October 2024, 7:46 pm | RNZ One of the final tasks the New Zealand Navy ship undertook before it sank off the coast of Samoa was surveying another vessel stranded on a Pacific reef. More >>

1 In 7 Children And Teens Impacted By Mental Health Conditions Thursday, 10 October 2024, 10:49 am | UN News Around one in seven children and adolescents aged 10 to 19 are affected by mental health conditions  with anxiety, depression and behavioural disorders among the most common, according to a new World Health Organization and UN Childrens Fund ... More >>

Monster Hurricane Supercharged By Fossil Fuel Pollution; Big Oil Must Be Held Accountable Thursday, 10 October 2024, 9:14 am | Greenpeace The total economic loss from the humanitarian crisis created by the previous Hurricane Helene, including damages to infrastructure, healthcare costs, blackouts, and business disruptions, was estimated by AccuWeather to be as high as $250 billion. More >>

Trailblazing Women Win Top UNHCR Award For Life-changing Work Thursday, 10 October 2024, 8:41 am | UN News Five trailblazing women  a nun, an activist, a social entrepreneur, a volunteer aid worker, and an advocate for ending statelessness  have been named the winners of this years UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award. More >>

PNG Ambassador To Israel Presents Credentials To Herzog In Jerusalem Wednesday, 9 October 2024, 5:38 pm | RNZ PNG opened its Embassy in Jerusalem last year, becoming just the fifth nation to do so, a move in defiance of international law. More >>

Inspector-General Finds 'No Legal Or Propriety Issues' Of NZ Spying For Israel Wednesday, 9 October 2024, 5:36 pm | RNZ The spy agency watchdog has rejected a call for an inquiry into whether New Zealand spying is helping Israel's war in Gaza, but is not ruling out one in future. More >>

PNG Prison Workers Union Not Taking Sides Over Failed Mutiny Attempt Wednesday, 9 October 2024, 5:33 pm | RNZ A group of officers, backed by police, stormed the correction services headquarters on Saturday, and tried to change the locks, but staff inside the complex had their own police backup. More >>

Mass Displacement Worsening Humanitarian Disaster In Gaza Wednesday, 9 October 2024, 4:43 pm | MSF Australia MSF calls on the Israeli forces to halt evacuation orders, which are causing the forced displacement of people, and to ensure the protection of civilians. They must also allow desperately needed humanitarian supplies to enter the north as a matter ... More >>

Kiwis Ready To Leave ASB KiwiSaver Over Illegal Israeli Settlement Investments Wednesday, 9 October 2024, 12:20 pm | Justice for Palestine The campaign launched on Sunday, 6 October and already over 1000 people have called on ASB to divest, including almost 500 ASB Customers who have committed to moving their funds. More >>

National Student Day Of Action Wednesday, 9 October 2024, 10:52 am | Manchester Leftist Action Students targeted the THE World Academic Summit with pickets, event crashes and demos. They mobilised to perform an office crash in Barclays Manchester city centre offices with over 50 students. More >>

FAO Asia-Pacific Calls For Urgent Action To Protect Right To Foods Tuesday, 8 October 2024, 6:45 pm | UN FAO This years World Food Day theme, Right to Foods for a Better Life and a Better Future, underscores the importance of the accessibility and affordability of a healthy diet as well as the long-term environmental health that sustains food ... More >>

AI Governance: Why Cooperation Matters Tuesday, 8 October 2024, 6:43 pm | APEC Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific and beyond can ensure that AI remains a force for gooddriving innovation, enhancing competitiveness, and fostering a more inclusive global economy. More >>

Water Is Canary In The Coalmine Of Climate Change: WMO Tuesday, 8 October 2024, 6:41 pm | UN News The year 2023 marked the driest year in over three decades for rivers around the world, according to a new report coordinated by the UNs World Meteorological Organization (WMO). More >>

Fijis Educational Curriculum Needs Comprehensive Sexuality Education Now! Tuesday, 8 October 2024, 5:24 pm | Fiji Women's Rights Movement Latest reports of teenage pregnancies published in a country assessment of adolescent pregnancies and motherhood in Fiji has reported that approximately 1,000 babies were born each year to adolescent mothers during 2016-2019, with the youngest mother recorded ... More >>

Guam Kingfisher: Sihek Release In The Wild Gives 'Hope For Biodiversity Protection' Tuesday, 8 October 2024, 3:46 pm | RNZ International wildlife conservationists responsible for bringing a native Guam bird species back from the brink of extinction hope to do the same for more wildlife in the Pacific region. More >>

French Pacific Send Delegations To UN Decolonisation Committee Tuesday, 8 October 2024, 3:35 pm | RNZ French Polynesia and New Caledonia are this week sending delegations to New York to attend the UN's 4th committee on decolonisation. More >>

WHO Calls For Action To Halt Rise In Hearing Loss In Africa Tuesday, 8 October 2024, 11:04 am | UN News The number of people in Africa living with hearing loss could rise to 54 million by 2030, up from 40 million today, unless urgent measures are taken, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a report published on Monday. More >>

Sudan: Children Should Be Safe Everywhere, Says UNICEF, As Fears Grow For El Fasher Tuesday, 8 October 2024, 10:28 am | UN News The UN aid coordination office, OCHA, voiced deep concern on Monday over the siege of El Fasher in Sudans North Darfur, where continued clashes are putting the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians in the region at risk. More >>

UN Officials Remember Brutal 7 October Attacks, Reiterate Need For Peace Tuesday, 8 October 2024, 9:01 am | UN News Senior officials from across the UN system underscored the need for peace between Israelis and Palestinians, and across the wider region, in statements marking one year since the brutal 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks on Israel. More >>

Gang Attack In Haiti's Pont Sonde Leaves 70 Dead Monday, 7 October 2024, 8:58 pm | UN News An attack by a notorious gang in the town of Pont Sonde, Haiti, left at least 70 people dead on Thursday, after gunmen armed with automatic rifles opened fire, a spokesperson for the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Friday. More >>

UN Condemns Deadly West Bank Airstrike, Attacks On Gaza Schools Monday, 7 October 2024, 8:55 pm | UN News The UN chief has strongly condemned the killing of several Palestinians, including women and children, who died when a residential building in Tulkarem camp in the West Bank was hit by Israeli airstrikes on Thursday night. More >>

Rights Expert Urges Universities To Respect Pro-Palestinian Protests Monday, 7 October 2024, 8:53 pm | UN News Universities must respect peaceful activism and revise repressive policies targeting the pro-Palestinian solidarity movement on their campuses, a UN independent human rights expert said on Friday. More >>

WHO Approves First Mpox Diagnostic Test For Emergency Use Monday, 7 October 2024, 8:47 pm | UN News The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday that it has approved the first mpox diagnostic test for emergency use, which will boost diagnostic capacity in countries facing outbreaks of the disease. More >>

UK: National Student Day Of Action Monday, 7 October 2024, 8:35 pm | Manchester Leftist Action Students are protesting Universities ties to Israel, demanding that these ties are cut and that Universities adopt ethical research and financial policies. Across the country students have united in this goal and will continue to take action until ... More >>

Rainforest Action Network Responds To EUDR Delay Monday, 7 October 2024, 8:25 pm | Rainforest Action Network The delay of the EUDR is a blow to forests everywhere, and for a climate-stable future, we simply can't afford to lose more forests. More >>

Lebanon: UN Experts Deplore Israels Increasing Disregard For International Law Monday, 7 October 2024, 8:13 pm | UN Special Procedures - Human Rights More than 1,600 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since October last year. At least 346,000 have been internally displaced and plans are underway to shelter up to one million IDPs. Hundreds of thousands have crossed into Syria. More >>
Gordon Campbell: On Luxon Living In Denial About His Privilege

Ever tried pulling yourself up by your bootstraps? Its really hard to do. Patting yourself on the back is easier, and PM Christopher Luxon (I get it: Im wealthy, Im sorted) seems to have a real gift for it. To no-ones surprise, Luxons latest bout of self-congratulation was entirely irrelevant to the actual point at issue. Which was: shouldnt New Zealand tax the income earned from capital gains, for the same reason that we tax the income earned from wages? As a bonus, a capital gains tax would also channel some investment away from housing speculation and into productive investment.
Tesco is facing criticism from shocked charities who say they are struggling to distribute unwanted food to homeless and hungry people after they claim the retailer brought in rules that mean unwanted food can only be collected in the evening. The supermarket group has switched to a new system which asks charities to pick up unwanted food, such as items reaching their best before date, only in the evening when a store is closing rather than the following morning, the charities have claimed.  Guardian

OpenAI announced on Monday that it was launching its new flagship artificial intelligence model, called GPT-4o, as well as updates that included a new desktop service and advances in its voice assistant capabilities. Chief technology officer, Mira Murati, appeared on stage to a cheering crowd in the OpenAI offices, touting the new model as a step forward in AI. The new model will bring the faster, more accurate GPT-4 AI model to free users, where it was previously reserved for paid customers.  Guardian

Plans for a large nuclear power station on the Welsh island of Anglesey risk being derailed by government rules that will add an estimated 20bn to the national debt, insiders have warned. Efforts to develop a gigawatt-scale scheme at Wylfa are on the agenda this week as Andrew Bowie, the minister for energy security, meets representatives from the South Korean state nuclear company Kepco. The company is among several thought to be in the running to build a plant at Wylfa, with a consortium that includes US nuclear giant Westinghouse also putting forward proposals.  Telegraph

It was billed as potentially one of the most aggressive sighting shots against a FTSE 100 company. In March the New York-based activist investor Elliott Advisors disclosed that it had quietly built a 5 per cent stake in Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust (SMT). Elliotts reputation for ferocity and opportunism has been second to none. It once seized an Argentine warship to apply pressure for a payout to bondholders. It has previously targeted another giant UK investment trust, Alliance Trust, in a siege that led to the expulsion of its chief executive Katherine Garrett-Cox, or Katherine the Great as she was dubbed in parts of the City.  The Times

Mortgage market pressures and wet weather drove a fall in new homes being built in the first quarter, new industry figures show. The number of new homes registered for construction slumped by a fifth year on year to 21,967 in the three months to the end of March. The number of new properties that were completed also slid by 13 per cent to 26,240, according to the National House Building Council.  The Times
The embattled seafood chain Red Lobster has abruptly closed nearly 50 U.S. locations, including more than half a dozen in New York state, according to multiple media reports.

CNN and local news stations in Buffalo, NY report that at least four locations in and around the city are shuttered. According to syracuse.com, Red Lobsters in the New York towns of Poughkeepsie, Kingston and Watertown are also closed.

The Red Lobster website also reportedly lists New York closures in Stony Brook, Scarsdale and Nanuet.

Media reports were based on the companys website listing the Red Lobster locations as temporarily closed.

CNN said that Red Lobsters in Orlando and Jacksonville, Florida were also closed as part of the move.

I was just notified by one of our local Red Lobster managers that after 31 years of serving our community, without notice, their parent company laid off the entire crew and closed the restaurant effective immediately,wrote Danville, Illinois Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. on Facebook. This is despite the fact that they were rated number 15 out of over 600 stores for customer service & satisfaction last year.

Last month, reports surfaced that Red Lobster was considering filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, as it sought to rid itself of some long-term contracts and re-negotiate leases.

The restaurant first opened in 1968 in Florida.

Known for its relatively affordable seafood prices, and dishes such as Creamy Lobster Alfredo, Wood-Grilled Sea Scallops and Garlic Shrimp Scampi, the chain is headquartered in Orlando, Florida.

Red Lobster had planned a new NYC location on Staten Island at The Boulevard shopping center, but announced in 2021 that it had pulled out of the deal.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  The NYPD, in partnership with District Attorney Michael E. McMahon, will host a gun buyback event in Stapleton this Saturday.

The event, part of the New York City Gun Buyback Program, is set to be hosted at Christ Assembly Lutheran Church, 27 Hudson St., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The no questions asked event encourages residents to sell any firearms in their possession. However, the event is not open to any current or retired law enforcement.

Those trading in an operable handgun or assault rifle will receive a $500 bank card. Any ghost guns or 3D printed guns will be accepted in exchange for a $200 bank card.

Anyone submitting an operable rifle or shotgun will receive a $75 bank card, while those handing in air guns, non-operational handguns and imitation pistols will receive a $25 bank card.

There is a three-gun-total limit and two-ghost gun limit per participant.

According to NYPD CompStat data from May 5, there have been six shooting victims and six shooting incidents on Staten Island this year.

On May 8, law enforcement officials conducted a ghost gun raid in Eltingville where they allege they found five unregistered handguns, a ghost gun, 13 high-capacity magazines, and a handful of other firearms.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  New York City public schools could soon lose hundreds of school nurses as federal funds expire, according to a recent report by Chalkbeat.

Since the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, many education programs have been supported or expanded with federal funding. That includes $65 million for about 400 contracted nurses that provide care at school buildings that didnt have a school nurse, according to Chalkbeat.

As the federal COVID-19 funding expires, its unclear if these nurses will be supported in the city budget.

Last month, the city announced it will protect $514 million in city Department of Education (DOE) programs that were previously supported with temporary federal COVID-19 stimulus funds, including mental health care, career readiness and literacy programs for public school students.

That allocation didnt include funding for contracted school nurses.

City officials told Chalkbeat that every public school has a nurse or school-based health center. Jenna Lyle, a spokesperson for the DOE, told the media outlet that the agency is grateful for stimulus funding that allowed every school to have a school nurse on site, and will continue to advocate for and prioritize this need throughout the budget process.

The education budget will be discussed further with the City Council during a committee hearing on Wednesday, according to Chalkbeat.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  You can join in on the celebrations this weekend with two different Staten Island-based events as the city rejoices in its 520 miles of coastline.

New York Harbor is cleaner today than it has been in more than 150 years and what better way to enjoy our 520 miles of coastline than by joining other New Yorkers to learn about and explore a unique waterfront space, New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala said. From Shirley Chisholm State Park along Jamaica Bay to the New Creek Bluebelt on Staten Island, DEP experts will be on hand to share the history of these spaces and the critical role these natural habitats will play in making New York City more resilient to climate change.

According to a written statement, the three days of merriment hosted by the Department of City Planning and other departments and organizations begins on Saturday, May 18, and concludes on Monday, May 20. Why these specific days, one might ask? Well, the numerical date is 5/20, and there are 520 miles of waterfront.

The dual Staten Island events will take place in Tottenville on Sunday, May 19, and in Dongan Hills on Monday, May 20, the written statement said.

LIVING BREAKWATERS TOUR

Multiple breakwaters just below Staten Island's coast. (Staten Island Advance/Joseph Ostapiuk)Staten Island Advance/Joseph Ostapiuk

For those on the South Shore, the Living Breakwaters Tour is a timely event to check out  especially since there is a kayak tour that will bring you closer to the breakwaters structures that have been a rousing topic of discussion for Tottenville residents. Kayakers must be over the age of 12 to participate in the event, though there is currently a waitlist to get into the water.

Conversely, if youre not too interested in getting up close and personal with the rocky construction  but still curious about the project and all that it entails  you can walk along the coastline while chatting with representatives from all sectors of the projects construction, the EventBrite detailed.

The event runs from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 850 Page Ave. You must sign up to participate in either the shore walk or the kayaking. The City Planning Department, SCAPE Landscape Architecture, and the New York State Homes and Community Renewals Office of Resilient Homes and Communities are the hosts behind this tour.

As construction of the Living Breakwaters nears completion, the shore walk and kayak tour with NYC 520 is an exciting opportunity to share how the Living Breakwaters will make the Staten Island Shoreline more resilient and celebrate the collective accomplishments of everyone who has made this important project a reality, especially the NYS Office of Resilient Homes and Communities and the Staten Island Residents who have advocated for and guided the project, said Pippa Brashear, Resilience principal and partner at SCAPE Landscape Architecture. SCAPE is excited to host this event with New York state Office of Resilient Homes and Communities and Kayak Staten Island, and be a part of the NYC 520 celebration of New Yorks exceptional waterfront.

STATEN ISLAND NEW CREEK BLUEBELT TOUR

This is a photo of the work on the south side of Hylan Boulevard, as a part of the $116 million expansion progress of the Mid-Island's New Creek Bluebelt on July, 26, 2021. (Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel)Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel

North Shore residents can delight in a tour of one of the latest Bluebelts on the Island, getting a chance to see two environmental feats: the new Last Chance Pond and Gateway to the Bluebelt stormwater wetlands. This particular Bluebelt is a part of the New Creek watershed, the statement said.

Get to known native flora and fauna, stormwater mitigation and other qualities of the location during the tour, which will be led by the Department of Environmental Protection Deputy Chief of Bluebelt Operations and Maintenance Robert Brauman, the EventBrite said.

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and participants will meet at 1885 Hylan Blvd. in the Staples parking lot. The DEP and City Planning Department are the coordinators behind this tour.

New York Citys diverse waterfronts are a defining feature of our city, and we are committed to making them more resilient, sustainable and ecologically healthy. These walking tours and events will allow New Yorkers to connect with nature and see the transformation these ongoing efforts are making firsthand. I encourage everyone to join us down by the water this weekend to celebrate our remarkable shorelines, and the work that has gone into making them better places to live, learn, work, and play, City Planning Director Dan Garodnick said.
A mom from New Jersey was drunk when she fell asleep holding her infant son, causing him to suffocate, according to a published report.

Michelle R. Stanton, of Lower Township, New Jersey, was charged late last week with manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child in connection with the death of her 6-month-old son Christian Canty, noted Advance/SILive.com sister site NJ.com.

The infant was pinned between the mattress and wall, according to NJ.com. The baby died on June 25, 2023.

Stantons father found his grandson unresponsive at the familys home. Christian was pronounced dead at an area hospital a short time later.

Stanton admitted to Lower Township police she drank 12 to 14 airplane bottles  or mini bottles  of alcohol in her bedroom while caring for her baby, the news outlet stated.

Nearly five hours after her son died, toxicology results put Stantons blood alcohol content at .148, according to NJ.com.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  With clouds rolling into the region, New York City residents will go for some time before soaking in the sunshine once again. The latest forecast from AccuWeather calls for a string of overcast days with the potential for showers throughout.

The glimpse of sunshine Tuesday morning was replaced with cloud coverage  a hint at the conditions to come. AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Dombek said that Tuesday looks to remain rather tranquil, with a potential to see a sprinkle of rain around 5 or 6 p.m. However, once the sun sets, showers can sporadically appear across the city over the next couple of days.

Mostly sunny skies this morning, with increasing clouds from the southwest through the afternoon. Highs will be in the upper 60s to upper 70s, with a chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms. For more details go to https://t.co/wTqdsonfJ9.#NYCwx #NYwx #CTwx #NJwx pic.twitter.com/dYHv9d8f24  NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) May 14, 2024

THE STRING OF RAIN

Unfortunately, its like you dont really have any time period here, the next couple of days, where you can really have any extended time where you can guarantee that its dry, Dombek said. Not that were going to be getting some big deluge in a huge rainstorm or anything, but it will be wet at times over the next couple of days.

The first batch of rain will come in Tuesday night, the showers initially starting off as spotty and light, according to Dombek. During the course of the night, those showers can develop into an on-and-off rain that might be a nuisance.

That rain will make for a damp Wednesday morning commute. While Dombek points out that this will not be drenching rain that results in flooding, it will certainly be a noticeable annoyance.

Thats basically the story for tomorrow (Wednesday). A cool, breezy, damp, wet at times type of day, Dombek added. It wont rain continuously, but there will be periods of rain tomorrow, probably into tomorrow night as well.

Dombek forecasts at least a quarter of an inch of rain; the potential persisting for half an inch to an inch of rain.

An AccuWeather graphic shows weather conditions in New York City for Wednesday, May 15, 2024. (Courtesy of AccuWeather)(Courtesy of AccuWeather)

Temperatures for Wednesday will climb to a high of 67, as noted by Dombek, before dropping to 57 degrees.

This slow-moving system will be heading out to sea Thursday, and as such, showers can linger into the morning and even the early afternoon.

Its going to stay pretty cloudy, its still going to be kind of breezy, cool, stay in the 60s that day, Dombek said.

HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND

Friday looks to feature the most favorable conditions, steering dry for much of the day, Dombek notes.

Our best shot for getting a dry day after this afternoon (Tuesday), is going to be Friday, said Dombek. We are expecting, for the most part, a dry day that day, with temperatures a little bit higher.

On Friday, temperatures are forecast to reach the low 70s, with Dombek calling for a high of 71.

Finally, at this time, Dombek believes the sun will break through the clouds at times and lighten up the five boroughs at least a little bit.

But that brief sunshine will soon be overtaken as we proceed into the weekend. Another chance at rain will overtake the first half of the weekend, Dombek reporting that the best chance for such precipitation falls on Saturday afternoon into Saturday evening.

Sunday remains dependent on the events of the first half of the weekend, as shared by Dombek. Should the weekend system move through at a quick pace, Sunday could clear up. However, if the system takes its time, clouds and potential showers could linger into Sunday morning and afternoon.
The reduced forces, in particularly the restriction of strings to one player per part, served the lush Romanticism of the opening work, Wagners Siegfried Idyll less well though the wind solos opened out the tonal palette refreshingly. Carby then sang three songs by Alma Mahler-Werfel, Gustavs wife to whom, to his discredit, he said she would have to give up composing to become his companion. Flirting with popular styles at times, Carby sang them with warmth and persuasive Romantic sensibility. The ACO has further performances in the City Recital Hall and Mahler devotees wont want to miss the chance to hear this performance of rare refinement. When George Met Arnold: a friendship forged in music

Sydney Symphony Orchestra

Opera House Concert Hall

May 15

Reviewed by PETER McCALLUM

 When George Met Arnold tells the story of the brief friendship that developed between composers Arnold Schoenberg and George Gershwin over games of tennis in Beverly Hills, California, from August 1936 until Gershwins sudden death of a brain tumour the following year.

The friendship has fascination because it seems so unlikely. Gershwin, whose hugely popular music captured the energy and pace of mid-twentieth century America, welcomed Schoenbergs decision to move to America in 1933. Schoenberg wrote a touching tribute to Gershwin in 1937, calling his early death a deplorable loss. Both were Jewish, and after leaving Berlin following the rise of Nazism, Schoenberg had recently reconfirmed his faith. Pianist Simon Tedeschi has long been an advocate for bridging classical music and jazz. Conductor Roger Benedict, pianist Simon Tedeschi and director Laurence Coy have created a screenplay of imagined conversations over tennis, compressing what each composer said, or might have said, into a dialogue that draws out shared musical values from radically different approaches. The film is punctuated by live performances of excerpts of music by both. Starting with the overture for the film Crazy Girl, which Gershwin was composing at the time (which incorporates his well-known Fascinating Rhythm) it includes excerpts from Schoenbergs Five Pieces for Orchestra, Opus 16 (movements 1 and 3), a recently discovered early Notturno for Strings and Harp, and parts of his Accompaniment to a Cinematographic Scene, Opus 34, String Quartet No. 2, and Piano Concerto.

Always an advocate for bridging classical music and jazz, Tedeschi drew out the brilliant energy of the climax of Gershwins Rhapsody in Blue and the finale of the Piano Concerto in F. The close pointed to musical parallels between Schoenbergs early symphonic poem Pelleas and Melisande and Gershwins Embraceable You arranged by Benedict. George Gershwin formed an unlikely friendship with Arnold Schoenberg. Credit: It is not quite a concert, since the excerpts would be unsatisfying on their own. It is also not quite a film because the relationship is not drawn with the psychological depth cinema demands. Yet as a hybrid it sustained interest comparable to the Brandenburg Orchestras recent exploration of the historic fire at Notre Dame Cathedral. Although the actors in the film, Chris Burke as Schoenberg, Sam OSullivan as Gershwin, and Emily Weare as Gershwins housekeeper, Hannah, speak with plausible characterisation, the statements come across more as position statements than genuine conversation. Yet they capture contrasting perspectives sufficiently to give this brief flowering of friendship a telling cultural meaning. This is a confident America greeting Europe in its darkest hour. It is an ageing tradition of immense richness meeting the driving energy of a musical style that lacks both history and a desire to have one.

It is also a popular composer on a wave of acclaim meeting an ageing giant of rebarbative modernism, shunned by his own culture, who, suddenly finding himself in Hollywood (another neighbour was Shirley Temple), found something very dear to him in the younger mans amiable personality. Greg Larsen: Revolting

Enmore Theatre, May 9

Until May 12

Reviewed by DANIEL HERBORN

 Before Greg Larsen became a weirdo icon of Australian comedy and a member of cultish sketch groups Skills in Time, Fancy Boy and True Australian Patriots, he was a goth punk, blithely ignoring the Queensland heat to dress in all black. His new hour, Revolting, named to capture both his penchant for gross-out humour and the loose theme of his youthful rebellion, flashes back to a time and place when he was out of work but full of fire, teaming up with societal misfits and throwing himself into any protest movement he could find.

Greg Larsen: a weirdo icon of Australian comedy. Most notably, he joined a punk band called The Feminazis (all men), whose politically charged music/performance art was as confrontational as it was inept. His tales from this era are boisterously entertaining, and his (suitably ashamed) replaying of the bands shouty pro-Medicare anthem is a farcical high. His saga continues when the band inevitably falls apart, and hes again at a loose end before stumbling into work for a porn company where he recruits desperate chat room denizens to a paid webcam. Again, Larsen is in his element, reeling off unhinged gonzo journalism-style dispatches from another eccentric chapter in his life. Revolting is a companion piece to Larsens acclaimed This Might Not Be Hell, which also looks back to his pre-comedy days when he was lashing out at the world, isolated, distrustful and righteously angry, but also searching for something to believe in. Its fascinating, uproarious stuff, elevated by Larsens grim but vivid turn of phrase; he describes his hometown, Ipswich, as the kind of place where every school has a kid with a rats tail who knows where to find a dead bird.

Mashing together the personal and the political, highbrow and lowbrow, Revolting is a messily inspired ode to staying weird. Angie McMahon

Opera House Concert Hall, May 12

Reviewed by BERNARD ZUEL

 Who? Here? How? It may be surprising to some that Melbournes Angie McMahon has almost surreptitiously reached the sales and status of an Opera House show. Theres not been the usual hoopla of radio domination, ARIA trophies or, most influentially, major attention overseas, though her fans are increasingly legion. And given her shellshocked response early in the show  and in the middle of the show, and late in the show, as she muttered more shock and awe appearing in a room shed never even stepped into as a civilian before  McMahon may be one of those most surprised.

Angie McMahon appeared as surprised as anyone that she had a gig at the Sydney Opera House. Credit: Jess Gleeson But it is not just the devotion of her fans  and they are passionately devoted: bringing homemade signs; repeatedly declaiming their feelings, even as McMahon told them she couldnt hear or locate them because of the in-ear monitors the band were using for the first time this night  or even some zeitgeisty willingness to be exposed and to say the truth, that has her here. Nor is it just the way her speaking voice, light and always on the point of withdrawing, is transformed when singing into a broad and deep-forging icebreaker that controls the space. It is the way intense songs like Saturn Returning and Fish rose from thick moods and tight grips and spilt over the edges in eruptions of power (the drums, the drums) and emotion (the voice, the voice). And the way Divine Fault Line got stronger the further it went on, even as it seemed to be carrying our weight as well as hers, while Exploding soared in exultation and Making It Through was a heart-sweller. If melody is not her flourish (the winding, crooning attractiveness of Black Eye and the cocktail sway of Serotonin notwithstanding) she compensates with a knack for the build: the last-chance power drive that used to define heartland rock. These are old-fashioned rock songs in loose shorts and 90s shirts, indie-rock songs in classic leather jackets and hotted up Toranas, songs of depression in uplifting garb.
After the Flood 

BritBox

After the Flood looks like  and more importantly, plays like  the kind of British crime drama thats been a welcome viewing staple for decades now. Its just six episodes; theres no time for self-contemplation or heady allusions, and it looks like it was produced for the catering budget of Apple TV+s recent London policing thriller Criminal Record. Tapped into contemporary concerns, the show is cheap and knows how to hook you in. Honestly, it was a welcome change of streaming pace.

Sophie Rundle as Joanna Marshall in After the Flood. Credit: ITV

It literally throws you into the deep end: torrential rain is flooding the Yorkshire town of Waterside and police constable Jo Marshall (Sophie Rundle) is trying to get to a mother and baby whose car has stalled in rising waters. With the help of a heroic stranger, Jo secures the baby, but the unknown man is washed away. Jo feels guilty, which is why when the dead body of a different man is found inside a flooded basement car park, she becomes obsessed with identifying him.

The shows creator, veteran actor and writer Mick Ford has most recently been working on Netflixs suite of Harlan Coben adaptations  thrillers such as Safe and The Stranger. Those shows are narrative machines, expert wind-up toys, but here, theres a sense of place and people that give After the Flood a lived-in feeling and smaller, plausible stakes. Everyone knows Jo and her mother, budding community activist mother Molly (Lorraine Ashbourne), and that familiarity tightens the screws on the unfolding mystery.
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Eating outMelbourne icon Heart and soul of Melbournes gastronomy: Legendary Italian grocer to close after 70 years Its the end of an era for a family-run business that helped change the citys eating and drinking landscape. Tomas Telegramma May 14, 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

Enoteca Sileno, the 70-year-old Italian grocery business that introduced many Melburnians to balsamic vinegar, durum wheat pasta, specialist risotto rice and Italian wine, is closing. Were a bit overwhelmed  its the end of an era, says co-owner Rosemary Portelli. Enoteca Sileno directors John and Rosemary Portelli. Supplied Rosemary and her husband John Portelli are both approaching 70, and the combination of getting older and importing difficulties, including longer transit times, led to the decision. Weve worked very hard. We love what weve done, but were ready to wind down, says John. There is a sense of relief, Rosemary adds. Forty years ago, the Portellis took over the business that Rosemarys father Luigi Gino Di Santo launched in 1953, after he migrated from Italys Molise region.

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When I was about 28, Dad said, Im really tired  if you dont want to take the business, Ill close it or sell it, Rosemary says of her late father. He was ecstatic when I said yes then ... and I think hed be ecstatic, and incredibly proud, with what weve done. John says hes been on the phone nonstop since they announced the shops closure. Some of the words from our suppliers, customers, staff have been extraordinary. You have no understanding of how much a place can have such an effect on peoples lives. The late Luigi (Gino) Di Santo in the original store in Amess Street, Carlton, in 2003. John Woudstra When Rosemarys father got his start in the 50s, Italian staples such as olive oil and parmesan were hard to find. Gino was among the first wave of enterprising migrants to get into the import game. First operating as L. Di Santo & Co, he helped introduce Australians to products now considered commonplace, including Italian mineral water, aged parmigiano reggiano, balsamic vinegar and Italian wine. In 1982, the Enoteca Sileno brand was born with its first bricks-and-mortar store on Amess Street in Carlton North  a bonafide enoteca, or wine repository, open to the public. Celebrating the depth and breadth of Italys regional varietals and winemakers  and artisans  a community of food and wine lovers burgeoned. Each [Italian] region has its own identity, and we wanted to showcase that, says John.

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The Enoteca has been the heart and soul of Melbournes gastronomy for generations. It brought in the best, it forced us to recognise the quality and created benchmarks of taste that many of us live by. Jill Dupleix Good Food writer Jill Dupleix says when she heard the closure news, she burst into tears. When I think of Enoteca Sileno, I think of this tiny little grapevine-covered shop in [Amess Street] North Carlton. That, for me, was the mothership. I think of the best olive oil! The sweetest tomato sugo! The carciofi [artichokes]! We would go to buy some parmigiano, and John wouldnt just go to the fridge and take out a calico-wrapped Toblerone of cheese. Hed bring out the whole wheel and start wiping it down, digging it out with his tiny special tool. The Enoteca has been the heart and soul of Melbournes gastronomy for generations. It brought in the best, it forced us to recognise the quality and created benchmarks of taste that many of us live by, Dupleix says. The Enoteca Vino Bar in 2004 at Enoteca Silenos Lygon Street home in Carlton North. Natalie Walker

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In 2004, the enoteca relocated to Lygon Street in Carlton North, its current home, where Rosemary and John have built on Ginos legacy. There was a restaurant until 2014, where chefs put the top-quality products into practice. We always insisted they had to use extra virgin olive oil in the pan [so] we used over half a million dollars worth in 10 years, says John. At first, other restaurants thought we were a threat. But then they realised that we raised the bar [for all of us]. Five years ago, Lygon Street was dying. Now diners are queuing out the door The restaurant ultimately closed to make room for more front-running Italian brands that continue to fill the shelves today, like Martelli and Rustichella dAbruzzo pasta and Ferron rice, as well as sought-after barolos and barbarescos, and herbal digestive amari liqueurs of all kinds. Weve been pioneers of so many amazing Italian products, says Rosemary. I hope people remember both Lygon and Amess streets as places of joy and discovery.

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John Portelli in his element in 1991. Enoteca Silenos physical store will close on June 1. The online store will remain open until all stock is sold, but may continue to operate afterwards in a much smaller capacity as the Portellis decide on a limited number of product lines to remain selling. Dupleix says she applauds their decision to close. But it leaves many of us bereft. We have many wonderful food shops and markets in Melbourne, but this was uncompromising in its commitment to artisanal quality, and its desire to share the best of Italy with us. 920 Lygon Street, Carlton North, enoteca.com.au

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Review Eating outManly Leisurely late breakfasts and shaken tahini lattes star at this cruisy beach cafe Excellent scrambled eggs, a zaatar-flecked brekky plate and exemplary service are just the ticket at Noon in Manly. Lenny Ann Low May 14, 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

1 / 10 Exemplary service and a community vibe say stay, stay, stay at Noon. Dion Georgopoulos 2 / 10 Scrambled eggs with black lime zaatar crisp, sourdough and cultured butter. Dion Georgopoulos 3 / 10 Ginger cake. Dion Georgopoulos 4 / 10 Noon owner Luke Miller Dion Georgopoulos 5 / 10 Bacon and egg with focaccia, free-range egg, smoked bacon and barbeuce sauce. Dion Georgopoulos 6 / 10 Rosti with cured ocean trout, fennel and herb salad, lemon myrtle, creme fraiche. Dion Georgopoulos 7 / 10 Matcha latte. Dion Georgopoulos 8 / 10 Dion Georgopoulos 9 / 10 Breakfast plate with zaatar, ocean trout, boiled egg and mountain bread. Dion Georgopoulos 10 / 10 Shaken tahini latte. Dion Georgopoulos Previous Slide Next Slide Cafe$$$$ Noon, which opened in April on a semi-residential street a few blocks from Manly Beach, serves breakfast dishes from the crack of dawn until early afternoon. No one, whether sitting on the dark ruby leather banquette curving the length of two walls, or the robyn egg-blue stools inside and out, is fazed by eating scrambled eggs with black lime zaatar crisp, or ricotta crepes laced with roast grape, almond and orange blossom, as the clock ticks past midday. Time is elastic at this street corner cafe, the air occasionally punctured by schoolchildrens shouts at the nearby primary. It could be 8am or 1pm, Monday or Sunday.

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Scrambled eggs with black lime zaatar crisp, sourdough and cultured butter. Dion Georgopoulos On an autumnal Tuesday, Noon is abloom with every age group at myriad pursuits. A toddler grasps the tall footpath tree outside, a crispy Noon hash brown in hand. A well-combed poodle-cross sniffs the sea breeze beside a laptop-tapping espresso-drinker on a bench at the wide open window. People in soft pale clothing talk intently over ginger cake with double cream or labneh basque cheesecake and gleaming rhubarb compote. A tradie waits at the front door. What would make me the most full? he says, staying outside because of his mud-crusted boots. Staff members, dressed in the zippered, wide-pocketed olive vest worn by Noon employees, consider this keenly before suggesting the substantial bacon and egg focaccia, made with smoked pork from Whole Beast Butchery in Marrickville, Peats Ridge free-range eggs, focaccia from Pioik Bakery in Pyrmont and house-made barbecue sauce.

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Ill take two, says the tradie. Luke Miller, the owner of Noon and its parent hospitality group Good Good, which also runs Chica Bonita, Sunset Sabi, Busta and Winona Wine, says the cafe is as much about food as it is about a community feel. Seven or eight years ago I met two of my closest friends at a cafe up the road, he says. I had no office, no anything. I was the first in every morning for a coffee and they let me sit there all day and work. The former owner and another customer who came in regularly are now my best mates. An that definitely left a sort of lasting impression on me that I didnt realise at the time.

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Ginger cake. Dion Georgopoulos To that end, Miller and his co-workers have worked hard on service. It is impeccable here. Staff, equal to a concierge in an evening restaurant, guide and attend to customers with warmth and grace. There is table service, carefully placed cutlery and almost instant water vessels. You feel wanted. Miller is also keen to bring different parts of Sydney into Manly. Noon features meats from Whole Beast, bread from Pioik and juices from West End in Kirrawee. I think in Manly we are a little bit sheltered from the world, he says. Its great to use local providores, but people are doing different things all over the city and I like finding different things. I wanted to bring something different to Manly.

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Most of Noons food is made in-situ. The most popular dish is the breakfast plate, a smorgasbord of ribboned, house-cured ocean trout edged with zaatar, soft-boiled egg halves, an excellent seedy bread, fresh dill fronds and cacik, a thick tangy Turkish sauce made with cucumber and yoghurt. Shaken tahini latte. Dion Georgopoulos Also excellent are the scrambled eggs, served round like the sun with cultured butter and sourdough; potatoes carnitas with rich, slow-cooked shredded pork, pan-fried potato cubes, eggs, lovely crunchy buckwheat and an Aleppo-peppered hollandaise; and mince toast, made with Blackmore wagyu, currants, toasted almonds and creme fraiche. The latter feels old-fashioned and family-like within its top-drawer richness and comfort. Drinks also have an elevated feel, ranging from Seven Seeds and Made of Many coffee to brilliant green matcha, a jewel-toned Egyptian ice tea with lychee and lime and an orangey ice-filled espresso with elderflower tonic. The cafes winning beverage, developed by staff member Will, is a shaken tahini latte, served warm or cold (choose warm).

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From morning to afternoon, as the sun floods in between rain clouds, order this earthy, nutty, cinnamon-topped bevy and allow a long unhurried visit. The low-down Vibe: Corner cafe with impeccable service, curated breakfasts and the whiff of sea air a block away. Go-to dish: Breakfast plate with zaatar ocean trout, boiled egg, mountain bread and cacik, rounded off with ginger cake and double cream Average cost for two: $50, plus drinks

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Eating outRestaurant news Melbournes first hatted lasagne restaurant is coming to Sydney for one night only Jamie Oliver hoovered up this lasagne during his Australian visit. Now Sydneysiders get a chance to try it. Bianca Hrovat May 15, 2024 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

Melbournes first hatted lasagne restaurant, 1800 Lasagne, is coming to Sydney for a one-night residency at QT restaurant Gowings on June 19. The pork and beef lasagne that started it all for 1800 Lasagne. Justin McManus Havent heard of 1800 Lasagne before? Well, its kind of a perfect restaurant, according to The Age chief restaurant critic Besha Rodell. It was also celebrity chef Jamie Olivers first stop during his Australian tour for MasterChef last year. As the name suggests, lasagne is the main event. Rodell describes it as a goddamn wonder, with delicate pasta, fluffy bechamel, and a pork and beef sauce as good as any [shes] had anywhere. Jamie Oliver with chef Joey Kellock and Georgia and Birdie Puttock at 1800 Lasagne in Melbourne. Instagram

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Sydneysiders will get their first taste of the signature dish this winter, when 1800 Lasagne head chef Joey Kellock teams up with Gowings head chef Sean Connolly to create a four-course feast for Good Food Events. Connolly, a self-described affable geezer from Yorkshire, leads a culinary empire of hotel restaurants, stretching from Esther at QT Auckland to The Wild Flower Bar & Dining in the small town of Killcare, on the NSW Central Coast. The veteran chef came on board at Gowings ahead of its relaunch in 2022, with a luxe New York steakhouse aesthetic. At the pop-up, Connolly will create a series of sides to accompany an entree and the signature lasagne from Kellock. Dessert will follow. The $149 ticket price includes free-flowing drinks, kicking off with Campari cocktails, before a wine pairing (or beer, if you prefer).

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Police did not name Saddik when informing journalists of the charge on Tuesday, but multiple sources close to the case and not authorised to speak publicly confirmed his identity to the Herald. Saddik was granted conditional bail to appear in Parramatta Local Court on June 11. It is illegal in NSW to publish any information that identifies complainants for prescribed sexual offences except with permission from a court or the alleged victim. Saddik and his notorious clients Sydneys lucrative drug war has centred on two names, the Hamzys and the Alameddines. The latter family has kept Saddik busy in the citys courts in recent years.

Saddik has represented alleged Alameddine clan kingpin Rafat Alameddine, his brother Talal, their cousin Hamdi, and fellow alleged associates Trent Jeske and Asaad Alahmad  Rafats brother-in-law and accused drug boss. Another regular client has been rapper Ali Ay Huncho Younes. When Younes recently walked free on bail a day after being picked up by NSW Polices Strike Force Raptor, he took to Instagram to post a photo of his solicitor with the praising caption, The fkn goat Abdul Saddik. Born and raised in Merrylands  one of the hotspots of the gang war  Saddik earlier told the Australian Associated Press he knew at a young age that law was what he wanted to do, but the past two years had been the busiest of his career. I always wanted to do law, I did my year 10 work experience at a law firm, Saddik said.

But this has been the busiest and, I would say as well, probably the hardest and most stressful time of my life, particularly considering the types of cases I take on. So much community attention, police attention [and] media attention, but it comes with the job and I understand that. In an Instagram post with a headshot, Karnib Saddik Law Firm described him as having acted in some of the countrys most prominent and complex criminal law matters. Abdul brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the table. His passion and commitment ensures that every case is handled in the most careful and accurate fashion, so that you leave with the best possible outcome, the post continued. The firm regularly posts videos of Saddik on Instagram and TikTok.

In February, one of its TikTok videos showed him sitting in his office holding a phone with the sound of a phone ringing. Inside the video was a screenshot of a news story about bricks of cocaine washing up on Sydneys beaches, with the caption reading, Calling the prosecutor to tell them the client found the coke at Bondi Beach, followed by an emoji with a face and long nose. The Instagram caption of the same video read: Yes, obviously he was going to hand it in! Caught in the sand, weve got you covered! Saddik declined to comment. with AAP
Editors note: Chris Dawsons barrister clarified in court a day after this report that the evidence suggested Lynette Simms left her engagement and eternity diamond rings behind, and there isnt, in fact, evidence that [she] did not have her wedding ring with her.

A top judge hearing Chris Dawsons appeal against his conviction for murdering his wife Lynette has noted the convicted killers account involved his spouse conveniently leaving her diamond ring behind when he dropped her at a bus stop.

Dawson has asked the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal to overturn his conviction for the murder of Lynette Joy Simms, then 33, who vanished from Sydneys northern beaches in January 1982. Her body has never been found.

Chris Dawson during his trial; Chris Dawson and Lynette Simms on their wedding day in 1970. Credit: Nick Moir, Supplied

During an interview with NSW Police in January 1991, the former teacher and rugby league player said he dropped Lynette at Mona Vale bus stop early on Saturday, January 9, 1982, so she could go shopping.
Sometimes I like to hang out in the r/australianpolitics subreddit, an online forum where politics nerds like me can vent with impunity thanks to the sites anonymity. Its a rough and tumble place thats great for testing ones ideas, but Im often struck by the animosity directed towards Baby Boomers.

Take this recent comment from one user: This country is run by the most boring people alive, dusty old boomers.

Boomers continue to cop flak from younger generations, much of it unfairly. Credit: Istock

Boomers are blamed for everything from the housing crisis to the prohibition on recreational cannabis use, but theyre an easy target. For too long, theyve been scapegoated for government policy failures and poor political leadership.

If Boomers once ran the place, they certainly dont any more. Based on the parliamentary handbook, there are around twice as many Gen Xers as Boomers in the current government.
When I was a teenager, my friends and I would go to underage nightclubs  every few months there would be a big event at QBH or Metro.

It wasnt just a few hours of entertainment on a Friday night, either. The anticipation in the lead-up was part of the experience. Wed buy physical tickets to the event from whomever at school was a promoter for the club. They would make $2 off each ticket they hocked, while other kids sold glow sticks. It was our own busy little economy  practise for the adult world.

A blue light disco in 1984. Credit: The Age archives

Youd go shopping with your friends for a cool outfit from Industrie or Supre and spend the week practising your dance moves in the mirror, hoping that on the night you could score a dance floor pash before the fluorescent lights came up to reveal the sweaty, teenage mess you truly were.

Decades on, my hair is still stiff from the amount of gel I lathered into my skull back then. I bet there are still particles of Lynx Gravity deodorant in my armpits.
MUSICAL

Rent 

Book Music & Lyrics: Jonathan Larson, His Majestys Theatre, until May 25

Forget the Moulin Rouge! musical. Sure, Baz Luhrmanns hit show took inspiration from Puccinis La Boheme, but its glossy fantasia was too shrewd  and arguably far too calculated towards making money  to capture the beating heart of bohemian life. For that, you need an enduring work of art; you need Jonathan Larsons Rent.

Theres not one weak link in the cast. Credit: Pia Johnson

The Pulitzer Prize-winning musical is to Gen X what Hair is to the Boomers and Hamilton is to Millennials, though theres much more to it than zeitgeist.

Larson  who died suddenly before the off-Broadway premiere in 1996, and never lived to see the global phenomenon his musical became  almost single-handedly wrested American musical theatre free from the colossal shadow of Sondheim, widening the scope for musical influence and innovation, and diversifying the field of who and what could be represented onstage.
In some ways Jim Chalmers third budget is a financial statement for our times.

As the population ages, and demand for disability services grows, it invests in Australias burgeoning care industries. As the nation confronts an epidemic of gender-based violence, it bolsters support for victims. And as the world moves towards net-zero, the Future Made in Australia package flags tens of billions for new but often-unproven technologies.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers (left) and former treasurer and prime minister Paul Keating. Credit: SMH

The budget includes measures to help women play a bigger role in the economy and, as geostrategic threats grow, allocates a record amount for defence.

But, sadly, it is devoid of reforms needed to ensure these measures can be funded in perpetuity.
Former defence lawyer David McBride has been sentenced to five years and eight months jail for stealing and then disclosing classified military information to ABC journalists.

He very clearly breached his duty. Statements to the contrary do not [align with] reality, ACT Supreme Court Justice David Mossop said on Tuesday.

Whistleblower David McBride outside the ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday morning. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Its very important to deter others from such conduct.

McBride pleaded guilty in November to three charges, including theft of Commonwealth property and breaching the Defence Act.
The Minns government has announced a suite of changes to NSW bail laws  making it much harder for those accused of serious domestic violence offences to get bail, and ensuring that if they do, they are subject to electronic monitoring. These are tough measures, which involve real costs for civil liberties. And they should not be treated as broad precedent for changes in other areas.

But they are also entirely justified  as a response to the unacceptable levels of violence currently experienced by NSW women and children. Too many women currently die at the hands of intimate partners. And even more women and children live each day with the fear and reality of family violence.

NSW Premier Chris Minns announced tough new bail laws after Molly Ticehursts death. Credit: Kate Geraghty, Sharni Tolhurst Photography

The proposed new bail laws will help address this in one critical way  by ensuring that it is much harder for the most serious offenders to continue inflicting these harms.

Overseas experience  from Portugal, Spain and the US  suggests that electronic monitoring can and does make a real difference to womens safety  providing it is done right. South Australia has already adopted a scheme of this kind, and NSW has done some limited pilots in this context. Other states have also made similar changes.
Blake Mozer will come off the bench for Brisbanes Magic Round clash with Manly on Friday night, after hooker Billy Walters succumbed to a wrist concern that could keep him sidelined for next weeks battle with the Titans.

In a harrowing injury period, Walters will join halfback Adam Reynolds in the Red Hill casualty ward with Tristan Sailor and Jesse Arthars.

Blake Mozer has earned an NRL recall with Billy Walters sidelined due to a wrist injury. Credit: NRL Photos

Mozer, lauded as a potential generational talent by some, got a small taste of first grade in the round 27 battle with Melbourne last season.

Early in the preseason the 19-year-old looked tentative taking the line on, but his recent showings for the Souths Logan Magpies have hinted at more confidence  running for 76m and making more than three tackle busts a game in the past three weeks.
Non-bank mortgage lender Firstmac has suffered a cyberattack, with customer details including credit card and passport numbers, Medicare numbers and drivers licence details stolen and published on the dark web.

The Brisbane-based firm, which is one of Australias largest non-bank lenders, told its customers in a letter that an unauthorised third-party had successfully infiltrated its information technology systems.

Firstmac customers are only now learning of their data being breached, weeks after the Brisbane-based lender was hacked. Credit: Getty

Unfortunately, our ongoing investigation has identified evidence that some personal information of some of our customers has been accessed, the company said in the message.

We are notifying all impacted individuals directly and providing steps that they can take to protect themselves from scams or phishing attempts, in line with our regulatory obligations  We have also notified the relevant authorities of this incident and are continuing to update them on any developments in our investigation.
The sea mellows on day two; icebergs shimmer into view. Distant white blobs dont make great photos but I cant help snapping away. Soon enough, icebergs appear more frequently and at closer range; only the most spectacular are immortalised in pixels. On board, the 335 passengers are organised into animal groups to facilitate Zodiac shore transfers. I become a Cape petrel, a common seabird in these parts that has a fondness for following ships. Zodiacs carry passengers for their first experience on Antarctic ice. By the time we reach Brown Station on the Antarctic Peninsula, Ive adapted to natures rhythms here. Its still twilight when we hit the sack but our cabins blackout curtains (cleverly edged with magnets) make it easier for us to fall asleep, and help the ship avoid bird strikes. Brown, an Argentinian research station, is unoccupied when we visit early in the cruising season, but it has a fascinating history. In 1984, the stations doctor was ordered to stay on for the winter. To say he was unhappy is an understatement  he torched the original facilities and station personnel were duly rescued. Guests step inside Brown, an Argentine Antarctic research station.

Unlike the bad doctor, we cant wait to step ashore at this stunning spot in aptly named Paradise Bay. The Nansens expedition team has pegged a path for us to follow. Its a steep scramble up the first few steps hacked into the snow, but using two trekking poles helps keep me upright. When I reconvene with fellow Cape petrels (after pausing at a penguin highway to allow the waddling birds right of way), most of us are emotional and a little teary that weve stepped onto our seventh continent. Gentoo penguins have gathered here to build their pebble nests and breed  but its too early to see chicks or experience the pungent smell of penguin poo that late-season cruisers often mention. Two crabeater seals laze in the distance. Some lucky passengers camp overnight on a small offshore island (tip: if youre keen but relegated to the waiting list, complete the safety briefing in case theres a last-minute drop-out). Gentoo penguins on Cuverville Island. The next day brings our final landing  although we dont know this yet. The Cape petrels, last to go ashore yesterday, are first to reach Petermann Island in the Wilhelm Archipelago. Tramping through cotton-ball snow, I wonder if early explorers ever felt overwhelmed by the beauty. My gloves stay stuffed in my pocket on this sunshiny day (I felt colder back in Ushuaia). Penguins are belly-sliding along their thoroughfares, feeding and fornicating (who wouldnt want to be a penguin in November?). Mostly, we see gentoos, although several Adelies, Antarcticas littlest penguin species, lurk too. As we return to the ship, penguins porpoise through the water alongside us, demonstrating their astonishing speed in their natural environment. I dont ever want to go to a zoo again, says a passenger, voicing my thoughts.

With pack ice preventing a third-day shore landing, I join a science-boat outing to collect water samples and see the Secchi disk water-visibility technique in action. Port Lockroys Penguin Post Office team also boards the ship to talk about life at their base and to sell souvenirs. Its still a sensational day. Weve slid right past icebergs with electric-blue innards (the disco colour is the result of air bubbles, which can interfere with the passage of light, being squeezed out of dense ice). HXs onboard Science and Education Centre. Throughout our journey, passengers gravitate to the MS Fridtjof Nansens Science Centre. Geeking-out here takes many forms, from peering into microscopes to examine water samples for tiny phytoplankton to chatting to the multidisciplinary science team members aboard the ship.

My journey includes an Australian expert on marine mammals, Connor McGarry, who grew up watching migrating whales from his familys balcony near Busselton, Western Australia. Being in a small community, youd see blows and ring your neighbours, he says. Between giving lectures for passengers, he also collects data on the abundance, distribution and behaviour of ice-loving seals  Weddell, crabeater and leopard  while noting their surrounding ice conditions. This, he says, will help scientists understand how seal populations and their distribution might change or overlap as sea ice inevitably changes. Passengers can also take a squiz at a wildlife list pinned to the wall to see what animal and bird species have been clocked during their journey and inspect green stay and food-waste charts that document daily on-board sustainability efforts. For each day that a passenger declines housekeeping services, 50 euro cents is donated to the Hurtigruten Foundation. These funds have supported organisations with projects ranging from restoring Norwegian sea-kelp forests and refurbishing a Greenland museum to using AI for whale science interpretation. Wildlife bingo a southern giant petrel glides above guests.

Our ships hotel manager, Gabriela Murara da Rocha, says green-stay numbers rise on rough sea days and sea days towards each cruises end when passengers are tired. Food waste calculation takes into account both excess production from the kitchen and leftovers from plates  which is higher on nights when theres a buffet for dinner. From my dining room window seat that night, Im hypnotised by the Lemaire Channels silky waters, ruffling like silver taffeta in our wake. Savour every moment in Antarctica. Suddenly, dinners interrupted: a surprise announcement crackles through the loudspeakers. Due to an onboard medical emergency, were returning immediately to Ushuaia. Antarctica is unpredictable - the human body even more so - yet its a disappointment. Some of us will never step foot on the continent again. In a daze, we drift to the open deck, where nature heaps consolation prizes upon us. Orcas are frolicking among the ice floes, as if to bid us farewell, and the White Continent is completely coloured-in thanks to a sunset that doesnt know the meaning of restraint.
London: Chinas ambassador has been summoned by Britains Foreign Office amid rapidly deteriorating diplomatic relations between the two nations after three men were arrested and charged with assisting Hong Kongs intelligence service.

In a meeting with Zheng Zeguang on Tuesday, British officials  on instruction of Foreign Secretary David Cameron  condemned a recent pattern of behaviour by China, including two malicious cyber campaigns that targeted parliamentarians and Britains Electoral Commission.

Chi Leung Wai and Chung Biu Yuen leaving Westminster Magistrates Court in central London. Credit: AP

The heightened tensions coincided with the head of Britains signals intelligence agency, Anne Keast-Butler, declaring that the Chinese government posed a genuine and increasing cyber risk to the UK.

Keast-Butler told a security conference in Birmingham on Tuesday that while the cyber threats from Russia and Iran were globally pervasive and aggressive respectively, China was her agencys top priority.
New York: The death toll in the Gaza Strip from the Israel-Hamas war is still more than 35,000, but the enclaves Ministry of Health has revised its breakdown of the fatalities, the United Nations said after Israel questioned a sudden change in numbers.

Israel last week questioned why the figures for the deaths of women and children had halved.

UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said the ministrys figures  cited regularly by the UN in its reporting of the seven-month-long conflict  now reflected a breakdown of the 24,686 deaths of people who have been fully identified.

Theres about another 10,000 plus bodies who still have to be fully identified, and so then the details of those  which of those are children, which of those are women  that will be re-established once the full identification process is complete, Haq told reporters in New York.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister Plenipotentiary Patrice Gumbs received a copy of The Plan, comprising two reports; the first a collection of the stories shared by the thousands of persons interviewed following the Dutch Governments apology for Slavery, entitled About us and with us and the second Tell the whole story, outlining the plans for the proposed slavery museum in Amsterdam. The Plan is the result of the work of the three quartermasters appointed to lead the Dutch Governments initiatives in the wake of the apology in 2022.



In the margins of the recently concluded 4th Conference of the Dutch Caribbean Heritage Platform, two of the three quartermasters, John Leerdam and Peggy Brandon, met with Gumbs to update him on their work. Gumbs commended the two for the work and underscored the need for continued dialogue between the Netherlands and Sint Maarten to come to mutually acceptable expectations on initiatives related to the apology. Gumbs stressed that open discussion on this topic is necessary. While some may have had discussions as part of oral family history, only recently are we bringing the conversation out of the dark and onto the national level." The only way to reach these mutually acceptable expectations is to unpack the long-term impact via dialogue to create a government-wide list of areas to address. Moreover, it is important to put this list against the National Development Vision, in consultation with Sint Maartens Advisory Committee on Slavery, to ensure alignment and a comprehensive approach to our discussions, locally and with the Dutch Government in the coming months.



In his discussions with the Quartermasters, Gumbs drew the link between the long-term impact of slavery and colonization on current Kingdom relations. While I dont believe in making this a blame game, one must acknowledge the legacy of colonization and then work towards moving on; first individually, secondly as a country, and finally together as a Kingdom. In his first statement following swearing-in on May 3rd, Gumbs said that while the past 14 years have at times been challenging, the lessons learned offer perspective for increased growth, cooperation, and collaboration on the basis of mutual respect, accountability, and shared interests. As Minister Plenipotentiary, I am looking forward to spearheading these discussions in The Hague".
Executive Chair urges businesses to leverage the Festival and gain access to millions of viewers, participants, and other business opportunities.

TORONTO CANADA:--- As Toronto gears up for the spectacular celebration of Caribbean culture, set to take place in July and August of this year, Jennifer Hirlehey, the Executive Chair of the Festival Management Committee, the producers of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival (formerly CARIBANA), is calling upon Caribbean business interests to seize the opportunity to showcase their brands to the anticipated 2.3 million attendees and millions more who interact with the Carnival via multiple viewing and online platforms.

Hirlehey, an attorney at law, has been spearheading transformative initiatives since assuming leadership of the Carnival a year ago. With a new strategic vision to reshape the Toronto Carnival into a more dynamic, efficient, and elevated event, she and the new management team have been working to establish the Carnival as both a cultural phenomenon and a thriving business platform for Caribbean interests. Our vision for the Toronto Carnival extends beyond exposing the rich cultural heritage. We also see the Festival as an opportunity to develop a vibrant business hub, offering unprecedented opportunities for businesses to showcase to millions of attendees and viewers, said Hirlehey.

It is estimated that the Toronto Carnival has an economic impact of over $500M, involving thousands of related businesses from parties and events, hotels, hospitality, food and restaurants, and other cultural-based organizations. The Festival, which attracts millions of visitors from the U.S.A, the Caribbean, Toronto, and other parts of Canada, is also viewed live on national television and various streaming platforms as well as thousands of other digital and social media accounts. There is no other platform like the Toronto Carnival to expose and build your brand, said the new Executive Chair. We believe that now is the time for Caribbean business interests to take advantage of the significant opportunities that the Carnival brings, she said.

The journey is not a short-term one according to Mischka Crichton, CEO of the Toronto Carnival. She explained that the organization is also preparing for its 60th celebrations set to take place in 2027. We are planning a spectacular affair building on the hard work of our predecessors to commemorate 60 years of growing the largest festival of its kind in North America, she said. Crichton is inviting business interests to grow with the Carnival.

Participating businesses can expect increased brand visibility, access to a large and diverse audience, potential sales opportunities, and networking possibilities with other businesses and attendees. The Carnival presents a prime business platform for any entity wishing to access millions of viewers, participants, and small businesses associated with the event, said Crichton.

This year the Carnival events include an Official Launch event on June 15, the Jr. King and Queen on July 14, the Junior Parade on July 20, the OPCA Calypso Showcase on July 28, the King and Queen on August 1, the OSA Panorama and Friday Night Mas both on August 2, the Grand Parade August 3, the Toronto Rum Festival and Pan in D Park both on August 4.

Interested business entities can contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

to learn more about the business opportunities.
Willemstad:--- The Social and Economic Council (SER) of Curacao, represented by mandate of the President-in-Office, by an official delegation led by Director and General Secretary Drs. R. J. Henriquez, participated with distinguished presence in the prestigious Ibero-American Forum of Economic and Social Advisory Councils and Similar Institutions. The event, which took place May 7-10, 2024, at the Centro de Formacion de la Cooperacion Espanola in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, focused on democracy, pacts, consensus, and the crucial role of socioeconomic advisory councils in promoting public policies for better democratic governance, sustainability, and climate change.

As president of the regional network CESISALC (Consejos Economicos y Sociales e Instituciones Similares de America Latina y el Caribe), the SER of Curacao lead the sessions on May 9 and 10. This important meeting, organized by the Economic and Social Council of Spain and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), provided a platform for in-depth discussions on the challenges in the Ibero-American region, including the role of institutionalized social dialogue in strengthening democratic structures.

During its interventions on the green and digital transition, the Curacao delegation used up-to-date and relevant information obtained from the Curacao Climate Change Platform (CCCP) and the association SIMIA, which focuses on promoting the software industry by encouraging the export of locally produced software solutions. The focus here was on promoting sustainable tourism, renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power, and innovative maritime projects, particularly the Proteus initiative, an advanced underwater research station, observatory, and research platform. Attention was also drawn to the digital transition, particularly the increasing use of generative artificial intelligence, and the importance of the software industry as a new economic pillar for Curacao. This is alongside existing sectors such as tourism and financial services and with the possibility of a revival of oil refining activities.

Ibero-American network

During the forum, there were further detailed discussions with the Secretaria General Iberoamericana about the possibility of establishing a network of Ibero-American socio-economic advisory councils. Although Curacao, as an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is not among the 22 Ibero-American countries, the Curacao ESC stressed its desire to be part of such a network as a member of CESISALC, which includes the 19 Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries of Latin America, as well as Spain, Portugal, and Andorra. Participation in this network could enable Curacao to share and gain insights on policy developments on both sides of the Atlantic.

During this four-day forum, more than 34 senior delegates from 11 countries from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe discussed the integration of sustainability and climate change policies into socioeconomic policies. The meeting highlighted the crucial role that socioeconomic councils play in advising on and shaping policies that promote social cohesion and economic stability. Also present were representatives from the International Labor Organization (ILO), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), who contributed to the discussions on these important topics.

The Curacao ESC recognizes the value of international cooperation and the exchange of knowledge and best practices. The meeting helped strengthen Curacao's position within the Ibero-American socio-economic landscape and generated insights and commitments that may be relevant to future policy developments on the island.

More information can be found at www.ser.cw
PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Justice Lyndon C. J. Lewis convened a meeting with members of the Nationaal Algemeen Politiebond (NABP) and the Algemene Bond van Overheid & Overige Personeel Opgericht (ABVO) this Monday. The meeting, requested by the unions, served as an introductory platform for their boards and members to familiarize themselves with the Minister's cabinet and receive an update on several pressing matters, including the pending National Decrees for justice personnel.

During the discussions, Minister Lewis, who has an extensive background in law enforcement and in handling HR legal issues related to the same, clarified the specifics of the phases. In Phase I, via the national decree, officers are to be appropriately placed in their correct positions and scales, ensuring they receive fair remuneration starting in January 2023. However, retroactive payments dating before that date, a point of contention, are set to be addressed in the subsequent Phase II. Minister Lewis expressed concerns about the current structure of the Nation Decree, indicating that he would have preferred a single National Decree that ensures consideration of the position, scale, and retroactive payment, noting that the current National Decree only places the individual in that function effective as of January 2023. Nonetheless, Minister Lewis stated that while the current agreed-upon process by his predecessor would not be halted, he seeks to refine these processes for the betterment of all parties involved.

To that point, the Minister also announced a shift in how ceremonial acknowledgments are handled; celebrations will be reserved for completing the National Decrees processes and issued directly to the concerned personnel. Additionally, he voiced concerns over the current pace of processing of 25 National Decrees per week. He intends to review and potentially increase this by reviewing where additional resources may be available to complete this task.

The Union raised concerns about the condition of the police station, among other topics. Minister Lewis responded by stating that discussions were already underway with the Chief of Police, Carl John, to assess the building so that the necessary funds could be acquired to fix the issues.

Rogerrel Mauricia, President of the police union NAPB, expressed optimism about the new approach, stating, "We must weather the storm and come out the other side stronger than ever."

Minister Lewis assured that this meeting marks the beginning of a series of collaborations to foster a transparent, efficient, and fair environment for all justice workers. Our goal is to work together, not just to address immediate concerns but to continue with the dialogue to improve the work environment for all, thereby improving the safety and security of our country, he stated.

The Ministry of Justice plans to hold further consultations as often as necessary to ensure transparency in refining and implementing the proposed changes.
Amazon cloud division head unexpectedly steps down



San Francisco, May 14 (AFP) May 14, 2024



The head of Amazon's AWS cloud computing business, Adam Selipsky, who was helping lead the company's expansion into AI, told workers he was stepping down Tuesday.

Amazon Web Services is a key subsidiary of the tech giant, having made $25 billion worldwide in the first quarter, capitalizing on the growing appetite among businesses for remote computer and artificial intelligence services.

In a memo to staff, Selipsky said he was leaving with "mixed emotions," but "given the state of the business and the leadership team, now is an appropriate moment for me to make this transition."

Selipsky was promoted to the leadership of AWS in 2021, replacing Andy Jassy, who took over the reins of the entire Amazon juggernaut when founder Jeff Bezos stepped down as CEO.

Matt Garman, senior vice president of sales and marketing at AWS, will succeed Selipsky, Amazon said.

"Matt has an unusually strong set of skills and experiences for his new role," said Amazon CEO Jassy.

A pioneer of e-commerce, Amazon also dominates the cloud. AWS had 31 percent of the cloud computing market at the end of 2023, according to Stocklytics.

But rivals Microsoft and Google are gaining ground with their cloud businesses, with 24 percent and 11 percent market share respectively.

The race has become particularly heated since the deployment of ChatGPT-style artificial intelligence that the cloud companies are offering to clients who want to buy into the AI revolution.

But AWS is less known to the public and Amazon does not have the flagship AI brands such as ChatGPT or Google's Gemini that are being deployed across those firms' lines of products.

AWS in April cut hundreds of jobs, particularly in sales and marketing, to better focus on AI and other priorities.

But Selipsky told AFP in an interview on April 13 that AI has not replaced any of the cloud platform workers.

"AWS has thousands of job postings online today, and yesterday, and the day before, and we will also have (them) tomorrow," he said.
Egypt arrests Uber driver after latest attack on women



Cairo, May 14 (AFP) May 14, 2024



Police in Cairo have arrested an Uber driver on suspicion of attempted sexual assault, the latest incident targeting women using the ride-hailing app in Egypt.

The interior ministry said the driver had "tried to assault" a passenger with a box-cutter on the side of a road in the Egyptian capital on Sunday.

The passenger was injured but able to escape, the ministry said in a brief statement.

Uber said the assault was sexual in nature and that it was "deeply saddened" by the incident, in a statement sent to AFP.

It was the second such attack involving Uber to spark public outrage in Egypt.

In March, 23-year-old Habiba al-Shamaa died of her injuries after throwing herself from an Uber car on a Cairo highway when her driver attempted to kidnap her.

The passenger involved in the latest incident was not identified, but her sister told MBC television in a phone interview that she had fought off the driver.

She was speaking on the Al-Hekaya talk show hosted by Amr Adib, who criticised Uber.

"Who does Uber answer to? Who is supposed to hold them accountable? The first girl died, and nothing happened," he said, referring to Shamaa's case.

The driver in that case, identified by authorities as Mahmud Hashem, was sentenced last month to 15 years in prison for attempted kidnapping, drug possession and driving under the influence.

Adib echoed demands by social media users for accountability from Uber and increased security measures.

"They do not do drug tests, they do not hire the right people, they should not be trusted with our children," he said.

Uber said Tuesday it was "determined to continue to fight against all forms of sexual abuse and violence."

bam/bha/srk/dv/jsa
EU concerned about 'post-election violence' in Chad



Libreville, May 13 (AFP) May 13, 2024



The European Union on Monday raised concerns about "post-election violence" in Chad, four days after the presidential election victory of junta leader General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno.

After the results were announced on Thursday, soldiers fired shots in the air in Chad's capital N'Djamena, both in celebration and to deter protesters, AFP journalists reported.

The Chadian media reported there were some deaths caused and numerous injuries by these "joy shots" -- but the government refused to give the number and forbade hospitals to do so, citing "respect for medical confidentiality".

Deby's supporters fired their own guns in the air in celebration near the presidential palace.

At least two teenagers were wounded by falling bullets, according to an AFP journalist.

Chadian soldiers were then deployed in large numbers across several districts of N'Djamena on Friday.

The EU said it was "concerned about the post-election violence," without specifying further.

Elections officials last Thursday declared Deby Itno the winner with 61.03 percent of the vote, compared with 18.53 percent for his rival, Prime Minister Succes Masra.

Masra had earlier claimed victory and accused the junta chief's team of rigging the results, calling on his supporters to "mobilise peacefully".

He then said Sunday he had lodged a request with the Constitutional Council to have the vote annulled.

The regime had long muzzled opposition figures, and Deby's main rival Yaya Dillo was killed in February.

The European Union previously condemned Chad's failure to allow nearly 3,000 civil society members financed by the EU to observe the presidential election.

International human rights groups had said the election would be neither credible nor fair.

Deby was proclaimed transitional president three years ago by his fellow generals after his father, iron-fisted president Idriss Deby Itno, had been killed by rebels after 30 years in power.
Iraq Kurdish authorities arrest 'Scorpion' migrant smuggler



Sulaimaniyah, May 13 (AFP) May 13, 2024



A migrant-smuggler known as "Scorpion", wanted in several European countries, has been arrested in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, local authorities said Monday, after a BBC investigation tracked him down there.

"After a thorough investigation and exchange of intelligence information... Scorpion was located and arrested on May 12," Kurdish security forces said in a statement.

"Scorpion", whose real name is Barzan Majeed, was arrested in the city of Sulaimaniyah at Interpol's request, said security forces spokesperson Salam Abdel Khaleq to AFP.

"We will question him and take appropriate action," Abdel Khaleq added.

A BBC investigation titled "To Catch a Scorpion" published last week tracked Majeed down to Sulaimaniyah.

In an interview with the British broadcaster, he spoke of how he got into the people smuggling business in 2016 during a massive inflow of migrants to Europe.

During their investigation, the BBC team shared their findings "with the authorities in the UK and Europe".

According to the BBC, between 2016 and 2021, "Scorpion's gang is believed to have controlled much of people-smuggling between Europe and the UK".

Twenty-six members of his gang were convicted in the United Kingdom, France and Belgium.

A Belgian court convicted him in absentia of people smuggling, and he was sentenced to 10 years in jail in October 2022.
5 Iraqi soldiers killed in 'terrorist' attack: officials



Baghdad, May 13 (AFP) May 13, 2024



An army officer and four soldiers were killed in an attack on their post in Iraq's central province of Salaheddin on Monday, officials said.

Iraq's ministry of defence said that an officer and several members of his regiment were killed "while thwarting a terrorist attack".

"Daesh terrorists launched an attack" on an army post in the village of Mtebija "killing four soldiers and the regiment commander," said a security source, using an alternate name for the Islamic State group.

The jihadist group overran large swathes of Iraq and neighbouring Syria in 2014, proclaiming its "caliphate" and launching a reign of terror.

It was defeated in Iraq in 2017 by Iraqi forces backed by a US-led military coalition, and in 2019 lost the last territory it held in Syria to US-backed Kurdish forces.

But its remnants continue to carry out deadly hit-and-run attacks and ambushes, particularly from remote areas and desert hideouts.

In a report published in January, the United Nations said IS has "between 3,000 and 5,000 fighters" across Iraq and Syria.
US blocks China-linked crypto firm's purchase of land near nuclear base



Washington, May 13 (AFP) May 13, 2024



The United States has barred a Chinese-owned crypto firm from using land near a strategic US nuclear missile base, President Joe Biden announced Monday, citing national security concerns.

The order requires MineOne Partners Limited to divest from land it purchased in 2022 which sits less than a mile from Wyoming's Francis E. Warren Air Force Base (AFB), home to Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles, the White House said in a statement.

Biden's decision follows an investigation by the cross-agency Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which "identified national security risks" with the purchase of land so close to the nuclear base, according to the White House.

CFIUS also raised concerns about the installation of "specialized" crypto mining equipment on the land which is "potentially capable of facilitating surveillance and espionage activities."

"Today's divestment order underscores President Biden's steadfast commitment to protecting the United States' national security," US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement.

The announcement marks the latest step by the Biden administration to keep Chinese-owned companies away from technology deemed crucial to national security.

The administration has said it wants to protect US manufacturing from cheaper Chinese imports, while stressing its desire to maintain positive trading ties in other areas.

"China is determined to dominate the future of the auto market, including by using unfair practices," Biden said in one such statement earlier this year. "China's policies could flood our market with its vehicles, posing risks to our national security."
Russia detains senior defence official on bribery charges



Moscow, May 14 (AFP) May 14, 2024



A senior Russian defence official has been detained on bribery charges, investigators announced Tuesday, in the second such arrest within the defence ministry in weeks.

The Investigative Committee, which probes serious crimes, said that Lieutenant-General Yuri Kuznetsov was taken into custody following searches at his residence.

The statement said law enforcement had seized Russian rubles and foreign currency worth the equivalent of $1 million as well as "gold coins" and other "luxury items" during the raids.

Investigators said that Kuznetsov had taken bribes from individuals in the private sector between 2021 and 2023, when he was working with a military body that handles state secrets.

Last month Russia detained Deputy Defence Minister Timur Ivanov on bribery charges in a case that was being followed by President Vladimir Putin, according to state media.

The deputy minister oversaw -- and profited from -- construction projects in Ukraine's Mariupol, which fell under Moscow's control after a months-long siege.

News of the detention on Tuesday came after a shakeup in the defence ministry over the weekend when Putin replaced minister Sergei Shoigu with Andrey Belousov, an economist and technocrat.
US tells Ukraine 'aid on its way' as Russia claims advances



Kyiv, Ukraine, May 14 (AFP) May 14, 2024



Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday assured Ukraine that US military aid was "on its way", as Russia claimed a "deep" advance into Ukrainian defensive lines in a new offensive.

Blinken's trip comes just weeks after the US Congress finally approved a $61 billion financial aid package for Ukraine after months of political wrangling, unlocking much-needed arms for the country's stretched troops.

"The assistance is now on its way. Some of it has already arrived, more will be arriving," Blinken told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"That's going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield," he said.

Zelensky thanked Washington for the aid, saying it was "crucial" and added that it was "important to get it as quickly as possible".

Zelensky said air defence was the "biggest problem" for Ukraine and requested two Patriot batteries for the Kharkiv region, where Russian forces have been advancing and pounding villages all along the border since Friday.

Russia's defence ministry on Tuesday said in a statement its forces had captured another village in the region.

"Units of the North group of troops liberated the village of Bugruvatka in the Kharkiv region and advanced deep into the enemy defence," the ministry said.

At a checkpoint outside the city of Kharkiv, a Ukrainian official said Russian forces had entered Ukraine through "villages on the very border that were complicated for us to defend".

Russian forces "are on high ground and are shelling us from there," said the official, Volodymyr Usov, head of the Kharkiv district military administration.



- 'Intense enemy fire' -



Russia's surprise ground offensive in the Kharkiv region has forced thousands to evacuate and pushed Kyiv to mobilise reinforcements.

Ukraine says several civilians have been killed by Russian fire in the region, including on Tuesday two aged 80 and 83.

The Ukrainian army has acknowledged Russia is "achieving tactical success" but Zelensky has stressed Kyiv has sent reinforcements to Kharkiv and that "our counterattacks are ongoing".

"We are getting more and more results, destroying the occupier's infantry and machinery," the president said in a Monday evening address.

"Our task is crystal clear: to thwart Russia's attempt to expand the war".

Zelensky said Kyiv had also noted strikes and "hostile activity" targeted against the Sumy and Chernigiv regions in northern Ukraine.

In the east of the country, where several areas had come under "intense enemy fire", Ukrainian forces had changed their positions "to save the lives of our defenders" and were planning to regroup units, the army said late on Monday.

Ukraine's security council chief Oleksandr Lytvynenko said Moscow had massively upped its troop deployment for the new offensive in the Kharkiv region.

"There are a lot of Russians, quite a lot. There were about 50,000 on the border. Now there are many more than 30,000 coming," he told AFP on Monday.

However, he said "we don't see any threat of assault on the city of Kharkiv", around 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the combat zone.



- Bombs falling 'like rain' -



Kateryna Stepanova, 74, who fled Lyptsi with her son, said several bombs had hit her street.

"We weren't going to leave... but now this. Thankfully, we're alive," she said, sitting in a minibus at a gathering point for evacuees.

"They are shelling the villages, firing everything they can," Sergiy Kryvetchenko, deputy head of the Ukrainian military administration in Lyptsi, told AFP.

Guided aerial bombs are falling "like rain" said one serviceman, who was resting after fending off Russian assaults in Lyptsi.

An overnight strike on Kharkiv wounded two people, regional governor Oleg Synegubov said on Tuesday on Telegram.

In Russia, the defence ministry said air defences had intercepted 25 Ukrainian rockets in the Belgorod border region.

Elsewhere, in the southern Volgograd region, freight train carriages were derailed in Kotluban station due to the "intervention of unauthorised persons", Russian news agencies said on Tuesday.

No details were given about the incident or who caused it.

Kyiv did not claim responsibility but a Ukrainian advisor to the mayor of Mariupol, which was seized by Russia in spring 2022, called it "good news".

According to him, the station had a branch line "leading to the arsenal of the main missile and artillery department of the (Russian) ministry of defence".

Kotluban is about 300 kilometres from the border with Ukraine, and the Volgograd region is sometimes the target of drone attacks launched by the Ukrainian army.
Armenia detains demonstrators as protest leader seeks to oust PM



Yerevan, May 14 (AFP) May 14, 2024



Armenia briefly detained dozens of demonstrators in the capital, Yerevan, on Tuesday, when mass protests flared against government plans to concede land to the country's historic foe, Azerbaijan.

Large numbers of police surrounded the crowds of demonstrators, some wrapped in Armenian flags.

Police said they detained 63 people for attempting to block roads. All were released soon afterwards.

At a previous demonstration on Monday, police briefly detained around 150 protesters.

The government has agreed to hand over to neighbouring Azerbaijan territory it has controlled since the 1990s.

Yerevan has started border delimitation efforts, in a bid to secure an elusive peace deal with Baku and avoid a fresh conflict between the two.

But the territorial concessions have sparked weeks of protests by demonstrators who have blocked major roads in an attempt to force Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to change course.

Two opposition lawmakers attended Tuesday's demonstration led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, who addressed protesters through a loudspeaker, dressed in black robes.

Galstanyan, a church leader from the Tavush region, where villages are set to be handed over to Azerbaijan, is seeking to launch an impeachment process against Pashinyan.

This initially requires protesters to present an alternative prime ministerial candidate and for 36 lawmakers to vote in favour of the impeachment process.

- Impeachment bid -



The opposition has not yet presented a candidate. Galstanyan, 52, is not eligible because he has joint Armenian and Canadian citizenship.

Parliamentary opposition factions have 35 lawmakers, meaning the protesters must also secure support from an independent MP or someone from Pashinyan's party.

Galstanyan has said an independent MP, Ishkhan Zakaryan, has agreed to vote in favour.

After these hurdles are overcome, an impeachment vote would need to be held within three days and would require 54 votes in favour to be successful.

Armenia and Azerbaijan, two former Soviet republics in the south Caucasus, have been locked in a stand-off over disputed territory, primarily Nagorno-Karabakh, since the break-up of the Soviet Union.

The two countries announced last month they had begun border demarcation work as part of efforts to normalise relations.

Pashinyan is currently in Denmark attending a democracy summit set up by former NATO secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

The former journalist became Armenia's prime minister in 2018 after leading peaceful street protests.

He cracked down on corruption and introduced popular judicial reforms but infuriated many Armenians by agreeing in 2020 to return parts of Nagorno-Karabakh to Baku.

Azerbaijan recaptured Nagorno-Karabakh in a lightning military offensive in September and talks over a broader border agreement have since intensified.
US tells Ukraine 'aid on its way' as Russia claims advances



Kyiv, Ukraine, May 14 (AFP) May 14, 2024



US Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured Ukraine on Tuesday that US military aid was "on its way", as Russia claimed a "deep" advance into Ukrainian defensive lines in a new offensive.

Blinken's trip comes just weeks after the US Congress finally approved a $61-billion financial aid package for Ukraine after months of political wrangling, unlocking much-needed arms for the country's stretched troops.

"The assistance is now on its way. Some of it has already arrived. More will be arriving," Blinken told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"That's going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield," he said.

Zelensky thanked Washington for the aid, saying it was "crucial" and added that it was "important to get it as quickly as possible".

Zelensky said air defence was the "biggest problem" for Ukraine and requested two Patriot batteries for the Kharkiv region, where Russian forces have been advancing and pounding villages all along the border since Friday.

Blinken was on his fourth visit to Kyiv since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

After meeting Zelensky, he met Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Veterano, a pizzeria set up by a military veteran in the city centre.



- 'Minimal human losses' -



Russia's surprise ground offensive in the Kharkiv region has forced thousands to evacuate and pushed Kyiv to mobilise troop reinforcements.

Ukraine said several civilians have been killed by Russian fire in the region, including on Tuesday two aged 80 and 83.

The governor of the Kharkiv region said 15 people were wounded by Russian strikes in the border territory's largest city, also called Kharkiv.

One civilian, a 47-year-old man, was also reported killed in the city of Nikopol in southern Ukraine.

In a call to Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the "intensification of Russian strikes" and the Kharkiv offensive.

In Moscow, Russia's defence ministry said on Tuesday its forces had captured another village in the Kharkiv region.

"Units of the North group of troops liberated the village of Bugruvatka in the Kharkiv region and advanced deep into the enemy defence," the ministry said in a statement.

The advance is the latest in a string of tactical successes for Russia on the battlefield this year after initial setbacks in a conflict that Russia hoped would be wrapped up in a matter of days.

Russia's incoming defence minister, economist Andrei Belousov, said that Moscow's priority was to secure victory on the battlefield against Ukraine while minimising human losses.

"The key task, of course, remains achieving victory and ensuring the military-political goals of the special military operation, set by the president, are achieved," Belousov told a session of the Russian parliament on Tuesday.

"In this respect, I want to especially emphasise 'with minimal human losses'."

The Ukrainian army has acknowledged Russian successes in Kharkiv but Zelensky has stressed that reinforcements have been sent there and Ukrainian "counterattacks are ongoing".

At a checkpoint outside the city of Kharkiv, a Ukrainian official said Russian forces had entered Ukraine through "villages on the very border that were complicated for us to defend".

Russian forces "are on high ground and are shelling us from there", added Volodymyr Usov, head of the Kharkiv district military administration.

The head of Ukraine's security council, Oleksandr Lytvynenko, said Moscow had massively upped its troop deployment for the new offensive in the Kharkiv region.

In an interview this week with AFP, he said Russia had sent more than 30,000 troops over Russia's border.

But he added that there was no threat of an assault on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city.



- Bombs falling 'like rain' -



Usov, the Kharkiv district head, estimated there were still around 300 residents left in Lyptsi, a border village under Russian bombardment.

"They are shelling the villages, firing on everything they can," Sergiy Kryvetchenko, deputy head of the Ukrainian military administration in Lyptsi, told AFP.

Guided aerial bombs are falling "like rain" said one serviceman, who was resting after fending off Russian assaults in Lyptsi.
French stars call for crackdown on sexual violence



Paris, May 14 (AFP) May 14, 2024



Some of France's biggest film stars including Juliette Binoche and Emmanuelle Beart on Tuesday called for a comprehensive new law to crack down on "systemic" sexism and gender-based violence in France.

The strongly-worded petition was published in French daily Le Monde as the Cannes Film Festival gets underway with a strong focus on the #MeToo movement in France.

"There are 100 of us, but in reality, there are hundreds of thousands of us", said 147 signatories including actors Anna Mouglalis, Isabelle Adjani, and Judith Godreche. A hundred of them also posed for group photos that accompanied the petition.

They called for a crackdown on sexist and sexual violence, saying it was "systemic, not exceptional."

"Women and men from all walks of life are coming together to call for a comprehensive law against sexual and gender-based violence," they said. "Despite the courage of victims, impunity is on the rise."

The signatories said it was "unacceptable" that the rate of dismissals of complaints of sexual violence "reached a delirious 94 percent in 2022."

The petition called for "a comprehensive law that will clarify, among other things, the definition of rape and consent, introduce the definition of incest, put serial rapists on trial for all known rapes, extend protection orders to rape victims, make it easier to gather evidence, create specialised units and prohibit investigations into victims' sexual histories".

The law must also provide "immediate and free access to psychological trauma care" as well as "financial resources for this public policy and associations that implement it", the petition said.



- 'Consigned to dustbin' -



French cinema has in recent months been rocked by allegations that it has shrugged off sexism and sexual abuse for decades.

Actor Godreche has become a key figure in France's MeToo movement since accusing directors Benoit Jacquot and Jacques Doillon of sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager. Both have denied the allegations.

Early this month French parliament agreed to create a commission of inquiry to investigate sexual and gender-based violence in cinema and other cultural sectors.

But Anne-Cecile Mailfert, head of the Women's Foundation, said there was no political will to solve the problem in earnest.

"Since 2017, not much has actually happened in the fight against sexual violence", she told AFP, referring to the start of the #MeToo movement in France.

"The increase in the number of complaints has gone hand in hand with an increase in the number of cases being dropped, and #Metoo is in the process of being consigned to the dustbin".

Aurore Berge, minister in charge of gender equality, said she "fully shared" the demands of the signatories regarding the "necessary and resolute fight to eradicate sexual violence".

"I am at the disposal of all the signatories to discuss the levers that need to be mobilised", she said in a statement to AFP.

"We must collectively listen to the victims and hear what they have to say. Society as a whole must feel concerned".
US cites security, climate goals in Russian uranium ban



Washington, May 14 (AFP) May 14, 2024



The United States on Tuesday voiced confidence it was boosting both its security and climate goals after it banned uranium imports from Russia, whose nuclear industry has been a key moneymaker.

President Joe Biden on Monday signed legislation, broadly supported in Congress, that will prohibit any imports of Russian uranium into the United States as of August 12.

Russia, despite facing wide sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine, provides about 20 to 30 percent of the enriched uranium used in the United States and Europe and 44 percent globally, according to the US Energy Department.

"Russia continues to use its military-industrial base in its war against Ukraine and to undermine international and US national security, in part with proceeds from its uranium exports," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement Tuesday.

The legislation will release $2.72 billion in funding for the Energy Department to invest in uranium enrichment inside the United States -- a boon sought by the domestic nuclear industry.

President Joe Biden's administration has enthusiastically embraced nuclear energy as a way to fight climate change.

The technology emits no carbon dioxide responsible for the planet's fast-rising temperatures -- but it is deeply divisive among environmentalists, including due to the possibility of accidents.

At the COP28 climate summit in Dubai last year, the United States alongside Britain, Canada, France and Japan committed jointly to mobilize $4.2 billion in public and private money over three years to enhance the uranium supply chain for nuclear power.

The new law "will provide assurance to industry, allies and partners that the United States has made a clear decision to establish a secure nuclear fuel supply chain, independent of adversarial influence, for decades to come," Miller said.

Under the new law, the Energy Department will still be able to waive the prohibition on Russian uranium under special circumstances until the end of 2027.

Separately on Tuesday, the Treasury Department announced sanctions over what it said was an "opaque and complex" scheme to evade sanctions and unfreeze $1.5 billion in shares belonging to Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska.

Deripaska made his fortune in aluminium but has been hit by US sanctions on the Russian energy sector dating back to Moscow's smaller invasion of Ukraine in 2014.

He is suing Washington over the sanctions. Unusually for a Russian oligarch, he has also faced pressure at home, where a hotel he owned was reportedly seized by authorities after he described the invasion of Ukraine as a "war" and not a "special operation," the euphemism preferred by the Kremlin.

The Treasury Department said it was imposing sanctions on one Russian national, Dmitry Beloglazov, his financial services company and two other firms involved in the alleged plot to unfreeze Deripaska's shares.
Pentagon leaker faces possible trial in military court



Washington, May 14 (AFP) May 14, 2024



A hearing was held Tuesday on whether the US airman who admitted to leaking a trove of highly sensitive Pentagon documents should be tried by court-martial, an Air Force spokesman said.

Jack Teixeira, a 22-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guard IT specialist, pleaded guilty in March to sharing the top secret information online, alleged to be the most damaging leak of US classified documents in a decade.

Under the terms of his guilty plea, Teixeira faces some 17 years in prison in return for Department of Justice prosecutors dropping more serious espionage charges that could have resulted in a life sentence.

However, the Air Force announced this month that it would seek to prosecute him in a military tribunal for alleged misconduct related to his duties as a service member.

An initial hearing was held Tuesday at Hanscom Air Force Base, in Massachusetts, an Air Force spokesman confirmed to AFP, without giving any further details.

Teixeira was detained in April 2023 in a dramatic arrest broadcast live on TV networks.

He was accused of posting the documents -- some dated as recently as March 2023 -- to a private chat group on the social media platform Discord.

Some of the files later appeared on other sites, including Twitter, 4Chan and Telegram.

The documents, which soon spread across the internet, pointed to US concern over Ukraine's military capacity against invading Russian forces.

They also showed that Washington had apparently spied on allies Israel and South Korea, among other embarrassing details.

It was the biggest such breach since the 2013 dump of National Security Agency documents by Edward Snowden, and raised tough questions about access by Teixeira and other junior staffers to high-level secrets.

Teixeira was an airman first class -- the third-lowest rank for enlisted US Air Force personnel -- and had possessed a top secret security clearance since 2021.
Gaza aid pier to be operational in coming days: Pentagon



Washington, May 14 (AFP) May 14, 2024



A pier built by the US military for Gaza aid deliveries will be operational "in the coming days," the Pentagon said Tuesday, after a week of bad weather delayed its installation.

With a cost of at least $320 million, the pier is aimed at boosting humanitarian access to Gaza, which has been ravaged by seven months of war between Israel and Hamas.

But poor sea conditions have made it unsafe to anchor the pier on the Gaza coast, and it was instead stowed at the port of Ashdod in Israel as construction was completed last week.

Asked when the pier would be installed, Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder told reporters "in the coming days, I think you can expect to see it operational," but declined to give a specific date.

Ryder added that there were US Navy destroyers in the region that could provide security assistance for the aid operation.

The Pentagon has previously said that Israeli soldiers will anchor the pier to the Gaza shore, keeping US troops off the ground.

Plans for the pier were first announced by President Joe Biden in early March as Israel held up deliveries of aid by ground, worsening the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Under the plans, supplies will be transported out of Cyprus on commercial vessels to a floating platform also built by the US military off the Gaza coast.

Aid will then be transferred to smaller vessels and brought to the pier on the Gaza coast and taken to land by truck for distribution.

Ryder said the United States and humanitarian groups were "pre-positioning aid in Cyprus to be loaded onto vessels for transport to the floating pier."

He said the United States wanted to see aid delivered into Gaza at an "increased rate," adding it was working to open the Rafah border crossing between Israel and Egypt, which has been blocked since last week.

Gaza has been devastated by the war which began on October 7 when Hamas carried out an attack in southern Israel that resulted in the deaths of about 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Israel vowed to destroy Hamas and has conducted a retaliatory offensive that has killed at least 35,173 people, mostly civilians, according to the Gaza health ministry.
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This suggests you wont pick one for a playthrough, and instead will switch between the two in Grand Theft Auto V style. Yasuke is a straight-up fighter who embodies the combat styles of more recent AC games such as Odyssey and Origins, Naoe more of a classic Assassins Creed character, a stealthy and lithe figure who can sink into the shadows, uses a wooden reed to breathe underwater and escape enemy detection. Even better, Ubisoft has promised that the weather will change with the seasons, allowing Naoe to use thunderstorms, snow or foliage as coverage as she tracks down her enemies.
Residents at the Park West mansion block, a stones throw from Hyde Park, complain they are plagued by loud parties and overcrowding.

They say visitors who book flats via short-term letting companies are shattering their peace and the luxury apartments have become a revolving door for tourists.

More than 100 of the 530 flats at Park West are suspected to be listed on holiday let websites and Westminster council says it is likely the block is hosting more guests a night than the Ritz, which has 111 rooms and 25 suites.

One woman, who has lived there for two years, said: There are people wheeling suitcases in at all hours, even 2.30am. There are so many people here in and out, and it does feel a bit sketchy.

A lot of the people coming for a couple of days dont have key fobs for the main gate so they queue behind me when Im going in. It does feel too much.

A resident in his forties, who has lived in the block for more than a decade, said he had complained to Westminster council and property managers.

He told the Standard: The sense of community has been lost. Its a revolving door and our peace has been shattered. Airbnb are taking over, it seems. They seem to get round the rule that says they can only rent for 90 days a year somehow.

However, a woman from the Gulf, who has come to London for a health procedure and is staying in the block, said the short-stay accommodation was ideal.

She said: Im happy here, it is central and convenient and people need somewhere to stay. I dont see a problem.

Mark Jenner, company secretary of Highdorn, which manages Park West and other buildings, said previously: We fight these battles in many of our blocks. We fight it as hard as we can, but its a losing battle.
She added: We have repeatedly called out Chinese cyber adversaries for activities that threaten the security of the UK or target the institutions important to our society, such as the compromise of the UK Electoral Commission.
He added: My simple message is to the world, and in particular to the United States now given the package that has passed Congress, not only is it the right thing to do, its a lot cheaper to defend and therefore deter Putin here and now than it is to allow him to win.
But when we talk about international law, when we have the denial of self-determination, Palestinians as a national people, wherever they are  in pursuit of their right of self determination, they have the right to resist with any means necessary. This includes armed and non-armed resistance. So its not radical to resist in all of the forms.
The summit's main topics will be lowering climate risks, developing adaptation plans, and changing attitudes towards climate change. Mr Khan will discuss Londons advancements in these respects during his first two terms in office  and his future goals. Other international leaders attending will be California Governor Gavin Newsom, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, former Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change chair Hoesung Lee, and former Irish President Mary Robinson. The Boston, Paris, Rome, Athens, and Milan mayors will also be present.
The Nation stands alongside the families, the injured and their colleagues. Everything is being done to find the perpetrators of this crime so that justice can be done in the name of the French people. We will be intractable.
About 15% of full-time employees have gross salaries at the level of the minimum gross salary in the country, say representatives of the National Trade Union Bloc (BNS), in an analysis published Tuesday.

"The National Trade Union Bloc draws attention to the wage system in Romania! 15% of employees with full-time contracts have gross salaries at the level of the minimum gross wage in the country. For the lowest 40% of wages in Romania (wages on full-time contracts), the average gross wage in February was 3,362 RON, only 62 RON above the minimum wage. Conversely, for the top 10% of salaries, the average gross salary in February was 37,375 RON, ten times higher than the minimum wage," informs a press release of the trade union organisation.

According to the cited source, the average gross wage in February 2024 was 7,990 RON. In the same period, 60% of gross wage earnings for full-time employment contracts were below the average gross wage in the country.

The BNS and its 29 affiliated federations held a rally in front of the Romanian Government on Monday, calling for a reduction in labour taxes and the urgent launch of a tax reform. The protest was followed by a march to the Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism (MEAT), the Ministry of Labour and Social Solidarity (MMSS) and the Ministry of Finance.
The 12th edition of the Eurosfat Forum will take place on 15-18 May in Bucharest and will include 72 debate sessions with 200 speakers, informs the Representation of the European Commission in Romania.

This year, the event takes on an international dimension with the Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy which will take place for the first time in Eastern Europe.

"The Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy is a participatory conference that annually attracts over 500 participants from more than 60 countries, organised by civil society organisations in partnership with local institutions. In Romania, the conference will be hosted by Europuls - Centre of European Expertise, the NGO Democracy International, the Bucharest City Hall, the University of Bucharest and the Swiss Democracy Foundation. The event is sponsored by the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU," says the source.

The central theme of the Global Democracy Forum will be built around the concept of "trust in democracy." Topics to be debated include: Romania's future in the EU (electoral debate with candidates for the European Parliamentary elections); exchange of best practices between mayors; participation of young people in national and European decision-making, technology and its influence on the media; trust in political representatives, institutions and media; the implications of the war in Ukraine and its consequences for Romania, Moldova, the Black Sea region; the future of security in the Black Sea region, as well as energy perspectives; the future of the cohesion policy and the development of European regions.

The full programme of the Forum is available at https://eurosfat.ro/2024. You can also register to take part in the Forum's activities there.

"The Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy, which has been held on five continents since 2008, will bring together in Bucharest a diverse global community of activists, decision-makers and experts who will address internationally significant issues closely related to direct democratic and civic participation rights. The event will devote considerable interest to the challenges democracy is facing in Romania, but also to global phenomena that are constantly reshaping the world we live in," the press release said.

Eurosfat is the largest annual European business forum in Romania. In 2022, it won the Charlemagne Youth Prize on a national level, an award given annually by the European Union to the best youth initiatives that contribute to bringing the EU closer to its citizens. Each of the previous editions welcomed over 600 participants, over 50 speakers, 30 sponsors and partners, says the source.
Romania will continue to support partnerships in higher education and will make every effort to become an attractive destination for international mobility, while at the same time being a promoter of European values, said Education Minister Ligia Deca on the occasion of the Education Council meeting in Brussels.

Education Minister Ligia Deca attended the Education Council meeting in Brussels on Monday, where the proposal for a Council Recommendation 'Europe on the Move' - learning mobility opportunities for everyone - was adopted.

According to a press release issued on Tuesday, Romania will contribute to the achievement of three new European mobility targets by 2030:

* At least 23% of higher education graduates will have an educational mobility experience, compared to the current target of 20%;

* At least 12% of VET students will have an educational mobility experience, compared to the current target of 8% for 2025;

* At least 20% of all learners benefiting from learning mobility abroad should be people with fewer opportunities.

Education ministers also approved the conclusions on promoting evidence-based policies and practices in education and training for the achievement of the European Education Area, which creates the framework for evidence and research evidence to play a significant role in decision-making in member states, given the complexity of factors influencing decision-making in an education system, including in Romania.

The Council agenda also included a debate on Artificial Intelligence in education and training: combining technological innovation with quality education for all, which highlighted member states' concerns about the benefits and risks of using AI in education.

Ligia Deca pointed out that AI has an increasing impact in education and that it can essentially transform the teaching-learning-assessment process.

She also pointed out that specific tools need to be developed with the support of teachers to ensure an ethical and participatory approach to the use of AI in education. In this context, the minister said that Romania has accessed European funds for the development of teachers' digital skills - about 100,000 teachers will be trained in digital pedagogy - and for equipping schools and high schools with modern equipment to support digitisation.

According to the source, in the context of her presence at the Meeting of Education Ministers, Minister of Education Ligia Deca had a meeting with Hungary's State Minister of Innovation and Higher Education Balazs Hanko, the main topic of discussion being the importance of international collaboration and increased mobility in higher education.
Pilgrims from Hungary who will participate in the Catholic Pentecost procession in Sumuleu Ciuc at the end of this week will be greeted by the Romanian authorities at the railway station in Sfantu Gheorghe.

According to the City Hall representatives, the special train will arrive in Sfantu Gheorghe station on Friday, May 17, at 19,59 and will stop for about 20 minutes.

"The express train on the Sumuleu - Rapidul Secuiesc route is a special train that runs only once a year, around Pentecost. The train consists of 16 carriages, pulled by a locomotive decorated with the portrait of writer Tamasi Aron. The "Cumulus Express" departs from Szombathely and joins the Szekler Rapid in Budapest, then continues together as the National Pilgrims' Train. Since 2008, these trains have carried more than 18,000 pilgrims and travelled more than 34,000 kilometres in Hungary and Transylvania," says the city hall.

The Catholic pilgrimage on Mount Sumuleu Ciuc is considered the largest in Central and Eastern Europe dedicated to the Virgin Mary, with several hundred thousand people from all over the world participating.
Household consumers' bills for natural gas will drop to 0.23 and 0.25 RON per kWh in the coming period, well below the ceiling of 0.31 RON per kWh, president of the Romanian Energy Suppliers Association (AFEER), Laurentiu Urluescu, informed on Tuesday, on the occasion of his participation in a specialized conference.

"For natural gas, the domestic consumer has a ceiling of 0.31 RON per kWh. Since May last year, consumer bills have fallen well below the ceiling, standing at 0.27 - 0.28 RON per kWh. Now, since April, we expect an even bigger drop. I'm expecting rates between 0.23 and 0.25 RON per kWh. It seems that the exit from the capping scheme is going smoothly," said Laurentiu Urluescu, at the event "Energy R/Evolution - Romania in the energy transition: tension and resistance."

He mentioned that there are several categories of ceilings in terms of electricity.

"If we refer to the ceiling of 1.3 RON per kWh, where there are non-household consumers and those who have a somewhat higher consumption, we believe that the exit from the capping scheme will proceed relatively smoothly. For households, at the moment, there are seven offers with a price below 1.3 RON - and we expect the number of offers to increase. As for the other two household ceilings, respectively 0.8 RON and 0.68 RON kWh, things are a little more delicate there, because the ceiling of 0.68 RON for some areas in the country does not even cover all the taxes, tariffs and other obligations that the supplier collects just to pass them on at 0.68 RON and for 0.8 RON the price of energy should be somewhere at 50 RON per MWh, which is unlikely to happen in March next year," said Laurentiu Urluescu.
A team of researchers from the Politechnica University of Bucharest and the Institute for Logic and Data Science has developed a language model dedicated to the Romanian language, which can be used for the development of tools and platforms with Artificial Intelligence (AI), was developed by a team of Romanian researchers from Bucharest Polytechnic, University of Bucharest and the Institute for Logic and Data Science.

According to a press release of the BRD Groupe Societe Generale, the banking institution that supported the project, the model is "open source" and can be accessed and used by anyone who wants to build tools based on artificial intelligence.

At the same time, with the publication of this LLM (Large Language Model), the initiators of the project also launch the OpenLLM-Ro community, which aims to together all those who want to contribute in various ways to the development of AI technologies for the Romanian language.

Both projects are initiated and run by the Politehnica University, the University of Bucharest and the Institute for Logic and Data Science, with the support of BRD Groupe Societe Generale.

"The Romanian model launched today is the adaptation of a public LLM developed mainly for the English language. But it was exposed to several million documents in the Romanian language, in order to better understand the meaning of the words. This is essential for the performance of such models in situations where the expression of the request or question entered by the user, as well as the answer, must be in Romanian. Starting from the second part of 2023, a team of researchers from the Politechnica University of Bucharest worked on the development and training of this LLM, and the University of Bucharest and the Institute for Logic and Data Science contributed with researchers who worked pro-bono and, in addition, the Politechnica University provided the computing power needed to train the model. The main partner of the project is BRD Groupe Societe Generale, which supports innovation and the technologies of the future in Romania in all their forms," the press release states.

The effort to specialize a model dedicated to a language is frequently coordinated by the academic community associated with that language, recent examples being from countries such as France, Germany, Spain, Finland, Bulgaria.

The Romanian language model represents the adaptation of a public LLM developed mainly for the English language, but which was exposed to several million documents in the Romanian language, in order to better understand the meaning of the words.
Joe Holleman Political correspondent/columnist Follow Joe Holleman Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski has already helped capture a couple of federal contracts for a Belleville footwear manufacturer.

But the Democrat from Springfield, Illinois, keeps marching on.

Enlisting the support of two GOP House colleagues  Mike Bost of Murphysboro and Rick Crawford of Arkansas  Budzinski introduced a bill that would require military boots to be made in the United States, using materials grown or produced domestically.

Budzinski said that while legislation exists that requires the military to give preference to U.S. products, the market for Army footwear has been taken over by foreign manufacturers who often skirt crucial safety guidelines and quality standards.

Last year, Budzinski helped land a $7.8 million contract for the Belleville Shoe Manufacturing Co. to make Army boots. Then earlier this year, she and Bost secured a $10.3 million contract for the company to make footwear for the U.S. Navy.
An F-35A Lightning II fighter jet flies over Westfield Barnes Air National Guard Base, May 9, 2023. (Leon Nguyen, The Republican/TNS)

WESTFIELD, Mass. (Tribune News Service)  Civilian and military officials broke ground Monday  the first real day of construction  on a $32 million expansion and rebuilding of Taxiway B South at Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport and Barnes Air National Guard Base.

The initiative, expected to be completed by the end of 2024, is the largest single infrastructure project in the 100-year history of the airfield, officials said. And it is the latest in about $63 million in public, military and private construction at the 1,200-acre airport, said Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport Manager Christopher Willenborg.

That includes $15 million to $20 million in private investment for five new aircraft hangars. It also includes the $4.7 million Taxiway Sierra project completed in 2022, the $7.6 million Runway 15-33 project and the military-funded $4.5 million entrance gate for the Air National Guard Base on Southampton Road (Routes 10 and 202).

The Pentagon announced plans 13 months ago to locate 18 of its $78 million, latest-generation F-35 fighters at the Air National Guards 104th Fighter Wing in Westfield beginning in 2025 or early 2026. The new fighters will replace its aging fleet of F-15 fighters, guaranteeing the future of the base and the 104th for 40 years, the expected life of the program.

The arrival of the F-35s in Westfield is spurring construction.

This newest project, Taxiway B South, is the taxiway running parallel to Runway 2-20 and is used by civilian and military aircrafts taking off and landing. But it is too narrow, Willenborg said. The new taxiway will have more space to alleviate bottlenecks and make the airport safer.

Funding for the taxiway comes from the Federal Aviation Administration, the Air National Guard, the Department of the Defense and the Aeronautics Division of the states Department of Transportation.

As a longtime supporter of Barnes and the capable airmen and women who support and defend the Commonwealth and this nation, I was thrilled to join Adjutant General [Gary] Keefe and Colonel [David] Halasi-Kun last May to announce the assignment of a new fleet of F-35A aircraft to Barnes, said U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Mass. Just one year later, we are breaking ground on a project that will prepare Barnes to receive the new aircraft, guaranteeing the long-term viability of the base and ensuring the 104th Fighter Wing can continue its vital mission for years to come.

The Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport is a significant transportation asset and economic engine for Western Massachusetts. It supports about 2,100 direct and indirect jobs and has an annual economic output of $236 million, according to Willenborg.

2024 Advance Local Media LLC.

Visit masslive.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira. (U.S. Air Force )

HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass.  The Air Force on Tuesday opened preliminary criminal proceedings against a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard who was convicted in federal court earlier this year of leaking classified government secrets online, alleging that he also violated military laws.

Jack D. Teixeira, 22, is accused by the Air Force of obstructing justice and failing to obey orders. Officials have convened whats called an Article 32 hearing, where prosecutors present evidence to a military officer who will evaluate whether the case should proceed to court-martial trial.

Prosecutors argued Tuesday that Teixeira not only disobeyed orders repeatedly by continuing to seek and smuggle out classified information from his job managing computer networks at Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod, but that he also sought to cover up his crimes by encouraging others to delete material he posted on Discord, the chat app he used to disclose hundreds of pages of sensitive U.S. intelligence. Doing so showed malicious intent, said Capt. Stephanie Evans, one of three military attorneys representing the government.

The leaked materials, which eventually surfaced on social media and made their way to the news media, included an array of assessments about U.S. allies and adversaries, spanning topics including the war in Ukraine, terrorist plotting in Afghanistan and the threat posed to Taiwan by China.

Teixeiras defense team argued that the militarys pursuit of separate charges after his federal case resulted in a guilty plea in March amounts to double jeopardy, which prohibits a person from being tried twice for substantially the same crime.

Teixeira faces more than 16 years in federal prison after reaching a plea deal with the Justice Department on six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information. He remains in custody while awaiting sentencing, scheduled for the fall.

Teixeira did not have the opportunity to learn his lesson from his federal conviction before the Air Force brought a feast of evidence from that case to Tuesdays hearing to extract its own pound of flesh, said Maj. Luke Gilhooly, one of his three defense attorneys.

Teixeira appeared at the hearing in a bright blue Air Force dress uniform and sporting a fresh haircut. He was not handcuffed, but armed personnel accompanied him in and out of the courtroom. Asked by the hearing officer, Lt. Col. Michael Raming, whether he wished to make a statement of any kind, Teixeira responded, No, sir.

Prosecutors said they are seeking a general court-martial, a form of trial under the military justice system that leaves open the possibility that Teixeira could face years of additional confinement beyond what the judge determines in his federal case. Initially, the Air Force signaled that it would pursue a special court-martial, which caps jail time at a year.

Raming, having heard both sides arguments Tuesday, is expected to make a recommendation to a more senior officer overseeing the case, Maj. Gen. Daniel DeVoe, who ultimately will choose whether to pursue a trial or lesser proceedings.

An Air Force charge sheet for the case states that the service is bringing the charge of failure to obey lawful orders after Teixeira repeatedly ignored orders not to access classified information not pertaining to his duties in information technology.

The obstruction charges are focused on allegations that Teixeira told other Discord users to delete information he posted there and then destroyed a cellphone, computer and tablet he had used. Evans, the prosecutor, said Teixeira told a colleague that his phone had flown out the window of a vehicle and been destroyed by an oncoming semitrailer truck.

Teixeiras father, Jack M. Teixeira; his mother, Dawn Dufault; and his stepfather, retired Air Force Master Sgt. Thomas Dufault, were seated in the hearing room. Through a spokesperson, the Teixeira family declined to comment.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys did not call any witnesses during the hearing, limiting how much information will be aired about the lack of oversight within Teixeiras unit at Otis Air National Guard Base, the 102nd Intelligence Wing.

After Teixeiras arrest in April 2023, a separate Air Force investigation determined that he repeatedly accessed and smuggled out classified information despite being warned by his superiors not to do so. Investigators also found that Teixeira exhibited other behavior that troubled his supervisors, with some saying they feared he might initiate a mass shooting on the base, yet no one reported him to law enforcement. At least 15 of his Air National Guard colleagues were disciplined by the military for their lack of action.

Teixeiras attorneys complained that they have not been able to see the entirety of the Air Force investigative report, which includes witness statements and numerous exhibits. The lead defense attorney, Lt. Col. Bradley Poronsky, asked Raming to postpone the proceedings until that information is made available to the defense. Maj. Jasmine Prokscha, speaking for the prosecution, said those materials would be provided if the case proceeds to court-martial.

Raming, overseeing the hearing remotely from an Air Force base in Arizona, said the hearing will be considered closed so long as DeVoe, as the cases convening authority, explains his rationale for not sharing a copy of the full report and related exhibits, which include classified information.

The defense team also objected to Raming appearing remotely.

The Discord leaks came to light last year as material spilled onto other social media sites. The incident shocked and embarrassed the Defense Department, where officials struggled at first to determine who was responsible and how so many secrets had been compromised.

Teixeiras acquaintances on Discord previously told The Washington Post that he knew he could get in trouble for sharing classified information but did so anyway because he wanted to impress them.

Shane Harris contributed to this report.
F-22A Raptors taxi away from the runway at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, April 20, 2024. (Cedrique Oldaker/U.S. Air Force)

A $350 million stealth fighter rolled away from its parking spot this week on an Okinawa flight line, an Air Force spokesman said.

The F-22 Raptor recently assigned to Kadena Air Base rolled off the paved apron after it was towed into a parking space around 4:15 p.m. Monday, said Tech. Sgt. Micaiah Anthony, spokesman for the 18th Wing.

There were no injuries resulting from the incident and efforts are underway to move the aircraft back onto the tarmac, he told Stars and Stripes in an email Tuesday.

Anthony was unable to confirm whether the aircraft was damaged.

Raptors from the 199th and 19th Fighter Squadrons at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam arrived at Kadena on March 28 to join other fourth- and fifth-generation fighters, including F-35A Lightning IIs, already deployed there, the Air Force announced April 5.

Last month, an F-22 was damaged when its nose gear collapsed while the fighter was being towed on Kadenas flight line.

A similar incident on Dec. 1 damaged a Marine F-35B Lightning II being towed on the Kadena flight line when the forward landing gear malfunctioned.

The Defense Department in December 2022 unveiled a two-year plan to rotate fighter squadrons through Kadena  a key fighter and air transport hub in the Western Pacific  and retire or reassign two squadrons of aging F-15C/Ds stationed there for decades.

The Air Force has yet to announce a permanent replacement for the F-15s.

A thorough investigation will be conducted into the mishap, Anthony said.
Israeli tanks in southern Israel near Rafah on May 11, 2024, following operations in Gaza. (Heidi Levine for The Washington Post)

A U.S. Army officer working at the Defense Intelligence Agency has resigned from the military, citing his objection to Israels war in Gaza, according to an open letter he published online Monday saying he is distressed that his work has contributed to the deaths of Palestinian civilians.

Maj. Harrison Mann posted his letter on the social networking site LinkedIn, where his work history shows experience as an analyst focused on the Middle East and Africa. His time at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) coincided with the Hamas attack on Israel last year and the subsequent Israeli invasion of Gaza, where local health authorities say more than 35,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed since the fighting began in early October and officials have warned of spreading famine.

U.S. support for Israel has included weaponry and intelligence.

My work here  however administrative or marginal it appeared  has unquestionably contributed to that support, Mann wrote in his letter. The past months have presented us with the most horrific and heartbreaking images imaginable  and I have been unable to ignore the connection between those images and my duties here. This caused me incredible shame and guilt.

This unconditional support also encourages reckless escalation that risks wider war, he wrote.

Mann confirmed to The Washington Post his resignation and the authenticity of his letter, news of which was reported earlier by the New York Times, but he declined to comment further.

An Army spokeswoman, Lt. Col. Ruth Castro, said in a statement that Mann asked to resign in late November and received approval in early January. It will become effective June 3, she said.

The DIA, in a statement affirming that Mann was previously assigned to the agency, said, Employee resignations are a routine occurrence at DIA as they are at other employers, and employees resign their positions for any number of reasons and motivation.

Mann describes himself as a transitioning Army officer on his LinkedIn page.

President Joe Bidens management of the Gaza crisis has deeply divided U.S. personnel, prompting expressions of dissent across the government, but only a handful have resigned in protest.

At the State Department, officials have written multiple cables about Gaza in the agencys dissent channel, a Vietnam War-era mechanism for internal protest, advocating a permanent cease-fire and restrictions on U.S. military support. Josh Paul, who worked at the State Department for more than a decade, resigned in October from his job processing weapons transfers, saying the decision to rush more arms to one side of the conflict was shortsighted, destructive, and unjust.

Annelle Sheline, a State Department fellow working on human rights issues, resigned in March, saying she couldnt do her job anymore. Trying to advocate for human rights just became impossible, she said. In April, the State Departments Arabic language spokesperson, Hala Rharrit, a long-serving U.S. diplomat, resigned in protest, expressing doubts about any career officials ability to influence U.S. policy. No career Foreign Service officer could really effect any change, she told The Post.

At the U.S. Agency for International Development, hundreds of employees endorsed a letter in November calling for the Biden administration to use its leverage to initiate a cease-fire. Other officials have challenged agency leaders during public events.

Mann distributed an earlier version of his letter April 16, he said in his LinkedIn post, as the Israeli military ramped up its plans to storm the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Biden administration officials have criticized that decision, saying a more limited and targeted operation was more appropriate, and that Israel had a responsibility to protect the 1.3 million Palestinians who took refuge there after fleeing from other parts of Gaza under Israeli orders.

That escalating operation appeared to propel Manns decision to publicize his letter.

It is clear that this week, some of you will still be asked to provide support  directly or indirectly  to the Israeli military as it conducts operations into Rafah and elsewhere in Gaza, he wrote in his post.

Mann said his reservations were manageable and that he had held out hope the war would end quickly or U.S. influence would change how Israel conducts its military campaign. He noted, too, that it is understood within the Defense Department that personnel sometimes must support something they did not personally endorse.

At some point  whatever the justification  youre either advancing a policy that enables the mass starvation of children, or youre not, he wrote. And I want to clarify that as the descendant of European Jews, I was raised in a particularly unforgiving moral environment when it came to the topic of bearing responsibility for ethnic cleansing.

The Biden administration said in a report to Congress on Friday it was reasonable to assess that Israel violated international law using U.S. weapons in its military campaign in Gaza, but found there was insufficient information to draw a firm conclusion in any specific instances.

Dan Lamothe contributed to this report.
A command photo of Master Sgt. Darhem Parker, as posted on his TikTok account. Parker says he lost his first sergeant position after counseling related to his social media use and grooming standards. (Darhem Parker)

An Army master sergeant who says he lost a leadership role due partly to his beard and haircut has ignited online debate over both the impact of shaving waivers on careers and the extent to which service members can express themselves on social media.

Master Sgt. Darhem Parker, who has more than 24,000 followers and 550,000 likes associated with his TikTok account, celebrated his elevation to first sergeant as part of the Hawaii-based Alpha Company, 29th Brigade Engineer Battalion in an April 30 video post.

Somebody in real life is going to see that picture on their wall and be pissed (expletive) off, Parker says as he shows off his command picture while pointing out his haircut and his beard.

Parker wasnt wrong about that.

He was counseled by his battalion sergeant major on May 2 for inappropriate online conduct, he said during a video interview Tuesday.

Parker said he mostly agreed with the counseling regarding his video.

When I look back on it, I cringe when I say I agree, but I aint always right, Parker said Tuesday. I could have toned down the passion or the I told you so attitude.

What Parker didnt expect was the mention of his appearance in the counseling statement, along with the instructions to retake his command photo after correcting his haircut.

During the interview Tuesday, Parker said he had worked alongside the 29th BEB command team since early April to transition into the first sergeant job.

The battalion leadership never took issue with his appearance, he said.

I want to note this important part: (The battalion sergeant major) said he got a call from somebody higher up that wasnt in the chain of command, Parker said Tuesday. From whoever talked to him, his whole perception of me changed.

Parker, whose uniform includes Ranger, airborne and engineering sapper tabs, retained some support locally.

A day after the counseling, Parker spoke with the 25th Infantry Divisions Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Haynie about the April 30 video.

According to Parker, Haynie said he saw nothing wrong with the video, adding that Parkers appearance was within grooming standards for soldiers with medical shaving waivers.

In a TikTok post on May 5, Parker said that Haynie commended him for being an advocate for soldiers on a shaving profile, a designation that comes with qualifying skin conditions.

Parker thought the situation had been resolved, until two days later, when he was counseled by his battalion commander and informed that he wouldnt become a first sergeant.

Well, they got me for taunting, and truth be told, I was, Parker said in a May 8 TikTok video. I was taunting everybody who ever told me I would never be a first sergeant with a shaving profile.

The Army identifies taunting as a form of bullying under the services harassment prevention program.

On Tuesday, Parker declined to identify his battalion leadership by name or to add details on the May 7 counseling, but he said it was professional, clear and to the point.

The 25th Infantry Division did not respond to Stars and Stripes queries since Saturday regarding why Parker was removed from his assignment, among other questions.

Parkers posts include occasional profanity and criticism of his workplace environment.

But the Defense Department social media policy, which was introduced in 2022 and updated last year, doesnt specifically address those practices. It does require DOD personnel to uphold applicable standards of professionalism and ethical conduct.

Although he says he mostly agrees with the assessment of his online conduct, Parker says hes still confused about the comments related to his appearance or why the situation resulted in loss of the leadership position. It boils down to perception, he said.

Im starting to pick up on something (while) watching the internet go crazy. If you dont see a problem with my beard, you just look at the video and say yeah, he made it,  Parker said Tuesday. If you dont like my beard, then you see it as me taking a shot at you.

Last week, the Army W.T.F! Moments Facebook site, which has 1.6 million followers, added Parkers video post via Sgt. 1st Class Latoya Greene, who has 402,000 followers of her own on the social media platform.

More than 10,000 comments across multiple posts about beards in the military followed.

One such post elicited a short response that the site attributed to the 25th Infantry Division.

To be clear, we are supportive of Soldiers who have shaving profiles, the statement said, as quoted by Army W.T.F! Moments. We are continuing to look into this situation. Thank you.

Army 1st Sgt. Joseph Henninger of the 504th Military Intelligence Brigade added his story to the Facebook thread and shared his command photo showing him with a full beard.

In an email to Stars and Stripes on Monday, Henninger said that he knew he could have faced unspoken biases related to his promotion to master sergeant when he submitted his religious accommodation request in 2019.

Fortunately, the Army did away with the DA Photo so I did not have to contend with the visual biases, Henninger wrote, referring to the former requirement of a picture as part of a board promotion packet.

Henninger added that he has never received any grief for his beard while in uniform, and that beards do not detract from professionalism.

The only way a beard will be an impediment would be because others cast judgment or have specific prejudices, Henninger said. Those people would have to be in very specific positions of leadership in order to affect career progression.

Beard authorization without a waiver has been a recurring discussion point among service members, particularly since a 2021 Change.org petition with over 100,000 signatures called on then-Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston to approve beards.

Since then, senior enlisted leaders across the services have generally dismissed the idea, citing reasons ranging from hindering proper wear of gas masks to detracting from unit identity, professional appearance and discipline.

At an industry symposium last year, enlisted Space Force and Air Force leaders strongly rejected the notion of widespread beard wear.

If you want to look cute with your skinny jeans and your beard, by all means do it someplace else, said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Ramon Colon-Lopez, then the senior enlisted adviser to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Service members with pseudofollicilitis barbae, a skin condition that causes infections and other ailments, say theyve had to consider whether such perceptions of how beards look in uniform would negatively affect them. It was only two years ago that the Navy and Marine Corps ended separations based on the diagnosis.

Parker said Tuesday that he wants to bring awareness to the struggles some soldiers with shaving profiles have and to promote fair treatment for all soldiers.

I wouldnt change for nothing in the world. What happened needed to happen, Parker said. I think its caused a great conversation.
The U.S. Coast Guard fast-response cutter Glen Harris sails in the Arabian Gulf, Oct. 24, 2023. (William Hunter/U.S. Army)

The U.S. Coast Guard has ordered two more Sentinel-class fast-response cutters from Bollinger Shipyards, the company announced in a press release Monday.

The vessels will be built at Bollingers facility in Lockport, La., but the projected delivery date for the vessels was not announced.

The contract is part of the 2004 Coast Guard Cutter Procurement Program, which calls for 104 ships to replace the 90 patrol craft and high- and medium-endurance cutters in the Coast Guard inventory at the time.

Each fast-response cutter costs about $65 million, according to a Congressional Research Service report March 25.

The Coast Guard originally planned on acquiring 65 fast-response cutters to replace the aging Island-class patrol boats. However, this most recent order brings the total number of fast-response cutters awarded to Bollinger to 67, according to the release.

In addition to the search-and-rescue operations the Coast Guard is famous for, fast-response cutters are used for drug interdiction, defense operations, law enforcement and environmental protection. Each vessel comes equipped with four .50-caliber machine guns and a 25 mm cannon.

They can reach speeds up to 28 knots, range more than 2,500 nautical miles and remain at sea for up to five days, according to the Coast Guard.

Our unique experience building for the Coast Guard is unparalleled and has shown time and time again that we can successfully deliver the highest quality and most capable vessels, Ben Bordelon, Bollinger Shipyards president and CEO, said in the release.

Three Sentinel-class cutters built by Bollinger  the Frederick Hatch, Myrtle Hazard and Oliver Henry  were homeported at the Coast Guard station on Guam in 2021. That year, the Coast Guard ordered four Sentinel cutters that are slated for delivery between fall of this year and the summer 2025.

Bollinger is also contracted to build a polar security cutter for the Coast Guard and a towing, salvage and rescue ship; a berthing barge; a new oceanographic survey ship; and unmanned mine countermeasures surface vessels for the Navy, according to the release.
Nigers Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine. ()

NIAMEY, Niger  A crucial military relationship between the United States and its closest West African ally, the country of Niger, ruptured this spring after a visiting U.S. official made threats during last-ditch negotiations over whether American troops based there would be allowed to remain, according to the countrys prime minister.

In an exclusive interview, Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine put the blame for the breakdown squarely on the United States, accusing American officials of trying to dictate which countries Niger could partner with and failing to justify the U.S. troop presence, now scheduled to end in the coming months. Niger has been central to efforts to contain a growing Islamist insurgency in West Africa.

The rift between the former allies has created an opportunity for Russia, which has moved quickly to deepen its relationship with Niger, dispatching troops to the capital, Niamey, last month to train the Nigerien military and supplying a new air defense system. Russian and U.S. troops now occupy opposite ends of an air base.

After a military coup detat ousted Nigers democratically elected president last year, the United States froze security support as required by U.S. law and paused counterterrorism activities, which had involved intelligence gathering on regional militant activities from a massive drone base in the countrys north. The United States has kept more than 1,000 military personnel in place while negotiating with Niger over their status and urging the junta to begin restoring democracy.

The Americans stayed on our soil, doing nothing while the terrorists killed people and burned towns, Zeine said. It is not a sign of friendship to come on our soil but let the terrorists attack us. We have seen what the United States will do to defend its allies, because we have seen Ukraine and Israel.

Nigers insistence that American troops depart culminated in the U.S. announcement last month that it would withdraw them. The pullout, which two U.S. officials said would begin in coming months, represents a significant setback for the Biden administration and will force it to reconfigure its strategy for countering Islamist extremists in the volatile Sahel region.

Though tense discussions between U.S. and Nigerien officials have been previously reported, Zeines remarks revealed the extent of the disconnect between the two countries. While the Americans were pressing their counterparts over democracy and their relations with other countries, Niger was asking for additional military equipment and what it considered a more equitable relationship between the two forces, according to his account. He also revealed just how exasperated the Nigeriens had become with the United States.

Relations with the United States have been strained since the junta took power, appointing Zeine, an economist, as prime minister two weeks later. The U.S. government condemned the coup and called for the release of President Mohamed Bazoum, who was put under house arrest.

Zeine said leaders of Nigers new government, known as the National Council for Safeguarding the Homeland, or by its French initials CNSP, were bewildered that the United States had frozen military support while insisting on keeping the troops in the country without justifying their continued presence. The American response in the wake of Nigers coup contrasted sharply with that of other nations, including Russia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, he said, which have welcomed the new Nigerien leaders with open arms.

He said the Nigerien leaders took particular umbrage at remarks by Molly Phee, the State Departments top official for African affairs, who he said had urged the government during a March visit to Niamey to refrain from engaging with Iran and Russia in ways objectionable to Washington if Niger wanted to continue its security relationship with the United States. He also said Phee had further threatened sanctions if Niger pursued a deal to sell uranium to Iran.

When she finished, I said, Madame, I am going to summarize in two points what you have said, recounted Zeine, who has led negotiations with the United States. First, you have come here to threaten us in our country. That is unacceptable. And you have come here to tell us with whom we can have relationships, which is also unacceptable. And you have done it all with a condescending tone and a lack of respect.

In response to Zeines comments, a U.S. official said: The message to the CNSP in March was a coordinated U.S. government position, delivered in a professional manner, in response to valid concerns about developments in Niger. The CNSP was presented with a choice, not an ultimatum, about whether they wished to continue their partnership with us, respectful of our democratic values and national security interests.

In the coming months, we will work with the CNSP to draw down U.S. forces in an orderly fashion and ultimately reposition them elsewhere, consistent with U.S. security interests, added the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.

Since 2012, the United States has maintained a military presence in Niger, with most U.S. personnel stationed at the Agadez drone base, which cost about $110 million to build. That base has been impactful for counterterrorism efforts across the region, said Gen. Michael E. Langley, who heads U.S. military operations in Africa. In an interview earlier this year, Langley warned that the U.S. losing its footprint in Niger would degrade our ability to do active watching and warning, including for homeland defense.

Before the July 26 coup, in which Bazoum was ousted by the head of his presidential guard, Abdourahmane Tchiani, U.S. soldiers were providing training, intelligence and equipment to Nigerien troops. After the coup, activities were limited to those needed to ensure the safety of American troops.

Zeine said his attempts to meet with officials in Washington were rebuffed for months. He said Salifou Modi, a former army chief now serving as vice president, drafted a new status-of-forces agreement to govern the presence of U.S. troops, but it was rejected. Still, he said, Nigerien officials had remained hopeful that the United States might provide more assistance to respond to extremist attacks, which spiked following the coup.

Shortly after the coup, Nigers new government directed more than 1,500 French soldiers who had been stationed in Niger to leave but left open the possibility that the Americans could remain.

When Phee first arrived in Niger in December, Zeine said, he showed her photographs of Nigeriens waving American flags during protests against France, Nigers former colonial power. While protesters set fires and smashed windows at the French Embassy, he noted, they left the U.S. Embassy untouched.

Nigeriens were saying, Americans are our friends, they will help us this time to annihilate the terrorists, said Zeine. But there was radio silence. He added that Niger would have not looked to Russia and other countries for help if the United States had responded to requests for more support, including for planes, drones and an air defense system.

Phee said in a previous interview that American officials made the choice as stark and clear as they could during the December meeting, emphasizing that U.S. assistance would remain suspended until Niger set a timeline for restoring democracy.

When Phee returned to Niamey in March, Zeine said, he asked Modi whether he knew how many Americans were in the country and what exactly they were doing. He said No, said Zeine, who recalled turning back to Phee and asking, Can you imagine the same thing happening in the United States?

That visit proved a turning point, he said, in large part because Phee, in hour-long opening remarks, accused the Nigerien government of reaching an agreement to sell uranium mined in Niger to Iran, which could use it for its nuclear program. He called the allegation untrue. Zeine, who was received by President Ebrahim Raisi and other senior Iranian officials in Tehran in January, said that absolutely nothing has been signed with Iran, adding that if a deal had been signed, it would have not been under the table  but in front of cameras.

He accused the United States of using the same tactics employed by George W. Bushs administration before the invasion of Iraq in citing later-discredited intelligence information saying Saddam Husseins government had tried to buy uranium from Niger to use in a nuclear weapons program.

A few days after the March meeting, a junta spokesman appeared on Nigerien state television declaring the American military presence illegal. Behind the scenes, U.S. officials continued negotiating, seeking to determine what, if any, security relationship could continue.

But concern mounted last month, when a senior U.S. Air Force leader at the base in Niger alleged that the troops there had been left in limbo and put at risk. When Zeine traveled to Washington last month, he met again with Phee and Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, who promised Zeine that the United States would withdraw.

Although Niger is insisting that the U.S. military leave, Zeine said that his government wants to continue economic and diplomatic relations with the United States and that no Nigerien considers the United States as the enemy. He said he told Phee and Campbell that Niger would rather have American investors than soldiers.

If American investors arrived, we would give them what they wanted, he recounted telling the States Department officials. We have uranium. We have oil. We have lithium. Come, invest. It is all we want.
Plaintiffs attorney Kristina Baehr speaks with reporters outside U.S. District Court in Honolulu, May 13, 2024, following the conclusion of the trial phase of Feindt vs. United States. (Wyatt Olson/Stars and Stripes)

HONOLULU  An attorney representing 17 plaintiffs suing the federal government over a jet fuel leak that contaminated their water in 2021 asked a federal judge Monday to award between $225,000 and $1.25 million to each individual, depending upon the degree of their injuries.

Plaintiffs attorney Kristina Baehr laid out the range of compensation sought during closing arguments in the two-week trial phase of Feindt vs. United States in U.S. District Court.

Speaking with reporters outside the courthouse after the trial ended, Baehr said awarding damages to her clients could deter similar disasters.

Tort law has two purposes: deterrence and compensation, she said. And you cant have deterrence without compensation.

Our clients came not to punish, but to protect  to protect their families, to protect the water, to protect this land, and ultimately, to protect their country. Because this is a patriotic exercise, to hold the United States to account.

The plaintiffs allege their injuries resulted from a November 2021 leak at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility that contaminated the Navy water system serving their homes.

Baehr said she was seeking $400,000 for past pain and suffering for Nastasia Freeman, a mother of three who is central to the plaintiffs case.

Freeman, who no longer lives in Hawaii, testified that she has an epilepsy condition that had been dormant for several years. Following the contamination, the condition reemerged and she began having seizures.

Freeman should also be compensated another $650,000 for future pain and suffering and for mental anguish, Baehr told the judge.

Baehr asked for almost $600,000 for Beau Jessup, now 18, to compensate for pain and suffering, mental anguish, impairment and therapy related to medical conditions that he testified would prevent him from joining the military as he had planned.

In his closing, Justice Department attorney Eric Rey reiterated the defenses contention that the contamination was too short-lived to have caused deep and lasting harm to the defendants.

The science simply does not support that this persisted beyond two days of exposure, he said.

The plaintiffs stopped drinking the tap water or using it altogether within days of the first complaints of tainted water and therefore could not have experienced excessive exposure to the contamination, Rey said.

U.S. District Court Judge Leslie Kobayashi is hearing the case without a jury.

Attorneys on both sides are scheduled to submit post-trial briefs in June, after which Kobayashi will deliberate before issuing a decision.

The 17 plaintiffs are among about 7,500 individuals represented by Baehrs Just Well Law, based in Austin, Texas, and Hosoda Law Firm in Hawaii.

The judges decision on these first 17 bellwether plaintiffs could determine whether those additional cases are headed to trial or are settled.

The Feindt trial began April 29, more than two years after thousands of residents of military housing on and around Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam were forced to temporarily relocate because of the jet fuel-contaminated tap water.

The fuel emanated from a spill at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility near the joint base that seeped into one of three wells used by the Navy for its water system.

Expert witnesses for the plaintiffs testified that a significant amount of jet fuel found its way into the homes of residents using the Navys water.

Medical experts testified that a host of conditions experienced by the plaintiffs  everything from headaches, dizziness and nausea to tremors and neurological problems  stemmed from exposure to the tainted water.

Defense experts testified that the presence of jet fuel in the water system was too scant and too brief to have caused any harm to residents.

A toxicologist for the government defense testified that the medical conditions experienced by the plaintiffs were preexisting or induced by stress.

Kobayashi has reiterated throughout the trial that she is only trying to determine the cause of the plaintiffs medical problems and how much they should be compensated.
Whistleblower David McBride arrives at the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory in Canberra on May 14, 2024. (Mick Tsikas/AP)

MELBOURNE, Australia  An Australian judge sentenced a former army lawyer to almost six years in prison on Tuesday for leaking to the media classified information that exposed allegations of Australian war crimes in Afghanistan.

David McBride, 60, was sentenced in a court in the capital, Canberra, to five years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to three charges including theft and sharing with members of the press documents classified as secret. He had faced a potential life sentence.

Justice David Mossop ordered McBride to serve 27 months in prison before he can be considered for release on parole.

Rights advocates argue that McBrides conviction and sentencing before any alleged war criminal he helped expose reflected a lack of whistleblower protections in Australia.

McBride addressed his supporters as he walked his dog to the front door of the Australian Capital Territory Supreme Court to be sentenced.

Ive never been so proud to be an Australian as today. I may have broken the law, but I did not break my oath to the people of Australia and the soldiers that keep us safe, McBride told the cheering crowd.

A lawyer for McBride, Mark Davis, said that his legal team would appeal a ruling that prevented McBride from mounting a defense. Mossop ruled in November last year that McBride had no duty as an army officer beyond following orders.

We know that the Australian military teach a much broader notion of what the duty of an officer is in a battlefield than to follow orders, Davis said.

Davis said the severity of the sentence also created grounds for appeal, but their effort would focus on the earlier ruling.

McBrides documents formed the basis of an Australian Broadcasting Corp. seven-part television series in 2017 that contained war crime allegations, including Australian Special Air Service Regiment soldiers killing unarmed Afghan men and children in 2013.

Police raided the ABCs Sydney headquarters in 2019 in search of evidence of a leak, but decided against charging the two reporters responsible for the investigation.

In sentencing, Mossop said he did not accept McBrides explanation that he thought a court would vindicate him for acting in the public interest.

McBrides argument that his suspicions that the higher echelons of the Australian Defense Force were engaged in criminal activity obliged him to disclose classified papers didnt reflect reality, Mossop said.

An Australian military report released in 2020 found evidence that Australian troops unlawfully killed 39 Afghan prisoners, farmers and civilians. The report recommended 19 current and former soldiers face criminal investigation.

Police are working with the Office of the Special Investigator, an Australian investigation agency established in 2021, to build cases against elite SAS and Commando Regiments troops who served in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016.

Former SAS trooper Oliver Schulz last year became the first of these veterans to be charged with a war crime. He is accused of shooting dead a noncombatant man in a wheat field in Uruzgan province in 2012.

Also last year, a civil court found Australias most decorated living war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith had likely unlawfully killed four Afghans. He has not been criminally charged.

Human Rights Watchs Australia director Daniela Gavshon said McBrides sentencing was evidence Australias whistleblowing laws needed exemptions in the public interest.

It is a stain on Australias reputation that some of its soldiers have been accused of war crimes in Afghanistan, and yet the first person convicted in relation to these crimes is a whistleblower, not the abusers, Gavshon said in a statement.

David McBrides jail sentence reinforces that whistleblowers are not protected by Australian law. It will create a chilling effect on those taking risks to push for transparency and accountability  cornerstones of democracy, she added.

Some lawmakers from minor parties and independents raised McBrides sentencing in Parliament on Tuesday.

Greens lawmaker Elizabeth Watson-Brown told Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that McBride had been imprisoned for the crime of telling the truth about war crimes.

Why wont your government admit that our whistleblower laws are broken and commit to urgent reform to keep whistleblowers like Mr. McBride out of jail? Watson-Brown asked the prime minister.

Albanese declined to answer, saying it might prejudice McBrides appeal.

Im not going to say anything here that interferes with a matter that is quite clearly going to continue to be before the courts, Albanese told Parliament.

Andrew Wilkie, a former government intelligence analyst whistleblower whos now an independent lawmaker, said Australian governments hate whistleblowers.

The government wanted to punish David McBride and to send a signal to other insiders to stay on the inside and to stay silent, Wilkie said.

Wilkie quit his intelligence job in Australias Office of National Assessments days before Australian troops joined U.S. and British forces in the 2003 Iraq invasion. He publicly argued that Iraq didnt pose enough of a threat to warrant invasion and that there was no evidence linking Iraqs government to al-Qaida.
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel visits Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, on Jan. 19, 2024. (Jennessa Davey/Stars and Stripes)

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa  A U.S. military C-20G Gulfstream, reportedly set to carry the U.S. ambassador to Japan, is cleared to land on the islands of Ishigaki and Yonaguni this week, despite objections by Okinawa prefecture.

The prefectures Airport Division notified the U.S. military on Monday of an open parking spot at Ishigaki Airport, a division spokesman told Stars and Stripes by phone Tuesday.

The administration office rechecked the spots and found an open one in the international terminal, the spokesman said. Its customary in Japan that some government officials speak to reporters on condition of anonymity.

The prefecture, however, still discourages U.S. military aircraft from visiting the islands.

Civilian airports were built for civilian aircraft; the prefectures policy is that the U.S. military should refrain from using the airport except in case of emergency, the spokesman said.

The division originally rejected the stop at Ishigaki Airport, saying parking spots were full. The stop at Yonaguni Airport was approved in April.

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.

Both islands are less than 150 miles east of Taiwan. Their proximity to the island democracy and the Senkaku islets, a Japanese possession, puts them in the center of regional tensions simmering between China and the United States.

U.S. Embassy Tokyo did not respond to an email seeking further information Tuesday; Japans Ministry of Defense declined comment when reached by phone and email. The Okinawa Defense Bureau, an arm of the ministry, did not respond to an email and phone calls.

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 said May 8.

The prefecture then appealed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Okinawa Liaison Office and Okinawa Defense Bureau to ask the U.S. military to refrain from using either airport, according to a post on the divisions X account, formerly Twitter, on Thursday.

U.S. Consulate General Naha requested information about the Ishigaki mayors schedule but did not mention any embassy travel plans, a city spokesman said by phone Tuesday.

A Yonaguni town spokeswoman on Tuesday said the town has not been notified of a visit by Emanuel.

Some Japanese government officials may speak to the media only on condition of anonymity.
Philippine coast guardsmen survey several ships believed to be Chinese militia vessels at Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea in April 2021. (Philippine coast guard)

Manila and Beijing have opened a new front in the South China Sea, with the Philippines vowing to challenge Chinese efforts to reclaim more land in contested waters.

A mound of crushed coral recently discovered at Sabina Shoal in the Spratly Islands is evidence of Chinese island-building, Philippine coast guard spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela told reporters Saturday in Quezon city, near Manila.

Underwater film, shot by the coast guard at the shoal and televised Monday by Japanese national broadcaster NHK, shows a large white mound on the seafloor.

The shoal, well within the Philippines exclusive economic zone, is 87 miles from the western Philippine island of Palawan, where U.S. Marines and sailors were training with Philippine troops during the annual Balikatan exercise that concluded Friday.

The coast guard will maintain a prolonged presence at the shoal, Tarriela said in comments reported Saturday by the state-run Philippine News Agency.

The BRP Teresa Magbanua, one of the coast guards patrol vessels, deployed to the shoal on April 15 after intelligence that China was conducting unauthorized marine research there, Tarriela said.

Two other coast guard vessels, the BRP Cabra and BRP Malabrigo, also rotate to the shoal, he said.

We are extensively monitoring the movement of the Chinese research vessels, he said. They have three  the mother boat, which is the biggest and stationed in Sabina Shoal, and two smaller ones.

The two research vessels, Tarriela said, circle the shoal and deploy service boats that ferry instruments and divers to the seabed.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin, asked Monday about the alleged island-building, said the Philippines has repeatedly spread rumors, deliberately vilified China and tried to mislead the international community.

None of those attempts will succeed. China urges the Philippines to stop making irresponsible remarks, face up to the facts and return to the right track of properly handling maritime disputes through negotiation and consultation, he said, according to a transcript of the regularly scheduled press conference released by the ministry.

Last month, a China coast guard ship with water cannons damaged one of two Philippine coast guard vessels at Scarborough Shoal, also inside the Philippines exclusive economic zone but controlled by Beijing.

An escalating number of similar encounters have occurred between the two countries at Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef in the South China Sea controlled by Manila.

The Chinese vessels at Sabina Shoal have also been spotted at Second Thomas Shoal, Tarriela said, according to the Philippine News Agency.

The Philippines could legally detain the Chinese researchers but is unable to do so due to interference by the Chinese coast guard, he said.

However, the BRP Teresa Magbanuas deployment is deterring Chinas apparent land reclamation efforts, Tarriela said.

The main objective of our prolonged presence in Sabina Shoal is to prevent the Chinese government in carrying out their illegal action of reclamation and possible reclamation in Sabina Shoal, he said. And for 26 days, we have been very successful in doing that.
Zushi, a popular beach near Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, is pictured on March 22, 2024. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)

YOKOSUKA, Japan  The U.S. sailor accused of slamming into a group of people two years ago at a popular Japanese beach remembers little of what happened, partly because hed been drinking heavily that day, he testified Monday.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Daniel Krieger is on trial on four counts of bodily injury stemming from an incident in Zushi, a beach town near Yokosuka Naval Base, on July 9, 2022.

The most severely injured of the group were a 33-year-old man with multiple sprained vertebrae and a 58-year-old woman with a broken upper jaw, broken nasal bone and other facial injuries.

Krieger testified for nearly five hours in Yokohama District Courts Yokosuka Branch. He said he remembered few significant details of the incident because he had consumed between 10 and 20 alcoholic drinks that day.

Krieger remembered colliding with someone, he told his defense attorneys, but not where that happened, who he ran into or why they collided. He recalled that he fell over and subsequently felt like someone was grabbing him and chasing him.

It was like a dream, when a monster chases you, but you dont know why, he said.

The trial resumes June 17, when the defense will present a psychiatrist who examined Krieger as an expert witness.

He acknowledged that surveillance footage from that day shows him running into the group, stumbling and then continuing to run away.

Japanese authorities allege Krieger, a logistics specialist assigned to the guided-missile destroyer USS Milius, collided with three men and two women that day. He has pleaded not guilty.

Krieger is not in police custody, but is restricted to the naval base, he told prosecutors.

Krieger and his attorneys do not contest the facts in the case but say a previous brain injury and his intoxication that day left him unable to take responsibility for what happened.

Attorney Masahiko Goto, who represents the injured parties in a separate civil suit against the sailor, asked Krieger in court Monday how he felt about the victims fear that hell attack them again.

Krieger appeared surprised.

What? I have no reason to attack these people, he said. If they have fear, they should be more courageous. It was a mistake.

They need to know that Im not going after them, he added.

Krieger testified that the day began with a trip to the beach with his wife, Rina Krieger, and their 2-year-old son. Rina Krieger eventually left for home with their son, leaving Daniel Krieger to relax on the beach, she testified April 25.

In 2015, Krieger suffered a brain hemorrhage after intervening in a fight at a train station in Yokosuka, he testified. After his recovery, he became increasingly irritable and forgetful, he said.

He also testified that pelvic floor dysfunction leads him to drink to alleviate constant discomfort.

Krieger admitted to lying to police about his level of intoxication.

He initially told investigators he was sober that day due to avoid more trouble with the Navy, he testified. He also instructed his wife to tell police the same thing.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping pose for photos prior to meeting in Beijing in October 2023. (Sergei Guneyev, Sputnik/Kremlin pool photo via AP)

In his first trip abroad since securing a fifth term, Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to Beijing on Thursday to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to reinforce ties with China and their joint efforts to push back against a U.S.-led global order.

The trip will come barely a week after Xi visited Europe for the first time in five years and declined to use his influence to pressure Moscow to end its war against Ukraine. As well as providing diplomatic support, China has become a critical economic lifeline as Russia copes with mounting Western sanctions.

Xi and Putin both share a vision of a multipolar world order, in which countries led by China and Russia can operate by a different set of rules than the ones set by the United States and other liberal democracies.

I expect both Russia and China will heavily focus their narrative on the failures of the West and in particular the U.S., even if not named directly, said Meia Nouwens, senior fellow for Chinese security and defense policy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London-based think tank.

Coming just after Xis Europe visit, Putins trip signals that Beijing has not changed how it views its bilateral relationship with Russia despite consistent calls from European leaders to halt Chinas support of Russias war economy and defense industry, Nouwens added.

Putin will be in China through Friday and will visit Beijing and the northern city of Harbin, close to the border with Russia, the Kremlins media service said.

It added that the two leaders will have a substantive exchange of views on the most pressing global and regional affairs. The negotiations will end with the signing of a joint statement of the heads of state and a number of bilateral documents, the media service said.

Chinas Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that Xi and Putin will exchange views on bilateral relations.

The meeting between Xi and Putin will be their first bilateral summit since the Chinese leaders trip to the Kremlin in March 2023, when the two leaders vowed to deepen Sino-Russian political and economic cooperation. Putin and Xi also met in October when the Russian leader, among others, traveled to Beijing to mark 10 years of the Belt and Road Initiative, Xis flagship foreign and economic project.

This week, the two are expected to shore up their no limits partnership, declared just weeks before Russias invasion of Ukraine. China is now one of Russias only remaining trading partners and friends on the global stage.

Chinas importance to Russia has grown exponentially since the 2022 invasion  as a buyer of Russian energy, as a source of components that can be used in military production, and as a diplomatic partner, providing tacit support for a war that has killed hundreds of thousands of civilians and soldiers.

The Kremlin emphasized that the trip to China would be Putins first travel abroad since his inauguration last week for a fifth term, signaling the significance of the relationship for Moscow.

Putin and Xi share common cause in their objective of reshaping global power and ending the dominance of the United States in world affairs. While China has released a vague peace plan and called for an end to the war in Ukraine, it has not expressed strong criticism of Russias unprovoked invasion and seizure of territory  both clear breaches of the United Nations charter.

As Russia launches new offensive operations in Ukraine, it is looking to stabilize the countrys relations with China, including trade and energy, said Zhao Minghao, a professor at the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai.

For Putin, facing pressure from the United States and Western countries, he must ensure this strategic partnership with China, Zhao said, adding that the partnership is equally crucial for China.

Alexander Gabuev, a Russia and China analyst with the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, said that Moscow now weighs all of its foreign ties based on the war and on the benefit of any given relationship in its increasingly hostile posture toward the West.

War has become the organizing principle of Putins foreign policy, Gabuev wrote in comments on X. He now assesses every relationship through a lens of three considerations: whether this relationship can help on the battlefield in Ukraine; whether it can help to sustain Russian economy and circumvent sanctions, whether it can help Moscow push back against the West and punish the United States and its allies for supporting Kyiv. China, he noted, ticked all three boxes for Russia.

Chinas trade with Russia hit a record $240 billion in 2023  up 63% from 2021, before the invasion, and reaching a goal they planned to meet by 2024. During that time, exports of Chinese electronics needed to produce precision-guided weapons systems saw a significant spike, Chinese customs data shows.

But trade flows have increased in both directions. Russia last year became Chinas biggest oil supplier as Beijing took advantage of discounted prices. Western sanctions mean Russia has relatively few big customers left.

With Russias isolation and loss of Europe as its main market for selling gas and oil, Russia has turned to China and India as its primary customers. Nevertheless, Gazprom, the Russian state gas giant, in recent weeks reported its first loss in decades, increasing Moscows eagerness to sign a long-delayed gas deal with China called the Power of Siberia 2.

The Power of Siberia 2 pipeline, once built, will export gas from the Yamal Peninsula fields in western Siberia, across eastern Mongolia to northern China, across a span of more than 1,600 miles.

It is expected to carry 50 billion cubic meters of gas to China, the worlds biggest energy consumer.

But China has delayed a final agreement, driving a hard bargain on the gas price. If an agreement is reached, construction of the pipeline would be expected to begin this year; however, the gas will not flow until the end of the decade.

Beijing imported 107 million tons of Russian crude oil in 2023, an increase of 24% compared with 2022, Zhang Hanhui, the Chinese ambassador to Moscow, told Rossiya Segodnya, a Russian state-controlled media group, this month.

This [visit] demonstrates that the mutual trust between China and Russia has reached a new pinnacle in history, said Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at Renmin University in Beijing.

Given the scheduled visit to Harbin in Chinas northeastern Heilongjiang province, the two leaders may discuss measures focusing on economic development along the Far East border region, Wang said.

There is a lot of potential for economic collaboration between China and Russia, Wang added.

Putin may also use this visit to Asia to make good on a pledge to visit North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who traveled to Russias Far East last year for a rare in-person summit with Putin and called relations with Russia his top priority. Kim pledged full support for Putin and his government amid the war in Ukraine.

Military cooperation between Russia and North Korea has ramped up since the invasion, with Pyongyang reportedly providing Moscow with much-needed ammunition and other weapons to replenish its dwindling supplies for the war.

North Korea, which also faces a host of international sanctions relating to its nuclear and weapons program, wants to show it stands with Russia in the face of U.S.-led economic isolation.

Putin last visited Pyongyang in 2000, when he met Kim Jong Il, the father of the current leader.

Robyn Dixon in London, and Pei Lin Wu and Vic Chiang in Taipei, Taiwan, contributed to this report.
The United Nations said one of its employees was killed in Rafah while traveling in a vehicle marked with the U.N. flag. (Rafiq Maqbool/AP)

A United Nations staff member employed by the U.N. Department of Safety and Security was killed while traveling in a U.N. vehicle from Rafah to the European Hospital in the southwest corner of Khan Younis, according to a statement Monday by Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the secretary general. Another U.N. staffer was injured in the attack.

The person killed was Waibhav Anil Kale, 46, an Indian national who began work as a U.N. security service coordinator in Gaza last month, according to people familiar with the incident. The people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity while the incident remains under investigation, said there was not yet conclusive information about who fired at the vehicle.

Married with two teenage children, Kale had been traveling in a clearly marked U.N. vehicle to the European Hospital in Rafah, said the people familiar with the incident.

Haq confirmed that Kale was the first international U.N. casualty since the beginning of the conflict on Oct 7. He added that we inform the Israeli side of the movement of all our convoys. They are all clearly marked U.N. vehicles.

A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said the IDF had not been made aware of the route of the vehicle and said the incident was under review.

Video footage captured in front of the emergency department of the European Hospital  where the injured U.N. worker is reportedly receiving medical treatment  showed the aftermath of Mondays attack. Bullet holes are visible in the rear windows of a white van with U.N. lettering stamped across the trunk and front doors of the vehicle  and a U.N. flag staked above the gas hub.

Avi Hyman, a spokesperson for the Israeli Prime Ministers Office, said in a news briefing Monday that 87% of all U.N. coordination requests for aid distribution had been approved. But travel approvals do not always guarantee safe passage for aid personnel.

Since Oct. 7, 191 U.N. workers have been killed in Gaza  including Kale  according to Olga Cherevno, a spokesperson for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Almost all of them were Palestinians. The Israel-Gaza war has become the most deadly conflict for U.N. workers since the agency began monitoring staff casualties.

Noting the wars heavy toll on both civilians and humanitarian workers, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire and for the release of all hostages.

The death of the U.N. worker comes days after the Biden administration released a 46-page unclassified report stating that it was reasonable to assess that Israel had violated international law using U.S. weapons in its military campaign in Gaza, and that Israeli action or inaction had stymied the flow of humanitarian aid into the enclave.

There is no safe place in Gaza, even if youre an aid worker who has the added benefit of a deconfliction system, Anastasia Moran, associate director for U.S. advocacy at the International Rescue Committee, said in a briefing Monday. The deconfliction system that has been used for six months has failed to protect the humanitarian community.
People move past destroyed buildings along a street in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on May 14, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian territory between Israel and Hamas. (AFP via Getty Images/TNS)

(Tribune News Service)  Cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas have reached an impasse following the Jewish states ground offensive on the outskirts of the Gazan city of Rafah, according to Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

Over the past few weeks, we have seen some momentum building but unfortunately things didnt move in the right direction, Sheikh Mohammed said at the Qatar Economic Forum on Tuesday. Right now, we are in a status of almost a stalemate.

Negotiations to secure at least a pause in hostilities in the seven-month war have been deadlocked for months, with the two sides far apart on elements such as the status of Israeli troops in Gaza and the terms of a release of hostages held by Hamas and the freeing of Palestinian prisoners. International mediators include Qatar, Egypt and the U.S.

Israel has at the same time begun what it calls a limited expansion of the military campaign into Rafah, where more than 1.4 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the conflict and some are now fleeing. Troops have begun to enter parts of the city, while fighting has resumed in northern areas of the enclave as Hamas starts to regroup.

The prime minister defended Qatars decision to host Hamass political bureau in the country, saying the Iran-backed groups presence has in the past helped mediate other hostage negotiations and keeps lines of communication open for future talks. Qatar has previously said it hosts Hamas in Doha at the request of the U.S.

Helping to resolve conflict is at the heart of Qatars foreign policy, said Sheikh Mohammed, who is also Qatars minister of foreign affairs. Still, our job is limited in mediation role, he said.

Israel has been critical of what it says is Qatars reluctance to pressure Hamas to make concessions in the cease-fire talks, which aim to bring an end to a war that began when Hamas militants went on a deadly rampage in southern Israel on Oct. 7. About 35,000 Palestinians have died in the subsequent conflict, according to health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza.

Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and European Union.

About 450,000 people have left Rafah, located near the Egyptian border, in recent days, according to the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, warning those fleeing face constant exhaustion, hunger and fear.

Israel has warned civilians to flee before an expected full-scale assault. The military says it needs to attack Rafah to target thousands of remaining Hamas fighters and some leaders it believes are based in the city.

Israels invasion of Rafah has set us back a little bit, the prime minister said. There is a fundamental difference between the two parties. There is a party who wants to end the war and then talk about the hostages and then there is a party who wants the hostages and wants to continue the war.

He appeared to be referring to the Hamas demand for the cease-fire to be permanent, which Israel wont accept.

The government of the State of Qatar is the underwriter of the Qatar Economic Forum, Powered by Bloomberg.

With assistance from Dana Khraiche and Omar Tamo.

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Screen grabs show medical personnel working at the European Hospital in Gaza. (Facebook/ PAMA)

Intensifying conflict in southern Gaza has trapped a team of international doctors, including at least 10 Americans, in a hospital near the city of Rafah, further jeopardizing conditions for both the aid workers and scores of their critically wounded Palestinian patients, medical personnel told The Washington Post.

The medical workers were due to leave Gaza on Monday after a two-week rotation in the European Hospital in Khan Younis, an area near Rafah. Doctors there said they are no longer certain when they can leave or if they can safely reach the border with Egypt. Israel on May 7 seized control of and closed the Rafah crossing, which was relied upon by aid organizations. On Monday morning, a U.N. staff member traveling to the European Hospital was killed when their vehicle  which was marked with a United Nations flag  was attacked.

Right now we are stuck in Gaza, Monica Johnston, a nurse who works at a burn trauma center in Oregon and is among the volunteers at the hospital, wrote to The Post. No safe way to get out and no new help or supplies coming in.

State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said at a news briefing Monday that U.S. officials are aware of reports of American medical staff trapped in Gaza and are working with the Israeli and Egyptian governments on the issue. The department did not immediately respond to additional questions from The Post about whether it was in contact with Americans in Gaza or their families. The doctors status was first reported by the Intercept.

Israels seizure of the Rafah border crossing last week severed a crucial supply line for organizations working to deliver humanitarian aid in Gaza. International medical volunteers working in Gaza hospitals said they relied on the crossing to get into and out of the conflict zone.

Some volunteers have described scenes of severe overstretch at hospitals in southern Gaza. Israeli bombardment has cut off ambulance access to some regions, a Palestinian Red Crescent spokeswoman said last week. Medical evacuees have been stranded at the Rafah border crossing, unable to reach help in Egypt. With hospitals shuttering across Gaza, a UNICEF spokesperson previously described the European Hospital as Rafahs last lifeline.

Johnston and her colleagues entered Gaza on May 1. Some of them carried as many as eight suitcases to ferry additional medical supplies to the European Hospital, said Mahmoud Sabha, a Dallas-based doctor with the team.

The Palestinian American Medical Association, a Virginia-based nonprofit organization, announced in a news release late Monday that 19 of its health-care workers, including 10 U.S. citizens, are among the volunteers stranded at the hospital. Other health-care workers with the organization are from Jordan, Egypt and Australia, according to the news release.

Volunteers with FAJR Scientific, another nonprofit organization, are also working at the hospital, according to Sabha and the nonprofits social media. FAJR Scientific did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The team has worked, under increasing exhaustion and burnout, in catastrophic conditions, doctors said. Patients arrive daily with severe burns and explosive injuries, and many are dying of survivable wounds because doctors dont have the supplies or medication to keep them clean and prevent infections, Johnston said. Mohamad Abdelfattah, another doctor with the team who is from California, said thousands of people are taking refuge in the hospital, making it difficult to contain the spread of illnesses.

As you walk through the corridors, theres babies, theres young children playing, theres moms, theres elderly, Abdelfattah said. And so theyre literally occupying every inch of the hospital.

Almost the entire team of doctors also came down with stomach viruses and suffered from dehydration over the two-week rotation, Johnston said. She said she treated patients while hooked up to her own IV.

Uncertainty began to cloud the teams plans to leave Gaza as Israeli forces advanced in Rafah. Mondays deadly attack on a U.N. convoy  as well as previous attacks on aid workers in Gaza  cast a pall over the notion of even safely leaving the hospital, Johnston said.

With the convoy incident today, we are extremely nervous about any promises made to us about safe passage, she said on Monday.

The Palestinian American Medical Association is coordinating with the World Health Organization and a U.N. office to bring its team home, it said in its news release. It urged the U.S. government to assist in aiding its American team members.

The Intercept reported that State Department officials told some relatives of those trapped that a rescue effort was underway. Samaiya Mushtaq, Sabhas wife who lives in Dallas, told The Post that she had not been contacted by the State Department but had heard that some families had mobilized to contact government officials.

When asked about the trapped volunteers, Patel, the State Department spokesman, said that the United States wants to see the Rafah border opened as swiftly as possible.

Doctors at the European Hospital stressed that they were most concerned about the disruption to aid organizations ability to maintain a regular rotation of volunteers and supplies to Gaza. Volunteers set to relieve the team at the European Hospital are stuck in Egypt, unable to cross the border, Johnston said. Sabha said he doesnt want to leave the hospital until the other volunteers can enter Gaza.

We want to leave when other health-care and humanitarian workers are able to get in, Sabha said. We do not want to leave these Palestinians to themselves.

Miriam Berger contributed to this report.
(Tribune News Service)  A Marine veteran from New Jersey has been arrested for threatening in violent social media screeds to slaughter as many white people as possible, federal prosecutors announced.

Joshua Cobb of Trenton, who is Black, is facing one count of transmitting a threat in interstate and foreign commerce, according to a statement issued Monday by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of New Jersey. During an interview with the FBI last month, 23-year-old Cobb allegedly confessed to penning a series of online posts that discussed his interest in serial killers and his intent to cause mayhem on the white community.

The reason i specifically want to target white people is because as a black male, they will NEVER understand my struggles. Same way I will never understand their struggles, but I dont care to. I want to erase them. All of them really, but in this case as many as I possibly can, a post from December 2022 reads.

As of today I have officially began planning my attack, it continued. It is going to take place in 2023 in the state of New Jersey, I have not chosen a exact date but I am going to be sure it is close to an important holiday to their race.

Cobb added that he had purchased four firearms to carry out the violence, and that he planned on buying more. He also discussed his potential targets with authorities, specifically a Jersey Strong gym and an Aldi grocery store in Robbinsville, N.J.

He also allegedly wrote about how he dreams of becoming a serial killer.

In another post, he wrote: There is no way out for me. The only way out is bloodshed.

Cobbs first post in December 2022 came months before he enlisted with the Marines last year, according to the criminal complaint. He attended basic training in South Carolina from June to October 2023 and was stationed at Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif, in February

He was discharged on or around May 10, the complaint indicated.

During a court appearance on Monday, Cobb was ordered to remain in detention pending his bail hearing on Friday. If convicted he faces five years behind bars and a $250,000 fine.

No attack was ever carried out.

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The U.S. Capitol seen through a window of the House Cannon building. (Carlos Bongioanni/Stars and Stripes)

WASHINGTON  The House Armed Services Committee will consider a proposal next week that will give junior enlisted troops a 15% basic pay raise on top of a 4.5% raise for all service members.

The targeted pay boosts for the militarys youngest service members would give troops ranked E-4 and lower several hundred dollars in additional pay each month, hiking their annual pay by nearly 20%.

Service members with an E-5 rank would also receive a pay bump under the committees draft version of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, an annual must-pass bill that sets priorities for the Pentagon.

House lawmakers had long indicated they would pursue higher compensation for junior enlisted members to address rising living costs and the militarys ongoing recruitment struggles.

In April, a House panel tasked with improving the quality of life for service members and their families said a 15% pay raise for junior troops would help the military compete with the civilian labor market.

Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said the recommendation, along with proposals to improve allowances, would serve as the foundation of negotiations over the defense authorization bill this year.

The probability of the pay raise being enacted into law is uncertain.

The White House last year opposed a House proposal to give junior enlisted troops a 30% pay raise before a quadrennial review of military compensation is completed. It is expected to be finished by January 2025.

The Senate Armed Services Committee, which is also drafting its own version of the authorization bill, has not taken a definitive stand on the issue. Committee Chairman Jack Reed, D-R.I., told reporters in March that the committee is examining ways to give pay raises that are not necessarily uniform across every rank.

Military leaders have voiced support for efforts to increase pay for junior enlisted service members, some of whom make less than $25,000 in basic pay, but have also worried about the impact on other ranks.

Lt. Gen. Caroline Miller, the deputy chief of staff for manpower and personnel of the Air Force, told House lawmakers last month that there was potential concern about compression in some areas of the enlisted military basic pay table as a result of the proposed increase for junior troops.

If were going to [raise pay], hows that going to impact the higher rank? she said. But any pay and benefits that we can do to support our airmen and their families, we are all in.

Service members of all ranks would receive a 4.5% pay increase under the White Houses 2025 budget request for the Pentagon  slightly less than the 5.2% pay boost troops received under last years budget.

The House Armed Services Committee will debate its authorization bill next week. The bill will need to be funded by matching appropriations legislation that will be worked on by another group of lawmakers.
Defendant Gene Alexzander Scott, right, sits at the defense table with his lawyers Kay Boulware, left, and William Frick Tuesday at the Chester County, S.C., Courthouse. (Tracy Kimball, The State/TNS)

Gene Alexzander Scott executed his grandfather in a plot for money then turned the gun on his great-grandmother in a pair of killings on Fathers Day in 2020, prosecutors said as a double-murder trial started Tuesday.

Gene Rogers, 61, and Billie Rogers, 78, were found shot to death in their rural home in Chester County near Interstate 77 in 2020. More than a year later, law enforcement officers arrested Scott at an Army base in Germany where he was stationed. He joined the Army after the deaths.

Scott, a 26-year-old from Columbia who was in the Marines before the killings, has pleaded not guilty. He has not been convicted of any crime in the case and has been jailed without bail pending trial.

The trial on two counts of murder and weapons charges started Tuesday at the Chester County Courthouse. Scott faces up to life in prison if convicted.

The trial is expected to feature Scotts alibi that prosecutors said in opening statements was a phony set-up to keep himself in the clear.

The killings: Elderly mother and her son dead

Sgt. Claude Powell of the Chester County Sheriffs Office testified Tuesday he found the bodies in Gene Rogers mobile home after a 911 call on June 20, 2020. Billie Rogers was dead in a chair and Gene Rogers was on the floor, he testified.

Powell testified Scott was there at the home when Powell arrived. Scott told Powell he went to visit his grandfather for Fathers Day before he found them dead and flagged down a passerby to call 911.

Scott was not arrested at the time. He cried when the first officers arrived before changing his emotional state later, Powell testified. Scott claimed to have been in Spartanburg earlier in the day and signed a statement that he had not been to the mobile home for 10 days before that, Powell testified.

Scott told police he talked to his grandfather by phone around 7 a.m. that day, according to Powell.

Lawyers for both sides said there is body camera footage that shows Scotts interaction with deputies. But Judge Donald Hocker had not yet ruled Tuesday afternoon on what footage will be shown to the jury.

Prosecutors: Scott plotted the crime

Scott created a phony alibi and used others to explain his whereabouts after plotting the execution of his grandfather for weeks, 6th Circuit Deputy Solicitor Candice Lively told jurors in opening statements. Billie Rogers was killed so there was no witness, Lively said.

It was all for the money, nothing else, Lively told jurors.

Gene Rogers gave Scott over $86,000 in 2019, Lively said. But Scott blew the money on a blue Mustang and other personal spending after claiming to want to start a business after leaving the Marine Corps, Lively said.

The one person who wanted to believe in him was Gene Rogers, Lively said.

But Scott wanted what was left from his grandfathers life insurance and retirement money, Lively said. He plotted the killing first in May 2020 then went through with it a month later, Lively said.

Gene Rogers retired after working for a gas company and lived in a mobile home in rural Chester. The day of the killings, Gene Rogers ordered pizza with his mother, who was visiting from West Virginia, Lively said.

Evil walked in, in the form of the defendant, Lively said. He hunted them, killed them, shuffled though some of the papers, and left.

Prosecutors have two witnesses who will testify later in the trial that Scotts alibi is not legitimate, Lively said.

Defense: Case is weak

But Scotts defense lawyers say the prosecution case lacks evidence and foundation to support a conviction. Kay Boulware of the 6th Circuit Public Defenders Office said in opening statements to the jury: You will realize that this case is as thin as a playing card.

Theres more to the story than what prosecutors say and witnesses need to be examined by the jury, Boulware said

Those are where the cards are, Boulware said of the witnesses.

Boulware did not address prosecutors alibi claim in opening statements.

Scott wanted the opportunity to let a jury hear his case, Boulware said.

The trial could last two weeks, the judge said.

2024 The State.

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South Carolina inmate Javarius Teague was sentenced May 8, 2024, to two years and nine months in federal prison for laundering more than $13,000 he had extorted from service members. (Aspen Reid/U.S. Air Force)

A South Carolina man already in state prison was handed a federal sentence for laundering money from an extortion scheme targeting service members, one of whom died by suicide at his urging, according to authorities.

Javarius Teague, 31, was sentenced last week to two years and nine months, prosecutors said in statement Friday. Teague and a group of at least four co-conspirators extorted victims by means of threatened force, violence or fear, according to the indictment.

In the scheme, Teague and his collaborators smuggled smartphones into the prison and posed as young women on dating sites, according to court documents.

The targeted service members were compelled to send compromising photos of themselves, the statement said. Then participants in the scheme would contact the victims and claim to be relatives of the women.

They would say the women were underage, demand money and threaten to report the service members to law enforcement or military authorities if they didnt pay, prosecutors said. The scheme brought in more than $13,000, according to the indictment.

Authorities became aware of the scheme in December 2017 when a service member died by suicide rather than pay the money, something Teague and his co-conspirators encouraged, prosecutors said.

Service members sent money transfers through various providers for Teague to collect from intermediaries, the statement said. The conspiracy had been going on since at least October 2016 through December 2022, according to the indictment.

Teague pleaded guilty last year to money laundering involving racketeering. U.S. District Judge Timothy Cain sentenced him Wednesday, according to the prosecutors statement.

Co-defendants Cassandra Poole and Shuntonia Lamar pleaded guilty last year to money laundering charges and were sentenced to 14 months each in federal prison.

Two other co-defendants, Tiara Poole Sullivan and Tirrian Gaines, also pleaded guilty to money laundering and were sentenced to four months in jail, according to the indictment.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed legislation designating Interstate 90 between La Crosse and Tomah as the Ho-Chunk World War II Code Talkers Memorial Highway. (Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs/Facebook)

(Tribune News Service)  A group of Native American soldiers deployed their unique language skills to prevent German and Japanese code breakers from deciphering American military communications during World War II.

They are known as the code talkers, and they have a special place in Sandy Winneshieks heart.

These veterans risked their lives to support the United States, and they werent even citizens, Winneshiek said. If not for the code talkers, we probably would have lost.

Winneshiek was instrumental in getting a group of 14 Ho-Chunk code talkers identified and honored, but she had one more task to complete: having a Wisconsin highway named in their honor. Her mission was fulfilled March 25, when Gov. Tony Evers signed legislation designating Interstate 90 between La Crosse and Tomah as the Ho-Chunk World War II Code Talkers Memorial Highway.

This designation will cement the incredible history of the Ho-Chunk code talkers in our collective narrative and highlight these individuals important contributions for folks, families and visitors to learn about, Evers said.

Code never broken

Native Americans from more than 20 native nations were enlisted to utilize their indigenous languages to communicate sensitive wartime information during world wars I and II. Often working in pairs, code talkers relayed and received messages in dangerous situations, and their messages were never deciphered by Axis forces.

As radiomen, they were targeted by enemy fire. Two Ho-Chunk code talkers died in action.

Code talkers were instructed to keep their work a secret. While the program was declassified in 1968, code talkers did not begin receiving Congressional Gold Medals to recognize their service until 2001. Congress passed the Code Talkers Recognition Act of 2008 to make them eligible for congressional medals.

Winneshiek, who is related to one of the code talkers, used her experience as an Air Force veteran and federal employee to identify the Ho-Chunk code talkers and have their medals awarded to their descendants, as none of the 14 are still alive. Her quest for a highway in their honor began in 2019. She began with a call to state Sen. Jeff Smith, D-Brunswick, who agreed with the idea and submitted a bill.

I thought I would like to see a road or highway dedicated to the code talkers, she said. Everything was going along smoothly until COVID hit. Everything came to a standstill.

The bill languished until 2023, when Ho-Chunk leaders began meeting monthly with legislators. Winneshiek gave credit to Smith  along with state Sens. Patrick Testin, R- Stevens Point; Brad Pfaff, D- Onalaska; and state Rep. Nancy VanderMeer, R- Tomah  for returning the bill to the fast track.

I was very aggressive about this, Winneshiek said. Every week I had to know where were at.

Winneshiek was among the Ho-Chunk leaders who attended the signing ceremony.

I couldnt believe it was finally happening, she said. It took so long. Im so happy. Its a warm and beautiful feeling.

Growing Hoocak language speakers

Kristin WhiteEagle, a Ho-Chunk Nation legislator, said the recognition has another benefit by keeping the native language alive. The Nation estimates only 40 people still speak Hoocak, but the Nation recently received an $800,000 federal grant to develop a dictionary and computer app.

The preservation of our Native language is something we are committed to seeing continued, and it is wonderful to celebrate this effort in this way, WhiteEagle said.

The designation has one more hurdle: signage. Chet Agni, a spokesman for the governors office, said the state Department of Transportation is still working with the Federal Highway Administration to meet standards covering the installation of highway signs. He said the process takes about three months.

Ho-Chunk nation president Jon Greendeer said once the signs are erected, they will serve as a perpetual reminder of how the code talkers contributed to the Allied victory.

This is a significant moment not only for the 14 Ho-Chunk code talkers we are recognizing ... but for future generations to learn more about what these exceptional individuals did to influence the course of history using the language we have worked so hard to preserve, Greendeer said.

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Judge Alex Owens made an order that allows the State to finally take control of the funds.

The Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) have taken 775,000 of foreign criminal cash from bank accounts in Ireland this month.

In two separate long-running cases involving a British criminal and an alleged Swedish drug dealer, CAB won court orders in their favour.

UK resident Melanie Hackett who was named in a CAB case over st120,000 lodged to an Irish bank account which came from her ex-husband and self-confessed criminal Fred Mallon.

Mallon at one point gave evidence that the money in her Irish bank account came from his criminal activities.

At a High Court hearing last month, it was heard that Hacketts daughter confirmed to them that her mother would not be taking part in the case.

Judge Alex Owens made an order that allows the State to finally take control of the funds.

Ten years ago Wales-based criminal Mallon gave evidence to the High Court the money was from his insurance and stolen car-related crime, rather than his plant hire business

His ex-wife, Melanie Hackett, claimed the money was legitimate and that she was entitled to it as part of a divorce settlement.

But she lost the action when the High Court accepted Mallons candid evidence which was supported by evidence from the South Wales Police force.

CAB told the High Court this year that they had not been able to contact Ms Hackett directly but that her daughter said that she doesnt want anything to do with the case unless shes getting the money back.

Mallons criminal activity was connected to motor vehicles and included theft, stripping parts from stolen cars for resale and theft in Ireland and the UK.

It also included the use of cars for bogus insurance claims and the falsification of vehicle records.

The court found the money was lodged in a manner consistent with a desire to keep the funds hidden and unidentified.

Meanwhile CAB had another victory last week when the Court of Appeal rejected a bid by Harry Zeman taking 600,000 in a bank account they froze in 2011.

CAB seized the money claiming it was proceeds of a credit card scam dating back to 2002

Zeman, a director of the Swedish company allegedly behind the scam, Routeback Media, took a legal challenge to prevent the funds being transferred to the State.

CAB has claimed Mr Zeman was known to have ties to organised crime and had convictions in Sweden for drug-dealing.

He denied links to organised crime and claimed the funds were the proceeds of legitimate business.

When CAB applied to transfer the money to the State in 2018, Zeman and his firm opposed the move through the courts.

In previous hearing, CAB said Mr Zemans brother was found to have been in possession of electronic equipment used to create fraudulent credit card numbers and that he had fled Sweden after this discovery.

CAB produced a statement from a Swedish police officer who said Routeback had been investigated in Sweden in 2001 for similar suspect credit card transactions.

The Swedish officer concluded that the primary person behind Routeback at the time was Kristian Zeman, a brother of Harry Zeman.

The Court of Appeal rejected his appeal in a judgment delivered on Friday, ending one of CABs longest-running legal cases.
Tristan Sherry, 26, from Finglas, died of blunt force trauma to the head after shooting Jason Hennessy Sr at the restaurant.

CCTV footage capturing the final moments of gunman Tristan Sherry and the fatal shooting of Jason Hennessy Sr in a restaurant on Christmas Eve was shown at a youth's hearing today.

A 17-year-old boy accused of violent disorder by delivering kicks to Mr Sherry in Browne's Steakhouse in Blanchardstown faced a preliminary hearing to decide his trial venue.

Judge Paul Kelly refused jurisdiction to keep the case in the Dublin Children's Court, where sentences cannot exceed 12 months. He agreed with the Director of Public Prosecutions that the boy must be tried at a higher level with co-defendants in the Central Criminal Court.

Tristan Sherry, 26, from Finglas, died of blunt force trauma to the head after shooting Jason Hennessy Sr at the restaurant.

Mr Hennessy, 48, from Corduff, Blanchardstown, died in hospital 11 after the gun attack.

Gardai charged the teenager in January with engaging in violent disorder in the restaurant on December 24 by using or threatening to use violence with others, which would cause another person present to fear for their safety.

Outlining the case, Detective Garda John Hayes said Mr Hennessy had been with family and associates when two gunmen entered and "opened fire". "One gunman fled, and the other was grabbed by Jason Hennessy Sr; this gunman was Tristan Sherry. Both fell to the ground, and the firearm Tristan Sherry had was picked up by a person there," said Detective Garda Hayes.

"A number of people attacked the gunman on the ground," he said, adding that the boy was identified and kicked Sherry two or three times.

The court heard Sherry also suffered stab wounds.

Tristan Sherry

The youth, accompanied to court by his mother, did not address the court and sat silently as the footage was played.

The video showed two masked gunmen entering and opening fire in the crowded restaurant while customers, including a small child, rushed for cover.

Detective Garda Hayes pointed to a youth onscreen sitting in a booth and alleged he was the defendant who hid under the table when the shooting began.

It was claimed he remained there during the initial attack on Sherry and that he emerged and helped another person lift Jason Hennessy Sr to carry him out of the restaurant.

However, it was alleged he then broke away from holding Mr Hennessy as he got closer to Mr Sherry and struck him two or three times with his feet.

Footage showed a youth, allegedly the accused, attempting to exit through a fire door, which he could not open, and he re-entered the restaurant, got his jacket and left while others were still attacking Sherry.

Detective Garda Hayes agreed with defence counsel Doireann McDonagh that the youth had no prior criminal convictions.

Counsel said the boy had average maturity for his age and was affected by peer pressure but maintained his innocence.

Judge Kelly, the District Court President, noted that the teenager did not face the most serious charge from the incident.

Refusing jurisdiction, however, he said the boy allegedly joined in the assault on Sherry after three or four minutes. "And at that stage, Mr Sherry was on the ground, clearly very badly injured and therefore unable to resist or pose a threat," Judge Kelly said.

The boy was remanded in continuing custody pending the preparation of a book of evidence, which the prosecution must serve before a trial order is granted.

He will appear again at the Children's Court in two weeks.

Seven other males aged 17  26 are before the courts.

Wayne Deegan, 26, from Linnetsfield Avenue, Phibblestown, Dublin 15, David Amah, 18, of Hazel Grove, Portrane Road, Donabate, Dublin, Michael Andrecut, 22, with an address at Sheephill Avenue in Dublin 15, and a 17-year-old boy who cannot be named because he is a minor, were previously charged with murdering Sherry.

Three other men are also before the courts on related charges, including assault, violent disorder and production of a weapon during the incident.

One is accused of removing the submachine gun used by Sherry, which has not yet been recovered.

Another co-defendant, Brandon Hennessy, 20, of Sheephill Avenue, Dublin 15, is a son of Jason Hennessy Sr. A court has heard he allegedly "retaliated" after his father was fatally injured.
Rodica Avadenei (47) was told she would not be able to continue working without a hi-vis

A cleaner who shoplifted a hi-vis jacket had been told she needed one under health and safety regulations in her job, but could not afford to buy one.

When Rodica Avadenei (47) was told she would not be able to continue working without a hi-vis, she decided to take a jacket without paying from a city-centre shop.

Judge Monika Leech put her on a peace bond for a year.

Avadenei, of Berkeley Street, Dublin 7, pleaded guilty to theft at Guineys, North Earl Street, on March 27.

Dublin District Court heard she took the jacket worth 49 and left without paying. She was stopped and the property was recovered.

Avadenei worked as a cleaner in commercial premises and had to wear one of these jackets for health and safety reasons, her lawyer said.

She worked usually after hours and went from job to job.

She simply needed the jacket and took it for that purpose, theres nothing more sinister to it than that, Avadeneis lawyer told the court.

She had since paid for a jacket.

Separately, on March 24, she shoplifted 7 worth of groceries at Lidl, Moore Street, which she also could not afford.

The accused, originally from Romania, was somewhat isolated in the community, her lawyer said. She apologised for the offences.
The case was listed to go ahead at Carrick on Shannon Circuit Court this morning

The trial of the stepfather of missing teenager Amy Fitzpatrick on a charge of assaulting a pensioner was adjourned today after the court was told that his wife Audrey Fitzpatrick is ill in hospital.

The case was listed to go ahead at Carrick on Shannon Circuit Court this morning.

Dave Mahon, of Breffni Crescent in Carrick on Shannon, is accused of assault causing harm to pensioner Jim Fahy (70) in August 2021 in the town.

The maximum penalty for that offence at circuit court level is five years in prison.

But at the court call-over this morning, Mahons barrister Eoin McGovern made an application to Judge John Aylmer to have the case adjourned.

He said Mr Mahons wife, who is a key witness in the case, is receiving treatment today in Sligo, indicating that the application had been flagged with the Prosecution side.

Judge Aylmer adjourned the hearing to the next court sessions under the same bail conditions that have been in place since Mr Mahon was charged.

The matter was previously adjourned in March, the ninth adjournment in the case.

Defence counsel has previously asked for the case against the 51-year-old to be struck out as it had been adjourned on numerous previous occasions.

The case had then been marked peremptory against the State  meaning the case either had to be heard or struck out, but last March the application for adjournment came from the Defence side, meaning it was then listed for today where the latest application for adjournment was made and granted.

Amy Fitzpatrick

Mahon has been accompanied to court throughout the continuous adjournments by his wife Audrey, the mother of Amy Fitzpatrick, who was 15 when she disappeared from the Mijas Costa area of Spain on New Year's Day 2008.

The teenager was last seen walking from her friend Ashley Rose's house at around 10pm in the direction of her home, where she lived with her mother Audrey and stepfather Dave Mahon.
His plan was to get to Turkey and then go to Kosovo and Id imagine never to be seen again

THIS is the man who carried out a sex attack on a sleeping woman and then fled the country on a plane which dramatically turned back mid-flight after gardai contacted the pilot.

Meat factory worker Agon Menhei (36), previously of Ryland Road, Bunclody, Co. Wexford, has been jailed for four years for carrying out the horrific attack on Alma Waldron while she was sleeping on a friends couch following a house party in Bunclody last September.

Ms Waldron told the Sunday World that she told Menhei he could keep his apology when he tried to say sorry in court and also rejected his offer of 1,000 as a token of remorse, which she said added insult to injury.

He also wanted to know, if I wouldnt accept it, would I allow him to donate it in my name to the Rape Crisis Centre. I said absolutely no way.

I dont think any woman seeking help from the Rape Crisis Centre would like to be receiving counselling services partially funded from a person capable of performing such a disturbing act on a sleeping woman.

Agon Menhei was headed for his homeland when police caught up with him

After the attack, Menhei fled the country, booking a flight for Turkey with the intention of travelling on to his native Kosovo.

Menhei had managed to make it onto the plane and thought he had made his escape after it took off.

He got out of the country and the flight was over Liverpool, but the guards got onto the pilot and the pilot turned around and brought him back, Ms Waldron said.

His plan was to get to Turkey and then go to Kosovo and Id imagine never to be seen again.

In doing this, he had no thoughts of what he had done and how he had affected me in those moments while he planned his escape home to his own country. He showed me no empathy, only more hurt.

Agon Menhei

Agon is the monster that haunts my dreams at night. Its like a record on repeat  images and feelings that wont disappear. No matter how hard I try I cant get it to stop its constant.

The flashbacks make my skin crawl. I can hear the little whispers of him hushing me, telling me its okay; the feeling of his hips thrusting up against me, his penis up against my vagina his hands touching my skin.

Explaining the events of the night, Detective Garda Catherine Keogh told Wexford Circuit Court that last September Ms Waldron was feeling low, on medication for depression and anxiety.

Her then friend Amanda Kenny was going out with another Kosovan man, who worked at the meat factory in Clohamon and was a friend of Menhei.

My then friend, who Im not speaking to now, was going out with a man from Kosovo a few weeks, Ms Waldron told the Sunday World.

I was going through a bit of a hard time and she wanted to get me out and about. She said come down, well have a great night in the house and take your mind off things.

Alma Waldron was attacked

Ms Waldron said she thought there would be a mix of men and women at the party but it was just Amanda and a number of other men, including Menhei.

During the night Menhei, who wasnt drinking alcohol, came on to Ms Waldron and there was a consensual kiss and hand-holding.

He kissed me earlier in night and it turned my stomach thinking about it afterwards, but it was okay in the moment (consensual).

However, Ms Waldron didnt want to pursue a romantic relationship with Menhei and rejected his request to go back to his house.

He tried earlier in the night and asked me to go back to his and I said no, no, Im staying here with my friend. I didnt go down there expecting to get with someone  it was the last thing on my mind.

Ms Waldron said she had been drinking pink gin and cider on the night and also took tablets for a migraine which a house resident had.

At end of the night, upon feeling drowsy, I fell asleep on the sofa, completely vulnerable and passed out. Agon committed the most unthinkable, despicable, and violating act. I was asleep. I should have been safe.

She woke up to find her tights and underwear had been removed and Menhei was on top of her pushing his penis against her.

He had no right to remove my underwear and he had no right to force himself on top of me. What kind of a monster does that. I couldnt move, I was frozen, I wanted to make him stop but I couldnt.

Three times I told him to stop. Three times I used my words, and he just shushed me and told me it was okay. In what context did he think it was okay? I guess Ill never know. There was no consent. I had to physically push that man off.

She said she could just see a dull look on Menheis face.

I ran up the stairs to tell my friend and her partner in those moments  I was devastated, shocked. I couldnt believe what he had done, tears were streaming down my face, my body was shaking. I had been sexually violated.

Gardai were called and Ms Waldron had to go to the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit in Waterford.

Sex attacker Agon Menhei (36) attempted to flee the country

Ms Waldrons said her then friend, Amanda, was unable to accompany her to the SATU as she had commitments, which made the process even harder for Ms Waldron, who vomited on the way.

I was a mess going to the sexual assault unit. It was extremely degrading, I felt violated.

I had to give them the clothing I was wearing. I was lying on the examination table counting the square tiles on the ceiling while sobbing, feeling like a piece of meat getting prodded and swabbed from head to toe, every inch of me checked.

I had to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases and sexually transmitted infections, I had to have injections and the morning-after pill.

While Menhei pleaded guilty to sexual assault, Ms Waldron feels he should have pleaded guilty to rape, as he admitted in his statement to penetrating her during the attack.

As she was asleep when it started, Ms Waldron could not conclusively say at the time whether Menhei had penetrated her.

She was told by the DPP before the case that Menhei was willing to plead guilty to sexual assault but would contest a rape charge.

They said we could pursue it and go for rape but if we do that youre talking a couple of years and it will be the Central Criminal Court in Dublin and you have to look at the possibility he could get off, it depends on the jury.

They said I needed to weigh it up and make a decision. After speaking to family, I decided to go for the sexual assault and have a conviction against him.

If I knew things back then that I do now I probably would have gone for rape. In court, they read out his statement and he admitted that he had sexual intercourse with me, he penetrated me.

Ms Waldron said she feels Menhei should be locked up for longer, but is glad he is behind bars.

Im still happy there was a conviction. Im happy, well thats the wrong word, Im glad that its over.

I think really that the healing only begins after he goes in.
Hes 48 and has spent 27 years in prison.

A 48-year-old grandfather who has spent 27 years in prison has been jailed for a further six years for a post office robbery and the attempted robbery of a B&B in Dublin City.

Jason Fogarty, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to one count of robbery at Merrion Row, Dublin on November 5, 2019 and one count of attempted robbery at Gardiner Place, Dublin on May 12, 2023. He was on bail for the first offence when he committed the other.

Additional counts of assault causing harm were taken into consideration.

Judge Pauline Codd sentenced Fogarty to four years for the 2019 post office robbery, during which he threatened the cashier that a grenade would be thrown into her home if anything went wrong. She sentenced him to a consecutive three years, with one suspended, for the attempted B&B raid in 2023.

Detective Garda Robert Mahoney said that on the day in question in November 2019, Fogarty entered a post office on Merrion Row, Dublin 2. He was wearing a jacket, hat and gloves but his face was visible.

Fogarty approached the counter of the post office where one staff member was working. There was a protective screen separating the two.

He passed her a note which told her it was a robbery and that she shouldn't press anything. He also produced what appeared to be a firearm wrapped in a white plastic bag.

The letter said that if anything went wrong: There's another man at the door who will send a text and your home will have a grenade put in the window.

It also said: No one wants to get hurt we all want to go home. Open the door.

The court heart that the staff member was afraid that if she didn't let Fogarty past the protective screen, he would shoot her.

She opened the door and Fogarty came in. He took 7730 and 6000 from the tills and a safe before fleeing the post office. The staff member then pressed a panic alarm and gardai were called.

Gardai identified Fogarty using CCTV from the post office They searched his home and found 5730 wrapped in tin foil the following day. The rest of the money was not recovered.

Fogarty initially denied that he was the person shown in the footage and said he had received the money as inheritance. However, the note handed in to the post office had his fingerprint on it.

No victim impact statement from the staff member was handed in to the court.

Fogarty was charged in November 2019 and stayed in custody until March 2020 when he was released on compassionate grounds due to family difficulties. While on bail, he attempted another robbery of a B&B.

Garda Darragh O'Connor told the court that at around 9pm on May 12, 2023, Fogarty attempted to rob a B&B on Gardiner Place, Dublin 1.

He entered the B&B wearing a medical mask around his chin and blue medical gloves. He approached a staff member who was working there and told him it was a robbery.

Fogarty said an air freshener he brought with him was filled with acid and that he would throw it in the man's face if he didn't open a safe.

He grabbed the staff member's phone, but the man stood up and said he couldn't have it. Fogarty responded by saying: I'll stab you.

There was pushing and shoving between the two men which ultimately ended up with both of them grappling on the floor. Fogarty punched the man two or three times but was overpowered and the staff member got his phone back.

The staff member pushed Fogarty out of the building and locked the door behind him. Fogarty picked up a stool and smashed the glass door and came back in.

At that stage, the staff member told Fogarty the safe was locked with a code and that only the manager could open it. Fogarty then left.

Gardai were called and they identified Fogarty through the CCTV. They arrested him and he admitted the attempted robbery. During interview, he apologized and wished the staff member, the very best for the future.

The staff member told gardai he had a chest injury and cuts to his hand. When he attended hospital days later, he found out his rib had been fractured.

In a victim impact statement handed in to the court, the staff member described how he had to switch to a new job that doesn't pay as well as he didn't want to be at risk of another, similar incident.

He also said he suffers from nightmares and stress as a result of the attempted robbery and that he has had to attend a therapist.

Fogarty has 66 previous convictions, including for burglary, theft, robbery, public order, criminal damage and misuse of drugs.

Emer Ni Chuagain BL, defending, told the court that Fogarty had been in and out of custody for the vast majority of his adult life.

She said he had significant difficulties from a young age and left school very early.

By 13, he was addicted to heroin, she explained. He was in Juvenile Detention at 12 or 13 regarding anti-social behaviour. Hes 48 and has spent 27 years in prison.

She said that he had suffered abuse while in the juvenile detention centre, and has since had periods of offending, addiction and rehabilitation.

Mr Fogarty commits offences when in active addiction, she said.

She said that following the death of his brother two years ago, he made a very serious attempt on his own life and spent 10 weeks in hospital receiving treatment for his injuries.

She said he had a good relationship with his 22-year-old daughter and has a grandchild. He also acts as a stepfather to his partners son.

He understands and acknowledges that his actions caused upset to the victims. He has expressed remorse for his actions, she said. These offences are liked to his addiction.

Judge Codd noted that Fogarty hasnt been deterred by lengthy periods of incarceration.

She said it was clear that the accused came from a very difficult background in terms of his upbringing, had an entrenched drug addiction from a young age and mental health difficulties.

She imposed four years for the post office robbery and three years for the B&B offence, both to run consecutively, but suspended the final year.
A Co Donegal man caught with a loaded gun and 1,100 rounds of ammunition has avoided going to jail.

Paul McMenamin was before Letterkenny District Court following an incident that saw two shots fired at him by a sibling.

After Gardai received a subsequent tip-off, a loaded .22 Smith & Weston handgun was located in a drawer in McMenamins bedroom.

The 60-year-old, of Corraffrin, Ballybofey, was charged with illegally possessing the gun.

He was also charged with illegally possessing 237 rounds of .23 ammunition, 410 rounds of .22 ammunition and 513 assorted shotgun cartridges.

The gun and ammunition was found following a dispute arose between Paul McMenamin and a brother over the family home which was bequeathed to his brother Seamus following the death of their mother.

Barrister for Paul McMenamin, Mr Sean McGee, BL instructed by solicitor Frank Dorrian, said it had been his clients understanding that he would be left the house.

Their father died shortly after the house was constructed while their mother passed away in 2019.

Sergeant Jim Collins told the court that Gardai initially responded to an incident where shots were fired from a shotgun on November 8, 2021.

A crime scene was set up and the now-retired Detective Inspector Pat ODonnell, who was leading the investigation at the time received information that a weapon was being held at a premises.

During a search, a .22 Smith & Weston gun and a cache of ammunition were found. Paul McMenamin was arrested and made admissions. Sergeant Collins told the court that the defendant was fully co-operative when spoken to by Gardai.

Mr McGee said the situation came to a head on November 8, 2021. He said Paul McMenamin was in a shed when he was allegedly assaulted by Seamus McMenamin.

Mr McGee told the court that Paul McMenamin got a call a short time later advising him that Seamus McMenamin was brandishing a shot gun.

He subsequently left and went to the home of another brother, Fergus.

As Paul McMenamin was making his way from the property two shots were discharged. One, he heard go by his ear and one by his head, Mr McGee said.

A large Garda team was deployed, including the armed response unit. The area was declared a crime scene and Seamus McMenamin surrendered himself at 6pm on November 8, 2021, Mr McGee recalled.

Inspector ODonnell received information that a gun was in the house and a day later Paul McMenamin made admissions. A search was carried out and a loaded gun, with a round of ammunition in the chamber, was found.

My own view is that the investigation into the handgun was separate, Mr McGee said. Its not something that was discovered as part of the investigation into Seamus. It was a full 24 hours later by the time the Inspector spoke to my client regarding the handgun. The heat had firmly gone out of it then.

Mr McGee said that a warrant should have been obtained for the handgun and Paul McMenamin wasnt cautioned when Inspector ODonnell spoke to him initially. That would be another plank in the argument had the matter gone to a hearing, Mr McGee said. My client has maintained a certain course without hesitation and that is to his credit and adds value to his plea; he has saved much time and expense.

Mr McGee said there are two safes in the bedroom which are used to house legally held firearms. He told the court that Paul McMenamin has had guns all of his life.

He said some of the ammunition found were for other weapons which had previously been sold. It was not a situation where there was any intentional stockpiling of ammunition. It was simply an accumulation of ammunition.

Mr McGee said it was accepted that a loaded gun was found under other paraphernalia in a drawer.

Mr McGee said the gun belonged to a friend of his client, a Mr Pat Kelly, who he met in America and who is now deceased. Paul McMenamin lost his right leg when he was 18, his barrister told the court, and this had a profound affect on his life.

He encountered Mr Kelly when he went to America. When Mr Kelly contracted cancer, he asked Paul McMenamin to keep the gun. Mr Kelly subsequently died from his illness.

Mr Kelly was a good friend and mentor, Mr McGee said. My client was afraid that he would get into trouble if he went to the Gardai. My client simply didnt know what to do. He never fired a shot from it.

Judge Eiteain Cunningham asked why the gun was loaded and Mr McGee said as far as his client was concerned there wasnt a round in the chamber.

It would be unfair to speculate, but those are his firm instructions that he just put it away when he received it. He said the gun was kept away from the legally held firearms as he didnt see it as one of his own.

He said Paul McMenamin has no previous convictions and is a father-of-one who now lives in a mobile home. He said his client no longer holds any gun license or firearms of any description.

Judge Cunningham said the case is a most serious matter in the courts eyes.

She had directed that a probation and welfare report be prepared in order to return an appropriate sentence for Paul McMenamin and he came before the courts again yesterday (Mon).

Judge Cunningham again reiterated that this was a most serious incident which warranted a custodial sentence.

Having read the probation report which said the accused was of a low risk of reoffending and the fact that he had no previous convictions, she opted to take a certain course.

She sentenced McMenamin to 10 months in jail on the Section 27 charge but suspended the sentence for 18 months and took the other charge into consideration.
Adam Rzepka (39) is already serving a seven-year sentence for money laundering, and had been released on bail for that offence the day before he was found with the drugs

A man who was found surrounded by over 1.1 million worth of drugs hidden in dog food has been sentenced to 10 years in prison with the final two years suspended.

Adam Rzepka (39) is already serving a seven-year sentence for money laundering, and had been released on bail for that offence the day before he was found with the drugs.

Rzepka, of The Cammock Apartments, Mount Brown, Dublin 8, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing cannabis worth over 1.1 million.

He also pleaded guilty to having a car in his possession that was being used in a drug trafficking offence, having a mixing agent for the use in drug trafficking and possessing property that was the proceeds of criminal conduct in the form of 33,090 in cash.

All of the offences occurred on November 29, 2021, at Hickeys Yard, The Ward, Co Dublin.

Rzepka, originally from Poland, has two previous convictions from this jurisdiction. One is for the money laundering offence, which involved a sum of money over 400k, and for which he was sentenced to seven years in prison.

He also has two convictions abroad; one for circulation of drugs and another for robbery. He received a two and a half year and a five year sentence for those offences respectively.

Passing sentence, Judge Pauline Codd said the fact Rzepka was on bail for money laundering at the time of this offence greatly aggravated the conduct, and that this sentence must be consecutive to the seven years he is serving for that crime.

She also noted that the vehicle he was using for the drugs offence had been adapted with hidden compartments where drugs could be concealed. She described this as a significant, aggravating factor.

Detective Garda Gavin Curran from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) told David Perry, BL, prosecuting, that gardai had received confidential information regarding Rzepka and put a surveillance operation in place.

He was seen by gardai in Hickeys yard on the date in question before he left and travelled in an Audi A6 to Richmond Street in Dublin 1.

Det Gda Curran said that Rzepka met a man there and got into a WV Passat. He then drove this car back to Hickeys Yard, where he entered a lock-up building via a roller door. Gardai had obtained a search warrant and entered the unit. Gardai found large bags of opened and unopened dog food. They found Rzepka in the upstairs loft.

Rzepka was the only person in the building, and he was standing beside a box of vacuum-packed cannabis. Additional boxes of cannabis were also present in the loft.

Other drugs in the form of amphetamine with a value of 38,767, Ketamine with a value of 9732, along with sixty-eight packs of cannabis with a value of 1,055,960 were also found. The total value of drugs seized was 1,104,595,50.

The court heard caffeine powder, which is commonly used as a mixing drug for controlled drugs with a value of 7097, was found along with other drug paraphernalia in the form of mixing jugs and weighing scales. Cash to the sum of 33,090 was also seized.

The GNDOCB seized the WV Passat, and this was examined by specialist gardai. A concealed area that used a magnetic release between the boot and back seat was discovered. The car was also registered in a false name.

Rzepka was arrested, detained, and interviewed. During his interview, he admitted to unpacking the drugs from the dog food bags. He declined to say anything more as he said he was in fear for his safety.

The court heard that when asked about the other drugs found and the mixing agents, he denied having any knowledge.

Det Gda Curran agreed with the defence that, having been arrested with over 400k on him, there was a level of obligation on him now that this money was seized.

Michael Bowman SC, defending, submitted that his client had tried to take his own life on number of occasions since his arrest, in the belief that the courts would deal with him more harshly because he is a foreign national.

Of course, the exact opposite is true, he said.

He quoted from a psychological report, which described Rzepka as an unbalanced individual.

Theres a vulnerability present, he said. It would be unjust to impose a 10-year sentence consecutive to what hes already serving.

He said that he was in a long-term, stable relationship, and had been planning to start a family at the time of his arrest.

Judge Codd said the aggravating factors included the high value of the drugs, the potential social harm to the public, who had to be protected, and the lack of an expression of remorse.

She imposed a 10-year sentence.

Taking into account its a consecutive sentence, I will suspend the final two years on condition he be of good behaviour and keep peace, she added.

Rzepka entered the bond and then hugged and kissed his fiancee before being led away.
John O'Donoghue was convicted of assault causing serious harm to Willie O'Driscoll Sr, who was then aged 74

A Rathkeale man who spent two years in jail for attacking a pensioner with a machete before his conviction was overturned due to the failure by gardai to seek out CCTV footage cannot be seen to lose twice by paying his legal costs, his lawyers have argued.

At Limerick Circuit Criminal Court in November 2021, John O'Donoghue was convicted of assault causing serious harm to Willie O'Driscoll Sr, who was then aged 74, in Bothar Bui, Rathkeale, Co Limerick, on December 17, 2017.

ODonoghue (54) of Lower Main Street, Rathkeale, was also convicted of violent disorder on the same date and location during an incident between two families.

A jury unanimously convicted Mr ODonoghue on the assault causing serious harm and on the violent disorder charge but found him not guilty of a charge of the production of an article  a machete  during the course of a dispute and of making threats to kill. He had pleaded not guilty on all counts.

He was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment for assault causing serious harm and to a concurrent eight-year term for the violent disorder offence.

Mr ODonoghue subsequently successfully appealed the conviction on the grounds that vital CCTV had not been harvested by gardai and that a garda notebook had not been disclosed until the trial when the relevant Garda was already giving evidence in the witness box.

Delivering the judgement last February, Ms Justice Tara Burns said the three-judge court upheld Mr O'Donoghue's complaint regarding the failure of trial judge Patrick Meghan to direct an acquittal.

She said this was on the basis of an unfairness arising in the investigation which deprived him of a "reasonable prospect of a defence". Ms Justice Burns said it was an established duty of gardai to seek out and preserve CCTV.

At the Court of Appeal on Monday Michael Bowman SC, for Mr ODonoghue, argued that the appellant was entitled to costs both from his trial and his subsequent appeal.

He said that as a matter of law and necessity, Mr ODonoghue was required to pursue an appeal to vindicate his right to a fair trial in a process that was flawed from the investigation stage.

The defendant is not to bear the costs, quite literally, of the difficulties in the prosecution case, he said.

The jury ultimately proceeded to convict the defendant and he not only incurred the costs of the trial but also suffered a deprivation of his liberty until the matter could be further litigated before the Court of Appeal, Mr Bowman submitted.

The appellant cannot be seen to lose twice after he was put in the position where he had to appeal because there were issues that started with the investigation process, said Mr Bowman. The appeal was absolutely necessitated, he added.

He submitted that an inadequate investigation, combined with an outcome in which Mr ODonoghue was entirely successful in respect of every count on the indictment, gives rise to an entitlement to costs, both of the trial court and the appeal.

Fundamentally, the judge was required as a function of his constitutional duty to ensure a fair trial, yet this did not happen.

He submitted that refusing the application would be a disproportionate exercise in the courts discretion and that the outcome of the appeal was the most weighty factor to be considered among the other discretionary factors identified in the jurisprudence.

Lily Buckley BL, for the State, submitted that the Court of Appeal, after careful analysis, had overturned the decision of the trial judge made in the exercise of his discretion but that this was a far cry from saying there should never have been a prosecution or that the respondent should not have sought to stand over the decision of the trial judge.

It is a matter for this court whether the fact of there having been a unanimous jury verdict allows for the drawing of a reasonable inference that the defence case was rejected. Thereafter it is a matter for the court whether this is of relevance in the exercise of its discretion on the costs.

Ms Buckley said the jurisprudence of the Superior Courts establishes that in criminal matters, costs do not necessarily follow the event, but rather the jurisdiction to award costs is at the discretion of in this instance the Court of Appeal.

It is respectfully submitted that the decision to initiate and maintain the prosecution and to stand over the conviction was entirely reasonable in the circumstances of the present case.

It is the directors submissions that in the circumstances of this case that there should be no costs order made in regards to the trial below or in regards the appeal, she said.

Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, sitting with Ms Justice Una Ni Raifeartaigh and Ms Justice Burns, said the court would reserve judgement in the matter.
Larkin was arrested and during interview, said he was approached by a stranger in a pub and offered 200 for his role. Gardai checked CCTV from the pub, but there was no sighting of Larkin

Eamon Larkin, 69yrs, of Jenkinstown, Kilcock, Co Meath, pictured at the Criminal Courts of Justice (CCJ) on Parkgate Street in Dublin

A man who was driving a car which contained 420,000 worth of cocaine has been jailed for two years.

Eamon Larkin (69) of Jenkinstown, Kilcock, Co. Meath pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for sale or supply on June 12, 2023 at the N2, The Ward, Dublin 11.

An investigating garda told prosecuting counsel today that gardai had information that a Skoda with a D10 registration would be involved in the movement of a large quantity of drugs in the Ashbourne area.

Larkin was driving this car, which gardai later stopped and searched. A total of six kilos of cocaine was found in a shopping bag in the boot of the car, valued at 420,000.

Larkin was arrested and during interview, said he was approached by a stranger in a pub and offered 200 for his role.

He told gardai he was aware he was transporting drugs, but didn't know which type.

Gardai checked CCTV from the pub, but there was no sighting of Larkin. Other CCTV footage showed Larkin swapping vehicles with a man described in court as a close male relative at a petrol station one hour before the Skoda was stopped by gardai.

The court heard the Skoda was being driven by Larkin's male relative before the petrol station.

Larkin has six previous convictions for road traffic offences.

The garda agreed with Michael O'Higgins SC, defending, that Larkin has not been on the garda radar before this and has not come to recent attention.

Mr O'Higgins told the court his client has been living a modest home in Portugal and intends to return there.

He suggested that his client received a request from someone close to him and this resulted in the offending.

Larkin has a long work history and four adult children. Mr O'Higgins outlined that his client is in poor physical health and has a history of mental health issues which have required periods of psychiatric in-patient treatment.

Counsel said his client found himself under financial pressure at the time of the offending.

He urged the court to take into consideration his client's guilty plea, co-operation, health issues and asked for as much leniency as possible for his client.

Judge Martin Nolan said the court accepted Larkin was transporting the drugs and had no interest in them.

He said it is not clear why Larkin got involved, adding that it could have been to do a favour or for some type of reward.

Judge Nolan said there was strong mitigation in this case, including the guilty plea and that Larkin had been a very hard working man all his life.

He noted that a custodial sentence will be more difficult for Larkin due to his poor health, adding that he would have imposed a term of between four and five years on a healthy man.

I think he has to undergo a period in custody for his wrongdoing, Judge Nolan said, handing Larkin a two year sentence.
Security guard at Penneys jailed for five years

A security guard who sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl after she shoplifted a face mask and make-up brush from Penneys has been jailed for five years.

Abdul Rahman Mohammed (35), of Mountjoy Square, Dublin 1, was found guilty of sexual assault, false imprisonment and demanding money with menace on December 4, 2022, in Penneys at Dundrum Shopping Centre in Dublin.

Mohammed was convicted by a jury of all three counts following a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial in February this year.

Detective Garda Rachel Kiernan told the court that Mohammed had been a security guard at Penneys at the time of the offence.

The injured party, who was aged 15 at the time, had been out shopping with two friends.

The group went to Penneys and the girl put a make-up brush and peel-off face mask in her jacket. As she was leaving, a security guard who was not Mohammed approached her. He asked her to come back into the shop and tell them what else she had taken.

She was brought into a room within the premises. At one point, she was left alone in the room with Mohammed.

Mohammed told the girl: Tell your friends to leave because if they are here they will be in trouble too.

Mohammed accused the girl of hiding more items she had taken and told her to take off her clothes. He made her strip to her underwear and rubbed his hand on her thigh before making her turn around.

The girl asked whether she could dress again and Mohammed said yes. He asked her whether she would pay and she said she would, so he told her to wait for him outside Penneys.

Penneys store.

They met in the parking area of the shopping centre and she agreed to send him money via Revolut. The girl thought she would have to pay him 2.50 for the face mask and brush, but he told her it was actually 250.

The girl called her friends, but they didn't have the money to pay Mohammed. At one point, one of the girl's friends went to Penneys where she was told that people caught shoplifting didn't have to pay security.

When the matter came to trial, Mohammed denied the offence and alleged that his victim and her two friends had been following him around the shopping centre at the time.

During the trial, it was also the prosecution case that Mohammed had interfered with the CCTV camera in the room where he sexually assaulted the girl a week prior to make the footage blurry.

In a victim impact statement handed in to the court, the girl said the incident left her feeling afraid and depressed.

I didn't want to go outside to the street in case I came across him, she said, adding that she couldn't close her eyes without seeing his face.

John Peart SC, defending, said until now he has been the perfect citizen and that the incident was outside his ordinary character.

He said that though sexual assault is always serious, this incident came within the lower level of offending.

He said his client was well regarded in his community and had volunteered at a food kitchen in the past.

Mr Peart also said his client was a foreign national so time spent in prison would be more onerous for him than an ordinary Irish citizen.Mohammed has two previous convictions for road traffic offences.

Judge Orla Crowe handed down a sentence of five years. She backdated it to February, when Mohammed went into custody.
Daniel James Johnson (34) of no fixed abode in Lancashire, pleaded guilty to one count of importing cocaine at Dublin Airport on September 28 last year

A UK man who was caught coming through Dublin airport with over 16 kilos of cocaine in his luggage en route to London has been jailed for six and a half years

Daniel James Johnson (34) of no fixed abode in Lancashire, UK, pleaded guilty to one count of importing cocaine at Dublin Airport on September 28 last year. The street value of the cocaine amounted to 1.1 million, the court heard.

Michael Hourigan BL, prosecuting, said that on the day in question, Johnson had flown into the country on a flight from Washington DC in the US. A customs officer apprehended him and his suitcase was searched, with eight blocks of cocaine found within.

Johnson was due to fly on to London Gatwick, with the drugs intended for the UK market.

The court heard he had flown to the US in order to pick up the drugs and bring them back. He told gardai he did not pack the bag, nor book his flights. He said he was due to be paid a certain amount of money for bringing the drugs in, although the amount was not specified.

Johnson told gardai he was fearful for the safety of his family as a result of the drugs mission failing. He has nine previous convictions in the UK for minor offences including theft, criminal damage and being drunk and disorderly.

Marc Thompson BL, defending, said his client was essentially a drug mule who had no proprietary interest in the drugs. He said there was a genuine fear on the part of Johnson for the safety of his family.

Sentencing Johnson, Judge Martin Nolan took into account the fact that he is an English national serving time in an Irish prison. He said he believed it was probably unlikely that Johnson will re-offend in the future.

He handed down a six-and-a-half year jail term and backdated it to when Johnson went into custody last September.
Mark OBrien (22) was charged after the taxi driver reported he had been punched repeatedly in the face and body

A man accused of attacking and injuring a taxi driver was identified after leaving his public services card behind, it is alleged.

Mark OBrien (22) was charged after the taxi driver reported he had been punched repeatedly in the face and body by a man who left the scene.

The case against him was adjourned for the accused to decide on a plea.

Mr OBrien, of Mary Mercer Suites, Citywest, Rathcoole, appeared at Blanchardstown District Court charged with assault causing harm to the taxi driver.

Garda Sergeant Maria Callaghan told Judge Maire Conneely the Director of Public Prosecutions consented to the case being dealt with at district court level, subject to the issue of jurisdiction being considered.

The judge asked for a summary of the proposed evidence.

Outlining the allegations, she said gardai were called to an incident at Westpark Apartments, Garter Lane, Citywest, on October 14 last year.

A taxi driver reported he had been punched a number of times to the face and body by a man who went into the apartments.

A public services card was recovered at the scene in the name of Mr OBrien, who was arrested and charged, Sgt Callaghan said.

The court heard the alleged victims injuries did not go beyond bruising.

Judge Conneely accepted jurisdiction, allowing the case to remain in the district court instead of being sent forward to the circuit court.

She ordered disclosure of prosecution evidence to the defence and adjourned the case to a date in July.

Mr OBrien has not yet entered a plea to the charge, which is under section three of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.
Latest arson attack in area as feuding grows

Massive damage was caused to the property at Buirg An Ri Terrace in the Balgaddy area of Lucan in Dublin

A 45-year-old woman had a lucky escape when her home was destroyed in a petrol bomb attack in west Dublin.

Sources say the woman, who was the only person in the property at the time, was not the target of the gang that carried out the attack.

It is just the latest arson incident in the area and local gardai have increased armed patrols as a result.

It happened shortly after midnight last Thursday when a suspect was observed smashing a window before throwing the bomb into the house and fleeing.

Sources say detectives do not think it is linked to an ongoing criminal feud in the nearby Shancastle area

Significant damage was caused to the property at Buirg An Ri Terrace in the Balgaddy area of Lucan. However, the woman was not injured and escaped the house.

The blaze was brought under control by Dublin Fire Brigade after it helped the woman out of the house, which was left gutted.

No arrests have been made by gardai, who are investigating it as a criminal damage by fire incident.

Sources say detectives do not think it is linked to an ongoing criminal feud in the nearby Shancastle area of Dublin 22.

This bitter criminal dispute has led to a number of arson attacks to homes and cars this year as well as a number of serious assaults including stabbings, firearms incidents and attacks involving pipe bombs.

At the centre of the Shancastle feud is a close junior associate of notorious former crimelord John Gilligan, who a source said has been running amok for months.

This individual, who is aged in his late 20s, is very much at the centre of a lot of violence that has broken out, including pipe-bomb attacks, a source said.

His former mentor, convicted drug dealer Gilligan (72), was fined last September and given a suspended sentence by a Spanish judge after admitting smuggling cannabis and sleeping pills into Ireland and being in possession of a weapon.

A number of families have been caught up in this ongoing feud that has received very little publicity. It has been a miracle that no one has been killed so far in it

His younger associate has been embroiled in a number of separate feuds in the Clondalkin area over the past decade and sources say that his behaviour has become increasingly reckless.

A number of families have been caught up in this ongoing feud that has received very little publicity. It has been a miracle that no one has been killed so far in it, a source pointed out.

Certain criminal families have aligned themselves with each other which makes the situation even more dangerous.

Another key participant involved in the feud is subject to special security arrangements and had to be moved from one Dublin prison to another because of the threat against him.

Since being jailed, a property linked to him has been burnt to the ground by his rivals.

This criminal, who has more than 70 previous convictions, is serving a significant jail sentence for kidnapping and torturing a man on behalf of The Family drugs trafficking gang.
The attack happened at a home in Glenwood Estate in Dundalk on Friday May 3

The scene of the incident in Dundalk

One of three women injured in a serious assault in Co Louth earlier this month has died.

The woman (81) died yesterday in \ Dublin hospital, after she suffered serious head injuries.

Two other women from the same family were injured in the attack in the Glenwood Estate in Dundalk on May 3.

They were taken to Louth County Hospital in Dundalk for treatment following the incident.

Nicholas Muckian (47) of Glenwood, Dundalk has appeared before Dundalk District Court in relation to the incident.

He is charged with three counts of assault causing harm at the same location.

Gardai continue to investigate the incident, a Garda spokesperson had told the Sunday World.

"The investigation is ongoing and arrangements are being made for a post-mortem examination," a Garda spokesperson has said.
Solidarity-People Before Profit candidate Ruth Coppinger saw her poster vandalised

An election candidate in Dublin has seen her poster vandalised with a large Nazi style swastika cut into it.

Ruth Coppinger is a Solidarity-People Before Profit local election candidate in Castleknock.

Ms Coppinger said today that a menacing atmosphere is being generated by people with fascist ideologies after her supporters discovered the damaged poster.

For somebody to go to the trouble of cutting a swastika Nazi symbol into my face on the poster goes beyond vandalism  it is to send a sinister message, she said.

Ms Coppinger said that as a socialist and a feminist who has challenged racism and the ideas of the far right who would take away rights won by women and LGBTQ+ people, her party is trying to solve the countrys problems.

My party is highlighting the wealth and lands the council has to resolve the housing crisis  but these racists instead want to stoke up fear and hate against minorities, she added.

Ruth Coppinger

This also follows a number of violent or threatening incidents in Dublin 15, most notably the physical assault in Hartstown on a councillor and her husband while postering, but now Ive heard of other candidates reporting further intimidation of activists and defacing of posters.

The socialist party candidate said that records will now have to be kept of incidents going forward.

I am going to make contact with other parties / candidates  in particular those in opposition and on the left who are targeted more by the far right  to suggest that a central log of incidents and threats should be kept in order to take measures for the safety of all those ordinary activists who come out and campaign, as well as community safety in general.

The far right cant be allowed to create an atmosphere designed to frighten and to limit the campaigns of the left, Ms Coppinger added.

At protests on Baggot Street for families being evicted by a billionaire foreign landlord, People Before profit were the only party in attendance.

Tenants of the company LRC RE1 Home Club living in Applewood in Swords protested at the groups headquarters on Baggot Street late last year, chanting slogans and singing songs.

The company has terminated at least 89 tenancies in properties it owns.
Abduction attempt is foiled as men spot CCTV at bailed accuseds secret hideaway

A loyalist hit squad aborted an attempt to snatch gun accused Billy McCune from his secret hideaway, a source has claimed.

The Sunday World can reveal that two carloads of men were dispatched to the secret address last Sunday evening with the intention of abducting him  but were forced to back off because of the presence of CCTV at the location.

It is thought he was to be taken away and interrogated about the guns cops found in his car when he was stopped in the early hours of March 21 on the Lisburn Road in south Belfast.

McCune is currently on bail facing charges of possession of a cache of weapons including an assault rifle, an assortment of handguns and a sawn-off shotgun.

Part of his bail conditions bar him from entering Belfast.

As previously revealed, a number of groups, including the UDA, UVF and a drug gang, believe guns belonging to them may now be in police hands.

The Sunday World understands there are at least two other weapons caches secreted in south Belfast.

It is understood the guns found in McCunes possession had been taken from a secure dump close to Sandy Row.

And there are fears among paramilitary and crime gang leaders that some of the guns have a history.

Last week, one of the cars sent to scout McCunes current location was a taxi, which was sent ahead to see if they could spot the well-known loyalists car. But they were scared by the presence of security cameras, it has been claimed.

McCune was warned he would be a dead man walking the minute he set foot outside jail. Within days of him being granted bail he was being hunted down.

It is the latest development in an escalating controversy surrounding the seized guns. The Sunday World also understands efforts to retrieve guns from two other hides are being frustrated by the continued presence of contractors working on the new Grand Central transport hub close to Sandy Row.

Three of the handguns held by the police  two Webleys and a Smith and Wesson  are believed to belong to an East Belfast UVF-linked drug dealer.

Sources have confirmed he is one of eight people in the east of the city stood down by the UVFs Shankill Road leadership last November.

UVF boss John 'Bunter' Graham

UVF Chief of Staff John Bunter Graham and his second-in-command Harmless Harry Stockman moved on the organised crime gang after intense pressure to rid the faction of drug dealers.

The command structure in the east, dubbed The Hateful Eight, were stood down after protracted negotiations.

Among the eight was alleged East Belfast UVF leader Stephen Matthews.

The eight were stood down as the result of a negotiated deal and there was no violent backlash to the move.

Matthews denies involvement in criminal activity and membership of the UVF.

Most of those stood down have turned their backs on drug dealing and criminal activity. A number of others have remained involved.

One former senior UVF figure in the east has shifted his operation to south Belfast and is believed to be dealing cocaine from his base in the Village.

The three pistols he claims are his are thought to have been used in past loyalist feuds.

He is said to be furious his guns, which were entrusted to elements within the UDA for safekeeping, have been compromised.

Similarly, the UDA leadership has questioned how the guns were removed from the safe hide, including the sawn-off shotgun which they believe is the gun used to murder former North Belfast UDA commander John Boreland in 2016.

That gun was handed to South Belfast UDA on the understanding it would be destroyed.

Well placed sources say rather than be disposed of, it was washed in bleach and returned to the hide.

It is unlikely to yield any forensic evidence but the paramilitary leadership wants answers.

An organised drug gang headed by two brothers is demanding the return of its guns plus 10,000 in compensation.

The gang is concerned about the security of weapons entrusted to the UDA for safe-keeping.

They and other guns are said to be divided between two secure hides close to Sandy Row.

Efforts to access the dumps have been hampered by the new 340m Grand Central transport hub. Groundwork laying new tracks has resulted in the area being closed off. Work is going on at the site round the clock, which is brightly illuminated at night.

You might call it an arms race, said our source. Its a race to see if they can get them back before a contractor stumbles on them.

The whole thing is a s***fest.

Police seized a sawn-off shotgun, three pistols, an assault-style rifle, Taser and balaclavas after stopping McCune on Belfasts Upper Lisburn Road on March 21 for a failure to indicate.

McCune had stopped at a garage to buy cigarettes when police approached him for not signalling.

Parts for another shotgun, an air rifle and UDA mirror and plaque were found in searches at his home on Bentham Drive, a previous court heard.

McCune (45) claimed to be disposing of the weapons as a go-between for his local community and the terror group.

Denying membership of the UDA, he told detectives the haul had been left in an alley for him to collect and that he planned to hand it over to the authorities.
Barzan Kamal Majeed masterminded an organised crime group that smuggled an estimated 10,000 migrants across the English Channel

A former mechanic who became Europe's most wanted people smuggler nicknamed The Scorpion has been arrested in a police sting operation after two years on the run.

Barzan Kamal Majeed, who masterminded an organised crime group that smuggled an estimated 10,000 migrants across the English Channel was arrested in Iraq by the Kurdistan Region's security forces (Asayish) on Monday, according to reports.

Asayish confirmed the arrest, identifying Majeed only by his initials and his nickname.

Following the launch of an investigation, Asayish forces, based on exchange of intel and upon the request of Interpol and as per a ruling by the judge, a great human trafficker and smuggler was arrested, Asayish told Rudaw Media Network.

The UKs National Crime Agency announced Majeeds arrest on its X account  formerly known as Twitter.

The crime agency had issued an appeal for assistance in tracking Majeed down in 2022, after he was convicted in absentia in Belgium of people smuggling crimes, following a joint UK-Belgian investigation.

The agency said he had attempted to smuggle 100 migrants to the UK in small boats and trucks.

Just three days ago, the final episode of the To Catch a Scorpion podcast which saw Majeed confronted by a BBC journalist and British aid worker, was broadcast.

Documentary maker Sue Mitchell and volunteer aid worker Rob Lawrie are seen coming face-to-face with Majeed in a shopping mall coffee shop in the city of Sulaymaniyah, Iraq.

Majeed, in his interview with the BBC Radio 4 Intrigue podcast, admitted that between 2016 and 2019 he was one of two people running a people smuggling gang in Belgium and France.

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Majeed boasts how 95 to 99 per cent of illegal crossings to the UK since 2016 can be linked directly to him.

However, he couldn't confirm exactly how many people he illegally transported across the English Channel, as it was maybe a thousand, maybe 10,000. I don't know, I didn't count.

He denied being head of the operation, and claimed that other gang members tried to implicate him to reduce their sentences.

A couple of people, when they get arrested, they say, We're working for him. They want to get less sentence, he said.

He also denied responsibility for the deaths of migrants who attempted the crossing, saying he was just the money man who booked places.

I never put anybody in a boat and I never killed anybody,' he said of the operation.

"Nobody forced them. They wanted to, they were begging the smugglers: Please, please do this for us.

Local police claim Majeed's alleged profits from the operation, in which smugglers charged an estimated 6,000 per person for a boat crossing, enabled him to purchase a villa in Marmaris, Turkey.

Investigators from the National Crime Agency (NCA) had been working with officers in Belgium to track Majeed down and issued a warrant for his arrest in 2022

The criminal, who is believed to have smuggled himself into Britain in the back of a lorry when he was just 20 years old, moved to the UK in 2013, and was living in Nottingham, where he still has connections.

After being convicted of drug and gun offences in 2015, he was deported to the Kurdistan region of Northern Iraq.

Majeed, who was on the run at the time, received a 10-year jail sentence for people smuggling at a court in Bruges in October 2022. He was also handed a 968,000 Euro (849,000) fine.

His accomplice, Nzar Jabar Mohamad, was convicted and jailed at Hull Crown Court in October 2021. Mohamad was given a 10-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to an attempted people smuggling plot.
The couple went viral after a furious restaurateur posted CCTV images of the McDonaghs and their party of eight fleeing his trendy Italian eatery after failing to pay a hefty bill.

Memorial to the wife of 'The Foal' McDonagh

A MAN who filled up on T-bone steaks and fine wines in restaurants and then left without paying is the heir to the King of Ballyhaunis.

Bernard McDonagh and his wife Ann hit the headlines in the UK this week after they admitted to a spree of dine and dash thefts in south Wales where the pair live.

The couple went viral after a furious restaurateur posted CCTV images of the McDonaghs and their party of eight fleeing his trendy Italian eatery after failing to pay a hefty bill.

One video had 12 million views in less than a month as a campaign took hold to bring the dine-and-dashers to book.

Bernard and Ann were caught on CCTV in one of the restaurants

Other restaurants in the region fell victim to the same scammers, who were quickly recognised by locals.

Both Bernard and Ann hail from Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, where his father Bernard The Foal McDonagh is a well-known TikTok character.

The dine and dasher is one of 14 children to The Foal McDonagh and his recently deceased wife Rose, who was laid to rest in Ballyhaunis in December 2022.

The couple, who have three children under the age of 16, are potentially facing a jail sentence when they are due to be sentenced later this month.

They attempted to cover up their faces as they arrived at court in Swansea this week where photographers and camera crews waited for their arrival. The couple made no comment.

Bernard McDonagh and his wife Ann covered their faces as they turned up at court in Swansea

The McDonaghs pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud over their dine and dash escapades, totalling Stg1,168. Mrs McDonagh also admitted to shoplifting Stg1,017 in goods from Tommy Hilfiger, Sainsburys and Tesco, and obstructing a police officer.

Leaving a restaurant without paying carries a prison sentence of up to two years in the UK.

The judge said the couple would be sentenced at Swansea Crown Court later this month because the offences were aggravated by children being involved.

Restaurants had reported the couple turning up with a family group ordering food and drinks and leaving one or two people behind to pay the bill.

The card would be declined, and they would offer to go back to their vehicle to get another card or to an ATM for cash  but then disappear.

Ann and Bernard McDonagh (Photo PA)

Read more CAB slam absurd delays by couple fighting bid to seize luxury mansion

The scams left some of the small local businesses devastated as the bills left unpaid ranged up to Stg300.

It was heard in court that the couple both had previous convictions for fraud.

Restaurant owner Tyrone Rees told ITV it sends a message.

You cant just walk into a restaurant, eat what you want and then all of a sudden say lets go  Im not paying for this, Its wrong. Its stealing, he said. I cant say Im glad but hopefully they understand they cant do this.

The Foal McDonagh is known for his quirky social media posts in which has referred to himself as the King of Ballyhaunis.

He appears in one clip with his son Bernard, in which he introduces him as the next king when he dies.

Standing beside a statue of two men making a deal over a pig, the pair shake hands and give a thumbs up to the camera.

The Foal McDonagh and his son Bernard

In another clip, The Foal stands behind the beer taps of a bar which he claims to have just bought as he pulls and then downs a pint.

A regular on TikTok, another clip features him asking Google who is the King of Ballyhaunis, before the system answers: According to TikTok, Foal McDonagh, King of Ballyhaunis, this is my town.

King of Ballyhaunis 'The Foal' McDonagh

Another video shows The Foal, who now lives in Kent, visiting a site at Swansea where he used to live.

This is me in Swansea, south Wales, thinking about the good old days, he said, adding that he kept horses there which hed brought from Ireland.

Grief-stricken by the passing of his wife, The Foal and his family have erected an elaborate memorial at the local cemetery in Ballyhaunis.

Memorial to the wife of 'The Foal' McDonagh

A bench at the grave

It towers above other graves and had to be lifted into place by a crane.

The memorial also has a bench for grave visitors to sit while paying their respects and is inscribed with the words: Gold Rose, Queen of Ireland, all my cares and troubles cease, as I kneel before you, Lady of Knock, My Queen of Peace.
Rebecca Joynes is accused of having sex with two schoolboys  including one that got her pregnant

A teacher accused of having sex with two schoolboys  including one that got her pregnant  said she felt lonely and craved attention after a breakup, a court has heard.

Rebecca Joynes said she struggled during the Covid restrictions and a nine-year relationship breakdown but denied having sex with teenagers.

Joynes, 30, was already suspended from her high school job and on bail for alleged sexual activity with Boy A, 15, when she allegedly took the virginity of a second child, 16, and became pregnant.

The former teacher burst into tears at Manchester Crown Court on Monday as she told jurors that her baby was taken away 24 hours after she was born and now sees her three times a week for three hours.

Joynes denies any sexual activity took place and has pleaded not guilty to six charges of sexual activity with two teenagers while she was a teacher.

Neither teenager must be identified.

School teacher Rebecca Joynes arrives at Manchester Crown Court Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Giving evidence for the first time, Joynes stood in the witness box to answer questions from Joe Allman, prosecuting, with a pink babys bonnet visible, tucked into the top of her trousers.

She has brought this with her to court every day throughout the trial.

Mr Allman began his questions, asking if she was trying to get sympathy from the jury with the bonnet. No. Definitely not, Joynes said. I sleep with this every night.

Mr Allman continued: When an adult has an inappropriate relationship with a child, of 13, 14, 15, thats the adults responsibility, nothing to do with the child being provocative, or making the first move, or trying to get the adults number, is it?

No, Joynes replied.

Mr Allman asked: Did you have a powerful sexual attraction to boys aged 15?

Not at all, Joynes said.

Mr Allman said Boy A stayed at her flat, his semen was found on her bed sheets and Boy B went back to her flat and she ended up becoming pregnant by this teenager.

Mr Allman reminded jurors Boy A had lied to his mother to see Joynes, who picked him up in her car and took him to the Trafford Centre where she bought him a 350 Gucci belt before going back to her flat in Salford Quays.

And you say you were not contemplating sex? Mr Allman said.

No, replied Joynes.

Mr Allman continued: Does lying come quickly to you?

No. Definitely not, Joynes said.

Earlier, Joynes answered questions from her own barrister, Michael OBrien.

She admitted she swapped messages on Snapchat with Boy A and agreed for him to stay at her apartment  but that he slept on her sofa and they did not have sex.

She said the plan was to order some food but Boy A told her he was not hungry, before adding: I think you know what I want to do?

Joynes said: I laughed awkwardly and went to join him on the couch.

He asked me how many people I had slept with. I said, probably not as many as you have.

I thought he wanted something to happen. There was no way that was going to happen. I explained I had been in a nine-year relationship and really struggled with the breakup and Im not that kind of person.

I told him nothing sexual was going to happen.

Mr OBrien asked if there was anything she would change about how she behaved.

Joynes said: Everything. As a teacher I should never have engaged in any form of contact with a student.

I let my guard down. I caved in to the attention he was giving me. I struggled massively over the Covid period. I think I was obviously lonely and I liked the attention at the time, which sounds awful.

Rebecca Joynes (social media from 2018)

Joynes was arrested after rumours began to circulate, suspended from her job and bailed while police investigated Boy A and her contact.

While suspended she admitted being in contact with Boy B on Snapchat despite being ordered not to have contact with anyone under 18.

Joynes said she was curious about Boy B contacting her on Snapchat and they opened up to each other as friends.

I genuinely believed that he cared, she said.

She again denied any sexual contact before Boy B had left school and only had sex with him after she had been dismissed from her job and she was therefore no longer a teacher and in a position of trust.

She gave birth to a daughter she had with Boy B.

Mr OBrien said: Do you want to tell us what happened?

Joynes, breaking down in tears, replied: An emergency court hearing was held and she was taken off me 24 hours after she was born.

At the moment I have got contact with her three times a week for three hours. Thats it.

The trial continues.

Additional reporting by PA
We wanted to be a family, he said. You dont put so much effort into really wanting this, even with the legality here in Ireland, unless you really want a family.

Brian Dowling is overjoyed at the prospect of welcoming a second child into the world. However, the anticipation is tinged with sadness because, he says, Ireland still does not legally recognise him as a father.

Dowling has carved out a successful radio and TV career and he is currently filming The Real Housewives of Cheshire in England for ITV.

As he and husband Arthur Gourounlian await the birth of their second child on July 4, Dowling is disappointed there is still no legal recognition for him as a father.

I have no rights where my daughter is concerned in Ireland and I will have no rights with this baby, either, Dowling said.

Dancing With the Stars judge Gourounlian is recognised as father to the couples daughter, Blake, who will turn two in September. The professional dancer will be acknowledged as a father on the second infants birth certificate too.

Dowlings sister Aoife, who is surrogate to both children, is recognised as the mother. Yet Dowling (45) has no rights as a father under Irish legislation.

Brian Dowling and husband Arthur Gourounlian with their daughter Blake. Photo: Steve Humphreys

We wanted to be a family, he said. You dont put so much effort into really wanting this, even with the legality here in Ireland, unless you really want a family.

But Im not down as Blakes father on her birth certificate and I wont be on the new babys either. And though were very excited about baby number two, theres a sadness in the background because of this.

My sister, Aoife, is down as a mother, but we used an egg donor. And Arthur is down as father, but Im not down at all.

My book came out last year and it was like therapy for me. Id never talked about being infertile before because it was so personal. My daughter could read it in years to come and I wanted her to not be hurt by what anyone might say.

The surrogacy issue isnt just a gay issue, though. Its a people issue and lots of people are impacted by this lack of legal recognition where their own children are concerned.

The Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022 has recently cleared the Dails third stage.

However, Dowling feels the process is happening too slowly and there are still questions over exactly how the legislation will affect families.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: Minister [Stephen] Donnelly is aware that there is a number of families with existing children who were born as a result of surrogacy arrangements awaiting full parental recognition; he and his officials continue to have ongoing and close engagement with families who may have concerns on this issue.

Accordingly, he has prioritised the commencement of the retrospective surrogacy provisions, both domestic and international, and indicated that he plans that these will be the first parts of the legislation to be commenced after enactment.

Once operational, these will provide a court-based process to enable non-genetic and non-gestational intending parents of children born through surrogacy to be granted a Parental Order and therefore given equal parental rights and responsibilities, the spokesperson said.

Solicitor Aoife Byrne wrote on the Law Society of Irelands website last week that only time and trial and error will judge whether this voluminous bill will address the gamut of legal uncertainties presented by surrogacy.

Dowling said: Surrogacy is not illegal in Ireland but its not legal either. Theres a loophole to be able to do it, but it may not work for everyone.

It was our only option and I want legal rights to be my daughters father on paper. And for her birth certificate and the birth certificate of the new babys to be reflective of who her parents are. Aoife isnt my daughters mother, shes her aunt. And she doesnt want her name on her birth certificate, or on the other childs.

Im lucky that this is my sister and were so close, but thats not the same scenario for other families where the surrogate may be a stranger.

I remember worrying if we could even deliver Blake in Ireland, I didnt know. But there was never any issue with any of that, or with prenatal care.

People were so understanding and saw that family is family. But the legislation doesnt recognise family in the same way and we need to change that. If theres divorce or any problems down the line, everyone needs that security to know theyre legally recognised as a parent to their child.

The Government has talked about making changes to help families on this issue for a long time, but were still waiting.

The couple will be together to judge the Barberstown Castle Sapphire Style Award at the Irish Oaks Weekend at the Curragh, Co Kildare, on Saturday, July 20.

The winner will receive a 5,000 prize and a two night stay at Barberstown Castle in Straffan, Co Kildare, among other items.
Sharing a beautiful picture of Conor on his Conors Clips X page, Andrew wished his Forever 9 son a happy birthday

Andrew McGinley has paid tribute to his late son Conor on his birthday saying his handsome man should be 14 today.

Sharing a beautiful picture of Conor on his Conors Clips X page, Andrew wished his Forever 9 son a happy birthday.

Numerous heartfelt messages have been posted in response to the tweet with one writing: To the best boy, on his birthday.

Another said: Always in your heart Andrew, happy heavenly birthday Conor.

Another wished a happy heavenly birthday to your handsome Conor.

Another posted: The birthdays are so hard, thinking of you Andrew, and your beautiful children.

In May 2021, Andrew McGinleys wife Deirdre Morley was found not guilty of the murder of their children Conor (9), Darragh (7) and Carla (3) at the family home in Newcastle, Co Dublin, by reason of insanity.

As founder of the As Darragh Did charity, Andrew organised a 60km charity walk to fund community clubs, groups and societies in memory of his three children.

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Team members walked from Mullingar to Maynooth last month along The Royal Canal which played a big part in the lives of Andrews children, Conor, Darragh and Carla.

We used to take the N4 route to see nanny and grandad in Donegal, thats the route of the Royal Canal. I used to sing The Auld Triangle to the kids when I was trying to nurse them to sleep, Andrew explained.

Andrew, who originally hails from Donegal, funds projects nationwide which encourage people to get more involved in their communities. He encourages anyone with a project to contact the charity.

Its to enhance participation, inclusion and inspiration. Its about getting more people involved, As Darragh Did, because thats what he was like in the community, he said.

Weve funded the likes of theatre groups, resuscitation classes, camogie clubs, the Haven Club in Limerick that brings young men together to talk about depression and suicide. We fund a variety of clubs and groups.

Weve helped about 135 clubs and groups in the country to date and weve given out over 200,000. For me, its fantastic to be out there and meet all these people, and doing it in Darraghs name.

Andrew previously told the Irish Independent that he was inspired by his children to set up three projects.

When something as traumatic as this happens, theres only two ways to go and I just dont like the other way, Andrew said.

Conor wanted a YouTube channel. The original Conors Clips was supposed to be comedy sketches, we only started writing ideas before he died, we never started filming, so I only had clips of the kids.

Conor was very funny with a great sense of humour so I try to keep Conors Clips online as humorous as I can. I make dad jokes on it, it helped me. For me, Conors Clips is the funny thing it was meant to be.

I want people to know that Conor, Darragh and Carla existed. Theyre three magnificent kids who led very happy lives.

The courageous dad is currently fighting for change in mental health policies to ensure that a co-parent is informed of mental health concerns involving the other parent. At the moment, information is not shared because of patient confidentiality.

This all has to change, especially where there are co-parents involved, he told sundayworld.com last year.

Once there is a co-parent, there cant be anything other than full disclosure. There is Children First legislation and children arent being put first at the moment.

Ive always said had I known what a lot of the clinicians knew, when they knew it, then Conor, Darragh and Carla would be alive today.

The Children First legislation dictates that the care and protection of children, the best interest of a child, should be paramount and supersedes everything else, and I believe that includes patient confidentiality.

What Im doing now is hopefully trying to give the children of the future a better chance of survival and for the other parent that is left behind to be given the opportunity to maintain their primary responsibility to care for their children.

In one way, I believe mental health treatment in Ireland has only moved one step forward from performing lobotomies. Theres no treatment consideration other than medication in the vast majority of cases, and thats not right.

For me being left uninformed I was put at ease rather than put on guard. In Children First legislation, parents and guardians have the primary responsibility for the care and protection of their children, so if the clinicians are aware that one parent or one guardian cannot maintain that primary responsibility then they have to be informing, helping and supporting the other parent.
A group of veterans are walking across Ireland for seven days in aid of The Veterans Charity and the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel (ONE).

The group started their journey on Monday morning at the Strokestown Famine Museum.

John Rabbitt is among the group taking part in the walk

The group started their journey on Monday morning at the Strokestown Famine Museum.

Irish army veterans have embarked on a 170km famine trail to raise funds for homeless defence forces.

The group are walking across Ireland for seven days in aid of The Veterans Charity and the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel (ONE).

They began the 170km journey from Strokestown in Co Roscommon to Dublin on Monday.

The group started their journey yesterday morning at the Strokestown Famine Museum.

The veterans completed the 23km of their march on Monday at Cloondara in Co Longford, where they spent the night before hitting the road again today.

The team is expected to arrive at their final destination in Dublins Custom House Quay at 3pm on Sunday, May 19.

Veterans who embarked on the journey include Jimmy Fullam, Peter Malone, Peter Downes, Ken Cleary, John Rabbitt and Hugh ONeill.

Peter Malone, Cpl Anthony O'Donoghue, James Fullam, Kevin Martin, Ken Cleary, Mick Kinahan, Hugh O'Neill and Peter Downes. Photo: ONE

After months of preparation, the team embarked on the walk, where they will be supported at various stages by several Defence Forces members, such as US veteran Lt Col Bryan Bean Retd.

Jimmy Fullam, one of the veterans who embarked on the long walk, said: We are all army veterans. The eldest is 76 and the youngest is 58. We all served in Defence Forces at some stage  some overseas, some in Lebanon, some in Syria, all over the place.

"Were on this walk today to get some houses built for soldiers who, when they leave the army, end up on the streets and whatever else happens to them after that.

"Weve one house in Smithfield, weve another one in Cobh, Cork, and weve one in Donegal, and we plan to get another two built, he said.

The Defence Forces themselves have come on board with it.

John Rabbitt is among the group taking part in the walk

"I just want to thank everybody because the army is one family when it comes to stuff like this, and we couldnt thank them enough.

We do have three army personnel presently in the army walking with us. We have Capitan ONeill, whose father is actually walking with us, Hugh ONeill and he's 76 years of age. So its father and son walking.

Everybody pulled together, cant thank the army enough for helping us. If this money helps somebody thats job completed. These are soldiers that serve the state.

The group started their journey on Monday morning at the Strokestown Famine Museum.

The famine trail dates back to 1847 when 227 families were evicted from their homes on Stokestown Estate in Co Roscommon.

Nearly 1,500 men, women and children were forced to take the 170km walk to Dublin to start a new life overseas.

They sailed from Dublin to Liverpool where they boarded coffin ships going to Canada, with more than two-thirds dying on that journey.

Before the march started, Defence Forces Veteran and CEO of ONE Cormac Kirwan said: We want to say a huge thank you to the eight Irish veterans lacing up their boots this morning and raising money for vital ONE services.

"Without the continued support of the public, we would not be able to provide the critical support our veterans so desperately need, he said.

ONE is a registered Irish veterans charity established to support ex-service personnel. Its aim is to support the needs of homeless defence forces personnel by providing accommodation in its veteran homes.

The charity also offers counselling services and support to veterans through its nationwide network of branches and veterans support centres.

Donations can be made online through the charitys website. People are also encouraged to support veterans as they make their way along the route.
Winning ticket was bought in Eurospar store in Fairview

The Dubliner who won the 3.7m Lotto jackpot has made contact to claim the prize. Pic: Stock image

A lucky Dublin lotto player, who bought their winning 3.7m ticket in Fairview, has made contact to claim their prize.

The Dubliner, who won last Saturdays main Lotto Jackpot, is now 3,796,062 richer and arrangements are currently being made for them to receive this life-changing sum.

Officials from the National Lottery will gather at the Eurospar in Fairview on Annesley Bridge Road today to officially announce the winning location.

The winning numbers were: 08, 16, 24, 27, 28, 42, and the bonus was 30.

Meanwhile, the National Lottery announced that another lucky winner, who scooped 1m in the March 9 draw, has officially claimed their prize.

This winning ticket holder, who bought their ticket at the filling station on Main Street in Oola, Co Limerick, had no idea they had a winning ticket for quite a while after the draw.

I was clearing out the car and found a few tickets all together so started scanning, and then when I got to this one, the Youve Won Big message popped up on the screen, they said.

I can safely say thats never happened any time that I have checked a ticket previously. The claims phone number came up on the screen, so I gave them a call to check.

At this point, I didnt know there had even been a 1m win in that particular draw, so Im not sure what I was even expecting to be told.

It was a huge shock to hear the words Youve won 1m.
Max (15) will be laid to rest on Tuesday, May 21 after Funeral Mass at 11am in Church of the Immaculate Conception, Clondalkin Village

Funeral details have been announced for tragic teen Max O'Connor who died after getting into difficulty while swimming in the Grand Canal in Co Kildare.

Max (15) will be laid to rest on Tuesday, May 21, after Funeral Mass at 11am in Church of the Immaculate Conception, Clondalkin Village.

According to his notice on rip.ie, Max of Newcastle, Co Dublin, is the much loved son of Brian and Dolores, beloved grandson of the late Dolores and Fred, adored brother of Lee, Emma, Ava, Milly, Libby, Mark and Dwayne and uncle to Esme and Luan.

Max will be forever loved and very sadly missed by his heartbroken parents, brothers, sisters, niece, nephew, aunts, uncles, cousins, extended family and a large circle of friends, the notice reads.

Max will be reposing at his home on Monday, May 20, ahead of his funeral and burial in Newlands Cross Cemetery.

The family has asked for donations to the church box for YODA, child counselling services.

Max from the village of Newcastle, in south-west Dublin, has been described as a well-liked and popular boy who had a lot of friends in his home area.

Cllr Trevor Gilligan told the Sunday World that the tight-knit community of Newcastle had been devastated and shocked by the tragedy.

"My thoughts and prayers are with his family at this terribly sad time...He had his whole life ahead of him, Cllr Gilligan said.

He added that Maxs group of friends are terribly saddened and upset at the tragic news of his death.

It is understood that he was attending Colaiste Chilliain secondary school in Clondalkin.

At approximately 5.40pm on Saturday May 11, gardai became aware of a person who had gotten into difficulty in the water in the Grand Canal between Ardclough and Celbridge in Co Kildare.

A number of emergency services attended the scene and Maxs body was recovered from the water a short time later.

Cllr Gilligan said it is not unusual to see children swimming in the canals.

However, he claimed that there has been no major push or proposal from the Government to highlight the dangers.

"These canals aren't swimming pools. They are deep and dangerous," he told KFM Radio.

He said there is an urgent need for more prominent signage and an awareness campaign to prevent children using them for swimming.

"I do recall, like, going through the years when the sun comes out and it's a sunny day, you would see kids jumping in, going for a swim," he said.

He added: "They're not a safe place for anybody to go to be going swimming. And I would be calling on local councils, Irish waterways and the Minister for Environment to put a plan and proposals in place to make sure that people are aware of how dangerous these canals can be.

We need a campaign to alert people not to go near the locks because they're not swimming pools, they're not bodies of water that, you know, we should be encouraging people to go swimming in."

"I can't imagine what the parents are going through and the family at this moment in time. He had his whole life ahead of him," he said.

Trevor said he is aware of another tragic drowning incident that happened in the canals along Cappaghmore a number of years ago.
Max (15), from the village of Newcastle, in south-west Dublin, has been described as a well-liked who had a lot of friends in his home area

Flowers left near the scene at the Grand Canal in Co Kildare

A teenage boy who died on Saturday after getting into difficulty while swimming in the Grand Canal in Co Kildare has been named locally as Max OConnor.

Max (15), from the village of Newcastle, in south-west Dublin, has been described as a well-liked and popular boy who had a lot of friends in his home area.

Cllr Trevor Gilligan told the Sunday World that the tight-knit community of Newcastle is devastated and shocked by the tragedy.

"My thoughts and prayers are with his family at this terribly sad time...He had his whole life ahead of him, Cllr Gilligan said.

He added that Maxs group of friends are terribly saddened and upset at the tragic news of his death.

It is understood that he was attending Colaiste Chilliain secondary school in Clondalkin.

At approximately 5.40pm on Saturday May 11, gardai became aware of a person who had gotten into difficulty in the water in the Grand Canal between Ardclough and Celbridge in Co Kildare.

A number of emergency services attended the scene and the body of the 15-year-old boy was recovered from the water a short time later.

The local coroner had been notified, and arrangements were being made for a post-mortem examination.

The Sunday World understands that no foul play is currently suspected and the incident appears to have been an accident.
A member of Saoradh's National Executive has been targeted

The man, a senior member of Saoradh, widely regarded as the political wing of the New IRA, was arrested by PSNI officers and taken away for questioning at 5am.

The group posted an image of the operation online and released a statement saying that: A member of Saoradh's National Executive has been targeted in an early morning raid by the British Forces of Occupation.

Despite young children being present the Crown Forces invaded the home in order to ransack it just after 5am.

The senior Republican has been taken to Musgrave PSNI station.

Saoradh concluded their statement by saying they offer our full support to the activist and his family.

This PSNI raid comes three weeks after further major operations targeting dissidents in Derry.

A number of items were seized in the city during April.

Officers from the PSNIs Serious Crime Branch conducted a number of searches in Claudy and Derry over the weekend of April 20.

The operation focused on properties in the Learmount Road area of the village and the Currynierin area of the city.

A number of items were seized and removed for further forensic examination.

Detective Inspector Nelson has thanked the local community for their patience and understanding.

"Our aim is to protect and keep them safe from harm, and today's search demonstrates our continued commitment to working with them to disrupt the activities of a small group of people who are intent on using violence, he said.
Aoife Kelly passed away suddenly due to surgery complications at Tallaght University Hospital on May 9.

Tributes are being paid to a wonderful and kind nurse who died unexpectedly after surgery last week.

Aoife Kelly passed away suddenly due to surgery complications at Tallaght University Hospital on May 9.

The mum-of-two, from Arklow, Co Wicklow, but formerly of Ballybrack, Dublin, leaves behind her husband John and their kids, Phoenix and Ariel.

A notice on RIP.ie states that she will be sadly missed and always remembered by all her loving family, parents Noel and Patricia Keating, sisters Sarah, Laura, Rachel and Niamh, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, relatives, neighbours and her many friends and colleagues.

Aoife will repose at her parents home in Ballybrack today, Tuesday May 14, from 5pm to 7pm.

A funeral mass will take place on Wednesday morning, May 15, at 11.30am at St Mary and Peters Church, Arklow, followed afterwards by burial in St Gabriels Cemetery, Arklow.

The funeral service will be streamed online for those who cannot attend in person.

John, Phoenix and Ariel would like to take this opportunity to thank their family, neighbours, friends and everyone who has sent messages and who are supporting them at this very difficult time, the death notice adds.

Tributes are now being paid online to the clinical nurse manager, many from patients or family members of someone who Aoife cared for at Knockrobin Care Home in Wicklow.

One mourner said: Truly shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of Aoife. She cared for our mum in Knockrobin Care Home and was not only a huge support to her but also to us as a family.

She had that rare ability to put you at ease and always had a smile on her face and we had many great chats and laughs. Sending our deepest condolences to all of her family and friends, we will keep them all in our thoughts and especially the beautiful Aoife who has been taken too soon.

A former colleague said: Saddened by the news of Aoife's passing. What a wonderful kind person and nurse. Always there to help her colleagues and helped me to become a better carer as we worked together with joy and laughter. Rest In Peace my friend.

Another person added: Aoife you were so kind and caring and were made to be a nurse. My heart goes out to all your family but especially to Phoenix and Ariel...

You were such a wonderful mother and the love you had for your children was endless. Your untimely passing is just heartbreaking.

Meanwhile, friends of the family have set up a GoFundMe page to support Aoifes husband John and their two children.

As you all know our beautiful friend Aoife passed away in the early hours on the 9th of May, a description on the fundraiser reads.

Aoife passed away suddenly and unexpectedly after surgery complications leaving behind her two beautiful young kids Phoenix and Ariel and her loving husband John.

We are trying to raise funds to support her little family at this time and try to take some pressure off.

Please support our cause if you can with a small donation it would mean the world to Aoife's family.

Almost 400 people have donated to the fundraiser to date, raising 13,680 for Aoifes family in just three days.

To find or more or to make a donation, visit the Aoife Kelly (Keating) fundraiser here.
After nearly two years of service, New Zealand charity Kiwi K.A.R.E (Kiwi Aid & Refugee Evacuation) has expanded its mission to support Ukraine, securing a further 16 decommissioned ambulances from Australia.

Led by humanitarian and former New Zealand Army Colonel, Tenby Powell, the not-for-profit has managed to amass together another shipment of emergency vehicles from around Australia, which are now en route to Europe - and ultimately the frontline.

Tenby and his wife, Sharon Hunter, organised logistics and helped drive the 16 ambulances to the Australian based ship, which will carry them 20,000 kms to Europe.

Tenby says the ambulances are filled with good quality second-hand tyres and spare stretchers.

In August 2023, with support from Hato Hone St John, Kiwi K.A.R.E delivered seven decommissioned ambulances filled with medical supplies to the war-torn country.

Together with logistics support vehicles, such as large vans, 4x4 cars, and a 13-tonne truck, this totals 30 vehicles Kiwi K.A.R.E has deployed to the war-torn country.

They have been used to deliver aid, transport refugees, evacuate the sick and injured, and run an Outreach Health Programme in the Red Zones for those civilians who havent seen a medical professional for, in some cases, years.

Once we get the vehicles to Kyiv, they will be serviced and stripped of their livery and painted in camouflage before joining Ukrainian medical units servicing a 1000-kilometre front.

Kiwi K.A.R.E hopes to keep one of the Aussie ambulances to augment its Outreach Programme.

Manaaki (meaning Caring in Te Reo) is our only ambulance dedicated to Outreach and we need another asset, together with qualified staff, to meet the demand.

The call by Ukraine for more ambulances comes in wake of continued attacks on hospitals, medical centres and civilian infrastructure.

We need all the help we can get and we are very grateful to the many New Zealanders and Australians who have supported Kiwi K.A.R.E..

Since the start of the invasion in February 2022, more than 800 Ukrainian hospitals and medical centres have been attacked by Russian artillery, drones and missiles, with 150 completely destroyed. There are atrocities and war crimes still being committed in Ukraine and emergency vehicles are vital to helping Ukraine while engaged in this full-scale war, says Tenby.

Like the Kiwi ambulances, the Aussie Mercedes Sprinters are still considered a very high standard in Ukraine despite having more than 200,000 kilometres on the clock.

While not fit for purpose in NZ or Australia, we will revamp them for frontline service and the extreme challenges.

Ambulances awaiting transportation.

Behind the frontlines, Kiwi K.A.R.E continues to fabricate stoves and water heaters from recycled electrical water boilers collected from all over Ukraine. What started as a winter project in 2022, has evolved into what many Ukrainians have described as a life-saving project, now run all year round.

To date, we have distributed over 2000 stoves to families in desperate need. Ukrainian fabricators strip and re-weld the recycled cylinders, and we distribute them to Red Zone areas where power and water infrastructure has been completely destroyed.

Kiwi K.A.R.E remains committed to helping Ukrainians in need and we could not do this without the support and generosity of so many people and organisations here in New Zealand, Australia, and throughout the U.S. and Europe.

The support has been overwhelming. Please keep it coming, urges Tenby.

To donate - please go to the Kiwi K.A.R.E GiveaLittle page or donate via their website.
A successful day is how Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council's Chair has described the first day of Long Term Plan hearings held at Huria Marae.

Friday, May 10, was the first time Toi Moana had held Long Term Plan hearings on a Marae.

Councillors heard from individuals and groups who travelled from across the region including Iwi, Tauranga City Council Commissioners and the Tauranga Business Chamber.

Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council Chair Doug Leeder says the uptake was overwhelmingly positive and showed democracy in action.

It was great to be able to begin the Hearings at Huria Marae, and we received positive feedback from attendees who felt supported and comfortable to present their submissions.

As a Councillor, Hearings enable us to listen to the points raised by the submitters and take into consideration the concerns, matters and issues being raised to help with our decision making.

Hearings continue across the region this week in Whakatane, Rotorua and Tauranga. The Hearings will be livestreamed and can be viewed on the Regional Councils YouTube page.

Tuesday 14 May 9.30am, 5 Quay Street, Whakatane

Wednesday 15 May 9.30am, 1061 Haupapa Street, Rotorua

Thursday 16 May 9.30am, Regional House Chambers, 1 Elizabeth Street, Tauranga

Public consultation ran from March 8 to April 9 with key topics centred around regional parks, funding public transport, and whether to enable the sale of some Port of Tauranga shares.

Public deliberations will be held on May 28 and 29 at Regional House in Tauranga and will be livestreamed.

Regional Council will consider the information shared and gained at these hearings before adopting the final Long Term Plan at the end of June, 2024.

The adopted Long Term Plan will cover the period 2024  2034 and will officially start on 1 July this year.
MetService has issued a heavy rain watch for the eastern Bay of Plenty and Tasman regions.

A low pressure system in the Tasman Sea is expected to move eastwards across New Zealand during Wednesday, bringing rain to central and northern regions.

"The heaviest rain is expected over the Tasman District and eastern Bay of Plenty, where Heavy Rain Watches are now in force," says a MetService spokesperson.



A Heavy Rain Watch in place in the eastern ranges of Bay of Plenty is valid for 13 hours from 9am - 10pm Wednesday May 15. A period of heavy rain with possible thunderstorms, and amounts may approach warning criteria.



A Heavy Rain Watch in place for the Tasman area and west of Motueka is valid for 13 hours from 4am - 5pm on Wednesday. A period of heavy rain, and amounts may approach warning criteria.

People are advised to keep up to date with the latest forecasts, in case these are upgraded or further areas are added.

On Thursday a low over the North Island should move off to the east and is followed by a southwest flow. Later in the day, winds are expected to turn northwest and strengthen about the southern South Island.



Heavy rain may continue to fall in eastern Bay of Plenty during Thursday morning and there is low confidence that a rain warning will extend into Thursday.

For southern Fiordland and Stewart Island, there is low confidence that the northwest winds will increase to warning strength by the end of the day.



A front, moving northeast, is expected to move onto the South Island during Friday, bringing rain to the west and strong west to northwest winds to the south and east. A ridge of high pressure should lie over the North Island.



There is low confidence that heavy rain in Fiordland will require a warning on Friday. For Fiordland and Stewart Island there is low confidence that a wind warning will be needed for severe gale west to northwest winds. About inland areas of mainland Southland, Otago and Canterbury there is also low confidence that northwest winds will reach warning strength.



On Saturday, May 18, the front should continue moving northeast over the South Island and weaken, reaching the southern North Island late in the day.

There is a chance a low will develop on the front east of the South Island. There is likely to be rain for much of the South Island and southern North Island. Strong northwest winds ahead of the front should ease in the afternoon.

Snow is possible about the southern and central South Island, but the level it falls to is uncertain at this stage.



There is moderate confidence that a rainfall warning will be needed for Fiordland and the ranges of the Westland District on Saturday. Severe gale northwesterlies may affect inland areas Canterbury, southern Marlborough, the Marlborough Sounds, Wellington and southern Wairarapa with low confidence that a warning will be needed.

here is low confidence that snowfalls above 700 metres in Otago and South Canterbury will be heavy enough to require a warning.



During Sunday, a weak ridge of high pressure is expected to form over New Zealand. Rain may continue about the west of the South Island. There is low confidence that a heavy rainfall warning will be needed for the ranges of Westland District.
New Zealand Defence Force personnel are on their way to Italy, to honour those who fought and died in what were among the most gruelling battles for New Zealand forces in the Second World War.

Nelson local Major Alex Bowyer, from the New Zealand Armys 2nd/1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, is leading the contingent that will participate in commemorations marking 80 years since the Battles of Cassino.

The 36-year-old infantry officer says its an incredible honour.

In 40 years time when Im in retirement, sitting on the couch reading a book, Ill have to stop and reflect. It certainly will be one of my top career highlights.

Situated at the head of the Liri Valley, Cassino was a key point in the Gustav Line - a chain of German defences in the Italian mountains south of Rome. The battles to capture the town would ultimately liberate Italy and lead to the success of the planned Normandy landings.

Major Alex Bowyer, from the New Zealand Armys 2nd/1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, says its an incredible honour to be leading the NZDF contingent that will participate in commemorations marking 80 years since the Battles of Cassino in Italy. Photo supplied.

But New Zealands efforts there through February and March 1944, proved to be among the most costly battles of the Second World War for the 2nd New Zealand Division - of the 1,481 casualties, 343 lost their lives.

Next week, the NZDF contingent will support the New Zealand National Commemorative Service at the Cassino War Cemetery and a New Zealand Service of Remembrance at the Cassino Railway Station.

The Regimental Colour of 2nd/1st Battalion, which bears the Battle Honour CASSINO I, will be paraded at both services, along with the 28 (Maori) Battalion Banner.

An area of significance to New Zealand when fighting at Cassino was the railway station, Alex says.

It was a key objective in both battles the New Zealand Division directly fought in. The first to fight there were the men of 28 (Maori) Battalion A and B Companies, and a month later 26 New Zealand Battalion fought and captured the railway station, holding it for nine days.

In both cases there was a grievous loss of life for both units.

The fierce close-combat fighting, and hundreds of thousands of shells and bombs, left little behind but broken river banks, piles of rubble and an ever-increasing loss of life throughout the battles.

At Cassino, the New Zealand Division along with 4th Indian Division, comprised the New Zealand Corps commanded by Lieutenant-General Sir Bernard Freyberg.

Fighting units included six New Zealand infantry battalions an armoured brigade, divisional artillery and engineer units totalling 17,000 men.

As a student of tactics and military strategy, Alex says being at Cassino would be fascinating.

It took four attempts to actually take Cassino and open the gateway to Rome. The United States tried, New Zealand tried and finally Poland took it in May.

New Zealand Defence Force personnel are on their way to Italy ahead of the 80th anniversary of the Battles of Cassino, to honour those who fought and died in what were among the most gruelling battles for New Zealand forces in the Second World War. Photo supplied.

To stand on that ground, and get some understanding of what they were thinking and feeling when they were looking up the hill at Monte Cassino Abbey, will be such a unique experience.

The ferocity of the fighting at Cassino had few parallels during the Second World War and Alex says it would be an honour to acknowledge the New Zealand soldiers who served there, alongside their Commonwealth, French, Polish and American allies who all made the ultimate sacrifice.

It really will be special to experience this place with the contingent and recognise its significance in our nations history from World War Two.

Cassino eventually fell in May 1944 to British and Polish troops, with support from the New Zealand artillery.
The 2024 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards winners have a lot in common, including a passion for farming, innovation and positive change.

DairyNZ chief executive Campbell Parker says the winners are all forward-thinking and contribute strongly to a positive future for New Zealand dairy farming.

Its fantastic to see the awards acknowledging top Kiwi dairy farmers and their hard work and dedication at the heart of their communities, Campbell says.

These farmers are future proofing their businesses to remain resilient while continuing to produce sustainable and competitive milk.

The Share Farmers of the Year are Will Hinton and Kali Rangiawha from Manawatu, and the Dairy Manager of the Year is Northlands Kieran McCahon.

Kirwyn Ellis from Waikato is the Dairy Trainee of the Year, and James and Debbie Stewart from Manawatu received the Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award and the John Wilson Memorial Trophy.

DairyNZ is an industry partner in the awards, providing judging expertise and facilitating field days.

Contract milkers Paul and Sarah Koopal from Central Plateau received the DairyNZ People and Culture merit award and placed third in the Share Farmer category.

Judges described them as well-rounded farmers, using all the tools and technology available to them.

Ben Purua was awarded the DairyNZ People and Leadership merit award in the Dairy Manager category.

DairyNZ judge Janine Swansson says Ben is a leader of young people joining the sector, and makes a significant difference to communities and other peoples lives. He promotes dairy farming as a great place to work.

Isabella Panettiere from Manawatu took out the DairyNZ Practical Skills merit award for her strong practical skills and knowledge.

She also placed third in the Dairy Trainee category. As herd manager for Fonterras Longburn farm, she is new to the sector and farming life. Head judge Mark Laurence from DairyNZ says Isabellas enthusiasm, skills and knowledge are impressive.

As Share Farmers of the Year, Will and Kali impressed the judges with the strength of their partnership, and how they apply technical knowledge to be more efficient.

They are closely involved in their community. Will organised a fundraiser when a school bus was needed, and Kali trained as an AI technician when she realised there wasnt one in their area.

As Dairy Manager of the Year, Kieran McCahon from Northland stood out as an authentic and well-educated farmer, passionate about adding value to the sector.

He took the judges on a journey into practical farming and how he has addressed challenges in his first season.

Kieran was a DairyNZ scholar, achieving his Masters degree, and previously worked for DairyNZ as a developer before returning to his home in Northland.

2024 Fonterra Responsible Dairy Award - James & Debbie Stewart. Photo supplied.

Dairy Trainee of the Year Kirwyn Ellis is described as a strong team player and clear communicator, with community at his heart.

Head judge Mark Laurence from DairyNZ says he will represent the sector very well with his new title. Kirwyn is also a great role model for work life balance, with many hobbies including biking, rugby and other outdoor activities.

As Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award and John Wilson Memorial Trophy recipients, James and Debbie Stewart were selected for their commitment to people and community, finance, environment and animal care.

The judges were left with one big question  what more could anyone do to demonstrate responsible dairying?

The judges including DairyNZ GM Farm Solutions and Policy Dr David Burger were impressed by the Stewarts understanding of the sectors importance to New Zealand, and the importance of building their own story and brand.

DairyNZ sees the awards as a great opportunity to continue supporting farmers to share their positive stories with the public, which has been building greater momentum over the past year.
New York  Judge Judy Sheindlin sued the parent company of the National Enquirer and InTouch Weekly on Monday for a story that she said falsely claimed that she was trying to help the Menendez brothers get a retrial after they were convicted of murdering their parents.

The story was first published on InTouch Weeklys website on April 10 under the headline Inside Judge Judys Quest to Save the Menendez Brothers Nearly 35 Years After Their Parents Murder, according to the lawsuit, filed in circuit court in Collier County, Florida.

A version of the story later appeared in the National Enquirer, a sister publication to InTouch Weekly also owned by Accelerate360 Media. The 1989 Menendez murders in Beverly Hills, California, was a case of some tabloid renown.

Sheindlin said shes had nothing to say about the case. Her lawsuit speculated that the news outlets used statements in a Fox Nation docuseries made by Judi Ramos, a woman identified as an alternate juror in the first Menendez trial, and misattributed them to the television judge.

There was no immediate comment from Accelerate360, whose attempt to sell the National Enquirer last year fell through.

Sheindlin does not ask for a specific amount of damages, but made clear it wouldnt be cheap.

When you fabricate stories about me in order to make money for yourselves with no regard for the truth or the reputation Ive spent a lifetime cultivating, its going to cost you, she said in a statement. When youve done it multiple times, its unconscionable and will be expensive. It has to be expensive so that you will stop.

Sheindlin, who hosted the syndicated Judge Judy through 2021 and now hosts Judy Justice, has had run-ins with the Enquirer in the past.

In 2017, the newspaper retracted and apologized for stories that falsely claimed she suffered from Alzheimers disease and depression and had cheated on her husband.
Syracuse, N.Y.  Onondaga County Sheriff Toby Shelley filed an appeal Tuesday a month after a judge threw out a lawsuit aimed to prevent the closure of the prison in Jamesville.

Shelley originally filed the lawsuit after the county legislature voted on Feb. 7, 2023, to approve the closure of the Jamesville Correctional facility by moving staff and incarcerated people to the downtown jail to save money and address staffing shortages.
By Dan Clark | Times Union, Albany

Albany, N.Y.  Its been three years since New York enacted a law that required hospitals to develop plans for safe levels of staff relative to the patients in their care, but nurses say it isnt being enforced.

That responsibility falls to the state Department of Health, which health care workers and state lawmakers said Monday isnt holding up their end of the bargain.

This is not something weve been talking about the last couple of months or the last couple of days, said state Sen. Gustavo Rivera, a Democrat from the Bronx who chairs the chambers Health Committee.

His message: Department of Health, gosh darn it, do your job.

The law requires hospital administrators and health care workers to form facility-specific committees that would collectively develop their own staffing ratio plans. Those plans, which were due at the start of last year, would be enforced at each facility.

But that hasnt been the case for many hospitals, according to Nancy Hagans, a nurse and president of the New York State Nurses Association union.

We are standing here today because hospitals are violating our safe staffing law, Hagans said. Patients should not wait for care.

She was one of dozens who rallied Monday at the state Capitol to pressure the Department of Health to step up its enforcement of the law.

Hospitals found by the agency to have violated the staffing law are required to submit a corrective plan to the agency. Violators can be fined up to $2,000 per citation.

Thousands of complaints have been filed with the agency since hospitals were supposed to implement their staffing plans, according to the union.

Other labor unions, including CWA District 1 and 1199 SEIU, have also been active. There were roughly 8,000 complaints filed late last year by workers represented by CWA, who claimed their respective hospitals werent following the staffing law and regularly forced staff to work beyond their scheduled hours.

Patient safety is a priority. This should not be debated, Hagans said.

There isnt necessarily a legislative solution to the problem. It falls solely within the jurisdiction of the Department of Health: Unless the agency can step up enforcement or hospitals begin following the law statewide, workers are at a standstill with the state.

Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, a Democrat from Westchester County who chairs the chambers Health Committee, said the law isnt just important to workers  it impacts patients as well. Shes also calling on the Department of Health to do more.

In this instance, they are not doing their job, Paulin said. We have to ensure that our patients are protected (and) our nurses and health care workers who do their job effectively and properly. They are entitled to have lives.

The state Department of Health said in a statement that it treats the complaints seriously and considered the staffing requirements to be important.

Patient safety and appropriate staffing are of vital importance to the State Department of Health, an agency spokesperson said. We have taken a rigorous approach to implementing the Hospital Safe Staffing law, including enforcement of hospitals found to be in violation of the law.

___

(c)2024 the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.)

Visit the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.) at www.timesunion.com
Editors note: Election Day for school board members and school budgets is May 21, 2024.

To the Editor:

I urge all residents of the Fayetteville-Manlius School District to reelect Marissa Joy Mims to the Board of Education. As a parent, former Eagle Hill Middle School and F-M High School teacher, and former member of the Board of Education who served for six years with Mims, I strongly believe we should reelect her.
YEREVAN, MAY 14, ARMENPRESS. Stefan Muller-Altermatt, a member of the National Council of Switzerland, in an interview with Armenpress, expressed an opinion that the Armenian-Azerbaijani border issues must be resolved at some point, and the terrible legacy of Stalin must be overcome, because otherwise they are always a possible casus belli that Azerbaijan can use to attack Armenia.

The interview is presented below:

- Azerbaijan has violated the territorial integrity of Armenia, refuses to return Armenian POWs as well as continues to make aggressive announcements, why doesnt the European Union impose any sanctions on Azerbaijan or Aliyev himself?

- Because of a combination of disinterest and self-interest. Europe and the USA are completely absorbed in terms of security policy with the wars in Ukraine and Israel. And because of the sanctions against Russia, Europe is dependent on other oil and gas suppliers. And then there is the fact that Azerbaijan is very actively involved in political processes in Europe. "Caviar diplomacy" is now a recognised term. And unfortunately, it is successful: there are also among Western politicians weak people who throw their values overboard for a few conveniences.

- How important would be the deepening of relations between Armenia and the European Union for the security and prosperity of the region? How would you assess the high-level meeting of Armenia-EU-US in Brussels on April 5?

- The meeting was of enormous importance. Azerbaijan's nervous provocations in the week before 5 April proved this. Europe's commitment to Armenia's security was long overdue.

In the end, Armenia is once again a pawn of the geopolitical situation. The country clearly decided in favour of democracy and the rule of law in 2018. It is then also the task of the Western community of values to protect this country when the surrounding authoritarian states, which are opposed to democracy and the rule of law, attack it. Russia, as the leading power in the authoritarian bloc, will do everything in its power to keep Armenia in its hands. That is why rapid and fruitful talks with the European Union are extremely important.

And when I say "quickly", I can certainly give a date: Armenia needs comprehensive security guarantees from the West before the end of COP29 in Baku. Because I am very sure that Aliyev will lose any friendly face after COP29 and that Putin will also force him to take violent action. But there is no way back for Armenia. That is why the West must now really show its colours for Armenia - quickly.

- Recently, Armenia and Azerbaijan reached an agreement on starting the border delimitation process based on the Alma-Ata Declaration. How would you evaluate this agreement and, in your opinion, can it bring peace to the two countries and the South Caucasus region?

- At some point, the border issues must be resolved and this terrible Stalinist legacy overcome. Especially from the Armenian point of view, because otherwise they are always a possible casus belli that Azerbaijan can use to attack Armenia. The agreement with Azerbaijan itself is probably less important than the effective work on the border - the Aliyev regime does not honour any agreements anyway. However, if the demarcation can be carried out in a way that is acceptable to Armenia, then effective, visible facts will have been created that even a tyrant cannot ignore.

The events in Tavush show that it is extremely difficult on the Armenian side. At the same time, it is also a sign to the world: Armenian democracy is stable enough to be able to deal with even such understandably elementary issues.

- In recent years there have been a lot of talks about the need to unblock the regional communications in the South Caucasus. Azerbaijan demands the so-called Zangezur corridor from Armenia by threatening at the same time to get it by force. How would you assess such an aggressive and unprovoked behaviour of Azerbaijan?

- Unfortunately, this behaviour is logical for the Aliyev regime. After violently destroying and ethnically cleansing the Republic of Artsakh, he now needs new claims against Armenia. Because he draws his raison d'etre from the enemy image of Armenia: Aliyev is a kleptocrat, a tyrant who robs his own people. With the mineral resources in the Caspian Sea, the Azerbaijani people should actually be among the richest in the world. But the money only ends up in the pockets of the regime and its loyal followers. Now imagine what would happen if the Armenian people, who have no such mineral resources, were to achieve economic prosperity as well as democracy, freedom of expression, the rule of law, etc.. It would be a total defeat for Aliyev. That is why he has to keep Armenia small and attack it again and again - just as Putin is condemned to attack Ukraine again and again.

- In response to these claims of the Azerbaijani side, last year the Government of Armenia initiated the "Crossroads of Peace" project. What is your opinion on this initiative?

- It is the logical and clever response to the Azerbaijani demands, because "Crossroads of Peace" takes up the arguments of the other side and exposes them as a pretext for chauvinist aggression. Azerbaijan justifies the demand for the "Zangezur Corridor" with the interrupted communication routes. If this were really the problem, then one would have to agree to "Crossroads of Peace", because this plan addresses this problem with a much more comprehensive solution than just the Zangezur Corridor.

Apart from these tactical considerations, it is of course the case that open borders, trade and understanding always support peace. But Moscow, Baku and Ankara are not interested in any of this. They are only interested in securing their influence and the regime - and are therefore against the values that Armenia so impressively achieved in 2018.

Davit Mamyan
neon115 Newbie

Join Date: Sep 2023 Location: Vancouver Posts: 11 Thanked: 78 Times

Chasing Auroras: A Night Journey with the Kia Niro



KP8 forecast, the highest it has been in past 20 years.







Our journey began at 6 pm, winding through the city streets until we hit the open road. Loaded with essentials, our Kia Niro proved to be the perfect companion for the trip. Cruising along Highway 1, we made a pit stop at a Costco gas station in Abbotsford before continuing our journey towards Hope. From there, the breathtaking Highway 5 beckoned, guiding us through the Coquihalla Summit with its majestic views and high-speed limits. Maintaining a steady 130 km/h pace, we glided towards Merritt, where we transitioned onto Highway 5A, leading us to our destination: Kelowna.





Arriving in Kelowna around 10:30 pm, hunger pangs led us to a quick drive-thru bite before dropping our luggage at the Fairfield Inn hotel. Eager to catch the Aurora spectacle, we wasted no time and headed straight for the Okanagan Observatory, located off Highway 33. En route, the night sky began to dance with streaks of color, signaling the start of our celestial adventure.





Stopping midway to soak in the mesmerizing views, we marveled at nature's light show before continuing our journey to the Observatory. Upon arrival, we found ourselves amidst a handful of fellow enthusiasts, enveloped in darkness yet guided by the passion for stargazing. Volunteers graciously shared their expertise, offering tips on capturing the Auroras through lenses and memories alike. As the night unfolded, the Aurora display painted the sky with vibrant hues, leaving us spellbound until the early hours of the morning.





In the quiet darkness of the night, we experienced a once-in-a-lifetime event right at our doorstep. Our journey in search of Auroras was not just about witnessing a natural wonder; it was a testament to the thrill of adventure and the joy of discovery. And with memories captured and hearts full, we returned home, grateful for the unforgettable experience.



















As the news of a solar superstorm spread, promising breathtaking Aurora displays visible through Northern Canada, my wife and I embarked on an impromptu adventure. Equipped with supplies for two nights and fueled by excitement, we set out from Vancouver in our trusty Kia Niro, eager to witness nature's dazzling spectacle.KP8 forecast, the highest it has been in past 20 years.Our journey began at 6 pm, winding through the city streets until we hit the open road. Loaded with essentials, our Kia Niro proved to be the perfect companion for the trip. Cruising along Highway 1, we made a pit stop at a Costco gas station in Abbotsford before continuing our journey towards Hope. From there, the breathtaking Highway 5 beckoned, guiding us through the Coquihalla Summit with its majestic views and high-speed limits. Maintaining a steady 130 km/h pace, we glided towards Merritt, where we transitioned onto Highway 5A, leading us to our destination: Kelowna.Arriving in Kelowna around 10:30 pm, hunger pangs led us to a quick drive-thru bite before dropping our luggage at the Fairfield Inn hotel. Eager to catch the Aurora spectacle, we wasted no time and headed straight for the Okanagan Observatory, located off Highway 33. En route, the night sky began to dance with streaks of color, signaling the start of our celestial adventure.Stopping midway to soak in the mesmerizing views, we marveled at nature's light show before continuing our journey to the Observatory. Upon arrival, we found ourselves amidst a handful of fellow enthusiasts, enveloped in darkness yet guided by the passion for stargazing. Volunteers graciously shared their expertise, offering tips on capturing the Auroras through lenses and memories alike. As the night unfolded, the Aurora display painted the sky with vibrant hues, leaving us spellbound until the early hours of the morning.In the quiet darkness of the night, we experienced a once-in-a-lifetime event right at our doorstep. Our journey in search of Auroras was not just about witnessing a natural wonder; it was a testament to the thrill of adventure and the joy of discovery. And with memories captured and hearts full, we returned home, grateful for the unforgettable experience.
Googles dabbling with enhancing its search results with artificial intelligence could have dire consequences for anyone with a business that depends on Alphabets best-known subsidiary for web traffic.

Anyone whos done a Google search knows its already stuffing AI summaries into its search results, but it will be upping its ante in AI when a program called Search Generative Experience (SGE) exits its current experimental phase.

According to Google, SGE will enrich searches by using AI to provide summaries, suggest further exploration paths, and allow for easy refinement of search queries. For content creators, though, the feature could be a nightmare.

SGE will impact many of the bloggers and publishers were all familiar with, said Aaron Traub, owner of GeauxSEO, an SEO and website design company in New Orleans.

Generally, any questions or topics that can be quickly answered with AI will eventually command the digital real estate space for these queries, eliminating many publishers currently ranking for these types of queries, he told TechNewsWorld.

Chris Ferris, senior vice president of digital strategy at Pierpont Communications, a public relations agency in Houston, maintains that SGE will further erode the amount of website traffic businesses can count on from organic search.

Organic search traffic has been falling for years because Google PPC [pay-per-click] ads, people also ask suggestions, maps, etcetera, have pushed down what used to be top Google search results. SGE will just accelerate that even faster, he told TechNewsWorld.

Impact of SGE on Organic Traffic

SGE essentially is the newest way for Google to keep users interacting with the search engine results page (SERP) and disincentivizing them from visiting the source content, asserted Joe Karasin, CMO and founder of Karasin PPC, a marketing agency that specializes in Google ads, in Lapeer, Mich.

For example, he told TechNewsWorld, if I write great content about the use of paid search ads, and the SGE chat answers questions about this directly for someone searching for it, why would they click to any search results?

Currently, SGE isnt being widely adopted, but it will eventually be forced on users, and this will lead to significant traffic decreases for websites and publishers and diminish the ad revenue sites gain from their traffic, he continued.

SGE is the next phase in Googles attempt to create a zero-click search experience, he said. They initially started with the SERP features, attempting to keep users on the results page rather than have them navigate away. Now, the SGE will be able to answer user queries in a seamless, conversational manner, even if the chatbot decides to hallucinate.

Since Google introduced SGE more than a year ago, people have debated its impact on creators and publishers, added Greg Sterling, co-founder of Near Media, a news, commentary, and analysis website. While the product is evolving, the consensus is this: less visibility and less traffic to publishers, he told TechNewsWorld.

Its unfortunate for these small business owners, but SGE will push new developments in content creation and the value needed to stand out from AI-generated answers, maintained GeauxSEOs Taub. In my opinion, topics that can only be fully answered by experts or large brands in their respective fields will win out.

Drastic SEO Pivots May Be Premature

Kelly Ayres, SEO manager at Jordan Digital Marketing, a provider of digital marketing services in San Francisco, contends that SGE is still a big unknown because two unknown algorithms are driving it  the search algorithm and the algorithm driving the SGE results within the SERPs.

What we do know so far is that SGE is meant to keep users on the SERPs, not clicking through to websites, and its working, she told TechNewsWorld. We work with brands showing up in SGE content, but users arent clicking through the source links to the original content.

What were also seeing is that brands showing up in SGE content are also ranking very well in traditional SERP listings, where they are driving clicks, she added. This tells me that SGE is drawing from a lot of the same principles as successful SEO in general, so Im not sure marketers need to make any drastic pivots yet to improve their chances of placing in SGE content.

Creators and publishers may also see some benefits from SGE, argued Mark N. Vena, president and principal analyst of SmartTech Research in San Jose, Calif.

The Generative Experience tool can potentially transform how users interact with search results by summarizing and synthesizing information across multiple sources, he told TechNewsWorld. For creators and publishers, this means their content could be integrated into broader narratives, potentially reaching audiences who might not have discovered their work through traditional search queries.

By providing more interactive and dynamically generated content, Googles tool may increase user engagement, he continued. For creators, this means audiences might spend more time interacting with content presented in a new, more engaging format. Publishers might see this as an opportunity to capture and retain the attention of users who are becoming increasingly accustomed to interactive digital experiences.

Challenges to Content Accuracy and Visibility

Vena added that the generative capabilities of Googles tool may inspire creators to experiment with new types of content optimized for generative search experiences. This could lead to innovative formats and storytelling techniques that are particularly effective in a synthesized information environment, he said.

He acknowledged, however, that with the increased use of AI to generate content summaries or integrated responses, theres a valid concern about the integrity and authenticity of the information presented. Creators and publishers may worry about the accuracy of how their content is represented or altered in generative summaries, which could impact their brand and the trust theyve established with their audience, he noted.

Ayres pointed to another problem for content creators and publishers with SGE. One downside of SGE and AI-generated query results is the proliferation of spam content or misinformation, making it difficult for authoritative experts and influential creators to keep visibility high, she said. Publishers might have to seek alternative content distribution avenues if SGE impacts their engagement and reach.

For Googles part, it believes it can incorporate AI into its search results without disrupting the traffic so many of its users depend on for their livelihoods. Speaking on Alphabets earnings call in January, CEO Sundar Pichai observed: We are improving satisfaction, including answers for more conversational and intricate queries[W]e are surfacing more links with SGE and linking to a wider range of sources on the results page, and well continue to prioritize approaches that add value for our users and send valuable traffic to publishers.
Many people today question the need for a dedicated antivirus program, considering that Windows Defender comes installed with the OS. However, Avast Free Antivirus is not only free but also provides a more comprehensive security package than Microsoft's offering.

There's some stigma surrounding free security software. Some companies reserve crucial features for the paid versions of their products, but Avast Free includes many tools that are not always available in competitors' offerings. Hundreds of millions of users rely on Avast, which certainly boosts confidence in its capabilities.

We downloaded and installed the latest version of Avast Free Antivirus, which was a quick and easy process. Once everything was ready, we were prompted to run an initial scan and I was pleased to find that my PC was free of viruses and malware.

The app's main hub offers a slew of options across a clean and simple dashboard. It is very user-friendly, featuring large icons and clear explanations of each function. Although a few features are restricted unless you upgrade to a paid tier, there are still a surprisingly large number of options available for a free program.

The six layers of protection

Avast highlights six layers of protection used by its antivirus, powered by cloud-based analytics and machine learning.

Web Shield : Uses URL detection algorithms to protect against phishing along with full content filtering to stop malware.

: Uses URL detection algorithms to protect against phishing along with full content filtering to stop malware. Static Scanner : Its primary scanner for checking files to identify threats.

: Its primary scanner for checking files to identify threats. Emulators : Two emulators (one for scripts and one for binary files) that provide full emulation of the native computing environment, protecting against zero-day malware and vulnerabilities.

: Two emulators (one for scripts and one for binary files) that provide full emulation of the native computing environment, protecting against zero-day malware and vulnerabilities. Avast DeepScreen : Uses a virtual machine that contains a cloned version of the user's OS. It employs machine learning to identify similarities with known malware families.

: Uses a virtual machine that contains a cloned version of the user's OS. It employs machine learning to identify similarities with known malware families. Avast CyberCapture : Prevents the rarest and most sophisticated malware from infiltrating a user's system by locking down and submitting potentially malicious files to the clean-room environment at Avast Threat Labs.

: Prevents the rarest and most sophisticated malware from infiltrating a user's system by locking down and submitting potentially malicious files to the clean-room environment at Avast Threat Labs. Behavior Shield: Monitors your system for suspicious activities while programs are running.

Scanning for viruses

In addition to its primary smart scan, Avast Free Antivirus offers a more thorough full scan that inspects an entire PC, a targeted scan for specific folders or external drives, a boot-time scan that looks for threats before Windows starts, and user-defined custom scans.

A quick scan here takes about 30 seconds. Full scans do take longer as they're more in-depth; this one took around five minutes  times will obviously vary depending on how many files you're scanning. Finally, there's the Boot-Time scan. This took the longest, adding about ten minutes to the boot process.

There's also the option to create a rescue disk to run Avast when Windows isn't running, helping remove deeply embedded threats that won't be able to defend themselves.

Any threats identified by Avast Free Antivirus get sent to the quarantine section, where you can delete them, create exceptions, or even send them to the company for analysis.

Avast's parent, Gen Digital, also owns Norton, Avira, and AVG, so it's got some big industry names in its corner. That's reflected in independent antivirus tests: Avast blocked 100% of AV-Test threats, earning it a Top Product award; 99.6% of threats from AV-Comparatives, which designated it an Advanced+ product; and 99% of SE Labs' threats to earn an AAA rating.

Files, internet, and email protection

Next to the scans section is the Core Shields menu: File, Behavior, Web, and Mail. They're all proactive; the web shield, for example, blocks web attacks and unsafe downloads. They help keep you safe from dangerous emails, new files, and apps behaving suspiciously.

The email shield is certainly useful. Not only does it help ensure you don't open any nasty attachments, but it also scans incoming and outgoing mails and can add a customizable warning to the header of emails containing a virus.

The Web Shield is also a welcome addition, helping fight against everything from dangerous downloads to bots. It also prevents browsers and other apps from running potentially malicious scripts. Tests show that Avast Free Antivirus managed to detect and block 99% of fake phishing sites, more than many free rivals.

Network Inspector

Another feature I was impressed to find in a piece of free AV software is the Network Inspector, allowing you to scan networks for any security issues and vulnerabilities. The program shows device names and types (where it can), as well as plenty of details on each, including the IP or MAC address.

Users can also be notified whenever a new device joins their home network, which is very handy if it's an unauthorized connection, and it constantly monitors all devices already connected to said network. There are extensive logs to trawl through if needed, too.

Ransomware Shield

Something you don't tend to find in many other free antivirus tools is the Ransomware Shield. It helps protect personal photos, documents, and other files from being modified by ransomware attacks, stopping untrusted applications from accessing your files. It does this by scanning for and automatically securing folders that may contain personal data. You can also specify which apps are allowed to modify files and which folders to protect from untrusted apps.

There are two main modes within the ransomware protection: Smart and Strict. The Smart mode is a hands-off approach which allows trusted apps manipulate files, while Strict only allows approved apps to do so, and requires approval of any others that attempt to make changes or before it can edit files.

As with the other features, the settings section offers plenty of customization options, including which specific file types you want to protect (or all of them). I tested the Strict mode by simply saving something in Notepad, which, as I hadn't approved the app, was blocked (as shown above).

Firewall

Windows has its own built-in firewall, and while Avast's version offers a similar level of protection, there are more options and details. Windows automatically switches to the Avast firewall when it's turned on, so you don't have to worry about jumping through any hoops first.

The firewall feature, which monitors for unauthorized communications, goes beyond just offering an on-and-off switch. There is a list of apps and how much data they're using (screenshot above). Blocking individual apps is as simple as clicking on a button, and, assuming you know what you're doing, lots of options for applying and editing the firewall rules.

More features on Avast Free

Avast also comes with a Privacy section. Only of one these features, Hack Alerts, is available without a subscription. It monitors for any time your email gets leaked as the result of a website breach.

Then there's the Performance menu. There's a "Do Not Disturb" mode that silences notifications from selected apps and an automatic software updater that scans for out-of-date applications. The DND Mode has some helpful settings, including pausing Windows updates and even pausing Avast notifications while running apps in full screen  I've yet to see an annoying notification from the program.

Download now: Avast Free is available for Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone

Other Avast features, such as Bank Mode (free if you use Avast secure browser), Email Guardian, Remote Access Shield, and Sandbox Mode are available with a subscription. Moreover, you can download Avast's separate free VPN and privacy browser via the antivirus app.

We've been genuinely impressed with the range of options available and the thoroughness of Avast Free Antivirus. Unlike some other virus checkers that don't cost anything, I've barely noticed it's there, thanks mostly to the lack of intrusive (and unnecessary) notifications, while its high security rating and web protection offer some extra piece of mind.
Recap: The PC industry has been focused on CPUs based on Intel's x86 instruction set since day one. Arm has tried to get its fair share of the market for quite some time, and the company is now starting yet another belligerent assault against Intel and AMD through several chipmaking partners.

Arm Holdings is working to increase its market share in the Windows PC ecosystem. According to Rene Haas, CEO of the UK chipmaker and semiconductor designer, the Apple ecosystem has "completely converted over" and now it's time for traditional, x86-based PCs to contribute to the company's future business prospects.

Haas was asked about the PC market "potential" during Arm's latest shareholder meeting. His reply was that the British corporation is eyeing Windows as a tangible growth opportunity. PC systems built on Arm chips have been available for years, but Arm's proprietary, mobile and efficiency-focused ISA still accounts for just 1 percent of the PC market, according to the latest data provided by Canalys.

The new Arm attempt at stealing bits of the PC business away from x86 CPUs goes through a diversification of the supplier base, Haas said. For the Arm PC industry to grow, Arm chipmakers will have to provide "multiple units, multiple SKUs, multiple price points, and multiple experiences" to end customers.

Qualcomm and Asus are partnering to bring the Snapdragon X Elite SoC and new gaming-ready Arm PCs to the market, but the two companies aren't the only ones working on new Arm-based systems. Haas said that "multiple suppliers" will start serving the PC market with new Arm systems over the next 12 to 36 months.

Over the next two to three years, the Arm PC ecosystem is expected to take a significant level of market share, Haas stated. Arm PCs can provide "fantastic performance" compared to competing tech, and with a much better battery life. Thanks to the Arm ISA, manufacturers can build a "high-performance" machine with no need for an active fan.

Haas' statements suggest that many companies will start offering their Arm-equipped devices to the PC crowd in the months to come. The company is expecting significant growth once the vendor base diversifies, though different firms will likely aim for different segments of the PC business. The Snapdragon X Elite SoC is designed to power "premium" systems, while other manufacturers could choose a more inexpensive path to the Arm-based PC revolution.
In brief: There are lots of contentious topics that the US and China could discuss, from the tech sanctions Washington has placed on the country, to the Asian nation's increasingly aggressive stance towards Taiwan. But only one thing will be on the agenda when envoys from the two nations meet in Switzerland today: artificial intelligence and its potential dangers.

The Geneva meeting, which is being called an opening exchange of views, will look at ways of mitigating the risks of AI. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to start conversations on AI safety during their meeting at the APEC summit in November, writes Axios.

The US will be represented at the talks by Tarun Chhabra from the US National Security Council and the State Department's acting special envoy for critical and emerging technology, Dr Seth Center. China is sending officials from the Foreign Ministry and the National Development and Reform Commission.

There have been major advancements recently in the field of AI-controlled weaponry and military craft, an area where the US is determined to stay ahead of China. The US Air Force last month announced that it had successfully tested a modified, AI-controlled fighter jet in a dogfight against human pilots.

One of the most concerning threats regarding AI is the fear that a nation could use the technology to control its nuclear weapons systems, allowing an AI to decide targets or even when to launch a strike. The US said a few weeks ago that control over its nukes would always remain in the hands of humans, and it wants China and Russia to make the same promise. It seems highly likely that the US delegation will question China about this issue during today's meeting.

We can also expect the meeting's participants to discuss the creation of international rules and regulations regarding the use of AI.

While the delegates will no doubt disagree on plenty of matters, China has indicated it would be open to working with the US to address AI; the US won China as co-sponsor of the first ever AI resolution voted on by the UN General Assembly in March. "We certainly don't see eye-to-eye with the PRC on many AI topics and applications, but we believe that the communication on critical AI risks can make the world safer," a US official said.
YEREVAN, MAY 14, ARMENPRESS. The recent agreement on border demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan is a step in the right direction, according to Ian Borg, OSCE Chair-in-Office, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta.

Borg stated this after a meeting with Azerbaijans president Ilham Aliyev in Baku.

Recently announced border demarcation agreement with Armenia is a step in the right direction. Encouraged the two countries to maintain momentum in peace discussions, for the benefit of the people, OSCE Chair-in-Office wrote on X.

This morning in Azerbaijan I met @presidentaz to exchange views on @OSCE efforts in the South Caucasus region. Recently announced border demarcation agreement with Armenia is a step in the right direction. Encouraged the two countries to maintain momentum in peace discussions, pic.twitter.com/YWmP59Dclp  Ian Borg (@MinisterIanBorg) May 14, 2024

He added that he met Aliyev in Baku to exchange views on OSCE efforts in the South Caucasus region.

Borg also said that he discussed Maltas commitment, as OSCE Chairpersonship, to strengthen the organizations resilience, and explored areas of collaboration in the run up to COP29 (climate Conference of the Parties) in Baku.
In a nutshell: Google is apparently interested in blurring the line between its two main computing platforms. The mobile-focused Android system could soon acquire the ability to run specific ChromeOS builds, although the feature has only been demoed behind closed doors for now.

Google recently demonstrated to its business partners how the company's latest Android phones can run the cloud-focused ChromeOS system in a dedicated environment. The private demo showcased a special build of ChromeOS's open-source counterpart, known as "ferrochrome," and highlighted the ability of Pixel 8 devices to project the system onto an external display.

ChromeOS can run on an Android device thanks to the Android Virtualization Framework (AVF), a VM technology initially introduced with Android 13. AVF creates a secure and private execution environment for specific use cases, providing stronger code isolation than Android's standard app sandbox when customers require very high, or even "formally certified," computing environments on the go.

The AVF feature is currently supported on ARM64 devices only. It has so far been used to run custom, stripped-down Android builds known as "microdroids." However, as demonstrated by a developer who ran Windows 11 on a Pixel 6 phone in 2022, AVF's virtualization technology appears capable of managing even a "foreign" operating system like ChromeOS.

In recent years, ChromeOS-based Chromebook devices have gained the ability to support native execution of Android apps downloaded through Google's App Store, although this feature is only available on specific Chromebook models. Android still does not officially support ChromeOS apps, but Google is making efforts to enhance the experience on larger screens with specific improvements to Android's desktop mode.

The ability to run ChromiumOS on Android through an AVF virtual machine would provide an ideal blend between the two platforms, offering end customers more flexibility in how they access their apps and web-based productivity services. Google's private demo did not come with any assurance of an upcoming public release of the feature, and the company has already made it clear that it does not intend to merge Android and ChromeOS into a single operating system with a common technological core.

Google had previously attempted to create a hybrid Android/ChromeOS operating system known as Andromeda, but the project was ultimately discontinued. According to Google VP Hiroshi Lockheimer in 2016, both systems had become successful in their own right and were influencing each other, but there were no plans for an actual merger.
The next big thing? Comcast is preparing to launch a streaming subscription package that'll be vastly cheaper than any comparable bundle currently on the market. During a recent speaking engagement at an industry conference in New York, Comcast CEO Brain Roberts said the upcoming bundle will be available to Comcast TV, broadband, or mobile customers.

Dubbed StreamSaver, the package will include access to Netflix, Apple TV+, and Peacock at a deep discount compared to what you'd pay for subscribing to each service individually. Roberts stopped short of revealing specifics on pricing, but it could be an interesting proposition if Comcast is able to deliver a compelling bundle.

As Variety highlights, the cheapest path to all three services today looks like this: Netflix Basic with ads for $6.99 a month, Apple TV+ at $9.99 a month, and Peacock Premium with ads for $5.99. That works out to $22.97 a month for all three, but Peacock will receive a $2 price hike to $7.99 per month starting in mid-July. How low could Comcast cut this down to? And are we talking ad-supported plans or ad-free memberships, because that'll make a huge difference.

Ultimately, it will all come down to pricing. If Comcast can price StreamSaver at a monthly rate that is truly unbelievable (something in the ballpark of $9.99 per month, like MoviePass, for example), then they have a good shot at being truly disruptive and shaking up the existing model. If it's a mild discount we're looking at, well then, move along as there's nothing to see here.

We've already seen that streaming bundles can work, and the Disney bundle is a good example of this. Newcomers can get Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ starting at $14.99 per month  a 44 percent savings over individual rates. Comcast could make waves by undercutting Disney, although I doubt very many broadband or mobile customers are going to make the switch to Comcast just for the bundle.

Comcast is expected to launch StreamSaver later this month.

Image credit: Glenn Carstens-Peters
Facepalm: Google has released a new stable version of Chrome just a few days after updating the browser. The latest issue is designed to fix a highly dangerous security vulnerability that is already being exploited in the wild by unknown cybercriminals.

For the sixth time this year, Google has rushed a security update for Chrome, the world's most popular web browser. The new stable channel update is available for Windows (version 124.0.6367.207), Mac (version 124.0.6367.208), and Linux (version 124.0.6367.207). Users with automatic updates enabled should receive the new version over the coming days or weeks.

This latest Chrome version includes a single fix for a high-severity vulnerability tracked as CVE-2024-4761. Discovered by an unnamed researcher, the bug involves an out-of-bounds write problem in the browser's V8 JavaScript engine. V8 is responsible for translating and executing JavaScript code found on public web pages, contributing significantly to Chrome's performance and responsiveness.

As with any out-of-bounds issue, CVE-2024-4761 could potentially grant cybercriminals and black hat hackers unauthorized access to user data, the ability to execute arbitrary code, or cause the software to crash. Given that malicious actors are already exploiting this bug, it's classified as a zero-day issue.

Google acknowledges that an exploit for CVE-2024-4761 "exists in the wild." Details and links regarding the bug are currently restricted and will remain so until a majority of Chrome users have received an updated browser version. Information about the bug will also be restricted if the same issue exists in third-party libraries or other projects that depend on them.

Despite being the most widely used browser on both desktop and mobile platforms, Chrome hasn't consistently provided the most secure browsing experience lately. Since the beginning of 2024, Google has been required to fix six zero-day security vulnerabilities in various Chrome components.

In just five months, software engineers in Mountain View have addressed some significant flaws, including an out-of-bounds memory access issue that allowed hackers to execute malicious code remotely (CVE-2024-0519), a high-severity confusion flaw in the WebAssembly (Wasm) component (CVE-2024-2887), and more. Google advises Chrome users to always enable automatic updates and install new browser versions promptly, especially when dealing with zero-day bugs.
A recent mice study on hair growth suggests a better treatment for individuals suffering from Alopecia.

According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston, there is no cure for alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition affecting 6 million Americans.

According to HealthDay, the condition causes thinning hair and bald patches when immune system T-cells attack hair follicles.

Some patients receive scalp injections of immunosuppressant steroids to relieve symptoms, while others use oral drugs, which might cause difficulties.

A Potential Safer Treatment for Alopecia Areata

Study co-senior author Natalie Artzi, a principal research scientist at MIT's Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, said that such an approach of silencing the immune system offers ease from "inflammation symptoms but causes "frequent recurrences."

Moreover, Artzi noted that it raises vulnerability to infections, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer.

In their experiment, first reported by Advanced Materials, Artzi's team developed a scalp-applied patch with several microneedles to reset the immune system and stop follicular assaults.

Artzi described the process as a "paradigm shift" as it focuses on the precise regulation at the site of antigen encounter to generate immune tolerance" instead of "suppressing the immune system.

In the MIT study, Mice treated with the microneedle patch had hair regrowth and decreased inflammation. Moreover, the approach prevented the systemic side effects of oral steroids.

Artzi and Harvard Medical School assistant professor Dr. Jamil Azzi noted that microneedle technology allows medication penetration through the skin's tough outer layer.

Read Also : Study Challenges Belief Sleep May Not Aid Brain Toxin Clearance

IL-2 and CCL-22, immunological chemicals that attract regulatory T cells and reduce local inflammation, are in the experimental patch. It trains the immune system to treat follicles as comrades rather than enemies. The researchers also propose using the patch to track therapy efficacy.

While the study has only advanced in mice, experts warn that animal model results don't necessarily apply to human trials.

The Boston team hopes to start a company to improve technology. They also think microneedle patches might treat other autoimmune skin diseases.

Here's What To Know About Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata affects people of all races and ethnicities, regardless of gender. The condition may start at any age, but it is more progressive in kids below 10, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

Individuals with a family history of the condition have higher chances of developing alopecia areata. In contrast, people with autoimmune diseases like psoriasis, thyroid illness, vitiligo, and allergy conditions like hay fever are more likely to acquire the condition.

Some people get alopecia areata without a known cause; however, emotional stress or sickness may cause it in some.

It has been SO fun to see everyone - kids and adults alike- with their Brave Barbies! These smiles are everything and such a powerful reminder that everyone in our community deserves to feel seen and represented. Visit https://t.co/iX8gNiKotr to learn more! pic.twitter.com/Gn0jH3N7ll  National Alopecia Areata Foundation (@NAAF_org) August 31, 2023

Some alopecia symptoms are more common than others. According to Health, scalp hair loss is a common symptom, while eyelash loss is rare.

It can also affect eyebrows, facial hair, nose hair, and pubic hair. Hair loss in strips, progressive thinning, bald patches, and receding hairlines are frequent signs of the condition.

It is also important to note that some people with Alopecia lose hair quickly, shedding patches or strips within a day or two, falling out in clumps after brushing or washing, or losing most or all their hair at once.




Elon Musk's massive decision to lay off employees is firing back at him, as he has now rehired several employees from the Tesla Supercharger team after getting rid of them several weeks ago to save on costs.

This is because of the recently announced $500 million investment plan to expand the Supercharger Network, one of the company's top businesses.

Its previous team consisted of 500 employees who exceeded expectations for the company, but Tesla still axed them.

Elon Musk Rehires Tesla Supercharger Employees After Layoffs

Elon Musk is knocking back to the hearts of the laid-off Tesla Supercharger team, with Bloomberg reporting that the CEO is rehiring some of the employees who were given the axe last April.

To date, it remains unclear how many employees were called back to work for the company again, but anonymous sources claimed that it is currently seeking the fired personnel.

Among those who went back was Max de Zegher, Tesla North America's director of charging, but neither Musk nor de Zegher commented on this event.

De Zegher is known for facing the axe alongside Rebecca Tinucci, Supercharger's senior director, who was also fired by Musk several weeks ago, along with the almost 500 team members.

Is It Part of Musk's $500M Supercharger Plan?

It is known that last week, Musk announced the $500 million investment plan to expand more of its Supercharger Network, best known for being in demand now after its massive partnerships with global automotive companies.

While the initial reason for the layoffs was to save on costs, with the Supercharger team accounting for five percent of the company's revenues, the network is still known for its significant success in the market.

Elon Musk and Tesla's Supercharger

As of 2022, there are already 40,000 Supercharger stations operating all over the world, and that was when the renowned charging network was on its way to growth, unlike now.

In the United States alone, more than 2,000 electric vehicles are available to charge, and they offer renowned fast charging capabilities that can fill up battery cells in no time.

Last year, it saw massive changes and the adoption of rival car companies of its renowned NACS (North American Charging Standard), particularly the J3400 connectors, leaving behind the CCS1.

Companies like Ford and GM were among the first to adopt it, and earlier this February, their EVs were given access to the SuperchargerNetwork, driving up its demand.

With this massive growth and demand in the industry, the Supercharger is a massive asset for the company, yet some experts agreed with Musk's decision to lay off its 500 workers under the division.

However, Musk is going back on his previous mandate yet again, with the company now seeking to rehire some Supercharger employees as part of its massive investment and expansion plan for the network.
Amazon-backed Anthropic will officially be releasing its Claude artificial intelligence chatbot in Europe this Tuesday. The AI chatbot will be available in all of its renditions, Claude Pro and Claude 3 Opus, accessible via an iPhone application and through the web.

Additionally, Anthropic is introducing its business-oriented Claude Team subscription-based services, which, before value-added tax (VAT), run 28 euros ($30) per month.

Although Claude.ai is currently freely accessible in the United Kingdom on mobile and the web, according to Anthropic, this is the first time the product has been made available to users in the EU and non-EU nations, including Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.

As of March, investors valued Anthropic at a staggering $18.4 billion, making it one of the most talked about and buzzed-about generative AI businesses on the market.

Amazon stated the same month that it will invest an additional $2.75 billion in the business, bringing its total investment in the company to $4 billion.





Anthropic just recently released a Claude 3 application for the AI chatbot, Chats conducted using the web-based chatbot and those conducted through the new Claude iPhone app will be synchronized.

The computer will also be able to analyze photographs, including user-taken ones, which will enable the chatbot to perform tasks like image recognition.

The iOS app allows users to use limited functions for free. However, according to the support materials, the application offers a $20 monthly Pro subscription that gives customers at least five times the free service usage.

According to Anthropic estimates, pro-tier users can submit 45 messages, or about 200 English phrases (15-20 words each), every five hours before restrictions kick in. No precise word count is given to indicate how much material this is.

Using Proxyman for iOS, I conducted a quick traffic audit of the Claude app and found that Anthropic has a strict limit of 25,000 characters for the free version and 190,000 characters for the Pro tier default values.

The free tier also seems subject to the 4096 token creation cap. A token's typical composition consists of four English characters.

Read Also : Amazon Expands Free Credits Program for Startups Using AI Models, Offers Access to Anthropic and More

UK Investigations on Amazon and Anthropic

Regulators in the UK are evaluating whether Microsoft's agreements with generative AI companies and Amazon's investment and collaboration with Anthropic represent successful mergers that could reduce competition.

According to Amazon, their collaboration with Anthropic is not a merger but a restricted corporate investment. Microsoft disputes that the hiring of Inflection is the same as merging with OpenAI and Mistral, two AI companies.

The Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) quick investigation reportedly demonstrates the regulator's increased attention to important US technology businesses and efforts to address antitrust issues.

UK on Antitrust

The CMA postponed Activision Blizzard's takeover by Microsoft for several months last year. The original authorities feared the merger would drastically reduce competition.

The CMA approved the acquisition after Microsoft granted Ubisoft cloud rights to all current and former Activision titles.

According to earlier reports, the CMA started investigating the merger of Vodafone and Three UK just this March, which led Vodafone's CEO to demand regulatory reform and industry involvement.

The CMA worries that the merger, by uniting two of the top mobile network providers in the UK, could alter market dynamics. With 27 million customers, the combined company would become the biggest mobile phone provider in the UK.



Following an initial investigation, the CMA raised issues with the merger's potential effects on consumer welfare and competition, including higher mobile service prices and less investment in UK mobile networks.

Related Article : Standardized AI Performance Test, Tested Out by New AI Startup

(Photo: Tech Times)
Alexis "Lexi" Bogan used to have a vibrant voice, often heard singing along to her favorite tunes or engaging in lively conversations with friends. However, her voice changed dramatically last summer after doctors removed a life-threatening tumor near her brain.

Reclaiming Lexi's Voice

In August, surgeons successfully removed a life-threatening tumor from the rear of her brain. Following the removal of the breathing tube a month later, Bogan encountered difficulty swallowing and experienced challenges in speaking, struggling to communicate a simple "hi" to her parents.

Despite months of dedicated rehabilitation, her speech remains impaired, posing challenges for her friends, family, and even strangers in understanding her communication attempts. But Lexi transformed in April: she regained a semblance of her original voice.

However, it wasn't her natural voice but an artificial intelligence-generated replica accessible via a smartphone app. Based on a brief recording from her teenage years, the AI synthesized a remarkably authentic voice.

Harnessing AI to Restore Speech

With just a few taps on her phone, Associated Press reported that she can now command the app to vocalize anything she desires, utilizing her synthetic yet remarkably lifelike voice. The snippet was originally from a cooking demonstration video for a school project.

Bogan, along with a group of medical professionals from Rhode Island's Lifespan hospital network, are optimistic about a potential application that outweighs the potential risks.

Bogan represents one of the pioneering cases, and the only one with her specific condition, to successfully restore a lost voice using OpenAI's latest Voice Engine technology.

Her medical team deliberately supplied the AI system with a short 15-second recording for training. Despite some imperfections due to background noises from cooking, this short clip met OpenAI's needs, a significant improvement over older methods that required longer recordings.

The doctors knew getting useful information from short recordings was important, especially for patients without digital voice traces. These brief recordings, like short voicemails, could be important for future use.

Now, she relies on the app approximately 40 times daily, offering feedback to potentially assist forthcoming patients. One of her initial trials involved addressing the children at the preschool, where she serves as a teaching aide.

She's used the app in retail stores to inquire about item locations. Additionally, it facilitated reconnection with her father and simplified ordering fast food.

Bogan's medical team has initiated the process of replicating the voices of other willing patients in Rhode Island, with aspirations to extend this technology to medical facilities worldwide. OpenAI has expressed cautious progress in extending the use of the Voice Engine, which remains unreleased to the public.

Dr. Rohaid Ali, a neurosurgery resident at Brown University's medical school and Rhode Island Hospital, expressed optimism about Lexi's potential to facilitate future technological developments.

He highlighted the significant impact this innovation could have on millions of individuals affected by conditions such as strokes, throat cancer, or neurogenerative diseases.
Microsoft and France officially unveiled the biggest investment by the tech giant in the country during the Choose France summit, worth 4 Billion.

The investment looks to support technology adoption acceleration for cloud tech and artificial intelligence.

The investment will support French-made digital technologies, helping boost the nation's competitiveness and having long-term positive effects on the employment market and the French economy.

The investment aims to promote 2,500 AI firms and train one million workers by 2027.





By making these investments, Microsoft is directly supporting France's National AI Strategy and advancing the country's leadership in creating and applying AI, which aligns with the most recent recommendations of the French Commission for Artificial Intelligence.

Microsoft President and Vice Chair Brad Smith applauded the new investment, showing a strong commitment to fostering digital innovation and economic development in France.

Additionally, according to Smith, Microsoft will develop cutting-edge Cloud and AI infrastructure, cultivate people with AI skills, and assist French companies in confidently utilizing the company's technologies to expand in a just and ethical manner.

Read Also : Microsoft Copilot Automates Prompt Creation, Makes AI Easier Than Ever

Microsoft's Governing Principles

Microsoft's recently released AI Access Principles will govern the use of its Cloud and AI infrastructure in France. These guidelines reportedly promote creativity and healthy rivalry in the rapidly expanding AI sector.

These eleven overarching efforts, known as the AI Access principles, are part of Microsoft's effort to empower people and organizations worldwide to build and use AI assetsand AI in generalfor society's benefit.

Microsoft Investment Outline

First, by the end of 2025, Microsoft plans to invest 4 billion in building out its next-generation Cloud and AI infrastructure in France, bringing in up to 25,000 of the most cutting-edge GPUs.

In addition to investing in planning a new data center campus in the Grand Est Region at Mulhouse Alsace Agglomeration, Microsoft plans to increase the size of its data center footprint at its current locations in the Paris and Marseille regions.

Second, Microsoft is combining a fresh emphasis on skilling at scale with its investment in infrastructure. To help the nation enter the new AI era, it will support the skilling of one million individuals, emphasizing professional audiences, SMBs, job seekers, and students.

Microsoft and its partners, which include government agencies, companies that provide training services, nonprofits, universities, and higher education institutions, will introduce new training initiatives to foster safe and responsible AI development, advance AI business transformation, and foster AI fluency for all.

The third point is that Microsoft has unveiled new plans to assist the French startup scene and support France's aspirations to create market-leading, rapidly expanding AI companies.

This pledge covers every region of France, guaranteeing a thorough and all-encompassing strategy.

With its new flagship initiative, Microsoft GenAI Studio, Microsoft intends to engage over 2,500 companies by 2027, setting the standard for accelerating AI businesses.

This program is built with a full suite of AI know-how, cloud credits, and support services, such as customer and partner collaboration.

Related Article : Microsoft Partners with G42 to Advance AI Solutions in UAE

(Photo: Tech Times)
A company specializing in AI gun detection, Evolv Technologies, made a notable reference to Disney in its pitch to the city of New York, particularly emphasizing the applicability of their scanners in various public spaces.

Convincing Mayor Adams

During Mayor Eric Adams's introduction of Evolv, a range of potential deployment sites for the scanners was presented, encompassing hospitals, schools, Times Square, and the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

However, Wired reported that Mayor Adams' interest was piqued when Evolv mentioned Disney as one of its major clients.

An email from Evolv's co-founder Anil Chitkara to Mayor Adams' office highlighted Disney's successful deployment of Evolv systems at its parks and Disney Springs in Florida, suggesting potential parallels in security approaches between the two entities.

Later that year, New York City conducted trials with Evolv's scanners, initially at a Bronx hospital and subsequently at the entrance to City Hall. Despite the underwhelming outcomes of both trials, Mayor Adams disclosed plans for further testing Evolv's gun detectors on the subway later in the year.

Comparing NYC Subway Stations, Disney Parks

Evolv's hospital performance may not reflect its accuracy in NYC subway stations, which could be even worse. During an investor call on March 15, 2024, Peter George, the CEO of Evolv, acknowledged that their technology was not well-suited for subway environments, citing concerns about interference with railway operations.

In 2022, Disney's flagship park, Magic Kindom, welcomed an average of over 46,000 visitors daily. Conversely, the New York City subway system boasted an average ridership exceeding 3.1 million passengers on a typical weekday in 2022.

This stark contrast suggests that perhaps the comparison between Disney and NYC subway stations isn't entirely analogous.

Mayor Adams decided to proceed with testing Evolv's gun-detection scanners in the city's train stations despite following a tragic incident in late March where a man was pushed onto the subway tracks and with the machines generating false positives over 85% of the time at the Bronx hospital.

The Laughing Place revealed that Disney had initiated testing the Evolv Express system at Disney Springs, an outdoor shopping complex near Orlando, Florida.

Subsequently, reports indicated that Evolv scanners were deployed at select entrances to Disney's Florida parks later that year, including Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom. Since then, Disney has continuously expanded its utilization of Evolv scanners.

In 2022, Mayor Adams assigned the task of finding a gun-detection solution for New York to Philip Banks III, the city's deputy mayor. Before his role in the administration, Banks held the position of chief of department in the NYPD but resigned in 2014 amidst a federal investigation into bribery and corruption.

However, he was never formally charged in connection with the case. Although Adams claimed to have discovered Evolv online in May 2022, Ozerkis from Evolv stated that the NYPD had reached out to Evolv earlier to explore the possibility of utilizing their screening solution as part of the city's strategy to combat violent crime.
China is set to unveil its High-Energy Photon Source (HEPS) that will transform scientific research with high-energy X-rays. With an investment of $665 million, China will be positioned as a leader in fourth-generation synchrotron light sources.

Positioning China to the Top

China is on the brink of unveiling its groundbreaking High-Energy Photon Source (HEPS), a facility set to revolutionize scientific inquiry with its generation of high-energy X-rays.

Located in Huairou, near downtown Beijing, the circular HEPS complex is abuzz with activity as researchers meticulously fine-tune thousands of components.

With an investment of 4.8 billion yuan, HEPS represents a significant leap forward for Asia, positioning China among the world's leaders in fourth-generation synchrotron light sources.

The goal is to create a powerful light source capable of probing samples at the nanoscale and revealing their molecular and atomic structures with unprecedented precision in real-time.

Interesting Engineering reported that the installation of the vacuum chamber system, essential for maintaining the brightness and stability of the light, is set to be completed by the end of June.

This development represents another significant milestone in HEPS's progress towards advancing scientific research.

Revolutionizing Scientific Research with High-Energy X-Rays

HEPS is set to revolutionize scientific research with its high-energy X-rays, allowing for precise probing of samples at the nanoscale level.

This will offer a time resolution 10,000 times greater than third-generation facilities like the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, which has a 432-meter circumference and is currently China's most advanced synchrotron.

Ye Tao, a beamline scientist at the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, anticipates a significant improvement in measurement accuracy.

The new facility will achieve nanosecond-scale precision, surpassing the millisecond precision of current standards.

When HEPS opens in 2025, it will offer researchers access to 14 beamlines for various fields, including energy, condensed matter physics, materials innovation, and biomedicine.

There are plans to expand this capacity to up to 90 beamlines in the future. Ye Tao states HEPS will "impact every scientific field, except maths."

A key advancement HEPS made possible is the study of protein structures. Traditional synchrotrons require the purification of molecules and their transformation into crystal forms to visualize atomic structures.

However, HEPS's powerful hard X-rays will allow for the detailed analysis of even the smallest protein crystals. Additionally, experiments that used to take days can now be completed quickly at HEPS, significantly enhancing efficiency and productivity in scientific research.

A synchrotron light source is a sophisticated machine that produces electromagnetic radiation, which is widely used in scientific and technical applications.

This radiation is generated within a synchrotron, a particle accelerator where electrons travel in a circular path.

As these electrons speed up in the accelerator, they pass through magnets and special devices known as undulators or wigglers, which generate powerful magnetic fields.

These fields convert the energy of the accelerated electrons into light, such as X-rays. Synchrotron light sources use magnetic fields to guide electrons in a circular route, while electric fields accelerate them, creating the desired radiation.
BRATISLAVA, MAY 14, ARMENPRESS. British primatologist, ethologist, and anthropologist Jane Goodall kicked off the STARMUS science festival in Bratislava on May 13th.

At 90 years old, this petite woman travels around the world for more than 300 days a year, conducting seminars, delivering lectures, and participating in activities aimed at protecting the environment.

Goodall, the keynote speaker at the seventh STARMUS festival, has dedicated her entire life to studying chimpanzees and protecting the planet Earth.

Her innovative research on chimpanzee life, conducted in Tanzania, has profoundly altered mankind's perceptions of these animals. She is also a leader in pioneering environmental protection initiatives. Goodall's work over the years has contributed significantly to preserving vital ecosystems and safeguarding endangered animal species. Throughout her endeavors, she has consistently sought to demonstrate the interconnectedness of various forms of life on Earth.

On the stage of the STARMUS science and music festival, Jane Goodall delivered a speech titled "Reason for Hope", greeting the audience in the language of chimpanzees.

ARMENPRESS presents excerpts from the speech of the legendary British scientist.

Earth is our only home

I am particularly thrilled that this years STARMUS is concentrated on our own planet, one of the maybe billions of billions of planets that are spinning in the Cosmos. But isnt it fascinating that its because of our exploration in the Space that we had the first stunning image of our own planet Earth, that beautiful green and blue planet, taken from the Space? And then I think people began to realize this is a very fragile planet. And there we are, spinning around the Sun, very small planet surrounded by black dark immensity of outer Space. And I think thats a wakeup call for all the people on Earth to realize that this is our only home; we better start protecting the planet.

And over the ages, probably since the industrial revolution, maybe since the agricultural revolution, we have solely been inflicting more and more harm upon this planet, our only home.

With climate change weve seen these terrifying changes around the world; worse and more frequent storms, and hurricanes, and flooding, and droughts, and heat waves, and the terrifying forest fires that weve seen in so many parts of the globe.

Weve seen places of ice melting; weve seen sea level rising There are so many other ways that we harm this planet. Climate change is not something that were facing in the future, climate change is here, here and now.

Humanity is in the middle of the sixth great extinction

We are in the middle of the sixth great extinction on planet Earth. And this one is caused by us. We are at a very very difficult point of time and what we do now is going to affect the future of life on planet Earth.

But I see light at the end of a very long and a very dark tunnel. Right at the end of the tunnel, theres a little star shining. Thats hope.

Industrial agriculture, with its huge use of fossil fuel, its use of chemical pesticides, and artificial fertilizer, is having dramatic effect on biodiversity and actually killing the very soil on which we depend We cant go on like this, can we?

Are human beings the only sentient beings on the planet?

When I got to Cambridge University in 1961, I was told that only human beings have personality, only human beings have minds capable of solving problems, and only human beings had emotions like happiness, sadness, fear. Fortunately, Ive been taught by amazing teacher when I was a child that these scientists were wrong. That teacher was my dog -Rusty.

We are not the only sentient beings on the planet.

We are part of and not separated from this amazing animal kingdom.

Reasons for Hope

People say to me  Jane, youve seen so many of these problems, do you really have hope? And I do! I believe we have a window of time, but it depends on us. We have to get together and try to make difference. We must not leave it to others, its up to us. But my main reasons for hope first of all is science. And many of the scientist who are here or have been here at Starmus events, scientist beginning to find ways using this amazing intellect that makes us more different than anything else from chimpanzees and other animals, giving to use that intellect to create ways in which we can live in harmony with nature.

My next reason for hope is the resilience of nature. We can destroy the places and if give it time and some help, the nature will return It may take time but I have seen with my own eyes places, that were totally destroyed by us, where nature has come back. And with the first grasses and then the trees growing from the seeds left in the ground, the insects come back, and gradually biodiversity returns. Maybe not exactly the same, but it becomes once again a living, thriving ecosystem.

But my greatest reason for hope lies in the young people today. Roots and Shoots, the program I began, is for young people from kindergarten, schools, universities. It started with 12 students, its now in 70 countries and even adults are forming groups. Roots and Shoots is all about empowering the young people, listen to their voices, and its incredible, they are changing the world.

We can change the world

Please dont forget, you as an individual have a role to play. Youre on this planet for a reason, I believe. And every single day that you live you make some impact on the planet.

People say to me, "But Jane, I am just one person, the problem is huge, what can I do?" Think about the deserts; one drop of rainfall, that wont make any difference. But when billions of billions of raindrops fall, that wakes up the life beneath the sand, and it comes and blooms and the desert comes to life. Thats what young people can do, thats what all of you can do. Just remember, accumulatively we can change the world!

Araks Kasyan
A new 'road map' for regulating artificial intelligence (AI) will reportedly be unveiled this week, spearheaded by Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer.

The AI 'road map' aims to guide the Senate committees that are increasingly drafting legislation about the technology.

Anonymous reported sources claim that the plan examines several issues, such as how AI would affect jobs, healthcare, and the military. One of the sources claims that the idea might be made available to the public as soon as Tuesday.





According to those aware of the concept, $32 billion will be set aside for AI research and development.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Department of Energy, and the National Science Foundation are among the organizations that the figure suggests should receive one percent of the US gross domestic product for research and development.

The recommendation is based on a 2021 National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence report.

The strategy also calls for the creation of testing and transparency methods that will help explain any potential adverse effects of the technology, as well as the adoption of specific regulations for AI by particular industries, such as the healthcare sector.

The document will also contain measures to guarantee that the US military maintains its competitiveness in artificial intelligence by monitoring enemies' advancements in the field.

Read Also : US Legislators Propose New Bill to Tighten Regulations on Risky AI Alliances with Foreign Entities

AI Gang

Schumer has called on the US to create AI regulations as soon as possible. The idea was created by a bipartisan group of senators known as the "AI Gang," which included Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Sens. Todd Young (R-Ind.), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.).

According to one of the persons, the plan also calls for passing bipartisan laws that have previously been submitted, such as the Create AI Act, which would create a federal infrastructure for AI research.

In light of widespread worries about the potential impact of artificial intelligence on employment, it also contains measures to support employee training and skill development, according to another individual.

Groundbreaking AI Legislation

AI legislation across the United States continues to be implemented, most notably the state of Connecticut recently passed a wide-ranging AI bill.

Following an extended discussion, the bill was approved 24-12.

It results from two years of task force meetings in Connecticut and a year of collaboration between bipartisan legislators from other states trying to stop a hodgepodge of laws nationwide because Congress has not yet acted.

Prominent Democrats in Connecticut, including Governor Ned Lamont, have voiced concern that the plan would negatively impact a developing sector in addition to the opposition from Republican lawmakers.

Lamont, a former cable TV entrepreneur, is still concerned that innovation shouldn't be hindered because this is a fast-paced sector.

The proposal outlaws the dissemination of so-called deepfake pornography and deceptive AI-generated material in political campaigns and requires digital watermarks on AI-generated pictures for transparency.

Some AI users will also need to develop initiatives and policies to eliminate the chance of AI bias.

Related Article : FBI Issues Warning About Foreign Adversaries Weaponizing AI for Election Disinformation

(Photo: Tech Times)
A new Shark plug-in hybrid pickup truck by Chinese electric vehicle (EV) giant BYD Co. is reportedly set to debut at an event in Mexico City this Tuesday.

Although BYD has previously stated that the Shark will be sold worldwide, the automaker currently has no plans to sell in the US, the largest pick-up market.

Several other parameters, like the Shark's cost, performance requirements, and place of manufacturers, are still unknown.





The launch coincides with a rise in Mexico's market share for Chinese automakers and the US President Joe Biden administration's plans to impose four times the tariffs on imports of EVs manufactured in China.

Sources estimate that 20% of EV sales in Mexico and 87% of EV sales in South America are attributed to Chinese brands.

Unusually for a Chinese company, BYD is introducing a new car outside of its native market. This indicates that Mexico is becoming increasingly significant to BYD and other Chinese manufacturers, whose growth has stagnated.

Bloomberg said earlier this year that BYD is thinking of constructing an electric vehicle manufacturing in Mexico.

Rumors Around BYD's Shark

In November 2022, the BYD electric pickup truck had its facility debut. Previous reports state that the design of the electric pickup was revealed in a leaked October patent.

The truck, which resembles the Ford F-150 Lightning and Toyota Hilux, has four doors, strong fenders, and a "BYD" grille designed by famed Lamborghini and Audi designer Wolfgang Egger.

The most recent BYD teaser showcased the electric pickup's full-length light bar and stacked headlights, akin to the F-150 Lightning, and was dubbed "Shark."

Using DMO technology, BYD made the Shark electric pickup public on social media. PHEVs designed for off-road use, such as the Fang Cheng Bao Bao 5, are built on the DMO super hybrid architecture.

A four-wheel electric drive system that dynamically distributes torque between the front and rear wheels enhances off-road performance. BYD's DM technology, on the CTLC cycle, can produce 245 horsepower (180 kW) and 745 miles (1,200 km).

BYD's Global Expansion

The Shenzen-based company BYD recently announced its first annual profit rise of 80% after overtaking Tesla to become the largest EV vendor globally.

Recently, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire indicated openness to BYD constructing a plant in France during a meeting with automobile CEOs, demonstrating how certain nations continue to support and even promote the company's global expansion.

Le Maire emphasized France's willingness to support industrial projects and greeted BYD and the greater Chinese auto industry with open arms when they decided to invest there.

Concurrent with Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Paris, Le Maire stated that the Chinese auto sector, particularly BYD, "are very welcome in France."

Nonetheless, BYD's assertive global expansion has encountered resistance in regions such as the US and Europe, where regulations are designed to safeguard domestic auto industries.

As demonstrated at the Beijing auto show, BYD has expanded its inventory of high-end vehicles in tandem with its aspirations to export them. The company's latest luxury vehicles were displayed at the event, highlighting its push into more affluent regions.

(Photo: Tech Times)
The European Union (EU) has announced that Dutch online travel giant Booking.com will now be subject to stricter competition regulations.

EU Classifies Booking.com as Gatekeeper, Launches Investigation into X

This development places Booking .com on a list of major digital firms that must adhere to the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), aimed at ensuring fair competition in the digital sector.



The European Commission stated that it would also investigate whether Elon Musk's X can be exempt from these rules. Formerly known as Twitter, X has argued that despite meeting the DMA's thresholds, it does not function as a gateway between businesses and consumers.



The Commission's investigation into X's status is expected to conclude within five months.



The EU's press release detailed that Booking's self-assessment, submitted on March 1, confirmed it met the necessary criteria to be classified as a gatekeeper. This classification is based on Booking .com's role as a link between businesses and consumers through its online intermediation service.



The Commission has also decided not to designate X Ads and TikTok Ads as gatekeepers despite their meeting quantitative thresholds. ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, also submitted a rebuttal, which led the Commission to decide that TikTok Ads, like X Ads, does not qualify as a crucial gateway between businesses and consumers.

Read Also : EU Urges X to Explain Cut to Content Moderation Resources Amid Disinformation Fears





Booking's Obligations Under the DMA

Booking.com must now comply with various obligations under the DMA within the next six months. These obligations are designed to enhance consumer choice and ensure fair access for business users to gatekeeper services.



The platform is required to submit a comprehensive compliance report detailing how it intends to meet each of the DMA's mandates. Some of these obligations take effect immediately, such as notifying the Commission about any planned mergers or acquisitions in the digital sector.



The European Commission will closely monitor Booking.com's adherence to these rules. Should a gatekeeper fail to comply, the Commission has the authority to impose fines up to 10% of the company's global revenue, increasing to 20% for repeated violations.



The Commission can enforce more severe measures in cases of systematic non-compliance, including requiring the sale of parts of the business or restricting further acquisitions related to the non-compliance.



The DMA's overarching goal is to promote competitive and fair markets within the digital realm. It targets large digital platforms that serve as key gateways between business users and consumers, entities whose positions potentially enable them to act as bottlenecks within the digital economy.



Six other major digital platforms - Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta, and Microsoft -were already designated as gatekeepers by the Commission on September 6, 2023.

"Today's good news is: Holidaymakers will start benefiting from more choice and hotels will have more business opportunities," Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President in charge of competition policy, said in a press release statement.




General Motors' Cruise autonomous vehicle unit is set to commence testing of robotaxis in Arizona this week, featuring human safety drivers as part of the deployment strategy, according to a report by AP.



During the testing phase, Cruise will rigorously evaluate the performance of these vehicles against stringent safety and autonomous driving performance standards.

GM Cruise Launches Robotaxi Testing in Phoenix

The initial testing will launch in Phoenix and extend to other areas, including Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, and Paradise Valley. While these vehicles primarily operate autonomously, human drivers will be onboard and prepared to intervene if necessary.



According to the automaker, human drivers will be crucial in assessing the vehicles' capabilities and contributing to the ongoing enhancement of Cruise's technology.



It is worth noting that Cruise previously halted operations following an incident in October, when one of its Chevrolet Bolt autonomous vehicles collided with a pedestrian in San Francisco. The pedestrian was dragged to the curb, drawing scrutiny from regulatory authorities.



The California Public Utilities Commission accused Cruise of withholding information about the crash for over two weeks, ultimately leading to the suspension of its license to operate autonomous fleets in California.



This incident also triggered major changes within Cruise, including a change in leadership and a workforce reduction of approximately 25%.



Following these challenges, General Motors launched a new management team at Cruise to address the regulatory and operational issues.

Commenting on Cruise's decision to resume operations in Phoenix, Phil Koopman, a professor specializing in autonomous vehicle safety at Carnegie Mellon University, noted that the city's less stringent rules and infrastructure are advantageous for testing autonomous vehicles compared to San Francisco.



According to Koopman, Phoenix's broader streets, lower traffic density, and fewer emergency vehicles provide an environment more conducive to autonomous vehicle testing and development.

NHTSA Investigations Amazon's Zoox

In related news, the NHTSA has initiated an inquiry into Zoox, Amazon's robotaxi company, following reported collisions involving its driverless SUVs. The investigation was prompted by incidents where Zoox's autonomous vehicles abruptly braked, resulting in minor injuries during motorcycle wrecks.



The NHTSA is currently evaluating Zoox's autonomous driving technology in various scenarios, including crosswalks and rear-end collisions.



Zoox, which Amazon acquired for $1.2 billion in 2020, remains an independent entity within Amazon's ecosystem. The company has been conducting tests of its electric, autonomous ride-hailing vehicles in Las Vegas and Foster City.



In March, Zoox announced plans to expand its testing to encompass larger regions, higher speeds, nighttime driving, and light rain conditions.

Read more about this story here.
An eye-catching art installation of a portal linking New York City and Dublin has recently been shut down following incidents of inappropriate behavior, including the display of 9/11 images and offensive language.

New York Portal to Dublin Closed Due to Inappropriate Behavior

Last week, the "portal," a creation by Lithuanian artist Benediktas Gylys, debuted to much anticipation. The concept involved live streaming footage between the two cities via large circular screens to promote global unity and interconnectedness.

"The livestream provides a window between distant locations, allowing people to meet outside of their social circles and cultures, transcend geographical boundaries, and embrace the beauty of global interconnectedness," the artist said in a statement.

The New York portal stands on the Flatiron South Public Plaza at Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and 23rd Street, while the Dublin portal, more than 3,000 miles away, is located near Dublin's famous GPO building and the Spire.

Read Also : US Lawmakers Look to End Section 230 Protections for Tech Companies

Dublin's Lord Mayor, Daithi De Roiste, welcomed the initiative, urging citizens and visitors to engage with the installation to extend Irish hospitality to the world.

Meanwhile, New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez encouraged New Yorkers and tourists to explore the portal and partake in this extraordinary shared experience across the Atlantic.

However, the portal's launch was spoiled by reports of misconduct on the Dublin side. Individuals were observed displaying images related to the 9/11 attacks, as well as engaging in other inappropriate behavior, such as using offensive language and showing their private parts at the camera directed towards New York.

Several posts on social media captured these events as they happened.

they opened a portal between dublin and new york and I just know it will be shut down before its one month anniversary lol pic.twitter.com/4MsGV7mSr8  emre (@shinywiglett) May 9, 2024

Who thought this portal from NYC to Dublin was a good idea pic.twitter.com/kQxXLdHHJd  Historic Vids (@historyinmemes) May 14, 2024

Portal Remains Closed Amid Mostly Positive Interactions

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 04: People enjoy the view from the top of Rockefeller Center as office buildings stand largely empty on March 04, 2021 in New York City.

Dublin City Council swiftly suspended the portal's operations to address the issue. They announced plans to implement technical solutions, such as blocking images from being displayed at the other end of the portal's cameras, to prevent similar incidents in the future, RTE reports.

The council said in a statement reviewed by the BBC that the majority of interactions have been positive. However, they acknowledged that a small minority had engaged in inappropriate behavior, which social media had amplified.

The council also stated that they will continue monitoring the situation with their New York partners to ensure a positive experience for both cities and the global community.

The Portals Organization, responsible for the installation, reiterated their goal of facilitating respectful exchanges between distant communities, emphasizing that they do not dictate how people should interact with the portals.
US authorities has initiated an investigation over Waymo's self-driving cars after reported road safety violations.

Waymo's robotaxis got involved in 22 incidents including vehicle crashes, driven in the wrong lane, or into construction zones, leading to a federal inquiry into its autonomous car software.

The NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is evaluating the software's ability to avoid stationary objects and identify and respond to "traffic safety control devices" such as cones. This is a "preliminary evaluation," which the ODI usually finishes in eight months.

Waymo acknowledges the vital role of the NHTSA in promoting road safety and noted that they will continue to work with authorities, according to a report from TechCrunch.

In two days, the ODI has announced two autonomous car investigations. After complaints of motorbikes rear-ending Amazon-backed Zoox's Toyota Highlanders with autonomous technology after abrupt braking, ODI began an investigation on Monday.

What Went Wrong with Waymo?

Three months after Waymo's initial autonomous software recall, the inquiry began. Two automobiles hit a towed pickup truck in Phoenix, Arizona, prompting this recall.

Waymo's robotaxis has struggled on construction sites, as shown in a viral footage. According to ODI, a Waymo robotaxi driving off a paved road into a construction zone in Phoenix in October damaged its underbody.

Other instances in the report include Waymo's autonomous car hitting an SUV while rerouting in San Francisco. In another May San Francisco incident, a Waymo AV hit a parked car bumper during a "pullover maneuver."

Waymo vehicle involved in crash on 10 Freeway in West Los Angeles https://t.co/IbL0iNUlm2  ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) May 13, 2024

Many collisions involved small mistakes, such as the parking complex automated gate navigation. Some Waymo AVs smashed into gates, while one in Arizona backed into parking spikes, causing a flat tire in February. Another Waymo AV hit a parking lot chain in November.

These accidents may not entail casualties, but they demonstrate the complicated hurdles and unforeseen scenarios autonomous cars must overcome to be reliable.

Read Also : US Lawmakers Look to End Section 230 Protections for Tech Companies

How Does Waymo Ensure Safety of Its Self-Driving Cars?

Waymo's latest issue comes after it was reported that its self-driving cars have proven safe on Phoenix's bigger roadways, as previously reported by TechTimes.

In demonstrations, Waymo staffers drive autonomous vehicles on roadways without drivers. This is a big deal for Waymo, as highways have more lanes and more traffic than city streets.

Moreover, Waymo has begun robotaxis testing in Atlanta, marking a new milestone in its extensive testing and deployment efforts.

Waymo aims to deploy a fleet of human-operated vehicles to gather mapping data and learn about Atlanta's roads and surroundings in the coming months. After this initial phase, Waymo will test autonomous vehicles in Atlanta without a safety driver.

The choice to test in Atlanta supports Waymo's objective of testing its autonomous driving system, the Waymo Driver, in varied urban areas to improve its flexibility and safety.

Waymo first deploys a few Waymo driver-equipped vehicles to a new city, where human professionals manually run them. This hands-on strategy helps Waymo drivers learn local driving conditions and landmarks.

Once the Waymo Driver understands its operational environment, the cars go autonomous, with human professionals onboard to offer input and solve any new location-specific difficulties.

Testing inputs are essential for improving the Waymo driver and service experience. Waymo's intensive testing in numerous places has enhanced sensor technology and operating performance.
OpenAI's recent AI model announcement had impressed many, however, tech billionaire Elon Musk said it made him "cringe."

Ashley St. Clair, a writer and director, wrote on X that OpenAI's real-time perception of reality for humans might replace the "post-truth era with something much worse."

Demo made me cringe  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 13, 2024

In March, Tesla and Space X CEO Elon Musk sued OpenAI CEO Sam Altman for breaching their AI contracts. OpenAI responded to the complaint by stating that Elon Musk wanted a Tesla merger or complete control of OpenAI to advance his goals, according to NDTV.

OpenAI launched the latest ChatGPT version, GPT-4o, which ChatGPT users and non-subscribers can access.

According to the BBC, GPT-4o responds more conversationally and can read and discuss images, interpret languages, and distinguish emotions from images. It also has a memory that lets it recall past prompts.

In a live demo utilizing GPT-4o's vocal version, the AI suggested ways to solve a simple equation on paper. It identified emotions in a happy man's selfie, translated it into Italian and English, and evaluated computer code.

OpenAI GPT-4o Flaw

However, the demo had faults. At one point, the AI mistook the smiling guy for a wooden surface and solved an unshown equation. These issues show that chatbot reliability and safety remain difficult.

Despite these limitations, OpenAI's demonstration showed GPT-4o as the next generation of AI digital assistants, like a more powerful Siri or Google Assistant, with the capacity to recall earlier interactions and smoothly handle text, voice, and photos.

However, GPT-4o's environmental effects were not discussed. It is important to note that, as AI gets more advanced, it uses more power than traditional computer jobs, increasing ecological issues.

OpenAI's CTO, Mira Murati, called GPT-4o "magical" but promised to "remove that mysticism" with its launch.

GPT-4o's fast replies to text, audio, and visuals put OpenAI ahead in the AI chatbot competition. As GPT-4o rolls out to millions of ChatGPT users, its real-world performance will be widely examined to see if it matches its promising demo.

OpenAI and Apple Collaborating?

The presentation heavily featured Apple goods, suggesting cooperation. It was intentionally planned 24 hours before Google's annual conference, Google IO when Google is anticipated to unveil its latest AI innovations.

TechTimes previously reported the release of OpenAI's GPT-4o has sparked talk of a partnership with Apple to integrate AI into iOS 18. Insiders anticipate that the latest version of ChatGPT will play a significant role in iOS 18 improvements at WWDC 2024 in June.

Since last year, iOS 18 has been touted as Apple's most "ambitious" version. Analysts and insiders believe Apple will build generative AI technology for its gadgets next.

For iOS 18, Apple was expected to create generative AI internally. The recent acquisition of Darwinism by a Cupertino business may dramatically impact the new user experience.

Apple and OpenAI are reportedly negotiating to add AI functionality to the iPhone, which might help Apple catch up to Google, Meta, and Microsoft.
ProtonMail is a secure email service that assures end-to-end encryption and data confidentiality.

A recent report highlights that the company is under fire for sharing user data with the Spanish police.

The authorities were after the user because of his ties to a terrorist group named Democratic Tsunami.

ProtonMail shared the account recovery email address with the authorities which was an Apple account, using which they learned everything about the individual who bears the pseudonym Xuxo Rondinaire.

But Isnt ProtonMail Privacy-Focused?

ProtonMail is renowned for its encrypted email service and the guarantee of not snooping in on your conversations.

But this is a peculiar case in which the company didnt share any e-mails with the Spanish authorities.

It only shared the recovery email address added by the user while creating the ProtonMail account.

A recovery email address comes in handy when you forget your email address and password combination and helps restore access to the account.

However, the recovery email address added by the user turned out to be an Apple account.

After learning this information, the authorities contacted Apple to extract all the details about the account.

So, ProtonMail didnt entirely break their promise, but this incident will make users who crave anonymity think twice before adding a recovery email. Rather than using a popular but regulated email service, you can opt for an anonymous email service.

Even the company advised the users to practice better OpSec, such as not adding their Apple account as an optional recovery method in a statement.

It further clarified, Proton does not require adding a recovery address as this information can, in theory, be turned over under Swiss court order, as terrorism is against the law in Switzerland.

Revisit Company Policies

It is essential to read between the lines before signing up for any service that claims to be anonymous and privacy-focused.

An excerpt from Protons official website reads, Under Swiss law, were required to cooperate with law enforcement agencies on criminal investigations within the framework of Swiss laws and privacy regulations.

ProtonMail isnt entirely at fault because the suspect has ties with a terrorist group. It is a good reason to investigate, and the account details of the individual would help authorities capture them faster.

Users are divided on this incident, with some supporting the companys decision only to share information thats not end-to-end encrypted. While others openly criticized the service for deceiving its users as to what data is encrypted and whats not.
Japan protests disputed isle trip by S. Korea politician



Tokyo, May 14 (AFP) May 14, 2024



Japan has lodged a formal protest after a South Korean opposition party leader made a trip to disputed islets, stoking a long-standing territorial spat ahead of an expected three-way summit with China.

"It is totally unacceptable and extremely regrettable that the South Korean opposition party leader landed on Takeshima despite repeated requests from Japan to refrain," top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said Tuesday.

Former justice minister Cho Kuk had on Monday visited the small, rocky Dokdo isles, known as Takeshima in Japan.

Seoul has controlled the islands off its east coast since 1945, when Tokyo's colonial rule of the Korean peninsula ended, but Japan says they are being illegally occupied.

Japan "lodged a strong protest against South Korea through diplomatic routes" on Monday, Hayashi said, repeating a previously issued foreign ministry statement.

A trilateral summit between Japan, South Korea and China is expected to take place in late May in South Korea, but a date for the talks has not yet been announced.

Cho was tipped to run for president before a 2019 academic admissions scandal engulfed his family.

In elections last month, his newly founded Rebuilding Korea party capitalised on discontent with the two main parties to pick up 12 seats.

"Japan's claim to sovereignty over Dokdo is an assertion that Japan's horrific wartime crimes, including invasion and war, massacres and plunder, torture and imprisonment of independence fighters, forced labour, and mobilisation of comfort women, were justified," Cho said on his party's X account on Monday.

In January, Seoul lodged a "stern" protest against Tokyo's inclusion of the same disputed islets in a tsunami advisory issued after a major earthquake.

burs-kaf/tym
Mumbai police open probe as billboard collapse toll hits 14



Mumbai, May 14 (AFP) May 14, 2024



Police in India's financial capital have opened a criminal case against the owner of a huge billboard that collapsed on a petrol station and killed 14 people, media reports said Tuesday.

The giant 70 by 50-metre (230 by 164-foot) hoarding in Mumbai's east collapsed on Monday as fierce winds buffeted the city, accompanied by rain and dust storms.

Local authorities confirmed Tuesday that 14 people had died in the accident with 75 more injured, with rescue operations still underway.

"Medical treatment is currently being provided to 44 injured individuals, with 31 already discharged after receiving treatment," the city's municipal corporation said in a post on social media platform X.

"Unfortunately, 14 people (succumbed) to death in this mishap," it added. "Rescue operations are ongoing at the site."

Gaurav Chauhan of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) told AFP that the billboard's collapse on top of a petrol pump had complicated rescue efforts.

"We are not able to use equipment in case of fire and other hazards... so we are using heavy cranes just to remove the debris," he said.

Media reports said Mumbai police had filed a culpable homicide case against the owner of Ego Media, the company identified as having installed the signage.

- Shoddy construction -



Police in the city could not be reached for comment by AFP on Tuesday morning and there was no sign that the owner had been taken into police custody.

City councillor Rakhee Jadhav told AFP that the collapse was avoidable, blaming shoddy construction.

"This is not a disaster. If this hoarding would have been properly installed... these casualties would have not happened," she said.

"This area is a marshland and it is also a low-lying area," she added. "The foundation of that hoarding should have gone more near the rock."

The storm that hit Mumbai on Munday uprooted trees and caused brief power outages in various neighbourhoods around the city, also disrupting the city's train network.

Mumbai's international airport temporarily grounded flights with at least 15 planes diverted.

Eknath Shinde, the chief minister of Maharashtra state, said Monday night that his government had ordered a structural audit of all billboards in Mumbai to prevent any repeat of the accident elsewhere.

His deputy Devendra Fadnavis said on X that his government had ordered a "high-level inquiry" into the accident.

The state government would also make compensation payments of $6,000 (500,000 rupees) to relatives of those killed, he added.

asv/gle/sn
YEREVAN, MAY 14, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, during the discussion entitled "From the frontline: Armenias defence of democracy, " held within the framework of the Copenhagen Democracy Summit 2024 noted that, despite significant progress in combating corruption, the Armenian government hadnt unfortunately succeeded in eliminating corruption completely.

The premier noted that it is necessary to continue working in that direction, to be persistent and to be on the agenda of democratic reforms.

"Unfortunately, we cannot register that we have completely eliminated corruption from Armenia, but what can we do? We must continue to be persistent and adhere to the agenda of democratic reforms. That's why cooperation with the European Union is extremely important for us, as the EU is now our primary partner in advancing democratic reforms," stated the Prime Minister. He also expressed hope that both the European Union and the United States would increase their support for Armenia in promoting democratic reforms, as democracy is a strategic goal for Armenia.

The Prime Minister stated that Armenia had initiated a strategic dialogue with the United States in 2019, and he remarked that the expansion of Armenia's cooperation with the European Union was already evident.

"I mentioned that we held a tripartite meeting between the United States, the European Union, and Armenia, which, by the way, was an unprecedented format. During the meeting, we adopted a comprehensive agenda for institutional and economic reforms," noted the Prime Minister, adding that it is very important to get much greater assistance from the US and the EU to address the humanitarian needs of the forcibly displaced people from Nagorno-Karabakh.
$2.2b pledged to end deadly planet-heating cooking methods



Paris, May 14 (AFP) May 14, 2024



The International Energy Agency announced on Tuesday that $2.2 billion had been pledged by governments and companies to improve access to less deadly and polluting cooking methods in Africa.

More than two billion people cook on basic stoves or over open fires and exposure to this smoke is a leading cause of early death around the world.

These cooking methods also harm the planet, with carbon-absorbing forests stripped for firewood and emissions from burning these dirty fuels a major contributor to global warming.

Only around one-third of the money needed to drive the global switch to cleaner cooking methods like LPG or electric stoves is raised every year, according to the IEA.

At a world-first summit, representatives from 60 nations and leaders from business and development sectors pledged $2.2 billion to help African households combat the scourge.

"This summit has delivered an emphatic commitment to an issue that has been ignored by too many people, for too long," said IEA executive director Fatih Birol, whose agency co-hosted the Paris gathering with the African Development Bank.

"We still have a long way to go," he added.

A little over half of the money pledged came from the private sector, with around 30 percent in the form of favourable loans from public funds and the rest in carbon credits.

It is still modest: the IEA says around $8 billion is needed annually to address the problem, half of that in Africa, but only around $2.5 billion is raised worldwide.

Progress has been made in Asia but in sub-Saharan Africa, four out of five households still reply on highly polluting cooking fuels like wood, charcoal, coal, animal dung and agricultural waste.

Burning these pollute indoor and outdoor air with fine particles that penetrate the lungs and cause respiratory and cardiovascular problems, including cancer and strokes.

The threat is particularly acute for women and children, who are also prevented from accessing education or earning a wage as they spend hours looking for fuel.

Switching to clean cooking methods would save 1.5 billion tonnes of CO2 a year by 2030 -- roughly the amount emitted by ships and planes last year, according to the IEA.

"Successfully advancing the clean cooking agenda in Africa would contribute towards protecting the environment, climate, health, and ensuring gender equality," said Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who attended the summit.

Birol said the IEA would "rigorously track the commitments announced today to make sure they're met on time and in full".
Senegal government halts Dakar coastal construction for two months



Dakar, May 14 (AFP) May 14, 2024



Senegal's new government on Tuesday announced a two-month halt to construction work along the coastline of the capital Dakar and the surrounding region, confirming a measure welcomed by environmentalists.

Dakar's Atlantic coast has attracted intense property speculation in recent years, with apartment blocks, offices and hotels constructed at a rapid pace.

Many of the city's residents say they no longer have free access to the ocean, while environmental campaigners have denounced the illegal privatisation of the coastline.

The government has said it will set up a commission to verify the legality of permits issued for old and new properties along the public shoreline, according to a statement from the office of Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko.

At the end of April, law enforcement indicated it had been told to halt construction work along Dakar's coastal roads, but the suspension was not officially announced.

AFP journalists observed that work at many building sites, including major projects, was effectively at a standstill.

But the suspension has raised questions in some economic circles, as the construction industry employs a considerable number of workers.

Senegal's new President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who was sworn in at the beginning of April, has promised a profound break with the establishment, embodied by his predecessor Macky Sall.

Sall signed a decree last April declassifying an 826-hectare forest intended to hold back the encroaching ocean, to authorise the construction of infrastructure projects, public services and housing.
YEREVAN, MAY 14, ARMENPRESS. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during a trip to Kyiv on Tuesday that part of a major US aid package had arrived in Ukraine and that more was on its way that was going to "make a real difference," Reuters reports.

"We know this is a challenging time. But we also know that in the near term the assistance is now on the way, some of it has already arrived and more of it will be arriving. And that's going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield," Blinken said.

Zelenskiy, addressing Blinken in English, said air defence supplies were "the biggest deficit for us" with Russia conducting long-range aerial attacks since March that have pounded electricity facilities and caused blackouts, Reuters adds.

"Really we need today two Patriots for Kharkiv, for Kharkiv region because there the people are under attack, Zelenskiy said.

Ukraine recaptured swathes of territory during the first year after Russia's invasion in 2022, but a Ukrainian counter-offensive faltered last year and in recent months Russia has retaken the initiative at the frontline, the report adds.

Blinkens trip comes weeks after US President Joe Biden signed a $95 billion foreign aid packagelast month that includesnearly $61 billion for Ukraine
A former board director of failed superannuation fintech venture Sargon said he was assured the companys founder, Phillip Kingston, could find $31 million to complete its purchase of a trustee service business even after a critical capital raising was deemed dead.

Stephen Conroy, a former minister in the Rudd and Gillard Labor governments and a one-time Sargon director, and Fiona Borelli, the former company secretary, gave evidence about the ventures finances in the Federal Court on Tuesday morning.

The Federal Court is examining the finances of Sargon, founded by Phillip Kingston (pictured in 2019). Credit: Arsineh Houspian

Kingston was bankrupted in December over a $154 million debt to financier China Insurance Group Finance Company, a lending arm of state-backed China Taiping. The matter is back before the Federal Court as liquidators question witnesses about Sargons finances, including allegations of potentially trading while insolvent.

Conroy, who joined Sargon in April 2019, was questioned about his knowledge of the companys acquisition of Diversa, a trustee service business. The court heard that in October 2019, Kingston emailed Conroy and other board members about the best-, worst- and middle-case scenarios to raise capital from stockbroker Wilsons for the Diversa transaction the following month.
BHP takeover target Anglo American will sell its Queensland coal mines and spin off other assets in a radical shift to unlock value and deter an aggressive $64 billion merger being pursued by Australias biggest miner.

Anglos boss, Duncan Wanblad, said the London-listed miner would focus on a simplified portfolio of copper, iron ore and crop nutrients in an announcement that came hours after BHP revealed it had put a revised proposal to Anglos board. BHP had raised its bid by $5.5 billion, an offer Anglo immediately rejected.

Mike Henrys revised bid values Anglo American at around $64 billion. Credit: Trevor Collens

We already have been receiving strong inbound interest, Wanblad told reporters about selling its steelmaking coal mines, diamond and platinum businesses. The company owns several coal mines in Queenslands Bowen Basin.

Anglo hopes its plans will frustrate BHPs $64 billion bid. Anglo has already twice rejected its suitor and its investors were demanding it develop a plan to make the company financially viable.
Qantas will stop its direct flights to mainland China following a lack of demand, as the Chinese tourists who previously shored up Australias travel industry continue to stay away.

The airline confirmed on Tuesday it will suspend all flights from Sydney to Shanghai  the only route to Australias biggest trade partner relaunched after the COVID-19 pandemic grounded global aviation  at the end of July, citing a lack of demand between Australia and China.

Qantas will end direct flights to Shanghai. Credit: iStock

The number of passengers on flights between China and Australia remains down by about 30 per cent, despite overall flight capacity still tracking 20 per cent lower than it was before the pandemic.

The boss of Qantas international, Cam Wallace, said the airlines Airbus A330s were often flying half full on that route.
Just over a decade ago, when the NSW Coalition government decided to privatise the ports, it included a secret non-compete clause that gave Port Botany a monopoly on container shipping.

This boosted the price for the privatisation of Port Botany and Port Kembla, but it created two new problems: it delivered ever-increasing truck traffic to Sydney, and it locked the Port of Newcastle into coal.

Members of School Strike 4 Climate and Rising Tide blockading the Port of Newcastle last year. Credit: AAP

Now the Port of Newcastle has revealed that it paid a $13 million invoice from the NSW Treasury to extinguish its non-compete commitment, so it can expand its container capacity.

The Port of Newcastle is the biggest coal port in the world and coal is 92 per cent of its business, but chief executive Craig Carmody said it was essential to diversify.
A Sydney councils controversial ban on a childrens book about same-sex parents is likely to be overturned after several councillors changed their votes in the face of a political backlash.

Cumberland City councillors will instead debate whether the book should be placed in the adult or children section of its libraries as Wednesday nights meeting is expected to attract protests by groups both supportive of and against the ban.

The council faced national and global headlines and outrage from across the political spectrum for banning Same-Sex Parents by Holly Duhig, part of a series depicting diverse family structures for a younger audience. It features two men and a child on the front cover.

We asked every Cumberland councillor where they stood on the same-sex parent book ban, set to be revoked at a meeting on Wednesday night. Credit: Cumberland Council / supplied

Of the 15 councillors on the western Sydney council, at least eight will vote to support an urgent motion to overturn the ban, which was passed by a 6-5 majority at the last council meeting a fortnight ago after Steve Christou moved the motion.
YEREVAN, MAY 14, ARMENPRESS. Russia will continue to deploy some of its border guards in Armenia, said Alexander Bortnikov, a nominee for the post of Russian Federal Security Service director, reports Tass.

"We will maintain our presence in Armenia, represented by border guards," he told the Federation Council.

Bortnikov said Russian border guards will protect Armenia's border with Turkey and Iran.

According to Tass, he said Yerevan had asked to withdraw temporary operational groups of Russian border guards from the separation line, and such a decision has been made. Also, at the request of Armenia, the border checkpoint at Yerevan's Zvartnots airport will be closed.

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan agreed during talks to end the presence of Russian border guards in some regions of Armenia.
A long-running legal brawl between strip club owner Maxine Fensom  the Melbourne sex industry stalwart most famous for her Maxines strip club in Brunswick  and bitterly estranged former business partner Geoffrey Williams has had the Federal Court transfixed for years.

Fensom sued Williams, alleging his industry awards night, the Adult Industry Choice Awards, was passing itself off as the original night of nights, the Australian Adult Industry Awards  just like the Logie Awards, only very different  which remains under her control.

Fensom says the acronym AAIA is trademarked and alleges Williams was engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct.

After several false starts and changes of legal counsel by Fensom, the whole thing was thrown out of court this month after she failed on three occasions to comply with court orders to file evidence that would allow the case to be heard next month.

Justice Helen Rofe made clear in her judgment dismissing the case that she was not impressed by the conduct of the matter.
It may have taken a while, but poisonous narratives  the kind promoted by Vladimir Putins Russia  are now beginning to spread from the margins of Australias political debates towards its mainstream.

Its an all-too-familiar theme for those who monitor one of the greatest assets of democracies  their openness to debate  being weaponised by hostile powers. And its following a familiar pattern to that witnessed in the US and Europe: the creeping normalisation of views branding Australia and its allies as imperialists, using whataboutism to deflect moral arguments against tyrants, and undermining confidence in our core institutions and values.

Credit: Illustration: Andrew Dyson

Previously limited to academic cul-de-sacs and dark online spaces, the view that the West is to blame for the majority of global ills, that brutal dictators are misunderstood, and that mainstream media is culpable in pacifying the public is now increasingly common.

Whats worse, the same Australian mainstream media is amplifying those views.
The ABCs Southbank offices have been targeted by protesters who sprayed the building with fake blood and accused the media outlet of enabling genocide.

Police arrested two people on Wednesday morning over the graffiti attack after two other buildings were vandalised, including Sevens offices in Docklands.

The electoral office of Deputy Premier Ben Carroll on Keilor Road in Niddrie was also targeted, which police said was linked to the other incidents.

Vandals covered the front window and steps of the ABCs offices in red paint. They also put up a poster that said: The ABC enables genocide.
Deakin University has ordered pro-Palestine protesters off its Burwood campus, citing the safety, security and amenity of all campus users.

But camp representative Jasmine Duff said the protesters  including 20 people staying overnight and more during the day  had received legal advice that the camp was lawful and they would not comply with the order.

We do believe we have the right to stay here, she said.

The university has told organisers to immediately dismantle and remove the encampment due to unacceptable behaviour of protesters that created an impediment to the normal use and function of the campus.
It has been six years since the West Australian government announced thousands of new dwellings would be created in established Perth suburbs to boost density and slow the citys urban sprawl.

Then-premier Mark McGowan said the precinct projects for Joondalup, Bentley, Beaconsfield and Cannington represented WAs biggest urban infill developments which together were expected to create 5000 homes.

Perths new housing has been dominated by housing estates on the urban fringe. Credit: Jason South

However, currently zero homes have been built since the projects announcement in 2018.

Greens MP Brad Pettitt said what was promoted as a new benchmark for medium and high-density infill had delivered little more than empty parcels of land.
The ACTs integrity commissioner has launched an investigation into the former judge who helmed the Lehrmann trial probe, announcing his actions in leaking copies of the final report may amount to corruption.

Former Queensland Supreme Court judge Walter Sofronoff, KC, chaired the inquiry into the conduct of the abandoned rape trial of former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann last year, generating controversy after he sent copies of his findings to The Australian and ABC before handing the report to the ACT government in July.

Inquiry chair Walter Sofronoff will be investigated by the ACT corruption watchdog. Credit: Getty

The territorys integrity commission last month said it was assessing allegations of corruption regarding Sofronoffs actions, which were allegedly in breach of legislation governing public inquiries, as well as allegedly constituting corrupt conduct under the ACTs Integrity Commission Act.

The commissioner has completed his assessment of these allegations and has decided to commence an investigation into the impugned conduct as he suspects, on reasonable grounds, that Mr Sofronoffs conduct may constitute corrupt conduct, the watchdog said in an update on Monday.
In NSW parliament on Tuesday, Premier Chris Minns made a concession: the governments new bail laws making it harder for men accused of serious domestic violence offences to be released from jail would not fix bad behaviour.

There are, he said, terrible people in the community who committed to inflicting terrible violence on their intimate partners. But he was convinced, he said, that the laws would save lives.

New bail reforms announced on Tuesday have managed to strike the right balance Credit: Kate Geraghty

In short, you cant lock up everyone and, even if you did, it wouldnt fix the problem of men wanting to hurt women. But if you can keep enough violent men off the streets for long enough to help some women, why wouldnt you?

Politically, its a no-brainer. After the death of Forbes woman Molly Ticehurst in an alleged domestic violence murder, the public and media rightfully demanded a response. A scourge that should have been consigned to the dustbin of history feels as though it is getting worse. On Tuesday the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) released new data showing that in March 2024 there were more than 3000 adults in custody for domestic violence offences in NSW. Thats more than at any previous time, and 33.9 per cent more than in March 2019.
The recent deluge that soaked Dubai with more than 25 centimetres of rainfall in a single day holds a lesson for travellers. As a result of the downpour, Dubai Airport, one of the worlds busiest airline hubs, was closed.

Flights in and out were either disrupted or diverted and some passengers were left stranded for several days. Denise Southwell, of North Sydney, was one of those affected. After circling Dubai Airport for three hours, her aircraft was diverted to Dubai World Central Airport, 40 kilometres away, where passengers spent another three hours waiting for disembarkation.

Expect the unexpected  always arrive at least a day ahead for a tour. Credit: Getty Images

Eventually, she was bussed to a hotel, where she spent another two days before boarding her onward flight to Spain. She finally reached Madrid three days late, trying to work out how to catch up with her guided tour which had already departed. The lesson to be derived from this is the importance of an early arrival.

If you have a tour booking, a cruise, an event to get to, dont time your arrival for the day it begins. Flight delays are common, baggage can get delayed and a day or two in hand gives you the flexibility to cope with these situations.
Later he added: At that time, I was knee-deep into the cult of Donald Trump. Cohen told the court how the FBI raided his home in April 2018, along with his law office and the hotel suite he was staying in at the time. One of the items they took was a mobile phone he had used to record Trump talking to him about the deal to silence Daniels. Michael Cohen leaves his apartment building on his way to Manhattan criminal court. Credit: AP He later received a call from Trump who told him: Dont worry, Im president of the United States. Theres nothing here. Everything is gonna be OK. Stay tough. Youre gonna be OK. The pair have not spoken since, he said. After the raid, a lawyer closely tied to Trumps legal team, Robert Costello, offered to represent Cohen and serve as a conduit to Trump via his now disgraced lawyer Rudy Giuliani. An email shown to the jury from Costello read: You are loved: Sleep well tonight, you have friends in high places.

Asked how he interpreted that message, Cohen said: It let me know that I was still important to the team, and stay the course; the president had my back. Loading Cohen continued to be loyal to Trump until August 2018 when he pleaded guilty to a number of federal crimes, including campaign finance violations for his role in the deal with Daniels. He also pleaded guilty to personal financial crimes unrelated to Trump, including tax evasion, and for lying to Congress about plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. In his highly anticipated cross-examination, defence lawyer Todd Blanche sought to use Cohens history as a convicted felon and liar to discredit him in front of the jury, who will ultimately determine whether Trump becomes the first US president in history to be convicted. Setting the tone for the grilling ahead, Blanche opened by telling the witness: Mr Cohen, my name is Todd Blanche and you and I have never met  You went on TikTok and called me a crying little shit.

Cohen, who is known for his temper, replied: That sounds like something I would say. Blanche went on to portray Cohen as someone who was both driven by revenge against Trump  noting he had a book of that name  while being obsessed with him and seeking to make money off the experience through podcasts and cable news appearances. Stormy Daniels recounted having sex with Donald Trump in a hotel room. Credit: Getty Cohen kept his calm as Blanche recounted times he had likened Trump to a boorish cartoon misogynist and a Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain. Do you want president Trump to get convicted in this case? Blanche asked.

I would like to see accountability, Cohen replied. Trump currently faces 34 counts of falsifying business records relating to a $US130,000 payment to cover up an alleged affair with Daniels, which she alleges took place in 2006 when he was newly married to his current wife Melania. While Cohen made the payment himself, the jury was shown cheques that Trump signed, which the prosecution said showed his attempt to disguise it as a legal retainer, in violation of campaign finance laws. Trump, who has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, has been limited from attacking witnesses in the case due to a gag order imposed by Judge Juan Merchan. However, Republicans are now attending court to lob attacks on his behalf.

The system is using all the tools at its disposal right now to punish one president and provide for another, said Johnson, who branded the trial as a sham and a disgrace. Loading Ramaswamy, who sat behind Trump alongside his son Eric and daughter-in-law Lara Trump in court, described the courtroom as Kafka-esque and depressing. It seems like the prosecutions strategy is theyre trying to bore the jury into conviction, he posted on X. Earlier, Vance described the prosecution team as a group of Democrat political operatives, while Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville lamented Trump being referred to as Mr Trump in court instead of former president.
YEREVAN, 14 MAY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 14 May, USD exchange rate up by 0.05 drams to 387.69 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.68 drams to 418.59 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate stood at 4.24 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 0.91 drams to 486.74 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 353.29 drams to 29214.35 drams. Silver price down by 6.38 drams to 350.56 drams.
The cost-of-living crisis and its impact on Australians was always going to be at the centre of the 2024 Federal Budget. The tricky part for Treasurer Jim Chalmers is to ensure the billions of dollars worth of support being dolled out does not undo the sacrifices we've all made in our fight against inflation.

Household budgets are being drained by high energy costs, elevated petrol prices, out-of-control rents and a steep rise in interest rates. But you'd know all this.

What you might not know is exactly what measures are being taken to help Australians feeling the pinch. So, Yahoo Finance has put together a list of the announcements that will have the biggest impact on your bottom line.

Find out how the 2024 Federal Budget will impact you by following Yahoo Finances coverage here.

Cost of living is the corner-stone of the Federal Budget, but how much relief will you get?

What cost of living support will Aussies get in the federal budget?

Stage 3 tax cuts: All 13.6 million Australian taxpayers will see an increase in their take-home pay as tax cuts come in July 1. The average benefit is $1,888 per year, or $36 a week. Take a look at how much your weekly benefit will be here.

Energy rebates

A $3.5 billion energy relief package will hand a $300 rebate to every Australian household, along with small businesses. While less than last year's $500 rebate, more people will get it. Last time just pensioners, veterans, seniors and concession card holders were eligible. Find out how you will get the payment here.

Low-income renters

The Commonwealth Rent Assistance payment will be increased by 10 per cent, on top of the 15 per cent hike in last year's budget. Nearly one million welfare recipients will benefit from the change. Find out who is eligible here.

Cheaper medicines

Medicine will be cheaper under a temporary freeze on the maximum co-payment for the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for anyone with a Medicare card. Chalmers said no-one will pay more than $31.60 "this year and next". Pensioners and concession card holders will have theirs frozen for five years at $7.70. Find out the details on health relief here.

Story continues

Help for pensioners

On top of cheaper medicine and potential rent assistance, pensioners will benefit from another freeze in the deeming rate. That's how your financial assets impact means testing for welfare payments. It's meant to change each year, but it's been frozen since 2022 and will be until June next year. Find out the nitty gritty here.

Students and apprentices

Students in some health and teaching fields will be eligible for a $ 320-a-week payment, on top of other income support, to help with hours spent doing unpaid work. Find out more here.

It's not just university, there will be $88.8 million dedicated to funding 20,000 new fee-free TAFE places over the next three years. This is aimed at getting more tradies out there to solve our housing supply issue.

HECS-HELP debt indexation change

Up to three million Aussies will have student loans increased in line with either the consumer price index or wage price index, whichever is lower. This is set to be backdated, wiping billions of debt that ballooned last year, but it needs to pass before June. See how much your debt will go down by here.

Superannuation paid on parental leave

Parents are getting an expanded parental leave scheme and now the government has flagged introducing 12 per cent superannuation payments from July 1, 2025. See how much that will impact parents' nest egg here.

Medicare levy

More low-income relief here. More Australians won't have to pay the Medicare levy, or not as much of it, as the threshold is rising. Find out more here.

Welfare increases

There have been calls for a major boost to the JobSeeker rate, but only a small group are being addressed. JobSeekers with a partial capacity to work - between zero and 14 hours a week - will get a $54.90 a week increase as the eligibility criteria are expanded. See why experts fear that's not enough here.

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Bunnings says staff at the Melbourne store have been keeping a close eye on their new 'feathered friend', but wildlife rescuers say more could be done.

The barn owl has been stuck inside Bunnings Tarneit for several days now. Source: Facebook

Bunnings shoppers have shared their concern for the welfare of a barn owl after it was spotted flapping above their heads in a outer city hardware store. The owl is currently stuck in the Tarneit store in Melbourne's west, with the bird unable to find an exit and staff incapable of capturing it due to the large space it finds itself in.

It's understood the animal is being monitored by staff who are in talks with multiple wildlife organisations to have it safely rescued and relocated. While the location is considered to be an unusual place to find an owl, one rescuer told Yahoo News he has actually removed "dozens" from warehouses during his 38 years in the job.

He is now urging Bunnings to include a specific feature in their stores to help in such dilemmas.

Why are owls often found inside warehouses?

Nigel Williamson believes owls are often chased into warehouses by ravens as the two species "pinch" each others' chicks.

"When the ravens are nesting and they've got eggs and chicks in their nest, the owls like to come along and pinch them," he explained. "When a raven spots an owl in a tree anywhere near its nest, it will then start chasing it and the barn owls go into the warehouse for safety."

Nigel said he has responded to multiple rescue calls involving ravens and owls in warehouses, with some of these birds also being found in Bunnings stores. Despite it not being nesting season, it appears the owls still use warehouses as places of refuge.

Bunnings told Yahoo that staff have been keeping a close eye on their 'feathered friend'. Source: Reuters

How can the owl be rescued?

There are several ways the owl could be rescued and the first is the simplest  it could, of course, find its way outside without any interference. The second involves a rescuer using an elevated platform to reach the bird with a large net, which can often be a tricky process. The last option includes removing a section of the roof to encourage the bird to leave the warehouse.

However, Nigel believes a simple design feature of Bunnings warehouses would help aid the process. "They could implement a design into the roof area which they could open up a section and all these birds could get out quite easily," he said.

Bunnings working with local wildlife groups for owl rescue

Bunnings have confirmed staff are keeping a "close eye" on the building's new occupant while they wait for wildlife groups to rescue it.

"The team in our Tarneit store has been joined by a feathered friend thats made its way into the store in recent days. Theyre engaging with local animal welfare groups to ensure the owl can be safely relocated," a Bunnings spokesperson said.

It is unclear why none of the wildlife groups have visited the Bunnings store yet but it has been confirmed Nigel will attend after Yahoo News got in touch about the situation.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Despite the efforts of first responders, Ali was pronounced dead at the scene after being found unresponsive in the water.

The heartbroken parents of a four-year-old who drowned in a suburban lagoon earlier this week are calling for drastic action to be taken by council to prevent another similar tragedy. Ali Aminzadah was staying with family members in Officer, in Melbourne's southeast, when he vanished at around 5pm on Sunday afternoon.

It's understood Ali's family, who are of Afghan background, made the trip down from Swan Hill to visit relatives, and the young boy had been playing at the time he went missing. Soon after, he was found unresponsive in the water.

Despite the efforts of first responders, Ali was pronounced dead at the scene. He's being remembered as a "fun-loving" little boy who aways had a big smile on his face.

Ali's parents are calling for changes to be made to how the lagoon in which he drowned, in Officer, is fenced. Source: 7 News

Devastated parents call for change after boy, 4, drowns

Now, days after the unimaginable incident, his parents have taken aim at the wire fencing around the lagoon, claiming it's far too thin to protect children from stumbling in. The family, who spoke to Nine News, are understood to be furious more protections weren't in place to stop kids like Ali from drowning.

They're now calling on Cardinia Council to change it. Cardinia Shire Mayor Jack Kowarzik said the news was "absolutely tragic" and offered his "heartfelt condolences" the Aminzadah family.

"On behalf of Council and the local community, I extend our heartfelt condolences to the boy's family during this devastating time," he told media.

Ali drowned on Sunday in a lagoon in Officer, in Melbourne's southeast. Source: 7 News

"The Cardinia Shire community has been deeply affected by this terrible incident happening so close to home . I'd also like to acknowledge the impact of this incident on first responders, and the valiant efforts of emergency services personnel who attended the scene."

Yahoo News has contacted the council about possible alterations to the lagoon's fence.

La Trobe MP Jason Woods said the death was "devastating for the family, friends and the wider Afghanistan community". "(We) must not forget emergency services workers as it's an awful day for all involved on this tragic event," he said.

Police say the death is not being treated as suspicious. A report is being prepared for the coroner.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
9 killed, 70 injured as hoarding, vertical steel parking lot crash after dust-storm in Mumbai





MUMBAI,

AT LEAST nine persons were killed and over 70 others injured on Monday in rain-related incidents in Mumbai wherein a 100-foot tall billboard fell on a petrol pump in Ghatkopar area while an under-construction metal tower collapsed on a road amid gusty winds in Wadala, officials said. The billboard, which was illegal according to civic officials, uprooted and fell on a petrol pump at the Cheddanagar Junction in Ghatkopar, killing eight people and injuring 70 others. 78 people have been pulled out so far from under the hoarding, of which eight are declared dead, while 70 others were injured. They were rushed to various hospitals, a senior police officer said, adding that the search and rescue operation is underway at the spot. In Bandra, a branch of a tree fell on a shop, trapping two persons. Of them, a 38-year-old died while another person was seriously injured, a civic official said. In Wadala, an under-construction metal parking tower collapsed on a road amid gusty winds, injuring three persons and damaging vehicles. Of the total injured persons, 56 were admitted to Rajawadi Hospital and others at three separate hospitals.

The unseasonal rain and dust storms led to the suspension of flight operations at Mumbai airport for an hour in the evening due to low visibility, services of local trains were delayed while traffic snarls were seen in several areas. As many as 15 flights were diverted to different airports and the runways operation resumed at 5.03 pm, the airport operator said. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the spot of the hoarding collapse incident in Ghatkopar late in the evening and ordered a structural audit of all hoardings in Mumbai city. The hoardings, if found illegal and dangerous, would be removed immediately, he said. It is a very unfortunate incident. The Government will probe it, and the people responsible will face action. I have also asked the BMC commissioner to conduct a structural audit of all the hoardings in the city. Those found illegal and dangerous will be removed, Shinde told reporters. He announced aid of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of each person killed in the hoarding collapse.
CM congratulates successfulstudents of 10th, 12th Boards





Raipur,

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has congratulated the students who successfully cleared Classes 10 and 12 Boards conducted by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) whose results were announced on Monday. According to official statistics released by CBSE, an impressive 93.60% of students have successfully cleared the Class 10th examinations, while the pass percentage for Class 12th stands at 87.98%. Congratulating the students Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai lauded their accomplishments and expressed optimism for their future endeavors. In his message in X, the chief minister stated CBSE 10th and 12th exam results have been declared. It is a matter of joy that the result in class 12th was 87.98 per cent. Many congratulations to all the passed students and best wishes for a bright future. Students whose exam results were not as per expectations should not be disappointed. Keep trying, success will definitely follow you one day, CM Sai tweeted.
Ex-Indian Army officer with UN killed in Gaza, first international casualty since Israel-Hamas conflict By Yoshita Singh





United Nations, May 14 (PTI)

A former Indian Army officer working with the United Nations was killed in Gaza when the vehicle he was travelling in came under attack in strife-torn Rafah, becoming the first international casualty for the world body since the Israel-Hamas conflict started last year.

The United Nations has called for a full investigation while Israel has ordered a separate investigation into the attack.

Col Waibhav Anil Kale, 46, who took premature retirement from the Indian Army in 2022, joined the UN as a Security Coordination Officer in the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS) two months ago, officials in New Delhi said on Tuesday.

Kale, who had served with the 11 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles, was travelling along with another DSS staffer to the European Hospital in Rafah when their UN vehicle was struck on Monday morning. The other person, not identified, was seriously injured.

According to Kale's LinkedIn profile, he had joined the Indian Army in April 2004 and had also served as Contingent Chief Security Officer with the United Nations between 2009 and 2010. He did his B.A. From the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi and had degrees in Behavioral Science and International Humanitarian Law and had studied at, among other institutions, the Indian Institute of Management at Lucknow and Indore.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was deeply saddened to learn of the death of a United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS) staff member and injury to another DSS staffer.

A statement by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, said that Guterres condemned all attacks on UN personnel and called for a full investigation. Guterres sent his condolences to the family of the fallen staff member.

With the conflict in Gaza continuing to take a heavy toll  not only on civilians but also on humanitarian workers  the Secretary-General reiterates his urgent appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and for the release of all hostages, the statement added.

In a post on X, Guterres said the UN vehicle was struck in Gaza, killing one of our colleagues & injuring another and said, more than 190 UN staff have been killed in Gaza.

Responding to questions on the incident during a press briefing, Haq said at this point, We are in the process of informing the relevant governments and the relevant family members..."

He added that they were international staff and confirmed that this is, in fact, the first international UN casualty.

While there have been international casualties involving workers for the World Central Kitchen in Gaza, Haq said that of UN staff, I believe I've not been previously aware of an international casualty.

Haq added that the vehicle was headed to the hospital as part of their regular work. They go to different locations to assess security conditions. And this was the European hospital in Rafah.

When asked for details about how their vehicle was struck, Haq said We're still accumulating details. We expect to get reports, including from the relevant authorities.

He added that close to 190 UN personnel have been killed in Gaza since October 7, most of them national staff of the UN Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA.

Haq added that the UN is going to set up measures for accountability. A lot of that ultimately requires an end to the conflict so that we can work these out, but we will be working with the authorities on the ground to get restitution for all of those who have been killed.

Haq said he did not have the full details of whether the vehicle that was struck was part of a large convoy. I believe it was in a convoy that was moving, and this was the DSS vehicle that was hit.

BBC reported that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed it had received a report from the UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) that said two of its workers were injured in the Rafah area - in southern Gaza - on Monday.

The IDF added that the incident was under review, it said.

Director-General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X, We are devastated to learn about the death of a UN humanitarian worker and injury of another in Gaza.

Too many civilian and humanitarian lives have paid the price for this war. Ceasefire and work towards peace, the WHO chief said.

In April, seven members of the World Central Kitchen were killed in an IDF strike in Gaza. One of those killed in the airstrike was Zomi Frankcom, an Australian of Indian descent, according to reports.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that between October 7, 2023, and May 12, 2024, at least 35,091 Palestinians have been killed and 78,827 injured in Gaza.

More than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals, including 33 children, were killed in Israel, the vast majority on October 7, when Hamas attacked Israel.
Hope I get to file nomination from Choti Kashi in future as well: BJP candidate Kangana Ranaut





Shimla, May 14 (PTI)

Actor Kangana Ranaut on Tuesday filed her nomination from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat as a BJP candidate and hoped she would keep getting the opportunity to file nominations from the constituency in the future as well.

"I hope this is not the first and last time for me and I get more opportunities to file nominations from Choti Kashi (Mandi) in the future as well," Ranaut told PTI.

The Leader of Opposition in Himachal Pradesh Assembly Jai Ram Thakur and state BJP chief Rajiv Bindal accompanied the actor to the nomination centre.

The BJP cadres carried placards of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and shouted slogans in support of Ranaut as she headed to the election office.

Mandi, an abode for over 300 temples with about eight temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, is popularly known as Choti Kashi.

"Today is a very fortunate day for me as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is filing his nomination from Kashi (Varanasi) for the third time and I am filing nomination from Choti Kashi," the BJP nominee said as she exuded confidence that Modi would be re-elected as the country's prime minister for the third time.

"I am thankful to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP for fielding the daughter of Mandi from here, enhancing the prestige of the state," she said.

Her mother Asha Ranaut told PTI, "Our blessing is with our daughter and God is also listening to our prayers, Kangana is getting good response wherever she goes and would win with a huge mandate."

The derogatory and sharp comments on Kangana by Congress leaders which reflect their mindset is not going well with the women at large and the women power would give a befitting reply to them on June 1, she said.

As a mother, I am pained and feel that other mothers are also feeling sad by such remarks which shows cheap mentality of Congress leaders, she added.

"Kangana is getting immense love from people of Himachal especially Mandi and some people have also composed songs for her. I appeal to the people to ensure victory for their daughter," the actor's mother said.




MUMBAI,

India has never received anything which is specific and worthy of being pursued by its probe agencies, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said over a fourth arrest made by Canada in the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Jaishankar said New Delhi is open to an investigation if Ottawa has any evidence or information related to any violence which is relevant to be investigated in India. We have never received anything which is specific and worthy of being pursued by our investigative agencies and I am not aware that anything has changed in the last few days in that regard, the minister said in response to a question during a press conference here.

As a consular practice, it is informed to the Government or the embassy of the country of origin when arrests of foreign nationals are made, Jaishankar said. Nijjar, 45, was killed outside Guru Nanak Sikh Gurudwara in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18, 2023. A fourth Indian national has been arrested by Canadian authorities in connection with the killing of Nijjar, a week after police arrested three Indians linked with the high-profile case that has severely strained Indias relations with Canada. Amandeep Singh, 22, a resident of Brampton, Surrey, and Abbotsford areas of Canada, has been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, as per officials.
Of Respect for the word





By Vijay Phanshikar

 Respect for the word is the first commandment in the discipline by which a man can be educated to maturity -- intellectual, emotional and moral. Respect for the word -- to employ it with scrupulous care and incorruptible heart-felt love of truth -- is essential if there is to be any growth in a society or in the human race. To misuse the word is to show contempt for Man. It undermines bridges and poisons the wells. It causes Man to regress down the long path of his evolution. But I say unto you, that every idle word that men speak --- . - Dag Hammarskjold, Secretary General of the United Nations, in one of the notings in his diary -- titled Markings in English -- published after his death in an air crash. Originally in Swedish, the diary with title Vagmarken was first published in 1963, and in England (by Faber & Faber) in 1964. Translated into English by W H Auden and Lief Joberg.

IN THESE few sentences, Dag Hammarskjold (pronounced Hamarshold) pinpoints the crux of education, of maturity, of human refinement. The quintessence of education is respect for the word -- minus which, human regression takes place, he insists. Dag Hammarskjold was a man of incalculable merit and refinement. As the worlds top diplomat, words became his main tool -- and used those with a rare aplomb. That valuable experience and a fine education led Dag Hammarskjold to believe firmly that a wrongly employed word could be disastrous. So, employ the word with scrupulous care and incorruptible heart-felt love of truth, he urges. Factually, this has been the core of human refinement -- respect for the word, respect for whatever one says, respect for the person or persons who are expected to hear the utterance. So, respect for self and respect for others.

The concept, thus, is rooted in a fine and mature understanding of ones own self. For, a wrong or negative self-image will mean irresponsible expression, and that in turn will mean an insult of the recipient of the communication, or a careless attitude towards the conversation between persons. This is how the concept expands -- from self to others, from spoken word or written word to the word received by those who listen. What matters, then, is not just word made up of letters but also the tone and tenor in which the expression is delivered. True, communication can be -- and often is -- wordless as well. There are situations when no words are required to communicate between humans. But even that so-called wordless communication rides on the shoulders of the intended meaning whose material form is word.

So, as psychologists, philosophers and linguistic experts conclude, even thoughts are not without language (words) -- uttered or unuttered. So, words are everything by way of medium of communication. So, use those with care, caution, and concern. Responsible words have made tremendous human progress possible. But used wrongly, the words also have proved to be the undoing of the human community -- through countless examples in human history. Dag Hammarskjold cautions us against the abuse and misuse of the word. He appeals to our good senses to remain careful while employing the words in any communication. Possibly, as a top diplomat, he had seen the world coming to blows because of words wrongly used. Hence this word of caution. Possibly.
Over 64% turnout in 4th phase polling





NEW DELHI :

Srinagar constituency witnessed 37.93% voting, with EC stating that it was the highest turnout in decades

A VOTER turnout of over 64 per cent was recorded on Monday in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections covering 96 constituencies spread over 10 States and Union Territories, with scattered incidents of violence reported in West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. West Bengal, where polling was held in eight constituencies, again recorded an impressive turnout at 76.56 per cent, the highest among States/UTs in this phase. Srinagar constituency in Jammu and Kashmir witnessed 37.93 per cent voting in the first Lok Sabha election in the Valley since the scrapping of Article 370, with the EC stating that it was the highest turnout in decades. According to the ECs voter turnout app at 10 pm, the overall voting in this phase was 64.05 per cent. However, it said that this was an approximate trend as data from polling stations was still being collated. A large number of voters were in the queue at polling stations even after the fixed time of polling ended at 6 pm, the Election Commission said in a statement at 8 pm.

Among other States, Andhra Pradesh (25 seats) recorded 68.20 per cent polling, Bihar (five seats) 56.75 per cent, Jharkhand (four seats) 64.59 per cent, Maharashtra (11 seats) 57.58 per cent, Odisha (four seats) 64.81 per cent, Telangana (17 seats) 62.28 per cent and Uttar Pradesh (13) 58.05 per cent. A provisional voter turnout of 71.72 per cent was recorded in Madhya Pradesh (eight seats). The overall voter turnout in the first three phases of the Lok Sabha elections was 66.14 per cent, 66.71 per cent and 65.68 per cent, respectively. With the conclusion of Phase 4, polling for general elections has crossed the halfway mark as it has been completed in 23 States/UTs and 379 Lok Sabha constituencies out of 543. Also, Assembly elections were held in Andhra Pradesh on Monday, apart from polling in 28 Assembly seats in Odisha. In Andhra Pradesh, the TDP and YSRCP accused each other of indulging in violence, especially in Palnadu, Kadapa and Annamayya districts. YSRCP also wrote to the EC, alleging poll code violations by rival TDP in several assembly segments, including Vemuru, Darsi, Icchapuram, Kuppam, Macherla, Markapuram, Palakonda and Pedakurapaudu. At Dalavaipalli village in Railway Kodur constituency, an EVM was destroyed while cars belonging to the ruling party and TDP were damaged, a police official said.

A TDP agent was attacked at Nakkaladinne village in Myduruku constituency, leading to his hospitalisation. In Uttar Pradesh, there were instances of poll boycotts with people in some villages of Shahjahanpur keeping away from the process to protest against the lack of roads and development. Akbarpur parliamentary constituency recorded 57.58 per cent polling, Bahraich 57.47 per cent, Dhaurahra 64.12 per cent, Etawah 56.19 per cent, Farrukhabad 58.90 per cent, Hardoi 57.45 per cent, Kannauj 60.89 per cent, Kanpur 52.90 per cent, Kheri 64.64 per cent, Misrikh 55.78 per cent, Shahjahanpur 53.14 per cent, Sitapur 62.22 per cent and Unnao 55.33 per cent. EVM glitches were also reported in several places in Odisha. An official said 65 Ballot Units, 83 Control Units and 110 VVPATs have been replaced so far and most of the replacements were done during mock poll exercise before starting of real voting at 7 am.

Voting was peaceful in Srinagar where three generations of the Abdullah family cast their vote in the Srinagar LS constituency. The Election Commission suspended two polling officials in Odisha for dereliction of duty, the chief electoral officer said. In Jharkhand, security forces thwarted an attempt by Maoists to obstruct voter access to polling booths by felling a tree and blocking a road leading to remote Sonapi and Morangponga areas of West Singhbhum district.
Scattered incidents of violence mar 4th phase polling in W Bengal





An injured person after clashes between supporters of TMC and BJP, in Susunia area of Bardhman, West Bengal, on Monday. (PTI)

KOLKATA :

BJP candidate Dilip Ghosh heckled

SCATTERED incidents of violence marred the fourth phase of Lok Sabha polls in the eight parliamentary constituencies of West Bengal on Monday as TMC and BJP workers clashed in various parts of violence-hit Birbhum and Bardhaman-Durgapur seats. Although the poll panel claimed that voting has been peaceful so far, it said it had received 1,700 complaints till 1 pm from different political parties alleging EVM malfunctioning and agents being stopped from entering booths.

Clashes broke out between supporters of TMC and BJP in Monteswars Susunia area of Bardhaman-Durgapur Lok Sabha seat around noon, as BJP candidate Dilip Ghosh was on his way to a polling booth following complaints of booth jamming. As Ghosh was on his way, TMC supporters blocked his convoy and squatted in front of his vehicle, starting a protest against him. Stones were hurled at his convoy, following which some of the cars of the security personnel tailing his convoy were damaged. Ghosh was also heckled by the TMC activists, sources claimed. The TMC, however, denied the charges and claimed Ghosh was trying to vitiate the atmosphere sensing defeat.

In Durgapur area of the same constituency, clashes broke out between the TMC and the BJP, following which BJP activists staged a sit-in. In Birbhum Lok Sabha constituency, BJP workers clashed with TMC activists in Nanoor after BJP party polling agents were allegedly stopped from entering booths. Tension prevailed in Chapra area of Krishnanagar constituency as BJP workers were allegedly beaten by TMC workers. Amrita Roy, BJP candidate of Krishnanagar, accompanied two injured persons, Nanda Das and Sukhen Das, to Chapra police station. The TMC has denied the allegations. The TMC, BJP, and Congress-CPI (M) alliance lodged complaints respectively related to poll violence, voter intimidation, and assaults on poll agents in the first few hours of polling, sources from both parties said. In some areas of Birbhum, TMC workers staged a protest following allegations that central forces were assisting BJP workers in intimidating voters.
Christina Ehret and her family spent an eye-watering sum on their home, but five years down the line, still have no idea when it'll be completed.

Five years after work began on Christina Ehret's family home, it's still not finished and has been plagued by issues, despite her forking out almost a million dollars. Source: Stuff/Ricky Wilson

A frustrated grandmother living with four generations of family in her half-built home says she's out of pocket almost $1 million after the company she hired to construct the property went into liquidation. The mum said not only is her home incomplete, what has been built is subpar and even "dangerous".

New Zealand woman Christina Ehret, from Whangaparoa, north of Auckland, said construction on her "dream home" got off to a good start in 2018, but quickly stalled. Now, five years down the line, she's inhabiting the home despite it not being signed off as safe by council.

"Its draining," Ehret told Stuff. "The stress ... has been extreme." Ehret said she expected the build to take just months, but it was almost immediately plagued by issues. So far, having spent $930,000 (A$847,000), she's still got no idea when it will be finished.

Ehret says she can see underneath many of the internal doors. Source: Stuff/Supplied by Christina Ehret

Long list of construction issues plaguing grandmother's home

Ehret's family were forced to move into the two-storey, four-bedroom home in 2020 to save funds. Ever since, they say they've found a myriad of faults within the home, including some severe defects which require immediate fixing. In addition, the house is yet to get a Code Compliance Certificate (CCC)  the equivalent of Australia's Certificate of Construction Compliance.

Ehret hired construction company Selah Homes to built the house in 2018. By 2019, the land had been cleared and retaining walls were beginning to take shape.

But when Ehret's husband, Brett  an experienced plumber  began helping on weekends, he knew construction wasn't advancing as it should. "There was always an excuse," Ehret said, claiming she contacted Selah Homes repeatedly for answers.

Have your say

The August 2019 completion date came and went and the project manager assured the family theyd soon be moving in. But in the years and months that passed, they say the work did not get completed.

'Dangerous' issues not addressed

"We actually sent them a picture ... and said, 'This is getting dangerous  you can't even get through to go to different rooms'," the grandmother told Stuff. Issues plaguing the home include large draughty gaps under internal doors, a leaking roof and water dripped through a living room light fixture, especially when wind and rain pours from a certain direction.

"You shouldn't be able to look under the bathroom door and see the person sitting on the toilet," Ehret said. "I didn't pay to have a water feature in my lounge." Ehret recalled that at one stage, her daughter was up in the attic and found a live wire under the insulation  a major fire hazard.

There were also issues with a retaining wall that runs the length of one of the propertys boundaries, she added. Thankfully, the family paid for a Master Build guarantee, which provides cover for loss of deposits, non-completion and for structural defects, workmanship and materials in New Zealand.

Solution finally on horizon

Ehret said she lodged a complaint with the organisation about Selahs work and a council inspection found a number of ongoing issues. In addition to those already reported, they found a cracked bathroom tile, no insulation at night, and incomplete cladding.

After the relationship between the company and Ehret broke down, lawyers were called in to mediate. Though work on the property continued sparsely for two years, Selah went into liquidation in March 2024  which is when Master Builders stepped in.

She said the companys collapse was a blessing in disguise as it enabled Master Builders to finish the job. Though as of May construction is ongoing. Selah Homes did not respond to requests for comment from Stuff. Yahoo News Australia has also made attempts to contact Selah Homes.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

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Pollution and the weather aren't likely to blame for the hundreds of dead fish suddenly found on 90 Mile Beach on Australia's southern coast.

Thousands of dollars worth of dead fish have been discovered rotting on a remote Aussie beach. While determining the cause would ordinarily be a challenge, investigators believe they have the answers thanks to one simple clue  they were all from a single species and about the same size.

The salmon were found on Victorias 90 Mile Beach, a cluster of holiday towns that are popular during summer months with tourists, but quiet over winter. News of the disturbing find spread on Sunday after video of the incident was uploaded to social media by a local fisherman.

Wearing a cap and a Bunnings flannelette shirt, a clearly shocked Steve Hompot turns to his camera and says "What on earth is going on?"

There's a further dark turn when he notices a little penguin is also dead on the beach.

Speaking to Yahoo on Tuesday, Steve recalled counting hundreds of dead fish across 200 metres of sand. It was very disturbing. I just couldn't believe how many there were. There were so many fish  what a waste, he said.

Steve has also heard several other reports of dead fish and penguins at nearby towns. But the carnage he documented at a spot between Paradise Beach and Loch Sport alone is the worst mass kill hes witnessed in his decades of fishing. My dad first took me fishing back in the 1970s and Ive been doing it regularly all that time, he said. "But I've never seen anything like this."

Related: Footprints on quiet beach lead to never before seen discovery

Fish could be seen lying across 200 metres of sand. Source: Steve Outdoors

Sadly, the body of a little penguin was also found. Source: Steve Outdoors

Were hundreds of fish poisoned?

Locals and internet sleuths inundated him with theories. Some suspected a lightning strike, but that was ruled out because the weather had been relatively calm.

Others thought the water may have been poisoned, so Victorias Environment Protection Agency (EPA) sent officers to the beach on Monday.

It's understood they didn't find any penguins, but there were plenty of dead similarly-sized salmon still on the beach. After officers carried out their testing, both the dead fish and the water came back as being free of pollutants.

Fish will often die due to changes in water temperature or low dissolved oxygen after a rainstorm or bushfire, but the EPA appears to have ruled out these events. What offered investigators the clearest lead is that the fish are not only the same species but also roughly the same size.

Fish death mystery could be solved

The EPA findings were reported back to the Victorian Fisheries Authority which has linked the find to commercial trawlers seen in the area, taking advantage of this season's plentiful stocks.

There is no evidence to suggest it was a natural event and we can confirm there was commercial fishing activity in the area early last week, an Authority spokesperson said. Although unusual, some fish caught by commercial fishers offshore, escape or spill from the net in the process of their capture and loading onto a vessel while at sea, and can wash ashore days later.

The fish were discovered in between Loch Sport and Paradise Beach on a stretch of coast called 90 Mile Beach. Source: Google Earth/AirBus/Data SIO/NOAA

This outcome wasn't surprising to Steve. I kind of suspected straight away that it might be from the trawler because the fish are all the same size, and thats what nets do. Anything smaller can get through the nets, and it only catches a particular sized fish. And that explains the penguin as well  it has the same girth, he said.

Yahoo has contacted industry body Seafood Industry Victoria to ask whether it believes the event can be linked to a commercial fishing boat.

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For this edition of The Lo-Down Culture Cast, host Traven Rice speaks with photographer Alain Levitt. Alain is well known in the neighborhood as an artist and the co-owner of the beloved restaurant Bacaro. Alain recently celebrated the publication of his first official photo book, Alain Levitt, NYC 2000-2005, edited by Tim Barber. It features a series of photos of the downtown creative class in New York during the early 2000s and serves as a celebratory time capsule from this time period. Along with the book, Alain has a solo show at the gallery Whaam! (15 Elizabeth St.) on view through May 25.

Alain talked with Traven about his arrival in early 2000 from Los Angeles. He ended up on the Lower East Side, working for the NY Post as a street photographer and then later at the (in)famous bar, The Cock. From there, he went on to co-host a party at The Hole, a bar where all sorts of creative people crossed paths and hung out, and eventually became co-owner of Bacaro with his wife, Kama Geary.

Living Proof NY writes, In the early 2000s, New Yorks economic landscape created a world in which one could survive off of little. Artists, skaters, graffiti writers, poets & musicians inhabited the city, organically creating style & culture in a way that permeated into the life of the neighborhood. Common streets became legendary as the 14 block radius of downtown New York housed a thriving underground scene flourishing in a carefree time of unhindered creativity. At this time Alain Levitt was hanging out in the Lower East Side on a daily basis with a small film camera on his person. Spending the early 2000s living amongst the people, Alain shot the downtown New York Scene during an era that laid the foundations for events & people that went on to deeply influence the world of skate, graffiti, art & culture. His debut book NYC: 2000-2005 is a collection of these photos.

Alain writes that he grew up free range on the west side of Los Angeles. Skateboarding, Graffiti, Raving  the trifecta of 90s subcultures- helped inform his world view and gave him a home amongst the outcasts. The same world he would focus his lense on after moving to New York in 2000.

Not yet a photographer, Alain picked up a camera out of necessity. His first job in NY was shooting street fashion for his sisters, Danielle Levitt, Sunday style column in the New York Post- a job that required carrying a camera 24/7. Alain recalls showing up to Max Fish and being gently made fun of for his oversized Paparazzi rig. His second job, at the infamous gay bar The Cock, gave him a front row seat to a wild NY that was quickly being choked out by Mayor Giuliani and provided enough income for this budding photographer to only work two evenings a week. More time to run the streets. Alain quickly found his community on the Lower East Side. Alife by day, Max Fish at night. And after starting a bi weekly party, with Spencer Sweeny, at The Hole, Alain planted his seed in the downtown scene.

Listen to the full interview here or watch it above, or on our YouTube channel.

If you know local culture changers that you think deserve to be spotlighted on The Lo-Down Culture Cast, send us a note here: tips@thelodownny.com
Australian woman Tayla Pimlott says she has sworn off Uber after she was left completely dissatisfied with its response to a 'petrifying' incident.

Tayla Pimlott was travelling home from work in Adelaide when the Uber driver allegedly started to touch himself. Source: Getty/Supplied

The day started like any ordinary one but it ended with Tayla Pimlott fearing for her life in the back of an Uber. After a long day of work she simply wanted a "quick and quiet" journey home during rush hour and decided against public transport. But within minutes of her ride home she was "holding back tears".

The 26-year-old was making a short trip from Adelaide's CBD to Campbelltown around 3.30pm when something caught her eye while in the backseat, causing her to look up from her phone. Gob-smacked, she claimed her driver appeared to be pleasuring himself behind the wheel.

"Usually when someone takes their pants down, they ruffle down a bit or something. I saw none of that, I just saw this subtle hand gesture," she told Yahoo News. "I could see clearly that he [the Uber driver] had his penis out and he was masturbating."

Passenger 'petrified' as driver touched himself

In those split seconds a hundred thoughts crossed Tayla's mind. She recalled how she considered phoning the police, screaming at the driver, or somehow getting out of the moving vehicle.

She even admitted she heard a "little voice" in her head telling her she was overreacting as the man less than a metre away allegedly pleasured himself, a situation that made her feel "violated". However the thought which was most urgent prevailed  she had to prioritise her safety.

Tayla contacted her mum as well as her boyfriend to let them know what was happening. Source: Supplied

She contacted her mum and boyfriend and managed to captured footage of the man in the hope she could use it as evidence for the police, mindful it was a "he said, she said situation" if she were to report it without proof.

"There was a part of me that thought, 'Oh god, I could die, I could be raped, this man could touch me'," she said. "My brain was frozen and my heart was pounding... I was petrified."

'Polite' two word response used to escape car

Tayla decided her best option was to pretend she hadn't noticed what was going on, explaining she feared the driver may lash out if she confronted him.

Once she arrived home, where her mum was waiting for her, she had to ask the driver to unlock the doors.

"He fully turned around and looked at me and in the most creepiest voice I've ever heard he goes, 'Thank you so much'," she said. In utter horror, she replied; "You're welcome" and ran out of the Uber.

"I felt if I made a huge fuss about this I think that would put me in more danger... I had to be polite... I felt ashamed."

Despite the incident happening back in October, Tayla has decided to share her experience now that a national spotlight has been placed on gendered harassment and violence.

Passenger reports incident to Uber

Uber were informed of the incident and Tayla urged them to ban him from the platform, however, she was told in the interest of privacy she would not be told if this was actioned or not.

"Based on the severity of the report I can confirm that the appropriate actions have been taken," a message Taylah received from Uber read at the time, giving no further details of their investigation.

Tayla asked Uber to keep her updated after she reported the incident it refused, citing privacy issues. Source: Supplied

She reported it to police who she claims arrested the man the same night but was later bailed. He was "banned" from visiting her home or work but the incident still deeply impacts Tayla.

"I thought I was okay. But then I realised like, 'Oh, hey, I can't really leave my house without being petrified," she said. "I'm never using Uber again."

Driver removed from app 'permanently', company says

In a statement provided to Yahoo News, an Uber spokesperson condemned the driver's alleged actions.

"Whats been reported has no place in the Uber community or anywhere else," the spokesperson said.

"As soon as we were notified of this report, we removed the driver partners access to the app immediately and permanently.

"We continue to work to build cutting-edge technology and features to help improve safety for riders and driver-partners on the app, such as the Safety Toolkit, the emergency assistance button and Share my Trip feature. Trips on the Uber platform are not anonymous and all trips are GPS tracked in real time."

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South Australia Police said the couple were lucky to leave the scene without injury.

The couple's 'ill-timed kiss' caused the driver to become distracted and the Mazda rolled before landing on it's side in Glenelg North, Adelaide. Source: SA Police

A young couple have miraculously managed to walk away unscathed after the car they were travelling in crashed and rolled onto its side following an early morning 'ill-timed' kiss. The pair were travelling along Tapleys Hill Road in Glenelg North, a coastal suburb in Adelaide, at around 3:15am on Tuesday when the male passenger, 18, leant over and planted a smooch on the 25-year-old female driver.

However, she was attempting to change the song playing from the speakers at the time, the couple told police of the consequential moment. "Officers spoke to the couple, and it was revealed that the driver had become distracted while driving by an ill-timed kiss from the passenger while she was changing the music," police said.

The car subsequently rolled and crashed into street signs before it eventually landing on its side, close to a resident's fence. The pair were forced to clamber out of the vehicle and check themselves for injuries, finding none.

"[The] young couple were lucky to escape injury," police said.

The car crashed into roadsigns and landed on its side. Source: SA Police

Police arrived at the scene in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Source: SA Police

Big consequences of one simple 'ill-timed' kiss

Police officers arrived at the scene after the incident and the 25-year-old woman was reported for aggravated driving without due care, receiving a court notice which she will attend at a later date.

The passenger was issued an expiation notice for impeding a driver's ability to control a vehicle. The Mazda which they were travelling in was a write-off and was towed away from the scene.

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Trinamul Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee said her party will give full support to INDIA bloc to resume power in Delhi and that the alliance will win 315 or so seats. She predicted that the BJPled NDA will get between 190- 195 seats.

We do not want anything. We will support a progressive, sensitive, secular government in Delhi, she said while addressing a rally at Palta Shantinagar Health Centre ground, which falls under Barrackpore Lok Sabha seat. Partha Bhowmick is the Trinamul Congress nominee from the constituency. BJP has fielded Mr Arjun Singh, who had won the seat in 2019.

Earlier, Miss Banerjee addressed a gathering at Bongaon. Biswajit Das is Trinamul candidate from the seat. In 2019, Shantanu Thakur of BJP was elected from the seat. Addressing the gathering in Barrackpore, Miss Banerjee said, Narendra Modi should tender unconditional apology for his failure to give Rs 15 lakh in everyones account and jobs to 2 crore youth each year for 10 years. He should apologise for the Centres failure to buy jute which has led to the closure of jute mills in North 24-Parganas, she said, adding, He is blaming me now. He is so shameless that in order to cover up his own faults he speaks volume of lies. She said, Modis guarantee is false and fake. Rest assured, he will never keep his promises.

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I will die if I fail to keep my promises. I had promised before 2012 election about Lakshmir Bhandar and implemented it. We give Sabuj Sathi cycle to the students from Class IX and from next year smart phones will be given to the students from Class XI, instead of Class XII.
Barring a few stray incidents of violence, voting in the fourth phase was largely peaceful amidst tight security in Krishnagar and Ranaghat parliamentary constituencies on Monday, with the two constituencies witnessing a voter turnout of around 80 percent till 5pm. While Ranaghat registered the highest turnout of 80.46 per cent, Krishnagar recorded the lowest 77.29 per cent.

The district election officer and the district magistrate, Arun Prasad expressed satisfaction over the voting process. He said it was largely peaceful and no major incident was reported.

He, however, said as many as 250 complaints have been lodged with us from various parties and people of which most of the complaints were addressed on due time.

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The opposition parties like BJP and CPM, however brought several allegations of intimidation and obstruction to opposition voters from casting their votes against the ruling Trinamul Congress.

Most of the incidents of violence raised from minority dominated Chapra, Nakashipara and Kaliganj areas along with Tehatta under Krishnagar parliamentary constituency and Tehaerpur, Chakdah, Krishnaganj and Nabadwip under Ranaghat constituency.

The CPM district secretary, Sumit Dey alleged that at least five party workers were injured after the Trinamul Congress workers unleashed a terror on them and obstructed them from attending the booths in Tehatta, Nakashipara and Chapra areas.

The BJP candidate, a royal family member, Amrita Roy lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against Trinamul Congress and went to Chapra police station accompanied by injured party workers to lodge an FIR.

Mrs Roy alleged, Trinamul Congress supporters beat up her party workers at Bangaljhi and Daspara areas in Chapra and blocked the voters from casting their franchises at several areas in Chapra.

Mrs Roy also said, TMC tried to obstruct the voters from franchising their rights, but they failed to fulfil their plans. After hearing the torture, I went to Chapra and stayed beside my party workers. I hope people have voted in favour of me and I will win the poll.

Trinamul Congress candidate, the incumbent MP from Krishnagar constituency Mahua Moitra, however, expressed her satisfaction and said the polling was peaceful. She also expressed her confidence in winning the poll.

Sheikh Mohammad Sadi, a CPM candidate alleged the Trinamul Congress tried to obstruct the voters from casting their votes at various places, but they ultimately failed to do it as the party workers resisted them together.

Meanwhile, in Ranaghat constituency, the BJP candidate Jagannath Sarkar alleged that the TMC members tried to intimidate the voters, but prompt action of CAPF had foiled their plans. As the constituency is dominated by the Matua community, Mr Sarkar said, I am confident of winning the poll as the Matua community voted in favour of the BJP.

Trinamul Congress has pitted Dr Mukutmoni Adhikari against Mr Sarkar after Adhikari joined the Trinamul Congress after leaving BJP when his name was not declared by the BJP as a candidate.
It was on 13 May, 2011 Trinamul Congress ended the reign of the Left Front government in West Bengal and put an end to 34 years of misrule.

People never thought that the CPM rule could end. CPM had unleashed a reign of terror in Bengal. There were incidents of forcible acquisition of farmland to set up an automobile factory by the Tata Motors at Singur. The farmers were gunned down when they resisted forcible occupation of farmland to set up a chemical hub at Nandigram and killing of agricultural workers at Netai in Birbhum.

Mamata Banerjee took up these issues and was able to mobilize the civil society to resist the move of the CPM government. Nandigram put the nail on the CPM-led Left Fronts coffin. In the 2009 panchayat election, Trinamul won the zilla parishad in East Midnapore and South 24-Parganas. In 2010, it won the Kolkata Municipal Corporation election and finally defeated the CPM in the 2011 Assembly election. Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya was defeated in Jadavpur and industries minister Nirupam Sen in Burdwan. Finance minister Asim Dasgupta was defeated in Khardah and housing minister Gautam Deb in Dum Dum.

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Remembering the peoples victory, chief minister Mamata Banerjee wrote on X: On May 13, 2011 Bengal emerged victorious by putting an end to the tyranny of the brutal Left regime. Today, 13 years later, the people are queuing outside polling booths to defeat another set of oppressors from Delhi. History will repeat itself.
In April, the exports of passenger vehicles and two-wheelers have increased by more than 20% year-on-year, data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) said on Tuesday.

The report further said that in the financial year 2023-24, the two-wheeler exports declined by 5.3% Y-o-Y to 3.458 million units.

Passenger vehicle exports saw a modest increase of 1.5% Y-o-Y, reaching 672,000 units. However, recent months have shown a rebound in export markets.

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In April, two-wheeler exports surged by 24.3% Y-o-Y to 320,877 units. Passenger vehicle exports increased by 21.1 per cent Y-o-Y, totalling 49,563 units.

In its earlier report, the SIAM had said that the exports of two wheelers, three wheelers, and commercial vehicles will fall in 2023-24 owing to the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Gaza conflicts, a slowdown in the global economy, and foreign exchange crises in key markets.

The overall automobile exports from India for fiscal year 2024 reported a 5.5% decline in FY24 to 4,500,492 units from the previous years 4,761,299.

Overall, the Indian automobile industrys export performance offered a mixed picture, with passenger vehicles showing a modest increase while other vehicle segments, such as commercial, two-wheelers, and three-wheelers, faced declines.

However, the rise in passenger vehicle exports was led by Maruti Suzuki with a shipment of 2,80,712 units, a 10% increase from the previous year.

Hyundai Motor India also played a significant role, exporting 1,63,155 units, a 7% increase compared to last years 1,53,019 units.
Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Md Golam Sarwar, who is on an official visit to India, visited the South Asian University (SAU) in its Maidan Garhi campus here on Tuesday.

During his visit, he was welcomed by SAU officials and students from across South Asian countries. He met SAU President Prof KK Aggarwal, who briefed him about the journey of the University, the new programmes introduced and avenues for future development.

Md Sarwar appreciated the SAU for the achievements in such a short period and underlined the impressive campus and infrastructure of its permanent campus in Maidan Garhi.

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He mentioned that SAU is one of the most successful flagship endeavours of the SAARC. He also expressed gratitude to the Government of India for all the support it has rendered to the University, and also for nominating a seasoned academic and visionary administrator to lead the varsity as the President.

The Secretary General highlighted the role the institution is playing in imparting quality education and promoting cooperation among students from various parts of the region and suggested starting more interdisciplinary courses which would be of common interest to the member countries of SAARC.

He also interacted with the Deans and Chairpersons of various Faculties and Departments of the University. He offered any support that would be required to take the University forward.

The SAU is an international university, jointly established by the governments of the eight SAARC nations. About half the students in SAU are from India while the remaining half are from the rest of the SAARC countries.
With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information.

Great Wall Motor's SOUO Motorcycle brand to debut on May 17

Great Wall Motor officially announced that its SOUO Motorcycle brand will be launched at the Motor China 2024 in Beijing on May 17, with its first motorcycle making its debut. The highlight of this motorcycle lies in its inhouse-developed world's first flat-8 engine, a configuration extremely rare in the motorcycle industry.

Photo credit: Great Wall Motor

All-new AITO M5 to kick off delivery on May 15

AITO, the premium new energy vehicle brand jointly developed by Huawei and SERES, announced today that the all-new AITO M5 SUV will commence nationwide deliveries on May 15.

XPENGs XNGP urban intelligent driving function realizes HD map-free operation

On May 14, XPENG announced that its XNGP urban intelligent driving function has officially entered the era of HD map-free operation. The available distance in urban areas has expanded to 2.23 times in Shanghai, 2.15 times in Guangzhou, 2.18 times in Shenzhen, and 1.31 times in Foshan, as these cities' urban intelligent driving systems have also gone HD map-free.

Stellantis, Leapmotors JV established, to start selling EVs in Europe from Sept. 2024

Global auto giant Stellantis N.V. ("Stellantis") and Chinese new energy vehicle maker Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology Co., Ltd. ("Leapmotor") announced today that they have completed all necessary approvals to establish Leapmotor International B.V. ("Leapmotor International"), with Stellantis leading the joint venture with a 51% stake and Leapmotor holding 49%.

AVATR 07 to hit market in 2024 with deliveries commencing by year-end

AVATR's third model, the AVATR 07, made its appearance in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China's "Road Motor Vehicle Production Enterprises and Products" (383rd Batch) catalog, now entering the product publicity phase.

Likely to be powered by Huawei, VOYAHs new battery-electric SUV included in MIITs catalogue

After announcing its plan to team up with Huawei, VOYAH, Dongfeng Motor's premium new energy vehicle brand, saw its new mid-sized battery-electric SUV included in a catalogue released by Chinas Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

Changan Auto releases images of all-new CS75 PLUS

Changan Auto on May 13 released the official images of the all-new CS75 PLUS SUV. The refreshed model is set to hit the market in the second half of the year. For reference, the current CS75 PLUS is priced between 117,900 yuan and 154,900 yuan.

IM Motors puts IM L6 sedan model onto market

On May 13, IM Motors, premium electric vehicle brand backed by SAIC Motor, Alibaba Group, and Zhangjiang High-Tech, officially put its "super smart sedan," the IM L6, onto the market. This new model is offered in five distinct trim levels, with prices ranging from 219,900 yuan to 345,900 yuan.All-new Tesla Model 3 Performance included in MIITs catalogue in China

Recently, information of the all-new Tesla Model 3 Performance was released a declaration catalogue by Chinas Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). The revamped model has previously commenced pre-sale in the Chinese market at 335,900 yuan, with deliveries expected in the third quarter of 2024.
Hollywood multi-hyphenate Donald Glover has dropped a new version of the surprise release of his studio album 3.15.20 under its original title Atavista.

He also announced the dates for The New World Tour, a massive trek through North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, launching in August, reports Variety.

He also released a video for the albums song Little Foot Big Foot, directed by Hiro Murai, featuring Young Nudy. He will follow with what he says is the last instalment of the Gambino project, which will serve as the soundtrack to his film Bando Storm and the New World.

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As per Variety, The album features guest appearances from Ariana Grande, Kadhja Bonet, 21 Savage and Ink.

Donald Glover produced the album with a range of collaborators including DJ Dahi, longtime producer Ludwig Goransson, Chukwudi Hodge, Kurtis McKenzie and James Francies, Jr.

The original release took place in the first days of the pandemic, when Glover quietly posted it on a website without song titles, playing on a constant loop, before removing it around 12 hours later.

The following week, he officially released it without fanfare or even detailed credits on streaming services.
Indias association with the Cannes Film Festival is as old as the worlds most anticipated showcase of global cinema, whose 77th edition will open in the French Riviera on Tuesday.

It began with Chetan Anands Neecha Nagar winning the then highest award, Grand Prix du Festival International du Film, in the festivals inaugural year  1946. The gritty film shared the honour with David Leans Brief Encounters.

A little more than half a decade later, V. Shantarams Amar Bhoopali (1952), a Marathi biopic on a poet and musician Honaji Balai in the early 19th century, and Raj Kapoors classic Awaara (1953) were nominated for the Grand Prix, but could not get the coveted prize; Shantarams film, however, won an award for best sound recording.

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After these near misses came four back-to-back trophies for Indian films that made it to the competition section at Cannes  Bimal Roys Do Bigha Zameen (1954) got the International Prize; Baby Naaz got a Special Mention as Child Artiste for Boot Polish (1955), produced by Raj Kapoor; Satyajit Rays debut film Pather Panchali got the Palme dOr for Best Human Document; and finally, in 1957, Rajbans Khannas Gotama Buddha earned him a Special Mention (Short Film) as Director (Hrishikesh Mukherjee, incidentally, was the films editor).

Then followed an extended drought, although Satyajit Rays Parash Pathar (1958) and Devi (1962), were nominated for the Palme dOr, followed by M.S. Sathyus Garam Hawa (1974), which had been shortlisted for the Grand Prix.

Mrinal Sen ended this long wait with his film Kharij (1983)  he had to be content with the Jury Prize, though, despite being nominated for a Palm dOr. In the following year, Satyajit Rays eponymous film based on Rabindranath Tagores novel, Ghare Baire, was also nominated for the Palme dOr, but the master had to return empty-handed.

Since then, Indian films have been making their presence felt, though all of them may not have grabbed the headlines.

In 1988, Mira Nair won the Camera dOr Audience Award for her debut feature film, Salaam Bombay!. Shaji N. Karun got a Camera dOr Special Mention for his acclaimed Malayalam film Piravi (1989) about Prof. T.V. Eachara Warrier, whose college-going son was killed in police custody during the Emergency.

In 1991, Deepa Mehta won a Camera dOr Special Mention for Sam & Me, though the film was listed as a Canadian production. That year turned out to be doubly special for India after Aribam Syam Sharmas Ishanou, a film in the Meitei language, was nominated for the top award in the festivals Un Certain Regard segment. It was a first for any film from Indias North-East.

Then came the double good news of 1994. Malayalam director Shaji N. Karuns Swaham was nominated for the Palme dOr  an honour that has come 30 long years later to Payal Kapadia. Satyajit Rays son Sandip Rays Bengali film, Uttaran, got the nomination for the Un Certain Regard Award. Both films, however, did not get the award they had been nominated for.

Towards the end of a dry 1990s, Murali Nairs Marana Simhasanam (1999), a Malayalam film about the first execution by electric chair in India, won the Camera dOr, an award that goes to the best first feature film.

What followed in the opening decades of the 2000s were minor but not insignificant awards. These were for Manish Jhas A Very Very Silent Film (2002; Short Film Jury Prize); Gitanjali Raos animated film Printed Rainbow (2006; Grand Rail dOr Audience Award); and Ritesh Batras celebrated Irrfan Khan-starrer The Lunchbox (2013; Grand Rail dOr Audience Award).

Karan Johars Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh (Bombay Talkies), the four-in-one package of short films celebrating 100 years of Indian Cinema, was nominated for the Queer Palm in 2015 without success.

In recent years, Kanu Behls neo-noir crime drama, Titli, got nominated for but did not win the Camera DOr in 2014. In the following year, 2015, Neeraj Ghaywans acclaimed film Masaan, starring Richa Chadha and Vicky Kaushal (it was his debut film), won the FIPRESCI Prize in the Un Certain Regard section.

Gurvinder Singh (Chauthi Koot; 2015) and Nandita Das (Manto; 2018) were nominated but did not come home with the Un Certain Regard Award.

Payal Kapadia, whos in contention this year for the Palme dOr for her debut feature film All We Imagine is Light, won the Golden Eye for her documentary, A Night of Knowing Nothing in 2021, and in the subsequent year, Delhis Shaunak Sen went home with the same award for All That Breathes, which also made it to the Oscars shortlist.

As the curtains go up on Cannes, all eyes will be on Kapadias film about two nurses who are tortured by their relationships and what they discover when they take a road trip to a beach for a holiday. Its been 30 years since an Indian film was selected to compete for the Palme dOr. Shaji Karun wasnt successful in 1994. Will Payal Kapadia script history in 2024?
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said that the worlds best assault rifle, Kalashnikov AK 203, is being manufactured in Amethi. This collaborative effort between India and Russia has been a gift for the residents of Amethi by PM Narendra Modi. He emphasized the strategic importance of this rifle, highlighting its capability to instill fear in Pakistan when wielded by the Indian soldiers.

The Chief Minister was addressing a public meeting in Amethi Lok Sabha constituency to seek votes for party candidate Smriti Irani. Taking a dig at the opposition, the CM said: This rifle is the pride of Amethi whereas Congress and SP people used to put guns in the hands of the youth here.

He highlighted the unprecedented welcome given to PM Modis roadshow in Kashi on Monday. He said that this happens when a national leader is dedicated to the welfare of his people.

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Lakhs of people who became a part of the roadshow for hours were excited to welcome the Prime Minister because in the last 10 years, he has made Kashi more divine and magnificent than before, he remarked.

Criticizing the opposition, the CM said: In the past, Amethi had elected a leader who neither gave it a district headquarter, nor four lanes for connectivity. This same Amethi was connected by expressway on the request of Lok Sabha candidate and Union Minister Smriti Irani so that the youth here could get employment and industrial areas could also develop.

CM Yogi highlighted the transformative initiatives underway in Amethi, where the BJP is spearheading the construction of a medical college, district headquarters, police lines, and district court.

He underscored the contrast with the past, noting that the region was previously visited solely for electoral gains. He also mentioned the proactive measures taken by the double engine government to address criminal elements within the area.

He further said: This is the region of Awadh, where people may remain hungry, but they cannot forget Lord Ram. Lord Ram resides in every pore of your body. Whereas those whom you used to choose earlier used to reject Lord Ram, insult him, and make derogatory comments about him. They used to form the government in the country with your votes and then speak ill of you.

The people of Amethi have given resounding answers to those who attacked Lord Ram, and today the Modi government they chose has built the divine and magnificent temple of Lord Ram in Ayodhya after 500 years of waiting, he added.

He urged the people of Amethi to give a befitting reply to those who only come for votes, this time again. He remarked: They forget everything once the elections are over. They have taken a lot from Amethi, but have failed to give anything in return.

The Chief Minister said that when the Samajwadi Party prevented its MLAs from visiting the Ram Temple, then the MLA from Rae Bareli, Manoj Pandey, rebelled and broke ties with the party. He said that we have a relationship of birth and rebirth with our Lord Ram which we cannot break away from.

CM Yogi said that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi used to say that if he sent 1 rupee for the people, only 15 paisa reached them admitting that the remaining 85 paisa was eaten up by Congress goons and brokers.

PM Modi has solved this problem. He opened bank accounts for every poor person and the money sent by the double engine government goes directly into their accounts. On one hand, there is the Modi government, which works for the poor, on the other, there are people from Congress and Samajwadi Party who oppose Lord Ram and encourage Pakistan with their comments, Yogi added.

The CM said that India has a much more powerful atom bomb than Pakistan. We wont provoke, but if provoked, we wont spare them either, he said.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday hailed the politics of her late father and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi who, she said, remained accountable to people and introduced many social welfare schemes for the constituency.

She also hit out at the politics of the BJP which, she said, was busy charging the opposition with fake charges.

Earlier, there used to be healthy politics in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee ji was a good leader, he considered the seriousness and dignity of his post, but today the leaders of BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself talks nonsense. Modi says be careful, Congress people will rob your mangalsutra, will take your land, your car and other valuables, she said while addressing an election meeting at Mohiya Keseria locality here.

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Priyanka said earlier people used to change the government if they did not like it. They used to choose another government, but today, leaders of the BJP are bringing down the government through intimidation, buying MLAs, among others, she said.

She claimed her familys relationship with Amethi is very old and it was Amethi who made her father the prime minister.

My father brought a big scheme for irrigation in Amethi, while HAL and BHEL were also established by my father. He established such politics in which leaders became answerable to you, we followed this culture, she added.

Priyanka said in a democracy, people have the right to vote and they have the same right as the Prime Minister of the country, this is the power in a democracy.

In the last 5-10 years, the politics here has changed. The opposition leaders here came for only one purpose, that is to defeat Rahul Gandhi. Several lies were spread to defeat Rahul Gandhi. But after the defeat of Rahul Gandhi, all development work has ended in Amethi  Congress leader claimed.

Priyanka said ,The PM says that no work has been done in 70 years. I have worked here for 10 years, it is true that whatever Congress has done in 70 years, it has been sold to their industrialist friends. Now they are spreading rumors that if the Congress government comes they will snatch everything from you.

Today BJP stopped employment in all sectors. Made jobs in the army just for 4 years , 30 lakh government posts remained vacant and did not recruit them. BJP has also taken away the respect of the army, she alleged.

She said Congress has brought Nyay Patra for the people. We will give Rs 8500 per month to women, will waive off farmers loans, will increase the honorarium of Anganwadi workers, will give jobs to youth, will give 50% reservation to women in government jobs, will form a cleanliness commission, if voted to power.

Priyanka appealed that Kishori Lal Sharma , Congress candidate from Amethi is a member of their family and people should support him.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud will take a call on the listing of a petition by NGOs Common Cause and the Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) seeking direction for the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct an independent and court-monitored probe into the alleged instances of quid pro quo involving the funding of several political parties through electoral bonds by different corporate entities, including shell and loss-making companies, and the alleged consequential gains accruing to them.

Both the NGOs have said that the alleged scam amounting to crores of rupees through electoral bonds can be unravelled only through an independent probe by the SIT under the supervision of the Supreme Court.

Dont worry that matter is with the CJI, Secretariat, they will be fixing a date, said Justice Sanjiv Khanna heading a bench before which advocate Prashant Bhushan mentioned the plea for an early hearing.

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The plea by the NGOs  Common Cause and the Centre for Public Interest Litigation  had sought direction to the authorities to investigate the source of funding of the shell and loss-making companies to various political parties, as has emerged from the data of the electoral bonds.

The NGOs  Common Cause and the CPIL  have sought the recovery of the amount donated to the political parties by the corporates as a part of the give and take arrangement where the donations are found to be the proceeds of crime.

The petition says that the data which has come into the public domain after it was disclosed to the Election Commission of India by the State Bank of India in pursuance to the top courts direction reveals that the bulk of the bonds appears to have been purchased and given by certain corporates to different political parties by way of an alleged quid pro quo arrangements either to secure government contracts or licences, or to secure protection from investigations by the CBI, Income Tax Department, Enforcement Directorate; and as consideration of favourable policy changes.

The data as published by the ECI on its website exposed how quid pro quo arrangements have potentially been made between large corporates and political parties in the last 6 years through the use of electoral bonds. The data shows private companies have paid crores of funds to political parties either as protection money for protection against agencies under the central government or as a bribe in return for undue benefits. In some instances, it has been seen that the political parties in power at the centre or in states have apparently amended policies and/or laws to provide benefits to private corporates at the cost of public interest and the public exchequer, states the petitions by the NGOs.

It further says that the data shows that various loss-making and shell companies were donating huge sums to political parties and these shell companies were used as conduits to launder illicit money through electoral bonds.

In the Electoral Bond scam, some of the countrys main investigative agencies such as the CBI, Enforcement Directorate, and the Income Tax Department appear to have become accessories to corruption. Several firms which were under investigation by these agencies have donated large sums of money to the ruling party, potentially to influence outcomes of probes, states the petition.

The petition has cited news reports regarding electoral bonds purchased by certain companies such as Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd, APCO Infratech Private Limited (APCO), Future Gaming and Hotel Services, Grasim Industries, IFB Agro Limited, Infina Capital Private Ltd. (Infina), Aurobindo Pharma, Vedanta, and Bharti Airtel Limited.

The petitioner NGOs have also alleged that several pharma companies, which were under regulatory scanner for manufacturing substandard drugs, also purchased electoral bonds. The petitioner argued that such arrangements of quid pro quo are in clear violation of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

Having referred to the news reports pointing to suspected quid pro quo, the petitioner NGOs have sought a court-monitored investigation by an SIT into the instances of apparent quid pro quo between public servants, political parties, commercial organisations, companies, officials of investigation agencies and others, and other offences as highlighted in the petition.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked BJP workers and urged them to maintain their zeal till June 1 after filing his nomination papers from the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency for the third time on Tuesday.

Addressing the party workers at a conference here at Rudraksh Convention Center, the prime minister gave the mantra (tip) to ensure victory at every polling booth. He said, We all know winning the trust of people is not easy. If you want to win even in panchayat elections, you have to work hard. One has to remain dedicated to the people 24 hours, only then do the people give their blessings, he said.

In such a situation, this time too this love, this enthusiasm, this blessing of the public visible in the road show should be seen as well as in the EVMs, he said.

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The PM said, Modi will win because of you. But this time, I have to win in every polling booth and it is your responsibility.

Starting his address at the workers conference, Modi said, If all of you workers allow me, I want to say something to you. This is all I have to say to you, Thank You.

He said, I had done a road show here in 2014 and also in 2019, these days I am doing three-four road shows a week across the country, but yesterday you broke all the records of road shows. For this, through you, I would like to bow my head and thank the public. What you are doing today, I have also done this work for many years of my life. No one feels happier than a worker when his resolution is fulfilled.

He further said whatever has happened in Kashi in the last ten years has happened because of you. Therefore, I am confident that you will handle it this time also. You will leave no stone unturned to win the elections.

Giving the mantra of winning each and every polling booth, PM Modi said, Friends, Modi will win because you are the one who will win, but I have to win each and every polling booth. No matter what anyone says, it takes hard work. These processions, slogans, and road shows do not affect the election booth. It does not matter whether it is victory or defeat, but if we lag behind in the voting percentage, then what will I show as a representative of Kashi? Therefore, the resolution should be to win the polling booth.

What should be the method of winning the polling booth, he asked, before answering himself, Turn voting into a celebration of democracy! You still have 14 days to go, celebrate at the polling booth. Invite all the societies and localities in the entire polling booth and organise Rangoli and other programmes there. Not only this On the day you go to vote seen who came to vote and who did not. Those who did not come, it should be your responsibility to somehow bring them to the polling booth to vote.

Giving an example, he said suppose there are ten workers in your booth. A worker should collect at least 30 voters and bring them to the polling booth in a procession with musical instruments.

He said the second request is to calculate the number of votes received at every booth last time. This time that record has to be broken.

Just as Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee had sacrificed for the removal of Article 370, we have fulfilled this dream. The biggest event of my life was seeing voting taking place in large numbers in Jammu & Kashmir and Srinagar. These are signs of Indias bright future. This is the result of our ten years of hard work. My issue is not whether someone from my party will win or not, but the satisfaction that democracy has been strengthened. People should be shown this grand transformation that has taken place in Srinagar. If Srinagar can do it then why cant Kashi do it? That is why 370 is not a normal figure. For this Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was martyred. I wish that out of the total votes cast in every polling booth, 370 new votes should be cast. This will be my true tribute to Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, he said.

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey, and UP BJP President Bhupendra Singh Choudhary were present in the meeting.
Congress leader Vikram Bais was fatally shot while he taking an evening stroll in a residential locality of Chhattisgarhs Narayanpur district.

In a brazen act of violence, unidentified assailants targeted Bais with gunfire near his residence in Bakharupara .The assailants, riding a motorcycle, swiftly fled the scene after firing three shots at Bais. He succumbed to the ruthless attack.

The attack occurred late Monday night, around 10 pm when a group of assailants on motorcycles unleashed a hail of bullets on Bais, inflicting grievous injuries. Despite being rushed to the district hospital, Bais succumbed to his wounds. The incident took place within the jurisdiction of Narayanpur City Kotwali. According to sources, Vikram Bais had stepped out of his home on Monday night when he was suddenly confronted by assailants on a motorcycle. They unleashed a barrage of gunfire, extinguishing Baiss life in a matter of moments.

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Narayanpur Additional SP Robin, speaking to The Statesman, revealed that the assailants fatally shot Bais in the Bakharupara area of Narayanpur. Confirming the incident, he stated that around 3 to 4 assailants shot the Congress leader with pistols. Preliminary investigations suggest that the motive behind the attack may be rooted in personal enmity or a longstanding feud, he added.

Vikram Bais was a stalwart figure in local politics, holding prominent positions as the Vice-President of the Block Congress and Secretary of the Narayanpur Transport Union. Sushil Anand Shukla, spokesperson of Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), condemned the heinous act, describing it as a failure of the state government to provide security to its citizens. He called for a thorough probe into the incident, emphasising the need for accountability and justice.

Meanwhile, the Narayanpur police have initiated a thorough investigation into the incident, deploying multiple teams to explore all possible leads, including potential Maoist involvement. The authorities have assured that the culprits will be apprehended swiftly.
A day after polling for the third phase of Lok Sabha elections in the state, sporadic incidents of violence continued on Tuesday at several places Andhra Pradesh with clashes taking place between TDP and YSRCP supporters repeatedly.

Polling was held simultaneously for 175 Assembly seats and 25 Lok Sabha seats. Fuelled by political soaring tensions between the arch rivals, unrest continued in the state for the second day.

Yesterday, despite the high voter turnout, polling was marred by clashes, vandalism, throwing of crude petrol bombs and even stabbing. Today, followers of YSRCP leader Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy allegedly attacked NDAs MLA candidate of Chandragiri constituency, Pulivarthy Nani with glass beer bottles, hammers and stones when the latter visited the strongroom at Padmavati Womens University in Tirupati.

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Nanis personal security officer was also attacked and he fired his gun in the air. Nani was injured in the attack and admitted to SVIMS for treatment. TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu said, I strongly condemn the attack by YSRCP goons on Chandragiri constituencys NDA candidate Pulivarthy Nani in Tirupati. If there were 150 YSRCP rowdies with knives and rods at Padmavati Mahila University where the strongroom is located what about the protection of the EVMs kept there?

Naidu lashed out at the police accusing the force of failure to protect the people and the Opposition. I request the Election Commission, DGP and SP to take immediate action, he said.

The YSRCP also blamed the police for failing to maintain law and order.

In Tadipatri, there was stone pelting between TDP and YSRCP workers which left the local circle inspector injured. When local TDP leader JC Prabhakar Reddy marched with hundreds of activists police stopped them and used tear gas to disperse the TDP supporters. A car belonging to TDP workers was set on fire and the party office was allegedly vandalised by YSRCP activists at Karampudi under Gurjala constituency in Palnadu district in AP.

In Telangana, BRS candidate of Nagarkurnool RS Praveen complained that his partys councillor Balrajus residence was attacked by ruling party goons in Acchampeta town.
I believe that one should not make long speeches in ones parliamentary constituency but should try to do as much work as one can in the parliamentary constituency, said Defence Minister and BJPs candidate from Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency Rajnath Singh on Tuesday.

I would not like to go into details about how fast Lucknow has developed and what work has been done in Lucknow. But the expansion that has taken place here has received full support from the prime minister and I would also like to say that we got full support of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath which paved way for speedy development, he added.

Addressing an intellectual conference here on Tuesday, the defence minister said, I do not remember even a single incident in which whatever request I made to the chief minister was delayed even for a moment, he immediately gave his consent and approval to it, that is why Lucknow has developed so rapidly and India is also recognised in the world.

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Singh said earlier, when India used to speak on international forums, the countrys views were not taken as seriously as it should be, but today, when our leaders speaks on international forums, the whole world listens with open ears to what India is saying.

This is Indias status in the world. I want to give credit for this to the illustrious Prime Minister Modi ji, due to whose vision and passion India is continuously achieving such heights. India is progressing rapidly from the economic point of view, he claimed.

He said, The dream that Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji had for this Lucknow I have tried to fulfill it with all my heart and with all my strength, I have tried to bring it to the ground and in the future also I will not leave a single effort to ensure that Lucknow becomes one of the best city of the world.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said that a zero-tolerance policy has been adopted against drugs to ensure a drug-free Jammu and Kashmir.

During a high-level meeting convened to review the functioning of the Home Department, the LG underscored the need for concerted efforts from the police, civil administration, and civil society to eradicate this menace.

The meeting, chaired by the LG, was attended by Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Adviser to the Lt Governor; Atal Dulloo, Chief Secretary; RR Swain, DGP J&K, Chandraker Bharti, Principal Secretary of the Home Department, Dr Mandeep Kumar Bhandari, Principal Secretary to the Lt Governor and other senior officials.

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The LG was briefed on the security grid, establishment of the Police Data Centre, modernisation of Forensic capacities, and other projects under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE).

The meeting also deliberated on the operationalisation of drug de-addiction centres and measures to tackle the drug menace.

The Lt Governor discussed issues related to the strengthening of police and allied organisations. He also discussed measures initiated by the Home Department to implement new criminal laws, which will come into effect from 1 July 2024. He also instructed the Home Department to impart proper training to police personnel on new criminal laws.

The Lt Governor emphasised efficient prison management and also took stock of the progress of projects under the PMDP.
The stories behind the buildings, statues and other points of interest that make Manhattan fascinating.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Mr. Huang Weiyan, the Senior Vice President of EVE Energy, visited the company's factory in Malaysia earlier this month for a project exchange, according to the company's press release. During his visit, he held in-depth discussions with Mr. Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim Sikh Abdul Majid, the newly appointed CEO of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), to explore further cooperation opportunities.

Photo credit: EVE Energy

EVE Energy's factory in Malaysia is structured into two phases. The first phase, known as the "International Cylindrical Battery Industrial Park," involves an investment of up to $422.3 million and is located in Kulim, Kedah, where construction commenced on August 7, 2023. The second phase, focusing on energy storage, involves EVE Energy's wholly-owned subsidiary, EVE Energy Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. This subsidiary signed a memorandum of understanding with INVEST KEDAH BHD. on January 15, 2024, in China's Huizhou city, paving the way for the establishment of the EVE Energy

Photo credit: EVE Energy

Malaysia Energy Storage Company and the acquisition of a new site for a storage factory to cater to Malaysia's growing energy storage demands.

The Kulim facility, also referred to as EVE Energy's 53rd factory, primarily produces cylindrical batteries for electric tools and two-wheeled electric vehicles. Since beginning operations, the factory has significantly contributed to the local economy through its advanced manufacturing capabilities and technological expertise, earning widespread market recognition. The project is advancing smoothly as scheduled, and once fully operational, it will greatly enhance the company's ability to serve overseas markets and maintain its leadership in the cylindrical battery industry. It is also expected to boost local employment and economic growth, further strengthening Sino-Malaysian ties in the new energy sector.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday exuded confidence that Kashi will pave the way for Phir ek bar Modi sarkar (Modi government once again).

Addressing the BJP workers conference at the Rudraksh Convention Centre here in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Yogi said that each individual in Kashi was keen to extend a warm welcome to their Member of Parliament and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He added, Every global citizen, who values democracy and cares for the welfare of humanity, closely followed the roadshow and nomination proceedings. The enthusiasm and warmth shown by the people of Kashi during the Prime Ministers nomination and visit on Monday have deeply touched the nation and the world. As the leader of the worlds largest democracy, Prime Minister Modi has tirelessly served for a decade with utmost dedication.

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The CM stated, Kashi must strive to set new benchmarks, as the PMs connection with the people of Kashi, both as their elected representative and as a guide to the party members, serves as an inspiration.

Yogi emphasised that as one of the worlds most esteemed politicians, PM Modi has elevated Indias global standing, reinforced security measures, provided a lasting solution to the challenges of terrorism and Naxalism, introduced innovative development paradigms, and initiated a fresh array of welfare schemes aimed at the underprivileged.

Yogi said, PM Modi has made an unparalleled contribution to enhancing and respecting faith for the first time in independent India. Under PM Modis stewardship, New India is progressing towards self-reliance and emerging as a stronger nation. The world observed his nomination in Kashi with keen interest and astonishment.

He further noted that Kashi is forging a fresh identity, exemplifying the transformations of the past decade evident in the emergence of a new Kashi. The city has garnered global attention by successfully hosting numerous national and international summits. The New Kashi offers everything, he stated.

Yogi highlighted how, as a guiding force for both the government and the party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi championed the mantra of Seva Hi Sangathan during the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the crisis, BJP organisations and workers were seen actively serving the public on the streets.

The Chief Minister emphasised the significance of the Prime Minister filing his nomination from Kashi for the third time. The ongoing campaign of cultural resurgence in the country over the last decade finds renewed inspiration in your nomination from Kashi. Its a matter of great honour, not just for Uttar Pradesh, but for all our countrymen and their faith, he stated.

He continued, With your nomination, Kashi, Uttar Pradesh, and indeed the entire nation would rally strongly behind the call of Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar. Every citizen and every segment of Kashi is deeply connected to this movement. With a determination to put an end to the negative politics of rumours, societal misguidance, and the divisive strategies of the opposition, the entire nation will, under the adept leadership of Narendra Modi, secure a resounding majority for the government for the third time, with Kashi leading the way.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday filed his nomination papers for the third time from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat after performing Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat amid chanting of Vedic mantras.

The nomination papers were filed at the Collectorate before the district Magistrate and returning officer S Rajalingam during a chosen auspicious time. Enthusiasm was clearly visible on the PMs face during the process.

Today, there is coincidence of Ganga Saptami and Nakshatra Raj Pushya and along with Ravi Yoga, is creating good positions of the planets. It is believed that doing any work on this day leads to fulfillment of the desired wish.

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The PM was accompanied by Pandit Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid, one of his proposers, and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to the DMs office for the nomination process.

PM Modi sat in the front chair along with Pandit Ganeshwar Shastri while CM Adityanath sat behind the PM. The BJP Varanasi candidate, PM Modi also took the oath before the Returning Officer.

Along with Pandit Ganeshwar Shastri, other proposers of PM were Jan Sangh worker Baijnath Patel, BJP worker Lalchand Kushwaha and Varanasi BJP district general secretary Sanjay Sonkar.

Today is the last day for filing of nominations for the seventh and last phase of Lok Sabha polls where polling is scheduled on June 1.

Before filing his nominations, PM paid obeisance to Maa Ganga on the occasion of Ganga Saptami at the Dashashwamedh Ghat and later reached Kaal Bhairav Temple. He also took the blessings of Kashi Kotwal Kaal Bhairav before leaving for the Collectorate for nomination.

Before visiting the Kaal Bhairav Temple, Modi said in a post on X, My relationship with my Kashi is amazing, inseparable, and incomparable. All I can say is it cannot be expressed in words!

After filing his nominations, the PM left for Rudraksh Convention Centre where he will address the NDA and party workers meeting. In a grand show of strength, several NDA leaders and chief ministers of NDA-ruled states were present today.

Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs and Petroleum & Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri, BJP president JP Nadda, NDA leaders including Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, RPI leader Ramdas Athawale, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, Pawan Kalyan, Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party President and cabinet minister in the Yogi Adityanath led BJP government, Omprakash Rajbhar, UP minister Sanjay Nishad and former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi were already present to attend the meeting.

Chief Ministers of 12 states are expected to attend the meeting.

This time, the PM is contesting against Congress Ajai Rai and Bahujan Samajwadi Partys Athar Ali Lari. In the 2019 poll, Modi won the seat by nearly 4.8 lakh votes, a big jump from the 3.72 lakh winning margin in 2014.
Senior Delhi Congress leader Anil Bhardwaj on Tuesday claimed that the youth of the country are feeling disillusioned due to unemployment as the Narendra Modi-led government has not fulfilled its promise of 2 crore jobs per year.

Addressing a press conference at the party office, The youth are feeling disillusioned due to unemployment. The Modi government has not fulfilled its promise of generating two crore jobs per year in the past 10 years. It did not fill the vacant posts in various Central government departments.

Attacking the BJP, he further said, 15,783 youth have taken their lives due to unemployment in 2022 alone, and 5,588 students committed suicide because they were staring at a dark and uncertain future in, but the Modi government does not talk about unemployment, only indulges in gimmick to divert key issues from peoples attention in the Lok Sabha election narrative.

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The people of the country have not forgotten the hollow and unfulfilled promises of the Modi government. They are now looking up to the Congress and INDIA bloc to save them from their present plight and struggles, the former MLA said.

Referring to Congress manifesto (Nyay Patra), Congress in its Sankalp Patra promised to provide Rs 1 lakh apprenticeship to the unemployed youth. It has also promised to fill 30 lakh job vacancies in the Central government departments, and it will also create a Rs 5,000 crore start-up fund for the youth.
In a horrific incident, a patient was charred to death when an ambulance caught fire after crashing into an electric pole in Kozhikode in Kerala in the early hours of Tuesday.

The deceased has been identified as Sulochana (57), a native of Nadapuram, was being transferred from the Malabar Medical College in Mudakkollur near Ulliyeri to Aster MIMS Hospital at Govindapuram, Kozhikode, for surgery.

According to fire department personnel, the vehicle burst into flames after fuel caught fire. The accident took place around 3.50 am on Tuesday near Kalluthankadavu in Kozhikode city.

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The ambulance reportedly hit the electric pole when it lost control due to heavy rain. The vehicle was completely gutted in the fire.

Three others in the ambulance  Sulochanas husband Chandran, neighbour Praseetha and a nurse  were thrown out of the ambulance due to the impact of the crash. All of them sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment at a private hospital. Sulochana was trapped in the vehicle as it caught fire and could not be rescued in time.
AICC leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday said in southern India, BJP is saaf (wiped out), in east, west and north BJP is half. The 379 Lok Sabha seats, where the polling has already concluded, indications are that vote has gone against the anti-people Modi government, he said.

The Opposition INDIA bloc will get a clear and decisive mandate. Modi is now the outgoing Prime Minister, because, in the last ten years, the people have turned desperate because of the prevailing socio-economic scenario in the country, he said.

There is an anti-Modi wave at the grass root level in all the States and it is palpable everywhere.

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Now, there is no leher (wave) in favour of PM Modi, but there is jeher (toxicity) in his speeches, he noted.

Similarly, the BJP and BJD in Odisha are the two sides of a coin. Here, there is an unannounced alliance between the two parties here, and they are fighting against the Congress jointly, he said.

So, voters in Odisha are left with the sole alternative either to choose Congress or the anti-people unannounced BJD-BJP alliance.

Congress has always sided with the common people and masses living on fringes, said Ramesh.

Both BJD and Congress are raising Odia Ashmita (pride) issue only because of the ongoing polls. But in reality, they do not have interest towards Odia Ashmita.

Neither the Naveen Patnaik Government in Odisha nor MOdi Government in the Centre patronized the Odia language and culture in the last one decade, he iterated.
Days after prominent schools of the city received bomb threats, Tihar jail and four hospitals of the national capital were similarly targeted on Tuesday.

According to a jail official, they received a threat, to which they immediately informed the Delhi Police and conducted checks as per protocols.

The police got the dog squad for the intensive checks and detection, while the jail administration with their own teams also conducted checks on the premises, however no suspicious object was found, the official said.

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Thorough checks were conducted by special squads and police teams, and nothing was found, an official said.

Apart from the Tihar jail, earlier in the day, four hospitals in the city also got hoax bomb threats.

According to the Fire Department, calls regarding the bomb threats were received from Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital in Ashok Vihar, Dada Dev Hospital in Dabri, Hedgewar Hospital and GTB Hospital.

This comes after Sunday when some other hospitals also reportedly received hoax bomb threats in the city, while an e- mail regarding an explosive device was also received at Delhi airport, which turned out to be a hoax.

It was on May 1, when over a 100 schools in Delhi received hoax bomb threat e- mails which brought all the agencies on their toes, while people panicked.
Two young lives were snuffed out in the detonation of an improvised explosive device (IED) in the Bijapur district, southern Chhattisgarh. The victims are 14-year-old Laxman Oyam and six-year-old Boti Oyam.

The incident that unfolded on the somber Saturday was reported on Sunday with the discovery of their bodies. The incident has plunged the community into profound mourning.

Human rights activist Soni Sori informed the police about the incident after discovering the bodies of the deceased. Subsequently, the police reached the village and dispatched the bodies to the Bhairamgarh Primary Health Center for postmortem.

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Giving an insight into the incident, Bijapur SP Jitendra Yadav informed The Statesman that Laxman and Boti Oyam, along with some villagers, had crossed the Indravati River on their way to Bodhma village of the Itamapar Panchayat to tend to tendu leaves. On their return, the children fell prey to an IED planted by Maoists resulting in an explosion.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed grief over the incident and held the Maoists accountable for the loss of innocent lives. The distressing news of the tragic demise of two innocent children from the village of Bodega in the Bijapur district due to the explosion of an IED planted by Maoists in a field is deeply saddening. I pray for the peace of the souls of those innocent children and offer solace to their grieving families, he said.

The dark shadow of Maoist insurgency continues to engulf our children, which cannot be tolerated under any circumstances. The condemnation of this incident is not enough; Maoists must pay the price for the compassionate deaths of innocents, he added.

However, the Congress party attributed the childrens deaths to a mortar/pressure bomb explosion and refuted the claim of an IED blast.

PCC President Deepak Baij said his party has formed a committee to go into the circumstances under which incident has taken place and submit a report. Baij said, The common man in Bastar is caught between the crossfire of Maoists and security forces. We had prevented such a situation during our rule with the principles of trust, development, and security. Unfortunately, the vicious cycle has begun again. A Congress inquiry committee has been formed to investigate the incident.

According to Bijapur Collector Anurag Pandey, Maoists have so far claimed the lives of 12 innocent villagers. He appealed to the Maoists to surrender and return to the mainstream for the sake of development.

Expressing deep condolences for the childrens deaths, he said that the state and central governments have announced immediate financial aid of 5-5 lakh to each bereaved family and 25,000 as immediate relief for funeral expenses.

In the ongoing strife between security forces and Maoist insurgents in Bastar, heart-wrenching tragedies persist, claiming innocent lives. It is noteworthy that 8-year-old Sunita Hemla was also injured in the IED blast in the residential pocket of Bijapur a few days ago. Death looms large in the forests of South Bastar, where civilians bear the brunt of the ongoing battle between Maoists and the police. In several instances, innocent lives, as well as livestock, have fallen victim to IED explosions.
Recent revelations of persistent Chinese election meddling pose a serious threat to the integrity of Canadas democratic process. The findings from Canadas main spy agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), shed light on the covert efforts by Beijing to influence policy-making, academia, media, and all levels of government. This alarming disclosure underscores the urgent need for robust measures to safeguard Canadian democracy against foreign interference.

Election meddling, regardless of its origin, strikes at the heart of democratic principles by undermining the fundamental right of citizens to freely choose their leaders. The insidious tactics employed by foreign actors, including deceptive methods and attempts to sway public opinion, pose a grave risk to the sovereignty and autonomy of Canada. As a multicultural and diverse society, Canada must remain vigilant in defending against such threats to ensure that the voices of its citizens are not silenced or manipulated. The proposed draft legislation introduced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus Liberal government represents a critical step towards countering foreign interference. The establishment of a registry for individuals lobbying on behalf of foreign entities and granting CSIS greater authority to share information with the public are crucial measures in enhancing transparency and accountability.

By bolstering its legal framework to detect and deter malicious activities, Canada can fortify the resilience of its democratic institutions. However, legislative action alone is insufficient without concerted efforts to address the underlying vulnerabilities that make Canada susceptible to foreign meddling. As CSIS Director David Vigneault aptly stated, Chinese efforts to steal technology are mindboggling, highlighting the multifaceted nature of the threat posed by authoritarian regimes. It is imperative for policymakers to adopt a comprehensive approach that encompasses cyber security measures, intelligence cooperation, and diplomatic engagement to confront the evolving challenges of the digital age. The opposition Conservative Partys calls for stronger action against Chinese interference underscore the bipartisan consensus on the gravity of the situation. This is not a partisan issue but a collective imperative to defend Canadian sovereignty and democratic values against foreign aggression.

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Mr Trudeaus assertion that past elections were unaffected by Chinese meddling may offer reassurance, but complacency is not an option in the face of on-going threats. In response to the Chinese embassys denial of any interest in interfering in Canadas internal affairs, it is essential for Canada to remain vigilant and steadfast in its commitment to upholding democratic norms and principles. Foreign adversaries may seek to exploit divisions within Canadian society and exploit vulnerabilities for their strategic gain. Therefore, unity, resilience, and vigilance are Canadas strongest defences against the insidious threat of foreign election meddling. Safeguarding Canadian democracy requires a multifaceted approach that combines legislative action, public awareness, and international cooperation. By fortifying its defences and standing firm against external threats, Canada can uphold the integrity of its democratic process and ensure that the voices of Canadians are heard free from undue influence or manipulation.
Through the last two weeks of March and April 1930, Mahatma Gandhi continued his march on foot, along with 78 Congress volunteers from the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad to the Gujarat coast; what the world knows as the Dandi March or Salt Satyagraha, a historic event. Undoubtedly it was the most significant breach of salt laws in the country with salt marches and demonstrations taking place in Calcutta, Madras, Bombay, Lahore, Peshawar and Allahabad; in effect, the entire country was swept in the waves of enthusiasm roused by the Mahatmas determination to challenge regressive British imperial policies.

Gandhiji is the pilgrim on his quest of truth, quiet, peaceful, determined and fearless who would continue that quiet pilgrimage regardless of consequences, said Pt Jawaharlal Nehru, as the march continued through dusty villages in the growing heat. In Calcutta, the fiery Congressman J.M Sengupta appealed to all men and women to enroll as volunteers. He said, Bengal is on trial. She had always been in the vanguard of the countrys battle for freedom and cannot lag behind. Let us plunge head-long in the fight and regain the rights which are ours. On the eve of Dandi March, on 11 March 1930, a 10,000-strong crowd at Sabarmati in Ahmedabad hung on to every word Mahatma Gandhi spoke in his characteristic soft style, explaining and exhorting, inspiring and urging the crowds at the same time: In all probability this will be my last speech to you.

Even if the Government allows me to march tomorrow morning, this will be my last speech on the sacred banks of the Sabarmati. Possibly these may be the last words of my life here. On 12 March 1930 Mahatma Gandhi and the growing number of Congress volunteers reached Aslali where he explained the economics of salt tax to the gathering: Do not be content with merely wearing khadi and plying the spinning wheel, thinking you have done all that you could do. Take the case of your own village: For a population of 1700, 850 maunds of salt will be required. For 200 bullocks, 300 maunds of salt will be required. That is, total of 1,150 maunds of salt will be required.

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The Government levies a tax of Rs. 1- 4 on one pukka maund of salt. Hence, on 1,150 maunds, which is equal to 575 pukka maunds, you pay a tax of Rs. 720. A bullock must be given two maunds of salt. In addition, there are 800 cows, buffaloes and calves in your village. Can your village afford to pay this amount in taxes every year? A democratic State is one which has authority to abolish a tax which does not deserve to be paid. It is one in which the people can determine when a certain thing should or should not be paid. When the Mahatma reached Navagam on 13 March 1930, he shared his memories: As I enter the Kheda District, memories ~ some sweet, some bitter  fill the mind. It was while working in the Kheda District I became one with the lives of people.

I have seen nearly all the villages here. I covered many of them on foot. I have come to Navagam in the middle of a battle. Vallabhbhai (Patel) had great expectations of the Kheda District. Having been arrested in this district, he has won glory for himselfIt is after many days and nights of heart-searching that I have decided to stake my life on this last struggle, and to take my co-workers with me so that they, too, may sacrifice their lives. I depend on truth alone for winning this war. In the present struggle, which we have started to establish Ram Rajya, both the poor and the rich are ready to give me monetary help, but I look up to the people for strengthening me. When the Mahatma reached Nadiad on 15 March 1930, he was overwhelmed: I have visited Nadiad often but never before did I see such a huge mass of men. Bound by the chains of slavery, we are being crushed at present, and we want of shake them off. I am sure you have come here today not for my sake or for the sake of my troop of eighty, but because you hunger for complete freedom Vallabhbhais services to Kheda District have been many and various.

That Vallabhbhai is now behind the prison bars. You have, therefore, a threefold duty to discharge. The imprisonment of Vallabhbhai is your imprisonment. Arresting him in Kheda is arresting Kheda itself. Of course by imprisoning Vallabhbhai, the Government has honoured him, but you, it has insulted. What is to be your reply to this insult? Your reply can only be winning complete freedom. How could you do that? I wish all Government servants to give up their jobs. Nadiad produced Goverdhanram and Manilal Nabhubhai.

Are there any heirs of these learned men now? What is the duty of the students in this city of learned men? And the duty of their sisters and mothers? It is up to you all to reply to these questions. You all have to enlist yourselves as volunteers. His clarion calls are timeless lessons in simplifying political complexities and rousing self-respect in people. When the Satyagrahis reached Anand on 17 March 1930, the Mahatma said, A satyagrahis path is the path of love, not one of enmity. It should be the ambition of a satyagrahi to win over even the most hard-hearted of enemies through love. How can one demonstrate that there is nothing but love underlying civil disobedience? Whereas ill-feeling burns others, love burns oneself, and purifies the other person.

This band of satyagrahis which have set out is not staging a play; its effect will not be merely temporary; even through death, it will prove true to its pledge-if death becomes necessary Nothing will be better than if this band of satyagrahis perishes. Here in Anand, you have Narsinhbhais hut. Anand is the educational centre of the Patidars. Where can I give expression to the feelings within me if not before such an audience? I have come to you filled with great expectations. All the students who have entered their sixteenth year have united in giving up their studies, and the teachers too have joined them. At Borsad, on 18 March 1930, the Mahatma spoke about loyalty: At one time I was wholly loyal to the Empire and taught others to be loyal.

I sang God Save the King with zest and taught my friends and relations to do so. Finally, however, the scales fell from my eyes, and the spell broke. I realized that the Empire did not deserve loyalty. I felt that it deserved sedition. Hence, I have made sedition my dharma. I try to explain it to others that while sedition is our dharma, to be loyal is a sin. To be loyal to this Government, that is to say to wish it well, is as good as wishing ill of the crores of people of India To approve the policy of this Government is to commit treason against the poor. You should free yourselves from this latter offence. I believe I have done so.

Hence, I have become ready to wage a peaceful war against this Government. I am commencing it by violating the salt law We must free ourselves from the yoke of this Government and we are prepared to undergo any hardships that we may have to suffer in order to secure Swaraj. It is our duty as well as our right to secure Swaraj. When the marchers reached Ras, on 19 March 1930, Gandhiji referred to the 1924 struggle led by Sardar Vallabhbhai. He said, Today we have entered the taluka in which Sardar Vallabhbhai was arrested and sentenced to prison and in which he had carried on such a vigorous struggle in 1924 that the Government had finally to admit its error and mete out justice that should not have required a struggle.

It is as if Sardar was sentenced to prison as a reward for having served you! The question now is what you can do to serve the cause for which he has been sent to jail and what I should do. Some of the Headmen and Matadars have handed in their resignations. I congratulate them, he said. However, there are still many who cannot abandon the line. I have not come across a single person who has accepted the post of a Headman for the sake of the salary attached to it.

Headmen have the privilege of perpetrating indignities on the people The improper reason for their clinging to their posts is that this privilege satisfies their base self-interest or assists them in their work. But how much longer will you keep on doing your part in squeezing these villages? Have not your eyes yet been opened to the robbery that is being committed by the Government? The Mahatmas speeches continue to provide sustenance to India and a world fighting for its rights.

(The writer is a researcherwriter on history and heritage issues and a former deputy curator of Pradhanmantri Sangrahalay)
It would have been a hot day in Kolkata, as it usually is in August, rain or sunshine. The year was 1943. The date was the 21st. India was still ruled by the British. An editor of a government-owned newspaper and one of the countrys oldest English dailies would have possibly looked out of the spacious glass windows of his stately office and stared into the gold-green palm trees towering beyond the small square just across, deep in dilemma. Should he or should he not go to press with the photographs that he was holding in his hands, defying instructions to the contrary? Or possibly he would have sat at his desk, sipping milk tea just served to him by bearers in white attire, and mulled over what he should do as large ceiling fans whirred overhead. Should he or should he not expose to the world the horrific images that were strewn across the table? Images of famished humans, people from Bengals villages and towns, who were little more than still-breathing skeletons, whose hollow, hopeless eyes reflected nothing but death.

Or possibly, as would an editor and a journalist not daunted by intimidation nor deterred by the threat of impending doom of whatever kind, he would have taken less than a split of a second to come to the decision that yes, he would go against the diktats of his government and print the incriminating evidence that not only was a horrific famine raging through Bengal but that it was a man-made one.

The editor was Ian Stephens, and the newspaper, The Statesman. The blood-chilling photographs published in the 22 August 1943 edition of The Statesman shook up the world and blew the lid off the blatant lie that then British prime minister Winston Churchill was propagating in order to cover up the flagrant violation of human rights that his government was perpetrating against the people of a land that he was supposed to be ruling.

Churchills role in manufacturing the famine by depriving the people of Bengal of their rudimentary ration requirements and diverting food to different parts of the world in order to keep supplies going for his armies as World War II raged is well documented. Tomes have been written on it by historians and others. These books reveal how nearly three million people in Bengal were wiped out by the famine, either having starved to death or died due to malnutrition and diseases related to malnutrition. These also expose Churchills unbelievably callous and condescending statements as he scoffed at Indians and held them responsible for the famine, after it became apparent that he could no longer deny it.

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Blaming the Bengalis for breeding like rabbits and asking rhetorical questions like if there was really a famine and why Gandhi was still alive, Churchills inhuman treatment of the people he colonised has been compared to other perpetrators of genocide, including Adolf Hitler.

It was therefore astonishing that the incumbent British prime minister, Rishi Sunak, who happens to be of Indian origin, took to X, formerly Twitter, earlier this week, to praise Churchill and make the preposterous claim that the world owes him an enormous debt. Not surprisingly, Sunaks tweet on 8 May, celebrated as VE, or Victory in Europe Day, when Germany unconditionally surrendered to the Allies, signifying the end of World War II, created a furore with Indians and others from across the globe ripping into what most considered thoughtless comments.

The glass windows on the ground floor of The Statesmans office still look out to the gold-green palm trees. Sunlight filters in. Interspersed with the sound of intermittent rain. Time has passeddecades. The space within is filled with memories that have mostly faded into oblivion. Except for a few, which have been written in indelible ink. For instance, consider the courage of those like Ian Stephens. As for the fleeting tweet of Mr Sunak, it is like the debris of a heritage building under renovation. It will pass.

BLURB

Rishi Sunak on X: The world owes an enormous debt to Winston Churchill and the many heroes of defeated Nazism and freed Europe from tyranny. We honour and remember them this VE day and always.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he was dissolving the team behind the company's Supercharger charging-station network last month. Apu Gomes via Getty Images; Smith Collection/Gado via Getty Images

It looks as if Elon Musk has decided he needs his Supercharger team after all.

The mercurial billionaire axed the entire charging-infrastructure team two weeks ago.

Bloomberg has reported that Musk is rehiring some members of the team.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is rehiring some of the workers from the Supercharger team he dissolved two weeks ago, Bloomberg has reported.

Last month, Musk said in an email to his staff that he was dissolving the team behind Tesla's Supercharger charging-station network, according to The Information. But it seems that Musk has backtracked on his decision.

Citing people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported on Monday that Musk had brought back some Supercharger workers, including Tesla's charging director for North America, Max de Zegher.

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The longtime Tesla employee joined the company in 2013 and has spent more than a decade with the electric-vehicle giant, according to his LinkedIn profile. De Zegher started out in sales before focusing on Tesla's charging infrastructure in the UK, Europe, and North America.

Representatives for Musk and de Zegher didn't respond to Bloomberg's requests for comment. The outlet said it wasn't immediately clear how many Supercharger workers had been brought back.

Musk's initial decision to lay off the Supercharger team shocked Tesla's investors, partners, and customers. In particular, major automakers that had adopted Tesla's charging tech, such as General Motors, Ford, and Mercedes-Benz, were left hanging by Musk's move.

"There's no one remaining from the team that we worked with. In terms of formal communication from Tesla, we haven't received anything," Aaron Luque, the CEO EnviroSpark, which installs Tesla chargers, told Business Insider's Tom Carter.

A slowdown in the rollout of Tesla's charging infrastructure would be a setback for President Joe Biden's clean-energy agenda as well. In February 2022, the Biden administration said it was handing out $5 billion in funding to build 500,000 EV chargers in the US.

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Citing data it reviewed, Politico reported in February that Tesla was a huge beneficiary of federal funding, winning almost 13% of all EV charging awards from Biden's bipartisan infrastructure law. The company has more than 50,000 Superchargers globally.

The backlash toward the Supercharger team's dissolution may have been a critical factor in changing Musk's mind. The billionaire has spent the past two weeks engaging in damage control, repeatedly assuring that Tesla's superchargers aren't going anywhere.

"Tesla still plans to grow the Supercharger network, just at a slower pace for new locations and more focus on 100% uptime and expansion of existing locations," Musk said in an X post on April 30.

And on Friday, Musk took to his social-media platform once more to clarify that Tesla was still committed to building out its Superchargers.

"Just to reiterate: Tesla will spend well over $500M expanding our Supercharger network to create thousands of NEW chargers this year," Musk wrote. "That's just on new sites and expansions, not counting operations costs, which are much higher."

Musk's apparent about-turn on Tesla's Supercharger business underscores the challenges he faces in trying to reposition the automaker as a bleeding-edge software company.

On April 5, Musk announced in an X post that Tesla would be launching its long-awaited robotaxi on August 8. The Tesla chief even told investors last month that the company's Optimus robots could become its most valuable asset.

"We should be thought of as an AI or robotics company. If you value Tesla as just like an auto company, fundamentally, it's just the wrong framework," Musk said in an earnings call on April 23.

Representatives for Tesla didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from BI sent outside regular business hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider


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I have been a fan of the television drama series, Anupamaa, right from the very start. The number one Hindi TV serial in the country for almost four years now, it tells the story of simple Ahmedabad housewife, Anupamaa, who loved her husband, children, and in-laws, and found her happiness exclusively in theirs. Till the day she found out her husband has been cheating on her, and has nothing but contempt for her as she is uneducated, uncool, overweight, a pushover, with hands that stink of masalas. And so begins Anupamaas second innings, in which she re-discovers herself, with her own hopes and dreams, divorces the cheater who did not value either her love or her stellar qualities, starts her own business, retains the love of her children and in-laws, marries a handsome, supportive tycoon who adores her, and proceeds to have an awesome new life (marred, of course, with all sorts of minor vicissitudes to keep the TRPs coming.)

The fact that the show airs on prime time Star Plus makes it a far more effective tool to battle patriarchy than any number of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaanis, Thappads or Laapataa Ladies. Theres a lot of Matarani and Jai Shri Krishna in Anupamaa, but dont be fooled by the sanskaari trappings. The show is subversive from beginning to end, pretty much starting where Sridevis English-Vinglish left-off. Anupamaa is an excellent home-maker and cook, but also fiery and fearless. She never hesitates to tell off family, friends and society. She is sympathetic, progressive, intelligent, independent, outspoken and thinks for herself. Which is why I wonder how Rupali Ganguly, the actor who plays Anupamaa, and has a fan following which has been compared with that of Smriti Iranis in the early 2000s, will fare in the BJP.

Rupali Ganguly in a still from Anupamaa; (right) Gangulywith BJP president J.P. Nadda.

I suppose the entry in politics seemed like the next logical step to the actorIranis example is there before her, as is Arun Govils. After all, no matter how popular a show is, it cannot run forever, and one must be pragmatic and plan ahead.

But what would Anu (from the show) whisper into the ear of Rupali (the actor)? She would be happy and reassured that Narendra Modi has declared zero tolerance for people such as Prajwal Revanna, and added that they should not be spared. But surely she would want to know why a government that came to power in the wake of the nations anger at the rape of Nirbhaya has proved itself, time and again, to be absolutely callous to crimes against women, unless they belong to a tiny and specific sub-section of atrocities committed on Hindu women by Muslim men? Or why Modi remains silent on horrific crimes against women in Unnao, Hathras, Kathua, Manipur? Or why Bilkis Banos rapists were garlanded, and why Brij Bhushan Sharan Singhs son was given a ticket, and why dastardly dynast Revanna was fielded, even after the BJP was warned by its member that the man was poison. I suppose Rupali will have to explain to Anu that even though this is the real world, in which Rupali is still just an actor, with a whole lot of new lines to learn and a new role to play in a long-running super-hit reality show hoping to be renewed for its third season.

Still, I am hoping that after playing Anu for so many years, Rupali has imbibed a little bit of the characters strength and sensibility. And that she will carry some Anu-ness into this next phase of her life. And even if she doesnt, she isnt the only Anupamaa. We are all Anupamaa. And we all have a vote.

editor@theweek.in
Popular Telugu actor Allu Arjun on Tuesday cleared the air on his political affiliation, days after he was booked for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

The actor said he went to the Nandyal district to support his friend and YSRCP constituency candidate S. Ravi Chandra Kishore Reddy, but clarified that he is not affiliated to any political party.

Allu Arjun said he remains neutral and supports "my people" including Janasena Party founder and his uncle actor-politician Pawan Kalyan, regardless of their political affiliations.

"Firstly, I want to clarify that I'm not affiliated with any political party. I remain neutral and support my people, regardless of their political affiliations. This includes my uncle Pawan Kalyan, whom I'll always stand by, along with my friend Ravi and my father-in-law, Mr. Reddy," Allu Arjun said in a statement.

"I made a promise to my friend, Mr. Ravi, to support him, but I couldn't fulfill it last time. To keep my word, this time I went to Nandyal to support him," he further said.

Allu Arjun had thanked the people of Nandyal for a "warm reception" in a post on X.

"Thank you, Silpa Ravi Reddy (YSRCP candidate) garu, for the hospitality. Wishing you the very best in the elections and beyond. You have my unwavering love and support," he had posted.

The Andhra Pradesh Police booked a case against the actor on Saturday under IPC Section 188 after he was seen waving to a large crowd from a balcony with the YSRCP candidate.
Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth says the criticism of Marvel superhero movies by cinema giants like Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola came across as "harsh" and an "eye-roll" to him.

Scorsese had made headlines in 2019 when he had branded the superhero films as "theme park experience" and "not cinema". Coppola later went a step further and called superhero movies "despicable".

Hemsworth, known for playing the fan-favourite superhero Thor in multiple Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), said he has been a fan of the two filmmakers due to the extensive nature of their filmography.

It felt harsh, and it bothers me, especially from heroes. It was an eye-roll for me, people bashing the superhero space. Those guys had films that didn't work too we all have. When they talked about what was wrong with superheroes, I thought, cool, tell that to the billions who watch them. Were they all wrong?" the Australian actor told UK news outlet The Times of London.

On Scorsese's contention that superhero movies had an adverse impact on mid-budget and indie cinema, Hemsworth offered a counter point.

"Cinema-going did not change because of superheroes, but because of smartphones and social media. Superhero films actually kept people in the cinemas during that transition and now people are coming back. So they deserve a little more appreciation," he said.

Hemsworth also addressed the criticism of superhero movies by actors who appeared in the MCU.

Though he did not name any names, his comments were seemingly aimed at his Thor: Love and Thunder co-star Christian Bale, who had once complained that acting in front of a green screen was a monotony. Another co-star of Hemsworth, Idris Elba, had said it was torture filming a Marvel film.

"It's, like, They're films that are successful, put me in one. Oh, mine didn't work? I'll bash them.' Look, I grew up on a soap opera. And it used to bother me when actors would later talk about the show with guilt or shame. Humility goes a long way. One of the older actors on Home and Away' said, We don't get paid to make the good lines sound good, but to make the bad ones work.' That stuck with me," he said.

Hemsworth, who has appeared as Thor in eight MCU movies, said if he ever played the superhero on the screen again, he would try to do something different.

"If I ever went back to (Thor) I'd wonder how we could change it again. But there is a superhero curse in the sense you get pigeonholed, and I've felt a little hamstrung with what I could do, so (I) desperately wanted something to scare the shit out of me. And Furiosa' did," he said, referring to his upcoming movie Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

The film, directed by George Miller, will be released in theatres worldwide in July.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has taken cognizance of the incident in which one of his personal secretaries misbehaved with Aam Aadmi Partys Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, senior party leader Sanjay Singh said on Tuesday, adding that strict action would be taken against the accused.

Terming the incident as condemnable, Singh said the party will stand by Maliwal in the case.

"Yesterday, Maliwal had gone to meet Arvind Kejriwal at his residence. While she was waiting to meet him in the drawing room, (PS) Bibhav Kumar misbehaved with her. This is a highly condemnable incident. Kejriwal has taken cognizance of it and will take strict action in the incident," he said.

In a shocking claim, Maliwal on Monday alleged that she was assaulted by a member of Kejriwals personal staff at the chief ministers official residence. Though Maliwal went to the Civil Line Police station, she didnt file a formal complaint.

"In the police station, she was informed that a medical examination is necessary to file an assault FIR. She was at the police station for five minutes and left without filing any formal complaint. She said she would be back later," Deputy Commissioner of Police (north) M.K. Meena told reporters.

National Commission for Women chief Rekha Sharma expressed concern over the safety of Maliwal and wondered if the MP was under pressure not to lodge a complaint with the police.

"I am worried about the safety of @SwatiJaiHind... what pressure is she under that she is unable to come forward and file a complaint with police. Be brave Swati #speakup," she said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, Maliwals allegations led to ruckus in the MCD House on Tuesday, with BJP and Congress councillors storming into the well of the House, demanding Kejriwals resignation.

Slogans such as "Kejriwal haye haye", "Swati Maliwal ko insaaf do", and "Kejriwal istifa do" were raised by the opposition councillors stalling the House from beginning its proceedings.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi filed his nomination papers to contest Lok Sabha polls from Varanasi on Tuesday. Key leaders of the National Democratic Alliance had reached Varanasi to attend the filing of nomination of the prime minister.

Modi was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his proposers while he filed his nomination papers at the District Magistrates office in Varanasi.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers prayers at Dasaswamedh Ghat in Varanasi pic.twitter.com/WKQ9is8856  ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2024

Ahead of filing nominations as the BJP candidate for Varanasi constituency, Prime Minister Modi offered prayers at Dashashwamedh Ghat on the banks of the Ganges in Varanasi.

On arrival at the Ghat, the PM boarded a cruise ship at Dasaswamedh Ghat. He also took part in prayers and performed ganga aarti at the ghat, marking the auspicious day of Ganga Saptami. The Prime Minister also offered prayers at Kaal Bhairav Temple in Varanasi ahead of filing the nominations.

The BJP also celebrated the Prime Minister's filing of nominations with a post on X in Hindi, remarking that the temple town of Kashi was once again ready to send its servant to the Parliament. "I have neither come here nor has anyone sent me here, Maa Ganga has called me This relationship between Kashi, Kashi residents and the Chief Servant is one of development, trust and affection. Kashi is once again ready to send its beloved chief servant to the parliament by winning him with record votes," the post read.

The Prime Minister also took to Twitter to hail his association with Kashi, calling his bond with Kashi as "amazing, inseparable and incomparable."
Leapmotor T03 front three quarter

Leapmotor T03 goes after Dacia Spring with 100bhp and 165 miles of range

Stellantis will bring Chinese electric car maker Leapmotors T03 supermini and C10 SUV to European markets  including the UK  beginning in September.

The multinational giant paid 1.3 billion for a 21% stake in the eight-year-old Chinese firm and exclusive export rights late last year.

The T03 and C10 are the first of a wave of Leapmotor models planned for export from China, with "at least one new model to be introduced every year in the next three years".

Leapmotor International  a new company set up by the two firms for global sales  plans to be selling cars at 200 dealerships across Europe by the end of 2024. It will then target the India and Asian-Pacific, Middle East and African and South American markets.

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The brand will launch in the UK in March 2025.

The C10, a five-seat rival to the Tesla Model Y with a claimed 261-mile range and up to 228bhp, will be imported from Leapmotors factory in Hangzhou, eastern China, but Stellantis is likely to build the European-market T03 itself in Tychy, Poland.

The city-focused supermini will be built alongside the Jeep Avenger, Alfa Romeo Junior, Fiat 600e, and combustion-powered Fiat 500, although it isnt yet confirmed whether production of the ageing Italian city car will be affected.

Recent reports suggested that Fiat plans to replace the 17-year-old 500 with an ICE version of the far newer 500 EV and could build both variants on the same line in Turin, Italy.

Asked by Autocar if the 500 will make way for the T03 in Poland, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said: "We do not assign vehicles to plants where there is no capacity available, so it's quite clear that whatever we decide in terms of allocation will be in a plant that has the capacity available to support the sales.

"The case that you mentioned is one possibility. Of course, it is a plant that is meeting all the quality criteria and the cost-competitiveness criteria. Now, of course, if we do that allocation, it's because there is available capacity."

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Measuring just 3620mm long and having only around 100bhp and 165 miles of range, the T03 will be a close match for the Dacia Spring EV, which is also due on UK roads in the coming months.

Stellantis hasnt yet given any indication of pricing, but it is possible that the T03 will claim a significant price advantage over its 15k rival by not being shipped over from China and therefore could become the UKs cheapest electric car.

The C10 is priced from around 17,000 in China but would be considerably more expensive here.

Stellantis says the Leapmotor cars are "considered complementary" to those offered by its existing brands in Europe, suggesting there are no plans to replace any model lines.

Launching these Leapmotor EVs in the UK will go some way to helping Stellantis avoid penalties imposed by the new zero-emission vehicle mandate, under which all major car makers must achieve an EV sales mix of 22% in 2024 and 28% in 2025, on the way to 80% in 2030 and stopping ICE sales entirely in 2035.

Tavares recently branded this scheme terrible and warned it could kill the UKs automotive industry by forcing manufacturers to sell EVs at a loss.

Confirming the Leapmotor expansion plans today, Tavares said: The creation of Leapmotor International is a great step forward in helping address the urgent global warming issue with state-of-the-art BEV models that will compete with existing Chinese brands in key markets around the world.

Leveraging our existing global presence, we will soon be able to offer our customers price competitive and tech-centric electric vehicles that will exceed their expectations. Under [founder and CEO] Tianshu Xins leadership, they have built a compelling worldwide commercial and industrial strategy to quickly ramp-up the sales distribution channels to support Leapmotors robust growth and create value for both partners.

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A United Nations staff member who took premature retirement from the Indian Army as a colonel lost his life in an attack while on a United Nations deployment in the conflict-torn Rafa region near the Israel-Egypt border.



A statement issued by Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the UN Secretary-General on Monday said: The Secretary-General was deeply saddened to learn of the death of a United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) staff member and injury to another DSS staffer when their UN vehicle was struck as they travelled to the European Hospital in Rafah this morning.

This is the first international UN casualty since the beginning of the conflict on October 7. The ill-fated UN vehicle was travelling from Rafah to the European Hospital in Khan Younis.

From the 11 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, Col Waibhav Anil Kale, 46, joined the UN security service as a coordinator in Gaza two months ago.

While there are no further details as to who attacked the UN vehicle in which Kale was travelling, the UN has ordered a full investigation into the incident while condemning all attacks on UN personnel. Col Kale leaves behind a wife and two teenage children in Pune.

A former course-mate of the officer recalled: It is a terrible loss. Of cheerful disposition, he was a wonderful human being.

Gilles Michaud, secretary-general, UNDSS, said in a statement: Waibhav had been with our department for only a few weeks. I had the pleasure of meeting him in Gaza the day after he arrived to take up his post, after a distinguished career in the Indian military and private sector and service as a UN peacekeeper.

He told me that he had joined the UN because it seemed like the best way to make a difference. And Waibhav did make a difference. He signed up to work in support of people who desperately need help. In the most dangerous place, at a time of unimaginable crisis. This speaks volumes about his character. His contribution will not be forgotten.
The Centre on Tuesday extended the ban imposed on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for five more years as it continues to foster a separatist tendency amongst the masses and enhance the support base for it in India, particularly in Tamil Nadu.



The union home ministry imposed the ban invoking the sub-sections (1) and (3) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. In a notification, the home ministry said the central government is of the opinion that the LTTE is still indulging in activities which are prejudicial to the integrity and security of the country.

It said that even after its military defeat in May 2009 in Sri Lanka, the LTTE has not abandoned the concept of 'Eelam' (an independent country for Tamils) and has been clandestinely working towards the 'Eelam' cause by undertaking fundraising and propaganda activities and the remnant LTTE leaders or cadres have also initiated efforts to regroup the scattered activists and resurrect the outfit locally and internationally.

"The pro-LTTE groups/elements continue to foster a separatist tendency amongst the masses and enhance the support base for LTTE in India and particularly in Tamil Nadu, which will ultimately have a strong disintegrating influence over the territorial integrity of India," the notification said, citing a few other reasons too.
The Union Home Ministry has issued an alert against intimidation, blackmail, extortion and digital arrests by cyber criminals posing as police or other law enforcement agencies.

The ministry says this is an organized online economic crime operated by cross-border crime syndicates. Across the country, several victims have lost large amounts of money to such criminals, it says.

A large number of complaints are being reported on National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) regarding intimidation, blackmail, extortion and digital Arrests by cyber criminals posing as police authorities, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Narcotics Department, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Enforcement Directorate and other law enforcement agencies, the MHA points out in its statement.

Elaborating on the modus operandi of these fraudsters, the ministry claims that they typically call a potential victim and inform that he or she has sent or is the intended recipient of a parcel, which contains illegal goods, drugs, fake passports or any other contraband item.

Sometimes, they also inform that a near or dear one of the victim has been found to be involved in a crime or an accident and is in their custody, it says, adding that the fraudsters will then demand money to compromise the case.

In certain instances, unsuspecting victims are made to undergo digital Arrest and remain visually available over Skype or other video conferencing platform to the fraudsters, till their demands are met, warns the MHA.

It further clarifies that the fraudsters use studios modeled on police stations and government offices and wear uniforms to appear genuine.

The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the home ministry, coordinates activities related to combating cybercrime in the country.

MHA says it is closely working with other ministries and their agencies, RBI and other organizations to counter these frauds. I4C is also providing inputs and technical support to police authorities for identifying and investigating the cases, it says.
The number of people who died in the Mumbai hoarding collapse touched 14 on Tuesday morning. National Disaster Rescue Force officials said over 74 people have been rescued alive.

The deaths happened after a 100-foot-tall billboard fell on a petrol pump in the Ghatkopar area amid gusty wind and unseasonal rains that lashed Mumbai on Monday.

According to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials, search and rescue operations were going on, and of the injured, 31 people have been discharged from Rajawadi Hospital. Two teams of NDRF are at the spot to carry out the rescue operations along with the Mumbai Fire Brigade and other agencies. "The NDRF has rescued three people and located four dead bodies under the rubble. We are unable to use hydraulic and gasoline equipment to avoid any fire incident. We are using cranes to remove the debris," NDRF Inspector Gaurav Chauhan told ANI last night.

#WATCH | Mumbai's Ghatkopar hoarding collapse incident: Visuals of the rescue operations from the spot.



The death toll in the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse incident has risen to 14. pic.twitter.com/6A9rcebtVX  ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2024 #WATCH | Mumbai: Ghatkopar hoarding collapse incident | Latest visuals of the rescue operations from the spot.



The death toll in the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse incident has risen to 14 pic.twitter.com/Rr0Qee6dHI  ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2024

Illegal billboard

According to authorities, the hoarding was illegal and the location where the incident occurred has four hoardings set up on the railway land.

Following the incident, the BMC issued a notice to M/s Ego Media for installing the hoarding that collapsed, asking it to immediately remove the remaining three hoardings near the spot.

A case has also been filed against its owner Bhavesh Bhinde, and others under sections 304 (Culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 337 (causing hurt to another person by acting rashly or negligently) of the Indian Penal Code.

Though the Assistant Police Commissioner (Admin) had permitted erecting the four hoardings on behalf of the Commissioner of Railway Police, Mumbai, including the one which collapsed on Monday, no official permission or NOC was obtained from the BMC.

The BMC on May 2 had issued a notice to the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Admin) of Railway Police to instruct the advertising agency about the cancellation of all permissions and to remove the hoardings, a BMC official told PTI.

The agency also faces a police case filed in 2023 for allegedly poisoning trees to put up hoardings which were obstructing the view of the hoardings in the Chheda Nagar area.

Though the BMC allows holdings of a maximum size of 40x40 square feet, the illegal hoarding that collapsed measured 120 x 120 square feet in size, the official added.

Shinde announces probe

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who visited the spot of the hoarding collapse incident in Ghatkopar late in the evening, has ordered a structural audit of all hoardings in Mumbai city. "The hoardings, if found illegal and dangerous, would be removed immediately," he said.

"It is a very unfortunate incident. The government will probe it, and the people responsible will face action. I have also asked the BMC commissioner to conduct a structural audit of all the hoardings in the city. Those found illegal and dangerous will be removed," Shinde told reporters.

He announced aid of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of each person killed in the hoarding collapse.
Bhavesh Bhinde, the owner of the advertising agency which had allegedly put up the hoarding that crashed on a petrol pump in Ghatkopar area, has 23 criminal cases registered against him and was recently arrested on rape charges, police said on Tuesday evening.

After Monday's hoarding crash in which at least 14 people died, he has been absconding, while a case under IPC section 304 (causing death by negligence) was registered against him at Pantnagar police station in the city. In January, Bhinde was arrested in a rape case registered with Mulund police station, but later secured bail, a police official said.

Bhinde, owner of Ego Media, had also contested the Maharashtra assembly elections in 2009, he added.

According to BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, another firm of Bhinde's had been blacklisted by the commercial department of the Indian Railways in 2017-18 after several complaints of installing illegal hoardings were filed against it.
The Mumbai Police made the sixth arrest in connection with the firing outside actor Salman Khans residence. The accused, also a member of Lawrence Bishnoi gang was nabbed by police from Haryana.

The accused, identified as Harpal Singh (34), a resident of Fatehabad in Haryana, was apprehended by a team of the Mumbai crime branch from his hometown on Monday evening, an official told PTI. Police brought Singh to Mumbai during the early hours of Tuesday and he is expected to be produced in court later on Tuesday.

Police recently arrested the fifth accused in the case, Mohammad Rafiq Chaudhary, who had 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.

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.

Singh's name surfaced during the interrogation of accused Chaudhary, another Bishnoi gang member.

According to police, Singh had asked Chowdhary to conduct a recce around Khan's residence and also gave Rs 2-3 lakh to him.

Lawrence Bishnoi, currently lodged in the Sabarmati central prison in Gujarat's Ahmedabad, and his younger brother Anmol Bishnoi, who is believed to be in the US or Canada, have been named in the firing case.

-with inputs from agencies.
Two French prison officers were killed and three were injured when their prison convoy was attacked in Normandy. A major manhunt was launched by French Police after the incident. The escaped prisoner has been identified as Mohamed Amra, 30.

Reportedly, the attack occurred as the convoy was returning to Vreux jail after a court hearing in Rouen.

President Emmanuel Macron expressed his shock over the incident. "Everything is being done to find the perpetrators of this crime so that justice can be done in the name of the French people, he said.

Lattaque de ce matin, qui a coute la vie a des agents de ladministration penitentiaire, est un choc pour nous tous.



La Nation se tient aux cotes des familles, des blesses et de leurs collegues.



Tout est mis en uvre pour retrouver les auteurs de ce crime  Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 14, 2024

French interior minister, Gerald Darmanin, expressed his condolences to the families of the prison guards killed in the ambush.

All means are being used to find these criminals. On my instructions, several hundred police officers and gendarmes were mobilised, he said.

Amra, born in 1994, had been convicted of aggravated robbery and charged with abduction leading to death as well.

(More details awaited)
Refuting the allegations raised by Defence Minister Ghassan Maumoon, India on Tuesday said that the Indian military helicopter pilots stationed in Maldives did not carry out any unauthorised operation in 2019.

The High Commission of India in the Maldives asserted that Indian aviation platforms always operated to the "agreed procedures and with due authorisation" in the country.

The Commission's response comes after India completed the withdrawal of 76 military personnel stationed in Maldives following the demand of President Mohamed Muizzu.

India-Maldives relationship became tense since Muizzu, a pro-China leader, became the president. He had set May 10 as the deadline for the withdrawal of the Indian troops from the country.

While speaking to the media, Ghassan said that he knew of one of the aviation platforms undertaking an unauthorised sortie.

While narrating an incident, he said that one of the two helicopters operated by Indian military personnel in the Maldives landed in Thimarafushi, allegedly without permission. Ghassan also added that the incident was reviewed by the Parliament's Committee on National Security Services (241 Committee) when he was a lawmaker.

Dismissing the allegation, the Commission stated, "Indian aviation platforms in the Maldives have always operated as per agreed procedures and with due authorisation from the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF)."

The Commission also added that the particular incident which saw an emergency landing at Thimarafushi on October 9, 2019, was necessitated due to an unforeseen exigency.

"The specific sortie on 09 October 2019 referred to at the press conference was also undertaken with the approval of MNDF.

The emergency landing at Thimarafushi was necessitated due to an unforeseen exigency, which was carried out after taking necessary on-ground approvals from the Air Traffic Control (ATC) to ensure the safety and security of the platform and crew," the High Commission asserted.

During the press conference, Ghassan also said that the Maldives military still does not have pilots capable of operating three aircraft donated by India.

The Indian military personnel were stationed in the Maldives to operate two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft gifted by India. The helicopters and the aircraft were used primarily for medical evacuations.

(With PTI inputs)
The protest that erupted in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) continued on Monday too, despite the Pakistan government attempting to placate the agitators with subsidies on flour prices and electricity tariffs. Over three people were killed in police firing on Monday, taking the total toll to four.

On Monday, the fourth day of the protest launched by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), over 10,000 people took to the streets to protest against the government. "Three protesters have been killed, all of whom were shot, and currently there are eight reported injuries," Muzaffarabad Deputy Commissioner Nadeem Janjua told AFP. One policeman was killed during violence on Saturday.

As the protests gained media attention, the Pakistan government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif tried to placate the protestors by doling out Rs 23 billion on power and wheat subsidies. After the announcement, Pakistan Rangers, who were called in to quell the protest, were supposed to leave the territory. However, the convoy of Pakistan Rangers was intercepted by angry villagers who pelted stones at them. They responded with tear gas and firing. According to Karachi-based Dawn, three Rangers vehicles were set ablaze on the Muzaffarabad-Brarkot road.

The Rangers responded with the use of teargas and bullets. The shelling was so intense that the entire neighbourhood reeled from it, reported Dawn.

However, Amjad Ayub Mirza, a prominent PoK activist based in Scotland, termed the situation in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as volatile. "This is the broad daylight murder that is taking place in PoK. Our lives are in danger," Mirza was quoted by ANI.

He added that overnight police raids are being carried out resulting in the arrest of numerous leaders and activists, further stoking the dissent. He added that clashes between protestors and authorities are keeping Muzaffarabad, Dadyal and Mirpur on the boil. "The protesters hit back and the Rangers retreated," Mirza said. "It seemed as if the Rangers had disappeared from the scene, but then they came with a heavy contingency," he added.

The activist added that army commandos are being deployed via helicopters into Muzaffarabad. "Each helicopter, he notes, carries about 20 to 25 commandos," he said, raising concerns about the potential for further violence and loss of life.

"We are in a desperate situation," Mirza said, adding that the blackout of internet services in the region has compounded the sense of isolation and uncertainty among residents.

Mirza urged the Indian government to raise the issue at the United Nations and demand answers from the Pakistani ambassador.
The US has warned India of the risk of possible sanctions after New Delhi signed a pact with Iran on Chabahar port. State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters at his daily news conference that Washington was aware that Iran and India had signed a deal concerning the Chabahar port for a period of 10 years.

"We're aware of these reports that Iran and India have signed a deal concerning the Chabahar port. I will let the government of India speak to its own foreign policy goals vis--vis the Chabahar port as well as its own bilateral relationship with Iran," State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters at his daily news conference.

"I will just say, as it relates to the United States, US sanctions on Iran remain in place and we'll continue to enforce them," he said in response to a question on India's deal with Iran on the strategic Chabahar port.

"You've heard us say this in a number of instances, that any entity, anyone considering business deals with Iran, they need to be aware of the potential risk that they are opening themselves up to and the potential risk of sanctions," Patel said.

This comes as India signed a 10-year contract with Iran on Monday to develop and operate the Iranian port of Chabahar, a move which would strengthen bilateral relations with Tehran.

The Chabahar port, situated on Iran's south-eastern coast along the Gulf of Oman, will help India transport goods to Iran, Afghanistan and central Asian countries. This way, India can bypass the ports of Karachi and Gwadar in Pakistan.

According to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, a long-term agreement with Iran to manage the Chabahar port will bring in more investments in the port and open up new trade connections to India in the region.

"Chabahar Port's significance transcends its role as a mere conduit between India and Iran; it serves as a vital trade artery connecting India with Afghanistan and Central Asian Countries," India's Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said in Tehran, after the signing of the agreement."
NEW YORKOn the 12th official day of testimony in the hush money trial against former President Donald Trump, the mogul-turned-politician eyed down his former personal attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen, from across the courtroom.

Mr. Cohen is a central witness to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office case against Trump, which accuses him of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to hide a catch-and-kill scheme to silence adult star Stormy Daniels from speaking on their 2006 Lake Tahoe affair.

After days of testimony from other witnesses, including Daniels herself, the disgraced, disbarred Cohen presented himself as a man with nothing else to lose and eager to bring his former boss to justice.

In direct examination, the prosecutors asked questions allowing Cohen to recollect his work to pay Daniels $130,000 at the behest of Trump to silence her from shopping her story to potential news outlets.

Cohen explained that he managed to broker a settlement agreement between Daniels and Trump and organized the scheme for her to be paid the sum.

Reportedly, Cohen borrowed the $130,000 against his home equity line of credit to conceal from his wife the sum missing from their joint bank account.

Corroborating testimony of banker Gary Farro from earlier in the trial, Cohen created a shell company to funnel the $130,000 to Daniels via an account managed on her behalf by Los Angeles-based attorney Keith Davidson, who previously testified that he represented the AVN Hall of Famer during the negotiations of the hush money deal.

Cohen also recollected asking Trump about Daniels in 2011 after a news story ran alleging the two had sex at a Lake Tahoe resort. According to his account of that conversation, Trump sidestepped the allegation.

Daniels' account of the Lake Tahoe affair surfaced once again during the 2016 campaign. Cohen told jurors that Trump was angry and thought the news of his affair with an adult star could harm his chances against the busy Republican primary field during that election cycle and then against former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

"This is a disaster, a total disaster," Cohen quoted Trump as saying in that conversation, per questioning by the prosecution. "Women are going to hate me. This is really a disaster. Women will hate me. Guys, they think it's cool. But this is going to be a disaster for the campaign."

As he continued, Cohen indicated that Trump was simply thinking of the campaign, not the well-being of his relationship with his wife, Melania, or the reputation of his family.

He wasnt thinking about Melania," Cohen told jurors. "This was all about the campaign. This claim runs counter to what defense attorneys for Trump have tried to present in regards to the payment: that Trump was shielding his wife and family.

More context was also added to a reported delay in transmitting the payment from Cohen's account to Davidson and Daniels.

Cohen testified that Trump urged him to stall the payment to Daniels, saying, "If I win, it wont have any relevance. If I lose, I dont really care." Daniels and Davidson recalled this delay earlier in the trial, indicating that it almost nullified the deal. Cohen said he was just following his boss' directions.

Ultimately, Cohen recalled, the former president told him, "Just do it."

This recollection helps connect the prosecution's argument that paying off Daniels and other actions to catch-and-kill any negative stories about Trump directly influenced the outcome of the 2016 election and could be considered unlawful electioneering. David Pecker, the former publisher of the tabloid National Enquirer, negotiated a deal with former Playboy model Karen McDougal.

McDougal alleges an affair with Trump that lasted from 2006 to 2007. She was paid $150,000 in a deal also negotiated for her by Keith Davidson, but the settlement agreement didn't stick because of several reports of Trump's infidelity, such as one by Pulitzer Prize winner Ronan Farrow for The New Yorker and reporting by the Wall Street Journal, which named Daniels and McDougal.

Pecker, a decades-long Trump ally in the supermarket tabloid news space, previously testified that he pressed Cohen on being reimbursed by Trump for the $150,000 paid to McDougal.

Also, during court today, jurors were presented with a secret audio recording made by Cohen where he discusses the reimbursement to Pecker for McDougal's silence.

Other highlights from Cohen's testimony covered the fallout from when the Washington Post highlighted a behind-the-scenes clip from Access Hollywood. In that scandal, Trump was caught on hot mic speaking with then-host Billy Bush about trying to have an affair with a married woman. It was in this video that the infamous line "Grab 'em by the pussy" was introduced into the 2016 political discourse.

In his testimony, Cohen said that he was instructed by Trump, citing a recommendation from the former president's wife, Melania, to spin the Access Hollywood story as simple "locker room talk."

And the spin that he wanted put on it was that this is locker room talk, something that Melania had recommendedor at least he told me thats what Melania had thoughtand use that in order to get control over the story and minimize the impact on him and his campaign, Cohen said of this conversation.

Evidence presented by the prosecution includes an email chain that included Cohen and senior Trump campaign staffersSteve Bannon, Kellyanne Conway, David Bossie, Jason Miller and Hope Hickscoordinating on "damage control" related to a Washington Post inquiry at the time seeking comment from then-candidate Trump. Hicks has already testified in the trial in response to a subpoena by the prosecution.

Cohen also told the court that he was paid $420,000 as a reimbursement for his services in securing and paying Daniels' silence. Cohen was informed by former Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg that the payment would be a series set up to look like future legal services but was actually the reimbursement, a technical fee payment, a bonus for Cohen, and taxes.

Trump's attorneys are expected to cross-examine Cohen on Tuesday. Defense counsel is expected to present Cohen as a disgruntled former felon and disgraced high-power Manhattan attorney looking for revenge.

--

A quick note on our trial day math: Trump's trial has been going on for 16 days. However, we refer to today as day 12. This is because the first four days of the trial were jury selection. So far, only 12 days of testimony have taken placetherefore, 12 days of the trial's primary proceeding, comprised of Trump's actual trial and the jury's hearing of all evidence and testimony.
Kolkata, May 14 (PTI) The Manipal Hospitals, which announced the official brand integration of all three AMRI units in Kolkata, is planning to soon start liver transplantation here, an official said.

The Manipal Hospitals, which has invested a total of Rs 2,200 crore in acquiring the three units of AMRI, Dhakuria, Mukundapur and Salt Lake last September, MD & CEO of Manipal Hospitals Dilip Jose told reporters.

The service excellence at the three facilities will be aligned with Manipal Hospitals standards from Wednesday, he added.

"We conduct kidney transplantation here, now we are planning to start liver transplant," Jose said.

Ballal said that this would help the people from the eastern part of the country avail treatment close to home rather than travelling to far-off places like Bengaluru.

On its expansion plans in the city, Jose said that they are building a 350-bedded greenfield hospital in the city's Rajarhat area.

Jose, who was accompanied by Chairman of Manipal Hospitals Dr H Sudarshan Ballal, said that their takeover of the Kolkata-based hospital chain Medica Synergie "would not take very long".
This acquisition enables Synechron to enhance its technological capabilities, broaden its service offerings, and expand its coverage to the Australian market.



PUNE, India, May 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Synechron, a leading global digital transformation consulting firm focused on financial services and technology organizations, announced its acquisition of iGreenData, a modern, data-centric digital solutions company founded in 2018. iGreenData, headquartered in Melbourne with an additional office in India where Synechron has a significant presence, specializes in cloud-enabled data and digital engineering. The company serves a diverse array of blue-chip clients and has high domain expertise in the banking and financial services sectors, along with strengths in full-stack, DevOps, cloud, data engineering, automation, and blockchain. The acquisition of iGreenData was completed on May 13, 2024.





This acquisition enhances Synechron's leadership in digital transformation by combining their agile, creative approach with iGreenData's specialized skills in cloud technology and lean data engineering practices. The integration adds to Synechron's payments capabilities in delivering customized solutions that achieve substantial business outcomes, while continuing to swiftly and effectively meet their clients' evolving needs.



Moreover, the acquisition expands Synechron's global reach. By leveraging Australia's strategic location, Synechron is better positioned to provide continuous support across time zones in Asia, the Americas, and Europe.



Faisal Husain, Synechron Co-Founder and CEO, commented, "We're thrilled to welcome iGreenData into the Synechron family. This acquisition will enable us to continue deepening our payments technological strength and expand our footprint to the Australian market. Together, we will leverage our combined expertise in digital transformation and innovation to deliver value-added solutions that meet the evolving needs of our clients."



Max Sundaram, iGreenData Co-Founder and CEO, said, "We're very excited to become part of the Synechron team. With their global reach and our shared commitment to excellence, we're well positioned to provide the best-in-class transformative digital experiences."



About Synechron:



At Synechron, we believe in the power of digital to transform businesses for the better. Our global consulting firm combines creativity and innovative technology to deliver industry-leading digital solutions. Synechron's progressive technologies and optimization strategies span end-to-end Artificial Intelligence, Consulting, Digital, Cloud & DevOps, Data, and Software Engineering, servicing an array of noteworthy financial services and technology firms. Through research and development initiatives in our FinLabs we develop solutions for modernization, from Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain to Data Science models, Digital Underwriting, mobile-first applications and more. Over the last 20+ years, our company has been honored with multiple employer awards, recognizing our commitment to our talented teams. Synechron has a global workforce of 14,000+ and has 51 offices in 20 countries in key global markets. For more information on the company, please visit our website or LinkedIn community.



About iGreenData:



Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, and with presence in India, iGreenData is a fast-growing digital engineering organization with a prime focus on Cloud First, Data-Centric Digital Engineering and Blockchain offerings. The team is at the forefront specializing in cutting-edge modern software engineering technologies with a commitment to ensure our solutions and services bring value to our customers.



iGreenData brings deep Banking industry knowledge, with decades of Leadership experience and track record of success in Australia, delivering large complex programs, and a highly capable team to deliver industry-leading experiences for our customers. With close to 200 strong professionals, we set out to bring together talented individuals who are encouraged in their creativity and empower them to deliver new technological solutions to our stakeholders.



iGreenData was ranked third in Rising Star category at the prestigious Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Australia awards for 2 years in a row in 2020 & 2021 and also was inducted to nineteenth place at the prestigious CRN Fast 50 Australia 2021 as recognition of the exponential growth over 3 years.



For more information on the company, please visit our website.



For more information please contact:

Rashmi Joshi,

Synechron

+91-9560694654

Media@synechron.com

Rashmi.Joshi@synechron.com



OR



Zoe Forbes-Pyfrom

(+44) 7718 599666

synechron@cognitomedia.com



Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1943591/Synechron_Logo.jpg



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SOLAN, India, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Shoolini University has achieved outstanding results in the SCIMAGO Institutions Rankings 2024, showcasing its strong commitment to academic excellence. This institution has become the No.1 University in India in Chemistry, Physics, and Astronomy, reinforcing its national leadership in these disciplines. This is the fourth time in a row that Shoolini has grabbed the top spot in Chemistry.



The latest rankings showcase a remarkable advancement in the university's global standing, with an impressive overall rank of 1492, marking a significant rise from 1561 in 2023.



In the Asian region, Shoolini has surged to 496th place from 540th, solidifying its stature as a premier educational institution. Moreover, the university has made substantial strides in the BRICS region, climbing to 332nd place from 384th, further amplifying its influence on the global stage. Notably, in India, Shoolini University has secured the 29th rank in the overall global standings.



In the category of Global Research, Shoolini University has showcased remarkable progress, securing a global research rank of 739, a substantial improvement from 890 in the previous year. In India, the university continues to lead the way, maintaining its 7th position in research excellence.



Additionally, the university has shown exceptional strength in various disciplines, achieving notable success in Mechanical Engineering, Environmental Science, and Energy, among others. In Innovation, Shoolini garnered global recognition, securing 2920th place and notable positions in the Asian, BRICS, and Indian regions.



Congratulating all faculty and staff, Shoolini University Chancellor Prof PK Khosla stated, "We must continue to work diligently to achieve a leadership position in India." Pro Chancellor Vishal Anand praised the researchers, stating, "Research drives innovation and progress, and it is at the core of Shoolini University's mission."



Vice Chancellor Prof Atul Khosla commended the faculty and students for their commitment to academic excellence, stating, "Our faculty's expertise and the students' hard work have been key in achieving these outstanding subject-wise rankings. We remain dedicated to providing a nurturing environment for learning and research."



Dean (Research and Development) Prof Sourabh Kulshreshtha noted that the university has improved its rankings across most parameters compared to last year.



About Shoolini University



Set up in 2009, Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences is a research-driven private university with full recognition from the UGC. As the No.1 Private University in India (QS and Times Higher Education), it is acclaimed for its focus on innovation, quality placements, and world-class faculty. Nestled in the lower Himalayas, the university is NAAC accredited and ranked Top 100 by NIRF.



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(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR

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In an interconnected world, the concept of citizenship has evolved beyond borders. Are you and your family looking to migrate abroad? If yes, you can explore residence by investment opportunities offered by various countries. The idea is simple. You either invest in a real estate or invest in a business abroad. In return, you and your family is granted a residence visa. After a few years of investment, you and your family can apply for permanent residence. Every country offers a unique plan. It is a true win-win for families and countries. Families gain the chance to start a new life in thriving economies with an access to a higher quality of life. And the host countries enjoy an economic boost from the influx of new capital and skills.



Immigrans Global, an Immigration Consultancy Company is excited to announce an upcoming webinar scheduled for Friday, 24th May, which will cover a range of residence by investment programs available in Portugal, Dubai, Latvia, the UK, the US and Greece. Designed for individuals looking to explore global living opportunities, this informative session will provide detailed insights into each countrys opportunities, benefits, and requirements. To learn more about the webinar or to register, please click on https://immigransglobal.com or reach out at info@immigransglobal.com or call on +91 98201 20154.



Now, let's look into the residence by investment programs that are offered in Portugal, Dubai, Latvia, the UK, the US, and Greece.



1. Portugal: The European Gem



 For Portugal Golden Visa, invest a minimum 500,000 into Portuguese Alternative Investment Fund or Venture Capital Fund or invest equivalent amount in a Portuguese business that is generating 10 employment in Portugal;



 For Portugal D2 visa, applicant must start and operate a business in Portugal. It is recommended to invest substantial amount starting from 200,000 or more, in order to increase the chances of a successful visa application.



Benefits: Visa-free travel within the Schengen area; Opportunity for PR and citizenship after specified period; Portugal Passport holders get visa free access to 159 countries



2. United Arab Emirates: Dynamic Hub



 For 2-year Investor Property Visa, an investor is required to own a property in the UAE worth minimum AED 750,000;



 For 5-year or 10-year Golden Visa, an investor is required to invest minimum AED 2 million in a property or in an investment fund accredited in the UAE.



Benefits: Opportunity for long-term residency and potential citizenship by naturalization (by living for 30 years); UAE Passport holders get visa free access to 140 countries.



3. Latvia: The Baltic Haven



 An investor is required to invest at least 50,000 in a legitimate business set up in Latvia that is paying taxes every year. Further, the applicant needs to donate 10,000 to the countrys budget as a one-time payment;



 Minimum investment of 250,000 in a real estate.



Benefits: Visa-free travel within the Schengen area; Opportunity for PR and citizenship after specified period; Latvian Passport holders get visa free access to 148 countries



4. UK: A Timeless Haven



 The UK Innovator Visa offers entrepreneurs opportunity to start a new business in the UK or start their existing business in the UK for the first time;



 The business plan must be approved by the UK government approved endorsement body;



 Earlier the businesses were required to have a minimum 50,000 to invest in the business. The UK Government has waived the stated requirement. However, the applicant needs to prove that they have sufficient funds to invest in business idea which is genuine, innovative and original.



Benefits: UK Innovator Visa is granted for 3 years; Visa is further renewable and could lead to settlement in the UK; 2-4 founders can apply under one application with their dependents; UK passport holders get visa free access to 155 countries.



5. US: The Land of Opportunity



 The investment must be in a commercial enterprise operating in the US;



 The Commercial enterprise must generate full time employment for minimum 10 qualifying employees;



 An US EB-5 visa investor must invest a minimum USD$ 800,000 at the targeted employment area (rural area or an area that has experienced high unemployment) or USD$ 1.05 million in other projects.



Benefits: Investors spouse and unmarried children under 21 years get eligible to secure Green Cards for 5 years; US passport holders are allowed visa free access to 150 countries



6. Greece: A Mediterranean Paradise



 Investors need to invest in Greek real estate starting at a minimum of 250,000#;



 Make a minimum capital investment of 400,000 in the Companies having registered office in Greece; or



 Make a minimum investment of 800,000 in Greek Financial Institution or minimum 400,000 in Greek government bonds.



#The Greek Government has proposed to increase the minimum investment from 250,000 to 400,000 from August onwards. Investors may still apply under the current 250,000, if they pay a 10% deposit by 31st August, 2024 and finalise their investment by 31st December, 2024.



Benefits: Visa-free travel within the Schengen area; Opportunity for PR and citizenship after specified period; Greek Passport holders get visa free access to 155 countries.



Seize the Opportunity



Each residence by investment program offers its own set of criteria, benefits, and opportunities. By carefully considering their goals, preferences, and financial capabilities, individuals can embark on a journey towards a brighter future in a new land.



(Disclaimer : The above Press Release is provided by HT Syndication and PTI will not take any editorial responsibility of this content.). PTI PWR

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DA NANG, Vietnam, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Stavian Industrial Metal Joint Stock Company proudly announces its sponsorship and participation in the SEAISI 2024 Conference & Exhibition, held from May 13th to 16th, 2024, at the Ariyana Convention Center in Danang, Vietnam. This event serves as a pivotal platform for the Southeast Asian steel industry.



Stavian Industrial Metal is poised to make a significant impact at the conference, aligning with the theme "Surviving and Thriving in the Decarbonized World." As a Diamond tier sponsor, the company will directly engage with customers and partners at Booth 14, presenting forward-thinking solutions for the sustainable metal industry.



Emphasizing solutions and international collaboration



Stavian Industrial Metal distinguishes itself as more than a distributor; it is a comprehensive solution provider, facilitating international trade and connectivity. "Our mission extends beyond conventional metal trading. We offer a suite of 15 business solutions and 4 business models designed to enhance the purchasing experience for our clients," the Senior Leader of the company stated.



Moreover, Stavian Industrial Metal actively seeks collaboration in trade, investment, manufacturing, technology transfer, and data analytics, fostering partnerships that drive mutual growth and development. This collaborative approach underscores the company's role as a catalyst for international connectivity and economic prosperity.



Positioning as a Global Facilitator



Stavian Industrial Metal's positioning as a comprehensive solution provider extends beyond the boundaries of Vietnam. While rooted in Vietnam, the company serves as a conduit for global connectivity, facilitating the exchange of metals and expertise between Vietnam and the international community. "Our vision is not only to bring Vietnamese metals to the world but also to welcome the world to Vietnam," the Senior Leader of the company stated.



Commitment to Sustainable Development and Global Connectivity



Embracing a strategic vision that emphasizes both international connectivity and sustainable growth, Stavian Industrial Metal reaffirms its dedication to integrating green steel into its operational framework. "Our participation in SEAISI 2024 underscores our commitment to driving sustainable practices within the metal industry. We recognize the global imperative to reduce carbon emissions and are steadfast in our pursuit of innovative solutions that benefit our customers and society," a company representative remarked.



This strategic alignment positions Stavian Industrial Metal to capitalize on emerging opportunities, including the anticipated green taxation in Europe, enhancing prospects for future exports to European and American markets. By prioritizing the development of green steel products, the company aims to propel Vietnamese metal products to the forefront of the global market while fostering a network of innovative solutions and facilitating the integration of international expertise into the Vietnamese market.



About Stavian Industrial Metal



Stavian Industrial Metal, a subsidiary of Stavian Group, leverages its robust financial foundation and extensive global network to spearhead the trade and distribution of high-quality metals, including steel, aluminum, copper, and stainless steel. Renowned for its innovative business solutions tailored to the metal trading industry, the company is committed to promoting Vietnamese metal products on the global stage while facilitating the integration of international best practices and advancements into the Vietnamese metal industry.



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New Delhi, May 14 (PTI) The CBI has arrested former DHFL director Dheeraj Wadhawan in connection with a Rs 34,000-crore bank fraud case, officials said on Tuesday.

Wadhawan was taken into custody from Mumbai on Monday evening, they said and added that he was produced before a special court in Delhi on Tuesday that sent him to judicial custody.

He was already charge-sheeted by the CBI in connection with the case in 2022, they said.

Wadhawan was earlier arrested by the agency in connection with the Yes Bank corruption case and was on bail, they said.

The CBI had registered the DHFL case related to the alleged defrauding of a consortium of 17 banks to the tune of Rs 34,000 crore, making it the biggest banking loan fraud in the country, they said.
Mumbai, May 14 (PTI) An "unchecked explosion" by retail investors in the riskier futures and options (F&O) segment can come to hit household finances in the future, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman warned on Tuesday.

"Any unchecked explosion retail trading in F&O can create future challenges not just for the markets (but) for investor sentiment and also for household finances," she said at an event at the BSE here.

"Household finances have made a generational shift. We want to safeguard them," she said, addressing the 'Viksit Bharat 2047' event here.

Speaking about the household finances, Sitharaman attacked the Opposition for having a limited view of the topic, and pointed out that while the investments in fixed deposits and post offices may have reduced, which is leading to the Opposition parties' ire the same money has been funnelled into the capital markets.

It can be noted that a few months ago, a study undertaken by capital markets regulator Sebi had revealed that 9 of 10 retail investors suffer a loss on their bets in the F&O market.

Flags have been raised on the derivative play by retail investors since then, by many concerned stakeholders, including by Sebi Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch.

Sitharaman also appealed to the BSE to work closely with markets regulator Sebi to help investor confidence by stringent compliances and robust regulatory standards.

The BSE and its larger rival NSE should mitigate systemic risk and ensure market stability, she added.

Sitharaman said the financial sector regulator need to adopt a "soft touch" approach which focuses on public consultations before writing a regulation and also asked them to be open to review a regulation after some statute has been notified.

Meanwhile, Sitharaman said the domestic flows have become a "counterbalancing element" to the "whimsical" play by foreign portfolio investors, she said.

Sitharaman said an additional USD 20 billion of overseas flows will be received because of the inclusion of the country in the JP Morgan bond indices.

Amid the changes in the market volatility indicators, which have led to speculation over whether the market is suspecting a surprise in the election outcomes, Sitharaman said Modi will form a government for the third term and deliver a stable government which will work with the focus on minimum government and maximum governance.
Beijing, May 14 (PTI) China and Pakistan on Tuesday discussed plans for the realignment of the strategic Karakoram Highway, acceleration of the CPEC projects, upgradation of the Karachi-Peshawar railway project, and improvement of the Gwadar Port managed by a Chinese firm.

On the second day of his four-day visit, Pakistans Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar held talks with Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC) and discussed accelerating the projects that are part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) among other issues, Pakistan's official media reported in Islamabad.

Dar is here to take part in the fifth Strategic Dialogue with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday. The two leaders will comprehensively review bilateral relations, including economic and trade cooperation; high-level exchanges and visits; upgradation of the CPEC, future connectivity initiatives, and the geopolitical situation.

Ahead of that meeting, Dar and Liu reaffirmed the importance of the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership between Pakistan and China and to further reinforce mutually beneficial collaboration, the state-run news agency, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said.

The two leaders discussed plans to accelerate projects under the USD 60 billion CPEC, including ML-I upgradation, Gwadar Port, and realignment of the Karakoram Highway.

The 1,300 km highway laid through the Khunjerab mountainous pass extends from Hasan Abdal near Pakistan's capital Islamabad to Kashgar in China's Xinjiang region. The road, called KKH, was inaugurated in 1978 after nearly 20 years of construction.

Pakistan has sought the realignment of the KKH, expected to play a significant part in the CPEC, connecting Gwadar port and Chinas Xinjiang province.

India has already protested the CPEC construction as it is being laid through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The two ministers also discussed accelerating all projects under CPEC, which were delayed due to the prevailing political, and economic crisis in the country. The two countries are also discussing the upgradation of the USD eight billion ML-I railway line connecting Karachi and Peshawar through Lahore.

They also discussed the recurring attacks on the Chinese personnel working in the CPEC projects by militant groups in Pakistan.

In March this year, five Chinese and one Pakistani national were killed in a terrorist attack on their vehicle of the Dasu Hydropower Project undertaken by a Chinese company in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.

Dar expressed condolences and shock over Chinese casualties in the attack, and reiterated Pakistans firm resolve to counter terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and to bring perpetrators of the attack to justice.

He underlined the measures taken by Pakistan to ensure enhanced security of Chinese projects, personnel, and institutions in Pakistan, the APP said.
Philadelphia (US), May 14 (AP) Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said the long delay by the US Congress in approving military aid for his country was a colossal waste of time, allowing Russian President Vladimir Putin to inflict more suffering in the 2-year-old invasion and prolonging the war.

The severe lack of ammunition, which forced outgunned Ukrainian forces to surrender village after village on the front lines, also sowed concern among Ukraine's other Western allies about Kyiv's prospects in repelling the Russian invasion, Yushchenko told The Associated Press in an interview on Monday.

That sent a signal to Putin to attack, ruin infrastructure, rampage all over Ukraine, said Yushchenko, a pro-European reformer who sought to distance Kyiv from Moscow during his 2005-2010 administration.

And, of course, this undermines the morale of those in the world who stand with and support Ukraine, said Yushchenko, who was in Philadelphia to speak at a World Affairs Council event.

The delay is not fatal to Ukraine, but it forced Ukraine's war planners to revise the current year's campaign, he said.

Yushchenko has backed the handling of the war by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and has asserted that no Ukrainian politician would give up territory in order to end the war.

Yushchenko said it would be a big mistake for the US and Europe to expect such a deal for peace, and would only embolden Putin to attack again.

It would, he said, give Putin five or seven years to get stronger and then start this misery again.

On the battlefield, Russia is pushing ahead with a ground offensive that opened a new front in eastern Ukraine's Kharkiv region and put pressure on overstretched Ukrainian forces.

Yushchenko urged Western allies to make political decisions faster to aid Ukraine in a fight that soldiers are waging every day around the clock.

The front line is working 24 hours, it doesn't take vacation," he said.

After the US aid was approved last month, President Joe Biden said he was immediately rushing badly needed weaponry to Ukraine as he signed into law a USD 61 billion war aid measure for Ukraine. Without it, CIA Director Bill Burns has said, Ukraine could lose the war to Russia by the end of this year.

Still, only small batches of US military aid have started to trickle into the front line, according to Ukrainian military commanders, who said it will take at least two months before supplies meet Kyiv's needs to hold the line.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday that the Biden administration was trying to really accelerate the tempo of US weapons shipments to Ukraine following the monthslong delay by Congress. The level of intensity being exhibited right now in terms of moving stuff is at a 10 out of 10, he said.

The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday in an unannounced diplomatic mission to reassure Ukraine that it has American support.

Biden and Ukraine's allies in Congress pushed for months to overcome resistance from hard-right Republican lawmakers in the House over renewed American support for repelling Russia's invasion.

Final action only came after Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson pushed past that opposition last month to bring Ukraine aid to a vote.

The funding impasse dated back to August, when Biden made his first emergency spending request for Ukraine. Since Russia's February 2022 invasion, the US has sent more than USD 44 billion worth of weapons, maintenance, training and spare parts to Ukraine.

Yushchenko acknowledged the huge losses that Ukraine has suffered in over two years of war, costing lives every day and forcing regular Ukrainians to join the fight. But he said that he was ashamed to hear arguments about war fatigue and that it shouldn't be an excuse to stop fighting.

Every day we pay with our lives, Yushchenko said. The lives of children and women, the lives of Ukrainian soldiers. Our infrastructure is being destroyed every day.

Despite his harsh criticism of the US delay in approving the latest military aid, Yushchenko acknowledged that Ukraine has been able to recapture a significant part of the occupied territory thanks to Western support.

More gains can be achieved if the allies are united, Yushchenko said.

For Putin, the main geopolitical challenge is freedom and democracy. And today he is using all available resources to show that the Western world is weak and unable to coalesce, Yushchenko said.

He has said he believes victory for Ukraine is inevitable, given the sacrifice of the country's citizens to fight, and sees the war as a larger, defining battle to defend democracy from tyranny and imperialism.

Yushchenko came to power as a popular opposition leader in the 2004 Orange Revolution protests, beating Putin's preferred candidate. As president he adamantly pushed to move Ukraine out of Moscow's shadow and integrate more closely with Western Europe.

But his presidency was marked by political skirmishing that paralysed government and prevented any of his promised reforms from being passed. He lost power amid a plunging Ukrainian economy during the 2008 global financial crisis and tensions with Russia highlighted by a clash over gas prices.

Yushchenko survived a dioxin poisoning during his 2004 election campaign, and several former Russian intelligence officers accused Moscow of being behind the poisoning.

The poisoning forced Yushchenko to temporarily abandon campaign activities in the midst of Ukraine's hotly contested presidential race, and severely disfigured his face. But it also earned him the sympathy of many Ukrainians. He has said he subsequently underwent more than two dozen surgeries. (AP) PY

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(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)
Hong Kong, May 14 (AP) Hong Kong's leader on Tuesday urged foreign governments to respect its overseas-based trade offices after a staff member in its London branch was charged in Britain for allegedly working for the Chinese city's intelligence service.

Chief Executive John Lee said his administration had demanded the British government provide an explanation about the prosecution of Bill Yuen, the office manager of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London. Lee said any attempt to make unwarranted allegations against the city's government is unacceptable.

British police allege that Yuen, along with Chi Leung (Peter) Wai and Matthew Trickett, agreed to engage in information gathering, surveillance and acts of deception that were likely to materially assist the Hong Kong intelligence service. The trio was charged under a new national security act that gave British police additional powers to tackle foreign espionage.

In his weekly news briefing, Lee said the duties of the trade office in London are to foster ties with various sectors in Britain and promote Hong Kong.

Any attempt to interfere with the work of the ETO offices in different places will be against free trade and free economy and will harm the economy of the countries that try to do bad things to the operation of the ETO offices, he said.

Monday's prosecution is likely to sour relations between Britain and China. Chinese authorities in both the UK and Hong Kong have criticized the charges, saying they were the latest in a series of groundless and slanderous accusations that the British government has levelled against China.

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday that China is gravely concerned about the prosecution of the Chinese national and called on Britain to safeguard the legitimate rights of Chinese in the UK.

For some time, the British side has been hyping up the so-called Chinese spying and Chinese cyberattacks," he said. China firmly opposes such despicable acts of political manipulation in the name of justice and national security.

In April, British prosecutors charged two men, including a former researcher working in the UK Parliament, with spying for China. The Chinese Embassy called the allegations fabricated.

On Monday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak warned the UK was facing an increasingly dangerous future due to threats from an axis of authoritarian states, including Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.

Hong Kong has always been a specific source of tensions between Britain and Beijing. The former British colony returned to China in 1997 under an agreement that included promises by Beijing to keep for 50 years a degree of self-government and freedoms of assembly, speech and press that are not allowed on the Communist-ruled Chinese mainland. Critics say those freedoms have all but disappeared.

The three men were granted bail in a London court on Monday and their next court appearance is scheduled for May 24.

Hong Kong media reported that Yuen is a former police officer in Hong Kong. The Associated Press found Yuen's name printed in local police publicity materials online.

In the news conference on Tuesday, Lee also responded to reports of a photo he had taken with Yuen for a news article years ago.

This photo appears to be a graduation group photo, he said. My impression of this person is solely based on this photo. (AP) AS
Kyiv, May 14 (AP) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that American military aid on its way to Ukraine will make a real difference on the battlefield, as the top diplomat made an unannounced visit to reassure an ally facing a fierce new Russian offensive.

In increasingly intense attacks along the northeastern border in recent days, Moscow's troops have captured around 100 to 125 square kilometres (about 40 to 50 square miles) of territory that includes at least seven villages, according to open source monitoring analysts. Though most of those villages were already depopulated, thousands of civilians in the area have fled the fighting.

Analysts have called this moment one of the most dangerous for Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022  and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked Tuesday for more air defence systems to protect civilians under Russian fire in the northeast.

We know this is a challenging time, Blinken said in the Ukrainian capital where he met with Zelenskyy. But he added that American military aid is going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield.

The visit comes less than a month after Congress approved a long-delayed foreign assistance package that sets aside USD 60 billion in aid for Ukraine, much of which will go toward replenishing badly depleted artillery and air defence systems.

Some of that is now on the way, Blinken said, and some has already arrived in Ukraine.

Moscow's renewed offensive in the northeastern region of Kharkiv is the most significant border incursion since the early days of the war. More than 7,500 civilians have been evacuated from the area, according to authorities.

The Kremlin's forces are now expanding their push to the northern border regions of Sumy and Chernihiv, Ukrainian officials say, and repeated shelling and sabotage raids there are further stretching Kyiv's resources.

Zelenskyy thanked Blinken for the aid  but added that more is necessary, including two Patriot air defence systems that are urgently needed to protect Kharkiv.

The people are under attack: civilians, warriors, everybody. They're under Russian missiles, he said.

Artillery, air defence interceptors and long-range ballistic missiles have already been delivered, some of them already to the front lines, said a senior US official travelling with the secretary on an overnight train from Poland who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity ahead of Blinken's meetings.

On his fourth trip to Kyiv since Russian troops rolled over the border, Blinken's goal is to underscore the Biden administration's commitment to Ukraine's defence and long-term security, US officials said. They noted that since President Joe Biden signed the aid package late last month, the administration has already announced USD 1.4 billion in short-term military assistance and USD 6 billion in longer-term support.

In a statement released after Blinken's arrival, the State Department said he would hold talks with Zelenskyy and other top Ukrainian officials to discuss battlefield updates, the impact of new US security and economic assistance, long-term security and other commitments, and ongoing work to bolster Ukraine's economic recovery.

Delays in US assistance, particularly since the Israel-Hamas war began and has preoccupied top administration officials, triggered deep concerns in Kyiv and Europe. Blinken, for example, has visited the Middle East seven times since the Gaza conflict began in October. His last trip to Kyiv was in September.

The US official added that Blinken also would give a speech later Tuesday extolling Ukraine's strategic successes in the war. It is intended to complement a Blinken address last year in Helsinki, Finland, deriding Russian President Vladimir Putin for Moscow's strategic failures in launching the war.

Since the Helsinki speech, however, Russia has intensified its attacks, most noticeably as the U.S. House of Representatives sat on the aid package for months without action, forcing a suspension in the provision of most US assistance. Those attacks have increased in recent weeks as Russia has sought to take advantage of Ukrainian shortages in manpower and weapons while the new assistance is in transit.

Top Biden administration officials and Ukrainian national security officials held a call Monday about the situation on the front, about the capabilities that they are most in need of, and a real triage effort to say, 'Get us this stuff this fast so that we can be in a position to effectively defend against the Russian onslaught,' said national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

The administration is trying to really accelerate the tempo of U.S. weapon shipments, he said.

Zelenskyy said over the weekend that fierce battles are taking place near the border in eastern and northeastern Ukraine as outgunned and outnumbered Ukrainian soldiers try to push back a significant Russian ground offensive.

The new Russian push in the northeastern Kharkiv region and a drive into the eastern Donetsk region come after months when the roughly 1,000-kilometre (620-mile) front line barely budged. In the meantime, both sides have used long-range strikes in what largely became a war of attrition.

The senior U.S. official said despite some recent setbacks, Ukraine could still claim significant victories. Those include reclaiming some 50% of the territory Russian forces took in the early months of the war, boosting its economic standing and improving transportation and trade links, not least through military successes in the Black Sea.

The official acknowledged that Ukraine faces a tough fight and is under tremendous pressure but argued that Ukrainians will become increasingly more confident as the new US and other Western assistance begins to arrive. (AP) GSP
Male, May 14 (PTI) India on Tuesday dismissed the claim made by Maldivian Defence Minister Ghassan Maumoon, alleging that Indian military helicopter pilots stationed in the Maldives carried out an unauthorised operation in 2019.

In a statement, the High Commission of India in the Maldives asserted that Indian aviation platforms in the Maldives have always operated according to the "agreed procedures and with due authorisation."

The clarification came days after India completed the withdrawal of 76 military personnel from the Maldives following a demand by President Mohamed Muizzu. Relations between India and Maldives deteriorated since Muizzu, a pro-China leader, came to power in November last year.

Muizzu had set May 10 as the deadline for the withdrawal of the Indian military troops from his country.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Defence Minister Ghassan said he knew of one of the aviation platforms undertaking an unauthorised sortie.

He narrated an incident where one of the two helicopters operated by Indian military personnel in the Maldives landed in Thimarafushi, allegedly without permission  a case, which he said, was reviewed by the Parliaments Committee on National Security Services (241 Committee), when he was a lawmaker.

However, the Indian mission dismissed the allegation.

"Indian aviation platforms in the Maldives have always operated as per agreed procedures and with due authorisation from the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF)," the High Commission of India said.

Referring to the remarks by the Maldivian Defence Minister, the High Commission said the particular incident which saw an emergency landing at Thimarafushi on October 9, 2019, was necessitated due to an unforeseen exigency.

"The specific sortie on 09 October 2019 referred to at the press conference was also undertaken with the approval of MNDF.

The emergency landing at Thimarafushi was necessitated due to an unforeseen exigency, which was carried out after taking necessary on-ground approvals from the Air Traffic Control (ATC) to ensure the safety and security of the platform and crew," the High Commission asserted.

According to local media reports, on May 11, the MNDF revealed that the Indian military personnel who were previously operating the helicopters gifted to the Maldives by the Indian government had made a trip on the helicopter without notifying the Maldivian military during the administration of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

Incidentally, at the same press conference, Defence Minister Ghassan also confessed that the Maldives military still does not have pilots capable of operating three aircraft donated by India.

The Indian military personnel were stationed in the Maldives to operate two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft gifted by India. The helicopters and the aircraft were used primarily for medical evacuations.

The last batch of Indian military personnel were repatriated by Friday, as per the May 10 deadline set following an agreement between the two countries in February in New Delhi.

The Maldives is Indias key maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and occupies a special place in its initiatives like SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and the Neighbourhood First Policy of the Indian government.
Mumbai, May 14 (PTI) Two sisters have been arrested here for allegedly stealing jewellery, expensive clothes and other valuables worth Rs 55 lakh from the house of an elderly couple where they worked, police said on Tuesday.

Chaya Vetkoli (24) and Bharti Vetkoli (21) allegedly also made `reels' or short videos wearing the stolen jewellery and clothes and uploaded them on Instagram, said an official of Kalachowki police station.

The couple recently lodged a complaint about jewellery, clothes and cash including foreign currency going missing from the house.

During the probe, police found that the couple's two domestic helps frequently uploaded reels showing off jewellery and expensive clothes.

The accused were nabbed from Raigad district two days ago and valuables worth Rs 55 lakh were recovered from their possession, the official said.

Both were booked under Indian Penal Code sections including 381 (theft by clerk or servant) and further investigation was underway, he added.
Kolkata, May 14 (PTI) Anup Majhi, one of the prime suspects in an alleged multi-crore coal pilferage scam in West Bengal, surrendered before a CBI court in Asansol on Tuesday.

Majhi alias Lala had been absconding for quite some time, he said.

He surrendered before a special court in Asansol this morning, a CBI official told PTI.

Majhi applied for bail and was granted one on the condition that he could not travel outside his native place Purulia.

The alleged scam pertains to mines in West Bengals Kunustoria and Kajora areas in and around Asansol.

The Supreme Court had earlier granted interim protection from arrest to Majhi on condition that he would cooperate in the investigation.

The CBI, which started its investigation in 2020, is scheduled to file the chargesheet in the case on May 21, the official said.

Four people, including Gurupada Majhi, known to be Lala's accomplice, were earlier arrested in connection with the alleged scam.

Gurupada is lodged in Tihar Jail while three others are out on bail.
Kolkata, May 14 (PTI) Anup Majhi, one of the prime suspects in an alleged multi-crore coal pilferage scam in West Bengal, surrendered before a CBI court in Asansol on Tuesday morning, an official said.

Majhi alias Lala had been absconding for some time, he said.

He surrendered before a special court in Asansol this morning, the CBI official told PTI.

The alleged scam pertains to mines in West Bengals Kunustoria and Kajora areas in and around Asansol.

The Supreme Court had earlier granted interim protection from arrest to Majhi on condition that he would cooperate in the investigation.

The CBI, which started its investigation in 2020, is scheduled to file the chargesheet in the case on May 21, the official said.

Four people, including Gurupada Majhi, known to be Lala's accomplice, were earlier arrested in connection with the alleged scam.

Though the three others got bail, Gurupada is lodged in Tihar Jail.
Kolkata, May 14 (PTI) A single bench of Justice Jay Sengupta of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday released from its list a petition by former Judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay, alleging police overaction in registering a case of attempt to murder against him.

Gangopadhyay, a former judge of the high court, prayed for quashing of the FIR in connection with an alleged incident of protest against him by some persons when he went to file his nomination for the Lok Sabha polls to Tamluk constituency as a BJP candidate on Monday.

His counsel Rajdeep Majumder said Gangopadhyay had gone to file his nomination in the collector's office and had nothing to do with the alleged incident, but despite that his name appeared in the FIR, in which the attempt to murder charge under Section 307 of the IPC was instituted.

At the outset when the matter was called, Justice Jay Sengupta released the petition from his list, citing personal grounds, and directed that it be placed before the Chief Justice of the high court for appropriate order for assignment to another bench.

Gangopadhyay, who resigned as a judge of the Calcutta High Court in March, is BJPs candidate from the Tamluk Lok Sabha seat.
New Delhi, May 14 (PTI) National Commission for Women chief Rekha Sharma has expressed concern over the safety of AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, who was allegedly assaulted by an aide of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and asked her to speak up.

The NCW chairperson wondered if Maliwal was under pressure not to lodge a complaint to the police in the matter.

"I am worried about the safety of @SwatiJaiHind... what pressure is she under that she is unable to come forward and file a complaint with police. Be brave Swati #speakup," she said in a post on X.

CM Kejriwal's PS Bibhav Kumar "misbehaved" with Maliwal on Monday at the CM's residence and the AAP supremo will take strict action in the matter, party leader Sanjay Singh said on Tuesday.

Singh's statement at a press conference came a day after Maliwal, who is a former chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women, went to the Civil Lines Police Station and alleged that a member of Kejriwal's personal staff "assaulted' her at the chief minister's official residence, police officials said.

The police said that they had not yet received a formal complaint.
New Delhi, May 14 (PTI) Senior BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan hit out at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday for the alleged incident of misbehaviour with AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal.

Campaigning for BJP candidate from North East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency Manoj Tiwari, the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister said that even in the Mamata Banerjee-ruled West Bengal, the Sandeshkhali incident happened where women were mistreated.

Such humiliation and misbehaviour with a sister in Chief Minister's house, will you accept it? he said referring to the incident involving AAP leader Maliwal.

"Mahabharat started just because Draupadi was humiliated," he said, alleging Banerjee and Kejriwal were both committing the sin of protecting criminals.

Maliwal on Monday went to the Civil Lines Police Station and alleged that a member of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's personal staff "assaulted' her at the chief minister's official residence, police officials said.

The Sandeshkhali region, located on the fringes of the Sunderbans, has been engulfed in turmoil for over a month due to accusations against TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh and his cohorts of sexual abuse and land usurpation.

Sheikh was arrested by the police yesterday after being on the run for 55 days.

Training guns at Tiwaris rival from North East Delhi seat, Chouhan said Congress candidate Kanhaiya Kumar "glorifies terrorists".

"The candidate from here used to say Bharat Tere Tukde Honge. Will you accept such a person who glorifies terrorists," he said.

The AAP and Congress are jointly contesting on four and three seats respectively in Delhi.

Kejriwal who earlier used to abuse Congress has now become a part of INDIA bloc and they are hugging each other, Chouhan said dubbing it as an "Immature, Nervous, Dangerous, Ignorant" Alliance.

The BJP leader said that Kejriwal who came to power by pledging to be honest has now become a "corruption wall".

The Delhi chief minister is out on interim bail in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped excise policy of his government.

Chouhan said when Congress was in power at the Centre, even tiny countries used to scare India.

"They say Pakistan has atom bomb but we also have a PM with 56-inch chest. If any body incites us, we will not spare them" he said.

Chouhan said under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India will become a vishwaguru and all women will become lakhpati didis.
Mumbai, May 14 (PTI) Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Tuesday said Mumbai residents will send Congress leaders to Pakistan after the Lok Sabha polls get over in the metropolis on May 20 to protect the family of Ajmal Kasab, the terrorist from the neighbouring country who was hanged for his role in the 26/11 attacks.

Bawankule made the statement while responding to Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar's criticism of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for rushing to the site of a hoarding tragedy in suburban Ghatkopar, thereby delaying the rescue work.

"Wadettiwar has taken the side of Ajmal Kasab, thus he has no right to campaign in Mumbai. In fact, after polls, people (from Mumbai) will send Congress leaders to Pakistan for the protection of Kasab's family," he told reporters.

Wadettiwar, the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, had claimed 26/11 prosecution lawyer and BJP candidate from Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha seat, Ujjwal Nikam, hid the information that Karkare wasn't killed by Kasab, but fell to a bullet fired by a policeman linked to the RSS.

The state BJP president expressed confidence about the ruling Mahayuti alliance winning all the six parliamentary constituencies in Mumbai, where the national party and its ally Shiv Sena are contesting three seats each.

"We want to win more than 51 per cent of votes in this election in Mumbai. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is coming to Mumbai tomorrow (Wednesday) for a roadshow and we all are excited," he said.

Asked about Congress Lok Sabha candidate from Mumbai North Central Varsha Gaikwad objecting to the roadshow in Ghatkopar in the backdrop of a hoarding crash in the area in which 14 people were killed, Bawankule pointed out that the event was planned much in advance.

The BJP leader said, "We all are sensitive towards the accident. Modi's visit was planned much earlier and he is coming here to seek support and votes of people."

The half a dozen Lok Sabha seats in Mumbai are among 13 constituencies in the state that will go to polls on May 20 in the fifth and last phase of voting in Maharashtra.
Jhansi (UP), May 14 (PTI) Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Tuesday said if her party is voted to power, it will carve a separate state of Bundelkhand  the region that straddles the states of Uttar Pradesh Madhya Pradesh.

Addressing an election rally in Jhansi, Mayawati said, "There have been demands for carving a separate Bundelkhand state. If our government is formed (at the Centre), then we will take positive steps in this regard. Bundelkhand will definitely be made a separate state."

Bundelkhand is a hilly region spread across 13 districts in southwest Uttar Pradesh and northern Madhya Pradesh.

Seven districts in Uttar Pradesh -- Banda, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Lalitpur, Jhansi, Jalaun, and Chitrakoot -- and eight districts in Madhya Pradesh -- Datia, Tikamgarh, Chhattarpur, Sagar, Damoh, and Panna -- come in this region.

The BSP chief also claimed that it "would not be easy" for the current BJP-led NDA to return to power, provided "the elections are free and fair," and the EVMs are not tampered with.

"For the past few years, the BJP and its allies have been in power at the Centre in most of the states. Owing to the casteist, capitalist, narrow, and vindictive policies and their style of working, and due to the significant difference in their actions and words, it now seems that it would not be easy for them to return to power at the Centre, provided these elections are free and fair," she said.

People are fed up with the theatrics and rhetoric and they won't work anymore for the BJP in this election, she said.

Mayawati alleged that the BJP has "politicised" all central agencies under it, just as its predecessor, Congress, had done.

Urging her party workers to stop the BJP, the Congress, and their allies from coming to power at the Centre, she told them "not to get misled by the opinion polls and surveys," and warned them against the "saam, daam, dand, bhed" tactics of political parties.

The former UP chief minister criticised the free ration policy of the Centre, saying the dole alone cannot be a permanent fix to problems of the poor.

"The free ration, which is being given to you, the BJP and RSS is not giving them out of their own pockets. It comes from the tax which is paid by the public and not out of the beneficence of the BJP and the RSS. You don't owe them anything," said the Kanshiram protege.

Jhansi will vote in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha polls in the state on May 20. The BSP has fielded Ravi Prakash from the constituency.

The BJP has fielded Anurag Sharma, its sitting Lok Sabha MP, while the Congress has given ticket to former Union minister Pradeep Jain 'Aditya'.
Mumbai, May 14 (PTI) The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday postponed the June 10 biennial elections for four Legislative Council seats in Maharashtra.

The new schedule for elections to fill seats of the Upper House of the state legislature falling vacant in the next few months will be announced later, said an EC statement.

The poll panel took the decision after receiving a representation from teachers requesting it to hold the elections after the summer vacations in schools are over.

Teachers of government recognised schools and graduates fulfilling certain criteria form the electoral college for these elections.

As per the representation, most teachers are out of their respective place of work due to the ongoing summer vacations, making it difficult for them to take part in voting.

On May 8, the ECI had announced schedule for elections for two seats each of the teachers and the graduates constituencies in the state, and fixed June 10 as the polling date.

After the announcement of the schedule, several organisations of teachers submitted a representation to the ECI seeking deferment of the polls. They requested the ECI to hold the elections after schools reopen post-summer vacations.

Maharashtra has a 78-member legislative council, of which seven MLCs each are to be elected by graduates and teachers. Upper House members have a 6-year term and elections are held every two years to fill the vacancy created by retirement of MLCs.
Bengaluru, May 14 (PTI) JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday alleged that there was a "big whale" behind the leaking of explicit videos of women being sexually abused allegedly by his nephew and party MP from Hassan Prajwal Revanna.



Kumaraswamys swipe was apparently against Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who refused to comment on it.



Talking to reporters about the Prajwal Revanna case, the JD(S) second-in-command said an MLA from Mandya said large whales were behind releasing the video.



When asked to explain who the big whale is, Kumaraswamy said, Who else it is? Today an MLA from Mandya spoke about big whale. Whatever the big whale is saying, the same is followed by the small whales.



He said that listening to the arguments of the lawyers it appears prima facie that the arrest of MLA H D Revanna, Kumaraswamy's brother, was "politics of hate".



The government initiated action against Revanna to spoil the reputation of former prime minister Deve Gowda, the former chief minister alleged.



He asked how anyone would catch the big whale when he is in government.



Reacting to Kumaraswamy's remarks, Shivakumar said, Let him (Kumaraswamy) arrest and swallow the big whale. I am neither director nor producer. I am only an exhibitor, theatre exhibitor.



On Kumaraswamys charges that Revanna was arrested to defame Deve Gowda, the deputy chief minister said, Not at all. See, I too feel sorry for him (Revanna). I too feel that such things should not happen. Its such a big family. Let them think whatever they want but I dont wish anything bad for anyone and I dont need it.



Shivakumar, who is also Congress Karnataka unit president, said he believed in the law of nature and he too had suffered a lot.



I too faced political conspiracy. I know how strong and full of self-confidence I am. Thats the reason that god protected me, he said.



Revanna, who is the elder son of JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, was arrested along with his confidant Sathish Babanna for allegedly abducting a woman on April 29.



The case was registered on a complaint filed by the woman's son, who alleged that his mother was sexually abused by Revanna's son and JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna.



The woman was allegedly abducted to prevent her from testifying against Prajwal, police sources said.



The explicit videos of alleged sexual abuse by Prajwal had been making the rounds on social media, and the Government formed the SIT on April 28 to probe the case after the Karnataka State Commission for Women wrote a letter to the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seeking an investigation into it.



The 33-year-old Prajwal, who was the NDA candidate in the Hassan Lok Sabha constituency, reportedly left the country on April 27, a day after the elections, and has skipped the SIT summons to appear before it.



Interpol has issued a Blue Corner Notice against the "absconding" MP, who is facing sexual abuse charges.



A Blue Corner Notice is issued to collect information from member countries about a persons identity, location or activities in relation to a crime.



H D Revanna was released on bail on Tuesday.
Gonda (UP), May 14 (PTI) Three people including two brothers were killed in a road accident here when a speeding car ran over them, police said on Tuesday.

Additional Superintendent of Police (west) Radheshyam Rai said the incident occurred on Monday night when Abhay Singh (21) and his brother Adarsh Singh (19) were travelling on a bike.

They were returning home to Khanpur from Nawabganj when they met their relative Suraj Singh (22). As the three were talking, a speeding car hit them at the Ayodhya-Gonda highway, ASP Rai said.

The three victims died on the spot, he said.

The police have seized the car and the bodies were sent for post-mortem, Rai said.

A case was registered and efforts are being made to arrest the driver who managed to flee, he added.
Handwritten placards containing antisemitic accusations and threats were placed on numerous cars in Chicagos West Rogers Park neighborhood overnight Monday. The hateful messages included claims such as Jews did 9/11, The evil, Jewish Talmud justifies genocide of non-Jews!, Jews are behind Covid, and Jews will never tell you of how they genocided the Germans and East Europeans.

At least one of the placards contained a direct threat against Jews, according to a source who spoke to Yeshiva World News. As a result, the Chicago Police Department has launched an investigation into the incident, and the FBI is reportedly involved as well.

An investigation is ongoing, and authorities are working to identify those responsible for the hateful messages.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
High-level envoys from the United States and China are set to meet in Geneva on Tuesday for talks about artificial intelligence, including the risks of the fast-evolving technology and ways to set shared standards to manage it.

The meeting, billed as an opening exchange of views, is the first under an inter-governmental dialogue on AI agreed during a multi-faceted meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco in November.

Both the U.S. and China see AI as crucial for national security and economic growth, with Biden administration officials saying they plan to focus on the development of safe, secure and trustworthy AI. The officials insisted on anonymity to preview the meeting on a phone call with reporters.

They also said the U.S. would outline how it was addressing possible risks from the technology by creating voluntary commitments with the sectors leading companies and requiring safety tests of AI products.

The U.S. government also sees efforts undertaken on AI by China as possibly undermining the national security of America and its allies.

Chinas official Xinhua news agency, citing the Foreign Ministry, said the two sides would take up issues including the technological risks of AI and global governance.

The National Security Council at the White House said the U.S. team is being led by presidential adviser and senior director for technology and national security, Tarun Chhabra, and the State Departments acting special envoy for critical and emerging technologies, Seth Center.

(AP)
Protesters against the war between Israel and Hamas were voluntarily taking down their tents in Harvard Yard on Tuesday after university officials agreed to discuss their questions about the endowment, bringing a peaceful end to the kinds of demonstrations that were broken up by police on other campuses.

The student protest group Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine said in a statement that the encampment outlasted its utility with respect to our demands. Meanwhile, Harvard University interim President Alan Garber agreed to pursue a meeting between protesters and university officials regarding the students questions.

Students at many college campuses this spring set up similar encampments, calling for their schools to cut ties with Israel and businesses that support it.

The latest Israel-Hamas war began when Hamas and other terrorists stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking an additional 250 hostage. Palestinian terrorists still hold about 100 captives.

Harvard said its president and the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Hopi Hoekstra, will meet with the protesters to discuss the conflict in the Middle East.

The protesters said they worked out an agreement to meet with university officials including the Harvard Management Company, which oversees the worlds largest academic endowment, valued at about $50 billion.

The protesters statement said the students will set an agenda including discussions on disclosure, divestment, and reinvestment, and the creation of a Center for Palestine Studies. The students also said that Harvard has offered to retract suspensions of more than 20 students and student workers and back down on disciplinary measures faced by 60 more.

Since its establishment three weeks ago, the encampment has both broadened and deepened Palestine solidarity organizing on campus, a spokesperson for the protesters said. It has moved the needle on disclosure and divestment at Harvard.

(AP)
The White House is pushing back against reports that it is offering sensitive intelligence to Israel on the whereabouts of Hamas leaders only if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declines to engage in a full-scale invasion of Rafah. The reports, published by the Times of Israel and Washington Post, suggested that the Biden administration is conditioning its intelligence sharing on Israels military actions  and has been hiding crucial intelligence from Israel until now.

Four sources told this to the Washington Post, but a National Security Council spokesperson denied the report on Monday, saying that the US continues to help the IDF target Hamas leadership and that were not holding anything back. The spokesperson emphasized that the administration believes Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar must be held accountable for the October 7 attack.

Former Trump National Security Council official Victoria Coates expressed concern over the reports, stating that intelligence sharing is the bedrock of our security partnership with Israel and that withholding information on Hamas leadership would be deeply troubling. Coates suggested that the Biden administration may be playing a political game by conditioning intelligence sharing on Israels military actions, potentially to appeal to the youth vote, which is more pro-Palestinian.

Ric Grenell, former Trump intel chief and ambassador to Germany, called the presidents behavior an impeachable offense, stating that Biden should be providing every piece of intel available to bring American hostages held by Hamas home.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
IDF tanks advanced deeper into eastern Rafah on Tuesday morning, entering the neighborhoods of Al-Jneina, Al-Salam and Al-Brazil, Reuters reported.

The tanks advanced this morning west of Salahuddin road into the Brazil and Jneina neighborhoods, a Gazan resident told Reuters.

They are in the streets inside the built-up area and there are clashes.

IDF Col. (ret.) Dr. Jacques Neriah, a special analyst for the Middle East at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, told i24News that he doesnt think that the IDF will carry ou a full-scale operation in Rafah.

Instead, he believes that Israel will use the salami approach of launching an operation in a limited area and then moving on to the next area and so on in order not to create a crisis with the Biden administration.

The unreliable UNWRA organization reported on Tuesday that an estimated, 450,000 Gazans have been forcefully displaced from Rafah since May 6th, when IDF forces entered the eastern part of the city.

Over 1 million people were sheltering in Rafah before the IDF entered the city.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
Egypt is considering downgrading its diplomatic ties with Israel, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday morning.

The report follows Cairos announcement on Sunday that it will join South Africa in its genocide case against Israel at the Hague.

The report quoted Egyptian officials as saying that the standoff began after Israel gave Egypt only hours notice before launching the operation last week to take control of the Gazan side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

The officials added that Cairo is considering pulling its ambassador from Tel Aviv.

As we stand, there are no plans to suspend ties or throw away Camp David, said another Egyptian official, referring to the Camp David Accords that led to the 1979 peace treaty. But as long as Israeli forces remain at Rafah crossing, Egypt will not send a single truck to Rafah.

However, according to IDF Brig. Gen. (res) Relik Shafir, one of eight Air Force pilots who took part in the attack on Iraqs Osirak nuclear reactor, Egypt has a different reason for not wanting IDF troops to operate in the Rafah area.

Shafir told 124 News: There are probably tunnels running from the Rafah to Egypt. Egypt is very upset at the fact that Israel is going to that area, lest it finds that the Egyptians were quietly collaborating with Hamas. Quietly meaning  they disregarded  or werent adamant enough in preventing the flow of goods from the Sinai into Rafah.

Egypt depends on billions of dollars in US military aid that is contingent on its peace treaty with Israel.

Egypt not only sealed its border with Gaza to ensure not even one fleeing Gazan enters its territory, it is also refusing to cooperate with Israel to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza from the Rafah Crossing, causing aid shipments to come to a standstill.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
There is an assumption that once a bidder shows the colour of its money, the fate of the target company is settled.

BHP has made two tilts at Anglo American, first with a 31billion offer and now a second 34billion approach. Both have been robustly rejected.

Feedback from Anglos key investors has been negative. No one likes the conditionality of the deal which requires divestment of a minority in two Anglo ventures to the South African stock exchange.

There is also uncertainty as to what happens to commodity prices between now and when a dozen regulatory authorities across the globe have their say.

Whatever course BHP takes, there is now a belief that the London-listed South African miner will be gobbled up. Anglo will seek to shatter this today when it outlines a go-it-alone strategy.

No deal: BHP has made two tilts at Anglo American, first with a 31bn offer and now a second 34bn approach. Both have been robustly rejected

Rivals to BHP are circling. Glencore has done nothing to discourage speculation. It shares ownership of the Collahuasi copper mine in Chile with Anglo American. There is speculation that iron ore giant Rio Tinto might be tempted to enter the fray.

The belief that the rolling bid bulldozer is unstoppable stems from several factors. Anglo chairman Stuart Chambers has, in the past, shown little inclination to put his shoulder to the wheel to defend UK assets from predators.

Listed firms sold on his watch include Pilkington, Rexam and Cambridge-tech trailblazer Arm Holdings.

Bids do act as a wake-up call to boards and management. In the 1990s, Lord Hansons tilt at ICI led to the break-up of Britains most established industrial giant which, with the help of Goldman Sachs, saw off the interloper. ICI did the splits and Britains most valuable listed company AstraZeneca was born.

Anglo American, so far, looks ready for the fight. The board, together with advisers Centerview, Goldman and Morgan Stanley, has been working on a strategic plan which could release value to existing investors and keep faith with its South African heritage. One idea is to hive off its most alluring offshoot, diamond miner De Beers.

Copper is the gem than Anglos competitors seek and it becomes ever more valuable. Prices are rallying and are close to a decade long high of $10,140 a tonne amid demand for green technologies.

Anglo has time advantage on its side in reshaping itself, in that bids from BHP, Glencore, Rio or Canadas First Quantum would face long delays for competition approvals.

There is a mixed history of mining mergers. JP Morgan reckons that Rio has wasted 43billion on poor M&A decisions.

However, bids are always attractive to executives and investors because they provide a route to cashing out. It is going to require enormous determination to prosecute a go-it-alone strategy.

Trading places

When it comes to attracting foreign investors and trade, Paris knows how to roll out the red carpet.

Its Choose France event this week, designed to bring in 14billion or so of new investment, will include champagne receptions at the Elysee Palace and other blandishments. A delegate on a recent UK trade delegation to Singapore tells a different story.

When a powerful group of chief executives descended from the Government plane, it was explained that the local embassy lacked the budget to transfer them to their hotels and events.

An enterprising trade adviser in the Lords found himself outside the terminal conjuring up a fleet of cars from Grab, an Uber-style car service, amid dismayed mutterings.

One trusts this weeks trade assault on Saudi Arabia, led by deputy PM Oliver Dowden, will be better prepared.

Unsung genius

Jim Simons, who has just died, was an American mathematician and financier most people will never have heard of.

Yet the academic, who turned entrepreneur at the age of 40, outshone the long-term performance of the Oracle of Omaha Warren Buffett and George Soros.

Using sophisticated maths and employing scientists, his Medallion fund earned $100billion (80billion) in 30 years  an average annual return of 66pc per year.

At his peak his model was responsible for one third of all Wall Street trading.

Who knew?
I have gas and electric meters that need changing as they are now pretty old. Eon has been trying to persuade me to have smart versions fitted but I have resisted.

Over the phone an Eon agent told me I could have conventional, non-smart meters fitted but it would cost 147 per meter, whereas the smart meters would be free. I said I would rather pay than have smart meters. I have just received a message stating that the charge will now be 158 per meter. Why has the amount changed? P.L., Aldwick, West Sussex.

Eon wanted to increase the cost of meter replacement from 147 to 158

Sally Hamilton replies: Energy suppliers are legally obliged to replace gas and electric meters when they get to the end of their life and since yours are 20 years old it is time to change them.

But since these old-style meters are no longer manufactured, some providers will charge for them to be installed  if they can even get hold of them.

Your request for replacements has coincided with the national rollout of smart meters  the new technology that connects meters straight to suppliers over a secure network, with the goal of receiving regular, automatic and accurate readings.

Energy companies have government targets to meet for installing the new-style meters, with about four-fifths of households in England, Scotland and Wales expected to have them by the end of 2025. Though anyone with properly functioning old-style meters can continue using them.

The advertised benefits of smart meters are customers should no longer face the fiddly matters of meter readings or estimated bills. The meters come with a separate display screen to show people how much energy they are using in their home  and how much it is costing in almost real time. The idea is that this knowledge helps households cut down usage.

It's not compulsory to accept a smart meter  and as Money Mail's postbag can testify, many people don't want them. One drawback for refuseniks is they can miss out on competitive tariffs energy companies might offer only to smart meter customers.

You told me that fears about poor reliability was one reason you didn't want smart meters. You don't like the idea someone could switch off your power on a whim, though energy companies say they would never do this.

You feel nervous that hackers could gain access to data. Experts say the meters run on a secure network and even if miscreants did make a successful hack, the information gleaned would be limited. Nevertheless, you felt uncomfortable enough to request the old-style meters and were prepared to pay.

I contacted Eon on your behalf to ask why you were given two different figures for the cost of replacing your old-style meters. It told me you were misinformed by the initial agent who had accidentally quoted the cost of removing a meter entirely, whereas the second price  158  was the correct one, meaning it would cost 316 to replace both your gas and electricity meters.

Eon then got in touch with you to apologise for the faulty pricing quote and offered 50 as an apology. At the same time, it suggested you could opt to have smart meters installed at no cost  and then run them in 'dumb' mode, which means they operate like a classic meter with you taking regular readings, as before.

You said you would have preferred to have the old-style meters but reluctantly agreed to compromise.

When we caught up last week, you confirmed the smart meters have been fitted and are running satisfactorily in dumb mode.

An Eon spokesman says: 'We made it clear there is an extra cost for requesting replacement classic meters for two reasons: firstly because suppliers have a mandate from Government to deliver the smart meter rollout and secondly because classic meters are no longer manufactured, which means suppliers are less able to source and fit them.'

Can Sally Sorts It help you? Do you have a consumer problem you need help with? Email Sally Hamilton at sally@dailymail.co.uk  include phone number, address and a note addressed to the offending organisation giving them permission to talk to Sally Hamilton. Please do not send original documents as we cannot take responsibility for them. No legal responsibility can be accepted by the Daily Mail or This Is Money for answers given.

Help! Vinted has frozen our account after the watch we sold went missing

My wife sold a brand new, unwanted Samsung smart watch on the Vinted online marketplace for 120. The buyer said the watch was not in the parcel when it arrived. Vinted suspended my wife's account, provided a refund to the buyer but now it won't respond to our enquiries. Please help. S.J., London.

Sally Hamilton replies: You said you meticulously packaged the watch using a special envelope and took a photo of the IMEI number  the unique identification number  on the device. You then dispatched the watch via Evri from your local post office, ensuring compliance with its guidelines for shipping items containing batteries (a special sticker was attached) and having it weighed. The package was approved for shipment by the counter clerk.

When you pursued the matter of the missing watch with the buyer, they told you the package had been left on a car bonnet outside their home and that the envelope had been tampered with  they sent you photos to back this up.

Vinted refunded the buyer  but why not you?

Under its terms and conditions, buyers using Vinted pay a compulsory buyer's protection fee with every purchase, as well as commission and postage. The fee varies between 3pc to 8pc plus 30p to 80p per transaction. The protection fee means if the item doesn't arrive, is damaged or significantly not as described, then the buyer gets a full refund  so long as Vinted is told within two days.

For sellers, there is no such protection. But I note that Vinted's terms and conditions do mention sellers who have a problem. It states: 'We'll step up for you in case your buyer's claim for a refund appears to be not solid.'

I asked the company to investigate your case.

Soon afterwards, Vinted agreed to refund you and reinstate your wife's account as a goodwill gesture. A spokesman says: 'Our team has investigated, and we are pleased to inform the customer that we will be issuing a refund to the Vinted account to address the loss whilst the parcel was in transit.'
Anglo American has rejected a second takeover offer from BHP  branding the 34billion bid highly unattractive.

The London-listed mining giant said the latest proposal from its Australian rival continues to significantly undervalue the company.

And Anglo bosses  who last month dismissed BHPs first 31billion bid as too low and highly opportunistic  will today update investors on their plans for the business to thrive on its own.

The latest rejection triggered an angry response from BHP, the worlds biggest miner, which said it was disappointed Anglo had chosen not to engage with the board over the new proposal.

It sets the scene for what could be a testy meeting today when BHP boss Mike Henry and his Anglo counterpart Duncan Wanblad cross paths at a mining conference in Miami.

Clash: BHP boss Mike Henry, left, and his Anglo counterpart Duncan Wanblad, right, are due to cross paths at a mining conference in Miami

The pair are expected to hold talks off-stage.

Henry yesterday insisted the new offer is a win-win for shareholders of both companies and said he was disappointed Anglo rebuffed the bid.

The revised bid would increase Anglo shareholders ownership of the combined group to 16.6 per cent from the 14.8 per cent outlined in last months offer.

But the offer is still 6billion less than the 40billion analysts have said it could take to get a deal over the line.

And the new proposal maintains a demand for Anglo to sell its businesses in South Africa  which is seen as a major hurdle to a deal.

The requirement has received a backlash from the government in Pretoria, which is Anglos second biggest shareholder.

Jamie Maddock, an energy analyst at wealth manager Quilter Cheviot, said the new offer still falls some way short of reasonable expectations.

It appears to overlook the superior quality and the unique characteristics of Anglos portfolio of assets, he said. Additionally, there are significant questions about the level of political support and the intricate nature of the proposed transaction.

Two weeks ago, Henry made an emergency visit to South Africa in an attempt to drum up support.

In demand: Australias BHP, which quit London two years ago, is eyeing Anglos coveted copper mines in Chile and Peru

It was reported last week that the trip had gone some way to resolving issues, with Anglos key South African shareholders now open to a takeover offer.

There has also been speculation that competitors Glencore and Rio Tinto could make bids.

A deal would see Anglo leave Londons stock market amid a takeover frenzy in the City.

Australias BHP, which quit London two years ago, is eyeing Anglos coveted copper mines in Chile and Peru. There is soaring demand for the metal due to its role in the energy transition and the development of artificial intelligence.

Insiders have said previously that BHP would sell Anglos diamond arm De Beers, while the future of the Woodsmith mine in North Yorkshire is in doubt.

Anglos board received the proposal on May 7 before rejecting it yesterday. The decision also reflects feedback from shareholders and stakeholders.

Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at AJ Bell, said BHP needs to think on its feet after Anglo brought forward the investor update to today.
Shops are being forced to splash out on store detectives to protect staff because police are not interested in tackling shoplifting, the boss of Marks & Spencers had claimed.

M&S chairman Archie Norman said officers offer very little help even though retail theft hit the highest level on record last year.

His comments echo complaints from other bosses who claim that a lack of action from police forces effectively means shop crime is decriminalised.

Household names including Tesco and Co-op have also sounded the alarm and pleaded with ministers to ensure theft and abuse of workers is taken more seriously.

They have said in many cases police officers do not come out to shops when shoplifting is reported.

Lack of help: M&S chairman Archie Norman said the police offers 'very little help' to tackle shoplifters even though retail theft hit the highest level on record last year

Asked if the polices approach had improved, Norman told LBC radios Nick Ferrari: We get very little help from the police.

We have to accept that police are not interested in this sort of crime any more.

Shoplifting has risen to alarming levels since the pandemic while the cost-of-living crisis has also been seen as a catalyst for incidents.

The number of shoplifting offences recorded by police swelled 37 per cent to a total of 430,104 in 2023.

This was the highest since the Office for National Statistics records started in 2002.

But Norman said theft at M&S is actually going down mostly because of the retailers own efforts and not those of police.

The High Street stalwart has pumped cash into crime prevention measures such as store detectives and camera systems.

Retailers spent a record 1.2billion on crime deterrent methods last year, according to industry group the British Retail Consortium.

Responding to Normans remarks, Chief Superintendent Alex Goss, the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) lead for retail crime, said officers were committed to doing all we can to reduce thefts and pursue offenders.

The NPCC worked with the Government to develop a retail crime plan last year, which was already seeing positive results, he added.
To deal with domestic and international pressure, the US is beginning to show a "double face" on Israel-related issues: criticizing Israel's military activities in Gaza on the one hand while reaffirming its firm support for Israel on the other. This self-contradiction precisely reflects the Biden administration's increasingly divided policy and fully demonstrates the hypocrisy of US diplomacy.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday delivered the Biden administration's strongest public criticism yet of Israel's conduct of the war in Gaza, saying Israeli tactics have meant "a horrible loss of life of innocent civilians." On the same day, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan reiterated "the ironclad US commitment to Israel's security and the defeat of Hamas in Gaza" in his phone call with Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi.

Washington has consistently condemned Hamas' attacks against Israel, while its criticism of Israel's large-scale bombing of Palestinian civilians, which has resulted in disproportionate casualties, has always appeared hypocritical due to its actions. The US expresses "public criticism" and claims that it cares about "the lives of innocent people;" at the same time, it reiterates its "ironclad commitment" to acquiesce to Israel's moves. This is quite self-contradictory and self-deceptive.

The so-called harsh criticism on Israel is nothing but a stopgap measure aimed at easing domestic and international pressure on the US government. What matters most to US politicians are their political interests.

"The Biden administration has clearly realized that its blind support for Israel has negatively impacted Biden's approval ratings in some key swing states during the general election, so they need to use superficial criticism on Israel to attract voters," Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times.

Meanwhile, at the international level, the UN General Assembly voted by a wide margin to support Palestine becoming a full UN member on Friday, with 142 UN member states approving and only nine countries, including the US, voting against the resolution. This is the latest example of Washington's failure to manipulate multilateral mechanisms while opposing the consensus reached by the majority of the international community.

The international influence of the US is now declining immensely, largely due to its own duplicitous nature. Lu Xiang, a research fellow of US studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, believes that this will lead to a further loss of US influence in the Middle East.

There has been a divergence in US officials' remarks on Israel, but experts believe that the essence of Washington's pro-Israel policy remains unchanged and it will be difficult to change in the long run.

The US' "double face" on Israel is an attempt to respond to domestic and international pressures without upsetting Israel. However, this approach may ultimately further harm the US' international reputation and backfire on the Biden administration. It is unlikely to effectively help resolve the Palestine-Israel conflict or satisfy those calling for a change in US policy toward Israel. Clearly, the protests at colleges and universities across the US regarding the Palestine-Israel conflict have failed to awaken and prompt reflection in the US. Continuing on the wrong path will only lead to further negative consequences for the US. Source: Global Times)
The Government has agreed to slash payments for all Ukrainian refugees living in State accommodation who had not been included in an earlier cut.

Ukrainian refugees who fled to Ireland between 2022 and early 2024 will have their allowances cut from the job seekers rate of 232 euro to a lower rate in the next three months.

A reduced payment of 38.80 euro per week already was applied to Ukrainians who arrived after an earlier change of policy in mid-March, but those who entered the country before that deadline remained on the higher amount.

However, Taoiseach Simon Harris described the plans to make the rate the same for all Ukrainians receiving international protection, regardless of when they arrived, as fair and in line with best practice.

The Government said the expanded measure was in response to a growing number of people seeking protection in Ireland.

It will mean many of the 100,000 people who arrived in Ireland during the first two years of the war will receive the same allowance as those who have arrived after the Government slashed rates for new arrivals.

The move is among a number of measures to tighten rules around immigration.

The Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys and Minister for Integration Roderic OGorman are to work on the proposals which are to have an estimated 12 week lead-in time.

Entitlements of international-protection applicants are to be reviewed by the ministers every six weeks.

The Government also agreed the use of State-owned locations for tented accommodation.

There will also be an increase in targeted workplace inspections in sectors or firms where the Government believes there is an increased risk of non-compliance with employment regulations for migrants.

Speaking on his way into Cabinet, Mr Harris said the proposals are about consistency of approach.

It doesnt seem sensible to me that you could have two children from Ukraine at the same school today in a very different system of treatment for one persons family versus the other, he added.

There needs to be a consistency of approach.

Obviously, we have many people from Ukraine in our country. Many of them are working and making a valuable contribution to business right across Ireland, all of them with a legal entitlement to work.

I think we need to see that consistency of approach in relation to welfare and we need to make sure the system is financially sustainable.

I think Irish people have been incredibly generous and compassionate.

But at the same time, we also have to make sure the systems we have in place are grounded in common sense, that they are fair and in line with what is best practice across the European Union.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee has been tasked with completing a review of airline fines over passengers arriving without documents.

Ms McEntee is also finalising a review of designated safe countries.

Mr Harris said: Its not necessarily just about a headline rate of payment, but more about how the welfare system and the accommodation system interacts.

Crucially, I want Ireland to be in line with the European Union. This is about looking at what other European countries are doing and making sure our country isnt out of kilter.

Ireland will always live up to its international obligations. Ireland will always take a compassionate approach. Ireland benefits from migration.

We also have to make sure our system is working, (our) system is efficient and effective, and meets the common sense test that Irish people wants to see us apply.
An announcement of school closures in the Irish Republic in March 2020 when schools in Northern Ireland remained open shook public confidence, Michelle ONeill has said.

Ms ONeill, who served as deputy first minister during the coronavirus pandemic, also blasted the Irish government for not telling Stormont in advance.

Stormont followed advice from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) which changed to recommend the closure of schools later in March.

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry has heard of a fractious Executive meeting in March during which Ms ONeill expressed concern that they had lost control of the situation.

Giving evidence to the inquiry sitting in Belfast on Tuesday, Ms ONeill said she was baffled that their advice around schools could be so different on either sides of the border.

She said the Irish government moving to school closures precipitated a whole new set of circumstances, and criticised Dublin for not telling Stormont about it as not good enough, and that it put us all in a very difficult spot.

We live in a small island, two jurisdictions back to back, and particularly in relation to the issue of schools closure. Parents in Strabane couldnt understand why parents in Lifford werent sending their children to school, she said.

It just didnt compute in peoples minds, so much so that I just couldnt understand it and I tried to understand from within the Executive, I tried to ask the CMO (chief medical officer) about the difference of advice.

I wasnt privy to what the advice was in Dublin. If Dublin were wrong, and were at different junctures throughout the pandemic, I would say that, if London were right, I would say that.

But where I think somethings not right, either way, I feel obliged that I would have to articulate that but I think that on the issue of schools. This was the first big issue that the public witnessed and experienced and people were afraid, and they couldnt fathom how our advice could be different.

The inquiry heard that Ms ONeill issued a public statement on March 12 saying Northern Ireland was not at the stage of needing to close schools, but on March 13 issued a statement as Sinn Fein vice president calling for the immediate closure of schools.

In 24 hours, a lot had changed  we had lost the wider public, they were taking the children out of schools. The Catholic bishops had came out and asked for all schools to close their doors, she said.

We were very, very quickly rapidly descending into an unmanaged school closure. It was much much better to do it in a managed way and that was why I felt obliged to speak out, and I couldnt get that concerted agreement, that joined-up effort and agreement in the Executive itself, because the CMO had advised that we were not in the position to move to this juncture yet.

I tried everything that I could to try to get people onto that right position where I thought  unfortunately, we couldnt get to that juncture.

Its not ideal. But it was the only way in which I could try to influence the decision.

I felt like lives could be lost if we didnt take this decision so I felt like that having not been able to secure what I tried to secure within (the Executive).

Does my statement add to confusion? Yes, of course. Do I believe it was the right thing to do? Yes, I do because I felt like we had lost people.

In that 24 hours we were actually committing to remove the children from schools, schools were shutting down, even education authorities like CCMS (Council for Catholic Maintained Schools) were telling schools to close.
North Dakota Chief Information Officer Kuldip Mohanty will step down at the end of the month, Gov. Doug Burgum announced Tuesday.

Mohanty, who has been in the role since February 2023, came to state government from the private sector. He's served as CIO for multiple organizations alongside a handful of other executive roles, most recently as the CIO of HUB International Limited in Chicago.

He cited family matters as a driving factor behind his resignation from his Cabinet-level state position, adding that "it has been a privilege and honor" to serve.

North Dakota Deputy CIO Greg Hoffman will lead the state Information Technology department during the search for Mohanty's successor.

During his tenure, Mohanty tackled the emerging landscape of artificial intelligence, as well as updates to the state's unemployment insurance system and the development of a planned business gateway, according to the governor's office. Burgum praised Mohanty for his time in the role and thanked him for his service.

Kuldip brought a deep understanding of system operations and a strong focus on customer service during his impactful 15 months as CIO, ensuring that NDIT was able to meet the needs of its agency partners so they could better serve North Dakota citizens, Burgum said in a statement. Were grateful for his leadership of the outstanding team at NDIT, and we look forward to building upon his progress and wish him all the best in his future endeavors."

The IT Department has a $275 million operating budget, more than $500 million in projects and 479 full-time employees.
No one was seriously injured in the crash of a small plane in southeastern North Dakota's Ransom County.

Jessica Herman, 33, of Kulm, was piloting a 1951 Piper Cub that took off from the Enderlin Airport for an exhibition flight shortly after 10 a.m. Monday and experienced an engine problem, the Highway Patrol reported. Herman attempted an emergency landing in a field, and the plane came to rest on its roof less than a mile from the airport.

Herman suffered minor injuries, the Patrol said. A 12-year-old boy and a 13-year-old boy who were passengers in the plane were not hurt. The Patrol did not release the names of the juveniles.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the crash.
The U.S. Postal Service has paused planned changes to its mail processing network around the country, including in North Dakota.

The move comes after a bipartisan group of U.S. senators and others raised concerns about the Postal Service's reviews of dozens of mail processing facilities, including those in Bismarck and Grand Forks. The agency in March announced it would move regional mail processing from those cities to Fargo, though it also said the Bismarck Processing and Distribution Center would stay open and receive up to $3.5 million from USPS, becoming modernized as a local processing center.

The Postal Service said no career employees would be laid off in Bismarck but that 13 workers would be "impacted." It has not responded to Tribune requests for clarification.

U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy in a May 9 letter to Sen. Gary Peters, D-Michigan, chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said that he will pause planned changes at nearly 60 processing plants until at least Jan. 1, 2025.

"Even then, we will not advance these efforts without advising you of our plans to do so, and then only at a moderated pace of implementation," DeJoy wrote.

The planned changes at the processing centers were part of the Postal Service's $40 billion 10-year plan to modernize the nations aging postal network and achieve a goal of 95% on-time delivery nationwide. But timely mail service has been an issue in parts of North Dakota, including the Bismarck area, and some people and lawmakers worried the processing consolidation could worsen the problem.

North Dakota's congressional delegation issued a statement saying it was pleased with DeJoy's decision.

We have repeatedly outlined community concerns with the proposals and the need to make sure any processing changes actually improve mail service for customers," said Sens. John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer and Rep. Kelly Armstrong, all D-N.D. "During the pause, well continue pressing USPS to make sure any potential changes to mail processing in the future work for the local communities.
For better or worse, it seems that highly publicized allegations of racism & discrimination are easier to make than ACTUALLY getting out there and galvanizing public opinion.

OR . . .

Maybe there really isn't that much negative sentiment out there against the city manager.

From our perspective . . .

We've noticed that just about everybody who talks with KCMO City Manager Brian Platt seems to have a good impression of his skill, intelligence and concern with local neighborhoods.

Even if TKC might disagree with some of his policies, there's no denying that he's one of the most competent people at 12th & Oak.

(Lulz, after writing that . . . No, we don't mean that as a backhanded compliment even if local government workers often get a great deal of hateration.)



For now, here's the aftermath of cowtown political sentiments that didn't take hold . . .



"Urban League of Greater Kansas City President Gwendolyn Grant and four other petitioners attempted to force the city council to either cancel Platts 16% pay raise and contract extension, or put it up for a public vote in August. They had until last week to collect the required number of verified signatures  equal to at least 10% of those who voted in the last mayoral election, which was 4,137 in this case. But no petition forms were turned in by the deadline, City Clerk Marilyn Sanders said."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Here's why this is scary that has nothing to do with the singularity . . .

A recent retail tech FAIL was ushered out of the news quickly but it deserves a look in this context:

"Amazon used workers in India to label the data that trained its object-recognition AI. They also served as backup reviewers for problem transactions. The AI industry relies heavily on cheap labor, often in developing countries, for data labeling tasks."

Translation . . .

EVEN THE RICHEST COMPANY ON EARTH FAKED AI AND USED LOW-PAID FOREIGN WORKERS FOR SURVEILLANCE . . . SHOULD THAT TYPE OF TECH GO IN SCHOOLS?!?

As always and in fairness . . . Here's a more optimistic look at the effort . . .



"Kansas could soon offer up to $5 million in grants for schools to outfit surveillance cameras with artificial intelligence systems that can spot people carrying guns. But the governor needs to approve the expenditures and the schools must meet some very specific criteria."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Caveat and explanation . . .

Of course hottie Sydney would never sell anything that TKC put in a bag . . . But our aspirational satire starts this latest peek at pop culture, community news and top headlines.

Check TKC news gathering . . .

Cowtown Reconsiders Bad Debt

Are credit card perks worth the fees? Kansas Citians, Biden administration not convinced The Biden administration is taking a closer look at credit cards. They argue credit card holders could be paying more in fees than the card's perks are worth.

Cheddar Biscuit Conclusion

Red Lobster closes two KC-area locations, two others in Kansas, Missouri - Kansas City Business Journal In the face of financial difficulties across the country, the seafood franchise has closed many of its restaurants in several markets. Here's which locations are closed nearby.

Worthwhile East Side Debut

Artistic treasure set to open in historic 18th & Vine District - Downtown Council of Kansas City Downtown Kansas City is preparing to welcome an international gem to its already vibrant visual and performing arts scene. The Zhou B Art Center will celebrate its grand opening on [...]

Kansas City BBQ Comeback

Arthur Bryant's to reopen after being closed for more than 10 days Arthur Bryant's announced their reopening on Monday at 1 p.m. Through their "X" account, the famous barbeque joint posted about their return.

Home Check Success?!?

Jackson County Public Health applauds cities for rental inspection programs, pushes for more With 29% of Eastern Jackson County being renters, the Public Health Department released a study highlighting the health effects of having a rental inspection program in place in cities.

Worthwhile Pet Project Will Garner Scathing Critique Soon

Jackson County Legislature Passes Resolution to Support Creation of Veterans Affairs Office Kansas City, MO - [May 13, 2024] - In a significant move to bolster support for veterans, the Jackson County Legislature passed Resolution 21616, which supports the creation of Missouri

Weather Aware For Puppers

When storms hit Kansas City, animal shelters rush to keep pets calm Spring's severe weather can stress out animals, especially the hundreds living in Kansas City shelters. The storms can also decrease adoption rates. Workers and volunteers constantly watch the weather to know when to provide de-stressing activities and encourage adoptions.

Double Take On Campy Classic

Barbarella film with Sydney Sweeney almost a reality - but fans worried for star SYDNEY Sweeney has inched closer to stepping into Jane Fonda's old Barbarella spacesuit. However, fans are worried the Euphoria breakout is in danger of being typecast in a very specific way....

White House Offers Far East Trade War?!?

Biden to increase tariffs on $18 billion in Chinese imports in a new warning to Beijing | CNN Politics President Joe Biden is increasing tariffs on $18 billion in Chinese imports across a handful of sectors deemed strategic to national security - an attempt to cripple Beijing's development of critical technologies and instead prioritize US production.

Like It Or Not: MAGA Still Moving Forward

Polling sets off fresh alarm bells for Biden A fresh poll from The New York Times brought more bad news for President Biden as he struggles to catch up to former President Trump in the key battleground states that will decide November's election. The poll found Trump leading in five out of six swing states, with Wisconsin the lone place where Biden is...

Convict Testimony Shared

"Just do it": Michael Cohen says Trump told him, on Stormy Daniels payment Cohen is the star witness for the prosecution in Trump's criminal trial.

GOP Lead Crumbling

Pressure on Democrats as Republicans look to flip Maryland Senate seat Primary voters to cast ballots on Tuesday, and Republicans sniff a November victory after ex-governor Larry Hogan's entry into race

Diplomacy As Russian Army Closes In . . .

Blinken visits Ukraine to tout US support for Kyiv's fight against Russia's advances U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced diplomatic mission to reassure Ukraine that it has American support as it struggles to defend against increasingly intense Russian attacks.

Progressives Spoil Moderate Hopes Again . . .

Democrats face rupture over vote to force Israel arms shipments Rep. Ritchie Torres cited his "general rule" of supporting most pro-Israel legislation.

Because There Aren't Enough Old Dudes Angry About Stuff

Bill Maher and Bill Burr call time on Louis CK's cancelation Comedians Bill Maher and Bill Burr called time on Louis CK's #MeToo exile as they claim that 'no one cares' about cancel culture anymore.

More Than Handful Of Tech Questions

Why are we using AI to create women with big boobs? As the first AI beauty contest takes place, Katherine Fidler asks what will computer-generated women mean for young girls' mental health?

Home Team Take The L

Royals carved up by George Kirby and Mariners offense in 6-2 loss It's the eighth straight loss to Seattle in Seattle

Parking Probs Threaten Lady Baller Hype Machine

KC Current fans call for easier access from Columbus Park to Berkley Riverfront KC Current fans weighed in on wanting easier access from Columbus Park to the Berkley Riverfront. KSHB 41's Caroline Hogan got their reaction.

Discounting Super Bowl Repeat

2024 Chiefs Single-Game Tickets Set to Go On Sale Thursday 2024 SCHEDULE RELEASE PRESENTED BY TICKETMASTER TO GO LIVE WEDNESDAY NIGHT ON CLUB'S SOCIAL CHANNELS

Savor This Chill . . .

Eat This Now: Miami Ice Miami Ice // Photo by Sarah Sipple Just like the balance of getting a sunkissed glow but avoiding a burn, finding the balance between wellness and "little treats" is heightened in the summer. They're not mutually exclusive in a well-adjusted worldview.

Today's Soggy Forecast

A few lingering showers are likely today, but they should be few and far between Thursday will be another First Alert Weather Impact Day

Kings Of Leon - Nowhere to Run is the song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.
Again, the reality here is . . .

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS & ROYALS INSIDERS HAVE TOLD EVERY LOCAL POLITICO THAT THEY DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE COURTHOUSE LEADER!!!

And so . . .



Maybe e-mail contact isn't worth bragging about . . .

Here's the report so readers can decide for themselves:



(Jackson County Executive) White told the Jackson County Legislator that he received a response from the Chiefs but not the Royals.



Details about the letter or conversation have not been disclosed publicly, though White told legislators he would provide information at a future meeting.



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
The Super Bowl baller is fighting for his career and recent legal dox reveal that he's taking an aggressive tact despite video evidence and powerful testimony.

Check-it:



Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice speaks through court documents and denies all accusations listed in one of two lawsuits filed against him.



He also asked a judge to either dismiss the lawsuit, or make the plaintiff provide expert testimony to back up any of the claims.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Chiefs' Rashee Rice denies liability, seeks jury trial in two civil cases Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice denies liability and is seeking trials in two civil cases he faces.

Chiefs Rashee Rice denies claims in court documents, asks for jury trial Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice denies lawsuit claims in court documents, demands plaintiff proved his injuries are from the crash.

Developing . . .
Starting May 10, international travelers in the Philippines will experience a more streamlined airport process. A single QR code will now serve all immigration and customs clearance needs at every international airport across the nation.

This new system is designed to simplify the travel process, integrating various requirements into one code.

Philippines Introduces Unified QR Code

In the past, travelers had to manage separate QR codes for the Bureau of Immigration and the Bureau of Customs. However, a recent system update has allowed for the integration of these services with the e-Travel system.

Now, only one QR code is necessary, covering all declarations needed for immigration, quarantine, and customs.

As per GMA News, travelers will need to present their passports for e-Travel registration confirmation at immigration and show their QR code for customs clearance. This can be done upon arrival or before departure.

In addition, travelers can complete their electronic Customs Baggage Declaration Form (e-CBDF) and electronic Currencies Declaration Form (e-CDF) via the eGovPH mobile app within 72 hours of their travel.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has stated that the e-CBDF must be filled out by all arriving passengers. The e-CDF is required for both arriving and departing passengers if they carry amounts over the permitted thresholds of local or foreign currencies.

Specifically, any amount over US $10,000 or more than 50,000 Philippine pesos must be declared. Failure to do so can lead to confiscation of the funds by customs officials.

This upgrade is part of the Philippines' ongoing efforts to enhance travel efficiency and security at its international gateways, making it easier for travelers to enter and exit the country.

Related Article : Philippines Aims for Tourism Boost, Targets Austrian Visitors with New Agreement

A Surge in International Visitors This Year

The Philippines has welcomed over two million international visitors this month, marking a significant recovery in tourism.

According to the Department of Tourism (DOT), tourism revenues from January through March reached PHP157.62 billion, surpassing the PHP130.59 billion recorded in the same period in 2019, before global travel restrictions.

As of April 24, the total number of international visitors hit 2,010,522, with 94.21 percent, or 1,894,076 foreign tourists and the remaining 5.79 percent, or 116,446 overseas Filipinos.

This represents a 15.11 percent increase over last year's figures during the same timeframe.

Breaking Travel News also revealed that South Korea remains the top source of tourists for the Philippines, followed by the United States, China, Japan, and Australia. Other significant contributors include Canada, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Germany.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco expressed optimism about the upward trend in tourism numbers. She highlighted ongoing efforts to enhance tourism infrastructure and improve connectivity, which are expected to boost visitor arrivals further.

The Philippines aims to attract 7.7 million international tourists this year, approaching the record 8.26 million visitors in 2019.

Supported by the National Tourism Development Plan 2023-2028, the government and its partners are working towards sustainable tourism development, which promises more job opportunities for Filipinos.
WHEN a rising power challenges an incumbent one, war often follows. That prospect, known as the Thucydides trap after the Greek historian who first described it, looms over relations between China and the West, particularly America. So, increasingly, does a more insidious confrontation. Even if China does not seek to conquer foreign lands, many people fear that it seeks to conquer foreign minds.

Australia was the first to raise a red flag about China's tactics. On December 5th allegations that China has been interfering in Australian politics, universities and publishing led the government to propose new laws to tackle "unprecedented and increasingly sophisticated foreign efforts to influence lawmakers (see article). This week an Australian senator resigned over accusations that, as an opposition spokesman, he took money from China and argued its corner. Britain, Canada and New Zealand are also beginning to raise the alarm. On December 10th Germany accused China of trying to groom politicians and bureaucrats. And on December 13th Congress held hearings on China's growing influence.

This behaviour has a namesharp power, coined by the National Endowment for Democracy, a Washington-based foundation and think-tank. Soft power harnesses the allure of culture and values to add to a country's strength; sharp power helps authoritarian regimes coerce and manipulate opinion abroad.

The West needs to respond to China's behaviour, but it cannot simply throw up the barricades. Unlike the old Soviet Union, China is part of the world economy. Instead, in an era when statesmanship is in short supply, the West needs to find a statesmanlike middle ground. That starts with an understanding of sharp power and how it works.

Influencing the influencers

Like many countries, China has long tried to use visas, grants, investments and culture to pursue its interests. But its actions have recently grown more intimidating and encompassing. Its sharp power has a series of interlocking components: subversion, bullying and pressure, which combine to promote self-censorship. For China, the ultimate prize is pre-emptive kowtowing by those whom it has not approached, but who nonetheless fear losing funding, access or influence.

China has a history of spying on its diaspora, but the subversion has spread. In Australia and New Zealand Chinese money is alleged to have bought influence in politics, with party donations or payments to individual politicians. This weeks complaint from German intelligence said that China was using the LinkedIn business network to ensnare politicians and government officials, by having people posing as recruiters and think-tankers and offering free trips.

Bullying has also taken on a new menace. Sometimes the message is blatant, as when China punished Norway economically for awarding a Nobel peace prize to a Chinese pro-democracy activist. More often, as when critics of China are not included in speaker line-ups at conferences, or academics avoid study of topics that China deems sensitive, individual cases seem small and the role of officials is hard to prove. But the effect can be grave. Western professors have been pressed to recant. Foreign researchers may lose access to Chinese archives. Policymakers may find that China experts in their own countries are too ill-informed to help them.

Because China is so integrated into economic, political and cultural life, the West is vulnerable to such pressure. Western governments may value trade over scoring diplomatic points, as when Greece vetoed a European Union statement criticising Chinas record on human rights, shortly after a Chinese firm had invested in the port of Piraeus. The economy is so big that businesses often dance to Chinas tune without being told to. An Australian publisher suddenly pulled a book, citing fears of Beijings agents of influence.

What to do?

Facing complaints from Australia and Germany, China has called its critics irresponsible and paranoidand there is indeed a danger of anti-Chinese hysteria. However, if China were being more truthful, it would point out that its desire for influence is what happens when countries become powerful.

China has a lot more at stake outside its borders today than it did. Some 10m Chinese have moved abroad since 1978. It worries that they will pick up democratic habits from foreigners and infect China itself. Separately, Chinese companies are investing in rich countries, including in resources, strategic infrastructure and farmland. Chinas navy can project power far from home. Its government frets that its poor image abroad will do it harm. And as the rising superpower, China has an appetite to shape the rules of global engagementrules created largely by America and western Europe and routinely invoked by them to justify their own actions.

To ensure Chinas rise is peaceful, the West needs to make room for Chinas ambition. But that does not mean anything goes. Open societies ignore Chinas sharp power at their peril.

Part of their defence should be practical. Counter-intelligence, the law and an independent media are the best protection against subversion. All three need Chinese speakers who grasp the connection between politics and commerce in China. The Chinese Communist Party suppresses free expression, open debate and independent thought to cement its control. Merely shedding light on its sharp tacticsand shaming kowtowerswould go a long way towards blunting them.

Part should be principled. Unleashing a witch-hunt against Chinese people would be wrong; it would also make Western claims to stand for the rule of law sound hollow. Calls from American politicians for tit-for-tat reciprocity, over visas for academics and NGO workers, say, would be equally self-defeating. Yet ignoring manipulation in the hope that China will be more friendly in the future would only invite the next jab. Instead the West needs to stand by its own principles, with countries acting together if possible, and separately if they must. The first step in avoiding the Thucydides trap is for the West to use its own values to blunt Chinas sharp power.

DG Reid1 hour 8 mins ago

All countries compete in more than one arena. Is what China is doing more harmful than advertising to children in the US or companies buying competitors and shutting them down? Economic competition is only one show in town. To me, it seems that China is taking a longer-term, broader view.

Simplelifer

Dec 16th, 15:11

And tell us why you think this article is wrong.].

Can you read?.

y@yyyyH 2017 Dec 15 14.00.

[Like many countries, China has long tried to use visas, grants, investments and culture to pursue its interests. But its actions have recently grown more intimidating and encompassing. Its sharp power has a series of interlocking components: subversion, bullying and pressure, which combine to promote self-censorship. For China, the ultimate prize is pre-emptive kowtowing by those whom it has not approached, but who nonetheless fear losing funding, access or influence.].

Those many countries, of course, are white Western countries that have done all that you have described against other countries and cultures. They have created hordes of pre-emptive kowtowers, whom Edward Said aptly called white mans niggers.

.

[Bullying has also taken on a new menace. ]

.

The best example is Dumbo Trumps attempt to bully Un Kim into giving up his nukes, which he needs to defend his country from the Amelikan threat of regime change.

.

[The economy is so big that businesses often dance to Chinas tune without being told to. An Australian publisher suddenly pulled a book, citing fears of Beijings agents of influence.]

.

so big was exactly what the Western economy, especially the Amelikan economy, has been. Get used to the changed world! What else can you do otherwise???

.

[However, if China were being more truthful, it would point out that its desire for influence is what happens when countries become powerful.]

.

WHY the hell is there the need for China to point out since that was EXACTLY what the white Western whiners themselves have been doing all these time???

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If the West (and you) is truthful, it should just accept reality.

.

[China has a lot more at stake outside its borders today than it did. Some 10m Chinese have moved abroad since 1978. It worries that they will pick up democratic habits from foreigners and infect China itself.]

.

YOU have just explained WHY the white West fears that the Chinese are trying to influence some white people, who might carry Confucian habits from the Chinese and infect the West itself!!!

.

[To ensure Chinas rise is peaceful, the West needs to make room for Chinas ambition. But that does not mean anything goes. Open societies ignore Chinas sharp power at their peril.]

.

The West has never, and will never voluntarily, make room for China. China IS making room for itself! Self-confident societies like North Koreas has a solution to every sharp, or un-sharp, power its enemies throw at it.

.

[Part of their defence should be practical. Counter-intelligence, the law and an independent media are the best protection against subversion. All three need Chinese speakers who grasp the connection between politics and commerce in China. The Chinese Communist Party suppresses free expression, open debate and independent thought to cement its control. Merely shedding light on its sharp tacticsand shaming kowtowerswould go a long way towards blunting them.]

.

Very soon, there would be so many Western Chinese speakers, who would out-number Chinese English-speakers, and who could grasp the connection between politics and commerce in China so efficaciously that they became Chinese niggers themselves!!! That was EXACTLY how the West won so many Chinese pre-emptive kowtowers to the West!!!

.

Your prized strategy is therefore equally self-defeating ultimately!!! ;-D, ;-D, ;-D

.

[Part should be principled. Unleashing a witch-hunt against Chinese people would be wrong; it would also make Western claims to stand for the rule of law sound hollow. ]

.

witch-hunt against Chinese people has ALWAYS been a white Western instinct and habit even BEFORE Chinas re-emergence! Remember the Chinese Exclusion Act, White Australia Policy and many, many other discriminatory measures??? ThisDecember 5th allegations that China has been interfering in Australian politics, universities is merely the White Australia Policy reincarnated.

.

[Calls from American politicians for tit-for-tat reciprocity, over visas for academics and NGO workers, say, would be equally self-defeating. Yet ignoring manipulation in the hope that China will be more friendly in the future would only invite the next jab. Instead the West needs to stand by its own principles, with countries acting together if possible, and separately if they must. The first step in avoiding the Thucydides trap is for the West to use its own values to blunt Chinas sharp power.]

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What you are calling for is just White-White ! The white West has always behaving that way. What else can the rest of the world expect???

.

Devils

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guest-aainnmjnDec 17th, 20:33

The CIA ops were a counter to the Soviet Unions operations. The Cold War was conducted world wide and the KGB and CIA butted heads in many countries.

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guest-5a36c92b99abbDec 17th, 19:55

How about the fact that the US is about to default on its debt, including those that are due to the Chinese. The Chinese have, through slave labor, and hand in hand with US industry manipulated the system to not only provide us cheap cheap products, but the credit to purchase it as well. The Chinese want to get paid and secure the raw resources. Chinese are about to launch the Petro Yuan backed by Gold.not the bankrupt US Dollar. There are a lot of energy and banking industries that would hate to see this transcend..That is the real reason this article was written. To is to get us used to seeing Chinese as adversaries, not persons that we owe money to. Remember Bush and Gores words, we have to love them with Capitalism. What a coverup article.

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guest-ajnniwenDec 17th, 19:01

No one its pretending to say nor to believe that theres not corruption en China, however such thing doesnt reach a fraction of the historical and traditional scandalous levels of western countries corruption. That been said, corruption in the west its the most important reason on which China its taking advantage of to carry with their strategy, had not being for such reason, China would have much more difficulties trying to implement its power around the world. So, no one can come out blaming China exclusively on their actions. Besides, sharp power its precisely what the western industrialized nations  mainly the US  have always used on the small, underdeveloped and weaker nations to gain control and maintain their grip on them so keep them under the statuos quo, which by the way, its what such small nations have called imperialism which its has been an undeniable reality.

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guest-aainooolDec 17th, 17:50

Israel has bee influencing American politics for decades, yet no red flags are ever raised. How is it different when China does the same?

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XDRTQnBNFAin reply to guest-aainooolDec 17th, 18:53

Who said it is different?

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guest-nejawaain reply to XDRTQnBNFADec 17th, 20:34

There seems to be a strong inference that Chinas influence is inherently more harmful than that of other countries. And the explanation, referring to Thucydides rising power theory, seems hollow for many readers. Of course, taking the article on its own terms, Israel (and the EU, and Russia) are all declining powers so the article works at face-value.

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popcorndaddyDec 17th, 17:25

It is only a few years ago that our progressive betters were giddy with excitement that China was about to displace the US as foremost power.

It was however always clear that their agenda would have very little purchase in a Chinese led world.

So lets congratulate our friends for allowing their brains to take over from their hormones.

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toytonyDec 17th, 11:39

All those CIA black ops in eastern europe, Iran, South America. Was those activities exercise of sharp power? or hard power?? I am confused. Operation Condor ? Operation Ajax ?Operation PBSUCCESS?Operation Mongoose?The Mujahideen?

Havent the west shited all over the map of the world? Now they are accusing China is potentially do the same thing?

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Bismarx777Dec 17th, 05:27

Our Chinese posters like to make it a Western vs China issue, but it could have been fairer if the Economist had included Asian countries like Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

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China avoids these problems by making it very difficult for anyone to migrate to China, the West should copy China and cut off migration, and only use citizenship by blood like what Germany used to do.

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Most Western countries wont be impacted, because there are so few Chinese people in those countries and they dont have as much economic influence. The only two countries that have to be concerned are New Zealand and Australia. They have been having concerns about Chinese influence in the US for the last two decades, but nothing came of it. The Economist would have a much stronger case if they just focus on Australia and New Zealand. Its unlikely that what worked in these two countries would work in others, especially the US. The US despite being an immigrant country, there are very few foreign-born politicians compared to Canada / Australia.

China has arms restrictions imposed by the West because of Tiananmen, so of course, the West is wary. China is treated more or less like Russia. The Canadian kicked a former KGB agents who immigrated to Canada, even though he had only been an agent for a couple of years. Both Japan and South Korea are democracies, and they avoid these problems by having destructive immigration policies.

With the case in New Zealand, the Chinese born MP was suspected of involvement by New Zealand intelligence. The irony is that if he was an ordinary New Zealander applying for the job that had access to the sensitive information he had access to as MP, he would be denied because he couldnt get security clearance, In the US, a foreign-born person could be Speaker of the House, but could guard the President or even work for iin Seabee crew at Camp David.. I think politicians should be held to the same security clearance as ordinary citizens of that country when running for office fo that level of security clearance. The US has two levels of citizens, natural born and naturalized as I explained, when it comes naturalized US citizens are forbidden from certain jobs.

To be frank I dont think the West gives a crap about what Chinese think or if the Chinese feel discriminated, it is not going to stop them from migrating to the West. What are they going to do, migrate to Singapore? What is happening is the West is being taken as suckers, and when the West starts showing some resistance, they start accusing the West of racism/ In Singapore, they would put you in prison.

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canabanain reply to Bismarx777Dec 17th, 07:52

Still pretending to be a fake Singaporean.

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Bismarx777in reply to canabanaDec 17th, 18:11

When are you going to join the PLA?

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SimpleliferDec 16th, 15:11

Lots of angry Chinese commentators here, professional and not.

You guys dont like the view of this article from this magazine, thats fine. You have every right to express your anger, so please do share your thoughts. And tell us why you think this article is wrong. No one will stop you nor arrest you.

This is what freedom is all about: Free from fear to express and take actions.

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guest-ajinmmaiin reply to SimpleliferDec 17th, 02:33

Totally agree. What were really uncomfortable about are the double standards the West use against China. The West and China dont have to be enemy, and the first step should be for both parties to understand each other instead of launching accusation at the first point.

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toytonyin reply to SimpleliferDec 17th, 11:27

Does it include your freedom of disguishing naked racisim and xenophobia with talks of moral principle of freedom and democracy??

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y@yyyyHDec 16th, 04:50

y@yyyyH 2017 Dec 15 14.00

[Like many countries, China has long tried to use visas, grants, investments and culture to pursue its interests. But its actions have recently grown more intimidating and encompassing. Its sharp power has a series of interlocking components: subversion, bullying and pressure, which combine to promote self-censorship. For China, the ultimate prize is pre-emptive kowtowing by those whom it has not approached, but who nonetheless fear losing funding, access or influence.]

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Those many countries, of course, are white Western countries that have done all that you have described against other countries and cultures. They have created hordes of pre-emptive kowtowers, whom Edward Said aptly called white mans niggers.

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[Bullying has also taken on a new menace. ]

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The best example is Dumbo Trumps attempt to bully Un Kim into giving up his nukes, which he needs to defend his country from the Amerlikan threat of regime change.

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[The economy is so big that businesses often dance to Chinas tune without being told to. An Australian publisher suddenly pulled a book, citing fears of Beijings agents of influence.]

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so big was exactly what the Western econonmy, especially the Amelikan economy, has been. Get used to the changed world! What else can you do otherwise???

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[However, if China were being more truthful, it would point out that its desire for influence is what happens when countries become powerful.]

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WHY the hell is there the need for China to point out since that was EXACTLY what the white Western whiners themselves have been doing all these time???

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If the West (and you) is truthful, it should just accept reality.

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[China has a lot more at stake outside its borders today than it did. Some 10m Chinese have moved abroad since 1978. It worries that they will pick up democratic habits from foreigners and infect China itself.]

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YOU have just explained WHY the white West fears that the Chinese are trying to influence some white people, who might carry Confucian habits from the Chinese and infect the West itself!!!

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[To ensure Chinas rise is peaceful, the West needs to make room for Chinas ambition. But that does not mean anything goes. Open societies ignore Chinas sharp power at their peril.]

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The West has never, and will never voluntarily, make room for China. China IS making room for itself! Self-confident societies like North Koreas has a solution to every sharp, or un-sharp, power its enemies throw at it.

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[Part of their defence should be practical. Counter-intelligence, the law and an independent media are the best protection against subversion. All three need Chinese speakers who grasp the connection between politics and commerce in China. The Chinese Communist Party suppresses free expression, open debate and independent thought to cement its control. Merely shedding light on its sharp tacticsand shaming kowtowerswould go a long way towards blunting them.]

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Very soon, there would be so many Western Chinese speakers, who out-numbered Chinese English-speakers, and who could grasp the connection between politics and commerce in China so efficacious that they became Chinsese niggers themselves!!! That was EXACTLY how the West won so many Chinese pre-emptive kowtowers to the West!!!

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Your prized strategy is therefore equally self-defeating ultimately!!! ;-D, ;-D, ;-D

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[Part should be principled. Unleashing a witch-hunt against Chinese people would be wrong; it would also make Western claims to stand for the rule of law sound hollow. ]

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witch-hunt against Chinese people has ALWAYS been a white Western instinct and habit even BEFORE Chinas re-emergence! Remember the Chinese Eclusion Act, White Australia Policy and many, many other discriminatory measures??? TheisDecember 5th allegations that China has been interfering in Australian politics, universities is merely the White Australia Policy in action AGAIN.

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[Calls from American politicians for tit-for-tat reciprocity, over visas for academics and NGO workers, say, would be equally self-defeating. Yet ignoring manipulation in the hope that China will be more friendly in the future would only invite the next jab. Instead the West needs to stand by its own principles, with countries acting together if possible, and separately if they must. The first step in avoiding the Thucydides trap is for the West to use its own values to blunt Chinas sharp power.]

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What you are calling for is just White-White ! The white West has always behaving that way. What else can the rest of the world expect???

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Devils

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BHARAT-Dec 16th, 03:21

The last few decades of Chinas foreign policy and dealings have shown us that they listen and respect other peoples wishes. They do not force. They do not threaten.

What about the Spratleys you say?

There is a question mark there  but the Spratleys are mostly uninhabitaed. And if there are people there  china isn not like the UK which has massacres in its history

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From Indias point of view, we have no problem that cannot be sorted out with discussion or dialogue with China. Our views and wishes are well respected

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XDRTQnBNFAin reply to BHARAT-Dec 16th, 03:30

Excellent point. Doklad is also sparsely inhabited. And China us totally respecting India on that front.

http://m.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2124375/china-bui

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y@yyyyHin reply to XDRTQnBNFADec 16th, 05:03

[XDRTQnBNFAin reply to BHARAT-1 hour 24 mins ago

Excellent point. Doklad is also sparsely inhabited. And China us totally respecting India on that front.

http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2124375/china-building-troop-numbers-near-doklam-after-summer%5D

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If there was disrepect, it went the other way:

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{[JAIHAin reply to y@yyyyH 2017 Jul 30th, 08:42

That would be tantamount to India sabotaging an agreement between Bhutan and China.



I suppose that India actually DID step in. Why?

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Have you ever been to Lanzhou? Or Jiayuguan? Or even Chengdu?

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Do you know how close Tibet is to Chinas corridor to the West?

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Now imagine, if the PRC hadnt invaded and occupied Tibet but if Tibet had declared independence and Uncle had his troops just uphill from Lanzhou!

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Having traveled across China and India, its obvious to me why Tibet is important for Chinas security. And its just as obvious that the same holds true for Bhutan with regard to Indias security.

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Its bleeding obvious, actually. Some reciprocal understanding on the Chinese side would well be in order.]

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1) China DOES understand that. That is why China always wants a settled border with India. With a settled border, which both sides are committed NOT to cross without the others permission, security is assured. It has been India that is dragging its feet over establishing settled borders.

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2) As regards to Doklam, given in one of the references earlier, China notified India in advanced so that objections could be voiced. Instead, India waited for the road works to start and then sent troops across a undisputed China-Sikkim border. What has that to do with security?

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3) In the area around Doklam, it is Indian troops stationing in Sikkim and Bhutan that are on the high ground. Why should India feel insecure in this area?

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In some videos that I have watched. Some India nationalists advocated that India should not withdraw its troops from Doklam NOT because Indias position around there was vulnerable but precisely because it had a strong position, which they believed China would be incapable of challenging. It all shows that this particular operation is NOT about making India more secure but one to make the China know its place THAT is what the true dispute is about!!!}

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Devils

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venzeDec 16th, 02:18

Beijing aims to spread its economic influence in all continents, mainly in underdeveloped and developing countries. Trading is the goal, no military hegemonic intention.

One would not forget in 1900 when eight western nations jointly marched into Beijing, people yelled, White soldiers are coming, run, run for shelter. Now when Chinese flew into an African country, people cheer, Chinese are coming, welcome, welcome. See the difference?

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XDRTQnBNFAin reply to venzeDec 16th, 02:47

And we are just going to gloss over the fact that China is building military installations in the middle of south East Asia are we? I guess the economics there are, if the fishing boat isnt Chinese then our military will blow you out of the water. How peaceful Chinas rise is.

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chinachipin reply to XDRTQnBNFADec 16th, 03:54

Extremely peaceful. China and America have a Special Relationship as did England and America in WWII. Got that?

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;-D

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pykouilleDec 15th, 19:54

The one-party system in China softens extremism at both ends, which can not be done by the two-party American system, which each groups these extremists together and has given the free world that wonderful leader. And when China has progressed sufficiently, and will be self-sufficient, it will no longer need to copy the West. It could then, in turn, be protectionist against the divided West!

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Michael Dunnein reply to pykouilleDec 16th, 08:34

The one party system was around during the cultural revolution. What softening happened there? How was your Lin Biao?

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And then there was the Great Leap Backwards prior to that, with devastating results.

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The rest of the post there didnt make much sense.

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China is already protectionist economically.

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Why the exclamation point  sounds like some over-excited extremism there

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msajaDec 15th, 19:19

rules created largely by America and western Europe and routinely invoked by them to justify their own actions

One of the best lines written by The Economist that I cant believe that I read it here actually!

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Victor E.Dec 15th, 18:28

The avalanche of comments from members of the  on this particular article (and the paucity of them on others) is remarkable. The Economist is to be applauded for doing what no mainland Chinese newspaper will do  give all of its readers a platform where they can practise free speech with impunity  but it really needs to consider ways of avoiding laying itself open to such conspicuous intimidatory trolling.

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Felipe CoelhoDec 15th, 18:21

Post-Mao China and Putins Russia are starting to do what the USA has done since 1945, with far more subtlety, to use the soft power. Till now they have not invaded any country (Crimea was Russian till Kruschev gave it to Ukraine) or staged military coups. One major failure is in culture: up to now they did not manage to have anything similar to Hollywood or popular music.

They are learning also a few hard lessons, for example both nations lost money invested in Maduros Venezuela and lost moral capital by supporting Bolivarian/Petista/Peronista autoritarian regimes. This strategy may work in recently independent African and Central Asian countries, with institutions that are new and weak (for example, Angola), but not in the so-called Latin America. Here in Latin America the institutions may be weak and inefficient  this varies much from country to country  but this should not be overstated as these institutions are five centuries old and copy even older institutions from Iberia.

The same holds true for ancient civilizations in South Asia. like Pakistan, the Khmer Republic, India, Vietnam and Indonesia, or in the remaining nations of the Islamic and the Budhist Worlds. One must thread very, very carefully there.

Regards from Rio de Janeiro

PS: China and Russia know something about Europe and the Anglo-Saxon World (Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand) but know very little about Africa, West, Central, and South Asia and Latin America.

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Michael Dunnein reply to Felipe CoelhoDec 16th, 08:42

Well Russia did invade Crimea, and other parts (eastern Ukraine).

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The PRC has encroached on claims by the Philippines and acted clumsily and aggressively with a number of maritime claims.

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Not sure how far you want to go back, but:

The Soviet Union sure invaded a number of countries after WWII (Hungary, Czechoslovakia).

The PRC also invaded a number of countries, including Korea, India and Vietnam.

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Pedro MacedoDec 15th, 16:26

Has the Universe any unity of plan of purpose, or is it just a fortuitous concourse of atoms? Bertrand Russell

Can the West (US) compete with the East (China)?

The answer is no. https://youtu.be/-VTciPTiiFc

The West (US) is between a rock and a hard place.The East, China in particular, is dealing with reality, as they see it.

The value of this discussion is similar to the one that concerns neuroscientific moral psychology.

From neural is to moral ought. A hard road to travel. Science deals with was is the case, whereas ethics deals with what ought to be. As Hume would term it, one cant derive an ought from an is.

It appears that China is taking the place of Science (dealing with what is the case), and the West (US) the place of Ethics (dealing with what ought to be.) Neural based decisons or moral based decisions have consequences. The West is living a Maile Meloys moment: both ways is the only way i want it.

The neurological and moral clock is ticking.

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toytonyDec 15th, 15:37

what a bunch of cry baby? Operation Condor ? Operation Ajax? Color revolutions? There are too many excercise of sharp power to name them all.

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toytonyDec 15th, 15:25

sharp power ? Is this some sort of code word for 21st century racsim?

Hello,Radio Free Asia? Voice of America? Arab spring ? Color revolutions? Did the west collectively bumped their heads and lost all their memories at the same fking time. F U C K ing histerical.

What a bunch of hypocrites !!

Political EconomistDec 15th, 14:53

So, Im guessing that old adage never bite the hand that feeds you is falling on deaf ears, huh?

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The Economist has always been an advocate of facilitating the influence of money in politics. Except when it comes to Chinese money. Not foreign money in general (a la AIPAC), mind you, just Chinese money.

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China shouldd grant the distinguished gentlemen at The Economist their wish: just pull out all money tomorrow. Lets see what they will have to say then. My bet is that these very same gentlemen will cry wolf again, they will call that a coercive tactic by the Chinese.

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Sharp power is a dumb phrase concocted in a dumb think tank that normally doesnt garner any respect. But assuming we accept that phrase, please keep this in mind: The act of pulling out a knife hurts just as much as the act of stabbing.

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The Economist used to be opinionated but smart. Now its just opinionated.

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canabanain reply to Political EconomistDec 15th, 21:02

Now its not just opinionated, but superficial and comical.

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Bismarx777in reply to canabanaDec 17th, 05:31

When are you going to join the PLA?

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MarquoPoloDec 15th, 14:08

Sharp power? Isnt that what CIA does? Operation Ajax anyone? When the Brits and Americans instigated a coupe in Iran to overthrow their DEMOCRATIC government over oil interests. And Americans wonder why do they hate us so much? And what do you call invading other countries forcing regime changes when they dont agree with you? Sometimes using non-existent WMD as a pretext, sometimes just because. O right, gunboat diplomacy All this done in the name of spreading liberty and democracy right

Considering the human cost of of all above, really puts things in perspective. Chinas sharp power doesnt seem so sharp in comparison. Reality is big world powers sees all resources spent gaining influence as an investment, risky but with potentially powerful returns, China is trying to gain influence just like everyone else much like the author mentioned in his first opening paragraph. Its really not that different from lobbyists from the commercial sector trying to influence politicians.

The only defense is indeed transparency, which is one of the fewer and fewer morale high grounds that Western society holds over the current Chinese political system. We really need to look at the various ways our politicians can be influenced, whether by special interest groups or foreign agents. Only then, can we devise a solution on limiting foreign influences.

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Michael Dunnein reply to MarquoPoloDec 16th, 08:50

Operation Ajax was when? 1953?

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A year when the war that China helped start, the Korean War, was brought to an end.

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Sounds like you are grasping for straws here.

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guest-njllwosDec 15th, 13:18

Chinese State media have signed a slew of partnerships with Western and African media recently (Newsweek, The Daily Telegraph, Le Soleil, Jeune Afrique). The Economists Daniel Franklin (Executive Editor) visited Beijing Review on November 28 to discuss a possible partnership. My question is simple : will The Economist publish China-made content ?

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statsmanDec 15th, 12:22

As John Pilgers film, The Coming War with China shows clearly, it the US empire that is the aggressor, not China.

It is the West that extracts surplus value from Chinese workers.

It may not be a colony, but like all developing countries it suffers from the imperialism of the West.

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Michael Dunnein reply to statsmanDec 16th, 08:55

No, the book doesnt say that. I have a copy.

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The finger pointing doesnt make much sense either  China has done quite well from access to western markets, notably the American won, since the late 1990s. The growth of the industrial base and economy overall was quite dependent on having the United States as an export market of first and last resort.

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Then there were all the technology and know how transfers. See the automobile market in China as a prime example.

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China hasnt suffered from western imperialism since the 1930s. The Nationalists asserted tariff autonomy then and got rid of most vestiges of imperialism before the Communists assumed power. Exceptions: Macau, Hong Kong, and then Soviet privileges (both those guys were not western).

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Bismarx777Dec 15th, 11:13

How China inflitrates a country depends on the domestic environment. What she doing in Australia, wouldnt work in the US, and could land the politicians in jail. What she does in the US and Canada, would land the politicians in jail in Singapore or if it were Indonesia, possibely dead.

In the US, Chinese pays lobbiest to lobby politicians. In Australia, foreignb compaies / individuals can donate to individual politicians, something you cant do in the US. At the moment, Chinese activities in the US hasnt change much from before, but in Australia its gotten to the point where its very aggressive and blatant. The best way to combat this isnt to target China, but to target poliuticians who accept these bribes or gifts, with stuff jail sentences, assets seizures and even the death penalty / corporal punishment. If you cant scare China, you can scare Western politciians. After a couple bullets in the head, China will most likely move on to a country that is an easier target, because no politicians would risk their life for a even a million dollar donation..

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y@yyyyHin reply to Bismarx777Dec 16th, 05:16

[Bismarx777Dec 15th, 11:13

How China inflitrates a country depends on the domestic environment. What she doing in Australia, wouldnt work in the US, and could land the politicians in jail. What she does in the US and Canada, would land the politicians in jail in Singapore or if it were Indonesia, possibely dead.]

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The first Dalit China should give money to is Bis!

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Devils

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Bismarx777in reply to y@yyyyHDec 17th, 05:30

My response to you, as I often say When are you going to join the PLA?, and your reply is I cant. Has Australia stopped Chinese Australians from joining the Australian military? Hong Kongers can even join the French Foreign Legion, but cant join the PLA.

As a Hong Konger you shouldnt bash the West, China doesnt even trust Hong Kongers with being cannon fodder.

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BHARAT-Dec 15th, 11:11

For such a long time western proselytisers went into China and ploughed their influence .

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Not so different from how colonisation was started

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guest-noewosjin reply to BHARAT-Dec 15th, 13:03

Yours is a good point.

As the article writer says West [should] use its own values to blunt Chinas sharp power, however, West for decades has been showing a lot of hypocrisy and the promotion of terrorism, colored revolutions and proxy wars has been its real agenda.

The worse is that as of today in any continent and place they know that, hence hypocritical rhetoric and marketing are not anymore as effective as they used to be,

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guest-56a5926a20e72Dec 15th, 11:02

Unless you change the current economic system there will always be superpowers. It is immaterial whether it is Great Britain, USA, China or any other country, it is always harmful to the progression of human civilization.

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Michael Dunnein reply to guest-56a5926a20e72Dec 16th, 09:02

The concept of a superpower hadnt been around until WWII and its aftermath  that is 75 years.

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Prior to that, Britain maybe got close, but its metropolitan/home country was still a small polity, quickly faced competition after its industrial revolution took off (after 1860, by the US and Germans), and had its dominions move rather rapidly towards autonomy and then independence in the late 19th century/early 20th centuries.

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Prior to that, the Mongols came close to a Eurasian Empire.

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Other than that, most empires were regional, and the world was not so integrated in terms of communications/transportation, or developed to allow a superpower (lack of an industrial base, scientific/technological foundation, etc. to achieve superpower status).

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martin8888Dec 15th, 09:56

The best defence transparency?

I think the Economists editor has been spending too much time with the pixies again.

If you want to write about China, a revision, a brush up, a look through of David Landes, the wealth and poverty of nations and Paul Kennedys, the rise and fall of the great powers, just might be in order.

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3U2t87RGiaDec 15th, 09:15

History shows that empires come and go. From the lost ancient Persian empire to the recent British empire all have risen and then have been pushed aside by a new rising empire. Technology and capital has been the driving force behind the rise of new empires. Napoleon Bonaparte France went bankrupt waging wars and had to sell Louisiana to the Americans to fund his wars whereas the British had a superior banking and taxation system avoiding the problems faced by the French.

The Chinese are graduating over two million STEM students each year and are catching up technically with the US. In a decade China will be technically more advanced than the USA. The USA is in a conundrum with problems from immigration, pension and an aging population. The boiling pot where new migrants would assimilate is dead as new districts spring up populated by new migrants specific to source countries. As the number of non whites in the USA increase and in the not distant future whites become a minority, the US will become akin to present day Brazil.

Resorting to China phobia is a short term solution. In the medium term China will be the number one economic and military power and the world will have to accept this new reality however bitter this realization is to the USA, Europe and China

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Michael Dunnein reply to 3U2t87RGiaDec 16th, 09:10

Technology and capital has been the driving force behind the rise of new empires. 

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In terms of world history, that had been relatively recent, like since the last 400/500 years. And, the dynamics/benefits around technology/finance didnt really get going until the end of the 17th century.

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The second paragraph didnt make much sense. The American population is aging at a slower pace than many other countries, including China. And there isnt much of a pension problem, if you are referring to social security.

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As for immigration, aside from some demagoguery, there isnt much of a problem there either, and quite a few people are still immigrating to the United States.

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And dont think the US resembles Brazil, certainly not the north or the Amazon region, or even the Matto Grosso area. Maybe some parts of the US roughly resemble areas in states like Rio Grande do Sul, or Parana, or Santa Catarina?

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It doesnt sound like you have traveled much to either the United States or Brazil?

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Sounds like you have been listening to some racists rantings of fringe types  alt right kind of stuff. LIke you realize, there are white hispanics? Like folks of Cuban background, who vote Republican?

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ThadeuDec 15th, 09:05

The Chinese tactics are quite the same western countries have practiced in developing countries. This soft power have never existed, politicians and media in poor countries are constantly influenced by western countries in the same dirty ways China is being accused  welcome on board

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HibroDec 15th, 07:15

China is becoming great again while the West is distracted by Trump.

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HinduKafirDec 15th, 06:24

Economist has lent credence to Trumpian Fake News charge.

Chinese are harmless, where would the West be without a 6 dollar noodle bowl, 5 dollar seedy massage parlors and 2 dollar commodity shops. Chinese influence has has fed many, kept crime against women low and allowed the anti socials to sustain on welfare benefits.

Infiltration of political class is a lame bogey. Billions can be made by re-zoning the councils and erecting Grenfell clones, who cares about peanuts that Chinese business offers

And lastly such bigotry about attacks on Chinese students in the Universities. Heaven forbid if they decide to strike back, they will have to travel far and wide away from the University campus to find a target

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Andrew KlepatskyDec 15th, 06:20

A hollow article. It lacks concrete examples of Chinas illegal behavior but instead displays a disgustful set of China phobia.

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canabanaDec 15th, 04:40

How dare China uses the Wests patent of Sharp Power!! . without paying any copyright dues. Bad China.

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JT302Dec 15th, 04:36

Part of [western] defence should be counter-intelligence, the law and an independent media are the best protection against subversion. - subversion is precisely what steve bannon, with trump as his vassal, has in mind with his deconstruction of the american administrative state, with an independent media first on the agenda of destruction. with people like roy moore assisting, it plays right into chinas hands. with isolationist traitors like trump, bannon, moore, and a hapless, compliant repuglican party, china neednt put much effort into subverting america and its interests around the world. theres plenty of white nationalists and religious zealots willing to do it for them.

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BswPAGt3gLDec 15th, 04:26

I see a lot of hypocrisy in this chest thumping article. Compared to all the manipulation and outright physical coercion the West has done to the rest of the world over the last few centuries what China is doing today is very tame. At least theyre not sending gunboats to attack London because England wont accept its opium.

Peddling influence using money has been going on for centuries and is actually the norm, albeit unacknowledged, in international affairs. China is just playing the game it learned from watching the West. Its just doing a better job of now than we are and so were pissed. But sucking our thumb and feeling hurt is a very poor way to counter the problem.

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Polar ResidentDec 15th, 02:25

Thanks TE for this very informative report and suggested courses of action. China -shame on you and if you want to step up and lead just say so and share. The world is big enough for all. Do not do a Putin and disgrace yourself. Thanks.

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y@yyyyHin reply to Polar ResidentDec 15th, 06:05

[Polar Resident3 hours 36 mins ago

 The world is big enough for all. ]

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And the Pacific is big enough for 2. Some Chinese general did offer Amelika to move back to it own half of the Pacific and promised that China would not get over to Amelikas half but Amelika refused.

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Devils

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homocidalmaniacDec 15th, 02:09

If bureaucrats and politicians are stupid enough to be manipulated by foreign powers, then they should be guilty of sabotage or treason but I am not of legal mind. Therefore, I presume the said collaborators, could be prosecuted for such actions?

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GoodluckHin reply to homocidalmaniacDec 15th, 02:11

Good point. And isnt it what politicians do to try to lobby and manipulate others?

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tgmoogDec 15th, 01:59

I think this sharp power is understandable as it took China 30 years ( from 1949 to 1979 ) to get back on its feet and 20 years ( from 1979 to 1989 ) to establish themselves as a reliable manufacturing country and lift most people out of poverty  from my experience I feel Chinese wish to feel proud of their national accomplishment and will ignore their shortcomings as they know the shortcomings of Westerners and regard them, the shortcomings, a consequence on the march to betterment  I also notice that the Chinese I have come in contact with have no regard whatsoever about history or politics and not that they are against these but regard history and politics as unimportant  Western countries are more and more aware of their histories especially as histories are always being analysed and re-analysed from all interpretations and thus, are constantly being made to pay for the many mistakes and cruelty of their histories especially in North America  Chinese regard history as unimportant and thus, have essentially lost their culture as without history how can their be culture  Yes, now Chinese do have the Confucius Institute and this is very remarkable especially in teaching Chinese as, at least for me, Chinese is very difficult to understand especially with the various tones  However, young Chinese cannot be talked to about Confucian ideas as they look at me blankly when I try to ask them of my feeble understandings of Confucian translations  This being said, Chinese do not need to be persuaded to promote China and current Chinese values even when living in foreign lands and all non-Chinese will always be regarded as foreigners  As Mao said, Whatever the enemy says, go against as Maoism is still very much alive since Mao Zedong thought and Den Xiaoping theory is the primary instruction taught in grade and secondary schools  I am not against this and I value and have become close to Chinese but this should be realised as there are many more people in China then Britain and North America and by the numbers and thinking it is inevitable that there is some influence and it need not be good or bad  Openness is a strength but more honesty is necessary as any appearance of deceit will cause severe problems .

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JT302Dec 15th, 01:28

Part of [western] defence should be counter-intelligence, the law and an independent media are the best protection against subversion. - subversion is precisely what steve bannon, with trump as his vassal, has in mind with his deconstruction of the american administrative state, with an independent media first on the agenda of destruction. with people like roy moore assisting, it plays right into chinas hands. with isolationist traitors like trump, bannon, moore, and a hapless, compliant repuglican party, china neednt put much effort into subverting america and its interests around the world. theres plenty of white nationalists and religious zealots willing to do it for them.

venzeDec 15th, 01:05

TEs spiky sphere is both unnecessary and demeaning, as if China is that piercing or threatening. It reflects the wests fear of Chinas meteoric rise of economic power, drawing lots of envy and red eyes from western countries. More often than not, TE has little good thing to say about Asians, China and India included. For a respectable newspaper, one would expect TE to be more objective and impartial to be acceptable by readers.

As for the obvious gradual decline of economy in Europe, compounded by high unemployment rate, the nations have themselves to blame for overdependent on former colonies and subjugation of developing countries. Things have changed. Wake up, Europe, with eyes open wider to see things in the right perspective..

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JT302Dec 15th, 01:01

chinas sharp power vs. the impotent power of trumps white nationalism. he threw away TPP and with it surrendered american hegemony in the pacific realm. with a clueless nitwit like donald chump, why worry about chinas intentions? hell forfeit american interests to ANYONE who coddles his ego  not hard to do for someone so vain, emotionally & psychologically fragile, and ignorant as all get out.

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Bruce1253Dec 15th, 00:59

I would use Chinas ambition to help the US solve the North Korea problem. I would offer North Korea a 3 way treaty. The US and its allies would pledge not to attack North Korea on a first strike. China would guarantee that pledge by regarding a first strike on North Korea by the US and its allies as an attack on China. North Korea would agree not to attack the US and our allies and China would guarantee that pledge by regarding an attack on the US or its allies by North Korea as an attack on China.

There would be a million details to work out such as what to do with NK nuclear weapons, what about food, etc., etc. All of these would take some time to work out, but if China wants to use its power to advance on the world stage, let it demonstrate its willingness to act as a peace maker for one of the most dangerous issues we are currently facing. China is perhaps the only power who has influence with both the US and North Korea.

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TellitasitisDec 15th, 00:27

These replies and comments to your article bare evidence that we live in a free society. This would not be allowed in China. Censorship would prevent this.

One thing that stands out in many of the comments and replies to this article, is the very poor standard of English grammar. It begs the question ,  How many of these comments are fake people ? . I may be mistaken.

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GoodluckHin reply to TellitasitisDec 15th, 02:05

The question you beg does not reflect your standard of English grammar.

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GoodluckHDec 15th, 00:16

I respect The Economists 200-year-old tradition and quality writing. However, I do think you should not judge the world the way you did 200 years ago. I am disheartened to read this article. It sounds like you are deliberately pandering the Western democracy (similar to the state-owned news publication in China) while ignoring the same sharp power it has jabbed to its colonies.

China is influencing the West by investing and building, although in an authoritarian way. In contrast, USA parks its aircraft carriers all over the world

Also, Ive found you are quite enjoying dictating others. In your articles, the most seen word is should. Dont you feel that you are quite like the China in your writing? That you are trying to manipulate readers view and thought?

I think you should reflect on how British Empire progressed from its global colonisation to its downfall. Because you might as well treading on the same road.

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RediHabDec 14th, 23:56

you say The first step in avoiding the Thucydides trap is for the West to use its own values to blunt Chinas sharp power.

.

Unfortunately, the West, and the USA in particular, has lost a lot of its moral authority.. The difference between the USA and China is now just one of degree, like China, the US:

.

* also tortures and assassinates citizens via CIA rendition, Guantanamo Bay and Abu Grahib

* operates a vast spying network on its own citizens and those of other countries via the NSA

* now has a centrally controlled economy via the Federal Reserve Bank and entities that are too big to fail.

* lobbyists and money rule, voters opinions no longer matter much

.

Authority comes from force and morals. Sadly, the West no longer has the latter in world affairs.

.

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X_SiphoDec 14th, 23:44

The Chinese already own Australian politicians.

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* ex-Trade minister Andrew Robb got a $800,000 a year do nothing job for selling out the Port of Darwin to the Chinese.

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* current foreign minister Julie Bishop got $450,000 last year for her Chinese funded Julie Bishop Glorious Foundation

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* ex-foreign minister Bob Carr is on a $1,100,000 a year salary for a Chinese funded think-tank in Sydney

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* current opposition leader Bill Shorten changed his mind on key China policies after a $50,000 donation from China.

*

Australian politicians are cheap and easy to corrupt. For a fraction of the cost of a modern fighter-jet they provide excellent value to the CCP and PLA.

These traitors will do anything for money.

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guest-ajliiawjDec 14th, 23:41

The most urgent threat is Economist put so much effort in politics, why Economist doesnt talk more about cooperation. Does China really threat the western world or they just wanna judge others base on their white/left value system?

forget it, Economist, please talk more economic issues! this world is not gonna better as you being so arrogant and prejudice. In other words, DONT WASTE MY MONEY. I pay you guys not for reading bullshit.

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plutonianDec 14th, 23:37

The Economist should simplify the entire article by just saying Lets try to forbid China from doing what we (the West) have done and still do all the time. They do not have that right, only we do!

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kiratwanDec 14th, 23:00

Being high handed at home, Chinese leadership doesnt know the alternate method

of persuasion. It seems to use the same in other countries. It imposed trade sanctions

against South Korea and restricted Chinese tourists to that country to retaliate for

installation of THAAD (anti missile system) approved by convicted former president

Ms Park. With strong push back from western countries they will learn. The problem

is west doesnt have a leader of stature which provides China an opportunity to

increase its sharp power. Trump and May are mired in their own problems to care

much about China.

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mullah_assassinDec 14th, 22:27

The Economist would be wise to look at managing the threat coming from the US rogue empire of thuggishness, given the long resume of disastrous results it has brought upon the world in recent decades.

China is hardly a problem when weighed against Anglo-Zionist crimes against humanity.

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HoushuDec 14th, 22:10

About manipulating decision-maker, no one can out do TangRuoWang (I can find you guys his real western name). He was a Jesuit who went to China and became the chief astrologist for the early Qing court (~1650). His crime, according to conservatives of the Qing court, was exactly manipulating decision-maker, ie, the boy emperor Kangxi. But even those uncivilized Chinese were pragmatic enough to subject their charges against a test: to see who can predict the next solar eclipse more accurately. Tang won, and was able to keep his position (and influence on Kangxi).

The whole story was so close to what described in Mark Twains only SiFi novel (as far as I know) called A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court, I really think Mr. Twain stole it.

.

Anyway, TEs (and its reader and commentators) complete lack of knowledge of Chinese culture is expected, what annoys me is the lack of knowledge of theirs, ie, western culture. About the distrust and even hostility against democracy, one does not have to go to Confucius, one can find enough material in Confucius contemporary, Mr. Plato. But people here seemed completely ignorant of.

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It is of utter importance to educate the bumpkins  V. Lenin.

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JAIHAin reply to HoushuDec 15th, 03:31

To the contrary, all is well. In fact, it couldnt be any better afaiac

.

Functioning, mature democracies across the globe, from the US and Canada to Australia and India, Germany, the EU and so on, are reacting and standing up to Chinas authoritarian challenge, and that too at all levels, whether its trade, military spending or domestic legislation, and in an increasingly coordinated way! Amazing. Awesome.

Its a resilience test. And theyre passing! Beautiful.

The challenge brings about the reaction. Like an inoculation, a shot in the arm. Thank you, Mr Xi.

.

Ultimately, its just another clash of civilizations that was bound to happen as the world becomes one. The sooner the better. Such civilizational friction is unavoidable, and its been happening throughout all of recorded history.

While the end of history might be near, its not here yet

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Bismarx777in reply to JAIHADec 15th, 11:31

Most of our Chinese posters try hard to impress others with convoluted faux intellectualism, and Onshu is a shining example. just like yourself.

The Chinese pick on easy targets, and you Australians are easiest targets. Do you know how you frighten the bejsus out of the Mainalnd Chinese and their Western lackeys. Do what Singapore does. They kicked a pro-Beijing Chinese American scholar teaching at NUS for trying to influence Singaporean government officials. No trial or but, they just kicked him out.

http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2105475/chinese

Signapore lives in a dangerous neighborhood and the last thing Singapore wants to be seen by its Muslims numbers as a puppet of China. The professor was lucky he didnt end up in an ISA cell.

Thge biggest problem is Australian politicians are corrupt. HE should have been kicked out of Labor and removed as a Senator. Australia needs to bring back the death penalty and corp[oral punishment, and good caning would stop this nonense. That is something you can learn from Singapore. They didnt take crap from China. Withg Mainland Chinese its like playing Chicken. Do you know why they dont f*ck around with a country like Indonesia, because the Indonesia are sinophobic and they kicked China out in 1965. To bve taken seriously by China, you have to be willing to cut off your arm, the Ibdonesian are crazy enough to do that. Australia should have pulled its Ambassador ouot of Beijing, even if China decides to stop buying Australia resourcesm, Australia should jack up tarifs on Chinese goods, and start seizing assets of Chinese government officials n the basis of corruption.

Australians pussies and you, when China was caught for influencing an Australian politician Sam Dastyari , they called the Australian Ambassador in Beijing. Shouldnt it be the other way around. Your people are cunts. I would have told China to f*ck off, and pull the ambassador back, and close the embassy

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Xp5GMkMddqDec 14th, 22:05

It all sounds very good when you said that we should use our openness to fight Chinese sharp power but will it work? Western universities can be made to change their kowtowing by publicity from the press but can scholars from democratic society stop kowtowing when they need to access China for their researches or to be able to access Chinese grants. And not only China. Countries like Vietnam are learning fast. I have known western scholars stopped short of open criticism because of their need to be able to go to those countries and do research. And that could also happens to media and others. News agencies have toned down reports in order to keep their bureaus open. Apple kowtowed to keep access to the Chinese market. And their inputs will influence decision-makers.

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VativeDec 14th, 21:51

Wow, so many agents commenting. Be careful not to blow your cover boys and girls.

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Polar Residentin reply to VativeDec 15th, 02:50

They are already on the CIA and MI6 lists : )

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RemoteBlueDec 14th, 20:41

I dont understand why the west cant focus on working together with China/India instead of looking for fighting? What is the motivation behind it?

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Vativein reply to RemoteBlueDec 14th, 21:54

China is not trustworthy.

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mullah_assassinin reply to VativeDec 14th, 22:19

Coming from the rogue US regime of imperial thuggishness, thats a real laugh.

Still trying to locate those WMDs in Iraq and that Russian meddling though.

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J WorthingtonDec 14th, 20:34

Money is power. Creditor nations call the tune. Just like the west in the 19th-20th centuries.

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guest-noljijsDec 14th, 19:55

What a hypocrite to state China is manipulating decision-makers in Western democracies, while big businesses/companies have been influenced/manipulated (tend to use the phrase lobby) the Western democracies all these time to achieve their own benefits.

For example, Rupert Murdoch is known for influenced, and manipulated the British election, policy.

Really best defense is transparency? The common people, general public have no say in any of the decision making at high level. Another best example is healthcare, be it America healthcare or the UK National Health Service, the biggest beneficial are those private multinational companies who rip a huge profit and pay so little tax. Guess how much money those companies spent each year in lobbying, millions if not billions!!! Oh and they sometime also the advisors for the government in shaping up the health policy.

True and pure democracies is long dead.

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Bruce1253Dec 14th, 19:40

China has been moving toward becoming the major player on the world stage for a very long time. They view this as their rightful place in the world, especially for a country that has a history stretching back about 3,000 years. They are willing to pay a heavy price for this move forward, witness what they are doing to their environment, their people and their economy. Their use of money and influence is the same as other countries have been doing for some time. At present they are preying on the weaker links in their target countries. Individuals and groups who would yield to pressure and or money from someone even if it wasnt China. As time passes they will learn from their early heavy handedness and become more sophisticated in their subversion.

Countries and groups would to well to look inside China, to see how they treat their own people, to remember the dissidents who have disappeared, to look at the millions who have been forced out when China decides to build a dam, or the censorship China imposes on ideas from outside on their own media. China may be useful, but they will never be your friend. In fact China is very much like a poisonous snake, totally focused on its own needs, to be treated with respect, and dont ever turn your back on it.

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nannitein reply to Bruce1253Dec 14th, 20:33

In theory, America has similar natural resources, more navigable riverways and coastlines, an established culture of free enterprise and democratic attitudes, and most importantly, we dont have multiple major enemies ringing our coast.

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Trade, immigration(exchange of minds and ideas) and treating our pacific rim partners as equals (specifically in regards to their role as our military allies) is the best way to manage China.

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chinachipin reply to Bruce1253Dec 15th, 01:34

Hi Bruce1253,

You might be amused to hear that a ways up the Yangtze from Nanjing some 24,000 year old eating bowels were found. So they have been eating and talking about things that long, and it seems, without interruptions. Should we stretch that 3,000 to 24,000?

.

And I taught for a decade in Nanjing, and my friends email list there is 14,000 long. So My experience is: you are wrong about Chinese friends. But then, youre a bot?

.

;-D

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RajawaliDec 14th, 19:38

Transparency ? Not from Canadas Liberal government or from the province of Ontario. I am afraid you wont find too many patriotic western policy makers as long as the are susceptible to the corruption disease.

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nanniteDec 14th, 18:46

Increase immigration from China to America. We can win minds with our superior political environment and superior democratic culture. (in theory)

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kiratwanin reply to nanniteDec 14th, 23:12

Watching the republicans in American congress, one hardly doubts the parody of

political culture. By the way, congressmen spent $17million of public money to settle

the sexual harassment cases with the women. They dont have courage to stand up

after stooping so low. Donald Trump is writing the obituary of American democracy.

Mike DsouzaDec 14th, 18:44

The west has been doing this for the last 300 years. They have been either attacking, occupying or committing genocide. Now that they cant colonize anymore or commit any more genocide, they use air power and sharp power and soft power if none of the others are possible.

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Victor E.Dec 14th, 18:43

The irony everyone has missed is that if Chinas leadership were able to acknowledge to themselves that their system of government was accountable, even-handed and above-board, they would have no problem whatsoever with the suggestion that they have been trying to influence overseas lawmakers; on the contrary, they would wear the detection of their attempts to exert influence as a badge of honour.

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Chinas hostility to the suggestion that it has been sedulously exerting political influence overseas is as clear a sign as we could hope for that its leadership are uncomfortably aware they are pushing a political system that is in some vital respects morally repugnant by any yardstick of evaluation.

.

Just as an aside, the antonym of soft is hard, not sharp.

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rewt66in reply to Victor E.Dec 14th, 19:04

Just as an aside, the antonym of soft is hard, not sharp.

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True, but hard power is normally used to mean military power, which is not the topic here. So they need a different term than either hard power or soft power.

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HoushuDec 14th, 18:37

Its interesting to learn that a mature democracy like Australia all of sudden needs to pass new laws to prevent foreign influence.

Sounds to me like a hasty changing of rules when yellow-man wants to join white-mans game and may, god forbid, win.

hehehe.

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Mishmaelin reply to HoushuDec 14th, 20:47

Exactly.

Australia was colonized by western values, and they will fight tooth and nail to make sure their conquest is not diluted by anyone elses values.

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Houshuin reply to MishmaelDec 14th, 21:55

Well, a penal colonys western moral value? Thats rich.

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Talking about dilute value, there are many good books on the saga of Bounty mutiny. In them one can find many examples of how British government encouraged the diluting of Polynesian culture and their values Dont read much, do you?

hehehe.

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this_MartinDec 14th, 18:37

Given contemporary history is explorative of an unprecedented arrayness of totality considering competitive states juxtaposed some resolution of the political experiments of the 19th and 20th century, likening China, to as being a prickly pear, is probably inappropriately accusative, and, more to the point, that that current history is a reflection of where tangentile explorations of recusitive and such, politics being what it is, the narrative exploration of the diversity of political ambitions and aspirations, decision making should always be reminded as reasonable.

Calls for transparency are problematic, as considering for example, the extent to which transparency is an exercise in marketing, and, however market making, is suppositional of a capacity of leverage to negotiate continuity.

Perhaps, more worthwhile though, to remind, considering what China was, is, and aspires to be, as however juxtaposed, whatever is thought of it, (as if a national unit of analysis is reasonable considering such notions, and, towards necessarily dissuading the supposition there are only a handful of decision makers negotiating the prospects of the future.)

Narratives demonstrative of a necessary continuum of growth, are exploring limits, while there is some vague idea a modern China would describe a scenario where there is a new market for 1 billion or more customers for automobiles, there are practical constraints to population density, and, the legitimacy of a supposition considering the extent to which there is a discontinuity of reasoning, of western powers to suppose themselves, Chinesing, to orient their ability to effect to capitalize on a market, and, repatriate profits, without, ex ante, repatriating Communist reasoning, in response, as some supposition of a suppositional notion of efficiency contending with an involuntary propositional of bargainality.

What is true, is that, Modern China, is thoroughly invested in trade, and, is as much capacitated of gains of trade as could be imaginable, considering its capacity to translate a bargain of trade, as even however now operant of those gains, and as considering diversification, and, projection of a capacity to effect terms of trade that are not entirely central to the Orient.

The problem of protaganists negotiated greeted beyond the political context of their happening, is a dimension of geo-politics that is interpretable of a biased read of history, and, of course, superficial reasoning, considering the locality of the sovereign determinative of any particular state, is as problematic of assessing the problems of a-symmetries of what is made transparent, and, what is however contrarily factual.

Of course, domiciled corporate organizations, do not conduct, inveterably on the basis of norms of congruence considering contemporaries of foreign domiciles, and, the most reasonable exercise of integrable interpretability of efficacy, is that, in fact, one or the other, achieves what, on the basis of however.

And, there are super-national organizations to effect to negotiate the different attitudes of what constitutes subsidy, influence peddling, and, problems of elocution of reasonable determinability. This is why trade agreements exist, and, are negotiated in the frameworks of their coming into being.

Disproportionate skew to expectations attributable to manageable foreign markets, is introductory to the kind of mechanisms of arbitration propositionally effected by reasonably functional markets. So, it really is a phase of determining accuracy, rather than, as supposing to enthuse growth. And that that accuracy is denuded of its speculative fluffing, regularly, via mechanisms of transparent demonstration of actuality.

(You recall interest rate returns, and, dividendies, of course!)

Given, the latitude extenuated the propositional extenuation of gains of trade, as however enumerated of equity claims, there is a disconnect, as per those claims of equity, being manifest a structural supposition of value, and, of course, politics and arbitrage, are entirely distinct, and, different exercises.

So, we are reminded of course, of how Western Banks once enthused a notion of a Chinese Wall, as rendering distinct activities of underwriting opposed brokerage, I suppose the Chinese are canny also, the difference of co-ordinating to mitigate, the extenuation of arbitrary politics, that is contrary what can be supposed determined negotiable of its negotiation of politics reflected discernable interpretations of comparative law.

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popcorndaddyDec 14th, 18:29

Only a few years ago the progressives of the West were cheering China on and couldnt wait for them to displace the US. What happened?

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chinachipin reply to popcorndaddyDec 15th, 14:47

Good Question!

.

What do YOU think Happened? And who were the then-progressives?! Were they from both parties, and what was the ratio of Dems to Reps? We probably agree in various parts. I come from the school of folks that had known China from the time when some Americans, French, and British, Italians, (Like Jesuits) and etc quite respected China:

.

It is widely acknowledged by Western scholars today that Chinas imperial examination system exerted direct influence on the modern civil service examination system in the West, said Li Shiyu, a guest-visitor to the exhibition and researcher with the Institute of History under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. 

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See:

http://www.china.org.cn/english/China/159019.htm

.

;-D

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Hatch CDec 14th, 18:06

An argument can be made that it is intolerant to ignore Chinas cultural practices, and that if subversion and bullying are its culture, then we should embrace the qualities of this emerging world player, cast off our own traditions and conform to their new age thinking. However, I would not make such an argument.

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Mishmaelin reply to Hatch CDec 14th, 20:50

What is the evidence for subversion and bullying? Why is it principled and acceptable for the US to sanction countries, but bullying when it is China?

We need to downgrade the influence of western culture and western values in order to make an more inclusive world, and encouraging more Chinese-ness is at least a start.

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Max the PenDec 14th, 17:58

The Chinese have a saying wherever there is land, there is China, and that includes building fake islands in the south China sea, along with the new silk road which will allow better access to resources from Africa and Mid East. No one has an issue when its done within the laws. However, manipulating foreign governments, slowing/blocking imports, not honoring commercial contracts, IPR and fake copy products are all illegal and have been going on for many decades. All this is overlooked by the West, since greedy multinationals continue to make $$$ from re-selling Chinese products.

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guest-aainmnlein reply to Max the PenDec 14th, 18:15

except for the fake copyrights perhaps all of the other tools on your list including manipulating foreign governments, slowing/blocking importshave been used by the west on foreign albeit developing countries, if not directly, indirectly through the Bretton Woods institutions. The difference I believe is as this article suggest, the West needs to make room for chinas proportionate influence/ambition albeit not in the sense of kowtowing to China or by compromising principled stance on issues of law.

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Houshuin reply to Max the PenDec 14th, 18:34

The Chinese have a saying wherever there is land, there is China

.

Really? what that saying in original Chinese might be? (many here know enough Chinese to know that you are lying).

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guest-owwmiewDec 14th, 17:52

The sum-total of recent Western media coverage on China seems to be that we are engaging in a war so cold its descended into a shadow war. No guns, no proxies, hardly even the overt diplomatic and media-driven ideological war we saw during the Cold War. Of course this one is about influence, not ideology (does China even have a coherent ideology outside of CPC power and social stability at all costs?). Western media, politicians and businesses will go along with China throwing its economic weight around to gain international influence for a while, but not forever. Google, Facebook and Twitter already decided to forgo the Chinese market rather than bow to Chinese censorship, as have many Western publishers (the backlash against Cambridge University Press being particularly notable). Ironically, the CPC will end up harming its image in its attempt to improve it. Exporting authoritarianism only works for so long before, sooner or later, the rest of the world pushes back.

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guest-ojlssaaDec 14th, 17:49

I think this article is well-meaning, but perhaps a bit Eurocentric in its views. China has been a unified society with its own cultural norms for a very long time, and its failure to figure as a world power was initially due to its choice of isolation, then a consequence of external interference. This is sensitive ground.

My point is that China does not see political interference as separated from economic influence. It is essentially pragmatic, and perhaps in its pragmatism is a little more honest ( in the sense of self-delusion) than Western democracies.

I suspect that China feels that its sharp power is merely is merely a logical economic strategy, and also it may feel a sense of schadenfreude at returning a past favour.

If you want to stop China using sharp power you will have to find a way to make this work to Chinas advantage. Thats the real challenge.

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deadsparrowDec 14th, 17:44

Look beyond Trump in the US and you will see a country which is in the grip of a military industrial complex that needs ongoing war just to maintain employment and has done so since Vietnam. But you, the Economist  and all the other establishment mouthpieces  think China is the problem. China bought an Australian politician? How much did the US Congress cost its various corporate donors many of whom, unsurprisingly, manufacture munitions. China is not the problem but the people who control the United States and who will gladly steer us into a war with China if thats what it takes to preserve their pay days are a very big problem. But if China disappeared tomorrow, we would still be at war in the ME ,fighting our endless war on terror for the benefit of the stockholders.

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guest-owwmiewin reply to deadsparrowDec 14th, 18:05

The military-industrial complex comprises all of 1% of the U.S. economy. Youd be better served arguing against the influence of Big Oil in the USs ME meddling than the military-industrial complex. Besides, China is too preoccupied with gathering biometric data on Uighers and scooping up political dissenters to worry about Middle East theocracy. As long as the Saudis sell them a nice big chunk of Aramco the Chinese could care less how tyrannical ME governments are.

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guest-aainmnlein reply to deadsparrowDec 14th, 18:21

Cant agree more on your observations. Indeed, it is like an existential dilemma: consumption and supply both got to perpetual for the arms industry as well as the K-street lobbyists. I see also what Chinas ambitious plans for influence, power, control and that would be exactly the same if another country becomes a No.2 economy with such potential. We have seen the US taking over on the United Kingdom during the 20th century, perhaps time for the middle kingdom in the 21 century. The only thing we can so is ensuring states (and individual) adhere to rule of law, transparency, respect for each other values.

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Olaf5466Dec 14th, 17:41

 not to mention cyber warfare, in which China would seem to be very well positioned (the entire country is firewalled and can bring innumerable numbers of malleable young minds to bear)

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Lotus_MaidenDec 14th, 17:24

Instead the West needs to stand by its own principles



What principles might this be TE? Truly baffled by this line. Considering who Trump was supporting as the president of the US. Not to mention other issues like NSA, racism, lack of morals within the US and US politics etc Cant say that the UK is faring much better. More like much ado about nothing considering that China is focused on actual issues, environmental, science/technology and attempting to create a more equal society with 1.3 billion people to boot.

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N9EJe9jVkein reply to Lotus_MaidenDec 14th, 19:50

Which is the racist country: China has only allowed 1448 citizens to become Chinese, whereas US takes 700,000 per year?

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Lotus_Maidenin reply to N9EJe9jVkeDec 15th, 00:14

LOL at your logic. Which country have the 1.3 billion people? Why would it need more citizens with that many people already in the country. Really baffled at how thats considered racist Are you virtue signaling or something?

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guest-niimwleDec 14th, 17:24

So Economist thinks China has sharp power Putins Russia is mad Americas Trump is a nutjob and Indias Modi is a demagogue What next?!

Maybe Economist should spend more time analyzing the wasteland in its backyard..

Vast swaths of land in UK are an industrial wasteland obliterated by drugs and crime.. Huge rise in terrorism acts from migrant populations all across Europe.. crime and robbery sky high in west and Italy run over by the Mafia..

The West is broke, uneducated and on dope!

And we think we can lecture China!.. Get a grip.. Get some humility.. Just because the Brits ran a colony 100 years ago doesnt mean they know whats best..

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siddsaDec 14th, 17:16

Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.

But this vigilance may be construed to create a similar totalitarian state which it set out to prevent. China is rising power and it will rubs lot of countries wrong way. Especially the eclipsing powers from Europe. Not much can be done to prevent it unless until you are ready to reverse globalisation or risk total war. In an analogy you may have to kill yourself to remain supreme till the end or give away gracefully to younger challenger.

Values of transparency cannot help much against determined statecraft, Soviet Union was not defeated by love but by economy and stealth warfare. However sadly (for western nations) this time economy is in side of Chinese and they are quickly catching up on the military. Deeper alliance amongst themselves would have helped US and western nations and was even tried by Barack Obama in his Pivot to Asia strategy which had military and economical angle (TPP) but then Donald Trump happened.

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guest-niimwleDec 14th, 17:12

I welcome Chinas power.. It is refreshing than the brainwashing the west has been at for the last 50 years..

Europe keeps talking about human rights and nonsense like that while filling up its cities with migrants (at the recommendation of Economist)..

While China and India are ascending the world with growth, innovation and influence..

For one, armchair journalists from Economist will not be sitting in Islington cafes writing about how the western model of multi-culturalism and human rights have won the day!

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N9EJe9jVkein reply to guest-niimwleDec 14th, 20:00

The rule is  no othering. The other rule is no group shall have hegemony. The assumption is people are born with a blank sale. The challenge is to erase the software being written on the blank slate with the superior insights of the Western progressive mind.

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SuchindranathDec 14th, 17:11

The wheel of fortune turns. The CIA took over from MI6. Now China takes over from the CIA (witness Zimbabwe, Nepal, Cambodia..) Sunni Islam purchased the opinion and decision making of the West. Now Communist China takes over. China is formidable. It marches inexorably across multiple dimensions to carefully laid out plans that span decades. The only silver lining to this dark and lowering Cumulo Nimbus is the possibility that Islam and China may grind each other down.

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y@yyyyHin reply to SuchindranathDec 15th, 06:24

.

China is watching Islam grinding Christianity and hinduism down.

.

Devils

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Suchindranathin reply to y@yyyyHDec 15th, 09:46

This is true.

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daysaccountedforDec 14th, 16:59

Media exposure of influence is the key, but media organizations are among the most vulnerable to it. Struggling papers have been alarmingly happy to run joint content sections with Chinese Communist Party mouthpieces. Media outlets are also highly sensitive to claims of bigotry; this has mostly happened in other contexts, but a Twitter dogpile of activists is often enough to get journalists or editors reassigned, which has a deep chilling effect on the rest. (Cultural institutions are also often eager to prostitute themselves; I once visited a large science museum with an absurdly unscientific display about qi and the benefits of traditional Chinese medicine.)



In all cases, its hard to distinguish between direct state influence and the patriotism of individuals, and there is a real risk of allowing justified concern to shade into paranoia and prejudice. Fortunately, the Chinese government seems to have overplayed its hand. Articles like this one are signs of a reaction that may make the general effort counterproductive. The Greek example is the same effect in a different sphere. By pressuring Greece to veto a statement on human rights, the Chinese government achieved three things: it increased suspicion of itself; it drew attention to its human rights record; and it cautioned voters in other countries to beware its influence (the Greeks, of all people, should have been warier of foreigners bearing gifts).

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Patrick USADec 14th, 16:40

I disagree with TE on Chinas power projection capabilities. TE believes that China can project power far from its shores. It cannot. The best example of power projection is a capable carrier strike group. The best that China has in this department is an ageing Russian carrier that barely works, much less project power far from its shores with a strained supply line. TEs statement lowers the credibility of the entire article and has an air of sabre rattling to it by playing up Chinese capabilities. China is actively trying to only do area denial close to its shores and not power projection.

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guest-aammomwiin reply to Patrick USADec 14th, 17:10

The best example of power projection is a capable carrier strike group.

This makes the archaic assumption that international power still only lies in a nations military capabilities. While this would hold true if open warfare were still the primary method in which powerful nations (China, Russia, the US, etc.) exhibited and gained power, this is not currently the case.

In the modern international landscape, were seeing more and more that a nations power is derived from their wallet, and what theyre able to do with this (i.e. buy influence in an impoverished nation like Greece). That is what this article is suggesting.

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Olaf5466in reply to guest-aammomwiDec 14th, 17:42

 not to mention cyber warfare, in which China would seem to be very well positioned (the entire country is firewalled and can bring innumerable numbers of malleable young minds to bear)

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Kremilek2Dec 14th, 16:19

I think that it is not surprising that China is manipulating wherever it can and it suits its interests. But TE is right that the best defence is to stick to the principles of free and open government and free media. As long as this works there is far less opportunity for China to meddle and influence.

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guest-ajajmwjlDec 14th, 16:05

Indeed, China influence over Europe grows larger as investments are poured into the region. Obtaining both economic political influence is reasonable, from a countrys perspective. Perhaps, the EU should ask itself why it failed to help its European allies in terms of economy. Human right is important only when the citizens have sufficient economic power that satisfies their basic needs. The rise of populism is the result of poor education and great divergence between the wealth and the poor. Stop blaming other countries and diverting people from the real systematic issue!

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guest-nomijsain reply to guest-ajajmwjlDec 14th, 18:17

The rise of populism is the result of poor education and great divergence between the wealth and the poor = the rise Trump.

The United States leads the world in terms of income inequality.

Barracuda008Dec 14th, 15:59

And it is completely fair that it do so. Manipulation of elections, leaders, parties is as old as civilization. Furthermore, an in spite of the ridiculous American Russian probe it is completely legal at least in the civilized west. If we want to see some examples we can see Venezuela or North Korea where, luckily for the planet, many countries are trying to influence the situation/ policies of these countries. Do we need to do something about it?

f free markets are being worshipped, its a tepid faith honored more in word than in deed. Although the global trend of the last decade has been unmistakably toward freedom, government intervention remains prevalent in most countries. The current economic/ politic troubles are not a failure of free markets, but of bad policy. The reality is that giving too much power to the state and allow unlimited intervention of the state in every aspect of our life is the main problem and the influence of China/ Russia or any other bogeymen are just ridiculous pretentions by a farcical media

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chinachipDec 14th, 15:53

President Xi visited UNIQUE America as a charming, handsome, impressionable, very intelligent, and elite young graduate of the Chinese school of harsh hard knocks. Hes tough, yet has many personal friends in America who like him, and have communicated with him face to face over decades with significant, even shocking American candor. And compared to most Westerners, hes EXTREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELY patient, as are the Chinese in general derived from having several magnitudes (+- nine magnitudes ) of longer Direct Experience, (the greatest teacher) which Books, and visits to China as a post-youth, sorry, one must look in the mirror and be real: are you a brief in-out tourist, just cannot achieve

.

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And his beloved only child, a fine, careful, and , eh-hemmm,(!) fetchingly easy going daughter attended Harvard, directly experiencing America in depth through its most elite students whos parents, eh-hemmm, generally have had hands in managed America rather successfully for a few centuries. And she can sing with natural international and quite pro-western appreciations & even romance (-:

.

.

I suggest this represents the Chinese foresight of a bold and pragmatic family with a globally charming daughter.

.

Now good readers ET AL (YES, EVERYBODY NON CHINESE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) , and TE staff, executive, investors, and loyalists et al etc, how many Western Leaders VISITED China when they were young and could soak-in and grasp its unique and deep character like a hovering sponge, (as most seniors geezers cannot!;-() and have sent a beloved child to a Chinese prep school or University so they can benefit from multi-generational insights into China, and so are able to benefit from it as a family for their national and wider mutual global benefits?

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ZIPPO, huh?

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So this silly article should be about solving the Western ignorance-of-China problem, huh? Should be able to get it done in a generation or two, maybe all better by 2067. Piece of cake.

.

;-D

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VLCCin reply to chinachipDec 14th, 17:03

This is an article about how to respond positively to Chinese subversion attempts  to avoid conflict escalation. Your rambling comment is off topic.

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guest-nomijsain reply to chinachipDec 14th, 18:27

Bingo! !

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guest-ajmswoieDec 14th, 14:55

So sharp power when China does it but soft power when the U.S. does it?

The U.S. has been grooming political and economic elites from countries it sought to maintain or attract under its influence for decades. As of direct influence on political decisions, the foreign policies of most of NATO countries is essentially dictated by the U.S. government (e.g. Iraq Invasion, support to Israel, support to Gulf monarchies).

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celte71in reply to guest-ajmswoieDec 14th, 15:42

At least do a little fact checking before posting such drivel.

Countries participating in 2003 invasion of Iraq: US, UK, Australia and Poland (symbolic). Most of the other 25 + NATO members either sat on the sidelines or were opnely hostile to the invasion.

Support for Israel: The countries of the EU are regularly opposed to the U.S. and very publicly so eg. recent spat about the recognition of the Jerusalem as capital of Israel. The Israeli government actually considers the EU to be relatively hostile.

Support to Golf Monarchies: When it exists it is independent of the US bearing in mind that countries like the UK and France have had a strong presence in the region since at least the 19th century.

Furthermore, as there is a very free press in both Western Europe & the US, nothing much goes on without serious public debate.

Against that, while there is much to admire about what China has achieved over the last 30 years, it is inching ever closer to the Big Brother type state described in Goerge Orwells book 1984

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guest-ajmswoiein reply to celte71Dec 14th, 16:09

No need for the aggressiveness.

1. You list countries who participated to the invasion but dont mention the ones who supported it and contributed occupation troops (most NATO countries if you exclude France, Germany and the Nordics);

2. Words are cheap. I agree with you that EU countries are usually vocal about their opposition to colonization but its never followed by any action beside the usual and useless condemnations at the UN;

Do you really believe that there is a very free press in Western Europe and the U.S.? Most news outlets are control by a few media conglomerates with ties to the political establishment and ideological biases. On top of that, social media are becoming the main source of information for a lot of people, with all the dangers it represents (e.g. alleged Russian interference in the election, social programming).

As of the idea of nothing much going on without serious debate, I only need to point to the Iraq War to show that is isnt true.

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WT EconomistDec 14th, 14:25

If China is so sharp, how come it lost the 2016 U.S. Presidential election to Russia?

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mullah_assassinDec 14th, 13:22

Western governments are not only drowning in Russophobia and Iranophobia, but now, Sinophobia.

They call it the Thucydides TRAP for a reason. Its a trap. Western officials seem bent on preserving empire in a panic, as China patiently and coolly expands itself
Paramount, you got some splainin to do! 'I Love Lucy: The Complete Series' Blu-ray Box Set Coming November 5th!
Why Do the Water in the Pacific And Atlantic Oceans have Two Different Colors?

Udaku Special

Why do the water in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans have two different colors?

The photos show what looks like a dividing line between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans with different water colors on either side, leading many to question whether the two oceans' waters mix. or not.

Many people think that the seas are a unified block and they are only divided into oceans to name them. But real oceans have vivid, unexpected boundaries.





If you go to the boundary between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, you will feel "Wow" because the natural phenomenon is so amazing. Accordingly, the water area between the two oceans has a clear dividing line. Looking from above, visitors can see two bodies of water that do not mix with each other and have different colors.





A series of videos on Youtube and TikTok have attracted a lot of views as they show a strange line splitting the middle of the ocean, with one side of the sea being dark while the other is lighter in color.





According to Live Science, such 'boundaries' often appear in areas where rivers flow into the sea, or near the shelves of glaciers floating in the ocean. However, in videos posted on social networks, the poster claims that the dividing line is the boundary between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and asserts that this is 'proof' that the water of the two oceans do not mix with each other.





Below the video, many viewers asked different questions. Does that strange dividing line really exist? Do the waters of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans mix, or is there a clear separation?





According to Nadin Ramirez, an oceanographer at the University of Concepcion in Chile, the answer is yes, as bodies of water constantly mix with each other. Accordingly, Pacific and Atlantic ocean waters mix at different rates in different places, while climate change has a certain impact on this rate.





Imagine pouring instant cream into a cup of coffee. The liquids will mix together, but at a gradual pace. The same thing happens in videos or images showing the boundaries between different ocean waters. Because the ocean water on one side may be saltier, cleaner or colder, these differences take time to neutralize.





Of course, the neutralization speed will be faster under the influence of strong winds and large waves. It's like using a spoon to vigorously stir a cup of coffee, causing the cream to dissolve faster in the cup.





Also according to scientists, the mixing speed of seawater from the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans will happen faster in some places than in others.





For example, the two oceans meet near the southern tip of South America, where a series of small islands gather. Between those islands, ocean currents move relatively slowly and the Strait of Magellan is a popular route for ships to pass through. In the Beagle Channel, water from melting glaciers creates lines between fresh and salt water, creating a scene that looks a bit like the sea lines in YouTube videos.





Notably, in the area where the Strait of Magellan joins the Atlantic Ocean, a separation line appears that is difficult to see with the naked eye, but oceanographers can detect it with measurements.





On the measurement chart, a blue strip of water appears in the Atlantic Ocean. Meanwhile, Pacific ocean water has a different color due to more rain and lower salinity. But this boundary line only exists at sea for a while, before being erased by storms and waves.





In some open areas between South America and Antarctica, such as the Drake Strait - where waves can be up to 18m high, the mixing of seawater from the two oceans is even stronger.





Seawater also mixes in the great depths of the ocean. Casimir de Lavergne, a researcher at Sorbonne University and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), said daily tides pull water back and forth on the rough seabed. That causes a lot of turbulence.





But seawater from different sources can also move around the ocean without much mixing. The ocean is like a cake with many different layers, but those layers are water. In the middle layer, away from both the surface and the seafloor, water mixes more slowly because there is less turbulence.





Ocean researchers also distinguish between mixing and exchange of seawater. Mixing means "irreversibly altered waters". Thanks to global ocean currents, the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans exchange water continuously.





A strong current around Antarctica's Southern Ocean pulls water clockwise through Drake Strait from the Pacific to the Atlantic. It also takes water from the world's ocean basins, and then pumps it back. Another ocean current moves water from the Pacific through the Indian Ocean and around the tip of South Africa to feed into the Atlantic from the other direction.





Water always mixes at the edges of these flows. But because the different layers don't mix completely, oceanographers can track different water masses as they move across the globe.





In general, the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans mix together, but it's not as simple as two bodies of water just mixing together. Differences in density, temperature and salinity between the two oceans create barriers that prevent their waters from mixing easily. However, there are some areas where the two oceans mix, such as Drake Strait and the Gulf of Mexico
NATO member states will participate in the reconstruction of Ukraine and the development of its security and defense institutions, but for now the most urgent task is to support Ukraine in its struggle against Russian aggression.

Without ensuring that Ukraine prevails in the war, all efforts to rebuild the nation as a democratic and sovereign European country would lose their sense. This was stated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg today in Brussels during a discussion on the future of the Alliance as part of the NATO Youth Summit, reports the correspondent of Ukrinform.

"On the question about NATO's role in reconstruction of Ukraine after the war. The first thing I will say is that first of all, you need to ensure that Ukraine prevails. Because unless Ukraine prevails, there's nothing to reconstruct in the free and independent Ukraine. So the most immediate, the most important task now is to help Ukraine with military support as NATO Allies and NATO do. We need to sustain that. We need to make the support more predictable and more robust, and we are going to hopefully make decisions on that not least at the NATO Summit in July," Stoltenberg said.

He noted that the future recovery of Ukraine will be a very costly process. In this context, preventing destruction is cheaper than subsequent recovery. Therefore, the more capabilities the allies provide to Ukraine so that it can defend itself, the less effort will be required for the nations post-war recovery.

Every air defense missile we can provide Ukraine will actually mean less damage, less destruction. And then also less need for reconstruction after the war. We must be able to help Ukraine prevail because it's important for Ukrainians. But also because every day this war drags on, of course, the more destruction and the more expensive, the more resource demanding it will be to do reconstruction afterwards," the head of the Alliance emphasized.

"The sooner Ukraine can prevail, the sooner this war can end with just a lasting peace where Ukraine prevails as a sovereign independent nation in Europe," Stoltenberg added.

He emphasized that NATO is already playing an important role in rebuilding defense and security institutions of Ukraine. Allies will continue this work so that Ukraine can not only rebuild its own capabilities, but also eventually become a full member of the Alliance. Stoltenberg recalled that important decisions in this regard were made during the Vilnius Summit last summer, the Allies shortened Ukraine's path to membership to one step, eliminating the need to implement the Membership Action Plan, created such an important political tool as the NATO-Ukraine Council, and adopted a program to increase the interoperability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with the forces of the Alliance.

"Interoperability is a difficult word for ensuring that Ukraine and NATO Allies can work together on communications and operations, on everything. And this program will help them now but will help them also in the future to build a future force, which is which is fully interoperable that can fully be integrated with NATO forces. So these are the things we have to do both in the short and long term to ensure Ukraine prevails," Stoltenberg noted.

As reported earlier, a NATO summit will be held in Washington on July 9-11, where one of the key issues will be strengthening the Alliance in the fight against modern-day challenges and increasing assistance to Ukraine.

Archive photo: Presidents Office
The International Task Force on Security and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, co-chaired by Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak and former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, has published a report with a rationale for the necessity of Ukraine's future membership in NATO and concrete proposals to this end.

Thats according to the Ukrainian Presidents Office, Ukrinform reports.

The report states that at the NATO Summit in Washington this July, the Alliance should extend an invitation to Ukraine to launch membership talks and invite the Ukraine-NATO Council to specify the terms of membership.

"A credible prospect of NATO membership is a way to convince Russia that it has nothing to gain from waging war. Inviting Ukraine to start accession talks now is a way to send a clear message to Russia that it needs to end the war and give Ukraine a chance for a just peace," the report emphasizes.

The Task Force proposes that a clear timeframe be set for Ukraine's accession to NATO  no later than July 2028, subject to the fulfillment of specific conditions.

Ukraine and its allies should strengthen efforts aimed at hindering Russia's operational success in the air, at sea, and on the ground, lifting all reservations on the types of conventional weapons supplied to Ukraine and, importantly, on how they can be used against military targets in Russia, the report emphasizes.

The International Task Force emphasizes the need to unify the set of bilateral security agreements between Ukraine and its partners into an international compact. Its goal is to build up Ukraine's Armed Forces so that they can reach a size and structure strong enough to defend against a future Russian attack and strengthen NATO's collective defense by the end of the decade.

It is proposed that NATO members commit to spending 0.25% of their GDP on military aid to Ukraine, as well as unlocking $300 billion in frozen Russian assets and utilizing them to support Ukraine.

Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak emphasized that failure to extend an invitation to Ukraine at the Washington Summit could further intensify Russian aggression.

"Strong and clear decisions at the NATO Summit in July will be extremely important for the future just peace in Ukraine and the entire Euro-Atlantic region. They will also be a good motivation and strong support for the Ukrainian military and all our citizens," he emphasized.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen is convinced that Ukraine's victory and the establishment of a sustainable peace require bold action on the part of NATO.

Read also: Shmyhal says Ukraine a step before being invited to NATO

"NATO leaders need to make clear that our support for Ukraines security and sovereignty is irreversible. This report sets out clear measures to achieve that through enhanced economic and military support to contain and end Putins war. It also recommends NATO leaders open accession talks with Ukraine at the Washington D.C. summit in July. Bringing Ukraine into NATO is the surest path to lasting peace and security in Europe," he emphasized.

The report was signed by members of the task force: former President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaite, former President of Poland Aleksander Kwasniewski, former Prime Minister of Finland Sanna Marin, former Prime Minister of Poland Marek Belka, former Prime Minister of Slovakia Mikulas Dzurinda, former Prime Minister of Sweden Carl Bildt, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of National Defense Peter MacKay, former French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Interior and Defense Michele Alliot-Marie, former British Foreign Secretary Lord William Hague, former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder, former U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker, former National Security Advisor of Canada Jody Thomas, former Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO Wesley Clark, former NATO Assistant Secretary General Heinrich Brauss, and former NATO Assistant Secretary General Giedrimas Jeglinskas.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, speaking at the NATO Youth Forum, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the main goal of the Alliance is to help Ukraine prevail in the war against Russia. Without ensuring that Ukraine prevails in the war, all efforts to rebuild the nation as a democratic and sovereign European country would lose their sense, he believes.
British Defense Minister Grant Shapps said on Tuesday that London would not be putting pressure on Kyiv toward giving up part of its territories in order to sign a peace agreement with Russia.

This was reported by Politico with reference to Times Radio, Ukrinform saw.

The statement came as a response to the report by Sunday Times claiming the Minister of Foreign Affairs, David Cameron, during a meeting with former U.S. President Donald Trump allegedly discussed the idea of having Ukraine and Russia strike a peace deal, and also convinced the American politician to support continued military aid to Ukraine against the background of opposition from part of the GOP camp.

"There is just no sense at all in which Britain would try to persuade, strong-arm or otherwise, Ukraine into accepting giving up some of their territory. That's a decision entirely for Ukraine," Shapps said.

"It's right that we provide both the military assistance and the moral clarity that it is always unacceptable for an autocrat to walk into a neighboring democratic country," the defense secretary told the BBC. We should stand behind them fully in order to eject Russia from all of their territory."

At the same time, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, when asked about the Sunday Times article, said he had not read the piece, adding that Britain always leads when it comes to Ukraine.

As Ukrinform reported, in April 2023, Polish President Andrzej Duda said Western politicians and some foreign leaders who call for a quick peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine are acting to Russias benefit.
Only half of the Ukrainian refugees in Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic are ready to return home if the conditions are right.

This is evidenced by a survey run by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology at the end of April, reports Ukrinform.

The majority of respondents are ready to return if critical infrastructure operates normally (34%) and if it is safe in the country (34%).

Another 26% noted the accommodation issue and the end of a full-scale war as conditions for their return.

Fewer respondents talked about the possibility of finding a job (16%) and conditions for children to attend school/kindergarten (13%).

Most of the displaced Ukrainians surveyed (66%) are rather or completely satisfied with their current living conditions in their host country. Of them, 28% are completely satisfied, 38% are rather satisfied, and the rest are dissatisfied.

Some 7% claim they already hold citizenship of another state. Another 12% have applied and are now awaiting a decision. Also, 34% have not applied are have no intention to do so.

At the same time, almost half of the respondents - 45% - would generally like to obtain citizenship of another country, although they have not applied yet.

Sociologists analyzed answers to questions about how satisfied people are with their life abroad, their citizenship status, and desired conditions for returning home to estimate the share of Ukrainian refugees who will eventually come back to their homeland.

Specialists based their findings on the fact that people who did not hold or never applied for another countrys citizenship, who are not completely satisfied with the living conditions in their host country, and who put forward certain conditions for returning to Ukraine (and refrain from answering "I plan to stay for a long time") are more likely to return.

According to this approach, exactly half of the respondents (50%) are those who are more likely to return to Ukraine. However, given the respondents' answers to the following questions regarding interest in Ukraine, the indicated assessment is rather an optimistic scenario in the current conditions," the Institute noted.

Slightly more than half of the interviewed refugees - 56% - said they follow the developments in Ukraine: 42% of them use Ukrainian sources to this end while the rest rely exclusively on foreign media.

Also, 34% of respondents directly stated that they are not interested in the Ukraine coverage, and 11% answered that it is "difficult for them to answer" (this, in particular, is a form of avoiding socially disapproved behavior).

Some 31% of respondents would rather or definitely vote in parliamentary elections in Ukraine if they were announced (12% said definitely). Another 33% answered "it's hard to say for sure, 50/50". The rest would rather or definitely not vote.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, citing Eurostat, 4.2 million people who fled from Ukraine due to the full-scale invasion held the status of temporary protection in EU countries as of late March.

Photo: Voice of America
In a controversial move, the administration of Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has delayed and scrutinized diversity course mandates at two public universities in the state.

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and George Mason University (GMU) were set to require undergraduate students to take diversity-themed coursework starting this fall. However, the mandates, which had been in the works for years and had received approval from faculty bodies, faced last-minute scrutiny from the governor's office, leading to their postponement.

Mandate Scrutiny and Delay

The efforts to implement the diversity course mandates at VCU and GMU hit a roadblock when Governor Youngkin's administration requested to review the syllabi for the classes. This move was met with criticism from some faculty members, with one at VCU calling it "hostile state scrutiny." The administration cited concerns from parents and students about the courses being a form of "progressive left's groupthink" imposed on students.

The universities' Board of Visitors members also expressed concerns, leading to public pushback against the mandates. At a GMU board meeting, board member Robert Pence, appointed by Youngkin, denounced the mandates as "indoctrination" and questioned the need for forcing students to take these courses. This sentiment was echoed by other board members, leading to a contentious debate over the necessity and implications of the mandates.

As a result of this scrutiny, both universities announced that the mandates would not take effect this fall. The decision at VCU was particularly decisive, with the board voting 10 to 5 to reject imposing a "racial literacy" requirement to graduate. This decision came just three months before the fall 2024 classes were scheduled to begin, indicating a significant shift in policy at the university.

READ MORE : Iowa Lawmakers Push Bill Banning DEI Offices And Programs

Reaction and Fallout

The delay and scrutiny of the diversity course mandates sparked a range of reactions from students, faculty, and the public. At VCU, more than 100 students walked out of the commencement address given by Governor Youngkin in protest of the decision. The Washington Post reported that the students were demonstrating support for Palestinians and protesting the governor's stance on racial equity in education.

Critics of the delay argued that it was a setback for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts on campus. Mignonne C. Guy, an associate professor at VCU, expressed disappointment, stating that the university had "robbed" students and faculty of the progress made on the initiative. However, supporters of the delay, including some board members, argued that it was necessary to ensure that students had the choice to take these courses rather than being mandated to do so.

Future Implications and Debates

The delay and scrutiny of the diversity course mandates raise questions about the future of DEI efforts at Virginia universities. At GMU, the interim provost announced a one-year delay in implementing the requirement, indicating that further discussions and revisions would take place. The university's Board of Visitors is expected to continue discussions on the mandate, with the possibility of further changes or a permanent rejection of the requirement.

The debate over the mandates also reflects broader discussions about DEI in higher education and the role of state governments in shaping curriculum. Governor Youngkin's administration's focus on eliminating what it perceives as "inherently divisive concepts" from education has sparked debate and controversy, with some arguing that it infringes on academic freedom and diversity efforts.

The delay and scrutiny of diversity course mandates at VCU and GMU highlight the complexities of DEI efforts in higher education. While the decision to delay the mandates has been met with criticism, it also raises important questions about the balance between academic freedom and state oversight in shaping curriculum. The future of DEI efforts at these universities and beyond remains uncertain, as stakeholders continue to debate the best path forward.
In a strategic move aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and service quality, a unit of Navient has entered into an agreement to outsource its student loan-servicing operations to the Higher Education Loan Authority of the State of Missouri, or Mohela. This decision marks a significant development in the student loan industry, impacting not just the affected employees but also the borrowers whose loans will now be serviced by Mohela.

The Agreement and its Implications

According to the agreement, Mohela is expected to commence servicing the student loans in the third quarter, following the successful transfer of approximately 900 Navient employees to Mohela's workforce. This transition is likely to bring about changes in the way these loans are managed and serviced, potentially affecting the experience of borrowers.

Mohela, a nonprofit organization based in St. Louis, Missouri, has a long-standing reputation for its student loan servicing capabilities. By leveraging Mohela's expertise and infrastructure, Navient aims to streamline its operations and improve the overall efficiency of its student loan servicing division. This move comes at a time when the student loan industry is facing increasing scrutiny and calls for reform, with borrowers demanding better service and more transparent practices from loan servicers.

Impact on Employees and Borrowers

For the approximately 900 Navient employees being transferred to Mohela, this change represents a significant shift in their professional lives. While some employees may see this as an opportunity for growth and development within a new organization, others may be concerned about job security and the potential impact on their roles and responsibilities. Mohela has stated that it is committed to ensuring a smooth transition for these employees and will provide them with the necessary support and resources during this period of change.

For borrowers whose loans will now be serviced by Mohela, this transition could also bring about changes in their loan management experience. Mohela has a reputation for its customer-centric approach and commitment to borrower satisfaction. Borrowers can expect to receive the same level of service and support that Mohela is known for, including access to knowledgeable representatives and innovative tools to help manage their loans effectively.

Navient's Portfolio and Future Outlook

Navient, one of the largest student loan servicers in the United States, owns a portfolio of approximately $16.6 billion in private education loans and about $35.9 billion in federally guaranteed Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) loans. The decision to outsource a portion of its student loan servicing operations to Mohela is part of Navient's broader strategy to enhance its operational efficiency and focus on its core business areas.

Looking ahead, Navient is likely to continue exploring opportunities to streamline its operations and improve its service offerings to borrowers. The company remains committed to its mission of helping students and families navigate the complexities of the student loan process and achieve their educational goals.

Navient's decision to outsource its student loan-servicing operations to Mohela represents a significant development in the student loan industry. While this move is aimed at improving operational efficiency and service quality, its impact on employees and borrowers remains to be seen. As the transition unfolds in the coming months, both Navient and Mohela will need to ensure that they uphold their commitments to their stakeholders and continue to deliver high-quality service to borrowers.
Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan Neil Hawkins Tuesday called on Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, at the Finance Division and discussed bilateral matters to strengthen the longstanding relations between Pakistan and Australia

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th May, 2024) Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan Neil Hawkins Tuesday called on Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, at the Finance Division and discussed bilateral matters to strengthen the longstanding relations between Pakistan and Australia.

The finance minister welcomed the Australian high commissioner and underscored the long-standing mutual relations between Australia and Pakistan.

Australian High Commissioner Neil Hawkins extended his felicitations to Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb on his appointment as the finance minister.

The minister highlighted that Pakistan greatly values the relation with Australian Government and emphasized on the need to work together to further enhance and strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries especially in the areas of economic cooperation and trade.

During the course of discussion, the finance minister apprised the Australian High Commissioner of the various initiatives being undertaken by the Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

While underscoring the need for digitalization, it was highlighted that the services of Mckinsey & Company have been engaged for digitalization of the tax system.

Minister Aurangzeb further spoke of the resolve of government to privatize various State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), and also apprised the High Commissioner on the likely investments from Saudi Arabia and Qatar and the need to focus on the second phase of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Neil Hawkins briefed the finance minister on the engagements of the Australian Government with Agriculture Universities in Pakistan with a view to maximize production in the agriculture and livestock sectors.

He assured continued support of Australian government for socio-economic development of Pakistan.

The finance minister appreciated the Australian High Commissioner for his cooperation and support.
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The leaders of Germany and Sweden expressed reservations Tuesday about possible European tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles after Washington announced huge duties on Chinese EVs

Stockholm, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th May, 2024) The leaders of Germany and Sweden expressed reservations Tuesday about possible European tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles after Washington announced huge duties on Chinese EVs.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz were asked at a press conference in Stockholm whether they support the EU following the United States in slapping tariffs on Chinese electric cars.

"As far as tariffs are concerned, we are in agreement that it is a bad idea to dismantle global trade," Kristersson told reporters on the second day of Scholz's visit to Sweden.

Scholz noted that half of EVs imported from China were produced by Western manufacturers.

"There are European and North American manufacturers that succeed on the Chinese market and which sell their vehicles in China, we need to remember that," he said, stressing the importance of trade between the West and China.

Earlier, Washington announced it was hiking tariffs on $18 billion worth of imports from China, targeting strategic sectors like batteries, steel, critical minerals and electric vehicles.

The tariff rate on EVs is set to quadruple to 100 percent this year.

The European Union launched an inquiry into Chinese electric car subsidies last year, fearing that they were a threat to Europe's own vast automotive industry.

Once its probe is concluded, the EU could decide to hike tariffs on cars imported from China beyond the current 10 percent.

"We don't yet know the results of the investigation," Scholz stressed.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen met Chinese President Xi Jinping for talks last week in France, where she said she had "made clear that the current imbalances in market access are not sustainable and need to be addressed".

"China is currently manufacturing, with massive subsidies, more than it is selling due to its own weak domestic demand. This is leading to an oversupply of Chinese subsidised goods, such as EVs and steel, that is leading to unfair trade," she said.

"Europe cannot accept such market distorting practices that could lead to de-industrialisation in Europe."

Beijing has reacted furiously to what it calls EU "protectionism", and denied there was any problem of Chinese overcapacity.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has said that the provision of advanced and improved medical facilities to the people is the government's top priority, considering it as the inherent right of every citizen

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th May, 2024) Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has said that the provision of advanced and improved medical facilities to the people is the government's top priority, considering it as the inherent right of every citizen.

Visiting the Mayo Hospital Children's Emergency Block, along with PML-N Quaid Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, here on Tuesday, she stressed the need for effective monitoring in hospitals, especially in emergencies. The CM directed the hospital authorities to improve their work ethics.

Both Maryam Nawaz and Muhammad Nawaz Sharif inspected different sections of the emergency, including step down care unit, nursing room, neonatal block and pharmacy. They interacted with the parents of sick children in the triage area.

The CM and Muhammad Nawaz Sharif were briefed about the emergency block, being managed by Child Life Foundation. Administrator Child Life Foundation, Bushra Abbas apprised them about the procedure of patients admission, diagnosis and treatment.

Maryam Nawaz lamented that no stone was left unturned in the destruction of health sector during the previous regime, adding, "Had there been no privatization in the past, we would have been ahead of India in every field today.

The CM called a meeting of the authorities concerned immediately after visiting Mayo Hospital Childrens Emergency Ward.

She co-chaired the meeting along with PML-N Quaid Muhammad Nawaz Sharif for the improvement of child emergencies across Punjab.

Child Life Foundation CEO Ahsan Rabbani briefed the participants of the meeting that in every child emergency, life of a sick child can be saved with the fastest automation system. It was briefed that the telemedicine program has become functional in the emergency wards of 153 hospitals across Punjab. He apprised the participants that Telemedicine control rooms have been established in Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore. Moreover, he said, "State-of-the-art child emergency blocks will be established in 18 hospitals across Punjab.

A proposal to open OPDs till 10 PM in Punjab hospitals was also reviewed in the meeting. The CM directed the authorities concerned to ensure availability of dog bite vaccine in hospitals.

Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Information & Culture Minister Azma Zahid Bukhari, Health Ministers Khawaja Imran Nazir, Khawaja Salman Rafique and MNA Bilal Azhar Kayani attended the meeting. Dr. Azhar Kayani, Dr. Adnan Khan, Dr. Mehmood Ayaz and others were also present.
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Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Tuesday held a luncheon meeting with Chairman of China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) Luo Zhaohui here

BEIJING, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th May, 2024) Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Tuesday held a luncheon meeting with Chairman of China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) Luo Zhaohui here.

The two sides discussed CIDCAs various projects for the socioeconomic development of Pakistan, especially Gwadar.

They also discussed the development of the New Gwadar International Airport, which is expected to be completed and inaugurated this year.

Deputy prime minister, who is on a four-day visit to China, appreciated CIDCAs pivotal role in Chinas support for development projects in developing countries including Pakistan.

Chairman of CIDCA expressed commitment to early implementation of CIDCA projects, which would give boost to the mutual vision of upgraded version of CPEC.
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The Iranian Embassy on Tuesday, marking the Nakba Day, denounced the "apartheid and occupying Zionist regime" for its ongoing oppression of the Palestinian people

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th May, 2024) The Iranian Embassy on Tuesday, marking the Nakba Day, denounced the "apartheid and occupying Zionist regime" for its ongoing oppression of the Palestinian people.

The embassy, in a statement, emphasized that the dark legacy of the Nakba was the "76 years of occupation of Palestinian land" characterized by genocide, displacement, and the violation of human rights.

It accused the Zionist regime of committing "the most heinous crimes ever throughout the history of mankind," including war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity.

The embassy expressed outrage at the recent escalation of violence, citing the brutal massacre of more than 35,000 innocent people, including children, men, and women, as well as the displacement of hundreds of thousands in the occupied Palestinian territories.

It condemned the destruction of buildings and infrastructure by the Zionist regime and called for the trial of those responsible for war crimes.

The embassy also criticized the United States for its role in disrupting ceasefire efforts and opposing the recognition of the Palestinian state in the United Nations.

Any support to the Zionist regime was "unacceptable, irresponsible, and contrary to the international laws, it added.

The embassy reiterated Iran's unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and its commitment to the struggle of the Palestinian people for freedom.

It acknowledged the solidarity of the government and people of Pakistan on the issue of Palestine, emphasizing that the Palestinian cause remained the topmost issue of the Islamic world.
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Chief Commissioner Islamabad Muhammad Ali Randhawa on Tuesday paid a surprise visit to Citizen Facilitation Centre in G-11/4 for enhancing services for the Federal Capital's residents

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th May, 2024) Chief Commissioner Islamabad Muhammad Ali Randhawa on Tuesday paid a surprise visit to Citizen Facilitation Centre in G-11/4 for enhancing services for the Federal Capital's residents.

During the visit, Randhawa not only scrutinized existing facilities but also issued directives for their enhancement, said the Spokesman of Chief Commissioner Office, Nouman Nazim here.

Randhawa's first major move was extending the operating hours of the center, now open from 9 am to 9 pm, ensuring accessibility for working individuals and busy families.

Recognizing the need for broader outreach, Randhawa advocated for the establishment of two additional centers to cater to rural communities within Islamabad.

During his visit, Randhawa actively engaged with citizens, seeking their input and feedback. This inclusive approach underscored the chief commissioner's commitment to citizen-centric governance, Nouman said.

In essence, Randhawa's visit wasn't just a routine inspection; it was a transformative moment aimed at redefining citizen services in the capital, he added.
Cannes, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th May, 2024) Hollywood stars jetted into Cannes on Tuesday as the world's most famous film festival gets under way in dramatic circumstances, including a fugitive director's daring escape from Iran, and a looming cloud of fresh #MeToo allegations.

The festival officially kicks off in the evening with an honorary award for Meryl Streep -- just one of a host of international A-listers flocking to the sun-drenched Cote d'Azur, where legendary directors George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola top the VIP guest list.

Coppola's decades-in-the-making epic "Megalopolis," an Ancient Rome-inspired saga set in a corrupt modern-day city, is the most anticipated of this year's entries for the top prize Palme d'Or.

"Cannes is important to him and he is important to Cannes. He comes as an artist," said festival head Thierry Fremaux, praising the 85-year-old director of "The Godfather".

"Megalopolis" is one of 22 films competing for the affections of a jury led by "Barbie" director Greta Gerwig.

Richard Gere will star in Paul Schrader's "Oh Canada", recent Oscar winner Emma Stone reunites with Yorgos Lanthimos in "Kinds of Kindness", and Demi Moore tries her hand at horror in "The Substance".

Outside the race for the Palme d'Or, George Miller's latest "Mad Max" instalment, "Furiosa", will get its world premiere on Wednesday, while Kevin Costner returns to the Western genre with "Horizon, an American Saga".

But darker, off-screen plotlines have emerged on the eve of the festival's 77th edition.

In a last-minute twist, director Mohammad Rasoulof -- also competing for the Palme d'Or -- announced on Monday he had escaped in secret from Iran, just days after being sentenced to eight years in prison on security offences.

Rasoulof had been under pressure from Iranian authorities to withdraw his latest film, "The Seed of the Sacred Fig", from Cannes.

"I am grateful to my friends, acquaintances, and people who kindly, selflessly, and sometimes by risking their lives, helped me get out of the border and reach a safe place on the difficult and long path of this journey," he wrote on Instagram.

Rasoulof's lawyer Babak Paknia told AFP that the director plans to attend the festival for the premiere next week.

- 'Festive moment' -

Meanwhile, France's film industry is in the midst of a belated #MeToo reckoning, with a string of accusations against its biggest star, Gerard Depardieu, and rumours in the run-up to Cannes of more accusations to come against high-profile figures.

Actor Judith Godreche, who has accused two directors of assaulting her when she was a teenager, is presenting a short film, "Moi Aussi" (Me Too) aimed at encouraging more women to come forward.

On Monday, nine women accused Alain Sarde, a major French film producer, of having raped or sexually assaulted them.

His lawyer did not respond immediately to the allegations, which were published by ELLE magazine.

Camille Cottin, star of hit television series "Call My Agent!" and an outspoken feminist, will host this year's festival.

She said there were a lot of issues she would like to address in her opening speech.

"But it's also supposed to be a festive moment... and I've only got four minutes," she told AFP.

Adding to the off-screen drama, a group of festival employees have called for a strike over pay and conditions that could cause disruption at the event.

Festival head Fremaux insisted the focus this year will be squarely on the movies.

"No controversies come from the festival," he told reporters. "We have taken care to ensure the main reason we're all here is cinema."

- Trump, Coppola, Stone -

Among the other entries for the Palme d'Or is "The Apprentice" -- a biopic of Trump's formative years from Iranian-born director Ali Abbasi. It stars Sebastian Stan, known for playing the Winter Soldier in Marvel films.

And "Emilia Perez" has quite the synopsis: a musical about a Mexican cartel boss undergoing a sex change to escape the authorities, directed by France's own Golden Palm winner Jacques Audiard. Pop superstar Selena Gomez appears in a supporting role.

But the hot ticket is undoubtedly Coppola's "Megalopolis", starring Adam Driver, on Thursday.

There is a growing anticipation over whether the veteran director -- who self-funded the lavish epic -- can match his masterpieces of the 1970s, when he twice won the Palme d'Or for "Apocalypse Now" and "The Conversation".

Film fans are also excited for new works from body-horror maestro David Cronenberg ("The Shrouds"), Italy's Paolo Sorrentino ("Parthenope") and Oliver Stone ("Lula", a documentary about Brazil's president).

Playing out of competition is "She's Got No Name", one of China's biggest-ever productions, which features megastar Ziyi Zhang tackling the highly sensitive topic of women's rights.

Legendary Japanese animators Studio Ghibli -- makers of "Spirited Away", "My Neighbour Totoro" and "Howl's Moving Castle" -- will receive an honorary Palme d'Or, the first offered to a group.

And the festival will round off on May 25 with a final honorary award for "Star Wars" creator George Lucas.
UNITED NATIONS, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th May, 2024) Pakistan has told a United Nations-affiliated forum that it's bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the term 2025-26 was aimed at promoting adherence to the world body's Charter and seeking faithful implementation of UN Security Council resolutions as well as international law, among other objectives.

"Pakistan has consistently manifested its commitment to the Charters vision of preventing war and promoting peace; fostering global prosperity; and promoting universal respect for human rights,"Ambassador Usman Jadoon, deputy permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, said during a debate on the forthcoming election to the 15-member Council, organized by the World Federation of UN Associations (WFUNA) at the UN headquarters in New York on Monday

Founded in 1946 as a Federation of national associations, WFUNA works to promote the values of the UN Charter, defend multilateralism, and raise awareness on the main pillars of work of the United Nationspeace and security, sustainable development, and human rights.

"If elected to the Council, Pakistan will continue its efforts in the same vein to promote a peaceful and equitable world order that responds to the needs and priorities of all nations," the Pakistani envoy said in presenting Islamabad's vision and priorities as a Security Council member.

Pakistan has served on the Council seven times in the past, once in every decade starting from the 1950s, with the last term in 2012-2013.

"In each of our previous tenures," Ambassador Jadoon said, "Pakistan contributed actively to promote outcomes aligned with the UN Charter, supporting fair and just decisions on conflicts and disputes, and projecting the aspirations and interests of all Member States, in particular, of the developing countries.

The Security Council is currently composed of five permanent members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- and 10 non-permanent members elected to serve for two years.

In his remarks, Ambassador Jadoon underscored the importance of addressing violations of the UN Charter principles, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, escalating conflicts, geopolitical tensions, and the repercussions of climate change. He also noted the emergence of new technological domains of conflict.

The Pakistani envoy said that if elected to the Security Council for the term 2025-2026, Pakistan pledges to tackle these challenges with a comprehensive set of priorities, including:

--Promotion of adherence to the UN Charter and its principles;

-- Pursuit of just and peaceful dispute resolutions;

-- Advocacy for multilateralism and opposition to unilateral use of force;

-- Comprehensive approach to counter-terrorism;

-- Support for effective UN peacekeeping and peace-building efforts;

-- Commitment to peace and stability in South Asia and Afghanistan;

-- Advocacy for African solutions to African challenges;

-- Promotion of peace and security in the middle East, particularly addressing the issue of Palestine;

-- Enhancement of the role and influence of elected Security Council members, and,

-- Promotion of democracy, transparency, and accountability within the Council.

Pakistan believes it can contribute effectively to enable the Security Council to discharge its mandate for the maintenance of international peace and security, Ambassador Jadoon said.

He expressed gratitude to the Asia-Pacific Group for endorsing Pakistan's candidacy and sought the cooperation of all Member States in supporting Pakistans candidacy.

In this regard, he highlighted Pakistans services on key UN bodies, including the UNSC, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Human Rights Council and Group of 77 besides the countrys significant contributions to UN peacekeeping missions, with over 200,000 troops having served in 46 missions in hot spots around the world.

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Geneva, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th May, 2024) Conflict in Sudan and Gaza pushed the number of internally displaced people (IDPs) worldwide to a record 75.9 million at the end of 2023, an NGO monitor said Tuesday.

The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre said the figure was a new end-of-year high by its count, with the number of people displaced within their own borders having increased by more than 50 percent in the last five years.

The figure was up from 71.1 million at the end of 2022.

While refugees are those who have fled abroad, internal displacement refers to the forced movement of people within the country they live in.

In its annual Global Report on Internal Displacement, the IDMC said that 68.3 million people worldwide were displaced by conflict and violence, and 7.7 million by disasters.

Over the past five years, the number of IDPs resulting from conflict has increased by 22.6 million, with the two biggest increases in 2022 and 2023.

At 9.1 million, Sudan has the highest number of IDPs recorded for a single country since records began in 2008, the monitor said. Almost half of all IDPs live in sub-Saharan Africa.

"Over the past two years, we've seen alarming new levels of people having to flee their homes due to conflict and violence, even in regions where the trend had been improving," said IDMC director Alexandra Bilak.

"Conflict, and the devastation it leaves behind, is keeping millions from re-building their lives, often for years on end."

- 'Damning verdict' -

The monitor also keeps track of the number of internal displacements: each new forced movement of a person within their borders.

People can be displaced several times over.

Last year there were 46.9 million forced movements of people -- 20.5 million internal displacements by conflict and violence, and 26.4 million by disasters.

Fighting in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Palestinian territories accounted for nearly two-thirds of new movements of people due to conflict in 2023.

In the Gaza Strip, 1.7 million Palestinians were internally displaced by the end of 2023, with 3.4 million new movements. The bloodiest-ever Gaza war broke out in October last year.

Throughout 2023, there were six million forced movements of people caused by the violence in Sudan -- more than in the previous 14 years combined.

It is the second-highest number of forced movements within a year after Ukraine's 16.9 million in 2022.

Of the 26.4 million forced movements due to disasters, a third were in China and Turkey as a result of severe weather events and high-magnitude earthquakes.

The IDMC was created by the Norwegian Refugee Council in 1998.

"We have never, ever recorded so many people forced away from their homes and communities. It is a damning verdict on the failures of conflict prevention and peace-making," said NRC chief Jan Egeland.

"The lack of protection and assistance that millions endure cannot be allowed to continue."
Three French prison officers were killed and two others wounded Tuesday in an attack on a prison van transporting an inmate who escaped, a police source told AFP

Rouen, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th May, 2024) Three French prison officers were killed and two others wounded Tuesday in an attack on a prison van transporting an inmate who escaped, a police source told AFP.

The ramming attack took place late morning at a road toll in Incarville in the Eure region of northern France, another source close to the case added.

The inmate was being transported between the towns of Rouen and Evreux in Normandy.

A police source said that the attack was carried out by a team of several individuals who arrived in two vehicles and themselves later fled.

One of them was also wounded, a police source said, but it was not immediately clear how many attackers there were in total. Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti confirmed the attack on the prison convoy and said on X he was immediately heading to a crisis cell at his ministry.

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UWs Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership Program will benefit from a $2.5 million gift from Art and Catherine Nicholas, Wyoming ranchers and investors who own Wagonhound Land & Livestock near Douglas. (UW Photo)

A Wyoming ranching couples $2.5 million gift to the University of Wyoming will empower the universitys Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership Program, fueling impactful change and supporting future leaders in ranch management and agriculture statewide.

The transformational gift was given by Art and Catherine Nicholas, Wyoming ranchers and investors who own Wagonhound Land & Livestock near Douglas. It creates the Wyoming Ranching Excellence Fund at the UW College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources and was doubled to $5 million by a state matching investment from the Wyoming Legislature.

Wagonhound Land & Livestock is thrilled to partner with the University of Wyoming with our investment in the Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership Program, says Andrea Nicholas Perdue, CEO of Wagonhound Holdings. As stewards of the land and advocates for sustainable agriculture, we are excited to contribute to the cultivation of future leaders in the industry.

The Wyoming Ranching Excellence Fund will support students, faculty, program ambassadors, industry engagement, a yearly Ranch Managers Summit and more.

Initially launched in 2021, the multidisciplinary Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership Program provides future generations of ranchers and agricultural producers with in-depth, hands-on programs that honor the tried-and-true while developing the technologies of tomorrow -- steeped in history yet leading the way to the future. Since its inception, the Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership Program has received significant private support.

I am honored and excited that UW is the recipient of such an impactful gift that will promote the success of our faculty, students and communities working in ranch management and agriculture, UW President Ed Seidel says. We are beyond grateful to Art and Catherine for their generosity.

The nature of ranch management and agricultural leadership today requires professionals to have an integrated understanding across a broad array of disciplines while demonstrating strong interpersonal skills that allow for effective teamwork, collaboration, and development and retention of talent -- all of which are addressed in this program.

The program provides a practical, real-world, multidisciplinary education to Wyomings students and professionals in ranch management and agricultural leadership. It seeks to integrate classroom learning with practical experience and to connect students with producers and industry professionals. The program also facilitates an annual seminar series, Ranching in the West.

This generous gift from Art and Catherine Nicholas burns the Wagonhound brand on UWs Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership Program in perpetuity, says Kelly Crane, interim dean of the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources. This partnership provides the capacity and incentives to deliver a truly exceptional ranch management program at UW.

Students within the program learn animal science, rangeland management, agricultural business and economics, agricultural communication, organizational leadership and political science. They also are prepared as employees, managers and leaders through courses that address communications, conflict, ethics, collaboration, human resources, policy and much more.

The program draws on courses in existing UW departments as well as program-specific courses, such as public policy and regulatory considerations for ranch and rangeland management; integrated ranch and rangeland problem-solving and planning; and leadership and collaboration strategies to address contemporary challenges in agriculture.

This collaboration underscores our, and the University of Wyomings, commitment to innovation, education and the continued prosperity of Wyomings agricultural heritage, Nicholas Perdue says.

The program meets the needs not only of students, but also members of the larger community within the state who are engaged in ranch management and agriculture. It offers professional development for current ranch managers and agricultural leaders; a bachelors degree in ranch management and agricultural leadership; and graduate degrees and advanced certifications. The curriculum is guided by experts -- ranch owners, agency professionals, agribusiness leaders, industry executives, elected officials, academics and UW alumni.

Each level of education -- certification, bachelors or masters -- is designed to incorporate workforce development, practical experiences, research-based technical knowledge, real-world problem-solving and making connections with industry leaders throughout the West. For example, students working on their bachelors degrees complete three internships with government agencies, working ranches, nonprofits, private organizations and/or associations important to Western livestock agriculture.

UW also offers many other ways for ranching and agricultural professions to meet, network and exchange information and best practices that complement the Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership Program.

For example, the Ranching in the West Seminar Series is held at community colleges throughout the state. The series includes a one-day leadership summit and is attended by professionals and students alike. The series offers insights into how Wyoming ranches and businesses and agencies are dealing with real-world challenges.

With this gift, we also embrace the challenge to ensure our program reflects the Wagonhound ranchs unwavering commitment to excellence, innovation and success, Crane says.

These seminars are open to both UW students and the public and offer a preview of topics to be addressed in the undergraduate program, including public land partnerships, energy development, family-run businesses and water management.

The ideas for the Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership Program began in 2018 at the UW Partnership Summit that took place at the Wagonhound ranch. Its goal was to enhance the relationships between UW and Wyoming ranchers and land managers so that UW could be more responsive to the needs of the industry. It was a venue for UW leaders to listen to the contemporary challenges and opportunities facing ranchers and ranch managers.

This program also builds on the Ranch Management and Agriculture Leadership Center launched in 2021 with funding from Farm Credit Services of America and the state of Wyoming.

Art and Catherines gift, matched by the state, stands as a testament to the enduring commitment to excellence in ranching and agriculture, says John Stark, president/CEO of the UW Foundation. Thanks to this partnership, we will cultivate a legacy of leadership, sustainability and prosperity for generations to come.

Wagonhound Land & Livestock is a 300,000-acre ranch raising Red Angus and quarter horses, located south of Douglas on Wagonhound Creek. The ranch also includes farm, outfitting and guest operations.

The Nicholases have owned the ranch since 1999. Their brand, which dates back to territorial days, is the quarter circle, bar, quarter circle. The couple has an expansive Western art and book collection, and they support the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association. Art serves as a director emeritus on the board of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum and the investment committee of the American Quarter Horse Association. Catherine is a director of the American Quarter Horse Foundation and serves on the board of the Cowgirl Hall of Fame. They both have a background in investing.

Art Nicholas grew up on a cattle ranch in Nebraska and, while in the Navy, he moved to San Diego, Calif., where he earned a bachelors degree in finance from San Diego State University. He has over 40 years of experience in investing, co-founding Nicholas-Applegate Capital Management and serving as chairman and CEO. Before that, he was a portfolio and bank manager.

Catherine Nicholas has over 30 years of experience as an investment analyst and portfolio manager. She founded Nicholas Investment Partners, which is advised by Art. Previously, she served as global chief investment officer for Nicholas-Applegate Capital Management. She earned her bachelors degree in business administration, cum laude, and her MBA in finance, both from the University of Southern California.

The Nicholases also have supported the UW rodeo team and the American Heritage Center.
Small-business owners can learn how to prepare Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) cost proposals during a virtual workshop Thursday, May 23.

Jim Greenwood will lead the discussion during a Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network webinar titled Making Sense of Cost Proposals and Government Accounting from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. To register, go here. Registration is free.

The Wyoming SBDC Network offers business expertise to help Wyoming residents think about, launch, grow, reinvent or exit their business. The Wyoming SBDC Network is hosted by UW with state funds from the Wyoming Business Council and funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Greenwood will provide information about how to prepare SBIR/STTR cost proposals and how to keep records to the governments satisfaction when small-business owners win an SBIR or STTR award.

The workshop will cover basic government accounting concepts; the Federal Acquisition Regulation and its importance; formats of SBIR/STTR cost proposals for different agencies; keeping track of expenses; cost proposal formats for various SBIR agencies; and audits of SBIR projects. Additionally, attendees will participate in preparing an example cost proposal and will learn how to calculate a reasonable indirect cost rate.

Greenwood, co-owner of Greenwood Consulting Group Inc., is a nationally recognized trainer and proposal reviewer for the SBIR and STTR programs. He has taught SBIR/STTR workshops in 48 states, plus Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., offering training through local and regional economic development groups, universities, federal laboratories, SBDCs and Manufacturing Extension Partnerships.

For more information, call Maureen Johnson, marketing, communication and database manager for the Wyoming SBDC Network, at (307) 343-0925 or email mjohn125@uwyo.edu.
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.
The United States and Pakistan have concluded their latest round of counterterrorism talks, agreeing to intensify their collaboration in the fight against terrorist organizations like the Pakistani Taliban and a regional Islamic State affiliate.

Washington and Islamabad issued a joint statement simultaneously on Monday, saying the May 10 bilateral dialogue hosted by the U.S. was centered on tackling the most pressing challenges to regional and global security.

The meeting came amid a recent surge in terrorism in Pakistan, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people, including security forces. The violence is mostly claimed by Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), known as the Pakistani Taliban, who are believed to operate from sanctuaries in neighboring Afghanistan.

Pakistan and the United States recognize that a partnership to counter ISIS-Khorasan, TTP, and other terrorist organizations will advance security in the region and serve as a model of bilateral and regional cooperation to address transnational terrorism threats, the statement read.

The statement used an acronym for an Afghanistan-based Islamic State affiliate known as IS-Khorasan, which routinely carries out terrorist attacks in the country and beyond its borders.

Pakistani and U.S. officials at Fridays talks in Washington resolved to step up communication and continue collaboration to detect and deter violent extremism through whole-of-government approaches.

According to the statement, the two sides stressed the importance of capacity building, including sharing technical expertise and best practices, providing investigative and prosecutorial assistance and enhancing border security infrastructure and training.

Islamabad maintains that TTP-led terrorist attacks on Pakistani soil have intensified since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021 following the withdrawal of U.S.-led NATO forces after a 20-year counterterrorism mission.

Pakistani authorities allege that members of the Afghan Taliban are facilitating TTP fighters in carrying out cross-border attacks.

The Taliban government in Kabul denies the allegations, saying it is not allowing anyone to threaten other countries, including Pakistan, from Afghan soil.

In a new report slated for release on Tuesday, the U.S. Institute of Peace has warned that Afghanistan presents growing space for terrorist groups compared to the period before the U.S. withdrawal.

USIP published a summary of the study on its website, noting that ISIS-K poses a rising threat with reach beyond the immediate region, greater than during the pre-withdrawal period, and the TTP "has also returned as a regional security threat.

The report also stated that al-Qaida and its South Asia affiliate continue to maintain ties with and receive support from Afghanistans Taliban rulers.
This October, 45-year-old Kevin Wu will serve in the Jakarta House of Regional Representatives for the first time, becoming part of a minority of ethnic Chinese elected officials in the Indonesian legislative body. Wu has been a staunch advocate for Chinese-Indonesian rights since 2008 and helped to establish a Buddhist house of worship in the predominantly Muslim country. Now, he is an entrepreneur who advocates for small businesses.

If we witness injustice, we have two choices  to accept our fate or to strive and hope for change. I chose to do the latter, he said.

Wu said he was inspired to fight for Chinese-Indonesian rights by late President Abdurrahman Wahid, who was known for his support for ethnic and religious tolerance.

In February, nearly 205 million Indonesians were eligible to cast their votes in the countrys presidential and parliamentary elections. According to the last census in 2010, 1.2% of Indonesias total population is of Chinese ethnicity, at over 2.8 million people.

Johanes Herlijanto, chairman of the Indonesian Sinology Forum, a group that seeks to promote Indonesia-China relations, said that in this election he saw more names of Chinese-Indonesian politicians vying for the 500 seats in the national Parliament as well as in the District Representative Council, Provincial Council and Local Council than there were during the parliamentary elections in 2019.

Herlijanto said that political activism among the Chinese-Indonesian community strengthened in the last 26 years, since the Jakarta riots in May 1998 that saw many Chinese Indonesians being persecuted. He said he has seen more Chinese Indonesians serving in public offices ranging from regent, mayoral and legislative.

Herlijanto explained that there have been organizations that provided political education to Chinese Indonesians since the late 1990s.

This allowed Chinese Indonesians who previously were uncomfortable, to be involved in politics, to now being elected and actively improving public welfare as politicians, he said.

For decades, under President Suharto, many Chinese Indonesians faced discrimination, persecution and social restrictions, such as being banned from using their Chinese names, practicing their traditional beliefs, showcasing Chinese culture and having their full citizenship recognized.

It was only after former President Wahid came into power in October 1999 that government discrimination against Chinese Indonesians was abolished with the issuance of Presidential Decree No. 6, which protected minority rights. Wahid  commonly known as Gus Dur  was the former head of Indonesias largest Islamic organization, Nahdlatul Ulama, and had Chinese, Arab and Javanese ancestry.

Wu joined the Indonesian Solidarity Party, or PSI, in 2024, founded by a Chinese Indonesian TV news anchor-turned-politician, and said he was attracted to the partys dynamic start-up-like work environment and idealistic approach to politics. Wu is also a member of the Young Entrepreneurs Association and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

I am keen to support industries that open up more job opportunities, offer quality human resources development programs and ease the application process for business permits and industries, he told VOA.

Daniel Johan, 52, a Buddhist, has been a legislator for the past decade and will serve his third five-year term for the Indonesian Renaissance Party, PKB, in October 2024. He said Gus Dur, and another PKB leader, Muhaimin Iskandar, both inspired him.

Johan is active in the Chinese Clans Association of Indonesia and shared with VOA that it took months of working in the community for his constituents, who are mostly Muslims in West Kalimantan, to trust and vote for a Chinese Indonesian politician.

This term, I will be working on issues regarding food security, food independence and how to improve the management of natural resources and better monitor the implementation of the Mineral and Coal Production Law, he said.

Although political activism and involvement is on the rise in the Chinese Indonesian community, politicians and leaders of Chinese associations in Indonesia are still aware that stereotypes remain, especially in rural areas.

Herlijanto said that the campaign teams for all three presidential candidates in the recent elections had Chinese Indonesian supporters, so taking on divisive identity politics is not a prudent political strategy.

However, the tides could turn against ethnic and religious minorities if divisive identity politics were to be used again in future elections. Herlijanto noted the case of former Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, a Chinese-Christian governor known as Ahok, who was sentenced to two years in prison in 2017 under Indonesias blasphemy law, based on claims he insulted the Quran during his campaign for reelection. Ahok denied wrongdoing.

Although radicalism based on religious beliefs, or a narrowed interpretation of nationalism, has faded in recent years, its re-emergence is possible and is an issue Chinese Indonesians are cautious about. Thats why its important for Chinese Indonesians to be inclusive, strive for equality and welfare and show that we stand for all Indonesians, said Herlijanto.

I Wayan Suparmin, head of the Indonesian Chinese Association in Jakarta, said Chinese Indonesians must strive to be more inclusive in their surroundings and better understand that in a community everyones lives are truly intertwined. A notion that Johan agrees with, Moving forward, Chinese-Indonesian politicians need to be more sincere, humble and avoid being deceitful or scandalous. The majority of people can sense politicians sincerity and intentions.
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.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the United States for what he called a crucial package of aid, as he hosted talks Tuesday in Kyiv with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Blinken arrived in the country hours earlier on an unannounced trip to deliver what U.S. officials called a strong message of reassurance at a time when Ukrainian forces are facing strong attacks by Russias military in eastern Ukraine and are awaiting the arrival of new weapons shipments from allies help with defense.

Zelenskyy told Blinken his visit was coming during a tough period for the east of our country.

During the past week, Russia has intensified its attacks on the Kharkiv region in northeastern Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said he would discuss with Blinken getting the new U.S. aid to Ukraine as quickly as possible, as well as bolstering Ukraines air defenses, including the hope that Ukraine could secure Patriot missile systems to help protect Kharkiv.

Anna Chernikova reports from Kyiv:

Blinken said the United States, along with other Ukrainian partners, are determined to make sure Ukraine has what it needs to be successful in fighting the Russian invasion.

We know this is a challenging time, but we also know that in the near-term the assistance is now on the way, Blinken said. Some of it has already arrived, more of it will be arriving, and thats going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield.

Blinkens visit also includes talks with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and delivering a speech in Kyiv.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement that Blinken would discuss battlefield updates, the impact of new U.S. security and economic assistance, long-term security and other commitments, and ongoing work to bolster Ukraines economic recovery.

The United States Friday announced its latest contribution to Ukraines war effort in the form of a $400 million package of weapons and equipment.

The White House said Monday it is doing "everything" possible to rush weapons to Ukraine to fight against the Russian ground offensive in the Kharkiv region.

"We're doing everything humanly possible, both ourselves and our allies," White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters, adding that a new arms package would be announced "just in the coming days."

Outmanned and outgunned, Ukrainian forces are waiting for the badly needed U.S. military aid to arrive.

Russias defense ministry said it destroyed 25 Ukrainian missiles over the Belgorod region, located on the Russian side of the border from Kharkiv.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, the regional governor of Belgorod, said Tuesday on Telegram that the attack injured one person and damaged more than 20 houses.

Ukraines air force reported Tuesday destroying all 18 Russian drones launched in overnight attacks, with intercepts taking place over Cherkasy, Donetsk, Kherson, Khmelnytskyi, Kirovohrad, Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia.

Russias new war economy

Russian President Vladimir Putins move to appoint an economist as its new defense minister indicates Moscows intention to build a war economy, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said Monday.

"Russia is moving almost its entire economy onto military lines. It will be a militaristic country, and its economy will be built exclusively to produce for the military," Podolyak told Reuters.

Putin on Sunday named Andrei Belousov, a 65-year-old former deputy prime minister who specializes in economics, as his new defense minister.

Former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu will become the secretary of Russia's powerful Security Council and have responsibilities for the military-industrial complex, the Kremlin said.

"Without a doubt, these changes that we see today, they are evidence of the complete transformation of the Russian Federation," Podolyak said.

Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
Conflicts and violence have pushed the number of internally displaced people around the world to a record-breaking high of 75.9 million, with nearly half living in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a new report by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center.

The report finds conflicts in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Palestinian territories accounted for nearly two-thirds of new displacements due to violence, which in total spanned 66 countries in 2023.

Over the past two years, we have seen alarming new levels of people having to flee their homes due to conflict and violence, even in regions where the trend had been improving, Alexandra Bilak, IDMC director said.

In a statement to coincide with the publication of the report Tuesday, she said that the millions of people forced to flee in 2023 were just the tip of the iceberg.

Conflict, and the devastation it leaves behind, is keeping millions from rebuilding their lives, often for years on end, she said.

WATCH: Wars in Sudan, Gaza, DRC drive internally displaced to record 76 million

The report notes the number of internal displacements, that is the number of times people have been forced to move throughout the year to escape conflict within their country, has increased in the last couple of years.

While we hear a lot about refugees or asylum-seekers who cross the border, the majority of the displaced people actually stay within their country and they are internally displaced, Christelle Cazabat, head of programs at IDMC, told journalists in Geneva Monday, in advance of the launch of the report.

In its 2023 report on forcibly displaced populations, the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, reported that 62.5 million people had been internally displaced people at the end of 2022 compared to 36.4 million refugees who had fled conflict, violence and persecution that same year.

According to the IDMC, new internal displacements last year were mostly due to the conflict in Ukraine, which started in 2022, as well as to the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the eruption of war in mid-April 2023 in Sudan.

The war in Sudan resulted in 6 million internal displacements last year, which was more than its previous 14 years combined and the second most ever recorded in one country during a single year after Ukraines 16.9 million in 2022, according to the report.

As you know, it is more than a year that this new wave of conflict erupted (in Sudan) and as of the end of last year, the figure was 9.1 million displaced in total by the conflict, said Vicente Anzellini, IDMCs global and regional analysis manager and lead author of the report.

This figure is the highest that we have ever reported for any country, this 9.1 million internally displaced people.

In the Gaza Strip, IDMC calculated 3.4 million displacements in the last three months of 2023, many of whom had been displaced multiple times during this period. It says this number represented 17% of total conflict displacements worldwide during the year, noting that a total of 1.7 million Palestinians were internally displaced in Gaza by the end of the year.

The last quarter of 2023 is the period following the Hamas terrorists brutal attack on Israel on Oct. 7, eliciting a military response from Israel on the Palestinian enclave.

There are many other crises that are actually displacing even more people, but we hear a little bit less of them, said Cazabat, noting that little is heard about the acute humanitarian crisis in Sudan though it has the highest number of people living in internal displacement because of the conflict at the end of last year.

In the past five years, the report finds the number of people living in internal displacement because of conflict and violence has increased by 22.6 million.

Sudan topped last years list of 66 countries with 9.1 million people displaced internally because of conflict, followed by Syria with more than 7 million, the DRC, Colombia and Yemen.

Besides the total of 68.3 million people who were displaced globally by conflict and violence in 2023, the report says 7.7 million were displaced by natural disasters, including floods, storms, earthquakes and wildfires.

As in previous years, the report notes that floods and storms caused the most disaster displacement, including in southeastern Africa, where cyclone Freddy triggered 1.4 million movements across six countries and territories.

The earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria triggered 4.7 million displacements, one of the largest disaster displacement events since records began in 2008.

Anzellini observed many countries that have experienced conflict displacement also have experienced disaster displacement.

In many situations, they are overlapping. This is the case in Sudan, in South Sudan, but also in Somalia, in the DRC, and other places, he said. So, you can imagine fleeing from violence to save your life and then having to escape to higher ground with whatever you can carry as the storm or a flood threatens to wash away your temporary shelter.

He said that no country is immune to disaster displacement.

Last year, we recorded disaster displacements in 148 countries and territories, and these include high-income countries such as Canada and New Zealand, which recorded their highest figures ever.

Climate change is making extreme weather events more frequent and more intense and that can lead to more displacement, but it does not have to, he said, noting that climate change is one of many factors that contribute to displacement.

There are other economic, social and political factors that governments can address to actually minimize the impacts of displacement even in the face of climate change, he said, including early warning systems and the evacuation of populations before a natural disaster is forecast to strike.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that more than 1,000 members of the militant Palestinian group Hamas were being treated in hospitals across Turkey as he reiterated his stance that it was a "resistance movement."

A Turkish official later said Erdogan had "misspoke" and meant that Gazans more generally were being treated in Turkey.

"If you call Hamas a 'terrorist organization,' this would sadden us," Erdogan said at a joint press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Ankara after Mitsotakis had referred to Hamas as such.

"We don't deem Hamas a terrorist organization... More than 1,000 members of Hamas are under treatment in hospitals across our country," Erdogan said.

A Turkish official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, later said that Erdogan had meant to refer to Palestinians from Hamas-run Gaza in general, rather than Hamas members.

"President Erdogan misspoke, he meant 1,000 Gazans are under treatment, not Hamas members," a Turkish official said.

Reuters could not immediately determine the background of those being treated in Turkey, but in November Ankara said it was evacuating dozens of wounded or sick Gazans, mostly cancer patients, and their companions following Israel's offensive in

Gaza.
A former Australian military lawyer has been sentenced to nearly six years in prison for sharing classified documents with journalists that revealed potential war crimes committed by Australian forces in Afghanistan.

David McBride had already pleaded guilty to three charges in connection with the case, including theft.

In a decision handed down Tuesday in the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory in Sydney, the judge sentenced the 60-year-old McBride to five years and eight months in prison. He ordered McBride to serve two years and three months of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.

The judge rejected McBrides assertion that he did not believe he was breaking the law by sharing more than 200 documents with three reporters with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The documents were the basis of an Australian Broadcasting Corp. news series that revealed allegations that Australian special forces killed 39 unarmed Afghan men and children between 2009 and 2013. The series led to an investigation by the Australian military, which recommended that 19 current and former soldiers face criminal prosecution.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters.


When he heard that devastating floods hit his village in northern Afghanistan last week, farmer Abdul Ghani rushed home from neighboring Kunduz province where he was visiting relatives. When he got home, he found out that his wife and three children had perished in the deluge.

Two of his sons survived but another son, who is 11, is still missing. "I couldn't even find the road to my village," he said, describing how he turned back and went another way to reach his district of Nahrin in Baghlan province.

Across Baghlan, others like Ghani and survivors of the disaster were still searching for their missing loved ones and burying their dead on Monday.

"Roads, villages and lands were all washed away," Ghani said. His wife, his 7-year-old and 9-year-old daughters and a 4-year-old son died.

"My life has turned into a disaster," he said, speaking to The Associated Press over the phone.

The U.N. food agency estimates that the unusually heavy seasonal rains in Afghanistan left more than 300 people dead and thousands of houses destroyed, most of them in Baghlan, which bore the brunt of flooding on Friday.

Survivors have been left with no home, no land and no source of livelihood, the World Food Organization said. Most of Baghlan is "inaccessible by trucks," said WFP, adding that it is resorting to every alternative it can think of to get food to the survivors.

In a statement Sunday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed condolences to the victims, adding that the world body and aid agencies are working with the Taliban-run government to help.

"The United Nations and its partners in Afghanistan are coordinating with the de facto authorities to swiftly assess needs and provide emergency assistance," the statement said.

The dead include 51 children, according to UNICEF, one of several international aid groups that are sending relief teams, medicine, blankets and other supplies. The World Health Organization said it delivered 7 tons of medicine and emergency kits to the stricken areas.

Meanwhile, the U.N. migration agency has been distributing aid packages that include temporary shelters, essential nonfood items, solar modules, clothing, and tools for repairs to their damaged shelters.

The latest disaster came on the heels of a previous one, when at least 70 people died in April from heavy rains and flash floods in the country. The waters also destroyed about 2,000 homes, three mosques and four schools in western Farah and Herat and southern Zabul and Kandahar provinces.
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in a brazen attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday during which a high-profile inmate escaped, officials said.

The van was transporting prisoner Mohamed Amra to Evreux jail after a court hearing in Rouen when it was ambushed.

Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti said he would join a crisis unit to address the emergency. "All means are being used to find these criminals. On my instructions, several hundred police officers and gendarmes were mobilized," Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin posted on X.

"This morning's attack, which cost the lives of prison administration agents, is a shock for all of us," French President Emmanuel Macron posted on X. "The nation stands alongside the families, the injured and their colleagues."

The attack prompted a significant law enforcement operation in the northwestern region of France as authorities worked to secure the area and apprehend the assailants. The assault took place late Tuesday morning on the A154 freeway, which has since been closed.

Amra was under high surveillance and had recently been sentenced for burglary. He was also under investigation for a kidnapping and homicide case in Marseille, according to public prosecutor Laure Beccuau.

French media reported that Amra was nicknamed La Mouche, or The Fly.

Beccuau announced an investigation into the attack, now considered a case of organized crime and murder. "At this stage, we mourn the death of two penitentiary agents in this armed attack," Beccuau said in a statement.

The investigation will also address organized escape attempts, possession of military-grade weapons and conspiracy to commit crime.
Protesters against the war between Israel and Hamas were voluntarily taking down their tents in Harvard Yard on Tuesday after university officials agreed to discuss their questions about the endowment, bringing a peaceful end to the kinds of demonstrations that were broken up by police on other campuses.

The student protest group Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine said in a statement that the encampment "outlasted its utility with respect to our demands." Meanwhile, Harvard University interim President Alan Garber agreed to pursue a meeting between protesters and university officials regarding the students' questions.

Students at many college campuses this spring set up similar encampments, calling for their schools to cut ties with Israel and businesses that support it.

The Israel-Hamas war began when Hamas and other militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages. Palestinian militants still hold about 100 captives, and Israel's military has killed more than 35,000 people in Gaza, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Harvard said its president and the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Hopi Hoekstra, will meet with the protesters to discuss the conflict in the Middle East.

The protesters said they worked out an agreement to meet with university officials, including the Harvard Management Company, which oversees the world's largest academic endowment, valued at about $50 billion.

The protesters' statement said the students will set an agenda that includes discussions on disclosure, divestment, reinvestment and the creation of a Center for Palestine Studies. The students also said that Harvard has offered to retract suspensions of more than 20 students and student workers and back down on disciplinary measures faced by 60 more.

"Since its establishment three weeks ago, the encampment has both broadened and deepened Palestine solidarity organizing on campus," a spokesperson for the protesters said. "It has moved the needle on disclosure and divestment at Harvard."
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee is criticizing the arrest of a key trade official in Britain on allegations of spying for the citys foreign intelligence service.

Bill Yuen, who manages Hong Kongs Economic and Trade Office in London, and two other men, Peter Wei and Matthew Trickett, were granted bail when they appeared in a London courtroom Monday. They are accused of agreeing to undertake information gathering, surveillance and acts of deception between December 2023 and May 2024. The charges were brought under Britains new national security act.

Chief Executive Lee has denied the allegations. During a press briefing Tuesday, he warned that any attempt to interfere with the work of ETO offices in different places will be against free trade and free economy, and would harm the economies of countries that try and do bad things to ETO offices.

Chinas foreign ministry issued a statement warning the case could erode relations between Beijing and London. Tensions between the sides have risen over Chinas crackdown on pro-democracy and dissenting voices in Hong Kong in recent months.

Britains foreign ministry summoned Chinas envoy Tuesday to lodge a formal protest over the allegations.

Hong Kong is a former British colony that was returned to Chinese control in 1997. The handover included an agreement for China to allow Hong Kong to enjoy freedoms and a degree of autonomy not enjoyed on mainland China.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse.
An official of the International Criminal Court has promised victims of Ugandas rebel Lord's Resistance Army that the court will provide reparations that were promised after the conviction of a top LRA leader. However, the Tribunal Trust Fund does not have enough money to make the payments, and now some victims worry other world conflicts are drawing down donor funds.

ICC Registrar Osvaldo Zavala Giler, speaking to the media Tuesday in Uganda, assured victims of the violent, long-running LRA rebellion that the court would do as much as possible to ensure victims get their reparations.

In February, ICC judges ordered $56 million in reparations to recognize the harm suffered by 50,000 victims of war crimes for which Dominic Ongwen has been convicted. Those include murder, rape, forced marriage, and the recruitment of child soldiers.

Gilers commitment comes despite Ongwens appeal of his conviction. Giler said while the appeal is still pending, the ICC will continue efforts to raise funds to pay the reparations and comply with the court order. He also indicated not all victims would receive payments at the same time.

And that will depend on the fundraising efforts of the trust fund to do this. I am confident that there is enough interest in the international donor-based community to support the effort of the trust fund in trying to achieve its goals, said Giler.

Speaking to VOA before meeting the ICC registrar, Bishop Nelson Onono-Onweng, a community leader from Gulu district, said what he is hearing from the ICC is worrying.

Bishop Onono said the promised $795 per person allocation for the 50,000 victims is too little, yet the ICC has no money.

So, if it comes now it will be great. But, we are told they are still raising the money. Fundraising today as you know with the war in the world. I dont know. But, personally I am worried. Because the international community is now overwhelmed with the needs in the world to support the suffering people, he said.

Peter Labeja, a journalist from Gulu district, lost his father during the 20-year rebellion. He was also abducted but was lucky to escape.

Labeja told VOA victims still have questions on how the money will be shared.

Who is going to take the money? Is it the head of the family taking the money or the entire group in the household taking the money? And, we were quick to calculate. We said this is about three-million shillings in Uganda. What can three-million shillings do? It cant even send a child to the university for two semesters, he said.

The community remains hopeful that the communal reparation will be used to build schools and health facilities and improve roads.

Victims will have to wait until September, not for the money, but for the ICC to prepare the implementation plan now being developed.

Dominic Ongwen is serving his 25-year prison sentence in Norway. The LRA fought the Ugandan government for 20 years resulting in the deaths of about 100,000 people.

Meanwhile, 19 years after an arrest warrant was issued for LRA leader Joseph Kony, the ICC pre-trial chamber has set October 15 to hold a hearing confirming charges against him. But according to ICC Mofficials, Kony qualifies as a person who cannot be found so no confirmation hearing can be held.
The NATO Swift Response exercise began earlier this month in Sweden, where around 800 paratroopers from the United States, Spain, Hungary, and Italy are training together to deter any potential aggression. It is the first such exercise on Swedish soil since the country joined NATO in March. VOAs Eastern Europe Chief Myroslava Gongadze reports from the training ground in Sweden. Video editor: Daniil Batushchak
Uncovering a multimillion-dollar aid scandal in Venezuela took great personal and professional risks for the journalists involved.

Roberto Deniz, a reporter with investigative media outlet Armando Info, and his colleagues were not daunted by the task, but they did pay a heavy personal cost.

That toll  and their work exposing a scandal  are the focus of a new PBS FRONTLINE documentary "A Dangerous Assignment: Uncovering Corruption in Maduro's Venezuela" being released May 14.

The documentary follows Armando Info as the Venezuelan media outlet uncovers a transnational scheme that it alleged benefited President Nicolas Maduro and others, including a businessman named Alex Saab.

The revelations made Deniz and his editors targets of the Maduro government and forced the journalist into exile in 2018. His house was raided and he faces jail if he ever returns to his country.

Despite everything, Deniz feels the risk was worth it.

The most important thing that this documentary shows is that we can see the real nature of Maduros regime. All this happened when Venezuela was going through its worst economic crisis, he told VOA.

Juan Ravell, the documentarys director, said Denizs work was like a detective story that he felt compelled to turn into a film.

It sounds corny, but I am a fan of Robertos work. I wanted to show a little of how the sausage is made  the backstage work. How he takes a source on and verifies it with another source. It is about the craft of journalism and about the risks, Ravell said.

That journalism led to results, including an arrest and sanctions against Saab, whom the U.S. Treasury said had orchestrated a vast corruption network that let Maduro and his government significantly profit from food imports and distribution.

Maduro himself has not directly referenced the reporting but he did publicly say that his government had fixed irregularities in the program, Deniz said.

Aid scandal

Maduros government created what was known as the CLAP program in 2016 to provide quality essential food items to Venezuelans hit by the nations economic crisis.

But instead, Armando Info found, low-quality products were purchased.

A chemical analysis conducted by the Institute of Food Science and Technology, at the Central University of Venezuela at the request of Armando Info, showed some powdered milk offered as part of the CLAP scheme was so low in calcium and high in sodium that a researcher noted it could not be classified as milk at all.

Deniz and his colleagues also found that the CLAP initiative was enriching Saab, whom they said was the biggest contractor for the food program.

When Saab sued for defamation after the first stories were published in 2017, Deniz fled Venezuela but continued the investigation from his new home in Colombia. From there, the story evolved into an international effort to bring Saab to justice.

In 2019, the U.S. government indicted Saab on charges that he laundered $350 million. The businessman, who was arrested in Cape Verde in 2020 when his plane stopped to refuel, had said the charges were politically motivated.

A federal prosecutor who met Saab says in the documentary that the businessman later admitted that he paid bribes to Venezuelan government officials in connection with the lucrative food contracts.

This is a story of corruption, of kleptocracy, on a scale the world has not seen, Marshall Billingslea, a former U.S. Treasury official who helped build the case against Saab, told FRONTLINE, The things [Saab] was doing on behalf of Maduro were unconscionable.

However, in December 2023, Saab was freed in a prisoner swap by the U.S. government in exchange for 10 Americans and several political prisoners.

Parallel to efforts to bring charges against those allegedly involved in the corrupt aid scheme were attempts to file legal charges against the journalists who exposed it.

In 2021, a criminal court in Caracas issued an arrest warrant for Deniz on charges of inciting hate, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The ruling means he will not be able to return home while he faces these charges.

Officials have also denounced the journalists.

Most recently, Venezuelas attorney general alleged in May that Armando Info was part of a media structure that used extortion to wage a dirty war against the government.

We have taken a lot of risks to do this investigation, said Deniz, who had to leave his parents and a brother behind when he fled. The most difficult thing about doing this job is the family. They suffer. It is not easy for them to understand how I continue. But as a journalist I have no choice but to continue.

A Dangerous Assignment: Uncovering Corruption in Maduros Venezuela premieres on Tuesday, May 14, on PBS and on YouTube.
Russia pummeled towns and villages in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region on Monday, days after launching a surprise ground offensive over the border that has forced thousands to evacuate. Russia is becoming more aggressive in the Arctic in and around a remote Norwegian community. Polls closed in India for the fourth phase of its massive general elections on Monday after voters turned out to cast their ballots across several regions. And the release of a new AI model called GPT-4o, capable of realistic voice conversation and able to interact across text and vision is a big step forward in Artificial Intelligence.
Chinas foreign ministry says Russian President Vladimir Putin will make an official visit to China later this week.

The ministry says Putin will arrive in Beijing Thursday for a two-day visit at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. The trip will be Putins first foreign visit since his reelection in March for a fifth term in office, and his second visit to China in six months.

He traveled to Beijing in October to attend a forum on President Xis Belt and Road initiative, which was launched in 2013 to boost trade and investment by improving Chinas transport links with the rest of the world.

Just weeks before Russian troops invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Xi and Putin signed a pledge declaring their no-limits bilateral partnership. Beijing has since become Moscows most reliable economic and diplomatic partner as Western nations have imposed strict economic sanctions in response to the invasion.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday he was appalled by the escalation of military activity in and around the southern Gaza city of Rafah by the Israeli Defense Forces, as nearly 450,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced from the area in the past week.

These developments are further impeding humanitarian access and worsening an already dire situation, his deputy spokesperson, Farhan Haq, told reporters at United Nations headquarters. At the same time, Hamas goes on firing rockets indiscriminately. Civilians must be respected and protected at all times, in Rafah and elsewhere in Gaza.

For the past week, the Israeli military has intensified bombardment and other operations in Rafah while ordering the population to evacuate parts of the city. Israel says it is carrying out a limited operation to destroy the militant infrastructure along Gazas border with Egypt.

Haq said nowhere is safe now in Gaza, and that the U.N. chief reiterates his appeal for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire and the release of all hostages.

He calls for the Rafah crossing to be re-opened immediately and we must have unimpeded humanitarian access throughout Gaza, Haq added.

More than half of Gazas population had been sheltering in Rafah, with many of the Palestinians going there after fleeing the Israel-Hamas war in other parts of Gaza. Haq said the displaced are arriving at sites that lack shelter, latrines and clean water. With key crossing points to Gaza closed, fuel critically low, and aid movement at a near standstill, humanitarian workers cannot alleviate their situation.

As we have said repeatedly, all parties must respect international humanitarian law at all times, Haq noted. This means that civilians must be protected, and their essential needs  including food, shelter, water and health  must be met wherever they are in Gaza and whether they move or stay.

The United States, the United Nations and others have called on Israel to avoid a full-scale offensive in Rafah, warning of a humanitarian disaster there. But Israeli leaders say Rafah is the last stronghold for the Hamas militant group and an offensive is necessary to achieve the goal of eliminating Hamas as a threat in Gaza.

The International Committee of the Red Cross announced Tuesday the opening of a 60-bed field hospital in Rafah. It says the facility will provide emergency surgeries, obstetric and gynecological care, pediatric care, and outpatient services for about 200 people per day. And the U.N. says work continues to restore services at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, which is expected to formally reopen in the coming days.

UN investigating staffers death

On Monday in Gaza, an Indian national working for the U.N.s Department of Safety and Security (DSS) was killed, and another staffer was injured, when their marked U.N. vehicle was hit with fire on the way to the European Hospital of Rafah.

Haq identified the deceased staffer Tuesday as Waibhav Anil Kale. A female Jordanian security officer was also injured and is being treated outside Gaza, he said.

The U.N. has established a fact-finding panel, Haq said. Its very early in the investigation and details of the incident are still being verified with the Israeli Defense Forces.

He said what they know so far indicates that a weapon appears to have impacted the back of their vehicle. He said the U.N. believes it came from Israeli tank fire in the area.

US reaction

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said during a White House news briefing Monday that President Joe Biden's administration did not view the killings of Palestinians in Gaza by Israel in its war with Hamas as a genocide.

"We do not believe what is happening in Gaza is a genocide. We have been firmly on record rejecting that proposition," Sullivan said.

Sullivan said the United States wants to see Hamas defeated, that Palestinians caught in the middle of the war were in "hell," and that a major military operation by Israel in Rafah would be a mistake.

Biden, who is running for reelection this year, has faced heavy criticism from his own supporters domestically for his support of Israel; some of those critics have accused Israel of committing genocide.

The war was triggered by the October 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and led to the capture of about 250 hostages, according to Israeli officials. Israels subsequent counteroffensive in Gaza has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which includes civilians and combatants in its count, but says most of the dead are women and children. Israel says it has killed more than 14,000 militants and around 16,000 civilians.

VOA United Nations correspondent Margaret Besheer contributed to this report. Some material in this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
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As Russia pushed into northern Ukraine this week, the U.S. presidential race between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump remained focused on another foreign policy crisis -- the war in Gaza. As VOAs congressional correspondent, Katherine Gypson, reports, keeping American attention on Ukraine could be difficult.
Three experts have told VOA's Russian Service that the appointment of Andrei Belousov as Russia's defense minister suggests President Vladimir Putin is preparing his country for a protracted war against Ukraine.

Putin reshuffled his government Sunday, tapping Belousov, an economist who had been serving as Russias first deputy prime minister, to replace Sergei Shoigu.

Shoigu, the only Cabinet member replaced by Putin, was appointed secretary of Russias Security Council, a powerful Kremlin advisory body, replacing Nikolai Patrushev, a longtime Putin associate.

Like the president, Patrushev previously headed the Federal Security Service, the successor agency to the Soviet KGB.

The entire Cabinet resigned following Putins May 7 inauguration for a fifth presidential term.

The Federation Council, the upper house of Russias parliament, must approve Putins choice of Belousov, a move that's all but certain.

Speculation about Shoigu

Richard Weitz, a senior fellow and director of the Center for Political-Military Analysis at the Hudson Institute, noted that there had been speculation for some time that Shoigu, who served as defense minister for 12 years, was slated for removal from that post.

There had been some concerns about the pace of military reform under him, and then the poor performance of the Russian military in the first few months of the war in Ukraine. And last year's rebellion by [Yevgeny] Prigozhin and the Wagner Group was directed primarily at Shoigu and [Valery] Gerasimov, the chief military officer, Weitz told VOA.

Weitz said he thought Putin had decided that the Russian military was performing well for the current phase of the conflict, "but it's clear the war is going to last several years. He apparently wants to bring in someone who knows more about economics. That makes sense  if it's going to be a long war, you're going to mobilize sufficient resources to sustain that.

Mykola Sunhurovskyi, director of military programs at the Razumkov Center, a Kyiv think tank, said that a recent scandal involving Shoigus deputy, Timur Ivanov, who was accused of receiving a $12 million bribe, may have played a role in Shoigus removal. But he agreed that the move was mainly connected to Putins prediction that the war with Ukraine will be long and his corresponding call to put Russias economy on a wartime footing.

Shoigu is basically not capable of this. He is not a military man. He is not an economist. He is not an industrialist, Sunhurovskyi told VOA. But Mr. Belousov is a man who has worked for a long time in the economic bloc of Russia. He has roots in the Central Economic and Mathematical Institute, which at one time was a leading institution that formed new standards for the Russian economy since the mid-70s. He worked there sometime in the mid-80s in senior positions ... [and] was Putin's assistant at one time.

Likewise, Ukrainian military analyst Alexei Getman told VOA that the move to replace Shoigu was made because Russia is preparing for a long war and thus needed a new defense minister who could organize the countrys economy accordingly.

Still, Getman said, Shoigus removal should not necessarily be seen as a demotion or punishment.

After all, he was not sent to a well-deserved rest or to prison, as is often the case in Russia, he said. He became secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation instead of Patrushev.

This story originated in VOAs Russian Service.
Elections for the new European Parliament will be held from June 6 to 9, depending on the member state. Parliamentarians will have very limited power: they will vote on laws drafted by the Commission. Since its creation, the Commission has been NATOs conveyor belt through the European institutions. It relies on both the Council of Heads of State and Government and the European employers association (BusinessEurope). Parliamentarians also have the power to pass resolutions by a simple majority, without anyone reading or acting on them. As the current majority is Atlanticist, all these opinions echo the logorrhea of Nato propaganda.

Traditionally, these elections are used as a way of venting their anger in the various member states. Executives therefore fear them and encourage a proliferation of alternative lists in their competitors territories. In France, where legislation on campaign financing is highly restrictive, the money that the United States and the Elysee Palace inject into these campaigns comes primarily from foreign (generally African) states and from the candidates printers. This strategy has led to an impressive multiplication of lists: already 21 in France and 35 in Germany!

Although elections are always by list, each state has its own voting system. In most cases, these are blocked lists, as in Germany and France. In some others, transferable lists are used: each post to be filled is elected one by one (which diminishes the role of the parties while retaining the proportional aspect), as in Ireland and Malta. In other cases, voters can change the order of the list they choose, as in Sweden and Belgium. Or, as in Luxembourg, they can choose candidates from different lists. Each of these voting systems has its advantages and disadvantages, but each does not measure the same thing.

The Treaties provided for European parties, but to date there are none; a sign that there is no European people.

National parties are therefore invited to come together in European party alliances, which can nominate their candidate for the presidency of the European Commission. From now on, the European Council of Heads of State and Government will choose the candidate from among them. This method of indirect election was introduced in 2014. In practice, the largest coalition was identified in advance. Jean-Claude Juncker, then Ursula von der Leyen, were thus designated before their coalition won a relative majority.

If Mario Draghi were to win the Commission, the leading coalition would have to change its mind at the last minute. They would have reappointed Ursula von der Leyen, but once they had seen the Draghi report on the competitiveness of European companies, they would have chosen him. This manipulation would make it possible to abruptly change the topics of discussion: during the elections, we talk about the von der Leyen administrations record, then suddenly about the federalization of the European Union to the detriment of the member states.

This is a subject that voters dont understand at all. They may think that "Union is strength", but not what the disappearance of the member states would mean for them. The Union is already not at all a democratic organization, and the State-Europe would be even less so.

Even if Mario Draghi is unable to appear, the central, yet hidden, question is: "Should the people of the European Union form a single state or not, even though to date they have not formed a single people? In other words, will they accept decisions being imposed on them by a majority of "regions" (we should no longer speak of member states) to which they do not belong?

German Chancellor Adolf Hitler explicitly raised this issue in 1939. His intention was to create a Greater Germany, made up of all German-speaking peoples, at the center of a constellation of small European states, each founded around a specific ethnic group. After the fall of the Reich in 1946, the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, wanted to see the formation of a United States of Europe, in which his country would have no part [1]. For the "Empire on which the sun never set", this meant being able to deal with a single interlocutor who could not compete with it. This project was never realized either, this time in favour of a "common market". Its to this that we now return.

In economic terms, the Union is moving towards labour specialization: for example, Germany will specialize in automobiles, France in luxury goods and Poland in agricultural products. But what will happen to the German and French farmers who will be sacrificed, or the Polish carmakers that will also be sacrificed?

When it comes to foreign policy and defense, the Union is already taking an Atlanticist line. In other words, it defends the same positions as Washington and London. But this line would be imposed on everyone, including Hungarians who refuse to become anti-Russian or Spaniards who refuse to support Israeli genocidaires. According to the Treaties, NATO is responsible for the Unions defense. U.S. President Donald Trump demanded that this defense should cost the United States nothing, and that Europeans should therefore increase their military budgets to 2% of their GDP. To date, only 8 out of 27 states have done so. If the EU were to become a single state, Washingtons wish would become an obligation for all. For some states, such as Italy, Spain and Luxembourg, this would mean a sudden drain on their social programs. The populations concerned are unlikely to appreciate this.

In addition, there is the particular case of France, which has a seat on the United Nations Security Council and the atomic bomb. It should put these assets at the service of the single state, at the risk of the majority of the European Council using them against French opinions. Here again, the populations concerned - the French in this case - would not accept this.

Incidentally, the State of Europe (which has nothing to do with the much larger continent of Europe) would be an Empire, despite the fact that part of its territory (Northern Cyprus) has been occupied by Turkey since 1974, and its happy with that.

None of these problems is new. It was because of them that certain politicians, including General Charles De Gaule, accepted the "common market" and rejected "federal Europe". Today, they are back at the center of the concerns of Europes Atlanticist leaders, but not of their peoples. Thats why theyll be doing their utmost to conceal them during these elections. Its the central issue, but its the one that makes people angry.

Added to these political problems is an organizational one. The industrial age has given way to that of computers and artificial intelligence. The vertical organizations of the early 20th century, whether in economics or politics, have given way to horizontal, networked ones.

The vertical model of the European State is therefore out-dated before it has even seen the light of day. In fact, anyone familiar with it has already perceived the emptiness of this enormous administrative machine, which ultimately only serves to slow down the growth it was intended to stimulate. The Union is now far behind China, Russia and the United States. The federal project will not only fail to revive the Union, it will set it back behind the emerging powers.

One might think that the advocates of the European state would have an interest in attracting broad participation in order to legitimize their project. But this would not be the case, since the federal project is not being discussed during this campaign; its being reserved for the next day with Mario Draghi. So theyre doing everything in their power to emphasize that the institution holds elections (which would be enough to make them democratic) and make sure that as few people as possible get involved. Turnout across the EU may not reach half the electorate.
The United Nations General Assembly adopted by 143 votes in favor to 9 against (Argentina, Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea and the United States) and 25 abstentions a resolution [1], calling on the Security Council to revise its position on the full membership of Palestine.

The resolution provides for the following additional rights: the right to sit among the Member States in alphabetical order; the right to table proposals and amendments, to submit and to co-author them; the right to raise points of order; and the right of reply to the proposals made by a group. However, Palestine still does not have the right to vote in the General Assembly nor the right to present its candidature to UN bodies.

The permanent representative of Israel declared that voting for this text amounts to promoting the creation of a terrorist state led by the Hitler of our time. In his eyes, this destructive vote ushers in the collaborators of the Israeli babies burned on October 7. This unforgivable act signifies the destruction of the United Nations Charter. Putting his words into action, he reached for a mini document shredder and symbolically reduced the UN founding treaty to confetti.

The Russian Federation, supportive of the text, denounced the United States delegations veto against the draft resolution submitted to the Security Council on April 18 in favor of Palestines admission as a full UN Member. Russia stressed that the United States is behaving like "the policeman of the world."

The United States justified its rejection of the present text on the grounds that unilateral measures at the UN and on the ground would not advance the goal of a two-state solution." However, they assured that this negative vote does not reflect their position regarding a Palestinian state, the establishment of which they approve of.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has ruled that Israel has not demonstrated that it deserves its status as a member state, given the genocide it is carrying out in Gaza. It also noted that todays vote points to "the isolation of the United States."

The Syrian Arab Republic denounced the spectacle that Israel made of itself during the proceedings.

Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Latvia, Finland, Italy, Romania, the United Kingdom and Switzerland explained their abstention by considering the admission of Palestine as a Member State to be premature.

France has declared itself resolutely in favor of the admission of the State of Palestine as a new member of the UN. She also insisted on the urgency for a comprehensive political settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, based on the two-state solution.
Photo: Alamy Stock Photo

Alice Munro, the Canadian writer renowned for her contributions to the contemporary short story, has died at age 92. Munro died at her Ontario home on May 13, her family confirmed to the Globe and Mail. She won many esteemed literary awards, including the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013 and the Man Booker International Prize for her lifetime body of work in 2009. Three of her short-story collections  1968s Dance of the Happy Shades, 1978s Who Do You Think You Are?, and 1986s The Progress of Love  were awarded the Governor Generals Literary Award for fiction, a prestigious Canadian accolade. Her writing was known for capturing the complex lives of everyday women and men and innovating upon the short-story structure by manipulating time in unexpected ways.

Munro was born Alice Ann Laidlaw in 1931 in southwestern Ontario, where many of her stories are set. She studied English and journalism at the University of Western Ontario for two years, then married fellow student James Munro. The couple, who remained together from 1951 to 1972, opened Munros Books, a bookstore that is still in operation. She published her first short-story collection, Dance of the Happy Shades, at age 37 in 1968. Over the course of her career, Munro wrote over 160 stories that were published in collections or compilations. Her sole novel, The Lives of Girls and Women, has been described by some as a short-story cycle. Munros writing has inspired several film adaptations, including Pedro Almodovars 2016 film Julieta, which draws from her 2004 collection Runaway. Other movies based on her work include Edge of Madness, Away From Her, and Hateship, Loveship.

Dear Life, published in 2012, was Munros last story collection. Prior to receiving the Nobel Prize in 2013, she had already announced her intent to retire. After learning of her win, Munro spoke with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation about the potential implications of the news. I would really hope this would make people see the short story as an important art, she reportedly said, not just something you played around with until you got a novel.
Livingston Allen. Photo: Earl Gibson III/Getty Images

DJ Akademiks, a hip-hop pundit known for spreading misinformation and making sexist comments, has been sued for rape. Rolling Stone reports that Fauziya Abashe filed a suit against Akademiks (born Livingston Allen), over two 2022 incidents. Abashe dated Akademiks during 2021, but the alleged incidents occurred over nearly a year after their split. Abashe said she was invited to Akademikss house in New Jersey where she claims two men drugged, assaulted, and raped her on his pool deck. Early the next morning, she claims she awoke to Akademiks brutally raping her. Akademiks did not reply to Rolling Stone about the suit. Abashe additionally claims in the suit that Akademiks later showed her surveillance footage of the two men raping her, and she included text messages from Akademiks afterward saying that she should get tested and he would too. She also claims Akademiks later admitted to having sex with her during a wire call.

Abashe said she first took her claims to police but decided not to press charges. She ultimately filed the case after Akademiks mentioned the incident in a video on December 23, 2023, saying Abashe was getting trained by my two mens on the pool deck while he was asleep. Abashe is claiming Akademiks defamed her, both by saying she participated voluntarily and by maintaining he never participated at all. Abashes lawyer, Tyrone Blackburn, told Rolling Stone they only filed suit after several unsuccessful attempts to privately resolve this case.

The lawsuit comes as Akademiks has been a key supporter of Drake in his beef with Kendrick Lamar. Akademiks caught a stray diss on Lamars 6:16 in LA and has gone on to insist Lamar is lying about Drake being a pedophile on songs like Not Like Us. Akademiks was previously known for supporting Tory Lanez during his trial for shooting Megan Thee Stallion and spreading misinformation. Of her lawsuit, Abashe told Rolling Stone, Im confident that justice will prevail, and the veil will be removed so no other woman will have to endure what I did.
Director, to you. Photo: MEGA/GC Images

In a May 14 piece in The Guardian, Francis Ford Coppola was accused of inappropriate behavior on the set of Megalopolis. Below, heres what we know, including the initial allegations and new footage of Coppola trying to kiss multiple Megalopolis extras.

Old school behavior

May 14, 2024: Francis Ford Coppola has been accused of engaging in old school behavior toward women on the set of his upcoming film about the future, Megalopolis, in a May 14 piece in The Guardian. The story chronicles the 40-year process of getting Megalopolis made and the chaotic process of its filming, during which half the art department left or was fired. Coppola, 85, allegedly pulled women onto his lap and, during a two-day-long filming sequence set in a nightclub, allegedly tried to kiss female extras who were in states of undress to get them in the mood. Executive co-producer of Megalopolis Darren Demetre told The Guardian Coppola gave the extras kind hugs and kisses on the cheek. It was his way to help inspire and establish the club atmosphere, which was so important to the film, he added. I was never aware of any complaints of harassment or ill behaviour during the course of the project.

Megalopolis, a sci-fi dystopian film starring Adam Driver as an architect with the power to freeze time, is a Coppola passion project of the nth degree. He sold part of his vineyard to finance it, and it has made distributors famously antsy, with one saying after a screening that anybody who puts P&A behind it, youre going to lose money. The film is scheduled to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 17, where it is playing in competition. After 40 years, will the chaos behind the scenes lead to brilliance or more mess?

Im too shy

June 8, 2024: Francis Ford Coppola has, in a roundabout way, denied inappropriate behavior toward women on the Megalopolis set. Per the New York Times when asked about The Guardians May 14 report, Coppola gave a rambling response that led with his mother, Italia. My mother told me that if you make an advance toward a woman, it means you disrespect her, and the girls I had crushes on, I certainly didnt disrespect them, he said. The Guardians piece included allegations that the director had tried to kiss extras. According to the Times piece, which was published on June 6, Coppola added that there was a photo of one of the girls he kissed on the cheek that had been taken by her father. In reference to this unnamed person, the director said, I knew her when she was 9. He added, Im not touchy-feely. Im too shy.

Video surfaces

July 26, 2024: Variety obtained footage of Coppola trying to kiss multiple Megalopolis extras on the set of his overstuffed passion project. The two videos were taken by a crew member while filming a nightclub scene with around 150 to 200 people assembled. Sources told the outlet that Coppola appeared to act with impunity on set, even when shooting vulnerable scenes that involved half-dressed extras. According to Variety, the videos were taken on February 14, 2023, while filming scenes with extras cleared for either topless nudity or scantily clad. A source said Coppolas behavior was uncommon, which included leaping to hug and kiss the half-dressed women while ruining takes. At one point, the director got a microphone to make an announcement. Sorry, if I come up to you and kiss you, he allegedly said in earshot of the cast and crew after multiple takes. Just know its solely for my pleasure.

Mariela Comitini, the films first assistant director, called the film a professional environment in a statement, but a source disputed that account. Because Coppola funded it, there was no HR department to keep things in check, the source said. Who were they supposed to talk to? Complain to Coppola and report Coppola to himself?

This post has been updated.
About Frances fledgling Me Too movement, a seasonal-workers strike, and the horrific conditions in Gaza. Photo: Stephane Cardinale/Corbis via Getty Images

The 77th annual Cannes Film Festival kicked off today in a decidedly tense environment, one where freelance festival workers are verging on strike, artists globally are under increasing pressure to speak about the horrific conditions in Gaza, and rumors abound about the impending release of an explosive list of ten men in the French film industry who have been abusive to women. The lists release comes on the heels of Gerard Depardieus arrest for allegedly assaulting two women on two different film sets and may or may not precede the May 15 screening of a short film called Moi Aussi, a last-minute addition to the festival directed by French actor Judith Godreche and featuring the personal testimony of women in the industry who have been victims of sexual abuse. At the opening press conference, many of the questions directed at jury president Greta Gerwig focused on Frances fledgling Me Too movement, which has long trailed behind Hollywoods  just last week, legislators opened a government inquiry into sexual and gender-based violence across the countrys performing arts and fashion industries, years after actors like Adele Haenel and Godreche accused French directors of assault.

Gerwig replied diplomatically and carefully throughout the press conference. Asked about the stormy moment the country is having with regard to Me Too, and whether it might affect the festival, Gerwig replied, I think people in the community of movies telling their stories and trying to change things for the better is only good. I have seen substantive change in the American film community and I think its important that we continue to expand that conversation. I think its only moving everything in the correct direction to keep those lines of communication open.

Spanish writer-director J.A. Bayona chimed in, vaguely: I would like to say its not an issue that affects the cinema in particular. Its much more widespread and were really here to focus on the films.

Chaz Ebert, Roger Eberts widow and the host of his namesake film festival, pushed the issue further, asking about the relationship between the Cannes and global politics more generally. Yesterday, [festival director] Thierry Fremaux said we concentrate too much on controversies rather than cinema. But with everything happening, isnt it also fair to consider the controversies in the world when youre judging in the Palme dOr?

One thing we spoke about last night as a jury with Thierry is the marvelous thing about cinema is that its a slow art form, replied Gerwig. It can often take years for a movie from the inception to when you see it  And in itself its a durational art film. In that space, artists from all over the world get to say something extremely specific and personal, from their points of view. I think just the very act of watching and engaging with cinema seriously is part of the discussion of whats difficult. Every actor and filmmaker up here has brought that to bear on the movies they make. I think if youre truly engaging with it, youre engaging with everything, and youre engaging with a thoughtful version of it thats considered and has grown over time. So I think it certainly is important to consider it. And the very nature of Cannes does consider it.

Another journalist asked about whether Gerwig and French actor/producer Omar Sy were surprised that Frances Me Too movement was taking so long and meeting more resistance than Hollywoods. I cant speak to the way the timelines work with movements like this, said Gerwig. But I can say its evolving all the time. Its not something that is a destination we all reach together. Its something we keep discussing and figuring out how we want our industry and cinema to be. She noted the concrete changes that have happened in Hollywood, specifically the increased presence of intimacy coordinators on sets: That was something that, when I was starting out, didnt happen at all. And now its being built into films. I think of it the exact same way as I think of a stunt or fight coordinator. This is an art, and its part of building a safe environment, just as you would if you had two people fight with swords. You dont just see what happens. That would be terrifying.

Sy had a different take: We talked about things happening later in France, but I dont know whether were late. People are speaking out and talking about this and I am not under the impression that were approaching the topic late.

Gerwig, whos the first female director jury president since Jane Campion a decade ago, was also asked about why there werent more women directors selected to screen films in this years festival. In my lifetime of making movies its changed and its gotten better and there are more [female directors], and its not done yet, said Gerwig. But its certainly moving in the right direction. Every year I cheer when there are more and more women being represented. I think its about the long arc  15 years ago, I couldnt imagine the number of women that were represented not only in international festivals but in distribution and awards conversations. Im hopeful that its just continuing.

The war was only touched upon briefly  a question about how its hard not to confront whats happening in Gaza was answered by Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino, who replied broadly, Movies can talk to people and hopefully to the better part of people. This is why I wanted to be an actor. This is why I decided I could be here without feeling guilty as a human being. Because I think were showing the possibility that if we look for beauty, then we might look for peace, and we might look for the good things in life, or what I consider personally the good things in life. But I am quite sure that at this table are people who share my same feelings.

Gerwig was also pointedly asked about the strike in France  Do you have a message for those workers and their potential efforts?  and she acknowledged that, having recently struck in her own union of SAG, she certainly supports labor movements, and added, I hope the festival and the workers can form an agreement that is good for them and supports them and supports the festival because it is very important that people have protections and a living wage.
Photo: Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images

Kevin Spaceys not-guilty verdicts in both his U.S. and U.K. sexual-misconduct cases felt truly devastating and like being punched in the face to the men who are featured in Spacey Unmasked. Even though it absolves him of having committed a crime in those cases, I know that his behavior is not morally or ethically acceptable, one interviewee said. Now streaming on Max, the two-part Channel 4 documentary acquired by ID tracks the rise and fall of Spaceys career through the lens of his identity as a previously closeted gay man. Spacey came out after he was first publicly accused of assault during the Me Too movement in 2017, when Anthony Rapp alleged to BuzzFeed that Spacey had sexually assaulted him when he was 14. This prompted a wave of other accusations, which he denied.

With the help of some in-character videos as Frank Underwood, Spacey has been slowly attempting to make a comeback. Just last week, director Paul Schrader mentioned Spaceys name while discussing a potential Frank Sinatra film. But this documentary isnt letting people forget the allegations against him. It features nine new testimonies that include accusations against Spacey (all of those who came forward were identified by first name only with the exception of actor Travis Aaron Wade). Heres what to know about Spacey Unmasked, including Spaceys response.

What allegations appear in Spacey Unmasked?

The documentary includes new allegations of harassment and misconduct that span five decades, from the actors teenage years to his time on the House of Cards set. A high-school peer, Greg, gave Spacey a ride to a drama-club party when he was 16 or 17 and Spacey was about to graduate. While Greg was driving, Spacey allegedly reached over to grab his genitals in an aggressive manner. Andy, who worked at the Public Theatre in New York in 1981, said Spacey was around often because he was performing Shakespeare in Central Park. Spacey allegedly once came into the office with a full-scale erection in his pants, pulled him onto a desk, and pressed against him. If he could do that to me back when he had no power, whats he gonna do with that now? Andy recalls thinking as Spacey got more famous. Whats he gonna do with that anger?

Several interviewees say they thought Spacey wanted to be their friend or mentor and were initially excited about the industry parties or platonic meet-ups that allegedly led to unwanted advances. Scott, a former Marine and aspiring actor who did postproduction work on Saving Private Ryan, alleges that Spacey invited him to a party where he put him in a bear grip and humped him. They later saw Saving Private Ryan in a movie theater, where Spacey allegedly started masturbating during gory footage of the invasion of Normandy  then grabbed Scotts hand to try to get him to help. He claimed that Spacey told him during a later encounter that you have to pay the toll of sexual favors to achieve a certain level of fame in Hollywood. Scott is one of several straight men, including Travis Aaron Wade, who suggest that Spacey was not deterred when they shared their sexuality or even seemed to like the challenge of trying to flip them. Allegedly, in a hotel encounter, Spacey put his arm against the door and locked it before Wade kissed him and was able to leave.

Other allegations in the documentary are tied to Spaceys tenure as the artistic director of Londons Old Vic. Ruari, who performed in a 2013 show at Londons Old Vic during Spaceys tenure, alleges that Spacey put his left hand down by my bum, and he stuck his middle finger as far up me as possible during a press-night after-party at the Savoy Hotel. According to Ruari, Spacey immediately moved on to pose for photographers. Tim, who participated in Old Vics New Voices program for young talent ages 18 to 26, said he thought he felt Spaceys penis on his leg when Spacey allegedly held him with both arms and pressed his body up against his during a workshop. Danny, who worked at the Old Vic from 2007 to 2008, alleges that Spacey pushed his groin on my face during a performance for families with children. While Spacey was creative director at the U.K. theater, he also traveled to the U.S. to give master classes. Seth, who met Spacey at one such workshop as a fourth-year Juilliard student, alleges that Spacey later made an unwanted sexual advance on him, whispering in his ear and touching his inner thigh while they watched a performance in a theater.

Finally, Spacey allegedly engaged in misconduct on the set of House of Cards. Daniel, who worked as an extra on the show from 2013 to 2017, played a small role where he interacted with Spaceys character. Daniel alleges that Spacey groped him when he was 23, touching his penis through his pants. Another background actor recalls calling the union on Daniels behalf after witnessing him trying to hide from Spacey at one point. Daniel said he doesnt see his alleged experience with Spacey as criminal but as disgusting behavior from a professional on set. Meanwhile, Evelyn, who worked as a crew member on the show from 2012 to 2015, recalled seeing Spacey engaging in grabby flirtatiousness and getting uncomfortably close to background actors. She alleges that Spacey was fixed on one crew member to the point that their boss moved them off set, and it was implied that Spacey had female production assistants due to his bad behavior with men. (In the documentary, production company MRC said in a statement that it took immediate action when made aware of a remark and gesture by Spacey in 2012, while Netflix said it was unaware of any on-set incidents with him until CNNs 2017 report.)

Who else appears in the documentary?

Randall Fowler, Kevins older brother, alleges that their father was a Holocaust denier who not only physically beat him but also raped him for years starting when he was around 13 or 14. Randall said he threatened his father so that he would never lay a hand on Kevin but thinks his younger brother still had a difficult childhood growing up in their violent home. According to Randall, acting was a way for Kevin to escape where he came from. The pair have been estranged for decades.

What has Kevin Spacey said about Spacey Unmasked?

The documentary, which notes that Spacey said he had not been given enough time and information to respond to the documentarys testimonies, includes the following statement from him: I have consistently denied  and now successfully defended  numerous allegations made both in the US and UK, both criminal and civil, and each time have been able to source evidence undermining the allegations and have been believed by a jury of my peers.

Before the release of Spacey Unmasked, Spacey gave a lengthy interview acknowledging that he has been promiscuous, flirty, annoying at times, and definitely persistent  but denying that he ever engaged in any illegal behavior. He specifically claimed he has never locked a door or physically blocked anyone from leaving a room or promised to advance anyones career in exchange for sexual favors. I take full responsibility for my past behavior and my actions, he said. But I cannot and will not take responsibility or apologize to anyone whos made up stuff about me or exaggerated stories about me.

Elsewhere during the interview, he said his decision to come out as gay after a wave of assault and harassment allegations was terribly timed and that he had initially planned to share his sexuality if he won an Emmy for House of Cards.

How do I watch?

Spacey Unmasked premiered in the U.S. on Investigation Discovery at 9 p.m. ET on May 13, and is now streaming on Max.
A few days in Dublin recently provided the opportunity to wander around that city. The level of new development is quite extraordinary, even allowing for the many office blocks which appear to be empty or carry To Let signage. It is our capital city after all and such investment is expected given the resilience of the Irish economy.

But, it felt like I was in a different country. A trip to the new National Childrens Hospital was a pilgrimage to see monstrous excess made flesh. A journey to Belfield to UCD and to Finglas to see DCU was an exercise in self-mortification. The trip to Maynooth was a voyage to see the might have been.

WIT was twice as big as Maynooth in 1998 when that seminary was turned into a new university over the course of a weekend by FFs Charlie McCreevy (when I has it, I spends it!) and his pals. Now it is a landscape of glass and stainless steel on a huge campus with twice as many students as WIT/SETU.

There are many Waterford students at Maynooth, just as there are at UCC and UL.

What do the parents of those Waterford children think when they arrive at those campuses to see what a university coupled with real investment looks like?

Do they think to themselves, this is something that Waterford is not entitled to? A journey to Elm Park to see St Vincents Hospital is an expedition to a different word of health expenditure. Millions piled upon millions, upon millions while UHW scratches for crumbs to develop the Model 4 hospital that this region needs. Does the HSE have a plan for Model 4 hospitals? Are we included?

During the nine months in 2023 when the UHW Emergency Department was graced with a tent posing as a triage centre, it was referred to as MASH by UHW staff.

Minister Mary Butler, a Waterford TD at the Dept. of Health allowed this to exist until FF head office heard it was called the FF Tent and had it replaced. Why did she accept refugee standard provision for her own constituency?

Have we lost the capacity to wonder why things are the way they are, or accepted that places like Galway can have a different scale of investment in acute healthcare and third level education, which determine future urban prosperity, than us?

How can Waterford FG rationalize the failure to deliver to Waterford other than the 4m purchase of the brownfield Glass site?

Maybe our young men dream dreams and believe they have the key to the future, while those of us who have seen the past know that political party promises tend to suck! Just ask former Labour party leader Pat Rabbitte Isnt that what you do during an election? Of course he recanted subsequently (dont they all?) by saying he was taken out of context.

How have long term promises by Fine Gael, carried through three electoral cycles since 2008, ended up with the name Waterford excised from the lexicon of third level education and WIT now an anonymous part of an unfunded journey into the future.

Here we are, a couple of weeks away from the 15th anniversary of a new engineering building at WIT/SETU, promised in Aug 2009, while a 2.9m site prepared for it, is covered in weeds. Simon Harris as Minister for Health gave the go ahead for a second cath lab in Sept 2018. It arrived five years later.

He gave Waterford nothing in health. He gave Waterford nothing in third level education. Does anyone think that he will have an epiphany as Taoiseach and give us something now?

With the weeks winding down to the Dail recess on Friday the 11th July and the possibility of an Autumn election looming large? You may not know or care, but at least ask yourself why? Do different rules apply here?

The promise virus is catching. SFs Mary Lou McDonald succumbed to the disease on her recent pre-election tour. When asked would Sinn Fein (if elected) provide 24/7 cardiology at UHW, her answer was of course yes, but without any when.

Its a wonder she did not say, subject to a review or to the outcome of the Nolan Report on Cardiology. People in Waterford are so jaundiced with this carry on that they believe no one.

Once bitten, or in our case, twenty times bitten etc. Maybe Sinn Fein would be different in power, but what evidence has there been of that? Bland statements about the performance of our new university and about balanced regional development are the stuff of election campaigns.

In acute healthcare, third level education FDI jobs, all the party leaders say that Waterford needs more investment, but where is it? SF TD David Cullinane can give chapter and verse on every aspect of Limerick University Hospital, but has gone mute for the past couple of years on UHW and the wider Waterford economy.

SETU is a good thing despite its salami-like spread, lack of investment and loss of Waterford leadership. The 20,000 first preference votes will be a difficult ask this time out.

As with all political parties in the southeast, SF follows the well-trodden path that nothing can be said which might undermine a quest for seats across the region, or give the appearance of supporting Waterford as the regional centre.

Our airport is being dragged through the mud by Eamonn Ryan. His local TD Marc OCathasaigh, the Green Party whip, has been so silent on Waterford issues as to prompt questions about his desire to continue as a TD.

His boss seems intent on denying us a strategic regional investment which should be seen as a subtraction from the gigantic Dublin money suction machine rather than an expansion of air transport.

Every submission is met with a request for further information or a list of queries. All delay is our fault while officials and Minister Ryan, who increasingly looks like the bully who stamps on the small guy, cause endless delay and obfuscation and bow the knee to the powerful.

I just get the feeling that all the political parties think they can ignore us. They think its all over! Lets wait and see.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size When the Tuareg guitarist Mdou Moctar enters the screens frame for our interview, he gazes fondly at the small glass of green tea hes holding. We cook it, like, three times. I didnt like the first, its so strong for me. I prefer number two and number three, say Moctar of a Tuareg tea services successive steepings. Its so sweet, I love sugar. In March last year at Victorias Golden Plains festival, the hand delicately holding that tea glass was a fist thrust skyward as Moctar mounted a stage monitor. The frenzied crowd responded in kind. It was as though Moctars howling guitar and the rhythm sections escalating pace had supercharged the air with a delirious vibrational force. Its traditional music from my hometown Berber [music from] the desert. [At] the same time, we push it to what you call rock. I didnt know what you call rock. Michael, my bass player, tells me this sounds like rock. For me, its just played very fast, say Moctar. Moctar and band  rhythm guitarist Ahmoudou Madassane, drummer Souleymane Ibrahim and bassist Mikey Coltun; the band is named after its frontman but considers itself an egalitarian unit  have just released their seventh album. Titled Funeral for Justice, the albums a blistering screed of political protest and mournful desert poetry cementing them in the upper echelons of guitar-based heavy music. Following the albums recording during the bands 2023 North American tour, a military coup erupted in its home country, Niger, stranding them stateside. The bands Funeral for Justice was recorded during their US tour after a military coup erupted in their home country, Niger. It was so scary but in the end we adapted. I flew home after two months. We had to help the poor, because [there was] no work in that time and the food was very expensive. One house has, like, nine kids. Its crazy to survive [like] that, says Moctar of the situation he found in Tchintabaraden, a town in the Azawagh region, a dry basin of semi-arid and desert flatlands that sprawls across western Niger, northeastern Mali and southern Algeria, inhabited by the semi-nomadic Tuareg. On the namesake Funeral for Justice cut Tchinta, Moctar sings lovingly of his hometowns landscape in the Tuareg Tamasheq language, translated as:

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Ive roamed the globe for many years

Yet, Chintas splendour remains unmatched

Ascending the majestic crest of Chinayfed dune

Nostalgia for my land engulfs my soul Moctar sings in Tamasheq as an act of preservation. Niger has 11 national languages and yet its official language is French, a hangover from colonisation. Moctar is worried young people are losing their native tongue and ability to write in Tamasheqs distinctive Tifinagh script. The young generation think learning the French language is better than learning Tifinagh. If you learn French, you [can get a] degree or masters. If you read just Tifinagh, you cant get a job in our country, says the 39-year-old Moctar, clearly distressed. To see someone [who is] 20 years old write you something in Tifinagh? Impossible. If no one can write Tifinagh in the future, even our language is gonna go away. As well as using proceeds from his music to fund new wells in and around Tchintabaraden, Moctar hopes to fund educational initiatives to preserve the language and script. Mdou Moctar plays an extension of assouf, a style of Tuareg guitar music pioneered since the 1970s by the band Tinariwen, that they tear into hard and fast. Loosely translated, assouf means loss, longing or homesickness. That translation has led some in the Western press to dub it desert blues, a lazy descriptor reeking of colonial hierarchy. Assouf is characterised by its deep emotional resonance and is a vehicle for exposing the brutal shadow of French colonisation. France ended its formal governance of the region in the middle of last century (troops and influence remained), leaving the Tuareg split across Algeria, Libya, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. Rebellions have been unsuccessful in establishing a Tuareg nation state. The Tuareg doesnt care about the borders we feel we are brothers. Its difficult, the politics and the governments try to divide us, but we still push ourselves and push the younger generations to understand what is going on, says Moctar.

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We understand that we dont have the power to break all those borders, but we have the power to keep our [friendship] in our heart, share our feeling between us and try to make our community stronger than before. Moctar famously built his first guitar using bicycle brake cables for strings, as did Tinariwens founder Ibrahim Ag Alhabib in the 70s. Tinariwens music spread through north-west Africa via bootlegged cassette tapes, and in Moctars case heavily compressed MP3s, first shared throughout the internet-sparse region phone-to-phone over Bluetooth, then via Whatsapp in the 2010s. Sonically, Moctars music departs from Tinariwens hypnotic expression of assouf. One of his early Bluetooth hits, Tahoultine, uses drum machines and vocal processing software (YouTube commenters lacking a reference point compare it to Kanye West and hyperpop duo 100 Gecs). But now, signed to US indie label Matador (which released their breakthrough album Afrique Victime in 2021), Mdou Moctar make a rapturous maelstrom of guitar, bass and drums. The music speaks directly to a moment in which colonial powers react with either support, complicity or indifference to the worlds atrocities: the invasion of Ukraine, genocide in Gaza, famine in Yemen, or precious-mineral conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Take the Funeral for Justice closer Modern Slaves: Oh world, why be so selective about human beings?

My people are crying while you laugh

All you do is watch

Oh world, why be so selective about countries?

Yours are well-built while ours are being destroyed. Following Nigers July 2023 coup, France withdrew its last 1500 troops from the country, at the juntas request in December. The United States is preparing to do the same. Russia is occupying the vacuum, moving east from Mali, where its mercenary Wagner Group (renamed the Africa Corps in late 2023) has established a foothold. Early on the morning of the albums release, Russian troops entered Airbase 101, a facility currently hosting US troops who are now in perilously close proximity.

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I feel the world is manipulated by all leaders, not just African leaders. They write for their community what they want them to know They dont want them to see the truth and thats not justice, says an impassioned Moctar. Loading If one baby dies in America, or in Europe, or in Asia, youre gonna see it in the papers, see it on Facebook, Instagram, everywhere. Imagine how many kids die in Palestine? How many kids are dying in Sudan? How many kids are dying in Libya? How many kids are dying in Somalia? Now, is that justice? Its not justice. Moctars outspokenness has resulted in threats from Islamist extremists scandalised by perceived Western influences in his music and from pro-coup actors, a movement Moctar opposes, just as he did French colonialism. His only wish is peace. We have to say that even if its difficult, even if its unsafe for us, he says. All those feelings push us to do this album and give it this strong name: Funeral for Justice. As our interview comes to a close, I wish Moctar enjoyable second and third infusions of tea and he cracks a wide smile. Thank you. Well share it one day, maybe were gonna drink tea together. Mdou Moctars Funeral for Justice is out now.

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Eating outEat and drink Perth New and old, local and global: inside the next chapter at Wines of While A familiar face returns to the influential William Street wine bar while a special guest is coming to Perth to launch the new Sunday lunch. Max Veenhuyzen May 15, 2024 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

When Tom van Beem and Emma Pegrum took over Wines of While in December, regulars could have been forgiven for experiencing pangs of deja vu. After all, van Beem was the opening manager when Wines of Whiles original owner Sam Winfield opened the pioneering natural wine bar and bottle shop in August 2018. This month, the return of another familiar face will likely evoke similar feelings. Emma Pegrum, Branden Scott and Tom van Beem of Wines of While. Supplied Branden Scott began working at Wines of While in early 2020 as a casual baker assisting then-baker Rupert McDonald make the bars terrifically burnished sourdough bread. In 2022, he moved into a co-head chef role alongside Jack Botha (formerly of Londons Brawn and Dorsets River Cottage) where the duo served some of the most compelling farmhouse cooking the city had tasted: things like very good pissaladiere, the Catalan salt cod and vegetable salad esqueixada, grilled fish and other dishes one might expect to find on the tables of the vignerons that the bar championed. Until the end of June, Scott is back on the pans and will pick up where he left off. It all starts with the ingredients, Scott said of his approach to cooking.

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Ill see whats good and then from there, Ill write a menu. I like classic food. I dont like reinventing things if theyre not broken. The menus will follow a similar four-and-four format featuring four small plates and four larger dishes including pastas and grilled things. As it was during the Scott-Botha era, Europe remains a key influence. Highlights from Scotts first menus include vichyssoise (a chilled potato and leek soup), polenta with mushroom and egg, spaghetti dressed with a Meyer lemon cream and bottarga, plus whiting grilled over charcoal. While the menu will change regularly to reflect what Scott can get from farmers and suppliers, most dishes will tick the plays-nice-with-sourdough box. If the bread is good, youre starting on the right food and youre going to have a good meal, said Scott, who has started the in-house breadmaking program again. Listen up Perth: Heres the pizza order to test your makers skill As well as welcoming Scott back into the kitchen, Wines of While is also introducing a three-course Sunday lunch menu. The price of admission is low ($55 per person) and the entire meal will be built around familiar, share-friendly deliciousness.

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We want Sunday to be a nice lunch that people can go out for without breaking the bank, Pegrum said. Its going to be a simple, nourishing communal lunch. There wont be nothing fancy or elaborate. The first of these lunches takes place this Sunday, May 19 with guest chef Nagesh Seethiah from cult Melbourne wine bar Manze heading west to share his spicy, vibrant Mauritian cooking with diners. Bookings for the Sunday lunch deal have been snapped up fast so those wanting to see what the fuss is about need to act fast. Having said that, Seethiah will also be cooking snacks on Saturday (May 18) with food available from 2pm till 9pm. Saturdays event is walk-in only. Wines of While is at 458 William Street, Perth and is open Wednesday to Sunday. winesofwhile.com
But the next day, on March 20, 2020, Lynn went hunting, and when he returned to Bucks Camp, he became aware of a drone flying above him. Lynn had concerns about Hills drone, Dann told the court. Hill, in turn, had concerns about Lynn  Hill thought that hed been hunting too close to where they all were camping. Hill was particularly uneasy about it, the court heard, because a deer hunter had accidentally killed his relative. As this conversation went on after dinnertime, Mr Lynn was accused by Mr Hill of hunting too close to the campsite, Dann told the jury. Mr Hill said he had footage of Mr Lynn hunting too close to the campsite and was going to take the footage to police. According to the defence, Lynn told Hill he was speaking nonsense and walked back to his own campsite nearby.

He had dinner, then went to the car and turned the stereo on up high, with the car door open. He had intended to annoy Hill. Later, about 9pm or 10pm, Dann told the court, Lynn allegedly became aware of some noise around his own car. Then Lynn had seen Hill walking away from the car, the court heard, having taken a magazine of ammunition and his gun. Mr Lynn started to follow Mr Hill ... could see him trying to load the magazine. Mr Lynn asked what he was doing, asked him to give his gun back, and Mr Hill told him to f--- off. Mr Hill lost his temper. The loud music had obviously disturbed him, Dann said.

Mr Hill said he was going to take the gun to the police as well. Dann said Lynn then went towards Hill to get his gun back, when Hill fired the gun into the air, leaving Lynn scared shitless. Defence barrister Dermot Dann, KC. Credit: Wayne Taylor What followed was a struggle for control of the gun ... near the front of Mr Hills car, the barrister said. Dann said it was a chaotic scene, with Clay yelling out: Russell, stop it.

But as the struggle allegedly continued, Dann said, a shot went through the mirror of Hills car and then allegedly struck Clay in the head. Its the defence case Mr Hill let go of the gun, Mr Hill went over to see where Mrs Clay was. Dann said Lynn got his gun back and returned to the car before Hill came towards him with a knife, screaming at him, Shes dead. Then a struggle occurred over the knife. The two men fall to the ground and the knife goes through the chest of Mr Hill. Dann said his client then made a series of terrible choices, fearing his life would be screwed.

He said there was no dispute over the fact his client then moved the bodies using his trailer to Union Spur Track, where he repeatedly returned. In November 2020, Lynn says, he burnt the bodies he had left. He describes burning those bodies, being physically sick. He describes scooping the remains up from the fire ... and depositing the remnants of the fire nearby, Dann said. Dann said it would now be up to the prosecution to dispute Lynns account. The prosecution rejects Lynns version of events and says Hill and Clay were killed with murderous intent.

Russell Hill probably killed first, Carol Clay shot in head: prosecutor Lynn is said to have arrived at the campsite on March 18, 2020, after a Parks Victoria contractor in the valley suggested it was a good spot. Hill set off from his home on March 19, telling his wife, Robyn, that he planned to be gone for at least a week. Clay told friends she was heading out of town for a couple of days and would not be contactable by phone. Hill and Clay then headed off together and were seen in the valley about 3.30pm that day. They set up camp at Bucks Camp near Lynn.

At 6pm Hill radioed his friends to let them know he was at Wonnangatta. He did so again at 8am. Crown prosecutors Daniel Porceddu and Kathryn Hamill arrive at court. Credit: Wayne Taylor Nothing of note was discussed. Later that day, about 5pm, another camper reported seeing Hills drone flying over his campsite. The last radio contact anyone had with Hill was between 6pm and 6.40pm. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary with Mr Hill, Crown prosecutor Daniel Porceddu said.

Its alleged that during the evening of Friday, March 20, 2020, at Bucks Camp, the accused murdered Mr Hill and Mrs Clay. The precise circumstances of the killing are not known. Nor is the motivation. The prosecution alleges that all the relevant circumstances, including the violent deaths of the two people in close proximity, point to Mr Hill and Mrs Clay each being killed deliberately and without lawful justification. Given the later removal from the scene of Mr Hills drone and the mobile phones, its likely there was a dispute regarding Mr Hills drone or vision captured on his drone. There might have been an argument or confrontation between the men.

It is not known how Mr Hill was killed. The prosecution alleges that Mr Hill was most likely killed first, in part because Mrs Clay is very unlikely to have provoked a violent confrontation involving a firearm or posed any threats to the accused. While the cause of Hills death is unknown, the prosecutor said it was alleged that Lynn shot Clay in the head while she was crouched down near her tent. Who were Russell Hill and Carol Clay? Russell Hill, 74, married to wife Robyn, was a frequent camper and radio enthusiast. During his camping trips, the prosecution said, Hill would regularly operate his two-way radio and check in at 6pm each night.

Hill, who owned a white 2017 Toyota Landcruiser ute, was not known to have any interest in firearms, but he did own a drone. Russell Hills Toyota Landcruiser and the burnt campsite at Bucks Camp. Credit: Victoria Police He also told other campers he encountered in the weeks before his death that he was not a keen hunter and that a relative had been killed while deer hunting. He told one group of campers that he was unhappy about them camping close to his site. Pakenham woman Carol Clay, 73, was heavily involved in community organisations including the Country Womens Association and Red Cross.

The jury was told Clay and Hill had been in a relationship since 2006. Porceddu, the prosecutor, said Hill had been Clays first boyfriend. There is no mobile phone service available in the vast Wonnangatta Valley, which is popular with 4WD enthusiasts, horse riders, campers and hunters. About 3.30pm on March 19, 2020, campers near Wonnangatta Station Hut drove behind Hill and Clay and saw them stop at Bucks Camp. Alleged crime scene clean-up In the aftermath of the deaths, the prosecution says, Lynn went to considerable effort to contaminate the scene and conceal evidence.

He then allegedly set fire to the scene, removed some of Hills and Clays belongings and drove away with their bodies in his box trailer. The prosecution alleges Lynn drove away with Hill and Clays bodies in a box trailer. Credit: Victoria Police Witness Tom Matthews told police he woke to the sound of a car towing a trailer and trying to reverse after coming across a closed road. The prosecution alleges Lynn was the driver of the car. The nearby road was closed, and the driver had to turn around. The prosecution said Lynn then drove for hours with the bodies on board, to an area called Union Spur Track near the small town of Dargo.

Porceddu said Lynn then hid the bodies in a part of the wilderness to which he would be able to return. Human remains were later found at that location, including in a tree hole. Lynns 4WD and trailer were later captured by traffic cameras on the Great Alpine Road at Bucklands Gap, about 1.6 kilometres east of Dargo High Plains Road intersection, about 9.48am on March 21, at a similar time to Hills mobile phone pinging off a nearby phone tower. He [Lynn] did not report the deaths of Mr Hill and Mrs Clay or contact police, Porceddu said. On March 21, Hill did not call in on the radio despite often doing so.

The investigation into the disappearance of Russell Hill and Carol Clay focused on a four-wheel drive. Other campers later came across the burnt-out campsite at Bucks Camp, where they found items, including a pink handbag on the front passenger seat of a car, a smashed side mirror and an Esky full of food. On March 26, Robyn Hill reported her husband missing to police. Police first arrived at the burnt campsite about 12.20pm on March 28, and removed the Landcruiser and other items. There was a wallet in each foot-well of the vehicle, but no cash, with cards scattered around, the jury heard. Hills radio was tested and found to be working.

Despite a two-week search of the area, police found no evidence of Hill and Clay. On April 1, the prosecution said, Lynn put the trailer and other items up for sale on Gumtree, and the ad was removed two days later. The trailer has never been found. The accused is alleged to have disposed of the trailer because it held the bodies of Mr Hill and Mrs Clay, and if found  it might link him to their murders, Porceddu said. On April 10, 2020, the missing persons squad was called in to assist with the investigation. Soon after the first Melbourne COVID-19 lockdown ended, Lynn allegedly returned to the alpine region, leaving home about midnight on May 12, 2020.

Between 5.04am and 12.42pm on May 13, Lynns phone made no connection with any phone tower, consistent with him entering remote parts of the alpine region, before returning to Melbourne about 3.48pm. Its alleged the accused returned to the spot where he left the bodies to ensure they were still well hidden, Porceddu said. Police investigation During a visit to Lynns home on June 4, 2020, missing persons squad detectives found he had painted his dark grey car beige, allegedly to avoid his car being identified by authorities. An analysis of fire debris from Bucks Camp, conducted in January 2021, showed burnt items included bra hooks, camp chairs, a solar panel and a battery.

From September 22, 2021, surveillance devices were installed in Lynns home and car, recording his conversations. On November 13, 2021, the accused was recorded on a listening device in his home speaking with his wife, Melanie, while they watched a 60 Minutes feature on Mr Hill and Mrs Clay. The accused told his wife there were only four hours in the day when he was in the area where the campers went missing, and how it was not funny, Porceddu said. On November 19, 2021, the accused removed the side awning from his car that was visible in the television program. Its the prosecution case he did so to avoid being linked to the murders. After police arrested Lynn, they removed and examined his Nissan Patrol.

Inside were items including hunting gear and a tin of paint. Examinations found the vehicle was originally white and later painted dark grey, then beige. A 12-gauge bolt-action shotgun was later seized from his Caroline Springs home and analysed. The prosecution allege that was a firearm that was used to shoot Mrs Clay in the head, Porceddu said. On February 11, 2022, the canopy of Hills vehicle was examined. Porceddu said the examining expert found blood splatter stains and fatty deposits under an area of the canopy. The prosecution alleges DNA analysis supports the proposition that the sample belonged to Clay.

The bodies The jury was told that in March 2022, police re-examined the Bucks Camp site and discovered metal and bone fragments, including an unburnt skull fragment allegedly belonging to Clay. Its the prosecution case that the metal projectile fragment likely came from a 12-gauge shotgun and contained Clays DNA. Further fragments of human skull bones, believed to have belonged to Clay, were also later collected from the scene. Between November 29 and December 1, 2021, forensic experts, anthropologists and police examined a second scene at Union Spur Track, near Dargo. They found burnt remains while focusing on an area at the base of a fallen tree, the prosecutor said. The remains had included a burnt human tibia, or leg bone, and a toe bone.

The jury was told further remains found nearby included more than 2100 pieces of burnt and highly fragmented bones. A ring discovered at the scene was later found to have possibly belonged to Clay. Porceddu said examination of the bone fragments indicated they were from at least two adult humans and had started to decompose before being moved, burnt and later placed in the tree hole. DNA analysis found the remains, including five teeth and a porcelain bridge, probably belonged to Hill. The prosecution alleges Lynn killed the unarmed pair at Bucks Camp voluntarily with murderous intent. Lynn denies the charges.

The fellow campers Blair Thomas Anson said that in the week before the alleged murders, he came across Hill camping at King Billy in the Alpine National Park on March 11, 2020. He and two friends  Chris Benton and Rowan Stewart  set up camp and went to hunt before returning to find Hill camping next to them, and pottering around his site. The following day, Anson said, he went to introduce himself to the older man, who he noticed had an antenna hung up through a tree which was connected to a UHF radio. He asked permission from me if he could fly his drone. I said thats no problem with me, Anson told the jury.

When the others then returned  Russell came over to our camp. I remember leaning on the back of my friends ute. We were making coffee and talking. Blair Anson said he found Russell Hill to be very approachable. Credit: Jason South We were just asking what he was up there for with the UHF set-up he had. That he wasnt a hunter, what he did for work before he retired. His car, he spoke highly of his car. Anson said Hill was much older than his group of friends but that all three enjoyed talking to him. He was a knockabout guy. We found him very approachable.

Anson said that after later learning Hill was missing, he assumed he might have committed suicide as they had discussed the fact he used to work in the area. It was therefore unlikely that Hill would have become lost, Anson said. The isolated valley The first witness in the trial, Parks Victoria chief ranger Michael Dower, is responsible for managing about 350,000 hectares of highly remote mountainous area which includes the Wonnangatta Valley. Its one of the most remote locations in the Victorian Alps landscape, he told the court. He said a historic cattle station, an 1800s cemetery and the ruins of the Wonnangatta homestead were situated in the valley.

The valley was surrounded by rugged terrain and closed between the Kings Birthday long weekend and Melbourne Cup Day due to dangerous river heights and snow at Howitt Plains, the court heard. The Alpine National Park is one of the largest parks in the country and used for a wide variety of reasons, [including] fishing, deer hunting, bushwalking and nature-loving activities, like bird watching, Dower said. Four-wheel driving in the area is now high-profile, like [in the] Simpson Desert and Cape York. At its core, he said, was the Wonnangatta Valley, which could be accessed from Dargo to the east, Licola and Mansfield to the south, and Myrtleford to the north-east. The Wonnangatta Valley was originally a cattle-grazing station in the 1800s. Its a highly remote location. A cattle-grazing property of up to 1000 acres, it was run by several families until it was converted over to the Crown in the late 80s, early 90s, he said.
Finance Minister Katy Gallagher and Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy in February. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen But its Gallagher who surprised us. The no-frills finance minister, whom weve spotted in the past shopping for kids pyjamas at her local Target, likes to shut the door for a few hours on budget day and just read. Shell wear something of her mums, so shes with me, and listen to classical music, such as Bach, to get in the zone. Except if I have to go into estimates, then its Lizzo, like Bad Bitch OClock  if I have to work myself up, then thats what Im pumping.

MUSK READ How much is enough? Its the question confronting Tesla billionaire Elon Musk and his Aussie chair, Robyn Denholm, as they try to convince Tesla shareholders to reinstate Musks $US56 billion ($84.8 billion) pay packet, after the package was kicked into touch by a US judge earlier this year. Last week, Denholm cleared her throat by selling $US17 million worth of Tesla shares, which took her total sale of stock to $US52 million this year, according to Bloomberg stats. Robyn Denholm, Teslas Australian-born chair, is trying to convince shareholders to reinstate Elon Musks massive pay package. Credit: Getty Images Denholm then sang Musks praises in a video to Tesla investors about the proposals to re-approve his mammoth bonus  the largest in corporate history  and move the companys corporate registry from Delaware to Texas.

These proposals are absolutely critical to fuel Teslas future growth and the value of our investment, she said. Loading More critical than slashing 10 per cent of its workforce? There was also some trash-talking of the Delaware judges decision to void the bonus. We dont believe one judges opinion should void the will of millions of votes cast by all of the owners of the company, Denholm said.

Lets revisit that opinion. Delaware Court of Chancery chancellor Kathaleen McCormick found that Musk controlled Tesla and there was a deeply flawed process surrounding the boards approval of his compensation. Neither the compensation committee nor the board acted in the best interests of the company when negotiating Musks compensation plan. There is barely any evidence of negotiations at all, McCormicks judgment said. Put another way, it was Denholm and her fellow board members who didnt do their jobs.

Rather than negotiate against Musk with the mindset of a third party, the compensation committee worked alongside him, almost as an advisory body, the judge found. McCormick noted Denholm had derived the vast majority of her wealth from Tesla. Denholm herself has been quoted as describing the sale of hundreds of millions of dollars of Tesla shares in recent years as life-changing. No wonder she is such a fan of Musk. The world would be much better off if we had more Elons, Denholm told the Australian Financial Review in 2021. Maybe Denholm needs another Elon. After all, she has suffered along with other Tesla investors. She only fleetingly ranked as a billionaire on the 2022 rich list and fell off entirely last year as the stock plunged. Just as well that she has her $27.5 million penthouse, with Sydney Harbour views, to show for her Tesla travails. In 2022, she was awarded share grants worth $US85 million.

STRIFE BOAT While the UKs zombie-like Conservative government is likely to stagger as far as a general election later this year, that wont change the fortunes of ASX-listed Corporate Travel Management and what it hoped would be its lucrative role in the Tories hardline immigration policy. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has led his government with a hardline immigration policy. Credit: Bloomberg The company was awarded a two-year 1.6 billion ($3.2 billion) contract in April last year to house asylum seekers. This included the now notorious accommodation barge, the Bibby Stockholm, which has become the flashpoint for Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks stop the boats policy. Corporate Travel founder Jamie Pherous admitted at the groups December half-year results announcement that the contract was a bust, and his most recent update indicates things have not improved.
The estate of one of the three people killed in a one-car crash last year in Amherst filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the driver.

Colden teen pleads guilty to manslaughter in crash that killed three in Amherst A Colden teenager whose reckless driving resulted in the deaths of three young passengers who were riding with her pleaded guilty on Tuesday before Erie County Court Judge Susan Eagan to three counts of second-degree manslaughter and one count of reckless driving.

The administrator of the estate of Dakota Eldridge sued Jayla Mueller and Muellers mother, Patricia Kessel, who owned the car, according to the lawsuit.

Mueller lost control of the vehicle on a ramp to Millersport Highway about 11:20 p.m. Feb. 20, 2023, and it overturned, killing three of her passengers, Isabella French, 19, of Buffalo; Azathiel Pabon, 18, of Buffalo; and Eldridge, 20, of Cheektowaga.

Mueller, 19, of Colden, pleaded guilty April 23 to three counts of second-degree manslaughter and one count of reckless driving. Prosecutors said Mueller was speeding on John James Audubon Parkway when she lost control of her vehicle on the ramp to Millersport Highway.

Erie County Court Judge Susan Eagan Eagan agreed to sentence Mueller on July 8 as a youthful offender if she meets some conditions, including avoiding any future arrests. If she is adjudicated as a youthful offender, Mueller faces a maximum of 15 months to four years in prison.

The civil lawsuit alleges Mueller operated the vehicle in a negligent and reckless manner and caused Eldridges fatal injuries.
Labor is preparing to unveil a probe into racism at universities as Anthony Albanese says antisemitism is the worst he has seen and one of Australias top universities warns pro-Palestine supporters against dividing the student population.

Tuesdays budget is expected to include new funding for an investigation of racism in the higher education system as part of Labors response to the recommendations of a major university review. Encampments supporting Palestine on university grounds have fuelled a national debate about discrimination and free speech on campus.

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 university review handed to the government this year had called for a study into the prevalence and impact of racism across the tertiary education system, on campus and online.

An important element of the study would specifically focus on the experiences of First Nations staff and students while another could extend to staff and students from other groups who have experienced racism in the sector, it said.
The World Customs Organization (WCO) successfully delivered a green multi-regional workshop (conducted without the use of paper) on the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC) in Abuja, Nigeria, from 6 to 9 May 2024, with the financial support of the Customs Cooperation Fund of China (CCF-China), with additional support from CCF-Korea for interpretation services.

A total of 46 Customs officials from 20 West and Central Africa, and 13 East and Southern Africa countries/members, attended the workshop. Among the participants were representatives from 25 Contracting Parties (CPs) and 8 non-contracting parties to the RKC.

Over the course of four days, CPs had the opportunity to refresh and deepen their understanding and obligations within the scope of the Convention. For CPs, the focus was on assessing their implementation status, identifying gaps, addressing challenges, and exchanging best practices related to the Specific Annexes (SAs) and Chapters therein. Non-CPs concentrated more on familiarizing themselves with the Body of the Convention and the provisions outlined in the General Annex (GA) of the RKC. They also carried out a high level gap analysis on the GA using the simplified RKC toolkit.

The workshop examined all 10 Chapters relating to the GA. Discussions within the scope of the SAs revolved around key Chapters such as formalities prior to the lodgement of the goods declaration, importation, free zones, etc. Additionally, there was significant emphasis on sharing best practices and addressing challenges faced by participants from the WCA and ESA regions.

A representative from Gambia shared insights into their journey towards RKC accession, detailing their experiences and the challenges encountered.

The workshop was inaugurated and concluded by the Assistant Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, and was organized in collaboration with and with the generous support of the Nigeria Customs Service.

For further information, please contact us at RKCReview@wcoomd.org.
A National Workshop on X-ray Image Analysis was delivered by the World Customs Organization (WCO) in Yerevan, Armenia from 29 April to 3 May 2024. The workshop was conducted with the financial assistance of the Customs Cooperation Fund of Korea (CCF Korea) and gathered 25 Customs officials from the State Revenue Committee of the Republic of Armenia.

During the first part of the event, the Workshop facilitators provided an overview of the WCO tools and initiatives pertaining to non-intrusive inspection (NII), such as the WCO Technical Experts Group on NII (TEG-NII) and its deliverables, including the Unified File Format (UFF) and the WCO Guidelines for the procurement and deployment of scanning/NII equipment (NII Guidelines), as well as the annual WCO Technology Conference and Exhibition. Furthermore, the WCO experts showcased best practices for integrating NII techniques into Customs operations and conducting NII based on risk analysis. Additionally, the Workshop facilitators delved into various topics related to image analysis skills, tools, functions, common mistakes, material discrimination, and automated threat recognition. A field visit to a scanner location and hands-on practical exercises were conducted during the second part of the Workshop focusing on the discussion of case studies and lessons learnt.

The use of NII technologies is outlined in the Customs to Customs cooperation pillar (Pillar 1) of the SAFE Framework of Standards and serves one of the key objectives of SAFE - to promote the seamless movement of goods through secure international trade supply chains. As per standard 3 of Pillar 1 of the SAFE Framework of Standards, non-intrusive inspection equipment and radiation detection equipment should be available and used for conducting inspections, where available and in accordance with risk assessment. The standard also prescribes that the equipment is necessary to inspect high risk containers or cargo quickly, without disrupting the flow of legitimate trade.

The Workshop helped turn X-ray image analysis into a continuous journey of Customs officers skill enhancement, a testimony from a participant revealed.
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By Cate McCurry and Cillian Sherlock, PA

The health minister said there are no plans to ban the sale of alcohol to people under the age of 21, despite a move to raise the minimum age for the purchase of cigarettes.

Under plans approved by Cabinet, the legal age for buying cigarettes and other tobacco products will rise from 18 to 21.

It would make Ireland the first country in the EU to take the measure.

On raising the age for buying alcohol, Stephen Donnelly said there is no advice that it would necessarily be effective.

Stephen Donnelly said there is no clinical advice that banning the sale of alcohol to under 21s is necessarily effective (Yui Mok/PA)

Theres no consideration of any changes on alcohol whatsoever. Its never come up. Its not being considered, Mr Donnelly said on Tuesday.

Its not being considered by anybody. We have no clinical advice that its necessary or would necessarily be effective.

He said that while there is a Government goal that no one in Ireland smokes, there is no such strategy for alcohol.

There are obviously health implications of excessive drinking and on that Ireland has taken an important global leadership position, he added.

Weve introduced the alcohol labelling to include a cancer warning and to include warnings on alcohol, which I think people really do need to know about.

We brought in minimum unit pricing. We brought in several measures which I think are important in terms of tackling excessive and harmful drinking.

But theres a very different national strategy between alcohol and cigarettes.

He said plans to increase the legal age of buying cigarettes to 21 should see a reduction in smokers by several percentage points.

Mr Donnelly also defended not including the sale of vapes in its proposed legislation, saying the clinical advice is not in at this point.

We got very clear clinical advice in terms of mandating a minimum age of 18 for the sale of vapes based on cognitive development and impairing cognitive development, he added.

Clinical evidence may be emerging but its certainly not at the point of increasing from 19 and 20-year-olds but it is something that I think should be should be kept under review.

The Fianna Fail minister went on to accuse the tobacco industry of coming and having another go in downplaying the dangers of vaping, similar to campaigns that were previously run by tobacco companies.

We have ongoing and emerging evidence of the harms that vaping causes, including damage to the lungs, he added.

He said the Government is introducing other measures around the advertising and licensing of vapes, and plans to ban the sale of disposable vapes.

Were also drafting legislation looking at colours and flavouring. My view, rightly or wrongly, is there has been a very cynical attempt to target young people with vapes, Mr Donnelly added.

Minister of State Ossian Smyth said he is concerned about the environmental impact of vapes.

What were seeing is in the last couple of years an explosion in use amongst teenagers, and thats resulting in tens of millions of these vapes ending up in the environment, he said.

Were now going to proceed, myself and the Department of Health, to seek a ban on disposable vapes.

The Governments latest move comes 20 years after Ireland became the first country in the world to ban smoking in workplaces, including pubs and restaurants.

Ministers aim to reduce Irelands adult smoking rate to less than 5% (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Currently, 18 per cent of the population over the age of 15 are smokers.

The new proposal is designed to reduce Irelands adult smoking rate to less than 5 per cent.

Smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke kills an estimated 4,500 people a year in Ireland.

The Government said evidence shows that people are at high risk of becoming smokers between the ages of 18 and 21.

It added that raising the minimum purchasing age will make it harder for young people to access tobacco products through direct and proxy buys as well as social sources.

Health officials said smoking causes 13 per cent of all cancers and contributes to many preventable illnesses including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, eye diseases, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

It is also responsible for 5 per cent of hospital inpatient admissions, while the financial loss caused by smoking is estimated at 10.6 billion annually.

Chief Medical Officer Professor Breda Smyth said: Our smoking rates are still unacceptably high, so I am delighted that we are progressing a strong population protection measure that will help bring us closer to the goal of a tobacco-free Ireland.

The Bill will provide that the prohibition on tobacco product sales will not apply to those who are currently between the ages of 18 and 20.

The proposed legislation will not impact the minimum legal age of sale of nicotine-inhaling products or vapes.

Since December, the sale of vapes to under-18s has been banned. There is currently no proposal to extend this ban to the age of 21.

The Government said preliminary legal advice suggests Ireland cannot pursue a smokefree generation policy as has been suggested in other jurisdictions because of the EUs single market rules and Tobacco Products Directive.
Stephen Maguire

A man has appeared in court in Co Donegal after a pedestrian was critically injured in an alleged hit-and-run incident at the weekend.

A male pedestrian aged in his 60s was seriously injured after he was involved in a collision with a vehicle on Main Street, Clonmany shortly after midnight on Saturday.

The injured man was taken to Letterkenny University Hospital but was soon transferred to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin. Gardai have since confirmed he remains in critical condition.

Kevin Grant (36), of Pairc Mor, Buncrana, appeared before a special sitting of Letterkenny District Court on Monday evening in connection with the incident.

He faces a total of eight charges arising out of the incident, including endangerment, two counts of dangerous driving, refusing to give information, refusing to give a sample and three charges under the Road Traffic Act connected with an alleged hit-and-run incident.

The court heard full CCTV footage of the alleged incident has been taken from a number of premises in the immediate area.

During a follow-up operation, Mr Grant was arrested in Buncrana and detained under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.

At Monday's hearing, Detective Garda Sergeant Killian Callaghan said gardai were objecting to bail in the case on a number of grounds.

He gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution and told the court that the accused made no reply when charged with the offences at 4.42pm on Monday at Buncrana Garda station.

Despite the Garda objections, Judge Ciaran Liddy granted bail with a number of conditions.

The court heard the accused is currently working for a construction company in Dublin.

Judge Liddy remanded the accused on bail to Letterkenny District Court on Thursday.
A South Mayo family are hoping to raise funds for a local charity in memory of their son and brother.

Climb for Fergal will raise much needed funds for Cancer Fund for Children and Daisy Lodge in Cong and will see them climb the Reek in memory of Ballinrobe native, Fergal Loftus, whose fourth anniversary occurs on May 28th.

The Loftus family are inviting friends and acquaintances to join them on Saturday, May 25th next in a climb of Croagh Patrick and afterwards for refreshments, and music at Campbells pub in Murrisk, Westport. All this will take place from 12noon to 4pm.

The event is to raise vital funds for Cancer Fund for Children, an all-Ireland charity. Their mission is that no child on the island of Ireland should face a cancer diagnosis alone. The charity are currently in the process of building a new facility (Daisy Lodge) on the shores of Lough Corrib at Lisloughrey just outside the village of Cong in Mayo.

Fergal succumbed to cancer after a battle borne with dignity and courage. The family decided to organise this event having commenced climbing the Reek in May every year after his passing, given that this vital centre is being built close to their home in South Mayo and to try to help families cope with the devastating diagnosis which touches so many families.

Cancer Fund for children provide short breaks to families from the Republic of Ireland in Daisy Lodge, Newcastle, County Down. However, for every one family referred another six families must go in a waiting list as Daisy Lodge is running at full capacity.

It is now their vision to open a second therapeutic short break centre Daisy Lodge Cong and welcome families for breaks within two years. This will allow the charity to increase the number of children and parents they support from 1,800 to 4,000 each year.

The project in Cong is currently underway with groundworks ongoing. Building is due to commence this August or September and will take approx 18 months to complete.

Anyone who would like to get involved and organise an event in the build up to Climb for Fergal can contact Mary McHugh Murphy, Connaught Regional Fundraiser for Cancer fund for children at: mary@cancerfundforchildren.ie

Tel 0879443277 or any member of the Loftus Family.

An iDonate page has been set up for donations at: https://www.idonate.ie/event/climbforfergal, or you can donate on the day.
Mayo County Council were delighted to present the 'Lord of the Dance' Michael Flatley with a special Home to Mayo Award yesterday evening to mark the 31st Anniversary of The Mayo 5000 celebrations which started his incredible worldwide success.

Flatley came to national attention in 1993 when he took part in the Mayo 5000 celebrations. He then became a household name following his starring role in Riverdance at Eurovision in 1994.

Michael also kindly autographed a bottle of his new Flatley Whiskey which will be raffled at the Grand Finale Concert for Home To Mayo - The Transatlantic Journey Home, Friday May 24th.

Tickets on sale for this event here: https://tfroyal.ie/events/a-transatlantic-journey-home/
23 year old Mayo GAA fan Eilise Leydon whose Irish roots stem from Claremorris is taking part in the Rose of Tralee Final in London on Saturday 25 May at the Clayton Hotel.

She is currently working as a Schuman trainee in the European Parliament in Brussels. When asked about why she was entering the competition, Eilise said; Moving around Europe has introduced me to many Irish people, including those from Mayo outside of Ireland. I am encouraged and proud to be part of such a strong diaspora community and cant wait to represent them!

Her sponsor is the London based P Flannery Plant hire which is owned by the Mayo born Paddy Flannery.

Tony Hennigan the CEO of Mayo Manchester added Eilise has always been a great ambassador for Mayo.

"I remember her doing her bit to promote the world wide Mayo Day celebration in Canada at Niagra Falls with her sister. She was also a regular performer in the internationally famous Young, Gifted and Green Irish Music, Song and Dance troupe based at St Bedes College where she was Head girl."

"Im sure the Bedians in London and the Mayo diaspora based there will be out in force to support her in the competition.

Tickets for the heat can be purchased by emailing shilaghmccarthy@aol.com
European Movement Ireland, in cooperation with the European Parliament Liaison Office, is holding a Town Hall event for the upcoming European Elections in the five-seat Midlands-North-West constituency. The event is taking place in The Galmont Hotel in Galway on Thursday next, May 16, from 7pm to 8pm.

Moderated by Oireachtas TVs Flor MacCarthy, the panel will include Dr Brendan Flynn, Head of Discipline Political Science at the School of Political Science and Sociology, University of Galway; Karen Coleman, Editor of EU News Radio, and Mairin Ni Ghadhra, Broadcaster with TG4 and RTE RnaG.

This hour-long event will see expert journalists and academics discuss topics such as the role of the European Elections, the impact of the European Parliament in our daily lives, and the role of voters in shaping our future. The format will be a panel discussion followed by a Q&A session with audience members, including MEP candidates. There are 27 candidates in the constituency.

Prior registration is essential at www.europeanmovement.ie. Further information on the event will be circulated to registered attendees before the event. If you have any questions or have any additional requirements for the event, you can send them to events@europeanmovement.ie.

European Movement Ireland has also launched the Can Vote Will Vote campaign, including an information hub that will act as "a go-to website for non-partisan information on the EU elections".

The Can Vote, Will Vote campaign is co-funded by the European Union.
RAFAH, Gaza Strip  Aid workers struggled Monday to distribute dwindling food and other supplies to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced by what Israel says is a limited military operation in Rafah, as the two main crossings near the southern Gaza city remained closed.

The United Nations' agency for Palestinian refugees said 360,000 Palestinians fled Rafah over the past week, out of 1.3 million who sheltered there before the operation began. Most already fled fighting elsewhere during the seven-month war between Israel and Hamas.

Israel portrays Rafah as the last stronghold of the militant group, brushing off warnings from the United States and other allies that any major operation there would be catastrophic for civilians. Hamas meanwhile regrouped and is battling Israeli forces in parts of Gaza that Israel bombarded and invaded earlier in the war.

U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said Monday that another 100,000 Palestinians were displaced in northern Gaza after recent Israeli evacuation orders there. That would mean that about a fifth of Gaza's population of 2.3 million people have been displaced over the past week.

Thirty-eight trucks of flour arrived through the Western Erez Crossing, a second access point to northern Gaza, said Abeer Etefa, a spokeswoman for the U.N.'s World Food Program. Israel announced the crossing's opening on Sunday.

But no food entered the two main crossings in southern Gaza for the past week.

The Rafah crossing into Egypt has been closed since Israeli troops seized it a week ago. Fighting in Rafah city has made it impossible for aid groups to access the nearby Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel, though Israel says it is allowing supply trucks to enter from its side.

Israeli protesters halted a convoy of aid bound for Gaza at a checkpoint between the occupied West Bank and Israel. Videos circulating online showed them hurling some of the aid off trucks and destroying it. Police said a number of arrests were made, without elaborating.

For the past week, the Israeli military has intensified bombardment and other operations in Rafah while ordering the population to evacuate from parts of the city. Israel claims it is a limited operation focused on rooting out tunnels and other militant infrastructure along the border with Egypt.

Israeli forces also battled Palestinian militants in Zeitoun and the urban Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza, areas where the army launched major operations earlier in the war.

Etefa said WFP was distributing food from its remaining stocks in the areas of Khan Younis in the south and Deir al-Balah further north, where many of those escaping Rafah have fled.

Inside Rafah, only two organizations partnering with WFP were still able to distribute food, and no bakeries were operating.

"The majority of distributions have stopped due to the evacuation orders, displacement and running out of food," she said.

Almost the entire population of Gaza relies on humanitarian aid to survive. Israeli restrictions and ongoing fighting have hindered humanitarian efforts, causing widespread hunger and a "full-blown famine" in the north, according to the U.N.

The director of the Kuwait Hospital, one of the last functioning medical centers in Rafah, said medical staff and residents living near the facility were told to evacuate. Sohaib al-Hams warned that any evacuation of the hospital itself would have "catastrophic consequences."

The international charity Oxfam, meanwhile, warned of disease outbreaks in Gaza following an estimated $210 million worth of damage to water and sanitation infrastructure, mass displacement and the onset of summer.

"Oxfam staff in Gaza have described piles of human waste and rivers of sewage in the streets, which people are having to jump between. They also reported people having to drink dirty water and children being bitten by insects swarming around the sewage," it said in a statement.

The war began with a Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7. The fighting killed about 1,200 people and militants took about 250 hostages. Militants still hold about 100 captives and the remains of more than 30 after most of the rest were released during a cease-fire last year.

Israel's offensive has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants in its figures.

Israel marked Memorial Day on Monday, with ceremonies commemorating fallen soldiers, including the more than 600 killed since Oct. 7, more than half of them in the initial attack. Sirens announced two minutes of silence at 11 a.m.

At a ceremony at Mount Herzl cemetery on the outskirts of Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed once again to defeat Hamas.

"We exacted and will exact a high price from the enemy for their criminal acts. We will realize the goals of victory and at the center of them the return of all our hostages," he said.

Protesters and hecklers interrupted some of the ceremonies, reflecting growing discontent with Israel's leaders that has brought thousands of protesters into the streets in recent months. Critics blame Netanyahu for the security and intelligence failures that allowed the attack to happen and for the failure to reach a deal with Hamas to release the hostages.

9 indicators of positive mental health in children 9 indicators of positive mental health in children Displays of affection Resilience in the face of adversity Regular play with parents or friends Age-appropriate sleep cycles Demonstrated ability to complete tasks Healthy eating behaviors Ability to self-regulate Connection to a support system 9 indicators of positive mental health in children A demonstrated curiosity about the world
Roddy OSullivan always wanted to write adventure stories for Irish teenagers. By launching his three-book Fomorian series for 9-14 year-olds, hes done it. The Horrific Secret of Westport House, Clare Islands Dark Secret and The Aran Islands Terrifying Secret are all set in the west.

The renowned environmentalist has been coming to Mayo for 40 years and considers it his spiritual home. So it is no surprise it would so heavily inspire his West of Ireland Trilogy. Indeed, most of the writing was done from his holiday home at Rosmoney, outside Westport.

The seeds for the books were sown in his Dublin national school when his teacher described the Fomorians as "one-eyed monsters who lived in underwater caves". It captured his imagination there and then.

Each book title carries the word secret for a good reason  a three-thousand-year-old mystery lies beneath each cover, Roddy explained.

The backstory involves Irelands earliest colonists, the mysterious Fomorians. In 1492 BC, after escaping their earthquake-stricken Greek island of Thera, the islanders (Therans or future Fomorians) rescue a group of cyclopes before sailing to Ireland. In the Battle of Moytura between the Fomorians and another settler group, the Tuatha De Dannan, the Fomorians are wiped out. The wretched survivors take refuge in sea caves. Since then, their original two-syllabled name has stood  Fo being the Irish word for under, Moire meaning the sea  undersea dwellers. Against all odds, the Fomorians survived and prospered.

The Horrific Secret of Westport House sees 14-year-old Shane Donnegan arrive in Ireland from Australia. Following his mothers death, he emigrated as a toddler with his dad, but eleven years later returns to attend school. Hes flabbergasted when he smashes the schools swimming record, learns he can speak Ancient Greek and sees in the dark.

Nobody can figure out why hes so different from other teenagers. Visiting Westport House, Shane and his four friends discover the owner of the House, Lord Dunraven, is cloning humans to supply body parts for the global transplant market. Shane confronts Dunraven and eventually brings Dunravens organisation crashing down but this only increases his friends mystification as to Shanes real identity.

In Clare Islands Dark Secret, Shane is convinced that hes some sort of freak. On a picnic to Clare Island, he encounters a cyclops, is dragged into the subterranean Fomorian Kingdom, and sentenced to death as an intruder. With the help of Elatha, a beautiful Fomorian girl, he escapes into the islands subterranean vastness where he learns who and what he really is. Shane also learns he can only escape by swimming underwater through the Kingdoms maze of flooded caves. Will he make it?

In The Aran Islands Terrifying Secret, Shane gains work experience aboard an Irish Naval ship. After digging up a massive portion of an unknown species of dinosaur shellfish, Shane convinces the ships captain to explore the sea caves below the Dun Aengus Fort. Here they find a wrecked 18th-century whaling ship, a graveyard and an iron chest. It leads to a spectacular discovery, which we cannot give away here!

Each book is a modern page-turner, built around ancient history, thought-provoking plots and sprinkled with youthful humour. Roddy OSullivan says hes already been approached by a consortium with plans to turn his books into a TV series.

Roddy OSullivan is an environmentalist, writer and scientist and was a Connacht Tribune environmental columnist for 20 years. The founder of Irelands Anti-Salmon-Farm crusade, he publishes, broadcasts and campaigns widely on environmental issues, especially those impacting Irelands waterways and their threatened wildlife.

The books will be launched at a ceremony in Westport House on Thursday next, May 16, between 5pm and 7pm. All are welcome.
The diocese says continued investigation into the fire has revealed odor damage due to the smoke in the plenum space, which is the air space above the drop ceiling in the senior and junior hallways of the building.
One Night in Africa

When: Thursday, 16 May 2024 Where: The Chris Seabrooke Music Hall

Braamfontein Campus East Start time: 19:30 Enquiries: Peter.Cartwright@wits.ac.za

Volley Nchabeleng: One night in Africa

One Night in Africa is a musical journey exploring African rhythms, instruments, heritage, and culture. This one-day concert offers the audience a rare opportunity to experience the Pan-Africanist approach to sound in celebrating Africa Month. This event is a celebration of the shining star of this concert, Volley Nchabeleng, a percussionist of global acclaim and an award-winning artist, his latest prestigious award as the 2024 Cultural and Creative Industry Awards (CCIA) winner. With a career that spans international collaborations, commercial ventures, and theatre performances, his musical prowess resonates with diverse audiences and cultures in Africa and worldwide. His focus is on celebrating African musical heritage through sound that transcends borders, encompassing not only South Africa but also the diverse parts of the African continent. Book here.
Welcome to Anatomical Pathology

The Division of Anatomical Pathology within the Wits School of Pathology provides diagnostic services across three academic units. Located across Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital (CHBAH), Braamfontein Cytopathology Unit, and Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital (CMJAH), the division is also a division of the National Health Laboratory Service. At CMJAH, roughly 45,000-50,000 patients are seen annually; At CHBAH, 14,000  16,000 cases are attended to. Braamfontein assesses over 6,500 fine needle aspirate specimens, and over 36,000 gynaecological specimens are diagnosed yearly.

The Anatomical Pathology laboratory has an immunohistochemistry facility, a renal pathology bench, a neuropathology bench, a bone marrow trephine bench, an electron microscopy facility, and an immunofluorescence service. It provides autopsy services for non-medicolegal cases.

A vast and expansive range of research is conducted in the division, focused on the pathology of various cancers, bacterial and viral diseases, gene expression profiles, and signalling pathways of various diseases. The division also validates novel molecular markers for developing new diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

The division has a significant teaching commitment to undergraduate and postgraduate students, medical technologists, technicians, and scientists. It conducts an academic programme throughout the year involving presentations by Anatomical Pathology registrars, scientists, and consultant Anatomical Pathologists. Anatomical Pathologys research activities are underpinned by the MMed, BSc honours program, and an intern medical scientist programme. Members of the department have undertaken PhDs in different fields of speciality.

Division Head: Professor Reubina Wadee

The head of anatomical pathology, Professor Wadee, is a principal consultant, anatomical pathologist, and lecturer jointly appointed by Wits and the National Health Laboratory Services. Her most recent qualifications include a PhD in anatomical pathology.

Professor Wadee is particularly interested in female cancers, researching endometrial carcinoma and ovarian neoplasms, among other cancers. She studies the epidemiology and histological subtypes of these neoplasms, the world's eighth leading cause of death. Since 2019, Professor Wadee has published 35 papers.
Berlin-based sales agency Films Boutique has closed first sales and released the first-look image from Oscar-nominated Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Hollands biopic of the Czech novelist Franz Kafka, Franz.

The project has sold to September Film in Benelux, Filmin in Spain, Vertigo in Hungary, MCF Megacom for the former Yugoslavia and Movies Inspired in Italy.

More from Variety

The film was previously acquired for theatrical distribution by Bac Films Distribution in France, X Verleih in Germany and Austria, Bioscop in Czech Republic and TVP in Poland.

Kafka, a German-speaking Jewish Bohemian famous for surrealist and nightmarish visions, wrote The Metamorphosis, The Trial and The Castle, among others.

The film started shooting in Prague on April 12, including the Old Town near Kafkas birthplace, and will continue there until the end of May, when the production moves for a weeks shoot in Berlin.

Sarka Cimbalova produces through Czech Republics Marlene Film Production, with Holland, Kevan van Thompson, Mike Downey and Daniel Bergman serving as executive producers.

The film is made in co-production with Marcin Wierzchoslawski and Alicja Jagodzinska Kalkus through Polands Metro Films, Uwe Schott and Jorgo Narjes through Germanys X-Filme, as well as Barrandov Studio, Czech Television and Czech Anglo Production. David Grumbach and Alexis Hofmann are on board via Bac Films.

Holland said: One of the crucial reasons behind my decision to study in Prague back in the 60s was that it was Kafkas city  as he wrote, Prague never lets you go, this dear little mother has sharp claws, and my first steps there traced his footsteps.

At that time, Prague was tourist-free and expressive in appearance: lichen and patina  dirty yellow, ochre  covered the Old Town houses and the synagogues. You can hardly imagine a more mysterious and photogenic film set. This is what I hope we are re-creating today alongside our amazing Czech crew and committed international cast.

European cinema needs more challenging biographical stories to keep alive the work and lives of its greatest visionaries, Cimbalova said. This is exactly what we have in Franz. Agnieszkas version of Kafkas life isnt simply a retelling of the subjects life, a recap of his greatest hits, with the excision of anything morally complex about his life to make the subject more likeable. This is exactly what we wanted to avoid in this very personal impression of one of literatures greatest figures, as both hero and anti-hero.

Idan Weiss stars as Kafka, Jenovefa Bokova as Milena Jesenska, Carol Schuler as Felice Bauer, Peter Kurth as Hermann Kafka, Sebastian Schwarz as Max Brod and Katarina Stark as Ottla Kafka.

The screenplay is by Marek Epstein in collaboration with Holland. Cinematography is by Thomas Naumiuk, the editor is Pavel Hrdlicka, set design is by Henrich Boraros and costume design is by Michaela Horackova Horejsi.

Downey says: People know the name of Franz Kafka, and the global value of Brand Kafka is incalculable and invaluable. Kafka has maintained his global rock star status for a century now, and it shows little sign of waning. The recognition factor across continents and generations is what is driving the interest of film distributors, broadcasters and streamers worldwide. As one of the very few literary names to enter into common parlance, one of the key strengths of what we are is that its unconventional and non-linear style reaches out to a younger audience which is largely a much more post-modern and aware audience than they are given credit for. And this audience still goes to the cinema.

Backers of the project include the Czech Film Fund, the Prague Audiovisual Fund, Eurimages and the Czech region of Pilsen as well as Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, and the Polish Film Institute. Other funders include Canal + Poland, DFFF, the Czech Film Tax Incentive, CertiCon and Films Boutique.

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There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Gee Whiz

Constructor: Dennis Nullet

Editor: Jared Goudsmit

May 14, 2024

What I Learned from Todays Puzzle

ARIA (49A: Yunah Lee solo) Yunah Lee made her professional debut with the New York City Opera while she was a student at Juilliard. Her signature role is Cio Cio San, the title role of Madama Butterfly, which she has performed over 170 times, in performances around the world. Although I learned about Yunah Lee from this clue, I was able to fill in the answer without difficulty. The word "solo" in a clue, is often an indication that the answer will be ARIA.

SKI (14D: Compete like Sabrina Simader) When Sabrina Simader competed in the 2018 Winter Olympics, she became the first female and the first alpine skier to represent Kenya at the Winter Olympics. Sabrina Simader was born in Kenya. She began to SKI after moving to Austria with her family when she was three years old.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

SATES (8A: Word that aptly bookends " sat isfi es ") This is a nice  one might even say, satisfying  hidden word clue.

IMHO (15A: Texter's "The way I look at it...") IMHO = in my humble opinion

TROPE (16A: Love triangle, e.g.) A TROPE is a storytelling device, a tool used to convey meaning to an audience. TROPEs are neither good nor bad. In fact, it is nearly impossible to write a story without TROPEs. The love triangle is a popular TROPE. It is commonly used in soap operas, but also in many other genres.

TET (24A: Vietnamese Lunar New Year) TET, also known as Vietnamese Lunar New Year, celebrates the arrival of spring based on the Vietnamese calendar. TET is one of the most important celebrations in Vietnamese culture.

ADA (33A: Activist Deer) ADA Deer (1935-2023) was a member of the Menominee Nation, and advocated with federal authorities for the Menominee. From 1993 to 1997, she served as Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, the first woman to hold that position. ADA Deer was a Distinguished Lecturer at the School of Social Work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the director of the school's American Indian Studies Program (2000-2007). Her memoir, published in 2019, is titled Making a Difference: My Fight for Native Rights and Social Justice. I really like this challenge from ADA Deer, "Be activists to change. We all pay our rent on the planet. How are you paying your rent?"

GET (37A: "Let's ___ down to business / To defeat the Huns") These lyrics, "Let's GET down to business / To defeat the Huns," are from the song "I'll Make a Man Out of You." The song was sung by Donny Osmond (as the singing voice of Captain Li Shang) for the soundtrack of the 1998 Disney animated movie, Mulan. I am a fan of the use of song lyrics to add interest to a clue for a common three-letter word, particularly when, as is the case here, the answer is inferable even for solvers not familiar with the lyrics.

MEL (57A: Giedroyc who co-hosted "The Great British Bake Off") MEL Giedroyc and Sue Perkins were the hosts of the first seven seasons (2010-2016) of the cooking competition TV series, The Great British Bake Off. I enjoy any mention of the fabulous show, The Great British Bake Off. In fact, earlier this year, I used the show's title as the theme for a puzzle.

GURU NANAK (64A: Founder of Sikhism) GURU NANAK, born in 1469, was the founder of Sikhism. He was succeeded by nine other GURUs. The tenth GURU affirmed the sacred scripture, Adi Granth, as his successor, ending the line of human GURUs. The central religious scripture of Sikhism, GURU Granth Sahib, is regarded as the final, sovereign, and eternal living GURU.

DOG (1D: Kishu or Rottweiler, e.g.) The Kishu, also called a Kishu Ken, is a Japanese breed of dog. The medium-sized breed was once used for hunting boar. The Rottweiler is a breed of dogs that originated from the town of Rottweil in Germany. These dogs are large and muscular, and known for their loyalty.

EPISODE (11D: Installment of "Atlanta" or "Tuca & Bertie") Atlanta is a TV series that follows the life of Earnest "Earn" Marks (portrayed by Donald Glover), a Princeton dropout struggling with homelessness and poverty. Tuca & Bertie is an animated sitcom that airs on the Cartoon Network as part of their Adult Swim programming. Tuca and Bertie are anthropomorphic birds, a toucan and a song thrush.

NERDS (39D: Brainy people) Although it doesn't start with the letter G, some NERDS are also GEEKs, GENIUSes, and GURUs.

GRENADA (47D: Island country home to Grand Etang Lake) GRENADA is an island country located in the Caribbean Sea, about 100 miles north of the South American mainland. The island of GRENADA was formed by volcanic activity approximately two million years ago. Grand Etang Lake is a crater lake ( a lake formed during a volcanic eruption) located on GRENADA. The volcano that formed Grand Etang Lake last erupted over 12,000 years ago.

EGGS (59D: Katsudon ingredients) In Japanese cuisine, katsudon is a dish that consists of rice topped with a deep-fried breaded pork cutlet, EGGS, and vegetables.

CATS (62D: Khao Manees, tabbies, etc.) Khao Manees are a breed of CATS that originated in Thailand. They have short, solid-white fur. Khao Manees have vivid eyes, that may be blue, golden, or green. Some Khao Manees are odd-eyed, a term used to describe a CAT with eyes that are different colors. Tabbies have a distinctive M-shaped marking on their foreheads, and stripes on their faces, bodies, and legs. My cat, Willow, is not a Khao Manee or a tabby. She is a calico, a breed distinguished by their three colors of fur  white, orange, and black.

Willow

RAW (65D: Like kinilaw and sashimi) Kinilaw is a RAW seafood dish that originates from the Philippines. Kinilaw dishes are prepared with vinegar and acidic fruit juices. Sashimi is a dish in Japanese cuisine, that is a delicacy of thinly-sliced RAW fish or meat.

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

GEEK SQUAD (17A: Best Buy's group of technicians)

GENIUS BAR (38A: Place to get help with a glitchy Mac)

GURU NANAK (64A: Founder of Sikhism)

Each theme answer begins with a word starting with the letter G, that is a synonym of the word WHIZ (when used in the sense of describing a clever or skillful person): GEEK, GENIUS, GURU.

I enjoyed this clever theme. It's fun to see that there are a number of WHIZ synonyms that begin with the letter G. In addition to the answers I've already highlighted, I was also PLEASED with IDEALLY, TOTE BAG, SANDMAN, and PROPOSE. Thank you, Dennis, for this excellent puzzle.

One more thing today: Did you know that USA TODAY has a TikTok channel? Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 15, at 11:00 a.m. ET (10:00 a.m. CT, 9:00 a.m. MT, 8:00 a.m. PT), Jen Hefty, the Local Audience director for USA Today will be live-streaming her solve of the crossword. I'll be tuning in, and I hope you do as well.

For more on USA TODAYs Crossword Puzzles

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crossword Blog & Answers for May 14, 2024 by Sally Hoelscher
A fine arts exhibition, sponsored by China Female Artists Association, Wuhu Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism and Wuhu Federation of Literary and Art Circles, was held recently in Wuhu Museum, in Wuhu, a city in East China's Anhui Province. More than 80 works, created by more than 40 women artists, from across the country, and including Chinese paintings, oil paintings

and prints, were displayed. Women artists created the works to show the magnificent views of the motherland, and the happy lives of Chinese in the new era. In this edition, Women of China highlights some of the works, to share the beautiful creations with our readers.

Playing [Painted by Ding Hua]

Late Autumn [Painted by Kong Zi]

Residential Houses in Qianxi [Painted by Bai Di]

Mountains and Water [Painted by Ma Liangfen]

A Summer Morning [Painted by Chang Xin]

Huangshan Pine Trees [Painted by Ban Ling]

Trees and Roots [Painted by He Wen]

Flowers [Painted by Yi Zhuang]

Visiting Summer Palace on a Spring Day [Painted by Lu Meiling]

She [Painted by Qiu Lin]

Birds and Flowers [Painted by Ding Ding]

Growing Toward the Sun [Painted by Lu Xiao]

Forest in Autumn [Painted by Zuo Wenhui]

Swimming in the River [Painted by Huang Hairong]

The Yellow River Seaward Flows [Painted by Sun Xiaojia]

Pictures from China Female Artists Association

(Women of China English Monthly April 2024)
Maximum fine for construction firm after breach of planning conditions

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, May 14th, 2024

A company has been fined the maximum amount for breaching their planning conditions on the Home Farm Housing Development in Llay.

The Magistrates Court fined the company 666, plus costs of 280 and Victim Surcharge of 266.

According to Wrexham Council the planning permission for the large scale hosuing development in Llay was subject to a range of conditions.

This inclded a condition to restrict delivery times and hours of construction work.

Once construction was underway, Wrexham Council received complaints that it was taking place outside of the conditioned hours.

As a result, a Breach of Condition Notice was served on Bellway Homes in August 2023.

Further reports of working beyond the permitted hours were received following the serving of the Notice, so the planning department started prosecution proceedings for not complying with the Notice.

The company pleaded guilty.

Cllr Hugh Jones, lead member for strategic planning and public protection, said: Planning conditions are put in place to ensure high quality developments and in this case, to minimise the effect of the construction works on nearby residents.

The planning department is committed to enforcing conditions imposed on planning permissions and taking prosecution action when required.
Teachers and school workers with the Los Angeles Unified School District rally in downtown Los Angeles, May 7, 2024.

Last Tuesday, over 1,000 teachers and school workers protested at the district headquarters against the coming devastating budget cuts at the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The teachers and school employees are members of the United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) and SEIU Local 99, the two largest unions in the Los Angeles County region.

Union officials led chants calling for stopping the cuts and layoffs, what the unions describe as Carvalho cuts after LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, formerly superintendent of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools before taking the Los Angeles post in 2022.

The superintendent is planning the cuts even though the district has more than $6.3 billion in reserve. In discussing the proposed cuts, the superintendent related to The74, We need to ask the question. Is the need still there and is this the right position?

Cecily Myart-Cruz, head of the 35,000-member United Teachers Los Angeles, and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, bombastically stated, A Carvalho cut is when youve got billions in the bank, but youre shortchanging students. We refuse to stand by while our schools lose critical staff year after year. This district claims its in dire financial straits. We say, liars! LAUSD has a budget surplus of $6.3 billion. When we fight, we win!

The unions focus on Carvalho himself as the sole cause of the cuts is meant to distract attention from the role of the Democratic Party at the local, state and federal levels in imposing cuts. This agenda is becoming ever more critical as the ruling elites reckless drive to World War III requires massive bloodletting, both literally and figuratively, to public education and other necessary social services.

The cuts are being made in anticipation of a massive funding shortfall this coming September. Los Angeles will be among hundreds of districts around the country facing the expiration of $190 billion in federal pandemic relief funds. The funding was meant to keep schools open during the pandemic, part of the Biden administrations policy, following that of Trump, of prioritizing corporate profits over human lives, even the lives of small children and their families.

LAUSD psychiatric social workers protesting cuts, May 7, 2024.

As far back as 2021, the UTLA was instrumental in helping to reopen schools, telling teachers they had no choice but to get back into the classroom as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 at the time was rampaging throughout the Los Angeles area and throughout the world.

If the latest cuts take place, they will most likely affect hundreds of special education assistants, campus aides, school supervision aides, pupil services, attendance counselors, psychiatric social workers, school psychologists, library aides, IT and tech support staff and art and music teachers.

Hiring freeze and school closures

In the December interview with The74, Carvalho said that LAUSD was implementing a targeted hiring freeze and may have to consider consolidating or closing some of its schools as pandemic aid funds dry up and the state faces a budget deficit.

At a school board meeting last week, Carvalho remarked that about 10 percent of all school districts in the state are planning to lay off educators. There are over 110 districts  right now that are facing teacher layoffs. This is not a scare tactic. That is what we know.

School officials have projected general fund revenue for next year of $9.14 billion. Spending for next year is estimated at $10.89 billion.

Alisa, a parent of three children attending schools in the South Bay and Harbor region of LAUSD, addressed the rally in opposition to the districts plans. These cuts will mean that the only middle school in Wilmington will lose all electives next year.  Underfunding is an understatement.

During COVID, one of my children was so affected by the pandemic. He was failing 9th and 10th grades, but because of the great efforts by the counselors, staff and teachers, hes now graduating from high school. We need these great educators. We need fully funded schools. We are investing in their future.

LA Educators for Justice in Palestine. One sign reads: "Fund schools! Not Genocide."

Cheryl Zarate, an eighth grade teacher at Thomas Starr King Middle School, said her school had to find $800,000 in cuts. The school could lose as many as six campus aides, two counselors, school climate advocates, custodians and an assistant principal. School psychologists will no longer be available every day, only on campus two days a week.

The UTLA represents 35,000 nurses, psychologists, social workers, librarians and classroom teachers. Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 99 represents 30,000 non-teaching educational workers, including bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians, special education aides, teacher aides and many others.

In March 2023, for the first time ever, district teachers went on strike in support of classified staff, resulting in a total of 65,000 educators striking for three days to demand a living wage, more hours and healthcare benefits. The union bureaucracy, however, limited the strike to only three days, fearing that the strike could spin out of their control and would become a direct challenge to the Democratic Party and the ruling class as a whole, especially as teachers in Oakland announced a wildcat strike in solidarity with the Los Angeles educators.

Despite claims made by the UTLA and SEIU Local 99 that the strike was a historic victory, the sellout character of the resultant agreement became immediately apparent. The Los Angeles Educators Rank-and-File Committee subjected the sellout agreement to a thoroughgoing exposure, noting that the average Los Angeles school worker would receive a poverty level salary of $33,000, up from $25,000 the year before. Furthermore, it established joint labor-management committees where union heads collaborate more directly with the district in attacking workers and would leave retirement benefits out of reach for nearly all SEIU Local 99 members.

UTLA and SEIU sellout agreements in 2023

The latest cuts being proposed by the district are in fact a direct result of the sellout agreements reached with both unions.

Implicitly admitting that the last agreement reached only a year earlier contained no real protections for workers whatsoever, SEIU Local 99 President Max Arias stated in relation to the latest cuts, Were expecting about 8,000 hours of cuts to our staff. Thats equal to 1,500 workers. And their health care will be cut. The children on our playgrounds will face more bullying without playground aides there to protect them.

A World Socialist Web Site reporter spoke to teachers and school workers at the rally who were all extremely upset about the proposed cuts.

One teacher, Jennifer, who has more than 23 years of experience in the district, said that the cuts were against what our last strike was all about. We were fighting for them [classified staff] to get more hours, etc. So now, Im like, what happened?

Theyve been cutting special ed aides for years now. Some of these students need one-on-one help to even walk from one classroom to the other. This was like 15 years ago, when I was a special ed aide. The aide after me was cut, and this student had a severe disability. He was made to walk all the way across campus by himself with a walker and his books.

Speaking about the latest cuts, another teacher stated, That three-day strike we had last year? This is completely retaliatory. This is a way to cut the budget more.

Cindy and John, K-12 educators, held up signs calling for the defense of school counselors jobs.

Cindy and John.

Cindy told the WSWS, We have one counselor for 750 students. Anything below that we have to pay for them. So were paying for an extra one, and were losing another one. Our students need all the resources.

When asked about coming to the defense of college and even some high students who have been brutally attacked by police for opposing the genocide in Gaza, another teacher, John, stated, I personally support a ceasefire. I support life for those who live in Gaza.

By contrast, both the UTLA and the SEIU said absolutely nothing as far-right provocateurs followed by Los Angeles police launched brutal assaults against peaceful student protesters at UCLA on April 30. More than 200 arrests have been made of students and faculty, and over 30 protesters suffered severe injuries. Classes are now being held online, and every building entrance is blocked by security guards.

Peaceful pro-Palestinian encampments have been erected at many college campuses in the Southern California region, including at USC, Pomona College, UC Irvine, UC Riverside and California State University Los Angeles. Besides at UCLA, campus administrations have brutally cracked down on protesters at USC and Pomona College.

Rank-and-file LAUSD teachers and school employees must understand that the fight to defend their jobs and public education is intimately bound up with the defense of the Palestinian people in Gaza and the students and faculty on the campuses who are being attacked for exercising their First Amendment rights.
The following resolution was adopted by a meeting of the Postal Workers Rank-and-File Committee (UK) on Sunday May 12, 2024. It calls for the release of Ukrainian Trotskyist Bogdan Syrotiuk, an opponent of NATOs proxy war in Ukraine, who was jailed by the Zelensky regime on April 25.

The World Socialist Web Site and the International Committee of the Fourth International have launched a global campaign demanding Syrotiuks freedom. Sign the online petition here.

Bogdan Syrotiuk in mid-April 2024.

The Postal Workers Rank-and-File Committee calls on Royal Mail workers to urgently support the global campaign to demand the release of Bogdan Syrotiuk from a Ukrainian prison.

Bogdan is a political prisoner who has been targeted as a socialist opponent of the Zelensky regime and NATOs proxy war against Russia. He was arrested by the secret policethe Security Service of Ukraineon April 25 in his hometown of Pervomaisk in southern Ukraine.

Just 25 years of age and in poor health, Bogdan is an opponent of the bloody war waged by the regimes in Kiev and Moscow that has already claimed more than half a million lives. He has advocated for the unity of the Russian and Ukrainian working class.

Bogdan is being held prisoner on trumped-up charges of undermining the territorial integrity of Ukraine and serving the interests of Russia. His life is in immediate danger in a prison system where torture and abuse are rife, even according to the US State Department.

The Ukrainian regimes frame-up of Bogdan as a supporter of the Putin regime and its invasion of Ukraine is an absurd lie. He is a leading member of the Young Guard of Bolshevik-Leninists (YGBL), a Trotskyist youth organisation active in Ukraine and throughout the rest of the former Soviet Union. The YGBL opposes the Russian invasion and the NATO proxy war. This is based on the principles of class unity against the governments and oligarchs in both countries.

What the Zelensky regime fears is not a Putin agent but the development of mass political opposition from the left among Ukrainian workers and youth who refuse to be used as cannon fodder in a fratricidal war.

Defending Bogdan means challenging the endless pro-war propaganda by the British media that the NATO-backed conflict against Russia is being waged to defend democracy and human rights. Ukraine is a police state under martial law with all opposition parties banned.

The proxy war for imperialist interests to conquer Russia is being waged down to the last Ukrainian. Conservative Foreign Minister David Cameron stated in a recent trip to the US: I argue that it is extremely good value for money for the United States and for others. Perhaps for about five or 10 percent of your defence budget, almost half of Russias pre-war military equipment has been destroyed without the loss of a single American life.

Hundreds of billions of pounds are being funnelled into the military, while the National Health Service and social programmes are starved of funds. Austerity is being enforced by capitalist governments across the world to implement a war economy.

The war against Russia in Ukraine, like the war on Gaza, is being armed and financed by the US, Britain and other NATO powers. Israel and Ukraine are proxy states backed by their imperialist sponsors in Washington and London which have embarked on a new redivision of the world to seize control of energy supplies, mineral resources, supply chains and markets.

War abroad means a war against the working class at home. The Zelensky regimes dictatorial measures are being replicated in NATO countries. In the United States, peaceful student protests over Gaza are facing a martial law-style crackdown, with riot police launched onto university campuses to carry out mass arrests.

Hundreds of Jewish people have been arrested and detained for protesting the Gaza genocide, exposing the crude smear that opposition to Zionism equals anti-Semitism. The real sponsors of anti-Semitism are the imperialist powers themselves. Washington, Berlin and London have armed and backed the Zelensky regime in Ukraine which officially honours Stepan Bandera, the Holocaust collaborator during WWII.

The fight for Bogdans freedom is inseparable from the struggle against austerity, dictatorship and war. We support the call made by the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) for the working class to oppose the state crackdown on university protests in the US, Britain and internationally against Israels genocide in Gaza. The courageous stand of students and faculty members must be defended against the frontal assault unleashed on the right to protest and freedom of speech. The police-state methods used today against students will be used tomorrow against every form of protest and strike action by the working class.

The threat of World War III is more urgent than many working people realise. State repression and censorship is being used to silence anti-war sentiment and conceal the preparations for direct military confrontation against Russia and China, which includes war gaming the use of nuclear weapons. The leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer is fully complicit in these plans and declares openly his readiness to press the nuclear button. The working class confronts a joint party of austerity and war.

We support the call issued by the International Committee of the Fourth International and the World Socialist Web Site for the immediate release of Bogdan Syrotiuk and for the development of an international anti-war movement uniting workers globally. As the IWA-RFC states 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.

We urge postal workers to sign the online petition, post a statement on that Change.org site, bring this campaign to the attention of your co-workers and pass resolutions demanding freedom for Bogdan Syrotiuk.
UK Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak warned Monday, The world is closer to a dangerous nuclear escalation than at any point since the Cuban missile crisis.

He did so in a speech launching the Tory partys general election campaign citing an existential threat that the next few years will be some of the most dangerous yet the most transformational our country has ever known.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak delivers his speech on security at the Policy Exchange, May 13, 2024 [Photo by Simon Dawson/No 10 Downing Street / CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Speaking at the Policy Exchange think-tank, Sunak attributed all blame for the threat of nuclear conflict to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and of war in general to An axis of authoritarian states like Russia, Iran, North Korea, and China working together to undermine us and our values.

Sunak declared: War has returned to Europe, with our NATO allies warning that if Putin succeeds in Ukraine, they might be next. War rages, too, in the Middle East as Israel defends itself not only against the terrorists of Hamas but a barrage of missiles firedfor the first timedirectly from Iran. Right now in Africa, conflicts are being fought in 18 different countries

Sunak turns everything on its head, attributing the escalation of war across continents and its attendant horrors to the states targeted for aggression by the UK, the United States and other imperialist powers as they seek unchallenged control of world resources and markets.

Confirming this reality, however, his speech proposed no measures to lessen the danger of a direct conflict between nuclear armed states. He instead pledged that the Tories were the party to be trusted to wage war at whatever cost.

The highest priority of a Conservative government is to keep our country safe, he insisted. Weve proudly taken the generational decision to increase defence spending to a new baseline of 2.5 percent of GDP, by 2030. Yet Labour have refused to match our pledge.

Sunak raised again the bogeyman of Labours brief turn to the left under Jeremy Corbyn, who declared his opposition to NATO and our nuclear deterrent, the ultimate guarantor of our security, before he capitulated to his partys right-wing.

Labour want to pretend this is all ancient history, but it is not and it should worry us. Because the defence of our country and our values requires seriousness of purpose, moral clarity, and the willingness to make big choices and sacrifices elsewhere to fund it.

Sunaks moral clarity consisted of linking waging war to an anti-migrant witch-hunt to an assault on democratic rights and the evisceration of essential social services.

After acknowledging that a world of greater conflict and danger means that 100 million people are now displaced globally, he alleged that Countries like Russia are weaponising immigration for their own ends. We can and will protect ourselves against illegal migration, he said. Thats why were pioneering the Rwanda scheme. And so, when people see that if they come here illegally, they will be swiftly detained and removed And if the Strasbourg Court make me choose between the [European Convention on Human Rights] and this countrys security, I will choose our countrys security every single time.

Promising a clampdown on anti-genocide and anti-war protests, he asserted that People are abusing our liberal democratic valuesthe freedom of speech and right of protestto intimidate, threaten and assault others, to sing antisemitic chants on our streets and our university campuses

He boasted, Weve reformed welfare by capping benefits and introducing Universal Credit to help [i.e., force] people into work.

After hearing this diatribe, Britains media reporters rose as one to question whether the Tories were serious about waging war against Russia to the very end. LBC Radio raised a Sunday Times report that Foreign Secretary David Cameron had persuaded Donald Trump to back more funding for Ukraine based on the premise that he could then secure a peace deal after becoming president in November. LBCs reporter demanded assurances that the West is not about to force Ukraine into taking a peace deal, and was backed by Channel 4 asking, Are we now in favour of a deal?

Sunak countered that we have led when it comes to Ukraine, including being the first to provide new capabilities whether that was tanks, the decision I made main battle tanks, long-range weapons

For Labours part, Starmer responded to Sunaks jibes by telling reporters that the government has no credible plan for national security and that he understands first-hand the importance of national security from working as director of public prosecutions.

This government talks about national security, but whats its record? Its hollowed out our armed forces, he countered, Were more serious than that. Were a changed Labour Party which puts our country first and our party second.

This is only Labours initial response. Sunak has thrown down the military spending gauntlet and stressed the Tories refusal to back down from nuclear war. Labour will respond in kind.

Starmer has for months been stressing that Labour is the party of NATO as he has backed the bloody slaughter in Ukraine, supporting Israels genocide in Gaza and US plans for war against Iran and China. Last month, during a visit to BAE Systems weapons manufacturer, Starmer declared for the third time that he would, in office, authorise the use of nuclear missiles.

There is no real difference between the Tories and Labour on all essential issues. They rail against each other only to prove which is the most pro-business, most ready to impose austerity, has the best policy to clampdown on migrationand who can lead British imperialism in a global struggle for the redivision of the world that threatens disaster.

Millions of workers and young people are becoming aware of this fact, especially those who have taken to the streets week on week to oppose the support of Sunak and Starmer for Israels genocide in Gaza. But the essential conclusion that must be drawn is that workers need to build their own party and to determine what kind of party must be built.

Sunaks speech reveals again how advanced are the dangers facing the working class in Britain and internationally. He speaks openly of nuclear war with Russia, while boasting that his only response is to spend more on weapons and to pledge that there will be no negotiated settlement. And this is the response in Washington, Paris and Berlin and every imperialist capital the world over.

The Socialist Equality Party will stand candidates in the upcoming general election dedicated to the development of a mass independent political movement of workers and young people against the genocide in Gaza, the war in Ukraine and the plans for war against Iran and China. Our party is opposed to the war criminals in the Tory and Labour parties.

We fight for the overthrow of capitalism and for socialism, uniting workers all over the world in a common struggle. We do so in alliance with all our comrades in the International Committee of the Fourth International, including in Germany where our sister party is standing in this summers European elections, and in the United States where the SEP is fielding Joseph Kishore as its presidential candidate against Trump and Genocide Joe Biden. This is the party that workers and young people must join if a global conflagration is to be averted.
The following speech was given by Tomas Castanheira, a leading member of the Socialist Equality Group in Brazil, at the International May Day 2024 Online Rally, held Saturday, May 4.

International May Day 2024 Online Rally

We are holding this May Day event at a turning point in the world political crisis. The imperialist bourgeoisie has plunged fully into the maelstrom of war and is dragging the whole world into catastrophe with it.

The development of this world war has immediate and explosive repercussions in Latin America. Two years ago, at the 2022 May Day rally of the ICFI, which was dedicated to formulating a strategy to fight the imperialist war, we declared, A new world war will necessarily put Latin America on the map of conflict on a scale incomparable to the two previous wars.

This prediction has reached an immense degree of concreteness. The contours of the map of war in Latin America are already being drawn. A series of events in the last month have marked a qualitative leap in the US offensive against China, Russia and Iran on South American territory.

This militaristic escalation was announced by Gen. Laura Richardson, head of the US Southern Command, in an inflammatory speech to the US Congress in March. Richardson warned that Russia, and particularly China, are laying claim to the abundant food, water, and critical earth minerals present in Latin America, and she made it clear that this represents an intolerable challenge to Washington.

For US imperialism, the strategic resources in this region, historically seen as Americas backyard, are rightfully theirs. The fight for these vital interests of decaying American capitalism is justified by increasingly hysterical propaganda against the evil agenda of Washingtons strategic competitors. Peaceful operations, such as Chinas construction of a commercial port in Peru, are fraudulently presented as military maneuvers in disguise.

At the beginning of April, Richardson made a crucial trip to Ushuaia, in southern Argentina, where Argentinas fascist President Javier Milei announced the construction of a joint naval base with the United States.

Argentine President Javier Milei greets Southern Command chief Gen. Laura Richardson, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, April 4. [Photo: US Southern Command]

The geographical point in the South Atlantic is considered a global strategic chokepoint. Next to the Panama Canal, it is a necessary route for transporting tons of goods from South America to Asia.

At the same time, the Argentine Navy inaugurated a joint patrol program with the US Coast Guard of Argentine seas, ostensibly aimed at countering the presence of clandestine Chinese fishing vessels that allegedly threaten regional security. Washington has sent the destroyer USCGC James for this purpose, which could lead to direct confrontations between the US armed forces and Chinese civilian vessels.

The abrupt turn of Argentinas foreign policy towards Washington and its war aims is not merely a political choice by Mileis fascistic regime. It is based on fundamental objective relations between Latin American national capitalism and imperialism.

In Brazil, governed by Lula of the supposedly left-wing Workers Party (PT), the military increasingly echoes the bellicose pro-imperialist rhetoric. Supported by the Lula government, the armed forces have systematically bombarded the Brazilian population with a campaign to increase the countrys military budget.

Brazil's President Lula with Joe Biden [Photo: Ricardo Stuckert/PR]

Similar to the Milei governments accusations, the commander of the Brazilian Navy has made repeated public warnings about the presence of extra-regional powers in Brazils strategic surroundings, referring to Chinese ships, and the need to build a defense mentality among the Brazilian population, that is, to prepare them for war.

In this context, hours after Richardsons visit to Argentina on April 4, the United States announced the deployment of the nuclear aircraft carrier USS George Washington for joint military exercises with South American countries.

Military personnel from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Ecuador and Peru and from NATO countries will be instructed onboard by professors from the US War College.

Symbolically, the aircraft carrier will anchor in Brazil, Peru and Chile. The latter, as Argentina, integrates the so-called Lithium Triangle, which holds 60 percent of the known reserves of the mineral, which is crucial for producing electric vehicles and modern weapons.

The third tip of the triangle, Bolivia, which has the largest lithium reserves on the planet, is outside the exercises. The country governed by Luis Arce, of the Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS), has signed contracts with Chinese and Russian consortiums to boost the extraction of this strategic mineral in the coming period.

Explosive geopolitical movements are developing rapidly in these places. Imminent direct military confrontations in the region came to the fore recently with Venezuelas Nicolas Maduros claim upon the oil-rich Essequibo region, now belonging to Guyana.

A map of Guyana, with dash lines indicating disputed areas. [Photo by Central Intellgence Agency / CC BY-SA 4.0

The bourgeois nationalist regime of the Chavista Maduro, supported by the countrys immense oil reserves, has strategic commercial and military relations with China, Russia and Iran, which it uses to counterbalance the weight of imperialist pressures.

Maduros claim on Essequibo provoked a unified offensive response from the imperialist powers. Reaffirming the basis of its old colonialist policy, the United Kingdom sent warships to the region to curb Maduro.

Acting as a regional mediator for imperialism, a role it is playing more and more openly, the Lula government has sent military forces to Brazils borders with Venezuela.

The historical delineation of the borders of Venezuela and Guyana was based on treaties overseen by imperialism, which by their very nature are unjust. Dozens of other borders across Latin America have been defined in a similar way and could become regional flashpoints for war.

But the redivision of these territories by bourgeois nationalist regimes like Madurossimilar to Putins invasion of Ukrainecannot assume the slightest democratic or progressive character.

The problems that confront humanitysocial inequality, the outbreak of war, pandemics and natural disastersare rooted directly in the incompatibility between a world divided into national states and the globally integrated nature of the economy and social life in the 21st century.

When they came to power at the beginning of the century, Lula, Chavez and the other governments of the so-called Pink Tide defended the possibility of regional economic and social development through the bourgeois Latin American Union, in harmony with imperialism.

These reactionary illusions have definitively collapsed. Along with them, the illusions of a new multipolar order supplanting US imperialism in crisis have been exposed.

Lula, chosen by the international pseudo-left as a central protagonist of this political perspective, is a paradigm of the reactionary character of multipolarity. While hypocritically condemning the genocide in Gaza, Lula desperately seeks the support of the imperialist powers, promoting as the champions of democracy and peace figures like Genocide Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron, who advocates sending NATO troops into Ukraine.

In the imperialist and backward countries, there is no possible alternative for the working class within the bourgeois national state and its political systems. Under the impact of the crisis of capitalism and the war, the ruling classes in Latin Americafrom the fascist parties and military camarillas that have emerged at the center of politics in all their countries to the old representatives of the official leftare all advancing against the working class.

The universal experience of the Latin American masses is one of growing impoverishment and job destruction, the dismantling of the most basic social structures, leading to devastating epidemics of dengue fever and other diseases, as well as illiteracy.

But while the surface of political life, dominated by the bourgeoisie, is one of growing reaction, further down, the working class is moving politically to the left, towards socialist revolution.

People march in a protest against the government's response in combating COVID-19, demanding the impeachment of President Jair Bolsonaro, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, May 29, 2021. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

This is the case even in countries where far-right governments have recently been elected. The rise of Milei in Argentina, the result of the deep discrediting of Peronism after years of capitalist adjustments, has been accompanied by an explosive movement of strikes and protests, which continue unabated.

The fundamental political question is one of political leadership. In no country is it possible to take a political step forward without mobilizing the working class on the basis of a directly internationalist strategy and practice.

In Brazil and in all the countries of Latin America, we call on young people and workers to build the Socialist Equality Party based on the program and international direction of the International Committee of the Fourth International.

There is no time to lose.
On May 7, 2,500 junior doctors who work in New Zealands public hospitals walked out for 25 hours after rejecting the latest pay offer from Health NZ-Te Whatu Ora. It was the first nationwide strike by junior doctors in five years.

Doctors on strike in New Zealand, May 7, 2024 [Photo: Facebook/New Zealand Resident Doctors Association]

The doctors who are members of the Resident Doctors Association (NZRDA) work across the country and in every specialty, ranging from those just out of medical school to those about to become specialists.

The NZRDA issued the strike notice saying pay bargaining had reached an impasse. A second, two-day, strike is planned for May 16.

Health NZ is seeking to cut pay for some doctors while raising salaries for others. It has reportedly offered most a pay rise of about 20 percentalthough it is unclear whether this is spread over one year, two, or three. The NZRDA said the offer included unacceptable pay cuts of up to 12 percent or a pay freeze for nearly 600 registrars, including a pay cut for general practice trainee positions of up to $13,000.

The union said doctors working in radiation, oncology, psychiatry and public health in particular would miss out on any increase. The offer would also lower the cap on salary progressions and remove an extra step in the salary scale once a registrar passes their first specialist training exam.

A rival union, the Specialty Trainees of New Zealand (STONZ), which has 2,000 members, signed a two-year contract earlier this year, which reportedly has better rates of pay than what NZRDA members have been offered.

NZRDA national secretary Deborah Powell said the pay cuts would exacerbate the healthcare staffing crisis. There are 500 unfilled resident doctor vacancies and another 600 senior doctor vacancies.

Pickets were set up at many major hospitals around the country. According to Radio NZ (RNZ), about 50 people picketed Waikato Hospital in Hamilton, and a similar number in Wellington, both attracting considerable support from passing motorists.

A doctor on strike in Dunedin highlighted the shortage of senior doctors, which meant that the local hospital could no longer train junior cancer doctors.

Christchurch Hospital emergency doctor Savannah Adams told RNZ the strikers were also demanding safer hours. Currently junior doctors are expected to work two, at least, 15-hour shifts in a row on weekends, and then sort of work the week either side of that, so I think we are really wanting to support our front-line staff here and give them a reason to stay, she said.

According to RNZ, the cost of junior doctors doing extra hours to plug shortages skyrocketed to more than $70 million last year, double what it was in 202223.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis absurdly told RNZ that the government was not involved in the junior doctors dispute, even though it determines the health systems budget.

Health NZ recently ordered hospitals to take emergency measures to cut spending by a total of $105 million by July. This is part of the far-right National Party-led governments savage austerity program, which includes spending cuts of $1.5 billion a year across the public service, and a projected 7,500 job cuts.

The public health system crisis was highlighted by a recent report by the senior doctors union, the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS), which said more than a third of adults are not getting the healthcare they need.

The number of patients waiting longer than four months for specialist care was six times higher in September last year than in July 2019. About 1.75 million people were missing out on dental care, while 329,000 adults and 55,000 children were not getting the treatment they needed for addiction or mental health issues.

The ASMS report said the number of people turning up to hospital emergency departments has grown by 22 percent in the nine years to 2023. The proportion arriving with immediately or potentially life-threatening conditions has grown from half to two-thirds.

Those with enough money can skip the public waiting list entirely and pay for treatment in private hospitals. In the two-tier health system, more than 20 percent of services are private. Over 1.4 million people, just under a third of the population have private health insurance. In 2021, $1.5 billion was paid out in claims, highlighting increased reliance on the private system, particularly for non-urgent surgeries.

The crisis is one in which the trade unions are entirely complicit. Over decades they have collaborated with successive governments to enforce spending and staffing cuts and impose sell-out contract deals. From 2018, the Labour-led government was confronted by a series of strikes by nurses, doctors, medical laboratory staff and midwives. These were systematically sold out by the unions, which have always kept the struggles of health workers isolated from each other and from the wider working class.

In 2019, junior doctors held five strikes seeking to prevent clawbacks to long-standing terms and conditions. The NZRDA was not fighting to improve pay and conditions but purportedly focused on retaining the status quo for doctors. The existing contract had limits on how many days, how many night shifts, and how many hours could be worked in a row. In negotiations, the union signalled it was willing to alter existing safer hours provisions to allow more flexible rostering.

The previous 2017 settlement had seen some minor improvements in shifts and hours, but these were effectively paid for by doctors through salary deductions for rostered days off.

The NZRDA, like all the other unions, is run by a parasitic layer whose class interests are directly opposed to those of the workers they claim to represent. In 2018 it was reported that Powell, the unions national secretary and chief advocate was paid $927,000 a year.

The various healthcare unions, including Apex (a union for allied and technical healthcare workers of which Powell is also the national secretary), the New Zealand Nurses Organisation, STONZ, the Midwifery Employee Representation and Advisory Service (MERAS) and ASMS have refused to organise a combined campaign against cuts that are impacting the entire workforce and the wellbeing of patients.

Meanwhile the Public Service Association and E tu, are suppressing any fight against thousands of public sector job cuts and hundreds of layoffs in the media industry. The teacher unions are doing nothing to oppose draconian cuts to school lunches for hundreds of thousands of children or to demand in-school protections against the ongoing spread of COVID-19.

Nor have any of the unions opposed the governments plan to divert billions of dollars from public services in order to expand prisons and build up the military, as it supports the eruption of US imperialism in the Middle East, against Russia and the build-up to war against China.

Any genuine fight by workers to defend pay and conditions in hospitals requires a rebellion against the unions and the creation of new organisations of struggle: independent rank-and-file committees controlled by workers themselves. These would need to coordinate joint industrial and political action by workers throughout the health sector, the schools, the broader public service, and private factories, in opposition to the government and the entire political establishment.

Such a struggle requires a new political perspective: the fight for a workers government and socialist policies, focused on addressing urgent human needs, not on preparing for war and further enriching the tiny super-wealthy elite.
On Monday, more than 1,000 child care centers in the US temporarily shut down facilities Monday, while workers called in sick, to take part in the third annual Day Without Child Care, sponsored by Community Change Action. The protest highlighted the crisis faced by both child care workers and parents in the provision of care for young children.

A staffer smiles as a child raises her hand to answer a question during a lesson on shapes and colors on the playground at Living Water Child Care and Learning Center in Williamson, W.Va. on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023 [AP Photo/Leah Willingham]

In March 2021, $24 billion in child care stabilization grants and $15 billion in supplemental discretionary child care funds were passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The ARPA funds provided desperately needed financial support to child care programs, early educators, and families and their young children throughout the United States.

However, on May 11, 2023, the Biden administration ended the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, taking with it vitally needed funds for child care providers. On September 30, 2023, the $24 billion in Child Care Stabilization funds expired. The $15 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant is set to expire in September of this year.

Before the allocation of these funds, child care workers were already earning poverty wages and parents were scrambling to find affordable care for their young children. To say the child care system in America is in crisis is a huge understatement.

An analysis published earlier this month by the National Womens Law Center presents staggering statistics.

The median hourly wage for a child care worker in the US is $14.60. A child care worker employed at this rate for 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, would earn just over $30,000 annuallyalthough few of these workers have these hours. Health and Human Services places the 2024 poverty level for a four-person household at an abysmally low $31,200.

Making matters even more dire, early childhood educators are paid far less than educators in grades K-8, who themselves are poorly remunerated. UC Berkeley researchers found that poverty rates among early childhood educators are 7.7 times higher than teachers in grades K-8. Child care workers and services are listed on websites like Care.com alongside nannies, cleaners, personal care assistants and other low-paid occupations for hire.

Early childhood education (ECE), also known as nursery education, emerged as a field of study during the Enlightenment, particularly in 18th century Europe. Early childhood researchers emphasize the importance of ECE for developing the physical, social, emotional, language and cognitive skills of young children. But in 21st century America, ECE is relegated to the category of mere childminding, with child care workers paid accordingly.

A child care director/administrator in Mississippi responded to a survey by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) on the challenges of running a child care center under the current economic conditions:

My program has been impacted in every negative way possible. I cant pay bills on time, supplies are limited, cant support the children as I did. I am at the point of closing my center after 25 years. I helped all of my employees to get a degree; some have received Masters, and I cant afford to pay them what they are worth or I dont pay myself.

Meanwhile, affordable, quality child care is out of reach for most working- and middle-class parents. A report from Care.com found that nearly half of US parents spend more than $18,000 a year on child care expenses. And one in five US families spends $36,000 or more on child care in a single year.

The Child Care and Development Block Grant, a federal program that provides subsidies to parents for child care, is severely underfunded. According to the First Five Years Fund, CCDBG only reaches about 14 percent of eligible working families.

A federal government report last year found that in some areas of the US, such as Washington D.C., single parents spent 75 percent of their income on infant care.

More than 14 million US children aged 5 and younger, or roughly two in three children in this age group, have all available parents in the workforce. This forces parents to choose between working and obtaining child care.

According to US Census data, more than a quarter of parents with children under 6 said that they or a family member were forced to miss work due to a child care issue. Parents must make the impossible choice of quitting their jobs or placing their children in unlicensed facilities, with overworked, underpaid workers and unsafe conditions.

An early childhood educator in Oregon told NAEYC:

We dont bring in enough in tuition to meet salary. Increasing tuition would be a huge hardship on parents. We need to increase wages, but cant afford to. I cant nd qualied staff and have had to close a classroom. Morale is low, behaviors are challenging. We are NOT OK.

Budget cuts to child care are taking place at the state and local level as well. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, has proposed a 2025 budget that wholly eliminates the Early Childhood Educatory Pay Equity Fund. This fund was created in 2021 with the aim of providing permanent funding to help offer direct payments to child care professionals and employers to equalize compensation of child care workers with their counterparts in the Districts public school system.

Child care as a basic right

Thousands of providers and parents participated in the Day Without Child Care, motivated by their demand for living wages for child care workers. However, the liberal organizers perspective of pressuring Congress and the Biden administration to provide more funding will find no response from the same big-business politicians who have slashed federal programs and grants under conditions where child care is in an unprecedented crisis.

Jerry White, the Socialist Equality Partys candidate for US vice president, commented on Mondays protests:

Child care providers are among the most exploited sections of the US workforce. The already appalling conditions at child care centers in the US have been compounded by the Biden administrations decision to end the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, which has led to the slashing of grants and subsidies to child care centers, creating a catastrophe for working class families and child care workers alike. While these programs are cut to the bone, the Democrats and Republicans have authorized billions to fund the genocide in Gaza and US-NATO proxy war against Russia. Child care and early childhood education are basic social rights that can only be defended through the mobilization of the working class in a political struggle for socialism against the two big-business parties. This fight must be independent of the unions, which have abandoned child care workers and their members, millions of whom are parents struggling to find affordable, high-quality health care for their young children.
The following speech was given by Deepal Jayasekera, General Secretary of the Socialist Equality Party (Sri Lanka), at the International May Day 2024 Online Rally, held Saturday, May 4.

International May Day 2024 Online Rally

The developing danger of a nuclear World War III, intensified by the ongoing imperialist-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza, associated developments towards a broader war in Middle East, the escalating US-NATO war against Russia in Ukraine and the US war preparations against China, is very much shaping the political situation in Sri Lanka, India and South Asia as a whole.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has transformed India into a frontline state of the US war drive against China. In line with Indias military-strategic partnership with the US and close ties with Tel Aviv, the Modi government, from the outset, has fully supported Israels genocide in Gaza.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pose for the media before a meeting in New Delhi, India, Monday, January 15, 2018 [AP Photo/ingen opphavsmann]

India is collaborating with the US to integrate countries in South Asia, including Sri Lanka, into their military-strategic offensive against China. As a result, the whole South Asian region is increasingly being dragged into the vortex of intensifying geopolitical tensions, which could lead to a nuclear third world war. The basic political conclusion workers and youth in South Asia need to draw from these developments is the need to build an international anti-war movement based on socialist policies, which is being led by the ICFI.

Modi and his Hindu supremacist BJP aim to come to power for a third consecutive term in the upcoming general elections in India, with the blessing of powerful sections of the Indian ruling elite, local and foreign big business, the corporate media and of course the US and other imperialist powers. They intend to ruthlessly continue with pro-investor economic reform measures and further develop Indias strategic partnership with the US, while establishing fascistic rule based on Hindu chauvinism to brutally crackdown on the inevitable struggles of workers, youth and the rural poor against these policies.

However, the opposition alliance, India National Development Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), led by the Congress Party and comprised of various regional bourgeois parties and Staliniststhe Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPM, and the Communist Party of India (CPI)has no fundamentally different economic and foreign policies from Modis BJP. INDIA alliance is committed to the same economic reform policies and the India-US strategic partnership.

Therefore, the Indian working class has no choice in this general election. They must reject all these parties of the bourgeois political establishment, including the Stalinists. They need to mobilise themselves as an independent political movement, rallying the rural poor, in the fight for a workers government which will be committed to socialist policies. This must be part of the broader struggle for socialism in South Asia and internationally.

Responding to increasing pressure from India and the US, the Sri Lankan government of President Ranil Wickremesinghe is working to closely integrate Sri Lanka into the US-India war drive against China. At the end of April, the US and Sri Lankan navies conducted bilateral joint exercises off the coast of Trincomalee in eastern Sri Lanka.

US Ambassador Julie Chung (left) and US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma meet with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe (right) at the Presidential Secretariat [Photo: USAs ambassade pa Sri Lanka]

The Wickremesinghe government has also supported Israels genocide in Gaza since early October. Earlier this year, it sent a naval ship to the Red Sea to join the US-led coalition, supposedly to protect commercial ships from attacks by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

At the same time, the Wickremesinghe government is going to intensify its harsh austerity measures, dictated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), by restructuring or privatizing over 400 State Owned Enterprises (SOE). This move will destroy about half a million jobs, slash wages, cut working conditions and further hike utility prices like electricity and water to unbearably high levels.

The working class is coming into struggle against this brutal assault of the Wickremesinghe government on their social rights. Early this year, tens of thousands of workers of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) held a three-day strike and protests against the governments privatization plans.

The Wickremesinghe government is intensifying state repression and aims to crack down on these developing struggles of the working class, including essential service orders outlawing strikes and other class actions by workers in several public sector enterprises, deploying the military to break strikes, and the suspension of workers for taking industrial actions. The Wickremesinghe government is intensifying the class war against the working class.

The bourgeois opposition parties, including the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), have no fundamental differences with the Wickremesinghe government over its economic policy. They are committed to the same IMF austerity program and would continue it just as ruthlessly if they come to power in a future election, also brutally cracking down on the opposition of workers, youths and rural poor.

The trade unions, with the help of pseudo-left organizations like the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP), function as a bulwark to block an independent political movement of the working class against the Wickremesinghe governments assault on their social and democratic rights, as they did during the mass uprising in 2022 which brought down the Rajapakse government.

Sri Lankans protest blocking a highway demanding resignation of the government in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, April 3, 2022. [AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena]

The crucial political lesson the working class must draw from the experience of the 2022 mass uprising is the need for a revolutionary socialist leadership and perspective to secure their victory against the ruling class onslaught. Although the mass uprising was able to force then-president Gotabhaya Rajapakse to resign and flee the country and his government to collapse, the ruling elite had a respite by elevating Wickremesinghe to the presidency. The working class unable to implement its own socialist solution to the crisis due to a lack of revolutionary leadership and perspective.

As part of its broader attacks on democratic rights, the Wickremesinghe government has decided to impose a 52-fold increase in the security deposit for presidential candidates of recognized political parties to 2.6 million rupees, while raising this fee for independent candidates from 75,000 rupees to 3.1 million rupees. Deposits for other elections are also to be increased several-fold. The aim of this move is to marginalize political opponents in general and socialist opposition, i.e., the SEP, in particular.

In response to the ruling class offensive on the social and democratic rights of the working class, including this latest move by the Wickremesinghe government, the SEP has launched an ambitious program of developing our partys political and theoretical works and building the party itself, including a party-building fund of 3.5 million rupees, as well as a recruiting drive for the party and the IYSSE, developing our coverage for the WSWS and our publication of Marxist-Trotskyist literature in Sinhala and Tamil.

At the same time, the SEP is continuing its campaign to build a Democratic and Socialist Congress of Workers and Rural Masses (DSC), which we initiated in mid-July 2022 during the mass uprising. We call on workers to form their own action committees at every workplace, factory, plantation and neighborhood, independent of the union bureaucracies and all bourgeois parties. Such committees must also be formed by the rural poor in their areas. The DSC will be based on democratically elected delegates from such action committees.

Unanimous vote on 1 February 2024 for CWAC resolution to defend victimised Ceylon Electricity Board workers.

Through building the DSC, the SEP is developing its struggle to independently mobilize the working class in a political movement, rallying the rural poor and youth, based on international socialism, to overthrow bourgeois rule and establish a government of workers and peasants. This is part of a broader struggle for socialism internationally, in which the SEP is closely collaborating with our sister parties in the ICFI.

I call upon workers, youths, rural poor and socialist-minded intellectuals to join with the SEP in taking forward this crucial political struggle.
With Israel expanding its assault on Rafah and launching indiscriminate bombings and assaults throughout the Gaza Strip, 20 percent of Gazas population has been forced once again to flee their homes and shelters over the past week.

Palestinians displaced by the Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip arrive at a makeshift tent camp west of Rafah, Gaza, Friday, May 10, 2024 [AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana]

Under these conditions, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan gave a full-throated endorsement of US support for Israel at a press briefing Monday, making clear that the Biden administration will continue to supply weapons to the Netanyahu government.

No president has stood stronger with Israel than Joe Biden, Sullivan declared. He was the first president ever to visit Israel during wartime. He is protecting Israel at the United Nations. He mobilized a coalition to directly defend Israel against an unprecedented Iranian attack. He led the bipartisan effort to pass a supplemental that ensures Israels defense and military edge for years to come. His commitment to Israel is ironclad.

The United States has sent a massive amount of military assistance to Israel, Sullivan said. We are continuing to send military assistance, and we will ensure that Israel receives the full amount provided in the supplemental, referring to $14 billion in additional military spending for Israel in a bill passed last month.

Sullivan declared that the obstacle to peace is Hamas, not Israel, stating, There could be a ceasefire tomorrow if Hamas simply released women, wounded and elderly hostages. He did not mention that Hamas has already agreed to these terms, which were rejected by the Netanyahu government.

He then flat out denied the reality of the genocide being carried out by Israel, stating, We do not believe what is happening in Gaza is a genocide, adding, We have been firmly on record rejecting that proposition. Sullivan likewise denied that Israel was deliberately hampering the entry of food aid to Gaza.

Explaining why he was making these comments, Sullivan declared, Theres been a lot more heat than light in the recent coverage and commentary about the war between Israel and Hamas, and he wanted to lay out the administrations view.

The clear implication was that Sullivan was clarifying comments made by US President Joe Biden last week, that if they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah.

Sullivan clarified that the position of the administration is that Israel had not launched a major ground attack on Rafah, despite the fact that its military offensive in the city has already killed hundreds and led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.

On Monday, Israeli forces killed a foreign UN staffer in Gaza for the first time since the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) invaded Gaza in October. Israeli soldiers fired on a clearly marked UN vehicle, killing one occupant and injuring another.

They were targeted while they were riding in a UN vehicle bearing the UN flag, said a statement from Gazas government media office.

The same day, a group of Israelis set fire to the perimeter of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, according to Israeli rights group HaMoked.

The same day, footage emerged of far-right Israelis attacking food aid shipments at the Rafah border, spending hours destroying truckloads of food as Israeli police forces stood by and did nothing. It was the second time in one week that the grounds were set on fire.

In a speech Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue the assault on Gaza, declaring, We will not stop until we bring about the collapse of the Hamas terror regime. We will exact revenge from those who perpetrated the [October 7] attack, till the very last one of them. We will sever their arms so that they can no longer raise them against Israel.

Israeli forces carried out raids throughout the entire Gaza Strip, targeting not only Rafah but also Jabalia and Zeitoun in Northern Gaza.

Over the past 24 hours, 57 Gazans were killed, while the official death toll now stands at over 35,000, Gazas government media office said Monday.

At least 360,000 Palestinians have been forced to flee Rafah over the past week, the UN said Monday, as well as 100,000 in Northern Gaza, amounting to one-fifth of Gazas entire population. The vast majority have been displaced multiple times. Roads heading north are full of people desperately attempting to flee.

We dont know where to go. We have been displaced from one place to the next. ... We are running in the streets, one woman told Reuters.

Forcing over one million displaced Palestinians in Rafah to again flee without a safe place to go is unlawful and will have catastrophic consequences, Human Rights Watch said in a statement.

As a result of the Israeli military offensive, virtually all food aid distribution has been cut off from entering the Gaza Strip. Abeer Etefa, a spokeswoman for the UNs World Food Programme, said Monday that the vast majority of food distribution in Gaza had been suspended. The majority of distributions have stopped due to the evacuation orders, displacement, and running out of food, she said. The situation is becoming increasingly unsustainable.

Sally Abi Khalil, Middle East director of the Oxfam charity, said in a statement, The situation is desperate, with so many people in Gaza living in fear and being forced to endure inhumane and unsanitary conditions caused by sustained Israeli bombardment.

In a statement, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Joyce Msuya said that those whove escaped death and injury now risk losing their lives because of a lack of food, safe water, medicine and healthcare.

She continued, Every day, scores of women give birth in horrifying conditions, often without anesthesia or medical aid, as bombs explode around them. Mothers watch their babies die in their arms because they dont have enough milk to keep them alive. And children are dying because they dont have enough food or water.
The witch-hunt against Alton estate workers in Maskeliya, in Sri Lankas central plantation district, has entered its fourth year with court action against 22 workers and two youth dragging on endlessly. A previously scheduled court hearing, due on March 3, has been postponed to June 5.

Workers marching towards Up-Cot in Maskeliya for a protest picket on 28 August 2022.

Estate management has refused to reinstate 38 workers, including the 22 named in the court case, who were summarily sacked on March 22, 2021.



The 22 workers have been falsely accused of physically assaulting estate manager Sathyamoorthy Subash Narayanan and assistant manager Anushan Thiruchelvam and damaging the managers residence on February 15, 2021. Narayanan and the police claim the attacks occurred during protests by workers that day against ongoing management repression. Alton Estate workers have categorically denied these allegations.

The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) and the Plantation Workers Action Committee immediately launched a campaign demanding the unconditional reinstatement of the sacked workers and withdrawal of the frame-up charges. The campaign has won widespread support in Sri Lanka and internationally with scores of petition and letters sent to Sri Lankan state authorities.

Determined to maintain their repression of the targeted Alton workers, state authorities and the Horana Plantation Company (HPC), which manages the estate has ignored these appeals. HPC, which failed to conduct any formal investigation into the alleged charges, has denied workers right to appeal for their innocence. The Sri Lankan attorney general, moreover, has not presented any charges against the targeted workers and youth.

Young plantation estate residents in Hatton sign petition supporting victimised Alton Estate workers, 23 June, 2023.

These factors make clear that the entire case is fabricated and part of a joint conspiracy by HPC, police and the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), the union that covers these workers. In fact, at the time, local CWC leaders even ordered some workers to surrender to the police.

The anti-democratic attack occurred during a nationwide campaign by plantation workers for a 1,000-rupee daily wage (equivalent to $US5 at the time).

On February 2, 2021, about 500 Alton Estate workers walked out over this demand and three days later, on February 5, joined national strike action called by the CWC involving hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankan estate workers over the same issue. The Alton Estate workers remained on strike until March 26 to protest ongoing management harassment and provocations.

While the CWC directly collaborated with the HPC and police in this witch hunt, all the other estate unions, including the National Workers Union, Democratic Workers Congress (DWC), Lanka Jathika Estate Workers Union, Upcountry Peoples Front and the All Ceylon Estate Workers Union have kept their mouths shut, refusing to defend the victimised workers.

These unions are aligned with the parliamentary opposition parties. The first four with Samagi Jana Balawegaya, and the other controlled by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna. Not one of the numerous unions in Sri Lanka has lifted a finger to oppose the frameup and victimisation of the Alton Estate workers.

R. Kavithamany, one of the victimised workers, told World Socialist Web Site reporters about the difficult situation now facing her family.

We have suffered a lot during past three years. We have found work as temporary employees in estates three kilometres away, which means we must leave home at seven in the morning and dont return until five or six in the evening.

This situation makes it very difficult for us to look after our children or manage our day to day expenses on the small income we earn. I have three children and two sons are now unable to continue their study because of our financial problems, she said.

All the trade unions betrayed us, she continued and pointed out that a pending case for reinstatement at the Hatton Labour Tribunal was dragging on. Every time we attend these cases each worker has to spend about 4,000 rupees on travelling and lawyer fees, she added.

Ganeshan, another worker, said, While weve been sacked, management is hiring temporary workers from other estates but they have no pension benefits. The trade unions are on the managements side not ours.

Estate workers in the three years prior to the 2021 national strike were involved in continuous protests and strikes to demand a 1,000-rupee daily wage. Confronted with this rising militancy, the repression unleashed against Alton Estate workers by HPC was a calculated attempt, on behalf of the regional plantation companies (RPCs), to intimidate all estate workers.

The RPCs and the Ceylon Federation of Employers opposed the 1,000-rupee wage demand, insisting on the imposition of a revenue share model (RSM). Under this scheme, workers are allocated plots of land with 1,000 or more tea bushes with estate companies supplying inputs such as fertiliser and agrochemicals.

Workers, and their families, who are responsible for maintaining and harvesting tea bushes, receive a payment, after estate management deducts the cost of its inputs and then takes its share.

The union bureaucracy has openly sided with the companies to try and impose this highly exploitative system.

Along with their involvement in the repression of Alton workers, the plantation trade union leaderships have collaborated with estate management to prevent estate workers fighting back against ongoing wage cuts, increasing workloads, deteriorating social conditions and attacks on democratic rights increased.

Soon after the Alton Estate witch hunt, five workers at Velioya Estate in Hatton were arrested in June 2021 for protesting to demand the government allocate food relief during a COVID-19 lockdown.

On September 29, 2021, police arrested 11 workers at the Katukelle Estate at Talawakelle. They went on a strike against the victimisation of P. Ponnirselvi, a female worker, by estate management.

While workers spontaneously organised protests against both these attacks, these actions were called off by the unions.

According to official statistics, the real wages of private sector employees in Sri Lanka, including estate workers, had declined to 82 points by mid-2023taking 2013 as the base year of 100 points.

A Census and Statistics of Department report for 2023 has also revealed that household income of plantation sector population decreased by 62.9 percent but their expenditure has risen by 90.3 percent as a result of Sri Lankas economic crisis starting in March 2022.

In April 2021, former President Gotabhaya Rajapakse gazetted an inadequate 1,000-rupee daily wage for plantation employees to try and dissipate workers rising anger. The RPCs only accepted this increase following a judicial ruling but then used various methods, including impossible higher daily targets for tea plucking and latex collecting, to slash costs. If the targets were not achieved, the 1,000-rupee daily wage could be cut to around 750 rupees or less.

Under International Monetary Fund-dictated austerity measures now being imposed by the Wickremesinghe government, 21 RPCs will be restructured, along with hundreds of state-owned enterprises.

This will include the dismantling of some estates, transforming them into tourist locations, and the diversification of cultivation, with only profitable tea and rubber estates maintained. These reforms will heavily impact on the current one million-strong estate population and its 115,000 active workers, resulting in job destruction, wage cuts and even harsher working conditions.

The Wickremesinghe government, which has its own version of the RSM, is proposing that estate workers be transformed into small land holders falsely claiming incomes will improve as a result.

Last November, President Wickremesinghe addressed a NAAM 200 eventthe 200th anniversary of arrival of India-origin Tamil workers to Sri Lankain Colombo.

Regional plantation companies will be asked to outsource tea plucking to workers, which will eliminate the existing plantation system, transforming them into tea smallholders with ownership of the land, he declared.

DWC leader Mono Ganesan prefigured this proposal early that year, declaring during a discussion on June 23, The government is talking about restructuring RPCs, which is good. We agree on principle, but with restructuring, plantation workers should also be considered as part of the system and made working partners in such systems as smallholders.

In other words, the estate unions will do their utmost in collaborating with the government and the plantation bosses to impose these brutal cost-cutting measures.

To fight these attacks, workers need to form their own organisationsi.e., workers action committees, independent of the trade unions, capitalist parties and their hangers onto unify with their class brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka and internationally.

In this struggle, estate workers and other sections of the Sri Lankan working class must demand the immediate reinstatement of Alton and other victimised workers and the withdrawal of all judicial cases.

Workers can only defend their democratic rights as part of a unified political struggle of the working class to overthrow the profit system and establish a workers and peasants government that nationalises the major industries, banks and the estates, placing them under the democratic control of the working class.
Australian Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is the chief instigator of a foul campaign of lies, intimidation and slander directed against students protesting Israels genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza. Albaneses repeated declarations that the peaceful university encampments are antisemitic and dangerous is clear incitement of attacks against them.

Australian PM Anthony Albanese (centre) with senior rabbis at Central Synagogue Sydney, May 3, 2024 [Photo: Facebook/Anthony Albanese]

That is precisely what has happened. Activists at the University of Melbourne reported that the pro-Palestinian encampment there was besieged on Sunday night by pro-Israel thugs, wielding bats and fire extinguishers and hurling glass bottles. That was the third serious assault on encampments nationally in less than a fortnight, each involving a similar modus operandi of highly aggressive attacks late at night.

The very next day, on Monday afternoon, Albanese told Labors federal caucus there was no question that antisemitism was being expressed more openly than at any point in his lifetime. In remarks that were immediately relayed to the Murdoch-owned Australian, Albanese reportedly stated that he was concerned people did not understand the history of antisemitism and believed the Jewish community needed to be supported.

Albanese has previously branded chants for the liberation of Palestine as dangerous. His Education Minister Jason Clare has claimed without evidence that protesters are not really students, and has called on university administrations to throw the book at them.

Albaneses remarks on Monday though were perhaps most glaring, given the timing. He clearly did not mention the assault on the University of Melbourne encampment. Instead, his assertion that the wave of protests expressed unprecedented antisemitism directly repeated the line of the thugs who carried out the attack.

The claim that the encampments are antisemitic is a fraud. They have been established to protest the genocide, including the current onslaught against Rafah, and to demand an end to ties between universities and Israel. Their opposition is to the fascistic Zionist regime and its barbaric war not to the Jewish people. Indeed, anti-Zionist Jewish activists have been prominent in the encampments.

The attacks against them have involved an alliance of Zionist groups, evangelical Christians and far-right forces. In the first attack on an encampment, middle-aged men carrying Israeli and Australian flags ambushed students at Melbournes Monash University in the early hours of May 2. At least some of the men, who threatened students, including young females, appeared to be right-wing Australian nationalists.

Zionist counter-protests at the University of Melbourne have been attended by Avi Yemeni, of the far-right Rebel News outlet. A former Israeli Defence Forces soldier, Yemeni was particularly active in the anti-lockdown movement during the pandemic, in which he rubbed shoulders with various far-right and fascistic organisations.

In other words, as in the US, the assault on students is involving the same right-wing forces whose stock in trade is antisemitism and other forms of racism. They are being directly inspired by similar attacks carried out in the US. Last week, for instance, the Adelaide University encampment had fireworks hurled at it, in an imitation of a similar attack on a protest encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Amid the media furore over the supposed threat of the encampments to campus safety, Labor and the Liberal-National Coalition have not mentioned the violent attacks on the encampments and the corporate media has completely blacked them out.

Instead, official discussion has been dominated by assertions that the protests are making Jewish students feel unsafe and uncomfortable. No evidence whatsoever has been provided and not a single violent incident has been ascribed to those involved in the encampments.

The politicians and media outlets denouncing the encampments are clearly not talking about the feelings or safety of the Jewish and other students participating in them and protesting the assault on Gaza. Instead, to the extent that there is any logic to the official line, it is that students who support Israel would prefer that there were no protests against its war crimes. That is the pretext for an anti-democratic campaign that could have been used to shut down any protest movement.

The talk about safety and violent rhetoric covers the fact that it is the student protesters who are being vilified. Murdoch outlets such as the Australian, as well as supposedly liberal papers like the Sydney Morning Herald have repeatedly branded students as terrorist sympathisers.

Pro-Israeli Zionist lobby groups, with a direct line to the government, have likewise denounced the protesters as Hamas-inspired and even Nazi.

One of them, the Australian Jewish Association (AJA), issued a statement on May 7, declaring: It should surprise nobody that Nazi encampments on Australian universities make many people angry. We never condone anything illegal but with the Albanese Govt and university heads missing in action, nobody should be surprised if members of the public take matters into their own hands.

That is a barely-veiled incitement of political violence. Were the AJA an Islamist organisation, instead of a fanatical, far-right Zionist group, there is little doubt their offices would be visited by counter-terrorism police. Instead, the leaders of the AJA, having issued their threat against protesters last week, were this week welcomed in the federal parliament, where they met with prominent MPs, such as Liberal Party Senator Dave Sharma.

Albaneses latest statements are aimed at creating a political climate where the demands of the Zionist groups and the Murdoch press for the encampments to be dispersed can be carried out.

This morning, it was reported Deakin University in Melbourne had issued an ultimatum for the immediate removal of the small encampment there. The encampment, management asserted, was compromising the rights of students and staff to an environment free of impediment, intimidation and harassment. Those rights evidently do not include freedom of speech.

On Friday, it was reported that Victoria Police had written to university managements warning of a high likelihood of violence if encampments remained.

Despite the intimidation, opposition is growing. The encampments have spread to a dozen universities, including in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania. An open letter, initiated by Monash University staff, defending the encampments, has been signed by almost 600 academics and university workers across the country.

The letter declares: We reject the characterisation of these peaceful and urgent student-led protests and encampments by sections of the popular media and politicians as antisemitic. These camps are open spaces of learning, solidarity, and support for everyone, with many organisers and leading activists being Jewish themselves

It demands that political leaders and media representatives cease their rhetorical attacks on, and vilification of, the student encampments, which only serves to foster hate, divisiveness, and ultimately violence in our community, as several attacks on the peaceful student encampments have already demonstrated.

The letter is an important stand. As the Socialist Equality Party and the IYSSE have insisted, the working class must mobilise to defend the student encampments, the right to protest more broadly, and democratic rights, all of which are under attack. Such a mobilisation requires a political struggle against Labor, which is backing the genocide and the assault on protests, and against the corporatised unions, which have refused to take any industrial action against the mass murder in Palestine or the associated crackdown on civil liberties.

Above all, the turn to increasingly police-state measures against peaceful protests shows the need for a new political perspective. The resort to authoritarianism is inseparable from the developing global war, including the genocide in Gaza and the US-led war against Russia in Ukraine and military build-up against China. The threats can only be met and defeated through the development of an international socialist movement of the working class directed at the abolition of the capitalist system.
The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

Latin America

Argentine protest strikes continue

Argentine workers carried out their second national protest strike this year against the Milei administration policies and omnibus law. This strike was led by the Peronist trade union bureaucracy using the nationalist slogan our fatherland is not for sale, opposing plans to privatize government and provincial state-owned firms, and the phony modernization of the labor market. The strike coincided with protest strikes by teachers and government workers and included major participation by rail workers, truckers and healthcare workers.

The omnibus law, with its massive imposition of austerity measures, wage cuts, tax increases and pro-business measures, is to be discussed in the Senate this week.

In other actions across Argentina.

On Monday, May 6 Buenos Aires transit workers (subway and bus) protested against the approval by the House of Deputies (Argentinas lower house) of President Mileis omnibus law, by opening the turnstiles for two hours in selected major train stations, thus allowing passengers to enter without paying. Workers were protesting a 54 percent increase in subway and bus fares imposed by the Economics Ministry.

Argentine teachers carried out a 48-hour national protest and partial school shutdowns in rejection of attacks on wages and layoffs on May 8. They were joined by government workers.

Chilean students and faculty protest Gaza genocide

Last Thursday, led by the Catholic University Students Federation (FEUC), students rallied at the entrance of the main building of Santiagos prestigious Catholic University, demanding their institution break all ties with Israeli universities that participate in war crimes and violations of Human Rights.

According to FEUC spokesperson Catalina Jofre the students are demanding that the Catholic University break relations with the Israeli Technological Institute, Tel Aviv University, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. There are 1,500 Palestinian students enrolled in the Catholic University.

Also on Thursday, students and instructors at the Juan Gomez Millas campus of the Chile University, also in Santiago, carried out a pasacampus protest (inside protest march through the buildings of the campus) in solidarity with the inhabitants of Palestine.

Jofre indicated that the FEUC is coordinating its protests with those of the above campus and other Chilean universities and staying in touch with students around the world to carry out new protest marches and occupations.

Peasants demand land reform law in Paraguay

On Wednesday, May 8, the Paraguayan National Peasant Federation mobilized its members in Asuncion, demanding that the government act on a long overdue land reform, guaranteeing land ownership, outlawing evictions, and paving and maintaining rural roads.

With the approach of planting season, Wednesdays marches and rallies demanded a sufficient supply of seeds and that so-called illegal settlements be made legal.

Speculators are amassing seeds and fertilizers and farming equipment at the expense of peasant farmers and to the benefit of the big landlords.

Under the terms of a 1963 Land Reform Law, the Paraguayan government guaranteed land rights to peasants and indigenous communities. Since then, those guarantees have been eroded to the benefit of the landed oligarchs.

United States

Illinois postal workers protest plans to dismantle Springfield mail processing and distribution center

About 100 postal workers held a picket outside the Springfield, Illinois, post office May 3 to protest the lack of transparency in the United States Postal Services (USPS) plan to dismantle postal facilities and attack workers job security. Workers carried signs saying Dump DeJoy, referring to the USPS postmaster general.

The USPS is planning to transfer Springfields processing and distribution center operations to St. Louis, Missouri. After sorting is completed, mail will be sent back to Illinois. This plan will be applied to some 58 other processing and distribution centers.

The USPS claims the changes will speed up mail processing and delivery. But Illinois Postal Workers Union president Bob Gunter explained, The (USPS) changed the delivery standards. Why did they add another day onto delivery if this is such a good deal and is going to get the mail delivered faster. They know the mail isnt going to get delivered faster.

The USPS has also claimed there will be no layoffs. Instead, they have substituted the undefined phrase job impacts. The USPS claims the changes will save between $1.7 million and $2.2 million annually.

Before becoming postmaster general, Louis DeJoy was CEO of the logistics and freight company New Breed Logistics. He also served as a major donor and fundraiser for Donald Trump.

St. Louis charter school faculty launch strike for first contract

Charter school teachers at KIPP Columbia high school in St. Louis, Missouri, launched a strike April 19 to demand job protections and a grievance procedure as they seek to negotiate their first contract. The 130 members of the American Federation of Teachers Local 420, comprising teachers, intervention specialists, social workers and paraprofessionals, have already concluded talks on salary and benefits after a year of negotiations.

The union charges that there has been a 50 percent turnover rate at KIPP Columbia as teachers have left the charter facility for jobs at public schools due to low pay and insecure working conditions. Currently, math course work is done online due to the fact that the school has been unable to hire faculty in that department.

Faculty and staff first unionized in May of 2023 as 78 percent voted for a union. KIPP Columbia is the first charter school in the St. Louis region to unionize. Nationwide, some 10 percent of charter schools have voted in unions.

Canada

Canadian Pacific Railway yard, Port Coquitlam, BC (Roy Luck/Flickr)

Federal Liberal government effectively criminalizes nationwide rail strike planned later this month

The federal Liberal government has effectively criminalized the planned strike by 9,300 rail workers across the countrys largest rail networksCanadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC).

Rail workers voted overwhelmingly for job action at the beginning of the month with a strike scheduled by the Teamsters Rail Conference Canada as early as May 22. However, on Thursday, the federal government intervened to delay the strike indefinitely. At the behest of big business commodities exporters, federal Labour Minister Seamus ORegan called on the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to investigate whether the strike might have potential impacts to the health and safety of Canadians, cynically highlighting the heavy fuel, propane, food and water treatment materials needed in remote communities and throughout Canada.

ORegan also asked the CIRB to rule on which activities need to continue during a strike or lockout, with the aim of undermining workers democratic right to strike, and to keep profits flowing. The CIRB has no set timeline for its decision, but its certain it wont be issued until well past May 22. Until then, strike action is legally barred.

Teamsters immediately surrendered to ORegans dictat and the reactionary collective bargaining framework, announcing that it would obviously comply with any order from the CIRB.

Last July, ORegan was instrumental in shutting down the two-week militant strike by 7,400 West Coast port workers, repeatedly threatening to impose back-to-work legislationwhich the Teamsters union did nothing to opposeand finally succeeded in intimidating dockers, who saw no way forward, into signing off on a sellout contract. Last month, ORegan appointed veteran mediator Vince Ready, who has a rotten record of imposing pro-employer sellout contracts onto workers, to head an Industrial Inquiry Commission into the July port dispute with the stated goal of providing stability for the countrys supply chains.

Saskatchewan teachers decisively reject provinces final offer; union continues to stifle struggle

On Thursday, 13,000 teachers in Saskatchewan rejected once again the provinces contract proposal, which continues to ignore their key demands. With 92.2 percent of teachers casting a vote over a two-day period on May 8 and 9, 90 percent rejected the Government-Trustee Bargaining Committees final offer. The teachers have been working without a contract since last August.

Since initiating strike action in January, the teachers union, the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation, (STF) has refused to mount a serious struggle that would come into conflict with the provinces pro-austerity hard-right Conservative government, which has repeatedly made clear that the new contract will not address the teachers key demands around classroom size and complexity. The STF has restricted job actions to work to rule sanctions, sporadic one-day strikes, demonstrations at the legislature and the minimal curtailing of job duties, in an impotent effort to pressure the province back to the bargaining table.

On March 28, the province presented a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding that reiterated its hardline position, which was promptly rejected by teachers. However, two weeks later, the STF cynically claimed that sufficient progress had been made and shut down the teachers limited job action.

Earlier this month, the STF appealed to the province to agree to anti-democratic binding arbitration to shut down the strike and impose the provinces terms. But the province shied away from agreeing just yet to such an open attack on teachers rights, fearing its effects on public opinion in an election year, preferring instead to utilize the STF to force through a sellout deal.

Cargill workers in Guelph, Ontario prepare for strike action

Nearly 1,000 workers at one of the Guelph, Ontario meat facilities owned by the global food giant Cargill could walk off the job soon in demand of wage rises to offset the untenable cost of living. The workers have been forced to work without a contract since the beginning of the year.

A no-board report has been received by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Locals 175 and 633 representing the workers at the Cargill plant at the Dunlop Drive location. The formal notice, issued by the Minister of Labour, announced that a board of conciliation will not be appointed, thereby triggering the 17-day cooling-off period before the parties can begin a legal work stoppage.

Cargill is one of the worlds largest private companies and one of four firms that control more than 70 percent of the global market for agricultural products. The combined wealth of Cargill family members has increased by $14.4 billion since 2020, a rise of 65 percent. It grew by almost $20 million a day during the pandemic, driven by food price rises, especially for grains.

The UFCW has said nothing about rallying workers in Cargills second plant, located only a few blocks away in the same York district, to come to the defence of their colleagues, let alone the 8,000 Cargill workers across Canada, and the many thousands of other brutally exploited food products workers across the continent. In its announcement of the strike vote, the union merely recommended that workers wear vote yes stickers on their hard hats and call on community or religious leaders to support the strike.

The High River plant in Alberta became the site of the largest COVID-19 outbreak in North America during the first wave of the pandemic in which two workers died and about half of its mainly immigrant workforce, at least 950 workers, were infected. When Cargill forced workers back into the industrial death trap with the aid of the reactionary provincial government, the UFCW upheld Cargills profits-over-lives policy and refused to organize any job action to stop the work order.
AIM Solder Partners with Cluff & Associates for Sales Representation in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming Published: 14 May 2024 by Tyler Hanes by Tyler Hanes

CRANSTON, RI  AIM Solder, a global leader in solder assembly materials for the electronics industry, is excited to announce its new partnership with Cluff & Associates, a renowned electronic manufacturers representative. This strategic alliance aims to strengthen AIM Solders presence and customer support in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming.

Cluff & Associates, established in 1979 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, brings over four decades of expertise and a robust network in the electronics assembly sector. As a nationally recognized leader, Cluff & Associates is dedicated to providing top-tier solutions and enhancing the distribution of innovative products.

Nolan Neva, Regional Sales Manager at AIM Solder, expressed his enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, Partnering with Cluff & Associates aligns perfectly with our mission to deliver reliable and innovative product solutions. Their deep market penetration and commitment to excellence will undoubtedly enhance our ability to serve our customers and meet the dynamic needs of the electronics industry in the Rocky Mountain region.

Cluff & Associates is committed to leveraging its extensive knowledge and experience to promote AIM Solders comprehensive product line. Their approach ensures that each product line is effectively matched with dealers and distributors whose customer bases benefit most from advanced soldering materials and solutions.

Both companies are excited about the future and the mutual benefits this collaboration promises. For more information about Cluff & Associates, visit cluffinc.com.
Michael Cohen leaves his apartment building on his way to Manhattan criminal court, Monday, May 13, 2024, in New York. [AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson]

Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen took the stand Monday as a prosecution witness in the criminal trial of the ex-president in Manhattan. The all but certain presidential nominee of the Republican Party in this years presidential election faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with the hush money payment to pornography film actress and director Stormy Daniels.

As the WSWS has previously observed, the hush-money case is both a diversion and a triviality compared to Trumps real crimes against the working class, particularly immigrants, and his criminal effort to overthrow the US Constitution and remain in office after his defeat in the 2020 elections. But it is the only case likely to be tried before the election, with legal maneuvers by Trump and judicial interventions by pro-Trump judges pushing off the more substantial cases until after November 2024.

Cohen is the central witness in the case, since he carried out Trumps order to pay $130,000 to Daniels to stop her going public during the final days of the 2016 election campaign with her story of a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, ten years earlier. He testified in detail Monday about his longtime role as fixer for the real estate billionaire and reality television star, long before his run for president, launched in the summer of 2015.

It was Cohen who Trump commissioned to handle various kinds of social and business embarrassments, with a combination of bribery and bullying. This included earlier dealings with Daniels, in 2011, when her sexual liaison with Trump first became public on a gossip site. Cohen eventually prevailed on her to sign a non-disclosure agreement, which she later violated, incurring substantial damages.

In 2016, Daniels came forward again, with her attorney Keith Davidson demanding a payment of $130,000 in return for Daniels keeping silent. The timing of this demand was criticala few days after the release of the Access Hollywood tape, on which Trump can be heard boasting of his ability, as a star, to engage in sexual assault on any woman he chose, and only two weeks before the 2016 election.

Trump has claimed that he authorized the payment to Daniels to protect his family, not to protect his election campaign, since in the latter case the payment would have to be documented as a campaign expense, or a campaign contribution by Cohen, since he initially made the payment from his own home equity account.

But Cohens testimony shreds the credibility of the family motivation claimwhat little there wasgiving a grim portrayal of Trumps attitude to his wife Melania and human relations as a whole.

When Cohen asked Trump what Melanias reaction would be when the facts about his encounter with Daniels came out, Trump told him crudely not to worry: How long do you think that Ill be on the market for? Not long.

This testimony sheds more light on the thuggish character of the billionaire fascist, which hardly needed much illumination after seven years in the political spotlight and four years in the White House.

Cohens testimony, which continues Tuesday, completes the picture of the criminal milieu out of which Trump emerged, with a seediness and brutality worthy of Dashiell Hammett: first the call girl, then the fixer, and overseeing it all, the gangster boss.

After the lurid testimony of Stormy Daniels last week, Cohens testimony so far has been focused on documents and business arrangements. He spent much of Monday corroborating the accounts already given by other witnesses, like David Pecker of the National Enquirer and Daniels lawyer Davidson.

But Cohen is so far the only witness who had direct, face-to-face meetings with Trump both about the hush money payment to Daniels, and about how the money that Cohen laid out would be reimbursed to him by the Trump Organization, in the guise of payment for legal services. He said that Trump was intimately involved in these discussions, and that everything required Mr. Trumps sign-off.

The other man who could give eyewitness testimony about these arrangements is Allen Weisselberg, former CFO of the Trump Organization, who is presently serving a prison term at Rikers Island for perjury in the civil case brought over that companys financial statements. He has a $750,000 severance agreement with the Trump Organization which was apparently made to ensure his future silence, and prosecutors did not call him as a witness, feeling he would likely refuse to testify.

Last Friday, Judge Juan Merchan raised the possibility of calling Weisselberg into court and asking him directly to testify. This was in response to an objection by Trumps lawyers to the prosecution introducing as evidence the severance agreement.

What we are trying to do is to explain from our perspective why hes not here, prosecutor Christopher Conroy said. There are a host of reasons that Mr. Weisselberg is not going to be a witness in this case, defense lawyer Emil Bove argued. Its a very complicated situation and its not completely explained by this document.

Merchan said he would hold the issue for further consideration.

The case against Trump brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is a legal stretch, since the falsifying of business records is normally a misdemeanor, and only becomes a felony when it is done to further another crime, in this case a campaign finance violation by Trump in his successful 2016 run for the presidency. The payment was clearly campaign-related, but not reported to the Federal Election Commission by the Trump campaign, as coming either by Cohen or the Trump Organization. The FEC, however, did not choose to prosecute that violation against a victorious candidate who was by then in the White House.

As the first ever criminal case against a US ex-president, the hush money case involves the raging political crisis within the ruling class, as factions aligned with the Democratic Party and with the increasingly fascistic Republican fighting out political differenceslargely revolving around foreign policyin the arena of the courts.

The goal of both sides is to avoid any airing of the real issues in front of working people in order to forestall any independent intervention of the working class to oppose both the drive to imperialist war spearheaded by Biden and the Democrats and the preparations for a fascist seizure of power spearheaded by Trump.
ComingSoon Editor-in-Chief spoke to Dune: Part Two cinematographer Greig Fraser about the films incredible final fight scene between Paul Atreides and Feyd-Rautha. Fraser discussed the sci-fi epics flash-forward, the black-and-white infrared scene, and more. Dune: Part Two is out now on digital and on 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD.

Tyler Treese: Dune: Part Two is such a stunning film. A lot has been said about the black-and-white infrared scene on the homeland of the Harkonnen. What were the difficulties and challenges of shooting that?

Greig Fraser: Theres been a lot of discussion about the fact that infrared records tones differently. So something that might look black to you and I might record as white, or something thats gray might record as black. So we never really can tell with our eyes what tone things are gonna record as. That was probably the biggest initial challenge technically. We also had issues with flare. Like with infrared effectively all that cameras are seeing, the only light spectrum that camera is seeing is infrared light, which is no visible light. Theres no blue, no green, no red. So it was effectively, I wont say it was seeing heat, because heat, seeing heat is a different camera, but it was seeing the invisible spectrum. We were having problems with flare.

Because frankly, Feyd is quite white. Hes quite flairy. Theres a lot of infrared coming off Austins face and his head, particularly when he is in full sun. So that was really something where the cameras were having trouble with flare. So we had to make sure that we were choosing the right lenses. Occasionally, there were a few lenses we couldnt shoot with because they just flared too much. So we had to make sure we stopped down, and we made sure that the filters werent buckling up. It was a big, big challenge, big lighting challenge.

(Photo Credit: Warner Bros.)

Another scene that just was so great was when we see Pauls sister played by Anya Taylor-Joy in that flash-forward we see the ocean. Thats such a stark change from the constant desert. What was your approach for shooting that scene?

Well, what was nice about that was because it was in the script. It was in the script effectively, and it wasnt a foregone conclusion that we were going to be shooting that scene because often when you are making a film if you go over in some areas, you have to cut back in other areas. That scene we shot in Namibia and it was the only scene that we shot in Namibia. So yeah, the rest of the movie we shot in Budapest, in Jordan, in Italy, and in Abu Dhabi. And for a small crew at the end of filming, we went down to Namibia for a few days to film this scene. It wasnt a foregone conclusion at the beginning that we were going to be able to do that.

So we wanted to make sure that when we shot it, that it felt like the same desert up to a certain point. It wanted to feel like it was a completely natural segue into an ocean and sand. So we shot, first of all, we shot it initially to feel like it was in Abu Dhabi or that in Arrakis, but then discovering the ocean felt like it was kind of a big change. So yeah, we just kind of kept the camera moving the same way that it was moving in the past.

The scene where Paul goes south and he gives the big speech, we see him wade through this massive crowd. How was it shooting that sequence? Because thats almost as much of a spectacle as anything else.

We obviously had to carefully plan that because I dont think that many people existed in Budapest, let alone anywhere else. We couldnt actually get that many people together. So I think we got a fair few people together, but really I think the planning stage of that, where we were tiling, but for me, whats great about that is that sense of scale.

Because, again, the film itself is a study of scale. Its a study of the smallest kind of little kind of desert mouse, the MuadDib, all the way through the largest sandworms. So a scene like that kind of helps with that idea of this small human, small physically, normal small human sort of wading through this kind of sea of humanity. It felt like it was analogous there to the sand that the sandworms move through. But that was kind of the thinking was that we make it feel like it was all in that same world.

The post 3 Iconic Dune: Part Two Scenes Broken Down by Cinematographer Greig Fraser appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
Brad Williams has announced his return to Australia, touring his self-titled new stand-up hour across the country in November 2024. The tour will mark Williams first shows locally in nearly six years, having last performed in Australia in December 2018 with shows at Sydneys Factory Theatre and The Comics Lounge in Melbourne. A full list of dates and ticketing information can be found below.

In addition to returning to Australia, Williams will also perform in New Zealand for the very first time while in Australasia. Following the conclusion of the Australian tour, Williams will perform in the country for one night only, heading to Aucklands Skycity Theatre on Monday, November 25th.

Williams released his latest stand-up special, Starfish, last month on YouTube for free. Filmed at the Sony Hall in New York City, press materials for the special note that it is his first recorded since becoming a father  his daughter was born in 2020. It is Williams fourth filmed stand-up special overall, following on from 2016s Daddy Issues.

Brad Williams  Stand-Up on the Spot

Since Williams was last in Australia, he has appeared on the Netflix series The Degenerates and been a guest voice on Robot Chicken. He has also toured extensively through North America, performing both as a club comic and as part of the 2022 Cirque du Soleil show Mad Apple in New York City and Los Vegas. Williams inclusion marked the first time stand-up comedy has ever been part of a Cirque du Soleil show.

Brad Williams 2024 Australian Tour

Sunday, November 17th  Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane QLD

Monday, November 18th  The Palms at Crown, Melbourne VIC

Tuesday, November 19th  Enmore Theatre, Sydney NSW

Thursday, November 21st  Astor Theatre, Perth WA

Saturday, November 23rd  Norwood Concert Hall, Adelaide SA

A pre-sale will commence from 11am local time on Thursday, May 16th. General sale will then follow at 10am local time on Friday, May 17th. Both can be accessed via the Bohm Presents website.

Further Reading

Ray OLeary Announces 2024 Encore Australian Shows For Your Laughter Is Just Making Me Stronger

Ali Wong Announces 2024 Australian Tour

Maria Bamford Announces 2024 Australian Tour

The post Brad Williams Announces 2024 Australian Tour appeared first on Music Feeds.
Harry and Meghan's Archewell Foundation was not allowed to operate or solicit donations in California while it was listed as delinquent. (Evan Agostini / Invision / Associated Press)

Prince Harry and Meghan's Archewell Foundation, which had been called into question over a registration lapse, is no longer listed as "delinquent" in California. And, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom, the royal couple faced "a very typical technical issue around paperwork" and an "unfair" pile-on because of it.

"After being in touch with our Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, the organization is current and in good standing," the California attorney general's press office confirmed Tuesday in a statement to The Times. Identified as a foreign corporation on its registration document, the organization now is listed as "current" on the state's Department of Justice website.

During its "delinquency" period, the Beverly Hills-based organization was not allowed to raise money and was listed among those that "may not operate" in the state, according to state records. A delinquency notice was sent. Records showed that the foundation's last renewal had been in May 2023.

Read more: 'Harry & Meghan' was a chance to share the journey of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex

A spokesperson for the Archewell Foundation on Wednesday told The Times that the foundation "diligently investigated the situation" and confirmed that it was "fully compliant and in good standing."

"Due payments were made promptly and in accordance with the IRSs processes and procedures. Furthermore, all necessary paperwork had been filed by the Foundation without error or wrongdoing," the statement said.

"When a charitable organization fails to submit complete filings for each fiscal year, its status on the Attorney General's Registry of Charities and Fundraisers will be listed as Delinquent," according to the attorney general's website. "If the delinquency is not remedied, the Registry status will be further changed to Suspended, and/or Revoked. A charitable organization that is not in good standing with the Registry of Charities and Fundraisers may not operate or solicit donations in California."

The office also says that if a charitable organization receives a delinquency letter, it is because it has not filed one or more of the required annual reports with the registry.

Read more: As with Diana and Meghan, palace missteps in Kate Middleton saga spark a royal crisis

According to NBC News, a person close to Archewell said that the groups initial check was lost in the mail but that the payment had been resubmitted and the issue was expected to be resolved within days. A source also told USA Today something similar  that the organization had paid its registration fees with a physical check that was never received. The person said that a new check was re-sent and that the state tax filing, renewal and required payment were sent and delivered to the California attorney general's office, which received them on time via tracked mail.

On Tuesday, the governor came to the couple's defense, calling out the "unbelievable amount of attention" placed on the Sussexes' charity during a news conference at a treatment center in San Mateo County.

Im here at a behavioral health site, a mental health site. Archewell Foundation, run by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, do extraordinary work, particularly [for] women and girls, but notably around mental health," Newsom said. "And I just want folks to know, not only are they in compliance, it [was] a technical paperwork issue that was wildly over-hyped. And with respect, I hope people that ran those headlines run this headline: that it was a very typical technical issue around paperwork that persists for so many others as well."

Newsom praised the Archewell Foundation as "a celebrated organization that does great work in the state of California."

"I want to clarify that because thats important, and I just thought there was a little bit of piling on that was deeply unfair to that charity," he added.

Read more: $3.3 billion available for mental health beds as Newsom jump-starts Prop. 1 spending

Harry and Meghan, who stepped back as working royals in 2020 and later moved to California, were recently in Nigeria to promote mental health for soldiers and empower young people. Harry also was in London last week to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, a tournament for wounded veterans that the British prince founded in 2014. However, no senior member of the royal family attended a Wednesday service to support the cause.

King Charles III's busy schedule was cited as the reason that he and Prince Harry, fourth in line to the British throne, didn't connect. His younger sons visit comes on the heels of the 75-year-old monarch's cancer diagnosis and after the fallout from Harry's scathing 2023 memoir, Spare.

Read more: Meghan Markle, Prince Harry's podcast efforts were short-lived. Spotify CEO discusses that split

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have kept busy with other endeavors since moving across the pond, launching the Archewell Foundation and Archewell Productions; making a lucrative deal with Netflix; and launching Meghan's short-lived "Archetypes" podcast on Spotify. The "Suits" alum's latest venture, American Riviera Orchard, appears to be a lifestyle brand that has released a jam.

The oft-criticized couple launched the Archewell Foundation website in October 2020, but it had no financial activity in 2020 and its first bank account was opened in January 2021, the Independent reported. The organization received $11 million from benefactors in 2021, according to its 2021 filing, and gave out $3 million in grants. However, in 2022, it received only $2 million in charitable donations. The foundation reportedly received $1.2 million in donations last year.

According to a December BBC report, the Sussexes get no income from the charity and are listed as directors working an average of one hour per week. However, the foundation has an annual salary bill of more than $640,000.

Read more: Nigeria's fashion and dancing styles in the spotlight as Harry, Meghan visit its largest city

The foundation, named after the couple's 5-year-old son, Archie, bills itself as a nonprofit organization with a mission to "show up, do good."

"We meet the moment by showing up, taking action and using our unparalleled spotlight to uplift and unite communities  local and global  through acts of service and compassion," the foundation's statement says. "We believe that philanthropy is not a handout; its a hand held. At The Archewell Foundation, we roll up our sleeves and do just that."

The foundation has partnered with chef Jose Andres World Central Kitchen, as well as Halo Trust, the mine-clearing charity supported by Harry's mother, Princess Diana. The Archewell Foundation also has backed projects dealing with gender justice, civil rights and misinformation. During the couple's trip to Nigeria, the Sussexes announced that their foundation was expanding its partnership with the GEANCO Foundation, which facilitates medical care to rural areas in the African nation.

Times staff writer Anabel Sosa contributed to this report.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Kevin Hill recalled he almost passed out in the back of a Blue Angels' jet accelerating so fast it produced high gravitational forces.

Are you still with me, Kevin? Navy pilot Lt. Cmdr. James Cox asked Hill, then a petty officer 1st class who was one of the two crew chiefs maintaining Cox's plane. Hill reopened his eyes despite the high G-force.

He said Monday he loved the thrill of it all during a practice flight at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida. A perk was crew members got one ride with their pilot.

The Camarillo resident, who now works as a chief petty officer and aviation structural mechanic at Naval Air Station Point Mugu, and other members of the elite flying team's crew share the thrills in "The Blue Angels. The new IMAX documentary is scheduled for wide release Friday with some screenings Thursday evening.

The 93-minute film covers a year with the storied Blue Angels and includes the Navy and Marine Corps demonstration squadron's shows, training and selection of pilots and crew members.

Hill, 38, said he hasnt seen the movie. Although he doesn't know how much of him made the final cut, he's excited about the release. Hill said he was filmed during his work as a crew chief for a Blue Angels' F/A-18 Super Hornet. His work included pre-flight inspections of the aircraft and performing engine tuneups.

Kevin Hill, now a chief petty officer at Naval Air Station Point Mugu, works as a ground crew chief and petty officer 1st class with the Blue Angels. Hill, who was with the demonstration squadron from 2019 to 2022, is featured in the new IMAX documentary "The Blue Angels."

Hill added he provided the filmmakers with video of him doing his side gig as a DJ playing reggae and more for team members on Saturday nights in their common eating area or at events. He said he doesn't know whether the documentary will include that.

During training in El Centro in Southern Californias Imperial Valley, Hill said he and others worked hard to ensure the jets were ready to soar into a diamond formation at 8 every morning as a recording of the National Anthem played.

Hill, a Jamaica native, joined the Navy in 2007 and served on aircraft carriers and at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia, until he applied for a role with the Blue Angels. He went to Pensacola for interviews, which required him to demonstrate his skills by working on planes. He showed his eagerness by volunteering for any and all work.

Petty Officer 1st Class Kevin Hill works with Cmdr. Brian Kesselring, a Blue Angels pilot and the squadron's commanding officer during Hill's 2019-22 tenure with the demonstration squadron.

If I saw someone with a tool box, I would come over and take it away from them, Hill said, chuckling.

Hill, who served from October 2019 to December 2022 with the Blue Angels before coming to Point Mugu, said the pilots are in great shape as they withstand forces as high as 7 gs. They do that without wearing g-suits, which Hill said would inflate and hinder the pilots' movements inside the cockpit during precise maneuvers.

Blue Angels' jets fly as close as 18 inches from each other, Hill said. The stress on the planes is so intense screws start to come loose during the flight, he said. Ground crews tighten them afterward.

Hill eventually got to be the ground crew chief for the jet flown by the Blue Angels commanding officer, Cmdr. Brian Kesselring, who's now a captain.

Kesselring knew Hill was from Jamaica. Hill said Kesselring asked him how he was doing, but used the Jamaican language.

I started laughing and said, You know my language! Hill said.

After that, Kesselring and Hill always exchanged pleasantries in Jamaican every time they saw each other, Hill said.

He tried to make sure we were all happy, Hill said.

Those vibes should carry over to the big screen. Fifty-eight people attended an advance screening Saturday for local military personnel at Naval Base Ventura County's Needham Theater. The audience liked the movie, its depiction of the preparations and views from inside the cockpit during the flights, said Sean Haley, civilian theater manager.

As of early this week, the nearest showings appeared to be at AMC Topanga 12 & IMAX, 6600 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Canoga Park, and the Regal Edwards theater at 24435 Town Center Drive, Valencia, have announced they will show the movie. The film will also stream on Amazon Prime, starting May 23. Find more about the film at www.imax.com/movie/blue-angels.

Dave Mason covers East County for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at dave.mason@vcstar.com or 805-437-0232.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: IMAX film 'The Blue Angels' features crew chief now at Point Mugu
In theory, the internet promised, among other things, a solution to the age-old conundrum of finding a date. If you wanted romantic partnership, maybe youd check out eHarmony. For fun and flings, try Tinder. If you wanted to narrow down the potential pool, there were Farmers Only and Christian Mingle, among other demographic-specific sites. And if you were married and wanted to have a clandestine affair, you could make an account on Ashley Madison.

Related: The science isnt there: do dating apps really help us find our soulmate?

At least, that was the pitch. From its founding in 2002 until the summer of 2015, Ashley Madison, so-called for the two most popular girls names, billed itself as the premier destination for adulterers  no judgment, no risks, no strings attached other than the payments required to secure enough credits to talk to other users. The Toronto-based company, founded by Darren Morgenstern based on a statistic that 30% of people on existing dating sites were already married, promised a certain fantasy, particularly aimed at men: a list of women ready and willing to have an affair; a secret good time outside the bounds of ones partnership; self-proclaimed extensive security measures to prevent torpedoing ones domestic life. The companys CEO, a Canadian businessman named Noel Biderman, appeared on news programs and daytime talkshows with his wife, touting the site as a way to resuscitate partnerships by covertly meeting ones extramarital needs while boasting of his own monogamous marriage. The sites tagline was simple and cheeky: Life is short. Have an affair. And it was popular  by 2015, the company had launched in 40 countries and claimed more than 37 million users.

As recounted in Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal, a new Netflix docuseries on the sites rise and fall, nothing at Ashley Madison was quite so clean cut. The whole story is really about fantasy and reality, Toby Paton, the seriess director, said. Theres the kind of fantasy that people are living within their marriages, if theyre not being honest with their partners. And then youve got this fantasy that the guys at Ashley Madison are very consciously creating on this site, where you can go on and you can meet someone else, and it can be entirely discreet, and you can have this affair thats going to save your marriage.

That fantasy imploded in July 2015, when a still-anonymous hacker called the Impact Team threatened to expose the sites cheating users and the fraud company that enabled them. After weeks of holding the company hostage, the hacker did release personal details for more than 30 million users  names, addresses, sexual preferences and fantasies, credit card information and messages, as well as Bidermans personal emails, revealing that he repeatedly sought young escorts. (Biderman and Ruby Life, the owners of Ashley Madison, declined to participate in the series.)

The company, it turns out, was not particularly cyber-secure and never deleted any user information, despite charging people extra money for a full delete of their profile. The promise of security, anonymity and safety was just something we said. It wasnt something we did, says Evan Back, Bidermans childhood friend and the companys former vice-president of sales, in the first of three episodes. It was like gambling.

The gamble proved devastating for millions of people, beyond public figures ensnared in the leak and subsequent media frenzy, including the reality TV star Josh Duggar, the Real Housewives Of New York star Kristen Taekmans husband and, in an earlier scandal, the politician Eliot Spitzer. The series introduces a handful of former users and their loved ones left shellshocked by the revelations and willing to speak publicly. Everyone who appeared in the series had to do so openly and honestly, undisguised, no kind of mask, no shooting people in silhouette, no AI to disguise their identities, said Paton. Everyone who was going to be on it had to be willing to be on it openly as who they are now and tell their story. It was very difficult to find people who were willing to do that, and I think that speaks to the stigma there is around infidelity and around cheating. Patons team spoke to dozens of people over several months, most of whom were not ready to move beyond anonymity. There were so many people in their lives who maybe didnt know the full truth of what was going on, said Paton. They didnt feel comfortable revealing that.

Those that did speak out include the popular Christian vloggers Sam and Nia, who individually recount the betrayal, and public humiliation, of Sams infidelities, both via Ashley Madison and beyond it. Christi Gibson recalls the final moments with her husband John, a minister and professor at the New Orleans Baptist theological seminary, before he killed himself; earlier that day, John, who had long struggled with sex addiction, had been fired for his inclusion in the Ashley Madison leak. He left a note expressing his deep remorse and shame at being included in the sites data.

Gibson came forward, she says, to demonstrate the human toll of shame and judgment, including from those who piled on to the data leak with schadenfreude, from anonymous Twitter users to late-night monologues to an Australian radio show who looked up callers spouses information on air. The Netflix series, likewise, tries to find the real people amid the companys spin  a subsequent investigation found profligate bots imitating women  and the official police investigation into the hack, which remains unsolved. We didnt want this to be a judgmental series, said Paton. We didnt want to make a series that was going to be all about how bad Ashley Madison is, and how bad it is to cheat on your partners, because we all know that. The series is more interested in why people cheat, whats going on within relationships, what are some of the difficulties that people find themselves in within relationships that lead them to cheat. Why were people accessing Ashley Madison?

Deceit, Paton found was the real killer. And the series reveals the Ashley Madison saga to be a fallible pyramid of it, from the adulterous spouses to the website that oversold its security and the humanness of its users, to the mysterious hacker who claimed the moral high ground in revealing private data. Theres an argument that the real villain of the piece is whoever did that hack and published those names, said Paton, because the amount of devastation that was caused in marriages around the world and in peoples lives. People literally lost their lives as a result of having been exposed in that hack.

Despite the Impact Teams stated intentions, the hack certainly did not stop adultery, nor did it end Ashley Madison for good, though it did force Biderman to step down as CEO. The company restructured and rebuilt; in 2017, it settled a $576m class-action lawsuit from former customers for $11.2m, though their data remains online. Bidermans successor, Rob Segal, promised renewed security measures and protections, amid other changes. According to the series, the site now claims to have more than 70 million users. Its marketing is significantly lower-profile than under Bidermans reign, but it doesnt surprise me that its still around today, says Back in the series. I always say that as long as men have penises, Ashley Madison will always be in business.

Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal is available on Netflix on 15 May


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On May 14, 2004, then-Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark married Australian Mary Donaldson in a lavish royal wedding at in Copenhagen Cathedral, and today the couple, now the King and Queen of Denmark, are marking their milestone 20th anniversary in Oslo at the start of a state visit to Norway.

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Frederik and Mary set off from Denmark yesterday aboard the royal yacht Dannebrog ahead of their official business, and this morning shared an adorable photo from the yacht's deck, complete with matching puffer vests. Mary kept it cool in a pair of chic Gucci sunglasses in a shade of coordinating navy blue.

They later disembarked Oslo to be greeted by members of the Norwegian royal family, including Crown Prince Haakon and his wife Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Queen Sonja, and King Harald himself. The 87 year old, who currently holds the title of Europe's oldest monarch, has been operating under a reduced schedule after a series of health issues earlier this year which culminated in the placement of a permanent pacemaker in March.

However, the Norwegian king looked jovial as he greeted the Danish leaders on their special dayparticularly poignant considering that not only were he and Queen Sonja among the guests at Frederik and Mary's wedding, he also shares a family connection to the royals; he and Frederik's mother, the former Queen Margrethe, are second cousins.

Per Ole Hagen - Getty Images

For their day of events, including a visit to the Norwegian parliament, the Storting, Mary swapped her laid-back nautical look for a lilac and blue printed skirt and a demure white jacket topped with a blue feathered fascinator that paid a subtle homage to their wedding anniversary with a delicate veil.

Frederik and Mary's trip to Norway marks their second official state visit abroad since becoming King and Queen this January. Frederik took the throne after his mother, Margrethe, unexpectedly announced in her New Year's speech that she would be abdicating.

Though the former queen stated that the decision was motivated by an operation in 2023 that made her think to the future, some speculated that the choice may have been impacted by rumors circulated last fall that Frederik was involved in an extramarital affair with Mexican socialite and philanthropist Genoveva Casanova. Casanova denied the speculation at the time, and the Danish royal house has not commented on the issue. Queen Mary has continued to carry out duties alongside her husband and has been seen on several occasions wearing an "F" initial necklace, evidently in support of her husband of 20 years.

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The Maine have announced their return to Australia for September 2024. The five-date run will take place as part of the bands Sweet Sixteen world tour, in which they are celebrating 16 years as a band. A full run of dates and ticketing information can be found below.

The American pop-punk band were last in Australia in September 2022, playing a co-headlining tour with State Champs in support of their 2021 album XOXO: From Love and Anxiety In Real Time. Were always so focused on the future that we rarely look back, wrote the band in a press statement.

The Sweet Sixteen tour is not only a celebration of our self-titled album, but a salute to the last 16 years of our band with a career-spanning set featuring songs from every chapter of The Maine. No matter if youve been here for 16 years or 16 days, we cant wait to see you.

The Maine  Thoughts I Have While Lying In Bed

Indeed, since the band were last in Australia they have put out an eponymous studio album  their ninth overall. A deluxe edition of The Maine was issued in January 2024, including new versions of several tracks such as a wedding version of Funny How? and a reworked Leave In Five with new vocals from MisterWives.

The Maine Sweet Sixteen 2024 Australian Tour

Sunday, September 15th  Magnet House, Perth WA

Tuesday, September 17th  The Gov, Adelaide SA

Thursday, September 19th  The Tivoli, Brisbane QLD

Friday, September 20th  Liberty Hall, Sydney NSW

Sunday, September 22nd  Forum Theatre, Melbourne VIC

A pre-sale for the tour will commence from 10am local time on Wednesday, May 15th and can be signed up for here. General sale will follow on Friday, May 17th  again at 10am local time  via Destroy All Lines.

Further Reading

5 Best Australian Experiences By Garrett Nickelsen from The Maine

My Chemical Romance to Perform The Black Parade at When We Were Young Festival 2024

You Me At Six Announce Final Ever Australian Tour For 2025

The post The Maine Announce 2024 Sweet Sixteen Australian Tour appeared first on Music Feeds.


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The Duchess of Sussex found a special way to honor her late mother-in-law during her recent trip to Nigeria.

Meghan Markle paid tribute to Princess Diana by wearing a necklace that once belonged to the former Princess of Wales. Prince Harry gifted Meghan the meaningful jewelry piece, which features a diamond-encrusted cross pendant attached to a gold chain, People reports.

Meghan wore the accoutrement on May 11, when she and Harry attended a reception dinner hosted at the Nigerian Defence Headquarters in the capital city of Abuja. The duchess also wore a strapless ivory column dress from St. Agni, gold knot earrings from Dior, nude Aquazzura heels, and her go-to Cartier Tank watch and gold bracelet.

Getty Images

KOLA SULAIMON - Getty Images

Antony Jones - Getty Images

Meghan often wears jewelry that once belonged to Diana, from a pair of diamond butterfly earrings to the royals famous aquamarine cocktail ring. In fact, Meghans own engagement ring features two round-cut diamonds from Dianas personal collection, both of which flank a larger center stone cushion-cut diamond sourced from Botswana.

Why Is King Charles' Diagnosis Public While Kate Middleton's Is Private?

Photo credit: Getty Images

"It was sensible to be more open about it, as otherwise, people might have thought the worst," a palace insider said.

Anonymous Courtier Says Recent Royal Drama Is Not a Crisis "Yet"

Photo credit: Getty Images

Truly just...

Where Is Kate Middleton: Breaking Down Twitter's Conspiracy Theories

Photo credit: Getty Images

It's...getting complicated!

An Official Timeline of Prince William and Prince Harrys Royal Rift

Photo credit: Getty Images

Come for the drama, stay for the fanfic.

Meghan Markle Is Gearing Up for a New Podcast: Heres What We Know

Photo credit: Getty Images

Bonus: Archetypes will also be distributed on all platforms. 

A Definitive Timeline of Prince Harry and Meghan Markles Entire Relationship

Photo credit: Getty Images

This royal love story is a good one.

Diana isnt the only family member to have received a special sartorial tribute on the couples trip to Nigeria over the weekend. At another event on Sunday, Meghan stepped out in a familiar yellow dressthe same Carolina Herrera garment she wore to celebrate son Prince Archies first birthday, in 2020, and to announce her pregnancy with Princess Lilibet in 2021. She accessorized the sentimental look with a green striped shawl, nude slingback leather sandals, hammered-gold disc earrings from Jennifer Meyer, and a gold Aurate collar necklace.

Anadolu - Getty Images

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FILE - Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the former armorer at the movie "Rust," listens to closing arguments in her trial at district court, Wednesday, March 6, 2024, in Santa Fe, N.M. The movie weapons armorer is appealing her conviction for involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of the Western film Rust. In court documents released Tuesday, May 14, 2024 a defense attorney for Gutierrez-Reed filed a notice of appeal of the March conviction by a jury. (Luis Sanchez Saturno/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP, Pool, File)

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP)  A movie weapons armorer is appealing her conviction for involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of the Western film Rust, according to court documents released Tuesday.

A defense attorney filed the shortly worded appeal notice as Hannah Gutierrez-Reed serves an 18-month sentence at a New Mexico penitentiary for women. Her attorneys have 30 days to submit detailed arguments.

Prosecutors blame Gutierrez-Reed for unwittingly bringing live ammunition onto the set of Rust, where it was expressly prohibited, and for failing to follow basic gun-safety protocols. A jury convicted her in state court in March.

Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer of the film, was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal when the gun went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza.

Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter and says he pulled back the hammer  but not the trigger  and the gun fired. His trial is scheduled for July.

Gutierrez-Reed was acquitted of an evidence tampering charge at trial, and still confronts separate court proceedings on allegations she carried a firearm into a bar in downtown Santa Fe.

A New Mexico judge last month found that Gutierrez-Reeds recklessness on the Rust set amounted to a serious violent offense, noting few indications of genuine remorse in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Gutierrez-Reed said at a sentencing hearing she had tried to do her best on the set despite not having proper time, resources and staffing, and that she was not the monster that people have made her out to be. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer said the maximum sentence was appropriate.
Im a writer; I tell stories, reads the first line of Claire Messuds This Strange Eventful History, a novel based on her own familys past. Admittedly, thats not the most promising opener, since everyone from ad executives to life coaches goes around calling themself a storyteller these days. Of course, really, Messuds narrator continues, I want to save lives. Or simply: I want to save life.

Thats more like it. Thats a meaningful assertion of this novels purpose: to preserve and cherish the beauty and sorrow of a way of life since passed from this earth and in danger of being lost to memory. This Strange Eventful History is very much a midlife novel, a work reflecting the sudden knowledge of how swiftly one reality cedes to another. Messuds familypied-noir French, colonials born and raised in Algeriaknew this truth with a particularly deep pain. Algeria regained its independence in 1962, and for the clan in This Strange Eventful History, the Cassars, it became a lost homeland, one that they could never return to because it no longer existed.

This Strange Eventful History begins in 1940, with the fall of Paris to the Nazis and the evacuation of Lucienne Cassar and her children back to Algiers, while her husband, Gaston, a naval officer, remains in service. It ends with the death of Lucienne and Gastons son, Francois, at 80 in Connecticut. Each chapter is told from the point of view of one person: Francois, his Canadian wife Barbara, his sister Denise, Gaston, and Francois daughter Chloethe only character to claim a first-person voice, and clearly the true teller of this tale. Chloe, as did Messud herself, comes into possession of two texts: her grandfathers 1,500-page history of his family and her aunts diary. These serve as the basis for the novel, but much of it also springs from an adult childs evolving understanding of her two unhappy parents.

W.W. Norton

Although Messud has written about the political history of Algeria before, in this novel, politics simmer deep in the background. What drives these characters has little to do with colonialism and its legacy. Chloe refers to the shame of the family history, of the history into which we were born in the novels prologue; it seems as if it might be an allusion to politics but is revealed, in the final chapter, to be a reference to a shockingly intimate transgression instead. At one point, a young Chloe raises the Algerian issue with her grandfather, who mildly points out that your happy and free United States of America is, at root, no different from French Algeriamerely, for the colonizers, a more successful iteration. What really matters to the older Cassars about Algeria is not how or why it changed; its that their Algeria is gone. We might have wished for a happier ending, one that would have made it possible for everyone to live in harmony, to build a nation together, Gaston adds. But wishing does not make it so.

Wishing does not make it sothis melancholy observation is one of the abiding themes of This Strange Eventful History. At the center of the family stands one wish fulfilled: Gaston and Luciennes marriage, founded on a love Gaston pronounces the masterpiece of our lives. Their devotion to each other is genuine and legendary. In every other part of their lives, though, the Cassars are prone to near-fatal miscalculations and deferred dreams. Gaston wants to be a writer but ends up in the navy and, after the war, the oil industry. When de Gaulle summons French troops to Britain to regroup after the fall of Paris, Gaston decides that he dislikes the generals arrogance and will instead follow orders from the collaborationist commanders to repair to a posting in Beirut. These disappointments are echoed in the next generation: Francois surrenders his academic ambitions for a corporate career, then feels his sacrifice insufficiently appreciated by his wife and daughters. Denise convinces herself that she and a married colleague share a love so secret theyve never acted on it, only to be disillusioned by a piece of idle gossip.

Most of the major events in the Cassars livesa car accident, breakdowns, courtships, childbirth, the Algerian war for independence itselfhappen offstage. Each chapter portrays a slice of time during which a character weathers the ripples caused by lifes disruptions. This is a deliberately antidramatic choice. Messuds selection of epigraph, a quote taken from Elias Canettis Notes From Hampstead, underlines her intentions here. It refers to a man in whose life absolutely nothing happened: All he ever did was live in this century. But that alone was enough to give his life dimension, both of feeling and of thought.

Its true that in these vignettes taken from everyday life we can glimpse some of the burgeoning social forces of that time: feminism, multinational capitalism, liberation movements. Gaston and Lucienne are devout Catholics. Francois is agnostic, flees tradition-bound French society (where the pied-noirs are disdained) for the Americas, and marries a Protestant. Chloe worships art, specifically literature, and finds her grandfathers world at once familiar and exoticthe latter felt most strikingly just after his death, as friends and family gather in his home while his corpse lies in state in his bedroom. The two older generations in This Strange Eventful History smoke incessantly; the youngest, when grown, beg them in vain to stop and banish them outdoors when they refuse.

But the power of this novel, which is considerable, has little to do with the historical events that flicker through it. Its effects cumulate, each scene enriching the one before it, the characters with their idiosyncratic delusions and habits and yearnings gradually acquiring the dimensions of full human beings much like the impossible and precious people we live with every day. This blossoming requires some patience from readers more accustomed to novels that wear their talking points on their sleeves or thatlike Messuds two biggest hits, The Emperors Children and The Woman Upstairs, comment on some highly identifiable aspect of contemporary society. The chattering classes wont see themselves reflected as discussable phenomena in This Strange Eventful History.

By the end, however, the Cassars came to feel almost as real to me as my own relatives. The novel has the attentivenessChloes attentivenessthat could be inspired only by the compassion and exasperation found in inescapable bonds. Gaston and Luciennes marriage, a sort of courtly love from medieval romancefated, mythic, enormous, distorts the expectations of both the married Francois and the unmarried Denise. As a result, Barbara thinks, the unsatisfiable Francois had swallowed and swamped her, belittled and criticized her, had also wept and sworn his devotionand shed held her heart an icy shard for decades, had tortured him as hed tortured her. She regrets the marriage but somehow cant extract herself from it. Then, as this generations characters age and begin to fail, dementia melting Barbara into a surprising sweetness, Francois decides getting older was like inhabiting a mansion you couldnt afford, so that you were forced to shut down one room after another, eventually entire wings, until you huddled in the kitchen, breaking up the furniture for firewood. And yet, he is happier. Experience is forever confounding expectations. In much the same way, this novel that, when summarized, seems to be about the smallest of things ends up being about everything.
The couple tied the knot in a double set of royal weddings in April 2023

Arnold Jerocki/WireImage Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg and Nicolas Bagory on their April 29, 2023 wedding day in Bormes-les-Mimosas, France.

There's a new royal baby in Luxembourg  Princess Alexandra and Nicholas Bagory are parents!

On May 14, the Grand Ducal Court announced that the only daughter of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa and her husband have welcomed their first child  a daughter named Victoire.

"The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess have the great joy to announce the birth of their granddaughter Victoire, first child of their daughter Alexandra and their son-in-law Nicolas, born this Tuesday, May 14 in Paris," the court said in a statement, sharing the baby's name on a pink slide below a crown.

"The mother and child are doing well," it added.

The baby arrives as ninth in the line of succession to the Luxembourgish throne and as the eighth grandchildren for Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa.

In December 2023, the Grand Ducal Court shared the happy news that Princess Alexandras family was expanding.

Sylvain Lefevre/Getty Princess Alexandra and Nicholas Bagory on their April 22, 2023 wedding day in Luxembourg, Luxembourg.

Related: Royal Oops! Luxembourg Royal Court Corrects Misspelling of New Baby Prince's Name

Their Royal Highnesses the Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess have the immense joy of announcing that Princess Alexandra and Mr. Nicolas Bagory are expecting their first child, the court wrote on Instagram, per a translation.

The birth is planned for spring. The Grand Duke, the Grand Duchess as well as the members of the two families unite in this great happiness, the statement said.

Princess Alexandra, 33, married Nicholas in a double set of royal weddings in April 2023. On April 22, the couple exchanged vows in a civil ceremony in the Town Hall of Luxembourg City before the mayor, followed by a reception at the Grand Ducal Palace. Two weeks later, they celebrated again with a private ceremony at Saint-Trophyme Church in Bormes-les-Mimosas, France, on April 29. There, the bride sparkled in the Chaumet Choker Tiara, a convertible family heirloom that can be worn as a headtopper or necklace.

Arnold Jerocki/Getty Grand Duke Henri and Princess Alexandra at her April 29, 2023 wedding in Bormes-les-Mimosas, France.

Related: Royal Baby Alert! Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg Is Pregnant with Her First Child

The Grand Ducal Court announced Alexandras engagement in November 2022, and shared a bit of the grooms background. Nicholas was raised in Brittany, France and studied political science and classics, before pursuing a career in social and cultural projects. It remains unclear when he and the princess connected, or how long they had been together before getting engaged.

Victoire is the second baby to be born into the royal family of Luxembourg this year and will grow up with a cousin close in age. In January, Princess Alexandras elder brother Prince Felix and his wife Princess Claire welcomed their third child, son Balthazar Felix Karl. However, there was a bit of a hiccup with his name announcement!

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

Royal watchers caught that courtiers switched the spelling of Felix and Claires baby sons name in official communications the day after his birth announcement, calling the baby Prince Balthazar instead of Prince Balthasar as he was initially introduced.

According to Nameberry, the name Balthazar has Greek origins and a royal meaning  "God protects the king. In the Bible, Balthazar was also one of the three kings who visited the infant Jesus  a fitting tribute as the little prince arrived near the feast of the Epiphany.



Prince Felix and Princess Claire are also parents to daughter Princess Amalia, 9, and son Prince Liam, 7.

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Read the original article on People.
WATCH: Rabbit and deer greet each other in real-life Thumper and Bambi moment

WATCH: Rabbit and deer greet each other in real-life Thumper and Bambi moment

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  A TikTok user captured a real-life Disney moment right in his backyard earlier this month.

Cody Everetts caught the sweet moment a young deer and small rabbit met up and greeted each other on his patio in Coos Bay, Oregon.

Everetts posted the video on May 3, saying the two animals were the real-life Thumper and Bambi from the classic animated Disney movie Bambi.





The sweet and magical moment went viral on TikTok, amassing over 12,000 likes and nearly 300 comments.

Thanks for sharing..nature is amazing , one user commented on the video.

While another user wrote, TOO MUCH CUTENESS!!!

Disneys 1942 animated film Bambi follows the young deer and his new friends, a rabbit named Thumper, and a skunk named Flower, as they explore his forest home, learning that there are dangers in the open meadows where hunters can spot the animals.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
BRANDON  The first minutes of Emanuel Lutheran Church began with this statement: "On the 14th day of May 1874, twenty Evangelical Lutheran Christians, aged 21 or older, living in Brandon and vicinity, gathered in Hillmans Hall and organized themselves into a Christian congregation, choosing the name 'Emanuel Lutheran Church.'"

Emanuel Lutheran Church, 107 Prairie St. in Brandon, is 150 years old this year, and the church organization celebrated the milestone May 5 when it received commendations for the anniversary from state Rep. Jon Plumer, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and the state of Wisconsin.

Early history includes modest church and opportunities to grow

Prior to the church's formation, early German Lutheran settlers of the Brandon area traveled to Ripon for church services, according to church member Annette Raube. Pastor G. Hoelzel of Ripon then eventually came to Brandon to conduct services above a store building.

While the first meeting was held in 1874, the second meeting for the adoption of a constitution and organization of Sunday School didn't occur until almost a year later in March 1875, under the leadership of Pastor Hoelzel.

This undated historical photo depicts the inside of Emanuel Lutheran Church in Brandon.

Between the first two meetings, a modest church was built in the summer of 1874, according to Raube.

In the church's first 50 years, the community expanded the church, added a tower, constructed a schoolhouse, installed art glass windows and built its first parsonage, which was replaced more than 50 years later with the present-day parsonage in 1928. The church's 25th anniversary gift had been a pipe organ, and the church was remodeled for its 50th.

Sign up for local business news with our new Fond du Lac Streetwise newsletter

Emanuel Lutheran Church continued to grow with its community, and in its centennial year in 1974, the membership was 359 baptized and 284 confirmed.

Big Brothers Big Sisters on the move: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Fond du Lac County is growing, so what's next? A bigger building is in the works.

Emanuel Lutheran gained fame for Lego replica in 2008

The church survived financial hardship in the 1990s, and then in 2008, it earned national fame when then-pastor Stuart Dornfeld created a replica of the church out of Legos.

According to FDL Reporter archives, Dornfeld spent six months crafting the likeness out of more than 12,000 Legos he'd "begged, borrowed and bought on eBay."

In 2008, Pastor Stuart Dornfeld created a replica of Emanuel Lutheran Church out of over 12,000 Legos, complete with a furnished interior.

He'd gotten inspiration from a "brick artist" at the Children's Museum in Appleton, and his finished model measured more than 2 feet tall and about 4 feet wide, furnished with 30 pews  enough to accommodate 150 Lego people  stained-glass windows, a baptismal font and a detailed altar complete with flames on the tiny candelabra.

The mini preacher was outfitted in robes made out of a white sock, and other figures were engaged in various activities. Some were based on real church members, and some bore resemblance to Batman or Indiana Jones.

Fond du Lac's parks: Fond du Lac takes pride in its parks, so what do you like about them? Let us know for a future story.

150th anniversary service and celebration featured former pastor's author son

Emanuel Lutheran Church celebrated its 150th with a special worship, commemorative booklet and a reception.

Current pastor Carol Christianson led the worship, and the clergy also included previous pastors Paul Bauman, Jim Rasmus, Kevin Scheuller and Robert Rosenberg.

Emanuel Lutheran Church's 150th anniversary celebration included a reunion of former pastors Paul Bauman, Jim Rasmus, Kevin Scheuller and Robert Rosenberg alongside current pastor Carol Christianson.

The reception featured author Harold Kurtz, the son of another former pastor, who spoke about and sold his books about growing up in the village and with the church.

For more about Emanuel Lutheran Church, visit the website elbrandon-church.com.

Daphne Lemke is the Streetwise reporter for the Fond du Lac Reporter. Contact her at dlemke@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Fond du Lac Reporter: Emanuel Lutheran Church in Fond du Lac County celebrates 150 years
7 Cutest Small Towns in NC: How many are in the Asheville, Western NC area? What to know.

WorldAtlas has released a list of seven Cutest Small Towns in North Carolina  and it may come as no surprise to Asheville residents that many of its choices were located in Western North Carolina.

WorldAtlas, founded in 1994 by cartographer John Moen and his wife Chris Woolwine-Moen, publishes educational materials and articles on geography, sociology, demography, environment, economics, politics and travel.

Writers mentioned that, while N.C. has 11 million residents, the state receives over 43 million tourists yearly. Their list of quaint small towns mentioned the broad range of features present in N.C. towns from mountain waterfalls to waterfront restaurants to historic inns.

Read about the WNC cities that made the list below.

More: Southern hospitality: How many WNC towns feature among 12 'most hospitable' in NC?

What are the cutest small towns in North Carolina?

Hikers walk along the Sam Knob Trail in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

WorldAtlas named these seven towns:

Banner Elk New Bern Sylva Blowing Rock Saluda Southport Edenton

Banner Elk, Sylva, Blowing Rock and Saluda, over half the cities on the list, are all located in Western North Carolina.

Read on for info on the WorldAtlas suggestions for what to do in each of these WNC towns  and what makes them each so special.

More: Still pregnant: Charlotte the stingray has not had 'miracle' birth as fans grow impatient

Things to do in Banner Elk

Oct. 19: The Historic Cheese House in Banner Elk plays off the surrounding autumnal tones. The structure, built in 1917 and originally home to an award-winning cheddar cheese operation, is now owned by Lees-McRae College.

A previous WorldAtlas article called Banner Elk a "mecca for outdoors enthusiasts." On this list, it named plenty of options for exploring, indoor and outdoor alike. WorldAtlas' suggestions:

Banner Elk also received praise for cozy lodging options.

More: When do pools open in Asheville, Buncombe, Hendersonville 2024?

Things to do in Sylva

Sylva was also featured on a previous WorldAtlas list. Both times, the town earned its spot for more than just the natural beauty of the nearby Smoky Mountains. Here are the WorldAtlas suggestions for exploring Sylva:

More: Explore Worldwide names Great Smoky Mountains as 2024s top trending park; Here's why

Things to do in Blowing Rock

Oct. 27: Historic Cone Manor rests above Bass Lake in nearby Blowing Rock, as fall color beams from the shoreline and hillsides.

WorldAtlas suggested Blowing Rock as a location for a romantic getaway, girls' trip or family vacation. The list praised the many parks, trails and forests in and around the town that make it a perfect spot for a broad range of outdoor activities. Its list suggestions for fun in Blowing Rock include:

More: Do cicadas really attract copperheads? What to know about emergences in Asheville area

Things to do in Saluda

The Gorge Zipline near Saluda has three sky bridges, plus several ziplines and rappels.

Last but not least of the WNC towns that made the cut is Saluda, which WorldAtlas named a "hidden gem." The writers offered the following suggestions for a visit to Saluda:

Pearson's Falls, including the botanical preserve and 90-foot waterfall.

Dupont State Forest with even more waterfalls plus horseback riding, mountain biking and fishing options.

Saluda Visitor Center, particularly for its educational information on the history of Saluda.

Thompson's Store

More: Four Asheville boutique hotels praised in a Travel & Leisure article. What made the list?

Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Blowing Rock, Sylva, Saluda among 7 Cutest NC Small Towns: WorldAtlas
Spring and summer bring great weather, but they also bring a few pests. Heading to Pensacola Beach? Watch out for yellow flies. Mowing your yard? Watch for fire ants. Looking through your closet? Don't let the silverfish spook you.

Living in Florida means finding a way to live harmoniously with its myriad insects. Most only show themselves after you've stumbled upon them, but plenty of insects can ruin your day  even if it's just from the sight of them.

Here's a list of common Florida bugs you'll likely run into this summer and what you should (or shouldn't) do when you spot them.

Florida cicadas: 2024 cicadas map: Here's where to see trillions of insects. Want quiet? Avoid these states

Ants

Ants are everywhere, so Florida is certainly not special for having them. Whats important is identifying the type of ant so you can know what actions you may need to take.

Fire ants, for instance, are fairly common and can be a big pain after they set up a nest, typically in bright and open spaces. Odorous house ants, on the other hand, arent going to bite you or ruin your home, but they are known for entering homes in search of left-out food.

Here are some common ants youll find in Florida and what to be aware of.

Fire ants: You can tell fire ants are bad news by name alone. These small, red ants can cause serious pain when they bite, typically followed by a sting. The combination results in a burning sensation lasting for a few minutes. According to Florida Pest Control, some bites can leave you with hive-like pimples filled with yellow fluid. Large colonies can also damage your yard, plants and even electrical outlets. Mounds should be removed if found.

Carpenter ants: Carpenter ants arent likely to bite you, but they can pose a significant danger to your home. They are often mistaken for termites because they excavate their nests into wood. If you see tiny piles of sawdust or hear something rustling in your wall, then it might be a good idea to get an inspection.

A carpenter ant. John Obermeyer | Purdue University

Big-headed ants: Keeping up with literal naming convention, big-headed ants can easily be identified by their disproportionately sized heads. These ants look scarier than they are. Big-headed ants generally don't bite unprovoked. They're considered nuisances as they can drum up dirt and sand into areas of your home they've foraged into. Because of their large colonies, these usually need to be removed by professional exterminators.

Big-headed ant

Here are some other ants to be weary of:

Argentine ant : These don't pose a serious threat, but they can rapidly form huge colonies if left untreated.

Harvester ant : Harvester ants are typically found outside. They are aggressive and they have an infamous sting better left read about than felt.

Pharaoh ant: Pharaoh ants don't bite, but they do carry and transmit dangerous pathogens to people and their pets, such as salmonella and streptococcus, according to Florida Pest Control.

Yellow fly

Adult yellow fly, diachlorus ferrugatus (Fabricius).

Florida has a lot of flies. While most of them are content annoying you with their presence, one group of flies isnt afraid to go in for the bite  yellow flies.

The University of Florida says that yellow fly describes about a dozen yellow-bodied biting flies in the Tabanidae family. In Florida, the name is specifically used to describe the diachlorus ferrugatus species, also known as the doctor fly.

These yellow flies are like mosquitoes in that the female fly is responsible for biting. Yellow flies are common when it gets hot in summer and early fall weather. They are active during daylight hours.

Termites

Termites, like ants, probably dont need any introduction. These tiny bugs, which look very similar to ants, can be a nightmare to deal with as a homeowner. In the U.S., termites are responsible for $5 billion in damages each year, according to Native Pest Management.

Subterranean and drywood termites are two of the most common species of termites, and getting rid of them is something that requires professional help. Treatment includes tent fumigation, setting up bait stations and termite trenching.

Love bugs

Lovebugs (two adult lovebugs are shown here) can definitely be a nuisance, but control is not possible with insecticides

Love bugs arent really a nuisance in the same way as the aforementioned insects as they dont bite or sting, and they arent likely to cause property damage, though scraping your bumper and windshield off after driving through some Florida backroads might convince you otherwise.

Love bugs are a species of march flies that are easy to identify during mating season as male and female bugs will remain attached, end to end, for several days after mating. Peak mating seasons tend to fall around May and September.

Fortunately, your home isnt likely to become overrun with love bugs as they tend to be more attracted to roads and highways. Prevention is an easy way to get ahead of any possible infestation by simply keeping a clean environment. If you find your property inundated, you can try using light colored traps, insect spray or fans to deter them (theyre not great flyers) or you can even vacuum them up.

Palmetto bugs (cockroaches)

Palmetto bugs, water bugs, Florida wood cockroach, these are all different names for the same thing  the good ol American cockroach. You can find roaches pretty much anywhere, but they really enjoy hanging out inside humid areas like basements, sewers and crawl spaces.

Spotting the occasional wood cockroach may not be a cause for concern as they tend to move around as temperatures change. Frequent sighting may mean there is a bigger problem afoot.

In Florida, cockroaches are kind of like water, if there is a place for them to crawl into, you can bet theyll find it. So naturally, one of the best ways to prevent them from getting inside your home is to walk around your home and note any cracks or crevices so you can later fill them in.

Keeping up with home chores can be a lot to handle, but leaving food out or standing water can attract roaches. So, its best to make sure you dont leave dirty dishes in the sink and to make sure your spaces are relatively clean.

Given that roaches love to hide in humid spots, investing in a dehumidifier can help kick them to the curb.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes can be found anywhere, but Floridas already uncomfortable heat and humidity are much worse when you realize youre breathing the same air as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls the worlds deadliest animal.

Malaria, dengue, West Nile, yellow fever and Zika are just a few of the deadly diseases these pests have spread, resulting in the death of millions of people across the globe. Despite being contained in most areas throughout the U.S., many of these diseases are still a factor here in Florida.

Preventing mosquitoes from swarming your yard requires much of the same maintenance and care as preventing most other bugs: removing standing water and keeping your yard clean. Native Pest Management says that mosquito dunks are another effective method.

Dunks are a biological product with a mosquito-larvae-killing bacteria thats harmless to people and pets. These can be placed in pools of water that dont need to be emptied or refreshed.

Silverfish

Silverfish typically run quickly and are mostly active at night. In homes, they are commonly found in closets, attics or near bookcases and hide behind baseboards or casings around doors and windows.

Silverfish are small insects that have a silver tint to them and move a bit like fish. Youve probably run into them while reorganizing a messy closet or drawer. Theyre nocturnal and mostly keep out of sight. They dont cause any direct damage but can aggravate allergies.

You can get rid of or prevent silverfish in the same way you get rid of roaches. Keeping areas free of clutter will reduce the places they hide inside your home, and reducing the humidity inside your home can deter them. If you notice them around, sprinkling diatomaceous earth, which is pet friendly, can help get rid of them.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Do Florida bugs make your skin crawl? Here are the ones to watch
(COLORADO)  Night Owls will rejoice as three cities in the state have been named among the countrys top destinations for nocturnal life.

A poll by Mixbook found 150 top areas in the U.S. for those who seek the hottest spots at night.

Here are the Top 10:

Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada French Quarter, New Orleans, Lousiana, Kailua-Kona, Big Island, Hawaii SoHo, Manhattan, New York Downtown Anchorage, Alaska Savannah Historic District, Georgia Old Colorado City, Colorado Downtown Nashville, Tennesee Deep Ellum, Dallas, Texas Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii

According to the study, Old Colorado City offers a relaxed, evening vibe where locals can enjoy pubs, casual dining sports, and live local music, perfect for a cozy night out with a historic background.

Two other Colorado cities made the top 100, with LoDo (Lower Downtown) Denver placing at 39th and Pearl Street Mall in Boulder placing 76th.

Other cities mentioned in the Top 150 included Historic Downtown Cheyenne in Wyoming, 9th and 9th in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Country Club Plaza in Kansas.

Downtown Denver was highlighted for its nightlife and mix of rooftop bars, lounges and brewpubs, while Pearl Street Mall in Boulder was highlighted for its variety of bars, live music venues, and breweries.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado.
Cruising for a cause: Classic Car Museum revs up support for Camp Sunshine

ARUNDEL  The Maine Classic Car Museum will host a benefit for Camp Sunshine on Saturday, June 8.

The Keys for Camp event from 5 to 8 p.m. celebrates the 40th anniversary of Camp Sunshine, a Sebago Lake campus that brings together children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.

Were proud to support Camp Sunshine and the important work that they do by hosting their annual fundraising event, said Gene Prentice, president of the Maine Classic Car Museum. The event will be a lot of fun, with a blend of music and nostalgia alongside our unique classic cars and historical exhibitions.

Alexander Hopper, 13, from Denver, Colorado got behind the wheel of a vintage Shelby Mustang at the Maine Classic Car Museum, where his family stopped after their Retinalblastoma Family week at Camp Sunshine.

Over the past 40 years, Camp Sunshine has welcomed more than 60,000 children, siblings, parents, and caregivers from all 50 states and 27 countries for fun-filled, year-round sessions with families, just like theirs.

Thanks to the generous support of donors and volunteers, Camp Sunshine programs are 100% free for kids and families," said Prentice.

Andrea Reitzel of Denver, Colorado, knows the joy of coming to Camp Sunshine every summer.

With the incredible generosity of Camp Sunshine, our family has traveled to Maine five times in recent years to participate in a week of respite, community, and laughter, she said.

A Camp Sunshine family from Denver, Colorado enjoyed a stop at the Maine Classic Car Museum for a VIP Tour of classic cars after their week at camp. Clockwise from the top, Andrea Reitzel, daughter Millie, 16, family companion, Agustina Bossi of Argentina, and son Alexander, 13, who is behind the wheel of a rare 1960 Edsel Ranger convertible.

Reitzels son Alexander, age 13, has Chromosome 13q Deletion Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. In addition, Alexander was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a childhood eye cancer.

We get so much of being with other families dealing with the exact same childhood diagnoses, explains Reitzel. Theres something for everyone, and theres a real strong bond."

Alexander enjoys the arts and crafts room, while her daughter Millie, a 16-year-old high sophomore, who aspires to attend nursing school, joins other siblings at Camp Sunshine.

I love the friendships Ive made at Camp Sunshine, Millie said.

And I enjoy the respite of being around other parents who know exactly what Im going through, said Reitzel.

After Camp Sunshine last summer, Reitzel and her family made a special stop to see the Maine Classic Car Museum.

We were blown away by all the cool cars we saw, and the staff at the museum were so welcoming and informative, said Reitzel. Alexander loved getting the chance to sit in some old cars. If were lucky enough to get back to Camp Sunshine this year, well definitely plan another stop at the museum.

A Camp Sunshine family from Denver, Colorado visited the Maine Classic Car Museum for a VIP Tour of classic cars after their week at camp. Clockwise from the top, Andrea Reitzel, daughter Millie, 16, family companion, Agustina Bossi of Argentina, and son Alexander, 13, who is behind the wheel of an unusual 1959 Messerschmitt KR200 microcar.

For more information about the Keys to Camp event on June 8, and to buy tickets, go to campsunshine.org or keys4camp.org. For more information about the Maine Classic Car Museum, call 207-602-6620 or visit mainecarmuseum.com.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Classic Car Museum revs up support for Camp Sunshine
A gentle three-legged dog was left at a Florida shelter  and still needs a home.

She longs for the comfort of a loving home where she can find solace and companionship once again, the Halifax Humane Society wrote May 8 on Facebook. (Mikayla) may have lost a leg, but she hasnt lost her zest for life or her ability to love unconditionally.

Mikayla, whose name was spelled Mykala on social media, is ready for her next chapter after her previous owner experienced personal issues and surrendered her in March. While the owner didnt say how Mikayla lost her front right leg, she arrived at the shelter with another three-legged dog. That pup, Coco, was soon adopted, leaving Mikayla behind, the shelter told McClatchy News in an email.

This brave three-legged beauty found herself at the shelter after losing her beloved owner and loyal canine sister, the humane society wrote. While her heart aches from the loss, (Mikaylas) gentle soul still radiates warmth and affection.

The animal organization, located in Daytona Beach, describes Mikayla as a roughly 4-year-old German shepherd mix who loves cuddling and going on walks. The loyal pup was struggling in the shelter environment and has been living in a foster home.

Although she appears quiet and reserved in her kennel, she is actually very affectionate and loving once she is out of it, the shelter wrote.

As of May 13, Mikayla was still available for adoption. More details about the shelters adoption process can be found at halifaxhumanesociety.org.

(Mikaylas) gentle nature makes her a perfect fit for a family looking to welcome a furry friend who knows the true meaning of resilience and love, the shelter wrote, adding that she has a wagging tail and hopeful eyes that speak volumes about her resilient spirit.

Timid shelter dogs siblings were adopted. Now, the Florida pup has a home too

Woman on wait list for puppy has heart stolen by sweet senior dog who lost his owner

Sweet dog came to Florida rescue in rough shape. Then came amazing transformation
As Jibril Ahmed walked out of his final exam  a math test  he breathed a sigh of relief.

I think I did OK, but Im so happy to be done, said Ahmed, 20, cracking a wide smile outside of the Columbus State Community College library.

He is studying computer science and plans to pursue a bachelors degree next year at Ohio State University.

Buckeye Ranch works with over 300 Somali youth in Greater Columbus such as Jibril Ahmed, who overcame several struggles to go on to Columbus State Community College. He transfers to Ohio State in the fall to complete his bachelor's degree in computer science.

Still in the midst of his academic journey, he has already come a long way.

Ahmed fled his native country of Somalia for a Kenyan refugee camp, then moved to a new home and culture in America and lost his father  all before the age of 10. After undergoing a mental health crisis as a high schooler in 2021, he connected with the Buckeye Ranch, whose outreach workers helped him get treatment and apply to Columbus State, becoming the first person in his family to attend college.

Improving his mental health has been a big part of his academic success, he said.

The journey taught me a lot  not to be afraid or not to be shy. Sometimes, you need to ask for help, Ahmed said.

The Buckeye Ranch, founded in the early 1960s, offers a wide range of mental health services and support for children, youth, and families in central Ohio. Through a special outreach program funded by Franklin County Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health, the nonprofit ranch works with more than 300 young people like Ahmed in Columbus large Somali American community. Outreach workers assist Somali youth and their families with everything from mental health to accessing employment and housing services.

Nafisa Jamale, a community-based clinical supervisor with the program, said she has seen Ahmed and other clients make major strides.

(Ahmed) almost gave up school. He was like, I cant do this, she said. But I'm happy with what hes accomplished  it just shows me what we can do for the community and there's hope for next generations.

Nafisa Jamale, a community-based clinical supervisor at the Buckeye Ranch, works with Columbus large Somali American youth community to get mental health, employment and other services through a special outreach program funded by Franklin County Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health.

Addressing lingering trauma in the Somali community

Jamale, a licensed social worker who is herself Somali American, said many of her clients face lingering trauma, but they approach mental health with a different perspective than Western medical practitioners.

A lot of the first generation  due to their experience in refugee camps or their parents going through the (Somali) civil war  there is a very high rate of trauma symptoms and other mental health disorders in the community, she said.

But too often, the stigma of mental illness means problems go unaddressed, she said.

A lot of times, Somali families are like, 'No, no, no, we're not doing medication,'" she said.  But I find that Somali families will listen more to a Somali clinician.

Jamale and her teamwork with families to find solutions that work for them, she said. If clients do need medication, the team helps the family monitor for side effects and follow up.

Kamilah Twymon, the Buckeye Ranchs vice president for community-based and education services, said the team is lucky to have many Somali American staff, who understand not only the language but also the cultural background of their clients.

Nafisa is our first supervisor that is Somali.  We're incredibly proud of that, and she has done an amazing job at bridging that gap, Twymon said.

Nafisa Jamale, a community-based clinical supervisor at the Buckeye Ranch, and Columbus State Community College student Jibril Ahmed pose for a photo on campus. Jamale helped Ahmed get the support he needed to enroll and complete his studies at Columbus State, and he will start classes at Ohio State University in the fall.

Multi-system therapy helps youth confront mental health issues together with families

In 2021, Ahmed, then a student at Horizon Science Academy Columbus High School, had a mental health crisis that required his mother to call the police. He was taken to Nationwide Childrens Hospital for treatment, which, in turn, referred him to the Buckeye Ranchs Somali outreach program.

Ahmed received multi-systemic therapy, a program where mental health professionals conduct regular home visits, helping youth and their families deal with any problems as a family unit.

The workers helped Ahmed learn social and emotional skills, including breathing techniques and other ways to deal with negative emotions, Jamale said.

Recognizing Ahmed had a desire to keep learning, they also helped him apply to colleges and seek financial aid. This is something that his mother, who is not fluent in English, would not have been able to do, according to Jamale.

Once Ahmed got in into Columbus State, Buckeye Ranch staff helped him find an after-school job, get extra tutoring, and even what COTA bus route to take between campus Downtown and his home in Northland.

Two years later, Ahmed now walks around campus  where he used to get lost  with confidence. He said he will miss Columbus State once he moves on to Ohio State University.

After finishing his computer science degree, he hopes to one day start his own cybersecurity company.

That's one of the highest in-demand jobs in the country, he said.  I am also thinking about creating an app that could help people (access aid) with natural disasters.

Jamale said she and Ahmed have become friends over the years, and his academic success inspires her.

With Buckeye Ranch  and Im not saying this because I work here  but I think we are really educating and helping a lot of families come forward to seek further help, she said.

Ahmed agreed.

Mental health wasn't easy for me.  It was a very difficult journey for me and my family," he said. "But (Buckeye Ranch and its resources) were there and supporting every step of the way.

Peter Gill covers immigration, New American communities and religion for the Dispatch in partnership with Report for America. You can support work like his with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America.

pgill@dispatch.com

@pitaarji

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Buckeye Ranch helps Somali youth with mental health, college apps
JOPLIN, Mo.  Getting a job after graduating college could be more competitive this year for college grads.

According to the National Association for Colleges and Employers, the overall hiring outlook is expected to drop by 1.9 percent compared to last year.

I just looked in our system and we currently within 50 miles of Joplin have almost 7000 jobs available, said Pam Reagan Missouri Job Center One Stop Operator.

Pam Regan, Missouri Job Center one stop operator, says locally, there is a pretty strong job market for recent college graduates.

Thats everything from entry-level positions, to physicians, and lawyers, and everything in between, said Reagan.

This can be good news for the more than 800 MSSU students who just recently graduated.

iI would say The top three jobs or industries that our students enter into most commonly are health care, teacher education, and actually the criminal justice field, said Alex Gandy, MSSU Career Services Director.

If you are unsure of what your next step is, the Missouri Southern State University Career Services Department can help assist in the job search after youve graduated or sometimes even before.

We typically see with an an unemployment rate, our students who are who are challenged in finding job opportunities is somewhere between 5 to 7% of our graduates. Those are students who are currently looking for job opportunities post-graduation. But what we see over a 12 month timeline is typically that is a 90% employment or theyre actually pursuing and continuing graduate school program, said Gandy.

The department provides students with resume writing skills, information on how to apply for grad school, how to apply and look for jobs, and interview practice, all for free.

Plus, the Missouri Job Center can also assist in the search. You can visit their website, here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com.
A California boat owner's ingenuity is gaining attention after he commissioned a mural of his vessel to sidestep demands from officials while complying with city codes in his own "tongue-in-cheek" way.

Officials in Seaside, California, told Etienne Constable the boat parked in his driveway needed to be hidden from view or Constable could face a $100 fine. So, the homeowner erected a fence in the middle of his driveway, hiding the boat.

Sort of.

Because the fence showcases a hyper-realistic mural depicting the 19-foot Arima Sea Ranger, the view from the street hasn't changed much. The "illusion," as the mural's artist describes it, lines up perfectly with elements of the real world, like shrubs, as well as the side of Constable's home, which is just northeast of Monterrey.

"This struck me as the right way to go, and something that makes my house unique," Constable told USA TODAY.

Etienne Constable's 19-foot Arima Sea Ranger sits in his driveway in Seaside, California, behind a fence featuring a hyper-realistic mural of the boat.

Next-door neighbor and longtime artist Hanif Panni painted the mural  and Constable paid him far more than $100 to do so, the artist said.

City Hall officials, rather than feel defeated by Constable's roundabout compliance, celebrated his idea.

"I applaud the constituent's creative approach, which not only addresses compliance but also showcases a community-driven solution," City Council member Alexis Garcia-Arrazola told USA TODAY.

Artist relied on photos for hyper-realistic look

Panni said he was motivated to paint the mural because he wanted to help Constable jump through a "bureaucratic hoop" while complying with the rules in a creative way. Now, he said, passersby will be able to view art that didn't exist before, he said.

Panni, 42, and Constable, 61, took photos of the boat sitting in the driveway and the artist sketched out an outline on the fence before he began painting.

"It's kind of this illusion where you can see the boat, and what's behind it is mixed with the mural," he said, describing the final product, completed May 3.

The opposite half of Etienne Constable's boat is visible from behind a hyper-realistic mural, painted by next-door neighbor Hanif Panni. The two men decided to make the mural to comply with a city rule in a creative way.

The opposite half of Etienne Constable's boat is visible from behind a hyper-realistic mural, painted by next-door neighbor Hanif Panni. The two men decided to make the mural to comply with a city rule in a creative way.

Code violation for parking boat 'in public view'

In 2023, a Seaside code compliance specialist sent Constable a notice telling him he was in violation of a rule prohibiting residents from parking boats, RVs and trailers in public view  including vehicles parked on private property.

To avoid a fine, Constable needed to erect a screen or other covering shielding his boat from the street.

Such ordinances ensure large vehicles, which can be difficult to maintain, are hidden from sight to keep overall property values high, City Manager Nick Borges told USA TODAY. Sometimes, Borges said, vehicle owners don't do a job good of cleaning up leaking oil and other sanitary problems tied to vehicles.

Theres an importance to some of these codes, so that doesnt occur," Borges said.

A mural in Etienne Constable's Seaside, California, driveway perfectly blends into its surrounding, creating an optical illusion, said artist Hanif Panni.

At the time Constable received his notice about the boat, Borges said, the city was ramping up its code enforcement efforts after years of letting violations fall by the wayside. As a result, Constable was notified of his violation for the first time in July 2023 after having parked the boat in the same spot for around four years, Constable said.

It makes sense that Constable was frustrated, Borges said, because his boat has always appeared to be well-maintained. In the end, the mural was a fun solution, the city manager said.

"The only action to take at this point is a high-five to the owner," Borges said.

Artists paint a hyper-realistic mural on a fence in the home driveway of Etienne Constable in Seaside, California.

'I hit a sweet spot'

Constable said he wanted to make a point about "ridiculous" city codes without getting into a legal battle with the mayor's office.

"I did it to stick my thumb in your eye, but I did it in a way that's nonoffensive, doesn't hurt anybody, doesn't take anything from anyone," Constable said. "I feel like I hit the sweet spot, and got my point across."

Constable got the boat four years ago, and often takes it out into Monterrey Bay and toward Santa Cruz and Big Sur, he said. He's a fan of fishing, often hunting for halibut and rockfish, and when he can, salmon and tuna, he said.

Now, having the mural be a public, artistic part of the neighborhood "is something I'm very proud of," he said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Seaside California resident commissions mural to spite local officials
OK Tourism & Recreation Dept. launches Find Yourself in Oklahoma campaign

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department announced on Tuesday a partnership with local artists and creators to produce a stop-motion animation campaign driving tourism and economic impact.

Find Yourself in Oklahoma tourism marketing campaign is set to feature local artists production of a fully animated stop-motion video series, according to Tourism and Recreation officials.

Oklahoma has never been showcased in a more vibrant, culturally rich and unique way,. Were incredibly proud to partner with Loud Cloud Animation Studio to bring to life a whimsical, adventurous view of our state like youve never seen before. We know that by partnering with local artists and creators to continue telling Oklahomas story in an authentic way, the states 3rd largest industry will only continue to see even more record-breaking growth. Executive Director of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department Shelley Zumwalt

Laughable: OK Senate shuts down the idea of a personal income tax cut happening this year

Visitors can expect familiar characters featured in the campaign, including the State Parks Animal Ambassadors as well as the campaigns star, Bigfoot, whose lore has been enjoyed by Oklahomans for generations and celebrated through events like the Honobia Bigfoot Festival each year in the Kiamichi Mountains.

As a lifelong Oklahoman, working on this project was a dream come true, said Loud Cloud Creative Director and Founder Mason Drumm. Ive had the opportunity to work with companies like Universal, Hasbro and LEGO, but getting the chance to tell Oklahomas story in the medium that I love is definitely the highlight of my career. I could work anywhere in the country, but Ive chosen to start and keep my animation studio in Oklahoma. Im honored to be part of the blossoming creative community. I love this state, I love my city, and I love showing the rest of the world that Oklahoma belongs on the big stage.

Notable highlights from the creation of the project are outlined below:

The project features seven diverse locations across Oklahoma, all of which were crafted by hand using felt, paper, foam and other items.

Locations featured include Tallys Cafe in Tulsa, Route 66, Talimena State Park, Sequoyah State Park, Quartz Mountain State Park, Natural Falls State Park, Tellers, and the First National Bank and Building in Oklahoma City.

OTRD partnered with Loud Cloud Animation Studio, VI Marketing and Branding and more than 20 local artists and volunteers.

Academy Award-winning puppet fabricator Tennessee Reid Norton and his international team of crafters participated in the project.

The University of Oklahomas Fabrication Lab partnered with Loud Cloud and OTRD to help with the animation.

To watch the full video or learn more about the Find Yourself in Oklahoma campaign, visit FindYourselfInOK.com.

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 KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
Lately, Ive been having nightmares that Im back in boarding school.

Each dream begins innocuously enough. I find myself walking down a hallway past classmates standing in line in the dining hall. Sometimes, one of them is suddenly tackled to the ground. They struggle under the weight of fellow student who tries to restrain them. Other times, Im sitting in a corner with my eyes fixed on a blank wall as days stretch into weeks and months.

The faces are all a blur in the dreams, but the swirl of fear and distress, the pounding in my chest and the rage that I feel are sharp.

The dreams are more like memories, as tangible as they were to me in the days after my parents dropped me off at The DeSisto School in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and I began to realize that although I was surrounded by people, I was desperately alone.

Erich Bartlebaugh (Courtesy Erich Bartlebaugh)

I started watching the true crime documentary The Program, directed by troubled teen program alum Katherine Kubler, at my sister-in-laws recommendation. You guys have to see this, she said soon after it debuted, certain that my wife and I would have seen nothing like it.

As she laid out the documentary's details  a group of teens sent off to a behavior modification facility  I realized that she was describing a story that was not unlike the one I experienced as a teenager.

Like Kubler, I was a high school student when my parents determined that I was beyond their control. Id been diagnosed with ADHD and was expelled from two schools, the second one being a military academy.

While Kubler experienced the shock of being taken away by strangers and dropped off at a school without any parental contact or explanation of where she was going, I actually picked out DeSisto.

After collecting me from the military school, my mother sat me down in her office, handed me a few brochures, and, to my surprise, told me to find the next school that I would go to.

Eventually, I came across one for DeSisto, which sold a story about a therapeutic environment for artistic kids who were misunderstood. The school featured images of a picturesque estate that drew me in.

Not long after selecting DeSisto, I was driving up to an idyllic Massachusetts town nestled in the mountains. My mother, step-father and I spent my last night before I headed to DeSisto at a bed and breakfast. It was October, and I still remember the autumn leaves and their colors. I took a long bath in a clawfoot tub and savored a king-sized Snickers bar. I had a feeling it was going to be my last for a long time.

I never suspected that within 48 hours of my arrival, I would be sobbing, pleading to be sent back home.

Immediately after entering the gated property, I realized I had landed in a new society, governed by new rules. The entire campus was in the middle of a two-week-long sit-in meeting, prompted by someone graffitiing the boys bathroom. Pressure was put on every student until someone confessed or was outed by a peer.

Sit in was the start of new vocabulary I became fluent in, reflective of DeSistos authoritarian streak.

Immediately after entering the gated property, I realized I had landed in a new society, governed by new rules.

Rather than friends, new kids were assigned buddies. Two students were paired together and responsible, by proxy, for whatever their buddy did or said. We could never be more than a hands reach away from a buddy or from another student, for that matter. We were required to travel in groups of three, the reason being that a pair could come up with a notion to run off, but adding an additional student into the mix undermined cohesion.

Erich Bartlebaugh (Courtesy Erich Bartlebaugh)

Every morning was anxiety ridden because of all the potential punishments.

If you broke the dress code or stained your outfit, you were "suited" and had to wear a formal suit, including tie and dress socks, until you were given reprieve. If the issue continued, you would be "sheeted," which meant you werent allowed to wear clothes  just a sheet tied like a toga.

Ghosted meant everyone had to ignore your presence. Silenced meant you werent allowed to make a sound. No PC meant you couldnt have physical contact with anyone. Hand held meant you had to hold hands, sometimes for hours, no matter what tasks needed to be done.

Erich Bartlebaugh (Courtesy Erich Bartlebaugh)

During "limit structures," students were held to the ground by other students and verbally assaulted with personal jabs. The goal was to break a person down.

Cornering was DeSistos version of a time-out. We had to sit in a metal chair facing a corner. Once, I was cornered for 60 days. I was only able to get up to use the bathroom and eat. I was allowed limited access to showers. No phone calls with parents or interactions with other students. Nothing. I was so furious and despondent that, at some point, I began to rattle off the F-word over and over again. That was the only curse word we werent allowed to say. Each time I said it warranted a $1 penalty.

Then, there was the Farm, the prison of DeSisto. There, students lived separated from the rest of campus, deprived of all possessions including personal clothing. We couldnt contact home. We had to do everything as a group  including bathroom time. Entire dorms were farmed at once. For example, if the nightly dorm meeting went past midnight because we couldnt reach a group consensus, we all would be farmed. Happened all the time.

Once, I was withheld from seeing my parents because I was accused of violence for smacking my hand on a sofa during a dorm meeting. This was devastating, and a defining moment when I realized I had no freedom.

Erich Bartlebaugh (Courtesy Erich Bartlebaugh)

My days at DeSisto were tedious and toiling. I was there for just under three years, it still feels like a decade. Every day dragged, and every week and month was so painfully slow that I just lived day to day. I saw how the desperate circumstances took a toll on all of us.

Some of my fellow students went along with situations most would see as inappropriate in exchange for rewards and freedom. Students didnt have access to television, but some of the administrators had them in their rooms. Once, a male staffer of the school invited two other boys and me to watch a movie in his quarters. Hed been sitting with his arms around them on the sofa when he asked me to come sit by him. I got a funny feeling and said no. I was never invited back. Later, as I tried to make sense of the things that happened there and connected with former students, I heard stories that confirmed my instincts werent wrong.

I became defiant, running away when I found my chances. I ran away from DeSisto three times. The first two times, I was dragged back in a van. My final time, I was determined.

I escaped out of the Farms bathroom window. It was the only window that opened in the building. I had convinced the sole staff member to let me close the bathroom door for privacy. As I crawled into the window, he opened the door and yelled. I looked back at him and jumped. I knew at that point I had to just keep running.

After three years at DeSisto, I ran off into the swampy woods beyond the school, my feet sinking into the mud as I chased after my freedom with little foresight about my next move. Nobody came far enough into the wetlands to find me. Since I was 18 when I ran, once I was off campus, they could not legally bring me back.

I hiked the main road into town, putting together a plan to ask for some quarters to make a call. I was able to contact an old employee named Luis, whom some of the students trusted. He agreed to pick me up at the Piggly Wiggly in town.

Theres a reason I didnt call my parents. By the time I left, if there was one lesson Id learned from my time at DeSisto, it was that I could not rely on them to understand. In The Program, Kubler explains her parents were conditioned into believing that anything negative she said about the program was a lie or manipulation. DeSistos parents were instructed on this, too. They were advised that if they took in their children after they ran away, their children would be expelled, and years of education  and tuition  would become null and void.

By the time I got to the parking lot, it was dark. I walked over to a trash can and found it had just been emptied and lined with a new bag, which I took and used as a sleeping bag. I spent my first night outside of DeSisto in almost three years, lying on a bench outside, hungry, thirsty and shivering.

So much had happened and changed since I was 15 years old and soaking in the clawfoot tub with a Snickers bar.

Founder Michael DeSisto died in 2003 and DeSisto itself shut down in 2004 after controversies, including fights with the state of Massachusetts over licensing and allegations of child abuse. The Massachusetts Office of Child Care Services wrote, in a complaint, the school denies students basic human rights through practices like strip searches and farming students.

In 2004, DeSisto was under state investigation for incidents including a staffer waiting more than 90 minutes to take a student to the hospital after she self-harmed and swallowed two razor blades, the Boston Globe reported at the time.

We admit our response was less than adequate and weve dealt with it, Frank McNear, the schools director at the time, said at the time. Youve got a lot of kids with a lot of pathologies here. I wont tell you were a perfect school, but were totally committed to addressing problems as they surface.

Ive lived so many different lives since leaving. Ive spent most of my life trying to push the negative parts of my past aside and focus on moving forward.

But every once in a while, something pulls me back  terminology, a headline, and more recently, The Program. Ive been told before that I display post-traumatic stress symptoms, but it wasnt until recently that I connected my feelings, my anger, to my school experience.

Erich Bartlebaugh (Courtesy Erich Bartlebaugh)

Ive started opening up about my feelings more in the years since I escaped, especially as other lawsuits against the school validate that I wasnt just a teenager, dramatizing my experience to make my parents feel guilty. My concerns were valid. I've felt less alone.

Survivors, if you can call us that, tend to discuss it amongst themselves, but I never really shared the full extent with anyone outside of them, not even my wife.

Our community of former DeSisto students is more than plagued by the memories of what happened there. Too often, we are confronted by the concerning reality that DeSistos body of alumni is vulnerable to death by suicide. The death announcements of a familiar name or face continue to haunt us.

During COVID, I learned that my friend Sarah died by suicide. I still tear up when I think of her. She was a talented performer and an amazing illustrator. A group of us used to hang out after meal jobs were done, when we cleaned the dining room, washed the dishes and prepared for the next meal. She was full of life and laughter but struggled with self-esteem and low self worth. She was a really special and kind person.

In the decades after we left DeSisto, its my understanding that her struggle went on for years. She deserved better.

I cant entirely say that my experience at DeSisto was all bad. The truth is, I really began my journey to adulthood there. I learned self-awareness, self-worth and work ethic. I learned responsibility for my actions as well as my emotions. But I also learned distrust, abandonment and the level at which my own vulnerability could be exploited.

But I can say that much of my life in the years since has felt like climbing out of a massive hole.

Erich Bartlebaugh (Courtesy Erich Bartlebaugh)

After a failed attempt at community college and many odd jobs, I found direction and put all my energy into graduating from art school. My relationship with my mom and stepdad was OK at this point, but everything was still unresolved. My biological dad and I spoke once every five years at this point.

I continued to struggle, but eventually, in my 20s, I got my bachelors. I learned to understand my parents more. I married and had two beautiful twin boys. I got divorced, I got sober and eventually, I found myself escaped from the black and away from the threat of tipping over the edge. In 2014, I learned what it was to have a real relationship with trust, love and respect. Seven years later, we welcomed our beautiful boy.

I look at my sons and see how different they are from one another  and see the similarities they have with the old me.

I worry about whether they will struggle the same ways I did, and what will I do  what can I do  if they do? Truth is, I could never imagine sending my kids away and frankly, I never would. But I also dont have a clue what I could do as an alternative. If DeSisto was the wrong choice, what would the right one have been? Was I in that situation as a teen due to nurture or nature?

I appreciate my sons personalities and struggles. I so desperately want to make sure that they never feel alone. They are the faces I force my brain to sharpen in on of when the memories of DeSisto begin to creep in, threatening to blur my current reality. They are the ones that bring me back to my life.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Royal Caribbean tests new ship that will offer short getaways from Florida

Royal Caribbean tests new ship that will offer short getaways from Florida

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  Royal Caribbeans newest ship is almost ready to debut. Last week, the Utopia of the Seas made its way into the ocean for the first time to begin its sea trial.

According to Royal Caribbean, the crew will push the ship to its limits to make sure it is ready for smooth sailing. The ship entered the final construction phase at the Chantiers de lAtlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France.

Royal Caribbean to add another massive ship to its worlds largest cruise ship fleet

In just 10 weeks, the ship will arrive in Florida. On July 19, the Utopia of the Seas will welcome vacationers in Port Canaveral on three-night weekend and four-night weekday cruises.

The massive ship has 18 decks and can hold 5,668 guests and 2,290 crew members.

(Royal Caribbean)

(Royal Caribbean)

(Royal Caribbean)

It has five pools, three waterslides, and a kids area called Splashaway Bay.

To learn more about the ship, visit Royal Caribbeans website.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
Skin Laundry skin care facility opening its first Florida clinic at The Avenue Viera

Skin Laundry opening its first Florida clinic in Viera

Skin Laundry, which offers skin rejuvenating treatments, is opening a clinic at The Avenue Viera on May 24.

This marks Skin Laundrys first location in Florida.

At about 1,000 square feet, the clinic offers the brands full array of dermatologist-developed laser and resurfacing treatments that use advanced technology and dermatologist-approved skin care to deliver transformative results for all skin types and tones.

Skin Laundry is opening its first Florida clinic at The Avenue Viera on May 24.

Choosing the Melbourne area "as the place to open our first clinic in Florida was a natural decision," Skin Laundry CEO Gregg Throgmartin said. "As a coastal city with a vibrant arts scene, outstanding surf and historic downtown, Melbourne embodies the culture of Skin Laundry."

"Our fast, effective laser and resurfacing treatments are especially good for addressing and remedying skin issues and concerns related to heat, humidity and sun exposure, including acne, hyperpigmentation, premature aging and dehydration," Throgmartin said. "And we are confident our clinic will be warmly welcomed by residents in Melbourne and along the Space Coast who wont settle for anything other than the best in skin care innovation."

Called revolutionary by Forbes and named one of Fast Companys Beauty Startups to Watch, Skin Laundrys treatments are designed to address a wide variety of superficial and chronic skin care concerns, including acne and acne scars, melasma, hyperpigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles, rosacea and dullness.

To achieve optimal results, the company said it employs proprietary protocols using best-in-class technology for its laser and resurfacing facials. The treatments benefits are both immediate and cumulative, and require little to no downtime.

All Skin Laundry facials are performed by licensed, trained professionals overseen by a team of board-certified physicians employing prescribed protocols developed by the brands chief medical officer, Roberta Del Campo, a Miami-based laser fellow and leading expert in the field of dermatology.

Every registered nurse and/or laser specialist (depending on location and state guidelines) performing the facials receives rigorous and ongoing training on Skin Laundry protocols. Targeted plans are tailored to clients individual needs and maximum results are achieved with continued and consistent treatment, made convenient and affordable via Skin Laundrys Laundry Club'' membership, which offers ease and affordability to promote regular visits and the best possible outcomes.

Skin Laundry has performed over 2.5 million laser facials since its founding, and continues to innovate with the most advanced skin care technology in the market, while making good on its mission to offer accessible, state-of-the-art treatments.

The brands curated line of dermatologist-recommended skin care, available exclusively in-clinic and online, can be used to complement treatments or on their own.

First-time clients can try the Signature Laser facial at Skin Laundry Melbourne for $75 (normally $275), which includes a free skin consultation. Memberships begin at $175.

Skin Laundrys locations, treatments and skin care line can be found by going to skinlaundry.com.

The Viera location is at 2261 Town Center Ave., Suite 143, at The Avenue Viera, an open-air lifestyle center that is shopping and dining destination.

Skin Laundry was founded in 2013 with the belief that everyone deserves healthy, radiant skin and the confidence that comes with it. It offers skin rejuvenating treatments, with over 60 clinics worldwide.

Using advanced technology and dermatologist-approved products, Skin Laundry said it is on a mission to revolutionize skin care through safe, effective customized treatments that produce transformative results for all skin types and tones. Skin Laundry says skin care is synonymous with health care, and the brands focus is on prevention, maintenance and correction to deliver both immediate results and long-term benefits.

More Business Newsmakers Financial firm Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo honored by two national publications

Naberhaus named manager, government compliance at L3Harris

Christine Naberhaus recently was named manager, government compliance at the Melbourne-based L3Harris Technologies.

Christine Naberhaus

Prior to this most recent position, Naberhaus was a government compliance analyst for the company, where she has been employed for nearly 10 years.

Before joining L3 Harris, Naberhaus was a corporate accountant at The Goldfield Corp. and Extant Space, both in Melbourne.

A certified public accountant, Naberhaus received her bachelors and masters degrees in accounting from the University of Florida.

L3Harris, a leading defense and aerospace company, is one of Brevards largest employers.

Propeller Club honors Sielski as Member of the Year

The Propeller Club of Port Canaveral named Bob Sielski as its 2024 Member of the Year.

Bob Sielski

Sielski has been a member of the Propeller Club of Port Canaveral for more than 10 years, and currently is serving as club secretary for the sixth consecutive year.

Sielski has had a long and distinguished career as a naval architect. He developed a guide for the design and construction of aluminum marine structure that has become a standard reference for aluminum ship structures; worked with the Naval Sea Systems Command; and advised the Office of Naval Research on its ship structure reliability program.

He received the Distinguished Service Award in 2011 from the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, and was elected a Fellow in 2012. He has worked on and chaired committees with the Marine Board of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Society of Naval Engineers.

Sielski has shown his dedication to the mission of the Propeller Club of Port Canaveral by volunteering not only as club secretary, but also attending the club's Keep Brevard Beautiful Clean Up days and serving on the Education Committee. He is passionate about the clubs maritime education efforts, scholarship program and the Canaveral Port Ministry.

Theresa Clifton, president of the Propeller Club, said of Sielski: The Propeller Club of Port Canaveral was very proud when, at the recent Southeast Regional Area Conference, which was held in Port Manatee, Bob competed with 16 other port nominees and was also selected as their 2024 Member of the Year.

Betts named human resources manager for Indian River Colony Club

Anna-Marie Betts recently was named as human resources manager for the Indian River Colony Club.

Anna-Marie Betts

Betts had similar human resource managerial roles with the city of Melbourne, Viera East and the Rockledge-based Rudram Engineering.

Betts received her bachelors degree in criminal justice/law enforcement administration from Keiser University-Fort Lauderdale, and then her Master of Business Administration from the same university.

The Indian River Colony Club is a sprawling 55-plus housing community in Viera.

If you have a Business Newsmakers item you'd like to publish, please email details to Wayne T. Price at wtpkansas@yahoo.com or contact him at 321-223-0230.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: The Avenue Viera is site for Skin Laundry's first Florida clinic
In Texas, how much time do landlords have to make repairs? Heres what state law says

In Reality Check stories, Star-Telegram journalists dig deeper into questions over facts, consequences and accountability. Read more. Story idea? RealityCheck@star-telegram.com.

Summers coming and the Texas heat can be brutal. Last year North Texas endured 53 days of at least 100 degrees. If the air conditioner in your apartment or rental house breaks down in the middle of a heat wave, what can you do?

Texas law says youre entitled to timely repairs.

The landlord needs to respond to you, be proactive about it and engage you in the repair process. If they stop engaging, you can take them to court, said Farwah Raza, a supervising attorney with Legal Aid of North West Texas. If they dont start the repairs or complete the repairs you can take them to court and ask for rent to be reduced, get your lease terminated, or get money for the damages. It really just depends on your specific case.

A Reddit user posted their frustration about a family members broken air conditioner shortly after moving into an apartment in the middle of a Texas summer: That was a MONTH ago and the A/C still has not been repaired. Theyve sent emails to several levels of the company, called maintenance multiple times and visited the onsite management office with no results.

Texas law states that a landlord must make a diligent effort to repair a problem if it materially affects the physical health or safety of an ordinary tenant. It suggests giving landlords a reasonable amount of time to make the repairs. Reasonable is defined as seven days, although it can be challenged based on the severity of the problem and the availability of material and labor to fix it.

 More trending stories from our newsroom:

 Supermodel Bella Hadid moves to Fort Worth to be with cowboy.

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A few conditions under Section 92.052 of the Texas Property Code must be met before the landlord is required to make the repairs. Rent must be paid up to date, the issue must not have been caused by the tenant, and the tenant must give the landlord notice.

As soon as youre aware of the needed repair you should make the landlord aware by putting in it writing, said Perry Pillow of the Fort Worth Apartment Association. Take pictures and do what you can to document it. Dont wait.

Texas law says the notice doesnt have to be in writing unless there is a written lease that says so, but Raza says the written proof will help if the issue is taken to court. You can send the notice via registered mail, certified mail, return receipt requested, or another form of mail that allows tracking of delivery from the United States Postal Service to expedite the repair process.

Raza says some renters get anxious in waiting on the landlord to make the repairs and decide to do it themselves or hire someone else. A resolution she doesnt suggest.

The law is very particular about that, it has to be someone in the yellow books, Raza said. If you do hire someone make sure you get something from the landlord in writing thats signed giving you permission. If you dont, the landlord can take you to court for having caused damage to their property.

After following the notice procedures, Texas law allows a renter to deduct the cost of repairs from their rent. The renter can only take this action, however, if they inform the landlord of their plan to do so. Raza says some people misunderstand that to mean they can withhold rent.

We dont encourage people to do that because you can get taken to court and be evicted for nonpayment. Then you lose your right to the repair remedy because youre behind on rent, she said. You need to be current on rent to be able to make the request for repairs. Dont withhold rent and dont try to make repairs yourself.
Once again, climbers are going missing above 8,000m on Everest in the middle of summit waves. Two Mongolian climbers disappeared after leaving Camp 4 for the summit. They were climbing without supplementary oxygen or sherpa support.

Usukhjargal Tsedendamba and Prevsuren Lkhagvajav last made radio contact with Base Camp as they left Camp 4 at 7:30 pm on Sunday. They planned to reach the summit the following morning but never contacted Base Camp again.

The climbers, outfitted by 8K Expeditions, had hired only Base Camp services and some bottles of O2 that they did not intend to use.

They were confident about their skill and strength, they told us that they were professional climbers and needed no sherpa support, 8K Expeditions CEO Lakpa Sherpa told The Everest Chronicle. We even offered them our guides for free, but they turned down the request.

Difficult search

8K Expeditions has deployed two climbers, Arjun Karki and Langka Ram Tamang, to Camp 4. The pair are coordinating search efforts and asking climbers returning from summit bids if they have seen the Mongolians.

Everest has been in a summit frenzy since a sherpa team opened the route to the summit last Saturday. Yet conditions have seriously deteriorated since yesterday afternoon, with very high winds hitting the mountain, Lakpa Sherpa told ExplorersWeb.

Many climbers summited yesterday, but those planning to reach the top today are retreating because of the high winds. Some teams had expected a long weather window, but meteorological models differed in their wind speed predictions.

The disappearance of Tsedendamba and Lkhagvajav will likely reignite debates about safety on Everest. Climbers are mandated to wear a Recco radar reflector, but as we pointed out in a previous story, the device is useless when searching on foot over big areas, such as on Everests upper slopes.

Camp 4 is well above a helicopters altitude limit so an aerial search is not possible. It is not clear if the climbers carried a GPS-based tracking system with them.

The post Two Mongolian Climbers Missing on Everest appeared first on Explorersweb.
The Paulding County Sheriffs Office and Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents have made an arrest in an 11-year-olds shooting death.

Zander Whatley of Douglasville was shot and killed the night of April 29 in his home when someone opened fire on the house on Ruth Way. His family held his funeral this weekend.

On Tuesday, the sheriffs office announced they have one suspect in custody and are searching for two more suspects in Whatleys death.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Deputies said 18-year-old Osman Sesay was found and arrested in Charlotte, N.C. on May 11 after a traffic stop. Hes waiting for extradition back to Georgia, according to the sheriffs office.

I am grateful to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for their swift action and helping to take this dangerous individual into custody, Sheriff Gary Gulledge said in a statement.

Deputies said two other teenagers, Al-Hamid Ibrahim Kuyateh and Nazier Lloyd Anderson, both 19, are also wanted. They are considered armed and dangerous.

The U.S. Marshals Service Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force is assisting with tracking them down.

TRENDING STORIES:

Anyone who sees Kuyateh or Anderson is asked to notify local law enforcement immediately and to not try to approach or speak with either of them.

Those with information on the two teens whereabouts are asked to call the sheriffs office at 770-443-3047.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
ST. LOUIS  Homicide detectives with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department are investigating a fatal shooting after a man was found shot to death outside a home in the citys Carr Square neighborhood.

According to a St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson, officers responded to a call for a person down near the intersection of Cass Avenue and Hogan Street. just after 7 a.m. Tuesday.

Police arrived to find the victim collapsed near a homes privacy fence along Hogan. Hed been shot in the back and chest and was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim has not been identified.

Around 10:45 p.m. Monday, police received a ShotSpotter activation in the 1500 block of North 18th Street in the St. Louis Place neighborhood. Around the same time, police in District 4 (where the ShotSpotter activation occurred) also received a phone call from a resident who reported hearing gunshots.

Two missing teens found safe after search near Deer Creek

Between 9:53 p.m. and 10:37 p.m., District 4 received seven other service calls. Police said because they had no information suggesting someone had been shot, the other service calls took priority.

Around midnight, an officer from District 4 went to the area of the ShotSpotter activation to investigate. The officer found no evidence of a shooting or a victim.

Homicide detectives believe the victim was originally shot on North 18th and fled to Hogan Street, where he collapsed.

No other information has been released. FOX 2 will have more on this story as it becomes available.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
UPDATE: The right lane at Artcraft East and South Desert is closed, according to TxDOT. Clearing time is an hour.

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  One person was seriously injured in a crash in Northwest El Paso Monday evening, May 14, according to fire dispatch.

The crash happened a little after 5:30 p.m. at Artcraft and South Desert Boulevard, according to fire dispatch. One person was transported Code 3 (serious injuries), fire dispatch said.

Our crew on the scene says the crash appears to have involved a semitruck, van and a car. Police have not confirmed any information on who was involved or the extent of any injuries.

1 person was seriously hurt in a crash at Artcraft and South Desert Boulevard Photos by Krystal Oblinger/KTSM

All lanes are closed at the crash site, according to TxDOT. Clearing time is until further notice.

In East El Paso, a HERO tow truck was assisting a stalled semitruck when it was hit by pickup truck at Interstate 10 East at Hawkins. The crash closed the right two lanes and a nearby exit for a little over an hour, but are now reopened, TxDOT said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
Howard Universitys Center for Journalism & Democracy is providing support to student newsrooms through its inaugural Newsroom Innovation Challenge. Nearly $200,000 in additional funding was awarded to ten HBCU newsrooms.

The programs will improve newsroom technology, business operations, audience engagement and journalism in various campus newsrooms. The packages, ranging from $4,000 to $29,000, will include a one-time technology award. The newsrooms will also receive funding for two years to pay specific newsroom staff and hire contributing writers. The staff writers will be eligible to apply for funding for a fifth year.

According to The Guardian, funds will be distributed to several educational institutions and grantees, including The Hilltop and HU News Service, which are both Howard University programs. Additionally, Morgan State University, the University of the District of Columbia, Morehouse College, Florida A&M University, North Carolina A&T University, North Carolina Central University, Savannah State University and Texas Southern University will also be recipients of the funds.

The program was initially open only to the nine HBCU cohort schools at the Center for Journalism and Democracy. Grant recipients were notified in late April.

Student newsrooms at HBCUs to receive $200,000 in boost for journalism | US universities | The Guardian https://t.co/xvCJQ1Td9v  Ida Bae Wells (@nhannahjones) May 11, 2024

Nikole Hannah-Jones, the founder of the Center for Journalism and Democracy and the Knight Chair in Race and Journalism at Howard University, said the newsroom initiatives will level the playing field in journalism.

HBCU student newsrooms brim with talent but often lack the resources needed to give students access to the cutting-edge technology and operational support that so many of their peers at predominately white institutions have, Jones said in a press release. This grant program seeks to even the playing field by upgrading student newsrooms and paying stipends for student journalists. Investments in the talent and ambitions of aspiring journalists will fundamentally transform these newsrooms.

Milton Kent, a professor of practice and adviser to Morgan Statess student newspaper, said the support is greatly appreciated.

I can tell you that The Spokesman has lost talented journalists because some of our students cant afford to work in the newsroom without being paid, so this is huge, Kent said.

Jones told The Dig that she was elated by the turnout of her vision.

The Newsroom Innovation Challenge is part of the vision I had when I founded the Center two years ago, and I am so excited to finally see these resources headed to where they are much needed, Jones said. When we invest in our HBUCs, we invest in ensuring our multiracial democracy is covered by a multiracial press.
Here are the 10 most bipartisan senators, according to new report

A report by the Lugar Center and Georgetown Universitys McCourt School of Public Policy ranked how bipartisan each senator is.

The list intends to measure how well members of opposite parties work with one another.

The rankings were made using bill sponsorship and co-sponsorship data and hopes to fill a hole in the information available to the public about the performance of Members of Congress.

Other measures of bipartisanship have ranked members of Congress by partisan, parochial or special-interest standards. This report used sponsorship information because solely using a members voting record, for instance, might not be the most accurate representation on bipartisan work, since votes can be influenced by factors other than the lawmakers stance on issues, the report said.

The report noted that using bill sponsorship data differs greatly by which party holds the majority and said the rankings took into account which senators co-sponsored many bills.

We tested solutions to each of these questions and others before settling on what we believe is an effective formula for measuring bipartisanship, the report said.

If a member is ranked low on the list, they are considered to view their role in Congress through a partisan lens. If theyre ranked high on the list, its a strong indication that they prioritize problem solving and are open to working across the aisle, the report said.

The 10 most bipartisan senators in 2023, according to the list:

Susan Collins (R-Maine)

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) has held her seat since 1997 and is Maines longest-serving member of Congress and longest-serving woman in the Senate. Shes described herself as a pro-choice Republican and introduced the Reproductive Choice Act to codify Roe v. Wade.

Gary Peters (D-Mich.)

Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) has served since 2015. A gun owner, he was one of 40 senators in 2019 to introduce the Background Check Expansion Act. The Senate unanimously passed his bipartisan bill that would ensure military families can be buried together.

Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.)

Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) was elected to the Senate in 2016. She participated in the bipartisan Trump administration task force focused on rebuilding the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic and introduced legislation that requires federal agencies to deliver reports to Congress about terrorist attacks.

Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.)

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has held his seat since 2010. He described himself as a centrist, moderate conservative Democrat who is not a Washington Democrat. In the past, Manchin has introduced and co-sponsored several bills focused on veterans.

John Cornyn (R-Texas)

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) has served in the Senate since 2002. He overwhelmingly supports conservative ideologies but in the past has teamed up with Democrats to tackle gun safety measures. In 2017 he authored the Fix National Instant Criminal Background Check System Act for gun purchases, which was praised by many associations.

Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.)

Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) has served Nevada in the Senate since 2019. She said she is proud of her bipartisan and moderate reputation and will focus on her state over politics or party loyalty. In response to rising rates of antisemitism, she introduced a bill that would establish a national coordinator for antisemitism.

Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) has held her seat since 2002. She introduced bipartisan bills aimed to streamline federal response to climate change caused natural disasters. Shes also worked with Manchin to urge other lawmakers to advance a reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act to secure order in elections.

Jerry Moran (R-Kan.)

Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) was elected in 2010. Hes the co-sponsor of the bipartisan Transporting Livestock Across America Safely Act, which reformed hours of service for drivers to allow for rest. He also introduced legislation that would allow Afghan refugees to apply for permanent legal residency.

Todd Young (R-Ind.)

Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) has held his seat since 2017. Along with Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), Young co-sponsored the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, focused on bolstering the American semiconductor industry.

Jon Tester (D-Mont.)

Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) was elected to the Senate in 2006 and known as a moderate or centrist Democrat. Elected to a red state, he often has sided with Republicans on gun rights and the economy, but generally supports Democratic ideologies.

Updated at 2:58 pm EST.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
BRISTOL, Va. (WJHL)  On May 20, 2014, Virginia Intermont College shut its doors due to financial issues and the loss of its accreditation. The college opened in 1884 and became co-educational in 1972.

College alumni Ryan Gray was almost two years into his time as an admissions counselor after graduating in 2012. He said the closure didnt feel real until the final moments.

It was just surreal, said Gray. I didnt want to believe it. But when it did happen that very last day in May, standing in line to get our last checks, thats when I knew it was real.

The closure had a ripple effect, stirring emotions in those who had long since stepped foot on campus.

Local man left paying loan for seized truck discovered to be stolen from Atlanta

I came up here the day that they had their final graduation and it was just heartbreaking, said Jackie Weaver Dennison, who graduated in 1974. To think that this college would never see the rooms, the forms filled again or anything. And it just was a very, very sad situation.

I was on the alumni board at the time, so we knew about it, said Molly Manges Boyle, who graduated in 1973. I remember because we were across the street at the alumni house with the board and we were discussing it. And there were tears, a lot of tears were shed.

In 2016, the property was purchased by U.S. Magis International, a Chinese-owned company based out of New York. The news of a purchase gave hope to those who cared for the campus.

Initially they said it was going to be the Bristol Business College, said Dennison. My thought was, Well, at least its going to be used.'

I had really high hopes and I was excited to see some of the progress that had begun to be made, said Gray.

The Virginia Business College was slated to open in the Fall of 2020 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The college never opened, and the buildings have sat boarded up and broken, with the interior in disrepair.

Photos: Felicity Morgan

Photos: Felicity Morgan

Photos: Felicity Morgan

Evan Allen

Evan Allen

Photos: Evan Allen

Evan Allen

Sean Williams gets new lawyer, new trial date  Judge says therell be no more lawyers appointed

Alumni said the current situation leaves them heartbroken.

It just is very distressful and depressing, and I wish that something could be done, said Boyle.

Bristol, Virginia Mayor Becky Nave said that while the campus state is upsetting, there isnt much the city is able to do.

We are in a bad situation for that because it is owned by someone and theyre paying their taxes, said Nave. They keep things up to date, other than the property.

Nave added that the city has taken up mowing the property, but not without a fee.

The citys been mowing it and trying to keep the grass cut, said Nave. Weve just been putting that on to their tax bill.

Nave said the city is in contact with the property owners. They are working alongside U.S. Magis to try and keep the campus from deteriorating further.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.
Some 12,000 Oregonians might be getting thousands of dollars in refunds due to TurboTax error

Oregonians filing amended returns due to a TurboTax error could get thousands of dollars back. (Getty Images)

Tax day is not over for thousands of Oregonians.

Intuit, a Silicon Valley company that makes the popular Turbotax software, has contacted more than 12,000 taxpayers who used it to file their state and federal returns, telling them they may have paid more than they should have because of an error in the software.

The error was discovered by an Oregon Department of Revenue employee and involved directing people to take the standard deduction when itemizing expenses would have lowered their tax bill.

The company initially downplayed the impact of the error, saying few had been affected, according to reporting by The Oregonian/OregonLive, but after being pressed by the revenue department it found that as many as 12,000 people were affected, with thousands of dollars at stake.

The company also came under pressure from Oregons Democratic U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, chair of the Senate Finance Committee. He wrote to Intuits CEO, Sasan Goodarzi, on May 2, noting that the company urges customers to file with confidence and has a maximum refund guarantee that includes a refund for buying the software.

Fixing this error will require identifying all affected Oregonians, notifying them and ensuring they can be made whole, Wyden wrote. In part because of TurboTaxs various guarantees and market share, Oregonians who overpaid due to TurboTaxs error likely assumed the software opted them into claiming state standard deduction to minimize their taxes. That assumption was wrong.

Intuit has promised to refund the original purchase price for the software to affected customers, something which Wyden expects to happen.

Intuit has a history of deceptive advertising but I expect it to make good on this guarantee, Wyden said.

The 12,000 Oregonians now face filing an amended return and possibly waiting six months for money back, which is how long it can take for officials to process returns if they have errors or are missing information.

Taxpayers need to fill out amended returns following Turbotax instructions  either using the online or desktop versions  and then printing them out and mailing them to the Department of Revenue at P.O. Box 14700, Salem, OR, 97309-0930. Taxpayers can also drop them off at a revenue office or use the states online tax filing service. The state offers instructions on this website.

To avoid a months long wait for money, the state officials advised filers to:

File a complete amended return, including the federal form and all schedules that were with the original filing.

Check the Amended Return box on the first page.

Use a current address even if it is different from the one on the original return.

Provide direct deposit information; otherwise the department will send a check.

Sign the amended return.

Tax filers can also call 844-333-2161 Monday through Friday, from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. and mention 2023 Oregon itemized deductions to an expert who can help.

The post Some 12,000 Oregonians might be getting thousands of dollars in refunds due to TurboTax error appeared first on Oregon Capital Chronicle.
There have been 12 disappearances. Finally, someone is going to prison

Elizabeth Cornett is shown in the screenshot from bodycam video after she was arrested in 2023. She agreed Monday to serve four years in prison for being an accessory to murder.

SHAWNEE  An accessory to murder has been sentenced to four years in prison in only the second conviction out of a hush-hush investigation into a string of disappearances in Oklahoma.

Elizabeth Dee Cornett, 46, of Midwest City, will be on probation for 16 more years after her release.

She pleaded guilty Monday in Pottawatomie County District Court to being an accessory to murder and to desecrating the victim's corpse. Her punishment was the result of a plea agreement.

Her husband, Jason Dean Cornett, 45, was charged last year with first-degree murder as a result of the investigation. Prosecutors in December dropped his case because of witness problems. He died weeks later in Midwest City of a drug overdose.

More: Exclusive: Secrecy surrounds probe into white supremacist gang over burnt bodies, meth and a growing list of missing people

Killed in January 2021 was David Orr, who had been staying with the Cornetts at a house in McLoud. He was 41. He was shot inside the house, and his body was then burned in a steel box in the backyard.

Investigators believe Orr's remains were scattered at a semirural location in Logan County, possibly after being burned there again.

Elizabeth Cornett admitted after her arrest last year that she helped pull up carpet inside the house and put down new flooring to cover up the crime, according to law enforcement records. She also admitted to "being there" as the body was burned.

Investigation into disappearances focused on Oklahoma white supremacist prison gang

The investigation has focused on 12 disappearances dating back to 2019 and a white supremacist prison gang.

At the center of the investigation is Mikell Patrick "Bulldog" Smith, a three-time convicted murderer once described as the most dangerous inmate at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary.

David Orr is shown in this photo released by investigators after he went missing.

His wife was listed for two years as an owner of the Logan County property where Orr's ashes may have been dumped. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation confirmed in 2022 that human bone fragments have been found there.

Smith has been described as a shot-caller for the Universal Aryan Brotherhood, a gang known to have been involved in smuggling drugs from Mexico into Oklahoma. Some of those missing were connected to the gang's drug operations, records show.

Smith, 59, also has been identified in court affidavits as Jason Cornett's uncle.

A key witness claimed Jason Cornett admitted to the shooting. The witness said Orr "owed 'Bulldog' money and Jason was instructed to take care of the debt," an investigator reported in the court affidavits. The same witness, though, later said Bulldog had not ordered the killing.

The property at 21 Walker Lane in McLoud is pictured last year. David Orr was fatally shot there in January 2021.

Elizabeth Cornett claimed her husband had shot Orr after a drunken disturbance, according to the law enforcement records.

Also charged last year with being an accessory to Orr's murder and desecrating his corpse was Jordan James Treaster. His case was later moved to juvenile court. It was then dismissed because of witness problems. Treaster, now 19, was identified as Jason Cornett's nephew.

No charges have been filed in any of the other disappearances.

The only other conviction out of the investigation came from a 2022 search of property next door to the site in Logan County where bone fragments were recovered.

A mobile home resident there, David Smith, was caught with a pistol next to the pillow on his bed. He could not legally own a gun because he had a conviction for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle in 1976.

David Smith, 65, pleaded guilty in January to being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was put on probation for three years.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Investigation into 12 Oklahoma disappearances results in guilty plea
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)  12 drivers were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence during a DUI saturation Saturday, according to the Fresno Police Department.

Drivers charged with a first-time DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license.

Police say they will be holding another DUI enforcement operation on May 25, and a series of DUI enforcement patrols and checkpoints throughout the year to keep roadways safe.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47.
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There have been 130 combat clashes along the front line over the past day. In total, the Russians launched two missile attacks and 65 air strikes, as well as 74 attacks from multiple-launch rocket systems.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook; information as of 18:00 on 14 May

Details: The General Staff says Russian forces continue to terrorise Sumy Oblast's civilian population. Today, they launched an airstrike near Dmytrivka.

On the Kharkiv front, the number of Russian attacks rose to 14. Hostilities took place in the villages of Lyptsi, Vovchansk, and Neskuchne. The Russians lost approximately 120 personnel, as well as 23 units of weapons and military equipment.

On the Kupiansk front, twenty combat clashes were reported, primarily in the vicinities of Synkivka, Berestove, and Miasozharivka.

On the Sivershchyna front, Russian troops carried out nine attacks around Spirne, Ivano-Darivka, Verkhnokamianske and Rozdolivka.

On the Kramatorsk front, the Russians increased their activity. The number of Russian attacks has grown dramatically, reaching 21.

Quote: "Hostilities on the Pokrovsk front remain intense. The adversary continues to launch air strikes, particularly in the districts of Umanske, Novoselivka Persha and Zhelanne. They used combat aircraft 16 times. In addition, they deployed guided aerial bombs. In total, the attackers launched 40 strikes on Ukrainian defence positions today  most notably in the regions of Novooleksandrivka, Netailove and Soloviove.

On the Kurakhove front, the Defence Forces successfully withstood nine hostile strikes. The enemy focused their efforts in Heorhiivka, Novomykhailivka, and Krasnohorivka.

Today, on the Dnipro front, the enemy assaulted the Ukrainian defences five times near Krynky; however, their attack failed.

On the Lyman, Toretsk, Vremivka, Huliaipole and Orikhiv fronts, there were no significant changes in the situation."

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16-year-old suspect in Florida bar shooting that injured Texans wide receiver to be charged as adult

The 16-year-old suspect accused of opening fire at a club in Florida last month, injuring 10 people including NFL Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell, is being charged as an adult in the shooting, officials said.

Dell, who sustained a minor wound, was caught in the middle of the shooting in Sanford and had no connection to the gunman, Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma said at a news conference Monday afternoon. Sanford is about 20 miles north of Orlando.

A judge moved the suspect, Christopher Bouie Jr., from juvenile to adult circuit court on Monday, according to a news release from the Office of the State Attorney for the 18th Judicial Circuit.

Bouie is charged with five counts of attempted second-degree murder while discharging a firearm and one count of possession of a firearm by a minor in connection with the shooting, court records show.

Christopher Bouie Jr. - State Attorney 18th Judicial Circuit Brevard and Seminole County

Lemma said nine of the 10 people who were shot have been released from the hospital with minor wounds. The last victim should be released soon, he said.

Investigators believe the juvenile pulled out a 9mm handgun following a physical altercation and began firing, according to the sheriff. The search continues for a second person who may have fired in self-defense, Lemma said.

So what we have is two people engaged in gunfire on the left and right side of the physical altercation that is going on, he said.

The state attorney said Tuesday an investigation into additional shots fired by another patron of the club is active and ongoing.

Bouie was transferred to the Seminole County Jail and will be held without bond, the release said.

His first appearance in Seminole County Court is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, according to court records. CNN has reached out to Bouies attorney for comment.

Lemma said the actions of a security guard who tackled the suspect to the ground and turned him in to police took a very dangerous situation and made it less significant than what the potential could have been.

About 200 people were at the event, including Dell, who was invited by promoters. It was being held at Cabana Live, which is open to the public as a restaurant and bar. The venue also is leased out for private events and parties, the sheriff said. Promoters had 10 armed security members on site.

The sheriff said he does not know how the suspect made it into the party, and the investigation is ongoing. He added the gun recovered was legally purchased in Miami in 2018, but does not know how the teen allegedly obtained it.

CNNs Amy Simonson and Paradise Afshar contributed to this report.

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An Italian coast guard vessel carrying migrants rescued at sea arrives at the Sicilian island of Lampedusa - Yara Nardi/Reuters

Migrants arriving in Europe on small boats should be sent abroad while their asylum claims are assessed, a group of 19 EU countries has demanded.

The nations, led by the Czech Republic and Italy, are calling for a tougher line on migration as the UK forges ahead with its Rwanda deportation plan.

A letter to be sent to the EU Commission on Wednesday was expected to say the bloc should sign deals with non-members, such as states in Africa, to process asylum seekers.

Government sources said the demand showed that other countries were starting to follow Britains lead in cracking down on illegal migration.

It is understood that in the letter, the 19 countries will distance themselves from the Rwanda plan by underlining their commitment to European human rights law.

The group hopes that the proposals will be taken forward by the commission after the European elections, which will take place in early June.

An EU diplomat said that immediate neighbours would be approached first of all for potential asylum deals, such as countries in North Africa.

They said the plan would also expand the definition of safe countries of origin and prevent the misuse of migration as a hybrid weapon against the EU.

Migrants on Lampedusa Island, Italy. The EU now wants to process such arrivals outside Europe - Valeria Ferraro/AP

The prime ministers of the Czech Republic and Italy issued a public call for offshore processing of asylum seekers at a press conference.

Giorgia Meloni, the Italian premier, said: We agree that to manage migration, the priority is to work on externalisation. Therefore, to work with third countries, to prevent the flow rather than having to manage it.

Petr Fiala, the Czech leader, added that the plans would amount to a real solution to illegal migration, which we do not yet have in Europe.

He said the proposals were backed by 19 members which are thought to also include Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and the three Baltic states.

They are based on an existing pact between Italy and Albania, which was approved by the parliaments of both countries in February.

That deal, which is the first of its kind for an EU country, allows offshore processing of asylum claims but differs from the UKs Rwanda plan.

Under the scheme, migrants who are intercepted at sea trying to reach Italy will be sent to two detention centres in Albania, which Rome will pay for.

If their claim is successful, they will be resettled in Italy and if it fails, Rome is responsible for arranging their deportation to their home countries.

It is estimated that, once the scheme is fully up and running, it will see some 3,000 small-boat migrants per month diverted to Albania.

Fundamentals of our plan make sense

In contrast, the Rwanda plan is a straight deportation scheme which only kicks in once asylum seekers have physically reached the UKs shores.

Those arriving illegally will be flown to the East African nation and will have to apply for asylum there, with no option to be resettled in Britain.

A government source said that, despite the differences, the calls for a tougher borders approach in the EU showed that the UK was not alone.

They told MailOnline: Increasingly, as governments around the world face up to the global challenge of mass migration, they are looking at similar solutions to the one this government has introduced.

The fundamentals of our plan are making sense to people across the world but not to the Labour Party here, who think scrapping Rwanda and only rebranding a unit already set up by the PM and actively tackling criminal people smuggling gangs is enough.

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Editors Note: The Shawnee County Sheriffs Office updated their original press release to reflect the correct charges each 19-year-old was arrested on. These revisions have been added to the story below.

TOPEKA (KSNT)  On Tuesday, the Shawnee County Sheriffs Office said two 19-year-olds had been arrested after reports of kidnappings on Saturday.

Around 1 a.m. on May 11, the Shawnee County Sheriffs Office was called to investigate reports of a kidnapping and robbery in the 3700 block of Southeast 23rd Street. Deputies discovered that on two separate occasions, individuals had gone to the residence to meet someone they were talking with on a dating website.

According to the Shawnee County Sheriffs Office, the suspects had been led into a basement and held against their will and demanded money. The sheriffs office said one victim was forced to go to an ATM to withdraw money. The second victim was released after convincing the suspects they had no money.

What happened to these Kansas counties and why do they no longer exist?

Both individuals called 911 after the incidents.

A 19-year-old from Topeka was arrested on the following charges:

aggravated robbery.

robbery.

two counts of aggravated assault.

kidnapping and interference with law enforcement.

A 19-year-old from Holton was arrested on the following charges:

two counts of aggravated assault.

two counts of robbery.

One of the 19-year-olds had multiple warrants for his arrest. The incident is still under investigation.

For more crime news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.
Archaeologists recently analyzed three ancient lead bars discovered in Spain, shedding light on the mining industry in the Roman era.

The three-sided bars  referred to as ingots  were unearthed during the construction of a gas pipeline in Cordoba, southwestern Spain, in the 1990s. But until now, they have never been studied in depth.

The ingots, which weigh between 50 and 70 pounds, date to the first century A.D., making them around 2,000 years old, according to a study published on May 3 in the Journal of Roman Archaeology.

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The letters SS, referring to the mining company Societas Sisaponensis, is seen on one of the lead bars.

Theyre stamped with the letters SS, which refers to Societas Sisaponensis, an ancient mining company active in the region.

The companys name came from the city of Sisapo in the Roman province of Baetica. The lands in the province were home to rich deposits of minerals, which were the main money source for wealthy Roman families in the region.

The company is well-documented in historical literature, being referred to by the Roman politician Cicero and author Pliny the Elder.

According to the accounts from the latter, the materials mined by the company were exported to Rome.

The objects were used to manufacture a variety of commonplace tools, including spoons, pipes and tiles, according to a news release from the University of Cordoba.

The discovery of the ingots provides further evidence that the companys mines in the region served as an important center for the Roman Empire.

Other Roman ingots have been discovered throughout the Mediterranean, but typically they have been recovered from shipwrecks  whereas land-based finds are more rare.

Google Translate was used to translate the study published in the Journal of Roman Archaeology.

Ancient scroll charred by volcanic eruption reveals what Plato did in his final hours

Gardener weeding a raspberry patch unearths 4,500-year-old tool in Poland. See it

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Two of three Bob Fergusons who filed for WA governor last week withdraw from race

Two of the three Bob Fergusons who filed for the packed Washington gubernatorial race last week withdrew their bids for the office Monday following threats of legal action as well as condemnation from other candidates in the race.

All three Bob Fergusons entered the race last week as Democrats.

Bob Ferguson, the states attorney general filed for governor earlier in the week, while the two other Bob Fergusons waited until later in the day Friday to file for governor with the Secretary of State before a 5 p.m. cutoff.

In a news conference Monday, AG Ferguson condemned the other candidates and threatened action against them if they did not withdraw by Mondays 5 p.m. deadline to remove their intent to run for the office.

We defeated their dirty tricks, Ferguson later said Monday evening in a social media post. Both fraudulent candidates withdrew. You wont have to worry about which Bob Ferguson to vote for. This blatant attack on election integrity failed, and democracy wins.

Washington state law notes that a person can be guilty of a class B felony for filing for public office using a surname similar to one who has already filed for the same office, and whose political reputation is widely known, with intent to confuse and mislead the electors by capitalizing on the public reputation of the candidate who had previously filed.

Pacifica Law Group, a law firm that has represented the state in various other cases, wrote a letter to the Washington Secretary of State Monday asking the office to mitigate voter confusion.

Fergusons counsel said in the letter that the illegitimacy of the other Bob Fergusons suspicious candidacies is beyond dispute.

In a statement from Secretary of State Steve Hobbs Monday night, he said that instances of people filing for office with names similar to well-known officeholders go back nearly a century in Washington and other states.

Voters deserve good-faith candidates who are running on the strength of their ideas to make Washington a better place to live and work, not people who pay a filing fee just to manipulate elections, said Hobbs in the statement. Washingtons long history of free and fair elections must be protected and preserved in every year and campaign cycle.

Glen Morgan, the campaign manager for the two Bob Fergusons and a conservative activist, said in a statement on Facebook Monday that as the corrupt and elite political class knows, you can always use the power of the state to threaten good people when they dont do what you want.

Both Bob Fergusons also posted statements to their websites Monday.

Graham resident Robert Ferguson said in the post that he was faced with harassment and legal action if he did not withdraw. He also noted that he was labeled a threat to democracy by another candidate.

In a typical hypocritical fashion, this other candidates actions are the true threat to democracy, he said. I believe this shows that the other candidate fears he has not effectively done enough to stand out, or that he thinks voters are not competent enough to think for themselves.

The other candidate, Bob Ferguson of Yakima, said in his post that a dream of his was destroyed and claimed that his colleagues from Central Washington State University encouraged him to run for governor over a year ago.

He noted that he was served a cease and desist letter from the attorney generals gubernatorial campaign Sunday. Ferguson from Yakima also was served Sunday.

Both candidates websites went live Friday and had no posts until after the candidates withdrew from the race Monday.

Other gubernatorial candidates chimed in on the controversy Monday.

Mark Mullet, a current Democratic Senator in the Washington State Legislature, directed a message at both Bobs to withdraw before the end of the day Monday on social media.

We dont need anything to confuse voters on the ballot, Mullet said. This is an illegal sideshow that does nothing to improve our electoral process.

Republican Dave Reichert, a former Sheriff for King County and former U.S. House Representative, also spoke out against the maneuver Monday, saying he didnt support any effort to deceive the voters of Washington state.

GOP-backed candidate Misipati Semi Bird also posted to social media Monday, and said that he found AG Fergusons whining about the other Bobs to be completely disingenuous.

Bob Ferguson is directly responsible for undermining democracy in Washington state and will be held accountable via the vote of citizens who are fed up with career politicians and seek positive change and common sense governance, Bird said.

The Secretary of State candidate filing page reflected the update to the list of gubernatorial candidates Monday.

Washington voters will choose between 28 candidates for governor in the August primaries.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Two crashes, just weeks apart have destroyed a local homeowners wall, leaving a community worried for their safety.

It gives me a lot of anxiety, especially when I hear the cars driving so fast; They peel down this road, southwest valley resident, Maxine Sadler shared, in disbelief that her wall was crashed into twice over a two-week span.

While the first incident was startling, it was this most recent crash that happened last week that left the most damage.

Sadler said her neighbor that called her around 4 a.m. to check to see if she was alright.

My neighbor said there had been an accident and a car had gone through my wall, Sadler shared. The Desert Willow sign, completely destroyed.

Still dark, Sadler stepped outside to find chaos in her own backyard and immediately checked to see if the person driving was okay.

He was out of the car and he was standing and kind of weaving. He even admitted he had been drinking, she explained.

Two crashes, just weeks apart have destroyed a local homeowners wall, leaving a community worried for their safety. (Maxine Sadler)

Two crashes, just weeks apart have destroyed a local homeowners wall, leaving a community worried for their safety. (Maxine Sadler)

Two crashes, just weeks apart have destroyed a local homeowners wall, leaving a community worried for their safety. (Maxine Sadler)

That man, Sadler says, lives in her neighborhood and was arrested.

Those who live in the Desert Willows community say this is more than just a couple of reckless drivers, but an overall problem the neighborhood has been dealing with for months.

Drunk drivers going too fast, it happens a lot in this neighborhood and there are a lot of kids around, Scott Owen said.

Owen stated that they are in desperate need of safety hazards to make drivers slow down and pay attention.

They need to put in speed bumps. Weve got a grade school and a junior high across the street. Theres no crossing guards and no lights or anything, he added.

Dennis Del Vecchio said he wont even let his kids walk home from school because of how dangerous its been.

Its definitely scary. We have 5 kids and we never let them walk these streets alone, he said.

Sadler also shared that the HOA and the drivers insurance have been helpful in patching up the wall, but she still doesnt know when it will all be fixed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
2 dead after being trapped inside of burning north Georgia home

Two people are dead after being trapped inside of a burning home in north Georgia.

On Monday, at 7:47 a.m., the City of Jasper Fire Department was called out to a fire with entrapment on Oakmont Drive.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Firefighters arrived on scene to see heavy fire in a home and two victims trapped inside.

Firefighters tried to rescue the trapped victims and put the fire out.

The victims were found but had already died in the fire.

TRENDING STORIES:

The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Georgia State Fire Marshals Office and the Jasper Fire Marshals Office.

The Jasper Fire Department and the City of Jasper offered condolences to the family of the victims.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Washingtons upcoming gubernatorial primary election briefly saw not just one, not just two, but three Bob Fergusons file for the August primary just before the deadline to file for candidacy came up last Friday  only for the most recent two to drop out by Monday evening.

According to the office of Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who is running for governor as a Democrat, just before the filing deadline on Friday, May 10, two additional candidates also named Bob Ferguson filed to run for governor  also both as Democrats.

However, conservative activist Glen Morgan publicly took credit on Facebook for recruiting the two extra Fergusons and said that he is their volunteer campaign manager, AG Fergusons campaign said on Monday.

Oregon, Washington listed among nations top 10 most dangerous states, according to report

AG Ferguson spoke Monday about what he called an illegal scheme and shared his hopes for a resolution that will remove the confusion caused by the situation. The other Fergusons are from Yakima and Graham, according to AG Ferguson, who added during the campaign event that his campaign learned one of the Fergusons has voted Republican in past elections.

During the Monday morning event, AG Ferguson asked for the other Bob Fergusons to withdraw from the race. Both of the other Bob Fergusons dropped their gubernatorial bids by 5 p.m. Monday, Seattle CBS affiliate KIRO reported.

In the final hours of filing week, anti-democracy Republicans orchestrated a cynical, deceptive attack on election integrity, AG Ferguson said earlier Monday. To be clear: I do not want these two individuals to be prosecuted so long as they do what is right and withdraw by todays 5 p.m. deadline.

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AG Ferguson said he has sent cease and desist letters to the other Fergusons and said that he doesnt want them to be prosecuted and they wont be if they drop out of the race.

KOIN 6 News reached out to Morgan for comment on the allegations and received a link to NeighborsForBobFergusonPAC.com as a response.

Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
A manhunt was underway in France on Tuesday after two prison officers were killed and three others injured in an attack on a van that was carrying a convict who managed to escape amid the carnage. In a statement to reporters, French Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti said the convoy was transporting a prisoner from a courthouse to a prison in the northern city of Rouen when it was attacked by assailants armed with "heavy weapons."



According to French news agency AFP, the vehicle was rammed by vehicles at a highway toll, allowing the prisoner to escape.

"All means are being used to find these criminals," Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said in a statement. "On my instructions, several hundred police officers and gendarmes were mobilized."

Police and other officials are seen near a toll booth on a highway in Val-de-Reuil, northern France, May 14, 2024, where heavily armed assailants attacked a prison van carrying a convicted burglar, allowing him to escape. / Credit: REUTERS/BFM-TV

French President Emmanuel Macron said in a message posted on social media that "everything is being done to find the perpetrators of this crime so that justice can be done in the name of the French people."

"The nation stands alongside the families, the injured and their colleagues," Macron added.

The prisoner was identified by French media as convicted burglar Mohamed Amra, who goes by the nicknamed La Mouche, or "The Fly."

The Associated Press cited public prosecutor Laure Beccuau as saying the suspect is also being investigated for an alleged kidnapping and a separate homicide case in Marseille.



Pictures from the scene of the ambush showed a forensic tent set up around several vehicles alongside a significant police presence.

Beccuau said the brazen attack on the jail convoy was being treated as likely organized crime, and that a murder investigation was underway.

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The states longtime attorney general is now the lone Bob Ferguson in the race for governor after two people with the same name withdrew from the race Monday.

Washingtons candidate filing week ended in chaos  and more than a few jokes on social media  when the field of candidates for governor increased by two more Bob Fergusons.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson, the Democratic front-runner in the race, on Monday urged the two others to withdraw from the race by Mondays 5 p.m. deadline or else risk felony charges.

Flanked by supporters at Kerry Park on Queen Anne on Monday morning, Ferguson said his campaign had sent cease-and-desist letters to the other Bob Fergusons.

State statute says that it is a felony for a person to file for an election with a surname similar to a person who has already filed for the same office and whose political reputation is widely known, with intent to confuse and mislead the electors by capitalizing on the public reputation of the candidate who had previously filed.

By Monday evening, both other Bobs had formally withdrawn, according to the Secretary of States candidate filing website.

A statement posted on the website Neighbors for Bob Ferguson PAC, attributed to Robert Ferguson, an Army veteran in Graham, said the candidate was faced with harassment and legal action if I did not withdraw from the race.

I was publicly labeled a threat to democracy by another candidate and his supporters, the undated statement said. In a typical hypocritical fashion, this other candidates actions are the true threat to democracy. I believe this shows that the other candidate fears he has not effectively done enough to stand out, or that he thinks voters are not competent enough to think for themselves.

The statement went on to say it was unfair to his family and supporters to deal with bullish behavior by someone that is too afraid to stand toe-to-toe with me.

That campaign said via email that the statement was posted about midday on Monday.

Ferguson  the attorney general  said that he didnt want the other two Bobs to be prosecuted and that he held no ill will toward them. He said he suspected they did not know the legal implications of their actions at the time they filed for election. But if they didnt withdraw, he said, his campaign would ask local prosecutors to step in.

If they do not do the right thing, and they are surely aware of the legal implications, we will have no choice but to take more serious steps and ask local prosecutors to do the right thing and pursue further action, Ferguson said.

Ferguson said that his campaign would ask the secretary of state to include his and the other Fergusons occupations on the ballot, that the other Fergusons be referred to as Robert, and that it include their middle initial or middle name.

He also said the campaign would request for the Fergusons to be listed together on the ballot. The other two Fergusons had been slated to appear second and third on the ballot, with the attorney general in slot number 13. Altogether there were 30 candidates who filed to run for governor.

Candidates had until 5 p.m. Monday to withdraw.

Conservative activist Glen Morgan, who recruited the other Bobs to run for governor, told The Seattle Times on Friday that the Bobs had wanted to clear their name.

Washingtons primary is Aug. 6.

Claire Withycombe: 206-464-2578 or cwithycombe@seattletimes.com ; Claire Withycombe is a Seattle Times staff reporter covering state government.
The Marine Corps prevented two people from breaking onto a Marine installation in Virginia on May 3 and turned them over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The two people drove up to the Fuller Road Gate of Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, in a box truck and were stopped by military sentries, Capt. Michael Curtis, a spokesman for the base, said in a statement to Marine Corps Times on Tuesday.

When asked, the operator of the truck informed the military police officers they worked for a company subcontracted by Amazon and were making a delivery to the U.S. Post Office located in the Town of Quantico, Curtis said in the statement.

Because the two had no affiliation with the Marine base and no credentials to enter it, military police officers directed them to go to a holding area to undergo standard vetting procedures, according to Curtis. But the driver blew past the holding area and attempted to drive onto the base.

Chinese national detained after breaking onto Marine base in California

Officers put up the vehicle denial barriers, blocking the truck from getting any farther onto the base, and detained the pair.

No one was injured, according to Curtis.

The Marine Corps later turned the pair over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. That agency did not respond by time of publication to a Marine Corps Times request for more information about the two people who were detained.

When any vehicle and its occupants fail to comply with the clear direction of the on-duty Police Officers, specific steps are taken by those officers to restrict any further access, Curtis said in the statement. Those actions by our on-duty Police officers helped maintain the safety and security of all who live and work on Marine Corps Base Quantico.

Potomac Local News, which first reported the attempted breach, reported hearing from multiple unnamed sources that one of the trucks occupants was a Jordanian national who had recently crossed the southern border into the United States and that one occupant was on the U.S. governments terrorist watch list.

Located in northern Virginia, Marine Corps Base Quantico is less than an hours drive from Washington. To enter the town of Quantico, Virginia, where the pair claimed to be heading, vehicles have to drive through the Marine installation.

The installation is home to the Corps Combat Development Command, which is dedicated to modernizing the force, plus a smattering of Marine schools and other elements. It also hosts some activities of the FBI, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency and other federal agencies.

In January 2023, a car caught fire after coming into contact with vehicle denial barriers when its driver tried to gain unauthorized access to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California.

Military police in September 2023 shot at and ultimately detained a driver who had gained unauthorized access to Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California. In March, military law enforcement at the same base nabbed a Chinese national who had tried to get onto the same base.

Chinese nationals have accessed military installations and other sensitive facilities in the United States around 100 times in recent years, sometimes by posing as tourists, The Wall Street Journal reported in September 2023.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  Two people were taken to a hospital early Tuesday morning following a single-vehicle crash in The Nations neighborhood in West Nashville.

According to officials, the crash happened just after 4:30 a.m. at the intersection of Centennial Boulevard and 51st Avenue North.

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A preliminary investigation indicates that a 30-year-old woman driving a Kia Soul was heading west on Centennial Boulevard when she suddenly crossed over the two eastbound lanes and drove off the road.

Police at the scene initially told News 2 that the car hit a dumpster before it crashed into a building at 5115 Centennial Boulevard. However, officials later clarified that the vehicle hit the dumpster and lightly tapped the building.

Authorities said the woman and her male passenger were both taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to be treated for their injuries.

The drivers injuries are reportedly life-threatening. Meanwhile, the passenger was last known to be in stable condition, officials said.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

Crews shut down a portion of Centennial Boulevard as they were investigating the crash. According to police, there were no obvious signs of impairment at the scene.

Evidence gathered during the investigation indicated that the driver was going faster than the posted speed limit of 35 mph before the crash, officials reported.

No other information was immediately released.

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 Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee.

This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)  The Scranton Police Department released details on the upcoming 2024 Armed Forces Parade.

Authorities explain the 2024 Armed Forces Parade is scheduled for May 18 and will be preceded by the Heroes of All Kinds 5K race.

Former St. Josephs Hospital gets new lease on life

Set up for the race will start at 8:30 a.m. and the race will kick off at 9:00 a.m., according to the release.

Police say the parade will begin at 11:00 a.m. and wrap up at about 12:30 p.m.

Race Route: Courtesy of the Scranton Police Department

Parade Route: Courtesy of the Scranton Police Department

From 7:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., police explain there will be no parking along the parade route, which will be enforced by towing when necessary.

Authorities say the Marketplace at Steamtown will be accessible at the Lackawanna Mifflin Entrance and from South Washington Avenue in Southside.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  Tennessee students are about to get preliminary TCAP results back this month, and theres a lot of questions about the retention law. News 2 spoke with the Professional Educators of Tennessee to get you answers.

Teachers are questioning. They are beginning to get nervous about whats happening, said J.C. Bowman.

Tennessee Dept. of Education has approved majority of third-grade retention appeals

Bowman is the executive director of Professional Educators of Tennessee. He said the big focus when it comes to retention rates this year centers around the fourth grade.

This year, fourth grade is the issue, said Bowman. Fourth grade is the key benchmark this year to determine whether we are going to hold kids back.

Last year, the focus was third grade.

According to Professional Educators of Tennessee, after interventions like tutoring, summer school, retakes, and appeals, 1.2% of third graders were held back for poor reading. However, Bowman said the fourth grade test is very different from the test taken in third grade.

TCAP Quiz: Could you pass the 3rd Grade ELA assessment?

In third grade, the focus was on phonemics and phonics, and whether you can do awareness. In fourth grade, the test that you take, which is the TCAP, is highly based upon comprehension, so its comparing Greek to French. Theyre two different languages that you are looking at.

Preliminary test results come out next week, but students and parents will have to wait until summer for the final score.

Theyll come out with an itty bitty number of that that will come out, and thatll basically say, Yes, theyre on track, or, No, they are not. The problem is, obviously some of those are fraught with errors. You can actually look like you are passing, and then find out in July that maybe you didnt pass.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

If that happens and your child(ren) didnt pass, lawmakers tweaked the law this session. If a student struggles to also pass the fourth grade test, the decision will be up to the principal, the students parents, and teachers on whether the child should advance to fifth grade, but the governor has yet to sign that change to the original law.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the first batch of funding from Proposition 1 to build mental health treatment facilities will be available in July. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

For the record:

9:11 a.m. May 14, 2024: An earlier version of this article said Proposition 1 expands the criteria for the detention, treatment and conservatorship of people with severe mental illness. That policy is in a separate bill Newsom signed last year.



Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday that the state will make $3.3 billion in funding available by July to begin building inpatient and outpatient mental health treatment centers as part of a massive effort to transform California's mental health system and address the homelessness crisis.

The money is the first tranche of a $6.4-billion bond authorized by voters when they narrowly approved Proposition 1 in March.

Newsom traveled to a new facility in San Mateo County to make the announcement  to underscore, his office said, how many more such facilities are needed and how his hard-fought mental health measure can transform care for Californians.

Newsom has framed Proposition 1 as an essential part of the state's strategy to address the homelessness crisis. The plan includes a controversial push to compel people with severe mental illness and substance disorders into care. With the bond funding, it also makes billions of dollars available to build more beds and housing for treatment.

"In a matter of weeks, $3.3 billion will go out and well quickly approve those plans," Newsom told reporters outside a Redwood City treatment facility that plans to add more housing once money funnels in this summer. "In a matter of months, not a matter of years."

Read more: The cost of Prop. 1: Newsom's plan to transform California's mental health system

Newsom also urged counties to sign up early for CARE Court, another program he has championed to help resolve the state's mental health and homelessness crisis. Counties have until the end of the year to open specialized courts that offer voluntary treatment and services. San Mateo County, south of San Francisco, recently became the ninth county to sign up.

"Counties dont have to wait until December. Let's go. Get those applications going," he said.

When the proposition passed, Newsom said "this historic reform will only succeed if we all kick into action immediately  state government and local leaders, together.

Read more: Voters approve Proposition 1, Newsoms overhaul of the California mental health system

This week, his staff said the governor was doing his part: This first round of funding wasn't promised until the fall.

In addition to spearheading the construction or rehabilitation of more than 10,000 treatment beds and over 45,000 outpatient treatment slots, Proposition 1 reforms Californias 20-year-old Mental Health Services Act to improve care and support for people with serious mental health issues. A separate bill signed last year, Senate Bill 43, expands the criteria for the detention, treatment and conservatorship of people with severe mental illness  an effort that was strenuously opposed by some civil liberties advocates.The pot of money available for project applications in July is specifically earmarked to build or refurbish treatment centers and clinics. Counties, cities, tribes, nonprofits and for-profit companies will all be eligible to apply for funding.

To qualify, construction projects must have support from their county mental health department, and they must commit to treating patients with Medi-Cal as well as private insurance.

All projects are required to put up matching funds or collateral. That could include land or a building, as well as a funding stream, such as a pledge from a healthcare provider to send patients there or from the opioid settlement, in which pharmaceutical companies and distributors are paying the state millions to help address the harms of the epidemic of addiction.

Once grant applications arrive, officials said they could be approved within three months, meaning money could be distributed around the end of the year.

Later in the year, officials said they planned to open a new round of grants to build and rehabilitate more than 13,000 permanent supportive housing units.

Then, next year, officials will open another $1 billion to support additional buildings or programs, they 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.
3 charged in Britain for working for Hong Kong intelligence released on bail

The manager of Hong Kong's de facto embassy in London, a Border Force officer and a Home Office immigration official are free on strict bail conditions after appearing in court on charges of working for Hong Kong intelligence and foreign interference. File Photo by Neil Hall/EPA-EFE

May 14 (UPI) -- Three people charged in Britain for working for Hong Kong intelligence were released on strict bail conditions after appearing in court.

The three, identified as Chi Leung Wai, 38, a border official at Heathrow Airport, Matthew Trickett, 37, an immigration enforcement officer and Chung Biu Yuen, 63, the office manager of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office were arrested after allegedly trying to break into the home of a Hong Kong dissident in Pontefract in West Yorkshire on May 1.

Dual British-Hong Kong national Wai is also a special constable with the City of London Police while Trickett served as a commando in the Royal Marines.

District Judge Louisa Cieciora on Monday ordered the three to surrender their passports, observe a strict 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew, report weekly to police and to make available for inspection their computers, phones and other smart devices.

They are due back in court May 24.

The identity of their target is unclear but the South China Morning Post reported that exiled Hong Kong student leader Nathan Law Kwun-chung, who was granted political asylum in Britain in 2020 after Beijing enacted a tough new national security law, was a likely candidate.

He is among eight exiled activists for whom Hong Kong police are offering a $127,700 reward for information leading to their arrest for alleged breaches of the national security law.

Security Minister Tom Tugendhat called the National Security Act 2023 under which Wai, Trickett and Yuen are charged, a "game changer" enabling Britain to tackle overseas intelligence services and hostile forces.

"We will not tolerate attempts to threaten, harass or silence people in the U.K. Our commitment to defending the rights and freedoms we hold dear is absolute. We will continue to put protecting the British people and our national security first."

Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman said the incident was a wake-up call that demonstrated it was time for China to be designated "a hostile state."

Her call was echoed by senior Conservative MP and long-time China critic Bob Seely citing what he said was "a significant uptick in espionage operations from both Russia and China, as well as subversive work from Iran too."

The Home Office ordered an urgent review of Border Force and Immigration Enforcement recruitment vetting and supervision, according to the Daily Telegraph.

The case sparked a diplomatic row when it emerged Yuen is a university alumnus of Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee, with Lee confirming the pair -- both former Hong Kong Police officers -- had been photographed together.

Lee on Tuesday demanded full transparency from British authorities on the arrests accusing them of fabricating the case and making unjustified allegations against Hong Kong authorities.

Beijing also reacted with fury with its embassy in London making stringent representations to the Foreign Office demanding Britain halt its "anti-China political manipulation" and guarantee the legitimate rights and interests of its citizens in Britain.

"We strongly reject and condemn the U.K.'s unwarranted accusation against the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government," the embassy said in a statement.

"For some time now, the U.K. has staged a series of accusations against China, including those on 'China spies' and cyber attacks. All those accusations are groundless and slanderous.

"The British side has also wantonly harassed, arrested and detained Chinese citizens in the U.K. under the pretext of judicial and national security. This constitutes a grave provocation against China and severely contravenes the basic norms governing international relations."

The statement goes on to warn Britain not to go "further down the wrong path of jeopardizing China-U.K. relations" and refrain from "meddling" in the affairs of its former colony, which it handed back to China in 1997 after 156 years, and "trampling on the rule of law by harboring wanted criminals."
Bulger was killed while serving two life sentences in federal prison in 2018

Bureau of Prisons/Getty Images James 'Whitey' Bulger

Three men charged for the fatal 2018 beating of famous mobster James "Whitey" Bulger have reportedly reached plea deals with prosecutors.

Fotios "Freddy" Geas, Paul "Pauly" J. DeCologero, and Sean McKinnon  who were charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in August 2022  have accepted plea agreements, according to court papers filed on May 13, per outlets including the Associated Press, CNN, and NBC News.

The plea deals come almost six years after Bulger was killed on Oct. 30, 2018, at age 89 while serving two life sentences in federal prison.

Per CNN, former mafia hitman Geas and Massachusetts gangster DeCologero have been accused of beating Bulger to death while McKinnon acted as a lookout. The attack took place just hours after the Boston mob boss was transferred to the United States Penitentiary Hazelton in Bruceton Mills, W.Va.

Don Treeger/The Republican via AP, File Fotios 'Freddy' Geas

The outlet stated the three men had agreed to plead guilty and agree to cooperate with the United States Probation Office.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of West Virginia had no further comment when contacted by PEOPLE.

A federal judge must now approve the plea deals, per CNN, and prosecutors asked the court to schedule hearings for the men to change their pleas and be sentenced. The terms of the plea deals weren't included in the documents, according to NBC News.

Per the AP, an inmate witness recalled DeCologero calling Bulger a "snitch," stating he had said they planned to kill him when he returned to their unit. Prosecutors also stated that DeCologero told an inmate that he and Geas used a belt with a lock attached to it in the attack.

As previously reported by PEOPLE in August 2022, in addition to the conspiracy to commit first-degree murder charges, Geas and DeCologero had also been charged with aiding and abetting first-degree murder, along with assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of West Virginia confirmed at the time that Geas was facing a separate charge for murder by a federal inmate serving a life sentence, while McKinnon faced a separate charge of making false statements to a federal agent.

Geas and DeCologero allegedly killed Bulger by hitting him "in the head multiple times."

Bureau of Prisons/Getty Images James 'Whitey' Bulger

Bulger, who was the subject of the 2015 movie Black Mass starring Johnny Depp, was found unresponsive at approximately 8:20 a.m. local time on Oct. 30, 2018, PEOPLE previously confirmed.

Life-saving measures were initiated immediately by responding staff, the Federal Bureau of Prisons said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE at the time. Mr. Bulger was subsequently pronounced dead by the Preston County Medical Examiner.

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Bulger was convicted in 2013 of 31 federal criminal counts including participating in drug dealing, extortion and murder. He was also convicted of committing or ordering the murders of 11 people during the 1970s and 80s.

Bulger, who had been an FBI informant, served as the head of Boston's Winter Hill Gang for nearly three decades before fleeing Massachusetts in 1994 after an FBI agent warned him he was about to be indicted.

Bulger spent more than 15 years on the run, but authorities caught up with him in 2011, apprehending him in Santa Monica, Calif.



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Read the original article on People.
Three men have been arrested for the alleged theft of 306 cattle worth some $165,195.00 USD.

Western Australia Police said the alleged operation took place in October 2022 and involved the unauthorized muster of cattle from an isolated station in the northern part of the state.

It is alleged the charged persons were responsible for organizing and completing an unauthorized muster, of 306 cattle being trucked from Louisa Downs to the Northern Territory, the police said on Sunday after announcing the arrests.

It is further alleged a camp was set up on the Louisa Downs Pastoral Aboriginal Corporation station and earth moving machinery was used to grade a road to an area on the neighboring Mount Pierre Pastoral Aboriginal Corporation station.

A portable set of cattle yards were erected at this location to facilitate mustering in this area.

There were no permissions sought or granted to muster cattle from Mount Pierre Station.

In January this year, Northern Territory Police executed an extraterritorial search warrant at a property on the Adelaide River at the request of the WA Rural Crime Team, the police said. William  stock.adobe.com

Between October 12 and October 24 2022, one of the charged men facilitated a muster using two helicopters and a ground crew, which used bull catching buggies.

The 306 cattle mustered from Mount Pierre Station and then trucked to a set of cattle yards and tagged as coming from Louisa Downs.

In January this year, Northern Territory Police executed an extraterritorial search warrant at a property on the Adelaide River at the request of the WA Rural Crime Team, the police said.

Rural Crime Team officers were able to identify that some of the cattle had been sold and exported, the police said.

The average price for the cattle sold at the time was $827.09 per head multiplied by 306 cattle taken, equalled $253,089.54 [$167,236.51 USD].

On April 16, a 42-year-old man from the Northern Territory and a 41-year-old man and a 39-year-old man from Fitzroy Crossing were charged with stealing, the police said. alec  stock.adobe.com

Part proceeds of cattle sales was allegedly deposited into several accounts of the accused people over several months.

On April 16, a 42-year-old man from the Northern Territory and a 41-year-old man and a 39-year-old man from Fitzroy Crossing were charged with stealing, the police said.

The 42-year-old man is next due to appear before the Fitzroy Crossing Magistrates Court on July 9 and the other two are due to appear on May 14.
For the second time in just over a year, the Nigerian government has thought better of a plan that would, effectively, tax users of mobile communications: this time its a levy intended to raise money to enhance cybersecurity.

The planned levy on domestic money transfers to fund cybersecurity has now been suspended. The idea was that all banks and mobile money operators would be obliged to charge 0.5% of the value of electronic transfers as part of efforts to fund cybersecurity. Announcing this, the central bank had targeted 20 May as the start date.

According to Reuters, the perceived need for the new levy seems partly to be down to cryptocurrency, which authorities have blamed for Nigeria's currency weakness. Indeed, Reuters says the Nigerian naira has hit record lows due to dollar shortages as crypto transactions in the country have flourished.

However, its that weakness that has caused a backlash against the planned levy, as we reported last week. There has been widespread public criticism of the scheme as the cost of living rises and the value of the official currency falls.

Not too surprisingly therefore, the Information Minister Mohammed Idris announced on Tuesday that the government had decided to put the cybersecurity tax policy implementation on hold.

A similar fate befell a proposed five per cent excise duty on telecommunications in 2023.
4 displaced after fire breaks out at Buddhist temple in San Jose

(KRON)  Four people were displaced after a fire broke out Monday evening at a Buddhist temple, the San Jose Fire Department said. The temple, Chua Duyen Giac, is located in the 90 block of Foss Avenue.

As of 8 p.m., SJFD reports that the blaze is a three-alarm fire. The department later tweeted that the fire had been knocked down.

No injuries have been reported at this time. SJFD posted a photo of firefighters on the roof responding to the incident (below).

Bay Area population: This is the most populated county in 2024

Crews are at the scene of a three-alarm that broke Monday evening at a Buddhist temple (San Jose Fire Department).

(San Jose Fire Department)

Crews have successfully prevented the fire from damaging nearby structures, SJFD said. The public is asked to avoid the area.

This story will be updated.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
The boy had been diagnosed with strep A , which caused his body to go into sepsis and led to cardiac arrest

Getty Stock image of heart monitor

A 4-year-old boy is lucky to be alive after his heart stopped beating for at least 14 hours before it miraculously started again, according to news sources.

Destiny Anderson and Dominique McDaniel who are parents of Cartier McDaniel, 4, told NBC News and KDVR-TV that they thought their son was dead after he went into cardiac arrest and his heart stopped beating.

They told KDVR-TV that it all began one day when Cartier started experiencing fever, chills, frequent urination and other symptoms. He only got worse the next day, as they noted to the outlets that his hands and feet had turned cold, his mouth began turning blue and his breathing became labored.

They rushed him to the emergency at Childrens Hospital Colorado. Shortly after they arrived at the hospital, the parents said their son went into cardiac arrest as hospital staff tried to revive him with CPR.

John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Children's Hospital Colorado

Related: Congresswoman and Mom of 2 Speaks Candidly About Her Incurable Brain Disease: 'I'm Too Young for This' (Exclusive)

The doctors were pressing on his chest, Anderson recalled to NBC News. I started crying and getting hysterical.

One of the boys doctors, Dr. Aline Maddux, told KDVR-TV that Cartier had been diagnosed with strep A , which caused his body to go into sepsis, in which infection-fighting processes turn on the body, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The doctors eventually determined that the boy be put on a type of life support called extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), or a machine that pumps blood outside of the body and oxygenates it in order to help vital organs like the heart rest while recovering from serious illness or injury. The doctors told the family that the longer Cartiers heart stopped working, the less of a chance of survival he had, per KDVR-TV.

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He was kept on the machine overnight and into the early hours of the morning as family members planned their goodbyes and said prayers that he would make it out okay, the outlet reported.

I feared that they were going to tell us that our son was gone, Anderson told KDVR-TV.

Related: Patriots Calvin Anderson Was Given 50% Chance to Live After Contracting Malaria Last Year

After at least 14 hours of being at a standstill, his heart started beating again. Dr. Aline Maddux, one of the boys doctors recalled to the outlet, His heart just restarted! That was really an incredible thing that occurred.

Everybody else was jumping up and screaming and everything, Anderson added of the moment her sons heart started again. I just still couldnt process what was going on  like you gave me the worst news of my life to the best news of my life.

A medical expert told NBC News that it is unclear what the boys prognosis will be in the future as it's unclear what kind of effects his heart stopping had on his brain, kidneys or other organs. However, the family told the outlet that they are taking it day by day.

His loved ones also told KDVR-TV that Cartier was likely to stay in the hospital for a few more weeks and possibly months in order to recover.



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40 people rush to help horses stuck in mud up to their bellies in CT. See the rescue

A team of 40 people and fire rescue personnel waded through water and thick mud to save two horses that were trapped up to their bellies at a rescue farm in Connecticut, photos show.

The horses  Damascus, Beau, and one other horse  thought it would be fun to take a short cut from the pasture back to the barn and cut through the swamp, and two of them got stuck, someone from Stirrup Fun Stables Rescue said on Facebook on Saturday, May 11.





We were able to walk 1 out but the other 2 sunk in and the suction caused by the mud made it impossible for the horses to get out on their own, Jeanna Prink said in the post.

Personnel from the Lebanon Volunteer Fire Department arrived and quickly determined that this was going to require a Fire Dept response, the department said on Facebook.

The farm and fire department called the Durham Animal Response Team (DART) for help, as the team had experience freeing large animals stuck in mud, officials said in the post.

The team of about 47 people, including Stirrup Fun Stables Rescue volunteers, spent about five or six hours wading through the swamp, Prink said.

The team accessed the area with a side-by-side, a farm truck and cargo truck, and shuttled in ropes, wood, saws, plywood, rescue equipment, veterinary supplies, and food and water, fire rescue officials said.

The team cleared a roadway near the forest and built a makeshift bridge with logs, cribbing, plywood and signs to access the area of the woods where the horses were stuck, officials said.

The plan was to roll the horses out of the waist-deep mud on a sled. The significant manpower of the team ended up being able to guide the horses out on their own, officials said.

It took about half an hour to free each horse, officials said.

Damascus, a big Percheron horse, was stuck more deeply in the mud than the lighter horse Beau, the rescue facility told McClatchy News over the phone.

Hed been stuck in the mud and water for seven hours, officials said. Vets determined both horses were in mild distress, but the team was able to warm both horses using blankets and calm them down enough so they could happily eat some fresh hay, officials said.

Someone posted a photo of the horses after the rescue in the comments.

There they are, up and ready to be home, eat, and drink some fresh water, they said. All the people that came out and helped were amazing.

Horse owners and enthusiasts shared their thoughts about the rescue in the comments.

As a horse owner, so much appreciation for taking this situation seriously and deploying the needed resources to help these trapped kids, someone said. A testament to your dedication to helping ALL creatures in need. True heroes.

Rock stars! Sincere thanks from every horse owner out there, someone else said.

Rescuers find exhausted horse trapped in muddy riverbed  and fly him back to owner

Horse loses footing, falls into trench. California video shows challenging rescue

Cow wanders into bog and gets stuck neck-deep in mud. Watch the rescue in Oregon
On Saturday the Lebanon Volunteer Fire Department in Connecticut received a call that two horses were stuck in the mud behind a farm in a swampy area.

These wonderful first responders came to the rescue of the horses and spent around five hours getting these animals free!

The Lebanon Volunteer Fire Department posted in part, "DART arrived and went to work setting up their Sled equipment. The goal was to roll the horses out of the mud, which was waist deep for rescuers, onto their sled device. Once on the sled all personnel would work together to pull them over the make shift bridge and up onto flat ground approx. 30 yards from the swamp. North Windham Rescue 102 was requested to the scene to assist with setting up dual rope systems, as the 2nd horse was considerably more stuck in the mud than the first. Those systems were ultimately not needed in the end but the significant manpower was necessary."

People on Facebook are so proud of these amazing heroes who worked so tirelessly to save these beautiful animals. One person commented, "Amazing humans helping ones that cant help themselves ! Are we Blessed or What? Having so many people who care for people and animals alike that they come when needed without question." Another replied, "Amazing work guys and girls!! So glad these horses had everyone working as a team to rescue them." Someone else said, "Outstanding work and coordination by the "6 house" with the mutual aid partners and other community members and organizations involved."

Related: Moment Rescued Carriage Horses Realize They're Safe at Sanctuary Is So Moving

The fire department also said that "At 1821 both horses had been warmed up enough to stand and we are happy to report both got up without issue and were happily eating some fresh hay."

What an incredible rescue!

What Is DART?

In the above post the amazing Lebanon Volunteer Fire Department said they were aided by DART, the Disaster Assistance Response Team. According to their website, DART was established in 1989, and it is a not-for profit organization dedicated to helping individuals, families and communities across the United States affected by natural and man-made disasters. Through a partnership between the New York City Fire Department and the American Red Cross in Greater New York, DART rapidly deploys highly trained teams to impacted areas, distributing emergency relief supplies, assessing damaged areas and assists with coordination between local, state and national agencies.

The website also states that D.A.R.T. members include active and retired firefighters of the F.D.N.Y whom in addition to extensive fire / rescue experience also receive training from the American Red Cross in areas such as Logistics, Bulk Distribution, Disaster Assessment and Government Liaison Operations.

What an absolutely amazing organization and it's so wonderful they are there to help when people need it most.

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We need 5 or 6 more Patriots for Ukraine  Danish Prime Minister

Patriot air defence systems. Photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Telegram

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has said that the Patriot air defence systems that European countries have would be best kept in Ukraine and called for the transfer of these systems to Kyiv.

Source: European Pravda with reference to German TV news service Tagesschau

Quote from Frederiksen at a press conference with the leaders of Sweden, Germany, Finland, Iceland and Norway: "These systems are in Europe. It is better to have air defence systems in Ukraine than in NATO countries."

Details: She said that Ukraine "needs five or six more Patriot systems."

The Danish prime minister also highlighted Ukraine's need for ammunition, saying that "Ukrainians need more".

Background:

Following requests from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, EU governments called last month for more air defence systems to be provided to Kyiv.

Germany pledged to provide an additional Patriot battery, while Spain said it would supply missiles for these systems. Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles said that Ukraine has already received these missiles.

Also, according to media reports, the German government is persuading the US to supply Ukraine with at least one more Patriot system.

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Even though the general election matchup is already set between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, there have been plenty of fireworks down the ballot ahead of presidential and congressional primaries in Maryland, West Virginia, and Nebraska on Tuesday.

Downballot races in Maryland, for example, have led to bitter intraparty fights and questions over the role of spending in some races; while Senate primaries in West Virginia could offer a glimpse of who might replace retiring Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin. And Biden himself could face another protest vote in Maryland.

Here are 5 things to watch in Tuesday's races.

Who will triumph in the bitter Democratic Senate primary in Maryland, and what role will spending play in the race?

Democrats in Maryland are bracing for the end of what has become a bitter primary between frontrunner candidates Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and Rep. David Trone, each of whom say they're the better bet to likely take on former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan in November.

Trone, the wealthy founder of Total Wine & More and a congressman in his third term, has injected over $50 million of his own money into the race and flooded local airwaves with advertising. He and groups supporting him have spent at least $45 million on ad reservations in the race, rapidly eclipsing Alsobrooks and groups supporting her, according to tracking from AdImpact.

PHOTO: Candidates for Senate in Maryland, Angela Alsobrooks and David Trone. (Getty Images)

But the congressman has said that the fact that he can self-finance his run allows Democrats to spend party money in races where they hope to flip seats or hold onto threatened ones. Speaking to reporters last Tuesday, Trone did not want to commit to not taking money from Democratic campaign committees, but said his self-funding "will give them a lot more flexibility to spend money elsewhere."

MORE: Maryland primary to set up unexpectedly tight Senate race

Alsobrooks, meanwhile, has some groups spending heavily to support her run. EMILY's List, a major political action committee that supports pro-abortion access female Democratic candidates, said it is spending over $2 million on airing ads criticizing Trone and has thrown its support behind Alsobrooks in the primary.

"She has a lived experience that is the voice we desperately need in the United States Senate," Jessica Mackler, president of EMILY's List, told ABC News in a recent interview.

PHOTO: Angela Alsobrooks stands with Gov. Wes Moore during a campaign event for her run for the U.S. Senate in Baltimore, Md., October 23, 2023. (The Washington Post via Getty Images)

How will Republican Senate candidate Larry Hogan perform in the Republican primary?

Whoever wins in the primary will likely face popular former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, whose 11th-hour candidacy turned the race into one with major implications for which party controls the Senate. Hogan launched his Senate bid in February after flirting for months with a third-party presidential bid through No Label's now-discarded efforts to field a "unity ticket."

Political experts and observers have said that in spite of his name recognition, Hogan faces a steep uphill battle to flip the seat red -- given that Maryland is a deep-blue bastion.

During a brief interview with ABC News at an early voting location in Potomac, Maryland, Hogan acknowledged the challenge ahead. "I think we're arguably the bluest state in America  this will be the hardest challenge that I've ever had."

PHOTO: Former Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan visits the Bridge Boat Show in Stevensville, Md., April 12, 2024. (Susan Walsh/AP)

While Hogan is considered the frontrunner in the Republican primary, it may be worth watching how much vote he picks up from Republican primary voters, and how he does in some parts of the state. Hogan is a sharp critic of former President Donald Trump and presents himself as a moderate conservative  which puts him at odds with Trump's strong support among Republican primary voters.

"Tracking turnout among Republicans will be telling with regard to enthusiasm for Hogan," Michael Hanmer, the director of the University of Maryland's Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement, told ABC News. "A relatively high rate of turnout will be a clear signal in his favor given the lack of competition and his critiques of Trump."

Will heavy outside spending impact the race in Maryland's 3rd Congressional district?

Some Democrats in Maryland have raised concerns about how an outside group is spending millions in the race for Maryland's 3rd Congressional district -- with high-profile candidate and former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn, who rose to prominence after being among the officers defending the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, calling the expenditures troubling.

The United Democracy Project (UDP), a super PAC affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), has spent over $4.2 million in independent expenditures to support one of Dunn's primary opponents, state Senator Sarah Elfreth, according to FEC filings as of May 10. Those expenditures include direct mailings, media placement, media production, and phone banking.

UDP did not respond to a request for comment from ABC News about its spending in support of Elfreth, but the group told Jewish Insider in April that it is not targeting Harry Dunn specifically.

Dunn wrote in a statement in April, "Our grassroots movement won't be scared off by this dark money spending."

PHOTO: Harry Dunn, Democratic candidate for Maryland's 3rd Congressional District attends a news conference outside the State House in Annapolis, Md., Apr. 3, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images)

In response to a request for comment from ABC News about the expenditures from UDP and criticism from other candidates over them, Pat Murray, campaign manager for Sarah Elfreth's campaign, wrote that the campaign is proud of its many Maryland resident donors and support from progressive groups. "We are disappointed that other candidates launched last minute negative attacks, but that's a clear sign that they know Sarah is the frontrunner and in a strong position to win on Tuesday," Murray said.

Who will likely replace retiring Sen. Joe Manchin in Virginia?

The marquee race on Tuesday in West Virginia will be the GOP primary for U.S. Senate, where candidates are vying to replace retiring Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat. Republicans are eyeing the seat as a likely pickup.

The race could also be an indication of whether Republican voters are looking for candidates who frame. Current GOP Gov. Jim Justice, who has portrayed himself as experienced and who netted Donald Trump's endorsement, has a polling and slight fundraising advantage over U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney, who portrays himself as an anti-establishment candidate, ahead of their faceoff.

Before Manchin announced his plans not to seek reelection, the battle for West Virginia's Senate seat was shaping up to be one of the most competitive of the general election cycle. Now, national Democrats are largely remaining on the sidelines.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is not endorsing in the race and Steve Daines, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, called the November contest "over" in the majority-Republican state.

MORE: 10 primaries to watch in Maryland, Nebraska and West Virginia

Will there be a major 'Uncommitted' protest vote against Joe Biden?

Activists have called on Democratic primary voters in some states to choose the "uncommitted" option on their ballot in states that include it, as a way to protest President Joe Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war and support of Israel.

MORE: Discussions begin in some states about how to select 'uncommitted' delegates

There has been a similar organized effort in Maryland, where "Uncommitted to any Presidential Candidate" is an option on the Democratic presidential primary ballot. (Voters will also see Biden, author Marianne Williamson, and now-withdrawn candidate Rep. Dean Phillips.)

PHOTO: Maryland State Representative David Trone talks with constituents after a roundtable on Latino issues at a library in Hyattsville, MD, Oct. 15, 2023. (The Washington Post via Getty Images)

"We're urging people to vote 'uncommitted' because the Biden Administration has not listened to the vast majority of the Democratic voters that want a cease-fire in Gaza," Anna Evans-Goldstein, an for the Listen to Maryland campaign, told ABC affiliate WMAR.

The Biden campaign told ABC News in a statement, "The President believes making your voice heard and participating in our democracy is fundamental to who we are as Americans. He shares the goal for an end to the violence and a just, lasting peace in the Middle East. He's working tirelessly to that end."

ABC News' Brittany Shepherd, Isabella Murray, Tal Axelrod, and Libby Cathey contributed to this report.

5 things to watch in Tuesday's primaries in Maryland, West Virginia, and Nebraska originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
TechCrunch

The wearables category already contains multitudes, from exercise-focused smart watches and sleep tracking smart rings to smart femtech and semi-invasive blood glucose monitors -- to name a few of the gizmos we've tracked over roughly a decade of novel personal hardware launches. The neurotechnology category tends to be associated with brain implants. Think head-mounted wearables that allow the user to self-administer treatment for psychological conditions such as depression (Flow Neuroscience) or period pain & PMS (Samphire Neuroscience).
Are some people paid to speak at Miami-Dade meetings? Thats (usually) hard to prove

Danielle Siegel rode the bus and Metrorail to a Miami-Dade County Commission meeting recently to wait her turn before the microphone to endorse a land deal for a Costco about 20 miles south of her Flagami home.

Im here to support the Costco, Siegel, 60, told commissioners at the May 7 meeting. I buy a lot of bulk food.

She later told a reporter she was offered $50 to be there that day  a significant sum, Siegel said, as she struggles to pay rent while living off benefits income of less than $700 a month.

It means groceries to me, she said.

Just spoke to a woman who said she was offered $50 to come speak in favor of the South Dade Costco deal up for a vote at todays County Commission meeting. Said the money means groceries to me. Expects to be paid later today. Invite came from a friend.  Doug Hanks (@doug_hanks) May 7, 2024

Siegel wouldnt put the Miami Herald in touch with the person she said offered cash for her supportive words on the Swerdlow Groups no-bid proposal to build a Costco on county land near Cutler Bay. But the Miami development company said it had nothing to do with the people who attended the meeting to support the project, which is being touted as a boost to South Dades economy and workforce. Swerdlow would build the new Costco center and rent it to the wholesale retailer.

We had no idea who the people were who spoke in favor of the project, CEO Michael Swerdlow said in an interview. In a follow-up statement, the Swerdlow Group stated it didnt pay anyone to speak at the meeting and that the Costco deal won passage based on the merits of our proposal and has received wide public support.

Commissioner Kionne McGhee, who sponsored the Costco legislation and has led the charge for its passage, declined to answer questions this week about whether he knew of anyone being paid to speak in favor of the resolution at the May 7 meeting. He referred questions to a spokesperson, Andre Rodriguez.

The Herald emailed Rodriguez a question about what McGhee knew about anyone being offered money to speak in favor of the Costco legislation. Rodriguez responded with a one-word statement from McGhee: Nothing.

READ MORE: Costco closer to getting a South Dade site through no-bid deal for cheap county land

The speaking stipend Siegel described is a rare acknowledgment of something that County Hall veterans say is a common but quiet tactic in trying to win commission support for development projects: providing modest compensation to someone willing to address commissioners, seemingly as a regular member of the public, in favor of a particular project.

All the commissioners know, said Juan C. Zapata, who served on the Miami-Dade commission between 2012 and 2016.

He said in his experience, developers typically hire consultants, who in turn hand out small amounts of money for people willing to speak at public meetings in downtown Miami that can stretch for hours. They do it all the time.

Theres no law against receiving compensation to speak before the County Commission, though Miami-Dades code does require the person to register in advance as a lobbyist and disclose who is paying them for their remarks, said Jose Arrojo, director of the countys Ethics Commission.

The ordinance requires registration so that the public, and the decision makers in government, know that the advocacy is compensated, Arrojo said. He said he wasnt aware of the Ethics Commission ever investigating allegations that a member of the public had spoken at a government meeting without disclosing that they were being paid to be there.

Without knowing that speakers are being paid, their comments can seem like a sampling of broader community sentiment.

I think decision makers and county commissioners need to have their eyes wide open to these tactics, said Eve Samples, executive director of the Friends of the Everglades, a frequent opponent of development projects when they encroach on environmentally sensitive lands. What sounds like sincere support may not always be.

Danielle Siegel poses for a photo by a Miami Herald reporter outside the chambers of the Miami-Dade County Commission on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Earlier that day, Siegel spoke in favor of a proposed land deal in South Miami-Dade for a new Costco. In an interview, Siegel said she was offered $50 to attend the meeting and speak in favor of the legislation.

In a brief interview with the Herald about 90 minutes after she addressed commissioners, Siegel said that she had been promised $50 but hadnt been paid yet and wasnt sure how she would be paid. She said that a friend had contacted her the night before about the opportunity.

After paying her rent, Siegel said shes left with less than $100 each month to pay expenses, so the chance to pick up $50 was appealing.

Its not easy out there, she said.

Costco pitch

Local employment was a top selling point for Swerdlow in his long lobbying campaign to buy the vacant 17 acres of county land off Southwest 190th Street, north of where U.S. 1 meets Floridas Turnpike. Within five years, Costco agreed to create a minimum of 210 jobs there that pay at least the countys living wage, currently $21.26 an hour.

Swerdlow would also pay an additional $1 million over 10 years to Miami-Dade, plus another $1 million to a fund that helps homeowners with septic tanks pay for hooking up their plumbing to the county sewer system. Part of the deal also allows Miami-Dade to accept free land from Swerdlow for a future Water and Sewer facility, meaning Swerdlow could acquire the future Costco parcel with a property swap instead of paying the $8 million purchase price.

The administration of Mayor Daniella Levine Cava opposed the proposed $8 million deal with Swerdlow Group, which is well below the lands appraised value of $31 million. In a memo, Levine Cava urged commissioners to demand a higher price and to insist on concessions that included a requirement for affordable housing to also go on the Costco site.

On May 7, the board voted 8 to 5 to approve the sale without the mayors requested changes. Voting against were Juan Carlos Bermudez, Rene Garcia, Danielle Cohen Higgins, Eileen Higgins and Micky Steinberg. That was enough for the sale to be approved, provided Levine Cava doesnt veto the legislation by Friday.

No commissioner mentioned the limited public comments about Costco, including Siegels, and there was no indication that the brief remarks from those supporters influenced a decision thats been the subject of more than a year of lobbying and negotiations.

Though she was able to say a few words to commissioners, Siegel didnt get far in her comments. Commission Chair Oliver Gilbert intervened that morning, noting that the board wasnt allowing speakers on Costco because there was already a public hearing on the legislation last month. No member of the public showed up to speak at that April 10 committee meeting.

At last weeks meeting, a few pro-Costco speakers still came to the microphones for brief comments before being reminded of the rules.

Im here to support the Costco development, said Ken Forbes, who lives in the South Dade neighborhood of Princeton. I brought other community people with me today who did not sign up [to speak], but theyre here to support it as well.

Forbes later told the Herald he wasnt offered compensation to speak and that he wasnt aware of anyone who was.

I cant speak for everybody, he said in a telephone interview. I know myself, and those that came with me from our neck of the woods, we were not paid for anything. We are active in things pertaining to community development. We were there for the jobs.
NEW YORK (PIX11)  A new $581,000 federal grant is providing a beacon of hope for New York City families battling food insecurity, especially in underprivileged communities in Lower Manhattan and Northwest Brooklyn that lack access to affordable, healthy food options.

The grant, secured by Congressman Dan Goldman, will directly benefit the UA3 Food Bank Network, allowing it to expand food storage capabilities and acquire an electric delivery vehicle to serve more families in need.

Bushwick food pantry fights growing need, seeks long-term solutions

For Sandra Strother, President of the Grand Street Guild Resident Association which provides affordable housing on the Lower East Side, the funding represents a vital lifeline. We became aware of the food insecurities during Covid, but actually they existed before then, Strother said. My day-to-day is making sure my seniors and people are safe and fed.

Strother has witnessed firsthand the harsh realities of hunger and poverty in her community. Even before the pandemic exposed the depth of the crisis, she took residents to another pantry recognizing the need for food assistance.

The grant comes as a relief for Strothers elderly residents surviving on limited, fixed incomes. They go from paycheck, you know, they have to make a choice between paycheck and food sometimes, she explained. This funding, she says, ensures they can access sufficient food without sacrificing other basic necessities.

Congressman Goldman emphasized that directing federal funds to local groups is a way to make a real difference when partisan gridlock stalls progress in Congress. It is really special to be able to put the investment in the organizations that are leading the community and make sure that we are bringing federal funds back to the district to serve the community and the communitys really basic needs.

List of NYC affordable housing lotteries ending in May

For UA3, the grant is a game-changer that will enable more efficient operations, according to Don Hong, President and Chairman of Board at UA3. Were getting a Green electric environmental friendly truck to be not only a refrigerated truck, its a large commercial truck that will allow us to be a mobile food bank, said Hong. We will be able to serve better, healthier food in Brooklyn. We will be able to spread healthier food in Queens and, and, and up in Harlem.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
For 7 years, coffee shop was set to open in old Johnson County gas station. Not anymore

Seven years ago, Topeka-based PTs Coffee unveiled a plan to turn the old Macs 66 gas station near downtown Overland Park into a coffee shop.

At one point, the shop was set to open in early 2020, but plans were repeatedly delayed.

The project was on hold in 2023. Now, owners Jeff Taylor and Fred Polzin are scrapping the plans for good.

Were not going that direction, Taylor said. We have a growing wholesale business, and we decided to focus on that for a bit.

PTs is not looking to expand elsewhere, Taylor added, declining to elaborate.

The 8139 Metcalf Ave. building is now for sale.

The 1950s-style full-service station was open for 60 years, keeping its retro canopy and tilted windows.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Plans for a PTs drive-thru there went before the Overland Park Planning Commission in 2017, shortly after Macs shut down.

PTs Coffee sells specialty espresso drinks.

PTs Coffee was founded in Topeka in 1993. It has two Kansas City area locations: in the Crossroads at 310 Southwest Blvd. and in the Power & Light District at 1310 Baltimore Ave.

Kansas City-based Messenger Coffee Co. had planned to open a location in Overland Parks Prairiefire shopping district in 2022. Last year, the company told The Star that was no longer in the works.
GlobalNet, a Dutch backbone provider, says it has confirmed its expansion into Central Europe with one new point of presence (PoP) in Warsaw. The new PoP is based at the Equinix WA1 data centre.

GlobalNet says the new PoP marks its first foray into Poland and its third launch in Central Europe. The new site will serve as a critical hub, offering robust connectivity options of IP-transit and DATAIX services via 1G, 10G, 40G, and 100G ports. DATAIX is an internet exchange network between telecom operators and content generators in Europe and Asia.

Moreover, says GlobalNet, the Berlin-Warsaw route will bring new transport options to the region due to GlobalNet's European backbone spanning through Stockholm, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Berlin and now Warsaw.

Alex Surkoff, Business Development Director at GlobalNet explains that more is on the way. As he says: This is an important step for us as we intend to expand our network throughout Poland and other countries in the region. We see a noticeable interest in our services among current and potential DATAIX members, which is why we decided to deploy our 69th point of presence in the Warsaw data centre. The new connection in Poland's capital will enable GlobalNet to interconnect the Northern, Western, Central and Eastern European regions through a single DWDM [dense wavelength-division multiplexing] system.

GlobalNet says the addition of the Warsaw PoP will significantly enhance the service offerings to its existing and prospective members, providing improved access to international and local traffic via the DATAIX international distributed peering network.

This new PoP not only strengthens the companys network but also enhances its ability to deliver high-speed internet access and connectivity with full channel redundancy across Europe.

GlobalNet says it remains committed to its rapid expansion strategy, with further developments expected to enhance connectivity and digital service capabilities across Europe and Asia.
Eight people died and 45 in bus-pickup truck accident in Ocala, Fla., on Tuesday. File Photo by Simaah/Pixabay

May 14 (UPI) -- A bus carrying farmworkers and a Ford Ranger truck sideswiped each other on State Route 40 in Ocala, Fla. on Tuesday morning, killing eight and injuring 45 more, Florida Highway Patrol.

The agency said eight of the injured were in critical condition and were taken to local hospitals. The bus was transporting 53 farmworkers to Cannon Farms in Dunnellon when it collided with the pickup truck.

The vehicles were traveling east on State Route 40 when the pickup truck tried to veer in the center lane, colliding with the bus. The bus careened off the road, through a fence and struck a tree, troopers said.

"There is [a] high probability this may be beyond eight fatalities, FHP Lt. Patrick Riordan told WESH-TV.

Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said officials were still trying to locate the families of the victims. He said his agency was assisting in providing Spanish-language translators.

"My heart goes out to them," Woods told the Ocala Star, describing the victims as "hard working individuals" and that the accident was a tragedy.

Troopers said the details of the accident remain under investigation.

"At this point, we are conducting a massive traffic homicide investigation," Riordan said. "This will be a very lengthy and thorough investigation. I can tell you that it's going to be probably six months, at least, before we can conclude factually what transpired here today."
8 dead after bus carrying farmworkers in Florida hit by truck, whose driver is charged with DUI-manslaughter

Eight people were dead and 40 others were hospitalized after a bus carrying farmworkers collided with a pickup truck and overturned early Tuesday in north central Florida, officials said.

The driver of the pickup, Bryan Maclean Howard, survived and was charged with eight counts of driving under the influence-manslaughter, said David Kerner, executive director of the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

"Our sympathies and prayers are with the families of the deceased," Kerner said in a statement. "Consistent with our duties, the Florida Highway Patrol will conduct both a thorough and exhaustive traffic crash and criminal investigation."

The deadly collision happened around 6:35 a.m. on a hilly and rain-slicked rural road about 80 miles north of Orlando, the highway patrol said.

The bus, a 2010 International, was heading west on State Road 40 when, "for unknown reasons," a 2001 Ford Ranger "traveled toward the centerline" and the vehicles sideswiped each other, Highway Patrol Lt. Pat Riordan told reporters.

The Mexican foreign secretary, Alicia Barcena, said in a post on X late Tuesday that all eight of those killed were Mexican and all had temporary H-2A visa for agricultural workers. The Mexican consul in Orlando, Juan Sabines Guerrero, would assist the victims families, she said.

A GoFundMe page to raise money for the survivors, set up by the Farmworkers Association of Florida, has raised more than $32,000 so far.

Court records show that there are at least 23 previous criminal cases against Howard, including failure to wear a seatbelt, leaving the scene of a crash, possession of cannabis and careless driving.

The bus, which was carrying about 50 people, barreled off the roadway, went through a fence, struck a tree and overturned in a field, Riordan said.

Forty of the bus passengers were hospitalized, Riordan said. At least eight of them were critically injured, according to the Marion County Fire Rescue service, which had initially reported that 53 people had been injured.

Riordan warned there was a "high probability" that the death count could rise because many of the injured were "in very serious condition."

At this point, we are conducting a massive traffic homicide investigation, Riordan said.

The driver of the Ford pickup was also taken to the hospital with serious injuries, he said.

Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods told reporters over 30 ambulances were at the scene and described the victims as hard-working individuals. He said the rain and the slick road conditions may have been factors in the crash.

Meanwhile, Dominique OConnor of the Farmworker Association of Florida said it was trying to help local authorities aid the victims and their families, most of whom speak only Spanish and are not from the area.

Emergency workers at the scene of a fatal bus crash (Doug Engle / Ocala Star-Banner / USA Today Network)

"These workers are all here on H-2A work visas," O'Connor said.

The H-2A program allows certain U.S. employers to bring foreign nationals into the country to fill temporary agricultural jobs, O'Connor said.

In Orlando, the Mexican Consulate said on X that emergency telephone numbers are being made available for information about any Mexican people potentially involved in the crash or their family members.

The workers were headed to the family-owned Cannon Farms in Dunnellon, NBC affiliate WESH of Orlando reported, citing the highway patrol.

Cannon Farms announced on social media early Tuesday that it would be closed out of respect to the losses and injuries endured early this morning in the accident that took place to the Olvera Trucking Harvesting Corp.

Please pray with us for the families and the loved ones involved in this tragic accident, Cannon Farms said. We appreciate your understanding at this difficult time.

Calls to Cannon Farms went to a recorded message that said: "This is Cannon Farms. I just wanted to let everybody know that we are going to be closed due to a tragic accident. Please pray for the families of those involved and the losses of loved ones."

Olvera Trucking did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ambulances took the injured to several local hospitals. And at the request of first responders, Marion County Public Schools used one of its buses to ferry some of the victims to hospitals.

AdventHealth Ocala said it was treating 16 patients: 12 in the main emergency department at AdventHealth Ocala and four at AdventHealth Timber Ridge ER, Dr. Rodrigo Torres, AdventHealth Ocalas chief medical officer, said in a statement.

Two HCA Florida Healthcare facilities in Ocala were also treating patients: seven in critical condition and two stable at HCA Florida Ocala Hospital and one stable at HCA Florida West Marion Hospital.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
More than a dozen criminals with direct ties to Mexican cartels were living right here in the Charlotte region.

MORE: Charlotte man sentenced to 25 years on drug trafficking charges

Federal agents say from state highways to neighborhood streets, dangerous cartel members could be traveling next to you, bringing drugs through our city on their way to the northeast while often dealing and stashing drugs right here.

Theyre here; theres no doubt about it, Drug Enforcement Agency Special Agent Robert Murphy told Channel 9 crime reporter Hunter Saenz.

In December, 14 men and women were sentenced to federal prison. U.S. Attorney Dena King says they were all directly connected to the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels.

U.S. Attorney: Dena King (Left) DEA Special Agent: Robert Murphy (Left)

King says the investigation heavily focused on two people: Salvador Barrera, the ring leader, and Ricardo Gomez, his second-in-command.

Those two individuals were the individuals that were in charge of this drug trafficking organization that had ties, not just to California, but had direct ties to the cartel in Mexico, King said.

In February 2020, King told Saenz that two couriers were bringing more than 20 kilograms of cocaine to Charlotte from California when they were busted after being pulled over by state troopers in Kansas.

That arrest kicked off a two-year investigation involving the DEA and multiple local agencies from Charlotte to Stanly, Cabarrus, Catawba, and Lincoln counties.

According to the DEA, agents found drugs in stash houses across the Charlotte area; some were hidden inside the wall behind a bathroom mirror.

After more than a dozen search warrants, authorities seized more than 300 kilos of cocaine, 26 kilos of fentanyl and heroin, and nearly 60 firearms.

Federal agents say those guns proved that nothing and no one was going to stop these traffickers.

They do not fear us; they would rather take the chances with us than deal with the consequences of the cartel, Murphy said.

MORE: Feds investigate dead Richmond County man accused of selling drugs out of print shop

The cartel and dealers stood a chance to make more than $2 million off the drugs in Charlotte and the northeast.

Although there is danger, King and members of the DEA say the investigations and prosecutions are worth it, knowing the murders, violence, and overdoses that come with the cartels operation.

I mean, its scary. Its easy for us to think that these types of things happen someplace else. Its a harder concept to think about; these things happen in our communities, King said.

Local federal prosecutors have many other cases involving cartel members but could not comment on them.

Some of the 14 felons convicted of having direct ties to the cartel were sentenced to upwards of 20 years behind bars.

(WATCH BELOW: Drug trafficking conspiracy caught)
It was an accident, Las Vegas teen accused of murder told parents not to call police after shooting

LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A 17-year-old accused of murder told police it was an accident after he shot his friend in a vehicle and told his parents not to call 911 earlier in the month, according to documents obtained by 8 News Now.

On Monday, May 6 at around 4 a.m., a man called 911 and told dispatchers that his son came home and told his parents that he shot his friend, but would not tell him details about the shooting, the report stated.

Officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department arrived and detained the son, identified as Cesar Sandoval, 17. When police asked Sandoval where the shooting occurred, he told them it happened in the area of St. Louis Avenue and 14th Street in a gray Honda.

Cesar Sandoval, 17, faces charges of open murder with the use of a deadly weapon and destroying or concealing evidence. (LVMPD)

Sandoval told police that he shot his friend, Jazlynn Johnson, 18, and claimed it was an accident.

Shortly before 5 a.m., officers found a gray Honda parked on the south side of St. Louis Avenue. When officers approached the vehicle, they found a deceased woman with a gunshot wound to her head in the driver seat and slumped against the door, the report stated.

Evidence at the scene indicated the shooting happening inside the vehicle and the shooter was likely seated in the passenger seat.

Medical personnel responded and pronounced her dead at the scene. The Clark County Coroners Office later confirmed the victim to be identified as Johnson.

When asked what happened, Sandoval told police there was a [expletived] up accident and I hurt my friend. When police asked follow up questions, Sandoval asked for a lawyer present, but was adamant that the shooting was an accident.

He told police he did not know where the gun was.

Sandovals parents told police that he left home the night before and was picked up by a gray Honda that they had seen pick him up before. Sandoval came home at around 3 a.m. hysterical and in a panic, the report stated.

His parents told police that he hugged his mom, crying and saying it was an accident. She asked if he was in an accident, and Sandoval said No, I [expletived] up, I did something wrong, I shot my friend, according to the report.

Sandoval told his parents not to call the police, but they told him they had to.

Sandoval faces charges of open murder with the use of a deadly weapon and destroying or concealing evidence. He is currently in custody at the Clark County Juvenile Hall.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
David McBride at the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory where he was sentenced - Mick Tsikas/AAP

An Australian ex-military lawyer known as the accidental whistleblower for inadvertently leaking secret documents about alleged war crimes in Afghanistan has been jailed.

David McBride, a former British Army soldier, was sentenced in Canberra to a maximum of five years and eight months after pleading guilty to the theft and sharing of more than 200 classified files.

Australian Capital Territory Supreme Court Justice David Mossop said McBrides disclosure of sensitive documents forced Australia to alert allies to the leak and that doing so may have harmed the national interest by making security partners wary of sharing information.

It is very important to deter others, he said, adding that offenders who may jeopardise national security must know they will be met by significant punishment.

McBride, whose father Dr William McBride raised the alarm on the drug thalidomide in Sydney in the 1960s, has been hailed a hero by supporters, with some of Australias most prominent human rights lawyers calling for the charges against him to be dismissed.

Illegal killings

But he had not originally intended to blow the whistle on allegations that special forces were involved in illegal killings.

After serving as a soldier in the UK and appearing on British television show Tracker in the 1990s, McBride returned to Sydney and became a lawyer with the Australian Army. He toured Afghanistan twice before working at the Special Operations Headquarters in Canberra.

It was there  before being discharged with PTSD  that McBride began collecting files he believed showed that low-level soldiers were being unfairly targeted in over-zealous investigations carried out by top brass for a PR exercise to show the public they were taking action to prevent improper behaviour.

He met with journalists at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, who realised the information could be used as evidence of possible wrongdoing by special forces. In 2017, the ABC published The Afghan Files, an investigative report into alleged war crimes and the growing unease over a warrior culture in which officers would allegedly turn a blind eye to misconduct.

Police subsequently raided McBrides home as well as the ABC headquarters. He went into hiding in Spain but was arrested in 2018 after returning to see his daughters.

Australian and Afghan National Army search a village at Musazai in the Uruzgan Province in Afghanistan - Angela Wylie/Getty Images

Following the Afghan Files, whistleblowers and alleged victims came forward with further claims which then led the government to order an independent investigation. The landmark Brereton inquiry uncovered dozens of incidents of war crimes, including evidence 39 Afghans were murdered between 2005 and 2016.

The judge said on Tuesday that he believed that McBride was of good character but that the 60-year-old appeared to have become obsessed with the correctness of his own opinions and knew he was breaking the law.

But Justice Mossop did also accept that his mental health might have had a minor contribution to the offending.

McBride hugged his ex-wife before he was escorted into custody while supporters cried and shouted shame on the court.

Outside the courtroom, his lawyer Mark Davis said he would appeal on the basis it was McBrides national duty to reveal the documents to the public.

We think its an issue of national importance, indeed international importance, that a western nation has such a narrow definition of duty, Mr Davis said. We say David McBride fulfilled his duty.

The sentencing comes as Anthony Albaneses government is consulting on ways to strengthen protection for whistleblowers.

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Accused serial child rapist arrested in Branson after 24 years on the run

TANEY COUNTY, Mo.  U.S. Marshals apprehended an accused serial child rapist in Branson, Missouri, after he skipped out on a court hearing in central Illinois more than two decades ago.

Herman Carroll, 72, had been arrested on July 3, 2000, for sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl. He had prior convictions for child sex crimes in 1983 and 1993.

Carroll was charged with predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, and criminal sexual assault in the 2000 case in Moultrie County, Illinois. He posted bail in 2000 and later failed to appear in court. He was declared a fugitive in 2001.

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In June 2022, the U.S. Marshals Services Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force (GLRFTF) took on the Carroll investigation into his whereabouts. On May 8, investigators received information that Carroll was living in the Branson area.

Three days later, marshals with the GLRFTF and the Midwest Violent Fugitive Task Force (MWVFTF) in Missouri took Carroll into custody.

Carroll is currently in the Taney County Jail in Missouri, awaiting extradition back to Illinois.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Christina Weyer, who takes in rescued equines, opposes a proposal to install a battery storage site near her home in rural Acton, Calif.

On five acres in Acton, Christina Weyer and her husband care for rescued senior and special-needs equines. At the moment, six horses and 13 donkeys, along with a dog and a clutter of feral cats, share the property.

In this dry, windswept rural landscape dotted with homes and ranches about 50 miles from downtown Los Angeles, wildfires have always been a threat. Insurers have recently hiked premiums to what residents say are unaffordable levels, as climate change worsens the frequency and intensity of the flames.

With a proposal to build a 12-acre lithium-ion battery storage facility, as well as another proposal for a similar facility on 68 acres, residents such as Weyer worry that their slice of rural tranquility could be ruined.

Many fear what would happen if a wildfire from the nearby Angeles National Forest spreads to the battery sites, sending toxic chemicals into the air and potentially threatening the groundwater.

Save Our Rural Town, which advocates for rural communities in the Antelope Valley, is suing the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, which governs the unincorporated community of about 7,300, to stop the 12-acre battery proposal from Chicago-based Hecate Energy. Several Acton residents have donated thousands of dollars to cover the legal fees for what could be a long fight.

Weyer's main concern is for her animals. It would be near impossible, she said, to evacuate them all if a wildfire made it to a nearby battery site and sent toxic fumes their way.

A proposed battery storage site, foreground, across from the Vincent Grade Metrolink station in Acton, Calif., has residents worried about the potential for fire in a fire-prone area and the effect on their home values.

I do not think [lithium-ion batteries] should be in anybodys backyard, said Weyer, whose home sits less than a mile from one of the proposed sites. But of all the places, why are you choosing somewhere thats really close to an earthquake fault, and an extremely high fire hazard area, and often very windy?

Renewable energy developers have identified Acton's open spaces as prime real estate because acres of lithium-ion batteries  often housed in dozens of rows of shipping containers  can be connected to a large electrical substation there.

Energy would flow from wind turbines and solar farms, such as those in the nearby desert, into the batteries, charging them during low-demand times. During peak hours, the companies would then sell the green energy to the regional grid.

Hecate's site, which according to a rendering would have 440 battery containers, could be used to power roughly 250,000 homes, according to a company representative.

"To fulfill that need, Hecate Grid undertakes a very deliberative approach to potential development," said Bobby Howard, a senior manager of development and origination at Hecate Energy. "Any proposed project must fulfill a demand for more energy, prioritize a suitable location that is close to grid infrastructure, include collaboration with private landowners and local governments, and avoid protected environmental or cultural areas."

State and local leaders view battery storage sites as an essential part of ensuring that California can meet its goal of being carbon neutral by 2045.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose district includes Acton, said state officials have made it clear that the batteries are vital to harnessing and storing power, and L.A. County is "behind the eight ball on that."

Rural Acton, between Santa Clarita and the Antelope Valley, is a community of 7,300 people.

At the same time, location "is going to be important  I dont want a high concentration in one area," Barger said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom recently visited a battery storage and solar facility in Winters, a small city west of Sacramento, to celebrate that California has increased its battery capacity by 1,250% since he took office in 2019.

Our energy storage revolution is here, and it couldnt come at a more pivotal moment as we move from a grid powered by dirty fossil fuels to one powered by clean energy," Newsom said.

As part of Newsom's energy road map, lithium-ion batteries are being added to the state's electric grid at a rapid rate, with companies creating the infrastructure for the first several thousand megawatts over the last few years and making plans to install many times more over the next two decades. As the number of batteries grows, "so does the urgency to address safety," a report commissioned by the California Public Utilities Commission said.

With proper engineering, lithium-ion battery storage sites are safe and pose little risk of starting a fire, said Shirley Meng, a molecular engineering professor at the University of Chicago who is an expert on batteries and studies ethically sourced, recyclable materials for energy storage.

A Metrolink train departs the Vincent Grade station in Acton, Calif., near a proposed battery storage site.

Lithium-ion batteries in smartphones have caught fire spontaneously, as in 2016 when Samsung announced a global recall of its Galaxy Note 7. The technology has improved since then, and the failure rate is now about 1 in 10 million for all types of lithium-ion batteries, Meng said.

She noted, however, that "when something bad happens, it's a catastrophe."

And the threat of groundwater contamination if a wildfire spreads to a battery site is real, because of the chemical compounds in the batteries, she said. (The headwaters of the Santa Clara River are near Acton.)

Howard said that there have been no incidents at Hecate sites and that safety features include 24/7 monitoring for fire, smoke and gas as well as systems controlling temperature and ventilation.

The Acton project would also include "seismic bracing, safety zones around the perimeter, substantial setbacks from parcel boundaries, gravel breaks and a masonry wall around the facility," Howard said.

Acton residents are familiar with the risks that are the downside of life in a place with poppy-covered mountainsides and striking views of the Antelope Valley.

Their community is about seven miles from the San Andreas fault.

Rural Acton is located between Santa Clarita and the Antelope Valley.

Its wildfire risk is higher than 97% of communities in the U.S., according to Wildfire Risk to Communities, an awareness effort led by the U.S. Forest Service.

They include Paradise, which was devastated by the Camp fire in 2018, and Malibu, which regularly burns in wildfires.

When strong winds are in the forecast for communities at high risk of wildfires, utility officials shut off the power as a precaution. Acton residents have endured several Thanksgivings with no power. Many use wells for water and must rely on generators to run their water pumps when the power goes out.

In recent months, some residents have gotten letters notifying them of huge increases in their fire insurance premiums.

Chris Chacon, a real estate agent, and his wife moved to Acton in 2019 so they could have space for their two horses, Thor and Scooter.

At the behest of their insurance company, the Chacons cleared 30,000 pounds of brush and created a five-foot buffer around their home so it could be certified as "wildfire prepared."

"I get the certification, I turn it in, and [my agent] is like 'OK, cool, you're gonna get renewed, but your annual premium is going from $2,600 to $8,800,'" Chacon said.

For some Acton residents, any added fire risk from a battery storage facility would be the last straw.

A donkey named Sophia on Christina Weyer's five-acre property in Acton. Weyer and her husband care for rescued equines.

Ruthie Brock runs the Acton Takes Action community task force, which is campaigning against the facilities and supports the group suing L.A. County.

A retired hairstylist and salon owner nicknamed "Ruthie Brockovich" for the environmental activist portrayed by Julia Roberts in the 2000 biopic, Brock has lived in the community for 32 years.

"This is the fight of our life right now," Brock said. "If it goes through, it opens the door to all the other facilities that are trying to come in and would industrialize our rural community."

Working with Jacqueline Ayer, an Acton resident and environmental engineer conversant in the technicalities of the proposed project, Brock marshaled about 40 community members to plead their case at an L.A. County Board of Supervisors meeting in December.

Many in the group wore T-shirts that said "Don't BESS With Acton," an acronym for "battery energy storage system."

The Hecate project had already received approval by county planners to move forward in the process, which includes submitting a building plan and several other steps that will be adjudicated by officials from the fire department and the building and safety department.

At the meeting, L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone said his agency won't approve any project if it is unsafe and doesn't meet fire code and national standards.

"Even if you are in the very high or high fire severity danger zone, we're going to make sure that we put things in place to make sure that the communities are not at risk," Marrone said.

The initial approval process by L.A. County did not require a public hearing, a key issue raised in the Save Our Rural Town lawsuit, and the lack of community involvement remains a sore point.

Hecate's Howard said the company has tried to engage with residents by hosting community events, sending mailers and making phone calls.

Another proposed battery storage facility run by a California company, Avantus, would be built on 68 acres of agricultural land stretching about a mile long, meandering among ranches and homes. The proposal would probably require public hearings, because the property would need to be rezoned.

Steve Kaplan is concerned about the battery storage site proposed for Acton and what the site will do to the property values in the community.

Steve Kaplan, a retired elevator inspector who has lived in Acton for 28 years, has dealt with the power shutoffs, and his insurance premium recently increased by $980.

Kaplan, 63, had planned to stay in Acton for the rest of his life  but not if a battery facility comes to town.

"If they put the battery thing in, I'm putting my house up for sale," he said. "I'm thinking Montana, maybe the upper part of Arizona, but I'm not going to stay here."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Mayor Adams administration is planning to restructure the Police Academy to consolidate training for several agencies outside the NYPDs purview, including the correction, sanitation, probation and parks departments, sources with knowledge of the situation told the Daily News.

The newly envisioned police academy with its expanded mission will remain in its College Point, Queens, location, but will get a name change, according to the sources, who said monikers floated include the Public Safety Academy and the Public Safety Training Academy.

The effort is being driven by Deputy Mayor Phil Banks, two administration officials directly familiar with the matter told The News. The expansion marks a significant shift, as currently all agencies have their own small academies where their enforcement personnel are trained.

Banks, who served as the NYPDs chief of department, has been working on the academy expansion project for two years, according to one source, who said the deputy mayor views it as a way to put forth a national model for other cities.

That official noted that part of Banks motivation is rooted in his concerns about performance and quality in certain agencies, such as the parks and sanitation departments. It was unclear if the training would just be physically located at the academy or if there would be a shift in how the training programs are managed.

Some of Banks concerns have been addressed by the Sanitation Department through its efforts to use cameras to track illegal dumping. Other concerns over questions of jurisdiction between the Parks Department police and the NYPD continue to linger, the source said.

An official announcement touting the rebranding and restructuring of the academy is anticipated as early as this month, two of the sources noted. The NYPD did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. A City Hall spokeswoman said all announcements are made if and when appropriate.

According to one of the sources, Banks office on May 3 held a briefing with high-level staff from all city agencies with enforcement arms to inform them the administration will centralize training for all of them at the NYPDs College Point building.

Among the agencies included in the planned overhaul are the Departments of Correction, Sanitation, Probation, Parks, Health and Mental Hygiene, Homeless Services as well as the Sheriffs Office, Health + Hospitals and the Taxi and Limousine Commission, according to the sources.

All of those agencies were on the May 3 briefing, the digital invite for which was billed Public Safety Academy, one official noted.

Its professionalizing the idea of how to do enforcement training, the official said.

Concerns and unanswered questions remain, though.

Hes trying to break down the silos, and thats a good thing, another administration official said, but added that the devils going to be in the details.

Its also not entirely clear how much the new training structure will cost, given that itll likely require an expansion of facilities at the Police Academy.
Black Hawk County collects hundreds of thousands of dollars per year from jail inmates to pay for their room and board. But in a new lawsuit, the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa says that's not where the money is going.

In fact, according to the complaint filed Monday, the sheriff's office has used money from inmates' jail fees on a variety of perks, including a "wellness app" and a gun range, outfitted with laser tag equipment and cotton candy and ice cream machines, that is usable only by its employees and their families.

And, according to the ACLU, the sheriff is bypassing the process laid out by statute to collect those fees, instead having prisoners sign paperwork waiving their rights to contest the amount of their reimbursement or payment plan for it. As a result, they say, Black Hawk County brings in more than double what peer counties receive from jail fees, of which the sheriff's office takes 40% to spend as it sees fit.

On one occasion, when county leaders sought to exercise greater oversight over the funds, the ACLU says, Sheriff Tony Thompson simply stopped collecting the fees until the county backed down.

More: If you can't afford an attorney in Iowa, one will be appointed. And you may get a huge bill

"By evading judicial review and refusing to collect jail fees when control of the fund was wrested from it, the Department as made its aim clear: use any means necessary to avoid scrutiny of a program that is used to enrich the Department and its employees," the complaint says.

Attorneys for the ACLU and the Debtors Prison Project at Public Justice, who are working together on the case, said during a conference call with reporters Monday that if counties choose to assess jail fees, as permitted by state law, the fees should be spent on the jail services they are ostensibly meant to pay for.

"The fact that the money is not even actually being used to pay for room or board or other jail costs that it's being assessed for only makes this more outrageous," ACLU Legal Director Rita Bettis Austen said. "It's profoundly unfair and wrong."

The lawsuit is drafted as a class-action on behalf of potentially thousands of former detainees who have signed paperwork assenting to jail fees. The county has not yet responded in court. Thompson defended his office's collection efforts and use of the resulting funds in a statement Monday, which said it would seem "disingenuous to have these very programs be paid for by the hard-working taxpayers when they are the ones who are already victimized by the offender."

Which Iowa counties collect jail fees for room, board, medical care?

Under state law, sheriff's offices can bill detainees who have been convicted or sentenced for their room and board and any medical care received. Attorney Charles Moore of Public Justice estimated Monday that about two-thirds of Iowa counties do so, although their charged rates and collection practices vary wildly.

Black Hawk County charges fees of $70 per day, plus a $25 booking fee. According to the complaint, from July 2021 to July 2023, the county brought in nearly $600,000. Scott County brought in about a quarter that amount over the same two years, and Dallas County less than half. All three counties have populations between 100,000 and 175,000, with Black Hawk County in the middle with about 130,000.

Polk and Johnson counties do not bill inmates for room and board, although Polk County does for some medical expenses, according to the complaint. Linn County also has discontinued assessing jail fees, it said.

Who gets to use the money collected from jail fees?

Although ostensibly charging for room and board, counties are not required to apply the fees they collect toward jail operations. Under state law, they must spend 60% on law enforcement uses, such as courthouse security or jail infrastructure costs. The law is silent as to the other 40%.

In Black Hawk County, according to the complaint, the sheriff's office maintains full control over the remainder, which is placed in a "40% fund." Under Thompson, the office has used that money to build and outfit its gun range facility in Raymond, including, allegedly, with laser tag equipment, among other accoutrements.

More: Iowa ex-cop says newly imposed prison sentence has already set him straight

In 2019, according to the lawsuit, Black Hawk County supervisors raised concerns about some of the expenses paid for out of the 40% fund, and in 2022 passed a resolution to direct the money to the county general fund instead. In response, the complaint says, Thompson directed his office to stop collecting jail fees entirely, relenting only after supervisors agreed several months later to return control of the undesignated 40% to the sheriff's office.

The lawsuit alleges this shows an unlawful conflict of interest by the sheriff's office, as the sheriff is able to set fee rates, decide how to pursue the costs, and then spend a large share of the resulting proceeds on "superfluous expenses" for the sheriff's office and its employees.

Detainees waive rights with confessions of judgment

The lawsuit also accuses the sheriff of pursuing unlawful means to collect those debts.

The suit alleges that detainees, including lead plaintiff Leticia Roberts, are given paperwork when they are discharged that includes a so-called "confession of judgment," agreeing to pay their fees and authorizing the county to seek court-ordered garnishment if they do not. Roberts, who was billed for more than $700 after two arrests for drunken driving in 2022, says she was told she needed to sign the documents to have her belongings returned.

Although the form Roberts signed doesn't explain it, a confession of judgment is a legal filing waiving all rights to contest a debt collection action in court, including claims the amount is incorrect or that the signer is unable to pay. It also includes giving up the right to be notified when the creditor files the confession with the court, where a clerk approves the order without any judicial review.

Confessions of judgment are a controversial legal tool that are outlawed or restricted in many states. Several recent lawsuits from student loan borrowers allege that Iowa's pre-Civil-War statute lacks critical due process safeguards and is unconstitutional as applied to consumers.

Related: Iowa Student Loan says it has stopped pursuing controversial debt collection orders

Monday's lawsuit alleges Black Hawk County is using confessions of judgment instead of the collection process laid out in the jail fee statute to avoid any judicial oversight over debts that may be unenforceable.

"It's being used in our circumstance for folks who are in the jail. Literally it's the last thing they do before they walk out the jail's doors before they get their freedom back," Moore said. "It's a hugely problematic practice, and I think that our lawsuit just really underscores how abusive these practices can be."

Sheriff: This is what the George Floyd protesters wanted

Thompson, in an emailed statement, confirmed his office charges detainees $70 per day for room, board and utilities. Inmates have the "option" of signing a confession of judgment upon release from jail, he said, but they are not required to do so or to enter into payment plans.

While the ACLU alleges the sheriff's Raymond Range shooting facility is solely for the use of law enforcement and their families, Thompson told the Des Moines Register his office also hosts community days there for the public. In his statement, he defended spending jail fees "promoting days where officers can spend time with their families and the community, dispelling myths about the office, ensuring better education of the public, and better informing their families of how to maintain their own safety."

Those events, Thompson said, create dialogue and strengthen relationships between law enforcement and the general public.

"It seems ironic that the ACLU would call this practice into question when these are the very actions and the law enforcement model that they have been demanding since George Floyd, Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor, and beyond," Thompson said.

Advocates raise concerns about jail fees in general

Monday's lawsuit does not challenge the jail fee statute entirely, Moore said in the conference call, but only those counties, like Black Hawk, that are circumventing the legal collection process through confessions of judgment.

"The sheriff is able to sort of operate in the shadows without subjecting this scheme to any review by the courts," he said.

But while the statute as written is not the target of this case, ACLU officials said they have deep concerns about any county that adopts a "pay to stay" model for its jails.

"These debts are significant collateral consequences for people that can hold them back in their ability to succeed after serving a sentence," Austen said.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com or 715-573-8166.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa ACLU accuses Black Hawk County of using jail fees to pay for perks
Saudi firm DataVolt, which says it leads the way in sustainable digital infrastructure and renewable energy, has recently announced the launch, which took place earlier this month, of a data centre in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and signed an agreement for more to come.

The new data centre, timelines for the completion of which have not been disclosed, is to feature a modular infrastructure design, allowing for scalable solutions able to accommodate various workloads ranging from hundreds to a few thousands of teraflops.

Specifications of the new facility werent shared by the company, but news resource Datatechvibe reports that the Uzbek Ministry of Digital Technologies has said it will offer 10MW via a US$150 million investment.

And thats not all. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed at the Tashkent International Investment Forum in early May at which DataVolt confirmed an agreement with the government of the Republic of Uzbekistan for an investment programme covering up to 500MW of data centres across the country.

Rajit Nanda, DataVolts CEO, has been widely quoted as saying: This is the first data centre project for us in Uzbekistan, but it brings already strong aspects of innovation in sustainability using certified renewable energy from solar and wind fed into dedicated energy storage units and balanced by dedicated systems powered by hydrogen and other green fuels in order to secure round-the-clock green energy to our data centre at the high level of reliability/availability required by the computing processes."

The Data Centre Dynamics website says that DataVolt, which was founded last year, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Vision Invest, a Saudi Arabian development and investment holding company focused on critical infrastructure.

We announced last year that DataVolt had signed an MoU with three ministries in Uzbekistan that will see it developing green data centres in the market.
Advocates want to expand compensation for downwinders, but Utahns in Congress worry about price tag

American Gen. HP Storke and other military personnel emerge from their foxholes to observe the atomic bomb explosion

American Gen. HP Storke and other military personnel emerge from their foxholes to observe the atomic bomb explosion at the Nevada Proving Grounds, a nuclear testing site near Camp Desert Rock, Nevada, on May 15, 1952. (United States Army/FPG/Archive Photos via Getty Images)

Congress is considering two competing bills that would continue compensating people who were sickened by radiation from nuclear weapons testing and development, known as downwinders.

One is sponsored by Republican Sen. Mike Lee and would keep the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, or RECA, alive for two more years. The other is sponsored by Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley and would widely expand the program, allowing residents of Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico and Guam not previously eligible to apply for compensation.

Activists and downwinders want Congress to pass Hawleys bill. Most of Utahs delegation appears to support Lees bill.

Whatever Congress decides, the clock is ticking. RECA expires on June 10, giving lawmakers just a handful of working days to ensure downwinders can still receive compensation.

Passed in 1990 with help from former Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, RECA provided compensation for Utahns who lived in 10 counties  Beaver, Garfield, Iron, Kane, Millard, Piute, San Juan, Sevier, Washington or Wayne  for two consecutive years from 1951 to 1958, or during the summer of 1962, and contracted certain types of cancer.

People who worked in uranium mines, mills or transporting ore in Utah from 1942 to 1971 were also eligible. Payouts varied, but downwinders could mostly receive $50,000, with uranium workers getting $100,000.

But activists have long called for a broader compensation package  in Utah, research shows that the whole state was exposed to dangerous levels of radiation from nuclear weapons testing. And RECA failed to cover residents who worked in but didnt live in eligible counties, or people who contracted diseases like kidney cancer, certain kinds of leukemia or autoimmune disorders that are linked to radiation but not covered by the act.

Romney doesnt support expanded RECA bill due to price tag

Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney supported extending RECA by two years in 2022. In an email, a spokesperson for Romney said the price tag and the expanded list of diseases was a sticking point for Hawleys bill.

The recent Radiation Exposure Compensation Reauthorization Act drastically expanded the eligibility for benefits beyond the geographic center of the federal governments Nevada Test Site and the list of diseases covered by RECA, the spokesperson said. Without clear evidence linking previous government action to the expanded list of illnesses, and a price tag north of $50 billion, Senator Romney could not support the legislation.

A spokesperson for Lee echoed Romneys concerns, telling The Hill that the cost of Hawleys bill gives the senator pause. Lee and Romney voted against Hawleys RECA bill in the Senate.

Romneys explanation is frustrating to downwinders like Mary Dickson, who was diagnosed with cancer along with many of her family members and neighbors in Salt Lake City in the 1980s. Because they lived outside of the eligible counties, they were never able to receive compensation.

Im not sure if theyre aware of the study that occurred showing where the fallout went in Utah, Dickson said on Friday. Its very frustrating to hear them basically deny what happened to their own constituents. Were not being heard.

Romneys response certainly irked Hawley, who took to X on Thursday to blast the outgoing Utah Republican.

Imagine telling African-American kids from St. Louis who cant go to school or women in St. Louis County who have the highest rates of breast cancer in America or the good people of the Navajo Nation who are sick and dying from radiation that they arent actually suffering, Hawley wrote in a social media post, later calling the expansion a moral imperative.

Radiation victims from Utah and Missouri and New Mexico and more will be in D.C. next week. I invite Mitt Romney or Speaker Johnson to tell these families to their faces that they arent actually suffering, Hawley said.

Romneys reasoning is similar to Republican Rep. Celeste Maloys, whose spokesperson told Utah News Dispatch she was focused on ensuring the program didnt expire.

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 spokesperson said.

Dickson called that approach the easy way out.

Its not serving their constituents. Its more of what theyve done for a while, which is just kicking the can down the road. Why keep delaying what we need to do? she said.

And Rep. Blake Moore, a Republican, reaffirmed his support for an additional RECA bill, initially introduced in 2023 by Wyoming Republican Rep. Harriet Hageman. Called the Uranium Miners and Workers Act of 2023, the bill extends RECA benefits to people who worked in a uranium mine or mill until 1978.

Moore and Utahs other three representatives are co-sponsors of the bill.

I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers of Congress to reauthorize this program for Utahns, Moore said in a statement Friday.

Hawleys RECA bill would expand coverage in several U.S. states, including Idaho

Hawleys bill, which passed the Senate after a bipartisan 69-30 vote in March, would compensate anyone present in Utah during nuclear testing who then got sick, increase the compensation to $100,000 and expand the list of eligible diseases. It would also cover uranium mine and mill employees who worked up until 1990 and extend compensation to uranium core drillers and remediation workers.

The bill makes it easier to file for compensation, while further funding Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program clinics, which screens people exposed to radiation and helps them apply for compensation.

In addition to expanding coverage to the entire state of Utah, eligible residents living in all of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico and Guam would be compensated.

However, Hawley didnt sound confident that his bill will get a vote from the House during a speech on the Senate floor last week.

Why is Congress failing to act again? Well because the House doesnt want to vote on it, he said. Theres only one month remaining until this vital program  goes dark, before people exposed to nuclear waste by their own government get nothing. We have one month to go. And the House has not acted.

Utah News Dispatch reached out to the offices of Lee and Republican Reps. John Curtis and Burgess Owens, but did not get a response as of publication time.

Utah News Dispatch, like the Idaho Capital Sun, is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. 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 Advocates want to expand compensation for downwinders, but Utahns in Congress worry about price tag appeared first on Idaho Capital Sun.
The casket of Santaquin Police Sgt. Bill Hooser arrives at Utah Valley University Monday, May 13, 2024, in Orem, Utah. Hooser was killed on May 5, 2024, while helping a Utah Highway Patrol trooper with a traffic stop when police say a man driving a semi-trailer intentionally hit Hooser. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

PROVO, Utah (AP)  Prosecutors in Utah filed an aggravated murder charge Tuesday against a truck driver accused of intentionally killing a police officer during a traffic stop, but the Utah County attorney said it he has not yet decided whether to pursue the death penalty for the capital offense.

Michael Aaron Jayne, 42, is scheduled to make a court appearance on Wednesday to be informed of the nine felony charges, including two counts of attempted aggravated murder for allegedly trying to run over a Utah Highway Patrol trooper and a woman who Jayne is charged with kidnapping. Other charges allege Jayne stole other vehicles and broke into a house while fleeing officers following the May 5 traffic stop.

Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray said if, after a preliminary hearing, a judge determines prosecutors have enough evidence to go to trial and if Jayne pleads not guilty, he will have 60 days to decide whether to seek the death penalty. An aggravated murder conviction in Utah carries a penalty of at least 25 years in prison, up to life, or the death penalty.

Court documents do not list an attorney for Jayne, but Gray said he would be granted legal representation during Wednesdays court hearing.

Gray said he would notify the public when his office decides whether to pursue the death penalty. He declined to take questions Tuesday after announcing the charges and said he would not comment on the case while it was ongoing.

Santaquin Police Sgt. Bill Hooser and Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Dustin Griffiths stopped the semitrailer at 6:30 a.m. on May 5 in Santaquin, 65 miles (105 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City after a 911 caller who declined to identify himself reported that a person was standing on the back of a semitrailer as it traveled north on Interstate 15.

Charging documents filed Tuesday revealed that it was Jayne who made the 911 call and that he also reported members of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang were after him. It's not clear why Jayne called 911.

After the truck stopped, a woman escaped from the passenger side of the semitrailer and Jayne drove away. He made a U-turn and sped toward the officers, court records said.

Hooser was struck by the semitrailer. Griffiths and the woman were able to avoid being hit, charging documents said.

The woman told investigators that she had been riding willingly with Jayne until they argued at a truck stop in Utah. He eventually forced her back into the truck with threats of violence, court records said.

Hooser's funeral was held on Monday in Orem.
Tents for displaced people are crowded west of Deir al-Balah city in the central Gaza Strip after thousands of Palestinians fled Rafah after the Israeli army announced the start of a military operation there. Saher Alghorra/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Aid organization Doctors Without Borders has suspended work at the so-called Indonesian Hospital in the Gaza Strip city of Rafah as Israel's offensive gathers pace.

The 22 remaining patients have been transferred to other facilities as their safety could no longer be guaranteed, a spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

Doctors Without Borders outlined the struggles it has faced since the war in Gaza between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas began in October.

"We have had to leave 12 different health structures and have endured 26 violent incidents, which include airstrikes damaging hospitals, tanks being fired at agreed ... shelters, ground offensives into medical centres and convoys fired upon," emergency coordinator Michel-Olivier Lacharite said in a statement.

According to the UN emergency relief organization OCHA, 24 out of 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip are no longer in operation.

Doctors Without Borders says it is trying to set up field hospitals but these cannot replace a functioning healthcare system and cannot cope with an influx of wounded civilians.

On October 7 last year, around 1,200 people were killed and 250 others taken hostage in an unprecedented massacre by Hamas and other Islamist groups in Israel.

The terrorist attack triggered the Gaza war and around 35,000 people have died since as Israel attacked the north and centre of the coastal enclave.

Now the Jewish state is intent on raiding the last remaining large settlement of Rafah, which is on the Egyptian border and has seen waves of refugees from other areas of Gaza from earlier in the war.

Israel believes Hamas members are still hiding in the middle of residential areas and in numerous tunnels.
Editors note: This story was updated May 14 6:53 p.m. Eastern Time with additional information, including the pilots name.

A U.S. Air Force instructor pilot died from his injuries after his planes ejection seat activated while on the ground Monday at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas.

Capt. John Robertson of the 80th Operations Support Squadron died early Tuesday morning after being severely injured when the ejection seat of the T-6A Texan II aircraft he was sitting in activated during ground operations, the base said in a Tuesday release.

This is a devastating loss for Captain Robertsons family and loved ones, and for the entire 80th Flying Training Wing, Col. Mitchell Cok, the acting wing commander, said in the release. Captain Robertson was a highly valued airman and instructor pilot. Our deepest condolences go with all who knew and loved him.

We are thankful for the M1 maintenance team who immediately provided live-sustaining care, and for the heroic efforts of the security forces, fire and medical personnel here on base and at United Regional Hospital, Cok added. Their efforts allowed time for Captain Robertsons family to be at his side when he passed.

A student who was also sitting in the plane did not eject and was not injured, Sheppard spokesperson George Woodward told Air Force Times Tuesday.

Preparing for Russia: Inside NATO fighter pilot training in Texas

The service has not confirmed whether the aircraft was moving at the time of the accident, Woodward added.

An interim safety board investigation was convened immediately following the incident, and a full Air Force safety investigation board is expected to be in place later this week, according to Tuesdays release. The board will release its report when the investigation is complete.

The 80th Flying Training Wing is home to the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program, a key educational pipeline that has supplied new combat pilots to the transatlantic alliance for over 40 years.

The wing has trained more than half of all U.S. Air Force fighter pilots, as well as aviators hailing from Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

The joint program has churned out more than 8,000 pilots since it began in 1981  a mission that has taken on new urgency as NATO bolsters its defenses amid Russias invasion of Ukraine.

The Air Force did not answer Tuesday whether it plans to pause operations to inspect ejection seats across its fleet of nearly 450 T-6 planes, a move that could further slow graduations in the services already-struggling pilot training enterprise.

The two-seat, turboprop Texan IIs are used to teach basic flying skills to new Air Force and Navy pilots before they progress to more advanced airframes.

The interim investigation board is in direct contact with 19th Air Force and [Air Education and Training Command] leadership, Woodward said. Any decisions regarding fleet-wide operations will be made by the AETC commander.

This weeks fatality comes almost two years after the military grounded hundreds of training aircraft and other airframes amid concerns that their ejection seats would not fire correctly when needed.

Martin-Baker  which builds the ejection seats used on the T-6, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and more  had discovered defects in some of the cartridges that explode to propel an aviator out of the cockpit.

Its unclear whether the latest accident is related to those troubles. Martin-Baker did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Major accidents in the T-6 are rare; this weeks fatality marks the Air Forces first death in a Texan II since 2004, according to the Air Force Safety Center. The most recent accident that destroyed an Air Force T-6 occurred in 2019.

The pilot is the ninth airman killed in an aviation-related mishap so far in fiscal year 2024.

This story was updated May 15 at 10:50 a.m. ET to clarify that the fatality is the Air Forces first death in a T-6 since 2004.
Ukrainian air defense units shot down all of the 18 Russian attack drones overnight on May 14, the Air Force said in its morning update.

The drones were launched from the occupied Crimean peninsula. Missile units and mobile fire groups of the Ukrainian Air Force intercepted the drones over Kyiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Khmelnytsky oblasts.

Russian forces also targeted Ukraine with at least one Iskander-M ballistic missile. It is unclear whether the missile was downed.

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.

Ukraine's ability to intercept Russian missile attacks has declined, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal on May 13.

Around 46% of missiles were intercepted in the last six months, compared to 73% intercepted in the preceding six-month period. Last month, 30% of missiles were intercepted.

Read also: Russias new Kharkiv offensive pushes Vovchansk to the brink of annihilation

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Chef Zach Tyndall brushes sauce on a piece of Good Meat's lab-grown chicken as it cooks on a grill at the Eat Just office on July 27, 2023 in Alameda, California.

Alabama became the second U.S. state to ban lab-grown meat, joining Florida which earlier this month outlawed the alternative protein.

Gov. Kay Ivey signed the Alabama Bill, which the prohibits "the manufacture, sale, or distribution of food products made from cultured animal cells," into law on May 7. The legislation was sponsored by Republicans Sen. Jack Williams and Rep. Danny Crawford.

Supporters for the bill argue that it protects cattle ranchers and farmers from lab-grown meat competitors and the measures also address the notion that a cabal of global "elites" are promoting unnatural food.

"Cattlemen work hard every day to raise cattle and produce high-quality beef. The tireless efforts of Sen. Williams and Rep. Crawford this session will ensure Alabamians continue to purchase safe, wholesome, real beef.," Alabama Cattlemens Association Vice President Erin Beasley wrote on Facebook.

Lab-grown meat utilizes an emerging technology that uses animal cells to produce make in a laboratory that is meant for consumption.

Beef production a major climate change contributor

Critics call the move misguided for several reasons such as the fact that first cultivated meat regulatory approvals passed in the U.S. less than a year ago. Others also note that cell-based protein is an innovative alternative for advancing climate change as the meat doesn't require land, crops and water needed to care for livestock.

Beef production is also a major contributor to global methane emissions, with a single cow producing between 154 to 264 pounds of methane gas yearly, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. With 1.5 billion beef cattle raised globally, at least 231 billion pounds of methane are expelled into the atmosphere are per year.

"Legislation that bans cultivated meat is a reckless move that ignores food safety experts and science, stifles consumer choice, and hinders American innovation. It makes politicians the food police, and it ignores the food safety experts at USDA and FDA who have deemed it safe," Sean Edgett, Chief Legal Officer for food technology company Upside Foods, said in a statement to USA TODAY.

Florida ban meant to protect 'integrity of American agriculture'

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on May 1 signed the into law a bill outlawing the manufacture, sale and distribution of lab-grown meat. The former presidential candidate said the law is meant to protect cattle ranchers and the "integrity of American agriculture."

"Take your fake lab-grown meat elsewhere," DeSantis said. "Florida is fighting back against the global elite's plan to force the world to eat meat grown in a petri dish or bugs to achieve their authoritarian goals."

DeSantis made fun of liberals advocating for "fake meat" as a way to combat climate change  and chided global leaders such as those at The World Economic Forum, which has advocated for insects as an alternative edible protein source (they are considered delicacies in certain cultures).

The ban does not apply to Impossible meat, which is made from plant-based ingredients.

Officials in other states including Kentucky, Arizona, West Virginia and Tennessee have similar measures cooking.

Contributing: Ana Goni-Lessan, Dan Rorabaugh and Mike Snider

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lab grown meat banned in Alabama, following Florida's measure
Last week, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) signed a bill banning the sale or cultivation of lab-grown meat in the state, making Alabama the second state to formally ban the product. Alabama is one of a handful of states whose legislatures have considered bans on cultivated meat in recent monthseven though lab-grown meat is no longer sold anywhere in the United States.

Lab-grown meat, also known as cultivated meat, was first sold in the U.S. in 2023 after the Food and Drug Administration approved two brands of cultivated chicken as safe to eat. So far, lab-grown meat has been briefly available through small-scale, restaurant-based launches.

However, that hasn't stopped lab-grown meat from becoming a culture-war hot topic. Alabama started the trend, with the state's Senate passing a ban in February. In May, Gov. Ron DeSantis banned the product in Florida. A handful of states, including Tennessee and Arizona, are also considering bans on lab-grown meat.

Alabama's law makes it "unlawful for any person to manufacture, sell, hold or offer for sale, or distribute any cultivated food product" in the state. Violators face stiff penaltiesbusinesses risk losing their food safety permits, and individuals can face a $500 fine and up to three months behind bars.

Why are lab-grown meat bans suddenly so popular? A lot of it comes down to a fear of competition mixed with easy culture-war fearmongering about meat alternatives. Cultivated meat presents a clear alternative to traditional meat productsbut instead of being excited by this new innovation, politicians like DeSantis and Sen. John Fetterman (DPa.) are seeking to quash this new possibility in order to protect the meat industry.

"We must protect our incredible farmers and the integrity of American agriculture," Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson said in a press release announcing the signing of the state's ban. "Lab-grown meat is a disgraceful attempt to undermine our proud traditions and prosperity, and is in direct opposition to authentic agriculture."

Instead of letting individuals decide what to eat for themselves, politicians in Florida and Alabama are restricting their freedomand the only people they're protecting are the state's meat producers.

"These misguided and short-sighted bills will kill innovation in a vital and growing biotech sector," David Voorman, a vice president at Food Solutions Action, a meat-alternative political action committee, recently told Reason. "Consumer freedom, consumer choice, and free market principles are also lost when lawmakers decide they know what's best."

The post Alabama Governor Signs Bill Banning Lab-Grown Meat appeared first on Reason.com.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) announced Monday that she has signed a bill into law punishing employers that make it easier for their employees to bargain collectively.

The law, known as Senate Bill 231, bars companies from receiving state economic incentives if they voluntarily recognize their workers unions, rather than forcing them to vote on whether to unionize in secret-ballot elections. Affected companies could lose grants, loans and tax credits starting next year.

Speaking to a local chamber of commerce event in Huntsville on Monday, Ivey said the anti-union law would protect our Alabama jobs. She also referenced a high-profile union election at a Mercedes-Benz facility near Tuscaloosa this week, in which thousands of employees will decide on whether to join the United Auto Workers union.

Alabama is not Michigan. Huntsville, Tuscaloosa  theyre not Detroit, Ivey said, according to a transcript provided by her office. We want to ensure that Alabama values, not Detroit values, continue to define the future of this great state.

Companies could start losing economic incentives starting next year under the law.

When a majority of employees in a workplace have signed union cards, the employer can choose to voluntarily recognize the union, a process sometimes called card check. Once its clear enough employees have signed, the union becomes official automatically. This allows union leaders to avoid an election campaign, during which employers often try to pressure their workers  by means legal and illegal  to vote no on unionization.

Anti-union groups and many Republican lawmakers are pushing bills like the one Ivey signed, claiming unions bully workers into signing cards. Tennessee implemented a similar law last year, and Georgia followed suit earlier this year. Meanwhile, the right-wing American Legislative Exchange Council has been shopping the legislation around GOP-led states, the Associated Press recently reported.

After Georgia approved its bill, Liz Shuler, the president of the AFL-CIO labor federation, called the legislation appalling, and said it undermines the fundamental freedoms of both workers and employers.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said Monday that she was signing the anti-union legislation into law. via Associated Press

Labor groups could mount legal challenges to the laws on the grounds that they conflict with the National Labor Relations Act, the federal law covering collective bargaining in the private sector. Benjamin Sachs, a labor law professor at Harvard Law School, recently told HuffPost that he believed state laws like Alabamas will probably be overridden by the federal law.

The basic idea of labor preemption is states cant do stuff like this, he said.

Southern states tend to have some of the lowest rates of union membership in the country  though Alabamas is the highest in the region, at 7.5%, compared to a national rate of 10%. The UAW is hoping to make more inroads in the South following its landmark win last month at the Volkswagen assembly plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where workers voted nearly 3-to-1 in favor of unionizing.

That victory came in spite of the best efforts of Ivey and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, who co-signed a letter with other Republican governors urging workers to vote against the union.

Mercedes-Benz workers in Alabama finish voting in their election on Friday.

Related...
Will Somerville, counsel for Alabama Always, watches the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission meeting in Montgomery on Dec. 12, 2023. (Alander Rocha/Alabama Reflector)

Medical cannabis, approved by the Alabama Legislature three years ago, remains ensnared in legal disputes over the states licensing process.

The litigation is likely to continue after several bills aimed at addressing the impasse died in the legislative session. And the relationship of the various lawsuits against the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission was the focus of a hearing in Montgomery County Circuit Court on Monday.

Numerous companies hoping for a license joined the initial lawsuit, brought by Alabama Always, against the commission. Because the state, or its agencies, cant be named a defendant, Will Somerville, attorney for Alabama Always, asked the court to dismiss the initial lawsuit and filed a new, similar one naming the commissioners instead.

Now the question is whether the other lawsuits against the Alabama Medicaid Cannabis Commission consolidated into the initial lawsuit can move forward.

Patrick Dungan, attorney representing three firms that either received or was denied a license in the three rounds of licensing, said that his filing was not a lawsuit.

The law is clear. A petition for judicial review is not a suit against the state, Dungan said in a motion filed last week.

He said that after the court hearing petitioners have to name an agency when making an appeal.

What were saying is that ours is an administrative appeal, not a lawsuit, he said after the hearing.

AMCC first awarded licenses to produce medical cannabis June 2023, but the commission voided them after they said there were inconsistencies in scoring applications. The commission attempted a second time to award licenses in August, but a lawsuit alleging Open Meetings Act violations derailed the process. The commission attempted a third time in December to award licenses, where further litigation has stalled the process.

Attempts in the Legislature to address the legal problems mostly failed this year. The only bill related to medical cannabis that was sent to Gov. Kay Iveys desk was HB 390, sponsored by Danny Crawford, R-Athens, which shifts licensing powers for cultivators from the Department of Agriculture and Industries to the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission.

SB 276, sponsored by Sen. David Sessions, R-Grand Bay, would have increased the maximum number of dispensary licenses from four to seven; required the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) to issue 10 licenses for integrated facilities, or businesses that can grow, process and distribute medical cannabis, and increase the maximum number of processor licenses from four to six. As originally filed, it would have issued 15 licenses for integrated facilities.

The bill would also have required the AMCC to confirm any licenses granted by the commission from June to December of last year by June 15.

SB 306, sponsored by Sen. Tim Melson, R-Florence, who also sponsored the 2021 medical cannabis legislation, would have restarted the licensing process and taken away some of the powers of the AMCC. The Alabama Securities Commission would have had to verify and evaluate applications before AMCC could select candidates.

The two bills  aimed at getting the program started  stalled in the Senate and never reached the floor for a vote before the end of session.

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The post As Alabamas legislative efforts over medical cannabis fall short, litigation continues appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
An Alabama man is facing jail time for refusing to apologize to a police officer.

When 39-year-old Reginald Burks cursed at a police officer during a tense traffic stop last year, an Alabama judge ordered him to say sorry to the copor spend up to 30 days behind bars.

According to critics, the judges' attempt to force an apology from Burks could be a violation of his First Amendment rights.

"Judges have considerable leeway to consider different factors in sentencing, including whether the defendant has shown remorse," Aaron Terr, director of public advocacy at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a First Amendment nonprofit, tells Reason. "But mandating an apology as a condition of receiving a lighter sentence raises First Amendment concerns about compelled speech."

On December 13, 2023, Burks was driving his children to school when he was pulled over for speeding. Burks told Al.com that the officer told him his radar gun wasn't working, so he used cruise control to guess how fast he was going.

"And I told him he was full of crap because there's no way that he clocked my speed by cruise control," Burks said. Once the officer gave Burks a ticket, Burks claims he stood in front of Burk's vehicle, making it difficult to get around him and continue on his drive.

"I said, 'Get your ass out of the way so I can take my kids to school,'" Burks told Al.com. "My daughter's like, 'Daddy you cursed.' And I said, 'I'm sorry boo.'"

Burks says that when he went to his court hearing to pay a fine and plead guilty to the traffic offense, Judge Nicholas Bull told him that he must write an apology to the officer who gave him a ticket or face 10 to 30 days in jail.

"I was like, I'll just pay the ticket, but I'm not going to apologize," Burks told Al.com "I didn't do anything to this officer besides curse. And there's no law saying that I can't curse or speak my mind."

Burks is right.

"Unless there is more going on here beyond what's been reported, it looks like the judge is simply punishing Burks for telling the officer, 'Get your ass out of the way so I can take my kids to school.'" Terr says. "But the First Amendment protects the right to criticize or be rude to a police officer. The police rightly did not arrest or charge Burks with any offense related to his speech."

"This man is being convicted for something they couldn't charge him with and win at trial," Burks' attorney David Harrison told NBC on Monday. "The crime here is not apologizing and that's my issue. It's not constitutionally sound. It's probably the most unsound decision that I've seen in 33 years of practicing law."

According to Harrison, Burks is considering filing a lawsuit.

The post Alabama Man Faces Jail Time for Refusing To Apologize to a Cop for Cursing During Traffic Stop appeared first on Reason.com.
UAE telecommunications company du, from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), has announced a strategic partnership with STL, a leading optical and digital solutions company, for advanced optical fibre cables.

The agreement, the partners say, demonstrates du's commitment to the fast expansion of fibre-dense mobile and FTTH networks across the UAE to deliver an exceptional customer experience.

The announcement that du Telecom has selected STL as a strategic fibre partner comes hard on the heels of STL signing a new five-year contract for its optical fibre cables with du Telecom.

As a part of this contract, STL, which describes itself as a zero-waste-to-landfill manufacturer, will provide its advanced optical cable designs with bend-resistant fibre to deliver better network performance, especially in FTTH networks. STL adds that its products have enabled du to deploy networks faster and with reduced CapEx and OpEx.

This news came soon after the UAE was once again confirmed as the global leader in fibre to the home (FTTH) penetration  an area in which not just du but also rival e& UAE play a major role in the country.

This marks the eighth consecutive year the country has held this top position, with a penetration rate of 99.3%, as reported by the FTTH Council in its latest annual report.

The report analysed data from 20 countries that have exceeded 50% FTTH availability and compared global statistics on fibre optic network penetration. It placed the UAE above Singapore (97.1%), Hong Kong (95.3 %), China (92.9%), and South Korea (91.5%).
Alabama man sentenced to over 10 years in prison for patronizing commercial act with minor

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WRBL)  The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Alabama said a 45-year-old man from Montgomery was sentenced to over 10 years in prison after admitting to engaging in sexual acts on a drugged minor.

According to the U.S. Attorneys Office, 45-year-old Jamecko Rontae Thomas received a 130-month long prison sentence after he ped guilty to sex trafficking of a minor.

During his sentencing hearing on Monday, the judge also ordered Thomas to serve five years of supervised release after completing his prison term.

Based on Thomas plea agreement and other court documents, in July 2021, Thomas went to a hotel in Montgomery to participate in a commercial sex act with a female under the age of 18 at the time.

The U.S. Attorneys Office says that when Thomas pled guilty he admitted that the sex act happened without regard to the females age. He also confessed to knowing about past incidents of commercial sex acts arranged by a codefendant and that he knew drugs were used to induce the victims.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Montgomery Sheriffs Office and the Montgomery Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Patrick Lamb and Tara Ratz are prosecuting the case.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRBL.
Keante Harris was one of four men arrested in connection with a triple murder that has been unsolved for more than a decade

Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Keante Harris

An Alabama middle school assistant principal was one of four men arrested in connection with a 2013 triple homicide that remained unsolved for more than a decade.

The investigation stems from a Jan. 13, 2013 incident when three bodies were found in an abandoned Dodge Charger in Union City, Ga., the Clayton County Sheriff said in a statement. Police said the victims were tortured and murdered after being lured to a residence in Jonesboro, Ga., at gunpoint. The trio were then allegedly loaded into the Charger, where their bodies were found.

On May 8, the sheriffs office received warrants to arrest four men, who were each indicted on three counts of malice murder, according to the statement. The sheriff's office said the four were arrested over a span of 48 hours across three states.

One of the four men arrested is Keante Harris, who is being held in custody in Jefferson County, Ala., on fugitive from justice warrant. According to his LinkedIn, Harris works as an assistant principal for the Jefferson County school district and has worked in education since at least 2006.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Harris works at McAdory Middle School, citing a statement from superintendent Walter Gonsoulin.

We have been made aware that Mr. Keante Harris was arrested Wednesday afternoon. At this time, we still are gathering facts about the specifics of this situation, Gonsoulin said in the reported statement. "However, early indications are that the charges are not related to this individuals employment with Jefferson County Schools. Per standard procedure, Mr. Harris has been placed on paid administrative leave. As more facts become available, we will act according to our districts policy.

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It is not immediately clear if Harris or any of the other three suspects have been formally charged. The Clayton County District Attorneys Office did not immediately respond to a request for further information from PEOPLE.

Police did not specify how they linked the four suspects to the crime.

WAKA reported that the victims of the 2013 killings were Cheryl Colquitt-Thompson, Quinones King and Rodney Cottrell, residents of Montgomery, Ala.. Further information was not immediately available.

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Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna, speaks to House Clerk Krys Jones on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

As time runs out for Alaska lawmakers to address a recent court ruling that rattled the states correspondence education programs, a proposal has emerged for state officials to track their spending for the first time in a decade.

The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development does not track whether or not correspondence school allotment money is spent constitutionally. That duty falls to districts, said Commissioner Deena Bishop.

That is not a function of the Department of Education, she said, adding that there are no regulations or statutory requirements that it do so.

Bishop said there are no reporting requirements, either, so districts do not have to give an account of the spending back to the state. That means the education department does not have a tally of how much state money has gone to materials from private organizations in the last decade.

That could change if lawmakers adopt a proposal aimed at stabilizing the programs in the wake of a Superior Court ruling that threw out two provisions of the law that governs the program. House Bill 400, a proposal from the House Education Committee, would temporarily set guidelines for the programs that allow two key components of the correspondence program, individualized learning plans and allotments of state money for educational materials, to continue.

House Education Committee Co-Chair Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna, said his intent is that it would also establish parameters to conduct audits. DEED used to perform audits  regularly, actually  of correspondence programs, he said, and added that the requirement was taken out of statute in 2014.

Superior Court Judge Adolf Zeman ruled that state allotment money could not be used to pay for private school tuition, a growing practice following changes to state law that green-lit spending at private and religious institutions. The ruling raised the question of how much state allotment money went to private school tuition.

Ruffridges office could only come up with an anecdotal answer in the absence of state oversight. Weve done a lot of phone calls with different programs. They dont think its a large sum. But its more than zero. So, more than zero is  needs to be looked at, he said.

It is now up to the Supreme Court to decide what kind of spending is constitutional for these programs in Alaska. The language in HB 400 is such that the law would be relevant even if a constitutional amendment to allow allotment spending on religious materials, which has been proposed by members of the House, were approved. The legislation would sunset at the beginning of next July.

The Senate has also proposed a solution, Senate Bill 266, which would also preserve allotments and learning plans. It differs from the House proposal in that it proposes additional student testing requirements and allotment spending restrictions.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy and Bishop have indicated they favor the House version. Bishop praised its simple language and said she has been in communication with the states correspondence program principals to keep them apprised of the potential changes and the departments position.

The Supreme Court has scheduled a June 25 court date to hear the states appeal to the ruling, five days before Zemans ruling would take effect. Dunleavy has indicated he may call a special session of the Legislature after the ruling to make clear what is available through correspondence programs.

The post Alaskas education department does not track homeschool allotment spending, but may have to start appeared first on Alaska Beacon.
How Alex Murdaugh, Convicted of Killing his Wife and Son, Hid His Secret Life for 11 Years

Behind Murdaugh's seemingly carefree life of parties, boating and hunting in South Carolina's Lowcountry, there was a crumbling facade he worked hard to protect

Joshua Boucher/Pool/The State/Tribune News Service via Getty Alex Murdaugh

In late May 2021, Alex Murdaugh celebrated his 53rd birthday with family and friends at his 1,770-acre hunting property in South Carolinas Lowcountry.

In a video clip later shown during Alexs 2023 murder trial, his youngest son Paul, 22, is seen presenting his father with a cake lit with flickering candles as his wife, Maggie, 52, stands in the background beaming.

Thank yall so much! Alex yells out amid a chorus of friends and family singing happy birthday. Thank you, baby! he shouts to Maggie.

Maggie Murdaugh/Facebook Maggie and Paul Murdaugh

Nothing seemed amiss with the personal injury attorney who looked relaxed and carefree during the festivities.

Related: Murdaugh Murder Mystery: 'Behind the Black Ties and Fancy Dresses Were Miserable People'

However, his smiles and merriment belied a secret life he was leading, rife with lies and betrayal. The truth began seeping out after a series of tragic and bizarre events that began with Maggie and Pauls violent shooting deaths on June 7, 2021  eleven days after Alex's birthday  which Alex was found guilty of in March 2023. He was sentenced to two life sentences in prison for their murders.

Related: Prosecutors Detail How Son's Cell Phone Video Allegedly Places Alex Murdaugh at Murder Scene

After the murders came even more allegations against Alex, including more than 100 financial crime accusations.

In April, Alex, now 55, was sentenced to 40 additional years in federal prison for 22 financial crimes stemming from 2011.

Related: Alex Murdaugh Blames Addiction as He's Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison for Stealing from Clients

He was previously sentenced to 27 years in state prison for a slew of other financial crimes, including money laundering, breach of trust and fraud.

TNS Alex Murdaugh

Here are some of the ways Alex concealed his dark truths from his family and business partners:

He Stole Money to Fund His Secret Drug Habit

In Sept. 2021, after Alex survived his own staged suicide, he entered rehab for what his lawyers admitted was a years-long addiction to opioids. During his 2023 murder trial, shocking details about his drug habit were revealed, including testimony from his dealer of 18 years who said that Alex spent up to $50,000 a week on opioids.

Alex kept his habit hidden from his family as long as he could, but they eventually learned the truth, prosecutors revealed during the murder trial. On May 6, 2021, Paul left a message for his father saying he was at their Edisto Beach house and that when you get here we have to talk. Mom found several bags of pills in your computer bag, CNN reported.

That same day, Maggie searched online for white pill 30 on one side rp, -- a 30 mg Oxycodone Hydrochloride pill, prosecutors said, CNN reports.

On May 7, 2021, Alex texted Maggie saying, I am very sorry that I do this to all of you. I love you.

To fund his drug habit and comfortable lifestyle, Alex quietly began stealing from clients and his own law firm, who forced him to resign over allegations of misused funds. In April, Alex admitted to engaging in three different schemes to obtain money and property from his clients, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of South Carolina.



He Created Fake Bank Accounts to Conceal Embezzled Funds

In September 2015, he created a bank account he named Forge, which looked like a legitimate corporation for structuring insurance settlements, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. From May 2017 through at least July 2021, he funneled stolen personal injury settlements through the fake account. For this particular scheme, Murdaugh pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and 14 counts of money laundering.



"What a tangled web we weave," Murdaugh said on the stand during his murder trial, PEOPLE previously reported. "Once I told a lie  then I told my family  I had to keep lying."

Tracy Glantz/The State/Tribune News Service via Getty Alex Murdaugh

He Attempted to Cover Up His Family's Involvement in Fatal Boat Crash

In 2019, Paul crashed his familys boat after a night of drinking, killing his friend Mallory Beach, 19. Alex, witnesses said, showed up at the hospital where Paul and his injured friends were being treated to try to muddy their recollections about Pauls involvement, court documents show.

Connor Cook said in a deposition that Alex told him he "didn't need to tell anyone who was driving, CBS News reports. To further protect his son and try to keep his deadly actions under wraps, Alex was also accused of displaying his solicitors badge on the night of the crash. During his murder trial, Alex claimed that he did not recall doing that.



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Read the original article on People.
Author Alice Munro at home in Clinton, Ontario, Canada, 1994. Credit - Peter SibbaldRedux

Alice Munro, the Nobel Prize-winning Canadian author who perfected the art of the contemporary short story, died on Monday, May 13, Penguin Random House Canada has confirmed. She was 92 years old.

In 14 short story collections, including The Beggar Maid; Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage; and Dear Life, the author captured the familiar quandaries and complications of everyday life. Children leave home and return to find it changed. Family units unravel when they are hit with unexpected and tremendous loss. Lovers become partners, then parents, then people they dont quite recognize. Munro depicted these narratives with masterful levels of wit, humor, and care, and in doing so, challenged the tenets of fiction writing to showcase the power of the short story.

"Thank you, Alice Munro, for one glittering jewel of a story after another. Thank you for the many days and nights I spent lost in your work," Jane Smiley wrote in a tribute to the author in the Guardian in 2013. "Thank you for your unembarrassed woman's perspective on the lives of girls and women, but also the lives of boys and men. Thank you for your cruelty as well as your kindness, because the one plus the other is the essence of truthfulness."

Munros first book of short stories, Dance of the Happy Shades, was published in 1968 and received Canadas Governor General Award for Literary Merit that year. In the decades that followed, Munro went on to win two additional Governor General Awards for Literary Merit. Her work was celebrated through a number of prizes, including a 1997 PEN/Malamud Award and a 2005 Medal of Honor for Literature from the U.S. National Arts Club. In 2009, she was awarded the Man Booker International Prize for her lifetime body of work. Four years later, Munro became the second Canadian author to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.

There's a kind of tension that if I'm getting a story right I can feel right away, and I don't feel that when I try to write a novel, Munro told the New York Times in 1986. I kind of want a moment that's explosive, and I want everything gathered into that.''

Munro's work desk at her home on June 23, 2013. Ian WillmsThe New York Times/Redux

Life in Canada

Munro was born Alice Ann Laidlaw on July 10, 1931 in Wingham, Ontario to Anne Clarke (nee Chamney), a schoolteacher, and Robert Eric Laidlaw, a farmer. Munros father built their family home, a red-brick farmhouse flanked by trees on a country road, where he raised foxes and mink.

Much of Munros work is anchored in the towns of Western Ontario, giving readers glimpses into the authors upbringing and family life. In the introduction to her 1996 collection, Selected Stories, Munro described why she loved to set her narratives in the areas of her youth: I am intoxicated by this landscape, by the almost flat fields, the swamps, the hardwood bush, by the continental climate with its extravagant winters.

Munro fell in love with reading as a young girl, and started writing poetry after she discovered Alfred Tennysons work. One of her favorite books was Wuthering Heights. By the time she was 14, Munro aspired to become a writer. But back then you didnt go around announcing something like that, she told the New York Times in 2013.

When she wasnt reading, Munros adolescence was spent tending to chores around the house as her father struggled with his business and her mother grappled with the symptoms of early onset Parkinsons disease. She explores this time at the end of her last collection, Dear Life, through four narratives that she writes are autobiographical in feeling, though not, sometimes, entirely so in fact. In the revealing pieces, she reflects on growing up as her parents suffered financially and physically. The strange thing is that I dont remember that time as unhappy, Munro wrote in the titular story in Dear Life. There wasnt a particularly depressing mood around the house. Maybe it was not understood then that my mother wouldnt get any better, only worse.

As a high school student, Munros passion for literature catapulted her to academic success. In 1949, she became her high school class valedictorian and she received a scholarship to study at the University of Western Ontario as a result of her achievements in English. But when the money from her scholarship ran out in 1951, Munro could no longer afford to stay enrolled. Instead of returning home, she married her first husband, James Munro, a history student from an upper-class family, whom she met at college.

James Munro was supportive of his wifes ambitions as a writer. In 2006, Munro spoke to the Virginia Quarterly Review about starting out at a time when she did not know of many women who wanted to write professionally, and noted she was lucky to be married to a man who supported her career. I was so fortunate that way, she said. Because I dont know anybody else who would have wanted the wife to do something that took away from her normal roleor might have been seen as competition.

Munro holds one of her books as she receives her Man Booker International award at Trinity College Dublin, on June 25, 2009. Peter MuhlyAFP/Getty Images

Finding the short story form

Alice and James Munro moved to Vancouver in 1951. Between 1953 and 1966, the couple had four daughters: Sheila, Catherine, Jenny and Andrea, although Catherine died shortly after she was born. While her husband went to work, Munro found pockets of time to write while caring for their children, which meant writing in short spurts during nap times and at odd hours of the day.

This, she explained to the Atlantic in 2001, contributed to her use of the short story formshe simply did not have the time to dedicate to writing a novel. I couldnt look ahead and say, this is going to take me a year, because I thought every moment something might happen that would take all time away from me.

Though she likely didnt know it then, those years Munro spent as a housewife and young mother would become guiding forces in her fiction. She would spin stories rooted in domestic drama, from daughters who didnt understand their mothers to partners pulled apart due to their different upbringings. Munro also experienced her share of romantic strifeshe and James Munro divorced in 1972. Four years later, she married geographer Gerald Fremlin, and it was then that her career finally started to take off.

Munro was 37 when her first short story collection was published in 1968. Dance of the Happy Shades won the most prestigious literary prize in Canada, the Governors General Award, and was a defining first step in building her reputation as an accomplished writer. She then published Lives of Girls and Women in 1971 and Something Ive Been Meaning to Tell You in 1974.

In the late 1970s, Munro gained even wider acclaim through the publication of her stories in the New Yorker. In 1977, she published Royal Beatings, which centered on the complicated relationship between a young girl and her step-mother. A year later, the same story appeared in Munros collection Who Do You Think You Are? (published outside of Canada as The Beggar Maid), which followed the two women over several decades in 10 interconnected stories. The book received the 1978 Governors General Award and was nominated for the Booker Prize in 1980.

As more of Munros stories were published in the New Yorker, her prominence as a writer grew. She crafted narratives on realistic female characters and their relationships with growing up, growing old, and the losses that accompany entering different stages of life. These themes are often the backbones of lengthy novels, but Munro was able to render her characters struggles in aching specificity in just a single story.

In the 1980s, Munro began debuting stories and books with greater frequency. Her stories appeared in the pages of the Paris Review, the Atlantic Monthly, and more. As the years passed, Munro continued writing books of short stories to critical acclaim. Each built on the momentum of the last, culminating in Munros last five collections in the 2000s that comprise what could be considered her best work.

In novelist Jonathan Franzens New York Times review of Munros 2004 collection, Runaway, he wrote that Munro kept writing the same story, with the same fundamental elements of love, loss, and dislocation, but was able to reveal more about the human condition with each one. Reading Munro puts me in that state of quiet reflection in which I think about my own life: about the decisions Ive made, the things Ive done and havent done, the kind of person I am, the prospect of death.

Munro, at the Sebel Town House on March 9, 1979. Paul Stephen PearsonFairfax Media/Getty Images

Her lasting legacy

In 2013, Munro won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Typically, the prize is awarded to novelists, but Munros win further elevated the power of the short story form. The award capped off her massive contribution to how authors think about the architecture of a story, and she was quick to acknowledge the importance of the win for the genre she nearly perfected. She told Nobel Media after accepting her prize that she hoped it would help raise the status of the short story for all authorsadvancing the form beyond what many writers work on before they launch their careers as novelists.

Her devotion to the short story structure has influenced some of the most celebrated contemporary fiction writers. Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri told the New Yorker that Munros work felt revolutionary for her: She taught me that a short story can do anything. She turned the form on its head. She inspired me to probe deeper, to knock down walls.

Kristin Cochrane, CEO of Penguin Random House Canada, which has long published Munros work under its McClelland & Stewart imprint, responded to news of her death in a statement: Alice Munro is a national treasurea writer of enormous depth, empathy, and humanity whose work is read, admired, and cherished by readers throughout Canada and around the world, she said. Alices writing inspired countless writers too, and her work leaves an indelible mark on our literary landscape.

After winning the Nobel Prize, Munro continued living a quiet life in Canada. She had announced her retirement from writing a few months before winning the Nobel Prizeand remained true to her word. Dear Life, published in 2012, was her last collection. When discussing her retirement with the National Post in June of 2013, editor Mark Medley remarked that her fans would be disappointed. Munro responded in her typical, forthright fashion: Well, tell them to go read the old ones over again. Theres lots of them.

Write to Annabel Gutterman at annabel.gutterman@time.com.
Alice Munro, the writer, who has died aged 92, became the 13th woman  and the first Canadian  to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2013 for her collections of short stories, set usually in southern Ontario, that managed to invest the humdrum events and parochial dramas of daily small-town life with a haunting significance.

Widely admired for her spare and understated fiction, her work was often compared with that of Chekhov, in that plot is secondary and there is little action. As one critic noted: All is based on the epiphanic moment, the sudden enlightenment, the concise, subtle, revelatory detail.

Alice Munro shared Chekhovs obsession with time and peoples inability to delay or prevent its relentless propulsion forward. Her writing habitually subverted the traditional architecture of short stories, telling them from odd angles and often beginning in an unexpected place then moving backwards or forwards in time.

In books like Dance of the Happy Shades, The Moons of Jupiter, Something Ive Been Meaning to Tell You and The Beggar Maid: Stories of Flo and Rose, she offered subtle, quiet and often moving observations about sex, desire, work, discontent and ageing; yet her writing was peopled by types whose claustrophobic lives might not have seemed, on the surface, to promise much interest.

Alice Munro's 14th and final collection, Dear Life (2012)

Alice Munro herself grew up in modest circumstances in Wingham, a small town in Huron County, Ontario, among the businessmen, teachers, clergy, shopkeepers and farmers of a community that did not appear outwardly remarkable. From this world she drew on the lives of her neighbours for stories which often became parables about the adversities, tribulations and tests of character faced by people everywhere.

The short story was always Alice Munros most effective form and, in a style that sometimes seemed redolent of Raymond Carvers stories of the American north-west, she found meaning in tiny family events, the closed worlds of individual lives in a particular corner of Canada. Like her compatriot Margaret Atwood, she built a considerable following in Britain.

Hers was a style that, while seasoned, relied on plain speaking, polished to perfection. (Alice Munro excites the writer in me, AS Byatt declared, there is something new to learn from her in every sentence.) She had the knack of saying something pointed in a brief space, penetrating what one critic called the undergrowth of other peoples lives. Another called her stories so ample and fulfilling that they feel like novels.

Alice Munro: 'What you write is an offering. Anyone can come and take what they like from it' - Alamy

Of Scottish ancestry, Alice Ann Laidlaw was born in Wingham, Ontario, on July 10 1931. Her familys origins lay in the Ettrick valley, between Edinburgh and the Borders; in later life her father, a failed fox fur farmer turned nightwatchman, wrote a novel called The McGregors, and although Alice was schooled in the domestic virtues of cooking and needlework in the expectation (at least on her parents part) of marrying a farmer, she felt drawn to writing from the age of nine.

Having won a scholarship to the University of Western Ontario in London, she was still a student when she sold her first short story, and gradually began selling others to small Canadian magazines. Eventually she graduated to The New Yorker, in which her mature work often appeared.

Her first collection of short stories, Dance of the Happy Shades (1968), touching on the pangs of adolescence and the discovery that happiness can be fleeting, earned her the Governor-Generals fiction award, the most important literary prize in Canada. She won the award a second time for her 1978 collection Who Do You Think You Are?  published in the United States as The Beggar Maid: Stories of Flo and Rose (1978)  a series of 10 interlocking tales that amounted to an allegory about survival.

Alice Munro: her first collection of short stories, Dance of the Happy Shades (1968), won the most important literary prize in Canada

Alice Munros early book Lives of Girls and Women (1971) recalled memories of childhood in her small town, the drab houses, inward-looking lives, her characters each relieved by the small turn of eccentricity which gave them interest beyond the mundane. With its linked stories and common protagonist, it was sometimes thought of as a novel, but Alice Munro herself repudiated the description.

In The Moons of Jupiter (1983) the stories were again mostly about women. Here, her characters (whatever the circumstances of their individual lives) emerged with a perception that chance and fate, however they strike, often have more influence than volition and decision. Anita Brookner hailed a shining example of how well a woman can write without being fantastic, archaic, obtrusive or sentimental, without, in fact, displaying the rather tired characteristics of womanliness.

Another collection was The Progress of Love (1986), in which one reviewer found a freshness of light-hearted sensitivity reminiscent of Laurie Lee and Mark Twain, and which earned her a third Governor-General literary award.

Friend of My Youth (1990), owing something to her own reflections in middle age, was a collection of stories built around a familiar central woman figure, this time each in their middle years and all, it somehow seemed, increasingly alike.

The Beggar Maid

What you write is an offering, Alice Munro once wrote, anyone can come and take what they like from it. Indeed, her stories did come off as a kind of offering, to be construed as one wished, as extended notes on life by someone who somehow saw wider truths made plain by the motives and actions of those in her own small circle. Her Nobel citation described her as a master of the contemporary short story.

Having been shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1980 for The Beggar Maid (the stories being considered sufficiently interlinked to make the collection eligible for a prize restricted to novels), Alice Munro won the International Booker lifetime achievement award in 2009, by which time it had mutated into the Man Booker award. One of her collections, The Love of a Good Woman, won a National Book Critics Circle Award in 1998.

Despite her many accolades, Alice Munro considered herself a plodder, untrammelled by sudden bursts of inspiration. She wrote slowly, covering two or three pages a day in longhand, before spending months revising at a keyboard. Her 14th collection of short stories, Dear Life, published in 2012, was her last.

She was twice married, firstly, in 1951, to James Munro, with whom she had three daughters. In 1976 she married the geographer Gerard Fremlin, who died in April 2013.

Alice Munro, born July 10 1931, died May 13 2024

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Alice Munro, the Nobel Literature Prize winner best known for her mastery of short stories and depictions of womanhood in rural settings, has died in Ontario, Canada, at the age of 92. The news was confirmed to CNN with great sadness by a spokesperson at her publisher, Penguin Random House.

Born in 1931 in Wingham, Ontario, Munro grew up on what she described as the collapsing enterprise of a fox and mink farm, just beyond the most disreputable part of town in a 1994 interview with The Paris Review. Amid familial struggles, Munro found an escape in reading as a child. Her early enthusiasm for renowned writers such as Emily Bronte, Charles Dickens, and Lucy Maud Montgomery, among others, reflected an appreciation for literature beyond her age.

Books seem to me to be magic, and I wanted to be part of the magic. she told The Guardian of her childhood reading habits. Books were so important to me. They were far more important than life.

Pictured above in 1979, Munros mainstream literary breakthrough came in 1968 with the publication of her debut short story collection, Dance of the Happy Shades. - Stephen Pearson/Fairfax Media/Getty Images

As the valedictorian of her high schools graduating class of 1949, Munro received a two-year scholarship to attend the University of Western Ontario, where she majored in journalism before switching to English.

Despite the scholarship initially being a lifeline for Munro, perpetual financial struggles forced her to work as a tobacco picker, a library clerk and even to sell her own blood while studying. After the conclusion of her scholarship, and before her graduation, she married fellow student James Munro and moved with him to Vancouver, where the couple had three children in relatively quick succession (their middle child, Catherine, died shortly after her birth due to kidney complications), and then to Victoria in 1963, where they opened a bookstore.

There, Munro wholly immersed herself in literature, namely writers such as Eudora Welty, Flannery OConnor, and Carson McCullers, whose work Munro told The Paris Review validated her desire to write about rural people in small towns. In addition, she was able to overcome a crippling writers block that had plagued her in her twenties  and had resulted in more abandoned work than finished writing.

But it was maternity that led to Munros mastery of short stories, not only because familial relationships and domestic lives served as a focal point in many of her works, but also because in her attempt to reconcile her maternal responsibilities with her desire to write, Munro could only set aside short periods of time during her day to craft stories, to the point where she would jot down ideas and drafts during her childrens naps.

Munros mainstream breakthrough came in 1968 with the publication of her debut short story collection, Dance of the Happy Shades. A collection of 15 of her earliest stories, the book received critical acclaim and won Canadas prestigious Governor Generals Award for Fiction in the same year.

It largely sets the tone for Munros prose; semi-autobiographical in nature and exploring the universality of the human urge for self-discovery, love, and independence, through the mundanity of everyday life in small, rural communities.

What youre getting in a small town is social attitude sort of distilled so you could look at them, Munro told Canadian broadcaster CBC in 1990. The small town is like a stage for human lives.

Throughout her writing career, Munro published 14 short story collections, and was a regular contributor in literary magazines such as The New Yorker and Tamarack Review. In several of her later collections, such as The Moons of Jupiter and The Progress of Love, Munro experimented with the traditional architecture of short stories and incorporated nonlinear narrative structures. She was also known for constantly editing and revising her stories, even after publication.

Alice Munro, left, and Margaret Atwood at the National Arts Club in February 2005. Atwood elevated Munro to "international literary sainthood." - Diane Bondareff/Invision/AP

Several of her short stories were adapted to film, including the 1983 Oscar-winning short Boys and Girls and the 2006 Oscar-nominated film Away from Her.

In 2009, Munro revealed she had been treated for cancer and had undergone coronary bypass surgery. Three years later, she published her final collection of short stories, Dear Life, which, although a drearier portrayal of small-town lives, served as a literary closure to her semi-autobiographical depictions of womanhood in rural towns.

Munros mastery of short stories and literature has been lauded by many of her contemporaries. Literary critic James Wood hailed Munro as our Chekhov, drawing similarities to the renowned Russian short story writer, while her compatriot and fellow writer Margaret Atwood elevated her to international literary sainthood.

In 2013, Munro was selected as Nobel Laureate in Literature for her body of work spanning seven decades. The Nobel Committee described Munro as a master of the contemporary short story, whose writing captured the feeling of just being a human being.

I want my stories to move people, Munro said in her Nobel Lecture in absentia, everything the story tells moves the (reader) in such a way that you feel you are a different person when you finish.

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Munro was the acclaimed author of short story collections like The Love of a Good Woman and Dear Life

Peter Muhly/AFP/Getty Alice Munro in 2009

Alice Munro, Nobel Prize-winning writer best known for her short stories, has died. She was 92.



Munro's family confirmed the author's death to The Globe and Mail on May 13. Munro had suffered from dementia for over 10 years, and died at her Ontario care home.

"Alice Munro is a national treasure  a writer of enormous depth, empathy and humanity whose work is read, admired and cherished by readers throughout Canada and around the world," said Kristin Cochrane, chief executive officer of Penguin Random House Canada. "Alices writing inspired countless writers too, and her work leaves an indelible mark on our literary landscape. All of us at Penguin Random House Canada mourn this loss and we join together with our colleagues at Penguin Random House in the US, the UK and globally in appreciation for all that Alice Munro has left behind.



Munro was born in Ontario, Canada in 1931. Her father, Robert Eric Laidlow, was a fox farmer and her mother, Anne Clarke Laidlaw, was a schoolteacher. Munro was the eldest of three children, and had a younger brother, born in 1936, and a younger sister born in 1937. She was an avid reader as a child, and cited writers like Eudora Welty, Carson McCullers and Flannery O'Connor as influences

Munro began writing fiction as a teenager, publishing her first short story in 1950, before attending the University of Western Ontario to study English and journalism. She often drew from her own background for inspiration, featuring elements like her father's fox farm and her mother's Parkinson's disease in her writing.



"One is lucky to be born in a place where no one is doing it because then you can say, well obviously I can write better than everyone else in high school," Munro told The Guardian in 2013 about being a writer from her hometown. "You have no idea of the competition."

Paul Stephen Pearson/Fairfax Media/Getty Alice Munro in 1979

Munro published her first short story collection, Dance of the Happy Shades, in 1968, which won Canadas highest literary prize, the Governor Generals Award. Her 1978 collection, Who Do You Think You Are? also won the prize that year. In later years, Munro published the short story collections The Love of a Good Woman (1998), Runaway (2004) and Dear Life (2012), among others.

The author's work was considered revolutionary for the short story canon. Munro's writing tended to incorporate jumps in time, her native Ontario and a focus on relationships. Many of her stories also centered on girls coming of age, such as 1964's "Boys and Girls," about a young girl's examination of gender roles both in and outside the home.

For years and years I thought that stories were just practice, till I got time to write a novel. Then I found that they were all I could do, and so I faced that," Munro told The New Yorker of her writing in 2012. "I suppose that my trying to get so much into stories has been a compensation."

Dear Life, one of her most notable collections, was comprised of stories that Munro wrote over the course of her lifetime, and earned her the 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature.



Lucas Oleniuk/Toronto Star/Getty Alice Munro in 2004

I would really hope this would make people see the short story as an important art, not just something you played around with until you got a novel," Munro told The New York Times of winning the coveted prize. The Love of a Good Woman, won the 1998 Giller Prize and National Book Critics Circle Award.

Several of Munro's works also found life in other mediums. Runaway was the basis for the 2016 Spanish film Julieta. Another short story of hers, Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage was adapted into 2013s Hateship, Loveship, which starred Hailee Steinfeld and Kristin Wiig.

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Munro married husband James Munro in 1951 and they got divorced in 1972. The couple had daughters Sheila, Catherine, Jenny and Andrea; Catherine died the day she was born from kidney failure. Eldest daughter Shiela penned a memoir in 2008 titled Lives of Mothers & Daughters: Growing Up with Alice Munro about her mother. James originally worked in a managerial position before the family opened the independent bookstore Munros Books, which still operates today. In 1976, Munro married Gerald Fremlin, a geographer, who died in 2013.



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Operator Ooredoo Oman part of the multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Qatar, has signed an agreement for the landing of the 2Africa cable system in Muscat and Salalah.

According to the Peninsula news service, this agreement marks the most extensive subsea cable system landing in the Sultanate of Oman to date.

The selected gateways for these landings are Salalah, emerging as a major new submarine cable landing hub in the southern part of Oman, and Barka, situated in Muscat, the capital city.

Ooredoo Oman will undertake the development of a completely new build landing infrastructure for both Barka and Salalah, including a commitment to its maintenance in the coming decades.

This new infrastructure is described as entirely different from any other submarine cable system currently landing in Oman, ensuring robust connectivity and access for all operators in the country.

Bassam Yousef Al Ibrahim, CEO of Ooredoo Oman, explains: "After previously landing Sea-Me-We-5 and TGN-Gulf in Oman, landing the 2Africa cable represents a further step in our vision to be the neutral partner of choice for landing submarine cable systems and supporting Ooredoo to become a truly global connectivity player in the coming years. Extending our reach regionally and internationally is a key focus for Ooredoo and a central goal of our strategy."

The 2Africa cable system, spanning 45,000 kilometres, will be the largest subsea cable system in the world. Upon completion, it will impact over three billion people in 33 countries in Africa, Asia and Europe. The 2Africa consortium consists of Bayobab, center3, China Mobile International, Meta, Orange, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone Group, and WIOCC. Alcatel Submarine Networks is handling the manufacturing and installation of the cable.
BALTIMORE  The costliest U.S. Senate primary campaign in Maryland history matched David Trone, a record-breaking self-funder, against Angela Alsobrooks, who was backed by the governor and other leading lawmakers, in a Democratic nomination battle with implications for which party controls the chamber.

Trone, 68, a third-term congressman from Montgomery County and the co-founder of the Total Wine & More retail chain, lent his campaign more than $60 million. That made him the nations largest self-funder of the 2023-24 election cycle, according to Open Secrets, a nonpartisan research group.

Trone, who represents Western Maryland in the U.S. House, wallpapered the state with ads. He held double-digit leads in independent polls in February and April, but a May 6-8 survey by Emerson College Polling/The Hill/DC News Now found the candidates in a close race.

The campaign of Alsobrooks, 53, the Prince Georges County executive  who, like Trone, had never sought statewide office  produced a late string of ads, including one depicting her with Gov. Wes Moore, U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen and other members of the states congressional delegation

If she is nominated Tuesday and wins in the general election, Alsobrooks would be Marylands first Black senator and join the states all-male congressional delegation.

Her campaign counted on broad turnout and support in her home county of Prince Georges to counteract early support Trone may have received from ballots mailed in while he was dominating the airwaves in early April. Since neither candidate is from Baltimore, the city and Baltimore County were considered wild cards.

The candidates vied for the seat held by Democrat Ben Cardin, who will retire in January.

With Alsobrooks and Trone sharing similar positions on abortion and other key issues, each argued they are best equipped to take on Larry Hogan, 67, in November. The popular former governor was expected win the Republican nomination in a field that includes a half-dozen other GOP candidates.

Voter Mary Badinelli, 76, of Columbia, said the Senate race was a toss-up for her, but she picked Alsobrooks on Tuesday because Badinelli thinks she had the best chance of defeating Hogan. Badinelli has no problem with Hogan, she said, but its important to her that Democrats control the Senate.

Democrats hold a more than 2-1 voter registration advantage in Maryland.

Shawna Sharp, 45, of West Friendship, declined to say who she voted for, but the Senate race was the most important one for her. She said she found Trone compelling because he sent a lot of emails, but Sharp also follows Alsobrooks on social media.

Both of them reached me, Sharp said, meaning the power of technology caused both of those folks to reach me. Otherwise, I dont know who I would have voted for.

It was the first election for BJ King, 19, of West Friendship, a Washington College student and registered Democrat. King said the Senate race was the most important to him, and he voted for Trone.

For Senate, its definitely about who do I think can beat Hogan in November, King said.

Voter Anthony Scott, 49, of West Baltimore, went to the Westside Skill Center in Baltimore but found out he had to go to a different polling place. Still, he said was going to vote no matter what.

Scott said he was going with Trone: He does whats right, Scott said.

Democrats hold a 51-49 U.S. Senate majority. Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia is retiring, and Democrats must defend a handful of seats in November in states that Democratic President Joe Biden narrowly won in 2020.

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Read coverage of Marylands Democratic Senate primary, and you might think the state is on the brink of war. The closing stretch of the race, between congressman David Trone and county executive Angela Alsobrooks, has been described as bruising, bitter, having hit a boiling point, brutal, and 2024s most brutal Senate primary. If you think youve got a better word connoting misery that begins with the letter B, contact your nearest headline writer immediately.

But heres a less despairing descriptor for the primary: competitive. Democrats, whose Senate campaign arm typically anoints a nominee and clears the field of meaningful complications, arent especially used to such competitive primaries and the sorts of attacks that come with the territory.

And the competition wont stop after Tuesdays election, a rarity in this state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-to-1. In a surprise twist, former two-term Republican Gov. Larry Hogan entered the race earlier this year. While winning a Maryland Senate race is a different beast altogether than winning a Maryland governors racea few hed be another vote for Senate Republicans ads can do a number in this blue a stateHogan cant be taken for granted.

Ive seen some national election people, the election-Twitter people, and the people who do this kind of forecasting say, Hogan has no chance,  Mileah Kromer, an associate professor of political science at Goucher College, near Baltimore, told me. But, she said you dont discount somebody who has maintained an approval rating like that for a decade. Its never dipped below 60 for a decade.

Hogans entry, then, has added an additional layer of stress for Maryland Democratselectability considerationsin deciding for whom to vote.

There arent many significant policy differences between Trone and Alsobrooks, either; this is not a race that lends itself easily to the progressive versus the centrist rubric. To the extent that the race has become hostile, then, its because the two candidates have little to differentiate themselves on outside of style, background, and innuendo.

The important thing to know about Rep. David Trone is that hes exceptionally rich and, for whatever reason, eager to spend historic sums to eat lunch in the Senate dining room for six years.

Following the amount of money that Trone, the founder of alcohol retail chain Total Wine & More, has personally loaned his campaign is like staring at the National Debt Clock. At the moment, that number is above $60 million. He began advertising heavily last fall in order to build name recognition, and has never slowed down. As Semafors Dave Weigel reported from a recent Trone rally, Trones ads played while attendees were taking their seats. Over the course of 15 minutes, no ad was repeated.

Trones electability case is, essentially, rubbing the tips of his fingers together to remind people of his resources. His argument is one that appeals to the national Senate chessboard and to Democrats hopes of retaining the chamber. Since it will take cash to defeat Hogan and Trone can self-finance as much as it takes, he says, this will give national Democrats a lot more flexibility to spend money elsewhere, such as in Montana or Ohio. Its a bit of a roundabout argumentMaryland primary voters should support him because it makes spending decisions simpler for Senate Democratic super PACs?but it speaks subconsciously to Democratic primary voters tendency to fly to safety when choosing their nominees.

Angela Alsobrooks, a former states attorney and the current executive of Prince Georges Countya D.C. suburban powerhouse in Maryland politicshas been seen as an up-and-comer in the state for a while, and the only thing standing between her and her destiny is a $60 million wall.

Aside from her experience leading PG County, Alsobrooks team argues that she is the more exciting candidate who, as a Black woman, is more reflective of, and can better motivate, the diverse Maryland Democratic coalition. Her candidacy would be historic, as shed be the first Black person elected to the Senate from Maryland, and only the third Black woman elected to the Senate, period.

Trone, as you might expect from a businessman who only recently entered politics, is a bit loose-lipped. Its not hard to predict where controversy might arise in a Democratic primary between a rich white man and a Black woman, and Trone has given the Alsobrooks campaign its share of material.

In the most Veep-like moment of the campaign, Trone, during a House Budget Committee meeting, meant to say bugaboo, but instead used a phonetically similar racial slur. That prompted a wave of Black Democrats in the House to endorse Alsobrooks.

In Trones first negative ad against Alsobrooks in late April, meanwhile, one of his endorsers said, the U.S. Senate is not a place for training wheels. (Since when?) Trones team eventually scrubbed that from the ad, although Trone has used the same line itself. The comment prompted 650 Black women in politics to sign a letter saying the phrase was not only disparaging and dismissive but also echoes tones of misogyny and racism.

Last, Trone described Alsobrooks endorsers among Prince Georges County officials as the low-level folks. More condemnatory letters, with many signatures, were issued.

The frankly odd bugaboo issue aside, some of these controversies are over standard stuff in competitive primaries: Candidate A says he has better experience and better endorsers. (Alsobrooks, for what its worth, has the starrier roster of endorsers overall, featuring nearly all of the states Democratic congressional delegation and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.) But its within the context of Alsobrooks historic bid, and Marylands poor track record of diversity in congressional representation, that the comments hit a nerve.

One of the reasons were getting dinged is because our congressional delegation has no womenall men in our House seats, all men in the Senate, Todd Eberly, a political science professor at St. Marys College of Maryland, told me. This whole idea that its second-tier people backing her up, training wheelsI mean, theres just something patronizing about it. And I think when you consider that in the context of: Maryland has no women in its congressional delegation, I certainly think language like that has not helped him.

For most of the contest, Trone had led comfortably. But in an Emerson poll last week, the first meaningful survey in some time, Trone and Alsobrooks were in a dead heat. (That Trone was the first to air attack ads a couple of weeks ago suggests private polling tells a similar story.) One could point to Trones verbal miscues as providing the opening for Alsobrooks. But more likely, the tightening is just a result of natural spending patterns. Trone had the airwaves to himself for months, while the more resource-constrained Alsobrooks campaign, and its outside allies, only began spending theirs in a concerted way more recently. Plus, Alsobrooks had a splashy earned-media rollout when she received Gov. Moores endorsement.

Obviously, sometimes, stumbles like that do make a difference, Kromer said of Trone. But honestly, its her finally building that name recognition thats responsible for the tightening.

It raises some questions, too, about what $60 million got Trone that, say, $10 million couldnt have.

His numbers in most recent polls arent any different than what his numbers were, say, back in January, Eberly told me. If he winds up winning this narrowly, no ones going to question, Well, did he spend wisely or did he not?  But, if he goes on to lose it, youre really going to have to look at that and ask, Why would anyone spent that amount of money on a Senate seat? 

Those Maryland Democrats who are still making up their mindslikely for the first time in their livesabout whos more electable against a Republican Senate candidate cant look to the polls for an answer. While Trone performed a touch better against Hogan than Alsobrooks did in early trial-heat surveys, the more recent ones, like Emerson, show Alsobrooks and Trone performing almost exactly the same against him. Either one, in a presidential election year, will be favored but by no means guaranteed to win after what will be an unusually competitive campaign.

Or rather, a brutal, bruising, boiling, and bitter campaign.
Signs and a food table are set up in a tent camp, set up by pro-Palestinian students and demonstrators at the University of Antwerp, as students occupy parts of the campus in Antwerp, Belgium, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

THE HAGUE (AP)  The University of Amsterdam canceled classes Tuesday and shut buildings for two days after the latest pro-Palestinian demonstrations over the war in Gaza turned destructive.

Protests continued to simmer at several European universities where students faced off with academic authorities on whether relations with Israel should be broken off or drastically reduced, as the death toll continues to climb during the seven-month Israel-hamas war.

Overall, the protests in Europe have failed to reach the intensity of demonstrations at several U.S. universities.

In the Netherlands, the board at the nearly 400-year old University of Amsterdam issued a statement saying it could not guarantee the safety of anyone on campus after a group of masked agitators barricaded doors and spray painted slogans on the walls.

The mayhem on Monday followed a peaceful walkout of staff and students against the Israel-Hamas war and the universitys response to earlier protests.

They (the university) called in the police after people wouldnt remove their face coverings but the police came in balaclavas, political science professor Enzo Rossio told The Associated Press, describing Monday's events. He had returned to his office following the walkout, only for the building to be evacuated minutes later.

While standing outside the building, Rossio said he and his wife, who also works for the university, were repeatedly hit by police with batons.

Last week, police used a bulldozer to evict demonstrators from an encampment established by students who want the university to cut ties with Israel. The protest was one of many that sprung up around Europe following rallies across college campuses in the United States.

Smaller demonstrations have taken place against the war, both at the University of Amsterdam and at other Dutch universities. But last weeks protest grew into the thousands, with demonstrators chanting slogans including, Palestine will be free! and Cops off campus!

Riot police were called in multiple times to end the demonstrations, leading to aggressive confrontations. Ive never witnessed this kind of violence, history student Marin Kuijt said in an interview. Kuijt said he had regularly attended climate change marches and joined the walkout on Monday to protest against the university and police response.

After the walkout, some students set up tents inside buildings, intending to occupy the spaces until the university listened to their demands. According to the University of Amsterdam, the peaceful protest was hijacked by violent elements who left behind wanton destruction.

Higher education institutions in the Netherlands published guidelines on Tuesday for student protests. They include a ban on remaining overnight, occupying buildings and wearing face coverings. Last week, the University of Amsterdam already announced it would not hold talks with any protester who refused to show their face.

In a statement, Amsterdam Student Encampment, which is organizing some of the demonstrations, said it was concerned about outside elections causing destruction, saying it overshadowed the protests. The group is calling for more demonstrations at the university in the coming days.

Smaller students actions were held in Belgium, Greece and Italy, among other EU nations.
FILE PHOTO: Chinese and U.S. flags flutter outside the building of an American company in Beijing

FILE PHOTO: Chinese and U.S. flags flutter outside the building of an American company in Beijing

By Joseph White, Chris Kirkham and Nora Eckert

DETROIT (Reuters) - The Biden administration's plan to slap heavy new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and batteries would provide temporary protection for U.S. auto jobs, potentially at the expense of White House efforts to fight climate change by accelerating U.S. EV adoption.

Few Chinese-made EVs are currently sold in the United States, so the immediate impact on consumers of higher EV tariffs would be minimal, analysts said. The White House also plans to more than triple tariffs on Chinese EV batteries and battery parts to 25%. Graphite, permanent magnets used in EV motors and other EV minerals would get new 25% duties added. These tariffs could affect a broader range of vehicles.

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration issued tailpipe pollution standards in April designed to drive the share of electric vehicles up from 8% last year to as much as 56% by 2032. Automakers have warned that hitting the EV targets will be challenging, in part because different Biden administration rules deny federal subsidies to EVs that get too much content from China.

Without access to lower-cost batteries and battery materials made in China, EVs will be too expensive for mainstream U.S. consumers, automakers have said.

U.S. automakers exported 155,337 vehicles worth $6.3 billon to China in 2021, according to the most recent U.S. government data. China sent just 64,067 vehicles to the United States in the same year, worth $1.45 billion. Most of the vehicles imported from China were sold under U.S. brands, led by General Motors' Buick division.

At present, four vehicle lines sold in the United States are made in China, according to government data: Ford's Lincoln Nautilus SUV, the Buick Envision SUV, the Polestar 2 and Volvo's S90 sedans. Polestar and Volvo are affiliates of Chinese automaker Geely.

Chinese retaliatory tariffs that targeted U.S. vehicles could hurt workers at the BMW factory in Spartanburg, South Carolina, which sends about 25,000 vehicles to China per year, or the Mercedes-Benz SUV plant in Alabama that builds electric SUVs sold in the world's largest market.

A clean-technology trade war between the United States and China could also drive up the costs of EVs, batteries and other EV hardware, keeping overall EV prices high, industry executives and some analysts said. EVs wearing U.S. brands, such as the Mustang Mach-E or Tesla Model 3, have 30% to 51% Chinese content, according to U.S. Transportation Department data.

"From the battery, from the mining, from all the technology integration, the Chinese supply chain now is the leading supply chain. It's the best," Stella Li, head of Chinese EV and battery maker BYD's operations in the Americas, said at the Milken Conference last week. "Why don't you allow a U.S. company to have the freedom to choose the best supplier?"

Even before Biden's action on Tuesday, electric vehicles had taken a central position in the U.S. presidential race. EVs are now symbolic in partisan debates over climate policy and how the U.S. should respond to China's efforts to dominate critical technologies in the 21st century.

Democrat Biden and his presumptive Republican opponent Donald Trump agree on very little, except when it comes to using steep tariffs and other trade barriers to keep Chinese EV makers out of the U.S. market. Biden and Trump are betting that anti-China trade policies will appeal to voters in swing states such as Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which depend on manufacturing jobs.

A PAGE FROM CHINA'S PLAYBOOK

Experts are divided over whether stronger tariff protection will help U.S. automakers in the long run, or work to the benefit of consumers.

"The tariffs buy important time," said Michael Dunne, a consultant who has watched the Chinese auto industry for years. "The U.S. is five to seven years behind China when it comes to electric vehicles and battery supply chains." China protected its automakers in the 1990s and 2000s, Dunne said. "U.S. political leaders could rightly say we are just borrowing a page from China's playbook."

Advocates of speeding up the pace of EV adoption to cut U.S. carbon dioxide emissions warn that reducing pressure from Chinese EV manufacturers will backfire.

Longer-term, Detroit automakers sheltered from Chinese competition could replay the experience of the 1970s and 1980s, when import restrictions on imported Japanese cars gave the domestic automakers a reprieve from low-priced rivals.

Those trade barriers encouraged Toyota, Honda and Nissan to transplant their lean production systems to new U.S. factories. The success of North American-made Japanese vehicles forced General Motors, Ford and the former Chrysler, now called Stellantis, to shed thousands of jobs and undergo painful overhauls in the 1990s.

BYD's recent announcement that it plans to build an electric pickup truck in Mexico transforms a hypothetical threat into a real one for incumbent U.S. automakers. A Mexican-made EV with sufficient North American-sourced parts could qualify for tariff-free entry to the U.S. market.

"If General Motors, Ford and Stellantis dont have to compete against foreign companies that make EVs, they won't make them. The market will go to BYD. And the Americans will lose market share like they did in the 1970s," said Daniel Becker of the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental group that has pushed the Biden administration for stronger climate policies.

It is not clear how China will respond to the Biden tariff moves. When Europe threatened to hike tariffs on Chinese-made EVs, China responded by threatening steep duties on French cognac.

GM President Mark Reuss last week downplayed the risk that Chinese authorities could make life more difficult for the Detroit automaker's Chinese operations, which dipped into the red during the first quarter of this year. Two of GM's biggest brands in China are U.S. names: Chevrolet and Buick.

"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," SAIC and Wuling, Reuss said. In China, Reuss said, Buick is seen as both an American and Chinese brand.

"It's not as clean or as crisp as you might indicate from a more global, geopolitical standpoint," he said.

(Reporting by Joe White in Detroit; Additional reporting by Chris Kirkham in Los Angeles and Nora Eckert in Detroit; Editing by Brian Thevenot and Matthew Lewis)
After their annual party at Lake Shasta, here's what Oregon college students left behind

Some 1,600 students from Oregon State University descended on Lake Shasta to party over the Mother's Day weekend and left something behind before heading home.

In years past, Oregon students have gained notoriety by leaving a mess at the lake. But Deborah Carlisi, a recreation officer for the national forest, said this year the students did something she hadn't seen before.

Five houseboats carrying about 40 students stayed behind an extra day to make sure their campgrounds were tidy and there was no trash, tents or other debris left behind, according to officials with the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.

Carlisi said most of the students left Sunday, but she was surprised when many of them stayed behind to clean up.

"And it made a lot of people very happy," Carlisi said.

About 40 students from Oregon State University stayed behind to clean up after spending a few days on Lake Shasta last weekend.

The visits haven't always ended on such a happy note.

In 2016, University of Oregon students left behind so much garbage that a campground on the Slaughterhouse Island was declared a biohazard site. After the weekend party, they left the island littered with trash, human waste and almost 100 tents.

Carlisi said she was working for the national forest the year the students left behind that "humungous" mess.

But this year, the students planned ahead to stay an extra day and make sure the campgrounds where they stayed were as clean as when they arrived, she said. The students often congregate on Slaughterhouse Island, northwest of Bridge Bay on the Sacramento River arm of the lake.

"Their goal was to leave Slaughterhouse Island in better shape than they found it," said Carlisi in a statement. "These students worked alongside Shasta Lake recreation staff to pick up garbage, clothing items and camping gear, along with objects that washed up on the shore, leaving the island looking better than it had before they arrived."

She said the U.S. Forest service officials "would like to give a big shout out to the Oregon State Beaver students who took the time to clean up and set a great example to all who visit Shasta Lake."

Reporter Damon Arthur welcomes story tips at 530-338-8834, by email at damon.arthur@redding.com and on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @damonarthur_RS. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today!

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Oregon students did something unexpected at Lake Shasta this year
Lieutenant General Yuriy Kuznetsov, Head of the Main Personnel Department of the Russian Defence Ministry, has been detained in Moscow.

Source: TASS, a Kremlin-aligned Russian news outlet, with reference to a source in Russian law enforcement; Baza Telegram channel

Quote: "Lieutenant General Kuznetsov has been detained as a suspect in a criminal offence. The case is being investigated by the Main Military Investigation Department of the Russian Federation's Investigation Committee. The investigator has already appealed to the court to choose to remand the general in custody as a pre-trial restriction measure."

Details: It is not known what Kuznetsov is suspected of. The hearing on the pre-trial restriction measure took place on the same day; its results are also unknown. This is the second criminal case in the Russian Ministry of Defence in recent times.

One law enforcement official said that Kuznetsov's workplace and home had been searched. No other details of the criminal case were provided.

From 2010 to 2023, Kuznetsov served as the head of the 8th Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. This body is responsible for the protection of state secrets within the Ministry of Defence.

Kuznetsov was appointed Head of the Main Personnel Department of the Russian Defence Ministry in May 2023. Prior to that, he "served in various positions in the state secret protection service."

Background:

On 23 April, the Russian Federation reported the detention of General Timur Ivanov, Deputy Minister of Defence, on suspicion of taking a bribe. Ivanov was in charge of military construction projects.

On 12 May, it was officially announced that Sergei Shoigu had been dismissed from the post of Defence Minister and appointed to the post of Secretary of the Russian Security Council to replace Nikolai Patrushev.

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Anti-abortion activist who led a clinic blockade is sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison

FILE - Anti-abortion activists Lauren Handy, front, with Terrisa Bukovinac, from left, Jonathan Darnell, and Randall Terry, speak during a news conference in Washington, April 5, 2022. An anti-abortion activist has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison for leading others on an invasion and blockade of a reproductive health clinic in the nations capital. Lauren Handy declined to address the court before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sentenced her on Tuesday to four years and nine months in prison. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

WASHINGTON (AP)  An anti-abortion activist who led others on an invasion and blockade of a reproductive health clinic in the nation's capital was sentenced on Tuesday to nearly five years in prison.

Lauren Handy, 30, was among several people convicted of federal civil rights offenses for blockading access to the Washington Surgi-Clinic on Oct. 22, 2020. Police found five fetuses at Handy's home in Washington after she was indicted.

A clinic nurse sprained her ankle when one of Handy's co-defendants forced his way into the clinic and pushed her. Another co-defendant accosted a woman who was having labor pains, preventing her from getting off a floor and entering the clinic, prosecutors said.

Inside the clinic's waiting room, Handy directed blockaders to link themselves together with locks and chains and block the doors. A co-defendant used social media to livestream the blockade, which lasted several hours before police arrested the participants.

Handy declined to address the court before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sentenced her to four years and nine months in prison.

Handy's supporters applauded as she was led out of the courtroom. You're a hero, Lauren! one of them shouted.

The judge told Handy that she was being punished for her actions, not her beliefs.

The law does not protect violent nor obstructive conduct, nor should it, Kollar-Kotelly said.

Prosecutors recommended a prison sentence of roughly six years for Handy. They described her as an anti-abortion extremist who was a "criminal mastermind" behind the Washington invasion and similar attacks on other clinics.

Her strongly held anti-abortion beliefs led her to devise a plan to block access to the Surgi-clinic," prosecutors wrote. "The blockade, which was broadcast to Handys legion of followers, encouraged others to commit similar crimes, publicized her own offense, and traumatized the victims.

A jury convicted Handy of two charges: conspiracy against rights and violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, more commonly known as the FACE Act.

Defense lawyers asked for a prison sentence of one year for Handy, who has been jailed since her August 2023 conviction. Her attorneys described her as a compassionate activist who cares deeply for the vulnerable communities she serves.

Her goal in life is to protect those who cannot protect themselves, and to empower those who do not feel that they have any power, the defense attorneys wrote.

Handy's nine co-defendants were Jonathan Darnel, of Virginia; Jay Smith, John Hinshaw and William Goodman, all of New York; Joan Bell, of New Jersey; Paulette Harlow and Jean Marshall, both of Massachusetts; Heather Idoni, of Michigan; and Herb Geraghty, of Pennsylvania.

Goodman and Hinshaw were sentenced on Tuesday to prison terms of 27 months and 21 months, respectively, according to prosecutors.

Smith was sentenced last year to 10 months behind bars. Darnel, Geraghty, Marshall and Bell are scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday. Idoni is scheduled to be sentenced next Tuesday. Harlows sentencing is set for May 31.

These are good people who wouldn't hurt anybody on purpose, said Martin Cannon, one of Handy's attorneys. Lauren has done enough time. Send Lauren home. Send them all home.

Darnel joined Handy in planning and leading the Washington clinic invasion, using social media to recruit participants and discuss their plans, prosecutors said.

Handy used a false name to book a fake appointment at the clinic on the morning of the invasion. When a clinic employee unlocked a door to admit patients, the defendants pushed and shoved their way in while Darnel livestreamed the blockade.

As the codefendants executed the blockade, Handy used a rope stretched across the entrance threshold to obstruct entry into the clinics waiting room, prosecutors wrote. "After the blockade was successfully executed, Handy briefly left the building to act as the groups police liaison."

The judge said Handy and her fellow activists didn't show any compassion or empathy to the patients who were prevented from getting care that day.

No caring or sympathetic gestures at all, Kollar-Kotelly said.

Handy and some of her co-defendants also blockaded reproductive health clinics in Silver Spring, Maryland, and Alexandria, Virginia, after the Washington invasion, prosecutors said.

Handy's attorneys said she founded and operated a nonprofit organization, Mercy Missions, that helps families and mothers in crisis pregnancies." She also joined a group called Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising before her March 2022 arrest.
People sign a petition to put a measure on the ballot in 2024 that would reinstate abortion rights in South Dakota. (Courtesy: Dakotans for Health)

People sign a petition to put a measure on the ballot in 2024 that would reinstate abortion rights in South Dakota. (Courtesy: Dakotans for Health)

Hundreds of phone calls this week that the South Dakota secretary of state has labeled a scam are originating from an anti-abortion group seeking to disqualify an abortion-rights ballot measure.

A petition was submitted last week to the Secretary of States Office with enough signatures to place the measure on the Nov. 5 ballot, but the signatures must undergo a validation process.

Earlier this year, the Legislature and Gov. Kristi Noem passed legislation allowing people to withdraw their signatures from petitions.

Rachel Soulek, elections director with the Secretary of States Office, said the callers are capitalizing on the new law.

This is the first time we are seeing this and its a result of the law change to allow individuals to remove their name from a ballot measure up till the point it is validated in our office, Soulek told South Dakota Searchlight through email.

The office sent a news release Monday warning the public to be aware of scammers impersonating employees of the Secretary of States Office, pushing the voters to challenge the abortion rights ballot measure petitions.

Citizens in South Dakota, by law, have the right to petition and people like these scammers are eroding public trust in the election process, Secretary of State Monae Johnson said in the news release.

Johnsons office asked state Attorney General Marty Jackley to look into the calls. Jackley said Tuesday that the Division of Criminal Investigation reviewed complaints about the calls, and also reviewed scripts used by callers, and found no indication of criminal wrongdoing.

Calls are for impending court challenge

The calls are associated with a new South Dakota Petition Integrity political action committee, registered Monday by Dell Rapids Republican state Rep. Jon Hansen. The group is affiliated with the Life Defense Fund ballot question committee, which Hansen co-chairs.

Callers are targeting over 700 South Dakotans who signed the petition and were randomly selected as a sample to validate the petition signatures by the Secretary of States Office.

The office uses samples to estimate whether enough of the signatures on a petition are from registered voters, rather than examining every signature. The abortion petition, a proposed state constitutional amendment, needed 35,017 signatures and was submitted with about 55,000.

Rep. Jon Hansen, R-Dell Rapids, speaks on the House floor on March 5, 2024. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)

Hansen said his volunteers are not impersonating state employees. He said theyre clearly stating that they are volunteers with the committee and disclosing how they received the persons name.

The callers are independently verifying the signatures, Hansen said, and asking signers whether petition circulators followed applicable laws and whether signers were misled into signing the petition. Hansen has alleged some signers were duped into believing they were signing a petition to repeal the state sales tax on groceries when they were actually signing the abortion-rights petition.

The information collected through the phone calls will be used as evidence when opponents of the ballot measure challenge the validity of the signatures in court.

We dont intimidate a single person. Our mission is not to intimidate  our mission is to educate, Hansen told South Dakota Searchlight.

Hansen obtained the sample list through a public records request. Rick Weiland, who is leading the abortion-rights ballot initiative, also obtained the sample list from the office. The sample list is prepared within five days of the signatures being submitted.

Information or harassment?

Hansen was a prime sponsor of the petition signature withdrawal bill that passed the Legislature earlier this year with an emergency clause, ensuring that the law went into effect immediately. He said callers are informing signers they can remove their signatures if they were misled or have changed their mind.

I would encourage anybody who signed that abortion petition to take their name off of it, Hansen said. Ever since this law was passed and went into effect, Ive been encouraging people to take their name off the petition, but its not coercive. Its not intimidation.

Hansen said the phone calls are not harassment under state law.

If anybodys harassing anybody, its wrong and they shouldnt do it. Thats certainly not what were doing  were just giving people the facts, Hansen said. We have laws already on the books against harassment, so if anybody is getting harassed those laws should be enforced.

Weiland, with Dakotans for Health, the ballot question committee backing the abortion-rights measure, said the calls are acts of desperation in an effort to suppress direct democracy.

It smells of voter intimidation and harassment, Weiland added.

Some people who received phone calls from the committee told South Dakota Searchlight that the volunteers did not clearly indicate they were not affiliated with the state government. Some called several times, and some did not state their name or organization when leaving voicemails.

Dakotans for Health Executive Director Rick Weiland, standing beside copies of petition signatures, speaks to the press Feb. 7, 2024, at the Capitol in Pierre about an initiated constitutional amendment to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)

Adrienne Bosma signed the petition and volunteered with Dakotans for Health as a petition circulator. She said a caller from South Dakota Petition Integrity created the impression of being officially associated with the Secretary of States Office.

The volunteer asked questions, including whether Bosma knew the petition allows for abortion up to birth. Bosma said she challenged the volunteers language before the volunteer hung up the phone.

I was so mad, I was physically shaking, Bosma said. If youre calling people and harassing them when theyre exercising their First Amendment right, thats over the line. Thats not OK.

The ballot measure would legalize abortions in the first trimester of pregnancy but allow the state to impose limited regulations in the second trimester and a ban in the third trimester, with exceptions for the life and health of the mother.

Law creates double standard, official says

Pamela McClure received a voicemail that stated the callers name and organization. The voicemail also said the group received her name from the South Dakota secretary of state.

She said she was a volunteer of the group registered with the secretary of state and got my name from the secretary of state, McClure said. To me, that means shes working with the Secretary of States Office.

Amy Scott-Stoltz, president of the South Dakota League of Women Voters, was also contacted. Scott-Stoltz asked the volunteer several questions about the committee, its intent and mission, which she said went unanswered.

Scott-Stoltz said she was worried about this after the Legislature passed its signature withdrawal bill. She said the laws lack of guidelines for signature withdrawal solicitors feels like a double standard.

This just made it legal for them to call and have no restrictions on what they can or cannot say to me, where there are restrictions for petition circulators, Scott-Stoltz said. I wasnt told who this committee was and couldnt find any information on them at the time. Basically, the transparency wasnt there.

Scott-Stoltz said the law should be reversed or amended to hold signature withdrawal solicitors to the same standards as petition circulators.

Sioux Falls Democratic state Rep. Erin Healy spoke against the signature withdrawal bill during the legislative session. She told South Dakota Searchlight via text message she believes the law derails the democratic process.

Rep. Erin Healy, D-Sioux Falls, speaks during a House State Affairs Committee meeting on Feb. 8, 2024 in the Capitol. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)

I would like to know if volunteers were required to take a training course prior to contacting South Dakota citizens, because if the Legislature is going to put guardrails in place for gathering signatures or removing signatures, the same should be done for volunteers representing committees that are calling and harassing citizens, Healy said.

Petition signers should expect to receive another unsolicited phone call soon, this time from Weilands organization.

Its important because we know what the arguments are, what theyve been saying all along about our amendment, Weiland said. Well be trying to address that in our communication to not believe what youre being told and if you have any questions or concerns, give us a call. Thatll be the gist of what well try to do.

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The post Anti-abortion group is behind calls labeled a scam by state election official appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
The Idaho State Fire Marshals Office determined a discarded lithium-ion battery sparked the fire at the University of Idahos Hartung Theatre Friday morning.

Moscow Volunteer Fire Department firefighters were called to the theater around 8 a.m. Friday when it received multiple reports of flames and smoke coming from the Hartung loading dock and a box truck parked nearby, according to Chief Brian Nickerson.

The blaze set off the theaters fire alarm and sprinkler system inside, and damaged the loading dock. Nickerson said a sprinkler head in the inside dock area kept the fire to the exterior of the building.

The fire caused exterior damage and smoke damage to the inside of the building. The box trucks exterior was burnt, but none of the contents inside were damaged, Nickerson said.
AP gets rare look as Ukraine tries to slow Russia with drones on new front

A Ukrainian serviceman of the ACHILLES battalion of the 92nd brigade operates a suicide drone over Russian positions in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

KHARKIV REGION, Ukraine (AP)  From the sky, the Ukrainian drone unit commander had a birds-eye view of Russias renewed offensive playing out in the countrys war-ravaged northeast.

Enemy forces have captured a string of Ukrainian villages over the past few days after opening a new front along the border with the Russian region of Belgorod. In the village of Strilecha, long depopulated due to its proximity to the border, a Russian infantry unit rolled in with ease, said one drone operator.

I saw that the infantry just walked into the village, said Borchik. There were a lot of them. Members of the unit spoke on the condition that only their call signs be used in line with Ukrainian military protocols.

In many other places this week, Russian troops were locked in intense battles with Ukrainian soldiers.

Russia's ground offensive has opened a new front and put more pressure on Ukraine's overstretched forces, who are using bomb-laden drones to destroy military vehicles. The Associated Press had access to a position on the overstretched front lines with Ukrainian drone operators, and watched as a serviceman destroyed a Russian vehicle from afar with a remote-controlled aircraft.

Despite such blows against Russia, Ukraine is entering a two-month period expected to be its most difficult since the war began.

This is just the beginning, said Manul, the call sign of the Ukrainian drone operator. The AP team was allowed to spend time with the drone unit on condition that the exact location not be revealed.

A RARE LOOK

Analysts paint a bleak picture. By stretching Ukrainian forces thin ahead of an expected summer offensive, Russia increases the chances of a breakthrough even if Western supplies are delivered in full.

Precious reserves were meant to halt Russias advance elsewhere along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) frontline but rotated out to stabilize the new front and limit Moscows advance. Now Ukrainian soldiers are concerned Russia will open more fighting along its border with Ukraine to stretch limited manpower and exploit the window of time before promised Western military aid arrives.

Meanwhile, Manul's unit keeps watch around the clock of a highway in the Kharkiv region and dispatches drones to destroy military vehicles that are meant to bolster the Russian advance along the border.

The push against Kharkiv compels Ukraine to commit troops to defend its second-largest city, and given the size of the Russian group of forces in the area, this will draw in reserves of critical material, from air defences to artillery, wrote Jack Watling, RUSIs Senior Research Fellow for Land Warfare.

THE FRONT LINE

Russia can then apply pressure in other areas of the front line, including the mostly static southern front in the Zaporizhzhia region. After Ukraine commits reserves in these directions, Russia can push in further toward Donetsk and Luhansk, Watling wrote.

The capture of Donestsk and Luhansk is Moscows stated aim. Russias operation, which has seen village after village fall to Moscows control, is the most significant border incursion since the full-scale invasion. Russian troops have faced little resistance.

Today I saw that the (Russian) infantry just walked into the village, said Borchik, the drone operator of the ACHILLES battalion of the 92nd brigade.

Signs of an impending offensive were clear, Ukrainian soldiers said. A large accumulation of Russian troops, including newly formed groups, by the border signaled a fresh attack was imminent.

At the same time, improved Russian intelligence gathering managed to exploit another enduring Ukrainian disadvantage: The shortage in personnel.

SHORTAGE OF PERSONNEL

When it came time to launch the offensive, Moscow knew Ukrainian forces would be spread desperately thin and have to rotate in units fighting heavy battles in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, known as the Donbas.

We lack the infantry. Not many people mobilize, Borchik said. We are running out of people and crews need to be replenished.

Plus, the Russians have information. I dont know how, but it's being leaked when one brigade leaves and a new one enters. And in that moment the Russians storm in, he said.

That was how Russian forces captured the Donetsk settlement of Ocheretyne last month. Moscows troops capitalized on the moment between one brigades departure and anothers entry, when the line is at its weakest.

With 50,000-70,000 troops amassed in the Belgorod direction, nowhere near enough to seize Kharkiv region, it is clear to Ukrainian commanders that the operation seeks to divert their forces from other parts of the frontline.

It will significantly complicate things, he said.

The night they arrived, the unit destroyed many light military vehicles and trucks moving along the highway. The following night, there were fewer, a sign the Russians wised up about the presence of a drone unit within firing range.

We burned their equipment, so they are driving less now. Maybe they found another path, he said.

ANOTHER PATH

Borchik is now waiting to see what countermeasures the Russians will deploy to evade their drones.

Moscow has gained the upper hand by using electronic warfare to neutralize Ukrainian craft.

I think they will use radio-electronic warfare here  so that we fly less, he said. And they will look for ways to further drag out more reserves.

Russian troops are deploying new frequencies to evade Ukrainian jammers, while finding other ways to muffle Ukrainian drone frequencies. Recently, Russian troops unveiled tanks equipped with a shell-like contraption, ostensibly to protect it from marauding suicide drones.

Destroying such equipment is much more difficult, said Borchik.

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Associated Press journalist Volodymyr Yurchuk contributed to this report.

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For more coverage of the war in Ukraine, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
This combination of images from body-camera videos shows police encounters with, top row from left, Jeffrey Melvin in Colorado in 2018, Johnathan Binkley in Tennessee in 2019; bottom row from left, Bradford Macomber in Mississippi in 2016 and Samuel Celestin in Florida in 2019. Police officers in hundreds of deadly encounters across the United States violated well-known law enforcement guidelines that prescribe the safest ways to restrain, subdue and arrest people, an Associated Press investigation has found. (Colorado Springs Police Department, Knox County Sheriff's Office, Gulfport Police Department, Ocoee Police Department via AP)

In hundreds of deaths where police used force meant to stop someone without killing them, officers violated well-known guidelines for safely restraining and subduing people  not simply once or twice, but multiple times.

Most violations involved pinning people facedown in ways that could restrict their breathing or stunning them repeatedly with Tasers, an Associated Press investigation found.

Some officers had little choice but to break policing best practices  safety guidelines that are recommended by government agencies, law enforcement groups and training experts  to save a life or protect someone.

Many other violations were harder to explain. Officers at times prematurely resorted to weapons or physical holds during routine calls or misread a persons confusion as defiance in medical emergencies, setting off a string of mistakes. In other cases, they kept applying force even after they had people handcuffed and controlled.

For its investigation, AP catalogued 1,036 deaths over a decades time after officers had used force not involving their guns. In about half, medical officials ruled that law enforcement caused or contributed to the deaths, but they usually didnt mention whether policing best practices were followed.

Counting violations of best practices also was difficult when departments didnt document important details or withheld their files. But based on a review of tens of thousands of pages of police and court records, as well as hundreds of hours of body-camera video footage, AP found:

 Officers breached the guidelines in three or more ways in roughly 440 deaths, or about 45% of the time. In others, a single mistake sometimes fueled life-threatening injuries.

 Many who died were on drugs or alcohol, or had underlying medical conditions, making them more vulnerable to misapplied force, just as best practices forewarned.

 In about 30% of the deaths where police went outside the guidelines multiple times, the officers or bystanders were facing imminent or potential danger. Safety practices may excuse officers under those circumstances.

Because of how policing is set up in the United States, there are no national rules for how officers apply force. Best practices provide some direction but arent mandatory. In the end, individual departments or states set their own policies and training.

Directives from the federal government would help establish consistent use-of-force standards, said Alex del Carmen, a longtime criminologist who has monitored court-ordered reforms at troubled departments and works at Tarleton State University.

While national policing organizations offer guidelines, they dont always trickle down to officers, and, he added, they do not take the place of the federal government, who should have taken the lead many years ago in providing direction and clarity.

The reasons why officers didnt follow the guidelines varied, AP found. Some testified that they werent taught them. In other departments, policies werent up to date.

A few times, officers specifically credited their training with helping avoid mistakes. One Ohio deputy, for example, holstered his Taser after he was told a 60-year-old man wanted on a warrant had heart trouble.

Tyler Owen, a former officer, believes nearly all police do get it right. Most encounters dont involve force, he said, and the solution for avoiding trouble is almost always straightforward: Comply with police.

By continuing to resist and continuing to fight law enforcement, you are putting yourself at risk, said Owen, now spokesperson for the Texas Municipal Police Association, the states largest law enforcement group.

When officers deal with people who are volatile or cant comprehend commands, they sometimes need to use force outside best practices  even if that means doing violent things to go home to their families, he said.

APs investigation, done in collaboration with the Howard Centers for Investigative Journalism and FRONTLINE (PBS), covered 2012 through 2021. While violations spanned many types of less-lethal force, the most prevalent happened in the four areas below.

PINNING FACEDOWN

WHAT THE GUIDELINES SAY: Police have been on notice since the 1990s about the risks of pinning someone on their chest in what is known as prone position. The concern started with positional asphyxia  when the chest cant expand, starving the body of oxygen. But more recently, researchers have warned that compressing the chest also can stress the heart and cause cardiac arrest.

The key is getting someone off their stomach quickly. A 1995 Justice Department bulletin advised doing so as soon as the suspect is handcuffed and warned of a vicious cycle in which putting weight on a persons back can further restrict breathing, causing them to struggle more violently to create room for their lungs. That federal guidance came amid increasing concern about prone restraint, including from a national group of police chiefs in 1993.

The DOJ also has warned that prone restraint can be more dangerous to a broad category of people police often confront  those on drugs or alcohol. Also vulnerable are people who are obese, who have cardiac or respiratory problems, or who have already been shocked with stun guns. By 2001, the DOJ advised departments to develop policies addressing positional asphyxia.

WHAT AP FOUND: Officers restrained someone facedown in at least 740 of the 1,036 deaths  usually with one, or sometimes more, using their bodyweight. In about half of the prone restraint cases, police didnt turn over the person as soon as they were handcuffed or did so only after they had stopped responding.

Where video was available or police reports noted the duration of restraint, a few people were kept on their chests after handcuffing for less than 60 seconds. More often, the pinning continued for minutes while officers bound the suspects ankles together or waited for them to stop struggling.

A video obtained by AP showed a police officer in Ava, Missouri, handcuffing a man having a drug relapse and restraining him in a prone position for roughly eight minutes. The officer warned he wouldnt ease up until the man stopped kicking. Once still, the officer asked the man, Are you going to be calm now? He didnt answer. Another two minutes passed before the officer realized the man didnt seem to be breathing. A federal judge who reviewed the video ruled in the officers favor in a civil lawsuit, saying the law didnt require police to stop prone restraint once a person quit struggling. That legal interpretation, however, was out of step with federal courts in other regions, which provide broad direction on use of force.

About 240 of the prone restraint cases involved people suspected of using drugs or alcohol. For 11 minutes, officers in Gulfport, Mississippi, held down a 53-year-old man who was causing a disturbance outside a beachside restaurant. Police first shocked him with a Taser and then an officer straddled his back as he was pinned. Previously unreported dashcam video obtained by AP showed him struggling to shift his hips and shoulders, yelling I cant breathe. He eventually became motionless with the officer still on top. The officer told investigators hed been trained not to put someone on their chest and that his weight was on his knees, insisting  contrary to what the video showed  that he had turned the suspect sideways the entire time. A grand jury declined to charge the officers after the death was ruled accidental from drug use.

At least 180 people pinned to the ground were obese. Knox County deputies in Tennessee realized they needed to reposition a handcuffed man who was facedown in the dirt. Roll him on his side so he can breathe. Hes got a big belly, one said. But when the 280-pound man pulled his leg away, officers hog-tied him by crossing his legs, cuffing his ankles and strapping his hands and feet together behind his back. For more than three minutes, close to a dozen deputies stood by as he rolled on his stomach. One pressed a knee and hand into his upper back, forcing him to be still. A minute later, they saw his life was in danger when an officer kneeled next to his motionless body and asked his date of birth. His death was blamed on fentanyl and methamphetamines. The district attorney called the actions of deputies lawful and closed the case, but the family reached an undisclosed settlement with the county in a wrongful death lawsuit.

TOO MUCH TASER

WHAT THE GUIDELINES SAY: When stun guns began gaining popularity among police two decades ago, there were no specific limits for how many times, or how long, someone could be shocked. That changed as deaths and lawsuits against the leading brand of the weapon, Taser, increased.

Axon Enterprise Inc., the maker of Tasers, has long said that in volatile situations, Tasers are a safer alternative to shooting suspects or smashing their head with a baton. Tasers fire small darts that are connected to the weapon with wires, delivering electricity from a close distance that briefly locks up muscles. Officers can also drive Tasers into the body, painfully jolting someone to gain compliance.

The company has insisted that factors like drug intoxication or hidden cardiac problems are really to blame for deaths, not the electricity. But some research began finding repeated shocks can create cardiac and respiratory risks.

In 2011, the Police Executive Research Forum, a national law enforcement policy group, issued guidelines saying officers should be taught that multiple uses may increase the risk of death. The guidelines warned against simultaneous shocks from more than one device and recommended capping the electricity at 15 seconds  or three blasts of the standard 5-second cycle.

By 2013, Axon in its training manual warned to avoid prolonged and repeated exposures and cited the concerns from law enforcement and medical groups about going beyond 15 seconds.

Safety recommendations, including from Axon, also say officers should pause between pulling the Taser trigger to evaluate the person before delivering another shock. When multiple shocks arent effective, officers should consider other options.

WHAT AP FOUND: Despite the warnings, officers fired their stun guns more than three times or for more than a combined 15 seconds in at least 180 of the 538 deadly encounters involving the weapons.

Three Roswell, New Mexico, officers shocked a 34-year-old man as many as 15 times after they said he was wielding a police-style baton and throwing handfuls of rocks. Some of the darts hit his head and chest. After an initial shot to the chest, the man dropped the baton, yet the stunning continued. A federal judge didnt find fault with the overall number of Taser shots but did say the final few when the man was on the ground and incapacitated went too far because he was no longer a threat.

In Colorado, one of two officers who fired their Tasers a combined eight times at a man resisting handcuffing testified in a lawsuit that he was not trained about the danger of shocking someone more than three times. The deputy chief of the Colorado Springs Police Department at the time testified that its policy allowed officers to keep delivering electricity until the persons behavior changed. The department determined the officers did nothing wrong, but the lawsuit alleging poor training of police is ongoing.

One of three officers in South Boston, Virginia, who shocked a man rolling on a hospital sidewalk said a suspects actions  not Taser guidelines  dictate what to do. The officers fired their Tasers a combined 20 times, even after handcuffing the man. There are eight pages of warnings, and basically if I read and abided by every single warning, I would not tase anyone, the officer said in response to a civil lawsuit later settled out of court. Federal prosecutors said they didnt see enough evidence to pursue civil right charges against the three officers.

Some cases went far beyond the guidelines issued by Axon and policing experts. Officers fired their stun guns 10 or more times in at least 29 encounters AP identified. In a rare occurrence, two police officers in Wilson, Oklahoma, were convicted of murder after shocking a man 53 times in 2019  just under four minutes total of firing the Tasers  even though he never tried to attack either officer. A state investigator said the man was naked in a ditch and shocked numerous times because he apparently didnt follow orders to roll onto his stomach and put his hands behind his back.

SHOCKING THE VULNERABLE

WHAT THE GUIDELINES SAY: Axon and law enforcement organizations have warned police departments for well over a decade that the elderly and people having a mental health or medical crisis are among those at higher risk for sudden death from electrical shocks. Officers also have long been told that people on elevated surfaces or running could have a catastrophic fall when their muscles lock up.

In 2009, Axon first recommended that police aim Taser darts at the back or abdomen instead of the chest whenever possible. While the company said this would increase the weapons effectiveness and avoid the remote potential risk of cardiac effect, it said the main reason for the change was to defend against lawsuits, according to a company memo explaining the changes.

Many police agencies have adopted at least some of these recommendations, while still giving officers leeway when people pose an immediate danger and the need to control them outweighs the risks.

WHAT AP FOUND: The vulnerable groups most often subjected to shocks were suspected of using illicit drugs or showing signs of bizarre or aggressive behavior, paranoia, or unexpected strength.

Others were vulnerable in different ways. At least 10 people who died after stuns were 65 or older, including a veteran with dementia who had threatened to stab an officer with a pen at a Minnesota nursing home. The 79-year-old fell and broke his hip after the electrified darts connected. He died two months later from complications related to the fall. None of the officers faced an investigation, according to the Stillwater Police Department.

Officers shocked at least 50 people who were fleeing or susceptible to a fall. A federal court in Georgia said a DeKalb County police officer shouldnt have fired his Taser at an unarmed passenger who inexplicably ran from a traffic stop and then climbed onto an 8-foot wall. The court said the man had neither committed a crime nor made threatening gestures, yet the officer fired his Taser without giving a warning. The man fell, broke his neck and died.

In some cases, officers opted to use a Taser even when a gun might have been justified. Among the more than 100 people shocked by police in the chest, head, neck or genitals was a Michigan man who was sexually assaulting his girlfriend in front of her two children. Hearing him yelling Im going to kill her, one officer fired his Taser to stop the attack. Another shocked the suspect from 5 feet away as he was refusing to turn onto his stomach. That blast near his heart proved to be fatal, a medical examiner said. While the Rockwood Police Departments policy warned against targeting the chest, the officer said in a deposition that wasn't where he was aiming and the man was a moving target. He told a state investigator using the Taser was safer than going hands on with the man or using his firearm. A prosecutor and a federal court sided with the officers, citing the safety threat.

FORCE AFTER CUFFING

WHAT THE GUIDELINES SAY: For the most part, federal courts have agreed that punching, using Tasers or holding someone facedown is excessive when theyre handcuffed and not resisting or ignoring an officers orders.

These federal court decisions have led many departments to adopt policies that allow force against handcuffed people in just a few instances. One model policy, developed by nearly a dozen law enforcement groups in 2017, called for using force against people in restraints only when they would otherwise flee or injure someone.

WHAT AP FOUND: Police failed to promptly turn over at least 360 people after they were handcuffed or controlled  about half of all cases involving prone restraint. Many of the officers also continued to use their bodyweight, hands or knees to apply pressure.

A federal appeals court said officers in Richmond, Virginia, went too far after they handcuffed and pinned a man who refused mental health treatment. After he became motionless, the officers still didnt let up, the court said. The court didnt fault the officers decision to detain the man, but said he couldnt have posed a threat once he was outnumbered and handcuffed.

In more than 30 cases, police used Tasers in drive-stun mode or fired darts at someone who was already handcuffed or who had stopped resisting. Police officers in Hazelwood, Missouri, shocked a handcuffed man as many as 13 times and hit him repeatedly with a baton. The man was driving erratically on his way home to celebrate his wedding anniversary and appeared intoxicated. Prosecutors decided police did nothing wrong because he was aggressively resisting. A federal judge, who also sided with the police, said it was clear he fought for eight minutes, and that it took three officers and multiple Taser blasts and baton strikes to subdue him.

In a Delaware case, a federal judge wouldnt give a state trooper immunity from an excessive force claim after he fired his Taser at a man who appeared to be secured and no longer resisting. The trooper, a certified Taser instructor, initially took steps to avoid a deadly outcome when he came across the man, who had a gun behind his back. Thinking the man might be mentally ill, the trooper holstered his gun and shocked him, causing him to fall and drop his firearm. The trooper rapidly fired again because he thought the man was rolling over and reaching for the gun. But the third jolt of electricity was unjustified, the judge said, because it came 15 seconds later and after officers had secured the man. An expert hired by the family said the final blast hit the mans chest, something the trooper should have known to avoid.

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Holbrook Mohr in Jackson, Mississippi, and Kristin M. Hall in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed to this report. Mary Dalrymple and Sean Mussenden of the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the University of Maryland also contributed.

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This story is part of an ongoing investigation led by The Associated Press in collaboration with the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism programs and FRONTLINE (PBS). The investigation includes the Lethal Restraint interactive story, database and the documentary, Documenting Police Use Of Force, which premiered April 30 on PBS and is available online. To view stories by journalists at the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism programs, go here.

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The Associated Press receives support from the Public Welfare Foundation for reporting focused on criminal justice. This story also was supported by Columbia Universitys Ira A. Lipman Center for Journalism and Civil and Human Rights in conjunction with Arnold Ventures. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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Contact APs global investigative team at Investigative@ap.org or https://www.ap.org/tips
Anna Lange, a sheriff's sergeant in Houston County, Ga., poses for a picture, Nov. 14, 2023. A federal appeals court has upheld a lower courts ruling that a Georgia county illegally discriminated against the sheriffs deputy by failing to pay for her gender-affirming surgery. In its ruling Monday, May 13, 2024 the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said it was tasked with determining whether a health insurance provider can be held liable under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for denying coverage for a procedure because an employee is transgender. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy, file)

ATLANTA (AP)  A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court's ruling that a Georgia county illegally discriminated against a sheriff's deputy by failing to pay for her gender-affirming surgery.

In its ruling Monday, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said it was tasked with determining whether a health insurance provider can be held liable under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for denying coverage for a procedure because an employee is transgender. The three-judge panel decided in a 2-1 vote that it can and that the lower court had ruled correctly.

Houston County Sgt. Anna Lange, an investigator for the Houston County sheriff's office, had sued Sheriff Cullen Talton and the county in 2019 after she was denied coverage.

I have proudly served my community for decades and it has been deeply painful to have the county fight tooth and nail, redirecting valuable resources toward denying me basic health care  health care that the courts and a jury of my peers have already agreed I deserve," Lange said in a news release from the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, which represented her.

A woman who answered the phone at the sheriffs office Tuesday said she would pass along a message seeking comment.

U.S. District Court Judge Marc Treadwell ruled in 2022 that the countys refusal to cover Langes prescribed gender-affirmation surgery amounted to illegal sex discrimination under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Treadwells order cited the U.S. Supreme Courts 2020 decision finding that a Michigan funeral home could not fire an employee for being transgender.

The judge ordered the countys insurance plan to pay for the surgery and Lange eventually underwent the procedure. A jury awarded Lange $60,000 in damages in 2022.

The county sought to undo Treadwell's order and the damage award.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 says an employer cannot "discriminate against any individual with respect to his (or her) compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individuals race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

The 11th Circuit opinion says the Supreme Court clarified in another Georgia case that discrimination based on the fact that someone is transgender necessarily entails discrimination based on sex.
Argentina may help Ukraine with energy spare parts

Argentina may assist Ukraine with spare parts to restore energy and civilian infrastructure damaged by Russian missile attacks.

Source: Ukraines Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko during a meeting with Diana Mondino, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of Argentina

Quote: "We raised the issue of Russia's systematic attacks on our energy infrastructure and the possibilities for assistance in its restoration from Argentina. Our systems are partially similar so that Argentina can assist Ukraine with some spare parts."

Details: Svyrydenko said they discussed with the Argentine minister the possibilities of deepening cooperation in the defence sector, including the creation of joint defence businesses, procurement of artillery ammunition and gunpowder, as well as investments in Argentine companies that produce weapons.

Svyrydenko mentioned that Ukrainian companies have invited Argentine companies to participate in Ukraines investment projects in the agricultural sector. In particular, regarding equipment for temporary grain storage in silo bags.

She also hopes that trade in agricultural products will increase, including the export of Ukrainian nitrogen fertilisers to Argentina.

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Arguments to keep marijuana illegal dont hold up against reality in Florida | Opinion

Cannabis prohibition has done nothing but waste billions of taxpayer dollars, produce discriminatory policies and destroy communities.

Thankfully, recent momentum is promising. The Florida Supreme Court has approved the ballot language of Amendment 3 that seeks to legalize adult-use cannabis in the November elections.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) proposed reclassifying cannabis as a Schedule III substance instead of Schedule I along with drugs like heroin. Former DEA Administrative Law Judge Francis L. Young called the plant the safest therapeutically active substance as far back as 1988.

Despite progress made over the last 26 years, many public officials amplify their disdain for reform with cherry-picked data and biased analysis. As Election Day nears, prohibitionists must retire their contrarian arguments. Balanced data and analyses illustrate that we must legalize cannabis and implement effective policies that ensure a secure market.

Economic and criminal justice failures

In 2016, Florida spent more than $180 million enforcing marijuana prohibition, according to the Cato Institute. John Gettmans book Crimes of Indiscretion: Marijuana Arrests in the United States estimates that, nationwide, the criminal justice system spent $7.65 billion in a single year incarcerating Americans.

These vast outlays have failed to limit illegal cannabis availability. Instead, already marginalized communities have been torn apart. Despite equal usage, black Floridians are 4.2 times more likely to be arrested for cannabis possession than white Floridians, according to a 2013 American Civil Liberties Union report. Counteracting this flawed system through legalization would save $7.7 billion in federal government expenditure and generate nearly $8.5 billion in annual tax revenue for all states, according to the Tax Foundation.

Federal prohibition fuels the illicit market

As adult-use legalization efforts strengthen in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis insists the expansion of a legal cannabis market creates a more robust illicit market. Unfortunately, the governors actions are likely fueling the illegal market he claims to be wary of.

In Canada, data suggests that a growing legal market diminishes illicit market share. In California, industry leaders point out that legalizing adult- and medical-use cannabis in some states but not others encourages unlicensed growers to ship their product to distributors in illicit markets. These issues can be addressed by establishing a federal program, devoid of heavy taxation, that provides opportunities for businesses, including those led by experienced individuals, to penetrate the market effectively.

Causation vs. correlation in health

The DEAs rescheduling proposal hasnt deterred prohibitionist advocates from exploiting misleading statistics and baseless claims to incite cannabis-related hysteria. As Jacob Sullum writes in a recent column, they ignore the benefits of legalization and systematically exaggerate its costs.

Former federal officials William Barr and John Walters wrote a Free Press op-ed littered with elementary falsehoods. They argue liberal cannabis laws lead to increased marijuana-related ER visits, sourcing an article that provides zero evidence of injury.

Elsewhere, the duo cites a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report to argue that, one in three people who use marijuana become addicted. The report analyzes marijuana use disorder data and doesnt claim one in three become addicted. The duo conveniently overlook inter-drug comparisons that suggest cannabis presents less risk than many legal substances. Cannabis mortality risk is 114 times less than alcohol-related mortality risk. Theres never been a fatal cannabis overdose, but alcohol poisoning accounts for 1,600-plus U.S. deaths annually, according to the CDC.

Contrary to prohibitionist arguments, researchers and federal agencies alike note that cannabis has been used as a medicine for thousands of years and most adults consume it in a manner that does not lead to dangerous outcomes.

Looking to the future

The days of federal agencies classifying cannabis alongside substances like heroin must end. The days of Florida officials claiming a legalization event will cause the state to smell like marijuana must end. Legalization discourse must be grounded in a balanced and scientific review of evidence and consider the broader context of cannabis use in a society that prioritizes freedoms, public health, and economic expansion.

Such discourse would facilitate legalization events. The most important result, however, would be the creation of an informed national industry that guides effective policy and personal decisions.

Andrew Sturner is co-founder and managing partner of Entourage Effect Capital, a cannabis investment firm.
Since October 7, 2023, many American campuses have been roiled by demonstrations, threats of violence, and harassment, aimed especially at Jewish students. Incidents of antisemitism in America have risen sharply. In 2023, the Anti-Defamation League noted a 140 percent increase compared to 2022, and the number is poised to go up again in 2024. University presidents have lost their jobs by failing to balance the right to protest with obligations to protect students and maintain a conducive learning environment.

The Antisemitism Awareness Act (AAA), which passed the House in a 320-91 vote on May 1, attempts to confront this worrying trend by empowering the Department of Education to hold college administrators accountable for refusing to address antisemitism on their campuses, according to Rep. Michael Lawler, a New York Republican and one of the bills co-sponsors. Its fate in the Senate is still uncertain.

What is the Antisemitism Awareness Act?

The AAA builds on Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. The AAA supposes that antisemitism is directed at the actual or perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics of some students, which should bring them under Title VI protection. Title VI does not apply to religious or ethnic categories, and since Jews come from a variety of national origins and racial backgrounds, expanding the parameters is necessary to consider them a protected class.

The bill instructs the Department of Education to pursue forms of discrimination rooted in antisemitism as vigorously as against all other forms of discrimination prohibited by Title VI. If the AAA were to become law, universities that failed to protect students against antisemitic discrimination would put their federal funding at risk. This would include direct grants to the institution, as well as indirect funding through student loans.

The AAAs definition of antisemitism is the most contentious element of the bill. It embraces standards adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in 2016, which says, Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. This expression might be rhetorical or physical, and it is directed toward individuals, property, institutions, or religious facilities. Examples the IHRA cited included denying the fact or scope of the Holocaust, engaging in stereotypes about the power of Jews in the economy or media, challenging the right of self-determination for Jews, or claiming Israel is, by definition, a racist state.

The AAA mimics a 2019 executive order signed by President Donald Trump, which also relied on the IHRAs understanding of antisemitism. If passed, the AAA would codify these standards in federal law (whereas an executive order can be rescinded by subsequent presidents).

Divisions among Republicans.

Of the 21 Republicans who voted against the AAA, mostincluding Reps. Chip Roy, Harriet Hageman, Michael Cloud, and Ralph Normanare members of the hardline House Freedom Caucus.

Republican opponents of the legislation generally argued against it along two fronts. Roy, for example, registered strong First Amendment concerns with the bill, as did Hageman and Reps. Andy Biggs and Byron Donalds. The AAA, since it targets hate speech (and more) directed toward Jews, would run into Supreme Court precedents that forbid the government from engaging in viewpoint discrimination to protect minorities. Public institutions in particular must apply any restrictions against free speechlike time, place, and manner regulationsevenly, or regardless of the speakers point of view. The Supreme Court has also demanded a clear line between protected speech that is offensive and harassment or imminent lawlessness. Put differently, using the IHRAs guidelines to recognize antisemitism could be a poor legal framework for such a constitutionally fraught issue. Even Kenneth Stern, an attorney who crafted the IHRA language, has said the definition wasnt written to guide statutory language.

Other Republicans, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, said they feared the AAA could be misused to target Christians for believing the Gospel that says Jesus was handed over to Herod to be crucified by the Jews. This thinking was refined by R. Albert Mohlera key voice on the Christian right and the leader of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminarywho, despite regarding the intention of protecting Jewish students on campus as noble, worried that by the bills loose logic the entire New Testament can be targeted as hate speech. This argument has a long tail. The teaching that Jews had rejected and killed Jesus and therefore were rejected and cursed by God, caused a great deal of antisemitic persecution at the hands of Christians throughout history, according to the Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion.

But some Democrats ridiculed Greenewho herself has been accused of antisemitism in the pastand those saying they fear that Christian theology by itself could be the basis for charges of antisemitism. I dont think the Jewish community is worried right now what the Jew Laser Lady has to say, Rep. Jared Moskowitz noted, referring to a 2018 Facebook post from Greene. Thats not who we want on our side. (Lawler, one of the Republican cosponsors of the bills, said Greenes claim was absurd on its face, inflammatory and irrational.)

Republicans in favor of the AAA also included hardline conservatives like Reps. Debbie Lesko, Scott Perry, Mary Miller, and prominent Freedom Caucus members (Reps. Bob Good and Jim Jordan). Notably, Rep. Elise Stefanik, who, like the Freedom Caucus members is closely aligned with Donald Trump, staunchly supported the AAA. Arguments varied but were animated by a desire to protect Jewish students, even with a flawed instrument. The opportunity to send a strong signal to elite academia was too tempting to ignore. There are not two legitimate sides to this issue, GOP Rep. Mark Molinaro said. The erection of encampments on college campuses isnt an expression of speech; it is a direct threat to Jewish students.

Divisions among Democrats.

Democrats have their own divisions, and the current conflict in Gaza has deepened them. Democratic representatives who collectively have become known as the Squad (Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, and Pramila Jayapal) were among the 70 Democrats to vote against the AAA. Jayapal echoed some Republicans in saying the bills definition of antisemitism was too broad and might endanger protected speech, while also accusing Republicans of attempting to weaponize antisemitism as a political ploy to divide Democrats. Rep. Jerry Nadler, who describes himself as a committed Zionist, also voted against the AAA and argued the bill threatens to chill constitutionally protected speech because its language sweeps too broadly.

Some of the 133 Democrats who supported the AAA were unequivocal, while others seemed conflicted. Rep. Josh Gottheimer sponsored the bill, and said, This bill protects the First Amendment, he noted. It allows criticism of Israel  it doesnt allow calls for the destruction or elimination of the Jewish state  Even more, it reminds us that our universities have a Title VI obligation to stamp out harassment on the basis of race, color, or national origin.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, a former constitutional law professor, had mixed views. He was wary of First Amendment problems. He viewed the IHRAs definition of antisemitism as too vague, and claimed the bill would likely violate due process because it does not give a reasonable person notice of what the proscribed speech or conduct is even in the most rudimentary sense. Yet he voted in favor of the bill not because the bill would help much, but in the hope it would not hurt much. Raskin also thought the AAA could bring consolation to some of those despairing in the face of antisemitism.

Will the Senate take it up?

The future of the AAA is uncertain. The Senate may take it up, and the chamber has a stronger history of bipartisanship than the House, though some senators such as Rand Paul and Mike Lee have already expressed reservations. There are objections on both sides, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said after the bill passed the House.

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Corrections & Clarifications: A previous version of this article had an incorrect subheadline. The subheadline should have read: Is an asylum claim a shield?

It could cost the state's prison system nearly $252 million over five years to incarcerate adults under the terms of a proposed law that has reignited debate over Arizona's ability to control its border with Mexico.

The proposal, which state senators are expected to vote on Tuesday, would require the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry to house anyone arrested for entering Arizona illegally, whether convicted or not. That's one of many provisions of House Concurrent Resolution 2060, which GOP lawmakers want to place on the November ballot.

Agency Director Ryan Thornell estimates the measure could add 1,500 people yearly to the state's already strained prison system, with no option to turn them away.

"It reads as though the counties have somewhat of an option, if they have capacity or not," Thornell said Monday of the resolution. "Then, we become the requirement. If a county jail indicates they can't take somebody, the new amendment indicates the director and the department 'shall'."

The obligation would not only add millions to the state's prison spending, but it risks running afoul of a federal court injunction related to the state's handling of inmate medical care, Thornell said. The state is bound to honor certain health care and "conditions of confinement" requirements, which add up to more staff and operational costs, he said.

The potential added cost comes as the agency is seeking an extra $74 million this year and a roughly $203 million increase in the budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. Arizona faces a $1.3 billion deficit, split almost evenly between the current year and the coming budget year.

Department of Corrections Director Ryan Thornell

GOP: Act would deter illegal crossings

Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, dismissed the figures as a scare tactic from Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs' administration. Hobbs opposes the measure, which is a reconfigured revival of a bill she vetoed earlier this year. By putting the border mandates in a ballot referral, lawmakers can work around the governor and take the issue straight to the voters.

"Illegal immigration costs the state $3 billion per year," Petersen said in a statement, repeating a figure cited in a congressional budget hearing last week.

That figure was from the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which lobbies to reduce immigration into the U.S. and return it to more "normal" levels. The report stated that Arizona last year absorbed 610,000 illegal entrants and their children, at a taxpayer cost of $3.2 billion.

Petersen, like his GOP colleagues, argues that giving the state control over its border will more than offset the cost of enforcing HC2060.

Asked where the state would house children who come into the state with their parents, he said the measure would deter families from crossing the border.

Thornell said his agency is limited by law to handling only adults. It's unclear where children would be detained.

Stand for Children, an advocacy group, said it is concerned about how children would be treated under the law, if passed. That's because of an existing law requiring juveniles to not be housed with adults.

"I don't see how we get around an implementation that separates kids from families and very likely puts youth in the juvenile system, which would be dangerous," Rebecca Gau, the group's executive director, said in a statement late Monday. "We're trying to keep kids from being system involved, especially through no fault of their own."

Is an asylum claim a shield?

Also unclear is the interplay of asylum claims with the proposed law, which does not say whether an immigrant claiming federal asylum would be shielded from state enforcement. The measure does say anyone who has been granted asylum can use that as a defense against being deported, or being imprisoned while awaiting deportation.

Petersen's office did not respond to a question about asylum claims.

Attorneys for the ACLU have argued an asylum claim would preempt the state's ability to incarcerate or deport anyone who came across the border.

Thornell said he couldn't comment on whether asylum claims would lessen the burden on prison beds and staffing.

"That's one for the attorneys," he said. I certainly think that is one that will be brought up.

For now, he based his estimated uptick of 1,500 inmates on data from the state Department of Public Safety and the governor's budget office.

More staff needed

"Unequivocally, all of Arizona's prisons will require more staff should this measure go into effect," Thornell wrote in a budget memo.

Although he said the agency has had "slight improvements" in staffing, hiring is not moving at a pace to sustain an injection of 1,500 new inmates, he said. The agency currently has a 10% staff vacancy.

The measure, over time, will also sap the agency's ability to provide beds for all inmates, the memo states. Currently, the agency has 8,000 empty beds, or an 18% vacancy rate. But there is no staffing to go along with those 8,000 beds, should they fill up.

The memo then paints a dire scenario, assuming the current rate of incarceration along with 1,500 new border crossers each year: The need for a new prison.

The memo said if the estimates of 1,500 people added to the prison system is accurate, the state would be out of "usable" prison beds, including those in private prisons, by 2027.

Thornell said under current conditions, it takes three to five years to erect a new prison.

Reach the reporter at maryjo.pitzl@arizonarepublic.com or at 602-228-7566 and follow her on Threads as well as on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @maryjpitzl.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona's proposed border law could strain the prison system, chief says
The Arizona Supreme Court delayed enforcement of the states recently revived 1864 abortion ban, according to an order filed Monday. The order allows for a 90-day stay requested by the states attorney general.

Arizona Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs signed a repeal of the 1864 abortion ban on May 2, but the repeal will not be in effect until 90 days after the legislative session ends, CNN previously reported. The states legislature is currently in session, meaning the Civil War-era abortion ban could come into effect for a brief period.

The stay will be in effect through August 12 so Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes could consider a petition for certiorari to the US Supreme Court, the order said. Another stay could be filed again, according to the order.

Mayes said in a statement she is grateful the court stayed the enforcement and said the earliest the 1864 abortion ban can be enforced is September 26, due to an additional 45 days stipulated in a separate case.

I will do everything I can to ensure that doctors can provide medical care for their patients according to their best judgment, not the beliefs of the men elected to the territorial legislature 160 years ago, she said.

On Monday, the court also denied a motion from Planned Parenthood Arizona asking the court to stay the 1864 abortion ban until the repeal of that law takes effect.

The repeal of the Civil War-era ban earlier this month was a victory for abortion rights advocates, who have for years tried to overturn the 1864 law that banned abortion at all stages of pregnancy, except to save a mothers life, and threatened providers with two to five year prison sentences.

CNNs Rashard Rose and Clay Voytek contributed to this report.

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Arizonas 160-year-old near-total abortion ban will not take effect through the summer, the states Supreme Court said in an order on Monday  giving the attorney general 90 days to appeal the case.

The decision will pause the laws enforcement until 12 August but, when combined with a separate stipulation, pushes the date back to 26 September.

The order arrived after Kristin Mayes, the state attorney general, asked the court to pause the laws enforcement, giving her time to decide the best legal course of action. Among those options could be appealing to the US Supreme Court  possibly giving the highest court in the land another abortion case.

Ms Mayes said she was grateful the court awarded her request for a stay, saying she believes the case was wrongly decided, and there are issues that merit additional judicial review.

Last month, the state Supreme Court upheld the 1864 abortion ban in an unexpected decision. The ban, which was enacted before Arizona became a state, outlaws nearly all kinds of abortions and criminalises those who help a woman obtain an abortion.

The decision was met with outcry from Arizona citizens and people across the US. Democratic legislatures moved to repeal the strict abortion ban, successfully passing a repeal in the Arizona House of Representatives at the end of April.

Arizona Gov Katie Hobbs signs the repeal of the Civil War-era near-total abortion ban on 2 May 2024 (AP)

Earlier this month, the Arizona Senate moved to pass the repeal, sending it to Democratic Governor Katie Hobbss desk for signing. However, the repeal cannot go into effect until 90 days after the legislative session ends.

Depending on when lawmakers finish the legislative session will depend on when the repeal can take effect.

The back-and-forth over the law has created a complicated and consuming situation about when and how the ban can be enforced.

Planned Parenthood of Arizona said they would continue providing abortions up to 15 weeks of pregnancy for the next several months. The Arizona legislature enacted a 15-week ban before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade in 2021  but failed to repeal the 1864 law beforehand.

While legal matters continue to play out in the courts, Arizona voters could be voting on a constitutional amendment in November that would enshrine the right to abortion up to 24 weeks.
Arizonas Supreme Court granted a request to delay enforcement of an archaic 1864 abortion ban on Monday to allow the states Democratic attorney general to consider taking the matter to the nations highest court.

Attorney General Kris Mayes had asked for a 90-day stay after the state Supreme Court revived the Civil War-era law last month, which carries 2- to 5-year prison sentences for doctors who perform the procedure, except in an instance to save a pregnant persons life. The law was effectively moot under the Supreme Courts landmark Roe v. Wade decision, but remained on the books. In 2022, the states then-attorney general, a Republican, argued that the 160-year-old law could be enforced after Roe v. Wade was overturned, and the state supreme court agreed.

The ruling shocked abortion rights advocates across the country and began a fierce legislative battle to repeal the law. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) signed a bill to do so in early May, but the repeal wont go into effect until 90 days after the current legislative session ends. That isnt set to happen for weeks, meaning the law may have been enforceable for a brief amount of time.

(When the repeal does take effect, the state will revert to a 2022 law that prohibits most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.)

Mayes effort is meant to delay that enforcement for as long as possible until Arizona lawmakers close out the current session. Alongside a separate ruling, Mondays decision means the 1864 ban wont be enforceable until Sept. 26 at the earliest, according to the Arizona Mirror.

I continue to believe this case was wrongly decided, and there are issues that merit additional judicial review, Mayes said in a statement, referring to last months decision to revive the law. I will do everything I can to ensure that doctors can provide medical care for their patients according to their best judgment, not the beliefs of the men elected to the territorial legislature 160 years ago.

My Statement on Arizona Supreme Court Ruling Granting Additional Stay of 1864 Abortion Law. pic.twitter.com/8akSTWR3jt  AZ Attorney General Kris Mayes (@AZAGMayes) May 13, 2024

Mayes said her office would consider the best legal course of action to take from here, which could include a petition for judicial review to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Planned Parenthood of Arizona, which operates seven clinics in the state, said it would continue to provide services as long as legally possible.

Planned Parenthood Arizona will continue to provide abortion care through 15 weeks of pregnancy and we remain focused on ensuring patients have access to abortion care for as long as legally possible, the head of the groups Arizona chapter said in a statement. We know that it is now more important than ever to provide care to as many patients as we legally can, and we are committed to expanding our services to meet the increasing needs of our community.

Related...
Tourists gather in front of a giant eagle sculpture at Eagle Square on Langkawi Island, Malaysia, April 27, 2018. Photo by Reuters

Buses from Thailand are allowed to enter Malaysia to bring in tourists, provided they apply for temporary permits from the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) in advance, said Malaysian Minister of Transport Anthony Loke.

Talking to the press on May 13, Loke said these tour bus operators must furnish complete information, including details of the tour package, the number of passengers and the location of the accommodation. This regulation applies to all states, not just border states like Kedah and Kelantan.

According to the official statistics, about 4.56 million tourists from Malaysia visited Thailand in 2023, accounting for 16.2% of the total foreign arrivals in the country.

As of November 2023, 3 million Malaysian tourists entered Thailand, especially Hatyai. In the same period, about 700,000 Thai tourists were recorded to have entered Malaysia.
FILE - Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs holds up the repeal of the Civil War-era near-total abortion ban, May 2, 2024, at the Capitol in Phoenix. Arizona's highest court on Monday, May 13, gave the state's attorney general another 90 days to decide further legal action in the case over a 160-year-old near-total ban on abortion that lawmakers recently voted to repeal. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)

PHOENIX (AP)  Arizona's highest court on Monday gave the state's attorney general another 90 days to decide further legal action in the case over a 160-year-old near-total ban on abortion that lawmakers recently voted to repeal.

The Arizona Supreme Court's order leaves in place for now a more recent law that legalizes abortion up to 15 weeks of pregnancy. It also allows Attorney General Kris Mayes more time to decide whether to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Mayes expressed gratitude for the order, and said the earliest the 1864 law can now take effect is Sept. 26, counting the 90 days just granted, plus another 45 days stipulated in a separate case.

I will do everything I can to ensure that doctors can provide medical care for their patients according to their best judgment, not the beliefs of the men elected to the territorial legislature 160 years ago," Mayes said.

Arizonas Supreme Court in April voted to restore the older law that provided no exceptions for rape or incest and allows abortions only if the mothers life is in jeopardy. The majority opinion suggested doctors could be prosecuted and sentenced to up to five years in prison if convicted.

The Legislature then voted narrowly to repeal the Civil War-era law, but the repeal won't take effect until 90 days after lawmakers wrap up their current annual session. It has been unclear if there would be a period the older ban could be enforced before the repeal took hold.

The anti-abortion group defending the ban, Alliance Defending Freedom, said that it would keep fighting despite the latest delay.

Arizonas pro-life law has protected unborn children for over 100 years, said the group's senior counsel Jake Warner. We will continue working to protect unborn children and promote real support and health care for Arizona families.

Planned Parenthood Arizona CEO Angela Florez welcomed the move. She said the organization "will continue to provide abortion care through 15 weeks of pregnancy and we remain focused on ensuring patients have access to abortion care for as long as legally possible.
House Speaker Designate Brian Evans, R-Cabot (left) and outgoing Speaker Matthew Shepherd, R-El Dorado (right) address reporters in the Houses north gallery shortly after the speakership election on Thursday, May 9, 2024. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate)

The Republican supermajorities in both chambers of the Arkansas Legislature will see some changes and some constancy in its leadership in advance of the 2025 legislative session.

Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, will be Senate President Pro Tempore for another two years, while Rep. Brian Evans, R-Cabot, became House Speaker Designate last week with an overwhelming 91 votes from the 100-member body. The speakers position must be affirmed by the House when the 95th General Assembly convenes in January.

Evans promised his colleagues a direction of firmness, fairness and consistency in a speech before the vote Thursday.

A leader is only as good as the team that they lead, and good leaders understand the importance of working together, communicating well and building strong relationships, built upon trust and respect, he said.

After legislative staff counted the ballots and declared Evans the winner, his sole opponent, Rep. Johnny Rye, R-Trumann, was the first member to congratulate him on the House floor. Rep. Jack Ladyman, R-Joneboro, had also been running for speaker before withdrawing May 6 due to health issues within his family.

House Speaker Designate Brian Evans (right), R-Cabot, accepts congratulations from his fellow Republican Reps. (from left) Marcus Richmond of Harvey, Les Warren of Hot Springs and John Maddox of Mena on the House floor Thursday, May 9, 2024. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate)

Evans told reporters Thursday that he appreciated his colleagues confidence in him and that outgoing Speaker Matthew Shepherd, R-El Dorado, has done a tremendous job in his position. Shepherd is running for an eighth House term but declined to seek a fourth term as speaker.

The House has 82 Republican members; Evans and Shepherd are among the 57 Republicans facing contested races in Novembers general election.

Evans was a member of the Cabot School Board for 10 years before being elected to the Legislature in 2018. He has been chairman of the House Education Committee since January of last year, and he helped Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders office draft the LEARNS Act, a wide-ranging 2023 law that changed several aspects of the states public education system.

Gov. Sanders has said through her administration multiple times that the LEARNS Act is fluid, Evans said. There are going to be things, as its being implemented now in our school systems, that well need to come back and take a look at and tweak a little bit.

Among House Republicans other policy priorities are criminal justice, as exemplified by the Protect Arkansas Act of 2023, and the ongoing effort to cut income taxes, Evans said.

Later last Thursday, House Republicans privately elected Rep. Howard Beaty of Crossett as majority leader for 2025, succeeding Rep. Marcus Richmond of Harvey. Beaty defeated Reps. Aaron Pilkington of Knoxville and Keith Brooks of Little Rock.

Beaty said in an interview Monday that his background in economic development gives him the organizational and relationship-building skills necessary to lead the caucus. He has been in the House since 2019.

Republican Reps. David Ray of Maumelle (left) and Howard Beaty of Crossett listen to the Speaker on the House floor Monday, September 11, 2023. (John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate)

He told his colleagues while seeking their votes that he believes they all value the variety of perspectives among them.

[We have] different perspectives but a common purpose, and I think that common purpose is where the power of caucus comes in, he said.

Beaty selected Rep. David Ray of Maumelle as the caucus policy chair and said Ray is a good fit for the job because he lives and breathes policy.

Rep. Stetson Painter of Mountain Home will succeed Rep. Jon Milligan of Lake City as House Majority Whip. On X (formerly Twitter), Painter congratulated Evans and Beaty on their new roles and said he hopes the three of them will be a great leadership team for the House.

Legislative whips are responsible for ensuring that members of their party participate in meetings and vote in line with the partys values.

The 18 House Democrats will choose a new minority whip since Rep. Vivian Flowers, D-Pine Bluff, is not running for reelection. The caucus election will be May 29, said Minority Leader Tippi McCullough, D-Little Rock, who will defend her leadership position.

She said the party hopes to increase its numbers in the general election.

We lost four seats due to redistricting [in 2022], so hopefully we can start to move forward again, she said.

Senate leadership

On May 2, Hester fended off a challenge from Sen. Terry Rice, R-Waldron, to win a second term as President Pro Tempore. Sen. Blake Johnson, R-Corning, will continue as Senate Majority Leader, and Sen. Breanne Davis, R-Russellville, is set to succeed Sen. Ricky Hill, R-Cabot, as Majority Whip.

Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs

(John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate)

The most important thing to understand in leading the Senate is that members dont get told what to do, Hester said in an interview. But if you ask them to do something with a legitimate reason, typically you can get done what you need.

Two years ago, Hester defeated the sitting president pro tempore, Sen. Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana.

One of Hesters strengths as a leader is his communication skills, said Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, who was president pro tempore from 2013 to 2019.

The way that hes able to communicate with members and keep them involved and engaged is really to his benefit, and I anticipate that to continue on as we move into the next session, Dismang said.

Senate Minority Leader Greg Leding, D-Fayetteville, added that Hester has always treated our caucus fairly.

Similarly to Evans, Hester said Senate Republicans policy priorities for 2025 will include tax cuts and aspects of the LEARNS Act.

I think were going to double down on education freedom for students, Hester said, referring to the Educational Freedom Account voucher program created by the LEARNS Act.

He added that the Legislature should continue to look into IT-type concerns for minors.

Last year, Sanders signed the Social Media Safety Act, which would require new users on large social networks to provide information verifying their age. A federal judge temporarily blocked the law before it took effect.

Sen. Greg Leding, D-Fayetteville (John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate)

Meanwhile, the six Senate Democrats wont hold leadership elections until after Novembers general election. The only member expected to leave the Senate is Minority Whip Linda Chesterfield, D-Little Rock, who is retiring after a 20-year stint in the Legislature.

Leding will reach his term limit in 2027, and he said he hopes to continue being minority leader for his final two years. He held the same position for one term in the House.

I havent heard of anybody eager to replace me, Leding said.

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Armed Forces of Ukraine list three eastern fronts that suffer most Russian assaults

The Russians are the most active on the Kharkiv, Kramatorsk and Pokrovsk fronts.

Source: Nazar Voloshyn, the spokesperson for the Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group, on the national joint 24/7 newscast

Details: Voloshyn noted that the Russians are trying to advance deep into Ukrainian territory but Ukrainian forces stop these attempts.

Quote: "On some fronts the enemy has had partial success, on others the Defence Forces of Ukraine push them back and improve their tactical positions."

Details: Voloshyn added that over the past day the number of combat clashes in the east of Ukraine has increased: if 140 combat clashes occurred the day before, yesterday as many as 160 were documented.

Heavy fighting is ongoing in the city of Vovchansk in the north of Kharkiv Oblast. Ukrainian forces control the situation in the city and carry out mop-up operations, searching for Russian assault groups in an urban setting.

Moreover, Voloshyn notes that the Russians are trying to gain a foothold in some settlement near the northern border of Kharkiv Oblast and Russia in order to conduct the offensive from there.

The Ukrainian military leadership has planned the measures of dealing with the entirety of the Russian troops trying to break through Ukrainian defences in the east and of disrupting the Russian offensive.

Background: Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine's Defence Intelligence Chief, said that the situation with the Russian invasion in Kharkiv Oblast had stabilised. Defence Forces will be pushing the Russians out of the territory, and there is currently no escalation observed in Sumy Oblast.

Background:

On 10 May, it was reported that Russian forces had intensified their activities in Kharkiv Oblast, with fighting taking place there.

During a briefing with Slovakian President Zuzana Caputova, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy confirmed that Russian troops had launched a new wave of offensive operations on the Kharkiv front.

Ukraine's Defence Ministry reported that reserve units had been sent to the north of Kharkiv Oblast.

The Russians seized a number of settlements in Kharkiv Oblast.

The Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group reports that the grey zone in Kharkiv Oblast is not expanding, and Ukrainian forces are not letting the Russians advance deeper into the oblast.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
Building an illegal weapons factory is expensive. When convicted torturer Ross Roggio built his factory in Iraqi Kurdistan and manufactured guns that ended up in the hands of militant groups, including Hamas, he needed millions of dollars. That money came from Zarya Faruk, the son of a Kurdish billionaire.

Roggio, whose case Rolling Stone covered in depth, is now in jail, but until recently, the whereabouts of Faruk have remained a mystery.

Faruk was allied with a powerful Kurdish politician in northern Iraq. When that man was ousted, the fallout hit Faruk, too. The illegal weapons factory set up by Roggio and Faruk was shut down.

Today, Faruk, who did not respond to a request for comment, is unwelcome in large parts of northern Iraq. There is a warrant out for his arrest in Iraqi Kurdistan for misuse of security companies, according to two Kurdish sources. And given the federal prosecution of Roggio, American agents may also be interested in Faruk too.

New data shows the Kurdish arms magnates life on the run isnt too tough. After leaving Iraq, he apparently decamped to a luxury villa in Dubai, the Middle Eastern financial hub known as a playground for the worlds rich. But the Emirate also has a darker reputation as a tax haven, destination for illicit cash, and hub for money laundering, often through real estate. Its also a good hideout for people like Faruk.

Dubai property records from the Dubai Unlocked project  which were obtained by the Center for Advanced Defense Studies, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization and then shared with over 70 media partners around the world, in coordination with Norwegian outlet E24 and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project  show Faruk acquired a house in Mohammed Bin Rashid city, an elite neighborhood named after the ruler of Dubai.

Faruks new digs are known for its man-made lagoon and opulent green space. In advertising materials, the neighborhood is described as a city within a city, with every possible amenity easily accessible.

There are many shady characters hanging out in Dubai. The leaked data, which comes from the Dubai Land Department, as well as publicly-owned utility companies, was reviewed by Rolling Stones partner on this project, the nonprofit Government Accountability Project. The data provides a detailed overview of hundreds of thousands of properties in Dubai and information about their ownership or usage, largely from 2020 and 2022. The data includes a significant number of people who have been accused or convicted of crimes, face international sanctions, or are politically exposed individuals.

The UAE takes its role in protecting the integrity of the global financial system extremely seriously, a UAE official said in response to questions from the Dubai Unlocked coalition, adding: In its continuing pursuit of global criminals, the UAE works closely with international partners to disrupt and deter all forms of illicit finance. The UAE is committed to continuing these efforts and actions more than ever today and over the longer term.

The data shows Asadullah Khalid, a former Afghan government official and accused war criminal, has apparently made a home in Dubai. Khalid served in a variety of roles in the American-backed Afghan government, including as head of the National Directorate of Security, the countrys intelligence service.

Khalid was known to have had a dungeon in Ghazni, Richard Colvin, a Canadian diplomat, told a Canadian parliamentary commission in 2009. He was known to be running a narcotics operation. He had a criminal gang. He had people killed who got in his way.

In Kandahar, where he served as governor, Khalid had a similar dungeon under his guest house. He acknowledged this, Colvin said. He was known to personally torture people in that dungeon.

For years, Khalid, who previously claimed the charges against him were propaganda, owned a villa in Faruks neighborhood that he was renting out for tens of thousands of dollars every month, documents show.

Down the road from Khalid, on Palm Jumeirah, an artificial island made in the shape of a palm tree off the Emirates coast, are several properties connected to Rami Makhlouf and his brother Ihab, the cousins of the Syrian dictator, Bashar al-Assad. The Makhloufs, who are some of the richest and most powerful men in Syria, were sanctioned by the United States, European Union, and United Kingdom for public corruption and enabling regime abuses. (Ihab was sanctioned for helping his brother.)

In 2020, Rami Makhlouf acknowledged, on Facebook, evading western sanctions on behalf of the Syrian.

Syrian media reported that Rami Makhlouf was put under a travel ban by the Syrian regime in 2020, but rental data shows that he has made millions from renting out his properties.

The Makhloufs neighbors on Palm Jumeirah include the Uruguayan cartel leader Sebastian Marset, who is wanted by authorities across South America for narcotrafficking. Marset was accused by the president of Colombia of arranging the assassination of Marcelo Pecci, a Paraguayan prosecutor, while Pecci was on his honeymoon in Colombia.

Marset has denied allegations against him, while insulting South American police and prosecutors.

Another person found in Dubai Unlocked data is Danilo Vunjao Santana Gouveia, a Brazilian sertanejo musician who performs under the name Danilo Dubaiano. Gouveia is wanted in Brazil for allegedly running a major bitcoin Ponzi scheme.

Dubai also counts as residents Jafar Dhia Jafar, who was Saddam Husseins nuclear weapons chief during the 1980s; Naing Htut Aung, a sanctioned businessman whom the U.S. Treasury Department accuses of supplying weapons to the Myanmar juntas military; and Lanfranco Cirillo, Putins architect, who is wanted in Italy for alleged money laundering and tax evasion.

All the Dubai property owners in the story received detailed requests for comment from the consortium of organizations that were part of the Dubai Unlocked project, but only Jafar responded. I decided to invest in real estate in Dubai because I live in Dubai, and the return on such investments is satisfactory, he says.

But for many people in the data, including Faruk, Dubai may be appealing because it keeps them out of the reach of international law enforcement. The United Arab Emirates is a law enforcement black hole, says Jodi Vittori, a professor at Georgetown University who studies corruption and illicit finance.

If I said I wasnt afraid of extradition, I would be lying, Gouveia said in an interview with Globo, in 2019. Five years later though, he remains free.

Until recently, the United Arab Emirates lacked extradition treaties with many countries, making it a go-to destination for fugitives from around the globe. But even with treaties, extradition is still difficult. If the Emirates see no benefit to the extradition, they will not surrender a wanted person, says Radha Sterling, an attorney and human rights advocate who leads the legal assistance organization Detained in Dubai.

Roggio getting arrested may have been a warning shot for Faruk  and he appears to have taken precautions to avoid the same fate.

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Army major resigns commission over US support of Israel in Gaza

An Army major recently assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency has resigned his commission and posted an open letter online citing U.S. support of Israels actions in Gaza as his reason.

On Monday, Maj. Harrison Mann posted a letter to his LinkedIn profile that he said he previously circulated among select DIA staff on April 16.

In the letter, Mann cites the DIAs execution of policy, specifically its nearly unqualified support for the government of Israel, which has enabled and empowered the killing and starvation of tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians.

Mann also wrote that such support encourages reckless escalation that risks wider war.

Airman dies after self immolating outside Israeli embassy in DC

The major waited the past six months hoping the war would end or actions by Israel would prompt a shift in U.S. support, he wrote.

I told myself my individual contribution was minimal, and that if I didnt do my job, someone else would, so why cause a stir for nothing? Mann wrote. I told myself I dont make policy and its not my place to question it.

However, Mann wrote, he found ultimately that those reasons were difficult to defend.

At some point  whatever the justification  youre either advancing a policy that enables the mass starvation of children, or youre not, Mann wrote.

I know that I did, in my small way, wittingly advance that policy, Mann wrote. And I want to clarify that as the descendant of European Jews, I was raised in a particularly unforgiving moral environment when it came to the topic of bearing responsibility for ethnic cleansing.

Israeli operations in Gaza followed the brutal Oct. 7 surprise attacks in Israel by Hamas militants that killed more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli officials. Hamas members also took 253 individuals hostage.

To date, an estimated 35,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, according to Palestinian health authorities, Reuters reported.

The Israeli military offensive has drawn sharp criticism worldwide, including claims of genocide against Palestinians.

However, Israel has adamantly denied those allegations, and its officials say they are carrying out operations in line with international law.

Mann was commissioned into the Army in 2011 as an infantry officer, according to an emailed statement from Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Ruth Castro.

In 2016, Mann became a civil affairs officer and later a foreign area officer specializing in the Middle East. He is currently assigned to the DIA as a foreign area officer.

Between 2015 and 2020, Mann deployed to Kuwait, Bahrain and Tunisia, Castro wrote.

He requested an unqualified resignation from his commission on Nov. 29. Such a resignation is a voluntary action for officers to be discharged from service and can be requested for any reason after completion of service obligations, Castro wrote.

Manns request was approved in January and will become effective on June 3, she wrote.

Reached by the New York Times on Monday, Mann deferred any comment to DIA.

A DIA official responded to Army Times query confirming that Mann was previously assigned to the agency.

Employee resignations are a routine occurrence at DIA as they are at other employers, and employees resign their positions for any number of reasons and motivations, the official wrote. The agency did not respond to additional queries regarding the nature of Manns work.

Another active duty military member publicly protested U.S. support for Israel in its Gaza operations in an incident livestreamed on the video platform Twitch

On Feb. 25, Air Force Senior Airman Aaron Bushnell, 25, of Whitman, Massachusetts set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington D.C. saying that he will no longer be complicit in genocide.

Bushnell died from his injuries.

Bushnell was a cyber defense operations specialist with the 531st Intelligence Support Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, officials said. He had served on active duty since May 2020.
An Army Ranger was sentenced to 20 years in prison by a Washington judge on May 10 for the murder of a security guard in 2021.

Patrick Philip Byrne pleaded guilty on March 15 in Pierce County Superior Court to the first-degree murder of 42-year-old Denise Smith. Byrne, who was 26 at the time, strangled the woman to death after drinking heavily at a nearby bar.

The defendant said he was punched in the head in a bar fight before the attack, and doesnt remember anything that occurred between the fight and waking up in the hospital after he killed Smith.

After the altercation at the bar, Byrne ran to the building where Smith worked and beat her for 10 minutes, according to the Tacoma Police Department. He punched her, pulled her by her braids, and dragged her around like a rag doll, detectives wrote in an affidavit.

Byrne used Smiths keys to repeatedly stab her in the face, the affidavit said. One detective said it appeared from surveillance footage that Byrne was trying to blind Smith. He then choked her until she died, and continued to strangle her for several minutes.

Byrne had no motive for the attack, the defense said in a sentencing memo.

He then walked away from the victim, down some stairs, and stopped on a landing. Detectives believe he fell off the landing and sustained a brain injury at that point, though what happened is unclear because he disappeared from a surveillance cameras view.

He was eventually arrested and transported to a hospital. There, he told detectives he had been stabbed, but doctors determined he hadnt. He also said he was sexually assaulted but wouldnt let doctors examine him for evidence.

Byrne said he had no recollection of the murder.

Smith was a new hire and had only worked a few shifts, according to the affidavit.

Her father, Charles Reagins, described in court documents how proud he was of his daughter for being a hard-working woman trying to make a living on her own. Reagins said he was a U.S. military veteran as well.

The actions of Byrne toward my daughter were brutal, savage, harsh, cruel, unnecessary and worthless, Reagins wrote.

Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney Thomas Howe said in a statement that he expected the defense to claim the defendant suffered a head injury during the bar brawl that rendered him unconscious and not legally responsible for the murder.

The prosecution argued that Byrne willingly got drunk and acted out in not fully understood anger after he ran into Smith.

David Katayama, Byrnes attorney, argued in court documents the crime was the result of multiple traumatic brain injuries, including the bar fight and injuries sustained before and during his military service. The defense said Byrne was admitted to the hospital after the murder for inpatient care with a diagnosis of traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage with loss of consciousness.

In court documents, Katayama referred to a forensic psychiatric evaluation of Byrne which indicated his aggression and decision-making were negatively influenced by the injuries. He also argued Byrne wasnt at risk for future violence.

Katayama declined to comment on behalf of his client.

Spc. Patrick Byrne remained on active duty with 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, until his civilian criminal trial ended, a regiment spokesperson said. The Army is in the process of separating Byrne from military service.

Mr. Byrne took responsibility for his devastating actions, but no amount of punishment can make up for the value of Denise Smiths life and humanity, said Howe, the Pierce County prosecutor. Cases like this dont end with winners, just different people who own a piece of the sadness.
Army whistleblower who exposed alleged Australian war crimes in Afghanistan is sentenced to prison

Whistleblower David McBride arrives at the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory in Canberra, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. McBride, 60, was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to three charges including theft and sharing with members of the press documents classified as secret.( Mick Tsikas/AAP Image via AP)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)  An Australian judge sentenced a former army lawyer to almost six years in prison on Tuesday for leaking to the media classified information that exposed allegations of Australian war crimes in Afghanistan.

David McBride, 60, was sentenced in a court in the capital, Canberra, to five years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to three charges including theft and sharing with members of the press documents classified as secret. He had faced a potential life sentence.

Justice David Mossop ordered McBride to serve 27 months in prison before he can be considered for release on parole.

Rights advocates argue that McBride's conviction and sentencing before any alleged war criminal he helped expose reflected a lack of whistleblower protections in Australia.

McBride addressed his supporters as he walked his dog to the front door of the Australian Capital Territory Supreme Court to be sentenced.

"Ive never been so proud to be an Australian as today. I may have broken the law, but I did not break my oath to the people of Australia and the soldiers that keep us safe, McBride told the cheering crowd.

A lawyer for McBride, Mark Davis, said that his legal team would appeal a ruling that prevented McBride from mounting a defense. Mossop ruled in November last year that McBride had no duty as an army officer beyond following orders.

We know that the Australian military teach a much broader notion of what the duty of an officer is in a battle field than to follow orders, Davis said.

Davis said the severity of the sentence also created grounds for appeal, but their effort would focus on the earlier ruling.

McBrides documents formed the basis of an Australian Broadcasting Corp. seven-part television series in 2017 that contained war crime allegations including Australian Special Air Service Regiment soldiers killing unarmed Afghan men and children in 2013.

Police raided the ABCs Sydney headquarters in 2019 in search of evidence of a leak, but decided against charging the two reporters responsible for the investigation.

In sentencing, Mossop said he did not accept McBrides explanation that he thought a court would vindicate him for acting in the public interest.

McBrides argument that his suspicions that the higher echelons of the Australian Defense Force were engaged in criminal activity obliged him to disclose classified papers didnt reflect reality, Mossop said.

An Australian military report released in 2020 found evidence that Australian troops unlawfully killed 39 Afghan prisoners, farmers and civilians. The report recommended 19 current and former soldiers face criminal investigation.

Police are working with the Office of the Special Investigator, an Australian investigation agency established in 2021, to build cases against elite SAS and Commando Regiments troops who served in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016.

Former SAS trooper Oliver Schulz last year became the first of these veterans to be charged with a war crime. He is accused of shooting dead a noncombatant man in a wheat field in Uruzgan province in 2012

Also last year, a civil court found Australias most decorated living war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith had likely unlawfully killed four Afghans. He has not been criminally charged.

Human Rights Watchs Australia director Daniela Gavshon said McBrides sentencing was evidence an Australias whistleblowing laws needed exemptions in the public interest.

It is a stain on Australias reputation that some of its soldiers have been accused of war crimes in Afghanistan, and yet the first person convicted in relation to these crimes is a whistleblower not the abusers, Gavshon said in a statement.

David McBrides jail sentence reinforces that whistleblowers are not protected by Australian law. It will create a chilling effect on those taking risks to push for transparency and accountability  cornerstones of democracy, she added.

Some lawmakers from minor parties and independents raised McBride's sentencing in Parliament on Tuesday.

Greens lawmaker Elizabeth Watson-Brown told Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that McBride had been imprisoned for the crime of telling the truth about war crimes.

Why wont your government admit that our whistleblower laws are broken and commit to urgent reform to keep whistleblowers like Mr. McBride out of jail? Watson-Brown asked the prime minister.

Albanese declined to answer, saying it might prejudice McBride's appeal.

Im not going to say anything here that interferes with a matter that is quite clearly going to continue to be before the courts, Albanese told Parliament.

Andrew Wilkie, a former government intelligence analyst whistleblower whos now an independent lawmaker, said Australian governments hate whistleblowers.

The government wanted to punish David McBride and to send a signal to other insiders to stay on the inside and to stay silent, Wilkie said.

Wilkie quit his intelligence job in Australia's Office of National Assessments days before Australian troops joined U.S. and British forces in the 2003 Iraq invasion. He publicly argued that Iraq didnt pose enough of a threat to warrant invasion and that there was no evidence linking Iraqs government to al-Qaida.
GARFIELD COUNTY, Colo. (KREX)  The Garfield County Sheriffs Office (GCSO) made an arrest in a 3-year-old homicide cold case on Friday.

On May 11, 2021, GCSO responded to reports of a man found bleeding and unresponsive west of Parachute; the man, Wayne Moore, was found dead on arrival. The initial investigation of the scene determined Moore had been shot multiple times and was the victim of a homicide.

GCSO investigators worked for three years to find a suspect, conducting witness interviews, executing multiple search warrants and analyzing physical evidence. On May 10, investigators had enough evidence to obtain an arrest warrant.

John Michael Worley, 30, was arrested Friday without incident on the following felony charges:

First-degree murder

Stalking

Tampering with physical evidence

Worley was taken to the Garfield County Jail with bond set at $5 million.

GCSO thanks the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the Parachute Police Department, the 9th Judicial District Attorneys Office and the Garfield County Special Problem Enforcement and Response (SPEAR) Team for their assistance in the investigation.

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 WesternSlopeNow.com.
On a recent visit to Iraq, Under Secretary Uzra Zeya commemorated the tenth anniversary of the genocide against Yezidis and other ethnic and religious communities. The best way to honor the victims of the genocide is first to never forget them, she said. But we cant simply just remember the names of those we lost, we must also care for the survivors  tens of thousands of whom remain displaced and yearn to return home  and deliver justice to those responsible for this tragedy.

Under Secretary Zeya traveled from Baghdad to Erbil, speaking with leaders of the government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional government to address the question of justice for the victims.

There have been steps towards justice, but much work remains. The mandate of the Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/ISIL, or UNITAD, expires in September. The U.S. is working to ensure that the evidence it has collected and processed is properly preserved for future use, and that interested parties can continue investigations after UNITADs departure.

In addition to justice for the victims, it is time to demonstrate concrete progress in addressing survivors concerns, said Ms. Zeya. We wish to see survivors and all displaced persons safely and voluntarily return home, to sew the fabric of Iraqi society back together.

The U.S. has encouraged the government of Iraq to make progress on appointing a mayor in Sinjar, to continue recruiting a local police force there, and to enhance funding for reconstruction and service ministry staff deployments in underserved areas.

The U.S. has also encouraged the government to address concerns over the role of militias in areas liberated from ISIS such as Sinjar, the Ninewa Plain, and the homelands of other parts of Iraqi society. The negative impact of militia groups on the security and stability of communities prevents internally displaced persons from returning and stymies local communities economic development.

Individual Iraqis can do much to bring about healing and inclusion. ISIS pitted members of different tribes and communities against each other to sow seeds of division, mistrust, and hatred. As a result, entire communities have stood accused of the crimes that individuals have committed. The U.S. government has led dialogue among community and tribal leaders to ease communal tensions and divisions.

These communities co-existed peacefully before the genocide, said Under Secretary Zeya, and can exist in peace again.
A hillside San Luis Obispo home whose walls are filled with colorful pebble mosaics is now up for sale  and its so dramatic, it got a shout-out on the social media feed Zillow Gone Wild.

Owners Suki and Bruce Mason recently listed their four-bedroom, three-bath home at 295 Santa Maria Ave. for $1.9 million. Its located on the hill above Highway 101 near Cuesta Park and offers panoramic views of the city and Cal Poly.

In 1979, the 2,436-square-foot house won the San Luis Beautiful Home Award, according to Zillow.

Beyond the views and architecture, the homes most unique feature is its art, according to listing agent Lindsey Harn.

Mosaics of peacocks accent the front door of the San Luis Obispo home owned by Bruce and Suki Mason, seen here on May 10, 2024.

Almost every room has at least one wall, accent or feature decorated in mosaics made of glass pebbles, stones and even seashells.

Some of the mosaics are full-blown murals, like the scene of Avila Beach that fills the staircase, while others are random patterns.

A mosaic of a coastal scene fills the stairway in the San Luis Obispo home owned by Bruce and Suki Mason, seen here on May 10, 2024. The work was originally painted by artist Gini Griffin in 1992 for the previous owners of the house, Jon and Kathy Eichler, who commissioned her to create a mural evoking a seaside town in South America, Griffin told The Tribune. Some 26 years later, Mason turned it into a mosaic.

Two giant peacocks fill the double front doors, flamingos decorate the fireplace, and a waterfall, angel and sea turtle are featured on the balcony walls.

In the master bedroom, a mosaic mural features a white cat sitting on a tree branch looking out at a pink backdrop.

This San Luis Obispo, CA home has been honored with the San Luis Beautiful Home Award and is full of custom tile art done by the owner!!!



Currently listed for only $1,950,000 pic.twitter.com/byknR5AJzu  Zillow Gone Wild (@zillowgonewild) May 9, 2024

In the kitchen, multi-colored mosaic tiles in a skylight are illuminated by the sun.

All are the handiwork of Suki Mason.

A mosaic angel decorates a balcony wall in the San Luis Obispo home owned by Bruce and Suki Mason, seen here on May 10, 2024. Suki created all the mosaic artwork in the house.

Artist spent two years creating the mosaics

When Suki followed Bruce up to San Luis Obispo County in 2006, she had to find a way to fill her time in retirement, she said.

So, she started painting.

Suki said she has around 120 paintings, some displayed around the house and others that decorate Bruces Sushi Kukko restaurants in San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles and Pismo Beach.

The San Luis Obispo home owned by Bruce and Suki Mason, seen here on May 10, 2024, has a view of San Luis Obispos peaks from a hillside near Cuesta Park.

Soon enough, Suki was experimenting with mosaics.

She started in the kitchen, decorating the back splash with red, blue, white and teal pebbles.

Bruce was put to work lugging in loads of tiny tiles for his wife.

Mosaic tiles accent the kitchen in the San Luis Obispo home owned by Bruce and Suki Mason, seen here on May 10, 2024.

I said, Honey, I need a blue, I need a yellow. Find it for me, Suki told The Tribune during a recent tour. He says, I wonder why I have back problems.

Eventually, the whole house was decorated with different murals and mosaics.

Bruce estimates there may be upwards of a million tiles around the property, but perhaps the most impressive thing might be how quickly the work occurred.

Multi-colored tiles accent a kitchen skylight in the San Luis Obispo home owned by Bruce and Suki Mason, seen here on May 10, 2024.

Suki said she started in 2017 and completed her last mural in 2018.

She never stopped doing it, Bruce said about Sukis dedication. She got up in the morning, had a coffee, started and she stopped at 11 or 12 oclock at night.

Mosaic tiles accent many of the rooms, including this downstairs gathering space, in the San Luis Obispo home owned by Bruce and Suki Mason, seen here on May 10, 2024.

At one point, the couple assembled scaffolding in the stairway to help Suki work on the Avila Beach mural.

Suki said that their friends and family love her art.

During the COVID quarantine, her nieces and nephews stayed over at the house, and one day, her niece Regina was in class over Zoom and her teacher remarked, Oh my gosh, whats behind you. ... Its awesome.

A colorful mosaic accents a bathroom in the San Luis Obispo home owned by Bruce and Suki Mason, seen here on May 10, 2024. Suki created all the mural-sized artwork.

Her niece responded, Oh, thats my aunts art.

The couple is selling their home because they are moving to Portugal, but they hope the buyer can appreciate all of Sukis art.

It gives a lot of energy, a lot of happiness, Suki said of the colorful mosaics.

Woody poses with a deck mural he inspired. Mosaic tiles accent many of the rooms in the San Luis Obispo home owned by Bruce and Suki Mason, seen here on May 10, 2024. Suki created the mural-sized artwork.

A mosaic of an angel fills the wall on a balcony in the San Luis Obispo home owned by Bruce and Suki Mason, seen here on May 10, 2024.

A tree mural is accented with mosaic tiles in a bedroom in the San Luis Obispo home owned by Bruce and Suki Mason, seen here on May 10, 2024.

Mosaic tiles accent the living room in the San Luis Obispo home owned by Bruce and Suki Mason, seen here on May 10, 2024.

Jade pebbles decorate the walls of a sauna/spa room in the San Luis Obispo home owned by Bruce and Suki Mason, seen here on May 10, 2024.

Bruce and Suki Masons home and outdoor patio look out over San Luis Obispo.

Mosaic tiles of tulips accent the garage door of the San Luis Obispo home owned by Bruce and Suki Mason, seen here on May 10, 2024.
What is Ashley Madison? How to watch the new Netflix doc 'Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal'

A detail of the Ashley Madison website on August 19, 2015, in London, England. Hackers who stole customer information from the cheating site AshleyMadison.com dumped data to the dark web in August 2015 with sensitive information including account details, log-ins and credit card details.

Almost a decade has passed since the infamous Ashley Madison scandal that exposed the names and accounts of thousands of affair-seekers; yet, interest in the whole lurid affair remains, according to Netflix.

The streaming service is set to release a new docuseries about the cheating website's 2015 data breach, which revealed the information of over 30 million users, and the aftermath this week called "Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal."

It is the second such documentary to have been released in the last year, following behind Hulu's July 2023 docuseries titled "The Ashley Madison Affair," which focused more on the website's founding, rise to popularity, downfall and eventual return.

While the 2015 leak brought disrepute to some prominent figures, including celebs and politicians, and led to the CEO's resignation, the site featuring the tagline "Life is short. Have an affair," continues to operate to this day. According to claims made in the Hulu doc, the service had 75 million members worldwide as of 2021.

The name Ashley Madison ringing a bell but you can't quite remember the juicy details? Wonder what all the hubbub was about in the first place? Here's what to know about the new Netflix doc, Ashley Madison and the scandal.

A disastrous hack, CEO's scandal: Revelations from 'The Ashley Madison Affair' Hulu docuseries

What is 'Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies and & Scandal' about?

The new, three-part Netflix documentary series on Ashley Madison will be released exclusively to the streaming platform on May 15.

In the official Netflix summary, "Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal" is described as focusing on the 2015 data breach and its repercussions.

"When a dating site for people seeking adulterous affairs is hacked, millions of users' intimate data is exposed, wrecking marriages and destroying lives," says the series' descriptor line.

In a blog shared by Netflix, the themes of the doc are described with a bit more detail:

...chronicles the rise, fall, and rebirth of a website that has had a profound effect on countless couples and families. Featuring interviews with former employees and clients, the documentary series presents an unflinching look at what happens when millions of secrets are exposed at once, told through the eyes of a group of people who experienced it firsthand  and many of them offer some surprising perspective."

The docuseries was produced by Minnow Films and is directed by Toby Paton, produced by Chris McLaughlin, and executive produced by Fiona Caldwell and Sophie Jones.

How to watch 'Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal' docuseries

"Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal" is a Netflix exclusive set to premiere on Wednesday, May 15. The limited series will feature three 50-minute episodes.

Netflix offers three membership options ranging from $6.99 a month to $22.99 a month. New users can also sign up for a free trial.

Watch the 'Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal' trailer

What is Ashley Madison?

Launched in 2001, Ashley Madison was something of a dating website aimed at people looking to have extramarital affairs. Meant to be a discreet platform for connecting married people hoping to step out, the model entailed male members paying for credits needed to message female members, who signed up for free.

CEO Noel Biderman was open about the website being a place for facilitating adultery and happily used shock campaigns to promote it, like an ad with a photo of Hillary Clinton accompanied by text saying New adventures. Start with ... AshleyMadison.com"

Biderman worked on these campaigns with his wife but was later exposed as being unfaithful via an email hack. He resigned as CEO in August 2015 following the infamous Ashley Madison data leak.

Ashley Madison's International Affairs Director Christoph Kraemer speaks during a press conference in Seoul on April 14, 2015.

What was the infamous Ashley Madison data breach?

In the summer of 2015, a hacker group calling themselves "The Impact Team" gained access to Ashley Madison's data and leaked stolen files containing the personal information of up to 37 million people.

In July, the hackers contacted Ashley Madison staff members with threats of releasing stolen user data if the website did not shut down and cease operations immediately. The personal information and names of 2,500 users were initially released to prove the validity of the threat, but the company denied that their website had security issues and refused to concede to the demands.

The hacking group made good on those threats a month later on August 18, publicly releasing more than 60 gigabytes of company data including user details. Some exposed users had previously paid the company to delete their personal information, but the leak exposed its failure to do so.

Ashley Madison celebrity list from 2015 breach

In this handout photo provided by the Washington County Sheriff's Office, former television personality on "19 Kids And Counting" Josh Duggar poses for a booking photo after his arrest on April 29, 2021, in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The catalog of exposed accounts was long - so long, in fact, that it was turned into a searchable list. Celebrities, influencers, politicians and other notable names were on the list mixed in with normal people.

Some, like the oldest Duggar child Josh Duggar, became associated with the leak and saw hits to their reputations. Duggar has since been arrested and sentenced to 12 1/2 years in jail for possessing child pornography, which was discovered after he did a stint in rehab following the Ashley Madison revelations.

Josh Duggar - A now infamous member of the ultra-conservative Christian Duggar family, best known for their TLC television show "19 Kids and Counting."

Hunter Biden - President Joe Biden's son was one of multiple politically connected people who were accused of (and denied) having an account

Sam Rader - A Christian family influencer known from the Sam and Nia YouTube channel that was popular in 2015.

Jionni LaValle - Husband of Nicole Polizzi, aka Snooki from "Jersey Shore." Both denied that he cheated.

Josh Taekman - A former Real Housewives of New York star who was married to Kristin Taekman.

Jeff Ashton - Is a former Florida State Attorney and was known as the lead prosecutor in the Casey Anthony case.

Jason Doree - Was an executive director of the Republican Party of Louisiana at the time. According to Wired, 15,000 .gov or .mil email addresses were found in the leak. All of the American politicians implicated, including Doree, denied any involvement with the site.

Michelle Thomson - The then-MP for Edinburgh West was one of multiple international government officials found on the site. She claimed someone had signed up using an old email without her knowledge.

How to watch "The Ashley Madison Affair"

While Netflix's series on the infamous website is new, Hulu put one out last summer called "The Ashley Madison Affair."

The three-part docuseries focuses on the origins and growth of the website and the narrative of unapologetic CEO Noel Biderman.

"The Ashley Madison Affair" is available for streaming on Hulu with a standard account.

Contributing: Erin Jensen, Aberdeen News

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal': Affairs site gets Netflix doc
ATHENS, Ala. (WHNT)  The Athens Police Department (APD) said its investigation into an altercation over the weekend suggests it was road-rage related, though the Alabama Republican Party felt it was politically motivated.

Athens Police Chief Anthony Presnell said the department investigated the incident, which occurred near Lowes off U.S. Highway 72 around 5:50 p.m. on Saturday.

City of Decatur fighting subpoenas for officers in Marquette gag order hearing

Our investigation suggests road rage led to the altercation between a driver in one vehicle, and a passenger in another vehicle, Pressnell said. We received numerous questions from media asking about it being a politically motivated attack, which we never reported, and there is no indication that was the case.

According to the chief, two vehicles met at the entrance of Lowes at U.S. 72. One driver was on a side street that parallels U.S. 72 when she reportedly ran a stop sign near the Lowes entrance.

Police said the second driver was attempting to turn into the Lowes at the intersection when the first driver did this, and honked the horn and flashed their lights at them. Both vehicles pulled into the parking lot and went in opposite directions, according to Presnell.

Responding officers were told by the woman who was a passenger in the second vehicle that she and her husband had just left a restaurant, and they stopped in the parking lot to check their vehicle for items they thought theyd left behind.

LCSO: Inmate who did not return after approved leave back in custody

The woman was outside their vehicle when APD said the first driver returned, drove up to the couple, cursed at her and grabbed her shirt from the car window. Presnell said she told police she responded by hitting the driver.

The passenger said she assumed Driver Nov. 1 was coming from the walking track, Pressnell said, Neither woman indicated this was politically motivated.

Neither driver asked for medical treatment at the scene following the incident, the chief added.

The Alabama Republican Party, on the other hand, offered a different interpretation of the incident, saying it was a politically motivated attack on Republican Volunteer Tara Johnson near a local Trump campaign headquarters.

ALGOP Chairman John Wahl told News 19 on Monday that the party was outraged by the incident.

Stay ahead of the biggest stories, breaking news and weather across North Alabama and southern Tennessee. Download the WHNT News 19 App and be sure to turn on push alerts.

We feel it had to be politically motivated and (really) a target toward a Trump supporter or Republican, Wahl said. The party as a wholewere just completely outraged and heartbroken about this incident. We want to see justice.

Presnell said at this time, no one involved has pressed charges and police are considering the case closed.

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 WHNT.com.
Firefighters responded to a house fire late Monday night in east Austin, rescuing one person and three cats

Firefighters rescued one person and three cats from a house fire in east Austin late Monday night.

Around 11 p.m., the Austin Fire Department posted to X that its crews had responded to a fire in the 3100 block of Garwood Street. AFD initially reported one person was injured and was being attended to by medics from Austin-Travis County EMS.

Fire officials: Owner of Continental Automotive Group in Austin committed arson 4 times

Fire crews also rescued a cat from the residence and worked to revive it. That cat survived, along with two additional cats found in the house.

Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire and the extent of damages related to it, according to the fire department. Additional details are not yet available.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Fire crews rescue 1 person, 3 cats from Austin house fire late Monday
Australian judge says it is unreasonable to require X to hide video of church stabbing for all users

FILE - Flowers sit on a fence outside the Christ the Good Shepherd church in suburban Wakely in western Sydney, Australia, on April 16, 2024. An Australian judge said Tuesday, May 14, 2024, it would be unreasonable for the country's internet safety watchdog to require social platform X to hide video of a bishop being stabbed in a Sydney church from all of its users globally, as he explained his decision to lift a court order that had required X to hide the video of the attack. (AP Photo/Mark Baker, File)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)  An Australian judge said it would be unreasonable for the country's internet safety watchdog to require social platform X to hide video of a bishop being stabbed in a Sydney church from all of its users globally, as he explained his decision to lift a court order that had required X to hide the video of the attack.

Australian Federal Court Justice Geoffrey Kennett on Tuesday published his reasons for the decision a day earlier on the video that showed the stabbing of the Assyrian Orthodox bishop on April 15.

The company rebranded by billionaire Elon Musk when he bought Twitter last year was alone among social media platforms in disobeying Australias eSafety Commissions removal notice on April 26 that required them take down the video of what Australian authorities have declared a terrorist act.

X geoblocked Australian X users, but eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, a former Twitter employee, wanted 65 URLs leading to the video also removed from the platform.

Kennett described Xs argument that removing the URLs was not a reasonable step as powerful.

He said the step clashed with an international concept of the comity of nations, which recognizes that countries laws have territorial limits.

If given the reach contended for by the commissioner, the removal order would govern ... the activities of a foreign corporation in the United States ... and every country where its servers are located, Kennett wrote.

It would be a clear case of a national law purporting to apply to persons or matters over which, according to the comity of nations, the jurisdiction properly belongs to some other sovereign or state, Kennett added.

Kennett said such an order would be ignored or disparaged by various countries.

The judge said there was expert evidence that a court in the U.S., where X is based, would be highly unlikely to enforce such an Australian court injunction on the platforms use of the video.

This is not in itself a reason why X Corp should not be held to account, but it suggests that an injunction is not a sensible way of doing it, Kennett said.

X returns to the Federal Court on Wednesday for a pre-trial hearing on its challenge to the validity of Iman Grants original removal notice. A trial date could be set for Wednesday.

Lawyers have been waiting since Monday to read Kennetts reasons as they consider options including a potential appeal to the full bench of the Federal Court.

Australian government ministers have backed Iman Grants legal action against X and have foreshadowed potentially changing Australian laws if the courts find against her.

Her office didnt immediately comment Tuesday on the judges reasons.

Musk posted on X after the ruling on Monday: Not trying to win anything. I just dont think we should be suppressing Australians rights to free speech.

X did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday on the judge's reasons.
Search teams combing the Florida coast for a diver who went missing over the weekend found a male body on Monday, but authorities said it wasn't the one they were looking for.

"His clothing and physical characteristics do not match those of the missing diver from Sunday," said the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office in a news release.

Authorities said they didn't yet know the identity of the man they pulled from the water. The sheriff said they didn't have any missing person descriptions in the county matching the body, which weighed between 200 and 225 pounds and appeared to be over 50 years old.

It didn't appear that the body was in the water for an extended period, authorities said, and medical examiners were working to determine the cause and approximate time of death.

Virgil Price, the Florida free diver, who went missing on Sunday, was 39 years old and last seen wearing a green wet suit, the sheriff's office said. Price was freediving near the Halsey, a World War II-era shipwreck, when he failed to resurface.

The St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office assisted in recovering an unknown body from the water during the search for a missing diver. / Credit: St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office

Located about 130 north of Miami, the sunken ship reached its final resting place on May 6, 1942, while en route from Corpus Christi, Texas, to New York. Struck by a torpedo, the ship came to rest on a sand bottom beneath 65 feet of water, according to Fishing Status.

The U.S. Coast Guard said on social media they suspended the search for Price after combing 1,415 miles and searching for 36 hours. "The decision to suspend an active search is never taken lightly. We extend our sincerest condolences to Mr. Price's family," said Lt. Cmdr. John Beal.

Authorities are continuing both investigations.

Aliza Chazan contributed reporting.

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Authorities on Tuesday released the name of a man wanted in connection with an investigation into the gunpoint rape of two women at a department store in Framingham in 1989.

Stephen Paul Gale, 71, is wanted on charges including four counts of aggravated rape, two counts of kidnapping, and one count of armed robbery, according to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Framingham Police Chief Lester Baker.

Gale entered the Hit or Miss store on Route 9 on the morning of Dec. 27, 1989, displayed a .357 magnum, and forced two female employees to the back of the store at gunpoint, Ryan and Baker said. He then allegedly ordered one victim to empty money from a locked safe and the second to lock the doors to the store before sexually assaulting them while holding the firearm to their heads.

Evidence collected at the scene ultimately helped investigators obtain Gales DNA.

A DNA profile was developed for the suspect and uploaded to the Combined DNA Index System in 2001 but there were never any hits identifying the suspect. In 2022, Middlesex prosecutors and the Framingham police contracted with Parabon Nanolabs to conduct an investigative genetic genealogy to develop new leads that could help identify the suspect.

Investigators developed probable cause to identify Stephen Paul Gale and issue an arrest warrant after assessing the results provided Parabon Nanolabs and additional DNA sampling of his family members, according to Ryan and Baker.

When I started our Cold Case Unit in 2019 I made a commitment to pursuing all available options to provide answers for victims. I am grateful for the efforts made so far to locate Mr. Gale and I hope that by raising the profile of this case across the country, we will locate him so that he can be held accountable for his alleged actions, Ryan said at a news conference..

Id like to acknowledge the victims for their bravery. Without their ongoing help and courage, we would never have been able to finally have a break in this horrific crime, Baker added. This crime has haunted the Framingham community for decades, but none of us ever gave up hope or forgot about them.

Boston 25 Reporter Bob Ward spoke with both the Framingham victims, who did not want to be identified, about the relief these new details bring to the case.

None of this has ever left our lives. This has always been a part of us. And it is time that this guy gets brought to justice and taken off the streets, said Victim 2.

The U.S. Marshals Service is offering up to a $5,000 reward for information leading to Gales arrest. This reward will be processed immediately upon arrest and not upon conviction.

Gale has been known to use the aliases Stephen Pisarcik, John Rossi, Paul Costa, Paul DeRosa, Paul DiCarli, Paul Joseph DeCarlo, Steve Miner, Paul Williams, and Paul Ptaszynski. He is last known to be living in Los Angeles, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada. He also may have ties to Phoenix, Arizona, Texas, Utah, and Florida.

Its a relief and it opens a new door in our case. A little frustrating that hes hard to locate, but understandably so, with all the aliases that hes used and traveling around the country, said Victim 1.

Gale previously has been identified as having ties to organized crime. He is described as 5 feet, 11 inches tall, and about 200 pounds.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact the Framingham Police Department at 508-532-5923. Tips can also be called into the U.S. Marshals Boston Tipline at 1-877-WANTED2 (926-8332) or by using the USMS Tips App.

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The MTA, facing a backlash over state-backed discounts for New York City commuters, has come up with a plan to appease Lower Hudson Valley residents who need to cross the Hudson River to catch trains into New York City.

For the first time, Metro-North Railroad will offer weekend service on the Haverstraw-Ossining ferry, which links riders west of the Hudson in Orange and Rockland counties to Grand Central-bound Hudson Line trains.

Orange and Rockland residents who park at Metro-Norths North White Plains garage for Harlem Line trains into New York City will get a 25% discount. And monthly tickets on cross-Hudson buses and ferries will be slashed under a pilot program that runs through Veterans Day.

The New York Waterways ferry from Haverstraw to Ossining approaches the dock in Haverstraw.

Its not the 10% discount commuters who ride commuter rails inside New York City will receive but its something.

It is no secret that the folks who live west of the Hudson River dont get the same quality of frequency and reliability of service as we have on the Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven Lines, MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber said. As we approach the onset of congestion pricing, we want to make sure there are a few more options for people in Orange and Rockland Counties to get to this amazing Metro-North service.

Discounts: Hudson Valley pols blast train fare cuts that exclude suburbs as congestion pricing looms

It started with congestion pricing

Frustration with MTA service west of the Hudson has gotten louder in recent months as the start date for the authoritys controversial congestion pricing program nears. At the end of June, drivers of passenger cars will pay a $15 toll for travel below 60th Street.

Janno Lieber, acting head of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, along with elected officials, held an event marking the completion of Metro-North's White Plains Station Renewal Project Nov. 1, 2021. The renovation included a remodeled entrance, lobby, restrooms, and waiting area. It also included wood ceilings, extended platforms, a new ADA compliant elevator, and digital information screens.

Rockland County has joined New Jersey in a court challenge of congestion pricing.

The upset heightened earlier this month when the MTA explained that the discount plan would not extend to Lower Hudson Valley commuters.

This is yet another example of Hudson Valley residents paying their hard-earned tax dollars to the MTA, only to watch all the benefits go to New York City, said Rep. Pat Ryan, a Democrat whose district includes Orange County.

The MTA says the discount plan was established by state lawmakers to create incentives for intra-city travel on Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road.

Gov. Kathy Hochul supports congestion pricing, touting the impact it will have on reducing traffic and pollution.

Ridership: Can Bronx commuters solve Metro-North's ridership woes? Railroad's leader is betting on it

Health care workers in scrubs board a northbound Metro-North train from the Fordham Station in the Bronx, Feb. 8, 2024.

Ferry, bus discounts

As part of the new pilot program, monthly tickets on cross-Hudson buses and ferries  the Haverstraw-Ossining, and Newburgh-Beach ferries, the Newburgh-Beacon bus and the Hudson Link  will be deeply discounted.

The monthly UniTicket fare for the Haverstraw-Ossining ferry, currently $43.75, will drop to $13.75. And a ride on the Newburgh-Beacon ferry, now $14.50, will cost $1.

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The monthly fare for the Newburgh-Beacon bus will also go to $1 from its current $10. And a monthly Hudson Link Bus ticket to either Tarrytown or White Plains will be cut by half to $30.

Rockland County residents are clamoring for public transit service into New York City, said State Sen. Pete Harckham. The new weekend ferry service and the UniTicket discounts on the Hudson Link bus service and the MTA two ferries are a good start toward exploring new ways to enhance travel options for Rockland.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: MTA offers ferry, bus discounts for Rockland, Orange commuters
The Biden campaign is getting involved in another Nevada election lawsuit, challenging the legal merit and intent of a Republican effort to object to the deadline for how long mail ballots can be accepted after Election Day in the Silver State.

The Republican National Committee, the Donald Trump campaign and the Nevada GOP filed suit in early May challenging the states law permitting the acceptance of mail ballots up to four business days after polls close, so long as the ballots are postmarked before Election Day. The RNC alleges the practice does not conform with the federally established deadline of Election Day.

In a motion to dismiss the case filed Monday, the Democratic National Committee, with the support of the Biden campaign, note that Nevada is one of several states that have such a policy, which has been held up around the country in other court challenges.

This is the Biden campaigns second legal challenge to Republican lawsuits of the cycle; earlier this month, it filed an amicus brief to support the Nevada secretary of state after the RNC sued the state over alleged inconsistencies in counties voter rolls. In both legal filings, the Biden campaign argued that the Republican lawsuits are legally unserious and an effort to undermine confidence in the electoral process before it begins.

In addition to the motion to dismiss, the Biden campaign is also filing a motion to intervene, which would allow them to be a party to the case filed in federal court.

Two Democratic-aligned groups representing veterans and retirees filed a motion to intervene in the suit as well on Friday.

Democrats argue in the legal filing statutes allowing the collection of mail ballots received after Election Day have a long precedent nationally. Any finding against the law would disenfranchise Nevadans, they argue.
Justice Department prosecutors on Tuesday asked the judge who presided over former Trump White House strategist and far-right conspiracy theorist Steve Bannons contempt of Congress case to order Bannon to begin serving his prison sentence.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols had placed a stay on Bannon serving his four-month prison sentence while he appealed his contempt of Congress conviction. But the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld his conviction last Friday.

Consequently, there is no longer a substantial question of law that is likely to result in a reversal or an order for a new trial,' Assistant U.S. Attorney John Crabb Jr. wrote in a filing Tuesday, which was first reported by ABC News.

Im shocked they want to silence the voice of MAGA, Bannon told ABC News in response to the DOJ filing. Its unclear when Nichols may respond to the DOJs request, but Bannons attorney David Schoen had previously indicated that Bannon would try to get the case reheard by the full D.C. Circuit court, as the Washington Post noted. Bannon could also ask the Supreme Court to get involved, but the high court just dismissed a similar request last month from former Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro. Navarro had asked the court to block him from having to serve his sentence while he appealed his conviction.

Both Bannon and Navarro were found in contempt of Congress after refusing to comply with requests and subpoenas for testimony and documents from the House Jan. 6 Select Committee, which was probing the Capitol attack at the time. Bannon was sentenced to four months in prison and fined $6,500 back in October 2022, but hasnt had to report to prison while he appealed.

Before reporting to federal prison in Miami in March, Navarro held a press conference at a gas station near the Federal Prison Camp, during which he pointed out the unfairness of Bannon being able to delay his jail time while he appealed the case. The difference appears to be that Bannon hadnt yet exhausted his appeal options.

But once he does report to prison, the former Trump campaign manager and Breitbart co-founder may not get the same special treatment as Navarro has gotten from the Trump family. As I noted yesterday, Donald Trump Jr. recently paid Navarro a visit in prison to check in and offer his support. But that may be because Trump still likes Navarro.

While they remain supporters of one anothers work, Trump and Bannon have been at odds since Bannon exited the White House. Bannon left primarily because he couldnt get along with Jared Kushner, but Trump also reportedly blamed Bannon for information getting leaked to the media. He also reportedly got tired of Bannon claiming too much credit for Trumps electoral victory in 2016.

Steve Bannon has nothing to do with me or my Presidency. When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind, Trump said in 2018. Steve was a staffer who worked for me after I had already won the nomination by defeating seventeen candidates, often described as the most talented field ever assembled in the Republican Party.

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(KRON)  A Bay Area County has enacted a stronger ban on the sales of e-cigarettes and flavored tobacco.

Since 2022, California law has prohibited the sale of most flavored tobacco products, with some exemptions.

Despite only allowing sales of in-person business locations in Sonoma County, the state never addresses unincorporated areas, the county said.

As of Tuesday, Sonoma County has banned the sale of e-cigarettes and flavored tobacco in unincorporated areas.

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The changes to the county regulations are in response to public health data that show the increased use of e-cigarettes by Sonoma teenagers in high school.

In Sonoma County, 13% of 11th graders said they had used an e-cigarette, according to the Department of Health Services.

The devices, also known as vapes, can cause serious health implications, including contributing to detrimental inhalation patterns and heightened risks for youths developing brains, according to medical researchers.

The recent ordinance aligns with other cities, such as Petaluma, Sebastopol and Windsor, which have also outlawed the sale of e-cigarettes and flavored tobacco.

Health concerns aside, the county believes the ordinance will also aid in limiting waste.

Vaping devices account for 70 tons of waste in Sonoma Countys landfill. Removing these non-recyclable toxic devices will help to eliminate hazardous waste, Sonoma Supervisor Susan Gorin said.

Sonoma Countys ordinance will take effect 30 days after passing.

By banning the sale of certain tobacco products that have pervaded youth culture, we can make it harder for children to access these dangerous products, Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, vice chair of the Board of Supervisors, said.

There are currently 78 licensed tobacco retailers in unincorporated Sonoma County, representing over 20% of the total tobacco retailers throughout the county, including cities, the county said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT)  The National Weather Service in Huntsville confirmed 14 tornadoes that hit North Alabama and Lincoln County, Tennessee during severe storms the evening of Wednesday, May 8, 2024.

Now, many families are left with damage to homes, cars and property, and the search for a contractor to fix things up quickly is underway.

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The Better Business Bureau of North Alabama (BBB) wants to warn people of bad actors, storm chasers who are out-of-town contractors and may try to take advantage of those storm survivors.

Belinda McCormick, vice president of the BBB of North Alabama, explained that local contractors may be busier than usual, so people may turn to out-of-town contractors to get their work done.

McCormick said its important to take your time, look out for red flags and hire a trusted business that will get the job done right.

The BBB says not all contractors are scammers.

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However, they may lack the proper licensing for your area, offer quick fixes or make big promises that they dont keep.

When hiring any contractor, McCormick suggests the following:

Contact your insurance company first

Obtain estimates of the work to be done

Get everything in writing

Include specific products or colors you want in the contract

Agree on a completion date

She also said not to sign anything prior to getting an estimate and timetable, because sometimes that paperwork can still lock you into a contract.

McCormick suggests verifying that the contractor you choose has the insurance needed to do the job on your property. Ask the company who their insurance carrier is, then call that insurance company to ensure their insurance is active and has not lapsed.

Homeowners can do some research to ensure theyre getting a quality contractor.

Its important to know that any roofer doing repairs over $2,500 or remodeler doing contract work over $10,000 is required to be licensed through the Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board.

To verify licenses online, click here or call 1 (800) 304-0853.

For more information and tips from the BBB about hiring a contractor to fix storm damage, click here.

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 WHNT.com.
Bear Breaks into Calif. Family's Fridge, Steals a Watermelon, and Picnics in the Yard: Watch!

Bear Breaks into Calif. Family's Fridge, Steals a Watermelon, and Picnics in the Yard: Watch!

After nabbing the snack, the four-legged thief also enjoyed it in the family's yard

Storyful Bear steals watermelon slice from California family's fridge

Did somebody order U-bear Eats?

On May 12, a bear in La Canada Flintridge, Calif., pulled off the heist of a lifetime, successfully raiding a family's fridge.

The mammal broke into the family's garage and their refrigerator, where it stole a snack for itself: a big slice of watermelon.

Related: Giant Snake Interrupts Couples Wedding, Woman Carries It Out by the Tail So Ceremony Can Resume

A video recorded by the children of the fridge's owner, Chris Yee, captured the curious bear crime and the kids' adorable reactions.

In the clip, the furry thief approaches the appliance before opening its freezer and fridge section.

"Dad, it's in the freezer! Dad, it opened the freezer," says Yee's daughter, while another voice sings, "Bear-y, bear-y, bear-y!"

While sitting in front of the now-open appliance, the four-legged intruder begins to inspect its contents, rummaging around and deciding what snack to bring on the go.

Storyful Bear steals watermelon slice from California family's fridge

Related: Mama Bear and Her Cubs Go for a Swim in Calif. Couple's Pool: 'Cutest Thing Ever'

Then, the garage door begins closing, startling the critter, who leaves briefly but returns ("It's going back in!") immediately after the door retracts.

During the wild animal's second foray into the garage, the bear burglar spends less time contemplating, opting instead for a quick scan before grabbing a juicy watermelon slice.

After taking off with the summery snack, the bear plops down in the Yee family's yard  just feet away from the scene of the crime  to enjoy the stolen fruit.

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.

Speaking with Los Angeles outlet ABC7, Yee and one of his kids recalled their run-in with the watermelon thief.

"It seemed like it really just, you know, with its mouth, took that quarter piece of watermelon out without disturbing anything else, thankfully," Yee said.

"And then proceeded to find a safe spot to enjoy it."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Behind the Curtains of the Global Arms Industry

Imagery of battlefields and violence have permeated the news cycle as armed conflicts rage around the globe, particularly in the Middle East and Ukraine.

Rarely, however, do we see inside the multibillion-dollar industry behind the weapons that cause its destruction.

In his new book, "Nothing Personal: The Back Office of War," photographer Nikita Teryoshin lifts the veil on the global arms trade, capturing defense exhibitions worldwide.

CTA International, an arms manufacturer based in France, demonstrated a weapon's firepower on a 2mm thick aluminum target during Eurosatory, a defense exhibition in Paris. Nikita Teryoshin

"These [defense] fairs are the opposite of what you imagine when you think of arms and war," Teryoshin said in an interview with Business Insider.

Through the colorful, bright, yet uncanny depictions of the defense industry, "Nothing Personal" portrays a world that is the complete opposite of the battlefield it profits from, highlighting the sobering reality of war as a business and economic incentive.

From 2016 to 2023, Teryoshin documented defense fairs in 14 countries, including the United States, China, France, Abu Dhabi, and Russia. Closed to the public, his series offers a rare inside look into the lucrative global arms industry.

Guests, politicians, and traders watch a live demonstration of warfare at the International Defense Exhibition in Abu Dhabi. Nikita Teryoshin

Teryoshin's photos depict the showy display of tanks, drones, missiles, air shows, and war shows at various defense exhibitions. He described the fairs as "an oversized playground for adults with wine, finger food, and shiny weapons."

"Dead bodies here are mannequins or pixels on screens of a huge number of simulators," he wrote in his book. "Bazookas and machine guns are plugged into flatscreens and war action is staged in an artificial environment in front of a tribune full of high-ranked guests, ministers, heads of state, generals, and traders."

A photo stand-in shows a soldier equipped with a Kalashnikov rifle wearing a Russian uniform at DefExpo, a defense exhibition in India. Nikita Teryoshin

Teryoshin's images are striking  a bright flash in each image tying together the bizarre display of weapons with abstracted figures of anonymous delegates. A colorful array of canapes and a bright floral dress are set in a scene with a sleek gray model of a naval gun looming in the background.

A model of a Swedish Bofors 57 Mk3 naval gun is surrounded by plates of food at the International Defense Industry Exhibition in Poland. Nikita Teryoshin

"I think it's the key visuals in the project where you see food and waitress serving wine and juice, and in the background, you see all these war machines," Teryoshin said.

In 2019, Teryoshin attended the International Defense Exhibition & Conference in Abu Dhabi, where he said guests were enjoying a cake decorated with a mini tank, jet fighters , and missiles.

Guests dig into a cake celebrating the 25th anniversary of the International Defense Exhibition & Conference in Abu Dhabi. Nikita Teryoshin

"Special guests and generals started to eat the cake with little forks out from the pallet directly, and then I thought it looked like a real battlefield," Teryoshin said. "There was an explosion and a tank and a plane and jet fighters were flying little toys that were flying around this explosion, and it was totally weird."

He added: "The alliance of UAE and Saudi Arabia were flying strikes against the Houthis and bombing hospitals, schools, and houses of normal people, and at the same time, 1,000 kilometers away, they are eating this cake with an explosion."

With elements of dark humor and absurdity in every image, the photographer's distinctive visual style emphasizes the jarring juxtaposition of the luxury and celebration at defense fairs and the destructive weaponry and firearms the industry produces.

Missile models are seen at the stand of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, an Israeli defense technology company, at a defense exhibition in India. Nikita Teryoshin

Large, metallic-gray missiles frame a half-empty coffee mug sitting on the edge of a display table. The camera's flash casts imposing shadows of the missiles around the mug  the everyday object normalizing the display of dangerous weaponry.

Teryoshin alluded to the look of crime scene photography when discussing the use of flash in his series. The cold, harsh flash highlights the environment's ominousity through a pointedly cynical perspective.

After the construction and the oil and gas sectors, the global arms trade is one of the most corruption-prone sectors in the world, according to Transparency International. By contrast, the international trade of bananas is more tightly regulated than the arms trade, according to the introductory note of the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty.

A member of the Peruvian delegation shakes hands with a uniformed officer behind a model of the Oplot M main battle tank at SITDEF, a defense fair in Lima, Peru. Nikita Teryoshin

With the weaponry in the forefront, the fairgoers in the series remain anonymous  the figures of traders and politicians are all faceless and undetectable.

"I deliberately don't show you the faces of the businessmen," Teryoshin said in his artist statement. "It is not my intention to fix everything upon a certain person."

A South Korean officer watches the air show by the Black Eagles, an aerobatic flight display team, flying KAI T-50B Golden Eagle jets at an exhibition in Seoul. Nikita Teryoshin

The anonymity of the figures adds mystery to each photograph and portrays the photographer's intention of showcasing the global arms industry as a monolith.

"I also didn't want to blame any special country, manufacturer, or person but to show it just as a phenomenon," he said.

Here, war is simply a universal means of commerce  the convention space secluded from the real terror of conflict.

On the deck of a ferry while jet fighters, helicopters and cargo aircraft fly low. IDEX Expo, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 2019 Nikita Teryoshin

Military spending worldwide amounted to $2.44 trillion in 2023. In the US, it was estimated that the average taxpayer contributed $5,109 to the US military and its support systems in 2023. While the average American contributes thousands of dollars to the military, the general public is not privy to the inner workings of war profiteering  something Teryoshin hopes to change through his photography.

Teryoshin shows the irony behind arms company slogans, such as "70 years defending peace" by Kalashnikov Group or "Engineering a better tomorrow" by Lockheed Martin, by showing viewers the opposite of a violent and terrifying battlefield: the people in business attire who profit from window shopping for war machines with champagne in hand.

Reception by French Airbus Helicopters on the first day of the biggest arms fair in Eastern Europe. The Tiger Helicopter in the background had just returned from a mission in Mali. MSPO EExpo, Kielce, Poland, 2016 Nikita Teryoshin

Read the original article on Business Insider
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE)  An Albuquerque grandmother was dancing in her living room to the Taylor Swift Eras Tour movie when she came face-to-face with a home intruder. KRQE Anchor-Reporter Jessica Garate first reported the story and obtained the emotional 911 call the woman made as she was trying to coax the man back outside.

This week on the New Mexico News Podcast, Jessica joins Chris McKee and Gabrielle Burkhart in a behind-the-scenes conversation about what led to the woman shooting the man when he broke into her home a second time. The grandmother says she was doing what she needed to protect her home and four-year-old granddaughter. How would you handle a situation like that?

Listen to the full discussion above to hear how the situation unfolded and the womans emotional plea to the police that night.

Story continues below

Download new episodes of the New Mexico News Podcast every Tuesday, starting around 5:30 a.m., Mountain time. Episodes are available on most podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Podbean among others.

Having trouble finding the show? Try searching your favorite podcast player with the term KRQE or New Mexico News Podcast (without the quotes). You can also use the links above to find the podcast on each respective service or listen to the audio player at the top of this post.

If you have a question, comment, or suggestion as to who should be interviewed on the podcast, let us know! Email the hosts at chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.
A Bellingham man awaiting trial for raping two women in separate incidents has been accused of raping a third woman in February 2023.

Nurlan Levi Varner, 20, was charged May 6 in Whatcom County Superior Court with one count of third-degree rape (lack of consent), a felony. His bail in the case was set at $200,000 at his first appearance in court May 3. A pre-trial no-contact order was also put in place between Varner and the woman at that court hearing.

If Varner is released from custody, he will not be allowed to possess weapons or firearms and is not allowed to use any online dating apps, according to court records.

Details from Varners arraignment, which took place May 10, were not immediately available.

Varner has been in custody at the downtown Whatcom County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail since his arrest April 22 for a separate court case in which he is accused of repeatedly violently sexually assaulting a woman over a three-day period in April, The Bellingham Herald previously reported.

Varner was charged April 23 with one count of second-degree rape (forcible compulsion), one count of second-degree assault and one count of felony harassment in that case. He pleaded not guilty to the charges at his arraignment on May 3, according to court records.

A pre-trial no-contact order has also been put in place between Varner and the woman in that case.

Prior to charges being filed in the late April case, Varner had been out of custody since Sept. 6, 2023 on a $5,000 cash alternative bond for a September 2023 case in which hes accused of forcibly raping a woman at his home in the 100 block of West Hemmi Road, The Herald previously reported.

Varner was charged Sept. 5 in that case with one count of second-degree rape (forcible compulsion), a felony. He pleaded not guilty to the charge Sept. 15. A pre-trial no-contact order was also put in place between Varner and the woman in that case, court documents show.

In the new case, Varner is accused of raping a woman in February 2023 after they met on an online dating app, the court records state.

David Nelson, Varners defense attorney for the Sept. 2023 and April 2024 cases, said Monday that he has no comment at this time other than (Varner) has entered pleas of not guilty, and I fully expect him to enter a plea of not guilty on the third matter (but I am not his attorney on that case at this time). Nelson has not been retained as Varners defense attorney in the most recent case.

Its unclear at this time whether a defense attorney will be appointed at public expense for Varner in the third case, or if he will retain his own counsel.

The Herald has reached out to the Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorneys Office for comment.

Assault reported

On April 23, a 22-year-old woman reported to the Lynden Police Department that Varner sexually assaulted her in late February 2023 after she repeatedly told him no, according to court records.

The woman told Lynden police she and Varner met on Tinder, an online dating app, and they later realized they knew each other through mutual family friends. The two exchanged phone numbers and began getting to know one another, court records state.

The woman told police that on Feb. 28, 2023, she was having mechanical issues with her car and asked Varner to help her. The pair took the vehicle to an automotive shop in Lynden. While mechanics were working on the vehicle, the woman told police she and Varner went to Varners parents house to visit.

Once her car was finished, she and Varner picked it up, and he then invited her to his home in the 1700 block of Valmont Street in Lynden to watch a movie, court records state.

The woman told police she and Varner were watching a movie together and kissing when Varner began trying to remove her belt on her jeans. The woman said she told Varner she did not want to have sex with him, but that Varner continued trying to remove her belt, court documents state.

The woman told police she was able to get away from Varner long enough to buckle her belt, but that Varner then began undoing it again and eventually raped her.

The woman told police Varner later came to her house and they got into an argument. She said Varner refused to leave her house and spent the night, but that nothing physical happened between them.

The woman said she and Varner never hung out again after that.

The woman told police she did not initially report the sexual assault in part because she had been in a longterm toxic relationship just prior to meeting Varner. Following news of Varners recent arrests for rape, the woman told police she felt she should come forward, too, according to court documents.

Varner declined to speak to police about his interactions with the woman and said he wished to speak with his lawyer, the records show.

Resources

 Brigid Collins Family Support Center: 360-734-4616, brigidcollins.org

Brigid Collins Family Support Center professionals are on-call between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, to answer questions about children, families, abuse prevention or treatment at (360) 734-4616.

 Child Protective Services: Washington state hotline for reporting child abuse and neglect, 866-829-2153.

 Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services: 24-hour Help Line: 360-715-1563, Email: info@dvsas.org.

 Lummi Victims of Crime: 360-312-2015.

 Tlils Taaaltha Victims of Crime: 360-325-3310 or nooksacktribe.org/departments/youth-family-services/tlils-taaaltha-victims-of-crime-program/

 Bellingham Police: You can call anonymously at 360-778-8611, or go online at cob.org/tips.

 WWU Consultation and Sexual Assault Support Survivor Advocacy Services: 360-650-3700 or wp.wwu.edu/sexualviolence/.

If you or a child is in immediate danger, call 911 and make a report to law enforcement.

To report child abuse or neglect call 1-866-END HARM.
BENNETTSVILLE, S.C. (WBTW)  Internal erosion is to blame for a May 6 breach of the Lake Paul Wallace Dam in Marlboros largest city  and the structure remains in need of critical repairs, state regulators said on Monday.

Based on the data and information we have today, it appears the type of failure that occurred at Lake Wallace Dam was internal erosion, commonly called piping failure. Internal erosion is one of the most common causes of failure among earthen dams, DHEC spokeswoman Laura Renwick said. It occurs when water that naturally seeps through the dam begins to erode soil within the earthen embankment dam. This can happen without there being any surficial sign of soil movement.

The state Department of Health and Environmental Control on Tuesday issued an emergency order to sister agency Department of Natural Resources, demanding a summary of planned repairs and safety measures being taken to prevent more damage.

A wall holding back the 300-acre lake cracked about 5:30 p.m., sending waters coursing into the citys Shady Rest and Richardson Park communities, prompting evacuations and forcing a virtual learning day for Marlboro School District.

There were no reported injuries.

Bennettsville Mayor Leith Fowler said during an after-action meeting the situation could have been much worse.

I truly believe we missed a bullet on this one. I think now weve got a chance to do the right thing and fix the dam, fix the creek and try to protect the neighborhoods, he said.

Marlboro County leaders echoed that.

We believe this should be the final straw. Moving forward, we will collaborate with local, state, and federal authorities to find lasting and efficient solutions to a longstanding issue, officials wrote to the countys Facebook page last week.

The dam was most recently inspected on April 30. Its one of nine high-hazard dams in poor condition statewide, DHEC said. It was built in 1955.

Emergency-Order-Lake-Wallace-DamDownload

That report is due by 5 p.m. on Thursday.

Officials said a sinkhole developed after the April 30 dam review.

Of South Carolinas 2,430 dams, 75% are considered high-hazard, and theyre an average of 66 years old, according to a national inventory maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

* * *

Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW.
Kai Wegner, Governing Mayor of Berlin, speaks at a conference of the Christian Democrratic party (CDU). Carsten Koall/dpa

Twin cities Berlin and Tokyo want to further deepen their partnership and work together on 21st century problems such as climate change.

"We are facing global challenges that we must tackle in our metropolises," Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner said on Tuesday in Tokyo at the signing of a new communique with Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike.

The twinning of the two cities happened exactly 30 years ago.

The past 30 years have been "very significant" for Tokyo and Berlin, Tokyo Governor Koike said at the ceremony.

Wegner told an audience at the City Hall in the Japanese capital: "I believe that the next 30 years will be even more important."

In times of urbanization "and ever-increasing pressure on cities," it is important that they retain their quality of life, he added.

"So people can live there happily, well and safely," said the Christian Democrat politician.

Wegner cited climate change, affordable housing, mobility, start-ups and the digitalization of administration as common challenges for the two cities.

"I would like to see even closer cooperation with Tokyo in areas such as these," Wegner said.

During his visit to Tokyo, the Berlin mayor will meet with the management of technology companies Mitsubishi and Fujitsu, among others.

Wegner, who is accompanied by a business delegation, will also be a guest at the SusHi Tech Tokyo conference, which focuses on sustainability and innovative future technologies.
Our Best Look At Russias Kh-38 Missile Now Being Used In Ukraine

Recent imagery provides our best views so far of Russias modern Kh-38M air-to-ground missile, apparently employed in the war in Ukraine. Previously, various videos had been released showing airstrikes that purportedly involved Kh-38Ms, but new photos show, in some detail, the missile carried under the wing of Su-34 Fullback strike fighters, seemingly taking part in combat sorties.

A spate of recent imagery shows Russias modern Kh-38M air-to-ground missile, apparently employed in the war in Ukraine. Previously, various videos had been released showing airstrikes that purportedly involved Kh-38Ms, but couldnt be confirmed as such. The new photos show, in some detail, the missile carried under the wing of Su-34 Fullback strike fighters, seemingly taking part in combat sorties.

The use of the new-generation precision-guided munition is notable, with Russian tactical jets so far having relied heavily on fairly improvised glide bombs to give them the standoff capability that they so badly need.

A recent series of photos posted on the Telegram messaging app by accounts connected with the Russian Armed Forces show Kh-38M air-to-ground missiles carried on pylons under the wings and engine intakes of Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) Su-34s.

A Kh-38M series missile under the engine intake of a Russian Aerospace Forces Su-34. via Telegram

via Telegram

Three of these missiles have Cyrillic text handwritten on them, consistent with similar morale-boosting slogans we have seen on other Russian (and Ukrainian) air-launched weapons. One also carries a sticker associated with the Telegram account that posted it.

The circumstances of these images being published, and the markings and stickers on the missiles are consistent with them being photographed during the war in Ukraine.

There have been earlier Russian videos showing what are claimed to be engagements of ground targets using Kh-38M missiles, although none of them revealed detailed aspects of the missiles themselves.

In September 2023, for example, cockpit footage was released showing a Su-34 launching a laser-guided Kh-38ML variant, together with a drone video showing the  apparently  subsequent destruction of a crossing over the Oskil River. It remains possible, of course, that videos from two different incidents were combined.

Only last week, the destruction of a bridge in the eastern Donetsk region was also attributed to the Kh-38M, although the weapons used in both incidents remain unconfirmed.

Various other drone videos have emerged that claim to show strikes of ground targets by Kh-38Ms in the conflict. In these instances, its generally claimed that the target designation for the missile was provided by an Orlan-series drone in the vicinity. However, its impossible to say for certain whether such videos really do involve Kh-38M launches or other kinds of weapons entirely.

As far as is known, the version of the missile being employed by the VKS in Ukraine is the Kh-38ML, which uses semi-active laser guidance and features a characteristic laser seeker head, as seen in the photo at the top of this story.

A mockup of the export version of the Kh-38ML. This version also features cropped main fins, compared with the basic version, likely for internal carriage. Mike1979/Wikimedia Commons

This variant requires the target to be lased, either via a designator on the launching aircraft, by a separate platform, or by forces on the ground; these also have to be relatively close to the target (within line-of-sight) during the delivery. Using an Orlan or similar drone for targeting would allow the Su-34 (or other launch aircraft) to turn away after firing the missile, providing the crew with another degree of protection from air defenses that may be defending the target.

The laser seeker also allows the munition to hit moving targets, not just static ones, although this is something we havent seen in the videos so far.

The Kh-38M was developed to replace the Soviet-era Kh-25M and Kh-29 air-to-ground missiles, examples of which have scarcely been seen used by the KVS in Ukraine. The likely reasons for this may include a general lack of such weapons, compounded by their age, meaning existing stocks are time-expired.

The new missile was designed to be a universal type, meaning the modular missile can accept various different seeker heads. As well as the aforementioned semi-active laser seeker, other options include an imaging infrared seeker (Kh-38MT), and an active radar seeker (Kh-38MA). There is also an anti-armor version with a cluster warhead (Kh-38MK) that drops submunitions that individually self-home onto tanks or other vehicles. There is so far no confirmation that any of these other versions are being used, but it remains a possibility.

A mockup of the Kh-38MAE, the export version of the missile with an active radar seeker. Vitaly V. Kuzmin/Wikimedia Commons

All versions of the missile are powered by a solid-fuel rocket motor and have an inertial navigation system with satellite navigation inputs. Normally, a high-explosive/fragmentation warhead weighing around 550 pounds is fitted.

As for the Kh-38ML, the first launches were made from a Su-34 in 2010. The missile reportedly completed state tests in early 2015 but has been only rarely seen since then.

Its worth noting that the Kh-38M also served as the basis for another new-generation weapon, the Grom (meaning thunder in Russian). This weapon is available in powered and unpowered form and has an elongated body with long folding wings that pop out, for additional range. As far as is known, the Grom uses inertial/satellite navigation, meaning it can only be employed against fixed targets.

As TWZ reported in the past, there is evidence of the Grom being used in Ukraine , but apparently only on a very limited scale, perhaps suggestive of combat trials.

A Grom-E2 glide bomb. Nickel nitride/Wikimedia Commons

Apparent wreckage of a Grom glide bomb in Ukraine:

On the other hand, based on imagery purported to show the Kh-38M in action, as well as examples loaded on Su-34s, the VKS appears to be employing this missile much more frequently.

With a range of 25 miles, the Kh-38ML should provide the VKS with a very useful capability, offering the standoff range that it has sought in the war in Ukraine.

Even before Kyiv began to receive advanced Western ground-based air defense systems, Ukraines air defenses were extracting a very heavy toll on Russian air power . At the start of the war, VKS tactical jets like the Su-34 were mainly restricted to using freefall dumb weapons that required the aircraft to pass directly over the target, or at least very close to it, leaving them vulnerable to air defenses .

Russias urgent need for standoff weapons, which allow aircraft to launch indirect attacks on targets that would otherwise expose them to unacceptable risk, led to the introduction of rapidly fielded precision-guided glide bombs . The UMPK, or Unifitsirovannyi Modul Planirovaniya i Korrektsii, meaning unified gliding and correction module, simply adds a wing and guidance kit to any of several types of freefall bombs. Despite their limitations, these weapons have become a major concern for Ukraine.

A UMPK precision-guided glide bomb. via X

More recently, an improved version of the Russian precision-guided glide bomb, known as the UMPB has appeared. This builds on experience with the earlier UMPK and is rumored to be suitable for launch from both aircraft and ground-based rocket artillery. There are also suggestions it may be compatible with a motor, for even greater range.

Apparent wreckage of an improved UMPB precision-guided glide bomb. Note the portion of one of the wings below the body. via X

While we dont know exactly what kinds of distances the UMPK and UMPB can reach, the first of these is said to have a range much smaller than the widely reported (but unofficial) 44 miles, which would have put it in a similar class to the U.S.-made JDAM-ER .

With a maximum range of 25 miles, the Kh-38ML might not offer a huge improvement in terms of striking distance, if at all, but it has other obvious benefits.

As a purpose-designed powered munition, the Kh-38MLs aerodynamic characteristics are much better than these more ad-hoc solutions. There have been various mishaps involving UMPKs, including incidents in which these fell on Russian territory. Overall, their failure rate appears to be high and their accuracy is questionable.

Excavation of an unexploded UMPK dropped accidentally by a Su-34 over Belgorod on April 20, 2023. via X

The Kh-38ML, with its laser guidance, should offer much-improved accuracy as well as the ability to hit moving targets.

The new missile also provides Russia with a significant capability for rapid-response precision strikes. In the past, Iskander-M short-range ballistic missiles have frequently been used to prosecute high-value, time-sensitive targets, for which a missile in the class of the Kh-38M would be a better fit. With targeting provided by an Orlan drone, the Kh-38M offers an ideal way of striking targets of this kind, something that is likely impossible with glide bombs, which are understood to require targeting data to be uploaded prior to takeoff. In this regard, the Kh-38M can help fill a glaring gap in the Russian armory, which currently offers limited options for striking time-sensitive targets much beyond the front lines, especially moving ones.

Overall, the flurry of Kh-38ML imagery at this stage points to Russias continuing efforts to introduce (more effective) air-launched weapons with standoff range. This has likely been driven by recent spikes in losses of tactical aircraft  according to Ukrainian sources, at least.

Already, the fairly primitive UMPK has proven to be a considerable headache for Ukrainian air defense operators and the Kh-38ML will only compound their problems, provided its fielded in meaningful numbers.

This latter point may reveal the major drawback of the Kh-38ML, namely the ability of Russias industry to produce it in the quantities needed. Hampered by crippling international sanctions , Russias ability to manufacture high-technology weapons without access to Western components has been repeatedly questioned.

A new offensive in the Kharkiv region means that Russian aircraft will likely be operating more frequently in close proximity to Ukrainian ground-based air defenses . As such, weapons offering standoff range, like the Kh-38ML, are only likely to become more important to the Russian Aerospace Forces and will provide Ukraine with further difficulties as it seeks to counter them.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com
'We are better than this.' Byron Donalds scorches Democrats at Trump trial in New York

An indignant Byron Donalds stood outside Donald Trump New York trial Tuesday, calling the process a farce.

The Democrat party has lost their ever-lovin minds, the Naples congressman said in a Fox News clip he posted to X.

Donalds was there along with other prominent Republicans offering high-profile moral support to Trump as he stands trial on 34 felony charges of falsifying business records relating to hush-money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels after their alleged affair. Trump has pleaded not guilty.

U.S. Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) speaks to local media members after participating in a Hurricane Ian marine debris removal tour alongside representatives from AshBritt in St. James City Tuesday, May 2, 2023. Although large quantities of debris have already been removed since Hurricane Ian devastated the area last year, recovery efforts and clean-up continues.

Next up for Byron Donalds: VP? Florida governor? 'Whatever God has for us, were here for it'

Donalds has been with the former president a lot lately, most recently in Palm Beach at the Republican National Committee's spring donor retreat. In addition to panel discussions with lawmakers and campaign officials, the event included other vice-presidential contenders for Trumps presumptive run  North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem; Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.; Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C.; Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y.; Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio.

It was a homecoming for Donalds, who grew up in the neighboring borough of Brooklyn. Others joining him at the trial included Burgum, Vivek Ramaswamy and U.S. Rep. Cory Mills of New Smyrna Beach.

Justice is supposed to be BLIND.



Justice is not supposed to mean political persecution.



We are BETTER THAN THIS as a nation.



This is a travesty & in November the American people will make their voices heard. pic.twitter.com/07q1oa6QAq  Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) May 14, 2024

On X Tuesday morning, he posted: This case is a tragedy for the American justice system. They still haven't identified a crime and it's been 4 weeks. This is ELECTION INTERFERENCE.

More: Next up for Byron Donalds: VP? Florida governor? 'Whatever God has for us, were here for it'

Before heading into the courtroom, Trump name-checked Donalds, as one of a lot of great people to talk to you.

Donalds posted throughout the day. "Justice is supposed to be BLIND. Justice is not supposed to mean political persecution. We are BETTER THAN THIS as a nation,"

He also spoke outside the courthouse, flanked by other red-tied allies. Where is the crime? There is no crime, he said. This is a misuse of the justice system. Look around New York. New Yorks got plenty of issues  Im from Brooklyn  the citizens of New York are less safe and the district attorney is not prosecuting real crime.

Fort Myers Democrat, Florida Gulf Coast University instructor and interim Director of the Calusa Nature Center Cindy Banyai was not impressed. She ran against Donalds twice for the District 19 seat.

Byron Donalds galavanting across the country to defend Trump and audition for the role of his VP instead of serving the people of Southwest Florida is the real travesty here," Banyai wrote in a text. "Trump and his operation committed real crimes and his own attorney went to prison for them already. No one should listen to Trump and his band of criminals, including Byron Donalds, on what justice and law and order is.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida Congressman Byron Donalds in NY, says Trump trial 'farce'
It comes as part of tariff increases on $18 billion worth of imports from China.

The United States is taking additional measures to quash Chinas influence on its economy. The White House has announced a tremendous increase in tariffs on $18 billion worth of Chinese imports, including semiconductors, steel, aluminum and EVs. The latters tariff is set to increase fourfold, from 25 percent to 100 percenta move that the White House claims will protect American manufacturers. The announcement further reported that Chinas EV exports grew 70 percent between 2022 and 2023.

Other tariff increases, such as the jumps from 25 percent to 50 percent for semiconductors and solar cells, are also significant. Then there are batteries, which are getting a tariff raise from 7.5 percent to 25 percent. Medical products are also a part of this hike, with tariffs on needles and syringes increasing from zero percent to 50 percent.

The Biden administration stresses that American companies need a real shot at competing against Chinese imports. Chinas unfair trade practices concerning technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation are threatening American businesses and workers. China is also flooding global markets with artificially low-priced exports, the White House stated in a release. Bidens decision builds on tariffs implemented by his predecessor and current election opponent, Donald Trump.
President Joe Biden attended one of his many commencement ceremonies at Howard University in Washington, DC, on May 13, 2023. Credit - Shawn ThewEPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images

This article is part of The D.C. Brief, TIMEs politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox.

Even before the White House announced last month that President Joe Biden would deliver one of his two commencement speeches this graduation season at Morehouse College in Atlanta, the prestigious historically Black college was seeing signs of the same political unrest that was bubbling up at dozens of colleges and universities across the country.

But Morehouse is no Columbia. There have been no massive pro-Palestinian encampments, no clashes between protesters and police in riot gear. The tension is there all the same, most of it a bare inch below the surface, and Democrats fear it may erupt this Sunday as Biden dons a graduation robe to address its student body.

Since the school and the White House announced on April 23 that Biden would be the schools commencement speaker, faculty, and students have engaged in an intense debate over blemishes in Bidens recordsnot just his handling of the conflict in Gaza and his critical posture toward pro-Palestinian student protestors, but also his policies related to mass incarcerations and policing. Put plainly: All of the reasons Bidens poll numbers with Black votersand their intersectional alliesare softening have come into focus in Atlanta, as Biden arrives for a marquee speech at a major HBCU. Its a microcosm of the fracturing coalition that put Biden in power in 2020, a trend that even White House apologists acknowledge threatens to make their boss a one-term President.

White House allies and partnersand there is a difference between legitimate support and mutual utilitysay Biden would never consider retreating from the college speeches. From a pure optics standpoint, it would be a gift to the Trump campaign. How can we say hes up for another four years confronting Putin, defending NATO, countering China, protecting voting rights, and working to make sure reproductive health is a right when he cant handle a campus protest? one outside Biden adviser says. Joe Biden is not going to write the other sides scripts for them.

But deeper still, Biden personally finds something deeply gratifying about delivering commencement speeches. Even as a first-term senator, he would happily deliver commencement addresses to students barely younger than himself on almost any campus that would have him. Over the years, Biden has come to relish the format and circumstances of speaking to new graduates on a day many would long remember.

He loves this [stuff], says a former Biden aide who is no longer actively working in his orbit. He feels like this is how he changes every life in that room, makes a difference for a generation, leaves his mark on a fulcrum day. He cant do retail as much as he used to, so this is as close as hes going to get.

Biden insiders say his delivering of speeches to audiences of mixed political allegiances reflects a larger truth: he remains unshakable in his belief that when a good person makes a moral argument to an honest audience, persuasion is possible and even skeptics will bend to his will. Absent that, Biden believes he at least owes his opponents an honest airing of their viewpoint. While many of his more jaded hired guns find such thinking naive, they also concede a begrudging respect that the old-school pol hasnt been corrupted by the cynicism that pervades so much of Washington. No one believes in Biden more than Biden himself, for better or worse.

Bidens defenders are quick to point out that his belief in compromise and cajoling, coupled with his track record on thorny negotiations, gives him reason to rationally think hes correct. When skeptics said his ambitious agendas for infrastructure, green-energy, and, more recently, sending more weapons for Ukraine, faced forceful skeptics, Biden kept pushing until there were signing ceremonies at the White House. The whole of his reelection raison d'etre is embedded in those laws, and win or lose this November, his successors will find it difficult to unspool them. Nor is Biden even remotely interested in hearing that he cant do something, whether its win over a room of noisy critics or dislodge months of hardened political opposition that arrives on his West Wing doorstep.

So, its with this situational awareness that Bidens team is sending him to Morehouse for his speech on Sunday. Ahead of that, though, the White House last Friday dispatched Steve Benjamin, the former mayor of Columbia, S.C., who now heads the White House Office of Public Engagement, to hear students concerns. Chief among them: Biden would turn his visit to a legendary HBCU into a campaign stop; Benjamin assured them Biden would be there to celebrate the graduates, not to look for votes in Georgia.

But before the speech comes a faculty vote scheduled for Thursday to sign-off on Bidens honorary degree. Such a vote is typically a formality. When Barack Obama visited campus in 2013 and picked up his honorary degree, the vote was completely unremarkable. Yet Team Biden will be watching that vote closely, as no one can say if hell draw the same rubber stamp in this charged moment.

Morehouse officially invited Biden back in September to become the second U.S. President in history to speak to graduates. He didnt accept the invite until April, perhaps not coincidentally around the time ex-President Donald Trump stopped for lunch not far from campus.

Morehouse administrators have made clear that rescinding the Presidents invitation is not an option: Morehouse President David A. Thomas has told students, alumni, and activists alike that there was zero chance the college would reverse course.

Its a similar resolve in the White House, which is linking Bidens approach to the Morehouse visit to his winning over wary voters for re-election.

As deputy White House press secretary Andrew Bates put it on April 23: When people speak out at our events, he shows empathy. He shows compassion. He respects their right to make their voice heard. And I think that that says a lot about how he is approaching what is a very complex situation.

The White House is trying to convey an empathy for what Morehouse students are saying without conceding that they are right, added press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre a day later. We get it. Its painful, she said.

But no one knows if all those efforts in recognizing Bidens critics will convince Morehouses faculty and students gathering this weekend to receive the President politely and with few interruptions. Former Rep. Cedric Richmond, a Morehouse alumnus and a co-chairman of the Biden re-election campaign, is monitoring the situation and quietly working his network to remind leaders that a rebuke of Biden at such a prominent venue heading into an admittedly difficult re-election bid may feel good for activists in the moment but ultimately only helps Trumps odds of returning to power. Its not elegant, but its the reality facing the students on the campus that educated the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.and may have a lesson or two for Biden this weekend, too.

Make sense of what matters in Washington. Sign up for the D.C. Brief newsletter.

Write to Philip Elliott at philip.elliott@time.com.
President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event on March 8, 2024 in Wallingford, Pennsylvania.(Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Health Care Providers for Biden-Harris, a new national coalition launched by the campaign, is hosting a series of events in battleground states across the country, including Pennsylvania.

Local doctors, nurses, midwives, and other health care providers are expected to emphasize whats at stake for health care in the 2024 election at events this week in Pittsburgh, Lancaster, Scranton, and Erie.

State Rep. Arvind Venkat (D-Allegheny), a physician, is scheduled to participate in the Pittsburgh launch of the coalition on Tuesday.

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are running for reelection to continue their work to bring down the costs of prescription drugs, protect Medicare, strengthen the ACA, including safeguarding coverage for people with preexisting conditions like cancer, and codifying abortion rights that are fundamental to reproductive healthcare, Venkat wrote in a statement.

He accused former President Donald Trump, who is the presumptive Republican Party nominee, of only running for himself and to terminate the Affordable Care Act, cut Medicare and Medicaid funding, and undo efforts from the Biden administration to reduce prescription drug costs. Venkat said that Trump would appoint judges who threaten the fundamental right to make the most personal of judgments on when to have a family or, worse, prevent emergency physicians from treating women in their time of crisis.

Venkat isnt the only elected official scheduled to participate. State Rep. Izzy Smith-Wade-El (D-Lancaster) is one of the featured speakers for the Lancaster event on Wednesday, while state Rep. Bridget Kosierowski (D-Lackawanna), a registered nurse, and Scranton City Councilwoman Jessica Rothchild will speak in Scranton on Thursday.

According to the Biden-Harris campaign, 420,000 Pennsylvanians signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act this year. About 5.2 million Pennsylvanians with pre-existing conditions could be denied coverage or charged thousands more if Trump terminated the ACA, plus over 7 million residents would no longer be guaranteed free cancer screenings, annual check-ups, and other care services, the campaign said. About 2.4 million women in the state would be at risk of losing access to affordable birth control and contraception if the ACA were repealed.

In 2017, Trump attempted to repeal the ACA during his presidency, but was unsuccessful. But in April, he released a video saying he was not running to terminate the ACA, although he didnt provide specifics on what changes he would make to the current health care law.

In a statement to the Capital-Star, Trumps campaign accused Biden of destroying Obamacare, the Affordable Care Acts informal name.

While President Trump is running to make less expensive healthcare options available for people without eliminating the Affordable Care Act, it is Joe Biden who is destroying Obamacare and indeed the entire healthcare system with his Open Borders invasion, said Karoline Leavitt, national press secretary for the Trump campaign. She claimed that Biden was giving free government healthcare to illegal aliens, and added that Trump will seal the border, deport the illegals, and cut off all government benefits on the first day of his administration.

According to healthcare.gov, undocumented immigrants cannot get Marketplace health coverage, although they may apply for coverage on behalf of documented individuals. NPR reported in December 2023 that more than 1 million low-income immigrants, regardless of legal status, in 11 states plus Washington D.C. are provided full health insurance coverage.

This is not the first effort from the Biden campaign to promote the ACA and health care in Pennsylvania. Last week, it released an ad that included a clip of Trump previously saying he wanted to terminate the ACA. Also, Vice President Kamala Harris visited the Philadelphia suburbs on Wednesday to advocate for reproductive rights.

The post Biden campaign launches Health Care Provider events throughout commonwealth appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star.
President Joe Biden is increasing tariffs on $18 billion in Chinese imports across a handful of sectors deemed strategic to national security  an attempt to cripple Beijings development of critical technologies and instead prioritize US production.

The increases will apply to imported steel and aluminum, legacy semiconductors, electric vehicles, battery components, critical minerals, solar cells, cranes and medical products. The new tariff rates  which range from 100% on electric vehicles, to 50% for solar components, to 25% for all other sectors  will take place over the next two years.

Chinas using the same playbook it has before to power its own growth at the expense of others, said Lael Brainard, director of the White House National Economic Council. Chinas simply too big to play by its own rules.

Announcing the new tariffs during a speech in the Rose Garden on Tuesday, Biden said he seeks fair competition with China, not conflict.

The fact is, American workers can out-work and out-compete anyone, as long as the competition is fair, Biden said. For too long, it hasnt been fair.

Bidens predecessor, former President Donald Trump, enacted a sweeping tariff program on $300 billion in Chinese imports during his administration, drawing authority from a provision in US trade law that allows tariffs to be used to stifle competition that would threaten national security interests. That same trade law also requires the effectiveness of such tariff programs to be evaluated every four years, and the Biden administration decision is the result of that study. CNN previously reported on the forthcoming changes.

White House officials said they also redrew the parameters of the program to reflect the Biden administrations policy priorities, most notably the transition to clean energy.

China cant be the only country that produces clean technology for the world we need, a senior administration official said. We need diversified, not concentrated, production of our most critical goods and technologies.  Thats the kind of dynamic we think will produce resilient supply chains and clean technology.

Electric vehicles imported from China will see their tariffs more than quadrupled from 27.5% to 100%  a policy lever meant to challenge Beijings practice of encouraging aggressively low pricing by domestic EV manufacturers while levying a 40% tariff on US car imports.

Were not going to let China flood our market, making it impossible for American automobile manufacturers to compete fairly, Biden said on Tuesday.

Story continues

He added, Folks, look, Im determined that the future of electric vehicles will be made in America by union workers, period.

Chinese manufacturer BYDs Seagull electric vehicle retails for roughly $10,000, a fraction of what rival American products cost.

It was important to have a large enough step-up in the tariffs to ensure that we try to level the playing field, a second senior administration official said.

Beijing has been known to introduce costly counterpunches. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters Tuesday that China opposes the unilateral imposition of tariffs which violate (World Trade Organization) rules, and will take all necessary actions to protect its legitimate rights.

After Trump unveiled his wide-ranging tariff policy, China slapped tariffs on $101.4 billion in US exports, retaliation that the Brookings Institute estimated affected 294,000 American export-related jobs.

Biden acknowledged Tuesday that he expects China will likely retaliate in some way to the newly announced tariffs against Beijing.

Its about saving American jobs, Biden said in an interview with Yahoo Finance posted Tuesday. Im sure China will talk a lot about it, but the fact is that China already is  way over their skis on this. I dont think itll lead to any international conflict or anything like that but I think theyll probably try to figure out how they can raise tariffs maybe on products that are unrelated.

Responding to news of the impending tariffs, Trump, speaking outside of the New York courtroom where he is standing trial on Tuesday, suggested Biden should have taken these steps at the beginning of his term.

China is eating our lunch right now, Trump said outside the courtroom. Asked to respond to Trumps statement after he signed the tariffs, Biden said his predecessor has been feeding them a long time.

The White House has declined to speculate on how Beijing may hit back now. Officials have pointed to parallel investigations by partners in Europe, Brazil and Turkey as bolstering their position.

China is producing [goods] at a rate and with a trajectory thats far in excess of any plausible estimate of global demand, the first senior administration official said.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Secretary of State Antony Blinken each raised that point with Chinese counterparts during formal visits to the country in April. Administration officials discussed releasing the changes in April to set the stage for a tariff speech Biden delivered mid-month, but ultimately held off to preserve the diplomatic visits, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Trade Representative Katherine Tai await President Joe Biden's speech. - Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

On April 17, Biden spoke at the United Steelworkers headquarters in Pittsburgh, calling for a tripling of tariffs Trump placed on certain steel and aluminum products imported from China, and a new investigation into unfair shipbuilding practices. The Chinese government, Biden argued, is providing state money to Chinese steel companies to make more steel than the economy demands, pushing down the price and making it impossible for other companies to compete.

Theyre not competing, Biden said of China. Theyre cheating.

Its a message that plays favorably across the so-called blue wall, the handful of Midwest manufacturing-heavy states that will be critical for either candidate during an election where trade will once again figure prominently.

It played less favorably across the Pacific, with Chinas Ministry of Commerce accusing the US of false accusations and wrong practices.

In a separate executive order issued on Monday, Biden forced MineOne, a Chinese-backed cryptocurrency mining company, to sell its land near the Francis E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming. The order said MineOnes close proximity to the Air Force base raises national security risks due to the companys use of specialized and foreign-sourced equipment potentially capable of facilitating surveillance and espionage activities.

The decision comes amid recent attempts by Washington to limit Chinese companies influence on US consumers and national security, especially ahead of the 2024 presidential elections in November.

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNNs Sam Fossum, Kathryn Monahan and Michael Williams contributed to this report.

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President Biden on Monday ordered the closure of a Chinese-backed cryptocurrency mine near a Wyoming nuclear missile base, stating it poses a risk to U.S. national security.

In his executive order Monday, Biden ordered MineOne Partners Limited and its affiliates operating near Francis E. Warren Air Force Base to shut down and sell its cryptocurrency mine outside of Cheyenne, Wyo.

MineOne is ultimately majority-owned by Chinese nationals through a June 2022 purchase, the order said.

The order said the company made changes to the property so that it could be used for specialized cryptocurrency mining operations. It was built about a mile from an Air Force base that works with nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The proximity of the foreign-owned Real Estate to a strategic missile base and key element of Americas nuclear triad, and the presence of specialized and foreign-sourced equipment potentially capable of facilitating surveillance and espionage activities, presents a national security risk to the United States, the executive order stated.

The company and its affiliates were also ordered to remove their equipment from the property within the next 90 days. The sale or transfer of the company must be done within 120 days, according to the order.

It comes months after The New York Times reported last October that Microsoft, which runs a nearby data center in connection with the Pentagon, expressed concerns about the facility to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

Microsoft warned it could allow the Chinese to pursue full-spectrum intelligence collection operations, per the Times.

CFIUS is an inter-agency body that reviews deals and mergers involving foreign companies for national security concerns. It has the authority to order companies to alter ownership structures or divest from the U.S.

A 2018 law gave CFIUS the authority to investigate real estate transactions near sensitive sites in the U.S., The Associated Press reported.

MineOnes purchase of the property was not filed with CFIUS until the committee began investigating the transaction, per the executive order.

The Hill has reached out to MineOne via the company website for comment.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who chairs CFIUS, touted the committees gatekeeper role in a statement on Monday.

It [the divestment order] also highlights the critical gatekeeper role that CFIUS serves to ensure that foreign investment does not undermine our national security, particularly as it relates to transactions that present risk to sensitive U.S. military installations as well as those involving specialized equipment and technologies, she wrote.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
George Clooney, shown in 2023, will appear at a fundraiser for President Biden in June at L.A.'s Peacock Theater. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

President Biden and former President Trump are heading to Southern California in June for big-dollar fundraisers.

The former president arrives first for an event June 7 in Beverly Hills, where top tickets go for $250,000 per person, according to an invitation obtained by The Times. The following day, he will headline a fundraiser in Newport Beach with donors being asked to contribute up to $100,000, and with multimillionaire tech entrepreneur Palmer Luckey among the hosts.

President Biden and former President Trump. Both will be in Southern California for fundraisers. (Associated Press)

The locations of the events were not included on the invitations, but Luckey hosted a major fundraiser for the former president in the final weeks of the 2020 election at his Lido Isle estate.

Read more: The Beach Boys, tony Lido Isle, $150,000 tickets: A peek inside Trump's Orange County fundraiser

The following weekend, Biden will appear at a major fundraiser at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles that will include appearances by former President Obama and celebrities George Clooney and Julia Roberts, according to a source who is raising money for the event and requested anonymity to speak candidly.

The event, first reported by NBC News, comes after Bidens West Coast swing last week that raised $10 million. The top donation amounts were not disclosed by the fundraiser or the campaign. But at a December event in Holmby Hills, donors were asked to contribute up to $929,600 to the Biden Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee that supports the presidents reelection campaign, the Democratic National Committee and state Democratic parties.

Read more: Biden woos donors, sidesteps Gaza at glitzy Westside fundraiser

In 2012, Clooney hosted a fundraiser for Obama at his Studio City house that raised $15 million for his reelection effort, believed at the time to be the largest one-night campaign haul.

Despite Californias overwhelming Democratic tilt, the states donors bankroll presidential campaigns on both sides of the aisle. Biden and Trump have both raised more in the state for their reelection bids than anywhere else, according to fundraising disclosures filed with the Federal Election Commission.

Biden has raised $21 million from Californians through March 31, while Trump has raised $11.1 million.

The disparity reflects Bidens overall fundraising advantage over Trump. However, the presidents reelection bid is challenging, as seen in a poll released Monday that shows Trump leading Biden in five battleground states that are likely to decide the election.

The poll by the New York Times, Siena College and the Philadelphia Inquirer found Biden losing support among young and minority voters because of the economy and the war in Gaza.

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.
Yahoo Finance

After China announced broad measures to rescue its economy, Chinese stocks surged, our Chart of the Week shows. It's not the first time the country has attempted to get out of the recent doldrums, but the market's reaction says this time might be different.
Bikers ticketed during Spring Bike Rally in Myrtle Beach. What laws are they violating?

Motorcyclists here for the 2024 Myrtle Beach Spring Bike Rally appear to be getting a hard lesson on traffic laws in the Myrtle Beach area.

Bikers have posted on the Myrtle Beach Bike Rally 2024 Facebook page that they have received tickets for revving their engines while driving along Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach.

They also have said they have seen more police this year, especially on Highway 17, adding that it appears that police have been stricter when issuing citations.

Myrtle Beach ordinances prohibit excessive noise, including noise created by loud music, revving engines and spinning tires.Violating the ordinance is a misdemeanor and could include a fine of up to $500 or 30 days in jail.

Horry County bans motorcycle burnouts and excessive engine revving and acceleration. It also requires engines to have mufflers.

It is unclear how many citations have been written to bikers by Myrtle Beach Police since the bike rally began on May 10, 2024. But officers have been writing a number of traffic tickets in the last three days based on Myrtle Beach Polices daily bulletin, which records arrests and citations. The rally will run through May 19, 2024.

We encourage our community and visitors to abide by the traffic laws, Cpl. Chris Starling with the Myrtle Beach Police Department said by text.

Many of the bikers tend to congregate in the Murrells Inlet area, but motorcyclists can be seen up and down the Grand Strand, including in the City of Myrtle Beach.

Other motorcycle laws to know are that South Carolina requires helmets and goggles for motorcycle and moped operators and passengers under the age of 21. In addition, no more than two motorcycles may park in a single public space in Myrtle Beach, and both vehicles must pay for parking.

Its also illegal to race in Myrtle Beach or drive your bike on the beach, marsh or sidewalk.

Excessive honking for reasons other than a danger warning is also prohibited in Horry County and Myrtle Beach. County quiet hours are from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., so drivers must turn down music and hold off on shouting during that period.
Gov. Henry McMaster signed legislation Thursday, March 7, 2024, allowing adults to legally carry a handgun without a permit. This is a file photo pistols and gun cartridges at a gun training range. (Aleksandar Georgiev/Getty Images)

COLUMBIA  When South Carolina lawmakers made it legal in March to carry handguns without a permit, they left people charged with illegal possession in limbo: Gun owners could still face conviction for a crime thats no longer a crime.

The law, which immediately took effect with Gov. Henry McMasters signature March 7, allowed past convictions for unlawful carry to be expunged. But it did not address pending cases.

Sen. Deon Tedder, D-Charleston, addresses the Senate after hes sworn in the opening day of the 2024 session Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Columbia, S.C. (File/Mary Ann Chastain/Special to the SC Daily Gazette)

The legislation introduced a week later by Sen. Deon Tedder, D-Charleston, would dismiss those charges.

Tedder argues its a matter of basic fairness. People shouldnt face sentencing simply due to bad timing beyond their control, he said.

Person A pled guilty a day before the governor signed that. They can get that expunged. Person B pleads guilty a day later and must rely on a prosecutors discretion, he told the SC Daily Gazette. So, this just makes it fair across the board.

The Senate passed it unanimously last month. The House passed it 112-2 last Tuesday.

Legislators gave final approval in the waning hours of the regular session last Thursday, as senators agreed to the House amendment. Whether it becomes law is now up to Gov. Henry McMaster.

The House added a provision that says the dismissal cant be the basis of a lawsuit against police or prosecutors.

Some law enforcement were concerned that, because of the change in law, that people could try to say it was an unlawful arrest, Tedder said.

The legislation also specifies that if police used the charge of unlawful possession of a handgun as probable cause to arrest the person for something else, the related charges arent automatically dismissed.

The legislation would mandate what some prosecutors across the state are already doing, according to Lisa Catalanotto, executive director of the SC Commission on Prosecution Coordination.

At least some solicitors already started dismissing these older charges after constitutional carry was enacted anyway, she wrote in an email.

The commission did not take a position on Tedders bill and is not planning to give any specific advice to solicitors about it, she said.

It is unclear how many pending cases the measure would impact.

While the commission collects data on pending cases semi-annually, it does not have numbers for unlawful possession when the permit-less carry law took effect, Catalanotto said.

That law allowed anyone 18 and over who can legally buy a handgun to carry it with or without a concealed carry permit.

The law also gave local and state law enforcement officers the ability to arrest more felons illegally carrying guns  by bringing state law in line with federal law  and increased penalties multiple arrests.

Concealed weapon permits are still available. To encourage gun owners to take the classes and get educated on gun safety and state laws, senators added a section that made the classes free and increased penalties for people who violate gun laws and dont have a concealed carry permit.

The law put the State Law Enforcement Division in charge of arranging the free classes. Its still unclear when those will be available.

Democrats generally opposed the proposal, and Tedder voted against final passage of the permit-less carry bill.

The post Bill pending signature would erase SC gun charge thats no longer a crime appeared first on SC Daily Gazette.
It took years for Beverly McIver to come back to the photo she snapped at the North Carolina Museum of Art. A woman had walked by completely naked, coated with black paint and outlines of flowers down her body. She was blending into the painting behind her. McIver, stunned in that moment, didnt know that woman would be her muse, and that shed paint her years later. She didnt know a cry for reproductive justice would spill out of her and onto the canvas until it happened.

Suddenly, the figure of the woman she had seen filled the page along with the words, VOTE with a drawing of a uterus as a T. She called the painting, Black Beauty.

Beverly McIver is using her art to promote Black maternal health and reproductive health care. (Courtesy of Beverly McIver)

McIver, 61, is among a number of artists across the country who are using their creativity to craft messages about Black maternal health and reproductive health care. Through sculpture, they can voice more than words ever could, they say. Through self-portraits and collages, they say theyre illuminating truth. And, as abortion access becomes increasingly limited and the maternal mortality crisis persists, they feel an urgent call to move those who their art might touch into action as well as use the craft to fund medical efforts.

In more than a dozen states, abortion is banned in almost all circumstances, and 21 states have restricted abortion access sooner in pregnancy than was once the standard set by Roe v. Wade, which protected the right to an abortion up to the viability of the fetus. A number of states are still in the throes of courtroom battles to determine what the future of access to the procedure will look like.

McIver doesnt have children, nor does the 63-year-old sister she cares for, who has had a hysterectomy and lives with a disability. Still, she feels strongly about supporting the next generation.

She grows hot with anger as she reflects on the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Through her art, she makes a statement, one that calls on those who see it to get out and vote as a means to protect their rights. As time passes, her modern work will integrate into a much more expansive history that fuses medicine, medical crises, and an artistic pull toward political action.

The first Black Beauty painting she made sold immediately. People loved it, she said. It was a nice universal symbol that people wanted to live with.

McIver sees her first Black Beauty painting as a nice universal symbol that people wanted to live with. (Courtesy of Beverly McIver)

Art has the power to shine light on truth, said artist Victoria Cassinova. (Courtesy of Victoria Cassinova)

Art helps us to imagine different ways of going forward, said Anna Arabindan-Kesson, an associate professor of African American and Black Diasporic art at Princeton University. This is a matter of life and death for many artists. Theres an urgency to raise awareness and push people to change, she said.

In Los Angeles, two artists are partnering to make a statement about the recent restrictions on abortion access. Maya Guice, 33, picked up a camera a few years ago and has since turned to self-portraits. Shell go into her studio, take some photographs, and then hand them to Victoria Cassinova for her to speak back to Guices work through collage and texture work.

Its this conversation between us both, Cassinova said. They want to draw people to the polls and get them asking questions. Theyre thinking about how they can get viewers to lean into the power they have as they begin to create a piece that builds off of one entitled My Choice, from 2022. Their latest piece is being made as a part of the People For the American Ways Artists For Democracy campaign.

The most impactful art leaves space for people to find themselves, said Maya Guice, pictured above. (Courtesy of Maya Guice)

The most impactful art leaves space for people to find themselves, Guice said.

These pieces are markers of the movement. Stamps that preserve the emotions of the moment, freezing the angst, rage, and fear bubbling up to the surface. In time, the artists works will serve as an archive for future generations to look back on as they study the maternal mortality crisis and unwinding of abortion rights.

Art has the power to shine light on truth, said Cassinova, 30. Its about being courageous enough to say the thing that everyone is afraid to say.

Theres power in freedom of expression

Whats happening today mirrors that of the AIDS crisis in the late 1980s and 90s, which made way for new paintings, posters, murals, textiles and art forms that raised awareness and critiqued the governments inaction. It also created a sense of community and brought folks together. The art emerged at a time when stigma around having the disease isolated many, and in 1994, it became the leading cause of death for all Americans ages 25 to 44. Photographers took portraits of their bodies and their loved ones bodies in order to document the development of the disease over time. Today, some of those pieces are considered fine art and are now testaments and memorials for the artists whove since passed.

Epidemic photography that documents disease and whats done to control it has made ripples throughout history, from its first emergence in India during the bubonic plague to the coronavirus pandemic. The blend of art, medicine and advocacy have persisted across centuries.

In Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, near Harrisburg, Dr. Tonya Wright has merged her love of African diaspora art with her career as an OB-GYN. Its only been recently, in the past year or so, that she has begun using art exhibitions to raise money for Black maternal health week events that bring together pregnant families and those looking to have a baby soon. The health events debunk myths and talk about how families can advocate for themselves through childbirth, to combat the high levels of severe health complications related to pregnancy.

For the exhibition, Wright and her husband asked artists to create works on the theme. Soon, many were reaching out to be a part of it. They felt an urgent need to create work that told their personal stories, she said. One artist has just suffered a traumatic birth experience and wanted to use this opportunity as therapy. Another created a piece called God Bless This Child made up of delivery blankets. Someone else made a piece crafted from hair clips, combs, and Black hair products.

The exhibitions help fund the public health work, geared toward arming patients and families with greater knowledge of how they might combat some of the systemic disparities that Black communities face. Wrights family has hosted a number of exhibitions, including one raising money for leukemia and another to bring health care to those without access due to high costs.

Theres a certain level of freedom of expression with art, Wright said. The constraints that exist for the scholarly papers she works on, dictating the number of characters and lines, dont exist with artwork, she said. Its an opportunity to push the boundaries of expression and document what might otherwise be placed into boxes.

Arabindan-Kesson, the professor, agrees.

It allows you to explore a whole range of ideas and experiences and feelings.

The post Black Artists Respond to Increased Restrictions on Reproductive Rights appeared first on Capital B News.
Multiple things can be true at once. It's a simple maxim. It's also unfortunately lost quite often in a news cycle that favors division and extremes. That dearth of complexity is especially apparent, it seems, when isolating demographic groups and analyzing where they fall on key issues.

A recent study published in the Journal of Criminal Justice provides a necessary reminder that, among other things, people are complicated. The general topic at hand: How do black Americans feel about policing?

Based on the press coverage over the last several years, I'd guess that a popular knee-jerk response to that question would be a straightforward, "Bad." But new data challenge that notion, finding that while black Americans do disproportionately fear cops, they express robust support for maintainingor increasingpolice presence and spending.

"Our key finding was that Black Americans preferred to maintain (or increase) police patrol and spending, and that this preference was not conditional on the described crime rates or policing reforms," write Linda Balcarova and Justin Pickett of the University at Albany, SUNY; Amanda Graham and Sean Patrick Roche of Texas State University; and Francis T. Cullen of the University of Cincinnati. "Most Black Americans reported that even if crime rates fell and even if there were no new policing reforms, they still wanted to maintain or increase police patrol and spending."

That latter bit is particularly important in the context of their hypothesis, which theorized that black Americans' support for police had been overstated in past research and was instead contingent in part on the impression that governments were implementing positive changes to policing. But that wasn't the case.

Yet the most interesting numbers, at least in my view, are the ones that show the wide chasm between black and white people's fear of police when compared to the relative agreement about what those people want to see in their communities.

It is well-established that black people are disproportionately afraid of cops, particularly in comparison to their white counterparts. Black Americans are reportedly more than five times as likely than white people to fear excessive force from police. What's more, a study by three of the same researchersPickett, Graham, and Cullenfound that 42 percent of black respondents were "very afraid" police would kill them sometime within the next five years. Only 11 percent of white respondents feared the same thing.

But in their more recent study, they found that such fear coexists, however counterintuitively, with that strong desire to keep or increase police presence and funding. According to their data, 81 percent of black Americans who say they are afraid or very afraid of cops want to maintain or increase police spending, while 78 percent of those respondents want to maintain or increase the number of cops in their communities. (As for the black respondents who said they are not afraid of police, support for maintaining or increasing police presence and spending were both over 90 percent.)

Interestingly, non-black respondents were more likely to express openness to decreasing police spending when crime is on the decline. The bulk of black respondents, however, expressed a consistent preference for maintaining or increasing funding notwithstanding the crime rate of the moment.

So what's going on here? A few things, I think.

The first: Just as the data make clear that black Americans are more likely to fear police, it is also plainly true that black people are disproportionately the victims of violence. It follows, then, that the people most impacted by crime are going to have strong feelings about abating it however possible. And while police are not always adept at solving crimein 2022, for example, police cleared about 37 percent of violent offenses reported to themtheir presence does have a deterrent effect on criminal activity, which also comports with basic common sense.

So too would that explain, at least in part, why their white counterparts are seemingly more open to decreasing funding levels depending on the context. A survey conducted by USA Today and the Detroit Free Press, for instance, found that 24 percent of black respondents in Detroit ranked public safety as "the biggest issue facing the city," emphasis mine, whereas only 10 percent of white respondents answered similarly. (A mere 3 percent of black respondents said that police reform was the most pressing issue, coming in last place.)

But in yet another reminder that multiple things can be true at once, that does not mean black Americans view police reform as a throwaway issue. They are significantly less confident in cops, less hopeful they'll be treated fairly, and their general support for reform is 20 percentage points higher than U.S. adults on the whole. In other words, many black Americans appear to be conducting a basic cost-benefit analysis: They know crime is a problem. They know police are part of the solution. And they know they want better police.

Much of this nuance is obscured in a media conversation that is often dominated by the polar fringes of the political spectrum and a failure to contextualize tragic events. Police brutality is unacceptable. No serious person would argue otherwise. And yet it also remains true that the odds of police killing anyoneregardless of raceis low and has gotten lower as the decades have gone on. Despite the viral claim to the contrary, those killings are not at a "record high." As I wrote last year:

A steep, decadeslong drop-off in police violence should be good news, no matter where you stand in this debate. It should be good news because fewer people dying is a good thing, and it should be good news because it shows some past reform efforts worked and can be learned from. It doesn't mean there isn't more work to be done. But good news carries little currency in the current political climate. Positive developments are inconvenient when it comes to galvanizing support for your cause or getting clicks on the internet.

The conversation, like many conversations, is often driven by activists who claim to speak for entire communitieswell-intentioned, yes, but incentivized to present a more dire picture than exists in reality.

That anyone can speak decisively for the "black community," or any broad community, is a ridiculous concept to begin with. There is no spokesperson for all black people, or all white people, or all women, and so on. There are nuances and differences among those groups, which might seem surprising today. It should be anything but.

The post Black People Overwhelmingly Want To Maintainor IncreasePolice Presence. They Also Want Better Police. appeared first on Reason.com.
Bling Bishop Lamor Whitehead could land in jail for threatening scam victim with Bible verse

The feds want to throw convicted fraudster Bling Bishop Lamor Whitehead in jail ahead of his July sentencing after he allegedly flashed confidential case documents and made veiled threats against one of his accusers  by reciting a Bible verse.

Prosecutors say Whitehead  who was found guilty in March of fraud, attempted extortion and lying to the FBI for bilking an elderly woman out of her retirement savings, among other things  broke a restraining order when he showed off several documents in the April 30 video, according to federal court filings.

On Monday, prosecutors said in Manhattan federal court that the flamboyant 45-year-old pastor from Brooklyn also used a Bible psalm to make veiled threats against Pauline Anderson  the woman he scammed out of $90,000.

Bishop Lamor Whitehead leaves federal court after his Monday hearing. Gregory P. Mango

Touch not my anointed, Whitehead allegedly said, quoting Psalms 105, during an April 30 livestreamed service. The Old Testament scripture can loosely be translated to Whitehead believing hes beyond criticism as a pastor.

The court ought to remand Mr. Whitehead, one prosecutor told Judge Lorna G. Schofield at a Monday hearing. He is not credible, he cannot be trusted.

Whitehead tried to rebut the claims in court  where the flashy pastor wore an $1,100 Burberry reversible corduroy-trimmed quilted shell and checked cotton jacket, Louis Vuitton loafers worth $700 and held a Fendi Zucca-patterned rucksack that cost an eye-popping $1,500.

I did not willfully try to disturb any protective order, he told Schofield, adding that the press has ruined his reputation by skewering his fashion choices.

I was ridiculed because of a designer jacket, he said. My character has been destroyed.

Bishop Lamor Whitehead clad in his expensive wardrobe. Gregory P. Mango

Whitehead hops in a Rolls-Royce outside Brooklyn Federal Courthouse in February 2020. Paul Martinka

Whitehead has been convicted of scamming a woman out of her retirement, then blowing the cash on personal luxuries. Gregory P. Mango

He also claimed he thought the documents had been unsealed following the conclusion of his trial.

I didnt know those documents would put me in this position, he said.

His attorney, Declan Murray, added that his client isnt a flight risk and has not made any statements encouraging anyone to go after the Anderson family.

Schofield will decide whether Whitehead stays home or goes to jail on May 20.

Whitehead will be sentenced on July 1. Gregory P. Mango

Earlier this year, a Manhattan jury found the stylish preacher guilty of not only scamming Anderson, the elderly mother of a parishioner, but also of trying to extort thousands from a Bronx body shop owner to whom Whitehead promised official favors from Mayor Eric Adams.

When they opened the trial, prosecutors called Whitehead a conman who told lie after lie to victim after victim.

Whitehead, of the Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries in Canarsie, convinced Anderson to invest her retirement money in a house he claimed hed buy for her, then fix up.

Instead, he blew the money on personal luxuries from Louis Vuitton, Footlocker and BMW, prosecutors said.

Whitehead with Eric Adams, who he claimed as a mentor and said would do whatever I wanted. Instagram/iambishopwhitehead

He also tried to get Brandon Belmonte, the body shop owner, to lend him half-a-million dollars in return for favors from the mayor, who Whitehead said will do whatever I wanted, they added.

But his constellation of lies caught up with him  and the feds collared him in December 2022.
Zelensky asks Blinken for two air defense batteries for Kyiv during solidarity visit Tuesday

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday for meetings with high-ranking Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky. Photo courtesy of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken/X

May 14 (UPI) -- Russia's aerial bombardment of Kyiv prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to ask for two more air defense batteries during U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit Tuesday.

The United States' top diplomat met with senior Ukrainian officials, including Zelensky, and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal during his visit to the European nation that will "highlight the United States' enduring support for Ukraine," the State Department said in a statement.

His visit to Ukraine comes three weeks after President Joe Biden signed a supplemental national security bill that included some $60 billion in military aid for Kyiv.

Zelensky thanked Blinken for the prompt delivery of military aid to help Ukraine defend against Russia as the war continues into its third year.

"The package was crucial for us," Zelensky said, but more is needed.

"Air defense [is] the biggest deficit for us," Zelensky told Blinken. "We need today two batteries for [the] Kharkiv region" to defend against Russian missile attacks.

"The people are under attack," Zelensky said. "Civilians and warriors, everybody, they are under Russian missiles."

Blinken said the U.S. military aid package to Ukraine will "make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield."

"We're determined along with many other partners of Ukraine to make sure that you succeed on the battlefield," Blinken said. "We're equally determined that over time Ukraine stands strongly on its own feet militarily, economically, democratically."

Blinken arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday morning in a display of American solidarity for the designed ally as Russia claims military gains.

Russia has increased its attacks on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, and claimed gains.

Russia's defense ministry said its Battlegroup North had captured at least four settlements in the Kharkov Region over the weekend, state-run TASS reported.

The State Department said that Blinken would discuss the impact of new U.S. security and economic assistance with the Ukrainian officials as well as battlefield updates and ongoing work to bolster the country's war-torn economy.

Blinken delivered remarks on how the United States and other allies will help Ukraine build "a free, prosperous and secure democracy" that is fully integrated into Europe and the Transatlantic Alliance, a note on the speech from the State Department said.

Zelensky said in a recorded statement Monday Ukraine's forces are countering Russian attacks in the Kharkiv Region, destroying infantry and armored vehicles.

He said the Russians are attempting to stretch their forces thin.

"Our task is crystal clear: to thwart Russia's attempt to expand the war," Zelensky said. "The occupiers must not have a single safe location on Ukrainian soil. And in the Ukrainian skies."

Blinken and Shmyhal also met and discussed the United States' "enduring commitment to Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction efforts" while "working in concert with partners to address Ukraine's security, economic and humanitarian needs," Blinken spokesperson Matthew Miller said in an online statement.

Schmyhal thanked Blinken for continued material support from the United States and affirmed Ukraine is continuing its "reform agenda" to integrate into the European Union.

He said the EU recently adopted the Ukrainian facility plan that includes $50 billion in aid.

"We hope that in June we can already start the negotiation process on the path to the full-fledged membership" in the European Union," Schmyhal said.

Blinken told Schmyhal the United States is determined to help Ukraine win on the battlefield and secure a lasting peace while "building the strongest possible Ukraine."

The visit was Blinken's fourth trip to Kyiv since the war began in February 2022.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Ukraine on Tuesday to meet with senior officials and show support for the embattled country in its war against Russia  the first official talks since Congress passed its most recent foreign aid bill.

We know this is a challenging time, Blinken said from Kyiv, where he met with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, The Associated Press reported.

The secretary, who lobbied hard for more aid for Ukraine, said the U.S. sending military resources is going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield.

In a statement Monday, the State Department announced Blinkens travels and said he would discuss battlefield updates, the impact of new U.S. security and economic assistance, long-term security and other commitments, and ongoing work to bolster Ukraines economic recovery.

Blinken reiterated the United States enduring support for Ukraines sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity and our commitment to Ukraines recovery, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.

The visit comes less than a month after President Biden signed a foreign aid package sending $60 billion to Ukraine that will help with its artillery and air defense. The package was delayed several months due to a bitter battle in Congress over border security and the Israel-Hamas war.

Russia continues to move into northwestern Ukraine after several advances in the past week, seen as Moscows largest gains since 2022, analysts said.

The secretary said some of the U.S. aid is now on the way and some resources have already arrived in Ukraine, according to the AP. He added that a strong, successful, thriving, free Ukraine is the best possible rebuke to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and the best possible guarantor for your future.

Zelensky thanked Blinken for his support but stressed that more aid is necessary as Ukraine faces the attacks in the north.

The people are under attack: civilians, warriors, everybody, the Ukrainian president said, the AP reported. Theyre under Russian missiles.

Blinkens unannounced trip was his fourth visit to the region since Russian troops invaded in February 2022.

He is set to deliver remarks Tuesday addressing how the U.S. and other allies will help Ukraine reach its goal of building a free, prosperous, and secure democracy.

The Associated Press contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed America's long-term commitment to Ukraine's security during his visit to Kyiv on May 14.

Blinken's comments, which were captured at a press conference the Kyiv Independent attended, lacked concrete details but emphasized that "Ukraine can count on its partners for sustainable, long-term support."

The secretary arrived in Kyiv on a surprise visit earlier on May 14 in a trip reportedly designed to "send a strong signal of reassurance to the Ukrainians who are obviously in a very difficult moment."

Over 30 countries have joined the Group of Seven (G7) Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine so far. The U.K., Germany, France, Denmark, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, Finland, and Latvia have already signed bilateral agreements with Kyiv.

Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak said that Ukraine aimed to complete a similar bilateral security agreement with the U.S. in May.

"Under our own ten-year agreement, the United States will support Ukraine's defense and security across a range of essential capabilities: from its air force to its air defense, from drones to demining," Blinken said in Kyiv on May 14.

"If Russia or anyone else were to attack Ukraine, we will work with Ukraine immediately at the highest levels to coordinate how to help you beat back the threat," he added.

Blinken also commented on Ukraine's relations with NATO, an alliance the country seeks to join.

"You have a lot to teach the alliance. NATO will be more secure with your military by our side."

While Blinken also did not offer a specific timeline for Ukraine's accession to NATO, he said that "we will take tangible steps to increase NATO's role in building a resilient, capable Ukrainian force, supporting its ongoing reforms, (and) better integrating Ukraine into the alliance" at an upcoming summit in July.

Countering claims often made by some opponents of U.S. aid for Ukraine in the Republican Party, Blinken said that there is a "plan" for Ukraine to be able to "stand strong on its own two feet militarily, economically, and democratically so that Americas support can transition to more sustainable levels."

"The Ukrainian people want the exact same thing. They do not want to have to rely on others to guarantee their security and prosperity," he said.



In the meantime, the U.S. will keep supplying Ukraine with the weapons it needs to defend itself, Blinken said.



"We know that time is of the essence. That's why just one minute after Congress approved our massive aid package, President (Joe) Biden sent ammunition, armed vehicles, missiles, and air defenses to Ukraine."



In the bigger picture, Blinken said, for Ukraine to improve its ability to have a self-sustaining defense infrastructure, domestic production capabilities will need to increase.



A strong economy that "not only survives but thrives" is a key part of this, he added.

Nonetheless, Ukraine will need to continue its efforts to "root out the scourge of corruption once and for all."



"Winning on the battlefield will prevent Ukraine from becoming part of Russia," Blinken said. "Winning the war against corruption will keep Ukraine from becoming like Russia."



"Ukraine's defenses against corruption have to be just as strong as its military defenses," Blinken said, but acknowledged that Ukraine has made considerable progress in its reforms.

Read also: Can new security agreements forge Ukraines path to victory?

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Ukraine on a surprise visit Tuesday to offer reassurances of support as long-delayed American weaponry arrived in the country.

The trip comes as the Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing this week, as the two nations strengthen their no-limits partnership. Beijing has operated as a lifeline for Moscow, which has been penalized for its invasion of Ukraine through widespread Western sanctions.

The US recently agreed a $61 billion aid package for Kyiv that includes air defense interceptors, artillery, and long-range ATACMS missiles.

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Ukraine facing barrage of missiles as Russia ups offensive

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Sources: The New York Times, The Washington Post

Ukraine has been less successful at fending off Russian missile strikes in recent months, a New York Times analysis found. The Russian military has improved its tactics, firing larger and more complex barrages, the report said, and Ukraines shortage of reliable ammunition or defenses has meant that it cant properly defend itself. Moscow has also upped its offensive on the countrys eastern front, targeting communities that faced the initial invasion in 2022. Residents are fleeing en masse from their homes, and believe that Russia is making a run at taking the city of Kharkiv, located just 25 miles from the Russia-Ukraine border.

China-Russia partnership strengthening

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Source: CNN

Russias economy has survived Western sanctions, and in a surprise cabinet reshuffle over the weekend Putin appointed an economist as the new defense minister  a move viewed as an attempt to emphasize the Kremlins focus on curbing runaway wartime spending. The US has repeatedly threatened to crack down on Beijing for sending supplies to Russia that could aid its war effort, but Xi seems to be strengthening his relationship with Putin. Russia is fundamental to Chinas grand strategy, Manoj Kewalramani, head of Indo-Pacific studies at the Bangalore-based Takshashila Institution, told CNN. Xi may be trying to avoid escalating tensions with the West, but there is a deep interest in making sure that Russia doesnt lose the war, he said.

Financial warfare surging around the world

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Source: The Economist

China has closely watched the US impose sanctions against Russian banks following Moscows full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Washington targeted the Russian elites dollar-based assets  a move that alarmed Beijing, which has sought to find ways of circumventing a similar financial crisis. Sanctions are being deployed by Western nations against nations or individuals, sparking an unprecedented surge in financial warfare, The Economist noted. As a result, nations are becoming adept at finding a way around sanctions. Western countries must contend with the growing prosperity and financial sophistication of third countries  ones that neither impose American and European sanctions, nor are under sanctions themselves, the outlet added.

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Plans include converting Lexington Street area into College Town USA with housing, shops, and research space as president also outlines UMBs many accomplishments.

During his State of the University address May 1 at the M&T Bank Exchange, University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, led the audience on a tour around West Baltimore and laid out his vision for a vibrant University and city.

First stop: the Hippodrome Theatre that adjoins the jewel of a building the 525 attendees were sitting in and was in a state of disrepair 40 years ago, now restored with the help of UMB. Jarrell took the audience members down a few blocks to the remodeled CFG Bank Arena, where he recently attended a sold-out concert on a Tuesday night.

It ended at 10:30 and let out about the same time as the Hippodrome. You couldnt walk, the streets were crowded, people were excited, he said. Maybe something good is happening around here.

Jarrell envisions this same vibrancy  a place with culture, activity, and engagement  for the Lexington Street area of UMBs campus, which sits near the remodeled Lexington Market. He announced that UMB is engaging private developers to convert the Lexington Street area into housing, stores, and research space for UMB students, faculty, staff, and others. UMB has created a development plan with consultants.

Wed like to see this develop into an area that resembles a College Town USA kind of atmosphere, an exciting place to be, he said. And we think we will be successful.

Nearby sits Metro West, a building on Saratoga Street that has been vacant for 10 years.

Were very pleased that the Maryland Department of Health just next year is going to be moving into the Metro West building. Thats 1,200 people working there, Jarrell said. You can imagine how all of the people working there will flood Lexington Market, will give vibrancy to our campus.

Behind Lexington Market, he said, UMB is making safety a priority on Eutaw Street and working to help people in need there through the EMBRACE initiative.

The purpose is to get resources to people on the street to give them hope for their future, he said.

School of Social Work Building

UMB will be constructing a new School of Social Work building, expected to open in 2027, in this area of campus at West Lexington and North Greene streets. Emphasizing the Universitys commitment to sustainability, the building will include solar panels, geothermal energy, and green space.

The important part about this area of development is that not only the School of Social Work but all of our schools will be immediately adjoining the Maryland Department of Health. There will be opportunity there and we will be able to influence them in positive ways and will become much closer to them, he said. This will add to UMBs vibrancy.

Read more at UMB News
Blinken promises US arms on the way, says allies won't leave Ukraine's side

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during an unannounced visit to Ukraine on Tuesday, promised the U.S. will quickly deliver badly needed arms, touting Washington and the West's alliances with Kyiv.

Blinken is the first senior U.S. official to visit since Congress, after months of dispute, in April passed and President Joe Biden signed a $60 billion aid package that includes artillery and other weapons systems vital to Ukraine's defense.

After meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, America's top diplomat told an audience of Ukrainians "you are not alone," but acknowledged that "delay" in approving new arms "left you vulnerable to Russian attacks."

Blinken's fifth trip to the country comes amid consistent shelling of Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city, as the Russians conduct an offensive in Ukraine's east.

Zelenskyy, who said "a tough period for the east of our country" is unfolding for Ukraine's armed forces, thanked the United States and allies for their military support.

"The decision of the package was crucial for us," Zelenskyy said.

PHOTO: In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, greets U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, prior to their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, May 14, 2024. (AP)

It is still unclear how costly the delay was for Ukraine as the Russians threaten Kharkiv -- but the U.S. says it's rushing critical weapons to the frontlines.

A senior U.S. official said the American aid package focused "primarily on capabilities that can be delivered in the next 12 months," and that key systems like longer-range ATACMS missiles, which the U.S. acknowledged it dispatched to Ukraine for the first time in April, "are already on the frontlines."

The fighting in Kharkiv is intensifying, a Pentagon spokesperson said Monday, assessing "that Russia has launched an offensive in and around Kharkiv," where "cross-border fire [will] likely increase."

Vovchansk, a city in Kharkiv, has seen 7,000 people flee as the city is "almost destroyed," its top administrator said Tuesday. Russia has not taken the city but has penetrated on the outskirts, the local official said.

Zelensky said "air defense [is] the biggest deficit for us," adding his forces "really need" two batteries of U.S. Patriot missile systems in Kharkiv.

"Civilians and warriors -- everybody -- they are under Russian missiles," the Ukrainian president said.

MORE: Ukrainian border city of Vovchansk nearly destroyed amid Russian offensive: Official

The U.S. aid package appropriates munitions for the Patriot systems, but it doesn't fund new systems.

Blinken praised the Patriots as crucial security systems which "create umbrellas of safety," but he didn't say whether the U.S. will provide them.

The secretary echoed his Pentagon counterpart in promising the U.S. would work with allies -- and not act unilaterally -- to procure air defenses for Ukraine.

"I would caution us all in terms of making Patriot the silver bullet," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on April 26. "I would say that it's going to be the integrated air and missile defense, as we said so many times before, that really turns the tide."

PHOTO: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky waits to greet US Secretary of State prior to their meeting in Kyiv on May 14, 2024. (Brendan Smialowski/via Reuters)

Blinken said he came to Kyiv to highlight "Ukraine's strategic success," including positive developments for its democracy, industrial independence, and economic ties with the west -- all threads that will help it interlock with the U.S. and Europe, and "get closer to, and into, NATO."

A Ukraine that stands "strongly on its own feet," militarily and economically over the long term, is one that will sustain strong defenses against Russia, Blinken said. He said the U.S. and its allies were committed to seeing that happen.

The secretary of state said the boost should come "not after the war but right now," praising Ukraine's efforts to meet western standards ahead of a July NATO summit in Washington.

Ukrainians "have as much experience as any on Earth in fighting the wars to come," he said. "You have a lot to teach the alliance, and NATO will be more secure with your military by our side."

PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken addresses students and and professors in Igor Sikorsky Polytechnic Institute in Kyiv, Ukraine, May 14, 2024. (Brendan Smialowski/AP)

Ukraine's anti-corruption work is "absolutely critical" to potential NATO accession, Blinken said.

"Winning on the battlefield will prevent Ukraine from becoming part of Russia. Winning the war against corruption will keep Ukraine from becoming like Russia," he said.

Blinken conceded that the election-year standoff in Congress over the aid might leave Ukrainians "wondering whether you can count on America to sustain its commitment."

He made the case that the wide bipartisan vote by which the package eventually passed Congress "I think demonstrates you can."

ABC News' Shannon Crawford, Matt Seyler, and Will Gretzky contributed to this report.

Blinken promises US arms on the way, says allies won't leave Ukraine's side originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has stated that a potential bilateral security agreement with Ukraine will give military assistance in a variety of sectors, bringing the country closer to NATO membership.

Source: Blinken in a speech at the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute during a visit to the Ukrainian capital on 14 May

Details: Blinken stated that the security accords that Ukraine is now negotiating will enhance its "bridge to NATO."

Quote: "Under our own ten-year agreement, the United States will support the defence and security across a range of essential capabilities  from its air force to its air defence, from drones to demining," he added.

The Secretary of State also hinted at the mechanism of consultations prescribed in the agreement in the event of an attack on Ukraine: "If Russia or anyone else were to attack Ukraine, we will work with Ukraine immediately at the highest levels to coordinate how to help you beat back the threat."

Furthermore, Blinken believes that the security agreement between Ukraine and the United States will help to accelerate efforts to build the Ukrainian military industry, allowing it to rely less on military assistance from other countries in the long run while also promoting economic growth.

"All of these [measures - ed.] will ensure that, the moment conditions are met and allies agree, Ukraines invitation and accession to the Alliance will be swift and smooth," the US Secretary of State concluded.

In early May, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine was preparing seven new bilateral security agreements, including with the United States.

The Office of the President of Ukraine reported "tangible progress" in the work of Ukraine and the United States on a bilateral security agreement to follow up on the G7 declaration on security guarantees. The parties hope to agree on the final text in May.

On 11 April, Ukraine and Latvia signed a bilateral security agreement.

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Blinken visits Ukraine, assures leaders help is on the way

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Ukrainian leaders Tuesday that U.S. help is on the way, as Russia escalates attacks in the east.

You are not alone, Blinken said in remarks at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.

That was the message Blinken shared with Ukraine, now more than two years into its war against Russia.

The United States has been by your side from day one. We are with you today, Blinken said.

Blinken told leaders U.S. military aid is on the way as Russia pushes further into the east.

Some of its already arrived. More of it will be arriving, Blinken said.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken rocks out in Ukraine

Congress approved $61 billion last month for the war-torn country after months of delaying a vote.

And thats going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield, Blinken said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the U.S. for the support.

Big appreciation from Ukrainians to Americans for this, Zelenskyy said.

Blinken also voiced support for bringing Ukraine into NATO. He said the U.S. will take tangible steps at an upcoming summit this summer.

Well make sure that Ukraines bridge to NATO is strong and well lit, Blinken said.

But in the meantime, Zelenskyy said more help is needed, especially air defense systems in the northeast region of Kharkiv, the second largest city, where Russia is ramping up attacks.

The people are under attack, civilians, warriors, everybody. Theyre under Russian missiles, Zelenskyy said.

Blinken said the U.S. is trying to address that.

Were working relentlessly with allies and partners to procure more air defense, and do it fast, Blinken said.

Following his remarks, Blinken joined Ukrainian musicians onstage for a rendition of Rockin in the Free World.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
Blinken in Kyiv tries to rally sagging Ukrainian spirits as Russia makes new military gains

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, greets U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, prior to their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. Blinken arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday in an unannounced diplomatic mission to reassure Ukraine that it has American support as it struggles to defend against increasingly intense Russian attacks. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken sought Tuesday to rally the spirits of glum Ukrainians facing a fierce new Russian offensive, assuring them during a visit to Kyiv that they are not alone and that billions of dollars in American military aid on its way after months of political delays will make a real difference on the battlefield.

After a day of meetings with senior officials, civil society figures and university students when he exhorted them against being discouraged, Blinken took to the stage at a bar in Ukraine's capital to play rhythm guitar and sing with a local band on Neil Young's 1989 hit Rockin' in the Free World."

The performance, and a series of sunny comments from Blinken about Ukraines battlefield prospects, was a startling juxtaposition to what analysts have called one of the most dangerous moments for Ukraine since Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022. Russian forces have taken swaths of territory along Ukraines northeast border, and thousands of civilians in the Kharkiv region have fled the increasingly intense attacks.

But Blinken told Ukrainian leaders during his unannounced visit to Kyiv that despite a lengthy delay in U.S. military aid that left them vulnerable to these renewed Russian military strikes, more weaponry is coming and some has already arrived.

He made the case even as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to him personally for more air defense systems to protect civilians under intense Russian fire in the northeast. Blinken, on fourth trip to Kyiv since the war began, also lambasted Russian President Vladimir Putin for underestimating Ukraine's determination to fight back.

We meet at a critical moment, he told students at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. The coming weeks and months will demand a great deal of Ukrainians, who have already sacrificed so much. Ive come to Ukraine with a message: You are not alone.

He also pushed back on the notion that time is on Putins side.

Putin has it wrong  time is on Ukraines side," Blinken said. "As the war goes on, Russia is going back in time. Ukraine is moving forward.

But the reality on the ground is that Moscows troops have captured about 100 to 125 square kilometers (40 to 50 square miles) in recent days in the northeast Kharkiv region, including at least seven villages, according to open-source monitoring analysts. People had already left most of those villages, but the fighting drove out thousands of others.

Seeking to take advantage of Ukrainian shortages in manpower and weapons while new U.S. assistance is in transit, Russian forces also have been making a concerted push in the east to drive deeper into the partly occupied Donetsk region. The main focus of Russian attacks Tuesday was Pokrovsk, just inside the Ukrainian border in Donetsk, where the Kremlins forces launched 24 assaults, the Ukrainian general staff said in a report.

We know this is a challenging time, Blinken told Zelenskyy after arriving on an overnight train from Poland. But, he added that U.S. military aid is going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield.

Congress approved a long-delayed foreign assistance package last month that sets aside $60 billion in aid for Ukraine, much of which will go toward replenishing badly depleted artillery and air defense systems. Since then, the Biden administration has announced $1.4 billion in short-term military assistance and $6 billion in longer-term support.

Zelenskyy thanked Blinken for the aid but said more is necessary, including two Patriot air defense systems urgently needed to protect Kharkiv.

The people are under attack: civilians, warriors, everybody. Theyre under Russian missiles, he said.

Artillery, air defense interceptors and long-range ballistic missiles have already been delivered, some of them already to the front lines, said a senior U.S. official traveling with Blinken who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity ahead of Blinkens meetings.

Moscows renewed offensive in Kharkiv is the most significant border incursion since the early days of the war, following months when the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line barely budged.

More than 7,500 civilians have been evacuated from the area, according to authorities. At the same time, the Kremlins forces are expanding their push to the northern border regions of Sumy and Chernihiv, Ukrainian officials say, and Kyiv's outgunned and outnumbered soldiers are struggling to hold them back.

Troops fought street to street on the outskirts of Vovchansk, among the largest towns in the Kharkiv area, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said on national television. Two civilians were killed in Russian shelling Tuesday, he said.

The U.N. human rights office said the battles are taking a heavy toll.

We are deeply concerned at the plight of civilians in Ukraine, Liz Throssell, spokeswoman for the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in Geneva. In the Kharkiv region, the situation is dire.

Russia in recent weeks also has launched wide attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. The operator of the national high-voltage electricity grid, Ukrenergo, said it was starting controlled emergency shutdowns for industries and households because of a significant shortage of electricity in the system due to Russian shelling and an increase in consumption due to the cold weather.

Blinken told Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal that the U.S. intends to support Kyiv beyond the war's end.

The United States is determined, determined to help Ukraine succeed  succeed both in the battlefield victory but also succeed, as we would say, in winning the peace and building the strongest possible Ukraine, Blinken said.

But delays in U.S. assistance, particularly since the Israel-Hamas war has preoccupied top administration officials, have triggered deep concerns in Kyiv and Europe. Blinken, for example, has visited the Middle East seven times since the war in Gaza began in October. His last trip to Kyiv was in September.

Blinken went with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba for lunch at a Kyiv pizza restaurant founded by Ukrainian veterans, calling it superb. On Blinkens last visit, the pair ate at a recently reopened McDonalds restaurant.

Blinken and other U.S. officials said despite some recent setbacks, Ukraine could still claim significant victories. Those include reclaiming some 50% of the territory Russian forces took in the early months of the war, boosting its economic standing and improving transportation and trade links, not least through military successes in the Black Sea.

Meanwhile, Putin plans to make a two-day state visit to China this week, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. Beijing has backed Moscow politically in the war and has sent machine tools, electronics and other items seen as contributing to the Russian war effort, without actually exporting weaponry.

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Associated Press writers Illia Novikov in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed to this report.

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Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Blue Origins New Shepard rocket will take a crew to suborbital space for the first time in nearly two years later this month, the company announced on Tuesday.

The NS-25 mission will launch from Blues launch site in West Texas on May 19. The launch window opens at 8:30 a.m. The six-person crew includes Ed Dwight, the first Black astronaut candidate (but for whom this would be the first visit to space), along with investor Mason Angel, who founded the space- and defense-focused Industrious Ventures.

This launch comes after a nearly two-year interlude following the NS-22 mission in August 2022. The long pause in launches came after a cargo-only mission a month after NS-22 experienced an anomaly, which triggered the capsules abort system around a minute after lift-off. While the capsule parachuted to safety, the booster was lost.

After such mishaps, its common practice for the Federal Aviation Administration to open an investigation. (These investigations are merely overseen by the FAA, but conducted by the company.) In March 2023, Blue Origin said the anomaly was due to the rockets BE-3PM engine running hotter than anticipated; that led to catastrophic thermal damage to the engine nozzle.

However, it took the FAA another six months to formally close the investigation. The FAA further said that it and Blue Origin had identified 21 corrective actions to be implemented prior to New Shepards next mission. That mission finally took place in December 2023, when New Shepard successfully carried 33 payloads to suborbital space. By industry standards, it was a relatively long delay, and Blue Origin has never elaborated on the cause.

New Shepard is the Jeff Bezos-backed company's only operational rocket. As the mission name suggests, it has flown 24 times since 2015, with the 25th being the seventh with humans on board. Blue Origin is also developing a heavy-lift rocket called New Glenn, a lunar lander called Blue Moon (a version of which is under a multibillion-dollar contract with NASA) and a maneuverable spacecraft called Blue Ring.
(Getty Images)

Only one Democrat named Bob Ferguson is running to be Washingtons next governor after two others with the same name withdrew Monday.

The Bob still standing is the attorney general.

The other Bob Fergusons, one from Yakima and the other from Graham, exited before a 5 p.m. deadline amid threat of potential criminal prosecution for intentionally trying to confuse and mislead voters with their candidacies.

Robert Benjamin Ferguson of Graham, a U.S. Army veteran, issued a statement citing harassment and potential legal action if I did not withdraw from the race.

I was publicly labeled a threat to democracy by another candidate and his supporters, he said. Little did I know that the greatest threat to my family and myself would come from another that also carries my name.

Robert Arthur Ferguson of Yakima dropped out minutes before the deadline. He could not be immediately reached for comment.

Both had been recruited into the race by conservative Republican activist Glen Morgan, who raised the money to pay their filing fees.

The attorney general should be ashamed of himself. He threatens the little people as always to promote himself, said Morgan, who said he sought out more Bob Fergusons to file.

Mondays departures ended weirdness in the high-stakes contest for governor centered for months on four candidates  Democrats Ferguson and Mark Mullet and Republicans Semi Bird and Dave Reichert. Focus shifted in the past 72 hours to three Bob Fergusons.

The drama began Friday afternoon when Morgans recruits filed. Bob Watson Ferguson of Seattle, the states attorney general who has raised nearly $7 million in a monthslong campaign, fumed, calling it a scheme to trick voters, and to dilute his vote and prevent him from advancing past the primary.

He and his campaign lawyers responded by delivering cease-and-desist letters to the homes of the other Bob Fergusons on Saturday, letting them know their actions could land them in jail.

Ferguson turned it up a notch at a press conference early Monday, vowing to see them prosecuted for violating an 81-year-old state law that makes it a felony to challenge someone with the same name and whose political reputation is widely known, with intent to confuse and mislead the electors. He said he figured they got duped by Morgan into doing something they didnt know might be illegal.

In the final hours of filing week, anti-democracy Republicans orchestrated a cynical, deceptive attack on election integrity, he said. To be clear: I do not want these two individuals to be prosecuted so long as they do what is right and withdraw by todays 5 p.m. deadline.

Meanwhile, Ferguson pressed Secretary of State Steve Hobbs to lessen the potential harm he might face from confused voters. Had those other Bob Fergusons stayed in the race, Hobbs, a Democrat, would have decided what information to add to ballots to differentiate the trio.

Fergusons attorney on Monday sent Hobbs a letter requesting use of the full first name and middle name or initial for the other Fergusons and the occupations for all three. He also wanted the three names to appear consecutively on the ballot.

State election officials set the ballot order Friday with numbers drawn randomly. Bob Arthur Ferguson of Yakima landed second and Bob Benjamin Ferguson of Graham third with Bob Ferguson of Seattle in the 13th spot. In all 30 candidates filed.

Now, there are 28 candidates and the only Bob Ferguson in the race will be the 11th name on the ballot.

Antics, whining, shenanigans

Meanwhile, in his press conference, Ferguson criticized Reichert, the man he expects to face in November, for not speaking out about Morgans actions. The Republican former congressman did later.

In all nine of my previous campaigns, I have won without any games or antics such as these. I dont support any effort to deceive the voters of Washington state, Reichert said in a statement.

The other two major candidates spoke out too.

Bird, the state Republican Partys endorsed candidate, said in a statement that he found Fergusons whining about the 3 Bobs to be completely disingenuous when he has presided over the consistent decline of our public safety system and has personally gone out of his way to infringe upon the constitutional rights of citizens.

Mullet, a state senator, attempted to recast the spotlight on Fergusons past policy positions.

The fact that he was pushing for decriminalization of fentanyl in the 2021 session is much more important than these shenanigans, he said in a phone call. In an online post Mullet called on the two Bob Fergusons to withdraw.

We dont need anything to confuse voters on the ballot, he said on X, the site formerly known as Twitter. This is an illegal sideshow that does nothing to improve our electoral process.

Hobbs issued a statement Monday saying that voters deserve good-faith candidates and not people who pay a filing fee just to manipulate elections.

The post Bob Ferguson gets two Bob Fergusons to exit governors race appeared first on Washington State Standard.
Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to the UN Dang Hoang Giang attends an emergency special session of the UN General Assembly, New York, the U.S., May 13, 2024 - Photo: VNA

Dang made the above statement while addressing an emergency special session of the UN General Assembly in New York on May 13.

During its resumed tenth emergency special session, the General Assembly adopted a resolution that upgrades Palestine's rights at the United Nations as an Observer State.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese diplomat said Viet Nam co-sponsors and supports the historic resolution of the UN General Assembly.

Viet Nam stands by Palestine in exercising its inalienable right to self-determination and advocates Palestine's early admission as a full member of the UN, underlined Dang.

The admission of Palestine to the UN is the most beneficial step for the two-state solution, creating a foundation for equal negotiations between the parties and an important step towards sustainable peace in the Middle East, highlighted the Vietnamese diplomat.

He expressed his concerns over the risk of escalating the conflict in Gaza into a regional war, strongly condemning all forms of violence against civilians and essential civil infrastructure, and opposing all violations of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Dang calls on all parties to exercise restraint, hold dialogue and comply with international law, the UN Charter and relevant resolutions, implement an immediate and permanent ceasefire, unconditionally release all hostages and ensure the unhindered delivery of humanitarian goods.

Viet Nam backs the two-state solution and continues to support the central role of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in implementing humanitarian relief responsibilities in the region, asserted the Ambassador./.




Body of 65-Year-Old Hiker Found Under Boulder in River Nearly a Month After He Went Missing

William Donovan's body was found on May 13 just over 2.5 miles in from Route 302 in New Hampshire, officials said

NH Fish and Game Department William Donovan

The body of a 65-year-old hiker missing for nearly a month was found under a "large" boulder in a New Hampshire river, officials said.

It was not immediately clear what caused William Donovan's death. He was found by searchers in the Dry River on Monday, May 13, around 10:30 a.m. local time, according to New Hampshire Fish and Game.

"The search team was directed to this new investigation area after gear and a jacket believed to have belonged to Donovan was found over the weekend in the river by hikers," the agency said. "This evidence helped focus the search area and Donovans body was ultimately located approximately 400 feet upstream from where the jacket was discovered."

Authorities initially said in their April 30 release that Donovan had been "unaccounted for and not seen for approximately 2 weeks." Donovan appeared to be an "avid hiker," and a search of his vehicle found at the Crawford Path parking lot in Carroll "revealed several pieces of hiking gear that would have been beneficial if he was planning a hike in the White Mountains."

Related: Dad of 10-Year-Old Boy Who Was Swept Into Storm Drain Says to Keep the Prayers Coming

"Further investigation revealed that Donovan likely arrived on April 16, 2024, but from there his intention and itinerary remain unknown," per New Hampshire Fish and Game. He lived alone and left a note saying that he wanted to possibly hike Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Adams, authorities said.

Officials said Monday that Donovon's body was found just over 2.5 miles in from Route 302.

Related: Another Hiker Is Still Missing in Hawaii Forest Days After Yoga Teacher's Rescue

"The search team worked for hours to free the body from beneath a large boulder, but due to its size, freezing water temperatures, and the lack of tools required to move such a boulder, additional resources were called to assist," according to the agency.

Related: Ariz. Hiker Missing After Group Was 'Swept Off Their Feet' by Flood Waters at Zion National Park

It's unclear why Donovan entered the Dry River Wilderness, New Hampshire Fish and Game said. According to the U.S. Forest Service, the area covers 29,000 acres and has 43 miles of maintained hiking trails."

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"It appears he was somehow forced from the ridge by high winds or other adverse weather conditions between Mt. Monroe and Mt. Eisenhower," officials added.

His body was relayed to the State Medical Examiner's Office in Concord for an autopsy.

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Read the original article on People.
Body of man traveling down Colorado River on wooden raft with dog found in Grand Canyon National Park

The body of a man who had been traveling down the Colorado River on a wooden raft has been found in Grand Canyon National Park, officials said.

Thomas Robinson, a 58-year-old man from Santa Fe, New Mexico, was believed to have attempted to travel down the Colorado River on a wooden raft with his dog before abandoning the vessel at Lees Ferry, just a few miles south of Arizonas border with Utah, according to a statement from the National Park Service detailing the incident.

MORE: 2 people and their dog killed when their mobile home explodes in middle of the night

National Park Service personnel were notified of a body in the Colorado River near river mile 6 on Friday.

Park rangers responded and recovered the body which was transported to Lees Ferry and transferred to the Coconino County Medical Examiners Office, park officials said. Initial information indicates the body is that of missing person Thomas L. Robison. The Coconino County Medical Examiner will confirm positive identification.

MORE: Man 'purposely' trying to spread HIV through sex with men and teenage boys sentenced to 30 years

PHOTO: Helicopter 368 over Grand Canyon (NPS)

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The circumstances around how Robinson may have died is currently unknown and the investigation into his death is ongoing. Additionally, authorities did not disclose the whereabouts of the dog or whether or not the canine survived.

Park officials said no additional information regarding this case will be made available at this time.

Body of man traveling down Colorado River on wooden raft with dog found in Grand Canyon National Park originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Body of missing Massachusetts hiker discovered in the White Mountains of New Hampshire

Search and rescue crews in New Hampshire have located the body of a Massachusettts hiker who had been missing since April.

William Donovans body was found in the Dry River in Cutts Grant, New Hampshire on Monday morning by search crews.

New Hampshire Fish and Game updated the search for Donovan, age 65, on Tuesday morning.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department was first notified of a possible missing person on April 16 after Donovans vehicle was found parked at the Crawford Path parking lot in Carroll.

Fish and Game said searchers were directed to explore a new area after some gear and a jacket believed to have belonged to Donovan were found in the river over the weekend by hikers.

This evidence helped focus the search and his body was ultimately located approximately 400 feet upstream from the jacket, said Fish and Game in a statement.

The body was located just over 2.5 miles in from Route 302, said Fish and Game. The searchers worked for hours to extricate the body from beneath a large boulder. But due to the size of the boulder, freezing cold water temperatures and lack of tools required to move such a boulder, additional resources were called to assist.

Emergency crews and volunteers hiked in extra tools and gear and then assisted in carrying Donovans body out of the wooods, which took until almost 6:30 p.m. on Monday.

It is not known what brought Donovan into the Dry River Wilderness and it is unknown how he entered the water, but it appears he likely was somehow forced off the ridge, likely due to high winds or adverse weather, between Mt. Monroe and Mt. Eisenhower during his hike and ended up in very difficult and desolate terrain of the Dry River Wilderness, said Fish and Game in its statement.

Donovans body was taken to the New Hampshire State Medical Examiners Officer in Concord for autopsy.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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The body of U.S. Airman Roger Fortson, 23, is returning home to Atlanta after he was shot and killed by a deputy in Florida last week.

Fortsons body is being returned to his family by the U.S. Air Force in a dignified transfer on Tuesday afternoon.

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His familys attorney says that Fortson was on FaceTime with his girlfriend when he heard an aggressive knock on the door and retrieved his legally owned gun. When he opened the door, an Okaloosa County sheriffs deputy shot him several times.

They say the deputy, who was called to a report of a disturbance, went into the wrong apartment, since Fortson was home alone at the time.

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Okaloosa County, Florida Sheriff Eric Alden says his deputy was at the right apartment and knocked several times and identified himself as part of the sheriffs office. When the door opened, the deputy saw Fortsons gun and fired his own weapon, according to the sheriff.

The shooting is still under investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

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By Joey Roulette

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Boeing's first Starliner mission carrying astronauts into space has been delayed again - until at least May 21 - over an issue with the spacecraft's propulsion system, the company said on Tuesday.

Starliner's mission carrying two NASA astronauts had been scheduled for liftoff from Florida last week until a technical issue with its Atlas 5 rocket prompted a delay to Friday, May 17, the latest postponement for a program years behind schedule and more than $1.5 billion over budget.

A new technical issue, now concerning Starliner itself, has prompted another postponement to at least next Tuesday, Boeing said in a statement.

"Starliner teams are working to resolve a small helium leak detected in the spacecraft's service module," Boeing said, adding that engineers traced the leak to a component on one of the propulsion system's 28 control thrusters that are used for maneuvering in Earth's orbit.

Boeing has been developing Starliner for more than a decade to provide NASA with a second U.S. spacecraft capable of ferrying astronauts to and from the International Space Station. SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule, built under the same NASA program, first launched astronauts to space in 2020.

Starliner's latest mission, called the Crewed Flight Test, is due to be the final test before the spacecraft is certified by the U.S. space agency to fly routine astronaut missions to the ISS. Boeing completed an uncrewed Starliner trip to the ISS in 2022 following years of technical and management issues.

NASA officials and Boeing engineers will run tests and try to fix the helium leak before the next possible launch window on May 21 at 4:43 p.m. ET (2043 GMT). Helium is used on Starliner to pressurize the fuel that powers the spacecraft's thrusters for orbital maneuvering.

The Atlas 5 rocket, built by the Boeing and Lockheed Martin joint venture United Launch Alliance (ULA), launches Starliner into space. Before attempting to launch Starliner last week, ULA discovered a faulty valve on the Atlas 5 and rolled the rocket off the launchpad to replace the valve.

Sensors on Starliner first detected suspicious traces of helium inside the propulsion system while the spacecraft was on the launchpad last week, but those detections did not raise alarm to engineers at the time, according to a person briefed on the mission operations.

Boeing engineers investigated the helium detections while ULA was replacing the faulty valve on Atlas 5 and determined more testing and scrutiny was needed in order to meet the mission's strict launch safety criteria, the person said.

(Reporting by Joey Roulette; Editing by Will Dunham)
Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) on Monday accused his primary challenger of perpetuating racial stereotypes in a heated primary debate.

Bowman, a two-term progressive Black leader, is facing off against centrist Westchester County Executive George Latimer. The two are vying for the Democratic nomination in the race for New Yorks 16th Congressional District.

Bowman and Latimer engaged in a debate full of interruptions and snide comments Monday, including Bowmans accusations that Latimer was propagating racist tropes.

When Latimer said Bowman is an ineffective Congressman because he argues too much, Bowman interrupted to say that he is passionate.

But Latimer responded, You need to talk to them as normal people  you cant preach and scream at them on the steps of the Capitol.

He then told the audience, Hes ineffective for this very reason.

Bowman threw up his arms and accused Latimer of spreading the racist angry Black man stereotype.

The angry Black man, the angry Black man, Bowman said. Its the southern strategy in the north.

The angry Black man stereotype refers to the idea that Black men are brutish, dangerous and incapable of controlling emotions, making them difficult to work with. The angry Black woman trope impacts women in a similar manner.

Monday was not the first time Bowman has accused challengers of spreading racist rhetoric.

Last year, he accused Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-Ga.) of dangerous rhetoric after she said she felt threatened by his aggressive mannerisms.

Black men continue to be characterized as aggressive and threatening when we are passionate and outspoken, Bowman said at the time. Theyre not just using dogwhistles, theyre using bullhorns. Its dangerous, but we must ALL continue to speak truth to power.

The race between Bowman and Latimer is one of the most closely watched Democratic primaries in the nation. Voters in the district will head to the polls on June 25.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Brian Albert, his 2 children take stand in Karen Read murder trial. Heres what they said

Members of the Albert family are expected to once again take the stand Tuesday in the Karen Read murder trial after they were all questioned on Day 10 of witness testimony on Monday.

Karen Read murder trial: A guide to the key players you need to know

John OKeefe, Reads Boston police officer boyfriend, was found on the front lawn of the Alberts home in Canton in a snowstorm in January 2022. Read, 44, of Mansfield, is facing charges including second-degree murder in his death.

Brian Albert on Monday confirmed that he traded in his cell phone for a new one the day before a court order was issued to preserve it. He said he did not know all of the data on that phone would be factory reset and destroyed.

Defense attorney Alan Jackson wanted to know about calls Albert made in the hours after OKeefes death to family, friends, and members of law enforcement.

There were a lot of phone calls being made to a lot of people because of this horrible situation, Albert testified.

Alan Jackson questioned, Those many calls you just described, were those many calls an effort to get stories straight at the time?

No, absolutely not, Albert said.

The defenses theory is that OKeefe was actually beaten up inside the Albert home and dragged outside in a snowstorm, not run down by Reads Lexus SUV and left to die in the snow, which the prosecution has alleged.

When asked if something large and heavy could be moved out of the basement without going through the main house, Brian Albert said, Yes, it would depend on what it was obviously.

Alberts son, Brian Albert Jr., described seeing a dark-colored SUV like Reads outside his familys home on the night of OKeefes death. He said it moved to the area where John OKeefes body was found in the early hours of Jan. 29th, 2002.

His sister, Caitlin Albert, also took the stand Monday. She is expected to testify again on Tuesday.

The defense is trying to connect her to firefighter, Katie McLaughlin, who responded to the scene when OKeefe was found. Reads attorneys say the two are friends and are in multiple pictures together.

McLaughlin testified last week to knowing Albert.

She confirmed on Friday that she and Caitlin Albert went to high school together, were friends on social media, and were photographed together at a local beach about a decade ago. But she insisted they were only acquaintances and that she didnt know it was Alberts home when she responded to the call. She also said she hadnt talked to Albert for a few years.

On Tuesday the defense wants to be able to show the jury pictures of Caitlin Albert and McLaughlin together, as they want to prove they are friends.

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Students take part in a protest against the war in Gaza Strip, in Athens, Greece, on May 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

ATHENS, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Greek university students are staging an overnight protest here Monday to show their solidarity with Palestinian people.

Thousands gathered Monday evening outside the entrance of the main building of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, where they unfurled a big banner reading "This genocide bears the stamp of the USA- EU-Israel,""No to the involvement of Greece," and "Free Palestine."

Protesters chanted anti-war slogans and waved Palestinian flags, as a group set up tents for those who wished to spend the night in front of the university.

"We watch in horror the new murderous attacks against Palestinian people...The unprecedented students' protests in universities across the world are our response to this crime," read a press statement by organizers from the Student Unions of Athens that organized the protest here.

The students also cited their solidarity with similar protest movements in the United States and France, stating that they were standing "on the right side of history" and demanding that "the genocide of the Palestinian people be stopped here and now."

A similar overnight protest was staged by student unions in the center of port city Thessaloniki in northern Greece on Monday.

"We are joining our voices with students around the world, we become another link in the big chain of solidarity with the Palestinian people... Faced with wars that spread death for profit, everyone has the responsibility not to remain silent," Greek students' unions said.

Over the past month, Greek students have staged symbolic sit-ins at universities and joined anti-war rallies, following pro-Palestinian mobilizations on universities' campuses in other European countries.

Students take part in a protest against the war in Gaza Strip, in Athens, Greece, on May 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

Students take part in a protest against the war in Gaza Strip, in Athens, Greece, on May 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

A student shouts slogans during a protest against the war in Gaza Strip, in Athens, Greece, on May 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

A student takes part in a protest against the war in Gaza Strip, in Athens, Greece, on May 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

Editor: WXL
The Northern Ireland High Court has dealt another blow to the Governments policy of stopping the boats by deporting illegal migrants to Rwanda. Mr Justice Humphreys has ruled that a number of key sections of the Illegal Migration Act 2023 are not to apply in Northern Ireland.

This means that illegal migrants who think they might be at risk of being deported to Rwanda (if the flights ever get going) could move to Northern Ireland in order to avoid removal. If significant numbers take this course, this could impose serious stresses on the province.

The Government intends to appeal against this judgment to the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal, and from there it might go to the Supreme Court. There are legal arguments that this judgment is wrong and so it might be reversed in the higher courts. But the Government has already suffered a number of setbacks and disappointments in those courts on its Rwanda policy, so it is by no means guaranteed that it will be reversed.

The reason why this judgment is so significant is that it involves a court actually setting aside an Act of Parliament on human rights grounds. For all the faults of the Human Rights Act 1998, this cannot be done under that Act. Instead, the court has used the Northern Ireland Protocol (rebadged last year with minor changes as the Windsor Framework) as the legal basis for disapplying an Act of Parliament.

The idea that courts could disapply Acts of Parliament was a revolutionary concept, which came into being when we were members of the European Community (later the European Union). Because Community law (later called EU law) claimed supremacy over the laws of member states, our courts decided that they had the power and duty under the European Communities Act 1972 to disapply UK Acts of Parliament if they conflicted with the EU treaties or with EU law.

This should have ended  completely and for good  when we left the EU. But Theresa Mays disastrously botched Withdrawal Agreement accepted the principle that a large range of EU laws, together with Luxembourg Court jurisdiction, should continue to apply in Northern Ireland after we left. Boris Johnsons renegotiation made some important changes to the way customs rules would operate in Northern Ireland, but left the rest of the disastrous May structure intact.

That included agreeing to give supremacy to EU laws in Northern Ireland over all UK laws. Therefore, the Act that gave effect under UK law to the Withdrawal Agreement and the Northern Ireland Protocol contains section 7A, which is effectively copied out from the old repealed 1972 Act and gives supremacy to the Protocol over all UK laws.

The Protocol also contains a vaguely worded Article 2(1), which enjoins the UK to ensure that there be no diminution of rights, safeguards or equality of opportunity in a number of wide areas.

The Northern Ireland High Court has interpreted this as giving continuing effect in the province to many effusive and vague EU rules in the area of asylum and human rights. It has so concluded that a number of key sections in the Illegal Immigration Act should be disapplied in Northern Ireland because of conflict with EU rules.

It is quite shocking that the Government should have allowed this to happen. It was warned. In December last year, a group of lawyers, including myself, assessed the Rwanda Bill and warned that it would not achieve its objectives unless it were tightened up. We specifically raised the danger posed by the argument under section 2(1) of the Northern Ireland Protocol and suggested that a clause be inserted in the Bill that would exclude the Protocol from interfering with deportations to Rwanda.

The Government ignored both that and other warnings, and instructed its whips to get Conservative backbench amendments voted down which would have rectified these problems.

Worse than that, earlier last year, Rishi Sunak decided to abandon a Bill that had gone through all stages in the House of Commons and would have enabled EU laws to be removed from Northern Ireland.

Instead, he negotiated the so-called Windsor Framework with the EU. This left almost all EU laws in place in Northern Ireland (despite false claims by the Government to the contrary). In return for some limited easings of formalities on trade across the Irish Sea, it conceded the vital principle that EU foreign laws and foreign courts should continue to apply in Northern Ireland and be supreme over our laws.

Both on the Rwanda policy and on Northern Ireland, we have seen from this Government and Prime Minister a pattern of tough talking and boastfulness, but spinelessness and incompetence in actually standing up for the vital interests of this country against the out-of-control European human rights establishment or the European Union.

Regrettably, as the general election approaches, I fear we are likely to see even more of this pattern. This Northern Ireland court case is just the latest example.

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King Charles III and Queen Camilla wave to the public below from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after King Charles's coronation at Westminster Abbey in London in May 2023. File photo by Hugo Philpott/UPI

May 14 (UPI) -- A 31-year-old British woman who saved her twin sister from the jaws of a crocodile while on a Mexican vacation has been cited by King Charles III for "exemplary bravery," the British government said.

Georgia Laurie, from Sandhurst, Berkshire, a few dozen miles southwest of London, received the King's Gallantry Medal, according to a news release.

While on vacation in June 2021 in Puerto Escondido near Mexico's southern tip along the Pacific Ocean, the Laurie sisters had been told wrongly they could swim in a river off Manialtepec Lagoon in the Mexican state of Oaxaca.

After seeing the crocodile an alerting her group, Melissa Laurie was "snatched" by the animal. Her sister tried to reach her and hit the reptile multiple times. They went through three separate attacks before they were able to escape.

Georgia Laurie called the king's award the "silver lining to have come out of the terrible ordeal," saying how "it kind of softens the whole traumatic experience."

King Charles III shakes members of the public's hands as he did an impromptu walkabout on The Mall the day before his May 2023 coronation in London. File photo by Hugo Philpott/UPI

Melissa Laurie was left with a open wrist fracture, severe puncture wounds to her stomach, bowel and intestines, plus several bites on her leg and other body parts.

"What's made this story so incredible," she said about her sister Georgia's "unwavering bravery throughout it all because she was so strong during it, and I don't think I would be here without her. She really gave me the strength to keep fighting."

The King, 75, at the end of April had made a return to public duties as he continues his cancer treatment.

Georgia Laurie is now one of more than 1,100 people to receive the award since it was established.

Instituted in 1974 by Charles' late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, as The Queen's Gallantry Medal -- now called The King's Gallantry Medal -- is awarded to civilians "for acts of exemplary bravery at a level below that of the George Medal," one of a small handful of other gallantry awards given.

Nominations for civilian gallantry awards are validated by British government department and with assistance from other organizations as needed, according to the government.

The King's Gallantry Medal also is awarded to military personnel after acts for which military honors "would not normally be granted, such as acts of exemplary bravery not in the presence of the enemy."

Now the twins are prepping for their next adventure: a 8-mile swim in August down the Thames River -- their country's largest -- to raise $5,000 for post-traumatic stress disorder in Britain and medical training services for Mexican communities.

"The further away it gets, the less it feels real," Georgia Laurie said about the crocodile attack. "Because when you think about it, it does sound like a horror movie, but it is a part of our life. It's part of the tapestry of our life."
Brooklyn woman critically wounded when ex in jealous rage stabs her with icepick

Brooklyn woman critically wounded when ex in jealous rage stabs her with icepick

A man with a jealous rage broke into his ex-girlfriends Brooklyn apartment and repeatedly stabbed her with an ice pick, critically wounding her, officials and the victims grandmother said.

The 20-year-old victim was in her apartment on Louisiana Ave. near Seaview Ave. in Starrett City on Sunday when her ex, Jaquan Harvey, showed up around 5:50 p.m., prosecutors said.

Harvey, 21, allegedly flew off the handle, throwing two televisions to the floor, shattering them.

He then attacked the woman, with whom he shares a 2-year-old child, and stabbed her six times in the chest with the tool, prosecutors said.

Harvey went on to stab the victim again in the eye with another weapon, they added.

Medics rushed the wounded woman to Brookdale University Hospital in critical condition, but her condition improved and she is recovering, according to her grandmother.

Im grateful, said Patricia Brown, the victims grandmother. I thought Id have to identify her body but through Gods grace and mercy he kept her.

Cops arrested Harvey and charged him with attempted murder, among other lesser charges.

Brown said the man spiraled out of control after her granddaughter left him.

She was tired of him, Brown said. You cant keep doing what youre doing to people and expect them to stay.

Shortly after the break up, Brown claims Harvey began stalking her granddaughter.

He kept threatening her, said the 64-year-old woman. It was a jealous rage. He wanted to return to her but she said no, its over.

The victim financially supported Harvey, who didnt work, according to Brown.

He would sometimes watch the baby when she went to work, she said. I really didnt care for him. Im a mother with daughters and I know what it is to be womanized.

Doctors believe Browns granddaughter will be able to keep her eye after the vicious stabbing.

He should be punished for what he done, said Brown. Shes a very good mother and a hardworking person.

Following an arraignment in Brooklyn Criminal Court, Harvey was held on a $100,000 cash bail or $250,000 bond, records show.
Ukraine's military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov expects that after Ukrainian forces stabilize the front in Kharkiv Oblast, Russia will launch a new attack in Sumy Oblast, the New York Times (NYT) reported on May 14.

Russian troops launched a new wave of attacks on May 10, mainly focusing on border settlements in Kharkiv Oblast.

Ukraine's General Staff said on May 13 that Russia had "tactical success" in the fight for Vovchansk, a town just a few kilometers south of the Russo-Ukrainian border. Urban combat was ongoing in the northern outskirts of the town, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

"The situation is on the edge. Every hour this situation moves toward critical," Budanov told the NYT on May 13 in a video call from a bunker in Kharkiv.

The military intelligence chief nevertheless believes that the Russian assault in Kharkiv Oblast will continue for another three or four days and that the Ukrainian military will be able to strengthen its positions and stabilize the front in the region.

"After which Russian forces are expected to make a hard push in the direction of Sumy, a city about 90 miles to the northwest of Kharkiv," the NYT wrote, citing Budanov.

Read also: Russias new Kharkiv offensive pushes Vovchansk to the brink of annihilation

Budanov's words echoed the statement of Vadym Skibitsky, a military intelligence deputy head, who suggested that a Russian offensive around northeastern Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts may begin at the end of May or early June.

Russian strikes against Sumy Oblast have become increasingly destructive in recent months. Amid intensified attacks, Ukrainian authorities ordered further evacuations from the region.

Pavlo Velychko, a Ukrainian officer serving near the Russian border in Sumy Oblast, told the NYT that he did not know if this meant anything in terms of a potential Moscow offensive.

"In any case we are in full combat readiness," he said.

Budanov said earlier that Ukraine should expect to face a renewed Russian offensive in late spring or early summer, with the offensive intensifying around eastern Donbas region.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The situation in Kharkiv Oblast "is not catastrophic," and there are indicators pointing toward stabilization, Ukraine's military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said on national television on May 14.

Budanov's statement came after he reportedly told the New York Times a day earlier that the situation in the region "was on the edge" and "moved toward critical every hour."

Despite that, Budanov told the New York Times he expects that Russia's attempted offensive in Kharkiv Oblast would last "for another three or four days," after which they may attack Sumy Oblast.

"It is definitely not true to say that Russia has had a significant success (in Kharkiv Oblast). At the same time, we must remember that the situation is quite tense and changing very rapidly," Budanov said on television.

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Russian troops have been blocked on the frontiers they had reached, according to the military intelligence chief. Ukraine's operation to further stabilize the situation and start to push Russian troops back across the border is ongoing, Budanov said.

Oleh Syniehubov, the Kharkiv Oblast governor, reported on "active firefights" on the northern outskirts of the town of Vovchansk on May 14. Ukraine's General Staff said earlier the same day that Ukrainian soldiers had "changed positions" near the village of Lukiantsi.

Budanov said that Moscow was planning a similar operation in Sumy Oblast. "Small" Russian units are deployed along the border, "but the situation has not yet allowed them to take active action and start realizing their plan," Budanov said.

"The situation is not catastrophic right now. This is generally an information operation to sow chaos and panic, backed up by actions on the ground," he added.

Read also: Russias new Kharkiv offensive pushes Vovchansk to the brink of annihilation

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
This image provided by Michael Weintrob shows the TN11, a group of citizens brought together by Citizen Solutions to discuss potential gun rights changes, stands outside the state capital in Nashville on Jan. 9, 2024. (Michael Weintrob via AP)

NEW YORK (AP)  Adam Luke remembers entering the first meeting of what would become the Citizen Solutions pilot project thinking, Oh god, this is going to suck.

A self-described educated redneck, Luke was one of 11 Tennesseans with widely divergent views on gun rights selected by the project to discuss potential recommendations to reduce gun violence. He has fond memories of his dad checking him out of school when he was in first grade to go deer hunting and has long considered himself a gun rights supporter, saying, Firearms have always had a positive influence in my life.

Luke, a licensed marriage and family therapist, says he wanted to represent that point of view as well as address the needs of those looking to curb gun violence.

The reason why I came to the table was that Im so tired of the idea that we cant do anything, that theres no way forward that the citizens of America are incapable of being able to communicate with one another, Luke said. Thats what I wanted to be hostile against.

That desire to work together, to address a problem, and to fight polarization led the Tennessee 11, as they called themselves, to develop a slate of laws that could reduce gun violence in their state. It also led the coalition of artistic, political and philanthropic leaders behind the pilot project to believe it had enough merit to be expanded.

That coalition -- which includes entrepreneur and philanthropist Daniel Lubetzky, actor Liev Schreiber, journalist Katie Couric, director of the Muhammad Ali Center Lonnie Ali, and others  announced Tuesday that it would launch Builders, a nonprofit global initiative aimed at reducing polarization while encouraging people to work together to find solutions they can all support.

The problem is the way social media and cable news are turning everything into us versus them situations, said Lubetzky, founder of Kind Snacks and recurring shark on ABCs Shark Tank. Builders will counteract that by providing people help on how to strengthen their thinking, how to process information, and how they can actually solve problems rather than create animosity.

Builders rolled out with the release of Lubetzky's recent TED talk on fighting polarization. He said the initiative will have four major components  Builders Media to produce digital content that challenges stereotypes and divisive narratives; Builders Toolkit to help educational institutions encourage critical thinking in their students; Builders Network to amplify the voices of those speaking out against extremism; and the Citizen Solutions project.

Both Democrats and Republicans dont think they have anything in common, said Ashley Phillips, head of programs at Builders Citizens Solutions. But in fact, theres a whole set of shared values that bring these very different parties together.

Identifying and mobilizing those shared values became central to the creation of Citizen Solutions, which Lubetzky had previously supported for two decades with his OneVoice Movement nonprofit. The Tennessee program on gun legislation was the pilot project for the group and it has expanded into Wisconsin, where it is currently working on finding common ground in the abortion debate.

The idea of citizen assemblies dates back to ancient Athens, where men would gather to vote on proposed laws. But in recent years, the practice has returned in some countries to study what should be done about climate change.

It always amazes me how citizens want to roll up their sleeves and do this work, Phillips said.

Schreiber, who was recently nominated for a best lead actor Tony for his work in Doubt, said he was eager to work with Builders in whatever way he could to help fight polarization.

What I loved about Doubt so much as a play was that it put forth the notion that if we can all slow down the algorithm a little bit -- the algorithm which sets us up for conflict and tribalization  and admit that we know less than we think we know and try to educate ourselves, I think it can help, Schreiber told The Associated Press.

That idea fits with what his nonprofit BlueCheck Ukraine has been doing, informing potential donors about Ukrainian nonprofits work as well as bringing to light wartime conditions, especially for children.

Part of the sickness that were all suffering from right now is brought on by social media and the digital age, Schreiber said. It feels as if we are now programmed to make rash decisions, to take positions before we are informed enough or understand the positions that were taking.

Lonnie Ali said she and her late husband, Muhammad, had admired Lubetzkys work against polarization for years. She said she hopes Builders can energize people seeking solutions and looking to form alliances.

Extremists get up every morning with the intention of furthering their cause and they are driven to divide and destroy, she said. We need to channel that same energy, but to unite and build.

Considering the currently polarized climate on the nations campuses, Lubetzky said Builders will make its Builders Toolkit available to universities so they can use the strategies to help prevent or defuse the extremist clashes.

Luke, from the Tennessee 11, says the strategies do work and is eager to see Builders expand. If we can just start that social nudge for citizens to recognize we can talk about abortion, we can talk about immigration, we can talk about hard things, he said. How about we come to the table and we both find ourselves saying, The government currently sucks.

Agreeing on that, he says, can start the process of discovering what else they agree on.

_____

Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of APs philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.
8 killed, 38 injured when bus crashes and flips, Florida cops say. Man charged with DUI

UPDATE: State troopers have arrested the driver of the Ford Ranger truck, Bryan Maclean Howard, on eight counts of driving under the influence  manslaughter, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

The original story is below.

Eight people died and 38 others were hurt when a bus loaded with farm workers crashed into another vehicle west of Ocala, according to Florida authorities.

The hospitalized passengers include eight people listed in critical condition, according to the Marion County Fire Rescue.

Identities of the eight who died have not been released.

The crash occurred around 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 14, near the intersection of State Road 40 and Southwest 148 Court, about an 85-mile drive northwest of Orlando.

Eight people died and 38 others were hurt when a bus of farm workers crashed southwest of Ocala, Florida, officials say.

The collision involved a 2010 International Bus transporting approximately 53 farm workers and a 2001 Ford Ranger truck, the Florida Highway Patrol said in a news release.

For reasons to be determined, the two vehicles collided in a sideswiped manner. Post-crash, the bus traveled off the roadway through a fence and then overturned.

Marion County Fire Rescue declared the incident a mass casualty incident. Paramedics arrived to find 46 patients, including the eight who died, officials said.

The department report it took 38 people to area hospitals: 8 in critical condition and 30 with non-life threatening injuries.

The bus was headed to Cannon Farms in Dunnellon, the Ocala StarBanner reported.

Cannon Farms announced in a May 14 Facebook post it was closing for the day out of respect to the losses and injuries endured early this morning in the accident that took place to the Olvera Trucking Harvesting Corp.

Out-of-control truck on I-95 had 3 men brawling in front seat, cops say. It crashed

Camaro cuts through living room, critically injuring man in his Florida home, cops say

Wanted man jumps in pickup, throws cash at passengers to shut them up, Florida cops say
U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, Republican congresswoman in S.C. District 1, is being called afraid, and having flat out lied, by her competition, Catherine Templeton after the incumbent rejected an offer to debate on local TV stations.

Mace was invited to a Republican primary debate by television stations in both Charleston (WCBD) and Savannah (WSAV). She declined, sparking criticism from her Republican opponent, Templeton.

Templetons team originally sent out a press release naming the wrong TV stations, updating them Monday evening to the correct ones.

The campaign team for Bill Young, another Republican candidate, wrote in a text message that Young had confirmed for the debate.

Templeton said Mace didnt want to debate because she did not want to take responsibility for her actions, including what Templeton listed as pro-choice policies, support for China, and voting against funding the border wall.

She has not been held to account for her absurd actions time and again and shes scared to death that people will find out about the true Nancy, the press release from Templetons campaign said. Nancy betrays conservatives for media attention. She flip flops for fame and money. Nancy has flat out lied to us for years and she has done it all for one thing  herself.

Maces spokesperson Gabrielle Lipsky said Rep. Mace is in her fifth primary or general election in 4 years. She has a long legislative record of accomplishments for the Lowcountry. Her views on every issue are public and she represents the values of the Lowcountry. She will continue to do events, answer questions and speak directly to voters as she asks them for the honor of representing them again.

Primary elections are June 11, where Maces and six other congressional districts will be voted on.
C-SPAN has found its next CEO, and it is a familiar face to the world of TV news.

Sam Feist, the longtime Washington D.C. bureau chief of CNN, has been selected to be the cable-funded non-profits next chief executive. Feist has led CNNs D.C. bureau since 2011, and started at the cable channel in 1990.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Pat Esser, the former CEO of Cox, who is C-SPANs chairman, called Feist an outstanding leader who is trusted and respected by both sides of the aisle and who has a deep respect for C-SPANs nonpartisan mission.

Fesit, meanwhile, heaped praise on the the small but mighty public affairs organization.

Our democracy needs C-SPAN now more than ever, said Feist in a statement. I look forward to working with C-SPANs extraordinary and dedicated team to expand the networks reach and meet new audiences where they are.

C-SPAN is an American treasure and I could not be more excited to lead this essential

institution, he added.

Feist will remain with CNN through the end of June to help with that transition, and start at C-SPAN later this summer. Swain will stick around until he starts.

C-SPAN announced in March that its co-CEOs Rob Kennedy and Susan Swain would be stepping down. Feist will only be the third (or fourth, depending on how you look at it) CEO in its history, after Swain and Kennedy, and C-SPAN founder Brian Lamb.

The organization says that Lamb, Kennedy, Swain, and Esser led a search committee, who, working with outside consultant Ann Carlsen, vetted around 100 people before settling on Feist.

C-SPAN, which is funded by the cable companies, has been adapting to a changing media environment, with cord-cutting impacting its bottom line. The non-profit provides live coverage of Congress, as well as other programing like Book TV.

Best of The Hollywood Reporter
This photo taken on April 19, 2024 shows a China-Europe freight train departing from east China's Shanghai. (Xinhua)

BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- China-Europe freight train services saw solid growth from January to April this year, with continuous improvements to the transport capacity, efficiency and service quality.

The number of China-Europe freight train services increased by 10 percent year on year to 6,184 trips in the first four months of 2024, the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (China Railway) said on Monday.

About 675,000 20-foot equivalent units (TEU) of goods were transported through the freight trains during this period, up 11 percent from a year ago, according to the company.

By the end of April, some 89,000 China-Europe freight train trips had been completed in total, serving 223 cities across 25 European countries, according to China Railway.

Editor: WRX
Calif. Man Guilty of Killing Girlfriend and Leaving Dismembered Body on Shoreline: 'Shocks Our Humanity'

"This tragedy will leave her family and our community forever traumatized," said Alameda Country District Attorney Pamela Price

gofundme

A California man has been sentenced to life over the murder of his girlfriend, whose dismembered remains were found in July 2023 along a waterfront trail in Alameda.

The Office of the Alameda County District Attorney said in a press release that a California jury found Joseph Roberts, 43, guilty of second-degree murder in the death of his 27-year-old girlfriend Rachel Elizabeth Imani Buckner, and could now face a sentence of anywhere between 15 years to life.

The District Attorneys office said the jury decided on the verdict after deliberating for less than a day following the testimony and evidence brought forward to the court.

The investigation began when the Alameda Police Department responded to a suspicious circumstance report and found a womans dismembered body inside a black garbage bag near the Harbor Bay Club on Bay Farm Island on July 20, 2023, the district attorneys office said.

Related: His Wife Vanished in Spain. How His Texts to a Woman He Met Online Made Him the Suspect

Prosecutors later presented evidence in court of Roberts DNA, which was found on the duct tape used to seal the garbage bag.

Through further investigation, detectives found that Roberts and Buckner had met at Golden Gate University Law School in 2019 and then lived together in an apartment in Pleasanton, where police were previously called multiple times for welfare checks and domestic violence calls.

They also noted in court that Buckner had lived with Roberts at the time of her disappearance and never reported that she was missing" throughout the two months it took detectives to identify her remains after they were found.

Related: Miss. Man Gets Death for Torturing, Murdering 2-Year-Old Stepson Because Boy Took Too Long to Find Juice Box

Todays verdict brings justice not only to Rachel Elizabeth Imani Buckner but also to her daughter, her immediate and extended family, and our community, Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price said in a statement.

What happened to Rachel Elizabeth Imani Buckner is unimaginable, she continued. The condition of her body when it was found shocks our humanity. This tragedy will leave her family and our community forever traumatized whenever her murder is mentioned.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Following the news of Buckners death, her family shared in a statement to KTVU, "her death has left a void that is indescribable in her community and village.

According to Prices office, Roberts will be sentenced on June 14, 2024, at the Rene C. Davidson Courthouse.

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.
Canada's Justin Trudeau Accused of Introducing Law To Imprison Anyone Who Ever Posted Hate Speech. We Looked Into It

On May 7, 2024, an X user claimed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government had introduced a new "Orwellian" law called the Online Harms Bill C-63 that would allow police to arrest people for posting hate speech online, even if the offense took place before the legislation existed.

The user wrote:

The Trudeau regime has introduced an Orwellian new law called the Online Harms Bill C-63, which will give police the power to retroactively search the Internet for "hate speech" violations and arrest offenders, even if the offence occurred before the law existed. This new bill is aimed at safeguarding the masses from so-called "hate speech."

(X account @newstart_2024)

The post referenced articles by two conservative news outlets, Revolver News and The People's Voice, that also discussed the claim.

Similar posts appeared all over X, where one user declared: "WTF." The platform's owner, Elon Musk, added: "This sounds insane if accurate!"

(X account @elonmusk)

Examples also emerged on Facebook, while Musk's and the original X user's posts had amassed more than 140 millions views combined, at the time of this writing.

Snopes looked into the legislation to see whether there was any evidence police would have the power to retroactively arrest people for posting hate speech prior to the bill's implementation.

What Do We Know About the Bill?

Canada's ruling Liberal Party unveiled proposed legislation called Bill C-63 on Feb. 26, 2024.

A government media release said the bill would create an Online Harms Act that would "hold social media platforms accountable for addressing harmful content on their platforms and for creating a safer online space that protects all people in Canada, especially kids  and better safeguard everyone in Canada from online hate."

The proposals specifically target seven types of harmful content:

Content that sexually victimizes a child or revictimizes a survivor.

Intimate content communicated without consent.

Content used to bully a child.

Content that induces a child to harm themself.

Content that foments hatred.

Content that incites violence.

Content that incites violent extremism or terrorism.

Under the act, social media companies would be subject to three duties: acting responsibly, protecting children, and making certain content inaccessible  such as content that sexually victimizes a child or revictimizes a survivor, or intimate images posted without consent

The legislation would also establish a Digital Safety Commission, which would oversee and enforce new regulations on hate speech and the protection of children, and a digital safety ombudsperson, who "would act as a resource and advocate for users and victims." Both would be supported by a Digital Safety Office.

Importantly, the media release showed it would be the commission that enforces the laws, not the police.

In addition, Bill C-63  which was not legally enforceable at the time of this writing as it had not yet received royal assent, the monarch's formal approval of legislation  proposed changes to Canada's Criminal Code and the Canadian Human Rights Act that would "better combat hate speech and hate crimes, provide improved remedies for victims and hold individuals accountable for the hatred they spread."

It would also increase the maximum sentences for illegal hate speech and allow Canadians to report such incidents to a human-rights tribunal. If successful, victims could be compensated up to CA$20,000, and fines of up to CA$50,000 could be levied.

What Is Unclear in the Bill?

Snopes found no evidence in Bill C-63 to support the claim the police would have the power to arrest someone if they found that person had posted hate speech online before the legislation's implementation.

However, text in section 41 of the bill, which listed proposed amendments to the CHRA, was somewhat unclear. It said if the person or panel conducting a Digital Safety Commission inquiry into discriminatory practice, such as hate speech, upholds a complaint, they may order the accused to pay a penalty of up to CA$50,000 to the government if the member or panel considers it appropriate with regard to:

The nature, circumstances, extent and gravity of the discriminatory practice.

The wilfulness or intent of that person.

Any prior discriminatory practices that the accused has engaged in.

The accused's ability to pay the penalty.

The proposed bill did not define whether "prior discriminatory practices" would include offenses that took place before the legislation was implemented. However, the clause about "prior discriminatory practices" appeared to be relevant only if someone had a new complaint filed against them.

Snopes contacted the Canadian government for clarity on this and numerous other matters relating to the Bill and will update this article if we receive a response.

Another fact-checking outlet also addressed the claims about retroactive punishments for hate speech, finding that the focus was on continuous hate speech.

Bill C-63 is available in full below:

https://media.snopes.com/2024/05/canadian_online_harms_bill_c-63.pdf

(House of Commons Canada)

What Did the Bill's Opponents Say?

Some individuals and civil-rights groups condemned the legislation, branding it an attack on free speech.

Snopes spoke to the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, which opposes the bill in its current form, and asked whether the legislation would allow the police to imprison anyone who has ever posted hate speech online.

The group said any such claims were inaccurate. Anais Bussieres McNicoll, director of the CCLA's Fundamental Freedoms Program, told Snopes:

The general rule under Canadian law is that statutes are not to be construed as having retroactive effect unless such a construction is expressly or by necessary implication required by the language of the law. Part 2 of Bill C-63 does propose some amendments to the Criminal Code with respect to hate crimes, but nothing indicates that these amendments would have a retroactive effect.

However, McNicoll explained that a different part of the bill would amend the Canadian Human Rights Act further as to which hate speech communicated online would be considered "discriminatory." She said the text in part 3 of section 34 "is not clear."

One can read it as implying a retroactive effect, although that is not explicitly mentioned. In any event, that section does not relate to criminal proceedings, but human rights legislation.

McNicoll concluded by saying the CCLA did not believe the amendments being considered under the bill should be enforced retroactively if it is granted royal assent.

Sources:

Government Bill (House of Commons) C-63 (44-1) - First Reading - An Act to Enact the Online Harms Act, to Amend the Criminal Code, the Canadian Human Rights Act and An Act Respecting the Mandatory Reporting of Internet Child Pornography by Persons Who Provide an Internet Service and to Make Consequential and Related Amendments to Other Acts - Parliament of Canada. https://www.parl.ca/documentviewer/en/44-1/bill/C-63/first-reading. Accessed 14 May 2024.

Heritage, Canadian. Proposed Bill to Address Online Harms. 26 Feb. 2024, https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/online-harms.html.

McNicoll, Anais Bussieres. 'Online Harms Act (Bill C-63): CCLA Joins Civil Society Call to Separate Parts Two and Three from the Bill'. CCLA, 8 May 2024, https://ccla.org/criminal-justice/online-harms-act-bill-c-63-ccla-joins-civil-society-call-to-separate-parts-two-and-three-from-the-bill/.

Wong, Adrian, Dr. 'Will Bill C-63 jail those who ever posted hate speech online?!' TechARP. 8 May 2024, https://www.techarp.com/crime/bill-c-63-jail-hate-speech-online/. Accessed 14 May 2023.
Results are in for several runoff elections in North Carolina.

Republicans and unaffiliated voters who voted Republican in the March primary were eligible to vote in the elections.

Republican candidates in three local races and one statewide race didnt reach the 30% threshold needed to move on to the primary.

Several candidates share final pitch for votes before May runoff elections

Lieutenant Governor

At the top of the ticket was the lieutenant governors race. Former Lt. Gov. Dan Forests Chief of Staff Hal Weatherman easily defeated Forsyth County District Attorney Jim ONeill.

Looks like second primaries for at least Republican Lt. Gov and Republican state auditor.  Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) March 6, 2024

Weatherman served as chief of staff for former North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest. He told Channel 9 that his experience in North Carolina sets him apart from his opponent.

State auditor

In the race for state auditor, UNC Chapel Hill Board of Trustees member Dave Boliek defeated NCGA legislative assistant Jack Clark.

Gaston County Commission

Former law enforcement officer Jim Bailey defeated incumbent commissioner Ronnie Worley for the South Point Township seat on the Gaston County Commission. He will face no opposition in November.

District 13

Outside the Channel 9 region, Brad Knott, a candidate supported by former President Donald Trump, decisively won the Republican primary runoff for North Carolinas 13th Congressional District on Tuesday. His rival had suspended her campaign two weeks ago in response to the endorsement.

(WATCH BELOW: NC Primary Elections: Results and what to know)
Last year, news broke that surf filmmaker and Momentum Generation alum Greg Browning was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), aka Lou Gehrigs disease. Accordingly, the surf world rallied with a crowdfunding campaign to support.

And now, adding a spark to the support of the progressive, slow-burning fight that is ALS, a cannabis company has emerged to help. Gelato Canna Co. has debuted "Geebs"  a nickname for Browning  featuring a line of pre-rolls and edibles with portions of the profits going to Browning and the battle against ALS on the whole.

I was completely taken by surprise when George [Sadler, Gelato CEO] presented the Geebs products to me in front of our friends, said Browning. Its not easy to navigate a diagnosis like this, but knowing I have so much support in the surfing community, film community and now the cannabis community truly makes me realize how lucky I am. I hope anyone dealing with their own health struggles can find comfort with cannabis, including Geebs.

Related: Momentum Generation Star and Drive-Thru Filmmaker Greg Browning Diagnosed With ALS; Can Use Our Help

Studies have shown that cannabis can help with ALS treatment, especially when it comes to spasticity (stiff muscles). According to a 2019 report from the National Library of Medicine, THC:CBD may serve as a valuable addition in the spectrum of symptomatic therapy in ALS.

Browning, who transitioned from his career as a pro surfer into surf filmmaker, is perhaps most celebrated for his Drive Thru series. From Australia, to Japan, to Europe, and beyond, the series featured a motley crew of pro surfers  Kelly Slater, Benji Weatherly, Donavon Frankenreiter, Kalani Robb, and others  all jam-packed in a van as they toured the local sites and waves, immersed themselves in the culture, and laughed like schoolgirls along the way.

Most recently, Browning was honored with a spot on the Surfers Walk of Fame in his hometown of Hermosa Beach, California.

I dreamed about being alongside of my heroes growing up, he said. We have the worst waves in the world in the South Bay. But we have some of the best surfers. I feel, like, wownow Im part of this group.

For more, check out Geebs, and the GoFundMe campaign supporting Greg.

***

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Your case is NOT forgotten. But it keeps turning up cold.

The case had gone cold several times. Kathie Rottler was losing hope that the man who attacked her, her younger sister and her friend in 1975, would ever be found.

Kathie Rottler slouched in a chair at the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department in 2003. She was waiting on a detective.

Tense, frustrated, Kathie stared at a photo on the wall of the Indianapolis skyline at night. Most people who saw the photo probably noticed the brilliant city lights, the skyscrapers. But at 43, all Kathie saw was the darkness. All she thought about were the crimes happening there.

.

Shed lived through one of them.

Since Aug. 19, 1975, Kathie had been unable to shake the memory of the monster who had raped her little sister and kidnapped and stabbed her, her sister and a childhood friend.

Multiple surgeries and time had obscured most of the three womens external scars. But their internal struggles remained.

Every time a woman was found dead, Kathie worried the man who hurt them had claimed another victim. Every time a cold case was solved, she regretted theirs was not. She wondered when it would be their turn.

The women had spent decades not knowing who he was or where he might be.

Kathie hoped one day her pleas for help would be heard.

If you dont swing, you cant hit

In 2018, Kathies efforts led her to Detective Sgt. David Ellison, who ran the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Departments cold case homicide unit.

Ellison had spent roughly a third of his three-decade career investigating such cases.

His unit examined unsolved homicides from the former Indianapolis Police Department and the law enforcement division of the Marion County Sheriffs Office that lingered from before they merged into IMPD. Going back to 1990, Ellison guessed, there were about 1,000 unsolved cases. More joined the list every year.

When Ellison met Kathie, his unit consisted of three people: himself and two others.

He said they fielded more than 100 calls a year from families seeking justice. Each inquiry required time  to review notes from the original investigator, check evidence and determine whether more could be done.

Everybodys calling and saying, What are you doing on my sons case? Ellison said. You know, the truth is theres not much of anything being done unless new information comes in.

Ellison said he was actively working three cases at any given time while peripherally juggling a few others. Additional cases sat to the side, where theyd remain unless police found additional evidence or a new witness came forward.

Ellison often taped photos of the victim to the box or case file to remind himself that each was more than a stack of papers  it was a person. He understood the pain of losing a loved one. His wife of nearly 22 years had died suddenly in 2009 of a heart problem.

I want my legacy to be that I gave it my all while I was here, he said, and I did the best I could.

Technically, Kathies case didnt even fit the parameters of Ellisons unit. No one had died.

But Ellison flipped through the wrinkled police records Kathie had brought with her in a manila folder. He listened to her story. And he promised to try.

I work under the premise if you dont swing, you cant hit, Ellison said, so were swinging in the likelihood that theres nothing there, but were going to try and hope.

DNA testing

Ellison copied Kathies records and told her to call him back in a month.

Then he followed the same procedure as with his unsolved homicides: pull the case file and evidence, and figure out what, if anything, he could do.

The detective wasnt optimistic. The case was nearly half a century old. Multiple police agencies had investigated it. Some had moved offices in the decades since the crime. Ellison had seen other old files destroyed by water damage from leaky pipes.

Luckily, his search turned up the work of Steven Gibbs, the former detective sergeant with the Marion County Sheriffs Office who had tried to solve Kathie, Kandice and Sheris case in 1990  15 years after the crime. Gibbs had pulled microfilm and reconstructed the girls case file with records and interviews.

Ellison also located the physical evidence; it was in a box locked in an evidence vault at the Hancock County Sheriffs Office. The evidence log listed 54 items collected in 1975, including blood spots, rope, a knife, a Marlboro cigarette butt, the girls clothes and samples taken from Sheri during a medical examination.

In 2018, IMPD Detective Sgt. David Ellison was able to track down the work of Marion County Detective Steve Gibbs, who had reopened the case in 1990. He also recovered 54 pieces of evidence from the Hancock County Sheriff's Office.

His next step was a no-brainer: DNA testing.

The powerful forensic tool had not existed when the girls were attacked in 1975. Fifteen years later, when Gibbs launched his cold case investigation, the testing was not yet readily available to law enforcement. And for years after it became accessible, Ellison said DNA testing was cost prohibitive for cold cases. That changed in Indianapolis in 2008, he said, when IMPD received grant money for DNA testing in unsolved cold cases.

Ellison hoped analyzing evidence in Kathie, Kandice and Sheris case might bring a new lead.

In January 2019, the women provided him with their DNA, and Ellison submitted the evidence to Marion County Forensic Services Agency for testing.

In a perfect world, the detective said, he also would have created a longer to-do list for the womens case, reinterviewing people and seeking new information. But time was a luxury he didnt have.

Im working cases that are murders and trying to put somebody in jail, Ellison said. And Ive got cases that are close, so I cant break free from those. Because if Im working four things and juggling, Im getting nowhere on any of them.

A waiting game

Ellison felt he was doing the best he could. But to Kathie, then 58, it looked too much like what shed experienced in the past  promises to call, promises to take steps, then silence.

The rest of 2019 ticked by. And half of 2020.

Just checking in to see if you have anything to share? Kathie emailed Ellison on June 26, 2020.

No news from the lab, 105 homicides this year so far, he replied. He told her hed check but that officials there always let him know when something was done.

Kathie heard little over the next year.

By July 2021, she could no longer suppress her irritation. Kathie fired off a lengthy email to Ellison asking about the status of the case and why it was always her reaching out to him first.

Kandice Smith, Sheri Rottler Trick and Kathie Rottler, victims of the Slasher attacks, share the details behind their case in 2018.

For the past 46 years, I have had to live with not just what happened that night to me but also to my baby sister and our friend, she wrote. I have also had to live with the fact that the case is just sitting there. At times it felt like I was on some type of crazy roller coaster ride.

There have been so many names across my case, yet the majority of them played with my emotions. Theyd give me hope just to shoot it back down again. I've always tried to show everyone respect and trusted them to be doing all they could to solve our case. But I dont feel that I have been given the same respect.

Kathie said it felt like she was being put off. She explained that, as it related to the investigation, Ellison was dealing with her 14-year-old self, not her 60-year-old self. And each time she had to call him, her mind replayed the trauma of what had happened.

Im not saying you are the only one to blame for this, she wrote. I have been treated this way for 46 years and I am tired of it. I am not going away and I am not giving up.

Your case is NOT forgotten

Ellison understood Kathies frustration.

I never took it personal, he said. When victims families call, theyre looking for somebody to vent at, and I was used to it. So I took it in stride.

He and Capt. Roger Spurgeon, IMPDs homicide branch commander who Kathie had copied on her email, tried to reassure her that progress was being made.

Spurgeon told Kathie the lab had recently moved her case to stage two testing, which involved searching evidence for skin cells or DNA. But he couldnt say how long that would take. The lab prioritized processing current violent crime cases that were prosecutable, Spurgeon said, and Ellison needed to prioritize solving murders.

We simply cannot provide you with a timeline of when your case will be brought to resolution, Spurgeon wrote to Kathie on July 16, 2021. What we CAN provide you with is the peace of mind (hopefully) that your case is NOT forgotten, and we will utilize any current technology that did not exist when this occurred to help get the answers you deserve.

Later that year, after more than two years of waiting, Ellison received some good news.

He said the lab had obtained enough DNA from the evidence to build a full profile of the suspect. Forensic scientists had matched DNA from the suspects semen to other evidence that was close to, but independent of, the crime scene. Ellison declined to say what that evidence was.

Retired IMPD Sgt. David Ellison

Officials sent the suspects DNA to a national database called the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), where submitted profiles are searched against other known DNA profiles.

It was a dead end.

The mans profile did not match any known offenders or any other unsolved cases in the database, Ellison said. Maybe the suspect had been locked up before CODIS started. Maybe he hadnt committed other crimes or hadnt been caught. Maybe he was dead.

Ellison turned back to the original case file. What about the man police had identified back in 1975, the one Kathie and Kandice had pointed out in a police lineup? He was dead, but in 2021 Ellison located the mans son, who agreed to provide DNA for comparison. No match; his father was innocent.

In 2022, Ellison considered another suspect: an Indianapolis man who police believed had kidnapped and murdered two young women and a child in 1977 before accidentally killing himself. That man had lived close to where Kathie, Kandice and Sheri were abducted. Ellison found members of the mans family in Ohio and compared their DNA to the evidence.

Again, no match.

By then, it had been four years of starts and stops. Four years of waiting. But Ellison wasnt ready to give up.

To read the rest of this series, click here.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Your case is NOT forgotten. Case turns cold but victim won't give up
Castle Shannon residents urged to lock vehicle doors due to recent thefts

Castle Shannon police are warning residents about recent thefts from unlocked vehicles.

Officers were checking a report of juveniles walking on Highland Drive early Tuesday morning when a resident reported his vehicle had been entered and a gun stolen.

Police advise residents to lock their vehicle doors at all times and to remove valuables, keys and weapons.

Anyone with video or information relating to the thefts can call 911.

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Cause of death released for SC mother who vanished after screaming during 911 call

A South Carolina Coroner has released the cause of death for a mother who vanished after screaming during a 911 call months ago.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Jamilla Smith, 30, vanished on December 2, 2023, from Aiken County, which is on the Georgia/SC border.

Affidavits showed that Smith called 911 from her home and said her ex-boyfriend had broken into her house and was chasing her down the road, WRDF reported. The dispatcher heard the car rev and Smith scream.

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On May 2, police announced that Smiths body was found in a wooded area off of Silver Bluff Road.

On Tuesday, the Aiken County Coroner told WJBF that Smiths cause of death was gunshot wounds to the head.

Three men have been arrested in connection to Smiths death including Smiths ex-boyfriend, Daniel Harmon, who was charged with kidnapping and murder.

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Bryan Hampton, of Augusta, and Clyde Hendley, of Bath, SC, were also arrested in relation to the case on accessory after the fact charges.
Cavelier Wine Bar opens in Port Washington this month. This is what it's all about.

Kelly Brown is the owner of Port Washington's Cavelier Wine Bar. Cavelier Wine Bar is slated to have its soft opening at 3 p.m. on May 20 with a grand opening at 3 p.m. on May 31.

A new wine bar aimed at providing "inclusion and connection" in Port Washington is slated to open later this month along the shores of Lake Michigan, owner Kelly Brown said.

Cavelier Wine Bar "will serve up camaraderie, ambiance, and exceptional beverages, including thoughtfully crafted zero-proof cocktails with a side of epic lake views," Brown said in a news release.

Brown also owns the handcrafted goods shop Locally Inspired in downtown Port Washington.

A soft opening is planned for 3 p.m. on Monday, May 20, with a grand opening at 3 p.m. on Friday, May 31. Both events are open to the public, according to Brown.

While Cavelier Wine Bar has a number of wine, cocktails and craft beer options, Brown said, "the establishment sets itself apart by placing equal emphasis on zero-proof cocktails" that are considered nonalcoholic.

She said Cavelier Wine Bar, 407 E. Jackson St., used Milwaukee-based Nite Cap Beverage Consulting to make those zero-proof cocktails "have all the taste and allure of their spirited versions."

Brown said she wants all patrons at Cavelier Wine Bar to have an opportunity to enjoy the wine bar whether they "choose to indulge in spirits or not."

"My vision for Cavelier is to be more than a bar. I hope it will be a testament to the power of community and the beauty of shared experiences," said Brown.

Cavelier Wine Bar will open its doors in Port Washington this month. Cavelier will serve up "camaraderie, ambiance and exceptional beverages, including thoughtfully crafted zero-proof cocktails  with a side of epic lake views," according to Cavelier owner Kelly Brown.

Cavelier Wine Bar will offer Lake Michigan views, local snacks, craft beers and curated cocktails

With wrap-around floor-to-ceiling windows showing off its location on the picturesque harbor of Lake Michigan, Brown said Cavelier Wine Bar provides a breathtaking backdrop for people to gather. Our location is more than a setting; it's an integral part of the experience," said Brown.

Brown said there will be snack items from Port Washington based Chocolate Chisel and Bernie's Fine Meats, along with Its Just Nuts, a mobile company based in Hales Corners, and Sheboygan-based Sunday Dough.

Brown said there will be locally-brewed craft beers and cocktails on the menu.

The craft beers will include Sheboygan-based 3 Sheeps Fresh Coast and 3 Sheeps Waterslides IPA from 3 Sheeps Brewing, and Lakefront New Grist and Riverwest Stein NA from Milwaukee's Lakefront Brewing.

Cavelier Wine Bar's menu will include five curated cocktails: the Mint to Be, similar to a mojito, the No-Groni, similar to a negroni, the Flamingo Fizz, like a French 75, the Watermelon Rebel, like a margarita and the Cavelier Old Fashioned cocktail, which is unique and made in-house.

Cavelier Wine Bar in Port Washington is on Lake Michigan's Lakefront. It will be open later in May. It features cocktails, nonalcoholic cocktails and craft beer.

Cavelier Wine Bar joins 'old-world elements with Port Washington's history,' owner says

Brown said that the vibe of Cavelier Wine Bar will blend "old-world elements with Port Washington's history," saying the "hand painted, vintage-inspired tin tiles wrap around the bar and nautical-inspired brass and leather lighting reflect a magical ambiance on the windows."

She said the business is named in reference to the 1600s Great Lakes explorer Rene-Robert Cavelier.

I love being a part of my community, so much so that I wanted to double down on my investment. Im passionate about creating unique, memorable experiences for people and I want to accommodate all the members of this community and its visitors," explained Brown.

Cavelier Wine Bar will be open 3 to 9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 3 to 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday; noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Find out more about Cavelier Wine Bar

For more information about Cavelier Wine Bar, visit www.cavelierwinebar.com, follow @cavelierwinebar on Instagram or visit Cavelier Wine Bar on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cavelierwinebar.

More: Check out these 2024 Memorial Day events in the greater Milwaukee area

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Cathy Kozlowicz can be reached at 262-361-9132 or cathy.kozlowicz@jrn.com. Follow her on X at @kozlowicz_cathy.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Cavelier Wine Bar in Port Washington to open May 20
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  As the school year wraps up, some students will graduate high school as juniors.

A national survey shows about 75% of high school graduates are not ready to make college decisions. There are options available for parents and students who choose a different path.

Its a bittersweet moment for some high school seniors. Not only are they graduating from school but they are about to face the world. Zoey Dyer, 17, is getting a head start as she is graduating as a junior from Sierra Vista High School.

Theres a lot of pros you definitely feel kind of special graduating early, Dyer said. A year early to start life and take advantage of what we all need, which is time.

When youre a senior you feel like you are running out of time, youre in a rush to grow up, she said.

Dyer is not wasting one moment. She was accepted to UNLV and plans to enlist in the National Guard.

Experts told 8 News Now one of the reasons why students want to accelerate their education like Dyer is because of early exposure to college programs.

I had to plan out the classes that I needed to graduate so that was more effort I took a lot of summer classes, Dyer said.

Efforts vary for each student who wants to graduate early. Its something high school seniors like Kieanna Paigescherrer and Antron Johnson Jr. thought about.

I felt like I wasnt being challenged, Johnson said.

Eventually it was my family who convinced me you know just stay see what it has in store for you, Paigescherrer said.

Johnson said when he was a sophomore he heard about the program. Both will be graduating high school with an associates degree.

Its all thanks to the College of Southern Nevada High Schools Dual Credit program.

Dr. Andrea Connolly, the schools principal, said the program is only for incoming CCSD 11th and 12th graders who want to stay the full four years and graduate with college credit.

I think it would be a good alternative compromise for a student who wanted to graduate at the end of their junior year, Connolly said.

It also takes family support and guidance.

8 News Now asked Connolly if students who choose to graduate early wont be as motivated as other students who did complete the four years of high school.

They might be just as motivated, but I dont think a lot of high school students understand how much self-motivation and self-reliance and responsibility falls on a college student, she said.

Students like Dyer who are ready to walk the stage say just do what feels right.

Make sure you communicate with your counselor and assistant principals because they will help you and dont be afraid, Dyer said.

Dyer said she was able to attend prom and didnt miss out on much, it just wasnt with her original graduating class.

We reached out to CCSD on how many juniors will graduate early this year. The school district said it does not track the data.

There are 45 career and technical education programs offered in high schools in Nevada. More than 4,200 students were enrolled in the program for the fall of 2023.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
SANDUSKY, Ohio (WJW)  Police in Sandusky are looking for the person responsible for running over a Cedar Point employee in the amusement parks parking lot.

According to a police report, the incident occurred on Friday, May 10, shortly after the park had closed at 8 p.m. Officers were called to the amusement parks main parking lot near pole 28-A. Once there, officers found a Cedar Point traffic employee had been run over by a Cadillac Escalade that then took off from the scene.

Top Thrill 2 closed at Cedar Point

A witness told police, he heard the victim yell at the SUV to stop because they were running him over. The victim then fell to the ground and the witness said the Escalade ran over both of the victims legs and kept driving.

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The witness told police, he then ran up to the Escalades window and yelled at the driver to stop, and told the man behind the wheel that he had just run over someone. The witness said the driver would not look in his direction and kept driving. The witness was able to snap a picture of the suspects vehicle and license plate.

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According to the report, the vehicle is registered to a woman in Southgate, Michigan. The witness told police, that the driver appeared to be a male, possibly with facial hair, and the passenger appeared to be a female.

The suspects vehicle is pictured below:

The Cedar Point employee told police, he was bent over and picking up an item when the SUV hit him.

Police said in the report, that they are working with Cedar Point to review surveillance video and positively identify the driver.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
Central Arkansas free document shredding this Saturday in Little Rock

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  This Saturday would be a good time to clean out those confidential documents from around the house.

AARP is having its Shred Fest in Little Rock from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday. AARP membership is not required and the service is free, but registration at AARP.org is recommended to speed up service.

Man convicted in decadeslong identity theft that led to his victim being jailed

The event is taking place at 1701 Centerview Drive, in the parking lot of the Redding Building in the Westlake Corporate Complex, across from the Heart Hospital.

Experts say shredding confidential documents is an important first step in combatting identity theft. Documents containing a persons social security number, bank account information, address, or phone number could be used by thieves for fraud and theft.

Your Social Security number is probably on the dark web. Should you be worried?

According to a recent report by AARP, American adults lost $43 billion to identity theft in 2023.

Officials with AARP said a northwest Arkansas Shred Fest is planned for Sept. 21 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Farmington United Methodist Church, 355 Southwinds Road in Farmington.

5 questions to ask when helping an older parent with money

The Federal Trade Commission encourages victims of identity theft to report the incident at IdentityTheft.gov.

A non-perishable food drop-off will be in place during the event to support the Arkansas Foodbank.

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 KARK.
While comparing satellite footage of Chad Daybells property, Rexburg Detective Chuck Kunsaitis said he noticed discoloration in a part of the yard that wasnt previously there. Having been on the stand earlier in the trial, Kunsaitis was questioned again by both parties in the case of Chad Daybell vs. the State of Idaho on Monday.

The prosecution shared multiple photos of aerial views of Daybells property, but Kunsaitis said the one on Sept. 9, 2019, caught his attention. Explaining the layout of Daybells property, Kunsaitis told the court that directly across from the garage, Youll see that discoloration, and that is in the immediate area where we discovered Tylee.

Prosecutor Rob Wood then asked if Kunsaitis could see the same discoloration in the previous photos taken earlier that year, to which he replied, No. Theyre not visible.

Daybell is accused of killing Lori Daybells  then Lori Vallows  children, Tylee Ryan, 16, and her little brother Joshua Jaxon JJ Vallow, 7. Chad Daybell is also on trial for the death of his former wife, Tammy Daybell. Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow were married after the deaths of her two youngest children.

Lori Daybell was convicted last year and received five life sentences without the possibility of parole.

The bodies of the two children were discovered buried on Chad Daybells property in June of 2020. Tammy Daybells remains were exhumed and examined in an autopsy in December of 2019.

The jurors heard on Monday from multiple specialists who examined Tylees remains to uncover the causes of her death. Forensic anthropologist Angi Christensen analyzed the trauma that Tylees bones had gone through. Christensen said she studied more than 100 of the childs bones, and some were so damaged they werent identifiable.

Christensen also noted that she discovered signs where the bones had been burned and subject to numerous sharp traumas. When asked by the prosecution if sharp traumas can occur naturally, Christensen said, No.

She added, Sharp traumas are something that is caused by an external force thats imported on the remains and disease processes have a much different appearance where the bone is responding to that disease.

Douglas Halepaska, a forensic examiner with the FBI, added information on Monday regarding the state of Tylee Ryans body after it was discovered.

In his testimony, Halepaska told the court that he identified tool marks that indicated both stabbing and chopping actions on the body.

On Monday afternoon, FBI agent Nick Ballance provided jurors with information regarding cellular communications between Chad Daybell, Lori Daybell and her brother Alex Cox.

Ballance is a member of the FBIs cellular analysis survey team, or CAST. This was his second testimony in the trial so far.

During his testimony, Ballance said that a phone under Daybells account was purchased and activated between Oct. 8 and Oct. 9, 2019, but was being used by Cox. Google locations also showed Cox to be near the Daybell property during that time  which also happens to be when Tammy Daybell was assaulted by an unidentified man at gunpoint outside her home.

He also testified that Coxs phone was again near the Daybell property on Oct. 19, 2019, the day Tammy Daybell died.

The court adjourned following the close of Ballances testimony and is set to continue Tuesday morning. If Daybell is found guilty by the jurors, he could face the death penalty.
Chairman of Parliament Ruslan Stefanchuk on official state visit to Turkey

Ruslan Stefanchuk, chairman of Ukraine's parliament, is in Turkey on an official visit from May 13 to 15.

His agenda will involve numerous bilateral discussions and negotiations in Ankara, including with Numan Kurtulmus, Chairman of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.

The talks will address the implementation of President Zelensky's peace formula and the reconstruction efforts in Ukraine, with a focus on engaging Turkey in the rebuilding process.

"The purpose of the visit is to deepen strategic cooperation between Ukraine and Turkey, expand interparliamentary cooperation, as well as overcome the negative consequences of Russian aggression, which threatens stability and development in the Black Sea region," the press service of the office of the Ukrainian Parliament said.

Previously, President Zelensky met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in March 2024. The leaders discussed relations between the two countries, possible outcomes of the war, and the potential restoration of the Black Sea grain deal.

Read also: Kuleba visits Serbia for first time since beginning of full-scale war

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ROCHESTER  A celebration of the new Champlin Place senior affordable housing complex was joyous Monday. Residents and leaders paid tribute to Easterseals for the project and held it up as a model.

"I'm home," said Donna Horne, as her tiny dog ZuZu peeked out of her pocket, to the delight of children who spotted her. "I moved away from New Hampshire and always regretted it, always wanted to come back home."

Horne said she searched online, hoping to find an affordable senior living spot. She feels blessed to have found Champlin Place.

Champlin Place resident Donna Horne and her dog ZuZu get some attention from Rocco Gauthier as people get ready for a ceremony at Easterseals' Champlin Place in Rochester Monday, May 13, 2024.

"I love it here so much," she said. "We are becoming a true community. We look out for each other. We make friends."

"They are home," said Maureen Beauregard, president and CEO of Easterseals New Hampshire and Vermont, speaking to the gathering. "Welcome home. This housing is all about you. Live your best lives here without worrying about rent going up $1,000."

Maureen Beauregard, president and CEO of Easterseals New Hampshire and Vermont, had a vision of affordable housing for seniors and Champlin Place in Rochester is a reality, she said, Monday, May 13, 2024.

Easterseals' Champlin Place is an affordable apartment community for ages 62-plus in Rochester.It sits on 20 acres of land and all 65 apartments are filled. There is already a waiting list. The independent living center includes common rooms, laundry facilities and a lending library is quickly forming. The apartments are one- and two-bedroom units and small pets are welcome.

Previous story: Affordable senior housing at Champlin Place resident: "I finally feel I can relax"

Rents are based on a person's income and start at $1,100 to $1,200 per month for one bedroom, and $1,300-$1,400 for two bedrooms. Twenty-five apartments are based on a voucher program.

Affordable housing praised, while more is needed

Jeff Chidester, Easterseals NH Veterans Count Seacoast chapter ambassador, is emcee at a ceremony to celebrate Champlin Place in Rochester Monday, May 13, 2024.

"This place is a great example of what can be done with affordable housing," said Republican Gov. Chris Sununu. "It is beautiful and has great amenities. It's the place you want to be, and we need to make it a model for the rest of the state."

Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire, said, "This place is a beautiful, safe place to call home, and I congratulate all the teamwork that made this happen. This is a wonderful community, but there is still work to be done."

Easterseals' Champlin Place is an affordable apartment community for ages 62-plus in Rochester.

Hassan and Rep. Chris Pappas, D-New Hampshire, both vowed to continue working to increase access to the low-income tax credits that helped Champlin Place go from a dream at Easterseals to a reality.

"This is everything to us": Cottage homes in Dover a solution for young family

Beauregard thanked Rochester city officials for working with Easterseals.

"What a beautiful place," said Mayor Paul Callaghan. "When I first heard about this project, and knowing Easterseals is a rock star organization; I said, 'How do we make it happen?'"

Guest speakers Maureen Smith, resident of Champlin Place, left, and Sen. Maggie Hassan are seen during a ceremony celebrating Easterseals' Champlin Place in Rochester Monday, May 13, 2024.

Other speakers represented New Hampshire Housing, Evernorth, Citizens Bank, New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority, Hutter Construction, all groups who partnered on the Champlin Place development.

Easterseals working on two more projects in NH

Gamman Academy in Manchester will be a residential education center for children ages 5-21, according to Michelle Talwani, Easterseals spokesperson. Talwani said the kids will be those whose special needs might prevent them from succeeding in a more traditional school setting.

"Districts will recommend the students and they will come from all over New England," she said. "We currently have two of this type of school in Manchester, but they are in refurbished buildings. The Gamman center will replace those and be more modern with larger classroom spaces."

The Gamman Academy is expected to open in December.

Gov. Chris Sununu, center, participates in a ceremony celebrating Easterseals' Champlin Place in Rochester Monday, May 13, 2024.

A veterans' campus in Franklin is in phase one of three. Talwani said the first phase will have 30 units of affordable housing and conference spaces for use by the military and first responders. In phases two and three there are plans to bring in veterans' services organization and a VA clinic

"We need to raise about $19 million to complete this," Talwani said. "We will make it happen. These are all our centers of excellence, our goals."

This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Champlin Place affordable housing celebrated in Rochester
One woman wore a Palestinian flag as a wrap and a man wore a scarf featuring the flag's colors as Oklahoma Muslims were encouraged to advocate not only for themselves, but others around the world during an event on Monday at the Capitol.

The "Muslim Day at the Capitol" theme of "Local Advocacy for Global Justice" appeared to resonate with attendees as they participated in the 10th annual event sponsored by the Council on American-Islamic Relations' Oklahoma chapter. Monday's Muslim Day event was the first held since Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, resulting in the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

More: United Eid Festival marks the end of Ramadan at Scissortail Park in OKC

Dr. Amir Khaliq, a retired physician and university professor of public health, said it was important that Muslims speak out in "the reddest of red states" for several reasons, particularly to tell elected leaders that "we are here. We need to be heard. We have to be visible. We are not disappearing. We are not going away and so you have to pay attention."

He said he wore his Palestinian scarf to the Capitol to convey his freedom of expression and commitment for "justice in Palestine."

Imam Imad Enchassi leads a prayer on May 13 during Muslim Day at the Oklahoma Capitol in Oklahoma City.

"Everybody talks about Israel's right to defend itself, but nobody ever talks about the Palestinian people's right to exist with freedom and liberty and dignity. Who is going to speak for their rights? I'm trying to speak for their rights by wearing this" Khaliq said.

A reflection of the Oklahoma Standard

Adam Soltani, CAIR-OK's executive director, said Monday's milestone anniversary was special particularly because there were no protesters waving anti-Islam signage awaiting Oklahoma Muslims when they arrived at the Capitol, but members of the interfaith community were there to offer their "corridor of support" greeting and welcoming Muslims.

"The most amazing thing about this year's Capitol day is after 10 years, protesters have given up  we had absolutely zero protesters, but yet the interfaith community, a diverse group of Jews, Buddhists, Sikhs, Christians from all different denominations, have continued to show up to welcome us to the Capitol," Soltani said.

"This is, to me, not just a testament to the strong interfaith community here in Oklahoma, but I think more importantly, when people speak of the Oklahoma Standard, this is really a reflection of that Oklahoma Standard more than anything else  people coming together to show their love and support for other people and particularly, to uplift the voices of minorities in Oklahoma."

Georgia state Rep. Ruwa Romman speaks on May 13 during Muslim Day at the Oklahoma Capitol in Oklahoma City.

Highlights of the Muslim advocacy event included a keynote presentation by Georgia Rep. Ruwa Romman. Also, Sen. Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City, took to the Senate floor to recognize visiting students and teachers from the two Islamic schools in Oklahoma, Mercy School Institute in the Oklahoma City metro area and Peace Academy in Tulsa.

Romman, who represents House District 97 in the Georgia Legislature, encouraged participants to share their stories and their respective points of view with their elected leaders.

Romman, who said she was one of four Muslims in the George Legislature, told participants that they each have a story to tell, and it was important that they share their perspectives with elected leaders and others in their communities. She said it was crucial that they continue long-term advocacy efforts at the Capitol, such as meeting with and building relationships with legislators.

"You're all here today with that power," she said. "You have a story that could change hearts."

Afterward, the legislator said she loved the premise of Oklahoma's Muslim Day at the Capitol.

"They're thinking about acting locally while thinking globally because the reality of the situation is that having an impact on a federal level, does in fact take a lot more time, energy and resources," she said. "But, people are going to be so shocked what a difference they can make on a local level."

Masa Darkazally, a junior at Peace Academy in Tulsa, said she felt empowered to be an advocate after listening to Romman's presentation.

"I felt like it was actually quite interesting to see because I never really knew that there were much representatives for the Muslim community, in general, so I was inspired by how she went up to everyone trying to explain a point of view," Darkazally said.

"That really showed me that I can also do that."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: 'Change hearts': Muslim Day held at the Oklahoma Capitol
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  On Monday, 31 inmates in the Utah State Correctional Facility graduated from Salt Lake Community Colleges Prison Education Program.

According to a spokesperson with SLCC, most of the graduates degrees were in general studies, but there were a few who studied anthropology and criminal justice  and one graduate earned two associates degrees through the program.

READ NEXT: Its never too late: Utah woman earns masters degree at age 80, is eldest in her graduating class

The Prison Education Program from SLCC first started in 2017 with funding from the Utah State Legislature. In 2020, SLCC was designated as an experimental Second Chance Pell site, which allows students to use federal Pell Grants to attend.

Providing education in the prison makes so much sense on both a practical level and a human level, said David Bokovoy, director of SLCCs Prison Education Program. It transforms individuals sense of self, promotes hope and ability, and this ultimately benefits society.

Graduates of the program had more than 40 classes to choose from and nine different degrees available.

Four graduates spoke about how their degrees have changed their lives, according to a press release from SLCC. One of the graduates who spoke was Becky Golly, who was convinced to take some classes in 2019  27 years after she had graduated high school  by fellow inmates.

Golly earned an associates degree in general studies and one in criminal justice.

The skills, certificates, and degrees Ive received over the last six years have changed my future in ways I could never have dreamed, Golly said. It also positively affects my childrens lives.

Golly said that her degrees are helping her keep the promise she made to her children when she first got to prison.

I told them that I cannot change what got me here, but I would change and fix all the unhealthy parts of myself and come home as the mom they always deserved to have, Golly said.

Another graduate, Bradley Freeze, said earning a degree has helped the graduates learn how to see things differently.

It has created change in our minds, in how we think, act and feel in our hearts, Freeze said.

According to SLCC, nearly 300 students in the past year have participated in the classes offered at the Utah State Correctional Facility  which is nearly 10 percent of the population, according to the school. More than 40 faculty members who teach at SLCC also teach in the Prison Education Program.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
Changes proposed to workers compensation in Pennsylvania

(WHTM)  Two Pennsylvania lawmakers are proposing changes to workers compensation in the state as a way to make payments more accessible.

The proposed legislation would allow for workers compensation claimants to request payment of benefits by direct deposit or employers to require payment of benefits by direct deposit.

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This Week in Pennsylvania

State Senators Tracy Pennycuick (R-Berks/Montgomery) and Frank Farry (R-Bucks) say they will introduce the legislation. Currently, the lawmakers say workers compensation payments are still being made by paper check, leading to potential delays, loss, or displacement.

The bill would also allow insurers to no longer offer paper checks as long as claimants have the option to receive their benefits through direct deposit or a payroll account card.

Changes made to Pennsylvania worker benefits after Shapiro signs executive order

The lawmakers say the reforms were unanimously recommended by the Workers Compensation Advisory Council.

Please join us in helping injured workers get their benefits in a faster, more convenient way that will also benefit insurers by reducing processing time and mailing costs, said the lawmakers.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.
It was chaos: Three men charged in shooting death of teenage boy at large Northboro house party

A wild free-for-all after shots were fired at what the Worcester County DAs Office says was a birthday party at a Northborough home early Sunday morning. That million-dollar home is still listed on Booking.com.

Tragically a 16-year-old Bellingham teen was fatally shot and several others were injured at 333 Howard Street early Sunday morning, according to the Worcester District Attorneys Office.

You gotta be really (blank) in the head to pull a gun around 300 people and start shooting, said a man who calls himself Brazil 360.

He was in the kitchen taking a selfie when he heard the gunshots.

So as I am taking a picture we hear Bap and we look behind us and Im thinking its a bottle breaking or something. Then, Bap, bap, bap, bap and thats when everybody starts trampling over everybody, he said.

The suspects, Wallisom Texeira Da Silva, Arnoldo Nogueira Filho, and Pedro Desouza-Passos, were arraigned Monday on firearm-related charges, in connection to the shooting, in Westboro District Court.

The DA says all three suspects were backseat passengers of a young woman and were there to celebrate her 21st birthday.

27-year-old Pedro Desouza Passos didnt even want to go to the party according to a friend. She says he did nothing wrong.

He just was at the wrong place at the wrong time, said Natalia a friend.

The DA says 20-year-old Wallisom Texeira Da Silva is facing most of the charges in connection to the deadly shooting after he admitted to owning the gun police found on the ground outside the house.

They found a handgun on a stone path leading up to the home. This defendant was asked about that and he admitted the firearm belonged to him, said Michael Luzzo, a Worcester County Assistant District Attorney.

The DA says Da Silva is wanted by the Feds.

According to the Northboro Police Dept this def currently has an ICE detainer lodged against him, said Luzzo.

19-year-old Arnoldo Nogueira Filho is also wanted by ICE, officials say.

DaSilva was held without bail, Arnoldo Nogueira Filho is being held on $35,000 bail and Pedro Desouza Passos is being held on $25,000 bail.

All three men will be back in court on May 20th.

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
Chaotic scene: Woman accused of hitting boyfriend with vehicle in Auburn, then kicking him

An unidentified driver is accused of hitting her boyfriend with a vehicle and then kicking him as bystanders tried to help the bleeding victim after the pedestrian crash, police said.

The woman was not identified by police due to the laws surrounding the dissemination of information related to arrests for domestic violence, Deputy Police Chief R. Scott Mills said in an email to Boston 25 on Tuesday afternoon.

The woman was to be arraigned in Worcester District Court on Tuesday. Mills said the woman is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon  motor vehicle; assault and battery on a family/household member or intimate partner; assault and battery; operating under the influence of liquor; operating under the influence of drugs, and negligent operation of a motor vehicle.

At approximately 12:31 p.m. Monday, Auburn Police received several 911 calls for a pedestrian struck by a motor vehicle in the area of 9 Homestead Ave.

When officers arrived, they found a chaotic scene, with a male victim on the ground next to a motor vehicle, bleeding from the head and in severe pain, police said in a Facebook post on Tuesday morning. The victims condition was not known on Tuesday.

The female driver had remained in the area and, according to witnesses, had kicked the victim of the accident as bystanders tried to render aid after the accident, police said.

Witnesses told responding officers that it appeared as if the driver had purposely hit the victim with her car, police said. Earlier, the pair was seen arguing near a church a short distance from the accident scene.

During an interview with detectives following her arrest, the woman admitted to being in a long-term dating relationship with the victim, police said.

She also told detectives that she had used both drugs and alcohol earlier in the day before striking the male victim, police said.

The crash remains under investigation by Central Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council Crash Reconstruction Unit and Auburn detectives, with assistance from drone operators.

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
CASTLE POINT, Mo.  The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorneys Office has filed charges against the suspect in attempting to intrude a home when he was shot by the homeowner.

Andre Farrar III, 27, is facing charges of first-degree burglary, first-degree attempted burglary, and resisting arrest with a felony.

Around 4 a.m. Tuesday, two residents inside a home in the 2200 block of Empress Dr. notified police of a burglary. According to a release, Farrar entered the home and tried to steal items by throwing them out the window when he was shot by the homeowner.

Pledge dad in Mizzou hazing case pleads guilty

After being injured during the shooting, he ran from the scene. Police eventually arrested him near Chambers Road and Monarch Drive. It is stated in the release that a preliminary investigation shows that Farrar tried to enter another residence on Pannell Drive hours prior to the burglary on Empress.

Farrar was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. He is being held on a $200,000 cash-only bond.

According to police, Farrar has prior convictions for burglaries in the City of St. Louis.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  Charlotte City Council members are considering new feedback from taxpayers on the proposed FY 2025 city budget.

Nearly 75 people spoke to the officials at Mondays public budget hearing.

Several representatives of local non-profit organizations came to speak collectively for community improvements. The group refers to themselves as The Peoples Budget Coalition. Their primary concerns involve affordable housing, resources for homeless individuals, and fair pay for public workers.

Supporting organizations include OneMECK, Roof Above, and Heal Charlotte.

A large collection of Charlotte city employees advocated for a $25 an-hour minimum wage, a six percent raise for hourly workers, and a four percent contribution to employees 401Ks.

$4B+ Charlotte budget emphasizes housing, transportation. What it means for your taxes

The proposed budget sets minimum pay at $23 an hour and gives hourly employees a five percent raise. The pay bump is smaller than the six percent wage increase in 2024 and the eight percent increase in 2023. Workers say $23 an hour is not enough to live in Charlotte.

I want to be able to go home on Friday, looking at my check and say, Thank you, not What am I going to do? Whos not going to get paid? Robbing Peter to pay Paul? I dont want to live like that, said Rory Pegram, a solid waste department employee.

Many commenters pointed out how closely the issues of fair wages and affordable housing are tied.

We respectfully request a people-first budget that provides stability, dignity, justice, and, as a result, better outcomes for everyone, said Michelle Frenzel with OneMECK. Simply put, we want affordable housing options so that everyone that makes Charlotte, Charlotte can afford to live, survive, and thrive here.

NC GOP runoffs to determine nominees for Congress, lieutenant governor and auditor

Supporters of Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control also came out in force. Advocates said the money set aside for 10 new positions is a good start but does not solve the issues of habitual overcrowding and outdated facilities.

The city council is scheduled to meet for budget adjustments on May 20. That will be followed by a Straw Votes Meeting on May 30.

The council plans to consider the budget for adoption on June 10.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
More than 60 people shared their thoughts on Charlottes proposed 2025 budget with City Council members Monday, calling for investments in housing, animal welfare and the arts.

City Manager Marcus Jones $4.2 billion proposal for fiscal year 2025, which starts July 1, calls for a 1.5-cent property tax increase. That would cost the typical homeowner an additional $1 a week, Jones said. Money from the higher taxes would go toward public safety, capital investments and the arts, Jones said.

Although its officially the citys first property tax increase in years, it will add to higher taxes already being paid this year due to revaluation.

Jones is also asking for a total of $400 million in the form of bond referendums on the 2024 ballot to pay for a range of projects, including affordable housing and transportation. And the budget includes raises for employees of the city, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and Charlotte Fire.

At Mondays budget public hearing, publics comments centered on the citys affordable housing plan, funding for the citys animal shelter and the arts. Others topics included requests from some city employees to raise their minimum wage to $25 an hour, a call for more funding for bicycle lanes and questions about impacts of the proposed property tax increase on homeowners.

A straw vote on the budget is scheduled for May 30, with final adoption set for June 10. The current fiscal year ends June 30.

Home ownership program

Many of Mondays speakers lauded Jones for proposing to double the citys Housing Trust Fund  which provides financing to developers for affordable housing  from $50 million to $100 million through the proposed $400 million in bond referendums.

And many of those who spoke in support of the $100 million said theyd like to see $25 million of it designated for home ownership programs, especially in parts of Charlotte vulnerable to displacement.

A budget is a moral document that reflects the values and priorities of its community, said Ben Mallicote, who was part of a group of parishioners from Covenant Presbyterian Church in Dilworth who attended the hearing in support of the housing bond. We say in as clear a voice as we know how: Our values demand that every person have a decent place to live, and that every person experiencing homelessness be extended the same care we would want for our children, our parents and for ourselves.

Some affordable housing advocates said theyd also like to see the city fund a $1.8 million investment in legal aid for people facing eviction.

You can provide essential legal support to those who are at risk of losing their homes  By keeping residents housed we can reduce the population relying on shelter services, saving our local government money in the long run, housing advocate Apryl Lewis said.

Push for a new shelter

Volunteers with Charlottes animal shelter, who have spoken out at council meetings for months, continued their push Monday for a bigger city investment in animal welfare.

Advocates said they were pleased to see funding in the budget proposal for 10 new positions within Animal Care and Control.

They also want to see the department made independent from CMPD and get funding for a new, bigger shelter. Volunteers say the city has outgrown its current facility, leading to animals having to be euthanized due to overcrowding. The shelter, which is undergoing renovations, has put out calls for people to adopt or foster animals due to capacity issues.

Cassandra Lillie, a veterinarian and volunteer, described how grueling it can be to watch dogs taken from kennels and excited for human interaction, only to have to take them to be put down.

This once happy, healthy companion animal is now dead and must be cremated. All of this because there is no room at the shelter, she said.

Arts funding plan

Leaders from some of Charlottes major art institutions thanked the city Monday for setting aside millions for the arts.

Uncertainty around funding has plagued the local arts community since 2019, when voters rejected a referendum for a quarter-cent sales tax increase that would have pumped $22.5 million into the local arts sector. Then, the COVID pandemic hit arts organizations hard by shuttering venues.

In early 2021, the City Council diverted much of its longstanding funding for the Arts and Science Council, a pass-through organization, to a newly formed Arts and Culture Advisory Board. The city also established the Infusion Fund, a public-private partnership in conjunction with the Foundation for the Carolinas to distribute arts money. But that fund expires at the end of the current fiscal year.

In his proposed budget, Jones called for $11 million to go toward arts funding in fiscal year 2025, with $9 million of that designated for longstanding institutions such as the Mint Museum.

Artists and museum leaders said funding like that will help generate creativity in the community and help grow the local economy.

I am a product of the power that is funding the arts, said Makayla Binter, a local artist whose had her work shown at the Mint. ... We are the food, the art, the live music, the bars, the breweries, the photo ops and the theater. Everyone is creative because Charlotte is creative. And everyone benefits from the funding of arts and culture in Charlotte.

But not all were on board with the plan as it currently stands.

Terri White, president and CEO of the Charlotte Museum of History, said an even bigger investment is needed in arts and culture. And she wants her facility to be among those getting funding.

Every metric the museum can directly control has improved substantially  , she said. However, we make these improvements at the bottom of a hole that decades of neglect and divestment have left us in.
Reality Check is a Bee series holding officials and organizations accountable and shining a light on their decisions. Have a tip? Email realitycheck@sacbee.com.

A twice-elected Sacramento County Board of Education trustee is facing a lawsuit that could remove him from his seat. Two Sacramento County residents, backed by the California Teachers Association and the blessing of California Attorney General Rob Bonta, are challenging Paul Keefers right to hold public office while he is the CEO and president of a charter school organization.

Keefer represents an area that comprises Arden Arcade, McClellan Park, North Highlands and portions of Carmichael and Foothill Farms. He was first elected to the board in 2018 and reelected in 2022 with 57% of the vote.

The state is suing Keefer on behalf of Mara Harvey, a local parent and educator, and Victoria Gunter, a Twin Rivers Unified School District employee, who say that Keefers day job at Pacific Charter Institute disqualifies him from holding elected office under two groups of state laws: Government Code 1099, which states that an elected official cant hold two incompatible public offices at once, and Education Code 1006, which bars a superintendent or employee from any school district within the county board of educations jurisdiction from serving as a trustee for that board.

Harvey, a teacher at Natomas Unified School District and president of its teachers association, said that she feels a responsibility to her community to ensure fair representation for the people of Sacramento. She and Gunter are represented by lawyers from the California Teachers Association (CTA) and the California School Employees Association.

Its important to me as an educator, a parent, a taxpayer and a voter, Harvey said. Our communities deserve elected leaders who are making decisions in the best interest of the students and not their own financial gain.

Keefer must respond to the complaint by the end of May.

The case against Keefer by California Teachers and Attorney General Bonta

Charter schools must obtain a charter either from a local school district board, the county board of education or the California State Board of Education. Keefers employer operates a network of charter schools, including two schools within Sacramento County. Although the Sacramento Board of Education is not the chartering authority for either of these schools, litigants say that even the possibility of one of PCIs schools requesting a charter through SCBOE is enough to create an egregious conflict of interest.

The litigants contend that Keefers job with PCI should be treated as similar to that of a school district superintendent or board member. Another education code states that charter school administrators should comply with key state laws related to transparency and conflict of interest.

He may not be able to pass policy that potentially changes his working conditions, but he could pass policy over those schools that has direct fiscal impact (on him), CTA spokesperson Jackie Howard said.

To file a quo warranto lawsuit, which challenges whether someone is lawfully entitled to their office, against Keefer, the plaintiffs needed the attorney generals permission. This permission was granted in an advisory opinion released in February in which Bonta wrote that there is substantial reason to question Keefers eligibility for holding both positions.

We are satisfied that allowing the proposed suit in quo warranto will serve the public interest by determining whether the positions of Pacific Charter Institute executive director and Sacramento County Board of Education Trustee are incompatible public offices, determining whether Education Code section 1006(a) applies to employees of charter schools, and by ensuring that public officials avoid conflicting loyalties in performing their public duties, Bonta wrote.

The complaint against Keefer lists several specific incompatibilities, including complications that could arise due to SCBOEs oversight over PCI operations or potential legal dispute between the two entities. Howard clarified that the effort to remove Keefer from office has been in motion for a couple years and is not in response to any particular decision Keefer made as trustee.

This isnt a personal thing against him as much as it is a means to preserve these spaces for people who are not going to benefit from these positions personally, Harvey said.

Keefer finds support from California Charter School Association

Keefer declined to comment on the details of the lawsuit but said that he does not plan to step down.

I was duly elected by the voters, and I plan to serve out my term, he said.

Keefer and his legal representation have long resisted the argument that he does not belong on the board. When CTA began the process of trying to oust Keefer in 2022, his lawyers in a response to the plaintiffs application to sue denied claims that Keefers position is considered public office and that his two positions are legally incompatible.

His lawyers argued that Keefers position as PCI president did not meet any of the criteria to be considered public office  his job was not created by any law, it is not permanent and its not he who holds public power, but the charter school organizations governing board. They also argue that public interest would not be served by a court ordered removal because it would nullify the will of the voters who elected him earlier that year.

Keefer also retains the allyship of the California Charter School Association, whose representative called the lawsuit against Keefer without merit. Richard Soto, Chief Advocacy Officer and General Counsel for CCSA, thinks that the move is politically motivated.

CTA and CSEA have been strong opponents of charter schools both at the legislative level but also locally, Soto said. I believe that this is just another effort by the plaintiffs who are associated with those organizations to try to remove a county board member who is obviously charter school-friendly and also a charter school executive director.

The plaintiffs complaint also lists divided interests when reviewing charter petitions of potential rival or allied charter organizations as a conflict of interest, but Soto does not share this concern, citing existing laws that require board members to recuse themselves of decisions that could affect them financially.

We certainly believe that our charter school employees bring unique perspectives and ideas to the governance of our public school system in California and I think it would be a shame if we were to extend these prohibitions ... just because it would mean that there would be less potential voices serving on county boards of education that may be able to drive better outcomes and improvements in the K12 public school system, Soto said.

Soto clarified that CCSA is not providing any financial or legal help to Keefers defense. CCSA Advocates, the associations PAC, donated $154,000 to his 2018 campaign.

If Keefer steps down or is removed from the board, the remaining SCBOE board members will either order an election or make a provisional appointment to fill the vacancy within 60 days, according to the board policies.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson responds to a question in his City Hall office during an interview with The Associated Press Monday, May 6, 2024, in Chicago. The rookie mayor's bumpy first year has been a test of his progressive credentials. He's navigated an evolving migrant crisis, budget gaps, persistent crime and a troubled transit system to name a few. While there have been wins for workers and social services, he's struggled with businesses, police and fellow Democrats. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

CHICAGO (AP)  When union organizer Brandon Johnson was elected Chicago mayor last year, he promised to unroll a bold progressive movement in the nations third-largest city. A year later, he shocked liberal Democrats by promoting plans for a multibillion dollar Bears stadium using public funds.

The rookie mayors first year has been full of bumps, testing his progressive credentials and doing little to win over critics. He has navigated an evolving migrant crisis, budget gaps, persistent crime and a troubled transit system, and while there have been some wins for workers and social services, he has struggled to appease a skeptical business community, police and even fellow Democrats.

By his own rating though, hes successful.

The work that weve done to build a better, stronger, safer Chicago through the lens of the progressive agenda is unmatched, he told The Associated Press in a recent interview. This is the work that I promised that I would do, and Im doing it.

Hes quick to highlight his accomplishments: Eliminating subminimum wages for tipped workers by 2028, doubling workers paid time off to 10 days, scrapping a controversial gunshot detection system, and working to reopen mental health clinics.

And Johnson says a new stadium is part of his progressive vision that could translate into jobs and opportunities, including hosting a Super Bowl.

Many disagree.

I was surprised that he came out with such strong support because of all the other things that are going on, said Patricia Tatum, a retired nurse and housing activist who voted for Johnson. Its hard to be empathetic with billion-dollar businesses when you see people cant afford to pay to rent.

Johnson, a former teachers union organizer and county commissioner, courted a diverse and young electorate as he campaigned with top congressional progressives. His administration hires include union activists and community organizers.

There are at least conversations of co-governance, said Kofi Ademola, a founder of anti-gun violence youth group GoodKids MadCity, adding that more cross sections of Chicago have input under Johnson's administration. We have seen some progress, definitely not enough.

At 48, Johnson is younger than his predecessors, including former prosecutor Lori Lightfoot and former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel. His speaking style is often informal, and he likes to describe challenges as jacked up situations.

But his progressive agenda hasn't been fully embraced.

Voters rejected a so-called mansion tax in March, an estimated $100 million revenue source required to improve homeless services as Johnson promised. Political observers say his inexperience and strong opposition messaging hurt the measures chances.

People werent sure what the money was going to be used for and didnt trust the Johnson administration to handle it well, said political scientist Dick Simpson, author of Chicagos Modern Mayors.

Chicago resident Daniel Boland is so turned off that he has launched a long shot recall effort. If he gets enough signatures for the November ballot and it passes, voters could try to recall Johnson as early as 2026.

Compared with his predecessors, Johnson has been slow to choose his Cabinet. Chicago went months without a public health commissioner and his pick immediately faced a migrant measles outbreak.

Much of Johnsons tenure has been overshadowed by the migrants' arrival, which began under Lightfoot. More than 40,000 asylum seekers have been sent to Chicago by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, most coming by bus or plane.

Chicagos haphazard response was often in the national spotlight, first for using police stations and airports as housing and then for struggling with winter plans. City Council meetings featured explosive public comment. Lawsuits were filed. Johnson squared off with Gov. J.B. Pritzker over funding and shelter sites. Meanwhile, more established immigrants and Black residents say they have been ignored.

The city leaned heavily on volunteers to provide food and medicine, and even though the numbers in shelters are dwindling, migrants' living conditions remain under scrutiny.

Theres still a lot of difficulty in communicating with the city, said Dr. Evelyn Figueroa, who runs a food pantry near the citys largest shelter and has backed student medics.

Johnson's relationship with reporters has been strained. News conferences became combative early on, and he abruptly ended a Sun-Times editorial board meeting in February after learning it would be on the record.

He has also struggled to shape the action at City Hall.

In November, his alderman floor leader stepped down after a heated council meeting. And while the City Council easily approved his first budget, Johnson had to step in twice to cast a tiebreaking vote, including to support a controversial cease-fire resolution, which led to criticism from elected Jewish leaders.

Some say Johnson is simply adapting to the shift from campaigning to governing.

Karen Freeman-Wilson, the former mayor of Gary, Indiana, who now heads the Chicago Urban League, admits she campaigned on promises that she couldnt keep.

You dont know what you can do until you really get into office, she said. You have to give those folks who seem to be the most anxious some feedback. For him, that is the business community.

Johnson has appealed to big business by backing the Bears proposal, rolling out development plans in the LaSalle Street business district and reviving OHare International Airport expansion plans.

But business groups, who fought Johnson on paid leave, want more collaboration and say the mayor has to better address perceptions that Chicago remains unsafe when violent crime in the city is down.

Businesses are still recovering, said Jack Lavin, president of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. Downtown, theres record vacancies. We need to be aware of that in how we look at taxes and businesses.

The coming months will see some of Johnson's biggest challenges.

He will face his former union during teacher contract negotiations. He has told state leaders that Chicago Public Schools is owed $1 billion because of years of underfunding. And potential candidates for Chicagos first elected school board are gearing up to run in November.

At the same time, Johnson is preparing for Chicago to take center stage when it hosts the Democratic National Convention this summer, when crime historically rises. Protesters have already filed lawsuits over access and police are undergoing safety training.

Theres just so much beauty in the city of Chicago, Johnson said. For me, its important that that is on display.
Chicago law enforcement officer Arthur Art Gillespie, 56, lost his dad, uncle, and cousin to COVID-19 before receiving his own dual diagnosis.

A Chicago police captain is feeling like a new man.

Arthur Art Gillespie, 56, underwent a successful double lung transplant on Jan. 6, necessitated by damage caused by lung cancer and a severe case of COVID-19. According to People magazine, his lung cancer diagnosis coincided with a critical COVID-19 infection in March 2020, leading to the need for this lifesaving procedure.

I lost my dad, uncle and cousin to COVID, Gillespie shared in a statement. In February 2020, my dad and I went to visit my uncle in a nursing facility and by early March, we were all sick. I was hospitalized for 12 days with a high fever and cough, and during that time, they were taking scans of my lungs, which showed stage 1 lung cancer on my right lung. I had no symptoms of lung cancer, so in a way  because of COVID  we were able to catch the cancer early.

Gillespie underwent chemotherapy and, in November 2020, had two-thirds of his right lung removed. Despite daily physical therapy, he said he spent the next three years going backwards, which hindered his plans to return to work as captain at the University of Chicago Police Department.

My left lung was damaged from COVID, and my right lung was damaged from lung cancer, Gillespie, who worked for 30 years in law enforcement, said.

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In September 2023, Gillespie  who ultimately required daily supplemental oxygen and was told he couldnt be helped  tried his luck at Northwestern Medicines Canning Thoracic Institute.

Despite the police captains outward strength, Dr. Ankit Bharat, chief of thoracic surgery and director of the Canning Thoracic Institute, said Gillespie could hardly speak a sentence without running out of breath  or walk more than a few steps before needing to sit down.

Dr. Bharat noted that Gillespies only option for survival was a double-lung transplant, as the pressure inside his lungs had also grown to the point where it was causing heart failure. However, because of his health history, he might have been ineligible for the procedure at another institution.

Arthur is a fighter. He had two major problems  lung cancer and COVID, Bharat said, Northwestern Medicine reported. Historically, both would be considered non-salvageable for lung transplantation, but we were able to treat both of those conditions with a double-lung transplant procedure.

Bharat stated that even though previous physicians told Gillespie no, he persisted in his quest for answers. I feel honored that we were able to help him since he spent so many years helping the community as a police captain, he added.

A month after Bharat performed Gillespies procedure, the police captain was watching the Super Bowl with friends  and he didnt have to use his portable oxygen concentrator the entire time.

Ive always tried to be an optimistic person; glass-half-full type of thing, Gillespie shared, according to People. And obviously theres a silver lining: If it wasnt for the COVID, theres no telling how long [the cancer would be undetected] because there was no symptoms or signs that was presenting themselves that let me know I was in that condition.

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Chicago Public Schools expert witness says in deposition that sexual assault is not always traumatic

CHICAGO (CBS)  Jane Doe is 38 years old now, but the pain she says she suffered at the hands of a Chicago Public Schools (CPS) high school English teacher more than 20 years ago remains fresh.

"I have nightmares almost every night," she said in her first on-camera interview about her experience. "It's still really hard to talk about it."

Jane was referring to inappropriate contact she said she had with a teacher at Gordon S. Hubbard High School in Chicago's West Lawn Neighborhood.

The lawsuit

Jane claims in a 2019 lawsuit, scheduled to go to trial in mid-May 2024, that the teacher, Walter Glascoff, began communicating with during her junior year at Hubbard.

"We started messaging over email," she said "It felt like he was trying to be friends with us students, friends with me."

It was attention the self-described quiet, shy girl first welcomed.

"It was nice to feel special," Jane said.

Jane was 16 at the time. Then, she said the communication from Mr. Glascoff suddenly escalated.

"He kept pressuring me to meet up with him again and again and again," she said, "and it became sexual over time."

Jane's civil lawsuit filed against Glascoff and the Board of Education of the City of Chicago, in essence, CPS, claims during the 2003-2004 school year, Glascoff:

"insisted on seeing her""bought Plaintiff JANE DOE alcoholic beverages""proceeded to hold Plaintiff JANE DOE's hand""asked Plaintiff JANE DOE to dress in a couple's costume with him for homecoming""sexually assaulted Plaintiff JANE DOE" in various locations outside school"repeatedly and continuously sexually abused Plaintiff JANE DOE"

"He made me feel like I was a bad person if I didn't care about him," Jane said.

She didn't tell an adult about the abuse until she confided to a therapist in 2018. She was in her 30s at that time.

"She reacted in such a shocked way that it was really helpful to see  helped me shake out of things and just sort of see this was really horrible," Jane said.

The therapist, a mandated reporter, alerted the Department of Children and Family Services.

That same year, CPS investigated Glascoff. District reports show he admitted having sex with Jane, while she was a student. Dismissal charges were prepared, citing "credible evidence does exist" that Glascoff "engaged in sexual intercourse" with Jane.

A few days after those reports were finalized, Glascoff resigned. He was placed on the district's Do Not Hire list.

Also in 2018, CPS commissioned an investigation of the entire school system.

"Their own reports identified that sexual misconduct in the early 2000s, when this occurred, was rampant in the Chicago Public Schools," said Carolyn Daley, Jane's attorney.

That investigation, called the Hickey Report, investigators wrote, "We identify systemic deficiencies in CPS' efforts to prevent and respond to incidents of sexual misconduct."

The report goes on to cite "systemic deficiencies in training, reporting, aggregating data, tracking trends, and comprehending the extent of the sexual misconduct facing CPS children."

A year later, in 2019, a follow-up report showed CPS had "made significant progress toward protecting its students from sexual misconduct."

Despite the progress, the report offered several recommendations to make additional improvements.

The legal fight

In fighting Jane Doe's lawsuit, CPS is paying an expert witness, Chicago psychiatrist Dr. Prudence Gourguechon, to testify about her views on childhood sexual abuse, student-teacher sexual relationships, and the impact of trauma after sexual abuse.

CBS 2 exclusively obtained deposition video from Jane Doe's attorney, in which Dr. Gourguechon shares some controversial opinions.

For example, when asked if under any circumstance is a teacher having sex with a student in high school is not sexual abuse, Dr. Gourgeuchon said, "I don't know if every circumstance would qualify as sexual abuse."

When asked if sexual assault is traumatic for the person experiencing it, she said: "It depends. It depends on the detail and how they're defining who's claiming what and what actually happened. I can't make an across-the-board statement."

CPS has settled similar lawsuits involving students in the past.

In 2016, a security guard at Hubbard High School was convicted of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor, involving one student. He was sentenced to three years in prison. He's now out and a registered sex offender.

Two years after the conviction, that student and two others filed civil cases against him. CPS eventually paid the three girls $700,000.

When asked about Jane Doe's case CPS provided CBS 2 the following statement:

The District believes that students who are harmed as a result of a legally-recognized failure on the District's part should be compensated in a reasonable manner that will remedy injuries to the student. In doing that, the District also has a responsibility to the taxpayers who fund the District to ensure that it resolves these cases in a manner that is not just legally justified, but also financially responsible. Unfortunately, disagreements often arise about legal responsibility and what is reasonable compensation in any given case. The purpose of litigation is to resolve those disagreements. The District attempts to come to mutually acceptable resolutions in all cases of this type, and continues to do so here. Beyond this, the District will not comment while the litigation is pending.





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Harrison Butkers commencement address to Benedictine College is under fire in social media. The Kansas City Chiefs place kicker is Catholic, and delivered a very traditional and orthodox address at this private Catholic liberal arts college in Atchison, Kansas.

Raised Catholic and still a Christian believer, I wasnt surprised by anything Butker said, even though I had mixed feelings about some of it. Remember, Butker is both a conservative Catholic and conservative in his political values. He values the mass in Latin. Benedictine leaders knew exactly who they were getting.

The audience cheered a few times during the speech, not surprising because it is a traditional Catholic college.

Actually, the one thing he said that went against Catholic tradition was an inference that the Jewish people killed Jesus Christ when Butker blasted a bill condemning antisemitism.

The church long has held that Jews could not be held collectively accountable, since the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s. In 2011, Pope Benedict XVI affirmed this in his personal reflection, Jesus of Nazareth: From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection (Volume 2), and wrote there is no basis in Scripture for blaming Jews.

But, like those critical of Butker, I have to address some issues, and its not his sound bites disparaging LGBTQ Pride month, COVID-19 policies, abortion rights or in vitro fertilization. Again, he espoused conservative beliefs and that shouldnt surprise anyone.

His discussion on the role of gender, and blind sheeplike following, are worth exploring even more.

First, Butkers comments to the women in the audience:

For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment. You should be proud of all that you have achieved to this point in your young lives. I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you. How many of you are sitting here now about to cross this stage and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are going to get in your career? Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.

Before I continue, I must disclose that I am and have been a career woman in journalism while married. Butkers critics say that his speech is telling women to stay home, pregnant and in the kitchen. But thats taking the easy way to criticize. This part of his speech is even more nuanced and troubling.

Motherhood and homemaking are incredibly important and rewarding and filled with hard work. So is choosing a full-time career. Many women do both. But here, Butker alludes that staying home is more biblical than working outside the home.

He forgets the women leaders in the Bible who didnt stay home and were part of the early Christian movement, such as Mary Magdalene, who traveled with Jesus and was the first to witness the Resurrection. She and other women delivered the Gospel to Jews and non-Jews after Jesus left this world. These women, like early Christian leaders Peter, Paul, John and Timothy, were crucial in helping spread the news of Jesus Christ.

And lets not forget Deborah, the Old Testament military leader in the Book of Judges, who strategized battle against the Canaanites. She also has been called a prophet. She certainly didnt choose homemaking.

The Bible highlights several other women such as Ruth, Naomi and Esther, and while these women are remembered for their commitment to family, it shows their bravery and backbone.

Being a homemaker and mother is wonderful, but some women dont marry or cant have children, and pushing a womans worth through reproduction is cruel.

There were some things about Butkers speech that I appreciated: not placing blame without taking a look at yourself, challenging priests and bishops to be real shepherds of their church, and encouraging the graduates to help others at great sacrifice to oneself.

Was the address appropriate? For this crowd, perhaps. But I hope the women in the audience who didnt agree with everything Butker said remember that they can think for themselves, read the Bible for themselves, and choose the reasoning God granted to live a full and worthwhile life whether you have a family or not.
Brooke Legler, a child care provider and advocate, addresses a rally in New Glarus to call for public investment in child care. (Erik Gunn | Wisconsin Examiner)

A year after the state Legislatures budget committee rebuffed demands for a major cash infusion to sustain Wisconsins child care sector, providers say theyre struggling to survive and child care resources remain stretched thin.

We are hearing just an endless story about child care programs that cannot hire and cannot retain staff, more classroom closures, increased rates of pay for parents, said Ruth Schmidt, executive director of the Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (WECA).

None of those have improved in the last year, Schmidt added in an interview. I would say it has gotten slightly worse  and will get worse still, she contended, without a state budget that includes substantial child care support.

On Monday, providers, parents and advocates gathered across the state to call attention to the continued challenges child care providers and families face. The events, part of a nationwide campaign called A Day Without Child Care, were held to rally support for expanding access and improving affordability for working families who need child care.

At one of those events, held in New Glarus, speakers emphasized that the early education trained child care workers provide helps childrens brains develop and helps them gain social and emotional skills that allow them to thrive throughout their school years.

Kids who get high quality early care and educational opportunities, they do better in school, theyre more likely to graduate, said Jeff Pertl, deputy secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF). They earn more in their lifetime. Theyre less involved in criminal activity. They need fewer special education supports and interventions. They grow and thrive because caring, stable adults are there to take care of them.

Sarah Kazell, a child care worker and volunteer advocate, argued that early education is a public good that merits public investment along with K-12 education.

This is the reality of a lack of public investment in early education, Kazell said. Women like me are earning a poverty wage to do it. And we are effectively subsidizing the ability for any middle class family to afford care at all. Thats the subsidy program that America has right now  its exploitative labor of the people who provide the care.

Child care workers should be acknowledged and paid as professionals that they are, professionals who are providing an essential public good to their communities, she added. And I want to stop the trend of child care becoming exclusively available to affluent families  thats wrong.

The New Glarus event was organized by Corrine Hendrickson and Brooke Legler, who operate child care centers in the community. The pair founded Wisconsin Early Childhood Action Needed (WECAN), an advocacy group, to marshal support for providers and families.

Along with other advocates, they reminded their listeners that 2024 is an election year. They offered materials to help people contact their legislators and make an appeal for robust state support for child care.

In November, we need to think about and research who we are voting for and make sure that they align with our own values, Legler told the crowd.

A workforce necessity

Child care makes it possible for more people to enter the job market, advocates said. State Rep. Mike Bare (D-Verona), whose district included New Glarus until the legislative maps were redrawn this year, said in an interview that the communitys largest employers have cited housing for workers along with child care as their top concerns when it comes to hiring and keeping employees.

The same is true of Wisconsin teacher workforce, state schools Superintendent Jill Underly told the rally.

In a recent Department of Public Instruction (DPI) report, teachers tell us that the lack of access to affordable, high quality child care is a barrier for them to return to the classroom after having kids of their own, Underly said. We cannot afford to continue to lose amazing teachers because they cannot afford child care. And of course these effects are similar for lots of other families across Wisconsin.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed and exacerbated challenges that providers faced for years. Keeping fees affordable for families kept providers from raising wages, which made hiring workers more difficult, according to advocates.

The number of regulated child care providers in Wisconsin has declined over the last decade. From 2014, when there were nearly 6,000, the number dropped by about 25% to less than 4,600 by February 2020, according to DCF, which maintains a child care data dashboard.

During the same period the number of licensed family care providers  who care for up to eight children in their homes  also fell by about 25%, from just under 2,000 to less than 1,600. The number of certified family providers  who care for three or fewer children and who are certified typically by counties rather than licensed  has fallen even more dramatically, from nearly 1,400 to just over 500  a 60% drop.

The loss of family providers really disadvantages rural populations in significant ways, according to Schmidt, the WECA director, because those communities cannot support larger centers the way urban communities can.

Providers stabilize  but strain persists

With the pandemic, the strain increased. Providers lost workers due to illness or fear of illness. Some parents working at home decided to forgo the cost of care. Others, unable to get care, decided to cut back their jobs.

At the same time, though, because of the pandemic the state and federal governments offered greater support to providers. In Wisconsin that came in the form of Child Care Counts  a $20 million-per-month subsidy to child care providers funded by the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

Over the subsidy programs nearly four-year span, some centers have opened and others closed, but the number of providers has held relatively steady, in the range of 4,600.

The capacity of those providers is about 177,500 children, according to DCF. That might overstate the actual number of openings, however. DCFs child care dashboard lists capacity based on a providers license, according to the departments communications director, Gina Paige.

If a provider cant hire enough staff and limits enrollment below the licensed capacity as a result, that doesnt show up in the state numbers. Schmidt of WECA said she doesnt have concrete data, but based on her conversations with providers and others in the field, she believes as many as half of Wisconsin providers could be operating below their official capacity.

Gov. Tony Evers proposed continuing the Child Care Counts program with $340 million  first in the 2023-25 state budget, and when the Legislatures Republican majority declined, in a special session bill later in 2023 that also was rejected by the GOP majority.

The Evers administration has since been able to extend Child Care Counts, but at about half its original size, repurposing $170 million in ARPA funds that were not spent elsewhere. That has continued the program into mid-2025.

At the New Glarus rally, Kazell criticized the lawmakers who ignored those proposals despite a vigorous campaign by child care providers and families.

When we meet with them and ask for state investments to stabilize our workforce  because we are the workforce behind the broader workforce  we are told that we should just be doing it for the children, not for the money, Kazell said. And we are treated as though the broken child care market is our fault for running our businesses badly, instead of the natural consequence of letting a public good languish in the private market.

Advocates now are focusing on a federal proposal for a $16 billion child care stabilization program, Hendrickson told the New Glarus audience. At the same time, theyre starting to prepare for the 2025-27 budget.

Pertl, the DCF deputy secretary, told the rally that the current Child Care Counts extension would give us one more chance to go back to the Legislature and build a sustainable future for child care.

Schmidt told the Wisconsin Examiner that she expects Evers to include a big ticket item for child care in his proposal for next years budget.

The state did some really cool, wonderful, great work to help stand up child care during this time, Schmidt said of the last three years. And it was still hard for families to find. And it was still hard for families to pay for. And so when you roll back the growth and the benefits of what weve done in the past couple of years with all this investment of our funds  I dont know how we think were going to retain a workforce in child care.

The post Child care providers hang on, renew call for strong public support appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW)  Myrtle Beach Jewish congregations held a Holocaust and Israel Memorial Day commemoration.

Myrtle Beach Jewish Synagogue and other supporters of Israel gathered Monday at the Chabad Community Center on North Oak Street.

Myrtle Beach resident, Hugo Schiller says he was a Holocaust child survivor. Schiller said he was 9 years old when he spent six months at a concentration camp.

We were the first jews that were deported out of Germany when France capitulated, Schiller said. They were forced to take several thousand German Jewish citizens and build a concentration camp.

Schiller said he remembers being chosen along with 47 other children by Quakers to be released to a better environment, but the rest of his family didnt make it.

He said he never thought he would have to experience that again.

Breakout out of antisemitism, Schiller said. What little I remember from when from when I was small, thats how it started in Germany, guess we havent learned as many lessons as we shouldve.

Rabbi Avi Perets at Temple Emanu-El said the ceremony is special because its Israel Memorial Day. He said theyre celebrating the lives of more than 1,600 jews who were killed since October 7th.

We say never again,  Perets. Never again to racism, never again to antisemitism and unfortunately, October 7th came, and Hamas showed us how important it is to remember, because it happens again.

Rabbi Perets said a lot of people are not understanding because theyre misinformed.

They do not recognize Israel, Perets said. They do not recognize the Israelis, and theyre trying to live in the homeland in the promise land and that will never happen.

1.3 million butterflies were collected 26 years ago from across the country in a project. Each one symbolizing a childs life of which was lost.

On Monday, those butterflies were hung up all around the Chabad Community Center.

Mayor Brenda Bethune, Judge Alan Clemmons, and former Mayor Bob Hirsch were other guest speakers at this remembrance.

* * *

Jackie LiBrizzi is a multimedia journalist at News13. Jackie is originally from Hamilton, New Jersey, and was raised in Piedmont, South Carolina. Jackie joined the News13 team in June 2023 after she graduated as a student-athlete from the University of South Carolina in May 2023. Follow Jackie on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and read more of her work here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Some childcare providers are calling for more accountability and transparency from a local non-profit responsible for paying the providers.

Las Vegas Urban League, a non-profit organization, issues the payments to childcare providers who participate in a program for low-income families. Some childcare providers report a two-month delay in payments.

The breach of the contract is broken, Jillian White, an in-home childcare provider told the 8 News Now Investigators Monday. It makes us very hesitant to continue to do business with Urban League, so trust is definitely broken.

The 8 News Now Investigators first reported on the payment delays on Friday. White said she and other childcare providers were paid for March on Saturday.

The state of Nevada gives the funding to Las Vegas Urban League to distribute to the providers.

Nevada Department of Human Health and Services spokesperson Kristle Muessle confirmed to the 8 News Now Investigators the April funding was delayed, but then fully processed to Urban League by May 6th.

Urban League received more than $104 million for the fiscal year so far, and more than $82 million for the last fiscal year, according to Muessle.

Muessle attributed the delays in payments for a combination of events, including an expansion of the childcare subsidy program which increased the number of families participating in the program.

White said Urban League should have enough funding to pay childcare providers.

Octavia McLaurin runs The Kreative Minds Daycare in her home. She said the delay in payments has forced her to limit childcare hours. She also said she was unable to pay rent due to the delay and received a seven-day notice.

Its very frustrating, McLaurin said.

Multiple childcare providers told the 8 News Now Investigators they are not getting accurate and timely information about the payment delays.

Makes you wonder, where is the money going? White asked.

The 8 News Now Investigators repeatedly reached out to Urban League. When no answers about the payment delays were provided, the 8 News Now Investigators went to the office where an employee who identified himself as an eligibility manager said he could not comment.

As of late Monday afternoon, Urban League still had not provided answers.

The 8 News Now Investigators reviewed federal tax documents for Las Vegas Urban League. Expenses, such as salaries, did not appear to be immediately available.

According to an independent audit of Urban League obtained by watchdog Pro-Publica for 2022 and 2021 financial statements, more than $3.7 million was spent on salaries. The audit referred to a need for more oversight of the organization.

Monday marked A Day without Childcare. The national event is aimed at raising awareness about the need for affordable childcare.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
Children and advocates rally on Ohio Statehouse steps for National Day Without Child Care

Kathryn Poe, a researcher with Policy Matters Ohio, speaks on the Ohio Statehouse steps for National Day Without Child Care on May 13. (Photo by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal).

A couple hundred people donning purple  some holding babies and others watching toddlers  rallied on the Statehouse steps Monday for National Day Without Child Care as chants of Care cant wait and No child care, no workforce filled the lawn.

The CEO Project, a division of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, planned the rally which called for an equitable child care system, higher wages for child care providers, affordable child care for families and a refundable tax credit for families with children under 18 and earning up to $85,000.

In the state of Ohio, child care is considered a luxury, when in reality, we know that its absolutely a pillar of our workforce every single day and how our families go to work, said Kathryn Poe, a researcher with Policy Matters Ohio who recently co-authored Ohios child care crisis report.

They rely on the people standing here today, in order to get that work done. The people standing here are the backbone of our workforce, and they deserve dignity and respect. And the way that our state gives them that dignity and respect is by paying them a living wage.

Advocates also want to see specific things in next years state budget around child care including:

Moving from a Market Rate Survey model to a Cost of Care model for evaluating the child care market in Ohio.

Raise child care eligibility for families from 145% to 300% of the federal poverty level.

Increase reimbursement rates for providers to the 75th percentile.

Increase the amount of general revenue fund allocation in the Department of Children and Youths budget.

Enact a State Child Tax Credit

Trina Averette has been raising Ohio families for about 26 years as a family child care provider and she had a question for those in attendance.

What do we need? she shouted.

Affordable, accessible child care they cried back.

We also need to be paid based on enrollment, not attendance, Averette said.

Ohio families can currently enroll in Publicly Funded Child Care if their gross monthly household is at or below 145% of the federal poverty line  $37,399 annually for a family of three, according to Ohio Policy Matters child care crisis report.

Raising child care eligibility for families to 300% of the federal poverty level  $77,460 for a family of three  would help make child care accessible to more families.

We know that at that number child care will not be a luxury, it will be acceptable to all Ohio families, Poe said. Child care is for everyone.

Tamra Burnett has been getting child care for her two children (ages five and two) for years at Pitter Patter Learning Center in Dayton, but they started charging her once she hit a new tax bracket.

Thats not fair to me, she said. Without my child care provider, honestly, I dont know where I would be because its just me and my babies. So the fact that you guys make it so hard, is not fair to me.

Child care crisis report

The annual cost for one infants child care is $9,697 in Ohio  equal to $808 a month, according to the Ohio Policy Matters child care crisis report.

Our young adults in this state should not have to pay between having a dual income household and only sending one parent to work because they cannot afford to do so, Poe said.

From 2019 to 2021, the number of children benefiting from publicly funded child care in Ohio dropped from 172,585 to 143,888 children, according to the report.

The median hourly wage for child care workers in Ohio is $13.15, according to the report.

How you living on that? How are you supposed to be able to take care of your babies? asked Domanica Ede, a child care provider in Lima.

Full-workers in Ohio need to earn $19.09 per hour to afford a 2-bedroom apartment, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) and the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO).

But Ohio child care system, yall are in crisis right now, Ede said. And Ohio does not support educators, which we are essential. Our country cant run even one day without child care.

Follow OCJ Reporter Megan Henry on X.

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The post Children and advocates rally on Ohio Statehouse steps for National Day Without Child Care appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Under the plans, schools will no longer be allowed to teach contested ideas - Klaus Vedfelt / Digital Vision

Schools must not teach contested gender ideology, under new government sex education plans set to be announced.

Gillian Keegan, the Education Secretary, will also announce that once sex education starts, pupils must be taught about the reality of biological sex.

The guidance, set to be announced this week, means schools will no longer be allowed to teach contested ideas such as that there are 72 different genders, and children under nine wont be given sex education.

Guidance will say gender ideology, which states that people can be born the wrong sex and that they can change their identity to the opposite sex or other categories such as non-binary, is a contested subject that should not be taught, it is believed.

Gillian Keegan, the Education Secretary, is set to propose banning sex education for children before year five - Wiktor Szymanowicz/Anadolu via Getty Images

Rishi Sunak ordered the review into relationships, sex and health education lessons last year in response to claims that content was age-inappropriate, extreme and sexualising.

Ms Keegan will propose that schools be banned from delivering sex education of any type before Year 5, when children are nine years old, under the guidance to be published as soon as Thursday.

It will also state that when sex education begins it must be based on scientific fact rather than gender ideology. It says that older children should also be taught about the dangers of stalking.

The plans have been circulated around Cabinet ministers and there could still be changes before they are published.

A Whitehall source said the details were still being finalised and that the Government wanted to ensure that children know enough to be safe.

The source said the guidance would be specific on what should be taught in sex education, and what should not, up to the age of 13.

Teachers must point out that there are two sexes

The new guidance states that teachers must point out that there are two biological sexes.

The guidance  which will be out for consultation  will also order schools to show parents all classroom material to ensure they are comfortable with what is being taught.

The Prime Minister ordered the review following claims that children were being taught about oral sex and how to choke their partners safely.

Helen Joyce, director of advocacy at womens rights charity Sex Matters, said: Commentary suggests that this guidance will require schools to stop presenting gender ideology as fact and to stop hiding PSHE [Personal, social, health and economic education] lessons from parents. If true, these are both excellent developments.

What Sex Matters wants to see is that schools are told in no uncertain terms to stop giving any credence to evidence-free claims that everyone has a gender identity, or that sex is a spectrum or can be changed.

These claims are not just nonsense, they are regressive and sexist. They mislead and endanger children, and are a big reason why gender distress has become much more common in recent years.

Last year, on a trip to Hiroshima, Mr Sunak said that for the sake of his own children, he wanted to protect Britains precious pupils by ensuring they only received age-appropriate content in schools.

First and foremost as a parent... its really important that what our kids are exposed to, not just at school but online, is sensitive and age appropriate, he said.

There have been plenty of concerns raised with me. There are too many instances of that not happening. I dont think thats right.

Families up and down the country are concerned about what their children are seeing online and they expect me and the Government to put in place protections for that. Thats what we are going to do.

He added: Its something that really matters to me What I want is a curriculum that is sensitive and age appropriate. Our children are precious; they deserve to be protected, sensitively. Thats what I want as a parent first and foremost.

Tory MP Miriam Cates said: I welcome any effective measures to prevent gender ideology being taught to children in schools.

No child should be led to believe that there are more than two genders or that people can change their gender - it is not only untrue but deeply confusing for children and a breach of the trust that parents place in children in school.

Sex education should be based on facts about puberty, reproduction and the law, not on contested ideas or attempts [to] indoctrinate children with obscure academic theories.

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By Alexander Cornwell

DUBAI (Reuters) - Negotiations between China and an Arab bloc for a free trade agreement have stalled over concerns by Saudi Arabia that cheap Chinese imports could undermine its ambitions to transform the kingdom into an industrial powerhouse, sources say.

Saudi Arabia has backed renewed efforts over the past two years for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the Arab bloc which includes the kingdom, United Arab Emirates and Qatar, among others, to finally seal a long sought deal with China.

But five sources briefed on the negotiations said the sides were at an impasse over Saudi reservations with a list of goods put forward by Beijing to be exempt from Gulf import duties.

Saudi Arabia is worried that a wave of lower cost Chinese versions of products that it hopes to manufacture domestically would be damaging to its industrial agenda, the sources said.

Saud Arabia's government communication office, the GCC Secretariat and China's commerce ministry did not respond to Reuters requests for comment on the trade negotiations.

The kingdom, the world's biggest oil exporter, has a nascent manufacturing industry that the government hopes will one day make everything from computer chips to tires as part of a wider economic transformation plan to create a vibrant private sector.

Saudi Arabia is spending trillions of dollars developing its economy under that program, known as Vision 2030, driven by the country's de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Prince Mohammed wants Saudi Arabia to not only lessen its dependence on oil rents by creating a strong private sector but also to transform the kingdom into a major global business hub.

The industrial part of that transformation plan faces challenges even without competing with lower cost Chinese goods. That includes finding skilled workers among its citzens in a country where about 60% of the 32 million population are Saudi nationals.

To build its own manufacturing industry, Saudi Arabia is partnering with foreign firms, including from China, to develop local capabilities and manufacturing lines in the kingdom.

The sources said a China-Gulf trade deal was not off the table but that the Saudis and the Chinese would likely have to settle on some sort of compromise to see the deal finalised.

Gulf officials last October spoke of reaching a deal soon. China's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Chen Weiqing was quoted by local media in January as saying that although progress had been made, there were difficult issues that needed to be resolved.

China and the GCC, which also includes Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain, started trade talks almost 20 years ago. But the loose political and economic Arab bloc has finalised very few deals. It signed a free trade agreement with South Korea in December.

China is a massive buyer of Gulf energy and in 2023 bilateral trade between China and the Gulf stood at $286.9 billion, according to Chinese customs data, with Saudi Arabia accounting for nearly 40% of trade between the Gulf and China.

China and the Gulf states have deepened economic cooperation in recent years, to the concern of the United States, which has long been the core security partner of the Gulf Arab states.

U.S. officials have increasingly sought to drive a wedge between the Gulf states and China, including issuing ultimatums to pick between American and Chinese technology.

(Reporting by Alexander Cornwell, additional reporting by Rachna Uppal, writing by Alexander Cornwell, editing by William Maclean)
HONG KONG (Reuters) - China's Ministry of Education said on Tuesday it was launching a campaign to address issues including excessive homework and bullying in schools, as part of efforts to boost students' mental health.

The announcement came a day after the ministry said it was carrying out mental health education for teachers and students, with particular focus on rural migrant children or those "left behind," whose parents work in large cities for much of the year.

The ministry's notice, published on its website, detailed 12 negative practices at schools, including encroachment during scheduled breaks, neglect and tolerance of bullying behaviour.

Beijing has, since 2021, tried to reform the education sector and ease academic pressure on students, clamping down on a $120 billion private tutoring industry to cut education costs. Many residents have cited high childcare and education costs as reasons not to have children.

The announcements come after the killing of a 13-year old boy in northern China, whose case triggered a heated media debate over juvenile crime and the plight of children left at home by migrant workers.

Three boys were arrested after they allegedly bullied and killed the student in the small city of Handan on March 10.

(Reporting by Farah Master and the Beijing newsroom; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
People stand in front of a screen showing the Chinese and the Hong Kong flags during the National Security Education Day opening ceremony in Hong Kong

Both Britain and Hong Kong have national security laws, but they are a world apart. Our National Security Act is a vital tool in our democratic arsenal, designed to defend our freedoms against attempts by hostile powers to infiltrate, influence or intimidate our citizens. In contrast, Hong Kongs draconian National Security Law, imposed by Beijing in 2020, and the newer version introduced in March, have destroyed Hong Kongs freedoms and turned what was once an open society into a police state.

Now Beijing is increasingly trying to export its totalitarianism to the West. Recent cases of alleged espionage, cyber attacks on Parliament and the Electoral Commission, and harassment of and threats to critics of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Britain and other democracies are just the tip of the iceberg. The CCP is conducting a sustained assault on our liberties as part of its campaign of transnational repression.

Diaspora communities  Hong Kongers, Uyghurs, Tibetans and Chinese dissidents  are the primary targets of this campaign. Last year, the Hong Kong government issued arrest warrants and HK$1 million bounties against 13 exiled Hong Kong pro-democracy activists, six of whom live in the UK. Their families and friends still in Hong Kong were dragged in for interrogation and threatened. The obvious aim of such tactics is to silence dissent even abroad through a chill factor created by an atmosphere of fear.

The long arm of Beijing threatens not only well-known dissidents, but ordinary Chinese and Hong Kong students in Western universities, according to a report released this week by Amnesty International. Surveillance and intimidation by the CCP on our campuses is leading to self-censorship in academia.

In October 2022, Chinas transnational repression campaign was on full display at the Chinese consulate in Manchester, when Chinese diplomats physically assaulted peaceful Hong Kong protesters, dragging one young man behind the gates of the consulate for a severe beating. The consul general himself was pictured pulling the mans hair and later said it was his duty to do so.

But it is not only diaspora communities that are affected. Seven parliamentarians have been sanctioned by China, and several have been targeted with email and social-media impersonation campaigns and hacking attempts. I myself have had a taste of Beijings bullying. Over the past six years I have received a succession of anonymous threatening letters, sent to my home address.

Evidence is growing that Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices (HKETOs) are becoming hubs for transnational repression. These offices, established when Hong Kong had autonomy, function like an embassy for the city, but now that that autonomy is in tatters, and they appear to be simply an outlet for the CCPs propaganda and repression, their status should be reviewed.

Western democracies are beginning to wake up to the threats posed by Beijing. The fact that the Chinese ambassador was summoned yesterday by the Foreign Office is a welcome step. But we need to advance beyond mere slap-on-the-wrist responses if Beijings incursions into our society are to be prevented. We need to realise that Hong Kong is just the start.

Taiwan is next, and our own democracy is increasingly in the crosshairs, too. We either kowtow, or we wake up and defend our freedoms with everything we have.

Benedict Rogers is the chief executive of Hong Kong Watch

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Chris Whitty: NHS and Government need to do more to plan for rise in dementia cases

Prof Sir Chris Whitty is worried the demand will outstrip support for those with dementia in rural areas where older people tend to live - Alamy/Mark Thomas

The NHS and the Government are not properly planning for an increase in dementia cases, Prof Sir Chris Whitty has said.

The Governments top doctor warned that an ageing population that will be concentrated in rural areas would pose a very serious challenge to the NHS and care services in the coming years.

Sir Chris told the Alzheimers Society annual conference that demand would outstrip support in rural areas where older people tend to live, warning health services were not prepared for the shift in population dynamics.

There are currently around one million people living with dementia in the UK, but this is set to rise to 1.6 million by 2040 as people live for longer.

The chief medical officer said the majority of these cases would be in rural areas, which will age at a much faster rate than the average, while cities would stay forever young, creating a barrier to the staffing of support services.

The increasing concentration of older people in peripheral areas is going to provide a very serious challenge to the NHS and care services, and I personally do not think we are properly planning for it, Sir Chris said.

I think were planning for a world of disease now rather than the world as it is inevitably going to be in 20 or 30 years time, he added.

Prof Whitty later clarified that he felt the burden was not just with the NHS, but that the nation as a whole needed to do more, including national and local government, and civil society.

It will get harder to deliver services

Sir Chris said health services already had trouble attracting care workers, nurses and other workers into areas where there are older populations and that this would be exacerbated by the so-called age support ratio  the number of working-age people to people over 70.

Were going to move steadily through the rest of this century in an adverse direction where the number of people working age compared to the number of people in their 70s is going to go down and steadily down for the next, certainly 80 years, he said.

He said it would get harder to deliver services in rural areas and the problem from a purely operational point of view is going to get substantially more difficult.

Theres no point hiding that that is a reality we have to respond to. Because if we ignore it, were going to end up with a problem thats even greater than that inevitably leads us to, he said.

Hope thanks to new drugs

The NHS has previously been criticised by leading Alzheimers charities for its lack of preparedness to roll out two cutting-edge new drugs: lecanemab and donanemab.

Both are going through regulatory approvals and in trials have proven they can slow down the progression of the disease in patients with an early stage of Alzheimers by breaking down the build up of a specific protein in the brain linked to the diseases development.

There were questions about the health services ability to roll out the drugs to the around 280,000 patients who could be eligible at short notice, as well as concern about the capacity to diagnose patients early enough to allow them to benefit.

Research published on Tuesday by the Alzheimers Society found that one in three dementia patients had to wait more than six months to get a diagnosis.

NHS England has set up a dedicated team to ensure the drugs can be rolled out quickly if and when they receive UK approval, and are working in lockstep with regulators to make this happen, according to officials.

But Sir Chris urged caution about the hope of the new drugs in a field that was still in its infancy. He said they undoubtedly would benefit some but have significant side effects for others and did not expect drugs to become the principal treatment for dementia in the next decade.

Question marks over early diagnosis

He also called for a twin track diagnosis, which would provide early diagnoses for those that wanted it, but respect that there are some people who genuinely would prefer not to have an early diagnosis if its not affecting their life seriously, and warned against diagnosing babies with genetic tests.

The reason I wanted to put the counter argument was partly about choice, but there was talk for example of doing early diagnosis at birth. People hear all the diseases youre going to get. Congratulations on the birth of your child, theyll get Alzheimers at 50 does not strike me as a useful way for us to move forward as a society, he said.

The NHS has said that diagnosis rates are at their highest in three years as services have recovered from the pandemic, but it is still estimated that one in three people with dementia do not have a formal diagnosis.

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Christopher Edley Jr., pictured with Charles F. Robinson, UC general counsel, was a law professor and former dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law. (Liz Hafalia / The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

Christopher Edley Jr., a law professor and former dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law who served in senior positions for five presidential campaigns including those of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, has died. He was 71.

His death was announced Friday morning by current Berkeley Law dean Erwin Chemerinsky in a written message to staff.

Chris and I were law school classmates, Chemerinsky wrote. He has been a dear friend and has provided me invaluable wisdom and support in my years as a dean. I know I speak for all of us in saying how terribly much we will miss him.

Many who admired Edleys work or had worked alongside him took to social media to express their reaction to his death.

Chris was a man of extraordinary gifts, wrote Gary Orfield, who co-founded the Harvard Civil Rights Project with Edley. We tended to cut into problems from different angles working toward the same destination and I learned a lot and greatly enjoyed the seven years we were continuously working on launching a major research [and] policy center. He's gone far too soon and he will be missed on many fronts

The passing of Christopher Edley is a big loss for Social Justice communities. So many Giants leaving us, wrote Stephen G. Hall , a historian.

Read more: UC Berkeley insider known for questioning the status quo is named new chancellor

The UC system's more hands-off response to pro-Palestinian protests that recently spread across its campuses was shaped by the "Response to Protests on UC Campuses" report written by Edley with Charles Robinson, UC general counsel.

The 2012 report was written in response to demonstrations at the Davis and Berkeley campuses, where students protesting economic and social inequality during the Occupy movement were beaten and pepper sprayed by police officers. The report called for a need to balance 1st Amendment rights with campus safety and security.

It placed communication and dialogue as a cornerstone of the UC system's response, with police force used as the last resort. In a key underlying principle, the report called for a substantial shift away from a mindset that has been focused primarily on the maintenance of order and adherence to rules and regulations to a more open and communicative attitude.

Whats so bad about students pitching tents on a green? That doesnt threaten the core teaching and research mission, Edley told the Times last month. Its messy and appears to create turmoil, but ... youre dealing with a large community of 20-year-olds who we expect to be passionate and who we know are collecting experiences as well as knowledge. Its incumbent on us to be as tolerant as possible without compromising fundamentals.

Edley was born Jan. 13, 1953 in Boston and had a long and successful career in academia and public service. He graduated from Swarthmore College in 1973 with a degree in mathematics. He received his juris doctorate from Harvard Law School in 1978 and his master's in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School, according to his profile . He also served as a professor at Harvard Law School for 23 years, where in 1996 he co-founded the Harvard Civil Rights Project, a think tank aimed at promoting racial and ethnic justice.

He served as an economic policy and budget official for President Jimmy Carter and President Bill Clinton. Edley also helped lead the Clinton administrations review of affirmative action programs.

In a written statement, Clinton described Edley as a "brilliant mind and a kind, good heart that he put to use to build a better, fairer and more just America."

From his groundbreaking academic career to his service in multiple key roles in my administration, he always believed that law and policy are ultimately about people," Clinton wrote. "He mastered the minute details but never lost sight of the big picture  giving more people the chance to live their best lives. He is gone far too soon, but his legacy will endure.

Edley held senior positions in five presidential campaigns including those of Michael Dukkakis in 1988, Al Gore in 2000, Howard Dean in 2004, Obama in 2008 and Hilary Clinton in 2016.

In 2004, Edley became dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law, serving until 2013.

Read more: Stanford names Jonathan Levin, business school dean, new president after leadership crisis

As dean, he made an enormous positive difference in every aspect of the law school, from the hiring of many terrific faculty  , Chemerinsky wrote, to dramatically increasing support for public interest grants for students, to the creation of many centers.

Edley also co-chaired the congressionally chartered National Commission on Education Equity and Excellence from 2011 to 2013. The commission advises the secretary of Education on ways to address education equity issues.

After stepping down as dean, Edley continued to teach at UC Berkeley as the Honorable William H. Orrick Jr. Distinguished Professor. He served as president of the Opportunity Institute, an organization he co-founded in 2015 with Ann OLeary, a former advisor to Hillary Clinton. The institute's mission is to increase social and economic mobility and advance racial equity.

Edley is survived by his wife, Maria Echaveste, who is also a former advisor and served as deputy chief of staff to President Clinton.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Chronic homelessness in Nashville increased 43%; millions have been invested to curb issue in recent years

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  Despite continuing to spend $50 million in federal funding on curbing the issue, the number of people experiencing chronic homelessness in Nashville continues to rise.

In 2022, Metro Council approved $50 million in American Rescue Plan funding to fight homelessness.

A bold and ambitious plan to get Nashvilles most vulnerable population off the streets and into stable, safe environments, then-Mayor John Cooper said at the time.

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However, despite that one-time funding, there has been a 43% increase in chronically homeless people in Nashville over the past year.

According to Metro Nashvilles Homelessness Dashboard, 1,027 people were chronically homeless in March 2023 and 1,472 as of March 2024.

All for Him Ministries founder Heather Young has noticed this increase while providing resources to the Nashville homeless population.

Ive seen an increase in women and children. Ive seen an increase in mental health that needs to be addressed, Young said.

Young believes the main issue is the cost of living in Nashville. She said she works with people who are chronically homeless and have jobs but cant afford to leave the homeless encampments. There is not a way for these people to get up and running. They cant get affordable housing. Sometimes they cant get the treatment that they need for mental health.

| READ MORE | Latest headlines from Nashville and Davidson County

She expects without more affordable housing options, the issue will only get worse. I guarantee you its going to double from where we are now.

Open Table Nashville advocacy and outreach specialist India Pungarcher said lots of groups in Nashville are working to address homelessness the best they can with the resources they have, but they still need more funding.

If a one-time $50 million investment was going to end homelessness in Nashville, you know, homelessness wouldnt exist anymore, right? Pungarcher said. We need hundreds of millions of dollars in order to, you know, even just make a dent in homelessness here in Nashville.

She also stressed that some of the new housing this federal money has funded simply isnt built yet, but will be helpful once theyre ready.

Id encourage people to stay the course this isnt a problem that we got into overnight, and its going to take us a while to get out of it as well, she said.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

At the last Metro Homeless Planning Council Meeting, officials said they will not close down any more encampments until they have the rooms to relocate the people who live there.

Metro Nashville Office of Homeless Services did not respond to requests for comment or an interview.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
City approves funds for more than 100 affordable housing units in South Sacramento

(FOX40.COM)  The Sacramento City Council approved $2.5 million from state-provided funds to be used in the building of 113 affordable apartments in South Sacramento.

According to the city, the apartments would be built on the site of the former San Juan Motel on Stockton Boulevard.

The San Juan Apartments and other housing coming to Stockton Boulevard will help revitalize this important commercial corridor in our city while also providing desperately needed affordable housing, said Mayor Darrell Steinberg.

The money comes from Californias Prohousing Initiative Pilot.

The city says the developer, Mutual Housing, will also receive a $22.67 million loan from the city for the project.

Mutual Housing already owns 21 other housing properties in the Sacramento area.

According to the city, Mutual Housing intends to begin work this summer and open in early 2026.

The complex is targeted towards low-income renters earning between 30 percent and 60 percent of the area median income.

The city said the project is one of eight housing properties planned along Stockton Boulevard south of the UC Davis Health campus.

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The city has closed a South Side migrant shelter that had faced resistance from some neighborhood residents when it opened last year.

All shelter residents have been moved to neighboring shelters or to permanent housing, officials said Monday as the city announced it had recently decompressed the migrant shelter at the former Wadsworth Elementary School in the Woodlawn neighborhood.

Mayor Brandon Johnson touted the closure of the Wadsworth shelter as the seventh in a series of recaps since he first took office a year ago, according to an administration statement. The city did not say whether the shelter may reopen in the future.

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Office of Emergency Management and Communications spokeswoman Mary May said in a statement that migrants continue to arrive at Chicagos landing zone near the South Loop via plane, commercial bus lines and on chartered buses from Texas. As the mission evolves, the city will continue to work with our state and county partners to look at all options to provide temporary emergency shelter for this mission.

The opening of the Wadsworth shelter at 6420 S. University Ave. initially faced resistance from area residents as migrants began moving in early last year. Two residents even attempted to block a CTA bus from transporting staff inside the former school.

Several months later, though, some residents were seen helping migrants adjust to life in Chicago by providing job training and other support as the number of migrants staying at the shelter intended to support 250 people became packed with nearly double that number.

Johnson said in his statement that he considers closing Wadsworth the latest in a series of wins for the administrations management of asylum-seekers transported as a political move by state leaders such as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to draw attention to the challenges facing border cities.

The city faced a series of challenges to address what quickly became a humanitarian crisis, working to settle an influx of newcomers, many of whom arrived with little money and few belongings. The number of migrants arriving began to recede this year, though many organizers expect another surge ahead of the Democratic National Convention in August.

In trying to portray the administrations response to the migrant crisis as a national model for compassionate resettlement that other cities should follow, Johnson said in his statement that he was proud of the work that we have accomplished this first year to move folks out of police stations and into temporary emergency shelter where they have received medical services, become part of our public education system, and have made major strides on the path to independence and self-sufficiency.

We have welcomed tens of thousands of families who needed help while saving taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars by making the mission more efficient and by collaborating with anyone and everyone who has been willing to work with us to address this humanitarian crisis, the mayor said.

There are currently about 7,600 residents in temporary shelters across the city, down about 50% from December. More than 41,400 asylum-seekers have been processed in Chicago since August 2022.
DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT)  Decatur City attorneys are fighting subpoenas for multiple officers called to testify at an upcoming gag order hearing in a former Decatur police officers murder case.

Court filings Monday show that as part of that hearing, Morgan County District Attorney Scott Anderson is looking at law enforcement agencies to find who leaked police body cam video from the night Stephen Perkins was shot and killed by Decatur police.

Hearing set for Tuesday in Darby wrongful death lawsuit

Anderson has subpoenaed about 18 witnesses, primarily from the Decatur Police Department. Hes also subpoenaed number of Alabama Law Enforcement Agency officers for the hearing.

Former Decatur police officer Mac Bailey Marquette is charged with murder in the Sept. 29 on-duty shooting of Perkins outside of Perkins home. A temporary gag order in his case was issued March 22 and a hearing on whether to make the gag order permanent is set for Friday, May 17.

The gag order bars out-of-court public discussions of the case or releases of information by the parties involved, including attorneys on all sides. Decaturs attorneys say the citys officers dont have any information that is relevant to the gag order hearing and should not be made to testify.

But Anderson said in a court filing responding to Decaturs objection that he is concerned with ensuring there is a fair trial.

If the source of the leaked video is employed by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Decatur Police Department, or the Morgan County District Attorneys Office, their continued access to information about this case poses a potential threat to the integrity of the case without restraint by this Court, Anderson said.

ADOC: Fort Payne man dies at Bullock Correctional

After the gag order was issued, the conservative Alabama website 1819 News released what appears to be Marquettes body camera footage from the night of the Perkins shooting. The website says its video that the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) provided to the Morgan County DAs Office in the Marquette investigation, but it is not clear how they got access to the video.

Note: News 19 doesnt own the rights to the video and has not aired it. News 19s parent company Nexstar requires its stations to obtain permission from the videos original owner in order to air it.)

A lawyer for the City of Decatur filed a motion to quash or release the officers from their subpoenas on Monday.

Despite months of calls for the police department to release the bodycam footage, the motion states it decided not to release it to assure the integrity of the criminal process, even though it would have been favorable for the city and it was given permission to do whatever it chose with the video.

Additionally, the motion argues that although shift supervisor lieutenants did have access to the video, a written directive was given to them regarding how to maintain it, telling them to not copy it or distribute it to anyone and to maintain the chain of custody.

Assistant City Attorney Wayne Alexander Jr. argues in the filing that the Decatur officers who were subpoenaed were not part of the investigation and did not produce a report, therefore they have no material or relevant evidence to provide concerning the Gag Order.

The city also argues that bringing the entire police command structure of the department in a meeting and unavailable to the rest of the department leaves Decatur and its people vulnerable.

A judge has yet to rule on the motion as of the time this article was published.

You can see all of our prior reporting on Marquettes case and the death of Stephen Perkins on this page.

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The City of Memphis Tuesday subpoenaed the Shelby County District Attorney's Office for any correspondence between the office and attorneys for Tyre Nichols' family, the U.S. Department of Justice and two of the officers who were fired in relation to Nichols' beating and death.

In addition to communications, the subpoena requests the DA's office turn over all documents relating to investigations into the Memphis Police Department and Memphis Fire Department.

"In responding to the subpoena, you are requested to consult your records and any other documents in your possession, custody and control, as well as any other source of information that may be available to you, and to furnish all information thus available to you, regardless of whether this information is possessed directly by you (DA Steve Mulroy) or by your partners, directors, officers, attorneys, agents, accountants, employees, representatives, investigators or experts," the subpoena read.

It was not clear at the time of publication if all the records requested by the city's attorneys exist.

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy speaks to the media while surrounded by local and state officials after they met to discuss crime in Memphis at city hall in Memphis, Tenn., on Thursday, January 4, 2024.

The subpoena requested all documents given by the DA's office to Nichols' family or attorneys, any "voicemails or other audio recordings" exchanged between the DA's office and Nichols' family, along with "any and all documents evidencing any authority you claim you have to participate in the civil litigation of Wells, et al v. The City of Memphis, et al."

Among the documents requested are "all documents evidencing your new policy of transparency that requires you to provide investigative materials to civil litigants prior to the conclusion of all related criminal prosecutions that are at issue in the civil litigation."

Also requested were any documents "evidencing any authority you claim you have to initiate an investigation into the policies, procedures and practices of the Memphis Police Department and/or Memphis Fire Department." The DA's office has not publicly spoken about or confirmed such an investigation.

The DA's office said in a preliminary statement that it has begun conversations with the attorneys representing the city who submitted the subpoena.

We provided most of the requested information voluntarily prior to the subpoena, aligning with our policy of transparency. We will continue to comply with requests from both parties," the DA's office said.

More: Former Memphis police officer federally indicted for 2021 murder, attempted cover-up

More: 'An arms race': Memphis officials want stricter sentencing for Glock switches

In addition to asking for documents and communications exchanged between the DA's office and the DOJ, the subpoena also requests all communications and documents exchanged between former MPD officer Preston Hemphill and former MPD Lt. Dewayne Smith.

Neither Hemphill nor Smith were criminally charged at the state or federal level, and Mulroy previously said Hemphill may be called to testify in the state case.

Tyre Nichols was pulled over on Jan. 7, 2023, for what was initially described as reckless driving. That was later walked back by MPD interim Chief Cerelyn "C.J." Davis. It is still unclear why Nichols was pulled over that night.

After being pulled over, he was removed from his car by officers and taken to the ground. The officers pepper sprayed him, and eventually, he ran away from the initial scene. He was quickly tackled about 100 yards from his mother's house where he was beaten by additional officers.

He was taken to St. Francis Hospital in critical condition and died three days later.

Five officers were indicted by the DA's office within three weeks of Nichols' death. Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills and Justin Smith were charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, official oppression, two counts of aggravated kidnapping and two counts of official misconduct.

They were later indicted at the federal level and charged with civil rights under the color of law violations, including excessive force.

Nichols' family quickly retained notable civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who filed a $550 million lawsuit against the City of Memphis.

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: Shelby County DA Mulroy subpoenaed by City of Memphis in Nichols suit
A new year means a new budget.

MORE: CMS approves $2.1B budget, includes raises

While Charlotte officials work to flesh out the funds, which could include a property tax increase, members of the public are voicing their thoughts on where they want the money to go.

Some of those voices include those of city employees who gathered in Uptown on Monday night and marched to the government center to advocate for raises. But others in Queen City believe the money should be spent elsewhere.

Kass Ottley, a community organizer with Charlotte City workers, says even with full-time jobs, current wages are just not making ends meet.

We have workers here that are homeless; we have workers that work for the city that have to rely on other organizations to have food to pay their bills, she said.

Members of the Charlotte City Workers Union and the Peoples Budget Coalition filled the councils chambers, sharing thoughts on how they want the city to spend its tax dollars.

The 20242025 fiscal year budget proposal includes bumping up Charlottes full-time minimum wage to $23 per hour; Ottley says she would like to see it increase to $25 an hour.

Its all intersectional, you know; when people are paid better, you know, you have less crime in the city.

Rodney McGill is the president of Save Our Children Movement Inc., and he believes funding should go to preventing youth violence, an issue that seems to be growing in our city.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure; you heard it before, he said.

MORE: Millions of dollars owed to workers in the Carolinas

While many voiced changes theyd like to see in the budget, others praised the council for including $100 million towards affordable housing in the current proposal.

Of course, housing for currently homeless individuals is not the only issue in this; housing costs have risen everywhere in our city, Emily Hartner, pastor at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, said. People are consistently being priced out in our beautiful city.

Ottley believes every Charlottean needs to come together to make the city a better place for everyone.

We need to not be focused on ourselves, because if one person is suffering in the city, were all suffering, she said.

(WATCH BELOW: New fiscal year budget could bring parking changes throughout Charlotte)
















Supreme Court justices are not above shaping their own public images. Many of them write books, either biographies about their own lives or general treatises about their view on the law. They often speak to law students and fellow judges in public appearances and (occasionally) grant interviews to news outlets.

But none of them can hold a candle to Justice Clarence Thomas, a man who seems to be enamored with his own mythologyand who deeply resents anything that contradicts it or his self-image. Americans saw another glimpse of it last week when Thomas spoke at an Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals conference in Mobile Bay, Alabama.

My wife and I, the last two or three years, just the nastiness and the lies, Thomas reportedly told Judge Kathryn Mizelle, a former clerk, at the event. Theres certainly been a lot of negativity in our lives, my wife and I, over the last few years, but we choose not to focus on it. While telling an anecdote about a friend in his hometown, he briefly mentioned that the story occurred before they started attacking my friends; I hope I still have some.

He also denounced the hostility he said he feels in the nations capital. Especially in Washington, people pride themselves in being awful, he said. Its a hideous place, as far as Im concerned. Because the rest of the countryits one of the reasons we like R.V.-ing. You get to be around regular people who dont pride themselves in doing harmful things merely because they have the capacity to do it.

These are Thomass fullest public remarks on the ethics scandals that have hounded him over the past year, and they underscore how he views the scandals primarily as a matter of public relations than judicial propriety. Though he loves to cast himself as a martyr, the reality of Thomass life and career is that many of his grievances are self-inflicted ones. So when he bemoans the nastiness of this hideous place called Washington, he should consider his own role in making it that way.

Parts of Thomass biography are objectively impressive. The courts senior-most justice was born in rural Georgia in a wooden shack in 1948. He did not live in a house with indoor plumbing until he was 8 years old. The stark racial apartheid of the Jim Crow South, which was still roughly a decade and a half away from demolition, shaped countless aspects of his young life. After first attending seminary and then abandoning it, Thomas was recruited to attend elite colleges in the Northeast, which culminated in his graduation from Yale Law School.

Thomas often frames this journey in deeply ideological terms. When he describes his time on college campuses in the late 1960s and early 1970s, for example, he often mentions how he grew disillusioned with left-wing politics and campus protests in which he once participated. That led him to embrace a strain of Black conservatism that he now exemplifies.

Either way, Thomass life story as a young Black man who escaped poverty and segregation to become a Yale-educated lawyer is a potent one. But it also resonates strongly with the justices wealthy friends and D.C. allies, who often promote the story of a young Black man who abandoned liberal politics to denounce affirmative action and embrace Reagan Republicanism.

Those allies funded a documentary about him that aired on PBS in 2020. It claimed to [tell] Thomas life story truly and fully, without cover-ups or distortions, a nod to his perennial frustration with how others describe him. When Amazon briefly removed it from their viewing selections on Amazon Prime the following year, the decision was met with an uproar. The Wall Street Journal bemoaned that Amazon had canceled Thomas. Twenty GOP senators, who apparently had nothing better to do, wrote a letter to Amazon complaining about what they saw as the companys latest effort to target conservative Americans. (It is now available again to rent or buy.)

Ever since the Smithsonian opened the National Museum of African-American History and Culture in 2016, GOP lawmakers and columnists have also often grumbled about perceived slights and omissions of Thomas in its exhibits. Thomas himself has commented on the subject, telling a Supreme Court Historical Society audience in 2019 that an exhibit about himwhich he hadnt seen but had been described to him by studentsinaccurately described his ideological journey. None of the other justices are defended in such vociferous terms by their allies; one gets the sense that Thomass own sentiments help drive it.

Nobody likes being misrepresented or misdescribed, of course. But Thomas appears to be more sensitive to perceived slights and grievances than most. The courts senior-most justice did not specify the source of the nastiness or the lies in his remarks last week, but the reference to his wife points toward the public criticism she faced for her role in the coup attempt on January 6, 2021. Ginni Thomas promoted Trumps rally on social media and expressed her love of the participants, some of whom later stormed the Capitol.

The House January 6 committee later uncovered text messages between Ginni and thenWhite House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows in the two months between election night in 2020 and January 6. In one message shortly after Bidens victory became mathematically certain, she told Meadows that the majority knows Biden and the Left is attempting the greatest Heist of our History.

In perhaps the most serious episode, Ginni also pressured Republican state lawmakers in Arizona and Wisconsin to overturn the election results in those states and award Bidens electoral votes to Trump. Please stand strong in the face of media and political pressure, the emails read. Please reflect on the awesome authority granted to you by our Constitution. And then please take action to ensure that a clean slate of Electors is chosen for our state.

All of this comes from Ginnis own words and writings; no embellishment or exaggeration is needed. In theory, her at least peripheral role in a coup attempt should raise judicial ethics concerns for Thomas, whose job requires him to hear multiple cases involving the events of January 6. But it apparently hasnt. Thomas took part in oral arguments in every January 6related case this term, including the Trump v. Anderson decision that gutted the Fourteenth Amendments disqualification clause.

Its also possible that Thomas is referring to reporting on other ethical problems over the years. Reporting by ProPublica (which went on to win a Pulitzer Prize) and other news outlets last year uncovered how Thomas had taken dozens of lavish vacations on the dime of various conservative billionaires. Foremost among them was Harlan Crow, a GOP megadonor who has enjoyed a quarter-century friendship with Thomas that began shortly after he joined the court.

Most Americans have people they consider to be close friendsthe kind that help you move out of your apartment, feed your cats for you if you have to go out of town, bring precooked meals over when you have a baby. Very few Americans have friends as good as Crow. In addition to hosting luxury junkets for the justice, Crow also helped fund the PBS documentary four years ago, purchased Thomass mothers house to convert into a museum, gifted him paintings and a Bible once owned by Frederick Douglass, paid for boarding-school tuition for Thomass adopted son, and sought to open a different museum in Thomass hometown.

Crow is far from Thomass only wealthy friend. Part of the justices mythology is his off-season love of traveling around the country in a motor home. Its away from the sort ofthe meanness that you see in Washington, and you get here with just the regular folks, and its so pleasant, he told 60 Minutes correspondent Steve Kroft in 2007, striking the same notes 16 years ago as he did last week.

While Thomas casts it as part of his everyman image, the reality is somewhat less romantic. Health care executive Tony Welters privately loaned him $267,000 at 7.5 percent interest to purchase the motor home in 1999. According to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Welters forgave the loan nine years later after Thomas had made interest-only payments on it. While Welters is described as a longtime friend by Thomass allies, the financial exchanges in that friendship appear to go beyond simply splitting expensive dinner bills on Venmo.

Thomas often tries to maintain a public image that he is removed from Washington. His remarks last week followed that same theme. Thomas told the crowd that he had been thinking about getting out of D.C. and that he had no interest in public life prior to being appointed to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals in 1990, where he served for less than two years before being appointed to the Supreme Court.

I wound up in this job, he told the audience, as if he had arrived at the Supreme Court by accident. And this is, we pray, to do whatever it was that God wanted me to do, what I was being called to do. But being in public life is not something I would have chosen to do.

There are Supreme Court justices who have actually rejected that way of life. Former Justice David Souter, a fellow George H.W. Bush appointee, once referred to the start of each new term as a sort of annual intellectual lobotomy. He stepped down from the court in 2009 in part because of his frustration with the politics that his job entailed. Souter then returned to his home state of New Hampshire, where he occasionally hears cases on the much quieter First Circuit Court of Appeals.

Thomas, on the other hand, shows no real interest in abandoning Washington or the levers of power. Obviously he remains in his influential seat as one of the nine people who decides what the Constitution means. His wife is also a prominent conservative political activist who works on behalf of a variety of right-wing organizations. And Thomas himself has a powerful network of his own: the extensive constellation of former clerks who now occupy prominent jobs in the conservative legal movement.

Roughly a dozen former Thomas clerks currently serve as federal judges, including influential Fifth Circuit Judge James Ho and D.C. Circuit Judge Neomi Rao. Thomas swore the former into office in Harlan Crows personal library; he reportedly lobbied Republican lawmakers to confirm the latter by assuring them of her conservative bona fides. Others became prominent right-wing litigators: William Consovoy represented former President Donald Trump in multiple lawsuits before his death last year, and John Eastman provided the legal advice that led to the deadly events on January 6.

The Atlantics Emma Green noted in 2019 that this vast network of clerks may be one of Thomass most lasting legacies: At that point, roughly one-fifth of all people who had ever clerked for him had served in the Trump administration or been nominated to a federal judgeship. It is telling that when Ginni Thomass involvement in January 6 first became public, she apologized not to the American people but to the close-knit fraternity of former Thomas clerks for having likely imposed on you my lifetime passions.

Ginni reportedly had used the clerks email listserv to share her pro-Trump views during and after the election, angering some of them. My passions and beliefs are likely shared with the bulk of you, but certainly not all, she wrote. And sometimes the smallest matters can divide loved ones for too long. Lets pledge to not let politics divide THIS family, and learn to speak more gently and knowingly across the divide.

The Thomases do not eschew public life; they relish it. Thomas is not a reluctant participant in D.C. politics; he enjoys being the hub around which it revolves. Thomass votes in cases on voting rights, partisan gerrymandering, campaign finance laws, and anti-corruption cases have helped make American politics meaner, crueler, and more partisan over the past three decades. And along the way, his billionaire patrons have allowed him to enjoy a lifestyle far beyond what he could otherwise afford on a justices salary. This is not as heartwarming or inspiring as the mythology that Thomas prefersand that is exactly why he prefers it.
Two state transportation experts stood before the City Council and explained how reducing travel lanes on a stretch of Drew Street and adding a center turn lane would cut down on crashes without worsening congestion.

But their computer modeling and data analysis did not convince most of the council, who said their personal experience made them skeptical of the states findings.

I drive that road constantly, council member Ryan Cotton said at a workshop Monday. I see something a little different than the projected A, B, C traffic volume that is projected by your data, so that concerns me a little bit.

The discussion signaled the likely end of eight years of work developing a solution for dangerous conditions on Drew Street, due to a recent shift in the councils makeup. The council is expected to vote on the future of the project at its 6 p.m. meeting on Thursday.

In April 2023, a previous council voted 3-1 to allow the Florida Department of Transportation to advance the design following a study showing no negative impacts to traffic flow.

But then, amid concerns from chamber of commerce leaders, the Legislature required the department to conduct another study. And in March, voters chose three new council members who opposed the plan.

The updated study was completed with the same computer modeling used for interstate highway projects throughout Florida and included traffic, development and population projections through 2045, said Justin Hall, the departments director of transportation development.

It showed crashes would decline 57% by reducing Drew Street from four travel lanes to two in the 2.3 miles between Osceola Avenue and Keene Road and adding a center turn lane for most of that portion. Since 2015, that stretch had seven fatalities, 1,586 crashes and 620 injuries  55 of them serious injuries. The concept also includes expanded sidewalks, improved crosswalks and creation of a bike lane.

The reconfiguration would result in less than a 30-second increase in travel time, according to the study.

The lane reduction would not create more congestion because adding a center turn lane would eliminate bottlenecks that now occur when drivers on inside lanes stop to turn left, according to Whit Blanton, executive director of the countys transportation planning agency Forward Pinellas.

The changes also would not divert much traffic to surrounding east-west roads. The study showed the busiest parallel street, Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard, would see two additional cars per minute.

But all council members, with the exception of David Allbritton, were skeptical of this analysis.

Some of the data that Im reading does not coincide with what I see and what I experience, council member Lina Teixeira said.

At well below its capacity of 25,000 trips per day, Drew Street does not have enough traffic to justify its four lanes, Hall said. With the proposed changes, he said, traffic counts still would not be high enough to necessitate four lanes. A main problem is that most drivers speed above the 35 mph and 40 mph limits on the stretch, he explained.

By reconfiguring the lanes, Hall said, youre going to solve some of these fatalities and incapacitating injuries.

But Mayor Bruce Rector doubted that surrounding roads would not see worse traffic and asked Hall how often he personally drives the citys east-west corridors.

Residents do not understand in Pinellas County with all the traffic congestion we have, all the problems we have getting worse by the day, how eliminating a lane improves safety, Rector said. It just does not connect.

While the study showed crashes would decrease on Drew Street, council member Lina Teixeira worried the proposal would be redirecting them to Gulf-to-Bay. But Rich Wilson, the project manager, reiterated that a fairly low amount of traffic would be diverted to other routes.

The 57% reduction (in crashes) is not because were reducing traffic volumes (on Drew Street), thats because were improving the geometrics of the roadway, Wilson said.

Hall explained that all approved hotel and housing developments in the region and population counts through 2045, were accounted for in the projections. His presentation noted that, at the request of city staff, the department factored in higher traffic volumes for five more downtown projects than they thought were likely to materialize.

But Rector still doubted that the modeling accounted for upcoming hotel projects on Clearwater Beach.

I dont see you considering this additional beach growth, Rector said, although Hall ensured that the modeling, in fact, did.

Council members Mike Mannino and Cotton asked whether the department had consulted with Fire Chief Scott Ehlers about response times for first responders with the new lane structure. But Hall and Wilson said that dialogue would occur in the design phase. They said evacuation routes are included in the modeling, that several of the raised medians have already been removed and more tweaks would be made in design.

Rector said residents hes talked to are overwhelmingly against the Drew Street proposal and that the election of himself, Cotton and Mannino was a referendum on the matter. But residents also have lobbied city officials over the years to implement the changes.

Rector said opponents believe that there are other ways to work to improve Drew Street without eliminating a lane but did not provide any examples.

Cotton said Im not the expert before opining that it seems like you could just get with Duke Energy to bury power lines to then increase the roadway instead of reducing lanes.

Ill say its not that simple, Hall responded, explaining that expanding the roadway would not be feasible due to infrastructure issues.

Work to begin studying Drew Street began in 2016 at the request of the city, and a concept was completed in 2018. Blanton said in an interview that construction costs have reached $15.8 million, but that it is covered by federal money and $1 million of state funds. It requires no city or county contributions.

But if the council votes to abandon the project, Blanton said the federal money will be allocated elsewhere in Pinellas County and no alternative improvements for Drew Street are imminent.

Its kind of this shot or nothing, Blanton said.
Happiness is a state of mind. Its an expression Marcus and Josh Harden-Givens live by and is the central philosophy behind their primary care clinic and resource center, Overflow Health Alliance, which is aimed at helping people who are displaced.

The center offers multiple community outreach programs to support healthier living for people who are experiencing homeless or struggling to get their life on track, whatever the reason.

Whether someones problems are long term or temporary, Overflow offers wraparound services to meet their needs.

Happiness is a state of mind is determining the fact that in whatever state I am in, I'm okay, I'm blessed, I'm well, and it's going to get better, explained Marcus Harden-Givens. It's not going to be like this always, so I can put myself and my surroundings in this state of happiness by determining that it's just temporary and connecting with agencies makes that state of mind and that happiness more realistic. That's why we're here, so we can make it realistic.

The couple started the Overflow program in Jacksonville five years ago and are now planning to open another location in Pensacola. The 13,000-square-foot building at 1301 N. Davis Highway will offer temporary and transitional housing for individuals and families, medical care, meals, job training and other services.

Marcus has a background in managing nursing homes and Josh has a medical background, but both say they are led by a desire to help people.

With the help of a mentor, they developed a business model around their passion and Overflow in Jacksonville sees about 2,000 people a year. They also have similar programs throughout Florida and Georgia.

It all starts with medical care, and half of the building is dedicated to it. There is a triage room, exam rooms and digital boards throughout to help medical staff work with patients to understand their health needs. Mental health counseling is also available.

A nurse practitioner runs the office under a medical director, and they have a physician assistant that also offers telehealth consultations. From managing infectious diseases to medications to eating right and exercising, the programs founders say Overflow works with patients to make sure they have what they need to improve their health and their lives.

The patients go out or the members go out feeling empowered on taking care of themselves, instead of just going out and saying, 'Oh, I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing,' explained Josh Harden-Givens.

Overflow has also invested in a mobile medical unit so they can provide services like free vaccines and other care to people in the community from children to seniors.

Many people who are experiencing homelessness have been targeted by brokers who sign them up for coverage they cant afford and makes them ineligible for Medicaid and other coverage. Its a problem the husbands say they see often in Pensacola and if people dont have health insurance, they also work with a number of providers to help them find a good fit that is affordable.

Marcus and Josh say theyve spent about two years quietly working in the community to provide some services and getting to know Pensacola so they can help support existing programs. They want to bring many of the same services they say have been successful in Jacksonville to Pensacola all under one roof.

While medical makes one side of the building, the other side is housing. There are 10 rooms for individuals, each with two beds, a TV and storage and 10 larger rooms for families. People can stay for 30, 60, 90 days at a time or longer. They will also have a respite dorm and hope to partner with local hospitals to place people who need care once they are discharged.

If a person is here for 30 days, if they're a referral and they just need some help, we'll work with them for the 30 days, said Marcus. If it's 60 days, we'll work with them for the 60 days, 90 days, or either a longer-term support system.

In case you missed it: Pensacola's indigent and homeless targeted by 'aggressive' insurance brokers'

Although Christians, the Harden-Givens do not require people who work with them to take part in a faith-based program or necessarily be sober. What they do require is a willingness to work, get a job, and focus on changing yourself to become independent.

They provide every opportunity to do that including on-site job training from housekeeping to the mail room, where residents can get their mail. Theyre also preparing to be an Amazon Hub Center where people can also work and develop job skills.

They have a cafe on site where three meals a day will be served by wait staff, also part of the training program, and there are partnerships with local businesses to help people learn trades, like electrical.

The Harden-Givens also help people get the important paperwork they need to find a job and a place to live, as well as access services, like social security cards, birth certificates and IDs.

Having a job and roof over their head is only part of the solution. Managing finances is another big component. Overflow Bank is available to help. Harden-Givens say its a legal pay system for Social Security and theyre able to help people save and manage their funds, even offering matching incentives, to help prevent them from mismanaging their money or being taken advantage of by others, like drug dealers or unscrupulous family members. They also help them restore bad credit or build credit if they dont have any.

When they leave or when they come here, we're going to start from ground up, we're going to build them from ground up, said Marcus. When they leave here, they're either going to be able to get their own apartment or their own house because we're going to make sure that the credit is restored as well. Everything is data based. Sixty percent of the people that are homeless and displaced either don't have any credit at all or they don't even know nothing about credit, period, so we want to make sure that your credit report is getting filed, want to make sure that all your bills are paid on time.

Training and community meeting rooms are available along with a recreation room. Overflow also offers transitional housing and job training to people who are just getting out of prison, and often end up on the street for lack of opportunity.

Marcus said the goal is to help people and support the network of support Pensacola already has in place with more resources. Overflow is federally funded and supports itself for the most part, along with some charitable contributions. All their programs are data-based to help improve outcomes.

Larry Platts, 26, followed the Harden-Giverens from Jacksonville where he joined Overflow. He said the program is helping him rebuild his life after battling addiction. You can find him greeting visitors in the reception room of the new Pensacola program, as well as doing community outreach.

They helped me just far as having somebody to talk to and not being judgmental, as I usually get and theyre open minded, Platts said. I started volunteering, and it started getting me back into feeling like I was in society again. It was like, Okay, I want change, and I don't want to be in the environment that I was.' People need to check it out for themselves, because seeing is believing.

Marcus said they plan to open by July or August. They need a new $90,000 fire suppression system and are about $40,000 short. If youre interested in seeing what they do, Overflow is open Monday through Friday for tours, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

They are also hiring for a case manager, a part time activity director, and a part time security officer. Job applicants can also come to Overflow at 3101 N. Davis during the same hours.

Were looking to support services that are already here and provide resources, said Marcus. We want to support the city and we wont let Pensacola down.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Overflow Health Alliance homeless outreach planning Pensacola facility
The Boise School District will begin looking at changing its boundaries as part of a proposal to convert an elementary school on the Bench into an early childhood learning center.

District officials expect that process will take months, and the school board likely wont make a final decision on whether Owyhee Elementary will close and where students zoned for that school will go until December. The process will include opportunities for parent and community engagement.

The Boise School District announced last month it planned to convert Owyhee Elementary, located near the intersection of Owyhee Street and Catalina Road, into an early childhood learning center. The center would include preschool and early special education and start with the 2025-2026 school year as part of its goal to better meet the needs of young learners.

Parents called the districts communication deceptive and confusing after it said the school will be converted to the center. Many believed the decision was a done deal.

The district later clarified that before the school is converted, a final proposal for district boundary changes would have to be approved by the board. On Monday night, the board heard a presentation on what the process of redrawing the boundaries would look like, how long it would take and what the possible outcomes would be. If the district closes Owyhee, the students in the Owyhee boundary will have to attend other elementary schools. A boundary change process would determine where they would go.

Board President Dave Wagers said the board would consider all input it receives throughout the process.

We are here to listen, he said during the meeting. Everything you say will impact our decision making.

Process would involve committee, parent engagement

The district plans to create a committee to recommend new boundaries based on a range of factors, including upcoming housing developments and projected enrollment for the surrounding schools. The district proposed that the committee include the principals from Owyhee and nearby elementary schools, members of the neighborhood associations in the area, and parents from all of the impacted schools.

District administrators said they recommended the closure of Owyhee in part because the school has had declining enrollment over the past decade. About 150 students attend the school now, but only about 80 are in the boundary. The other families send their kids to the school through open enrollment.

The committee will hold small group discussions at each impacted elementary school with staff members, parents and others to share the proposal and discuss how it was crafted. The three elementary schools closest to Owyhee are Hillcrest, Whitney and Hawthorne, which all may have to take in additional students if the boundaries change.

The district then plans to share the proposal publicly by displaying the maps at each school, posting the proposal on the district website and sending mailers and emails. At that point, a comment period would open up for parents and community members to give feedback. The district expects to have a Google survey and comment cards available at impacted schools.

Once the comment period is over, the committee will determine its next steps. It could request approval of the boundary changes at a board meeting, change the proposals or repeat the process altogether. The district expects the board to vote on the newly proposed boundaries in December.

If the proposal is adopted, the district would share the new map with the community, and students at Owyhee would be routed to different elementary schools the following year.

The districts vision for pre-K education includes creating early childhood learning centers that could serve hundreds of kids ages 3-5. Now, the district operates pre-K programs at more than 10 sites and has one early childhood center, a partnership between the district and Head Start.

A new center would allow the district to retrofit a facility to specifically serve young learners, with restrooms and playgrounds made for them. It would also make it easier to centralize resources, bring in different specialists  such as occupational and physical therapists  and build a larger community for teachers and families.

Administrators said they have a waitlist for pre-K and many of the students live on the Bench. The district has also seen growing demand for its pre-K programs over the past few years.

Parents ask board to consider other options

Despite the demand, many parents are upset with the districts proposal to close Owyhee and are fighting to keep their neighborhood school open.

Parents and community members Monday asked them to reconsider the proposal and look into other options to expand its pre-K programs. They accused the district of ignoring parent voices.

It appears the district was and is continuing to rush this process along to ensure their agenda is met, Libby Johns, a parent of two kids at Owyhee, told the board.

Johns urged the board to prioritize the needs of those they represent and to ensure transparent and clear communication.

Many parents who have kids at Owyhee Elementary said they loved the small size of the school and that their kids thrived in that environment. Some of the neighboring schools that Owyhee students could end up going to have hundreds more students.

Parents also worried about transportation options for students who may have to walk through busy intersections to get to schools that are farther away. Others said closing the school would mean losing the tight-knit community they and their kids have formed at Owyhee.

Rep. John Gannon, D-Boise, who represents the area that includes Owyhee, said public education is under tremendous pressure.

Neighborhood schools and the close relationships they foster provide support for public schools, he said. He warned the school board that the district could lose students if Owyhee closes and young kids are bused across town for pre-K.

You may find that some parents just decide to forget the public schools and make alternative choices, which is something none of us want, he said. This district needs to be inclusive and cultivate support from all of the community.

At the end of the public comment period, Wagers said trustees would synthesize what parents and community members said. Our goal is to come up with the best answer, he said.
Sam Feist, the longtime Washington, D.C. bureau chief of CNN, will become the next CEO of C-SPAN.

Feist will succeed Rob Kennedy and Susan Swain, who have been in the role as co-CEOs since 2012. Founding CEO Brian Lamb remains on the board of directors.

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Feist has served as Washington bureau chief and senior vice president at CNN since 2011. He oversees newsgathering operations and production, as well as coverage of major political events. He joined the network in 1990, as a freelance producer in the London bureau, and later moved to Atlanta and then to Washington, D.C. in 1992. He became political director and vice president of Washington programming, and has coordinated daily political coverage and election night production since 2006. He also was the founding executive producer of The Situation Room.

In a statement, Feist said, Our democracy needs C-SPAN now more than ever. I look forward to working

with C-SPANs extraordinary and dedicated team to expand the networks reach and meet new audiences where they are. He added, C-SPAN is an American treasure and I could not be more excited to lead this essential institution.

CNN has not named a successor. CEO Mark Thompson wrote a memo to employees this morning announcing Feists departure, calling him one of the best-connected journalists in Washington with important and valuable relationships across the political spectrum.

In my short time at CNN, I have come to know and appreciate Sams passion for CNN, for our people, and for political journalism, and will miss his good counsel, Thompson wrote.

C-SPAN was founded by the cable industry in 1979 to offer public service coverage of Congress, the White House and other major government and political events. Its been funded through the cable industry, not through public tax dollars. But funding has become an issue as linear cable distribution declines, and one of the priorities of the search committee was to find a candidate who would explore new distribution opportunities.

In a statement, Kennedy and Swain said, Out of a small group of excellent finalists, Sam Feist stood out for his deep respect for C-SPAN, his leadership skills, his knowledge of Washington, and his digital transformation bona fides. We are confident that we are leaving C-SPAN in good hands.

Feist will remain at CNN through the end of June. Kennedy will step down on May 17, and Swain will continue in that role until Feist takes over.

The memo from CNNs Thompson is below:

Dear all 

I have news to share with you today: Sam Feist has decided to step down as SVP and Washington Bureau Chief of CNN and will be leaving the company at the end of June. Well be sorry to see him go, as Sam has become a CNN institution after almost 33 years of service to our company and our audiences.

Sam began here as an intern in 1989 and, with stops in London and Atlanta, worked his way up to becoming the longest-serving Washington Bureau Chief in CNNs history. He has worked as a camera operator, a TelePrompter operator, a guest booker, an assignment editor, a field producer, a show producer, Executive Producer of a dozen CNN programs, Executive Producer of election nights and debates, Executive in charge of CNN en Espanol and the Row, CNNs Political Director, and since 2011, our Washington Bureau Chief.

Along the way, Sam became one of the best-connected journalists in Washington with important and valuable relationships across the political spectrum.

In my short time at CNN, I have come to know and appreciate Sams passion for CNN, for our people, and for political journalism, and will miss his good counsel. We will have more information to share prior to Sams departure around support for his portfolio.

Sam has an exciting new opportunity, which I will leave it to him to share, but on behalf of everyone at CNN, I do want to thank him for his many achievements at CNN over the years and the support and friendship hes offered so many of us. Im sure you will want to join me in wishing Sam nothing but success in his next chapter.

Mark





More to come.

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DELRAY BEACH  Amy Addington is co-owner of the premium mobile pet services franchise Woofie's.

So what better location for the franchise than Addington's new hometown of Delray Beach?

Addington opened Woofie's of Delray on April 22. A "yappy hour," or a happy hour in the form of nail trims, coat brush-outs and on-the-go baths for dogs, marked the grand opening that evening at Delray's Throw Social.

I initially founded Woofies in Ashburn, Virginia, with my then-neighbor Leslie Barron, in 2004, to fill the void for premium pet care services in our area, and have been focused on strategy and growth since," Addington said. "I wanted to bring that same level of commitment to providing the best care and community focus to Delray Beachs incredible, pet-loving community."

What services are offered by Woofie's of Delray Beach?

Co-owner of Woofie's Amy Addington (left) and General Manager Liz Gibbs (right) stand before the Woofie's of Delray Beach van.

The mobile pet services franchise serves local residents, businesses, resorts, apartment complexes, senior-care facilities, rescue groups and shelters. Its services include mobile pet-spa grooming, luxury baths, in-home or overnight pet sitting, dog walking and house sitting.

She will have some tough competition in the area with many local franchises already entrenched with loyal pet owners in southern Palm Beach County. Pupper's Pit Stop, Pawmper Fluffy Salon, Pinky's At Home and Dash-it Dogs are among those that have established names.

But, Addington said, what sets Woofie's apart from other mobile pet services is its 24/7 vet telehealth partnership with Pet Vet Connection, a platform that grants pet care clients unlimited access to licensed veterinarians, via video or chat.

"It just gives that extra peace of mind for our clients," Addington said, recalling one Woofie's franchise owner in Orlando who recently discovered gashes on a dog, mid-groom, and was able to video-chat with a vet almost instantly. The service is free for the first 30 days, and costs $9.99 per month afterward.

"It's just that other way to go above and beyond for the clients to have that access to a vet, because we're not vets," Addington said.

The franchise also pairs with local companies for regular events and contributes to local rescues and shelters.

Why did Woofie's choose Delray Beach?

After making the seaside town her new home base, Addington wanted the versatility of services and dedication to clients that Woofie's has built its brand upon for her own dogs, Pablo, Carlos and Bogey.

"I saw that there was a real need for it," she said. "Being in Delray, it is such a pet-friendly location. I think there's so much opportunity."

But, for Addington, it's also a labor of love. As president of the brand, she often works with franchise owners throughout the country to help with their business ownership.

"Yes, I know Woofie's inside and out," Addington said. "But going through the process again, and doing everything that our new franchise owners are going through, it's allowed me to really look through every process that we have."

Ultimately, she believes the new lens she has through Delray Beach's Woofie's will allow the franchise to grow stronger. She hopes to maybe try new services within Delray, to determine whether they could be rolled out nationwide.

In Delray Beach, Addington is joined by Liz Gibbs, a previous zookeeper at Six Flags Great Adventure Wild Safari with a specialization in animal training and education, who will manage all day-to-day operations. Gibbs has three cats  Charlie, Willow and Pepper  a pitbull mix named Molly and a bearded dragon, Apollo, of her own.

DELRAY NEWS: Lionfish restaurant closes, but Delray Beach lands this national celebrity favorite instead

How does a mobile pet grooming service work?

The business is entirely mobile. Its Delray Beach location currently has about 10 pet sitters, a part-time groomer, a pet stylist and a full-time pet tech. Addington and Gibbs, Delray's general manager, are also pet-tech certified, and will be offering pet-tech certification to the Delray community moving forward.

The van will make its way to you for any service, but, before doing so, a consult is required.

"I think that is something that really differentiates us," Addington said. "It's very important for us to go out, meet the customer, meet their pets, really go through their routine in detail, especially if they have any medical needs."

Then it's a matter of matching the right sitter with the right client.

DELRAY NEWS: Accolades for Delray Beach: 'Blue Flag' award and 'Best Beach in Florida' nomination

What animals does Woofie's cater to?

While Woofie's mainly serves clients with cats and dogs, those with other, or exotic, animals are welcome to request services, as well. So far in Delray Beach, clients have inquired about their reptiles, birds, hamsters and guinea pigs, Gibbs said.

"From snowbirds and businesses, to year-round residents, with Woofies state-of-the-art technology and trusted mobile pet services from qualified, caring animal lovers, your pet is not just a number," Gibbs said. "Theyre family."

How to book a service with Woofie's of Delray Beach

To request a service, clients can download the Woofie's application, fill out an online form or call the Woofie's Delray location at 561-861-1059.

Because a consult is required before any pet sitting job, Addington suggests scheduling a consult at any point in time, to already be in the system when an appointment is needed.

Jasmine Fernandez is a journalist covering Delray Beach and Boca Raton for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at jfernandez@pbpost.com and follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @jasminefernandz. Help support our work. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Pet services chain Woofie's opens location in Delray Beach
An organization has filed a civil rights complaint against Cobb County Schools over its decision to remove certain books from school libraries.

The National Womens Law Center sent its complaint to the U.S. Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights on Monday.

In the complaint, the center says that Cobb County Schools created a hostile environment for students through practices that include censoring books and learning materials that feature, tell the stories of, or are written by LGBTQIA+ people and people of color.

Channel 2 Action News reached out to the district for a response.

Local political candidates repeating a made-up narrative doesnt make it true and protecting access to sexually explicit content for minors doesnt make it right, a district spokesperson said.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

The battle over books in Cobb County Schools started last year. Since Aug. 2023, Cobb County Schools has removed the following books for inappropriate content

Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Flamer by Mike Curato

Blankets by Craig Thompson

It Ends with Us by Collen Hoover

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Lucky by Alice Sebold

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.

Cobb County Superintendent Chris Ragsdale previously said at an April meeting that he doesnt see the process as book banning.

As long as I am the superintendent of the Cobb County School District, I will work tirelessly to ensure your children are not given unrestricted access to materials containing lewd, vulgar, and sexually explicit content, nor will your taxes be used to fund it, Ragsdale said.

TRENDING STORIES:

But the NWLC and other organizations on the complaint claim the district has violated Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Across our races and backgrounds, Georgians want our young people to have the freedom to learn, to be themselves, and to grow up safe. Censorship of books sends a message to students of color and LGBTQIA+ students that they do not belong, that they are not safe to be who they are, and that they do not deserve to be reflected in what they read and learn, said Melody Oliphant, Executive Director of the Georgia Youth Justice Coalition.

As a result of Cobb County School District targeting books and stories about race, racism, and LGBTQIA+ identity, students feel unwelcome and under attack by their school district, Oliphant added.

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Cohen to Haberman: Please start writing and I will call you soon

Cohen to Haberman: Please start writing and I will call you soon

Texts from Michael Cohen to New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman show how former President Trumps ex-fixer worked to protect Trump from scrutiny over the hush money payment central to his ongoing criminal trial.

Please start writing and I will call you soon, Cohen wrote Haberman on Feb. 6, 2018, texts entered as evidence in Trumps criminal case show.

Cohen subsequently texted Haberman a statement claiming he had used his own personal funds to make the hush payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, who planned to come forward with allegations of a past affair with Trump just weeks before the 2016 presidential election.

Trump is currently on trial in New York facing 34 charges related to falsifying business records to conceal the $130,000 payment made to Daniels.

As Cohens texts were read in court Tuesday, Haberman was in attendance covering the trial.

Thats a true statement, but its deceptive, its misleading, Cohen told prosecutors as he was being questioned.

When Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Susan Hoffinger asked him if the statement provided to Haberman was intentionally misleading, he said, Yes, adding in order to protect Mr. Trump, to stay on message.

Tuesday was not the first time the texts between Cohen and Haberman were made public. The messages were also shown to the jury considering the case on May 2.

Haberman, a veteran reporter for the Times, is well known across the world of media and politics for her reporting on the former president. She was part of the team that won a 2018 Pulitzer Prize for its reporting on Trumps connections to Russia and published a book last year on his public life and first term in office.

Zach Schonfeld contributed

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Cohen Says Trump Told Him Not to Worry About FBI Raid Because Im the President

Michael Cohen is back in court Tuesday for a second day of testimony in Donald Trumps criminal trial, detailing to the jury how he repeatedly lied about his role in orchestrating hush money payments to protect the former president.

In 2018, when the public learned that Cohen had arranged a $130,000 payment in 2016 to porn star Stormy Daniels in order to buy her silence about an alleged affair with the former president, the lawyer denied that Trumps campaign or company had anything to do with the arrangement.

Cohen said that while crafting the statement, we elected to state that neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction. Thats a true statement, but its misleading.

It was neither the Trump organization or the Trump campaign, it was Donald J. Trump himself, he said, adding when questioned that the choice had been made to protect Mr. Trump, to stay on message, to demonstrate continued loyalty.

Cohen confirmed that Trump personally approved the statement.

In April of 2018, Cohens office was raided by the FBI in connection with Special Counsel Robert Mullers investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Law enforcement officials seized documents and other materials, among them information related to the payment to Daniels, and the Access Hollywood tape. Cohen testified on Tuesday that the raid had sent him into a panic, describing himself as concerned, despondent, and angry.

Cohen recounted that he had sought reassurance from Trump, then the president, that he would be protected. He said to me, Dont worry. Im the president of the United States. Theres nothing here. Everythings going to be okay. Stay tough. Youre going to be okay.

I wanted some reassurance that Mr. Trump had my back. Especially as this dealt with issues that related to him, Cohen added, recalling that that was the last time he spoke directly to the former president. Cohen would ultimately plead guilty to making unlawful campaign contributions made in the form of hush money to a woman who otherwise planned to speak publicly about an alleged affair with a presidential candidate, thereby intending to influence the 2016 presidential election. He was sentenced to three years in prison, and was released in 2021.

On Monday, Cohen detailed his close relationship with Trump in the years before his 2016 campaign for the presidency, and his role in coordinating hush money payments to silence potentially damaging stories about Trump, including allegations of affairs raised by Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal.

Cohen said he worried Daniels story would be catastrophic for a campaign already struggling to mitigate the damage caused by the Access Hollywood tape.

I immediately went to Mr. Trumps office, knocked on the door. Boss, Ive got to speak to you. Cohen said. I told him that one of the things that we need to do is obviously take care of it.

Absolutely. Do it. Take care of it, Cohen said Trump replied.

Cohen did, paying Daniels $130,000 from his own funds to buy her silence. The attorney told the jury that Trump himself approved a plan to reimburse him for the payment. He approved it and turned around and said its gonna be one heck of a ride in D.C., Cohen said.

As Cohen sits for his long-awaited testimony, the trial has become a whos-who for Trump loyalists eager to publicly reaffirm their fealty to the former president. Sens. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) have appeared in court with Trump, along with New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis. On Tuesday House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), potential VP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and Reps. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) and Cory Mills (R-Fla.) made their own pilgrimages to Trumps defense table.

As reported by Rolling Stone, in the early days of the trial, the former president was infuriated by the lack of visible support from his allies at the courthouse. Where are they? he complained earlier this month, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. Another source noted that Trump had privately grumbled that Republicans hed endorsed were failing to pay proper homage.

While Trump is barred from commenting on witnesses by a court-imposed gag order, his allies flocking to New York are acting as his mouthpieces. Does any reasonable, sensible person believe anything that Michael Cohen says? I dont think that they should, Vance ranted to reporters Monday. Every single person involved in this prosecution is practically a Democratic political operative.

If any other Republicans want to show up to support Trump in court, they better hurry. The prosecution told Judge Juan Merchan on Tuesday that they arent calling any witnesses after Cohen.

More from Rolling Stone

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BALTIMORE  Crews set off a chain of carefully placed explosives Monday to break down the largest remaining span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, and with a boom and a splash, the mangled steel trusses came crashing down into the river below.

The explosives flashed orange and let off plumes of black smoke upon detonation. The longest trusses toppled away from the grounded Dali container ship and slid off its bow, sending a wall of water splashing back toward the ship.

It marked a major step in freeing the ship, which has been stuck amid the wreckage since it lost power and crashed into one of the bridges support columns shortly after leaving Baltimore on March 26. The demolished span came crashing down on the ships bow and remained resting on its deck for the past six weeks.

The collapse killed six construction workers and halted most maritime traffic through Baltimores busy port. The controlled demolition will allow the Dali to be refloated and restore traffic through the port, which will provide relief for thousands of longshoremen, truckers and small business owners who have seen their jobs impacted by the closure.

Officials said the detonation went as planned. They said the next step in the dynamic cleanup process is to assess the few remaining trusses on the Dalis bow and make sure none of the underwater wreckage is preventing the ship from being refloated and moved.

Its a lot like peeling back an onion, said Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Officials still expect to refloat the ship within the next few days.



This was a very big milestone for our progression forward, said Col. Estee Pinchasin, Baltimore District Commander for the Army Corps of Engineers. She said crews dont anticipate having to use any more explosives.

The Dalis 21-member crew remained onboard the ship during the detonation, and no injuries or problems were reported, said Capt. David OConnell, commander of the Port of Baltimore.

The crew members havent been allowed to leave the grounded vessel since the disaster. Officials said theyve been busy maintaining the ship and assisting investigators. Of the crew members, 20 are from India and one is Sri Lankan.

In a videographic released this week, authorities said engineers were using precision cuts to control how the trusses break down. They said the method allows for surgical precision and is one of the safest and most efficient ways to remove steel under a high level of tension.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the FBI are conducting investigations into the bridge collapse.

Danish shipping giant Maersk had chartered the Dali for a planned trip from Baltimore to Sri Lanka, but the ship didnt get far. Its crew sent a mayday call saying they had lost power and had no control of the steering system. Minutes later, the ship rammed into the bridge.

Officials have said the safety board investigation will focus on the ships electrical system.
Principle Toyotas resubmitted rezoning request was denied by a 4-2 vote on the second reading by the Collierville Board of Mayor and Aldermen during its Monday meeting.

Aldermen's John Worley, John Stamps, Missy Marshall and Billy Patton voted against the rezoning request, while Mayor Stan Joyner and Maureen Fraser voted for it. The three aldermen all spoke highly of Principle Toyota, but all expressed their concerns of where the relocated dealership would be at behind the Kroger on Houston Levee Road.

"I respect they want to be in our town and I want to encourage that in any way possible I can," Stamps said. "I'm not sure right now, I can approve this as a rezoning."

Town Planner Jaime Groce said Principle Toyota if they are willing to could look for another location in Collierville. The planned development outline plan pending separately required a conditional use permit for a car dealership.

"They could re-apply and they could find a place that's already zone for a car dealership," Groce said. "That could be little bit easier for them."

The local car dealership was looking to get approval to rezone 17.22 acres in the Gallina Centro Planned Development from shopping center commercial to general commercial. In addition, 22.10 acres would be rezoned from shopping center commercial to medical professional office, according to the staff reports.

Principle Toyota wanted to move its auto dealership at 7370 Winchester Road in Memphis to Collierville to better serve its customers in Germantown and Collierville, according to documents filed with Collierville. The property the dealership was looking to move to is located north of Winchester Road and just west of South Houston Levee Road. The rezoning application was for 40 acres underlying a portion of the existing Gallina Centro Planned Development.

Principle Toyota is planning to relocate from East Memphis to Collierville to better serve Germantown and Collierville residents. Their current location can be seen here at 7370 Winchester Road on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024 in Memphis, Tenn.

According to an application, the proposed rezoning is intended to serve as a transitional zoning district between the 109 single-home family development in Germantown  the Viridian project being developed by Boyle Investment Company  and the proposed Toyota dealership.

Timeline of events for local dealership's rezoning request

The Collierville Planning Commission recommended approval of Principle Toyotas resubmitted rezoning request at a special called meeting on April 18. Before the planning commission meeting, the Collierville Board of Mayor and Aldermen held a work session on March 25 to discuss Principle Toyota's intentions on the undeveloped land between the proposed dealership and the City of Germantown's boundary line.

At the work session, it was discussed that Principle Toyota would amend its request to add a less intensive zoning district and a landscape buffer between Germantown and Principle Toyota's proposed new dealership in Collierville.

Principle Toyota is planning to relocate from East Memphis to Collierville to better serve Germantown and Collierville residents. Their current location can be seen here at 7370 Winchester Road on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024 in Memphis, Tenn.

Why Principle Toyota is looking to relocate to Collierville

The proposed development site for the Principle Toyota relocation would occupy a proposed 75,000-square-foot building along with 8,600 square feet on the second floor. Todd Lochner, general manager of Principle Toyota, said the dealership has 4,700 Toyota owners in Collierville, with 1,300 of them receiving service at the current Principle Toyota location.

"We have a lot of our customer base in our primary market area, and a majority of them are in Collierville and they're spending their money in Memphis," Lochner said during the Feb. 26 meeting. "We would love to have it here and be part of the community as well as be a part of a better neighborhood quite frankly."

Corey Davis is the Collierville and Germantown reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Corey.Davis@commercialappeal.com or 901-293-1610.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Principle Toyota's rezoning request back denied by Collierville BMA
Colorados Democratic Gov. Jared Polis blasted President Bidens administration over the tariffs on goods made in China that were announced Tuesday.

Polis criticized the new tariffs on solar cell and electric vehicle (EV) imports from Beijing, arguing their implementation will negatively impact consumers in the U.S. and be a major blow to clean energy.

This is horrible news for American consumers and a major setback for clean energy, Polis said in a post on the social platform X. Tariffs are a direct, regressive tax on Americans and this tax increase will hit every family.

The administration confirmed the enactment of tariffs Tuesday, part of a push to cut down on U.S. emissions.

The tariffs will increase from 25 percent to 100 percent on Chinese EV imports to counteract Beijings export efforts, according to officials. The tariffs will also double for solar cell imports, going from 25 percent to 50 percent, a spike that, according to officials, is designed to counter Chinese prominence in solar production, which currently sits at around 70 percent worldwide.

Solar cell tariffs were implemented in 2018, during then-President Trumps tenure. Biden extended them in 2022.

Biden ordered a probe into Chinese-made vehicles that have internet connectivity  including EVs  in February.

The administration has faced opposition from some Democrats regarding its approach to EVs. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), one of the most vulnerable Senate Democrats running for reelection in November, has called for a ban on Chinese EVs from the US. Period.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Artist Lakey Goff (left) of Hot Springs Village chats with Brent Stamp, the Director of Capitol Facilities in the Arkansas Secretary of State's office, after the Capitol Arts and Grounds Commission meeting on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate)

The Arkansas Capitol Arts and Grounds Commission on Tuesday tabled a vote on where to construct a monument to the unborn on the Capitol complex and will reconsider the issue at next months meeting.

Act 310 of 2023 authorizes the Secretary of State to decide where to place a suitable monument commemorating unborn children aborted during the era of Roe v. Wade. The law states that Arkansans had at least 236,243 abortions while Roe v. Wade was in place from 1973 to 2022.

In December, the commission voted to recommend that Secretary of State John Thurston approve a living wall of flora and fauna, proposed by artist Lakey Goff of Hot Springs Village, from the pool of nine monument designs submitted for consideration. Goff said the idea was partially inspired by a similar installation at New York Citys Liberty Park, which overlooks the National September 11 Memorial and Museum.

During Tuesdays meeting, the commissioners and Goff disagreed about where on the Capitol grounds to build the monument.

Commissioner Michael Harry said the panel has envisioned placing it on a blank wall on a cooling tower enclosure behind the Capitol. The proposed site is near three other monuments: one for the Ten Commandments, one for Gold Star families and one for fallen firefighters.

The idea was to completely change the vision of the back side of the Capitol, Harry said.

The proposed monument to the unborn at the Arkansas Capitol (Lakey Goff/livingwallarkansas.com)

The large amount of foot and car traffic near the site means the monument would be easy for the public to access and view, Harry said, but Goff said the monument should be a place where people can sit and reflect.

Goffs preferred location would be the Supreme Court building across the street from the Capitol, she said, because it would provide more natural light to sustain the plants and would be quiet enough for visitors to hear the waterfall sounds from an underground sound system included in her design proposal.

She also said the Supreme Court is key to the meaning behind this wall because of the legal process that overturned Roe v. Wade.

Several areas of the Capitol grounds are no-monument zones, narrowing the amount of possible locations for a new monument, Harry said. He added that there shouldnt be a jumbled group of monuments close together.

Goff proposed a potential third location between the Supreme Court and Capitol buildings, and she and Harry agreed to look into whether a monument is allowed there.

Thurston will have the final say on the monuments location after the commission votes to send him a recommendation.

Funding

Abortion has been illegal in Arkansas, except to save the life of the mother, since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Rep. Mary Bentley, R-Perryville, sponsored the 2019 trigger abortion ban that went into effect upon the Supreme Courts decision.

Supporters of abortion access have until July 5 to collect signatures for a proposed ballot measure, approved by Attorney General Tim Griffin, that would create a constitutional right to abortion within 18 weeks of fertilization and include exceptions for rape, incest, a fatal fetal anomaly or to protect the pregnant females life or physical health.

The state will not use public money to construct the abortion monument because Act 310 established a trust fund to raise money via gifts, grants and donations.

Fundraising for the wall is about to begin now that a website including the design and ways to donate has gone live, Goff said. She said at last months meeting that there will be more than enough money to maintain the plants, in response to concerns from commission members, Little Rock Public Radio reported.

Goffs design proposal included an estimate of $215,000 for the first year of maintenance for the monument. Brent Stamp, the Director of Capitol Facilities at Thurstons office, said Tuesday that building the monument as proposed would likely cost more than $60,500.

Since no state funds will be used for the project, there is no need for a competitive bidding process for the monuments construction, Harry said in response to questions from Sen. Kim Hammer, R-Benton.

Bentley and Hammer sponsored Act 310 in the Legislature, and both were present at Tuesdays meeting.

Hammer also co-sponsored a 2015 law authorizing the construction of the Ten Commandments monument, which has been the subject of ongoing federal litigation. Several plaintiffs have claimed the monument violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits government entities from favoring an establishment of religion.

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The post Commission debates where to build Arkansas Capitols upcoming monument to the unborn appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)  All nurses at Community Regional Medical Center do their best to ensure the best in patient care. Some take it a step further by becoming certified to use their expertise to ensure improved patient outcomes and also to become mentors to other nurses.

Click here for more MedWatch Today

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Click here for Community Medical Centers homepage

Lora Baggiolini has been with Community Health System for more than 20 years and is now a certified registered nurse at Fresno Heart and Surgical Hospital in Cardiac Critical Care providing an extra layer of support for her patients and colleagues.

A certified nurse is a nurse who has gone through extra education and has been validated for having a certain focused bit of knowledge, said Baggiolini. Patients will see our badges and say, what is a CCR? And you get a chance to explain. I have taken on the opportunity to get more information and an understanding about being a critical care nurse, and that way it benefits the patient.

A registered nurse must be working in the field for at least two years before they can become certified in their field.

There are currently more than 150 different types of nursing certifications available. It is also encouraged by Community Health System leaders.

What we see is most of these nurses, theyre leaders and theyre champions within the unit, so theyre helping drive best practice and the unit changes for best outcomes, said Mina Banuelos, Director of Inpatient Cardiovascular Services at Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital.

Banuelos says Loras story reinforces Communitys commitment to helping their employees grow and develop professionally.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47.
From Keith Rabois to Ethan Kurzweil, a lot of VCs have switched firms or spun out of storied VC institutions to launch their own funds this year. These employment changes are surprising because unlike in many other fields, venture capitalists dont traditionally move around very much  especially those who reach the partner or general partner level.

VC funds have 10-year life cycles, and partners have good reason to stay that course. In some instances, there may be a key man on a firms fund, meaning that if they leave, the funds LPs have the right to pull their capital out if they choose. Many partners and GPs also have some of their own money invested in their firms funds, which gives them further reason to stick around.

So, while big-name investor moves in venture capital arent common, they seem to have become so in recent months. So far this year, there have been notable instances of investors returning to old firms, striking out on their own, or taking a pause from investing entirely.

Heres who we know of so far:

September

James da Costa announced on September 17 that he was joining Andreessen Horowitz as a partner focused on B2B software and financial services. This marks da Costa's first foray into venture investing; he was previously the co-founder of Fingo, an African neobank.

On September 11, Jacob Westphal announced that he was leaving Andreessen Horowitz. Westphal was a partner at a16z for three and a half years. He left to become the portfolio lead at Will Ventures.

August

Freestyle VC announced on August 15 that Maria Palma had joined the firm as a general partner based in San Francisco. Palma was most recently a general partner at Kindred Capital, based in London. Palma has backed companies such as Moov, Novo, and Lottie.

July

After nearly seven years, Alex Cook is getting ready to leave Tiger Global, sources familiar with the matter tell TechCrunch. While at Tiger Global, Cook led deals including TradingView, Scalapay and TrueLayer, among others. Prior to Tiger Global, Cook worked at Apollo.

Bessemer Venture Partners announced it added Lauri Moore as a partner on July 22. Moore was previously a partner at Foundation Capital for two years and an operator at LinkedIn before that. Moore will be focused on early-stage investments in sectors including data, AI and developer tools.

On July 17, DCVC announced it had brought on Milo Werner as a general partner to lead the firm's climate investing practice. The firm is currently raising its first dedicated climate fund. Werner was most recently a general partner at Engine Ventures for two and a half years. Werner was a partner at Ajax Strategies prior to that.

Anne Lee Skates announced on July 11 that she had left Andreessen Horowitz where she had been a partner on the consumer team since 2019. She added that she's off to do her "life's work" and will post more about her future plans soon. At Andreessen, she backed companies including Whatnot, Kindred and Prisms, among others.

June

On June 17, Spencer Peterson announced that he'd left Bedrock, where he served as partner for five years, to become a general partner at Coatue. Peterson is an investor in companies including OpenAI and Rippling, among others.

Amanda "Robby" Robson announced her departure from Cowboy Ventures in a LinkedIn post in early June. Robson had been at Cowboy Ventures since October 2019 and at Norwest Venture Partners for three years prior to that. Robson plans to launch a fund of her own.

May

Serena Ventures founding partner Alison Stillman announced she'd stepped back from the firm on May 14 after a nearly six-year run working with tennis star Serena Williams. Stillman did not announce her next step.

Terri Burns announced on May 13 that she was launching a new venture firm called Type Capital. Burns was previously the first Black woman partner at GV and left the firm back in 2022. Her new fund will focus on pre-seed and seed-stage startups.

Last week TechCrunch scooped that Fika Ventures co-founder Eva Ho was going to transition out of the firm after Fika finished deploying its current fund. Ho is stepping back for personal reasons. The move was confirmed by the firm in a blog post on May 9.

On May 9, Alison Lange Engel announced she was taking on the role of CEO at Ceros, an AI-powered design company. Lange Engel left Greycroft in December, where she had been a partner since 2019, to take the role.

After 15 years, Vic Singh announced on X that he was stepping down from Eniac Ventures on May 1. Singh helped launch the firm in 2009 and is planning to launch a new firm of his own.

April

On April 30, Ethan Kurzweil announced he was leaving his role as partner at Bessemer Venture Partners after 16 years. Kurzweil will be launching an early-stage-focused investment firm, according to reporting from Axios. Kurzweil will launch the firm with Kristina Shen, who left Andreessen Horowitz after four years on March 29, and Mark Goldberg, who left Index Ventures after eight years last fall.

On April 1, Christina Farr announced that she'd be leaving OMERS Ventures, where she has served as a principal investor and the lead of the firm's health tech practice since December 2020. Farr announced on X that she'd be working on her health tech newsletter, writing a book focused on the power that storytelling can have on businesses, and consulting health tech founders.

March

After six years as a partner at Accel, Ethan Choi announced that he'd be leaving the firm to head to Khosla Ventures in March. Choi will be focused on growth-stage investing at his new firm and has backed such companies as Klaviyo, Pismo and 1Password.

While many of the recent VC moves have been by folks looking to start something new, or take on a different opportunity, not all of them have been. On March 13, Chamath Palihapitiya's Social Capital announced that it fired partners Jay Zaveri and Ravi Tanuku . Bloomberg reported that this was due to a matter involving raising money for AI startup Groq.

Rabois was not the only person looking to boomerang back to an old haunt in this recent rise of investor reshuffling. On March 5, Miles Grimshaw announced that he'd be returning to Thrive Capital as a general partner after serving the same position at Benchmark Capital for three years. Grimshaw originally started at Thrive Capital in 2013 and has backed such companies as Airtable, Lattice, and Monzo, among others.

While transitioning from operator to VC is a common career progression in the startup ecosystem, it isn't for everybody. On March 4, Sam Blond announced he had come to that conclusion and would be leaving Founders Fund, where he had been a partner for about 18 months. Blond said he would return to operating and has held roles at companies such as Brex, Zenefits and EchoSign.

January

After 12 years at Andreessen Horowitz, Connie Chan announced she was leaving the firm on January 23. Chan had served as one of the firm's general partners the last five years and has backed companies such as Cider, KoBold and Whatnot.

Famed venture investor Keith Rabois announced on January 9 that he was leaving Founders Fund to return to Khosla Ventures. Rabois had been a general partner at Founders Fund for nearly five years; he returned to Khosla as a managing director, his prior role.

TechCrunch is monitoring the recent venture moves and will continue to update this article as they happen. If you have any tips or callouts to bring to our attention, contact me here: rebecca.szkutak@techcrunch.com.

This post was originally published on May 1. It has since been updated on May 13, July 12, August 15 and September 23 to include additional moves within venture.

This post has been updated to better reflect Anne Lee Skates' investments at Andreessen Horowitz.
It looks like Vice President Kamala Harris got caught up in the moment and used some profanity during an interview on Monday. Of course, conservatives couldnt wait to call the moment inauthentic and label Harris phony. However, their support for Trump remains steadfast despite all of the racist and deplorable things he has saidwhich shows just how deep the hypocrisy runs.

At the annual Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies Legislative Leadership summit, Harris got expressive when talking about Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and Native Hawaiians breaking down barriers. She was asked by moderator and actor Jimmy O. Yang about how her heritage informs the way she serves this country.

Her father is from Jamaica and her mother is from India. In addition to being the first Indian-American vice president, she is also the first woman vice president and first Indian-American U.S. senator. Her response was on the longer side as Harris encouraged young folks to not let others judge them.

She even quoted her mother to further express her views. We have to know that sometimes, people will open the door for you and leave it open, sometimes they wont. And then you need to kick that f***ing door down, Harris explained.

Realizing her words may have been a little strong, Harris laughed and then said Excuse my language. The audience enjoyed her passion and responded with cheers and applause. Yang also gave his stamp of approval and jokingly stated We gotta make T-shirts!

However, Fox News personality Brian Kilmeade predictably chimed in about how Harris has gone over the top and is starting to act like one of the guys by swearing. The Daily Caller said the moment intense and that she raised eyebrows, while Newsmax correspondent James Rosen called it unprecedented.

Meanwhile, Trump has called Mexicans rapists, said that he grabs women by their genitalia, commented that Black people can relate to him because he has a mugshot and labeled white supremacists very fine people. In the past, Kilmeade has called Trump disciplined for not dining with racists while Rosen has said the Biden administration has a contempt for real journalism.

The right attacking Harris for simply speaking her mind is just another infuriating tool in their playbook to degrade the VP.



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Consumers Energy announced Monday, May 13, 2024, that it would invest $24 million to install nearly 3,000 line sensors and more than 100 automatic transfer reclosers in parts of its electric grid this year.

As part of its latest electric rate increase, Jackson-based Consumers Energy will spend $24 million this year to invest in a series of line sensors and automatic transfer reclosers (ATRs) along parts of its grid. Company officials say the "smart technology devices" will improve the ability to detect outages and reroute electricity to ensure customers maintain power in their homes.

Consumers will install nearly 3,000 line sensors and more than 100 ATRs this year, the company announced in a news release Monday. The ATRs are used to automatically reroute power when an outage is detected, and line sensors are used to alert crews when and where a looming outage will occur.

According to a company spokesperson, the ATRs will be installed across 72 circuits, which account for approximately 3.4% of the grid, and the line sensors will be installed across 700 circuits, covering approximately 33.3% of the grid. Exact locations for the new installations were not disclosed Monday.

Consumers provides electric service to 1.8 million customers in Michigan's Lower Peninsula. In March, state regulators signed off on the company raising its electric rates by $92 million, a $1.53 increase to the average monthly bill for a typical residential customer.

The $24 million investment in the line sensors and ATRs is paid for by the latest rate increase, the spokesperson said.

Company officials say the planned upgrades will bolster the reliability of Consumers' electric grid. Consumers also installed 123 ATRs last year.

ATRs and line sensors are both instrumental when storms strike and cause outages, Greg Salisbury, Consumers Energy's vice president of electric engineering, said in a statement. They will be a big part of our reliability future and keeping the power on for our customers.

The company, since the rate increase request was approved, has also announced plans to spend $3.5 million on upgrading 1,200 electric poles from wood to iron. Iron poles are more resilient to adverse weather and will help deliver more consistent electric service for customers.

Also in the company's latest rate increase case, state regulators approved Consumers to bury about 10 miles of power lines as part of a pilot project to improve reliability.

Both Consumers and Detroit-based DTE Energy, Michigan's two largest electric providers, have faced customer scrutiny about the reliability of their services. Both have ranked among the worst-performing utilities nationally when it comes to how long it takes them to restore power after an outage, according to a review of reliability data.

Consumers last year unveiled its "Reliability Roadmap," a five-year plan aimed at investing in strengthening the company's electric grid and providing more reliable service. The plan includes taking steps to automate parts of the grid where feasible, as well as making electrical infrastructure more resilient to adverse weather.

DTE is currently asking state regulators for a $456 million rate increase for its electric service, which would be about an $11 increase in the average customer's monthly bill. The utility says the funds are needed to improve reliability.

Contact Arpan Lobo: alobo@freepress.com. Follow him on X (Twitter) @arpanlobo.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Consumers Energy announces upgrades to detect outages, re-route power
As work continues to remove cargo ship from collapsed Baltimore bridge, what about its crew?

Explosive charges are detonated to bring down sections of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge resting on the container ship Dali on Monday, May 13, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

A crew of Indian and Sri Lankan men has spent the last 49 days confined to a hulking and motionless cargo vessel in Baltimore, its bow pinned by what's left of the shattered bridge it struck.

Demolition crews set off explosives Monday to push broken bridge trusses away from the grounded Dali container ship, which lost power and struck one of the columns of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, causing the entire structure to collapse. But even as the ship moves closer to freedom, the crew's future remains an open question.

The 21 crewmen are still on board. They've had their phones seized by investigators. And bodies of the six construction workers who were fixing potholes on the bridge when it collapsed have been pulled from the water around them.

Some worry theyll be held personally liable for the disaster.

While some crew members are coping, morale has understandably dipped, two unions representing the seafarers said in a statement.

Here's what we know about the Dali's crew, what they've been doing and what their concerns are:

WHAT HAVE THEY BEEN DOING?

The Rev. Mark Nestlehutt, president and executive director of the New York-based Seamens Church Institute, said he and others boarded the Dali about a week after the crash to provide a compassionate ear to the crew.

Everybody was trying to make the best out of a tragic situation, Nestlehutt said. At that point, the only real question for the seafarers was when they might be able to go home.

Food has not been a concern. The Dali was well-stocked for what was supposed to be a long voyage, while additional food has been brought onboard as well, said Darrell Wilson, a spokesperson for Synergy Marine, the Dalis Singapore-based management company.

Crewmembers have stayed busy, focused on the many tasks of running a large cargo vessel. They've also participated in the ongoing federal investigation into the crash and assisted with salvage operations of the collapsed bridge.

They've received visits from unions and religious groups. Most of the crew are Hindu, Nestlehutt said, but others are Muslim and Christian.

Bishop Adam J. Parker from the Baltimore Archdiocese visited the ship in early May and held mass with three Roman Catholic crew members in a small office, said Andrew Middleton, director of the archdiocese's Apostleship of the Sea.

Middleton said they also passed along care packages, including from a stranger in Minnesota, that had candy, socks and puzzles, among other things.

WHAT ARE THEIR CONCERNS?

Crewmembers have expressed concerns about their phones being seized by federal investigators, Nestlehutt said.

Wilson said the phones have been replaced with new ones, and Synergy Marine said in a statement in early April that the crew had unlimited use of the ships satellite communications to stay in touch with family.

But Nestlehutt and unions say the new phones lack the important personal information that's on the old phones, such as contacts, family photos and banking apps for transferring money back home to their families.

The two unions representing crew members, the Singapore Maritime Officers Union and the Singapore Organisation of Seamen, called for the swift return" the phones in a statement.

The unions said the men also suffered emotional distress from witnessing the crash and have an unfounded fear of personal criminal liability.

The criminalisation of seafarers based solely on their position on board a vessel during an incident is a growing concern, said Mary Liew, general secretary for the officers' union.

Nestlehutt also said the crewmen are concerned that continuing to be detained on the ship could imperil future visas to the U.S. or for the crewmembers children.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

The Dali is currently scheduled to be refloated during high tide on Tuesday, officials said over the weekend. They said several tugboats will be used to guide the ship to a nearby terminal in the Port of Baltimore, where it will likely remain for a few weeks and undergo temporary repairs before being moved to a shipyard for more substantial repairs.

Wilson said the men will remain on the ship for the foreseeable future as investigations into the crash continue.

Nobody knows that ship better than the crew, he said. "So they are instrumental in helping with the salvage operation as well as the investigation process.

Nestlehutt said 1.6 million people work as seafarers on cargo vessels  an invisible workforce.

This is maybe a chance to appreciate what seafarers do for us day-in and day-out," he said. To make sure that we have the things that we order from Amazon and the cars that we want to drive and the things we want to put on our table.

___

Associated Press reporter Lea Skene contributed to this report.
Out-of-control truck on I-95 had 3 men brawling in front seat, cops say. It crashed

A Florida truck driver is facing reckless endangerment charges after hes accused of engaging in a fight with two men  while they drove along Interstate 95, Connecticut investigators say.

The out-of-control box truck crashed when it plummeted off the interstate around 4:30 p.m. Sunday, May 12, near Greenwich, Connecticut State Police reported in a news release.

Investigators say the driver was a 46-year-old man from Lake Worth, and the fight involved two co-workers who were desperate for a pit stop.

The collision occurred during a physical altercation between the vehicles operator and two adult passengers, state police said in the release.

An argument began when (the driver) stopped at a shopping plaza after driving for several hours. According to the passengers, (he) left the vehicle briefly to purchase food and quickly returned. ... When they asked (him) for some additional time for them to take a break, (he) allegedly began yelling that they did not need breaks and immediately began driving.

The dispute escalated when the driver struck one passenger in the face and the second passenger intervened, officials said.

While the altercation was occurring, the vehicle began to swerve from the right lane into the right shoulder before striking a metal beam guardrail and traveling down an embankment, police said.

The passenger allegedly struck (by the driver) had visible injuries to his face, according to police. The second passenger ... reported minor injuries.

Dash camera footage corroborated the victims stories, officials said.

The driver was arrested and charged with third-degree assault, two counts of second-degree reckless endangerment and failure to maintain lane, officials said.

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Former West Virginia Republican delegate and current January 6 convicted felon Derrick Evans is running against incumbent Carol Miller for the GOP primary nomination in West Virginias 1st congressional district Tuesday. The race, described as a test of voter perspective on violent insurrection, pits a MAGA incumbent who in her last primary cleaned up with 66 percent of the votes against a felonious livestreamer who aggressively posts.

Evans famously livestreamed himself storming the U.S. Capitol alongside the mob of Trump supporters on January 6, 2021. In the video, Evans reportedly declared, Were in! Derrick Evans is in the Capitol! Evans was arrested two days later, at which time he claimed he was simply there as an independent member of the media to film history. Evanss only background in media, to put it generously, is a history of livestreaming himself harassing patients and staff at West Virginias only abortion clinicactions which eventually resulted in a restraining order that he subsequently violated.

In March 2022, Evans pleaded guilty to one felony count of civil disorder and served three months in federal prison related to his involvement in the Capitol riot. At the time, Evans apologized for his participation in the riot, which he called a crucial mistake. The month prior, Evans resigned from his seat as a delegate representing West Virginias 19th district, according to AP.

A year later, Evans reversed course and seemingly ignored his previous apology, tweeting, I will not compromise my values or beliefs. Thats what politicians do as part of his announcement of his campaign for political office. Since his announcement, Evans has pushed a bombastic campaign heavily focused on his participation in the Capitol riot to craft a contrast to his equally conservative competitor, who hes referred to as a commie RINO for not physically participating in the Capitol riot.

According to the Daily Beast, Evans has been working to bolster his far-right brand by hiring Noel Fritsch of National File, a right-wing blog created by Alex Jones, to attack his incumbent opponent. Miller is also a staunch Trump supporter who voted against certifying election results, but is not a convicted felon. Evans has aggressively touted his conviction and prison time as a positive trait, framing himself as unfairly persecuted for his choice to participate in a mob riot.

Polls in West Virginia are open until 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
When Emily first heard about Belgium's decision to create Europe's first labour law for sex workers in Europe, she was excited that her working conditions would finally improve.

"In this way, we will get a wider choice of safe places where we can offer our services in a self-determined way because, at the moment, that's not really the case," Emily, who lives in a major city in Belgium, told Euronews.

An independent sex worker for three years, Emily (name changed to protect her identity) has personally experienced the lack of support for sex workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, where many lost their income yet were ineligible for government support as their sector did not officially exist.

She and others are hoping this will change with the introduction of Europe's  and the world's  first labour law for sex workers in Belgium.

What does the new law mean in practice?

The legislation, which was approved with 93 votes in favour, 33 abstentions and 0 votes against earlier this month, allows procurers to provide Belgian sex workers with an employment contract for the first time.

The change gives sex workers access to social security provisions such as pensions, health insurance and annual vacation. It also gives sex workers protection from work-related risks, including implementing standards on who can become an employer.

A chair inside of a sex-workers booth stands empty in Antwerp, 3 November 2020 - AP Photo/Virginia Mayo

Daan Bauwens of the Belgian Union for Sex Workers UTSOPI explained that the new law places restrictions on who can hand out contracts to sex workers  limiting the possibility of exploitation.

People who have previous convictions such as human trafficking and theft will not be able to become employers, Bauwens told Euronews, "This is a very important thing because up till now, it was possible."

Sex workers are also entitled to further key rights, including being able to refuse a client or a sexual act, as well as interrupt a sexual act at any point.

If any of these rights are invoked more than 10 times in one year, either the employee or employer can call a government mediator to intervene.

Different strokes, different folks

Belgium keeps being an outlier in the European context when it comes to answering the demands of sex workers' unions.

Just two years ago, it became the first country in Europe to decriminalise sex work in Europe.

Other countries in Europe have roughly either legalised sex work to some extent or followed the so-called "Nordic model", which criminalises the procuring and purchasing of sex work.

The different legalisation models in countries like Germany, the Netherlands, and Austria mean that each country has a distinct set of conditions that must be fulfilled to be able to carry out sex work legally, Bauwens said.

In this Friday March 29, 2019, file image tourists bathing in a red glow emanating from the windows and peep shows' neon lights, in Amsterdam's red light district. - Peter Dejong/Copyright 2019 The AP. All rights reserved

In some places, a sex worker could still be criminalised for carrying out work if they can't meet certain preconditions, something that would not be the case under a system of full decriminalisation.

Furthermore, countries such as Germany, which follow their own legalisation model, have said they are considering tweaks to the existing rules, such as criminalising the clients of sex workers under the Nordic model.

Yet, according to Emily, those kinds of changes only make sex work more dangerous.

"If you criminalise the clients, the good clients, the ones that want to respect the law, will stop seeing sex workers," she explained.

"The ones that don't care about the law will continue seeing sex workers anyway. As a result, we get worse clients."

Safety and well-being before national politics

Europe has long been unable to agree on a unified model to regulate sex work. Last September, the European Parliament adopted a divisive report on how to regulate sex work that outlined the need to reduce the demand for sex work and punish clients.

Despite the report having no legislative impact, multiple sex worker's associations and NGOs were critical of its recommendations.

"In some ways, this is not a pan-European matter  as the European Commission has told us when we apply for funding, it depends on the member states," Executive Director of the European Sex Workers Rights Alliance Sabrina Sanchez told Euronews.

Emily agreed that the different and competing approaches are symbolic of national politics. Yet, what should matter is everyone's safety and well-being, and full decriminalisation across Europe is the most important first step, followed by strict labour laws, she said.

"If you look at the science, then you will see that studies show that decriminalisation is much more effective in protecting sex workers and that actually, if you criminalise the clients, then you make it much more dangerous to engage in sex work."

"I hope that the international community at one point is going to realise this  and follow Belgium's example," Emily concluded.
Could Donald Trump go to jail if he is convicted?

There is plenty at stake in Donald Trumps hush money trial in New York  even though the former president seems to be repeatedly falling asleep.

Aside from his chances in Novembers presidential election  a decent proportion of Republicans indicate they will not vote for Mr Trump if he is criminally convicted  the court could impose a severe penalty if he is found guilty.

Mr Trump, who is already liable for half a billion dollars following a string of civil losses, could face a further fine or even a prison sentence.

The hush money case is one of the four indictments that Mr Trump faces. Served consecutively, the potential sentences would mean hundreds of years in prison.

But how likely is it that Mr Trump will be convicted? Can he run a campaign or take office if he is behind bars? And will he become the first US president to serve time in prison?

New York

In the Manhattan case, Donald Trump has been charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records  allegedly to conceal hush money payments to the adult film star Stormy Daniels with whom he allegedly had an affair.

Prosecutors claim that the then-Republican candidate intended to corrupt the result of the 2016 election by suppressing a damaging story, breaching state and federal campaign finance laws.

Michael Cohen, Mr Trumps fixer, is said to have paid $130,000 to Stormy Daniels to keep the story of their alleged relationship quiet, and was later reimbursed by his boss.

Falsifying business records is normally classed as a misdemeanour in New York, but Mr Trump has controversially been charged with a Class E felony instead, which carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison.

John C Coffee, of Columbia Law School, predicted there was a good chance that a New York jury could find the former president guilty, noting the hefty fines imposed against him in his fraud and defamation cases.

However, he downplayed the likelihood of Mr Trump serving time in prison, noting that he is 77 years old and has never been criminally convicted.

Although it is conceivable that a judge  particularly one that Trump has regularly insulted  would impose some jail time to underline the culpability of Trumps conduct, the betting is no jail time, but a high fine and a sentence to probationary conditions, Prof Coffee told The Telegraph.

There is another possibility. Juan Merchan, the judge presiding over the case, signalled he could send Mr Trump to prison if he continues breaching a gag order designed to protect witnesses, jurors and court staff.

The former president has been found in contempt of court for violating the order nine times so far.

Washington, DC

Mr Trump has also been charged with four criminal counts over the events that led to the storming of the Capitol on Jan 6 2021. Most legal commentators see it as the most serious case against the former president.

According to a 45-page indictment brought by special counsel Jack Smith, Mr Trump attempted to reverse his election loss by pressuring officials in key states to assemble fake electors to ignore the popular vote and pushing the justice department to open sham inquiries.

He has been charged with two counts of obstructing an official proceeding  which could mean up to 20 years in prison - along with conspiracy against the right to vote and defrauding the United States, which could mean up to 10 years each.

Mr Smith signalled he was seeking a speedy trial, but his hopes were dashed when it was put on hold as lawyers acting for Mr Trump argued he was immune from prosecution as a former president.

The arguments were given short shrift by Tanya Chutkan, the DC district judge presiding over Mr Trumps trial, and the appeals court.

However, it has made its way up to the Supreme Court, where three justices took issue with the ruling of the lower courts and signalled they could send it back down.

As such it threatens to delay the case beyond Novembers presidential election  and if Mr Trump takes office, he could theoretically dismiss the charges against him.

Prof Coffee believes the delays to the Jan 6 trial and other cases means the New York case is the only game in town.

The argument in the Supreme Court suggests that the Jan 6 case will be sent back to the lower court and thus this New York case will be the only verdict before the election, he said.

If Trump wins the election, he can duck the other federal trials and possibly the Georgia state case as well.

In April, conservative justices on the Supreme Court appeared sceptical with the use of the obstruction charge in an appeal brought by a Jan 6 rioter.

Some seemed inclined to agree that the law, brought in after the Enron accounting scandal, was being applied too broadly in relation to Congresss certification of Joe Bidens election victory.

Not only could its decision mean hundreds of appeals by rioters, but it accounts for half of the charges brought against Mr Trump in the Jan 6 case. Some commentators believe it will put a further obstacle in the way of the proceedings.

Georgia

Fani Willis, the Fulton County district attorney who brought the Georgia case against Mr Trump, has made no secret of her hope to see the Republican behind bars.

We have a long road ahead, she wrote in an email to defence lawyers in November 2023. Long after these folks are in jail, we will still be practising law.

The road ahead would be longer than she realised.

Mr Trump has been charged with 13 racketeering counts related to an alleged bid to overturn the result of the 2020 election in Georgia under the Rico (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations) Act.

The law was designed to dismantle Americas Mob families, and ironically was used to great effect by one of Mr Trumps co-defendants, Rudy Giuliani, against New Yorks five Mob families in the 1980s.

In a leaked call with Brad Raffensperger, Georgias Republican secretary of state, Mr Trump appeared to plead with him to find thousands of votes that would allow him to win the crucial state. If convicted, he faces 20 years in prison.

Ms Willis had proposed that the trial start by August 5, anticipating it would take many months to reach a verdict.

However, the case has been hit by one issue after another, leaving proceedings in limbo and the date looking increasingly uncertain.

The key issue concerns a relationship between Ms Willis and Nathan Wade, whom she tasked with leading the prosecution of the former president.

Mr Trump and other defendants argued that she had paid him handsomely for taking on the case, before benefitting personally when he paid for them to take luxury holidays. Ms Willis denied improper behaviour and claimed to have paid Mr Wade back.

Judge Scott McAfee eventually ruled that Ms Willis could continue the prosecution  but only if her former partner withdrew from the team. The case is on hold as the Georgia Court of Appeals considers whether to hear Mr Trumps appeal against the decision.

Three of the initial charges against Mr Trump have also been dismissed by Judge McAfee, saying they provided insufficient detail for students to defend themselves.

Even if the presumptive Republican presidential candidate takes office, he could not dismiss the trial because it is a state case.

Some believe, however, that he could order the Justice Department to challenge his sentence. Department opinions have concluded that a sitting president could not be imprisoned.

Steve Sadow, acting for Mr Trump, has argued in court that a potential trial would have to be delayed until 2029 if his client wins the presidential election, citing the Constitutions federal supremacy clause.

Florida

The stakes are high for Mr Trump in Florida. He faces 40 felony charges on mishandling classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort, which have a maximum sentence of between five and 20 years each.

However, that may not matter if Donald Trump can make it to the presidential election in November before a trial can be held. If he takes office again, he would be able to throw it out because it is a federal case.

The indictment accused Mr Trump of removing state secrets from the White House and storing them haphazardly around his Florida resort.

Some of the documents were said to have been stacked in a ballroom and even a shower, and contain information about nuclear programmes, as well as the defence capabilities of the US and its allies.

Special counsel Jack Smith appears to be frustrated with the pace that the Florida case is moving, and has implored Judge Aileen Cannon to expedite it.

He has accused Mr Trumps legal team of trying to use the Stormy Daniels trial in New York to delay the classified documents case as much as possible.

The trial was originally set to begin on May 20, but this has become steadily unlikely as the weeks have crept on. Judge Cannon heard arguments about setting a trial date in March  but is yet to clarify when it will be.

Prosecutors have suggested starting it on July 8 instead, while Mr Trumps lawyers say it should begin after the November election. They have also raised August as a possibility, however.

Commentators are now questioning if, let alone when, the case will reach trial.

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Could Memphis handle a massive earthquake, and how likely is one? What the experts say

A 3D printed model, created by Dr. Christodoulos Kyriakopoulos with the University of Memphis Center for Earthquake Research and Information, demonstrates where the Axial Fault is during the New Madrid 1812 earthquake on Thursday, May 02 2024 at 3890 Central Avenue in Memphis, Tenn.

From Dec. 16, 1811, to Feb. 7, 1812, three major earthquakes violently shook part of the central United States. Trees bent and snapped. Sand blows erupted. Chimneys toppled and cabins collapsed. Crashing waves tormented boats on the Mississippi River, which appeared to run backward. A swath of marshes became the 15,000-acre Reelfoot Lake.

The earthquakes were so powerful they were felt in South Carolina, in Connecticut, and at the White House by President James Madison, who wrote in a Feb. 7 letter to Thomas Jefferson that the re-iteration of earthquakes continues the uproar from certain quarters.

Madison, however, didnt have to worry about overseeing a widespread emergency response. The earthquakes were caused by the three faults in the New Madrid Seismic Zone, a chunk of the central U.S. that was sparsely populated. Where there were settlements, there was damage; but the area was still considered the frontier and contained no large cities.

But as time passed, more people ventured into the area. In 1819, seven years after the last of the giant earthquakes, Memphis was founded, just 40 miles away from one of the three New Madrid faults. Its population grew, along with the populations of other nearby towns. They constructed homes, hospitals, restaurants, and hotels. They constructed towers visible from the sky.

And if earthquakes like the ones from 1811 and 1812 were ever again felt in the seismic zone, there would be no shortage of opportunities for destruction.

Memphis is near a major fault: Here's what experts say you can do to prepare for an earthquake

Will there be another major earthquake?

Its no secret that Memphis is close to a major fault, and if you've lived here long enough, you've probably heard the theory that repeats of the 1811-12 earthquakes could devastate the city.

In 2008, a project funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency simulated worse-case scenarios for the Central U.S. if there were earthquakes of a similar magnitude, and the results were startling. The number of casualties in Tennessee, it predicted, could eclipse 60,000, with most of them occurring in West Tennessee.

One line in the report was especially disconcerting: "Memphis in particular could see severe damage."

But don't panic. The chances of cataclysmic earthquakes striking the region in your lifetime are slim, and they aren't something you need to fret about in your day-to-day life.

That being said, a lot of seismologists believe a repeat of the 1811-12 earthquakes could happen. The University of Memphis is home to the Center for Earthquake Research and Information, which closely tracks and studies earthquakes. The organization is internationally recognized as an authority on seismology, and its staffers haven't ruled out the possibility of catastrophic earthquakes rocking the region.

The seismic monitoring area at the University of Memphis Center for Earthquake Research and Information, can be seen during a tour on Thursday, May 02 2024 at 3890 Central Avenue in Memphis, Tenn.

The odds are very good that we're going to get a repeat of 1811 and 1812, said Mitch Withers, Ph.D., an associate research professor with CERI. Nothing has changed that were aware of, that would stop that from happening again in the future sometime.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the early 19th-century earthquakes werent the first ones in the New Madrid Seismic Zone. Similar sequences of earthquakes had already happened, around 1,450 AD and 900 AD, and other large earthquakes have also struck the region over the last 5,000 years.

We know that similar sequences of earthquakes happened in the past at least three times, Withers said. So, if every 10 years your gate gets knocked down you might guess that your gate is going to get knocked down again.

Hard to predict 'the big one'

If a catastrophic earthquake were to come, it would likely be somewhere between a magnitude of seven and eight, which is the estimated strength of the 1811-12 earthquakes and enough to devastate communities. For comparison, earthquakes with a magnitude of 2.5 or less, which happen regularly, usually arent felt.

But just what are the chances of earthquakes like these returning to the seismic zone soon?

Its difficult to say.

The USGS estimates that theres a 7% to 10% chance the NMSZ would get a repeat of the 1811-12 earthquakes in the next 50 years. It also estimates that theres a 25% to 40% chance it would get a 6.0 and greater earthquake  which wouldnt be as severe but could still cause significant damage  in that same period.

But these are rough estimates; not exact predictions, and they dont specify where in the NMSZ the earthquakes might occur. Would they be caused by the fault closest to Memphis, which is about 40 miles away in Marked Tree, Arkansas? Or would they stem from one of the other two major faults in the seismic zone  which spans about 150 miles and covers portions of western Tennessee, northeast Arkansas, southeast Missouri, and western Kentucky?

Memphis could be affected regardless, and in 1811-12, all three faults  not just one  caused major earthquakes. Earthquakes of magnitude seven or more often come in sequences of two or three. But the questions do raise an important point: predicting earthquakes is difficult.

Previously: West Tennessee earthquake rattled nerves but no particular cause for concern, expert says

More: 5 things to know about earthquakes in the Memphis area

You cant tell exactly where in the NMSZ major earthquakes would take place, just as you cant tell when they would take place. Studies have shown that the sequences of earthquakes comparable to 1811-12 have occurred about every 500 years, but, as Withers noted, theres considerable variability in that.

While you can make probabilities of the future that are based on the past, you can't predict earthquakes.

"The problem is, we can't tell you the 'when' of it," said Kent Moran, Ph.D., a research associate with CERI. "It's sort of like, 'When is the next earthquake?' When you feel it."

What would a massive earthquake do to Memphis?

If earthquakes similar to those of 1811-12 were to come, the effects on the Mid-South could be serious. When Withers spoke about damage, it wasn't initially clear if he was saying it would be extensive or expensive.

But really, either works.

One of the issues is that Memphis has a significant amount of unreinforced masonry buildings, which are typically older brick structures that predate building codes and are not braced by some kind of reinforcing material.

PhD student Navin Thapa explains how he interprets data to determine the magnitude of seismic activity in the Earthquake Physic Lab at the University of Memphis Center for Earthquake Research and Information on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024 in Memphis, Tenn.

When shaken by major earthquakes, they typically dont fare well.

Unreinforced masonry is probably one of the biggest concerns, said Gary Patterson, a geologist and the director of education and outreach for CERI. You have bricks without any steel reinforcement If you move them a little bit in the mortar, theyre not going to return to where they were, and that means damage.

Let's take another look at the FEMA-funded project produced in 2008, which simulated worse-case scenarios for the Central U.S. if the NMSZ produced magnitude 7.7 earthquakes.

According to the report, in Tennessee, over 250,000 buildings could be moderately or more severely damaged, economic losses could surpass $56 billion, and the number of casualties could eclipse 60,000. If the earthquake were to occur at 2 p.m., the number of casualties could reach 63,000  including nearly 4,100 fatalities  and roughly 75% of them would occur in the 37 counties in west Tennessee. In addition, 263,000 people in Tennessee could also be displaced, and this, the report notes, is likely due to the major population of Memphis, TN, incurring significant damage.

Dr. Kent Moran, with the University of Memphis Center for Earthquake Research and Information, explains how earthquake monitoring equipment works during a tour on Thursday, May 02 2024 at 3890 Central Avenue in Memphis, Tenn.

The situation grows even more severe when you think about the implications for the broader region. Tennessee likely wouldnt be the only place affected, given the size of the NMSZ and the reach of severe earthquakes. As the report puts it:

A recurrence of the 1811-1812 series could have devastating impacts on the region, with considerable national repercussions, as transportation routes, natural gas, and oil transmission pipelines are broken, and services are interrupted.

Hospitals and strip malls

The report doesnt exactly paint a rosy picture. But it was released 16 years ago, and if the simulations were done again today, the outlook might look different.

In the 1990s, more stringent building codes were adopted around the country, due to lessons learned from earthquakes in California. And in 2008, Memphis and Shelby County adopted a code that was already used by much of the U.S. and required new project designs to put more focus on seismic provisions (which help structures resist seismic forces during earthquakes).

Developers must adhere to the minimum seismic provisions required by the code, which would, in theory, keep the building upright in the event of a major earthquake, and protect the people inside. The building might still incur significant damage; it could even be ruined. But the risk of casualties is much lower.

A graph with information on the New Madrid 1812 earthquake can be seen during a tour on Thursday, May 02 2024 at 3890 Central Avenue in Memphis, Tenn.

Developers and businesses do have the option, however, to implement more comprehensive and expensive protections against earthquakes, which would allow them to not just withstand the shaking but hopefully remain operational. And for some structures built since 2008, these extensive provisions aren't optional. Generally, buildings key to the welfare of society  like schools, hospitals, or fire stations  must meet more stringent requirements.

Whereas a strip mall need only adhere to the minimum code standards, a hospital must be thoroughly prepared for the possibility of a major earthquake.

And if a developer takes a building constructed prior to the codes adopted in 2008, and changes what its used for, theres a good chance theyll have to evaluate it, and, if necessary, have it seismically retrofitted.

More buildings have been designed to more current codes, said Ryan McDaniel, the engineering systems practice leader and principal for the firm A2H. I know we've done a number of retrofits There are buildings that no longer exist; they've been knocked down. And we've got a lot of new buildings.

A 3D printed model, created by Dr. Christodoulos Kyriakopoulos with University of Memphis Center for Earthquake Research and Information, demonstrates the New Madrid 1812 earthquake on Thursday, May 02 2024 at 3890 Central Avenue in Memphis, Tenn.

Still, he acknowledged that calculating the damage difference between now and 2008 would be challenging. And its possible the results wouldnt be dramatically better.

2008 hasnt been that long ago, said Mike Sheridan, a structural engineer and senior VP for the firm Allen & Hoshall. I think if you come back in 20 years, you might start to bring that down.

The building codes adopted in 2008 also dont require structures erected before that year to be seismically retrofitted, unless its purpose changes. And while building owners have the option to strengthen their structures against earthquakes, there can be questions over whether they should do so  especially if its considered a historic structure.

Seismic retrofitting can be costly and invasive. If youve got a beloved, historic building, should you pour millions of dollars into earthquake protections that could alter its appearance, when the chances of an earthquake are slim?

"That's a societal question, more than an engineer's question," McDaniel said. "Oftentimes, seismic retrofits may be invasive and affect the appearance or other historical features of a building. So whether it should or should not [undergo seismic retrofits] is up to authorities of that jurisdiction, society, and people."

A graph with information on the New Madrid 1812 earthquake can be seen during a tour on Thursday, May 02 2024 at 3890 Central Avenue in Memphis, Tenn.

There are marquee facilities in Memphis that have either been designed to withstand earthquakes or seismically retrofitted. For example, the AutoZone headquarters and FedExForum were built with seismic provisions, and the Pyramid and the Interstate 40 bridge are among the local structures that have undergone extensive retrofits.

But there are also many buildings that dont meet seismic standards and likely wouldnt fare well in the event of an 1811-12 repeat.

Regional One Health at risk

Take, for example, the Medical District campus of Regional One Health.

Regional One President and CEO Dr. Reginald Coopwood explained that its facilities were constructed between 1950 and the mid-1980s, and its older structures dont have any kind of seismic provisions  putting the hospital in a potentially dangerous position if a major earthquake were to strike.

That puts... some of the critical areas of our hospital [at risk]. One, the trauma center, today, sits up underneath our towers that are upon stilts. So, were at risk, in a devastating earthquake, that the trauma center would not exist, Coopwood said.

Research associate Holly Withers explains how she watches for certain things on the duty review page to give information about how impactful an earthquake is at the University of Memphis Center for Earthquake Research and Information on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024 in Memphis, Tenn.

He means that the trauma center wouldnt be able to provide the critical services that could be necessary amid a catastrophic earthquake. But a comprehensive seismic retrofitting of Regional One would come with a hefty price tag; it was estimated to be $568 million.

Instead, Regional One plans to build an entirely new hospital. The possibility of a cataclysmic earthquake, of course, isnt the only reason for this  but it is a major one.

I hope it never comes, Coopwood said. But if it were to come, I want the regions trauma center to be housed in a building that is seismically appropriate, so we can respond.

Should we be worried about a big earthquake in Memphis?

None of this, of course, is meant to keep you up at night. Withers, the associate research professor at CERI, is still sleeping, and he's spent the bulk of his career studying earthquakes.

Does he think we should be prepared, in case catastrophic earthquakes do come? Yes. But does the idea of them scare him?

Not necessarily.

You know, you can die of a lot of different things every day, he said. And if youre walking around worried about all the things that can kill you, you forget to live.

Dr. Kent Moran, with the University of Memphis Center for Earthquake Research and Information, explains the CERI Seismic Network Map during a tour on Thursday, May 02 2024 at 3890 Central Avenue in Memphis, Tenn.

John Klyce covers education and children's issues for The Commercial Appeal. You can reach him at John.klyce@commercialappeal.com.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What are the odds of a massive earthquake hitting Memphis, Tennessee?
Could a WA volcano erupt again in our lifetime? What would happen and how you can prepare

The most destructive volcanic eruption in United States history happened less than half a century ago in Washington state.

On May 18, 1980, the north side of Mount St. Helens, in southwestern Washington, collapsed, resulting in a massive explosion of magma and gasses. The initial eruption lasted about a day, and when all was said and done, 57 people were killed by the natural disaster.

A further 27 bridges and nearly 200 homes were also destroyed as a result of the eruption, according to the Washington State Department of Resources.

Forty-four years to the month after it happened, Washingtonians still remember the Mount St. Helens eruption. The event was so profound that May has been designated Volcano Preparedness Month to educate residents about Mount St. Helens and Washingtons four other active volcanoes.

Heres what to know about Washingtons five active volcanoes, the chances of one erupting in the near future, and what you can do to prepare.

1980 Mount St. Helens eruption

While Mount St. Helens initial eruption on May 18 only lasted about 9 hours, it was enough to solidify the event as the most destructive in U.S. history.

Geologists and seismologists had an idea that something was brewing in Mount St. Helens about two months before the eruption. The first signs of activity occurred on March 16 when minor earthquakes were monitored around the peak, increasing in regularity as time went on, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The eruption finally occurred on May 18, when a magnitude 5.1 earthquake caused the north flank of Mount St. Helens to collapse, causing one of the largest landslides in U.S. history. The collapse allowed a sudden release of gas-rich magma and superheated groundwater to explode from Mount St. Helens into the atmosphere.

FILE - In this April 1980 file photo, Mount St. Helens spews smoke, soot and ash into the sky in Washington state following a major eruption on May 18, 1980. May 18, 2015 is the 35th anniversary of the eruption that killed more than 50 people and blasted more than 1,300 feet off the mountains peak. (AP Photo/Jack Smith, file)

Although state officials predicted an eruption was on the way and issued evacuation orders about a month before the eruption, the precise timing of the eruption couldnt be predicted.

Devastation from the eruption covered 150 square miles with volcanic mudflow, blocks of shattered rock and volcanic debris and sediment in river channels. Over 195 million cubic yards of ash was expelled into the stratosphere, eventually covering about 49% of Washingtons land area. Ash quickly fell in areas like Olympia and Tacoma, approximately 70 miles away, and by May 19, an ash cloud had spread to the central U.S.

Future WA volcano eruption?

Washingtons most famous volcano is Mount St. Helens, but the Evergreen State has four other active volcanoes  Mount Baker, Glacier Peak, Mount Rainier and Mount Adams.

So, if there were to be another eruption in the future, would it come from one of Washingtons other volcanoes?

Likely not, University of Washington geologist George Bergantz told McClatchy News in a phone interview.

The only volcano with real substantial activity in the last 4,000 years has been Mount St. Helens, Bergantz said. Theres some little residual heat in both Mount Baker and Glacier Peak; you get a few scattered hot springs. But in terms of ones that are certainly still connecting to the whole deeper process of subduction is Mount St. Helens.

Subduction is the process of an oceanic tectonic plate running into a continental plate and sliding beneath it. In Washingtons case, the Juan de Fuca Plate is sliding underneath the North American Plate, resulting in the Cascades and related volcanoes.

Does that mean Mount St. Helens is set for another eruption soon? Not exactly.

Of course, its possible, but Bergantz said there are no guarantees that Washington will see another eruption in our lifetime.

Whats more likely to cause a threat in our lifetime is a volcano-related phenomenon called a lahar.

What are lahars, and why are they dangerous?

Volcanoes are just very steep piles of junk  or at least, thats how Bergantz puts it.

They arent like a normal rocky mountain that has a lot of internal strength, Bergantz said. Theyre piles of ash with lava flows and lava domes that have had glaciers sitting on them and circulating water through them. So they become altered to clay and very unstable, and theyve powered over the surrounding landscape.

Because volcanoes are more unstable than regular peaks, they also make them more susceptible to falling apart.

In the worst cases, the whole side of a volcano can fall away, such as in 1980. But often, a lahar occurs, which are large deposits of muddy debris that can fall away from a volcano with little warning.

As it travels down(hill), they typically get captured by the surrounding streams and rivers, which add more water and more power, Bergantz said. Most of the fatalities in the modern era from volcanic activity have been from lahars, not from the actual explosive part of the eruption itself.

Bergantz added that Mount Rainier has a clear geological history of lahars, with some reaching as far as Seattle.

A map showing the lahar flow routes for the Osceola Mudflow, National Lahar and Electron Mudflow.

Lahars are much more frequent than eruptions but are also smaller events, Bergantz said. But he did say that he wouldnt be surprised to see a medium-sized lahar event in Washington in the next 100 years.

Previous notable lahars from Mount Rainier have flowed down the White River (Osceola Mudflow, 5,600 years ago), Nisqually River (National Lahar, 2,200 years ago), and Puyallup River (Electron Mudflow, 500 years ago).

What if there was a major eruption in WA?

The precise timing of an eruption can be challenging to predict, but geologists and seismologists typically know something is coming far enough ahead of time to warn the public, such as with Mount St. Helens in 1980.

More recently, scientists recorded hundreds of earthquakes on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland in December 2023, months before the first eruption from a volcanic fissure occurred near the town of Grindavik on March 16, 2024.

Like in 1980, state officials will likely have plenty of time to see the warning signs of an incoming eruption. Bergantz said an evacuation would only be called once scientists were near-certain of an eruption.

Lets think about Mount St. Helens, Bergantz said. If it had a return to a lot of seismicity, like we saw in 2004, with gas release and ground deformation, that would be the kind of scenario that might lead to evacuation.

Not many people live around Mount St. Helens now, but similar warning signs around more populated areas, like Mount Rainier, could raise the alert level.

A runner jogs along the Ruston Way Path as Mount Rainier looms through the partly cloudy skies on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Tacoma, Wash. Weathers forecasters are predicting rising temperatures into the low 80s this coming weekend.

Once an eruption occurs, Bergantz thinks an economic crisis could envelope Washington and surrounding Pacific Northwest states. Not only will crops and wildlife be heavily affected by falling ash, but technology will also be affected.

You dont meet a lot of ash to completely destroy a car engine or a jet engine, the filters for a hospital, anything, Bergantz said. Any kind of sensitive equipment is compromised by even tiny amounts of volcanic ash.

How to prepare for a WA volcano eruption

The Washington State Emergency Management Division works with multiple agencies in order to be prepared for different disasters. Its prepared to respond to eruption impacts in each of the hazard areas through regional coordination plans.

For more information on emergency responses in your area, contact your local emergency management office.

What should I do?

If a volcano erupts in your area, evacuate immediately. There may be a designated public shelter or evacuation area. Text shelter plus your ZIP code to 43362 to find the nearest shelter.

Avoid low-lying areas like river valleys, get to high ground and shelter in place. Make sure you have methods to stay updated, through a phone, computer, radio, TV or other option.

Who should be prepared?

Check out this impact area map from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

How can I be prepared at home?

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources says its important to know the dangers and hazards faced at home, at work, where you relax and recreate and when traveling. The more you know, the better you can prepare.

The DNR also recommends the following preparations:

Have emergency supplies, food and water ready

Plan an evacuation route away from streams

Keep a pair of goggles and disposable breathing masks with your emergency provisions

Create a family emergency plan so your loved ones have a plan for contact in case of emergency

Stay informed by listening to media outlets for updates, stay alert for sirens warning of lahars

Check the Volcano Notification Service

Follow response plans from local and state emergency offices and local schools

Ravaged and deteriorating stumps at Johnston Ridge Observatory near Mount St. Helens.

Learn more about WA volcanoes

Usually, the public is invited to Johnston Ridge Observatory on the anniversary of the disaster, for a view of the Mount St. Helens lava dome. Due to damage from a 2023 landslide nearby, the observatory is closed and will likely take years to reopen.

However, there will be additional events throughout the month, through collaboration between the Washington Emergency Management Division and the U.S. Geological Survey Cascades Volcano Observatory.

Scientists and preparedness experts will be available to discuss the volcano at the Science and Learning Center at Coldwater on May 18 in commemoration of the 1980 eruption, from 10 a.m to 3 p.m. The center is at 19000 Spirit Lake Highway, in Toutle, at milepost 43 on State Highway 504.

An Ask Me Anything session on Reddit is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 16 with volcano experts. Tune into u/WaQuakePrepare for answers. Anyone with a Reddit account can ask questions or leave comments.

Additionally, the Scientist in Charge at Cascades Volcano Observatory, Jon Major, is holding a talk at the Alberta Rose Theatre in Portland on May 22. Tickets are required.

The observatory has released a new poster to honor the heritage of the name given to the volcano by the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, Lawetlatla. It also has a new paper on the risk management solutions developed at the volcano in the past 44 years.

You can also follow USGS Volcanoes on social media for posts on volcanoes, eruptions, preparedness and hazards every day.
Circuit Court Judge Joseph Curley has ruled that Palm Beach County Commissioner Mack Bernard can be individually sued for the role he played in the award of a multimillion dollar contract to oversee the construction of new fire stations.

County commissioners voted 4-3 on March 22, 2022, to give the work to Core Construction Services of Florida, despite the county purchasing agents finding that the company was improperly given credit for having a presence in Palm Beach County. When points were taken away from Core, Robling Architecture Construction of Green Acres was in line to receive the contract. But Mack and then Commissioner David Kerner led the fight at the commission meeting to instead award the contract to Core.

The move resulted in a lawsuit filed by Robling against the county to challenge what occurred. Robling's lawyers, citing newly discovered evidence, sought to add both Bernard and former Commissioner Dave Kerner as individual defendants. Curley ruled that Bernard could be added but that Kerner could not.

Palm Beach County Commissioner Mack Bernard

The lawsuit is months away from being heard, and there was no ruling on its merits  only that Bernard could be individually named as a defendant. The ruling could result in the county having to provide separate counsel for Bernard.

Lawsuit: Commissioner 'exceeded scope of his official capacity'

Robling's lawyers argue that the new evidence shows Bernard solicited and ultimately obtained a $5,000 contribution made by Core Construction in exchange for seeing that the county contract was awarded to Core. The alleged conduct shows Bernard engaged in activities that "exceeded the scope of his official capacity as a county commissioner," according to the lawsuit.

Core made a $5,000 contribution to the Housing Trust Fund, the entity that successfully pushed for passage of a $200 million affordable housing bond issue in November. At issue are emails from Cores former director of business strategy, Tara Moses, to her superiors:

Lawsuit: Two county commissioners pressured builder into making political contribution

A few promises were made to some of the folks who assisted with getting the PBC Fire Renovations project across the finish line and indicated that a donation should be made to Hometown Housing Trust, at Commissioner Mack Bernards Request.

Moses said an aide to Mack, who was not identified, requested a donation of between $10,000 and $25,000.

Why David Kerner was not added as an individual defendant

Palm Beach County Commissioner David Kerner

The lawsuit also alleges that the emails show that Kerner attended meetings with Core and that both Kerner and Mack "acted in bad faith in disregard for Roblings constitutional rights. There were no emails, though, uncovered that involved any direct communication between Kerner or his aides with Core to make a contribution to the housing trust fund.

Bernard has said he cannot comment on the substance of the pending litigation but added that the county attorneys office is vigorously defending the allegations contained in the lawsuit.

Efforts to obtain comment from Kerner, now the executive director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, were unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, Robling lawyers are seeking to subpoena records from the Hometown Housing Trust to determine if there are more emails that relate to allegations contained in the lawsuit.

Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government and transportation. You can reach him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Mack Bernard added as defendant in Palm Beach County pay to play lawsuit
TechCrunch

The new CEO of MariaDB (Plc) says he wants closer-knit collaboration with the foundation behind the eponymous open source database project. It has been a turbulent two years for MariaDB, with its ill-fated public listing via a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) in 2022 sending the company into a nosedive it never quite recovered from. Last month's transaction means that MariaDB's shares are no longer trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), though the three-month de-registration process means that the company is still technically public through early December.
Video above: Brooksville man charged in firebombing attack at Planned Parenthood clinic, DOJ says (07/24/2023)

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP)  A 21-year-old Florida man was sentenced Monday to three and a half years in prison for firebombing a Southern California Planned Parenthood clinic in 2022, federal prosecutors said.

Xavier Batten pleaded guilty in January to one felony count of possessing an unregistered destructive device and one misdemeanor count of intentionally damaging a reproductive health services facility.

U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney also sentenced Batten, of Brooksville, Florida, to three years of probation and ordered him to pay $1,000 in restitution, the U.S. Attorneys Office said in a statement.

(Courtesy of U.S. Dept. of Justice)

(Courtesy of U.S. Dept. of Justice)

(Courtesy of U.S. Dept. of Justice)

Carney said Batten had committed a cowardly crime that showed no empathy for women and their rights, according to the statement. He has been in federal custody since July 2023.

The clinic in Costa Mesa was bombed on March 13, 2022. Surveillance footage showed two men throwing a Molotov cocktail at the front door of the medical facility. The clinic was closed at the time and no one was injured.

A co-defendant, 24-year-old Chance Brannon, was sentenced last month to nine years in prison. Brannon, of San Juan Capistrano, California, was an active-duty Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton at the time of the bombing.

Another co-defendant, Tibet Ergul, has pleaded guilty to the charges against him. He is scheduled to be sentenced May 30.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
A crack in the case: Can DNA testing give the monster a name?

Kandice Smith, Sheri Rottler Trick, and Kathie Rottler were abducted in 1975. All three women, ages 13, 11 and 14 at the time, had their throats slashed. Sheri, the youngest, was raped. The man responsible vanished into the night. Months turned to years, then decades, with no arrests and no answers.

Detective Sgt. David Ellison was running out of options.

Since 2018, the Indianapolis official had done his best to solve the 1975 kidnapping and stabbing of three young girls, and the rape of the youngest.

.

Hed met with Kathie Rottler, Sheri Trick and Kandice Smith, all of whom survived the attack. Hed collected their DNA and submitted it and the evidence for testing. Hed cleared one of the original suspects and ruled out another potential suspect. And hed ensured the attackers DNA profile was added to a national database called the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).

But Ellison still didnt know who had committed the crime.

There was one more way to seek answers.

Ellison reached out to a friend for help securing funding for forensic genetic genealogy, which combines DNA testing with traditional genealogical research to generate leads in unsolved cases. Its family tree meets the crime lab.

That process has solved hundreds of crimes across the country, including those of Golden State Killer Joseph DeAngelo, who is serving life in prison after pleading guilty in 2020 to 13 counts of first-degree murder and 13 counts of kidnapping. As part of his plea agreement, the California man also admitted responsibility for other violent crimes.

Ellison said forensic genealogical testing for Kathie, Kandice and Sheris case would cost about $8,000.

His friend connected him with Ashley Flowers, the founder of Audiochuck, an Indianapolis-based media company that produces crime-related podcasts. Flowers had paid for testing for cold cases before. She agreed to donate $6,000. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department covered the rest.

In January 2023, the department partnered with DNA Labs International to complete the analysis. The Florida-based private forensic DNA laboratory handles thousands of cases each year, primarily for law enforcement and government laboratories.

Chief Scientific Officer Rachel Oefelein said the team extracted the suspects DNA from the evidence provided by Indianapolis officials, made millions of copies and sequenced it.

They uploaded the profile into FamilyTreeDNA and GEDmatch  two genetic ancestry databases that allow law enforcement use. Then the team began sifting through matches to find the suspects most recent common ancestor.

In July 2023, as DNA Labs continued its work, Ellison made a major move of his own: He retired from the police department.

But he didnt close the door on the case, or on Kathie.

About a month after his retirement, Ellison learned the lab had found the profile of an unknown person who shared an extremely high percentage of DNA with the suspect.

IMPD Detective Charles Benner and Sgt. Columbus Ricks, who had taken over the case, were the ones who let Ellison know. Ellison helped them pull background information on the person who had submitted the DNA for someone else. That person agreed to connect police with the woman whose DNA had been submitted.

She was the suspects daughter.

The lab also found a second profile with a high shared percentage of DNA  the suspects son. The siblings had different mothers but the same father.

Both agreed to cooperate, providing their DNA to police and identifying their father.

To close the case, detectives still needed to confirm the mans connection to Indianapolis and his location around the time of the attack.

The monster

By the end of 2023, it was official: The monster had a name.

Ellison asked Kathie, Kandice and Sheri to meet with him and the other detectives. He was coy about why.

I dont think youre going to be disappointed, he told Kathie. We need to talk one more time.

His words sounded promising, but Kathie tried not to get her hopes up. Were police abandoning the case for lack of information, or had they found the man who did it? The women agreed it could go either way.

On Jan. 2, 2024  more than 48 years after the crime and five years after Kathie had begged Ellison to look at the cold case  the survivors reunited for another trip to the police department.

Sheri wore a black T-shirt emblazoned with Every little thing is gonna be alright in rainbow lettering. The 60-year-old hopped into her silver Kia Soul and picked up Kathie first and then Kandice. They remained mostly quiet on the drive.

After parking and clearing security, the women filed into a conference room with a wall of large windows on one side facing downtown Indianapolis. They were joined by the four police officials  Ellison, Spurgeon, Benner, Ricks  and two representatives of IMPDs Victim Assistance Unit.

The detectives launched into their reason for meeting. They reminded the women of recent efforts, including sending the evidence to DNA Labs for testing. They explained how the lab had located the mans children through genetic ancestry databases and how police had confirmed his identity.

Then they told the women who he was: Thomas Edward Williams, born May 21, 1934.

They touched on how the Indianapolis native had tangled often with law enforcement. In 1966, nine years before he hurt the girls, Williams donned olive-drab military fatigues and a rubber Dracula mask to rob a bank at gunpoint in Phoenix. After collecting $3,395, he fled in a stolen car. But he was arrested 10 minutes later in a nearby parking lot after witnesses saw him changing clothes. Williams pleaded guilty to bank robbery and served about five years in federal prison, getting parole in 1971.

Thomas Williams had a history of criminal activity, from hog rustling in Indiana in 1960, to bank robbery in Arizona in 1966. He left Indiana in 1976 and was arrested again in Texas in 1977 for a string of robberies.

By 1975, the year the girls were attacked, Williams was back in Indianapolis. The 41-year-old lived just four miles from Kathie and Sheris childhood home.

He briefly married but left Indiana again by the end of 1976, according to divorce filings. Williams reappeared in 1977 in Texas, where he was arrested for and convicted of a string of robberies.

It would be the last time he experienced life outside prison walls. He would no longer be a threat to the women, or anyone else.

Williams died of natural causes in prison in Galveston, Texas, on Nov. 13, 1983. He was 49. He is buried in Captain Joe Byrd Cemetery, his grave marked by a cross with only his inmate number and the date of his death.

Toward the end of the presentation to the women, detectives pulled up an old photo of Williams on a cellphone and placed it below a series of composite drawings from 1975 and 1976 based on Kathie, Kandice and Sheris descriptions of their attacker. They also showed the women Williams mugshots from Texas.

A mugshot and side profile of Thomas Williams next to police sketches from 1975 and 1976, based on the girls' descriptions.

Kathies gaze snagged on one showing Williams side profile. It was the face shed seen next to her in the station wagon so many years ago. Then, she was sure police had the right man.

Later, Ellison would give Kathie much of the credit.

If families stop calling or dont call, then it reduces the odds that their case is going to be solved or progressed, he said. She was steadfast in never giving up and was that point person. If she had not done what she did, I dont think it would be solved.

Her efforts also may help another grieving Indiana family.

Keeping hope alive

Morgan County officials are looking into whether Williams was connected to the 1975 abduction of 11-year-old Cheryl Bolin.

She disappeared around noon on the day Kathie, Kandice and Sheri were attacked, while riding her bike home from a friends sleepover. Cheryls body and some of her belongings, including clothing and a bedroll, were found about six months later near a pond in Vigo County, about 100 miles from the cornfield where the girls were assaulted.

Chief Deputy Terry Keith of the Morgan County Sheriffs Office, who has worked on Bolins case for years, said officials are checking the girls belongings for DNA to compare to Williams.

At this point, Keith said, were just kind of all waiting.

Epilogue

The man who hurt Kathie, Kandice and Sheri was dead  had been dead for decades, since even before the first cold case investigation in 1990. Yet his crimes cast a shadow that extended long past his death.

In the weeks and months after meeting with police, the women wrestled with complex emotions.

Its put peace within my heart, Kandice said during a news conference in January. And it also gave justice to my parents and brother thats passed as well.

Sheri said she forgave Williams because I had to, in order to continue to live my life. Yet she couldnt forget what he did. She is planning a trip to Texas to spit on his grave.

Kandice Smith, Kathie Rottler and Sheri Rottler Trick share their emotions Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, after their nearly 50-year cold case was solved.

He spit on me, let me spit on him, see how he likes it, Sheri said.

When she sat down with USA TODAY in March, Kathie said knowing who attacked them was worth the wait.

But it was also unmooring.

She, more than the others, had relentlessly pursued answers. The 63-year-old had fought for so long, had given so much of herself trying to keep the case open  even after family and friends told her to stop. Kathie wondered aloud: Was it worth it? She didnt know.

She turned to her sister Sheri, sitting close beside her on a black couch.

I did it for you, Kathie said.

Im glad you did, Sheri replied.

Sisters Sheri Rottler Trick, left, and Kathie Rottler smile at each other after talking about the solving of their 1975 assault case that had gone cold for nearly 50 years.

I told you something when you were getting out of the car, Kathie reminded her sister of that night so long ago. I told you he had a gun and to be brave and listen to him. I didnt want him killing you.

Sheri looked down, biting her lip as she held back tears.

Kathie reached over and clasped her sisters left hand, pulling it onto her lap. They shared a tearful smile.

I always wondered how you handled seeing what happened, Sheri said. I dont know how you handled it.

God, Kathie replied.

The sisters told USA TODAY their flashbacks and emotional triggers intensified after learning Williams name.

Its not so much fun going through it day by day by day by day, Sheri said.

The smallest things can snap them back to that night  a song they heard in the hospital, a stray word or the texture of a shirt. Their scars.

They dont yet know what the future will hold, but there is freedom in knowing Williams is gone.

All those years, my adult life, Ive been pushing to get him found, Kathie said. Its like, what do I do now? I know I got a new journey, but I dont know which direction its going to take me.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Can DNA testing crack this Indiana cold case after decades?
Albemarle Road in east Charlotte was blocked in both directions due to a crash that damaged traffic signals, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

The crash happened just before 12:50 p.m. Tuesday, near the intersection of Albemarle Road and Winterhaven Drive, which is just west of W.T. Harris Boulevard. NCDOT says the crash involved two broken poles and damaged traffic signals.

According to NCDOT, the road is expected to be closed in both directions until 6:50 p.m.

MEDIC said it wasnt responding to the crash, and nobody was reported to be hurt.

Keep an eye on our live traffic map for detours at this link.

(WATCH: 8 killed, at least 40 injured when bus carrying farmworkers overturns in Florida)




WASHINGTON  Prince Georges County Cpl. Scott Ainsworth has worked riots before. He did so in the aftermath of the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore and during unrest after University of Maryland athletic events  both celebratory ones, as well as riots when students were "upset about losing to Duke."

But testifying on Monday in the trial of Jesse James Rumson, a Jan. 6 defendant accused of assaulting Ainsworth outside the Capitol after he stormed the building while wearing a panda costume head, Ainsworth said he'd never seen anything like the Capitol attack, when rioters who believed former President Donald Trump's lies about the 2020 election directly attacked officers in police lines.

Ainsworth testified about his service in the military dating back to 1988, his riot training in Korea and his prior civil disturbance experience, when rioters might throw objects from afar but would never think of engaging directly with a wall of police shields.

This is the first time any of us as riot officers have had a crowd do this to us, Ainsworth said.

It took him a couple of months to come to grips with what happened on Jan. 6, Ainsworth testified during a bench trial for Rumson before U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee.

Im a Republican, these are my fellow Republicans, Ainsworth testified, joking that he's from Oklahoma where youre "born a Republican." But he said some of the fellow Republicans in his life now want nothing to do with him because of his service on Jan. 6.

Are you crazy? Ainsworth recalled thinking about those fellow Republicans who supported what happened that day. This was stupid, it was not necessary.

Jesse James Rumson grabs Corporal S.A.s face shield with his right hand at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (U.S. District Court for D.C.)

Rumson was arrested in February 2023. At one point, his trial was set to overlap with Trump's Washington trial on four charges in connection with his efforts to stay in office despite losing the 2020 presidential election. Then the Supreme Court intervened, based on Trump's argument about presidential immunity; now the former president's trial in Washington is unlikely to happen before the 2024 elections. If Trump wins, it may not happen at all. (As in his other cases, Trump has pleaded not guilty).

Ainsworth's testimony preceded testimony from Rumson himself on Tuesday. Ainsworth recalled arriving at the Capitol, the first time hed ever been at the building and seeing a triage scene on the south side of the Capitol, where police and rioters were being treated for their injuries. His civil disturbance platoon was brought in to assist the Metropolitan Police Department and their goal had been to help keep rioters off the inauguration platform. But upon encountering a sea of human beings who were very hostile to law enforcement  with rioters telling officers to stand down and others yelling at fellow rioters to steal police shields  Ainsworth said he and other officers realized their original mission was a lost cause. Instead, they formed a police line on the upper west terrace, near the initial breach point, and helped clear the Capitol grounds.

It took pure brute force, along with chemical agents and wearing rioters down, to get the mob off the Capitol grounds that night, Ainsworth testified.

rioter sedetion capitol riot (Obtained by NBC News)

Rumson is being represented by Anthony Sabatini, a former Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives who lost the 2022 GOP primary for a U.S. House seat to now-Rep. Cory Mills. Mills filled a House seat that had belonged to a Democratic member of the Jan. 6 Committee and has co-sponsored legislation with Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., to impeach the federal prosecutor overseeing Jan. 6 prosecutions. President Trump did not incite violence, he did not lead an insurrection, what he did is stand for the American people, and Ill stand for him, Mills said at a GOP press conference in February.

After the government rested its case on Tuesday, Sabatini moved for an acquittal, but Judge Nichols found that a reasonable fact-finder would be able to convict Rumson, pointing to the video evidence presented by prosecutors and the "quite credible" testimony from Ainsworth.

In his own testimony on Tuesday, Rumson said the Trump rally that preceded the Capitol attack was a "really happy event" and described seeing attendees climb up in trees and on top of port-a-potties for a better view. When Trump told them to go to the Capitol, he said, he followed.

Jesse James Rumson launches himself over a railing at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (U.S. District Court for D.C.)

Rumson claimed that he believed that the platform outside the Capitol that had been set up for Joe Biden's inauguration had been set up for the events of Jan. 6, that perhaps speakers would come out and talk about what happened during the Electoral College certification, a view he now concedes he realized was "naive." He walked around the north side of the building and ended up just outside the first breach point. When another rioter breached the parliamentarian door by smashing out a window with his cane, evidence shows, Rumson jumped over a railing and joined the mob rushing inside. But in his testimony, he claimed that  despite the chaos unfolding around him, and the alarms ringing from the doors  the mob had been invited into the building. He said he thought seats might be on a "first come, first serve" basis, he said, so that's why he jumped over the railing.

"I was excited to get in," Rumson said on the stand. He then described coming face-to-face with officers in riot gear. That, he said, along with the tear gas, was his "first clue" that something might be amiss. He ended up in handcuffs but was soon seized by other rioters and ushered back out of the building, where other rioters let him out of his handcuffs.

Rumson claimed that police used excessive force after he told them, "I am not violent. I am not trying to trespass," and brought up George Washington. There are no cameras in the hallway where Rumson's initial arrest took place.

"I have no idea where the panda head went," Rumson testified, saying he was "completely dumbfounded" when he ended up outside of the Capitol, where he showed off his wrists after he was freed.

When he yelled "Join us!" at officers? That was just a call for unity, Rumson claimed. He also said he was "cognitively impaired" at the time and didn't even remember yelling "get a ram!" as rioters smashed a window, though prosecutors showed video evidence of him doing so. "I could not fathom myself saying such a thing," Rumson testified. "I think I was just parroting almost."

Rumson confessed that he had made contact with Ainsworth's face shield, but maintained that it was incidental contact after he was hit in the ribs. "My hand goes kinda wild," he said.

Federal prosecutors are set to begin cross-examining Rumson on Tuesday afternoon.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
A salvage crew detonated a cluster of tiny explosives on Monday to demolish the largest remaining section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge that collapsed across the bow of the Dali after the container ship slammed into it earlier this year.

The controlled detonations to remove a four-ton chunk of the bridge comes almost seven weeks after the disaster, which killed six construction workers and briefly cut off access in the Port of Baltimore. Images showed orange flashes and plumes of black smoke as the section crashed into the water, sending water splashing back onto the boat.

In a statement, Mayor Brandon Scott hailed the Key Bridge Response Unified Command team for a flawless, safe execution of these precision cuts and for the care youve shown our city during this process.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Col. Estee Pinchasin told reporters that authorities are very pleased with the operation and that a tremendous amount of steel had been removed, but that further surveys will be conducted to confirm that the cargo ship has not sustained any further damage, according to CNN.

Baltimore Says Dali Owners Negligence Caused Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse

The explosions were initially supposed to occur over the weekend, only for officials to announce that the demolition would be postponed over expected inclement weather.

The ship is not completely free yet. Officials say next steps will include investigating the last trusses remaining on the Dalis bow, as well as ensuring wreckage underwater will not prevent issues refloating and moving the vessel.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said at a news conference on Monday that he was expecting a channel for ships to pass through, measuring 50 feet deep and 700 feet wide, would be ready at the end of the month. Temporary channels have already allowed some ships to resume operations.

Were now very close to fully clearing the channel and we are already getting large ships in and out of the port of Baltimore and over the next week, we are expecting about 30 vessels and barges at the ports public and private terminals, Moore added.

US Coast Guard Rear Adm Shannon Gilreath said that they are hoping the Dali will be moved within the next two days.

Significant milestone achieved tonight with controlled explosives successfully detonated helping to break apart the bridge and start to free the Dali vessel.



Incredible work by the entire Unified Command. @USACEBaltimore @USCG pic.twitter.com/vkNZf039cz  Port of Baltimore (@portofbalt) May 13, 2024

Last week, Maryland State police recovered the remains of the sixth and final victim, identified as Jose Mynor Lopez, 37. Lopez and five other members of his crew were working on the bridge at the time of the collision and were killed in the collapse.

Today and every day, we continue to think about and pray for the six victims of the Key bridge collapse, and also their families, Moore said.

Finding these six victims was not guaranteed. When youre dealing with so much wreckage, even a small lapse in communication can cause failure, but this team held firm, he added.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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PROVO, Utah (ABC4)  Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray announced criminal charges filed against the man accused of hitting and killing Sgt. Bill Hooser, a Utah police officer, earlier this month.

Michael Aaron Jayne, 41, was formally charged with nine criminal offenses:

One count of aggravated murder, a capital felony

Two counts of attempted aggravated murder, each a first-degree felony

One count of aggravated kidnapping, a first-degree felony

One count of burglary, a second-degree felony

Three counts of automobile theft, each a second-degree felony

One count of failing to obey the lawful command of a police officer, a second-degree felony

RELATED: Utah says farewell to Sgt. Bill Hooser

Gray said aggravated murder is a capital offense and carries with it serious sentences, including the possibility of the death penalty. Jayne could also face life in prison without the possibility of parole or 25 years to life with the possibility of parole.

The arrest and filing of information are merely the first steps in the criminal justice process, said Gray. Tomorrow at 3 p.m., Mr. Jayne will appear before a judge in the Fourth District Court to be informed of these charges.

Gray emphasized that at this stage the charges are only allegations, including the allegations of his intent and conduct. Jayne is presumed innocent until and unless he is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

At trial, it will be our burden to prove Mr. Jaynes guilt beyond a reasonable and ultimately it will be for a jury to decide if we have met that burden, said Gray. I am assembling a team of my best attorneys to achieve that end.

An investigation into the events on May 5 is still ongoing and Gray said more information would be released as it comes up in trial. He said the process would take months beginning with a preliminary hearing and, if needed, an arraignment and a trial.

Gray expressed his condolences to Sgt. Hoosers wife and two daughters saying he prays that the family can find some peace and solace in these trying times.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
Supporters of the bill say it would cut government costs and "modernize" a law that has not seen a major update in more than two decades. Critics want Gov. Phil Murphy to veto it. (Dana DiFilippo | New Jersey Monitor)

Critics of a bill that aims to overhaul the Open Public Records Act are panning the Legislature for approving the bill Monday and sending it to Gov. Phil Murphy for his signature.

The bill seeks to make it harder for records requestors to get attorneys fees from public entities that are found to have withheld public documents, allow judges to ban some requestors from filing requests entirely, and allow governments to charge more money for handing over some documents.

The OPRA bill and how it was advanced is whats wrong with our democracy. It will chill requests by media, advocates, and community activists, shielding the actions and decisions of local officials from public view, said Dena Mottola Jaborska, New Jersey Citizens Actions executive director.

Jim Sullivan, deputy policy director at the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, called the Legislatures action shameful and called on Murphy to veto the bill.

Legislative leaders should be strengthening mechanisms for government transparency, not undermining them in backroom deals shielded from public scrutiny, Sullivan said.

Supporters of the bill have said it would modernize the Open Public Records Act by urging public entities to post more of their documents online. They have also condemned how commercial businesses have used the law  municipal clerks say their offices are inundated with requests from businesses  though the bill does little to address that issue.

Two mayors seeking the Democratic nomination for governor next year, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, issued statements yesterday repeating their opposition to the bill.

I know how cumbersome OPRA requests can be, Baraka said in a statement. But I also know without transparency we do not have a democracy.

Fulop indicated that lawmakers who voted in support of the bill have made themselves vulnerable at the ballot box.

There are so many legislators that have never had a competitive race in their lives + today they placed a nice + easy to see target on themselves, Fulop wrote on social media.

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The post Critics slam Legislature for passing public records overhaul appeared first on New Jersey Monitor.
Will a cruise ship wait for me if I'm running late at a port stop? Here's what a captain has to say.

Will a cruise ship wait for me if I'm running late at a port stop? Here's what a captain has to say.

People considering cruising might wonder what would happen if they were running late to the ship.

In a Q&A on board Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, Captain Rob Hempstead shared what to do.

Call the ship agent if you're running late so the captain can decide if they have time to wait.

On March 27, eight travelers on a Norwegian cruise in Africa were stranded on the island nation of Sao Tome and Principe after their private excursion arrived back at the ship more than an hour after boarding closed. The cruisers chased the ship for almost a week before reboarding in Dakar, Senegal.

More recently, on May 13, a couple sailing in the Mediterranean with the same cruise line was left stranded in Motril, Spain, after their excursion (not organized by Norwegian) had an hour bus delay getting back to the ship due to rain, CNN reported.

On any cruise, travelers have the freedom to experience multiple destinations on one trip with port stops where they can exit the ship and explore a new place.

But cruise ships run on a tight schedule, often only allotting passengers around seven or eight hours for a one-day stop, sometimes even less. This leaves many to wonder what happens if you're running late getting back to the ship: Will the crew wait up, or will you end up stranded, chasing the ship from stop to stop?

Will the captain wait for you?

The answer is maybe.

On an April 2022 cruise on board Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, Business Insider attended a Q&A with Captain Rob Hempstead, where he answered this very question.

Hampstead, who's been a Royal Caribbean captain for two decades, started his career in Alaska's fishing industry. After 14 years of fishing, he became a captain. Before Wonder of the Seas, Hampstead served as captain of seven other Royal Caribbean ships, including Oasis of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas.

The most stressful part of a cruise for the crew is getting out of the ports on time, he said, "Because the faster we go, the more fuel we have to burn."

Some people come late, and as a result, are left behind, he added.

However, this doesn't mean he won't wait for you  you just need to know what to do.

Two cruise ships docked at Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas  Coco Cay. Joey Hadden/Insider

When will a cruise ship wait for passengers?

There are two instances in which the ship will wait. The first is if you're late returning from a cruise-line organized excursion. Since the excursion is supposed to only take place within the allotted port time, the ship will wait for passengers coming from a cruise line excursion that's running late.

However, if you've spent the day independently on your own, or with a private tour company, there are certain steps you must take to avoid being stranded.

If you're behind schedule, call the ship agent to alert the cruise that you're running late, he said. On Royal Caribbean cruises, this number can be found at the bottom of Cruise Compass, a daily flyer all passengers receive in their stateroom each day detailing the day's activities.

The agent may also be referred to as a port agent, according to a copy of Cruise Compass obtained by BI.

A Cruise Compass with port agent information. Joey Hadden/Insider

Whether the ship can wait for you, however, will depend on how late you'll be, he added.

"If I know you're 10 minutes away, I can make an educated decision about whether or not we can wait," Hampstead said. "We will wait if we can."

Of course, if that's you, you'll have to run up the dock to the ship with many passengers watching, wondering what is holding up the departure, as they quickly realize it was you. Instead, always plan your day with ample time to return to port, or better yet, book your excursions through the cruise line.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A London woman was arrested at Logan International Airport for trafficking marijuana, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden said Tuesday.

Fareedat Folunsho, 19, of London, was ordered held on $1,500 bail on Monday after U.S. Customs and Border agents seized approximately 70 pounds of marijuana on Sunday before her flight back to the United Kingdom, Hayden said.

Folunsho is this the second passenger flying to the United Kingdom arrested at Logan Airport for trafficking marijuana in the last two months, Hayden said. Marijuana is illegal in the United Kingdom, where it has an illicit-market street value of about $5,000 per pound.

These two arrests in a fairly short time span should make it quite clear to anyone else trying to fly marijuana to the U.K. through Boston that its not a good idea, to say the least. It didnt work for these two women and its not likely to work for anyone else either, Hayden said.

Folunsho was charged in Boston Municipal Court with trafficking marijuana between 50 and 100 pounds. Judge Joseph Griffin ordered Folunsho held on $1,500 bail and to surrender her passport. Folunsho will return to court on May 21 for a probable cause hearing.

At about 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, a Massachusetts state trooper was dispatched to the U.S. Customs Hall for a woman in custody, later identified as Folunsho, for attempting to fly back to the United Kingdom with approximately 70 pounds of marijuana.

Last month, a Michigan woman was arrested and charged with trafficking marijuana in East Boston BMC after U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents seized two large suitcases containing multiple vacuum-seal bags with approximately 74 pounds of marijuana.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

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TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)  A 27-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for murder after a confrontation in a Visalia gas station in 2022, the Tulare County Districts Attorney Office said on Monday.

On Aug. 7, 2022, at about 1:30 a.m., the DA says Francisco Rodriguez and others got into a confrontation with another group inside a gas station in the area of Lovers Lane in Visalia. A fight ensued, which eventually spilled out into the parking lot.

As one group ran to their car, officials say Rodriguez, who was in possession of a handgun, fired six rounds at the group, killing a man attempting to leave in the car. The entirety of the incident was caught on surveillance video.

Soon after, Rodriguez fled to Mexico. The DA says he was apprehended at the border in June 2023.

In a verdict handed down on April 18, the Districts Attorney Office says Rodriguez was convicted of second-degree murder with the special allegation of personal and intentional discharge of a firearm, causing death.

DA: Man found guilty after 2022 homicide at Visalia gas station

According to current California laws, Rodriguez must serve 25 years, not including credits determined by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) before being considered for parole.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47.
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (WAVY)  District Attorney Jeffrey J. Cruden justified the actions of the Elizabeth City police officer who shot and killed a man on North Poindexter Street Saturday, April 20 after seeing him shoot another man, he said in a news release Tuesday.

In the early morning hours of Saturday, April 20, Lt. Lamar Battle with the ECPD was on foot patrol in the 200 block North Poindexter Street when he heard gunfire.

Battle responded to the sound and saw Bryan Christopher White, 33, pull something from his waistband and shoot seven times at Corey Christopher Revelle, 39, according to the district attorneys office.

The officer ordered White to drop his gun, but White did not comply and was shot by the officer, according to ECPD.

In a statement released by his office, Cruden, who serves as district attorney in the First Prosecutorial District, which encompasses all of Dare, Gates, Pasquotank, Camden, Currituck, Perquimans and Chowan counties, said the officers actions were consistent with  actions permitted under North Carolina law and was justified in using deadly force.

After watching video from both a local business which showed the shooting of Mr. Revelle by Mr. White, and a video showing Lieutenant Battle shooting Mr. White, I am amazed by the bravery that officers display in situations like this, Cruden said. The natural response is to run from danger, Lieutenant Battle and officers like him, on a daily basis run towards the danger to protect us citizens and enforce our laws. However, my job as District Attorney is not to be amazed by officers bravery, my job is to review the actions of law enforcement officers to make sure they comply with the same laws that we as citizens are bound by. The law in North Carolina states that a law enforcement officer is justified in using deadly force upon another person only when it is or appears to be reasonably necessary to defend himself or a third person from what he reasonably believes to be the use or imminent use of deadly physical force. It is very evident that the actions of Lieutenant Battle were consistent with those actions permitted under North Carolina law and therefore my recommendation to Chief Avens of the Elizabeth City Police Department is that Lieutenant Battle be permitted back to full duty without delay.

Previous Coverage: ECPD officer shoots and kills murder suspect

Both the Elizabeth City Police Department and the district attorneys office requested the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation investigate the shooting of White.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com.
A study has found drugs such as Ozempic cut the risk of heart attacks by a fifth. But could these semaglutide jabs also be the answer to Britains obesity crisis?



In this episode of The Daily T, Kamal Ahmed and Camilla Tominey hear from their Telegraph colleague Laura Powell about her experiences with weight loss pills and why there is so much stigma around being fat.



We also hear from Ukraine: The Latests host David Knowles about why Vladimir Putin is trying to turn the conflict into Russias forever war as western interest wanes.



Plus: are trigger warnings triggering?

Listen to The Daily T on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts, and subscribe to The Daily T newsletter for updates.

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.
Lawmakers are considering a measure that could set minimum salaries for some sheriffs, deputies and county jailers. (Photo by Kyle Phillips/For Oklahoma Voice)

OKLAHOMA CITY  Lawmakers are taking a second look at a controversial plan that could use state dollars to supplement the salaries of sheriffs, deputies and jailers working in some of the poorest counties.

Senate budget discussions about creating a sheriffs office salary assistance grant program began again last week, a day after the House speaker said sheriff and police department funding remained among his chambers top budget priorities.

Supporters of House Bill 4063 are asking legislators to set aside $20 million to fund new minimum salary thresholds for some county jailers, sheriffs and deputies. Under the proposal, sheriffs would make no less than $75,000. Deputies would make at least $45,000 and jailers, $40,000.

They say creating salary benchmarks will help create parity between property-rich counties and counties that are heavily agricultural or where the state owns thousands of acres of land that it pays no taxes on. They note that counties are capped on how much they can collect. It costs about 30% of what they collect to pay for jail operations, equipment and personnel.

Skeptics question why state taxpayers should supplement local government operations, who those law enforcement officers would be working for, and what would prevent sheriffs offices from buying toys like tactical vehicles and other heavy machinery that would not often be used. They also said that the measure is written poorly and urged supporters to go back and rewrite it before they consider it in the final days of session.

Under the existing proposal, counties could qualify for grants ranging from $250,000 to $500,000 a year depending on a complex set of criteria that factor in square miles and population.

In addition to achieving base salary levels, sheriffs offices could use the funding to hire additional staff and to purchase vehicles, firearms, and safety equipment.

Mike Maxwell, a lobbyist for the Oklahoma Sheriffs Association, said Creek Countys population of about 72,700 will likely be the dividing line between counties that require the supplemental funding and those that do not. Urban and suburban counties already typically pay employees at or above the suggested minimum because sheriffs salaries are tied to property tax collections.

Counties are limited to how much they can collect, and while Maxwell said not all counties have reached that 15-mill limit, those that are predominantly rural have a lot of land that is agricultural. Those lands are taxed at a much lower rate than residential or industrial. That means less property tax revenue for rural counties.

He said the state already standardizes pay for judges and district attorneys and argues that sheriffs employees should be included as well.

Were not just losing deputies and jailers to other law enforcement entities that pay more, were losing them to fast food restaurants to convenience stores, he said. Were not even matching the pay scale for most convenience stores right now in some of these rural areas.

But Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, said during a budget committee discussion on the measure last week that lawmakers would be kidding themselves to think this would be a one-time expense or a grant.

Weve got to have a serious discussion as a Legislature if were going to take it upon ourselves now to fund county sheriffs departments, she said. It will only grow, and at some point, you need to ask the question, are sheriffs now working for the counties? Are they working for the state? And if so, what sort of authority will the state have over the counties?

The measure easily passed the full House in March, but was never considered by the upper chamber. She said senators havent had an opportunity to discuss whether they want to fund county law enforcement.

Daniels said it also should include a requirement that the funds pay for personnel and not other things.

Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt, said the state Commissioners of the Land Office owns nearly 20% of land in his home of Cimarron County and doesnt pay any taxes on it.

He said the county sheriff resigned last summer.

Residents couldnt find anyone to replace him for a long time because the top county law enforcement officer makes $29,000 a year and only has one deputy to help patrol the 1,800 square-mile county, Murdock said.

It is a thankless full-time job for $29,000 a year that he could lose his life over, Murdock said.

He said if the state wants to own massive amounts of property without paying taxes on it, lawmakers need to make up the difference. He said the U.S. Forest Services, for instance, owns about 36,000 acres in the same county, but pays about $1 an acre.

House Rep. Ross Ford, R-Broken Arrow, said county law enforcement cant compete with the salaries of the municipal police departments. The funding pitch has proven a tough sell in the Senate, he said.

Its a tough sell just because were broaching a new era of state appropriating money to a county entity, and we have never done that in the past, Ford said.

Ford, a former law enforcement officer, says he understands the argument that its up to county taxpayers to fund local sheriffs departments and jails, but it hasnt happened.

The average deputy makes about $36,000 a year, he said. The average sheriff makes about $57,000 a year.

He said four counties  Nowata, Cimarron, Greer and Harmon  currently pay their sheriffs $38,000 or less.

Deputies in those counties make less than $2,000 a month, Ford said.

They do a dangerous job, and in rural Oklahoma and in some of these small counties, theyre the only ones out there enforcing any laws at all, he said. There may not be another law enforcement officer within 50 miles in these counties, and some of them could make more money working at McDonalds or fast food than they could being a deputy.

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King Frederik of Denmark, left, and Norway's King Harald wave as they sit in a car during King Frederik's official state visit to Norway, in Oslo Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Hakon Mosvold Larsen/NTB Scanpix via AP)

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP)  Europes oldest monarch, King Harald V of Norway, on Tuesday welcomed Denmarks King Frederik and his Australian-born wife, Queen Mary, on their second official visit abroad after the Danish monarchs mother abdicated this year.

The 87-year-old Harald returned to work last month following two surgeries to implant pacemakers. The Norwegian royal household said he would scale back official activities, but Harald has said he has no plans to abdicate, unlike his second cousin Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, who stepped down after a 52-year reign.

The Danish royal couple arrived in Oslo on their 10th wedding anniversary. Earlier this month, Frederik and Mary made their first state visit to Sweden.
Editor's note: The article was updated with comments by Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the counter-disinformation department at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council.

At least 16 people were killed in the Russian city of Belgorod after an apartment building collapsed on May 12, Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry claimed on May 14.

The death toll rose after the body of a woman was discovered, the ministry wrote on Telegram. At least 27 people were reported as injured.

According to the Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, a part of a 10-story apartment building collapsed there on May 12.

Gladkov also claimed that the building was hit by a Ukrainian projectile during an air raid alert in the oblast.

Russian air defenses allegedly shot down six Tochka-U missiles and six rockets over Belgorod Oblast, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. The ministry claimed that the residential building was "damaged" by a Tochka-U missile fragment.

The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claims.

Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the counter-disinformation department at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, disputed Moscow's accusations.

"The video from the cameras does not show falling objects... therefore, Russia's accusations about Ukrainian strikes do not currently correspond to reality," Kovalenko said.

Kovalenko did not rule out the possibility that the incident was a result of an accident inside the building, which Russian propaganda now seeks to use for its own interests, or a provocation on Moscow's side.

Claims of rocket or drone attacks against Belgorod Oblast, which borders Ukraine's Sumy, Kharkiv, and Luhansk oblasts, have become a common occurrence in recent months.

Read also: SBU drones attack oil depot, substation in 2 Russian regions overnight

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The death toll from a building collapse in the South African city of George last week edged up to 33 on Tuesday, as rescuers continued to comb through the rubble with 19 people still unaccounted for more than a week after the incident.

Municipal officials said in a statement that only six of those who had been killed on the construction site had been identified so far, as authorities were struggling to get accurate names.

The last person to be rescued was pulled from the wreckage at the weekend, in what the Western Cape province's premier described as "nothing short of a miracle" coming five days after the disaster.

The death toll stood at 32 on Monday. It has been steadily rising over the past week as more bodies have been retrieved.

It is not clear why the five-storey building in the city east of Cape Town collapsed on May 6. Investigations are under way.

Rescuers have used cranes, drills and their bare hands to try to reach those trapped.

Municipal officials said fluent speakers of the Chewa, Portuguese and Shona languages had been at the scene providing support. It is believed that migrants from other southern African countries such as Malawi and Zimbabwe were working on the construction site.

(Reporting by Tannur Anders and Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Alexander Winning and Alison Williams)
FILE - Dr. Rahul Gupta, head of the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy, speaks during a press conference Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022, at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The U.S. drug czar, who holds a position on the World Anti-Doping Agency's executive committee, sent a pointed letter to world anti-doping officials, saying leaders in governments across the globe remain deeply concerned about the response to allegations of Chinese doping before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

The U.S. drug czar sent a pointed letter to world anti-doping officials, saying leaders in governments across the globe remain deeply concerned about the response to allegations of Chinese doping before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Rahul Gupta, who holds a position on the World Anti-Doping Agency's executive committee, sent a series of recommendations to the president of WADA in a May 8 letter that was obtained by The Associated Press. It included calling for an emergency meeting of the executive committee before the end of this week.

WADA has set up an extraordinary session" of its foundation board on Friday. That board is a larger body than the executive committee, and it has final authority over the agency's policies; it does not include a U.S. member.

The letter from Gupta, the head of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy, came in the wake of allegations that 23 Chinese swimmers were cleared of intentionally taking performance enhancers, saying a banned heart medication ended up in their systems due to contamination.

Responding to criticism about the decision, WADA appointed a Swiss lawyer to undertake an independent investigation into the case. That, too, has been criticized.

Gupta's letter spelled out some of the perceived deficiencies about the appointment, including the complaint that members of the executive committee who represent governments were not fully briefed and did not participate in a formal vote that launched the investigation.

Gupta asked for increased transparency and clarity on various aspects of the case.

That included a call for more information about what WADA knew, at what time, and why WADA decided not to take additional actions, such as to investigate the contamination claims, or otherwise generate lessons-learned from this case that could inform and strengthen the anti-doping system.

Gupta's office plays a key role in releasing U.S. funds to WADA. The United States is scheduled to contribute a world-leading $3.6 million to WADA's 2024 $50 million budget, which is double the amount of the next-biggest contributor.

___

AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
Bjoern Hoecke (R), chairman of the Thuringian AfD party, waits with his lawyer Ulrich Vosgerau for the start of his trial at the Halle/Saale district court. He is accused of using symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations. Ronny Hartmann/AFP Pool/dpa

The defence in the trial of German far-right politician Bjorn Hocke has called for him to be acquitted of a charge that he used a prohibited Nazi slogan, on the grounds that the defendant did not know it was banned.

Hocke, 52, is accused of using the slogan "Alles fur Deutschland" (Everything for Germany) that was used by the Sturmabteilung (SA), or Storm Troopers, a Nazi paramilitary group commonly referred to as the "brownshirts."

Most people had forgotten the slogan, and by bringing the case the prosecution had made it known again, Hocke's defence lawyer Ralf Hornemann told the regional court in the eastern city of Halle.

The fact that Hocke had worked as a history teacher before becoming a politician with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) did not mean that he must have known about the ban, Hornemann said.

The prosecution had earlier called for a suspended six-month sentence. Judgement is expected later on Tuesday. The court has indicated that the maximum sentence will be a fine.

Bjoern Hoecke, chairman of the Thuringian AfD party, sits in the courtroom of the Halle/Saale district court. He is accused of using symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations. Ronny Hartmann/AFP Pool/dpa
Defense for woman charged in fatal shooting through front door claims PTSD, seeks DCF records

The woman accused of shooting and killing a young mother through a door could claim she was suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in her trial.

 WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS

Attorneys for 59-year-old Susan Lorincz were present for a hearing in the case Tuesday morning. Lorincz did not attend.

On June 2, 2023, deputies say Lorincz shot and killed 35-year-old Ajike AJ Owens in front of her young children.

Now, prosecutors are trying to get ahead of that possible PTSD defense.

READ: Teen arrested for shooting that injured 10 at Sanford event center charged as adult

Tuesdays hearing was held to determine whether Lorincz defense can have access to the victims records from the Florida Department of Children and Families.

The judge questioned how those records would be relevant in a case where Lorincz is the one charged with manslaughter for Owens death.

Bringing up someones past to prove some sort of bad character is always something that is questioned, Owens family Attorney Anthony Thomas said. Especially when self-defense is raised.

New court documents filed reveal Lorincz attorney is working to keep every defense angle open, including a claim that she suffers from PTSD and other ailments related to a friend who was sexually assaulted and other childhood trauma.

Prosecutors are asking the judge to prevent her from arguing that her mental capacity, or diminished capacity, alleviated her of any criminal responsibility in the shooting.

READ: Check stubs, fake receipts, blind loyalty: Cohen offers inside knowledge in Trumps hush money trial

Nearly a year after the shooting, Owens mother says this week in particular has been trying for her children.

Very difficult first mothers day, Owens mother Pamela Dias said. Tried to attend church servicewe were unable to attend fully.

Investigators say Lorincz fired her gun through the door of her Ocala home, killing Owens.

The young mother was walking to the door to speak with Lorincz about a dispute involving her children.

We tried to visit the cemetery, Dias recalled. Felt like we were back there burying her all over againvery difficult time for us.

READ: Driver of truck that hit farmworker bus in Florida, killing 8, arrested on DUI charges

A judge said Tuesday he will review the Owens DCF records first to determine if they are even relevant to the case.

As for the PTSD claim, Lorincz attorney has filed a motion pushing back against prosecutors claims that they cant use that as part of their defense.

There has been no paperwork filed for an insanity defense.

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By Greg Torode and Guy Faulconbridge

HONG KONG/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin's Beijing visit on Thursday is likely to be light on hard deals but will mark the start of his new presidential term with a show of support from his most powerful political partner, Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

Putin's two-day mission is expected to highlight the pair's vaunted "no limits" partnership in defiance from pressure from the United States over Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The Chinese foreign ministry confirmed Putin's trip on Tuesday, saying Xi and Putin would exchange views on ties and "international and regional issues of common concern".

While diplomats and analysts expect Putin to push Xi for further support for Russia's war economy, from machines and chemicals to help its military industries to more discounted oil and gas purchases, Putin's trip is likely to be heavily symbolic of a shared world view centred on countering a U.S.-led order.

"China is Russia's strategic partner  this is the path chosen by the president of Russia and the leader of China  and nothing is going to change that no matter what the West tries to say or do," a Russian official said on condition of anonymity.

In an interview with China's news agency Xinhua published early on Wednesday, Putin backed China's plan for a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis, saying Beijing had a full understanding of what lay behind it.

"In Beijing, they truly understand its root causes and its global geopolitical meaning," Putin said, according to a Russian language transcript published on a Kremlin website.

Putin will also discuss economic ties with China's premier Li Qiang and visit Harbin, a northeast city with historic Russian connections.

Putin's arrival follows a mission to Beijing late last month from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in part to warn China's top diplomat Wang Yi against deepening military support for Russia.

But despite the "no limits" relationship - declared by Putin and Xi in Beijing just days before the launch of the invasion in February 2022 - China has so far avoided providing actual weapons and ammunition for Russia's war effort.

And despite initial internal U.S. talks about sanctioning Chinese banks, U.S. officials said last month they did not yet have such plans.

"I'm sure Putin would like to have China's help in getting Russia over the line in Ukraine," said Alexander Neill, a Singapore-based defence analyst.

"What more China can do without incurring action from Washington will be a very closely scrutinised element of this mission," said Neill.

SUPPORT FOR ISOLATED MOSCOW

Other analysts said just the Xi and Putin meeting itself carried weight.

"The very act of receiving Putin by Beijing - on its own - is already a form of support to Russia since China is the sole major country left that has not isolated Moscow," said James Char, a security scholar at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

"China needs to have Russia on its side to subvert the U.S.-led world order and in its long-term struggle with the U.S. for geopolitical supremacy."

Chinese state press reports on Wednesday said Putin was on a full state visit, with some Chinese commentators stressing the importance of "head of state diplomacy" in the further strengthening relationship.

More broadly, other limits remain on the relationship, however.

Char notes a lingering mutual mistrust - the one-time ideological communist allies split at the height of the Cold War - while a senior Russian source notes scepticism among Russia's elites over becoming China's "resource appendage".

Russian oil arrivals into China, including via pipelines under long-term contracts, rose one quarter last year to a record 2.14 million barrels per day (bpd), making Moscow its top supplier for a second straight year.

Data analysed by Reuters shows China saved roughly $4.34 billion in the first nine months of 2023 buying discounted Russian oil.

China's Russian gas imports last year soared nearly 40% from 2022 at 33.7 billion cubic metres, according to Reuters calculations of customs figures and data from consultancy RBAC. Despite the rise, Kremlin-owned energy giant Gazprom is still struggling to fill the gap of lost European gas sales.

(Reporting By Greg Torode in Hong Kong and Guy Faulconbridge in Moscow; additional reporting by Chen Aizhu in Beijing; Editing by Alex Richardson and Lincoln Feast.)
A 23-year-old woman wanted in connection with a December shooting in Wilmington is dead following a police chase that started in Delaware Tuesday morning and ended in a standoff in Chester, Pennsylvania, officials said.

The woman has not been identified, but Wilmington police said she was wanted in connection with a shooting that occurred in the 500 block of W. Eighth St. That Dec. 2 shooting wounded a 34-year-old man.

Another 34-year-old man was charged in connection with that shooting, police said in a Dec. 3 statement. That man was arraigned last week and his trial is pending.

Update: Police ID Delaware woman shot dead in Chester, Pa., during standoff with multiple police

Tuesday's chase into Pennsylvania

Members of Wilmington's Drug, Organized Crime and Vice Division, Uniformed Services Division and Canine Unit responded to the 300 block of N. Madison St. just before noon on Tuesday in an attempt to arrest the woman.

The woman, police said in a statement released Tuesday afternoon, evaded officers and rammed several Wilmington Police vehicles before fleeing onto I-95 northbound and into Pennsylvania. She was followed by Wilmington Police, as well as Delaware State Police. After crossing into Pennsylvania, police said the woman crashed her vehicle and fired a gun at police. Two members of the Delaware State Police fired back during that exchange. The woman was able to gain access to another vehicle and drive into Chester, police said, where she crashed into a structure.

Following a home invasion, the woman got into a third vehicle and tried to flee. At that time, police said 10 officers fired at the woman:

Three members of the Wilmington Police Department.

Five members of the Delaware State Police.

One member of the Trainer Borough, Pennsylvania, Police Department

And one member of the Chester Police Department.

"The suspect ultimately succumbed to her injuries, and her identity will be released once family notifications are complete," David Karas, a Wilmington police spokesperson, said.

This incident is under investigation by the Delaware County, Pennsylvania, District Attorney's Office. The Wilmington Police officers who fired their guns have been placed on administrative duty pending the investigation and this incident is being investigated by the department's Criminal Investigations Division and the Office of Professional Standards.

A Pennsylvania Department of Transportation camera shows I-95 with lane closures at the Commodore Barry Bridge exit Tuesday afternoon

The incident closed roadways in Chester, including portions of I-95.

Delaware chase ends in Pennsylvania

This would be the second Delaware police chase that has ended up closing the interstate in Pennsylvania in less than two months.

I-95, just over the border in Pennsylvania, was closed for part of the day on April 4 following an early-morning crash involving a 25-year-old man who fled in a stolen police vehicle after being shot by an officer in New Castle County.

That incident unfolded about 2:30 a.m. on April 4, when New Castle County police were called to Cynwyd Club Apartment Complex off Limestone Road for a domestic incident. While investigating, police said Tyrese Knuckles ran on foot.

HISTORY REPEATS: 4 police agencies, a shooting and a car chase: How Thursday morning incident unfolded

He made his way to a shopping center at Milltown and Limestone roads, where a different officer who had been told of Knuckles' flight was looking for the man. That officer, an eight-year veteran of the apartment, spotted Knuckles and gave him several commands to stop.

A confrontation ensued, during which the officer used his Taser, police said. While the stun gun hit him, it was ineffective.

As a result, the officer pulled out his gun and shot Knuckles, who police said was struck in the torso. His injuries were not life-threatening.

Though Knuckles was wounded, police said he managed to run to the nearby patrol vehicle, get in it and sped off.

By that time, New Castle County police had called for backup. Delaware State Police and Wilmington police joined the chase, which wound through the county before entering Wilmington city limits. As Knuckles fled, he hit several police vehicles, police said, injuring a three-year veteran of the New Castle County Police and a Delaware State Police trooper.

The chase ended on I-95 in Pennsylvania near the Commodore Barry Bridge after the patrol car Knuckles was in became disabled on the side of the road following a crash, police said. Knuckles, who police said tried to run from the car in Pennsylvania, was arrested "almost immediately" on a side street nearby.

He was taken to Crozer-Chester Medical Center, where he was listed as "stable."

Knuckles, who was wanted out of Philadelphia for stalking, is expected to be charged in connection to the April incident.

Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Wanted Delaware woman killed in Chester, Pa. police standoff
Delta Planes Nose Bursts Into Flames After Landing as Passengers Rush to Evacuate via Wings and Slide: WATCH

Delta Planes Nose Bursts Into Flames After Landing as Passengers Rush to Evacuate via Wings and Slide: WATCH

The Airbus A321neo aircraft had 189 passengers, two pilots and four flight attendants on board

The nose of a Delta plane burst into flames on Monday, May 6 due to an electrical malfunction, the airline confirms.

Delta Flight 604 had just landed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Washington from Cancun when the incident occurred. The Airbus A321neo aircraft was carrying 189 passengers, two pilots and four flight attendants, according to the airline.

Surveillance footage of the incident shows the plane arriving safely at the gate followed by what appears to be an employee connecting a black wire to the nose of the aircraft. Black smoke then billows out from the front of the plane and red flames erupt.

As the fire and smoke grow bigger, the emergency slide deploys at the rear of the aircraft. Passengers then scramble onto the wing via emergency doors and exit down the slides before hurrying away from the plane.

Related: Plane Carrying 3 People Lands Without Wheels After Suffering Mid-Air Mechanical Failure

Port of Seattle/SEA Airport/LOCAL NEWS X/TMX Passengers exit onto plane's wing

In a statement shared with PEOPLE, a spokesperson from Delta said: During deplaning on the evening of May 6, the crew of Flight 604 from Cancun to Seattle witnessed smoke in the aircraft nose area after plugging into ground electrical power.

They continued, Out of an abundance of caution, slides were deployed and passengers still on board deplaned via the rear of the aircraft. Passengers were fully evacuated, and those deplaned to the ramp returned to the terminal via the ramp stairs.

Related: Delta Flight Makes Emergency Return to N.Y.C. After Evacuation Slide Falls Off Plane

Port of Seattle/SEA Airport/LOCAL NEWS X/TMX Firefighters arrive at the scene

Once safely off the plane, all passengers went through regular processing in the International Arrivals Facility for customs, the airline adds. The aircraft was then removed from service to be inspected and undergo maintenance.

The airline also confirmed that they opened up an investigation that focuses on the ground power apparatus and not the aircraft, which they say is less than two years old. They add that Delta operates approximately 4,800 average departures every day.

Related: Delta Emergency Slide That Fell off Plane After Takeoff Has Been Found  Heres Where It Washed Up

In April, Delta Flight 520 had to make an emergency return to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York after the evacuation slide fell from the aircraft shortly after takeoff.

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the crew reported a vibration after hearing a non-routine sound near the right wing of the plane. The Boeing 767-300ER aircraft landed safely at the New York City airport where it was confirmed that the slide was missing.

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A few days later, the slide was found caught in a jetty in Queens, New York.

A spokesperson for the New York City Parks Department told PEOPLE, On Sunday [April 28], Delta removed a large piece of debris from the jetty near Beach 131 Street.



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Read the original article on People.
Lobbyists wait outside to talk to House Representatives during the regular legislative session Monday, March 27, 2023. Photo by Nicole Neri for the Minnesota Reformer.

In 1915, lawyers representing the United States Steel Corporation approached state Rep. John M. Harrison of Minneapolis to advance a piece of tax legislation.

Today wed call these folks lobbyists. The Harrison bill would have capped municipal taxation for small villages on a per capita basis. Minneapolis was not a small village, but Hibbing was, and thats where U.S. Steel extracted millions of tons of iron ore each year.

With a minuscule delegation of northern lawmakers from the Iron Range, it seemed inevitable that the well-funded lobby supporting the bill would prevail, dramatically slashing the tax revenue of several Range towns.

This all stemmed from Hibbing Mayor Victor L. Power and his policies taxing the mines for modern schools, streets and civic improvements. Power argued that mining couldnt last forever, so towns like his should build for the future. And while his political machine wasnt above self-dealing, he delivered what his voters  mostly foreign-born miners and progressive merchants  wanted.

Power and dozens of Hibbing citizens vowed to fight the tax cut plan of the company  then the largest in the world  and rode the train to St. Paul to launch a surprisingly sophisticated lobbying campaign. For every U.S. Steel lawyer exaggerating Iron Range extravagance to a lawmaker, a Hibbing man clamored in with a rebuttal.

The battle turned when Power hired the clerk of the House off the rostrum to guide his operation. A former newspaperman, Clerk J.E. Lawler said he couldnt stand by and watch the inappropriate dealmaking of U.S. Steel.

Lawlers intimate knowledge of House rules and the proclivities of its members proved decisive. Hibbings allies killed the Harrison bill with a strategic floor maneuver in the waning hours of the session. Victor Power returned home to fireworks, a marching band and a crowd exceeding 10,000 people at the Hibbing train depot.

The people celebrated victory that would pass a fortune through the towns economy. These dollars built a city, moved it, and rebuilt it again, erecting the storied high school that would later inspire Bob Dylan.

But when Hibbings citizen lobbyists went home, the Steel Corporations kept working. In six years, they passed a similar bill, mostly by placating the rest of the state with a relatively small iron ore production tax. Powers progressive agenda was slow boiled like the proverbial frog.

As for Lawler, the former House clerk, he turned out to be a mercenary, accepting a lucrative position as executive secretary of the Hibbing Commercial Club not long after the original U.S. Steel v. Hibbing tax fight.

Iron Range politics have swung back and forth now, but the mining industrys political hold on the region was never again in doubt.

What do we take from this episode?

First, yes US Steel had its lobbyists, but so did the city of Hibbing. The very word lobbyist has become freighted with pejorative implications, but the truth is that we all have lobbyists. If youre a nurse or teacher or small business owner or live in Hibbing or visit state parks, lobbyists speak on your behalf. The other things we can take from the episode is that access matters (which is why Hibbing hired Lawler). And if access matters, that usually means the money and power that can purchase access also matter.

How it works

We elect leaders to run the government on our behalf. At the local level, its pretty simple. In my rural township, elected supervisors set the budget and see that the dirt roads are graded in the summer and plowed in the winter. There are no lobbyists, unless you count the retired people who attend all the meetings. (And they would surely resent that implication.)

But state and federal governments contain far more layers. Millions, billions and trillions of dollars are spent in a sprawling web of interdependent functions. No matter which party or policies we support, the person we elect to Congress or the Legislature cant do it on their own.

Lets face it, society has gotten a lot more complicated, said John Ongaro, a veteran lobbyist for northeastern Minnesota counties. As a result, theres a lot more people in this business. Its so much more demanding of expertise.

State law books that filled half a shelf in Victor Powers time, and a full shelf when Ongaro started lobbying, now fill an entire book case. This affects everything we do, from eating out to educating our kids, from the very technology that delivers these words to you.

A lobbyist advances policy objectives by paying close attention to lawmakers  informing, persuading, browbeating and complimenting as necessary. As such, lawmakers might assume a demeanor of authority, believing that this pitched ado is all for them.

But the lobbyists arent there to serve lawmakers. This is a negotiation among interests, a competition even. And its not a fair fight.

Lobbyists make more money than the legislators and often know more than the legislators. Depending on their affiliations, they might form close alliances and even personal friendships with the lawmakers. Heck, a whole lot of lobbyists actually served in the Legislature not that long ago.

So when a lawmaker sees a lobbyist, they must decide if theyre talking to a friend, a bully, a conscientious professional or a master manipulator. Sometimes, these colors run like a pack of Starbursts washed in a shirt pocket.

Trust is currency and relationships matter, said Shannon Watson, a former lobbyist who now leads the nonprofit Majority in the Middle.

Lobbyists perform an important role, providing information and context for the decisions made at the Capitol. But accountability for their elevated access and influence rests with sometimes porous state laws and the conscience of individuals.

Money and power make mince meat of such arrangements. Always have.

The revolving door

For the past 40 years, John Ongaro has lobbied at the state Legislature, most of them for the Arrowhead Counties Association based in Duluth. He will retire at the end of the current session.

He was one of 200 registered lobbyists during his first session. This week, the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board lists almost 1,600 registered lobbyists.

To explain the leap, Ongaro cites more demand for expertise in complex systems  and big financial incentives for passing favorable legislation. Lawmakers are serving shorter stints, too, which eliminates a lot of valuable experience in the Legislature. Lobbyists fill the gap in subject matter expertise, and often a given interest will require several of them to fan out across the Capitol.

Sometimes it comes down to hiring the best and brightest, but often times it comes down to hiring the most, said Ongaro.

If lobbyists have preexisting relationships with legislators, he added, they will have an enormous advantage. Thats why recent or even current lawmakers have become valuable hires for legal, lobbying and public relations firms trying to influence the Legislature.

Last year, former DFL Senate minority leader, Sen. Melisa Lopez Franzen took a job as the University of Minnesotas chief lobbyist eight months after leaving office.

This year, former Minnesota House Speaker Kurt Daudt, a Republican, resigned to take a leadership role with a government relations firm that refers clients to lobbyists.

Just last month, State Sen. John Hoffman, a Minneapolis DFLer, drew criticism for using his status as a legislator to bring in business for his consulting firm.

Here on my native Iron Range, former lawmakers are more likely than not to have become lobbyists. Former State Sen. Tom Bakk was a long-time DFL caucus leader who finished his last two years caucusing with Republicans. After leaving office two years ago he became a lobbyist for mining and tobacco interests.

Bakks predecessor, the late DFL Sen. Doug Johnson, also forged a prolific career as a lobbyist after leaving office.

In 2015, late DFL State Sen. David Tomassoni tried to take an executive director job of the Range Association of Municipalities and Schools while still serving in the senate. RAMS also lobbies the Legislature. Ultimately, he gave up the pursuit amid public criticism.

Former state Sen. Jerry Janezich, DFL-Chisholm, became a longtime lobbyist for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, where he now serves on the Board of Trustees.

This isnt to say that former lawmakers arent entitled to seek employment, or that they have nefarious goals in mind. But they are selling a valuable commodity that other people dont have: recent legislative relationships in a relationship-based profession.

The fix

When the trade of relationships, influence and power becomes so lucrative, sitting lawmakers start gaming out their evolution from legislator to lobbyist. (Former congressman turned pharma lobbyist Billy Tauzin is the perfect example, and Medicare couldnt negotiate lower drug prices for two decades as a result.)

The revolving door also tends to corrode the publics confidence that lawmaking at the Legislature is on the up-and-up. The steady erosion of civic trust is slow-walking us into authoritarianism.

This year, a new law took effect expanding the definition of a lobbyist. Higher income private citizens who spend more than 3% of their time lobbying must register. So must those spending more than $3,000 trying to influence legislation. While this improves transparency, it doesnt mitigate the sheer power that lobbyists have, nor does it deter the legislator who leaves office to become a lobbyist.

In 2023, Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, proposed a bill that would have banned legislators from becoming lobbyists for seven years. The bill died. This year, Republican lawmakers led by House minority leader Rep. Lisa Demuth authored a bill that would set that limit at two years.

But the bill with the best chance of passing is a DFL measure that would place a constitutional amendment before voters this fall. Among the provisions of this amendment: expansion of when the Legislature can meet; an independent redistricting commission; and a one-year ban on lobbying when a legislator leaves office.

At minimum, professional influencers like Ongaro and Watson agree that a fixed moratorium on legislators becoming lobbyists is appropriate. The U.S. Congress, by law, sets that term at one year. Minnesotas House rules also state a one-year ban on lobbying, but its not backed by the force of law and is routinely circumvented.

Something should be done because Minnesota normally leads the nation in reforms like this, said Ongaro. Were behind the pack.

One obvious solution is to make the Legislature and its relationship with lobbyists more transparent.

The Legislature needs to apply the government sunshine laws that apply to counties, school boards and local governments to themselves, said Watson. Right now you cant make a data practices request for lawmakers e-mails because they have exempted themselves. Who has their ear? Open up your own calendar to public scrutiny.

With sine die bearing down on this years session, well soon learn if voters will get a say on legislative and lobbying reforms this November. If not, we will go around the horn to a new Legislature next year, hoping this time will be different.

Perhaps a recently retired or deposed legislator might be available to lobby on the peoples behalf.

The post Democracy for sale or rent appeared first on Minnesota Reformer.
Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo, D-Independence, speaks about the second week of the legislative session in a press conference on Jan. 11, 2024 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).

A filibuster in the Missouri Senate set a new record Wednesday morning, as Democrats continued to demand ballot candy about non-citizen voting and foreign fundraising be removed from an initiative petition bill before it goes to voters.

The previous modern record for longest filibuster was set earlier this year by the Senate Freedom Caucus, who held the floor for 41 hours. Democrats passed that mark at around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday.

With time ticking down as the legislature is set to adjourn at 6 p.m. Friday, Democrats argue that if Republicans are truly concerned with ensuring only citizens can vote in Missouri elections, there are at least two other bills close to the finish line that include that language.

The GOP could pass those bills, strip the ballot candy out of the initiative petition bill, end the filibuster and allow the Senate to function in its final days, said Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo of Independence.

Were more than happy to let that through, he said.

The longest filibuster in Missouri Senate history happened earlier this year, when the Freedom Caucus held the floor for 41 hours. Democrats will pass that mark around 7:30 a.m.

The bill that inspired this weeks filibuster would ask voters to make it harder to amend the Missouri Constitution through the initiative petition process. But it also includes proposals that would bar non-citizens from voting and ban foreign entities from contributing to or sponsoring constitutional amendments, both of which are already illegal.

Democrats say they will not allow the bill to move forward with even an iota of ballot candy.

Theyre trying to disenfranchise not Democratic voters or Republican voters, state Sen. Brian Williams, a Democrat from University City, said Tuesday. Theyre trying to disenfranchise Missouri voters.

The non-citizen voting prohibitions are also included in two bills that would amend the Missouri Constitution to ban ranked-choice voting.

The House passed its version of the ranked-choice voting bill in April, though it hasnt been heard by a Senate committee.

The Senate also passed its version in April. A House committee approved the bill without making any changes, meaning it could be taken up and sent directly to the statewide ballot at any time this week.

The Senate sponsor of the ranked-choice voting measure, GOP Sen. Ben Brown of Washington, couldnt be reached for comment.

But Republicans remain steadfast as of Tuesday afternoon that they want the initiative petition proposal to go to voters with the ballot candy included.

We want to put something that Republican voters want to vote for, said Sen. Andrew Koenig, a Manchester Republican and member of the Senate Freedom Caucus. I think it can look in different ways; however, we dont want to send this bill to conference. Its hard to say exactly whats going to happen, but were very limited on what we can do.

If a compromise cant be reached, Republicans have one tool at their disposal to end the filibuster: invoking a rarely-used procedural tactic called moving the previous question. This immediately ends debate and forces a vote, but Republicans know doing so could have long-term consequences on how the Senate functions.

Moving the previous question is still on the table, Koenig said, but it remains a last resort.

Not all Republicans are looking for a showdown over the initiative petition bill.

Asked Tuesday if he feels any personal urgency to pass the bill, state Sen. Justin Brown, a Rolla Republican, said: I dont.

Senate Democrats have argued invoking the previous question would be an outrage, as theyve worked in good faith with Republicans all session  including ending a filibuster of the initiative petition bill earlier this year after ballot candy was removed.

It would be especially outrageous, Democrats contend, because the Senate Freedom Caucus has used the filibuster and other procedural maneuvers to undermine GOP leadership in the chamber and cause gridlock.

A month after Senate Democrats ended a 21-hour filibuster when Republicans agreed to a paired down initiative petition bill, the bills sponsor, state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman of Arnold, asked a House committee to put the ballot candy back in.

Senate Democrats said theyd been double crossed, so they retaliated by shutting down Senate business for the day.

Rizzo said if the Republicans invoke the previous question, the consequences could last into next session. While he is not returning to the chamber in 2025, Rizzo said Democrats should play by the Freedom Caucuss rules next year.

I would definitely try to do everything I could to be the most disruptive, Rizzo said during his second filibuster shift Tuesday morning.   Because there is no reason to go to work if youre not getting the stuff you want or work in good faith because its clearly not rewarded.

The Senate gridlock stems from the likelihood that Missouri voters will have the chance to vote to re-establish the constitutional right to abortion later this year. A campaign to legalize abortion up to the point of fetal viability in recently submitted more than 380,000 signatures to the Missouri Secretary of States office, paving the way for the issue to land on the November ballot.

Republicans hope that by raising the threshold needed to pass citizen-led ballot measures, they will be able to defeat the abortion vote.

In a video posted to social media Tuesday, state Sen. Bill Eigel, a Republican from Weldon Spring, said hed been up all night defending liberty.

Were going to make (the Democrats) continue to talk until theyre ready to see initiative petition reform go to the people of this state, Eigel said. And were going to protect our Constitution. Were going to protect it from the abortionists who want to enshrine a culture of death into the founding document of the state.

The Independents Rudi Keller contributed to this story.

The post Democratic filibuster of initiative petition bill exceeds 41 hours, sets new record appeared first on Missouri Independent.
Title icon

The Scene

Maryland Democrats dont typically expect checks from Larry Mizel. The wealthy, Denver-based octogenarian who co-founded the Simon Wiesenthal Center raised money for Donald Trumps 2016 campaign and served on the board of the Republican Jewish Coalition. Last year he gave $100,000 to Kevin McCarthys campaign PAC; after House Republicans yanked the speakers gavel from McCarthy, Mizel gave $100,000 to Mike Johnson.

But last month, Mizel gave the maximum donation of $3,300 to Sarah Elfreth, a Maryland state senator running for the states 3rd Congressional District. He was joined by 72 other donors, only one from Maryland, who gave to Elfreth after giving to other candidates supported by the United Democracy Project, the super PAC created by the pro-Israel group AIPAC  which also plowed more than $4.2 million into TV ads and field organizing in the same race.

That massively boosted Elfreth, one of 21 Democrats running for a safely blue seat between D.C. and Baltimore. And it put UDP on a collision course with Harry Dunn, a Nancy Pelosi-endorsed former Capitol Police officer known for his heroism on January 6.

But Dunn wasnt defenseless: In addition to raising $4.5 million for his own campaign, he had a now-familiar playbook that Democrats have used in other campaigns where pro-Israel groups have played a role. Soon he was up with TV ads asking why Trump donors want Elfreth to win.

Any candidate who receives this support refuses to condemn their meddling in this race and essentially accepts the endorsement of an organization that has backed over 100 candidates and members of Congress who incited the rioters I fought on January 6th and tried to overthrow our democracy, Dunn told Semafor.

Dunns opponent  who cannot coordinate anything with the PAC  has downplayed the issue while welcoming the support.

If someone whos inclined to give to the other side wants to give to Sarah, they know what theyre getting  someone whos endorsed by teachers and will fight for campaign finance reform, said Patrick Murray, a spokesman for Elfreth.

Title icon

Davids view

Pro-Israel donors and campaign groups have gone after a fairly wide range of Democrats this cycle. Some, like Reps. Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman, have well-funded opponents and are left-wing stalwarts. Others, like Dave Min in California, didnt have an obviously confrontational take on Israel or affinity towards its critics. And Dunn isnt facing direct attacks from pro-Israel groups, hes merely in the way of a preferred candidate who enjoys their support.

But the nature of the groups involved have allowed them to mount a common defense: In race after race, candidates have attacked AIPAC and its allies as partisan, pro-Trump actors who dont have Democrats best interests at heart.

Since 2022, when UDP first started spending to beat left-wing Democrats in primaries, progressives have gone straight after AIPACs bipartisan brand to neutralize its attacks. By continuing to give to Republicans and bundling cash from GOP donors, they argued, the pro-Israel juggernaut was backing insurrectionists. The goal: Discredit UDP before voters started seeing its name on mailers or hearing it in ads.

Thats how Bowman, generally seen as the House Democrat most at risk in his primary, has approached his race. On Monday night, facing Westchester County Executive George Latimer in their first televised debate, Bowman described AIPAC as a right-wing pressure group that wanted its puppet in a safe Democratic seat.

My opponent is in the pocket and bought and paid for by AIPAC  the largest recipient of PAC money in the country, Bowman said. AIPAC is funded by the same Republicans who supported insurrectionists, the same Republicans who are against voting rights, who are against reproductive rights.

Latimer called AIPAC a group working in one particular policy area and noted that most House Democrats were fine with it. But UDPs long reach has become a paradox, a boon wrapped in a problem, for Democrats who werent talking about Israel at all.

In Oregon, where Susheela Jayapal  sister of progressive leader Rep. Pramila Jayapal  entered the race for a safe blue seat as the heavy favorite, progressives have blamed UDP for a sudden burst of TV advertising from two PACs, the science-focused 314 Action and the brand new Voters for Responsive Government. The ads have benefited state Rep. Maxine Dexter, who was encouraged to run by pro-Israel activists  and whos received support from Mizel and other regular AIPAC donors in the races final stretch. (UDP would not comment on any involvement in the race.)

Based on her own FEC reports, we know without a doubt that anti-choice Republican donors are funding Maxine, said Andrea Cervone, Jayapals campaign manager. Its a choice to say youll fight for LGBTQ+ freedoms and progressive freedoms, then take that money.

Dexter has bemoaned the groups involvement on her behalf. Im not condoning this, she said in a May 3 candidate forum, after Jayapal and another candidate said that she could urge the PACs to disclose their donors. My integrity is frankly being questioned here.

But like Elfreth, Dexter described the help from unexpected donors as a wash; giving her money isnt enough to change her mind. I have stood firm with people whove supported me, and against people whove supported me, she said as the forum wrapped up.

Progressives would like to win these races; since the ad buys began, Jayapal has called for conditions on further aid to Israel, and Dexter hasnt. But the queasiness that their opponents feel about benefiting from this money isnt bad, either. Dozens of progressive groups teamed up last month to form Reject AIPAC, which coordinated their messaging (but not their money) behind an effort to make the groups political work unpopular with Democratic voters. Usamah Andrabi, the coalitions spokesman, said that the intervention in Maryland, especially, was helping.

When the super PAC that endorsed 109 insurrectionists starts spending money against a Capitol Police officer, people realize this is a front for billionaires to spend in Democratic primaries, he said.

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The View From AIPAC

We have a strong and successful track record of supporting pro-Israel candidates from both parties, said AIPAC spokesman Marshall Wittmann. In fact, we are the largest PAC contributor to Democratic candidates.

Patrick Dorton, the spokesman for UDP, had the same response: AIPAC endorsed the entire Democratic leadership team in 2022, and was proud to support pro-Israel progressives. He added that in Marylands 3rd District, while some candidates were calling for a ceasefire  including John Morse, a labor lawyer endorsed by Bernie Sanders  the endorsement was all about Elfreth. Shes one of the most effective legislators in Marylands history, Dorton said. We obviously were concerned about some anti-Israel candidates in that race, but not Dunn.

Plus, UDP was spending against Republicans, too. Last week, it helped defeat ex-Indiana Rep. John Hostettler, stopping his comeback bid and highlighting his criticism of Israel; ahead of Kentuckys March 20 primary, it was running ads across the commonwealth attacking conservative foreign aid critic Rep. Thomas Massie. The goal was not to beat him, said Dorton, but to make sure that every voter in Kentucky knows how atrocious Massie was on Israel.

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Notable

In the Intercept, Ryan Grim sifted through the last-minute spending in Oregon, noting that the PAC created to run negative ads on Jayapal was founded a day after a key deadline; its donors wont be documented in campaign finance reports until its too late, the day of the all-mail primary, after most votes are cast.

In Jewish Insider, Mark Rod looked at how Dunn was handling the UDP intervention, and how Elfreth took a largely pro-Israel stance, but is not fully hewing to AIPACs positions on the war in the Middle East.

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Sen. Lauren Arthur of Kansas City speaks during a 2023 debate in the Missouri Senate (photo courtesy of Senate Communications).

A Democratic filibuster of legislation making it harder for Missourians to amend the state constitution through citizen-led initiatives stretched through the night and into its 15th hour Tuesday morning.

Though Democrats oppose the changes to the initiative petition process, their filibuster was focused on GOP efforts to include ballot candy that would add unrelated issues about immigrants voting and foreign fundraising to the question that would appear on the statewide ballot.

Unless Republicans agree to ditch all of the ballot candy  which was removed when the Senate originally passed the bill in March  Democrats have vowed to block all action in the Senate until the legislative session adjourns at 6 p.m. Friday.

Since it is forever, state Sen. Lauren Arthur, a Kansas City Democrat, said of the amendment. This is worth fighting and trying to stop.

Republicans show no signs of backing down on the ballot candy, raising the odds that the Senate will be unable to pass anything else before adjourning.

There is a hope that we are able to find a resolution to move forward so that the rest of session is able to operate, state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, a Republican from Arnold sponsoring the initiative petition bill.

If the bill clears the legislature, it would go on the statewide ballot, most likely in August.

Missourians would be asked whether they want to require constitutional amendments be approved by both a majority of votes statewide and a majority of votes in a majority of the states eight congressional districts.

Currently, amendments pass with a simple majority.

Republicans have pushed to change the initiative petition process for years, but the effort picked up steam more recently as a campaign to restore abortion access in Missouri advanced closer to appearing on the ballot.

These lawmakers on the right have said that without eliminating the simple majority, abortion would likely become legal again. Missouri was the first state to outlaw abortion in nearly every circumstance in June 2022 after Roe v. Wade was overturned.

Democrats say the initiative petition process gives voice to citizens when elected officials arent acting on the will of the people.

There must be some serious concerns that this isnt the will of the people  the majority of the folks in the state of Missouri want autonomy over their bodies, said state Sen. Steve Roberts, a St. Louis Democrat. Otherwise why would you lead a misguided effort to confuse voters to make it more difficult to have their voices heard?

Threat of the previous question

In addition to the changes to the initiative petition process, the bill being blocked in the Senate would ask Missourians if they want to bar non-citizens from voting and ban foreign entities from contributing to or sponsoring constitutional amendments.

Non-citizens have been barred from voting in Missouri since 1924. Federal law already bans foreign entities from getting involved.

Arthur said these are not real threats, but rather scary hypotheticals.

During Senate debate Monday, Democratic state Sen. John Rizzo of Independence said hes been approached by Republicans trying to negotiate to take some, but not all, of the ballot candy.

No, Rizzo said he told them. Im not deceiving voters just a little bit.Arthur replied that Democrats will only end the filibuster if the ballot candy is completely removed, or if theyre forced to through a previous question, a rarely-used procedural maneuver to cut off a filibuster and force a vote on a bill.

The previous question is considered a last resort in the Senate because the response is typically total gridlock as Democrats would use the chambers rules to derail the rest of the legislative session.

During a television interview broadcast Sunday, Senate Majority Leader Cindy OLaughlin referred to the previous question motion as the nuclear option, saying she hasnt made a decision yet whether to use it to pass initiative petition legislation or not.

But last week, state Sen. Rick Brattin, a Harrisonville Republican and a member of the Missouri Freedom Caucus, said his party is ready to use any means necessary to pass the initiative petition bill.

Republicans have said the change is necessary, arguing Missouris constitution is too easy to change, and that passing this amendment would give more voice to rural voters. Democrats say the bill is an attack on the concept of one person, one vote.

Senate Democrats on Monday continued to argue that such a constitutional change would make it virtually impossible for citizen-led ballot measures to ever be successful.

A February analysis by The Independent found that under the concurrent majority standard being proposed by Republicans, as few as 23% of voters could defeat a ballot measure. This was done by looking at the majority in the four districts with the fewest number of voters in 2020 and 2022.

State Sen. Tracy McCreery, an Olivette Democrat, cited this story on Monday afternoon, saying that this outcome should raise alarms.

It will make politicians even more powerful, McCreery said. It takes power away from the people and puts way more power into the hands of politicians.

At about 4 a.m., Rizzo took the floor again for his second filibuster shift this week.

I dont see the end in sight any time soon, he said.

Unfortunately we have to be here in the last week of session as bills are dying minute by minute, and lobbyists are probably running around somewhere here in a few hours screaming and yelling about why their bills are dying, Rizzo said. Because they cant live without ballot candy.

The post Democrats pull all-night filibuster of bill making it harder to amend Missouri Constitution appeared first on Missouri Independent.
A federal appeals court has upheld a lower courts ruling that the Houston County, Ga., Sheriffs Office violated antidiscrimination law by denying transition-related health care to a deputy.

Anna Lange sued in 2019 because she had been repeatedly denied insurance coverage for gender-affirming care under the countys employee health plan. A U.S. district court in Georgia ruled in 2022 that the denial violated federal civil rights law, and Monday a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11 Circuit affirmed that ruling.

It is only the second decision by a federal appellate court affirming that it is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against transgender people in an employee health plan, the first being a recent decision on North Carolina's plan for state employees. It is immediately binding on employers in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama, the states covered by the 11th Circuit, notes a press release from the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, which is representing Lange along with a private law firm.

In his ruling for the 2-1 majority, Judge Charles Wilson cited the Supreme Courts 2020 decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, in which the high court ruled that job discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity constitutes sex discrimination, banned by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Applying Bostocks reasoning to the facts in this case, we conclude that the district court was correct in finding that the Exclusion violated Title VII, he wrote. There is no genuine dispute of fact or law as to whether the Exclusion unlawfully discriminates against Lange and other transgender persons. The Exclusion is a blanket denial of coverage for gender-affirming surgery. Health Plan participants who are transgender are the only participants who would seek gender-affirming surgery. Because transgender persons are the only plan participants who qualify for gender-affirming surgery, the plan denies health care coverage based on transgender status.

Todays victory is a win not just for me, but for all transgender Southerners who deserve equal access to life-saving transition-related care, Lange said in the TLDEF press release. I have proudly served my community for decades and it has been deeply painful to have the county fight tooth and nail, redirecting valuable resources toward denying me basic health care  health care that the courts and a jury of my peers have already agreed I deserve. Im pleased to see that yet another court has deemed those efforts to be unfair and illegal.

Lange has spent 26 years in law enforcement, 17 of them with Houston County. She came out as trans in 2017.

Today, the 11th Circuit upheld the well-reasoned ruling of the U.S. District Court that treating Sgt. Anna Lange differently because she is transgender is discriminatory, TLDEF Co-Interim Legal Director Gabriel Arkles said in the release Houston County and Sheriff [Cullen] Talton have once again lost in court, after spending some $2 million on lawyers to try to deprive Sgt. Lange of medically necessary care that costs orders of magnitude less solely to discriminate against transgender people.

We are pleased that the 11th Circuit Court came to the same conclusion as the lower courts that denying health care coverage to transgender individuals is wrong and illegal, and affirmed the lower court ruling in Sgt. Langes favor, added Wesley Powell, partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, who serves as co-counsel.
Department of Justice officials say segregation persists 70 years after Brown v. Board ruling

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  Top Washington officials are marking the 70th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision this week.

It outlawed segregation of public schools across the country.

The U.S. Department of Justice commemorated the historic case with a ceremony at its headquarters Tuesday.

I was just a six-year-old girl going to school, Gail Etienne told the crowd as she wiped away tears.

Etienne can still feel the hate she endured on her first day at an all-white school in Louisiana.

It looked like if they could get to me, they would kill me, and I didnt know why, she said.

Queen City News

Politics

Etienne is a member of the New Orleans Four. 70 years ago, the Brown v. Board of Education decision paved the way for Black students to integrate schools.

We must have sat there half the day before they even decided to place us in a classroom, fellow New Orleans Four member, Leona Tate, told the crowd.

DOJ officials said segregation still exists.

We need a level playing field that gives every kid a fair chance, said Kristen Clarke, the assistant attorney general of the Civil Rights Division.

Clarke told the crowd examples of segregation include unequal access to higher-level courses and disciplinary actions against students.

Theres still so much work that we need to do to protect our kids, she said.

The Government Accountability Office reports more than 18 million students still attend a segregated school today.

To fight back, Clarke said the DOJ sues schools to reach settlements.

We cant take progress for granted, said U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona.

Cardona told the crowd his department is also fighting back against curriculum changes and book bans in some states.

We all know that Black history is American history, he said.

These officials argue equal access to education ultimately means equal access to other opportunities like jobs and housing.

President Joe Biden will welcome the plaintiffs from the case and their families to the Oval Office Thursday ahead of a speech on Friday, which is the official anniversary of the ruling.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
LYONS TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD)  Authorities say four people were injured in a rollover crash near Lyons.

The Ionia County Sheriffs Office said the happened shortly after 5:15 p.m. Monday on Peckins Road near the intersection of Staley Road in Lyons Township.

A blue Subaru Forester was heading eastbound when the driver lost control, ran off the roadway, and hit the ditch and tree stumps, causing the vehicle to roll several times, according to the sheriffs office.

Three passengers were taken to the hospital with serious injuries, the sheriffs office said.

The driver, a 20-year-old Belding woman, was taken to the hospital with injuries that are not considered life-threatening.

The crash remains under investigation.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
Law enforcement shot and killed a homeowner during a raid seeking the mans brother-in-law, who was staying at his house, a lawsuit says.

His wife, Vickie Wright, now has filed an $8 million wrongful death lawsuit in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.

The May 10 lawsuit names Sevier County, the city of Sevierville and six law enforcement officers who Wright says were involved in the raid the evening of May 12, 2023, that ended with her 63-year-old husband dead.

McClatchy News reached out on May 13 to the municipalities and individuals named in the lawsuit and did not receive a response.

Multi-agency operation

On May 12, 2023, an officer with the Sevierville Police Department attempted to pull over Vickie Wrights brother, who was accused of driving with a suspended license, according to the lawsuit.

The man, identified as Daryl Higdon, did not stop, and a pursuit ended due to traffic conditions, the lawsuit said.

Then the Sevierville Police Department and the Sevier County Sheriffs Office organized a joint operation to arrest Higdon, who was living with his sister and her husband, David Wright, according to the lawsuit.

Six law enforcement officers and a police dog converged on the Wrights home and spotted the brother on the back porch, according to the lawsuit. He went inside the house, and officers went around the front door and demanded entry, the suit said.

David Wright opened the door for the officers, then his brother-in-law retrieved a shotgun and came back to the door with the barrel pointed at the ceiling, according to the lawsuit.

Officers drew their weapons, and they and Wright told Higdon to put the gun down, but the man refused, the lawsuit said.

Shooting broke out, then the Wrights ran into their bedroom as officers and the family member exchanged gunfire, Vickie Wright said.

They sheltered in their bedroom as law enforcement fired indiscriminately into the home, according to the lawsuit.

Eventually the shooting stopped, and a deputy told the Wrights, who were unarmed, that they could come out through the front door, according to the lawsuit.

Then a deputy is accused of shooting David Wright in the head.

Vickie Wright said she was also struck by a fragment of the bullet that killed her husband, but then she was handcuffed and placed in the back of a police car without medical attention, according to the lawsuit.

Higdon was arrested and charged once he was released from the hospital, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Shocking to the conscience

The Sevier County District Attorneys Office investigated the shooting and found the deputy believed Higdon was coming through the door, not David Wright, WATE reported.

None of the law enforcement officers were disciplined or charged, according to WVLT.

In the lawsuit, Vickie Wright said the officers between the two agencies failed to coordinate and communicate effectively.

And even among themselves, the (sheriffs office) officers were not reasonably or adequately communicating, the lawsuit says. One (sheriffs office) officer shot and killed David Wright moments after another officer asked Mr. Wright a question and asked him to come out of the house.

The lawsuit says that none of them, from the least to the most experienced officer, had been adequately trained.

She called their actions shocking to the conscience and said they violated her and her husbands constitutional rights.

The lawsuit seeks $5 million in compensatory damages for David Wrights death and $3 million in compensatory damages for Vickie Wrights injuries.

Sevier County is in eastern Tennessee, about a 30-mile drive southeast from Knoxville.

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Rostyslav Zamlynskyi, who served as Deputy Defence Minister for Finance and Internal Audit when Oleksii Reznikov was Defence Minister, has been appointed Ambassador-at-Large for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Source: Anti-Corruption Centre (AntAC)

Details: Staff at the Centre analysed the official's declarations and found that in the annual declaration for 2023, Zamlynskyi indicated his new position in the Foreign Ministry. The Anti-Corruption Centre assumes that the appointment probably took place in early 2024. It is reported that it is not yet known what "special assignments" Zamlynskyi is responsible for in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

AntAC also recalled that it was Zamlynskyi, as former Defence Mainiater Oleksii Reznikovs Deputy, who dealt with financial issues and in 2022-2023 approved contracts for the purchase of food for the Defene Forces at inflated prices, in particular, the contract with "eggs for UAH 17" (approx. US$0.43). Vitalii Shabunin, chairman of the management board of the Anti-Corruption Centre, commented on Zamlynskyi's appointment on his Facebook page and called this decision "madness".

"It is crazy to appoint an official who turned a blind eye to Reznikovs corruption hell in public procurement as an ambassador-at-large. If Zamlynskyi's official duties concern weapons in any way, such a decision is criminal."

Background:

Ukrainian news outlet ZN.ua reported on 21 January 2023 that the Ministry of Defence was purchasing food for military personnel at a price two or three times higher than in Kyiv shops. The December agreement with Active Company was signed on behalf of the Ministry by Bohdan Khmelnytskyi, who was involved in the case of embezzlement of US$580,000 during the purchase of military ammunition.

Information about "chicken eggs for UAH 17" received special publicity: the journalists investigation referred to the price per egg.

The Ministry of Defence called the information about expensive food misleading and manipulative and promised to appeal to the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), while the then Minister of Defence, Oleksii Reznikov, denied accusations against the Defence Ministry. Later, in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda, Reznikov admitted that he had been too emotional and promised to thoroughly check all the facts revealed by the journalists.

Deputy Defence Minister Viacheslav Shapovalov resigned and was dismissed on 24 January amid a scandal over purchases of military products at inflated prices. Bohdan Khmelnytskyi was also dismissed as director of the procurement department of the Ministry of Defence, as was announced on 25 January.

On 30 January 2023, PM Denys Shmyhal instructed that an update be made to the public procurement system for the Armed Forces of Ukraine to include the publication of prices for food and goods.

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is planning to raise funds for former President Trumps 2024 campaign in the coming weeks.

The details have yet to be finalized, The Associated Press reported, citing two people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity. They told the AP that DeSantis has been making calls to donors, and the finance team is working on a fundraising swing that would include stops in Florida and Texas.

The fundraising efforts follow months of political rivalry, as DeSantis and Trump went head-to-head in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.

Despite being considered Trumps most formidable opponent, the Florida governor was unable to gain traction in the polls. Analysts said it was because he failed to give voters a reason to choose him over the former president.

Meanwhile, the former president criticized DeSantis at every turn, nicknaming him DeSanctimonious and calling him a lousy candidate.

DeSantis ultimately suspended his presidential bid in January, after failing to gain support in the Iowa caucuses. He said it was clear that GOP voters wanted a second Trump term and said he would back the former president because he pledged to support the Republican nominee to take on President Biden.

In late April, Trump said he had a great meeting with DeSantis in which they discussed their shared state of Florida and how they could work closely together nationwide.

Roy Bailey, a Dallas investor who was co-chair of DeSantiss national finance committee during his campaign, told the AP that the Florida governor has shown his commitment to the president, and thats why I say well follow his lead, and why I think donors will follow his lead.

We will be focused on past DeSantis donors who have yet to donate to President Trump, he said. Were going to try to mine those donors for him. That will create a lot of value.

The AP noted that the Florida governor may be viewing the fundraising effort as an opportunity to score politically down the line, when, if Trump wins in November, he would be unable to run again in 2028.

The Hill has reached out to DeSantiss team. A DeSantis spokesperson said in a text to the AP that We are actively working on plans to fundraise in support of President Trump, as well as other Republicans up and down the ballot.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
(The Hill)  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is planning to raise funds for former President Donald Trumps 2024 campaign in the coming weeks.

The details have yet to be finalized, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. They said DeSantis has been making calls to donors and the finance team is working on a fundraising swing that would include stops in Florida and Texas, per the AP.

The fundraising efforts follow months of political rivalry, as DeSantis and Trump went head-to-head in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.

Despite being considered Trumps most formidable opponent, the Florida governor was unable to catch up in the polls. Analysts said it was because he failed to give voters a reason to choose him over the former president.

Meanwhile, the former president criticized DeSantis at every turn, nicknaming him DeSanctimonious and calling him a lousy candidate.

DeSantis ultimately suspended his presidential bid in January, after failing to gain support in the Iowa caucuses. He said it was clear that GOP voters wanted a second Trump term and said he would back the former president because he pledged to support the Republican nominee to take on President Joe Biden.

5 things to watch in Maryland, West Virginia and Nebraska primaries

In late April, Trump said he had a great meeting with DeSantis, where they discussed their shared state of Florida and how they could work closely together nationwide.

Roy Bailey, a Dallas investor who was co-chair of DeSantis national finance committee during his campaign, told the AP that the Florida governor has shown his commitment to the president and thats why I say well follow his lead, and why I think donors will follow his lead.

We will be focused on past DeSantis donors who have yet to donate to President Trump, he said. Were going to try to mine those donors for him. That will create a lot of value.

The news wire noted that the Florida governor may be viewing the fundraising effort as an opportunity to score politically down the line, when, if Trump wins in November, he would be unable to run again in 2028.

The Hill has reached out to DeSantis team, but a spokesperson said in a text to the AP that they are actively working on plans to fundraise in support of President Trump, as well as other Republicans up and down the ballot.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
Integrating the military with Russia's economy is a key task for its Defense Ministry, soon-to-be-appointed Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov told the Federation Council, Russia's upper house of parliament, on May 14.

President Vladimir Putin proposed on May 12 that Belousov, a former aide and Russia's economy minister in 2012-2013, should replace Sergei Shoigu as defense minister in a major reshuffle of Russia's security and defense apparatus.

Belousov said that his predecessor modernized Russia's Armed Forces, and Putin has now "set the task of ensuring the integration of the economy of the Armed Forces into the country's economy," according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.

This "implies increasing the efficiency of military spending," according to RIA Novosti.

In terms of his priorities as minister, "all the most pressing current issues are related" to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Belousov said.

Belousov told the Federation Council that Ukraine "learns quickly" on the battlefield and claimed is it therefore "necessary to practice new methods of combat operations" while ensuring that Russia's Defense Ministry is open to innovation.

Belousov also said that Russia is facing an issue regarding military recruitment, but claimed that he does not consider a new round of mobilization necessary.

Military education also needs to be assessed as "there are certain problems" in this area, Belousov said.

"I am fully aware of my responsibility to the country, to the Russian people and the president," Belousov told the Federation Council.

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Netiporn "Bung" Sanesangkhom, a pro-democracy activist in Thailand, died on May 14, 2024, after going on hunger strike while in detention. <br> Credit - Courtesy of @eggcatcheese/TLHR

Twenty-eight-year-old Thai activist Netiporn Sanesangkhom, also known as Bung, died in a hospital in Bangkok on Tuesday after going into cardiac arrest. She had been hospitalized following a hunger strike she started in January to protest the countrys judicial system and imprisonment of political dissenters like herself.

Bungs death comes amid waves of similar hunger strikes initiated by pro-democracy protesters detained in Thailand, which has come under criticism for its ironfisted treatment of activists at odds with the countrys conservative establishment.

The death of Ms. Netiporn is evidence that the problems of political prosecution and detention of pro-democracy activists, especially in lese-majeste cases, are still very much alive under the Pheu Thai government, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), a group that assists those facing political charges, including Bung, told TIME in a statement Tuesday, referring to the countrys royal defamation law used to prosecute activists calling for monarchy reform and to the new ruling party, Pheu Thai, after last years national elections.

Netiporns tragic death in custody shows how brutal the punishment for royal defamation is in Thailand, Sunai Phasuk, senior researcher on Thailand for Human Rights Watch, tells TIME. 10 months after [Prime Minister] Srettha taking the office, Thailand remains as repressive as it was under military rule.

Sadly, [Netiporns] demands were met with silence by the Thai government and judiciary, he added. No improvement in terms of respect for fundamental freedoms and no leniency for those trying to challenge the monarchy.

Bung was a member of Thaluwang, a youth-led activist group that advocates for democratic reforms and whose members have regularly found themselves targets of authorities surveillance and persecution.

The Department of Corrections Hospital, where Bung had been in and out of since February, called her family at 6 a.m. on Tuesday to inform them that she had been administered CPR as she had fallen unconscious and her heart had stopped beating, local media reported. She was reportedly rushed to Thammasat University Hospital in Bangkok and was pronounced dead at 11:22 a.m.

The Justice Minister has ordered a committee to be established to look into Bungs death and an autopsy will be conducted on her body.

Bung was one of around 270 activists charged with lese-majeste since a wave of pro-democracyand anti-monarchyprotests broke out in 2020. According to TLHR, nearly 2,000 people in total have been prosecuted for a range of charges for their involvement in the protest movement, and many charged with lese-majeste, the group says, are jailed without bail.

Bung was prosecuted in seven cases, including two charges of lese-majeste. She had been detained at the Central Womens Correctional Institution since Jan. 26, first sentenced to one month in prison for contempt of court and then extended after her bail was revoked on a lese-majeste charge.

According to a statement on Tuesday by the Corrections Department, Bung resumed eating and drinking in hospital since April 4, but remained in a weakened condition. Blood tests showed mild anemia and low electrolytes, but Ms. Netiporn refused to take electrolytes and blood-nourishing vitamins, leading to the aforementioned symptoms and her death today, the statement said.

In February, Bung wrote a will and signed documents rejecting life-extending medical intervention, opting to donate her body to the Thammasat University Hospital.

By April 1, Bungs 65th day of hunger strike, her weight had dropped from about 185 pounds before hospitalization to about 137 pounds, according to a Facebook post by her activist group. The post added that, while she was lethargic, Bung was determined to continue with the strike.

Bung had previously gone on another hunger strike in 2022 for over 60 days, sparking concern from international rights groups.

Last year, two young activists went on a hunger strike that lasted over 50 days while in detention to call for judicial reform and the release of other detained activists, sparking a wave of solidarity protests.

Bungs death also highlights the importance of the peoples amnesty bill, which is currently before the parliament, TLHR says, referring to one of several proposals to grant amnesty to those facing political charges. The right to bail must be granted to political detainees who have not been found guilty of any crimes by a final judgment.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
The Detroit Medical Center will continue receiving tax exemptions, thanks to the Detroit City Council's approval of a 15-year extension of the Renaissance Zone Act.

Council members unanimously approved the extension Tuesday after postponing the vote for a week due to concerns about union contract negotiations. Dozens of DMC staff last week donned blue shirts and hats to show support while seeking a new agreement. The Renaissance Zone program gives tax abatements that would allow DMC to operate and provide services, DMC officials said.

Floyd Allen, a DMC representative, said officials in the past week were able to work toward resolving issues that were important to the company and unions.

"We had approximately 20 items, we were able to basically get agreement on all of them. We now have a tentative agreement," Allen said.

The cancer center at DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital is seen in Detroit on Monday, Sept. 18, 2023.

Valerie Dodson, a DMC employee, told council members last week that Tenet Healthcare Corp., which owns the DMC, had not been negotiating with workers.

'I will stand up for these people'

"Things have not changed, my health care has still risen. I actually make less in 2024 than I did in 2023 because we havent gotten a wage increase but yet, my health care went up," Dodson said. "It's like the company doesnt support us, and I'm just asking you guys to support us and show us that you care. We stood out here, and I fought long and hard throughout everything and showed up to work ... were still struggling."

Kevin Moore, president of Teamsters Local 299, also claimed the company "failed to negotiate" a collective bargaining agreement for the workers.

"They stonewall, they cancel negotiations and now they're acting like they care about the workers in the city of Detroit," Moore said at last week's meeting. "Any employer in the state of Michigan that thinks they're going to treat our citizens like they're third-class, that theyre going to put them in poverty situations  I promise you to this, every day for the rest of my life, I will stand up for these people."

The Renaissance Zone is a joint endeavor among the city, Wayne County and the state to give tax incentives to residents and businesses to promote economic stability and development within the eight designated areas of Detroit. Incentives include waiving of city income and utility users taxes, city corporate taxes, county property taxes, and state income tax or single business tax.

$1.8 billion spent on uncompensated care for Detroiters

Equitable access to quality health care is a right, not a privilege, of every Detroit resident, Mayor Mike Duggan, who was the chief executive officer of DMC before his bid for mayor, said in a statement. Todays vote ensures every Detroiter will be able to receive top-level care, no matter their income level.

In an hourlong discussion last week, DMC officials urged the City Council to pass the resolution because the Michigan Strategic Fund requires the approval before any amendment of the the existing Renaissance Zone.

In 1987, Detroit had 19 hospitals but now has six, four of which are part of DMC, officials said, adding that during the last 10 years of the zoning agreement, $1.8 billion was spent on uncompensated care of Detroit residents. As multiple DMC officials pushed for the extension last week, Council President Mary Sheffield said they were being "condescending" and "disrespectful" for questioning union employees' fight for a new contract.

At-Large Councilman Coleman Young II suggested postponing the vote for a week until all parties had necessary discussions to move forward on the collective bargaining process.

"When I was in the state, I knew about mandatory overtime that they had to work. I heard the story about nurses who literally broke their backs lifting up people who are two to three times their weight and still dont have enough money to make ends meet," Young said.

DMC will provide emergency and health care services for Detroiters and care for patients who are uninsured and underinsured, as part of an agreement with the city. The hospital system is also expected to maintain and enhance health and wellness initiatives, community outreach and prevention programs, and quality improvement programs, according to the city. DMC will also support its supplier diversity program to provide opportunities for minorities, women and Detroit-based businesses to provide goods and services.

The extension of this agreement between the Detroit Medical Center and the City of Detroit reflects a commitment of multiple parties to ensure our community maintains access to critical health care services they need and depend on, Brittany Lavis, DMC chief executive officer, said in a statement.

More: Questions about DMC's performance swirl as it sends report to attorney general

More: Closure of Detroit's Sinai-Grace cancer clinic stuns patient, who worries about neighbors

Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: dafana@freepress.com. Follow her: @DanaAfana.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Council OKs DMC tax incentives with Renaissance Zone extension
CROTON-ON-HUDSON  The village is mulling plans to sell an overflow parking lot by the Croton-Harmon train station to a developer who has proposed building a multifamily affordable housing project.

Owned by the village since the 1960s, the 1.2-acre property, known as Village Parking Lot A, is located at the intersection of Croton Point Avenue and Veterans Plaza.

A slowdown in commuting habits since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the village to consider repurposing the lot. After months of review, the village selected a proposal by WBP Development LLC, based in Chappaqua.

The proposal includes plans to build 55 to 95 rental or condominium units with at least 20% units designated as affordable housing.

James Wendling, chief operating officer at WBP Development LLC, said its a great opportunity to create a transit oriented development on an underutilized parking lot to address the housing shortage in the area.

Deputy Mayor/Trustee Len Simon, left, and Mayor Brian Pugh talk about the proposed housing redevelopment project at the site, which is a parking lot across the street from the train station in Croton-on-Hudson, May 8, 2024.

Of interest: Study examines 'transit oriented developments' in Lower Hudson Valley communities

The goals of a transit oriented development in Croton-on-Hudson

The goal, Wendling said, is to pursue an affordable condominium project where entire units would be priced at 80% of Westchester County residents' median incomes. The project would also create about 200 jobs.

The type and number of units are contingent on funding as the developer is applying for a state subsidy called Affordable Homeownership Opportunity Program (AHOP). Part of Gov. Kathy Hochul's 5-year housing plan, AHOP provides funding to projects that are geared towards first-time buyers, as well as qualifying rental projects.

WBP Development's proposal is still in early stages while the village pursues closing the $2.3 million deal.

Wendling said the company has a track record of supporting homeownership in the area with two similar projects currently in planning process a high-rise condo building with 126 units in New Rochelle and a 68-unit affordable condo development at the former Berkeley College site in White Plains.

More: Nearly half of Lower Hudson transit oriented developments are in 'restrictive' areas

Brian Pugh, mayor of Croton-on-Hudson, said the proposed condos would diversify housing options in the village where homeownership is lacking.

Historically, Croton-on-Hudson was one of the more affordable communities in Westchester, believe it or not. That was one of the reasons my parents moved here in the 1980s, but thats not really the case anymore, Pugh said. The ownership opportunity will give people a chance to build equity and generational wealth for those who may not have a chance otherwise.

He referred to a 2019 housing needs assessment which showed about 17% of 3,000 households in Croton-on-Hudson spent more than half of their income on housing expenses. In March 2024, the median home sale price was $860,000, up 60% since last year, according to Redfin.

In a recent report by the Regional Plan Association, a non-profit organization that promotes economy and quality of life of the New York metropolitan area, the community within half a mile distance of Croton-Harmon train station was classified as restrictive, segregated and affluent.

Pugh acknowledged the needs of multifamily housing and said the village is moving in a new direction deliberately and carefully.

Story continues after gallery.

In 2022, the village rezoned certain areas to allow for transit-oriented mixed-use and multifamily residential buildings, including the Parking Lot A site. It also requires new developments with 10 units or more to designate at least 10% of the units as affordable housing.

Pugh said the village does not have a specific goal for housing developments but is positioning itself as a pro-housing community that aims at growing housing units by 1% annually. Housing development has dramatically slowed down over the past 20 years because of a lack of open space, he said.

We have to be creative, smart and use the resources that are available, he said. Transit oriented development and multifamily housing (are) really the new homes that we can add to the community and homes that are very badly needed.

Helu Wang covers development and real estate for The Journal News/lohud and USA Today Network. Reach her at hwang@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Croton-on-Hudson NY affordable housing near trains? It could happen
Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of assault and murder. Reader discretion is advised.

Edrick Faust is a 48-year-old suspect who has been arrested on charges relating to the murder of Tara Baker, a case that had gone cold for over two decades. He has been charged with two counts of felony murder, one count of aggravated assault, possession of a knife during the commission of a felony, arson, concealing the death of another, tampering with evidence, and one count of aggravated sodomy. Arrest documents revealed that Faust had been arrested in Athens-Clarke County several times before this.

Tara Bakers murder case has remained unsolved since 2001. Edrick Faust was only caught long after the Coleman-Baker Act, which was brought into the picture. After the cold cases of Sue Coleman, another University of Georgia student, and Tara Baker remained unsolved, CBS News reported that this act was introduced and named after them. The legislation prompted the set up of a separate department within the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which would be dedicated to solving cold cases. The GBI Cold Case Unit was formed in July 2023.

In September 2023, the GBI Cold Case Unit partnered with the Athen-Clarke County Police Department. They looked deeper into Bakers killing. So far, existing information gathered from the investigation was combined with DNA science and biological evidence. They then narrowed down a suspect pool and charged Edrick Faust. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Cold Case Unit reportedly applies any advancement in technology to cases where any significant leads could be produced through science. They also review the existing information and whether any details were missed during the primary investigation.

When was Edrick Faust charged with the killing of Tara Baker?

The GBI announced on May 9, 2024, that Edrick Faust had been charged with Tara Bakers murder. He had been arrested nearly 23 years after the killing. CNN reported that Faust remained in jail on a $15,000 bond. The report also revealed no relation between Baker and Faust, making it a random crime.

Tara Baker was found dead on January 19, 2001, in her apartment in Athens. She was a first-year UGA law student who was last seen on January 18 at the UGA Law School Library. Her friend, who last saw her, left at around 7:30 p.m. She then spoke to her over call at 9:45 p.m. Tara reportedly told her she would leave to go home at 10 p.m. However, she was found dead in her apartment the next day by firefighters who were responding to a fire in the house. Edrick Faust was arrested in a different case less than a month later, in February 2001.

According to Fox 5, an autopsy revealed that Tara Baker died by strangulation, blunt force trauma, and stab wounds to the neck. In the unrelated February 2001 case, Edrick Faust pleaded guilty to cutting the victims throat. Officials have not disclosed the exact forensic procedure that has led to Faust getting caught.

The Athens-Clarke County firefighters found Baker dead on the floor of her bedroom after they broke open the door to her apartment, which was locked and dead-bolted. They found that the four burners in the kitchen were on high and were the source of the fire. The bedroom where Baker was found was also locked and had flames coming out of it, WSAV reported.

The post How Did Edrick Faust Become a Suspect in Tara Bakers Murder? appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
'At the direction of Donald J. Trump': Michael Cohen details Trump's role in his repeated lies

'At the direction of Donald J. Trump': Michael Cohen details Trump's role in his repeated lies

Donald Trump's former longtime lawyer Michael Cohen returned to the witness stand Tuesday and told jurors that he repeatedly lied about his hush money payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels in the closing days of the 2016 campaign in order "to protect Mr. Trump."

Under cross-examination, he sparred with the former president's attorney, who tried to paint Cohen as an untrustworthy witness.

Cohen said he previously claimed to be the sole person behind the $130,000 payment to Daniels as a protective measure "to stay on message, to demonstrate continued loyalty to Trump. But in reality, he said, everything he did was "at the direction of Donald J. Trump."

Prosecutors allege that Trump falsified business records relating to the hush money payments by classifying them as legal services pursuant to a retainer agreement. Cohen testified Monday that no such retainer agreement existed.

Trump attorney Todd Blanche began his cross-examination in fiery fashion in Tuesday afternoon, telling Cohen that they'd never met but that Cohen had referred to him on TikTok as a "crying little s---."

"Sounds like something I would say," Cohen replied. Asked if he'd called Trump a "dictator douchebag," Cohen gave a similar response. Blanche then pressed him on his penchant for talking to the press and the DA's efforts to stop him from doing so while the office was investigating the case. Asked if he remembered promising to stop going on TV last year, Cohen said he did not. I dont recall ever agreeing not to go on television, he said, but he did remember the DA asking him to "please" stop talking at some points.

Asked if he wanted to see Trump convicted, Cohen answered, "Sure."

Blanche's questioning hopped around between different topics and timeframes, with several questions about Cohen's media appearances and different ways he's insulted Trump on his podcast and on social media, including whether he'd referred to Trump as a Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain." Cohen, who was more disciplined about giving short answers than he was while testifying in Trump's civil fraud trial last year, acknowledged he probably had made those kinds of remarks and references.

Blanche noted that Cohen had previously been a staunch Trump supporter and had vowed to "take a bullet" for him. Cohen was asked if he was "obsessed" with Trump. I admired him tremendously, Cohen responded.

At another point, he said he'd previously been knee deep into the cult of Donald Trump.

Cohen also acknowledged that he's made $3.4 million over the past four years from two Trump-related books that he's written.

Trump appeared happy with Blanche's work after court, telling reporters "I think it was a very, very good day."

Cohen is the final witness in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's case, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass told the judge earlier in the day. Blanche told the judge it is unclear whether the defense will call any witnesses, including Trump. There's no court on Wednesday, so Cohen's cross-examination will resume on Thursday.

Cohen testified Tuesday that Trump had told him to work out how he would be reimbursed with Allen Weisselberg, then the chief financial officer of the Trump Organization. He said Trump reiterated that position when he met with Cohen in the Oval Office in 2017. "Make sure you deal with Allen," Cohen quoted him as saying.

Cohen said that soon after he started receiving monthly $35,000 checks from Trump after he sent an invoice for "legal services rendered." Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked if he'd performed any legal services. "No, ma'am," Cohen answered.

"Was this invoice a false record?" she asked. "Yes, ma'am," he replied.

He said he did do some minor legal work for the Trumps in 2017, helping the attorney who was defending a defamation suit against Trump by former "Apprentice" contestant Summer Zervos and reviewing an agreement allowing Madame Tussauds to make a wax figure of first lady Melania Trump. Cohen estimated he spent less than 10 hours doing legal work over the span of the entire year.

He said he did more work for Trump that was unpaid in 2018, after the Wall Street Journal reported that he'd made the hush money payment to Daniels. He also said he'd told Trump what he would say publicly at the time, which is that Trump was not involved with payment. Trump told him that was "good," Cohen said. Asked why he'd lied, he said, "in order to protect Mr. Trump."

When the Federal Election Commission asked Cohen about the payment, he issued a statement saying, "I used my own personal funds to facilitate a payment of $130,000" to Daniels. "Neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction" and "neither reimbursed me for the payment, either directly or indirectly."

Cohen said Trump had approved the statement ahead of time, and Cohen said it was both "true" and "misleading." It was neither the Trump Organization or the Trump campaign. It was Donald J. Trump himself, he said.

Cohen said while he wasn't getting money from Trump, he was cleaning up from his connection to the then-president, raking in over $4 million from consulting and legal work.

He said his fortunes began to change in April of 2018, when the FBI executed search warrants on his home and law office, taking his cell phones, tax records and other documents. He said he felt his life had been "turned upside down," and he felt "concerned, despondent, angry."

He said he reached out to Trump, who called him back and told him "dont worry. Im the president of the United States. Theres nothing here. Everythings going to be OK. Stay tough. Youre going to be okay.

Cohen said he felt "reassured." It was the last time he spoke directly with Trump.

Afterwards, Cohen said he was put in touch with Robert Costello, a veteran New York criminal lawyer who had been representing Rudy Giuliani, about possibly representing him. Costello said he'd spoken to Giuliani, who was close with Trump, and he should "sleep well tonight" because he has "friends in high places," Cohen said.

He said Costello wanted him to use him as his lawyer, but Cohen was concerned Costello would just relay information to Giuliani and Trump. He said he was feeling pressured by Costello not to cooperate with then-special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, House Speaker Mike Johnson, former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., listen as former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters (Justin Lane / Pool via AFP - Getty Images)

Cohen said he ultimately decided to cooperate and plead guilty to charges  including the Daniels payment  at the urging of his family, and called the day of the plea was "the worst day of my life."

He was ultimately sentenced to three years in prison and disbarred as a result of the conviction. He said he's been supporting himself mainly with podcasts and his books.

Cohen is a pivotal witness in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's case against Trump. He told the jury during his first full day on the stand that Trump directly authorized him to pay Daniels the $130,000 and that Trump was involved in efforts to quash two other salacious stories that he feared could have damaged his candidacy.

"I was following his directions," Cohen testified.

Trump, meanwhile, had some high profile Republican supporters in attendance at Tuesday's proceedings, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills of Florida, and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Ramaswamy and Burgum are considered potential vice presidential contenders for Trump.

Trump's son Eric Trump and his wife, Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump, were in court as well.

Also Tuesday, a state appeals court denied Trump's challenge to Judge Juan Merchan's gag order barring him from attacking Cohen, Daniels, the judge's daughter, individual prosecutors and other witnesses. Trump and his allies have called the order "unconstitutional" and contended he should be able to speak freely since he's running for president. The panel of five Appellate Division judges disagreed.

"We find that Justice Merchan properly weighed petitioners First Amendment Rights against the courts historical commitment to ensuring the fair administration of justice in criminal cases, and the right of persons related or tangentially related to the criminal proceedings from being free from threats, intimidation, harassment, and harm," the ruling said.

Cohen is the only witness to directly tie Trump to the falsifying business records scheme.

Blanche told jurors in his opening statement that Cohen cannot be trusted.

Hes a convicted felon. And he also is a convicted perjurer. He is an admitted liar, Blanche said, referring in part to Cohens 2018 guilty plea to making false statements to Congress about a proposed project to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Prosecutors said hed lied to minimize Trumps ties to Russia, which Congress and federal investigators were scrutinizing at the time.

Cohen testified Monday that Daniels claims of having had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006 were extremely problematic because she began shopping her story after Trumps campaign was already reeling from a scandal  the unearthing of the 2005 Access Hollywood tape, in which Trump is heard saying he can grope women without their consent.

Asked what kind of impact Daniels story could have had on Trumps campaign at that point, Cohen said, Catastrophic.

Trump has denied having had a sexual encounter with Daniels, who testified in great detail about her account last week.

Cohen, who started working for Trump in 2007, said that he fronted the money to pay Daniels through a shell company and that Trump had assured him he would pay him back.

Cohen said the particulars of the repayment were arranged by Weisselberg. The deal called for Cohen to be repaid the $130,000 and $50,000 more hed previously laid out for Trump involving a tech company in payments that were grossed up  doubled  to cover Cohens taxes. The money, which included a $60,000 bonus, was then paid out in monthly $35,000 installments that were listed as being for legal services rendered under a retainer agreement.

Cohen testified that Trump approved the deal in a meeting with him and Weisselberg.

Weisselberg wont be testifying  hes in jail after having pleaded guilty to perjury charges related to his testimony in last years civil fraud case against Trump and his company.

Its unclear whether Trump, the only other person who could directly rebut Cohens claims, will testify. He said before the trial started he "absolutely" would but is under no obligation to do so.

Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records and has pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors said in court Friday they anticipate wrapping up their case this week.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Dive team recovers body after man goes missing on Central Florida lake

Law enforcement officials have ended a search after recovering the body of a swimmer that went missing in Clermont, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

The 64-year-old man went missing on Monday after he went into the water from a boat on Lake Minneola.

The Clermont Police Department and the Lake County Sheriffs Offices assisted the FWC in attempting to the located the missing swimmer.

Read: Central Florida Red Lobster locations to be auctioned off as employees hunt for new jobs

According to the FWC, the LCSO Dive Team recovered the mans body around 6:45 p.m.

This is currently an active investigation.

Read: Kratom: What is it & what are the risks?

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Diver Called His Mom Before He Disappeared Near Florida Shipwreck: 'He Told Me I Was His Inspiration'

Virgil Price III was last seen in the water off the coast of Florida on a free diving expedition with two others on May 12

Facebook The U.S. Coast Guard suspended the search for Virgil Price III after looking for the Florida man for 36 hours.

A 39-year-old man called his mom just before he vanished while free diving near a shipwreck off the coast of Florida.

Virgil Price III was last seen on the morning of Sunday, May 12, nine miles off Jensen Beach, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement posted on X.

After searching for Price for 36 hours over a distance of more than 1,400 miles, the Coast Guard announced the night of May 12 that they had suspended rescue efforts for the West Palm Beach man.

The decision to suspend an active search is never taken lightly, Lt. Com. John Beal said in the statement. We extend our sincerest condolences to Mr. Prices family.

Related: Body of 65-Year-Old Hiker Found Under Boulder in River Nearly a Month After He Went Missing

According to NBC affiliate WPTV, Price was last seen diving near the World War II-era Hasley shipwreck.

The Coast Guard told the outlet that Price was with two other divers when the incident occurred.

"Three went down and only two came back up to the surface," Petty Officer Ryan Estrada told WPTV.

Rescuers, including those with the St. Lucie County Sheriffs Office, were hampered by the conditions in the area where Price went missing, one expert told the news station.

"Visibility tends not to be so good in that area, diving expert Paul Seldes told WPTV. It's pretty prone to some pretty strong currents, so the diving there is difficult to begin with, then add in the hazards of sharp rusty metal from the wreck itself. It's a popular fishing area so there's a lot of fishing line and entanglement hazards around the wreck."

Related: Idaho Doctor Dead After Triggering Avalanche as Girlfriend Tried to Save Him: 'Will Be Missed'

Just a day before he left for what turned out to be his last diving expedition, Price made a special call to his mom on Mothers Day.

"He called me in the morning, and he told me I was his inspiration," Prices mother Kate Cerasaro told ABC affiliate WPBF-TV. "I mean, it was the most wonderful phone call."

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.

Florida Freedivers said in a Facebook post on Monday that it has been "an incredibly difficult time," noting Price was "family to us and a dear friend to so many."



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Read the original article on People.
NEW JERSEY (PIX11)  Livingston Allen, also known as internet personality DJ Akademiks, has been accused of rape and defamation in a new lawsuit, according to Essex County court documents obtained by PIX11 News.

The victim, Fauziya Abashe, claimed that she was invited to Allens home in New Jersey on July 16, 2022, where she thought she was going to be alone with him, according to the documents. But, when Abashe arrived at the house, which was experiencing a power outage, she was greeted by two men whose identities were sealed in the documents.

Before Abashe arrived, Allen allegedly told the two men that she was on a different type of vibes without her knowledge, according to the court documents, which cited a video posted on YouTube. The phrase suggests Allen thought she was going over to the house to engage in sexual activity, according to Abashes attorney.

Kai Cenat to have Union Square riot case dismissed: DA

Abashe was offered a drink but turned it down to make her own as she had done in the past, according to court documents. One of the men, identified in the court documents as someone who worked for Allen, insisted that Abashe have a drink made by them, per the documents. He allegedly told her he was in charge until Allen returned.

When the power returned to the home, the man asked Abashe if she wanted to wait for Allen in the pool or hot tub, and she agreed to wait in the hot tub under the assumption the men would leave after getting the tub set up, according to documents.

More New Jersey News

When Abashe got into the hot tub, Allens employee came out and joined her, followed by the second man who brought a bottle of alcohol. Abashe alleged the pair forced her to take shots and poured alcohol into her mouth, according to court documents.

Allens employee then threw her in the pool before he sexually assaulted her, according to the lawsuit. The other man then joined the assault, per the court documents.

Around 4 a.m. Abashe said she woke up to Allen assaulting her, according to the documents.

Later that morning, Allen allegedly took Abashe into another room and showed her surveillance video of the two men assaulting her, per the documents. She said she asked for the full video, but Allen refused.

Abashe later contacted Allen and said she was hurt during the attack. Court documents showed alleged text messages between Allen and Abashe:

(Credit: njcourts.gov)

Abashe called the police, who set up a wired phone call and provided Abashe with questions to ask Allen during the recorded call, according to court documents. Allen recounted the graphic details to Abashe.

Allen went on social media on Tuesday and issued a statement on the incident.

I have zero comment beyond what Ive said before that you can use on record. I have to just go by my lawyers. Again, if I tell yall Ive been criminally clear, yall gonna be like, well, that doesnt mean anything, Allen said during a social media livestream. At this point, it will be determined in court, and Im very confident.

Im excited to see how this court [expletive] happens. Im excited. You know why? I didnt do nothing, Allen added.

If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual assault, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. It is a free, 24/7 service that offers support, information, and local resources. You can also click here for additional hotlines within your state.

Jonathan Rizk is a digital journalist who has covered local news in New York City and Washington, D.C. He has been with PIX11 since August 2022. See more of his work here, and follow him on X and Facebook @OfficialRizk. Get in touch at jonathan.rizk@pix11.com.

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 PIX11.
Abortion rights protesters gather outside the Supreme Court after the decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade in June 2022. (Gemunu Amarasinghe / Associated Press)

Kori Thompson had long wrestled with the idea of having a child.

The 24-year-old worried about the world a kid would face as climate change overtook the globe, fearing the environmental devastation and economic strain that could follow. He had been thinking about getting a vasectomy ever since he learned about the sterilization procedure from a television show.

But the thing that actually triggered it was the court decision, Thompson said.

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade nearly two years ago , paving the way for states to usher in new restrictions on abortion, doctors started seeing more young adults seeking vasectomies or getting their tubes tied, emerging research has found.

An analysis by University of Utah researchers, released as an abstract in the Journal of Urology , found that after Dobbs vs. Jackson Womens Health Organization , a rising share of vasectomy patients were under the age of 30.

That percentage went to 9.8% from 6.2% after the Supreme Court decision, based on their analysis of a national database that includes hundreds of millions of patients.

Read more: California saw a surge in abortions after Dobbs. Providers are bracing for more

Among the young patients who pursued the procedure is Thompson, who decided to get a vasectomy in the aftermath of the court ruling. In Georgia where he lives, abortion is illegal roughly six weeks into a pregnancy  a point before some people may learn that they are pregnant .

If its effectively illegal, Thompson said, then I felt that this was necessary. His girlfriend also disliked the effects of hormonal birth control, so now Ive decided to go on permanent birth control. Its way easier.

The University of Utah researchers found that before the Supreme Court ruling, vasectomy rates were consistently higher in states categorized as hostile or illegal for abortion by the Center for Reproductive Rights, compared with states that were not as restrictive. The same was true after the ruling.

Yet researchers also found an overall uptick in vasectomy rates after the Dobbs decision  both in states where abortion is heavily restricted and those where it is not.

In California, where state leaders have vowed to protect abortion rights , the rate of men getting vasectomies rose sharply after the court decision, to 13 per 100,000potential patients from roughly 7 per 100,000 potential patients, the Utah team found.

Were just seeing an overall increase in vasectomies  regardless of political climate in each state, said Dr. Jessica Schardein, a urologist at the University of Utah. Schardein said the Supreme Court ruling and increased marketing for vasectomies may have gotten more people thinking about the procedure.

People in general, even if they dont have a uterus, are taking responsibility for their reproductive health, Schardein said.

Her team also examined tubal sterilizations  a medical procedure often called getting your tubes tied, performed on the fallopian tubes connected to the uterus  and found that after the court decision, there was an increase in the percentage of patients ages 18 to 30 among those undergoing the procedure.

Read more: What the Supreme Courts abortion pill case could mean for California

In Riverside County, Jacob Snow decided to get a vasectomy after the birth of his third child, concluding it was a safer option than his wife had for sterilization. Theres no reason why all the blame and stress and trying to stop a pregnancy should be placed on the female when I can stop it at my end, the 28-year-old said.

Even though Snow was already a parent, the doctor balked because of his age, he said. They said I might change my mind in the future, Snow recalled. They flat out just refused.

Vasectomies are intended to be permanent. The surgery may be able to be reversed with other procedures, but physicians caution that doing so is not a guaranteed option.

Snow ultimately found another doctor to do the procedure. Besides the refusal of the first physician, Snow said, some men have been aghast when he tells them he had a vasectomy, saying it would make them feel like less of a man. But Snow said he doesnt feel that reproducing is how I need to prove that Im a man.

The University of Utah findings, presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Assn., have been echoed in other recent research.

Last month, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health and Boston University published findings in JAMA Health Forum showing an abrupt increase in vasectomies and tube-tying after Dobbs, with a sharper increase in tubal ligation.

The difference likely reflects the fact that young women are overwhelmingly responsible for preventing pregnancy and disproportionately experience the health, social and economic consequences of abortion bans, University of Pittsburgh assistant professor Jacqueline Ellison said in a statement .

Another analysis in the Journal of Urology that included multiple medical centers around the country  including UCLA  found that after the Dobbs decision, the typical patient seeking a vasectomy was younger than before. Researchers also found that an increased share were childless.

There was also a rise in the number of patients consulting doctors about the medical procedure, said Dr. Kara Watts, a urologist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City  and longer waits to get the surgery after a consultation. If wait times werent an issue, Watts said, the numbers would probably be even more dramatic.

Read more: How treatment of miscarriages is upending the abortion debate

Researchers detected a similar trend in the UC San Diego health system, where there was a rise in the number of men seeking consultations about vasectomies after Dobbs, as well as increased rates of patients going through with the procedure after their consultations, according to another review presented at the urology meeting.

Even though California has enshrined abortion rights in its Constitution, I think that vasectomy consultations and completion rates still increased due to the national media coverage on the Supreme Court ruling, said Dr. Vi Nguyen, one of the authors of the analysis.

And at Ohio State University, urologists surveyed patients about why they chose to get vasectomies and found that after the Dobbs decision, they were more likely to cite concerns about abortion access or say that they did not want to bring children into the current political climate.

Other reasons for wanting a vasectomy, such as health concerns, did not change after Dobbs, the survey found. Dr. Jessica Yih, an assistant professor of urology at Ohio State University, wasnt surprised.

Immediately after the Dobbs ruling, many people were extremely concerned about their reproductive rights, Yih said in an email. We had a threefold increase in referrals of patients who were wanting to be scheduled to discuss vasectomies and the number of vasectomies performed around this time increased dramatically.

Abortion has been a sharply contested issue in Ohio, where a law banning abortion after six weeks of pregnancy initially went into effect after the Dobbs ruling. That ban was later put on hold in court, and voters have since backed protections for abortion access in Ohios Constitution.

Many patients told us at our clinics that they wanted their vasectomies done as soon as possible due to concerns about restrictions in abortion access, Yih said.

Read more: Arizona Senate votes to repeal 1864 abortion law, leaving state with 15-week ban

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Does the DOJ target more Republicans than Democrats? Heres the data

A previous version of this story appeared in CNNs What Matters newsletter in 2023. To get the newsletter in your inbox, sign up for free here.

The long-standing allegation from former President Donald Trump is that President Joe Biden has weaponized the Department of Justice and that there is a double standard for Republicans as compared with Democrats.

Theres plenty of evidence otherwise lately.

Sen. Bob Menendez, the up-for-reelection Democrat from New Jersey, is on trial for bribery for the second time in seven years  and across the street from where Trumps New York state trial related to hush money payments is taking place in Manhattan. Menendez denies the allegations, which include that he and his wife accepted gold bars, envelopes of cash and much more.

In Texas, federal prosecutors have brought corruption charges against Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Democrat, for allegedly taking nearly $600,000 in bribes, including from a foreign oil and gas company. Cuellar denies the allegations.

Another Democrat, Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri, is the subject of a federal probe into her campaign spending, according to a CNN report in January. She has denied wrongdoing and defended paying her husband for security services.

Evidence against the idea of political bias

The cases above, if nothing else, are a serious complication to Trumps often-repeated claim that he is the subject of a partisan witch hunt.

So is prosecution of Hunter Biden, the presidents son, in a gun case in Delaware that is rarely brought as a stand-alone charge, and a separate tax case in California. Both trials are slated to begin in June.

Yes, Trump is the subject of two, distinct prosecutions brought by special counsel Jack Smith, concerning the former presidents refusal to return classified material to the National Archives after he left the White House and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Both of those prosecutions are currently on hold. But its worth noting that federal prosecutors passed on charging Trump for the hush money payments scheme that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg later pursued.

An unusually feisty Attorney General Merrick Garland rejected any claim of bias during testimony on Capitol Hill last September.

Our job is not to do what is politically convenient, he said. Our job is not to take orders from the president, from Congress or from anyone else about who or what to criminally investigate.

The Cuellar indictment, the Bush probe and the beginning of the Menendez trial are new developments to add to a running list of federal prosecutions I first compiled last year.

Heres a look at active and recent federal cases against federal lawmakers and governors. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list, but it is what I could find going back to 2000 in CNNs coverage and from other news outlets.

Ongoing federal cases against sitting federal lawmakers

There is one against a Republican, expelled Rep. George Santos of New York, and two against Democrats, Menendez and Cuellar. No charges have yet been filed against Bush.

There is also a non-prosecution to mention. Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Florida Republican, was informed last year by the DOJ that he would not be charged in a long-running sex trafficking probe.

Federal cases against recent members of Congress

These are federal cases against current or former federal lawmakers. I was able to find nine targeting Republicans and eight targeting Democrats.

Former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, a Republican from Nebraska  Found guilty in 2022 of three felonies in a case that centered on campaign contributions.

Former Rep. TJ Cox, a Democrat from California  Still awaiting trial after his 2022 indictment, including for fraudulent campaign contributions. He was offered a plea deal, according to local reports.

Former Rep. Duncan Hunter, a Republican from California  Sentenced to 11 months in prison for misusing campaign funds, but later pardoned by Trump.

Former Rep. Chris Collins, a Republican from New York  Sentenced to 26 months in prison for insider trading, but later pardoned by Trump.

Former Rep. Corrine Brown, a Democrat from Florida  Served more than two years for setting up a false charity.

Former Rep. Steve Stockman, a Republican from Texas  Sentenced to 10 years in prison for multiple felonies including fraud and money laundering, but pardoned by Trump after serving part of his sentence.

Former Rep. Anthony Weiner, a Democrat from New York  Sentenced to 21 months in prison for sexting with a minor.

Former Rep. Chaka Fattah, a Democrat from Pennsylvania  Sentenced to 10 years in prison for racketeering, fraud and money laundering.

Former Rep. Michael Grimm, a Republican from New York  Pleaded guilty and sentenced to eight months in prison for tax evasion. Attempted to run again for Congress.

Former Rep. Rick Renzi, a Republican from Arizona  Sentenced to three years for corruption. Pardoned by Trump after he served time.

Sen. Bob Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey  Acquitted by a judge and other charges dismissed after a jury deadlocked in a bribery case that predates the current prosecution.

Former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., a Democrat from Illinois  Sentenced to 30 months in prison for misusing campaign funds.

Former Sen. Ted Stevens, a Republican from Alaska  Conviction by jury for lying on ethics forms was later set aside over allegations of prosecutorial misconduct.

Former Rep. William Jefferson, a Democrat from Louisiana  Sentenced to 13 years for corruption and soliciting bribes. There was video of him taking $100,000 from an African official. Served multiple years in prison, but many of the charges were later vacated by a judge based on a US Supreme Court decision.

Former Rep. Bob Ney, a Republican from Ohio  Sentenced to 30 months after a guilty plea for corruption tied to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Former Rep. Randy Duke Cunningham, a Republican from California  Sentenced to eight years in prison after a guilty plea for bribery. Later pardoned by Trump.

Former Rep. James Traficant, a Democrat from Ohio  Sentenced to eight years in prison for corruption after defending himself during trial. Was later expelled from the House.

Other prosecutions to consider

Two Republican governors and two Democratic governors have been convicted in federal courts in recent decades:

Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, a Republican, was convicted for bribery and corruption. But the US Supreme Court changed the rules in corruption and bribery cases when it threw out the case against McDonnell.

Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a Democrat, was convicted for trying to sell his power to appoint a replacement to Barack Obamas Senate seat. His sentence was later commuted by Trump.

Former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, a Democrat, was convicted by a jury of bribery and corruption and was sentenced to more than six years in prison.

Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan, a Republican, was convicted on corruption charges after an FBI sting.

Did we miss a federal lawmaker convicted or charged? Let me know at zachary.wolf@cnn.com.

Whats not included here

Local prosecutions  like the state or local cases against former Rep. Trey Radel, the Republican from Florida, for cocaine possession in Washington, DC, or former Sen. Larry Craig, the Republican from Idaho, for lewd behavior in the Minneapolis airport  dont really fit here since they were not conducted by the Department of Justice.

Some notable recent DOJ prosecutions have focused on Democrats at the state level, like Andrew Gillum, the Democrat and former Tallahassee, Florida, mayor who ran for governor and lost to Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2018. Gillum was acquitted of lying to the FBI.

Former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh, also a Democrat, was sentenced to three years in prison after she pleaded guilty to charges related to a scheme in which local nonprofit organizations bought her self-published childrens book.

Trump charges

Trump likes to argue hes the subject of a conspiratorial witch hunt engineered by a deep state.

Why, he will often say, was Hillary Clinton not prosecuted for her email server while he is being prosecuted for mishandling classified material?

This forgets the history of the 2016 election, which Clinton has said she lost because of then-FBI Director James Comeys handling of the investigation of her emails. Comey did not charge her before the election but did criticize her, and then, 11 days before Election Day, he said the investigation had been reopened.

These whataboutisms can go on and on without changing anyones mind.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
When will Donald Trump choose his running mate? Former president hints at a mid-July timeline.

WASHINGTON - While speculation over Donald Trump's vice presidential pick is at fever pitch, the former president indicated Tuesday that he won't name his running mate until the GOP convention in mid-July.

"I'm really a believer that you do it during the convention," Trump said during an interview on "The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show," a nationally syndicated radio program.

When one of the hosts prompted him to name his potential VP options, Trump confirmed that Republican South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance are "in play" for the running mate slot.

"A lot of people are in play," Trump added.

Tim Scott and Donald Trump at a February event in South Carolina

The Republican nominating convention is scheduled to begin July 15 in Milwaukee.

Eight years ago, Trump announced his selection of Mike Pence the Friday night before the Monday opening of the convention in Cleveland. Pence isn't likely to be Trump's running mate again  the two publicly split after Trump demanded that Pence try to throw out electoral votes in the 2020 election, a step Pence said was unconstitutional.

Trump currently appears to be auditioning vice presidential contenders at campaign events, fundraisers, and even his ongoing hush money trial in New York.

Vance, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy appeared at the courthouse this week to denounce the trial.

The ability to raise money and deal with donors could be factors in his final decision.

Scott, Burgum and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida were scheduled to attend a fundraiser with Trump on Tuesday night in New York City. Trump headlines another fundraiser with Vance in Cincinnati on Wednesday.

Trump also cited the "rough stories" recently about another longshot vice president candidate, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem. She has been criticized for writing about her decision to shoot her dog because of behavior issues.

While praising Noem's performance as governor, Trump said: "She's a terrific person. She had a bad week."

The former president and his aides said they are still early in a process that has been delayed in part by his required attendance at the trial.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump's vice president: When will he choose his running mate?
Big oil and Trump

Last month, Trump told top oil executives that if they donated $1 billion to elect him he would repay them by eliminating taxes and regulations and by letting them drill much more in the Gulf of Mexico.

The U.S. produces more oil today (13 million barrels per day) than any other country ever has. ExxonMobil alone made $36 billion in profits in 2023. Surely they could pay Trump a billion to keep that oil and those profits flowing.

Never mind that for the past 11 months, each month has been the hottest on record. Never mind that the coming summer may be the hottest that Idaho has ever seen. Never mind that worldwide, wildfires are bigger, hurricanes stronger and tornadoes more frequent than ever. Never mind the smoke seasons, devastating droughts and killer floods.

It is a really bad idea to ask big oil to buy our elections. From here on, with every image of Donald Trump, Ill see oil dripping across his face while the world burns behind him.

Don Kemper, Boise

Dangerous overpass

The Curtis Road overpass and approaches are ludicrous. Every commercial vehicle in the Treasure Valley uses it, often at the same time. Cars are backed up so far. Then, you have the morons who allow other morons to cut into the turn lane to get onto the freeway, causing further delay and rewarding cheaters. I never allow anyone to cut over. Never. Something must be done. Its getting worse every day.

Thorpe P. Orton, Boise

Guns in schools

I am a senior at Boise High School. Living in Idaho, I am aware of the rights of owning a firearm. Citizens are fully capable of safely managing a firearm. Everyone should have the right to exercise their second amendment right to own a firearm, as they are used for recreation, hunting and self defense.

As of April 18, there have been around 18 school shooting incidents across the country. Four were on college campuses and 14 were on K-12 school grounds. These incidents left nine casualties and at least 25 others injured.

In 2021, Boise High had an incident with a student bringing a firearm on campus, which triggered some gun owners to organize a protest at Boise High. Boise High administration informed us that these protesters were likely armed, and exempted school absences for the day if students felt unsafe coming to school. The question remains that if school was exempt due to the presence of guns on campus, why would the legislature allow faculty to carry them in a classroom? Gun regulation is the center of this issue. Why would we allow them in the place where they are most dangerous?

Olivia Case, Boise

Gem State Conservatives

Allow us to introduce Gem State Conservatives and what we stand for.

We are Republicans from all 44 counties in Idaho. Many of us built the Idaho GOP over decades. We receive no funding or support from out-of-state organizations.

Our objective is restoring integrity to our party. Our focus is principally these areas:

(1) Trusting the voters: Pulling power to party insiders is the wrong direction. We believe our nominees are answerable to all Republicans, not just a select few.

(2) We need a big tent Republican Party: Ronald Reagan believed those with whom we agree 80% of the time are allies, not enemies. We reject efforts to purge the party of all who dont agree with party leaders 100% of the time.

(3) We value Republican women and youth. The decision stripping voting rights on the GOP Executive Committee from the Idaho Republican Womens Federation, College Republicans and Young Republicans is short-sighted and must be reversed.

What do Gem State Conservatives do? We help candidates who agree on these principles. Our goal: return the GOP to its rightful owners, the Republican voters of Idaho.

Tom Luna and Trent Clark, Soda Springs

Dan Chadwick

In my 30-plus years working in both elected and appointed positions in Idaho I have met hundreds of people from across the state and across the country. These included legislators, elected school and county officials and staff of various professional organizations.

Out of all those people, Dan Chadwick, longtime executive director of the Idaho Association of Counties, stood at the top. I worked with Dan on a variety of county issues while a County Clerk and County Administrator. There were times we were on the same side and times we were not. In either case he treated me with respect and always worked in the best interest of the counties of Idaho.

At the end of my career I served as the executive director of a small professional organization. Almost daily I would think of Dan and how he did his job with an infinitely more difficult organization. He was my mentor without even knowing it.

Dan Chadwick served his country, his state, and his community with distinction, compassion, and a love of life. The world would be a better place if there were more Dan Chadwicks in it.

Tom Taggart, Hansville, Washington

Labrador

Raul Labradors opinion piece in the Idaho Statesman is misleading. He insists that he cares about the lives of women. He insists the Idaho law does not prohibit saving the life of a mother by abortion. But that is just the point. Only at the point of death are the hospital, doctors and patient protected. Good medical practice does not wait until an imminent threat of death. Good medical practice is about the health and well being of the patient . It tries to prevent the loss of fertility and the danger of sepsis. Idahos law, as stated by Labrador, only coincides with the federal law at the point of death. Other medical emergencies do not count.

Cheryl D Halverson, Tensed
Donald Trump New York Trial: Who Has Come to Support Him?

Several allies of former President Donald Trump have shown up at the Manhattan courthouse to support him while hes on trial.

Attendees at Trumps hush-money trial have so far included the Republican House Speaker, several members of Congress, state attorneys general, and two of Trumps former presidential primary opponents. Notably absent is Melania Trump, the former First Lady, who is yet to appear in the courthouse.

The politicians rallying behind Trump used their presence at the courtroom to attack witness testimony, since the former President is barred from publicly commenting on key figures in the trial. Trump is currently facing trial on 34 felony counts over allegations that he falsified business records to conceal a hush-money payment to an adult film actress before the 2016 election. Trumps former fixer Michael Cohen testified on Monday that Trump personally approved the hush-money reimbursement plan central to the criminal allegations.

The display of support from Trumps allies is expected to continue throughout the trial, with more political figures vowing to join him in court soon. For many, the courthouse provides a stage to amplify their loyalty to Trump and gain exposure amid the media frenzy surrounding the historic trial.

We have a lot of them that want to come, Trump told reporters on Monday. I say just stay back and pass lots of laws to stop things like this.

Heres a look at who has come to Trumps side at the trial.

House Speaker Mike Johnson

House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday became the highest ranking Republican to accompany Trump at his criminal trial, blasting the proceedings as a sham. These are politically motivated trials and they are a disgrace. It is election interference, the Louisiana Republican told reporters in the park outside the Manhattan courthouse.

He claimed Democrats are keeping Trump off the 2024 campaign trail, and criticized Cohen, the prosecutions key witness. This is a man who is clearly on a mission for personal revenge, and who is widely known as a witness who has trouble with the truth, Johnson said.

His visit to the courthouse comes just a week after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, unsuccessfully attempted to oust him as Speaker, in part because he refused to agree to defund special counsel Jack Smiths investigation into Trump.

Vivek Ramaswamy

Former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy also attended the trial on Tuesday, as he may be angling for a spot in Trumps cabinet. He has long been considered a contender to be Trumps Vice President in a potential second term. Ramaswamy called the trial an insult to American democracy on social media.

Eric and Lara Trump

Trump's son Eric is the only Trump family member to attend the trial regularly. His wife, Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump, was also in attendance on Tuesday, roughly two months after she was elected co-chair after being endorsed by her father-in-law.

Florida Sen. Rick Scott

Florida Sen. Rick Scott, who is running for reelection in November, on May 9 became the first high-profile Trump ally to accompany him in the Manhattan courtroom. He drove with Trump from Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue down to the courthouse and sat in the front row while the defense questioned adult film star Stormy Daniels, one of the key witnesses in the case.

Im here because I have known Donald Trump a long time, Scott said. I knew him before I was governor. I consider him a friend. And what he is going through is just despicable.

Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance

Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, widely seen as a vice presidential contender, was part of the group that arrived at court with Trump on Monday and stood behind him as he addressed reporters before entering the courtroom.

Every single person involved in this prosecution is practically a Democratic political operative, Vance told reporters outside the courthouse, adding that it was a disgrace Trump could not say so himself because of a gag order. Vance, once a harsh critic of the former President, previously said he cant stomach Trump but is now a close ally and will appear with him at an Ohio fundraiser on Wednesday.

Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville

Sen. Tommy Tuberville attended the trial on Monday, telling reporters that the Manhattan courtroom was the most depressing thing Ive ever been in.

First of all, Im disappointed in the courtroom. Im hearing, Mr. Trump, Mr. Trump. He is former President Trump, the Alabama Republican said outside. Give him some respect. I mean, thats what that place is in there. It is no respect. Here is what Im seeing, too. It is depressing. That courtroom is depressing. This is New York City. The icon of our country. And we got a courtroom that is the most depressing thing Ive ever been in.

Tuberville also criticized Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, saying that he enters the courtroom and acts like it is his Super Bowl.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who is also reportedly on Trumps shortlist for vice presidential picks, appeared in the Manhattan courtroom on Tuesday alongside the former President. He endorsed Trump in January after dropping his own Republican presidential bid, calling Trump a friend and partner.

He has previously criticized Trump: in July, Burgum said that he would not do business with him, stating youre judged by the company you keep.

Reps. Byron Donalds, Nicole Malliotakis, and Cory Mills

In addition to Speaker Johnson, three House Republicans have stopped by the Manhattan courthouse: Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, and Florida Rep. Cory Mills. Donalds is considered a possible vice presidential contender.

Attorneys General of Alabama and Iowa

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall both attended Trumps trial on Monday, sitting near the front of the courtroom. When Trump won the Iowa caucuses, he told the crowd in his victory speech that Bird is going to be your governor someday."

Absent: Melania Trump

About a month into the trial, Melania Trump is yet to appear in the courtroom or on the campaign trail with her husband.

As Cohen took the stand on Monday, he testified that Trump told him it was Melania who came up with the infamous locker room talk defense when an Access Hollywood tape was revealed in October 2016 in which Trump was heard boasting that "when youre a star" you can "do anything" to women, including "grab them by the p----."

Cohen also stated in his testimony that Trump didnt care about how his wife would react to his alleged affair with Stormy Daniels, and was mostly thinking about his campaign. (Trump denies having a sexual encounter with Daniels.)

Write to Nik Popli at nik.popli@time.com.
Political cartoon by Thomas Nast (1840-1902), depicting William Marcy 'Boss' Tweed (1823 - 1878) with a money bag for a head, c. 1871. Credit - Kean Collection/Getty Images

As toxic as American democracy has become in 2024, its far more functional today than it was the 1800s when the shadowy bosses of political machines vied for power and profit. Until recently, modern politics has been comparatively civilized thanks to determined reformers who established laws and institutions that reduced corruption and promoted democratic principles.

This history reminds us of the importance of safeguards for the functioning of democracy and highlight the danger of Donald Trumps plans to dismantle them with his 2024 presidential bid.

The trouble started in the 1820s when Andrew Jackson rebelled against the political establishment. After winning the presidency in 1828, Jackson dismissed experienced federal employees and replaced them with partisan loyalists, a practice known as patronage. To the victors belong the spoils of the enemy, gloated Jacksons ally, Sen. William Marcy of New York. The senators boast became a platitude and provided a label for the politics of the era: the spoils system.

The spoils system propagated like a pernicious weed. Leaders of the Whig Party denounced Democratic Party patronage, but practiced it themselves when they came to power in the 1840s, as did the Republicans who supplanted the Whigs in the 1860s, starting with President Abraham Lincoln. Federal patronage practices were replicated by state and city governments, infecting the entire political order.

Patronage appointees were often unqualified, from district attorneys and police commissioners to street cleaners and mail carriers. The Post-office, from top to bottom, is cursed with this evil of patronage, complained the New York Times in 1873. A large number of persons engaged in the difficult work of delivering, sorting, and carrying letters, or deciphering addresses, and finding out mistaken ones, have not the slightest skill or experience in the business. They are put there merely to oblige political patrons.

Read More: Holding World Leaders Like Trump Accountable Is Democratic

But the incompetence of civil servants wasnt the nastiest feature of the spoils system. The people who made the hiring decisions were far more dangerous, for their ability to distribute plum jobs to underlings gave them tremendous power to bend government to their will. Most of the decision-makers werent even elected officials. They were the ruthless leaders of partisan organizations known as political machines. States and large cities typically had at least two rival machines, one for each major party. The machines nominated candidates for federal, state, and city elections and marshaled voters on Election Day. Elected officials repaid their patrons by hiring whomever the bosses recommended.

The stakes were high, and the machine bosses used every tool at their disposal to ensure victory. They bribed voters with cash and alcohol, dispatched thugs to intimidate opponents at polling stations, performed favors for corporations in exchange for campaign donations, paid newspapers to shill for their candidates, and exploited ethnic divisions to galvanize voters. Elections were raucous high-turnout affairs, often tainted by fraud and violence.

With great power came great corruption. The bosses employed countless schemes to exploit their authority for profit. They took bribes from job applicants and kickbacks from companies seeking franchises and land rights. Some invested in real estate and then funneled public investment to the area to increase property values. William Tweed, boss of the notorious Tammany Hall, embezzled tens of millions from New York Citys treasury in the 1860s. The corruption started at the top but permeated all the way down. Customs officials took bribes from importers. Building inspectors received payoffs from landlords and developers. Vice cops shook down casinos and brothels.

The perpetrators of such rackets were rarely held accountable because the authoritiesjudges, prosecutors, inspectors, and policewere loyal to the machines. But tenacious journalists and courageous dissidents did occasionally expose government corruption.

Periodic scandals drew public outrage and fueled reform movements. After the New York Times exposed Boss Tweeds plundering in 1871, prominent New Yorkers formed a committee to investigate Tammany Hall. Subsequent graft scandals in President Ulysses S. Grants Administration galvanized a national movement to clean up the federal government.

Reformers devised a number of initiatives to loosen the bosses grip on power, including secret ballots, voter registration, primary elections, and anti-graft laws. The most successful strategies targeted the source of the bosses influence: the power of patronage. One of the landmark reforms, the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883, instituted merit exams for federal jobs and prohibited demotion or dismissal without cause. The original rules applied to a small subset of employees, but subsequent reclassifications expanded to the protections to cover 90% of the federal workforce.

The Pendleton Act only pertained to federal employees, however. State and city governments proved even more difficult to fix. It took decades for reformers to wear down resistance from entrenched political machines and establish civil service laws similar to the Pendleton Act at state and local levels.

Read More: How Poverty Is a Direct Result of Corruption

In 1930, New York governor Franklin D. Roosevelt initiated an anti-corruption investigation that uncovered rampant graft in New York City, including a shocking police conspiracy to frame innocent women as prostitutes. After the Tammany-backed mayor resigned in disgrace, his successor, Fiorello La Guardia, instituted civil service rules that finally ended Tammany Halls 80-year reign. Similar clashes took place across the country well into the 20th century.

Ultimately, the reformers won the war. The civil service reforms worked. Deprived of the power of patronage, the political machines that had ruled the nation for over a century gradually withered away. Elections became more peaceful and democratic. The press became more objective. Partisanship ebbed, and corruption declined.

President Donald Trump has ignored the principles of the Pendleton Act in unprecedented ways. As President, he made clear that, in his eyes, career civil servants werent apolitical bureaucrats but agents of the so-called Deep State who sought to defeat him. And in the final months of his presidency, Trump issued an executive order known as Schedule F that exempted a new class of federal employees from civil service protection. His aides boasted that the reclassification would affect more than 50,000 federal workers. Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act indicate that the administrations plans were even more ambitious. At least one agency, the Office of Management and Budget, planned to apply the new category to 88% of its staff.

Read more: How Far Trump Would Go

Trumps term ended before much damage could be done, but he has promised to revive and expand the plan if he wins reelection in November. If elected, he also intends to tell prosecutors and federal agents, traditionally independent, to go after his opponents, starting with his predecessor whom he deemed, the most corrupt president in the history of the United States of America, Joe Biden, and the entire Biden crime family.

To the victors belong the spoils of the enemy.

Once these dams of civil service protection have been breached, others may not be able to resist the urge to follow suit. As guardrails fall across the country, corruption is likely to follow, as it did in the 19th century. If a new spoils system becomes entrenched, it could take decades to uproot, a tragedy for liberals and conservatives alike. Then Americans would discover, or rather rediscover, how toxic and dysfunctional a lawless democracy can be.

Michael Wolraich is the author of The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age (Union Square & Co., 2024).

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.
"Don't worry, I'm the president": Cohen says Trump assured him AG was "in his pocket" after raid

It was April 2018, and the FBI had just raised the home of former Trump fixer Michael Cohen.

The raid came at a time of federal scrutiny over Cohen  including the legality of Cohen's hush money payments on behalf of then-President Donald Trump, and whether they constituted an illegal campaign contribution.

At the time, The New York Times reported that the FBI had seized documents related to payments to adult film star and director Stormy Daniels.

On Tuesday on the witness stand, Cohen testified that he was freaking out.

He at one point described his emotional state: "Destroyed. Nervous. Concerned."

Cohen said he got a reassuring call from Trump: "Don't worry, I'm the president of the United States, there's nothing here. Stay tough. You'll be okay."

Cohen said he "wanted reassurance that the President, Mr. Trump, had my back."

"I felt reassured because I had the president of the United States protecting me," Cohen said. "His justice department should go nowhere and so I felt reassured and I remained in the camp."

Cohen said Trump assured him that then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions was "in his pocket."

Cohen said he told National Enquirer publisher David Pecker not to worry about any FEC probe into the payment to Daniels.

"I told him... do not worry, we have this thing under control, it's taken care of," Cohen said.

In 2018, watchdog group Common Cause filed a complaint claiming the payment was an in-kind contribution to Trumps campaign. But the FEC failed to support their general counsels recommendation to investigate amid partisan deadlock in 2021.

Cohen in 2018 pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal court to eight counts that included one count of causing an unlawful campaign contribution, and another count of an excessive campaign contribution, in connection with the payment to Daniels.
Israeli forces have killed and injured dozens of humanitarian aid workers, including British citizens, in eight strikes on aid convoys and shelters whose coordinates were shared with Israel to ensure their protection, according to research by The Independent and a new investigation by Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Israels forces did not issue warnings before the strikes, which killed or injured at least 31 people including several children, HRWs report alleges. The New York-based rights group identified eight different incidents in total, including the 1 April drone strike on a World Central Kitchen (WCK) convoy, which killed seven aid workers. It concluded that the eight strikes  which killed at least 15 people, including two children  were likely to have been unlawfully indiscriminate, or to have been carried out without sufficient precautions being taken to ensure that the target was military. The hits also had a massive impact on the distribution and coordination of aid  at a time when Gaza faces famine.

The report corroborated testimonies gathered by The Independent, which show that in several instances British doctors and aid workers were present and even killed or wounded by the strikes. The strikes have included naval shelling and drone strikes. At least one of them took place in a so-called humanitarian zone, al-Mawasi.

The Israeli military did not comment about the details of these specific incidents but said any incident involving humanitarian aid convoys, facilities or personnel is being thoroughly examined included those The Independent was investigating and those mentioned in the HRW report.

According to the examinations findings, lessons are learned and implemented in order to prevent reoccurrence of such incidents and if so required, command, disciplinary and other measures are taken against individuals responsible, the military added.

It said: The IDF has continuously worked throughout the war to allow and facilitate the entry and delivery of extensive humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, out of its commitment to international humanitarian law, and going even beyond. This is done partly by working in tight cooperation with aid agencies and organizations and with the international community via a joint coordination cell.

However, heads of aid agencies and UN officials told The Independent that a coordination system that is supposed to protect aid workers is clearly failing and that there needs to be dramatic change.

HRW said that the pattern of attacks despite proper notification of Israeli authorities raises serious questions about Israels commitment to, and its capacity for, compliance with international humanitarian law. It concluded that Israels allies, such as the US and the UK  whose weapons were apparently used in the attacks the organisation documented  should suspend military assurances and arms sales to Israel.

Israels killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers was shocking and should never have happened under international law, said Belkis Wille, associate director of the Crisis, Conflict and Arms division at HRW. Israels allies need to recognise that these attacks that have killed aid workers have happened over and over again, and they need to stop.

Palestinians inspect a vehicle used by World Central Kitchen that was damaged in an airstrike in Deir al-Balah in April (AP)

Jan Egeland, the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, told The Independent that, in total, more than 250 aid workers have been killed since October, which we have never seen before. He added: Its a world record ... Gaza is the most dangerous place for human for aid workers in recent memory.

Tess Ingram, from the United Nations child agency Unicef, who was herself part of a UN convoy carrying aid to northern Gaza that was coordinated with the military but came under fire, said the system of deconfliction is clearly failing.

What happened to WCK was tragic, but its not an isolated incident. We need to know that when we get a safety assurance for a mission, it will be facilitated, that it will be safe, and that we can trust those safety assurances. At the moment, its clear that the coordination system is not being respected.

Israel launched its heaviest ever bombardment of Gaza, plus a ground assault and a blockade, in retaliation for a bloody attack by Hamas on 7 October during which around 1,200 people were killed and another 250 were taken hostage, including toddlers.

Since then, Palestinian health workers in the Hamas-run territory say Israels bombardment has killed at least 35,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom were women and children. Among the dead are more than 220 aid workers, including 190 UN personnel.

Most recently, this week saw the the first death of a foreign UN security staff member, who was killed on Monday (13 May) when a UN-marked vehicle travelling to the European hospital in Rafah was struck, a spokesperson said. Separately, the UNs Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, reported that another of its staff members, a 53-year-old senior projects officer, was killed on Sunday after leaving Rafah, in an Israeli strike on the central town of Deir al-Balah.

Displaced Palestinians arrive in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza after fleeing from the southern city of Rafah (AP)

UNRWA officials told The Independent that they had registered 349 incidents affecting their premises and the internationally displaced people (IDPs) sheltering in and around them. They said these incidents had resulted in the killing of at least 408 IDPs (including at least 15 children and seven UNRWA staff). They said strikes from both sides had affected 30 UNRWA health centres, seven warehouses, six aid distribution centres, and 261 of their schools.

While facts surrounding many incidents remain subject to verification, UNRWA said the information so far available indicates that the vast majority of incidents were due to attacks and actions undertaken by Israeli forces.

These attacks are having a chilling effect on efforts to provide lifesaving aid in Gaza.

HRW said it has identified eight attacks that took place between 18 November and 1 April. These include an attack on a Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) convoy along with a guest house and a shelter; attacks on two UNRWA convoys and an associated guest house; an attack on a shelter belonging to the International Rescue Committee and Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP); and an attack on a home sheltering an employee of the aid group ANERA.

The Independent has separately interviewed staff and witnesses, who corroborated the findings in the HRW report.

On 18 January 18, Aseel Baidoun of MAP told The Independent that the Israeli military had hit a residential compound housing the charitys emergency medical team (EMT) and members of MAPs local team and their family members in al-Mawasi  the alleged safe zone  despite the compounds coordinates having been submitted to the deconfliction process. MAP said British government personnel had also confirmed on 22 December that the compound was registered as a sensitive site. Since then, an independent assessment by the UN has concluded that the damage was the result of an airstrike, most likely involving a weapon only owned by the Israeli military.

Tent encampments housing displaced Palestinians in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, by the border fence with Egypt (AFP via Getty)

The attack injured several team members, caused significant damage to the building, and required the withdrawal of the six international members from Gaza, forcing the organisation to suspend lifesaving medical work at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.

Ms Baidoun said that since the attack, Israel had provided six different explanations as to why the airstrike took place, including that the Israeli military was unaware of what had happened; denying involvement; accepting responsibility for the strike but asserting that it was a mistake caused by a defective tail fin on the missile that was fired; and blaming the hit on a piece of aircraft fuselage.

The variety of responses highlights a continued lack of transparency regarding what occurred, she said. It is clear from this experience that the Israeli military and government are either unable or unwilling to properly investigate this serious incident.

She said the UK and the US, as current suppliers of arms and munitions to Israel, have a particular responsibility to hold Israel accountable for this and other attacks on aid workers and civilians.

UNRWA officials told The Independent that three of their aid convoys had been hit by Israeli fire  including in a 5 February incident in which naval gunfire punched a hole in a UNRWA aid truck that was flanked by marked UN vehicles. The vehicles were waiting at a previously agreed holding point for permission to proceed north.

The three incidents involved UNRWA personnel on the way in or out of the north of Gaza. Twice was Israeli gunfire; the third incident in February was [carried out] by the Israeli navy, said Juliette Toma, UNRWAs director of communications.

Every time there is a convoy, the GPS coordinates of the routes are shared, as are the names and nationalities of the members, the contents of the convoy, the vehicle details, and their estimated arrival and departure time, Ms Toma said. The convoy is also in constant communication with the Israeli army, she added.

Smoke rises following Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip (AP)

The Israeli military has yet to reply to a request for comment about the attacks on UNRWA, though it has told CNN that it is looking into the 5 February incident.

HRW also documented an attack on 20 February on an MSF guest house in the al-Mawasi neighbourhood, which has been identified as a humanitarian zone by Israel. The coordinates had been shared with the Israeli authorities. HRW concluded that an Israeli tank had fired a medium to large-calibre weapon at the multistorey apartment building housing 64 people, all of whom were MSF staff and their families.

The attack killed two people and injured seven others. MSF alleged that the weapon was an Israeli tank shell. It said its staff had seen no military objects in the area at the time and received no warning.

The ANERA aid organisation alleged that an Israeli strike hit the building in al-Zuwaida where Mousa Shawwa, their supply and logistics coordinator, was sheltering, despite its coordinates having been shared with the military.

We did not receive any warning from the Israelis before the attack, Mr Shawwas wife Doaa told HRW. This is the thing that upsets me the most. My husband works for an American organisation and the Israelis knew we were there. They should have sent us a message to warn us to get out. Why didnt they?

Ms Ingram, from Unicef, said she was involved in an aid convoy, coordinated with the Israeli military, that was heading north on 11 April. They were asked to pull into a holding area at the Wadi Gaza checkpoint in the centre of the besieged strip, where they came under gunfire from the direction of the Israeli checkpoint.

Ms Ingram said three bullets hit her car: one hit the side window, one hit the door, and the third hit the bonnet of the car. She survived as she was in an armoured vehicle.

In the end they had to turn the convoy round.

We have only had five missions to the north of Gaza this year as Unicef, which is nowhere near enough, and they werent large convoys, she said. Theres an ongoing problem with the number of coordinated missions that are being facilitated, let alone the dangers and delays faced on missions that are facilitated.

The Independent reached out to the Israeli military for comment about this incident. The military said that after an operational examination by the commanders, it appears that the IDF forces who were closest to the area were not within firing range of the convoy at the time and place indicated, and it was found that no fire was carried out at the vehicle by the IDF forces as described in the question.

HRW has said that governments  including that of the UK  who continue to provide arms to the Israeli government risk complicity in potential war crimes. It urged them to instead use their leverage, including through targeted sanctions, to press Israeli authorities to cease such strikes and enable the provision of humanitarian aid and basic services in Gaza.

On one hand, Israel is blocking access to critical lifesaving humanitarian provisions, and on the other, attacking convoys that are delivering some of the small amount that they are allowing in, Ms Wille said. Israeli forces should immediately end their attacks on aid organisations, and there should be accountability.
Driver escaping cops has deadly plunge off cliff into ocean, California police say

A driver fleeing a California State Parks officer died after crashing off a cliff into the ocean, police reported.

The driver fled in a white 1996 GMC Yukon around 8:45 p.m. Friday, May 10, when the officer tried to pull him over at Natural Bridges State Beach near Santa Cruz, KPIX reported.

The officer tried to stop him after police said he had expired registration and nearly reversed into a crowd of people at the beach, KSBW reported.

The SUV crashed off a cliff onto rocks in the ocean, Santa Cruz police said in a news release.

Officers and firefighters tried repeatedly to rescue the driver but he died in the crash, police said.

He was later identified as Glenn Dunn, 48, of Felton, KSBW and The Mercury News reported.

Santa Cruz is about a 75-mile drive south of San Francisco.

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Drowning deaths are on the rise, according to CDC; a new Florida law could help

Florida beaches. March 18, 2020. Credit: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Quality Journalism for Critical Times

Greater access to swimming lessons is key in curbing the rise in unintentional drowning deaths as more than 4,500 people have drowned each year from 2020-2022, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A law Gov. Ron DeSantis signed last month will give low-income families vouchers for swimming lessons.

The study published Tuesday, states that the highest drowning rates occur among children between one and four years old, adults over 65, and Indigenous, Alaska Native and Black people.

Additionally, almost 40 million adults surveyed indicated they didnt know how to swim, and 54.7% had never taken a lesson. While most white adults (52%) stated that they had taken swimming lessons, only 28% of Hispanic people and 37% of Black people had taken lessons, according to the CDC study.

No one should have to lose a loved one to drowning. Improving access to effective prevention strategies, like basic swimming and water safety skills training, can reduce drowning risk, said Tessa Clemens, the lead author of the report, said in a press release. CDC provides expertise, support, and resources to increase drowning prevention efforts among communities and individuals at highest risk of drowning.

Revitalizing public pools, promoting water safety lessons, and hiring diverse aquatic staff to adapt to communities in need are some of the recommendations from the CDC.

Soon, Florida families with children under five will be able to get free swimming lessons for their kids. A law that goes into effect on July 1 establishes the Swimming Lesson Voucher Program for families with an income lower than 200% of the federal poverty level, which is $31,200 for a family of four.

The Florida Department of Health will be in charge of creating a network of vendors and implementing the program. For the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the department will get $500,000 in nonrecurrent funds to run the program.

The post Drowning deaths are on the rise, according to CDC; a new Florida law could help appeared first on Florida Phoenix.
In a memo to DuPage County Board Chair Deborah Conroy on May 7, DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek threatened to instruct the States Attorney to commence legal action if invoices approved by her office were not submitted and approved by the County Treasurer.

One week later, the DuPage County States Attorneys Office is in the process of drafting a civil complaint against the clerks office, according to States Attorney Communications Manager Paul Darrah.

Kaczmarek came under scrutiny of the county board last month after a letter, drafted by board member James Zay, District 6, urged Conroy to arrange an inquiry into $265,000 in no-bid contracts approved by the clerks office.

We are concerned that the clerks office is not following Illinois state law and continues to not listen to or take the legal advice of our states attorney office, the letter said. This issue of the clerk not working with the county has come to a tipping point and now we are talking about hundreds of thousands of taxpayers money that have no oversight or transparency.

Kaczmarek refused the board call to answer questions about her offices conduct, resulting in confusion and frustration within the county government.

Caught in the middle are the vendors contracted by the clerks office, whose services cannot be paid without a signature from Kaczmarek and Adam Johnson, the chief deputy county clerk.

Conroy, in a memo sent to Kaczmarek on May 8, cited four invoices totaling nearly $224,000 that could not be paid without action from the clerks office, including $189,949 to Truly Engaging, a printing company contracted to supply mailing material related to the March 19 primary election.

We faithfully did the work as soon as we received the signed purchase order from DuPage County, Truly Engaging CEO Brenda Baird-Watterson said during the County Board meeting this Tuesday. Whoever has the legal authority please pay your bills, pay us, and pay those that are waiting as well.

To pay for Truly Engagings contract, the clerk and deputy clerk need to sign the invoice and provide a description of services provided, Conroy said in an interview following Tuesdays board meeting.

This Board should not be in a situation where bills are not being paid, and this falls directly on [the clerks office], regardless of the procurement situation, Conroy said. These are signatures and a process that was set up by the clerk so this needs to be done.

Kaczmarek, in her letter to Conroy, attached an informal opinion from last April, by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, in which he affirms county clerks are granted exclusive control over the internal operations of their offices, and their expenses may not be limited by their countys board.

DuPage County has ignored the legal guidance of the Illinois Attorney Generals Office for years, and the Countys improper practices must end, Kaczmarek said in the letter. It is my hope that we can finally move past these disputes, pay vendors for services rendered, and focus on performing our respective statutory duties for the residents of DuPage County.

There has been no further contact between the clerks office and members of the county board since May 8, Conroy said. Neither Conroy nor the States Attorneys office could not provide details on when the civil action will be filed.

We are moving forward with the next steps because we have no choice, Conroy said.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET)  Dutch Bros on Friday will host its 18th annual fundraiser in the fight against ALS.

The Drink One for Dane fundraiser is named for the coffee chains co-founder Dane Boersma, who died in 2009 from ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, an incurable neurodegenerative disease.

A portion of the proceeds from every drink sold Friday will be donated to the nonprofit Muscular Dystrophy Association, which conducts ALS research and advocacy.

Drink One for Dane holds a special place in our companys heart and has been a part of our giving DNA for the past 18 years, Tana Davila, chief marketing officer at Dutch Bros, said in a release. Were honored to support the integral work MDA does to move ALS research and care forward towards a cure.

Customers can donate directly to the MDA at www.dutchbros.com/drink-one-for-dane.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  District 3 Portland City Council candidate Jesse Cornett received an endorsement from Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam during their sold-out performance at the Moda Center Friday night, the candidate announced.

During the introduction to Even Flow, a song about a homeless man Vedder encountered more than three decades ago, Vedder spoke about the bands work on homelessness  including raising nearly $11 million at two shows at Safeco Field, now known as T-Mobile Park, in Seattle.

Vedder then discussed Portland.

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Theres some good people. One that I know here: His name is Jesse Cornett. And hell be running for city council. I met him years ago. Theres three spots  and just keep your eye out for his name, OK? And know that hes got our backing. And we trust him. Hes a solid human fighting for solid, solid things. Good luck, Jesse, Vedder said.

Cornett met Vedder in 2020 while working as a top aide for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders presidential campaign.

Cornett and Vedders shared compassion for those in need was the primary focus of their discussion during their initial meeting, Cornetts campaign said in a press release. Cornetts work over the past two-plus decades has netted him many contacts that he will use to help everyday Portlanders if elected.

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Reacting to the endorsement, Cornett told KOIN 6 News, Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam have been activists as long as theyve been a band. Like myself and my former boss, Senator Bernie Sanders, they care about the needs of community members they dont even know. Pearl Jams support shines a spotlight on the network my career has allowed me to build and will be an asset when elected to city council.

Cornett currently works as the policy and advocacy director for Oregon Recovers and previously served as a top government relations official at Portland State University before moving on to teach political science.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
Hey, Mom! Hope you enjoyed those flowers. Too bad you can't eat them, cause Tennessee offers little support for mothers. (Photo: Getty Images)

Hey, Mom! Hope you enjoyed those flowers. Too bad you can't eat them, cause Tennessee offers little support for mothers. (Photo: Getty Images)

Perhaps no American holiday is more sacrosanct than Mothers Day, a fest that provides politicians an occasion on which to shower platitudes about the noble calling of motherhood.

Tennessee lawmakers flooded social media Sunday posing with their mothers  Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, a Franklin Republican, posted a photo on X of him as a teen dancing with his mom, both beaming for the camera  and lauding their wives for being good mothers, as House Republican Caucus Chair Jeremy Faison did.

I have no doubt that the men of Tennessees government love their mothers. Who doesnt? Even Adolf Hitler was known to have a mutually adoring relationship with his.

But the fulsome praise is a rich irony coming from Republican lawmakers who continually pass measures to make life harder for the states women and the children they bear.

The fondness vocalized by predominantly male legislators is prescient, given theres the likelihood that Tennessee could experience a new baby boom in the next few years, as the 2023 enactment of the states ban on virtually all abortions: its a move that all but guarantees women with unwanted pregnancies will either be forced to leave the state in search of abortion care or bear a child they may not have the capability to properly care for.

And by women, I include teen and pre-teen girls who become pregnant. A new law, sponsored by Rep. Jason Zachary, prohibits anyone but parents from taking pregnant girls out of the state for abortions, cutting grandparents and other relatives out of the equation.

Lets assume you are a joyous pregnant mom, delighted with the thought of having a child. You better hope you have a textbook perfect pregnancy, because if your fetus has abnormalities that threaten your own life, the states abortion ban has put physicians in a tough place.

Meanwhile, even a medication abortion could become harder to come by, as the U.S. Supreme Court weighs the merits of mifepristone, part of a two-drug regimen approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for early-term abortions.

But lets assume you are a joyous pregnant mom, delighted with the thought of having a child. You better hope your pregnancy is textbook, because God forbid your fetus has abnormalities that will cause your baby to die upon or shortly after birth, or worse still, has a condition that threatens your own life.

Tennessee law provides only the narrowest of exceptions to the abortion ban for the life of the mother, which means physicians face the dilemma of deciding just how close a pregnant woman is to dying, and weigh the odds against being arrested and charged criminally for performing what could be deemed by a layman a medically unnecessary procedure.

That, of course, assumes you can find an OBGYN to treat you. A 2023 report found that more than half of Tennessees rural hospitals no longer deliver babies, creating maternity care deserts across the state. In 2019, the March of Dimes reported Tennessee ranked 44th in the nation for access to prenatal care before the third trimester, along with higher than average rates of preterm births.

As if that werent bad enough, Jamie McGee reported for the Lookout in June 2023 that states with abortion bans like Tennessees experienced a 10.5% decrease in applications for OBGYN residencies.

The reason? Residents in obstetrics and gynecology perform an abortion as part of training; Tennessees criminal penalties are making medical students leery of practicing here.

Everyone is worried about it, Tennessee Medical Association CEO Russ Miller said at the time. Its definitely something all of us are keeping an eye on.

Consider a different scenario: Lets say a couple desperately wants to have children but has fertility problems. An Alabama Supreme Court ruling that classifies eggs fertilized through in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment similarly to children could have ramifications in Tennessee, as House members voted down a bill that would have made clear that the states abortion ban does not endanger fertility treatments or access to contraceptive care.

Sorry to be Debbie Downer. Like many moms, you may have had a healthy baby that was wanted and planned for: congratulations! Do you have a good job with a stable income? You should make sure of that, because relying on the Tennessee government for any kind of aid is a dicey proposition.

Tennessees Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), a key anti-poverty program, is sitting on a whopping $717 million financial surplus rather than distributing the funds to the families for whom they are intended. If you are availing yourself of SNAP benefits, formerly called food stamps, be aware there have been habitual delays in distribution of those funds.

Just after the Tennessee Department of Human Services introduced a new computer management system in June, more than 73,000 Tennesseans  most of whom are children  enrolled in the SNAP program lost access to food benefits.

Thank God for public schools, where needy students can get a free lunch  or not. A measure introduced in Tennessees House and Senate by Rep. Kevin Raper of Cleveland and Sen. J. Adam Lowe of Calhoun, both Republicans, that would have provided free breakfasts and lunches to kids qualifying under the National School Lunch Act and Child Nutrition Act of 1966 failed in the House K-12 Subcommittee of Education Administration.

Maybe its just as well it failed so nobody counts on free meals. If Gov. Bill Lee has more success next legislative session than in this one with his bid to create universal school vouchers, funds will stream out of public education to private schools.

Cheer up, moms! Tennessees lawmakers appreciate you! Thats what they said on social media, after all. And as for those flowers you got? Well, you cant eat them and they wont help provide health care, but at least theyll give you something pretty to look at while you figure out how to move to a state with more supportive policies.







The post Editors notebook: Gushy Mothers Day posts from Tennessee lawmakers dont reflect reality appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
President Biden speaks at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's Annual Days of Remembrance ceremony at the U.S. Capitol on May 7. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press)

With campus protests against the war in Gaza as a backdrop, President Biden last week rightly denounced incidents in which Jewish students [were] blocked, harassed, attacked while walking to class. Such actions are appalling even if they involve a minority of protesters.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Education released updated guidance for educational institutions about compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin in programs receiving federal financial assistance, a statute the department interprets as protecting Jews, Muslims and Sikhs. The latest guidance includes a description of situations in which Jewish students are targeted  for example, a complaint that a dormitory room door was defaced with swastikas.

Read more: Opinion: Today's protests are tamer than the campus unrest of the 1960s. So why the harsh response?

Bidens remarks and the Education Departments decision to issue updated guidance are appropriate responses to the concerns of Jewish students. Not appropriate  in fact, arguably unconstitutional  is a bill overwhelmingly approved by the House that would have the Education Department use an expansive definition of antisemitism that could chill political speech.

Although it received significant support from Democrats, the Antisemitism Awareness Act was brought to the floor by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and must be seen as part of election-year efforts by Republicans to portray Biden and the Democratic Party as soft on antisemitism.

Read more: Opinion: Have we learned nothing? The protester's taunt, 'Go back to Poland,' is grotesque

The problem with the Antisemitism Awareness Act is that it directs the Education Department to take into consideration the working definition of antisemitism promulgated by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance when determining whether there has been a Title VI violation. That definition offers examples of what everyone would regard as antisemitism. But it also gives as examples of antisemitism criticisms of Israel that, even if they are unfair, are protected speech.

For instance, the IHRA definition provides these examples as antisemitism: denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor and applying double standards by requiring of [Israel] a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.

Read more: Granderson: The chaos in Congress is more dangerous than the protests on campuses

Israel is a member state of the United Nations and is not going away, nor should it. But some people, including college students, believe that Israel should be replaced by a secular state not tied to any religion or ethnicity. Expressing or debating this idea isnt the same as spewing hatred against Jews.

Even more susceptible to abuse is the notion that it is antisemitic to subject Israel to double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation. Does this mean that a student or professor is guilty of antisemitism for criticizing Israel but not other democratic nations?

Read more: Editorial: Enough already. Not all criticism of Israel is anti-Semitism.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), describing himself as a a deeply committed Zionist who firmly believes in Israels right to exist as a homeland for the Jewish people, nevertheless opposed the legislation. Agreeing with the American Civil Liberties Union, Nadler warned that if this legislation were to become law, colleges and universities that want to avoid Title VI investigations, or the potential loss of federal funding, could end up suppressing protected speech criticizing Israel or supporting Palestinians." Moreover, he added, "it could result in students and faculty self-censoring their political speech.

The Education Department has said that it considers the IHRA definition in some of its investigations in determining whether there is discriminatory intent. But it also has said that an antisemitic act does not violate Title VI merely because . . . it involves an example of antisemitism contemplated by the IHRA. In enforcing Title VI, the department tries to determine if there is pervasive conduct that creates a hostile learning environment.

Read more: Column: Antisemitism is not new  certainly not in Los Angeles

Some might argue that adopting the House bill wouldnt matter because the Education Department already takes the IHRA definition into account. But both supporters and opponents of the Antisemitism Awareness Act think that it would make a difference. It would  but in a negative way. And enshrining the definition in federal law would make it harder for a future administration to decide that the definition isnt useful.

Protecting all students from harassment and intimidation on the basis of their identity is a vital objective. But it can and must be accomplished without infringing on freedom of speech.

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.
On Wednesday, hundreds of Chicago Public Schools teacher will descend on Springfield to lobby lawmakers in what theyre calling a day of action for what they contend is more than $1 billion owed to the citys school system by the state.

CPS is giving those teachers a paid day off from their actual jobs  teaching children  to go begging in the capital. This action follows Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnsons pilgrimage to Springfield last week in which he met with Gov. J.B. Pritzker and lawmakers.

In addition, CPS sent a letter last week to parents in which it explained why it was providing this paid day off to its CTU partners to advocate for more cash. With CPS facing a budget deficit of nearly $400 million going into next school year, the time is now to make our voices heard, the letter read, adding that CPS would give parents and staff more information on additional activities they can pursue to put pressure on the state to pony up.

If theres anyone left who harbors doubt that CPS and the Chicago Teachers Union essentially are one and the same following the election of former CTU lobbyist Johnson, this letter should put that uncertainty to rest.

None of these tactics should come as a surprise, either. The CTU playbook has been made up of action days, incendiary rhetoric and a sea of red shirts for years now. And its impossible to dispute the success of those pressure tactics. That the CTU has its own fully captured mayor sitting on the fifth floor is the culmination of a decades worth of radical politicization of an organization that after all is  or should be  simply a labor union.

There are signs now, though, that this bullheaded approach has run its course. Johnsons trip to Springfield  billed in advance as a dramatic push for state financial help with schools and a new Chicago Bears stadium on the lakefront  apparently ended up being little more than an exchange of pleasantries. Johnson didnt even broach CPS demands for more than $1 billion in his meeting with Pritzker. Maybe he was embarrassed?

More importantly, Springfield appears to have little, if any, money to offer CPS even if it were so inclined. Pritzker, facing a balky General Assembly on his own proposals to address an $800 million budget shortfall, has instructed his department heads to begin looking for cost cuts, just in case.

Still, CTU will charge ahead Wednesday. The money grubbing, of course, is shameless given that the union is demanding annual pay raises of at least 9% in its CPS contract negotiations, which are just beginning.

Its not as if CPS has been suffering a decline  or even a leveling off  of state funds since Pritzker took office in 2019. State contributions to CPS have increased 14% in that time frame to more than $2.1 billion, from less than $1.9 billion. The percentage increase is substantially more when one accounts for the 10.4% decline in students attending Chicago Public Schools over that period. Looked at that way, state contributions per CPS student are up 30%.

Therein lies the main problem with the audacious demands of CPS/CTU. Chicagos school system has shrunk dramatically  at least in terms of student demand. The union wants to preserve a school system, in terms of number of schools and amount of jobs, built to serve a far larger student population than it does.

The solutions to CPS/CTUs budgetary woes lie mainly with rightsizing. Thats how school systems in the suburbs and elsewhere respond when facing declining demand, whether from baby-bust cycles or other causes. They consolidate schools. Those actions often are difficult, even gut-wrenching, but theyre taken nonetheless.

Not helping CPS/CTUs cause, given their inability thus far to shake the money tree in Springfield or anywhere else, is their furtive method of providing more cash to floundering schools in parts of the city where parents are choosing options they consider better for their kids, or from where families with school-age children simply have fled. A new budgeting system has done away with CPS past practice of allocating the bulk of an individual schools annual budget based on enrollment in favor of an opaque approach that accounts mainly for the needs of specific schools. Effectively, the result is to shift more resources to schools  often lightly attended  in low-income areas at the expense of well-populated, often better-functioning schools.

CPS has informed schools of their preliminary budgets for next school year but  contrary to past practice  has refused to make those school-by-school budgets public. CPS has gone so far as to deny reporters Freedom of Information Act requests under dubious pretenses. A few members of Local School Councils have grumbled to the press about the budget hits theyre taking. But the lack of specifics those LSCs have provided has been striking, perhaps reflecting worry their schools finalized budgets will be punished all the more if they go public.

For a mayor who speaks often about his commitment to transparency, refusing to make public these school budgets is farcical. It also likely is fruitless, if the motivation is to keep the bad news from further inflaming lawmakers.

Springfield already has responded to these parental fears with a bill that would bar CPS from making significant changes to its selective-enrollment schools until 2027. CTU President Stacy Davis Gates called that measure racist. Lawmakers responded to her attack by adding a moratorium on closing Chicago schools until 2027, when theres a fully elected Chicago School Board in place. They positioned the change as a union concession, but it was meaningless since Johnson likely wouldnt move to close any schools anyway given his CTU ties. The amendment is unfortunate nonetheless, since it puts off the inevitable need to consolidate.

The Illinois Senate Executive Committee, controlled by chamber President Don Harmon, approved that House-passed bill for floor consideration on the very day Johnson was in Springfield, a move that spoke volumes about how poorly Davis Gates racial appeals were received.

Soon enough, the same old CTU tactics will be played out, even with CPS marching alongside this time. Once they are, and a state budget is finalized, CPS and the union are likely to find themselves more or less in the same spot theyre in now. Theyd best start getting realistic.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
Edward James Olmos Says His 'Body Gave Up' During Treatment for Throat Cancer

"You can't swallow, you can't talk, you can't eat, you can't drink, you can't do anything, the veteran actor said

Matt Winkelmeyer/WireImage Edward James Olmos

Edward James Olmos is thankful for his health.

In an interview published by the Daily Mail on Monday, May 13, the Miami Vice alum, 77, opened up about life after once thinking the worst following his throat cancer diagnosis.

Its going really really well, thank the Lord, Olmos said when asked how things have been lately.

After his last treatment on Dec. 20, 2022, the two to three months that followed were the hardest of the entire journey.

Edward James Olmos, May 2023

Once they stopped all of the chemo and all of the radiation and all the treatment is when the body gave up. And thats when it really became difficult," he said. "But past that, into 90 days, 100 days past that, I was in much better shape and today I feel very strong.

Olmos confessed there were many, many times throughout the process when the thought of giving up entered my mind.

Related: Edward James Olmos Reveals His Throat Cancer Diagnosis: 'It's a Very Strong Disease'

Because you can't swallow, you can't talk, you can't eat, you can't drink, you can't do anything, the actor said.

This area was completely annihilated, he added, reaching for his throat.

Olmos, who voiced the role of Chicharron in the 2017 Disney-Pixar animated film Coco, also opened up about other uncertainties that he faced.

(Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic) Edward James Olmos

They told me before I started the treatments, We have no idea what youre gonna sound like, he said.

Its the treatment that usually kills you because what ends up happening [is] it weakens the body, Olmos explained. The chemotherapy takes out all your white blood cells and what ends up happening is you have no immune system. So if I were to ever have bad kidneys, bad heart, bad lungs, bad anything, I wouldnt be here right now.

The Selena actor added, Thank God my body was okay.

Olmos has made sure to keep his health a top priority by adjusting his lifestyle, he said.

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The way you eat, the way you exercise, the way you sleep, basic fundamentals, are what he now takes into consideration. Thats the key to your life  you are what you eat and you are what you do. So if you dont do anything, youre not gonna be around very long.

But if you do stuff, you keep your body moving, you keep on stretching, you keep on doing things that most people give up  Im close to 80, so I know I look good, but Im old, Olmos joked.

According to the veteran actor, he has no plans on retiring anytime soon.

Well thats the essence of living, you know? Whats your purpose? And Im very grateful that I continue to work and that Im able to do films and television and plays, theater, Olmos added.



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El Paso Police remembering those who gave all in service

El Paso Police remembering those who gave all in service

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  The El Paso Police Department is remembering and honoring officers who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty during National Police Week, which is May 12-18.

A special memorial will be held at 9 a.m. Friday, May 17 at Chuck Heinrich Memorial Park, 11055 Andrew Barcena Dr.

Since 1786, over 23,000 officers, including 35 from the El Paso Police Department, have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, the Police Department said in a news release.

Additionally, last week El Paso City Councils proclamation honored Police Week and declared Wednesday, May 15 as El Paso Police Officers Memorial Day.

The El Paso International Airport will also illuminate the landscape lighting in blue throughout the week. The Star on the Mountain is also shining blue during May

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 KTSM 9 News.
Dozens of people attend TxDOTs public meeting on possible highway expansion near the Rio Bosque Wetlands Park in El Paso, Texas on May 2. (Photo by Justin Hamel for The Texas Tribune / Inside Climate News)

EL PASODozens of people crammed into a conference room on the eastern edge of El Paso on a recent Thursday evening. Some brought signs, some wore T-shirts, others diligently wrote their feedback on notecards. But the message was resounding: Dont build a highway near our wetland.

Conservation advocates in El Paso say the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) should steer clear of the Rio Bosque Wetlands Park as it considers potential highway expansion in southeast El Paso County. TxDOT is in the early planning phase to improve mobility in the Mission Valley. A corridor study identified three possible routes to extend a highway through the area. All three routes run alongside the Rio Bosque, a 372-acre park managed by the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and the local water utility, El Paso Water.

This story is originally published by Texas Tribune with Inside Climate News. It is republished here with permission.

The idea has elicited an uproar among El Paso residents who treasure the restored wetland ecosystem at Rio Bosque. Wetlands lined the Rio Grande in El Paso before a series of engineering projects straightened the river and encased the riverbed in concrete. But beginning in the 1990s, UTEP led a group of local conservationists who revived a dried-out river bend to make the Rio Bosque park. The wetland ecosystem now attracts hundreds of bird species and local universities rely on the park for fieldwork.

Rio Bosque is one of a handful of wetlands restoration projects along the Rio Grande in Southern New Mexico and West Texas, which environmental scientists compare to a string of pearls that improves wildlife connectivity across the region.

Conservation advocate Jon Rezendes said a highway next to Rio Bosque would be a death trap for birds and flying insects. It will functionally kill Rio Bosque, he said.

Transportation is the second-biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Texas after industry, accounting for about a third of emissions. Carbon emissions from vehicles in Texas are steadily increasing. Texas is increasing funding for highways, with the most recent budget appropriating $32.7 billion for state highway projects.

But both in Texas and nationwide, the role of highways is being re-examined. Residents have organized against highway expansions in cities like Houston and Austin, and federal transportation agencies are addressing the legacy of highways that pass through communities of color. In El Paso, TxDOT has studied the possibility of extending the Border Highway, which runs through south-central and southeast El Paso along the border wall, further east since the 1990s. But the latest iteration of the study has sparked spirited opposition from conservation advocates.

TxDOT says the area needs more road capacity. But El Pasoans are calling for alternatives that dont impact Rio Bosque and other historical and cultural sites in the area.

Jennifer Wright, a spokesperson for TxDOTs El Paso office, said that if a project comes out of the corridor study, it will take years to secure funding and go through the permitting process.

For now, she said, the concept maps are nothing more than ideas from engineers about what options would be reasonable and feasible to address traffic issues in the area. She said there is no imminent threat to Rio Bosque.

El Paso lost its wetlands  until Rio Bosque

When the city of El Paso took ownership of Rio Bosque in 1973, it was a dry patch of land overtaken by invasive saltcedar trees. But local conservationists had a vision: to restore the wetlands that once lined the banks of the Rio Grande.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, seasonal floods on the Rio Grande caused widespread damage in El Paso and Ciudad Juarez, its Mexican sister city. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo at the end of the Mexican-American War established the river as the international border in 1848. But the river changed course with each flood season, flummoxing officials trying to map the official boundary.

To prevent floods, improve irrigation and solidify the international boundary, the meandering Rio Grande through El Paso-Juarez was straightened and encased in concrete between the 1880s and the 1930s. There are few river systems in the world that have experienced such massive transformation so rapidly, wrote a group of environmental scientists in a 2023 paper.

University of Texas at Austin environmental historian C.J. Alvarez, who studies construction on the border, calls the Rio Grande through El Paso and Ciudad Juarez more damaged, more manipulated, and more engineered than any other section of the 1,900-mile long river.

The free-flowing Rio Grande was transformed into a channel dedicated to farm irrigation.

The bends and oxbows of the river were eliminated. The wetlands along the rivers banks dried out.

The Rio Bosque land occupied one of those old, dried-out river bends.

The idea to create a wetland at Rio Bosque got off the ground in the late 1990s. UTEPs Center for Environmental Resource Management signed on to manage the site. John Sproul has served as the parks manager ever since, now with the help of assistant park manager Sergio Samaniego, a UTEP graduate.

Their biggest challenge is securing water to fill the wetlands, especially in dry years like 2023, when El Paso only received 4.34 inches of rain, about half of the average annual precipitation. El Paso Water provides treated wastewater from its nearby treatment plant. The park also gets irrigation water from the Rio Grande and relies on wells.

But the hard work is paying off and native vegetation like Rio Grande cottonwoods and Gooddings willows are now well-established. Birds have flocked to the park, which the border fence separates from the Rio Grande. Threatened species like the western yellow-billed cuckoo, which migrates from Central and South America and had not been sighted for years in El Paso, was first spotted at Rio Bosque in 2007. Its become a popular spot for birders who keep a running list online of their sightings.

Any effort, no matter how small, to remind people what it would look like to rewild the placeto look back in time before the big engineering projectsis a good thing, Alvarez said.

Growing pains in the Mission Valley

While the Rio Bosque wetlands was taking shape in the late 1990s, transportation planners were also eying the area. TxDOT completed a feasibility study in 1997 that laid out conceptual designs for a highway stretching 20 miles between the Zaragoza bridgetwo miles north of Rio Bosque  and the border crossing at Fabens, Texas. That first study references Rio Bosque and the proposed wetlands preserve.

The study sat dormant for years. TxDOT revisited the study in 2013 and 2014 to create an updated Border Highway East Corridor Study. The conceptual route for the highway ran northeast of Rio Bosque. During public comments in 2013, numerous people urged TxDOT to move the highway further away from Rio Bosque.

Meanwhile, the communities around Rio Bosque were changing. Farmland was gradually being developed for housing, bringing more cars to the areas aging roads. Commercial truck traffic from Juarez into El Paso at the Ysleta-Zaragoza International Bridge steadily increased. By 2020, there were over 587,000 truck crossings into El Paso at the bridge, up 52 percent from 2010.

With the increase in population and commercial traffic and activity at the port of entry, the congestion is getting worse and worse, said Iliana Holguin, county commissioner for Precinct 3, which includes Socorro and the Lower Valley. We have tremendous mobility needs in that area but we also have to protect the resources that are there.

El Pasos Mission Valley is named for the areas three original Spanish missions: Ysleta, Socorro and San Elizario. Ysleta is now within the El Paso city limits, just north of Rio Bosque, and Socorro and San Elizario are municipalities south of the park. Socorro, the areas first mission, was founded in 1682.

The valley is also El Pasos most important agricultural area, fed by the Rio Grande. It is also home to Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, one of three federally recognized tribes in Texas. Also known as Tigua Pueblo, its members were displaced from what is now New Mexico in the 1600s and resettled on their current lands.

TxDOTs concepts also have the highway passing by the Tiguas tribal lands. The Tribal Council did not respond to a request for comment on TxDOTs corridor study.

[Rio Bosque] is a place of prayer, a place to have peace, said Andrea Everett, a member of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and environmental scientist. It is the last place that actually looks like when our ancestors were displaced here in 1680.

Everett, who studied the impacts of environmental change on the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo in her graduate studies at UTEP, said that Rio Bosque is an important place for her and her family to connect with their ancestors and the riparian ecosystem that once surrounded their tribal lands.

Were already an urban tribe but were trying to hold on to what we have, she said.

A rewilding success story

Jon Rezendes fell in love with El Paso and its mountains while serving in the military at Fort Bliss. After leaving the military, Rezendes and his wife and children stayed in the desert city. Rezendes started taking his kids to Rio Bosque, where they would watch for birds and explore miles of dirt trails.

Rio Bosque is a true rewilding success story, Rezendes said, referring to the process of increasing biodiversity and restoring the natural processes of an ecosystem, including the reintroduction of native species. For me the idea of returning the land to its natural state in any way we can is beautiful.

Rezendes learned about the corridor study, and as a volunteer with local conservation groups, he spread the word about TxDOT public meetings held the first week of May. He attended a meeting on May 2 wearing a Protect Rio Bosque t-shirt and said he will keep fighting until TxDOT abandons the idea.

During the public meeting, concept maps were rolled out on tables and participants voiced their opposition on sticky notes affixed to the maps: We need public transportation, one read. Wouldnt the completion of a border bike system be awesome? read another.

Wright, TxDOTs spokesperson, said public transportation is not currently included in the concepts.

UTEP declined to make Rio Bosque staff available for interviews. While TxDOTs conceptual routes do not directly cut onto the park property, two routes lay just northeast of the park and the third to the southwest of the park, between its boundaries and the border fence. The Rio Bosque newsletter for April alerted supporters to the risks if a highway is built in this buffer zone, stating that the buffer provides an avenue for wildlife movement between the park and other areas.

El Paso Water, which helps manage the park, came out against the three concepts from TxDOTs study, saying a highway could impact the utilitys nearby wastewater treatment plant and Rio Bosque. In a statement, the utility said all three options would pose serious environmental threats to Rio Bosque.

Rio Bosque is also one of the few and unique public open spaces in the Lower Valley where families can enjoy trails, go bird watching, and learn what El Paso looked like prior to modern development, said Gilbert Trejo, the utilitys vice president of operations.

TxDOT project manager Gus Sanchez said he and his colleagues heard the feedback in 2014 and moved the potential routes to go around Rio Bosque and not cross the property. Opponents say even if the highway does not cross Rio Bosque property, wildlife will be in danger and noise and light pollution would fundamentally change the park.

Were constrained because we have Rio Bosque on the south side and neighborhoods on the north side, Sanchez explained. Its not like we can move it a half-mile north.

Wright said there are models for creating wildlife crossings that TxDOT has used in other locations. She referenced crossings for ocelots in South Texas as one example. Once a specific design is completed, the project would be subject to further review, including one to ensure it complies with the National Environmental Protection Act.

Were not interested in destroying habitat, Wright said. [Rio Bosque] is clearly a treasured element in our city. But we need to take a look.

If the vigorous debate at public meetings this month is any indication, the fight for Rio Bosque is only getting started. For many in this border city, the 372-acre park is more than a place to go birding or hiking: its a symbol of the river ecosystem that was lost and recovered and, with enough will, might be preserved for future generations.

The post El Paso residents rally to protect a Rio Grande Wetland appeared first on Source New Mexico.
Election 2024: GOP challenger says U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn not Republican enough for Congress

The owner-operator of a Panama City insulation company has launched a primary challenge to Republican U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn, saying the four-term congressman has betrayed the voters of North Florida by siding with Democrats on recent key votes.

Rhonda Woodward, a former elementary school principal, said she wants to go to Washington to represent the state's 2nd Congressional District and be part of a team of patriotic fighters in the battle to scale back the size and power of the federal government.

Woodward taught in Bay County schools for more than 20 years and is now the owner of Koala Insulation Panama City. She said she and others were very displeased when Dunn voted with Democrats to provide military aid to Israel and the Ukraine and keep in place emergency powers for national security put in place after Sept. 11, 2001.

I feel like Im not being represented. Were a highly Republican district and he is voting Democrat just as much as hes voting Republican, Woodward recently told the Tallahassee Democrat.

Rhonda Woodward is a candidate in the Second Congressional District's Republican primary for 2024.

Woodward told a grassroots political podcast hosted by Air Force veteran Veronica Kemeny, a past Bay County chair for former President Donald Trumps campaign, that Republicans need to join Matt Gaetz, the member of Congress for the state's far west Panhandle, and U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, to stand up for conservative principles in the U.S. House.

Woodward said Gaetz and Green need backup to have impact: We need more people on that team. We have to elect fighters and I want to be one of those in that group.

Dunn declined to directly address Woodward's criticism of his voting record and said his chief concern is addressing the Biden's administration "failure to secure the southern border."

"Florida is the number one destination for illegal immigrants," Dunn said in an email. "Under President Trump, we had strong operational control of the border. However, Bidens policies have undone all the progress we made during the previous Administration and turned every state into a border state.

"Im working in Congress to restore sanity to our border policy and hold Administration officials accountable for allowing fentanyl, crime, and human trafficking to ravage American communities.

Congressman Neal Dunn is seeking a fifth term

District 2 is made up of 500,000 voters across 14 counties that extends across the panhandle and the Big Bend. It is the least urbanized district in the state, with half of the residents in Panama City or Tallahassee, and the rest scattered across farmlands and forests.

Dunn is seeking a fifth term. Since winning the GOP nomination in 2016 by a mere 1,700 votes, he has won elections by a 60% margin against a trio of popular Leon County Democrats that included the late former Deputy Attorney General Walter Dartland, former Leon County Commissioner Bob Rackleff, and former Congressman Al Lawson.

In 2020, Democrats didnt field a candidate and Dunn collected roughly 305,000 votes  or 97.9%  against a write-in candidate.

Dunn supported former U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy when lawmakers loyal to Trump sought to oust him. Once McCarthy was deposed, Dunn supported the election of the current speaker, Mike Johnson.

Dunn did vote to oust former Rep. George Santos, and to continue to investigate whether grounds exist to impeach President Joe Biden. He also voted to approve the National Defense Act of 2024, and bills aimed to lower the cost of energy, and to denounce the horrors of socialism.

The primary is Aug. 20. Dunn has raised $450,000 for the campaign. Woodward has yet to file a campaign finance report. Democrat Meghann Hovey is unopposed and will face the winner of the GOP in November.

James Call is a member of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jcall@tallahassee.com and is on X as @CallTallahassee.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: It's Rhonda Woodward vs. Neal Dunn for Florida congressional seat
An elementary school principal trapped a student in a classroom for over 40 minutes, put him in a chokehold and hit him, Florida cops say.

A teacher was the first to report the incident when she heard screaming coming from a classroom and saw the principal, identified as Dontay Akeem Prophet, slam the child on the floor, according to an arrest affidavit.

McClatchy News reached out to the school, Destiny Leadership Academy, for comment on May 14 but did not immediately receive a response. Prophets attorney information is not available in court records as of May 14.

The May 10 incident at the Ocala Christian school was caught on video, the Marion County Sheriffs Office said.

Authorities shared three minutes of footage from the classroom that begins with the 33-year-old principal talking to the student.

As the student pushes his chair back and turns his body away from the principal, Prophet begins grabbing him and pulling him back, the footage shows.

The two begin struggling and end up on the floor, with Prophet on top of him. The child gets to his feet and tries to run away, but the principal grabs his arm, the video shows.

Prophet is accused of putting the child in a chokehold, slapping him in the face and hitting him with a computer charger that gave the child a welt on his forehead, among other actions.

The teacher witnessed part of the assault and told other school officials, who then found the surveillance footage of the incident and called the police, according to the affidavit.

When a deputy spoke to Prophet, he informed the principal the entire interaction was caught on camera.

Prophet told the deputy the child had threatened to harm himself, and initially he began touching him to get his attention.

He was charged with aggravated child abuse and false imprisonment of a child under 13, records show.

Ocala is about an 80-mile drive northwest from downtown Orlando.

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Electricity supplier Yasno has announced that emergency power cuts have been introduced in Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts on the instructions of Ukrenergo, Ukraine's national energy company. Ukrenergo later said it has been forced to introduce controlled emergency outages in all oblasts of Ukraine.

Source: Yasno on Facebook; Filip Pronin, Head of Poltava Oblast State Administration, on Telegram; Yasno CEO Serhii Kovalenko

Quote from Yasnos statement: "This is a forced measure that is a consequence of Russia's large-scale attacks. Unfortunately there are no schedules, as the outages are not planned and are necessary to urgently balance the power system.

Please be patient. All our power engineers are working non-stop to restore power as soon as possible."

Details: Some regional power distribution companies  Sumyoblenergo, Vinnytsiaoblenergo and Lvivoblenergo  have also introduced emergency power cuts on the instructions of Ukrenergo.

Quote from Yasno CEO Serhii Kovalenko: "Emergency power outages... Shortages."

Details: Filip Pronin, Head of the Poltava Oblast State Administration, has also announced emergency power outages in Poltava Oblast.

Quote from Pronin: "Currently, 43,800 household consumers and 2,700 legal entities are temporarily without power."

DTEK has announced Ukrenergo-mandated emergency power cuts in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast, as well as in Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk oblasts.

Quote from DTEK: "We have been forced to introduce these without warning due to the difficult situation in Ukraines energy system caused by constant enemy attacks.

Please note that for the duration of the emergency power cuts, any schedules that may have been previously forecast do not apply."

Update: Subsequently, Ukrenergo officially announced that on 14 May, from 21:00 to 24:00, it would have to introduce controlled emergency outages in all regions of Ukraine.

The reason for this is a significant shortage of electricity in the system as a result of Russian attacks and increased consumption due to the cold snap.

And on 15 May, power limitation schedules for industrial consumers will be in effect throughout the day from 00:00 to 24:00, the company said.

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EMORY, Va. (WJHL)  Emory & Henry College will host a RAM Clinic for the community on Saturday and Sunday.

The free clinic will offer dental, vision and medical care to those in need.

No ID is required and dental and medical services will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Limited vision services will be available.

Police: Jonesborough man charged with aggravated assault after threatening to kill victim

The patient parking lot will open no later than 11:59 p.m. on Friday and will remain open through Sunday. Clinic doors will open at 6 a.m. Saturday.

The clinic will be set up at Emory & Henry Colleges main campus located at 2228 Itta Bena Road.

For more information on the event, click here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  A jury awarded $250,000 in damages to a longtime employee of the Nashville Fire Department after a discrimination lawsuit.

Maggie Lawrence filed a suit against the Metropolitan Government of Nashville through the fire department claiming that she was discriminated against under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Age Discrimination Act of 1967.

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The lawsuit states Lawrence was hired by NFD in 1992 as a fire inspector. For her more than thirty years of employment at the fire department, Lawrence worked multiple roles, which included fire investigator, Assistant Fire Marshal and Deputy Fire Marshal.

According to court documents, Lawrence was preparing to become NFDs first female Fire Marshal, but the departments chief took drastic measures to ensure the good ole boys club stayed in place.

It was alleged Chief Willian Swann reassigned a younger, less experienced male employee from another department to the fire marshals office and instructed Lawrence and her boss train him to take over.

| READ MORE | Latest headlines from Nashville and Davidson County

However, when her boss  Fire Marshal Al Thomas  suggested she was a more qualified candidate, he was fired, the suit said. As a result, Lawrence was passed over for promotion.

Chief Swann allegedly told Ms. Lawrence It would not be smart of me to put someone in that position  at that level  and they not going to be here but for a next few years.

In 2022, Lawrence reportedly filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) but was informed the agency was not able to resolve the controversy. She was granted the right to sue on June 6, 2022.

According to the suit, Lawrence was 63 years old when the incident occurred and had no intentions of retiring anytime soon.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

A jury ruled in favor of Lawrence and awarded her $250,000 in damages.

In response to the lawsuit, the Nashville Fire Department said: We respectfully disagree with the jurys decision, but respect the judicial process. The Nashville Fire Department is committed to promoting the most qualified personnel because its not only right, but impacts the safety of our community. We will rely on Metro Legal for next steps. This does not change our mission to be the world class emergency response department for our residents and visitors.

A spokesperson for Mayor Freddie OConnell said the mayor is aware of the judges decision in this case, and hes asked Metro Legal for an update or recommendation concerning next steps.

No other information was released.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
Photo by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy | Arizona Mirror

The Arizona Supreme Court has agreed to delay the enforcement of a 160-year-old abortion ban that mandates prison time for doctors, granting women and health care providers across the state a reprieve until September.

In doing so, the court granted a request from Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, who asked the justices to delay the implementation of the courts April 9 ruling on the Civil War-era abortion ban so she could craft an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

In its bombshell April ruling, the Arizona Supreme Court revived a law from 1864 that carries with it a 2 to 5 year prison sentence for doctors who perform an abortion for any other reason than saving a womans life. The decision upended the political landscape in Arizona, and led to weeks of turmoil at the state legislature as Democrats and a handful of Republican lawmakers pushed to repeal the near-total ban.

And while that effort finally proved successful on May 1, the repeal wont go into effect until 90 days after the end of the legislative session, which is still nowhere in sight. That uncertainty prompted reproductive rights advocates to use legal maneuvers to delay the courts ruling as much as possible.

On April 30, Mayes, a Democrat who campaigned on a promise to protect abortion access, filed a motion requesting a 90-day pause while her office explored the possibility of appealing the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. On Monday, the Arizona Supreme Court froze enforcement of the 1864 law until Aug. 12. But because of a different court-ordered 45-day stay on implementing the Supreme Courts ruling, it means the 1864 law cant be enforced until Sept. 26.

In a written statement, Mayes said she was grateful for the increased delay, and vowed to continue looking into whether to appeal the state courts ruling, saying she believes it warrants further discussion.

I continue to believe this case was wrongly decided, and there are issues that merit additional judicial review, she said. I will do everything I can to ensure that doctors can provide medical care for their patients according to their best judgment, not the beliefs of the men elected to the territorial legislature 160 years ago.

In her request, Mayes argued that the Arizona Supreme Courts ruling potentially undermined a federal judges decision in a separate abortion law case, raising constitutional questions. Thats because the Arizona justices relied on a fetal personhood law from 2021 to justify making the 1864 near-total ban the law of the land. But that 2021 law was blocked by a federal judge, who explicitly prohibited it from being used against doctors.

Using the 2021 law to revive the 1864 law, Mayes wrote, violated that ruling.

Chris Love, the spokeswoman for the Arizona for Abortion Access campaign, which is spearheading an effort to let voters decide whether Arizonans should have a constitutional right to abortion, lamented that the courts ruling still leaves abortion restrictions in place. Until the 1864 law can go into effect in September, a 15-week gestational ban passed in 2022 will determine who can get a procedure in the state.

That law includes no exceptions for rape or incest beyond its 15-week deadline and only allows abortions to be performed beyond that date if a woman faces imminent death or permanent injury.

Arizonans deserve to know our rights are ensured and protected, not constantly in flux based on the whims of politicians or the outcomes of endless lawsuits, Love said in an emailed statement. Only the Arizona Abortion Access (Act) restores and protects Arizonas right to access abortion care once and for all, and thats why Arizona voters will turn out to support it in November.

The initiative, which has so far exceeded its required signature threshold, preserves abortion access up until fetal viability, which is generally regarded as 24 weeks, and includes exceptions beyond that time for procedures that a doctor deems necessary to protect the life, physical or mental health of their patient.

Angela Flores, the CEO of Planned Parenthood Arizona, celebrated the delay of the near-total ban and promised to continue offering abortion care as long as legally possible.

Planned Parenthood Arizona will continue to provide abortion care through 15 weeks of pregnancy and we remain focused on ensuring patients have access to abortion care for as long as legally possible, Flores said, in a prepared statement. We know that it is now more important than ever to provide care to as many patients as we legally can, and we are committed to expanding our services to meet the increasing needs of our community, including recently resuming medication abortion services at our Flagstaff Health Center. We will not be intimidated or silenced by anti-abortion extremists, because our bodies and our autonomy are at stake.

The organization is the states largest abortion provider, with four out of its seven clinics offering the service, and has been the main challenger of the 1864 law in court. On May 1, hours after the Arizona legislature fully repealed the 1864 law, Planned Parenthood Arizona filed a motion requesting that the state supreme court delay the enforcement of the near-total ban until after the repeal became effective.

But while the justices granted Mayes 90-day delay on Tuesday, they also denied Planned Parenthood Arizonas request, without an explanation.

Jake Warner, an attorney with anti-abortion legal firm Alliance Defending Freedom, who argued in court to revive the 1864 law, lamented the courts most recent decision but pointed out that the delay still wont completely prevent the law from going into effect.

Arizonas pro-life law has protected unborn children for over 100 years, and while we are deeply saddened by the legislatures recent vote to repeal the law, it wont take effect immediately, as the legislature intentionally decided, Warner said. And though the court paused its judgment, we will continue working to protect unborn children and promote real support and health care for Arizona families.

Arizona lawmakers failed to add an emergency clause to the repeal that could have given it immediate impact. And because the court-ordered delay doesnt extend beyond November, when Arizona voters will likely have a chance to weigh in, the 1864 law is still expected to be in place for at least a short period of time. On top of that, any decision voters take wont be official until the election is certified, on Nov. 25.

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The post Enforcement of 1864 abortion ban delayed until late September appeared first on Arizona Mirror.
Signage at an early voting center on that says "VOTE" in red letters next to an American flag.

The number of registered Republicans in West Virginia has increased over the last eight years, while the number of registered Democrats has decreased. (Stephen Maturen | Getty Images)

The number of registered Republicans in West Virginia has grown by 27% over the last eight years, an increase party leaders attribute to the Democratic Party moving more to the left.

As of April 2016, just months before 68.6% of voters in West Virginia voted to elect former President Donald Trump in that years general election, 374,931 West Virginians were registered as Republicans, according to the Secretary of States Office. That number rose to 477,656 as of April 23 this year.

Over the same time period, Democratic voter registrations declined by 38%, from 577,977 in 2016 to 357,918 in 2024 while the number of registered voters not affiliated with any party grew by 15%, from 254,265 to 293,030.

In 41 of West Virginias 55 counties, more Republicans than Democrats registered to vote in this years primary election, up from 14 counties during the 2016 primary election.

Matt Herridge, a Wood County businessman who was elected chair of the states Republican Party in January, said several things have contributed to the rise in Republican voters, but among them is that the Democratic Party has moved away from representing the values of typical West Virginians.

A West Virginian is somebody who has often a very strong faith, Herridge said. They believe strongly in family values. They believe in the idea of freedom: freedom of speech, the Second Amendment, the freedom to own a gun, the freedom to speak your mind.

I think what's happened, fortunately for the Republican Party, but unfortunately for the Democratic Party, that party has continued to move further and further to the left, and really don't represent the values of typical West Virginians, he said.

Herridge pointed to Democrat attacks on the coal and natural gas industries, which he said are important parts of the state.

A lot of those voters who were solid Democrats, maybe they were a part of a union or something, saw that as a slap in the face to their future income to their familys stability, and that was a big part of that as well, he said.

The total number of registered voters in West Virginia has declined about 5%,from about 1.24 million in the 2016 primary to 1.18 million as of last month, according to the Secretary of States office.

Social issues  like abortion, which several Democratic candidates for statewide office have made cornerstone to their 2024 races  have also contributed to more West Virginians identifying as Republicans, Herridge said.

Kyle Saunders, executive director of the West Virginia Republican Party, said the party has become the natural answer for people as they decide which party they most align with.

Our platform has remained largely unchanged over the past 20 years; I don't know that you can say the same about the Democratic Party, at least on a national level, Saunders said. So I think the more that the Democratic Party has moved to accommodate more liberal voting blocks across the country and even in pockets of West Virginia, I think the further they went away from the average West Virginia voter and their values and their beliefs.

Republicans took control of the state Senate and House of Delegates in 2014, ending 83 years of Democratic control.

Leaders expect the Republican Party to increase its supermajority control of both chambers of the state Legislature following this years election. With the retirement of Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., the GOP is also likely to hold all four seats of West Virginias congressional delegation and every statewide office, Herridge said.

Del. Mike Pushkin, chairman of the West Virginia Democratic Party, pointed to the growing number of independent voters as an indication that younger voters dont feel loyalty to one party or another.

According to a 2023 Gallup poll, 49% of U.S. adults described themselves as politically independent, the same amount as those who said they were Republican and Democrats combined. Due to a resolution passed by the state Republican Executive Committee in January, this will likely be the last primary election where unaffiliated and independent voters are able to cast votes in Republican primaries.

I think youll see more people voting in the Republican primary this year because theyre the supermajority, they have more contested primaries that a lot of people will be picking up those ballots not just to vote for somebody, but in a lot of cases to vote against somebody, Pushkin said.

Pushkin said the real test, to be determined during the general election, will be to see if the negative campaigning by Republicans attracted more voters or turned people off.

Advertisements in the gubernatorial race, where four prominent Republicans are vying to take the place of Gov. Jim Justice, have largely centered on social issues, like rights for transgender people, the border and support for former President Donald Trump.

During a primary election, Herridge said, candidates are typically speaking to more conservative voters who are driven to get out and vote. Come the general election, Herridge said hed like to see more candidates focusing on addressing financial issues that affect younger voters, like the ability to buy a home or afford groceries as costs go up.

Day-to-day life, the most important thing in [voters] life, is probably not transgender rights, he said. Its am I going to be able to afford my rent this month, or my meals this month? And so I really believe that that is a message that, as we move into the general [election], we need to continue to talk about. What our differential is from a financial perspective.

The Republican Partys state executive committee will meet May 18 to vote on a statewide platform that has already been submitted to members for evaluation. Herridge said the platform focuses on faith, family and freedom, as well as positions about school choice and lower taxes.

It's all about the importance of respecting religious freedom, the Second Amendment, freedom of speech, it basically goes back to a Bill of Rights type of thing, Herridge said.

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Data centers in Ashburn, Virginia | Getty Images

As legislation aimed at enticing data centers to set up shop in Michigan makes its way out of the Senate and heads to the House, various advocacy groups are sounding the alarm on the potential harms these sites would bring.

On Monday, members of Clean Water Action, Michigan Climate Action network, Good Jobs First, Michigan Education Justice Coalition and other advocacy groups hosted a call to discuss the environmental and economic impacts new data centers would have on the state.

Members of the Michigan Senate on Thursday voted to advance Senate Bill 237, which would extend the sunset period on a use and sales tax exemption for equipment used in data centers from 2035 through 2050, or 2065 if the data center is located on a brownfield or a location that was used as a power plant.

In order to receive the credit, the data center is required to make at least $250 million in capital investments and maintain at least 30 in-state jobs paying 150% or more of median wage in that prosperity region.

The bills sponsor, Sen. Kevin Hertel (D-St. Clair Shores), touted data centers as an economic opportunity for the entire state.

The great thing about this policy is there are opportunities across the entire state where these can locate and bring real jobs and investments to those communities. When you talk about the local property tax revenue with these enterprise data centers, the investments theyll bring to those communities, they are massive, sometimes doubling the school budgets if theres a millage there on the table, Hertel said.

Hertel also challenged the notion that data centers do not provide the jobs that are often promised, pointing to the legislations requirements for good paying jobs and pointing to the construction and maintenance of the facilities as areas where jobs will be created.

Thirty other states have this policy. So the reality is if you do not do this, you will not have an enterprise data center locating in the state. They will go somewhere else where they get this exemption today, Hertel said.

Hertel also noted that the legislation includes language requiring companies to receive certification from among a list of green building or energy efficiency agencies within three years of being placed in service.

However, advocates and lawmakers have each shared concerns on the impacts these facilities could have on Michigans energy grid and water infrastructure.

The new mega data centers represented in these bills are really important for us as we more and more depend on using technologies like artificial intelligence. Michigan is a good choice for hosting these large enterprises, especially when we get them to use our brownfield sites and have the potential to really make a positive difference in the communities that host them. These data centers are also massive users of electricity and water, Sen. Rosemary Bayer (D-West Bloomfield) said in her n vote explanation on the bill, with Sen. Erika Geiss (D-Taylor) concurring.

Bayer noted the states that are already hosting data centers are consistently seeing needs to upgrade their energy grids and water infrastructure, costs which are often passed on to residents through their water and electricity bills. She also noted that some states hosting data centers were experiencing issues with depleting aquifers and loss of water for residents.

As the policy moves forward Bayer called for regulations to ensure data centers are not overusing water, that they are powered by green energy and to protect residents utility bills.

My hope is that these issues are addressed as we move forward with the pair of bills as this goes over to the House and we continue to work on the House Bill that goes with this to put these kind of protections in place, Bayer said.

Senate Bill 237 is currently awaiting further consideration by the House, as its companion bill, Senate Bill 238, awaits a vote on the Senate floor.

House Bills 4905 and 4906, two similar policies which passed the House in November, are also awaiting further action on the Senate floor after they were reported out of the Senate Finance, Insurance and Consumer Protection Committee in March.

The bills companion in the Senate, Senate Bill 238, is also awaiting a vote on the Senate floor.

While Michigan does not have many data centers, research from other states shows that once established, data centers are often the largest users of water in a community, Sean McBrearty, Michigan director of Clean Water Action said at Mondays press conference.

McBrearty explained large data centers typically use between 1 million and 2.5 million gallons of water a day. This is because they use evaporative cooling technology, which is the cheapest way to cool the heat generated by the centers equipment.

Senate Bill 237 requires facilities to draw their water from a municipal source, or develop a plan to convert to municipal water within five years of operating.

Water withdrawals that large are often harmful, McBrearty said, noting that these data centers would use between two and five times the amount of water requested by Nestle in its controversial effort to increase the amount of groundwater extracted for sale as bottled water.

As data centers bring increased energy demands, advocates also raised concerns that these facilities will increase reliance on fossil fuel energy sources.

Pontiac City Councilperson Mikal Goodman also stressed the impact these facilities will have on low-income communities and communities of color which are already burdened with water affordability concerns and

As lawmakers discuss legislation to improve water affordability, the data center legislation has passed in the shadow of a groundbreaking climate package, Goodman said.

Now that juxtaposition is made worse. We have so many people in Black and brown communities like Detroit who are given criminal charges or worse, for turning back on their water to make sure that they have a very needed resource for living. Meanwhile, we have data centers and large corporations like Google like Amazon, just having free rein and access to whatever resources that they need, Goodman said.

These exemptions are coming directly from the mouths of not only our community and our budget, but the quality of life of our residents, Goodman said.

Many of the communities where these centers would be housed, such as Benton Harbor, are already facing issues with infrastructure and pollution, Goodman said.

When we are giving these large exemptions, these large tax breaks to these businesses to these corporations, we are directly taking money out of our coffers to be able to do things, Goodman said.

For every lane-mile of roads that is not resurfaced or reconstructed can be tied back to taxes that were not collected by the city. Lead pipes that are not being replaced, community programs, community centers, everything that my citizens come to every meeting complaining about the city not being able to get done, Goodman said. It is not because he does not want to do them, but its because we do not have unlimited money to meet the needs of our citizens. But it goes beyond not just having that unlimited money. We dont even have the money that we should have because we continue to rollover or the people of influence.

He also noted that the jobs promised to these communities are temporary, leaving residents working construction on the facilities without a job when they are completed.

Advocates also pointed to research from the Brookings Institute which found 75% of the time business incentives do not impact a companys decision on where to locate.

What we are doing is not working to fix the roads, schools or our water systems. Detroiters keep being promised that big tax breaks for Hudsons, Little Caesars and Bedrock are the only way to bring new jobs. Yet, every time we give them the money, the jobs dont come, said Molly Sweeney, of 482 Forward, Michigan Education Justice Coalition and Fund MI Future.

Michiganders deserve good jobs without giving away the revenue needed for our schools and communities. These corporations  with the right regulations and accountability to the community  should come without taking away key revenue from our communities, Sweeney said.

As lawmakers move forward with these policies, advocates encouraged officials to pump the brakes and ensure they get the policy right. This would include requiring facilities to use renewable energy, preferably building their own. They also recommended prohibiting centers from using evaporative cooling systems and axing the tax exemption for these sites.

The post Enviros push back on bills giving tax breaks to data centers appeared first on Michigan Advance.
Hanno Pevkur, Minister of Defence of Estonia, has said that the suggestion to send troops to Ukraine has not found support neither in Estonia nor at the European Union level.

Source: Hanno Pevkur in an interview with ERR, as reported by European Pravda

Details: On Monday, Breaking Defense reported, citing Estonian President Alar Kariss security advisor Madis Roll, that the Estonian government was engaged in serious talks concerning the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine.

Roll told Breaking Defense that the Estonian government was considering the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine and that ideally that would happen as part of a broader NATO mission.

Pevkur, however, said that the government did not engage in discussions specifically about sending troops to Ukraine.

"Theres nothing new here. When France spoke in favour of considering whether Europe and its allies could do more, this idea was mentioned in different conversations, but it has not found support, because there is no clear understanding of what this would achieve even among [Ukraines] allies," Pevkur told ERR.

"I think that Madis Rolls statement was interpreted too liberally. There is certainly no purely Estonian initiative, and Estonia is certainly not going to do anything on its own," Pevkur added.

He also said that Estonias priority is sending ammunition to Ukraine and hosting training for its armed forces in other countries.

"First of all, its crucial to send ammunition and other military equipment to Ukraine. We can also hold training in Poland, which is situated very close to Ukraine," Pevkur said.

Madis Roll told ERR that he did not tell reporters that the Estonian government was currently considering sending troops to Ukraine.

"My message consisted in saying that Estonia has not ruled out any of the different ways it can help Ukraine, and that all of these different ways of helping are still being discussed. Neither we nor our allies should have any restrictions when it comes to helping Ukraine. So of course we and our allies are analysing different scenarios," Roll said.

Background:

In March, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas refused to say that the Estonian Defence Forces would not be sent to Ukraine. Estonian Deputy Foreign Minister Kullike Sillaste-Elling urged NATO to be more open to this idea.

In late February, after a meeting in Paris between the presidents and heads of government of two dozen European countries, Emmanuel Macron said he had proposed that Western countries send their troops to Ukraine.

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Estonian defense minister: No new development on idea to send troops to Ukraine

The Estonian government has held no specific discussions on sending the country's troops to Ukraine, Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said on May 14, according to public broadcaster ERR.

Pevkur was reacting to the Breaking Defense outlet's article that said, citing the country's presidential security advisor Madis Roll, that Tallinn is "seriously" discussing the potential deployment of Estonian troops in non-combat roles in Ukraine.

The minister said that the idea of sending Western troops to Ukraine has not advanced either in Estonia or at the EU level since "there is no clear understanding among the allies what it would bring."

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"I think that they (Breaking Defense) may have interpreted Madis Roll's words too boldly. There is certainly no such initiative on the part of Estonia, and Estonia is certainly not going to do something on its own," Pevkur said.

The priority now is to provide Kyiv with ammunition and to train the Ukrainian military abroad, he added.

The notion of Western troops being sent to Ukraine has been hotly debated since French President Emmanuel Macron said that Western military presence in Ukraine cannot be "ruled out" in the future. The U.S. and multiple European allies, as well as NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, have distanced themselves from Macron's statement.

Macron has nonetheless stood by his suggestion, saying again in May that he would consider sending French troops to Ukraine in the case of a Russian breakthrough or a Ukrainian request.

Read also: Wests response to Macron comments on troops to Ukraine reveal discord, weakness, experts say

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EU agrees on a new migration pact. Mainstream parties hope it will deprive the far right of votes

FILE - Migrants aboard a rubber boat end up in the water while others cling on to a centifloat before being rescued by a team of the Sea Watch-3, around 35 miles away from Libya, Monday, Oct. 18, 2021. European Union nations will discuss on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, sweeping new reforms to the bloc's failed asylum system as campaigning for Europe-wide elections next month gathers pace, with migration expected to be an important issue. (AP Photo/Valeria Mongelli, File)

BRUSSELS (AP)  European Union nations endorsed sweeping reforms to the blocs failed asylum system on Tuesday as campaigning for Europe-wide elections next month gathers pace, with migration expected to be an important issue.

EU government ministers approved 10 legislative parts of The New Pact on Migration and Asylum. It lays out rules for the 27 member countries to handle people trying to enter without authorization, from how to screen them to establish whether they qualify for protection to deporting them if theyre not allowed to stay.

Hungary and Poland, which have long opposed any obligation for countries to host migrants or pay for their upkeep, voted against the package but were unable to block it.

Mainstream political parties believe the pact resolves the issues that have divided member nations since well over 1 million migrants swept into Europe in 2015, most fleeing war in Syria and Iraq. They hope the system will starve the far right of vote-winning oxygen in the June 6-9 elections.

However, the vast reform package will only enter force in 2026, bringing no immediate fix to an issue that has fueled one of the EUs biggest political crises, dividing nations over who should take responsibility for migrants when they arrive and whether other countries should be obligated to help.

Critics say the pact will let nations detain migrants at borders and fingerprint children. They say its aimed at keeping people out and infringes on their right to claim asylum. Many fear it will result in more unscrupulous deals with poorer countries that people leave or cross to get to Europe.

WHY ARE THE NEW RULES NEEDED?

Europes asylum laws have not been updated for about two decades. The system frayed and then fell apart in 2015. It was based on the premise that migrants should be processed, given asylum or deported in the country they first enter. Greece, Italy and Malta were left to shoulder most of the financial burden and deal with public discontent. Since then, the ID-check-free zone known as the Schengen Area has expanded to 27 countries, 23 of them EU members. It means that more than 400 million Europeans and visitors, including refugees, are able to move without showing travel documents.

WHO DO THE RULES APPLY TO?

Some 3.5 million migrants arrived legally in Europe in 2023. Around 1 million others were on EU territory without permission. Of the latter, most were people who entered normally via airports and ports with visas but didnt go home when they expired. The pact applies to the remaining minority, estimated at around 300,000 migrants last year. They are people caught crossing an external EU border without permission, such as those reaching the shores of Greece, Italy or Spain via the Mediterranean Sea or Atlantic Ocean on boats provided by smugglers.

HOW DOES THE SYSTEM WORK?

The country on whose territory people land will screen them at or near the border. This involves identity and other checks - including on children as young as 6. The information will be stored on a massive new database, Eurodac. This screening should determine whether a person might pose a health or security risk and their chances of being permitted to stay. Generally, people fleeing conflict, persecution or violence qualify for asylum. Those looking for jobs are likely to be refused entry. Screening is mandatory and should take no longer than seven days. It should lead to one of two things: an application for international protection, like asylum, or deportation to their home country.

WHAT DOES THE ASYLUM PROCEDURE INVOLVE?

People seeking asylum must apply in the EU nation they first enter and stay until the authorities there work out what country should handle their application. It could be that they have family, cultural or other links somewhere else, making it more logical for them to be moved. The border procedure should be done in 12 weeks, including time for one legal appeal if their application is rejected. It could be extended by eight weeks in times of mass movements of people. Procedures could be faster for applicants from countries whose citizens are not often granted asylum. Critics say this undermines asylum law because applicants should be assessed individually, not based on nationality. People would stay in reception centers while it happens, with access to health care and education. Those rejected would receive a deportation order.

WHAT DOES DEPORTATION INVOLVE?

To speed things up, a deportation order is supposed to be issued automatically when an asylum request is refused. A new 12-week period is foreseen to complete this process. The authorities may detain people throughout. The EUs border and coast guard agency would help organize joint deportation flights. Currently, less than one in three people issued with an order to leave are deported. This is often due to a lack of cooperation from the countries these people come from.

HOW HAS THE ISSUE OF RESPONSIBILITIES VS OBLIGATIONS BEEN RESOLVED?

The new rules oblige countries to help an EU partner under migratory pressure. Support is mandatory, but flexible. Nations can relocate asylum applicants to their territory or choose some other form of assistance. This could be financial - a relocation is evaluated at 20,000 euros ($21,462) per person - technical or logistical. Members can also assume responsibility for deporting people from the partner country in trouble.

WHAT CHALLENGES LIE AHEAD?

Two issues stand out: Will member countries ever fully enact the plan, and will the EUs executive branch, the European Commission, enforce the new rules when it has chosen not to apply the ones already in place? The commission is due to present a Common Implementation Plan by June. It charts a path and timeline to get the pact working over the next two years, with targets that the EU and member countries should reach. Things could get off to a rocky start. Hungary, which has vehemently opposed the reforms, takes over the EUs agenda-setting presidency for six months on July 1.

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Associated Press journalists Renata Brito in Barcelona, Spain, contributed to this report.

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Follow AP's global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
EU asks Tunisia for clarification over arrests of journalists and activists

FILE PHOTO: A woman walks out of the building of the Deanship of Lawyers in Tunis

TUNIS (Reuters) -The European Union said on Tuesday it was concerned about the wave of arrests of many civil society figures, journalists and political activists, and demanded clarifications from Tunisia as the North African country faces a growing political crisis.

Tunisian police stormed the bar association's headquarters on Monday for the second time in two days and arrested Mahdi Zagrouba after detaining Sonia Dahmani, another lawyer critical of the president, over the weekend.

U.S. State Department spokesman Vedant Patel responded that the raids were "inconsistent with what we think are universal rights that are explicitly guaranteed in the Tunisian constitution and we have been clear about at all levels."

Some opposition parties and national organisations described the weekend raid as "a shock and major escalation," and the bar association declared a nationwide strike.

That day, two IFM radio journalists, Mourad Zghidi and Borhen Bsaiss, were also arrested following their comments on radio and social media, their lawyers said.

"Freedoms of expression and association, as well as the independence of the judiciary, are guaranteed by the Tunisian Constitution and constitute the basis of our partnership," the EU said in statement.

Last week, police arrested civil society activists including Saadia Mosbah on suspicion of helping sub-Saharan migrants stay in Tunisia and for alleged financial abuses, according lawyers.

Tunisian President Kais Saied said this month during a meeting of the National Security Council that the migrant situation raised questions about who was really behind it.

He called officials who run civil society groups defending migrants' rights "traitors" with foreign funding.

Saied took office following free elections in 2019, but two years later he shut down the elected parliament and ruled by decree.

He also assumed authority over the judiciary in what the opposition calls a coup. Saied claims his steps are legal and necessary to end years of chaos and corruption.

On Sunday, hundreds protested in the Tunisian capital to demand the release of imprisoned journalists, activists and opposition figures, and the setting of a date for a fair presidential election.

(Reporting by the Tunisian newsroom and David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Editing by Richard Chang)
The European Union has completed the reform of its migration and asylum policy, a watershed moment that had proved stubbornly elusive for a decade.

The tortuous and often explosive undertaking came to an end on Tuesday afternoon, as member states gathered to give the very final green light to the five regulations that make up the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, an all-encompassing overhaul that seeks to ensure all countries, regardless of location, shoulder their fair share.

Among other things, the New Pact envisions stricter rules to expand the screening of applicants, carry out health and security checks, speed up examination procedures and provide counselling free of charge. Its main novelty is a system of "mandatory solidarity" that would give governments three options to manage asylum seekers: relocate a certain number, pay 20,000 for each one they reject, or finance operational support.

The initial goal is to have 30,000 relocations per year.

As expected, Poland and Hungary, the most ardent critics, voted against the entire package of legislation. Since the reform was presented in 2020, the two have consistently resisted the system of "mandatory solidarity," falsely claiming it would force them to accept migrants against their will.

The Czech Republic and Slovakia, two skeptics, chose to abstain in the majority of files, while Austria voted against the Crisis Regulation.

However, the New Pact only needed a qualified majority so it moved forward and was formally ratified, sealing one of the greatest accomplishments of the current mandate.

For the bloc, the path to the finish line has been all but easy: the idea of having a common, predictable rulebook to handle the irregular arrivals of asylum seekers has been on the table since the 2015-2016 migration crisis, which turned the issue into political dynamite and bitterly split countries into opposing camps.

Southern member states complained about being overwhelmed and left alone. Western and northern countries demanded stronger accountability and enforcement at the external borders, while eastern states resisted any initiative that resembled a relocation quota.

Amid the commotion, far-right forces saw their chance and jumped onto the topic as a trampoline to relevance and electoral success. The shockwaves of that political seism are still felt today, with polls ahead of the June elections predicting a sharp turn to the right.

Under a sort of "if not now, when?" mantra, member states overcame their differences and gradually unblocked the five pieces of the New Pact throughout 2023 until they reached a provisional deal with the Parliament in December.

The agreement, hailed as "historic," was narrowly endorsed by MEPs in April following a heated debate that laid bare the ideological discrepancies that remain unresolved: lawmakers on the right said the reform was too soft and lenient while lawmakers on the left said it was too harsh and punitive.

Humanitarian organisations were also split. Amnesty International denounced the New Pact, warning it would degrade the quality of the asylum process and lead to "greater suffering." But Oxfamn said it represented a "glimmer of hope" that could provide a coordinated, protection-centred approach to the thorny question of resettlement.

"This package goes a long way," said European Parliament President Roberta Metsola. "It will not magically solve every issue overnight, but it is ten giant leaps forward."

Tuesday's vote in the Council took place without drama, not even a debate as every detail that could have been negotiated had already been negotiated many times over.

The only step left for the New Pact is the publication in the EU's official journal. After that, it will take two years to enter into full force.

The next chapter

Despite the sense of relief in Brussels, the thumbs down given by Poland and Hungary presaged a rocky start for what comes next: making the reform work.

The European Commission will present an implementation plan in June to outline the legal and operational elements necessary to put the New Pact into practice. Then, member states will have until January to submit their own national plans.

This exercise is supposed to serve as a gap analysis to identify the resources needed on the ground, such as training, personnel, equipment and facilities.

The talks about implementation will take months and could very well revive the political acrimony that has subsided in recent months, particularly if southern nations demand an amount of money that Brussels is unable to cough up.

The budget review agreed earlier this year by EU leaders foresees 2 billion to realise the ambitions of the New Pact until 2027. But the pot could run out fast if governments come up with hefty proposals to build infrastructure and hire new staff.

Once the laws come into force, the focus will turn to enforcement and compliance. Will Poland and Hungary follow the rules they so adamantly opposed?

"The Migration Pact is another nail in the coffin of the European Union. Unity is dead, secure borders are no more. Hungary will never give in to the mass migration frenzy!" Prime Minister Viktor Orban said after the vote in the Parliament.

Donald Tusk, who has vowed to reset Warsaw-Brussels ties after eight years of tensions under the hard-right Law and Justice (PiS) party, has maintained his predecessor's official line, denouncing the New Pact as "unacceptable" for his country.

"We will protect Poland against the relocation mechanism," Tusk said last month.

A lack of compliance is a major threat to the reform, which was painstakingly negotiated to guarantee that all countries contribute one way or the other. If member states begin to ignore the rules, the system of "mandatory solidarity" will be quickly undermined and rendered toothless, depriving the New Pact of its centrepiece.

Ylva Johansson, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, has already warned the executive would launch legal action against rebellious countries. But that process is slow and can drag on for years before the European Court of Justice issues a ruling.

In the meantime, new asylum seekers will continue to arrive, asking for international protection. In 2023, the number of applications reached 1.14 million, a seven-year high.
Migrants carry crates of beer to their accommodation on the grounds of the Brandenburg Central Reception Center for Asylum Seekers (ZABH) in Eisenhuettenstadt. Ministers from the member states of the European Union will meet in Brussels on Tuesday to finalize a massive overhaul of the bloc's migration and asylum laws. Patrick Pleul/dpa

Ministers from the member states of the European Union will meet in Brussels on Tuesday to finalize a massive overhaul of the bloc's migration and asylum laws.

The new body of law is the product of years of fierce debate, which came to a head in a tense European Parliament vote on April 11. Protesters disrupted the vote, throwing paper aeroplanes across the chamber and chanting "this pact kills, vote no!"

The new law requires all 27 EU member states to take some responsibility for managing asylum applications, but also makes the rules stricter for applicants.

It has therefore been attacked both by those who want to reduce immigration and by campaigners who want to make it easier for people to come to the EU.

For the latter group, the most contentious part of the package involves establishing border facilities in the EU to host asylum seekers, and to screen and quickly send back applicants found to be ineligible. Applicants will spend up to 12 weeks in reception centres waiting for a decision.

On the other hand, EU member states experiencing significant spikes in applications for asylum may call for the applicants to be distributed to other EU countries.

The relocation mechanism has drawn opposition from leaders trying to reduce migration to their countries, such as Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who are seldom found on the same side of major EU political debates.
The flag of the European Union flies outside the chateau in Versailles. Kay Nietfeld/dpa

EU ministers on Tuesday gave their final approval to a massive overhaul aimed at tightening the bloc's migration and asylum laws that had been years in the making.

EU officials had been at pains to wrap up the migration reforms ahead of European elections scheduled for June. The issue has been politically divisive, especially since an influx of arrivals in 2015 that exposed the system's weaknesses.

The overhaul consists of 10 pieces of legislation, which were supported by the vast majority of EU member states. Hungary and Poland voted against the entire package, however, and countries such as Austria and Slovenia opposed particular parts.

The new body of law is the product of years of fierce debate, which came to a head in a tense European Parliament vote on April 11. Protesters disrupted the vote, throwing paper aeroplanes across the chamber and chanting "this pact kills, vote no!"

The new laws require all 27 EU member states to take some responsibility for managing asylum applications - including those who voted against the reforms - but the package also makes the rules stricter for applicants.

It has therefore been attacked both by those who want to reduce immigration and by campaigners who want to ensure more humane treatment for people trying to reach the EU.

For the latter group, the most contentious part of the package involves establishing border procedures to hold certain types of asylum seekers while they are screened, and to send back those who don't qualify. Applicants will spend up to 12 weeks in reception centres until a decision is made.

Applicants who come from a country with an asylum recognition rate in the EU of less than 20%, as well as countries decided to be a public security risk, will be subject to such border checks.

According to the legislation, arrivals to the bloc will also be registered with fingerprints and photos to screen for threats to public security.

On the other hand, countries that get overwhelmed with applications will be able to call for the applicants to be sent to other EU countries.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hailed what he called the "historic agreement." He said in a statement: "we now have a much better basis for humanely limiting irregular migration."

European Council President Charles Michel said on X that the legislation is "a milestone in the EU's response to manage migration and reform the system." He said the changes "will make the EU's asylum stem more effective and ensure solidarity and responsibility among EU member states."

EU member states now have two years to introduce the legislation into national law.

The relocation mechanism has drawn opposition from leaders trying to reduce migration to their countries, such as Polish Prime Minister - and former European Council president - Donald Tusk and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The two are seldom found on the same side of major EU political debates.

If an EU country does not want to accept people applying for asylum, then that member state must give alternative assistance like financial contributions to a support fund.

The legislation was adopted in a meeting of finance ministers. EU rules allow any formation of national ministers to give final approval to a law on any subject, once it has been through all the other steps.
Europe's fertility crisis: Which countries are having the most and fewest babies?

Europe's fertility crisis: Which countries are having the most and fewest babies?

In 2022, the number of live births in the European Union reached its lowest level since 1960, according to the latest available data.

That year, only 3.88 million babies were born in the EU, marking the first time the figure fell below 4 million.

The fertility rate also declined, nearing levels last seen two decades ago. The EU had one of the lowest fertility rates in the world, defined as the number of live births per woman.

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But how do fertility rates compare across different parts of Europe and how has the fertility rate changed in Europe compared to the rest of the world?

There has been a downward trend since 1960 in the number of children born in the EU. The lowest number was recorded in 2022 at 3.88 million.

In 1990, 5.1 million babies were born in the EU, marking the last year that births exceeded 5 million.

Fertility rates widely vary across Europe

In 2022, the fertility rate, which reflects the number of live births per woman, significantly varied in the EU, ranging from 1.79 in France to 1.08 in Malta according to Eurostat, the statistical office of the EU.

The average for the EU as a whole was 1.46. Including the broader European Free Trade Association (EFTA), the UK, and EU candidate countries, Georgia (1.83) and Moldova (1.81) reported higher rates than France.

While the highest fertility rate is observed in France, a Mediterranean country, other Mediterranean nations like Malta (1.08), Spain (1.16), Italy (1.24), Greece (1.32), and Cyprus (1.37) have notably lower rates.

Slightly higher fertility rates were recorded in countries like Romania (1.71), Turkey (1.63), the UK (1.56), Germany (1.46), and Finland (1.32).

Related

Is the fertility rate in Europe rising or falling?

Examining the long-term changes in the EU's fertility rate reveals a clear downward trend.

It was 2.35 in 1970, its highest recorded level recorded before slumping to its lowest level in the late 1990s, bottoming out at 1.4 in 1998, according to World Bank data.

It then began to rise gradually, reaching a recent peak of 1.57 in 2016.

In 2022, the total fertility rate in the EU was 1.46 live births per woman, approaching the levels seen in the early 2000s, which were around 1.4.

The fertility rate has changed significantly in EU countries over the last 20 years, decreasing in 13 of the 27 EU Member States between 2002 and 2022.

Related

Ireland and Finland reported the most significant decreases in fertility rates, each dropping by over 0.4 points, corresponding to declines of more than 20 percent.

Conversely, Czechia, Romania, and Bulgaria experienced the highest increases, each rising by more than 35 percent.

This rate remained stable in the EU, with only a 2 percent increase.

The EU has one of the lowest fertility rates in the world

In 2021, the EU reported a fertility rate of 1.52, the lowest after the East Asia and Pacific region, which had a rate of 1.49, according to World Bank data.

Western and Central Africa had the highest fertility rate at 4.98, followed by Eastern and Southern Africa at 4.35 and the Arab world at 3.14.

The global average fertility rate was 2.27, with North Africa and the Middle East reporting a higher rate of 2.63. North America's rate of 1.64 was just above the OECD average of 1.59.

Since 1970, there has been a notable downward trend in fertility rates across almost all regions, although this decline has been significantly slower in Africa.

Fertility rates in all 41 European countries, including EU, EFTA, and candidate countries, are below the global average.
The organisers behind the Eurovision Song Contest have said they are reviewing the events of the tumultuous 2024 event in Malmo, Sweden, after receiving complaints of a horrible atmosphere backstage.

This years contest was marred by controversy surrounding Israels participation, and also saw Netherlands delegate Joost disqualified after he was accused of intimidating behaviour by a female member of the production crew.

In a statement issued on Monday (13 May), the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said it regretted that some delegations didnt respect the spirit of the rules in Sweden and confirmed that a number of contestants had made complaints.

We spoke to a number of delegations during the event regarding various issues that were brought to our attention, the organisation said.

The EBUs governing bodies will, together with the heads of delegations, review the events surrounding the ESC in Malmo to move forward in a positive way and to ensure the values of the event are respected by everyone.

Individual cases would be discussed at a later date, the EBU said.

Swiss contestant Nemo was crowned the winner of Eurovision 2024 (AFP via Getty Images)

Eurovision 2024 saw thousands of pro-Palestine activists march through Malmo and gather outside the arena where the contest was being held, with some protesters heard shouting shame on you at fans entering the venue for the grand final event on Saturday 11 May.

Israels delegate Eden Golan, who qualified for the final and performed her song Hurricane, ultimately came fifth in the competition but was met with boos and jeers during the televised show.

Further controversy emerged when, just hours before the final was due to take place, it was announced that Dutch musician Joost Klein had been disqualified after an alleged run-in with a female member of the production crew.

According to the Netherlands state broadcaster AVROTROS, Klein repeatedly indicated that he did not want to be filmed, which led to a threatening movement from Joost towards the camera.

They said in a statement: Joost did not touch the camera woman.

Swedish police said they would likely charge Netherlands delegate Joost (TT NEWS AGENCY/AFP via Getty Ima)

The EBU confirmed that, contrary to some media reports and social media speculation, this incident did not involve any other performer or delegation member.

Explaining its decision to rule Kleins behaviour in breach of contest rules, the EBU said: We maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards inappropriate behaviour at our event and are committed to providing a safe and secure working environment for all staff at the contest.

In light of this, Joost Kleins behaviour towards a team member is deemed in breach of contest rules.

Swedish police said on Monday (13 May) that Joost would likely be charged for making illegal threats and that a decision should come within a few weeks.

Klein has already left Sweden, according to reports.

Contestants including Switzerlands champion Nemo spoke out against the EBU after the final concluded. Nemo, who goes by they/them pronouns, hit out at organisers for allegedly preventing fans from bringing non-binary pride flags into the arena.

Nemo added that a lot of things took place during the contest to make it seem as though it was not all about love and unity, which made them really sad.

They suggested that maybe Eurovision needs fixing a little bit.

Nemo suggested Eurovision needed fixing (AP)

Irelands contestant Bambie Thug, who uses they/them pronouns, told journalists at a press conference after the final: F*** the EBU.

They claimed that they had yet to receive a statement from organisers after they accused Israeli broadcaster KAN of inciting violence against them. KAN did not respond to The Independents request for comment.

They previously said that the EBU stopped them wearing a painted ogham inscription  which translated to ceasefire and freedom  during their semi-final performance. The EBU said it went against Eurovision rules designed to uphold the non-political nature of the event.

Meanwhile, Lithuanias contestant Silverster Belt, who performed immediately after Golan, said he regretted taking part at all in a statement shared to social media.

Going after that country, with the crowd being so intense, was one of the worst things I had to go through, I really did the best that I could in this situation traumatic experience, wish it all ended after the first semi, he said.
Even if you think its the smallest thing, call us, Southeast Kansas authorities emphasize they never quit looking into Judd murder

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Kan.  In part one of our special report, you got to know Jennifer Judd  a Picher, Oklahoma native who was brutally murdered in her Baxter Springs apartment 32 years ago. Now, we take a look at the day Jennifer died  and the frustration surrounding this decades-old investigation.

PART ONE: 32-year-old cold case gets a new look in a southeast Kansas homicide

Anything that might have been overlooked, or just putting a fresh set of eyes onto the case.

Baxter Springs Police Chief Brian Henderson said with a case like the murder of Jennifer Judd, it could be anything that leads to a break.

We are looking into it still, and we are going to do everything that we can with all the agencies available and the new technology thats available to do everything that we can to solve this case, said Chief Henderson.

Recently, a non-profit agency, comprised of criminal justice experts in forensics and DNA evidence, reached out to the Cherokee County Sheriffs Office, offering their services.

Weve been able to dig deep and see things that may have been overlooked, and so, and we have definitely found some things that were excited to look at and to take to the next level, said Nate Jones, Chief Deputy, Cherokee County Sheriffs Office.

The call came as convicted killer Jeremy Jones sits on death row in Alabama, with his appeals nearly exhausted and an execution date looming. At one point, Jones confessed to Jennifers murder, along with several other crimes.

Jones was ruled out as a suspect by Kansas investigators, but Alabama authorities say they want Kansas to take another look. And while that prompted a new look at the case, Henderson says Kansas officials have never stopped looking for Jennifers killer.

Whether its the Cherokee County Sheriffs Office, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, or us, or any other agency weve worked with, nobodys looking for the credit, nobodys looking to the person that says, oh, I made the arrest. we are all in this for one reason, and that is to bring justice to Jennifer, said Chief Henderson.

Chief Deputy Jones believes that, even though investigators have conducted interviews and examined evidence multiple times over the years, there may still be something you know that could solve the case.

Even if you think its the smallest thing, call us and let us know and well get with you. It could be what we need.

Amanda Davis, Jennifers sister says the person or persons who killed Jennifer need to know one thing: theyll never stop looking. Shes kept a journal of things people have told her, and leads the family has been given.

I got a call probably about a year ago and it was from somebody that grew up in this area, and you know, we connected them with the KBI at that point, and I dont know that anything came from it, but you just never know, said Davis.

She said in the beginning she wanted the case closed because of the impact it was having on her family.

Early on I kept thinking, you know, my mom needs closure, my mom needs closure.

As the years have passed, though, things have changed.

I just came to the conclusion one day that I just said, you know, god, if you want us to know, youre going to open that door, and I had peace with it and I accepted that.

Davis said there are a lot of little things in life that remind her of her sister.

Theres a picture, and I have it, and its of her, she always had her hands on her hips, and it didnt matter where she was, where she was standing, she always had her hands on her hips, and my son, he does the same thing.

And help keep her memory alive.

Theres sometimes that, you know, I look at him, and I think, there she is, with her hands on her hips.

In a 2011 interview, Chuck Sharp, who was Cherokee County Sheriff at the time of Jennifers murder, told us in his mind, there was only one suspect. While he never elaborated on that persons identity, he did say he never believed Jeremy Jones was connected.

Over the years, others have pointed the finger at specific individuals. One of those who says they think they know the identity of the killer, Jennifers husband, Justin.

Our investigative reporter, Sheila Stogsdill takes a deeper look at the evidence, and more, here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com.
Affairs, data breach and suicides: Everything we know about the 2015 Ashley Madison hack

Ashley Madisons homepage pictured in 2013. The website, aimed at people seeking affairs, experienced a massive data breach in 2015 (AFP via Getty Images)

It was supposed to be the most discreet place to go for those looking to cheat on their partner. But In July 2015, millions of people around the world watched helplessly as a nightmare came to life.

That summer, hackers targeted Ashley Madison, a dating website for married or partnered people who wanted to have an affair and released the personal information of some 37 million users. The breach destroyed countless relationships and reputations  and it may even be linked to multiple deaths by suicide.

Now, a Netflix documentary about the scandal, Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal, is set to premiere on Wednesday, revealing even more details about the devastating data breach.

Heres everything you need to know about the Ashley Madison hacking scandal before watching the highly-anticipated documentary:

What is Ashley Madison?

Ashley Madison is a Canadian dating website, which was founded in 2002 and aimed at people looking for an affair.

Life is short, the companys website reads. Have an affair.

The Independent previously reported that 86 per cent of the sites users were men, Sao Paulo had the most registered users of any city and its mainly used by rich, powerful men. Before the leak, the website reported more than 37 million users.

After the 2015 leak, it was reported that just three in every 10,000 accounts claiming to be women were run by real people. The website, meanwhile, claimed more than 5 million women used its platform.

The Ashley Madison homepage, pictured in 2024. The company settled a multi-million dollar class action lawsuit filed on behalf of those impacted by the hackers (Ashley Madison)

Millions targeted in 2015 hack

An unknown hacker  or hackers  called The Impact Team obtained millions of users personal data in July 2015.

In August, the hackers ultimately exposed the names, passwords, emails, and personal preferences of more than 30 million users.

Those targeted in the hack included owner Noel Biderman  his leaked emails revealed he often sought young escorts, The Guardian reports.

Rick Thomas, an Ashley Madison user, said in 2017 he was part of the leak after joining the site just two weeks prior, The Independent previously reported. Mr Thomas, 56 when he joined and married for 19 years, said he was then blackmailed by an anonymous person calling themselves Mr X.

Mr X demanded $1,000 from Mr Thomas, threatening to tell his loved ones about his presence on the site if he didnt pay up. Mr Thomas eventually confessed to his wife instead, who he said forgave him.

Others did not have the same outcome as Mr Thomas.

In New Orleans, local pastor John Gibson died by suicide just days after the data breach revealed he used the site. Mr Gibson mentioned the dating site in a note left before his death, his wife told CNN in 2015.

Meanwhile the police in Toronto, Canada said in August 2015 that at least two suicides may be linked to the hack.

Several celebrities were also caught up in the data breach, including reality TV star Josh Duggar  who was later convicted in 2021 on child pornography charges.

An Associated Press investigation also revealed that hundreds of US government employees, including those working in the White House, Congress and law enforcement agencies, accessed the site while in their offices.

Other reports in 2015 indicated that officials with the UK government, the United Nations and even the Vatican had used the site.

The companys fate

Ashley Madison still exists today. Mr Biderman, who took over as the companys CEO in 2007, agreed to resign from the role shortly after the hack.

Then, in 2017 the company settled a $11.2m class action lawsuit filed on behalf of the millions impacted by the data breach.

Now, the dating site is the topic of Netflixs forthcoming documentary, Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies and Scandal. The documentary will be available on 15 May 2024.

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. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, the one-time senior adviser to former first lady Melania Trump, predicted she would not attend former President Trumps ongoing hush money trial for the sake of preventing negative coverage.

I dont think were going to see Melania Trump accompany Donald to court, Wolkoff said Tuesday in an interview on CNN, adding later, I do not see her supporting him in this way because she is not someone  I think that you can feel that humiliation without having to put yourself in front of the cameras.

Stephanie Winston Wolkoff leaves Trump Tower on Dec. 5, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Everything Melania does is staged and everything is articulated in a way for her before she does her interviews. So, everything, as I said, is very strategically planned. She is not going to put herself in a position where shes given anyone the opportunity to say anything negative about her, she added.

Trumps hush money trial is ongoing in Manhattan, where he faces 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection to reimbursements made to his ex-fixer, Michael Cohen, for a payment made to porn actor Stormy Daniels.

Trumps son Eric Trump has regularly showed up at court in recent weeks, and Eric Trumps wife, Lara Trump, joined Tuesday. Neither Melania Trump nor former President Trumps other children have yet to make an appearance.

The former first lady has been largely absent from the campaign trail with her husband, and those close to her predict it will stay that way because she is a private person who dislikes campaigning.

Some have suggested Melania Trump is likely not happy with the details coming to light in the trial regarding the affairs former President Trump allegedly had with Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal in the first years of their marriage. Trump has denied the affair allegations.

Asked over concerns Trump might have had over his wifes reaction to the alleged allegations, Wolkoff said she believes the couple has a transactional marriage.

There is a strength within her that is unlike any other individual Ive ever met. She does not care what others feel about her, nor does she feel she ever had to really explain anything to the American people, Wolkoff said.

I do believe it is a transactional marriage in so many ways, that, that they both garnered so much out of their relationship, and you know, by marrying Donald, Melania really did get to the Vogue cover model that shes always wanted to be, that supermodel, she continued. And by marrying Melania, Donald was legitimized as trying to get away from that whole Playboy mentality that everyone wanted to characterize him as.

During testimony Monday, Cohen said on the witness stand that he became aware of the tape on which Trump describes inappropriately grabbing women seemingly without their consent when 2016 campaign press secretary Hope Hicks called him about it.

Cohen, who spoke with Trump and other campaign staff shortly after finding out about the tape, claimed it was Melania Trump who came up with the locker room talk defense to put a spin on the coverage of the tape.

In an October 2016 interview after the Access Hollywood tape was first published, Melania Trump told CNN in an interview that the language on the recording surprised her.

I heard many different stuff  boys talk, she said at the time. The boys, the way they talk when they grow up and they want to sometimes show each other, Oh, this and that, and talking about the girls. But yes, I was surprised, of course.

When asked about Cohens testimony, Wolkoff said, Well, Melania is very strategic and plays a very large role in what is going with Donald as far as the dog being in the room.

She comes up with ways to make people accept the situations that are going on around her, and it does not surprise me that would be she who came up with it, Wolkoff said. She did not tell me that, she just forcefully, at that lunch, explained to me that that is all that it is. That is the way that her messaging was and no big deal. For her, it was always, Its no big deal.'

She has said to me over and over, I know who I married. Im to be nothing like his other two wives. And she accepted what that role was, she added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Stephanie Grisham, a former aide to Melania Trump, said she didnt expect the former first lady to leave her husband, Donald Trump, despite the salacious and embarrassing allegations that have emerged in the former presidents ongoing hush money trial.

Melania Trump knew who she married, Grisham told CNNs Erin Burnett on Monday.

Former Trump fixer and attorney Michael Cohen testified in court earlier in the day that Trump appeared unfazed by his wifes potential response to learning of his alleged 2006 sexual encounter with porn actor Stormy Daniels. Trump is accused of falsifying business documents during the 2016 election to cover up a payment for Daniels silence. Trump denies the claims.

Cohen said Trump told him when they were arranging the payment, How long do you think Ill be on the market for? Not long. Cohen said Trump wasnt thinking about Melania and that the alleged scheme was all about the campaign.

Former first lady Melania Trump and former President Donald Trump. Alon Skuy via Getty Images

Burnett asked Grisham if the reported exchange could be one of the moments from the trial that may be very significant for Trump, Trumps life, for his marriage.

Yes, absolutely, Grisham replied. Look, I think that two things can be true at the same time. Could Melania Trump be angry right now about all of this being out there and about their personal lives and its humiliating? Absolutely on a personal level.

But yes, she knew who she married, she added. And I think that comment [from Trump] to Cohen rang absolutely true. Shes happy, shes got a very good life. Shes not going anywhere, thats been proven. And so I absolutely believe he said something like that to Michael Cohen.

Grisham, who was Melania Trumps chief of staff and press secretary and later the Trump White House press secretary and communications director, also opined on Trumps composure during Cohens testimony  which was in stark contrast to his visible anger when Daniels took the stand last week and which prompted Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the case, to admonish him.

I think that he probably saw the news coverage after Stormy Daniels was up on the stand and his reaction was covered pretty widely and it wasnt favorably, said Grisham. Im sure his lawyers talked to him. Im sure his family members talked to him and said, You cannot be acting out when Michael Cohen is there. And I think probably too it was an ego thing, I doubt he wanted to show Michael any kind of a reaction.

I imagine that right when he got out of that courtroom he wanted to burst and couldnt wait until he got to the Suburban and of course had to give the media a show, she added.

Watch from the 5:40 mark here:

Related...
MUNCIE, Ind.  A legal saga that began nearly a decade ago appeared to move toward a conclusion this week when a physician who operated a pain clinic in Muncie pleaded guilty to four criminal charges.

William Perry Hedrick, 62, most recently of Fort Wayne, on Monday pleaded guilty to unlawful dispensation of controlled substances, Medicaid fraud, obstruction of justice and harassment.

Physician William Hedrick walks out of his pain clinic at 3301 Fox Ridge Lane after members of the DEA, Attorney General's office and local agencies raided it in October 2014.

A plea agreement was signed by Hedrick, his attorneys and Deputy Prosecutor Maricel Driscoll on April 25. It calls for dismissal of seven pending charges  unlawful dispersion of a controlled substance, attempted bribery, attempted aiding, inducing or causing perjury and four counts of corrupt business influence.

Hedrick's medical office on Fox Ridge Lane  known Indiana Pain Center  opened in July 2013.

Authorities alleged his clinics in Indiana contributed to the deaths of eight people by overprescribing pain medications.

On Oct. 20, 2014, Hedrick's Muncie clinic was raided by the Muncie Police Department, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and state licensing officials.

In June 2018, a Delaware Circuit Court 3 jury found Hedrick guilty of three counts of forgery and three counts of prescription-related registration offenses. He was later sentenced to two years on electronic home detention by then-Judge Linda Ralu Wolf.

During the 2018 trial, Chief Deputy Prosecutor Zach Craig told jurors that Hedrick's clinic, which saw hundreds of patients some days, presented "a clear and present danger to public health and safety."

When his trial date on the remaining Medicaid fraud charge approaching last year, prosecutors said the physician  whose license to practice medicine in Indiana has been suspended  repeatedly contacted a prospective witness in the case.

That led to two of the charges, obstruction of justice and harassment, Hedrick pleaded guilty to on Monday.

Three of the counts Hedrick pleaded guilty to are felonies. The harassment count is a misdemeanor.

Judge Doug Mawhorr took the plea agreement under advisement and tentatively set sentencing for June 13.

The plea deal specifies the sentences for two of the convictions  unlawful dispensation of controlled substances and Medicaid fraud  will be decided by the judge and will served consecutively. Both counts are Class D felonies carrying up to three years in prison.

The agreement also specifies that the sentences for the obstruction-of-justice and harassment convictions will be suspended.

Hedrick has been held in the Delaware County Jail since last November.

Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Ex-Muncie pain doctor strikes deal, enters guilty pleas
Michael Cohen is a liar and convicted criminal. After his testimony Monday, the consensus is that he is also a compelling witness, one able to connect the dots and explain how his lying was a requirement of the job  of working for the defendant, Donald Trump  in furtherance of the alleged conspiracy at the heart of the former presidents hush money case.

In first two weeks of the trial, the Manhattan District Attorneys Office worked to build up Cohens credibility before he ever took to the stand, introducing jurors to a host of people, from former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker to a pair of Trump Organization accountants, who could bolster the prosecutions (and Cohens) key claim: that the former presidents onetime fixer paid Stormy Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet ahead of the 2016 election and was reimbursed for this payment by the Republican nominee.

And when it came time for Cohen to talk, prosecutors presented records backing up what he said, from call logs to a potentially smoking-gun recording of Trump and Cohen discussing another hush payment to former Playboy model Karen McDougal.

"It all was the corroborating evidence that allowed Michael Cohen to stand on his own, MSNBC legal analyst Katie Phang commented. It was a free-flowing, well-paced, clean, succinct, direct examination, she continued. Michael Cohen was afforded the opportunity to drive the narrative forward the way that the D.A.'s office wanted him to do, and the jury was taking notes intensely. There were at least three of them that were feverishly taking notes and looking.

While some noted that he generally avoided looking at the jurors, instead directing his responses to the prosecutor asking the questions (Its weird, CNN legal affairs correspondent Paula Reid said. It could be that hes uncomfortable.), the consensus appears to be that Cohen ultimately came across as restrained and professional  not like his social media persona, where he slings insults just like his former boss.

I think he exceeded expectations in how he presented to the jury, at least so far, Norm Eisen, an attorney who worked for Democrats on Trumps first impeachment, wrote in a Monday evening commentary. He credited prosecutors with ably setting up Cohen for questions that had already been answered by previous witnesses, so that there would be little doubt in jurors minds that, for example, an August 2016 meeting in Trump Tower took place with Trump, Cohen and Pecker to discuss their catch-and-kill scheme for neutralizing any damaging stories about the Republican candidate

By the time we got to October 2016, Eisen wrote, Cohens recollection of the 'Access Hollywood' tape damage control and Daniels, we had multiple layers of corroboration showing a familiar pattern: paying hush money to avoid harm to the Trump campaign.

Cohen was also able to directly rebut the chief defense argument in the case: that even if Daniels was paid off, it had less to do with politics than it did with family, Trump chiefly concerned with how Melania would take the news. As Cohen told it, Trump could not have cared less about his wife.

"Don't worry, how long do you think I'll be on the market for? Not long, Trump said, according to Cohen, when asked about his spouse finding out about the alleged sexual encounter with Daniels. His primary concern was not the woman he was married to, Cohen said, but the women who might view him as a sleazy predator.

"You'll recall, the defense wants to say this was about the family," MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin said Monday. As the defense counsel argues, "The principal objective here  even if Donald Trump knew about it  the principal objective was not for the campaign, there was no conspiracy here to promote Donald Trump's election through unlawful means. Michael Cohen [was] sort of dismantling that.

In that, this case, although centered on the falsification of business records to evade campaign finance laws, really captures Donald Trump, as conservative attorney turned Trump critic George Conway wrote Monday in The Atlantic. [W]hat the case is really about is Trumps modus operandi  lying, Conway argued.

To be sure, his other criminal cases involve lies  lies about the 2016 election, lies about the military secrets he stole. But the alleged lies in People v. Trump strike at the core of his moral putrescence  and Trump knows it, he continued. They are lies allegedly meant to cover up a tawdry mans tawdry behavior. The case truly embodies Donald Trump. And for that reason, I think, it deeply disturbs him.
Jordan Scott remembers his grandparents RGK Ranch as the summer playground of his youth  a Hill Country landscape where you could go tubing in the shallow waters of Bee Creek, find deer antlers and snapping turtle shells, embark on excursions, and christen unlikely landmarks like Two Tire Alley, the rocky passageway where Scott and his friends, then in their 20s, had to change two flats at once on their old Chevy Suburban.

As a kid, it was a blast, the Austin-area investor and affordable housing developer said of his ranch adventures.

For more than 50 years, RGK Ranch has been a private family retreat bearing the initials of Ronya and George Kozmetsky. She was a philanthropist who supported everything from children's hospitals to higher education. He was Austin's tech godfather, a visionary who transformed what is now the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas during his 16 years as dean. Together the couple mentored numerous Austin tech philanthropists.

Now the ranch that the Kozmetskys passed on to their children and grandchildren is going to become a massive wilderness park. This month Travis County is finalizing the purchase of 1,506 acres off Texas 71 between Bee Cave and Spicewood.

This aerial photo shows RGK Ranch near Spicewood on Friday. Travis County has reached a deal to buy the 1,506-acre property and will transform it into a public park.

"To know those spaces will remain in their natural condition, and other people will have their own experiences seeing a ringtail cat or watching a 15-point buck walk out, to know thats going to stay with the people of Central Texas is what gives me the goose bumps, Scott said.

The $90 million purchase, the largest amount for a buy in Travis County Parks history, was made possible by voters approval last November of a $276 million bond for parks and land acquisition, as well as the decision by Scotts mother, Nadya Scott, to donate roughly $30 million of her stake in the family ranch to bring the price tag into the countys budget.

County officials are thrilled: RGK Ranch is one of the last major undeveloped tracts in southwestern Travis County that just as easily could have become a sea of rooftops. Preserving it brings a wealth of environmental benefits.

Plus, the site is tantalizingly close to Milton Reimers Ranch Park  which Travis County is expanding with the separate purchase of the 475-acre Castletop property  furthering the possibility of a parkland network running from Texas 71 to Hamilton Pool Preserve.

Bee Creek flows through RGK Ranch on Wednesday. Spring-fed waters mean the creek never runs dry.

The opportunities to add this (type of land) are coming to an end in Travis County just because there's not that much undeveloped land left, County Judge Andy Brown told me. So, yeah, this is a huge step for Travis County.

This park will be worth the wait

I bet youre wondering: How soon can people visit this new park?

It's going to be several years before we can actually formally open this to the public, said longtime Travis County Parks Director Charles Bergh, sounding almost apologetic about the timeline. But it will take that long to plan and develop amenities such as parking, trails and restrooms for such a sizable park.

In the end, though, Travis County will gain a haven for hikers, mountain bikers, birdwatchers and stargazers.

Last week I hopped into an all-terrain vehicle and got a private tour of the site. Longtime ranch manager John Barber showed off the stunning Hill Country vistas and fields bursting with Indian blanket wildflowers, took us through stands of sycamore and past a lightning-scarred black walnut tree, pointed out a wild turkey scuttling into the scrub, and led us down rocky inclines toward Bee Creek.

The roughly 1,500-acre site is so hilly, Barber joked, it would be 3,000 acres if you flattened it out.

-

In one spot, eons of erosion have carved a shallow pool out of the limestone. The spring-fed waters mean Bee Creek never runs dry. In rainier times, the creek also channels stormwater to Lake Travis.

Preserving RGK Ranch protects habitat for the endangered golden-cheeked warbler and other wildlife. But the greatest benefit comes from preventing thirsty development in an already sensitive ecological area.

Jeff Francell, associate director of land protection for the Nature Conservancy in Texas, played a pivotal role in negotiating the sale between the extended Kozmetksy family and Travis County. He noted that RGK Ranch had entitlements to build about 1,400 homes, plus extensive commercial development along Texas 71.

Look at Lake Travis now, Francell said, with that regional drinking water reservoir just 40% full. Not having (development of RGK Ranch) depending upon our diminishing lake supplies is a good thing.

Preserving RGK Ranch protects habitat for the endangered golden-cheeked warbler and other wildlife. It also prevents thirsty development in an already sensitive ecological area.

A generational legacy of land

Multiple developers made unsolicited offers of more than $130 million for the ranch, Jordan Scott told me. But Travis County was able to make serious offers for RGK Ranch and the nearby Castletop property, owned by another family, thanks to the parks bond referendum that voters approved last November.

If we had to wait another five or six years for (different) bond funds to come around, these properties would have been lost, Francell said. They would have been developed.

The parks bonds included about $200 million for land acquisition: $100 million apiece for the western and eastern halves of the county. The county spent $40 million on the Castletop deal, which closed last month, leaving $60 million in bond funds for RGK Ranch.

Rocky inclines lead to the spring-fed waters of Bee Creek.

To fund the rest of the $90 million ranch purchase, Travis County took out $30 million in certificates of obligation, a different form of borrowing that doesnt require voter approval.

Coordinating the sale also meant reaching terms with the Kozmetsky heirs: daughter Nadya Scott, son Gregory Kozmetsky and the seven grown children from their families. With her childrens support, Nadya Scott donated most of her stake to make the $90 million sale price possible. (She is keeping a 90-acre tract with a vacation home but no other development rights. The county may buy that tract in the future.)

Jordan Scott told me that his mother's donation was inspired, in part, by her familys love of the Will Rogers State Historic Park, a 186-acre park off Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, where they used to hike, picnic and fly kites. Rogers family donated that estate to California in 1944 so everyone could enjoy the land.

An old cabin sits on the RGK Ranch, which will need several years of preparation before the public can enjoy it as a park.

She's traveled the world and seen some pretty beautiful spaces that people have saved to share with others rather than develop or make private, Jordan Scott said of his mother. She felt strongly that the RGK Ranch should be preserved as a space for everyone in Central Texas.

Indeed, the largest piece of this deal is not the vast acreage or the sweeping hilltop views, but the reach across time, preserving this swath of wilderness for countless generations to come. Everyone I spoke with cherished the idea that their children, grandchildren and those yet to be born will enjoy this space long after were all gone.

It's the coolest thing I'll get to do as a county commissioner, said Commissioner Ann Howard, who championed the parks bond referendum and played a key role in the talks to reach the RGK Ranch deal. It's just so long-lasting.

Grumet is the Statesmans Metro columnist. Her column, ATX in Context, contains her opinions. Share yours via email at bgrumet@statesman.com or on X at @bgrumet. Find her previous work at statesman.com/opinion/columns.

Coming Wednesday

A developer planned to build nearly 900 homes on the Castletop property. How did Travis County get the site for parkland?

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Travis County reaches historic $90M deal for 1,500-acre wilderness park
Explainer-Canada wildfire season is starting: Here's what to know

Smoke rises from mutual aid wildfire HTZ001 in the High Level Forest Area

Smoke rises from mutual aid wildfire HTZ001 in the High Level Forest Area

By Nia Williams

(Reuters) -Firefighters in western Canada are battling the first major wildfires of 2024 after unseasonably warm temperatures and an ongoing drought left forests tinder-dry.

Wildfire season in Canada typically runs from April, when the snow melts, until September or October when cooler temperatures and increased precipitation helps dampen fire activity. Provincial wildfire agencies also recorded scores of so-called "zombie fires" that ignited last summer and smoldered throughout the winter.

WHERE ARE THE CANADA WILDFIRES?

An out-of-control blaze is sweeping towards the remote town of Fort Nelson in northeastern British Columbia (B.C.), where more than 3,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate.

In northern Alberta around 70,000 people in the oil sands hub of Fort McMurray, which was devastated by wildfire in 2016, are on evacuation alert.

There nearly 120 wildfires currently burning across Canada, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, mostly in B.C. and Alberta.

WHAT PREPARATION AND PREVENTION MEASURES ARE IN PLACE?

Alberta is using night vision-equipped helicopters, introduced last year, to help tackle blazes. In April, the province said it would hire an extra 100 firefighters, roughly a 10% increase from 2023.

B.C. has nearly 300 firefighters and 56 aircraft currently deployed, according to the provincial wildfire agency.

Both western provinces have widespread fire restrictions, limiting when and where people can light campfires and bonfires.

HOW BAD ARE THE WILDFIRES?

So far this year there have been 318 fires in Alberta and 17,000 hectares burned, versus 454 fires and 461,000 hectares burned at the same time last year.

In B.C. there have been 158 fires that started in 2024 and 142,000 hectares have been set ablaze. Last year, 2.8 million hectares burned in the province over the course of the entire season.

2023 was Canada's worst ever wildfire season when 18.5 million hectares burned and blazes raged simultaneously in the east and west of the country.

WHAT IS CAUSING THE FIRES?

Western Canada is in its third year of drought after a winter of meagre snowfall and a warm spring. May tends to be a busy time for wildfires in Alberta because snow has melted but vegetation has not yet had opportunity to regrow, meaning the landscape can be very dry.

Most spring wildfires are accidentally caused by humans, according to the BC Wildfire Service, while fires later in the summer tend to be sparked by lightning.

The federal government last month said Canada faces another potentially catastrophic wildfire season as it forecast higher-than-normal spring and summer temperatures across much of the country.

WHAT IS THE IMPACT ON AIR QUALITY?

Wildfire smoke is clogging skies across northern parts of B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the southern Northwest Territories, according to the BlueSky Canada smoke forecast website.

On Sunday smoke from blazes in Canada drifted south to parts of Montana, North and South Dakota, Wisconsin and Minnesota, prompting health warnings.

WHAT ROLE IS CLIMATE CHANGE PLAYING?

Experts say it is difficult to determine the impact of climate change on a single fire season, but average temperatures in Canada are expected to rise as the world warms.

For coastal regions climate change is expected to bring more rain, which should reduce the risk of wildfires, but a warmer atmosphere is more efficient at pulling moisture out of soils, a factor that increases fire risk.

Research shows fire seasons across North America are getting longer.

(Reporting by Nia Williams in British Columbia; Editing by Aurora Ellis)
Gaza death toll: how many Palestinians has Israel's campaign killed?

Aftermath of an Israeli strike on a house in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip

(Reuters) - Palestinian health authorities say Israel's ground and air campaign in Gaza has killed more than 35,000 people, mostly civilians, and driven most of the enclave's 2.3 million people from their homes.

The war began on Oct. 7 when Hamas militants stormed across the border into Israeli communities. Israel says the militants killed more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and dragged 253 into captivity in Gaza.

This explainer examines how the Palestinian death toll is calculated, how reliable it is, the breakdown of civilians and fighters killed and what each side says.

HOW DO GAZA HEALTH AUTHORITIES CALCULATE THE DEATH TOLL?

In the first months of the war, death tolls were calculated entirely from counting bodies that arrived in hospitals and data included names and identity numbers for most of those killed.

As the conflict ground on, and fewer hospitals and morgues continued to operate, the authorities adopted other methods too.

A May 7 Health Ministry report gave an overall toll of 34,844. It said 21,058 of those deaths were counted from bodies that hospitals reported arriving at morgues. Another 3,715 were deaths reported online by family members who had to input information including identity numbers.

It listed the remaining 10,071 deaths as having "incomplete data". Omar Hussein Ali, head of the ministry's emergency operations centre in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, said these were bodies that had arrived at hospitals or medical centres without personal data such as identity numbers or full names.

IS THE GAZA DEATH TOLL COMPREHENSIVE?

The numbers "do not necessarily reflect all victims due to the fact that many victims are still missing under the rubble", the Palestinian Health Ministry says. In May it estimated that some 10,000 bodies were uncounted in this way.

The U.N. human rights office and the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health have also said during the conflict that the true figures are likely higher than those published.

HOW CREDIBLE IS THE GAZA DEATH TOLL?

Pre-war Gaza had robust population statistics and better health information systems than in most Middle East countries, public health experts told Reuters.

A spokesperson for the World Health Organisation said the ministry has "good capacity in data collection/analysis and its previous reporting has been considered credible".

The United Nations regularly cites the ministry's death toll figures, while naming the ministry as the source.

Early in the conflict, after U.S. President Joe Biden cast doubt on casualty figures, the health ministry published a detailed list of the 7,028 deaths that had been registered by that point.

Academics looking at details of listed casualties said in a peer-reviewed article in the Lancet medical journal in November that it was implausible that the patterns shown in the list could be the result of fabrication.

However, there are specific questions over the inclusion of 471 people said to have been killed in an Oct. 17 blast at al-Ahli al-Arab hospital in Gaza City. An unclassified U.S. intelligence report estimated that death toll "at the low end of the 100 to 300 spectrum".

DOES HAMAS CONTROL THE FIGURES?

While Hamas has run Gaza since 2007, the enclave's Health Ministry also answers to the overall Palestinian Authority ministry in Ramallah in the West Bank.

Gaza's Hamas-run government has paid the salaries of all those hired in public departments since 2007, including in the Health Ministry. The Palestinian Authority still pays the salaries of those hired before then.

The extent of Hamas control in Gaza now is difficult to assess with Israeli forces occupying most of the territory, including around locations of major hospitals that provide casualty figures, and with fighting ongoing.

WHAT DOES ISRAEL SAY?

Israeli officials have said the figures are suspect because of Hamas' control over government in Gaza. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Mamorstein said the numbers were manipulated and "do not reflect the reality on the ground".

However, Israel's military has also accepted in briefings that the overall Gaza casualty numbers are broadly reliable.

Last week Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said 14,000 Hamas fighters and 16,000 Palestinian civilians had been killed in the war.

HOW MANY CIVILIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED?

The Health Ministry figures do not differentiate between civilians and Hamas combatants, who do not wear formal uniform or carry separate identification.

Israel periodically provides estimates of how many Hamas fighters it believes have been killed. The most recent was Netanyahu's estimate of 14,000.

Israeli security officials say such estimates are reached through a combination of counting bodies on the battlefield, intercepts of Hamas communications and intelligence assessments of personnel in targets that were destroyed.

Hamas has said Israeli estimates for its losses are exaggerated but has not said how many of its fighters have been killed.

The Palestinian Health Ministry says more than 70% of the dead are women and children under 18. For most of the conflict its figures showed children as representing slightly over 40% of all those killed.

However, conditions in hospitals compiling figures have worsened amid the fighting and many of those killed may not be identifiable due to their injuries.

In May the ministry updated its breakdown of the fatalities to be based only on the 24,686 bodies it said had been fully identified, and not on the more-than 10,000 bodies it said have not yet been identified.

When it made this change, the numbers appeared significantly less, prompting Israel to raise further questions over the figures.

(This story has been refiled to restore dropped question mark in the headline)

(Compiled by Emma Farge, Nidal al-Mughrabi, Ali Sawafta and James MacKenzie, writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Gareth Jones)
Explainer-New Caledonia riots: why is President Macron headed to the restive French territory?

By Gabriel Stargardter

PARIS (Reuters) -President Emmanuel Macron is flying to New Caledonia in a bid to calm tensions in the French overseas territory after contested electoral reforms sparked the worst riots there in four decades.

More than a week after civil unrest first erupted, New Caledonia remains scarred by barricaded roads, incinerated buildings and looted businesses. A short-lived cyberattack sought to topple its internet, while scores of tourists have been airlifted out.

Six people have died in the riots, with nearly 300 people arrested after Paris sent in 1,000 police reinforcements.

The protests are the latest flashpoint in a decades-long tussle over France's role in the island.

WHERE IS NEW CALEDONIA?

Set in the warm waters of the southwest Pacific, some 1,500 km (930 miles) east of Australia, New Caledonia is home to 270,000 people, including 41% Melanesian Kanaka and 24% of European origin, mostly French.

The archipelago was given its name by British explorer Captain James Cook in 1774. It was annexed by France in 1853 and was used as a penal colony until shortly before the turn of the 20th century.

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

New Caledonia, one of five island territories spanning the Indo-Pacific held by France, is central to Macron's plan to maintain a firm French foothold in the Pacific.

New Caledonia, the world's third-largest nickel producer, lies at the heart of a geopolitically complex maritime region, where China and the United States are jostling for power and influence in security and trade.

WHAT IS ITS HISTORY WITH FRANCE?

After France's colonization in the 19th century, New Caledonia officially became a French overseas territory in 1946. Tensions mounted in the 1970s after a nickel boom that drew outsiders, leading to various conflicts between Paris and Kanaka independence movements.

A 1998 Noumea Accord helped ease relations by outlining a path to gradual autonomy and restricting voting to the indigenous Kanaka and migrants living in New Caledonia before 1998. The accord allowed for three referendums to determine the future of the country. In all three, independence was rejected.

Nonetheless, the 2021 poll was boycotted by pro-independence parties, tarnishing the legitimacy of the result.

WHY HAVE TENSIONS EXPLODED RECENTLY?

Under the terms of the Noumea Accord, voting in provincial elections was restricted to people who had resided in New Caledonia prior to 1998, and their children.

The measure aimed to give greater representation to the minority Kanaks, but Paris has since come to view it as undemocratic.

Local leaders say the new reform, which still needs a final joint vote of the two houses of parliament in Versailles, will dilute the vote of the indigenous Kanaka.

Macron has said he would not convene such a vote before the end of June to enable dialogue, but the unrest has persisted.

WHAT DO LOCALS SAY?

Macron will meet elected officials and local representatives for talks focused on politics and reconstruction.

Pro-independent parties want Macron to scrap the electoral reform, and have warned his visit may only inflame tensions.

"We are expecting if he travels to Kanaka he will make some strong announcement that he is withdrawing this electoral bill," said Jimmy Naon, from the Front de Liberation National Kanaka et Socialist (FLANKS) of New Caledonia, using the island's indigenous name. "But if he is just coming here as a provocation - that might just turn bad."

Some of Macron's local allies are urging him to mothball the reform. Sonia Lagarde, mayor of the New Caledonia capital Noumea, who is from Macron's Renaissance party, expressed hope Macron would delay signing the amendment into law to preserve her "city under siege."

"We must take a pause and calm things down. Things have gone too far," Lagarde told France 2 television.

(Reporting by Gabriel Stargardter; Editing by Ros Russell, Richard Lough and Kim Coghill)
Antoni Jaczewicz lived a dubious life in the Polish mountains in the 1700s, amassing a collection of wealth that was recently discovered by explorers.

The notorious scammer and robber lived as a hermit in the Swietokrzyskie Mountains, hiding his treasure trove of medieval coins.

The collection was discovered by history buffs during a search in the mountains.

A treasure trove of medieval coins linked to Antoni Jaczewicz, one of Polands most infamous hermit criminals from the 1700s, has been discovered in the countrys Swietokrzyskie Mountains.

The Swietokrzyskie Exploration Group had been exploring the mountains for roughly seven years when their search yielded a find of ancient coins. It started with a single pile, but the group soon found more coins buried in groups, all from the 17th and 18th centuries. The stockpile features orts, sixes, patagoons, kraicars, and kopecks, but the most fascinating piece was a gold Hamburg ducat from 1648 with an image of Madonna holding a child. A hole punched into the coin has led experts to believe it was once worn as a medallion.

According to a translated statement from the Provincial Office for the Protection of Monuments in Kielce, Jaczewicz was a hermit, adventurer, false prophet, and criminal.

During a plague at the start of the Great Northern War, Jaczewicz sold himself as someone with healing powers given directly to him by the Mother of God, who apparently lived with him in the wilderness. The Jaczewicz scam garnered large numbers of donations meant to incentivize the man to employ these healing powers kept flowing in, and Jaczewicz eventually had to hire a group of guards to protect his fraudulent gains from bandits looking to plunder his loot.



But keeping the dishonest gains wasnt enough, and soon, Jaczewicz sent that assembly of guards to rob traveling pilgrims and raid surrounding properties.

Jaczewicz was eventually captured by authorities, but successfully escaped his first sentencing. He was later recaptured, and was sentenced to life in prison in 1712, just four years after his criminal behavior took root in the Swietokrzyskie Mountains.

Even with Jaczewicz imprisoned and his guards disbanded, his loot was never unearthed.

This troubled history led the Swietokrzyskie Exploration Group, with the blessing of the Provincial Office for the Protection of Monuments in Kielce, to search the mountains roughly 110 miles from Warsaw. Officials believe the discovered coins tie directly to Jaczewicz, and were a mix of the fees collected by the hermit and items stolen from the surrounding nobility.

The find was turned over to the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education, and has now been given to the Historical and Archaeological Museum in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski with the intention of preserving the coins while they undergo analysis.



Work on the current treasure continues, but according to the Miami Herald, it might not be the only treasure in the area. Officials told local media that they believe more hoards could be buried nearby. The collectionand legend of Jaczewiczmay still grow.

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The last few weeks have seen protests against Israels war in Gaza occur at many dozens of college and university campuses across the United States. Student protests and other acts of solidarity are also taking place internationally. It is far too premature to describe these protests as a mass movement. However, public opinion polls clearly show that there are great levels of discontent among Americas young people about not just Israels war in Gaza but about a range of other public policy concerns such as Americas role in the world, the global climate emergency, the neoliberal regime and the type of financial precarity it has caused for huge swaths of the public.

University and college administrators have responded to the student protests by authorizing the police to use a range of means including rubber bullets, pepper spray and tear gas, and in at least one instance deploying an armored vehicle as part of an operation to clear a building at Columbia University in New York. Given that the student protests have been overwhelmingly peaceful, the use of such force by the police can reasonably be described as excessive and extremely dangerous. At least 2,400 people, including at least 50 professors, have been arrested in protests on at least 50 campuses. Several people have been injured by the police.

I recently spoke with Alex Vitale, a professor of sociology at Brooklyn College and the author of The End of Policing," to contextualize the student protests and the police response. In this interview, Vitale points out the connections between the student protests against Israels war in Gaza, Americas culture of militarized policing and abuse, and the corporatization of the countrys universities and colleges. Vitale also shares his insights about how the Biden administrations response to the student protests may impact the 2024 election.

This is the second of a two-part conversation.

What is the relationship between the police and these universities and colleges in New York?

When right-wing populism became ascendant here in the United States as a reaction to the Occupy movement and Black Lives Matter right-wing intellectuals decried any kind of effort to shut down extremist right-wing speech in universities and public spaces, etc. So, all of a sudden, the most conservative right-wing forces in America are the champions of the First Amendment and freedom of speech. But of course, now, those exact same people are on the frontlines of turning speech acts into crime to be obliterated by police action and grassroots vigilantism whenever possible. The levels of hypocrisy are crystal clear to anyone paying any attention to what is really happening.

The universities are private property, for the most part. This means that the universities have control over whether the police get involved. The police are not making their own decisions to crush these encampments. The only reason the police are there is because university administrators have called them out. Some police have even expressed some reluctance and skepticism about whether it's appropriate to use police violence to manage these situations. The university administrators are facing a real legitimacy crisis. They're preventing dissent. They're shutting down graduations and closing campuses in an attempt to prevent speech about a pressing public issue. The administrators are also hiding behind a few acts of harassment and poor behavior by students that could be addressed on the merits of those individual cases, rather than engaging in a kind of collective punishment of an entire movement. When you call in the police what you get is riot squads, mounted units, snipers on rooftops, and this kind of gross, militarized warrior-style response to some students having a sit-in.

There is that image of the New York police using an armored vehicle and what looks like a tactical team against students at Columbia who had occupied one of the buildings. How is the use of such extreme force and militarized policing justified against college students?

There are two things happening here. One, there is a deeply rooted Islamophobia where these movements have been painted as Islamic extremists. Two, there is a deep disdain for anything that's perceived as politically disorderly, especially if it involves the left. There is also an extreme and grotesque exaggeration of danger and threat, where somehow it is imagined that there are terrorists in these encampments. That creates a logic where "shock and awe" police tactics must be used to control the situation. This is just an incredible overreaction, one that further serves to paint the student protest movement against the human rights violations in Gaza as dangerous, when it really isn't.

What would have happened if one of the Columbia students were maimed or killed by police during that assault?

That certainly is what happened in the 1960s and 1970s when university administrators just threw up their hands and turned the problem over to police, National Guard troops, and state troopers. As a result, students on many campuses across the country were killed or seriously injured. Hopefully that won't happen here. But we had an NYPD officer discharge their firearm accidentally at Columbia during their Fallujah-style assault on the building takeover.

There is always the possibility when deploying all this so-called less lethal weaponry  which in practice is often very lethal  that we will see students suffer serious injuries or even die from police actions. If such a tragedy were to occur, it would just escalate matters and fan the flames of militancy, expand the protest movement, and create more legitimacy problems for both the police and university administrators.

A senior New York City police officer held up a book about "terrorism" that was found in the Columbia library as "proof" that "outside agitators" were involved in the protests. The book was written by a leading historian and was not a "how to" manual or some such thing. That a police officer would make such a claim is the height of comedy and foolishness. But it does point to much larger dynamics at work with how these protests are being perceived by the public. What do we know about this "outside agitator" narrative?

We have high-ranking city officials and police officials mobilizing this tired old rhetoric about "outside agitators", and this is both patronizing to students and an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the protest movement. There is a video on X (formerly known as Twitter) from an NYPD assistant commissioner saying, "Look at these stacks of water bottles! Here's your proof that there must be outside forces aiding these students." This is ridiculous because it supposes that students do not know how to buy food and water for an encampment, which they've been doing through Occupy and Black Lives Matter and all kinds of other protest movements. These types of claims by the police are politically motivated and a way of taking sides. The police are not a neutral force who are there to enforce the law. The police are politically motivated actors. That fact shapes how the police do what they do, and how they talk to the public about what they do.

There are comparisons being made between this moment of student protest activity and the 1960s and early 1970s and the police killings at Kent State, for example. As I see it, there is a great lack of specific historicity and context with such claims.

We're certainly not there, despite what sensational public voices have been saying. Kent State took place after a decade of intense protest activity, both around civil rights and the antiwar movement. Those protest movements were much larger, they were massive. They also represented a much greater threat to the status quo of American imperialism in Southeast Asia.

I hope that we fight back against the criminalization of dissent sufficiently so that we do not get to that point again in this country with a horrible event like Kent State.

How are individual police responding to being deployed to break up the student protests and encampments?

I have not spoken to any individual police at these protests.

In general, we can say that police harbor a kind of natural abhorrence of protest because it's disorderly and policing is about the production of social order. I'm also sure that there are police who relish cracking down on these students and there are other police who don't like being involved in such violence. In the end, the attitudes of the individual police officers are largely irrelevant. When the chief of police, the mayor, and the head of a university say they want that encampment cleared, whatever it takes, the police are going to do what they are told.

What are these student protests further revealing about American higher education, and elite universities and colleges specifically, in this era of the neoliberal regime and corporatization?

It exposes a contradiction where universities, especially elite ones, compete for students by promoting themselves as being student-centered, student-friendly, and open to student activism. They celebrate past sit-ins and occupations in their promotional materials, and this includes Columbia University. But then when actually confronted by protests, the universities fall back on repression. The reason for that is a kind of deeper truth about the neoliberal university, which is that it is an important part of America's imperial program.

These universities are directly implicated in the production of weapons systems, and the ideologies that justify U.S. military adventurism around the world. And when that program is directly threatened, by demands to stop military research and cooperation or to divest from weapons manufacturers, that represents a profound challenge to the university. If we look closely at these boards of trustees, and the major donors and sources of research and grant money for these universities, we see how intimately tied they are to weapons manufacturers and the producers of the ideologies that favor U.S. military interventionism.

How are faculty responding to the student protests?

We've seen faculty who lack the protection of tenure being penalized for speaking out on the merits of the issues in Gaza. Faculty have been fired, not re-appointed, and otherwise dismissed from their jobs because of social media posts and their views on Israel's actions in Gaza. It is certainly not unreasonable for faculty who lack job security to be concerned about their ability to speak out publicly. Tenured faculty have been more willing to speak out, but they are divided in their opinions about what is happening in Gaza. Where we have seen more unity is in opposition to the criminalization of dissent on college campuses, on the use of police against students, and the failure to substantively negotiate with students about their demands. There have been significant walkouts, grading actions, and letters of protest. For example, there was a CUNY-wide faculty demonstration outside CUNY headquarters calling for CUNY to demand that charges be dropped against CUNY students arrested at City College at the encampment there.

There are supporters of President Biden in the news media and political class who are arguing that these student protests are undermining his chances of reelection and that the smarter move is to stand down and to support the bigger cause of defeating Donald Trump and the American neofascists and other enemies of democracy. Your thoughts?

That can be flipped on its head just as easily where President Biden is going to lose the 2024 election precisely because of the policies he's pursuing relative to Israel and Gaza and the Middle East. Biden and his advisors could then decide that they need to switch gears on Israel policy because it is damaging their chances of getting reelected because it turns out that big chunks of the electorate, specifically the Democratic Party's base, are not happy.
Local businessman and philanthropist Ernie Boch Jr. is stepping in to help a double lung transplant recipient from Salem after Boston 25 shared their story Sunday night.

Christina Norris says her family was left without more than $11,000 in funds they raised for her mother Donna Sinclairs double transplant after a national foundation suddenly shut down.

Sinclair had a successful surgery in 2018, and the funds that were raised by the family and kept in the NFT account over the past five years were used to cover post-surgery expenses such as copays and prescriptions. But in April, they received word that the nonprofit was shutting down, and more than $11,000 in their name would not be given back.

The family said they havent been able to contact NFT, and are now trying to fundraise again for Donnas medical needs.

A representative for Ernie Boch Jr. reached out to Boston 25 on Monday about Sinclairs story.

I read the story and was extremely moved. I knew I had to do something and we got it done, said Ernie Boch Jr.

The CEO of Boch Enterprises and Subaru of New England, says he is covering the money for Sinclair and her family.

This is incredible news. My Mom was in tears when I called her. There are no words to express our gratitude to Ernie Boch Jr, Norris told Boston 25.

To help the Salem family, you can donate at: Fundraiser for Donna Sinclair by Sinclair Family.

Norris told Boston 25 shes connected with several other families across the country who have also lost significant funds as a result.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Israeli troops have advanced deeper into Rafah, eyewitnesses in Gaza's overcrowded southernmost city said on Tuesday.

Israeli tanks were said to have moved from the east of the city into neighbourhoods further west including the al-Janina district.

The Israeli army did not initially comment on the reports.

Israel's allies, including its main backer the United States, have been warning Israel for weeks against a ground offensive into Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had been sheltering from fighting elsewhere in the coastal strip.

Almost 450,000 people have left the city since Israel began advancing on the city's eastern outskirts last week, according to the UN.

The military arm of the Islamist organization Hamas announced on Tuesday that its fighters had attacked an Israeli troop transport in Rafah. Rescue helicopters had landed in the al-Salam neighbourhood to evacuate the wounded. This neighbourhood is also located deeper inside the city.
Claim:

The U.S. state of Hawaii is not covered by the NATO defense pact.

Rating:

Rating: True

Context:

While Hawaii is technically excluded from the North Atlantic Treat Organization because it is not located around the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean or north of the Tropic of Cancer, it is likely that NATO member countries would still rise to defend the U.S. should an attack occur on Hawaii.

In March and April 2024, claims circulated that the U.S. state of Hawaii was left out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, including on Reddit:

The claim appeared on X as well, shared by U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky who advocated for the entire country to leave NATO:

Hawaii is not covered by the NATO treaty. Some experts say that needs to change. I say, lets get the other 49 states out. https://t.co/ukrZB0MTih  Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) April 1, 2024

Massie's post had garnered more than 232,000 views, 1,200 shares and 7,400 likes, as of this writing.

NATO History

NATO came into existence at the beginning of the Cold War, when Western European countries and the United States felt the need to join forces against the Soviet Union. Twelve countries (Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States) joined at the time. In 1952, Greece and Turkey followed suit, and three years later Germany joined. In 1982, NATO added Spain to the fold.

The year 1999 marked the beginning of another wave of expansion as Eastern European countries, which had become independent after the collapse of the eastern bloc, applied to join NATO. In 2024, NATO ratified the accession of Sweden, bringing the number of member countries to 32.

As of this writing, there were three countries that aspired to join NATO: Ukraine, Georgia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Article 5 of the treaty states that an attack on one of the member countries is an attack on them all (emphasis ours):

The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognised by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area. Any such armed attack and all measures taken as a result thereof shall immediately be reported to the Security Council. Such measures shall be terminated when the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to restore and maintain international peace and security.

If one of the member countries triggers Article 5, the others agree to come to its aid against the attacker.

But Article 6 sets limits to the territory covered by the treaty (emphasis ours):

For the purpose of Article 5, an armed attack on one or more of the Parties is deemed to include an armed attack:

Hawaii's Status

Hawaii became a U.S. state in 1959, 10 years after the U.S. ratified the North Atlantic Treaty. Its geographical location  in the Pacific  excluded it from the territory delineated in Article 6. Alaska, which became a state the same year as Hawaii, might've fallen out of the treaty's borders if it hadn't been located north of the Tropic of Cancer, unlike Hawaii:



(Google Earth)

As such, Hawaii is technically excluded from the treaty. However, in a 2019 interview, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg replied that if Hawaii came under attack, the organization would probably treat it as it would an attack of the contiguous United States:

If one Ally is attacked, and Hawaii is part of the United States which is part of NATO, then Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty states clearly that that should be regarded as an attack on us all and we can trigger Article 5. So, that's in a way the answer to that.

He went on to add that NATO is, above all, a political alliance, and the member countries would respond accordingly:

This is about a political commitment that we are standing up for each other and just to have the idea that one Ally should be attacked and then we not reacting will undermine the credibility of the whole of NATO.

A provision in the Treaty also makes this possible. Article 4 reads:

The Parties will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened.

Article 4 is the guarantee that each attack will be examined on its own merits.

It is also worth noting that the U.S. has a special place within NATO because the country provides, on its own, two-thirds of the organization's funding. As such, it seems unlikely the other members would say no to helping in an attack against a U.S. state, regardless of its location.

Still, there is a precedent for NATO refusing to respond to an attack on one of its member countries when the attack concerned a territory outside of the treaty's limits. In 1982, Argentina's forces invaded the Falkland Islands  disputed British islands off the coast of Argentina. During this episode, the U.K. was left alone to defend its territory.

There are other territories belonging to NATO member countries that fall outside the borders of Article 6, besides Hawaii and the Falklands. They include many islands of the Caribbean (such as Puerto Rico), as well as French Guiana, French Polynesia, Guantanamo Bay, Guam, the Marianas and Samoa.

Regardless, changing the language of the treaty would require consensus among the 32 members.

Shifting Focus?

Some experts have argued that the center of gravity for geopolitics has shifted from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, China and North Korea represent a bigger threat to the U.S. and the West at large, the experts say. China has set its sights on Taiwan, and North Korea's nuclear program has created concern among Western democracies. In case of conflict, the U.S. would be better placed to respond from Hawaii. Including Hawaii in NATO would send a strong message of deterrence to both countries, security specialists have said.

Sources:

'Hawaii Statehood, August 21, 1959'. National Archives, 15 Aug. 2016, https://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/hawaii.

Imperial War Museums. The Falklands War 1982 (Full Documentary). 2024. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R2eUAkgWRg.

Lendon, Brad. Hawaii Is Only U.S. State Not Covered by NATO Defense Agreement - CBS San Francisco. 30 Mar. 2024, https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/hawaii-only-united-states-state-not-covered-nato/.

---. 'This US State Is Not Covered by the NATO Treaty. Some Experts Say That Needs to Change'. CNN, 30 Mar. 2024, https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/29/us/nato-treaty-hawaii-intl-hnk-ml-dst/index.html.

NATO. 'Enlargement and Article 10'. NATO, https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_49212.htm. Accessed 9 May 2024.

---. 'NATO Member Countries'. NATO, https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_52044.htm. Accessed 9 May 2024.

---. 'Remarks by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the Lowy Institute (Sydney)'. NATO, http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/opinions_168351.htm. Accessed 9 May 2024.

---. 'The North Atlantic Treaty'. NATO, https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_17120.htm. Accessed 9 May 2024.

News, A. B. C. 'After Trump's Claims, Here's What to Know about NATO Member Defense Spending'. ABC News, https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/after-trumps-claims-nato-member-defense-spending/story?id=107226112. Accessed 9 May 2024.

Reporter, James Bickerton US News. 'NATO's Hawaii Blindspot'. Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2024, https://www.newsweek.com/natos-hawaii-blindspot-1885580.

Stilwell, Blake. 'Hawaii May Not Be Protected Under Article 5 of the NATO Treaty'. Military.Com, 16 Nov. 2022, https://www.military.com/history/hawaii-may-not-be-protected-under-article-5-of-nato-treaty.html.
Joe Castillo of the Austin school district helps a student fill out information for the FAFSA at an event hosted by Opportunity Austin for students at Travis Early College High School in February.

Brian Lerma-Alfaro, a senior at Lehman High School in Hays County, started his Free Application for Federal Student Aid with paper forms in December.

After months of trying to submit the paper forms, he opened an online application in March.

Two weeks from graduating from high school, he's still wading through technical difficulties.

"Literally, the only thing I need is a signature from my mom," Lerma-Alfaro said. "When I go into her account, my form doesn't pop up."

Lerma-Alfaro received his acceptance to the University of Texas in February, where he wants to study data science and statistics. But he needs his aid package from the university  which requires the FAFSA form  to receive other scholarships.

He spent two hours in his counselor's office Monday, trying to work through the form's technical issue.

"It's been a huge pain in the butt," Lerma-Alfaro said.

Delays in the FAFSA process have plunged whats already a stressful and cumbersome matter for high school seniors into a plague of uncertainty.

Weeks after the usual May 1 college decision deadline, many seniors are still waiting on aid information thats crucial to making a decision.

A lot of things went wrong this year to create the uncertainty, said Shareea Woods, director of the Texas College Access Network. The organization is meant to improve students ability to attend college.

The U.S. Department of Education overhauled the entire system to one that's meant to be a more streamlined, easier process.

However, glitches pushed back the opening of the FAFSA application process from the typical October date to January. The federal department also didnt start processing applications until March.

Processing turnaround times are down to one to three days now, according to the federal department.

Burden on colleges

Cindy Melendez, the vice president of student success at Concordia University Texas in Northwest Austin, said universities' largest challenge with sending out financial aid packages has been waiting on data from the U.S. Department of Education.

Were used to these packages going out in February, Melendez said. So from February to May, our staff has been really working hard to figure out how we prepare for this time when we have to condense packaging into a much shorter time frame than usual.

For students with multiple acceptances trying to decide which college will give them the most educational bang for their buck, the delays are causing stress.

There has been some understanding that our students need more time, especially our students that are coming from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, Woods said. Weve heard some stories of parents putting in deposits at multiple institutions so they can hedge their bet.

Melendez said the university sent out the first round of aid packages last week. Because Concordia works so closely with families, the deadlines are very flexible, and university staffers have been working with applicants one on one to offer support and guidance.

The University of Texas included an option for students to extend their deadline to June 1. Miguel Wasielewski, vice provost of admissions, said about 1,000 students opted for more time, while about 9,000 committed to the university without knowing their financial aid packages. The office has been in contact with all 1,000 students, he said.

In this case, it's all about just making sure that we advocate wherever possible to get them the resources that they need, while also monitoring where they are in the process, Wasielewski said.

To date, the university hasn't noticed differences in the makeup of next year's class compared with previous years because of the FAFSA delays, he said.

Brian Dixon, vice provost for enrollment management, said UT plans to start sending out packages this week. Earlier in the process, the admissions team identified some particularly strong candidates that it anticipated would need financial aid, something typically evaluated from FAFSA data, and offered some early tuition guarantees.

The institution took that financial risk to try to provide the assurance for those students, and that has been highly effective, Dixon said. About 4 out of 5 students who received those early guarantees have taken us up on that offer.

Cost of delays

Even if colleges let students push back their decision, the delays still cost them, Woods said.

A postponed college acceptance means students could miss out on summer boot camps that colleges offer for some intensive programs or might delay housing choices, she said.

Our concern is some students may be so turned off by this process they may choose not to enroll, Woods said.

For students who are still waiting, they should keep an eye on their inboxes and stay in communication with the colleges theyd like to attend, she said.

Dixon still thinks there will be problems to work out next year. For instance, students of parents without a Social Security number initially could not complete the form this year.

Nationwide, fewer students have completed the FAFSA this year compared with last year.

Only 50.4% of Texas high school seniors had completed the FAFSA by May 3, according to the federal Education Department.

By this time last year, 70% of students had completed the application, according to the Texas College Access Network. Even in 2021, which was a record low year because of the pandemic, 58% of Texas seniors filled out the application.

Dixon expects more students will still fill out the form once their peers start receiving letters.

Lerma-Alfaro is the only one among his group of friends left still awaiting an aid package, he said.

With graduation ahead, he's been working to keep his grades up, look for jobs and spend time with his friends. The balance is already difficult, and he's ready to get his college plans set in stone.

"I don't like saving things until the last day," Lerma-Alfaro said.

The Education Department has updates at studentaid.gov.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: FAFSA delays stall Austin-area students' college decisions into summer
Computer glitches in the U.S. Department of Education's recently overhauled financial aid system have left many students unable to commit to a school.

Jojo Henderson, a senior from Pittsburg, Texas, was stuck in limbo for months while waiting to learn what sort of financial aid he might get.

"I'm frustrated because it's just like, you do everything that you're supposed to do and then you have to wait on the government to catch up," Henderson told CBS News.

Henderson filled out the free application for federal student aid, known as FAFSA, almost five months ago. With just weeks to go before graduation, he finally received his financial information last week  after some college deadlines had already passed.



Typically, the Department of Education releases the forms on Oct. 1 and sends the students' data to colleges within one to three days of a submission. This year, the application forms came out three months late. It's estimated that more than 25% of colleges have still not sent aid packages, according to a report last week from the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.



New Jersey senior Jailen James finally received her aid package close to the decision deadline. She told CBS News that before it arrived, she considered giving up and not going to college.

"I was just so tired of waiting," she said.

As the FAFSA fiasco continues, Sara Urquidez, who oversees college counseling for thousands of public school students in the Dallas area, said those who are stuck waiting should follow up as much as possible.

"Ask for extensions. Ask if deposits for housing are refundable. Ask for anything they possibly can to help make a decision," she told CBS News.

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SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage)  A woman was recently booked in the Tom Green County Detention Center for criminal negligent homicide following a grand jury indictment.

Mugshot: Morgan Palmour 5-13-2024 courtesy Tom Green County Sheriffs Office

According to records filed in Tom Green County, Morgan Palmour was arrested and charged after she failed to secure an inividual in a child safety seat while driving at a speed that was lower than the speed limit on July 17, 2023. This resulted in the death of the individual.

San Angelo theft crime ring members indicted

Palmour was indicted by a grand jury in Tom Green County in January 2024.

Palmour was booked in the Tom Green County Detention Center on May 13, 2024 with no bond currently set.

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 ConchoValleyHomepage.com.
Officials confirmed that one of four victims in a deadly wrong-way crash in Connecticut last week was a college student from Massachusetts.

Alexander Dennis, 21, of Wayland, was killed when he drove his Honda CRV on the wrong side of Route 15 South in Stratford on May 9 at 1:43 a.m. and collided with a Chrysler Town and Country minivan, causing the Honda to catch fire, according to state police.

Investigators say 55-year-old Steven Rowland, of Easton, the driver of the Chrysler, and two passengers in the vehicle, 80-year-old Thomas Lucian Vitale, and 81-year-old Olga Vitale, both of Easton, died at the scene. The highway was closed for several hours while crews cleaned the wreck.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

In a statement, Fairfield University says Dennis was a student at the school:

Fairfield University was notified by the family of one of our beloved students, Alexander Dennis 25, that he died early Thursday morning in a tragic car accident. As our University community mourns, we hold the Dennis family, friends and all of those impacted in our prayers during this difficult time. In this time of grief, members of our Jesuit Community, Counseling Services, and the Office of Student Life are offering support to the Dennis family, friends and classmates. Fairfield University Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Anderson

The university also says they will gather as a community to celebrate Denniss life in the fall when students return to campus.

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CARTHAGE, Mo.  Carthage area kids enjoy a living history lesson.

For the past 22 years, a number of community volunteers have dressed the part of historical figures and made presentations to school children.

It happened, today, inside Fairview Christian Church.

It normally happens outside at Central Park, but a change of venue was in order due to the threat of rain, compounded with the fact the park was damaged in last weeks storms.

Regardless, the kids got to see history as opposed to simply reading about it.

I hope they take away how special they are. That this day was provided for them, and to just realize that they have so many gifts and we want them to understand that these were just ordinary people who became extraordinary because of the virtues that they shared with others, said Bonnie Schaeffer, Great Americans Day Cmte. Member.

And also our great American heroes, every one of them has such stories of difficulty and adversity and hardship in their lives. Its so inspiring, and you think, oh, every one of us can gain from their stories, said Debbie Herbst, Great Americans Day Cmte. Member.

These 5th-grade students, I love working with them, and just watching the light bulbs go off when they, oh, really? That, that did happen? So, its just fun. Fun to share, said Michele Holliday, Portrayed Harriet Beecher Stowe.

More than 400 5th-grade students were part of todays event that also included games, arts and crafts, and dancing.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com.
From left, Richelle Dietz, left, Amanda Feindt and Nastasia Freeman stand before reporters at the end of a trial on Monday, May 13, 2024, in Honolulu. They are among the 17 plaintiffs suing the United States over a 2021 jet fuel leak into a Navy water system in Hawaii that sickened thousands of people. (AP Photo/Jennifer Kelleher)

HONOLULU (AP)  A lawyer representing U.S. military families suing over a 2021 jet fuel leak into a Navy drinking water system in Hawaii asked a judge Monday to award plaintiffs a range of about $225,000 to about $1.25 million each in damages.

In a closing argument at the end of a two-week trial in federal court in Honolulu, the plaintiffs' attorney, Kristina Baehr, said she is not asking for millions of dollars per person. She outlined various amounts they're asking a judge to award each of them, including $400,000 for the past pain and suffering of Nastasia Freeman, wife of a Navy sailor and mother of three who described how the family thought their vomiting and diarrhea was Thanksgiving food poisoning.

Baehr said Freeman should also get $200,000 for future pain and suffering, $250,000 for mental anguish, $100,000 for impairment, $150,000 for loss of enjoyment of life, $93,000 for lost wages and $57,000 for therapy.

Freeman is at the high end of the requested amounts because the water contamination reactivated a seizure disorder that had been dormant, Baehr said.

Freeman is among the 17 bellwether plaintiffs: a cross-selection of relatives of military members representing more than 7,500 others, including service members, in three federal lawsuits.

The outcome can help determine future damages to be awarded or settlements for the others.

Baehr thanked attorneys representing the United States for admitting liability in the case. The government has said in court documents that the Nov. 20, 2021, spill at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility caused a nuisance for the plaintiffs, that the United States breached its duty of care and that the plaintiffs suffered compensable injuries.

But government attorneys dispute whether the residents were exposed to jet fuel at levels high enough to cause their alleged health effects, ranging from vomiting to rashes.

The plaintiffs described how the water crisis sickened them and left them with ongoing health problems, including seizures, asthma, eczema and vestibular dysfunction.

Eric Rey, a U.S. Department of Justice attorney, said in his closing statement that one of the families didn't stop drinking the water until Dec. 9, even though the Navy first received complaints about the water on Nov. 27. That's likely because they didn't smell anything in the water before then, an indication the doses of jet fuel in the water were too low to cause their health effects, he said.

There is no acceptable level of jet fuel in drinking water," Baehr said. We dont expect to have jet fuel in our drinking water.

A Navy investigation report in 2022 listed a cascading series of mistakes from May 6, 2021, when an operator error caused a pipe to rupture that led to 21,000 gallons (80,000 liters) of fuel spilling while it was transferred between tanks. Most of this fuel spilled into a fire suppression line and sat there for six months, causing the line to sag. When a cart rammed into this sagging line on Nov. 20, it released 20,000 gallons (75,700 liters) of fuel.

The military eventually agreed to drain the tanks, amid state orders and protests from Native Hawaiians and other Hawaii residents concerned about the threat posed to Honolulus water supply. The tanks sit above an aquifer supplying water to 400,000 people in urban Honolulu.

It's not clear when U.S. District Judge Leslie Kobayashi will issue a ruling. Attorneys on both sides have until around July to submit additional closing briefs and respond to them.

I appreciate what you've gone through," Kobayashi told the plaintiffs in court Monday. I hope at some point that wherever the decision lands that it gives you a sense that you've had your opportunity to speak your mind and represent your families.

__

This version corrects that the requested amount for Freeman's future pain and suffering is $200,000, not $400,000.
WAMEGO (KSNT)  The first Kansan to die in a tornado in years was laid to rest Tuesday in Wamego.

Many gathered to pay their respects to Anna Miller on May 14. She lost her life to the EF3 tornado that hit Westmoreland on April 30.

Miller was a prominent member of the community. She worked for the Pottawatomie County Health Department for 28 years. She enjoyed spending time with her family and will be remembered as the life of the party.

Topeka man dies of injuries after motorcycle crash

27 News spoke with Clark Tanner, a family member, about the community support the family is receiving.

Thank you to everyone that has really stepped up to the plate and said, you know, here we are at a time of mourning as a family, as a community, Tanner said. But so many people have come to love on us, and were thankful for that.

Miller was the only one who lost her life in the tornado  but officials said three others were injured. More than 20 houses were damaged, along with five outbuildings and parts of an RV park.

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.

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 KSNT 27 News.
Fani Willis tears up talking about threats made against her and her family

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis got emotional Monday night as she thanked the police officers who have protected her and her family safe over the last couple of years.

Willis was a featured speaker at the City of South Fultons State of the Police event. She also lives within the city limits.

The last couple of years have been really hard for me. But what has kept me safe, is this police department, Willis said.

Though she couldnt speak specifics about the case, Willis has been outspoken about the threats that have been made against her and her family since announcing she was going investigate, and ultimately prosecute, former President Donald Trump and several of his allies for their alleged roles in trying to overturn the 2020 election here in Georgia.

Willis said she couldnt believe it when she read that people thought she was lying about the threats.

Recently I read some reports that Im making up all these threats. Which is ridiculous, Willis said.

The DA got emotional talking about how her home was swatted on Christmas.

She said she got a phone call from South Fulton Police Chief Keith Meadows asking what was going on at her home after the department had gotten a phone call that someone had been killed inside her home.

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Willis said her daughter had left to go back to the house shortly before getting the phone call from the chief.

I cannot tell you the amount of terror I had thinking my children, a 16-year-old child, was dead, and not know what the heck had happened, Willis said through tears. You all showed up  just to make sure that me and my family were OK.

Willis said the threats have been so bad that she is not living in her own home right now but will not let the threats stop her from going back.

I refuse to sell it because it is where I raised my children, it is where I plan to return just as soon as I can. As soon as its safe and Im not so much a burden, Willis said.

Willis spoke for about five minutes and praised the professionalism of the South Fulton Police Department and their approach to tackling gang violence across that city  which was something Willis ran on when she was running to become district attorney.

She finished her speech once again thanking the officers and their promise to keep her safe.

The chief said, You do not have to leave this city. This police department will keep you safe, Willis said.

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Far-right German politician fined over use of banned Nazi slogan

Bjoern Hoecke, chairman of the Thuringian AfD party, sits in the courtroom of the Halle/Saale district court. He is accused of using symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations. Ronny Hartmann/AFP Pool/dpa

A leading member of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, Bjorn Hocke, has been fined for using a prohibited Nazi slogan, a regional court ruled on Tuesday evening.

The regional court in the eastern German city of Halle sentenced Hocke to a fine for using symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations.

Hocke, 52, is to pay 100 daily rates of 130 ($140) each, the court ruled.

The public prosecutor's office had accused the leader of the Thuringian state AfD of having knowingly used a banned slogan of the Sturmabteilung (SA), or Storm Troopers, a Nazi paramilitary group commonly referred to as the "brownshirts."

A former history teacher, Hocke has denied that he had knowingly used the slogan.

Bjoern Hoecke (R), chairman of the Thuringian AfD party, waits with his lawyer Ulrich Vosgerau for the start of his trial at the Halle/Saale district court. He is accused of using symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations. Ronny Hartmann/AFP Pool/dpa
Bjoern Hoecke, chairman of the Thuringian AfD party, sits in the courtroom of the Halle/Saale district court. He is accused of using symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations. Ronny Hartmann/AFP Pool/dpa

A leading member of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, Bjorn Hocke, has been fined for using a prohibited Nazi slogan, a regional court ruled on Tuesday evening.

The regional court in the eastern German city of Halle sentenced Hocke to a fine for using symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations.

The court imposed a fine of 13,000 ($14,000) paid in 100 daily instalments of 130.

The public prosecutor's office had accused the leader of the Thuringian state AfD of having knowingly used a banned slogan of the Sturmabteilung (SA), or Storm Troopers, a Nazi paramilitary group commonly referred to as the "brownshirts."

The case was sparked by a speech delivered by Hocke in Merseburg in May 2021, during which he employed the phrase "Everything for Germany!" (Alles fur Deutschland!) which is banned in Germany.

A former history teacher, Hocke denied that he had knowingly used the slogan. The defence had called for Hocke to be acquitted of the charge on the grounds that he did not know it was forbidden.

The prosecution had earlier called for a suspended six-month sentence and asserted that he was aware of its historical origin.

The presiding judge agreed and stated in the judgement that the court was convinced that Hocke knew that the SA slogan was banned but used it anyway.

"You are an eloquent, intelligent man who knows what he is saying," the judge said.

After the judgement was handed down, the public prosecutor's office said that it would consider an appeal. If the judgement is upheld, Hocke will have a criminal record.

The Thuringian AfD is categorized and monitored by the state's domestic intelligence service as a confirmed right-wing extremist party, and Hocke is its state leader.

The AfD's signature issue is a hard-line anti-immigration stance, and the party is profiting from increased concern among many German voters over rising numbers of people seeking asylum in the country.

The current verdict is not expected to have any direct consequences for Hocke's candidacy for the upcoming state election in Thuringia on September 1.

Bjoern Hoecke (R), chairman of the Thuringian AfD party, waits with his lawyer Ulrich Vosgerau for the start of his trial at the Halle/Saale district court. He is accused of using symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations. Ronny Hartmann/AFP Pool/dpa
Father of three had much of his life before him  then he was buried alive on the job

On a summer morning in 2022, construction worker Joshua Kerrey Brindle climbed into a trench to help lay sewer pipes for a new neighborhood of single family homes in Albemarle.

Suddenly, the vertical walls of the eight-and-a-half-foot-deep trench collapsed, state records show. Brindle, a 30-year-old father of three, ran but could not outrace the falling dirt. He was buried alive.

Like many other fatal construction accidents in North Carolina, this tragedy was preventable.

Under OSHA rules, excavation companies are required to use devices called trench boxes or other methods to prevent the walls of deep trenches from caving in on workers. They are also supposed to have qualified people inspect trenches each day.

That didnt happen on this job site in central North Carolina, state workplace safety inspectors found.

Inspectors also found that excavated material was placed directly at the trenchs upper edge, another violation of OSHA rules.

Hard Hat Deaths: Once every 10 days, a NC construction worker dies on the job. Many deaths are preventable.

The state fined the excavation contractor, Brindle Site Services, $66,708 for three serious violations and one willful violation, the most severe kind of penalty.

Brindle Site Services, which had done trenching work for 28 years, knew methods to protect employees inside trenches but failed to use them, state regulators concluded.

Deepening the tragedy, Brindles father, John Kevin Brindle, is president of Brindle Site Services, the company that had been doing the excavation work the morning Kerry died. He didnt respond to a request for comment.

When this trench collapsed in Albemarle on July 5, 2022, Kerrey Brindle was not able to escape before he was buried alive.

I was mad at God

Brindles mother, Tammy Bost, also lost an older son to COVID in 2021. His death was not sudden, so she had time to reconcile herself to his passing, she said.

But when Kerrey died a year later, Bost had no time to prepare herself.

That knocked me out like a ton of bricks, she said. I couldnt accept it. I was mad at God then.

Brindles daughters, who were ages 6, 5 and four-months old when he died, were the joy of his life, his mother said. An avid outdoorsman, Brindle loved to hunt deer and take his daughters to his fathers farm to see the horses and cows, Bost said.

The youngest  she lost an opportunity, Bost said. Shes never going to get to do the horseplay and the other things her older sisters got to do with him.

Kerrey Brindle, shown here with daughters Ryleigh and Kylynn, before his death in 2022.

Brindle, who lived in the southern Cabarrus County town of Midland, was rambunctious as a teenager, his mother said. But he matured into a hard-working and deeply religious man, who read the Bible daily.

When he wasnt working, he would often go to thrift stores to buy rusted pocket knives, damaged alarm systems and other items in need of repair. Then hed fix them up and sell them. He loved spending time with his fiancee, friends and family members  and playing pranks on them, his mother said.

Today, Bost says she believes that workplace safety inspections are too rare  and that fines are too low  to encourage safer practices on job sites.

The state labor department conducts safety inspections in response to complaints and deaths, and as part of its routine inspection program. But North Carolina law doesnt spell out how often each job site should be inspected, and some companies never get visits from safety officers.

But as construction has expanded in North Carolina over the past decade, workplace safety inspections have dropped sharply. Labor department officials say thats largely because theyve had difficulty attracting and retaining compliance officers.

State workplace safety inspectors had never previously inspected Brindle Site Services, records show.

Bost wonders whether Kerrey would be alive today if safety inspectors checked job sites more regularly and did more surprise inspections.

When it comes to safety and construction, its very slack, Bost said. If there were checks and balances, I wonder whether all of this could have been avoided.
At a packed meeting Monday night, Fayette County School Board members affirmed a Cassidy Elementary school councils decision and the superintendents agreement to cut art courses for budget reasons.

The vote was 3-1 with board members Tyler Murphy, the chairman, Amy Green and Marilyn Clark voting to affirm the decision to cut the art classes. Board member Amanda Ferguson voted no, and Board member Jason Moore was not at the meeting because of a work conflict.

District spokesperson Dia Davidson-Smith has said the district has not cut its budget. She said student enrollment numbers and projections directly impact the staffing allocation made for each school. If the student enrollment number goes up, the staffing allocation also goes up. If that student enrollment number goes down, so does the staffing allocations. School decision-making councils make decisions about staffing allocations.

A school board attorney told board members they did not have the choice to reverse the school councils decision to cut art classes. He said they could affirm it or tell the school council they had concerns about the decision to cut art courses

Murphy told the Herald-Leader after the meeting, We had to think about the precedence we were setting as a board.

Our scope in this matter was very narrow under both state law and board policy, he said.

Murphy said such a decision could lead to the School Board telling school decision-making councils what to do.

How do you distinguish between expressing a concern and issuing a directive? Murphy said.

Parent Ansel Elkins, who had taken an appeal to the School Board, said the decision was upsetting because she thinks it was within board members authority to decide on the art cuts and they took the easy way out.

Her revised appeal, filed in late April, said the decision to cut art classes lacked educational merit and violated district policy, among other issues.

In the last few months, the Cassidy school decision-making council had voted to eliminate the courses and Superintendent Demetrus Liggins had denied an appeal from parents.

Liggins told the Herald-Leader after the meeting that students have to have a certain amount of core curriculum classes. Those could include reading and math and science.

Theres just not enough time in the day for students to take advantage of every single elective class offered to them, Liggins said.

Parent James Carr said in an interview that no one was asking for additions to the school schedule.

The art class was already there and they just cut it, got rid of it, said Carr.

The issue of school councils making course cuts has galvanized the Lexington community, which supports a PTA effort to raise funds for art classes at Cassidy.

Prior to the board vote, a roomful of parents and community members spoke at a public forum, asking Liggins why a school district with so much money was cutting courses such as art and chorus.
FBI warns terrorist groups may target pride events, venues

NEW YORK (PIX11)  A warning from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security Monday night, ahead of Pride Month.

The feds announced theres a heightened threat environment from foreign terrorist organizations, like ISIS, surrounding upcoming LGBTQ+ pride events.

With Pride Month about three weeks away, there is excitement in New York City.

Its the meeting ground for people that feel that they are not accepted, said Rudy Reed ahead of the celebration.

On Monday, the FBI issued a warning about foreign terrorist organizations potentially targeting LGBTQ events and venues during Pride Month.

Its incredibly disheartening and troubling, said openly gay city Councilman Erik Bottcher.

More Local News

He looks forward to Pride Month every year and takes part in many events.

We should take the warning from the FBI and DHS seriously and follow the advice that they issued, which is to be vigilant, to keep an eye out that may seem off, he said.

This June will mark the eighth anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, where 49 people lost their lives.

ISIS praised that attack. The FBI said some indicators for police and the public to watch for include violent threats made online or in person.

Things To Do Around NYC

Someone is taking photographs of security equipment or personnel and requesting information on events and crowd sizes without explanation. They may also attempt to bypass security or impersonate law enforcement.

But locals say they will not be discouraged from attending pride events.

You cant submit to it; you have to live your life and keep going, said Reed.

Our community will not be intimidated, and I would ask folks to have a really wonderful pride, Bottcher added.

To report a threat, you can contact the FBI office in New York City. Authorities are also advising people attending pride events to be aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious activity.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
(Getty Images)

A federal judge on Monday denied a motion for a stay of proceedings pending an appeal in a case challenging the constitutionality of a section of the LEARNS Act that bans indoctrination in public schools.

U.S. District Judge Lee Rudofsky last week granted in part and denied in part the plaintiffs motion for a preliminary injunction in the lawsuit.

The state on Friday filed a notice of appeal of the order, as well as a motion for a stay pending its appeal and a stay of a May 14 deadline for filing responses, pending the courts ruling on the motion.

Filed in Pulaski Circuit Court by Little Rock Central High School parents, students and teachers against Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Education Secretary Jacob Oliva and the Arkansas State Board of Education, the suit claims the indoctrination ban in Section 16 of the LEARNS Act violates the First and Fourteenth amendments, which guarantee a right to freedom of speech and due process.

The LEARNS Act, legislation prioritized and signed into law last year by Sanders, made wide-ranging changes to Arkansas education system, including increasing the states minimum teacher salary to $50,000 and creating a school voucher program.

Two of the plaintiffs are teachers who, according to an amended complaint filed on April 12, are self-censoring what and how they teach because they dont want to suffer the consequences of accidentally breaking the law.

Rudofsky last week ordered that the state defendants, except the governor, are enjoined for the duration of the litigation from enforcing Section 16 in a manner that disciplines or prevents the teacher plaintiffs from teaching about Critical Race Theory or using it to teach other topics.

Critical Race Theory is cited in the LEARNS Act as an ideology that teachers could indoctrinate students into believing.

However, Rudofsky said the teachers could be disciplined if either compels a student to adopt, affirm, or profess a belief in a theory, ideology or idea (including Critical Race Theory) that conflicts with the principle of equal protection under the law.

Rudofsky noted that compulsion requires speech or actions, such as a teacher threatening to grade on the basis of whether a student accepts or rejects a theory or a teacher denigrating students because of their agreement or disagreement with the theory.

Oliva and the Arkansas State Board of Education are appealing last weeks order to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The post Federal judge denies stay in Arkansas LEARNS indoctrination lawsuit appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
Federal judge rejects ask to delay Hunter Biden gun trial in Wilmington slated for June

A federal judge in Wilmington Tuesday rejected requests by an attorney representing Hunter Biden to delay the gun case trial scheduled for early June.

Biden's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, told U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika he could not adequately prepare for trial on the set timeline and that a case currently in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as coming motions in Bidens case, necessitate delay. Biden was not required to attend the hearing.

Prosecutors claim Biden broke federal law by reportedly lying about his addiction to drugs when he bought a gun in New Castle County in 2018. Biden has appealed, arguing he shouldnt face a trial after a plea agreement fell apart last July and that prosecutors are being vindictive because of political pressure from Republicans to prosecute the presidents son.

Norieka has already rejected that appeal and last week, a federal appeals court also rejected his effort to dismiss the case. Tuesdays hearing was the first since that ruling.

Why do attorneys want to delay Hunter Biden's case?

Lowell told Noreika his impression that the June 3 trial start day was penciled in." Noreika told him that was incorrect.

We are not ready and are trying to be and cannot be, Lowell told the judge.

RECENT: Judge refuses to dismiss Hunter Biden's federal tax charges despite plea of political persecution

He set out a litany of reasons why he felt the trial should be delayed. He argued the U.S. Supreme Court is now hearing an appeal in a similar gun case. He noted issues being litigated in California, where Biden faces federal tax charges, could affect the gun case.

He complained that finding an expert to testify for the defense has been difficult. He said there had been evidentiary issues recently brought to light by prosecutors that he cannot attend to in time.

Norieka questioned what he had been doing to prepare for the trial, like how many experts hed interviewed for potential hire.

Hunter Biden arrives to sit for a deposition before a House panel as part of a Republican-led impeachment inquiry into his father, President Joe Biden on Feb. 28, 2024.

This is not a terribly complicated case, she told him at one point.

Ultimately, Lowell asked Noreika to reschedule the trial to September, which is after the July date set for Bidens tax case in California.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Hines told the court that prosecutors are prepared to meet the June date and rejected Lowells arguments for delay.

Noreika left the courtroom for a period, returned to the bench and told Lowell she was unpersuaded by his arguments after reviewing some relevant case law.

This prompted Lowell to tender a counter-offer of a July trial date, arguing that he doesnt have time to file the necessary pretrial motions, sort out witness complications and review evidentiary issues to ensure Hunter Biden receives a fair trial.

It just cannot be done, Lowell said, launching into a litany of pretrial maneuvers he claimed he is now barred by the court from engaging.

Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, flanked by Kevin Morris, left, and Abbe Lowell, right, attend a House Oversight Committee meeting on January 10, 2024 in Washington, DC. The committee is meeting today as it considers citing him for Contempt of Congress.

This prompted Noreika to interject, telling Lowell the fact he hasnt drafted certain motions up until this point doesnt mean she is barring him from doing so. Ultimately, she held the previously agreed-upon schedule.

Also on Tuesday, prosecutors filed motions aimed at limiting what evidence may be presented and how it may be discussed during the trial.

What is Hunter Biden charged with?

The indictment charges Biden with knowingly deceiving a firearms dealer by buying a Colt Cobra 38SPL revolver on Oct. 12, 2018. He is charged with falsely filling out a federal form denying he was addicted to any narcotics. He is also charged with knowingly possessing the revolver despite the restrictions against people addicted to drugs owning firearms.

Biden has acknowledged he was struggling with addiction at the time.

He faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison if convicted  five years for the false statement to the dealer, 10 years for the false statement on the federal form and 10 years for possession of the firearm  but actual sentences typically are shorter than the maximum, according to the Justice Department.

In California, Biden faces nine tax charges that carry a combined maximum penalty of 17 years in prison.

He was indicted on three felony and six misdemeanor tax charges for reportedly failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes on time from 2016 to 2019, and evading other taxes, all while spending millions on a lavish lifestyle. Biden's lawyers said he repaid the back taxes before he was charged.

USA Today reporter Bart Jensen contributed to this article.

Contact Xerxes Wilson at (302) 324-2787 or xwilson@delawareonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Hunter Biden gun trial still slated for June despite request for delay
Electric power lines are seen attached to transmission towers on Sept. 28, 2023, in the Everglades, Florida. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Monday issued a long-awaited overhaul of how regional electric transmission lines are planned and paid for. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

A divided Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Monday issued a long-awaited overhaul of how regional electric transmission lines are planned and paid for, a move cheered by clean power groups but blasted by a conservative commissioner who said it was driven by special interests and exceeds the commissions authority.

The commissions final rule on transmission planning and cost allocation, intended to prod utilities and grid operators across the country into more forward-looking, comprehensive and cost-effective planning of large electric transmission lines and better account for the broad benefits those wires provide, was nearly three years in the making. It passed on a 2-1 vote, with the commissions two Democratic appointees voting yes and the lone Republican opposed.

FERC Chairman Willie Phillips said an aging grid, increasing severe weather, demand growth from new manufacturing, data centers and increasing electrification as well as a changing generation mix all threaten reliability at a time when construction of the high voltage transmission lines that help get power to where its needed has slumped to a record low.

This rule cannot come fast enough. There is an urgent need to act to ensure the reliability and the affordability of our grid, Phillips said. We simply will not be able to address these converging challenges and continue to supply the reliable, abundant and affordable power the American people depend on without taking a clear-eyed, long term, forward-looking approach to transmission planning.

But Commissioner Mark Christie, a conservative former Virginia utility commissioner, vehemently dissented to the rule, calling it a pretext to enact a sweeping policy agenda that Congress never passed and one that will facilitate a massive transfer of wealth from consumers to for-profit special interests.

Christie has long opposed transmission cost allocation schemes that he claimed would force customers in some states to pay for the pro-renewable policies of their neighbors. I was perfectly prepared to vote for this final rule if it were a bipartisan compromise, if it preserved the state role that everyone sitting up here voted for two years ago, he said.

The genie and the bottle

The sprawling rule requires transmission operators to conduct transmission planning at least every five years, looking out along a 20-year horizon using best available data to develop well-informed projections of needs, according to a staff presentation. To identify those transmission needs, providers need to consider state laws and regulations, utility planning documents, fuel cost trends, power plant retirements, requests from developers looking to connect to the grid as well as policy goals and corporate commitments. They also must consider grid-enhancing technologies, a suite of potentially cost-saving tools common in other countries that have been slow to take root in the U.S., despite years of prodding from advocates, as well as identifying opportunities to upgrade existing lines their capabilities, called right-sizing.

Transmission providers, including utilities and the organizations that manage the grid in much of the country, are also required to use a list of seven economic and reliability benefits as they evaluate and select long-term regional transmission projects as well as establish an evaluation process with transparent selection criteria that are not unduly discriminatory or preferential, aim to ensure that more efficient or cost-effective long-term regional transmission facilities are selected and seek to maximize benefits accounting for costs over time without over-building transmission facilities.

Christie criticized those mandated inputs and said states have no ability to consent to those criteria.

A major big problem FERC is trying to fix is that even as construction of large transmission projects has nearly ground to a halt, utilities in many parts of the countries are on a building spree of smaller  potentially duplicative and inefficient  projects that are easier to get approved and paid for, increasing customer bills.

The absence of this type of regional transmission planning is resulting in piecemeal transmission expansion that addresses relatively near-term transmission needs, the staff presentation reads. The status quo approach results in transmission providers investing in relatively inefficient or less cost-effective transmission infrastructure, with the costs ultimately recovered through commission-jurisdictional rates. This dynamic results in, among other things, transmission customers paying more than is necessary or appropriate to meet their transmission needs, and customers missing out on benefits that outweigh their costs, which results in less efficient or cost-effective transmission investments.

For example, proponents of the new rule point to hundreds of millions of dollars in transmission costs that will result from the closure of a Maryland power plant in the region overseen by PJM Interconnection, the nations largest grid operator, as an example of poor planning.

It is hard to imagine the region could not have found a more cost- effective solution had it begun planning for that retirement along with other anticipated shifts further ahead of time, said Democratic Commissioner Allison Clements, who took Christie to task over his dissent. She said he was pushing the commission to take a fraught voyage to decide which public policies are appropriate for creating transmission demands.

All transmission needs are inherently influenced by state policies of all stripes, she said. The truth is that enormous sums of money are going to be spent on transmission investment regardless of whether or not its done within the framework of this new rule.

She argued that the new rule will protect customers from the pricey, fits-and-starts transmission buildout happening in much of the nation now.

Not everything is about politics, she said. It is not the commissions job to try and force the genie that is the energy transition back in the bottle. It is our legal responsibility to protect consumers in light of whatever is going on in the world around us.

Neil Chatterjee, a Republican former FERC chairman, posted on X that he would have voted for the rule if he was still on the commission.

Todays @ferc rule was voted out 2-1 but that does NOT mean its a partisan rule making, he wrote. Had I authored this rule as chair would it have looked exactly like this? Of course not. But it would have been in the range. Regulatory rule making is hard.

Benefit of having a big grid

Competitive transmission providers and clean energy groups were celebrating Monday. Organizations ranging from the American Council on Renewable Energy and the National Audubon Society to the Conservative Energy Network and Americans for a Clean Energy Grid issued statements applauding the order.

Some renewable power organizations had privately wondered whether a drive for a unanimous vote might produce a more watered-down rule to get Christie onboard. That might have left states with big renewable power goals paying for all the transmission costs necessary to accommodate them, as New Jersey is doing for its planned offshore wind buildout, even though that power generation could mean cheaper, cleaner electricity for its neighbors, also, along with other benefits.

The U.S. Department of Energy has found a pressing need for new transmission infrastructure across the country to alleviate congestion and improve reliability. Grid congestion costs electric customers billions of dollars a year, according to some reports. And because of the more diffuse nature of renewable power, getting it from where its produced to where its needed, as in the vast amount of wind power in the Great Plains, can require large, multi-state transmission lines.

Families and businesses are paying the price for utilities and grid operators failure to address our critical electricity infrastructure needs, said Heather ONeill, president and CEO at national clean power business association Advanced Energy United. Building more multi-state transmission lines unclogs the traffic jams on Americas electricity superhighways and unlocks our ability to keep up with our growing energy needs.

Justin Vickers, a senior attorney for the Sierra Club, said the rule appears to be firmly within FERCs jurisdiction, despite Christies concerns to the contrary.

I think the commission is on very strong footing here, he said. This is a way of maximizing the benefits of living in a big country. We can send power around the country. It increases reliability and it lowers price. Thats the benefit of having a big grid. .. Lets take advantage of it.

The Edison Electric Institute, which represents investor-owned utilities, said it was disappointed that FERC declined to include a right of first refusal policy for some transmission projects, which would have given their members first crack at some of the lines. The organization also said the rule lacked regional flexibilities for evaluating project benefits.

A one-size-fits-all approach does not work, as different regions have different needs and different states have different policies, said Phil Moeller, an executive vice president at the institute.

The post New federal rule will overhaul transmission planning as electric grid strains appeared first on New Jersey Monitor.
Electric power lines are seen attached to transmission towers on Sept. 28, 2023, in the Everglades, Florida. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Monday issued a long-awaited overhaul of how regional electric transmission lines are planned and paid for. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

A divided Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Monday issued a long-awaited overhaul of how regional electric transmission lines are planned and paid for, a move cheered by clean power groups but blasted by a conservative commissioner who said it was driven by special interests and exceeds the commissions authority.

The commissions final rule on transmission planning and cost allocation, intended to prod utilities and grid operators across the country into more forward-looking, comprehensive and cost-effective planning of large electric transmission lines and better account for the broad benefits those wires provide, was nearly three years in the making. It passed on a 2-1 vote, with the commissions two Democratic appointees voting yes and the lone Republican opposed.

FERC Chairman Willie Phillips said an aging grid, increasing severe weather, demand growth from new manufacturing, data centers and increasing electrification as well as a changing generation mix all threaten reliability at a time when construction of the high voltage transmission lines that help get power to where its needed has slumped to a record low.

This rule cannot come fast enough. There is an urgent need to act to ensure the reliability and the affordability of our grid, Phillips said. We simply will not be able to address these converging challenges and continue to supply the reliable, abundant and affordable power the American people depend on without taking a clear-eyed, long term, forward-looking approach to transmission planning.

But Commissioner Mark Christie, a conservative former Virginia utility commissioner, vehemently dissented to the rule, calling it a pretext to enact a sweeping policy agenda that Congress never passed and one that will facilitate a massive transfer of wealth from consumers to for-profit special interests.

Christie has long opposed transmission cost allocation schemes that he claimed would force customers in some states to pay for the pro-renewable policies of their neighbors. I was perfectly prepared to vote for this final rule if it were a bipartisan compromise, if it preserved the state role that everyone sitting up here voted for two years ago, he said.

The genie and the bottle

The sprawling rule requires transmission operators to conduct transmission planning at least every five years, looking out along a 20-year horizon using best available data to develop well-informed projections of needs, according to a staff presentation. To identify those transmission needs, providers need to consider state laws and regulations, utility planning documents, fuel cost trends, power plant retirements, requests from developers looking to connect to the grid as well as policy goals and corporate commitments. They also must consider grid-enhancing technologies, a suite of potentially cost-saving tools common in other countries that have been slow to take root in the U.S., despite years of prodding from advocates, as well as identifying opportunities to upgrade existing lines, called right-sizing.

Transmission providers, including utilities and the organizations that manage the grid in much of the country, are also required to use a list of seven economic and reliability benefits as they evaluate and select long-term regional transmission projects as well as establish an evaluation process with transparent selection criteria that are not unduly discriminatory or preferential, aim to ensure that more efficient or cost-effective long-term regional transmission facilities are selected and seek to maximize benefits accounting for costs over time without over-building transmission facilities.

Christie criticized those mandated inputs and said states have no ability to consent to those criteria.

A major big problem FERC is trying to fix is that even as construction of large transmission projects has nearly ground to a halt, utilities in many parts of the countries are on a building spree of smaller  potentially duplicative and inefficient  projects that are easier to get approved and paid for, increasing customer bills.

The absence of this type of regional transmission planning is resulting in piecemeal transmission expansion that addresses relatively near-term transmission needs, the staff presentation reads. The status quo approach results in transmission providers investing in relatively inefficient or less cost-effective transmission infrastructure, with the costs ultimately recovered through commission-jurisdictional rates. This dynamic results in, among other things, transmission customers paying more than is necessary or appropriate to meet their transmission needs, and customers missing out on benefits that outweigh their costs, which results in less efficient or cost-effective transmission investments.

For example, proponents of the new rule point to hundreds of millions of dollars in transmission costs that will result from the closure of a Maryland power plant in the region overseen by PJM Interconnection, the nations largest grid operator, as an example of poor planning.

It is hard to imagine the region could not have found a more cost- effective solution had it begun planning for that retirement along with other anticipated shifts further ahead of time, said Democratic Commissioner Allison Clements, who took Christie to task over his dissent. She said he was pushing the commission to take a fraught voyage to decide which public policies are appropriate for creating transmission demands.

All transmission needs are inherently influenced by state policies of all stripes, she said. The truth is that enormous sums of money are going to be spent on transmission investment regardless of whether or not its done within the framework of this new rule.

She argued that the new rule will protect customers from the pricey, fits-and-starts transmission buildout happening in much of the nation now.

Not everything is about politics, she said. It is not the commissions job to try and force the genie that is the energy transition back in the bottle. It is our legal responsibility to protect consumers in light of whatever is going on in the world around us.

Neil Chatterjee, a Republican former FERC chairman, posted on X that he would have voted for the rule if he was still on the commission.

Todays @ferc rule was voted out 2-1 but that does NOT mean its a partisan rule making, he wrote. Had I authored this rule as chair would it have looked exactly like this? Of course not. But it would have been in the range. Regulatory rule making is hard.

Benefit of having a big grid

Competitive transmission providers and clean energy groups were celebrating Monday. Organizations ranging from the American Council on Renewable Energy and the National Audubon Society to the Conservative Energy Network and Americans for a Clean Energy Grid issued statements applauding the order.

Some renewable power organizations had privately wondered whether a drive for a unanimous vote might produce a more watered-down rule to get Christie onboard. That might have left states with big renewable power goals paying for all the transmission costs necessary to accommodate them, as New Jersey is doing for its planned offshore wind buildout, even though that power generation could mean cheaper, cleaner electricity for its neighbors, also, along with other benefits.

The U.S. Department of Energy has found a pressing need for new transmission infrastructure across the country to alleviate congestion and improve reliability. Grid congestion costs electric customers billions of dollars a year, according to some reports. And because of the more diffuse nature of renewable power, getting it from where its produced to where its needed, as in the vast amount of wind power in the Great Plains, can require large, multi-state transmission lines.

Families and businesses are paying the price for utilities and grid operators failure to address our critical electricity infrastructure needs, said Heather ONeill, president and CEO at national clean power business association Advanced Energy United. Building more multi-state transmission lines unclogs the traffic jams on Americas electricity superhighways and unlocks our ability to keep up with our growing energy needs.

Justin Vickers, a senior attorney for the Sierra Club, said the rule appears to be firmly within FERCs jurisdiction, despite Christies concerns to the contrary.

I think the commission is on very strong footing here, he said. This is a way of maximizing the benefits of living in a big country. We can send power around the country. It increases reliability and it lowers price. Thats the benefit of having a big grid. .. Lets take advantage of it.

The Edison Electric Institute, which represents investor-owned utilities, said it was disappointed that FERC declined to include a right of first refusal policy for some transmission projects, which would have given their members first crack at some of the lines. The organization also said the rule lacked regional flexibilities for evaluating project benefits.

A one-size-fits-all approach does not work, as different regions have different needs and different states have different policies, said Phil Moeller, an executive vice president at the institute.

Editors note: This story has been updated to link to the text of the new rule from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. It was published overnight Monday.

The post New federal rule will overhaul transmission planning as electric grid strains appeared first on North Dakota Monitor.
Electric power lines are seen attached to transmission towers on Sept. 28, 2023, in the Everglades, Florida. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Monday issued a long-awaited overhaul of how regional electric transmission lines are planned and paid for. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

A divided Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Monday issued a long-awaited overhaul of how regional electric transmission lines are planned and paid for, a move cheered by clean power groups but blasted by a conservative commissioner who said it was driven by special interests and exceeds the commissions authority.

The commissions final rule on transmission planning and cost allocation, intended to prod utilities and grid operators across the country into more forward-looking, comprehensive and cost-effective planning of large electric transmission lines and better account for the broad benefits those wires provide, was nearly three years in the making. It passed on a 2-1 vote, with the commissions two Democratic appointees voting yes and the lone Republican opposed.

FERC Chairman Willie Phillips said an aging grid, increasing severe weather, demand growth from new manufacturing, data centers and increasing electrification as well as a changing generation mix all threaten reliability at a time when construction of the high voltage transmission lines that help get power to where its needed has slumped to a record low.

This rule cannot come fast enough. There is an urgent need to act to ensure the reliability and the affordability of our grid, Phillips said. We simply will not be able to address these converging challenges and continue to supply the reliable, abundant and affordable power the American people depend on without taking a clear-eyed, long term, forward-looking approach to transmission planning.

But Commissioner Mark Christie, a conservative former Virginia utility commissioner, vehemently dissented to the rule, calling it a pretext to enact a sweeping policy agenda that Congress never passed and one that will facilitate a massive transfer of wealth from consumers to for-profit special interests.

Christie has long opposed transmission cost allocation schemes that he claimed would force customers in some states to pay for the pro-renewable policies of their neighbors. I was perfectly prepared to vote for this final rule if it were a bipartisan compromise, if it preserved the state role that everyone sitting up here voted for two years ago, he said.

The genie and the bottle

The sprawling rule requires transmission operators to conduct transmission planning at least every five years, looking out along a 20-year horizon using best available data to develop well-informed projections of needs, according to a staff presentation. To identify those transmission needs, providers need to consider state laws and regulations, utility planning documents, fuel cost trends, power plant retirements, requests from developers looking to connect to the grid as well as policy goals and corporate commitments. They also must consider grid-enhancing technologies, a suite of potentially cost-saving tools common in other countries that have been slow to take root in the U.S., despite years of prodding from advocates, as well as identifying opportunities to upgrade existing lines, called right-sizing.

Transmission providers, including utilities and the organizations that manage the grid in much of the country, are also required to use a list of seven economic and reliability benefits as they evaluate and select long-term regional transmission projects as well as establish an evaluation process with transparent selection criteria that are not unduly discriminatory or preferential, aim to ensure that more efficient or cost-effective long-term regional transmission facilities are selected and seek to maximize benefits accounting for costs over time without over-building transmission facilities.

Christie criticized those mandated inputs and said states have no ability to consent to those criteria.

A major big problem FERC is trying to fix is that even as construction of large transmission projects has nearly ground to a halt, utilities in many parts of the countries are on a building spree of smaller  potentially duplicative and inefficient  projects that are easier to get approved and paid for, increasing customer bills.

The absence of this type of regional transmission planning is resulting in piecemeal transmission expansion that addresses relatively near-term transmission needs, the staff presentation reads. The status quo approach results in transmission providers investing in relatively inefficient or less cost-effective transmission infrastructure, with the costs ultimately recovered through commission-jurisdictional rates. This dynamic results in, among other things, transmission customers paying more than is necessary or appropriate to meet their transmission needs, and customers missing out on benefits that outweigh their costs, which results in less efficient or cost-effective transmission investments.

For example, proponents of the new rule point to hundreds of millions of dollars in transmission costs that will result from the closure of a Maryland power plant in the region overseen by PJM Interconnection, the nations largest grid operator, as an example of poor planning.

It is hard to imagine the region could not have found a more cost- effective solution had it begun planning for that retirement along with other anticipated shifts further ahead of time, said Democratic Commissioner Allison Clements, who took Christie to task over his dissent. She said he was pushing the commission to take a fraught voyage to decide which public policies are appropriate for creating transmission demands.

All transmission needs are inherently influenced by state policies of all stripes, she said. The truth is that enormous sums of money are going to be spent on transmission investment regardless of whether or not its done within the framework of this new rule.

She argued that the new rule will protect customers from the pricey, fits-and-starts transmission buildout happening in much of the nation now.

Not everything is about politics, she said. It is not the commissions job to try and force the genie that is the energy transition back in the bottle. It is our legal responsibility to protect consumers in light of whatever is going on in the world around us.

Neil Chatterjee, a Republican former FERC chairman, posted on X that he would have voted for the rule if he was still on the commission.

Todays @ferc rule was voted out 2-1 but that does NOT mean its a partisan rule making, he wrote. Had I authored this rule as chair would it have looked exactly like this? Of course not. But it would have been in the range. Regulatory rule making is hard.

Benefit of having a big grid

Competitive transmission providers and clean energy groups were celebrating Monday. Organizations ranging from the American Council on Renewable Energy and the National Audubon Society to the Conservative Energy Network and Americans for a Clean Energy Grid issued statements applauding the order.

Some renewable power organizations had privately wondered whether a drive for a unanimous vote might produce a more watered-down rule to get Christie onboard. That might have left states with big renewable power goals paying for all the transmission costs necessary to accommodate them, as New Jersey is doing for its planned offshore wind buildout, even though that power generation could mean cheaper, cleaner electricity for its neighbors, also, along with other benefits.

The U.S. Department of Energy has found a pressing need for new transmission infrastructure across the country to alleviate congestion and improve reliability. Grid congestion costs electric customers billions of dollars a year, according to some reports. And because of the more diffuse nature of renewable power, getting it from where its produced to where its needed, as in the vast amount of wind power in the Great Plains, can require large, multi-state transmission lines.

Families and businesses are paying the price for utilities and grid operators failure to address our critical electricity infrastructure needs, said Heather ONeill, president and CEO at national clean power business association Advanced Energy United. Building more multi-state transmission lines unclogs the traffic jams on Americas electricity superhighways and unlocks our ability to keep up with our growing energy needs.

Justin Vickers, a senior attorney for the Sierra Club, said the rule appears to be firmly within FERCs jurisdiction, despite Christies concerns to the contrary.

I think the commission is on very strong footing here, he said. This is a way of maximizing the benefits of living in a big country. We can send power around the country. It increases reliability and it lowers price. Thats the benefit of having a big grid. .. Lets take advantage of it.

The Edison Electric Institute, which represents investor-owned utilities, said it was disappointed that FERC declined to include a right of first refusal policy for some transmission projects, which would have given their members first crack at some of the lines. The organization also said the rule lacked regional flexibilities for evaluating project benefits.

A one-size-fits-all approach does not work, as different regions have different needs and different states have different policies, said Phil Moeller, an executive vice president at the institute.

Editors note: This story has been updated to link to the text of the new rule from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. It was published overnight Monday.

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The post New federal rule will overhaul transmission planning as electric grid strains appeared first on Maine Morning Star.
Electric power lines are seen attached to transmission towers on Sept. 28, 2023, in the Everglades, Florida. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Monday issued a long-awaited overhaul of how regional electric transmission lines are planned and paid for. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

A divided Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Monday issued a long-awaited overhaul of how regional electric transmission lines are planned and paid for, a move cheered by clean power groups but blasted by a conservative commissioner who said it was driven by special interests and exceeds the commissions authority.

The commissions final rule on transmission planning and cost allocation, intended to prod utilities and grid operators across the country into more forward-looking, comprehensive and cost-effective planning of large electric transmission lines and better account for the broad benefits those wires provide, was nearly three years in the making. It passed on a 2-1 vote, with the commissions two Democratic appointees voting yes and the lone Republican opposed.

FERC Chairman Willie Phillips said an aging grid, increasing severe weather, demand growth from new manufacturing, data centers and increasing electrification as well as a changing generation mix all threaten reliability at a time when construction of the high voltage transmission lines that help get power to where its needed has slumped to a record low.

This rule cannot come fast enough. There is an urgent need to act to ensure the reliability and the affordability of our grid, Phillips said. We simply will not be able to address these converging challenges and continue to supply the reliable, abundant and affordable power the American people depend on without taking a clear-eyed, long term, forward-looking approach to transmission planning.

But Commissioner Mark Christie, a conservative former Virginia utility commissioner, vehemently dissented to the rule, calling it a pretext to enact a sweeping policy agenda that Congress never passed and one that will facilitate a massive transfer of wealth from consumers to for-profit special interests.

Christie has long opposed transmission cost allocation schemes that he claimed would force customers in some states to pay for the pro-renewable policies of their neighbors. I was perfectly prepared to vote for this final rule if it were a bipartisan compromise, if it preserved the state role that everyone sitting up here voted for two years ago, he said.

The genie and the bottle

The sprawling rule requires transmission operators to conduct transmission planning at least every five years, looking out along a 20-year horizon using best available data to develop well-informed projections of needs, according to a staff presentation. To identify those transmission needs, providers need to consider state laws and regulations, utility planning documents, fuel cost trends, power plant retirements, requests from developers looking to connect to the grid as well as policy goals and corporate commitments. They also must consider grid-enhancing technologies, a suite of potentially cost-saving tools common in other countries that have been slow to take root in the U.S., despite years of prodding from advocates, as well as identifying opportunities to upgrade existing lines their capabilities, called right-sizing.

Transmission providers, including utilities and the organizations that manage the grid in much of the country, are also required to use a list of seven economic and reliability benefits as they evaluate and select long-term regional transmission projects as well as establish an evaluation process with transparent selection criteria that are not unduly discriminatory or preferential, aim to ensure that more efficient or cost-effective long-term regional transmission facilities are selected and seek to maximize benefits accounting for costs over time without over-building transmission facilities.

Christie criticized those mandated inputs and said states have no ability to consent to those criteria.

A major big problem FERC is trying to fix is that even as construction of large transmission projects has nearly ground to a halt, utilities in many parts of the countries are on a building spree of smaller  potentially duplicative and inefficient  projects that are easier to get approved and paid for, increasing customer bills.

The absence of this type of regional transmission planning is resulting in piecemeal transmission expansion that addresses relatively near-term transmission needs, the staff presentation reads. The status quo approach results in transmission providers investing in relatively inefficient or less cost-effective transmission infrastructure, with the costs ultimately recovered through commission-jurisdictional rates. This dynamic results in, among other things, transmission customers paying more than is necessary or appropriate to meet their transmission needs, and customers missing out on benefits that outweigh their costs, which results in less efficient or cost-effective transmission investments.

For example, proponents of the new rule point to hundreds of millions of dollars in transmission costs that will result from the closure of a Maryland power plant in the region overseen by PJM Interconnection, the nations largest grid operator, as an example of poor planning.

It is hard to imagine the region could not have found a more cost- effective solution had it begun planning for that retirement along with other anticipated shifts further ahead of time, said Democratic Commissioner Allison Clements, who took Christie to task over his dissent. She said he was pushing the commission to take a fraught voyage to decide which public policies are appropriate for creating transmission demands.

All transmission needs are inherently influenced by state policies of all stripes, she said. The truth is that enormous sums of money are going to be spent on transmission investment regardless of whether or not its done within the framework of this new rule.

She argued that the new rule will protect customers from the pricey, fits-and-starts transmission buildout happening in much of the nation now.

Not everything is about politics, she said. It is not the commissions job to try and force the genie that is the energy transition back in the bottle. It is our legal responsibility to protect consumers in light of whatever is going on in the world around us.

Neil Chatterjee, a Republican former FERC chairman, posted on X that he would have voted for the rule if he was still on the commission.

Todays @ferc rule was voted out 2-1 but that does NOT mean its a partisan rule making, he wrote. Had I authored this rule as chair would it have looked exactly like this? Of course not. But it would have been in the range. Regulatory rule making is hard.

Louisiana approves contracts held up over consultants work with environmentalists

Benefit of having a big grid

Competitive transmission providers and clean energy groups were celebrating Monday. Organizations ranging from the American Council on Renewable Energy and the National Audubon Society to the Conservative Energy Network and Americans for a Clean Energy Grid issued statements applauding the order.

Some renewable power organizations had privately wondered whether a drive for a unanimous vote might produce a more watered-down rule to get Christie onboard. That might have left states with big renewable power goals paying for all the transmission costs necessary to accommodate them, as New Jersey is doing for its planned offshore wind buildout, even though that power generation could mean cheaper, cleaner electricity for its neighbors, also, along with other benefits.

The U.S. Department of Energy has found a pressing need for new transmission infrastructure across the country to alleviate congestion and improve reliability. Grid congestion costs electric customers billions of dollars a year, according to some reports. And because of the more diffuse nature of renewable power, getting it from where its produced to where its needed, as in the vast amount of wind power in the Great Plains, can require large, multi-state transmission lines.

Families and businesses are paying the price for utilities and grid operators failure to address our critical electricity infrastructure needs, said Heather ONeill, president and CEO at national clean power business association Advanced Energy United. Building more multi-state transmission lines unclogs the traffic jams on Americas electricity superhighways and unlocks our ability to keep up with our growing energy needs.

Justin Vickers, a senior attorney for the Sierra Club, said the rule appears to be firmly within FERCs jurisdiction, despite Christies concerns to the contrary.

I think the commission is on very strong footing here, he said. This is a way of maximizing the benefits of living in a big country. We can send power around the country. It increases reliability and it lowers price. Thats the benefit of having a big grid. .. Lets take advantage of it.

The Edison Electric Institute, which represents investor-owned utilities, said it was disappointed that FERC declined to include a right of first refusal policy for some transmission projects, which would have given their members first crack at some of the lines. The organization also said the rule lacked regional flexibilities for evaluating project benefits.

A one-size-fits-all approach does not work, as different regions have different needs and different states have different policies, said Phil Moeller, an executive vice president at the institute.

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The post New federal rule will overhaul transmission planning as electric grid strains appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Electric power lines are seen attached to transmission towers on Sept. 28, 2023, in the Everglades, Florida. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Monday issued a long-awaited overhaul of how regional electric transmission lines are planned and paid for. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

A divided Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Monday issued a long-awaited overhaul of how regional electric transmission lines are planned and paid for, a move cheered by clean power groups but blasted by a conservative commissioner who said it was driven by special interests and exceeds the commissions authority.

The commissions final rule on transmission planning and cost allocation, intended to prod utilities and grid operators across the country into more forward-looking, comprehensive and cost-effective planning of large electric transmission lines and better account for the broad benefits those wires provide, was nearly three years in the making. It passed on a 2-1 vote, with the commissions two Democratic appointees voting yes and the lone Republican opposed.

FERC Chairman Willie Phillips said an aging grid, increasing severe weather, demand growth from new manufacturing, data centers and increasing electrification as well as a changing generation mix all threaten reliability at a time when construction of the high voltage transmission lines that help get power to where its needed has slumped to a record low.

This rule cannot come fast enough. There is an urgent need to act to ensure the reliability and the affordability of our grid, Phillips said. We simply will not be able to address these converging challenges and continue to supply the reliable, abundant and affordable power the American people depend on without taking a clear-eyed, long term, forward-looking approach to transmission planning.

But Commissioner Mark Christie, a conservative former Virginia utility commissioner, vehemently dissented to the rule, calling it a pretext to enact a sweeping policy agenda that Congress never passed and one that will facilitate a massive transfer of wealth from consumers to for-profit special interests.

Christie has long opposed transmission cost allocation schemes that he claimed would force customers in some states to pay for the pro-renewable policies of their neighbors. I was perfectly prepared to vote for this final rule if it were a bipartisan compromise, if it preserved the state role that everyone sitting up here voted for two years ago, he said.

The genie and the bottle

The sprawling rule requires transmission operators to conduct transmission planning at least every five years, looking out along a 20-year horizon using best available data to develop well-informed projections of needs, according to a staff presentation. To identify those transmission needs, providers need to consider state laws and regulations, utility planning documents, fuel cost trends, power plant retirements, requests from developers looking to connect to the grid as well as policy goals and corporate commitments. They also must consider grid-enhancing technologies, a suite of potentially cost-saving tools common in other countries that have been slow to take root in the U.S., despite years of prodding from advocates, as well as identifying opportunities to upgrade existing lines, called right-sizing.

Transmission providers, including utilities and the organizations that manage the grid in much of the country, are also required to use a list of seven economic and reliability benefits as they evaluate and select long-term regional transmission projects as well as establish an evaluation process with transparent selection criteria that are not unduly discriminatory or preferential, aim to ensure that more efficient or cost-effective long-term regional transmission facilities are selected and seek to maximize benefits accounting for costs over time without over-building transmission facilities.

Christie criticized those mandated inputs and said states have no ability to consent to those criteria.

A major big problem FERC is trying to fix is that even as construction of large transmission projects has nearly ground to a halt, utilities in many parts of the countries are on a building spree of smaller  potentially duplicative and inefficient  projects that are easier to get approved and paid for, increasing customer bills.

The absence of this type of regional transmission planning is resulting in piecemeal transmission expansion that addresses relatively near-term transmission needs, the staff presentation reads. The status quo approach results in transmission providers investing in relatively inefficient or less cost-effective transmission infrastructure, with the costs ultimately recovered through commission-jurisdictional rates. This dynamic results in, among other things, transmission customers paying more than is necessary or appropriate to meet their transmission needs, and customers missing out on benefits that outweigh their costs, which results in less efficient or cost-effective transmission investments.

Not everything is about politics. It is not the commissions job to try and force the genie that is the energy transition back in the bottle. It is our legal responsibility to protect consumers in light of whatever is going on in the world around us.

 Allison Clements, Democratic member Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

For example, proponents of the new rule point to hundreds of millions of dollars in transmission costs that will result from the closure of a Maryland power plant in the region overseen by PJM Interconnection, the nations largest grid operator, as an example of poor planning.

It is hard to imagine the region could not have found a more cost-effective solution had it begun planning for that retirement along with other anticipated shifts further ahead of time, said Democratic Commissioner Allison Clements, who took Christie to task over his dissent. She said he was pushing the commission to take a fraught voyage to decide which public policies are appropriate for creating transmission demands.

All transmission needs are inherently influenced by state policies of all stripes, she said. The truth is that enormous sums of money are going to be spent on transmission investment regardless of whether or not its done within the framework of this new rule.

She argued that the new rule will protect customers from the pricey, fits-and-starts transmission buildout happening in much of the nation now.

Not everything is about politics, she said. It is not the commissions job to try and force the genie that is the energy transition back in the bottle. It is our legal responsibility to protect consumers in light of whatever is going on in the world around us.

Neil Chatterjee, a Republican former FERC chairman, posted on X that he would have voted for the rule if he was still on the commission.

Todays @ferc rule was voted out 2-1 but that does NOT mean its a partisan rule making, he wrote. Had I authored this rule as chair would it have looked exactly like this? Of course not. But it would have been in the range. Regulatory rule making is hard.

Benefit of having a big grid

Competitive transmission providers and clean energy groups were celebrating Monday. Organizations ranging from the American Council on Renewable Energy and the National Audubon Society to the Conservative Energy Network and Americans for a Clean Energy Grid issued statements applauding the order.

Some renewable power organizations had privately wondered whether a drive for a unanimous vote might produce a more watered-down rule to get Christie onboard. That might have left states with big renewable power goals paying for all the transmission costs necessary to accommodate them, as New Jersey is doing for its planned offshore wind buildout, even though that power generation could mean cheaper, cleaner electricity for its neighbors, also, along with other benefits.

The U.S. Department of Energy has found a pressing need for new transmission infrastructure across the country to alleviate congestion and improve reliability. Grid congestion costs electric customers billions of dollars a year, according to some reports. And because of the more diffuse nature of renewable power, getting it from where its produced to where its needed, as in the vast amount of wind power in the Great Plains, can require large, multi-state transmission lines.

Families and businesses are paying the price for utilities and grid operators failure to address our critical electricity infrastructure needs, said Heather ONeill, president and CEO at national clean power business association Advanced Energy United. Building more multi-state transmission lines unclogs the traffic jams on Americas electricity superhighways and unlocks our ability to keep up with our growing energy needs.

Justin Vickers, a senior attorney for the Sierra Club, said the rule appears to be firmly within FERCs jurisdiction, despite Christies concerns to the contrary.

I think the commission is on very strong footing here, he said. This is a way of maximizing the benefits of living in a big country. We can send power around the country. It increases reliability and it lowers price. Thats the benefit of having a big grid. .. Lets take advantage of it.

The Edison Electric Institute, which represents investor-owned utilities, said it was disappointed that FERC declined to include a right of first refusal policy for some transmission projects, which would have given their members first crack at some of the lines. The organization also said the rule lacked regional flexibilities for evaluating project benefits.

A one-size-fits-all approach does not work, as different regions have different needs and different states have different policies, said Phil Moeller, an executive vice president at the institute.

The post New federal rule will overhaul transmission planning as electric grid strains appeared first on Kentucky Lantern.
A federal trial on NCs voter ID law winds down with its future at stake

Image: AdobeStock

North Carolinas 2018 voter ID law represents another chapter in the states long history of discriminatory laws meant to deter Black voters that includes poll taxes and literacy tests, a lawyer for the NAACP told a federal judge Monday.

While acknowledging that history, a lawyer for Republican legislators said that the photo ID law is not part of that legacy. Experiences with last years municipal elections and this years primary, shows a vanishingly small number of people who cant vote because of photo ID, the Republicans lawyer said.

The long-delayed federal trial over the law requiring voters to show photo ID is coming to a close after about a week of testimony at the federal courthouse in Winston-Salem.

The NAACP and local chapters sued over the law soon after it passed in 2018, contending that it discriminated against Black and Latino voters in violation of the federal Voting Rights Act and the U.S. Constitution.

The state Board of Elections and Republican legislative leaders are defending the law. Their lawyers argued that since it was put into practice last year, the law has not resulted in the discriminatory impacts challengers claimed it would.

Voter ID requirements in North Carolina have seen many twists and turns since the legislature first enacted an ID law in 2013 as part of an extensive package of limits on voting. A panel of federal judges struck down that law in 2016, writing it targeted Black voters with almost surgical precision. The 2013 voter ID law was used in one primary before the federal judges threw it out.

Republican legislators moved to put a constitutional amendment for voter ID on the 2018 ballot. They then enacted another voter ID law in December 2018 over Democratic Gov. Roy Coopers veto and weeks before they were to lose their veto-proof majority in the legislature.

The 2018 law was the subject of state and federal lawsuits, including the suit U.S. District Judge Loretta Biggs is hearing this month.

In North Carolina courts, a Democratic majority on the Supreme Court in 2022 invalidated the law calling it discriminatory. In 2023 a new Republican Supreme Court majority reversed that ruling, which allowed the law to be used for the first time in last years municipal elections.

Biggs in 2019 granted a preliminary injunction that blocked the law, citing the states sordid history of racial discrimination and voter suppression stretching back to the time of slavery. A panel of judges on the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that decision, saying Biggs improperly relied on the legislatures past acts.

The case returned to Biggs for this months bench trial, meaning there is no jury.

Last week, the NAACPs lawyers had voters, Democratic legislators, and representatives of voting rights groups testify about the legislative debate in 2018 and voters experiences under the law.

John Freedman, a lawyer for the NAACP, said the 2018 law is discriminatory just as the 2013 law was, but legislators worked to disguise it.

The intent was to replicate the 2013 law by making cosmetic tweaks but maintaining its discriminatory impact, he said. The recent elections dont show how many people the law discouraged from voting, he added.

Freedman counted six North Carolina cases concerning violations of the Fourteenth Amendment in the last 10 years. He asked Biggs to consider that record and require that the U.S. Department of Justice or a federal court to review North Carolina elections laws before they can go into effect.

North Carolinas law is more protective than other voter ID laws courts have allowed, said Mary Carla Babb, a lawyer with the state Attorney Generals office representing the state Board of Elections.

Voters who dont have photo ID can either fill out forms explaining why and cast provisional ballots, or cast provisional ballots with the understanding that they will return to their county board of elections to show an acceptable ID.

Thirty-six states have laws requesting or requiring voters to show some form of identification, including 21 states that ask for photo ID, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The NAACP lawyers focused on evidence that the Fourth Circuit Court has already said is inadequate, said David Thompson, a lawyer for Republican legislators. Most of their new evidence was anecdotal, he added.

Problems implementing the law became part of the trial record. NC Newsline reported that during the primaries last year, the Guilford County elections office sent threatening letters to voters implying they were lying on their exception forms. Mecklenburg County accounted for about 23% of the statewide vote and 68% of the voters who had their ballots tossed because their ID exception forms were rejected.

Counties that had problems seem to have solved them, Thompson said. Problems with implementation cant be used to infer nefarious legislative intent.

A ruling by Biggs could stop the state from requiring photo ID for the November elections.

Thompson asked that if she blocks the law, that she also stay her ruling so voter ID can continue during the appeal.

If there is another change, it should only be one more change, he said.

The post A federal trial on NCs voter ID law winds down with its future at stake appeared first on NC Newsline.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island Zachary Cunha speaks at a press conference on Monday, May 13, 2024. (Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)

She did not leave the hospital. She never stepped outside its grounds. She did not attend school. She rarely saw family or friends.

This young girl who is nonverbal and has developmental disabilities spent a year at Bradley Hospital  one of 527 vulnerable children held at the East Providence psychiatric hospital, most far longer than clinically necessary, according to a two-year investigation made public Monday by Rhode Islands U.S. District Attorneys Office.

As a result of what I can only characterize as this appalling failure, children, particularly teenage girls  rather than receiving the home, foster or community care that is appropriate for their condition and required by law  have been warehoused at Bradley Hospital, an acute care psychiatric institution intended for short-term admissions, said Zachary Cunha, the states U.S. attorney, in a press conference Monday.

Each child was meant to receive short-term stabilization care lasting maybe one or two weeks. But the average stay lasted 51 days. Of those 527 kids: 42 were hospitalized for more than 180 days. Another 116 stayed for at least 100 days. Seven stayed for more than a year, and 197 kids, or 40%, were admitted multiple times. Accounting for multiple stays, the average visit was 92 days per child.

The longest cumulative stay went to a child who was admitted five different times, for a total of 826 days in the hospital. The next most egregious case was a 14-year-old who spent a total of 706 days there during 11 separate hospitalizations.

The investigation  a joint effort by Cunhas office and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights  began in late 2021 and alleges that the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) has unnecessarily hospitalized young people with severe behavioral disabilities during the period of Jan. 1, 2017, through Sept. 30, 2022. Before any possible litigation, Cunha said his office is obligated to offer a letter of findings. The state and DCYF have 10 days to respond to the letter and address corrective measures, which was addressed to DCYF and Gov. Dan McKee.

The fault we find in this investigation rests with the state, and the state alone, Cunha said. We are not alleging any wrongdoing on the part of Bradley Hospital whatsoever.

Staff at Bradley Hospital often urged state child welfare officials to transfer youth inpatients to less restrictive settings, Cunha said, but their recommendations that children be discharged into family care went unheeded. Combined with a reflexive use of hospitalization and failure for discharge planning, Cunha said the child welfare department frequently eschewed best practices for over five years. According to the letter of findings, DCYFs referral process to hospitals was rapid-fire, haphazard, and most referrals were sent to the same six to eight providers regardless of an individual childs behavioral health needs.

Despite typically needing inpatient services for only one to two weeks, children in the care and custody of the state who had behavioral health disabilities were routinely and unnecessarily segregated in an acute care psychiatric hospital as opposed to living in their communities  for weeks, months, in some cases, more than a year, said Susan Rhodes, regional director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights, at the press conference.

The feds involvement is because of violations of civil rights afforded by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which dictates that public agencies care for people with disabilities in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs, Rhodes said. That means that public agencies have a duty to care for people with disabilities in ways that minimize their separation from society at large.

Unfortunately, cases like this are not new, Rhodes added. We see them throughout the country. Children and adults with disabilities both physical and behavioral, have long experienced unnecessary segregation, which perpetuates dangerous assumptions about their ability to participate in community life, directly diminishes their autonomy and may harm their health and wellbeing.

The nonverbal girl who spent a year at Bradley cannot voice her pain, but the sight of Bradley Hospital from the car window makes her visibly upset and disturbed, her parents said. Now her parents take a detour, driving carefully to avoid the hospitals appearance in the landscape, according to the U.S. attorneys letter of findings.

If you have children, its not hard to envision how devastating what we found here is, Cunha said Monday afternoon. Frankly, if you have empathy, its not hard to envision how devastating this is.

Cunha reiterated that his office did not find any issue with Bradley Hospitals quality of care or its clinical competency.

The medical records demonstrate this point: the longer children stay at Bradley, the more their behavior deteriorates, the letter of findings reads.

DCYF takes these findings very seriously and is committed to continuing to work closely with the U.S. Attorneys Office and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to reach a resolution in the best interest of the youth in DCYFs care, said Damaris Teixeira, a DCYF spokesperson, via email. We agree with the report that more work is needed on addressing the behavioral health needs of children in Rhode Island.

Overwhelmed by demand for services

Complicating DCYFs placement practices is that the agency does not care strictly for foster children or other youths who are solely wards of the state. Children needing behavioral health treatment can also access DCYF services via agency referral and at their parents request. These referrals can lead to 122 different services, the U.S. attorney noted, with residential treatment, hospitalization or 34 different community based services all available options.

However, most of these services are not available in sufficient quantity or intensityand there are long waits for children to access such services, according to the letter of findings. Furthermore, we found that DCYF is not actively monitoring the capacity or taking systemic steps to proactively address the insufficient capacity of its current network of community-based providers to fully meet the demand for various community-based services.

DCYF Director Ashley Deckert, who took over the department in May 2023, seemed to agree when she spoke to the Senate Committee on Finance on March 5. I have some ideas around how we dont have to be dependent on the use of residential treatment facilities, Deckert told lawmakers. Were better served figuring out a continuum of care or a system of care that doesnt encourage increasing capacity by actually addressing the issue and getting the youth into a least restrictive setting.

Unfortunately, cases like this are not new. We see them throughout the country. Children and adults with disabilities both physical and behavioral, have long experienced unnecessary segregation, which perpetuates dangerous assumptions about their ability to participate in community life, directly diminishes their autonomy and may harm their health and wellbeing.

 Susan Rhodes, regional director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights

According to the letter of findings, DCYF lost half of its therapeutic foster care parents when it changed its rate structure in August 2020, which led to lower reimbursements that no longer incentivized trained providers.

DCYF has also failed to leverage federal funds or resources across state agencies, the investigation alleges, which has led to an overreliance both clinical and financial on residential and hospital-level care compared to community-based options. In fiscal year 2020, the state spent nearly $14 million in Medicaid money on psychiatric hospitalizations for kids. In fiscal 2021, the state spent $27 million on residential treatment facilities.

The U.S. attorneys findings seem to echo a much-discussed 2023 investigation and report by the Office of the Child Advocate, which oversees DCYF. The Child Advocate suggested that even at a sub-hospital level of care  specifically, at the North Providence residential treatment facility St. Marys Home for Children  DCYF used a No eject, no reject clause in its contract to broaden the scope of eligibility and ensure placements regardless of individual need.

The process has been described as throwing something against the wall and if it sticks, its the right place, the Child Advocates report stated.

In 2018, Rhode Island submitted and received federal approval for a Medicaid extension that allows otherwise Medicaid-ineligible youths with serious emotional distress to be treated in a psychiatric residential treatment facility like St. Marys without parents relinquishing custody.

The Office of the Child Advocate provided a statement to Rhode Island Current Tuesday afternoon: All children involved with DCYF have the right to receive treatment in the least restrictive setting with access to comprehensive services that allow them to maintain relationships with their family, school, and within the community, the advocates office said. These findings provide a critical opportunity to conduct an in depth review of our full continuum of care, build capacity in-state, and explore all funding opportunities.

The advocate also said limiting hospital admissions and timely discharge to suitable step down care should be prioritized alongside the expansion of prevention and community-based efforts.

The U.S. Attorney also challenged a much-repeated notion from the states child welfare officials: that there arent enough beds in-state for intensive psychiatric placements.

Its not an issue of not enough beds, Cunha said. This is not a problem that can be solved by building more bed capacity. The problem is the use of hospitalization when less restrictive means are available necessarily like community care, like therapeutic foster care settings that dont involve actually confining a child to a hospital.

Morna A. Murray, executive director of Disability Rights Rhode Island, the state organization federally tasked with disability advocacy, said in an emailed statement: We agree that robust community-based services are critical to address this long-standing warehousing of children and youth in hospital facilities in our state, Murray wrote.

The answer is not more hospital beds, regardless of the size of the facility. This federal investigation mirrors what DRRI has uncovered about youth consigned to St. Marys Home for Children: Children languish in institutions, settings that exacerbate harm and distress, and this is a violation of their legal and civil rights.

Olivia DaRocha, spokesperson for Gov. McKee, called the report troubling in an email, acknowledging Rhode Island is impacted by a national shortage of home and community-based behavioral health services.

While our Administration has taken actions to improve our current placement system, we understand that more must be done, and we support DCYFs continued cooperation with the U.S. Attorney and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, DaRocha wrote. Together, we will continue to seek short- and long-term solutions to provide each child with a behavioral health disability the appropriate services in the most integrated setting.

Statement from Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families

The following response was released to Rhode Island Current Monday, May 13, 2024, at 6:33 p.m:

Today, the U.S. Attorneys Office shared with DCYF the findings of an investigation that reviewed youth in DCYF care who were treated at Bradley Hospital between the years of 2017 to 2022.

DCYF takes these findings very seriously and is committed to continuing to work closely with the U.S. Attorneys Office and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to reach a resolution in the best interest of the youth in DCYFs care. We agree with the report that more work is needed on addressing the behavioral health needs of children in Rhode Island.

Under the current Administration, the State has taken steps to begin addressing the issues outlined in this report. Starting in November 2022, and continuously since, the Department has worked with Bradley Hospital and Hasbro Childrens Hospital to expedite discharges to appropriate placements as quickly as possible.

Over that same time period, the Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (MRSS) program was launched. This program provides time-limited, on-demand crisis intervention services in any setting in which a behavioral health crisis is occurring, including homes, schools and emergency departments. Depending on the needs of the child, the stabilization component may include a temporary, out-of-home crisis resolution in a safe environment. To date, 90% of the youth in this pilot program did not end up requiring psychiatric hospitalization.

To address the need for more residential beds, to provide step-down care for youth who have been hospitalized, the state is investing approximately $45 million to expand in-state residential capacity, including a facility in Exeter that will serve 16 youth. Additionally, the state legislature appropriated $11 million for the building of a 12-bed psychiatric residential facility (PRTF) to address in-state capacity need.

This article was updated on Tuesday, May 14, to include a comment from the Office of the Child Advocate.

The post Feds: R.I. child welfare agency warehoused vulnerable kids in hospital for months, even years appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  A woman has been charged after federal attorneys say she worked with two others to try to scam a victim out of $60,000 using a fake FBI arrest warrant.

Kari Melissa Morales, 51, of Milford, was charged Tuesday with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to U.S. attorneys. If convicted, she could face up to 20 years in prison.

Morales and a co-conspirator, who attorneys say she met online but never in person, worked together to scam a victim with fake documents saying the person owed money to the IRS, according to a federal indictment. A co-conspirator, who was not named, sent a text to a number that used to belong to the victim but had since been reassigned to an officer in Kent County.

I am contacting you from the IRS fraud department regarding your recent tax return filing. We detected that your last tax return was inappropriate and misleading,we need to sort this out with you before handing it over to appropriate authorities. Please respond to this text message while we discuss possible solutions to avoid you being charged for fraudulent tax filing, the text read, according to the indictment.

A co-conspirator then threatened the victim with a fake federal arrest warrant for tax fraud, the court documents say.

One of the co-conspirators, known to Morales as Tom, sent Morales a fake digital FBI WARRANT OF ARREST document that threatened to arrest the victim for tax fraud and a fake digital IRS Receipt saying the victim paid the IRS $60,000 and would not be charged with tax fraud, the indictment says.

Attorneys say Morales printed out both documents and brought them to meet with who she thought was the victim in a parking lot in Grand Rapids to collect the $60,000 in cash. Morales was promised by a co-conspirator that she could collect $2,500 of the cash. The rest was supposed to go to the two co-conspirators, court documents say.

On April 8, Morales drove to Grand Rapids to meet the victim, carrying a loaded gun in a holster in her waistband and a gold police badge that was issued to another person by a municipality in the State of Michigan, according to the indictment. It did not say how she got the badge.

Financial fraud is rampant, said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten in a Tuesday release. Fraudsters comes at us through our devices, in the mail, and at our doors. And they target some of our most vulnerable, especially senior citizens  Safety starts with awareness. Federal agencies like the IRS and FBI will never send anyone texts, emails, or other messages requesting or demanding money to dismiss an arrest warrant or criminal charges.

Totten reminded people to be cautious of unsolicited phone calls, texts, mailings and door-to-door services. If you believe you or someone you know who is 60 years or older has been scammed out of money, contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1.833.FRAUD.11 (37283) or the Federal Trade Commission hotline at 877.FTC.HELP (3824951).

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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In many states, pro-Trump activists are fighting against more traditional conservatives in their primaries. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator)

Republican primary contests this year in many states  Washington and Idaho for two  have evolved into battles between traditional conservatives and more uncompromising activist and often Trumpist groups.

Oregon is mostly an exception.

The state has no lack of Republican primary contests, five in the state Senate and 10 in the House, with about four times as many House seats are up for election. While some candidates identify themselves along the lines of former President Donald Trump, few do so very explicitly.

The reasons why arent clear. The states late presidential primary, which will feature only Trump on the Republican side, may have lowered the attention level a little in Oregon at the local level. Maybe, too, Oregons nature is more inclined to focus on local concerns and individual personalities.

Oregons Republican contests seem at least to have evolved that way.

That holds true for the statewide and ideologically-oriented Republican Unity Caucus PAC, which has become involved in Republican primary contests, one of the few state organizations to do so. Its finances are not massive, with it reporting so far less than $17,000 in either contributions or spending for the primary. It describes itself as uniting activists and legislators to empower the Freedom Movement in Oregon, and does not get much more specific from there, freeing it to act in the primaries however seems desirable.

Its most visible activity concerns incumbent Republican Sen. David Brock Smith of Port Orford, who is facing three primary opponents for his southern coastal seat, with logger Todd Vaughn winning RUC backing. The PACs blasts at Brock Smith led to cease-and-desist letters from Brock Smiths attorney with indications that he might sue over what he described as false campaign statements. The complaints against Brock Smith are hard to parse, but seem to argue that he was too supportive of Democratic initiatives and might have been helping a Chinese businessman.

Brock Smith describes himself as a staunch conservative, and RUC leader Ben Edtl said his group is bound by America First values. The groups core complaint against Brock Smith remains unclear.

RUC also weighed in on the Republican primary in House District 51 in Clackamas County. With no Democrats filing, the seat will go to Christine Drazan, who represented the area before resigning when she ran for governor in 2022, or James Hieb, who was appointed to replace her and now is the incumbent. The PAC described Drazan, the Republican governor nominee two years ago, as supported by special interest groups who want to continue their agenda of socializing housing and health care and continue to undermine election integrity and local democratic control of our school districts. Hieb, it said, had begun his legislative term similarly but then he began an assent to fearlessly representing his voters. The reasons for involvement never get much more specific.

The Unity Caucus seems to be about as large a group as has become involved in the many Republican primaries.

In only one case among the 15 Republican primary contests was a significant policy difference between two candidates clearly central. That is in House District 12 in rural Lane County where incumbent Rep. Charlie Conrad of Dexter faces a challenge by Darin Harbick over Conrads vote in 2023 for a Democratic-backed reproductive health care bill. Conrad went against his party on the bill, which sparked a Republican Senate walkout that lasted for six weeks. Harbick told the Capital Chronicle: When I found out that my state representative (was) the only Republican in Oregon who voted with the rest of the Democrats on that bill, I was outraged because I do not believe that is what House District 12 represents, Harbick said. That was kind of a catalyst that put me into running a primary against Representative Conrad.

Most of the candidate differences, however, relate more to approach to the job than to policy or even personality differences.

In Senate District 2, which includes Josephine and parts of Douglas and Jackson counties, incumbent Art Robinson was legally barred from running again, so his son Noah Robinson has filed to replace him. He is opposed by current Rep. Christine Goodwin of Canyon City. She told the Capital Chronicle: I filed because the threat of another Robinson was frightening to me. She said the elder Robinson only opposed bills while she said she would compromise, when necessary, to find solutions. The thread of practical legislating against an uncompromising edge runs through several races. In the coastal House District 32, where incumbent Cyrus Javadi of Tillamook is rematched against Glenn Gaither of Seaside, Javadi talks about working across the aisle, while Gaithers message does have clear echoes of a Trump-like view but in the context of being uncompromising.

At least one other House race is specifically shaped around the background of the incumbent, in this case the longest-serving House Republican, Greg Smith of Heppner in eastern Oregon. Challenger Raymond Akers drew on headlines about Smiths extensive private-sector but government-related contracts, chronicled by Malheur Enterprise, and said on his Facebook page that while Greg is out and about telling about all of his corporate endorsements (voters should) hold his feet to the fire (since) you may not see him again for many years.

On the day after primary election day, Oregon Republicans  and political analysts  may have a hard time drawing any sweeping conclusions about what the partys voters want. Whatever it is, apart from liking or disliking their incumbents, they wont have a lot of room to express it on the ballot.

The post Few common threads dominate GOP legislative primaries in Oregon appeared first on Oregon Capital Chronicle.
MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11)  A skyscraper on Fifth Avenue known as the Crown Building, home to the exclusive Aman New York resort, is now a historic landmark.

The LPC unanimously voted to make the 57th Street building  one of Fifth Avenues best known and most visible early skyscrapers  an individual landmark Tuesday.

Tremont branch of New York Public Library gains landmark status

The skyscraper was finished in 1922 at 25 stories tall, and now houses the Aman Resort, where rooms rent in the thousands per night. The property will soon house a Prada store, according to TheRealDeal.

LPC Commissioners said the designation was a no-brainer, even with flexibility for the retail floors to make changes.

Elevated view of the Crown Building, New York, New York, September 17, 2002. (Photo by Barbara Alper/Getty Images)

Its history, its extraordinary beauty, and the fact that it MoMA really started here  I mean, all of this is so worthy of being landmarked, said Commissioner Frederick Bland.

The building holds rich New York City History. It was designed by Warren & Wetmore, the architects behind Grand Central Terminal, the Helmsley Building on Park Avenue and the Con Edison tower on East 14th Street according to the LPC.

It was home to the Museum of Modern Arts first exhibition in 1929 and one of the first tall buildings on this stretch of Fifth Avenue, signaling the early shift from residential to commercial in the 1920s, according to the LPC.

It was commissioned by Anahma Realty Corporation, helmed by August Heckscher, once described as the largest holder of office buildings in the city at the time.

Its a real standout on the street, and I think its already a landmark with a lower-case l, said Chair Sarah Carroll.

Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter from Los Angeles who has covered New York City since 2023. She joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
Photo: DeepStateMap as of 14 May

In Chasiv Yar, Donetsk Oblast, the Russians are trying to find weak points in Ukraines defence by approaching from the Ivanivske and Bohdanivka direction. During the day, Russia made more than 12 assaults.

Source: Nazar Voloshyn, spokesperson of the Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group of Forces, during the national joint 24/7 newscast

Quote: "The situation in Chasiv Yar has not changed. Active fighting continues day and night. The enemy has not had any territorial success in recent days.

They continue to destroy Chasiv Yar with artillery and guided aerial bombs, dropping them on the city and nearby settlements."

Details: Voloshyn reports that Russia is trying to capture Chasiv Yar and its heights to continue attacks on Druzhkivka, Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.

Now, the Russians no longer conduct such large-scale assaults as before, but try to approach Ivanivske and Bohdanivka to find weak points in Ukraines defence more often.

The Russians are sending mobilised convicts to carry out the assault while keeping their equipment in reserve.

Convicts from the Storm-Z and Storm-V units take part in such assaults.

Russia makes every effort to succeed on this front, but it has had no success there despite the influence of active artillery.

Over the past 24 hours, almost 150 mortar and artillery attacks were recorded on this front. In the morning, 12 Russian assaults were also recorded.

One assault and 139 attacks from various types of weapons were recorded near Ivanivske.

In total, during the day, Russia dropped almost 300 projectiles from kamikaze drones and carried out 1,330 attacks with various types of weapons on the Chasiv Yar front.

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After days of rain, Jolene Riessens family was able to finish planting the last acres of corn on their northwest Iowa farm this weekend.

But it wasnt easy.

The solar storm that caused the northern lights to erupt in the nighttime skies over Iowa, shimmering in waves of reds, greens, purples, pinks and blues, played havoc with the Riessens tractor as they planted Saturday and Sunday.

Across the country, it disrupted satellite connections to global positioning systems that guide the tractors during planting.

The Riessens lost their GPS signal a half dozen times over the weekend.

Modern technology is great when it works, said Riessen, who farms and raises cattle with her sons, Lee and Cory, in Ida and Sac counties.

Planting in Iowa running behind because of storms, wet fields

A tractor pulls a planter filled with corn seed as the Heineman family prepares for the season near Ogden.

They were lucky to even be out in their fields. Iowa has quickly shifted from a four-year drought to frequent rainstorms, idling many farmers hoping to complete planting, said Doug Houser, an Iowa State University Extension digital agriculture specialist.

So far, Iowa farmers have planted 57% of the states corn crop and 39% of the soybeans, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Monday, putting them on a pace one week behind last year's, according to the report.

Riessen said that at her farm, her son, Lee, kept planting going by using a marker that farmers relied on before GPS guided their tractors. A disc on the marker  a folding arm that extends from the planter  rolls along with the planter, marking a line that provides guidance when the farmer turns to plant the next row. Farmers center their tractors on the line in the soil to keep the needed distance between rows.

Thats the old-fashioned way, Riessen said.

Friends in Nebraska had removed the marker arms from their planter, so they were stranded until they were able to reconnect to satellites.

GPS does more than just guide farmers on when and where to turn. The system also tells the planter when to stop sending seed into the soil and guides farmers when theyre spraying chemicals that kills weeds or insects.

The increased planting and spraying efficiency saves farmers money, especially important in a year with declining crop prices.

Marcus Heineman operates the tractor as he plants corn Wednesday, April 25, 2024, near Ogden, IA.

As solar storm subsides, forecast calls for more rainstorms

Farmers occasionally lose satellite connections, but nothing like Sunday, Riessen said. Houser also said the frequency of satellite interruptions over the weekend was unusual.

Something like this is very rare, he said.

With the solar storm subsiding, Riessen said her family hopes to switch over to planting soybeans Tuesday.

But another kind of storm continues to challenge farmers, with chances of rain in the forecast across Iowa two to four more days this week.

More: Rainfall erases extreme drought from latest U.S. Drought Monitor map for Iowa

"Widespread wet conditions last week have delayed planting progress and its certainly weighing on the minds of farmers, Mike Naig, Iowas agriculture secretary, said in a statement about the planting report, adding, Planters continue to be parked across much of the state."

Donnelle Eller covers agriculture, the environment and energy for the Register. Reach her at deller@registermedia.com or 515-284-8457.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Northern lights dazzling, but played havoc with Iowa farmers' tractors
Update: The tornado watch for our area has been canceled.

Original story: A system of storms strong enough to produce tornadoes will move into northeast Florida and southeast Georgia Tuesday morning.

A tornado watch is in effect until 1 p.m.

First Alert Meteorologist Trevor Gibbs said we could start seeing rain during the morning commute.

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He said the storms could come with wind gusts up to 50 mph. Localized flooding is possible, and an isolated tornado cant be ruled out.

More showers are possible late Tuesday night when another batch of storms move through.

The First Alert Weather Team expects drier weather by Wednesday afternoon, and a hot finish to the week, with highs near 90 degrees.

Read: Dozens show up to EverBank Stadium to meet DCPS Superintendent finalists

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First Lady and Second Gentleman to visit the Upper Peninsula this week

MARQUETTE, Mich. (WJMN)  First Lady Jill Biden is scheduled to begin her Women for Biden tour of Michigan with a stop in Marquette on Thursday.

Her statewide tour with a focus on the 2024 election will span Thursday through Saturday.

According to a release from the officer of the First Lady, Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff will arrive at Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport on Thursday afternoon and travel to an event in Marquette before continuing on to other destinations across the state.

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 WJMN - UPMatters.com.
First look at new high school planned in Cordova

MEMPHIS, Tenn.  Documents submitted to county officials last Friday provide the first look at a new high school planned for Cordova.

Plans for the New East Region High School show two buildings with about 440,000 total square feet of space, plus lighted ball fields and a track and stadium, on more than 40 acres just west of North Germantown Parkway, between Trinity Road and Fischer Steel Road.

The new Memphis-Shelby County district school would serve more than 2,000 students currently zoned to Germantown High School, according to the application. (See drawings and maps below.)

MSCS considers building new Cordova high school near Shelby Farms



(plans from Shelby County Land Use Control Board)





Memphis-Shelby County Schools request for approval of a planned development will be considered by the Shelby County Land Use Control Board at its June 13 meeting.

MSCS plans to purchase the land after approval of the plan by the LUCB, the application states.

The cost of that purchase was not addressed in the application, but a report from February 2023 stated the tract was being sold to the district for $3.5 million, at the time. Reporting from 2022 stated the estimated cost for the new school at that time was $100 million.

Deal would transfer 3G schools, build new Cordova high school

Plans for a new school in Cordova have been in the works for at least two years, since a deal was reached to transfer the so-called 3G schools from MSCS control to Germantown, and build a new county school in Cordova.

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 WREG.com.
This article was published as part of a content-sharing agreement between Army Times and The Fayetteville Observer.

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 divisions combat aviation brigade headed to the Middle East.

Meanwhile, units back at Fort Liberty, North Carolina 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 divisions Immediate Response Force maintains constant readiness to deploy if needed worldwide.

The Fayetteville Observer spoke with Work via a video call on May 6, while he was deployed to Europe, to catch up on whats been going on in the division for the past six months.

Editors Note: The following Q&A has been edited for length, style and clarity.

Maj. Gen. J. Patrick Work has led the 82nd Airborne Division since November 2023. (Provided by The Fayetteville Observer; courtesy of 82nd Airborne Division)

What is the 82nds role in Europe right now?

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. Chris 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. Chris Cavoli clearly prioritize alliance efforts and energy toward the alliance.

Paratroopers assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division conduct cold load training with Polish allies in 2022. (Sgt. Catessa Palone/U.S. Army)

The 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade has had a lot of training in the Middle East during the past few months. How is their deployment?

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.

A paratrooper was injured early during the deployment. Can you talk about the resiliency of the (families) here in North Carolina?

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 Garrett 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.

An AH-64 Apache from the 1st Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade flies a reconnaissance mission in 2019 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. (Maj. Richard Foote/Army)

Can you talk about the brigades back at Fort Liberty that have also been part of training cycles?

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.

Approximately 18,000 Army paratroopers assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division participate in the division run during All American Week 2018. (Pfc. Alleea Oliver/Army)

Will the division have representatives at the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion?

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. Something 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.

Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528.
I flew economy on Copa, Panama's flagship airline. My only regret was not booking it for a long-haul flight home.

Copa Airlines is Panama's flag carrier.

The airline offers flights across the country and to more than 30 destinations.

I took a domestic flight with Copa and regretted not booking it for my longer, round-trip flight home.

Once you arrive in Panama, the experiences are endless.

In Panama City, visitors can explore historic neighborhoods, try new cuisines, tour the impressive Panama Canal, and dance nights away on rooftop bars.

Outside the country's capital, tourists can head to destinations like Boquete for coffee farm tours and lush rainforest hikes.

It's a country sandwiched by oceans, so pristine beaches and ritzy resorts dot the coastline.

When it came to booking my nine-day trip in April, squeezing in as many experiences as possible was key. And to cover the most ground, I decided to hop on a flight from Panama City to David.

This also meant traveling on an airline I'd never experienced before. Copa Airlines, a member of the Star Alliance, offers both domestic and international flights with headquarters in Panama. Founded in 1947, the airline now services more than 30 destinations.

About a month before heading to Panama, I booked my round-trip Copa Airlines flight between Panama City and David.

A Copa Airlines plane from the author's plane window. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

The Enrique Malek International Airport in David offered easy access to rainforests in Boquete and beaches on the Pacific Coast.

The Enrique Malek International Airport in Panama. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

The airline flies between the destinations every morning and afternoon, with flights leaving Panama City at 7:52 a.m. and 3:45 p.m.

A screenshot of the flight options between Panama City and David, Panama. Google Flights

I chose the morning flight. Copa has only two cabins: economy and business. However, travelers can book different fare types, which include perks like checked bags, refunds, and seat selection.

A view of the airline's different cabins and fare types. Copa Airlines

I picked the cheapest ticket, basic economy, which cost $167 for the round-trip. I headed to the airport early on my third day in Panama.

The exterior of Panama City's Tocumen International Airport. RODRIGO ARANGUA/Getty Images

Since I didn't have a bag to check, I breezed through security.

The Tocumen International Airport in Panama City. STR/AFP via Getty Images

My basic economy ticket included a standard carry-on bag, and a checked suitcase would have cost $40. However, other ticket tiers include at least one free checked bag.

Copa Airlines baggage sizers. FEDERICO PARRA/AFP via Getty Images

I arrived at my gate about an hour before boarding. The flight was on time, and like most airlines, Copa uses boarding group numbers to welcome passengers on board.

A screenshot of the author's boarding pass. Copa Airlines

After hearing my group number, I hopped on a bus that brought passengers to the aircraft's ramp.

The author's view of the aircraft from the bus. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

The airline has a few aircraft in its fleet, but I was on a Boeing 737-800 for my domestic flights.

The author was riding a Boeing 737 with Copa Airlines. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

After walking the ramp, I boarded the plane.

Passengers walk along the ramp and onto the Boeing 737. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

I walked past the business-class seats and into the economy cabin.

Passengers in Copa's business-class cabin. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

Then, I snuggled into my window seat.

Copa Airlines economy seats. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

The seats were an upgrade from the budget airlines I typically fly. They were slightly cushioned with a flexible headrest.

The economy seats on Copa Airlines. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

But there weren't many amenities beyond that. I didn't spot an outlet or USB plug, the seats only slightly reclined, and the legroom felt standard.

The author's legroom on the Copa Airlines flight. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

The seats also didn't have individual screens. Before takeoff, small TVs came down and played a safety video.

A screen drops down with the safety video. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

Flight attendants came by about halfway through the ride with complimentary snacks and beverages.

Flight attendants served snacks and drinks during the flight. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

Tortilla chips were the only free snack offered to economy passengers. For drinks, I picked from the typical slew of juices, sodas, teas, and coffee.

Passengers in economy received tortilla chips and a drink. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

And in just over an hour, the flight was landing in David.

A view from the author's plane window. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

The experience was seamless, and as I spoke to Panamanians, they all raved about their beloved airline.

The Copa plane parked at the airport in David, Panama. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

I later learned that the airline has continuously won awards for being the best airline in Central America and the Caribbean, and it's also known for its punctuality.

Part of the Boeing airplane. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

Source: Copa Airlines

But the biggest reason I'd book Copa Airlines again is for its nonstop route between Panama City and my home city of Denver.

Passengers board their Copa Airlines flight. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

My flight home could've been just 6.5 hours, instead of the 9.5-hour journey I booked.

The exterior of the Copa Airlines plane. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

If I could avoid a lengthy layover for future trips to and from Panama, I'd book the carrier again in a heartbeat.

The author outside of the Copa Airlines plane. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

Read the original article on Business Insider
Flu season is over, but there is a viral surge in California wastewater. Is it avian flu?

An unusual surge in flu viruses detected at wastewater treatment plants in California and other parts of the country is raising concerns among some experts that H5N1 bird flu may be spreading farther and faster than health officers initially thought.

In the last several weeks, wastewater surveillance at 59 of 190 U.S. municipal and regional sewage plants has revealed an out-of-season spike in influenza A flu viruses  a category that also includes H5N1.

The testing  which is intended to monitor the prevalence of "normal" flu viruses that affect humans  has also shown a moderate to high upward trend at 40 sites across California, including San Francisco, Oakland and San Diego. Almost every city tested in the Bay Area shows moderate to high increases of type A viruses.

Read more: Experts blast CDC over failure to test sewage for signs of H5N1 bird flu virus

Alexandria Boehm, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University and principal investigator and program director for WastewaterSCAN  an infectious disease monitoring network run by researchers at labs at Stanford, Emory University and Verily, Alphabet Inc.'s life sciences research organization  was careful to note that an increase in human influenza A virus in wastewater does not necessarily mean that bird flu is present. However, it does raise that question.

Some experts fear that H5N1 is essentially flying under the radar, spreading undetected among birds, livestock and possibly humans, and say the increase in positive test results at sewage plants could be an indication of this. They worry that if the virus continues to spread among livestock, there is a greater risk that the virus will mutate in a way that makes it more of a threat to humans.

"There seems to be an outbreak throughout California, and, as far as I know, they haven't reported any infected cows in that state yet," said Marc Johnson, a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the University of Missouri, referring to the cluster of yellow and orange dots on the WastewaterSCAN map.

Johnson is among a number of experts urging the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to test specifically for H5N1 and to make those results public.

Avian flu has been positively identified in 42 cattle herds across nine states, suggesting its spread has been somewhat limited. However, the wastewater surveillance testing shows a surge in flu viruses in 23 states, including some that have seen outbreaks at dairy farms.

Boehm said they have testing in 41 states; not all states participate in the WastewaterSCAN academic program.

So far, there have been no reported herds infected in California, which is the nation's largest milk producer. The state supplies roughly 20% of the nation's milk, is home to about 1,300 dairy farms and has an estimated 1.7 million dairy cows.

Most human influenza viruses are seasonal, arriving in the fall and disappearing by early spring. Therefore, finding the virus in wastewater during these periods is "what we'd expect when you have more influenza cases in hospitals, more hospitalizations, more emergency department visits," said Boehm, the Stanford professor.

"What we've noticed this year is that after influenza season, there was a fraction of the wastewater treatment plants we survey, that when we looked closely at them at the end of April, there were increases," she said, including some really "obvious" ones such as two in Amarillo, Texas, where they knew H5N1 had been detected in dairy cattle nearby.

The team contacted the local public health department and got permission to test for bird flu virus. It was a match. So, too, was the wastewater from a Dallas plant.

Boehm said the finding suggests that the increases they are observing at these other sites  59 of the 190 that they track  might also be avian flu.

She said the sites they are looking at deal with municipal, not agricultural, wastewater, "so they're not getting farm runoff."

Read more: Despite H5N1 bird flu outbreaks in dairy cattle, raw milk enthusiasts are uncowed

Instead, at least in the case of Amarillo, it's probably from permitted dairy processing centers  "places that were making cheese or yogurt ... that had a permit to discharge into the waste stream."

What's causing the upward trend at other sites is not clear. But if the uptick is the result of bird-flu infected dairy getting into the municipal waste stream  and since milk is generally trucked from dairies to processing centers  the source of infection is probably not too far away. These positive sites provide a geographical flag for public health officials to take a closer look. (The CDC has said that pasteurization of milk kills the virus.)

Johnson, who developed an H5N1 assay to test wastewater in Missouri, was asked by federal officials to withhold using the test for fear it could "add to the confusion."

"This is the perfect example of why it makes sense," to test specifically for H5N1 in wastewater, he said. "Because then you would know whether this is really H5, because no matter where it's coming from, if it's showing up in California, that's saying something."

Johnson said if the tests show it's H5N1, there could be infected cows in California.

The CDC monitors roughly 600 sites, and "what we are seeing is very localized increases that are out of season for seasonal flu," said Amy Kirby, senior service fellow in the Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch at the CDC.

She said that when they see those increases, they go in for a deeper look.

In an interview on Friday, she said she was unable to provide more information, because the agency was "finalizing that data and checking it to make sure it's correct."

Tom Skinner, a CDC spokesman, said that data will be available on the agency's avian flu dashboard Tuesday. He said in an email that some of the sites they've looked at are in California, but declined to add more information until after the agency has posted its own dashboard.

Read more: 'Nobody saw this coming'; California dairies scramble to guard herds against bird flu

To some researchers, the spike in viruses found in wastewater is a call to action.

"I think we have a good opportunity here to kind of prepare in case of the worst case scenario," said John Dennehy, a virologist at the City University of New York's Graduate Center. "Now, we know it's there. We know it hasn't jumped into humans yet, but can we muster the public health infrastructure to prepare in advance if this should jump over from cows into humans? Whether it is coming from milk? Or some other means?"

It was in Dennehy's laboratory that New York City's coronavirus wastewater test was developed.

Dennehy and his colleague, Denis Nash  distinguished professor of epidemiology and executive director of City University of New Yorks Institute for Implementation Science in Population Health  said it's only been since about 2020 that researchers have been using wastewater surveillance to monitor public health.

It's now seen as a "first line" method of surveillance  gathering information about outbreaks of flu, polio, rhinoviruses and other diseases. But it's largely been driven by academics and local agencies.

In the case of bird flu, a more centralized, or organized, system of monitoring and messaging is required, they said.

"I think the important thing here is that CDC should be describing what's going on with influenza A in wastewater," said Nash. "It's great that academics are doing it. We all are stepping in because it often seems like the government is a little bit delayed or just not engaged. But really, the CDC should be leading this."

Calls to wastewater treatment centers in Santa Cruz and Oakland went unreturned. A query to an official at UC Davis' wastewater treatment center, which shows an uptick, also went unanswered.





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Two days ago, French police caught Mohamed Amra trying to saw through the bars of his prison cell.

The incident prompted his relocation to a disciplinary unit and his surveillance level was raised to level three, one below the special surveillance level reserved for Frances most dangerous prisoners.

It was to prove a fateful decision, and the 30-year-old convict is now the target of a massive manhunt after he was broken out of a police van in a brazen and brutal daylight raid.

Nicknamed La Mouche (The Fly), Amra has been described in the French press as a high-flying bandit involved in both international drug trafficking between the French Caribbean and mainland France. He is also suspected of masterminding a drugs-related assassination attempt on a French citizen in Spain in the summer of 2023.

The ambush on a prison van near Rouen in Normandy - UNPIXS

Amra was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment by the Evreux magistrates court last Tuesday for aggravated robberies, including thefts from supermarkets and shops in the suburbs of Evreux between August and October 2019.

He had also been indicted by the specialised inter-regional court in Marseille for kidnapping leading to death and was then held at the Evreux prison on suspicion of ordering a murder in Marseille on June 17 2022, according to RTL. On that date, the charred body of a man was found in a burnt-out vehicle in Le Rove, near Marseille. The victim had clearly been shot in the head.

According to the Paris public prosecutors office, which has taken over the investigation, the trafficker had been charged with kidnapping and false imprisonment resulting in death by the Marseille JIRS (specialised inter-regional court).

The unsuccessful hit he allegedly ordered was filmed by terrified tourists in Marbella in July last year. According to Le Parisien, the Spain contract was part of a drugs turf war between Amra and a rival known as Mehdi. His rival then reportedly ordered a revenge hit in Evreux that same month in which two people died, one of them close to Amra.

He is also under investigation for attempted homicide in an organised gang in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray. At the time of the attack, he was being transferred back to Evreux from Rouen, where he had been interviewed by prosecutors over this case.

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Is that fog or smog over downtown? Heres whats up with Kansas Citys air quality

Wildfire smoke from Canada has moved into Kansas City on the heels of recent rainstorms, causing air quality in the metro to become unhealthy for sensitive groups.

Tiny particles made up the majority of the air pollution Tuesday Older adults, minors and those with heart or lung diseases are advised to avoid strenuous outdoor activity.

Kansas Citys air quality index was 138 around 10 a.m., according to the government air quality tracking site AirNow.gov. Thats on the higher end of its category  an index of 151 or above indicates unhealthy air for all groups, including healthy adults.

The smoke is basically moving in on the back side of this rain system that were experiencing today, Kansas City meteorologist Brent Pesel told The Star. With the way the weather pattern is, those winds are coming out of the north, so it does pull that smoke down towards us.

Pesel added that rainfall can help tamp down smoky conditions, reducing the particles in the air along with any smell of wildfire.

Last year, the metro saw hazy conditions throughout the summer for a variety of reasons, including smoke from far-away fires and ground-level ozone, also known as smog, caused by human emissions.

While Pesel doesnt foresee a repeat of those conditions this year, its hard to know exactly where wildfires will crop up  or which way the wind will turn.

Its not uncommon for smoke to get pushed around the country by upper-level (air) flow, he said. Youll probably see some vivid colors in the sky as the sun rises and sets and the light bounces off the smoke particles.

Tuesdays hazy conditions may linger through the rest of the week, but Pesel doesnt anticipate the air quality in the coming days will be as poor as today.

As we go through the week, those winds are going to turn to be a little bit more directly out of the west, so we probably wont have as much smoke, he said.

Do you have more questions about air quality in Kansas City? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT)  A former Decatur police officer charged with murder is opposing the States motion for a gag order.

On Tuesday, attorneys for former Decatur Police Officer Mac Bailey Marquette, who is charged with the on-duty shooting of Stephen Perkins in his driveway on Sept. 29, 2023, opposed the States request for a gag order, and requested they lift the temporary gag order.

RELATED: Multiple law enforcement officers subpoenaed for Mac Marquette gag order hearing

In the States original motion, prosecutors argued for a general gag order because the case has been subject to great pretrial publicity both in media and online. Perkins shooting death generated a widespread outcry in Decatur, with near-daily protests before Marquettes indictment.

The temporary gag order was issued in March of 2024 and bars out-of-court public discussions of the case or the release of any information by any of the parties involved  including attorneys on all sides.

Attorneys argue in the newly filed court documents that the States motion doesnt have any grounds for the necessity of a gag order.

Marquettes lawyers also claim that the prosecutions request is extreme and restrictive on the Defendants ability to properly investigate, interview witnesses and prepare this case for trial.

The gag order hearing will be on Friday, May 17. His trial is currently set for October 21, 2024.

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 WHNT.com.
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In his second day of testimony at Donald Trumps criminal trial, former ally Michael Cohen said he committed several federal crimes to protect Trump, including lying to Congress out of loyalty. He also lied about the true nature of the hush-money payments at the center of the trial, he told the jury  that is, until he decided he could not lie any more, he said.

Cohen, Trumps former personal attorney and right-hand-man, also testified that the former president was directly involved in falsifying business records to reimburse him for a $130,000 payment  made to keep porn star Stormy Daniels quiet about her alleged 2006 sexual encounter with Trump and protect him ahead of the 2016 election.

Cohens testimony is vital to the prosecutions allegations that Trump didnt just falsify business records to conceal the payments, but did so as part of a broader conspiracy to get himself elected president in 2016.

Cohen, who will be the prosecutions final witness, offers perhaps the most direct evidence to suggest Trump knew about the scheme and falsified the documents with that knowledge  the former president has repeatedly denied the allegations. The defense began a fiery cross-examination of Cohen on Tuesday, which will resume on Thursday.

As crucial as the disbarred attorney is to the prosecution, he is a star witness with a credibility problem. Prosecutors sought to get ahead of Trumps defense cross-examination by airing Cohens dirty laundry themselves, but its a risky legal strategy.

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Surrogates for Trump can say whatever they want despite gag order

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Sources: Adam Klasfeld, The Washington Post, The Associated Press

Trumps gag order stipulates he cannot make  or direct others to make  statements about the prosecutors, jury, witnesses, or judges family. But a parade of vice-presidential hopefuls and prominent Republicans  including House Speaker Mike Johnson  have beelined to Manhattan to act as his megaphone. Some court-watchers have pointed out that helping Trump seemingly skirt his gag order is a dicey dance. Asked Tuesday if he was directing surrogates to speak on [his] behalf, Trump told reporters he has a lot of surrogates who are speaking beautifully. But so long as Trump does not directly tell those surrogates to sound off, they can say whatever they want to say, one former federal prosecutor said.

Trumps verbal attacks may inspire threats of violence

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Sources: Reuters , MSNBC

Trumps inflammatory comments about the judges across his various ongoing trials are inspiring widespread calls for violence, a Reuters investigation has found. For example, after the former president railed against hush-money trial Judge Juan Merchan, who is not protected under the gag order, some Trump supporters called for Merchans execution on social media. Trump has not directly called for violence, but experts told Reuters that his language threatens the legitimacy of the independent judiciary. Anyone who crosses Trump can expect to face a barrage of threats, and two judges overseeing Trumps other cases have recently been targeted in swatting incidents. That raises concerns that Trumps verbal attacks are no longer dog whistles but bullhorns to his supporters, one expert told MSNBC.

Biden tries to contrast himself to Trump  to little avail

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Sources: The New York Times, ABC News

Trump is bound to a New York courtroom several days a week, somewhat curtailing his campaign activity, while incumbent President Joe Biden can campaign all over the US as much as he pleases. But battleground-state polling hasnt shifted much in Bidens favor since Trumps trial began, indicating that the former presidents legal woes have done little to boost Biden with undecided voters, many of whom say theyre most concerned with the cost of living, immigration, and Israels war in Gaza. Its still possible that a Trump conviction could tip the scale: Polls suggest a fifth of Trump supporters would reconsider or withdraw support if he is convicted of a crime  enough to make a difference in what is expected to be a nail-biter election.

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Former Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev has been reappointed as an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin announced on May 14.

The latest announcement comes amid a reshuffle of the highest levels of Russia's security aparatus in recent days.

Patrushev, who is believed to be one of Putin's closest confidants and held the position of Security Council secretary since 2008, was recently replaced by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Shoigu had been Russia's defense minister since 2012. Putin proposed dismissing Shoigu on May 12 and nominated Andrei Belousov, a former aide and economy minister, as Shoigu's replacement.

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The Kremlin also announced on May 14 that Tula Oblast Governor Alexey Dyumin had been dismissed from his post and would be reappointed as an aide to Putin.

Dyumin is a former deputy defense minister and former special forces commander, according to Russian media.

The Wall Street Journal reported in December 2023 that Patrushev, the former head of the Federal Security Service (FSB), was responsible for ordering the assassination of the Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head Wagner mercenary group.

Patrushev reportedly did not approve of Prigozhin's open criticism of top Russian military brass and was concerned that Wagner had gained too much power.

A British court concluded in 2016 that Patrushev, together with Putin, probably approved the assassination of fomer FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006.

Read also: Russian media: Russian Defense Ministry personnel chief Kuznetsov detained

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Former Sen. Ed Durr, a Republican who represented Gloucester County, announced he will run for governor in 2025. (Hal Brown for New Jersey Monitor)

South Jersey truck driver Ed Durr upended New Jersey politics in 2021 when he toppled one of the states most powerful politicians, then-Senate President Steve Sweeney, and won a seat in the state Senate.

Now, Durr  a Trump-loving Republican known as Ed the Trucker who served one term before a better-funded Democrat took back the seat last fall  is angling for another upset, and hes aiming even higher. He announced Monday hell run for governor.

We are in a crisis. New Jersey is broken. Our government is broken. We are financially broken, and we are morally broken, Durr told supporters at New Life Assembly in Egg Harbor Township.

The announcement got a long round of applause, cheers, and whistles at the event, which focused on school boards, books, and curriculum and where signs around the church stage read: TEACH ABC NOT SEX and YOUR CHILDREN DO NOT BELONG TO THE STATE. As a senator, Durr introduced legislation, which did not advance, that would have prohibited school districts from teaching students in kindergarten through sixth grade about sexual orientation or gender identity and required parental consent on such instruction for older students.

Tuesday, Durr told the New Jersey Monitor that he decided to run for the people.

Our state needs somebody to fight for them, Durr said. You got so many people out there saying they want to run, but what I see is theyre running for themselves. Im running for the people. I dont care about the fame and the fortune, all that stuff that people worry about. Im fine with how I am. Im a plain, simple guy. But the state needs to be turned around, and I know that I would do that.

Durr joins an increasingly crowded race in a gubernatorial election thats still 539 days away.

Three other Republicans already have announced plans to run  state Sen. Jon Bramnick, real estate broker Robert Canfield, and Jack Ciattarelli, who came close to ousting Gov. Phil Murphy in 2021.

If Durr can beat them, he could face Sweeney again at the ballot box. Sweeney, a Democrat, announced in December he would run for governor, and Democrats Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop also have declared bids for the seat.

Durr, arguably, is the most right-leaning candidate so far.

In a 7-minute speech at the Egg Harbor church, he hit many conservative talking points, blasting school policies on transgender athletes, sex ed in schools, rising taxes and budgets, gun control, offshore wind, and criminal justice policies that handcuff law enforcement officers. He also denounced Murphys pandemic response, including the mandate that many public workers get an experimental and controversial COVID shot.

Still, he told the New Jersey Monitor hes weary of the labels his views have gotten him.

I believe in the Constitution, he said. I have a lot of libertarian natures in me. I want everybody to just live and let live. And I believe in small government, so yes, Im conservative. But Im also open-minded, and I agree with people having a right to say and do what they want to do.

Durr has returned to Trenton since his term ended in January to speak out against a bill that would lower the age from 16 to 14 that teenagers can seek mental health care without parental consent. He plans to testify against another bill, if it comes up for a hearing, that would standardize library book challenges in New Jersey and protect librarians from harassment, criminal charges, and lawsuits.

Parental rights remain a priority for him, as does affordability, he said.

Durr, 60, of Logan, said hes running for his three grown children and five grandchildren, all of whom live in New Jersey. As a trucker, he explained, he can live anywhere.

But I want to stay and fight for my kids and my grandkids and everybody elses families and futures, because Im tired of hearing about so many families having to move out of the state and being separated from their loved ones because the taxes are so high they cant afford to stay, he said.

The post Former state Sen. Ed Durr joins crowded race for New Jersey governor appeared first on New Jersey Monitor.
Fort Worths Panther Island gets more federal funding. Heres where the money will be spent

The flood control portion Fort Worths Panther Island hit another milestone Tuesday after the project received an additional $20 million from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to finish the projects design.

The money will go toward designs for the Samuels Avenue Dam, Marine Creek, a pedestrian bridge and restoration work at both Rockwood and Gateway Park, according to an Army Corps press release.

This brings the total amount the federal government has invested into the project to $443 million over the past three years.

The Army Corps announcement of additional funding is welcome news, said Fort Worth City council member Carlos Flores, whose district includes the future 338-acre island north of downtown.

The money will help the project continue to meet critical schedules, Flores said.

The project will still need additional funding for construction of the 1.5 mile bypass channel that will connect two sections of the Trinity River north of downtown Fort Worth. The Army Corps needs about $68 million more, according to a project update from the end of 2023.

Construction on the bypass channel is scheduled to start in early 2025, according to the project update.

Congress approved $526 million in 2016, but disagreements with the Trump administration over the projects feasibility held up funding. However, the November 2021 passage of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act enabled the Army Corps to allocate $403 million toward the project in January 2022.

The city of Fort Worth is also moving forward with new zoning rules after receiving a consultant report in March, which made recommendations for how the island could be developed.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
PORTLAND, Ore. (PORTLAND TRIBUNE)  TriMet ridership is rebounding from the depths of the COVID-19 crash, thanks in large part to regional bus line realignments based on the agencys Forward Together community planning process.

Like public transit agencies around the world, TriMet ridership fell of the cliff at the beginning of the pandemic  dropping 67% between January and April 2020 as governments shut down schools, businesses, community gatherings, and their own operations to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Bus ridership fell slightly more year-to-year, with a 69% loss that April.

Eddie Vedder, Pearl Jam endorse Portland City Council candidate

Four years later, weekly boardings have more than doubled to 1.26 million in March 2024. Although that is still about one-third less than the high of 1.83 million in January 2020, the growth has been steady since early 2023. Bus ridership has led with a 124% increase.

Much of that is because the transit agency that serves Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties recognized the pandemic changed travel patterns in the long term. Downtown Portland is no longer the dominant regional employment center it once was. The work-at-home trend means fewer employees are commuting to and from its urban office towers and government buildings. Instead, demand has grown for service outside of downtown between outlying neighborhoods and other employment, educational and retail destinations.

Portland State University shares damage estimate following library occupation

TriMet launched Forward Together in late 2021 with an analysis that aimed at documenting existing travel needs. A series of community meetings were then held throughout the region to better understand the shift in demand. Better serving low-income communities was also declared a priority. That led to the first of a series of bus line changes intended to respond to new travel patterns in early 2023. They ranged from increasing weekend and evening service to adding more Frequent Service, which means buses arrive every 15 minutes.

Read more at PortlandTribune.com.

The Portland Tribune and its parent company Pamplin Media Group are KOIN 6 News media partners

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
ST. LOUIS  On Tuesday, the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) named its eight Missouri Gold Star Schools for 2024. Four of the schools are in the St. Louis area.

These schools demonstrate that academic excellence is possible while striving to meet the needs of every student in their school  and were so proud of their hard work, Missouri Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven said.

The Gold Star program was established in 1991 and recognizes schools for outstanding academic achievement or for performing at high levels while serving a significant proportion of disadvantaged students.

The Missouri 2024 Gold Star Schools are (in alphabetical order):

Bristol Elementary School, Webster Groves School District

Meramec Elementary School, Clayton School District

Metro Academic and Classical High School, St. Louis Public School District

Oakwood Elementary School, Hannibal 60 School District

Ralph M. Captain Elementary School, Clayton School District

Richland Elementary School, Richland R-I School District

Voy Spears, Jr. Elementary School, Blue Springs R-IV School District

William Yates Elementary School, Blue Springs R-IV School District

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
France to send Ukraine second batch of air defence missiles for SAMP/T system

France will supply Ukraine with a new batch of Aster anti-aircraft missiles for the SAMP/T air defence system.

Source: Sebastien Lecornu, Minister of the French Armed Forces, on Tuesday during a hearing at the National Assembly, European Pravda reports citing Reuters

Quote: "I can perhaps announce to you that I have just signed a second batch of Aster missiles precisely to allow the SAMP/T that we gave with our Italian partners to continue to operate since we are talking of intercepting Russian missiles that can attack Kyiv," Lecornu said.

Neither the number of missiles provided nor the supply schedule was detailed.

Meanwhile, the MBDA arms group, the company in question, is continuing efforts to speed up the missile production process.

The Minister of the French Armed Forces noted that cooperation with MBDA to restore missile stocks allowed the French military to provide everything to Ukraine without compromising their own stocks.

Lecornu added that the situation on the front line in Ukraine is indeed tense, and this is also due to the fact that Russian forces are trying to take advantage of this period of delay in the supply of US aid.

Previously:

During a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French leader Emmanuel Macron condemned Russias recent ramping up of attacks against Ukraine and said France would send additional weapons to Ukraine in the near future.

The Ukrainian side additionally reported that Zelenskyy and Macron discussed the French leader's participation in the upcoming Peace Summit in Switzerland.

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I will do it: Fresno retired nurse to volunteer in Texas with Red Cross

I will do it: Fresno retired nurse to volunteer in Texas with Red Cross

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)  A Fresno nurse for 40 years who recently retired in 2023 will go to her first Red Cross deployment to support the ongoing flood relief efforts in the East Texas area.

Elvia Pacheco-Reyna says she has been volunteering with the Red Cross since February, and she was called to volunteer for 14 days in Houston, Texas, to assist those affected by floods. This is her first Red Cross deployment.

Pacheco-Reyna says she worked 20 years at Fresno Community Regional Medical Center and another 20 years at Saint Agnes Medical Center as a nurse. She retired in December 2024, and now, after 40 years of being a nurse, she hopes to continue being one with the Red Cross.

Pacheco-Reyna says she is not sure about her assignment yet, but she will be there for 14 days for whatever she is assigned to.

After coming back, she says she will put her availability to be called again for the next volunteering opportunity.

As long as they need to, if I can do it, I will do it, she said.

Pachecho-Reyna joined two other Central Valley Red Cross volunteers as well. According to officials with the Red Cross, volunteers are meeting the critical needs of families forced from their homes by devastating flooding that left houses and businesses underwater and extensively damaged.

Those who might want to help can donate to the Red Cross Disaster Relief by clicking here or calling 1-800-RED CROSS or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47.
Moldova and the EU intend to sign a security agreement in the next week, increasing cooperation in the spheres of defense, cyber threats, and foreign interference to "unprecedented levels," the Financial Times (FT) reported on May 14.

Relations between Chisinau and Moscow have soured since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with fears that Russia's aggression may spill over via Transnistria, a Moldovan territory where Russian troops have been stationed since the early 1990s.

Chisinau has also moved closer to Europe amid repeated warnings that the Kremlin is attempting to carry out a destabilization campaign.

Moldova and France signed a bilateral defense deal in March, days after Moldova's intelligence agency warned that Russia will seek to destabilize the country as it prepares for a presidential election and a referendum on EU membership.

According to the EU proposal seen by the FT, " Moldova would increase its intelligence sharing, carry out joint military exercises and be included in the bloc's joint weapons procurement."

While Moldova's constitution rules out NATO membership due to a neutrality clause, the pact would "constitute the deepest formal step to link its national defence to Western partners," the FT said.

Moldova would also be integrated into initiatives related to the European defense industry and EU defense missions, according to the proposal.

Current President Maia Sandu will run for re-election in October. Sandu has put the country on a decisively pro-EU course, helping to secure Chisinau's membership candidacy and accession talks.

Read also: Explainer: Whats behind ongoing protests in Georgia?

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  The Farmworker Association of Florida is raising money for the victims of a bus crash that killed eight people and injured dozens more.

The Florida Highway Patrol said at 6:35 a.m., a bus carrying 53 migrant farm workers crashed with a pickup truck on SR-40 in Marion County.

DUI driver arrested in Florida bus crash that killed 8 people, hospitalized dozens: FHP

Eight of the farm workers were killed at the scene, and 37 workers were hospitalized at various locations. The FHP said eight of the wounded patients are in critical condition as of this report.

Some of those are also in very serious condition, so theres high probability this may be beyond eight fatalities, said Lt. Pat Riordan, public affairs officer for the Florida Highway Patrol.

Troopers arrested the pickup driver, 41-year-old Brian Maclean Howard of Ocala on eight charges of manslaughter.

In this photo, first responders worked to save a victim of a Florida bus crash that killed eight people and hospitalized 38 others. (Credit: Marion County Fire Rescue)

To assist the victims and their families, the Farmworker Association of Florida started a GoFundMe to help raise $50,000 for them.

Our consideration in helping these people is greatly appreciated. All proceeds will go to support the victims and their families affected by this terrible accident, the GoFundMe stated. Farmworkers tend to be forgotten, but its important not to forget farmworkers, especially during such difficult times.

Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said the victims appeared to be in the country legally to help with seasonal agricultural work.

Theyre hard-working individuals, he said. Theres absolutely nothing wrong with them being here.

While the nationalities of the workers is not yet known, a post on X from the Mexican Consulate in Orlando said they are presumably Mexican and asked anyone with information on the victims to call 520-623-7874. Other numbers were also made available for Mexican nationals in need of assistance.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
Funeral arrangements have been announced for an Ohio police shot and killed while on duty last weekend.

>>RELATED: Several area police agencies pay tribute to Ohio officer shot, killed

News Center 7 previously reported that Euclid Police Officer Jacob Derbin, 23, died May 11 after he was ambushed by a suspected gunman, Deshawn Vaughn, when he opened fire.

Derbin died at the hospital.

Officers found Vaughn dead inside a Shaker Heights apartment on Sunday after a standoff.

>>RELATED: Suspect found dead, wanted for killing Ohio police officer

The family will receive friends on Friday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the A. Ripepi and Sons Funeral Home, according to his online obituary.

A funeral mass is set for 11 a.m. at St. Columbkille Church and interment will follow.
By Gavin Jones and Giuseppe Fonte

ROME (Reuters) -The Group of Seven (G7) major democracies meeting in Italy next week will discuss the risk of fragmentation in global trade after "very tough" tariffs imposed by the United States against China, Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said.

U.S. President Joe Biden unveiled this week a bundle of steep tariff increases on an array of Chinese imports including electric vehicle (EV) batteries, computer chips and medical products, risking an election-year standoff with Beijing in a bid to woo voters who give his economic policies low marks.

The meeting on May 24-25 among the G7 finance ministers in the northern Italian town of Stresa will reflect on the "fragmentation of global trade, with the latest moves by the American government which has shown its cards with very tough measures against China", Giorgetti said.

He was being interviewed for a conference in Milan on Tuesday organised by Italian newspaper La Verita.

"The world as we have known it is finishing," Giorgetti said, adding that "a trade war is underway which reflects geopolitical tensions" and Europe still needs to carve out its own role in the evolving scenario.

Another item on the agenda for the meeting will be how to use frozen Russian assets seized after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, the Italian minister said.

The G7 froze around $300 billion worth of financial assets soon after Moscow's attack in February, 2022. Since then, the European Union and other G7 countries have debated how and whether to use the funds to help Ukraine.

U.S. proposals to use them to directly fund Ukraine in the war would have "quite serious legal implications" which still need clarifying, said Giorgetti, who will host the Stresa meeting as Italy holds the rotating presidency of the G7.

The United States has proposed seizing the assets in their entirety, but Europe has balked, citing risks to the euro and massive legal repercussions.

More recently, Washington has pushed for using the assets as collateral to provide loans for Ukraine.

The European Commission has proposed as an alternative transferring to Ukraine profits generated by Russian central bank assets frozen in Europe, amounting to 2.5 billion to 3 billion euros ($2.7-3.2 billion) per year.

Giorgetti said on Monday the G7 would likely back the European approach to the issue.

($1 = 0.9247 euros)

(Reporting by Gavin Jones and Giuseppe Fonte, editing by Alvise Armellini and Ed Osmond)
Tuesday marks the 28th annual Rosalynn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum at the Carter Center. Its the first time the event will be held since the former first lady died last year.

Rosalynn Carter was known for, among her many priorities and service to others, advocating for mental health.

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In similar tradition, Georgia First Lady Marty Kemp will be a speaker at the forum Tuesday, focusing on addressing suicide prevention and mental health services for Georgia veterans and youth, as well as the rollout of the 988 Crisis Line.

Mental health services and assistance has been a priority for the states first lady as well, during her time at the capitol.

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The Mental Health Forum will focus on emphasizing inclusivity, equity and resilience in mental health advocacy, with a priority on confronting systemic barriers to mental health care and how to work toward a more effective mental health system for all Georgians.

This year, our Georgia Mental Health Forum is especially meaningful  not only due to last years passing of our inspirational founder, former U.S. First Lady Rosalynn Carter, but also because we are collectively increasing our resolve to take concrete action to bring mental health care access to all Georgians, Carter Center Mental Health Program Director Dr. Eve Byrd said in a statement.

Were working to eliminate barriers to mental health care access, move forward crisis response, and help hold key stakeholders accountable to implement Georgia mental health parity laws. Children and families have an urgent need for prevention, intervention, and targeted treatment and services, she added.

Kemp will speak during a panel with the Department of Behavior Health and Disabilities Commissioner, Kevin Tanner. The two are expected to discuss suicide among young Americans and veterans.

According to the Carter Center, suicide is the third leading cause of death for those 15 to 24-years-old in Georgia and 45% of Georgian children had trouble accessing necessary mental health care or behavioral treatment and counseling.

The free event, for both in-person and virtual online, will start at 9:30 a.m.

Registration can be completed online here.

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A Gainesville man has been arraigned on federal charges for distributing fentanyl and possessing a gun as a convicted felon.

According to U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan, Bobby Joe Holloman, 50, is accused of selling fentanyl that caused the overdose of two people.

One of the victims survived after paramedics used Narcan to revive him.

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The other victim died.

Buchanan said Holloman was also on the scene during the investigation of another overdose death when investigators found a gun that belonged to him.

Holloman had been previously convicted in February 2021 for felony possession with intent to distribute cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Holloman was arraigned on May 13, 2024.

He was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 7, 2024.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Gainesville Police Department.

The dangers of fentanyl are more evident than ever as we see innocent lives being taken by this drug every day, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Chris Hosey said. This case is a warning to those who seek to ruthlessly poison our Georgia communities with deadly drugs such as fentanyl, that we will stand with our law enforcement partners to combat this issue and save lives. We will continue to investigate drug-related cases and work to hold drug distributors and traffickers accountable for their actions.

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A statue of a returning Confederate soldier is shown on Thursday, April 21, 2022, in Galveston. The monument has stood in front of the Galveston County Courthouse since 1911. Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune

A full panel of federal appellate court judges was split over whether a coalition of voters of color should be afforded the same protections under the Voting Rights Act as a single group of protected citizens during Tuesdays oral arguments over a Galveston County redistricting case.

The hearing before the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was not tasked with determining if Galveston County commissioners discriminated against Black and Latino voters by dismantling a district made of a majority of voters of color. Rather, the judges are considering whether a coalition of Black and Latino voters should be granted the same protections as a single racial or language minority group under the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

Some appellate judges on Tuesday warned that extending protections to groups of minority voters would result in an avalanche of discrimination claims.

But others were open to including coalitions in the Voting Rights Act as a means of preventing voter dilution.

What the Supreme Court has said is that the Voting Rights Act should be interpreted in a manner that provides the broadest scope possible in combating racial discrimination, Judge Dana Douglas said.

The original case stems from the question of whether local officials violated the rights of Black and Latino voters when they redrew a precinct of the Galveston County Commissioners Court primarily composed of voters of color.

Nicolas Riley, a lawyer for the Justice Department, argued that Galveston Countys redistricting efforts harmed both Black and Latino voters. Thus, those two groups of voters should be interpreted as a single class under the Voting Rights Act given they were similarly injured. Riley rejected the definition of class in the federal voting legislation to refer to a single racial group.

Judge Edith Brown Clement said this interpretation would extend the precedent set by Thornburg v. Gingles, a 1986 Supreme Court case that affirmed that a North Carolina redistricting plan had unlawfully discriminated against Black voters. If the Justice Departments interpretation of coalition was correct, then the Supreme Court would have stated so in previous rulings, Clement said.

If it was obvious, the supremes would have said, Oh, this is what it is, she said.

Riley argued that the question at the heart of that case did not consider the question of coalition voters and that the Supreme Court has not clearly ruled on this issue.

Clement said it appears that the world has changed from a racial standpoint in the decades since the federal voting law was passed.

If we allow coalitions, there will be more claims, will there not? Clements asked. She suggested it would cause chaos for legislatures attempting to draw district maps.

Clement also questioned the League of United Latin American Citizens ability to represent Hispanic voters in Texas as polls show Latino voters are increasingly moving to the right. A University of Houston survey published in January found a majority of Texas Latino voters support former Republican President Donald Trump over President Joe Biden, a Democrat. Recent census numbers show that Latinos officially make up the biggest share of the Texas population.

Over decades, voters of color in Galveston County built a political coalition in Precinct 3 and coalesced around the only Democrat on the Commissioners Court. The precinct only reached majority-minority status when both Black and Latino voters were considered collectively.

But in the redistricting cycle after the 2020 census, GOP officials redrew Precinct 3. The new map split the diverse pockets of four cities, where most of the countys Black population lives, into smaller districts limited to the northwestern end of the county that includes majority-white communities.

Residents challenging the map have been joined by three local NAACP branches, a local LULAC chapter and the U.S. Department of Justice, which found the Commissioners Courts move to dismantle Precinct 3 so grievous that it stepped in four months after the map was adopted.

Last October, a federal judge appointed by Trump ruled the countys redistricting maps diluted the voting power of Black and Latino residents  a violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act which prohibits diluting voters based on race, color or language minority status.

One month later, a three-judge panel from the 5th Circuit agreed that the new maps diluted the power of minority voters based on previous 5th Circuit precedent. But in the panels November opinion, the judges said the precedent allowing minority coalitions was wrongly decided and asked for an en banc hearing over the issue. This question was before the full panel of 5th Circuit judges on Tuesday.

Joseph Nixon, the lawyer for Galveston County, argued that the Voting Rights Act was written to only bar discrimination against a single group of voters, such as Black or Latino Americans. If the court allowed the coalition argument to stand, Nixon considered, then what is there to stop groups from stacking different pockets of voters of color to achieve certain political outcomes.

But judges took issue with this interpretation, considering the realities of mixed-race Americans who belong to more than one racial group.

You're creating a rule that will ask the impossible racially, both for people who have mixed minorities or for mixed groups that have different interests, Judge Stephen Higginson said. What happens to an Afro-Latino [American]? Does that person have to choose which minority interests they affiliate with to get protection?

Nixon responded by asserting that the U.S. Census requires individuals to self-identify as a single racial category. He suggested that requiring legislators who draw district maps to coalesce different groups would force undue burdens on redistricting efforts and courts hearing discrimination claims.

Otherwise you turn legislators into psychics and courts into political accountants, Nixon said.

Judge Douglas asked Nixon how his argument squared with part of the 1871 Dictionary Act that assumes singular words apply to several persons, parties or things unless context indicates otherwise.

Nixon said there is nothing in the statute to suggest the court should interpret a singular protected class as a group of protected classes. He argued that the scope of the Voting Rights Act has already been clearly defined in the precedent set by Thornburg v. Gingles. He added that Congress has chosen not to add coalition claims to the Voting Rights Act, though Nixon noted there are two legislative efforts in the U.S. House and Senate to address these issues.

The 5th Circuit did not indicate when it would issue a ruling on the case.

Disclosure: University of Houston has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

Weve got big things in store for you at The Texas Tribune Festival, happening Sept. 57 in downtown Austin. Join us for three days of big, bold conversations about politics, public policy and the days news.
Gavin Newsom wants California cities to plan housing for homeless  without enough money to fund it

Reality Check is a Bee series holding officials and organizations accountable and shining a light on their decisions. Have a tip? Email realitycheck@sacbee.com.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is sponsoring a bill that would push cities to take homeless residents into account when crafting their housing goals.

But would this legislation actually result in more affordable housing? There are concerns the state is not providing enough money to get it built.

Cities have struggled to meet their state-mandated goalposts when it comes to permitting low-income units. Some advocates say planning is an empty promise without more money to build the housing.

Gov. Newsom continues to ignore the elephant in the room  that local jurisdictions cannot meet their housing goals at lower income levels without significant additional public funding, said Amy Schur of Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment in a statement.

When asked on Friday how cities are supposed to build more affordable housing without more money, Newsom referred to $6.4 billion in Proposition 1 bond funding that will provide housing and treatment facilities for those struggling with mental illness and addiction. But that money wont apply to most of the affordable housing cities and counties need to build.

Proposition 1 will likely result in about 4,300 units, according to a Legislative Analysts Office report. That housing will serve only individuals dealing with specific problems, not the entire homeless and low income population.

When pressed about Proposition 1 deficiencies, Newsom referred to billions of dollars the state has previously spent on other homelessness initiatives, including Homekey and Roomkey. Those programs helped house homeless residents temporarily and permanently in hotel rooms and other repurposed buildings.

Housing the neediest Californians

The governors proposal, which he first announced in April, would require cities and jurisdictions to add new categories to the Regional Housing Needs Allocation, or RHNA, plans they must complete on five- or eight-year cycles.

Assemblyman Chris Ward, D-San Diego, announced last week he had authored Assembly Bill 3093 to meet that goal. Ward serves as chair of the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee.

As the RHNA system currently functions, the state provides cities with goals laying out the number of new housing units they need to zone for during the five- or eight-year period. Cities must plan for a certain number of units across affordability levels, from above-moderate income levels to very low income levels.

Newsom and Wards bill would add two new categories to the RHNA framework: extremely low income and acutely low income.

Those considered extremely low income would earn between 15% and 30% of the area median income, while those in the acutely low income category would take in 15% or less.

Currently, local governments must include analyses of housing needs for extremely low income families in their plans. They are not required to zone for units affordable to extremely and acutely low income people.

Ward said housing for acutely low income residents  some of whom are likely homeless  could potentially include supportive housing or tiny homes, but specifics can be further teased out by the local planning efforts.

Would more planning help?

California Department of Housing and Community Development data on the fifth RHNA cycle that recently ended shows the state as a whole exceeded its permitting goals for above-moderate income housing. However, it performed dismally in the low income and very low income categories.

California jurisdictions permitted only about 33% of the units included in their low income housing unit goal. They permitted just 22% of the very low income units needed.

When asked about how adding new goals will actually ensure units get built, Ward said the answer is really embedded in so much of the other work that were doing right now on the policy front to be able to help construction move faster, to reduce costs, to be able to better guarantee production at all levels.

The Legislature during the past two years has approved bills meant to help developers get around cumbersome local governmental approval processes if they build in specific areas, use certain types of labor and meet required affordability standards.

Ward cited as further help a $10 billion affordable housing bond Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, is pushing to get on the November ballot.

We are looking for new solutions, he said. And then also market-based solutions that are going to help to produce more housing in the long run. All of these are tied together.

The revised budget Newsom presented on Friday would trim more funds from affordable housing programs, in addition to the $1.2 billion in cuts he proposed in January.

The new reductions would cut $360 million from two programs used to adapt commercial buildings into housing and to help developers acquire or rehabilitate properties facing foreclosure. This funding loss would eliminate the programs, according to the budget revision summary.

Newsoms proposal would also slash the remaining $75 million left for a program that provides loans for low income rental housing development. That multifamily housing program already took a $250 million hit in the governors January budget proposal.

Even so, the governors budget would allocate $500,000 for low income housing tax credits that provide important incentives for developers to build affordable housing.

Schur still thinks the state needs to spend more on housing.

Its high time for the governor to stop with his no new taxes pledge, stop thinking about his next election, and start raising taxes on more of the huge wealth in California thats in the hands of big corporations, Schur said in her statement.

The Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee will hold a hearing for the bill on Tuesday morning.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  A fugitive out of Georgia accused of torturing and murdering three people in a decades-old cold case was caught in Mecklenburg County, the Mecklenburg County Sheriffs Office announced on Tuesday.

Derrell Adams was wanted out of Clayton County, Georgia, in a case that dates back 11 years and involves four suspects.

Queen City News is tracking CRIME in your area  >> Latest stories here

Adams is accused of torturing and murdering three people and was wanted on three counts of malice murder, which is defined in Georgia as a homicide done with expressed or implied malice.

Adams, 32, was arrested last week in Huntersville without incident and booked around 3:12 a.m. on Friday, according to the sheriffs office. He was held on a $125,000 secured bond.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
Spaceport Camden is officially dead.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed a law dissolving the Camden County Spaceport Authority. The law takes effect July 1, 2024.

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State Representative Steven Sainz of St. Marys sponsored the law eliminating the Spaceport Authority.

This news follows a referendum in March 2022 where more than 70 percent of voters rejected a plan to buy land for the spaceport.

In a statement issued by Rep. Sainz, he explained the spaceport wasnt in the countys best interest and thanked Governor Kemp for signing the bill.

After listening to our constituents, who resoundingly rejected the land purchase for the spaceport by more than 70 percent in a local referendum, it was clear what our community wanted. This bill is a testament to our commitment to respect the will of the voters and focus on realistic economic development opportunities that bring real benefits to Camden County. This action underscores our dedication to effective governance and marks my second initiative to end the Camden Spaceport Authority following the referendum. I am immensely grateful to Governor Kemp for his leadership in signing this bill into law as it reflects the communitys choice and opens a path for future collaborations in economic initiatives that are more aligned with local needs. I am eager to continue working closely with the people of Camden County to ensure our community thrives through sensible and beneficial development. Representative Steven Sainz

Action News Jax told you in 2020 when Camden County was coming closer to becoming a spaceport.

Then in 2022, Camden County was still pursuing the spaceport after voters rejected it by a margin of nearly 3-to-1. A pair of lawsuits were filed in 2022 to revoke the FAA license and then to force a land sale.

At least $12 million taxpayer dollars were spent on the failed project.

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A Georgia man is awaiting extradition back to North Carolina after being charged with financial crimes by the Rowan County Sheriffs Office.

MORE: Owner of Diva Documents faces fraud charges

Detectives say 44-year-old Logan Edward Shanahan, from Tucker, Georgia, posed as a fraud investigator from Wells Fargo Bank and tricked someone into giving him their bank information.

Officials say the victim got a text message asking to confirm whether or not a debit card charge was legitimate; after saying it wasnt, they were told they would get a call from a fraud investigator to follow up.

Investigators believe Shanahan called the victim, got their banking information during the conversation, and added their debit card information to his cell phone.

He then went to Wells Fargo branches in Charlotte, Lexington, High Point, Greensboro, and Archdale, collecting more than $20,000 in cashiers checks.

RCSO deputies got 13 felony warrants for Shanahan for identity theft, financial card theft, forgery, financial card fraud, and obtaining property by false pretenses.

Officers in Gwinnett County, Georgia, arrested him on May 7; he is awaiting extradition back to North Carolina.

(WATCH BELOW: Rape, fraud: Medical records show doctors behaving badly, breaking law)












A Georgia man has pleaded guilty to calling in threats to two Virginia Beach Walmart locations just days after a 2022 mass shooting at a Chesapeake Walmart killed six people.

According to federal prosecutors, DeAndre Tamir Murphy, 30, called two Walmart stores in Virginia Beach to demand $20,000 and threatened that he had gunmen in place to kill people in the stores on Black Friday. Murphy was charged with making interstate threats faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. He may also be required to pay restitution to Walmart for lost sales, but that amount will be determined at his sentencing in September.

Court documents on the charges say the first call was placed about noon on Nov. 25, 2022, to the Lynnhaven Parkway location, just three days after the Chesapeake shooting. The location was evacuated out of caution.

Half an hour after the first call, Murphy called the Virginia Beach Boulevard location, but this time, law enforcement answered the phone, and the call was recorded.

The caller identified himself as Mohammed and the caller stated that he needed to negotiate $20,000 in the next 20 minutesor people are going to start dyingthey are going to walk in and start shooting people,' the court documents read. This call launched the federal investigation.

Federal law enforcement traced the call to a hotel in Atlanta, and the Google email address connected to the account used to make the call was traced back to Murphy. Investigators also matched Murphys voice to calls he had made while he was incarcerated.

Based on similarities in the sound of the voice and mannerisms of speech, investigators matched the voice on the threat recording to Murphys prior jail recordings, the documents continued.

Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com
The Georgia Department of Community Affairs confirmed it has no plans to reopen a waitlist for the states Housing Choice Voucher program.

Formerly called Section 8, the housing vouchers use federal funds and Georgia management to provide affordable housing to low-income families, among others.

The program briefly opened a waitlist in Georgia in October of last year, for just three days, from Oct. 17 to Oct. 20, 2023.

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The DCA said the goals of the housing choice vouchers are to:

Provide improved living conditions for extremely low and low-income individuals and families while maintaining their rent payments at an affordable level

Affirmatively further fair housing for individuals and families

Promote freedom of housing choice and integrate lower income and minority persons into mainstream society

Provide decent, safe, and affordable housing for eligible participants

Provide an incentive to private property owners to rent to lower-income persons by offering timely subsidy payments

After receiving applications for the HCV program last October, families were put on a lottery for the waiting list, according to officials.

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The Georgia Department of Community Affairs does not plan to reopen the Housing Choice Voucher Waiting List. We continue to support those in our program and prepare to assist families selected from our 2023 waiting list lottery. Our services reach 11,276 families across 149 counties in Georgia, the DCA said.

As far as eligibility, heres what you need to apply for housing assistance through the program:

Meet the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developments (HUD) definition of a family (one or more individuals who live together).

Meet income limits specified by HUD (less than 50% of the median income for the county in which you live).

Be a citizen or eligible immigrant.

Be 18 years of age or older.

Be a resident of the state of Georgia.

In Fulton County, the median income is $86,267, while the state median income is $71,355, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That means residents in Fulton County need to make at most $43,133 per year to qualify.

For other core counties of the Atlanta metro area, median incomes range between $56,207 in Clayton County to $94,244 in Cobb County. That puts the income limit to qualify between $28,103 and $47,122, depending on where you live.

The U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development maintains a list of subsidized apartments and public housing properties that low-income residents may be able to rent or get assistance for. You can learn more here.

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US officials warned Tuesday that Washington could hit Georgian politicians with sanctions in response to a contentious foreign agent law, which passed in Georgias parliament after weeks of mass protests in Tbilisi and strong international condemnation.

If the law goes forward out of conformity with EU norms and there is undermining of democracy here and there is violence against peaceful protesters then we will see restrictions coming from the United States, US assistant secretary of state James OBrien told a press conference in Tbilisi, mentioning potential financial and travel restrictions on individuals.

He also said the US could reconsider the $390 million in assistance it plans to send to Georgia if we are now regarded as an adversary and not a partner.

If enacted, the bill would require advocacy organizations, NGOs, and media outlets that receive more than 20% of funding from overseas to register as pursuing the interests of a foreign power. Critics say the Russian-style law could be used to muffle critical voices.

After passing through parliament on Tuesday, the bill now goes to Georgias president, who has vowed to veto it. But Georgias parliament  where the bill passed 84-30  can override that veto with a simple majority. The ruling Georgian Dream politicians have said they expect the bill to be law by the end of May.

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Georgias European future in peril as partys intentions questioned

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Sources: Strategic Europe, The Economist

Few countries have expressed so strong a desire to join the EU as Georgia, which has enshrined its goal to join Europe and NATO in its constitution. For Georgias strongly pro-Europe youth, EU membership has come to represent a new political direction embracing equality, human rights, and shedding the countrys post-Soviet identity, one political scientist wrote for Carnegies blog Strategic Europe. But European officials have said the planned legislation could scupper Georgias EU candidacy, arguing that its restrictions on civil society are incompatible with European values. While Georgian Dream continues to say it aims to take the country into Europe, protesters believe the party is carrying out orders from the Kremlin and see the law as a deliberate attempt to spoil Georgias bid to join Europe, The Economist reported.

Georgias ruling party turns to Russia

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Sources: National Democratic Institute, Atlantic Council, Just Security

Experts argued the legislation moves Georgia further from Europe and deeper into Russias orbit. European officials have repeatedly warned the bill is not compatible with Georgias ambitions to join the EU; more than 80% of Georgians support membership. Yet Georgias ruling party, Georgian Dream, has gradually moved the country closer to Moscow, opting out of Western sanctions on Russia, supporting the relocation of Russian companies to Georgia, and resuming direct flights from Moscow to Tbilisi, one expert at the Atlantic Council wrote. With elections due in October, weakening an independent civil society and building ties with Russia may ultimately forge a path for Georgian Dream to retain power indefinitely, two former US officials wrote in Just Security.

Human rights organizations unanimous in condemnation

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Sources: Human Rights Watch, Carnegie Politika

Human rights groups have been united and clear in their strong opposition to the legislation. They intend to marginalize and stifle critical voices in the country that are fundamental for any functioning democracy, Hugh Williamson of Human Rights Watch said in a statement. While the bills supporters say it is modeled on the United States Foreign Agent Registration Act, the US law is designed to regulate lobbyists and does not suggest any group that receives foreign funding is under the control of a foreign state, Human Rights Watch noted. All similar initiatives in the post-Soviet space  first in Russia, and then in Kyrgyzstan  have only had a detrimental impact on rights and freedoms, an expert wrote in Carnegie Politika.

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Georgias parliament has passed a controversial foreign agents bill despite widespread domestic opposition and warnings from the European Union that its enactment would imperil the countrys chances of joining the bloc.

The new law will require organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as agents of foreign influence or face crippling fines. Opponents say that the legislation was modeled after similar laws in Russia that the Kremlin has used to increasingly snuff out opposition and civil society.

The law was approved on Tuesday by 84 lawmakers voting in favor to 30 against. After the vote, riot police moved on protesters in Tbilisi after some individuals smashed down the barriers and broke into the grounds of the parliament.

Many Georgians fear their foreign agents bill will be used the same way in their country. Georgias parliament now has 10 days to send the bill to President Salome Zourabichvili, who has already vowed to veto it. Zourabichvili has two weeks to do so, but parliament can override her objection with a simple majority.

The bill has become a cultural flashpoint in a country which, like Ukraine, finds itself caught between Russia and Europe. Polls show that an estimated 80% of Georgians want to join the EU, but Moscows geopolitical orbit has proven tough to exit.

Speaking to CNNs Christiane Amanpour, Zourabichvili said the upcoming elections in October will give the population a chance to reverse the bill. We have to use this mobilization of the society and this consolidation of the political parties to go and win those elections because thats the European way, she said.

Georgia applied for membership of the bloc in 2022 and was granted candidate status in December, a move seen as an effort to reverse the former Soviet republics drift toward Russia. However, EU leaders have made it clear that the foreign agents bills passage would jeopardize Georgias chances of accession.

The United States also voiced concerns about the bill and democratic backsliding in the country, which is nestled in the Caucasus Mountains, bordered by Russia to the north and Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan to the south.

Georgian law enforcement officers detain a demonstrator near the parliament in Tbilisi on May 14. - Giorgi Arjevanidze/AFP/Getty Images

Georgian Dream, the ruling party that pushed through the legislation, has hit back at criticism, saying the move will promote transparency and national sovereignty. But the party has long been suspected of harboring pro-Russian sympathies, especially given that its founder, the billionaire former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, made his fortune in the Soviet Union.

President Zourabichvili called the legislation a Russian law, adding that Georgians are very well aware of these old Russian Soviet propaganda tricks, so it doesnt work. They see whats happening and theyre going to stop it from happening.

The movement of the bill has ignited a feverish response, including in parliament, where scuffles and shouting matches broke out during the hours-long debate that preceded the laws passage on Tuesday. Masked officers engaged with the crowds shortly afterwards, as riot police appear to be preparing to disperse the protesters.

Similar scenes played out last month when an opposition lawmaker punched a key Georgian Dream member in the face, sparking a wider brawl.

Many anti-Russian, pro-European Georgians remain angry over Russias invasion in 2008 and the fact that the Kremlin still occupies about 20% of Georgias internationally recognized territory  about the same proportion that Russia occupies in Ukraine.

Nightly protests have been shutting down the capital, Tbilisi, for about a month. About 50,000 people came out Sunday evening in the city of 1 million people to speak out against what theyve dubbed the Russian law.

It is a Russian law. It is an exact duplicate of the Putin law that was adopted a few years ago and then complemented in order to crush civil society, Zourabichvili, the Georgian president and a longstanding opponent of Georgian Dream, told CNN in an interview.

A protester, draped with Georgian national and European Union flags, stands before police officers blocking the way to the country's parliament building on Tuesday. - Shakh Aivazov/AP

Zourabichvili told CNN she would veto the law, but the countrys parliament can override that with a simple majority.

Levan Khabeishvili, a protester who was seriously hurt after being beaten by police, told CNN that the law is yet another example of Moscow trying to assert its authority in the region. CNN has reached out to authorities for more information on why police used excessive force against him.

We know that this law is dangerous for our future. It threatens our partnership with the West, Khabeishvili said.

The Kremlin has claimed that the law was being used to provoke anti-Russian sentiments. Dmitry Peskov, Russian President Vladimir Putins spokesman, said on Tuesday that criticism of the bill was tantamount to undisguised interference in Georgias internal affairs.

Current Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidzes office declined an interview request from CNN.

CNNs Christian Edwards, Anna Chernova and Vasco Cotovio contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
A general view of the Georgian parliament in the city of Tbilisi. Georgia passes controversial law against NGOs despite mass protests. Ulf Mauder/dpa

The Georgian parliament approved a law on Tuesday clamping down on foreign-funded non-governmental organizations (NGOs), despite weeks of protests.

Critics say the law is modelled on Russian legislation and jeopardizes the prospects of the small ex-Soviet republic joining the European Union in future.

The EU has even warned the South Caucasus nation over the legislation but, according to Rustavi-2 television, 84 lawmakers voted in favour and 30 against.

The governing majority of the Georgian Dream party says it wishes to create more transparency and accountability among NGOs that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad.

However, tens of thousands have protested for weeks in the capital Tbilisi against the legislation.

The protesters say it is Georgia's version of a Russian law whereby numerous organizations and individuals have been branded by Moscow as "foreign agents," a classification that often causes major problems for NGOs such as human rights groups.

Demonstrators gathered in front of the parliament on Monday night in a last bid to try to persuade lawmakers.

The day before, police had used force to push the crowd away from the building in the centre of Tbilisi. According to the police, around 20 people were arrested while the opposition say several detainees were mistreated.

Georgia is located on Russia's southern border and is an important global political front-line.

A majority of the population would like to break away from Russia's influence.

The aspiration to join the EU and NATO is even written into Georgia's constitution and since last December, the country has had the status of an EU accession candidate.

At the same time, Moscow controls the breakaway Georgian territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which it has recognized as independent states.

The Georgian Dream party, with opaque billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili as its strongman, has close relations with Moscow despite Russia invading Georgia for a short period in 2008.
A general view of the Georgian parliament in the city of Tbilisi. Georgia passes controversial law against NGOs despite mass protests. Ulf Mauder/dpa

The Georgian parliament approved a law on Tuesday clamping down on foreign-funded non-governmental organizations (NGOs), despite weeks of protests.

Critics say the law is modelled on Russian legislation and jeopardizes the prospects of the small ex-Soviet republic joining the European Union in future.

The governing majority of the Georgian Dream party say they wish to create more transparency in the foreign funding of NGOs.

However, tens of thousands have protested for weeks in the capital Tbilisi against the legislation.

The protesters say it is Georgia's version of a Russian law whereby numerous organizations and individuals have been branded by Moscow as "foreign agents," a classification that often causes major problems for NGOs.
In its third and final reading, Georgia's Parliament passed the bill "On Transparency of Foreign Influence," which sparked widespread protests.

Source: Georgian First Channel, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The law was passed in its third reading at today's plenary session.

116 MPs were registered. 84 parliamentarians backed the bill, and 30 voted against it.

The bill allows non-business (non-commercial) legal bodies and the media to be registered as "organisations that carry out the interests of foreign forces", if they get more than 20% of their income from outside of Georgia.

According to the bill, anybody who is regarded as an "organisation that carries out the interests of a foreign force" must be listed in the state register and the database of the same name. The income received must be reported upon registration.

Organisations will be required to submit a financial disclosure each year. The bill enables the Ministry of Justice to conduct research and study-monitoring of the subject at any time in order to identify "an organisation that carries out the interests of a foreign force".

Failure to register as a "organisation that carries out the interests of a foreign force" or to submit a declaration results in a fine.

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili stated that she will veto the law On the Transparency of Foreign Influence.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated that if precise legal comments are submitted, conversations will begin, and the ruling party is willing to negotiate under the veto.

On the morning of 13 May, the Georgian parliament's legal committee quickly agreed on a draft law on "foreign agents" prior to the third reading. Previously, on May 11, Tbilisi hosted the largest march against the law's approval, with tens of thousands of people taking to the streets.

Meanwhile, 12 EU ministers asked the European Commission to urgently explain the consequences of the adoption of the law on "foreign agents" for the European integration of Georgia.

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Georgia's parliament on May 14 passed the controversial "foreign agents" bill in its third and final reading.

The bill requires organizations that receive foreign funding to be labeled as "foreign agents," prompting fears that this would help the government stifle domestic opposition and civil society.

The law, backed by the ruling Georgian Dream party, mirrors repressive Russian legislation used to crack down on Kremlin regime critics, earning it the nickname "Russian law" by its opponents.

Its introduction into the parliament has led to widespread protests across the country and criticism from the EU and the U.S.

The bill was passed with the support of 84 lawmakers, with 30 parliamentarians voting against it.

Georgia's pro-Western President Salome Zourabichvili previously said she would veto the bill. The country's constitution allows the president to either sign the law within 10 days or return it to the parliament.

Georgian Dream has enough votes in the parliament to override the veto, allowing it to be signed by the legislature's chairman instead.

As the bill was passed in its third reading, large-scale protests continued at the parliament's building.

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Georgia's governor and others pile into state court race where challenger has focused on abortion

FILE -- Supreme Court Justice Andrew Pinson poses for a photo, Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in Atlanta. Ga. Republican Gov. Brian Kemp announced Tuesday, May 14, 2024 that his political committee would spend $500,000 to support Pinson in his nonpartisan election race against John Barrow in a nonpartisan election for Supreme Court Justice, in May. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, file)

ATLANTA (AP)  Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp says he will spend more than $500,000 from his political committee to help a state Supreme Court justice he appointed win election.

The Republican Kemp isn't the only conservative supporting Justice Andrew Pinson in his May 21 nonpartisan election against John Barrow, a former Democratic congressman who has built his campaign around abortion rights.

Its a notable escalation as Barrow tries to knock off an incumbent justice, something almost unheard of in Georgia. While the contest hasn't grown as intense as high court races in other states including Wisconsin, attention and spending are higher than in the state's historically sleepy judicial campaigns. Three other justices are running unopposed for new six-year terms, despite Georgia's battleground status in partisan elections.

At least two religiously conservative groups are also spending to support Pinson, while some backers of abortion rights are trying to mobilize votes for Barrow.

Kemp rolled out a television ad Tuesday endorsing Pinson that campaign strategist Cody Hall said is airing on Atlanta-area stations.

We need judges who follow the law and uphold the Constitution, not more partisan politicians in the courtroom, Kemp said in the ad, describing Pinson as a conservative voice we can trust.

Kemp's Georgians First Leadership Committee is also advertising on digital media and radio and texting voters, Hall said. The Kemp campaign joined the fight with only a week before election day, and after more than 314,000 Georgians had already cast early ballots as of Monday.

Barrow said Kemp's intervention proves Pinson can't be trusted to protect abortion rights. Barrow argues that the state constitution protects abortion rights in the same way Roe v. Wade did before the U.S. Supreme Court overruled that decision. A case making that argument is pending before a lower court in Georgia and is likely to eventually reach the state Supreme Court.

It confirms what Ive been saying about his record, Barrow said. It shows that he cannot be counted on to rule that women have the rights under the Georgia Constitution that they used to under Roe. vs. Wade, or these folks wouldnt be backing him.

Kemp named Pinson, 37, to the high court in 2022. Many lawyers, including some Democrats, have endorsed him. Pinson has declined to interpret Georgia's abortion law in interviews, saying it's improper for a judge to discuss an issue he might later rule on. He warns against politicizing the courts.

Barrow argues that when Pinson was Georgias solicitor general, he was the lawyer most responsible for the state supporting the Mississippi case that led to the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe in 2022. That decision cleared the way for a 2019 Georgia law to take effect banning most abortions after fetal cardiac activity can be detected  usually around the sixth week, before many women know they are pregnant.

Cole Muzio, the president of Frontline Policy, a Christian conservative group aligned with Kemp, urged supporters to back Pinson in a Monday email.

Your vote for Andrew Pinson in this race is a moral imperative, Muzio wrote. The winner of this race will have a vote on Georgias Heartbeat Law.

Muzio said he didn't know yet how much his group would spend.

Barrow, 69, served five terms in Congress and for a time was the only white Democratic representative from the Deep South. If he wins election, it wouldn't change the conservative leaning of the court, where eight of the nine justices were appointed by Republican governors.

Endorsements for Barrow have come from Fair Fight Action, the political group founded by Democrat Stacey Abrams, which sent a joint fundraising email with Barrow; Planned Parenthood Southeast Advocates and Reproductive Freedom for All, formerly known as NARAL Pro-Choice America; and Reproductive Freedom for All, which is mobilizing members and volunteers to reach voters.

Pinson is outraising Barrow in campaign funds. Barrow gave nearly $175,000 from a previous state Supreme Court campaign to Georgians for Abortion Rights, a political committee created by state Senate Democrats, which he said is spending in the race.

Barrow is also fighting a state Judicial Qualifications Commission warning that his campaign speech may violate ethics rules barring judicial candidates from committing to how they will rule on issues. Barrow has sued the agency, saying it is trying to restrict his freedom of speech, and has asked a judge to block it from sanctioning him.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. Azerbaijan and Italy possess numerous prospects for partnership, Director of the Italian Trade Agency in Baku Andrea Maccanico said during an Azerbaijani-Italian business forum in Baku, Trend reports.

Our goal is to share experiences and expand our network of partners. This mission is about fostering collaboration and growth, he emphasized.

He highlighted that the Italian Trade Agency's priority is enhancing industry productivity, encompassing not just mechanical engineering but also product processing.

We aim to build relationships, achieve our goals, and develop our cooperation in other areas, Maccanico added.

To note, Azerbaijan and Italy conduct a Baku business event to enhance exports and attract international investment. It's jointly organized by the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Agency (AZPROMO) and the Italian Trade Agency.

Up to 100 Azerbaijani entrepreneurs and 12 Italian agricultural and food enterprises attend the forum, where representatives from pertinent government bodies, local authorities, and global financial entities are also present.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
According to the latest available data, around 3.7 million Ukrainians are internally displaced, while nearly 6.5 million have registered as refugees globally. With 1.13 million, Germany has taken in the largest cohort.

Swift and decisive measures were taken to bring Ukrainian refugees into Germany in 2022: shortly after the Russian offensive began, Ukrainian arrivals were granted immediate employment rights and social benefits, including medical care.

Unlike other asylum seekers in Germany, Ukrainians have also been permitted to travel back and forth to their country of origin without losing their entitlements.

These expedited policy changes granted Ukrainian refugees privileges that were not extended to others. For example, in 2015, many Syrian refugees who had travelled on foot through the Balkans, Hungary and Austria were pushed back at the German border after Germany decided to reintroduce border controls.

This unequal treatment shows how Ukrainian refugees have been positioned as uniquely deserving arrivals to Europe. Ukraines martial law also prohibits most men aged 18-60 from leaving the country, meaning the majority of international refugees are women and children.

Studies have shown that gender plays a significant role in the experiences of displaced people. It can influence policy decisions that directly affect them, and impacts how they are represented, understood and integrated into host countries.

Our research, published in December 2023, set out to interrogate how Ukrainian women are portrayed in German public media, and what this can tell us about how Germany perceives its refugee population.

Gendered depictions of Ukrainian refugees

In our study, we analysed 79 articles on female Ukrainian refugees from two high circulation German news outlets, Der Spiegel and Die Zeit, published during the first year of the latest Ukrainian conflict. We found that the dominant discourse presents Ukrainian women in Germany as keeping children safe, and as willing, able workers who will contribute to their hosts economy.

Notably, early reports also paid significant attention to Ukrainian womens aspirations, future plans, and dreams, as well as the practical compromises they make in pursuing them. Some of these attributes are emphasised in profiles that have appeared elsewhere in German media.

The welcome guest: Mary Poppins refugees

We identified and explored five key characteristics that appear in the media depictions of displaced Ukrainian women: they are familiar, educated, hard-working, grateful and welcome.

One interview with Lena, a Ukrainian woman, is recounted as follows: We are very grateful, says Lena. Every few minutes she says thank you for anything or everything.

Lena is also quoted as saying we want to be useful for Germany and for ourselves. The article states that she wants to learn the language, earn money and pay taxes. She wants to be a part of this society and give something back as soon as she can.

Ukrainian women are often presented as productive participants in the German labour market, or they express their aspiration to do so in the near future. Another interviewee says I have completed my B1 German course, now B2 follows Ive already been promised a job in a hospital near Frankfurt am Main, but I still need the professional permit and a few other documents. It takes a long time.

Ukrainian women are also portrayed as willing to assist with maintaining their hosts ideals and values of cooperation, diplomacy and education. For instance, one Ukrainian woman is quoted as saying I myself am more useful to Ukraine when Im here. I earn money with my work and send some of it home, among other things, I donate to the Ukrainian army.

It is crucial to note that these interviews and stories are filtered through media outlets for a German audience. One journalists reporting on a Ukrainian womans desire to study at university is especially telling: Its as if the 22-year-old wanted to give a personal response to the violence unleashed by Russia in her homeland: more education, more international understanding, more Europe.

While such reporting may, admirably, aim to humanise refugees, it can lead to unrealistic expectations. Focusing on their potential for providing economic or cultural benefits can obscure the challenges they face as humans seeking shelter from conflict.

Mary Poppins arrives in London. IMDB

Over the course of our research, we concluded that the ideal female refugee would be something akin to Mary Poppins, from the well known Disney 1964 musical fantasy film of the same name: she arrives unexpectedly, brings little baggage, is well spoken, well mannered, and able to fit into her hosts lives, leaving only positive impacts. She is, in her own words, practically perfect in every way.

Idealised stereotypes cut both ways

Portrayals such as these are ultimately harmful to all displaced people. By uplifting one group, they cast a shadow on those who do not fit the bill, but they also raise expectations of the contributions refugees can make. Those who are unable to fit into this practically perfect category for a variety of reasons  be they economic, professional or cultural  may find themselves excluded or vilified.

Likewise, idealised constructions of Ukrainian women displaced by conflict may also work against them, obscuring the important challenges they face, such as the slow and difficult process of getting Ukrainian qualifications recognised in Germany.

Our study aims to sidestep the common sense ideas about displaced people that often dominate public policy and debate. These tend to focus more on what refugees can bring to the table than their intrinsic right to universal protection.

Este articulo fue publicado originalmente en The Conversation, un sitio de noticias sin fines de lucro dedicado a compartir ideas de expertos academicos.

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Las personas firmantes no son asalariadas, ni consultoras, ni poseen acciones, ni reciben financiacion de ninguna compania u organizacion que pueda obtener beneficio de este articulo, y han declarado carecer de vinculos relevantes mas alla del cargo academico citado anteriormente.
Germany's Scholz comes out against Swedish model of conscription

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson, shake hands at the end of their joint a press conference in Stockholm. Michael Kappeler/dpa

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz does not support the idea of mirroring Sweden and reintroducing compulsory military service.

Scholz visited Stockholm on Tuesday and was asked by journalists if matching Sweden's decision could help fill a shortage of personnel in Germany's armed forces.

"Ultimately, it's about how we can convince enough men and women to work in the Bundeswehr and find a job for themselves there," Scholz said.

Germany did have a form of conscription until 2011.

Scholz added: "That would no longer work. There were many more soldiers, there were many more barracks, there was much more infrastructure that had to be built. None of that is needed today, nor is it a plan that anyone is pursuing."

The Bundeswehr is to be increased from 182,000 to 203,000 soldiers by 2031. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is mulling his options.

"Proposals are being tossed around," Scholz said. "But they are not at all comparable to what we used to have in Germany. That's why it's good that we're waiting until there's a balanced idea."

The Christian Democrats were in power when German suspended conscription 13 years ago but last week voted to gradually reverse the decision if it wins Germany's 2025 elections.

Sweden reintroduced compulsory military service in 2017 after it had been suspended in 2010.

"Of course, every country makes its own decision on how it recruits and deploys soldiers. I think we have found a model for Sweden that is suitable," Swedish premier Ulf Kristersson said.

In Sweden, not all young men and women in a year group are conscripted. After everyone receives a questionnaire, only some are invited for training. A select group then receives offers of employment.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (L) and Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson, sign a joint declaration entitled "Joint Declaration of Intent on a Strategic Innovation partnership for security, green and digital transition". Michael Kappeler/dpa

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (L) takes part in a press conference alongside Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson. Michael Kappeler/dpa
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (L) takes part in a press conference alongside Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson (not pictured). Michael Kappeler/dpa

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has expressed caution regarding possible punitive tariffs from the EU on Chinese electric vehicles.

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday raised the existing US special tariffs on electric cars from China to 100%.

During a visit to Stockholm on Tuesday, Scholz said there had to be a "mutual exchange" between the European Union and China.

"European manufacturers are successful on the Chinese market and also sell a large number of vehicles produced in Europe to China," he said after a meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

In addition, 50% of the electric cars imported from China come from Western brands that produce there, Scholz added.

The United States accuses Beijing of distorting competition through substantial state subsidies. For the same reason, the European Commission announced last year that it would examine possible punitive tariffs against China.

Scholz said the results of this review were not yet available.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (L) takes part in a press conference alongside Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson. Michael Kappeler/dpa

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (L) and Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson hold a bilateral meeting. Michael Kappeler/dpa
Girl Became Pregnant After Being Stabbed in the Stomach Following Oral Sex?

The story of a 15-year-old girl who allegedly became pregnant despite lacking a fully developed vagina has permeated the internet for many years.

After performing fellatio on her new boyfriend, the story goes, the teenager was "caught in the act" and "stabbed in the abdomen" by her former lover. She then became pregnant.

Though the story dates back to 1988, it resurfaced in a post shared on Reddit in 2023:

Through a Google keyword search (archive), Snopes determined that iterations of the incident have circulated in online circles since at least 2010 and have recirculated frequently in the years following.

Snopes searched the National Institutes of Health PubMed database, which comprises more than 37 million citations for biomedical science literature and research. We found the story originated as an actual case report in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, a PDF of which can be viewed here (archive).

The 1988 case report described a girl without a fully developed vagina who apparently become pregnant after being stabbed in the stomach following oral sex.

"A plausible explanation for this pregnancy is that spermatozoa gained access to the reproductive organs via the injured gastrointestinal tract," the authors wrote. But how exactly the sperm was able to get this "access"  for example, through drool on her belly that entered her body through the puncture wound  isn't entirely clear. Snopes reached out to the report author by email for further clarification and will update this article should we receive a response.

A case report, it should be noted, differs from peer-reviewed research studies in that it is a retrospective clinical case analysis. Case reports describe a clinical event but don't meet research criteria set forth by the Department of Health and Human Services, which are "a systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge." In short, this report provides anecdotal evidence but not established, peer-reviewed research.

According to the report, a 15-year-old girl was admitted to a hospital after a knife fight ensued involving her, her former lover, and the new boyfriend.

"Just before she was stabbed in the abdomen she had practised fellatio with her new boyfriend and was caught in the act by her former lover," wrote the report author. "Who exactly stabbed whom was not quite clear but all three participants in the small war were admitted with knife injuries."

Doctors determined through a small exploratory incision known as a laparotomy that the girl had sustained two holes in her stomach resulting from a single stab wound. Her stomach was void of "gastric contents" at the time of surgery, so doctors rinsed the area before stitching her up. She was discharged after 10 days.

According to experts, the median length of a human pregnancy is 280 days. The patient in question was readmitted to the hospital 278 days after the stabbing with what appeared to be labor pains.

Upon further examination, doctors reportedly heard a fetus' heartbeat.

Despite being in active labor, the girl didn't have a vagina, only a "shallow skin dimple," according to the case report. It's a condition known as "aplastic distal vagina," in which the vagina is closed or absent. Also known as vaginal aplasia, 1 in 5,000 live female births have the condition, which is caused by a failure of the vagina to canalize. The vaginal canal is a muscular canal that extends from the vulva, the external genitalia, to the neck of the uterus, or cervix.

The patient's uterus ended in a 2-centimeter-deep vagina, according to the report.

"The patient was well aware of the fact that she had no vagina and she had started oral experiments after disappointing attempts at conventional intercourse," read the report, which added that her ovaries and external genitalia otherwise appeared to be normal.

Doctors conducted an emergency C-section and delivered a healthy boy weighing just over 6 pounds.

According to the report, the girl told doctors that she had never had a period and though "she had been worried about the increase in her abdominal size," she couldn't believe that she could be pregnant.

Extraordinary conception aside, the reporting author speculated that the sperm gained access to the reproductive system through the punctured gastrointestinal tract. Sperm doesn't survive very long outside of the pH of the vaginal canal, but the author argued that saliva's high pH content may have helped preserve the sperm. And because her stomach was empty, the sperm would have avoided potentially harmful gastric acid.

"The young mother, her family, and the likely father adapted themselves rapidly to the new situation and some cattle changed hands to prove that there were no hard feelings," read the report. By the time the child was 2.5 years old, he "looked very much like the legal father," which the author noted "excludes an even more miraculous conception."

After several vaginal reconstruction attempts, the girl was eventually given a hysterectomy to provide relief from "crippling pain."

The author of the case report, Douwe Verkuyl, a former practicing gynecologist, has been published in several reputable scientific publications, including The Lancet and PLOS Medicine. These publications listed Verkuyl's affiliations as being with both the United Bulawayo Hospitals in Zimbabwe and Bethesda Hospital in The Netherlands.

Some publications have reported that the event transpired in South Africa, but Verkuyl's case report cited hospitals both there and in Zimbabwe.

Sources:

45 CRF 46.102: Protection of Human Subjects | ORI - The Office of Research Integrity. https://ori.hhs.gov/content/chapter-3-The-Protection-of-Human-Subjects-45-crf-46102-protection-human-subjects. Accessed 8 May 2024.

Case Report Publication Guidance: IRB Review and HIPAA Compliance. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/institutional-review-board/guidelines-policies/guidelines/case-report. Accessed 8 May 2024.

Evaluation of Gestation: Overview, Clinical Methods of Estimating Gestational Age, Estimating the Delivery Date. Dec. 2021. eMedicine, https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/259269-overview?form=fpf.

"Friday Flashback: That's One Miraculous Conception." Discover Magazine, https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/friday-flashback-thats-one-miraculous-conception. Accessed 8 May 2024.

"How to Keep Your Vagina Healthy." Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/womens-health/in-depth/vagina/art-20046562. Accessed 8 May 2024.

Http://Www.Ubh.Org.Zw/. http://www.ubh.org.zw/. Accessed 8 May 2024.

Kang, Jia, et al. "Clinical and Genetic Characteristics of a Cohort with Distal Vaginal Atresia." International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 23, no. 21, Oct. 2022, p. 12853. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232112853.

"Laparotomy." Cleveland Clinic, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/24767-laparotomy. Accessed 8 May 2024.

News, A. B. C. "Oral Sex, a Knife Fight and Then Sperm Still Impregnated Girl." ABC News, https://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/teen-girl-vagina-pregnant-sperm-survival-oral-sex/story?id=9732562. Accessed 8 May 2024.

"The Girl Who Got Pregnant After Being Stabbed In The Abdomen Following Oral Sex." IFLScience, 11 May 2021, https://www.iflscience.com/the-girl-who-got-pregnant-after-being-stabbed-in-the-abdomen-following-oral-sex-59662.

"---." IFLScience, 11 May 2021, https://www.iflscience.com/the-girl-who-got-pregnant-after-being-stabbed-in-the-abdomen-following-oral-sex-59662.

Vagina Aplasia - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/vagina-aplasia. Accessed 8 May 2024.

Verkuyl, D. A. "Oral Conception. Impregnation via the Proximal Gastrointestinal Tract in a Patient with an Aplastic Distal Vagina. Case Report." British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, vol. 95, no. 9, Sept. 1988, pp. 93334. PubMed, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0528.1988.tb06583.x.

Verkuyl, Douwe A. A. "Oral Conception. Impregnation via the Proximal Gastrointestinal Tract in a Patient with an Aplastic Distal Vagina. Case Report." BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, vol. 95, no. 9, Sept. 1988, pp. 93334. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0528.1988.tb06583.x.

Verkuyl, Douwe Arie Anne. "Think Globally Act Locally: The Case for Symphysiotomy." PLoS Medicine, vol. 4, no. 3, Mar. 2007, p. e71. PubMed, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0040071.

---. "Think Globally Act Locally: The Case for Symphysiotomy." PLOS Medicine, vol. 4, no. 3, Mar. 2007, p. e71. PLoS Journals, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0040071.

Woman Impregnated without Vagina Stab Wounds - Google Search. https://www.google.com/search?q=woman+impregnated+without+vagina+stab+wounds&oq=woman+impregnated+without+vagina+stab+wounds&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBCDcyNjlqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#ip=1. Accessed 8 May 2024.
Girlfriend of stabbed Harlem man charged with murder despite claims he knifed himself

The girlfriend of a man stabbed to death in his Harlem apartment has been charged with murder  despite her claims he knifed himself, police said Tuesday.

Michelle Hernandez was charged with the slaying Monday afternoon, a day after 47-year-old Alejandro Santos was knifed in his sixth-floor apartment.

Hernandez, 44, was taken into custody for questioning at the bloody scene on W. 147th St. near Frederick Douglass Blvd. after claiming to cops Santos had stabbed himself, police sources said.

Investigators later determined she had actually stabbed him about 3:35 p.m. Sunday during an argument.

Neighbors heard piercing screams from Santos apartment followed by Hernandez pounding on neighbors doors and begging someone to call 911.

Police said Santos was unconscious with multiple stab wounds all over his body when officers got to the scene. Medics rushed him to Harlem Hospital but he could not be saved.

One neighbor told the Daily News that she called 911 for Hernandez, then listened through her door as she told first responders Santos had stabbed himself.

She was very adamant, the neighbor said Monday. She said from the beginning he did it to himself.

Hernandezs arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court was pending Tuesday.
After giving the green light in 2019, Texas Senate is looking to review, revise hemp law

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is looking to crack down on intoxicating products derived from hemp, but the limited scope of an inquiry to alter those regulations ahead of next year's legislative session might be in neglect of broader concerns facing Texas' developing hemp industry.

In a list Patrick released last month to give senators a set of legislative directives for the remainder of the year, the Senate's leader is asking the chamber to revisit a decision that in 2019 allowed the initial sales of cannabis-derived products in Texas as a new hemp industry in the state emerged.

Specifically, Patrick wants lawmakers to craft a ban on intoxicating products derived from delta-8 and delta-9, cannabinoids found in hemp that have a similar, albeit lesser, effect to that of THC, the cannabinoid responsible for the effects of marijuana.

With the state's decision to allow for a hemp industry and introduce Texans to hemp-derived products, except for those intended for smoking, an overarching lack of regulation has allowed for an explosion of delta-8 and delta-9 products with new cannabinoids and products continuously hitting shelves in gas stations and smoke shops across the Lone Star State.

"When you don't have a thoughtful, large bill passing to regulate cannabis, you get a hot mess, gray markets that we have all over Texas," said Susan Hays, an attorney with a focus in the hemp and marijuana space. "So it's very much the result of policy choices by the leadership."

Hays argues that a lack of industry guidelines has led some to avoid Texas as a hemp destination, all while a lack of clarity on which products are legal has been unfair to both businesses and consumers.

More: Biden administration plans to reclassify weed as a lower-risk drug. Here's what it means

The confusion comes in part as regulations written in Texas' code focus on delta-9, with no mention of delta-8 and the many other THC-adjacent cannabinoids that are increasingly being used to manufacture intoxicating products.

Additionally, as products cannot be manufactured for smoking in Texas, smoking devices made in other states that meet similar testing and regulatory requirements as set by the federal government can be sold in Texas.

Hays said Patrick's request of lawmakers is confusing as it seeks an all-out ban on the products but simultaneously looks to alter marketing requirements to deter children from using cannabinoid-based products.

The focus on delta-8 and delta-9 is also an indicator that the state is simply lagging in regulating hemp-derived intoxicants, Hays said.

"That's so 2021 compared to what's out in the marketplace now," Hays said.

Outside of addressing the ingestible side of hemp derivatives, the largest sect of the state's hemp industry has focused on producing fiber hemp, which is grown to be converted into usable materials for building construction and other industries.

As the federal government opened the door for hemp production in 2018, Texas followed suit in the next year, resulting in a rush of people looking to jump into the budding industry, with many making their foray into farming to take advantage of what looked to be a new cash crop, said Calvin Trostle, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension agronomist and professor.

"There's never been anything that I've worked with in my career where so many people were willing or wanting to grow hemp who had never grown anything before," Trostle said.

More: Texas House agenda prioritizes school choice, border security, property taxes for 2025

But, in addition to the routine challenges that come with planting a crop  such as drought, pests and seed quality  a 0.3% limit of traceable delta-9 that is allowed to be grown in hemp has been a real consideration for farmers as they have tried to fall below that standard to avoid destroying their crops.

Trostle said the federal 0.3% threshold is far below any level that would allow for hemp to cause any intoxicating effect, which would not come into play until the plant contained well above 10% of an intoxicating cannabinoid.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said the federal threshold of 0.3% is a difficult bar for farmers to meet and that regulators could "bump that up safely" without approaching the intoxicating effects of the plant.

More: Zach Dell (yes, that Dell) wants to address Texas power grid instability with new startup

"The hemp at 2 or 3% THC is  still not going to give you a high or a buzz," Miller said of raising the cannabinoid threshold for fiber hemp. "I think it's artificially a little low of a target."

As for the rest of the industry concerns, Miller, whose agency oversees the state's hemp production, said that initial interest in the business has fallen off considerably from earlier days, which saw a surplus of hemp produced, leading to a drop in the commodities' price.

"We set up the program from scratch, no money from the Legislature. We kind of got a bare-bones operation," Miller said. "It's not something we spend a lot of assets or money on, because it doesn't generate that much."

Miller said he is not opposed to Patrick's request to ban delta-8 and delta-9 products, saying that if it is Patrick's will, it's "fine and dandy."

While some are concerned with the percentages, Kyle Bingham, a hemp farmer and president of the Texas Hemp Growers Association, said the threshold requirements on cannabinoids are a lesser issue than overlooked regulatory infrastructure and lacking paydays.

"The point three level has nothing to do with it," Bingham said. "In reality, it's the fact that farmers didn't get paid. That's the issue."

Because of the drop in price and influx of product in the early days of the hemp industry, branching out to find alternative uses for fiber hemp has been a focus, resulting in some farmers looking to provide animal feed out of their yields.

More: AG Ken Paxton sues Austin, other Texas cities over lax marijuana possession ordinances

But that has also led to "going around in circles" over research questions on what is the allowable hemp concentration to ensure that cannabinoids are not passed on to animals and their byproducts, Bingham said.

"We just need strong, common-sense and safe regulations for all hemp products," Bingham said.

"I'd love to see the Legislature earmark some money into getting this done right. Unfortunately, what we're seeing is that they are leaving a lot of industry to fund the research and figure this out."

Bingham's concerns are not yet on the table for the Senate Committee on State Affairs, which is the panel Patrick tasked to "examine the sale of intoxicating hemp products in Texas."

Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, and the State Affairs Committee will look to make recommendations ahead of the next legislative session to further regulate the sale of hemp products.

With a hearing on the delta-8 and delta-9 ban scheduled for May 29, the committee, led by Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, will look to make recommendations ahead of the next legislative session, beginning in 2025, to "further regulate the sale of these products" and suggest legislation "to stop retailers who market these products to children."

Patrick and Gov. Greg Abbott did not respond to American-Statesman requests for comment on their policy stances on the hemp issue and further regulating the industry.

With the broader concerns and uses of hemp not currently up for debate, Hays, the hemp attorney, said that Patrick "doesn't seem to get that the market is just leapfrogging farther and farther ahead of the state."

"And the state has to up its regulation game, or it'll never catch up," Hays said.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Will Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and the Senate ban hemp-derived THC products?
When is it going to be fixed? Ossoff demands answers from postmaster general over mail issues

U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff is putting more pressure on the post office after Channel 2 Action News exposed problems with long mail delays.

Ossoff and other Georgia lawmakers grilled Postmaster General Louis DeJoy at a hearing last month after their offices kept getting complaints about delays and lost mail and other issues.

Channel 2s Richard Elliot asked Ossoff about the delays and he said, so far, he hasnt heard back from DeJoy.

The postmaster general has one job, deliver the mail on time, Ossoff said about the continuing issues at the brand-new Palmetto postal facility.

Delays and lost mail have plagued the facility since it opened.

Postal employees even sent us this video showing the matrix regional sorter, or MARS machine malfunctioning, sending mail and packages off the conveyor belt onto the floor.

RELATED NEWS:

Its video like that, along with complaints from people all over north Georgia that has Ossoff angry.

He is failing the people of Georgia. He owes me answers this week on his progress solving this problem, Ossoff said.

Just a month ago, Ossoff and a bi-partisan group of Georgia lawmakers grilled DeJoy over the well-documented problems at the Palmetto facility.

At the time, DeJoy promised the problems would be corrected within the next two months.

When is it going to be fixed? Ossoff asked DeJoy at the time.

You will start seeing service improve over  should see it start now and should get to where we need to be in about 60 days, DeJoy said.

But so far, Ossoff said he hasnt seen it.

We told you last week that Ossoff sent a follow-up letter Friday demanding an update.

NEW: Sen. Ossoff is demanding an update from USPS Postmaster Louis DeJoy on persistent delays Georgia families and businesses continue to face getting their mail on time. pic.twitter.com/Kn10fTIECU  Ossoff's Office (@SenOssoff) May 9, 2024

He told Elliot that if he cant get some answers and things dont improve in Palmetto, maybe DeJoy needs to find new work.

If he cant solve this problem, I dont think he deserves this job, Ossoff said.

Elliot contacted the postmaster generals office in Washington, DC for comment on this story, but hasnt heard back yet.

RELATED NEWS:
Google just announced forthcoming scam detection tools coming to Android phones later this year, which is a good thing as these scammers keep getting better and better at parting people from their money. The toolset, revealed at Google I/O 2024, is still in the testing stages but uses AI to suss out fraudsters in the middle of a conversation.

You read that right. The AI will be constantly on the hunt for conversation patterns commonly associated with scams. Once detected, youll receive a real-time alert on the phone, putting to bed any worries that the person on the other end is actually heading over to deliver a court summons or whatever.

Google gives the example of a bank representative asking for personal information, like PINs and passwords. These are uncommon bank requests, so the AI would flag them and issue an alert. Everything happens on the device, so it stays private. This feature isnt coming to Android 15 right away and the company says itll share more details later in the year. We do know that people will have to opt-in to use the tool.

Google made a big move with Android 15, bringing its Gemini chatbot to actual devices instead of requiring a connection to the cloud. In addition to this scam detection tech, the addition of onboard AI will allow for many more features, like contextual awareness when using apps.

Catch up on all the news from Google I/O 2024 right here!
At the Google I/O developer conference on Tuesday, Google announced an addition to its Firebase platform that aims to make it easier for developers to build AI-powered applications in JavaScript/TypeScript, with Go support coming soon.

Firebase Genkit is an open source framework, using the Apache 2.0 license, that enables developers to quickly build AI into new and existing applications.

Some of the use cases for Genkit that the company is highlighting Tuesday include many of the standard generative AI use cases: content generation and summarization, text translation and generating images.

"Powerful large language models put AI-powered app features within reach, but building and refining these features beyond a prototype is hard," Google product manager Chris Gill and developer advocate Peter Friese wrote in Tuesday's announcement. "Many of us are still figuring out how to deploy these features in production at scale and understand how they are performing so we can quickly iterate and improve on them. Add to this the need to balance safety and stability throughout the process and the problem becomes even harder. Let's face it, everyone can use some help."

The Firebase team promises that developers will be able to jump right into using Genkit because it uses the same approaches as the rest of the Firebase toolchain. Using Genkit, they'll be able to test their new features locally and then deploy their application with the help of Google's serverless platforms like Cloud Functions for Firebase and Google Cloud Run.

Because it's open source, developers will be able to extend Genkit as needed, but out of the box, it already supports a number of third-party open source projects. That means that on top of Google's own Gemini models, for example, developers can use open models via Ollama. Genkit will also support vector databases like Chrome, Pinecone and PostgreSQL's pgvector, in addition to Google Cloud Firestore.

"Genkit is also designed to be open to any and all models, vector stores, embedders, evaluators, and other components through its plugin system," the team writes.

Google also notes that Project IDX, Google's next-gen web-based integrated developer environment that is now generally available, will support Genkit's developer UI out of the box.

In addition to Genkit, the Firebase team also today announced support for SQL databases, powered by Firebase Data Connect, a new service powered by Google's Cloud SQL Postgres database.

Also new is Firebase App Hosting, which Google describes as "next generation of serverless web hosting with Google, designed specifically for server-rendered web apps." Firebase App Hosting is a serverless web hosting solution that will manage everything from building the application to the CDN for distributing content and server-side rendering for developers.

Were launching an AI newsletter! Sign up here to start receiving it in your inboxes on June 5.

Read more about Google I/O 2024 on TechCrunch
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. One of the main tasks for Italian companies is to restore Karabakh with the use of green and modern technologies, Director of the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) in Baku Andrea Maccanico told Trend during the Azerbaijani-Italian business forum.

"In Azerbaijan, there are many opportunities for Italian companies in the renewable energy sector. They will be explored during the next few months, especially on the occasion of COP29. This is an area where Italian companies are ready to support and provide all the necessary technologies, he emphasized.

The ITA Director stated that we also need to address the environmental issue.

He claims that one issue associated with climate change is the scarcity of water, and Italian companies are prepared to provide Azerbaijan with irrigation solutions that maximize water usage.

"So ecology is a large sector in which we have a lot of opportunities to collaborate. Our delegation of companies from the construction sector specializing in green technologies, products, and services for the construction sector should come to Azerbaijan in October or November, he added.

To note, under the joint organization of the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Agency (AZPROMO) and the Italian Trade Agency, an event dedicated to the promotion of exports and the attraction of foreign investments was held in Baku.

The event was attended by 12 Italian companies working in the field of agriculture and food industry and about 100 Azerbaijani businessmen, as well as representatives of relevant government agencies, local authorities, and international financial institutions.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Googles upgrading its image-generation tech to keep apace with rivals.

At the company's I/O developer conference in Mountain View on Tuesday, Google announced Imagen 3, the latest in the tech giant's Imagen generative AI model family.

Demis Hassabis, CEO of DeepMind, Google's AI research division, said that Imagen 3 more accurately understands the text prompts that it translates into images versus its predecessor, Imagen 2, and is more creative and detailed in its generations. In addition, the model produces fewer "distracting artifacts" and errors, he said.

This is [also] our best model yet for rendering text, which has been a challenge for image-generation models, Hassabis added.

To allay concerns around the potential to create deepfakes, Google says that Imagen 3 will use SynthID, an approach developed by DeepMind to apply invisible, cryptographic watermarks to media.

Sign-ups for Imagen 3 in private preview are available in Googles ImageFX tool, and Google says the model will come soon to devs and corporate customers using Vertex AI, Googles enterprise generative AI development platform.

Google Imagen 3

Google typically doesnt reveal much about the source of the data it uses to train its AI models  and this time was no exception. Theres a reason for that. Much of the training data comes from public sites, repositories and datasets around the web. And some of that training data, specifically the copyrighted data scraped without permission from content creators, is a source of IP-related lawsuits.

Googles web publisher controls allow webmasters to prevent the company from scraping data, including photos and videos, from their websites. But Google doesnt offer an opt-out tool, and  unlike some of its rivals  the company hasnt committed to compensating rights holders for their (in some cases unknowing) contributions to the training datasets.

The lack of transparency isnt surprising. But it is disappointing  especially from a company with resources like Googles.

Were launching an AI newsletter! Sign up here to start receiving it in your inboxes on June 5.

Read more about Google I/O 2024 on TechCrunch
FILE - Motor vehicle traffic moves along the Interstate 76 highway in Philadelphia, March 31, 2021. Dozens of Republican attorneys general on Monday, May 13, 2024, took legal action against the Biden Administration and California over new emissions limits for trucks. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

OMAHA, Neb. (AP)  A large group of Republican attorneys general on Monday took legal action against the Biden administration and California over new emissions limits for trucks.

Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers is leading the group of GOP attorneys general who filed a petition with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to overturn an Environmental Protection Agency rule limiting truck emissions.

A separate lawsuit against California claims a phased-in ban on internal-combustion trucks is unconstitutional and will hurt the U.S. economy.

Hilgers in a statement said the EPA and California rules will devastate the trucking and logistics industry, raise prices for customers, and impact untold number of jobs across Nebraska and the country.

Theres not one trucking charging station in the state of Nebraska, Hilgers later told reporters. Trying to take that industry, which was built up over decades with diesel and fossil fuels-based infrastructure, and transforming it to an electric-based infrastructure  its probably not feasible.

EPA officials have said the strict emissions standards will help clean up some of the nations largest sources of planet-warming greenhouse gases.

The new EPA rules are slated to take effect for model years 2027 through 2032, and the agency has said they will avoid up to 1 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the next three decades.

Emissions restrictions could especially benefit an estimated 72 million people in the U.S. who live near freight routes used by trucks and other heavy vehicles and bear a disproportionate burden of dangerous air pollution, the agency has said.

A spokesperson for the EPA declined to comment on the legal challenge to the new rules Monday, citing the pending litigation.

California rules being challenged by Republican attorneys general would ban big rigs and buses that run on diesel from being sold in California starting in 2036.

An email seeking comment from Californias Air Resources Board was not immediately answered Monday.

California has been aggressive in trying to rid itself of fossil fuels, passing new rules in recent years to phase out gas-powered cars, trucks, trains and lawn equipment in the nations most populous state. Industries, and Republican leaders in other states, are pushing back.

Another band of GOP-led states in 2022 challenged Californias authority to set emissions standards that are stricter than rules set by the federal government. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit last month ruled that the states failed to prove how Californias emissions standards would drive up costs for gas-powered vehicles in their states.

States that joined Nebraska's latest action against the EPA are: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.

States that joined Nebraska's lawsuit against California are: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.

___

Ballentine contributed to this report from Columbia, Missouri.
GOP politicians rush to Manhattan to line up behind Trump as hush money trial continues

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., watch as former U.S. President Donald Trump walks towards the courtroom for his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 14, 2024, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Republican lawmakers are taking turns supporting former president and presumed 2024 GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump in his trial in Manhattan criminal court, where he is charged with covering up payments intended to silence porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.

Dressed alike in navy blue suits and red ties, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, viewed as a 2024 vice presidential contender, former GOP primary hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy, and U.S. Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills of Florida filed behind Trump into the courtroom Tuesday morning, according to reporters present. Outside, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, conducted a press conference.

The entourage followed appearances Monday by U.S. Sens. J.D. Vance of Ohio, another contender on Trumps VP short list, and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, and Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, as well as an appearance last week by U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida.

Tuesdays show of solidarity occurred as the prosecutions star witness and former Trump fixer Michael Cohen took the stand for a second day to testify that Trump signed off on falsifying reimbursement to Cohen for $130,000 of his own money that Cohen paid to Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election.

Jurors again saw checks signed by Trump, and heard from Cohen about instructions from Trump associates to submit fake invoices for legal services rendered. Cohen also described a February 2017 Oval Office meeting during which he discussed the reimbursement with Trump, according to reporters at the courthouse.

New York does not allow recording in the courtroom but provides public transcripts of the proceedings.

Cohen followed high-profile and detailed testimony last week from adult film actress and director Daniels about her alleged sex affair with Trump in 2006, an event he denies.

Trump is facing 34 felony counts for each alleged falsified business record related to his repayment to Cohen  11 invoices, 11 checks, and 12 ledger entries.

A sham to keep him off of the campaign trail

Out on the sidewalk, Johnson  the second in line for presidential succession after the vice president  told reporters he wanted to call out what is a travesty of justice.

With a sarcastic snicker and gesture toward the New York County Supreme Court location on Centre Street in Lower Manhattan, Johnson lamented that he had to speak to media outside because the court wont allow us to speak inside the building. Thats just one of the many things that are wrong here.

Its worth noting that surrogates routinely make comments outside courthouses.

Johnson summed up what he called a sham trial as a conspiracy to stymie Trumps reelection campaign  despite recent New York Times/Siena College polls showing the former president leading in several swing states.

This is the fifth week that President Trump has been in court for this sham of a trial, Johnson said. They are doing this intentionally to keep him here and keep him off of the campaign trail, and I think everybody in the country can see that for what it is.

The trial meets weekdays, except Wednesdays.

Trump hit the campaign trail Saturday at a rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, where he spoke for 90 minutes, criticizing the New York trial, repeating false claims that he won the 2020 presidential election, calling the late, great fictional cannibal serial killer Hannibal Lecter a wonderful man, and thanking the six U.S. Supreme Court justices  three of whom he appointed  for overturning Roe v. Wade.

Election interference

Trumps allies echoed Johnsons earlier remarks in their own press conference later outside the courthouse, calling the trial a scam and joke, according to reporters at the event.

Ramaswamy reportedly likened the courtroom to a Kafka novel and called it one of the most depressing places I have been in my life and said the prosecutions strategy is to bore jurors into submission.

In a video of the press conference he posted to X, the entrepreneur said the justice system should be blind to politics and accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of targeting Trump for political reasons.

Burgum characterized the trial as election interference in the 2024 race. Meanwhile, Trumps critics say the trial is squarely about election interference that occurred in 2016.

Mills said what was the Department of Justice, now the department of injustice, has continued to be utilized against the American people.

The charges for which Trump is now on trial did not originate with the U.S. Department of Justice, but rather from a New York state grand jury investigation.

Trumps two federal cases are in a holding pattern while, for one, the U.S. Supreme Court deliberates over Trumps claim of absolute immunity from criminal charges that he schemed to subvert the 2020 presidential election results. The second, centered on Trumps alleged mishandling of classified documents following his presidency, has been put indefinitely on hold by federal district Judge Aileen Cannon in Florida.

The New York trial is expected to resume Thursday with further cross-examination of Cohen by Trump attorney Todd Blanche.

The post GOP politicians rush to Manhattan to line up behind Trump as hush money trial continues appeared first on New Hampshire Bulletin.
GOP politicians rush to Manhattan to line up behind Trump as hush money trial continues

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., watch as former U.S. President Donald Trump walks towards the courtroom for his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 14, 2024, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Republican lawmakers are taking turns supporting former president and presumed 2024 GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump in his trial in Manhattan criminal court, where he is charged with covering up payments intended to silence porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.

Dressed alike in navy blue suits and red ties, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, viewed as a 2024 vice presidential contender, former GOP primary hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy and U.S. Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills of Florida filed behind Trump into the courtroom Tuesday morning, according to reporters present. Outside, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, conducted a press conference.

The entourage followed appearances Monday by U.S. Sens. J.D. Vance of Ohio, another contender on Trumps VP short list, and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, and Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, as well as an appearance last week by U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida.

Tuesdays show of solidarity occurred as the prosecutions star witness and former Trump fixer Michael Cohen took the stand for a second day to testify that Trump signed off on falsifying reimbursement to Cohen for $130,000 of his own money that Cohen paid to Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election.

Jurors again saw checks signed by Trump, and heard from Cohen about instructions from Trump associates to submit fake invoices for legal services rendered. Cohen also described a February 2017 Oval Office meeting during which he discussed the reimbursement with Trump, according to reporters at the courthouse.

New York does not allow recording in the courtroom but provides public transcripts of the proceedings.

Cohen followed high-profile and detailed testimony last week from adult film actress and director Daniels about her alleged sex affair with Trump in 2006, an event he denies.

Trump is facing 34 felony counts for each alleged falsified business record related to his repayment to Cohen  11 invoices, 11 checks and 12 ledger entries.

A sham to keep him off of the campaign trail

Out on the sidewalk, Johnson  the second in line for presidential succession after the vice president  told reporters he wanted to call out what is a travesty of justice.

With a sarcastic snicker and gesture toward the New York County Supreme Court location on Centre Street in Lower Manhattan, Johnson lamented that he had to speak to media outside because the court wont allow us to speak inside the building. Thats just one of the many things that are wrong here.

Its worth noting that surrogates routinely make comments outside courthouses.

Johnson summed up what he called a sham trial as a conspiracy to stymie Trumps reelection campaign  despite recent New York Times/Siena College polls showing the former president leading in several swing states.

This is the fifth week that President Trump has been in court for this sham of a trial, Johnson said. They are doing this intentionally to keep him here and keep him off of the campaign trail, and I think everybody in the country can see that for what it is.

The trial meets weekdays, except Wednesdays.

Trump hit the campaign trail Saturday at a rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, where he spoke for 90 minutes, criticizing the New York trial, repeating false claims that he won the 2020 presidential election, calling the late, great fictional cannibal serial killer Hannibal Lecter a wonderful man, and thanking the six U.S. Supreme Court justices  three of whom he appointed  for overturning Roe v. Wade.

Election interference

Trumps allies echoed Johnsons earlier remarks in their own press conference later outside the courthouse, calling the trial a scam and joke, according to reporters at the event.

Ramaswamy reportedly likened the courtroom to a Kafka novel and called it one of the most depressing places I have been in my life and said the prosecutions strategy is to bore jurors into submission.

In a video of the press conference he posted to X, the entrepreneur said the justice system should be blind to politics and accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of targeting Trump for political reasons.

Burgum characterized the trial as election interference in the 2024 race. Meanwhile, Trumps critics say the trial is squarely about election interference that occurred in 2016.

Mills said what was the Department of Justice, now the department of injustice, has continued to be utilized against the American people.

The charges for which Trump is now on trial did not originate with the U.S. Department of Justice, but rather from a New York state grand jury investigation.

Trumps two federal cases are in a holding pattern while, for one, the U.S. Supreme Court deliberates over Trumps claim of absolute immunity from criminal charges that he schemed to subvert the 2020 presidential election results. The second, centered on Trumps alleged mishandling of classified documents following his presidency, has been put indefinitely on hold by federal district Judge Aileen Cannon in Florida.

The New York trial is expected to resume Thursday with further cross-examination of Cohen by Trump attorney Todd Blanche.

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The post GOP politicians rush to Manhattan to line up behind Trump as hush money trial continues appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star.
GOP politicians rush to Manhattan to line up behind Trump as hush money trial continues

Representative Byron Donalds of Florida., North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana watch as former President Donald Trump walks towards the courtroom for his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 14, 2024, in New York City.

U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Florida, left, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, watch as former President Donald Trump walks toward the courtroom for his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 14, 2024, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Republican lawmakers are taking turns supporting former president and presumed 2024 GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump in his trial in Manhattan criminal court, where he is charged with covering up payments intended to silence porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.

Dressed alike in navy blue suits and red ties, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, viewed as a 2024 vice presidential contender, former GOP primary hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy and U.S. Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills of Florida filed behind Trump into the courtroom Tuesday morning, according to reporters present. Outside, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, conducted a press conference.

The entourage followed appearances Monday by U.S. Sens. J.D. Vance of Ohio, another contender on Trumps VP short list, and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, and Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, as well as an appearance last week by U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida.

Tuesdays show of solidarity occurred as the prosecutions star witness and former Trump fixer Michael Cohen took the stand for a second day to testify that Trump signed off on falsifying reimbursement to Cohen for $130,000 of his own money that Cohen paid to Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election.

Jurors again saw checks signed by Trump, and heard from Cohen about instructions from Trump associates to submit fake invoices for legal services rendered. Cohen also described a February 2017 Oval Office meeting during which he discussed the reimbursement with Trump, according to reporters at the courthouse.

New York does not allow recording in the courtroom but provides public transcripts of the proceedings.

Cohen followed high-profile and detailed testimony last week from adult film actress and director Daniels about her alleged sex affair with Trump in 2006, an event he denies.

Trump is facing 34 felony counts for each alleged falsified business record related to his repayment to Cohen  11 invoices, 11 checks and 12 ledger entries.

A sham to keep him off of the campaign trail

Out on the sidewalk, Johnson  the second in line for presidential succession after the vice president  told reporters he wanted to call out what is a travesty of justice.

With a sarcastic snicker and gesture toward the New York County Supreme Court location on Centre Street in Lower Manhattan, Johnson lamented that he had to speak to media outside because the court wont allow us to speak inside the building. Thats just one of the many things that are wrong here.

Its worth noting that surrogates routinely make comments outside courthouses.

Johnson summed up what he called a sham trial as a conspiracy to stymie Trumps reelection campaign  despite recent New York Times/Siena College polls showing the former president leading in several swing states.

This is the fifth week that President Trump has been in court for this sham of a trial, Johnson said. They are doing this intentionally to keep him here and keep him off of the campaign trail, and I think everybody in the country can see that for what it is.

The trial meets weekdays, except Wednesdays.

Trump hit the campaign trail Saturday at a rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, where he spoke for 90 minutes, criticizing the New York trial, repeating false claims that he won the 2020 presidential election, calling the late, great fictional cannibal serial killer Hannibal Lecter a wonderful man, and thanking the six U.S. Supreme Court justices  three of whom he appointed  for overturning Roe v. Wade.

Election interference

Trumps allies echoed Johnsons earlier remarks in their own press conference later outside the courthouse, calling the trial a scam and joke, according to reporters at the event.

Ramaswamy reportedly likened the courtroom to a Kafka novel and called it one of the most depressing places I have been in my life and said the prosecutions strategy is to bore jurors into submission.

In a video of the press conference he posted to X, the entrepreneur said the justice system should be blind to politics and accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of targeting Trump for political reasons.

Burgum characterized the trial as election interference in the 2024 race. Meanwhile, Trumps critics say the trial is squarely about election interference that occurred in 2016.

Mills said what was the Department of Justice, now the department of injustice, has continued to be utilized against the American people.

The charges for which Trump is now on trial did not originate with the U.S. Department of Justice, but rather from a New York state grand jury investigation.

Trumps two federal cases are in a holding pattern while, for one, the U.S. Supreme Court deliberates over Trumps claim of absolute immunity from criminal charges that he schemed to subvert the 2020 presidential election results. The second, centered on Trumps alleged mishandling of classified documents following his presidency, has been put indefinitely on hold by federal district Judge Aileen Cannon in Florida.

The New York trial is expected to resume Thursday with further cross-examination of Cohen by Trump attorney Todd Blanche.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post GOP politicians rush to Manhattan to line up behind Trump as hush money trial continues appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
GOP politicians rush to Manhattan to line up behind Trump as hush money trial continues

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., watch as former U.S. President Donald Trump walks towards the courtroom for his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 14, 2024, in New York City. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Republican lawmakers are taking turns supporting former president and presumed 2024 GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump in his trial in Manhattan criminal court, where he is charged with covering up payments intended to silence porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.

Dressed alike in navy blue suits and red ties, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, viewed as a 2024 vice presidential contender, former GOP primary hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy and U.S. Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills of Florida filed behind Trump into the courtroom Tuesday morning, according to reporters present. Outside, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, conducted a press conference.

The entourage followed appearances Monday by U.S. Sens. J.D. Vance of Ohio, another contender on Trumps VP short list, and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, and Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, as well as an appearance last week by U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida.

Tuesdays show of solidarity occurred as the prosecutions star witness and former Trump fixer Michael Cohen took the stand for a second day to testify that Trump signed off on falsifying reimbursement to Cohen for $130,000 of his own money that Cohen paid to Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election.

Jurors again saw checks signed by Trump, and heard from Cohen about instructions from Trump associates to submit fake invoices for legal services rendered. Cohen also described a February 2017 Oval Office meeting during which he discussed the reimbursement with Trump, according to reporters at the courthouse.

New York does not allow recording in the courtroom but provides public transcripts of the proceedings.

Cohen followed high-profile and detailed testimony last week from adult film actress and director Daniels about her alleged sex affair with Trump in 2006, an event he denies.

Trump is facing 34 felony counts for each alleged falsified business record related to his repayment to Cohen  11 invoices, 11 checks and 12 ledger entries.

A sham to keep him off of the campaign trail

Out on the sidewalk, Johnson  the second in line for presidential succession after the vice president  told reporters he wanted to call out what is a travesty of justice.

With a sarcastic snicker and gesture toward the New York County Supreme Court location on Centre Street in Lower Manhattan, Johnson lamented that he had to speak to media outside because the court wont allow us to speak inside the building. Thats just one of the many things that are wrong here.

Its worth noting that surrogates routinely make comments outside courthouses.

Johnson summed up what he called a sham trial as a conspiracy to stymie Trumps reelection campaign  despite recent New York Times/Siena College polls showing the former president leading in several swing states.

This is the fifth week that President Trump has been in court for this sham of a trial, Johnson said. They are doing this intentionally to keep him here and keep him off of the campaign trail, and I think everybody in the country can see that for what it is.

The trial meets weekdays, except Wednesdays.

Trump hit the campaign trail Saturday at a rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, where he spoke for 90 minutes, criticizing the New York trial, repeating false claims that he won the 2020 presidential election, calling the late, great fictional cannibal serial killer Hannibal Lecter a wonderful man, and thanking the six U.S. Supreme Court justices  three of whom he appointed  for overturning Roe v. Wade.

Election interference

Trumps allies echoed Johnsons earlier remarks in their own press conference later outside the courthouse, calling the trial a scam and joke, according to reporters at the event.

Ramaswamy reportedly likened the courtroom to a Kafka novel and called it one of the most depressing places I have been in my life and said the prosecutions strategy is to bore jurors into submission.

In a video of the press conference he posted to X, the entrepreneur said the justice system should be blind to politics and accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of targeting Trump for political reasons.

Burgum characterized the trial as election interference in the 2024 race. Meanwhile, Trumps critics say the trial is squarely about election interference that occurred in 2016.

Mills said what was the Department of Justice, now the department of injustice, has continued to be utilized against the American people.

The charges for which Trump is now on trial did not originate with the U.S. Department of Justice, but rather from a New York state grand jury investigation.

Trumps two federal cases are in a holding pattern while, for one, the U.S. Supreme Court deliberates over Trumps claim of absolute immunity from criminal charges that he schemed to subvert the 2020 presidential election results. The second, centered on Trumps alleged mishandling of classified documents following his presidency, has been put indefinitely on hold by federal district Judge Aileen Cannon in Florida.

The New York trial is expected to resume Thursday with further cross-examination of Cohen by Trump attorney Todd Blanche.

The post GOP politicians rush to Manhattan to line up behind Trump as hush money trial continues appeared first on North Dakota Monitor.
GOP politicians rush to Manhattan to line up behind Trump as hush money trial continues

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., watch as former U.S. President Donald Trump walks towards the courtroom for his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 14, 2024, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Republican lawmakers are taking turns supporting former president and presumed 2024 GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump in his trial in Manhattan criminal court, where he is charged with covering up payments intended to silence porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.

Dressed alike in navy blue suits and red ties, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, viewed as a 2024 vice presidential contender, former GOP primary hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy and U.S. Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills of Florida filed behind Trump into the courtroom Tuesday morning, according to reporters present. Outside, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, conducted a press conference.

The entourage followed appearances Monday by U.S. Sens. J.D. Vance of Ohio, another contender on Trumps VP short list, and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, and Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, as well as an appearance last week by U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida.

Tuesdays show of solidarity occurred as the prosecutions star witness and former Trump fixer Michael Cohen took the stand for a second day to testify that Trump signed off on falsifying reimbursement to Cohen for $130,000 of his own money that Cohen paid to Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election.

Jurors again saw checks signed by Trump and heard from Cohen about instructions from Trump associates to submit fake invoices for legal services rendered. Cohen also described a February 2017 Oval Office meeting during which he discussed the reimbursement with Trump, according to reporters at the courthouse.

New York does not allow recording in the courtroom but provides public transcripts of the proceedings.

Cohen followed high-profile and detailed testimony last week from adult film actress and director Daniels about her alleged sex affair with Trump in 2006, an event he denies.

Trump is facing 34 felony counts for each alleged falsified business record related to his repayment to Cohen  11 invoices, 11 checks and 12 ledger entries.

A sham to keep him off of the campaign trail

Out on the sidewalk, Johnson  the second in line for presidential succession after the vice president  told reporters he wanted to call out what is a travesty of justice.

With a sarcastic snicker and gesture toward the New York County Supreme Court location on Centre Street in Lower Manhattan, Johnson lamented that he had to speak to media outside because the court wont allow us to speak inside the building. Thats just one of the many things that are wrong here.

Its worth noting that surrogates routinely make comments outside courthouses.

Johnson summed up what he called a sham trial as a conspiracy to stymie Trumps reelection campaign  despite recent New York Times/Siena College polls showing the former president leading in several swing states.

This is the fifth week that President Trump has been in court for this sham of a trial, Johnson said. They are doing this intentionally to keep him here and keep him off of the campaign trail, and I think everybody in the country can see that for what it is.

The trial meets weekdays, except Wednesdays.

Trump hit the campaign trail Saturday at a rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, where he spoke for 90 minutes, criticizing the New York trial, repeating false claims that he won the 2020 presidential election, calling the late, great fictional cannibal serial killer Hannibal Lecter a wonderful man, and thanking the six U.S. Supreme Court justices  three of whom he appointed  for overturning Roe v. Wade.

Election interference

Trumps allies echoed Johnsons earlier remarks in their own press conference later outside the courthouse, calling the trial a scam and joke, according to reporters at the event.

Ramaswamy reportedly likened the courtroom to a Kafka novel and called it one of the most depressing places I have been in my life and said the prosecutions strategy is to bore jurors into submission.

In a video of the press conference he posted to X, the entrepreneur said the justice system should be blind to politics and accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of targeting Trump for political reasons.

Burgum characterized the trial as election interference in the 2024 race. Meanwhile, Trumps critics say the trial is squarely about election interference that occurred in 2016.

Mills said what was the Department of Justice, now the department of injustice, has continued to be utilized against the American people.

The charges for which Trump is now on trial did not originate with the U.S. Department of Justice, but rather from a New York state grand jury investigation.

Trumps two federal cases are in a holding pattern while, for one, the U.S. Supreme Court deliberates over Trumps claim of absolute immunity from criminal charges that he schemed to subvert the 2020 presidential election results. The second, centered on Trumps alleged mishandling of classified documents following his presidency, has been put indefinitely on hold by federal district Judge Aileen Cannon in Florida.

The New York trial is expected to resume Thursday with further cross-examination of Cohen by Trump attorney Todd Blanche.

The post GOP politicians rush to Manhattan to line up behind Trump as hush money trial continues appeared first on Nebraska Examiner.
GOP politicians rush to Manhattan to line up behind Trump as hush money trial continues

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., watch as former U.S. President Donald Trump walks towards the courtroom for his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 14, 2024, in New York City. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Republican lawmakers are taking turns supporting former president and presumed 2024 GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump in his trial in Manhattan criminal court, where he is charged with covering up payments intended to silence porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.

Dressed alike in navy blue suits and red ties, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, viewed as a 2024 vice presidential contender, former GOP primary hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy and U.S. Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills of Florida filed behind Trump into the courtroom Tuesday morning, according to reporters present. Outside, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, conducted a press conference.

The entourage followed appearances Monday by U.S. Sens. J.D. Vance of Ohio, another contender on Trumps VP short list, and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, and Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, as well as an appearance last week by U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida.

Tuesdays show of solidarity occurred as the prosecutions star witness and former Trump fixer Michael Cohen took the stand for a second day to testify that Trump signed off on falsifying reimbursement to Cohen for $130,000 of his own money that Cohen paid to Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election.

Jurors again saw checks signed by Trump, and heard from Cohen about instructions from Trump associates to submit fake invoices for legal services rendered. Cohen also described a February 2017 Oval Office meeting during which he discussed the reimbursement with Trump, according to reporters at the courthouse.

New York does not allow recording in the courtroom but provides public transcripts of the proceedings.

Cohen followed high-profile and detailed testimony last week from adult film actress and director Daniels about her alleged sex affair with Trump in 2006, an event he denies.

Trump is facing 34 felony counts for each alleged falsified business record related to his repayment to Cohen  11 invoices, 11 checks and 12 ledger entries.

A sham to keep him off of the campaign trail

Out on the sidewalk, Johnson  the second in line for presidential succession after the vice president  told reporters he wanted to call out what is a travesty of justice.

With a sarcastic snicker and gesture toward the New York County Supreme Court location on Centre Street in Lower Manhattan, Johnson lamented that he had to speak to media outside because the court wont allow us to speak inside the building. Thats just one of the many things that are wrong here.

Its worth noting that surrogates routinely make comments outside courthouses.

Johnson summed up what he called a sham trial as a conspiracy to stymie Trumps reelection campaign  despite recent New York Times/Siena College polls showing the former president leading in several swing states.

This is the fifth week that President Trump has been in court for this sham of a trial, Johnson said. They are doing this intentionally to keep him here and keep him off of the campaign trail, and I think everybody in the country can see that for what it is.

The trial meets weekdays, except Wednesdays.

Trump hit the campaign trail Saturday at a rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, where he spoke for 90 minutes, criticizing the New York trial, repeating false claims that he won the 2020 presidential election, calling the late, great fictional cannibal serial killer Hannibal Lecter a wonderful man, and thanking the six U.S. Supreme Court justices  three of whom he appointed  for overturning Roe v. Wade.

Election interference

Trumps allies echoed Johnsons earlier remarks in their own press conference later outside the courthouse, calling the trial a scam and joke, according to reporters at the event.

Ramaswamy reportedly likened the courtroom to a Kafka novel and called it one of the most depressing places I have been in my life and said the prosecutions strategy is to bore jurors into submission.

In a video of the press conference he posted to X, the entrepreneur said the justice system should be blind to politics and accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of targeting Trump for political reasons.

Burgum characterized the trial as election interference in the 2024 race. Meanwhile, Trumps critics say the trial is squarely about election interference that occurred in 2016.

Mills said what was the Department of Justice, now the department of injustice, has continued to be utilized against the American people.

The charges for which Trump is now on trial did not originate with the U.S. Department of Justice, but rather from a New York state grand jury investigation.

Trumps two federal cases are in a holding pattern while, for one, the U.S. Supreme Court deliberates over Trumps claim of absolute immunity from criminal charges that he schemed to subvert the 2020 presidential election results. The second, centered on Trumps alleged mishandling of classified documents following his presidency, has been put indefinitely on hold by federal district Judge Aileen Cannon in Florida.

The New York trial is expected to resume Thursday with further cross-examination of Cohen by Trump attorney Todd Blanche.

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The post GOP politicians rush to Manhattan to line up behind Trump as hush money trial continues appeared first on Kentucky Lantern.
GOP politicians rush to Manhattan to line up behind Trump as hush money trial continues

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., watch as former U.S. President Donald Trump walks towards the courtroom for his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday in New York City (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images).

WASHINGTON  Republican lawmakers are taking turns supporting former president and presumed 2024 GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump in his trial in Manhattan criminal court, where he is charged with covering up payments intended to silence porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.

Dressed alike in navy blue suits and red ties, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, viewed as a 2024 vice presidential contender, former GOP primary hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy and U.S. Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills of Florida filed behind Trump into the courtroom Tuesday morning, according to reporters present. Outside, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, conducted a press conference.

The entourage followed appearances Monday by U.S. Sens. J.D. Vance of Ohio, another contender on Trumps VP short list, and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, and Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, as well as an appearance last week by U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida.

Tuesdays show of solidarity occurred as the prosecutions star witness and former Trump fixer Michael Cohen took the stand for a second day to testify that Trump signed off on falsifying reimbursement to Cohen for $130,000 of his own money that Cohen paid to Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election.

Jurors again saw checks signed by Trump, and heard from Cohen about instructions from Trump associates to submit fake invoices for legal services rendered. Cohen also described a February 2017 Oval Office meeting during which he discussed the reimbursement with Trump, according to reporters at the courthouse.

New York does not allow recording in the courtroom but provides public transcripts of the proceedings.

Cohen followed high-profile and detailed testimony last week from adult film actress and director Daniels about her alleged sex affair with Trump in 2006, an event he denies.

Trump is facing 34 felony counts for each alleged falsified business record related to his repayment to Cohen  11 invoices, 11 checks and 12 ledger entries.

A sham to keep him off of the campaign trail

Out on the sidewalk, Johnson  the second in line for presidential succession after the vice president  told reporters he wanted to call out what is a travesty of justice.

With a sarcastic snicker and gesture toward the New York County Supreme Court location on Centre Street in Lower Manhattan, Johnson lamented that he had to speak to media outside because the court wont allow us to speak inside the building. Thats just one of the many things that are wrong here.

Its worth noting that surrogates routinely make comments outside courthouses.

Johnson summed up what he called a sham trial as a conspiracy to stymie Trumps reelection campaign  despite recent New York Times/Siena College polls showing the former president leading in several swing states.

This is the fifth week that President Trump has been in court for this sham of a trial, Johnson said. They are doing this intentionally to keep him here and keep him off of the campaign trail, and I think everybody in the country can see that for what it is.

The trial meets weekdays, except Wednesdays.

Trump hit the campaign trail Saturday at a rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, where he spoke for 90 minutes, criticizing the New York trial, repeating false claims that he won the 2020 presidential election, calling the late, great fictional cannibal serial killer Hannibal Lecter a wonderful man, and thanking the six U.S. Supreme Court justices  three of whom he appointed  for overturning Roe v. Wade.

Election interference

Trumps allies echoed Johnsons earlier remarks in their own press conference later outside the courthouse, calling the trial a scam and joke, according to reporters at the event.

Ramaswamy reportedly likened the courtroom to a Kafka novel and called it one of the most depressing places I have been in my life and said the prosecutions strategy is to bore jurors into submission.

In a video of the press conference he posted to X, the entrepreneur said the justice system should be blind to politics and accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of targeting Trump for political reasons.

Burgum characterized the trial as election interference in the 2024 race. Meanwhile, Trumps critics say the trial is squarely about election interference that occurred in 2016.

Mills said what was the Department of Justice, now the department of injustice, has continued to be utilized against the American people.

The charges for which Trump is now on trial did not originate with the U.S. Department of Justice, but rather from a New York state grand jury investigation.

Trumps two federal cases are in a holding pattern while, for one, the U.S. Supreme Court deliberates over Trumps claim of absolute immunity from criminal charges that he schemed to subvert the 2020 presidential election results. The second, centered on Trumps alleged mishandling of classified documents following his presidency, has been put indefinitely on hold by federal district Judge Aileen Cannon in Florida.

The New York trial is expected to resume Thursday with further cross-examination of Cohen by Trump attorney Todd Blanche.

The post GOP politicians rush to Manhattan to line up behind Trump as hush money trial continues appeared first on Missouri Independent.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 14: Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, and U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA), watch as former U.S. President Donald Trump walks towards the courtroom for his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 14, 2024 in New York City. Michael Cohen, former President Donald Trump's former attorney will continue with direct questioning by the prosecution, then face cross examination by the defense. Cohen's $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels is tied to Trump's 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first of his criminal cases to go to trial. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Republican lawmakers are taking turns supporting former president and presumed 2024 GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump in his trial in Manhattan criminal court, where he is charged with covering up payments intended to silence porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.

Dressed alike in navy blue suits and red ties, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, viewed as a 2024 vice presidential contender, former GOP primary hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy and U.S. Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills of Florida filed behind Trump into the courtroom Tuesday morning, according to reporters present. Outside, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, conducted a press conference.

The entourage followed appearances Monday by U.S. Sens. J.D. Vance of Ohio, another contender on Trumps VP short list, and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, and Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, as well as an appearance last week by U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida.

Tuesdays show of solidarity occurred as the prosecutions star witness and former Trump fixer Michael Cohen took the stand for a second day to testify that Trump signed off on falsifying reimbursement to Cohen for $130,000 of his own money that Cohen paid to Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election.

Jurors again saw checks signed by Trump, and heard from Cohen about instructions from Trump associates to submit fake invoices for legal services rendered. Cohen also described a February 2017 Oval Office meeting during which he discussed the reimbursement with Trump, according to reporters at the courthouse.

New York does not allow recording in the courtroom but provides public transcripts of the proceedings.

Cohen followed high-profile and detailed testimony last week from adult film actress and director Daniels about her alleged sex affair with Trump in 2006, an event he denies.

Trump is facing 34 felony counts for each alleged falsified business record related to his repayment to Cohen  11 invoices, 11 checks and 12 ledger entries.

A sham to keep him off of the campaign trail

Out on the sidewalk, Johnson  the second in line for presidential succession after the vice president  told reporters he wanted to call out what is a travesty of justice.

With a sarcastic snicker and gesture toward the New York County Supreme Court location on Centre Street in Lower Manhattan, Johnson lamented that he had to speak to media outside because the court wont allow us to speak inside the building. Thats just one of the many things that are wrong here.

Its worth noting that surrogates routinely make comments outside courthouses.

Johnson summed up what he called a sham trial as a conspiracy to stymie Trumps reelection campaign  despite recent New York Times/Siena College polls showing the former president leading in several swing states.

This is the fifth week that President Trump has been in court for this sham of a trial, Johnson said. They are doing this intentionally to keep him here and keep him off of the campaign trail, and I think everybody in the country can see that for what it is.

The trial meets weekdays, except Wednesdays.

Trump hit the campaign trail Saturday at a rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, where he spoke for 90 minutes, criticizing the New York trial, repeating false claims that he won the 2020 presidential election, calling the late, great fictional cannibal serial killer Hannibal Lecter a wonderful man, and thanking the six U.S. Supreme Court justices  three of whom he appointed  for overturning Roe v. Wade.

Election interference

Trumps allies echoed Johnsons earlier remarks in their own press conference later outside the courthouse, calling the trial a scam and joke, according to reporters at the event.

Ramaswamy reportedly likened the courtroom to a Kafka novel and called it one of the most depressing places I have been in my life and said the prosecutions strategy is to bore jurors into submission.

In a video of the press conference he posted to X, the entrepreneur said the justice system should be blind to politics and accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of targeting Trump for political reasons.

Burgum characterized the trial as election interference in the 2024 race. Meanwhile, Trumps critics say the trial is squarely about election interference that occurred in 2016.

Mills said what was the Department of Justice, now the department of injustice, has continued to be utilized against the American people.

The charges for which Trump is now on trial did not originate with the U.S. Department of Justice, but rather from a New York state grand jury investigation.

Trumps two federal cases are in a holding pattern while, for one, the U.S. Supreme Court deliberates over Trumps claim of absolute immunity from criminal charges that he schemed to subvert the 2020 presidential election results. The second, centered on Trumps alleged mishandling of classified documents following his presidency, has been put indefinitely on hold by federal district Judge Aileen Cannon in Florida.

The New York trial is expected to resume Thursday with further cross-examination of Cohen by Trump attorney Todd Blanche.

The post GOP politicians rush to Manhattan to line up behind Trump as hush money trial continues appeared first on New Jersey Monitor.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. Georgia and Armenia are again at odds. Mass protests have erupted in Georgia against the parliament's "Foreign Influence Transparency Act." This proposed law demands NGOs and media outlets register if more than 20 percent of their annual budget comes from foreign donors. While the government frames it as "safeguarding democracy from foreign interference," the opposition argues, "Georgia doesn't need a Russian-style law; the Georgian people choose Europe."

Among the slogans brandished by Georgian protesters: "You've messed with the wrong generation," "We choose freedom," "Never back to USSR."

On the other hand, the Western backers of the protests, including the US, UK, and EU, are framing this law as a tool for Russia to extend its sway over Georgia. Take the EU's statement, for instance: "This is deeply worrying, and if this law goes through, it'll set Georgia back in its EU integration efforts. It simply goes against our fundamental values." What's ironic is that the US enacted a similar law way back in 1938, known as the "Foreign Agents Registration Act" (FARA), which is still in effect.

What's interesting is how, despite Russia adopting a similar law in 2011, a good 73 years later, Western media brands it as a "Russian law," a notion seemingly fueling the protesters. Also, it's worth noting that Georgia hosts a plethora of NGOs, many funded from abroad. To give you an idea, there are about 25,000 NGOs operating in Georgia, with a good chunk of them receiving Western funding.

In Armenia, the protests against the return of four villages to Azerbaijan, which is an essential part of the border demarcation process, spilled into Yerevan on May 9. Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, spearheading the protests, is calling for Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's resignation.

It'd be simplistic to view the current developments in Georgia and Armenia as mere happenstance. Georgia holds a pivotal role as a transit hub in the South Caucasus. Remember the "Rose Revolution" in 2003? It happened with foreign support. Similarly, various political factions are vying for influence in Armenia. For over three decades, the country has occupied a neighboring state's territory, keeping its border with Turkey closed and missing out on key regional projects. Foreign actors orchestrate the ongoing protests in Armenia, employing tactics reminiscent of those in Georgia.

To grasp the social dynamics behind the ongoing protests, we need to delve into the demographic landscape of both nations. Youth undoubtedly lead the forefront of protests in countries undergoing significant turmoil, such as Georgia and Armenia. However, it's worth noting that both countries are seeing a trend towards an older population. According to 2023 statistics, in Georgia, only 17.4 percent of the population fell within the 1529 age group, while in Armenia, it was 17.9 percent. Therefore, it's inaccurate to assert that the younger generation seeking change is the sole driving force behind these protests.

The current protests in Georgia and Armenia draw parallels to the upheavals in former Yugoslavia. Take Serbia in 2000, for instance, where the "Bulldozer Revolution" led to the downfall of Slobodan Milosevic. Behind those protests stood the student movement "Otpor," fueled by foreign funding. However, analysts contend that foreign interests with stakes in the former Yugoslavian territories backed this revolution, not just a grassroots movement.
GOP politicians rush to Manhattan to line up behind Trump as hush money trial continues

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., watch as former U.S. President Donald Trump walks towards the courtroom for his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 14, 2024, in New York City. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Republican lawmakers are taking turns supporting former president and presumed 2024 GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump in his trial in Manhattan criminal court, where he is charged with covering up payments intended to silence porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.

Dressed alike in navy blue suits and red ties, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, viewed as a 2024 vice presidential contender, former GOP primary hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy and U.S. Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills of Florida filed behind Trump into the courtroom Tuesday morning, according to reporters present. Outside, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, conducted a press conference.

The entourage followed appearances Monday by U.S. Sens. J.D. Vance of Ohio, another contender on Trumps VP short list, and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, and Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, as well as an appearance last week by U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida.

Tuesdays show of solidarity occurred as the prosecutions star witness and former Trump fixer Michael Cohen took the stand for a second day to testify that Trump signed off on falsifying reimbursement to Cohen for $130,000 of his own money that Cohen paid to Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election.

Jurors again saw checks signed by Trump, and heard from Cohen about instructions from Trump associates to submit fake invoices for legal services rendered. Cohen also described a February 2017 Oval Office meeting during which he discussed the reimbursement with Trump, according to reporters at the courthouse.

New York does not allow recording in the courtroom but provides public transcripts of the proceedings.

Cohen followed high-profile and detailed testimony last week from adult film actress and director Daniels about her alleged sex affair with Trump in 2006, an event he denies.

Trump is facing 34 felony counts for each alleged falsified business record related to his repayment to Cohen  11 invoices, 11 checks and 12 ledger entries.

A sham to keep him off of the campaign trail

Out on the sidewalk, Johnson  the second in line for presidential succession after the vice president  told reporters he wanted to call out what is a travesty of justice.

With a sarcastic snicker and gesture toward the New York County Supreme Court location on Centre Street in Lower Manhattan, Johnson lamented that he had to speak to media outside because the court wont allow us to speak inside the building. Thats just one of the many things that are wrong here.

Its worth noting that surrogates routinely make comments outside courthouses.

Johnson summed up what he called a sham trial as a conspiracy to stymie Trumps reelection campaign  despite recent New York Times/Siena College polls showing the former president leading in several swing states.

This is the fifth week that President Trump has been in court for this sham of a trial, Johnson said. They are doing this intentionally to keep him here and keep him off of the campaign trail, and I think everybody in the country can see that for what it is.

The trial meets weekdays, except Wednesdays.

Trump hit the campaign trail Saturday at a rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, where he spoke for 90 minutes, criticizing the New York trial, repeating false claims that he won the 2020 presidential election, calling the late, great fictional cannibal serial killer Hannibal Lecter a wonderful man, and thanking the six U.S. Supreme Court justices  three of whom he appointed  for overturning Roe v. Wade.

Election interference

Trumps allies echoed Johnsons earlier remarks in their own press conference later outside the courthouse, calling the trial a scam and joke, according to reporters at the event.

Ramaswamy reportedly likened the courtroom to a Kafka novel and called it one of the most depressing places I have been in my life and said the prosecutions strategy is to bore jurors into submission.

In a video of the press conference he posted to X, the entrepreneur said the justice system should be blind to politics and accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of targeting Trump for political reasons.

Burgum characterized the trial as election interference in the 2024 race. Meanwhile, Trumps critics say the trial is squarely about election interference that occurred in 2016.

Mills said what was the Department of Justice, now the department of injustice, has continued to be utilized against the American people.

The charges for which Trump is now on trial did not originate with the U.S. Department of Justice, but rather from a New York state grand jury investigation.

Trumps two federal cases are in a holding pattern while, for one, the U.S. Supreme Court deliberates over Trumps claim of absolute immunity from criminal charges that he schemed to subvert the 2020 presidential election results. The second, centered on Trumps alleged mishandling of classified documents following his presidency, has been put indefinitely on hold by federal district Judge Aileen Cannon in Florida.

The New York trial is expected to resume Thursday with further cross-examination of Cohen by Trump attorney Todd Blanche.

The post GOP politicians rush to Manhattan to line up behind Trump as hush money trial continues appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch.
GOP politicians rush to Manhattan to line up behind Trump as hush money trial continues

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., watch as former U.S. President Donald Trump walks towards the courtroom for his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 14, 2024, in New York City. Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images.

WASHINGTON  Republican lawmakers are taking turns supporting former president and presumed 2024 GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump in his trial in Manhattan criminal court, where he is charged with covering up payments intended to silence porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.

Dressed alike in navy blue suits and red ties, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, viewed as a 2024 vice presidential contender, former GOP primary hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy and U.S. Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills of Florida filed behind Trump into the courtroom Tuesday morning, according to reporters present. Outside, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, conducted a press conference.

The entourage followed appearances Monday by U.S. Sens. J.D. Vance of Ohio, another contender on Trumps VP short list, and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, and Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, as well as an appearance last week by U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida.

Tuesdays show of solidarity occurred as the prosecutions star witness and former Trump fixer Michael Cohen took the stand for a second day to testify that Trump signed off on falsifying reimbursement to Cohen for $130,000 of his own money that Cohen paid to Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election.

Jurors again saw checks signed by Trump, and heard from Cohen about instructions from Trump associates to submit fake invoices for legal services rendered. Cohen also described a February 2017 Oval Office meeting during which he discussed the reimbursement with Trump, according to reporters at the courthouse.

New York does not allow recording in the courtroom but provides public transcripts of the proceedings.

Cohen followed high-profile and detailed testimony last week from adult film actress and director Daniels about her alleged sex affair with Trump in 2006, an event he denies.

Trump is facing 34 felony counts for each alleged falsified business record related to his repayment to Cohen  11 invoices, 11 checks and 12 ledger entries.

A sham to keep him off of the campaign trail

Out on the sidewalk, Johnson  the second in line for presidential succession after the vice president  told reporters he wanted to call out what is a travesty of justice.

With a sarcastic snicker and gesture toward the New York County Supreme Court location on Centre Street in Lower Manhattan, Johnson lamented that he had to speak to media outside because the court wont allow us to speak inside the building. Thats just one of the many things that are wrong here.

Its worth noting that surrogates routinely make comments outside courthouses.

Johnson summed up what he called a sham trial as a conspiracy to stymie Trumps reelection campaign  despite recent New York Times/Siena College polls showing the former president leading in several swing states.

This is the fifth week that President Trump has been in court for this sham of a trial, Johnson said. They are doing this intentionally to keep him here and keep him off of the campaign trail, and I think everybody in the country can see that for what it is.

The trial meets weekdays, except Wednesdays.

Trump hit the campaign trail Saturday at a rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, where he spoke for 90 minutes, criticizing the New York trial, repeating false claims that he won the 2020 presidential election, calling the late, great fictional cannibal serial killer Hannibal Lecter a wonderful man, and thanking the six U.S. Supreme Court justices  three of whom he appointed  for overturning Roe v. Wade.

Election interference

Trumps allies echoed Johnsons earlier remarks in their own press conference later outside the courthouse, calling the trial a scam and joke, according to reporters at the event.

Ramaswamy reportedly likened the courtroom to a Kafka novel and called it one of the most depressing places I have been in my life and said the prosecutions strategy is to bore jurors into submission.

In a video of the press conference he posted to X, the entrepreneur said the justice system should be blind to politics and accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of targeting Trump for political reasons.

Burgum characterized the trial as election interference in the 2024 race. Meanwhile, Trumps critics say the trial is squarely about election interference that occurred in 2016.

Mills said what was the Department of Justice, now the department of injustice, has continued to be utilized against the American people.

The charges for which Trump is now on trial did not originate with the U.S. Department of Justice, but rather from a New York state grand jury investigation.

Trumps two federal cases are in a holding pattern while, for one, the U.S. Supreme Court deliberates over Trumps claim of absolute immunity from criminal charges that he schemed to subvert the 2020 presidential election results. The second, centered on Trumps alleged mishandling of classified documents following his presidency, has been put indefinitely on hold by federal district Judge Aileen Cannon in Florida.

The New York trial is expected to resume Thursday with further cross-examination of Cohen by Trump attorney Todd Blanche.

The post GOP politicians rush to Manhattan to line up behind Trump as hush money trial continues appeared first on Minnesota Reformer.
A Pennsylvania Senate candidate is siding with the conspiracy theorists regarding abortion access within the Keystone State.

GOP Senate candidate David McCormick agreed with an outrageous claim during an interview on the Dawn Stensland Show, purporting that the fight to secure abortion access is not actually about womens healthcare, but rather an elaborate ruse to cover up a Democratic money laundering operation.

I always say the abortion issue is not about womens reproductive rights, its not, said Stensland on her radio show Monday. Its really, to me, personally, look at the money that goes from Democrat administrations to Planned Parenthood. Look at how much they have donated to elections across the nation, and here in Pennsylvania, even the last primary, a lot of money.

Yeah, and [Senator] Bob Caseys position is this federal funding, which I am opposed to, said McCormick, referring to the Democratic senator hes gunning to replace. I agree with you, but were going to spend a lot of time talking about it on the campaign trail.

Pennsylvania GOP Senate candidate David McCormick agrees with conservative radio hosts claim that abortion is not about reproductive health care but is a money laundering operation for Democrats. pic.twitter.com/Qw3MfDnHKF  Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) May 13, 2024

McCormick, a former combat veteran, has also gone after Casey on a string of GOP hot topics, including the U.S.-Mexico border, foreign policy, and the state of the economy.



Abortion is legal in Pennsylvania until 24 weeksor the end of the second trimesterunless the pregnancy endangers the life of the patient. In that case, abortions can be performed after 24 weeks under an emergency provision.

But the states access to the medical procedure is still considered restrictive, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Extensive regulations around the procedure, including requiring clinics to obtain and maintain burdensome and unnecessary expensive structural modifications such as widening hallways and procedure rooms, have shuttered all but 17 abortion clinics across the state.
Give Israel the bombs they need to end the war they cant afford to lose, and work with them to minimize casualties... Can I say this? Why is it OK for America to drop two nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end their existential threat war? Why is it OK for us to do that? I thought it was OK.

Trending on NextShark: Japanese lesbian couple granted refugee status in Canada
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, in the red tie, appears at the trail of former President Donald Trump who is accused of covering up hush money payments linked to an extramarital affair with Stormy Daniels, at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 14, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Curtis Means - Pool/Getty Images)

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, on Donald Trumps shortlist for vice presidential picks, appeared in the Manhattan courtroom Tuesday alongside the former president who is on trial for allegedly falsifying business records in relation to hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election.

Burgum spoke to reporters outside the courthouse during a break in the trial, calling the trial election interference.

Its tying up the president from being out on the campaign trail, Burgum said. And of course, we know from the polls that have come out  President Trump is leading all over the country.

He said those polls show the American people are with the former president.

The American people have already acquitted Donald Trump, Burgum said. The sooner that this scam trial can be concluded, the sooner the president can get back to getting out and campaigning and talking to the American people about the issues that matter.

Burgum is not the only vice presidential contender to support Trump in a New York criminal court this week. Vivek Ramaswamy, former rival but now longshot contender, attended Tuesday. U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, and Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., showed up to the trial on Monday.

House Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., also attended the proceedings Tuesday alongside Republican lawmakers Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., and Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla.

In an email, Mike Nowatzki, spokesperson for the governors office, said Burgum was attending the trial as an observer in support of the former president.

Trump spoke to reporters during a break in the trial and said he was proud of his surrogates who attended the proceedings.

I do have a lot of surrogates and they are speaking very beautifully, Trump said. They are highly respected and they think this is the greatest scam ever seen.

After Burgums comments, Donalds made statements to reporters about Loren Merchan, the daughter of presiding judge Judge Juan Merchan. Trump is under a gag order by Judge Merchan that prohibits the former president from making comments about potential witnesses in the trial, staff and family members of the court or counsel and jurors.

The only thing thats being done wrong is by this judge, Donalds said. His daughter is making money? Raising money for Democrats? And all the fundraising emails  are about this trial that his daughter is using. He wont recuse himself? This is a travesty of justice.

Burgum criticized the judge and witness Michael Cohen during an appearance on CNN Tuesday afternoon. Burgum said Judge Merchan donated money to President Joe Biden and that New York prosecutors supported the president. And, while not citing Merchans daughter by name, Burgum said the judges family members are benefiting financially as Democrat operatives. He also claimed Cohen, who testified Tuesday, repeatedly lied to a grand jury, Congress and in other court cases.

The prosecution has got a tough job to try and build their case on someone who is a serial perjurer, Burgum said.

When asked whether Trump asked Burgum to go in front of reporters and attack Merchans daughter since the North Dakota governor is not under the courts gag order, Burgum said no, not whatsoever.

Im here because I care about the future of this country and where its going, he said. Im here as a volunteer.

Burgum then noted the large media presence outside the courthouse and questioned why the media was so focused on the first criminal trial of a former president when everyday Americans are struggling with inflation and focused on proxy wars with Russia and Iran.

Yet the worlds attention is on a paperwork trial that, at its best  this wouldve been a non-material, classification error, Burgum said.

New York does not allow recording in the courtroom but provides public transcripts of the proceedings.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum encourages voters to support Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in the basement ballroom of The Margate Resort on Jan. 22, 2024, in Laconia, New Hampshire. Burgum ran against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination but later dropped out and endorsed him. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Burgum endorsed Trump for president in January during a campaign rally in Iowa.

We had a friend and a partner in the White House who understood us and wanted to see our state succeed versus being regulated out of business, said Burgum, who dropped his Republican presidential bid in December.

In July, Burgum said during an interview on NBCs Meet the Press that he would not do business with Trump, stating youre judged by the company you keep.

Burgums name has been floated as a potential vice president candidate or for a Cabinet position.

Burgum chose not to run for a third term as governor in 2024.

This story was updated with Gov. Doug Burgums comments from the trial. It was updated again with comments from Donald Trump and Byron Donalds and again from Burgums CNN appearance.

The post Gov. Doug Burgum attends Trump trial, calls it election interference appeared first on North Dakota Monitor.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) on Monday addressed speculation that his wife, Casey DeSantis, is planning to run to succeed him at the end of his current term, noting she has zero interest in taking over his position.

During a press conference held in Coral Gables, Florida, the Republican lawmaker was asked if he has ever heard his wife entertain the prospect of standing as a candidate in the next gubernatorial election scheduled for November 2026. Ron DeSantis, who is currently serving out his second term in office, is not able to run for reelection due to term limits.

If I had to characterize her interest in getting into the political thicket as a candidate, I would say, I would characterize it as zero, DeSantis replied. I think its because shes had a front-row seat to all the nonsense that goes on when you do it.

Still, DeSantis touted his wifes record as first lady, claiming representatives from other states have visited Florida to study and recreate her work in other parts of the country.

Imitation is the most, is the sincerest form of flattery, and people wouldnt be imitating what shes been able to do unless its been successful, and it has been, he said.

Casey DeSantis, a former local news journalist, cancer survivor and mother of three, has spearheaded several initiatives as first lady, including on mental health and substance abuse.

Speculation has been mounting that Casey DeSantis, who has also played a major role in her husbands political career, including his failed 2024 presidential bid, is mulling a run for governor.

A poll conducted by Florida Atlantic University, released last month, showed 38% of those surveyed would support Casey DeSantis over Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) in a potential match-up between the two. However, a total of 46% of respondents were either unsure or prepared to support another candidate for Florida governor. While Gaetz has not officially declared his interest to run, he is widely expected to be a candidate in the race.

Ron DeSantis, who won reelection by a wide margin in November 2022, was projected by some as the future of the Republican Party. However, his weak performance in the Republican presidential primary led him to pull out of the contest right after the Iowa caucuses, where he came in second place.

In his announcement about exiting the race, DeSantis announced he was endorsing Trump over the other major candidate left in the race, former U.N. Ambassador to the U.S. Nikki Haley.

DeSantis, who sparred with Trump during the GOP primary, is now reportedly planning to help Trump with fundraising efforts for his campaign ahead of Novembers race. That could prove helpful to the Florida Republican if he chooses to launch another presidential run in 2028.

Related...
Gov. Sanders, Arkansas Office of Skills Development hand out over $20 million in grants

Gov. Sanders, Arkansas Office of Skills Development hand out over $20 million in grants

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  On Monday, the Arkansas Office of Skills Development handed out checks totaling more than $20 million in grants.

The money will be used to increase the number of nursing professionals, apprenticeships and educators, who will hopefully stay here once they finish their education, to help fill the nursing shortage.

Our nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system. Theyre there in lifes most beautiful and most difficult moments. Theyre there when you wake up, when you go to sleep and pretty much everything in between, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders stated.

Arkansas Economic Development Commission gives out $8.5 million in funding to 17 grant recipients

Some of the colleges that were awarded the grant money include Arkansas State, Henderson State and Philander Smith University to name just a few.

To learn more about the Arkansas Office of Skills Development, visit them online at ArkansasOSD.com.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK.
The Ukrainian government appointed on May 14 Taras Vysotskyi and Vasyl Shkurakov as the acting agriculture and infrastructure ministers, respectively, said Taras Melnychuk, the government's representative in parliament.

Vysotskyi previously served as a deputy economy minister and was appointed the first deputy agriculture minister in 2021.

Shkurakov was appointed a deputy infrastructure minister in the same year. Prior to that, he was a deputy CEO of the Ukrainian state-owned energy company Ukrhydroenergo and a general director of Ukrfinzhytlo company.

Parliament dismissed Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi and Infrastructure Minister and Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction Oleksandr Kubrakov last week.

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Kubrakov said that he had not been invited to meet with the head of the party or with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to discuss the decision on his surprise dismissal. The news came amid reports that the ministry he headed could be split into two separate bodies  the Infrastructure Ministry and the Regional Policy Ministry.

"We have proved by our own example that public service can be different  oriented on results and not on the endless bureaucratic process, with zero tolerance for corruption, decent compensation, and maximum respect for people. I hope this will be preserved," Kubrakov wrote on Facebook on May 14.

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 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.

Read also: Ukraines anti-corruption bureau makes progress yet doesnt take on top presidential allies

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Former President Donald Trump will stop for lunch Wednesday in Cincinnati with Sen. J.D. Vance and supporters able to pay $50,000 per plate.

Vance, a onetime Trump critic now on the shortlist to become Trump's running mate, has taken a common strategy among Republican candidates.

That strategy goes beyond supporting Trump and defending his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and in his various court cases.

Even in Cincinnati's suburbs, Republican candidates are echoing Trump's false claims and repeating debunked conspiracies about Jan. 6 and his trials.

Former President Donald Trump greets U.S. Senate candidate J.D. Vance during a rally in Vandalia in 2022.

In a political environment where candidates must play to the extremes of their base to win a primary, there's little to lose and much to gain with this strategy, experts and politicos told The Enquirer. Polls show most Republican voters shrug off Trump's criminal charges and defend Trump's role in Jan. 6; many have also adopted his conspiracy theories.

"Oftentimes in Republican primaries, just getting a candidate to admit that Biden won the 2020 election seems notable," said J. Miles Coleman, an associate editor of the political analyst site Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, in an email.

How local Republicans responded

Through interviews and surveys, The Enquirer asked 70 Republican candidates in Greater Cincinnati this year about how they would characterize the events of Jan. 6, 2021, and whether they would support Trump if he were convicted.

Only 20 responded, with all but one reaffirming support for Trump and in some way defending his actions during the Jan. 6 attacks. The only one to condemn Trump, Symmes Township Republican Phil Heimlich, has been one of the region's most vocal Republican Trump critics. The anti-Trump message got Heimlich 5% of the vote and a sixth-place finish out of 10 in the March GOP primary for Ohio's 2nd Congressional District.

Republicans running in the Democratic stronghold of Hamilton County were advised by the GOP county chair not to answer the questions. The Enquirer sent the survey out ahead of the March primary to show how the candidates might differ from each other.

"I find the survey to be deeply biased and unfair in its questioning of the Republican candidates," Hamilton County Republican Chairman Russ Mock wrote in a letter urging candidates to not fill out the survey.

In Hamilton County, a county Trump lost with 40% of the vote, Republicans largely avoided the survey or Trump. Only three Republicans responded to the survey. One was Heimlich, who denounced Trump and said he "incited the crowd to march to the Capitol and disrupt the lawful counting of electoral votes."

John Sess, a Republican from Westwood, wrote in the survey: "Questions still swirl as to whether it was instigated by government agitators."

PolitiFact and numerous other news organizations, as well as multiple federal investigations, have rebutted the claim the FBI or other federal government agencies instigated Jan. 6.

Sess is running for the Ohio House against Democratic incumbent Dani Isaacsohn in a heavily Democratic House district that covers a large portion of Cincinnati. He called Jan. 6 "a sad day for America."

Another Hamilton County Republican, Adam Koehler, gave a more diplomatic response to his description of Jan. 6. Koehler is running against Democrat Denise Driehaus for Hamilton County commissioner.

"The Capitol situation was a real eye-opener, showing how split we are as a nation," Koehler wrote in the survey. "It was a mix of scary and sad to see things get out of hand, all because of political anger and too much misleading information out there. It's a wake-up call that we need to cool down and really listen to each other to fix things up."

Both Koehler and Sess said in the survey they would vote for Trump even if he's convicted of a crime.

Republicans leap to Trump's defense

In safe Republican territories, the questions about Trump and Jan. 6 were not taboo. And candidates falsely blamed Trump's legal woes on President Joe Biden as somehow directing the prosecutions.

"President Trump is being wrongly charged and tried by the corrupt Biden judicial system," wrote Amelia Republican David Taylor in response to the survey question about whether he would support Trump if convicted of a crime. Taylor beat 10 other Republicans to win the Republican nomination for the 2nd Congressional District just east of Cincinnati, a district where Trump won with two-thirds of the vote in 2020. Taylor is the heavy favorite to win the open congressional seat in the fall.

"The charges brought against him are political games being played by the political elite who only care about themselves."

Legal experts have said Biden does not have the authority to bring criminal charges against anyone.

Some of the Republicans who responded lamented the violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, but described it as largely peaceful or the result of a few individuals gone awry.

Several spread debunked theories of outside government agitators or said Trump ordered National Guard troops ahead of the rally. Trump never issued any such order for National Guard troops ahead or during Jan. 6, according to the Associated Press and other news agencies.

NKY primary could show Trump's power

The May 21 Republican primary in Northern Kentucky could show whether a stronger stance in favor of Trump and his legal woes or a more nuanced answer will win in this Republican stronghold just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati.

Some Northern Kentucky legislative primaries for the Kentucky General Assembly this year pit establishment-style Republicans who thrived in a pre-Trump era against more conservative candidates, some of whom have dubbed themselves "Constitutional Republicans."

Ed Massey, a former state representative, hopes to regain the seat he lost two years earlier in suburban Boone County. He decried the events of Jan. 6 but absolved Trump of any blame.

"I think what happened on Jan. 6 is a travesty," Massey told The Enquirer. "I'm not blaming the president, President Trump, for that. He wasn't there. He had no control over the people that chose to assault our capitol."

Trump gave a speech at a "Stop the Steal" rally on the Ellipse by the White House on Jan. 6, 2021. He reiterated his false claims of a stolen election, told the crowd, "if you dont fight like hell, youre not going to have a country anymore, then urged them to march to the Capitol.

On Wednesday, during a campaign rally in Wisconsin, Trump said he asked his Secret Service detail to take him to the rally. The Secret Service agents refused.

Massey faces attorney T.J. Roberts, who said he works for a law firm that represented some of the Jan. 6 defendants.

"For a whole lot of people, that was just a protest," Roberts told The Enquirer when asked about how he would describe Jan. 6. "But now, I think that it's largely been manipulated and distorted by looking at the actions of a few bad actors, many of whom are suspected as federal agents."

The man who beat Massey two years ago, Rep. Steve Rawlings, is now running for a Kentucky Senate seat.

"The facts are not yet all publicized," said Rawlings in response to questions in an Enquirer survey ahead of the May 21 primary.

Rawlings backed the false claim Trump requested to bring troops into the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. "It has become a politicized event with only partial truths being shared to the public."

Rawlings also blamed Democrats for targeting Trump.

"The same people express concerns about "our democracy" yet they employ anti-democratic methods to destroy their enemies," Rawlings said in The Enquirer's survey.

'A reflection on who votes'

Former Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson said candidates don't risk many votes in a primary by backing Trump and his version of events on Jan. 6, he said. They do risk votes if they cross Trump and his base, said Grayson, a Republican from Boone County.

"Its a safe position for them," Grayson said. "They think they aren't going to see punishment. I mean, we'll find out on Election Day. It's just a reflection on who votes in the primaries and who makes the most noise."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Here's what local candidates have to say about Trump's legal troubles
Greg Gutfeld has 787 million reasons for not baselessly accusing Democrats of election fraud in the upcoming election.

Thats the amount of dollars his company, Fox News, was ordered to pay in a lawsuit for peddling lies about the 2020 results. (Watch the video below.)

Still, the commentator on Monday analyzed former President Donald Trumps polling lead in battleground states by expressing fears that Democrats will cheat to turn the outcome.

Only he did it with a weak disclaimer.

Im worried about what we dont see, Gutfeld said on The Five show. What are the Democrats cooking up with the votes, legal or illegal? Judging by your ears or your eyes, this election should not even be close. So the Dems have two options: One, accept the outcome, be comforted by the fact that you got one Biden term, a deal with the dementia-ridden devil. Or resort to electoral dirty tricks. And thats why we need the utmost transparency because I fear the Dems will go the second route, although I have very little evidence on that but that hasnt stopped me before.

Nice little escape there, but even the very little evidence is questionable.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Trump, who faces criminal charges for scheming to overturn what he claimed was a stolen election, has ratcheted up preemptive rhetoric for more denial this time around. He hinted to a Wisconsin newspaper that hell accept the results if he wins and alluded to a fight if the results arent honest.

In a recent interview with Time magazine, Trump suggested there would be no political violence if he triumphs in November  but if we dont win, you know, it depends.

H/T Media Matters

Related...
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. The ongoing situation between Azerbaijan and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) was discussed today with its Chair-in-Office, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta Ian Borg, said Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov at a joint press conference, Trend reports.

The minister noted that prospects of cooperation between Malta and Azerbaijan were also discussed during the meeting.

We see significant potential for collaboration, particularly in the energy sector. We also discussed cooperation and potential within the framework of COP29 with the minister. The current legislative framework must be expanded in order to further develop connections between Malta and Azerbaijan, he emphasized.

To note, Borg's visit to Azerbaijan started on May 13.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
As a Catholic Cuban-American mother, I may not be the most obvious supporter of Amendment 4, but shouldnt I be? My Catholic faith teaches we are empowered to choose to do good every day  not have those choices restricted for us.

Its not uncommon for a group text to light up with supportive messages when our childrens Catholic school hosts a pro-life event. But I suspect I am not the only one who has a different opinion about abortion and what it means to be for life.

I grew up in Miami, where my church and community were central to our lives. I was active in youth groups, studied religion in college, and ensured my children were raised Catholic. I was involved in anti-death penalty work, which I considered central to being pro-life. I didnt think much about the complexity of abortion; it seemed a straightforward issue to me.

Over time, I encountered people in my community who were pregnant. These were situations that required conscience-informed decisions: abortion, adoption, keeping the baby, and even risking a mothers life to carry a pregnancy. Each new story revealed additional complexities.

In a frustrating moment on this journey, I encouraged a young loved one to visit a diocesan respect life office, but she faced a group of women who condemned her for considering abortion and attempted to dissuade her through threats of eternal damnation. I had imagined the church would provide the loving support Jesus modeled for us, not the verbal stoning she received.

She ultimately had an abortion. Another woman in my life, already a mother, became pregnant with a baby that medical professionals knew would not survive. She chose to pray for a miracle rather than terminate because of her devout Catholic faith. It very nearly cost her life  which would have left two young children without a mother.

It forced me to consider: Would I give my life in this situation? Does my faith call me to make such a sacrifice if it can be prevented?

My belief that abortion should be legal gradually shifted. With each new pregnant person in my life, I saw my responsibility as a Christian to love and support them, even if I didnt always comprehend their choice. It became clear that no decision is thoughtless or selfish. Each situation required a lot of soul-searching  and medical advice.

Unfortunately, Floridas six-week abortion ban barely gives a woman time to learn she is pregnant, much less consult a doctor, loved ones, or spiritual advisors. It places the decision-making power in the hands of politicians.

Every pregnancy is different and has unique factors to consider. But Floridas abortion ban paints each identically. It is a narrow-minded policy that fails to leave room for the full spectrum of pregnancies.

Speaking up has been challenging as a Catholic, but it shouldnt be. Most of us support legal abortion. Only 1 in 10 Catholics agree with the position that abortion should be outright illegal. And we disagree with the church hierarchy on other issues, including birth control, IVF and divorce.

Recently, at Mass, the priest started talking about abortion. I worried if I walked out, everyone would simply think I had one rather than understand I support legal abortion because I support my community. Odds are, there were women there who had abortions since 1 in 4 abortion patients identifies as Catholic. I realized if I believe in something, I need to be able to stand up for it.

This fall, Floridians can vote yes on Amendment 4, which will ensure we can decide for ourselves what is best for our reproductive healthcare. I pray the next time one of my loved ones finds themselves in a situation in which she is forced to consider an abortion, she will have the freedom to choose what is right for her.

Olga Granda is a mother and business owner in Coral Gables. She is an advocate with Catholics for Choice.
By Joan Faus

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Spanish drugmaker Grifols swung to a first-quarter net profit of 21 million euros ($23 million) from a year-ago loss, and said on Tuesday it was on track to meet its 2024 outlook, including cutting debt.

Grifols, which has been battling a plunge in its share price this year, said divestments and an increase in adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), among other measures, will allow it to further reduce debt.

The company's leverage ratio fell to 7.9 times EBITDA from 8.4 times at the end of 2023.

Grifols is reviewing its strategic assets portfolio, but is not expecting any other asset sale this year besides its 20% stake in Shanghai RAAS, which will close in June, Grifols' executives said on an analyst call.

Revenue reached 1.6 billion euros in the first quarter, while adjusted EBITDA rose to 350 million euros, representing a 21.6% margin, up from 19.3% a year ago.

The company's 2024 guidance forecasts full-year revenue over 7 billion euros, an adjusted EBITDA above 1.8 billion euros and positive free cash flow of 5 million euros.

Grifols posted first-quarter negative free cash flow of 253 million euro, compared with negative 109 million euros in the same period of last year, which it attributed to non-recurring impacts, such as a delayed $150m commercial payment.

Improving free cash flow and reducing debt are Grifols' top priorities, Chief Executive Nacho Abia told analysts.Since early January, short-sheller fund Gotham City Research has released several reports accusing Grifols of overstating earnings and understating debt. Grifols' market value has shed several billion euros since then.

Earlier on Tuesday, Gotham City questioned the accounting treatment of loans worth 266 million euros ($287 million) involving Scranton Enterprises, an entity tied to the Grifols family, and Grifols units.

Asked about that allegation, Grifols' chairman, Thomas Glanzmann, called the hedge fund's reports "misleading" and said he "had nothing else to add" as Grifols' financial statements had been verified by regulators and auditors.

Following Gotham City's reports, Grifols announced governance changes and revised its reported leverage higher after market supervisor CNMV required that it change its calculations.

An investigation by the CNMV found no significant errors in the amounts Grifols reported, but identified "deficiencies in the detail and accuracy of breakdowns" in some years.

($1 = 0.9246 euros)

(Reporting by Joan Faus; Editing by Andrei Khalip, Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Leslie Adler)
Northville Mayor Brian Turnbull speaks to the crowd during The Downs groundbreaking May 13, 2024.

NORTHVILLE  A $350 million redevelopment project is officially underway following a groundbreaking ceremony May 13.

Dubbed The Downs, the Hunter Pasteur Homes project includes 443 residential units, commercial space and 15 acres of parks and greenspace on 48 acres formerly occupied by the Northville Downs racetrack.

We've been a long time working towards this groundbreaking, Northville Mayor Brian Turnbull told a standing room only crowd gathered just outside the site where crews are preparing to begin demolition of the Northville Downs buildings. My grandparents, my parents used to talk about the Downs, afterwards. This is truly a transformational initiative...not only for Northvillians, but for all in southeastern Michigan.

Renderings show designs for various aspects of The Downs project in Northville.

The project had previously been reported at $250 million, but at the May 13 event, Turnbull noted the final cost would be approximately $350 million.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor, also spoke at the groundbreaking, noting the many elected officials and community representatives in attendance from across the region.

Everybody's here because this is about the Southeast Michigan community coming together and what's happening here helps all of us, Dingell said. Our strength is our unity and when we think like a region, we make a difference. This groundbreaking is the result of tremendous public-private partnerships that have come together in support of this development.

Dingell said the daylighting of the Rouge River would be one of the greatest benefits of the project and would reduce flooding in downstream communities. Daylighting involves removing obstructions around rivers and restoring them to their previous condition.

New riverwalk sections will ultimately link to state trails, as well.

Renderings show designs for various aspects of The Downs project in Northville.

I have to admit to you, I never hung around at the racetrack, so I probably didn't have the emotional attachment that some did, Dingell said. But time moves on, history moves on, and isn't it great to have something that pulls us all together as a region, helps our environment, our water, our leisure? Bettings good, but leisure time outside is probably even better.

Although the groundbreaking was set to mark the official start of the project, work at the site began in March with asbestos abatement. Demolition of some of the smaller buildings on the property is underway, with the large racing building to follow soon.

Northville Downs, Michigan's last horseracing track, hosted its final race Feb. 3 after 80 years in business.

Racetrack owners Mike and John Carlo planned to build a new racing facility in Plymouth Township, but talks fell apart after a year of negotiation.

The brothers have filed a lawsuit accusing Plymouth Township of making illegal demands for money in exchange for approval of the plans.

Renderings show designs for various aspects of The Downs project in Northville.

Contact reporter Laura Colvin at lcolvin@hometownlife.com or 248-221-8143.

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This article originally appeared on Hometownlife.com: $350M redevelopment project, 'The Downs,' begins in Northville
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  A 56-year-old man has been sentenced to federal prison for creating sexually explicit videos of minors using hidden cameras.

Mark Green of Senecaville in Guernsey County will serve 30 years in prison on two federal charges of exploiting a minor and one count of possessing child pornography, according to the U.S. District Court of Southern Ohio. Green received federal charges in May 2023 before pleading guilty in January.

Warren County fugitive wanted for murder arrested in Groveport

Court documents say that in 2022, Green was able to connect security cameras to his cell phone and placed hidden cameras in bedrooms and bathrooms to record minors. 60 devices were seized from his property and person with officials finding over 10,000 images and videos of sexually explicit content involving minors.

Law enforcement also found photos and videos taken with hidden cameras that were time stamped as far back as 2012. Additionally, two female victims indicated that Green sexually abused them in person.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
Turkey does not consider Hamas a terrorist organisation and the Nato country hosts members of the group - Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times

Hamas planned to set up a base in Turkey from which to carry out sabotage and assassinations, according to documents reportedly found by the Israeli army in Gaza.

The papers, shown to The Times, were discovered in the home of Hamza Abu Shanab, chief of staff to Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza, the Israeli military said.

The files detail an effort by Hamas to set up teams outside its territory in the wake of Israeli moves to tighten control over the Gaza Strip.

The plans included establishing a security branch abroad which will be capable of carrying out intelligence and military operations in the future.

The files, which The Telegraph cannot independently confirm, also allegedly described a three-year plan to set up military cells and safe houses abroad to work on sabotage and assassination.

Assassination targets supposedly included agents in Mossad, Israels intelligence agency, as well as influential Israelis.

It is unclear whether Turkish authorities were informed of the plans or would have allowed them to proceed.

Turkey has a nuanced stance on Hamas. Unlike many other members of Nato, it does not consider Hamas a terrorist organisation and the country hosts members of the group.

Ankara maintains that Hamas has not carried out terrorist activities in the country.

Instead, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, has repeatedly declared Hamas a liberation movement fighting for its people and homeland.

He and other Turkish officials have continually criticised Israel, as well as its allies in the West, as the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 35,000, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Mr Erdogan said on Sunday that Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has reached a level that would make Hitler jealous with his genocidal methods.

He also said that more than 1,000 members of Hamas were being treated in hospitals across Turkey as the fighting in Gaza entered its eighth month.

In April, Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader who is based in Qatar, flew to Istanbul to meet Mr Erdogan. The visit was Mr Haniyehs first to Turkey since the Israel-Hamas war broke out last October.

Just a few days ago, Ibrahim Kalin, the Turkish intelligence chief, met Mr Haniyeh in the emirate.

Turkey recently announced it would cut trade ties with Israel, but it appears some imports and exports have continued.

Last autumn, Turkey and Israel recalled their respective ambassadors in a diplomatic row over the war in Gaza.

In Turkey, its politically strategic for Mr Erdogan to oppose Israel and support Palestine, with polls showing a large majority share those views in a country that is otherwise deeply divided.

Hamas, along with its security apparatus, ruled Gaza with an iron fist before the war began.

On Monday, a batch of internal Hamas documents seen by the New York Times revealed the scope of the General Security Service.

It used a network of informants to keep tabs on Palestinians publicly criticising Hamas, as well as the activities of local and foreign journalists.

The Turkish embassy in the UK did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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CHICAGO  Chicago police are investigating a rash of burglaries on the citys Northwest Side.

According to police, a group of about 3-4 males broke into several businesses in the early morning hours of Friday, May 10. All incidents occurred in just under two and a half hours, police added.

Multiple businesses robbed at gunpoint, steel hammer within 3 hour-span: CPD

The group used a hammer to break the front glass doors of the business to gain entry.

Once inside, the group retrieves the money from the register before escaping in a 4-door light-colored Honda CRV with Florida license plate #4922AP or a Light Gray Jeep Cherokee with heavy tint, sunroof, and rear passenger window covered with black plastic, police said.

SEE ALSO: City Council Committee approves $1.75M settlement for family of Army vet who died by suicide in CPD custody

Location and time of incidents include:

Albany Park 2900 block of W. Irving Park Rd on May 10 at 1:25 a.m.

Avondale 3300 block of California Ave on May 10 at 1:52 a.m.

Old Irving Park 3900 block of Avondale Ave on May 10 at 2:18 a.m. 3900 block of Avondale Ave on May 10 at 2:19 a.m.

Logan Square 2700 North block of Milwaukee Ave on May 10 at 3:50 a.m. 2700 North block of Milwaukee Ave on May 10 at 3:50 a.m. 2700 North block of Milwaukee Ave on May 10 at 3:50 a.m. 2700 North block of Milwaukee Ave on May 10 at 3:50 a.m. 2700 North block of Milwaukee Ave on May 10 at 3:50 a.m.



According to police, the suspects are 17-20 years of age and wore black ski masks, gloves, black hooded sweatshirts, and black pants.

Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines

Anyone with information may leave an anonymous tip at cpdtip.com.

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 WGN-TV.
Out of hand. Add rules if NC private schools get $463M in new voucher money, CMS says

Private schools need more accountability if the North Carolina legislature hands out hundreds of millions in new tax money for student vouchers this year, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

The N.C. General Assembly is working through final changes now on a $463 million bill to clear wait lists for opportunity scholarships  the states private school vouchers  one year after spending $505 million to vastly expand the program. It used to have an income cap, but anyone in the state is eligible now, regardless of income or whether theyve already got a child in private school.

The expansion strays from the initial intent of opportunity scholarships, which was to offer the ability to attend private schools to those who couldnt afford tuition, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools officials say.

The original intent was to assist families who needed that assistance, but now it seems to have gone to where it is just subsidizing families who were already affording (private school), CMS board member Summer Nunn told other board members during a meeting last week.

Its gotten out of hand, said CMS board member Lisa Cline.

I think we need to ask the General Assembly to reexamine what theyre doing, she said.

CMSs board proposed a legislative agenda last week asking the General Assembly to require all schools that receive voucher money to be held to the same standards as public schools in North Carolina, including testing and teacher qualifications.

What is the N.C. General Assembly doing with private schools?

The state started offering opportunity scholarships in 2014. They can be used to pay for tuition, transportation, equipment and other private school expenses. Prior to last years change, a family making 200% of the amount needed to qualify for federally subsidized meals could get funding. Thats an income of $111,000 for a family of four.

The programs expansion produced demand that far exceeded available funds, as applications more than doubled from years prior. Families received priority according to household income, with the poorest families getting top priority.

House Bill 823, which is back in the House after changes in the Senate, would increase funding for the opportunity scholarship program by $463 million in the 2024-2025 school year to give scholarships to all of the over 54,000 students currently on the wait list. It would increase the total spending on the program over the next seven years by $1.83 billion. Over the next eight years, the North Carolina General Assembly is slated to spend $5.5 billion on private school vouchers.

With this brand new legislation, 45% of families who will receive this money make more than $245,000 a year, and 30% of those have never had a child attend public school, Charles Jeter, a former Republican legislator whos CMS director of government affairs, told CMS board members in a virtual meeting Friday.

Opportunity scholarships in the Charlotte area

The CMS comments come after Mecklenburg County saw more significant increases in opportunity scholarships than nearly any other part of the state. Thats even before the state opened up applications to families of all income levels.

This school year marked the first time that Mecklenburg County saw more than 2,000 opportunity scholarship recipients, according to data from the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority. Data is not yet available for how many Mecklenburg County students will receive opportunity scholarships during the 2024-25 school year.

Mecklenburg County registered 2,152 scholarship recipients this year  an 80% increase over 2022-23.

Only Cumberland County had more scholarship recipients, with more than 2,500, according to a Charlotte Observer analysis.

Families in Mecklenburg and the six surrounding North Carolina counties received nearly 5,400 scholarships this year  about 17% of the roughly 32,500 scholarships in the state. Those counties represent about 21% of the states population.

Statewide, recipients increased 27% from 2022-23 to 2023-24. Thats an increase from 25,568 to 32,541 recipients.

How CMS will lobby General Assembly

CMS board members pose for a picture with newly elected members on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023.

Private schools that receive state funding are not required to conduct the same standardized testing as public schools or adhere to the same scheduling or teacher qualification requirements.

I think that if taxpayers are now having their money go into these private schools, that they should be held to the same standards of where the taxpayer money goes to public schools, too. I think its only fair, especially as a taxpayer in this state, Nunn said. Student outcomes should be the focus of any investment into a child in North Carolina, and there should be some measurement behind it.

Private schools also are not required to adhere to Senate Bill 49, also referred to as the Parents Bill of Rights, or new legislation proposed this month that would require public schools to post all materials, lessons and lesson plans online within 10 days of them being taught.

If its such a good idea for the students who attend public schools, then why does it stop at the threshold of private schools? Theyre not bound by any of these rules, Jeter said.

As the second largest school district in the state, CMS regularly drafts a legislative agenda of items it wants state lawmakers to address. Board members decided to add an item requiring all schools receiving taxpayer funding to abide by the same standards and regulations.

Wake County Public Schools, the biggest public school system in the state, is in alignment with CMS. It asked the General Assembly to prioritize public school dollars to fully fund public schools, not private school vouchers, in its 2024 legislative agenda.

After passing through both bodies of the legislature, House Bill 823 currently is back in the House to OK changes made by the Senate.

What supporters and critics have to say

Supporters of further expansion say House Bill 823 will empower every parent to cater to their individual childs needs.

We are thrilled that our state legislature continues to recognize that education funding should follow the individual needs of students rather than a system, Mike Long, president of Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina, told The Charlotte Observer. The beauty of this expansion is that it prioritizes funding students, while at the same time recognizing families in the most need are first in line to receive the most in scholarship amounts.

State Rep. Tricia Cotham, a Mecklenburg County Republican, is one of four primary sponsors on the bill and one of the legislatures leading proponents of voucher expansion. Cotham did not respond to the Observers request for comment.

Critics say taxpayer dollars would be better spent on already underfunded public schools, which educate 85% of the states children.

With the $463 million the legislature plans to spend on opportunity scholarships, we could give a 4% raise to every school district employee in all 115 school districts in the state, said Jeter, who voted for the creation of opportunity scholarships when he was a state representative in 2013. Thats a choice thats been made by the General Assembly. And its not just being changed for this year; theyve changed it for all the out years, too.

Mo Green, Democratic candidate for North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction, says its critical for the state to put more effort into funding its public schools.

Were 48th in the country when it comes to public school fundingWe spend about $5,000 less per student than the national average, Green told attendees at a forum in Charlotte Thursday night. If we were a very poor state, that might make sense, but were not.

Greens opponent, Republican nominee Michele Morrow, did not respond to The Observers request for comment.
Harvard University announced Tuesday it had struck a deal with protesters to wind down an on-campus encampment that occupied its iconic Harvard Yard for nearly three weeks.

The agreement will see students suspended during the demonstration be reinstated, and university officials have agreed to discuss student questions about a potential divestment from Israel amid its ongoing conflict against Hamas in Gaza.

University spokesperson Jonathan Swain told WBUR that those talks will be attended by its interim president, Alan Garber, and Hopi Hoekstra, its dean of the faculty of arts and sciences.

Harvard Pro-Palestine Protests May Be Approaching a Whimpery End

The coalition who ran the encampment, Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine (HOOP), said in a statement that it had democratically voted to end its encampment after 20 days. As part of the deal, HOOP said Harvard will consider the establishment of a Center for Palestine Studies at the university.

HOOP said previously that more than 20 students were suspended during the demonstration, and another 60 were referred for additional disciplinary charges. It announced the demonstrations end on Instagram, indicating in a statement that it only did so after the university agreed to make some concessionsbut not enough to fully satisfy the organization.

We are under no illusions, HOOP wrote in a statement. We do not believe these meetings are divestment wins. These side-deals are intended to pacify us away from full disclosure and divestment. Rest assured, they will not.

The encampments closure comes on the heels of most students leaving campus for the summer, with finals and commencement having wrapped up last weekend.

The arrival of summer appeared to significantly diminish the size of the demonstration. With the closing of the dorms that lined Harvard Yard, and the nearby Lamont Library no longer operating around the clock, protesters lost access to bathrooms and had resorted to using kitty litter.

The Surreal Difference Between Harvard and Columbia Protests

With the campus restricting access in-between semesters, protesters also saw themselves lose access to Harvard Yard with their student ID badge in recent days. That meant protesters could no longer leave the encampment and return. If they wanted to continue at the encampment, they would have to stay at Harvard Yard overnight and throughout the daya sacrifice a majority of demonstrators appeared to opt against.

The protest had dwindled to as little as four people by Monday morning, Harvard Magazine reported, and appeared to be on the brink of shuttering even without a deal being reached.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is fully committed to supporting Azerbaijan and Armenia in their efforts to achieve peace, OSCE Chair-in-Office, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta Ian Borg said during a joint press conference with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov, Trend reports.

We need to pursue a diplomatic track for lasting peace. During my recent visit to Armenia, I emphasized the importance of conducting negotiations in good faith to achieve a solution. As OSCE Chair, we endorse all pragmatic approaches and urge countries to prioritize the future well-being of their people. Additionally, we are considering measures to enhance relations with Azerbaijan, he added.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
The pro-Palestinian encampment at Harvard University announced Tuesday it would end after reaching an agreement with the nations oldest university.

Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine (HOOP) said in a post on the social platform X the school agreed to begin the process of reinstating students who had been suspended and offered meetings with Harvard Management Company about potential divestment from Israel. The school also will have conversations regarding the creation of a Center for Palestine Studies.

We are under no illusions: we do not believe these meetings are divestment wins. These side-deals are intended to pacify us away from full disclosure & divestment. Rest assured, they will not, HOOP said.

During the three-week encampment, Harvard closed its gates to the public, suspended 20 students and had more than 60 people referred for disciplinary charges, according to the group.

At Harvard, our Schools have responsibility for our involuntary leave and disciplinary processes. With the disruption to the educational environment caused by the encampment now abated, I will ask that the Schools promptly initiate applicable reinstatement proceedings for all individuals who have been placed on involuntary leaves of absence, said interim President Alan Garber.

I will also ask disciplinary boards within each School to evaluate expeditiously, according to their existing practices and precedents, the cases of those who participated in the encampment, he added.

Multiple U.S. colleges have moved to end weeks of protest on their campuses as commencement season arrives. Harvard is one of a few institutions that have cut deals with their demonstrators, a list that also includes Northwestern University and Brown University.

Updated at 3:07 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
People walk past the remnants of an encampment of tents in Harvard Yard on the campus of Harvard University, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Cambridge, Mass. Anti-war protesters have taken down their tents in Harvard Yard after the university agreed to meet to discuss their demands. The student protest group calling themselves Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine say their camp "outlasted its utility." (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP)  Protesters against the war between Israel and Hamas were voluntarily taking down their tents in Harvard Yard on Tuesday after university officials agreed to discuss their questions about the endowment, bringing a peaceful end to the kinds of demonstrations that were broken up by police on other campuses.

The student protest group Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine said in a statement that the encampment outlasted its utility with respect to our demands. Meanwhile, Harvard University interim President Alan Garber agreed to pursue a meeting between protesters and university officials regarding the students questions.

Students at many college campuses this spring set up similar encampments, calling for their schools to cut ties with Israel and businesses that support it.

The latest Israel-Hamas war began when Hamas and other militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking an additional 250 hostage. Palestinian militants still hold about 100 captives, and Israel's military has killed more than 35,000 people in Gaza, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which doesnt distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Harvard said its president and the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Hopi Hoekstra, will meet with the protesters to discuss the conflict in the Middle East.

The protesters said they worked out an agreement to meet with university officials including the Harvard Management Company, which oversees the world's largest academic endowment, valued at about $50 billion.

The protesters statement said the students will set an agenda including discussions on disclosure, divestment and reinvestment, and the creation of a Center for Palestine Studies. The students also said that Harvard has offered to retract the suspensions of more than 20 students and student workers and back down on disciplinary measures faced by 60 more.

Since its establishment three weeks ago, the encampment has both broadened and deepened Palestine solidarity organizing on campus, a spokesperson for the protesters said. It has moved the needle on disclosure and divestment at Harvard."

Harvard alumnus Rotem Spiegler said she's glad to see the protest being dismantled, but thinks it improper to reward students in part for being disruptive.

It just should have happened a while ago, and they should have suffered consequences to what theyve been doing here violating everybodys space and not respecting any of the university rules that were adjusted even while they were going, Spiegler said.

Faculty members who supported the demonstration in Harvard Yard said the students achieved an important step towards divestment from Israel and liberation for Palestine.

We honor the bravery of our students, who put themselves at risk to amplify the worldwide call for Palestinian liberation that global leaders have been trying to suppress, Harvard Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine said in a statement.

At the University of California, Berkeley, students demanding the school divest from companies doing business in Israel began removing their campus encampment Tuesday afternoon as protest leaders held discussions with university administrators.

UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ sent the demonstrators a letter Tuesday evening agreeing to support a comprehensive and rigorous examination of our investments and our socially responsible investment strategy.

At Harvard, student Chloe Gambol, said the biggest achievement of the Cambridge protest was just shining a spotlight on the situation in Gaza.

The point of a protest is to draw attention and to make a scene and make a stand and, I think, definitely achieved that based on what we see on all the news. A lot of people are talking about it, she said.

But Howard Smith, a senior researcher at Harvard, said he was happy to see the encampment go down.

I think the students were very misguided and, basically, historically incorrect and morally off base, he said. But Im pleased that the situation at Harvard was not as crazy as in some other places.

Protesters also voluntarily took down their tents Monday night at Williams College in Massachusetts after its board of trustees agreed to meet later this month. Williams President Maud Mandel said dialogue is the answer.

In a year when personal, political and moral commitments are being tested, I have seen our diverse community members -- including people in the encampment, and people who question or oppose it -- try to engage with each other across differences, looking for ways to exchange views without trading insults, Mandel said in a statement.

At the University of New Mexico, school president Garnett Stokes warned that the encampment along a busy stretch of the Albuquerque campus needed to be dismantled by Tuesday evening and those who did not comply would be subject to institutional enforcement.

The collection of tents and tarps had been in place going on three weeks, inhabited by a mix of activists, some students and homeless people.

Stokes' message to all students and staff acknowledged the demands of the protesters who have been advocating for a ceasefire along with disclosure of the universitys investment portfolios. She said the school was committed to being transparent.

In western New York, the University of Rochester cleared out an encampment ahead of Fridays commencement ceremony. Most protesters dispersed voluntarily, but two people unaffiliated with the university were arrested for damaging a commencement tent, school spokesperson Sara Miller said.
In an attempt to create affordable housing, Governor Josh Green signed SB2919, which allows counties to ban vacation rentals across the state.

In 2023, Hawaii had one of the largest chronically unhoused populations in the United States, as well as one of the highest unhoused youth populations, as Hawaii News Now reported last year. Home prices in the state have skyrocketed more than 300 percent since 2000 and remain some of the highest in the nation, and many of the existing "affordable housing" units are not affordable to lower-income residents. This month, in an effort to curb the states housing challenges, Hawaiis governor signed SB2919, which allows counties to phase out short-term rentals (STRs).

STRs have been a woe for many locals for years. According to the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization, STRs currently compose roughly five percent of the states 565,000 housing units; a study by the organization notes that such density of STRs can have "the potential to wield significant influence on local rents and home prices." Borrowing from outside studies of cities like Barcelona and Los Angeles, the group estimates that banning STRs could lower home prices in Oahu between four and six percent, while lowering median monthly rents by up to $160.

In Maui, where last years fires damaged 2,200 structures and displaced more than 7,000 people, the crisis has been more acute. After the fires, Governor Josh Green issued declarations banning rent increases and accelerating permits and construction for new housing, yet the question of finding existing housing remained an issue. At a recent press conference, Green noted that this new STR law could free up more than 2,000 homes in Maui alone. After the senate bill passage, Maui mayor Richard Bissen announced his intention to phase out STRs from the island by July 2025.

SB2919 was championed by hospitality unions and local grassroots organizations, including Our Hawaii and Lahaina Strong. The latter held a nine-month-long occupation of Kaanapali Beachone of the most popular Maui beaches for touriststo advocate for long-term housing for fire survivors. In a Maui Now Instagram video announcing the end of the beach occupation, one Lahaina Strong activist, Paele Kiakona, noted that though the groups initial demand was for long-term dignified housing for fire survivors, its focus shifted. "People started to move from hotels now into long term housing withFEMA assistance," he said. "Andnow, weve actually been [a] hand in creating a law for the entire state."

Related Reading:

Is There a Way Out of Hawaiis Housing Crisis?

How Will the Next President Fix the Housing Crisis?

Top image: Waikiki skyline, aaaaimages/Getty Images
A former University of Missouri fraternity member has pleaded guilty to his involvement in a 2021 hazing incident that left a pledge with severe brain damage, court records show.

The former Mizzou student, identified as the pledge dad of victim Danny Santulli, pleaded guilty on May 10 to misdemeanor charges of hazing and supplying liquor to a minor, according to court records.

The hazing left Santulli, a former student-athlete, unable to see, walk or communicate, according to lawyers at Stewart Tilghman Fox Bianchi & Cain. He is unaware of his surroundings and will need 24-hour care for the rest of his life, attorneys said.

McClatchy News reached out to the mans attorney for comment on May 14 but did not immediately hear back. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 24, according to court records.

As the pledge dad, he is the one who provided the alcohol to Danny, attorney David Bianchi, who is representing the Santulli family, said.

Hes the one who told Danny that, pursuant to the tradition of his branch of the family, he had to consume all the alcohol in the bottle, Bianchi said.

In Dannys case, the alcohol provided was a bottle of vodka, according to court records.

During an October 2021 Phi Gamma Delta Pledge Dad Reveal party, Santulli passed out around midnight and was left on a couch until someone noticed his skin was pale and his lips were blue, according to the law firm.

Santulli was carried out to a car, where he was dropped on his head, and then taken to a local hospital, where staff realized he wasnt breathing, attorneys said.

Dannys blood alcohol level was .468  nearly six times the legal limit, according to his lawyers.

Phi Gamma Delta, commonly referred to as Fiji, was removed from campus two days after the incident, according to the Columbia Missourian.

Boone County prosecutors filed hazing charges against 11 University of Missouri members, and seven, including Santullis pledge dad, have taken plea deals, according to attorneys.

15-year-old who loved swimming drowns during Mothers Day outing at lake, family says

13-year-old calls 911 from car, says mom is drunk and driving recklessly, NE cops say

Body found floating in Mississippi River had been there for days, Missouri cops say
The Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine opened in Meridian in 2018. (Courtesy of ICOM)

Idaho State University and the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine on Monday committed to expand shared health science degree programs and enhance research.

The universities presidents signed a memorandum of understanding and announced the program expansions at an event in Meridian.

Never has there been a more important time for the state to invest in the wellbeing of its citizens. And our two institutions  ISU and ICOM  are at the forefront of health sciences, education and workforce development, said Robert Wagner, Idaho State Universitys new president.

University officials said the colleges plan to expand jointly offered masters degree programs in health administration, public health and health informatics.

Idaho State Vice President for Health Sciences Dr. Rex Force also announced plans for a nurse anesthesia program, set to launch in fall 2025, along with plans for a dental hygiene program in the Treasure Valley and a mental health clinic in Pocatello this summer.

Wagner said the institutions are working alongside other Idaho two- and four-year colleges. Force announced plans to partner with Lewis-Clark State College to train physician assistants in North Idaho.

Idaho States relationship with ICOM offers many opportunities for professional education, research and future-planned expansions of patient care, Force said.

ICOM, a private Meridian-based medical school, is set to graduate its third class of medical students, said ICOM President Dr. Tracy Farnsworth. ICOM hopes to grow through natural, thoughtful and incremental adjustments in our class size and to introduce new academic programs over time, he said.

Im a big fan of public private partnerships. None of us can do it alone, Farnsworth said.

Much of Idaho is and has been in a physician shortage. But beyond that, Idaho also needs to grow other health care workforces, where an aging population of workers is retiring, Force told the Sun in an interview.

Idaho State has added nearly 700 students to its programs serving a range of health care professionals in the past five years, including in nursing, physical and occupational therapy and mental health, Force said at the event.

Health science students made a record 41% of all graduates at the institution, Force said.

Idaho States Meridian campus has doubled in size since 2016 to over 200,000 square feet, Force said. Twenty-three acres under development are slated for student housing, clinical training and research facilities, Force said.

Idaho State University and ICOM health programs

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The post Health degree offerings to expand at Idaho State, Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine appeared first on Idaho Capital Sun.
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  The risk of Lyme disease has been quietly growing in mid-Michigan for years now, but many people still dont know when, or where to be on watch.

I just know that you get them if you go deep into the woods or anything out there, said parkgoer Rishika Paruthi. I dont really know how to take care of it or anything.

A tick normally needs to be on you for more than 24 hours to spread a disease.

This undated photo provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a female Lone Star tick, which despite its Texas-sounding name, is found mainly in the Southeast. At least 100,000 people in the U.S. have become allergic to red meat since 2010 because of a weird syndrome triggered by tick bites. Thats according to a new government report. But health officials believe more have the problem and dont know it, and the actual number is more than than four times higher. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday, July 27, 2023 released two reports on the growing tick-borne allergy problem. (James Gathany/CDC via AP)

That is why officials like Emily Pochubay, public health and pest specialist for the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development say you should know how to take care of it quickly.

The number one strategy for tick prevention is to ensure that you are doing your tick checks of yourself, your kids, and your pets anytime youve spent some time outside, Pochubay said.

Problematic tick populations have been slowly moving into mid-Michigan over the last decade, and with it, the risk for Lyme disease, a severe autoimmune disorder.

Tick distribution in Michigan. Courtesy MDHHS.

Tick distribution in Michigan. Courtesy MDHHS.

Removing and preventing ticks. Courtesy MDHHS

World-renowned tick expert and MSU professor Jean Tsao says it wont be long before the whole state has a high risk of Lyme disease.

On top of that, a new invasive species called the Lone Star Tick, is just starting to show up in Southern Michigan, and with it the threat of new diseases, including one that makes people allergic to meat.

Thats why experts recommend checking for ticks daily, even if youve only been walking on sidewalks.

And if you do go deep into the woods, insect repellent, long pants, and tucked shirts will help keep you safe.

The best way to prevent contracting diseases like Lyme disease or something else that is tick-borne is to prevent tick bites, Pochubay said.

Still, predicting when, where, and how long ticks will be is not an exact science. Researchers currently believe that rainfall in early summer make a difference, as ticks tend to decline during droughts.

Specifically, Mid-Michigan has been cited as a place where we dont know a lot about current tick populations. Unlike other parts of the state which have been monitoring ticks for decades, our area has little data available to researchers.

But there is a way the public can help to solve that problem. Before you flush a tick away, researchers are asking you to take a picture of it. Health officials at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services monitor these submissions to both give out advice when needed and to get a better idea of what they are dealing with in each region.

Emily Dinh works with the department as a medical entomologist where she specializes in diseases transmitted from bugs. She says the community serves as the eyes of the department.

We have a wealth of data going into weather predictions, and maybe one day I would like to get to that point, Dinh said. Our efforts at MDHHS is to increase that capacity to do tick collections because I cant really tell you anything, like what are the ticks going to be like this year, unless I have people doing the work of finding the ticks out there and giving me data.

You can either email a picture of the tick to MDHHS-Bugs@michigan.gov, or you can mail the tick to the MDHHS for identification. Submission kits are available for free from your local health department.

If you are interested in having your tick identified, see the more detailed instructions provided for the process at this link.

If a troubling tick is identified, like the infamous black-legged tick, you may have the option to seek preemptive treatment to make sure you dont get sick.

For more information, visit The Michigan Emerging and Zoonotic Disease Surveillance Summary and Ticks and Your Health: Preventing tick-borne illness in Michigan.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News.
With two weeks left until the primary runoff, state Rep. Shawn Thierrys fight for political survival is intensifying, as more of her current and former legislative colleagues have lined up behind her opponent and grown increasingly vocal in their criticism of the Houston Democrat.

This past weekend, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a Dallas Democrat who previously served in the Texas House with Thierry, spoke at a campaign event where she condemned her former colleague and restated her support for Lauren Ashley Simmons in the May 28 contest.

I dont show up for [just] anybody. Shawn Thierry is just that bad, Crockett said. Shes got to go.

Thierry, a 54-year-old Houston attorney, has been in her own partys crosshairs since last spring, when she voted for a measure barring gender-transitioning care for minors, and then delivered an emotional speech from the House floor explaining why she broke with her party. Thierrys vote, and her viral remarks, prompted a spirited and well-funded challenge from Simmons, a 36-year-old labor organizer who finished ahead of Thierry in a three-way March primary.

The two are now facing off in a runoff that will effectively decide who represents the solidly blue south Houston district next year, while testing the staying power of Democrats who vote for GOP bills opposed by the LGBTQ+ community. Thierry, the only Democrat in the Texas House to be pushed into a runoff, has countered with her own slate of endorsements from Black church leaders and six of her Democratic colleagues.

Simmons, meanwhile, has picked up support from eight Democrats who currently serve with Thierry in the Texas House and two others  Crockett and former lawmaker Garnet Coleman  who previously overlapped with her in the lower chamber. Several of them, including Crockett, appeared with Simmons over the weekend for a rally and a round of block-walking.

She aint never had yalls back, Crockett said, after recounting a story in which Thierry allegedly asked House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, if Democrats would be allowed to retain their committee positions if they went ahead with a plan to flee the state to thwart a GOP elections bill. They were targeting her constituents. And you know what she cared about? Her damn seat on a committee.

Thierry wound up joining more than 50 House Democrats who flew to Washington, D.C., to temporarily deny Republicans the quorum needed to pass their bill overhauling the states elections. She denied the details of Crocketts account, calling it a made up scenario designed to boost Simmons campaign.

I will conclude that it's disappointing and beyond bizarre that these Members ever believed that holding a hyperbolic press conference solely to attack a fellow Dem colleague in a Democratic runoff was a good idea, Thierry wrote on X.

Thierry added that she never raised my hand in any meeting to ask [Phelan] such a dumb question, and she suggested that some of Simmons legislative supporters should be blamed for helping Republicans restore the quorum they used to pass the elections bill.

Thierry, for her part, is touting support from a coalition of church leaders that she said is the largest collective of African American Baptist ministers ever assembled in a Democratic primary runoff. She framed it as a major political shift in the primary, pointing to the pivotal role that the Black church has shaping African-American civic engagement and mobilizing communities against societal injustices.

I would like for this to be a sign to all legislators, and those who seek to be a legislator, that you too can enjoy this type of support when you stand for righteousness, M.D Morrison Sr., pastor at Houstons New Faith Baptist Church Northeast, said while flanked by Thierry and other ministers at a recent campaign event. You too can enjoy this type of solidarity from the faith community when you stand simply for what is right.

Thierry is seeking her fifth term representing House District 146, a heavily Democratic seat that covers parts of south and southwest Houston. The district is three-quarters nonwhite and anchored by Sunnyside, a low-income, majority-Black neighborhood that once was a thriving economic hub that is trying to revitalize.

Thierry is hoping her support from the Black faith community will be enough to overcome Simmons mounting support from Democratic politicians and local political groups. Since the runoff, Simmons has added endorsements from U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher and Houston state Reps. Alma Allen, Ann Johnson and Christina Morales.

Five of Thierrys House colleagues had already gotten behind Simmons in the first round, including Houston-area Reps. Jon Rosenthal and Gene Wu. Simmons has also been endorsed by former Senate and gubernatorial nominee Beto ORourke.

Asked about her fellow Democrats who had lined up behind Simmons' campaign, Thierry said that in "a political climate like we are seeing unfold on both sides, it's understandable that some individuals have made choices to support candidates based on highly charged issues."

"Ultimately, it is the voters of District 146 who will decide," she added.

Thierry has added recent endorsements from state Reps. Richard Raymond, D-Laredo, and Sergio Munoz Jr., D-Palmview. She is also backed by Democratic state Reps. Nicole Collier of Fort Worth, Harold Dutton of Houston, Barbara Gervin-Hawkins of San Antonio and Eddie Morales Jr. of Eagle Pass.

The animus toward Thierry from within her own party comes after she broke ranks on three major GOP bills that became law: the ban on gender-transitioning care for minors; a bill aimed at removing sexually explicit books from school libraries, a designation critics feared would be used to target LGBTQ+ literature; and a requirement that transgender college athletes play on teams that align their sex assigned at birth.

Critics of Thierrys remarks on the gender-transitioning bill noted she ignored the fact that treatment decisions for minors could only be made by parents or legal guardians. A consensus of major medical groups has also argued that gender-transitioning care should be available to children and teens in the care of doctors.

A number of Republicans praised Thierrys comments, calling it a brave rebuke of what they view as a radical stance. She has received the bulk of her campaign funding from a mix of GOP donors, PACs that advocate for charter schools and school vouchers, and the PAC affiliated with Las Vegas Sands, which is aiming to legalize casino gambling in Texas. Also among Thierry's top donors is Adam Loewy, an Austin personal injury lawyer who mostly donates to Democrats.

Thierry was not the only Democrat to support the GOP legislation  11 others voted for the book-banning bill, including Collier, Dutton, Morales, Munoz and Raymond but she was by far the most outspoken. She said in another floor speech that the book bill would set up guardrails against explicit materials that have infiltrated schools, noting one that she said teaches children how to access dating websites.

Crockett said she decided to weigh in on the race after the Houston Chronicle editorial board quoted Thierry appearing to dismiss Simmons Texas House supporters as the gay ones. Thierry said the quote was taken completely out of context from a larger discussion, but in any case, Simmons campaign told the Chronicle that they received a major surge in fundraising after Thierrys remarks were published.

Simmons' top donors are the Texas Organizing Project, the Texas Gulf Coast AFL-CIO and the Houston Federation of Teachers.

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Hennepin County will pay to build two sweat lodges at the Adult Corrections Facility in Plymouth for American Indian inmates who want to attend ceremonies.

The County Board approved a $30,000 contract in April with American Indian OIC Inc. to construct the lodges and facilitate the sweat lodge ceremonies beginning this summer through the end of the year.

Catherine "CJ" Johnson, director of community corrections and rehabilitation, said the sweat lodges are a culturally specific way to address the spiritual needs of indigenous inmates  and hopefully reduce recidivism.

"Sweat lodges serve spiritual, cultural and practical purposes for indigenous peoples," Johnson told the County Board during an April committee meeting. "It is a place to connect with the creator and to nurture and restore order and balance in life."

Native Americans are overrepresented in Minnesota's criminal justice system. They make up less than 1% of the state's population, but account for about 9% of prisoners, according to state data.

The Hennepin County Adult Corrections Facility in Plymouth, commonly called the workhouse, typically holds prisoners for less than a year. The demographics of the population fluctuates with about 10% of the 142 current prisoners identifying as Native American.

Lyle H. Iron Moccasin, re-entry coordinator with American Indian OIC, said he has been doing outreach with prisoners for two decades and has seen the positive impact of cultural ceremonies like sweat lodges and talking circles.

"The individuals who participate in these spiritual activities and events have a much lower rate of recidivism," Iron Moccasin said. "It is a connection back with the culture. It is an outlet. A way of expressing yourself."

The plan is to construct separate lodges for the men's and women's facilities. Once they are built, Johnson estimated that each month up to 10 inmates would attend one or two ceremonies.

Rich Antell, a spiritual elder who will oversee construction of the lodges, said there are several at state corrections facilities that have been popular with Native American inmates. He is in the process of collecting the tools and materials to build the lodges and hopes they will be completed in June.

"It is a way for individuals to identify with their culture and to experience something powerful and tap into that unseen world," Antell said. "It is very healing. It helps to go in there and let things go. People feel reinvigorated."

Commissioners praised the idea of helping American Indian inmates better connect with their culture and community. They asked county corrections officials to see if there was a good way to measure the success of the program.

"I'm a huge fan of this," said Commissioner Angela Conley, who noted the impact of other sweat lodges in the community. "It's very powerful."
A homeless woman washes up at a fire hydrant near her encampment along south Lemon Street in downtown Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is investigating an outbreak of the highly contagious liver disease hepatitis A among its homeless population.

Health officials said five cases of hepatitis A have been reported since mid-March among people experiencing homelessness. The virus, which can spread among people even before they have symptoms, can be found in the stool and blood of those who have been infected. Symptoms include fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dark urine and yellow eyes and skin.

Individuals that are unhoused are at higher risk for contracting hepatitis A infection because they often have limited access to hand-washing and toileting facilities," the department wrote in a statement.

Read more: Hepatitis A scare at Men's Central Jail led to more than 1,500 vaccinations

The health department said it was offering free hepatitis A vaccines to people experiencing homelessness in encampments and interim housing sites where there is a risk of potential exposure. The vaccine can be given to people even after theyve been exposed to protect against developing the infection.

The department said it was working closely with healthcare and homeless services providers to increase awareness about the virus and growing risks. It urged residents to get vaccinated and to wash their hands after using the bathroom.

Californias last known hepatitis A outbreak occurred between 2016 and 2018, mostly among people experiencing homelessness or people using drugs in settings with limited sanitation.

When the outbreak was contained in 2018, the state reported 708 cases. More than 60% of those infected required hospitalization, and at least 21 people died, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hepatitis A outbreak spreads through homeless encampments in Portland. Advocates for the homeless to the Press Herald that the outbreak stems from a lack of access to clean water for drinking and bathing.Via @wgmehttps://t.co/JVLei1CXpb#EndHomelessness #Homeless #Homelessness  National Coalition for the Homeless (@NationalHomeles) November 20, 2023

Last year, a similar outbreak occurred among the homeless population in Portland, Maine. Health officials there recorded at least 18 confirmed cases of hepatitis A in the citys homeless population.

So far, three states have ongoing hepatitis A outbreaks.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird's trip to New York City on Monday to attend Donald Trump's trial was at the invitation of the Republican Attorneys General Association.

A spokesperson for Bird's campaign told the Des Moines Register that the group invited attorneys general, including Bird, "to go to Manhattan and show support for President Trump." The group also covered the trip's expenses.

On Monday, Bird was seen entering the courthouse behind Trump along with a gaggle of his supporters. Her office confirmed she attended, and a spokesperson said no taxpayer money had been used to fund her travel.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird addresses the media during a break in former U.S. President Donald Trump's criminal trial on Monday, May 13, 2024, in New York City. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), center, spoke before Bird with other elected officials supporting Trump.

Bird repeated that sentiment Tuesday at a press conference in Ankeny, where she announced a lawsuit against California-based electric truck requirements. She did not give details on how the trip was funded or if she was invited  details later provided by a spokesperson.

"No taxpayer funds were used, and I went to New York to show my support for President Trump and to witness what was going on there, in that courtroom in Manhattan," Bird told reporters.

In a news conference outside the courthouse Monday, Bird said she traveled from Iowa to represent the state's support for the former president as he stands trial in a hush money case.

"We need him back as our president leading our country again," Bird said. "My background is as a prosecutor, and what I saw in that courtroom today is a travesty. Politics has no place in a court of law.

"They try to charge him with all these ridiculous things that include a star witness who is a perjurer, disbarred, convicted of lying," Bird added. "It tells us the state we are in this country right now."

The chair of the Iowa Democratic Party, Rita Hart, criticized the appearance, saying "Iowans deserve an attorney general that's focused on serving her constituents  not her political ambitions."

In his January victory speech for the Iowa caucuses, Trump said of Bird, "she's going to be your governor someday."

The Republican Attorneys General Association has been embroiled in political controversy in the past.

Before the Jan. 6, 2020, insurrection in Washington, D.C., the Rule of Law Defense Fund, a fundraising arm of the Republican Attorneys General Association, sent a robocall inviting people to march to the U.S. Capitol.

The robocall said: "The march to save America is tomorrow in Washington, D.C.  At (1 p.m.) we will march to the Capitol building and call on Congress to stop the steal. We are hoping patriots like you will join us to continue the fight to protect the integrity of our election."

Brianne Pfannenstiel contributed reporting.

Galen Bacharier covers the Statehouse & politics for the Register. Reach him at gbacharier@registermedia.com or (573) 219-7440, and follow him on Twitter @galenbacharier.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa attorney general's trip to Trump trial paid for by GOP AG group
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. Throughout the years, the lack of a consistent approach from OSCE member states has been apparent, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov said during a joint press conference with OSCE Chair-in-Office, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta Ian Borg, Trend reports.

The minister emphasized that this remains a sensitive matter for Azerbaijan.

"In the early 90s, alongside the UN, we appealed to the OSCE for justice. However, at that crucial juncture, certain member states of the organization intentionally disregarded this matter, and subsequently, other states also ignored it.

Today, we can see everyone suffering the consequences caused by diminished respect for international law and institutions," stressed the minister.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
'He's had it': Biden's patience with Israel may be wearing thin as Rafah questions linger

WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden is at a crossroads on America's military support for Israel in its war against Hamas that could have profound and lasting effects on his presidency and the relationship with the Mideast country.

Biden's decision to pause a shipment of arms to Israel, along with a State Department report that concluded U.S. weapons were likely used to conduct operations in the Gaza Strip in ways that did not adequately protect civilians, marked a turning point for the Democratic president.

For the first time since the war began, Biden last week put conditions on U.S.-supplied weaponry: no more high payload bombs or artillery shells until the Israeli government abandons a plan to invade the densely populated city of Rafah.

"I think he's had it in terms of his patience, of being defied, especially given the extraordinary goodwill he extended for months," said Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., a leading progressive on Capitol Hill and a Biden campaign surrogate.

US President Joe Biden listens to a question from reporters before boarding a limousine upon arrival at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, in SeaTac, Washington, on May 10, 2024. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images) ORIG FILE ID: 2151840268

Progressive frustration with Biden over the war, which has lasted more than seven months, has been at a fever pitch. Protests have engulfed college campuses. Young voters and Democratic lawmakers have warned Biden he faces a collapse in support at the ballot box. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has said the war could be Biden's Vietnam.

U.S. military aid to Israel has been a significant source of the tension, and deep divisions have emerged in the Democratic Party over how Biden should proceed.

Although most congressional Democrats voted in April to beef up assistance to Israel, 88 members of his party raised "serious concerns" with Israel's conduct in Gaza in a letter to Biden earlier this month. They pressed his administration to consider withholding some arms transfers.

After the president did exactly that, a smaller group of Democrats sent a letter to the White House questioning the decision. The lawmakers told his national security adviser they were "deeply concerned" about the message Biden was sending to Hamas and other Iranian-backed proxy groups. They want the Biden administration to explain itself at a classified briefing.

Republicans have challenged Biden with a similar critique. House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul said in an interview with USA TODAY on Monday, just after he concluded a meeting with Israel's ambassador to the U.S., that Biden's actions had "caused one of the biggest rifts" the United States has ever had with Israel.

"Not only does it greatly damage our long-standing relationship with Israel, but even beyond Israel, it has far-reaching consequences," said McCaul, R-Texas. "That's what I'm particularly concerned about, is the message it sends to our allies and friends that we can't be trusted  and to our enemies it only emboldens and empowers, for instance, Iran."

U.S. officials have said that the size of the population in Rafah, where more than 1 million people had been taking refuge, drove the decision to suspend and review certain types of offensive weapons while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu weighs a major ground invasion. Biden has said he stands by U.S. aid for Israel's defense.

Biden's advisers argue that the war is at a different stage than it was in the aftermath of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people.

"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," White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters last week.

According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, more than 35,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza since the beginning of the conflict. The militant group has not provided the details for more than 11,000 of the reported casualties, and the United States, which does not have personnel on the ground, has not been able to verify its numbers.

Biden seeks to regain leverage

For months, the Biden administration had said it would not intervene in Israel's military operations. It is up to Netanyahu to determine how to conduct the war against Hamas, top officials repeatedly said.

But with a pause on some offensive weapons as the U.S. waits to see how Netanyahu reacts, Biden effectively told the Israelis to accept his military advisers' advice on how to defeat Hamas or else they will lose access to bombs, artillery shells and other munitions.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said Biden's actions are a reminder that the United States always conditions foreign aid.

"He is reminding the prime minister of Israel that when he exacerbates a humanitarian catastrophe, that the United States will not be a passive passenger in whatever direction Benjamin Netanyahu wants to drive through Rafah," she told USA TODAY. "We have been clear (on) our position on both a two-state solution and the importance of access to humanitarian relief. Benjamin Netanyahu ignores the United States at his peril."

In response to the weapons pause, Netanyahu said in a speech last week that Israel would "stand alone" if it had to.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Monday that U.S. officials continue to confer with their Israeli counterparts about alternatives.

"We are talking to Israel about how to connect their military operations to a clear, strategic endgame, about a wholistic integrated strategy to ensure the lasting defeat of Hamas and a better alternative future for Gaza and for the Palestinian people," he said.

Daniel Mouton, director for defense and political-military policy for the Middle East and North Africa at the National Security Council at the beginning of Biden's administration, said the president's recent moves amount to a change in tactics rather than a major shift in U.S. policy toward Israel.

"I think if the administration had wanted to signal a broad shift, it had the tools to have communicated that," said Mouton, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, a nonpartisan think tank.

The administration has tried to buy time for Israel's government during a period that has been tougher for the country's security across the region, he said. "And the administration has also I think clearly tried to buy sort of diplomatic and political top cover for the Israeli government. But I think we're seeing the limits of what the White House is willing to do, which is why I think this is playing out publicly."

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest outside a fundraiser event US President Joe Biden is attending in Seattle, Washington on May 10, 2024. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images) ORIG FILE ID: 2151840066

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in an appearance Sunday on "Meet the Press," demonstrated just how careful a line the administration is walking.

"President Biden brought together a coalition of countries that helped defend Israel. So, no one has done more than Joe Biden. At the same time, what we've seen over the last few months is a deep concern on our part about the possibility of a major military operation in Rafah, given the damage it would do to civilians," he said.

Blinken said the U.S. still has not seen a credible plan to get civilians out of harm's way or plans for what will happen when the war ends.

The State Department said in a report Friday that it has "serious" questions about the measures Israel takes to protect civilians. But without U.S. personnel on the ground, "it is difficult to assess or reach conclusive findings on individual incidents."

That assessment fell short for progressives who had praised Biden several days earlier for conditioning arms transfers.

Allison McManus, managing director for national security and international policy at the liberal Center for American Progress, said that for many on the left there's a "a sense of skepticism" about whether Biden intends to follow through on the weapons threat after the State Department declined to formally assign blame to Israel in its findings.

"We still don't have a firm commitment that sending weapons in that context is against our laws and policies, and we're not going to do it," she said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden at a crossroads on Israel over military aid, civilian protection
Rioters fired high-calibre weapons at police during a night of violent unrest and looting on the island of New Caledonia, the French Pacific territorys high commissioner has said.

High Commissioner of the Republic Louis Le Franc told reporters that there have been no deaths but shots were fired at the gendarmes using high calibre weapons and hunting rifles.

The unrest erupted on Monday in the French-run archipelago as protesters demonstrated against proposed voting reforms that have angered separatists.

At least two car dealerships and a bottling factory in Noumea were set on fire in arson attacks. Several supermarkets in the capital and neighbouring towns Dumbea and Mont-Dore were looted.

French gendarme officers on patrol in Noumea amid protests against a constitutional bill aimed at expanding the electorate for an upcoming election - THEO ROUBY/AFP

Sylvie, whose family has lived in New Caledonia for generations, said: The police station nearby was on fire and a car was too, in front of my house. There was non-stop shouting and explosions, I felt like I was in a war. We are alone. Who is going to protect us?

On Monday night groups of young masked or hooded demonstrators took over several roundabouts and confronted police, who responded with non-lethal rounds. Several vehicles were torched during violent clashes.

A total of 36 people were arrested and 30 police officers were injured, authorities confirmed. A night-time curfew, a ban on public gatherings, and a ban on alcohol sales are now in place until 6am on Wednesday.

Schools, colleges and the international airport are closed until further notice.

The high commission, the representative of the French state in New Caledonia, said: Very intense public order disturbances took place last night [Monday] in Noumea and in neighbouring municipalities, and are still ongoing at this time.

The New Caledonia government appealed for reason and calm and called on all Caledonians to demonstrate a sense of responsibility while the commission said it was massively mobilising internal security and civil security forces.

Cars at a Renault dealership in the Magenta district in Noumea were torched during the protests - AFP

The unrest comes as a constitutional reform is being debated in the national assembly in Paris. It aims to expand the electorate in the territorys provincial elections.

France vowed in the Noumea Accord of 1998 to gradually give more political power to the Pacific island territory of nearly 300,000 people.

Under the agreement, New Caledonia has held three referendums over its ties with France, all rejecting independence.

The pro-independence Indigenous Kanaks rejected the result of the last referendum held in December 2021, which they boycotted due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Smoke can be seen in the distance as a result of the riots in Noumea - AFP

The Noumea Accord has also meant that New Caledonias voter lists have not been updated since 1998  meaning that island residents who have arrived from mainland France or elsewhere anytime in the past 25 years do not have the right to take part in provincial polls.

The French government has branded the exclusion of one out of five people from voting as absurd, while separatists fear that expanding voter lists would benefit pro-France politicians and further minimise the Indigenous Kanak people.

During a visit to the territory last year, Emmanuel Macron, the French president, said he wanted a revised constitutional status for New Caledonia to be in place by the beginning of 2024.

Mr Macron has been seeking to reassert his countrys importance in the Pacific region, where China and the United States are vying for influence but France has territories such as New Caledonia and French Polynesia.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Tuesday. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

Even as fierce new clashes erupt, one of Ukraine s toughest fights these days is taking place off the battlefield: persuading allies that its outgunned, outnumbered army can ultimately prevail, and that billions of dollars in Western military assistance is money well spent.

President Volodymyr Zelensky made that case Tuesday to Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, who was visiting Kyiv for the first time since Aprils long-delayed congressional approval of a $61-billion weapons package  perhaps the last major American assistance for some time to come.

The two met as Ukraine was attempting to fend off a Russian cross-border onslaught that began last week in the countrys northeast, the most concerted push of its kind since the early days of the war, which set off street-by-street fighting near the frontier and forced thousands of civilians to flee relentless bombardment.

Despite the wars grim backdrop, Blinken sought a few moments away from staid diplomacy.

After a day of meetings, the 62-year-old secretary of State, whose Instagram bio identifies him as a (very) amateur guitarist, hit a popular Kyiv nightspot to play rhythm guitar with a local band. The song selection: Neil Youngs Rockin in the Free World.

Blinken addressed the crowd before the band launched into its rendition of the 1989 hit, paying tribute to soldiers and civilians dying in Ukraines northeast and elsewhere in the country.

Theyre fighting not just for a free Ukraine, but a free world, he said. And the free world is with you too.

The tone of the days talks was undeniably somber.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, center, surrounded by security officers, walks in Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Tuesday. (Efrem Lukatsky / Associated Press)

We know this is a challenging time, Blinken told Zelensky. Arriving U.S. military aid, he said, is going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield.

Zelensky replied with thanks for the new weaponry already beginning to reach Ukraine  coupled with familiar pleas for additional help.

Read more: Pummeled by airstrikes, Ukrainians in Kharkiv live in defiance of Russia

People are under attack  civilians, warriors, everybody, the Ukrainian leader said, asking for two Patriot air-defense batteries.

Analysts said if Russia advances farther in Kharkiv province , it will again place the city of more than 1.3 million people, already pummeled by Russian missiles and so-called glide bombs, within range of punishing artillery barrages.

In some ways, the Blinken visit pointed up the same delicate line Zelensky has trod since the start of Russias full-scale invasion more than two years ago: impressing upon Western partners that Ukraines military needs are urgent and dire, and at the same time asserting that the fight is not a hopeless one.

Read more: Russia tries to breach Ukraine's defenses in the Kharkiv region

And even while thanking Western governments for support, Zelensky bluntly declared that delays  whether bureaucratic holdups or political disputes such as the GOP infighting that blocked U.S. assistance for six months  translate directly into loss of civilian and military lives.

We need to significantly speed up the supply process, the Ukrainian leader said in an address to compatriots on Tuesday night. Currently, the time gap between the announcement of packages and the actual appearance of weapons on the front line is too large.

Blinken had a nuanced message to deliver as well: looking ahead to the day that Ukraine stands strongly on its own feet militarily, but also economically and democratically  suggesting that even unstinting support cannot continue indefinitely.

Dignitaries war-zone visits like these are commonplace, but traveling to the Ukrainian capital is still dangerous enough that such visits are not announced in advance. Its not possible to fly in to Kyiv; Blinken arrived via overnight train from Poland.

Read more: In Ukraine, relief over U.S. aid vote  and fear over what an angry Russia will do next

At the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin, newly sworn in for an essentially uncontested fifth term in office, was busy signaling his intent to pursue his war aims for as long as necessary.

Over the weekend, the Kremlin announced the appointment of a new defense minister  an economist, Andrei Belousov, who will be tasked with harnessing the power of Russias military-industrial complex to sustain the fight.

Putin is also traveling this week to Beijing for a meeting with Chinas President Xi Jinping, at which he is expected to press for a continuation of the partnership that has helped the Kremlin escape the effects of Western wartime sanctions, reap robust oil and gas revenues and obtain needed technology and spare parts  though China does not directly supply Russia with weapons.

Read more: Ukrainians contemplate the once unthinkable: Losing the war with Russia

For all of the solidarity Blinken extended to Zelensky, Ukraine is keenly aware that in a U.S. election year, backing for the war amounts to a significant expenditure of political capital.

Other major Western allies are also calibrating their own longer-term plans for Ukraine with an eye on Novembers U.S. election.

Britain was attempting to smooth over a flap that arose over Foreign Secretary David Camerons recent pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago, former President Trumps Florida resort.

Britains Sunday Times newspaper reported over the weekend that Cameron had made the case to Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, that aid to Ukraine now would set favorable terms for Trump to swiftly negotiate a peace deal if he regained office.

The British defense secretary, Grant Shapps, clarified in a radio interview Tuesday that Britain would not try to force Ukraine to accept a peace treaty that entailed a loss of territory.

Ukraine garnered additional support Tuesday from France, whose government on Tuesday announced that unspecified new military aid would be arriving soon, following a phone conversation between Zelensky and President Emmanuel Macron.

Ukraine is also hoping to gain pledges of ongoing support at a peace summit in Switzerland next month  to which Russia has not been invited  and at gatherings this summer, including a NATO summit in July in Washington, marking the alliances 75th birthday.

For the government in Kyiv, though, the short-term picture is clouded. Russia has deployed about 2,000 troops in a drive toward the Kharkiv province town of Vovchansk, according to Ukrainian military officials.

The Russian forces were making tactically significant advances in what appeared to be an attempt to establish a buffer zone along the frontier north of Kharkiv city, according to the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War.

Read more: In Ukraine's old imperial city, pastel palaces are in jeopardy, but black humor survives

Ukraine is already struggling to hold key positions in the countrys east, and analysts have said the Russian push in Kharkiv could divert troops needed to blunt advances elsewhere. Ukraines general staff on Tuesday reported two dozen separate attacks in the partly Russian-occupied Donetsk province.

The regional governor, Oleh Sinegubov, said on Ukrainian television that the latest fighting in the northeast had set off street-to-street battles on the outskirts of Vovchansk, the largest town in the area, most of whose inhabitants have fled.

The governor reported two deaths in the latest shelling and the evacuation of more than 7,500 civilians.

The situation is under control, Zelensky said in his nightly address. But he added: Everything is quite tense.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A recent high school graduate was stabbed in an unprovoked attack during a graduation event, according to Missouri police and news reports.

The incident happened as graduates from Cabool High School were at a go-kart track in Branson for their Project Graduation event Monday, May 13, according to KY3 and the Houston Herald.

Project Graduation is a program offered at high schools for graduates to participate in adult-supervised, alcohol-free activities.

A Branson police officer said Michael Gardner, 37, approached the victim, unprovoked, and thrust a knife at him, poking him in the stomach. Gardner tried to stab the victim several more times, and the graduate was stabbed a second time in his forearm, according to police.

Gardner then threatened a nearby witness and asked if he wanted it next, police said.

The second victim, who KY3 and the Houston Herald reported was not among the graduates, was sprayed in the face with what was believed to be pepper spray, according to the probable cause statement.

Gardner was located still armed with the knife, and officers used their tasers when Gardner refused to drop his weapon, police said.

He was taken into custody on charges including two counts of assault and unlawful use of a weapon, court documents show. Police said he was in possession of two knives and three cans of pepper spray.

School district officials said the graduate who was stabbed received moderate injuries and was briefly hospitalized, according to the Houston Herald.

The rest of the Project Graduation events were reportedly canceled.

We appreciate the quick and decisive actions of the Project Graduation sponsors, the school district said in a statement to KY3. They commended the graduates swift response in ensuring their classmates safety. The district is immensely grateful for these dedicated volunteers incredible response, quick action, and immediate communication with the school administration regarding the incident.

Branson, located in the Ozarks, is about a 210-mile drive southeast of Kansas City.

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High water level reported in Mississippi River in New Orleans after severe weather event

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)  The water level in the Mississippi River has grown to 11 feet, forcing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to activate a plan to combat problem areas that may develop.

The USACE reported the river has reached 11 feet at the Carrollton Gage as of Tuesday, May 14.

This comes after a wave of severe weather swept through South Louisiana overnight. The Louisiana Department of Health has confirmed three deaths.

Slidell man accused of cooking crack cocaine inside home

As a result of the high water level, the USACE has activated Phase 1 flood fight procedures. This means the USACE New Orleans District will be patrolling levees twice a week until the water level falls below 11 feet again.

Phase 1 is activated when the water level reaches 11 feet and is expected to continue to rise. According to the corps, the extra patrol helps the USACE respond quickly to problem areas that may develop due to the high water level.

(WGNO/Pat Thomas)

(WGNO/Pat Thomas)

(WGNO/Pat Thomas)

(WGNO/Pat Thomas)

Its expected that the water level at the Carrollton Gage will crest at 12 feet on May 23 and stay there for a few days before falling.

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.

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Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance stood behind Donald Trump outside a New York courthouse on Monday, arms crossed, as the former president complained about his hush money trial.

It's a far cry from the Vance who once suggested Trump could be "America's Hitler" and idealized the example Barack Obama set for American families. But today, it's par for the course: Vance switched gears on Trump ahead of his 2022 Senate bid  which he won with the former president's help  and quickly became part of his inner orbit.

Now, Vance is on the shortlist for the vice presidential nomination  and a Cincinnati-area fundraiser on Wednesday could serve as an audition for the job.

"I think its a test to see whether or not Vance has the fundraising appeal that Trump wants," said Mark Weaver, a Republican strategist in Ohio.

Vance declined to be interviewed for this story. A Trump campaign adviser said "anyone claiming to know who or when President Trump will choose his VP is lying, unless the person is named Donald J. Trump." But Vance's name has come up in multiple reports about Trump's shortlist, and he recently attended a donor retreat in Florida with other contenders.

Wednesday's fundraiser is fueling further speculation. Trump will appear at a lunch discussion featuring Vance as a "special guest," according to an invitation obtained by the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau. Attendees must commit $50,000 or $100,000 per couple, and the price tag is $250,000 for the host committee.

Former President Donald Trump appears with Sen. J.D. Vance at the Dayton International Airport in March.

Vance, for his part, has downplayed the rumors.

"I think it's really important that we reelect Donald Trump, and I think I can do a very good job for the people of Ohio and also supporting the broader Trump agenda from the perch of the United States Senate," Vance told Scripps News last week. "We'll see what happens. If he asks me, certainly I'd be interested, but he hasn't asked me yet."

How Vance changed his tune on Trump

Vance's first claim to fame was his memoir "Hillbilly Elegy," which detailed a childhood plagued by drug addiction, abuse and poverty in Middletown, Ohio. He described a sense of disenchantment and "learned helplessness" in white, rural America that observers used to explain Trump's 2016 victory. For some in rural Ohio, Vance's book was a middle finger to their lives and communities.

That personal story anchored Vance's run for Senate in 2022. Former U.S. Sen. Rob Portman retired from office and opened the floodgates for a chaotic Republican primary  one Vance was not favored to win. He didn't have any political experience, unlike former Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, and he faced questions of authenticity until his victory in November 2022.

Much of the skepticism stemmed from Vance's past comments on Trump. During a 2016 NPR interview, Vance called Trump "noxious" and joked about writing in his dog on the 2016 ballot. He also referred to the former president as "cultural heroin" in a column for The Atlantic that year.

Fast forward to 2022: Vance came around to Trump and managed to land his endorsement in the GOP primary. Democrats and even some Republicans accused Vance of flip-flopping to further his political ambitions. Despite that, he went on to defeat former Rep. Tim Ryan, who called Vance an "a-- kisser" during one of their debates.

"One thing that seems clear is (Trump) doesnt really care if people have admonished him or criticized him in the past," said Justin Barasky, a political strategist who advised Ryan's campaign. "In fact, he seems to relish in winning people over and getting people who said really bad things about him to bend the knee and become a supporter."

Sen. J.D. Vance appears in New York during former President Donald Trump's hush money trial on Monday.

Does Vance have a VP's resume?

It didn't take long for Vance to develop his brand in the Senate.

He works with Democrats on issues that matter to him  whether it's manufacturing or rail safety  but he's not big on bipartisanship in general. Some of his bills capitalize on the controversy of the day, such as legislation to yank federal funding from colleges that allow protest encampments. Vance is also outspoken on social media, even though he once conceded that he's not a media commentator.

In a CNN interview over the weekend, Vance said he would accept the 2024 election results  as long as it's a "free and fair election."

"Because hes taken a stand on these very prominent issues and not backed off from those, weve seen him become an important figure in our country," said state Rep. D.J. Swearingen, R-Huron, an early supporter of Vance.

Unlike other vice presidential prospects, Vance wouldn't bring a different demographic to the ticket. Weaver said South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, for example, could help Trump increase support among Black men. And while Trump appears to have a soft spot for Ohio, it's no longer a presidential battleground that will decide the outcome in November. Trump easily won Ohio in 2016 and 2020.

Still, observers say Vance's willingness to throw punches on Trump's behalf, especially outside the conservative media bubble, is an important show of loyalty. Those who like and dislike him say he's a compelling, articulate speaker  something his critics believe makes him dangerous. Vance has also developed a friendship with Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., which could pay dividends down the road.

"Not only has J.D. become a close personal friend of mine, he has been a loyal fighter for my father and is a leader in the Senate for the America First policy agenda," Trump Jr. said in a statement. "Unlike so many others, he also isn't afraid to challenge the establishment in either political party to do what's right for the American people. We need more people in Washington, D.C. with the backbone and policy expertise of J.D."

If Vance joins the ticket  and Trump wins in November  Gov. Mike DeWine would appoint a senator to replace him temporarily. Ohio would then elect a new senator at the next regular state election.

Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How Ohio Sen. JD Vance landed on Donald Trump VP shortlist
The former employee at Hilton Heads north-end post office who was arrested for alleged mail theft last fall has accepted a plea deal and now awaits sentencing in federal court.

Hardeeville resident Thylenthia Tobet Young, 44, pleaded guilty March 4 to one count of mail theft by a USPS employee. In exchange, South Carolinas district court dismissed her two remaining counts of the federal offense. She was indicted on the three charges in mid-September but had maintained a not guilty plea until the agreement was introduced in early March.

Young resigned May 30, 2023 from the islands Fairfield post office, located at 213 William Hilton Parkway. She worked as a rural carrier, meaning she sorted mail inside the office before departing on a delivery route across the island.

Charging documents accused Young of embezzling three pieces of mail, once in April and twice on May 30. Upon conviction, she would face $250,100 in fines, up to five years in prison and three years of supervised release  a federal equivalent of probation that requires defendants to take a series of drug tests and avoid future criminal charges, among other conditions.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 12 in a Charleston federal courtroom, according to public documents obtained through the PACER court reporting system. Young was released from custody in late September on a personal recognizance bond.

Although Youngs indictment does not specify what type of items were taken from the mail or their total value, emails obtained last summer from an Office of Inspector General official said she threw away all checks she embezzled and that the employee was once found with a stolen $100 Mastercard gift card.

As rumors of mail theft mounted on social media last summer, dozens of Hilton Head residents reported over $2,000 worth of missing cash, gift cards and other items to The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette. Islanders have also criticized the services local disorganization, citing slow routes and misplaced deliveries.

Widespread reports of missing USPS deliveries in Beaufort County have continued into 2024, suggesting the problem runs deeper than one aberrant employee. An Office of Inspector General spokesperson said Tuesday that there were no other open investigations into local postal employees, adding that potential victims can file a complaint at https://www.uspsoig.gov/hotline.
History of Cuban spying and the harm done to the U.S. | Opinion

Victor Manuel Rocha is the latest Cuban spy sentenced for his crimes, but hes far from the first captured in the U.S. Since the early 1960s, the Cuban government has recruited dozens of agents or double agents. In all cases, the damage done to the U.S. and its security has been hard to gauge.

In Rochas case, he spent over 40 years spying for communist Cuba at the U.S. State Department, holding important postings in Latin America and in the National Security Council.

Later, he worked as a private consultant for the U.S. Southern Command in Doral, which oversees Cuba. The Associated Press reports that Federal authorities have been conducting a confidential damage assessment that could take years to complete, when discovered, much of it will remain classified.

Rocha was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison in April and fined $500,000.

Other spies have stolen U.S. intelligence that may have gotten Americans killed and engaged in influence operations to downplay Havanas threat to the U.S.

Spying for Havana were Ana Belen Montes, who spent 17 years at the Pentagon in the Defense Intelligence Agency; Walter Kendall Myers, a high ranking analyst at the State Department who spent 30 years spying with his wife Gwendolyn; and Marta Rita Velazquez, a legal officer at the Agency for International Development, who recruited Montes.

Carlos Alvarez, a psychology professor at Florida International University, spent nearly 30 years with his wife, Elsa, spying on their community, and organizing trips for students to Cuba. Philip Agee, who worked at the Central Intelligence Agency, defected to Cuba in 1973 and outed 250 CIA officers and agents.

In addition, Castros spies, who pass themselves off as diplomats, operate in Havanas embassy in Washington and at Cubas United Nations Mission in New York City. The Cuban dictatorship also sends illegal agents to spy and conduct active measures in America.

Havanas WASP spy network infiltrated the United States to gather information on military installations and personnel, sow division among Cuban exiles, locate places to store weapons and explosives and terrorize then assassinate a CIA agent living in Florida with a mail bomb. They helped kill four in the Feb. 24, 1996 Brothers to the Rescue shootdown, and the networks head Gerardo Hernandez was convicted of murder conspiracy.

These practices began in 1959. In 1961, the Soviet Defense Council gave Czechoslovakia orders to use Cuban intelligence to infiltrate existing drug operations in the U.S. and Latin America and to lay the groundwork for recruiting these independent activities. The former high-ranking Czech official Jan Sejna gave a detailed account of his meetings with Raul Castro, which he had on average four times a year between 1961 and 1968, the same year Sejna defected to the U.S..

After the State Department determined in January 1982 that Havana had armed the M-19 terrorist group in exchange for drugs smuggling to the U.S., Cuba was added to the state terror sponsors list on March 1, 1982

Four high-ranking Cuban officials were indicted by a U.S. grand jury for narcotics smuggling on November 5, 1982.

Rene Rodriguez-Cruz, Cuban Communist Party Central Committee member and president of the Cuban Institute of Friendship With The Peoples.

Aldo Santamaria-Cuadrado, a vice admiral in the Cuban navy and Cuban Communist Party Central Committee member.

Fernando Ravelo-Renedo, Cuban ambassador to Colombia..

Gonzalo Bassols-Suarez, former minister-counsel of the Cuban embassy in Bogota and Cuban Communist Party member.

Montes was recruited by Cuban intelligence agents in New York City in December 1984, and on Sept. 30, 1985 she reported to work at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in the Pentagon.

Former Army counterintelligence special agent Reg Brown also came to the DIA in 1985. Chris Simmons, a career Counterintelligence Officer, in his 2023 book, Castros Nemesis describes how Brown conducted an assessment that revealed the Castro regime still trafficked drugs and that this involved the organized and sustained involvement by many of Fidels highest ranking officials.

A Cuban spy in the DIA warned Havana that their role in flooding the U.S. with cocaine would be discovered.

This was not the end of the Havana Cartel. With the rise of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela in 1999, Havana played a major role in the formation of the Soles Cartel, and the dramatic increase in cocaine entering the U.S. over the next 25 years.

There is no doubt. Rocha and other Cuban spies like him harm the U.S. government and tens of thousands of innocents.

John Suarez is Executive Director for Center for a Free Cuba.
Hondas are getting targeted for break-ins in this Bay Area city, police say

(KRON)  The San Mateo Police Department said that Hondas are being targeted in their city. Between Wednesday and Saturday, SMPD reported 17 Hondas being broken into.

The thieves have smashed the cars driver-side window and taken the steering wheel assemblies, which contain airbags.

Two people nabbed after stealing from Target in Antioch: police

These parts can be stolen with just a screwdriver and can be sold for $300-$1,000, police said. The most commonly targeted Hondas are Civics, Accords and CRVs.

Polices typical advice to prevent break-ins is to not leave valuable items in cars, but that does not apply in this case. SMPD suggested making sure the cars alarm system is working and parking in a well-lit, visible area.

Other prevention techniques mentioned by police are putting a club over the steering wheel when the car is parked and clearing an extra parking spot in your garage, if possible.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
Hong Kong calls for respect of its overseas-based trade offices after UK charged its London staffer

FILE - Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee speaks at a reception following a flag raising ceremony for the celebration of 74th National Day of the People's Republic of China at the Golden Bauhinia Square in Hong Kong on Oct. 1, 2023. Hong Kong's leader on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, urged foreign governments to respect the duties of its overseas-based trade offices after a staff member in its London branch was charged in Britain for allegedly helping the city's intelligence service gather information. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei, File)

HONG KONG (AP)  Hong Kong's leader on Tuesday urged foreign governments to respect its overseas-based trade offices after a staff member in its London branch was charged in Britain for allegedly working for the Chinese city's intelligence service.

Chief Executive John Lee said his administration had demanded the British government provide an explanation about the prosecution of Bill Yuen, the office manager of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London. Lee said any attempt to make unwarranted allegations against the citys government is unacceptable.

British police allege that Yuen, along with Chi Leung (Peter) Wai and Matthew Trickett, agreed to engage in information gathering, surveillance and acts of deception that were likely to materially assist the Hong Kong intelligence service. The trio was charged under a new national security act that gave British police additional powers to tackle foreign espionage.

In his weekly news briefing, Lee said the duties of the trade office in London are to foster ties with various sectors in Britain and promote Hong Kong.

Any attempt to interfere with the work of the ETO offices in different places will be against free trade and free economy and will harm the economy of the countries that try to do bad things to the operation of the ETO offices, he said.

Monday's prosecution is likely to sour relations between Britain and China. Chinese authorities in both the U.K. and Hong Kong have criticized the charges, saying they were the latest in a series of groundless and slanderous accusations that the British government has leveled against China.

Britain summoned Chinas ambassador to the Foreign Office on Tuesday in a sign of strong diplomatic displeasure.

The Foreign Office said in a statement that Ambassador Zheng Zeguang had been called to a meeting to be told that the recent pattern of behavior directed by China against the U.K. including cyberattacks, reports of espionage links and the issuing of bounties is not acceptable.

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that China is gravely concerned about the prosecution of the Chinese national and called on Britain to safeguard the legitimate rights of Chinese in the U.K.

For some time, the British side has been hyping up the so-called Chinese spying and Chinese cyberattacks," he said. China firmly opposes such despicable acts of political manipulation in the name of justice and national security.

In April, British prosecutors charged two men, including a former researcher working in the U.K. Parliament, with spying for China. The Chinese Embassy called the allegations fabricated.

On Monday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak warned the U.K. was facing an increasingly dangerous future due to threats from an axis of authoritarian states, including Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.

The head of GCHQ, Britains electronic intelligence agency, said in a speech on Tuesday that China poses a genuine and increasing cyber risk to the U.K. Anne Keast-Butler said Beijings coercive and destabilizing actions ... pose a significant risk to international norms and values and weaken the security of the internet.

Hong Kong has always been a specific source of tensions between Britain and Beijing. The former British colony returned to China in 1997 under an agreement that included promises by Beijing to keep for 50 years a degree of self-government and freedoms of assembly, speech and press that are not allowed on the Communist-ruled Chinese mainland. Critics say those freedoms have all but disappeared.

The three men were granted bail in a London court on Monday and their next court appearance is scheduled for May 24.

Hong Kong media reported that Yuen is a former police officer in Hong Kong. The Associated Press found Yuens name printed in local police publicity materials online.

In the news conference on Tuesday, Lee also responded to reports of a photo he had taken with Yuen for a news article years ago.

This photo appears to be a graduation group photo, he said. My impression of this person is solely based on this photo.

___

Associated Press writer Jill Lawless in London contributed to this story.

___

Find more AP coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/europe
Hong Kong leader hits out after UK charges three with spying for city

Hong Kongs leader responded on Tuesday after three people were charged by British police for allegedly spying on behalf of the citys intelligence services.

On Monday, three men appeared in Westminster Magistrates court in London charged with national security offenses, including assisting the Hong Kong intelligence service, according to a statement from the citys Metropolitan Police.

Chi Leung (Peter) Wai, 38, Matthew Trickett, 37, and Chung Biu Yuen, 63, are also accused of foreign interference, the statement said, without specifying who the men were allegedly spying on.

Relations between Hong Kong and its former colonial ruler Britain have soured in recent years following mass pro-democracy protests in the Chinese city in 2019 and 2020.

The British government has criticized Hong Kongs Beijing-backed crackdown on almost all opposition in the years following the protests, while Hong Kong authorities have bristled at Britain providing a safe haven for pro-democracy leaders sought by the Hong Kong police.

On Tuesday, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee claimed the British charges against thre three men were a fabrication.

The Chinese side firmly rejects and strongly condemns the UKs fabrication in the so-called case and its unwarranted accusation against the Hong Kong government, Lee said, referring directly to a statement from the Chinese Embassy in London that was also issued in response to the charges.

Chi Leung Wai leaves Westminster Magistrates' Court in London, on May 13, 2024. - Yui Mok/AP

Matthew Trickett leaving Westminster Magistrates' Court, central London, on May 13, 2024. - Jonathan Brady/AP

On Monday, the Chinese Embassy statement, strongly condemned what it called the United Kingdoms unwarranted accusation against the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government.

The charges against the three men allege that between December 20, 2023 and May 2, 2024, Yuen, Wai and Trickett agreed to undertake information gathering, surveillance and acts of deception that were likely to materially assist a foreign intelligence service, according to PA media.

Police also alleged that on May 1, the three forced entry into a UK residential address, according to PA.

All three were granted bail but are barred from traveling internationally, with District Judge Louisa Cieciora saying they must abide by a nighttime curfew and report weekly to their local police station.

Hong Kong leader Lee noted in his Tuesday news conference that one of the men charged was the office manager of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London but did not directly address a question over whether it was involved in surveillance of Hong Kong dissidents in the UK.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee is speaking at a press conference on April 30, 2024. - Vernon Yuen/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Lee, the citys former security chief, said Hong Kongs Economic and Trade Office exists to facilitate cultural and economic interactions with people and businesses in the UK and that Any attempt to make unwarranted accusations against the Hong Kong government is unacceptable.

The Metropolitan Police said they had charged the men with assisting the foreign intelligence service under the UK National Security Act.

A number of arrests were made and searches carried out across England as part of this investigation. While led from London, the Counter Terrorism Policing network has been crucial to disrupting this activity and we have worked closely with the Crown Prosecution Service since the start of the investigation, Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Mets Counter Terrorism Command said in the release.

Met Police said the investigation is ongoing but added there is no threat to the wider community.

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Following several high-profile espionage arrests in recent weeks, the UK has summoned Chinas ambassador  both to condemn the alleged behavior and warn that it risks deteriorating already fragile Sino-British relations.

The UKs Foreign Office was unequivocal in setting out that the recent pattern of behavior directed by China against the UK including cyber attacks, reports of espionage links and the issuing of bounties is not acceptable, according to a statement.

UK officials have charged three people  including a former Hong Kong traffic cop who worked at the citys Economic and Trade Office in London  for spying on Chinese dissidents in the UK. Thats significant because Hong Kongs economic and trade policy has been left largely free of Chinese influence under its one government, two systems model  but the arrest suggests that freedom waning.

Meanwhile, British authorities have been ramping up counter-espionage operations targeting suspected Chinese spies  including a former Conservative parliamentary researcher  in recent weeks; Beijing has largely condemned and denied the accusations.

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Hong Kongs final piece of autonomy is at risk, arrests suggest

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Source: South China Morning Post

That a Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office official was arrested for espionage could spark questions about the independence of the citys foreign trade offices, effectively shutting down the last branch of autonomy Hong Kong has over its external affairs, according to the South China Morning Post. While Hong Kongs National Security Law means that Beijing now largely controls the citys legislative and judicial systems, the city has been able to maintain some economic autonomy and organize its trade deals independently of Beijing. But the spying incidents will push China hawks in the UK and abroad to demand authorities to review the relevant acts governing the operation of the trade offices in their countries, one Hong Kong-based international relations academic said.

UK intelligence warns academia is under threat

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Sources: The Sunday Times, Latika Takes

UK universities are a target of Chinese espionage, according to UK intelligence. Chinese researchers are recruited by Beijing to steal technology for military purposes, reported freelance journalist and frequent CNN commentator Latika Bourke. University staff could soon be required to have security clearance because its so pervasive, she added. In turn,Beijing funds hundreds of scholarships to send Chinese students to UK universities and monitor dissident activity on campus, according to a Scottish intelligence report. Several academics interviewed by the Sunday Times recalled Chinese students who questioned their political beliefs, with some staff alleging the students reported them to Chinas embassy.

From China-born spies to foreign-recruitment

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Source: The Spectator

Beijing has historically relied on its huge diaspora worldwide for espionage, and Chinese spy agencies used to be circumspect about recruiting foreigners and using techniques such as honey-traps, former MI6 director Nigel Inkster wrote in The Spectator. But with more dissidents becoming vocal within the Chinese community abroad  and the West becoming more suspicious of China-born individuals  Beijing is increasingly relying on foreigners for espionage. Many of these Western agents are recruited while studying abroad or working in China. They are offered money in exchange for something quite uncontroversialbut in due course, this progresses into more sensitive information requests, Inskter wrote.

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If youre a Republican politician looking to score points with Donald Trump, theres a decent chance youve been spotted recently in or outside Manhattan Criminal Court. U.S. senators, House members, state attorneys general, and former GOP presidential primary opponents have all traveled to New York to support the former president during his criminal trial.

Trump has publicly complained that the MAGA faithful havent descended on the court in droves, blaming law enforcement for restricting access to the area for blocks, which is false. Privately, hes griped that more prominent Republican lawmakers  including those hes considering for vice president  arent showing their support. Where are they? he angrily groused earlier this month, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter.

A different source familiar with some of Trumps private comments on this topic tells Rolling Stone that earlier this month, the former president, noticeably annoyed, remarked that elite conservatives he had endorsed werent showing up to the trial to show moral and political support. This source also says that especially irritated Trump after he saw the following New York Times headline, from early May: After Large Rallies, Trump Is Greeted at Courthouse by a Single Fan.

They seem to have since gotten the message. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) was there last week, claiming to reporters that Trump is being persecuted just like he was when his company was investigated for Medicare fraud. Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) were there on Monday, as was New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall have also made appearances. On Tuesday, primary opponents turned surrogates Vivek Ramaswamy and Doug Burgum are expected to be there, as are Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), Rep. Cory Mills, and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).

Johnson called Trump a friend before calling the whole affair a political hit job. He said that Michael Cohen, Trumps former fixer who is testifying this week, is clearly on a mission for personal revenge and is widely known as having trouble with the truth.

Speaker Johnson attacking the judge, prosecutors, and the current witness Michael Cohen who is currently testifying pic.twitter.com/ftgOhBreBD  Acyn (@Acyn) May 14, 2024

Trump is currently standing trial after he was charged with felony 34 counts of falsifying business records in an alleged attempt to hide the reimbursement of a hush-money payment made by Cohen. Cohen is currently on the stand, and on Monday he testified that Trump personally approved the hush-money reimbursement plan on which the criminal charges are based.

The facts of the case are immaterial to Trumps grovelers, though. They are there to echo Trumps cries of unfair treatment. In a statement to the media at the end of court on Monday, Trump quoted Vance and said, Whats going on is a threat to democracy. We cannot have a country where you get to prosecute your political opponents instead of persuading voters.

Trumps gag order bars him from attacking witnesses in the case, but his allies certainly arent holding back. Johnsons rant against Cohen on Tuesday followed one from Vance on Monday. Does any reasonable, sensible person believe anything that Michael Cohen says? I dont think that they should, Vance ranted to reporters. Vance also echoed Trumps pre-gag order attacks against Judge Juan Merchans daughter, who has led a Democratic fundraising firm. Every single person involved in this prosecution is practically a Democratic political operative, Vance claimed.

Tuberville also got some time behind the microphone on Monday, complaining about the physical state of the courtroom and the fact that the court addresses Trump as Mr. Trump rather than President Trump.

Tuberville: I'm disappointed in the courtroom. I'm hearing Mr. Trump, Mr. Trump. He is former President Trump. Give him some respect. pic.twitter.com/unQyPayPJx  Acyn (@Acyn) May 13, 2024

Politicians werent the only ones to show up in support. Standing tall behind Trump as he made his morning statements on Monday were his lawyer Alina Habba and former adviser Boris Epshteyn, the latter of whom was indicted in Arizona over alleged 2020 election interference.

Notably absent from Trumps team of supporters are his wife and most of his family. Melania, Donald Trump Jr., and Ivanka Trump havent been seen. Eric Trump has made multiple appearances, but he hasnt exactly been an enthusiastic observer, looking delightfully bored behind his father and eyeing the far-from-intricately detailed walls of the courtroom. His efforts to remain alert have worked compared to his father, who has been observed on several occasions throughout the trial jerking his head, presumably to stay awake.

Trumps most consistent supporter may not be his own son, but the son of Rudy Giuliani. Failed New York gubernatorial candidate Andrew Giuliani, whose father was indicted along with Epshtyen in Arizona, has never met a camera he didnt like and has been a constant figure in the courtroom. Hes been in or outside the courthouse more than all of Trumps actual family combined. On the first day of jury selection, Giuliani didnt make the cut to enter the courtroom, instead shaking hands with Trump supporters outside. He told Rolling Stone he views Trump like an uncle.

Personally, Im here for him, he said.

More from Rolling Stone

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Some House lawmakers want to prevent the Air Force from retiring older F-22A Raptor fighters and keep the F-15EX Eagle II jets in production a year longer than the service had planned.

The House Armed Services Committees proposed fiscal 2025 National Defense Authorization Act would also allow the service to cut 56 A-10 Warthogs.

The Air Force originally planned to retire 250 aircraft in FY25 as part of its budget request in order to save more than $2 billion. Those retirements would include 32 of its Block 20 F-22 jets the service says would cost too much to prepare for combat.

The service had also planned to stop buying the Boeing-made F-15EX after FY25, capping the entire Eagle II program at 98. That would be six fewer than the total 104 the service had most recently planned to buy.

But the committees proposed NDAA, released Monday, would reverse those two decisions.

The FY23 NDAA stopped the Air Force from retiring those Block 20 F-22s through FY27. A congressional staffer told Defense News on Tuesday the latest proposed bill would keep the enacted provision in place, blocking the Air Forces F-22 retirement plans.

The congressional staffer noted that lawmakers felt those F-22s  despite the cost associated with preparations for combat  are still relevant for a future fight.

Theyre still the best air superiority jets we have in the world today, the staffer said.

The NDAA also would temporarily pause the Air Forces plans to retire 26 of its F-15E Strike Eagles with less effective engines. Those jets could not be retired until six months after the Pentagon submits a study showing how many fighters the Air Force will need to meet geographical combatant commanders requirements. The staffer said F-15Es would be needed if a fight against China erupted later this decade.

The Air Forces other requested retirements  including plans to retire 56 A-10 Warthogs, 65 F-15C and F-15D Eagle fighters, and 11 F-16 Fighting Falcons  would be granted in the NDAA, the staffer said. The Air Force says the A-10 attack plane would be too vulnerable in a fight against an advanced adversary and wants to retire the entire fleet by 2029. Congress long fought the Air Forces A-10 retirement plans, but lawmakers opposition has thawed in recent years.

The NDAA would also add $271 million back into the budget to buy an additional 24 F-15EXs in 2026, and keep Boeings production line for the updated fourth-generation jet active.

The additional jets would leave the Air Force with a total F-15EX fleet of 122 fighters. That would still be fewer than the 144 Eagle IIs the service originally planned to buy, but more than the most recent program of record of 98.

We dont want to limit options out there for us to continue the F-15EX line in 2026, the staffer said.
A proposed House policy bill would slash the number of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters the Pentagon would buy in fiscal 2025 as lawmakers patience with the program and manufacturer Lockheed Martin wears thin.

The Pentagons proposed FY25 budget called for buying 68 of the fifth-generation fighter  42 F-35As for the Air Force, plus 13 F-35Bs and 13 F-35Cs for the Navy and Marine Corps.

But the chairmans mark of the House Armed Services Committees proposed FY25 National Defense Authorization Act would first cut that purchase to 58 jets. On top of that, the Pentagon would not be allowed to accept delivery of 10 of those jets until the defense secretary certifies to lawmakers that several problems with the F-35 are fixed.

That means that at least at first, the Pentagon would only receive 48 jets in all next year.

In a background briefing with reporters, a senior staff member for the committees Republican majority expressed displeasure with the F-35 program and Lockheed Martin. The Pentagon has halted deliveries of the newest F-35s while Lockheed sorts out problems with its Technology Refresh 3 upgrades. An undisclosed number of jets are now sitting at the companys facility in Fort Worth, Texas.

Over the last couple of years, our members have grown frustrated with the F-35 program, the Republican staffer said. This year, we are struggling with accepting airplanes from Lockheed Martin when they come off the line. So our members wanted to address that because if you have an aircraft come off [the production line and] were not accepting delivery, whats the point? Theyre just paperweights at that point.

When asked for comment, Lockheed Martin wrote in an email to Defense News: We look forward to working with the administration and the Congress as the presidents fiscal year 2025 budget receives full consideration in the months ahead.

TR-3 is the name of a batch of upgrades to the F-35s software and hardware, including improved displays, computer memory and processing power, which will lay the foundation for a more extensive series of upgrades known as Block 4.

But problems with TR-3s software, as well as delays in production on some key components, have kept the newest F-35s from working properly. TR-3 is now more than a year overdue, and deliveries may not resume until the third quarter of 2024. Even when delivery begins for the jets featuring TR-3, which could happen this year, they wont be ready for combat until 2025.

Another senior staffer for the committees Democrats said lawmakers want to see the F-35 program succeed and that the Pentagon sorely needs the jet. But the problems with TR-3 have to be sorted through so the Block 4 upgrades  which will include the ability to carry more weapons and better electronic warfare capabilities  can follow, he added.

The Republican staffer said cutting the initial 10 F-35s from the procurement plan would save roughly $1 billion, which could then be reinvested into the program to ensure they work properly when they roll out of the factory and are delivered to the military.

He highlighted the jets software issues and radar problems as items that must be fixed, noting it would be better to buy fewer jets to ensure the ones that are delivered work properly and arent left sitting in Fort Worth.

Thats better for the long-term health of the platform, the Republican staffer said.

The Republican staffer added that the withholding of 10 more jets deliveries would prod the Pentagon to deliver plans to fix the aircrafts problems, and encourage acquisition strategies that would improve issues found throughout the F-35 program.

The Republican staffer said the report on the F-35s initial operational test and evaluation phase had several recommendations for things that need fixed with the jet, and that these reports should help provide a way forward.

Were doing a number of things to try and mitigate some problems that the F-35 is having in production so that it gets to the warfighter sooner, the Republican staffer said.
A defense policy bill released this week by the House Armed Services Committee expresses concerns over the Navys aging cruisers, the cost and capability of a planned amphibious ship, development of capability to rearm vessels at sea, and more.

The language in the committees fiscal 2025 National Defense Authorization Act represents a continuation of disagreements between lawmakers and the sea service. The panel in recent years has clashed with the Navy in regard to balancing readiness, fleet size and the creation of next-generation technology.

Here are some of the issues House lawmakers take issue with.

Fleet size

As has been the case for years, the House Armed Services Committee is limiting how many Ticonderoga-class cruisers the Navy can retire. The service in its FY25 plan asked to retire four: USS Philippine Sea, USS Normandy, USS Shiloh and USS Lake Erie.

The committees version of the NDAA would prohibit the retirement of the Guided Missile Cruisers USS Shiloh (CG 67) and USS Lake Erie (CG 70), as well as prevent the Navy from retiring or laying up more than two other cruisers.

The bill also calls for the Navy to buy a second Virginia-class submarine in FY25. This move sticks to the broader plan to buy two a year, but deviates from the Navys FY25 request for one per year, which reportedly took committee members by surprise.

More broadly, the committee takes issue with the Navys latest annual long-range shipbuilding plan, its budget request, and inconsistencies on near-term fleet size from one years plan to the next.

This section would require the Navy to be consistent in the first 10-year planning window of the annual 30-year Shipbuilding Report to Congress, the language reads.

If a plan would reduce the total number of ships in the fleet in that first 10 years compared to the previous years plan, the committees language would require the Navy to submit an additional assessment to describe how that reduction would support the National Security Strategy, what resources it would free up, how much money the shipbuilding industrial base would lose out on, how this would affect shipbuilders and lower-tier suppliers, and what the reductions would mean for the ship classes in question.

The Nimitz-class aircraft carriers Carl Vinson and Ronald Reagan sail in formation in the Philippine Sea on Nov. 6, 2023. (MC1 Ryre Arciaga/U.S. Navy)

New ship programs

The committee and other congressional panels have expressed skepticism of new ship programs following challenges with the Littoral Combat Ship and Zumwalt-class destroyer programs as well as the first-in-class aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford.

The House Armed Services Committee aims to exert additional oversight in its bill. The language asks for assurances from the Navy that, before construction begins, each new block of a ship will have its detail design completed, the Navy will obtain all information from its vendors about system maturity, and specifications will be finalized.

Specific to the current and future destroyer programs, the NDAA states: The committee remains concerned about the ability of the Navys destroyers to meet future threats, especially as missile technology continues to advance.

Noting the DDG(X) program for a next-generation destroyer will leverage both the Arleigh Burke and Zumwalt classes of destroyers, and that the Navy expects to spend more than $100 billion between 2019 and 2048 designing and building this class, the NDAA asks for:

The comptroller general of the United States to review how the service is developing its requirements and acquisition plan for DDG(X).

The status of the Flight III Arleigh Burke destroyers in their development, construction and testing phases.

The status of the Zumwalt class in its development, testing and modification phases for a new mission of surface strike, which includes being outfitted with hypersonic missiles.

The Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyer Michael Monsoor leads a formation of U.S. Navy vessels on April 21, 2021. (Chief MC Shannon Renfroe/U.S. Navy)

The bill also calls for information on how the Navy will select the best propulsion system for the new ship. It notes two potential technologies  permanent magnet and high-temperature superconducting motors  and suggests the Navy develop both now to avoid a late-stage failure in the selected motor technology [that] could significantly derail the lead ships schedule.

On the Landing Ship Medium program for the planned amphibious ship, the bill would prevent the Navy from spending any money to buy these ships until the service secretary certifies the ship design is predominantly based on commercial specifications.

The Marine Corps wanted to begin buying these ships, previously called the light amphibious ship, in FY22. The program was delayed for budget reasons, but the Navy, Marine Corps and Office of the Secretary of Defense have spent the intervening years debating how to balance the desire to make these craft cheap and plentiful versus the desire to make them survivable during combat.

The Corps original vision was a commercial design that would blend in with local shipping and therefore create a level of safety for the Marines and sailors onboard, rather than having a military design that stands out from local boats but can take a hit and defend itself.

The NDAA language specifies the design should not [be] based on more than 35 percent military specifications and that the Navy secretary must detail to the committee the differences in cost and construction schedules between a ship design based on military specifications and a design that uses commercial standards and elements.

Weapons at sea

The committee took particular interest in the development of a rearm-at-sea capability, which Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro has called a top priority, though it has so far eluded the service.

In one section, the NDAA would require the secretary to submit a strategy for delivering this capability to the fleet within three years of the bill becoming law. The strategy would outline current and planned spending on technology development as well as the anticipated cost and schedule to create this transportable rearming mechanism equipment to load missile canisters into MK 41 vertical launch system cells on Navy destroyers operating at sea.

Sailors aboard the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Spruance guide training ordnance into the ships forward vertical launching system cells in San Diego, Calif., on Oct. 4, 2022. (MC3 Taylor Crenshaw/U.S. Navy)

The committee also notes it is concerned that the Navys progress in developing this capability has been too slow and that the Navys leadership focus and resource investment is not sufficient to meet the Navys stated goals in this area. While the Navy has conducted demonstrations of certain steps in the process, significant challenges remain to be addressed before the Navy could effectively leverage this capability in a contested environment.

It calls for a comptroller assessment of the Navys current and future spending and technology development efforts, as well as alternative courses of action.

The bill also calls for the comptroller to assess the Navys plan to develop and field long-range fires. It asks the secretary to brief the committee on plans to develop a passive long-range targeting kill chain system of systems, and how it will use additive manufacturing  or 3D printing  at the ship and unit levels.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, more Trump loyalists appear at NYC hush money trial to show support

NEW YORK  House Speaker Mike Johnson and a legion of Donald Trump loyalists appeared Tuesday at the former presidents hush money criminal trial as Trump nemesis Michael Cohen took the stand for a second day.

The conservative congressional leader trashed the trial as a partisan stunt to hurt Trumps campaign in a brief statement to reporters in a park across the street from the 100 Centre St. court house in lower Manhattan.

They are doing this intentionally to keep him here [and] off the campaign trail, Johnson said. I am disgusted by what is happening here, by what is being done to our system of justice.

I am one of hundreds of millions  I am a citizen who is very concerned about this, Johnson said.

Johnson attacked Judge Juan Merchan as a Biden-donor judge and accused prosecutors of secretly taking orders from President Bidens Justice Department.

He helped the former president skirt his gag order by repeating his attacks on Merchans daughter.

Among the atrocities here: the judges daughter is making millions of dollars doing online fundraising for Democrats, Johnson declared.

Johnsons appearance came as Trump vice presidential hopefuls and a parade of other GOP leaders continued to make pilgrimages to the courtroom to show their undivided loyalty to the partys leader.

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, all of whom are vying to be Trumps No. 2, sat in the courtroom behind Trumps defense table.

A day earlier, Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, who is also said to be on Trumps veepstakes short list, showed his face along with Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., a MAGA stalwart.

Ex-Rep. Liz Cheney, who broke with the GOP over Trumps support for the Jan. 6 attack, derided Johnson, an avowed evangelical Christian conservative, for backing Trump over the lurid accusations that he paid hush money to cover up having sex with a porn star.

I guess hes not that concerned with teaching morality to our young people after all, Cheney tweeted.
Houses damaged in Ukraine attack on Russia's Belgorod, governor says

(Reuters) -A power line and nearly two dozen houses were damaged in Ukraine's latest air attack on the city of Belgorod, with Russia's air forces destroying 25 missiles over the broader Belgorod region, Russian officials said on Tuesday.

"There is one casualty - a woman has received a shrapnel wound to her spine," Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the southern Russian Belgorod region which borders Ukraine, said on the Telegram messaging app.

He said that about 24 houses and a power line were damaged.

Russia's air defence systems destroyed 25 missiles launched by Ukraine from the RM-70 Vampire (MLRS) multiple launch rocket systems, the Russian defence ministry said on Telegram.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

Ukraine's attacks on Belgorod have picked up again in recent months and according to Russia these strikes have become more deadly. Fifteen people were killed and scores injured on Sunday when parts of an apartment block collapsed after being struck by falling missile debris, Russian officials said.

Both Ukraine and Russia say they do not target civilians in the war which erupted when Russia invaded its smaller neighbour in February of 2022, which Moscow has called a "special military operation".

The war has killed thousands, displaced millions and turned Ukrainian cities into rubble.

Kyiv says that targeting Russia's military, transport and energy infrastructure undermines Moscow's war effort and is an answer to the countless deadly attacks by Russia.

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. Italy's main duty is to create a company engaged in the restoration of memorials and museums in Azerbaijan's Karabakh, Riccardo Cursi from the Italian Embassy told Trend on the sidelines of the Azerbaijani-Italian business forum.

Karabakh has enormous potential for our companies in many areas. Therefore, I hope that this will be the first of many steps in which we can cooperate in this area, he emphasized.

Cursi mentioned that bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Italy are developing in many areas, from culture and politics to trade and economics.

Agriculture is one of the many areas in which our companies work together. Our largest companies are happy to come to Azerbaijan and invest in the country, he added.

To note, Azerbaijan and Italy conducted a Baku business event to enhance exports and attract international investment. It's jointly organized by the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Agency (AZPROMO) and the Italian Trade Agency.

Up to 100 Azerbaijani entrepreneurs and 12 Italian agricultural and food enterprises attend the forum, where representatives from pertinent government bodies, local authorities, and global financial entities are also present.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
The pilots transport staff to and from dozens of locations in the North Sea - Igors Aleksejevs/iStockphoto

Hundreds of oil rig workers have been left stranded after helicopter pilots responsible for transporting offshore staff to and from dozens of locations in the North Sea went on strike.

The two-day walkout by pilots at Bristow Helicopters, which began at midnight on Monday, will disrupt more than 80 scheduled flights, according to the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa).

With each trip capable of carrying 16 passengers, travel for more than 1,000 offshore workers may be subject to disruption and adjustments.

While other helicopter operators serving the area are providing extra capacity, Balpa said oil companies are being forced to review operations and adjust rotas. However, some workers have been left stranded after a typical two-week shift, or are unable to fly out to the rigs, it said.

Among those stuck are workers on the Kittiwake platform, who were unable to depart as planned after operator EnQuest struggled to procure flights, according to trade journal Energy Voice. Some staff have spent 26 days on board and have been forced to cancel holidays, it said.

The strike concerns Bristows bases in Aberdeen and Sumburgh, Shetland, where it stations 11 Sikorsky S-92 helicopters, the workhorse of North Sea transport. The company said some flights have operated despite the strike, with its website listing seven return trips on Tuesday.

Amy Leversidge, Balpas general secretary, said the walkout, the second of seven 48-hour protests currently scheduled, was a last resort and called only after a year of failed negotiations over pay.

She said: The strike is having a big impact, with people unable to fly in and out and oil companies having to make adjustments. Our pilots have a good relationship with workers on the rigs and were confident that they will understand why were having to take this action.

Captains at Bristow are paid in excess of 100,000, including allowances, with crews flying to oil and gas installations working approximately 182 days a year.

Bristow said it has offered pilots and technical crews an 11pc average salary increase plus a lump sum payment worth 6pc of their 2023 pay in acknowledgement of the critical role they play.

A spokesman said: The very nature of strike action means operations will be disrupted. However, our crewing, scheduling and ground-operations colleagues are working as diligently and as professionally as possible to minimise the impact.

The strike affects transport to platforms operated by five companies: BP, Repsol, Chrysaor, EnQuest and Harbour Energy, according to Balpa.

One Bristow pilot, who asked not to be named, told The Telegraph that flying conditions facing crews are among the the most demanding in the industry, with helicopters hovering around rigs awaiting breaks in fog banks to make a landing, and sometimes forced to return to Scotland without touching down.

Average flight times are typically 50 minutes to an hour, though five-hour round trips are not unknown for operations from Aberdeen serving platforms beyond Shetland.

Bristow crews engaged in search and rescue activities are also striking, though emergency cover is being provided at all times.

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.
Hundreds of Sri Lankan citizens have reportedly been recruited to join Russias war against Ukraineand many of them were tricked into it.

Officials announced the bizarre development on Monday, with one lawmaker telling the Sri Lankan parliament that most of those recruited were lured into the Russian army, and often using promises of generous pay and assurances they wouldnt be placed into combat roles.

We have received complaints from approximately 280 relatives of those recruited, public security minister Tiran Alles was quoted telling Agence France-Presse. Some of those 280 citizens are thought to have joined the Ukrainian military, though lawmaker Gamini Waleboda said the majority had been recruited for the Russian side.

The Sri Lankan defense ministry was forced to set up a special unit to gather information about its citizens winding up on the battlefield. Police have also arrested two retired army officers for allegedly funneling recruits to Russian mercenary groups.

Sri Lanka thus joins India and Nepal in falling prey to what appears to be an elaborate recruitment scheme by Russias military to entice citizens of poorer countries to take to the battlefield on the Kremlins behalf.

Investigators in India announced earlier this month that they had arrested four of their own citizens for trafficking gullible youths to Russia to be deployed in the war against their wishes. An organized network of traffickers used social media to lure the victims by promising them highly paid jobs in Russia that turned out to be combat roles on the frontline in Ukraine, the Central Bureau of Investigation said.

It was not immediately clear how many victims the trafficking network had already claimed, but investigators said some of them had been grievously injured as a result of the scheme.

Thousands of Nepali men have also been recruited to join Russias ranks, with recruiters making similar promises of high pay and an easy path to Europe, according to numerous reports. While Nepals government banned its citizens from traveling to Russia or Ukraine for work last January, trafficking networks have sprung up to keep the stream of recruits flowing.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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A Syrian refugee woman carries her child as she prepares to go back home to Syria as part of a voluntary return, in the eastern Lebanese border town of Arsal, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. Hundreds of Syrians refugees left a remote northeastern Lebanese town back to Syria in a convoy, amid a surge in anti-refugee sentiment in the small, crisis-hit country. Lebanese officials for years has urged the international community to resettle the refugees in other countries or help them return to Syria. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

ARSAL, Lebanon (AP)  More than 300 Syrian refugees headed back home to Syria in a convoy on Tuesday, leaving two remote northeastern towns in crisis-stricken Lebanon where anti-refugee sentiment has been surging in recent months.

Lebanese officials have long urged the international community to either resettle the refugees in other countries or help them return to Syria. Over the past months, leading Lebanese political parties have become increasingly vocal, demanding that Syrian refugees go back.

A country of about 6 million people, Lebanon hosts nearly 780,000 registered Syrian refugees and hundreds of thousands who are unregistered  the worlds highest refugee population per capita.

In the northeastern town of Arsal, Syrian refugees piled their belongings onto the back of trucks and cars on Tuesday as Lebanese security officers collected their U.N. refugee agency cards and other paperwork before clearing them to leave.

As the trucks pulled away, the refugees waved to friends and relatives staying behind, heading to an uncertain future in Syria.

Ahmad al-Rifai, on his way to the Qalamoun Mountains after over a decade in Lebanon, said that whatever the situation was in Syria, its better to live in a house than in a tent.

Lebanese security forces this year stepped up deportations of Syrians, although nowhere near the level threatened two years ago when the Lebanese government announced a plan to deport some 15,000 Syrians every month, to what they dubbed  safe areas, in cooperation with the government in Damascus.

Tuesday's convoy from the mountainous towns of Arsal and Qaa consisted of only 330 refugees who had signed up for repatriation, the first such voluntary return return organized by Lebanese security forces since late 2022.

Nobody can not be happy to return to their home, Ahmad Durro told The Associated Press while waiting in his truck. I signed up a year ago to be in the convoy.

But many other Syrians  especially young men facing compulsory military service or political opponents of the government of President Bashar Assad  say it's unsafe to return.

Others see no future in Syria, where in many parts the fighting may have died down but an economic crisis has pulled millions into poverty.

An increasing number of refugees in Lebanon have taken to the sea in an attempt to reach Europe.

The UNHCR has said it only supports voluntary returns of Syrians based on informed consent. Yet, major human rights organizations remain skeptical of the voluntary nature of these returns amid anti-refugee hostility in Lebanon.

Syrian refugees are, targeted by both geo sources and host communities. They are subjected to violence, insults and other degrading treatment," Amnesty Internationals deputy Middle East and North Africa Regional Director Aya Majzoub told the AP, also decrying curfews and other restrictions imposed on refugees by a handful of Lebanese municipalities.

"So our assessment is that in these conditions, it is very difficult for refugees to make free and informed decisions about returning to Syria.

Amnesty International and other human rights organizations have documented cases of refugees detained and tortured by Syrian security agencies upon their return.

The UNHCR says nine out of 10 Syrian refugees in Lebanon live in extreme poverty and need humanitarian aid to survive. That aid has declined amid donor fatigue and as international attention shifted to other crises.

Many increasingly impoverished Lebanese have accused Syrian refugees of benefitting from the aid while beating Lebanese to jobs by accepting lower pay. Lebanons ruling political parties and leadership claim that most Syrians living in the tiny Mediterranean country are economic migrants rather than refugees escaping the war at home, now in its 13th year. Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group, a top ally of Assad, has made such an allegation.

They have dollars and they are sending those dollars to relatives in Syria, Nasrallah said in a speech on Monday.

Lebanese security agents have in the past weeks raided shops and other businesses employing undocumented Syrian workers, and shut them down.

The European Union this month announced an aid package worth 1 billion euros  about $1.06 billion  of which about 200 million euros would go to security and border control, in an apparent bid to curb migration from Lebanon to Cyprus, Italy, and other parts of Europe.

While Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the aid, other officials described it as a bribe for tiny Lebanon to keep the refugees.

Parliament is to discuss the EU package on Wednesday, with lawmakers from the entire political spectrum expected to ramp up anti-refugee sentiment and call for more refugee returns and crackdowns.

__

Chehayeb reported from Beirut.
The European Union's efforts to put sanctions on Russia's liquefied gas (LNG) exports are facing opposition from Hungary.

Source: Politico with reference to representatives of EU countries who were present during the discussion, as reported by European Pravda

Details: According to reports, Budapest raised strong objections about the latest sanctions package during the first meetings between EU ambassadors last week, but did not outright oppose the measures.

A high-ranking representative of Hungary, whose name was not mentioned, stated that their country will oppose any measures that boost European energy prices, according to the document.

Quote: "We are going to analyse the package but do not support anything that might have a negative impact on [the] EU gas market," the Hungarian official said during a meeting of diplomats on Wednesday, two diplomats familiar with the discussion said.

The sanctions ban EU countries from re-exporting Russian LNG, but they do not prevent the EU from purchasing Russian gas and have no direct impact on Hungary's business interests.

However, Budapest is highly reliant on Russian LNG and has long resisted additional energy restrictions against Moscow, which would require unanimous backing from all 27 EU countries.

According to the publication's sources, during the initial negotiations, several other nations, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and France, requested additional technical details about sanctions measures.

"When it comes to energy, theyre worried. They fear it will destabilise the markets, even indirectly," said an unnamed EU diplomat.

Unlike other EU nations, Hungary refused to stop buying gas from Russia following the outbreak of a large-scale war in Ukraine, even entering into new arrangements with the Russian giant Gazprom to augment supplies during peak demand.

Earlier, European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson stated that the European Commission's thorough preparation of a new package of sanctions against the Russian Federation, as well as the gas agreement recently adopted by EU energy ministers, should ensure unhindered approval of restrictions on the export of liquefied gas from Russia.

In April, the European Parliament approved regulations allowing European nations to exclude Russian LNG imports.

The European Commission sent EU countries a draft proposal for a 14th package of sanctions against Russia. The proposal includes, among other things, restrictions on imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia, although there are no plans for a full embargo.

Valdis Dombrovskis, Vice President of the European Commission, confirmed that the EU started working on the next 14th sanctions package against Russia due to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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Hunter Bidens trial on gun charges will begin next month after judge rejects bid to delay

Hunter Biden will head to trial to face federal gun charges next month after a Delaware judge rejected his last-ditch bid to delay the trial until September.

President Joe Bidens son is accused of lying about his history of drug abuse in order to buy a gun, which prosecutors say he possessed for eleven days.

He was indicted on three felony gun charges, including falsifying a firearms application, lying to a federally licensed gun dealer and possession of an illegally obtained gun, in September.

His attorneys have argued that the 54-year-old had struggled with drug addiction but did not break the law when filling out the form.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and faces 25 years in prison and fines of up to $750,000 if convicted.

Mr Bidens attorneys told US District Judge Maryellen Noreika they needed several more months to decide on witnesses and review evidence submitted by the prosecution.

But the judge denied the request on Tuesday, paving the way for the trial to begin as planned on 3 June, according to recent court filings.

Earlier this month, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals also rejected Mr Bidens bid to dismiss the federal gun charges against him.

The charges against the presidents son came after the US Justice Department spent nearly four years investigating his business dealings and personal conduct.

Hunter Biden, pictured arriving at the US Capitol for a closed-door deposition in February, will go to trial in June on federal gun charges (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Earlier this year, Mr Biden gave testimony to House Republicans for six hours behind closed doors, as part of an impeachment probe against his father.

The transcript of the testimony, released days later, revealed Mr Biden accused Republican members of building an entire partisan house of cards on lies.

The ongoing impeachment inquiry  accusing the president of bribery and corruption through alleged family business dealings with foreign powers  has yielded nothing but chaos, not to mention no evidence to support the claims.

Last month, a hearing on the presidents potential impeachment descended into verbal blows between two members.

Republican chairman James Comer and Democratic congressman Jamie Raskin clashed repeatedly, each claiming the other needed therapy.
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.
More than a week before InvestigateWest published a story about a secret recording of a conversation between Idaho Rep. Heather Scott and lobbyist Maria Nate, we reached out to both women to request interviews.

A copy of the recording had been provided to InvestigateWest by a third party who shared it on the condition that they not be identified. The nearly two-hour conversation begins with Nate berating Scott for her plans to support Idahos speaker of the House but moves on to discuss everything from the problems with Young Americans for Liberty to whether God prefers men to women in leadership.

Scott said she would maybe agree to be interviewed if we waited a few days, saying that the context she could provide was crucial.

Instead, InvestigateWest later got a call from Idaho State Police Detective Sean Walker, who said he believed the recording may have been made illegally. Then, he read an Idaho state law suggesting that if InvestigateWest wrote about the contents of a recording we knew had been illegally made, it could violate Idahos communications security laws, a crime punishable by up to five years in state prison.

You got a nice little newspaper here. Itd be terrible if something were to happen to it, joked Bob Corn-Revere, chief counsel at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, referencing the way a mafia thug might use veiled threats to shake down a business.

InvestigateWest is publishing the story anyway. Multiple experts told us that court precedent clearly shows we are protected by the First Amendment.

When law enforcement officers threaten journalists with potential prosecution, that still has a chilling effect on journalists, said Seth Stern, director of advocacy for the Freedom of the Press Foundation, a nonprofit that advocates for journalists and whistle-blowers. Law enforcement officers  before they speak about First Amendment law and before they allude to a prospect as serious as a journalist being held criminally liable  should do their research and make sure that what theyre implying  has not been expressly rejected by the United States Supreme Court.

DONT SUE THE MESSENGER

Secret recordings happen all the time in Idaho: Unlike in neighboring Washington, most anyone in Idaho talking to somebody else can legally make an audio recording of their conversation.

But that still generally requires at least one person in that conversation to have made that recording. You cant plant a bug in the governors offices or dangle a listening device from the ceiling of the Idaho Capitol.

None of the people involved in the conversation in the recording given to InvestigateWest, Walker said, had admitted to making the recording, making it potentially illegal. But even if it were, that doesnt mean its illegal for InvestigateWest to write about it.

Idahos law, which is nearly identical to federal wiretapping laws, does appear to ban anyone from disclosing contents of an illegally obtained recording  though there is case law protecting journalists.

The statute is not unconstitutional on its face, Corn-Revere said. The question is whether or not it would be unconstitutional as applied to this set of facts.

A 2001 Supreme Court case, Bartnicki v. Vopper, provides the key test.

In that case, Someone sent what everyone assumed was an illegal recording to a news organization and the news organizations published it, Corn-Revere said. But the fact that they were aware that probably wasnt legal does not affect their First Amendment right to publish it. They werent the ones who solicited or did the recording.

Even if a recording was made illegally, an uninvolved journalist sharing that information is almost always protected by the First Amendment.

There are caveats: It has to be a matter of public concern. A school board union dispute qualifies. A sex tape of wrestler Hulk Hogan doesnt.

And at times, politicians have been held to a higher standard than journalists: Former U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., passed along an illegally intercepted recording of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich to multiple media outlets. It was clearly a matter of public concern and he hadnt made the recording. But the court found he didnt have First Amendment protections.

There was a specific duty for a member of Congress, who in receiving information that he knew was part of his congressional responsibilities, didnt have the same ability to disclose it in the same way that a journalist would, Corn-Revere said.

Even ironclad protections dont make journalists immune to public officials who dont know or dont care about constitutional protections. Last year, police in Kansas raided the Marion County Record newsroom for accessing openly available DUI records on a public website.

Something like that would have sounded absurd, probably 10 years ago, Stern says. Judges, and police officers and government officials seem to be less aware of or less concerned with press freedom rights than they previously have been.

REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS

At this point, InvestigateWest doesnt know whether the recording was illegal or not.

The source who leaked the recording to InvestigateWest made it clear that they werent the ones who recorded it, but emphasized that multiple witnesses could clearly overhear the loud conversation coming from Scotts office.

The details matter when it comes to someones reasonable expectation of privacy.

For example, in 1994, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that a woman who stood in a hallway of a divided home and secretly taped the loud and abusive language from the neighbors next door didnt violate their neighbors right to privacy.

Once the conversations were loud enough to be heard through a dividing wall in their home, the court concluded, those being taped lost whatever expectation of privacy they had that their secret discussions and conversations would not be overheard.

But its a gray area, one that can depend on the nature of exactly how thin the walls are and how quietly a reasonable person would believe they would have to whisper to avoid being overheard.

In general, if youre in a position to hear something in a public space, anyone who happens to be in that space can hear it, then you also have a right to record it, Corn-Revere says. If someone is in a public space and speaking, you cant say that they have a reasonable expectation of privacy. Through a wall? Thats more complicated.

Recording devices are everywhere in the state Capitol, including devices set to simply record everyone who enters an office. In 2018, Rep. Brent Crane, R-Nampa, who owns a security company, put a hidden video camera in his office in response to the wave of lawmakers who had faced sexual assault and harassment accusations. It did not record audio.

Maria Nate, in particular, is well aware of the potential for being recorded in the Idaho Legislature. In 2016, media outlets reported that Marias husband, then-Rep. Ron Nate, R-Rexburg, had secretly recorded his conversation with then-Sen. Brent Hill. Legislative leaders condemned the behavior and suggested that, if it wasnt grounds for an ethics investigation, it was certainly a violation of trust.

Being a legislator is like being in a marriage, Rep. Mike Moyle, now speaker of the House, told The Post Register newspaper at the time. If you lose trust, its over.

InvestigateWest (invw.org) is an independent news nonprofit dedicated to investigative journalism in the Pacific Northwest. A Report for America corps member, Daniel Walters covers democracy and extremism across the region. He can be reached at daniel@invw.org .
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. Chairman of the Western Azerbaijan Community (WAC), Aziz Alakbarli, has sent a letter to the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Maltese Foreign Minister Ian Borg, urging the OSCE to support the return of Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia to their homes, Trend reports.

The letter refers to the expulsion of Azerbaijanis from Armenia and the destruction of their cultural heritage, cemeteries, mosques, and other places of worship. Aziz Alakbarli emphasized that the main goal of the Western Azerbaijan Community is to ensure the peaceful, safe, and dignified return of Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia to their homes within the framework of international law.

The letter notes that the Community respects international law, including the territorial integrity of states, is ready for dialog with Armenia on the issue of return, and regrets that Armenia avoids dialogue.

The head of the WAC also brought to attention that Armenia has tried to prevent the participation of the Western Azerbaijan Community in OSCE events and urged the organization to condemn these attempts by Armenia against the freedom of expression and activities of civil society.

The original letter was presented to Ian Borg by the correspondent of Western Azerbaijan Community Television at the joint press conference of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister in Baku.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott hugs mother Donna Scott before declaring victory during a Democratic primary election night watch party Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Port Covington, Md. (Kenneth K. Lam/The Baltimore Sun via AP)

BALTIMORE (AP)  Incumbent Brandon Scott handily beat out one of his predecessors in Baltimores Democratic primary for mayor Tuesday, all but ensuring a second term in office.

Scott was originally elected in 2020, when he also campaigned against former Mayor Sheila Dixon and won by a narrow margin. This was Dixons third attempt at returning to the mayors office after her tenure was cut short in 2010 after she took a plea deal for misappropriating gift cards meant for poor families.

With his primary victory, Scott is now considered the prohibitive favorite in the November general election in the heavily Democratic city.

Winning is not just a triumph, but a challenge to go further, to be better and to do more for Baltimore," Scott said in a speech to supporters who chanted, Four more years!

It's a mandate to double down and work harder for this great city," Scott said.

Public safety was a central issue in the campaign. Baltimore consistently ranks among the nations most violent cities, but its homicide rate has fallen significantly over the past several months. Scott cited those reductions during his campaign as evidence his anti-violence strategies are working.

Scott, 40, brought a youthful energy to the office four years ago. In recent weeks, he has been the face of Baltimore in the aftermath of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which left six people dead and closed most maritime traffic through the citys busy port.

Dixon, 70, billed herself as more competent and experienced than Scott, and said she has a long track record of helping Baltimores city government work for its most vulnerable residents. The citys homicide rate also dropped during her tenure. Dixon also emphasized the importance of policing quality of life crimes such as loitering and drug possession, and pointed to a rise in car thefts that is reflected across the country.

Dixon told supporters late Tuesday that she was not giving up. We're going to continue to move forward," she said.

Luca Amayo, a spokesperson for her campaign, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Baltimore homicides fell below 300 last year for the first time in nearly a decade, marking a 20% annual decrease and ending a surge that began in 2015 following the death of Freddie Gray, which sparked civil unrest and prompted widespread calls for police reform. That positive trend has continued during the first several months of 2024.

When I came into office, I said that we were going to look at crime and violence as a public health issue, Scott said during a candidate forum. He said his administration has prioritized investing in community organizations that are not just preventing acts of violence but actually getting these young brothers and sisters into jobs and training.

Scott strengthened an existing program that deploys violence interrupters in some of Baltimores most dangerous neighborhoods. He also launched the citys Group Violence Reduction Strategy, which has shown promising results.

Dixon garnered support from wealthy Baltimore power brokers, including television mogul David Smith, who bought The Baltimore Sun newspaper earlier this year. Scott, meanwhile, received significant backing from labor unions.

After becoming Baltimores first female mayor, Dixon was convicted of embezzling donated gift cards, spending about $500 at Target and Best Buy to purchase things for her family and staff. She resigned as part of a 2010 plea agreement.

In 2016, she ran again and lost narrowly to Catherine Pugh, who also left office amid a corruption scandal involving fraudulent sales of her self-published childrens book that landed her in federal prison.

In announcing her latest candidacy last fall, Dixon penned an op-ed in The Baltimore Sun apologizing for her digressions: I hope the people realize that my love for the future of Baltimore outweighs the mistakes of my past, she wrote.

Another Democratic candidate, Thiru Vignarajah, dropped out of the mayors race last week and endorsed Dixon. A former federal prosecutor, Vignarajah has run unsuccessfully for both mayor and states attorney in the past.

During his first term, Scott has received criticism for turnover within his administration, COVID-19 restrictions that some considered too stringent and other minor complaints.

Both Scott and Dixon grew up in Baltimore and served on City Council before running for mayor.
By Shivam Patel

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi defended himself against criticism that he is stoking divisions between Hindus and Muslims to win national elections as he filed his nomination on Tuesday for re-election from one of Hinduism's holiest cities.

India began voting April 19 in the seven-phase election in which Modi, 73, is seeking to be the second prime minister to win a third straight term since independence leader Jawaharlal Nehru.

Although Modi began his campaign by showcasing his economic record, governance and popularity, he has changed tack after the first phase to accuse the main opposition Congress party of being pro-Muslim.

Analysts say this was likely aimed at firing up the base of his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party after a low turnout in the first phase sparked doubts that BJP and its allies could win the landslide that the party sought.

"I believe people of my country will vote for me," Modi told broadcaster CNN-News18 in Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

"The day I start talking about Hindu-Muslim (in politics) will be the day I lose my ability to lead a public life," Modi said, speaking in Hindi. "I will not do Hindu-Muslim. That is my resolve."

Modi's critics often accuse him and BJP of targeting minority Muslims to please their hardline voters, which he and the party deny.

While Hindus make up about 80% of India's 1.4 billion people, it also has the world's third-largest Muslim population of about 200 million.

Congress has complained to the Election Commission that Modi made "deeply objectionable" comments about Muslims in an April 21 speech, violating poll rules. The commission has sought a response from the BJP on the complaint.

In that speech, Modi accused Congress of planning to do a wealth concentration survey, seize properties and redistribute them, which Congress has denied.

He said at the time: "During their (Congress) previous government, they said that Muslims have the first right on the wealth of the nation. That means, who will they redistribute this wealth to? They will give it those who have more children, to infiltrators."

On Tuesday, Modi said he did not name any community in that speech, even as he continued to focus on the theme.

"I have neither said Hindu or Muslim. I have said you should have as many children as you can support," Modi said.

(Reporting by Shivam Patel in New Delhi; Editing by YP Rajesh and Bernadette Baum)
These indigenous women were forcibly sterilised in Peru  decades later they still seek justice

Florentina Loayza remembers the knock on the door.

It was 1998 and the young mother-of-one was at her home in the Peruvian highlands, caring for her nine-month-old baby.

Free food was available at a nearby health clinic, said the nurse standing outside, and transport had already been arranged.

Florentina stepped into the van full of other indigenous women from the Huancavelica region, and was driven away.

Once inside the clinic  a simple wooden hut  she heard the doors lock.

They said we had to receive some medication before we could leave. The doctor said he was going to give me some shots, Florentina recalls, now 45. He put a drip in my arm and I fell unconscious. That is when they mutilated me.

The 19-year-old woke up vomiting and disoriented, and saw cuts across her lower belly.

I did not know what happened to me. The nurses said it was birth control and that it would only last five years. I realised it was permanent much later, she says. Since then, I have been living in hell.

Indigenous women working the land in northern Peru - Harriet Barber

Florentina had been forcibly sterilised under Perus family planning programme, a scheme launched two years earlier which promised to improve access to birth control.

Peruvian women should be the owners of their destiny! the populist president Alberto Fujimori had declared at the time.

Officials said the policy would decrease poverty, reduce maternal and infant mortality rates, and lower fertility to the global average rate of 2.5 children per woman.

What the scheme did not mention was that thousands of participants would be sterilised against their will.

Between 1996 and 2001, more than 272,000 women and 22,000 men were sterilised, with estimates suggesting less than 10 per cent gave consent.

The forced sterilisations perpetrated in the 1990s represent a grave violation of the human rights of thousands of people whose bodies were violated against their will, says Marina Navarro, director of Amnesty International in Peru.

Today, those affected are still fighting for justice  but hope is fading that it will ever be achieved.

If I wanted to see my baby I had to be sterilised

Victims were overwhelmingly poor, indigenous women.

Thousands have reported being harassed, threatened and blackmailed to undergo the procedures; others say they were tied down, blindfolded and knocked out with horse tranquiliser.

Testimonies show many indigenous-speaking victims were tricked into signing forms in Spanish that they could not read. Some were told they were receiving short-term contraception, while others were sterilised unknowingly after giving birth.

Doctors were given obligatory sterilisation quotas and received monetary incentives for performing the operations, according to lawyers.

The doctors obeyed a scale of orders that were controlled by the highest level of the country, says Maria Ysabel Cedano Garcia, a lawyer representing the campaigns victims. We have evidence of the goals and quotas.

One woman interviewed by The Telegraph said nurses would not let her see her newborn baby until she consented to the operation.

After I gave birth the doctor took my son away, says Maria Elena Carbajal, age 54. He said if I wanted to see my baby I had to be sterilised. He said I wasnt an animal and I didnt need any more children. They wouldnt bring my son to me; I had no other choice.

In the aftermath of such procedures, the women were further victimised by their communities, ostracised and often forced to leave.

Because I could not have any more children, my husband told me I was useless and abandoned me, Florentina says. People in my community said it was my choice, that I had the operation to be with other men. My mother blamed me too. I was seen as a bad woman and had to leave.

Mavila Rios De Rengiro, 61, who was sterlised age 27 without her consent - Harriet Barber

Mavila Rios De Rengiro, who was sterilised aged 27 and is now 61 years old, was also cast out by her community. She went to the clinic believing she was having a smear test.

They told me I was having a pap smear, and then they locked us in, she says. I was afraid. The doctor didnt speak to me. I woke up in terrible pain and with a lot of blood.

A nurse told Mavila that she had been sterilised, and that the surgery was for the best. My husband abandoned me  he said I was not worth it. He said I wasnt even good for sex. I was insulted all the time, it was a small community, they said it was so I could be with many men, she recalls.

Mavila says she  and the other victims in her village  were called los castrados, meaning the castrated. They still say these words, they still hurt, she says.

She also says she has suffered life-long complications, including infections and internal pain. He wasnt a doctor, he was a butcher, she says. One of the women in my village died from it.

Nationwide, 18 women died shortly from the operations, after the programme failed to ensure minimum health standards or provide proper pre- and post-operative monitoring, rights groups say.

Some say the policy reflects long-standing ideas of ethnic superiority which were first introduced by the Spanish conquistadors - Harriet Barber

Experts say the disproportionate targeting of indigenous people reflects Perus deep-rooted racial discrimination  with one academic arguing the policy could even be classed as a genocide.

A genocide occurred  but the targeting of these ethnic groups has gone unnoticed and pushed aside, says Dr Nusta Carranza Ko, an associate professor of global affairs and human security, and an expert on indigenous Peruvians.

Officials held health festivals to promote the policy, but only in rural areas, not in the cities. In moments when health officials gave consent forms, they were in Spanish, not in any Indigenous language.

Dr Carranza Ko says the policy reflects long-standing ideas of ethnic superiority which were first introduced by the Spanish conquistadors.

In the colonial period, people from Europe were at the top of the chain, and indigenous people at the bottom  that class structure has carried forward to the present day, she says. Anything indigenous is considered negative.

Dr Carranza Ko says the policies share similarities with those introduced in Canada and the United States in the 1970s, in which indigenous populations were also sterilised.

In these countries, population control also revolved around control of aboriginal peoples land and resources, and the denial of indigenous sovereignty, she says.

A lot of women have lost hope

It took years for the scale of abuse in Peru to become public knowledge, in part because it happened against the backdrop of a brutal internal armed conflict that left nearly 70,000 dead.

Some Peruvian congressmen pointed to irregularities with the scheme in 1997, but that was it. At that time it was hard for anyone to speak out  if you did, you faced death threats, let alone you might disappear. It was a very repressive time, Dr Carranza Ko says.

Yet even now, while forced sterilisations are considered a crime against humanity under international law, the vast majority of victims have never received justice in their decades-long legal battle.

The most significant victory was a 2003 settlement before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in which the state agreed to pay compensation to the family of a woman who died after being forcibly sterilised.

In fact, many on the right continue to deny that forced sterilisations ever happened, while perpetrators practice denialism, according to lawyer Ms Cedano Garcia.

Marino Costa Bauer, one of the former health ministers, called the family planning campaign an excellent programme that reduced the maternal mortality rate.

Mr Fujimoris daughter Keiko  an influential Peruvian politician who held the role of First Lady during her fathers administration  blamed individual rogue medical practitioners for coerced sterilisations. I condemn the attitude of these irresponsible doctors, she said.

In 2015, one anaesthetist, Rogelio Del Carmen Martino, rejected claims that doctors had been over-zealous in their implementation, saying publicly that his team had been ordered to sterilise at least 250 women over four days in 1997. It was absurd  an offence to the dignity of women and doctors, Dr Martino told Peruvian paper La Republica.

Mr Fujimori, meanwhile, has always maintained that the procedures were consensual.

Although he has been cleared of any wrongdoing in relation to Perus sterilisation programme, in 2007 he was imprisoned for corruption and human rights abuses  including authorising a number of killings carried out by death squads.

Yet in December 2023, Mr Fujimori was released 15 years into his 25-year sentence  a decision human rights groups have called a slap in the face to all of his victims.

Victoria Vigo, a sterilisation victim who has received refugee status in Canada after receiving death threats for campaigning for justice, says she feels spit on and insulted by Fujimoris freedom.

Another investigation that involves thousands of sterilised victims is ongoing, but has been stalling and stalling, says Dr Carranza Ko.

A lot of women throughout the years have lost hope. There was a momentum and that momentum has passed, says Rosemarie Lerner, a documentarian who has followed the womens cases since 2011. People are dying without getting justice.

Florentina continues to protest but says the numbers of those still willing to speak out has dwindled.

I cant remember how many times I have given my testimony, but there has been no response, no justice, she says. I feel forgotten by the country. So many years have passed now, but we are still forced to protest on the streets and I am still forced to suffer.

Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security

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Indonesian rescuers search through rivers and rubble after flash floods that killed at least 52

This drone photo shows the damage at a village affected by a flash flood in Agam, West Sumatra, Indonesia, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. Rescuers on Tuesday searched in rivers and the rubble of devastated villages for bodies, and whenever possible, survivors of flash floods that hit Indonesia's Sumatra Island over the weekend. (AP Photo/Sutan Malik Kayo)

TANAH DATAR, Indonesia (AP)  Rescuers on Tuesday searched in rivers and the rubble of devastated villages for bodies, and whenever possible survivors, of flash floods that hit Indonesias Sumatra Island over the weekend.

Monsoon rains and a landslide of mud and cold lava from Mount Marapi caused rivers to breach their banks. The deluge tore through mountainside villages in four districts in West Sumatra province just before midnight Saturday.

The floods swept away people and 79 homes and submerged hundreds of houses and buildings, forcing more than 3,300 residents to flee to temporary government shelters, National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said.

The National Search and Rescue Agency said in a statement that 52 bodies had been pulled from mud and rivers by Tuesday, mostly in the worst-hit Agam and Tanah Datar districts, while rescuers are searching for 20 people who are reportedly missing.

Indonesias Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said that more downpours were forecast for the West Sumatra province in the coming days, and that the danger of extreme rainfall would continue until next week. The agency recommended the application of weather modification to reduce rain.

National Disaster Management Agency chief Suharyanto said that authorities would start seeding clouds in the province in a bid to prevent further rainfall and flash floods.

We are deploying weather modification technology starting tomorrow so that rain does not fall during this emergency response period, Suharyanto, who goes by a single name like many Indonesians, told reporters while visiting devastated areas in Agam district. He added that the emergency response will be ended on May 25.

Television reports showed rescue personnel using jackhammers, circular saws, farm tools and sometimes their bare hands, digging desperately in Agam district where roads were transformed into murky brown rivers and villages covered by thick mud, rocks, and uprooted trees.

Scores of rescue personnel were searching through a river around the Anai Valley Waterfall area in Tanah Datar district where tons of mud, rocks and trees were left from flash floods.

Rescuers were focused on finding four people from a group of seven that were swept away with their cars. Three other bodies were pulled out on Monday, said Abdul Malik, who heads the Search and Rescue Office in Padang, the provincial capital.

With many missing and some remote areas still unreachable, the death toll was likely to rise, Malik said.

Heavy rains cause frequent landslides and flash floods in Indonesia, an archipelago nation of more than 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near floodplains.

The weekend disaster came just two months after heavy rains triggered flash floods and a landslide in West Sumatra, killing at least 26 people and leaving 11 others missing.

A surprise eruption of Mount Marapi late last year killed 23 climbers. The mountains sudden eruptions are difficult to predict because the source is shallow and near the peak, according to Indonesias Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation.

Marapi has been active since an eruption in January 2024 that caused no casualties. It is among more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia. The country is prone to seismic upheaval because of its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.

___

Associated Press writer Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia contributed to this report.
An Infant Disappeared in 1982 and Was Never Seen Again. Decades Later, Her Father Was Convicted of Her Murder

Isiah Williams took his daughter, Olisa, from his mother's arms during an altercation

missingkids.org Olisa Williams

The father of an infant girl who was last seen in Ann Arbor, Mich., in 1982 was convicted of her murder after four decades.

Isiah Williams, 78, of Chicago, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the presumed death of his 8-month-old daughter, Olisa, the Michigan Department of Attorney General said in a press release.

The attorney generals office said Williams took Olisa from her mothers arms in Ohio during an altercation in April 1982. He then took the baby to Michigan, according to the release.

Olisa was never found and has since been presumed dead, prosecutors said.

Authorities alleged Williams had a history of domestic violence against Olisas mother, who continued to search for her daughter for decades.

In 2021, the Ann Arbor police department referred the case to the attorney general after completing new interviews. Williams was charged with murder that year.

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On May 10, a jury found Williams guilty of felony murder and first-degree premeditated murder. He is due to be sentenced on July 10, according to authorities.

Thanks to the unwavering commitment of our law enforcement partners, who spent years following every lead in this tragic disappearance, and the dedicated efforts of prosecutors in my office, Olisas family can finally see a measure of justice served, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement. I hope this conviction may bring some peace and healing to Olisas loved ones.



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EYEWITNESS NEWS (WBRE/WYOU)  There is new information Tuesday in an ongoing I-Team investigation into so-called mystery notes being found in sealed food products and at state parks in Pennsylvania.

The cryptic messages have raised lots of questions and concerns from people from across northeastern and central Pennsylvania.

The I-Team has confirmed that federal investigators are hot on the trail of the sources of these notes and what the words and symbols on those notes might mean, if anything.

Joe Miller found a cryptic note inside a box of cereal he bought in the Hazleton area in late December.

Since our initial report, the I-Team has been contacted by people from all over Pennsylvania with similar stories.

A map shows just some of the areas where similar notes were found in all types of food and other products purchased from large and small stores.

They were also found pinned to trees in state parks.

The notes contain symbols as well as words that appear to reference conspiracy theories.

28/22 News I-Team Reporter Andy Mehalshick talked with Miller this week to get his take on what he thinks about who is behind this and their motivation.

I tend to think its some kind of group maybe. I dont know if its like political, Miller explained.

Below is an e-mail sent to Congressman Dan Meusers office from the FDA:

Hi Matthew,



Thank you for following up with FDA Office of Legislation on behalf of Congressman Meusers constituents regarding the paper notes found in food packaging. We appreciate you alerting us to this matter. We provide the updates below.



Over the past four years, FDA has received more than 20 complaints regarding several different types of food products containing the same or very similar non-threatening cryptic/conspiracy-type notes found inside their containers (in non-food contact portions), all with retail points of purchase based in areas around Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (PA). These complaints did not report an illness or injury from the products or no product contamination was discovered.



FDA has investigated the matter and determined, based on the product/packaging process and various plant locations, that these localized incidents are more suited for complaint referrals to the jurisdiction of several PA State and/or local agencies. For these reasons, FDA has been providing these agencies with these reports for their evaluation and possible follow-up.



When FDA receives these complaints, they are documented and the consumer is advised to contact the retailer and product manufacturer, and then the complaint is referred to the appropriate PA State/local agency.



FDA recommends reaching out to Pennsylvanias Consumer Complaint Coordinator at 877-689-8073 (toll-free) or electronically through the Safety Reporting Portal for additional follow-up.



Please let us know if we can further assist.



Sincerely,

Erika



Erika Poitevien

Congressional Affairs Specialist

Office of Legislation

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

For these reasons, the FDA has been providing these agencies with these reports for their evaluation and possible follow-up.

So what do these notes mean, if anything?

Congressman Matt Cartwrights office made the following statement on the investigation:

So far, there have been no reports of people getting sick from these notes, but we dont want to take any chances and we want to find out who is doing this. My office is working with the Food and Drug Administration, which continues to look into the situation and has been providing updates. The FDA recommends returning food items to the point-of-purchase and to report any incidents to Pennsylvanias Consumer Complaint Coordinator at 877-689-8073 (toll-free) or online at www.safetyreporting.hhs.gov . My office will also assist with filing complaints at 570-341-1050. Rep. Dan Meuser (R) 9th District

The I-Team has been working with computer engineer and programmer Spencer Rappaport from Kingston who has been trying to decipher the words and symbols on the notes.

From other individuals, I talked to that work in the field weve been collaborated..There are links to some websites that were trying to track down but other agencies have stepped in to do it, Rappaport said.

The agencies that Rappaport is talking about, based on his research, include the FBI and the FDA.

An FBI spokesperson tells 28/22 News they do not confirm or deny the existence of any investigation.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com.
French authorities launched a manhunt on Tuesday after gunmen ambushed a prison convoy in Normandy to break out an inmate, killing two guards and wounding three others.

The violent incident, extremely rare for that part of northern France, took place as the vehicle was transporting a prisoner from court to a nearby prison, French Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti said.

Video from the scene showed a black SUV in flames that appeared to have crashed into a prison van near a motorway toll booth, CNN affiliate BFMTV reported. Two hooded individuals could be seen carrying what appeared to be long rifles.

From Yan78780/Snapchat

Dupond-Moretti told reporters that the incident was the first time a French prison employee had died while working since 1992. He added that one of the guards leaves behind a wife and two children, and the other a spouse who was five months pregnant. Dupond-Moretti added that two of those hurt sustained life-threatening injuries.

The gunmen are still at large, national police said on X.

Everything, and I mean everything, will be done to find the perpetrators of this heinous crime. These are people for whom life means nothing. They will be arrested. They will be tried. And they will be punished for the crime they committed, Dupond-Moretti said.

A manhunt is underway to find suspects who carried out the prison break and the inmate, a 30-year-old who had been convicted of burglary and is being investigated for a kidnapping related to death, according to the French national prosecutor in charge of organized crime, which has already opened an investigation into the incident.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on X he has mobilized the national gendarmerie and several hundred police officers for the manhunt. Authorities on the scene are setting up roadblocks and establishing a perimeter, BFMTV reported.

Vehicles found

On Tuesday evening local time, French police said they had discovered two burnt out vehicles used by the attackers.

Paris state prosecutor Laure Beccuau told a press conference that the two vehicles were found in Houtteville and in Gauville-le-Campagne, two towns in the departement of Eure where the attack took place near the Incarville tollbooth shortly before 11am local time (5aET).

One of the vehicles, a Peugeot, had been used to ram the police van during the attack, Becuau said. The other vehicle, an Audi, had been following the van and carried the two gunmen.

Forensic experts have been carrying out meticulous tests at the scene of the crime, and police had been studying video of the attack filmed by eyewitnesses and posted on social media, Beccuau told the press conference.

A forensics team inspects the site of a prison convoy ambush in France on Tuesday in which two guards were killed. - Alain Jocard/AFP/Getty Images

The prosecutor also revealed more details about the escaped inmate, identifying him as Mohamed Amra, and saying he is very well known to the justice system, having sustained a total 13 convictions.

Most of those convictions related to incidences of theft with aggravated offences, Beccuau said, adding that Amra had been incarcerated in various facilities since January 2022.

A minimum of three police officers had been decided as the security level for the escort several weeks ago, Beccuau told journalists. In the end, five officers were involved in the escort.

A 52-year-old officer and 34-year-old officer were both killed during the attack whilst their colleagues, a 48-year-old, a 52-year-old and a 55-year-old were all injured, she said.

On May 10, Amra was found guilty on the charge of burglary by a court in Evreux and was also under investigation in Marseille for a kidnap which led to a death, Beccuau said.

The prosecutor said the authorities priority now is getting to the bottom of this outburst of violence.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on X that every effort is being made to find the perpetrators of this crime so that justice can be done in the name of the French people.

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An argument between a couple that started due to social media ended in a fight and arrest.

Last Friday, Bellevue officers were called to the 4200 block of Factoria Boulevard Southeast after the victim, a 22-year-old woman, called police to report that her boyfriend took her cellphone and drove away from their apartment.

Officers quickly found the man sitting inside a Mazda in a parking lot on the same street.

After speaking with both the victim and her boyfriend, police discovered an argument started when the boyfriend noticed his girlfriend messaging a man on Instagram.

When the woman refused to hand over her phone, her boyfriend grabbed her shirt with both hands near her upper chest and neck area, hurting her and ripping the shirt, according to the woman.

Police said the boyfriend also prevented the woman from calling police.

The 29-year-old man was arrested for investigation of fourth-degree assault and interfering with reporting of domestic violence.

Fridays incident highlights an ongoing trend  particularly among youth  where confrontations or conflicts online lead to altercations and violence offline, the Bellevue Police Department said in blog post.

The post said that comments, livestreaming, picture/video sharing, and tagging were the leading cause of arguments between teens that escalated into physical fights, according to a 2021 study by the University of Connecticut.

The study said that 80% of those fights involved comments.
A program intended to help low-income Americans connect to the internet is likely to disappear at the end of this month, and its supporters in Congress have limited options to keep it afloat. Although the Affordable Connectivity Programused by roughly 23 million households to obtain broadband accessenjoys bipartisan and bicameral support, its uncertain whether Congress will be able to pass a measure to extend it before the end of May, its final month of funding.

The Affordable Connectivity Program provided up to $30 monthly subsidies on internet bills for low-income families, and as much as $75 in monthly discounts for eligible households on tribal lands. Without additional funding, the ACP already stopped accepting new enrollment in February. April was also the final month of full funding for the program, and the Federal Communications Commission was only able to offer partial reimbursement for participating internet providers in the month of May: The available discount for nontribal households dropped to $14 per month and to $35 for families on tribal lands.

Supporters of the ACP argue that it is a necessity for low-income Americans to participate in daily life. We know that connectivity is one of the important, necessary parts of living life in the twenty-first century, said GOP Senator J.D. Vance, one of the programs staunchest supporters in Congress, in a speech on the Senate floor on Thursday. A recent national survey by the Benenson Strategy Group found that 95 percent of ACP recipients said they would struggle with costs if the program expired, 75 percent said they would worry about losing access to telehealth services, and 65 percent would fear job loss. The same survey found that 49 percent of ACP participants are military families, 26 percent live in rural areas, and 19 percent are households with seniors.

But the path forward for extending the ACP is murky. There are few must-pass bills that will be considered between now and November, giving few opportunities to attach an extension to a larger measure. Passing a stand-alone bill may also be difficult, in no small part due to political considerations; Congress often struggles to work on bipartisan legislation in the months before an election.

A group of senators had attempted to attach an amendment extending the ACP to the bill reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration, which was approved without amendment votes on Thursday night. That reauthorization bill will now receive a vote in the House, and it seems unlikely that there will be any ACP-related amendments attached to the legislation in the lower chamber.

Nonetheless, supporters of the ACP are working to find another path for extension. A congressional aide familiar with negotiations said that the FAA is not the end of the runway for the ACP.

Were keeping every possible option open to fund this program past May. Millions of families, seniors, and veterans rely on this programwe need to make moves, the aide said.

One option is the ACP Extension Act, which would provide an additional $7 billion in funding to keep the program afloat. Representative Yvette Clarke, the lead sponsor of that bill in the House, indicated in a statement that she would continue to press for its passage.

If there is one thing Democrats and Republicans should be able to agree on, it is the ACP. We have an opportunity to do so right nowand we must act before its too late, Clarke said.

Meanwhile, Senator Ben Ray Lujan, the lead sponsor of the amendment to the FAA reauthorization measure, has filed it as a stand-alone bill. The Lujan amendment, which garnered bipartisan support, attempted to address some of the criticisms of the ACP. It would provide $6 billion for the program, lower than the $7 billion offered by the ACP Extension Act. It would also cut the income threshold to 135 percent of the federal poverty line, down from 200 percent, end eligibility based on the Agriculture Department Community Eligibility Provision, and eliminate a one-time $100 subsidy for wireless devices.

An October study by USC Annenberg found that lowering the poverty threshold would result in about 7.4 million households that currently qualify for the ACP becoming ineligible; as not everyone eligible for the program is currently enrolled, this could result in roughly three million households losing the benefit.

But some supporters say targeting eligibility would not necessarily be a bad thing. Just earlier this week, the president of a local internet service provider said he was informed that hes eligible for the $30 a month because the school lunch program in [West Virginia] makes everybody eligible, Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito said in a hearing last week, saying that while she is supportive of the program, she believes weve got to narrow it down to the need.

John Heitmann, the outside counsel for the National Lifeline Association, said that narrowing the eligibility would still ensure that those who need the program the most would be able to obtain it. Theyre people who have trouble connecting to the internet every month and make choices whether to buy food or connectivity, said Heitmann.

The changes in the amendment are reflective of some hard opposition in Congress. Several Republicans have raised concerns about whether the ACP truly connected a new population of Americans to the internet, and whether it is duplicative of a preexisting program to help low-income families secure broadband access. GOP Senator Ted Cruz has argued that the program Lifeline, which is also intended to lower internet costs, renders the ACP redundant. (Lifeline offers lower subsidies and has a 135 percent income threshold.)

In a hearing last week, economist Paul Winfree, a former Trump administration official, argued that the ACP had counterintuitively increased internet costs by subsidizing demand. Skeptics also note that low-income households in rural areas were less likely to take advantage of the program than urban Americans. However, at least one model found that more rural households had used the program than initially predicted. Vance argued in his speech on Thursday that the program encouraged investment in rural areas.

The guarantee that consumers will be able to pay their internet bills regardless of their income level is one of the things that makes it possible for a lot of companies to invest in rural broadband infrastructure, said Vance.

Other critics also worry that the ACP is being appreciated by the telecommunications companies who are reimbursed by the federal government just as much, if not more, than the poor households receiving the benefit, considering the program a form of corporate welfare. A January report by The Wall Street Journal found that, of the nearly $13 billion spent by the federal government on the ACP over three years, around $3 billion was given to the internet service provider Charter Communications. The inspector general for the FCC has also raised concerns that providers were not following ACP rules, warning in a September report that dozens of providers had claimed reimbursement for subscribers suspected of nonusage.

But Gigi Sohn, the spokesperson for the Affordable Broadband Campaign, argued that the program was mutually beneficial to providers and those who need to be connected to the internet. I dont think it benefits one party more than the other, said Sohn. Is it corporate welfare, in a way? Yes. But for me, its corporate welfare that has a great public benefit.

Although the future of the ACP is uncertain, broadband access remains a potent issue for lawmakers. This week, the Senate Commerce Committee is also expected to consider spectrum legislation from committee Chair Maria Cantwell that would include funds for the ACP.

The ACP grew from a pandemic-era benefit, and advocates argue that life has simply changed too much to end the program. Reliance on the internet has increased ever more with working from home and the rise of popularity of telehealth in particular. A recent report by the Chamber of Progress estimated that, if the ACP were permitted to expire, subscribers would lose around $1.4 billion in savings due to loss of telehealth services and more than $10 billion in potential lost wages.

There are certain things post-Covid where were not rolling back the clock, said Heitmann. There are much higher bandwidth needs now than there were just before Covid.
Law enforcement officials in Kyiv will investigate threats against Ukrainska Pravda journalists.

Source: Nadiia Maksymets, spokeswoman for the Office of the Prosecutor General, in a comment for Ukrainska Pravda

Quote: "Criminal proceedings were initiated, under the procedural supervision of the Shevchenkivskyi District Prosecutors Office in Kyiv, following a complaint from Ukrainska Pravda journalists about attempts to pressure, threaten and obstruct journalistic activities.

The pretrial investigation is being conducted under Art. 171.2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, influence on a journalist with the aim of obstructing their professional duties, and Art. 345-1.1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, threats of murder or violence against a journalist in connection with the exercise of lawful professional activity."

Details: Maksymets also said that investigators from the Shevchenkivskyi District Police Department will conduct the pretrial investigation and that prosecution officials will monitor its progress.

Previously:

Mykhailo Tkach, head of Ukrainska Pravdas investigative reporting department, received a message from someone who introduced himself as Oleksandr Slobozhenko, who featured in Ukrainska Pravdas recent investigation, on 10 May. Slobozhenko suggested that Tkach "settle" for a monetary reward. The message ended with the words: "I wouldnt recommend hesitating with your reply. Im also good at fighting."

Tkach also started receiving dozens of calls from unknown numbers and text messages containing bank authorisation codes.

On 13 May, at least 10 Ukrainska Pravda employees received emails with threats.

Ukrainska Pravda has issued a statement regarding the threats against its journalists.

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State environmental regulators want the Iowa attorney general to take action against the agricultural cooperative behind the catastrophic nitrogen fertilizer spill that wiped out about 750,000 fish for 50 miles along the Nishnabotna River system in March.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources on Monday recommended attorney general's office take over enforcement against NEW Cooperative, a Fort Dodge farmer-owned business that reported the spill at its Red Oak elevator March 11. The transfer of responsibility is allowed when a violation is particularly grave and exceeds the DNR's $10,000 cap on fines, officials said.

Typically with a spill that reaches Iowa waterways, DNR seeks an administrative penalty and restitution for the fish that were killed.

The Iowa Environmental Protection Commission will consider referring enforcement against NEW Cooperative to the attorney general's office at its May 22 meeting in Ottumwa.

Here's what to know about what led up to the Iowa DNR referral.

How did the spill happen?

Workers at NEW Cooperative's Red Oak elevator called the DNR field office near Atlantic at 5:30 a.m. March 11 and reported that a valve on a line linked to a 500,000 gallon nitrogen tank had been left open all weekend. It released about 265,000 gallons of the liquid fertilizer into a stormwater drainage ditch that ran through a levee that emptied through an open floodgate into the East Nishnabotna River.

The spill made its way to the Nishnabotna River, killing thousands of fish along the way, Iowa and Missouri fishery officials reported, before reaching the Missouri River and being diluted by that river's greater flow.

What did NEW Cooperative do in response?

The cooperative built berms to contain the spill, pumped fertilizer from the ditch and levee, used lime to soak up the fertilizer, and excavated contaminated soil. Closing the floodgate, NEW Cooperative hired a consultant to sample recovered fertilizer to help determine the proper agronomic rates at it could be applied to cropland.

Complicating the cooperative's efforts, the area on March 25 received up to 1.5 inches of rain, and Red Oak Police Chief Justin Rhamy ordered the levees floodgate open. That destroyed a berm where the flow from the stormwater ditch met the East Nishnabotna River. Iowa DNR ordered the floodgate closed again until the cleanup had been finished. By March 29, NEW Cooperative said the berm at the ditch and the river had been rebuilt.

East Nishnabotna River fish killed when a valve left open over the weekend at a Red Oak co-op resulted in a massive fertilizer spill.

Is the cleanup completed?

With storms expected in late April, NEW Cooperative agreed to continue pumping the water around the stormwater ditch to avoid further contaminating the river. The co-op also has agreed to clean up contaminated soil in the ditch. The recovered water was being held in on-site tanks.

What did Iowa DNR do?

DNR Environmental Specialist Brent Martens worked with NEW Cooperative to contain the spill and sampled water for nearly 34 miles along the Nishnabotna River. Martens and other Iowa DNR officials worked with their Missouri counterparts to assess the extent of the fish kill. Testing showed high levels of ammonia and nitrates.

More: Eastern Iowa farmer accused of leaving fertilizer spill in Burlington

Is any other action expected?

A group of Iowans have asked Iowa DNR Director Kayla Lyon to launch her own investigation to determine whether the state's policies need to be changed to prevent another massive spill. The letter, written by Drake University law professor emeritus Neil Hamilton, former director of the Drake Agricultural Law Center, asks Lyon to pursue all available remedies including civil and criminal action through the attorney general's office.

The letter, signed by former gubernatorial candidate Fred Hubbell and former Iowa Lt. Gov. Sally Pederson, among others, also asks Lyon to work with the Iowa Department of Agriculture to examine policies around storage of agricultural fertilizer and determine whether Iowa has gaps or inadequacies in the rules or their enforcement."

What are environmental groups saying?

"Were glad to see the DNR is recommending further enforcement action through the attorney general," Alicia Vasto, the Iowa Environmental Council's water program director. "This is an important first step in seeking justice for the river, wildlife, and communities impacted by this devastating incident. Ultimately, the final enforcement must reflect the grave impact the fertilizer spill has had on the East Nishnabotna. Further, we must demand more protective laws and rules that will prevent this type of event from happening again."

What does NEW Cooperative say?

The co-op, with 80 locations around Iowa, said earlier this month it's worked with state regulators and others on the cleanup.

"We are deeply disappointed in what has happened, as NEW Cooperative has a strong environmental record, and it is also the first time in the companys 50-year history that our emergency environmental response procedures have needed to be activated," the company said in an email. "NEW Cooperative was founded by local farmers with roots in these communities, which furthers our resolve to work to cleanup and mitigate this issue."

It didn't comment on Iowa DNR's referral to the attorney general's office Monday.

This article has been edited to correct the location of the Iowa Environmental Protection Agency meeting on May 22. It will be held at the Bridge View Conference Center in Ottumwa.

Donnelle Eller covers agriculture, the environment and energy for the Register. Reach her at deller@registermedia.com or 515-284-8457.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa DNR wants AG to seek penalties in massive Nishnabotna fish kill
An Iowa sheriff's department spent some of its $600K income from jail fees on a cotton-candy machine and laser tag: lawsuit

An Iowa sheriff's department spent some of its $600K income from jail fees on a cotton-candy machine and laser tag: lawsuit

Civil rights groups filed a lawsuit against an Iowa sheriff's department over jail fees.

The lawsuit alleges misuse of funds on things like laser tag and ice cream machines.

The class-action suit was filed on behalf of a single mom charged $730 in fees.

Civil rights groups initiated a class-action lawsuit on Monday, accusing an Iowa sheriff's department and its sheriff of unlawfully collecting jail fees and using some of the proceeds to fund laser tag, ice cream, and a cotton candy machine.

According to the lawsuit, Black Hawk County Sheriff Tony Thompson implemented a policy that mandated payment to the jail for "room and board" at a rate of $70 per day, plus $25 in admin fees  collectively referred to as "jail fees."

The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Nothern District of Iowa, says that the fees were enforced by presenting individuals serving a sentence at the jail with a confession of judgment to sign prior to being released. Any funds on their person were seized and applied to the debt.

The suit, initiated by the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa and Public Justice, contends that there were no opportunities for a hearing or to mount a defense against the imposition of fees.

Rita Bettis Austen, ACLU of Iowa legal director, said in a statement that prisoners being made to sign confessions of judgment are powerless.

"They have no bargaining power, no attorney, and zero meaningful understanding of what they are doing and what they are giving up," she said.

In a statement provided to Business Insider by email, Sheriff Thompson claimed that inmates are not required to sign confessions of judgment or to enter into payment plans.

Laser tag, ice cream, and cotton candy machines

According to the lawsuit, the policy is a money maker for Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office. It said that the department collected $590,217.36 in jail fees between July 2021 to July 2023.

Some counties don't collect jail fees at all because they see the practice as unfair, the ACLU and Public Justice said in a joint statement.

The lawsuit says that while 60% of the fees collected are allocated for specific expenditures, 40% are unallocated, a portion of which went to frivolous spending.

Some of the funds went to the Raymond Range, a gun range used by employees and their families, which was outfitted with laser tag equipment, ice cream machines, and cotton candy machines, according to the lawsuit.

In the statement provided to BI, Sheriff Thompson said it would seem "disingenuous" to have these expenditures  which he said contribute to the training and emotional betterment of officers  paid for by the taxpayer.

"When they pay for their stay in jail, they are helping fund training for the law enforcement profession, families, and our communities by providing programming that destigmatizes the profession of law enforcement just a bit," he added.

Filed on behalf of a single mom

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Leticia Roberts, a single mother of three, who served sentences in 2022 for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated,

According to the suit, Roberts was invoiced $730 in jail fees, with two confessions of judgment being used to impose the fees without a court order.

In one of them, it was noted that Roberts said she could not afford the fee because she "needs to feed her 3 kids."

Nonetheless, she received a collection letter two weeks later warning her that non-payment could lead to "further enforcement steps" or an increased fee, the lawsuit says.

In the joint statement by the ACLU and Public Justice, Roberts said she wanted to take a stand against the practice.

"Shaking down people for money as they get released from jail is wrong," she said.

Charles Moore, a staff attorney for Public Justice's Debtors' Prison Project, said in a statement that "most of the people paying are trying to get their lives together and under extreme financial stress, so wrongfully extracting money from them at that difficult point is particularly heartless."

The class-action suit aims for unspecified compensatory damages, the declaration of confessions of judgment as unlawful, and injunctive relief against the practice.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Award-winning Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof has fled to Europe just days after he was sentenced to prison, lashings and confiscation of property by the Islamic Republic.

I arrived in Europe a few days ago after a long and complicated journey, Rasoulof said in a statement dated Sunday and shared with The Associated Press.

Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof poses during a photo call for the film The Immigrant at the 66th international film festival, in Cannes, southern France on May 24, 2013. Rasoulof said in a statement signed by dozens of movie industry professionals on his Instagram account late Saturday, May 14, 2022 that security forces made some arrests and confiscated film production equipment during raids conducted in recent days.

His lawyer told the AP last week that he was sentenced to eight years in prison and lashings, shortly before his expected trip to the Cannes Film Festival. Iranian authorities have yet to acknowledge the filmmakers sentence and no immediate comment regarding his departure was released, the news wire added.

In a statement posted to his Instagram account on Monday, Rasoulof ripped into the Iranian government, calling it an oppressive and barbaric regime.

If geographical Iran suffers beneath the boots of your religious tyranny, cultural Iran is alive in the common minds of millions of Iranians who were forced to leave Iran due to your brutality and no power can impose its will on it. From today, I am a resident of cultural Iran, he wrote.

The charges came after Rasoulof was among a group of artists to co-sign a letter pushing for authorities to put your gun down during demonstrations over a 2022 building collapse that left at least 29 people dead in the city of Abadan, the AP reported.

This judgment is issued due to Mr. Rasoulof signing statements in support of the Iranian people, his lawyer Babak Paknia told the AP. He said that those statements, along with his tweets and further social activities, were found to be instances of action against national security.

He faced trial in Tehrans Revolutionary Court, Pakina told the news wire. In addition to prison time, Rasoulof also faces floggings, fines and asset seizures, per his lawyer.

Rasoulof was supposed to attend the Cannes Film Festival later this month for the premiere of his new film The Seed of the Sacred Fig. He is best known for his drama film, There Is No Evil, which centers around the use of the death penalty in Iran.

He has dealt with repeated prison sentences, film bans or travel bans in Iran, which rejects Western-embraced artists.

The Associated Press contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
KEREM SHALOM, IsraelAfter four months of relative calm in Gaza, Israel has begun the push into Rafah, the Strips southernmost city, to eliminate what it calls Hamas last stronghold. But as the offensive progresses, Israel is having to defend the conduct of the seven-month war on two fronts. To the U.S., it must show that its doing everything it can to protect Gazan civilians. And to its own population, it must prove that it has a clear roadmap to victory, particularly as Hamas crops up in areas where it was previously degraded.

Privately, U.S. officials have offered to help Israel locate top Hamas leaders and provide for evacuated Gazans if it agrees to limit the scope of its offensive, the Washington Post reported Saturday. Even in the face of souring relations with America, Israel may not be interested in the offer.

We do not need U.S. help in evacuating people or intelligence. We have our own intelligence systems. What we need from the U.S. is their support and their understanding that were fighting an enemy that must be destroyed, an Israeli official told The Dispatch, speaking on the condition of anonymity and adding that Jerusalem is deeply appreciative of the U.S. backing it has received thus far. I think that the United States understands that there is no way in which the IDF doesnt operate in Rafah, since there are four active Hamas battalions there.

More than 300,000 Gazans fled the area following IDF evacuation orders in recent days, as Israel tries to balance its efforts to minimize civilian harm in Rafah with its desire to deliver a decisive blow to the terrorist army hiding among and beneath evacuees there.

As Israel launched campaigns to clear Hamas from northern and central Gaza earlier in the war, civilians and fighters alike fled south to Rafah, where more than a million people joined the year-round population of a few hundred thousand. Last week, the IDF began dropping leaflets, making calls, sending texts, and reaching out via Arabic-language broadcasters to urge civilians to leave parts of eastern Rafah and head north and west. Together with aid groups, the IDF has worked to establish an expanded humanitarian zone from Deir al-Balah in central Gaza to al-Mawasi in the southa coastal stretch now equipped with tents, kitchens, and medical equipment where most of the evacuees who left Rafah have relocated.

On Saturday, Israeli officials announced the opening of a new field hospital to serve evacuees in the Deir al-Balah area, which will be run by the International Medical Corps. This area has exploded in terms of the number of [internally displaced persons] settlements, Dr. Javed Ali, who leads the International Medical Corps emergency response in Gaza, told The Dispatch. The organization has been working to provide antenatal and postnatal care, emergency services, and other forms of medical support to the growing population seeking shelter in the area, he added.

Additional aid groups are also moving their operations to the designated humanitarian zones in order to accommodate the influx of people from Rafah. One of them is Project HOPE, a humanitarian organization providing medical care in the enclave.

We are in the process of shifting our operations to be in line with where most of the people are evacuating to, which is mostly Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah, Moses Kondowe, the Rafah-based Gaza team lead for Project HOPE, told The Dispatch, noting recent food and water shortages.

Amid active combat near Gazas southern border crossings, getting medicine and food into the Strip has become increasingly difficult in recent days. The United Nations World Food Program claimed Friday that no aid trucks had entered through southern crossings for three days, adding that the continued suspension of aid deliveries would force its operations into a standstill while families run out of food.

Israeli officials accuse Hamas of intentionally sabotaging the entrance of humanitarian aid into Gaza by firing on a key border crossing. As recently as Sunday, terror groups launched rockets toward Kerem Shaloma southern crossing into Israel and an important lifeline for the Strip. Israel temporarily halted shipments through the route earlier this month after another rocket attack killed four soldiers.

Much of the food, fuel, and medicine that does make its way into the enclave is seized by Hamas gunmen, an Israeli military official told The Dispatch. Hamas is stealing aid for itself, shooting rockets at the crossings, and is preventing Israel from trying to help the population, the official said. On Sunday, the IDF announced the opening of a new, third crossing into northern Gaza, where humanitarian organizations say food shortages are most dire.

In the south, Egyptian authorities are reportedly refusing to coordinate aid shipments with Israel after the IDF captured the Gazan side of the Rafah crossing into Egypt last week. Israel says the Philadelphi Corridoran 8-mile stretch of land between Egypt and Gazahas allowed for the above- and below-ground smuggling of weapons and fighters in and out of the Palestinian enclave. Egypt, meanwhile, denounced Israels move on the crossing as an unacceptable escalation.

Yet Israeli military officials insist their operations in Rafah remain measured and precise. The offensive has thus far focused on Hamas targets in eastern Rafah, where the IDF says it destroyed rocket launch sites, unearthed tunnel shafts, and killed dozens of terrorists in its advance. Our operations against Hamas in Rafah remain limited in scope, IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Sunday, urging Gazan civilians to heed evacuation orders. Our war is against Hamas, not against the people of Gaza.

Updated casualty counts lend new credence to the claim. Earlier this month, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) amended its death toll for the ongoing conflict, cutting the estimated number of women and children it previously said were killed by nearly 50 percent.

Prior to Israels push into Rafah, the U.S. had repeatedly warned against a military campaign in the crowded southern city without a credible plan for relocating and caring for civilians. In an interview with CNN that aired last Wednesday, President Joe Biden went so far as to warn that such a move could result in the suspension of some weapons shipments to Israelremarks that provoked bipartisan backlash from American lawmakers. But the White Houses red line doesnt appear to have been crossed in recent days of fighting. I wouldnt go so far as to say what weve seen here in the last 24 hours connotes or indicates a broad, large-scale invasion or major ground operation, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Friday.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, meanwhile, warned on Sunday that an Israeli military victory over Hamas in Rafah might be short-lived without a postwar plan. Without another governing body, there will be a vacuum thats likely to be filled by chaos, by anarchy, and ultimately by Hamas again, he said.

Renewed fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas fighters in northern Gaza in recent days underscored this point. As the IDF moved into the Zeitoun neighborhood of southern Gaza Cityan area it has already cleared of militants twice since the start of the warIsraeli troops came under at least 17 separate attacks on Friday, according to a report by the American Enterprise Institutes Critical Threats Project and the Institute for the Study of War. Fighting has also begun again in areas around Jabalia, a neighborhood north of Gaza City, as Hamas tries to reconstitute there.

The Hamas attacks, which appear to be coordinated, show that the group is still active both as a military force and also as a political force in a much more limited capacity, Brian Carter, an analyst at the Critical Threats Project, told The Dispatch, adding that the resurgence of Hamas in the north casts doubt on whether the IDF will achieve its objectives in the south. The Rafah operation might generate some short-term tactical effects in terms of killing fighters, capturing rocket stockpiles. But at the end of the day, its not going to accomplish the objective of destroying Hamas.

Even among Israeli military officials, theres growing concern that this may be the case. During a meeting over the weekend, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi reportedly criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his failure to put forth a viable day after plan for the enclave. We are now operating once again in Jabalia, Halevi was quoted by Israels Channel 13 as saying. As long as theres no diplomatic process to develop a governing body in the Strip that isnt Hamas, well have to launch campaigns again and again in other places to dismantle Hamas infrastructure.

In an interview with The Dispatch, the Israeli official concurred. There are no political achievements through military operations. Military operations and political maneuvers should go together. And if you do only military operations, then the political problem remains, the official said, pointing to the reemergence of Hamas fighters in areas of northern Gaza that are now being cleared by ground troops for the third time. Whats going into the territory that we left is terrorism again. Terrorism and chaos, since there was no kind of governing authority in the area.

Correction, May 14, 2024: This article was updated to accurately reflect the population of Rafah, which was a few hundred thousand people before the arrival of refugees from elsewhere in Gaza.

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FILE PHOTO: A drone picture of a line of trucks waiting on an Egyptian road along the border with Israel, near the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip

By Maytaal Angel and Nayera Abdallah

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel said on Tuesday that it was up to Egypt to reopen the Rafah crossing and allow humanitarian relief into the Gaza Strip, prompting Cairo to denounce what it described as "desperate attempts" to shift blame for the blockage of aid.

The Rafah crossing between Egypt and southern Gaza has been a vital route for aid to the coastal territory, where a humanitarian crisis has deepened and some people are at risk of famine.

Since Israel seized control of the crossing on May 7 as it stepped up its military campaign around Rafah, aid has accumulated on the Egyptian side of the border.

"The key to preventing a humanitarian crisis in Gaza is now in the hands of our Egyptian friends," Israel's Foreign Affairs Minister Israel Katz said in comments released by his office.

Katz said he had spoken with his British and German counterparts about "the need to persuade Egypt to reopen the Rafah crossing", adding he would also speak with Italy's foreign minister later on Tuesday.

The Palestinian militant group Hamas, which has governed Gaza, will not "control the Rafah crossing", Katz said, citing security concerns over which Israel "will not compromise".

The comments drew a swift and angry response from Egypt's foreign ministry, which said Israel was responsible for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and that Israel's military operations in Rafah were the main factor blocking aid.

"The foreign minister strongly denounced the desperate attempts of the Israeli side to hold Egypt responsible for the unprecedented humanitarian crisis facing the Gaza Strip," the ministry said in a statement.

"The foreign minister called on Israel to fulfil its legal responsibility as the occupying power, by allowing aid to enter through the land ports under its control."

Egypt has said that the crossing has remained open from its side throughout the conflict that began between Israel and Hamas on Oct. 7.

Cairo has been one of the mediators in stalled ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas. But its relationship with Israel has come under strain during the conflict, especially since the Israeli advance in Rafah.

The United Nations and other international aid agencies said the closing of two crossings into southern Gaza - Rafah and Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom - had virtually cut the enclave off from outside aid.

The U.N. warned prior to those closings that Gaza was on the brink of famine.

Israel launched its current Gaza offensive following an attack on Oct. 7 by Hamas-led gunmen who rampaged through Israeli communities near the enclave, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

The Palestinian death toll in the war has now surpassed 35,000, according to Gaza health officials.

(Reporting by Maytaal Angel in Jerusalem, Nayera Abdallah and Jana Choukeir in Dubai; Writing by Maytaal Angel and Aidan Lewis; Editing by Alexandra Hudson, Gareth Jones and Cynthia Osterman)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. The time has come to formalize the accords struck with Azerbaijan in an agreement of peace and sign it, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said, Trend reports.

He made the remark during the Copenhagen Democracy Summit.

We have recently reached an agreement with Azerbaijan to start delimitation of our interstate borders based on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration. The beginning of border delimitation is the implementation of the agreement reached during the quadrilateral meeting on October 6, 2022, in Prague. Now it is time to include and reflect these agreements in the peace treaty and sign it, he said.

To note, negotiations between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan were held in the Kazakh city of Almaty on May 1011, 2024.

The ministers welcomed the progress in the delimitation of the border and the agreements reached in this regard.

The ministers and their delegations continued discussing the provisions of the draft Bilateral Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and Interstate Relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Regarding the outstanding points of contention, both parties consented to further negotiating.

Based on geodetic measurements, 40 border pillars were set up on the border between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia as of May 6, 2024, within the framework of the works on clarification of coordinates.

Besides, the work of the expert groups of the two states continues.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Editor's Note: This is a summary of news on the Israel-Hamas war for Tuesday, May 14. For the latest news, see our file for Wednesday, May 15.

Egypt, a key mediator in negotiations for a cease-fire and the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, fired back Tuesday at Israel for passing along blame for what the U.S. is calling "not nearly enough'' humanitarian aid going into the embattled territory.

Israel took over the vital Rafah crossing a week ago during what it calls a limited military operation in the southern border city, prompting condemnation from Egypt and concern from the United Nations about the move's impact on the influx of assistance for Palestinians deprived of food, fuel and other necessities. That access point and the Kerem Shalom crossing, also in the south, remain closed, limiting the ability of aid organizations to bring in supplies that have piled up on the Egyptian side of the border.

Weve seen 50 trucks enter Gaza on May 12. This is not nearly enough, State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said Tuesday.

Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Israel Katz said it was up to Egypt to open the Rafah crossing, going as far as saying he addressed that need with some of his European counterparts. The key to preventing a humanitarian crisis in Gaza is now in the hands of our Egyptian friends, Katz said in comments released by his office.

That did not sit well with Egyptian foreign ministry officials, who issued a statement decrying "the desperate attempts of the Israeli side to hold Egypt responsible for the unprecedented humanitarian crisis facing the Gaza Strip,'' and adding, "The foreign minister called on Israel to fulfil its legal responsibility as the occupying power, by allowing aid to enter through the land ports under its control."

Though it worries about a large influx of Palestinians fleeing the violence, Egypt has maintained its side of the crossing has been open since the war started.

Escape from Rafah: Hundreds of thousands flee city as fighting intensifies in Gaza

Two men ride atop a minibus loaded with mattresses, covers and other items as they return to Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on May 14, 2024.

Developments:

 A $1 billion military package for Israel, including tank rounds, mortars and armored tactical vehicles, has been transferred from the State Department into the congressional review process, Reuters reported Tuesday. President Joe Biden said last week he was delaying delivery of hundreds of bombs over disagreements about Israel's military plans in Rafah.

 Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said Tuesday that cease-fire talks would continue, although Israels assault on Rafah has set back progress on any truce or release of the remaining hostages Hamas captured Oct. 7.

 White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan is scheduled to travel to Israel and Saudi Arabia this weekend amid concerns about a larger Israeli incursion into Rafah.

 An Israeli strike on a house in Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza killed seven people and wounded several others, medics told Reuters.

 Amid concerns over an escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, a British emergency room doctor volunteering there said he had been told by the World Health Organization that some emergency fuel had made it into the enclave. Health is still being prioritized over other essential services, so when health looks a bit better it generally means other essential services are struggling, James Smith told Reuters via WhatsApp. Its a zero-sum game.

Israel presses further into besieged Rafah

Israeli troops drove deeper into of Rafah on Tuesday as the military said its forces were wiping out Hamas terrorists and fighting flared again in the north.

UNRWA, the main United Nations aid agency in Gaza, estimates about 450,000 people have fled Rafah since May 6. "People face constant exhaustion, hunger and fear. Nowhere is safe, UNRWA said on X.

Israel has dismissed global outcries over the escalation into Rafah, saying the incursion is necessary to root out Hamas militants responsible for the Oct. 7 border attacks that left 1,200 Israelis dead and triggered the war. More than 1 million Palestinians had been sheltering in Rafah after fleeing fighting in the north.

The Israeli Defense Forces said Tuesday that it destroyed several armed terrorist cells on the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt and east of the city, and also a launch post for missiles being fired at IDF troops.

Gunbattles also intensified in northern Gaza, where Israel claimed Hamas militants were regrouping. The IDF said it had killed dozens of Hamas fighters in Jabalia, a large refugee camp, and found tunnel shafts and rocket launchers in other nearby areas.

Humanitarian efforts in Gaza paralyzed, aid group says

The Israeli ground incursion that has led to an ongoing closure of the Rafah crossing is causing major disruptions in humanitarian organizations' efforts to bring assistance into Gaza, leaving the territory "on the brink of collapse and famine,'' the International Rescue Committee said in an e-mail Tuesday.

The aid group said it was scheduled to enter Gaza through the Rafah crossing along with an emergency medical team Monday but they were unable to get through the closed access point, denying Palestinians in the enclave desperately needed health care and medications.

What we are witnessing in Rafah is nothing less than a humanitarian catastrophe,'' said Kiryn Lanning, the IRC team lead for Gaza. "The ongoing Israeli bombardment, combined with the closure of the Rafah crossing, has led to critical fuel shortages and severe movement restrictions, paralyzing all humanitarian operations.''

UN court to hold hearings on genocide claims

The U.N.s International Court of Justice said Tuesday it will hold hearings Thursday and Friday as part of an ongoing case South Africa filed at the court in December accusing Israel of violating the Genocide Convention in Gaza.

Israel has countered by accusing South Africa of acting as "the legal arm" of Hamas, and says it is acting in accordance with international law in attempting to root out terrorists.

South Africa will address the court Thursday after asking last week that Israel be ordered to cease its Rafah offensive and allow access to Gaza for U.N. and other humanitarian aid officials. Israel will present its side of the case Friday.

WHO supports Gaza Health Ministry death toll numbers

The World Health Organization on Tuesday expressed full confidence in death toll figures from the Health Ministry in Gaza after Israel questioned the numbers.

The ministry last week updated its breakdown of 35,000 total fatalities in Gaza, saying about 25,000 of the dead have been fully identified. U.N. agencies have republished these figures.

The fact we now have 25,000 identified people is a step forward, WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said, insisting there was nothing wrong with Health Ministry data, which have stood up to scrutiny in past wars.

Among those killed who have been identified, 52% were women and children, lower than the ministry's previous estimates of close to 70%. The agency's figures don't differentiate civilians from combatants. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that 14,000 Hamas fighters and 16,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed in Gaza.

Is Biden at a turning point with longtime ally Israel?

President Joe Biden is at a crossroads on America's military support for Israel in its war against Hamas, which could have profound and lasting effects on his presidency and the relationship with the Middle East country.

Biden's decision to pause a shipment of arms to Israel, along with a State Department report that concluded U.S. weapons were likely used to conduct operations in Gaza without adequately protecting civilians, marked a turning point for the Democratic president.

For the first time since the war began, Biden last week put conditions on U.S.-supplied weaponry: no more high payload bombs or artillery shells until the Israeli government abandons a plan to invade Rafah. Read more.

 Francesca Chambers

Contributing: Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Israel war live updates: Egypt says Israel to blame for Gaza crisis
Right-wing Israeli protesters blocked trucks carrying food supplies that were headed into Gaza on Monday in the latest disruption to humanitarian relief for the war-torn Palestinian territory. The trucks were attacked by an Israel group called "Tsav 9" at the Tarqumiya checkpoint, a border crossing from the Israeli-occupied West Bank into Israel, west of the city of Hebron.

Sapir Sluzker Amran, an Israeli peace activist who opposed the protesters and witnessed the incident, told CBS News on Tuesday that the group that halted the trucks and then threw the food all over the ground were mainly Israeli settlers and extremists.

Right-wing Israeli protesters ambushed trucks carrying food supplies that were headed into Gaza on Monday in the latest disruption to humanitarian relief for the war-torn Palestinian territory. / Credit: Sapir Sluzker Amran, Co-founder of Breaking Walls movement

"Most of them were settlers. They also live there, they are settlers in the settlements in the area," she said. "The common theme among all of them is that they are from the right wing Zionist groups. The religious nationalist stream, as we call it."

Videos and photos taken by Amran and shared with CBS News show protesters climbing onto an aid truck and throwing food packages onto the side of the road. Other images show protesters dumping flour out of large sacks from the vehicles.

U.S. calls attacks on aid "a total outrage"

At the White House media briefing on Monday, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan slammed the attack.

"It is a total outrage that there are people who are attacking and looting these convoys coming from Jordan going to Gaza to deliver humanitarian assistance," he said. "We are looking at the tools we have to respond to this and we're also raising our concerns at the highest level of the Israeli government. It's something we make no bones about  we find it completely and utterly unacceptable."

U.K. foreign minister David Cameron also condemned the attack in a social media post and demanded that Israel hold all "attackers to account and do more to allow aid in," adding that he would be raising his concerns with the Israeli government over the incident.

Who was behind the attack on the aid convoy?

Tsav 9 is described by the Times of Israel newspaper as "a right-wing organization that opposes aid being sent to Gaza while hostages are still held there."

The group shared images and video of the attack on the aid convoy Monday on its X account  which carries a line in Hebrew stating its mission to halt aid for Gaza until all Israeli hostages in the Palestinian territory are released.

"No aid gets through  until the last of the kidnapped returns" the group's X account says.

Videos and photos taken by an eyewitness and shared with CBS News show protesters climbing onto an aid truck and throwing food packages onto the side of the road. Other images show protesters dumping flour out of large sacks from the vehicles. / Credit: Sapir Sluzker Amran, Co-founder of Breaking Walls movement

"They started a few months ago, they fundraise lots of money and they have many supporters in the government," Amran told CBS News, claiming the extremists are often tipped off about humanitarian aid convoys by Israeli military and police officials.

"They know, so they have information beforehand about when the trucks are coming, and they publish it on social media and they publish it on their groups, WhatsApp groups, and asking people to join and block or damage the aid," she said.

Amran said one member of the group slapped her Monday as she tried to stop the attack on the aid trucks. She said Israel Defense Forces personnel at the scene did little to assist her.

"I was attacked by one of the settlers there in front of an IDF soldier that was sitting, standing very close to us  like maybe, I don't know, less than a meter, and saw that he slapped me really hard," she said. "They [the IDF] just protected him and kind of took him to the side."

The Israel Police force said the Monday attack on the aid convoy was under investigation and that "multiple suspects" had been detained.

COGAT, the Israeli agency responsible for policy in the Palestinian territories, did not immediately respond to a CBS News request for comment on the incident in the West Bank.

Rights group says 8 Israeli strikes have hit aid workers or sites

The attack highlighted the risks of humanitarian aid work for Palestinians as the war between Israel and Hamas rages in Gaza.

On Tuesday, the U.S.-based organization Human Rights Watch released a report accusing the IDF of at least eight strikes on aid convoys and premises in Gaza since the war was sparked by Hamas' Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel.

"Israeli authorities did not issue advance warnings to any of the aid organizations before the strikes, which killed or injured at least 31 aid workers and those with them," the group said in a news release.

U.N. worker killed in Rafah

The United Nations said Monday, meanwhile, that one of its security staff was killed in an incident in the southern Gaza city of Rafah on Monday.

"The Secretary-General was deeply saddened to learn of the death of a United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS) staff member and injury to another DSS staffer when their UN vehicle was struck as they traveled to the European Hospital in Rafah," a spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a Monday statement.

Why Netanyahu is so intent on a Rafah ground assault

The U.N. did not specify what was believed to have hit the vehicle, but the IDF said in a statement sent to CBS News that the incident was under review.

"A report was received from the UNDSS organization that two of the organization's workers were injured today in the area of Rafah. An initial inquiry conducted indicates that the vehicle was hit in an area declared an active combat zone," the Israeli military said, adding that it had "not been made aware of the route of the vehicle."

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Hospitals in central Gaza have reported that 40 people were killed in two Israeli airstrikes overnight within a few hundred meters of each other.

Al Aqsa hospital said it had received 29 bodies from one strike, nine of whom were children, while Al Awda hospital said it had received 11 bodies after the second strike.

The strikes occurred at about 1 a.m. and 2:45 a.m. on Tuesday morning local time (6 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. Monday ET), according to witnesses.

Rescue workers have continued efforts to find bodies underneath the rubble of a four-story building in Nuseirat that was demolished in the first strike. Witnesses said dozens of people had been sheltering in the buildings yard.

CNN video showed those injured and killed being brought into Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, while other video shows the bodies of several children being retrieved from the wreckage.

Desperate family members surround the piles of rubble, waiting to see if anyone is rescued alive, the footage showed. But the workers at the scene clearly lack equipment to remove the concrete.

CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces for comment on the two strikes.

Some of those killed had recently arrived from Rafah, according to people at the scene.

One witness, Ashraf Al Jalees, told CNN at the site: I swear these are innocent civilians They are all buried under the ground, including children. There are seven girls here. What fault did they have?

He said he had set up a tent for a friend  Hassan Obeid  whom he said had no affiliation with Hamas or anyone else.

Relatives of those killed mourn on Tuesday morning. - Jehad Alshrafi/Anadolu/Getty Images

Calling out Obeids name, Al Jalees added: He stayed to sleep here tonight, and the house collapsed on all of them  Over 50 people are under this, I swear to God they are all innocent civilians. God will question me one day if I am lying.

Another man, Hamdan Karaja, told CNN: My children, both girls and boys, are under the rubble. My wife as well.

Karaja said he had seven children. He said the body of his father had been retrieved.

We have over 100 displaced individuals, with some comprising 20 family members. They are all trapped under the rubble. We were targeted while we were asleep, without any prior warning, he said.

We also have displaced peoples tents in the yard. We have 10 martyrs here and 20 over there.

Rami Al Aida, a Civil Defense spokesperson in Central Gaza, said crews were operating in extremely challenging conditions due to a lack of fuel and equipment. We hope to find people alive. We appeal to all international organizations to provide the Civil Defense with the necessary tools, bulldozers, and fuel.

Al Aida agreed with the assessment of others at the site that dozens were still under the rubble. There are over four families trapped under the rubble, in addition to the displaced families seeking shelter in and around the building. There are more than 100 people.

A girl who gave her name as Sama Alousha said they had heard a detonation at about 1 a.m.

We all panicked and came to see what happened. I saw my friends house completely destroyed. We are unable to rescue anyone. I have five friends trapped under this place.

One unnamed man said he and his family had been displaced several times.

We were displaced from Shajaiya. We moved to Khan Younis and then to Rafah, and from Rafah, we came here. My brother rented a place here and stayed there with his family.

Suddenly, I received a call informing me that the place where my brother was staying was hit. There are no tools to retrieve them. They are a family of six, all innocent civilians. My brother, his wife, and four children.

Rami Al Aida, a Civil Defense Spokesperson in Central Gaza, said crews were "operating in extremely challenging conditions due to a lack of fuel and equipment." - Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto/Getty Images

He then called out the names of his brothers family, but there was no response.

One tearful woman at the scene, Um Mahmoud, told CNN: My brother arrived from Rafah three days ago after being forcibly displaced, and now we do not know his whereabouts. He, along with his wife and five children, has no connections with anyone. He is simply a displaced person who came from Rafah and was still searching for a place to stay in Deir el Balah.

His name was on the list of those supposed to leave Gaza through the Rafah border, but fate intervened, she added.

A man called Salah Abu Jarada said his brother had also come from the Rafah area. They were hit, with three floors collapsing on top of them. They have not been rescued yet.

A second strike occurred at the UNRWA school in Nuseirat about two hours after the first, according to witnesses.

Ismail Abu Ghosheh said: Everything is burnt, and seven people were killed.

Another man at the school, Najah Abu Daher, said: There is no safe place to go. They follow us wherever we go. My son was killed, along with three of my relatives. They struck us in the dead of night, causing children to run everywhere and glass to shatter.

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Israeli military Apache helicopters fly near the Israel-Gaza border as seen from southern Israel

Israeli military Apache helicopters fly near the Israel-Gaza border as seen from southern Israel

By James Mackenzie and Nidal al-Mughrabi

JERUSALEM/CAIRO (Reuters) - Seven months into the war, Israeli troops are back fighting in the north of the Gaza Strip, in areas that were supposed to have been cleared months ago, highlighting growing questions about the government's declared goal of eliminating Hamas.

As tanks have started pushing into the southern city of Rafah, where the military says the last four intact battalions of Hamas are dug in, there has been fierce fighting in the Zeitoun area of Gaza City and around Jabalia, to the north, both of which the army took control of last year before moving on.

The renewed fighting there - amid international pressure for a ceasefire - has underscored concern in Israel that the lack of a clear strategic plan for Gaza will leave Hamas in effective control of the enclave it has ruled since 2007.

As Israel marks one of its most sombre Independence Days on Tuesday, a clear end to the war appears as far off as ever.

Hunkered in the extensive tunnel network that runs beneath the ruins of Gaza, Hamas appears to retain broad support among a population scarred by a campaign that has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians and forced most Gazans from their homes.

"If we rely on a strategy of ongoing attrition or surgical operations against Hamas, it won't achieve the goal of governmental or military collapse," said Michael Milshtein, a former military intelligence officer and one of Israel's most prominent experts on the Islamist movement.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell declared on Monday that Washington doubted Israel would achieve "sweeping victory on the battlefield".

HARD-RIGHT ALLIES

For the past few weeks, cabinet officials have urged Netanyahu to formulate a clear "day after" policy for Gaza, according to two security officials.

However Netanyahu has so far insisted on total victory, responding to pressure from hard-right allies such as Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, whose support he needs to hold his ruling coalition together.

Despite international calls for a revival of efforts to find a solution to the decades-long conflict, talk of a political settlement has been rejected repeatedly by a government that refuses to contemplate any steps towards an independent Palestinian state.

That has left it forced to seek a purely military solution that has complicated the task of the troops on the ground.

This week, Israel's Channel 13 news reported that army commander Herzi Halevi had told Netanyahu that without a serious drive to build an alternative Palestinian government in Gaza, the military faced a "Sisyphean effort" to defeat Hamas - a reference to the character in Greek mythology condemned to endlessly push a boulder uphill.

Israeli officials have previously talked about drawing on local civil or clan leaders not associated with Hamas or the Palestinian Authority, which exercises a limited form of sovereignty in the West Bank, to provide an alternative.

Such efforts had proved fruitless, however, according to Milshtein. "Hamas is still the dominant power in Gaza, including in northern parts of the Strip," he said.

"WHAT COMES AFTER RAFAH?"

In contrast, the strategic goals of Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza, appear clear - to survive the war in sufficient strength to rebuild, reflected in his insistence on a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces as a condition for any ceasefire deal.

"They are survival tactics for Hamas and soon Israel will find itself forced to answer the question, 'what comes after Rafah?'" said a Palestinian official not allied to Hamas who is close to stalled talks brokered by Egypt and Qatar.

How many fighters from Hamas and the other armed militant groups in Gaza have been killed remains unclear. Casualty figures published by Gaza's health ministry do not differentiate between civilians and combatants.

Netanyahu himself offered a figure of around 14,000 this week, which would be roughly half the total number of Hamas fighters the Israeli military estimated at the start of the war.

Hamas has said that Israeli estimates exaggerate the numbers of dead and in any case the fighters have adapted their tactics as their organised units have been broken down.

Despite heavy U.S. pressure not to launch an assault on Rafah, its population swollen by hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians, Israeli commanders have begun probing deeper into the city. It remains far from clear what they will face in its narrow streets if they launch a full-scale assault.

"Our fighters choose their battles, they don't allow the occupation to impose the battle time or ground for us because we don't have equal military capabilities," said a fighter from one of the armed factions.

"We don't have to clash face-to-face, but the occupiers and the invaders will lose soldiers and vehicles almost every day, here and there inside Gaza. They will never settle."

How far Israel is ready to go is unclear. Surveys continue to show broad support for the war among a population still traumatized by the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7 that killed some 1,200 people and saw more than 250 taken into Gaza as hostages.

But weekly protests by the hostages' families over the failure to bring those still in captivity home have shown that such support is matched by anger at a government most Israelis blame for the security failures that preceded the attack.

Heckling of Netanyahu and some of his ministers at Monday's Memorial Day ceremonies for Israel's war dead show how unhappy the general mood in the country appears to be, said Yossi Mekelberg, an associate fellow with the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House in London.

"You see some representatives of the government coming to the cemeteries, and some of them, quite a few of them, are facing very angry families and others who blame them for what has happened in the last seven months," he said.

(Additional reporting by Andrew MacAskill in London; Editing by Alex Richardson)
By Nidal al-Mughrabi

CAIRO (Reuters) -Israeli tanks pushed deeper into Rafah on Tuesday, reaching some residential areas of the southern Gazan border city where more than a million people had sought shelter, and its forces pounded the enclave's north in some of the fiercest attacks in months.

Israel's international allies and aid groups have repeatedly warned against a ground incursion into Rafah, where many Palestinians fled and Israel says four Hamas battalions are holed up. Israel says it must root out the remaining fighters.

The White House said U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan will visit Israel and Saudi Arabia this weekend. The Biden administration declined to comment on a report by Axios that Israel agreed not to expand its Rafah operation significantly before Sullivan's visit.

A U.S. official who declined to be identified told Reuters that Israel promised not to make a major move in Rafah without advising Washington.

Israeli spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a briefing that Israeli forces had killed about 100 militant fighters, located 10 tunnel routes and found many weapons in Rafah since the start of the operation a week ago.

Fighting has intensified elsewhere across the Gaza Strip in recent days, including in the north, with the Israeli military returning to areas where it had claimed to have already dismantled Hamas. The clashes on Tuesday were the fiercest in months, residents and militant sources said.

"We are operating with determination in all three parts of the Gaza Strip. Forces from the air, land and sea are simultaneously striking terrorist targets," Hagari said, referring to the enclave's north, centre and south.

The Palestinian death toll in the war has now surpassed 35,000, according to Gaza health officials, whose figures do not differentiate between civilians and fighters. They said that 82 Palestinians had been killed in the past 24 hours, the highest death toll in a single day in many weeks.

Fierce gun battles raged late on Tuesday in northern Gaza's Jabalia, a sprawling refugee camp built for displaced Palestinians 75 years ago. "Many people are being trapped in their houses," Nasser, 57, a father of six, said by phone.

Israel killed about 80 militant fighters and destroyed rocket launchers and weapons manufacturing facilities in the heart of Jabalia on Tuesday, Hagari said. He said 13 Israeli soldiers were injured on Tuesday, four seriously.

In Gaza City, also in the enclave's north, an Israeli air strike on a house in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood killed four people and wounded several others late on Tuesday, medics said.

In the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City, Israeli bulldozers demolished houses to make a new road for tanks. The Israeli military said it had eliminated about 150 fighters and destroyed 80 structures used by Hamas there.

With fighting intensifying, Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, mediated by his country and Egypt, were at a stalemate.

'NOWHERE IS SAFE NOW'

U.S. President Joe Biden has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to invade Rafah without safeguards for civilians and last week delayed a shipment of large bombs to Israel.

The U.S. State Department did, however, move a $1 billion package of weapons aid for Israel into the congressional review process, two U.S. officials said on Tuesday.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Israel's escalation in Rafah and Hamas' indiscriminate firing of rockets there, his spokesperson said on Tuesday.

"Civilians must be respected and protected at all times, in Rafah and elsewhere in Gaza. For people in Gaza, nowhere is safe now," Stephane Dujarric said, adding that Guterres again called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.

In Rafah in southern Gaza, Palestinian residents saw smoke billowing above eastern districts of the city and heard explosions after Israel bombarded a cluster of houses.

Hamas' armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said it destroyed an Israeli troop carrier in the eastern Al-Salam district, killing some crew members and wounding others.

Israel has ordered civilians to evacuate parts of Rafah, and UNRWA, the main United Nations aid agency in Gaza, estimates some 450,000 people have fled the city since May 6. More than a million civilians had sought refuge there.

They are moving to places such as Al-Mawasi, a sandy coastal strip that aid agencies say lacks sanitary and other facilities to host displaced people.

Much of Gaza's population is on the brink of famine, the U.N. says, and desperate for fuel and other essential supplies such as medicine. Relief organisations, the U.N. and major powers such as the U.S. have urged Israel to facilitate a massive influx of aid.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that Egypt must be "persuaded" to reopen the Rafah border crossing to "allow the continued delivery of international humanitarian aid" into Gaza.

His comment prompted an angry response from Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, who said in a statement that Israel's seizure of the Rafah crossing and its military operations in the area were the main obstacles to aid entering Gaza.

Israel told merchants in Gaza to retrieve commercial goods that had been stuck at the Kerem Shalom border crossing in Israel since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, residents and Palestinian media said.

Their trucks entered Rafah on Tuesday through a gate on the border line between Gaza and Egypt where Israeli tanks have been stationed, the first such supply during Israels Gaza ground offensive in eastern Rafah. Israel did not comment.

The World Court will hold hearings this week on a South African request for new emergency measures against Israel over the Rafah incursion. Israel, which has said South Africa's accusations of genocide are baseless, will present its view to the court on Friday.

Israel launched its Gaza operation after an attack on Oct. 7 by Hamas-led gunmen who killed some 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo, Clauda Tanios in Dubai, Maytaal Angel in Jerusalem, Maggie Fick in London, Stephanie van den Berg in The Hague and Steve Holland in Washington; Writing by Gareth Jones, Cynthia Osterman and Lincoln Feast; Editing by Alex Richardson, Alexandra Hudson, Josie Kao and Gerry Doyle)
Israeli tanks are deployed as Palestinians flee Khan Yunis to safer areas further South in Gaza Strip. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa

Israeli troops have advanced deeper into Rafah, eyewitnesses in Gaza's overcrowded southernmost city said on Tuesday, as Israel seems set to invade the last remaining Hamas stronghold after weeks of threats.

Israeli tanks were said to have moved from the east of the city into neighbourhoods further west including the al-Janina district.

The Israeli army did not initially comment on the reports.

Israel's allies, including its main backer the United States, have been warning Israel for weeks against a ground offensive into Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had been sheltering from fighting elsewhere in the coastal strip.

Almost 450,000 people have left the city since Israel began advancing on the city's eastern outskirts last week, according to the UN.

"Empty streets in Rafah as families continue to flee in search of safety," the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) wrote on X on Tuesday.

"People face constant exhaustion, hunger and fear. Nowhere is safe. An immediate ceasefire is the only hope."

The Israeli army advanced on Rafah from the east just over a week ago and has since also taken control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing to Egypt.

Israel is exerting military pressure on Hamas to secure the release of hostages taken at the start of the Gaza war last October. It also wants to dismantle any remaining Hamas battalions in Gaza.

Israeli attacks and fighting in the Gaza Strip continued on Tuesday, with Palestinian eyewitnesses reporting continuous shelling in the north, south and centre of the coastal strip.

The military wing of Hamas reported that it had repeatedly attacked Israeli troops at the Rafah crossing and hit a troop carrier near the city.

In addition, its fighters had attacked an Israeli troop transport in Rafah, according to the military wing.

Rescue helicopters had landed in the al-Salam neighbourhood to evacuate the wounded. This neighbourhood is also located deeper inside the city.

The Israeli army said that its forces had eliminated several cells of armed fighters in close combat at the Rafah border crossing.

The operation in the Jabalia refugee neighbourhood in the north of the Gaza Strip was also expanded, according to the army.

Some 35,173 Palestinians have been killed and more than 79,000 others injured in the Gaza Strip since the war began, according to the Hamas-controlled health authority in Gaza.

The figure, which is impossible to verify independently, does not distinguish between civilians and fighters.

Negotiations to reach a ceasefire in the war, meanwhile, are now at a stalemate, having suffered a setback due to the Israeli military operation in Rafah, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman said on Tuesday.

"Right now, we are in the status of almost a stalemate. Of course, what happened with Rafah has set us backward a little bit," he told the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha.

Israel deems Rafah the last stronghold of Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which killed hundreds of civilians in Israel in last year's October 7 attacks.

Qatar, together with Egypt and the United States, has been trying to negotiate a truce deal in the ongoing conflict.

Mohammed said there has been "a fundamental difference" between the two parties, as one wants to end the war before releasing the remaining hostages, while the other party wants the hostages while continuing the war.

"If those two elements align, I believe we can have a deal in a matter of days," he added.

"There is no clarity on how to stop the war from the Israeli side. I don't think they are considering this an option," he said. "And there is no clarity on what Gaza will look like after this."
People talk as they sit on sofas during Israel's Independence Day celebrations at a park in Tel Aviv, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. Israelis are marking 76 years since Israel's creation. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg).

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP)  The grills were fired up, the blankets were spread across the grass, the smoke was pungent from sizzling slabs of meat. As in previous years, Israelis marked Independence Day with barbecues in parks across the country. Usually, parties crush so close that not even a tuft of grass is visible between the picnic blankets as Hebrew techno music reverberates through the trees from dueling speakers.

But this year, the day parties Tuesday were smaller and quieter, with far fewer celebrants, in the shadow of the war in Gaza and immediately after the country marked an emotional Memorial Day. Families grappled with their desire to mark Independence Day even as the country is facing a drawn-out war and one of its most difficult tests in decades.

Its important to us to show Hamas that we are strong and our country is important to us, and we still go out and we still live our lives, said Shiri Simon, a computer programmer from the ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Barak. But the thought of the more than 100 hostages being held in Gaza, along with the remains of 30 others, and the soldiers killed and injured in the ongoing fighting was never far from her mind. The two things can coexist, it doesnt necessarily contradict, she said.

Some 1,200 people were killed in Israel during Hamas cross-border raid on Oct. 7, when thousands of militants rampaged across southern Israeli military bases and small communities next to the Gaza border. The attack sparked the war, now in its eighth month, which has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, according to local health officials.

Simon said it was important for her to maintain Independence Day traditions for her children, to make the sausages they love on the grill and spend the day together as a family. The differences this year were apparent, she said, from the lack of fireworks to the fairly empty park.

Nothing really feels independent here during this time. I spent four and a half months fighting in Gaza, our hostages arent home, people are still torn from their homes, they killed so many people, civilians and soldiers, said Tom Sharlo, 29, a reservist in a combat tank unit in the Israeli army, as he flipped steaks for his family. What were doing is putting on a mask and saying everythings OK, but in reality, nothings OK, he said.

Independence Day in Israel, which this year began Monday evening and runs until Tuesday evening, comes a day after it marks its Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism. Memorial Day is one of the most somber days on the calendar, as bereaved families visit cemeteries and the country comes to a standstill to remember the dead. The melancholic mood traditionally ends abruptly in the evening with a burst of jubilant Independence Day celebrations, which usually include fireworks.

This year, fireworks were canceled across the country, as many cities scaled down their street parties. The traditional air force fly-by was also called off.

The national torch lighting ceremony, normally broadcast live from Jerusalem, was prerecorded with segments from some of the towns hardest hit in Hamass Oct. 7 attack that sparked the ongoing war.

The sequence of Independence Day directly after Memorial Day is intended to highlight the link between the costly wars Israel has fought and the establishment and survival of the state. But that contrast is especially hard to reconcile when Israel is actively engaged in warfare and Israelis feel more insecure than ever.

On Tuesday, despite the challenges, some families decided to turn up their festivities. Inga Israelis family dragged out a drink fridge and five separate grills for their party in a Tel Aviv park, saying that it would be a prize for Hamas if they didnt celebrate Independence Day.

Others were less certain. Theres no feeling of joy in the holiday that we usually have. Im always thinking of the hostages and those that died at the party, said Ruth Amzaleg, referring to the Nova music festival, where 364 people were killed. I dont know how their families can even breathe, she said. Two hostages still held in Gaza are Amzalegs neighbors, from towns north of Tel Aviv, and another neighbor lost her soldier son, so Memorial Day was exceptionally difficult this year, she said.

Avivit Amzaleg, her daughter, wasnt sure up until the last moment that she would come to the annual family picnic in Tel Aviv. But in the end, the family decided that being together was the most important thing.

We understand that life is stronger than death, and we need to live next to the pain, said Avivit Amzaleg.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. Following the Plan of bilateral cooperation signed between the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2024," a working meeting between military specialists of both countries was held at the training center of the Azerbaijani Army, Trend reports, referring to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

The Uzbek guests were informed about the work done by officers of the Department for Ideological Work and Moral and Psychological Support of the Main Directorate for Personnel of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry on the organization of ideological work in the Azerbaijani Army and training of military psychologists, as well as a briefing on the main directions of the Department's activity. It was emphasized that one of the factors contributing to the glorious victory won under the leadership of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev in the 44-day II Karabakh War was the high moral and psychological training of the personnel of the Azerbaijani Army.

During the meeting, a detailed exchange of views on issues of mutual interest was held, and the importance of such meetings was emphasized. Literature and various training manuals on organizing ideological work and moral and psychological training were also presented at the meeting. At the end, a mutual presentation of souvenirs took place, the information notes.

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Jerusalem  Israel's prime minister said on a podcast that almost half of those killed in the Gaza war are Hamas fighters, again addressing a civilian toll that has sparked global outrage. Benjamin Netanyahu maintained the overall toll is lower than that given by authorities in the Palestinian territory.



According to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, at least 35,091 people have been killed in the territory during more than seven months of war between Israel and Palestinian militants.

Last week, the United Nations changed its estimate of the number of women and children believed to be among the civilians killed in the Palestinian territory, shifting from figures previously provided by the Hamas government in Gaza to numbers stated by the enclave's health ministry.

According to the ministry's figures, which have been cited by the U.N. since May 10, about 13,000 women and children have been killed in Gaza since the war began on Oct. 7, when Israel launched its strikes against Hamas in retaliation for the group's terrorist attack.

The estimate is significantly lower than the figures provided by the Hamas administration in Gaza and previously cited by the U.N., which had said almost 24,000 of those killed were believed to be women and children.

Speaking Sunday on the "Call Me Back" podcast, Netanyahu said the death toll in Gaza was around 30,000, and that Hamas fighters accounted for nearly half of that toll. He insisted to podcaster Dan Senor that Israel had "been able to keep the ratio of civilians to combatants killed... (to) a ratio of about one to one."

"Fourteen thousand have been killed, combatants, and probably around 16,000 civilians have been killed," he said. He gave similar figures in March during an interview with Politico, at a time when Gaza's health ministry was reporting a toll of at least 31,045, and again in an interview with Dr. Phil in early May.

Neither Israel nor Hamas have provided evidence to show how they reach their respective death toll estimates. The Hamas-run Gazan administration and health ministry do not differentiate between civilian and combatant casualties in their war tallies.

The U.N. and a long list of countries, including the U.S., have voiced alarm at the number of civilian deaths in Gaza. United Nations rights chief Volker Turk warned in a statement last month that children especially were "disproportionately paying the ultimate price in this war."

Netanyahu's latest comment came amid intensified pressure from Israel's chief military supplier, the U.S., over the Palestinian toll from the war. Washington paused delivery of 3,500 bombs, and President Biden warned he would stop supplying artillery shells and other weapons if Israel carries out a full-scale invasion of Rafah, where around one million people are sheltering.

Palestinians search for casualties at the site of an Israeli airstrike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas militant group, in Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza, May 14, 2024. / Credit: Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto/Getty

A U.S. State Department report said Friday that it was "reasonable to assess" that Israel has used American arms in ways inconsistent with standards on humanitarian rights but that the United States could not reach "conclusive findings."

The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas' unprecedented Oct. 7 terrorist attack, which saw the militants kill some 1,200 people and take about 240 others hostage. About 100 of those captives are still believed to be alive and held in Gaza. Israeli officials believe more than 30 others are dead, but their bodies are still being held.

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The defendant (L, front) stands next to his lawyer Marvin Schroth (R) in the courtroom of Duesseldorf Higher Regional Court. German prosecutors called on Tuesday for a jail sentence of three and a half years to be imposed on an officer in the German military with far-right political leanings who has confessed to spying for Russia. Oliver Berg/dpa

German prosecutors called on Tuesday for a jail sentence of three and a half years to be imposed on an officer in the German military with far-right political leanings who has confessed to spying for Russia.

"The charges have been confirmed to the full extent," a federal prosecutor told the Dusseldorf higher regional court.

The captain, who had joined the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party at around the same time as his spying activities, had offered his services to Russia with the aim of providing the Russian military with an advantage by betraying sensitive information.

His treason had been aimed at countering Germany's military support for Ukraine, as the systems he worked on had also been supplied to Ukraine, the prosecutor said. He had done this in the awareness that his actions would endanger lives.

Defence lawyer Marvin Schroth said in mitigation that his client had destroyed in just four days what he had spent years building up. "Four days of treason during which he crossed red lines  four days of total failure," he said.

The accused's media consumption had gradually shifted to the Telegram messaging service and the TikTok video service while he was going through a challenging time in his work. He had been exposed to fake news and quotes taken out of context, his lawyer said.

Schroth rejected the sentence called for by the prosecution as too long, but did not suggest an alternative.

In his concluding statement, the accused said that the past year had been a personal nightmare. "This is the biggest bullshit that I have created in my life," he said, adding that he should have sought medical help for depression caused by overwork earlier.

Sentence is to be passed on May 27.
During his insurgent campaign for a U.S. House seat, Derrick Evans has left no question that hes a far-right firebrand. But since his primary opponent is a tried-and-true conservative incumbent in deep-red West Virginia, hes sought some extra ammunitionand found it in one of the countrys most notorious right-wing political consultants and publishers.

That publisherNoel Fritsch, of National Filehappens to have a dismal election record. But Evans is getting more than his moneys worth in the bargain, as National File has released a torrent of online attacks against his MAGAfied rival, seemingly free of charge.

Evans certainly isnt wanting for his own MAGA bona fides. He stormed the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021, a decision that prompted his resignation from the West Virginia legislature days later and ultimately led to a three-month prison stint in 2022. And although Evans pleaded guilty, his campaign rhetoric two years later has doubled down on the lie that the 2020 election was stolen. His campaign has also scored support from the chairman of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, Rep. Bob Good (R-VA), along with a smattering of Trumpworld royalty, including Roger Stone. And lest voters think hes a single-issue candidate, Evans has made a name for himself as a local anti-abortion protester, harassing women at clinics and live-streaming the confrontations.

But even those credentials might not move the needle. Evans primary opponent, Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV), is a red-meat Republican who voted to overturn the 2020 election results, sided with former President Donald Trumps legislative agenda nearly 100 percent of the time, and has recently thrown support behind Trump in court.

Perhaps thats why Evans added another bullet point to his hard-right resume: hiring Fritsch, publisher of the ultraconservative website that released Ashley Bidens stolen diary.

To date, Evans has paid around $75,000 to Fritschs consulting firm, Southern Pines Strategies, Federal Election Commission filings show. While most of the expenses are listed as management consulting, some major recent outlays are described as fundraising feesincluding a nearly $20,000 payment in late March.

Evans has also seen peripheral support from Fritschs publication, with National File running a series of attacks on his opponent, including at least three pieces on the sites homepage on Mondaythe day before primary ballots are cast.

These Elected Republicans Joined the Protest That Became a Deadly Riot

While conspicuous, the National Files attacks against Miller are likely not illegal. The media exemption in federal election laws generally permits unpaid press coverage without triggering the requirement to report an in-kind contribution.

Over the last decade or so, Fritsch has worked for more than two dozen federal political campaigns, almost none of them successful. He first rose to national prominence in 2016 as a spokesman for Wisconsin white supremacist Paul Nehlen during his failed primary challenge to then-House Speaker Paul Ryan. Since then, Fritsch has increasingly branched out into media, first at the far-right website Big League Politics, then moving on to National File.

National File was launched about five years ago, reportedly as the brainchild of fringe conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who has claimed to run the site as a quiet extension of his Infowars empire. Fritsch, however, is also sometimes cited as a National File founder, and has played the role of publisher since the sites inception in August 2019, according to his LinkedIn page.

While the site is perhaps most notorious for publishing Ashley Bidens stolen diary in October 2020, days before her father, Joe Biden, was elected president, National File has made national news with other salacious stories, including extramarital sexts from North Carolina Democratic Senate candidate Cal Cunningham, as well as Rep. Van Taylors (R-TX) affair with an ISIS widow, a revelation that forced the two-term congressman to drop his 2022 re-election bid.

National File has a history of publishing misinformation and fueling antisemitic viewpoints. In February 2022, for instance, the site ran a piece spotlighting the Nationalist Socialist Club 131, which the Southern Poverty Law Center deemed a Neo-Nazi group that same year. The site is also rife with COVID misinformation, featuring an entire tab titled Rona dedicated to unverified coronavirus claims, including that the Pfizer vaccine may cause Alzheimers and other neurodegenerative diseases.

But Fritsch has supplemented his reporting on politicians with a side giggetting them elected. Or trying to, and almost always failing.

Fritsch has collected more than $1 million from federal conservative candidates and political committees, Federal Election Commission records showmore than $750,000 of it since he took over National Filewith most of that money flowing to his North Carolina-based consulting firm, Southern Pines Strategies. His clients have included some of the most extreme right-wingers in the country, such as Arizona Reps. Paul Gosar and Louie Gohmertthough those appear to be the only two clients who have actually won a federal election.

In addition to the white supremacist Nehlen, Fritschs client list includes disgraced former Alabama Senate hopeful Roy Moore, QAnon contenders Lauren Witzke and Deanna Lorraine, wildly homophobic Arkansas congressional aspirant Neil Kumar, former Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. and domestic protective order recipient Teddy Daniels, and Jarome Bell, who is currently making a House run in Idaho after his 2022 bid in Virginia was marred by his calls to execute people convicted of election fraud.

Fritsch also brought home more than $60,000 on payroll for Chris McDaniels failed 2014 Senate campaign in Mississippi, a bitter affair which culminated in the arrest of four supporters who posted nursing home photos of McDaniels opponents wife.

(One Noel Fritsch also received $626.73 for event consulting on Mitt Romneys failed 2012 presidential campaign.)

But one of Fritschs biggest cash cows today is Derrick Evans campaign, which has so far shelled out over $60,000 to Southern Pines Strategies, according to FEC records.

National Files ties to Evans are hardly surprising given the candidates unflinching conservative record. Yet its notable that Evans is seeking counsel from the man behind the conspiracy theory peddling outlet as he fights to oust a three-term GOP incumbent in Miller.

National File appears to be giving Evans a boost in the run-up to voting day. As of Monday evening, the National File homepage featured not one but three negative stories about Millerincluding one with a homophobic headline that hits her for averting a government shutdown by voting for a spending package that funds childhood transgenderism and LGBT groomers.

National File, however, seems to be relishing its media exception, dubbing Evans an unprecedented grassroots challenger and J6 Patriot in another current storywhich also alleges that a Bill Gates-aligned Miller has been deploying desperate and untrue campaign tactics.

In response to questions, Evans provided a statement attacking The Daily Beasts coverage of Ashley Bidens diary, which was stolen (a prison sentence was handed down last month to the woman who took it). The statement also falsely claimed that The Daily Beast and other news outletsincluding Fox Newswere owned by Chinese Communists and their Commie Bolshevik counterparts.

(The National File reporter who broke the diary story was temporarily suspended from X in May 2022 after The Daily Beast reported on his history of racist and antisemitic posts.)

The winner of Tuesdays Republican primary is likely on a glide path to Congress in the deep red district. Neither candidate, however, is in danger of alienating the MAGA base. Miller boasted a voting record nearly 100 percent in line with former President Donald Trumps legislative agenda, and objected to the 2020 election results. Still, Evans has attacked his rival as a commie RINO who refused to stand and fight with President Trump.

Evans is banking on support from right-wingers who have grown frustrated with Millers more mainstream record as a leader of the Republican Main Street Committee. That gambit may cost him, however, as Miller comfortably won re-election last cycle with 66 percent of the vote.

Still, Evans has some firepower. He has nearly matched his incumbent opponent in fundraising, and has won endorsements from Good and Stone, along with pillow maven Mike Lindell, and Trumps first National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.

ABC News reported on Monday that, while the race hasnt seen any public polls, Miller appears to be looking over her shoulder. Recently, she unleashed a round of attack ads targeting Evansfor secretly being a pro-transgender, anti-police Democrat.

(Editor's Note: This story has been corrected to reflect the fact that Fritsch did not consult for a super PAC tied to McDaniels' lieutenant governor re-election campaign in 2023.)

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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House Republicans have inadvertently debunked one of their biggest lies about January 6that the police opened the doors of the Capitol building so the rioters outside could enter.



Journalist Jamie Dupree on Tuesday posted footage from inside the main doors of the Capitol building on January 6, 2021, showing rioters not only breaching the doors but also pushing past police officers.



Courtesy of House Republicans, I went to watch 3 more hours of Jan. 6 security tapes from the Capitol today. The tapes show the biggest lie about Jan. 6 is that the cops 'opened the doors' to let Trump supporters in. That did not happen. pic.twitter.com/Fa1eaPvJ7l  Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) May 14, 2024

In November, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson announced that most of the security footage from that day would be released to the public. He may not have considered how much of it might debunk the stories he and other Republicans have been telling in an attempt to minimize the events of that day. Just last month, Johnson claimed that innocent Americans were just walking through the building.



Republican politicians have touted numerous conspiracy theories about January 6, from claiming that the secretary of the Army delayed calling the National Guard in order to get a job with the Biden administration, to saying that fake Trump supporters arrived in Washington, D.C., on ghost buses. Trump was also caught on tape saying he could have stopped the riotswhen in reality, he wanted to join them. Many in the GOP still believe that the federal government instigated the whole thing.



This latest discovery still may not convince die-hard Trump supporters, who ignore the fact that many January 6 defendants say that they were there on Trumps orders. At the very least, though, there is now video proof against one of the many January 6 conspiracy theories.
How JD Vance landed on Trump's VP shortlist: Here are today's top stories | Daily Briefing

Sen. J.D. Vance has surged in MAGA world since Donald Trump endorsed him for Senate in 2022.

Good morning, Cincinnati. This is Haley BeMiller with The Enquirers statehouse bureau.

Former President Donald Trump will be in town Wednesday for a fundraiser with Sen. J.D. Vance. This comes as speculation swirls over Vances VP prospects, less than two years after Ohio elected him to the U.S. Senate.

How did we get here? After all, this is the guy who once suggested Trump could be Americas Hitler. But Vance has surged in MAGA world since Trump endorsed him for Senate in 2022. Now, hes a top Trump ally and even appeared in New York yesterday ahead of the former presidents court appearance.

For today's story, I covered Vances Senate campaign and looked at how the Cincinnati Republican went from Hillbilly Elegy to the VP shortlist. Check it out here.

What else you need to know Tuesday, May 14

 Weather: High of 72. Cloudy and not as warm with a couple of showers and a thunderstorm.

 Cincinnati vs. Cleveland MLB City Connect jerseys: Which team has the better look?

 What's going on with Ohio's first Buc-ee's? Huber Heights store set to begin construction.

 'We will find that sustainable plan.' Red Bikes back on Greater Cincinnati streets.

 Vote: Cincinnati Enquirer Student of the Week ballot, May 13.

 New here? Subscribe to the Daily Briefing today 

Today's Top Stories

All six unions representing labor who works at Cincinnati Public Schools hold a press conference announcing their unanimous vote of no confidence of Superintendent Iranetta Wright by all members, according to union leaders, Monday, May 13, 2024, at the Central Office and the Mayerson Academy building in the Corryville neighborhood of Cincinnati.

 'There has to be change.' CPS unions take votes of no confidence, Superintendent responds

Xavier University student, Sophia Dempsey, left, and recent Xavier graduate, Julia Lankisch, hug outside the Hamilton County Justice Center in downtown Cincinnati, Monday, May 13, 2024 after their arraignment for criminal trespassing. The Pro-Palestine protesters were arrested after protesting outside the Xavier University graduation on Saturday.

 Grand jury ignores felony disguise charges against pro-Palestinian protesters at Xavier

No need to panic about the Reds yet. But they need to aggressively seek a trade before the 2024 season is lost, columnist Jason Williams writes.

 Williams: See who Cincinnati Reds should shop in trade to jolt MLB's worst-hitting lineup

Dr. Jay Sadrinia was found guilty last year of federal charges including distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death.

 Northern Kentucky dentist sentenced to 20 years in patient's overdose death

Will it be another summer of hazy skies and air thick with the smell of smoke in Ohio? Maybe. Smoke from wildfires in Canada is drifting into the U.S.

 Canadian wildfire smoke reaches US. Will Ohio have poor air quality? Search interactive map

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How JD Vance landed on Trump's VP shortlist | Daily Briefing
JEA aims to help seniors at monthly resource fair

JEA hopes to help local seniors on Wednesday by hosting a resource fair called Senior Day at JEA.

This is the second one so far this year. JEA resumed the monthly program in April after pausing it in 2020 because of the pandemic, according to a news release.

Local agencies will team up with JEA Customer Care agents to provide seniors with information and community resources.

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority, ElderSource SHINE Program, The United Way of Northeast Floridas 211, Lutheran Social Services of Northeast Florida, Catholic Charities, and JEAs Neighborhood Energy Efficiency Program will participate.

Those with a scheduled appointment can meet with representatives from Jewish Family & Community Services, which provides financial assistance to those meeting federal guidelines.

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The event is happening May 15 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at JEA Headquarters.

JEA said it will validate visitors who park in the Duval County Courthouse Parking Garage on Clay Street.

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Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday a disproved detail about President Joe Biden at a ceremony for fallen soldiers thats in her new book will be removed in future reprints.

Psaki, now an MSNBC commentator, wrote in Say More that critics of the president alleged he checked his watch multiple times at Dover Air Force Base in August 2021 in an effort to sully his caring reputation. The allegations tried to make him appear insensitive, concerned only about how much time had passed, she wrote. She asserted that he looked at his watch only after the ceremony had ended.

But a report by Axios citing contradicting news photos and firsthand accounts of Gold Star families buttressed an earlier fact check by Snopes that Biden did check his watch several times.

The president was overseeing the transfer of remains of American troops killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan.

After originally declining comment, Psaki told Axios the detail in a few lines of the book about the exact number of times he looked at his watch will be removed in future reprints and the ebook.

The story on Afghanistan is really about the importance of delivering feedback even when it is difficult told through my own experience of telling President Biden that his own story of loss was not well received by the families who were grieving their sons and daughters, she continued in the statement.

Psakis walk-back follows scrutiny over alleged falsehoods written by South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem in her new book. The GOP vice presidential hopeful has been dogged by a dubious claim that she met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The publisher said it was removing the passage from reprints of No Going Back at Noems request, and from the ebook and audiobook editions as soon as possible.

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden attend the dignified transfer of the remains of a fallen service member at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware in 2021. SAUL LOEB via Getty Images

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov met with Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Igor Petrishenko on May 14, the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers said, Trend reports.

During the meeting, the importance of the state visit of President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko to Azerbaijan was emphasized, and confidence was expressed that the visit would give a new impetus to the strengthening of friendly relations between the two countries.

The sides also emphasized the importance of the 14th meeting of the Azerbaijani-Belarusian Intergovernmental Commission on trade and economic cooperation to be held in Minsk in June this year.

Besides, the sides expressed satisfaction with the development of relations between Azerbaijan and Belarus in various spheres and discussed prospects for further interaction in areas of mutual interest.

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Jewish groups add more allegations of antisemitism to their lawsuit against UC Berkeley

Two Jewish advocacy organizations suing the University of California, Berkeley, over a longstanding, unchecked spread of anti-Semitism have amended their complaint to include incidents from antiwar protests.

The federal complaint, filed in the Northern District of California in November by the Louis D. Brandeis Center and Jewish Americans for Fairness in Education, was amended May 3.

The measure is among a handful of discrimination complaints filed against universities since the Israel-Hamas war started in October.

It accuses UC Berkeley of tolerating antisemitism by failing to enforce its anti-discrimination policies on several occasions, including after the disruption of a speech by a former member of the Israeli military.

At the February event, a protest led by antiwar student groups turned violent and several Jewish students said they were physically attacked and intimidated. Campus police intervened after protesters smashed windows and broke a door to the building where the talk event was being held.

For many Jews, including many Jewish students and faculty at UC Berkeley, a profound connection with the Jewish State of Israel is integral to their Jewish identity, the Brandeis Center said in a statement. Excluding Zionists thus effectively excludes Jews.

A day after the protest, university officials released a statement condemning the violence and saying it would investigate the incident.

We cannot allow the use or threat of force to imperil members of our community and deny them the ability to feel safe and welcome on our campus, the officials said. We cannot cede our values to those willing to engage in transgressive behavior.

The lawsuit also accuses the university of tolerating an allegedly antisemitic campaign against its law school dean, Erwin Chemerinsky.

In March, after Chemerinsky, who is Jewish, invited graduating law students to a series of dinners at his home, a group opposing the war in Gaza posted a caricature of him to its Instagram account. Chemerinsky is depicted as holding a fork and knife with the words No Dinner with Zionist Chem While Gaza Starves encircling him.

Members of the student group Berkeley Law for Palestine have repeatedly denied targeting Chemerinsky because of his faith. Instead, they say as dean of the law school he has influence with the administration, which protesters are pushing to divest from Israeli companies with ties to military operations in Gaza.

One of Chemerinskys dinners is now the focus of a Title IX discrimination investigation against his wife, who confronted a Muslim student when the student attempted to deliver an unexpected pro-Palestinian speech. The student, who graduated Friday, has accused the couple of Islamophobia.

The investigation into whether Chemerinskys wife discriminated against the student because of her religion is ongoing.

When asked to comment on the lawsuit, Chemerinsky referred NBC News to UC Berkeley spokesman Dan Mogulof.

Mogulof said in a statement that the university takes accusations of discrimination seriously and has launched a series of antisemitism initiatives in recent years.

While most antisemitic expression is, whether we like it or not, protected by the First Amendment, we know that as a university, we must still respond if and when that expression rises to the level of individual harassment and/or discrimination, he said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Jim Jordan says Fani Willis part of conspiracy to keep Trump from winning in 2024

Ohio congressman Jim Jordan is accusing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis -- and her prosecution of Donald Trump -- of being part of a conspiracy to affect the 2024 presidential election.

Channel 2 Action News spoke exclusively with Rep. Jim Jordan, chair of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, who is investigating Willis prosecution of Trump.

Today, he flat-out accused her of being part of a conspiracy to affect the upcoming presidential election.

Her case is the one thats politically motivated, and the American people can see it, Jordan said.

Trump is charged here in Georgia with conspiracy, racketeering, and election interference.

Jordan and Willis have exchanged a series of sharp letters back and forth with Jordan demanding Willis turn over documents, and Willis accusing him of obstructing a Georgia criminal proceeding.

Tuesday, Jordan took his fight one step further accusing Willis of conspiring with federal prosecutor Jack Smith and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to help Trump lose the 2024 election.

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The real conspiracy, the real politics is between Bragg, Smith, and Willis all working together to impact the 2024 presidential race, and I think Americans have common sense. I think they can see it for what it is. Thats whats going on here, Jordan said.

Despite his accusations, Jordan offered no proof of any conspiracy.

Channel 2s Richard Elliot showed the interview to Willis in her office.

Afterwards, she declined an on-camera interview but about Jordans accusations, but she did say on the record This aint even worth my time.

Jordan said he wants to ask about how Willis is spending $14 million in federal grant money and wants to ask about her relationship with former special prosecutor Nathan Wade.

And as far as his committee issuing subpoenas to both Willis and Wade, Jordan said anything is possible.

Again, everything is on the table. We havent made those decisions yet, but we dont take any option off the table, Jordan said.

It is important to note that Jordan himself refused a Congressional subpoena to speak to the January 6 Committee.

RELATED NEWS:
Jimmy Carters grandson provides update on health of former president

The family of former President Jimmy Carter provided an update on his health on Tuesday.

His grandson, Jason Carter, spoke during the 28th Annual Rosalynn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum held at the Carter Center in Atlanta.

Hes still in the same situation hes been in the last year... hes at the end... but he knows hes not in charge of this process, Jason Carter said. So he is embracing that as much as he can... embracing these days as much as he can...and I think hes doing good.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Jimmy Carter, who is now 99 years old, began receiving at-home hospice care on Feb 18, 2023.

Carters wife and former First Lady Rosalynn died in Nov. 2023 at the familys home in Plains after a battle with dementia. The 39th president, Carter attended the numerous memorial services for his wife.

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Biden is furious at allegations that Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war. But he is complicit in Gazas famine

Palestinians line up to receive meals at Jabaliya refugee camp in the Gaza Strip in March. The head of the United Nations World Food Programme says northern Gaza has entered full-blown famine after nearly seven months of war between Israel and Hamas (AP)

President Joe Biden and his administration have been accused of being complicit in enabling a famine in Gaza by failing to sufficiently act on repeated warnings from their own experts and aid agencies.

Interviews with current and former US Agency for International Development (USAID) and State Department officials, aid agencies working in Gaza and internal USAID documents reveal that the administration rejected or ignored pleas to use its leverage to persuade its ally Israel  the recipient of billions of dollars of US military support  to allow sufficient humanitarian aid into Gaza to stop the famine taking hold.

The former officials say the US also provided diplomatic cover for Israel to create the conditions for famine by blocking international efforts to bring about a ceasefire or alleviate the crisis, making the delivery of aid almost impossible.

This is not just turning a blind eye to the man-made starvation of an entire population, it is direct complicity, former State Department official Josh Paul, who resigned over US support for the war, told The Independent.

Israel has vehemently denied that there is a hunger crisis in Gaza, or that it has restricted aid. It says fighting with Hamas, the militant group that triggered the current war when it killed 1,200 people and took over 250 hostages in Israel on 7 October, has hampered aid efforts.

As of the start of April at least 32 people, 28 of whom were children, have died of malnutrition and dehydration in Gaza, according to Human Rights Watch. The deaths of those children, and the likely many more to come, might have been prevented if president Biden had reacted more forcefully to concerns shared publicly and privately.

Palestinians line up for a meal in Rafah back in February (AP)

From the time of the first warning signs in December, intensive US pressure on Israel to open more land crossings and flood Gaza with aid could have stopped the crisis taking hold, the officials said. But Mr Biden refused to make US military aid to Israel conditional.

Instead, the Biden government pursued novel and ineffective aid solutions such as airdrops and a floating pier. Now, some 300,000 people in Gazas north are experiencing a full-blown famine, according to the World Food Programme, and the entire 2.3 million population of Gaza is experiencing catastrophic levels of hunger.

The level of dissent within the US government agency responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and combating global hunger has been unprecedented.

At least 19 internal dissent memos have been sent since the start of the war by staff at USAID criticising US support for the war in Gaza.

In an internal collective dissent memo drafted this month by numerous employees of USAID, the staff assail the agency and the Biden administration for its failure to uphold international humanitarian principles and to adhere to its mandate to save lives.

The leaked draft memo, seen by The Independent, calls for the administration to apply pressure to bring an end to the Israeli siege that is causing famine.

Not acting upon repeated warnings like these was a political choice.

The US has provided both the military and the diplomatic support that enabled famine to emerge in Gaza, Jeremy Konyndyk, a former high-ranking USAID official under both Barack Obama and Joe Biden who worked on famine prevention in Yemen and South Sudan, told The Independent.

This investigation chronicles the Biden administrations repeated failures to act forcefully in response to months of warnings of a looming famine. Those failures continue to this day.

Children are the most at risk

Famine takes the youngest first. In Gaza today, many mothers cannot produce the milk needed to feed their babies because they do not have enough food to eat for themselves. People desperate for any sustenance are resorting to eating animal feed and boiling grass. Many families are living off one meal a day.

Arvind Das, team leader for the Gaza crisis at the International Rescue Committee who has spent months in Gaza, described seeing more severely malnourished children as the months went on.

Now its the norm to see paper-thin children and women, with literally no flesh, he said.

Ive seen children sitting in the corridors, infants and babies with no food, no proper drinking water, nothing. I have not seen that kind of severe malnourishment, said Mr Das, a veteran humanitarian who has worked Syria, Sudan and South Sudan.

A Palestinian child, who is suffering from malnutrition, receives healthcare at Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza Strip in April, amid widespread hunger, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas (Reuters)

An emergency doctor from the UK working in a Gaza hospital near Khan Younis said over the phone that children in particular are suffering massively.

We have children here at the age of 10 and 12 years old who have the weight of children aged four or five years old, the doctor said. Theres chronic malnourishment and malnutrition across most of the children  if not all of them  and its absolutely heartbreaking to see whats happening to them.

This deadly famine was foreshadowed in the first days of the war. Israels response to the brutal Hamas attack of 7 October began with a crippling blockade announced by defence minister Yoav Gallant.

We are imposing a complete siege. No electricity, no food, no water, no fuel  everything is closed. We are fighting human animals and we must act accordingly, he said on 9 October.

Those words would be followed by action.

Israel launched its most ferocious bombardment yet and a crippling siege on Gaza in retaliation for Hamass bloody attack. Since then Palestinian officials say Israels offensive has killed at least 35,000 people, most of them women and children.

Israel tightly restricted the delivery of aid into the strip from those first days onwards. UN officials and aid agencies told The Independent that exhaustive inspections of trucks, systemic limiting of deliveries and arbitrary refusal of entry of dual-use items such as trucks and supplies that Israel said could be used by Hamas in the war have exacerbated the hunger crisis in Gaza.

I believe the US to be complicit in creating the conditions for famine. Not only has our response been woefully inadequate, but were actively responsible in large part for it

USAID employee

Interviews with over a dozen UN officials, aid workers and diplomats coordinating aid revealed that there are also restrictions on the delivery of aid within Gaza, piling pressure on the north of the besieged strip. Fierce fighting and general insecurity across the strip all contributed further to the slowing of aid deliveries. On numerous occasions, people desperate for food swarmed aid trucks as they reached an affected area.

Some two-thirds of Gazas population were dependent on food aid before the war, and more than 500 trucks entered the territory each day, including fuel. Between 7 October and the end of February, the average number of trucks entering dropped to just 90 per day, an 82 per cent drop at a time when war made the need for aid much greater.

Israel vehemently denies there is a hunger crisis in Gaza, or that it has restricted aid. The defence ministry unit tasked with coordinating with the Palestinians, known as the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), has repeatedly said there is no limit to the amount of aid going to Gaza which they actively facilitate. The Independent reached out to COGAT for comment on these specific claims and has yet to receive a reply.

Vital infrastructure necessary for food production was also destroyed by bombing. On 15 November, Gazas last remaining wheat mill was bombed and rendered inoperational  that meant no more flour, and no bread, other than whatever outside organisations could bring in.

The last IPC report on Acute Food Insecurity for Gaza included this projection for the period 16 March - 15 July 2024. The dark red shows the area projected to experience famine. The lighter red shows areas experiencing an emergency level of food insecurity and at risk of famine (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification: IPC)

Israels extensive bombing across Gaza also made it nearly impossible to deliver aid safely anyway. At least 254 aid workers have been killed throughout the conflict, including 188 UN staff  representing the highest number of UN personnel killed in a conflict in the history of the organisation. Multiple aid convoys have come under Israeli fire. UNRWA, the UNs Palestinian refugee agency, said that despite sharing GPS coordinates, the number of trucks and the contacts with the military, three of their aid convoys have been hit by Israeli naval artillery and gunfire.

The warnings begin

Casualties from Israels bombardment of Gaza quickly reached into the thousands, but the threat of starvation followed close behind.

By December, the two international institutions used by governments around the world to determine when famine is occurring  the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification and the Famine Early Warning Systems Network  had come to the same conclusion: famine was imminent, and threatened more than one million people.

Mr Konyndyk, who led USAIDs Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance for three years, said those warnings should have compelled the White House to act urgently. If the same conditions were appearing in most other countries in the world, he said, it would have. But the US had stubbornly refused to do anything that would hamper Israels war effort.

When the warnings start signalling that risk, there should be a forceful reaction, both on the relief aid front and on the diplomatic front, he said. Nothing about the Biden administrations response to the December famine forecast demonstrated that kind of hard pivot toward famine prevention.

What followed was a pattern of defence, deflection and outright denial from the White House.

Under questioning from The Independent, Biden administration spokespersons have routinely highlighted Mr Bidens repeated requests for the Israeli government to open up more crossings to aid, and pointed to temporary increases in aid trucks entering Gaza as proof of what they describe as his effectiveness.

What was left unsaid by those Biden aides was the fact that those piecemeal influxes of aid were not consummate to the scale of the crisis. Hunger continued to spread, and still the White House refused to use its leverage by threatening to condition military aid.

Nothing about the Biden administrations response to the first famine report demonstrated that kind of hard pivot toward famine prevention

Jeremy Konyndyk, former director of USAIDs Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance

Behind the scenes, my impression is that the Biden administration was pushing Israel to resume opening crossings to aid. But it was this posture of pretty extensive deference to how Israel was choosing to fight the war, while continuing to supply it with arms and not putting any real conditions on that, Mr Konyndyk said.

A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said: Since the beginning of this conflict, president Biden has been leading efforts to get humanitarian aid into Gaza to alleviate the suffering of innocent Palestinians who have nothing to do with Hamas.

Before the presidents engagement, there was no food, water, or medicine getting into Gaza. The United States is the largest provider of aid to the Gaza response. This is and will continue to be a top priority to address dire conditions on the ground since much more aid is needed, the spokesperson added.

Inside USAID, career civil servants with extensive experience were horrified by the lack of urgency from their politically appointed leaders.

Internal USAID documents seen by The Independent showed that staff were passing their concerns about the lack of action up the chain to USAID administrator Samantha Power and other senior leaders in the form of letters and internal dissent memos, often to no avail.

What was surprising to me, and deeply disappointing, was the fact that we were hearing nothing about imminent famine in Gaza, said a USAID staffer, who asked to remain anonymous because they are still employed by the agency.

A Palestinian child transporting portions of food walks past a building destroyed by Israeli bombardment in Gaza City in May (Getty)

Dissent memos  a kind of sanctioned internal protest through a dedicated channel for offering critical feedback on policy  are relatively rare in USAID compared with the State Department. However, the USAID staff member said they were aware of at least 19 memoranda being sent in objection to the lack of action by the agency  and the government  over the looming famine.

Mr Konyndyk described it as an extraordinary number, and noted that he didnt recall encountering a single dissent memo at USAID during his more than five years there under Mr Obama and Mr Biden.

A spokesperson for USAID told The Independent that the agencys leadership frequently meets with staff across the region and in Washington who understandably feel deeply about this conflict. This includes town halls with mission staff in the region, regular conversations and dialogue with our employee resource groups, and ongoing response meetings.

The expertise of our staff, many of whom have deep experiences in and connections to the region and the communities impacted by this conflict, shapes and informs our position as an Agency, they added.

By mid-January, aid agencies on the ground in Gaza were issuing desperate pleas for a humanitarian ceasefire so that food supplies could be delivered. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that 378,000 people in Gaza were facing catastrophic levels of hunger, and all 2.2 million people in Gaza were facing acute food insecurity.

A graphic showing the number of trucks to enter Gaza since the 7 October Hamas attacks (UNRWA)

This is a population that is starving to death, this is a population that is being pushed to the brink, the World Health Organisations emergencies director Michael Ryan said at a press conference on 31 January.

The same day Mr Ryan described Gazas grim outlook, White House national security communications adviser John Kirby defended the Biden administrations decision to suspend aid to UNRWA. Mr Kirby denied that cutting off assistance to the UN entity with the largest footprint in Gaza would have a detrimental effect on the humanitarian situation there, and instead claimed that the US was working so hard to get more [humanitarian] assistance into the people of Gaza.

Even at this point, the White House was focused on giving Israel everything it needed to win its war against Hamas.

UNRWA loses ability to function

Hunger spread rapidly over the next month as the war raged on. On 27 February, three senior United Nations officials told a security council that at least 576,000 people were now one step away from famine.

Unfortunately, as grim as the picture we see today is, there is every possibility for further deterioration, Ramesh Rajasingham, director of UNs OCHA, told the chamber.

In one of the most deadly massacres of the conflict, dozens of Palestinians desperately trying to access supplies were killed after Israeli troops fired on a crowd collecting flour from aid trucks on 29 February near Gaza City. The Israeli army initially blamed a stampede for the chaos, but in a later review claimed that Israeli forces did not fire at the humanitarian convoy, but did fire at a number of suspects who approached the nearby forces and posed a threat to them.

During the course of the looting, incidents of significant harm to civilians occurred from the stampede and people being run over by the trucks, the Israeli army review added. More than 100 Palestinians were killed trying to access aid that day.

Before the war, UNRWA, the largest UN agency working in Gaza, provided and distributed the basic necessities for people to survive in the blockaded territory, such as food, medicine and fuel. The US was by far the largest donor to UNRWA, contributing nearly half the agencys yearly operating budget.

World Central Kitchen team prepare food for displaced Palestinians after resuming work in Gaza in this handout picture released on 30 April (Reuters)

But the US suspended that funding following allegations by Israel that some 12 UNRWA employees were involved in the 7 October attack and around 10 per cent of its staff had ties to militants. (An independent review led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna later found that Israel has yet to provide any supporting evidence of these claims.)

By the end of February, UNRWA said Israel had effectively banned it from entering the north of Gaza.

At least 188 of its staff had been killed since the beginning of the war, more than 150 of its facilities were hit  among them many schools  and more than 400 people were killed while seeking shelter under the UN flag, the organisation said.

The killings had a severe impact on aid groups ability to deliver desperately needed supplies  and security conditions for aid workers continued to worsen. Following an attack on a food distribution centre in Rafah in March, UNRWAs head Philippe Lazzarini accused Israel of a blatant disregard for international humanitarian law.

Todays attack on one of the very few remaining UNRWA distribution centres in the Gaza Strip comes as food supplies are running out, hunger is widespread and, in some areas, turning into famine, he said, adding that the coordinates for the facility were shared with the Israeli army.

Mr Lazzarini frequently spoke out publicly against Israel blocking humanitarian aid convoys.

Ive said it many times: this is a man-made hunger and looming famine which can still be averted, he said in March.

The Independent reached out to Israels COGAT for a response to these claims but has yet to receive a response. In previous statements COGAT has vehemently condemned what it called false accusations that are being irresponsibly disseminated that Israel restricts aid into or through Gaza. It also accused Hamas of hindering and stealing aid. COGAT also rejected accusations that there has been a decrease in the number of aid trucks entering the enclave.

Israel assists, encourages and facilitates the entry of humanitarian aid for the residents of the Gaza Strip and for medical and other critical infrastructures in the Strip, COGAT said, adding that Israel is at war with Hamas not against the residents of the Gaza Strip.

A simple solution

To humanitarians on the ground, the solution to the problem was simple: a ceasefire was the only way to surge the amount of aid needed to prevent a famine. Barring that, at the very least, Israel would need to open up more land crossings in Gaza and allow more aid trucks to enter.

But successive attempts to broker a ceasefire at the United Nations Security Council were blocked by the US on behalf of its ally, Israel.

Explaining the justification for a third veto on 20 February, US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said an immediate ceasefire would jeopardise multilateral talks to broker a pause in the war and the release of hostages held by Hamas.

In the absence of a wide-ranging ceasefire, humanitarian groups called on the Biden administration to use its leverage to pressure Israel to immediately allow a flood of aid into Gaza that would be necessary to stop the famine.

Only the US, as the primary backer of Israels war and the benefactor of its defence to the tune of $4bn a year, had the leverage to persuade Israel to do so. But Mr Biden had stubbornly refused to even consider conditioning aid, recalling his long-held belief in the importance of supporting the worlds only Jewish state.

Jan Egeland, the secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, a humanitarian organisation with dozens of aid workers operating in Gaza, said he had written to secretary of state Antony Blinken in October and urged him to create an international monitoring mission at Gazas borders to facilitate the delivery of aid, instead of leaving it in Israels hands while it fought a war. His appeals fell on deaf ears.

The diplomatic impotence has been astounding, he told The Independent. Here are presidents and prime ministers travelling to [Israel] begging, urging appealing, and the answer is no. And then they just continue providing arms and support. Who are the great powers here?

Mr Egeland said the US should have known what would happen to Gaza when Israeli leaders threatened massive destruction in the first days after the Hamas attack.

They knew about it, they still didnt condition their support. This was a major, a major mistake. And of course now that has spectacularly backfired, he said.

Mr Paul said there was a double standard when it comes to Israel in the Biden administration  on everything from weapons to upholding international humanitarian law.

The administration had a host of tools at its disposal to press Israel to cease its aid restrictions, he added.

The administration could have done so through the application of Section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act, which prohibits assistance to countries restricting US-funded humanitarian assistance; it could have done so through the withholding of arms shipments; it could have done so by supporting resolutions at the UN calling on Israel to stop restricting humanitarian assistance, he said.

United States ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield addresses members of the UN Security Council in April at United Nations headquarters in New York (AP)

Mr Konyndyk, who is now president of Refugees International, made a public call in an opinion piece in Februarys Foreign Affairs for Mr Biden to act now to make famine prevention a top priority and be prepared to deploy meaningful US leverage  including pausing arms sales  if the Israeli government does not comply.

Speaking to The Independent one month after its publication, he said that famine was likely inevitable without swift action from Mr Biden.

Within USAID, too, staff were angry at the Biden administrations repeated assertions that it was doing all it could to push Israel to allow in more aid. The amount of aid that reached Gazans dropped by half in February compared to the previous month.

On 3 March, vice-president Kamala Harris made what was at the time the boldest declaration of the importance of humanitarian aid to Gaza. In remarks commemorating the anniversary of civil rights protests in Selma, Alabama, Ms Harris said Israels government had to do more to significantly increase the flow of aid and warned that there were no excuses for not doing so.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre listens as White House national security communications adviser John Kirby speaks during a press briefing at the White House in April (AP)

And days later, Mr Kirby, the White House spokesperson, told The Independent at a daily press briefing that it was not acceptable and not the right thing for any purpose for Israel to restrict aid deliveries into Gaza.

But Mr Kirby also categorically rejected the idea that Mr Biden should use the leverage of restricting weapons deliveries to force Israels government to allow aid to flow.

The USAID employee described the administrations insistence that it was doing all it could to stop the spread of hunger as very disingenuous.

I dont believe that the President of the United States  Israels most important ally and benefactor  has so little leverage that he cant force them to take meaningful steps to really allow in the amount of aid that is necessary to save lives, they said.

It feels like there was no real effort to force Israels hands, in terms of ensuring greater access to humanitarian assistance, they added.

After failing to persuade its ally to allow more aid to enter via land crossings, the US took the unusual step of launching aid airdrops into Gaza.

Mr Konyndyk, who oversaw similar humanitarian airdrops to Nepal, the Philippines and Iraq, described the plan as a major policy failure on the part of the Biden administration.

Airdrops are the most expensive and least effective way to get aid to a population. We almost never did it because it is such an in-extremis tool, he said.

When the US government has to use tactics that it otherwise used to circumvent the Soviets in Berlin and circumvent Isis in Syria and Iraq, that should prompt some really hard questions about the state of US policy, he said.

Biden finally takes action

On 2 April, the danger for those trying to deliver food to desperate Gazans was thrown into sharp relief yet again. A group of international aid workers with the World Central Kitchen (WCK) were killed by three successive Israeli drone strikes in Gaza.

The non-profit humanitarian aid organisation founded by celebrity chef Jose Andres said their members were travelling in cars branded with the charitys logo when they were hit, despite coordinating their movements with the Israeli military.

In an opinion piece headlined Let People Eat published in The New York Times in the days after the killings, Mr Andres said the strike was the direct result of a policy that squeezed humanitarian aid to desperate levels, and accused Israel of blocking food and medicine to civilians.

The reaction from the White House was different this time. Mr Andres is a friend of Mr Biden, and a popular figure in Washington DC. For the first time in the conflict, the president raised the prospect that the US might withhold its support if Israel did not immediately take certain actions.

President Joe Biden, sits with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at the start of the Israeli war cabinet meeting in October last year (Getty)

In a call with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu two days after the WCK killings, Mr Biden made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers, according to a White House readout of the call.

The Israeli government responded immediately by approving the opening of three humanitarian aid corridors into Gaza, including the Erez Crossing in northern Gaza, which had not been open since the start of the conflict.

Still, the calls from aid organisations were becoming ever-more alarming. A Human Rights Watch report published on 9 April accused Israel of the continued commission of the war crimes of collective punishment, deliberate obstruction of humanitarian aid and using starvation of civilians as a weapon of war.

At the same time, USAID officials were becoming more forceful in sounding the alarm internally.

A cable drafted by officials at the agency and leaked to HuffPost in early April said that the threshold to support a famine determination has likely already been crossed, and that the level of hunger and malnutrition in Gaza was unprecedented in modern history.

People inspect the site where World Central Kitchen workers were killed in Deir al-Balah in April (AP)

A separate memo written by USAID officials for Mr Blinken and leaked to Devex found that Israel may be violating a White House directive requiring recipients of US military assistance to permit the unimpeded delivery of US-funded humanitarian support.

Yet another memo leaked to Devex by food security experts was titled Famine Inevitable, Changes Could Reduce but Not Stop Widespread Civilian Deaths. It said that Israel-imposed administrative challenges are preventing the delivery of lifesaving humanitarian assistance.

Mr Bidens pressure on Mr Netanyahu appeared to have an immediate effect. More trucks carrying food and supplies were able to get into Gaza in late April, and Israel finally opened the Erez crossing on 1 May, leading to the entry of more than 200 trucks per day for several weeks.

For some, it was a sign of progress. But for others, it showed that Mr Biden had the power to have a direct impact on Israels actions whenever it chose to use its leverage.

But as had happened several times throughout the conflict, the pressure and the progress were short-lived.

A famine wasnt inevitable

The UN has said repeatedly that, by the time an official declaration of famine is made, it will be too late to prevent thousands of deaths. The declaration requires a painfully precise collection of data that is not possible to get while the north of Gaza remains cut off by the fighting.

It was likely with that in mind that Cindy McCain, the US director of the UN World Food Programme, became the most prominent international official so far to declare a famine in northern Gaza last weekend.

Its horror, McCain, widow of Bidens close friend, former Senator John McCain, told NBCs Meet the Press in an interview that aired 5 May. There is famine  full-blown famine  in the north, and its moving its way south.

To the humanitarian groups working on the ground, this was not an inevitable conclusion.

This is an entirely preventable, human-made famine caused by lack of humanitarian aid and humanitarian access restrictions over seven months, said Louise Wateridge, communications officer with UNRWA, in a phone interview from Gaza last week.

According to UN figures, more than half of Gazas population some 1.1 million people  face catastrophic food insecurity. This represents the highest share of a population ever recorded globally. One in three children under the age of two suffer from acute malnutrition.

It is about to get worse.

Israel had for some months now publicly announced its intention to invade the southern city of Rafah, the last refugee camp in Gaza which is sheltering more than one million people displaced from elsewhere across the destroyed territory. Among that number are around 600,000 children packed into tents, crowded buildings and hospital courtyards with little more than tarpaulin to hide under. The city is the main hub for aid agencies operating in Gaza, and according to Israel, the last remaining stronghold of Hamas. The White House had previously expressed its public opposition to a full-scale operation in Rafah, given the humanitarian disaster it would inevitably cause.

Palestinians arrive to Khan Younis after leaving Rafah following an evacuation order issued by the Israeli army (EPA)

But just days after Ms McCains interview, Israel issued an evacuation order for 100,000 people in the city. On 7 May, Israeli forces captured the Rafah border crossing, halting the transfer of aid through what was a major conduit. It is also the only crossing wounded or sick Palestinians can evacuate through.

It also closed another crucial crossing, Kerem Shalom, after an attack two days earlier killed four soldiers in the area. While Israel says Kerem Shalom has since reopened, UN officials said it is too dangerous for humanitarians to properly access. Jens Laerke, spokesperson for OCHA said that Rafah and Kerem Shalom were main arteries of the humanitarian operation for the entire strip and that their closure has been catastrophic.

The move prompted a dramatic response from Mr Biden. For the first time, he threatened to pause the delivery of certain offensive weapons to Israel if its defence forces entered the city proper. Rather than dialling back their offensive, Israel widened the evacuation orders in the south and north of Gaza to affect an estimated 300,000 people and began its assault on Rafah.

Meanwhile, the president has not placed the same conditions on the delivery of much-needed aid.

It is that discrepancy that has caused so much consternation within the US government, especially among those whose job it is to prevent people from dying of hunger.

I believe the US to be complicit in creating the conditions for famine, the current anonymous USAID employee told The Independent. Not only has our response been woefully inadequate, but were actively responsible in large part for it.
John Green's 'Turtles All the Way Down' is a must-read for any Indy fan, according to columnist Michael Leppert. (Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle)

If one wants to be a homer in Indianapolis, theres no better time of year for it than May. This year, the Pacers have rejuvenated their playoff rivalry with the Knicks, Caitlin Clark has come to town, and the Greatest Spectacle in Racing is almost here.

And one more thing this May, the movie adaptation of John Greens 2017 novel, Turtles All the Way Down, was released on Max. Its one of my favorite books, the only one I ever read twice, written by Indys greatest author since Kurt Vonnegut. As a bonus, its set here in the city. Yea, yea, I know it was filmed in Cincinnati, but thats another column for another time.

The story chronicles the mental health struggles of a teenager named Aza Holmes. She was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder and suffered the loss of her father who died unexpectedly, both when she was a little girl. She and her mom, who teaches at Azas high school, are consumed by these two life challenges.

To listen to a podcast version of this column, go here.

Its just another story really. The primary themes are relatable because of how often they exist in normal peoples lives. Normal. Aza would kill to feel like what she believes is normal. But her OCD drives her into thought spirals, revolving around the micro-organisms and their function inside her body. We casually refer to people as germophobic often these days, and more so since COVID-19. Aza would call most of these people normal too. The intensity of her fears is far more profound and dangerous. And still, her condition and her life are not rare.

The value of any story is often how it reminds us that we are not alone in whatever it is we face. Stories have a better chance of being meaningful when the audience can connect to the characters, their challenges or their aspirations.

A story that matters

Turtles is actually an important story that I believe everyone should consume. As a true John Green fan, I was going to read it and watch it regardless of its setting. But being set in Indy gives Hoosiers one more point of connection, one more reason, to learn the important part of the story: how OCD actually works.

Jack Nicholson won an Academy Award for his 1997 portrayal of Melvin Udall, a novelist suffering from OCD in As Good as It Gets. Jennifer Lawrence won the hardware for her performance in 2012s, Silver Linings Playbook, a film full of characters with mental health diagnoses, including one with OCD, played by Robert DeNiro in a supporting role.

The novel Turtles All the Way Down highlights many Indiana favorites, including Indianas White River . (Photo from the Central Indiana Land Trust)

But those stories were based in New York and Philadelphia respectively, and while they are on my list of all-time favorite movies, they arent from, and at least a little about, my hometown.

Im not just a Green fan because Im a homer though. I fell in love with his writing after I saw another Indy-based movie, A Fault in Our Stars. I had never heard of Green until then, but vividly recall saying to my sobbing wife after we watched it, whoever wrote that dialogue is a genius. So, I immediately read all of Greens other books.

In my opinion, no one writes conversations better than him. No one. Its Greens real talent and its also how his audiences can feel his stories deeply enough to be moved into truly learning the storys purpose.

I teach practical applications of connecting to audiences to students who are only a little older than Aza Holmes. One of her primary challenges in Turtles is that she wants to be defined by more than just her disorder. Her diagnosis is the audiences single story about Aza. But there is more to her than that.

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I share a lesson from Nigerian-born author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on this topic with my classes that teaches how to overcome seeing people so simply. Adiches broader method of connecting and understanding others enriches the simplest of interpretations about people. And it differentiates Turtles from being a story many might see as just another young adult book and movie.

People are more like infinity than we often presume. This message is dramatically received through the character, Lucia Abbott, a philosophy professor at Northwestern University. Aza is a fan of the professor, primarily because she speaks what Aza believes is her own, private, personal language.

Turtles All the Way Down is not just a meaningless way to kill two hours in front of a screen or seven or eight hours in front of a book. Its a story that matters. Its a vehicle for elevated understanding about something we all really ought to know.

If being a homer for Indianapolis is what inspires you to watch it, you can thank me later.

The post John Greens Turtles All the Way Down is required viewing in Indy appeared first on Indiana Capital Chronicle.
A district court judge has ruled that two counts of aggravated assault recently brought against convicted Timberview High School shooter Timothy Simpkins violate double jeopardy but upheld the third count, according to court documents and Simpkins lawyers.

Simpkins, who is serving a 12-year sentence after being found guilty of attempted capital murder in July 2023, still faces multiple charges connected with events leading up to the October 2021 North Texas shooting that wounded two students and one teacher.

On Oct. 6, 2021, Simpkins took a beating from 15-year-old Zacchaeus Selby at Timberview High School, which is located in Arlington but part of the Mansfield Independent School District. Simpkins shot Selby once, and then again as the 15-year-old crawled on his back toward a stairwell, according to testimony and video. Simpkins fired on Selby six times.

Another student, Shaniya McNeely, was grazed by a bullet. A teacher who arrived to help break up the fight, Calvin Pettitt, was shot in the back when he turned to run after learning Simpkins had a gun. All three of the shooting victims survived.

New indictment in shooting at school

A Tarrant County grand jury indicted Simpkins on April 9 of this year on three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count of unlawfully carrying a weapon in a prohibited place in connection with the shooting.

Pettitt and McNeely were listed as aggravated assault victims in the April 9 indictment. A third person who wasnt part of the original case against Simpkins was also listed.

Simpkins already stood trial for shooting Pettitt and McNeely as part of the attempted capital murder case last year, his attorneys argued, and according to the double jeopardy clause of the Fifth Amendment, Simpkins cant be tried for those offenses a second time.

On May 7, Simpkins attorneys filed a plea of double jeopardy based on prior conviction and a motion to dismiss the indictment based on multiple punishments for the same crime. During a hearing later that day, the prosecution made an oral motion to amend the indictment.

A document filed the afternoon of May 7 shows that in the amended indictment prosecutors proposed naming two other individuals who were present but not injured at Timberview at the time of the shooting as victims of assault in place of Pettitt and McNeely. The proposed indictment alleged Simpkins threatened the additional victims by firing the gun in their presence.

Judge rules some charges violate double jeopardy

In a court order which was issued Friday, Judge Ryan Hill denied the prosecutions motion to amend the portion of the indictment listing Pettitt and McNeely, saying the proposed changes were not statutorily permitted. Hill also agreed that Simpkins could not be prosecuted for the aggravated assault charges relating to Pettitt and McNeely on the grounds of double jeopardy.

Simpkins attorney Lesa Pamplin told the Star-Telegram in a phone interview Friday that the decision to bring further charges against Simpkins after his attempted murder conviction in July surprised and angered her. According to Pamplin, the district attorneys office didnt get the life sentence it wanted for Simpkins last year, and now prosecutors are going to try again.

Vindictiveness, she said. Thats all I can say.

The district attorneys office did not return a request for comment on Friday and Monday on why it is seeking to try Simpkins on additional charges.

Pamplin said the judges order on Friday limited the prosecution on what it can do and allowed the defense to make some headway.

I applaud Judge Hill for having the courage to say, No, were not doing this, Pamplin said.

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Simpkins still faces one charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon related to the shooting at Timberview. At the May 7 hearing, the prosecution agreed to waive the fourth count in the indictment of unlawfully carrying a weapon in a prohibited place.

Plea agreement possible

Simpkins is scheduled to appear in court Thursday.

Pamplin said the prosecution has offered a plea deal, but Simpkins and his attorneys still hadnt accepted or rejected it as of Monday afternoon. She is hoping the case wont have to go to trial.

We dont want to take (Simpkins) through another trial, Pamplin said. We dont want to take anyone from Timberview through another trial.

Simpkins also faces one count of aggravated assault and two counts of deadly conduct related to a shooting that took place at an Arlington RaceTrac gas station on Sept. 26, 2021, just 10 days before the Timberview shooting.

Simpkins testified at his July 2023 trial that he was smoking marijuana inside a car at RaceTrac with three others, including Selbys older brother. Two of them hit Simpkins on the back of the head with a gun and stole his marijuana and cash, he said. Simpkins fired a handgun at the car the two left in, he said.

A Tarrant County grand jury indicted Simpkins on the aggravated assault and deadly conduct charges in August 2023. Hill granted a motion from the district attorneys office to consolidate the Sept. 26 offenses with the new charges that have been filed against him in the school shooting so they would go to trial at the same time.

Simpkins also faces charges of unlawfully carrying a weapon to school on Oct. 4-5, 2021, the two days before the shooting, court documents state.

Another case that is pending, according to court documents, relates to Simpkins shooting and injuring Selby on Oct. 6, 2021, but that indictment is from February 2022, before Simpkins was reindicted on the attempted capital murder charge on which he was tried. Its not clear how Simpkins could be tried on those charges considering his attempted capital murder conviction.

Pamplin said the prosecution could have included all of the additional charges in the original trial instead of waiting until now. The person who is listed as the victim of aggravated assault in the April 9 indictment was someone who appeared on the witness list during the July trial, so the prosecution knew that individual existed, she said.

So why are we here? Pamplin said.

How many years could be added to sentence?

The DAs office has requested that Simpkins receive cumulative sentences if found guilty, meaning any new sentence would begin after his current sentence is finished instead of running concurrently, according to court records.

Under Texas law, a conviction for aggravated assault, which is a second-degree felony, would carry a sentence of two to 20 years. The deadly conduct and unlawfully carrying a weapon charges are third-degree felonies, which could add two to 10 years for each count.
FOLEY, Ala. (WKRG)  Foley officials announced Monday the Juniper Street extension is now open between Miflin Road and Alabama 59.

The extension will provide a new route for north-south traffic through south Foley from U.S. 98 to Alabama 59.

Male strikes Mobile police cruiser, 3 other vehicles during chase: MPD

The new road joins Alabama 59 at the intersection of Baldwin County 20 South.

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Work on the project began in 2022, according to city officials, but its completion was delayed because of supply chain issues. More specifically, there was a lack of availability of the mast arms used to support signal lights at the intersection of Alabama 59 and Baldwin County 20. This portion of the project was supervised by the Alabama Department of Transportation.

Deadly Stockton shootings third victim identified

The lights were put in place earlier this month, and the final phase of construction was paving and striping the roadway.

The project also included the installation of new sidewalks, curbs gutters and a transition curb on both sides of Juniper Street as well as mast arms, mast arm poles and signal heads. The Juniper Street-Miflin Road (Baldwin County 20) intersection was also realigned during the project.

(Photo courtesy of the City of Foley)

(Photo courtesy of the City of Foley)

(Photo courtesy of the City of Foley)

Officials said the extension will improve access in the area to more commercial development, and two hotels are currently being constructed near the site. The road will also provide better access to Tanger Outlets and other businesses in the area.

McElhenny Construction received the contract in 2022 after the Foley City Council accepted its bid of $4.53 million.

Pensacola Downtown Improvement Board cracking down on noise problem

Foley and ALDOT are also working on improving the intersection at the Alabama 59-Baldwin County 12 junction. The project will go out to bid in September.

Foley and ALDOT are also widening and repaving the Foley Beach Express. The expressway will be turned over to the state when the project is done.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5.
NEW YORK  A Manhattan judge narrowed down the jury pool in the gold bar bribery trial of N.J. Sen. Robert Menendez, dismissing three dozen potential jurors late Monday as a second group of 50 people were brought in.

Jury selection is expected to continue Tuesday for the federal trial of Menendez and N.J. businessmen Wael Hana and Fred Danies. Menendezs wife, Nadine, will face a separate trial in July, after Manhattan Federal Court Judge Sidney Stein severed her case so she could deal with a medical condition.

Menendez, who faces 18 bribery and obstruction charges, is accused of conspiring to act as a foreign agent for Egypt as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and of abusing his position to advance Qatari interests in exchange for gold bullion bars, flashy watches and Formula 1 tickets. He denies the charges.

Federal agents found more than $480,000 in cash stuffed in closets and clothing and more than $100,000 worth of gold bars, when they searched Menendezs home last year, according to charging documents.

The trial is expected to last six to seven weeks.

The feds alleged that in 2018, Robert Menendez backed military sales and financing for Egypt in exchange for Hana putting Nadine on his companys payroll. In other deals, the Menendezes accepted gold bars and home mortgage payments in exchange for favors, according to investigators.

Jose Uribe, a former N.J. insurance broker, pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiring to bribe the senator in exchange for the pols help quashing criminal investigations into two associates, wire fraud, tax evasion, obstruction of justice and related charges.

Uribe has agreed to cooperate against the senator and testify against him.

Court papers said Menendezs relationship with the businessmen started in 2018, less than a year after the Democrat senator beat separate corruption charges. His wife had been friends with Hana for many years, according to the feds.

Menendez is accused of intervening in an insurance fraud probe connected to Uribe, and recommending the appointment of a U.S. attorney in New Jersey who he believed would stall a criminal investigation into Daibes.

Hes also accused of pressuring a U.S. Agriculture Department official to protect an arrangement giving Hanas company an exclusive monopoly on halal exports from the U.S. to Egypt. Before securing the monopoly, Hana had no experience with the halal certification, court papers allege.

In March, he was hit with new obstruction charges  that he lied to the feds by claiming through his lawyers he believed thousands of dollars in bribes given to his wife, Nadine Menendez, were loans.

Menendez, whos been N.J.s senator since 2006, was up for reelection this year but has pulled out of the states June 4 Democratic Senate primary. Rep. Andy Kim is expected to win that race by a lopsided margin after First Lady Tammy Murphy pulled the plug on her campaign.

_____
US Senator Menendez's corruption trial on verge of getting jury

U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), arrives at Federal Court, for his bribery trial in New York

U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), arrives at Federal Court, for his bribery trial in New York

By Jonathan Stempel

NEW YORK (Reuters) -A jury for U.S. Senator Robert Menendez's corruption trial could be seated as soon as Wednesday, to assess the Democrat's role in what federal prosecutors called a years-long bribery scheme to benefit foreign governments and himself.

In a second day of jury selection, U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein questioned 32 prospective jurors on Tuesday in his Manhattan courtroom.

They had said they could be could be impartial toward New Jersey's senior senator, who has pleaded not guilty to 16 criminal charges including bribery, fraud, acting as a foreign agent and obstruction.

Earlier, the judge dismissed at least 75 others from the jury pool for the trial, which he has said could last into July.

Though no jurors have been seated, Stein said a jury could be chosen on Wednesday morning, followed by opening statements.

"We are making progress," Stein said.

Prosecutors said Menendez, 70, and his wife Nadine accepted several hundred thousand dollars of cash, gold bars and a Mercedes-Benz convertible, in exchange for his providing political favors and aid to the governments of Egypt and Qatar.

New Jersey businessmen Wael Hana and Fred Daibes are being tried alongside the senator. They also pleaded not guilty.

Menendez was accused of promising to help Egypt obtain arms sales and other aid, helping Hana obtain a lucrative monopoly on certifying halal meat exports to Egypt, and trying to help Daibes obtain millions of dollars from a Qatari investment fund.

Prosecutors also accused the senator of trying to interfere in a federal criminal case against Daibes in New Jersey, and in state criminal cases involving two associates of Jose Uribe, an insurance broker.

Uribe pleaded guilty in March to bribery and fraud and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

Nadine Menendez, 57, who married the senator 3-1/2 years ago, has also been charged and pleaded not guilty.

She will be tried separately on July 8. Her lawyers have said she suffered a serious medical condition that required a long recovery.

Lawyers for Robert Menendez have suggested that if the senator testified, he may try to blame his wife, possibly for withholding information and making him believe his activities were lawful.

JOHN OLIVER

The remaining prospective jurors have a wide range of backgrounds. There are a few lawyers, investment bankers, a scientist and multiple health care workers.

Many said they got news from traditional print media, TV, podcasts and social media.

One drew laughs when she said one news source was John Oliver, the comedian and political commentator.

"Is that news?" Stein asked her.

"Better than most," she responded.

Prosecutors and defense lawyers each have a right to excuse a limited number of prospective jurors from the trial. A jury will be seated after they exercise those challenges.

During earlier questioning, several people in the jury pool suggested possible bias toward or against law enforcement.

A few others suggested they might have difficulty accepting testimony from cooperating government witnesses who had pleaded guilty to crimes, like Uribe, even after Stein called using such witnesses "perfectly legal."

Stein asked prospective jurors if they knew any of the more than 350 people, including several U.S. senators, whose names might be mentioned during the trial.

The judge emphasized the importance of finding fair juries.

"There are many countries where people don't have a right to have a jury of their peers to sit in judgment of them," Stein said. "The system will only work if people are fair and honest and impartial."

SETBACK FOR MENENDEZ

FBI agents who searched the Menendezes' home in June 2022 found much of the cash stashed inside clothing, closets and a safe, prosecutors said.

After jurors were dismissed for the day, Stein handed Menendez a setback by ruling that a psychiatrist could not testify that the senator routinely stored cash in his home because of a "fear of scarcity."

Defense lawyers said storing cash was a response to the Cuban government's seizing his family's assets before he was born, and his father's committing suicide after Menendez stopped paying his gambling debts.

But the judge said the psychiatrist's disclosures and proposed testimony "just doesn't stand up" under a federal rule governing testimony by expert witnesses.

Menendez, a senator since 2006, has suggested he would try if acquitted to win a fourth full Senate term.

But recent polls of voters in Democratic-leaning New Jersey show overwhelming disapproval of Menendez's job performance, suggesting that any reelection bid would be a long shot.

Menendez has resisted calls to resign from across the political spectrum, but gave up leadership of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee after his indictment in September.

The senator was also tried in a bribery case in 2017, but that case ended in a mistrial.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by David Gregorio and Alistair Bell)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. On May 14, another group of former internally displaced persons, consisting of families temporarily settled in dormitories, sanatoriums, pioneer camps and administrative buildings in various territories of Azerbaijan, was sent to the city of Shusha from the Garadagh district of Baku, Trend reports.

At this stage, another 38 families (136 people) moved to the city of Shusha.

Shusha residents thanked President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva for their comprehensive care, expressed gratitude to the valiant Azerbaijani Army, which liberated the lands from occupation.

Until today, a permanent settlement in the city of Shusha has been provided for 58 families - 224 people.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 13: Sen. Robert Menendez arrives for court on May 13, 2024 in New York City. Federal prosecutors accused Menendez and his wife of accepting thousands of dollars in bribes (Photo by Alex Kent/Getty Images)

Eight months after federal authorities indicted Sen. Bob Menendez in a wide-ranging corruption scheme, his trial got off to a slow start in Manhattan Monday, with the federal judge excusing almost a third of the 150 potential jurors called.

U.S. Judge Sidney Stein warned them the trial could last into the first week of July and briefly summarized the accusations in prosecutors 18-count indictment against New Jerseys senior senator. Prosecutors say the senator accepted gold bars, cash, a luxury car, and more as bribes from three businessmen to disrupt several criminal probes and prosecutions, steer military arms and aid to Egypt, help one land a lucrative deal with a Qatari investor, help another gain a monopoly on meat imports to Egypt, and conspired to cover it all up as investigators closed in.

When the judge subsequently asked which potential jurors had substantial reasons they could not serve, dozens of hands shot up, and they were called one by one into a separate room for questioning by Stein and two members each of the prosecution and defense teams.

Some of those who sought an out cited scheduling conflicts, travel plans, and work or family obligations, while others told Stein they could not be fair. Some had very specific excuses. One juror told Stein he has an extreme fear of heights (Steins courtroom is on the 23rd floor, with windows overlooking the city).

Another said she has a trip scheduled to Europe later this month and plans to see Bruce Springsteen in Spain.

Stein noted that Springsteen recently announced new tour dates.

You could catch him, probably in Giants Stadium, he said.

Another potential juror told Stein shes a housing attorney who gets worked up when she hears about public corruption and called the case triggering.

Another said she recently became a childrens librarian in Greenwich, Connecticut, and fretted about a lengthy trials impact on her job, as she hasnt passed her probationary period there. That prompted Stein to rhapsodize about being a childrens librarian in another life.

Im telling you, thats what I would do, childrens librarian, he said.

Back in the courtroom, Menendez sat alone at a defense table and stared forward silently, his fingers steepled in front of him in the hushed courtroom. His co-defendants, businessman Wael Hana and real estate developer Fred Daibes, sat beside their attorneys at a separate table.

By mid-afternoon, Stein had excused 38 jurors from an initial pool of 100 and called another 50 people in for questioning. About a dozen are expected to be excused from that last batch when the initial round of questioning wraps up Tuesday.

It was an anticlimactic start for a trial that promises plenty of drama, given the more salacious parts of prosecutors indictment and the details that have emerged since  that the bribes typically went to and through the senators wife, Nadine; that he probably will blame her; that he used his powerful position as head of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations to act as a foreign agent; and that he may explain his hoarded riches as a trauma response to his fathers suicide and his familys refugee experience.

The senator, his attorneys at his side, breezed past a mob of photographers and television journalists Monday morning on his way into the Daniel Patrick Moynihan federal courthouse, just two blocks from where former President Trumps trial is unfolding.

He wore a navy suit with his Senate pin on the lapel and went through security like everyone else, doffing his belt before walking through the metal detector. In the courtroom, he smiled and chatted with his attorneys as they waited for proceedings to start.

Before calling in prospective jurors, Stein scolded attorneys who filed a flurry of briefs and motions over the weekend.

Theres been too much gamesmanship here, and I want it to end now, he barked. Everybody has to operate in good faith here. Im not sure Ive seen it.

The trial resumes Tuesday morning, with attorneys expected to pick a jury from the remaining 100 or so potential jurors by interrogating them further on everything from their understanding of halal food to their thoughts on keeping cash at home instead of in a bank account to their perceptions of New Jersey residents, politicians, wealthy people, immigrants, Coptic Christians, Egypt, and more.

The post Jury selection starts in Sen. Bob Menendezs corruption trial appeared first on New Jersey Monitor.
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage)  A jury in Tom Green County found a man guilty in May 2024 after he hit his girlfriend in the face multiple times.

Mugshot: Frank Martinez 4-19-2024 courtesy Tom Green County Sheriffs Office

Frank Martinez was found guilty of assault of a household member or person he was dating at the time with a prior conviction. Martinez was previously convicted of family violence assault.

The jury sentenced Martinez to 45 years of imprisonment after a guilty verdict was reached for the third-degree felony.

San Angelo residents indicted for December shank stabbing

A press release from the District Attorneys Office of Allison Palmer reported that Martinez had punched his girlfriend at the time in the face. This caused the victim to suffer from a bloody nose, swelling, bruising and other facial injuries.

With this sentence, the jury has acted to protect our community from a violent offender, the release from Palmer read. We want to thank the jury in this case for sending a message to our community that domestic and intimate partner violence will not be tolerated.

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 ConchoValleyHomepage.com.
(Getty Images)

Editors note: This story has been updated to include response from the state and reaction from a state senator with a background in mental health care.

LINCOLN  The U.S. Department of Justice concluded Tuesday that Nebraska unnecessarily institutionalizes adults with serious mental illness in violation of their civil rights.

The Justice Department said Nebraskans are being segregated in assisted living and day program facilities, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the U.S. Supreme Courts 1999 decision in Olmstead v. L.C. The department interviewed affected Nebraskans, agency heads and others after beginning an investigation June 25, 2021, following multiple complaints.

Meanwhile, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services expressed disappointment in federal assessment, pointing to work it said has been done to improve services.

Dead-end road towards institutionalization

In a letter to Gov. Jim Pillen, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the departments Civil Rights Division said the department wants to work cooperatively to resolve the findings. This includes entering settlement negotiations and an agreement to remedy the identified violations.

If Nebraska does not negotiate, or if the talks fail, the federal government said it could take appropriate action, which could include legal action, to remedy the violations.

Clarke said in a statement that people with mental health disabilities are far too often institutionalized when they could succeed and thrive in the community.

Its time to bring an end to the days of funneling people with disabilities down a dead-end road towards institutionalization and unemployment when they could succeed if provided pathways towards independence and dignity, Clarke said.

DHHS reviewing allegations

DHHS leadership agreed to cooperate with the Justice Department based on the existing circumstances at the time the investigation began, a news release states, with leaders collaborating to enhance community-saved services statewide.

Governor Pillen and DHHS are committed to ensuring Nebraskans receive the highest level of behavioral health services, the DHHS release states.

The agency pointed to recent steps to do so, such as last year when the Legislature created Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics. The clinics must serve anyone who requests care for mental health or substance use, regardless of ability to pay, place of residence or age.

A second step forward, DHHS said, is the development and implementation of better assessment, tracking and referral systems for disability accommodations.

Pointedly, the DOJ concedes that the programs desired by the federal government already exist in Nebraska today, DHHS said. DHHS intends to resolve this matter as expeditiously as possible, and in a manner consistent with law and the best interests of the people of Nebraska.

Agency officials are reviewing the allegations and will consult with the Nebraska Attorney Generals Office for next steps.

Justice Department offers remedies

The ADA requires states to make services for people with disabilities available in the most integrated setting appropriate to their individual needs, such as their homes and workplaces.

The letter to Pillen states Nebraska already offers various services  though many have limited access  and says the state could remedy its violations without fundamentally altering its behavioral health service system.

Those remedies include:

Expanding access to existing community-based services.

Ensuring sufficient provider capacity.

Identifying people with serious mental illnesses in segregated facilities who might be open to living and working in the community.

By increasing its investment in community-based services for Nebraskans with [serious mental illness], the state can help these individuals become engaged and vibrant members of their communities, said U.S. Attorney Susan Lehr for the District of Nebraska.

The time is now to comply with ADA

Dianne DeLair, legal services director of Disability Rights Nebraska, said that in the 25 years since the Olmstead ruling, Nebraska still lacks a working Olmstead Plan with a concrete commitment that the state can provide adequate support and services.

This new Department of Justice letter of findings gives hope to every Nebraskan with a mental health disability who has been isolated and segregated, DeLair said in a statement.

John Fredrickson

Tania Diaz, CEO of Disability Rights Nebraska, said all Nebraskans with disabilities should be able to join the workforce, pursue an education, volunteer and participate in the community free from discrimination.

Twenty-five years has been long enough to wait, Diaz said. The time is now for the State of Nebraska to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The U.S. Department of Justice previously scheduled town halls in Omaha, Lincoln, Kearney and Scottsbluff for Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, prior to releasing the Tuesday report. More information is available here.

More behavioral health funds needed

State Sen. John Fredrickson of Omaha, a mental health professional who attended the Tuesday town hall in Omaha, said the report will not come as a surprise to industry providers or Nebraskans impacted by severe mental illness as it underscores what weve always known.

There is a lack of infrastructure and support available in our state as it relates to behavioral health and mental health, he said.

For example, he said, lawmakers this year diverted $15 million in state aid for behavioral health services to the Lincoln Regional Center, where workers have faced violent incidents.

Fredrickson tried to retain $12 million in the states mental health care fund but his effort fell short, 16-23.

If theres an issue with deploying the funds or getting the funds out or spending the funds, then thats a separate conversation, Fredrickson said. The answer to that is not throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Its finding out what are the bottlenecks because the funds are very clearly needed.

The post Justice Department: Nebraska unnecessarily institutionalizes people with mental illness appeared first on Nebraska Examiner.
Kamala Harris urges young AANHPIs to kick 'that f-ing door down'

[Source]

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris dropped an expletive while urging young Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) individuals to shatter barriers during an impassioned talk on Monday.

Key points:

Harris encouraged young AANHPI individuals to defy limitations and embrace their potential by "kicking that f*cking door down."

The conversation, moderated by actor Jimmy O. Yang, took place during the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies Legislative Leadership Summit.

The event marked the Biden administration's celebration of AANHPI Heritage Month.

The details:

Trending on NextShark: Dallas hosts its first-ever AAPI Heritage and Dragon Boat Festival

At the start of the dialogue, Harris reflected on her role as the first Black and South Asian vice president and shared personal anecdotes and advice. She then went on to explain that breaking barriers involves overcoming challenges and facing hardships.

We have to know that sometimes people will open the door for you and leave it open. Sometimes they wont, and then you need to kick that f*cking door down. Excuse my language.

Harris' message and colorful language drew applause and laughter from the crowd.

Yang said he got emotional hearing the message and suggested we gotta make T-shirts with that saying.

Harris later joined President Joe Biden at a White House reception to deliver remarks honoring the month.

Tangent:

Last week, the Biden-Harris reelection campaign initiated a $14 million ad effort for May, focusing on engaging Black, Latino, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander voters.

Trending on NextShark: 'Bling Empire' star Christine Chiu reveals why she turned down 'RHOBH'

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Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today!
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker waged a series of attacks against President Bidens leadership in a recent commencement speech, criticizing the presidents policies on abortion, gender ideology and the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a commencement speech last Saturday at Benedictine College  a Catholic liberal arts college in Kansas  Butker claimed the negative parts of society in recent years can be blamed on bad leaders who dont stay in their lanes.

While COVID might have played a large role throughout your formative years, it is not unique, Butker said during his speech. The bad policies and poor leadership have negatively impacted major life issues. Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as a growing support for the degenerate cultural values and media all stem from pervasiveness of disorder.

Our own nation is led by a man who publicly and proudly proclaims his Catholic faith, but at the same time is delusional enough to make the sign of the cross during a pro-abortion rally, he continued.

Biden is only the second Catholic U.S. president and has been forced to balance the hot-button issue of abortion with the Democratic Party bases support of reproductive rights.

The president often attends Saturday evening mass with his family either near his home in Wilmington, Del., or in Washington, D.C., and the White House has maintained Bidens faith is personal to him.

Biden has noted he is not big on abortion but openly supports the reproductive rights that were previously granted under Roe v. Wade.

He has not shied away from criticizing Republican leaders and states that have moved to restrict access to the medical procedure. His support for abortion access has prompted calls for the church to not offer him communion.

Butkers remarks were an apparent reference to when Biden gestured the sign of the cross last month during a rally against abortion restrictions.

He has been so vocal in his support for the murder of innocent babies that Im sure to many people, it appears you can both Catholic and pro-choice, Butker added. He is not alone. From the man behind the COVID lockdowns, to the people pushing dangerous gender ideologies onto the youth of America, they all have a glaring thing in common  they are Catholic. This is an important reminder that being Catholic alone doesnt cut it.

The Biden administration has unveiled a series of protections for the LGBTQ community during the past three years, with the president unafraid to attack Republicans who fight against such policies.

The Hill reached out to the White House for further comment.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A serial killer who terrorized Kansas Citys East Side and was convicted in the murders of seven women died in custody over the weekend.

Terry A. Blair, 62, was pronounced dead at 1:18 a.m. Saturday at Washington County Memorial Hospital, according to Missouri Department of Corrections spokeswoman Karen Pojmann. Blair had been transported there by ambulance for a medical emergency from Potosi Correctional Center, about 70 miles south of St. Louis.

A cause of death has not been determined, but an autopsy will be conducted, Pojmann said.

Blair was convicted by Jackson County Circuit Court Judge John OMalley in 2008. In exchange for a bench trial, two other murder charges were dropped. Prosecutors also agreed not to seek the death penalty.

On Sept. 3, 2004, a man began making 911 calls. He said he had killed two women whose bodies had just been found by police. The man, who called himself Scott, also told dispatchers that he had killed four other people and told them where to find three of the bodies, according to The Stars archives.

The caller said he had killed the women because they were prostitutes.

Police formed a task force as fear spread through the community. Blair, who had been convicted in 1982 of murdering his former girlfriend Angela Monroe, was arrested within weeks. According to court records, Blair confessed to beating Monroe because she was working as a prostitute.

He was paroled in 2002.

Blair came to be known as the Prospect Corridor Killer because he dumped the bodies along Prospect Avenue. The killings horrified Kansas City in 2004 and also exposed conditions in some neighborhoods along Prospect Avenue. Some of the victims had been missing for weeks and were found in trash-strewn lots.

During the trial, Blairs defense attorneys called the identify of the caller into question and a linguistics expert testified that it was unlikely that Blair was the caller. Prosecutors said it was impossible to say that about a person disguising his voice.

DNA on one of the bodies was matched to Blair.

Relatives testified that their loved ones had battled difficult circumstances, but that their lives were valued, according to previous Star reporting.

OMalley sentenced Blair to six consecutive life terms for the killings of Patricia Wilson Butler, 45, Anna Ewing, 42, Carmen Hunt, 40, Claudette Juniel, 31, Sheliah McKinzie, 38, and Darci Williams, 25.

He is not clever or brave or powerful, OMalley said at the April 2008 sentencing hearing. He is simply a middle-aged man destined to die in a prison cell.
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.

As Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly prepares to veto the Legislatures latest package of tax cuts, top Republicans have repeatedly attacked the Democratic chief executive. They have cast her opposition as intransigence and likened her actions to being a bit of a dictator.

Republicans have spent far less time drawing attention to a major reason lawmakers are still fighting with the governor over taxes: members of their own party.

While recent tax packages opposed by Kelly over their costliness have garnered substantial bipartisan support in the House, efforts to override Kellys vetoes have been met with bipartisan opposition in the Senate. In the tax fight in Topeka, typical partisan dividing lines have become blurred.

The last tax cuts measure vetoed by Kelly came within a single vote of becoming law. An effort to override the veto in late April succeeded in a strong 104-15 vote in the House. It only failed in the Senate after Sen. Dennis Pyle, a Hiawatha Republican, voted against overriding the veto after he previously voted in favor of the bill. The 26-14 tally was one short of the 27 votes needed for an override.

Republican Sens. Rob Olson of Olathe and John Doll of Garden City also voted against the override. Olson had previously voted against the bill, while Doll missed the vote. If just one of the three GOP senators had supported the override, the veto would have been overturned.

GOP senators who supported the tax cuts package were keenly aware of the close margin. Ahead of the vote, Sen. Caryn Tyson, a Parker Republican who chairs the Senate Tax Committee, pleaded with her colleagues to support the override.

When you cast this vote, you are the deciding vote  you will decide for the almost three million people in Kansas. You decide whether they have tax relief, Tyson said.

After the override failed, the Legislature quickly passed a new package before ending its regular session for the year. But Kelly has promised to veto the bill and must take action on it this week.

Lawmakers wont have the chance to override the latest veto because the session is over, but the governor has said she will call a special session with the hope of the Legislature passing a proposal she finds acceptable.

Lawmakers face a key choice in the upcoming special session  develop a tax plan Kelly will sign or one that more Republican senators will support during a veto override.

Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, during a news conference in late April, appeared to suggest the answer is working with Kelly.

I dont know what Dennis Pyle is going to do. Im not sure what hes thinking. Were taking steps towards her getting in, Masterson said, referring to Kelly, adding that weve come closer to her every single time.

House Speaker Pro Tem Blake Carpenter, a Derby Republican, said on KPTS Kansas Week last week that lawmakers have moved closer to the governors position each time the Legislature has passed a bill because we dont have the votes to override.

We want tax cuts. We dont have the votes to do it, so weve had to come her direction, Carpenter said.

Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover

Absolutely no way

The plan Kelly has said she will veto would cost $641 million in the first year, with projected costs after that between $462 million and $472 million a year during the first five years. Kelly has called for the cost of tax cuts not to exceed roughly $425 million a year, a limit her aides say includes all tax changes passed by the Legislature, not just this bill.

The measure would move Kansas from three state income tax brackets to two, providing many taxpayers with a break in the process. It raises the personal exemption allowance for dependents, lowers the statewide mill levy for schools, and accelerates the elimination of the state sales tax on food to July 1, in addition to ending taxes on Social Security income.

I have made it very clear from the get-go that I will veto any bill that came to me that would put Kansas in financial jeopardy. The bill the Legislature passed would do exactly that, Kelly told KCUR last week.

There is absolutely no way that I would sign it. Ill call the Legislature back into a special session to pass a good tax cut bill.

Kelly said she will put forward a new tax plan. The governor previously rolled out a plan in January with the support of Pyle, Olson, and Doll.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, rolled out her tax plan with the support of key senators Rob Olson, an Olathe Republican, an Dennis Pyle, a Hiawatha Independent.

Pyle has long been an irritant to GOP leaders. He left the party for a time to mount an independent campaign for governor in 2022, winning 20,452 votes. Some Republicans largely blame him for then-Attorney General Derek Schmidts loss to Kelly.

Doll, who doesnt plan to seek reelection, also temporarily left the party to become the running mate of Greg Orman, a Johnson County businessman who campaigned for governor in 2018 as an independent. Ormans campaign is also seen as having aided Kellys election.

Doll said on Monday that he would like to see property tax relief be more central to any tax package.

I kind of have a card in my hand because I could be that 27th vote. But I dont use that to try to gain anything  if I could gain anything, it would be property tax relief, Doll said.

Olson has been in the Legislature since 2005 and has at times clashed with legislative leaders. Last year, Masterson removed him as chairman of the Senate Utilities Committee shortly after he opposed overriding Kellys veto of a flat income tax.

Olson also doesnt plan to run for reelection and has grown increasingly vocal about his frustration with the Legislatures direction on taxes.

Im tired of the trickle-down economics. It doesnt work, Olson said during a recent Senate floor speech.

Pyle didnt respond to a call on Monday. During the Senate debate on the veto override of the tax cuts, he said he believed lawmakers could come up with a better tax plan and said the Legislature had been making progress.

Sen. Dennis Pyle

Political future at stake?

Mike Brown, chairman of the Kansas Republican Party, in a recent party newsletter, accused Pyle, Olson, and Doll of recklessly siding with Democrats during the debate over tax cuts. Not voting to pass the tax plan due to petty arguments or grinding old axes is a political and moral failure, Brown wrote.

Doll and Olsons decision to not seek reelection illustrate the stakes of this falls legislative elections. Every seat in the Legislature will be on the ballot and Democrats want to eliminate Republican supermajority control of the House and Senate. If Doll and Olson are replaced by Republicans who side with GOP leaders on tax cuts, Kelly may not be able to prevent veto overrides unless Democrats end the GOP supermajority in the Senate.

How Pyle  who voted for the two most recent tax bills but opposed a veto override  approaches the special session could determine his political future. If Pyle runs for reelection, he faces two Republican primary opponents.

Pyles name has also been floated as a possible candidate for Congress in Kansas 2nd District after U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner announced he wont seek reelection. Pyle told The Star in April that hes running for the Senate seat until Im not.

The governor said she will call us back for a tax cut, Pyle said on the Senate floor, and Im taking her at her word.
Kansas officials have selected three health insurance companies to serve as managed care organizations for KanCare, the state's privatized Medicaid program that serves about 458,000 people.

The state is retaining two incumbent MCOs: Sunflower Health Plan, which is a subsidiary of Centene, and United Healthcare Community Plan. The state awarded a third contract to a new organization, Healthy Blue, a collaboration of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City.

Current contractor Aetna wasn't awarded a new contract, though the state didn't specify whether they were among the seven total bidders. A list of bidders and a bid tabsheet weren't immediately available.

The new contracts start Jan. 1, 2025, and run through Dec. 31, 2027.

Gov. Laura Kelly's administration announced new KanCare contracts with health insurance providers Sunflower Health Plan, United Healthcare Community Plan and Healthy Blue

Tuesday's announcement of the winning bidders comes a month later than expected. When the Kansas Department of Administration released the RFP in October, the plan was to have contracts awarded by April 12.

Kansas Department of Health and Environment secretary Janet Stanek and Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services secretary Laura Howard thanked those involved in developing the request for proposals and new contracts. Howard said the feedback was used to enhance the RFP.

"This was a major team effort," Stanek said in a statement, "with a constant focus and alignment on achieving our vision for KanCare 'Partnering together to support Medicaid members in achieving health, wellness and independence for a healthier Kansas.' We look forward to our continued collaboration with the MCOs."

Copies of the new contracts were not immediately available from the Department of Administration contract database or KanCare Award webpage.

State officials said some of the improvements in the new contracts include the following:

"Educating, engaging, incentivizing and empowering members to achieve personally defined health goals."

"Enhancing care coordination to ensure timely access to needed services, continuity of care, successful care transitions and improved member outcomes."

"Improving prenatal and postpartum care, including requirements for maternity care coordination."

"Increasing the recruitment and retention of providers."

"Expanding access to services in rural and frontier areas."

When the RFP was released, Gov. Laura Kelly said it was "carefully crafted to learn from past models and to find new ways to reach uninsured Kansans."

This was the first time that a Democrat's administration was in charge of the contracting process.

The state's Medicaid program was privatized starting in 2013 under Republican Gov. Sam Brownback with three contractors: Sunflower, United Healthcare and Amerigroup. A new round of MCO contracts were last approved in 2018 under Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer. Two losing bidders sued but lost in Shawnee County District Court.

Those 2018 contracts were worth nearly $4 billion combined.

The process for selecting new contractors was originally supposed to start with a request for proposals in 2022 ahead of a 2023 deadline, but Republican lawmakers extended the old contracts until after the gubernatorial election. Had Republican Derek Schmidt won, then Kelly's administration would have been cut out of the procurement process.

More: Health care for 500,000 Kansans  and $4 billion  is now at stake. Here's why.

Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for The Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jalatidd@gannett.com. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas awards contract to KanCare MCOs for privatized Medicaid program
In Kansas, too many people like my evicted 77-year-old neighbor have nowhere to go | Opinion

I met my former neighbor, whom Ill call T, in 2014, when I moved into the apartment next to hers in Overland Park. Our places shared a landing, so she was happy to learn that I loved cats. This was a required characteristic for a neighbor of Ts. She and her feline werent strangers, frequently arriving at my door in the early evening and bounding in to visit.

T was then in her late 60s, past the traditional retirement age, but she still worked 40 hours a week. She would eventually reduce her hours to part-time as her late 60s became mid-70s.

As she aged, she remained active but had less stamina and was significantly more forgetful. Work was necessary, though, not just for her mental well-being but also for her bottom line. She couldnt make ends meet without at least 16 to 20 hours a week to supplement her Social Security.

As often happens with age, health issues complicated that plan. The year she turned 76, three hospitalizations within months impaired her ability to hold down even part-time employment, even with forgiving employers. She developed profound fatigue and forgetfulness.

It was taking time to get better, she would tell me, but she was sure she was making progress. Meantime, she couldnt make ends meet. Friends helped where they could, but she fell behind. She sometimes forgot to pay her rent or forgot whether she had paid.

A 10-year tenant who had always been in good standing, T received reminders from apartment management. But that patience had limits. After a few months of erratic remittance, the complex didnt renew her lease. Put on a month-by-month payment plan, she failed for another three months to meet her rent obligations on time.

In March of this year, a sheriff showed up at Ts door midweek around lunchtime. He was there to evict her. He told her to pack some things. He would wait.

Had she any warning that the eviction was imminent? She had commented that management was hinting at eviction. She clearly didnt comprehend her situations seriousness.

How does the law in Johnson County allow for a 77-year-old woman with health issues to be treated with such disregard, to be summarily kicked to the curb?

T felt ill. A friend visiting her that eviction day took her to the emergency room. But after a nights stay, T was discharged. The hospital couldnt keep her. She went to a hotel.

She lasted less than a week as a nomad. She tried to negotiate an agreement with the lawyer representing the apartment complex. He was very nice, she told me, but she sounded a little discouraged. T seemed determined to find another job. It wasnt easy being homeless, she said.

A few days werent enough time to come up with a plan. Six days after the sheriff showed her the door, the hotel staff found her and called 911. She died later that day.

Ive read stories about other states where landlords must surmount hurdles to get rid of trespassing tenants. Yet, in Kansas, it seems too easy to turn out the ill and the elderly.

The apartment complex that hurried her eviction has few vacancies. A visit to the website shows floor plan after floor plan with wait lists. Only one floor plan, Ts, is available to rent.

Ts neighbor is taking care of her cat. Now an elderly feline, he sometimes goes out onto the landing and sits in front of Ts former door. Its a tragedy that T isnt there to let him in.

Deborah Hirsch is a semi-retired writer and copy editor and Kansas City area native. She has a degree in speech communication from Portland State University in Portland, Oregon.
China to continue expanding opening up, sharing development dividends: VP

Xinhua) 08:08, May 14, 2024

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng addresses the opening ceremony of the Global Trade and Investment Promotion Summit 2024 in Beijing, capital of China, May 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- China will continue expanding high-level opening up and sharing its development dividends with all parties, Vice President Han Zheng said on Monday.

Han made the remarks while addressing the opening ceremony of the Global Trade and Investment Promotion Summit 2024 in Beijing.

Only by unswervingly advancing trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and safeguarding the resilience and stability of global supply and industrial chains, can the bond of cooperation be tightened and mutual benefits be expanded, Han said.

He called for efforts to seize the opportunity of a new round of technological and industrial revolution, strengthen sci-tech innovation, and nurture new growth drivers.

As the world's second-largest economy, China's contribution to global economic growth has remained around 30 percent for many years, Han said, adding that China is willing to share its development opportunities with the world and welcomes companies from all over the world to continue to invest in the country.

This was the third edition of the summit, hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

More than 750 people from international organizations, foreign chambers of commerce, global trade promotion organizations, enterprises, among others, participated in the summit.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. The 10th Congress of the Azerbaijan National Forum of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) is taking place in Baku, Trend reports.

The Congress will make changes to the charter and abolish the post of president of the Azerbaijan National NGO Forum.

The forum will be led by the chairman of the board of directors, which will be formed during the Congress.

The forum's board of directors will consist of five people.

To note, the Azerbaijan National NGO Forum was created by 95 NGOs in June 1999 in Baku city.

The primary goals and objectives include assisting with the modernization of Azerbaijan's public sector, enhancing the role and effectiveness of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), bringing NGOs' current and future activities into line with international standards, learning from the experiences of developed nations, improving the process of NGOs' creation, and finding solutions to the problems they encounter, among other things.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Kayaker from Overland Park missing in Minnesota

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.  An Overland Park, Kansas man is missing after failing to return from a kayaking trip in Minnesota.

Shane White, 39, left alone in a kayak on Nest Lake late Saturday evening in central Minnesota.

View the latest Weather Alerts in the Kansas City region on FOX4

When he didnt return, a search began and his missing kayak was recovered Sunday afternoon.

Several agencies and more than 40 volunteers are looking for White on the water and on shore.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Kandiyohi County Sheriffs Office at (320) 235-1260.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
Gov. Laura Kelly said allowing Kansans to seek assistance for drug overdoses would help save lives during medical emergencies. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)

TOPEKA  Gov. Laura Kelly signed into law a drug overdose prevention measure that will no longer criminalize Kansans who seek help for themselves or others during overdoses.

The bill is part of a slew of legislation Kelly signed into law last week.

Senate Bill 419, known as a good Samaritan law, provides immunity from prosecution for drug possession or use for those who call for help from law enforcement or emergency medical services when someone requires life-saving intervention.

Its critical that all Kansans are empowered to seek or deliver medical assistance during an emergency, Kelly said. This bill is a lifeline for families and Kansans who are battling substance use disorders. It will save lives and provide the opportunity for recovery.

States fentanyl battle

Before the change, Kansas was one of the two states left in the country where people who needed help during drug overdoses could be arrested. Wyoming is now the only state without some form of a good Samaritan opioid overdose law.

Lawmakers passed the measure 114-0 in the House and 36-0 in the Senate, citing the move as a way to fight fentanyl overdoses in the state. The measure follows last years legalization of fentanyl test strips as a tool to fight fentanyl overdoses.

This bill comes on the heels of the decriminalization of fentanyl testing strips  and combined these two policies work to protect vulnerable Kansans by keeping them alive long enough to get the help they need to healthily recover, said Rep. Jason Probst, D-Hutchinson. This bill represents the sort of compassion and acceptance Ive always known lives in the hearts of so many Kansans.

While the extent of fentanyl use in the state is unknown, reports show rising numbers for synthetic opioids, a category that illicit fentanyl falls under. The Kansas Office of Vital Statistics reported a rise in opioid-related deaths from 255 in 2020 to 428 in 2021 and 497 in 2022.

By extending immunity from prosecution to those seeking or providing aid related to controlled substances, we recognize the inherent value and dignity in every life, even amidst drug-related challenges, said Rep. Nick Hoheisel, R-Wichita. Whether its teenagers experimenting with pills or older individuals battling addiction, each life is a precious gift deserving preservation.

Other new laws

Kelly signed Senate Bill 414, approved 114-0 in the House and 26-0 in the Senate, which increases criminal penalties for distribution of fentanyl-related substances.

It also adds fentanyl to the list of drugs included under the crime of child endangerment. Allowing a child to be in an environment where the person knows or suspects fentanyl is present would come with a heightened charge.

The law contains other changes to criminal policy, such as removing the element of concealment and secrecy from the crime of breach of privacy, and amending the Kansas code of procedure for municipal courts practices on fingerprinting for municipal convictions.

Kelly also signed Senate Bill 291, a law that will consolidate state IT services and modernize cybersecurity infrastructures. The measure passed 113-1 in the House and 27-9 in the Senate. Among other changes, state government branches would have to implement new cybersecurity standards. The change comes after an October cyberattack that took the judicial system offline for weeks and potentially compromised the personal data of 150,000 Kansans.

The post Kelly signs good Samaritan law meant to mitigate drug overdose deaths in Kansas appeared first on Kansas Reflector.
Ukrainian-backed paramilitary group that purports to be made up of Russians opposed to the Kremlin, fires in Vovchansk, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine, on Monday - RUSSIAN VOLUNTEER CORPS/REUTERS

A Russian air strike has hit a high-rise residential building in Kharkiv, local officials said, as Russian forces continued to make deeper advances.

There was no immediate mention of casualties or the extent of the damage, according to the regional governor, who warned there was a threat of more strikes coming.

More than 7,000 people have fled Kharkiv since Russia launched its ground invasion on Friday as Kyivs top general warned that while the situation was stabilising, his troops are outgunned and outnumbered.

Gen Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraines military intelligence agency, said that when the situation is stabilised in Kharkiv he expects Russia to launch a new attack in the Sumy region.

Russias Tass state news agency said that the western and northern parts of Vovchansk, the town that has seen the bulk of the fighting around Kharkiv since Friday, have fallen under the control of Russian forces. Street fighting was ongoing in the town, Tass said. Kyiv said the situation was under control.

Moscow later claimed to have captured another village, Bugruvatka, and advanced deep into the enemy defence.

03:30 PM BST

Todays live blog is now closed

Thats all for today, thanks following along. Here are the key developments from the day:

Ukraine is struggling with troop shortages as it tries to repel an advancing Russian offensive on Kharkiv, its top general has admitted. Gen Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraines military intelligence agency told The New York Times: All of our forces are either here or in Chasiv Yar, referring to a Ukrainian stronghold about 120 miles further south that Russian troops have assaulted in recent weeks. Ive used everything we have. Unfortunately, we dont have anyone else in the reserves.

The sorely needed new US weapons package has started to arrive in Ukraine and more is on its way, Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, said during a visit to Kyiv this morning. In the near term, assistance is now on its way and that will make a real difference against the Russian aggression on the battlefield, Mr Blinken told Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, at the start of their meeting.

Ukraines military said on Tuesday the situation in the town of Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region was under control, despite Russian media claims that parts of the embattled town have fallen to Moscows forces.

Vladimir Putin will visit China this week meeting his dear friend Xi Jinping as he seeks to win greater support for his war effort in Ukraine and Russias isolated economy.

Another six children have been rescued from Russian-occupied territories by NGO Save Ukraine, the governor of the Kherson region said today. Oleksandr Prokudin said one girl and five boys aged five to 12 had been rescued.

Russia said Tuesday its forces had captured another village in the Kharkiv region and advanced far behind Ukrainian defensive lines in the border territory.

Zelensky told Blinken, who was on an unannounced visit to Kyiv to assure support, that Ukraine urgently needs more air defences, a plea that was later reiterated by German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz who urged European countries to do more to help Ukraine.

03:00 PM BST

Russia massing assault force for new northern invasion, Ukraine spy chief warns

Russia has stationed small assault units near Ukraines Sumy region, Kyivs top general said, anticipating another Russian offensive in the north.

Speaking to Ukrainian TV, Gen Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraines military intelligence agency, said that the situation in the Kharkiv region  where Russia launched a surprise assault on Friday  was moving toward stabilsation.

Gen Budanov earlier told the New York Times that he expects the assault on Sumy as soon as the situation in Kharkiv is stabilised, as Russia attempts to divert Ukrainian resources away from other parts of the frontline.

While the Ukrainian military today said that the situation in Kharkiv was under control, Russia claimed to have taken control in parts of Vovchansk where heavy fighting has been underway since Friday.

02:29 PM BST

Watch: Zelensky stresses need for more air defences in Kharkiv

02:15 PM BST

Zelensky expected in Madrid on Friday

Volodymyr Zelensky is expected in Madrid on Friday for an official visit, Spains royal palace said on Tuesday.

The Ukrainian president is to be received at noon by King Felipe VI before an official lunch in his honour, according to the palaces agenda, which did not provide further details.

The Spanish government has not provided any details on the visit but daily newspaper El Pais said Zelensky and Pedro Sanchez, the Spanish prime minister, are expected to sign a bilateral agreement on security guarantees between their countries.

The trip comes as Russias ground offensive in the Kharkiv region has forced thousands to evacuate and pushed Kyiv to mobilise reinforcements.

02:01 PM BST

EU financial assistance plan a game-changer

EU leaders today approved a plan that will see a regular flow of payments as part of its Ukraine financial assistance plan, after the bloc determined the Kyiv has met the preconditions required to unlock a financial package of up to $54 billion (43 billion).

Denys Shmyhal, the Ukrainian prime minister, described the programme, designed to assist Ukraine with the recovery, reconstruction and modernisation of the country, as a game-changer.

He said he expects Ukraine to receive $17 billion in the next year under the scheme.

The @EUCouncil's endorsement of the #UkraineFacility Plan is a game-changer. With 50 billion euros reinforcing Ukraine's resilience against Russian aggression, we're making strides. Gratitude to the Belgian Presidency @EU2024BE and Member States for high assessment of Ukraine  Denys Shmyhal (@Denys_Shmyhal) May 14, 2024

01:46 PM BST

No new mobilisation for Russian troops

Andrei Belousov, Vladimir Putins nominee for defence minister, said there will be no new mobilisation of Russian troops, but that the enemy is learning fast and Moscow needed to be ahead, Reuters reported.

He also said it was imperative that Russian soldiers have the most modern equipment.

01:39 PM BST

Ukrainian officials renew pleas for more military aid

Rustem Umerov, Ukraines Defence Minister, called for more artillery shells on Tuesday as Russia stepped up attacks.

We need more artillery shells as Russia is still many times ahead, Mr Umerov told the Copenhagen Democracy Summit 2024 in an online address. Under such conditions its extremely difficult to hold the ground.

01:15 PM BST

Tobias Ellwood tweets about new Russian defence minister  with image from comedy movie

Tobias Ellwood has shared a photograph of the new Russian defence chief wearing a military uniform covered in medals  but it was in fact a Photoshopped image of a character from the comedy film The Death of Stalin.

The former defence minister posted the picture of Andrey Belousov, the economist who was announced as Russias new defence minister on Sunday.

But the image was not all it seemed  Mr Belousovs face had been Photoshopped onto the body of Jason Isaacs in costume as Georgy Zhukov in The Death of Stalin.

Mr Ellwood, who is also the former chairman of the Commons defence committee, insisted that the now-deleted post on social media was intentionally tongue in cheek to underline that a non-military loyalist with an economic background is now in charge of Russias military.

Read more here

01:00 PM BST

At least eight civilians killed in Kharkiv since Friday, UN says

#Ukraine: We are deeply concerned at impact on civilians of intensified Russian attacks in Kharkiv region.



Russia should cease its armed attack & withdraw to internationally recognised borders.



All parties must take steps to avoid or at least minimise harm to civilians.  UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) May 14, 2024

12:47 PM BST

Russia puts submarine-launched Bulava intercontinental missile into service

Russia has put its submarine-launched Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile into service, state media said on Tuesday, a key element in the modernisation of its nuclear arsenal.

Tass news agency quoted Yuri Solomonov, the missiles chief designer, as saying its adoption was announced in a decree dated May 7, the same day Vladimir Putin began a new six-year term in the Kremlin.

The Bulava was developed under a programme that started in the 1990s and is designed to be deployed on Russias Borei-class submarines.

Last November, the defence ministry said one of those submarines had successfully test-launched the Bulava, firing it from an underwater position in the White Sea off northern Russia and hitting a target thousands of kilometres away on the Kamchatka peninsula in the far east.

12:41 PM BST

Over 7,000 flee Kharkiv in voluntary evacuations

More than 7,000 people have been evacuated from the Kharkiv region, Oleh Syniehubov, the regional governor, said on Tuesday.

The majority of the evacuations took place in the Chuhuiv and Kharkiv districts, he said.

In the Sumy region, which borders Kharkiv, a voluntary evacuation order has been put in place for several towns where attacks have increased and the military expect Russia to launch an assault on next.

Volodymyr Artuikh, the Sumy governor, said on Tuesday: This is not a forced evacuation, but an early voluntary evacuation from those settlements where the number of attacks has significantly increased.

The voluntary evacuations are focusing on the areas of Blopillia and Vorozhba.

11:56 AM BST

Patrushev appointed adviser to Putin

Vladimir Putin has appointed one of the Kremlins most hardcore hawks as his personal adviser, writes James Kilner.

The Kremlin said that Nikolai Patrushev will advise Putin on security issues and will also have special responsibility for shipbuilding issues.

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlins spokesman, said: Shipbuilding is a strategic industry, huge and very complex. Patrushevs vast experience will definitely play a big role.

Mr Patrushev, 72, is a longtime ally of Putin from their days working in the Soviet Unions KGB secret service together and is thought to have advised Putin to invade Ukraine in 2022 and has encouraged more confrontation with Nato.

Between 1999 and 2008, Mr Patrushev was head of Russias FSB intelligence service. British intelligence has said that he probably approved the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian security officer who fled to the West, by Russian agents in London in 2006.

Mr Patrushev had been removed as secretary of Russias influential National Security Council in a reshuffle on Sunday without immediately being given another job.

11:53 AM BST

Russia says its advanced deep into Ukraines defensive lines

Russia said Tuesday its forces had captured another village in the Kharkiv region and advanced far behind Ukrainian defensive lines in the border territory.

Units of the North group of troops liberated the village of Bugruvatka in the Kharkiv region and advanced deep into the enemy defence, the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.

It came after Russias Tass state news agency today said that the western and northern parts of Vovchansk have fallen under the control of Russian forces. Ukraines military said that the situation in Vovchansk was under control.

The Telegraph were not able to immediately verify the battlefield claims.

Ukrainian troops changed positions near the village of Lukiantsi in Kharkiv to save the lives of their soldiers, Ukraines military said today.

It said the decision was taken due to intense Russian fire and bombardment of Ukrainian positions, adding that the fighting is ongoing.

11:33 AM BST

Death toll in Belgorod building collapse rises to 16

The death toll from an apartment building collapse in Belgorod on Saturday has risen to 16, according to Russias Emergency Situations Ministry.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Belgorod, claimed that the building was hit by a Ukrainian projectile during an air raid alert in the oblast.

The Kremlin described it as terrorism, while Kyiv did not comment on the claims.

A view shows a damaged multi-story apartment block, a section of which collapsed as the result of what local authorities called a Ukrainian missile strike, in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in the city of Belgorod, Russia, May 13, 2024. - Reuters

11:22 AM BST

Russian snipers halt evacuation of civilians in Ukraines border towns  Telegraph dispatch

During two years as a military policeman in Ukraines war, Vlad Yefarov has long wondered whether there might one day be a bullet with his name on it.

On Sunday, while trying to save a pensioner trapped from the north-east border town of Vovchansk, he faced not one such bullet, but half a dozen.

We were driving past the old shoemakers factory when a Russian snipers bullet hit the windscreen right in front of me, he said, pointing to the cracked glass above the steering wheel on his Toyota pick-up.

We tried to turn around, but as we did so, a Russian machine-gunner opened fire on us, and the sniper put another round in my drivers side window.

That Mr Yefarov, 27, is still around to tell the tale is thanks to the fact that last year, foreign donors gave his police force a fleet of armoured Toyotas to replace their standard-issue ones. The two sniper rounds that would otherwise have taken his head off were stopped by bullet-proof glass, while the four machine-gun rounds that punctured the Toyota either side were halted by the steel plating under the bodywork.

If wed been in a soft-skinned car, Id have been killed straight away, he said, as he stood by the bullet-ridden vehicle in the town of Buhaivka, 10 miles south. Plus my three comrades who were in the back would be dead too.

Read more of Colin Freemans dispatch from Buhaivka here

10:51 AM BST

Evacuations from Vovchansk, Kharkiv continue

An elderly woman is helped as the Kharkiv coordination volunteer center, together with the national police and emergency services conducts an evacuation from the pro-front city on the border with Russia on May 13, 2024 in Vovchansk Kharkiv Region, Ukraine. - Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images

10:35 AM BST

Six more children rescued from Russian-occupied areas

Another six children have been rescued from Russian-occupied territories by NGO Save Ukraine, the governor of the Kherson region said today.

Oleksandr Prokudin said one girl and five boys aged five to 12 had been rescued.

It was an extremely difficult rescue mission, with delays at checkpoints and intimidation, he said.

According to Kyiv Independent, more than 19,500 children have been confirmed as abducted by Russia since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and less than 400 of them have been brought back home.

10:24 AM BST

New Kremlin aides: Dyumin to oversee defence industry, Patrushev to handle shipbuilding

Newly promoted Kremlin aide Alexei Dyumin will oversee the defence industry and Nikolai Patrushev will have a remit for shipbuilding, Vladimir Putins spokesman said on Tuesday.

Maxim Oreshkin, the deputy chief of staff, will have a mandate including economic issues as well as transport, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said.

Referring to Mr Patrushevs appointment, Mr Peskov said shipbuilding was a big complex, strategic sector where his experience would play a big role.

Mr Patrushev is a close Putin ally who previously served as secretary of the Security Council.

10:17 AM BST

Russia has taken control of several villages in the Kharkiv region, the MoD says

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine  14 May 2024.



Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/1NsPGy2eF6 #StandWithUkraine  pic.twitter.com/uVaE2exEAT  Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) May 14, 2024

10:14 AM BST

Russia defence ministry bribery scandal deepens

We reported earlier that a Russian general in charge of personnel issues has been detained on suspicion of engaging in criminal activity, just a day after Putin unexpectedly removed Sergei Shoigu from the post of defence minister.

Now, the state investigative committee has said that Yuri Kuznetsov, the head of personnel at Russias defence ministry, was suspected of receiving a bribe on an especially large scale.

Investigators said searches at Kuznetsovs properties uncovered the equivalent of more than $1 million in roubles and foreign currency, as well as gold coins, watches and luxury items.

At least five people have been arrested in the scandal, starting with the detention of deputy minister Timur Ivanov on the same charge on April 23.

The Kremlin on Tuesday said that it did not believe that a change of defence minister and ongoing corruption scandals within the ministry would negatively affect the way Russia is conducting what it calls its special military operation in Ukraine.

Read the full story here

10:04 AM BST

Putin to visit dear friend Xi Jinping this week

Vladimir Putin will visit China this week meeting his dear friend Xi Jinping as he seeks to win greater support for his war effort in Ukraine and Russias isolated economy.

The trip will mark the presidents first trip abroad since his sham re-election in March and the second trip to China in just over six months, an indication of the economic lifeline it gives Russia in the aftermath of western sanctions.

Putin will be in Beijing from Thursday to Friday, Hua Chunying, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, said in a statement.

Wang Wenbin, another foreign ministry spokesman told a briefing: President Xi Jinping will exchange views with President Putin on bilateral ties, cooperation in various fields, and international and regional issues of common interest,

The Kremlin said the two leaders would discuss their comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation as well as define key areas of development of Russian-Chinese cooperation and exchange views on international and regional issues.

09:54 AM BST

Ukraine says Vovchansk is under control despite Russias claims to the contrary

Ukraines military said on Tuesday the situation in the town of Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region was under control, despite Russian media claims that parts of the embattled town have fallen to Moscows forces.

It said in its daily readout on the battlefield situation that the number of Russian attacks in the northern part of the Kharkiv region decreased significantly but that Ukrainian troops had to withdraw to new positions near the village of Lukyantsi due to heavy Russian air strikes.

The comments came after Russias Tass state news agency said that the western and northern parts of Vovchansk have fallen under the control of Russian forces.

Street fighting was ongoing in the town, Tass reported.

Since Friday, Vovchansk has been the focal point of the fighting in Russias new ground assault.

09:30 AM BST

Zelensky stresses need for more air defences in Kharkiv

The sorely needed new US weapons package has started to arrive in Ukraine and more is on its way, Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, said during a visit to Kyiv this morning.

In the near term, assistance is now on its way and that will make a real difference against the Russian aggression on the battlefield, Mr Blinken told Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, at the start of their meeting.

Mr Zelensky lauded the crucial US aid and asked Mr Blinken for two air defence batteries for the north eastern city of Kharkiv, which is being pummelled by Russian air strikes. Air defences, he stressed, are their biggest deficit.

Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's president, greets Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, prior to their meeting in Kyiv on Tuesday - BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/Pool via REUTERS

09:09 AM BST

Ukrainian drone derails a Russian train and mangles the track

A Russian freight train has derailed and a fire sparked in the diesel tank, in a suspicious incident that Russian media is blaming on a Ukrainian drone attack.

Russian Railways said simply that the derailment in the southern region of Volgograd was caused by interference by unauthorised persons, in a suspected sabotage.

Footage published by Baza, a Telegram channel linked to Russias security services, showed freight wagons strewn alongside a railway line.

There were no casualties in the incident which happened at 22.15 GMT on Monday, the railways said, adding that train services resumed a few hours later.

As a result of interference by unauthorised persons into the operation of railway transport, cars of a freight train derailed at the Kotluban station, Russian Railways added.

The storage tank and cars with lumber caught fire and the blaze was extinguished, Russias RIA state news agency reported, citing the emergency ministry.

Tass, another state news agency, cited emergency services as saying that 300 metres of track had been damaged in the incident.

08:41 AM BST

All 18 Russian drones launched overnight destroyed, Ukraine claims

Ukraines air defence systems destroyed all 18 attack drones that Russia launched overnight at Ukrainian territory, its air force said.

The drones were downed over several regions, including the Kyiv region and the front line regions, the air force said on its Telegram messaging channel.

The air force also said that Russia launched one Iskander-M ballistic missile but did not say whether it was intercepted.

08:32 AM BST

Pictured: Blinken arrives in Kyiv early this morning

Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, arrives by train at Kyiv-Pasazhyrsky station May 14 2024, in Kyiv, Ukraine - Photo by Brendan Smialowski / POOL / AFP

08:13 AM BST

Russian general detained in suspected criminal prosecution

A Russian general in charge of personnel issues has been detained on suspicion of engaging in criminal activity, Tass news agency reported.

The arrest of Lt Gen Yuri Kuznetsov came after Vladimir Putin oversaw major changes in Russias defence establishment, including the dismissal and transfer of Sergei Shoigu, the defence minister.

A security source told Tass that Kuznetsov had been detained on suspicion of criminal activity.

The investigation of the case is being conducted by the main military investigative body of Russias investigative committee, the source told Tass, referring to Russias most important investigative institution.

The investigator has already approached the court on selecting preventive conditions for the general in the form of upholding his detention.

07:57 AM BST

Blinken in Ukraine to assure US support amid new Russian offensive

I returned to Kyiv today to demonstrate our unwavering support for Ukraine as they defend their freedom against Russian aggression. pic.twitter.com/7ruIw6GgVd  Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) May 14, 2024

Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, arrived Tuesday in Kyiv on an unannounced visit to assure Ukraine of continued American support and the flow of much-needed weapons as Russia presses on with its new offensive in the northeastern Kharkiv region.

A senior US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters aboard the train: This trip is to send a strong signal of reassurance to the Ukrainians who are obviously in a very difficult moment both with grinding battle on the Eastern Front but also with the Russians now expanding some cross-border attacks into Kharkiv,

Mr Blinken intends to detail how US aid will be executed in a fashion to help shore up their defences and enable them to increasingly take back the initiative on the battlefield, the official said.

The White House said Monday it was doing everything possible to rush weapons to Ukraine.

Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser, told reporters a new arms package would be announced in the coming days.

07:46 AM BST

Four injured in Russian shelling of Kharkiv

Four people were injured in fresh Russian attacks on the battered city of Kharkiv in Ukraines north-east, Ukrainian officials said this morning.

A man and three women were injured in shelling by Russian forces early on Tuesday, Oleh Sinehubov, the governor of the broader Kharkiv region of which Kharkiv city is the administrative centre, said on Telegram.

Sinehubov said that Russia attacked Ukraines second largest city with its new UMPB D-30 bombs, Soviet-era retrofitted high-precision guided bombs that behave like a cruise missile.

The Telegraph could not independently verify the reports. There was no immediate comment from Moscow.

07:43 AM BST

Good morning

Hello and welcome to The Telegraphs live blog on the war in Ukraine. Follow along as we bring you all of the latest developments.

First up this morning:

Ukraine has no reserves to push back Kharkiv assault, top general admits

Ukraine is struggling with troop shortages as it tries to repel an advancing Russian offensive on Kharkiv, its top general has admitted.

Gen Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraines military intelligence agency told The New York Times: All of our forces are either here or in Chasiv Yar, referring to a Ukrainian stronghold about 120 miles further south that Russian troops have assaulted in recent weeks. Ive used everything we have. Unfortunately, we dont have anyone else in the reserves.

The general said that Ukraine was outnumbered as well as outgunned, with the latest US military aid package signed three weeks ago only just beginning to arrive.

The coming days would be important, he said, with Kyiv believing it can shore up its defensive lines. He believes though that Russia may launch a new attack further north of Kharkiv, in the Sumy region.

Ukrainian troops have been battling the new Russian offensive since Friday, with Moscow claiming that it has already captured nine villages.

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Kharkiv and its oblast need 2 Patriots  Zelenskyy during meeting with US Secretary of State

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has emphasised during his meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that two additional Patriot air defence systems are necessary to defend the city of Kharkiv and Kharkiv Oblast.

Source: European Pravda

Details: Zelenskyy pointed out that air defence is "the biggest deficit and problem for us". "Right now, we urgently need two Patriots for Kharkiv and the oblast because people there are under attack and they are very worried about it," he noted.

In turn, Blinken stated that Ukraine is going through "difficult times", but coordinated US assistance "is now on its way", and some defence assets will be delivered.

Blinken believes this assistance will be crucial for Ukraine's fight against ongoing Russian aggression.

"We are firmly committed, as are many other partners of Ukraine, to making sure that you succeed on the battlefield," he emphasised.

Background:

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Ukraine on 14 May. During his visit, he has scheduled meetings with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

The White House said it was working with allies to supply Ukraine with more Patriot systems.

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LONDON (Reuters) -Britain's King Charles on Tuesday unveiled the first official portrait of himself since his coronation last May.

The portrait by artist Jonathan Yeo depicts Charles against a background of vivid red hues, wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guards military unit, with a butterfly just above his shoulder.

"Much like the butterfly I've painted hovering over his shoulder, this portrait has evolved as the subject's role in our public life has transformed," Yeo, 53, who has previously painted Charles' late father Prince Philip, said in a statement.

"My aim was also to make reference to the traditions of Royal portraiture but in a way that reflects a 21st Century Monarchy and, above all else, to communicate the subject's deep humanity."

The portrait unveiled at Buckingham Palace was commissioned in 2020 to celebrate the then Prince of Wales's 50 years as a member of the grant-giving body, The Drapers' Company, in 2022, the palace said.

Yeo's past subjects have included British broadcaster and naturalist David Attenborough, Oscar-winning actor Nicole Kidman and former Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The oil on canvas artwork, which measures about 8-1/2 by 6-1/2 feet, is expected to be displayed at Drapers' Hall in the City of London - the capital's financial district - from the end of August, the palace said.

(Reporting by Muvija MEditing by Ros Russell)
KITTERY, Maine  A Kittery resident has been charged for his alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021 breach of the U.S. Capitol. His arrest came last weekend after York police spotted him trying to observe the Northern lights, according to court records.

Lincoln Deming, 44, is charged with a felony count of civil disorder and five misdemeanors, according to the U.S. attorney's office in Washington. Deming is among more than 1,400 pro-Donald Trump protesters charged in connection with the Jan. 6 invasion of the Capitol. Hundreds have been convicted and sentenced to prison.

Lincoln Deming, a 44-year-old Kittery, Maine resident, has been charged with several federal counts for his alleged actions in the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Surveillance images provided in Deming's charging documents allegedly show him outside and inside of the U.S. Capitol on the day that U.S. Congress members convened to tally and certify the results of the 2020 presidential election.

The misdemeanor charges Deming faces are entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; entering and remaining in the Gallery of Congress; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; and parading, picketing, or demonstrating in a Capitol building.

FBI agent describes Deming's alleged actions on Jan. 6 at Capitol

A criminal complaint in Demings case was filed by an FBI special agent, whose name was redacted from the court document, on April 11. The agent alleges Deming was located on the West Plaza of the U.S. Capitol during the early afternoon of Jan. 6, 2021, while wearing a gas mask and sunglasses.

Lincoln Deming, a 44-year-old Kittery, Maine resident, has been charged with several federal counts for his alleged actions in the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Surveillance images provided in Deming's charging documents allegedly show him outside and inside of the U.S. Capitol on the day that U.S. Congress members convened to tally and certify the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Video shows Deming pulling on a bike rack barricade in an apparent attempt to infiltrate the police line and allow rioters to overtake the West Plaza, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a news release. He fell while apparently using his body weight to pull on the barrier. Body-worn camera footage shows Deming re-approached the police line. At approximately 2:07 p.m., Deming threw an object toward officers on the West Plaza. Deming left the West Plaza and made his way up a set of stairs to the Upper West Terrace at approximately 2:18 p.m.

Deming was allegedly inside the U.S. Capitol for 33 minutes, where he allegedly took photographs, entered the U.S. Senate Gallery, and attempted to open the Dome Bulfinch Door and other locked rooms, the criminal complaint reads.

The Kittery resident allegedly entered the U.S. Capitol at 2:23 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, and exited around 2:56 p.m., the charging documents state.

Lincoln Deming, a 44-year-old Kittery, Maine resident, has been charged with several federal counts for his alleged actions in the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Surveillance images provided in Deming's charging documents allegedly show him outside and inside of the U.S. Capitol on the day that U.S. Congress members convened to tally and certify the results of the 2020 presidential election.

The FBI agent who wrote the criminal complaint describes making contact with Deming at a job site in Hampton, New Hampshire in August 2022 and interviewing him.

He responded that he had nothing to hide, the agent wrote of Deming. The interview ended shortly afterwards when Deming said he would like to find an attorney. The contact lasted approximately five minutes.

More local news: Kyle Hendrickson sentenced for Portsmouth school shooting threat. Here's what he and judge had to say about it.

Images attached to the criminal complaint in Demings case allegedly show him at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, wearing a red T-shirt with a blue long-sleeve shirt underneath, gloves, a red scarf, sunglasses, at times donning a red knit hat with Trump on it.

Deming arrested after he's seen viewing Northern lights

Officer Lucas Menezes of the York Police Department was patrolling the area of Spur Road just before 2 a.m. last Saturday when he saw a white 2010 Ford F-150 truck parked on the side of the road, court records state. Deming was identified as the operator of the vehicle.

The operator advised that he stopped to watch the sky, due to the solar storm, Menezes narrative of the arrest states. As the vehicle was parked on the side of the road, and was not affecting traffic, I cleared the scene."

But then things changed. "York dispatch advised that the registered owner of the vehicle had an active extraditable warrant from the FBI," Menezes wrote, adding the description matched Deming.

Menezes then located Demings car near the Best Western Hotel on Route 1, advised the Kittery resident he had an active extraditable warrant and transported him to Cumberland County Jail at 3:21 a.m.

Deming released with conditions

Lincoln Deming, a 44-year-old Kittery, Maine resident, has been charged with several federal counts for his alleged actions in the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Surveillance images provided in Deming's charging documents allegedly show him outside and inside of the U.S. Capitol on the day that U.S. Congress members convened to tally and certify the results of the 2020 presidential election.

In his initial federal court appearance Monday, Deming agreed to an unsecured bond of $10,000 if he breaks the conditions of his release as set by U.S Magistrate Judge Karen Frink Wolf.

Wolf ordered Deming not to travel to Washington D.C. unless for legal proceedings or attorney meetings that were pre-approved by his probation officer as conditions of his release. Deming is required not to possess a firearm, weapon or other destructive device.

Deming is scheduled for a hearing May 23 at 12:30 p.m. before D.C. District Court Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey via video teleconference.

Maine federal public defender David Beneman, Demings attorney, declined to comment, stating the case is pending.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Kittery man viewing Northern lights charged in Jan. 6 Capitol riots
Knife-wielding sicko shoves NYC Total by Verizon store worker to ground, tries to rape her before stealing thousands in phones: cop

The stranger threw the teen to the ground before holding her at knifepoint and trying to rape her, cops said.

A sicko threw a teen Total by Verizon worker to the ground, threatened her with a knife and tried to rape her before robbing the shop in a terrifying broad-daylight ordeal in East Harlem, cops said.

The 19-year-old victim had recently moved to the US and only worked for the Madison Avenue store a week when the strange barged in Sunday around noon, police and a coworker said.

The guy came in as a regular customer and was looking at the phones, coworker Riaz Fahim told The Post. Then suddenly he became aggressive towards her. He held a knife at her.

The stranger threw the teen to the ground before holding her at knifepoint and trying to rape her, cops said. NYPD

The creep looked at an iPhone 11 display before he followed the worker to the back of the store and pinned her down, according to the coworker.

She ran to the back room and the guy ran in the room with her, Fahim added. She had hot tea in her hand and she tried to throw it at him, but he grabbed her arm and avoided it.

The victim, who had apparently just moved from Bangladesh about seven or eight months ago, was alone in the store at the time, her coworker said.

The callous criminal finally swooped up three cell phones and $1,000 before bolting, police said. The NYPD took an iPhone 11 from the display case that he had been fiddling with as part of its investigation, Fahim said.

She hasnt come back to work, he said Monday. I wouldnt be here but the police said everything should be good today. I dont think she will come back to work here, shes too traumatized.

Even in her home country, Bangladesh, she never faced any kind of assault, Fahim added. This was the first in her life. She moved to America to chase the American Dream.

Video released by the NYPD shows the creep walking on the sidewalk wearing all black, with his hood pulled up.

He is believed to be between 25 and 30 years old, around 5-foot-8 and 160 pounds, with a dark complexion, slim build, short black hair and a short black beard, authorities said.

The thief ripped off three cell phones and $1,000 before fleeing, cops said. NYPD

He had not been caught by Monday.

The disturbing crime comes weeks after Kashaan Parks, 39, allegedly tossed a belt around a 45-year-old womans neck, dragged her to the ground and raped her in a horrific caught-on-video May 1 scene in the Bronx, authorities said.
What to know before you vote in Nebraskas first statewide election with Voter ID

In Nebraska, voting in the 2024 primary election is underway. (Getty Images)

LINCOLN  Nebraskans, check your wallets and purses for a picture ID before heading to the polls on Tuesday.

If you forget, youll need to request a provisional ballot at your polling site and follow up with your local election office by the close of business on May 21 to make it count. Or youll need to go back before the polls close and try again.

Tuesday is the first statewide election since Nebraska voters approved a requirement that IDs be checked before voting.

Early voting reminders

The 35% to 40% of Nebraskans that Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnens office expects to vote early in the primary election already know.

Nebraskas polling places will be fully staffed and prepared for voters on Election Day, Evnen said. County election offices are ready.

Find your polling place

Check where you vote here, since some have changed: https://www.votercheck.necvr.ne.gov/voterview

Early voters had to write down a state ID or drivers license number or use a copy of an approved ID to request a ballot by mail or vote early in person at their county election office.

Ballots requested by mail must be returned to local county election offices or an official county election drop box by the close of voting at 8 p.m. CT or 7 p.m. MT Tuesday.

People casting early voting ballots can make sure their ballots were counted by checking the Secretary of States website at https://www.votercheck.necvr.ne.gov/voterview.

Voting in person

State and local election officials urge patience for the bulk of Nebraskans who still show up to vote in person on Election Day.

Lines could be longer and a little slower at morning and evening rush hours, as poll workers learn to check IDs and as people who came to vote without them adjust.

Voters can use Nebraska drivers licenses, state IDs, military IDs, college IDs, nursing home or hospital records, tribal IDs, political subdivision IDs or U.S. passports.

Douglas County has added an extra staffer as a greeter at every local polling place this spring whose job is to communicate with people in line and make sure they have the proper ID.

Election rights advocates and both major political parties will be watching how the changes are implemented. Voting advocacy group Civic Nebraska urged Nebraskans who face any problems to call the groups Voter Help Line at 402-890-5291.

People with questions can also call their county election office at one of the numbers listed here: https://sos.nebraska.gov/elections/election-officials-contact-information. Or they can call the Secretary of States Office at 402-471-2555.

Few complaints so far

Few complaints have been relayed so far. Douglas County Election Commissioner Brian Kruse, who has the largest number of people voting early, about 50% of his expected primary tally, said he had not had one person request to talk to a supervisor to complain.

We have had over 1,500 people vote (early) in person, Kruse said. Weve had one of the new provisionals where someone forgot their ID. Theyve come back and cured it.

Steve Smith of Civic Nebraska said his organization has heard about a dozen questions about when and where voters need to write down their state ID number while early voting. Truth is, county election officials check ID info when people request early voting ballots, so they dont have to write it on the ballot-returning envelope.

People who live in counties and precincts that vote exclusively by mail  11 whole counties and in parts of 19 others  will need to write their state ID number on the return envelope.

More on how voter ID works

Get more information from state election officials on how voter ID works in Nebraska here: https://sos.nebraska.gov/elections/voter-id

The state will start posting unofficial election results online starting at 8 p.m. Central or 7 p.m. Mountain at electionresults.nebraska.gov.

The Secretary of States Office updates results every five minutes until county election officials call it a night. Nebraskas counties often finish counting a few days after Election Day, although most results can be determined by the close of business Friday.

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The post What to know before you vote in Nebraskas first statewide election with Voter ID appeared first on Nebraska Examiner.
TOPEKA (KSNT)  Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach is announcing a lawsuit Tuesday against the Biden Administration for rewriting Title IX.

Kobach made his announcement live in the Kansas Statehouse on May 14. He was accompanied by representatives of Alliance Defending Freedom and two female Kansas athletes: Aubrey and Avalon Simpson.

Its insanity, Kobach said in a written statement. Bidens Title IX rule is unconscionable. Its dangerous to girls and women, and its against federal law.Im not saying that a person cant change their appearance, change their presentation to other people, they have a right to do that if they want to do that, but they dont have a right to make sports unfair, and thats really what this is about.

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The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) issued a press release in response to Kobachs lawsuit:

Mr. Kobach either inherently misunderstands the intent and impact of Title IX protections, or he purposefully misinterprets them. The U.S. Department of Educations rules require that schools guarantee that all students, including survivors of sexual harassment, LGBTQ students, and pregnant and parenting students, have full and equal access to educational opportunities regardless of sex. To Mr. Kobach, the issuance of the rule is an opportunity to advance his extreme agenda  but for Kansans who face sexual harassment and violence, this is about protecting their right to be safe in leaving their rooms, going to class, or getting help they need. Mr. Kobach is claiming that he is standing up for girls and women. But what he is really doing is continuing his decades-long crusade against our shared values and fundamental rights, using his misleading legal interpretations to try to transform the law into a tool that persecutes Kansans instead of protecting them. Micah Kubic, ACLU of Kansas executive director

Five Kansas Walmart stores impacted by salmonella recall

What is Title IX?

The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) describes Title IX as protecting people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. It applies to schools, local and state educational agencies along with other institutions that receive federal financial assistance from the DOE.

No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. Title IX excerpt

You can learn more about Title IX by reading the full legal manual through the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Divisions website by clicking here.

Controversial changes

President Joe Biden moved to expand Title IX protections for LGBTQ students in 2022. The proposal was intended to replace rules issued during the administration of former President Donald Trump.

What happened to these Kansas counties and why do they no longer exist?

The final changes for Title IX were revealed in April 2024. These included reinstituted protections for student survivors of sexual assault and harassment. States with Republican leadership quickly began challenging the changes, saying they undermine the original purpose of Title IX.

The full complaint issued by Kobach on Tuesday can be found below or by clicking here:

Title Ix Complaint by Matthew Self on Scribd

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FUZULI, Azerbaijan, May 14. The Kondalanchay reservoir complex, located in the Fuzuli district, serves to irrigate 6,300 hectares of its farming lands, Atakishi Babayev from the State Water Resources Agency said, Trend's Karabakh Buerau reports.

He made the remark during media representatives' visit to the complex within a media tour to the district on May 14.

The media representatives were informed that repair and restoration work has been carried out on the Kondalanchay-1 reservoir (commissioned in 1962), with a height of 14 meters and a total capacity of 3.9 million cubic meters (useful volume of 3.6 million cubic meters), as well as on the Kondalanchay-2 reservoir with a height of 23.35 meters, commissioned in 1951, and a total capacity of 2.1 million cubic meters (useful volume of 1.6 million cubic meters).

Babayev explained that the goal is to bring the structures and mechanical equipment of the dam into a stable operating mode and normal condition for further operation.

"According to the project, reconstruction of the damaged berm on the upper apron of the earth dam and concrete facing along the entire dam, tower spillway-overflow dam, outlet section, and water spillway surface six meters wide and 283 meters long was carried out on the Kondalanchay-1 reservoir.

On the Kondalanchay-2 reservoir, the collapsed stone covering on the upper apron of the earth dam with stone facing has been restored, a drainage system and monitoring devices have been installed, the damaged concrete part of the water discharge drainage pipe has been reconstructed, and 600-millimeter diameter valves have been replaced.

The leading channel has been cleared of silt, the concrete structure of the installation has been reconstructed, and the reinforced concrete covering of the surface water discharge 177 meters long has been reconstructed.

Also, a single-story guardhouse, a well for wastewater, and work to provide external power supply, landscaping, and landscaping of the reservoir area have been carried out on both reservoirs," he said.

The official also mentioned that repair and restoration work has been carried out at the Ashaghi Kondalanchay reservoir, commissioned in 1980, with a total water volume of 9.5 million cubic meters (a useful volume of nine million cubic meters) and a height of 25 meters.

"Here, the collapsed stone covering on the upper apron of the earth dam with stone facing has been restored, a drainage system and monitoring devices have been installed; reinforced concrete structures of the load-bearing elements of the tower spillway; all mechanical and lifting equipment of the bottom pipe; and metal and concrete structures of the causeway.

All concrete structures of the surface water discharge, six meters wide and 780 meters long, the building, mechanical and hydraulic equipment, substation, and power transmission line have been restored, and a water intake structure has been built on the Guruchay. Guruchay waters will be directed to the reservoir," he emphasized.

According to the official, 5,080 hectares of the land to be irrigated by the Kondalanchay reservoirs are located in the liberated territory.

"These reservoirs are currently used for irrigation purposes throughout the Fizuli district. As a result of the occupation, the reservoirs were almost completely devastated. The reservoir was emptied over the winter months. But when irrigation was necessary in the summer, the water was turned off," added Babayev.

To note, the Kondalanchay reservoir complex was recently inaugurated by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

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Tuesdays Top Stories

Tuesdays Five Facts

[1] Police monitor says APD doesnt need outside oversight  Since 2014, APD has been under a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice. The settlement was aimed at making sure police officers follow policy and dont use excessive force. Part of that settlement was paying an outside group to monitor APDs progress. The latest report from that monitor says APD is effectively self-monitoring. A federal judge will still need to sign off on allowing APD to self-monitor.

[2] Judge puts five-day school week rule from the Public Education Department on hold  A rule proposed by the states Public Education Department that would mandate a five-day school week in all school districts is on hold. Monday, Judge Dustin Hunter granted an injunction against the mandate. Judge Hunter said it may ultimately be up to the legislature to create and enforce the mandate. The decision prevents the rule from going into effect until a final decision is made on whether its legal.

[3] Mountain storms possible Tuesday  The morning and midday will be nice, but we are expected showers and storms to develop in the mountains around midday. The middle Rio Grande Valley, Four Corners, east plains and northeast highlands have a higher chance for virga, or evaporating rain, which can yield a light shower or sprinkles, and gusty winds. We will see a similar day on Wednesday. The next storm will move in on Thursday, bringing more widespread showers and storms, and cooler temperatures.

[4] City councilor looks to bring back scooter rideshare programs to Albuquerque  After being discontinued, Albuquerque City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn is looking to bring electric scooters back to the city. Fiebelkorn is hoping to entice companies to bring the business back by proposing the city lower fees for the companies. Fiebelkorn also wants a few more requirements for potential businesses. Including a cap of 1,000 scooters or e-bikes, a geo-fenced area where they cant operate outside of and requiring the companies to have a local place to maintain the rentals.

[5] Food vendors wanted for Valles Caldera National Preserve  The National Parks Service (NPS) is looking to add more food options for visitors at the Valles Caldera. NPS says they are looking for vendors to provide New Mexican cuisine during the parks tourist season, which runs from May 15  November 15. The park is also searching for vendors for special events in July and October. Currently, only light snacks are available at the park.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.
The often-repeated narrative that "Ukraine rejected a peace deal offered by Russia in the spring of 2022" is "one of the favorite lies promoted by Russia," said Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in a video address posted on X on May 14.

The failed peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, which were held in Istanbul shortly after the beginning of the full-scale war, have been a regular feature of disinformation campaigns spread by Russia and its allies. One popular theory, which is unsupported by accounts of the talks at the time, is that former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson sabotaged the negotiations.

Kuleba said that Russia is intent on pushing this unsubstantiated narrative because it wants to "shift the blame for the war...to Ukraine."

"They want people to forget that it was Russia that started the full-scale war in February 2022 and instead focus on the talks at the end of March 2022."

Kuleba acknowledged that Russian and Ukrainian delegates did indeed meet in the early months of the full-scale war and discussed how to bring an end to the fighting.

But Kuleba argued that the respective positions were "so far away" and the "Russian demands were so bizarre that the prospect of a real solution was not even remotely in sight."

Kuleba added that the narrative that Johnson somehow sabotaged the talks also does not match the timeline because the negotiations continued for months after Johnson visited Istanbul.

The real figure responsible for the lack of peace in Ukraine, Kuleba concluded, is Russian President Vladimir Putin, who "has been ruining peace in Ukraine for more than a decade."

Read also: Canada confirms participation in Switzerland peace summit

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Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is doubling down on his contention that he doesn't owe any money to the federal government stemming from his public corruption conviction.

In his latest court filing on this contentious issue, Kilpatrick states that he is "formally requesting" a hearing on the matter, wants the issue moved to federal court in Georgia  where he lives  and says there has been "no accurate accounting" by the government regarding his restitution debt.

Right, former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his co-defendant Bobby Ferguson, center, leave the Theodore Levin United States Courthouse in Detroit in 2012.

"I don't believe I owe the government any monies," Kilpatrick states in a partially handwritten Monday court filing, in which he is seeking to prevent his assets from being seized. "I believe treasury funds and other money are exempt from garnishment."

According to the federal government, Kilpatrick still owes $824,774 for crimes he was convicted of more than a decade ago, including bribery, extortion and fraud. That's significantly more than the $164,000 debt that the government said he owed in February, though the U.S. Attorney's Office said the new, higher figure is based on more recent communications with the court.

Kilpatrick's latest request to take up this restitution matter is before U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds, who has not shown him much mercy over the years: She locked him up for 28 years  one of the stiffest public corruption sentences in U.S. history  and has lambasted him multiple times for, as she sees it, living large while ignoring his debts and refusing to acknowledge responsibility for his crimes.

"(Kilpatrick) has a history of spending his money on a lavish lifestyle rather than paying off his obligations. (He) has only made a little over $5,000 in payments towards his restitution obligation in this case. Yet, as recently as 2022, (Kilpatrick) and his wife sought to raise $800,000 to purchase a residence in a gated, luxury community in Orlando, Florida," Edmunds wrote in an order last year, in which she denied Kilpatrick's request to end his supervised release early so he could travel more freely as a pastor.

Kilpatrick was freed 20 years early in 2021 after former President Donald Trump granted him an early release, concluding he had paid his debt to society. Trump, however, did not erase Kilpatrick's restitution debt, which was once pegged at close to $4.8 million and was later reduced to $1.5 million.

Much of that has been satisfied by Kilpatrick's co-defendant and longtime friend, Bobby Ferguson  though the government is trying to collect it all and has even sought to seize funds held by PayPal and the fundraising website Plumfund to satisfy the debt.

Among the issues for Kilpatrick is the governments recent discovery of roughly $6,700 in cash that it says it found while searching for assets to pay off the ex-mayors debt to taxpayers. The government, which announced this discovery in March, wants to keep the money.

Mr. Kilpatrick has received significant credit for his co-defendants payments, while repaying little of the tremendous loss he caused, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Nathan wrote in filing last month.According to federal prosecutors, Kilpatrick has only individually paid $9,099.81 toward his debt, through minimal monthly payments of $150.

In March, a federal court clerk in Detroit filed a writ of continuing garnishment to enforce the restitution judgment. It requires officials to keep and retain property that Kilpatrick has a "substantial" interest in, though Kilpatrick steadfastly maintains he owes nothing.

And his assets, he argues, are off-limits.

Moreover, he argues the government has failed to give him an accurate accounting of what part of the debt has been satisfied by Ferguson, who also was convicted of helping the mayor run a pay-to-play scheme out of City Hall by rigging bids and steering lucrative contracts his way.

"(T)here has been no accurate accounting ... of the forfeiture amount that was taken from (my) co-defendant, Bobby Ferguson," Kilpatrick states. "And therefore, there has not been an accurate figure presented for 'credits applied' to the already arbitrary restitution amount."

Ferguson was sentenced to 21 years, but also got out early, after Trump commuted the ex-mayor's sentence. Judge Edmunds granted Ferguson a compassionate release, concluding it wouldn't be fair to keep him locked up when his "more culpable" co-defendant had been freed.

However, Edmunds ruled that Ferguson is still on the hook for the $6.2 million in restitution he owes the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department for what prosecutors described as crooked contracts he won with the help of Kilpatrick. To date, Ferguson owes more than $2.6 million of that debt after payments and credit for assets seized by the federal government, according to a report by the Office of the Inspector General.

In March, Detroit's inspector general also banned Ferguson from securing any city contracts.

Ferguson and Kilpatrick were accused of running a criminal enterprise through the mayor's office by corrupting contracts, steering work to Ferguson and fostering a climate of fear in the contractor world. A main theme argued at trial was that if you wanted to do work in the city of Detroit, you had to include Ferguson or risk losing deals.

Kilpatrick's downfall began in 2008, when the Free Press published text messages that showed he lied during a police whistleblower trial when he testified that he did not have an affair with his chief of staff, Christine Beatty, and gave misleading testimony about the firing of a deputy police chief. The ex-mayor still owes $852,000 in restitution to the city of Detroit stemming from that scandal.

Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Kwame Kilpatrick wants hearing to dispute restitution
House District 93 is still relatively new. So is its representative in Adrielle Camuel, D-Lexington, who won a race to replace the late Lamin Swann in Frankfort last year.

Shipped over from Eastern Kentucky due to population trends in 2022s redistricting effort, the southern Fayette County district includes several neighborhoods along Tates Creek Road.

Camuel won her seat easily in 2023 over a well-funded Republican.

That wasnt before some controversy over the Democratic nomination, however, as she was one of many vying for party nomination in a closed-door vote that included now-council candidate Emma Curtis.

No Republican filed to run in the district this year.

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This year, Sarah Ritter is running against Camuel. Ritter is a new candidate who has worked in Frankfort both for Gov. Andy Beshear and former representative Joe Graviss.

Ritter has criticized Camuel for a campaign promise that didnt quite pan out. Shed pledged to repeal the ban on gender affirming care for Kentucky youth, 2023s Senate Bill 150, but later found out that other legislators were already on the job.

Heres how the candidates responded to a survey on their backgrounds, the future of the Democratic party in Kentucky, the issues and more.

Rep. Adrielle Camuel, D-Lexington

What about your personal and professional background makes you most qualified to serve?

Ive worked in public education and the small business world, so I bring real-life experience to the table. As an administrative assistant, my job involves troubleshooting and problem-solving for families. For instance, I receive the calls when parents or guardians feel their childs IEP/504 isnt being followed or if theres a problem in the classroom. Conversations can be intense, emotional and frequently require policy research. Prior to the school system, I worked in a small company that manufactured waterproof leather for the motorcycle industry. That experience provided a deep understanding of the economic realities of small businesses.

My personal experiences also help me understand struggles people of all ages in the 93rd District face. How to afford preschool or childcare on a tight budget? Been there. Giant bill from an operation? Absolutely. Now my father has dementia, and dealing with his health and financial needs has been incredibly difficult.

What would be your top 3 issues in Frankfort in the next term?

There are many pressing issues affecting Kentuckians in the 93rd district and across the state. Among these, my constituents talk with me most often about three primary issues: Ensuring access to comprehensive healthcare, including reproductive choices and elder care services; addressing the challenge of affordable housing; and protecting and adequately funding public education, including universal preschool. It is important to note that these are needs on the most basic of levels. People want financial security, control over their own bodies, great schools for their kids and to age with dignity and respect.

Democrats have a choice to make in this election. Why should they pick you instead of your opponent?

My team and I have knocked thousands of doors over the course of this campaign, and time after time we hear the same thing: We want someone that will fight for us. I am not in this election for myself. In fact, professional politics was never really on my radar. I stepped up to run for office in the last election to lift up the voices I felt were being silenced, and the voters of the 93rd district honored me with their support. While it has been a privilege to represent them in the General Assembly, the fight is far from over. Thats why I am asking for a full term and for the support of voters of the 93rd district again.

Currently, Republicans control the flow of legislation in Frankfort. How can the Democratic Party become more relevant and change that reality?

The Democratic Party is relevant in Kentucky today even if Democrats are fighting an uphill battle against maps strategically drawn to favor Republicans. In spite of the imbalance in representation in the legislature, Kentuckians should know there are many bipartisan bills crafted and often passed unanimously each session. Democrats play an integral role in the development and passage of landmark bills like the Momnibus each year.

I believe good policy is made when theres balance in representation. Balance opens the door to real debate  not performative politics by the majority  and compromise which leads to good, solid legislation. In order to achieve a greater balance in Frankfort, Democrats must continue to focus on recruiting good people who are deeply connected with and tuned into their communities.

As an eternal optimist, I believe Democrats will gain seats while continuing doing the work to help our citizens and move Kentucky forward.

Sarah Ritter, Democratic candidate for House District 93

What about your personal and professional background makes you most qualified to serve?

For me, running for office is a calling; its something I have been preparing for some time. I worked in Gov. Andy Beshears Office of Legislative Affairs, I worked for former Rep. Joe Graviss in the legislature and have held several leadership positions in the Kentucky and Fayette County Young Democrats. I have more experience, a better understanding of how things work in the legislature and years of relationships on both sides of the aisle that will help me competently and effectively represent the people of the 93rd. We have a Republican supermajority whose radical agenda repeatedly ignores the will of the people. I have the courage to stand up to right-wing extremists. Unlike my opponent, I wont go running from the floor when tough questions need to be asked or there are tough votes to be taken.

What would be your top 3 issues in Frankfort in the next term?

Economy: Groceries, rent and healthcare costs have squeezed working people to the breaking point. As a renter, I know firsthand what the people of the 93rd face. Ill focus on helping our seniors on fixed incomes and creating economic opportunity for young people.

Womens health: On average, one pregnant woman in Kentucky dies every three days. Many could be prevented with basic prenatal care. Our legislature claims to be pro-life, but this statistic doesnt sound very pro-life to me. Our current abortion laws dont include exceptions for rape, incest or the life of a mother. Ill work with reasonable voices on both sides to bring sensibility back to reproductive healthcare.

Education/pre-K: Im committed to fully fund universal pre-K. Students who dont receive proper education are more likely to be homeless, require public assistance, and be incarcerated. A well-educated workforce will strengthen our economy and provide for stronger communities.

Democrats have a choice to make in this election. Why should they pick you instead of your opponent?

I have experience in both the executive and legislative branches. Through my hard work, competence and unwavering commitment to keep my word, I have earned the respect of members on both sides of the aisle and people at the highest levels of the administration.

The voters have a clear choice. My opponent broke her campaign promises and had to be shamed into keeping them. When faced with tough choices, she ran from the chamber. Through her inexperience, she has repeatedly shown that she doesnt understand the legislative process and repeatedly turned her back on Gov. Beshear, whose coattails carried her in the special election.

Currently, Republicans control the flow of legislation in Frankfort. How can the Democratic Party become more relevant and change that reality?

Bipartisan efforts like the Momnibus bill passed during the 2024 session are rare in Frankfort because the radical right-wing of the Republican Party has taken their party and the state hostage. As long as thats the case, the best thing we can do is win more seats. Tactically, we need better candidates. We need people who reflect the communities they serve. Strategically, we must target the extremist representatives who have so outdistanced their constituency on key issues that they have made themselves vulnerable in General Elections. This would allow us to pick up seats in areas Democrats have not won in years and show more moderate Republicans that they can free themselves of their extreme colleagues. This is a priority for me as we consider the future of the Democratic Party and the commonwealth.




CONCORD  Kyle Hendrickson was sentenced Tuesday to 37 months in prison for a threatening to "shoot up" Portsmouth High School last year in a Snapchat video recorded on school grounds.

Hendrickson, 26, of Berwick, Maine, appeared in U.S. District Court of New Hampshire. He had pleaded guilty in November to charges of interstate threatening communications and possessing a firearm in a school zone, though he and his attorney argued he never intended to carry out a shooting.

Kyle Hendrickson was arrested in Portland, Maine, Thursday, April 13, 2023, and charged in connection with a school shooting threat at Portsmouth High School in New Hampshire.

Judge Samantha Elliott issued the sentence: 31 months for the threatening communications charge and 6 months for the firearm charge, to be served consecutively, with three years supervision following his release. The judge also recommended mental health and substance use programs while in prison.

Hendrickson spoke, offering his "deepest apologies" for his actions, adding, "It was never my intent to hurt anyone."

Jane Young, U.S. attorney for New Hampshire, said, "There's nothing joking about the defendant's conduct that day." She noted police, rescue personnel, federal agencies and more responded, school was canceled and "families were terrorized."

A restitution hearing is scheduled for Aug. 11 at 3 p.m.

The prosecution had asked for a four-year prison sentence, with three years of supervision. The defense, who argued Hendrickson never intended to actually carry out the shooting asked for a lesser sentence.

More: Portsmouth school shooting threat suspect argues for less prison time after prosecutors seek 4 years

Details of shooting threat at Portsmouth High School

Still shots of the Snapchat video allegedly made by Kyle Hendrickson, threatening to shoot up Portsmouth High School.

On April 12, 2023, Hendrickson took a Snapchat video outside of Portsmouth High School brandishing a Smith & Wesson SD40 VE handgun, which he pointed at the passenger next to him. The video was taken with the Portsmouth High School sign in the background and a text overlay reading imma gonna shoot up the school. The day of his arrest, Hendrickson allegedly admitted to police in Portland, Maine, he had disposed of the gun seen in the video behind a hotel in Freeport, Maine.

Prosecutors had urged the court to protect the public from further crimes of the defendant and cited the emotional toll a manhunt to find Hendrickson following the threat had on the Portsmouth community.

Judge: 'You were 25, a grown man, not a kid'

While the guideline the court had for sentencing was for 33-41 months, US prosecutor Charles Rombeau asked the court to impose 48 months.

"There is no perfect sentence, but we believe this would be reasonable and just," said Rombeau. "This defendant, when arrested, had body armor, laser sight and ammunition. He fled afterward and discharged a firearm behind the hotel he and his fiancee stayed at. We found an additional firearm under a mattress in his Portland home. He had a significant arsenal. so, I think the gravity of the events is understated."

Hendricksons attorney, Murdoch Walker II, filed a sentencing memorandum indicating Hendrickson was dropping off his mother at the school on April 12, 2023, then filmed the video.

While he did possess a firearm at the school property, the circumstances surrounding that moment, when read as a whole, suggest no intent to carry out a threat, Hendricksons sentencing memorandum states. Specifically, he stated that the video was nothing but a joke (although a terrible one), and that he would never carry out the threat since his relative attended that school.

Walker argued a lighter sentence should be imposed partly because Hendrickson grew up with parents who battled substance abuse, and he faced the same challenges, beginning in his teenage years. Also he argued there was no intent to carry out the threat.

Judge Elliott disagreed.

"I deny both the upward and the downward variance sentencing requests," she said. "I believe the sentence I imposed is sufficient but not greater than necessary. This is an incredibly serious crime. Everyone is fearful of school shootings, you knew that. You live in this country. To see on social media someone outside of your school threatening to shoot it up is terrifying, and I think there is some evidence of intent."

To Walker's argument Hendrickson was a kid who made a bad decision, a joke, Elliott said, "You were 25, a grown man, not a kid. You were significantly older than the potential victims. It's not really a joke if everyone is terrified."

Hendrickson completed drug abuse treatment at the Strafford County jail last year, the motion adds. Attached to the sentencing memorandum are character statements on Hendricksons behalf, written by his mother, fiancee, friends and other relatives.

Snapchat notified the FBI about the video when it was posted, and the agency alerted Portsmouth police. The city police department and school district decided to close all Portsmouth schools on April 13 while Hendrickson was still at large. He was apprehended by authorities later that day in Portland.

Investigators obtained a search warrant for his 2014 Ford Explorer and said they seized an AR-15 rifle, a shotgun, camouflage body armor, a handgun holster, a red-dot sight and several rounds of ammunition in the vehicle.

Hendrickson has remained in custody since his April 2023 arrest. His case has been prosecuted by Charles Rombeau, assistant U.S. attorney for New Hampshire.

Portsmouth police chief receives thanks, shares comment

Young thanked the FBI, the Portsmouth Police Department, the Portland Maine Police Department and other federal agencies involved in the investigation in a press release. The release included a statement from Portsmouth Police Chief Mark Newport, who thanked all the same agencies and offered a comment about Hendrickson.

His careless actions victimized our community, causing school to be canceled until we could assure our community that there was no longer a threat, and the students could safely return to school," Newport said. "Our community and department have zero tolerance for such actions. We have used all available resources to bring forward the appropriate criminal charges to hold Mr. Hendrickson accountable for his actions.

"The court sentence imposed is relevant," said Young. "It sends a strong message to others  we will seek out, find and prosecute cases and you will end up in federal prison for an extended period of time."

Reporting by Ian Lenahan is used in this report.

This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Kyle Hendrickson sentenced for Portsmouth school shooting threat
(Bloomberg) -- Labours David Lammy and John Healey promised to maintain the UKs ironclad commitment to supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia if the opposition party wins a looming general election, as the two senior members of the shadow cabinet visited Kyiv.

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In their meetings Monday with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Andriy Yermak, head of the presidential administration, Lammy and Healey outlined a five-point plan to back the Eastern European nation, based on military support, diplomatic outreach, targeting Russian aggression, boosting industrial production and helping with reconstruction.

Lammy and Healey are set to become Britains foreign and defense secretaries should the poll-leading Labour Party win an election due by the end of January.

A change in government in the UK would mean no change in our military, diplomatic, financial and political support to Ukraine, Lammy said in a statement. The next Labour governments commitment to Ukraine will be ironclad and European security will be our first foreign and defense priority.

The visit came on a day when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak sought to portray Labour as being soft on defense and security issues, citing the oppositions failure to back a deadline of raising defense spending to 2.5% of economic output by 2030. Labour has also said it would raise defense spending to that level, but only when public finances allowed.

Read more: Sunak Tries Fear to Slow Starmers March to UK Election Victory

Sunak also tried to put the focus on Labour leader Keir Starmers past support for his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn, who was at best ambivalent in his backing of the UKs nuclear arsenal and NATO membership.

Lammy and Healeys message included a promise to help create a clear path for Ukraines NATO membership, and a commitment that Labour fully backs the Conservative governments increased military support for Ukraine this year and in the years ahead, according to the statement.

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Labour is ready to spend at least 15 billion on military support for Ukraine, the shadow defence secretary has announced during a trip to Kyiv.

John Healey said he fully backs Rishi Sunaks commitment to maintain the current level of lethal aid until at least the end of the decade.

But he failed to say how his party would pay for the pledge, given that it opposes Tory plans to fund the extra assistance by cutting the Civil Service.

Last month the Prime Minister announced that he would guarantee at least 3 billion a year in military support for Ukraine until the end of the decade.

He said the cast-iron commitment gave Kyiv certainty and demonstrated that the UK would keep up weapons supplies for as long as it is needed.

Labours support for the pledge was in doubt after it refused to match Mr Sunaks plan to boost defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030.

On the front line at Chasiv Yar - ANADOLU

Mr Healey finally confirmed it would honour the policy if it won the next election as he visited the Ukrainian capital with David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary.

The pair held talks with Rustem Umerov, the Ukrainian defence minister, and senior officials but did not meet President Volodymyr Zelensky.

In a joint statement afterwards they said: As [Vladimir] Putin seeks to divide the West, we visited Kyiv together to send a clear message that a change in government in the UK would mean no change in our military, diplomatic, financial and political support to Ukraine.

Moscows deepened cooperation with Beijing, Tehran and Pyongyang requires us to deepen our cooperation with Britains allies to demonstrate that our commitment to Ukraine will outlast Vladmir Putins imperial invasion.

The next Labour governments commitment to Ukraine will be ironclad and European security will be our first foreign and defence priority.

Shadow defence secretary John Healey on an earlier visit with Sir Keir Starmer - STEFAN ROUSSEAU/PA

Labours action plan lays out a wide-ranging approach to stand with Ukraine, confront Russian aggression and pursue Putin for his war crimes. We will stand with Ukraine until it wins.

During the trip they set out Labours plans to bolster support for Kyiv, including by fast-tracking military support and targeting Russia diplomatically.

The pair also pledged to use future Nato summits to press the case for Ukrainian membership of the military alliance if their party wins power.

It came as the Prime Minister used a speech to attack Sir Keir over his refusal to back Tory plans to ramp up spending on defence.

The Labour leader has said that he wants to increase the military budget to 2.5 per cent of GDP but that he will not commit to doing so by the end of the decade.

His allies have also dismissed Tory plans to fund the increase by cutting 70,000 civil service jobs, saying they would not replicate the move in power.

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Attorney Stefanie Lambert Junttila and former Adams Township. Clerk Stephanie Scott were arraigned on Monday in District Court 2B in Hillsdale County.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced charges against the pair on Wednesday, accusing Scott and Lambert Junttila of allowing an unauthorized computer examiner to access voter data concerning the 2020 election, including non-public information.

Scott and Lambert Junttila each pleaded not guilty. Both were released on personal recognizance.

According to the Department of Attorney General, Scott reportedly disregarded multiple instructions from the state director of elections to present the Adams Township tabulator to an authorized vendor for maintenance, withholding the voting machine until it was retrieved by the state police pursuant to a search warrant. The Department of Attorney General also alleges Lambert Juntilla illicitly transmitted data on the 2020 General Election from the Adams Township electronic poll book under Scotts direction.

In 2021, Scott, a Republican, was stripped of her election administration authority by the Michigan Bureau of Elections, and was ousted in a 2023 recall. She has filed to run for Hillsdale County clerk as a Republican in the upcoming Aug. 6 primary election.

Lambert is also facing charges alongside former State Rep. Daire Rendon and Republican former attorney general nominee Matt DePerno as part of an investigation into potential tampering with voting machines following the 2020 election.

Lamberts trial in that case is scheduled for Oct. 21.

Lambert Junttila and Scott are both represented by attorney Dan Hartman, who served as counsel for the Michigan Republican Party under former Chair Kristina Karamo.

In a text message to the Advance on Monday night, Hartman argued the charged actions in the case do not appear to be a violation of the law.

Here there are multiple charges related to two acts. The first act is the illegal disclosure of information. The second is the denial of the Secretary of State access to township voting equipment before a court order. Neither of these are crimes, rather duties of an election clerk, Hartman said.

Scott and Lambert Junttila are scheduled for a probable cause conference before Judge Megan Stiverson on May 22, to establish where there is probable cause to believe a crime was committed and the defendant was the person who committed the crime.

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Not a good time to be a bad guy in the city of Lansing: Lansing Police Chief comments on weekend homicide

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  Lansing Police Chief Ellery Sosebee held a news conference Tuesday afternoon to discuss a Sunday morning homicide.

Lansing Police Department was told multiple people were fighting around 7 a.m. on the 2100 block of Georgetown Blvd, officials said in a news release Sunday night. Sosebee said they have three people in custody related to the homicide on the citys far southwest side.

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After further investigation, officers and detectives determined that a victim was taken from a residence to an unknown location by multiple suspects and could be in serious condition.

Family demands justice, answers in weekend homicide

Sosebee said his officers were told two suspects left the area. Officers found those suspects on the 1400 block of Malcolm X. The victim was also located there and according to the Chief, had been dismembered.

Police identified the victim as Zacarri Marquise Taylor, 25 of Battle Creek.

The three suspects now in custody are:

Marcus Lee Hayes, 35

Leonard Felton Hayes, 42

Terrence Jones, 37

Leonard Felton Hayes, 42 (left), Marcus Lee Hayes, 35 (center), Terrence Jones, 37 (right) (Photos: Lansing PD)

Police said Marcus Hayes and Leonard Hayes are each charged with open murder and Dismemberment of a dead body. Terrence Jones is charged with dismemberment of a dead body and accessory after the fact.

Sosebee said Its not a good time to be a bad guy in the city of Lansing and praised the community efforts to help police investigate recent crimes.

(WLNS)

This was the citys 6th homicide this year.

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 WLNS 6 News.
A bid launched by the Republican National Committee to block voting rights in Arizona failed Tuesday after a Maricopa County judge summarily dismissed a complaint lodged by the RNC against the states 2023 Election Procedures Manual, handing a win to voting rights advocates. Conservatives launched a tsunami of legal attacks in February against the manual, to impede voting rights and allow for voter harassment in Arizona. Tuesdays decision is the first ruling addressing those lawsuits and mud in the eye of the RNC, newly run by nepobaby-in-law Lara Trump.

According to Democracy Docket, the lawsuit filed February 9 by the Republican National Committee, Republican Party of Arizona, and Yavapai County Republican Party sought to block enforcement of the EPM on the basis that Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes failed to give the public enough time to comment before implementing the EMP and that portions of the EMP violate state law. The complaint also sought to have provisions removed regarding limiting public access to voter signatures, restrictions against challenging early mail-in ballots before theyre returned, and allowances for out-of-precinct voting.

The suit was filed by the RNC the same day as another suit by conservative group Arizona Free Enterprise Club, which claims the EMP, by prohibiting voter intimidation and harassment, inhibits free speech. That case has not yet been decided.
FUZULI, Azerbaijan, May 14. Media representatives have viewed building progress on Azerbaijan's Ahmadbayli-Fuzuli-Shusha highway, Trend's Karabakh bureau reports.

The representatives visited the first tunnel, the opening of which took place with the participation of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

Engineer for Karabakh projects of the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads, Eyyub Huseynov, said that the construction of the Ahmadbeyli-Fuzuli-Shusha highway rapidly continues.

"The total length of the road is 81.7 km, 19.3 km shorter than the Victory Road [alternate road to Shusha, commissioned in November 2021]. It's a first-class road with four to six lanes. Alongside, 194 culverts of various diameters, 38 underpasses, 11 bridges, seven tunnels, and nine viaducts are built.

The combined length of bridges is 1,557 meters; viaducts are 1,965 meters; and tunnels are around 6,450 meters in one direction," he noted.

The official also mentioned that out of seven automobile tunnels with a total length of 12.7 kilometers (right and left directions) planned for the project, drilling work has been completed in six tunnels.

"Currently, interior tunnel work is ongoing. The main work on the Ahmadbayli-Fuzuli-Shusha highway will be completed this year. Next year, ventilation, lighting, illumination along each lane, and road marking will be finalized in the tunnels. Currently, the route through the opened tunnel is one km shorter and eliminates the need for over 10 turns and descents," he added.

To note, the Ahmadbayli-Fuzuli-Shusha highway originates from the Hajigabul-Horadiz-Aghband-Zangezur highway and connects the liberated Fuzuli, Khojavand, Khojaly, and Shusha districts.

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LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A Las Vegas man faces several charges including attempted murder after he allegedly shot at a man who he claims jumped him two months prior, according to an arrest report.

Artist Wyatt, 35, faces charges of attempted murder, discharging a gun where a person might be, carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, and possession of a gun by a prohibited person, records showed.

Artist Wyatt, 35, (LVMPD/KLAS)

On May 10 just before 3 p.m., Metro police responded to reports of a shooting involving five to six people in the 1740 block of Nellis Boulevard in the northeast valley. Shortly after the reports, LVMPD dispatch received a call from a local hospital reporting a man who walked in with gunshot wounds. The man was later identified as Wyatt.

Police initially thought Wyatt was the victim and when asked about the shooting, Wyatt told police that he had a confrontation with another man when the man pulled out a gun and shot at him. Wyatt admitted to shooting back at the man before going back to his home. Wyatt was then taken to the hospital for his injuries, the report said.

Surveillance footage from the area showed that Wyatt was inside a business in the area when the victim arrived. Immediately after he arrives, Wyatt leaves on his bicycle back to his home. Wyatt entered his home and then quickly came back out in a heightened emotional state, according to the report.

Wyatt then arrived back at the business on the bicycle riding up to a dark sedan where the victim was standing. Wyatt gets off his bike and approaches the victim in an aggressive manner, police said.

Wyatt began to reach toward his waistband as the victim did the same. Both of the men pulled out guns and began shooting at each other. Wyatt fells to the ground as the victim ran away to a nearby parking lot. As the victim ran away Wyatt stood back up and shot at the victim again, hitting a window to a nearby business. Wyatt then got back on his bicycle and left, according to the report.

A record check revealed Wyatt was a convicted person out of California on charges dating back to 2007.

After learning that Wyatt was the suspect, detectives spoke to Wyatt who told them that he was playing on slot machines inside the business when he noticed the victim who he recognized as someone who jumped him two months prior. Wyatt then went outside so he could fight the man one-on-one. Wyatt claimed that he was pulling up his pants when the victim pulled out the gun and began to shoot at him, police said.

Wyatt said he carries a gun in the front of his waistband so that is maybe why he shot at him. Wyatt claimed that he shot back out of self-defense, the report said.

Wyatt is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
Las Vegas pets meant for cremation end up dumped 100 miles away: Its just really sad

Las Vegas pets meant for cremation end up dumped 100 miles away: Its just really sad

LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Dozens of Las Vegas-area pets their owners paid to have cremated ended up dumped more than 100 miles away in rural Utah as the Nevada Attorney Generals Office appears to be looking into the now-closed business.

Last fall, the 8 News Now Investigators spoke to several people who paid 1st Call Pet Cremation to handle their dogs remains, saying they did not believe the remains given to them were their beloved animals.

As of Monday, at least one business contracted with 1st Call Pet Cremation to cremate animals was told to keep everything  including pets stored in freezers  as a state-led investigation gets underway, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned.

1st Call Pet Cremation officially closed on Oct. 31, 2023, records said. The company contracted with Angel Hutchings, owner of Forever Friends Pet Cremation outside St. George, Utah, to cremate some animals. She cremated more than 1,300 pounds of pet remains found at several dump sites in Utah and in a Las Vegas freezer, she said, and the Washington County Sheriffs Office confirmed.

Angel Hutchings cremated about 1,300 pounds of pet remains found at several dump sites in Utah and in a Las Vegas freezer, she said, and the Washington County Sheriffs Office confirmed. (KLAS)

Its fair to say that these are dozens of peoples pets? 8 News Now Investigator David Charns asked Hutchings sitting at her kitchen table clad with plastic bags of ashes.

Oh, absolutely, Hutchings said. This is all the cremated remains from 1st Call Pet Cremation.

What was it like when you heard that there were animals that were dumped? Charns asked.

It was just awful as far as to think that people are paying for a service that doesnt get performed and the disrespect, she said. And then things started adding up. Everything went to 1st Call Pet Cremation.

Last September, the 8 News Now Investigators reported when Natalie Smyers received photos of her deceased dog months after she was sent what she believed were her pets cremated remains.

After months of delays, Smyers received a box, a paw print and a certificate from 1st Call Pet Cremation. But then the co-owner of a Lake Havasu, Arizona-based pet cremation business sent her a message on Facebook, saying he still had her dogs uncremated body.

He also sent me pictures of my deceased dog, dead in a bag and it is my dog, Smyers said about that conversation. Smyers eventually drove to that pet cremation business and picked up the remains herself.

The Arizona business owner claimed 1st Call Pet Cremation had not paid him for months and that he was trying to find the owners of the pets in his possession to alert them. As of Monday, he still had pets and ashes in his possession. At one point, he estimated there were as many as 50 pets in his freezer awaiting cremation.

A woman who runs a Utah pet cremation company became overwhelmed and then allegedly dumped dozens of the animals in 1st Call Pet Cremations care alongside trash, Sgt. Lucas Alfred with the Washington County Sheriffs Office said. (KLAS)

But what about everybody that has gone through this process since March? Smyers said last year. If I received fake remains that means a lot of other people probably received fake remains and what remains do I actually have?

Others, like Landon Heins, never received their pet remains back: Pets like Gem and Darla.

Tried calling him back  just kept getting messages, Heins said more than half a year after paying 1st Call Pet Cremation nearly $800 for the services. As of Monday, Heins has received no remains and where his pets are is a mystery. They could be among the dozens discarded in Utah  the ones on Hutchings table.

Its nice to know that theyre hopefully cremated instead of just tossed aside and left to decompose somewhere, Heins said.

Investigators with the Washington County Sheriffs Office believe dozens of pets were dumped across at least two sites north of St. George, Utah. (KLAS)

After working with the Arizona cremation company, it appears 1st Call Pet Cremation outsourced with a second Utah-based pet cremation company. The woman who runs that company herself became overwhelmed and then allegedly dumped dozens of the animals in 1st Call Pet Cremations care alongside trash, Sgt. Lucas Alfred with the Washington County Sheriffs Office said.

She just had too much work and she couldnt handle the load, Alfred said.

That woman dumped the pets at least twice in remote sites north of St. George, Alfred said.

I never would have thought that this could have ended up here in Washington County from Las Vegas, no, Alfred said.

Landon Heins never received remains for his cat, Darla, or his dog, Gem. (KLAS)

The woman faces three misdemeanors in Washington County Justice Court with a possible fine of about $1,000, records said. The greatest potential fine is for littering. She has pleaded not guilty.

The sheriffs office collected the animals and paid Hutchings to cremate them. Deputies were able to identify a few microchip numbers but no names  the last four digitals of those numbers are 6366, 7204 and 9771.

Is this just a case of someone whose business got out of hand? Charns asked Hutchings.

I think so. I would hope so, she said. Turning away clients is always an option.

Angel Hutchings also traveled to Las Vegas as recently as this February to retrieve animals still sitting in a freezer, she said. Now she is left with their remains that may never get back to their rightful owners. Hutchings said she too is owned money. (KLAS)

Hutchings also traveled to Las Vegas as recently as this February to retrieve animals still sitting in a freezer, she said. Now she is left with their remains that may never get back to their rightful owners. Hutchings said she too is owned money.

Its awful, she said. A lot of these pets probably were wanted back and so its just really sad.

As the 8 News Now Investigators reported last year, The companys website, which was wiped, said it was Better Business Bureau accredited, though the businesss BBB profile had an F rating and said, this business is not BBB accredited.

A representative from 1st Call Pet Cremation said they would provide a statement for the 8 News Now Investigators initial story but never did. That representative did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Investigator David Charns can be reached at dcharns@8newsnow.com.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  The booking photo and identification of the man accused of murdering his Summerlin neighbor was released Tuesday. He is identified as Eddi Moreno, 32, and he is facing an open murder charge.

Las Vegas Metro police said the shooting occurred during a heated argument between the two men Monday night shortly after 7 p.m. in the 2200 block of Starline Meadow Place near Hillpointe Road and Lake Mead Boulevard.

When police arrived at the scene, they were contacted by Morenos wife and Moreno who turned himself in to police without incident.

Officers then located a man lying in a driveway at a home nearby. The man was identified as a person in his 40s suffering from several gunshot wounds, he was later pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Las Vegas Metro police Lt. Jason Johansson gave details of the shooting during a midnight news briefing.

During the preliminary investigation police said the two neighbors had a heated verbal altercation outside their homes. During the argument, Moreno was armed with a gun. At some point, he is accused of raising his firearm and shooting the victim, according to police.

Morenos wife called police during the time of the shooting and 911 dispatchers could hear the gunshots during the phone call, police said.

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Las Vegas Metro police Lt. Jason Johansson said police are still searching for witnesses. Video surveillance was located by police that does capture the entire incident, Johansson added.

Moreno was arrested and booked into the Clark County Detention Center and is due to make an initial appearance in court at 1:30 p.m.

Those with information on the shooting can call Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
The Latest | Defense expects cross-examination of Cohen to last through Thursday, transcript shows

Former President Donald Trump, center, talks with his attorneys Todd Blanche and Emil Bove during his criminal trial at Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, May 14, 2024 in New York. Trump is facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign. (Justin Lane/Pool Photo via AP)

NEW YORK (AP)  Donald Trumps fixer-turned-foe returned to the witness stand and could face a bruising round of questioning from the former presidents lawyers.

Michael Cohen 's testimony this week has linked Trump to all aspects of a hush money scheme that prosecutors say was aimed at stifling stories that threatened his 2016 campaign. He's the prosecutions star witness.

And Trumps lawyers began their cross-examination of Cohen on Tuesday afternoon.

Cohen placed Trump at the center of the hush money scheme, saying he had promised to reimburse money the lawyer had fronted for the payments and was constantly apprised of the behind-the-scenes efforts to bury stories feared to be harmful to the campaign.

Text messages, audio recordings, notes and more have all been introduced or shown to jurors in recent weeks to illustrate what prosecutors say was a scheme to illegally influence the election that year. And sometimes dramatic testimony from witnesses that included former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, ex-Trump staffers and porn actor Stormy Daniels added to the intrigue.

The trial was in its 17th day.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts.

The case is the first-ever criminal trial of a former U.S. president and the first of four prosecutions of Trump to reach a jury.

Currently:

 Speaker Mike Johnsons appearance is a remarkable moment

 Michael Cohen: A challenging star witness in Trumps hush money trial

 What to know about Cohens pivotal testimony

 Trump hush money case: A timeline of key events

 Key players: Whos who at Trumps hush money criminal trial

Here's the latest:

DEFENSE EXPECTS CROSS-EXAMINATION OF COHEN TO LAST THROUGH THURSDAY, TRANSCRIPT SHOWS

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass told Judge Juan M. Merchan that its highly likely the defense will be able to start calling witnesses on Thursday in former President Donald Trump's hush money trial, according to a transcript of discussions between the judge and lawyers.

But Trump lawyer Todd Blanche said he expects the defenses cross-examination of Michael Cohen to continue until the end of the day Thursday and that they wont start calling witnesses until next week  if they do at all. In addition, the prosecution could still call rebuttal witnesses once the defense case is finished.

The trial does not take place on Wednesdays and is also off this Friday so Trump can attend his son Barrons high school graduation.

JUDGE CHIDES TRUMP'S LAWYER: DON'T MAKE IT ABOUT YOURSELF

Judge Juan M. Merchan was unnerved by the blistering start to Michael Cohens cross-examination, chiding Trump lawyer Todd Blanche at a sidebar for quizzing the witness about recent social media posts hed made about the former presidents legal team.

Why are you making this about yourself? Merchan asked, according to a transcript, after Blanche confronted Cohen about an April 23 TikTok post in which he referred to the attorney as a Crying little (expletive).

Im not making it about myself, your honor, Blanche said at the sidebar, which was held at the judges bench out of earshot of jurors and reporters.

I have a right to show this witnesss bias, and he has expressed bias about the lawyers just because of who he represents, Blanche continued.

Assistant District Attorney Susan Hoffinger countered that Cohens comments about Trumps lawyers were irrelevant and inadmissible to showing bias  that only remarks about Trump himself could be used for that purpose.

It doesnt matter if he has bias towards you; it doesnt matter, Merchan told Blanche. The issue is whether he has bias towards the defendant."

For his part, Cohen had answered Blanches question before Hoffinger interrupted with an objection and, moments later, Merchan summoned the lawyers to the bench. Cohen's response: Sounds like something I would say.

TRUMP SAYS TRIAL IS GOING VERY WELL AS HE LEAVES COURT FOR THE DAY

Former President Donald Trump said he thinks he had a very, very good day as he walked out of court Tuesday afternoon after it adjourned for the day in the fourth week of his hush money trial in New York.

The trial is going very well, Trump told reporters, flanked by a large group that included his attorneys and aides.

Trump pointed to recent polling as well as his massive rally in New Jersey over the weekend as evidence that the hearing was doing little to blunt his standing in the race.

Voters are getting it, he said, adding: I think were exposing this scam for what it is

Trump once again relied on the words of others to lace into the case, reading off quotes from supporters, including several who joined him at the courthouse Tuesday.

He also continued to complain about the gag order that bars him from attacking witnesses, jurors and others.

I am not allowed to talk about big portions of my case, he railed.

DEFENSE QUESTIONS COHEN'S MOTIVATIONS FOR COOPERATING WITH PROSECUTORS

Defense attorney Todd Blanche is attempting to portray Michael Cohen as a Donald Trump-obsessed loyalist who, spurned by his ex-boss, turned on Trump and attempted to parlay his insider knowledge into a reduced prison sentence for his own crimes.

Blanche pressed Cohen about discussions he had with Manhattan district attorneys prosecutors in August 2019 when they visited him at a federal prison camp in Otisville, New York, about 70 miles (113 kilometers) from New York City. Early in the conversation, about three months into his prison stint, Cohen asked the prosecutors how he would benefit from cooperating with them, Blanche told the witness.

He asked Cohen if his lawyer asked a judge to give him a reduced sentence in exchange for his cooperation with the special counsels office investigating Trump and the Manhattan district attorneys office, and Cohen said yes.

Cohens application for a reduced sentence was denied, but he was eventually released to home confinement because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cohen conceded that after reconnecting with the Manhattan district attorneys office in early 2021, he wanted the prosecutors office to publicly acknowledge that he was cooperating  again in hopes of getting part of his sentence reduced.

But, as has been his approach throughout the early stages of cross-examination, Cohen wasnt direct in his response. Asked by Trump lawyer Todd Blanche if that was his desire, Cohen said: I would say so, yes.

Cohen explained that he was looking for a reduction of the home confinement portion of his sentence, which ran until November 2021. He said he wanted the reduction not only as a reward for his cooperation, but also because he thought he was entitled to a year off from credits he racked up for working and completing programs in federal prison.

Cohen suggested the federal Bureau of Prisons may have miscalculated his sentence. He remains under court supervision until November.

DEFENSE QUESTIONS COHEN ON PAST PRAISE FOR TRUMP

Todd Blanche, an attorney for Donald Trump in his hush money trial, questioned the former president's ex-fixer Michael Cohen on when the devotion he had to Trump began declining.

Cohen said it was around the time he gave an interview to ABC News anchor George Stephanapolous in July 2018  about two months before he pleaded guilty to federal charges. In the interview, conducted off-camera, Cohen suggested his loyalty to Trump had waned. He told Stephanapolous: My wife, my daughter and my son have my first loyalty and always will. I put family and country first.

Cohen struck a similar sentiment Tuesday, testifying that his family told him to reconsider his loyalty to Trump after the FBI raided his property in April 2018. He says he came away from the conversation thinking that it was about time to listen to them."

Blanche focused his questions on the lavish praise Cohen had for Trump when he served as his personal fixer.

Blanche asked Cohen if he had admired Trump and saw himself in him, and whether he saw the businessman as an ambitious, hardworking and innovative man. Cohen affirmed.

Blanche then asked Cohen if he had said in his 2020 memoir Disloyal that he was obsessed with Trump. Cohen said he couldnt recall having said that.

The defense attorney tried to get Cohen to square his over-the-top praise for his former boss with his stance now. As he continued to press, Cohen appeared at times to get irritated with an edge in his voice, saying several times of his past comments: Thats how I felt.

At the time I was knee-deep into the cult of Donald Trump, Cohen said at one point.

COHEN GIVING MEASURED ANSWERS UNDER CROSS-EXAMINATION

Under cross-examination, former Donald Trump attorney and fixer Michael Cohen carefully hedged many of his answers, equivocating in ways that marked a contrast from his more voluble testimony under questioning from a prosecutor.

When Trump attorney Todd Blanche asked Tuesday afternoon whether Cohen had said on his podcast that he wanted to see Trump convicted, Cohen answered, Yes, probably.

Blanche asked him why, if he wants Trump convicted, would he answer with the word probably. Cohen said it was because he was not exactly sure of the words he used.

On another occasion when Blanche asked if he wants to see Trump convicted, Cohen hedged again: I would like to see accountability. Its not for me. Its for the jury and this court.

Blanche pressed him: Im just asking you, yes or no: Do you want to see President Trump get convicted in this case?

Sure, Cohen replied.

COHEN'S CROSS-EXAMINATION GETS OFF TO A TENSE START

The cross-examination of Michael Cohen got off to a predictably tense start when Todd Blanche, an attorney for former President Donald Trump, noted that though he and Cohen had never met before, that didnt stop Cohen from going on TikTok last month, after the trial had begun, and referring to him as a crying little (expletive).

Cohen responded: Sounds like something I would say, prompting laughter in the courtroom.

After a prosecutors objection, the judge summoned the attorneys to the bench and the entire question was stricken.

Cohen's cross-examination was proceeding in stop-and-start fashion thanks in part to frequent objections from the prosecution team.

COHEN WILL BE LAST WITNESS CALLED BY THE PROSECUTION

Before court resumed for the day, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass told the judge that Donald Trump's former laywer, Michael Cohen, would be the prosecutions last witness.

Steinglass made the disclosure during a sidebar conversation out of earshot of reporters but recorded in the official transcript.

Trumps fixer-turned-foe returned to the witness stand Tuesday, testifying in detail about how the former president was linked to all aspects of the hush money scheme prosecutors say was an illegal effort to purchase and then bury stories that threatened his 2016 presidential campaign.

Cohen told jurors he lied to Congress during an investigation into potential ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign to protect Trump. He also described for jurors the April 2018 raid by law enforcement on his apartment, law firm, a hotel room where he stayed and a bank where he stashed valuables.

COHEN'S LIFE AFTER PRISON AND DISBARMENT

Donald Trump's lawyers will get a chance Tuesday to question his former lawyer Michael Cohen on cross-examination in the ex-president's criminal hush money trial following a lunch break.

Before he concluded his initial testimony prior to the break, Cohen shared how he makes money now that he has served prison time and been disbarred.

Cohen said hes working now predominantly in media and entertainment  specifically on two podcasts on which he is frequently critical of Trump.

Cohen tried to downplay his shows focus on Trump, testifying that Mea Culpa and another one he hosts on the liberal MeidasTouch network talked about the news of the day.

Among other topics, do you frequently discuss Mr. Trump? prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked.

I do, he said, his eyes shifting around.

Hoffinger also asked Cohen about two books he wrote: Disloyal, which he described as a memoir he wrote in prison, and Revenge, which he said was about the weaponization of the Justice Department against a critic of the president, referring to himself.

Cohen also testified having Stormy Daniels, the woman at the center of the hush money case, on a podcast at one point.

I thought it would be a good time to speak to her and to Mea Culpa, and to apologize, he testified.

Cohen said it was the first time he spoke with Daniels. He invited her on a podcast a second time later on.

PROSECUTORS WRAP DIRECT EXAMINATION OF COHEN

Prosecutors in Donald Trump's hush money trial wrapped their direct examination of his former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen before a lunch break Tuesday.

Cohen testified that he regretted some of the things he did for Trump, and the loyalty he showed the former president for so long. He said he and his family have paid a dire price.

I regret doing things for him that I should not have," Cohen said. "Lying. Bullying people to effectuate a goal. I dont regret working for the Trump Organization. As I expressed before, I had some very interesting, great times.

But to keep the loyalty and to do the things that he had asked me to do, it violated my moral compass, and I suffered the penalty, as has my family.

Minutes earlier, a New York appeals court upheld a gag order barring Trump from making statements against certain people connected to his trial. He did not stop to answer a question about the ruling as he left the courtroom for lunch, offering only a fist pump as he walked away.

COURT UPHOLDS GAG ORDER AGAINST TRUMP

A New York appeals court on Tuesday upheld a gag order that bars Donald Trump from making statements against certain people connected to his criminal hush money trial, including witnesses and the judge's daughter.

The court found that Judge Juan M. Merchan properly determined that Trumps public statements posed a significant threat to the integrity of the testimony of witnesses and potential witnesses."

Trump had asked the states intermediate appeals court to lift or modify the gag order, which bars him from commenting publicly about jurors, witnesses and others connected to the case, including the judges family and prosecutors other than District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

A message seeking comment was left with a lawyer for Trump.

Specifically, according to the ruling, Trump challenged restrictions on his ability to comment about Matthew Colangelo, a former Justice Department official who is a part of the prosecution team, and Merchans daughter, the head of a consulting firm that has worked for Trumps rival Joe Biden and other Democratic candidates.

At an emergency hearing last month, just days before the trial started, Trumps lawyers argued the gag order is an unconstitutional curb on the presumptive Republican nominees free speech rights while hes campaigning for president and fighting criminal charges.

COHEN DESCRIBES DECISION TO TURN AGAINST TRUMP

Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen described at the ex-president's hush money trial Tuesday how his family persuaded him to finally turn against Trump after the FBI raided his office, apartment and hotel room in April 2018.

Amid conversations with lawyers, including one connected to Trump loyalist Rudy Giuliani, Cohen said his wife and two children made him see how sticking by Trump was detrimental.

My family, my wife, my daughter, my son, all said to me, 'Why are you holding onto this loyalty? What are you doing? Were supposed to be your first loyalty, Cohen testified.

Cohen says he came away from the conversation thinking that it was about time to listen to them and show loyalty to my wife, my son, my daughter and my country.

Cohen pleaded guilty in August 2018 to federal charges involving the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels and other, unrelated crimes and served time in federal prison. Trump bashed him on social media, writing: If anyone is looking for a good lawyer I would strongly suggest that you dont retain the services of Michael Cohen!

Cohen testified that the tweet helped make him feel abandoned by Trump and his associates.

It caused a lot of angst, anxiety, Cohen testified.

COHEN RECOUNTS CODE TO REFER TO TRUMP

Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen recounted at the ex-president's hush money trial Tuesday outreach he received from a New York attorney and code they used to communicate about Trump.

The questioning from prosecutors about Cohen's interaction with Robert Costello appeared designed to show jurors the efforts the Trump orbit took to try to keep Cohen from cooperating in the case and to lay the groundwork for a potential pardon.

Costello identified himself as a close friend and former co-worker of lawyer and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a relationship that could be very beneficial to you, Cohen recalled.

Cohen described a backchannel for him to communicate with Trump via Costello, who would communicate with Giuliani, who would relay information to Trump. Some emails between Cohen and Costello shown to jurors contained what appeared to be disguised references to Giuliani and Trump, with a wink and a nod to the men as my friend and his client.

Its all back channel, sort of I-Spy-ish, Cohen said. Never mentioning President Trump. Just using code word.

JURORS SEE TRUMP TWEETS PRAISING COHEN

Shortly before Donald Trump's hush money trial took a break Tuesday, jurors saw tweets from Trump in April 2018 in which he praised his lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen and, prosecutors suggested, pressured him to remain loyal.

Mr. Trump did not want me to cooperate with government and certainly not to provide information or flip, Cohen testified.

Trump defended Cohen in the tweets as a fine person with a wonderful family and said, Most people will flip if the government lets them out of trouble, even if it means lying or making up stories. Sorry, I dont see Michael doing that.

Cohen testified that he believed the message was meant for him. Cohen summed up the message he felt Trump was sending him in the tweets as: Dont flip.

Trump exited the courtroom without stopping to speak with reporters but flashed a thumbs up as he walked through a courthouse door.

COHEN: IT WAS MR. DONALD J. TRUMP HIMSELF

Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen testified Tuesday that a February 2018 statement he released about a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels was purposely misleading.

The statement declared, Neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction." Cohen says it was a true statement but its deceptive. Its misleading.

Cohen said it was because it was neither the Trump Organization nor the campaign that was a part of the transaction, but the revocable trust.

It was Mr. Donald J. Trump himself, Cohen said.

He said he made the misleading statement in order to protect Mr. Trump, to stay on message.

COHEN TESTIFIES TO CRAFTING DANIELS' HUSH MONEY DENIAL

After The Wall Street Journal reported in 2018 that Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen had arranged a $130,000 hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels, Cohen testified Tuesday that he felt a second, official statement from Daniels would put an end to the story once and for all.

Cohen testified at Trump's trial that hed heard Daniels was planning to go on Jimmy Kimmels late-night show and contacted Keith Davidson, the lawyer who represented Daniels in the hush money deal, about issuing a statement.

The day of Daniels appearance, she issued a statement again denying a sexual encounter with Trump and reiterating that she had not been paid hush money to deny the claim.

Cohen testified that he knew the statement was false because he had helped craft it, and that he knew the payment had been made because he had paid it.

Throughout Cohens testimony Tuesday, Trump reclined back in his chair with his eyes closed and his head tilted to the side.

COHEN: WORK PICKED UP AFTER DANIELS WENT PUBLIC

Donald Trumps former lawyer Michael Cohen said on the witness stand Tuesday at the former presidents hush money trial that he did only minimal work for Trump in 2017 and didnt send an invoice because it wasnt enough to require payment.

The case concerned a lawsuit against Trump, later dropped, from Summer Zervos, a former contestant on Trump's reality show The Apprentice, who alleged shed been defamed. But he said work for Trump picked up in 2018. That was after porn actor Stormy Daniels went public about her claims of a sexual encounter with Trump.

As as result of the Stormy Daniels matter and her electing to go public, Mr. Trump wanted an action to be filed" for breach of a nondisclosure agreement, Cohen said.

Cohen said he was contacted by Trump and son Eric Trump about how to go forward. Eric Trump was running day-to-day operations at the Trump Organization while his father was in the White House. Again, though, Cohen said he did not bill for the work.

Cohen earlier admitted on the stand that he lied to Congress during an investigation into potential ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign.

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger appeared to be trying to take the sting out of an expected cross-examination likely to delve in detail into Cohens past lies, but also to paint Cohen to the jury as a loyalist whose crimes were committed on Trump's behalf.

SPEAKER JOHNSON SLAMS TRIAL OUTSIDE COURT

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson called former President Donald Trump's hush money trial a sham Tuesday as he addressed reporters outside the courthouse while Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen continued testifying for the prosecution.

With Trump barred by gag order from attacking witnesses and the judges family, Johnson did the dirty work for him. He slammed Cohen, the prosecutions star witness, as a man who is clearly on a mission for personal revenge and said he has trouble with the truth.

Johnson also decried Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and other court officials as partisans.

I came here again today on my own to support President Trump because I am one of hundreds of millions of people and one citizen who is deeply concerned about this, he said.

TRUMP SIGNED THE CHECKS, COHEN TESTIFIES

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger talked Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen through the reimbursement process in the former president's hush money trial Tuesday.

Her method was an attempt to show jurors what prosecutors say was a month-by-month deception to mask the true purpose of the payments.

Cohen repeatedly read through the description on each check stub, and Hoffinger repeatedly asked him if the description on the check was false, which he affirmed. She then asked him if he recognized the thick, slashing signature on the check.

Whose signature is it? Hoffinger asked repeatedly.

Donald J. Trump, Cohen said each time.

As Cohen testified, Trump leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed, sitting extremely still.

COHEN SAYS AN INVOICE WAS FALSE

Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen testified Tuesday in the ex-president's hush money trial that an invoice for services rendered was a false record.

Jurors were shown 2017 correspondence between Cohen and Jeffrey McConney, the Trump Organization controller at the time who testified earlier in the trial as a prosecution witness.

In one email, dated Feb. 14, 2017, with the subject line $$, Cohen asked McConney to have monthly checks for January and February made payable to him. McConney then asked for invoices so he could have the checks cut.

The invoices said for services rendered for January and February, but Cohen said that it was not a truthful statement that there had been services rendered for those months or that he had been working on a retainer fee.

Was this invoice a false record? asked prosecutor Susan Hoffinger.

Yes, maam, Cohen responded.

COHEN DESCRIBES OVAL OFFICE DISCUSSION

Returning to the witness stand Tuesday, Michael Cohen testified that he discussed the hush money repayment plan with Donald Trump in the Oval Office when he visited the White House in February 2017.

I was sitting with President Trump and he asked me if I was OK, Cohen told jurors. He asked me if I needed money, and I said, All good, because I can get a check.

Cohen testified that Trump then told him, OK, make sure you deal with Allen, a reference to then-Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg, and that a check for his January and February payments was forthcoming.

Under Cohens reimbursement arrangement, he was paid $35,000 per month for 12 months, for a total of $420,000.

During the same White House visit, Cohen posed for a picture at the lectern in the press briefing room. The photo, extracted by prosecutors from Cohens iPhone, was shown in court.

QUESTIONING OF COHEN RESUMES

Michael Cohen went under questioning again as former President Donald Trump's hush money trial resumed Tuesday.

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger resumed her questioning shortly after Cohen entered court. Trump didnt appear to react to Cohens entrance. Instead, he focused on a piece of paper in his hand, which he raised up and showed to his attorney Todd Blanche with a scowl as Cohen walked by.

Before the jury and Cohen arrived in the courtroom, a sidebar conference was held with the judge at the request of prosecutor Joshua Steinglass. The subject was not clear.

During the sidebar, Trump had an extended conversation with his attorney Emil Bove, occasionally gesturing with his hand or thumb.

Trump, flanked by supporters including the speaker of the House and several potential vice presidential picks, railed against the trial once again before entering the courthouse.

Trump, who is barred by gag order from going after witnesses, jurors and the family members of court officials, quoted a litany of conservative commentators criticism of the case.

Among those in the courtroom with Trump were former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, one of Trump's sons, Eric, and daughter-in-law Lara.

TRUMP ENTERS COURT; SPEAKER JOHNSON TO ADDRESS SHAM

Former President Donald Trump walked into court just before 9 a.m. Tuesday for another day of testimony from his fixer-turned-foe, Michael Cohen.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, second in the line of succession to the president, traveled with Trump in his motorcade in a politically stunning and significant show of Republican support.

Johnson is using his powerful pulpit to attack the U.S. judicial system, criticizing the courts as biased against the former president. The speaker claims the case is politically motivated by Democrats and insists Trump has done nothing wrong.

Its a remarkable, if not unprecedented, moment in modern American politics to have the powerful House speaker, a constitutional officer, turn his political party against the U.S. system and rule of law by declaring a trial illegitimate.

Johnson's team announced he planned to address media later in the morning outside of the ongoing sham prosecution of President Trump.

AN ENTOURAGE OF GOP SUPPORTERS, INCLUDING THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE

House Speaker Mike Johnson will be traveling with Donald Trump in his motorcade to court along with North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Florida Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills, and his former GOP rival Vivek Ramaswamy.

Both Burgum and Donalds are considered potential vice presidential contenders.

On Monday, Trump was joined in court by a number of Republican supporters, including another potential running mate: Ohio Sen. JD Vance.

WITH TRUMP UNDER A GAG ORDER, HIS GOP ALLIES SPEAK UP

With Donald Trump barred from publicly attacking the key witness in his hush money trial, his campaign brought to court a band of Republican elected officials to speak for him.

Trump, who is balancing the demands of a felony trial with his third run for the White House, has been prohibited by a judges gag order from criticizing witnesses and already fined for violating the restrictions.

Bringing allies to court allowed Trumps campaign to press his message without violating the gag order. It also gave those allies a high-profile platform to demonstrate loyalty to their partys presumptive nominee and perhaps audition for higher office.

COHEN PROVIDES JURORS WITH AN INSIDER'S ACCOUNT

Once Donald Trumps loyal attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen provided jurors with an insiders account of payments to silence womens claims of sexual encounters with Trump, saying the payments were directed by Trump to fend off damage to his 2016 White House bid.

While prosecutors most important witness, hes also their most vulnerable to attack  having served time in federal prison and built his persona in recent years around being a thorn in Trumps side.

Cohen is expected to be on the witness stand for several days, and face intense grilling by Trumps attorneys, who have painted him as a liar whos trying to take down the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

While prosecutors most important witness, hes also their most vulnerable to attack  having served time in federal prison and built his persona in recent years around being a thorn in Trumps side.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing in the case.
Palestinians mourn their relatives killed during Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, next to the morgue in Deir al Balah, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

More than half a million Palestinians have been displaced in recent days by escalating Israeli military operations in Rafah and northern Gaza, the United Nations says.

Israelis celebrated their Independence Day on Tuesday with barbecues in parks across the country, although the normally raucous parties were smaller and quieter this year because of the war in Gaza.

No food has entered the two main border crossings in southern Gaza for the past week. Some 1.1 million Palestinians face catastrophic levels of hunger  on the brink of starvation  according to the United Nations. A full-blown famine is taking place in the north.

Around 450,000 Palestinians have been driven out of Rafah in Gaza's south over the past week, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said Tuesday. Israeli forces are pushing into the city, which they portray as the last Hamas stronghold.

In northern Gaza, Israeli evacuation orders have displaced at least 100,000 people so far, U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters Monday. Israeli forces are battling Palestinian militants in areas the military said it had cleared months ago.

Seven months of Israeli bombardment and ground offensives in Gaza have killed more than 35,000 people, most of them women and children, according to local health officials.

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:

 Palestinians mark 76 years of dispossession as a potentially even larger catastrophe unfolds in Gaza.

 Misery deepens in Gazas Rafah as Israeli troops press operation.

 Israelis mark a subdued Independence Day under the shadow of war in Gaza.

 Amsterdam university cancels classes after violence erupted at a pro-Palestinian rally.

 Harvard students end protest as university agrees to discuss Middle East conflict.

Follow APs coverage of the war in Gaza at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Here's the latest:

WHITE HOUSE ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN WILL TRAVEL TO ISRAEL AND SAUDI ARABIA, U.S. OFFICIAL SAYS

WASHINGTON  White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan is expected to travel to Israel and Saudi Arabia this weekend, according to a U.S. official, amid growing American unease as Israeli forces push deeper into the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

The official, who requested anonymity to discuss the pending travel, did not disclose further details about who Sullivan would meet with during the trip.

Sullivan told reporters on Monday that he expected to meet with his Israeli counterpart in a matter of days to talk further about the best way to ensure Hamas defeat everywhere in Gaza, including in Rafah.

The Biden administration has been pressing Israel to forgo a large-scale operation in Rafah, and administration officials last week confirmed that the U.S. withheld a shipment of about 3,500 bombs for Israel out of concern they would be used in the densely crowded city.

Sullivan had planned a visit to Saudi Arabia last month but postponed that trip because he was recuperating from cracked ribs.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to comment on Sullivans travel.

___

Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.

ISRAELI STRIKE IN SOUTHERN LEBANON CITY KILLS 1 PERSON AND WOUNDS 2 OTHERS

BEIRUT  One person was killed and two wounded in an apparent Israeli drone strike on a car on a busy thoroughfare near the coastal city of Tyre in south Lebanon on Tuesday evening, emergency responders said.

There was no statement from the Israeli military on the strike, and it was not immediately clear who had been killed.

Lebanons civil defense said in a statement that its responders had extinguished a fire that broke out as a result of the strike and had recovered the body of one person and transported two others to a nearby hospital.

Israel has frequently carried out targeted strikes in Lebanon in recent months, against the backdrop of daily clashes between Israeli forces and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and allied groups. The fighting has taken place in the border region between the two countries, and sometimes beyond.

More than 370 people have been killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon, most of them militants but also including more than 70 civilians and noncombatants, while strikes from Lebanon have killed at least 15 soldiers and 10 civilians in Israel.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a speech Monday reiterated his groups stance that it would keep up its strikes until Israel ends the war in Gaza.

UNITED NATIONS BLAMES ISRAELI TANK FOR DEADLY ATTACK ON U.N. VEHICLE, AND GIVES DETAILS ON CASUALTIES

UNITED NATIONS  The United Nations is giving more details about Monday's deadly attack on a U.N. convoy in Gaza, saying an Israeli tank attacked a clearly marked U.N. vehicle. A U.N. security officer from India was killed and another security officer from Jordan was wounded.

The United Nations has no doubt that shots from an Israeli tank hit the back of a white U.N. vehicle en route to the European hospital in Gazas southern city of Rafah, but wants to know the circumstances, said U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq on Tuesday.

He told reporters that the U.N. Department of Safety and Security, which employed the two staffers, has set up a fact-finding panel and the United Nations is in discussion with Israeli authorities.

Israel drew international outrage last month for killing seven charity aid workers in Gaza with a series of drone strikes targeting their vehicles, which were also clearly marked. Israel dismissed two officers over the killings, saying they violated the armys rules of engagement.

Haq identified the U.N. staff member killed as Waibhav Anil Kale. He is the first international employee of the United Nations to be killed in the current war in Gaza.

On his LinkedIn page, Kale said he left the Indian army as a deputy sector commander in July 2022 and then worked for Amazon as a program manager until June 2023. He joined the U.N. in April as a security coordination officer. Indian media said he was 46 and a retired army colonel.

Jordans Ministry of Foreign Affairs identified the injured U.N. staffer as Yara Dababneh and said a Jordanian military aircraft would fly her from Jerusalem -- where she was being transferred -- to Amman for treatment at Al-Hussein Medical City, a military medical complex.

Shes receiving medical attention, Haq said. We believe that she will make it through.

A HOSPITAL IN RAFAH IS FORCED TO SHUT DOWN DUE TO ISRAELI INCURSION, SAYS MEDICAL AID GROUP

CAIRO  The international medical aid group Doctors Without Borders says a field hospital it was supplying in Rafah has been forced to shut down because of Israels incursion into the southern Gaza city.

The group said Tuesday that the 22 patients at the Rafah Indonesian Field Hospital were transferred to other facilities or sent home, and 180 staff were pulled out.

The 60-bed hospital had been treating war wounded since December, according to the group, which goes by the French acronym MSF.

The latest evacuation orders from the Israeli military covered an area that comes to within a block of the hospital, MSF said. Although the hospital was not in the zone, they decided to leave for the protection of staff and patients, it said, citing Israels deadly and destructive raids on hospitals across the Gaza Strip during its 7-month-old campaign in the territory.

According to the U.N., 24 of Gazas 36 hospitals have shut down, with the rest only partially operating. Nine field hospitals are also set up in the territory, including six in Rafah, according to the U.N. MSF warned that the field hospitals cannot cope with a massive influx of wounded civilians, on top of overwhelming medical needs. They can in no way replace a functional health system.

Israels escalating incursion into Rafah the past week has driven some 450,000 Palestinians to flee the city, many of them setting up new sprawling tent camps further north. Israel has seized the Rafah crossing into neighboring Egypt and has stepped up bombardment and ground incursions into parts of the city, saying it aims to root out Hamas fighters who remain there.

UNITED NATIONS CHIEF IS APPALLED BY ISRAEL'S ESCALATING MILITARY ACTIVITY IN RAFAH

UNITED NATIONS  The United Nations chief is appalled by the escalation of military activity in and around Rafah by the Israeli Defense Forces, which is further impeding desperately needed aid deliveries and worsening an already dire situation, the U.N. says.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also criticized the indiscriminate firing of rockets by Hamas militants, U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters Tuesday.

For people in Gaza, nowhere is safe now, Haq quoted Guterres, who is in Oman, as saying.

The families being displaced from Rafah are arriving at sites that lack shelter, latrines, and water points, Haq said. However, it is impossible to improve the situation at displacement sites if supplies cant enter Gaza  and if we lack the fuel to transport them inside Gaza to the families who need them.

The U.N. agency helping Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, estimated that as of Monday nearly 450,000 people had fled Rafah within the previous week, Haq said. Before the incursion began last week, Rafah was housing some 1.3 million Palestinians, most of whom had fled fighting elsewhere.

Guterres called for the immediate reopening of the Rafah crossing from Egypt, a key delivery route for humanitarian supplies and fuel, which the Israeli military took control of last week.

The secretary-general also reiterated his urgent appeal for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire, the release of all hostages taken during Hamas Oct. 7 attack in Israel, protection for civilians and unimpeded access for aid workers throughout Gaza.

In another setback to the delivery of aid, the U.N. humanitarian office reported that Israeli settlers in the West Bank attacked aid trucks bound for Gaza on Monday.

The settlers offloaded and vandalized the vehicles at the Tarqumiya checkpoint and near the barrier by Beit Awwa and several trucks were damaged, he said.

Haq said: Israel must protect against violence by Israeli settlers and ensure that all allegations of settler violence are investigated, and the perpetrators are prosecuted.

ISRAEL FIRES DEADLY STRIKE INTO U.N. SCHOOL IN GAZA, SAYING IT WAS A HAMAS COMMAND POST

JERUSALEM  Israel said it struck a school run by the United Nations in central Gaza on Tuesday, allegedly killing 15 militants who were using part of the school as a war room for Hamas commanders.

A Palestinian doctor at the hospital where casualties were taken, Omar Deirawy, said the strike hit a shipping container used as a post by the Hamas-run police in a school-turned-shelter in the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing four policemen. The police are a civilian force distinct from Hamas military wing.

Video from the scene showed twisted sheets of metal from the strike in what appeared to be a yard of the school. The Palestinian Civil Defense, an emergency service operating in Gaza, identified the school as one run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA.

The Israeli military said 10 of those killed were member of Hamas and did not specify the identity of the other five. It said Hamas was using the school as a command center but provided no evidence.

The differing accounts and tolls could not be independently confirmed. UNRWA told The Associated Press they were not able to comment on Tuesdays report but said any report of a violation of a U.N. premises must be investigated.

Throughout the war, Israeli forces have struck hospitals, schools and other U.N.-run facilities sheltering Palestinian families fleeing their bombed-out homes. Israel blames civilian deaths on Hamas, saying militants operate among the population.

Israel accuses UNRWA, the largest aid group operating in the war-stricken enclave, of collaborating with Hamas and turning a blind eye to the militant groups activities in Gaza. It has repeatedly accused militants of operating out of UNRWA schools. The agency denies the claims.

More than 160 UNRWA facilities have been damaged and 191 U.N. staffers have been killed in the war, according to the U.N.

ISRAEL'S FAR RIGHT SEEKS REOCCUPATION OF GAZA

SDEROT, Israel  Thousands of people marched in the southern Israeli city of Sderot on Tuesday calling for the a return to military occupation for Gaza once the war is over.

Far-right Israelis are calling for the reestablishment of settlements in Gaza, saying they're needed to protect the country. Israeli troops withdrew from Gaza in 2005, uprooting some 9,000 settlers in a move that bitterly divided Israel.

We want to tell everybody in Israel and everybody in the world that Gaza is very very important to us and it has to be again in Israeli hands. Because if it wont be in Israeli hands we wont finish the things that we started doing in this war, said Smadar Dei, one of the marchers.

The Biden administration says it wont accept a return of Israeli military occupation of the Gaza Strip.

Sderot, which is a few kilometers from Gaza, was one of the first towns impacted when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, and the war is still very much felt in the area.

On Tuesday, which is Israel's independence day, supporters snaked through the city, waving Israeli flags, dancing and singing Hebrew songs against the backdrop of outgoing Israeli shelling into Gaza followed by plumes of smoke.

Rockets were also fired into Sderot from Gaza on Tuesday as people ducked for cover. Associated Press reporters saw what appeared to be the interception of rockets in the sky.

Supporters of reoccupying Gaza said the only way to secure Israel is by expanding Jewish settlements across the territory.

Instead of this smoke we want to see Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip, said Daniella Weiss, one of the organizers who's known as the godmother of the settler movement.

No more smoke or bombs, no more shelling on Sderot, she said.

U.N. SAYS ITS CONVOY WAS ATTACKED DESPITE BEING CLEARLY MARKED AND ANNOUNCED IN ADVANCE

GENEVA  The United Nations said Tuesday that a U.N. convoy that was attacked in Gaza a day earlier, killing an Indian staff member and injuring another staffer, was clearly marked and its planned movements had been announced in advance to Israeli authorities.

The Israeli military said previously that it was investigating the incident, which occurred near Rafah in southern Gaza, and that an initial inquiry showed the vehicle was struck in an active combat zone and that Israeli Defense Forces had not been made aware of the route of the vehicle.

Rolando Gomez, a U.N. spokesman in Geneva, told a regular briefing that the U.N. informs Israeli authorities of the movement of all its convoys in Gaza.

This is a standard operating procedure. That was the case yesterday morning," Gomez said.

The U.N. says the incident marked the first time that a U.N. international staff member has been killed since Israel launched a military offensive in Gaza after the deadly Oct. 7 attacks in Israel led by the militant Palestinian group Hamas.

The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, the main provider of aid in Gaza, says at least 188 of its employees have been killed since the start of the war.

Gomez said the death of the security staffer  whom he identified as an Indian national  was a sheer illustration that there is really nowhere safe in Gaza at the moment, and that the convoy was on its way to the European Hospital in Rafah.

NEARLY 450,000 PEOPLE HAVE FLED FROM RAFAH, U.N. SAYS

JERUSALEM  The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees says nearly 450,000 people have fled from Gazas southern city of Rafah since Israel launched an incursion there last week.

In a post on the social platform X on Tuesday, UNRWA said people face constant exhaustion, hunger and fear. Nowhere is safe. An immediate #ceasefire is the only hope.

The U.N. said Monday that another 100,000 people have been displaced in northern Gaza. Israel has ordered new evacuations in the north as it battles a resurgent Hamas in areas that were heavily bombed and cleared by ground troops earlier in the war.

That would mean nearly a quarter of Gazas population of 2.3 million people have been displaced in just the last week, more than seven months into the Israel-Hamas war.

The fighting in Rafah has made the two main border crossings into southern Gaza largely inaccessible, while newly opened crossings in the north only allow in a trickle of aid.

Humanitarian organizations say they are struggling to provide dwindling supplies of food, tents and blankets to the large numbers of newly displaced.

Israel has portrayed Rafah as Hamas last stronghold in Gaza and has said it must operate there in order to defeat the group and return scores of hostages captured in the Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war.

Before the incursion began last week, Rafah was housing some 1.3 million Palestinians, most of whom had fled fighting elsewhere.

QATAR PRIME MINISTER PLEDGES TO KEEP MEDIATING BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS AND SAYS A CEASE-FIRE IS REQUIRED NOW

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  Qatars prime minister said Tuesday that Doha would continue in its work as a mediator between Israel and Hamas amid the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip and that a cease-fire is required now.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who also serves as Qatars foreign minister, acknowledged that there had been a reassessment over its role as a mediator in recent weeks after facing widespread criticism by Israeli media outlets and politicians there. However, he said Qatar would continue in its work, though he noted that the country didnt want to be used or abused as a mediator.

We need to stop the killing, Sheikh Mohammed said. We need to stop (the) atrocities thats happening and, of course, negotiate a deal for the hostages.

However, he added: Its at the hands of the parties at the end of the day. He described the Israeli side as having no clarity over how to stop the war as it continued to squeeze in around Rafah, the city in the southern part of the Gaza Strip where many have fled amid the 7-month war there.

Sheikh Mohammeds remarks also suggested Hamas would continue to be based out of Doha. The militant group has had a political office there since 2012. Both Qatar and Egypt have served as mediators in negotiations over the war, which saw one cease-fire in November that saw Israeli hostages released in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.

Sheikh Mohammed spoke at the Qatar Economic Forum, put on by the Bloomberg news agency.

___

Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell contributed.

RIGHTS GROUP SAYS ISRAELI MILITARY HAS CARRIED OUT AT LEAST 8 STRIKES ON AID WORKERS AND THEIR CONVOYS

JERUSALEM  Human Rights Watch says Israeli forces have carried out at least eight strikes on aid workers and their convoys, killing at least 15 people, including two children, since the start of the war in Gaza.

The New York-based rights group said in a report Tuesday that in each case the aid groups had provided their coordinates to Israeli authorities to ensure their safety. It says no advance warning was given before the strikes, which also wounded at least 16 people.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says over 250 aid workers have been killed since the start of the war, mostly Palestinian employees of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, the main provider in the territory.

The Israeli military says it is investigating after a member of a U.N. security team was killed while driving in the southern city of Rafah on Monday. The military said the shooting occurred in an active combat zone and that it had not been informed of the vehicles route.

The U.N. said one of its international staff was killed and another wounded on Monday when their clearly-marked U.N. vehicle was fired upon. It did not say who was responsible or provide the nationalities of the staffers.

Human Rights Watch says the eight incidents it documented reveal fundamental flaws with the so-called deconfliction system, meant to protect aid workers and allow them to safely deliver life-saving humanitarian assistance in Gaza.

Belkis Wille, associate crisis, conflict, and arms director at Human Rights Watch, said Israels allies need to recognize that these attacks that have killed aid workers have happened over and over again, and they need to stop.

Israel came under heavy criticism last month after launching a series of strikes that killed seven aid workers with World Central Kitchen, the charity founded by celebrity chef Jose Andres.

Israel acknowledged its forces had made a mistake in that case. It later said it had dismissed two officers and reprimanded three more for mishandling critical information and violating the armys rules of engagement.

Aid organizations say their ability to deliver life-saving assistance to Gazas 2.3 million people has been hampered by Israeli restrictions, ongoing fighting and the difficulty of coordinating movements with the Israeli military. The U.N. says severe hunger is widespread in Gaza and that the northern part of the territory is experiencing full-blown famine.

Human Rights Watch says Israel did not respond to a request for information on the strikes sent on May 1. The military did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

ISRAELI STRIKES IN CENTRAL GAZA KILL AT LEAST 12 OVERNIGHT, PALESTINIAN OFFICIALS SAY

JERUSALEM  Palestinian officials say Israeli strikes in central Gaza killed at least 12 people overnight and into Tuesday.

The Civil Defense says its first responders recovered eight bodies from a three-story house that was flattened in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp. Four of the dead, including two men in their 60s and two women, were brought to a nearby hospital.

Another strike hit a caravan used by the Hamas-run police in a school-turned shelter in Nuseirat, killing at least four police officers.

The nearby Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital recorded the deaths.

Israel has repeatedly targeted Gazas police force as part of its campaign to dismantle the groups military and governing abilities. The police in turn have largely vanished from the streets, contributing to a breakdown in law and order that has hindered humanitarian aid operations.

Gazas Health Ministry says a total of 82 people killed in Israeli strikes have been brought to hospitals in Gaza in the last 24 hours, as well as 234 wounded people.

It says a total of 35,173 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war, which was triggered by Hamas Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel. The ministry does not differentiate between fighters and civilians in its tallies.

The Israeli military says it has killed over 13,000 militants, without providing evidence.

WHITE HOUSE ADVISER SAYS ISRAEL RISKS AN ENDLESS COUNTERINSURGENCY IN GAZA

WASHINGTON  White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday that the U.S. administration has expressed concerns to Israeli officials about becoming mired in a counterinsurgency campaign that never ends as Israel's War Cabinet remains focused on carrying out a major operation the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

The comments from a top adviser to President Joe Biden came a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken cautioned that Israel could be left holding the bag on an enduring insurgency in post-war Gaza.

Look, we have painful experience in counterinsurgency campaigns fighting terrorists in urban environments, in populated areas, said Sullivan, referring to long U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And we know that it is not as simple as executing a military operation and calling it a day.

Sullivan added that, One of the risks of engaging in any kind of counterinsurgency campaign is the ability of the terrorist group to attract more recruits and more followers as time goes on.

Sullivan said he spoke to his Israeli and Egyptian counterparts on Sunday about redoubling diplomatic efforts on a hostage-for-truce negotiations, and that U.S. officials would have further conversations with the Israelis in the coming days about how Israel can refine its plan to go after Hamas militants in Rafah while lessening the risk to Palestinian civilians.

He also pushed back against growing criticism from around the globe  as well as American critics of Israels prosecution of the war  who say Israeli forces are committing a genocide against the Palestinians.

Egypt, a key U.S. ally, said it would join South Africa's case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, which accuses Israel of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention.

I cant say that its helpful to the discussions between Egypt and Israel to try to sort through assistance and access issues, Sullivan said of the move announced Sunday by Cairo, which along with Qatar is a mediator in the cease-fire talks.

The top United Nations court has concluded there is a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza  a charge Israel strongly denies.
Latvia to allocate additional $11 million for Czech-led initiative to buy artillery shells for Ukraine

The Latvian government will allocate an additional 10 million euros (around $11 million) for a Czech-led initiative to buy artillery shells for Ukraine, the Delfi media outlet reported on May 14, citing Latvian officials.

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.

Multiple 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 batch of ammunition purchased under the initiative is expected to arrive in Ukraine in June, Pavel said on May 9.

After the closed governmental meeting, Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silinia and Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds confirmed the allocation of additional financial aid for shells purchasing within the Czech-led initiative, Delfi reported.

Spruds said Latvian funds would allow the allies to buy over 3,000 rounds of 155 mm shells.

The defense minister also reminded of Latvia's efforts in a framework of the drone coalition, which was established in cooperation with the U.K. in January to bolster Ukraine's arsenal of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Latvia has supplied Ukraine with nearly 100 UAVs and plans to ship around 1,000 attack drones of various capacities in June, according to Spruds.

The minister added that the coalition has already collected over 500 million euros ($535 million) to purchase drones for Ukraine.

In 2024 and 2025, Latvia will also provide military support to Ukraine worth 0.25% of its GDP. This year, Kyiv will receive 112 million euros (around $121 million), the minister said.

Read also: Latvia to provide Ukraine with domestically-produced drones and radar systems

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Latvia to provide EUR 10 million for Czech initiative to purchase ammunition for Ukraine

The Latvian government decided to allocate 10 million for the purchase of artillery ammunition for Ukraine at a closed-door meeting on Tuesday. Another batch of drones will be handed over to Ukraine this summer.

Source: Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina and Latvian Defence Minister Andris Spruds reported this to journalists after the meeting, European Pravda wrote, citing the Delfi news portal

Details: This amount of money is provided for the Czech initiative to supply artillery shells to Ukraine.

Spruds said that the money allocated by Latvia will be used to purchase more than 3,000 large-calibre 155 mm shells.

Speaking about the activities of the drone coalition led by Latvia and the UK, Spruds reiterated that Latvia has recently sent about 100 drones to Ukraine. The second batch, consisting of approximately 1,000 combat drones of various capacities, is scheduled to be shipped in June. So far, the coalition member states have pledged more than half a billion euros in funding for the purchase of drones.

This year and within the next two years, Latvia will provide Ukraine with military support in the amount of 0.25% of its GDP. This year, the sum equals 112 million euros, the minister reiterated.

Background:

Czechias President Petr Pavel said that the first batch of shells purchased for Ukraine under the Czech initiative would be delivered in June.

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.

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Maria Arriaga, 4, whispers to her mom, Lourdes Rojas, at Regional Park. Parents and teachers are upset about LAUSD's plan to require standardized tests for 4-year-olds in the TK program. (Michael Blackshire / Los Angeles Times)

This month in her transitional kindergarten class at L.A. Unified, student Maria Arriaga will be timed to see how many uppercase and lowercase letters she can name in a minute. Shell be tested to see if she can sound out nonsense words like vot, pag and lem, and asked to read sight words like young, speak and known.

Its a test intended for kindergarteners, but Maria is only 4 years old.

This year, for the first time, all TK students at LAUSD will be required to take the Kindergarten Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills, or DIBELS for short, a standardized screening test that evaluates a childs reading fluency using a series of four one-minute tests. For instance, students are given one minute to name as many uppercase and lowercase letters listed on a page as they can. It is not known how many school districts use this or a similar test in TK, but educators say most do not.

Giving this timed early literacy test designed for kindergartners to TK students has ignited protests among parents and is raising concerns among some educators early childhood experts about whether it is an appropriate measure for children of this age. TK is open to all 4-year-olds in Los Angeles Unified.

A University of Oregon researcher who developed DIBELS said it has not been validated to test such young children. "DIBELS is not intended for preschool students," Gina Biancarosa said in an email. "I see this as an example of people using DIBELS for unvalidated purposes, but in the grand scheme, its not one of the worst 'off' uses I have seen."

Los Angeles school officials said DIBELS provides a quick and valuable way to inform the students' future kindergarten teacher about their school readiness, and is requiring TK teachers to complete them by June 5.

Michael Romero, LAUSD's chief of Transitional Programs, said teachers can stop the test if a child isn't getting enough of the answers right.

"We're about promoting the joy of learning and exploration and experimentation, and the joy of school, and the joy of reading," he said. "We're not kindergarten. It's about kindergarten readiness."

But parents and teachers are up in arms. The problem, they say, is that the test is not intended for preschool-age children like Maria, and it tests for skills that do not align with the states expectations for what they will learn.

Read more: Preschool? Transitional kindergarten? Is there a difference? Parents are stressing out

I'm fearful that standardized testing will take away the joy of learning, said Marias mother, Lourdes Rojas, of Carson, who recently attended a school board meeting in a bright yellow T-shirt reading, "We learn through play, DONT TEST UTK." "That can mess with their self esteem," she said.

Rojas said TK has been wonderful for her daughter, who has learned everything through play, including how to spell her name. But she worries that prepping for DIBELS will rob teachers of valuable time, and that the closed-ended questions will cause anxiety without telling the school anything about a childs natural curiosity and creativity.

I don't want my child to be labeled or judged as a kindergartener when she's really not, Rojas said.

In a statement, LAUSD wrote that the information gathered in a students screening will allow their future kindergarten teacher to tailor instruction to them. Instead of beginning the year by introducing letters, for example, a teacher might decide to skip that lesson and jump ahead to decoding and word recognition.

District leaders were careful to describe the test as a "screener"  which provides a quick snapshot of a child's literacy skills  rather than an "assessment," which would monitor a child's progress over a longer period.

Given the nationwide achievement gap in reading, Los Angeles Unified wants to start early in understanding a students performance level and accelerate learning to mitigate the gap, while providing all of the appropriate supports and resources, they said in an email statement. "The screener is given by their teacher as a typical classroom activity that is naturally embedded into the day."

They said teachers were not expected to teach sight words or other literacy skills, which DIBELS tests for. But a few thousand kindergarteners generally arrive at the beginning of the year already reading, and its not always obvious which ones to put in the advanced group, they said.

Read more: California's hottest new student recruits? 4-year-olds

As a former kindergarten teacher, it would have been great to have some information about the kids that were coming into my classroom, said Dean Tagawa, executive director of LAUSDs Early Childhood Education Division, in an interview.

L.A. Unified is not using DIBELS to screen 4-year-olds who attend their other preschool programs, including Early Education Centers.

Most other preschool children, including those in California state preschools and Head Start classrooms, are assessed using standardized observational tools. Rather than taking a test, teachers observe them playing in the classroom  doing puzzles, coloring, building blocks, caring for a teddy bear  and asks their families to offer their own feedback. Teachers then use that information to measure how a child is developing, including their physical and social-emotional progress. The information is used to make sure a child is developing normally, and that a program is providing high-quality care.

Read more: A guide to preschool and child care. What you need to know

The standardized testing uproar at LAUSD is part of a larger conversation among California educators about what should be taught in TK. Is it really the first-year of a two-year kindergarten program, as the state department of education has called it, or is it more of a play-based early childhood program that should look more like the preschool around the corner?

TK has been around in some districts since 2012, but it was previously only for children with fall birthdays, who had narrowly missed the enrollment window for kindergarten. But the state is in the midst of a $2.7 billion expansion of the program to admit all children who turn 4 by the beginning of the school year. LAUSD has jumped ahead of the state; all children who turn 4 by Sept. 1 are already eligible to enroll.

Thats a shift for the whole system, so we have to change the mindset and the practices in how were operating TK, said Sarah Neville Morgan, deputy superintendent at the California Department of Education. We should look at fostering a joy of learning and that curiosity and love of learning that comes in early childhood.

Morgan said that in TK classes, school districts should be using preschool assessment tools that have been developed and validated for 4-year-olds. If they're trying to do a kindergarten entry assessment there are ways to do that, but we would suggest that happened more in kindergarten, she said.

Bruce Fuller, a UC Berkeley professor of education and public policy, said it would be concerning if the results of an unvalidated test were used to start tracking a child in kindergarten. The worry is its used to start to categorize the child as a slow learner, he said. Then it becomes an egregious error.

Another possible concern is that teachers could mainly focus on assessed skills and potentially start teaching to the test, said Peter Mangione, who is a lead contributor the development of the California Preschool Learning Foundations, which are intended to guide curriculum development for all preschool programs throughout the state, including TK.

I think thats what could happen with any kind of assessment, Mangione said. But DIBELS only tests a narrow slice of a young childs development. What we know is how your child is developing social-emotionally is as important as academic skills, he added.

LA Unifieds current plan to screen TK students with a kindergarten assessment at the end of the year is actually a compromise. Last fall, district leaders announced that DIBELS was to be given three times this year, alongside a second screener called i-Ready that tests for early math skills.

Thats like asking third graders to take fourth-grade assessments all year. It doesnt make sense, said Donna Dragich, a TK teacher at 7th Street Arts Integration Magnet in San Pedro. Its not developmentally appropriate.

Read more: Potty training, accidents, wiping issues complicate 4-year-olds' start at public schools

The issue soon became a heated topic in a Facebook group of about 800 LAUSD TK and early childhood teachers, she said.

Dragich and other TK teachers met repeatedly with the early education leadership team to push back on the districts testing plan, and she said officials were willing to listen. They pared back the original plan to just one literacy assessment at the end of the school year, when theyll be using the version intended for the beginning of kindergarten  when students will have to take it again.

Were putting these students through all this stress when theyre just going to have to do it again in three months, said Dragich, who said she received a 90-minute training session on giving DIBELS. She has not started giving her students the test yet in the hopes that district leadership will still change their minds.

Dragich is concerned that the 4-year-olds are going to have a negative association with testing before they can get to kindergarten.

Dragich used to be a kindergarten teacher and said that even for older students, DIBELS was very stressful. Even the advanced students had trouble staying focused, she said, even when just naming letters. They would get off track and say, B! I have a B in my name!.

Sayra Espinoza, a TK teacher at Overland Elementary School, said she was asked to give DIBELS to her students last year, when most had already turned 5. It did not go well.

It was pretty confusing for them, and it was frustrating for me, she said of the test, which took about 15 minutes per child to administer. A lot of them didnt understand concepts of print, so following along from left to right confused them. Some tried to read the letters from right to left or skipped lines altogether.

None of her TK students were able to complete the full test.

This article is part of The Times early childhood education initiative, focusing on the learning and development of California children from birth to age 5. For more information about the initiative and its philanthropic funders, go to latimes.com/earlyed.

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.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. Another group of former internally displaced persons (IDPs), consisting of families temporarily settled in dormitories, sanatoriums, pioneer camps, and administrative buildings in various territories of Azerbaijan, sent from the Garadagh district of Baku, has arrived in the native Shusha city, Trend reports.

At this stage, another 38 families (136 people) returned to Shusha.

The families were warmly welcomed and experienced the joy of reunification with their native land.

Until today, a permanent settlement in Shusha city has been provided for 58 families, i.e., 224 people (the first group of former IDPs returned to the city on May 9).

To note, 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.

Up to date, alongside Shusha, the former IDPs have returned to Lachin and Fuzuli cities, the villages of Talish (Aghdara district), Aghali (Zangilan district), Zabukh, and Sus (Lachin district).

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
The Indiana Statehouse on Thursday, May 25, 2023. (Leslie Bonilla Muniz/Indiana Capital Chronicle)

When Indiana lawmakers next converge upon the Statehouse for interim committee meetings, theyll take on artificial intelligence (AI), Medicaid spending and more  but wont take another look at marijuana.

Hoosier legislative sessions start in January and run to March or April, depending on the year. In between, lawmakers spend time learning about specific topics, then deliver reports to their colleagues summarizing any findings or bill proposals.

During the interim we look to our study committees to take deep dives into hot-button policy issues and determine what, if any, legislation should be pursued during the upcoming session, House Speaker Todd Huston said in a news release. There are a broad range of topics on deck for the summer, and well keep our focus on doing whats right by Hoosier taxpayers and building on Indianas tremendous economic momentum.

The Legislative Council released topics Tuesday.

Marijuana is not among them, unlike in prior interim lists. Bipartisan efforts to decriminalize and legalize marijuana have repeatedly failed to gain traction at the Statehouse, though in 2023 a House committee chose to hear testimony for the first time.

AI, however, will see more focus. Lawmakers made some related moves last session but theyll take a deeper dive in a dedicated committee over the interim.

Members will study the technology, assess benefits and risks to the state and how state AI use might affect Hoosiers. Then, theyll develop recommendations for how to use AI to achieve greater operational performance and efficiency of government services.

In an education committee  which, notably, was missing from the list last interim  members will examine the impact of absenteeism on students and school funding distributions, as well as school discipline related to creating a safe environment and improving educational access.

In a child services committee, theyll review reports from state and local child fatality review teams, as well as from the Department of Child Services, about child safety.

Theyll also begin preparing for the upcoming budget session in earnest, through the fiscal policy committee. That body is charged with reviewing tax expenditure reports for preparation and consideration of the budget, as well as multi-year reviews of tax incentives and workforce-related programs.

Other topics will also play into the budget.

Medicaid, for example, is taking up a growing chunk of the states budget. Lawmakers have grown increasingly worried about rising Medicaid costs, particularly after the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration reported a $1 billion forecasting error in December.

They reauthorized the Medicaid Oversight Committee last session, and itll meet again to review, consider and make recommendations concerning the low-income government health care program.

Medicaid is an entitlement program, meaning that people who meet the eligibility requirements have the right to enroll in coverage. States pay part of the bill, though the federal government pays for the bulk of expenses, but state can also narrow coverage options to cut costs.

Several ambitious, two-year efforts will also continue.

One is the State and Local Tax Review Task Force, which lawmakers hope to use to overhaul or even ditch some taxes. Its charged with examining the states near- and long-term financial outlook, debt, pension funding, a lengthy list of tax types and more.

Another is the Funding Indianas Roads for a Stronger, Safer Tomorrow Task Force, which was also reauthorized last session after a years-long retirement.

Indianas road funding money comes largely from motor fuel taxes, but that revenue expected to drop as cars become more fuel efficient and Hoosiers opt for electric vehicles. Lawmakers and transportation experts will reconvene to figure out how to finance the states future infrastructure needs.

Some lawmakers critiqued the interim topic list.

Sen. Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, said she was extremely disappointed the study topics didnt include environmental issues, and highlighted water resource management as a specific concern.

When we talk about healthcare and health outcomes, jobs, affordable housing, infrastructure  these are all issues underpinned by the quality of our natural environment and the resources it provides us, Yoder said in a news release. We cannot expect continued economic growth and prosperity for Hoosiers without protecting our natural resources  and we will continue to face poor qualities of place until Legislators give these topics the proper time and energy. An interim study committee on the environment is the least we could do.

The post Lawmakers to examine AI, Medicaid costs and more over interim appeared first on Indiana Capital Chronicle.
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY)  Scotty Quixx nightclub owners and the city of Norfolk have reached a $200,000 settlement, according to court documents.

The city and Scotty Quixx restaurant owners agreed to a settlement Jan. 4 that resulted in [the] dismissal of all pending claims the restaurant had against the city. As a result, the federal case was dismissed, and a dismissal order was entered on Jan. 8, 2024.

Previously: Scotty Quixx owners sue Norfolk City Council

The owners of the shuttered Scotty Quixx nightclub sued Norfolk City Council members in U.S. District Court in June 2023, claiming council singled out the downtown business because of its largely African-American clientele. The owners had demanded compensation for money lost when the city revoked the business special use permit.

Scotty Quixx had originally filed a $2 million lawsuit against the city in November 2022 in Norfolk Circuit Court, accusing the city, at the time of unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious behavior when it revoked Quixxs special exception permit that September. The complaint stated that the city and City Councils goal was not to remedy a possible reporting error, but instead to effectively put Scotty Quixx out of business. They felt all nightlife and bars in the downtown Norfolk area were being targeted following shootings in the area.

The settlement noted that both sides desire[d] to avoid the necessity, expense, inconvenience and uncertainty of litigation and to resolve and settle all claims and disagreements between them, known or unknown, arising out of, or in any way, related directly or indirectly to the dispute.

According to the settlement, the city agreed to pay Scotty Quixx $200,000 on-or-before Jan. 20, and that they agreed to move to dismiss, with prejudice, both the federal case and the defamation case no later than Jan. 5 of this year.

The settlement notes that the agreement is a compromise and is not an admission of liability, wrongdoing or responsibility on the part of any party.

Each side will pay their own, respective attorneys fees and costs related to the lawsuit.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, Utah (ABC4)  A 19-year-old missionary with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints serving in Utah County was booked on a first-degree felony rape charge, according to court documents.

Police with the Saratoga Springs Police Department said they were called to a home near 700 West and Blue Mountain Drive on Saturday, May 11. The caller reportedly told police a neighbor had sexually assaulted her sister.

Officers reported finding Abraham Issac Cruz Hernandez standing in the driveway when they arrived.

Hernandez allegedly told the police he and the victim were alone together in the garage when the two started making out, before having sex. Hernandez reportedly refused to answer any further questions from police after being read his rights.

DWR increases fish limit at Utah lakes in emergency change

The victim, whose age and identity have not been disclosed, told police Hernandez had forcibly grabbed her and performed sexual acts without her consent.

Police took Hernandez into custody and booked him into Utah County Jail on the aforementioned first-degree felony rape charge as well as first-degree felony forcible sodomy and misdemeanor sexual battery.

According to court documents, Hernandez was in Utah County serving as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In a statement provided to ABC4, the Church said it is cooperating fully with law enforcement in their investigation.

This individual was immediately removed from his volunteer missionary service as soon as the Church learned of these very serious and troubling allegations, the statement read. Missionaries are expected to abide by the highest standards and those who do not will be released and sent home, and in situations involving criminal allegations, also face loss of Church membership.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
Maximilian Krah, lead candidate of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) for the European elections, speaks in front of a crucifix during an election campaign event in Holzkirchen. Stefan Puchner/dpa

Maximilian Krah, a leading member of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), is standing down from the far-right party's executive, party leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla told journalists in Berlin on Tuesday.

Krah has been in the headlines for weeks following reports of possible links to pro-Russian networks and to China, as well as possible financial dealings.

German prosecutors are currently examining whether an investigation should be opened.

Krah, the party's lead candidate in next month's elections to the European Parliament, moved last month to fire his assistant, parliamentary aide Jian Guo, following allegations that Guo was spying for China.

German police arrested Guo on suspicion of spying on April 22.

Krah told the Junge Freiheit (Young Freedom) weekly, which is close to the AfD, that he aimed to concentrate on his work in the European Parliament and stand back from German domestic politics.

He said he had taken the decision months ago and denied it had anything to do with the Guo affair.

The AfD's signature issue is a hard-line anti-immigration stance, and the party is profiting from increased concern among many German voters over rising numbers seeking asylum in the country.

The party is polling nationally at around 18%, amid high dissatisfaction with Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-party coalition.

Its support reaches to around 30% in Thuringia and Saxony, where state elections will be held in September.
(Photo by Kyle Phillips/For Oklahoma Voice)

The University of Oklahomas recent decision to shutter a longstanding program intended to encourage, empower, and educate female Oklahoma college students to pursue civic and political service careers has deeply unsettled me.

I am upset by the abrupt end to this invaluable program, both as a 2007 alumna of the National Education for Womens Leadership program and a political science professor who has written recommendation letters and successfully sent at least two students to the program in my last decade of teaching.

The Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center has coordinated and hosted the NEW Leadership program since its inception in 2002, making me one of the elder graduates of a program that is critical to fostering Oklahomas future female political leaders.

The program was, unfortunately, collateral damage of Gov. Kevin Stitts Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion executive order and as such the university is no longer offering the program after this years class.

One of my most outstanding students has been accepted into the program, and it pains me to know that this stellar young woman may be the last I encourage to pursue the opportunity to participate.

I, along with a bipartisan chorus of politically-minded women in the state, am angered and disappointed by NEW Leaderships shuttering. From conservative firebrand Leslie Osborn to fellow alumna and House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson, many women have expressed their dismay and frustration at this significant loss.

My initial concern is that there were very few people outside of higher education who were privy to the NEW Leadership program and the two decades of good that it has done for Oklahomas women.

The program I attended was in its infancy, yet it still provided young women from across the state a unique opportunity to interact with their civically minded peers.

More importantly, it made our female government officials accessible to us. I met both Gov. Mary Fallin and Lt. Gov. Jari Askins within the programs one-week span. The NEW program emphasized planning for the future and brought in a host of speakers who engaged us in topics ranging from choosing the right graduate or law school for our career paths to how to get involved in political campaigns and electoral politics.

Because the program accepted students statewide, it was a critical resource for female students at Oklahomas rural colleges and universities. With the NEW programs discontinuation, young women may not get the same opportunities to interface with elected officials, experience the state Capitol, or receive the quality advice that the University of Oklahoma brought to its campus.

The program was intended to develop the confidence and empowerment of women, a traditionally marginalized sector within American political governance, to encourage more female representation in politics, civic life, and to simply be leaders amongst their peers.

This concern is the most pressing one to me with regards to state politics. Over the past five years, we have seen a decrease in the number of women elected to serve in office at the state Capitol.

According to the Center for American Women and Politics, while this decrease has not been significant, the drop from 32 female legislators in 2019 to 29 in 2024 is problematic in terms of female issues and voices being represented  or not  in Oklahoma.

Our state ranks 45th in terms of female state legislators, a trend I would hope our elected officials and citizenry alike would want to improve.

Female representation in federal and statewide offices is not much better, with women holding just one of seven U.S. Congressional seats and only three elected executive offices in Oklahoma. U.S. Rep. Stephanie Bice is the only woman representing us in Congress, while Labor Commissioner Leslie Osborn, State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd and Corporation Commissioner Kim David are the only female statewide elected officials.

Education empowers all students to reach their full potential and to achieve goals that those students did not believe possible. NEW Leadership is a crucial educational program for female students in Oklahoma.

It makes them aware of the multitude of possibilities that accompany an education and a life of civic and political service to the state and its people. It allows them to understand that they have a role and a place in their democracy.

The NEW Leadership program was a moment of clarity for me as a young woman.

It afforded me the opportunity to understand how women across the political spectrum experienced politics in Oklahoma.

I do hope that there is a clarification issued to the executive order that allows the University of Oklahoma to continue NEW Leadership well into the future. I would like my own daughter, as well as everyones daughters statewide, to have the same life-changing opportunity to participate that so greatly shaped the trajectory of my life and career.

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The post Leadership programs end will rob Oklahoma women of critical resources, entry point into politics appeared first on Oklahoma Voice.
In 2022, Michigan voters passed ballot Proposal 2, known as the Promote the Vote petition, to increase voting accessibility in state and federal elections.

CHEBOYGAN  Michigans expanded voting rights were the subject of an informational forum held by the League of Women Voters Northern Lower Michigan on Thursday, May 9, at the Cheboygan Area Public Library.

In 2022, Michigan voters passed ballot Proposal 2, known as the Promote the Vote petition, to increase voting accessibility in state and federal elections. Informing voters of the multiple ways in which they can cast their ballot is especially timely, as Michigans statewide primary election is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 6, and will be followed by the statewide general election on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

League of Women Voters representative Eileen Mikus led the forum, focusing on early voting, the permanent mail ballot list, absentee voting improvements and voter identification.

Early voting is available for nine consecutive days, eight hours per day, prior to election day at designated early voting sites. In Cheboygan, early voting is held at the Cheboygan County Building, 870 S. Main St.

For those individuals who prefer the flexibility of a mail-in ballot, a permanent mail ballot option is now available. This is best for people planning to stay in the same residence, however, as any change of address will not automatically be updated. It is the voters responsibility to alert their local clerk to changes in address, as ballots will not be forwarded. Voters will remain on the permanent absentee ballot list as long as they remain at the same address, or provide an updated address, within the state of Michigan. Individuals are removed from the list if they move out of state and surrender their Michigan license. Accommodations can be made for those who will be away from their home near the election by calling the clerk to have their ballot sent to a different address.

The absentee ballot system was also improved with the requirement that the state provide funding for return postage on all absentee ballots and ballot applications. In addition, voters have the right to be notified of any issues with their ballots, even up to three days after the election. Mikus encouraged voters to thoroughly read all ballot instructions to prevent any issues.

The status of an absentee ballot is available online at mi.gov/vote. If any issues are found they will be listed along with instructions on how to remedy them. This information can be received via text and email alerts as well.

Absentee ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day. For citizens overseas or in the military, ballots must be postmarked by election day but will be accepted up to six days after the election. Absentee ballots may also be returned into secure drop boxes. It is important, Mikus noted, that completed ballots be returned to the appropriate drop box.

Secure ballot drop boxes are not like a post office box, Mikus said. They must be dropped in the drop box where you vote.

More: League of Women Voters plans public forums on Michigans expanded voting rights

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Four new forms of photo identification are now accepted: student, local government, tribal and military. These are in addition to the other accepted forms, including a Michigan or other state drivers license, passport and federal identification.

Cheboygan County Clerk Karen Brewster attended the forum, adding that it is important voters remember that the primary ballot in the August election cannot be split; they must vote straight ticket. Proposals are listed on the back of the ballot, so voters must ensure both sides are completed.

Individuals curious about, or doubting the security of, the election and ballot counting process are encouraged to attend their local accuracy test, which tests the effectiveness and accuracy of the voting materials and tabulator. Poll workers are always needed, Mikus said, and those interested in undergoing the required training and working an upcoming election are encouraged to reach out to their city clerk. Undergoing the training process may also help to alleviate concerns about the security of the election process.

The League of Women Voters hosted several forums this month in Boyne City, Petoskey and Mackinaw City on the same topic. Their last forum is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on May 15 at the Charlevoix Public Library.

The League of Women Voters will provide non-partisan information about all candidates and proposals online at Vote411.com. This information will be available June 27 and Sept. 21 for the primary and general election, respectively.

Individuals with questions or in need of more information should visit MichiganVoting.org or contact questions@michiganvoting.org.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: League of Women Voters forum in Cheboygan educates public on expanded voting options, accessibility
LEAWOOD, Kan.  The Leawood, Kansas Police Department announced Tuesday that test results from the suspect in the Hereford House food contamination investigation indicate there is no ongoing risk to customers for infectious diseases.

Since the investigation began, 330 people have contacted investigators by phone, email or the online form after they ate at the Hereford House in Leawood between the dates of March 26 and April 25.

See the latest forecast, maps and radar for Kansas City

Police continue to investigate the recent food contamination by a former employee of the restaurant.

The Johnson County District Attorneys Office filed food adulteration charges against 21-year-old Jace Christian Hanson.

According to court documents, on April 25, information was received from an FBI special agent regarding possible intentional food contamination ongoing at Hereford House located at 5001 Town Center Drive.

The tip was about a restaurant employee contaminating food by means such as urinating in food or rubbing food items on his genitals and posting videos online.

Court documents say through the FBI checking IP addresses, they were able to locate an associated phone number that returned to Hanson. The special agent later provided thumbnails for videos posted to a website from username Vandalizer. The images depicted a male urinating in food contained in restaurant style bins, pressing food items against his privates and buttocks and using their feet to touch food items.

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Leawood police detectives contacted a manager of Hereford House. The head chef was called to the front and provided thumbnail photographs of the videos that had been posted online. He quickly recognized one of the thumbnails to his Au Jus sauce for the restaurant.

When officers asked Hanson if he was aware of any food contamination, Hanson stated, Ill just be straight up, yeah.

He stated he had been in contact with male subjects online that make requests for him to make videos. Hanson stated he meets these people through apps such as Grinder, Sniffys and Scruff. They also communicate through SnapChat, according to Hanson.

Hanson estimated there have been over 20 instances where he had contaminated food at the restaurant.

He stated he had worked for Hereford House for approximately a month. The first occurrence of contamination occurred a week and a half after starting the job, court documents say. He stated at first, it was an act done because he did not enjoy the job. Although he says he had begun to enjoy the job slightly more, the acts continued.

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Police continue to ask customers who experienced any illness after their meal between the dates of March 26 through April 26 to submit their information here. Customers who have already submitted a report do not need to resubmit their information.

Hanson is scheduled to be back in court in June.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Alaska Native elders, James Charles, the late David Bill, Sr. and Wilson Justin. Photo courtesy of Chief Mike Williams Alaska Native elders, James Charles, the late David Bill, Sr. and Wilson Justin. (Photo courtesy/Chief Mike Williams)

Two members of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), the vice chair of the Committee, and Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), introduced the Enhancing Native Elders Longevity, Dignity, Empowerment, and Respect (Native ELDER) Act that would improve federal programs and services focused on healthy aging and independence for Alaska Native, American Indian, and Native Hawaiian elders.

Honoring and caring for elders is foundational to Native American communities. Tribal elders in Minnesota and across the country have been clear about their needs, Smith said in a statement. Enhanced support for caregivers, funding for home modifications, and better training programs for Tribes to deliver in-home care are some of the basic needs this bill would help to meet. Taking care of our elders  giving them the tools to age comfortably and with dignity in their own homes  this is how we keep our communities strong, and Im proud this bill will help to deliver on that promise.

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Murkowski says in Alaska, stakeholders identified home modifications to improve accessibility and caregiver support as some of the greatest unmet needs for Alaska Native elders.

Our Elders already face substantially worse health outcomes at disproportionately higher rates than other seniors. We have to help bridge this divide by ensuring our Elders have the support they need to age at home, in their local communities. Prioritizing home modifications and supporting family members who act as caregivers, is essential in supporting not only Elders, but the entire community, Murkowski said.

The Native ELDER Act is a part of the 2024 Older American Act (OAA) reauthorization effort and would:

Establish an Older Americans Tribal Advisory Committee at the Administration on Aging, which would provide recommendations on how the OAAs programs can improve services for Native American Elders.

Prioritize accessible home modifications and in-home services necessary for American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Elders.

Enhance technical assistance and build infrastructure for tribes and tribal organizations so they have the capacity to deliver services to build up self-reliance of Native American communities.

Conduct a feasibility study for modifying the Native American Caregiver Support program, with the goal of enhancing elders ability to age in their own communities.

Direct the Secretary of Labor to submit a report to Congress on how recipients of funding under Title V of the OAA, a program providing subsidized community service and employment training to low-income, unemployed people 55 and older, are serving Native American Elders.

Direct the Assistant Secretary of Aging to evaluate and identify the barriers to Indian tribes accessing programs under Title VI of the Older American Act, which provides grants for nutrition services as well as family caregiver support to older Native Americans.

In 2019, the two senators introduced the Strengthening Services for Native Elders Act that would help tribal organizations provide a wider range of home and community-based health services to American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) elders. In 2020, provisions from that bill and the Older Americans Social Isolation and Loneliness Prevention Act were signed into law as part of the Older Americans Act Reauthorization.

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
Letters to the Editor: Did Jane Fonda save American lives by visiting North Vietnam in 1972?

Vietnamese people scale the U.S. embassy wall in Saigon on April 29, 1975, just before the end of the Vietnam War. (Neal Ulevich / Associated Press)

To the editor: Jane Fonda's actions arguably triggered the end of the Vietnam War. ("Why L.A. County's 'Jane Fonda Day' declaration was so astoundingly insensitive," Opinion, May 9)

As a Vietnam War era infantry officer whose company was on orders to go to Vietnam for the purpose of drawing Viet Cong fighters out of hiding, my life expectancy, as a general later told me, was about 12 days.

Then Fonda was photographed on a North Vietnamese antiaircraft gun in 1972, and all hell broke loose. Waiting in the airport to board my flight to Vietnam, out of nowhere came orders to return to our base.

I know the 100-plus members of my company and I were allowed to live because of Fonda's courage. About how many more American soldiers were spared the battlefield, I can only speculate.

I am grateful to Fonda every day of my life.

Frank Arentowicz, Los Angeles

..

To the editor: I flew 34 combat missions into Vietnam in 1972. When Fonda celebrated the North Vietnamese antiaircraft crews, posing for a picture with their guns that July, I was angry. When she posed with American prisoners of war, captive in Hanoi, I began to hate her.

For more than 15 years, that hate was never very far out of my mind. I cultivated it. It ate me up.

Then, in 1988, she publicly apologized. Something clicked in me that let me understand that all of the energy I'd invested keeping my hate alive had been worse than wasted.

I forgave her. I stopped hating. It was like a breath of fresh air.

Recently, I read in The Times that L.A. County had designated April 30 "Jane Fonda Day." The U.S. was driven out of Saigon on April 30, 1975. It is the day when the South Vietnamese community in the U.S. remembers the loss of their homeland.

Now I know what people mean when they say that while forgiving is easy, forgetting is not.

Mark Janssen, Yorba Linda

..

To the editor: Many Vietnamese ex-pats, including Assemblyman Tri Ta (R-Westminster), don't understand the history of Vietnam. The fall of Saigon and the South Vietnamese government in 1975 was the direct result of the American meddling in Vietnam.

Being a small country, Vietnam was repeatedly invaded, including by Japanese forces in World War II. After the war, Vietnam could have achieved independence were it not for then-President Harry S. Truman, who backed French control of the country.

After the defeat of the French, the major players in the region decided to partition Vietnam. China never wanted a strong, unified Vietnam, and the U.S. wanted to prevent the expansion of communism.

The fabrication of the second Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964 ensured the escalation of the American involvement in Vietnam, with tragic consequences.

The Vietnam War  or rather the American war  was a colossal miscalculation and failure of the U.S. government and military. It caused millions of Vietnamese deaths and the destruction of the country.

Son Trinh, Long Beach

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. The average nominal monthly wage of employees in Azerbaijan grew by 9.3 percent from January through March 2024 year on year, reaching 985.3 manat ($579.6), a source in the State Statistics Committee told Trend.

The number of employees in Azerbaijan's economy as of April 1, 2024, totaled 1.74 million people (899,800 and 849,100 in the public and private sectors, respectively).

Specifically, 19 percent of the employees were in education, 18.6 percent - trade and vehicle repair, 12.8 percent - industry, 8.4 percent - healthcare and social services, 6.6 percent in construction, and 6.4 percent in public administration and defense, along with social security.

Additionally, 4.2 percent accounted for transportation and warehousing, 3.8 percent - professional, scientific, and technical activities, 3.3 percent - agriculture, forestry, and fishing, 2.2 percent - financial and insurance activities, and 14.7 percent - other sectors of the economy.

In the mining industry, financial and insurance activities, information and communication, professional, scientific, and technical activities, as well as transportation and warehousing, the average nominal monthly wage was higher.

To note, the average monthly nominal salary of employees in Azerbaijan in 2023 increased by 11.2 percent compared to the same period last year and amounted to 933.8 manat ($549.29).

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Letters to the Editor: 'Are you a Zionist?' reveals something deeply disturbing about UCLA encampment

To the editor: So there are (or at least were) no-go zones for "Zionist" students on the UCLA campus. That should be enough for you to recognize what these protest encampments are.

If you need more, though, it's right in your article on the hostility to Zionism within the pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA: Wearing a Star of David makes you suspicious to the camp guards (an ugly irony in itself), and in order to be cleared of that suspicion, you must declare yourself to be anti-Zionist.

I wish the liberal news outlets covering these protests would learn the lessons of history. It doesn't start with concentration camps. It starts with demonization, which is the purpose of these protests.

People have a right to be Zionists without becoming second-class citizens, and most anti-Zionism is a fig leaf for bigotry.

Branden Frankel, Arcadia

..

To the editor: There are many Jews who are not Zionists. Some of them were involved in the many university demonstrations occurring across the country.

Zionism is a nationalistic, right-wing political ideology that came about in the late 19th century. To conflate being Jewish with Zionism is no different than stating that all Italians are fascists.

John Zavesky, Riverside

..

To the editor: Zionism means a people (Jews) with a culture, a history and a language are entitled to a place (a country) in the world to live with security, not necessarily Israel. It has nothing to do with Israel's policies.

During the Holocaust, countries including the United States would not help Jews or let them in. Zionism is necessary for Jews to survive. Anti-Zionism is antisemitism.

Edward Gilbert, Studio City

..

To the editor: "Are the students aware that the Israelis and Palestinians are basically the same people?"

That was asked by my cousin, a retired Jesuit theologian who taught Bible history at the University of San Francisco, while discussing the rabid clash of history-challenged, sincere but obdurate students across so many esteemed institutions.

Pro-this, anti-that and Zionist exhortations cannot be reconciled when zealous agitators miss the fundamental connective tissue. Researchers have found that both groups are genetically linked to the ancient Canaanites, who lived in the region 3,000 years ago.

Im a Baby Boomer who grew up with Middle East travails and The Troubles in Ireland perpetually framing the international discourse. One was resolutely solved; the other sadly appears intractable.

Mary MacGregor, La Quinta

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Lexington has another case of whooping cough at a high school, the fourth since April

A case of pertussis, or whooping cough, has been confirmed at Lafayette High School, marking the citys fourth since late April.

The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department is investigating to see if a possible connection exists in the cases and continues to work with Fayette County Public Schools to make caregivers aware of the threat of pertussis.

Since late April, two cases of whooping cough have been confirmed at Lexingtons Bryan Station High School and one at Lexington Catholic High School.

Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory illness spread by coughing and sneezing. It affects people of all ages but can be most serious in infants and those with chronic diseases, health department officials said Tuesday in a news release.

Lafayette High School in Lexington, Ky. Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023

The health department is recommending preventive antibiotics for high-risk students who were exposed to pertussis.

That includes students with a chronic illness or weakened immune system and those who live in households with the following: a family member with a chronic illness or weakened immune system, an infant or a pregnant woman.

Any school-age children with symptoms of pertussis should stay home from school and visit their health care provider for evaluation, even if they have previously been vaccinated. If found to have probable or confirmed pertussis, they should remain out of school until completion of their antibiotics, officials said.

What are the symptoms of whooping cough or pertussis?

The early symptoms are similar to a common cold: runny nose, sneezing, low-grade fever and coughing. After 1-2 weeks, the cough often gets worse, changing from a dry, hacking cough to bursts of uncontrollable, sometimes violent, coughing, according to health department officials.

The vaccine against pertussis is routine and required for school-age kids. The last confirmed cases of pertussis among school-aged children in Lexington were in February 2022, health department spokesperson Kevin Hall previously said.
Federal law enforcement and security officials have issued a warning about the potential for terrorist attacks at Pride events this year. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Homeland Security released a public service announcement on May 10 highlighting an increased threat environment during Pride Month in June.

The alert indicates that foreign terrorist organizations and their supporters may seek to exploit the large gatherings associated with Pride Month. These groups have a history of promoting anti- LGBTQ + rhetoric and targeting related events for attacks, the warning notes.

According to the announcement, recent events support the concern. In February 2023, an English-language ISIS publication called for attacks on unspecified soft targets, including LGBTQ+ events, the alert says.

Additionally, June 12 will mark the eighth anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando , where, in 2016, a gunman murdered 49 people and injured 53 others at the gay club, marking one of the deadliest mass shootings in United States history. ISIS celebrated the attack in its propaganda as one of the high-profile attacks in Western countries.

In June 2023, three alleged ISIS sympathizers were arrested in Vienna for attempting to attack a Swiss Pride parade using knives and a vehicle, according to the alert.

The FBI and DHS outlined several indicators of potential threat activity, such as violent online or in-person threats, unusual interest in security measures, and attempts to access restricted areas. The agencies recommend that the public remain vigilant and report suspicious activity to local law enforcement or the FBI.
Former President Donald Trump talks to the press with his attorney, Todd Blanche, right, outside the courtroom of his trial in Manhattan criminal court Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in New York. (Curtis Means/Pool Photo via AP)

NEW YORK (AP)  Donald Trump's attorneys started grilling prosecutors' star witness in his hush money trial Tuesday, portraying former attorney Michael Cohen as a media-obsessed liar who's determined to see the former president behind bars.

Cohen endured intense questioning by defense attorney Todd Blanche after providing pivotal testimony tying the presumptive Republican presidential nominee directly to the hush money scheme at the heart of the case.

Trump's former fixer will return to the witness stand Thursday for more cross-examination before prosecutors rest their case alleging a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election by silencing women who alleged sexual encounters with him. Trump denies that he had sex with the women and denies wrongdoing in the case.

Here are some key takeaways from Tuesday's proceedings:

ALL OF COHEN'S LIES

Prosecutors confronted Cohen's history of falsehoods head-on in an attempt to get ahead of an issue Trump lawyers are seizing on to attack the now-disbarred lawyer's credibility. Prosecutors also sought to paint Cohen as a devoted Trump loyalist, whose crimes were committed on the former presidents behalf.

Under questioning from prosecutor Susan Hoffinger, Cohen admitted that he lied to Congress during an investigation into potential ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign. Cohen pleaded guilty as part of special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation, admitting that he lied, among other things, about the number of times he spoke with Trump about a real estate project in Moscow.

Hoffinger also asked Cohen about concerns that he may have lied on the witness stand at the former presidents civil fraud trial last year. In that trial, Cohen insisted he didn't commit tax evasion, and said he had lied to the judge who accepted his guilty plea on the charge in 2018.

Cohen told Hoffinger he did not dispute the facts of his guilty plea, but that he didnt think he shouldve been charged with a crime as a first-time offender who always paid his taxes on the due date.

Cohen also told jurors he lied repeatedly for Trump, including after Cohen paid porn actor Stormy Daniels $130,000 to keep her from going public right before the 2016 election with her claims of a sexual encounter with Trump.

Asked by Hoffinger why he would do so, Cohen said: Out of loyalty and in order to protect him.

NO LONGER LOYAL

Cohen described to jurors how his life and relationship with Trump were upended after the FBI raided his office, apartment and hotel room in 2018. That would lead to Cohen pleading guilty to federal charges and implicating Trump in the hush money scheme. Trump was never charged with any crime related to that federal investigation.

Asked by the prosecutor how he felt at the time, Cohen said: How to describe your life being turned upside-down? Concerned. Despondent. Angry."

Initially, Cohen said he felt comforted because Trump, who was in the White House at the time, assured him not to worry. Trumps lawyers were also continuing to pay his legal fees and he remained part of a joint-defense agreement with Trump and his lawyers, he testified.

But his family eventually convinced him to turn on Trump, Cohen said.

My family, my wife, my daughter, my son, all said to me: Why are you holding onto this loyalty? What are you doing? Were supposed to be your first loyalty, Cohen told jurors.

After Cohens guilty plea, Trump bashed him on Twitter, writing: If anyone is looking for a good lawyer I would strongly suggest that you dont retain the services of Michael Cohen!

DEFENSE'S TURN TO GRILL

Trump's team opened their cross-examination by pressing Cohen about critical comments and vulgar social media posts he's made about the former president since the trial began. The defense's questions Tuesday didn't address the facts at the heart of the case but were designed to portray Cohen as a Trump-fixated loyalist who, spurned by his ex-boss, is now on a mission to get fame and revenge.

Is it fair to say youre motivated by fame? Blanche, Trump's lawyer, asked Cohen.

No sir, I dont think thats fair to say, Cohen replied. Later he added  in response to a question about whether he was motivated by publicity  that he is "motivated by many things.

Blanche asked Cohen to listen through headphones to an October 2020 podcast episode in which the former lawyer said Trump needs to wear handcuffs and that people will not be satisfied until this man is sitting inside a cell.

Cohen told Blanche he didnt recall saying that, but added: "I wouldnt put it past me.

Blanche also pressed Cohen on whether he wants to see Trump convicted in the case. Cohen initially hedged, saying: I would like to see accountability. Its not for me. Its for the jury and this court.

But asked again, Cohen responded: Sure.

GAG ORDER UPHELD

While jurors were hearing testimony from Cohen, Trump suffered another legal blow when an appeals court upheld a gag order that limits what he can say about the case.

Trump had challenged the gag order, which bars the former president from commenting publicly about jurors, witnesses and others connected to the case, including the judges family and prosecutors other than District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

The appeals court ruled that Judge Juan M. Merchan properly determined that Trumps public statements posed a significant threat to the integrity of the testimony of witnesses and potential witnesses.

Trump challenged restrictions on his ability to comment about Matthew Colangelo, a former Justice Department official who is a part of the prosecution team, and Merchans daughter, the head of a political consulting firm that has worked for Trumps rival Joe Biden and other Democratic candidates.

Trumps lawyers argued the gag order is an unconstitutional curb on the presumptive Republican nominees free speech rights while hes campaigning for president and fighting criminal charges. The judge has fined Trump for repeatedly violating the gag order and has warned the former president that future violations could send him to jail.

TRUMP'S SUPPORTERS

Limited by what he can say publicly about the case, Trump has been joined at the courthouse by a growing entourage of Republican supporters who echo his complaints about the prosecution. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson was the latest to do so Tuesday, attacking the legal system as corrupt and the case against Trump a sham.

It was a striking moment, underscoring Trump's political power even as he stands trial on criminal charges.

In remarks to reporters outside the courthouse, Johnson slammed Cohen as a man who has trouble with the truth and is clearly on a mission for personal revenge. Painting Trump as the victim of a politically motivated legal system, Johnson said the case is not about justice."

The people are losing faith right now in this country, theyre losing faith in our system of justice, Johnson said. I came here again today on my own to support President Trump because I am one of hundreds of millions of people and one citizen who is deeply concerned about this, he said.

____

Associated Press reporters Jill Colvin in New York and Colleen Long and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed.
New list rates the most bipartisan members of Congress  and the least

A newly released analysis from the Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University ranks members of Congress on bipartisanship (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom).

WASHINGTON  Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick were the most bipartisan members of Congress last year, according to a newly released analysis from the Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University.

The least bipartisan House lawmaker was Ohio Republican Jim Jordan, while Alabamas Katie Britt, a Republican freshman, placed last among senators.

The latest ranking of the most bipartisan lawmakers comes amid one of the least productive Congresses in the nations history and just months before nearly all House lawmakers and about one-third of the Senate face voters at the polls in November.

Maria Cancian, dean of the McCourt School of Public Policy, wrote in a statement announcing the new rankings that while there is much room for improvement, I am encouraged to see some progress on cross-party collaboration.

In these deeply divided times, and with an increasing amount of misleading information online, we need tools like the Bipartisan Index more than ever  an evidence-based and nonpartisan approach for measuring how well policymakers work across the aisle to get things done, Cancian wrote.

Lugar Center Policy Director Dan Diller wrote that it was especially disheartening that all eight new Senators who took office in January 2023 ranked in the bottom 30 percent of Senate scores.

Bipartisan cooperation on legislation in 2023 was deficient by historical standards, though there were some marginal improvements in scores from the previous Congress, Diller wrote.

The website with the rankings states that the Bipartisan Index is intended to fill a hole in the information available to the public about the performance of Members of Congress.

The Lugar Center, founded by the late U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, a Republican from Indiana, is a platform for informed debate and analysis of global issues, including nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, global food security, foreign assistance effectiveness and global development, energy security, and enhancing bipartisan governance, according to its website.

The rankings take into consideration the frequency with which a member of Congress sponsors bills that are co-sponsored by at least one member of the opposing party and the frequency with which a member co-sponsors bills introduced by members of the opposite Party.

Who is the most bipartisan?

The top 10 senators were:

Collins

Michigan Democrat Gary Peters

New Hampshire Democrat Maggie Hassan

West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin

Texas Republican John Cornyn

Nevada Democrat Jacky Rosen

Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski

Kansas Republican Jerry Moran

Indiana Republican Todd Young

Montana Democrat Jon Tester

The top 10 House lawmakers were:

Fitzpatrick

New York Republican Marcus Molinaro

New Hampshire Democrat Chris Pappas

New York Republican Mike Lawler

North Carolina Democrat Don Davis

Puerto Rico Republican Delegate Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon

Nevada Democrat Susie Lee

Nebraska Republican Don Bacon

New Jersey Democrat Josh Gottheimer

Iowa Republican Zach Nunn

The Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University wrote on their website that their aim in publishing this Index is not to promote a specific legislative agenda, as is the case for many indexes, but solely the promotion of a bipartisan approach to governance.

The credibility of the Index is derived from the objectivity of its methodology; Index scores are computed formulaically from publically available data, it states. The Index requires no subjective assessment of specific legislative items.

The least bipartisan House lawmakers following Jordan were New York Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Missouri Democrat Cori Bush, New York Democrat Jamaal Bowman and Missouri Republican Eric Burlison.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, ranked 423, but will likely be excluded from future scores since he has now occupied one of the top two leadership posts for at least six months.

The least bipartisan senators following Britt were Missouri Republican Eric Schmitt, Washington state Democrat Patty Murray, Wisconsin Republican Ron Johnson and Arkansas Republican Tom Cotton.

The post New list rates the most bipartisan members of Congress  and the least appeared first on Missouri Independent.
New list rates the most bipartisan members of Congressand the least

A newly released analysis from the Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University ranks members of Congress on bipartisanship. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

WASHINGTON  Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick were the most bipartisan members of Congress last year, according to a newly released analysis from the Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University.

The least bipartisan House lawmaker was Ohio Republican Jim Jordan, while Alabamas Katie Britt, a Republican freshman, placed last among senators.

The latest ranking of the most bipartisan lawmakers comes amid one of the least productive Congresses in the nations history and just months before nearly all House lawmakers and about one-third of the Senate face voters at the polls in November.

Maria Cancian, dean of the McCourt School of Public Policy, wrote in a statement announcing the new rankings that while there is much room for improvement, I am encouraged to see some progress on cross-party collaboration.

In these deeply divided times, and with an increasing amount of misleading information online, we need tools like the Bipartisan Index more than ever  an evidence-based and nonpartisan approach for measuring how well policymakers work across the aisle to get things done, Cancian wrote.

Lugar Center Policy Director Dan Diller wrote that it was especially disheartening that all eight new Senators who took office in January 2023 ranked in the bottom 30 percent of Senate scores.

Bipartisan cooperation on legislation in 2023 was deficient by historical standards, though there were some marginal improvements in scores from the previous Congress, Diller wrote.

The website with the rankings states that the Bipartisan Index is intended to fill a hole in the information available to the public about the performance of Members of Congress.

The Lugar Center, founded by the late U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, a Republican from Indiana, is a platform for informed debate and analysis of global issues, including nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, global food security, foreign assistance effectiveness and global development, energy security, and enhancing bipartisan governance, according to its website.

The rankings take into consideration the frequency with which a member of Congress sponsors bills that are co-sponsored by at least one member of the opposing party and the frequency with which a member co-sponsors bills introduced by members of the opposite Party.

Who is the most bipartisan?

The top 10 senators were:

Collins

Michigan Democrat Gary Peters

New Hampshire Democrat Maggie Hassan

West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin

Texas Republican John Cornyn

Nevada Democrat Jacky Rosen

Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski

Kansas Republican Jerry Moran

Indiana Republican Todd Young

Montana Democrat Jon Tester

The top 10 House lawmakers were:

Fitzpatrick

New York Republican Marcus Molinaro

New Hampshire Democrat Chris Pappas

New York Republican Mike Lawler

North Carolina Democrat Don Davis

Puerto Rico Republican Delegate Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon

Nevada Democrat Susie Lee

Nebraska Republican Don Bacon

New Jersey Democrat Josh Gottheimer

Iowa Republican Zach Nunn

The Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University wrote on their website that their aim in publishing this Index is not to promote a specific legislative agenda, as is the case for many indexes, but solely the promotion of a bipartisan approach to governance.

The credibility of the Index is derived from the objectivity of its methodology; Index scores are computed formulaically from publically available data, it states. The Index requires no subjective assessment of specific legislative items.

The least bipartisan House lawmakers following Jordan were New York Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Missouri Democrat Cori Bush, New York Democrat Jamaal Bowman and Missouri Republican Eric Burlison.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, ranked 423, but will likely be excluded from future scores since he has now occupied one of the top two leadership posts for at least six months.

The least bipartisan senators following Britt were Missouri Republican Eric Schmitt, Washington state Democrat Patty Murray, Wisconsin Republican Ron Johnson and Arkansas Republican Tom Cotton.

Sean Ross, spokesperson for Britt, wrote in a statement that the ranking is absurd.

Senator Britt has cosponsored 68 pieces of legislation sponsored by Democrats, as well as dozens and dozens of bipartisan pieces of legislation led by Republican sponsors, Ross wrote.

The bipartisan efforts she is helping lead span a wide range of important topics to Alabamians, including maternal mortality research and maternal care; youth mental health and social media usage; the fentanyl crisis; affordable insulin access; affordable rural housing; telehealth services; agriculture; domestic manufacturing and supply chains; fair trade; work force development; wildlife conservation; supporting law enforcement; and consumer protections.

The post New list rates the most bipartisan members of Congressand the least appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
New list rates the most bipartisan members of Congress  and the least

A newly released analysis from the Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University ranks members of Congress on bipartisanship. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

A newly released analysis from the Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University ranks members of Congress on bipartisanship. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

WASHINGTON  Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick were the most bipartisan members of Congress last year, according to a newly released analysis from the Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University.

The least bipartisan House lawmaker was Ohio Republican Jim Jordan, while Alabamas Katie Britt, a Republican freshman, placed last among senators.

Oregons rankings

Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer was ranked as the most bipartisan Oregon member of the U.S. House at 29, followed by Democratic Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (114), Earl Blumenauer (178), Andrea Salinas (222) and Val Hoyle (333). Oregons other Republican representative, Cliff Bentz, was rankied 408 among 436 representatives. In the U.S. Senate, Sens. Jeff Merkley was ranked 68, followed by Ron Wydens 80. Both are Democrats.

The latest ranking of the most bipartisan lawmakers comes amid one of the least productive Congresses in the nations history and just months before nearly all House lawmakers and about one-third of the Senate face voters at the polls in November.

Maria Cancian, dean of the McCourt School of Public Policy, wrote in a statement announcing the new rankings that while there is much room for improvement, I am encouraged to see some progress on cross-party collaboration.

In these deeply divided times, and with an increasing amount of misleading information online, we need tools like the Bipartisan Index more than ever  an evidence-based and nonpartisan approach for measuring how well policymakers work across the aisle to get things done, Cancian wrote.

Lugar Center Policy Director Dan Diller wrote that it was especially disheartening that all eight new senators who took office in January 2023 ranked in the bottom 30 percent of Senate scores.

Bipartisan cooperation on legislation in 2023 was deficient by historical standards, though there were some marginal improvements in scores from the previous Congress, Diller wrote.

The website with the rankings states that the Bipartisan Index is intended to fill a hole in the information available to the public about the performance of Members of Congress.

The Lugar Center, founded by the late U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, a Republican from Indiana, is a platform for informed debate and analysis of global issues, including nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, global food security, foreign assistance effectiveness and global development, energy security, and enhancing bipartisan governance, according to its website.

The rankings take into consideration the frequency with which a member of Congress sponsors bills that are co-sponsored by at least one member of the opposing party and the frequency with which a member co-sponsors bills introduced by members of the opposite party.

Who is the most bipartisan?

The top 10 senators were:

Collins

Michigan Democrat Gary Peters

New Hampshire Democrat Maggie Hassan

West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin

Texas Republican John Cornyn

Nevada Democrat Jacky Rosen

Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski

Kansas Republican Jerry Moran

Indiana Republican Todd Young

Montana Democrat Jon Tester

The top 10 House lawmakers were:

Fitzpatrick

New York Republican Marcus Molinaro

New Hampshire Democrat Chris Pappas

New York Republican Mike Lawler

North Carolina Democrat Don Davis

Puerto Rico Republican Delegate Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon

Nevada Democrat Susie Lee

Nebraska Republican Don Bacon

New Jersey Democrat Josh Gottheimer

Iowa Republican Zach Nunn

The Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University wrote on their website that their aim in publishing this Index is not to promote a specific legislative agenda, as is the case for many indexes, but solely the promotion of a bipartisan approach to governance.

The credibility of the Index is derived from the objectivity of its methodology; Index scores are computed formulaically from publically available data, it states. The Index requires no subjective assessment of specific legislative items.

The least bipartisan House lawmakers following Jordan were New York Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Missouri Democrat Cori Bush, New York Democrat Jamaal Bowman and Missouri Republican Eric Burlison.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, ranked 423, but will likely be excluded from future scores since he has now occupied one of the top two leadership posts for at least six months.

The least bipartisan senators following Britt were Missouri Republican Eric Schmitt, Washington state Democrat Patty Murray, Wisconsin Republican Ron Johnson and Arkansas Republican Tom Cotton.

Sean Ross, spokesperson for Britt, wrote in a statement that the ranking is absurd.

Senator Britt has cosponsored 68 pieces of legislation sponsored by Democrats, as well as dozens and dozens of bipartisan pieces of legislation led by Republican sponsors, Ross wrote.

The bipartisan efforts she is helping lead span a wide range of important topics to Alabamians, including maternal mortality research and maternal care; youth mental health and social media usage; the fentanyl crisis; affordable insulin access; affordable rural housing; telehealth services; agriculture; domestic manufacturing and supply chains; fair trade; work force development; wildlife conservation; supporting law enforcement; and consumer protections.

The post New list rates the most bipartisan members of Congress  and the least appeared first on Oregon Capital Chronicle.
The former president's lawyer and so-called fixer was called back to the witness stand today.

Michael Cohen is questioned by prosecutor Susan Hoffinger as Judge Juan Merchan and former President Donald Trump look on inside Manhattan criminal court Monday in this courtroom sketch. (Jane Rosenberg/Reuters)

Michael Cohen, Donald Trumps former lawyer and so-called fixer, returned to the witness stand Tuesday for the second straight day to testify about his role in facilitating a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels to conceal the sexual affair she says she had with the former president.

Cohen testified for nearly five hours on Monday about the hush money agreement he struck with Daniels on the eve of the 2016 presidential election for her to stay silent about her alleged tryst with Trump a decade earlier. Under direct questioning, Cohen told the court that Trump directed him to pay Daniels and approved a scheme to conceal his reimbursement.

Trump is facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal the hush money payment to Daniels.

Below, get live updates on the case, including direct quotes and other details from media reports.

LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER 39 updates Gag order does not prevent Trump from attacking Merchan In a courtroom sketch from last week, Judge Juan Merchan listens as Stormy Daniels testifies. (Jane Rosenberg/Reuters) Trump called the gag order imposed on him before the trial by Judge Juan Merchan totally unconstitutional after day 17 of his hush money trial wrapped on Tuesday. The New York appeals court denied Trump's request to end the gag order earlier in the day. Trump has repeatedly complained at length about the gag order that prevents him from attacking witnesses such as Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen. But the gag order does not prevent Trump from attacking Merchan, and the former president and his campaign have been railing against Merchan at every turn. On Tuesday morning, as Trump was headed to court, his campaign sent out an email blast under his name with the subject line: The filthy Democrat judge wants to see me behind bars. Trump's supporters in Congress, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have also attacked Merchan in their public comments about the case.

Court breaks for the day Judge Juan Merchan sent the jury home for the day. The trial will be dark on Wednesday and will resume on Thursday, May 16, according to the Washington Post.

Cohen says it's not fair to say fame motivates him Trump attorney Todd Blanche read a quote from Cohen's book Disloyal, in which he wrote that what he desires in life is power, the good life, public acclaim, big deals, fast cars, private planes, the excess and the glamour and zest for life. Per the New York Times, Cohen confirmed that those were his words. Is it fair to say you are motivated by fame? Blanche asked Cohen, according to CNN. No, sir. I dont think thats fair to say, Cohen replied. When asked if he was motivated by publicity, Cohen repeated that that was not fair to say, but said instead that he is motivated by many things.

Court is back in session Judge Juan Merchan has returned to the bench, and the defense's cross-examination of Cohen continues into the final stretch of day 17.

Trump reportedly appears to fall asleep during Cohen's cross-examination While Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche conducted his cross-examination of Cohen, Trump appeared to be snoozing for several minutes and had to be roused awake by lawyer Susan Necheles, per reporters in the room. Politico described Trump as motionless, his head hanging down. CNN said his eyes were closed, with his chin on his chest. Necheles reportedly stared at Trump for a few seconds and tried getting his attention before moving into a seat next to Trump. She then whispered in his ear and went back to her seat, CNN reported.

Day 2 of Michael Cohen's testimony, as seen through courtroom sketches Michael Cohen is questioned by prosecutor Susan Hoffinger before Judge Juan Merchan as former President Donald Trump and his lawyer Emil Bove look on inside Manhattan criminal court on Tuesday. (Jane Rosenberg/Reuters) Since the trial is not being televised and news photographers are only permitted 45 seconds to take still photos prior to the start of each day, the only images from inside the courtroom during Michael Cohen's testimony are portraits by sketch artists. These, by noted sketch artist Jane Rosenberg, show Cohen on the witness stand being questioned by prosecutor Susan Hoffinger while Judge Juan Merchan, Trump and his defense attorney Emil Bove look on. Cohen appears bespectacled in one, looking at a screen that is displaying one of the checks that he said were from Trump to reimburse him for the hush money payment he made to Stormy Daniels. Cohen is questioned by Hoffinger while a reimbursement check is shown on a screen during Trump's criminal hush money trial on Tuesday. (Jane Rosenberg/Reuters) Trump watches Cohen's testimony as his signature on a check to Cohen is shown on a screen in court on Tuesday. (Jane Rosenberg/Reuters) The judge watches as Cohen testifies on Tuesday. (Jane Rosenberg/Reuters) In another, Cohen appears to be looking down on the witness stand while Trump sits with his eyes closed. Trump and Cohen. (Jane Rosenberg/Reuters)

Court on break The trial takes a short afternoon recess.

Blanche asks Cohen to distinguish lies from inaccuracies Trump attorney Todd Blanche pressed Cohen to explain the difference between a lie and an inaccuracy in a line of questioning about statements to special counsel Robert Mueller in his probe into Trump's ties to Russia. Is not-accurate information a lie? Blanche asked, according to CNN. Sure, Cohen said. Is it a lie? Blanche asked. It was inaccurate, yes, Cohen said. Was it a lie? Blanche asked. I dont know if I would characterize it as a lie. It was inaccurate, Cohen said, continuing with, It wasnt truthful. You want to call it a lie, Ill call it a lie.

Cohen is asked whether he was 'obsessed' with Trump A key exchange during Cohen's cross-examination occurred when Trump's defense lawyer Todd Blanche pressed Cohen about whether he was "obsessed" with his former boss. "I wouldnt say obsessed," Cohen replied. "I admired him tremendously." But Cohen also acknowledged that he used the word "obsessed" in his book, "Disloyal."  Big picture: It's clear that the defense wants to portray Cohen as someone whose obsession with Trump turned vengeful when it became clear the former president was not interested in giving him a meaningful White House job.

Jury is shown Trump-related merch that Cohen is selling online A T-shirt that depicts Trump behind bars is available for $32 in Michael Cohen's online store. (Courtesy Mea Culpa podcast) Cohen was pressed by defense attorney Todd Blanche about the Trump-related merchandise he sells in the online store for his podcast, Mea Culpa. The jury was shown a photo of a $22 coffee mug that is sold on the site, which reads: "Send him to the big house not the White House." They were also shown a $32 T-shirt depicting Trump behind bars, which Cohen said he wore last week on his TikTok show. Blanche asked Cohen if he was encouraging people to buy it. Yes, it's part of the merch store, Cohen replied.

Cohen concedes that he wants to see Trump convicted Trump lawyer Todd Blanche reportedly asked Cohen whether he has "regularly commented on your podcasts that you want President Trump convicted in this case? Yes probably, Cohen responded, adding that he wanted to "see accountability." Pressed for a "yes or no" answer on whether he wants to see Trump convicted in the hush money case, Cohen reportedly said, "Sure."

Cohen says he mentions Trump in every podcast Cohen testified that he records two podcasts twice a week, totaling four podcasts a week, and confirmed Trump comes up in all of his episodes. "I would say he's mentioned in every one, yes," Cohen said.

Cohen says prosecutors have asked him to stop commenting on the case As he was pressed by the defense about the disparaging comments he's made about Trump on social media, Cohen confirmed that prosecutors have repeatedly asked him to stop publicly commenting about the case.  Big picture: During procedural arguments last week, Trump's lawyers asked Judge Juan Merchan to impose a gag order on Cohen, complaining that the former president, who is under his own gag order, is unable to respond to Cohen's comments. Prosecutors said that they have asked their witnesses to refrain from publicly discussing the case but were limited in what they could control.

Trump's defense questions Cohen about personal social media digs A courtroom sketch of Michael Cohen on the stand during former President Donald Trump's criminal trial in New York City on Tuesday. (Jane Rosenberg/Reuters) Trump attorney Todd Blanche started his cross-examination of Cohen by referencing an alleged personal social media swipe. You went on TikTok and called me a crying little s*** Blanche asked Cohen, according to CNN. Sounds like something I would say, Cohen reportedly responded before the prosecution objected to the question, per reporters in the room. Judge Juan Merchan sustained the objection.

Court is back in session Judge Juan Merchan is on the bench and Trump's defense team is set to begin its cross-examination of Michael Cohen.

Michael Cohen will be the prosecution's final witness Court transcripts reveal that during a morning sidebar, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass told Judge Juan Merchan that the prosecution scrapped plans to call another witness, a publisher. That means Michael Cohen will be the final witness called by the prosecution in Trump's hush money trial. The New York State Unified Court System's media website has made certified transcripts free to access following each day's proceedings.

Defense cross-examination of Cohen to begin after lunch The court is taking its daily lunch break. When the trial resumes at 2 p.m. ET, the defense will begin its cross-examination of Michael Cohen.

Cohen says he did not alter audio recording of Trump Under direct questioning, prosecutor Susan Hoffinger reportedly asked Cohen, "At any time did you alter or modify the audio recording of your conversation with Mr. Trump?" "No maam," Cohen replied. Here's the key part of that recording.  Big picture: The jury has heard the cellphone recording that Cohen made of his conversation with Trump about the hush money deal they made with Karen McDougal. When it was first introduced, defense attorney Emil Bove suggested that it was possible Cohen's cellphones could have been tampered with.

Cohen says McDougal payment was to ensure Trump election would not be hindered Cohen told prosecutor Susan Hoffinger that he worked with American Media Inc., which owns the National Enquirer, to pay off Karen McDougal "in order to ensure that the possibility of Mr. Trump succeeding in the election  that this would not be a hindrance." The payments to McDougal to suppress her claims that she had an affair with Trump were also part of Cohen's 2018 guilty plea.

Cohen recounts apologizing to the American public Cohen recalled his previous testimony to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees and the House Oversight Committee about payments made to Stormy Daniels, in which he also apologized to Congress and the country for his earlier lies under oath. "I apologized to Congress. I apologized to the country. I apologized to my family," Cohen said, according to CNN. He said he apologized to the American public "for lying to them, for acting in a way that suppressed information that the citizenry had a right to know in order to make a determination on the individual who was seeking the highest office in the land."

Cohen testifies about the moment he decided to turn on Trump Despite the FBI raid on his home and office, Cohen remained fiercely loyal to Trump. But he told the court that a conversation he had with his family members changed his perspective. "And my family  my wife, my daughter, my son  all said to me, 'Why are you holding on to this loyalty? What are you doing? We're supposed to be your first loyalty,'" Cohen recalled in court, according to reporters in the courtroom. "I made a decision based again on the conversation I had with my family that I would not lie for President Trump anymore," he said. Soon after, Cohen pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations, tax evasion and lying to Congress, was sentenced to three years in federal prison and began cooperating with prosecutors.

Cohen testifies about 'back-channel communication' with Trump Michael Cohen testifies during Donald Trump's criminal trial on May 14, 2024 in this courtroom sketch. (Jane Rosenberg/Reuters) Cohen testified that his former legal adviser, Robert Costello, told him not to reach out to then-president Trump directly and offered to open a back channel to Trump "to ensure that you're still good and you're still secure," according to reporters in the room. Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger introduced emails from April 19, 2018, into evidence between Cohen and Costello, who Cohen deemed as "sketchy," due to his close ties with Rudy Giuliani. "I am sure you saw the news that Rudy is joining the Trump legal team. I told you my relationship with Rudy which could be very very useful for you," Costello emailed, according to CNN. "The back channel was Bob Costello to Rudy, Rudy to President Trump," Cohen explained of the back-channel structure.

Court is back in session Judge Juan Merchan is back on the bench and Michael Cohen returns to the witness stand.

Trump gag order appeal rejected A New York appeals court has denied Trump's request to end the gag order that was imposed on him in the ongoing hush money case, according to the court's order. "We find that Justice Merchan properly weighed petitioners First Amendment Rights against the courts historical commitment to ensuring the fair administration of justice in criminal cases, and the right of persons related or tangentially related to the criminal proceedings from being free from threats, intimidation, harassment, and harm," the court wrote. Judge Juan Merchan has held Trump in contempt 10 times for violating the gag order. Trump has called the order against him unconstitutional.

Cohen testifies about the FBI raid on his hotel, apartment and office Before the midmorning break, Cohen testified about the 2018 FBI raid of his hotel room, apartment and office. Cohen said he was staying at the Loews Regency hotel in Manhattan because his apartment had flooded. "At 7 a.m. in the morning, theres a knock on the door. I look through the peephole. I saw a ton of people out in the hallway. I saw the badge, so I opened the door. They identified themselves as the FBI, asked me to step into the hallway," Cohen reportedly said. He said he was shown a search warrant and that agents seized his two cellphones as well as other electronic devices and assorted records. Cohen said he was angry and scared, but that Trump sought to reassure him. Dont worry. Im the president of the United States," Trump told him, according to Cohen. "Theres nothing here. Everythings going to be OK. Stay tough. Youre going to be OK. Cohen added that it was the last time the two men spoke.

Court takes short recess The court is taking a 15-minute midmorning break.

Cohen testifies that he misled Maggie Haberman, who is sitting in court While Cohen was testifying, the jury was shown a text he sent to New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, who is sitting in the courtroom and live-blogging the trial. In the text, Cohen informed Haberman that Trump approved of a statement that he was prepared to give her saying that Cohen made the hush money payment to Daniels himself, and that neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a part of it. Cohen told the court that the statement was misleading, which Haberman quickly noted on the Times blog. "We noted in coverage of Cohen's statement at the time that he wouldn't answer follow-up questions," she wrote. "Now, years later, he is testifying that the statement was misleading."

Cohen says he knew Stormy Daniels's statement denying affair was false Cohen says he knew Stormy Daniels's statement denying the alleged sexual encounter with Trump was false and that he informed Trump about getting her to deny it, according to reporters in the courtroom. Cohen said he wanted to "get credit" for his continued efforts to protect Trump. On Jan. 17, 2018, Cohen confirmed that he exchanged text messages with Daniels's attorney, Keith Davidson, telling him that he had booked Daniels to appear on Sean Hannity's Fox News show. "I wanted to continue to promote the statement that there was no relationship and that Trump had no involvement," Cohen told prosecutor Susan Hoffinger. However, Daniels ended up not doing the interview. Later that evening, Cohen texted Davidson that the story was "dying" and that she shouldn't do any more interviews.

Cohen explains why he lied to Congress Under direct questioning by prosecutor Susan Hoffinger, Cohen testified about his 2017 testimony to Congress, during which he lied to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees that were probing Trump's possible ties to Russia. Cohen said that he felt "a tremendous amount of pressure" both financially and personally to appease Trump and therefore made false statements downplaying the Trump Tower Moscow real estate project. "I was staying on Mr. Trumps message that there was no 'Russia, Russia, Russia,'" Cohen said. Cohen was later sentenced to three years in federal prison for lying to Congress, tax evasion and campaign finance violations for his role in the hush money deals with Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels.  Big picture: When it's time for cross-examination, Trump's defense attorneys will no doubt grill Cohen over the lies he told to Congressunder oath. The prosecution is allowing him to explain his reasoning to the jury before they do.

Cohen says he did less than 10 hours of legal work for Trump in 2017 Michael Cohen on Tuesday is questioned by prosecutor Susan Hoffinger during former President Donald Trump's criminal trial in Manhattan. (Jane Rosenberg/Reuters) Cohen answered "no" when prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked whether the $420,000 he was paid from the invoices in 2017 had anything to do with the small amount of work he did for Trump that year, according to reporters in the room. Cohen testified that he thinks he worked less than 10 hours for Trump in 2017. He said, for example, that he looked over Melania Trump's agreement with wax museum Madame Tussauds, but said he was not compensated for that. "I didnt expect to be paid on it. It wasnt enough work to have me send an invoice," Cohen reportedly said. .

Speaker Johnson goes after Cohen, Judge Merchan in remarks outside courthouse Speaking to reporters outside the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson reiterated Trump's claims that the hush money trial playing out inside is a politically motivated "scam." Johnson, who is among the Republican lawmakers who have joined the former president in court this week, went even further, attacking the prosecutors in the case; their key witness, Michael Cohen; and the judge's daughter  all of which Trump himself is barred from doing under a gag order. Of Cohen, Trump's former lawyer and "fixer" who is on the witness stand again today, Johnson said: "This is a man who is clearly on a mission for personal revenge, and who is widely known as a witness who has trouble with the truth. "No one should believe a word he says today," Johnson continued, adding that Cohen "lied to Congress, he lied to the IRS. He lied to federal election officials."

Cohen describes meeting he had with Trump in the Oval Office Cohen described a meeting he had with Trump in the Oval Office on Feb. 8, 2017, during which he said the then president discussed reimbursing Cohen for the hush money that was paid to Stormy Daniels before the election. According to Cohen, Trump told him to arrange a repayment schedule with Allen Weisselberg, the Trump Organization chief financial officer, and that he would initially receive two checks, dated January and February of that year. Cohen said he received 11 checks in all, totaling $420,000, and that the invoices he submitted for them were falsely categorized as being for legal services.  Big picture: Prosecutors want to show that Trump not only knew of Cohen's reimbursement, he also directed it.

Cohen testifies retainer invoices were false documents Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger walked Cohen through the invoices and the checks he received. "Did you receive this check for $35,000 in response to that false invoice?" Hoffinger asked, according to ABC News. "Yes ma'am," Cohen replied. "Whose signature is it?" Hoffinger questioned. "Donald J. Trump," Cohen said. Hoffinger reportedly went on to ask, "Were any of those invoices that you submitted based on services performed for the months indicated pursuant to a retainer agreement?" "No maam," Cohen said. "They were for a reimbursement.

What Trump said when he arrived at court Donald Trump and his attorney Todd Blanche, at right, arriving at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse on Tuesday. (Michael M. Santiago/Pool via Getty Images) Speaking to reporters after arriving at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse, Trump praised his supporters in Congress who are joining him in court Tuesday. Among them: House Speaker Mike Johnson and GOP Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills of Florida. "I do have a lot of surrogates, and they are speaking very beautifully. And they come from all over Washington, and they're highly respected and they think this is the greatest scam they've ever seen," Trump said. "They're very embarrassed by what's going on." Trump went on to complain about the gag order preventing him from attacking witnesses, including Michael Cohen, who is testifying against him for the second straight day. "The gag order has to come off," Trump said. "When you ask me a question about the people that we're talking about, I'm not allowed to answer."

Michael Cohen is back on the witness stand Michael Cohen has taken a seat on the witness stand to resume testimony for a second day. The jury has been called into the courtroom.

New York City's hottest club is Trump's hush money trial: 'It's better than a Broadway show.' Members of the public have paid line sitters hundreds of dollars in hopes of securing seats for Tuesday's trial proceedings, during which Michael Cohen is set to take the witness stand for a second day, according to the New York Times. Some have been waiting outside the Manhattan courthouse since Monday night. The Times reported: One woman outside said she paid $750 for a line sitter. Its better than a Broadway show, she told me. Trouble started early though, when a few people butted into line, sparking some tense exchanges. Then a man at the front of the line sold his spot to two people, purportedly for $2,000, causing further consternation.

Court is in session Judge Juan Merchan is on the bench for day 17 of Trump's hush money trial.

House Speaker Mike Johnson will be in court to support Trump House Speaker Mike Johnson at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on April 12. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Trump has had a steady stream of Republican lawmakers attend the trial to show support. The latest: House Speaker Mike Johnson, whose office issued a statement saying he will join the former president at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse on Tuesday and "address the media outside of the ongoing sham prosecution of President Trump." Also joining Trump in court today: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, GOP Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills of Florida, and Vivek Ramaswamy, who was one of Trump's Republican primary challengers.

What to expect in court today Former President Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial resumes Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer and so-called fixer, is expected to be called back to the witness stand for a second straight day of direct testimony.

Cohen testified for nearly five hours on Monday, telling the the court that Trump directed him to pay Stormy Daniels $130,000 before the 2016 election, to silence her about her alleged sexual affair with Trump  and approved of a scheme to conceal his reimbursement.

Prosecutors said they could wrap up presenting their case against Trump as soon as this week.

It's unclear whether Trump will testify when the defense presents his case.


HICKSVILLE, N.Y. (PIX11)  Its an issue that affects an estimated 1 million people on Long Island. Now, the first steps are being made to fix the problem, thanks to a grant from the $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Even though that overall funding package is massive, the set of grants to help build a new groundwater filtration facility is still not enough to pay for the entire facilitys costs. Without either an additional grant, or a civil case verdict resulting in a large financial payment, some of the cost for getting safe drinking water will be borne by water district customers.

On Monday, a variety of local public figures, including U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi, Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino, EPA Regional Administrator Lisa Garcia and others, were at the groundbreaking for a state-of-the-art water filtration facility.

It came on the same day that the local government announced that it had found another half-dozen barrels of secretly buried waste since last Friday. Toxicity tests of the newly-discovered barrels are underway now, bringing the total number of such containers found near Bethpage this year to 21.

What are forever chemicals and should we be concerned about them?

The presence of the underground vaults of toxic waste is among the reasons that Long Islands water table has some of the countrys highest levels of what are called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances  or PFAS. Theyre also called forever chemicals.

The chemicals, from shut-down industrial sites, have seeped into the water table of western Long Island, making tap water for the 1 million-plus residents in the area possibly unsafe to drink in large quantities, according to the EPA.

On Monday, though, Garcia, the EPA regional administrator, was praising the potential effect of the new facility.

The first in New York State that can filter PFAS, she said.

Map: Does your drinking water contain forever chemicals?

Minutes later, she and about a half-dozen other officials grabbed golden shovels and formally broke ground.

The new facility will use a UV light reactor and 60 tons of activated carbon to clean groundwater beyond federal standards. Its funded by two grants totaling $5 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed into law in 2021.

However, the facility will need an additional $4 million to be completed.

What that means was explained in simple but unpleasant terms by Paul Granger, the superintendent of the Hicksville Water District.

You could see rates go up from 25-50 percent, he said during a question-and-answer period at Mondays ceremony, and thats a lot, unfortunately.

He said that the rate hikes could be that high if polluters arent held accountable.

The operator of the Bethpage site on which many of the toxic barrels have been found is the Northrop Grumman Corporation. It has pointed out that its cooperating with authorities to find buried barrels, and has said, through a spokesperson that it remains committed to protecting the health and well-being of the community.

That community, the Town of Oyster Bay, has been in a legal battle with Northrop Grumman regarding the toxic waste for two decades, and counting.

Its why the local member of Congress, Suozzi, said that it was important to go ahead and start construction on the water treatment facility.

Were going to put the money up now, he said, and you can keep fighting about the lawsuit while this is going on at the same time.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. Baku Initiative Group expresses its deep concern regarding the recent arrests and the curfew imposed by French authorities in New Caledonia, Trend reports.

"The violence by French security forces against Kanaks unfolded last days have left many of us deeply troubled.

Banning public gatherings and arresting pro-independence supporters is not the lasting solution. French Senate and National Assembly must stop the illegal constitutional amendments in New Caledonia. The proposed changes aim to enlarge the electorate at the expense of non-Kanaks in a purposeful manner. This has rightly caused people's dissatisfaction including the protests and demonstrations.

Unfortunately, In New Caledonia over proposed constitutional amendments, French security forces have been mobilized and a curfew imposed after a general strike and protests in the capital city of Noumea and surrounding settlements. As a result of clashes, 82 Kanak civilians have been arrested by law enforcement agencies.

Recent proposed Constitutional amendments without considering the opinion of the Kanak people, violence and arrest against civilians who participated in peaceful strike and in protests have been accompanied by gross violations of various laws, including human rights, freedom of expression, in particular international commitments of France.

As Baku Initiative Group, we are deeply troubled by recent incidents taken place in the capital city of Noumea and surrounding areas that have resulted in harms of life. It is imperative that law enforcement agencies respect for fundamental human rights. The use of excessive force threatens the safety and dignity of all citizens.

We stand in solidarity with our Kanak friends and support their fair struggle. We demand France Government to take into account the decision of Kanak people. BIG advocates for peaceful dialogue, respect for human rights, and a fair resolution to the underlying issues. The right to self-determination is fundamental, and we support those who seek a better and decent future for their own people," the statement reads.
Louisana Man Who Was Allegedly Pushed Into A Lake And Nearly Died Sets The Record Straight: I Misjudged The Situation

Louisana Man Who Was Allegedly Pushed Into A Lake And Nearly Died Sets The Record Straight: I Misjudged The Situation | Photo: Sean Gladwell via Getty Images

Christopher Gilbert is setting the record straight about the events that led to him being pushed into a lake and then being placed on life support for three weeks.

As Blavity reported, his family demanded answers when news reports about his water accident with his 22-year-old colleague Cassidy Holland came out. Many publications reported the near-death drowning allegedly left him in critical condition. Recently, he was released from Louisiana State University Medical Center. Now, he is breaking his silence and sharing what really happened on April 14.

It has come to our attention that various news outlets and social media platforms have been disseminating information regarding the tragic accident involving Mr. Chris Gilbert, which has been rife with inaccuracies and unfounded allegations, Gilberts attorney Aaron Lawrence said in a press release. As legal counsel for Mr. Gilbert, we find it imperative to set the record straight.

The Louisiana Tech University alum told his legal team he didnt suffer severe injuries that Gilberts family attorney Claudia Payne shared with the media, such as him being brain dead. Also, according to the friends and bystanders on and near the dock at Rhetts Tails and Shells restaurant in Farmerville, LA, he was underwater between three and five minutes versus the 10 minutes many media outlets reported at the time.

Payne also distributed private pictures of Gilbert while he was under medical supervision  something his attorney says perpetuated a race-baiting narrative.

Furthermore, the release of private photos of Mr. Gilbert during his hospitalization and the ongoing assertion of a premeditated plan by his coworkers to cause him harm are wholly without merit and are considered by Mr. Gilbert and his current counsel to be both offensive and legally concerning, Lawrence said.

I kind of hate the[claims about] me being brain-dead, or this attempting for it to be some sort of race issue, Gilbert told The Post. Who would want a doctor who has suffered brain damage?

Gilbert is against Holland being arrested and charged for the incident because, saying he misjudged the situation.

I took my keys, wallet, and phone out of my pockets and took my shoes off. I knew Cassidy wanted to push me in for messing with her, so I kind of played into it, the 26-year-old aspiring doctor said to the New York Post in an exclusive interview.

I thought maybe the water wouldnt be as deep, and I would kind of hit the ground, get my footing and shoot up and come back up and grab the pier and just stand there, Gilbert added. And then the water ended up being deeper than we thought and being a lot colder than we thought.

Furthermore, Gilbert says he doesnt believe Holland had malicious intentions.

I dont think anyone did anything intentionally wrong, he said.

Holland insisted in the same interview with The Post that she would never try to hurt him.

She added, Chris is a beautiful person, my co-worker, and dear friend. . . . Im so thrilled at his recovery and getting back to normal.

A GoFundMe page was created to help cover Gilberts medical expenses, which could end up being around $300,000. So far, hes raised over $28,000 of his $150,000 goal.

I want to thank everyone for their support and their prayers, he said.
BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD)  Gov. Jeff Landry and the Governors Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness director discussed the severe weather that hit Louisiana Monday night.

GOHSEP Director Jacques Thibodeaux said during a noon Tuesday, May 14 press conference that they are urging the public to follow updates from local officials. He said the public should also be careful when running generators or other power equipment during storm cleanup.

Thibodeaux said 16 parishes were impacted by the weather and the maximum number of power outages was 160,000. As of noon Tuesday, there are about 53,000 people without power and the number is getting better by the hour, Thibodeaux said.

Landry said crews are still working to check the damages and that storms took a lot from many communities in the state. More than a dozen were impacted by storms Monday night.

As these storm systems collided or converged and this event unfolded, the system became both dangerous and deadly, Landry said.

Currently, the National Weather Service is assessing the affected areas to determine whether the damage was caused by the straight-line winds or frenetic activity. We, as Jacque said, are working with all 16 affected parishes and their OEPs so that we can get the resources needed to those affected parishes and those that were affected the most, Landry said. We would again urge any of the municipalities that may have incurred any damage to work through their parish or OEPs and then move that information over to the state office here at GOSHEP.

The Louisiana Department of Health confirmed that two women and an unborn baby died as a result of the storms.

Our thoughts this morning are with the families of the two victims who died as a result of the storms. We will use the damage reports from our local partners to determine a recovery path going forward, Thibodeaux said.

GOSHEP said the storms caused damage to trees and power lines. It also caused flash flooding and other problems in the affected areas.

Entergy and DEMCO still report thousands are without power in Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana parishes.

Thibodeaux said Entergy is working to restore power but hopes to get it back up as quickly as possible.

Landry said crews are still assessing the damage, so leaders will know exactly what happened.

To determine whether the damage was caused by the straight-line winds or tornadic activity, Landry said.

Landry said that more storms are possibly on the way later this week. He said its important to be aware.

Urging our residents to stay vigilant, said Landry.

Chief Meteorologist Sam Parish said heavy rain is expected in the Greater Baton Rouge area Friday evening.

Woman killed, two injured after tree falls in trailer in West Baton Rouge Parish

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Louisiana man admits to calling in bomb threat at Carolina Forest High School, warrant says

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW)  A Louisiana man called the Myrtle Beach Police Department and Carolina Forest High School several times over two days in April, threatening violence to students, an arrest warrant shows.

Trenton Alexander Brown, 19, of Baton Rouge, faces one count of threatening the use of a destructive device a felony that could land him in prison for up to 15 years. Brown was extradited on Sunday night and remains in custody at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center.

Authorities were able to trace the phone calls back to Brown, who reportedly told Baton Rouge police he was responsible for the act.

Officials have also charged two local juveniles in connection with the incidents.

15th Circuit Court Solicitor Jimmy Richardson said late last month that his office will aggressively prosecute anybody involved with the school scares.

Theres going to be a few kids that are going to pay a very tough price for this, Richardson said. Once youve spent that kind of money (responding to calls) and scared that many people, theres going to be a tough price to be paid for it. When I say that, Im talking about prison time.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW.
St Mary Magdalen church has said that uniformed officers will be posted at upcoming masses.

St Mary Magdalen church has said that uniformed officers will be posted at upcoming masses. Photograph: Lumigraphics/Getty Images

A 16-year-old has been charged with one count of terrorizing and two counts of possession of a firearm by a juvenile after entering a church service in Abbeville, Louisiana, where 60 children were receiving their first holy communion.

Police have confirmed that the person was confronted by parishioners and escorted outside before being taken into custody.

Police have not released details about the teen, described as a white male, his possible motive, the gun or how he got it, but local reports said he was dressed in black and armed with a rifle.

According to the Abbeville police department, the teen entered through the back door of St Mary Magdalen Catholic church on Saturday, about 20 miles (32km) south of Lafayette, and was confronted by parishioners.

There were several folks here in the community who in the face of the terrifying situation stood their ground and wanted to make sure the community was safe and didnt think of themselves in the least and put themselves in harms way, the youth ministry leader John Listi told the Washington Post.

Related: Louisiana supreme court to rehear case on letting child sexual abuse victims sue

Listi told the outlet that the church community was shaken up and anxious but would emerge from this stronger than ever.

A recording from the local TV station KADN shows events unfolding as Listl, about to give communion, is informed of the intruder and asks congregants to be seated and to pray. Then the sounds of children screaming are heard and a police officer enters the frame and draws his weapon.

Altar boys are seen running across the chancel behind the altar and a voice comes over the speakers: Listen, guys, just get a hold of your child. Go slowly. We did apprehend a young man. He is in custody. He is in the police custody. Calm down and just get next to your child and go slowly.

St Mary Magdalen church has since said that uniformed officers will be posted at upcoming masses.

Police said the teen was questioned with his parent present and transported to the behavioral unit of Abbeville hospital and later charged.

But the incident raised inevitable fears of a repetition of mass killings that have upended aspects of public life in the US, including worship.

In 2015, nine Black parishioners were killed at a church Bible study in South Carolina by a self-described white supremacist; two years later, a gunman used a rifle to kill 25 people at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. In 2018, a man killed 11 at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh.

After the incident on Saturday, Abbevilles mayor, Roslyn White, said she was grateful for the brave, diligent individuals who kept our community safe under threat and the officers who remained focused under unimaginably stressful circumstances.
JACKSON, La. (BRPROUD)  The Louisiana State Police have arrested nine people in connection with a prison contraband smuggling investigation.

LSP, the Dixon Correctional Institute and the East Feliciana Parish Sheriffs Office started an investigation in November 2023. DOC investigators and DCI security seized large bundles of contraband. The items included drugs, cell phones, chargers, mobile WiFi devices and knives.

The investigation resulted in the identification of a large-scale contraband smuggling operation involving DCI inmates, trustees, a civilian DCI employee and several other civilian individuals from the Baton Rouge area, LSP said.

State police said the group was working to smuggle marijuana and methamphetamine. They were also moving large amounts of synthetic cannabinoids, heroin, cocaine, Suboxone strips and prescription medication.

LSP said investigators estimate the value of items smuggled into DCI by this group to be worth over $90,000.

As a result of the investigation so far, nine individuals were arrested.

Dwayne Blair, a DCI inmate, was charged with the introduction of contraband, possession with the intent to distribute Schedule I controlled substance, possession with the intent to distribute Schedule II controlled substance, and possession with the intent to distribute Schedule III controlled substance.

Bruce Padilla, a DCI inmate, was charged with criminal conspiracy to commit the introduction of contraband, distribution of Schedule I controlled substances and distribution of Schedule II controlled substances.

Dustin Watson, a DCI civilian employee, was charged with malfeasance in office, introduction of contraband, possession with the intent to distribute Schedule I controlled substance, possession with the intent to distribute Schedule II controlled substance, possession with the intent to distribute Schedule III controlled substance and possession with the intent to distribute Schedule IV controlled substance.

Christopher Henderson, a DCI inmate, was charged with racketeering, criminal conspiracy to commit introduction of contraband, distribution of Schedule I controlled substance and distribution of Schedule II controlled substance.

Aranton Johnson, a DCI inmate, was charged with criminal conspiracy to commit the introduction of contraband, distribution of Schedule I controlled substances and distribution of Schedule II controlled substances.

Ernest Miles, a DCI inmate, was charged with criminal conspiracy to commit the introduction of contraband, distribution of Schedule I controlled substance and distribution of Schedule II controlled substance.

LSP said Lernise Jackson was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison and charged with distribution of Schedule I controlled substance, distribution of Schedule II controlled substance, distribution of Schedule III controlled substance and criminal conspiracy to commit introduction of contraband.

Jarryl Bowie was booked into the East Feliciana Parish Prison and charged with criminal conspiracy to commit introduction of contraband, distribution of Schedule I controlled substance and distribution of Schedule II controlled substance, according to LSP.

Lauren Robinson was booked into the East Feliciana Parish Prison and charged with criminal conspiracy to commit introduction of contraband, LSP said.

Louisiana Legislature looks to increase funding for controversial pregnancy centers

Investigators are working to identify other suspects. State police said more charges and arrests are possible.

Anyone with information related to this case can report it to the Louisiana State Police online reporting system by visiting File a Report or calling the LSP Fusion Center Hotline at 1-800-434-8007.

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MACON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN)  The name of a Macon County sergeant who lost his life in a crash last year is now forever engraved on a stone wall nearly 700 miles away in Washington D.C.

Sgt. William Jace Cherry was among seven Tennessee law enforcement officers whose names were added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial on Monday, May 13.

National Police Week: 4 TN officers killed as trends in line of duty deaths change

Friends, family and fellow law enforcement officers from across the nation gathered on The National Mall Monday evening as those seven names and 275 others were read aloud during the 36th annual Candlelight Vigil.

The vigil held by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund recognizes law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty, with hundreds of new names added to the memorial each year.

Macon County Sgt. William Cherrys name is etched on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C. (Courtesy: MCSO)

Their absence is felt every day by so many in so many ways, Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said during the vigil. May all of us continue to be blessed by their memories, their stories and the remarkable lives that they led.

Cherrys family was accompanied by two Macon County Sheriffs deputies who traveled to the nations capital to memorialize their fallen comrade. His loss was felt strongly across the Middle Tennessee law enforcement community, with hundreds showing up for his funeral in August.

Community mourns loss of Macon County sergeant

Sgt. Cherry was an absolutely honorable deputy, he served with honor, dignity, Macon County Sheriff Joseph Wilburn said following his death. With the community outreach it just shows to his character what hes done for this community and how sadly hell be missed.

Cherry was roughly seven miles away from the Macon County Sheriffs Office, where he served for more than half a decade, when the crash happened on Saturday, July 29, 2023. He was on-duty at the time and heading south on Highway 10 near Long Creek Road.

(Courtesy: Macon County Sheriffs Office)

Around 12:30 a.m., a Ford F-150 heading north crossed over the center line and hit Cherry head-on. Officials said Cherry died in the crash. Afterward, a man who lived near the crash site said he looked out his window and saw a sea of blue lights down the road.

There was blue lights from here as far as I could see up down the road, JC Frye said.

In an interview last month, Cherrys window, Aleatheia Cherry told News 2 her world was turned upside down after she learned of what had happened. She has since launched two scholarships in her husbands name to help students pursue a career in the field he loved.

Widow of fallen Macon County Deputy launches scholarships for next generation of law enforcement

He was my soulmate. He was everything, she said. He loved law enforcement, and that was his calling, and he loved to help people. Thats what he said he went into it for. He loved to help people.

Sgt. William Cherry (Courtesy: Macon County Sheriffs Office/Anderson and Son Funeral Home)

Prior to joining the Macon County Sheriffs Office, Cherry served with the Red Boiling Springs Police Department, Clay County Sheriffs Office and Celina County Sheriffs Office. He was 55 years old when he passed away and is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren and parents.

The following Tennessee law enforcement officers were also added to the memorial on Monday:

James Michael Russ , Chattanooga Police Department

Tucker Carmichael Blakely , Knox County Sheriffs Office

Shannon Eric Shane Lang Sr. , Marion County Sheriffs Office

Geoffrey Bernard Redd , Memphis Police Department

Thomas Park Neely , Middleton Police Department

Christopher Byard Cummings, Samburg Police Department

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
To know anything about Sen. Ted Cruz is to know that hes never been especially popular on Capitol Hill. To appreciate just how disliked the Texan is among his colleagues, consider a joke Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham told in 2016: If you killed Ted Cruz on the floor of the Senate, and the trial was in the Senate, nobody would convict you.

The South Carolinian was making a bipartisan assessment at the time. Over the course of his tenure, GOP senators have come to see Cruz as a tiresome, grandstanding blowhard who causes more problems for the party than he solves. Former House Speaker John Boehner went so far as to refer to Cruz as Lucifer in the flesh, adding, I have never worked with a more miserable son of a bitch in my life.

Among Democrats, the Texas Republicans reputation is vastly worse. Cruz, in Democrats estimation, is a toxic, far-right election denier who prefers partisan podcasting to governing, and who cannot be trusted, liked, or respected.

For years, Cruz made little effort to deny his unpopularity among his colleagues. In fact, he embraced it, effectively bragging about his Im-not-here-to-make-friends approach to Senate work.

But after more than a decade in Congress, as he prepares for a potentially competitive re-election fight, the senator is trying something new, unexpected, and implausible for those whove followed his career: Ted Cruz is encouraging voters to see him as a figure capable of bipartisan cooperation. The Texas Tribune recently reported:

The Wall Street Journal soon after published a related report, noting that Cruz is rolling out a softer, bipartisan side, and taking steps to recast his image as a dealmaking lawmaker.

The article added, His campaign even shot ads featuring Democrats for Cruz.

A week later, The Washington Post noted the Texans role in shepherding a bill that hed co-authored overseeing the Federal Aviation Administration. Its been a whiplash moment for his colleagues, Republicans and Democrats alike, who have rarely seen Cruz take his Ivy League intellect and channel it into something so ... bipartisan, the article said.

Stepping back, there are a couple of questions hanging overhead.

The first, of course, is why hes doing this. I wont pretend to know what the senator is thinking, but there are a handful of possibilities to consider.

Its possible, for example, that Cruz, after 11 years of accomplishment-free grandstanding, has finally come to realize that he can use his position to advance policy goals. Or put another way, perhaps its finally dawned on the Texas Republican that he might be able to get some things done if he tries acting less like a mindless partisan and more like an actual senator.

Its also possible that Cruz is truly worried about his re-election prospects and hes toying with a political rebrand in the hopes of expanding his electoral appeal. Lets also not forget that the senator has presidential ambitions, and his interest in a future national race might help explain his latest shifts.

All of which leads to the second question: How long will this rebranding initiative last?

Time will tell, of course, but given everything weve seen from Cruz throughout his career, its difficult to imagine his alleged interest in bipartisanship extending beyond Election Day 2024.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
Four years ago, Donald Trump went to outlandish lengths to warn voters that the future of American suburbs was at stake in the 2020 presidential election. Over the weekend, the Republican recycled the line during a rally in New Jersey, and he added a rhetorical flourish.

"I will also stop Joe Biden's sinister plan to abolish the suburbs" -- Trump pic.twitter.com/bnD7XCPjP8  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 11, 2024

I will also stop Joe Bidens sinister plan to abolish the suburbs, the former president declared. Hes trying to abolish the suburbs in your state  and were not going to let him to do it.

To the extent that reality still has any meaning, President Biden has unveiled a blueprint intended to lower housing costs, but the idea that the Democratic incumbent has a sinister plan to abolish the suburbs is obviously bonkers.

Its also oddly familiar.

Circling back to our earlier coverage, for much of Trumps White House tenure, he barely mentioned American suburbs. There was a grand total of one tweet that referenced the suburbs in his first three years in office, and according to the Factbase database, the Republicans presidential speeches also made little mention of suburban communities.

But with 2020 polls showing Trump and his party struggling in the suburbs, the then-president quickly became obsessed with suburbs  or more to the point, keeping certain people out of suburbs.

In August 2020, the Republican went so far as to insist that Biden intended to allow low-income housing to invade suburban neighborhoods, adding that Biden intended to put Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey in charge of the initiative. It was around the same time that Trump told voters that Democrats want to abolish American suburbs.

What was old is new again.

As for the policy Trump finds so outrageous, at issue is a policy called the Affirmatively Further Fair Housing rule (AFFH), which was designed to help implement provisions of the Fair Housing Act of 1968. As a Washington Post fact-check piece explained:

Or put another way, what Trump has described as a policy intended to abolish suburbs is actually a federal rule designed to counter segregation in housing. (Its a subject the Republican ought to know well: The Justice Department accused Trump of violating the Fair Housing Act several decades ago as part of the future presidents discriminatory practices against African-American renters.)

As for Trumps reference to Booker, the idea that the New Jersey senator would be responsible for implementing federal housing policies never made any sense, though it was certainly of interest that the Republican peddled a strange claim involving the only Democratic Black man in the Senate at the time while trying to appeal to suburban voters.

Four years later, the idea that Biden and his party intend to abolish suburbs has obviously been proven false. And yet, there was Trump over the weekend, once again trying to get people to believe the same discredited idea.

Coming soon to an attack ad near you.

This post updates our related earlier coverage.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. A regular meeting of the working group on transport, communications, and high technologies operating under the interdepartmental center of the Coordination Headquarters established for centralized solution of issues in the territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan liberated from occupation was held in Khankendi, Trend reports.

At the meeting, the relevant structures were informed about the work done on the implementation of the set tasks on transport infrastructure and communications in the I State Program of Great Return to the territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan liberated from occupation, the current situation with the implementation of projects, emerging difficulties, and ways of their solution.

Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan, head of the working group Rahman Hummatov, addressing the meeting, noted that following the State Program, the implementation of such strategic projects as the restoration and construction of roads and railways, new airports, and telecommunication networks continues.

Hummatov noted that at present, the overall progress of works on the construction of Lachin airport is 65 percent, and the construction of roads with a total length of 2,500 kilometers on 26 projects is underway as scheduled.

According to him, works on the construction of Barda-Aghdam (47.1 kilometers) and Horadiz-Aghband (110.4 kilometers) railway lines continue. The physical progress made on the projects is 92.5 and 52 percent, respectively. At the same time, work on the preparation of the design and estimate documentation of the Aghdam-Khankendi railroad line is underway.

Additionally, it was noted that in connection with the return of population to the territories liberated from occupation, reconstruction and construction works, as well as the organization of trips by the Azerbaijan Land Transport Agency in addition to the existing routes and following the demand, work on opening of bus routes in new directions is underway. To expand tourist trips to Karabakh through the "Yolumuz Qarabaga" (Our Way to Karabakh) portal, citizens are provided with an opportunity to visit Shusha City, Sugovushan settlement, and Lachin City by personal car.

Besides, it was noted that following the general plan of Lachin City to organize the services of intra-city public transport, a transport plan has been developed, and the work on Shusha City continues.

Furthermore, a draft transportation plan for Khankendi City was prepared based on the analysis. The transportation plan reflects the envisaged intracity route lines and route scheme, the number and location of bus stops, the intercity route network and routes, as well as planned works and proposals for the establishment of a bus station and bus depot in Khankendi city.

The issues of construction of essential road and transport infrastructure, organization of public transport, passenger and telecommunication services, and existing needs and opportunities in the territories to be settled soon, including Khojaly and Khankendi cities, Karkijahan settlement, and Malibeyli village, were widely discussed at the meeting.

The Deputy Minister then informed about the works done and planned in connection with radio-television broadcasting, mobile communication, and fixed telecommunication networks in the liberated territories. He noted that currently, 10 TV and 7 radio programs are broadcast in the territories through restored radio-television stations. A total of 300 base stations have been installed to organize cellular communication services. Telephone and high-speed Internet services are provided in Shusha, Lachin, Fuzuli, Zangilan, Khankendi, and other districts.

Head of the Sector of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan Elmir Valizade, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the State Road Agency of Azerbaijan Avaz Gojayev, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Azerbaijan Land Transport Agency Heydar Rustamov, Acting Director General of Teleradio Public Organization Elman Hasanov, Acting Director General of Aztelekom LLC Tural Pirverdiyev, and other participants also made speeches at the meeting.

The speeches emphasized the importance of infrastructure projects implemented following the I State Program of Great Return to the territories liberated from occupation, coordination of their implementation through the Interdepartmental Center by the relevant bodies, constant control in connection with mine security measures in the territories, upcoming tasks related to employment, and other important issues.

Appropriate decisions were adopted at the meeting on joint measures with relevant structures in connection with the timely implementation of the measures envisaged in the State Program and other issues.

Within the framework of the visit, the internal road-transport network of Khankendi City was inspected, allowing familiarization with the ongoing works on the creation of a telecommunication network and the organization of communication services in the city. The internal road-transport and communication networks of Aghdam City are the highways Barda-Aghdam and Aghdam-Askaran-Khojaly-Khankendi-Shusha, the construction of which is ongoing.

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MADISON, Ala. (WHNT)  A contracted employee working for the Madison City Schools was charged with sexual contact with a student, according to the Madison Police Department.

Police said that 34-year-old Issac Munoz was assigned to work at James Clemens High School through a contract with his employer.

DeKalb County man convicted of sexually abusing elderly woman

Munoz was arrested on May 10 and charged with one count of a school employee having sexual contact with a student under the age of 19. He was booked into the Limestone County Jail.

Once the alleged contact was reported, Munozs assignment was rescinded and, at the time of his arrest, he was no longer allowed to work with the MCS.

This is an ongoing investigation.

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 WHNT.com.
MAHOMET, Ill. (WCIA)  Mahomet is considering approving an aesthetic project to revitalize the villages Main Street.

Mid Illinois Concrete and Excavation, Inc. of Urbana has filed a bid proposal for $1,939,589 to switch up the downtown area. Mahomets Board of Trustees is set to vote on it Tuesday night.

Some of the proposed changes that would be made would be adding hanging lights, bike racks, benches, new landscaping, an audio system and three crosswalks out of bricks. The intersection of Lincoln and Main will also be graded like a plaza with minimal curbs.

METCAD 911 assembles new radio tower in Mahomet

The project will benefit all of Mahomet, part of the memo to the Board of Trustees said. It will give us a downtown to show off!

The entire block of East Main would be closed to vehicles but open to pedestrians.

Officials hope the roadway portion of the to be completed in mid-August in time for the Mahomet Music Festival. They estimate full project will be complete by May of next year.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
Major US airlines really, really don't want to show you how much you'll pay in fees upfront

Major US airlines really, really don't want to show you how much you'll pay in fees upfront

Big US airlines are suing over a rule that requires upfront fee disclosures.

The Biden administration is fighting "junk fees" across industries, including baggage fees.

The airlines argue that fee transparency will confuse consumers.

Major US airlines sued the Department of Transportation on Friday over a rule that requires upfront fee disclosures for costs like baggage and itinerary changes.

The Biden administration has made fighting the hidden costs it calls "junk fees" a priority across industries, from banks to event companies.

Under the rule, which goes into effect on July 1, airlines have to display fees the first time a consumer sees the fare, not in a hyperlink or separate page. The rule also requires airlines to inform passengers that they do not need to purchase a specific seat to travel and to include all mandatory fees when advertising fares.

The DOT said in late April that these rules could save consumers over $500 million annually from airlines' "unnecessary or unexpected fees."

Fees have become a major revenue driver for airlines. The DOT said its data showed airline revenue from baggage fees alone jumped by more than 30% between 2018 and 2022. Last year, airlines raked in almost $5.5 billion in baggage fees, per the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, and many airlines upped their baggage fees this year.

The airlines suing  which include United, Delta, American, Jet Blue, and Alaska Airlines, along with smaller peers and a lobbying group  argue that fee transparency will confuse consumers. Southwest Airlines, which allows two free checked bags and does not have change or cancel fees, did not join the group.

The rule "is a bad solution in search of a problem," said lobbying group Airlines for America in a Monday statement. Lobbyist groups across industries are fighting the Biden administration's war on junk fees through lawsuits.

The airline lobby successfully pressured Congress in 2018 to drop a plan to limit baggage and change fees, a law the Trump administration opposed.

In a DOT statement about the lawsuit, the agency said it plans to "vigorously defend" the new rule.

"Many air travelers will be disappointed to learn that the airline lobby is suing to stop these common-sense protections," the DOT's statement said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
LANCASTER, Ohio (WCMH)  A 32-year-old man died early Tuesday morning after a crash in Fairfield County.

At around 3 a.m., Derrick Davis of Lancaster was driving a GMC Terrain north on State Route 37 near State Route 204, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. The vehicle went off the side of the road, hit a ditch and embankment before rolling over. Davis ejected from the GMC, per OSHP.

Recent new additions and whats to come at Easton Town Center

Medics and troopers arrived at the scene where Davis was pronounced dead. OSHP said that Davis was not wearing a seat belt and that impairment is suspected to be a factor in the crash.

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Man Accused of Killing His Elderly Mother and 2 Sisters on Mothers Day Is Killed While on the Run

Ida Thomas Welch, Vicky Renee Welch and Crystal Lynn Welch were fatally shot to death by Ivory James Welch III, per police

Crystal Lynn Welch Facebook Ida Thomas Welch, left, Crystal Lynn Welch, center, and Vicky Renee Welch, right

A Tennessee man accused of fatally shooting his mother and two sisters on Mothers Day was killed by authorities in Arizona while trying to evade law enforcement officials.

Ida Thomas Welch, 76, Vicky Renee Welch, 56, and Crystal Lynn Welch, 42, were found dead in a Ridgeland, Miss., home on Sunday when authorities conducted a welfare check, Ridgeland Police Department announced, according to the Clarion Ledger, WKRG and NBC News.

According to the Clarion Ledger and NBC News, police said the welfare check was requested by family members.

Police determined that Idas son Ivory James Welch III was the suspect in the triple murder, per the Clarion Ledger, WKRG and NBC News.



The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force began searching for him, the outlets reported, citing Ridgeland police.



Ridgeland Police Department Ivory James Welch III

Ivory allegedly fled to Arizona while on the run, police said, according to the outlets. He was then located by Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers, authorities said, per the Clarion Ledger and NBC News.

"Arizona State Troopers attempted to apprehend Welch and he fired upon the troopers and was fatally wounded in the gunfight." Ridgeland Police Chief Brian Myers said, per WAPT.

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Ivory was killed on Monday afternoon, according to authorities, WLBT and WAPT reported.

It wasn't immediately clear if troopers were injured in the gunfire exchange. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigations is collaborating with Ridgeland police for the investigation, WKRG and the Clarion Ledger reported.



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Officers salute as the casket is brought in for funeral services for Santaquin Police Sgt. Bill Hooser in the UCCU Center at UVU in Orem on Monday. Michael Aaron Jayne was charged with Hooser's murder on Tuesday. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

A capital murder charge was filed Tuesday against the man accused of killing Santaquin Police Sgt. Bill Hooser.

But Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray has not said whether he intends to seek the death penalty if Michael Aaron Jayne is convicted.

Jayne, 42, of Garrett, Indiana, was charged Tuesday in the 4th District Court with aggravated murder, a capital felony; two counts of attempted aggravated murder and aggravated kidnapping, first-degree felonies; burglary and three counts of theft, second-degree felonies; and failing to stop for an officer, a third-degree felony.

If convicted on the aggravated murder charge, the possible penalties include death, life in prison without the possibility of parole, or 25 years to up to life in prison.

On May 5, just before 6 a.m., police dispatchers received a report of a semitruck in the northbound lanes of I-15 "with an individual riding on the back of the trailer. The caller told dispatch that the Hells Angels were targeting the driver of the truck. The caller would not give his name," according to a police booking affidavit.

"Sgt. Bill Hooser with the Santaquin Police Department was positioned on the freeway median and spotted the semitruck as it was approaching the Santaquin Main Street exit," the affidavit states. "Sgt. Hooser quickly caught up to the semitruck which had exited at mile marker 244 and then proceeded through the stop sign at the bottom of the off-ramp without stopping and continued up the on-ramp going back onto the I-15 northbound freeway."

Michael Aaron Jayne | Utah Department of Public Safety

Hooser then turned on his emergency lights to pull the semi over, which it did. About the same time, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper arrived on scene. Both officers began speaking with Jayne through the driver's side window.

"The driver, who was later identified as Michael Aaron Jayne, was uncooperative and would not answer questions from the officers. The officers made several attempts to reassure Jayne of the reason for the stop and that he was not in any trouble with them. They told Jayne they were there trying to help," according to the affidavit.

But at that point, a woman came out of the sleeper area of the semitruck's cab, jumped out of the passenger side door and ran to the officers with her hands up, according to the arrest report. After the woman briefly talked to Hooser, the sergeant made a gesture to the trooper indicating that Jayne needed to be detained.

"(The trooper) reached for the door handle of the truck while simultaneously telling the driver to exit the vehicle. As he did this, Jayne immediately locked the door, put the truck into gear and drove away northbound," the affidavit states.

The officers then ran back to their vehicles.

"As they were running with their backs to the fleeing semitruck, the driver, Jayne, began to make a sharp U-turn in the northbound lane of travel and began to head south directly towards the officers and female. Jayne accelerated the semitruck very quickly to the point that black smoke was billowing out of the exhaust smokestack as it continued" toward the two officers and the woman, according to the affidavit.

"Sgt. Hooser was in the doorjamb of his patrol vehicle when he saw Jayne and the semitruck careening towards him," the affidavit says. He then began to run toward the rear of his patrol vehicle when "Jayne turned the truck directly towards Sgt. Hooser. Jayne accelerated the semitruck until it struck Sgt. Hooser's back."

Hooser was crushed between the semitruck and the trooper's patrol car and was killed.

Investigators say Jayne then attempted to hit the trooper and the woman, who both "jumped/ran from the path of the oncoming semitruck and were able to narrowly escape being struck."

Jayne continued driving for about 100 feet, stopped in the shoulder of the road, and then ran. Police say Jayne went to a nearby gas station, where he unsuccessfully tried to steal two cars before finding an unlocked semitruck with the keys inside.

Jayne drove the semitruck south near Mona, Juab County, then abandoned it. Jayne then stole another vehicle with the keys left inside, a 1976 Ford F-250, and drove south into Nephi and then to Mt. Pleasant, Sanpete County, according to the affidavit.

He then found a house where no one was home and stole a Ford F-150, police say.

Troopers later that morning located Jayne 170 miles away near Vernal. Following a short chase, officers were able to successfully complete a PIT maneuver, which caused Jayne to lose control of his vehicle and crash.

Gray said Jayne had a "short stay" at the University of Utah Hospital and was booked into the Utah County Jail on Saturday.

Funeral services for Hooser were held Monday.

This story will be updated.
Man accused of trying to burglarize cars downtown

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  Oklahoma City Police are looking for a man they say tried to burglarized two cars downtown.

According to the Oklahoma City Police Department, a man attempted to burgle two vehicles around 1 a.m. on Sunday near Robert S. Kerr Ave. and Shartel Ave.

LOCAL NEWS: Inmates removed toilet to escape Caddo County Jail

Alleged car burglar.

Alleged car burglar.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers by calling 405-235-7300 or submitting an anonymous tip online.

Officials say a cash reward may be available.

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 KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. Some 36 people who tried to violate the state border have been detained, Trend reports, referring to the Azerbaijani State Border Service.

According to the information, on May 14 at 00:15 on the service territory of the border division Gazakh of Border Troops, as a result of the vigilance of the border guard, 12 persons were detained, 8 of whom were minors, and at 02:10 on the service territory of the border detachment Shamkir - 24 persons, 16 of whom were minors, while trying to violate the state border from Georgia in the direction of Azerbaijan.

Operative-investigative measures continue on the fact.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  A convicted felon was arrested after a man was shot and a dog was killed after a shooting in the Bordeaux neighborhood.

Metro police said the shooting happened just before 7 p.m. Monday, May 13 in the 3200 block of Panorama Drive.

1 dead after shooting in Madison

The victim told officers he was jogging in the area when the suspect, identified as 46-year-old Jonathan Scott Oglesby, approached him and started yelling at him. The victim then argued back with Oglesby, who then allegedly retrieved a gun from his nearby home, returned to the scene, and fired multiple shots, hitting the victim in his leg and foot.

Police said the victim was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

Jonathan Scott Oglesby (Source: Metro Nashville Police Department)

Officers later saw Oglesby walking his dog, described as a Pit Bull, on Hinkle Drive and approached him, causing Oglesby to grow agitated. Oglesby was reportedly asked several times to secure his dog, but refused and started walking away from officers. Thats when his dog allegedly turned toward the officers, slipped out of its collar, and aggressively charged at an officer who fired one shot, killing the dog.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

Oglesby, who has 12 felony convictions, was taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault, resisting arrest, and being a felon in possession of a weapon.

He is currently being held on a $77,500 bond.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
Man arrested as suspect in death of his mother near Rio Vista

(FOX40.COM)  A man in his 50s was arrested after his mothers body was found inside a home in the community of Trilogy in Solano County, according to Rio Vista Police.

Officers conducted a welfare check at a home in the area of Birch Ridge Drive and Rutland Drive and had a struggle with the man before his arrest, police said.

Teen dies in ATV crash in Nevada County

Officers then found the body of the mans 78-year-old mother inside the home and the agency requested help from the Solano County Sheriffs Office, police said.

This is a terrible but isolated incident with no continuing or further threat to the community, police said in a Facebook post.

The man was taken to the Solano County Jail on several charges, including murder.

The community of Trilogy is located about 2 miles northwest of Rio Vista and about 50 miles southwest of Sacramento.

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 FOX40.
Man buried in trench rescued by firefighters in Overland Park, Kansas

KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Shortly before 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Overland Park Fire, Olathe Fire and Consolidated Fire District 2 were called to rescue a man buried in a trench in Overland Park, Kansas.

According to crew members, the first units to respond to the scene, near 138th and Goodman Street, said they saw a conscious and alert man buried in a trench up to his waist.

Some Center High School seniors not allowed to walk at graduation after prank

Rescue teams with Olathe Fire and the Consolidated Fire District helped to stabilize the trench, while the Overland Park firefighters dug the man free with hand shovels.

According to crew members, the victim was approximately 15 feet below ground level, and when he was dug out, walked out of the trench with assistance.

Johnson County MED-ACT reported the man was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Months after shooting, where is the KC Strong fund money?

The Overland Park Fire Department said the incident is currently being investigated.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
Man carjacks woman outside senior living facility  and returns in Uber, police say

An accused carjacker was caught after police said he returned to the scene of the crime in a rideshare.

The 25-year-old man was arrested in the May 9 incident outside an assisted living facility in Lawrenceville, Georgia, Gwinnett County police said in a May 13 news release.

Officers arrived at about 9:30 p.m. and were met by a woman who told them she had just parked her car and was walking to her apartment when a man approached her from behind, police said. He was pointing a gun, she said.

She told police the man robbed her of her purse and car keys before leaving in her vehicle.

While on scene, officers observed a suspicious vehicle parked next to where the victim had parked, with several items in plain view such as latex gloves and other tools commonly associated with this type of crime, police said in the release.

Further investigation revealed the registered owner of the vehicle had an active warrant, according to authorities.

The registered owner, identified as the 25-year-old, was dropped off by an Uber as officers were investigating, police said. He was detained due to the warrant.

The man told police he parked at the assisted living facility after his car overheated. Officers also spoke with the Uber driver to confirm where the man had been picked up.

They went to the location and found the victims vehicle, a white Jeep, a few houses down from the pickup point, police said.

The 25-year-old man was charged with:

Carjacking

Armed robbery

Aggravated assault

Possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony

Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

He remained in custody at the Gwinnett County Jail on a $1,300 bond as of May 14, online records show.

Lawrenceville is about a 30-mile drive northeast from downtown Atlanta.

Uber driver sexually assaults passenger and steals from her home, Georgia cops say

13-year-old boys caught stealing two cars in a single day, Illinois police say

Dad leaves 9-month-old alone at home as he robs bank at gunpoint, Illinois cops say
A hearse carrying Santaquin Police Sgt. Bill Hooser enters the Santaquin City Cemetary on Monday, May 13, 2024. (Kyle Dunphey/Utah News Dispatch)

The man accused of fatally striking a Santaquin police officer with a semitrailer could face the death penalty, Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray said.

On Tuesday, 42-year-old Michael Aaron Jayne of Garrett, Indiana was charged in the 4th District Court with nine felonies, including aggravated murder, for the May 5 death of Santaquin Police Sgt. Bill Hooser. If convicted, Gray said, that charge could result in the death penalty, life in prison without the possibility of parole or 25 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

If Jayne pleads not guilty, Utah code gives prosecutors 60 days to file a notice of intent to seek the death penalty, Gray said during a news conference.

Jayne was also charged with two counts of attempted aggravated murder and one count of aggravated kidnapping, all first-degree felonies; three counts of automobile theft and one count of burglary, all second-degree felonies; and one count of failing to obey the lawful command of a police officer to stop, a third-degree felony.

Prosecutors say Jayne was driving a semitrailer on Interstate 15 last week when Hooser stopped him for blowing through a stop sign on the off-ramp, then continuing back on to the highway. Utah Highway Patrol troopers had been looking for Jayne after he called 911 claiming that someone was riding on the back of the trailer of the semi truck he was driving, according to the charges filed on Tuesday.

According to a probable cause affidavit, officers made several attempts to reassure Jayne of the reason for the stop and that he was not in any trouble with them. They told Jayne they were there trying to help.

As Hooser and a highway patrol trooper were trying to talk with an uncooperative Jayne, a woman jumped out of the passenger door with her hands up pleading for help, court documents state. The woman later told officers she had been held against her will after Jayne threatened her with chemical bear spray and a knife, resulting in the aggravated kidnapping charge.

The womans escape prompted Hooser and the trooper to move in to detain Jayne, but he put the truck in gear and fled, according to the affidavit. As Hooser and the trooper ran back to their cars, Jayne made a U-turn and began driving towards them, accelerating quickly with black smoke billowing out of the exhaust smokestack, court documents read.

Prosecutors say Jayne intentionally struck and killed Hooser with the truck as he tried to run for safety  they also say he nearly struck the highway patrol trooper and the woman, which explains the two counts of attempted aggravated murder.

The Utah County Attorneys Office said Jayne stopped about 100 feet from where he struck Hooser and fled on foot to a nearby gas station. Thats where he stole a semitrailer, drove it to the town of Mona, then stole a Ford pickup that he drove to the town of Mt. Pleasant.

In Mt. Pleasant, according to charging documents, he broke into a home, stealing another Ford pickup and a pair of boots before heading north towards Vernal. Thats where the three counts of automobile theft and one count of burglary come from.

As he drove north at speeds of over 100 mph, highway patrol troopers intercepted Jayne. Before they disabled the vehicle, prosecutors say he failed to respond to the officers signal to stop, leading to the ninth felony.

After the stolen truck was disabled, Jayne was taken to the University of Utah Hospital, Gray said. On Saturday, he was booked in the Utah County Jail. His first court hearing is Wednesday at 3 p.m.

Gray said his office will be tight-lipped as Jaynes case moves through the court system.

I do not intend to make statements during this ongoing investigation and criminal justice process. I will not publicly opine on the evidence or on decisions issued by the court. I will not do anything that might jeopardize the integrity of this prosecution. This process will take months, so I ask for your patience, Gray told reporters.

Hooser was laid to rest on Monday with full honors in an all-day event that brought out thousands of police officers from around the country. The list of speakers included Utah Gov. Spencer Cox.

There are heroes all amongst us, every day, doing this kind of work. This thin blue line is real. It is the line between order and chaos. It is the line between good and evil. And every day those of you who wear the badge step into that breach, step into that line, and we take it for granted every day, Cox said. And I pray that today will be a reminder to every one of us to not take it for granted.

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The post Man charged with murdering Utah police officer could face death penalty appeared first on Utah News Dispatch.
The Lexington Police Department has arrested a man accused of shooting another man in a high-profile, busy area of downtown.

The shooting happened around 10:35 p.m. Friday at the Stings Lounge on Main Street, according to court documents. Police previously said officers were responding to a report of a gunshot victim and found a man shot when they arrived.

The man was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening-injuries, according to police.

On Monday police arrested Alonzo Richardson, 25, and charged him with first-degree assault and violation of a Kentucky EPO/DVO, according to police. Richardson is being held at the Fayette County Detention Center on a $10,000 bond, according to jail records.

The entirety of the incident was captured on surveillance footage, according to court documents. Richardson and a vehicle registered to him were spotted on surveillance footage.

A cooperating witness who has known Richardson for approximately five years spoke to investigators, saying Richardson called the witness the night of the shooting and shared facts about the incident, according to court documents. Richardson told the witness, I have to lay low now and I was disguised.

Richardson is due in court Tuesday for an arraignment, according to court records.

One person has been arrested in connection with a shooting that took place downtown on Friday night.



To learn more, visit https://t.co/UpsjzBa44V pic.twitter.com/luf1zLOrRf  Lexington Police (@lexkypolice) May 13, 2024
Man convicted of killing wife, 3 family members in Butler Co. sentenced to death

A man convicted of killing four people in Butler County in 2019 has been sentenced to death.

A three-judge panel sentenced Gurpreet Singh, 40, to death on Tuesday after unanimously finding that the aggravating circumstances Singh was found guilty of committing outweighed the mitigating factors presented, according to our news partners at WCPO in Cincinnati.

>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man accused of killing wife, 3 family members in Butler Co. begins new trial

We therefore unanimously find that the sentence of death should be imposed upon Gurpreet Singh, one judge said in court.

The panel spent roughly three hours over two days deliberating on the sentence for Singh, who was convicted last week on four counts of aggravated murder and the firearm specifications attached to each charge.

Singh was convicted of killing his wife, 39-year-old Shalinderjit Kaur; her parents, 59-year-old Hakiakat Singh Pannag and 62-year-old Parmjit Kaur; and Parmjits sister, 58-year-old Amarjit Kaur in West Chester in 2019.

>> Local R&B, funk musician, singer John Wagner dies at 71

This was the second time Singh had gone to trial for the murders. He first stood trial in October 2022. That trial ended in a hung jury after more than 14 hours of deliberation.

Singh waived his right to a jury in the second trial and instead opted for the three-judge panel.

Singh has been housed in the Butler County jail without bond since his arrest months after the murders took place.
(KRON)  Armon Bassett was convicted for punching an East Bay man and stealing his cell phone in San Franciscos Mission Bay, according to SF District Attorney Brooke Jenkinss office.

The jurys verdict holds Mr. Bassett accountable and sends a message that brazen lawlessness will not be tolerated in San Francisco, said Jenkins. My office will continue to do everything we can to protect the safety of residents, workers and visitors who should be able to enjoy our city without fear of being robbed or beaten.

According to the testimony and evidence, a group of friends was crossing the Fourth Street bridge near Channel Street when Bassett sprinted to the victim and sucker punched him, and attempted to snatch his phone. As the victim resisted, Bassett began to strike him in the face and neck, causing the victim to fall to the ground. Bassett subsequently stole his phone and began to flee on foot.

Waymo is latest company under investigation for autonomous or partially automated technology

One of the victims friends ran behind Bassett to retrieve the phone. Bassett then threw the friend to the ground and yelled at her to stay down, according to testimony and evidence.

An eyewitness called the police and rendered aid to both victims. Another person who witnessed the incident followed Bassett and took pictures of him as he ran away, which were later given to police.

Bassett eventually threw the stolen phone in a bush, which a bystander recovered and returned to the victim.

Bassett, 37, was convicted of one count of second-degree robbery and one count of battery. He faces up to five years in state prison. His sentencing is scheduled for June 10.

Assistant District Attorney John Roman successfully prosecuted the case.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
A Missouri man who crashed a rented U-Haul truck into security barriers near the White House last year has pleaded guilty to damaging government property, federal prosecutors announced Monday.

Sai Varshith Kandula, 20, was driving the truck on May 22 last year when he veered onto the sidewalk before crashing into the security barriers around Lafayette Square in front of the White House, per authorities. After reversing the truck and striking the barriers a second time, Kandula exited the then-disabled truck and showed a flag with a Nazi swastika before authorities intervened.

No injuries were reported in the incident, though he almost hit two individuals standing in the area.

He pleaded guilty Monday to a charge of willful injury or depredation of property of the United States and will be sentenced in August by U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich, the Department of Justice said.

Upon his arrest, he was taken into custody and told authorities he was trying to get to the White House, seize power, and be put in charge of the nation, per court documents.

Kandulas intent was to replace the democratically elected government with a dictatorship fueled by the ideology of Nazi Germany and for himself to be put in charge of the United States, the Justice Department said in a release. Kandula admitted to investigators that he would have arranged for the killing of the U.S. President and others if necessary to achieve his objective.

Kandula, who is from Chesterfield, Miss. faces a maximum sentence of 10 years and prosecutors agreed to recommend a prison sentence of no more than 8 years, the Associated Press reported.

Federal prosecutors said Kandula, who was 19 at the time of the incident, spent weeks planning the attack. Before renting and crashing the truck, he repeatedly requested armed guards and an armored convoy from several security companies.

After his attempts were unsuccessful, Kandula flew from St. Louis, Miss. to Washington, D.C. on May 22 and rented a U-Haul truck before crashing it near the White House hours later, per court documents.

The incident resulted in $4,322 in damage to the National Park Service, including the barrier repairs, oil and chemical removal, spill cleanup and the disposal of fluids from the crashed U-Haul, prosecutors noted.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The recent event in the "29 Climate Conversations: The Road to COP29" series, held in collaboration with UN Azerbaijan and PASHA Holding, focused on the theme "Overview of the UN Climate Change Conference: Private Sector Perspectives." PASHA Holding, one of the leading companies in the country, demonstrated its commitment to raising awareness about the UN Climate Change Conference and the role of the private sector in climate action and just transition. This event took place on May 10th with the participation of over 200 employees of PASHA Group companies.

During the event, Teymur Huseynov, Group Strategy Director of PASHA Holding, Elnur Soltanov, the Chief Executive Officer of COP29 Azerbaijan, and Vladanka Andreeva, the Resident Coordinator of the UN in Azerbaijan, presented opening speeches. Distinguished speakers, including Cecilia Njenga, Director of Intergovernmental Support and Collective Progress Division at UNFCCC, Fernando Castellanos, Head of Environment and Climate at UN Global Compact, and Ilkin Hajiyev, Founder & Executive Director at Sustainera Solutions, delivered insightful presentations.

Vladanka Andreeva, Resident Coordinator of the UN in Azerbaijan, highlighted the significance of the partnership with PASHA Holding, stating, "The private sector is one of the critical actors for climate action, and we are pleased to partner with PASHA Holding on this important priority, not only for the country but also for the world."

Recognizing the critical importance of addressing climate challenges, we have proactively initiated an opportunity to enhance awareness among our stakeholders regarding both the COP29 and climate issues. Upon learning about the 29 Climate Conversations initiative spearheaded by UN Azerbaijan, we swiftly conveyed our commitment to participate. This initiative encompasses a series of 29 events organized by the UN Azerbaijan, with four of these events being conducted in collaboration with PASHA Holding. Today we are holding the first of these events, and as part of our commitment to our employees, we are commencing discussions with PASHA Group employees," mentioned Teymur Huseynov.

Additionally, during the event, participants were given the opportunity to donate to the ecological projects currently implemented by the Karabakh Revival Fund.

The "29 Climate Conversations: Road to COP29" program aims to foster collaborative action and dialogue across different sectors to combat the global climate crisis. In the next events of this series, which will be organized with the support of PASHA Holding, the participation of local and international media representatives, clients, partners, and non-governmental organizations as well as experts from various UN agencies on the subject are planned.
A Missouri man pleaded guilty Monday after he crashed a U-Haul truck into metal barriers near the White House last year in connection with what he said was a bid to overthrow the government.

Sai Varshith Kandula, of Chesterfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty to willful injury or depredation of property of the U.S., according to court documents.

In a plea agreement, prosecutors said that the offense, which was "intended to promote a federal crime of terrorism," could lengthen the maximum 10 years in prison for the violation to roughly 12 to 15 years behind bars but that they agreed to seek no more than eight years.

Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 23.

Attorneys for Kandula, who have raised concerns about his mental health, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday night.

Kandula acknowledged in the plea agreement that because he is not a U.S. citizen, his guilty plea and conviction mean he is likely to be deported when he finishes serving his sentence. The plea documents did not specify his country of origin; prosecutors previously warned that Kandula was a flight risk because he has visited India multiple times.

He has remained in prison since his arrest last May.

According to court documents, Kandula, then 19, drove a U-Haul truck onto the sidewalk on May 22, 2023, and twice struck metal barriers intended to keep vehicles from entering Lafayette Square, north of the White House grounds. He then went to the back of the truck and removed a 3- by 5-foot flag with a swastika from a backpack before officers detained him.

Speaking with agents after the incident, Kandula "stated his goal was to get into the White House, seize power, and be put in charge of the nation.

Kandula also "stated he would Kill the President if thats what I have to do and would hurt anyone that would stand in my way'" and allegedly said he bought the swastika flag online because Nazis "have a great history."

In the plea agreement, Kandula also agreed to pay restitution costs of $52,405 for the value of the U-Haul truck, which was damaged beyond repair, and associated towing costs. Damage to the metal barriers ran to $4,322 for the National Park Service.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
A Missouri man pleaded guilty on Monday in an attempted attack on the White House with a rented U-Haul, the Justice Department announced.

Sai Varshith Kandula pleaded guilty to one count of willful injury or depredation of property of the United States, according to a Justice Department news release. The charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years.

Kandula, 20, is set to be sentenced August 23. Kandula was born in Chandanagar, India, according to the release, and was a lawful permanent resident of the US with a green card at the time of the attempted attack.

According to prosecutors, Kandula flew to Washington, DC, on May 22, 2023, from St. Louis. He rented a U-Haul after arriving at Dulles International Airport and drove to the White House, where he crashed into barriers protecting the property at the intersection of H Street NW and 16th Street NW just after 9:30 p.m. ET.

Kandula then exited his damaged vehicle and waved a banner with a Nazi swastika on it before being arrested by US Park Police and Secret Service, prosecutors said.

The crash caused $4,322 in damage to the National Park Service and more than $50,000 in damage to U-Haul International, according to the release. No agency or White House personnel were injured in the incident, the Secret Service said after the attack.

Kandula wanted to gain access to the White House to seize political power and replace it with a dictatorship backed by the ideology of Nazi Germany, according to prosecutors, and he had been planning the attack for weeks.

He admitted to investigators after his arrest that he would have arranged for President Joe Biden to be killed to accomplish his objective, according to the release.

A month before renting the truck, Kandula had contacted a Virginia security company to request 25 armed guards and an armored convoy, according to prosecutors  an effort that failed along with his attempts to rent other long trucks, including a commercial tractor-trailer truck and a dump truck.

CNNs Hannah Rabinowitz, Mary Kay Mallonee and Josh Campbell contributed to this report.

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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET)  A man was sentenced to six years in prison Tuesday after pleading no contest to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated in a crash that killed a pedestrian four years ago.

Jonathan Lopez drove a Chevy Silverado that hit 34-year-old Marco Antonio Garcia early Feb. 23, 2020, as Garcia walked on Edison Highway east of the Mount Vernon overpass, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The Chevy left the scene and officers found Lopez in the truck minutes later stopped on the right shoulder in the 2600 block of Edison Highway. He appeared to be intoxicated and was arrested, officers said.

On Tuesday, Lopez, head bowed, listened as family members of Garcia spoke in court of their loss.

Brenda Gomez, a niece of Garcia, described him as always being ready with a joke or a song. He made people feel good about themselves, she said, adding one of her proudest moments was when he complimented her on having the right words for any situation.

Gomez said she misses him every day.

You broke my family forever, she told Lopez, and nothing will ever be the same for us.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17.
Man gets over three years in prison for posting video threatening school shooting in New Hampshire

A man who posted a Snapchat video last year threatening to shoot up a New Hampshire high school was sentenced to a little over three years in prison on Tuesday.

Kyle Hendrickson, 26, had pleaded guilty to charges of interstate threatening communications and possessing a firearm in a school zone.

In a video posted in April 2023, Hendrickson was in a vehicle with a gun outside of Portsmouth High School, saying, Imma gonna shoot up the school. The incident, police said, was caught by Snapchat, which relayed it to the FBI who then contacted local police. The school district was closed for the day as a precaution.

In a brief statement, before he was sentenced in federal court in Concord, Hendrickson offered his deepest apologies to the school district, students and parents.

It was never my intention to hurt anyone, he said, adding that he took full responsibility for his actions.

Hendrickson faces a separate hearing in August on a request from the school district to pay for upgraded security measures following the threat, which shook us to our core, Zach McLaughlin, superintendent, said in a letter to the judge. McLaughlin asked for nearly $220,000 in improvements and lost wages for staff.

Hendrickson faced a range of 33 months to 41 months in prison, according to federal sentencing guidelines. Prosecutors asked for 48 months, saying that Hendrickson had a significant arsenal of firearms, ammunition and body armor when he was arrested the next day in Portland, Maine. His last known address was in Berwick. Hendricksons lawyer asked that he not be sentenced to more than 30 months, noting that he took advantage of various programs in jail and had a difficult upbringing.

This was a bad joke, his attorney, Murdoch Walker said. It certainly has severe repercussions. He said that Hendrickson had dropped his mother off at the school earlier that day for an errand and told a friend he was going to make an awesome video, in a joking manner.

U.S. District Judge Samantha Elliott sentenced Hendrickson to 37 months in prison, followed by three years of supervision. She noted how incredibly fearful people nationwide are of school shootings.

Its not really a joke if everybody else is terrified that he could do it, she told him.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark.- Janet Epperson and her son Evan Vaughn share a birthday, but this years birthday celebration for them is different than recent years as it could be the last one they share together.

When Vaughn was two years old, doctors discovered a brain tumor and other conditions that gave him an expected life span of 10 years, but at 27 years old he has defied the odds. His doctors said this may be his last birthday so his family and caretakers are doing everything they can to make his last wish come true.

Arkansas family welcomes new baby girl on Leap Day, shares birthday with older brother

Hospice workers, bands and the fire department all gathered to help celebrate Vaughn. The theme of the birthday parade was Iron Man, a nickname he developed from the metal in his body.

Whenever his day is, things like this, he wont ever be gone. Hell always be with us, Epperson said.

Epperson said shes thankful for all the support shes gotten along the way and for the love people have endlessly shown her son.

I think its not just what we received that Ill always cherish but watching what was given to everybody else, Epperson said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK.
Man indicted for death of kayaker on Percy Priest Lake

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  A man has been indicted for his connection to a kayakers death on Percy Priest Lake in 2023, according to court documents.

Several agencies responded to Percy Priest Lake on April 29, 2023 to respond to reports of a boating incident.

PREVIOUS | Missing kayaker found dead following collision on Percy Priest Lake

Officials said a boat with three occupants hit a solo kayaker near the Hamilton Creek boat ramp, but the kayaker did not resurface.

The kayaker was later recovered and identified as 24-year-old Jaida Lindsay of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Detectives attempted to serve a warrant to Walter Colson on Thursday, May 9. As they were explaining the situation to him he allegedly told them, Im not going with you today.

An arrest report states Colson pulled his arm away from a detective, puffed out his chest, and moved as if he going to hit the detective with tools that were in his hands.

Colson was then placed in handcuffs and taken into custody without further incident, officials said.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

According to the indictment, Walter Colson was charged reckless vehicular homicide, reckless aggravated assault, reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, and reckless boating resulting in death.

No other information was released.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
Man Who Killed His Baby and Woman Over Custody Payment Is Sentenced to Prison

Enoch Turner, 25, was found guilty Saturday of first-degree murder, aggravated arson, aggravated child abuse and aggravated burglary

Gofundme Heather and Bentley Cook

A Tennessee man has been convicted of fatally stabbing a mother and the pair's 4-month-old son.

Enoch Turner, 25, was found guilty Saturday of first-degree murder, aggravated arson, aggravated child abuse and especially aggravated burglary in the deaths of 32-year-old Heather Cook and 4-month-old son Bentley. Turner was the father of the infant.

Prosecutors in Shelby County said Turner killed Cook and Bentley after Cook planned to establish paternity. Cook and Bentley were found dead Sept. 13, 2019, in their upstairs bedroom at their Southeast Shelby County home.

Prosecutors said Turner broke into the home and stabbed Cook and Bentley prior to a scheduled paternity test. Cook was stabbed more than 100 times. Bentley was stabbed 10 times. Turner then set the house on fire.

Shelby County Sheriff's Department Enoch Turner

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Cooks sister found the mother and son inside the home, which was filled with smoke, according to a police affidavit previously obtained by PEOPLE.

Gofundme Bentley Cook

Per the affidavit, Turner allegedly admitted his car was parked outside the home, but claimed he found Cook and her son dead when he went inside.

[Turner] changed his story several times but admitted to entering the victims residence through the back window in the early morning hours of Sept. 13, the affidavit said. [Turner] stated he found [Cook and Bentley] deceased in the upstairs bedroom.

He was picked up by police the same day. Prosecutors said they were pursuing the death penalty, but after his conviction agreed to two consecutive life sentences without the chance of parole.

Facebook Heather and Bentley Cook

Cooks family members also approved of the life sentences, prosecutors said.

He will never be released from jail, Deputy District Attorney Paul Hagerman said. The family wants everyone to remember that being a mom meant everything to Heather, and even though Bentley only lived four months, everyone could tell that his mom meant everything to him. It has always been our mission to ensure that Turner never gets out of jail.

Turners attorney could not be reached for comment.

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.



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Man kills 4-month-old day before paternity test, stabs his ex 100 times, officials say

A man killed his 4-month-old infant and the mother of his child the night before he was scheduled to take a paternity test because he was trying to evade his paternal responsibilities, Tennessee officials said.

Hes now been ordered to serve two consecutive life sentences in prison.

McClatchy News reached out to Turners attorney but did not immediately receive a comment May 14.

When baby Bentley Cook was born in 2019, his mom, Heather Cook, pursued legal means to establish that her ex-boyfriend was the childs father, according to a news release from the Shelby County district attorney.

A paternity test was scheduled for Sept. 14, 2019, officials said. But the day before, Enoch Turner, who was 25 at the time, is accused of breaking into Cooks house and heading to the upstairs bedroom.

He stabbed her 100 times, stabbed the baby 10 times, then set the house on fire and fled, prosecutors said.

A family member found the house filled with smoke, but the fire appeared intentionally set, officials said in an earlier news release.

When police said they found Turner later that day, he initially denied he was at the home. Then he said he had been there, but he found them like that, the DAs office said.

He was indicted in July 2020.

Prosecutors said they initially pursued the death penalty but agreed to two sentences of life without parole after Turner, now 29, was convicted on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, aggravated arson and especially aggravated burglary.

The family wants everyone to remember that being a mom meant everything to Heather; and even though (Bentley) only lived four months, everyone could tell that his mom meant everything to him, Deputy District Attorney Paul Hagerman said in the May 13 release. It has always been our mission to ensure from that date on that Turner never gets out of jail.

In a statement shared with WMC, Cooks family described her as a devoted single mother.

A college graduate and professional, Heather was dedicated to Bentleys every happiness, sharing her joy daily with her family and friends with videos and pictures posted to social media, her family told the outlet. Bentley was an incredibly happy baby, full of smiles and laughter.

Dad kidnaps 3-year-old son in SC, sets truck on fire with child still inside, cops say

12-year-old faced evil and torment by dad, his girlfriend before death, officials say

Mom suspected of intoxication in crash that killed 4-year-old son, Michigan cops say
Man to plead guilty to hate crimes in shooting of Jewish men

Man to plead guilty to hate crimes in shooting of Jewish men

A former Riverside resident has agreed to plead guilty to federal hate crime and gun charges stemming from the shooting of two Jewish men leaving synagogues last year.

Jaime Tran, 29, will plead to two counts of hate crimes with intent to kill and two counts of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release.

The attacks on Feb. 15 and 16, 2023, occurred in the Pico-Robertson area of Los Angeles, where Tran sought potential victims near a kosher market and targeted men wearing yarmulkes.

Suspect in shooting of 2 Jewish men in L.A. pleads not guilty

In both cases, Tran shot Jewish men at close range with the intent to kill them before fleeing, prosecutors said.

Both victims survived the attacks. Law enforcement arrested Tran on February 17 and he has remained in custody since then, the DOJ said.

These horrific acts  motivated by poisonous, antisemitic beliefs  shocked our community, said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. Law enforcement will continue to work together to prevent and punish hate crimes. Our resolve remains firm, standing with our Jewish community and others to oppose acts of hate.

Man suspected of shooting Orthodox Jews sought out Kosher market, targeted men with head coverings

Prior to the attacks, Tran developed and espoused antisemitic beliefs and made violent threats toward Jewish people, prosecutors said.

In 2018, he left dental school after making hate-filled statements about classmates he thought were Jewish, the DOJ said. Between August and December 2022, he continued making violent and antisemitic statements, including against a former classmate to whom he wrote I want you dead, Jew, Someone is going to kill you, Jew and Burn in an oven chamber, the DOJ added.

In November 2022, Tran emailed two dozen former classmates a flyer containing antisemitic propaganda, including the statement, EVERY SINGLE ASPECT OF THE COVID AGENDA IS JEWISH,' the release said. The following month, Tran emailed his former classmates excerpts from a website describing Jewish persons as primitive and having thick skulls.'

He was prohibited from buying guns, though in 2023, a third party bought two firearms for him in Phoenix.

Tran faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison on each hate crime count and each firearm count, as well as a mandatory minimum of 10 years for each gun count. The plea agreement is expected to result in a sentence of 35 to 40 years.

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 KTLA.
Man sentenced to death for killings of wife, her family in West Chester Township

A three-judge panel handed down a sentence Tuesday in the second capital murder trial of Gurpreet Singh, who was convicted of gunning down his wife and her family inside a West Chester Township apartment.

The Butler County Common Pleas Court judges sentenced 41-year-old Singh to death. A mistrial was declared in Singh's first trial in 2022 because the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict.

Gurpreet Singh was sentenced to death Tuesday in his second capital murder trial in Butler County Common Pleas Court. A three-judge panel convicted Singh of four counts of aggravated murder.

Prosecutors called 34 witnesses in eight days, painting a picture of an expensive affair and family relationships strained by money troubles, arguing Singh alone had the motive and opportunity to carry out the killings.

The judges agreed and found Singh guilty on Friday of four counts of aggravated murder for killing four people at the Lakefront apartment complex on April 28, 2019, including:

Shalinderjit Kaur, 39, Singh's wife.

Parmjit Kaur, 62, Singh's mother-in-law.

Amarjit Kaur, 58, Singh's wife's aunt.

Hakiakat Singh Pannag, 59, Singh's father-in-law.

It took Judges Gregory Howard, Keith Spaeth and Greg Stephens just over two hours to find Singh guilty as charged. The judges deliberated for close to another two hours before sentencing Singh to death on each count.

Singh did not testify in his defense or make a statement during the trial's sentencing phase.

"It's about time that we end any discussion by any defense attorneys that have made statements and comments in the press before that this defendant is somehow innocent," said Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser. "That train has left the station."

Gurpreet Singh, 41, standing with his attorneys, Alex Deardorff (left) and Mark Wieczorek (right), while a three-judge panel in Butler County Common Pleas Court renders its guilty verdict.

Each of the victims was shot multiple times in the head, with a total of 16 gunshot wounds between them, and there were no defensive wounds, according to Hamilton County Chief Deputy Coroner Dr. Karen Looman.

Prosecutors said Singhs relationship with his father-in-law had grown tense amid Singh's declining finances and repeated demands for money, adding that Singh couldnt afford his lifestyle.

A woman who was in a relationship with him testified that he gave her $20,000 toward the downpayment of a house in Indianapolis, helped with her mortgage and even bought her a luxury SUV.

Singh also bought a house on the same street as the woman, where he planned to move his family, and visited the home with relatives weeks after the killings, according to trial testimony.

Singh lied to police about his affair and about being home during the incident, prosecutors said, pointing to evidence showing he entered the apartment almost 30 minutes before reporting the shooting to 911.

He told detectives during a recorded interview that hed just arrived home when he found the apartment door open and his family on the floor bleeding and never said anything about being home when his family was killed.

However, Singhs attorneys argued he witnessed his family's deaths at the hands of an unknown shooter. They also pointed to an ongoing legal dispute over the sale of land in India as another possible motive for the killings.

Police obtained a search warrant to swab Singhs hands for gunshot residue and those results were positive, but that doesn't necessarily mean he fired the gun, according to trial testimony.

Shortly after the shooting, investigators found the murder weapon  a 9mm handgun  submerged in a pond behind Singhs apartment. The guns serial number was pried off and detectives couldnt trace where it was last purchased and by whom.

Prosecutors said Singh carefully planned his familys killing, including by calling off work and arranging for his three children to be out of the apartment, and lied to shield himself from a police investigation.

Pannag was shot first while lying in bed, followed by his daughter, wife and sister-in-law, according to prosecutors, who said Singh stood over his unconscious wife when he fired the fatal rounds.

Four members of a West Chester family were found shot to death April 28, 2019. Clockwise from left are: Hakiakat Singh, 59; Parmjit Kaur, 62; Shalinderjit Kaur, 39; and Amarjit Kaur, 58.

He started with the person he liked the least, Butler County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Josh Muennich said of the order in which Singh shot his family.

As mitigating evidence against a death sentence, Singh's attorneys elicited testimony from Singh's spiritual advisor and family members who described Singh as being religious, caring toward family and a hard worker. They also pointed to a lack of prior criminal convictions.

Bob Stinson, a forensic psychologist who evaluated Singh in anticipation of his sentencing, testified that Singh is unlike other capital offenders in the way he's been able to maintain long-term, stable relationships throughout his life.

However, prosecutors argued Singh's purposeful murders of his wife and her family outweighed everything else.

"The importance of that family was the furthest thing from his mind when he killed everyone he should've held dear," Muennich said.

While Singh has yet to make any admission of his involvement in his family's killings, their loved ones' belief in his guilt has remained firm even after five years. Still, they would've liked some kind of acknowledgment.

"We thought that he's gonna speak up, but he never showed any emotions, he had never told anybody how he has done it. We wanted to know that," Jasdeep Singh, Amarjit Kaur's son, told reporters after Tuesday's sentencing verdict.

Singh is expected to appear in court again at 1:30 p.m. May 22 for a formal sentencing hearing.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Gurpreet Singh sentenced to death in killing of family in West Chester
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has approved a 15 million euro loan to support Photon Energy NV (Photon), a European renewable energy producer, in its endeavors in Romania and Poland, Trend reports.

This investment from the EBRD will facilitate the completion of construction for a portfolio of six solar parks in Romania, boasting a total installed capacity of 29 MW. The move is expected to bolster Photon's capabilities, allowing the company to further its development of renewable assets across regions covered by the EBRD.

In addition to the solar projects in Romania, the EBRD's funding will extend support to Lerta, Photon's subsidiary specializing in energy management services in Poland. Investments will focus on research and development initiatives aimed at enhancing Lerta's technological expertise and expanding its service offerings. This strategic move positions Lerta favorably to participate in the upcoming capacity market and demand-side response auctions in Poland.

Companies like Photon, experiencing rapid growth in the renewable energy sector, play a pivotal role in advancing the EU's energy policies and decarbonization objectives. Furthermore, the development of efficient energy service markets is essential for maximizing the utilization of renewable resources, ensuring grid stability, and maintaining a balanced supply and demand in the electricity network.

The EBRD's loan benefits from first-loss risk coverage provided by the EU through its InvestEU program, offering additional security and support for sustainable energy initiatives in the region.
Man sentenced to years in prison for selling fentanyl that killed Oregon teen

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  A 31-year-old man from Medford, Ore. was sentenced to five years and 10 months in federal prison on May 13 after he was convicted of selling fentanyl pills that caused an Oregon teenager to die of a drug overdose in 2021.

The Department of Justice said that John Rocha sold fentanyl pills disguised as Percocet that were ultimately taken by the 17-year-old high school student. The Medford-area teen was found dead from a drug overdose Sept. 7, 2021.

Portland State University shares damage estimate following library occupation

The teenager had taken counterfeit Percocet pills containing fentanyl, the DOJ stated. Within days, investigators identified Rocha as the victims fourth-level drug supplier, and when confronted by law enforcement, he admitted to having recently sold counterfeit pills.

On Feb. 3, 2022, a federal grand jury in Medford found Rocha guilty of five charges related to fentanyl trafficking, including a gun possession charge. Rocha pleaded guilty to selling the fentanyl pills on Feb. 20

Rocha also received four years of probation as part of his sentencing. The case was investigated by the FBI and the Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement Team.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
Deputies with the Riverside County Sheriffs Department shot and killed a man Monday morning during a probation compliance check, officials announced.

The incident unfolded just after 8 a.m. when Riverside County Sheriffs deputies assigned to the Riverside Alternative Sentencing Program were conducting a compliance check in the 3300 block of Albillo Loop in Perris, a sheriffs department news release stated.

At the scene, authorities say there were multiple adults in the backyard of the residence and that one of the individuals provided false identifying information and attempted to walk away, refusing commands by deputies to stop.

Deputies deployed a taser to attempt to gain compliance, but it was ineffective, and the suspect continued to walk away, the release stated. The suspect then produced a handgun and a deputy-involved shooting occurred.

After the man was struck by gunfire, authorities say deputies rendered medical aid until paramedics arrived and took him to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The involved deputy will be placed on paid administrative leave according to Department policy. The name of the suspect and the involved deputy will not be released at this time, authorities said.

Armed Southern California man shot in face after putting officer in headlock

No further injuries to deputies or citizens were reported.

The shooting will be investigated by a detective with the Riverside County District Attorneys Office assigned to the sheriffs departments Force Investigation Detail.

Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact Riverside County Senior District Attorney Investigator JR Ferrer or Riverside County Sheriffs Investigator Jason Letterly at 951-955-2777.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
Man shot, killed by police after domestic violence incident identified by coroner

The Franklin County Coroner's Office released the name of a man shot and killed by officers after he shot and killed a 45-year-old woman.

Corey Roach, 50, died in the shooting that happened after 7 p.m. Saturday after officers responded to a report of shots fired in the 4700 block of McAllister Avenue near Shady Lane Road, one block south of East Main Street.

Nicole Pleasant, 45, was found dead at a home in the 1000 block of Lockwood Drive after the shooting. Police say Roach shot and killed her.

Columbus police use yellow tape to cordon off a crime scene.

Police initially responded to a report of shots fired and a person threatening neighbors with a gun.

Body camera footage showed a neighbor directing officers toward Roach before officers came under gunfire. The two officers returned fire and later found Roach lying on a sidewalk. He was transported to Mount Carmel East hospital and pronounced dead.

No officers were hurt in the shootout.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating the fatal shooting, as is the case with any law enforcement officer-involved shooting in the city of Columbus.

Columbus police homicide detectives are investigating Pleasant's death.

bagallion@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Man shot, killed by Columbus police in shootout identified by coroner
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  One man was taken to the hospital, and another was arrested following a stabbing Sunday afternoon along North Main Street in downtown Memphis.

The Shelby County Sheriffs Office said the stabbing happened just outside the county administration building and Memphis Police Departments headquarters.

Deputies said Aaron Collins, 47, was arrested after he walked by the area and was identified by a witness as the attacker.

Deputies said just before 4 p.m., they were approached by a man who was bleeding and carrying a bloody hammer and said he had just been attacked by three men.

The victim said he was stabbed in the right shoulder and that he used the hammer to defend himself.

A witness told deputies she and the victim were sitting at a table at 160 North Main when he got into an argument with a man. She said two more men showed up, and one of them stabbed the victim with a large knife.

The witness said Collins was the man who stabbed her friend. Deputies said they found a knife covered with blood in Collins backpack and an open cut on his left wrist.

Collins was treated for his injury before being booked into the Shelby County Jail. He was charged with aggravated assault and is being held on a $75,000.

Collins is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.

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 WREG.com.
Man tried strangling himself with pants drawstring. This is when two GA officers stepped in

Two Georgia officers are being recognized for saving a suspects life who almost strangled himself with a seatbelt and drawstring.

On March 2, Baldwin Corp. Aaron Spivey was helping with a traffic stop that involved a possible DUI suspect. While helping with the traffic stop, he received a call about domestic violence.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Cornelia Ofc. Jackson Cooter and Spivey responded to the call. The officers later learned it was a burglary and possible home invasion, with the suspect leaving the scene.

The suspect was found at a nearby convenience store and was placed into Spiveys patrol car.

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Baldwin officials said before the officers left the parking lot of the store, the suspect tried strangling himself with the seatbelt. Spivey and Cooter were able to get the suspect back into safety.

Authorities said as officers traveled to the Habersham County Detention Center the suspect tried strangling himself again with the seatbelt.

The third time, Baldwin officials said the suspect removed a drawstring from his pants, and wrapped it around his neck all while being handcuffed.

The suspect, whose age and identity were not released, was rushed to the Northeast Georgia Medical Center.

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According to Baldwin police, Spivey was able to remove the string from the suspects neck, while Cooter cut the string.

Police said the suspect spit in Spiveys eye on accident after admitting to consuming fentanyl. Both Spivey and the suspect received medical attention.

Earlier in May, Cooter and Spivery received plaques from Baldwin Chief of Police Chris Jones for their efforts in saving the suspects life.

The suspects current condition was not released.

IN OTHER NEWS:
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  Visitation to the Manatee County Central Jail was suspended Tuesday after an incident that injured a maintenance worker.

A county worker was performing maintenance on an electrical panel when it exploded, according to the Manatee County Sheriffs Office.

The worker sustained burns in the explosion and was taken to the hospital. MCSO said he was awake and alert when he was being transported.

The incident sent the jail into lockdown and fire crews responded to check for an active fire. No other staff members or inmates were hurt.

Florida Power and Light is working to fix the electrical issue.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
A manhunt is under way in France for a criminal linked to drugs and gangland killings who was broken out of a prison van in a dramatic ambush that killed two prison officers.

Mohamed Amra, 30, became Frances most wanted man when a gang using heavy weaponry opened fire on his escort as he was being transferred from a court hearing in Rouen back to jail in the town of Evreux on Monday.

Nicknamed La Mouche - The Fly - Amra was convicted of aggravated burglary last week but is reportedly tied to drugs and gangland killings.

The attack that freed him, which took place at the Incarville tollbooth on the A154 motorway, has left two other officers fighting for their lives.

The van carrying Mohamed Amra was rammed by a car before he was snatched from it as hooded gunmen opened fire - Amaury Brelet/X

The door of the van is flung open in a screen grab from a video taken by an onlooker - Amaury Brelet/X

Security camera footage showed a car ram the van transporting Amra while a group of hooded gunmen emerged from several points around the toll plaza, firing shots at the officers before opening a door to free the inmate.

Two officers died instantly and three others were seriously wounded, said Eric Dupond-Moretti, the French justice minister. Two remained in a life-threatening critical condition, he added.

The minister paid tribute to the slain men, saying one had a wife who is five months pregnant, and the other two children who are about to celebrate their 21st birthday tomorrow.

Police unions said their colleagues stood no chance given that they were travelling in an un-armoured van and armed with simple handguns when they were confronted by men carrying weapons of war.

The French interior ministry did not answer calls as to whether it had alerted all ports at French borders to check if the fugitive seeks to flee the country.

France can close or heavily police its borders in times of crisis such as during the Covid pandemic and in the wake of a terror attack.

The attack comes at a politically sensitive time for Emmanuel Macron, whose government recently launched multiple anti-drug cleanup operations in raids around the country.

Embarrassingly for the government, Amra had tried to saw through the bars of his prison cell only two days earlier, according to a police source cited by Le Parisien, leading them to upgrade his surveillance status.

He and his accomplices made their getaway in two vehicles, a white Audi A5 and a BMW 5 series. Both vehicles were later found burned out. The gang is thought to have then fled in a third, unknown, vehicle.

Amra had been under investigation in the southern city of Marseille for kidnapping and sequestering leading to death in 2022. The victim, whose charred body was found with a bullet in the back of the head, reportedly came from Amras home town.

Le Parisien called him a high-flying bandit, and said he was involved in international drug trafficking and suspected of masterminding a drugs-related assassination attempt on a French citizen in Spain in the summer of 2023.

The unsuccessful hit, filmed by terrified tourists in Marbella, is alleged to have been part of a drugs turf war with a rival known as Mehdi.

Under investigation for murder attempt

Amra is also under investigation for attempted homicide in an organised gang in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray. At the time of his escape, he had just been interviewed by prosecutors in Rouen over this case.

According to Le Parisien, after his attempt to saw through his cell bars, Amra had been placed in a disciplinary unit and his surveillance level had been raised to Escort 3 - just below the special surveillance level.

Elite GIGN units were sent to the scene of the ambush along with around 200 gendarmes as part of a plan Epervier (Sparrowhawk plan) granting police sweeping stop-and-search powers to find fugitives or abduction victims.

President Macron said: Everything is being done to find the perpetrators of this crime so that justice can be done in the name of the French people. We will be implacable.

The escape of a man Le Parisien said was the head of a narcotics network is embarrassing for the Macron administration as it came on the day that a French senatorial commission of inquiry released a report warning that France was submerged with drug trafficking, which is infiltrating everywhere like an inexorably rising tide.

In a damning indictment, it concluded that Mr Macrons anti-drugs plan to be presented shortly by the government is meagre and not up to the task.

A dark day for prison officers

This is a dark day for prison officers, said Yoan Karar of the FO Justice union who said the slain officers were from the PREJ, the centre for judicial extractions, in Caen.

Even though prison vans possess electronic tags to drive straight through toll booths, they often have to slow down and the barrier is a weak spot, he added.

Mr Karar said that the officers, who were wearing bullet-proof jackets, stood little chance against heavy weapons given that they only possess 9mm handguns.

French politicians expressed anger at their deaths.

It is with shock and immense sadness that we learn of the attack on a prison administration vehicle in Incarville, and the death of prison officers, said Jordan Bardella, of Marine Le Pens populist National Rally.

Eric Zemmour of the hard-Right Renew party said: When a prison vehicle is attacked and its officers murdered, it is the whole of the justice system, and the whole of the French people, who are being targeted.

France must equip itself with the means to win the war that has been declared against it.

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After watching his former fixer Michael Cohen testify against him on Tuesday, former President Donald Trump is expected to attend a fundraiser in New York City co-hosted by Charles Kushner, his son-in-laws father, whom he pardoned in 2020.

The crimes for which Kushner went to prison  tax evasion and campaign finance violations  had nothing to do with Trump, but they were tawdry enough to compete with a porn star hush money trial.

Trying to intimidate his sister from testifying before a grand jury, the elder Kushner set up a sort of rogue sting operation in which he meant to videotape his sisters brother with a prostitute and then send the tape to his sister.

At least those are the broad outlines of the tale as told by former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who was then the US attorney for the state who prosecuted the case. Christie was ultimately denied a Trump Cabinet position after Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law, opposed the idea. Now Christie, like Cohen, is a former Trump associate trying to take the former president down.

RELATED: Read about Cohens testimony in Trumps trial.

Cohen is rare in the universe of Trump associates since he both turned on Trump and went to prison.

Many of the other Trump aides and associates who faced jail eventually got pardons or clemency and still support the former president.

Manafort still wants to help

Paul Manafort is still in Trumps camp despite spending years in jail during a legal odyssey. Manafort ran Trumps 2016 campaign for a time, but then later, while Trump was president, Manafort  who made money as a foreign lobbyist  was convicted for federal tax evasion, among other things. He also pleaded guilty to conspiracy against the US. Trump continually expressed sympathy for Manafort.

Manafort served two years until he was released to home confinement during the Covid-19 pandemic and was ultimately pardoned before Trump left office.

Hes back in the foreign lobbying business, although the optics of being involved in Trumps 2024 campaign were apparently too much. Manafort recently backed away from a supporting role helping plan the Republican National Convention after media scrutiny over his involvement.

Bannon faces jail for post-pardon activity

Steve Bannon, the former Trump White House chief strategist turned right-wing provocateur, obtained a Trump pardon before he could be tried for allegedly defrauding donors of contributions intended to help build a wall on the US border with Mexico.

Pardoning Bannon was one of Trumps final acts in office. Bannon associates in the scheme who did not receive pardons have been convicted and sentenced to prison.

Trumps pardon helped Bannon avoid prosecution in the border wall scheme, but Bannon may yet go to prison.

He was the subject of a rare prosecution by the Department of Justice for refusing to comply with a congressional subpoena. Bannon ignored summons to testify before the now-disbanded House committee that investigated the January 6, 2021, insurrection. A federal appeals court recently rejected his attempt to further delay his four-month sentence, and prosecutors this week asked for Bannons sentence to be imposed.

Bannon hosts a widely downloaded podcast that is supportive of Trump.

Another former top Trump aide, Peter Navarro, has already reported to prison after his conviction for contempt of Congress.

Trump cant help Bannon or Navarro now, since hes not currently president, but he has already promised to use pardon power to help people convicted of crimes related to January 6, a riot committed by his supporters.

Stone, Flynn avoided jail

Trump already has a notable history of helping supporters when he is able. He commuted the sentence of his longtime friend Roger Stone, the political operative who was convicted by a jury of, among other things, obstructing the Russia investigation.

Trump also issued a wide-ranging pardon to retired Gen. Michael Flynn, his first national security adviser who was charged with lying to investigators. Flynn had entered a guilty plea and then tried to rescind it, and the yearslong legal saga hung over Trumps presidency.

Trump issued the Flynn pardon shortly after losing the 2020 presidential election. Flynn is now an avowed QAnon conspiracy theorist, but Trump has said he could bring him back in a second Trump administration.

Trumps longtime CFO is back on Rikers

Trump also cant help another lieutenant, Allen Weisselberg, who stayed loyal.

Weisselberg already served one monthslong jail sentence on Rikers Island for a yearslong tax scheme. But then he was found to have lied during a deposition in the civil fraud trial in which Trump was found to have inflated his wealth to get favorable loans. For that perjury, Weisselberg pleaded guilty to different state charges and is now serving another five months at Rikers Island jail.

Even if Trump is reelected, a president cannot use his pardon power to absolve state charges.

Jonathan Karl of ABC News has reported that Trump was actively considering a pardon for Cohen around the time the FBI raided Cohens house in 2018. Cohen ultimately spent weeks in solitary confinement for his tax and campaign finance crimes, something he has said was retribution by Trump  although a lawsuit Cohen filed making that allegation was dismissed.

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Marine Corps vet pledged to gun down white people in chilling threats promising to OD on adrenaline: feds

A black Marine Corps vet went on a months-long, hate-filled screed threatening to cause mayhem by gunning down white victims and aspiring to progress into a serial killer, federal prosecutors said.

Joshua Cobb, 23, of Trenton, New Jersey, penned a string of online posts and text messages vowing to gun down white people, and boasted he would probably OD on my own adrenaline after the 10th body goes down, the US Attorneys Office in New Jersey said in a release Monday.

Its all a fing game and you all are going to die, Cobb allegedly wrote in one text message last year. I currently lack the means necessary to kill as many as I intend to but one day I will have the available resources (finance) to purchase the appropriate weaponry for my killings.

Federal prosecutors in New Jersey said ex-Marine Joshua Cobb spent months threatening to kill white people online. Kyle Mazza/SOPA Images/Shutterstock

In a social media post on Dec. 17, 2022, Cobb allegedly said he had chosen targets for armed attacks.

I have not chosen a [sic] exact date but I am going to be sure it is close to an important holiday to their race, prosecutors said he wrote. I have a location in mind already which I have frequented for the past year and I am certain nobody there is armed to be able to stop me from spraying them to the ground.

According to an 11-page federal complaint filed Friday, Cobb was grilled by federal agents and admitted that he wrote the messages  and detailed sites he had chosen for the attacks.

Those included a Jersey Strong gym and an Aldi grocery store in Robbinsville in Mercer County.

In a social media post on Dec. 17, 2022, Cobb allegedly said he had chosen targets for armed attacks. ZUMAPRESS.com

My rampage will soon happen, he warned in May 2023, the feds said. I plan to continue accumulating the necessary equipment needed to execute. Once all equipment is in, time will then tell. You will all die.

Cobb, who was stationed in California with the Corps, wrote the first message in December 2022 on social media, and continued to post online using the name 1dayUsuffer, including on TikTok, and in numerous text messages for more than a year, the complaint said.

In one post he said a crossbow was, My favorite weapon to kill them.

Last month, federal investigators seized Cobbs mobile phone and uncovered all off the messages.

If convicted, he faces up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. Italy is ready to promote the development of Azerbaijan's agricultural sector, the representative of the Italian Embassy in Azerbaijan Riccardo Cursi said at the Azerbaijan-Italian business forum, Trend reports.

He recalled that Italy is Azerbaijan's principal trading partner and that ties are prospering in all spheres of life, including politics, culture, and the economy, including agriculture.

According to him, relations in the agricultural sector have been actively developing since 1999.

"Our countries have much in common. We have a favorable climate, and we have been developing viticulture and animal husbandry for a long time. Our mutual experience will be beneficial to our states," Cursi noted.

Moreover, the diplomat said that Azerbaijan, being an important partner of Italy in the energy sector, is developing non-oil sectors of the economy, especially agriculture.

"The agricultural sector contributes significantly to Azerbaijan's GDP. This sector employs a large portion of Azerbaijan's population. Investment in the country's agriculture industry is growing. We are ready to contribute to this progress by supplying modern technologies, machinery, and equipment," the Italian representative explained.

He mentioned that the development of 'green' agriculture will be a separate topic at the upcoming COP29 conference in Azerbaijan.

"Italy will be represented at COP29 by a large delegation. We regularly hold necessary consultations on this important issue," Cursi added.

To note, Azerbaijani-Italian trade turnover from January through March 2024 amounted to $2 billion.

This November, Azerbaijan will host COP29. This decision was made at the COP28 plenary meeting held in Dubai on December 11 last year. Baku will become the center of the world and will receive about 7080,000 foreign guests.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system. COPthe Conference of the Partiesis the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. There are 198 countries that are parties to the Convention. Unless the parties agree otherwise, the COP is held annually. The first COP event took place in March 1995 in Germany's Berlin, and its secretariat is located in Bonn.

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Several masked intruders broke in to a home in Redlands, injuring one of the residents as another tried to fight them off with a cane.

It happened around 1 a.m. Sunday morning at a home on the 700 block of Concord Lane, according to the Redlands Police Department.

Police say four to five masked suspects kicked open a back door to the home, which set off a security alarm.

The residents were awoken by the alarm and one of the people inside attempted to fight the intruders off with a cane.

Several of the burglars went upstairs and woke the homeowners sleeping son, forcing him downstairs to join his parents as the crew ransacked the home.

The suspects eventually left empty handed, police said.

Authorities set up a perimeter and searched the neighborhood, but the suspects were able to get away.

One of the residents was injured during the break-in, tripping and hitting her head as she tried to get away from the intruders. She was transported to a local hospital for treatment and her current condition is unclear.

The break-in remains under investigation and police have not said if there is a clear motive at this time.

Anyone with information about this crime or other suspicious activity is urged to contact Redlands Police Dispatch at 909-798-7681, ext. 1. Tips can also be provided online.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
The Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority 85 bus follows a downtown shuttle route. (Courtesy of CommonWealth Beacon)

The Massachusetts Senate proposal for the coming fiscal year calls for directing $214 million to the states 15 regional transit authorities, including $40 million so they can eliminate fares on all of their bus routes and $10 million to promote routes connecting regions.

Its a bold plan, one that has been hailed as a big step forward for transit agencies that have historically lived in the shadow of the much larger MBTA. Senate leaders say the money is also a step toward greater equity in transportation.

A new report portrays the RTAs as largely inward-looking organizations that lack connection with each other and are subject to muddled oversight from the state Department of Transportation. The result is a somewhat disjointed overall transit system that sometimes struggles to get people where they need to go and is over-reliant on funding from the communities being served.

The report was commissioned by the town of Ware and the Quaboag Connector, a rural micro-transit service backed by the Quaboag Valley Community Development Corporation. It was paid for with grant funds from the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts. The analysis contained in the report was developed by the Center for Policy Analysis at Tufts University.

The report raises concerns about inadequate funding and oversight of the RTAs, placing a good chunk of the blame on the Department of Transportation, which parcels out the money.

The current approach to regional transit funding is not built on a clear set of publicly shared principles, the report says. Funding levels in any given year seem to reflect funding levels the year beforewhich were themselves correlated with funding levels the year before that. Absent an explicit formula for RTAs, the de facto effect of this funding-by-inertia approach is that funding levels mostly reflect ridership, with no obvious adjustments for need, capacity, or otherwise.

RTA funding comes from three sources  the federal government, state government, and local member communities. The report spotlights how 20% of the funding currently comes from local communities, a far higher percentage than the 8% provided by MBTA member communities.

In some ways, this comparison understates the gap, the report says. If federal dollars are set aside, and the funding controlled by Massachusetts policy is examined separatelynamely state aid and local supportthen the discrepancy is even sharper: 32% of non-federal funding in the RTA system is supplied by local communities, as compared to 12% in the MBTA.

The report also found that the funding-by-inertia approach fails to adequately address income disparities between the RTAs. Lower-income regions receive some extra aid, the report says, but overall the effect is somewhat arbitrary and highly variable, favoring select low-income regions over others (the Southeastern RTA is relatively underfunded, given its income level, while the Pioneer Valley RTA is generously funded).

Evan Horowitz, the executive director of the Center for State Policy Analysis, said he had difficulty obtaining guiding principles on funding decisions from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, even after filing public records requests for documents.

Service levels vary widely among the RTAs. Most offer bus service within their territories, but some only offer paratransit service or rides for seniors. Some towns within the RTA service areas dont participate at all.

The Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority is at the forefront of RTAs experimenting with new approaches and services. Noah Berger, executive director, said the authority went fully fare free in March 2022. He said ridership is 60% above pre-pandemic levels.

If the Senate funding approach for RTAs prevails in budget negotiations on Beacon Hill, Berger said, he expects to receive a portion of the state money to cover his agencys loss of revenue from eliminating fares, which would free up funding for other initiatives. Already the RTA runs a bus route between Lawrence, which is in the transit authoritys service area, to Lowell, which is not. The RTA also offers paratransit service to a Veterans Administration facility in Bedford.

The fare free money is golden, he said.

This article first appeared on CommonWealth Beacon and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

The post In Massachusetts, are 15 regional transit authorities ready for prime time? appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
COLUMBIA, Tenn. (WKRN)  On Monday, the Maury County Highway Office began clearing vegetative debris left behind from the EF-3 tornado that struck the area on May 8, however, the number of downed trees posed quite the challenge.

Tennessee State Rep. Scott Cepicky, who serves Maury County, told News 2 that many residents were raising concern over the highway offices clear-out process. After spending the day speaking with area leaders, he said:

At least 245 Maury County homes damaged during severe storms

Were working with the county, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to see what we can get accomplished in expanding the ability to collect this debris.

Courtesy: WKRN

Courtesy: WKRN

Courtesy: WKRN

All Maury County Public Schools remained closed Tuesday. The district said all campuses will open back up on Wednesday, May 15.

Walter Shell is one of several folks working to clean up after the twister. As a 30-year homeowner on Blackburn Lane, he said hes never seen anything like what rolled through his part of town last week.

Maury County family recovering after tornado harms bee farm

I heard the loudest noise, Shell said. It was like a train coming through. I didnt know if we were going to live or die.

He explained the overwhelming sensation he gets when he looks at the devastation the severe weather left behind, but he said its the county crews and good Samaritans offering a helping hand that make the recovery process a lot less daunting.

The volunteers have been great, Shell said. We need to love each other and help each other. Things happen. Tennessee is the Volunteer State.

Cheryl Lovett (Courtesy: Erica Sullivan)

Shell was heartbroken to learn of the passing of one of his good friends Cheryl Lovett during the tornadoes. He said she was always a joyful presence and had a positive impact on many lives as a beloved waitress for 40 years at Stans Restaurant.

She was really nice and kind, Shell said. She loved me and I loved her. Everybody in this neighborhood, were just like family. We love each other, we help each other and thats what the world needs to be. We need to get back to people loving each other and helping each other.

Maury County Animal Shelter working to help displaced animals after storm

On Wednesday, May 15, community members will come together to Honor Lovett at Oakes and Nichols Funeral Home (320 W 7th St, Columbia, TN 38401). There will be a visitation at 11 a.m. and a funeral will follow at 3 p.m. For more details, click here.

Courtesy: WKRN

Courtesy: WKRN

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

A 95-year-old tree was uprooted and destroyed from Shells yard as a result of the May 8 tornado.

He said hes going to keep a part of the trees trunk and have one of his woodworking friends make a memorial plaque so that hell have a positive item to reflect on when challenging times arise.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
Maybe next year: Bills that died in the Alabama Senate before a vote

The Alabama Legislature passed bills this year affecting laws ranging from education to healthcare. However, some of the most heavily discussed topics in the state didn't get a final vote.

Here are some of the bills that passed in the House but didn't make it to the Senate floor before the end of the legislative session.

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

Gambling

Legalized gaming was an ongoing bipartisan topic in the Statehouse this session. While it initially passed in both legislative bodies, the House passed a motion of nonconcurrence to the Senate's substitutions. The main sources of disagreement came from how much money from the proposed state lottery would go to education, and sports gambling being struck from the bill.

Authored by Rep. Chris Blackshear, R-Smiths Station, House Bill 151 would have gone to voters, allowing Alabamians to decide if they wanted an education lottery, as well as additional casinos in the state.

Maria E. Mejia, 72, and her daughter-in-law Maria G. Mejia, 44, drove 40 minutes from Enterprise, Ala., to play scratch-offs and buy ice cream at Friendly Ice Cream Shop and Lottery in Esto, Fla., on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022.

More: Alabama's push to legalize gambling dies in the state Senate

Removal of library materials

Authored by Rep. Arnold Mooney, R-Pelham, and substituted by Rep. David Faulkner, R-Birmingham, House Bill 385 would have allowed for the prosecution of librarians who fail to remove the challenged materials in a timely manner. The vote came after the House added more context to the legal term "sexual conduct" and defined the distribution of materials considered harmful to minors on any public premise as a "public nuisance."

Under the bill, anyone who believed library materials were obscene would have been able to write to the school district's superintendent or head librarian to request the materials' removal.

The bill passed by in the House by a vote of 72 to 28.

The Autauga - Prattville Public Library in Prattville, Ala., on Tuesday March 19, 2024.

More: Alabama House approves bill banning 'sexual content' in public libraries

"Don't say gay"

An expansion to legislation from 2022, House Bill 130, would have expanded existing prohibition of discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms. Authored by Rep. Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City, the bill was initially written to expand the existing law to K-12 classrooms. The bill was amended to only go to grade 8 as recommended by the state Department of Education.

Butler said on the House floor that the bill would not have deterred educators from talking to an individual about matters of gender identity or sexual orientation if asked, it would have only prevented them from teaching the topics to a class or creating assignments about them.

Glock switch ban

Authored by Rep. Phillip Ensler, D-Montgomery, House Bill 36 would have banned the possession of any parts that convert pistols into machine guns. Possession of a pistol with said parts attached would be a Class C felony if the bill had been signed into law. It passed by a vote of 60 to 38 in the House.

"While I am deeply disappointed, I realize the great strides that we made working in a bipartisan way," Ensler said on X, formerly Twitter. "I will return next session ready to keep collaborating and fighting to save lives from gun violence and improve community safety for all."

The Senate unanimously passed Ensler's swatting bill, contextualizing the act and setting various penalties for it.

Rep. Phillip Ensler in the house chamber at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Ala., on Wednesday March 6, 2024.

More: Alabama lawmakers create new law, penalties against swatting

Abstinence-only education

Authored by Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Hoover, House Bill 195 would have prohibited curriculum from providing, demonstrating or referring any information on how to acquire an abortion.

Currently, public k-12 schools are required to emphasize abstinence as the only effective way to prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases and prohibits the promotion of abortion of sexual activity. Alabama schools are not required to teach sex-education in health classes.

On the House floor, DuBose said she considered the bill bipartisan, saying there are groups who want sex-education to be mandatory for grades K-12. The bill passed in the House 72 to 22.

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Victor Hagan is the Alabama Election Reporting Fellow for the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at vhagan@gannett.com or on X @TheVictorHagan. To support his work, subscribe to the Advertiser.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Maybe next year: Bills that died in the Alabama Senate before a vote
NEW YORK  Mayor Adams administration is planning to restructure the Police Academy to consolidate training for several agencies outside the NYPDs purview, including the correction, sanitation, probation and parks departments, sources with knowledge of the situation told the New York Daily News.

The newly envisioned police academy with its expanded mission will remain in its College Point, Queens location, but will get a name change, according to the sources, who said monikers floated include the Public Safety Academy and the Public Safety Training Academy.

The effort is being driven by Deputy Mayor Phil Banks, two administration officials directly familiar with the matter told The News. The expansion marks a significant shift, as currently all agencies have their own small academies where their enforcement personnel are trained.

Banks, who served as the NYPDs chief of department, has been working on the academy expansion project for two years, according to one source, who said the deputy mayor views it as a way to put forth a national model for other cities.

That official noted that part of Banks motivation is rooted in his concerns about performance and quality in certain agencies, such as the parks and sanitation departments. It was unclear if the training would just be physically located at the academy or if there would be a shift in how the training programs are managed.

Some of Banks concerns have been addressed by the Sanitation Department through its efforts to use cameras to track illegal dumping. Other concerns over questions of jurisdiction between the Parks Department police and the NYPD continue to linger, the source said.

An official announcement touting the rebranding and restructuring of the academy is anticipated as early as this month, two of the source noted. City Hall and the NYPD did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

According to one of the sources, Banks office on May 3 held a briefing with high-level staff from all city agencies with enforcement arms to inform them the administration will centralize training for all of them at the NYPDs College Point building.

The agencies included in the planned overhaul include the Departments of Correction, Sanitation, Probation, Parks, Health and Mental Hygiene, Homeless Services as well as the Sheriffs Office, Health + Hospitals and the Taxi and Limousine Commission, according to the sources.

All of those agencies were on the May 3 briefing, the digital invite for which was billed Public Safety Academy, one official noted.

Its professionalizing the idea of how to do enforcement training, the official said.

Concerns and unanswered questions remain, though.

Hes trying to break down the silos, and thats a good thing, another administration official said, but added that The devils going to be in the details.

Its also not entirely clear when the new training structure will be implemented or how much it will cost, given that it will likely require an expansion of facilities at the Police Academy.
MBS might be ready for some 'tough conversations' about 'recalibrating' Saudi Arabia's Neom and Vision 2030 projects

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince is reportedly open to having "tough conversations" about Vision 2030.

MBS might be ready to discuss which projects should proceed first, the Financial Times reported.

Saudi has been deflecting suggestions that some of its megaprojects are facing financial issues.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may finally be ready to have some "tough conversations" about his ambitious Vision 2030 project.

The de-facto Saudi leader is open to discussing which projects should progress and which could wait, the Financial Times reported, citing a person familiar with the thinking at the Public Investment Fund  the sovereign wealth fund.

Amine Mati, head of the IMF's mission for Saudi Arabia, told the FT that Saudi authorities were "recalibrating" to assess whether some spending should be delayed.

Representatives for Neom did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

The comments come after the kingdom has tried to deflect reports that some of its Vision 2030 projects are facing financial strain.

Last month, Bloomberg reported that the financial realities of the country's Neom project, which could cost as much as $1.5 trillion , have started to cause alarm within the Saudi government.

Meanwhile, Saudi has started borrowing to help fund some Vision 2030 megaprojects including Neom, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The kingdom's also been battling reports that plans for Neom, the ambitious desert city, have been scaled back.

In an apparent attempt to refute some of these claims, the Saudi economy minister, Faisal Al Ibrahim, recently said all Neom projects were continuing at the planned scale.

"These projects will be delivered to their scale and in a manner that in terms of priorities suits the needs of the projects, the returns of these projects, and the economic impact," he told the World Economic Forum's special meeting in Riyadh last month.

Vision 2030 aims to transform Saudi Arabia economically and politically by reducing its dependence on oil revenues and pivoting toward tech.

Neom has emerged as the plan's flashy centerpiece. Saudi officials tout the project as "the world's most ambitious."

The resort island of Sindalah, the first region of Neom, is due to open later this year.

Read the original article on Business Insider
For the second year in a row, students graduating from U.S. medical schools were less likely to apply this year for residency positions in states with abortion bans and other significant abortion restrictions, according to new statistics. Getty Images

This story first appeared on KFF Health News.

Isabella Rosario Blum was wrapping up medical school and considering residency programs to become a family practice physician when she got some frank advice: If she wanted to be trained to provide abortions, she shouldnt stay in Arizona.

Blum turned to programs mostly in states where abortion access  and, by extension, abortion training  is likely to remain protected, like California, Colorado and New Mexico. Arizona has enacted a law banning most abortions after 15 weeks.

I would really like to have all the training possible, she said, so of course that would have still been a limitation.

In June, she will start her residency at Swedish Cherry Hill hospital in Seattle.

According to new statistics from the Association of American Medical Colleges, for the second year in a row, students graduating from U.S. medical schools were less likely to apply this year for residency positions in states with abortion bans and other significant abortion restrictions.

Since the Supreme Court in 2022 overturned the constitutional right to an abortion, state fights over abortion access have created plenty of uncertainty for pregnant patients and their doctors. But that uncertainty has also bled into the world of medical education, forcing some new doctors to factor state abortion laws into their decisions about where to begin their careers.

Fourteen states, primarily in the Midwest and South, have banned nearly all abortions. The new analysis by the AAMC  a preliminary copy of which was exclusively reviewed by KFF Health News before its public release  found that the number of applicants to residency programs in states with near-total abortion bans declined by 4.2%, compared with a 0.6% drop in states where abortion remains legal.

Notably, the AAMCs findings illuminate the broader problems abortion bans can create for a states medical community, particularly in an era of provider shortages: The organization tracked a larger decrease in interest in residencies in states with abortion restrictions not only among those in specialties most likely to treat pregnant patients, like OB-GYNs and emergency room doctors, but also among aspiring doctors in other specialties.

It should be concerning for states with severe restrictions on reproductive rights that so many new physicians  across specialties  are choosing to apply to other states for training instead, wrote Atul Grover, executive director of the AAMCs Research and Action Institute.

The AAMC analysis found the number of applicants to OB-GYN residency programs in abortion ban states dropped by 6.7%, compared with a 0.4% increase in states where abortion remains legal. For internal medicine, the drop observed in abortion ban states was over five times as much as in states where abortion is legal.

In its analysis, the AAMC said an ongoing decline in interest in ban states among new doctors ultimately may negatively affect access to care in those states.

Jack Resneck Jr., immediate past president of the American Medical Association, said the data demonstrates yet another consequence of the post-Roe v. Wade era.

The AAMC analysis notes that even in states with abortion bans, residency programs are filling their positions  mostly because there are more graduating medical students in the U.S. and abroad than there are residency slots.

Still, Resneck said, were extraordinarily worried. For example, physicians without adequate abortion training may not be able to manage miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies or potential complications such as infection or hemorrhaging that could stem from pregnancy loss.

Those who work with students and residents say their observations support the AAMCs findings. People dont want to go to a place where evidence-based practice and human rights in general are curtailed, said Beverly Gray, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Duke University School of Medicine.

Abortion in North Carolina is banned in nearly all cases after 12 weeks. Women who experience unexpected complications or discover their baby has potentially fatal birth defects later in pregnancy may not be able to receive care there.

Gray said she worries that even though Duke is a highly sought training destination for medical residents, the abortion ban impacts whether we have the best and brightest coming to North Carolina.

Rohini Kousalya Siva will start her obstetrics and gynecology residency at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C., this year. She said she did not consider programs in states that have banned or severely restricted abortion, applying instead to programs in Maryland, New Hampshire, New York and Washington, D.C.

Were physicians, said Kousalya Siva, who attended medical school in Virginia and was previously president of the American Medical Student Association. Were supposed to be giving the best evidence-based care to our patients, and we cant do that if we havent been given abortion training.

Another consideration: Most graduating medical students are in their 20s, the age when people are starting to think about putting down roots and starting families, said Gray, who added that she is noticing many more students ask about politics during their residency interviews.

And because most young doctors make their careers in the state where they do their residencies, people dont feel safe potentially having their own pregnancies living in those states with severe restrictions, said Debra Stulberg, chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Chicago.

Stulberg and others worry that this self-selection away from states with abortion restrictions will exacerbate the shortages of physicians in rural and underserved areas.

The geographic misalignment between where the needs are and where people are choosing to go is really problematic, she said. We dont need people further concentrating in urban areas where theres already good access.

After attending medical school in Tennessee, which has adopted one of the most sweeping abortion bans in the nation, Hannah Light-Olson will start her OB-GYN residency at the University of California, San Francisco this summer.

It was not an easy decision, she said. I feel some guilt and sadness leaving a situation where I feel like I could be of some help, she said. I feel deeply indebted to the program that trained me, and to the patients of Tennessee.

Light-Olson said some of her fellow students applied to programs in abortion ban states because they think we need pro-choice providers in restrictive states now more than ever. In fact, she said, she also applied to programs in ban states when she was confident the program had a way to provide abortion training.

I felt like there was no perfect, 100% guarantee; weve seen how fast things can change, she said. I dont feel particularly confident that California and New York arent going to be under threat, too.

As a condition of a scholarship she received for medical school, Blum said, she will have to return to Arizona to practice, and it is unclear what abortion access will look like then. But she is worried about long-term impacts.

Residents, if they cant get the training in the state, then theyre probably less likely to settle down and work in the state as well, she said.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF  an independent source of health policy research, polling and journalism. Learn more about KFF.
Abortion restrictions might be influencing where medical students apply for residency programs, which could have stark implications across entire state healthcare systems, with some doctors warning it could essentially unravel entirely.

According to a new analysis by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Research and Action Institute, updated data from 2023 found a continued decline in medical students applying to residency programs located in states with restrictive abortion laws. The trend aligned with a similar one that the research institute saw in the first year after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

The biggest takeaway is that for a second year, we are seeing decreases in the number of applications in states where abortion bans are in place, Kendal Orgera, a senior research analyst at AAMC told Salon in a phone interview. And that varies by specialty  for OBGYNs in states where abortion is banned has decreased even more and this shows a big implication of the potential workforce of the future.

As of May 2, 2024, abortions are nearly totally banned in 14 states across the country. Some, but not all, have narrow exceptions, such as preventing the death of the mother, when the pregnancy is the result of incest or rape, or when there is a lethal fetal anomaly. While many of these states dont make it technically illegal for a pregnant person to get an abortion, they do penalize providers, like OBGYNs or family medicine doctors, for conducting them.

Penalties vary by state. For example, in Idaho, providers live in constant fear that they will have to deny a pregnant patient stabilizing, emergency abortion care, or they will face two to five years in prison and lose their medical license. In Texas, providers can be fined at least $100,000 or face between 5 to 99 years of jail time.

As Orgera said, residency applications for a variety of specialties declined in abortion ban staes. But for OBGYNs, the decline was even more drastic.

It was a 4.2 decrease overall in the states that have banned abortion, but it was a 6.7 percent drop in OBGYNs, Orgera said. Texas has actually seen a decrease in senior med students since 2021.

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According to the report, states with restrictive abortion laws saw a bigger decrease in the numbers of both OBGYN and emergency medicine applicants applying for residency programs than states with less restrictive gestational limits. The continued decline, the AAMC stated, comes after nearly five years of growth.

The examination of two years of data suggests that restrictions on women's health care may continue to disproportionately decrease the likelihood that new doctors will apply to residencies in states that offer the most restrictive practice environments, the researchers wrote. "Because these policy decisions appear to affect where physicians plan to practice, state governments and health care leaders need to consider the potential impact of those decisions on the physician workforce.

Dr. Kara Cadwallader, who is a family medicine physician in Idaho, told Salon this shows how the impact highly restrictive abortion laws will have on the countrys healthcare system.

I thought it was very interesting that it's not just the specialties we would imagine, like OBGYN and family medicine, pediatrics and emergency medicine, had a big decline, which is scary, and thats our workforce pipeline, Cadwallader said. I think the fact that it's not just specialties that tend to take care of pregnant women is really telling  it's a big message to legislators that doctors don't want to be told how to practice medicine.

Cadwallader said abortion bans say very loud and clear that if a doctor comes to the state, legislators will tell you how to practice medicine.

Why would anyone want to train where they can't really learn the right standard of care? Cadwallader said. I think it's a mistake to think that this is just about abortion  this is about the government dictating medical practice. And that goes bad, especially when they refuse to take any input from doctors and write laws that are ambiguous and harmful.

Dr. David Hackney, a Cleveland-based maternal fetal medicine doctor, told Salon he often communicates with doctors with different specialties when caring for a pregnant patient. For example, if a pregnant patient has cancer hes working with oncology. He said he is frequently communicating with people in cardiology, neurology and neurosurgery.

Pregnancy itself is not siloed away within the field of OBGYN, and I think one of the things that many medical specialties have specifically realized after the Dobbs decision is the extent to which everyone is involved, Hackney told Salon. The other major issue, of course, is medical students are generally of reproductive age. A lot of residents and fellows are in the age group that's overlapping with when people would often have children. This is a group thats potentially deciding where they want to go to start their families.

Both Hackney and Cadwallader said medical students frequently choose residency programs based on where they want to practice medicine as well.

This decline in residency applicants also comes at a time when doctors who have practiced in abortion ban states for years are uprooting their practices and moving elsewhere. As previously reported by Salon, a report published last month by the Idaho Physician Well-being Action Collaborative found that Idaho lost 22 percent of its practicing OGBYNs in the 15 months following Dobbs. The report also found that 55 percent of the states high-risk OBGYNs have left the state, leaving less than five in the entire state to treat patients.

If there isnt a pipeline to fill these spots, it will cause chaos in the healthcare system, doctors said.

I think our system is already starting to fall apart in Idaho, because we've lost our ability to care for pregnant women, Cadwallader said. It sounds really dramatic, but I think our healthcare system is starting to unravel.
Inside Arizona's wealthiest zip code, where the average resident is 54 and the median home is $3.3M property

Inside Arizona's wealthiest zip code, where the average resident is 54 and the median home is $3.3M property

Paradise Valley, Arizona, is attracting wealthy residents from across the US, especially California.

The average resident of Paradise Valley is older and wealthier than the rest of the state.

Nearly everyone in Paradise Valley owns their home, with a median sale price of $3.3 million.

Paradise Valley, Arizona, is among the places attracting millionaires from around the country, including residents of California looking to escape high taxes.

Dubbed the "Beverly Hills of Arizona," Paradise Valley is located in the desert hills northwest of Phoenix and just east of Scottsdale, another city attracting millionaires.

Though it's a relatively small community, Paradise Valley is known for its several high-end resorts, spacious and secluded lots, and natural beauty. Joan Levinson, a luxury real-estate agent in Arizona, previously told Business Insider that Paradise Valley offers residents privacy while still being a quick drive to big-city amenities.

Hotel guests cool off at the pool at the JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort and Spa in Paradise Valley, Ariz., on Sunday, June 19, 2016. Anna Johnson/Associated Press

Maricopa County, which includes Paradise Valley and Scottsdale, is Arizona's most populated county. Data shows that several wealthy counties in California, including Santa Clara, Los Angeles, and Orange, are losing residents to Arizona, with many landing in Maricopa County.

Paradise Valley, in particular, has long attracted the rich and famous and for years topped a list of Arizona's wealthiest zip codes. Muhammad Ali, who died in 2016, and Stevie Nicks have lived there along with billionaires like Bennett Dorrance, the Campbell Soup heir, and the late Bruce Halle, the founder of Discount Tire.

The average resident of Paradise Valley is a 54-year-old, college-educated, married white man who makes more than $220,000 a year and owns a home that costs several million dollars, according to Census Bureau and real estate data.

Ivanka Trump appears at a campaign event in Paradise Valley, Arizona, on October 11, 2020. Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Most Paradise Valley residents own their homes, which are typically worth millions

With an estimated population of 12,658 as of 2020, Paradise Valley's median household income of $221,333 far surpasses that of Arizona and the US generally, which are both around $74,500.

More than seven out of 10 Paradise Valley residents have a bachelor's degree, while 34% have a graduate or professional degree.

The main industries in Paradise Valley are the hospitality and medical trades, but many residents are CEOs, professional athletes, and business owners who work outside the community, according to the Arizona Commerce Authority.

More than 95% of Paradise Valley residents own their homes, compared to just 67% of all Arizona residents.

Paradise Valley property at foot of Camelback Mountain. David C Tomlinson/Getty Images

The median sale price for a home in Paradise Valley is $3.3 million, according to Redfin and Realtor.com. That's seven times greater than the statewide median sale price of $444,100. Over 82% of homes in Paradise Valley are worth a million dollars or more.

For the few Paradise Valley residents who don't own their home, the median gross rent was more than $3,500.

Residents of the Phoenix suburb also tend to be older than the state of Arizona and the larger US, which both have a median age of around 38.9.

Nightfall at resort in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Dmitri Kotchetov/Getty Images

Paradise Valley residents are also slightly more likely to be male than female, unlike Arizona at large or the US, which both have more women than men.

More than 82% of residents were white as of 2020, while nearly 8% were Asian.

Read the original article on Business Insider
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. The director of the Research Center for Agricultural Economics under the Ministry of Agriculture of Azerbaijan, Firdovsi Fikretzade, has expressed support for the purchase of agricultural machinery from Europe, in particular from Italy, Trend reports.

He made the statement at an Azerbaijani-Italian business forum in Baku.

Azerbaijan has been actively acquiring agricultural machinery in Italy for the last 5 years. This machinery corresponds to green technologies and, thus, to the goals of sustainable development of Azerbaijan's economy. We will increasingly introduce green technologies in the production of agricultural products in the country, Fikretzade emphasized.

He also touched upon cooperation with Italy on the development of livestock breeding.

In Azerbaijan, 60 percent of cattle imports are subsidized by the state. In Italy, cattle breeding is very developed, and we are open to cooperation, the representative of the Ministry of Agriculture noted.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Meet the El Paso candidates: May 28 runoff election winners will be on November ballot

Though Super Tuesday has come and gone, there are still a handful of primary races that still need to be decided in El Paso.

Voters first went to the polls for a myriad of local, state and federal races on March 5, but a few races saw candidates unable to topple the 50% threshold needed to avoid a runoff.

On May 28, voters will make their final decisions on who will make it to the Nov. 5 General Election  Democrats will have to decide on four unsettled races in the upcoming runoff, while only one race is still up in the air on the Republican Party tickets.

Early voting for the runoff will run from Monday, May 20, through Friday, May 24.

Early voting begins on Monday, May 20, in the Primary Runoff Election. El Paso has a handful of important primary contests to decide leading up the Nov. 5, 2024 General Election.

On the Democratic side, El Pasoans will cast ballots for El Paso County district attorney, El Paso County sheriff, Texas House District 77 representative and Precinct 1 constable. Republicans, meanwhile, will make the final decision in the U.S. House District 23 contest.

But if recent trends are any indication, turnout may continue to suffer as voter fatigue continues to spread amongst the electorate. With a presidential race in the balance, as well as high-profile U.S. Senate races and other down-ballot local races, Super Tuesday should have been a big day for voters, but just under 11.5% of El Paso's 503,059 registered voters showed up to the polls.

El Paso County Elections Administrator Lisa Wise said one reason for the low turnout is the fact that the presidential primary, usually a key draw on Election Day, wasn't really a contest at all.

"We all know that the top of the ticket generally drives the turnout and have heard from some voters that they feel that the presidential race is already set," Wise wrote in an email. "El Paso County voters have other incredibly important races down the ballot and we hope to see an increase in turnout on Election Day."

Indeed, the apparent toe-to-toe presidential showdown between incumbent President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump is likely to draw bigger crowds in November, but El Pasoans have one more round of voting before that final cast of characters can be decided.

James Montoya, Alma Trejo face off in district attorney runoff

A pair of closely paired candidates are set to spar in the El Paso County district attorney's race after neither could quite clear the 50% benchmark in the Democratic primary in March.

James Montoya, currently a deputy public defender for the county, ended primary night with 38% of the vote compared to Alma Trejo, a former El Paso County Criminal Court judge, who closed the night with 36% of the vote.

From left, former Judge Alma Trejo, former assistant district attorney Nancy Casas and El Paso attorney James Montoya listen to the next question at the El Paso Chambers forum on Jan. 18, 2024, for candidates seeking the district attorney seat in the upcoming election.

The two came out ahead of Assistant El Paso County Attorney Nancy Casas, who nabbed 27% of the vote. In the days after her defeat, however, Casas threw her support behind Montoya.

The winner of the runoff will face current El Paso District Attorney Bill Hicks, a Republican appointed to the post by Gov. Greg Abbott, in the Nov. 5 General Election.

Oscar Ugarte, 'Bobby' Flores still standing in sheriff's race

The race for El Paso County sheriff blew open following Sheriff Richard Wiles' announcement last year that he would not be seeking reelection.

Five candidates answered the call but only two survived to make it to the runoff  Constable Oscar Ugarte will go up against retired El Paso County Sheriff's Office Assistant Chief Robert "Bobby" Flores.

Ugarte shocked local politics watchers in the March primary when he garnered 43.4% of the vote, tossing aside three other candidates, including apparent favorite former El Paso County Sheriff's Office Commander Ryan Urrutia. Flores, who earned the backing of the Eastside Democrats, was Ugarte's closest competition, finishing the night with 24% of the vote.

The winner of the primary runoff will face Republican Minerva Torres Shelton, a retired special agent with the FBI, in the Nov. 5 General Election.

Norma Chavez, Vince Perez on offer in District 77 race

The race to replace state Rep. Lina Ortega in the Texas House of Representatives drew some well-known El Paso politicos, but it was ultimately former state Rep. Norma Chavez and former El Paso County Commissioner Vince Perez who survived the primary.

Though Chavez was favored in the race after gaining the support of the Eastside Democrats, it was Perez who garnered the most support on Super Tuesday  he walked away with 39% of the vote compared to 32% for Chavez.

Retired Assistant Chief Robert OBobbyO Flores, who is running for the El Paso County SheriffOs Office, attends the Eastside Democrats Endorsement Forum at the Firefighters Hall in East El Paso on Feb. 6, 2024. In this photo Flores greets Norma Chavez who is running for Texas House District 77.

The two bested former West-Central city Rep. Alexsandra Annello, who collected 23% of primary votes, and businessman Homer Reza, who ended the night with 6% of the vote.

With no Republican contenders in the race, the winner of the May 28 runoff will win the Texas House seat.

Frank Almada, Andrea Baca make up Precinct 1 constable slate

The last race on the Democratic ticket is the race between Frank Almada and Andrea "Andi" Baca for the Precinct 1 constable seat.

The two bested primary candidates Saul Gutierrez and Tony San Roman in the March 5 primary to advance to the May 28 runoff.

With no Republican contenders in the race, the winner of the May 28 runoff will be the next Precinct 1 constable.

Incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales faces runoff

On the Republican side, incumbent U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales faces a runoff against primary contender Brandon Herrera for the U.S. House District 23 seat.

While Gonzales has shown a bipartisan streak during his time in Congress  he was the only Texas Republican to vote in favor of a gun safety bill passed in the wake of the school shooting in Uvalde  Herrera has made a name for himself as an outspoken firearms advocate.

U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales (TX-23) addresses the media following the end of Title 42 on Friday, May 12, 2023, with border updates at the intersection of Calleros Court and Chihuahua Street in El Paso, Texas.

For El Paso voters, Gonzales' measured approach, which often puts him at odds with more extreme wings of the Republican Party, might be a good thing, it could cost him voters in more conservative areas beyond the boundaries of El Paso.

The winner of the primary runoff will face Democrat Santos Limon in November.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Meet El Paso candidates for May 28 runoff election in Texas
As residents of Buffalo, New York, commemorate two years since a self-professed white supremacist gunned down 10 Black people at a grocery store, the final design for a permanent memorial has been unveiled to honor those killed in what President Joe Biden on Tuesday called "an unconscionable act of racial hatred."

The memorial, titled "Seeing Us," is comprised of 10 arching interconnected pillars inscribed with the names of the people killed in the attack at a Tops store on Buffalo's East Side. The project will include a new building, which New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said will serve as a central hub for education, exhibitions and other community events.

The memorial will also feature an elevated, park-like "Memorial Walk" on the roof of the new building, leading visitors to a vista point overlooking the monument.

PHOTO: Governor Kathy Hochul, Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown, and the 5/14 Memorial Commission unveiled the final design of a permanent memorial honoring the victims of the racially motivated Tops shooting in Buffalo, May 13, 2024. (5/14 Memorial Commission)

"This tragedy shocked us, it devastated us, it pushed us to what we thought was beyond our limits. But it didn't break us. Instead, it revealed a strength that runs deep in the veins of this city," Hochul said at a news conference Monday to unveil the memorial design that a committee of community residents, including relatives of those killed in the massacre, selected from 20 submissions.

Killed in the May 14, 2022, attack were Ruth Whitfield, 86; Roberta Drury, 32; retired Buffalo police officer Aaron Salter Jr., 55; Heyward Patterson, 67; Pearl Young, 77; Geraldine Talley, 62; Celestine Chaney, 65; Katherine "Kat" Massey, 72; Margus Morrison, 52; and Andre Mackniel, 53.

Tuesday morning, Biden and first lady Jill Biden marked the milestone in Buffalo's recovery from the shooting by issuing a statement that they are "steadfast in our commitment to ending all forms of racial hatred," and have been inspired by some relatives of those killed who have "turned your pain into purpose" by demanding Congress to do something about gun violence and racism.

"Jill and I join the people of Buffalo in honoring the memories of the 10 souls who were stolen from us in an unconscionable act of racial hatred against the Black community on this day 2 years ago. I often think of the conversations I had with the families of the victims and the beautiful stories they shared. I know how painful these anniversaries can be, and I want them to know that they remain in my prayers," Biden's statement said.

The president further said he is committed to continuing to take historic executive action to "counter hate-fueled violence in all its ugly forms," and noted that in June 2022 he signed the bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first major piece of federal gun reform legislation passed by Congress in nearly 30 years.

"I know we have a lot more work to do, but I'm optimistic that we can prevent future senseless acts of gun violence like the one that struck at the soul of your community -- and that's in no small part because of the resilience you have shown in the face of this unthinkable anguish," Biden said.

Hochul said the new memorial will "show future generations what these people stood for and the depth of their families' love. This will endure forever."

The memorial was designed by architects Douglass Alligood and Jin Young Song.

PHOTO: Governor Kathy Hochul, Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown, and the 5/14 Memorial Commission unveiled the final design of a permanent memorial honoring the victims of the racially motivated Tops shooting in Buffalo, May 13, 2024. (5/14 Memorial Commission)

The governor announced the state is investing $5 million to build the memorial and kick off a yearlong fundraising effort. The city of Buffalo is also contributing $1 million to the construction of the memorial.

Mayor Byron Brown announced a new committee to raise an additional $9 million for the construction.

MORE: Buffalo shooting: Remembering the 10 lives taken a year ago in Tops massacre

"It is my hope that with this 5/14 memorial, we can offer some sense of healing, peace and hope for the future," Brown said.

PHOTO: Governor Kathy Hochul, Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown, and the 5/14 Memorial Commission unveiled the final design of a permanent memorial honoring the victims of the racially motivated Tops shooting in Buffalo, May 13, 2024. (5/14 Memorial Commission)

Payton Gendron, the teenage gunman who committed the mass shooting, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to 15 state charges, including 10 counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder and domestic terrorism motivated by hate. In January, federal prosecutors announced they would pursue the death penalty against Gendron.

MORE: Justice Department to pursue death penalty against Buffalo supermarket shooter Payton Gendron

"Two years ago, a shadow fell over our beloved Buffalo, a shadow created by hate, pure evil and a despicable act of violence, a racially motivated mass shooting right at Tops supermarket that tore through the heart of this community," Hochul said.

Hochul, who was raised in Buffalo, added, "I want all the families to know, well never leave you to carry the burden alone. We are at your side and well also never be defeated by hate. Well only rise up stronger in the face of it. Thats who we are as Buffalonians, that's who we are as New Yorkers."

PHOTO: Governor Kathy Hochul, Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown, and the 5/14 Memorial Commission unveiled the final design of a permanent memorial honoring the victims of the racially motivated Tops shooting in Buffalo, May 13, 2024. (5/14 Memorial Commission)

Zeneta Everhart's son, Zaire Goodman, was working at the Tops store and was among three people wounded in the attack.

"My son's journey to recovery is a testament to the resilience of our community, but it's also a stark reminder of the scars left behind by that tragic day on 5/14," said Everhart, a member of the 5/14 Memorial Committee who won election to the Buffalo City Council in November. "As we honor the memory of those we lost and continue to support those who were injured and are still recovering, let us not forget the deep wounds that still linger in our city and community. The unveiling of the final design for the memorial is not just about erecting a monument; it's about weaving together the threads of our collective grief and resilience into a tapestry of remembrance and hope. May this memorial stand as a beacon of unity and justice, reminding us all that we are stronger together in the face of racism, hatred, and violence."

A second memorial, titled "Unity," will also be unveiled Tuesday outside the Tops store where the Buffalo mass shooting occurred.

A moment of silence will be held at 2:28 p.m. ET, marking the time the massacre unfolded, followed by a tolling of the bells, officials said.

Memorial to be built in honor of Buffalo massacre victims unveiled originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  A public memorial service to honor Ted Wilson, the former Salt Lake City Mayor, will be held on Friday, May 17, the Mayor Mendenhalls Office said.

Wilson, who served as Salt Lakes mayor for three terms between 1976 and 1985, passed away at the age of 84 on April 11. His family said he died due to congestive heart failure and Parkinsons disease.

PREVIOUS: Former Salt Lake City mayor Ted Wilson dies at 84

The memorial service for Wilson will be held at the Rice Eccles Stadium Tower on the University of Utah campus. The public is invited to attend.

Services will begin at 10 a.m. and doors will open at 9:15 a.m. Guests are asked to arrive early enough to be fully seated by the time services begin. The service will start when Salt Lake City Halls bell tower chimes 30 times in honor of the Wilson, who was the 30th mayor of the city.

Free parking is available in the lot west of the stadium. Guests will enter at the north door of the tower. For those unable to attend the service in person can view the memorial virtually through Zoom by following this link here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A now-former Memphis caregiver has been arrested following an investigation by special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Medicaid Fraud Control Division.

Rhonda Parker, 50, was charged with one count of abuse of a vulnerable adult following an incident that took place last year.

In September 2023, special agents received allegations of abuse of a vulnerable adult from Adult Protective Services (APS).

Neighbor fires shots at dogs after MLGW worker attacked

Along with APS and the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, agents developed information that on Septemeber 15, a patient at a home health care residence in Memphis was struck by a caregiver.

The investigation revealed that Parker, a caregiver and house manager at the time, was the individual responsible for the incident.

In March 2024, the Shelby County Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Parker with one count of abuse of a vulnerable adult.

On May 10, special agents with the assistance of the Memphis Police Department, arrested Parker on an outstanding warrant.

She was booked into the Shelby County Jail on a $20,000 bond.

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 WREG.com.
A conceptual rendering shows the renovated the Elisha D. Smith Public Library along Racine Street in Menasha.

MENASHA  The Elisha D. Smith Public Library plans to close for five weeks starting May 25 so it can move temporarily to the Fox Cities Campus of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh at 1478 Midway Road.

The library would reopen at the Fox Cities Campus on July 1. It would remain there until December while the city completes an $8 million to $9 million renovation of the library at 440 First St.

Space constraints will prevent the library from moving its entire collection to the campus.

"We'll probably be less than 50%," Library Director Brian Kopetsky told The Post-Crescent, "so we'll grab the most popular items. The plus of the Fox Cities Campus is we can use some of the classrooms to do programming."

Library materials due back on May 25 or later will have the dates extended through the duration of the closure.

What happened to the previous arrangement?

Menasha previously said the library would move to suites 6 and 7 of the Menasha Marketplace at 1730 Appleton Road during the renovation at a cost not to exceed $200,000.

The space would have accommodated most of the library's collection, but Kopetsky said the suites needed upgrades to the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system that would have delayed the move to mid-August.

"It was a mutual agreement that it just wasn't going to work out on the timeline that we needed," he said.

The library's agreement with the Fox Cities Campus will come before the Common Council next week for final approval. The lease for the smaller space will cost $100,000, Kopetsky said, and the collection will be located in the student union.

Kopetsky said he sees opportunities for the library to partner with the Barlow Planetarium and Weis Earth Science Museum on programming.

The renovated Menasha library will feature a main corridor running east and west.

Cost of renovation nudges higher while city's commitment holds

The renovation work at the existing library will begin in June and continue through the December. Kopetsky expects the library will reopen in mid-January.

Several months ago, when the renovation was accelerated due to strong interest from benefactors, the project was estimated to cost $8 million.

The latest estimate, according to the library's website, is $8.5 million to $9 million.

Kopetsky attributed the increase to a refinement of the plans and hard costs. Miron Construction has been hired as the construction manager.

"I still think that we're going to stay closer to $8 million," Kopetsky said.

The renovation will be funded by $3 million from Menasha taxpayers and the balance from fundraising.

Renovation will focus on the inside of the library

The library renovation will involve mostly interior improvements to accommodate more community gatherings and in-house programming.

The library currently has three meeting rooms and two conference rooms. In those five spaces, the library had more than 2,300 bookings last year.

The renovation of the Menasha library will create more space for activities and meetings.

The renovation will result in three study rooms, two conference rooms and five or six meeting rooms, including one capable of seating 150 people. The plan also includes an outdoor sitting and programming space.

"I'm really looking forward to the changes and how this is going to benefit our community," Kopetsky said.

The two-story library was built in 1969 and remodeled and expanded in 2003.

Contact Duke Behnke at 920-993-7176 or dbehnke@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DukeBehnke.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Menasha library plans move to UWO Fox Cities Campus during renovation
Sen. Bob Menendez looked on Monday as scores of prospective jurors entered a federal courtroom in Manhattan to select a dozen New Yorkers who will have more say over the Democrats legacy in the next two months than millions of New Jersey voters have had over the past five decades.

But unlike the trial of Donald Trump, happening just down the street, few of the people in the courtroom seem to have strong feelings about the man himself.

During the opening days of the Trump trial, dozens of prospective jurors were dismissed after they told a state court judge that they could not be impartial. About a third of the 150 prospective jurors in Menendezs trial are expected to be dismissed after the first day  but the jury pool seemed more concerned about the toll a seven-week trial may take on their vacation plans, jobs and family responsibilities.

Jury selection will continue Tuesday.



A few would-be jurors  like a few self-described news and political junkies, an NYU film instructor, a local government official who handles contracts and a housing attorney  said theyd read enough about the case and didnt feel they could be partial.

I get very worked up, the housing attorney said, during a meeting with Judge Sidney Stein about whether she could serve on the jury. She said the allegations in the case were triggering.

The NYU instructor said he knew Menendez had been tried once before and so it was hard to see him sitting back in court again with taxpayer dollars having gone through this once and being back.

But those kinds of would-be jurors were few and far between.

Part of that has to do with Trumps omnipresent polarization of the American political scene, while Menendez, for all his power in New Jersey and in Washington, is not a household name like even other senators who frequent the Sunday show circuit.

Another part is a simple function of the Hudson River that divides much of New York and New Jerseys political lives from each other, even if they share a media market.



The corruption trial is Menendezs second in a decade. In 2017, he walked out of a New Jersey federal courthouse after a mistrial in a separate case when jurors deadlocked.

That followed careful attention to the jury by Menendezs defense team in that case. At the time, Menendez said hed not taken in the stand, in part, because theyd calculated that any more time would increase the chances of losing a juror who was going to be excused for vacation. Menendez said the defense thought she believed in our innocence based on her reactions to both sides presentations.

Earlier this year, his attorneys tried to get the current case moved to New Jersey, arguing the overwhelming bulk of the actions described in the indictment by federal prosecutors happened in New Jersey. Surely, his attorneys wrote, it has nothing to do with the previous case where a New Jersey jury saw through the governments false narrative.

So perhaps its no wonder that his attorneys and attorneys for his two co-codefendants  a pair of New Jersey businesspeople accused of bribing Menendez  were looking for any hint of sympathy in prospective jurors, like one juror who asked to be excused because she was traveling to Spain to attend a concert by New Jersey native son Bruce Springsteen.

You should want her, Stein, the judge, told an attorney for one of the businesspeople.

I do, the attorney replied.

As he left the courthouse Monday evening, Menendez, dressed in a dark suit, said, I appreciate the jurys sacrifice, their time and commitment.
Meta's external advisory group, the Oversight Board, has overturned the social media company's decision to take down a news documentary revealing the identities of child victims of sexual abuse and murder in Pakistan  an exceptional case based on newsworthiness.

The 11-minute documentary, posted by the broadcaster Voice of America (VOA) Urdu on its Facebook page in January 2022, was reported by 67 users until July 2023 for disturbing details of the crimes conducted by Javed Iqbal, who murdered and sexually abused about 100 children in Pakistan in the 1990s. It contained images of newspaper clips that showed child victims' faces with their names and people in tears.

Initially, Meta did not find it a violation following automated and human reviews. However, the post, viewed about 21.8 million times and shared approximately 18,000 times until it was pulled, was later removed by Meta's policy team for violating the Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Nudity policy after it was escalated internally and flagged separately by the company's High Risk Early Review Operations system for high chances of it being viral.

Despite violating the Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Nudity Community Standard, the majority of the Oversight Board found that the content should be allowed on the platform after Meta referred the case to the board.

"For the majority, the public interest in reporting on these child abuse crimes outweighed the possible harms to the victims and their families," the Oversight Board said in a blog post Tuesday explaining its extraordinary decision.

It noted that the documentary was produced to raise awareness and not to sensationalize the gruesome details of the crimes that took place about 25 years ago, with none of the victims surviving.

"This passage of time is the most important factor because it means possible direct harms to the child victims had diminished. Meanwhile, the public interest in child abuse remains," the board said.

The board has pointed out that Meta decided to pull the content after it had been available on the platform for over 18 months. Additionally, it questions the sufficiency of Meta's resources for Urdu-language videos.

While most of the board favored overturning the takedown decision, a minority suggested making the content unavailable, as it was possible to discuss the issues raised in the video without revealing the names and faces of victims.

The Oversight Board recommends Meta create a section within each Community Standard describing what exceptions and allowances apply. The company should include its rationale for not allowing certain exceptions that apply to other policies (such as news reporting or awareness raising) in the new section when it is used, the board said.

"While the rarely used newsworthiness allowance  a general exception that can be applied only by Metas expert teams  was relevant here, the Board notes that no specific policy exceptions, such as raising awareness or reporting on, are available for the Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Nudity policy. Meta should provide more clarity to users about this," the board noted. "Additionally, it could be made clearer to people in the public language of this policy what qualifies as identifying alleged victims by name or image."

Meta has acknowledged that it erred in removing the content due to the substantial harms it posed to the victims and their families even though the events happened over two decades ago. It also welcomed the Oversight Board's decision and will reinstate the content within seven days.

The board, which started its work in 2020 after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg conceptualized its formation in 2018, has ruled some important oversight cases, including the one criticizing Facebook for banning former President Donald Trump "indefinitely." In February this year, it called Meta to reform its "incoherent" rules about altered videos.
NEW YORK  For weeks, jurors have heard about Trump fixer Michael Cohen and the role he played in the hush money saga involving Stormy Daniels. Monday, the star witness took the stand, where hell be filling in the final blanks in the prosecutions case, now is in its final days.

Once among the closest allies of the former president, Cohen flipped on Trump when he pleaded guilty to crimes related to the hush money payments in 2018. He has now testified against Trump several times and even mocks him during TikTok lives, which last week prompted Justice Juan Merchan to ask prosecutors to tell him to zip it.

The former fixer paid off Stormy Daniels in October 2016 to buy her silence about her claim that she slept with Trump 10 years prior. The DAs lawyers charge that Trump then reimbursed Cohen for the $130,000 payment  in the process falsifying business records  all to conceal a scheme to influence the results of the election.

Here are some of the highlights of day one of Cohens testimony:

A lot of women coming forward

Trump allegedly warned Cohen ahead of the election that many negative stories would surface.

Just be prepared, theres gonna be a lot of women coming forward, Cohen said Trump warned him during the 2016 presidential campaign.

The two women whose allegations of trysts and affairs with Trump have been central in the trial are Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal. But many other women have accused the presumptive Republican nominee of different forms of sexual misconduct, which Trump has denied.

Last year, he was found liable in a civil trial for sexually abusing and defaming E. Jean Carroll, who went public with her rape allegations in 2019.

Doing poorly with women

He said to me this is a disaster  total disaster, Cohen testified of Trump on the possible release of the Daniels allegations. Women are going to hate me, this is really a disaster, women will hate me. Guys may think its cool, but this is going to be a disaster for the campaign.

At the time, Cohen said, Trump was polling very poorly with women.

And this, coupled with the previous Access Hollywood tape, just stated this is a disaster. Just, get control over it.

Not thinking about Melania

The prosecution has hammered in that the release of the tape, where Trump made the infamous grab them by the p---y comments, was taken as a potentially catastrophic hit to the Trump campaign.

His wife and family, Cohen said, did not get much consideration in all of this.

He wasnt really thinking about Melania, he was thinking about the campaign, Cohen said.

At Trumps direction

Many times throughout his testimony, Cohen recalled carrying out tasks at Trumps direction  directly implicating the former president in the payoff of Daniels and in the reimbursements to Cohen.

You handle it, Trump allegedly told Cohen when a Trump Tower doorman was selling a story about a possible love child Trump had fathered.

Make sure it doesnt get released, Cohen said Trump directed him when Playboy model Karen McDougals story almost went public.

Just take care of it, Trump allegedly told Cohen after he learned Stormy Daniels was peddling her story.

This key point, about Trumps direct involvement in paying people off, and its repetition, is crucial to the prosecutions case. Only Cohen, who worked most closely with Trump at the time of the alleged hush money payments, can testify to it.

Under questioning from prosecutor Susan Hoffinger, Cohen testified that Trump was intimately involved in the payoffs, and that everything needed his signoff.

Lie, bully, threaten

Earlier in the day, Cohen testified that he enjoyed his work for Trump, for whom hed lie and bully and nearly threaten others to deliver results for the then-future president.

Trump himself approved the reimbursements for the payments to Daniels, Cohen said on Monday. The payments, with $130,000 going to Daniels, were slated to begin in February 2017, a month after Trump was inaugurated.

This is going to be one heck of a ride in D.C., Trump allegedly told Cohen after he gave the payments the green light.

_____
Former President Trumps ex-fixer Michael Cohen officially underwent long-anticipated, fiery cross-examination by his former clients defense team Tuesday, culminating into the New York hush money trials main event.

Cohen, under direct examination by prosecutors, has implicated Trump more than any other witness over a $130,000 hush money scheme involving a porn actress and attempting to link Trump directly with what prosecutors deem as fraudulent business transactions

Follow below for recap from New York.

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Scaramucci labels Vance, Tuberville spineless sycophants after senators appear at Trump courthouse

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
NEW YORK  Michael Cohen, Donald Trumps loyal lawyer-turned-chief antagonist, told a jury Tuesday he discussed hush money reimbursement with Trump at the White House upon returning to the witness box at his Manhattan trial Tuesday.

Everythings going to be OK

After the FBI raided his residences in April 2018, Cohen said he felt frightened and concerned, despondent, angry. During search warrants executed on his Manhattan hotel room, apartment, and office, his phones and electronic devices were seized, along with other materials related to the hush money payments to Daniels, Cohen said.

He told the jury that the last time he communicated directly with Trump was in a phone call just after the raids.

He said to me, Dont worry, Im the president of the United States, theres nothing there  everythings going to be OK, stay tough, youre going to be OK, Cohen recalled, adding that others told him he was loved by Trump.

In the immediate aftermath, Cohen said he felt reassured, because I had the president of the United States protecting me.

Trump kept his eyes closed for much of Cohens testimony. Cohen sometimes exhaled audibly, once shaking his head, between questions. The jury also heard details of Cohen being a convicted perjurer  which Trumps defense has repeatedly pointed to as proof of him being untrustworthy and is expected to hammer him about on cross-examination.

Cohen testified that he lied in 2017 about a Trump Tower real estate project in Moscow, telling Congress that he had only spoken to Trump about this three times, when it was really more like 10 times.

Why lie? Hoffinger asked.

Because I was staying on Mr. Trumps message that there was no Russia, Russia, Russia, Cohen replied, referring to how Trump was perceived as being tied to Russia because of his business deals there.

Cohen spoke with Trump about hush money reimbursements at the White House

Cohen testified that he discussed the reimbursement payments with the then-president during a visit to the Oval Office on Feb. 8, 2017.

So, I was sitting with President Trump and he asked me if I was OK, he asked me if I needed money, Cohen recalled. In court, Trump scrunched his eyes tightly closed, frowning.

He said, um, alright just make sure you deal with Allen, Cohen said, referring to the convicted ex-Trump Org CFO Allen Weisselberg.

Trump was joined in court with an entourage of around a dozen, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Eric Trump and his wife, Lara Trump.

Cohen told prosecutor Susan Hoffinger that he submitted falsified records at the behest of Trumps longtime finance chief, billing for services rendered  not reimbursement for hush money he paid to porn star Stormy Daniels, he said in court.

Displaying Cohens monthly invoices to the Trump Org, which he said were sent to Weisselberg and sometimes his deputy, former controller Jeff McConney, Hoffinger asked if any of them were for genuine legal services rendered.

No, maam. They were for reimbursement, Cohen said, a hint of sheepishness in his voice.

Cohen is soon expected to face a bruising on cross-examination with the former presidents attorneys, who have sought to attack his credibility and told jurors he went rogue when he paid off Daniels.

Trumps former lawyer and fixer, during more than five hours in the witness box on Monday, described his former boss was a micromanager who knew about everything that went on at all levels of his company. He described himself as Trumps loyal right-hand man  one who would bully, lie, and threaten to sue anyone who stood in the way of whatever it took to make him happy  and whose only job was to serve Trump.

Cohen, 57, went to prison for the hush money payoff to porn star Stormy Daniels central to the case after pleading guilty to federal offenses in late 2018, cementing his bitter rivalry with the man he once said hed take a bullet for.

Trump, 77, is accused of repeatedly and fraudulently falsifying New York business records to disguise a hush-money scheme intended to hide damaging information from the voting public in 2016. Each of the 34 counts is tied to his alleged reimbursement to Cohen, which prosecutors say was falsely designated as payment for legal fees in a coverup.

The presumptive GOP nominee in this years White House contest, whose courthouse entourage is growing by the day, walked into the courtroom around 9:25 a.m. flanked by an army of lawyers and the likes of right-wing biotech entrepreneur Ramaswamy, his conspiracy theory touting former competitor in the presidential race.

Catch up

Cohen said Trump had direct knowledge of a series of hush money payoffs to Daniels, former Playboy model Karen McDougal, and Trump Tower doorman Dino Sajudin to purchase their silence about a series of alleged sex scandals. He buttressed testimony by several witnesses who testified earlier in the trial, including former tabloid publisher David Pecker, who prosecutors allege was a part of the conspiracy that started in August 2015 to hide unflattering information about Trump from the electorate.

The two of you should work together. And anything negative that comes, you let Michael know, and well handle it, Cohen quoted Trumps directive to Pecker.

During his first day on the stand, Cohen testified that Trump was fully apprised of the payment to Daniels and promised to reimburse him, telling the court the then-president-elect was present at a Trump Tower meeting in January 2017 where his Trump Org finance chief Allen Weisselberg said hed receive his payback in the form of monthly checks purporting to be payment for his new role as personal attorney to the president.

He approved it. And he also said: This is going to be one heck of a ride in D.C., Cohen quoted Trump.

Cohen wanted it in one lump sum, but Mr. Trump said, No, its better, its better to do it over the 12 months, the jury heard.

The fixer said Weisselberg, whos been convicted of tax fraud and perjury in the last two years, directed him to invoice the Trump Org monthly, marking that he was owed payment for legal services and we will get you a check out.

And so, did you have any expectation that if you did work for him you would be paid? prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked.

None at all, Cohen said.

-------
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. Azerbaijan has increased gas exports by 2.7 percent in the first four months of 2024, as compared to the same period in 2023, the countrys energy minister Parviz Shahbazov wrote on X, Trend reports.

In January-April 2024, 4.2 bcm of gas was exported to Europe, 3.2 bcm to #Turkiye, and 1.1 bcm to Georgia. During this period, TANAP supplied Turkiye with 1.8 bcm of gas. During 4 months of this year, gas sales abroad increased by approximately 2.7 percent compared to the corresponding period of last year, the minister said.

He noted that gas production in Azerbaijan stood at 16.7 billion cubic meters, up by 500 million cubic meters year-on-year. Around 8.5 billion cubic meters of this volume was exported.

Azerbaijan commenced gas supplies to Europe through the Southern Gas Corridor on December 31, 2020. The initial capacity of the European segment of the corridor, namely the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), stands at 10 billion cubic meters of gas.

In July 2022, Azerbaijan and the EU inked a memorandum aimed at doubling the capacity of this infrastructure to 20 billion cubic meters per year by 2027.
Former Trump attorney and fixer Michael Cohen said Tuesday the former president promised he would get a check during a February 2017 meeting in the Oval Office.

"I was sitting with President Trump and he asked me if I was okay, he asked me if I needed money," Cohen said during his testimony. "And I said: 'No, I'm okay.' He said 'okay.'"

Cohen then said that Trump told him he would receive a check for January and February.

Cohen also told him to "deal with Allen"  referring to former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg.

The prosecution's case hinges on whether Trump schemed to silence salacious stories with hush-money payments made by Cohen, and then reimburse Cohen.

Jurors saw an October 2016 bank statement from Michael Cohens LLC that showed a $130,000 payment to adult film star and director Stormy Daniels lawyer Keith Davidsons PLC.

Prosecutors also displayed handwritten notes that they allege show Weisselberg's calculations to reimburse Cohen with monthly $35,000 payments over the course of 2017.

Former Trump Organization controller Jeff McConney testified that Weisselberg told him the payments should be grossed up to help cover Cohens state, federal and city taxes.
A cold case murder in the Upper Peninsula has simmered for 15 years, fueling suspicions about what happened to a missing man and how the Michigan State Police handled the case.

Derrick Henagan disappeared Aug. 4, 2008. His body has never been found, and no one has ever been charged with his death.

Some outside observers have criticized the State Police investigation, especially after concerns were raised that a local state trooper could be involved.

A yearslong Free Press review of the case is chronicled in the eight-episode podcast Where Secrets Go to Die: The Disappearance of Derrick Henagan. Findings include:

State Police sent cadaver dogs to the home of a former state trooper, David Moeggenborg, to search for Henagans remains.

They lab tested an ax from Moeggenborg's home for blood and fingerprints.

They redacted police reports under the state Freedom of Information Act, released to the Free Press, about an interview they conducted with Henagan's girlfriend concerning her possible ties to Moeggenborg.

One outside investigator told the Free Press that the girlfriend, Dyanna Maddox, boasted of having Moeggenborg in her back pocket. Maddox denies any involvement in the disappearance.

The State Police also waited months to examine some evidence and years before interviewing members of Maddoxs family, several of whom struggled to remember timelines.

Jess, a human remains detection dog, leads the way followed by retired Michigan State Police forensic investigator, Mike Neiger (left), and Jess dog handler, Burt Crawford, as they search for the remains of Derrick Henagan near the North Country Trail in Paradise, Mich., on Saturday, Aug. 4, 2018.

Michael Neiger spent 25 years with the State Police, including years in the crime lab, before retiring and starting his own search and rescue firm that assists the families of missing people. He has worked on the case for years on behalf of Henagans family and said hes troubled by the way it has been investigated.

It appears to me the mishandling of this case by the MSP is likely due to certain individuals being ethically compromised, a failure to follow investigative best-practices, and just plain laziness, he said.

State Police defended its handling of the case.

I don't have reason to question the integrity of the investigation, based on the people that I believe were involved in that, said Capt. Clint Michelin, who commanded the State Police in the Upper Peninsula when the Free Press inquired about the case, but has since retired. They're good investigators with integrity and they're going to do the right thing, regardless of who's involved as a suspect in any particular case.

Michelin didnt work the case himself. The Free Press asked repeatedly to speak to an investigator who did and also sought an interview with then-director of the State Police Col. Joseph Gasper, who had supervised Moeggenborg at one point.

State Police directed inquiries to Michelin.

Michelin acknowledged that Moeggenborgs name was brought up and said investigators appeared to be prudent by looking at him.

I'm glad that the investigators paid close attention to detail and followed up on something that was a remote possibility to determine whether or not they had a starting point, Michelin said. From the sounds of it, though, none of it produced something to be that launching pad to continue further down that avenue.

Troubled trooper

Moeggenborg has long cast a shadow over the case, in part because of proximity to it.

Moeggenborg responded to Maddoxs home the day that Henagan was last seen.

He took a break-in complaint from Maddox who said several guns were stolen. Maddox said that she and Henagan had fought a few days earlier and he was staying with friends down the road. She thought he broke in while she was away and took the guns.

That report was taken in the morning. Reports in the Henagan case say he was last seen that afternoon.

Moeggenborg also has drawn scrutiny because of his own troubled history.

Michigan State trooper David Moeggenborg.

Episode 4: Sins of the Father

The Free Press obtained more than 400 pages of internal affairs reports on him. The State Police heavily redacted them before turning them over but it was clear he was accused of domestic violence, child abuse and stalking.

His two former wives say they complained for years about his abuse to his supervisors, who often ignored their concerns. The women both recounted hearing him make death threats.

He was all the time telling me, 'I can kill you, and nobody will ever know. Nobody will ever investigate it because I'm a cop,'  his first wife, Amy Asher, 49, told the Free Press.

He also kept a coffee can with drivers licenses of locals whod been arrested. His daughter Meghan Moeggenborg, now 29, said he called them trophies.

She also told the Free Press that in August 2014, about six years after Henagan disappeared, she followed her father into the woods near his home and saw what appeared to be a makeshift graveyard. She said he threatened to kill her if she told anyone what shed seen.

Meghan Moeggenborg, the daughter of Michigan State trooper David Moeggenborg, searches the woods not far her now deceased father's home in fall of 2017.

Episode 6: Drugs, Sex and Secrets

Several people in the Newberry area voiced deep distrust of the police. They told the Free Press that Moeggenborg and other members of law enforcement had been sexually involved with young women in the area. They believed some cops were trading or willing to trade leniency on drug crimes for sex. One woman who he was accused of assaulting was later murdered. A local drug dealer pleaded guilty to killing her and two others.

Michelin said he never heard such allegations about troopers.

Years later, it's a homicide

State Police didnt pursue Meghan Moeggenborgs tip about the woods right away but about six months later, David Moeggenborg died of cancer. A few weeks after his death, nine members of the Michigan State Police convened a conference call to discuss the Henagan case.

A report shows investigators decided to change the file class from a missing person to a homicide, noting in a report that after 7 years without finding Derrick Henagan, it is our opinion that he is a victim of homicide.

A missing person flyer poster for Derrick Henagan hangs on a tree along M-135 in McMillan, Mich. On August 4, 2008, 35-year-old Derrick Henagan was reportedly last seen in these woods.

Episode 2: The Missing Man

The report went on to say they planned to search several areas to possibly recover Henagans body.

The report doesnt mention property addresses. The Free Press obtained a separate report filed by the K-9 team, which confirmed that Moeggenborgs home and the woods across the road were two of the search locations. The third one was the woods around the home Henagan shared with Maddox.

The case reports explain the reasoning for most searches in the investigation, but the search of Moeggenborgs property was different. The reports offer no explanation.

Michelin wasnt on the conference call in 2015 and said he didnt know what prompted the change to a homicide classification or the search of Moeggenborgs property.

David Hopper, a retired commander of the Newberry Post, is listed as being on the call. He told the Free Press he didnt recall the meeting or the reason for the search.

David Hopper, a former Newberry Post commander for the Michigan State Police, stands inside a restaurant after his Kiwanis Club meeting in Newberry on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023.

He said Moeggenborg was well respected within the State Police, and he doesnt believe Moeggenborg would be involved in anything criminal.

George Sailer, an inspector who was listed on the call and has since retired, emailed the Free Press after the podcast launched to say he didnt recall the conference call meeting, either.

I do remember the allegation of Trooper Moeggenborgs potential involvement, however, I dont recall why that was, or what the circumstances were that would lead anyone to that conclusion, Sailer wrote in an email. I want to say none of the suspicions about Trooper Moeggenborg were substantiated.

Sailer is correct. The search of the properties found no human remains. The ax recovered at his home was tested in a lab, which found no blood or fingerprints of enough quality to compare.

Some of the internal affairs investigations into Moeggenborg during his career were sustained, but they werent connected to the Henagan case.

Sit and wait

The delay in searching those woods Moeggenborgs daughter described wasnt the first one in the case.

Neiger runs Michigan Backcountry Search and Rescue, which conducts searches and other investigations on behalf of families of missing people. He doesnt charge for his services.

He got involved in the case through Henagans mother and had been helping State Police.

At one point, they asked him to search some swampy areas to possibly recover Henagans remains.

Retired Michigan State Police forensic investigator Mike Neiger of Michigan Back Country Search and Rescue carries a soil probe to test the compaction of the soil as he searches for the remains of Derrick Henagan in McMillan, Mich., Fridday, August 3, 2018.

Episode 1: The Body Hunter

Separately, Neiger said, about nine months after Henagan disappeared he obtained permission to search the home Henagan shared with Maddox. He told the Free Press he asked the State Police to join him but they declined. Nothing in the records show they ever searched that home.

Neiger said he went ahead and searched himself, using a cadaver dog. The dog hit on an area of drywall and some carpet that had been removed from the home. Neiger also found some drywall in a bedroom that had been repaired and repainted and found a red stain on a heat register that resembled blood.

He sealed the carpet in an evidence bag and alerted State Police detectives to his findings.

It took post personnel three weeks to pick up the carpet specimen for further analysis, and the stain was never collected by post personnel, Neiger said.

Reports obtained by the Free Press show Neiger bagged the carpet sample in May 2009 and the State Police delivered it to the crime lab in October 2010, almost 17 months later.

I forced post personnel to submit the carpet specimen to the laboratory for analysis by threatening to pick it up from the post and submit it to a private crime lab for analysis, at my own expense, he said.

Joe Giacalone, a retired New York detective who wrote a manual on cold case investigation and teaches criminal justice at John Jay College, said police likely missed an opportunity by not going on that search.

Should the police have gone with them and checked things out? Yeah. Probably, Giacalone said. I mean, at this point, the guy has already, you know, went this far, you might as well just go to the house with him.

Giacalone said he worried about Neigers search, even though Neiger had worked for the State Police, collecting evidence.

Just from an evidence standpoint, its a problem. You have a private person and he's a civilian, gathering evidence and submitting it to the police at that point, he said. And even from a retired guy, like why wouldn't they? Why wouldn't the cops want to go with him? Those are questions I'd like to see answered.

Records also show State Police never searched the home of the neighbor down the road where Henagan spent the weekend before he disappeared, even after the homeowner consented to a search.

A private property sign hangs from a tree in front of a home early morning in Luce County on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023. The home is where Denny Murdock used to live and where people believe Derrick Henagan spent his final weekend.

Other delays also appear throughout the case file.

Maddox had three daughters living with her when Henagan went missing and about a month later, police noted their names in the report.

But they didnt interview the daughters until years later, the first one coming in 2013 and the other two in 2015.

One daughter told police she heard gunshots near the house on the day Henagan disappeared and said shed seen her sister go to a local market to buy bleach. She later said she didnt see her sister go to buy bleach but insisted she heard the gunshots.

Episode 3: Bleach and Blood

Another daughter described a phone call between Henagan and Maddox in which he said he feared for his life.

The first interview of Maddoxs brother wasnt conducted until two and a half years after Henagans disappearance, and the first interview of her sisters came almost seven years after the fact.

Maddoxs brother later failed a polygraph test, afterward blaming it on drinking until 5 a.m. the day of the test. He also denied any involvement in Henagans disappearance.

(From left) Dyanna Maddox and her brother Bryan (BJ) Foster.

Episode 5: The Bounty Hunter

One of her sisters told police that she remembered visiting the house around the time Henagan disappeared and seeing spots of blood on the garage floor. She couldnt pinpoint a date.

Maddoxs brother-in-law was interviewed by police in 2015 and described a phone call he said Maddox placed to her sister. He quoted Maddox saying she and Henagan were fighting real bad and theres blood all over. He couldnt pinpoint a date, either.

Maddoxs landlord also was interviewed years later and described finding damaged doors, bleach stains on the carpet and drywall that was repaired and repainted in the house after Maddox moved out.

Despite the involvement of upwards of 40 members of the MSP, some of the most basic investigative best practices were not followed in this case, Neiger said.

Giacalone said that it appears the police missed a lot of opportunities in the case, but he also said police are human and make mistakes.

There's a difference between a conspiracy and incompetence, right? he said. Its totally two different things.

Episode 7: The Ax in the Wall

Episode 8: The Empty Grave

Giacalone said he thinks State Police even today could review the case themselves if they did it correctly.

The likelihood of any of the people from the original investigation being around still is pretty close to zero, he said. So I dont see that as a major issue.

Neiger said he thinks the case deserves outside attention. He said he has approached the FBI about it, and theyve shown some interest. The FBI wouldnt confirm or deny an investigation.

The Free Press requested any FBI records on the case under the Freedom of Information Act. The Bureau said it has some records related to it, but it hasn't yet provided them. FOIA requests to the FBI can take years to process.

Michelin said the State Police takes reports of misconduct seriously and investigates them thoroughly but Neiger said outside oversight is needed, perhaps from the Michigan Attorney Generals Office or the FBI.

Like other police agencies, the MSP is incapable of effectively policing itself, especially due to the outsized influence command staff have over such investigations and outcomes, particularly those involving their friends and enemies, he said.

This story includes just some of the findings from the "Where Secrets Go To Die" podcast. The first three episodes are now available for all listeners at freep.com/secrets, on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Can't wait to binge all eight episodes? The full podcast is available to Detroit Free Press subscribers in a special playlist. Also, check out our landing page, our cast of characters and our episode pages (listed on our landing page) to see photos, videos, documents and more tied to the case.

Contact us: 248-702-4092 or through encrypted email at wiselyj@proton.me

Subscribe to the Secrets newsletter for updates on the podcast. Subscribe to the Free Press to support investigative journalism.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: State Police handling of cold case raises questions
Spoiler alert: This story contains plot twists in the "Where Secrets Go To Die" podcast.

A cold case murder in the Upper Peninsula has simmered for 15 years, fueling suspicions about what happened to a missing man and how the Michigan State Police handled the case.

Derrick Henagan disappeared Aug. 4, 2008. His body has never been found, and no one has ever been charged with his death.

Some outside observers have criticized the State Police investigation, especially after concerns were raised that a local state trooper could be involved.

A yearslong Free Press review of the case is chronicled in the eight-episode podcast Where Secrets Go to Die: The Disappearance of Derrick Henagan. Findings include:

State Police sent cadaver dogs to the home of a former state trooper, David Moeggenborg, to search for Henagans remains.

They lab tested an ax from Moeggenborg's home for blood and fingerprints.

They redacted police reports under the state Freedom of Information Act, released to the Free Press, about an interview they conducted with Henagan's girlfriend concerning her possible ties to Moeggenborg.

One outside investigator told the Free Press that the girlfriend, Dyanna Maddox, boasted of having Moeggenborg in her back pocket. Maddox denies any involvement in the disappearance.

The State Police also waited months to examine some evidence and years before interviewing members of Maddoxs family, several of whom struggled to remember timelines.

Jess, a human remains detection dog, leads the way followed by retired Michigan State Police forensic investigator, Mike Neiger, left, and Jess dog handler, Burt Crawford, as they search for the remains of Derrick Henagan near the North Country Trail in Paradise, Mich., on Saturday, Aug. 4, 2018.

More: What Michigan State Police reports show  and hide  in Derrick Henagan disappearance

Michael Neiger spent 25 years with the State Police, including years in the crime lab, before retiring and starting his own search and rescue firm that assists the families of missing people. He has worked on the case for years on behalf of Henagans family and said hes troubled by the way it has been investigated.

It appears to me the mishandling of this case by the MSP is likely due to certain individuals being ethically compromised, a failure to follow investigative best-practices, and just plain laziness, he said.

State Police defended its handling of the case.

I don't have reason to question the integrity of the investigation, based on the people that I believe were involved in that, said Capt. Clint Michelin, who commanded the State Police in the Upper Peninsula when the Free Press inquired about the case, but has since retired. They're good investigators with integrity and they're going to do the right thing, regardless of who's involved as a suspect in any particular case.

Michelin didnt work the case himself. The Free Press asked repeatedly to speak to an investigator who did and also sought an interview with then-director of the State Police Col. Joseph Gasper, who had supervised Moeggenborg at one point.

State Police directed inquiries to Michelin.

Michelin acknowledged that Moeggenborgs name was brought up and said investigators appeared to be prudent by looking at him.

I'm glad that the investigators paid close attention to detail and followed up on something that was a remote possibility to determine whether or not they had a starting point, Michelin said. From the sounds of it, though, none of it produced something to be that launching pad to continue further down that avenue.

Troubled trooper

Moeggenborg has long cast a shadow over the case, in part because of proximity to it.

Moeggenborg responded to Maddoxs home the day that Henagan was last seen.

He took a break-in complaint from Maddox who said several guns were stolen. Maddox said that she and Henagan had fought a few days earlier and he was staying with friends down the road. She thought he broke in while she was away and took the guns.

That report was taken in the morning. Reports in the Henagan case say he was last seen that afternoon.

Moeggenborg also has drawn scrutiny because of his own troubled history.

Michigan State trooper David Moeggenborg.

Episode 4: Sins of the Father

The Free Press obtained more than 400 pages of internal affairs reports on him. The State Police heavily redacted them before turning them over but it was clear he was accused of domestic violence, child abuse and stalking.

His two former wives say they complained for years about his abuse to his supervisors, who often ignored their concerns. The women both recounted hearing him make death threats.

He was all the time telling me, 'I can kill you, and nobody will ever know. Nobody will ever investigate it because I'm a cop,'  his first wife, Amy Asher, 49, told the Free Press.

He also kept a coffee can with drivers licenses of locals whod been arrested. His daughter Meghan Moeggenborg, now 29, said he called them trophies.

She also told the Free Press that in August 2014, about six years after Henagan disappeared, she followed her father into the woods near his home and saw what appeared to be a makeshift graveyard. She said he threatened to kill her if she told anyone what shed seen.

Meghan Moeggenborg, the daughter of Michigan State trooper David Moeggenborg, searches the woods not far from her now-deceased father's home in fall 2017.

Episode 6: Drugs, Sex and Secrets

Several people in the Newberry area voiced deep distrust of the police. They told the Free Press that Moeggenborg and other members of law enforcement had been sexually involved with young women in the area. They believed some cops were trading or willing to trade leniency on drug crimes for sex. One woman who he was accused of assaulting was later murdered. A local drug dealer pleaded guilty to killing her and two others.

Michelin said he never heard such allegations about troopers.

Years later, it's a homicide

State Police didnt pursue Meghan Moeggenborgs tip about the woods right away but about six months later, David Moeggenborg died of cancer. A few weeks after his death, nine members of the Michigan State Police convened a conference call to discuss the Henagan case.

A report shows investigators decided to change the file class from a missing person to a homicide, noting in a report that after 7 years without finding Derrick Henagan, it is our opinion that he is a victim of homicide.

A missing person poster for Derrick Henagan hangs on a tree along M-135 in McMillan, Mich. On Aug. 4, 2008, 35-year-old Derrick Henagan was reportedly last seen in these woods.

Episode 2: The Missing Man

The report went on to say they planned to search several areas to possibly recover Henagans body.

The report doesnt mention property addresses. The Free Press obtained a separate report filed by the K-9 team, which confirmed that Moeggenborgs home and the woods across the road were two of the search locations. The third one was the woods around the home Henagan shared with Maddox.

The case reports explain the reasoning for most searches in the investigation, but the search of Moeggenborgs property was different. The reports offer no explanation.

Michelin wasnt on the conference call in 2015 and said he didnt know what prompted the change to a homicide classification or the search of Moeggenborgs property.

David Hopper, a retired commander of the Newberry Post, is listed as being on the call. He told the Free Press he didnt recall the meeting or the reason for the search.

David Hopper, a former Newberry Post commander for the Michigan State Police, stands inside a restaurant after his Kiwanis Club meeting in Newberry on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023.

He said Moeggenborg was well respected within the State Police, and he doesnt believe Moeggenborg would be involved in anything criminal.

George Sailer, an inspector who was listed on the call and has since retired, emailed the Free Press after the podcast launched to say he didnt recall the conference call meeting, either.

I do remember the allegation of Trooper Moeggenborgs potential involvement, however, I dont recall why that was, or what the circumstances were that would lead anyone to that conclusion, Sailer wrote in an email. I want to say none of the suspicions about Trooper Moeggenborg were substantiated.

Sailer is correct. The search of the properties found no human remains. The ax recovered at his home was tested in a lab, which found no blood or fingerprints of enough quality to compare.

Some of the internal affairs investigations into Moeggenborg during his career were sustained, but they werent connected to the Henagan case.

Sit and wait

The delay in searching those woods Moeggenborgs daughter described wasnt the first one in the case.

Neiger runs Michigan Backcountry Search and Rescue, which conducts searches and other investigations on behalf of families of missing people. He doesnt charge for his services.

He got involved in the case through Henagans mother and had been helping State Police.

At one point, they asked him to search some swampy areas to possibly recover Henagans remains.

Retired Michigan State Police forensic investigator Mike Neiger of Michigan Back Country Search and Rescue carries a soil probe to test the compaction of the soil as he searches for the remains of Derrick Henagan in McMillan, Mich., Friday, Aug. 3, 2018.

Episode 1: The Body Hunter

Separately, Neiger said, about nine months after Henagan disappeared, he obtained permission to search the home Henagan shared with Maddox. He told the Free Press he asked the State Police to join him but they declined. Nothing in the records show they ever searched that home.

Neiger said he went ahead and searched himself, using a cadaver dog. The dog hit on an area of drywall and some carpet that had been removed from the home. Neiger also found some drywall in a bedroom that had been repaired and repainted and found a red stain on a heat register that resembled blood.

He sealed the carpet in an evidence bag and alerted State Police detectives to his findings.

It took post personnel three weeks to pick up the carpet specimen for further analysis, and the stain was never collected by post personnel, Neiger said.

Reports obtained by the Free Press show Neiger bagged the carpet sample in May 2009 and the State Police delivered it to the crime lab in October 2010, almost 17 months later.

I forced post personnel to submit the carpet specimen to the laboratory for analysis by threatening to pick it up from the post and submit it to a private crime lab for analysis, at my own expense, he said.

Joe Giacalone, a retired New York detective who wrote a manual on cold case investigation and teaches criminal justice at John Jay College, said police likely missed an opportunity by not going on that search.

Should the police have gone with them and checked things out? Yeah. Probably, Giacalone said. I mean, at this point, the guy has already, you know, went this far, you might as well just go to the house with him.

Giacalone said he worried about Neigers search, even though Neiger had worked for the State Police, collecting evidence.

Just from an evidence standpoint, its a problem. You have a private person and he's a civilian, gathering evidence and submitting it to the police at that point, he said. And even from a retired guy, like why wouldn't they? Why wouldn't the cops want to go with him? Those are questions I'd like to see answered.

Records also show State Police never searched the home of the neighbor down the road where Henagan spent the weekend before he disappeared, even after the homeowner consented to a search.

A private property sign hangs from a tree in front of a home early morning in Luce County on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023. The home is where Denny Murdock used to live and where people believe Derrick Henagan spent his final weekend.

Other delays also appear throughout the case file.

Maddox had three daughters living with her when Henagan went missing and about a month later, police noted their names in the report.

But they didnt interview the daughters until years later, the first one coming in 2013 and the other two in 2015.

One daughter told police she heard gunshots near the house on the day Henagan disappeared and said shed seen her sister go to a local market to buy bleach. She later said she didnt see her sister go to buy bleach but insisted she heard the gunshots.

Episode 3: Bleach and Blood

Another daughter described a phone call between Henagan and Maddox in which he said he feared for his life.

The first interview of Maddoxs brother wasnt conducted until two and a half years after Henagans disappearance, and the first interview of her sisters came almost seven years after the fact.

Maddoxs brother later failed a polygraph test, afterward blaming it on drinking until 5 a.m. the day of the test. He also denied any involvement in Henagans disappearance.

(From left) Dyanna Maddox and her brother Bryan (BJ) Foster.

Episode 5: The Bounty Hunter

One of her sisters told police that she remembered visiting the house around the time Henagan disappeared and seeing spots of blood on the garage floor. She couldnt pinpoint a date.

Maddoxs brother-in-law was interviewed by police in 2015 and described a phone call he said Maddox placed to her sister. He quoted Maddox saying she and Henagan were fighting real bad and theres blood all over. He couldnt pinpoint a date, either.

Maddoxs landlord also was interviewed years later and described finding damaged doors, bleach stains on the carpet and drywall that was repaired and repainted in the house after Maddox moved out.

Despite the involvement of upwards of 40 members of the MSP, some of the most basic investigative best practices were not followed in this case, Neiger said.

Giacalone said that it appears the police missed a lot of opportunities in the case, but he also said police are human and make mistakes.

There's a difference between a conspiracy and incompetence, right? he said. Its totally two different things.

Episode 7: The Ax in the Wall

Episode 8: The Empty Grave

Giacalone said he thinks State Police even today could review the case themselves if they did it correctly.

The likelihood of any of the people from the original investigation being around still is pretty close to zero, he said. So I dont see that as a major issue.

Neiger said he thinks the case deserves outside attention. He said he has approached the FBI about it, and theyve shown some interest. The FBI wouldnt confirm or deny an investigation.

The Free Press requested any FBI records on the case under the Freedom of Information Act. The Bureau said it has some records related to it, but it hasn't yet provided them. FOIA requests to the FBI can take years to process.

Michelin said the State Police takes reports of misconduct seriously and investigates them thoroughly but Neiger said outside oversight is needed, perhaps from the Michigan Attorney Generals Office or the FBI.

Like other police agencies, the MSP is incapable of effectively policing itself, especially due to the outsized influence command staff have over such investigations and outcomes, particularly those involving their friends and enemies, he said.

This story includes just some of the findings from the "Where Secrets Go To Die" podcast. The first three episodes are now available for all listeners at freep.com/secrets, on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Can't wait to binge all eight episodes? The full podcast is available to Detroit Free Press subscribers in a special playlist. Also, check out our landing page, our cast of characters and our episode pages (listed on our landing page) to see photos, videos, documents and more tied to the case.

Contact us: 248-702-4092 or through encrypted email at wiselyj@proton.me

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State Police handling of cold case raises questions
WASHINGTON (WOOD)  During a recent trip with the Mid-Michigan Honor Flight, there were tears, laughs, pain and hurt amid healing, new friendships and a stronger bond between father and son.

The Honor Flight is a group that takes veterans to Washington, D.C. for free to visit memorials dedicated to honor their sacrifices. Its a trip some werent sure about.

They kept calling, and I finally gave in, one veteran said.

Michigan veterans visit Washington, D.C. on Honor Flight

Others hoped this day would come.

This is something Ive been waiting for a while, said James Vandyke, a Vietnam War veteran.

Many quickly realized the trips impact.

This is the best experience of my life, said Bernard Corney, a Korean War veteran.

Ill never forget this trip, said Vandyke.

This is nice, real nice, said Robert Holt, a 106-year-old WWII veteran.

Wonderful. Loving it, Allen Wheeler, a Vietnam veteran said.

West Michigan veterans at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., while on an Honor Flight visit. (May 8, 2024)

For some, getting to this moment wasnt easy. Veterans were filled with pain as they walk through the Vietnam memorial in Washington.

Its terrible, said veteran Richard Schmukal.

What a shame, another veteran said.

For what? No victory. A lot of young men paying the ultimate price for a war no one understands, and then come back and get spit on, said veteran Ron Hayward.

Vietnam, we didnt know anything about it or how to spell it, how to say it, Schmukal said.

Through the frustration and hurt, these veterans are here for a specific reason.

We found him and I salute him up there, good guy. He was only 21, Schmukal said.

A lot of friends here, said Hayward.

Thats him, found it, veteran Allen Owens said.

Veterans carry on public service with cemetery cleanup

Heartbreaking. Lost one of my friends, found his name, said Wheeler.

My best friend, thats why Im here. My best friend from Vietnam is on that wall, Vandyke said.

Its an image he cant erase from his mind.

When I saw him die in front of me , its still like that to this day, I still have a hard time with it, said Vandyke.

Veteran James Vandyke at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. on May 8. 2024.

Finding his friends name on the wall brought a sense of comfort.

Im here. I finally made it. See the initials on that wall, then inscribe it. Wow, amazing feeling you get, he said.

There was healing.

Gives me a little bit of closure, Wheeler said.

Throughout the trip, I see heroes among heroes  bonding, sharing stories, laughing, singing together.

And these Korea and Vietnam veterans are honored to be with World War II veteran Robert Holt, the first 106-year-old to make this trip with this group.

I was taken back that hes 106. My hero, you better believe it, one veteran said.

World War II veteran Robert Holt, 106, visits Washington, D.C., on the Mid-Michigan Honor Flight. (May 8, 2024)

World War II veteran Robert Holt, 106, arrives at Gerald R. Ford International Airport for the Mid-Michigan Honor Flight. (May 7, 2024)

Holt served in Germany. During his first mission, his truck hit a landmine and exploded. Holt was thrown from the truck but wasnt injured.

80 years ago, I wouldve never thought I would be doing all of this. I was in combat, everything, machines, guns, wrecks. I had it all in my combat days, said Holt.

There was supposed to be another 106-year-old WWII veteran on this trip. Irene Hosking, a WWII-era nurse who served in Australia but didnt feel up to the trip. The group carried a picture of her.

The Mid-Michigan Honor Flight brought a photo of 106-year-old World War II veteran Irene Hosking to the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., because Hosking did not feel up to going on the trip. (May 8, 2024)

Dozens of Vietnam veterans honored in GR for their service and sacrifice

There were three other women on the trip. Marine Corps Veteran Pat Sanderson is grateful to get the recognition now that women didnt always get in the past.

We werent recognized as much as the guys, Sanderson said at the WWII Memorial.

Richard Corney was amazed by what happening during the trip.

It really gave me an opportunity to really know my dad. He didnt talk about the war, talk about his service, he said.

Richard Corney learned more about his dad.

I love you pops, he said.

I love you too, kid, said Bernard Corney.

Veteran Bernard Corney visits Washington, D.C., with the Mid-Michigan Honor Flight. (May 8, 2024)

As the two-day trip to Baltimore and Washington came to an end, the 75 veterans had no idea what was waiting for them as they returned home.

Hundreds of people showed up at the Gerald Ford International Airport Wednesday night, holding signs and cheering for the veterans. There were plenty of laughs, tears and hugs.

I cant explain it. It was all surprising, said Holt.

This is the best thing that has ever happened to me, other than my family, said Bernard Corney.

After the trip, a couple of volunteers with the Honor Flight went to visit 106-year-old Hosking. They said they took the Honor Flight to her, sharing photos and memories.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR)  Calling all middle school students! The second annual Water Tower Showdown is kicking off on July 13 and event organizers are encouraging local students to dive into the competition.

The Water Tower Showdown features the Roanoke, Bedford, and Lynchburg water providers. Visionaries will have the chance to design and build a water tower model.

Melrose Plaza searching for artist to design community mural in Roanoke

Middle school students, specifically rising 6th and 8th graders, from public, private, or home schools are invited to design a tower that holds one gallon of water. The water must also drain quickly and be aesthetically pleasing.

But theres a twist.

The design can have a theme and participants can choose any materials they want to build their towers and to spark creativity.

Starting at 9 a.m. at the Bedford Regional Water Authority, students will present their creations. The first-place winner will take home a $75 gift card, the second-place team will get a $50 gift card, and the third-place winner will win a $25 gift card.

Event organizers said only the first 30 students will be accepted and there is a limit of five teams per school. All participants must register by June 23 and complete the form online.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv.
A Wilson County man convicted of sex crimes involving three children at two Mt. Juliet apartment complexes was sentenced to 60 years in prison on Friday, according to the office of the 15th Judicial District.

Pedro Barrera, 50, was sentenced with no early release eligibility by Judge Brody Kane, according to the district attorney's office. Barrera was also placed on the sex offender registry as a violent offender and sentenced to community supervision for life.

Barrera was found guilty of all ten indicted charges by a Wilson County jury on Feb. 1 after a trial.

Charges included three counts rape of a child, six counts aggravated sexual battery and one count continuous sexual abuse of a child.

Mt. Juliet police car

The victims in the case were between 7-9-years-old at the time the crimes occurred between 2017 and 2020 at two separate locations in Mt. Juliet. One of the victims was from the LC apartment community on Providence Parkway. The other two were from the Glass Creek apartment complex on Old Pleasant Grove Road, police previously said.

None of the victims were related to Barrera, who was arrested in 2021.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorneys Tom Swink and Justin Harris. Barrera's attorney was listed as Eric Phillips, and he did not comment for this story.

Reach Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com or 615-726-5939 and on X, formerly known as Twitter @ AndyHumbles.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Wilson County man convicted of child sex crimes to serve 60 years
There might be stockpiles, but making an effective bird flu vaccine wont be quick or easy

The virus has killed millions of birds and other mammals - Owen Humphreys/PA

Health officials have been steadfast in their assurances. The risk of H5N1 bird flu jumping into humans is low, but even if a pandemic were to break out there are millions of doses of vaccine waiting in the wings.

Last year the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced it had agreed a deal for millions of life-saving vaccines to be produced in the UK if a H5N1 pandemic was declared.

The advance purchase agreement (APA) means healthcare company CSL Seqirus will be on standby to produce over 100 million influenza pandemic vaccines if or when they are needed.

Professor Dame Jenny Harries, Chief Executive of UKHSA, said: We have seen from past pandemic events, including Covid-19, that access to effective vaccines is vital to help save lives and minimise disruption to our lives and livelihoods.

This agreement represents a major step forward in our preparedness against future influenza pandemics.

In America  where experts are on alert after a widespread outbreak of bird flu in cattle  health officials have been making similar noises.

The US has 10 million doses stored in bulk, but says it could ramp up to distribute 100 million shots within four months.

But is this rosy picture of pandemic preparedness right?

Experts in America are on high alert after a widespread outbreak of bird flu in cattle - Kobbi R. Blair/Statesman-Journal via AP

There are H5 vaccines out there, and there are some stockpiled in some high-income countries, said Dr Nicole Lurie, executive director for preparedness and response at the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (Cepi).

[But] a lot of things have been frozen for a pretty long time now and are quite old. I think we all hope that they will be fine, but we dont necessarily know.

Even the optimists point out that even if the stockpiled vaccines do work, existing supplies would barely be enough to cover healthcare workers.

Dr Richard Webby, director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Studies on the Ecology of Influenza in the US, said we were better prepared for H5N1 than other viruses but said it would take a while to gear up.

Are we going to have enough vaccine to meet demands in the first few weeks of such an outbreak? The answer to that is clearly no, he said.

There is also the important question of whether the vaccines we have today are a good match for the new strains of H5N1 circulating.

The limited data available is not convincing. Only two of the four vaccines currently stockpiled are thought to be a good match for the current H5N1 stain, and even they may not work especially well.

Former FDA official Dr Luciana Borio told the World Vaccine Congress in Washington last month that the efficacy is potentially as low as 45 per cent, based on studies looking at antibody responses.

A similar problem happened when H1N1 swine flu broke out in 2008/9. Although vaccine stockpiles covered the strain circulating, a study later found it protected young people but had no discernible impact on older adults.

In other words: theres no guarantee a shot would live up to expectations  or arrive in time.

With swine flu, the vaccine rollout began in earnest only after the most significant wave of infections had peaked. Thankfully, the virus turned out to be very mild.

For H5N1 bird flu, things may prove more difficult still.

Research from the mid-2000s found H5N1 vaccines do not trigger a strong immune response unless given in a very large dose and stains vary widely.

H5 strains are quite divergent and could be a challenge, which is why timing is very important, Dr Katraina Pollock, associate professor in vaccinology at the Oxford Vaccine Group. Our current vaccines might need to be modified.

And that could take time  quite a lot of it.

Although vaccine developers have lots of experience making seasonal flu shots which are adjusted each year, the manufacturing process is old-fashioned with the active ingredient grown inside chicken eggs. The process takes up to six months.

Egg-based vaccines take a pretty long time and there are a lot of uncertainties, said Dr Lewis. If you needed to scale fast, then that would be problematic.

There are hopes that newer technologies  especially the mRNA platform that proved so agile and effective during the Covid-19 pandemic  could be deployed.

Both Pfizer and Moderna are working on influenza shots and very early trials look promising, but its not clear if this will work  and any new vaccine would need testing.

There are only two companies that have a licenced mRNA vaccine  and none have a licence for an mRNA flu vaccine  so this regulatory piece of the puzzle is not inconsequential, said Dr Lurie.

Supplies would also be tight. If a pandemic influenza took off  H5N1 or otherwise  seasonal flu manufacturers would have to shift gear.

According to Prof Ian Barr, deputy director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza at the Doherty Institute in Australia, manufacturing capacity would have to be increased massively.

Unless things got drastically ramped up, [current capacity] would only cover one-third of the [global] population, Prof Barr said. Its a numbers game.

There are also huge geographic imbalances. A WHO analysis looking at flu vaccine capacity in 2019 found that just two per cent of manufacturing capacity was in low and middle-income countries, which are home to 38 per cent of the global population.

High-income countries have pandemic vaccine contracts that are associated with their seasonal flu contracts and have already reserved, in some sense, a capacity to make vaccines for their countries, said Dr Lewis. That leaves us back in the situation we were in in Covid, where low and middle-income countries are at risk of being left behind.

Still, the world is not solely reliant on vaccines: it is hoped antiviral drugs could also be used to protect against H5N1.

Its not time to panic yet about this virus being adapted to humans, but its always good to have a backup plan  and clearly the vaccine is one of our backup plans, said Prof Barr. The other one is antivirals, and at the moment they look like they will be effective against this virus.

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Karis Calderon, 25, walked across seven countries to make it to Chicago for a stable job. Four weeks later, she couldnt even afford to pay for the funeral services of her youngest child.

The Venezuelan mother lost her 3-year-old  Luciana Valentina Suarez Calderon  at the end of April to a bacterial infection in Chicago. But without the $2,750 needed for a funeral, Calderon had to wait in mourning while her daughters body sat at the morgue for days.I wanted people to be able to visit her body to say goodbye. If I had the money, I would have taken her out immediately, Calderon said. Uno sin plata no es nadie. Without money, youre nobody.

Those who helped the mother in the days following Lucianas death on April 25 at Stroger Hospital said it is difficult to say how the city could have prevented it from happening. Chicago has received 41,000 migrants, mostly fleeing desperate poverty and violence in Venezuela, in the past 20 months since Texas Gov. Greg Abbott began busing them here. But the number represents just those migrants whom city officials have tracked. Some, like Calderon and her daughter, arrive through channels that arent included in Chicagos daily census totals. While they dont have to rely on the citys existing shelter system for housing, they often have high needs and can miss out on social services  such as vaccines  as a result.

Last year alone, almost 100 million passengers passed through Chicagos airports, and a spokesperson for the city said that officials do not screen travelers to Chicago to determine whether they are migrants.

The city does not provide health screenings for every person who comes to Chicago, whether through our airports, bus stations, train stations or in personal vehicles, Cassio Mendoza said in a statement. The city provides basic health screenings for new arrivals seeking services at the Citys landing zone and will continue to welcome new arrivals with dignity and care.

Calderon said she still doesnt know how her child got so sick and why she couldnt be saved. After the tragedy, she couldnt get answers. The fact that we had to have this conversation (about why her child died) days later is a policy failure, said Jaime Grothe-Searle, a volunteer helping asylum-seekers, after watching Calderon struggle to find enough money to honor her daughters life.

Luciana Valentina Suarez Calderon

When Calderon arrived by plane to Chicago at the end of March, she reunited with her two sisters who were already in the city. Her family moved to Ecuador from Venezuela after struggling to find stable work in their home country, so she hadnt seen her sisters for eight years. We were so happy, she said. They met my daughter for the first time. Theyd only ever met her before through a video call. In late April, the sisters gathered on a Sunday afternoon along the beach of Lake Michigan. Calderon didnt let Luciana enter the water because it was cold. Luciana played around in the sand. She was running around, dancing and singing, her aunt Gleidys Calderon recounted.Three days later, on Wednesday, April 24, Luciana woke up in the afternoon and told her mom that her head hurt. Calderon went to the store to buy medication  which Luciana threw up. Calderon bought her suero, a mix of electrolytes that helps ease nausea and vomiting. Calderon waited, the childs fever went down and she fell asleep. But the next morning, Lucianas legs hurt, and a rash developed. Calderon said the splotches on her daughters limbs were turning purple instead of red, which worried her. Without insurance, Calderon didnt know where to go. She called one of her sisters, who told her Stroger Hospital was her best option.

Nearly two years after migrants started coming to Chicago in high numbers, Stroger Hospital has become the go-to provider for the health needs of the thousands of asylum-seekers. According to a spokeswoman, the hospital has served over 30,000 new arrivals with over 91,000 hospital visits. Its lobby is now full of people speaking with the distinct, rhythmic Venezuelan accent. Calderon and Luciana were brought into a room at the hospital, and as they waited, the previously healthy, happy child  who had brown curls and soft skin  developed more splotches across her body. The doctors started giving her this strong antibiotic to kill the bacteria, she said.The mother and daughter went to the upstairs intensive care unit, where doctors administered more tests.

They started to put oxygen in her little nose. Her legs were swollen, said Calderon, who stayed by her side for hours.

At one point, Calderon gave her daughter her phone to watch cartoons. But I realized she couldnt see it, Calderon said. The doctor started putting colorful objects near Luciana, hoping she would react. More doctors came to help. They said they would give Luciana an injection to lessen the pressure in her head, and that the bacteria was affecting her brain.

The doctors then made Calderon leave the room, she said, while they administered anesthesia and put a tube in Lucianas body so oxygen could reach her lungs.

During the most difficult moments in the hospital, Calderon said it was hard to communicate through the language barrier. She had to wait for someone to speak Spanish to translate what was happening. Sometimes the doctors spoke among themselves and Calderon didnt know what they were saying.

They told her they planned to do an X-ray of Lucianas head, but as they wheeled the child out of the room, she went into cardiac arrest. They started compressions on her body. They tried to revive her, but they couldnt, Calderon said.

Luciana died around 8:45 p.m. on Thursday, April 25, less than a month after arriving in Chicago.

I came here for a better future

Calderon had decided to travel to Chicago from Ecuador with her 3-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son after violence, robberies and protests there started to rival what theyd left in their home country years earlier.

They left Ecuador in December and walked through seven countries  from Colombia to Mexico  before arriving in San Diego, where local officials flew them for free to Chicago at the end of March. They were not vaccinated at the border, according to Calderon.

The family experienced a number of hardships along the journey, but she said their time in Mexico was the most difficult. She said she was kidnapped for hours by armed men who thought she had money stashed away.

They touched me all over. They also felt up my daughter and my son. They looked through everything, she said. I had to do things Id never done before, stand on the corner and beg for money, to continue.

When Calderon arrived in Chicago with her two children, she opted to live with a friend, who had an apartment on the South Side.

Normally, when migrants are bused to Chicago and have no one to live with, they receive routine health screenings and immunizations at the citys landing zone, a parking lot in the West Loop with large white tents where city officials greet asylum seekers. But because Calderon and her two children were flown to Chicago and went directly to a friends house, she didnt go to the landing zone, according to Mendoza. Calderons daughter didnt receive her routine vaccinations upon arrival, which health experts say may have put her at greater risk for infection.

Regardless, Calderon said she isnt sure if her daughters reaction was caused by bacteria or the medicine they gave her. I dont know where she picked it up. I dont know, she said. I dont know if she picked up the bacteria in the lake, in the food here.

She still runs the events at the hospital through her mind every day, she said. I would have preferred that it was me in that moment, and not her, she said.

Scrounging for answers, she went to the hospital on May 1 to try to talk to the lead doctor and ask which antibiotics her daughter was given, and what exactly happened. She was told she would have a response in a few days.

Her eyes were glazed over outside as she held the paperwork. She said it was challenging for her to coordinate everything because the staff at the funeral homes she called spoke only English.

In Venezuela, its traditional to have a three-day wake where loved ones of the deceased can pay their respects, according to religious scholar Candi Cann. It allows the family and the community to kind of come and go, she said.

Without the thousands of dollars needed for funeral costs, Calderon had to wait more than a week in uncertainty. Volunteers eventually stepped up to help gather the funds she needed, but the funeral was one day and sparsely attended compared with what she would have had in her home country. Dany Bahar, an economist born and raised in Venezuela, said that even if Calderon was living in economic despair in the northern city of Maracay, at least there she had a support network. If this had happened in Venezuela, she also would have struggled, he said. The biggest difference is here she doesnt know anybody. She doesnt even know who to ask for help.

Calderon misses Lucianas kisses. She said her daughter knew her numbers up to 10. She liked to dance. As a mother, you always look at your kids as different from others, Calderon said. Yo veo a mi hija unica. I saw my little girl as one-of-a-kind.

Since Luciana died, Calderon has received dozens of texts offering condolences but she doesnt have it in her to respond. She said she cries only when shes in a closed room because she doesnt want anyone to see her. I need to be strong because I came here for a better future, she said.

Cremation was her most affordable option, she said. She eventually wants to return to her country and hopes to bring back her daughters ashes.

____
Mike Johnson acts as proxy for friend Trump as he bashes judges daughter and sham trial outside court

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson vocally defended former president Donald Trump outside the New York City courthouse where the former presidents criminal trial was taking place.

Mr Johnson said he was speaking out in defence of his friend, the former president, and decried the sham trial.

 I wanted to be here myself, to call out what is a travesty of justice, Mr Johnson told reporters. President Trump is a friend and I wanted to be here to support him.

The Louisiana Republican is an ally of Mr Trump who led House Republicans legal efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results and assumed the gavel in October of last year.

Mr Johnson spoke to reporters shortly after Michael Cohen, Mr Trumps former attorney and fixer who made the $130,000 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels at the heart of the case, began his testimony.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. It is anticipated that this winter, natural gas will be supplied to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan through Turkiye (Ighdir-Nakhchivan pipeline), Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkiye Alparslan Bayraktar said, Trend reports.

Bayraktar made this announcement during the ceremony for the signing of the Turkiye-Azerbaijan Natural Gas Cooperation Agreement held in Istanbul.

"I hope that this winter, natural gas will be delivered to Nakhchivan via Turkiye. We plan to put this pipeline into operation as soon as possible," said the minister.

Azerbaijan and Turkiye signed a memorandum of understanding on Ighdir-Nakhchivan gas pipeline on December 15, 2020. The project envisaged cooperation between Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR and Turkiyes BOTAS.

The Igdir-Nakhchivan pipeline will not only allow for the diversification of Nakhchivan's gas supply but also eliminate its dependence on a single source. The project is among the priority initiatives outlined in the "State Program for the Socio-Economic Development of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic for 2023-2027".

The pipeline stretches 97.5 kilometers from Igdir to the Sadarak district, including a 17.5-kilometer Azerbaijani section and an 80-kilometer Turkish section. The pipeline is capable of transporting 2 million cubic meters of gas per day and 730 million cubic meters annually. This will fully meet Nakhchivan's gas needs.

Furthermore, the pipeline's capacity can be more than doubled in the future.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the gas pipeline took place on September 25, 2023.

Follow the author on X: @Lyaman_Zeyn
US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) listens as former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he arrives with attorney Todd Blanche (R) to court during his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments (Getty Images)

On Tuesday, Mike Johnson  the pious born-again Christian who uses an app that notifies him when his son watches porn (and vice versa)  appeared in public with Donald Trump, the man who faces a legal trial stemming back to his attempts to allegedly pay an adult film actress hush money.

Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House, said he came to New York as a friend to the former president. He then attacked District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Judge Juan Merchan, and the judges daughter  all of which the court has prohibited Trump from doing under the threat of a gag order. Who needs to be gagged when you have such proxies?

Of course, Johnson is not the only Republican who made the pilgrimage to Manhattan to defend Trump. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Ohio Senator JD Vance, Florida Senator Rick Scott and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy have all traveled to the city to show their solidarity with the former president and endear themselves to MAGA. The fact that this could clearly earn them a running-mate slot has made some describe these New York pilgrimages as veepstakes.

But Johnsons decision to come up to New York is different. Unlike the Republican hopefuls, he already has the top slot in Congress (after being a backbencher for much of his brief tenure in the House of Representatives.) His decision is just the latest movement in an odd marriage of convenience between the highest-ranking elected Republican and the de facto GOP leader. It offers an eye-opening preview into how they might lead together during a Trump presidency.

Contrary to the common belief that Johnson emerged from nowhere this year, he and Trump both came to Washington in 2017, albeit via different paths. Trump, a former Democrat from New York City who bragged about his sexual dalliances, staged a hostile takeover of the Republican Party on the back of anti-establishment anger and anti-immigrant xenophobia. Johnson worked his way up the evangelical conservative ladder, serving as an attorney for the conservative group Alliance Defending Freedom.

Johnson continued to quietly move up the ranks in the party, serving as chairman of the Republican Study Committee  a job once occupied by Trumps former vice president, Mike Pence  and as the top Republican in the amicus brief to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.

That latter move solidified Johnsons status in MAGA world. Meanwhile, Trumps nomination of the three Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v Wade endeared the former president to Johnson, as it did many evangelicals. Indeed, the day of the Dobbs v Jackson decision, I caught Johnson in Congress and he was absolutely ebullient.

That mutually beneficial relationship came in handy in October of last year when, amid the fracas to nominate a new Republican speaker, Johnson emerged. After his initial pick, Jim Jordan failed, Trump tanked House Majority Whip Tom Emmers bid to become speaker  and then gave Johnson his full blessing.

Since then, the two have worked together quite easily. Johnson played a major role in killing the bipartisan foreign aid-immigration package that the Senate negotiated and he endorsed Trump earlier than many of his colleagues. This would define the contours of Johnson and Trumps agreement: Johnson would provide Trump political ammo  indeed, Johnson called the trial in New York election interference  while Trump would offer Johnson his policy wins on social conservative brass rings like abortion.

But the true test of their union came when Marjorie Taylor Greene, the far-right Trump acolyte from Georgia and well-known conspiracy-monger, filed her motion to vacate. That couldve tanked Johnsons speakership just as it began. But surprisingly to almost everyone, Trump sided with Johnson, saying that he was doing a very good job.

Johnsons loyalty to Trump seems to have paid even bigger dividends than he could have imagined. Not only did Trump fail to turn against Johnson when he put a bill to potentially ban TikTok to the floor despite Trumps opposition, or when he put a standalone Ukraine-Israel-Taiwan aid bill to the floor, but he also continued to defend Johnson after Democrats said they would bail him out in a motion to vacate.

All of these sins against the whims of Trump would have felled a lesser Republican leader. Just ask Kevin McCarthy or Mitch McConnell on the Senate side. Yet Trumps defense of the speaker significantly weakened Marjorie Taylor Greene and empowered Johnson. Clearly, the former president likes having Johnson around.

All of this makes Johnsons seemingly strange decision to act as Trumps wingman in Manhattan seem reasonable, even if Trumps phone history would probably make the polite Johnsons phone blow up with notifications. The speaker is holding up his end of the bargain.

And that should also make Democrats worried. For the past few weeks, Democrats have praised Johnson for doing the right thing, however late, for finally putting aid to Ukraine on the floor. They showed their gratitude by saving him from the humiliation to which they subjected McCarthy: a motion to vacate.

But Johnsons appearance with Trump shows where his loyalties lie. They also show exactly how he would enforce the Trump agenda, should Trump re-assume the White House.

Johnson has shown that what started as a marriage of convenience is now an ironclad union for which divorce is not an option. Indeed, that makes sense, given the speakers dislike of no-fault divorce.
WASHINGTON  House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) will host a vigil Tuesday for police who have died in the line of duty, but a simple plaque honoring officers who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, is apparently too much.

Two years ago, Congress passed a law requiring lawmakers to compile a list of names of the police officers who fought Donald Trumps mob in order to put them on a plaque to be displayed on the west front of the Capitol building, with a deadline of March 2023. More than a year after the deadline, theres no plaque.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), who served on the House committee that investigated the Capitol attack, complained about the missing memorial in a letter to Johnson last week.

It is deeply troubling that this memorial has not been installed, particularly considering the significance of honoring those who faced violence and assault while safeguarding our Capitol, Lofgren wrote.

A spokesperson for Johnson told NBC News this week that his office is working with the Architect of the Capitol, which oversees the grounds, to get the plaque mounted, without providing details. A Johnson spokesperson didnt respond to HuffPosts request for more information.

Tuesday evenings vigil will feature remarks by Johnson as well as from family members of fallen police officers, according to a press release, as part of official Washingtons annual commemoration of National Police Week. Thousands of police officers typically travel to Washington to mark the occasion.

The plaque may be a small thing, an obscure provision buried in a thousand-page government funding bill. But its also a symbol of the Republican Partys epic quest to downplay, excuse or ignore Trumps efforts to steal the 2020 election, including the violent mob attack on Congress by his supporters and the resulting injuries to dozens of officers.

I would venture to say it was probably the most significant event involving law enforcement in this country in the past, I dont know, 150 years, and its like it never fucking happened, Michael Fanone, a former D.C. police officer injured in the melee, told HuffPost.

Fanone has been outspoken about his experience being assaulted by rioters on the west side of the Capitol. Even though the whole event was on video, including on Fanones body-worn camera, Fanone said he often encounters people who dont believe it happened. He blames Republicans for instilling those false beliefs.

The influence on everyday Americans is significant, he said. Every single day, I encounter somebody who fucking calls me a liar.

More than 1,400 rioters have been charged with crimes for their actions on Jan. 6, including 133 accused of using a dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer. The mob stormed the building while lawmakers certified Trumps loss in the 2020 presidential election.

Trump has said he would consider pardoning all of the rioters whove been charged with crimes if elected president again, and his presidential bid is partly a way for him to escape his own criminal liability for his efforts to overturn his 2020 loss. Trump has been charged with conspiring to defraud the United States, obstructing the congressional proceeding on Jan. 6 and scheming to deprive Americans of the right to have their votes counted.

For Johnson, whitewashing Jan. 6 has been a hallmark of his speakership. One of his first actions was to announce the release of thousands of hours of Capitol surveillance footage so that the public could see for themselves what happened that day, rather than having to rely upon the interpretation of a small group of government officials  as though the common understanding that a pro-Trump mob overran the Capitol was some sort of propaganda.

Last week, Johnson held a press conference in front of the House steps, where he falsely claimed that noncitizen voters represented a massive threat to U.S. elections  essentially the same voter fraud lie that propelled Trumps mob up those very same steps.

Johnsons vigil for fallen police officers was originally scheduled to happen on the steps, where video footage released earlier this year under Johnsons orders shows pro-Trump rioters attacking police. The ceremony has since been moved inside due to rain.

Related...
FILE - This artist depiction shows Massachusetts Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, right, appearing in U.S. District Court in Boston, April 14, 2023. The Massachusetts Air National Guard member who pleaded guilty to federal crimes for leaking highly classified military documents appeared at a hearing Tuesday, May 14, 2024, on whether he should face a military trial on additional charges. (Margaret Small via AP, File)

BEDFORD, Massachusetts (AP)  A Massachusetts Air National Guard member who pleaded guilty in March to federal crimes for leaking highly classified military documents appeared Tuesday before a military hearing officer who will recommend whether the guardsman should face a court-martial.

Jack Teixeira, of North Dighton, Massachusetts, is facing three charges in the military justice system: one alleging he failed to obey a lawful order and two counts of obstructing justice.

Capt. Stephanie Evans said at Tuesday's hearing that a court-martial was appropriate given that obeying orders is at the absolute core of everything we do in the U.S. military and that Texeira acted with malicious intent to cover his tracks. But one of Teixeira's attorneys, Maj. Luke Gilhooly, argued that further action would amount to prosecuting him twice for the same offense.

Teixeira was arrested just over a year ago in the most consequential national security leak in years. He pleaded guilty on March 4 to six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information under a deal with prosecutors that calls for him to serve at least 11 years in prison.

Referring to that agreement, Gilhooly said the government has now taken its big feast of evidence from the criminal courthouse and walked it down the street here to Hanscom Air Force Base to get their own pound of flesh.

Dressed in military uniform, Teixeira did not speak at the hearing other than to indicate he understood the proceedings, and family members in attendance declined to comment. In court, he admitted to illegally collecting some of the nations most sensitive secrets and sharing them with other users on Discord, a social media platform popular with online gamers.

Teixeira, who was part of the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts, worked as a cyber transport systems specialist, essentially an information technology specialist responsible for military communications networks.

On Tuesday, military prosecutors sought to include evidence they said showed Teixeira used Discord to ask others to delete his messages as the basis for one of the obstruction of justice charges. But his attorneys objected, saying they wanted the raw data that purportedly connected Teixeira to the messages.

The government wants you to take a leap of logic and connect the dots when there are no dots, Lt. Col. Bradley Poronsky said.

The hearing officer, Lt. Col. Michael Raming, initially agreed. He said he wouldnt consider the documents in making his recommendation, but later said he would consider an amended version submitted by prosecutors. Ramings recommendations, to be issued at a later date, will be sent to Maj. Gen. Daniel DeVoe, who will decide whether the case should continue.

Until both sides made brief closing statements, the three-hour hearing shed little light on the case as neither Teixeiras attorneys nor military prosecutors called any witnesses. Instead, they spent the bulk of the three-hour hearing discussing objections raised by Teixeiras lawyers to some of the documents prosecutors submitted as evidence.

The military charges accuse Teixeira of disobeying orders to stop accessing sensitive documents. The obstruction of justice charges allege that he disposed of an iPad, computer hard drive and iPhone, and instructed others to delete his messages on Discord before his arrest.

His actions to conceal and destroy messages became egregious, Evans said.

Authorities in the criminal case said Teixeira first typed out classified documents he accessed and then began sharing photographs of files that bore SECRET and TOP SECRET markings. The leak exposed to the world unvarnished secret assessments of Russias war in Ukraine, including information about troop movements in Ukraine and the provision of supplies and equipment to Ukrainian troops. Teixeira also admitted posting information about a U.S. adversarys plans to harm U.S. forces serving overseas.

The stunning security breach raised alarm over Americas ability to protect its most closely guarded secrets and forced the Biden administration to scramble to try to contain the diplomatic and military fallout. The leaks embarrassed the Pentagon, which tightened controls to safeguard classified information and disciplined members it found had intentionally failed to take required action about Teixeiras suspicious behavior.

____

This story has been updated to correct the spelling of the last name of Lt. Col. Michael Raming and to show Maj. Luke Gilhooly, not Lt. Col. Poronsky, made the comments about double jeopardy.
BEDFORD, Massachusetts  A Massachusetts Air National Guard member who pleaded guilty in March to federal crimes for leaking highly classified military documents appeared Tuesday before a military hearing officer who will recommend whether the guardsman should face a court-martial.

Jack Teixeira, of North Dighton, Massachusetts, is facing three charges in the military justice system: one alleging he failed to obey a lawful order and two counts of obstructing justice.

Capt. Stephanie Evans said at Tuesdays hearing that a court-martial was appropriate given that obeying orders is at the absolute core of everything we do in the U.S. military and that Teixeira acted with malicious intent to cover his tracks. But one of Teixeiras attorneys, Lt. Col. Bradley Poronsky, argued that further action would amount to prosecuting him twice for the same offense.

Teixeira was arrested just over a year ago in the most consequential national security leak in years. He pleaded guilty on March 4 to six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information under a deal with prosecutors that calls for him to serve at least 11 years in prison.

Referring to that agreement, Poronsky said the government has now taken its big feast of evidence from the criminal courthouse and walked it down the street here to Hanscom Air Force Base to get their own pound of flesh.

Dressed in military uniform, Teixeira did not speak at the hearing other than to indicate he understood the proceedings, and family members in attendance declined to comment. In court, he admitted to illegally collecting some of the nations most sensitive secrets and sharing them with other users on Discord, a social media platform popular with online gamers.

Teixeira, who was part of the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts, worked as a cyber transport systems specialist, essentially an information technology specialist responsible for military communications networks.

On Tuesday, military prosecutors sought to include evidence they said showed Teixeira used Discord to ask others to delete his messages as the basis for one of the obstruction of justice charges. But his attorneys objected, saying they wanted the raw data that purportedly connected Teixeira to the messages.

The government wants you to take a leap of logic and connect the dots when there are no dots, Poronsky said.

The hearing officer, Lt. Col. Michael Raiming, initially agreed. He said he wouldnt consider the documents in making his recommendation, but later said he would consider an amended version submitted by prosecutors. Raimings recommendations, to be issued at a later date, will be sent to Maj. Gen. Daniel DeVoe, who will decide whether the case should continue.

Until both sides made brief closing statements, the three-hour hearing shed little light on the case as neither Teixeiras attorneys nor military prosecutors called any witnesses. Instead, they spent the bulk of the three-hour hearing discussing objections raised by Teixeiras lawyers to some of the documents prosecutors submitted as evidence.

The military charges accuse Teixeira of disobeying orders to stop accessing sensitive documents. The obstruction of justice charges allege that he disposed of an iPad, computer hard drive and iPhone, and instructed others to delete his messages on Discord before his arrest.

His actions to conceal and destroy messages became egregious, Evans said.

Authorities in the criminal case said Teixeira first typed out classified documents he accessed and then began sharing photographs of files that bore secret and top secret markings. The leak exposed to the world unvarnished secret assessments of Russias war in Ukraine, including information about troop movements in Ukraine and the provision of supplies and equipment to Ukrainian troops. Teixeira also admitted posting information about a U.S. adversarys plans to harm U.S. forces serving overseas.

The stunning security breach raised alarm over Americas ability to protect its most closely guarded secrets and forced the Biden administration to scramble to try to contain the diplomatic and military fallout. The leaks embarrassed the Pentagon, which tightened controls to safeguard classified information and disciplined members it found had intentionally failed to take required action about Teixeiras suspicious behavior.
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW)  A potential wrongful death lawsuit could be coming against Solid Rock Church, as documents left behind by Mica Miller suggest her estranged husband John-Paul used its authority to isolate her, a family attorney says.

There seems to me that there could be a civil action. Not against the police  the police under the circumstances responded appropriately under what was happening at the time  but there are other things that happened that are related to this church, Conway-based attorney Regina Ward told NewsNation last week.

News13 exclusive: Man who found Mica Millers belongings says her suicide changed my life

Authorities said Miller, 30, killed herself at Lumber River State Park in Robeson County on April 27  two days after serving her husband John-Paul with divorce papers.

She worked alongside her husband leading women and youth leadership classes, among other roles. Church leaders said John-Paul was relieved of his ministerial functions shortly after Millers death.

She was employed there, theres a question about whether she was appropriately paid for her time, the church itself was used by John-Paul, I have letters that he wrote on church stationary to her basically disparaging her, Ward said. He went after everything that meant anything to this young woman.

News13 has been investigating circumstances surrounding her death amid documented claims that she was being abused leading up to her death.

On Tuesday, the Robeson County Sheriffs Office confirmed reports that the FBI and the U.S. Attorneys Office were asked to assist in the early stages of the investigation.

Based on the information gathered during the investigation and jurisdiction reasons, the Sheriffs Office has requested the assistance of both agencies, Sheriff Burnis Wilkins office said. The request made by the Sheriffs Office is not related to the cause of death of Mica Miller. Mica Millers death remains to be the result of a suicide.

The Market Common church was granted tax-exempt status in 2015, according to IRS filings. But publicly available records give a peek into a multimillion dollar portfolio that falls under the Solid Rock Ministries umbrella.

A church official declined to comment for this story citing advisement from an attorney.

News13 on Tuesday found that the organization registered a 2007 Cessna SR-22 with the FAA on May 9. Its not clear when the aircraft was purchased, or for how much. An airplane with that make and model listed for sale on Controller.com has an asking price of $429,900.

Horry County land records show that Solid Rock Ministries controls four properties with a total taxable value of $5.59 million. That includes a 2,089-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bathroom home along Coldwater Circle listed on court documents as John-Pauls address. The house has a taxable value of $240,900.

Timeline: Whats happened so far in the death of Myrtle Beach woman Mica Miller

Solid Rock Ministries also owns 28.2 acres of land off U.S. Highway 17 Bypass with a total value of $3.42 million. A sign on the property said Solid Rock planned to use the site to expand its Faith First Academy school. Meanwhile, the Howard Avenue church itself has a taxable value of $1.93 million.

John-Paul Miller does not own any property under his name in Horry County, according to land records.

The ministry also has at least two vehicles, county tax records show  a 2011 Honda and 2018 Chevrolet.

While Solid Rock Ministries doesnt claim a denomination, marketing materials label it as Christian.

The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability  which counts more than 2,700 affiliates nationwide  does not include Solid Rock Ministries among them, according to its website

Ground Zero in Myrtle Beach and WMBJ FM based in Murrells Inlet are ECFA members.

John-Paul Miller also runs Dare2Care Missions, whose website is dedicated to Mica Miller. The ministry is dedicated to building the Kingdom of God in Kenya and urges donors to give $300 a year to attend the ministrys African-based school.

While we do many local works in Horry County, SC, this particular mission work is mainly focused on the Children of Jebrok. We aim to have 100 children receive a Christian education, 2 meals each day, and know to take their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ back home to their parents, its mission statement says. Jebrok has very few Christian families, so by starting with the younger generation, we hope to reach thousands within the next 20 years.

In her NewsNation interview, Ward said she has mounds of paperwork that were left behind by Mica or given to relatives. She said after Micas death, John-Paul called her law office to inform her of the news.

Much to his disappointment, he thought that with her death, the lawsuit for separation would die with her, she said. He was quite dumbfounded and upset.

* * *

Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW.
Jason Stark never failed to show for his newspaper delivery route, and that would have remained true over the weekend had it not been for what authorities called a reckless driver.

Stark, a 50-year-old carrier for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, was killed while driving to work late Saturday when, police said, a reckless driver crashed into his vehicle on the citys northwest side. An arrest was made afterward.

People are probably wondering why they never got his paper, his mother, Sharon Stark, said Monday. Hed never done that before. Hes always showed up. He was on his way to work but he never made it.

Stark was an independent contractor who worked for the Journal Sentinel for more than 10 years in a variety of roles, most recently delivering a route that includes the city of Waukesha.

"We were deeply saddened by Jason's sudden and tragic passing on Saturday. He was a valued Journal Sentinel carrier for seven years, and our family sends heartfelt condolences to his loved ones, Rob Schafman, the Journal Sentinel distribution director, said in a statement.

Shortly before midnight Saturday, Stark, who lived in Milwaukee, was believed to be driving northwest on West Appleton Avenue and attempted a left turn onto West Burleigh Street, near the Lincoln Memorial Cemetery, according to police and the Milwaukee County Medical Examiners Office.

Police said a car driven recklessly by a 24-year-old woman approached the intersection from the north, on West Appleton Avenue, and crashed into Starks car. The impact caused Starks car to collide with a third vehicle.

Police said the woman was arrested and potential charges are under review by the Milwaukee County District Attorneys Office.

According to his family, Stark grew up in Waukesha and graduated from Lakeland College. Afterward, he spent two years in the military. The Journal Sentinel could not immediately confirm his record of service Monday.

Sharon Stark described her son as a homebody who loved his job delivering newspapers. He recently began considering buying a home and settling down in the small town of Loyal, in Clark County, where her father lived.

He was a giver and such a nice guy, she said. He was helpful with people. Hed give you his arm and legs if he could.

The crash is the latest apparent example of Milwaukees lingering reckless driving issues. Car crashes fell 5% in Milwaukee last year but traffic deaths remain elevated, with 75 reported in 2023.

From 2008 to 2012, Milwaukee had an average of 39 traffic deaths a year. That average has since increased 86%, according to an analysis by Robert Schneider, a professor of urban planning at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

The city had about 72 traffic deaths per year from 2018 through 2022, according to the analysis.

This year, 24 people have died in traffic crashes through Sunday, identical to last year as of the same date, according to police data.

Sharon Stark was at a loss for words for the alleged reckless driving behind in her sons death.

This is really hard, she said. Why was she driving recklessly? I dont know. I have no answer.

Contact Elliot Hughes at elliot.hughes@jrn.com or 414-704-8958. Follow him on Twitter @elliothughes12.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Journal Sentinel carrier killed in reckless driving crash, police say
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  An Arizona man faces attempted murder charges after police allege he struck a woman with his vehicle twice in a Las Vegas fast-food parking lot, according to a police report obtained by 8 News Now.

Richard ONeal, 43, was identified as the driver in the incident by Las Vegas Metro police. ONeal was located and arrested at a Las Vegas Strip resort on May 11. He faces several felony charges which include battery with the use of a deadly weapon, attempted murder, and duty to stop at the scene of an accident, police said.

The incident happened on April 20, after Las Vegas Metro police received a report that a woman had been struck in a parking lot in the 3300 block of Tropicana Avenue near Pecos Road.

The person reporting the incident to police stated that a grey older Honda Odyssey hit the woman after she had exited the vehicle, according to the police report. Witnesses also told police the vehicle had a damaged front bumper and that after the woman was initially hit the vehicle backed up striking her again. The woman was then taken to a nearby hospital where she was listed as severely critical with life-threatening injuries.

Richard ONeal was arrested by police on May 11, 2024. (LVMPD)

According to the police report, the woman had previously been arrested for soliciting prostitution in March. As a result, Las Vegas Metro Vice Detectives were notified and responded to the hospital for a follow-up interview with the woman. The woman told detectives she was having trouble remembering what happened but stated a male offered her a ride and when she got into his vehicle he parked in a fast-food parking lot, according to the police report.

The woman then told detectives that the man started to touch her, she told him no and then got out of the vehicle, the report stated. The woman then told detectives that is when the man hit her with his vehicle, according to the report.

During the investigation police located surveillance video from a nearby business in the 3655 West Tropicana Avenue, which apparently showed the van pull into the parking lot and park, then back into a spot. In the video, the woman was then seen exiting the van and standing in appoximately five-feet off to the front right of the van. The surveillance video then apparently showed the van accelerateing while turning to the right striking the woman, according the police report.

Officers then stated that in the video, the van is seen rising in the air as it drives over the woman, according to the police report. The van is then seen not moving for a few seconds and then seen going in reverse and driving over the woman once more, police stated in the report. The vehicle is then seen exiting the parking lot, the police report stated.

Police also located video from an RTC bus that allegedly showed the woman entering the mans van in the parking lot, according to the police report.

On May 11, detectives located ONeal at a Las Vegas Strip resort where he was detained, then arrested and taken to the Clark County Detention Center.

ONeal is scheduled to make a court appearance on Tuesday, May 14.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
An expansive version of the Equal Rights Amendment could ask Minnesota voters in 2026 if they want to enshrine protections for race, sex and gender identity, and abortion in the state's Constitution.

The DFL-led Minnesota House had planned to vote on their version of the amendment Monday, but Republicans pushed off debate on the ERA by spending hours debating other legislation.

The amendment could set off an expensive statewide campaign similar to abortion-related referendum battles in other states since the U.S. Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade.

"We saw what the Supreme Court did, we saw a case that was as good as law to us was overturned and rights across the country were taken away from many, many individuals," Rep. Kaohly Vang Her, DFL-St. Paul, the sponsor of the measure, said before the debate Monday.

A vote is now expected during the next floor session on Wednesday, as the Legislature races toward a May 20 deadline to adjourn. The amendment has faced fierce opposition from religious and anti-abortion groups that accused Democrats of shrouding the amendment's intent while leaving out protections based on religious beliefs.

Republicans were expected to offer more than a dozen changes to the proposed constitutional amendment. Legislators from both parties drafted amendments to add religion as a protected class in the bill.

"Enabling discrimination based on religion is wrong," Jason Adkins, executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference, said at a new conference last week. "It's very troubling that legislators are considering depriving Minnesotans of an important legal remedy to combat the anti-religious bias."

Supporters of the bill said adding religion isn't necessary because the state Constitution already protects people based on their religious beliefs.

Democrats in the House don't have agreement yet with the DFL-led Senate, which passed its own version of the Equal Rights Amendment last session that protects people no matter their "race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, ancestry, or national origin."

The House didn't take it up last year, arguing that the language needed to more explicitly ensure legal protections for abortion and gender-affirming care.

The House version up for debate includes protections for those making decisions "about all matters relating to one's own pregnancy or decision whether to become or remain pregnant." Supporters of the House language said their version will hold up better to legal challenges than the Senate's bill.

"We're rooted in the same values with the same goals, and that's what we have to iron out," said Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul. The two chambers also disagree on when the amendment should be on the ballot. Senate Democrats want to put their question to voters this fall.

Abortion opponents have been critical of the language in the House bill, arguing it's trying to deceive Minnesotans into voting to protect pregnancy rights rather than using the term abortion.

"We all oppose discrimination against someone based on the fact of their pregnancy," said Cathy Blaeser, co-executive director of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, the state's largest anti-abortion group. "But the actual language, which would go into our Constitution, would provide a fundamental right to make decisions about becoming and remaining pregnant, with no protection for babies."

If the ERA passes the Legislature, both sides anticipate a massive statewide campaign in order to educate voters on the amendment. With millions of dollars likely to be spent, Democrats said there won't be any confusion about the fact that voters are also protecting abortion rights if they vote yes on the Equal Rights Amendment.

"There are many reasons why we want to make sure people are really aware of what they are voting for," said Her, the bill's sponsor. "We want it all to be public, all to be open, people to be really informed when they vote on this."

Since the Supreme Court's 2022 decision, voters in six states have weighed in on constitutional amendments regarding abortion, with abortion rights groups prevailing in every state. This fall, more than a dozen states may have abortion-related measures on the ballot.

Time is running short in the 2024 legislative session and there's pressure on Democrats to pass something while they have full control of the House and the Senate. All House seats are on the ballot this fall, meaning control of the chamber is at stake. Constitutional amendments need approval from both chambers  but not the governor  to get on the ballot.
The body of an avid hiker who went missing four weeks ago in New Hampshires White Mountains was discovered wedged under a large boulder in the Dry River, according to searchers.

A cause of death for William Donovan, 65, has not been released. He was visiting the area from Cambridge, Massachusetts.

His body was recovered around 10:30 a.m. on Monday, May 13, more than 2.5 miles from the nearest road in the Dry River Wilderness, the N.H. Fish and Game Law Enforcement Division reported in a news release.

The searchers worked for hours to extricate the body from beneath a large boulder. But due to the size of the boulder, freezing cold water temperatures and lack of tools required to move such a boulder, additional resources were called to assist, the division said.

It is unknown how he entered the water. ... It appears he likely was somehow forced off the ridge, likely due to high winds or adverse weather, between Mt. Monroe and Mt. Eisenhower during his hike and ended up in very difficult and desolate terrain.

The Dry River Wilderness area covers 29,000 acres and has 43 miles of maintained hiking trails, the U.S. Forest Service says.

Donovan was reported missing April 16 and a vehicle belonging to him was found at the Crawford Path parking lot in Carroll, about an 85-mile drive north from Concord.

Temperatures were low enough at the time to keep several feet of deep snow on the ground at higher elevations, officials said.

Searches were directed to this new search area by gear and a jacket believed to have belonged to Donovan that was found over the weekend (May 11-12) in the river by hikers and reported to Fish and Game, officials said.

This evidence helped focus the search and his body was ultimately located approximately 400 feet upstream from the jacket. ... The body was relayed to the State Medical Examiners Officer in Concord for autopsy.

Donovan lives alone and a note left in his Cambridge home revealed he hoped to possibly hike Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Adams, officials said.

Park visitor discovers injured man missing for days in Smoky Mountains, officials say

Very cold hiker calls 911 for help. Then New Hampshire rescuers find a body in snow

Missing hiker found trapped at base of frigid 700-foot cliff, Tennessee rescuers say
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Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves on Monday signed legislation to ban transgender people from using public bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI

May 14 (UPI) -- Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has signed legislation to ban transgender people from using public bathrooms, including in schools, that align with their gender identities.

The Republican signed Senate Bill 2753, also known as the Securing Areas for Females Effectively and Responsibly Act, on Monday in order "to protect women's spaces," he said in a statement.

"There's no doubt that the left will continue to come up with more kooky ideas that harm biological women," he said. "And there's no doubt that Mississippi will continue to push back on them."

The bill states sex is "objective and fixed" and "solely determined by birth," while mandating that public buildings provide either single-gender or unisex public restrooms and changing areas.

Those who use a bathroom or changing area that does not correspond to their gender at birth, even if they have already transitioned, can face lawsuits filed by the state's attorney general.

Opponents of the law argue the bill disregards constitutional and civil rights of transgender people, while doing little to improve safety for women as there are already laws to protect people in public spaces.

"This creates paranoia, fuels hostility and encourages private citizens to intrude upon the privacy of others," the American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi said in a late April explanation of the bill.

"Many people suffer daily with mental distress or struggle to cope with their want to change or transition within a community that is radically hateful towards them."

The bill is the latest in Mississippi targeting LGBTQ people that Reeves has signed into law. In 2021, he signed a controversial bill to ban minors from receiving gender-affirming healthcare. And in February 2023, he signed another to ban transgender athletes from competing in women's sports.

There has also been a nationwide conservative push to pass such legislation at the state level. According to the ACLU, there are at least 515 anti-LGBTW bills that have been introduced across the country this legislative session.

According to the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, there are an estimated 9,600 adults, representing less than 0.5% of the Mississippi's population, who identify as transgender.
Mississippi Man Sentenced to Death For Killing His Toddler Son, and His Motive will Disgust You

People sentenced to the death penalty are typically found guilty of the most cruel, merciless true-crime-documentary worthy offenses. Its safe to say this Mississippi mans crime of torturing and killing his toddler son fell into that category.



However, when you find out the reason why he did it, youll be even more horrified.

A Gulfport, Miss. jury found 41-year-old Joseph David Heard guilty in the brutal murder of his 2-year-old son, Hayden, in 2021. Police records say his wife, Hailey, called 911 after finding her son dead from drowning in the bathtub, per WXXV 25 News. He was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead.

The two were arrested just a month later on child abuse charges. However, details on the state of the childs body at his time of death led to an even more serious charge: capital murder.

Investigators revealed the boy was riddled with bruises and suffered a broken bone, per the report. Haileys testimony in court solidified that something awful happened to Hayden before he died and it wasnt an accident.

Read more from WLOX News:

Haileys testimony in court on Friday revealed more details. She explained that in the hours before placing her 911 call, Hayden soiled his diaper and then took too long to get a juice box from the kitchen. Joseph, who admitted to having a temper during the trial, became enraged and began to beat the child in the head and chest repeatedly. He was a two-year-old punished for soiling a diaper and crying, said Assistant District Attorney George Huffman. He was beaten for being a child. However, Josephs abuse of Hayden was persistent. During his time as Haydens primary caretaker in the months leading up to the murder, Joseph would force the toddler to sit on a potty-training seat for hours, pop open blisters from a second-degree burn on his hand with a spatula and regularly brag about beating the child in text messages to Hailey.

Hailey pleaded guilty to first-degree murder andagreed to testify against her husband, the report says. Joseph was found guilty of capital murder and just a day later was sentenced to death.

The jury took 45 minutes to deliberate on their decision.

He was a two-year-old punished for soiling a diaper and crying. He was beaten for being a child, said Assistant District Attorney George Huffman, per the report.

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Christopher Dunn was convicted for a 1990 deadly shooting of a teen in St. Louis. Others involved in the case later admitted they lied about Dunns involvement. No DNA ever tied Dunn to the murder. A judge also admitted that the lack of evidence is enough to prove Dunn is innocent (photo submitted).

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey will oppose efforts by St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore to vacate the murder conviction of Christopher Dunn, who Gore believes has spent 33 years in prison for a crime he didnt commit.

In February, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore announced he filed a motion with the court to vacate Dunns murder conviction in the 1991 fatal shooting of 15-year-old Ricco Rogers. When making the announcement, Gore said the evidence shows Dunn, a 54-year-old St. Louis native serving a life sentence without parole, is innocent of the murder for which he was convicted.

The eyewitness recantations alone are enough to show clear and convincing evidence of actual innocence in this case, Gore said. Justice requires that Christopher Dunns murder conviction be vacated.

Bailey disagrees, and according to Gores office, plans to oppose the motion to vacate Dunns conviction. A pre-trial conference is scheduled for May 16, and three lawyers with the Missouri Attorney Generals Office are listed as attorneys for the defendant, which in this case, is the state of Missouri.

A spokesperson for the attorney generals office declined comment.

Its part of a long track record for the attorney generals office to oppose efforts to overturn convictions. Most recently, the state tried to stop St. Louis prosecutors from vacating the conviction of Lamar Johnson, though their efforts were unsuccessful, and Johnson was freed in early 2023.

Injustice Watch, a Chicago-based nonprofit journalism organization that examines issues of equity and justice in the court system, found that the Missouri attorney generals office has opposed calls for relief in nearly every wrongful conviction case that came before it and has been vacated since 2000.

That includes 27 cases in which the office fought to uphold convictions for prisoners who were eventually exonerated. In roughly half of those cases, the office continued arguing that the originally guilty convictions should stand.

Dunn was convicted in 1991 of first-degree murder, first-degree assault and armed criminal action. He received a life sentence without the possibility of parole. The case against Dunn rested on the testimony of two eyewitnesses  a 12-year-old and a 14-year-old, both of whom later recanted.

Last year, Gore appointed Booker Shaw as a special assistant circuit attorney working on a pro-bono basis to assist him in the review of court transcripts, case exhibits and rulings, and advise him whether the filing of a motion to vacate the conviction was appropriate.

Shaw is the former chief judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals and served as a judge in the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court from 1983 to 2002,

Circuit Judge William Hickle said in 2020 that while he believed a current jury would not find Dunn guilty, he could not set him free because of Missouri law that restricts innocence claims to death penalty inmates. In 2021, a new state law took effect that allows prosecutors to file petitions when they believe an innocent person is imprisoned.

The hearing in Dunns innocence case is set to begin May 20 before St. Louis Judge Jason Sengheiser.

In the Dunn case, Gore is essentially saying the prosecutors office made a mistake. Help me correct this mistake, said Michael Wolff, professor and dean emeritus of the Saint Louis University School of Law and a retired judge and chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court.

In contrast, Wolff said attorneys general in Missouri over recent decades have shown interest in the finality of judgments juries make in their oppositions to vacating convictions despite evidence showing individuals were wrongfully convicted.

The 2021 Missouri law says, in part, that a court will grant the motion of the prosecuting or circuit attorney to vacate or set aside a judgment where the court finds that there is clear and convincing evidence of actual innocence or constitutional error at the original trial or plea that undermines the confidence in the judgment.

In considering the motion, the law says the court shall take into consideration the evidence presented at the original trial or plea; the evidence presented at any direct appeal or post-conviction proceedings, including state or federal habeas actions; and the information and evidence presented at the hearing on the motion.

The Midwest Innocence Project is representing Dunn.

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Missouri State Board of Education members look line by line at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education budget Tuesday morning during their board meeting (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education anticipates asking lawmakers for more money later this year in order to meet the demands of a massive new education law and make up for reduced federal funding.

My gut is because you have a lot of federal authority deleted youll see the mother of all supplemental budgets, probably in a special session, State Board of Education Chair Charlie Shields, of St. Joseph, said during Tuesdays board meeting.

The budget approved by lawmakers for the fiscal year that begins July 1 is more than $1 billion short of the current years appropriation, despite a 3.2% bump in pay for the education departments employees.

This is before any possible vetoes or budget withholds by Gov. Mike Parson.

Kari Monsees, the departments commissioner of financial and administrative services, told the board that a common theme of the budget was reductions in federal funding. And that impacts the amount of general revenue required next year, he said.

Is that normal? Mary Schrag, a board member from West Plains asked. Is it considered realistic that were not going to use all those federal funds moving forward from year to year?

Some items usually funded by federal money may be part of a supplemental request, Monsees said. He is most worried about the child-care-subsidy program, which encourages child care providers to serve low-income families.

The budget approved by lawmakers last week gives the department almost $260 million for two child care subsidies  a reduction of $23.4 million from current funding. The amount pulled from the states general revenue fund is stagnant between the fiscal years, showing a reduction in federal funding.

We are seeing the case loads increase to the point where were going to need some of that capacity moving forward, Monsees said. It lowers the overall state budget by reducing some of those federal funds. The question is, is there enough left there?

House Budget Chair Cody Smith, a Republican from Carthage, told reporters in a press conference last week that the House consolidated federal fund requests based on how much was used in the previous year. According to budget documents, the program has a projected 92% utilization rate in the upcoming fiscal year. .

The budget, which squeaked through hours before the constitutional deadline, doesnt include provisions of an omnibus education bill recently signed into law by Parson.

The bill at its core expands the K-12 tax-credit scholarships called MOScholars. But it also includes public-education priorities like a raise to the base teacher pay and scholarships for future educators. House lawmakers, in a floor debate on the legislation, wondered if there would be enough money in the states budget in future years to help districts raise teacher salaries and other costly provisions.

Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge, a board member from Pasadena Hills, noted the laws projected price tag of $468 million when fully implemented.

Do you feel like this budget adequately incorporates all the mandates that are outlined in this bill? she asked Monsees. There is a lot of concern from the educational community that there are a lot of unfunded mandates in this bill.

A couple items, like expanding the small school grant program and providing lunch to pre-k students, are unfunded, Monsees said. He anticipates requesting the funding in a supplemental budget.

The mandated raise to teachers base pay doesnt take effect until fiscal year 2026, he said. The state has been offering an opt-in matching grant program to raise teacher pay to $38,000, subject to annual reappropriation. This year, that amount will bump up to $40,000 before the new law forces districts to raise salaries with a grant program that will also require funds annually.

The requests that youre gonna see for fiscal year (2026) will be significant, Monsees told board members. It was going to be significant anyway, and (the new law) makes it where it will be an even bigger request.

Shields also foresees budget woes.

I think you are two to three years out from having a huge challenge, he said.

Shields and Monsees agreed that they had never seen a budget process like the one that occurred last week, with closed-door negotiations and without a conference committee where lawmakers openly compromise on the budget.

The Independents Rudi Keller contributed to this report.

The post Missouri education department prepares for mother of all supplemental budgets appeared first on Missouri Independent.
Some MO officials exempt from ban on using tax dollars for campaigns, ethics agency says

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.

The Missouri Ethics Commission last week gave tacit approval for some public officials to spend taxpayer dollars on election campaigns, a decision spurring fears of a new wild west in election spending.

For decades, Missouri law has prohibited the direct use of public funds to support or oppose any ballot measure or candidate. But following a 2021 change in the law, the MEC is now interpreting the ban in a way that excludes fire districts, hospital districts, water districts, and other special districts that comprise some of the smallest units of government.

The MECs interpretation, quietly outlined in a May 7 letter, potentially clears the way for officials in dozens of special districts across the state to harness public funds to influence elections, allowing the government to place its thumb on the scale in campaigns.

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft has the power to investigate alleged violations of the ban on using public funds in addition to the MEC. It wasnt immediately clear on Tuesday whether Ashcroft, a Republican running for governor, shares the MECs interpretation of the law.

As a matter of public policy, we should never have taxpayer money being spent for purely political purposes. Thats just a blanket statement, said Dave Roland, litigation director at the libertarian-leaning Freedom Center of Missouri.

Still, Roland said the MEC has got a pretty solid point in its interpretation of state law.

The portion of Missouri law that bans using public funds applies to officers, employees, and agents of any political subdivision and is part of the states election law. That law defines political subdivisions to include counties, cities, towns, villages, and townships. The law separately defines special districts.

That distinction, along with a 2021 change to the ban made by the General Assembly, sits at the core of the MECs position. Lawmakers that year extended the ban to include school districts and charter schools as political subdivisions  an addition the MEC says gives the impression that special districts are not included in the ban.

Elizabeth Ziegler, the MEC executive director, detailed the commissions position in a May 7 letter in response to complaints made against the Western Cass Fire Protection District. The district provides firefighting services to about 2,500 people across 16 square miles in western Cass County, south of Kansas City, and has been at the center of extensive local controversy.

Ahead of an April vote on a tax levy increase, the fire districts board of directors approved spending $2,000 on tax levy promotion. A photo was also taken showing a VOTE YES banner attached to the side of a district fire station. The fire districts official website also contained instructions for how to request yard signs in support of the tax levy.

The website of the Western Cass Fire Protection District.

Ziegler wrote that the commission was rejecting the complaints because the fire district is a special district, so the ban on using public funds doesnt apply.

Kerri VanMeveren, a former member of the fire districts board of directors who is critical of how the district is operated, had submitted the complaints. On Tuesday, she said the fire district will feel more emboldened to use limited taxpayer funds to spread what she called misinformation without accountability.

Aaron Racine, an attorney representing the fire district, said the MECs position was an accurate reading of the law.

Were all sort of hostages to the legislature and when they put words in a statute, we have to follow whatever those words say, Racine said. And in this instance, a fire district is not considered a political subdivision.

Page one of a letter from Missouri Ethics Commission director Elizabeth Ziegler.

Page two of a letter from Missouri Ethics Commission director Elizabeth Ziegler.

The MECs letter, coming after the 2021 change in the law, marks a shift in how the commission has interpreted the ban. At least eight times over the past decade, the commission investigated allegations of using public funds made against fire districts, according to documents compiled by Jim Haddock, a Raymore resident who has followed the issue.

Haddock emailed every member of the General Assembly on Tuesday about the MEC letter in an attempt to raise the alarm. He questioned whether lawmakers intended for the ban to exclude special districts.

In theory, a small tweak to the law would ensure special districts are subject to the ban. But in practice, lawmakers are in the midst of the final week of session ahead of a mandatory adjournment on Friday. The Missouri Senate is also at a standstill because of a filibuster over proposed limits to direct democracy in the state.

Maybe this is overreacting, but I think its about to become the Wild West for probably whats north of a 1,000 special districts in the state of Missouri, Haddock said in an interview.

Chuck Hatfield, a Jefferson City-based lawyer who previously worked in the Missouri Attorney Generals Office, said he couldnt say that Zieglers analysis of the law is wrong. But he voiced concern about the possibility of government resources being used to affect elections.

The money that they have belongs to all the taxpayers, both those who support the measure and those who oppose the measure so they need to be using it with their government hat on, not their campaign hat, Hatfield said.

He added that the logical extension of what the MEC is saying is you could use fire district money to support candidates for the fire district board.

The Western Cass Fire Protection District has been embroiled in controversy for years over how its operated.

While Haddock copied every lawmaker on his email, he addressed it to two Missouri Republican lawmakers who represent Cass County: Rep. Mike Haffner from Pleasant Hill and Sen. Rick Brattin from Harrisonville.

Haffner told The Star at the state Capitol that he planned to dig into the issue Tuesday evening. Amid the final week of the session, he said he was focused on bills that could reach the floor.

What is written in this email talks about legislative intent, but until I have an opportunity to go back and review the history of how that was added to that section, I cant comment, he said.

Brattins staff said that he also planned to look into the issue further.
The Missouri Board of Education unanimously approved a strategic plan Tuesday that pinpointed the four priority areas it will focus on, above all else, in the coming years.

The areas are early learning, literacy, teacher recruitment and retention, and success-ready students and workforce development. Specific goals to meet by 2026 are included.

The plan is designed to provide continuity and direction as the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education prepares for a new commissioner and two state board members, one of whom was appointed in 1991, cycle off the governing body.

"It's elegant in its simplicity. You can understand it. You can repeat it but it allows ... the department to align (with) our efforts," said Charlie Shields, president of the board. "Frankly, if we're working on stuff that doesn't fit, we need to question why we're working on it."

Charlie Shields

Shields, first appointed in 2012, said the strategic plan will be clear for lawmakers and the more than 550 districts and charter schools in the state. "The ability to explain that is really, really important."

Work on the plan stretched 14 months and included input from the entire board, DESE staff, and both the existing and incoming state commissioners of education. The leadership role will soon be vacated by Margie Vandeven and filled by Karla Eslinger.

Three state board members took a leading role in the plan, including Kerry Casey, Carol Hallquist, and Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge.

Casey, of Chesterfield, said the plan reaffirms the core vision, mission and values of DESE. "It is, always has been, and will continue to be, the focus of the department to improve lives through education and provide access to opportunity."

She said the state must support the four priority areas by providing these foundational underpinnings: Safe and healthy schools; needs-based funding and resources; and family and community engagement.

Here are specific goals in the priority areas:

Early learning . The vision: All children enter kindergarten ready to learn. The 2023 baseline was 54% and the 2026 target is 60%.

Literacy . The vision: All students can read at grade level or above. The 2023 baseline was 44% of students proficient or advanced on state-mandated English language arts exams, and the 2026 target is 50%.

Teacher retention . The vision: At least 93% of teachers are retained from one year to the next. The 2023 baseline was a three-year average of the annual retention rate of 89.9%. The 2026 target is 91.2%.

T eacher recruitment . The vision: All students have access to high quality, appropriately certified teachers. The 2023 baseline was a three-year average of 3,600 initial teaching certificates issued. The 2026 target is 3,850.

Success-ready students. The vision: All students leave high school with a plan for career success. The 2023 baseline was 91% of students pursue gainful training or employment after graduation. The 2026 target is 94%.

Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge

Westbrooks-Hodge, of Pasadena Hills, said the plan will provide targets that can be measured, refined and increased over time.

"We've got to refine these strategic roadmaps on an ongoing basis and make sure that this plan is evergreen and not shelf ware," she said. "We will be doing that, in partnership with our incoming commissioner as well as our outgoing commissioner, the entire DESE executive leadership team."

She added: "This process and plan really is the way to ensure leadership continuity as we transition from Margie to Karla Eslinger and we've invited Karla to scrutinize the plan in detail."

More: Do 4-day school weeks hurt Missouri students academically? Here's what report found

Westbrooks-Hodge said exiting board members Peter Herschend, of Branson, and Donald Claycomb, of Linn, had input. Any new members that are appointed will also have a say.

"The process of updating the plan will serve as the glue to make sure we are all on the same page," she said.

Mary Schrag

The board plans to meet with stakeholders about the plan, starting with a June 21 presentation in St. Louis. The next will be in Kansas City and then other parts of the state.

Board member Mary Schrag, of West Plains, said she'd like to schedule a meeting with the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. "People are excited about this."

She added: "We all know education is the single most important basis, foundationally, for our state and having a strong K-12 strategic plan is exciting."

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri school board sets new goals for literacy, teacher retention
The aftermath of a Molotov cocktail attack on March 13, 2002, at a Planned Parenthood in Costa Mesa. (U.S Department of Justice)

A Florida man was sentenced to 3 years in federal prison Monday for assisting two others in crafting a Molotov cocktail that was thrown at a Costa Mesa Planned Parenthood clinic in 2022, according to the U.S. attorneys office.

Xavier Batten, 21, of Brooksville, Fla., pleaded guilty on Jan. 19 to one felony count of possessing an unregistered destructive device and one misdemeanor count of intentionally damaging a reproductive health services facility.

According to a news release from the federal prosecutor's office in Los Angeles, Batten told Orange County residents Chance Brannon and Tibet Ergul how to assemble the Molotov cocktail, an incendiary device which consists of flammable substances and a fuse.

Federal prosecutors say Chance Brannon, a Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton, and Tibet Ergul of Irvine, were the two masked individuals, caught on security video, who threw the Molotov cocktail that ignited a 2022 blaze at a Costa Mesa Planned Parenthood clinic after Xavier Batten of Brooksville, Fla., taught them how to make the device. (U.S Department of Justice)

Brannon and Ergul built the device in Erguls garage on March 12, 2022, while Batten instructed them from Florida, prosecutors said. Brannon was an active-duty U.S. Marine at the time.

In the early hours of March 13, 2022, Brannon and Ergul ignited the device at a Costa Mesa Planned Parenthood clinic, starting a fire and forcing the clinic to close temporarily. The attack also forced the clinic to reschedule approximately 30 patient appointments.

Batten counseled his co-defendant on how to build a destructive device, knowing and intending that it would be used to attack a healthcare clinic, prosecutors said.

U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney sentenced Batten to prison time and ordered him to pay $1,000 in restitution. Batten committed a cowardly crime with no empathy for women and their rights, Carney said.

Brannon pleaded guilty in December 2023 to four federal charges: malicious destruction of property by fire and explosives, possessing an unregistered destructive device, intentional damage to a reproductive health services facility and conspiracy.

Battens public defender Michael Schachter did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The family of a 14-year-old boy who died two years ago on a flight filed a federal lawsuit against American Airlines, alleging that the flight crew wasnt properly trained to use an onboard defibrillator.

The suit was originally filed in the Southern District of New York and transferred to a federal court in Fort Worth, according to a news release.

According to the lawsuit, the American Airlines crew was slow to respond and struggled to turn on an automated external defibrillator, which failed to deliver the electric shock to restore the boys heart rhythm.

Kevin Greenidge was returning to New York from Honduras, where he was on a summer vacation with his family.

The flight made an emergency landing in Cancun, and Kevin was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

After Kevin died, I never heard from American Airlines, said Melissa Arzu, Kevins mother. It made me feel hopeless. I want answers from American Airlines. I want American Airlines to take full responsibility for Kevins death. I never want this to happen to a child or family again.

American Airlines said in an emailed statement to the Star-Telegram: Our thoughts are with Mr. Greenridges loved ones. We are going to decline further comment given this matter involves pending litigation.

Hannah Crowe, an attorney representing Melissa Arzu, said the facts in the case are horrendous.

The loss of a child is truly unimaginable, she said.

Eyewitnesses confirmed that the flight crew was slow to respond and did not appear to know how to operate the defibrillator, according to the lawsuit.

Airlines have been required to have automatic defibrillators on flights since 2004, and they must be properly labeled and functioning properly, according to the news release.
A Utah mother is suing AstraZeneca after she participated in a clinical trial for the companys COVID-19 vaccine in the fall of 2020.

Brianne Dressen now lives every day with constant disabling pain after she received one dose of the shot developed by the drugmaker during a clinical trial in Salt Lake County, according to her lawsuit filed May 13 in federal court.

Dressen enrolled herself in the research when she was 39 and signed a consent form, which detailed potential vaccine side effects and the possibility of serious adverse reaction, the lawsuit, first reported by Bloomberg Law, says.

The form she signed also promised compensation for the costs of any potential injuries related to the research, according to the complaint.

With these reassurances should something go wrong, Bri signed the form, rolled up her sleeve, and let the drug company inject the experimental product into her arm, the complaint says.

Within an hour of Dressens injection, she felt a tingling and prickling sensation, according to the complaint, which says she later learned she was experiencing paresthesia.

The sensation persisted and extended to her left arm, the complaint says. Then more debilitating symptoms appeared  including blurred vision, headache, tinnitus, nausea and more  before the tingling and prickling sensations reached her legs.

Fast forward three years and Bri is still disabled. While some of the acute symptomology has improved, she remains a shadow of her former self, the complaint says.

Everyday, Dressen, who hasnt been able to continue working as a preschool teacher, says in the lawsuit that she experiences sharp tingling sensations that move from my heart through my whole body.

COVID-19 vaccines are considered safe and effective by the FDA. Adverse reactions to the shots are possible, but rare, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The same goes for other routinely recommended vaccines, the CDC says.

Dressen is not suing AstraZeneca over her injury. Shes suing the company for a breach of contract. The lawsuit also names Velocity Clinical Research as a defendant.

She accuses AstraZeneca of refusing to cover costs of her ongoing medical care that stems from her vaccine injury, as outlined in the contract.

AstraZeneca, according to the lawsuit, offered Dressen $1,243.30 and is leaving her with a heavy financial burden that is costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, the complaint says.

In an emailed statement, an AstraZeneca spokesperson told McClatchy News that We cannot comment on ongoing litigation.

Patient safety is our highest priority. From the body of evidence in clinical trials and real-world data, the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine has continuously been shown to have an acceptable safety profile and regulators around the world consistently state that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks of extremely rare potential side effects, the spokesperson said.

Velocity has not responded to a request for comment from McClatchy News.

AstraZeneca is removing its COVID-19 vaccine from the market due to less demand for it, Reuters reported on May 8.

Post vaccine neuropathy diagnosis

In June 2021, Dressen was seen by a team of neurologists with the National Institutes of Health at the agencys campus in Bethesda, Maryland, the complaint says.

Seven months after she participated in AstraZenecas clinical trial, the doctors diagnosed her with post vaccine neuropathy, according to the complaint.

A small, observational study led by a NIH team, including some researchers based in Bethesda, that was published as a preprint in May 2022 found circumstantial evidence suggesting a variety of neuropathic symptoms may manifest after a COVID-19 vaccine.

The study hasnt been peer-reviewed and involved 23 self-referred patients. The researchers concluded that potential neuropathic symptoms are very rare.

Dressens lawsuit says that her neuropathy from AstraZenecas vaccine led to a debilitating disordering of her autonomic nervous system and that she experiences a myriad array of constant, abnormal, and painful sensations, including the feeling of an electric shock coursing in her body.

Expensive costs of care

According to the complaint, one of the medications Dressen takes cost $119,000 a year  a price negotiated by her insurance company.

Without insurance, the medication, which wasnt specified, costs $432,000 a year, the lawsuit says.

When AstraZeneca offered her a little over $1,200 as compensation, Dressen was receiving biweekly IV infusions that cost $3,500 each session, according to the complaint.

I was nothing more than a number to AstraZeneca. I was not a mom with kids who desperately needed their momma, or a teacher with dozens of little kids depending on me to make the unknowns of this new Covid world less scary. I was not a wife to a man who wanted nothing more than for the love of his life to be ok. To them I was nothing, Dressen said in the complaint.

Dressen is the founder of React19, a nonprofit that supports people who were injured from the COVID-19 vaccine, according to her social media accounts.

New York Times journalist Apoorva Mandavilli published an article May 3 involving interviews of dozens of people, including health experts, who discussed serious reactions they said they experienced after the COVID-19 vaccine.

The report included comments from former FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock, who retired in February and told the Times: I believe their suffering should be acknowledged, that they have real problems, and they should be taken seriously.

As with any medicine, the CDC says vaccines can have side effects. A more rare, serious reaction could be caused by the vaccine, or it could be coincidental and related to another health condition, according to the agency.

Attorney Aaron Siri, who is representing Dressen in the litigation, said in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, that she is seeking to hold AstraZeneca accountable for refusing to honor its promises.

Dressens lawsuit seeks economic damages, including for medical and childcare costs, and emotional damages. Shes demanding a jury trial.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) supports Turkmenistan in harnessing the benefits of renewables, a source in the IRENA told Trend.

"Under the Central Asia Regional initiative, we worked with government representatives on energy planning and statistics, regional cooperation on policy support mechanisms in central Asia, long-term capacity extension with high renewables, and inter-agency meetings on Turkmenistan's national renewable strategy," the source said.

As an official insider reported, renewable energy sources accounted for an astounding 83 percent of the world's commissioned energy capacity last year, or 295 gigawatts (GW).

"In Turkmenistan, the installed renewable capacity almost doubled in 2021 but that only reflected an increase from 1.2 megawatts (MW) in 2020 to 2.2 MW in 2021. Today, renewable power is the most affordable, cost-competitive source of electricity in most of the regions of the world, providing a wide-range of socio-economic benefits from job creation to energy access for all," the source added.

IRENA is the leading global intergovernmental agency for energy transformation, supporting countries in their energy transitions and providing cutting-edge data and analyses on technology, innovation, policy, finance, and investment.

IRENA drives the widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy, including bioenergy, geothermal, hydropower, ocean, solar and wind energy in the pursuit of sustainable development, energy access, and energy security, for economic and social resilience and prosperity and a climate-proof future.
Members of Students Demand Action pose on the Capitol steps on May 14, 2024. | Kyle Davidson

Members of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action on Tuesday took to downtown Lansing as they called on the Legislature to pass additional measures to prevent gun violence.

Michigan lawmakers passed a number of gun law reforms in 2023 following the mass shooting at Michigan State University, including universal background checks, safe storage requirements, policies enabling extreme risk protection orders  also known as red flag laws  and expanding the ban keeping domestic abusers from possessing a firearm.

With many of the new laws taking effect in February, advocates asked lawmakers to continue pushing forward on gun violence prevention measures, including banning firearms at polling places, requiring schools to provide parents with information on Michigans safe storage law, funding community violence intervention work and continued support in implementing the safe storage requirements, extreme risk protection orders and domestic violence relinquishment.

Saylor Reinders, the co-lead of Students Demand Action Michigan State University, noted that gun deaths were the largest cause of death for children in Michigan.

Just as long as that statistic remains the same. We need to keep pushing for more change at the legislative level, at the community level, Reinders said. Its a very multifaceted, multifaceted crisis that demands nuanced solutions. So we need to come at it from all different angles.

Denise Wieck, the president and co-founder of Lock It For Everyone, called for action on ghost guns, unserialized weapons assembled from weapons parts kits or incomplete frames and receivers which can be purchased without a background check.

When Wiecks son was 17, he was shot by a friend who assembled a ghost gun from a kit. While he survived after being shot in the eye socket, the bullet and bone fragments are still embedded in his brain, Wieck said.

Wieck has since launched a nonprofit called Lock It For Everyone (LIFE).

Were doing that to try to get kids off the streets, teach people about gun storage, gun safety and also we want to empower youth, she said.

State Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit) and state Rep. Felicia Brabec (D-Pittsfield Twp.) rallied alongside Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action At Central United Methodist Church in downtown Lansing before members left to meet with legislators.

As a mom, wanting to be here to support other moms, gun violence prevention, and being able to stymie what were seeing in our communities is top of mind for me. I think nothing is more important than our kiddos, said Brabec, who chairs the Michigan Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention (MFSVP) Caucus.

Alongside bills aimed at protecting polling places and government buildings from gun violence, Brabec also noted an effort from the Michigan State Police (MSP) to ensure weapons purchased through gun buybacks or confiscated by the MSP are completely destroyed, following a New York Times report that gun disposal companies were reselling parts of the weapons as kits.

Policies to end gun manufacturers immunity from lawsuits and to address ghost guns are also on lawmakers radar, Brabec said.

Rep. Lori Stone, whos now the mayor of Warren  she had some bills about [ghost guns]. Obviously, we have not forgotten about those bills.  These things can just take time, but that is another one that absolutely needs to be addressed, as well, Brabec said.

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Hyundai plant workers based in Montgomery listen to speakers at a rally at Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Montgomery on May 13, 2024. (Ralph Chapoco/Alabama Reflector)

Workers at Montgomerys Hyundai plant described difficult working conditions and arbitrary scheduling at a rally Monday evening led by clergy and faith leaders.

The rally came amid a campaign led by the United Auto Workers to unionize the factory and an ongoing vote this week at Mercedes-Benzs plant in Vance on whether to organize under the UAW.

We have actually no voice inside of work, said Gilbert Brooks, a 15-year veteran of the plant who works on machines that take sheet metal and shape them into vehicle parts. Basically, it is one-sided. Pretty much what Hyundai says goes. They make and break their own rules. Pretty much, you cant make plans because Hyundai has control basically.

Brooks, who has been working to unionize the plant since 2014, and several of his colleagues described difficult work conditions, including irregular scheduling.

If they say we are going to work this Saturday, then they can change it on a dime, Brooks said. If they say we dont have to work, they can change that also. Basically, it is either you do, or you dont.

Others pointed to limited bathroom breaks and high temperatures that make it difficult to remain hydrated as they work.

When I mean extremely hot, it gets so hot in there that you sweat, said Robert Stozer, another Hyundai plant employee. Some people have passed out there with the working conditions when it gets hot in the summertime.

Nearly all those who spoke said they have dealt with health issues as a result of working at the plant. Brooks said he has had operations to address issues with his neck and rotator cuff. Kissy Cox, another Hyundai employee who spoke Monday, said she has had carpal tunnel surgery.

I got another appointment, at the end of this month, because now my finger  if I close my hand  my middle finger, I have to lift it up with my other hand, she said. You have to keep working in the same conditions, with your hands hurting, until you see a doctor.

Hyundai announced in 2002 that it would open a plant in Montgomery, lured like other auto manufacturers by low labor costs and a large government incentive package ($252.8 million) that included tax abatements, corporate income tax credits and road improvements. The factory opened in 2005.

UAW said in February that 30% of the workers at the Hyundai plant had signed union authorization cards, though it has not provided updates on the numbers since. Employees said they have made steady progress but were waiting to call a vote, and said they have faced push back from management.

One thing they will do to make it difficult is tell people the plant is going to leave, Stozer said. They put all kinds of anti-union stuff on the television, and what the union cannot guarantee, and put all the thoughts into their mind so that they are scared.

Efforts to form unions have been gathering momentum throughout the South. Volkswagen workers in Tennessee last month voted to organize a union. Mercedes-Benzs union vote is the first to take place at that plant since it opened in 1997.

The union drives have come under sharp attack from state officials.

Gov. Kay Ivey has called unions out of state interest groups and on Monday signed SB 231 sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, which bans companies from receiving economic development incentives if they voluntarily recognize unions.

Another issue the employees cited was retirement.

Once we leave, we have no insurance, nothing, Brooks said. We are just used, washed up, that is it. A 401K is not a pension, and for the work that we have done, that is what we need, something to continue to help us once we leave.

The event was hosted by Bishop William J. Barber, II of the Poor Peoples Campaign and other clergy members.

For roughly an hour Barber spoke of the need to unite all of those who are impoverished. He told of the profits made by Hyundai and how that benefit has not been extended to workers. Barber offered statistics of how impoverished people are in Alabama.

Two adults have to earn $22 an hour just to have a basic, living wage, he said. Working at a minimum wage, you have to work 90 plus hours a week. Forty percent of this workforce makes less than $15 an hour.

Barber said in an interview after the meeting that unionization would help improve the economic lot of the state, and referenced Alabamas refusal to enter into Medicaid expansion offered under the Affordable Care Act.

This state has too much poverty for governors to be fighting against something that is going to raise wages and give people benefits, he said in an interview after the meeting. Especially since these same governors denied hundreds of thousands of people health care through the Affordable Care Act.

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The post At Montgomery rally, Hyundai workers describe difficult working conditions appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
After the war of words between the U.S. and Israel over a planned major military offensive into Rafah, a city in southern Gaza, escalated to new heights over the weekend, the White House is now appearing to be hitting the reset button -- saying it was time to "get back to [the] basics" of the conflict.

"There has been a lot more heat than light in the recent coverage and commentary about the war between Israel and Hamas," national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters during a press briefing on Monday.

Sullivan then took more than ten minutes to lay out the Biden administration's view of the war, reiterating many of points officials have been expressing since the days following Hamas' October 7th attack -- Israel's right to defend itself, the moral obligation to minimize civilian suffering, and the urgent need to secure a cease-fire deal in exchange for the release of hostages.

PHOTO: White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, May 13, 2024. (Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters)

MORE: Israel-Gaza live updates: US aware of American doctors trapped in Gaza

But much of the "heat" Sullivan mentions has come from U.S. officials and the administration's intensifying campaign to publicly pressure Israel into backing down from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's promise to carry out a large-scale military assault on Rafah, where the U.S. says more than a million Palestinians have sought refuge and where Israel says the last four remaining Hamas battalions are hiding out.

PHOTO: Boys watch smoke billowing during Israeli strikes east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, May 13, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. (AFP via Getty Images)

In some of his most critical comments to date, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned during an interview on Sunday on CBS' "Face The Nation" that Israel's "heavy action" in southern Gaza might leave the country "holding the bag on an enduring insurgency."

Blinken argued Israel's battle tactics and lack of clear plan for the enclave following the conflict put it at risk of unwittingly creating "an insurgency with many armed Hamas left or, if it leaves, a vacuum filled by chaos, filled by anarchy, and probably refilled by Hamas."

PHOTO: Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to the press at the port of Ashdod in southern Israel on May 1, 2024. (Evelyn Hockstein/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

MORE: Biden admin doesn't have 'complete information' to verify whether Israel used US arms to violate international law in Gaza

Blinken's comments came on the heels of a scathing report from the State Department released on Friday that found it was "reasonable to assess" that U.S. arms shipped to Israel had been used in ways that are "inconsistent" with international law against harming civilians.

And before that, President Joe Biden stepped up the administration's effort to coerce Israel into reconsidering its strategy in Rafah with both his words and actions -- pausing a shipment of munitions to Israel and threatening to cut off more.

But so far, the administration's tactics seem to have yielded little progress towards achieving its objectives. Netanyahu has vowed to charge on -- saying Israel will "stand alone" if needed and "fight with [its] fingernails."

Additionally, two critical border crossings in southern Gaza have now been closed for more than a week, reducing the amount of assistance entering the enclave to a trickle after the U.S. spent months steadily increasing the number of aid trucks crossing in each day.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden speaks about his Investing in America agenda, at Gateway Technical College in Sturtevant, Wis., on May 8, 2024. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

MORE: Coons, McCaul weigh in on Israel report, possible weapons pause

The Biden administration is also staring down disappointment on another front related to the conflict -- its efforts to broker a deal to free scores of hostages held in Gaza in exchange for an extended truce U.S. officials say could pave the way for a lasting peace.

Before the latest high-stakes round of negotiations broke down last week, U.S. officials had held out hope that an agreement would prevent the situation in Rafah from coming to head. Although Blinken said on Sunday that "different teams continue to talk," that scenario appears all but impossible.

PHOTO: Displaced Palestinians sheltering in a school prepare to flee Rafah after Israeli forces launched a ground and air operation in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip May 13, 2024. (Mohammed Salem/Reuters)

Seth Krummrich, a retired Army colonel and former chief of staff for special operations in the U.S. Central Command, says the dynamics in Rafah could now be encouraging both Israel and Hamas to back away from the table.

"What's happening on the battlefield is extremely important because they're really trying to negotiate from a position of strength," argued Krummrich, who is also the vice president of Global Guardian.

"Our administration is trying to shape behavior, but this comes down to how Hamas and Israel see the world, how determined they both are, and who is going to push through and succeed," he said.

Devising an effective way to balance the U.S. relationship with Israel and the administration's visions for the future of the Middle East will only become more critical, says Brian Katulis, a senior fellow for U.S. foreign policy at the Middle East Institute, a non-partisan think tank.

"A bigger gap looms on the horizon between the United States and Israel: the lack of a consensus about the desired end state in the days and years after the military conflict is over," he said.

"The Biden administration is quietly working with partners across the Middle East to develop plans for the governance and reconstruction of Gaza, but Israel has not yet offered a clear vision of what it seeks in a post-war settlement," Katulis continued. "In both the short term and long term, there may be more bumps ahead."

After months of tension over Rafah, White House appears to recalibrate strategy on Israel: ANALYSIS originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
More human remains found, thought to be connected to Sedgwick County homicide investigation

More human remains have been discovered in Sumner County in the same area where authorities found remains on Friday, the Sedgwick County Sheriffs Office said on Monday.

The remains are ... believed to be connected to an ongoing homicide investigation in Sedgwick County, the sheriffs office said. The victims of the homicide were last seen at a residence in the 9500 block South Hydraulic on January 1, 2024.

Pending confirmation of the identities of the located remains and notification of families, no further information will be provided at this time due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, a news release from the sheriffs office said.

Sedgwick County is working with the Sumner County Sheriffs Office to recover the remains in the area of 300 North River Road in Belle Plaine.

On Friday, the Sumner County Sheriffs Office recovered human remains after a fisherman found them near a river in an area not close to homes, The Eagle reported.

The remains were taken to the Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center, where an autopsy was performed Saturday. The coroner observed signs of foul play, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation said.

Anyone with information on the case is encouraged to call the sheriffs office investigation division at 316-660-5300.

Kansas authorities recover human remains from rural area; signs of foul play involved
The Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, March 27, 2022 (Photo by Marisa Demarco / Source New Mexico)

As a Virginia-based economist, I am concerned that a new rule proposed by the Federal Reserve will disproportionately impact residents of this commonwealth.

The central bank recently proposed Regulation II, which would lower the maximum allowable interchange fee, the cost merchants pay to banks to process debit cards. The thought is that the central bank mandating banks charge smaller processing fees to corporations would help both consumers and the big chain retailers like Walmart that pushed the regulation.

Unfortunately, however, anything but this would happen. We know this because history proves it.

In 2011, the Fed implemented a similar policy. Big merchants benefited while consumers  especially minority Americans  got dealt the short end of the stick.

Data from the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank found that, in response to the Fed limiting the amount banks could charge retailers, financial institutions increased the maintenance costs associated with consumers checking accounts. They also raised the minimum balance for fee waivers, thereby preventing lower income individuals from accessing banking services, a requirement for transacting and succeeding in the modern economy. All told, 90% of merchants did not decrease their prices in response to this 2011 Fed price control on interchange, which allowed said merchants to increase their profits an additional $90 billion off our backs.

Research from my school, George Mason University, found that the 2011 price control went so far as to increase the nations unbanked population by 1 million. As Richmond-based education and equity advocate Taikein M. Cooper put it, Virginia felt this unbanking more than most in the country did because roughly 15% of Black and Latino households already lacked access to a financial institution. This policy added further complications to an already complex problem in this commonwealth.

The lesson here is clear: Price controls distort the market and result in less efficient transactions.

Unfortunately, however, now the Fed has laid out a new proposal, Regulation II, to make this price cap even lower. That would again be a blessing for the Walmarts of the world, but it would hurt the rest of us.

Regulation II wouldnt just lower the current interchange fee cap by over 30%. Under the new policy, the Fed would also gain the power to evaluate if technological innovations have allowed banks to lower their processing costs and if so, it would lower the maximum charge allowable. In other words, this proposed rule captures any gain that banks obtain and forces them to put it into reducing processing costs  even if that is not a feasible reality. Consequently, this proposed regulation provides the debit card issuers with little or no incentive to innovate or create cost-saving technology to lower transaction costs, increase their product offerings, or bolster the security of consumers accounts.

By preventing banks from competing in the transaction fee market, the policy will also negatively affect other services customers receive. It should not surprise us if this policy accelerates the trend of businesses and consumers using digital payments to avoid an over-regulated banking market. That would reduce Virginia and the larger governments tax revenue even further.

Instead of moving policies that would disproportionately benefit chain retailers, the Fed should stick with enforcing its dual mandate of creating maximum employment and price stability. Those are two things that many Virginians dont feel they have enough of, and it is incumbent on the Fed to help make them more attainable.

The post More political giveaways to chain retailers will hurt Virginians appeared first on Virginia Mercury.
More snips: Growing number of young men getting vasectomies after Roe v Wade reversal

Significantly more young men are electing to get vasectomies after the Supreme Court ended Roe v Wade abortion protections across the US, researchers found.

University of Utah investigators said before the 2022 Supreme Court Dobbs decision, 6.2 percent of men under 30 reported obtaining vasectomies, according to a new study published in the American Urological Association. But after, that number jumped to 9.8 percent.

There was a significant increase in patients <30 years pursuing permanent contraception post-Dobbs. The increased rate of vasectomies post-Dobbs was consistent among states regardless of the legal climate, the study based on reporting to a national database reported.

In the wake of Roe being overturned, at least 27 states across the country have restricted or outlawed abortions, and some have placed criminal penalties on obtaining one. With more reproductive healthcare providers seeking work out of state to avoid strict laws and lawmakers targeting forms of contraception, the pressure to manage reproductive healthcare is front of mind for many young Americans.

As a result, some urologists suggest, younger men may be seeking more permanent solutions to birth control.

Protesters on both sides of the issue hold signs as North Carolina House members debate abortion access on May 16, 2023 (Associated Press)

Vasectomies are a medical sterilization procedure that can be done in an outpatient setting under local anesthesia. Though they are supposed to be permanent, they can be reversed.

Dr Kara Watts, a urologist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City, told The Los Angeles Times that more patients were consulting doctors about a vasectomy, which has contributed to longer waits to get the surgery.

The numbers would probably be even more dramatic if wait times were not an issue, Dr Watts told the newspaper.

Dr Esgar Guarin, a vasectomy surgeon in Iowa, The New York Times in 2022 that over a third of the patients he saw were child-free men below the age of 30. When he asked why they were choosing to get a vasectomy now, he said they had a simple answer.

Theyll say, Well the Supreme Court, Dr Guarin told The Times.

Other studies support the findings that younger men are getting vasectomies.

A study published in the National Library of Medicine found that it was far more likely men under the age of 30 would seek vasectomies after June 2022.

Abortion rights activists hold a sign reading "Vasectomy Prevents Abortion" as they protest after the overturning of Roe Vs. Wade by the US Supreme Court, in Downtown Los Angeles, on June 24, 2022 (AFP via Getty Images)

Dr Sarah Vij, a urologist with Cleveland Clinic, told the Urology Times last year the data suggests men are taking reproductive concerns into their own hands.

Reproductive decisions are not just affecting women. In many ways, men can be sort of demonized in that discussion. I think these data suggest that men are also doing their part in many ways and that the decisions that we make at a political level regarding reproduction affect every single member of this population, Dr Vij said.

In general, more men are getting vasectomies. The number of men, aged 18 to 64, who got the procedure jumped 26 percent from 2014 to 2021, according to a University of Chicago study.

But its not just men who are seeking a more permanent solution to birth control.

The recent study from The University of Utah found that more young women, aged 18 to 30, elected to get tubal sterilization after Roe was overturned in states where abortions are illegal.
Mother and son accused of sex crimes with minors, Marion County deputies say

MARION COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW)  A mother and son are accused of sexual crimes involving minors, the Marion County Sheriffs Office said.

41-year-old Elizabeth Rhoda Holden, of Hope Mills, North Carolina, and her son, Robert Oren Helms, III, 21, are both accused of committing sexual battery with underaged victims.

Holden is charged with third degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor and is accused of committing sexual battery with a seven-year-old, the department said.

Helms is charged with first degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor and is accused of committing sexual battery with a six-year-old.

Holden has been released on a $20,000 bond, but Helms bond was denied, and he remains at the Marion County Detention Center, the department said.

Holden and Helms are the codefendants to Milton David Walters, III who was arrested on April 30th, the department said.

News13 has reached out to the Marion County Sheriffs Office on more information on this case.

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.
AUSTIN (KXAN)  The Austin Police Department identified a motorcyclist Monday who died in a single-motorcycle crash May 10.

MAP: Where have Austins fatal crashes occurred in 2024?

Police said the crash happened in the 13700 block of Immanuel Road. Tarl Sears, 53, was pronounced dead at the scene.

APD said this crash is considered Austins 26th fatal crash of 2024, resulting in 26 fatalities this year. On the date of this crash in 2023, 34 people had died in 34 fatal crashes.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Police said the investigation is still pending. Anyone with information should call APDs Vehicular Homicide unit at 512-974-8111. You can submit a tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or calling 512-472-8477.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
Members of Congress are pushing to block the US Air Force from retiring more than half of its F-15E Strike Eagles.

Members of Congress are pushing to block the U.S. Air Force from sending more than half of its F-15E Strike Eagle combat jets to the boneyard in the coming years. The Air Force says it needs to ditch older F-15Es to help free up resources for its future modernization plans , but lawmakers are concerned about dwindling numbers of available tactical aircraft in the meantime. This all comes after Strike Eagles shot down more than 70 Iranian drones heading for Israel last month , with some of the jets involved now sporting large numbers of kill markings.

F-15E Strike Eagles assigned to the 494th Fighter Squadron return to RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom from a deployment to the Middle East on May 8, 2024. The jet in front has a particularly prominent kill marking painted on the nose in the form of a red missile silhouette. F-15Es from the 494th were among the aircraft that took part in the defense of Israel on April 13-14. USAF

A section that "would prohibit the retirement of any F-15E tactical fighter aircraft, with certain [unspecified] exceptions," is included in the latest draft of the House of Representatives' version of the annual defense policy bill, or National Defense Authorization Act, for the 2025 Fiscal Year. That prohibition would remain in place "until the Secretary of Defense submits a fighter aircraft capability and requirements study that estimates the number of fighter aircraft needed by the Air Force to meet the requirements of geographical combatant commanders," according to the proposed legislation, details about which were released yesterday.

At present, the Air Force has 218 F-15Es in its inventory . Of those aircraft, 119 are powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 turbofan engines that produce some 23,500 pounds of thrust each. The other 99 have two F100-PW-229s, which are significantly more powerful with thrust ratings of 29,000 pounds apiece. The plan now is to retire all of the Strike Eagles with the -220 engines, which are also older overall, by the end of Fiscal Year 2028.

"The Air Force determined the best mix for the fighter fleet calls for maintaining an F-15E fleet of 99 aircraft with the more powerful engine (F-100-PW-229) and shifting resources to maximize procurement of newer fighters and capabilities," an annual Pentagon-wide force structure report released in April explains. "Prioritizing modernization efforts to keep pace with near-peer competitors requires difficult tradeoffs with existing aircraft inventories and programs."

The Air Force is in the midst of a major modernization push that, in particular, aims to fundamentally change the character of the service's tactical air combat fleets in the future. The planned acquisition of 200 new sixth-generation crewed stealth combat jets and hundreds, if not thousands of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drone companions for them and other existing fighters are centerpieces of this Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) initiative. The broader NGAD effort also includes the development of new weapons , electronic warfare suites , sensors , battle management capabilities, advanced jet engines , and other capabilities.

A rendering of a notional sixth-generation stealth crewed combat jet flying together with a trio of drones. Collins Aerospace

The Air Force has argued that NGAD, as well as a host of other modernization efforts, require the divestment of hundreds of legacy aircraft . The service looking to send some 250 aircraft , including 26 F-15Es, to the bone yard just in the 2025 Fiscal Year alone.

Members of Congress in the House and the Senate have already been pushing back on those plans and questioning about the ability of the Air Force to adequately perform its duties before its new aircraft and other future capabilities arrive. These concerns have only been magnified by the prospect of a potential major conflict with China in the Pacific , possibly over Taiwan , before the end of the decade. Russia's ongoing all-out war in Ukraine has created new geopolitical considerations for the United States, as well.

Altogether, it is not surprising that the F-15Es are receiving special attention in this growing debate over the Air Force's future force structure plans. The Air Force's Strike Eagles have long been and continue to be some of the most in-demand tactical air combat platforms the service has and for good reason.

The F-15Es, with their conformal fuel tanks , have the greatest range and payload capacity of any tactical jet in Air Force service today. They can also carry a dizzyingly broad array of different munitions and other stores , and have the ability to lug around outsized stores that simply won't fit on other fighters. The expectation is that the Strike Eagle's arsenal will only continue to grow in the future, including with new hypersonic missiles and air-launched drones.

An F-15E Strike Eagle loaded with five AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) cruise missiles at Eglin Air Force Base, on May 11, 2021, as part of Project Strike Rodeo. USAF

The Strike Eagle fleet has already been receiving new powerful AN/APG-82(V)1 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars, which are particularly capable when it comes to spotting low-flying targets, even smaller ones, at extended distances. This likely played a role in the F-15E's success in downing so many Iranian drones. The AN/APG-82(V)1 is also better able to brute force its way through electronic warfare jamming, which is only expected to be more prevalent in the future.

The AN/APG-82(V)1 radar. Raytheon

Air Force F-15Es are also now set to get their own new Eagle Passive/Active Warning and Survivability System (EPAWSS) electronic warfare suite. EPAWSS will provide extremely potent and adaptive electronic attack and self-protection capabilities, as well as offering crews greatly improved situational awareness. It is a key feature that helps ensure the F-15's survivability for years to come.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCVAxejUDMs

Though typically discussed primarily as long-range strike aircraft, the Air Force's F-15Es are also capable air-to-air platforms . In this role, their large payload capacity and range means they carry a large load of air-to-air missiles and stay on station for extended periods of time. The Strike Eagle's two-person crew offers situational awareness advantages over single-seat types, too.

F-15Es have been taking on more responsibility in the air-to-air role as older F-15C/D Eagles get retired . The Strike Eagle's capabilities in this regard were on full display in April when forward-deployed Strike Eagles from the 494th and 335th Fighter Squadrons shot down more than 70 Iranian drones headed for Israel. The elements of the 494th and 335th, which are based at RAF Lakenheath in England and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina, respectively, played a particularly outsized role in the U.S. military's overall defense of Israel from incoming Iranian threats .

Elements of the 494th that had been deployed to the Middle East just recently began to rotate back to the RAF Lakenheath with significant numbers of kill markings painted on their sides reflecting the dozens of Iranian drones they downed.

494th Fighter Squadron F-15E Strike Eagles seen returning to RAF Lakenheath on May 8, 2024. The jet in front has a number of red missile silhouettes painted above its name, "Hellcat," that look to reflect air-to-air kills during its recently concluded deployment to the Middle East. USAF

Kill markings seen on other 494th F-15Es after their return to RAF Lakenheath on May 8. USAF

The Air Force's plans to cut more than half of the Strike Eagle fleet also come as the service has been steadily slashing its plans to acquire new, more advanced F-15EX Eagle II jets. The total size of its Eagle II fleet is now expected to be only 98 jets , down from the original call for at least 144 jets.

At one time, there had been talk about the potential for Eagle IIs to supplant some or all of the Strike Eagles, especially the older examples with the less powerful engines. The truncated F-15E and F-15EX communities are now set to be blended together in many respects, particularly when it comes to their training pipelines . You can read about how the Air Force's F-15EX plans have evolved and the implications of those decisions, which the service says are also being driven by its modernization priorities, more specifically here .

The seventh F-15EX for the US Air Force, also known as EX7, which is set to be delivered later this year. This will be one of the first two Eagle IIs to go to an operational unit, the Oregon Air National Guard's 142nd Wing. Boeing

With the prospect already of F-15EX orders from Israel , Indonesia , and Poland , the Eagle II's future may be brighter outside of the United States. Last month, The War Zone highlighted how the F-15E's performance against Iranian drones had only helped underline the case for Israel to acquire the newer EX variant.

A rendering of a potential F-15EX version for Israel, which is also referred to as the F-15IA. Boeing

It does remain to be seen whether Congress will ultimately block the Air Force's F-15E retirement plans. The House's version of the Fiscal Year 2025 NDAA is likely to evolve further before a final vote is taken. It will also need to be reconciled with the Senate's vision for the annual defense policy bill. Once Congress passes the final NDAA, whatever provisions it contains, President Joe Biden will still need to sign it into law, too.

At the same time, concerns about the Air Force's force structure plans only seem to be growing among lawmakers across the political aisle. The future of the F-15E Strike Eagle fleet, which just recently showed its value on the world stage in the defense of Israel, looks set to be a particularly fierce debate.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. Green energy in Azerbaijan has become a key part of the changing economy in recent years, ecologist Rauf Mammadov told Trend.

He noted that Azerbaijan has great potential for the development of green energy.

Alternative energy utilization has also increased. Energy sources, including the sun, wind, and biological gases, are crucial to the country. Azerbaijan funds many such programs. Azerbaijan also wants to improve its green energy infrastructure. The fact that Azerbaijan will host COP29 shows its global climate change leadership. It shows Azerbaijan wants to lead climate change negotiations and has experience and perspectives, he said.

Mammadov noted that Azerbaijan, by undertaking such a conference, demonstrates that it attaches great importance to the fight against climate change.

It also signifies that the country's achievements in areas such as green energy, biodiversity conservation, and economic efficiency are at the center of the world's attention. Hosting COP29 in Azerbaijan will also ensure the country's initiatives to combat climate change, he said.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
I moved back to the US from Switzerland when my daughter was 3. My suburban neighbors don't get the way I parent.

Chantal Panozzo moved back to the US from Switzerland when her daughter was 3 years old.

Now her daughter is 12, and Panozzo says she gets criticized for the amount of freedom she gives.

She says the Swiss parenting style has taught her to raise a child who's self-sufficient.

Ever since returning to the Chicago area after living for almost a decade in Switzerland, my nice suburban neighbors have scrutinized my parenting. The biggest shock to the community was when I decided that my 7-year-old daughter was responsible enough to walk five blocks to school alone.

"You know, we'd be happy to drive her in the morning," one neighbor said.

I've discovered that these parents are all lovely people and well-meaning, but they're also part of something my husband and I still  even after being "home" for a decade  can't bring ourselves to join: the school car line.

The car line at our neighborhood elementary school is seemingly never-ending. It snakes around the corner of an otherwise beautiful centuries-old brick school. In the cars sit devoted parents who want the best for their children, which also seems to include polluting the air and constipating the streets.

But beyond the environmental consequences of the car line, something feels even more detrimental: American parenting culture.

Opposite the Swiss version, which promotes independence from the time a child can walk, American parenting culture seems to say to the child: I'm in charge of getting you to school  you have no agency. If it's cold, I'll keep you warm. If it's raining, I'll keep you dry. If it's snowing, sure, wear your sneakers, I'll drive you. If you're late for school, it's not your fault, it's mine.

But in Switzerland, where I learned to parent, children as young as 5 walk or bike to school alone. They wear rubber pants and boots if it's raining. If there is ice on the streets, they fall and get up again. Parents don't drive children to school or hover at the playground while constantly telling their child to share, to say they're sorry, to be nice.

Instead, I found that Swiss parenting basically boils down to a concept of benign neglect, in which kids learn to manage themselves. And since I became a parent in Switzerland, I internalized this parenting style  and learned to appreciate it to the point that I still practice it.

The author now lives in a Chicago suburb, and her neighbors find it strange that she doesn't drive her daughter to school. Chantal Panozzo

When I first moved to Switzerland, I was homesick

My husband and I moved to Switzerland in 2006 for a job opportunity. When Swiss people didn't honor my need for American-size personal space, pushing ahead of me while getting on the train, I missed the polite way many Americans wait in line. When my Swiss neighbor took a year to tell me her first name, I would pine for the random American stranger who would tell me their life story with little formality or filter. And when the stores weren't open on Sunday, I silently wished for a Target shopping spree.

But after a few years, even my Swiss friends would tell me I was more Swiss than the Swiss. My husband and I could eat my neighbor's 30 slices of raclette in one sitting. Instead of wishing I was shopping, I hiked on Sundays and actively sought out new routes.

Parenting culture in the US was the biggest shock when I returned

I figured that moving back to my own country 8  years later would be hard  especially because we were relocating to care for a sick parent. But I figured I'd eventually get over the initial cultural shock. And for the most part, I have.

I love owning a house  something that's almost impossible to do in Switzerland, where many live in tiny apartments with shared laundry rooms. I love having casual conversations with people at Trader Joe's. And I appreciate the big, wide world of American personal space, and I also treasure living close to my parents. But when it comes to parenting culture, I still struggle to accept the lack of freedom we give our children, perhaps because it's the very thing we say our country stands for.

Somehow, at the same time Americans celebrate "freedom," the parents who give their children just that are somehow viewed as foreign.

On a recent trip to Zurich, the author's daughter went to school with her childhood Swiss friend in true Swiss fashionon a bike and without parents. Chantal Panozzo

Now 12 years old, my daughter still gets comments from parents about walking to school alone. The gym teacher indirectly comments, too; she sends notes home when my daughter is the only one wearing snow boots instead of gym shoes.

Today, my daughter has freedoms that many of her coddled American peers do not. That's because instead of constantly wondering, "What can I do for my daughter?" my internalized Swissness reminds me to ask something more important: namely, "What should I not do for her?" This isn't lazy parenting but rather a deeply thoughtful process about how I can raise a child who's self-sufficient.

Recently, I suffered from COVID for six weeks. Then, for about six more weeks, it was almost impossible for me to rise in the mornings. One day, I opened my eyes and realized it was 8:15 a.m. In a panic, I stumbled downstairs, and that's when I saw it. Coat gone. Backpack gone. Daughter gone. Even though I'd been sleeping, I'd still somehow been parenting: My daughter had gone to school before I'd even gotten out of bed.

And if that isn't a Swiss parenting win in an otherwise American world, then I don't know what is.

Got a personal essay about culture shock or relocating a family that you want to share? Get in touch with the editor: akarplus@businessinsider.com .

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MSP: 1 injured in shooting on US-131 in Grand Rapids

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  Authorities say a person was injured in a shooting on southbound US-131 in Grand Rapids.

Michigan State Police said the shooting happened around 3 a.m. Tuesday on southbound US-131 near Burton Street.

State police said a person inside a vehicle shot at another vehicle, hitting one person. Their injuries are not considered life-threatening.

US-131 was closed for about 40 minutes as authorities investigated, according to MSP.

The shooting remains under investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to call the MSP Grand Rapids Post at 616.866.4411.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
Multiple shooters were present in Lexington shooting that left 18-year-old dead, police say

There were multiple shooters in a Lexington homicide that left an 18-year-old man dead, a Lexington police detective testified Tuesday morning during a preliminary hearing.

The shooting happened in the early morning hours of April 4 at a home on the 400 block of Carlisle Avenue, police previously said. Dennis Trujillo Jr. was declared dead at the home from multiple gunshot wounds.

Wilmer Romero, 18, was arrested Wednesday and charged with murder.

Detective Corey Sutton with Lexington polices robbery/homicide unit shared multiple pieces of evidence that connects Romero to the crime at Fayette District Court. Sutton said doorbell camera footage near the scene showed gunfire coming from a car, where multiple shooters were firing toward Trujillo.

Investigators obtained a video and picture Romero took from inside the vehicle the night of the murder, according to Sutton. The vehicle was reported stolen.

Sutton was not prepared to share any information on the other alleged shooters or who the vehicle was registered to during the hearing.

Most of the evidence was found just inside the door, where Trujillo was found shot. Court documents say investigators found a conversation between Trujillo and Romero that happened seconds to minutes before the shooting, and Romero asked where Trujillo was in a threatening manner.

Sutton said the conversation was hostile in nature and implied that a confrontation between the two was imminent.

The next day, Romero had a conversation with another person over Instagram stating he killed someone, according to Sutton. He also shared a photo of Trujillo, clarifying who he killed.

Romero and Trujillos phones were taken into evidence, according to Sutton.

Romero was interviewed for several hours after his arrest, according to Sutton. He initially claimed he was in Tennessee at the time of the murder, but later changed his statement to say he was in the neighborhood but not present during the shooting.

Romero was armed when he was arrested.

Fayette District Judge Lindsay Thurston found sufficient evidence in Romeros case and sent it forward to a grand jury. Romero is being held at the Fayette County Detention Center without bond on the murder charge, according to jail records.

Members of Trujillos family were present for the hearing and asked for justice. Trujillos obituary says he is a graduate of Bryan Station High School.

There have been five homicides in Lexington this year. Only one other case includes an arrest while the other three are an ongoing investigation.

Murder suspect facing additional, unrelated charges

Romero is also facing charges of contempt of court, tampering with a prison monitoring device, violation of conditions of release, trafficking a controlled substance and trafficking marijuana, according to court records.

Court records show Romero was given the drug charges in November. A few days later Romero partially posted a $5,000 bond and was released from jail with the condition of wearing an ankle monitor.

On Feb. 6 the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Department of Correction received a strap tamper notification from Romeros device, according to Cpl. Cassanda Cundiff, who was Romeros case officer. Cundiff said she went to the last known location of Romeros device and found it lying beside a dumpster in a parking lot at a medical supply store on Big Run Road.

Romero was indicted on the drug charges the day before he allegedly cut off his ankle monitoring device, according to court records.

Cundiff tried to contact Romero several times after receiving the notification but was unsuccessful. She said she had little communication with Romero while he was on ankle monitoring.

Romero was also unable to provide a sample for a drug test the same day he allegedly cut off his ankle monitor, according to court records.

Romero was arrested on Gold Rush Road, which is close to the parking lot where the tampered ankle monitor was found, according to Sutton.

Romero has a $10,000 bond for the contempt of court charge and a $3,000 bond for the tampering with prison monitoring device charge, according to court records.
Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers announces two federal lawsuits against a California regulatory board and the Environmental Protection Agency on Monday, May 13, 2024, in Lincoln. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

LINCOLN  Nebraska is leading the charge in two multistate lawsuits filed Monday against a California regulatory board and the Environmental Protection Agency related to new emissions rules.

Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, in announcing the lawsuits against the California Air Resources Board and the EPA, said new regulations on internal combustion engines and greenhouse gas emissions are unconstitutional and will put us on a collision course for a national mandate for electric vehicles.

Unfortunately, Nebraksans, and frankly others around the country, are under assault from both coasts, Hilgers said at a news conference.

Twenty-four states joined the lawsuit against the EPA and 17 states in the California lawsuit.

Elephants in mouseholes

Hilgers said the rule from the California board, which is continuing goals for zero-emission vehicle requirements, will prevent Nebraska and many other states from doing business in California and reaching its ports.

They are saying you cant do business in California unless you agree to our very radical electric vehicle mandate for trucking companies, Hilgers said.

In California, the lawsuit focuses on the U.S. Constitution and its broader impacts on interstate commerce, which Congress has the authority to regulate, as well as a federal law that forbids states from regulating tailpipe emissions.

Fifteen states joined Nebraska in the lawsuit against the California regulatory board and California Attorney General Rob Bonta: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming. They were joined by the Arizona Legislature and the Nebraska Trucking Association.

The lawsuit argues Congress did not grant statutory authority to the EPA to make the rule.

The same states joined Nebraska in filing against the EPA. They were joined by Alaska, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

The Supreme Court has been very clear about this: Congress doesnt hide elephants in mouseholes, Hilgers said. They dont try to reorder the American economy.

The EPA had no comment due to pending litigation. The California Attorney Generals Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A game of regulations

Gov. Jim Pillen, who joined Hilgers at a press conference along with representatives of trucking companies and the Nebraska Trucking Association, said Nebraska is in the center of the country and ships products to both coasts. This helps to feed the world, save the planet through state agriculture, he added.

Pillen said Nebraska has news for California Gov. Gavin Newsom and his state that the Cornhusker State will play that game too when it comes to state regulations.

The fake-meat, petri-dish-meat folks, theyre not going to have a place in Nebraska, just mark that down on your calendar, Pillen told reporters. Its time for us to roll up our sleeves and fight and defend Nebraska, and thats what were doing.

Hilgers said he gave Bonta a heads up before filing the lawsuit. Pillen said he has spent time with EPA officials to communicate the importance of biofuels and ethanol to the state.

Truckers favor realistic carbon reduction

Brent Falgione, president of Greater Omaha Express, which operates in 48 states transporting refrigerated and dry goods, said diesel trucks play a major role in the nations movement of goods, including for Nebraska, at the crossroads of all major transportation routes.

While the alternative fuels technology  such as electric, hydrogen fuels  they show promise, theyre not yet widely available or economically viable, Falgione said.

Falgione said the lack of infrastructure and support for alternative fuels  with no charging stations for trucks in the state  would also complicate the transition.

Hilgers and Falgione said the regulations, which will have staggering start times with the earliest stage not starting until next year, could leave behind rural communities and drive up costs.

Kent Grisham, president and CEO of the Nebraska Truckers Association, said trucks are getting more energy efficient under modern technology.

If the argument really is about carbon reduction, we can do that today, Grisham said. If the argument is about something to do with an electrified technology, philosophy or religion, well, thats a lot farther away than what honest people are willing to admit.

The post Multistate, Nebraska-led lawsuits target California and EPA emission regulations appeared first on Nebraska Examiner.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Multnomah Countys Behavioral Health Resource Center is back in business after temporarily halting operations for building upgrades and staff training.

On Monday starting at 6 a.m., employees notified residents the center had re-opened by handing out entry tickets in the Old Town neighborhood.

ODFW appoints first female director in departments 137-year history

The county first informed the public the center would shut down in early April. The closure lasted from Monday, May 6 to Sunday, May 12.

It allowed construction crews to install curtains that prevent smoke and heat from spreading to the elevator shafts in the facility. The building previously held only one of these devices on the first floor. But during an inspection in November 2022, the county learned it was no longer up to code.

Other maintenance included new building and program signs, pest control treatment and exterior landscaping.

The shutdown also allowed employees to complete annual training, officials said.

Star witness Michael Cohen directly implicates Trump in testimony at hush money trial

Staff with the Mental Health and Addiction Association of Oregon, the organization that manages the day center, were required to earn more education credits to stay professionally certified.

Other employees with Do Good Multnomah, the nonprofit that leads the shelter and bridge housing, took time to train peer staff members.

According to the county, service at the Behavioral Health Resource Center would have been disrupted for five weeks if officials decided against the one-week closure.

Salem man, 75, dies in hospital after hit-run

Each day, dozens of people rely on the Center for a safe place to take care of some very important basic needs, Operations Director John Karp-Evans said in a statement. Completing these routine maintenance items will help us continue to serve our clients in a safe environment with updates that will minimize the need for unexpected closures in the future.

The day center provides residents with restrooms, showers, clothing and other resources. It served 3,750 individuals from December 2022 to December 2023.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET)  A man found incompetent to stand trial in the death of a 66-year-old man was ordered transferred to a state hospital during a hearing Tuesday in Superior Court.

Tyrell Cooper, 42, will receive treatment and be held at the facility for up to two years as efforts are made to restore him to competency, according to the District Attorneys Office.

Resentencing hearing for rapist, murderer moved to August

Criminal proceedings against Cooper  who faced charges including first-degree murder  have been suspended.

Witnesses reported Cooper repeatedly pistol-whipped Clark inside a home on Clyde Street, north of East Brundage Lane and east of South King Street. They said Cooper also threatened to kill others in the home, according to court documents.

Cooper told police hed heard second-hand about disparaging remarks Clark made about him, documents said. He acknowledged sometimes hearing voices when no one was there.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17.
Mushroom hunters stumble on stone carving  and make an ancient discovery in Thailand

A group of villagers in central Thailand walked to the edge of the Dong Yai Wildlife Sanctuary, then stepped into the forested oasis.

The sanctuary, part of four connected parks creating a wildlife corridor, was created in part as a way to protect tigers moving across the country.

The group was on the hunt for mushrooms, but soon, they would make a much bigger discovery.

As they searched the forest floor, they came upon a large stone and saw a face looking back at them, according to a May 13 news release from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.

It was a carving of a person with long hair holding a tree branch above their head, photos shared by the department show.

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The villagers reported the carving to officials once back in town, and on May 13, researchers traveled into the park to find the carving for themselves, according to the release.

When the researchers reached the carving, they took photos and measurements, saying the piece of art was ancient, but determining its age would require more testing.

The stone carving was located less than a mile from a historic Buddhist temple, officials said, a building that was allowed to be inside the bounds of the park for religious practices, monasteries and residences for monks.

Park officials said they will be exploring the paths and areas around the carving for more clues, but for now, the face remains a mystery.

Another ancient carving depicting Yama, the God of Death, riding a buffalo was smuggled out of the sanctuary before it was confiscated and placed on display in San Francisco in 2021, park officials told Thai PBS World.

Facebook Translate was used to translate the post from the   .

Medieval castle  a witness to centuries of change  excavated in the UK. See it

2,000-year-old Roman lead bars found in Spain shed light on ancient mining, study says

440-pound sculpture  used as ritual table by Mayans  discovered in Mexico. See it

1,600-year-old indoor pool unearthed at ancient Roman ruins in Albania, photos show
Musing That Racism Isnt As Bad As It Was, 5th Circuit Mulls Further Neutering Voting Rights Act

Conservatives on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals occasionally sounded like Fox News talking heads Tuesday as they weighed whether coalitions composed of multiple minority groups are protected under the Voting Rights Act.

Has the world not changed from a racial standpoint? Would you agree that discrimination in favor of a race  preferring a race  is the same thing as discrimination against other races? the judges asked.

The right-wing judges dismissal of these voters need for protection  a seat at the table, said Chad Dunn, an attorney for the disenfranchised voters  sits in sharp contrast next to the ruling from the district court.

[T]his is not a typical redistricting case. What happened here was stark and jarring, wrote U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Vincent Brown, a Trump appointee. The Commissioners Court transformed Precinct 3 from the precinct with the highest percentage of Black and Latino residents to that with the lowest percentage. The circumstances and effect of the enacted plan were mean-spirited and egregious given that there was absolutely no reason to make major changes to Precinct 3.

A mix of Black and Latino voters had been represented by one Galveston, Texas county commissioner for 30 years, until the county wiped the precinct  Precinct 3  off the map in 2021. It did so, the U.S. government notes in its brief supporting the coalitions, at only one public meeting in a far-flung, tiny annex, where the aggressive judge threatened to expel attendees who were crammed into the hallway.

The case has become a vehicle for one of the most potent, new threats against the already diminished Voting Rights Act: the argument that only single minority groups, and not politically likeminded minority coalitions, get the VRAs protection from being stretched and cracked out of any meaningful voting power. The argument was raised in a redistricting case out of Georgia too, but the district judge set it aside late last year as having not been sufficiently briefed.

A panel of judges on the notoriously conservative 5th Circuit in November of last year upheld the Texas district courts ruling  begrudgingly.

That precedent establishes the validity of so-called minority-coalition claims like those brought in this case, the panel wrote, adding: But the courts decisions in this respect are wrong as a matter of law.

In other words: The judges are bound to follow their circuits precedent, that the coalitions do get VRA protection. But that precedent, they insist, is wrong and should be overturned.

The panel called for a rehearing of the case en banc, arguments for which the full circuit heard Tuesday.

The few liberal judges on the court stepped in occasionally to underscore the danger of further limiting the scope of the once-great civil rights legislation, which has been chipped away at by a decade and a half of Supreme Court rulings.

Judge Stephen Higginson, an Obama appointee, pressed Galvestons attorney, Joseph Nixon, on the concern that your theory would allow discrimination as long as it affects two groups instead of one.

Im particularly worried about whether youre gonna be asking courts to engage in race science in one of two ways: Either courts will now have to delineate racial singularity  which I would think would be impossible for 6 million Americans who are Afro-Latino  or courts would have to exclude mixed groups, say Asian Americans, on the theory that Filipino Americans have different interests than Chinese Americans, he added.

Judge Dana Douglas, a Biden appointee, asked Nixon a pointed question to underscore the animating force of the VRA.

What the Supreme Court has said is that the Voting Rights Act should be interpreted in a manner that provides the broadest scope possible in combating racial discrimination, so how does that square with your argument? she asked.

The merits of the arguments are unlikely to outweigh the conservatives numbers; Tuesdays arguments were heard by 12 judges appointed by Republican presidents to four by Democratic ones. The case is likely headed to the Supreme Court.

Judge James Ho, always eager to raise his profile as one of the most infamous Trump appointees, took Tuesdays opportunity to raise another even more dangerous threat to the VRA: the argument that individual citizens cannot sue to bring vote dilution cases, despite decades of doing so. Right-wing litigants have been trying out the argument more aggressively, positing that only the U.S. attorney general  and not the typical coalition of individual voters backed by voting rights groups  can challenge gerrymanders.

Youre aware that Judge Strauss on the 8th Circuit said that there is no private cause of action at all  you have not argued that? Ho asked Nixon, name-checking another Trump appointee.

Ultra-conservatives such as Ho clearly read this moment as the time to strike, given the Roberts Courts historic hostility to the law once considered a bulwark against regimes crafted to keep minority voters underrepresented and powerless.
Using remote sensing techniques, archaeologists in Egypt have discovered a mysterious L-shaped structure underground in the western cemetery of Giza.

The western cemetery contains burials of royal family members of the royal family and high-ranking officials, the team of scientists wrote in a study. Many of their tombs have above-ground rectangular stone or mud-brick structures with flat roofs known as "mastabas."

There is an area in the middle of the cemetery where no aboveground structures have been found. To search for remains in this area, the team used a technique called electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), in which electrical currents are sent into the ground and resistance is measured to detect remains, along with ground-penetrating radar (GPR), a technique that sends radar into the ground and, after it bounces back, maps the underlying structures.

The team found an anomaly roughly 6.5 feet (2 meters) beneath the surface. It appears to be an L-shaped structure measuring at least 33 feet (10 m) in length, the team wrote in their paper, published May 5 in the journal Archaeological Prospection . From the readings, the L-shaped structure "seems to have been filled with sand, which means it was backfilled after it was constructed," the team wrote in the study.

The deeper structure was a "highly resistive anomaly" according to the readings, suggesting it could be a mix of sand and gravel, or perhaps an air void, the team said.

Related: 3,500-year-old 'rest house' used by ancient Egyptian army discovered in Sinai desert

Excavations to determine what the L-shaped structure is are now underway, study first author Motoyuki Sato , a professor in the Center for Northeast Asian Studies at Tohoku University in Japan, told Live Science in an email. Sato said he is confident that the structure is not a natural phenomenon, as "the shape is too sharp."

Peter Der Manuelian , a professor of Egyptology at Harvard University who was not involved in the study, told Live Science in an email that "it's an interesting area, one that has avoided exploration due to the absence of superstructures."

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There are L-shaped offering chapels at Giza, but these are usually aboveground, he said. "I'm not sure just what this anomaly represents yet, but it is certainly worthy of further exploration."

The remote sensing work was carried out between 2021 and 2023 by a joint team of scientists from Higashi Nippon International University, Tohoku University, and Egypt's National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics.
NASAs Juno mission captured these views of Jupiter during its 59th close flyby of the giant planet on March 7, 2024. - Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS. Image processing by Gerald Eichstadt

Oh, there it is. Jupiters unassuming moon Amalthea was spotted in two recent images captured by NASAs Juno probe.

During its 59th close flyby of Jupiter on March 7, the Juno spacecraft captured its usual stunning views of the giant planets swirling winds and colorful belts. The new photos offered an unexpected treat: a rare glimpse of one of Jupiters tiny, mysterious moons.

Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS. Image processing by Gerald Eichstadt

In the first image on the left, Amalthea can be seen as a small dot against the backdrop of Jupiters Great Red Spot, which stretches across 10,159 miles (16,350 kilometers). As it continues to orbit its host planet, the moon wanders towards the right in the second image and can be spotted just below one of Jupiters colorful belts.



There may not be much to see, but dont be fooled by this moons humble appearance. Amalthea is one of four smaller moons that orbit within the path of Jupiters Galilean moon Io. The small moons, Metis, Adrastea, Amalthea, and Thebe, are all oddly shaped because they dont have enough mass to pull themselves into a proper sphere.

Stretching across 52 miles (84 kilometers) wide, Amalthea is shaped like a tiny celestial potato. The surface of the tiny moon, however, is littered with impact craters, hills, and valleys. Amalthea is also the reddest object in the solar system and it possibly gives out more heat than it receives from the Sun, according to NASA. That heat might be due to Jupiters powerful magnetic field, which induce electric currents in the moons core, or tidal stresses caused by Jupiters gravity.

Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS. Image processing by Gerald Eichstadt

The Juno spacecraft was about 165,000 miles (265,000 kilometers) above Jupiters cloud tops at the time the first image was taken. Junos images are available for the public to fiddle with through the missions website, and these particular images were enhanced by citizen scientist Gerald Eichstadt.



Amalthea was discovered in 1892 and named after a mythological naiad (a type of water nymph) who nursed the newborn Roman god Jupiter. The moon holds the third closest orbit of all of Jupiters known moons (of which 95 are known), and takes about half an Earth day to circle around the giant planet. Its tiny but certainly mighty.

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Mysterious skeletal remains found lodged inside the chimney of a Wisconsin music store have fueled speculation and frustrated investigators for more than 30 years  but DNA analysis recently revealed a huge clue in the cold case.

It was September 1989 and the owners of Good n Loud Music, in Madison, were removing a faulty boiler in the basement when they made the discovery, the DNA Doe Project said in a May 13 news release. One happened to peer down a pipe leading to a chimney, and they saw a human skull at the other end.

The skull was part of a complete skeleton wearing an iron cross necklace and feminine clothing, trapped in cramped darkness, researchers said.

No identification was found, the release said. There was no way the person could have gotten into the pipe from within the building.

The question of who has finally been answered 34 years later, officials say.

Using rootless hair samples, researchers created a DNA profile and identified the skeleton as a man named Ronnie Joe Kirk.

Born in 1942 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Kirk married twice and divorced both times, but had children, investigators told WKBT. Kirk was also adopted, researchers said.

Madison police detective Jim Grann, who died in 2022, had called the case the most frustrating of his career, and one he aimed to keep working on even in retirement, Madison Magazine reported. Detective Lindsey Ludden, who contacted the DNA Doe Project for help identifying the remains, told the magazine its a shame Grann couldnt be here.

I am sad I was not able to give him a big update before his passing  but I will continue to think of him as we work on the case, Ludden said.

Questions still linger. Its not clear how Kirk died and how they ended up in the chimney, where they apparently remained long enough for their flesh to fall away.

Could the clothing found on Kirks remains provide any insight?

The Trans Doe Task Force, an organization dedicated to investigating cases of missing or killed LGBTQ people, especially focusing on unidentified individuals who may have been transgender, helped bring the Kirk case to the DNA Doe Projects attention, the group said.

Transgender people are more than twice as likely to be victims of violent crime, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

But DNA Doe Project researchers are careful not to put too much weight on how Kirk might have personally identified, or how they may or may not have lived their life.

People are going to speculate about the so-called dress, and we feel that it was mislabelled as such since we have found no further evidence to suggest Ronnie ever identified as anything other than male, co-team leader Megan Pasika said in the release.

Investigators at the time also found a matching belt, a shag-pile sweater and pointed, low-heeled shoes, Madison Magazine reported.

Regardless, the case presented a unique challenge for the projects researchers, who were first contacted by Madison police in 2019.

This was such a unique case with adoption, and multiple generations of different marriages, despite having a relatively close DNA relative match in the family, team leader Gwen Knapp said. The shrewd genealogy work done by my team was amazing to tease out the various relationships. Were so excited that we can give Ronnie Kirk his name back and hope his family has some closure for Ronnie being missing for so long.

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N.Y. woman charged in scam that tricked Clairton man out of $19,000

Allegheny County police charged a New York woman with the theft of more than $19,000 from a Clairton man.

On April 17, Clairton police requested the assistance of the Allegheny County Police Departments General Investigations Unit after a person reported being scammed.

Detectives learned the victim had clicked a link on his computer for a coupon. The victims computer malfunctioned, and a pop-up window directed him to call a number for assistance.

The victim said he was told over the phone that his bank account had been hacked and more than $19,000 worth of charges were pending on his account, police said. The victim was convinced to withdraw the money from his account and meet up with an individual, later identified as Rachel Chen, 25, of Staten Island, N.Y., to exchange the money that the victim believed would be going into a new bank account.

Chen was part of a group that targeted the man, police said.

Detectives discovered Chen was arrested for a similar theft scam in New Hampshire on March 14 and investigators recovered multiple pieces of evidence linking Chen to the theft in Clairton, police said.

She is charged with receiving stolen property, theft by deception and criminal conspiracy. Chen is currently being held in New Hampshire.

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This Napa Valley Vineyard May Be up for Grabs Thanks to a Succession-Style Family Feud

Succession may be done playing out on our screens, but it seems the drama is just getting started for this family.

The Corleys have owned Napa Valleys Monticello Vineyards for more than five decades, but now a feud is brewing among the familys seven siblings, the San Francisco Chronicle reported on Monday. Carolyn Corley, the only daughter of Jay Corley, who founded the winery, claims a group of her siblings is plotting to sell Monticello to an outside entity.

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Its where we grew up, Carolyn told the Chronicle. Theres so much potential and history there. I dont want to sell.

Carolyn believes her brothers Chris and Kevin agree with her and want to keep Monticello in the family. But she alleges her other siblingsMark, Kent, Stephen, and Michaelare working to sell the winery and reap the monetary benefits. (Mark and Kent did not respond to the San Francisco Chronicles requests for comment, and Hugh Tietjen, the board director, declined to comment. But the newspaper reviewed documents that mentioned potentially selling the winery several times.)

Jay founded Monticello back in 1970, and its remained one of the few family-owned vineyards in Napa Valley. While its not a famous name in the world of wine, its notable for having stayed in the family at a time when other wineries have been sold to larger businesses, usually due to fights behind the scenes, the Chronicle noted.

In this case, after Jay died in 2016, four of the Corley brothers began to work toward a takeover, Carolyn claims. Kevin, who at one point served as both president and chairman, was given less power, and he hasnt been involved in daily operations since 2022. Chris, meanwhile, resigned from the board in November.

Over the last four decades, I have enthusiastically worked for and served Monticello in every department, and plan to do so going forward as long as Im able, Chris wrote in a statement to the San Francisco Chronicle. I remain an absolute and enthusiastic supporter of the legacy that our father started with the founding of Monticello back in 1970.

Mark, meanwhile, is now the president/chairman, and Kent is the corporate secretary. In November, Mark told some 100 shareholders that the board would look at potentially selling the business. And a March letter said the board had started discussions with several parties who have expressed interest in acquiring the entire company, according to documents viewed by the newspaper.

The way they are fighting, its like a soap opera, one shareholder told the Chronicle. The best outcome is they should sell the company.

At a shareholder meeting on Tuesday, there are plans to reelect the current board members and put in place a plan for Monticellos future. That could very well mean offloading the winery, much to Carolyns chagrin.

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NATO member Estonia is 'seriously' discussing sending troops to fill non-combat roles in Ukraine, security advisor says

NATO member Estonia is 'seriously' discussing sending troops to fill non-combat roles in Ukraine, security advisor says

An Estonian official told Breaking Defense that his government is "seriously" discussing putting troops in Ukraine.

Those soldiers would be put away from the frontlines and relieve Ukrainian troops of non-combat roles, he said.

Estonia has around 4,200 active-duty soldiers, with a core reservist call-up of 38,000 more people.

Estonia has been "seriously" discussing sending troops to Ukraine in roles positioned away from the front lines, per a national security official.

Madis Roll, national security advisor to Estonia's president, told military news outlet Breaking Defense that his country's leaders were assessing the viability of sending Estonian soldiers to "rear" roles that wouldn't see direct combat in Ukraine.

Such a move would help relieve Ukraine's manpower crunch and allow it to send more soldiers to the front lines.

And while Estonia, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization country, prefers to act together with the alliance's major members, it's also not closed to the idea of jumping in with a smaller group of allies, Roll said.

"Discussions are ongoing," Roll told Breaking Defense. "We should be looking at all the possibilities. We shouldn't have our minds restricted as to what we can do."

Breaking Defense reported that Roll made these comments on Friday, just days after the country's defense chief, Gen. Martin Herem, told the outlet that Estonia had internally talked about sending troops to Ukraine.

But there hadn't been a "serious discussion" due to domestic political concerns, Herem told the military news site on May 9.

Estonia is one of the geographically closest NATO members to Russia, with an eastern border shared with the Russian regions Pskov and Leningrad. Its military relies largely on reservist units, with about 4,200 permanent staff and 38,000 reserve troops ready for wartime operations.

Additional reserves bring the total number of Estonians with military training to around 230,000 of its 1.3 million population, per the official defense forces website.

More NATO members are thinking about troops in Ukraine

Tallinn is now joining a growing chorus of alliance members touting the possibility of backing Ukraine's forces with troops, with French President Emmanuel Macron drawing Moscow's ire for repeatedly floating such a strategy.

The Baltic States are following suit. Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte told The Financial Times on May 8 that she had the authority from parliament to deploy troops to Ukraine for training, but that Kyiv had not put forward such a request yet.

NATO needs the consensus of its members to send troops as an alliance to a war zone, but individual states may deploy their own forces as they see fit.

Russia, meanwhile, has said that any significant NATO troop presence in Ukraine would be seen as a major escalation, regularly bringing up the threat of nuclear war.

But its gains in Ukraine, where Kyiv for months suffered from ammunition undersupply and now faces a widening manpower disadvantage, have spooked Western Europe.

States bordering Russia's western flank, like Finland and Estonia, are cautioning that a Ukrainian defeat means they may soon be the next targets of Russian aggression.

Estonia has given Ukraine about $640 million worth of military, humanitarian, and financial aid, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy's aid tracker.

That's about 1.6% of its total GDP, more than any other nation that has supplied Ukraine with aid. The latest tranche of US aid to Kyiv, of $61 billion, is worth around 0.2% of American GDP.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Congress says the Navy's CMV-22B Ospreys can only fly 30 minutes from a divert airfield, limiting their ability to provide carrier onboard delivery services.

A powerful Congressional subcommittee says the Navys troubled CMV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft are unable to perform their main function of aircraft carrier onboard delivery (COD) and wants to know what is being done to fix the problem.

The committee understands that current CMV-22 operations are limited to flights and missions that stay within 30 minutes of a suitable divert airfield, the House Armed Services Committee Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee wrote in its Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) initial markup . This prohibits the use of the CMV-22 for carrier onboard support of deployed aircraft carriers once they have left their homeport.

That presents a potentially huge problem because the Ospreys are intended to provide a stream of vital supplies and personnel to aircraft carriers and their escorts. This logistics link has to exist even over longer distances during so called 'blue water' operations, where ship's own tactical jets have no divert fields within range. As it sits now, the carriers can only be supported by the CMV-22 within close proximity to shore, which drastically negates their intended utility. In other words, the CMV-22s are basically operating within the range of what a laden heavy lift helicopter could achieve at this time.

https://youtu.be/MI0ouMjq6lM?t=5

The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group deployed with a detachment of CMV-22 Ospreys, but is currently supported by the forward-deployed Carrier Air Wing 5 C-2 Greyhounds, CDR Beth Teach, a Navy spokesperson, told us in January. Their operational schedule was not impacted at the time, and remains unchanged demonstrating the resilience, adaptability and endurance of the Carrier Strike Group. Within the strike group and the U.S. Navy, we operate with multiple logistic redundancies across all operational envelopes, making us adaptable and steadfast.

A Navy CMV-22 B Osprey about the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Erin C. Zorich/Released

Meanwhile, the Theodore Roosevelt and Dwight David Eisenhower carrier strike groups deployed with C-2A Greyhounds , not Ospreys, for COD operations, Teach told us. The Roosevelt was initially scheduled to depart with Ospreys, but after a standdown following a fatal crash in Japan last year, it deployed with Greyhounds instead. The Eisenhowers air wing was not scheduled to make the transition to Ospreys - a multi-year process - before it deployed.

That was another concern voiced by the subcommittee.

The Navy is now relying on the aging C-2A, which was the primary aircraft for carrier onboard logistics that the CMV-22 was in the process of replacing, the subcommittee stated. With no other option available, the committee supports this interim solution but recognizes it is not a viable long-term solution beyond 2026.

A C-2A Greyhound assigned to the Providers of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 30 lands aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Peter Merrill)

The Navy plans to stop flying the Grumman C-2 Greyhound, a twin-turboprop carrier-capable transport that first entered the service in the mid-1960s, by August 2026, a Navy official told The War Zone earlier this year. You can read more about what it is like to fly the earlier C-2 model in our interview with a former pilot here .

As a result of these issues, the committee directs the Secretary of the Navy to submit a report to the House Committee on Armed Services by February 1, 2025, seeking the following information:

The long-term plan for how the Navy will support the carrier strike group beyond the date in which the C-2A platform is no longer available based on its current divestment plan;

Options for carrier onboard delivery capability should the CMV-22 be deemed unsuitable for such missions;

A detailed description of the carrier onboard concept of operations during combat operations in a denied environment;

The plan to support the [Peculiar Support Equipment] PSE needs of the CMV-22 if the Navys unique fleet essential aircraft are not available due to operational availability or lack of sufficient numbers.

A CVM-22B Osprey, from the "Sunhawks" of fleet logistics multi-mission squadron (VRM) 50, lands on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Joseph Calabrese)

We reached out to the Air Force and Marines for comment in regard to if their aircraft are similarly operationally limited and will update this story with any pertinent details provided.

Despite its concerns, the subcommittee supports the capability the V-22 Osprey brings across the Department of Defense with its speed and range capabilities combined with vertical takeoff and landing flexibility. However, it wants to know more about how the Pentagon plans to improve the Ospreys across the services.

The committee directs the Chief of Naval Operations, in coordination with the Chief of Staff of the Air Force and the Commandant of the Marine Corps, to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services not later than January 31, 2025, on the investment plan for each variant of the V-22 Osprey aircraft to ensure operational suitability, the subcommittee additionally demanded.

Congress wants answers on how the services will invest in the future of Ospreys. Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces

The subcommittees quest for answers about the V-22 program comes amid heightened concerns about the controversial Osprey.

Two months ago , V-22s across the U.S. Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy were finally cleared for flying operations. A months-long pause went into effect in the wake of a fatal crash off the coast of Japan led to all of the aircraft being grounded .

U.S. military officials have said a "materiel failure" led to that crash, but have not yet been able to determine why that component failed. While the exact parts that failed are unknown, based on statements that have been provided so far, they are elements of the proprotor gearboxes on the aircraft. This is a part of the Osprey's design that has proven to be problematic in various ways over the years.

A Marine conducts engine maintenance on an MV-22B Osprey. DOD

"We have high confidence that we understand what component failed and how it failed. ...what we're still working on is the why," Marine Corps Colonel Brian Taylor, the V-22 JPO program manager at NAVAIR, said at a media roundtable that The War Zone and other outlets attended in March. "We understand, generally, the mechanics of what played out."

However, "this is the first time that we've seen this particular component fail in this way" and described what is currently known to have happened in the November crash as "unprecedented," Taylor explained.

Though the Ospreys were cleared to fly, it will take the services time to restore operations fully and even then some restrictions will be in place.

Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), which operates the CV-22 variant, is executing the deliberate return to flight process, Lt. Col. Becky Heyse, an AFSOC spokesperson, told The War Zone last month.

CV-22 Ospreys assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron approach an MC-130J Commando II for aerial refueling over the Sea of Japan, March 17, 2023. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Trevor Gordnier

This process includes simulator training for our CV-22 aircrew, maintenance inspections of our CV-22 aircraft, and a review of each aircrafts maintenance records as prescribed by the Joint Program Office. As each aircraft is cleared, our aircrew will immediately commence flight operations. As of today, several aircraft have conducted functional check flights, the first step in resuming flying operations.

The Accident Investigation Board investigation remains ongoing, Heyse added.

Recovered debris, believed to be part of wreckage from a crashed US Air Force CV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, is seen after it was brought ashore at Yakushima-cho in Kagoshima prefecture on November 30, 2023. (Photo by STR/JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images)

The Marines, meanwhile, have confidence in the Osprey and we are laser-focused on the safety and mission readiness of our pilots and aircrew," U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Bradford J. Gering, deputy commandant for Marine Corps Aviation, said in a statement in March when the aircraft were cleared to fly. "We have worked extensively on plans and timelines that support a deliberate, methodical, and safe return to flight. We are flying the Osprey again because our airworthiness authority cleared it for flight, because we trust our well-established operational risk management procedures, and most of all because we trust our professional pilots, aircrew and maintainers to safely get this combat-proven aircraft back into the fight."

A view of the cockpit of a Marine MV-22B. USMC

Plans for the Navy variant remain unclear and we have reached out to find more answers.

There have been other concerns raised about the Osprey this year. The Pentagons Office of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, or DOT&E reported that the Navys CVM-22Bs were not operationally suitable due to failures of many subsystems, with the ice protection system accounting for 44% of the total operational mission failures, DOT&E stated in its Fiscal Year 2023 annual report . You can read more about those findings in our initial story here .

Before the fatal crash in Japan, the Osprey was involved in numerous high-profile mishaps, though it is unknown at this point whether any of its previous problems involved the other subsystems DOT&E said failed.

The Air Force, as well as the Navy and the Marines, grounded some of their Ospreys in February 2023 over concerns with the aircrafts hard clutch.

An MV-22B Osprey, attached to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 162 (Reinforced), takes off from the flight deck of the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) during routine flight operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jessica Kibena)

As we reported at the time, that came after the Air Force previously grounded its fleet in August 2022 after one of the aircraft made an emergency landing in Norway . Fortunately, there were no injuries as a result of that mishap, which was traced to an issue with a hard clutch on the Osprey.

Ospreys, as we noted in an earlier story , have suffered a number of serious accidents , some of which have been fatal and some that have been linked to other materiel issues , since the aircraft first flew in 1989. There have been three fatal Marine MV-22B crashes just since March 2022 . The March 2022 crash was subsequently determined to have been caused by pilot error , while a crash that followed in June of 2022 was attributed to the hard clutch problem . The most recent Marine Osprey mishap, which occurred in Australia in August 2023 remains under investigation. There have been numerous other fatal Osprey mishaps over the years.

If the subcommittees assessment of the unavailability of CMV-22s to perform COD missions is accurate, that represents a large blow to the Navys plans to replace an aging airframe as well as expand the tilt-rotor aircrafts mission sets.

The Navy's CVM-22B Ospreys can only fly within 30 minutes of a divert airfield, severely limiting their ability to resupply aircraft carriers at sea. Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee

The CMV-22B's first deployment, aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, was hailed as a success for what it brought to the table for transport services.

Its first deployment took place in the summer of 2021 when Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Squadron (VRM) 30 embarked on the Vinson alongside the F-35C Lightning II and E-2D Advanced Hawkeye squadrons.

"The first deployed detachment has executed a mission completion rate of 98% and a mission capable rate of 75%," the Navy said in a release at the time. "The CMV-22B is a crucial element of future carrier air wings due to the cargo capacity needed to transport F-35 power modules and additional logistics support for future carrier air wing deployments with next-generation platforms."

With distributed maritime ops, longer ranges, distances between multi-carrier operations, distances from land-based areas, and the ability for the CMV-22B to plop down on unimproved spaces, it proved to be a game-changer for us on deployment, Vice Adm. Kenneth Whitesell, then-commander of Naval Air Forces and Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, said during a July 2022 Maritime Security Dialogue event hosted by the Center for Strategic & International Studies and the U.S. Naval Institute .

Sailors prepare a CMV-22B Osprey, assigned to the Titans of Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Squadron (VRM) 30, for flight on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Joshua Sapien)

In April 2023, Whitesell said the CVM-22B could be used for more than COD missions.

"If you look at the CMV-22 is designed with the actual bladders and fuel capability, the weight capability to travel stuff around, because it's meant to be able to support us in the Western Pacific."

As we previously reported , the CMV-22's ability to go where the C-2 cannot  specifically to other ships in the Carrier Strike Group and austere bases ashore  is among its biggest advantages. This allows for a more flexible concept of cargo delivery operations, with the CMV-22 being able to deliver its cargo directly to other vessels and small bases ashore. It could also take on other, non-traditional roles.

If [an] E-2D is not available, where can [a] CMV-22 be used as a communications [node]? Whitesell offered as one additional role that's being looked into now. The Grumman E-2D, which is a close cousin, in terms of design, of the C-2, serves as an airborne early warning and control platform but also provides critical advanced networking and data fusion for a carrier strike group and its aircraft.

How soon the Navy can return its Osprey fleet to full capability remains unknown at the time. Despite assurances that the aging Greyhounds can fill in the gaps, how long and how well is another unknown factor that we will continue to monitor.

Update: 10:42 AM Wednesday -

Neil Lobeda, a spokesman for the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, provided some statements to The War Zone about the limitation on the Navys Osprey as pointed out by Congress:

Due to Operational Security (OPSEC), PMA-275, the V-22 Joint Program Office (PJO), is not authorized to publicly release any specifics [about] operational limitations implemented on the CMV-22s.

On whether there have been any recent changes to the deployment of CMV-22Bs while underway and are the C-2s taking up the slack:

The CMV-22B is the U.S. Navy variant of the V-22 and is the replacement for the C-2A Greyhound for Carrier Onboard Delivery (COD) and the Joint Force Maritime Component Commander (JFMCC) time-critical logistics air connector requirements by transporting personnel, mail, and cargo from advance bases to the Seabase. The Navy operates with multiple logistic redundancies across all operational envelopes, making us adaptable and steadfast to ensure the Navy maintain a high level of readiness. The Navy will continue to use C-2A Greyhound Carrier On-board Deliver (COD) aircraft to mitigate potential operational impacts to the carrier replenishment mission.

On the information requested by the subcommittee:

The V-22 Joint Program Office (JPO) understands that the House Armed Services Committee has requested the above information. While the V-22 JPO has not been formally tasked by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) in regards to this particular request; we are appreciative of the support from the committee and Congress over the life of this program and look forward to the opportunity to partner with Congress in assessing the Capability, Availability, Affordability, and Safety of the V-22 Osprey. Once we are formally provided with direction from OSD in regard to this request, we will make every effort to provide all information requested according to applicable laws and regulations. We remain confident in the V-22 Osprey and its transformative capability as the worlds only operational Tiltrotor Aircraft.

Update: 5:21 PM May 16 -

The Marine Corps today responded to our question about whether its Ospreys have any limitations similar to those for the Navy's variants:

Operational security associated with our forward deployed Marines and Sailors limits our ability to provide details regarding any potential platform restrictions. However, the Marine Corps returned its MV-22s to flight on March 8, following Naval Air Systems Commands (NAVAIR) announcement that deemed the aircraft safe to fly. Squadrons returned to flight operations through the implementation of a safe, deliberate, and methodical approach. The Marine Corps, after a thorough review of all available engineering data and with revisions to the flight manual in place, is now enacting a deliberate plan to return all 17 MV-22 squadrons to full capability. The Marine Corps three-phased approach begins with a focus on regaining basic flight currency, rebuilding units instructor cadres, and achieving proficiency in Core and Basic skill training for pilots and aircrew. Squadrons will follow well-established training and readiness manuals to gain proficiency in basic and advanced mission sets, demonstrating their ability to conduct the core missions of an MV-22 Squadron.

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
Sai Varshith Kandula pleaded guilty Monday to crashing a U-Haul box truck into a White House barrier in Washington, D.C., on May 22, 2023. Kandula, a native of Chandanagar, India, but a U.S. permanent resident who lived in Chesterfield, Mo. In January 2022, he graduated from Marquette High School and the photo is from a yearbook. Photo by Marquette High School/UPI

May 13 (UPI) -- A 20-year-old Indian national with permanent U.S. residency pleaded guilty Monday to crashing a U-Haul truck into metal barriers protecting the White House nearly a year ago in his failed attempt to usurp control of the U.S. government and replace it with a Nazi dictatorship.

Sai Varshith Kandula of St. Louis, Miss., was arrested May 22 of last year after crashing the rented U-Haul truck into the metal security barricade outside Lafayette Park.

Court documents state he rammed the barrier twice, with the second time immobilizing the vehicle. Then, he exited the truck and brandished a flag emblazoned with the Nazi Swastika that he had stored in the truck's cab. He was taken into custody by U.S. Park Police and Secret Service officers.

Kandula caused $4,322 in damage to the barrier and more than $50,000 to the U-Haul in the attack.

Though charged with an array of offenses, including threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on the president, vice president or their family members, he pleaded guilty Monday to a charge of willful injury or depredation of property of the United States.

According to federal prosecutors, the attack was planned over several weeks.

In April, Kandula contacted a Virginia security company attempting to secure 25 armed guards and an armored convoy for the assault. Two weeks later, he contacted several companies to rent large commercial vehicles, such as a tractor-trailer truck or a dump truck.

Court documents state that on the day of the attack, Kandula, who was then 19 years of age, flew commercial from St. Louis to Washington, D.C., where he rented the U-Haul truck. After stopping for food and gas, he drove to the White House where he forded the sidewalk, scattering pedestrians, and crashed into the barrier at about 9:35 p.m.

Kandula admitted in the plea agreement that the attack was an attempt to gain access to the White House where he sought to seize power of the country.

"Kandula's intent was to replace the democratically elected government with a dictatorship fueled by ideology of Nazi Germany and for himself to be put in charge of the United States," the Justice Department said in a statement.

He admitted to investigators that he would have had President Joe Biden and others killed if necessary to achieve his goal.

He is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 23.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  What is expected to be a very small group of North Carolina voters will decide which Republicans will serve as the partys nominees for a congressional district seat and for the statewide positions of lieutenant governor and auditor.

One of Tuesdays GOP primary runoffs is for the 13th Congressional District, though one of the candidates who will appear on the ballot is no longer actively running.

Kelly Daughtry, who finished first in the March 5 primary, announced last week that she was suspending her campaign and supporting Brad Knott, a former federal prosecutor from Raleigh who obtained the endorsement of former President and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Runoffs were called for by the second-place finisher in each of the March primaries after the leading vote-getter failed to receive more than 30% of the vote. There are also two other local elections next week.

Overall, 1.8 million people  about 24% of all eligible registered voters  cast ballots during the March 5 primary. Turnout for the runoff is expected to be much smaller. About 26,000 people had cast ballots through Wednesday, the State Board of Elections said.

2024 Second Primary Election

Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. A second primary will take place on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, for the following:

Republican nomination for lieutenant governor: Hal Weatherman Jim ONeill

Republican nomination for state auditor: Jack Clark Dave Boliek

Republican nomination for U.S. House District 13: Kelly Daughtry Brad Knott



Under state law, a second-place candidate in a primary may request a second primary if no candidate receives more than 30% of the votes cast in that contest.

Also, on the county level, a second primary will be held for:

Republican nomination for the South Point Township District on the Gaston County Board of Commissioners: Jim Bailey Ronnie Worley



And in Orange County, a runoff will take place for:

A third seat on the Orange County Schools Board of Education: Jennifer Moore Bonnie Hauser



These runoffs are pretty low-octane affairs, with less public campaigning and more efforts by candidates and volunteers to get the most committed allies out to vote, said David McLennan, a political science professor at Meredith College in Raleigh. They really depend on the campaigns ability to reach out to their supporters.

In addition to registered Republicans, the GOP runoff voting is open to unaffiliated voters who either voted Republican in the March primaries or didnt vote. There are no Democratic races.

In the congressional race, Daughtry said a pathway to victory for her was no longer feasible after Knott received Trumps endorsement.

But the Johnston County attorney is still listed on the ballot, leaving open the possibility that she could win. Its unlikely that she would accept the nomination, however, according to McLennan, who said such a move could sink her future in GOP politics. If she wins and doesnt accept the nomination, it will be up to local Republicans to appoint the nominee.

Knott has warned supporters that despite his endorsement from Trump, he has not yet won, and reminded them to vote.

MORE FROM QUEEN CITY NEWS

North Carolina Elections

Fourteen Republicans were on the ballot in March for the newly reconfigured Republican-leaning 13th District, which covers all or parts of eight counties. The horseshoe-shaped boundaries arc around most of Raleigh and stretch from Lee County  then east and north  to the Virginia border.

The runoff winner will take on Democratic nominee Frank Pierce. The current 13th District congressman, Democrat Wiley Nickel, declined to seek reelection, citing the North Carolina legislatures redistricting last fall that skewed the district to the right politically.

The runoff for lieutenant governor features Hal Weatherman, a former chief of staff to then-Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, and Forsyth County District Attorney Jim ONeill. Weatherman finished first in the 11-candidate GOP primary.

The primary winner will take on Democratic nominee and state Sen. Rachel Hunt, who is also the daughter of former four-term Gov. Jim Hunt.

There arent any obvious major policy fissures between Weatherman and ONeill. Weatherman has been endorsed by current Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who won the March GOP primary for governor and has been on the campaign trail for over a year. ONeill has name recognition after running for attorney general in 2020 when he narrowly lost to Democrat Josh Stein, who is now his partys candidate for governor.

The lieutenant governor has limited duties, such as presiding over state Senate debate and holding membership on state education and community college boards.

The auditors runoff features first-place primary finishers Jack Clark and Dave Boliek. The winner will take on Democratic State Auditor Jessica Holmes, who was appointed by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper following Beth Woods resignation last year.

Clark is a certified public accountant who has worked in auditing in the private sector before becoming a General Assembly staff employee on budget matters, according to his campaigns website. Boliek is an attorney and former chairman of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill trustee board.

Libertarian Party candidates also will run in the fall for lieutenant governor and state auditor, which are part of the Council of State, composed of the 10 executive branch officials who are elected statewide.

The last time Council of State races went to primary runoffs was 2012 when two GOP contenders for lieutenant governor received a total of 150,000 votes. In the first primary that led to the runoff, the candidates received a total of 769,000 votes.

QUEEN CITY NEWS IS YOUR LOCAL ELECTION HEADQUARTERS

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
NC House bill would crack down on predatory booting and towing more

Drivers in North Carolina may see more of a crackdown on predatory towing after state lawmakers filed a bill that would create new rules for booting and towing companies. More people complain to Action 9 about these businesses than almost any other.

Kyrah Radney says she thought she picked a parking spot in South End that was OK. But she says when she returned to her car, she saw not one boot but two, and a hefty bill to get them off.

9 Investigates: NC towing companies accused of abusing power

He was like, It will be [$]250, but were saving you a deal because, if we towed you, it would be [$]350, she told Action 9s Jason Stoogenke. Im wondering how they came up with their pricing.

Radney says she didnt want trouble, so she paid the $250, but that it still eats at her. Im thankful that I had that to pay that, but I know that a lot of people wouldnt have [$]250 on hand to get the boots off their cars.

North Carolina lawmakers are considering a bipartisan House bill addressing predatory booting and towing.

If it becomes law:

- Companies would need a permit to do this kind of work and would be required to get it renewed every year. You have to have more training and certification to be a barber in the state of North Carolina than you do a tow truck driver, the bills primary sponsor, N.C. Rep. Laura Budd (D-Meck. Co.) told Stoogenke. Just pause a second and think about that piece.

- Every time companies booted or towed a vehicle, theyd have to put certain information into a database, including the address where it booted/towed the vehicle, address where it stored the vehicle, fees, name of the owner/supervisor who authorized the boot/tow, name of the person who booted/towed the vehicle, reason, and vehicle information.

- Companies would have to post clear signs about the parking rules.

- They couldnt tow your ride more than 25 miles away.

- The bill would create a commission. The commission that were setting up will set the maximum rates for the type of tow, Budd said.

Police charge tow truck worker with impersonating law enforcement

Budd also says the towing and truck industries support the legislation.

The City of Charlotte has towing rules, but this bill goes further in a lot of ways and would apply to the entire state.

If it passes, it would go into effect on Dec. 1.

VIDEO: Drivers say tow company chained their car to the car next to it




ASTANA, Kazakhstan, May 14. Kazakhstan's Energy Minister Almassadam Satkaliyev has discussed current cooperation issues related to the development of the Tengiz and Karachaganak fields with Clay Neff, President of Chevron International Exploration and Production, Trend reports. 

The meeting between the parties took place as part of a special session of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The parties also reviewed the project for the construction of a gas processing plant at Karachaganak.

Satkaliyev pointed out that the government of Kazakhstan pays special attention to the development of the Tengiz field and noted the importance of ensuring the timely launch of the Future Expansion Project and the Wellhead Pressure Management Project (FGP/WPMP).

At the same time, Satkaliyev and Neff expressed satisfaction with the pace of development of the Karachaganak field, aimed at maintaining oil and condensate production at the level of 11 million tons per year.

In addition, the parties confirmed their readiness to work on further strengthening the strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and Chevron in existing and promising areas.

On April 25, Tengizchevroil (TCO, operator of Kazakhstan's Tengiz oil field) safely started operations at its Wellhead Pressure Management Project (WPMP) at the Tengiz oil field, with the conversion of the first metering station to low pressure and by bringing online the associated Pressure Boost Facility (PBF). This is an important milestone in Tengiz's overall expansion plans.

The WPMP is intended to keep existing Tengiz processing plants at full capacity (about 28 million tons per year) by lowering the flowing pressure at the wellheads and subsequently increasing the pressure at the existing plants.

The extra PBF compressors will begin operations, and the remaining metering stations will be converted for the remainder of the year.

The final stage of TCOs expansion project, known as the Future Growth Project (FGP), is scheduled for completion in the first half of 2025. This will enable TCO to expand Tengiz crude oil production by an incremental 12 million tons per year (260,000 barrels a day).
NC may change public mask laws. But what does that mean for those with health concerns?

Lawmakers advanced legislation on Tuesday that would repeal a health and safety exception to North Carolinas longstanding ban on wearing masks in public.

Republicans who introduced the bill as a substitute to existing legislation last week say the pandemic-era exception is no longer needed, and that repealing it will only return the state to where things stood before 2020.

But several Democrats raised concerns about whether repealing the exception would make all mask-wearing by anyone concerned about their health or the health of others illegal.

Heres what we know about what the bill would mean for people who regularly wear masks in public for health reasons.





Trusting the common sense of law enforcement, businesses

Sen. Buck Newton, the bills primary sponsor, said the bill is only meant to address people who wear masks to hide their identities, and are intimidating others or committing crimes.

People who wear masks because of their health shouldnt be worried, Newton said.

This was not a problem, pre-COVID, Newton told the committee. We didnt see granny getting arrested in the Walmart, pre-COVID. Frankly, I dont think were going to see that when we pass this legislation, and I think those that are suggesting otherwise are stoking fear.

Newton, a Republican from Wilson, said he trusts the good common sense of everyday people as well as police officers, businesses, and district attorneys.

Id like to meet the law enforcement officer, or the DA, that wants to prosecute granny for wearing a mask in the Walmart, Newton said. Unless she got caught sticking steaks in her bag, and trying to hide her identity  then I can see it happening.

Exception added during pandemic

Sen. Sydney Batch, an Apex Democrat who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018 and underwent treatment, said that she would be concerned if the health and safety exception wasnt in place as she continued to wear a mask long after others stopped during the pandemic, at the recommendation of her doctor.

That exception, which was added to the ban on mask-wearing during the pandemic, allows someone to wear a mask in public for the purpose of ensuring the physical health or safety of the wearer or others.

The mask ban itself dates to 1953 and likely was intended to crack down on the Ku Klux Klan, The News & Observer previously reported. It includes other exceptions, including for masquerade balls and wearing traditional holiday costumes in season.

No criminal penalty, bill sponsor says

Batch and other Democrats asked why the bill couldnt be amended to just include enhanced penalties for wearing a mask while committing a crime, leaving the health and safety exception in place.

Newton responded by saying that the purpose of the bill is to make sure people are not hiding their identities in order to do something they shouldnt be doing.

Newton said he was willing to revisit the bill as it currently stands if it were to present a problem, but added that people who are immunocompromised, or have a family member who has a health issue, should continue to wear their masks without hesitation.

Newton also said he asked legislative staff and was told that, under the bill as it was approved by the committee, theres no criminal penalty, unless youre committing another crime.

But Sen. Natasha Marcus, a Davidson Democrat, questioned whether an assurance from Newton would assuage the concerns of constituents she had heard from, when the bill would still make mask-wearing for health reasons a violation of the existing ban.

Stated plainly, your bill will make it illegal, Marcus said. You can say, Well, I told them in the Judiciary Committee back in May 2024, that I didnt really mean to make it illegal, and that we dont intend for anyone to get punished or pulled aside by a police officer or whatever; that wasnt my intent.

But were all attorneys in here, and lawmakers, and I think we would agree that in any other context, we make sure that the bill says what we mean for it to say, she said.

Effect on immunocompromised people and kids with medical conditions

Tara Muller, a policy attorney at Disability Rights NC, said her organization had heard from several people who were concerned about what the practical effect of the bill would be.

They included not just cancer patients and immunocompromised people, but parents of medically fragile children who were worried about whether their kids would be able to continue wearing masks on the bus to school, Muller said.

Demonstrators rally around a flag pole on the quad UNCs campus in Chapel Hill, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The protest came after several people were detained by police at a pro-Palestinian Gaza solidarity encampment on the quad earlier that morning.

Several others who addressed the committee during public comment raised concerns about the bill targeting protesters, particularly those on college campuses, where masks have been common.

After the committee, Batch told reporters that she had spoken with Newton and was hopeful they would be able to work on some kind of compromise to address the health and safety concerns that were brought up on Tuesday. Batch said she hopes theyre able to draft an amendment to the bill before its taken up on the Senate floor, likely later this week.

I think that there is, again, a lot of bipartisanship in why we need it, but I also dont want it to have a chilling effect on individuals who have to choose between their lives, and actually going out in public, she said.

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
A North Carolina school district is facing a federal civil rights complaint after it ordered books featuring gay parents to be removed from elementary schools.

In April 2023, the Moore County school board adopted a local version of what would become North Carolinas Parents Bill of Rights law that limits discussion on gender identity and sexuality in elementary schools. On Tuesday, the Southern Pines chapter of PFLAG and Public School Advocates filed a Title IX complaint accusing Moore County of discriminating against LGBTQ families by removing materials featuring same-sex parents.

We raise this issue in an effort to protect the LGBTQ+ community, including faculty, students, and their families, from Moore County Schools harmful and outright discriminatory policies and guidelines, said the complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights

A spokesperson from the Moore County school system did not return The News & Observers request for comment on Tuesday. Moore County is about 70 miles southwest of Raleigh.

Moore County should be free to decide what books to use without worrying about federal interference, said Tami Fitzgerald, executive director of the N.C. Values Coalition, which backed the statewide Parents Bill of Rights law.

I believe that county school systems have the legal right under state law to decide what kind of topics and programs they want their children to learn, Fitzgerald said in an interview Tuesday. Thats a concept weve had in our state for hundreds of years: local control.

The states Parents Bill of Rights law is facing a similar federal Title IX complaint filed by the Asheville-based Campaign for Southern Equality. Theyre among the groups who filed a Title IX complaint against the Buncombe County school system for following the Parents Bill of Rights.

Removing books with gay parents

The Moore County school board adopted Parents Bill of Rights policies ahead of the Republican-led General Assembly making it a state law. Like the state law, Moore County requires parents to be notified if their child wants to use a different pronoun or name.

The new state law also bans instruction in the curriculum on sexuality, sexual activity or gender identity in kindergarten through fourth-grade classrooms. The district policy uses slightly different wording.

Moore Countys policy says instruction on sexual activity or sexuality will not be included in the K-4 curriculum. The policy also says the subject of gender identity and gender fluidity shall not be taught in Moore County Schools.

Moore County school board members David Hensley and Robert Levy at a April 2023 meeting where they adopted a local Parents Bill of Rights policy. That policy is now being challenged in a federal Title IX complaint.

To help implement the local policies and state law, the district provided principals with an implementation guide.

Principals will need teachers to record any additional materials, including books that are added to their classrooms (not to include district materials) and remove any books that discuss/share a persons sexual activity, sexuality or gender identity, according to the implementation guide. For example, a book with homosexual parents or a student questioning their gender.

PFLAG says singling out books with gay parents violates Title IX and goes beyond whats required in state law. The group wants a list of the books that have been removed.

Implementing policies and practices that favor heterosexuality and cisgender identities equates to preferential treatment based on gender identity and sexual orientation, which is prohibited under Title IX, according to an April letter from PFLAG and Public School Advocates to the district.

New federal Title IX regulations

Both groups are relying on the Biden Administrations interpretation of Title IX, a federal law that prohibits sexual discrimination in institutions receiving federal education funding.

The Biden Administration included banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity to recently released final Title IX regulations. Supporters of the new guidelines say it will help protect the rights of LGBTQ students.

Officials from nearly two dozen GOP-led states have voiced their opposition to the Title IX regulations, United Press International reported. Multiple states have filed lawsuits, while state leaders like Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, both Republicans, said their states will not comply.

Congress never interpreted sex to include sexual orientation or gender identity, said Fitzgerald of the N.C. Values Coalition. These new rules are counter to the purpose of Title IX as adopted by Congress.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN)  It could become illegal once again to wear a mask in public in North Carolina for health and safety reasons under a bill a state Senate committee advanced Tuesday.

The bill comes amid pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses and would eliminate an exception to the states ban on masks thats been in place since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It also contains other provisions including increasing penalties for people who wear masks and could lead to people who block streets or highways more than once being charged with a felony.

State Sen. Buck Newton (R-Wilson) first introduced the bill last week and responded to criticism about removing the ability to wear masks for health reasons, especially for those who are immunocompromised.

I think there are people out there trying to prey upon their fear about that. This was not a problem pre-COVID. We didnt see granny getting arrested in the Walmart, said Sen. Newton. I trust peoples good commonsense. I trust law enforcements good commonsense.

Newton says the purpose of the bill is to prevent people from concealing their identities while they commit crimes, including when protests turn violent.

State Sen. Sydney Batch (D-Wake) said the bill goes too far. Shes a cancer survivor and says she wore a mask for much longer than I thought I needed to during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But, there are people that are walking around every single day that are immunocompromised every single day for the rest of their lives. It is meaningful to them. They could die, she said.

Sen. Lisa Grafstein (D-Wake) also raised concerns about impacts on people with disabilities.

I have been hearing, and I know a lot of folks have been hearing, from a lot of people who are deeply, deeply frightened by this, she said.

The law does allow other exceptions for wearing a mask, such as Halloween costumes, masquerade balls, people who work in trades or occupations where a mask is needed for physical safety and gas masks for civil defense drills, exercises or emergencies.

The prohibition on masks came in response to the KKK. Theres still an exception in the law that would allow them to seek permission from a municipality to wear masks or hoods during a public event like a parade.

So, this bill will protect the Ku Klux Klan to wear a mask in public, but someone whos immunocompromised like myself cant, said Sen. Batch.

Kerwin Pittman, who has organized demonstrations in Raleigh for social justice causes, said hes concerned the bill would have a chilling effect on people trying to exercise their First Amendment rights.

With this bill passed, law enforcement will begin to stop Black and brown people in their communities who may be wearing masks for health concerns or safety concerns, he said.

In response to questions about the bill, Newton noted the bill does not include a criminal penalty strictly for wearing a mask. But, Sen. Natasha Marcus (D-Mecklenburg) said it would still be illegal even as Newton tried to provide assurances that he didnt think law enforcement officers would go after people just for wearing a mask. Marcus said the bill needs to be clearer.

Sen. Batch said she hoped to reach a compromise with Sen. Newton as the bill moves toward a vote in the full Senate. That could occur later this week.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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'We will never force Ukraine to accept peace treaty,' says UK defense secretary

The U.K. will not force or persuade Ukraine to accept a bad peace treaty, especially one that entails the loss of territory, said Defense Secretary Grant Shapps in an interview with Times Radio on May 14.

The comments follow reporting by the Sunday Times that U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron had allegedly personally pitched a peace plan to presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. The U.K. government stressed after the story that its position toward Ukraine had not changed.

Shapps reiterated the government's statement, saying, "There is just no sense at all in which Britain would try to persuade, strong-arm or otherwise, Ukraine into accepting giving up some of their territory."

"That's a decision entirely for Ukraine."

Shapps' comments differed from Cameron's allegedly proposed peace plan that the Sunday Times reported.

According to an undisclosed senior source, the Sunday Times wrote on May 12 that Cameron said that further aid would help Ukraine hold the front lines and give Trump the "best possible conditions" to mediate a peace deal.

According to the outlet's source, Cameron passed this message to Trump: "What are the best conditions in which you as president can make a deal in January? It's both sides holding their lines and paying a price for that."

The U.K. has been a staunch ally of Ukraine since the outbreak of the full-scale war. Cameron visited Ukraine earlier in May, and London recently announced its largest defense aid package for Ukraine worth 500 million pounds ($628 million).

Read also: PM Sunak to announce largest-ever military aid package to Ukraine during visit to Poland

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
What is the newly passed 'Russia law' that has divided people in Georgia for months?

A demonstrator with draped Georgian national and EU flags stands in font of police blocking the way to the Parliament building, during an opposition protest against "the Russian law" in the center of Tbilisi, Georgia, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. Georgia's parliament on Tuesday began the third and final reading of a divisive bill that sparked weeks of mass protests, with critics seeing it as a threat to democratic freedoms and the country's aspirations to join the European Union. (AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov)

Georgia's parliament has passed a law that critics see as a threat to media freedom and the countrys aspirations to join the European Union. Lawmakers defied weeks of large demonstrations in the capital that also featured anger at neighboring Russia.

Here is a look at the law and the protests against it:

WHAT DOES THE LAW DO?

The law would require media, nongovernmental organizations and other nonprofits to register as pursuing the interests of a foreign power if they receive more than 20% of funding from abroad.

The law is nearly identical to the one that the governing Georgian Dream party was pressured to withdraw last year after similar protests. This version passed its third and final reading in parliament on Tuesday.

The governing party says the law is necessary to stem what it deems as harmful foreign influence over Georgias political scene and prevent unidentified foreign actors from trying to destabilize it.

The opposition denounces it as the Russian law because Moscow uses similar legislation to stigmatize independent news media and organizations critical of the Kremlin. Opposition lawmakers have accused the governing party of trying to drag Georgia into Russia's sphere of influence.

The law will be sent to the president before it can go into effect. President Salome Zourabichvili, who is increasingly at odds with the governing party, has vowed to veto the law, but Georgian Dream has a majority sufficient to override a veto.

HOW ARE RUSSIA-GEORGIA TIES?

Russia-Georgia relations have been strained and turbulent since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union and Georgia's departure from its role as a Soviet republic.

In 2008, Russia fought a brief war with Georgia, which had made a botched attempt to regain control over the breakaway province of South Ossetia. Moscow then recognized South Ossetia and another separatist province, Abkhazia, as independent states and strengthened its military presence there. Most of the world considers both regions to be parts of Georgia.

Tbilisi cut diplomatic ties with Moscow, and the regions status remains a key irritant even as Russia-Georgia relations have improved in recent years.

The opposition United National Movement accuses Georgian Dream, which was founded by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former prime minister and billionaire who made his fortune in Russia, of serving Moscows interests  an accusation the governing party denies.

WHAT IS THE EUS POSITION?

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell described the parliaments decision as a very concerning development and warned that final adoption of this legislation would negatively impact Georgias progress on its EU path. Borrell earlier said the law was not in line with EU core norms and values and would limit the ability of media and civil society to operate freely.

European Council President Charles Michel said after the law was passed that if they want to join the EU, they have to respect the fundamental principles of the rule of law and the democratic principles.
Nigers prime minister blamed the U.S. for the deterioration of relations between the two countries as roughly 1,000 American troops prepare to withdraw from Niamey in the coming months.

Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine told The Washington Post that the U.S. has tried to dictate what countries Niamey can have close relations with and has not justified its military presence, citing an American failure to combat terrorism.

Zeine compared the failure of U.S. troops to stop a growing terrorist threat in Niger to what he said was a more robust American backing of its allies Israel and Ukraine in their respective threats.

The Americans stayed on our soil, doing nothing while the terrorists killed people and burned towns, he told The Post. It is not a sign of friendship to come on our soil but let the terrorists attack us.

Zeine also took offense at what he said was U.S. officials demanding that Niger not engage closely with Iran and Russia, two of Washingtons adversaries.

He claimed there was an ultimatum to have security with the U.S. or be close to Tehran and Moscow, while pursuing an Iranian deal for uranium would result in American sanctions. Zeine said Niger has not signed a deal for uranium.

First, you have come here to threaten us in our country. That is unacceptable, he told The Post. And you have come here to tell us with whom we can have relationships, which is also unacceptable. And you have done it all with a condescending tone and a lack of respect.

A U.S. official told the newspaper that Niger was presented with a choice, not an ultimatum about continuing relations.

Niger fell to a military coup last year, which saw the placement of Zeine as prime minister after the ouster of the countrys former president, Mohamed Bazoum.

Since then, the nation has grown more hostile to western forces closer to U.S. adversaries, welcoming Russian military trainers this year and Irans president in a state visit.

Niger ordered France to withdraw troops before negotiating with the U.S. on a new agreement that ultimately culminated in the Pentagon announcing it would eventually withdraw all its forces last month after more than a decade in the country.

The coming withdrawal is another setback for the U.S. in the African Sahel region, which has experienced multiple coups in the past few years that have ultimately benefitted Russia.

Zeine claimed to The Post that after the French withdrew troops following the coup, Niger was open to keeping the American presence there but said they failed to reach an agreement for more military resources. The U.S. has expressed concern about Niger not pushing to restore democracy in the country.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
TUCUMCARI, N.M. (KRQE)  New Mexico State Police are investigating a deadly police shooting near Tucumcari. Details are limited at this time but NMSP says the shooting involved the Quay County Sheriffs Office.

VIDEO: Clovis double homicide, kidnapping suspect has court appearance in Texas

They say the shooting happened several miles south of Tucumcari. The deputy is said to be okay but the suspect has died.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.
No jurors chosen on first day of NJ Sen. Bob Menendezs federal corruption trial

Not a single juror was chosen Monday in the federal corruption case against New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez.

The veteran Democrat  wearing a suit with a red tie and a Senate pin on his lapel  sat quietly in the courtroom, only speaking with his lawyers or reading from time to time, during the first day of trial, which ended with dozens of potential jurors being dismissed.

Manhattan federal Judge Sidney Stein excused over three dozen prospective jurors following three hours questioning them individually with prosecutors and lawyers for the Menendez, 70  who is charged with accepting gold bars, cash and a Mercedes convertible as bribes.

Sen. Bob Menendez arriving at Manhattan Federal Court for the start of his bribery trial on May 13, 2024. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

No jurors were selected in Menendezs trial on the first day. Candace E. Eaton via AP

When the possible panelists were brought in, Stein informed them the trial involves a sitting US senator from the state of New Jersey who allegedly agreed to accept bribes.

He also told them the trial was slated to last up to seven weeks  until about the Fourth of July  prompting many to raise their hands and inform the judge they couldnt serve for such a long period of time.

Menendez and his wife were charged in connection to an alleged bribery scheme from 2018 to 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

Stein, along with attorneys from both sides, then began questioning the prospective jurors one-by-one behind closed doors for an initial screening.

Menendez was charged alongside his wife Nadine and three businessmen in a sprawling 18-count indictment laying out an alleged bribery scheme from 2018 through 2022.

In exchange for the alleged bribes, the embattled senator doled out political favors for the governments of Egypt and Qatar and for the businessmen: Wael Hana, Fred Daibes and Jose Uribe, prosecutors charge.

Hana and Daibes are co-defendants alongside the senior senator, while Nadines trial was postponed until July.

Dozens of potential jurors were dismissed on the first day. Candace E. Eaton via AP

Uribe took a guilty plea and is cooperating with the feds.

Menendez dodged a conviction in an unrelated bribery and corruption trial which ended with a hung jury in 2017.

He has denied all the charges. His wife, Hana and Daibes have all also pleaded not guilty.

With Post wires
No students injured after car rear-ends school bus in Paulding County

Deputies are on the scene of a crash involving a car and a Paulding County school bus.

The crash happened at Bomar Lane and Bakers Bridge Road around 7:45 a.m. on Tuesday.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

A Paulding County School District spokesman confirmed to Channel 2 Action News that a bus was heading to Austin Middle School when it was rear-ended.

Four students were on board at the time of the crash, but none of them were injured.

The district is sending another bus to pick up the students and get them to school.

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IN OTHER NEWS
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, May 14. A seminar on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, or Middle Corridor) and logistics was held in the Mangystau region of Kazakhstan, Trend reports.

The meeting participants, including the ambassadors of Thailand, Indonesia, and the deputy ambassador of Vietnam, discussed trade opportunities with member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

During the seminar, Venera Mustapaeva, the head of the department of industrial and innovative development of the Mangystau region, noted that today, the region has a powerful transit, transport, and logistics potential of international importance between Europe and Asia.

"An important object of maritime transport infrastructure is the ice-free seaport of Aktau on the Caspian Sea, which is located at the junction of the international corridors TRACECA, North - South, TITR and China - Europe," she said.

According to her, at the end of 2023, the foreign trade turnover of the Mangystau region amounted to $4.7 billion.

"Exports amounted to $4 billion, and imports - $744 million. The main type of exported goods was oil and petroleum products," she said.

In turn, Thai Ambassador Chatchawan Sakornsin noted that the kingdom is interested in the Middle Corridor.

"Based on the latest geopolitical and geoeconomic situations, we are looking for new alternative ways to transport goods from Thailand. And our attention was drawn to the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route," the ambassador said.

The Middle Corridor is a transportation and trade route that connects Asia and Europe, passing through several countries in the region. It is an alternative route to the traditional Northern Corridor and Southern Corridor.

The route starts in China and crosses Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. It then passes through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkiye before reaching Europe.

The Middle Corridor offers a land route that connects the eastern parts of Asia, including China, with Europe, bypassing the longer maritime routes.
Alice Munro took Flauberts suggestion to be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work to new levels when the Nobel Prize Committee had to leave a message on her answering machine to let her know shed won the Nobel for Literature in 2013. She was probably out for a walk.

Though the Canadian author has, for decades, been considered the master of the short story, her stories are not short. They are quite long, and many of the characters and locales intersect with one another. In her fifty-year career, even Munros own work wasnt off-limits. She has tinkered with stories published decades ago, rewriting sections or expanding endings and republishing these Frankensteins in The New Yorker. Like an artist that repurposes her canvas, Munros is a constantly evolving work. That was until her death on Monday at age 92.

But Munros message, if there is any message, is that no artists work is ever complete. Perhaps theres a feeling of satisfaction, as she acquiesced in a rare interview after she was awarded the Nobel. Theres a good feeling at a job well done. But just because one has published much, or accomplished much, doesnt mean the work is finished. Death provides an ending in Munros work. But it leaves many unanswered questions.

Perhaps no other writer is able to write so richly about human emotion with so little exposition or explanation about place, time, or people. Munro assumes that you understand, and you do. And just when you begin to wonder, she provides you with a detail so nuanced that only someone who has made a career of observing people would be able to capture: a moment that seems quiet but in actuality vibrates for us with meaning, searing our memories until our brains stop pulsing.

For example, in one of my favorite Munro stories, Amundsen, she describes the doctors gait as a means of his confidence in leaving his lover high and dry. He comes out with the ticket in his hand and what I think is a lighter step. He must have realized this because as he approaches the car he becomes more sedate. This sort of detail is one that only someone who was really paying attention would notice. Only someone whose heart was being shattered into a million pieces would remember something as elegantly disturbing as this. And that writer is Alice Munro.

Alice Munro. Innell; Reg

When Munro was getting started, or even by the time she had hit a good steam, her work was quietly chugging alongside the work of similarly prolific writers like Philip Roth, or John Updike. While Roth and Updike were ejaculating about men who were loudly and, in many cases, obnoxiously exploding the idea of monogamy, Munros fireworks are all the more noticeable because of her extreme quietness. Like a twig breaking in a silent forest, Munros flares of sexuality and violence make you freeze.

Again, in Amundsen, our protagonist, a young teacher who goes to teach tubercular children in a sanatorium and falls in love with the surgeon there, describes her lust for him, watching him drive: Right now I believe I could lie down for him in any bog or mucky hole, or feel my spine crushed against any roadside rock, should he require an upright encounter. I know too that I must keep these feelings to myself. This is the kind of sentence that makes you smile. Its simultaneously sexy, and so silly. The language! Mucky hole. The idea of having sex in a bog. An upright encounter! It manages to capture the ridiculousness of sex and the scorching obsession of new love.

I first read Alice Munro on a beach vacation with my family when I was in high school. I had started picking up issues of The New Yorker after discovering a friend of mine was a subscriber, and I thought there was nothing more indulgent than to read The New Yorker cover-to-cover living in suburban Georgia. The story I read was part of Runaway, Munros magnum opus of sorts. But really, each Munro story is its own universe, its own self-contained masterpiece. Someone once mentioned in conversation that he wished Munro had written novels. I dont. Im glad that there are so many worlds to dip into. In a way, its the only kind of work that vaguely resembles real life, where there are so many different people one person could become.

Some of Canadian author Alice Munro books. JONATHAN NACKSTRAND

In The Ottawa Valley, Munro writes in a rare moment, about her motivation in embarking on this particular story. The problem, the only problem, is my mother. And she is the one of course I am trying to get; it is to reach her that this whole journey has been undertaken. With what purpose? To mark her off, to describe, to illuminate, to celebrate, to get rid of her; and it did not work, for she looms too close, just as she always did.

Alice Munro was a private person and an even more private writer. She gave few interviews and there are no long profiles to read about her, no cache of unpublished work, no illicit love affairs or great tragedies to speak of. In the end, it comes down to those immensely personal moments and memories, the kind that define her work, that define our lives. In an obituary you will read about a persons career, where he or she lived, their marriages, children, if any, and survivors. The real story has and always will belong to the deceased.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Noman man sentenced in connection with death of sister, hiding body for years

Octavio Sanchez was sentenced Monday, May 13, 2024 in connection to the death of Margarita Sandoval.

NORMAN  A man accused of joining his wife in the killing of his sister and hiding her decomposing body for years was sentenced Monday to life in prison.

Considering the awful nature of the crime, Cleveland County District Court Judge Thad Balkman imposed the life sentence on Octavio Sanchez, 37, adding, as well, a five-year sentence for the unlawful removal of a dead body.

Monday marked the three-year anniversary of authorities finding the remains of Margarita Maggie Sandoval  whom prosecutors said had an intellectual disability  in a container inside the basement of a rental house.

Sanchezs wife, Desiree Sanchez, 29, was sentenced to life in prison last year after a jury found her guilty of first-degree murder and the unlawful removal of a dead body.

The Sanchezes were accused of killing Sandoval in 2018, shortly after she moved in with them. They also were accused of hiding her body for years and spending her monthly Social Security disability payments on themselves.

Investigators found Sandovals decomposing body in a 3 X 4-foot container heavily wrapped in high density plastic, packing tape, and rope stored under the stairs of the basement, according to court documents.

An officer who cut into the plastic detected an odor that they could identify with a decomposing human corpse.

Prosecutors alleged that Sandoval was killed between Feb. 17 and April 18, 2018.

Sanchez and his wife believed murder victim haunted them

Sandovals death grew more disturbing when investigators uncovered social media messages between Octavio and Desiree Sanchez.

In 2018, Desiree Sanchez wrote her husband on Facebook that his dead sister was haunting them because she knows "what I did."

On Facebook in May 2018, Octavio Sanchez wrote: "I'm being haunted by this trash.

"You know I don't believe in paranormal things but ... she is trying to attack me and not just in my sleep. ... I got up to get phone to call you, and I couldn't move. I was sitting on bed and she was holding me down."

"Trust me," Desiree Sanchez responded. "She does it to me every night. ... You have to ask for protection from evil."

The husband then wrote: "I couldn't move and looking probably crazy punching the thin air."

She knows "what I did," the wife responded, adding "im not there and shes taking it out on you."

Desiree Sanchez did not testify at her trial. Her defense was that her husband was to blame.

Jurors gave her a life sentence and a $10,000 fine as punishment for murder. She will not be eligible for parole under current law until she is in her 60s.

Jurors chose five years and a $5,000 fine as punishment for hiding the body.

She was previously sentenced to three years in federal prison for collecting the victim's Social Security disability checks and pandemic stimulus checks.

Octavio Sanchez was sentenced to four years in prison. They were ordered to pay $34,112 in restitution.

He also was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison over a gun found in 2021 in a trash can at his house during the murder investigation.

He was prohibited from having a gun because of a felony conviction in Arkansas.

Octavio Sanchez allegedly said I had to finish it

Prosecutors said Sandoval was unable to function without constant care.

Police believe the couple kept her wrapped body at their apartment and then at their house in Norman before it was moved to a friend's basement.

The friend, Miguel Munoz, confessed he helped the couple put the body in his basement in June 2019, a Norman police detective wrote in a court affidavit.

He said "Octavio stated he and his wife, Desiree, killed a child molester," according to the court affidavit. He said the husband told him "Desiree started it and I had to finish it."

Munoz, 45, was charged with accessory to first-degree murder. Prosecutors amended the charge to unlawful removal of a dead body. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in state prison with credit for time served.

Margarita Sandoval was a little girl put in a box

After his arrest, Octavio Sanchez made written statements about the case.

In one statement filed in federal court, he wrote that he hit his sister twice in the face to get her away from a child.

"I didn't think I hit her hard enough to kill her, but she hit her head on the TV stand," he wrote. "Desiree didn't help or know anything."

His initial charges included first-degree murder, which prosecutors amended to manslaughter.

In January, Sanchez entered a plea of no contest to the charges of manslaughter and the unlawful removal of a dead body.

He later asked the court to withdraw the plea, citing confusion over fully understanding his case, which he blamed on anti-depressant medication.

Characterizing the motion as pleaers remorse, Balkman upheld Sanchezs no contest plea before sentencing him Monday in a Cleveland County courtroom.

Handcuffed, Sanchez appeared in a green Cleveland County jail jumpsuit.

His former court-appointed defense attorney, Al Hoch, told the court he and Sanchez went over his case in detail prior to Sanchez no contest plea, and that his former client seemed to fully understand what was going on.

Saying the Sanchez couple have two young children, Octavio Sanchezs current court-appointed defense attorney, James Berry, asked the court for a lesser sentence with some hope he could reconnect with them.

Sanchez sat quietly while two of his sisters read victim impact statements.

The sisters described Sandoval as a young person full of unconditional love who enjoyed singing, dancing and making people laugh.

One of the sisters, Taylor Hearon, told Balkman that because of her intellectual disability, Sandoval was more like a 10-year-old girl than a young woman.

He put a little girl in that box, Hearon said.

Sanchez took the witness stand and apologized for the crimes, saying he didnt notify police because he feared his family would be taken from him.

I just made a small error, then I made drastic errors, he said.

First Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Austin read messages from Sanchez that repeatedly referred to Sandoval as the trash.

She told the court Sanchez and his wife constantly used candles and fragrant sprays to cover the odor of Sandovals decomposing body.

He sentenced Maggie to life in that box, so he should have to serve the same, Austin said.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Norman Oklahoma man sentenced for killing sister, hiding body for years
NORFOLK  A judge on Tuesday denied bond for a woman charged in the death of her 9-day-old daughter, citing the serious injuries the newborn suffered before she died and the womans lack of a local place to stay while awaiting trial.

Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Judge Robert McLanahan Smith III issued his decision after looking over photographs of the newborn taken after her parents, Zibreyea Parker and Hilary D. Johnson II, brought her to Childrens Hospital of the Kings Daughters earlier this month.

The photographs show what anybody can see is a need for medical treatment, Smith said. The judge also noted that there appeared to be a handprint on the babys back.

Parker, 21, and Johnson, 23, were charged after they brought daughter Iijayah Johnson to CHKD on May 4. The baby was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Senior Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Michelle Newkirk told the judge Iijayah had five broken ribs, a broken clavicle, severe burns on both feet, and bruising around her left eye and across her body. The child also showed signs of either blunt-force trauma or severe shaking, she said.

The babys parents told hospital staff that Iijayah had been unresponsive for hours, the prosecutor said. The couple struggled to remember what day their daughter was born, and laughed as they tried to recall the date, she said.

They didnt seem to be upset about what was taking place, Newkirk said.

When Parker was asked about the burns to the girls feet, she didnt seem to think the injuries were serious, and said she had been treating them with Witch Hazel and other home remedies, the prosecutor said. Johnson also told investigators the baby may have suffered some of her injuries after falling out of a stroller while out on a jog with him, Newkirk said.

Parker and Johnson initially were charged with felony child abuse. Second-degree murder charges were added after the medical examiner determined the childs death was a homicide.

Parker is from Maryland and has no prior criminal record, defense attorney Trevor Robinson told the judge.

She was homeless when she left Maryland, and she and Johnson were homeless in Norfolk when the baby died, Robinson said, but Parkers mother had agreed to Parker to live with her in Maryland while awaiting trial.

Newkirk opposed the defenses request for bond, citing Parkers lack of ties to the area, and the seriousness of the charges. Smith agreed.

Johnson also had been scheduled to have a bond hearing Tuesday, but his attorney withdrew the request. The couples next court date is July 18, for a preliminary hearing to determine if prosecutors have enough evidence to send the cases on to a grand jury.

Jane Harper, jane.harper@pilotonline.com
RALEIGH, N.C. (WGHP)  North Carolina Republicans will look to settle the question of who will represent the GOP in the race for lieutenant governor and state auditor.

Tuesday marks Election Day for the 2024 second primary election. In total, there are three Republican races and one nonpartisan race to be decided. No other parties will have second primaries in North Carolina.

Republican races

Statewide

The Republican primary for lieutenant governor has narrowed down to Hal Weatherman and Jim ONeill. In the first primary, Weatherman took the lead with 19.62% of the vote, and Forsyth County District Attorney Jim ONeill lagged a short distance behind by around 34,000 votes, sitting at 15.85%. The winner will go on to face Democrat Rachel Hunt and Libertarian Dee Watson.

Barron Trump to serve as GOP convention delegate in political debut

The Republican primary for state auditor is down to Jack Clark and Dave Boliek. Clark led with 198,793 votes, 23.24%, to Bolieks 189,071 votes, 22.1%. The winner will face incumbent Democrat Jessica Holmes and Libertarian Bob Drach.

Gaston County

Finally, Jim Bailey and Ronnie Worley will be on the ballot competing for the Republican nomination to represent Gaston County Board of Commissionerss South Point Township District.

Nonpartisan race

Orange County

The sole nonpartisan primary race yet to be decided will be for the third seat on the Orange County Schools Board of Education. Jennifer Moore and Bonnie Hauser were the top two vote-getters.

Conceded races

U.S. House District 6

North Carolinas 6th Congressional District was heading for a second primary between former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker (R-Greensboro) and Addison McDowell, a former staffer for Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) until Walker announced in March that he would be bowing out to accept a role working on former Pres. Donald Trumps campaign.

U.S. House District 6

Walker told FOX8 that the former president offered him the job during a phone conversation at 5 p.m. on March 12, an hour after he publicly accepted an invitation to debate McDowell. In his new role, Walker would serve as the Trump campaigns director of outreach for faith and minority communities.

Walker formerly represented the 6th District but chose not to run for reelection in 2020. He suspended a 2024 campaign for governor and launched a campaign to reclaim the District 6 seat after Republicans released maps that heavily favored Republicans.

McDowell now goes on to the general election with no other candidates formally on the ballot but not without opposition. Democrat Andy Craighill-Middleton began gathering signatures in early April to become an authorized write-in candidate to challenge McDowell.

U.S. House District 13

Trump once again had a hand in deciding the winner of a runoff when Kelly Daughtry, the top vote-getter in the Republican primary for U.S. House District 13, bowed out of the race and handed the nomination to former presidents pick.

U.S. House District 13

Daughtry, who came out on top in the first primary with 27.39% of the vote, handed the victory to Brad Knott, who earned 18.67% of the vote. The race had already entered early voting in a second primary.

In light of President Trumps endorsement of Brad Knott for the Congressional seat in District 13, it has become clear that a pathway to victory is no longer feasible, Daughtry said. I believe in the democratic process and respect the endorsement of our President.

In her concession, Daughtry thanked her supporters and endorsed Knott.

How Congress would decide the presidency if theres an Electoral College tie

I have asked my supporters to formally support Brads campaign, Daughtry said. Likewise, I have spoken with Brad and know he will advocate and fight for the entire District. We are all on the same team and I hope that the ending of my campaign at this time will show and foster our unity as a party. The future of our republic is too important to be divided by inter-party politics.

Despite ending her race, she says she intends to dedicate her time to conservative voter registration operations and supporting the nominated conservative judicial candidates running in November.

Knott will now go on to face Democrat Frank Pierce in Novembers general election.

To find your district, you can use the North Carolina General Assemblys online map tool.

Important rules for the Second Primary

The North Carolina State Board of Elections does not allow new voter registrations or party changes for a second primary election. Individuals who become eligible to vote between the primary and second primary and who are otherwise eligible to vote in the second primary may register and vote on the day of the second primary, May 14.

Unaffiliated voters should be aware that there are some additional rules when voting in second primaries. In order to vote in a given partys second primary, an unaffiliated voter must have either voted in that partys first primary or not voted in the first primary. In other words, to vote in the Republican second primary, an unaffiliated voter must have either voted in the Republican primary in March or not voted in March. Unaffiliated voters who voted in the Democratic primary or a third-party primary cannot vote in the Republican second primary.

Where is my polling place?

To find out where to vote on Election Day for the second primary, May 14, you can put your first and last name into the North Carolina Voter Search tool and click on your profile to find your Election Day Polling Place.

On May 14, this is the only location where you will be allowed to vote.

North Carolina Voter Search

Absentee Voting

If you have an absentee ballot, you must turn it in to your county board of elections by 7:30 p.m. May 14 for your vote to be counted.

In the past, North Carolina would offer a grace period determined by your ballots postmark, but that is no longer the case.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
North Carolina Man Accused of Stabbing Girlfriend, Pouring Gasoline on Her and Lighting Home on Fire

James Joseph Gunnerson, 48, was arrested for attempted first-degree murder and first-degree arson

Rowan County Sheriff's Office James Gunnerson

A North Carolina man is accused of stabbing his girlfriend, dousing her and their mobile home with motor fuel and then setting the home on fire.

James Joseph Gunnerson, 48, was arrested for attempted first-degree murder and first-degree arson last week.

Rowan County Sheriffs deputies were called out to an arson fire at a single-wide mobile home on Chez Charolais Road in Salisbury around 1 a.m. on Friday, May 10.

Investigators believe that Gunnerson and his girlfriend Tamra Marie Clemans got into an argument before he stabbed her. Police say he then doused her and the home with gasoline, and then lit the home on fire.

Clemans was able to escape and seek help from a neighbor.

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According to the sheriffs office, Gunnerson was hiding in the backyard with the knife when fire and sheriffs personnel arrived at the scene.

Deputies had to taze him numerous times to take him into custody, a sheriffs office press release reads.

Clemans was seriously injured and airlifted to a hospital for treatment. She is in critical condition.

Gunnerson also sustained burns in the fire and was treated for his injuries. He was arrested on May 10 after he was released from the hospital.

He remains in custody with no bond at the Forsyth County Detention Center.

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.



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Read the original article on People.
North Carolina man dies in Horry County crash after vehicle overturns in ditch with water

A North Carolina man died in an accident Monday after he was ejected from a vehicle, according to the Horry County Coroners Office.

Charleston Morris, 37, of Linden, died on the scene from multiple traumatic injuries, the coroners release said. He was not wearing a seat belt.

Morris was one of five people in the vehicle that crashed at noon on S.C. 9 near the Waccamaw River in the Longs area, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

The driver of a 2014 Kia Sorento was traveling northbound on S.C. 9 when the vehicle went off the roadway and overturned, according to Cpl. Lena Butler with SCHP in a release. The vehicle overturned in a ditch filled with water, according to a Facebook post by Horry County Fire Rescue.

The other four people in the vehicle were transported to the hospital, according to Horry County Fire Rescue.
North Korea may have given Russia shoddy weapons built in the 1970s to fire at Ukraine

North Korea may have given Russia shoddy weapons built in the 1970s to fire at Ukraine

Russia is believed to be using North Korean missiles and shells in its invasion of Ukraine.

North Korean shells are often defective and blow up before being fired, reports claim.

South Korean intelligence said Monday it suspects the weapons may date from the 1970s.

Russia is using North Korean artillery shells in its invasion of Ukraine that may have been made in the 1970s, South Korean media reported.

South Korean intelligence, the National Intelligence Service (NIS), told news agency Yonhap that it's reviewing reports that North Korea has supplied its ally Russia with weapons made five decades ago.

"The NIS is analyzing the relevant circumstance in detail and also continues to track overall military cooperation between North Korea and Russia," the spy agency said.

Ukraine, the US, and the UN have all accused North Korea of handing Russia millions of shells and other weapons that are being used in its campaign in Ukraine.

Russia and Ukraine are firing tens of thousands of shells a day in what has become a grinding attritional campaign.

Russia is boosting the number of shells it is capable of producing domestically to keep up with demand, but in the meantime, it has turned to ally North Korea for help.

According to a report by the US Congress earlier in May, North Korea provided "10,000 shipping containers of ammunition or related materials (potentially containing more than 3 million rounds of artillery ammunition) to Russia since October 2023."

But Ukrainian officials in December said the North Korean shells are often defective and have blown up before being fired, damaging Russian artillery and mortars and even killing troops.

Russia has also used North Korean ballistic missiles to target Ukrainian cities, but according to a Ukrainian official earlier in May, about half of them fly off course.

The NIS, Yonhap reported, also said that it is monitoring the illicit shipment of missile parts to North Korea amid concerns it's using them to build new weapons.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Northern lights might be visible in Michigan early Wednesday: When to look

If you missed the northern lights this past weekend, there may be a chance early Wednesday to see them again.

Of course, you have to be in the right place at the right time  3:15 a.m.  with the right viewing conditions. But if so, space and weather forecasters say, look up and see the ribbons of colorful light dancing across the night sky.

The scientific explanation for what causes the lights is geomagnetic storms generated by solar coronal mass ejections, which in the past few days have been strong. Michiganders are familiar with the northern lights, also called the aurora borealis.

The northern lights, or aurora borealis, as seen from Canton Township, Michigan on May 10, 2024.

Last Friday the lights were visible in metro Detroit, which is rare.

If you can go Up North, a Marquette-based artist has a few simple tips, "inside secrets" she calls them, on the best places  and ways  for you to help observe the phenomenon. Mostly, though, you just need to find a good spot and use some common sense.

Weather experts say you don't have to be directly below the northern lights to see them.

Sometimes, they can be visible from more than 600 miles away if the weather conditions are just right.

Even if you did see the lights a few days ago, Upper Peninsula artist Shawn Malone makes the point that "no two events" are ever the same, so if you look up Wednesday morning, you will see a totally different sky than what you remember.

In addition, some folks found that even though they didn't see the lights with their naked eyes when they took pictures with their mobile phones, the colors in the photos turned out to be more vibrant and vivid than what they witnessed.

Malone urged going to a place with a dark sky with no  or few  other lights, and the obstruction of a tree line or hills, she wrote in an article for Michigan.org. Northern Michigan, she pointed out, is a "great location" to view them.

Some people got especially creative with their photos. One person, for instance, apparently took a selfie that is now circulating on social media in front of a green light so it looked like a vapor trail coming out of his backside.

In the U.P., Malone recommended the south shore of Lake Superior, including some of her favorite spots, including Brimley, Whitefish Point, Pictured Rocks, Autrain, Marquette, Big Bay, Skanee, Eagle River Eagle Harbor and Copper Harbor.

"Let your eyes adjust to the night sky," she urged potential northern lights viewers. "Set up a lawn chair and blanket and enjoy one of natures most spectacular wonderous light shows, the northern lights! It is an experience you wont soon forget."

Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Northern lights may make be visible in Michigan early Wednesday
Families of victims killed by Valdo Calocane say they now "face their own life sentence" of ensuring he is never released.

The parents of Nottingham attacks victim Grace O'Malley-Kumar, Dr Sanjoy Kumar, centre, and Dr Sinead O'Malley, left, outside the Court of Appeal on Tuesday. (PA)

The families of the victims of the Nottingham attacker have reacted with disappointment at a court's decision not to change his sentence.

Three judges at the Court of Appeal in London ruled that the sentence handed down to Valdo Calocane in January was not "unduly lenient".

The 32-year-old was given an indefinite hospital order after admitting the manslaughter of Barnaby Webber, 19, Grace OMalley-Kumar, 19, and Ian Coates, 65, by reason of diminished responsibility, and the attempted murder of three others last June.

The attorney general had referred the sentence to the Court of Appeal in February, with lawyers arguing last week that Calocane  who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia  should be given a hybrid order where he would be treated before serving the remainder of the sentence in custody.

From left to right, Ian Coates, Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar were killed in the Nottingham attacks. (PA)

But three senior judges dismissed this on Tuesday, saying that while Calocanes offences caused unimaginable grief, his sentence was not unduly lenient as his paranoid schizophrenia was the sole identified cause of these crimes.

Giving their judgment, the Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr said: There was no error in the approach adopted by the judge. The sentences imposed were not arguably unduly lenient. It is impossible to read of the circumstances of this offending without the greatest possible sympathy for the victims of these terrible attacks, and their family and friends."

However, the families said they were disappointed with the ruling and that they "face their own life sentence" of ensuring Calocane is never released.

Read their full statements below following the ruling in which they criticise the "utterly flawed and under-resourced" criminal justice system in the UK as well as the "obvious errors and omissions that have resulted in this tragedy".

Dr Sanjoy Kumar, father of Grace OMalley-Kumar

Dr Sanjoy Kumar, father of Grace O'Malley-Kumar, said the court's decision was 'disappointing but not unexpected'. (PA)

The attorney generals case has not been successful. This is disappointing, but not unexpected. The Nottingham attacks were entirely preventable. Nottinghamshire Police failed to produce a warrant for many months, a flawed investigation, no toxicology, over-reliance on psychiatric reports.

Leicestershire Police failed to arrest Valdo Calocane. This is a failure of two police forces, a failure of the mental health trust, along with Nottinghamshire (County) Council as well.

Missed multiple opportunities to prevent the Nottingham attacks and the murder of our children and Ian Coates is what has led us here today. We have continued to pursue agencies that failed us and hold them responsible for the Nottingham attacks, so that no other family is made to suffer like ours.

We thank everyone for the outpouring of support for our brave and beautiful daughter, Grace.

Emma Webber, mother of Barnaby Webber

Emma Webber, mother of Barnaby Webber, outside Nottingham Crown Court in January. (PA)

Todays ruling comes as no surprise to the families of the Nottingham attack victims. It was inevitable and was not a review of anything other than the letter of the law as it stands.

Despite the fact that the attorney general herself feels that Valdo Calocane did not receive the appropriate sentence, todays outcome proves how utterly flawed and under-resourced the criminal justice system in the UK is. It also illustrates the need for urgent reforms in the UK homicide law.

The fact remains, despite the words of the judge, that almost 90% of people serving hospital orders are out within 10 years and 98% within 20 years. In effect, the families now face their own life sentence of ensuring the monster that is Valdo Calocane becomes the next Ian Brady or Fred West and is never released.

Given the failed investigation carried out by Nottingham Police, the weak prosecution put forward by East Midlands CPS and the over-reliance on doctors reports, there was probably no other conclusion that could be made.

The Court of Appeal ruled that the sentence given to Nottingham killer Valdo Calocane was not too lenient. (PA)

The families have raised their concerns already with the government with regard to obvious errors and omissions that have resulted in this tragedy.

As examples, even during the court ruling this morning, there was reliance upon Calocanes clean record (no mention of the failures by the police to execute warrants for his arrest or indeed the numerous investigations for his previous violent attacks), no questions about why he received no mental health assessment in custody, no treatment until mid-September and remained in prison until November.

Also, no questioning of why the defence doctor assessed him in July but did not release his report until October and why the CPS doctor did not see him until mid-November.

There are many, many more serious questions that the families will now continue to fight to get answered.

Click below to see the latest East Midlands headlines

We do not and never will agree that the vicious, calculated and planned attacks carried out were that of an individual who was at zero level of capability.

We have never disputed that he is mentally unwell; however, he knew what he was doing, he knew that it was wrong; but he did it anyway. There should be an element of punishment for such a heinous act; alongside appropriate treatment.

This is just one part of the fight for justice and appropriate accountability for failures that the families have been forced to endure. So far, there have been no less than eight individual reports, reviews and investigations.

We do not believe that there is any chance these can be cohesive enough to ensure a full and detailed outcome, and therefore call for a public inquiry.
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, May 14. Thailand is interested in using the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, or Middle Corridor), said the Ambassador of Thailand to Kazakhstan Chatchawan Sakornsin, Trend reports.

He made a remark during a seminar on TITR and logistics in the Mangystau region.

"Based on the latest geopolitical and geoeconomic situations, we are looking for new alternative ways to transport goods from Thailand. Previously, we all transported everything through Russia on the Trans-Siberian route. Our November seminar with Thai ambassadors from all countries highlighted the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route as a new way to move goods from Thailand to Kazakhstan," he said.

According to the ambassador, Thailand expresses great interest in Kazakhstan, as it is one of the largest countries in Central Asia. "Thank you for today's seminar. We were able to get answers to our questions," he noted.

The Middle Corridor is a transportation and trade route that connects Asia and Europe, passing through several countries in the region. It is an alternative route to the traditional Northern Corridor and Southern Corridor.

The route starts in China and crosses Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. It then passes through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkiye before reaching Europe.

The Middle Corridor offers a land route that connects the eastern parts of Asia, including China, with Europe, bypassing the longer maritime routes.
And now for a little mood voting on Election Day in central Omaha

Neither rain nor snow  or at least not a power failure  could stop these poll workers from their appointed rounds Tuesday at a central Omaha polling place. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)

OMAHA  A power outage in central Omaha on Tuesday morning offered some Nebraska voters a romantic setting of sorts as they cast their ballot on Election Day.

I voted in the dark stickers werent available at this central Omaha polling place. but voters were doing just that for a while during a morning power failure. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)

At least two polling places were without light and power for less than two hours. Omaha Public Power District officials said power was restored around 10:30 a.m.

One, at Lifegate Church near 55th and Leavenworth Streets, seemed to have sufficient natural lighting, but the other, St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church at about 60th and Center Streets, had voting booths in the basement and needed a bit of intervention from the Douglas County Election Commissioners Office.

Brian Kruse, county election commissioner, said his office sent a runner to the location with several lanterns that helped light pathways to voting booths.

People were using flashlights on their cell phones. The facility also had some flashlights.

Thats a first for me, Kruse said of the incident.

The county election commissioners staff delivered lanterns to a central Omaha polling place Tuesday morning when the lights went out. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)

OPPD said fewer than 1,000 customers were without power after a private construction crew hit an underground power line near 48th and Leavenworth Streets. No one on the crew was injured.

The area affected was between Dodge and Center Streets, from 60th to 48th Streets, plus University Drive North and Pacific Street from University Drive West to 46th Avenue.

Nebraska Examiners Aaron Sanderford was among the voters that marked their ballot in the dark during the power outage.

Me and some of my neighbors got to vote like it was the 1800s, he said.

One voter called the lighting romantic. Another called it mood voting.

Meanwhile, Tuesday marked the first election that, under a new state law, workers checked identification of voters. Kruse said all seemed to be going smoothly on that front so far, with no voter complaints as of midday.

The post And now for a little mood voting on Election Day in central Omaha appeared first on Nebraska Examiner.
Children watch as rescue personnel carry a manatee to the water during a mass release of rehabilitated manatees at Blue Spring State Park in Orange City, Fla., in February 2023. The fast-growing state of Florida saw a relatively small birth rate decline of 1% from 2022 to 2023, according to a Stateline analysis. Phelan M. Ebenhack/The Associated Press

Births continued a historic slide in all but two states last year, making it clear that a brief post-pandemic uptick in the nations birth numbers was all about planned pregnancies that had been delayed temporarily by COVID-19.

Only Tennessee and North Dakota had small increases in births from 2022 to 2023, according to a Stateline analysis of provisional federal data on births. In California, births dropped by 5%, or nearly 20,000, for the year. And as is the case in most other states, there will be repercussions now and later for schools and the workforce, said Hans Johnson, a senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California who follows birth trends.

These effects are already being felt in a lot of school districts in California. Which schools are going to close? Thats a contentious issue, Johnson said.

In the short term, having fewer births means lower state costs for services such as subsidized day care and public schools at a time when aging baby boomers are straining resources. But eventually, the lack of people could affect workforces needed both to pay taxes and to fuel economic growth.

Nationally, births fell by 2% for the year, similar to drops before the pandemic, after rising slightly the previous two years and plummeting 4% in 2020.

Mostly what these numbers show is [that] the long-term decline in births, aside from the COVID-19 downward spike and rebound, is continuing, said Phillip Levine, a Wellesley College economics professor.

To keep population the same over the long term, the average woman needs to have 2.1 children over her lifetime  a metric that is considered the replacement rate for a population. Even in 2022 every state fell below that rate, according to final data for 2022 released in April. The rate ranged from a high of 2.0 in South Dakota to less than 1.4 in Oregon and Vermont.

Trends for Latina women

The declines in births werent as steep in some heavily Hispanic states where abortion was restricted in 2022, including Texas and the election battleground state of Arizona. Births were down only 1% in Arizona and Texas. When health clinics closed, many women might have been unable to get reliable birth control or, if they became pregnant, to get an abortion.

Young adults are still getting used to a recovering economy, including childbearing.

 William Frey, Brookings Institution demographer

Hispanic births rose in states where abortion is most restricted, even as non-Hispanic births fell in the same states, according to the Stateline analysis. Its hard, however, to tell how much of a role abortion access played compared with immigration and people moving to growing states such as Texas and Florida.

In states where abortion access is most protected, births fell for both Hispanic and non-Hispanic women.

The big takeaway to me is the likely increase in poverty for all family members, including children, in families affected by lack of access [to abortion and birth control], said Elizabeth Gregory, director of the Institute for Research on Women, Gender & Sexuality at the University of Houston.

Many of the nations most Hispanic states where abortion and birth control are more freely available saw the biggest decreases in births: about 5% in California, Maryland, Nevada and New Mexico.

Hispanic women as a group are facing more challenges in accessing reproductive care, including both contraception and abortion, Gregory said in a university report earlier this year. Unplanned births often directly impact womens workforce participation and negatively affect the income levels of their families.

Hispanic women on average have more children than Black or white women. Their fertility rates rose throughout much of the 1980s and 1990s, then fell in the late 2000s to near the same level as other groups. Thats because both abortion and more reliable birth control became more widely available, Gregory said.

The fact that some of the steepest drops were in heavily Hispanic states outside of Arizona and Texas suggests that Latina women are continuing a path toward smaller and delayed families typical of other groups.

Most of the decline in California has been associated with fewer babies born to Hispanic women, especially immigrants, said Johnson, of the Public Policy Institute of California.

California has a high share of Latinos compared to other states, and so fertility declines in that group have a huge effect on the overall decline in California, he said. California was above replacement fertility as recently as 2008, he added, and would still be there if Hispanic fertility had not dropped. California is about 40% Hispanic, about the same as Texas and second only to New Mexico at 50%.

Birth rates also declined steeply in heavily Hispanic Nevada and New Mexico, with each dropping about 4% from 2022 to 2023. But Arizona, Florida and Texas, also in the top 10 states for Hispanic population share but faster-growing, saw relatively small drops of about 1%.

Texas banned almost all abortions after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. The state also requires parental consent for birth control, a rule thats included federally funded family planning centers since a lower court ruling that same year.

Arizona also saw the number of abortions drop in 2022. After the high courts Dobbs v. Jackson decision, an Arizona judge revived enforcement of a near-total ban on the procedure that was enacted in the Civil War era. Many clinics closed and never reopened.

Abortions in the state plummeted from more than 1,000 a month early in 2022 to 220 in July 2022, and never fully recovered, according to state records. The rate of abortions dropped 19% for the year. Births that year increased slightly, by 500, over 2021.

In Texas, Gregorys research at the University of Houston research saw an effect on Hispanic births when an abortion ban took effect in 2021. Fertility rates rose 8% that year for Hispanic women 25 and older, according to the report.

Both Texas and Arizona also are growing quickly, making the smaller decreases in births harder to interpret, Arizona State Demographer Jim Chang noted. Chang declined comment on the effect of abortion accessibility on state birth rates.

Budget effects

Overall, the continuing fall in birth numbers could have significant effects on state budgets in the future. The slide augurs more enrollment declines for state-funded public schools already facing more dropouts since the pandemic.

The decline we see in enrollment since COVID-19 is a bigger problem than just the decline in birth rates, said Sofoklis Goulas, an economic studies fellow at the Brookings Institution. Rural schools and urban high schools have been particularly hard hit, according to a Brookings report Goulas authored this year.

We dont have a clear answer. We suspect a lot of people are doing home education or going to charter schools and private schools but were not sure, Goulas told Stateline.

Still, states need to recognize declining births as an emerging factor in state budgets to avoid future budget shortfalls, said Jeff Chapman, a research director who monitors the trend at The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Nationally, births did increase slightly for women older than 40, indicating a continuing trend toward delayed parenthood, said William Frey, a demographer at Brookings.

The last two post-pandemic years do not necessarily indicate longer-term trends, Frey said. Young adults are still getting used to a recovering economy, including childbearing.

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Children complete a mural celebrating the launch of the Child Tax Credit on July 14, 2021, at the KU Kids Deanwood Childcare Center in Washington, D.C. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Community Change)

Children complete a mural celebrating the launch of the Child Tax Credit on July 14, 2021, at the KU Kids Deanwood Childcare Center in Washington, D.C. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Community Change)

Births continued a historic slide in all but two states last year, making it clear that a brief post-pandemic uptick in the nations birth numbers was all about planned pregnancies that had been delayed temporarily by COVID-19.

Only Tennessee and North Dakota had small increases in births from 2022 to 2023, according to a Stateline analysis of provisional federal data on births. In California, births dropped by 5%, or nearly 20,000, for the year. And as is the case in most other states, there will be repercussions now and later for schools and the workforce, said Hans Johnson, a senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California who follows birth trends.

These effects are already being felt in a lot of school districts in California. Which schools are going to close? Thats a contentious issue, Johnson said.

In the short term, having fewer births means lower state costs for services such as subsidized day care and public schools at a time when aging baby boomers are straining resources. But eventually, the lack of people could affect workforces needed both to pay taxes and to fuel economic growth.

Nationally, births fell by 2% for the year, similar to drops before the pandemic, after rising slightly the previous two years and plummeting 4% in 2020.

Mostly what these numbers show is [that] the long-term decline in births, aside from the COVID-19 downward spike and rebound, is continuing, said Phillip Levine, a Wellesley College economics professor.

To keep population the same over the long term, the average woman needs to have 2.1 children over her lifetime  a metric that is considered the replacement rate for a population. Even in 2022 every state fell below that rate, according to final data for 2022 released in April. The rate ranged from a high of 2.0 in South Dakota to less than 1.4 in Oregon and Vermont.

Trends for Latina women

The declines in births werent as steep in some heavily Hispanic states where abortion was restricted in 2022, including Texas and the election battleground state of Arizona. Births were down only 1% in Arizona and Texas. When health clinics closed, many women might have been unable to get reliable birth control or, if they became pregnant, to get an abortion.

Young adults are still getting used to a recovering economy, including childbearing.

 William Frey, Brookings Institution demographer

Hispanic births rose in states where abortion is most restricted, even as non-Hispanic births fell in the same states, according to the Stateline analysis. Its hard, however, to tell how much of a role abortion access played compared with immigration and people moving to growing states such as Texas and Florida.

In states where abortion access is most protected, births fell for both Hispanic and non-Hispanic women.

The big takeaway to me is the likely increase in poverty for all family members, including children, in families affected by lack of access [to abortion and birth control], said Elizabeth Gregory, director of the Institute for Research on Women, Gender & Sexuality at the University of Houston.

Many of the nations most Hispanic states where abortion and birth control are more freely available saw the biggest decreases in births: about 5% in California, Maryland, Nevada and New Mexico.

Hispanic women as a group are facing more challenges in accessing reproductive care, including both contraception and abortion, Gregory said in a university report earlier this year. Unplanned births often directly impact womens workforce participation and negatively affect the income levels of their families.

Hispanic women on average have more children than Black or white women. Their fertility rates rose throughout much of the 1980s and 1990s, then fell in the late 2000s to near the same level as other groups. Thats because both abortion and more reliable birth control became more widely available, Gregory said.

The fact that some of the steepest drops were in heavily Hispanic states outside of Arizona and Texas suggests that Latina women are continuing a path toward smaller and delayed families typical of other groups.

Most of the decline in California has been associated with fewer babies born to Hispanic women, especially immigrants, said Johnson, of the Public Policy Institute of California.

California has a high share of Latinos compared to other states, and so fertility declines in that group have a huge effect on the overall decline in California, he said. California was above replacement fertility as recently as 2008, he added, and would still be there if Hispanic fertility had not dropped. California is about 40% Hispanic, about the same as Texas and second only to New Mexico at 50%.

Birth rates also declined steeply in heavily Hispanic Nevada and New Mexico, with each dropping about 4% from 2022 to 2023. But Arizona, Florida and Texas, also in the top 10 states for Hispanic population share but faster-growing, saw relatively small drops of about 1%.

Texas banned almost all abortions after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. The state also requires parental consent for birth control, a rule thats included federally funded family planning centers since a lower court ruling that same year.

Arizona also saw the number of abortions drop in 2022. After the high courts Dobbs v. Jackson decision, an Arizona judge revived enforcement of a near-total ban on the procedure that was enacted in the Civil War era. Many clinics closed and never reopened.

Abortions in the state plummeted from more than 1,000 a month early in 2022 to 220 in July 2022, and never fully recovered, according to state records. The rate of abortions dropped 19% for the year. Births that year increased slightly, by 500, over 2021.

In Texas, Gregorys research at the University of Houston research saw an effect on Hispanic births when an abortion ban took effect in 2021. Fertility rates rose 8% that year for Hispanic women 25 and older, according to the report.

Both Texas and Arizona also are growing quickly, making the smaller decreases in births harder to interpret, Arizona State Demographer Jim Chang noted. Chang declined comment on the effect of abortion accessibility on state birth rates.

Budget effects

Overall, the continuing fall in birth numbers could have significant effects on state budgets in the future. The slide augurs more enrollment declines for state-funded public schools already facing more dropouts since the pandemic.

The decline we see in enrollment since COVID-19 is a bigger problem than just the decline in birth rates, said Sofoklis Goulas, an economic studies fellow at the Brookings Institution. Rural schools and urban high schools have been particularly hard hit, according to a Brookings report Goulas authored this year.

We dont have a clear answer. We suspect a lot of people are doing home education or going to charter schools and private schools but were not sure, Goulas told Stateline.

Still, states need to recognize declining births as an emerging factor in state budgets to avoid future budget shortfalls, said Jeff Chapman, a research director who monitors the trend at The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Nationally, births did increase slightly for women older than 40, indicating a continuing trend toward delayed parenthood, said William Frey, a demographer at Brookings.

The last two post-pandemic years do not necessarily indicate longer-term trends, Frey said. Young adults are still getting used to a recovering economy, including childbearing.

This story was originally published by Stateline. Like South Dakota Searchlight, its part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. Follow Stateline on Facebook and Twitter.

The post The number of births continues to fall, despite abortion bans appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
CLOVIS, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)  It is the first of its kind at Clovis Community Medical Center and only one of five in the state of California: an Emergency Nurse Residency Program.

The program launched back in February 2023 in partnership with the Emergency Nurses Association. Training new registered nurses and providing them with the hands-on training and skills necessary to care for patients in the emergency room.

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I come in every day like I already have a smile on my face, said Sarah Osterhaus Im good with it.

Osterhaus is one of the 12 in the first cohort.

Its wonderful, I know Im going to make a difference in someones life that day. I love that feeling as I walk out of here knowing I did something great, she said.

Prior to nursing, Sarah worked as a paralegal for more than 20 years and says being part of this residency program has given her a new lease on life.

I just got tired of law. I did it from the time I was 22 to 44, she said. It just didnt feel right anymore. There was no interest in it. You know how when you go to work every day, you want to be passionate about it, help people, blah, blah, blah. I wasnt getting that anymore from law.

Osterhaus went to nursing school, applied for the residency program at Clovis Community, and was accepted.

I am older than all of them, but theyre fun and theyre smart, and most importantly, they care. They care. Like, thats such a big deal, she said.

It was at the residency program where Osterhaus met Carson Brizzee.

Its been a great experience to get to work in the E.R. and see how fast-paced it is and see what kind of good we can do in critical situations and in situations that arent so critical. And for me, thats what I got into nursing for. So its just been a great experience overall, said Brizzee.

The program is structured to help brand new nurses whove just graduated from nursing school and passed their National Council Licensure Exam or N-Clex.

Jennifer Winters is a clinical nurse educator at Clovis Community and the Emergency Nurse Residency Program Director.

Winters says the program is an important part of building the foundation for better patient care and well-rounded, well-trained nurses at Community.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  A former employee with two Columbus hospitals who treated child burn victims has pleaded guilty to possession of child sexually oriented material.

Ryan Ramos, 38, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count each of distributing and receiving child pornography and possessing child pornography.

Im hit: Bodycam shows Columbus officers shootout with Amazon guard

According to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio Kenneth L. Parker, Ramos worked at Nationwide Childrens Hospital from 2018 until 2020, and then at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in the ICU in the burn trauma unit until 2023. Ramos is licensed to practice as a nurse in Ohio.

Investigators determined that Ramos participated in a Signal app group that exchanged child pornography, with Ramos sharing hundreds of pictures and videos of child sexual abuse to the group, Parker said.

In 2018, Ramos also allegedly paid a sex offender in New York City $500 for child pornographic material the offender created.

Ohio bill would require public schools to adopt policies allowing religious classes

Parker said Ramos iPhone had more than 346,000 chat messages, most of which Ramos was using to distribute, find, receive, or talk about child pornography.

Ramos was charged May 6 and pleaded guilty during his arraignment Monday. He faces between five and 20 years in prison and will remain in custody until his sentencing. No sentencing date has been scheduled.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage)  The residents of Coke County are still recovering after being battered by a supercell thunderstorm on May 3. But would you be surprised to learn that more than one tornado touched down?

The Tornado Report

According to a public information statement released by the National Weather Service of San Angelo, the supercell that hung over Coke County that fateful Friday actually produced two twisters. The twin tornadoes wreaked havoc in Robert Lee and Silver, two communities 18 minutes away from one another, with just 25 minutes between the end of the first twister and the start of the second.

The first tornado, which had an EF2 rating, touched down 3 miles south-southwest of Silver at 3:40 p.m. It spanned 125 yards and traveled 4.54 miles, tearing through the countryside with 125 mph wind speeds.

The Silver tornado damaged a private property just north of FM 2029, ripping off the roof of a ranch house but leaving the walls standing. It also destroyed a metal barn and threw building material a considerable distance away from the house and barn.

The tornado lifted 7 miles south-southwest of Silver at 3:55 p.m. It wouldnt be the end of Coke Countys twister troubles, however.

The second tornado, rated at EF1, hit the ground at 4:20 p.m. 5 miles west-southwest of Robert Lee. It was 700 yards wide and traveled a total distance of 12.96 miles before subsiding. While active, the tornado clocked wind speeds of up to 110 mph.

The Robert Lee twister damaged the roof of a home along Highway 208 and snapped some large tree limbs as it moved southeast. Following this, the tornado then northeast and lifted the roof off a concrete building on Valley View Road. It then moved back toward the northwest before weakening and subsiding south of Robert Lee.

A Meteorologists Perspective

Though the severe thunderstorm has long since dissipated, the damage it caused may leave some Concho Valley residents wondering how the tornadoes compared to those normally expected for the region. Thankfully, the Enhanced Fujita Scale  a system used to assign a tornado a rating based on estimated wind speeds and related damage, according to the National Weather Service  can be used to shed some light on the matter.

Mike Castillo, warning coordination meteorologist for NWS San Angelo, stated that the tornadoes had EF ratings typical for those commonly seen in the West Texas region. The Silver twister was on the stronger end of this range, however.

Anything rated EF2 or higher is considered a strong tornado, Castillo said. Typically for our area, we generally see EF0, EF1 and EF2 tornadoes.

Noting that this years severe weather season hasnt left Texas just yet, Castillo advised residents to have multiple ways to receive updates from the National Weather Service during severe weather situations.

We tell people that they need to be able to receive our warning information in different ways, Castillo said. Whether its on cell phone, radio, internet or social media, we always stress people to be able to receive our warnings in more than one way. Were still in severe weather season, so we try to stress that to the public.

Castillo stated that tornado season usually lasts from February to May in West Texas. Its still possible to see tornadoes outside of this time period, though.

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 ConchoValleyHomepage.com.
NWS: Three tornadoes touched down in Acadiana Monday night

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KLFY)  The National Weather Service has confirmed that tornadoes touched down in at least three places in Acadiana Monday night.

The NWSs Lake Charles office said an EF-2 tornado touched down in St. Martin Parish between Cecilia and Henderson.

Lydia Stegall, 24, of Bronson, Texas died when winds rolled over the camper she occupied in the 1000 block of Paul Road in Cecilia

Officials said they believe the tornado started around the Bayou Teche area just south of Cecilia, turned into EF-2 when it got into Henderson, traveling at least five miles before entering the Atchafalaya Basin.

Wind speeds topped out at 120 mph and had a maximum width of 400 yards.

In Calcasieu Parish an EF-1 tornado touched down in Westlake, causing roof and exterior wall damage to several homes and businesses, authorities said. The tornado crossed I-10 into downtown Lake Charles, where it caused additional roof damage to a business. Along the path, trees and power lines were also downed. No injuries or fatalities were reported.

According to NWS, this tornado generated winds of 100 mph over a path of 6.5 miles.

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Officials also confirmed a tornado touched down in the Sulphur area that may have gone into Lake Charles. The squall line traveled all the way down I-10 from southeast Texas through much of south Louisiana, authorities said.

Officials said more information will be obtained when high-resolution satellite images taken during the storm become available.

The Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF) classifies tornadoes into the following categories:

EF-0: 65 to 85 mph

EF-1: 86 to 110 mph

EF-2: 111 to 135 mph

EF-3: 136 to 165 mph

EF-4: 166 to 200 mph

EF-5: >200 mph

Latest news

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 KLFY.com.
NEW YORK (PIX11)  New York City ordered dozens of illegal weed shops to close during the first week of a new enforcement operation to crack down on the unlicensed businesses, city officials said.

The New York City Sherriffs Joint Compliance Task Force sealed 75 illegal smoke shops and issued nearly $6 million in penalties last week to kick off Operation Padlock to Protect, according to Mayor Eric Adams office.

Why New York may finally crack down on illegal smoke shops

Week one of Operation Padlock to Protect, reaffirms what weve long said: With the backing of legal authority behind us, our administration will act swiftly to combat illegal cannabis and smoke shop operators, Adams said in a statement.

The law enforcement task force plans to investigate nearly 2,900 reports of potential illegal smoke shops throughout New York Citys five boroughs.

There are a little less than 2,900 locations that have been identified for investigation, New York City Sheriff Anthony Miranda said. We get that information from community complaints. We also get that information from the police department, elected officials and anyone else who makes the observation.

Law enforcement will also conduct follow-up inspections to make sure unlicensed weed shops that were ordered to be sealed actually remain closed. The NYPD has the authority to arrest people violating the sheriffs closure orders.

With this coordinated and sustained multi-agency enforcement, we will help usher in a thriving, safe, and just legal cannabis market that our city deserves while protecting our citys children, families, and vibrant business districts from being subjected to these brazen storefronts, Adams said in a statement.

Finn Hoogensen is a digital journalist who has covered local news for more than five years. He has been with PIX11 News since 2022. See more of his work here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, May 14. The World Bank Group is interested in financing infrastructure reconstruction projects in Kazakhstan, Trend reports.

This topic was discussed during a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Economy of Kazakhstan Nurlan Baibazarov with representatives of the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC, part of the WB) in Astana.

WB representatives said the group wants to finance household waste processing, agricultural, water and energy, Aral Sea restoration, and research and education projects. The WB group proposed assessing large-scale flood damage for grant financing.

The parties discussed the development of already funded investment projects and environmental grants, as well as potential new collaboration areas.

Baibazarov noted that Kazakhstan attaches great importance to its partnership with the World Bank Group, which contributes to the socio-economic development of the country.

According to him, for more effective interaction, the Kazakh side intends to eliminate existing bureaucratic barriers.

"Over the past 30 years, the World Bank Group has been one of our most important strategic partners and largest direct investor. We plan to continue partnerships and create new ones," Baibazarov said.

Notably, the World Bank's total loan amount for Kazakhstan exceeds $9.17 billion. Kazakhstan took 23rd place among the countries with the largest volume of the loan portfolio from the WB.

The World Bank's cooperation in Kazakhstan spans more than 30 years and is presently governed by the Kazakhstan Country Cooperation Framework (CPF 20202025).
AIRMONT  A New York state regulatory agency is assessing the village's code enforcement program amid claims by some residents that the government has been lax in enforcing state fire and building codes.

The Ramapo village has had a history of zoning and enforcement issues since it was formed in 1992. That history includes divisiveness between secular residents and the growing Orthodox and Hasidic Jewish community  including three federal lawsuits that accused previous governments of discriminatory zoning.

Representatives of the state Department of State's Division of Building Standards and Codes and Airmont officials have talked about the village's enforcement of state codes, according to documents obtained by The Journal News/lohud.

3 Fosse Court in Airmont March 5, 2024.

The Department of State sought a meeting in March to "discuss administration and enforcement of the New York State Uniform Code by the Village of Airmont and steps that can be taken by the Village to ensure code enforcement in the Village is done in a due and proper manner," according to a state letter dated March 26.

A conference call took place in April. The Department of State issued a statement on Thursday on its review, which is in the preliminary stages.

"The Department of States Division of Building Standards and Codes has met with the Village of Airmont and it is currently assessing the status of their code enforcement program," the statement said. "The Division of Building Standards and Codes investigates any complaints received regarding the Village's code enforcement program."

Village: State 'did not raise any concerns'

Airmont Village Attorney Brian Nugent said Monday that the state office wanted to confirm whether fire inspections had been completed. The Board of Trustees has designated Nugent as the village spokesperson.

The village also faces legal action by a Fosse Court resident claiming the Building Department is allowing a school and dormitory to operate without permits. The village contests those claims.

Nugent said the state contacted the village based on a video of Fosse Court and a news report by a television station. He said the village provided documentation to the state, confirming that the required fire inspections had been completed.

He said the village also provided information regarding 2 and 3 Fosse Court, the subject of a legal action.

"The state did not raise any concerns or indicate that any further review was necessary," Nugent said. "The village and the state did also discuss the need for the village to implement some updates to its local building code administration provisions to incorporate changes that were made in the State Building and Fire Codes."

Advocates blame the state for not acting on code enforcement

The Department of State can remove a municipality's code enforcement powers.

In November 2021, the agency took over Spring Valley's building department responsibilities. The state deputized the Rockland County government to conduct inspections, issue violations, hold hearings, and issue fines. The decision came eight months after a village firefighter and adult home resident died in a massive fire and after years of dysfunction and lobbying by firefighters and some government officials.

There's no indication the state would take that drastic step in Airmont, though the Spring Valley takeover set a precedent.

Some code enforcement advocates said that after years of lobbying and filing complaints, they have little confidence in government enforcement across Ramapo, including in Airmont, or the state demanding compliance.

Gordon Wren Jr. has been at the forefront. He's a former Ramapo building inspector, a life member of the Hillcrest Fire Department, and the retired coordinator of the Rockland Office of Fire and Emergency Services.

Wren has contacted state Buildings Standards and Codes Director John Addario and has taken state inspectors on tours of hot spots in Ramapo.

The fact that the codes commissioner has allowed the town and villages to continue to avoid code enforcement places thousands of citizens in danger along with our firefighters," Wren said.

He and Justin Schwartz of the Rockland Illegal Housing Task Force said they have filed complaints about the lack of enforcement with the state, including against the Airmont Building Department.

"It is not like we have not made him aware of the facts and there have been so many examples of the problem," Wren said. "Allowing these conditions is, in my opinion, criminal. There are many to blame but the commissioner should and must be held responsible, along with those senior to him that may be forcing him to hold back on addressing the issues.

Schwartz said the lack of enforcement is not just in Airmont and Spring Valley but across Ramapo. He said the death of Spring Valley Fire Department Lt. Jared Lloyd and Oliver Huested in March 2021 at the Evergreen Court Home for Adults has not been a wake-up call.

They have blood on their hands," Schwartz said. "Weve been complaining to the state since 2011 with case numbers. The state chooses to ignore them."

Lawsuit claims Airmont is not enforcing fire and safety codes

Airmont is facing a lawsuit concerning zoning enforcement.

Additionally, a local grassroots group has complained about the lack of enforcement by Building Inspector Louis Zummo, who also inspects properties for the village of Pomona.

The legal action by neighbor Sharon Stern centers on houses at 2 and 3 Fosse Court. He and other neighbors contend Rabbi Arash Nissan Hakakian operates a boys' school and dormitory in the single-family houses without permits and approvals. Hakakian owns several properties and operates a school on Route 202 in Ramapo.

Stern's legal action, filed March 1, is seeking a permanent court order barring Hakakian from "continuing the unlawful use of the subject properties ..."

More: Resident's suit accuses Airmont officials, inspector of allowing illegal school, dorm

A village statement to residents said the lawsuit was discontinued, but Stern's attorney, Steven Mogel, said he made a correction to the suit by filing a notice of claim on March 22 with the Airmont Village Clerk's Office and that the lawsuit will continue with a hearing on May 29.

Airmont says there's no evidence of school at Fosse Court

Airmont documents contend Zummo has inspected the Fosse Court houses and found no evidence of a school or dormitory. Zummo recently issued Hakakian temporary building permits.

Airmont has yet to release inspection reports and other documents sought by The Journal News/lohud under the Freedom of Information Law.

In 2023, the village issued Hakakian and his Yeshiva Tiferet Torah permits for extensive construction at 2 Fosse Court.

The plans included gutting the house and removing structural walls, adding two bedrooms and three basement bathrooms, an open living room and dining room, two half baths, and a study on the main floor. The second floor would have four bedrooms, a kitchen, three bathrooms, and a sprinkler system.

In March, the Building Department issued a permit for windows and Dumpsters, portable toilets, and a temporary storage container.

The village said in a statement on its website that Zummo inspected both Fosse Court houses, which have certificates of occupancy as single-family homes. The statement said neither a dormitory nor a school would be allowed on either property without approvals.

"No violations were observed at the properties during the inspection," the statement said.

The statement said that the village was aware of a video posted on social media and a news report that allegedly showed students at Fosse Court, but said that violations must be based on on-site inspections.

"There was no evidence found of a school use within either structure and the internal layout was consistent with a single-family home," the village statement said.

Fosse Court neighbors take a different view

Aside from Stern's legal action, some neighbors have complained to the village and Rockland Health Department since 2023 that 2 and 3 Fosse are being used as a dormitory and school without permits, documents show.

On April 5, neighbors complained of "around 50-70 young men in the home and that these same individuals will run around the neighborhood at times until 1:00 A.M.," documents show.

The neighbors, according to Health Department reports, told the inspectors they wished to remain anonymous because they feared retaliation.

The Health Department's Rockland Code Investigations unit has gone to the houses.

In a February report, an RCI inspector wrote about meeting a neighbor who described worsening relations between neighbors and the property owner.

"He stated that the life of the neighbors and their families are being threatened and no one will volunteer any information for fear of their life and their families are being threatened ... He went as far as pleading with me not to go to his neighbor's house directly from his own house because they will think that he was the one that sent me to their house."

The inspector's report stated the second floor had vacant bedrooms, the finished basement was vacant and all closets were empty.

"No violation of the Rockland County Sanitary Code was observed," the report stated.

Hakakian showed up during an inspection.

The inspector wrote, "Rabbi Hakakian who was visibly upset and angry felt he was being harassed and stated that the property is a synagogue. He said no one sleeps or lives in the property. He stated that some of his neighbors are discriminating against him because of their hatred for him."

Inspectors on March 23 took video of cars arriving and adults entering 2 Fosse, which is Hakakian's Sephardic Heritage Center. In total, 24 people were seen walking from 3 Fosse to 2 Fosse during the time we spent on site, they said.

Beth Cefalu, a spokesperson for County Executive Ed Day, said while county inspectors went to Fosse Court, the county cannot enforce building and zoning codes outside Spring Valley.

"The fact remains the lead on this issue falls to the Village of Airmont," Cefalu said. "Any concerns or complaints relating to them not enforcing their local laws need to be directed to the secretary of state.

Steve Lieberman covers government, breaking news, courts, police, and investigations. Reach him at slieberm@lohud.com Twitter: @lohudlegal

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This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Airmont NY fire, building code enforcement being assessed by state
Grassroots group Apache Stronghold will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to hear its plea to preserve Oak Flat from obliteration by a copper mine after the full Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday refused to review the case.

On April 15, the group asked the entire 29-judge Ninth Circuit panel to review its lawsuit against the United States and Resolution Copper. That move followed an opinion issued by an en banc panel of 11 appeals court judges that ruled narrowly against Apache Stronghold in March. The court asserted that the mine would not pose a substantial burden on Apache people's First Amendment religious rights.

Several religious rights groups and religious leaders called upon the appeals court to move forward with a full 29-judge hearing. Groups ranging from the Mennonite Church to Sikhs, Muslins, religious scholars, tribes and the Christian Legal Society have filed briefs supporting Apache Stronghold.

The 11-justice panel rejected the request in an amended ruling Tuesday.

The opinion and other decisions on Native religious rights on public lands are based on a 1988 ruling by the Supreme Court that held that putting a logging road through a sacred grove of trees did not pose such a burden to their First Amendment rights. That decision was listed by noted Pawnee legal expert Walter Echo-Hawk as one of the 10 worst-ever Indian law decisions.

Oak Flat, or Chichil Bidagoteel, "the place where the Emory oak grows," is at the heart of a struggle that has stretched for more than 20 years and has come to define the issue of religious rights on public lands. The site, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is home to the ga'an or Mountain Spirits and has been the site of ceremonies for Western Apaches since time immemorial.

But it's also sitting on one of the U.S.'s largest copper deposits.

In December 2014, Congress authorized the U.S. Forest Service to trade the 2,200-acre campground about 60 miles east of Phoenix for parcels of environmentally sensitive private land owned by Resolution Copper, a subsidiary of British-Australian mining companies Rio Tinto and BHP. The legislation also overturned a nearly 60-year mining ban that was enacted to preserve Oak Flat's wetlands, which wildlife depend on, and its recreational uses.

Resolution had sought the land swap for about 10 years before the bill's passage but had been repeatedly denied due to sustained opposition by Native peoples and environmentalists.

Wendsler Nosie Sr., right, leads a group of runners in the final stretch of the 10th annual Oak Flat Run at Oak Flat, a campground that is part of the Tonto National Forest near Miami, AZ, on Feb. 17, 2024.

To obtain the copper ore, Resolution will use a method known as block cave mining, in which tunnels are drilled beneath the ore body, and then collapsed, leaving the ore to be moved to a crushing facility. Eventually, the ground will subside, leaving behind a crater about 1,000 feet deep and nearly 2 miles across where Oak Flat and its religious and environmental significance stands.

The U.S. Forest Service published the final environmental impact statement and draft decision for the copper mine and land swap five days before the end of the Trump administration in January 2021. That set off a 60-day clock within which the land deal could have been finalized and Resolution handed the keys.

Protecting history: Indigenous people find legal, cultural barriers to protect sacred spaces off tribal lands

Apache Stronghold filed its lawsuit in January 2021 in federal court to stop the land swap, citing First Amendment religious rights guarantees. Becket Law, a religious freedom nonprofit law firm, accepted the case and, along with two private attorneys, has represented Apache Stronghold, which includes Apache and other Native peoples and their allies.

The Biden administration rescinded the environmental impact statement in March 2021 for further consultation with tribes. That consultation is ongoing.

A Resolution Copper mining site is visible from Oak Flat, a campground that is part of the Tonto National Forest in Miami, Ariz., on Oct. 29, 2021. The site, which is sacred to Apache and other Native peoples, is at risk of destruction by a land swap with the federal government to a copper mining company.

The San Carlos Apache Tribe and a coalition of environmentalists followed with more litigation. Those two lawsuits are on hold but can be restarted upon the release of a new environmental impact statement.

A spokesperson for Resolution Copper said the company looks forward to starting work on the mine, bringing lasting economic benefits to the region.

"For over a decade, we have collaborated and co-designed the mine plan with local, state and federal governments, Native American tribes, local communities, civil organizations and organized labor," the spokesperson said, adding that the firm would work to ensure that the copper mine is developed "safely, responsibly, and sustainably. Resolution Copper was allowed to join the suit as a defendant in 2023.

Wendsler Nosie, head of Apache Stronghold, thanked those who have offered support and prayers as the case heads to Washington.

Oak Flat is the place where generations of Apaches have come to connect with our Creator, our faith and our land, he said. We pray the Supreme Court will take our case and protect Oak Flat the same way it would protect other historic houses of worship across the country.

In a written statement, Luke Goodrich, vice president and senior counsel at Becket, said that obliterating the birthplace of Western Apache religion would be a tragic betrayal of our nations promise of religious freedom for all. We will ask the Supreme Court take this case, protect Oak Flat, and ensure that Indigenous peoples receive the same protection for religious freedom that all other faith groups enjoy.

Nosie said that the Indigenous peoples of America have suffered for more than 500 years from capitalism. He said that the world faces a choice between protecting the great gift God has given the world or destroying every human life and the spirit to which Mother Earth gives birth.

"The question is, where will you stand in this moment?"

Becket expects to hear if the high court will take Apache Stronghold's case by Aug. 12.

Debra Krol reports on Indigenous communities at the confluence of climate, culture, and commerce in Arizona and the Intermountain West. You can reach Krol at debra.krol@azcentral.com or follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @debkrol.

Coverage of Indigenous issues at the intersection of climate, culture and commerce is supported by the Catena Foundation.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Apache Stronghold to appeal Resolution copper case to Supreme Court
Obama official Peggy Moore and her wife die in California car crash

Former Barack Obama campaign workers Peggy Moore, left, and Hope Wood, right, pictured together. They were killed in a car accident (Congresswoman Barbara Lee)

A former campaign worker for former President Barack Obama and her wife were killed in a car accident in California last week, according to police.

Peggy Moore, 60, and Hope Wood, 48, were passengers in a Jeep pickup truck that collided with a sedan on Highay 76 near Fallbrook, according to NBC Bay Area.

Both died as a result of the crash.

The 60-year-old driver of the Jeep and the driver of the sedan were also killed in the wreck. A third passenger in the Jeep survived.

Moore was the only victim named by the medical examiner, but tributes online later revealed the names of the other victims killed, including her wife.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee remembered the women in a post on X/Twitter.

She said she was friends with Moore, calling her a a friend, an activist, and one of the best organisers I knew.

Her passion and fight for justice and equality is what brought her and Hope together, she wrote. Together they organized, changed hearts and minds, and helped to create a world where who you love doesnt limit your freedoms.

She said the women made an impact on our community, on our city, on our state, and on our nation that will be felt for generations to come.

Saddened by the tragic passing of Peggy Moore, Rusty Hicks, the chair of the California Democratic Party, said in a post on X/Twitter. She was an incredible political talent & member of Team CADEM who brought a passion for organizing & a commitment to justice every single day.

Former Barack Obama campaign workers Peggy Moore, left, and Hope Wood, right, pictured together. They were killed in a car accident (Congresswoman Barbara Lee)

Ms Schaff remembered Moore's friendly demeanour and recalled how she would run into people she knew everywhere she went.

You could not walk anywhere with Peggy without it taking two hours, Ms Schaff told KRON4. She knew every person. For her, politics was deeply personal. It was about connecting through our differences. to lift up our shared hopes and just love.

She shared that people close to the couple took some small comfort in knowing that the women died instantly and that they died together.

Many of her friends and family are shocked by somewhat comforted by the idea that they went immediatel, she said. That they went instantaneously without pain and that they went together.

Moore and Wood met while campaigning for the then-presidential candidate Mr Obama in 2008.

In 2019, they together founded the Hope Action Change consultancy and coaching firm, which emphasised diversity and equality.

Moore had previously served as the campaign manager for former Oakland Mayor Libby Schaff, and served as a senior adviser in Ms Schaffs office from 2015 through 2017, according to her LinkedIn page.

She also worked as a general consultant for Diana Betcons successful district attorney campaign in Contra Costa County, California.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Five community organizations filed a lawsuit against the Oregon Department of Transportation to stop the proposed $1.9 billion Rose Quarter freeway expansion project.

The lawsuit  filed May 10 by No More Freeways, the Eliot Neighborhood Association, Neighbors for Clean Air, Families for Safe Streets and Bikeloud  seeks a moratorium on the planning for the proposal.

The organizations allege ODOTs proposal does not comply with the City of Portlands Comprehensive Plan or Metros Regional Transportation Plan.

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So if were successful, ODOT will have to work with the city to make sure that either they change their project to match the comprehensive plan or that Portland amends the comprehensive plan to include an accurate description of this project, said Chris Smith, a spokesperson for No More Freeways. We oppose the widening of the freeway. We dont think additional lanes are necessary but this project is now more complicated. And it also includes capping.

In a press release, the organizations raised concerns that ODOTs proposal could double or triple the width of the roadway to include 10 lanes on the freeway, in contradiction to the citys adopted climate, transportation, and land use plans, the organizations claim.

Its absurd for ODOT to claim that their proposed $1.9 billion 10-lane highway is in compliance with the citys existing plans for climate action, sustainable transportation investment or neighborhood development, Smith said. We filed this lawsuit because state law requires ODOT to follow the citys clean air and climate goals. ODOT shouldnt be allowed to advance a project that brazenly violates the citys adopted plans.

For generations, ODOT has been prioritizing moving car traffic through the Eliot Neighborhood instead of protecting the health and well-being of local residents, added Allan Rudwick, the Chair of the Eliot Neighborhood Associations Land Use and Transportation Committee. Recently, we have seen several new residential construction projects between I-5 and the Willamette River for the first time in nearly a century. The Eliot Neighborhood needs more homes, not more highways. Routing lots of extra traffic onto our roads may put a damper on this revitalization for another century and we continue to oppose ODOTs road-widening project.

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The organizations said they hope state and federal leaders will direct ODOT to pursue more cost-effective alternatives to expanding freeway capacity.

In a statement, Michelle DuBarry  whose 22-month-old son was struck by a driver in a crosswalk in 2010  furthered that ODOT should prioritize other projects.

ODOT has continued to prioritize investment in endless freeway expansion instead of targeting improvements to streets like North Lombard, where my son was killed, DuBarry said. Traffic fatalities in Oregon are up 70% since 2010, and as an advocacy organization comprised of Oregonians who have been injured or lost loved ones to traffic violence, were proud to stand with community partners in demanding ODOT be held accountable and forced to reconsider this mindless expansion.

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This marks the third lawsuit filed against ODOT regarding the project, according to the organizations.

In 2021, No More Freeways joined Neighbors for Clean Air and the Eliot Neighborhood Association in a complaint alleging ODOT did not fully consider alternatives to expansion in line with federal standards.

No More Freeways also filed a suit against the transportation agency alleging a lack of compliance with Portlands Comprehensive Plan.

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The organizations said both lawsuits were voluntarily dismissed in 2022 after the Federal Highway Administration withdrew approval of the project.

No More Freeways resubmitted their complaint after federal approval of the project was regranted over spring.

The organization is also advocating for remediating the Albina neighborhood with an investment in freeway caps.

The opportunity to heal the injustice inflicted into this neighborhood must not be paired with ODOTs attempt to further harm this community with greater air pollution, freeway traffic and carbon emissions, the organizations said.

ODOT told KOIN 6 News the agency does not comment on pending litigation but did highlight a historic federal grant they received for the project along with federal approval for the expansion to move forward.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)  A former office manager has pleaded guilty to stealing over $700,000 from her employer over a span of more than seven years, the Erie County District Attorneys Office said Tuesday.

59-year-old Camille Pirrone-Hess, of Depew, admitted to making more than 2,000 unauthorized transactions between July 2016 and August 2023 while working as an office manager for a business in Buffalo. She used a company credit card on the purchases for personal use, including vacations, event tickets, donations to charity, her childs college tuition, jewelry, electronics, furniture, bills, and other expenses.

In total, she stole $719,122.41, for which she will pay full restitution.

Pirrone-Hess pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree grand larceny. She faces up to 15 years in prison when she is sentenced on July 29 and remains released on her own recognizance.

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.
Officials lower number of people injured in 'group disturbance' at Lawton prison to 3, down from 30

State corrections officials told The Oklahoman on Monday that only three inmates were injured in the group disturbance Friday at the Lawton Correctional and Rehabilitation Facility. Initial reports from several sources said more than 30 inmates were injured.

Officials revised the count a second time late Monday afternoon. Kay Thompson, the DOC spokesman said 30 inmates were seen on camera. "However, only approximately 10 were involved in the altercation, Thompson said in a statement to The Oklahoman. "When other officers arrived, all inmates complied and were restrained without incident. The investigation is ongoing, and we are still working to identify everyone involved."

The Oklahoma Department of Corrections has continued to describe the event a "group disturbance" and not a "riot." DOC and The Geo Group, the private prison owner, bounced questions back and forth to each other.

Both agreed that two inmates had been killed in the disturbance. Thompson referred inquiries about the identities of the dead inmates to Geo Group.

At the same time, The Geo Group said, "We would refer all further questions to Oklahoma DOC."

Both had said Saturday morning "multiple" inmate injuries had occurred. The Geo Group also confirmed a corrections officer had suffered minor injuries during the disturbance. Corrections officials confirmed that detail later.

The incident was the second violent incident that occurred last week at the facility. Just three days earlier, an inmate-on-inmate assault sent two to the hospital with minor injuries, Lawton television station KSWO reported.

In addition, the company is facing a civil rights lawsuit from an Oklahoma mother whose son died at the Lawton prison in January 2023. A Corrections Department investigator, Tommy Stranahan, found evidence of neglect, refusal of duties and obstructing an investigation, according to Oklahoma Watch.

No information was released by either the department or The Geo Group as to the nature of the inmate injuries, although the department said two inmates were taken to hospitals for serious injuries and one was treated at the prison for a minor injury.

Incident at Lawton Correctional and Rehabilitation Facility remains under investigation

Thompson said the department continues to work closely with The Geo Group to understand how the incident occurred and what corrective actions need to be taken. "Full details will be released once the investigation is complete," she added.

Thompson said Friday's disturbance was due to human error. She said the two security threat groups that were supposed to remain separate and be on structured movement interacted, causing the disturbance. All inmates involved submitted to restraints without issue, she said.

On Monday, corrections officials issued a statement criticizing state Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, and other sources for calling the incident a riot. Humphrey has been a harsh critic of department and, in the past, warned of an increase in violent incidents and the possibility of a riot.

More: Two killed, many injured Friday in 'group disturbance' at Lawton prison

Thompson said the disturbance was not a riot. She said the department's definition of a riot was,  when inmates band together and are violent toward the facility and staff, causing massive damage and disrupting operations.

He (Humphrey) continues to misrepresent the truth to fit his self-serving narratives, Thompson's statement said. "The chairman of Criminal Justice and Corrections seems to lack an understanding of precisely what constitutes a riot in a correctional setting."

As chair of the House Criminal Justice and Corrections Committee, Humphrey has invited former employees, inmates family members and others to speak about issues the department is facing. Humphrey said his office receives about 30-40 calls a week from former employees, inmates and their families.

The Geo Group manages and/or owns 100 secure facilities, processing centers and community reentry centers, which includes about 82,000 beds in the U.S., according to their website. The company reported $605.7 million in revenues for the first quarter of 2024, and its net income was $22.7 million, according to an earnings report.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Lawton Correctional Facility injuries lowered to 3, officials say
A crowd gathers near a rendering of Providence Park  a homelessness village planned for Pulaski County  after a ground breaking ceremony on held May 14, 2024. (Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate)

After at least a year of planning and land prep, officials in Central Arkansas ceremoniously broke ground Tuesday on Providence Park, a 50-acre homelessness village expected to provide 400 affordable tiny homes in southern Pulaski County when complete.

The village will provide our most vulnerable residents with a dignified place to call home, will empower them to create a space they can be proud of, where they can feel safe and cultivate the community themselves, said Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde, who spearheaded the project.

The first residents were initially expected to move into the community this summer, but construction delays pushed the timeline back and the first tenants are now expected in 2025.

The road to the site of the future homelessness village in Pulaski County on May 14, 2024. (Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate)

At least 100 people gathered Tuesday at Iron Horse Church near the Pulaski-Saline County border to hear from officials as they announced the projects start. The groundbreaking didnt take place at the site of the village, but rather a few streets over where officials also marked progress on the Southwest Trail, a path that will connect Pulaski, Saline and Garland counties.

The homelessness village is a $5 million investment Hyde initiated after he visited a similar setup in Austin, Texas, called the Community First! Village.

Arkansas Providence Park aims to house the chronically homeless, or people who have been unsheltered for at least 12 months. The community will be a more permanent option for folks, and the houses are expected to have a rent attached, though the price is currently unknown.

People interested in living at the village will be required to apply and interview with management staff. Referrals from existing homelessness organizations are also welcome but not required. Potential applicants would need to fit within the housing qualifications, mainly that theyve been homeless for at least one year.

Central Arkansas leaders don helmets and shovels on May 14, 2024 to break ground on Pulaski Countys future homelessness village, Providence Park. (Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate)

In addition to the tiny homes, the community is also slated to have its own bus stop, bathrooms and laundry, a communal kitchen, health center, market and more.

Rather than continuing to stigmatize and criminalize homelessness, the communal focus of Providence Park provides individuals with a way to get back on their feet in a supportive environment, Hyde said.

Errin Stanger speaks at the groundbreaking event on May 14, 2024, for Providence Park, a 50-acre homelessness village in Pulaski County. (Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate)

The tiny homes themselves will come equipped with a small refrigerator and heating and air conditioning. The space is divided into a condensed kitchen space, a living room and bedroom.

Errin Stanger, who served as the director of Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub for the last 10 years, will lead the village through a nonprofit that shares a name with the housing project.

The village will act as more than just a living space with on-site aid for long-term housing solutions, job training and social integration programs, Stanger said.

Though still in the beginning stages of planning what the managerial crew will look like, Stranger said the village will be staffed at all times.

While officials have made notable progress over the past year, there is still a lot to be done. Providence Park is currently a vast, bare-bones clearing surrounded by forest.

Pulaski Countys project is separate from a similar micro-home village planned on Roosevelt Road in Little Rock. Mayor Frank Scott Jr. spoke Tuesday and complimented the partnership between county and city officials.

We know its going to have an all-hand-on-deck approach to get to functional zero [for homelessness], Scott said.

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Bags of heroin, some laced with fentanyl, are displayed before a press conference regarding a major drug bust, at the office of the New York Attorney General in New York City, NY on September 23, 2016. Credit - Drew AngererGetty Images

U.S. law enforcement officials seized more than 115 million pills containing illicit fentanyl in 2023a dramatic increase that experts say is alarming and shows the need for increased public health efforts to prevent the distribution of these pills and possible overdoses.

A new study published Monday in the International Journal of Drug Policy found that the number of individual pills containing fentanyl that was seized by law enforcement was 2,300 times greater in 2023 than in 2017. In total, 115,562,603 pills containing fentanyl were seized in 2023, whereas 49,657 were seized in 2017. The study also found that the proportion of pills that were seized to the total number of fentanyl seized more than quadrupledin 2023, pills represented nearly half of illicit fentanyl seizures, whereas they represented just 10% in 2017.

Availability of illicit fentanyl is continuing to skyrocket in the U.S., and the influx of fentanyl-containing pills is particularly alarming, Joseph J. Palamar, the studys lead author and an associate professor at New York Universitys Grossman School of Medicine, said in a press release from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Public health efforts are needed to help prevent these pills from falling into the hands of young people, and to help prevent overdose among people taking pills that unsuspectingly contain fentanyl.

Of the nearly 107,000 drug overdose deaths in 2021, more than 75% involved an opioid, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many experts link the overdose crisis to the spread of illicit fentanyl, which is a synthetic opioid that is about 50 times more potent than heroin. As little as two milligrams of the drug could be lethal, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

The new study found that most law enforcement seizures of fentanyl took place in the western U.S., even though historically, law enforcement seizures have been less common in that part of the country. Researchers said in their study that this highlights the importance of monitoring fentanyl supplies in different regions to improve the public health response.

The study was funded by the NIHs National Institute on Drug Abuse. Researchers collected data for the study through the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program, a grant program administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy that aims to reduce drug trafficking and misuse.

Law enforcement seizures can help indicate the availability of illicit drugs, even if they may not reflect the prevalence of drug use, according to the NIH press release.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
The FDA approved mifepristone under the brand-name Mifeprex. (Photo by Peter Dazeley/GettyImages).

A long-standing lawsuit challenging Ohio law with regard to telehealth abortions might now challenge other abortion-related laws in the state, according to a new filing.

The ACLU, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and two other law firms filed an amendment to their original lawsuit, asking a Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas judge to add new complaints against state laws that keep certain medical professionals from prescribing a drug called mifepristone, commonly used in combination with misoprostol for medication abortions.

A separate law being challenged prohibits physician assistants, nurse practitioners and certified nurse midwives from providing medication abortions, according to a press release by the ACLU announcing the new challenges.

The amended complaint is an update to a lawsuit that has been active since 2021 in Hamilton County. The suit started out as a case against a law banning telehealth abortion services, that is, medication abortion appointments conducted virtually.

Senate Bill 260

Back in April 2021, Planned Parenthood groups sued to stop Senate Bill 260, which had been passed months prior to ban the telehealth option for medication abortions, requiring in-person visits with a physician to receive medication abortion treatment and making it a fourth-degree felony for a physician to violate the law.

Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Alison Hatheway has twice granted a preliminary injunction in the case, which keeps SB 260 from being enforced. The most recent preliminary injunction was put in place until final judgment is entered in this case, according to Hatheways order.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration lifted in-person dispensing requirements for mifepristone that same year.

When the health clinics first sued the state over the law, they argued the law irrationally prohibits abortion providers from using telemedicine to provide medication abortion to Ohioans.

The clinics also said the law violates the state constitutions due process, equal protection and free choice in health care guarantees.

An attorney for the Ohio Attorney Generals Office argued at the time that there was no fundamental right at issue in the case, and that the law impacted a very narrow subset of patients seeking abortions.

As of November of last year, theres a new amendment in the Ohio Constitution, one that protects the right to reproductive health, including abortion and miscarriage care. The mifepristone-misoprostol treatment can also be used in miscarriages, which are referred to in medical terms as spontaneous abortions.

Attorneys hope to use the newest constitutional amendment as an argument against not only the telehealth law, but the other laws theyve added in as well.

The Amendment therefore creates a new cause of action that applies directly to the challenged law  further rendering it unconstitutional, attorneys wrote in the most recent court filing.

They call the amendments passage a major legal development that establishes a clear and unequivocal right to abortion while also barring the state from interfering in abortion care.

Individually and collectively, the challenged laws burden, penalize  interfere with, (and) discriminate against both Ohioans who seek to exercise their fundamental right to abortion and plaintiffs who assist Ohioans in exercising that right by providing abortion care, by delaying, impeding and restricting access to medication abortion, court documents stated.

Other law(suits)

Ohio law already requires a minimum of two visits to a provider before an abortion can take place, identification of fetal cardiac activity before the procedure and a 24-hour waiting period before the procedure is conducted. All of these laws are now being challenged in one court case or another.

In Franklin County, a lawsuit asks the court to eliminate the 24-hour waiting period before an abortion can take place and the requirements that doctors provide certain information and a fetal heartbeat exam before they can provide an abortion.

A separate lawsuit is still chugging along in Hamilton County as well, seeking to kill the six-week abortion ban enacted in 2019. The law was almost immediately challenged, but the state was able to bring the ban back after the Dobbs decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that overturned the national abortion legalization in Roe. v. Wade.

After the Ohio Supreme Court didnt act on a lawsuit submitted to them, clinics moved the lawsuit to Hamilton County, where they successfully got the ban paused as the lawsuit continues.

The state tried to appeal the pause to the states highest court, but the court cited a change in law when it rejected the appeal.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has pushed back against the Franklin County lawsuit, along with certain aspects of the six-week abortion ban suit.

In both cases, he acknowledged the constitutional amendment invalidated the six-week ban, but he pushed back on arguments that the amendment covers abortion issues as broadly as abortion rights advocates think it does.

In a filing related to the six-week abortion ban case, Yost said the amendment does not bar all laws that touch on abortion  and even some laws that have nothing to do with abortion or anything else the amendment mentions.

Telehealth abortions went up following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs. A national study from the Society of Family Planning showed 16% of abortions were conducted via telehealth as of September 2023, up from 4% pre-Dobbs.

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The post Ohio abortion rights groups add challenges to other laws to their 2021 telehealth lawsuit appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
State Rep. Steve Demetriou, R-Bainbridge Twp., speaks during an Ohio House session. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal. Republish photo only with original article.)

Ohio House lawmakers have begun hearings on legislation that would criminalize the creation or distribution of non-consensual deepfakes. If enacted, the proposal would make it a first-degree misdemeanor on the first offense and a fifth-degree felony for any subsequent offense.

The bills sponsors, state Reps. Kevin Miller, R-Newark, and Steve Demetriou, R-Bainbridge Twp., define deepfakes as an image or recording that has been convincingly altered and manipulated to misrepresent a person as performing an action.

Demetriou compared the growth of artificial intelligence to innovations like electricity, the airplane or computers. But he warned, despite the tremendous benefits of developing technology, we must also deal with the possibility of misuse or abuse.

In many cases, it is nearly impossible to distinguish between whether something is real or created by an artificial intelligence, he said. AI cannot only create sentences, but photos and videos can be produced, looking so lifelike, they are nearly indistinguishable from reality.

The bill outlaws deepfakes used to harass, extort, threaten, or cause physical, emotional, reputational, or economic harm. It also extends the prohibition to creating a deepfake with the intent to distribute, actually distributing it or soliciting the creation of one.

Miller and Demetrious proposal is not the only one on offer.

Reps. Adam Matthews, R-Lebanon, and Brett Hillyer, R-Ulrichsville, attempt to prohibit malicious deepfakes but provide some exceptions if it includes a disclaimer. State Sens. Louis Blessing, R-Colerain Twp., and Terry Johnson, R-McDermott, are concerned about deepfake porn and identity theft, while Rep. Joe Miller, D-Amherst, takes aim at deepfakes meant to influence an election.

But what is the balance in prohibiting malicious content without restricting free expression?

In a bid to head off any First Amendment implications of their proposal, Kevin Miller argued, We live in a free society, and we enjoy our right to our freedom of speech, which means that we are free to express our own opinions and beliefs. We do not, however, enjoy the same protections to manipulate and or manufacture someone elses speech without their consent.

Picking up on the bills inclusion of recordings, Rep. Josh Williams, R-Sylvania, connected the idea to current events.

I dont know if you guys are into hip hop music or not, Williams said, but we have a beef between Drake and Kendrick (Lamar) going on right now, and Drake introduced a song that had AI generated snippets of two other rappers, one thats deceased and one thats alive. Would that be classified as a deepfake under this under this statute?

That song, Taylor Made Freestyle, included AI-generated voices made to sound like Tupac Shakur and Snoop Doggy Dogg. Miller said while the people being mimicked may not have given consent, he wasnt sure if that kind of use would meet the bar of harassment or causing physical or emotional harm.

But we would be more than happy to entertain any changes you might have, he added, noting they were already thinking about a potential substitute bill.

Personally, Demetriou jumped in, I just think Drake and Kendrick need to squash the beef.

Williams concerns about recordings appear well-founded. While he raised the possibility of a doctored recording being used to misrepresent what politicians might have said in a meeting, fake recordings have already shown up in this years presidential race.

In January, ahead of the New Hampshire primary election, a fake Joe Biden robocall went out to voters encouraging them to sit out and save your vote for the November election. NBC News reported a Democratic political consultant paid a New Orleans street magician to create the recording. The consultant, Steve Kramer insisted he did it to raise awareness about the threat of AI in politics.

As it happens, Kramer was also working for President Bidens Democratic primary opponent, U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips.

Follow OCJ Reporter Nick Evans on Twitter.

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The post Ohio House begins hearings on bill prohibiting non-consensual deepfakes appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. Binance finds Kyrgyzstan a promising market for the company's activities and the development of the cryptocurrency industry as a whole, Kirill Khomyakov, Binance's Regional Head for Central/Eastern Europe and Central Asia told Trend in an exclusive interview.

Kyrgyzstan presents a compelling and promising market for Binance, the leading platform in the CIS region. With cryptocurrencies gradually integrating into the daily lives of Kyrgyz citizens, the momentum of this adoption is undeniable and poised for continued growth, he emphasized.

He notes that the Kyrgyz community exhibits considerable interest in cryptocurrencies and the broader cryptocurrency sector. Kyrgyzstan is a receptive ground for innovation, boasting numerous projects involving technologically progressive firms, among them crypto exchanges.

The fundamental groundwork for this endeavor is established, yet I believe there's a pressing need for greater collaboration between regulatory and legislative entities. It's imperative for them to engage with industry representatives, fostering an environment where market insights are heard and regulations can be adapted to incentivize investment, said Khomyakov.

He emphasized that Binance's primary focus in Kyrgyzstan is the advancement of their global products and ensuring user accessibility.

"Educational initiatives take precedence. Recently, we unveiled the launch of 'Crypto School', a comprehensive online educational venture," shared Khomyakov.

He highlighted that through this initiative, millions of users in Kyrgyzstan will have access to fundamental knowledge about blockchain and cryptocurrencies at no cost.

"For our community, we regularly host various activities, such as trading contests and marketing campaigns. Additionally, we are considering another visit to Kyrgyzstan to host another community meeting. The first Binance Community Meetup in 2022 was a tremendous success, with over 600 attendees," he stated.

Furthermore, the regional head stressed the importance of dialogue between the government and the crypto industry to refine existing legislation and attract investment to the country.

"The involvement of technologically advanced players, particularly Binance, fosters technological development and job opportunities. We are always open to dialogue with regulators and financial institution representatives," he affirmed.

In response to inquiries about Binance's efforts to bolster the advancement of blockchain technology in Kyrgyzstan, the regional head acknowledged the absence of concrete examples thus far.

However, we have a noteworthy case that we've executed in the neighboring nation - Kazakhstan. Last November, Binance, in collaboration with the National Bank of Kazakhstan and the National Payment Corporation of Kazakhstan, announced the launch of a pilot stablecoin backed by digital tenge. This marked the world's inaugural issuance of a stablecoin supported by a national digital currency on the BNB Smart Chain (BSC) test network," he explained.

Nonetheless, the Binance regional head underscored the country's aspirations for digitalization and cryptocurrency development, with the mining sector showing promising growth. In response, Binance embraces such endeavors and stands ready to extend support.

"We possess extensive experience in implementing blockchain technologies both at the governmental level and within the business sphere. We are eager to share our expertise and assist local enterprises with integration," Khomyakov emphasized.

He also shared insights from a user survey that Binance conducted last year among CIS countries, including Kyrgyzstan. The survey revealed that the predominant demographic within Binance's audience is male (89.2 percent), with 90.8 percent falling between the ages of 18 and 45.

"The largest demographic among respondents consists of individuals aged 26 to 35, comprising 38.2 percent of the total. Additionally, the financial sector ranks second with 13.4 percent of respondents, followed by IT professionals at 11.9 percent. Notably, over 88 percent of surveyed Binance users expressed intentions to continue investing in cryptocurrencies in 2023, with only 3.3 percent indicating no plans for digital asset investment," he added.

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Ohio man pleads guilty in connection to disturbing videos showing torture of monkeys

An Ohio man pleaded guilty in connection to making disturbing videos that showed monkeys being tortured.

Ronald Bedra, of Licking County, pleaded guilty to conspiring to create and distribute so-called animal crush videos, according to the Department of Justice.

>> Cedar Point employee run over in parking lot during hit-and-run crash

The videos showed monkeys having fingers and limbs cut off and being sodomized with a heated screwdriver, according to court documents.

Prosecutors allege Bedra mailed a thumb drive with 64 videos to a co-conspirator in Wisconsin.

Those reportedly involved used encrypted chat apps to direct money to individuals in Indonesia willing to commit acts of torture on camera.

Bedra faces up to five years in prison.




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 last 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.

A bill by Del. Marcia Price, D-Newport News to establish a fundamental right to access and use birth control, independent of the U.S. Constitution, was passed by the Virginia General Assembly in the 2024 legislative session. It specified that citizens should be able to access certain types of contraceptives including intrauterine devices (IUDs), oral and hormonal contraceptives, emergency birth control methods, and several others. The measure, and its companion Senate bill by Sen. Ghazala F. Hashmi, D-Richmond, received bipartisan support in both chambers.

The measure was amended by Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who tried to tie the bill to Supreme Court precedents that deem the restriction of birth control access as a privacy violation. The governors amendment also stripped the bill of specific types of contraception whose access would be protected by law. The legislations patrons Price and Hashmi said in a statement that Youngkin is not only playing games with voters but also with our health care. Lawmakers rejected the amendment, sending the measures back to Youngkin, who has until May 17 to either sign the bills in their original form, or veto them. If he does neither, the measures will become law.

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.

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 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, and is part of the steering committee of 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.

Mercury editor Samantha Willis contributed to this report.

The post One year after FDA approves over-the-counter birth control pill, advocates push for more access appeared first on Virginia Mercury.
One-shot federal funding for NV behavioral health services is winding down. Now what?

(Getty Images)

Policy, politics and progressive commentary

As local governments in Nevada have used one-shot federal recovery relief dollars toward mental and behavioral health services, city and county officials stressed the importance for state lawmakers to figure out a sustainable funding source.

During Mondays Interim Committee of Health and Human Service, officials from Clark County, Washoe County, the City of Las Vegas and rural Nevada updated lawmakers on successes and failures of efforts to connect people experiencing mental health crises to behavioral health services.

The options for people needing emergency mental health services largely have been for them to go to the emergency room or be arrested and jailed.

Jurisdictions have been able to use dollars provided by the American Rescue Plan Act, a relief package signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2021, to begin setting up regional crisis stabilization centers, operating mental health courts and expanding mobile outreach programs as an alternative.

Those funding operating many of those programs is finite.

Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones noted the county was able to use ARPA dollars to purchase a psychiatric hospital to turn into a crisis stabilization center.

The state has provided fantastic funds for many programs such as the funding for a crisis stabilization center, Jones said. In order to make that facility or any facility viable, there has to be a dedicated funding stream for years to come.

Many jurisdictions across the country that are able to offer more robust mental health services have access to stable and consistent funding sources that Nevada does not, Jones added.

In San Diego County, they benefit from a millionaire tax, he said. In Miami-Dade County, they collect a 1% sales tax on food and beverage for homeless programs that support mental health services.

Local governments during Mondays hearing highlighted various efforts in recent years to fund a 988 crisis line and expand mobile crisis teams that come to meet people in help

UMC, which Clark County is working with for its crisis stabilization center, is in the process of contracting a mental health provider to administer and staff it.

The center is expected to start taking patients starting late December.

We dont think one crisis stabilization center is going to meet the entire needs of Clark County, said Abigail Frierson, the deputy county manager with Clark County. We believe we need three or four.

Officials said additional types of care are needed when people leave the crisis stabilization center.

Where do people who are unhoused go to continue their care once theyve been stabilized? Frierson asked.

The City of Las Vegas is looking to expand its Recuperative Care Center, which offers medical services for the unhoused population, to also offer mental and behavioral health.

Sabra Newby, the deputy city manager with the city of Las Vegas, said the city contracts with the federally qualified health center, Hope Christian Health Center, to operate the facility within the Corridor of Hope, the area downtown where homeless services are located.

The center currently has 40 beds. The expansion would increase the number of beds to 76.

That would add the crisis stabilization unit to the facility and let us service the type of patient that we currently cant serve that may be both recovering from sort of injury or illness or surgery but may have a higher level of mental health need, Newby said.

Newby said the city was awarded a $10 million grant from the state, which came from the ARPA dollars, for the expansion. It is taking an additional $7 million from the citys share of ARPA funding.

While the city is still determining the exact costs of the project, Newby said early estimates indicate the city will be short about $5 million.

Similar to efforts in Southern Nevada, a crisis stabilization is in the process of opening in Washoe County later this year, in partnership with Renown Regional Medical Center.

Steve Shell with Renown said ARPA dollars are being used to renovate the space and cover operating expenses in the first year.

I want to stress we really have to think beyond the first year at sustainability, he said. Its great to stand up centers like this but we are going to really need to make sure they can sustain for the long haul. I dont think anyone wants to stand up a new model that cant continue beyond a certain time.

Aside from a sustainable funding source to operate facilities, health officials also named other issues hindering access to behavioral health services, including low Medicaid reimbursement rates for providers and the lack of mental and behavioral health providers within the state.

The post One-shot federal funding for NV behavioral health services is winding down. Now what? appeared first on Nevada Current.
On the day the pro-Palestinian encampment began at Indiana Universitys Dunn Meadow  the same day Indiana State Police troopers arrested 33 demonstrators, and an eleventh-hour policy change that was used to justify ISPs actions came to light  the Indiana Daily Student (IDS), IUs 157-year-old student newspaper, reported no news.

Franklin Hall, home of IU's Media School and the Indiana Daily Student (IDS) newsroom.

Its office was closed, and its reporters and editors were on a walkout.

They hadnt planned it that way. The week prior, days before the encampment was announced, the IDS spring editors-in-chief Nic Napier and Salome Cloteaux published a letter from the editor announcing the one-day walkout on April 25, a move meant to raise awareness for what they saw as an existential threat to student media from IUs administration. The headline read: IU wont support student media. The IDS will be walking out.

Over the years, the IDS has been forced to decrease professional staff, reduce the number of papers printed weekly and abandon opportunities to make money, the letter read. Our goal is to provide the community and the university a glimpse of a possible future without the IDS as it exists today  a future we are fighting to avoid.

The IDS is in its third fiscal year of operating at a loss, accruing an approximate $900,000 deficit that remains untended to as the papers leadership pleads with the university to provide more financial support.

The walkout was meant to raise awareness for this. Still, they hadnt imagined that their glimpse of a future without the IDS would occur on one of the most consequential days in recent IU history.

Depending on your perspective, this was either the best day ever, or the worst day ever to have a walkout, said Jim Rodenbush, the IDS director of student media.

Rodenbush was not involved in plans for the walkout but said he wholeheartedly supported the students efforts to raise awareness for the IDS financial situation. He said he shares the same concerns.

Theres nothing like giant breaking news to show people the value of why youre still around, Rodenbush said.

As the police began to leave, demonstrators urge them to continue at Dunn Meadow on the Indiana University Bloomington campus on Thursday, April 25, 2024.

The IDS did not fully abstain from reporting on April 25. Several reporters and editors were live-tweeting from the scene in Dunn Meadow, and by midnight of April 26, the paper had published a 2,000-word, 13 author byline report on the events of the day before. In the days that followed, the paper provided important follow-up reporting on the controversial policy change and the experiences of those detained and arrested by ISP and Indiana University Police (IUPD).

To leadership at the IDS, April 25 was a reminder of the student newspapers importance within the IU and local news ecosystem, and, they hoped, a wakeup call for IU to further support the paper.

At this point, if we lose anything more, its gonna fundamentally change the IDS, Cloteaux said.

Theres a wide range of things that the IDS keeps the community informed about, Napier said. And each cut makes it more dangerous, and those things could go away.

A long neglected problem at the IDS

April 17 wasnt the first time the IDS published a letter from the editor concerning their financial situation. Theyd first published a letter about their deficit in 2021, and published another in 2023 detailing a further neglected deficit and the difficulties in getting an answer from the IU administration and Media School.

I would love for the IDS to get out of the business of letters from the editor, Rodenbush said. I hope we dont have to write any more.

The situation evolved each year, but the letters core message remained the same: The IDS was struggling, as victims of an industry-wide decline in print revenue and steadily declining university funding. To survive, leadership said, the paper would need increased support from the university.

The 2023 letter from former editor-in-chief Helen Rummel noted that the Media School was also on the eve of welcoming a new dean to the program, an administrative change that added anxiety to the existing budget issue.

Whoever it ends up being will inherit a deficit of more than $500,000, Rummels letter read. I cannot say what they will decide to do with the IDS or our finances. Right now, none of us can.

In January 2024, a few months into his role, new Media School Dean David Tolchinsky asked an ad hoc committee of Media School students, faculty and notable alumni to recommend proposals for how to make IU student media sustainable in the long-term, including the IDS, the student broadcast station IUSTV and the student radio station WIUX.

In the proposal, the dean asked the committee to consider a recommendation for turning student media entities into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, similar to how IU controversially proposed handling the Kinsey Institute after a state amendment barred the research institute from receiving state dollars. In internal discussions, student leaders at the IDS also heard mentions of IU considering cutting professional staff (advertising experts and professional advisers who are some of the only non-student staff in the newsroom) who make up approximately 40% of the IDS budget.

Proposed Kinsey Institute change: Indiana University hasn't told Kinsey Institute researchers what trustees will vote on

Cloteaux said both ideas were alarming to leadership at the IDS.

Around 2008, we had 11 professional staff members, and now we have five, who are still doing the job of 11 people, Cloteaux said. We cant exist the way that we do now with any more cuts, and its been made clear to us that thats still a likely possibility.

In their final report submitted to Tolchinsky on April 1, the 16-member committee recommended consolidating student media under a single umbrella organization and asked the university to step up its short-term investments in student media, including restoring university advertising in student media that has declined in recent years, and increasing student fees to provide more investment.The proposal also looked at the state of student media across the country, noting that very few, if any student organizations at universities are expected to produce a profit, and noting that most student media organizations at public universities are funded via student fees and tuition.

The continual withdrawal of IU campus-level support for the IDS, WIUX, and IUSTV, combined with the significant space taxes on the organizations, is out of step with national trends in student media operations and incompatible with IUs 2030 Strategic Plan to guarantee and expand experiential learning for students, the report said.

Tolchinsky called the reports recommendations innovative, and said the Media School was working to turn those recommendations into an operational plan.

The IU administration and I are fully committed to supporting student media, Tolchinsky said. Were taking the recommendations, were looking at what we can put into operation, and were working really hard to make that into a plan.

IDS leadership says theres been radio silence from IU

In the weeks since the report was turned over, IDS leadership says theres been radio silence from Tolchinsky and IU administration, even as the paper begins putting together next years budget this summer.

Rodenbush, who served on the committee, says the lack of communication from Tolchinsky and IU administration has made him concerned that the university doesnt plan to follow the recommendations, and further, that his position as a member of the professional staff could be at risk.

If thats whats gonna happen, why not just say it? Rodenbush said. You can acknowledge that there are a lot of is to dot at ts to cross, and I understand that. But if this is it, then whats stopping you from saying as much?

Napier said personal conversations between him, Tolchinsky and Cloteaux have also made him worry that IU is focused on further reducing the IDS budget and IUs financial contributions, including a further reduction of professional staff.

Weve just been told (by administration), We support student media, but theres going to be tough financial decisions that have to be made, Napier said. When we have that messaging explaining to them what we need, for them to say, This is still on the table, and you might just have to deal with it, its just really frustrating.

Staff fears further cuts

Tolchinsky, who is in his eighth month at the Media School after serving as a professor and department chair for TV and film at Northwestern University, said he was caught off guard by the walkout announcement.

The letter that was published kind of threw me for a loop, Tolchinsky said. I understand the frustration and the perceptions, because the discussions of the finances have been going on for years before me. But I came in, and I told the students that I dont want to make decisions until I understand where I am and what the landscape is.But for leaders of the IDS, especially in the same academic year the Kinsey Institute was almost severed from IU with little to no input from institute members, the anxiety of not knowing if or when a decision might be coming convinced them it was necessary to pull the alarm.

We felt like we had reached a point where our only option left was to speak up and let the community know what was happening, Napier said. Theyve told us they havent made a decision yet and we dont know when exactly a decision is gonna be made, but we wanted to be proactive and let the community know that these discussions are being had, and that we have heard about budget cuts, even though that would completely damage the IDS.Rodenbush said while he remains optimistic about the outcome of the committee report and the actions Tolchinsky may take, hes been disheartened by the years of the issue being kicked down the road, and worries that further cuts are likely to be made by IU.

And I am admittedly a bit cynical with this process, because Im coming up on my sixth year here, Rodenbush said. The professional staff, the ones that we have left, theyve all been here for 20 years at least. So I think the frustration and cynicism is fair.

Tolchinsky says throughout the process, hes assured students and stakeholders that theres no particular deadline for implementing the committees recommendations, though the 2024 fall semester has previously been discussed as a goal.

But Rodenbush says continuing business as usual as the IDS plans its budget this summer and enters into its fourth year of a building deficit makes him worry that drastic cuts could soon become an inevitability.

Status quo means that we havent kicked the can down the road again, but we're winding up to do it, Rodenbush said. So until theres clear communication, until theres action, the words are just words.

Reach Brian Rosenzweig at brian@heraldt.com. Follow him on X/Twitter at @brianwritesnews.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Indiana Daily Student walks out on day of protests due to fear of cuts
OPELIKA, Ala. (WRBL)  A man has been arrested by Opelika Police on allegations he sexually abused his girlfriends child  who was four-years-old. Investigators say 35-year-old Jose Pascual was the boyfriend of the childs biological mother at the time of the abuse.

According to court documents the investigation began more than a year ago, on April 18, 2023, when an Opelika detective met with the guardians of a four-year-old child who has been in their custody since August 2022 while her biological mother found better living conditions. While in their custody, the child described details indicating her mothers boyfriend had sexually abused her. The details are too graphic. On April 19, 2023, the child was taken to a child advocacy center. However, she was unable to answer initial questions.

Later, investigators determined the boyfriend, identified as Pascula, was present for a scheduled visitation with the biological mother and the child. On May 8, 2024, Pascula was at the Opelika Police Department for a polygraph and an interview. The polygraph was conducted by an FBI special agent, a certified examiner who speaks Spanish. Pascual waived his Miranda rights before taking the exam. Pascual initially stated he never had contact with the child and stayed with the biological mother after the child was put into foster care. Investigators say Pascula later confessed to being in the house with the child. On May 10, 2024, Pascola returned to the Opelika Police Department for an additional polygraph exam and interview. Investigators say he initially lied about inappropriately touching the child and then admitted it, saying he was only playing. Pascula was arrested the same day and charged with Sexual Abuse of a Child under the age of 12. He remains behind bars at the Lee County Detention Facility.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRBL.
Editors Note: Nicole Hemmer is an associate professor of history and director of the Carolyn T. and Robert M. Rogers Center for the Study of the Presidency at Vanderbilt University. She is the author of Partisans: The Conservative Revolutionaries Who Remade American Politics in the 1990s and co-hosts the podcasts Past Present and This Day in Esoteric Political History. The views expressed in this commentary are her own. View more opinion on CNN.

In 2020, Virginias Shenandoah County School Board joined hundreds of other institutions across the country when it renamed two schools to shed their association with Confederate leaders and enslavers. Stonewall Jackson High School became Mountain View, and Ashby Lee Elementary School (named after Confederate generals Turner Ashby and Robert E. Lee) became Honey Run.

Nicole Hemmer - Courtesy Nicole Hemmer

Late last week, the school district became the first in the nation to reverse such name changes.

School board members voting for the change said they did so because the initial name changewas part of a knee-jerk reaction to the 2020 protests. One board member said the members who voted to drop the Confederate names had exploited the tragedy of Covid in order to push through the decision without full public input.

The rollback of the reckoning with Americas racist past and present has proceeded with alarming speed in recent years. Corporations have slashed their funding for diversity and inclusion initiatives, and Republican state governments have forced universities to downsize or eliminate their diversity and inclusion offices. Books by Black authors have been banned in dozens of schools, and teachers in some districts have been barred from mentioning structural racism.

In light of these policies, this re-renaming of two schools may not seem like much. But in restoring the Confederate names, the school board has signaled that the politics of redemption have fully returned, and that no part of the reckoning of the last decade will go unchallenged.

Honoring Jackson and Lee is an act of Confederate nostalgia wherever it happens. In Virginia, though, the political valence of the act is especially sharp. Stonewall Jackson High School opened in 1959 as a White-only school, in defiance of the Supreme Courts Brown v. Board of Education ruling five years earlier that segregated schools were unconstitutional. In the wake of Brown, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this week, school boards throughout Virginia regularly opted to close schools altogetherrather than open them to Black students. Slapping Jacksons name on the White-only school sent a clear message about who the school was for, even after the first Black students enrolled several years later.

Twenty-five years later, when the federal government established Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, White Virginians again turned to Jackson  and to Lee. Instead of honoring King with a stand-alone holiday (the state had commemorated King on New Years Day since 1978), the state assembly bundled him with Lee and Jackson, who had been given a joint state holiday since 1904. Thus Lee-Jackson-King Day, the most incongruous holiday in the United States, was born.

The irony of grouping a Black civil rights leader with two Confederate enslavers became too heavy to bear by 2000, when the state separated the holidays. In 2020, after several municipalities stopped marking the holiday, the state assembly dropped Lee-Jackson Day altogether.

The memory of Lee and Jackson likewise played a significant role in recent efforts to promote (and to violently resist) racial reconciliation in Virginia. Statues of both men stood in the middle of two city parks in downtown Charlottesville, Virginia since the 1920s, when White townspeople, backed by the Ku Klux Klan, erected the monuments as part of a terror campaign against the citys Black citizens.

The year before Shenandoah County opened Stonewall Jackson High School in 1959, Virginias governor ordered two Charlottesville schools to close rather than desegregate. They reopened under court order in February 1959, though nearly a third of the schools White students left for segregated private schools.

Nearly a century after the Confederate statues went up in Charlottesville, in response to a petition drawn up by then-15-year-old Zyahna Bryant, the Charlottesville City Council voted in February 2017 to remove the statues of Lee and Jackson and rename the parks. Robert E. Lee Park became Emancipation Park; Stonewall Jackson Park became Justice Park.

What happened next was an orgy of racism and violence that stunned most Americans. Neo-Nazis, neo-Confederates and Klan members marched on the city several times in the ensuing months, culminating in the racist rally that began with a torchlight attack on antiracist activists at the University of Virginia and ended with a car attack that murdered Heather Heyer and injured a score of other antiracist protesters. That violence, combined with a series of lawsuits, kept the statues in place until 2021, when the Supreme Court ruled that a state law prohibiting the removal of war memorials did not apply to the Charlottesville statues. Late last year, the Lee statue was taken to a foundry and melted down.

The Robert E. Lee statue in Richmond, Virginia in January 2021. - Ryan M. Kelly/AFP/Getty Images

The battle over the name of the parks and the fate of the statues in Charlottesville were deeply intwined with policy debates over fair housing, equal access to education and income inequality. What could be dismissed as symbolic politics was actually deeply rooted in a broader policy vision. Thats because these markers on the landscape reflect the vision for the people and the polity that a community wants to pursue.

That was true in 1924, when the statues were erected in a display of White power; true in 2017 when the parks were renamed for emancipation and justice; true in 2018 when a cowed City Council renamed the parks again, this time to be as anodyne as possible (the parks are now called Market Street and Court Square).

A few years later in Richmond, Virginia, the citys Robert E. Lee statue became a site of protest and reclamation. Following the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, protesters gathered at the Lee statue and transformed it into a symbol of resistance, tagging it with slogans calling for equal rights, justice and accountability for the police.

At night, they projected images of Floyd and leaders of the Black freedom struggle onto the monument. Finally, the statue came down, relocated to the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia.

We minimize all this change at our peril. Names matter, because they signal who we honor and how we imagine our communities. They tell us something about the people who hold power at the local level and how they plan to use it.

The Shenandoah County School Board knows this; its why they have reclaimed the names of Jackson and Lee. They have chosen to christen the schools to the Confederacy, to revive the celebration of enslavement and insurrection and White supremacy that have always been central to any act that honors the Confederate generals. In doing so, they have provided a stark reminder that the process of racist redemption is well under way in the United States, and steadily gaining in power and confidence.

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Editors Note: Dan Perry is the former Cairo-based Middle East editor and London-based Europe/Africa editor of The Associated Press and author of two books about Israel. The views expressed this commentary are his own. Read more CNN Opinion.

The signs are mounting that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is weighing an indictment against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials over Israels conduct of its war against Hamas in Gaza. This would be an earthquake and could be seen as a case of selective justice that ends up helping the beleaguered prime minister politically.

Dan Perry - Courtesy Dan Perry

The ICC, which was established in 2002, is more of a club of about 125 countries that tries to make the rules than a true manifestation of consensual international law  and it occupies a rather fuzzy position vis-a-vis non-member states like the United States and Israel.

With a rather modest prosecutors budget (about $185 million, of which only about half goes to the prosecutors office), it boasts only a handful of convictions, and it has never indicted the leader of a democratic country. It has gone after Russias Vladimir Putin, Sudans Omar al-Bashir and some other miscreants from dictatorships, like former Libyan leader Moammar Ghadhafis son Saif. Netanyahu is already a criminal defendant at home on corruption charges and a tremendously unsympathetic figure to many, but he is not in that despotic league.

Israel has a problematic democracy, because of the longstanding occupation of the West Bank and east Jerusalem where millions of Palestinians live  but it is no Sudan.

Have other democratic countries not been involved in wars against terrorist groups that caused massive damage to civilians as in Gaza? Obviously they have, in particular the US and Britain and the coalitions that fought the Iraq war, tried to eradicate al Qaeda and ISIS, and had anything to do with the Libya and Yemen meltdowns of the 2010s. But when a country has a viable legal system, as Israel does, the ICCs inclination has been to keep things domestic.

The tricky question of jurisdiction

If the ICC has now decided to throw this tradition away, there is still the enormous question of jurisdiction, beginning with the odd procedure by which Palestine was admitted to the ICC almost a decade ago.

The court operates by state consent, which means it only accepts states. While the UN General Assembly did grant Palestine non-member observer status in 2012, it is not recognized as a state by most major powers and economies, including the US. (Recently, some momentum has gathered to change that longstanding reality. The UN has taken steps to grant more weight to Palestinians, and the UK among other countries has suggested it will consider recognizing a Palestinian state.) But in 2015 the ICC stepped in to decide that implicitly it is, by accepting it  without consulting the Assembly of States Parties (ASP), representing ICC member states.

Moreover, the ICC can only take on cases that have occurred on the territory of member states  but Palestine, even if it exists, does not have recognized territory. So again, the ICC judges, in a majority but not unanimous vote, decided in 2021 that Palestine comprised the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem (the last of which has been annexed by Israel).

That reflects the fairly random ceasefire lines of 1949 that ended the war that accompanied Israels own declaration of independence. The West Bank and East Jerusalem are the areas of British Mandate Palestine seized in that war by Jordan, while Gaza was seized by Egypt  but neither country now lays any claim to them.

Israelis and Palestinians cannot themselves agree. Many Israelis want no part of annexing the West Bank whole, fearing for the Jewish majority in their country. Hamas, meanwhile, has little interest in these borders, claiming all of Israel for the Palestinians. An ICC indictment would mean that the court has ruled meaningfully on borders.

Then theres proving the charges

Lastly, there is the question of the charges. To justify any war crimes charge against Israels leaders, the court would have to deem Israels actions to be disproportionate to what was needed in response to the Hamas attacks on October 7.

No matter how the court spins this, for instance if it were to claim it was only looking at a particular crime and not the aggregate, this will be perceived by its many critics as being subjective (in addition to selective).

And there will be no escaping factoring in Hamas manifest policy of using the population of Gaza as a human shield. Even though the media has hardly mentioned this, established war crimes jurisprudence makes clear that civilian sites lose their protected status if they are in effect turned into military sites. (As journalists have lacked access to active war zones in Gaza, it is difficult to assess how actively Hamas is using civilians as human shields, but the terrorist group is known to embed itself in population centers and has been widely accused of making use of hospitals and schools.)

If the court ignores this, terrorists everywhere will take succor from the idea that they can commit atrocities and then hide behind human shields, daring their pursuers to risk international arrest warrants. The use of human shields is not a new war tactic, but this extent, with the terrorists hiding underground in a vast network of tunnels, has been rarely seen, and the ICC risks encouraging the practice.

Moreover, if the ICC were not to charge Hamas itself, that would be absurd. Hamas October 7 invasion  with the stated purpose of killing a maximal number of Israelis and with subsequent promises to do so again  was among the more classic acts of genocide in modern times, according to the UNs own definition in the 1948 Genocide Convention, which places great emphasis on intent. There is nothing in the ICCs own rules that limits its jurisdiction to officials, and indeed, Hamas is anyway the effective government of Gaza, certainly until Israels invasion.

The court has a lot of leeway, and therefore politics are inevitable. Could the highly respected chief prosecutor, Britains Karim Khan, be feeling some pressure to play his part in ramping up the pressure on Netanyahu? Last week, he pushed back on the pressure coming from Israel to block potential arrest warrants of leaders.

A world fed up with war

That touches on issues that are not juridical but strategic. Netanyahu has not supported forging a pathway to a Palestinian state  which may well be necessary to effect US President Joe Bidens grand design to establish a Western-Sunni-Israeli axis that would counter Iran and achieve the other (perhaps unspoken) goal of counterbalancing Russian and Chinese influence in the Middle East.

Netanyahu has done this because his far-right coalition is blocking the condition of restoring the Palestinian Authority to control in Gaza in place of Hamas  which many in Israel itself have in theory wanted for years. This self-defeating position is a big reason why the world is fed up with the war  on top of, of course, the appalling death toll in Gaza.

The Netanyahu factor

Then theres the convoluted process to actually get to court. Israel might try to buy time or derail the process by saying it is investigating on its own. This might not work (because Israel is not a member state, which matters)  but on the other hand it might (because Netanyahus effort to eviscerate Israels independent judiciary last year was stalled by mass protests).

After all, if Netanyahu had succeeded in killing the independence of the courts, Israel would not be able to claim it has a proper judiciary of its own, which is one of the triggers for ICC interference.

If in the end the ICC does issue an arrest warrant against Netanyahu, despite all the reasons not to, it would be handing a gift to critics who charge that the court is a bizarre construct with little oversight or accountability whose decisions and choices are not consistent or sufficiently explained to the public.

Moreover, it could be playing into Netanyahus hands politically. The same would be true if the court attempted a compromise and went after Israeli military figures, for example. By applying selective justice to Israel, it will walk right into claims he has already made that the case is an antisemitic calumny. This argument will be popular in Israel, and the opposition parties will most likely have to back it  especially if the indictments extend to military leaders.

Netanyahu is on the ropes politically and would almost certainly be trounced in an election held today. Hes dragging his feet on the war and proposals to end it, likely in hopes of keeping his government intact until circumstances change. An ICC arrest warrant would give him an effective axe to grind  and would not even prevent him from traveling to the one place he cares about, the United States.

Israel desperately needs Netanyahu to be gone, as does the region and the world. It would be a shame if the ICC inadvertently made that more difficult.

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During National Charter Schools Week 2024, May 12-18, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, in partnership with the students, parents, teachers, leaders and advocates of the public charter school community nationwide, celebrates the vital role charter schools play in public education as well as the people in the movement advocating for more and better for all kids. This year, the National Alliance is proud to recognize seven Charter School Changemakers  parents, educators and a student  who are not afraid to raise their voices and fight for what they believe in.

Jametrice Powell McAdams

Jametrice Powell McAdams, a parent of a charter school student from Hueytown, Alabama, says, Raising my voice for all charter schools starts with me raising my voice for my sons charter school. Raising my voice means standing up for my sons future. Raising my voice means being an active fighter against the school-to prison-pipeline statistics. Raising my voice means my son gets a fair shot at a quality education.

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Julia Rivera-Tapia

Julia Rivera-Tapia, charter school parent and administrator from Las Cruces, New Mexico, says, Advocating for charter schools has become one of the most important responsibilities I have. I believe that every family deserves the freedom to choose the best school for their children, and charter schools offer that option. As a parent myself, I have seen the transformative effect that charter schools can have on childrens academic and personal growth. My three children have been studying in charter schools since the beginning of their academic journey, and I have personally witnessed the positive impact it has had on their lives, enabling them to achieve great success in their studies while retaining their bilingualism and becoming amazing individuals.

Zak Domingello

Raising my voice for charter schools means making sure all families have a choice to send their students to a school that best represents them. When I raise my voice for charter schools, I am doing so for our community and our students, who deserve the opportunities we provide and the ability to navigate and make informed choices about their childs future. More people need to be aware of the power of community and culturally grounded education, says Zak Domingello, executive director at Ricardo Flores Magon Academy in Denver.

Eric Pettigrew

Former Washington State lawmaker Eric Pettigrew says, As a member of our state House, I became an advocate for charter public schools  which I believe provide a great complement to traditional public schools, especially for students of color. This past legislative session, as our lawmakers considered what policies to advance, I continued to advocate for these unique public schools and urged my former colleagues to ensure that all students across Washington state have access to a public school that meets their needs.

Cheryl Stahle

Cheryl Stahle, academic administrator at West Virginia Virtual Academy in Parkersburg, says, My why as an advocate for charter schools is deeply rooted in the belief that every child deserves the opportunity to succeed and reach their full potential. Charter schools teach children that anything is possible when they embrace the unknown without fear. I am passionate about empowering young people to shape their own destinies and showing them the unlimited possibilities that are only constrained by their imagination. Through my work in charter schools, I strive to be a quiet disrupter and leave a legacy of transformative change in the lives of students and families.

Dr. Chris Her-Xiong

Public charter schools such as the Hmong American Peace Academy are transformational, says Dr. Chris Her-Xiong, founder and executive director of the Milwaukee school. The scholars are transformed from at-risk to ambitious, independent thinkers and prepared to succeed in college and in life. The families are transformed through the children taking strides toward success, opting out of the cycle of poverty and lack of opportunity. The communities served by the schools are transformed through shared ambitions and experiences. The cities are transformed through the proof that turnarounds are possible and that education can deliver on its promise of prosperity. To transform a life is to transform our world, and that is why I advocate for charter schools.

Daniyal Hussain

Daniyal Hussain, a high school senior at Cottonwood Classical Preparatory Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico, says, Something that makes me most excited about the future of public education is the aspect of student advocacy. I originally thought that because I was a high school student, no one would want to listen to what I had to say. That was far from the truth. In fact, I was able to attend recent legislative meetings where I could say what I truly thought was important. I am excited for the future where we will have more students speaking out and more people wanting to listen to students about what is truly needed for public education.

When we raise our voices, more people hear us. Thats why we raise our voices to advocate for charter schools. We need everyone to hear us screaming from the rooftops: Every student deserves a high-quality public education.
Editors Note: Norman Eisen is a CNN legal analyst and editor of Trying Trump: A Guide to His First Election Interference Criminal Trial. He served as counsel to the House Judiciary Committee for the first impeachment and trial of then-President Donald Trump. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. Read more opinion at CNN.

Michael Cohen, former President Donald Trumps onetime lawyer and fixer, faced the man he simply called Boss as he began testifying in the Manhattan Trump trial on Monday. It was the most important day yet in what had already shaped up as the trial of the century.

Cohen was one of the first witnesses I interviewed as part of the first Trump impeachment, as I was investigating the 2016 alleged election interference now at issue in the former presidents hush money criminal trial. I expected someone very different from the person I met, who turned out to be candid, likeable and believable.

As we began his keenly anticipated appearance Monday, I think he exceeded expectations in how he presented to the jury, at least so far.

Thats no accident.

The District Attorneys Office had methodically bolstered Cohens testimony beforehand with a series of credible witnesses and corroborating documents, gradually narrowing the universe of uncorroborated evidence that Cohen would need to provide.

And they continued that with their handling of Cohen in his first day on the stand. Both Assistant District Attorney Susan Hoffinger and Cohen carefully stepped through the origin of the Cohen-Trump relationship and its key aspects relevant to this prosecution and the $130,000 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to keep her from going public with allegations that she and Trump had a sexual encounter (Trump denies having the tryst).

Norm Eisen - Courtesy Norm Eisen

That included Cohens history serving as Trumps fixer, addressing the real estate moguls thorniest problems. Cohen said he kept Trump closely apprised of developments on issues that would be troubling to him because if Trump found out the information from somewhere else, it wouldnt go well for you.

The prosecution used that background in corroborating Cohens story about the Daniels payment by establishing the catch-and-kill scheme  buying and concealing media stories that could be damaging to Trump  of which it was a part. Cohen testified that he, American Media Inc. CEO David Pecker (the former publisher of the National Enquirer) and Trump met in Mr. Trumps office on the 26th floor of Trump Tower. Corroborated by Peckers earlier testimony, Cohen explained their plan: Pecker would keep an eye out for anything negative about Mr. Trump, and would be able to help us to know in advance what was coming out. Trumps reply, according to Cohen: The two of you should work together. And anything negative that comes, you let Michael know, and well handle it.

Cohen testified to the execution of this catch-and-kill plan through his accounts of helping facilitate American Media payments to prevent potentially damaging stories from Dino Sajudin, a Trump Tower doorman who alleged Trump had a child with a former housekeeper, and Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who claimed she had an affair with Trump. A gripping stretch of the testimony, adding yet more corroboration before we ever got to the hush money paid to Daniels, came when the prosecution played aloud a September 6, 2016, conversation Cohen recorded between himself and Trump discussing Peckers repayment for the $150,000 in hush money he paid McDougal.

As the tape came on, those of us in the courtroom heard Cohens unmistakable New York accent: I need to open up a company for the transfer of all of that info regarding our friend David [Pecker] and Ive spoken to [Trump Organization CFO] Allen Weisselberg about how to set the whole thing up. Then Trumps voice came on: So what do we got to pay for this? 150? We even heard Trump directing the format of the payments to Cohen: Pay with cash.

By the time we got to October 2016, Cohens recollection of the Access Hollywood tape damage control and Daniels, we had multiple layers of corroboration showing a familiar pattern: paying hush money to avoid harm to the Trump campaign. Moreover, it was from a witness who had credibly presented himself and who was believable when he said he agreed to make the payment to Daniels himself with Trumps approval.

The same was true when Cohen described working with Weisselberg and Trump on the 2017 cover-up. Cohen finished the day by testifying that the concealment of the repayment as income was agreed between the two of them and Trump in his office on January 16 or 17 of that year. Once again, the testimony was heavily corroborated, including by Weisselberg and Cohens notes about how the repayment was grossed up to account for taxes and by phone records.

Cohen will be the subject of a vigorous cross-examination by lead defense counsel Todd Blanche that will likely include the many lies Cohen now admits to having told, as well as Cohens guilty plea for perjury. But the prosecutions effective strategy has significantly shortened the leap of faith the jury will have to take to believe him  as I did when I interviewed him.

Still, Monday was the most important day yet because it was the day that the prosecution crossed the barrier of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Cohens testimony about Trumps intentional participation at every critical juncture of the scheme achieved that milestone. But Trumps lawyers are effective, and they may push Cohen and the proof back to the other side of that demarcation on cross. That will likely begin Tuesday, making it an even more important day than Monday. In the meantime, prosecutors should be feeling very good about where the case is at.

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Critics of the recent student protests have often erred by comparing them to the mass demonstrations against the Vietnam War that rocked U.S. college campuses more than half a century ago. In terms of size and disruptiveness, there is really no comparison. Today's student movement against the Gaza War is far smaller and much less disruptive than the campus antiwar protests of the 1960s. So why has it drawn such an aggressive response?

College presidents who witnessed the massive, fiery student demonstrations of May 1970  the peak month of antiwar protest in the Vietnam era  would have thanked their lucky stars if the protests on their campuses back then had been as nonviolent and tactically tame as they have most often been this semester.

Read more: Opinion: Do campus protests show Americans' support for Palestinians has reached a turning point?

Sparked by student fury at President Nixons announcement expanding the war by invading Cambodia, in early May 1970 30 ROTC buildings were torched or bombed. By the end of the month, militants had engaged in 95 acts of arson and bombing on campus. The National Guard had been called out to quell student protests in 16 states, one of which was Ohio, yielding the Kent State massacre, in which guardsmen killed four unarmed students and wounded nine others at an antiwar protest. Major antiwar demonstrations spread to more than 1,300 campuses, mobilizing an estimated 4 million students, more than half the American college student population. This included 350 student boycotts of classes and shut down some 500 colleges and universities.

By contrast, the protests this semester have, according to recent counts, involved more than 50 campuses, generally mobilizing student protesters in the hundreds rather than the thousands. There has been only a handful of building takeovers, limited use of civil disobedience and an absence of bombings, arson and student strikes.

Yet police have been called in to suppress nonviolent encampments on such campuses as USC, New York University, the University of Virginia, the University of Texas and Columbia University, with more than 2,600 arrests nationally. While in the 1960s it usually took the takeover of university buildings, major property damage or violence to call in riot-clad police, in 2024 students have been arrested for minimally disruptive acts such as occupying outdoor campus spaces, including lawns and plazas.

The contrast makes it impossible to escape the conclusion that the U.S. and some of its most influential college and university leaders today are less respectful of student free speech rights and much quicker to use police force to suppress student protests than they were in the Vietnam War era. What happened?

Read more: UCLA struggles to recover after 200 arrested, pro-Palestinian camp torn down

Student protest movements have always been unpopular with the American public, owing to our societys cultural conservatism  its notion that students should respect their elders, shut up and study. The anti-Gaza war student movements romantic embrace of Palestinian nationalism makes it especially easy to demonize as pro-Hamas, antisemitic and championing intifada violence against Israel.

So the movement has been immensely unpopular with cagey university administrators, trustees, some wealthy donors and politicians, many of whom have used their wealth and power not just to advocate but also to enforce the suppression of the movement. Toward the end of last year, amid campus tensions over the war in Gaza, pressure from billionaire donors and Congress cost the presidents of Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania their jobs, sending a brash message about who gets to dictate university environments.

While the suppression of radical or youth-led movements is not new, current efforts have an unprecedented heavy-handed, public and shameless quality. As Californias governor, Ronald Reagan did use disgraceful rhetoric against the student movement of the 1960s, as when he said If it takes a bloodbath, lets get it over with. No more appeasement.

Read more: Opinion: Have we learned nothing? The protester's taunt, 'Go back to Poland,' is grotesque

But Reagan acknowledged the norms of university autonomy enough to engineer the firing of liberal UC president Clark Kerr in private, in an attempt not to publicly politicize the issue. Compare that with Speaker of the House Mike Johnsons recent trip to Columbia University to urge its president to resign for not doing enough to suppress the movement against war in Gaza, even after her eviction order had led to the arrest of more than 100 student protesters.

If the trend is for administrators to call the police as a first rather than last resort, this tendency is reinforced by the increasingly hierarchical, centralized, undemocratic nature of university governance and decision-making.

On my campus, and many others, faculty are not typically consulted in presidential decisions to arrest protesters. Students have little to no meaningful role in shaping university policy and often lack even a token representative on the board of trustees, leaving them disenfranchised. Its no wonder many find demonstrations the only way to make their views heard. And their university president tends to be a remote figure most students have not met; when a president orders mass student arrests, shes imposing them on virtual strangers.

Police helmets and zip ties are never going to convince students to moderate their rhetoric and build a more inclusive antiwar movement. Such rethinking can only come from dialogue, trust and community building, all of which are short-circuited by college presidents, donors and politicians when they treat some of their campus most idealistic, politically engaged students  who on my campus slept outside in the rain to protest the Gaza war  as if they were criminals.

Robert Cohen is a professor of history and social studies at New York University.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A pod of orcas sunk yet another boat, according to a recent report, this time a sailing yacht within Moroccan waters in the Strait of Gibraltar. Two people riding a 49-foot vessel known as Alboran Cognac were attacked by an unknown number of the cetaceans around 9 AM local time on Sunday.

It's the latest in a series of dozens of such incidents, including a yacht that was sunk last November after orcas, also known as killer whales, rammed the yacht's rudder. Although some scientists speculate the animals may be displaying "playful" and "copycat" behavior, the experience was certainly not enjoyable for the two humans from the recent incident, who reported feeling strikes to their hulls and rudders before water began leaking into the vessel. They were rescued by a nearby oil tanker that transported them to Gibraltar while their yacht was left to sink.

One popular theory for the attacks is that they were perpetrated by Gladis, a pod of about 15 orcas named after a killer whale (White Gladis) supposedly rammed to death by a boat. Gladis and other orca subpopulations have been documented targeting boats off the Atlantic coast of Portugal and north-western Spain since May 2020, and experts believe Gladdis may be behind this attack as well.

Although it is tempting to attribute the orcas' activities to revenge for climate change, underwater noise caused by ships or some conspiracy, animal behavior experts say that orcas possess complex cultures and enjoy sharing rituals with each other. If the orcas wanted to harm the humans on these boats, they could easily do so, but instead the behaviors involve interfering with the vessel's operations seemingly out of curiosity, or perhaps for enjoyment.

"This is a kind of cultural revolution," Lance Barrett-Lennard, PhD, senior research scientist at the Raincoast Conservation Foundation, told Salon in June. "In the short timespan, sometimes this kind of behavior, if it's directly related to food or some survival value, it may very well fade away fairly quickly. We'll see whether that happens or not."
The orcas are back at it once again. Over the weekend, an unknown number of orcas were responsible for sinking yet another yacht in Moroccan waters in the strait of Gibraltar.

According to Spains maritime rescue service, per The Guardian, the incident occurred around 9 a.m. on Sunday when the 49-foot-long vessel carrying two people, Alboran Cognac, encountered the pod of mammals, also known as killer whales. The yacht's passengers said that they experienced "sudden blows to the hull and rudder" and that not long after, the ship began to take on water.

Thankfully, there was an oil tanker in the area, which came to aid the passengers, who had alerted rescue services. The tanker took them onboard and transported them to Gibraltar, while the inoperable yacht remained adrift and eventually sank.

There have been over 700 interactions between orcas and vessels recorded in waters off the Iberian Peninsula since 2020, with damage to at least 250 boats. This latest incident is the fifth boat that has sunk in as many years, with the last time being in November 2023 when a pod of orcas took down the Polish yacht Grazie Mamma II passing through the Strait of Gibraltar.

Marine wildlife experts believe that a single subpopulation of about 15 orcas designated "Gladis" have been responsible for the attacks, but a motive is still unclear.

One popular theory that has made the rounds online since last May is that the attacks may have stemmed from one "traumatized" orca that had had a run-in with a boat or illegal fishing entrapment, and subsequently taught the behavior to others. However, not all experts believe that this is the case.

"The idea of revenge is a great story, but there's no evidence for it," neuroscientist and president of the Whale Sanctuary Project Lori Marino told the BBC last June. "There's never been a case of an orca harming a human being in the wild. If they really wanted to do damage and harm the people on the boat they could easily do that."

Marino said that the more likely scenario is that the boat attacks started off as playful behavior, and that the social, highly intelligent apex predators simply emulated the behavior.

"We're talking about very intelligent beings, and we know that they are social learners," she explained. "It gets passed down... it may be something that's fun for them, and they're gonna keep doing it."

University of Aveiro biologist Alfredo Lopez Fernandez, a representative for the Atlantic Orca Working Group who first floated the idea of a traumatized orca, advises sailors to be prepared when sailing in areas prone to orcas attacks and to avoid sailing at night or approaching the coast whenever possible.
What Oregon firefighters say you should do to prepare for this wildfire season

Deputy Fire Marshal Althea Sullivan talks with community members while staffing a booth at the Eugene Saturday Market to raise awareness about wildfire preparedness during Wildfire Preparedness Month Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Eugene.

Wildfire season is fast approaching and Lane County area fire officials are urging residents to do what they can to prepare themselves.

May is National Wildfire Awareness Month and representatives with the Eugene Springfield Fire Department have been on hand at several public events to raise awareness about wildfires and fire adapted communities.

"Becoming a fire adapted community starts with all of us," Deputy Fire Marshal Althea Sullivan said. "It takes all of us recognizing that wildfire is something that can and does occur and that we all have a part to do in being prepared, whether that's being prepared around our homes, being prepared as individuals, or just making really smart choices during the summer months when we have a really high potential in our community."

To address the increasing risk of wildfires and their impacts on communities, the Eugene Springfield Fire Department is launching a Wildfire Planning and Fuels Management Program funded by the Community Safety Payroll tax, which provides funds to five service areas in the City of Eugene.

The Eugene-Springfield Fire Department staffs a booth at the Eugene Saturday Market Saturday, May 11, 2024 to raise awareness about wildfire preparedness during Wildfire Awareness Month.

Sullivan is set to lead the program along with the Community Risk Reduction and Resiliency Division at Eugene Springfield Fire.

"That program is intended to expand our capacity as a fire agency to address the risk of wildfire in our community," Sullivan said. "From the planning aspect of that, what we're looking into is the highest risk areas of our community and we're looking at how we can help begin to mitigate some of those risks in those areas while also thinking about how we can improve our response and access."

The Wildfire Planning and Fuels Management Program will align with statewide priorities outlined in Senate Bill 762 to modernize wildfire preparedness, implementing three primary strategies including the creation of fire-adapted communities, developing safe and effective response, and increasing the resiliency of Oregon's landscape.

Key program objectives include the expansion of public outreach and engagement, increase in fuels management capabilities in Eugene and Springfield, and the development of comprehensive fire-adapted community plans, which Sullivan says the department is in the process of creating.

Representatives with Eugene Springfield Fire Department will be at the Lane County Farmers Market on May 18 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and at the Eugene Saturday Market from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on May 25 to provide information to the community about Wildfire Awareness Month.

How to prepare for wildfire season

According to the Oregon Department of Forestry, over seventy percent of wildfires in Oregon are human-caused and debris burning is the number one culprit.

"Now is the time to trim trees, bushes, and tidy up plants around your home to create a 'defensible space' around your property," said the department in a press release.

Fire prevention specialists in Oregon ask people to abide by the following safe burning practices:

Call before you burn - Burning regulations vary by location depending on the weather and fuel conditions. If you are planning to burn, check with your local ODF district, fire protective association, fire department, or air protection authority to learn about current burning restrictions or regulations, and if you need a permit.

Know the weather - Burn early in the day and never burn on dry or windy days, because fire can spread out of control more easily.

Always have water and fire tools nearby - When burning, have a charged water hose or a bucket of water, and shovel on hand to put out the fire. Drown the pile with water, stir the coals, and drown again, repeating until the fire is cold to the touch.

Clear a 10-foot fuel-free buffer around the pile - Make sure there are no tree branches or power lines above.

Keep burn piles small - Large burn piles can cast hot embers long distances. Keep piles small, maximum of four feet by four feet. Add debris in small amounts as the pile burns.

Burn only yard debris - State laws prohibit burning materials or trash that create dense smoke or noxious odors.

Never use gasoline or other flammable or combustible liquids to start or speed up your fire.

Stay with the fire until it is cold - NEVER leave your debris burn unattended. State law requires monitoring of debris burn piles from start to finish until it is out cold. This law is intended to ensure sparks or embers that jump from the fire can be put out quickly.

Go back and check burn piles . Theyc an retain heat for several weeks and restart when the weather warms up and wind blows.

Costs of run-away debris burns - State law requires the proper clearing, building, attending and extinguishing of open fires all year. If your debris burn spreads out of control, you may have to pay for suppression costs, as well as the damage to your neighbors' properties, which can be extremely expensive.

Where to get alerts, plans for local emergencies

Residents can sign up for emergency alerts and review evacuation plans online at the Lane County Emergency Management Webpage.

The webpage also features a 12-week preparation checklist that breaks down the elements of an emergency kit in case of a catastrophic natural disaster such as a wildfire, flood or ice storm.

Stages of evacuation

Lane County and state officials communicate to residents when to prepare and when to leave their homes in an emergency.

There are three levels of evacuation notices that residents may receive in case of an emergency, according to Lane County:

Level 1 - BE READY: You should be aware of the danger that exists in the area, monitor emergency services websites and local media for information. This is the time to prepare for the movement of people with special needs, mobile property and pets and livestock. If conditions worsen, emergency services personnel may contact you via an emergency notification system.

Level 2 - BE SET: You must be prepared to leave at a moment's notice. This level indicates there is a significant danger to your area. You should either voluntarily relocate outside of the affected area or, if choosing to remain, be ready to evacuate at a moment's notice. You may have to gather necessary items, but doing so is at your own risk.

Level 3 - GO: Leave immediately. Danger to your area is current or imminent and you should evacuate immediately. If you choose to ignore this advisement, you must understand that emergency services may not be able to assist you further. Do not delay leaving to gather personal belongings or make efforts to protect your home. This will be the last notice you receive. Entry into evacuated areas may be denied until conditions are safe.

Fire evacuation checklists

The U.S. Forest Service offers a checklist of what to plan and have ready to take with you and what to do when having to evacuate for a wildfire. Working to gather the items and information before an emergency is key, as evacuation notices can come quickly, giving people little time to prepare in the moment.

Gather in advance and store in a secure place that is easily loaded into a vehicle, so you're ready to evacuate quickly:

Complete written phone list or phone address book (snail and email), including cellphones of neighbors, family

Very important files, backup disks, plugin USB virtual drive, small compact file box. Include such things as homeowners policy, auto policies, life and investment files, bank records, legal documents, licenses, birth certificates, etc. (or store in a fireproof safe or fireproof bunker)

Pet carriers, leashes, food bowls, food, litter boxes, litter and other pet needs.

Photograph albums, photo CDs and other keepsakes that cannot be replaced (or store in a fireproof safe)

Suitcase filled with old but useable clothing, socks, underwear, jackets, sweatshirts, extra shoes, etc. Keep this packed ahead. Include a bag for him and for her of toiletry items, including: deodorant, disposable shavers, extra toothbrushes, shampoo shaving cream, toothpaste, extra regular medications to last a few days

Infant formula and diapers and toys for children

Flashlight, portable radio, extra batteries

First aid kit

Water

When evacuation seems a possibility, get these things ready:

Have at least a half tank of fuel in your vehicle at all times.

All household and car keys, wallet, handbag, cellphones, chargers and any credit cards you that you might need.

Cash, in case you cannot use credit or debit cards

Round up your pets: Get them secured and ready to go into the car with no way of escape before they are loaded into the car (this is especially important with cats).

Make a prior arrangement to contact a neighbor or friend who might be available to help you in an evacuation situation with loading or driving a second or third vehicle, or to help with large animals such as horses/penned animals, etc.

Personal computer. Computer CPU (hard drive) is most important if you have no backups.

Bottled water

Map of the area and evacuation routes

If time, draft email, send to friends and family about your intentions (where you plan to go, how to get in touch with you)

Before you leave your home:

Close all windows, close all interior doors, remove curtains from area of windows.

Turn off propane gas at tank, remove BBQ propane tank, take it with you or store in a secure place such as a bunker or away from your house.

If you have time, experts suggest turning on sprinklers and turning off your main gas line.

Haleigh Kochanski is a breaking news and public safety reporter for The Register-Guard. You may reach her at HKochanski@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: What Oregon firefighters say you should do to prepare for wildfires
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  During the 2024 Oregon legislative session, state leaders allocated $20 million to clean up graffiti and trash. But some leaders are now worried the taxpayers money is not being used wisely.

We know that taggers tend to do more tagging when their tags stay, said Rep. Travis Nelson (D-Portland.) I was very concerned with how we were managing that and what we were doing to prevent people who are tagging from doing the tagging.

Oregon school superintendents warn of education funding crisis

He added he was very supportive of the $20 million allocation initially. but after hearing from ODOT and the city of Portland, I became concerned that not enough was being done on the prevention end.

Graffiti along a freeway in Portland, May 13, 2024 (KOIN)

That $20 million went to the Oregon Department of Transportation, who hired subcontractors to tackle problem areas.

ODOT was given the money and ODOT is who I would expect to be held accountable for ensuring that our highways are clean and trash free, Nelson said.

One company, Portland Graffiti Removal, got $4 million to remove the graffiti. Owner Robert Barrie said he and his workers are playing catchup after a lapse in funding from the state.

Were dealing now with basically a years worth of graffiti on the freeways to try to get court back up to where we were in 2022 and 2023 to where we could stay on top of it on a daily basis, Barrie told KOIN 6 News.

He also said this new contract allows his team to work weekends and has his crews out for an average of seven hours a day, seven days a week.

Graffiti along a freeway in Portland, May 13, 2024 (KOIN)

Having the funding to stay on top of it is much better than, I think, much better than throwing a whole bunch of money at it at one time, Barrie said.

As for prevention, ODOT told state leaders theyre looking into synthetic ivy and cameras to aid in PPBs efforts to track the taggers.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
Other countries have provided three times more economic aid to Ukraine than US  US Secretary of State

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has emphasised the contribution of Washingtons allies to economic and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, which he said is three times higher than the American one.

Source: Blinken in a speech at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute during his visit to the Ukrainian capital on 14 May, European Pravda reports

Details: The head of the State Department said that Ukraine's allies and partners have provided US$85 billion in economic and development assistance, which helps pay salaries to rescue workers, doctors and teachers.

"For every dollar that the United States has put to economic and development assistance to Ukraine, other donors have invested three more," he said.

Among other things, Blinken pointed out that Japan and South Korea are supplying generators and gas turbines, Italy and Latvia are helping to eliminate the consequences of Russia's destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, and Norway is financing the reconstruction of schools and hospitals.

"I can go on. We talk a lot about burden-sharing  this is what it looks like," the Secretary of State concluded.

In his speech, Blinken also stressed that it is important for Ukraine not only to repel Russia's full-scale aggression, but also to fight corruption, which poses no less of a threat to its democracy.

It is worth noting that on the day of Blinken's visit to Kyiv, the EU Council approved Ukraine's reform plan, the implementation of which is a condition for Ukraine to receive regular funding from the 50 billion Ukraine Facility package.

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OLIVE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD)  Ottawa County commissioners were expected to vote Tuesday morning on a measure to increase their pay, but the measure was removed from the agenda at the last minute.

The measure proposed by the Officers Compensation Commission would have increased commissioners salaries by 60% from about $21,000 yearly to about $33,000, plus an additional raise for the board chair and vice chair. The proposal also included a $1,000 monthly stipend.

Explaining why the matter was removed from the Tuesday agenda, Commission Chair Joe Moss told those in attendance at the meeting that the proposal sent to the board was invalid.

He said that the Compensation Commission has between March 11 and April 25 to determine salaries, but that Chair Larry Jackson  who was appointed by the previous board  called a meeting on May 2, outside the 45-day window. Moss said that meeting yielded the resolution for what he described as a phantom 60% raise.

Moss added there was a Compensation Commission meeting on April 11, which is within the 45-day window. However, he said, a 3-1 vote that approved the raise proposal was still no good because state law requires a minimum of four yes votes.

The vote on April 11 that supposedly approved the 60 percent raise was 3-1 at that meeting. The law requires in MCL 45.474 that there be a minimum of four yes votes. So to be clear, Larry Johnson signed and submitted an invalid resolution in violation of MCL 45.474, said Moss.

That means that for now, there are no scheduled raises for the board this or next year.

Moss did not say why commissioners waited until Tuesday morning to remove the proposal from the agenda, though it had been 12 days since the May 2 meeting.

At least three county commissioners had planned to vote no on the proposed raise. Among them was Doug Zylstra, a Democrat from Holland. In an interview with News 8 on Monday, he said his concern was with how large the increase was.

Zylstra explained that he generally supports raising salaries, offering monthly stipends and providing health care for the commission, especially to encourage parents to serve in public office. He supported a raise around 6% and a stipend of around $500. He said recent events did not warrant more.

Weve seen a lot of actions around (Administrative Health Officer) Adeline Hambley that I dont think are intrinsic to our role as commissioners. I think theyve been a diversion, Zylstra argued. Definitely, theyve taken a lot of time. I would hope in the future we dont undertake those actions so we dont force ourselves to be working 30, 40 hours a week  going to Muskegon (County) court, for example, to testify.

Commissioner Jacob Bonnema, a Republican from the Zeeland area, also disagreed with the proposal, which he called an abuse of our tax dollars. Commissioner Roger Bergman, a Republican representing the tri-cities, also said he would vote no, telling News 8 over the phone before Tuesdays meeting that the proposal would cost county taxpayers $300,000 yearly.

News 8 did not hear back from any of the commissioners backed by Moss conservative political action group Ottawa Impact. But in a statement posted on her website on May 5, Commission Vice Chair Sylvia Rhodea, an Ottawa Impact-backed Republican from Allendale, said, I personally do not wish for Ottawa County to lose quality commissioners due to lack of pay, nor do I want excellent leaders in our community to be unable to run due to a need to provide for their families.

While Rhodea said that the proposal was independently approved by the officers compensation commission, Bonnema said it was brought forward by member Angela Loreth, an Ottawa Impact donor. According to the Holland Sentinel, the proposal was seconded by Mark Brouwer, whose wife donated to Ottawa Impact three years ago.

Following defeat in last weeks recall election, Commissioner Lucy Ebel of the Holland area, who is backed by Ottawa Impact, was still expected to participate in the meeting  though she arrived late. Ottawa County Clerk Justin Roebuck explained that the recall results will not be certified until Wednesday. Telling the Grand Haven Tribune his office has not received any claims of wrongdoing or fraud, he also warned residents about jumping to conclusions if their candidate does not win.

I think what truly bothers me is when my voters essentially are accused of wrongdoing baselessly by individuals with no data or no set of facts to back that up, Roebuck said. I actually get pretty protective of that.

Ottawa County Commissioner Lucy Ebel recalled by voters

With 60% and a margin of about 800 votes, the unofficial results have Democrat challenger Chris Kleinjans beating Ebel. Once they are certified, Ebel has six days to request a recount, which her campaign would have to pay for. There is no word yet from her or Ottawa Impact on whether they pan to seek a recount.

Kleinjans is expected to be sworn in on May 28.

News 8 has learned that Ebel will file to run for her seat again later this year.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
Over 7,500 civilians in the north of Kharkiv Oblast have been evacuated from their homes amid heavy fighting in the region, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported on May 14.

Of the 7,531 people who have been evacuated so far, 568 are children, and 201 are people with disabilities, Syniehubov said.

Russia launched new offensive actions on May 10 in the directions of Lyptsi and Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast. The attack involves more than 30,000 Russian troops, according to Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksandr Lytvynenko.

Ukraine's General Staff said on May 13 that Russia has "tactical success" in the fight for Vovchansk, a town situated less than 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the border with Russia.

"Active firefights are taking place on the northern outskirts of the city," Syniehubov reported on May 14.

According to Ukrinform, 5,000 people from Vovchansk district have been evacuated to safer areas.

Vovchansk, which had a population of almost 17,000 before the full-scale invasion, came under Russian occupation in February 2022. The town was liberated on Sept. 11, 2022, during Ukraine's successful counteroffensive in Kharkiv Oblast.

Read also: Russias new Kharkiv offensive pushes Vovchansk to the brink of annihilation

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Over seven blocks on a dangerous Sacramento road, seven severe crashes, two of them fatal

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.

Marvin Alcides Moran was buried in a white casket in El Salvador after he was hit by a car and killed on one of Sacramentos dangerous roads. His family had his body flown to the Central American country so his mother could attend the March 7 funeral of her 22-year-old son.

The deadly crash occurred at Eighth and N streets downtown on Feb. 25. Both streets have been identified by the city as part of the high-injury network  those roads that see the most serious and fatal crashes.

At that intersection, Eighth and N streets are both one-way streets with three lanes. Wider streets tend to encourage higher speeds, and experts have said that one-way streets can also lead to increased speeds.

The city has installed parking-protected bike lanes over significant stretches of midtown and downtown, which help protect cyclists and coax drivers to slow down. But no bike lanes are in the immediate vicinity of the intersection where Moran was fatally struck.

He joins a list of people who have been maimed or killed within just a few blocks along Eighth Street since 2012.

Last April, a car struck and killed Shanmugan Pirabarooban, 50, an engineer from Rocklin who was crossing the street at P and Eighth, about a block away from his office at the California Department of Water Resources. A two-vehicle crash at J and Eighth severely injured a motorcyclist last March. A crash at Eighth and J severely injured a pedestrian in 2022. A vehicle-bicycle crash at Eighth and N severely injured the cyclist in 2020. A two-vehicle crash at L and Eighth severely injured a motorcyclist in 2019. In 2012, a crash at Eighth and I severely injured a cyclist.

The city has no immediate plans to make safety improvements on Eighth Street, spokeswoman Gabby Miller said. She pointed out that the Transportation Priorities Plan proposed removing one lane on Eighth between P and G streets. But that proposal is ranked as a medium priority.

Municipalities such as Hoboken have demonstrated that the vast majority of traffic fatalities and serious injuries are preventable: The New Jersey city recently announced it had gone seven years without a traffic death.

Like Hoboken, Sacramento took a Vision Zero pledge in January 2017 to eliminate all traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2027. While the California capital has made some progress in the seven years since making that promise  including a small project adding safety measures at the intersection Eighth and P streets not long after the afternoon crash that killed Pirabarooban  the city has struggled to fund evidence-based safety measures. The deaths have continued.

According to preliminary information from the Sacramento County Coroners Office, in addition to Moran, at least nine more people died in collisions on city streets in the first 83 days of this year. The Sacramento Bee has confirmed that six of them  Mattie Nicholson, Kate Johnston, Jeffrey Blain, Aaron Ward, Sam Dent, Terry Lane and David Rink  were cyclists or pedestrians, the most vulnerable road users.

Critical public safety improvements might not make the budget

At a recent meeting of the Budget and Audit Committee, City Council members discussed whether to prioritize funding the goals of the Active Transportation Commission. Councilwoman Mai Vang said that implementing all nine of the commissions recommendations would cost $10 million in the first year.

This is really about funding public safety, she said from the dais. Though no one in the meeting explicitly mentioned the ongoing deaths, committee members agreed that this was an important safety issue.

But, while facing down a budget deficit, the City Council members said it would be difficult to steer money toward the types of interventions that might have saved Morans life and the lives of nine other people this year.

Marvin forever

Maria Escamilla, Morans relative, did not agree to an interview request. But, when she was collecting money for his funeral, she wrote on GoFundMe that the young man had a whole life ahead of him. She raised just under $3,000 before closing off donations. All she wanted, she wrote, was to send him home, where his mother, siblings and childhood friends are waiting  with broken hearts (to) say their final goodbyes.

Maria Escamilla, a relative of Marvin Moran, set up a Gofundme page to help his family.

On the day of the funeral, video shows that pallbearers loaded his casket into the back of a white pickup truck, modified into a hearse. Music played while two children held up a large photo collage with the words Por siempre Marvin in the middle  Marvin forever. The children led the procession of mourners to the grave.

The young man was surrounded by bouquets of orange, yellow and white flowers.

The Bees Mathew Miranda contributed to this story.
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, May 14. Kyrgyzstan engaged in discussions with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) regarding a credit for leasing agricultural machinery, Trend reports.

The country's Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Food Processing Industry disclosed that during a meeting, the IsDB mission delegation, ministry representatives, and the Kyrgyz Aiyl Bank and RSK Bank discussed the project.

"The meeting focused on the project proposal for attracting an investment credit of $45 million from the IsDB funds for leasing agricultural and specialized machinery, vehicles, and equipment for processing enterprises in Kyrgyzstan," the statement said.

Discussions covered project implementation, timeframes, important stages, reviews of similar projects, positive and negative aspects during execution, and project results and monitoring.

The IsDB mission will continue its work until May 17, 2024, conducting an inspection of the equipment suppliers provide to agricultural producers.

The Kyrgyzstan Cabinet of Ministers reports that the bank has undertaken 27 projects in Kyrgyzstan totaling more than $500 million, with projects worth more than $200 million currently in implementation.
Penn Wood High School in the William Penn School District in Landsdowne, Pennsylvania on June 15, 2023. (Amanda Berg for the Capital-Star)

Democratic lawmakers in Harrisburg took the first steps last week to provide $5.1 billion in new funding for Pennsylvania public schools to close a gap between the wealthiest and poorest districts that a court last year declared unconstitutional.

The legislation in the state House, proposed by Rep. Mike Sturla (D-Lancaster), follows the recommendation of a bipartisan commission on education funding to comply with a Commonwealth Court judges order to fix the education funding system.

The General Assembly has a constitutional imperative to end the funding disparity starting with the 2024-25 budget, Democratic lawmakers say.

The judiciary has spoken and we have a responsibility to address the unconstitutional nature of our education system, House Appropriations Committee Chairperson Jordan Harris (D-Philadelphia) told the Capital-Star on Monday. For me, I dont know how we can deal with anything else without dealing with that.

But Harris Republican counterpart on the Appropriations Committee, Rep. Seth Grove (R-York), criticized the proposed legislation for not including revenue to pay for the plan. Grove said he also believes resetting the system through zero-based budgeting is the answer.

Nothing in the Commonwealth Court ruling says we need more money, Grove said.

House Democrats have a narrow one-vote majority and are likely to pass a budget that reflects their legislative priorities. But Republicans who control the state Senate fired an opening shot in budget negotiations last week clearly signaling their intention to slash Gov. Josh Shapiros $48.8 billion spending plan.

On May 7, the upper chamber passed a bipartisan reduction in the personal income tax and eliminated the tax on electricity that would add up to an estimated $3 billion reduction in revenue.

The Senate also took steps to revive a school voucher program to provide tax dollars of up to $10,000 for private school tuition. An impasse over the Pennsylvania Award for Student Success (PASS) program stalled budget negotiations for nearly six months last year.

Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-Indiana) in a statement Monday noted that the General Assembly has provided record increases in funding in the last two budgets. In 2022, the Legislature approved a $525 million increase, but less than the $1.25 billion Gov. Tom Wolf proposed in his final budget. Last year, lawmakers agreed on a $567 million increase; Shapiro had proposed a $900 million in his first budget.

There are 500 school districts across the commonwealth, and each have their own definition of what fair funding means. Both the majority and minority Basic Education Funding Commission reports did reach agreement on formula modifications to provide predictability and stability to school districts, Pittman said, adding, we will continue to look for ways to reach common ground and respect taxpayers as part of this years budget.

The fair funding proposal in Sturlas forthcoming legislation is the product of more than a decade of litigation and days of hearings by the Basic Education Funding Commission, which include lawmakers from both parties in the House and Senate and members of Shapiros cabinet.

Nothing in this piece of legislation should come as a surprise to anybody, House Education Committee Chairperson Peter Schweyer (D-Lehigh) said. It is the work that the legislature has been doing ever since the fair funding decision came down.

Commonwealth Court President Judge Renee Cohn Jubelirer said in a Feb. 7, 2023, decision that the General Assembly has not fulfilled its legal mandate and has deprived students in school districts with low property values and incomes of the same resources and opportunities as children in wealthier ones.

The funding commission found that 371 of Pennsylvanias 500 school districts have an adequacy gap, meaning they spend less than $13,704 per pupil. Thats the median per pupil spending by the districts that meet the states academic performance standards.

The decision, which lawmakers chose not to appeal, followed a four-month trial in a lawsuit filed in 2014 by a group of parents and school districts who claimed the state had failed the state Constitutions mandate to provide a thorough and efficient system of public education.

Cohn Jubelirer, a conservative judge, did not instruct the General Assembly on how to fix the system, leaving the solution for the Legislature and executive branch to determine.

Last year, the Basic Education Funding Commission held dozens of hearings across the state where students, parents, educators, and administrators spoke about the challenges and deprivation they faced in the states neediest districts, both urban and rural.

In January, the commission voted 8-7, largely along party lines, to adopt a report that determined there is a $5.4 billion gap between what schools receive now and adequate funding as determined by the spending of the states most academically successful schools.

The $5.4 billion figure includes $291 million that is the responsibility of school districts that have lower taxes despite less-than-adequate funding. The remaining $5.1 billion is the states responsibility.

Sturlas bill would also include $1 billion in tax relief over the next seven years for districts that have hiked taxes in an effort to generate adequate funding, money to reset the baseline funding that all school districts receive, and it would reform how cyber charter schools are funded to provide several hundred million in savings for school districts.

This is a very comprehensive piece of legislation, Schweyer said.

Republican budget maven Grove said the proposal doesnt include the property tax increase and fails to provide a revenue source other than the states reserves. Shapiros office has projected that the states surplus and rainy day fund will total $14 billion at the end of this fiscal year on June 30.

Id actually like to thank them for being honest  on how much they want to spend over the next seven years, Grove said of the Democratic plan. If they want to spend the money over the next seven years it needs to come with a tax increase.

Dan Urevick-Ackelsberg, senior attorney at the Education Law Center, said Groves assertion that the Commonwealth Court order doesnt require the state to spend more is incorrect.

What theyre hanging that on is this line [from the decision] that the remedy doesnt need to be entirely financial, Urevick-Ackelsberg said, adding that the ruling identified deficiencies in funding that affected the ability of districts to provide sufficient staff, instruments of learning and safe and modern schools.

Harris, the House Democrats chief budget negotiator, said he is open to proposals from House and Senate Republicans.

If there is another proposal that they have to address the Commonwealth Court ruling, we would love to see it. We can talk about that, he said.

But faced with an obligation to Pennsylvanias students and the possibility of additional litigation if the Legislature fails to act, Harris said doing nothing is not an option.

This is not a nice-to-have. This is a must-do, Harris said.

(This article was updated at 2:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 14, 2024, to include a statement from Sen. Majority Leader Joe Pittman.)

The post Pa. House Democrats propose $5.1 billion in new funding for the states poorest schools appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star.
HEBRON, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian hauliers said on Tuesday they feared for the security of supply convoys to Gaza, a day after Israeli protesters wrecked trucks carrying goods bound for the enclave, which is facing a severe hunger crisis.

Footage circulated on social media showed at least one burning truck while other images showed trucks wrecked and stripped of their loads, which lay strewn over the road near Tarqumiya checkpoint outside Hebron in the occupied West Bank.

Waseem Al-Jabari, head of the Hebron Food Trade Association, said 70 truckloads of commercial goods had been scheduled to the Gaza Strip.

"While the trucks were uploaded with products at the crossing settlers attacked the trucks and they destroyed the products and set fire in trucks," he said, saying Israeli soldiers had stood by as the attack took place.

Monday's incident was claimed by a group calling itself Order 9, which said it had acted to stop supplies reaching Hamas and accusing the Israeli government of giving "gifts" to the Islamist group.

No comment was available from the Israeli military. The Israeli police said the incident, in which a number of people were arrested, was being investigated.

The violent protest drew condemnation from Washington, which has urged Israel to step up deliveries of aid into Gaza to alleviate a growing humanitarian crisis in the enclave, seven months since the start of the war.

British Foreign Minister David Cameron also condemned the "appalling" incident, saying Israel must call the attackers to account.

Palestinians and human rights groups have long accused the Israeli military and police of deliberately failing to intervene when settlers attack Palestinians in the West Bank.

Adel Amer, a member of the West Bank-based hauliers' union, said around 15 trucks had been damaged by Israeli protesters who beat some drivers and caused about $2 million worth of damage.

"The drivers are now refusing to take goods to Gaza because they're afraid," he said. "It's a disaster here because of the settlers."

Even when the military was present, the convoys were still at risk, he said. "The army says we cannot do anything to the settlers."

(This May 14 story has been corrected to clarify that the trucks were carrying commercial goods, not aid, in the headline, and in paragraphs 1 and 3)

(Reporting by Yosri Al Jamal; Writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Ros Russell and Daniel Wallis)
Palestinians living in Israel mark the 76th anniversary of the Nakba, near Haifa

Palestinians living in Israel mark the 76th anniversary of the Nakba, near Haifa

By Henriette Chacar

NEAR HAIFA, Israel (Reuters) - Thousands of flag-waving Palestinians marched in northern Israel on Tuesday to commemorate the flight and forced flight of Palestinians during the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation, and to demand the right of refugees to return.

Many of the about 3,000 people also called for an end to the war in Gaza as they took part in the march near the city of Haifa marking the "Nakba", or "catastrophe", when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were driven out during the 1948 war that accompanied Israel's creation.

Many held up Palestinian flags and wore keffiyeh head scarves during the annual Return March, a rare Palestinian demonstration permitted to go ahead in Israel as the war in the Gaza Strip rages on.

Many clutched water bottles, and some pushed strollers, as they marched along a dirt path. One person held aloft half a watermelon, which became a Palestinian symbol after Israeli bans on the flag because of its red, green and black colours. Others called for Palestinians to be freed from Israeli occupation.

"This is part of our liberation," said Fidaa Shehadeh, coordinator of the Women Against Weapons Coalition and former member of the Lydd Municipality Council. "It's not only about ending the occupation but also about allowing all refugees the ability to return to the homeland."

Some 700,000 Palestinians left or were forced to flee their homes during the 1948 war. Shehadeh said her family was forcibly displaced from the coastal village of Majdal Asqalan, with some fleeing to the city of Lydd in what became Israel and others to Gaza. She considered herself an internally displaced person.

She said "refugees remain refugees" 76 years later.

Shehadeh said her uncles and aunts in Gaza, whom she said she was last able to visit in 2008 with Israeli approval, are now displaced again as they try to escape Israel's bombardment.

They do not know if or when they will be able to return to their homes, she said.

Shehadeh said she travels to the West Bank almost weekly to top up e-SIMs for her Gaza relatives so that they can remain in contact.

"Sometimes we wait for days to receive a 'good morning' message, that's how we know whoever sent it is still alive," she said.

Over 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza war, Gaza health officials say. Israel began its offensive in Gaza, which is governed by Hamas, after the Oct. 7 raid led by gunmen from the Islamist militant group in which 1,200 people were killed in Israel and 253 abducted, according to Israeli tallies.

ARABS IN ISRAEL

Arabs make up about a fifth of Israel's population. They hold Israeli citizenship while many identify with Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza.

Every year, participants of the march, among them descendants of Palestinians who were internally displaced during the 1948 war, visit a different village that was destroyed or depopulated by Zionist militias.

Israel rejects the Palestinian right of return as a demographic threat to a country it describes as the nation-state of the Jewish people. It has said Palestinian refugees must settle in their host countries or in a future Palestinian state.

Kareem Ali, 12, held a sign reading "My grandparents lived in Kasayir" as he marched beside his father, Hamdan, referring to one of the villages being remembered this year. The family now resides in Shefa'amr in northern Israel.

For many years, Hamdan's father, a farmer, would pass by the depopulated village and pick figs from a tree that remained, Hamdan said.

"Our memory is our power," he said.

Some Arab citizens say they have experienced increased hostility during the Gaza war, with hundreds facing criminal proceedings, disciplinary hearings and expulsions from universities or jobs, Haifa-based rights group Adalah says.

Israeli police have said they are combating incitement to violence.

BADIL, a Bethlehem-based organisation advocating for refugee rights, estimated that by the end of 2021 some 65% of 14 million Palestinians globally were forcibly displaced persons, including

refugees and citizens of Israel who were internally displaced.

Some 5.9 million people are registered with the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). Most people in Gaza are refugees.

(Reporting by Henriette Chacar; Editing by Timothy Heritage)
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (KDVR)  More than 60 parents gathered to make their voices heard as Poudre School District administrators consider consolidating at least five schools.

It was standing-room-only Monday night inside the Council Tree Library community meeting room. Parents say they want to stop the vote and raised concerns about economic impacts, property values, job loss and traffic safety impacts.

5-year-old Fort Collins girl dies after getting caught in swing set

Blevins Middle School, Beattie Elementary School and Johnson Elementary School are all set to close under the proposals, with others on the table for changes, too.

Stop it. Make our kids comfortable, parent Brianna Barcaines said.

If youre going to close five schools, I imagine all those kids still need to go to school, said Nader Jabbour, whose child attends Beattie Elementary School. So now youre going to have overcrowding. The ratio for teachers versus kids are going to be worse. Its not going to be as good as an experience. So pretty awful situation, so I hope they find some other way.

They need to walk in our shoes, Barcaines said.

Beattie Elementary School

Poudre parents hope district can find a way around closures

Poudre School District leaders and the Board of Education say the closures and consolidations are necessary because of declining enrollment and budget reductions in per-pupil funding from the state.

FOX31 reached out to district leaders Monday for comment. A spokesperson pointed to a news release sent on Friday.

Five pages of notes taken by meeting leaders outlined parents concerns.

Its not fair, Barcaines said. We walk to school, we help other kids, people dont have cars, cars break down, we have to walk, we are going to different schools that are not walking distance. Theres no waived IEP, special education, bilingual. Thats all involved, Barcaines said of students with individualized education plans or additional learning requirements.

To-go cocktails now permanent under Colorado law

Parents worry about the future of 30,000 students within the district and said they want a long-term plan.

If we can find a way around it, I would vote for that rather than closing schools, Jabbour said.

According to the district, these are the proposals.

Poudre School District consolidation proposals

Changes included in every scenario

Close Beattie Elementary School and adjust boundaries to send students currently in Beatties attendance area to Lopez and Bennett elementary schools.

Close Blevins Middle School and adjust boundaries to send students currently in Blevins attendance area to Lincoln and Webber middle schools.

Close Johnson Elementary School and adjust boundaries to send students currently in Johnsons attendance area to Olander and McGraw elementary schools.

Balance enrollment among schools east of Interstate 25 by shifting boundaries between Timnath, Bethke, and Bamford elementary schools.

Scenario D1

Close Beattie Elementary School and adjust boundaries to send students currently in Beatties attendance area to Lopez and Bennett elementary schools.

Close Blevins Middle School and adjust boundaries to send students currently in Blevins attendance area to Lincoln and Webber middle schools.

Close Cache La Poudre Elementary School and reassign students to Irish, Putnam, and Tavelli elementary schools.

Close Cache La Poudre Middle School and reassign students to Lincoln Middle School.

Close Johnson Elementary School and adjust boundaries to send students currently in Johnsons attendance area to Olander and McGraw elementary schools.

Close Linton Elementary School and reassign students primarily to Kruse Elementary School. Boundaries for Bacon, Kruse, Werner, and Zach would be adjusted to accommodate this shift.

Keep Irish and Putnam elementary schools boundaries the same, but students in kindergarten through second grade could attend either school and have busing to either school. Any new students in grades 3-5 in either attendance boundary would be assigned to Putnam. Irish would be promoted as a dual language school with guaranteed busing for Spanish-speaking students, who could enroll at Irish year-round. Putnam would become a Core Knowledge school.

Adjust boundaries so that Bamford Elementary students would attend Preston Middle School and Fossil Ridge High School for grades 6-12 instead of Timnath Middle-High School.

Balance enrollment among schools east of Interstate 25 by shifting boundaries between Timnath, Bethke, and Bamford elementary schools.

Scenario D2

Close Beattie Elementary School and adjust boundaries to send students currently in Beatties attendance area to Lopez and Bennett elementary schools.

Close Blevins Middle School and adjust boundaries to send students currently in Blevins attendance area to Lincoln and Webber middle schools.

Close Boltz Middle School and reassign most students to Preston Middle School, with some parts of the attendance area being absorbed by Lesher Middle School. The dual language program at Boltz would move to Lincoln Middle School.

Close Johnson Elementary School and adjust boundaries to send students currently in Johnsons attendance area to Olander and McGraw elementary schools.

Close Linton Elementary School and reassign students primarily to Kruse Elementary School. Boundaries for Bacon, Kruse, Werner, and Zach would be adjusted to accommodate this shift.

Relocate Polaris into the vacated Johnson Elementary building (see Johnson above).

Relocate Irish to the vacated Polaris building (formerly the Moore Elementary School building). Irish would continue to have a dual immersion model in its new location but would become a 100% choice school with no neighborhood attendance boundaries. The Irish attendance boundary area would be absorbed by Cache La Poudre and Putnam elementary schools, with adjustments to the boundaries for Dunn and Tavelli.

Adjust boundaries so that Bamford Elementary students would attend Preston Middle School and Fossil Ridge High School for grades 6-12 instead of Timnath Middle-High School.

Balance enrollment among schools east of Interstate 25 by shifting boundaries between Timnath, Bethke, and Bamford elementary schools.

Scenario E

Consolidate Harris and Linton elementary schools into a three-track dual immersion school to be located at the Linton elementary building . Linton would retain some of its current neighborhood attendance area. Current Harris students could choice into Linton or Irish.

Close Preston Middle School and change Kinard Core Knowledge Middle School from a 100% choice school to a neighborhood school. Bacon, Bamford, and Zach students would attend Kinard for middle school. Students from other elementary schools in Prestons current attendance boundaries would go to Boltz for middle school. Bethke and Timnath Elementary students would continue to attend Timnath Middle-High School for middle and high school.

Relocate Polaris into the vacated Johnson Elementary building (see Johnson below).

Relocate Irish to the vacated Polaris building (formerly the Moore Elementary School building). Irish would continue to have a dual immersion model in its new location but would become a 100% choice school with no neighborhood attendance boundaries. The Irish attendance boundary area would be absorbed by Cache La Poudre and Putnam elementary schools, with adjustments to the boundaries for Dunn and Tavelli.

Close Beattie Elementary School and adjust boundaries to send students currently in Beatties attendance area to Lopez and Bennett elementary schools.

Close Blevins Middle School and adjust boundaries to send students currently in Blevins attendance area to Lincoln and Webber middle schools.

Close Johnson Elementary School and adjust boundaries to send students currently in Johnsons attendance area to Olander and McGraw elementary schools.

Balance enrollment among schools east of Interstate 25 by shifting boundaries between Timnath, Bethke, and Bamford elementary schools.

Photos: Heres what Denver looked like 100 years ago

Scenario F

Close Beattie Elementary School and adjust boundaries to send students currently in Beatties attendance area to Lopez and Bennett elementary schools.

Close Blevins Middle School and adjust boundaries to send students currently in Blevins attendance area to Lincoln and Webber middle schools.

Close Johnson Elementary School and adjust boundaries to send students currently in Johnsons attendance area to Olander and McGraw elementary schools.

Close Linton Elementary School and reassign students primarily to Kruse Elementary School. Boundaries for Bacon, Kruse, Werner, and Zach would be adjusted to accommodate this shift.

Close Putnam Elementary School and reassign students to Dunn, Irish, Tavelli, and Cache La Poudre Elementary School. Students in kindergarten through second grade in the expanded Irish attendance area could choose between Irish and CLPE and receive busing to either school. New students in grades 3-5 in the expanded Irish attendance area would be automatically assigned to CLPE.



When could Poudre schools close?

None of the scenarios is final. A final vote is set for June 11.

Any changes adopted by the districts Board of Education would not take effect until the 2025-26 school year.

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 FOX31 Denver.
Passenger groped teen trying to sleep on flight as she traveled with family, feds say

A man accused of groping a 17-year-old girl on a flight to Seattle was seen reaching for her underneath a blanket he spread out moments before, federal prosecutors said.

Abhinav Kumar, a citizen of India, assaulted the teen on an Emirates flight from Dubai to Seattle in February, when she was traveling with her family, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Washington.

A jury has found Kumar, 39, guilty of abusive sexual contact aboard an aircraft, prosecutors announced in a May 14 news release. The verdict was issued May 13 after Kumar pleaded not guilty in March, court records show.

His federal public defender didnt immediately respond to McClatchy News request for comment on May 14. Emirates declined a request for comment on May 14.

On Feb. 18, the girl was in an aisle seat in the same row as Kumar, who was in a window seat, according to prosecutors, who said the two were separated by an empty middle seat.

After the flight took off, Kumar spoke to the teen and invited her to get coffee with him, prosecutors said. She declined.

As she tried to sleep on the plane, Kumar spread his blanket over himself and over the middle seat, according to prosecutors, who said footage shows the movement of his arm under the blanket reaching toward the victim.

About four hours into the flight, the teen told investigators she awoke to Kumar pulling her arm toward him and rubbing her fingers, an affidavit says.

Then, after she pulled away from his hand, prosecutors said the hand returned, moving up her arm, then inside her shirt, and eventually reaching her breast.

The teen froze, then asked her mother to accompany her to the bathroom, according to prosecutors.

At the time, her father was sitting in front of them, while her mother and brother were seated across the aisle, according to the affidavit.

The flight crew was informed of the assault, which was reported to authorities, according to prosecutors.

After the plane landed, investigators interviewed the girl, her family and Kumar, who prosecutors said was then arrested.

During the interview, Kumar said he did not remember touching the teen, according to the affidavit.

When he learned he was accused of groping her, he denied doing so, the affidavit says.

In court on May 13, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sanaa Nagi said, Nobody expects for a person to grope them on a flight.  The defendant did not expect the victim to be brave enough to report him.

Kumar is facing up to two years in prison, according to prosecutors. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 1.

Cruise worker grabs scissors and stabs 75-year-old passenger and 2 guards, feds say

Man sneaks on Delta flight and hides in plane bathroom  then he gets caught, feds say

Passenger kept groping woman on flight, quickly left once plane landed, feds say

Delta mechanic reached under womans shirt as she appeared to sleep on flight, feds say
Paterson mom can remain in US to handle medical care for 4-year-old daughter's kidney

PATERSON  A Dominican immigrant living in the city has received permission to extend her stay in this country so her young daughter can get life-changing medical care, federal officials recently decided.

Betsaida Dilenia Polanco Polonia said her 4-year-old daughter, Caroline Andra Arroyo Polanco, is a United States citizen who was born with a right kidney thats double the ordinary size, a birth defect that causes the little girl severe pain and frequent infections, her mother said.

Doctors in the Dominican Republic said Caroline would be best off getting medical care in the United States, prompting their move to this country on a visa, Polonia said.

Attorney Gintare Grigaite, left, four-year-old Caroline Andra Arroyo Polanco, and her mother, Betsaida Dilenia Polanco Polonia at Gritaites law offices

The mothers visa expired late last year. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services last month granted her a two-year deferral on her immigration status.

This could not have come fast enough, said Polonias lawyer, Gintare Grigaite. Shes now protected.

Healthcare: She was born in New Jersey with effects of Zika virus. Now her parents can stay in US

In early February, Caroline went through surgery that tried to resolve her kidney problem. But the procedure was not successful, Grigaite said, and the little girl now may need another operation.

As part of its deferral decision, Citizenship and Immigration Services said Polonia can seek employment in the United States, her lawyer said.

But for now, thats not realistic, because the mother must spend so much time caring for her young child, Grigaite said. The lawyer is now looking into the possibility of getting permission for Polonias mother to come to Paterson, so she could care for her grandchild while her daughter works.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Paterson mom can stay in US to handle daughter's medical needs
Pennsylvania bill would help cover gym, fitness costs for PA National Guard, service members

(WHTM)  Two Pennsylvania lawmakers want to help reimburse Pennsylvania National Guard and military service members for the cost of maintaining their physical fitness.

Democrat State Representatives Nancy Guenst and Rep. Joe Webster, both of Montgomery County, say they will introduce legislation to provide tax credits to Pennsylvania National Guard, Reserve, and Active-Duty military members.

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The proposed annual tax credit would cover the cost (up to $600) of physical fitness facility memberships, personal fitness subscription services, or physical fitness equipment.

The lawmakers say this is similar to the Educator Expense Deduction established by the IRS.

Fitness facilities and gyms in Pennsylvania, under the proposed bill, would also be eligible for tax credits for offering free gym memberships to eligible National Guard, Reserve, and active-duty military members.

The health and fitness of service members directly impacts the readiness of our Guard and military to effectively train, prepare, and mobilize in response to all domestic requests and national contingency operations, said the lawmakers. This legislation will incentivize our military service members to maintain their fitness and aid in our preparedness.

Webster and Guenst both serve on the House Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee, as well as the Subcommittee on Military and Veterans Facilities.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.
Police revoked a Pennsylvania carnivals permit, shutting down the event after a crowd of juveniles became unruly last weekend and someone was assaulted. Now, they're trying to identify the people captured on film during the assault.

The Exton Spring Mall Carnival was set up in the south parking lot of Exton Square Mall, about 35 miles northwest of Philadelphia, according to the West Whiteland Township Police Department.

Police issued a series of alerts throughout the weekend about the carnival and the mall. At 7:30 p.m. Saturday night, they let the public know there would be plenty of police in the parking lot, where the carnival was held.

A large number of juveniles created a disturbance, which created an unsafe environment for those attempting to enjoy this annual event, the police wrote online. The Carnival is CLOSED for the evening. Please refrain from entering the area for your own safety.

Just after 8:30 p.m. Saturday night, the West Whiteland Township Police Department announced that the fair was shut down for the night due to an unruly crowd of juveniles.

Police said they asked the owners to shut down the grounds for the night and had previously called officers from around the county to help due to how big the crowd was.

We are actively investigating this incident, police posted online, asking that anyone with video from the scene pass it along to them.

A screengrab from an incident at Exton Square Mall in Pennsylvania on May 11, 2024.

Police seek to ID people in assault captured on video

Police later shared a video on social media that they obtained from a business inside the mall. The video was captured after the carnival was shut down and shows a male with long hair come into the cameras view. Afterwards, a group of people follows suit and people begin punching and kicking the male.

Authorities shared the video in hopes of identifying the victim, they said, and by Sunday afternoon, police had issued an alert saying the carnival had been shut down altogether.

The permit for the Good Time Amusements Carnival located in the outer lot of the Exton Square Mall has been revoked, Sundays alert read. The safety of all those attending is primary and foremost in the decision to cancel the carnival.

The carnival was set to run from May 9 to May 18. According to social media posts from organizers, wristbands cost $35 per person. When police canceled the event, they directed customers to Good Time Amusements of Hellertown PA for refunds.

Once the carnival was shut down, Goodtime Amusements posted online to let people know.

Due to out of control behavior and the unrest that transpired, the Exton Square Mall carnival is closed, Goodtime Amusements wrote. Indefinitely. We appreciate the families that came out to have fun.

Regarding the assault captured on film, police ask that anyone with information or anyone who can identify someone in the video contact jmccloskey@westwhiteland.org.

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: Carnival shut down, loses license, due to 'unruly crowd of juveniles'
FILE PHOTO: Photo evidence collected during the investigation into U.S. Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, who is accused of leaking classified documents online, is released in a document by the U.S. Department of Justice

FILE PHOTO: Photo evidence collected during the investigation into U.S. Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, who is accused of leaking classified documents online, is released in a document by the U.S. Department of Justice

By Nate Raymond

HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Massachusetts (Reuters) - U.S. Air Force prosecutors on Tuesday urged a military hearing officer to recommend a trial by court-martial for Jack Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard accused of leaking a massive trove of classified military documents.

Teixeira, 22, appeared in uniform at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts for the first hearing to address the military charges, which were filed after he pleaded guilty in March to separate charges by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Air Force prosecutors argued he should face a court-martial for obstructing justice and failing to obey a lawful order while serving as an airman 1st class at Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod in Massachusetts.

The prosecution called no witnesses to support its charges, and defense counsel argued the few documents presented during the hearing were insufficient to support finding there was probable cause Teixeira committed the offenses.

Defense counsel Major Luke Gilhooly argued the Air Force was seeking to inappropriately use evidence from the earlier case and Teixeira's own self-incriminating statements during his guilty plea in a bid to "to get their own pound of flesh."

Teixeira was arrested in April 2023 after being accused of carrying out one of the most serious U.S. national security breaches in years while working as a cyber defense operations journeyman, or information technology support specialist.

Despite being a low-level airman, Teixeira held a top-secret security clearance, and starting in January 2022 began accessing hundreds of classified documents related to topics including Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to prosecutors.

Under the username "TheExcaliburEffect," Teixeira shared classified information on the messaging app Discord in private servers - a kind of chat room - while bragging he had access to "stuff for Israel, Palestine, Syria, Iran and China."

He pleaded guilty to wilfully retaining and transmitting classified information relating to national defense. He faces at least 11 years in prison when he is sentenced on Sept. 27, and federal prosecutors plan to seek over 16 years.

The Air Force announced on May 1 that it had decided to pursue separate military charges against him, which according to a spokesperson carry a combined maximum sentence of 10-1/2 years in prison.

During Tuesday's hearing, Captain Stephanie Evans, a prosecutor, said documents and Teixeira's guilty plea supported finding he ignored orders from his superiors to cease his "deep dives" into classified information not relevant to his job.

She said he accessed and printed hundreds of documents. When the leaks were uncovered, he disposed of an iPad, computer hard drive and iPhone and instructed people he communicated with online to delete their correspondence with him, Evans said.

"This was done with a malicious intent to cover his tracks," Evans told the preliminary hearing officer, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Raming, who appeared remotely.

Gilhooly countered that the case amounted to a violation of Teixeira's constitutional right to not be prosecuted twice for the same offense.

It will be up to Raming to decide whether probable cause exists to support the charges and whether to recommend that Teixeira face a trial by general court-martial. That recommendation will then go to a major general to review.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Bill Berkrot)
Fact checked by Nick Blackmer





Key Takeaways

A new study suggests that some people who had negative findings on their first colonoscopy can safely wait 15 years, rather than 10, for a follow-up colonoscopy.

The findings come from a population study of people in Sweden. Experts say the results may not be generalizable to the U.S.

Extending the interval between colonoscopies may reduce costs and the potential harm of unnecessary complications.







U.S. guidelines recommend getting a colonoscopy every 10 years starting at age 45. However, a new study suggests healthy people with no family history of colorectal cancer can wait 15 years between colonoscopies if results from the last one were normal.

The study included more than 110,000 people in Sweden with no family history of colorectal cancer and a negative finding from their last colonoscopy. Each member of that group was matched with up to 18 control individuals of the same age and sex. The control group either never had a colonoscopy or had a positive finding during their last screening.

The findings indicate that extending the interval from 10 years to 15 after a negative colonoscopy results in missing only one or two early colorectal cancer cases and one colorectal cancer-related death per 1,000 people. This change could avoid 1,000 unnecessary colonoscopies.

We found that individuals with a first negative colonoscopy experienced a significantly lower risk of colorectal cancer and death from colorectal cancer for 15 years compared to unscreened controls, said Mahdi Fallah, MD, PhD, senior author of the study and head of the Risk Adapted Cancer Prevention Group at the German Cancer Research Center. We expected a longer interval might miss more cancers, but the findings suggest the risk is minimal.

However, some experts said these findings shouldnt change how people approach colorectal cancer screening.

I dont think that you can make this generalizable to the remainder of the world, and especially to the U.S. population. The Swedish population is probably very different than the U.S. populationwere such a mixture of so many different cultures and backgrounds, Reezwana Chowdhury, MD, a gastroenterologist at Johns Hopkins Medicine, told Verywell.

In their population, they showed that they didnt miss that many additional cancers or cancer-related deaths, but I dont see that being the same here, she added.



Related: How Often Should You Get a Colonoscopy?

Why Might Fewer Colonoscopies Benefit Patients?

Every time experts set or update a cancer screening guideline, they weigh the risks and benefits to individuals and the health system.

Colonoscopies can be a hassle to schedule, prepare, and pay for. And while colonoscopies are pretty safe procedures, they do carry some risks. The risk of perforation or bleeding during a colonoscopy is about four in 1,000.

Stretching the interval between colonoscopies could also save costs, which could be especially useful for certain underserved groups, said Robert Bresalier, MD, a professor of gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

[Colonoscopies] are associated with risk. If you could reduce the number over a lifetime, it would be more cost-effective and it would be safer, Bresalier said.

In most parts of the world, people get a fecal occult blood test or other non-endoscopic test for colorectal cancer. If the test results are positive, theyre followed up with a colonoscopy. The U.S. is one of the few countries in which people typically get a colonoscopy first, largely because there are more gastroenterologists to perform the procedure here.

Related: Should Older Adults Be Concerned About Colonoscopy Complications?

Limitations of the Study

While the Sweden study factored in participants age and sex, it excluded lots of other important information about their health status, Chowdhury said.

For instance, the study didnt provide information about peoples comorbidities or lifestyle factors, like obesity and smoking history. Those factors could contribute to a persons risk for colorectal cancer.

In the U.S., there are increasingly more young adults diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Chowdhury said shes worried that encouraging fewer colonoscopies could lead some of those cases to be missed.

To not do anything for 15 years makes me uncomfortable, even for the average person, Chowdhury said.

Bresalier said there is a limit to how much someone can conclude from this study because its not a controlled trial. To do that, researchers would have had to give one group a colonoscopy every 10 years and another group a colonoscopy every 15 years and compare their outcomes. Doing so would take a long time and could be unethical since its well-known that colonoscopies effectively detect and prevent cancer.

Related: U.S. Doctors Rebuke the New Study That Questions Colonoscopy's Effectiveness

Will U.S. Screening Guidelines Change?

Rather than indicate that the intervals between colonoscopies should be extended, Bresalier said the study strengthens the evidence that the 10-year interval is sufficient.

It usually takes 10 years for a polyp to develop from harmless to cancerous. A 2023 study showed that if someone has a normal colonoscopy, the likelihood of them developing colorectal cancer over 10 years is extremely small.

I do think its reassuring and confirmatory of what weve found with studies and practice guidelines that a 10-year interval in a person with a normal index colonoscopy is okay, Bresalier said. People sometimes worry about the 10 years that its too long, and maybe we should do it sooner.

Importantly, the researchers only tracked when study participants got colonoscopies, not when they took at-home stool tests, like Cologuard and FIT tests.

Stool tests can be useful for people who are at risk for anesthesia complications or those who dont want an invasive procedure.

Related: This Low-cost Cologuard Alternative Is Just as Effective at Colorectal Cancer Screening

Fallah said that using cheaper, non-invasive stool-based tests could supplement a 15-year screening interval to help catch the one case per thousand that his team estimated an extended interval would miss.

However, it is only during a colonoscopy that a doctor can remove polyps to prevent colorectal cancer. While most of the current stool and blood tests are sensitive enough to pick up cancer, they arent very good at detecting pre-cancerous polyps.

Besides, Cologuard, a popular stool-based test in the U.S., has a false positive rate of up to 13%. A positive result from a fecal test may lead to CT scans and other expensive tests that could require more resources than an initial colonoscopy might have, Bresalier said.

Doing anything is better than doing nothing, Bresalier said. The question is, how much tolerance do you have for a test that is not going to pick up every cancer and every polyp?

Its not out of the question that an extended interval is safe or that non-invasive tests could one day make for an adequate colonoscopy substitute, Bresalier said. For now, though, the research isnt yet robust enough to change U.S. guidelines.

A 15-year interval may, in the end, be a reasonable thing to do. But right now, we can feel comfortable with the 10-year interval and look to the future to see maybe a longer interval might be reasonable, Bresalier said.

Read Next: A New Blood Test to Screen for Colorectal Cancer Shows Promise







What This Means For You

People at average risk for colorectal cancer should start getting screened at age 45. Younger people who have a family history or a history of inflammatory bowel disease may get screened younger.







Read the original article on Verywell Health.
In late April 2024, in central Kyiv, heavy cranes began dismantling a sculpture erected to commemorate 17th-century Pereiaslav Treaty between the Cossacks and Muscovites, symbolically closing a chapter of a shared history.

It was the very same agreement lauded by Russian President Vladimir Putin as supposed evidence of Ukraine's historical subservience to Moscow in a piece he penned months before launching the full-scale invasion.

What is the story behind the Pereiaslav Treaty, and why does it carry such a different meaning for both nations?

In January 1654, in the town of Pereiaslav in modern-day Ukraine, leaders of the Zaporizhzhian Cossacks pledged allegiance to Muscovite (Russian) Tsar Alexei I in exchange for his protection against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

While Soviet and Russian historiography has presented the event as the "reunification of the Rus" and proof of perpetual affinity between the Ukrainian and Russian peoples, Ukrainian historian Serhii Plokhy takes a wholly different view.

The Zaporozhzhian Cossacks. From a private collection. Artist Brandt, Jozef (1841-1915). (Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

In his book on Ukraines history, The Gates of Europe, he writes that with the signing of the treaty, The long and complex history of Russo-Ukrainian relations had begun.

Pereiaslav's impact has rippled through centuries, representing a very different legacy for both nations.

For Russia, the treaty has played a crucial role in its imperial narratives about the Russo-Ukrainian "historical unity."

Plokhy retorts, however, that rather than a unification of one Rus nation, it was the beginning of the shared history of Ukrainians and the Russians, two separate peoples that have, since the fall of Kyivan Rus, evolved in a wholly different political and cultural milieu.

For Ukraine, it was the start of a painful story that ended in Ukraine's subjugation by Moscow. What began as a pragmatic alliance against Poland ended up in Russia completely dissolving the hetmanate a century later.

The Cossacks and the Muscovites

Looking more closely at the world in which the Pereiaslav Treaty, sometimes referred to as the Pereiaslav Council, was born, the narrative about the reunification of one people begins to waver.

While both can claim the legacy of the Kyivan Rus, the fate of what we today see as Russia and Ukraine diverged heavily after that medieval polity fell to the Mongol armies.

Muscovys early history flowed mostly separately from European events. In turn, much of today's Ukraine was incorporated into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, opening the door to various cultural influences from the continent.

This led to the development of different languages (famously, the two parties at the Pereiaslav Council needed translators), political values, religious thought, and even architecture, with the baroque style entering Ukraine much earlier than Russia.

The Polish rule over Ukraine was far from peaceful, however. The Cossacks, a mostly Orthodox people from the Ukrainian steppe with a strong militaristic and egalitarian tradition, led numerous revolts against their Catholic rules.

Portrait of the Cossack Hetman of Ukraine Bohdan Khmelnytsky (1595-1657). From a private collection. (Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

The largest one was launched by the Zaporizhzhian Cossacks under Hetman Khmelnytskyi in 1648. While initially scoring major victories and establishing himself as an effective ruler of much of today's Ukraine, the hetman was aware that he could not stand against Poland on his own for too long. He needed allies.

The Cossacks first joined forces with the Crimean Tatars, but the Crimean khan proved more interested in perpetual conflict and spoils of war rather than in a decisive victory of one side. Khmelnytskyis overtures to the khans masters, the Ottoman Empire, also did not bring the desired results, as the sultan was occupied elsewhere.

Read also: How Russia steals and rewrites Ukrainian history to justify its claims in Ukraine

When the Cossack host turned to Moscow for aid, there were clear, pragmatic reasons. However, the shared Rus legacy and the common Orthodox faith may have made the tsar appear even more as a suitable candidate.

We have convened a council open to the whole people so that you, together with us, might choose a sovereign for yourselves out of four the first is the Turkish (sultan)... the second is the Crimean khan, the third is the Polish king who, if we wish, may still take us into his former favor, the fourth is the Orthodox sovereign of Great Rus, the tsar, Grand Prince Alexei Mikhailovich, the eastern sovereign of all Rus, reads the transcription of Khmelnytskyis speech to Cossack officers.

The response was overwhelming support for the Orthodox tsar. Religious affinity may have indeed been an important factor in their decision. The wars of the 17th century were often fought along religious lines.

The Cossacks' Reply to the Sultan (Zaporozhtsy)', circa 1890, (1939). 'Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks to Sultan Mehmed IV of Turkey', also known as 'Cossacks of Saporog Are Drafting a Manifesto', 19th-century imagining of a supposed historical event of 1676, based on the legend of Cossacks sending an apparently rude and insulting reply to an ultimatum from Sultan Mehmed IV of the Ottoman Empire. 'On the right is Taras Bulba (in a white cap), the hero of Gogol's tale of the same name; on the left is Andrei, Taras Bulba's son; almost in the centre sits Ataman (Chief) Serko with a pipe in his mouth'. (The Print Collector/Getty Images)

According to Plokhy, the actual decision was made before the hetman's theatrical exchange with his followers. The historian lists clear reasons why the other potential allies were unsuitable. The Crimean Tatars were unreliable, the Ottomans were too distant, and Poland had proven averse to granting the Cossacks the privileges they sought.

We can assume that Moscow was the most practical choice after eliminating all the other competitors. Plokhy also warned against overestimating the sense of shared religious or historical legacy among the Muscovites and Ukrainians.

"The tradition of Kyivan Rus' as represented by historical memory and religious belief still existed, but it was embodied only in a few handwritten chronicles," Plokhy writes.

"Four centuries of existence in different political conditions had strengthened long-standing linguistic and cultural differences," he adds.

Furthermore, the suggestion in Putin's 2021 article "On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians that the Cossacks saw themselves as "Russian" is even more doubtful. The 17th-century Muscovy claimed the legacy of old Rus but was a very different state from what we today understand as Russia. That was established by Peter I decades later.

In the archival photo, Vladimir Putin looks at the crown of Peter the Great during the ceremony of the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Kremlin Museums in Moscow, Russia, March 7, 2006. (Yuri Kadobnov/AFP via Getty Images)

The modern-day idea of a Russian nation came into existence even later in the 19th century.

The first probes into a possible alliance between the two states began already in 1648. Five years later, Moscow's parliamentary assembly, the Zemsky Sobor, sanctioned taking the hetmanate under the tsardom's patronage and launching a war against Poland-Lithuania despite the standing peace treaty.

A Muscovite delegation led by nobleman Vasiliy Buturin was dispatched to Pereiaslav, with the council itself taking place on Jan. 18, 1654. Dealings with the tsar's envoy revealed a cultural and political divide between the two parties. Buturin refused to discuss the terms of the agreement or to swear an oath to uphold the tsar's side of the treaty.

The hetman, accustomed to negotiating directly with Polish royal envoys, was taken aback, but the necessities of the situation made him accept the terms.

"Khmelnytskyi, who wanted Muscovite troops in battle as soon as possible, agreed to swear allegiance to the tsar with no reciprocal oath," Plokhy writes.

Nevertheless, Tsar Alexei stood by his words  at first.

Moscow recognized certain privileges to the Cossacks that the Polish king refused to grant, and its forces joined the fray against the Commonwealth armies.

The Cossacks and the Muscovites achieved success, with Khmelnytskyi's host besieging Lviv and the Muscovites entering Vilnius, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

As a matter of fact, this success was too great for the tsar, who feared that the Polish-Lithuanian state might actually fall apart and disrupt the balance in the region in favor of another power, Sweden.

In 1656, Moscow violated their agreement with the Cossacks and signed a separate peace deal with Poland, enraging Khmelnytskyi. Feeling betrayed by the tsar, the old hetman was ready to switch to another ally. But as he was planning overtures to the Swedish king, Khmelnytskyi died in August 1657, leaving his plans unfinished.

Read also: Russias many attempts to erase Ukrainian language, culture

The tsar's decision and the hetman's outrage originated from their very different understanding of the treaty. Moscow's ruler believed he was simply gaining another obedient subject to whom, as an autocrat, he was bound by no obligations. Khmelnytskyi, while acknowledging the tsar as his superior, expected a reciprocal relationship.

For the tsars, the Pereiaslav Treaty meant that Ukraine had become their patrimony even after Khmelnytskyi's death. The rest of the 17th century saw the Cossacks divided and fighting among themselves, with Moscow aptly using the conflict to eventually gain control over the entire hetmanate.

With much of modern-day Ukraine safely within their grasp, the Muscovites would gradually take away the Cossacks' rights and privileges, crush any revolt that tried to halt the process, and eventually dissolve the Cossack Hetmanate completely in 1764.

The Pereiaslav Council, seen by Khmelyntsyki as a means to protect his fledgling state against Poland, has become a tool for Moscow to take over and destroy it completely.

The result of the Council started the red line that would permeate the rest of Russo-Ukrainian history.

Pereiaslav in Russian imperial narratives

When I was asked about Russian-Ukrainian relations, I said that Russians and Ukrainians were one people  a single whole, Putin wrote in his aforementioned 2021 article.

Bohdan Khmelnytsky then made appeals to Moscow (for aid). In January 1654, the Pereiaslav Council confirmed that decision. Subsequently, the ambassadors of Bohdan Khmelnytsky and Moscow visited dozens of cities, including (Kyiv), whose populations swore allegiance to the Russian tsar, Putin wrote.

In this pool photograph distributed by Russian state agency Sputnik, Vladimir Putin gives an interview to US talk show host Tucker Carlson at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russi on Feb. 6, 2024. (Gavriil Grigorov / POOL /AFP via Getty Images)

In a letter to Moscow in 1654, Bohdan Khmelnytsky thanked Tsar Alexei Mikhaylovich for taking the whole Zaporizhian Host and the whole Russian Orthodox world under the strong and high hand of the Tsar. It means that the Cossacks referred to and defined themselves as Russian Orthodox people.

This argument was meant to serve as one of the justifications for Russias subsequent full-scale invasion that has murdered thousands of Ukrainians. Putin argues that he is returning Ukraine to its historical, rightful place.

Lets not give him too much credit, though, as he did not come up with the idea himself. Instead, he borrows heavily from Soviet historiography, which, in turn, was inspired by 19th-century imperial narratives.

Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, the same man who unleashed the Holodomor famine against the Ukrainian people, realized the benefits of reviving the memory of the shared Russo-Ukrainian history once Nazi Germany invaded the USSR.

The town of Pereiaslav was renamed "Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi" to honor the hetman seen by the Soviet authorities and their court historians as Ukraines unifier with Russia.

Municipal service workers, under the Arch of Freedom of the Ukrainian People, dismantle a granite monument with a multi-figure group, dedicated to the Pereiaslav Council in Kyiv, Ukraine on April 30, 2024. (Vitalii Nosach/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

As Canadian-Ukrainian historian Serhy Yekelchyk writes, the Pereiaslav Council was cast as Ukraines unbreakable union with the fraternal Russian people.

A rather modest celebration of the treatys 290th anniversary in 1944 reinstalled the renewed cult of Pereiaslav (that) symbolized the dominant presence of the Russian elder brother, Yekelchyk says in his book titled Stalin's Empire of Memory.

This was followed by a much grander celebration of the Union of Russia and Ukraine Tercentenary in 1954, already in the era of Stalins successor, Nikita Khrushchev.

The all-union event was accompanied by the publishing of a body of documents called the Reunification of Ukraine with Russia that were meant to testify to the eternal union between the two peoples with Russia in the superior position, of course.

In 1982, the Soviet authorities opened a monument complex called Peoples' Friendship Arch in central Kyiv to celebrate the Russo-Ukrainian unity. It was dedicated to several historical events, including the 1,500th anniversary of the city's founding, the 60th anniversary of the USSR, and the Pereiaslav Council.

A part of the complex was a granite stele depicting participants of the council, dressed in historical Russian and Cossack garbs.

Municipal service workers under the Arch of Freedom of the Ukrainian People finish dismantling a granite monument with a multi-figure group dedicated to the Pereiaslav Council in Kyiv, Ukraine, on May 1, 2024. (Zinchenko/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

The statue remained there after Ukraine gained its independence in 1991 and even after the post-EuroMaidan government launched a large-scale decommunization and de-Sovietization process in 2015.

It was only after the outbreak of the full-scale war in 2022 that the arch complex began to be taken apart. The first part of the composition  a bronze statue of a Russian and Ukrainian worker  was removed in 2022.

In April 2024, the Culture Ministry abolished the landmark's status as a historic site.

Finally, on April 30, the dismantling of the Council statue itself finalized the divorce from the Kremlin-established Pereiaslav narrative.

Read also: Holodomor: Soviet Unions man-made famine in Ukraine

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  Riding the rails through the Salt Lake valley, youll likely see a UTA police officer. Officers walk up and down TRAX trains, checking passes, making connections with riders and helping when needed.

For police who wear the badge for UTA, people skills are a must. Officer Andrew Bryson said it takes a PhD in People-ology, on this edition of Behind the Badge.

UTA police have a lot of opportunities to develop good conversation skills. UTA officers on patrol do more talking to more people per day than the rest of their colleagues across the state.

The variety of our population that we deal with out here professional staff up at the U, professors from the University and students and regular working day folks that use the system to get around to folks that are dealing with being unhoused and mental illness, said Bryon. You have to be a lot of things to a lot of people.

Forgiveness: Family of man murdered in West Jordan now calling for inmates release after 14 years

UTA police have a lot of interaction with people riding public transit every day. It adds up to be a total of 94,000 interactions a month or at least 100 for each officer per day. Thats five times more than most law enforcement agencies in the state.

They cover trains and buses from Pleasant View to Provo and their goal is to make each ride safe. Moving through the crowd of people and making sure everything is OK and everyone is doing what theyre supposed to be doing.

Their presence doesnt go unnoticed.

Its not just the inspections that were after, said UTA Chief of Police Dalan Taylor. Its really building that bond with the community that were serving. [From,] Do you have your fare with you? to What are you studying in school? and getting to know all the different people riding in the system.

Behind the Badge: Helping todays youth prepare for tomorrows challenges

Officer Bryson said thats the best part. He told ABC4 his job is a lot of fun and he really enjoys it.

Police believe honing these people skills is good preparation for when the Olympics come back to Salt Lake City in 2034. The world will come to town and you can bet many of them will ride UTA.

So the next time you ride TRAX, expect to see an officer or two there to greet you.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
A Photo Purporting to Be of Trumps New Jersey Rally Is From a Concert in Brazil

Former President Donald Trump held a rally Saturday in Wildwood, New Jersey, speaking to supporters for about 90 minutes.

The next day, conservative political operative Roger Stone tweeted a photo of a large crowd gathered on a beach and said, New Jersey is in play for @realDonaldTrump.

Yeah , New Jersey is in play for @realDonaldTrump. Could Joe Biden draw a crowd like this? pic.twitter.com/0mYkYx6fQc  Roger Stone (@RogerJStoneJr) May 12, 2024

The photo, however, does not depict Trumps rally: It actually shows a 1994 concert in Brazil. As of the time of publication, the image had more than 1.5 million views on X, and screenshots of the post have also appeared on platforms like Threads.

A reverse image search quickly identifies the imagewhich features mountains in the background as originating from Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. Some online sources credit the crowd to a 2006 Rolling Stones concert, however, most identify the image as depicting a December 31, 1994, Rod Stewart performance. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Stewart drew a crowd of approximately 4.2 million people during a free New Years Eve concert on the Brazilian beach, more than any other concert in history.

In a follow-up post later that day, Stone acknowledged that the image was of an unrelated event and criticized fact checks of the claim as having no sense of humor.

Perhaps the largest and greatest rally in US political history #NJ #Trump2024 pic.twitter.com/3UpAuJPQcB  Roger Stone (@RogerJStoneJr) May 12, 2024

If you have a claim you would like to see us fact check, please send us an email at factcheck@thedispatch.com. If you would like to suggest a correction to this piece or any other Dispatch article, please email corrections@thedispatch.com.

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A photographer's haunting images of America's abandoned homes look like they're frozen in time

Bryan Sansivero has spent the past decade photographing America's abandoned homes.

He describes each home as a time capsule, often brimming with dusty antiques and faded artwork.

His book, "American Decay: Inside America's Forgotten Homes," is a collection of his haunting photos.

Bryan Sansivero's haunting photography career all started when he stumbled upon an abandoned home in rural Pennsylvania.

Bryan Sansivero in front of an abandoned home. Bryan Sansivero

Bryan Sansivero was driving on a long, windy road about 45 minutes outside Philadelphia when a dilapidated home caught his eye.

"I was so intrigued," he told Business Insider in 2021.

Sansivero pulled over in an apple orchard and made the trek up to the stone home, which he estimates was built in the 1700s.

He recalls peering through the only open window of the house. Among the crumbling and decaying walls, he spotted an elegant piano.

"This is so strange, and it's beautiful," Sansivero remembers thinking.

Naturally, he stepped inside to snap a few photos.

That was more than 10 years ago. Today, Sansivero said he's photographed hundreds of abandoned houses and buildings across the US.

The homes are often filled with floral wallpaper, an indicator of the decade the home was built or abandoned. Bryan Sansivero

Sansivero said he's always gravitated toward the eerie and unfamiliar.

In college, he majored in filmmaking where he made a documentary about an abandoned hospital.

The house in Pennsylvania reignited his interest, he said.

"Naturally, I was just drawn to wanting to photograph and explore things off-the-beaten-path or the not-typically-seen kind-of-things," he said.

Sansivero has captured everything from decaying houses to pristine homes that feel like they're frozen in time.

An abandoned home in Maryland. Bryan Sansivero

Sansivero takes inspiration from other photographers on Instagram. When it comes to finding an abandoned space, he said he relies on Google Earth, word of mouth, and aimless driving trips in different parts of the US.

Sansivero describes each home as a "time capsule." They're filled with clothing, antiques, furniture, and toys that give a glimpse into what life was like decades ago.

An image showing the inside of a 1930s farmhouse in upstate New York. Bryan Sansivero

When Sansivero arrives at an abandoned house, he usually finds antiques, such as CRT TVs, phonographs, and old chandeliers.

He said it's often obvious that other photographers have visited the homes when objects are staged and furniture has been moved around.

If that's the case, Sansivero said he might do a bit of his own staging before shooting  propping up a photograph or moving a lamp into the shot  but he says he keeps staging to a minimum.

"There's plenty of photos in my book where I literally walked in and that's what it looked like," he said.

"It's almost like a treasure hunt looking at my pictures," he said. Nostalgia oozes from some images while others leave a lingering, eerie impression.

Toy horses fill the bedroom of this abandoned home in upstate New York. Bryan Sansivero

Sansivero's images are often teeming with color. Old, peeling floral wallpaper might be a focal point in one image and colorful '60s clothing might fill the frame in the next.

Sansivero said he loves color, noting that he was wearing a tie-dye T-shirt and rainbow-striped shorts while speaking with BI.

But even with bright colors, his images are unsettling.

One year, he photographed an abandoned home with a surprising twist: The entire second story was circus-themed.

An image showing the inside of the abandoned clown house. Bryan Sansivero

One of the most famous houses Sansivero photographed was nicknamed the "Catskill Clown House" in upstate New York.

The home was filled with white-and-red carnival stripes, a canopy circus ceiling, and harlequin patterns covering the walls.

According to Sansivero, the home previously belonged to a circus family, but it's since been updated and renovated.

A hunter's house in the Catskills in New York is one of Sansivero's favorite places to photograph.

An image showing the inside of the hunter's house. Bryan Sansivero

Sansivero and a friend explored this abandoned house in upstate New York, arriving before sunrise to photograph the home.

The photographer said the room was pitch black when they got there, but that as the sun rose and the light came in they started to see the details inside, including a tiger rug, old rifles, and an animal head mounted to the wall.

Sansivero admits that not every house has been unusual, strange, or odd. But every now and then, he said he finds something completely unique. And often, he'll dig into the history behind the abandoned places he finds.

A dollhouse in an abandoned bedroom. Bryan Sansivero

Sansivero said he looks for abandoned homes that have stories and that he searches for certain items  it could be a dollhouse or portrait above the mantel  that paint some type of picture about the people who used to live there.

Often, Sansivero said he'd find a letter or old piece of mail with the name of a former resident. He uses that information to track down the owner's family and learn more about the house's history.

The abandoned buildings often have a sad backstory, according to Sansivero. One home he photographed was deserted after the owners were convicted of animal abuse, he said in an Instagram caption, while others remain brimming with antiques but no heirs.

Ultimately, Sansivero doesn't have all the answers to his audience's questions about each home, but their questions leave them with a lasting impression of his work.

On his Instagram account, Sansivero shares glimpses of the history and families who once lived inside the decaying structures he photographs.

An abandoned bedroom inside a WWII veteran's home. Bryan Sansivero

An image of sunlight streaming through an American flag takes on an entirely new meaning when Sansivero explains in a caption on Instagram that the home belonged to a WWII veteran and prisoner of war who died decades ago.

As abandoned houses piled up on Sansivero's hard drive, he compiled his images into a photography book, which he titled "American Decay: Inside America's Forgotten Homes."

The image on the cover of "American Decay: Inside America's Forgotten Homes." Bryan Sansivero

After wanting to put a book together for years, Sansivero published the first edition of his book, "American Decay: Inside America's Forgotten Homes," in 2021.

Sansivero said he wants readers to feel like they're stepping into a home when they look at his book; as they flip through the pages, they enter different abandoned rooms.

An exterior shot of an abandoned home in the Northeast. Bryan Sansivero

"My photographs can be interpreted differently by different people," Sansivero said.

He added that he wants "American Decay" to be a book that people revisit.

"Not a book that just sits there," he said. "But a book that you can go through and see something new each time."

While Sansivero's book focuses on homes, he's explored an array of abandoned locations.

A piano sits in an abandoned nursing home in New York. Bryan Sansivero

In the past decade, he's captured abandoned churches, nursing homes, hospitals, schools, trailers, and more.

Everything from abandoned nursing homes to boat graveyards fills Sansivero's collection.

A handful of abandoned boats in a field. Bryan Sansivero

As Sansivero continues photographing abandoned houses, he said he plans to focus on kitchens, which are at the heart of so many homes.

Many of the homes Sansivero has photographed have been torn down, sold to new owners, or vandalized, he said.

One of many of the abandoned and decaying rooms Sansivero has photographed. Bryan Sansivero

Sansivero estimates that half of the houses in his book are no longer in the same standing condition.

Many of them have been destroyed by fires or vandalized with spray paint, he said. But that doesn't take away from his experience of photographing these homes.

"Just to know that I was there and lucky enough to photograph it is really cool," he said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A governor is under fire for his role in the destruction of trees in protected wetlands near his property.

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, along with a neighbor and a neighborhood organization, hired a landscaper to carry out work behind the Greenwich home.

According to the Associated Press, shared by U.S. News & World Report, 180 trees and thousands of bushes were cut down from land that was not owned by any of the parties involved.

It's said the removal of trees and bushes was so residents could get a better view of a nearby pond. However, that's no excuse to get rid of thriving plant life that would have helped to keep the area cool and improve air quality by absorbing harmful airborne toxins.

Lamont tried to distance himself from some of the blame by saying he thought the landscaping company that was hired would obtain the necessary permissions to carry out the work.

"I think at the end of the day, I'm responsible and the (neighborhood organization) is," Lamont said at an unrelated event, per the AP. "They hired a contractor to do the work, and I think the contractor went beyond the scope a little bit. Now I know and it will never happen again."

However, the property director of the land that was formerly owned by the Rockefeller family was skeptical about that explanation.

"The people involved knew they would never be allowed to do this, if they had applied for a permit, so they did it anyway," Fred Jacobsen told a meeting of the wetlands commission, according to the AP.

It's particularly galling for some Connecticuters after Lamont promoted a bill in April 2023 that would require cities to have 5% of their total area covered by trees, as the CT Mirror reported.

Unfortunately, it's not just government officials who have been cutting neighborhood trees without permission. An HOA in Georgia cut down a clutch of healthy privacy trees from a resident's property without any warning. In the San Francisco Bay Area, one homeowner was furious to find a 200-year-old tree had been cut down by neighbors while they were out of town.

In addition to the direct benefits trees can provide homeowners and tenants, including improved mental health and reduced stress, they also provide a habitat for a range of creatures, improving biodiversity and bringing pollinators that help support our food system. Cutting healthy trees down, with or without permission, can be devastating to local ecosystems.

"That is insane," one Redditor said when commenting on the Greenwich Time report of Lamont's misguided tree management. "They cleared out ACRES of wetlands, cutting down hundreds of healthy trees so they could have a better view of a pond."

This Redditor even noted they inadvertently cut down wetland trees, with the local council getting involved to create a remediation plan and issue a fine. Lamont could also be issued with a fine, according to the AP, and they could also be asked to replant the property.

"I'm a wetlands enforcement officer in CT so this is just wild," another Redditor added.

"Pretty embarrassing, especially when he's parading around planting trees on Earth Day on the other end," one user observed, noting Lamont's previous mission to bring trees to Connecticut.

Editor's note: A previous version of this article carried a headline stating the illegal destruction without a permit happened on the governor's property. It has been updated to reflect the story's reporting that the trees were near the property.

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A carbon dioxide injection site is shown in North Dakota. Carbon dioxide is one method of enhanced oil recovery. (Energy and Environmental Resource Center)

North Dakotas top oil regulator recently issued a warning: the states oil production is in danger of falling into terminal decline by the mid-2030s without unlocking enhanced oil recovery.

But Lynn Helms, the director of North Dakotas Department of Mineral Resources, also pointed to pilot projects that show promise for enhanced oil recovery that could lead to billions more barrels of oil.

Lynn Helms, director of the North Dakota Department of Natural Resources, speaks during an Energy Development and Transmission Committee meeting at the Capitol on April 10, 2024. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)

Enhanced oil recovery, or EOR, means trying to squeeze more oil out of existing wells. Thats a challenge in North Dakotas Bakken shale formation, where the oil is trapped inside rocks deep underground.

The Williston Basin Petroleum Conference that runs Tuesday through Thursday in Bismarck includes EOR presentations from representatives of Halliburton, Liberty Resources and Continental Resources.

One much-discussed EOR method is pumping carbon dioxide emissions from industrial sites into wells to force more oil to the wellhead, but there are other methods being explored.

One pilot project was from a startup company, EOR Etc., doing the first test of its technology on a well near Tioga.

Brian Schwanitz, president and co-founder of the company, said it has developed a technique to reinject gas and water that are byproducts of oil production back into the well. It also adds surfactants, or soaps, in a way that forces more oil out of the rock.

The same way that soap can wash oil off your hands, it can help move oil toward a well head.

In the first pilot project near Tioga, the technique was able to recover an extra 1,300 barrels of oil with just one injection cycle on one well.

When used on a larger scale, he said there would be multiple rounds of injections on multiple wells.

With horizontal drilling, a technology that helped launch the 2000s oil boom in North Dakota, wells are often grouped together, with several wells per pad.

The companys EOR process could be used on each of the wells in succession and then back to the first well for another round of injections, Schwanitz said.

So we can just go round robin around those (wells) and pressure them up, Schwanitz said. As rejuvenated wells get a boost in production, the company can repeat the process on the other wells in the unit.

Then come back to that first well again and keep doing that and getting more and more oil each time again, Schwanitz said.

He said the method is a low-cost, low-pressure and low-carbon footprint way of improving oil recovery that could be used on thousands of wells around the country.

The company was founded in 2019 and built its first injection system in 2021. Its first EOR test was done near Tioga. It has since done more tests in Colorado and Texas and will soon be starting another pilot project in Dunn County.

Schwanitz said he believes their technique would work in conventional wells, where there is a pool of oil, but shale formations like the Bakken hold greater potential.

There is such a huge prize in unconventional wells, Schwanitz said.

He said carbon dioxide also could be used with the companys process but using gas produced from the well is likely cheaper.

Helms called EOR Etc. highly innovative, and said results from a second test round should be more promising.

Liberty Resources owns the well that EOR Etc. ran its pilot program on.

Helms, who spoke to legislators last month during a meeting of the Energy Development and Transmission Committee, said other companies with EOR pilot projects include Continental Resources and XTO, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil.

Hess said it also has run pilot EOR programs. Hess announced last October an agreement to be acquired by Chevron. They continue to operate separately until the deal closes.

EOR Etc. also worked with researchers at the Energy and Environmental Resource Center at the University of North Dakota on the project.

The EERC in April was awarded $11.6 million from the U.S. Department of Energy for an enhanced oil recovery project that will look at using oil wells to store carbon underground.

These projects will study the ability to transition unconventional oil reservoirs into carbon storage reservoirs  reducing the carbon intensity of oil production while supporting our nationwide efforts to capture and permanently store carbon dioxide to slow the harmful effects of climate change, said Brad Crabtree, assistant secretary of fossil energy and carbon management, who is from North Dakota.

EERC has announced it will work with Chord Energy on an EOR project.

Charles Gorecki, CEO of the Energy and Environmental Resource Center, speaks March 1, 2024, in Grand Forks, to the North Dakota Petroleum Council. (Jeff Beach/North Dakota Monitor)

We are absolutely CO2 starved, Charles Gorecki, CEO of the EERC told the North Dakota Petroleum Council in March about the need for gas for EOR. He said all the CO2 produced from industrial sites, such as power plants, would not be enough to fill the states needs.

Helms will retire at the end of June after serving as North Dakotas top oil official since 1998. This spring the state hit the 5 billion Bakken barrel mark in production.

During his presentation to the legislative committee and the possibility of declining oil revenue in about a decade, Helms was asked about the accuracy of his past predictions.

I guess Ive always underestimated what North Dakota was capable of, Helms replied.

This story has been updated to correct the status of the acquisition of Hess.

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The post Pilot projects seek to unlock enhanced oil recovery in North Dakota appeared first on North Dakota Monitor.
A Pittsburgh man has entered guilty pleas in two cases after an officer-involved shooting incident on Indiana University of Pennsylvanias campus in October 2023.

Cameron Raubaugh, 20, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in the events that led up to an IUP officer firing a weapon in self-defense.

>> Pittsburgh man charged in officer-involved shooting incident on IUP campus

On Oct. 29, 2023, Raubaugh called the police and made a false report of a knife-point robbery. When officers responded to the scene, they found Raubaugh with a knife.

He ran with the knife directly at an officer, causing the officer to fire their weapon.

Raubaugh was arrested after fleeing the scene and was told he was no longer allowed on IUPs campus.

On Feb. 9, 2024, police were told that Raubaugh was trespassing on campus. He pleaded guilty to criminal trespassing in connection to this incident.

Raubaugh will appear for sentencing on July 29.

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Planned Parenthood of California plans to launch a multimillion-dollar campaign Tuesday to oust Republicans from several California congressional districts, the latest signal of how critical the states House races will be in determining which party takes control of the House of Representatives after the November election.

The effort, coordinated by an independent campaign arm of the reproductive rights organization, is a reflection of the role abortion will play in the fall, particularly among suburban women voters, in the aftermath of the 2022 Supreme Court ruling overturning federal protection for abortion rights and subsequent laws passed in several states to sharply limit access to the procedure.

California is expected to be a hotbed of spending by multiple groups on both sides of the aisle because of the number of competitive races in the state.

While Californians in 2022 voted overwhelmingly to enshrine a right to abortion and contraceptive access in the states Constitution in the aftermath of the Supreme Court decision, leaders of Planned Parenthood and other Democratic groups argue that the election of a Republican president and the GOP taking control of the Senate and the House could result in a nationwide ban.

The road to [reproductive] freedom runs right through California this year, Jodi Hicks, the leader of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California VOTES, an independent expenditure committee, told The Times. We have done what weve done to protect California and insure that California is a reproductive freedom state.

Read more: Proposition 1 abortion rights ballot measure passes

But she said that despite more than two-thirds of voters supporting Proposition 1 in 2022, the state constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights, there is a disconnect in terms of understanding that the states protection of abortion rights could be eliminated by federal legislative or legal action.

The only real way to insure California is a reproductive freedom state is making sure we elect a Congress that is committed to protecting those freedoms, Hicks said. Every single election we have, politicians can take away those freedoms.

Hicks group is the latest Super PAC to announce plans to invest heavily in Californias congressional races.

This is the state that's going to decide control of Congress, said Dan Schnur, a politics professor at USC, Pepperdine and UC Berkeley.

Candidates often rely on outside groups to buttress their campaigns with television ads and other voter outreach because the state is home to some of the most expensive media markets in the nation and the federal limits on donations they can receive is relatively low.

Congressional candidates can receive a maximum of $6,600 in contributions from individuals to their committees, per Federal Election Committee rules. But donors can contribute nearly $2 million to party affiliated committees and unlimited amounts to Super PACs, such as the Planned Parenthood effort, which are barred from coordinating with candidates.

The House Majority PAC, a Democratic effort; a GOP group targeting Latino voters funded by the billionaire industrialist Koch brothers; a California Donor Table effort called "Battleground California" led by minority leaders in competitive districts; and other groups have also announced plans to spend in California congressional races.

"As one of the wealthiest states in the world, California could be a beacon of progress and possibility in securing a future where every family can get the healthcare they need, where every full-time job provides a livable wage, and safe and affordable housing is provided not as a luxury but a right," Maurice Mitchell, national director of the Working Families Party, said in a statement. "Battleground California isn't just about winning elections; it's about winning a future that gives everyday people hope."

The independent arms of the Republican and Democratic national congressional committees are also expected to be active in California, as well as the Congressional Leadership Fund, a Super PAC dedicated to electing Republicans to Congress that spent around $33 million in the state in the 2022 midterm elections.

For back-to-back cycles, Republicans have won in California with quality candidates who fit their districts and toxic Democrat policies that have left voters fed up with rising crime and skyrocketing costs, said Courtney Parella, a spokeswoman for CLF. California is essential to holding and growing our House Majority, and CLF will invest enormously here.

The Club for Growth, a free-market, limited-government group that has endorsed Scott Baugh in an open, highly competitive district in Orange County, could also weigh in.

Political committees dont always follow through with their announced spending plans, so it remains to be seen how much the PACs will actually spend in California. But unless there is a seismic change in the nations politics between now and the November election, the state is expected to be pivotal in determining control of the House, where Republicans hold a razor-thin majority.

California has the largest congressional delegation in the nation, with 52 members, and because of the states independent redrawing of districts, 10 are rated as toss-ups, competitive or potentially vulnerable, according to the the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, which has tracked House and Senate races for decades. Thats the most of any state in the nation.

Half of those districts are represented by Republicans in Congress  Reps. Young Kim of Placentia, Michelle Steel of Seal Beach, John Duarte of Modesto, David Valadao of Hanford and Mike Garcia of Santa Clarita  but were won by President Biden in the 2020 presidential election, according to the nonpartisan California Target Book, which tracks the states congressional and legislative races.

It took a few cycles for the impact of the independent redistricting committee to take effect, but once it has, it has created a much larger number of competitive districts, Schnur said.

He added that two of the issues that appear to be the most salient in this election  abortion and immigration  are at the fore in many California communities.

The eight districts Planned Parenthood is targeting  seven represented by Republicans and the tight Orange County district that is open because of Rep. Katie Porters unsuccessful Senate run  all voted to support Proposition 1 in 2022.

Read more: Katie Porter is optimistic about the future of her congressional seat  and her career

There are a lot of pro-choice suburban women in California who wouldnt mind seeing a wall at the border" and other aggressive efforts to crackdown on illegal immigration, Schnur said. "This election is going to be fought over which of those two issues matters more. The battle for Congress is a battle for the suburbs, and California is the ultimate suburb.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Some hail Kratom as a miracle for beating opioid addiction, but its banned in other states and countries.

As reported on News Center 7 at 5:30 p.m., at just about any smoke and vape shop, the products behind the counter include the latest craze, Kratom, in liquid, powder, or capsule.

So Ive got some liquid Kratom. And all of these powders that say Thai, Vietnam, or Indo, theyre all from that region. Smoke shop owner Alexis Adams said. You can put them in your purse. You can put them in your car. You can put them in your pocket Theyre just quick, easy to go.

Adams said she has seen an influx of customers seeking out the plant-based product at her shop. In the U.S. about 1.7 million people over the age of 12 admitted to using Kratom in 2021.

Its definitely grown just just in the last four months Its gone really big, Adams said.

>> 8 killed, at least 40 injured when bus carrying farmworkers overturns in Florida

Kratom is a tropical tree native to southeast Asia that has both Stimulant and sedative effects, depending on how its dosed.

So when someone comes in, theyre like, Hey, I have never tried Kratom. What do you recommend? My first question would be like, What do you want it for? Do you want it for stress? Do you want it for pain management? Do you want it for focus, relaxation? Adams said.

The element of self-diagnosing and self-dosing has the DEA listing Kratom as a drug and chemical of concern. ER Toxicologists like Dr. Josef Thundiyil are raising concerns as well.

Many people that Ive seen are using it to try to help wean off of opioid use disorder or opioid addiction, Thundiyil said. Its a concern because we we still dont have good studies to tell us who will benefit from it, what the right doses, who is going to be at risk for side effects.

One of the known potential side effects is addiction since Kratom mimics the effects of an opioid. The drug is blamed for dozens of deaths across the country.

There is a perception, because its sold in the tea shop that it is safe. And like with any drug, we dont quite know what the safe dose is. We dont know what the interactions might be with someones underlying medical conditions or medications, Thundiyil said.

>> Surveillance video shows exchange of gunfire between Ohio officers, man armed with rifle

Adams says her regulars have had positive outcomes, adding that using Kratom is better than the alternative.

Im not gonna say completely because a lot of it is for pain But thats also because theyve been taking the opioids to help that so they are replacing it and it is helping them a lot. I see a lot of change in here, Adams said when asked if a lot of her customs use Kratom to replace an opioid addiction.

One of the most high profile Kratom overdose cases happened in Florida. The family of a Palm Beach County woman won an $11 million judgement after she died of a Kratom overdose.

Kratom remains legal in Ohio, however the state has attempted to ban it.

There is a bill in the statehouse that would require standards for processing and selling Kratom, which would require licenses and inspections.

If passed, the Ohio Board of Pharmacy could not regulate Kratom as a controlled substance.
COLUMBIA, Mo.  One former member of a fraternity at Mizzou pleaded guilty Friday in relation to a hazing incident in October 2021.

Ryan Delanty was one of several students in the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity, known as FIJI, that have been charged with hazing Danny Santulli on Oct. 19, 2021, which left him unable to walk, talk, or see.

Delanty, who allegedly was Santullis pledge dad, pleaded guilty to two separate counts of hazing and supplying alcohol to a minor.

The night of the incident was Pledge Dad Reveal Night, and Santulli was instructed to drink a liter of vodka during the event, according to court documents.

The lawsuit from Santullis family said that after Danny was given the liter of vodka, he was then selected by other members to drink beer through a tube. Court documents go on to say that just before midnight, Santulli was sitting on the couch in extreme distress and with a blood alcohol level of .468%. Thats nearly six times the legal limit in Missouri.

Two missing teens found safe after search near Deer Creek

Thirty minutes later, around 12:30 a.m., Santulli slid partially off the couch and ended up with his face on the floor. He had no control over his arms or legs and stayed there until someone passing through the room put him back on the couch. The lawsuit states Santullis skin was pale, and his lips were blue, yet no one called 911.

Instead, the decision was made to drive Santulli to University Hospital in Columbia in one of the brothers cars. The lawsuit says, When they arrived, hospital staff went to the car only to find that Danny was not breathing and in cardiac arrest. CPR was performed and Dannys heart was restarted.

Santulli now lives at home with his parents in Minnesota, as he requires full-time care. He is no longer able to see, talk, or walk. According to the family, medical bills have exceeded $2 million.

FIJI dissolved its chapter at the University of Missouri soon after the incident.

The Santulli family has settled with 26 defendants in a civil case that included the fraternity brothers and the national Phi Gamma Delta Organization according to a report from FOX 2 last year.

Delantys sentencing is scheduled for May 24.

Note: The video in this report is from 2022.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
FILE PHOTO: Polish PM Tusk, President of the EU Council President Michel and Prime Ministers of Estonia, Greece, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg and Spain meet in Warsaw

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland will allocate an additional 100 million zlotys ($25.30 million) to boost its intelligence services, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday, as he warned of a rising threat from Russia.

Poland says its place as a distribution hub for supplies to Ukraine has made it a key target for Moscow's intelligence services, fears that were exacerbated last week when a judge who had access to military secrets defected to Russian ally Belarus.

"I decided to allocate 100 million zlotys from my own reserve, the reserve of the prime minister, to strengthen the internal security and intelligence agencies," Tusk told a news conference.

He said that Russian efforts to destabilise European countries, particularly Poland and the Baltic states, were set to intensify in the run-up to European elections in June.

"We will have to invest more resources, time, more actions when it comes to our special services," he said.

However, he said that there was as yet nothing to indicate that a number of large fires in Poland in recent days were the work of external forces.

Nevertheless, he said that Polish services had prevented a number of sabotage attempts.

"In the last dozen or so weeks, also thanks to the support of our allies, Poland thwarted attempts to commit sabotage and arson," he said.

Tusk added that Poland was likely to get EU funds to help strengthen its border with Belarus.

"At the moment, work in Europe on the method of obtaining funds, on European defence bonds, EIB (European Investment Bank) and the possible use of funds that will not be used from (COVID) national recovery plans are being completed," he said.

"There should be no shortage of funds. Poland and the Polish border will be a priority."

(Reporting by Alan Charlish, Pawel Florkiewicz, Barbara Erling; Editing by Nick Macfie)
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  Police arrested a driver Monday night in connection with a Pinellas Park hit-and-run that left a man with serious injuries.

Scott Muli, 62, of St. Petersburg, was identified as the driver of the vehicle after police received a tip about a vehicle with suspicious damage over the weekend, police said.

A 46-year-old man was hit at about 4 a.m. Thursday while crossing the street in the 9600 block of 66th Street, police said. The man remained in the hospital as of Tuesday afternoon in critical condition.

Muli was charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury.

Police are not expected to release any additional information about the crash.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
TUESDAY, 05/14/2024, 8:30 p.m.

FOND DU LAC, Wis. (WFRV)The Fond du Lac Police Department has concluded the active standoff on South Hickory Street.

According to an update, a 34-year-old man was taken into custody by a SWAT team on the roof of International Paper.

Law enforcement and other authorities are clearing from the area and a further official press release is expected to be sent out in the near future.

UPDATE: Fond du Lac Police Department continue negotiations and evacuations

TUESDAY, 05/14/2024, 2:45 p.m.

FOND DU LAC, Wis. (WFRV)  The Fond du Lac Police Department has provided an update on its Facebook page about the active situation on South Hickory Street.

Authorities say that negotiations with the individual have been ongoing for over two and a half hours as they attempt to peacefully resolve the situation.

Port of Green Bay has strong start to the season, moves nearly 205k tons of cargo

The Fond du Lac Police Department is working with the impacted business and assisted with the evacuations of many employees.

The agency has deployed its Technology Response Group, a K9 Unit, Crisis Negotiation members, and mental health units.

Local 5 News will continue to follow this incident and as we learn more.

Police in Fond du Lac continuing to negotiate with person on a roof, employees are sheltering in place

TUESDAY, 05/14/2024, 12:41 p.m.

FOND DU LAC, Wis. (WFRV)  Authorities in Fond du Lac are reportedly dealing with a situation and say there is a large presence in the 900 block of South Hickory Street.

The Fond du Lac Police Department posted on its Facebook page that it is continuing to negotiate with a person on the roof of a building. Employees of the business are reportedly sheltering in place and are safe.

While police did not specifically say what building it was, the 900 block of South Hickory Street was mentioned in the release. The post also circled the International Paper building, which is in the 900 block of South Hickory Street.

Wisconsin driver suffers only non-life-threatening injuries after rollover crash on I-41

There is a law presence of both law enforcement and fire/rescue in the area, according to authorities. The most recent update was at 11:57 a.m.

No additional information was provided. Local 5 will continue to update this story.

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 WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton.
Police identify officers shot over the weekend; 2 still hospitalized

Atlanta police are identifying the three officers who were shot while responding to a report of a person armed on Saturday.

Police say the officers found a man armed with a knife and a gun. When they began struggling, shots were fired and three officers and the suspect were shot.

One officer was shot in the arm, another in the leg and the third was grazed. The suspect died from his injuries.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Those officers are now being identified as Officers Jason Hodge, Charles Smith and Darien Tabor.

Smith and Tabor have both undergone surgery and are still being treated at Grady Memorial Hospital. Smith is scheduled for another surgery as well.

Hodge was treated at Grady Memorial Hospital and released on Sunday.

The suspects name has not been released.

TRENDING STORIES:

After the shooting, witnesses told Channel 2s Courtney Francisco that they were outside doing yard work and playing with their kids when they heard the rapid gunfire.

We were very scared because kids, babies was out. We kind of was ducking, said Mirage Long.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is still looking into the shooting.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
TechCrunch

For the last several years, the Delivering the Future event has showcased the latest technologies powering Amazon operations. Seattle's 2023 event showcased updates to the companys pharmacy offerings and drone deliveries. This year in Nashville, Amazon discussed AI updates to its shopping experiences and how the company is using computer vision to further trim package delivery time.
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL)  A Jonesborough man was charged with aggravated assault on Sunday after allegedly pointing a handgun and threatening to kill a victim, police report.

The Washington County, Tennessee Sheriffs Office (WCSO) reports deputies responded to an alleged aggravated assault on May 10 in the 100 block of 81 Loop Road.

The victim and a witness reportedly told police the assault occurred on April 4 when they arrived at the home to retrieve personal belongings.

Local man left paying loan for seized truck discovered to be stolen from Atlanta

A man, identified by police as Christopher Gene Williams, 63, allegedly backed the victim against a door, hit the door above their head and pulled a handgun from his waistband.

The victim stated Williams racked a round in the chamber, pointed it at them and told them he would kill them, the WCSO reported.

The victim and witness left the home and, while walking to their vehicle, Williams said he would burn [them] up in [their] vehicle if he saw the victim, the report stated.

On Sunday, Williams was arrested and taken to the Washington County Detention Center where he was held on a $50,000 bond. He appeared in court on Monday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.
Editors Note: The videos below contain strong language. Viewer discretion is advised.

PEA RIDGE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA)  KNWA/FOX24 has received the dashcam video of the chases that ensued before and after the death of Pea Ridge Police Officer Kevin Apple on June 26, 2021.

Shawna Cash was found guilty of killing Apple after she hit him with the vehicle she was driving.

The dash camera video above is from Rogers Officers Samuel Mosely and Robert Grigg. Cash was driving the jeep and on the run after stealing mail from a mans mailbox.

Officers caught up with Cash and attempted to follow her, but she was speeding through neighborhoods with slow speed limits. You can see her speed through a stop sign and speed through a pothole filled with water.

The officers told the jury during the trial they still had to be cautious when driving in those areas and couldnt chase someone driving too recklessly.

Officers eventually lost her as she headed toward Pea Ridge. Thats when they put out a be on the lookout order that put Pea Ridge police officers on alert for the multi-colored Jeep driving fast toward their community.

Video from the White Oak Gas Station shows Cash hitting and killing Apple was not available. That video is protected from Freedom of Information requests by Arkansas law.

Benton County Prosecuting Attorney speaks on Shawna Cashs sentence

Dash camera footage of Cash speeding away after she had hit Apple was also released.

The video above is from Bella Vista Police Officer John Hearron.

He chased Cash as she drove down Spanker Road, a two-lane curvy road that has no shoulders or guard rails.

Hearron testified during the trial that he believed they were going 70 miles per hour on a 30-35 mph road.

Cashs Jeep crashed into a tree in a yard on Dartmoor Road. Cash and Elijah Andazola can be seen fleeing from the Jeep and running into the woods.

Both were eventually arrested.

Defense rests case in Shawna Cash sentencing hearing

Officer Hearrons back seat dash cam in the video above was also recording where Cash can be heard calling out to Andazola from the cop car.

Cash was later interviewed by the Benton County Sheriffs Office.

In the three hour video above, Cash expressed confusion in the moments leading up to Cash hitting and killing Apple with her Jeep at the beginning of the interview.

Cash said she remembered Andazola yelling at her to go after Apple came near the Jeep at the gas station.

I hit the gas, and like, I tried to miss, and everything that, like, just the steering wheel, and I got Eli in my ear telling me to just go, go, go, Cash said during the interview.

Cash was convicted of capital murder on February 8 and is currently serving a life sentence. The jury spared her the death penalty.

Andazola took an amended plea deal and was sentenced on March 4 to 15 years probation and must complete an 18-month rehabilitation program.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24.
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, May 14. Uzbekistan and China discussed aspects of the earliest possible start of the work on China - Kyrgyzstan - Uzbekistan railroad construction project, Trend reports.

The matter was reviewed at a meeting between President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev with the delegation of China headed by Vice Premier of the State Council of China Liu Guozhong.

The sides considered the topical issues of developing multifaceted cooperation and deepening relations of strategic partnership. They also talked about the progress in the implementation of agreements reached following the summit visit of Uzbekistan's president to China in January this year.

During the meeting, the participants noted the fruitful results of the committee's activity: steady growth of trade turnover and attracted investments, increase in the frequency of regular flights, active organization of cultural events.

Both parties paid attention to the issues of ensuring balanced trade indicators, creating favorable conditions for the access of domestic products to the Chinese market, accelerating the implementation of important investment projects in strategic sectors of the economy, expanding regional cooperation, and implementing humanitarian, educational, and tourism programs.

Meanwhile, Uzbekistans foreign trade turnover volume with China amounted to $3 billion from January through March 2024. This figure is 30.4 percent higher year-on-year ($2.3 billion in JanuaryMarch 2023).

China ranks first among the countries with the largest volume of foreign trade turnover in Uzbekistan. The countrys share in the total volume of trade turnover in Uzbekistan accounts for 19 percent.
On Wednesday Marysville police arrested a suspect in the May 13 robbery of a Northwest Plus Credit Union.

Just before 5:30 p.m. May 13, a man walked into the Northwest Plus Credit Union on State Avenue in Marysville and demanded money. He then ran away.

Police put out his picture on social media and numerous tips came in.

The suspect was tracked down to a hotel in Lynnwood. Police say he had an outstanding warrant from the Department of Corrections.

The suspect was arrested on first degree robbery.
Police: Serial retail thieves arrested for stealing over $4k worth of merch from Wareham store

Authorities arrested a man and woman accused of two dozen shoplifting incidents across Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Bianca-Lee Cruz, 35, of Boston, is charged with organized retail crime, and larceny over $1,200. She allegedly had four outstanding arrest warrants, the details of which were not immediately available.

Jeremy Menendez, 34, of Nashua, New Hampshire, is charged with organized retail crime and larceny over $1,200.

According to Wareham Police, Cruz and Menendez stole several bags and other merchandise worth over $4,200 from Ulta Beauty Supply on Cranberry Highway on Monday. The duo allegedly drove off and were later pulled over by a Massachusetts State Police trooper on I-495 North after a Be On the Lookout was broadcast for their vehicle.

During the stop, police say Cruz was behind the wheel while Menendez and Carmen Resto, from Boston, were the two passengers. While Menendez and Resto were outside of the vehicle during the investigation, Cruz allegedly sped off and ran over Restos foot.

She was caught in a West Bridgewater Market Basket parking lot a short time later, according to officials, and taken into custody.

According to Ulta Beauty, Cruz and Menendez were involved in 24 shoplifting incidents through Massachusetts and New Hampshire totaling over $33,000 of stolen merchandise.

They were both arraigned in Wareham District Court.

Resto was transported to an area hospital for treatment for her injuries. She is not facing any charges at this time.

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(Bloomberg) -- Polish President Andrzej Duda said Russia would invade other countries if its forces are victorious in its war on Ukraine, as he predicted a fresh military push by the Kremlin in the coming weeks.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Though he said an assault on other neighbors isnt imminent, the Polish leader warned at the Qatar Economic Forum on Tuesday that NATO allies are vulnerable. He spoke as Ukrainian forces struggle to hold back a fresh Kremlin offensive.

If they manage to win in Ukraine, if they manage to accomplish their goals, they will attack other countries, Duda, 51, told Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait in Doha. This could be the Baltic states, perhaps this could be Finland, perhaps Poland.

Ukraines military has suffered from a dwindling supply of artillery and manpower this year as momentum on the battlefield has shifted to Moscow. Opening a new front north of Ukraines second-largest city of Kharkiv, Russian forces crossed the border in the area last week after having been pushed back in 2022, forcing Kyiv to dispatch reinforcements from its strained front line.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kyiv earlier in the day to reinforce US support after delays in billions of dollars of military aid prompted fears the US would abandon its partner in the face of Russias invasion. Duda said he hoped the aid would arrive to the front line before the next Russia push begins in the spring months as the wet season in Ukraine ends.

Asked about the prospect that former President Donald Trump is re-elected, Duda  an ally who met with presumptive Republican candidate in New York last month  said he views the US presidential election calmly, and that the winner will inevitably be a strategic friend of Poland.

I am absolutely convinced that historical processes and the core of US interests is understood by Trump, Duda said of his two-and-a-half-hour meeting with the former president at Trump Tower on April 17.

No Patriots

Duda said his government, which is in the early stages of assembling its own air-defense system, will be unable to deliver a Patriot anti-missile battery to Kyiv. Poland is in a potential danger zone and needs to replenish its resources, he said, making reference to tanks, Soviet-era jets and military aid worth $4 billion to Ukraine.

Now we need to take care of ourselves, Duda said.

The Polish leader, who was one of the first to announce his attendance at a meeting in Switzerland next month to discuss President Volodymyr Zelenskiys peace blueprint, said its necessary that Ukraine regain control of all occupied territory.

Heads of state and government from more than 160 countries including the Group of Seven, Group of 20, the European Union and the so-called BRICS bloc were invited to the June 15-16 gathering near Lucerne. Russia isnt included on the guest list.

The government of the State of Qatar is the underwriter of the Qatar Economic Forum, Powered by Bloomberg.

--With assistance from Agnieszka Barteczko, Wojciech Moskwa, Piotr Bujnicki and Konrad Krasuski.

(Updates with Duda quotes, comments on Trump, Patriots from second paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Poll: 50% of Ukrainians in Poland, Germany, Czechia, say they are 'less likely to return' to Ukraine

Half of Ukrainian refugees in Germany, Poland, and Czechia said they are "less likely to return" to Ukraine, according to a poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) released on May 14.

According to Eurostat, over 4.2 million Ukrainian refugees are currently registered for temporary protection to legally access housing, find work, and receive social benefits in EU states. Poland hosts roughly 1 million of them, representing the highest number of all countries.

The poll found that 66% of respondents said they were "completely" or "rather satisfied" with their lives in Germany, Poland, and Czechia.

While only 7% said they had already received citizenship from another country, and 12% said they had submitted documents, another 45% said they would like to obtain citizenship.

When asked what factors would help respondents decide to move back, safety and the proper functioning of critical infrastructure were among the most cited reasons. At the same time, 26% said they would not go back until the full-scale invasion was over.

"The results of the survey given in this press release show that a significant part of Ukrainian refugees are losing (or have already lost) their connection with Ukraine," said Anton Hrushetskyi, the executive director of KIIS.

"At the personal level, many Ukrainians abroad face a difficult decision - to take root in a new place or wait for a certain moment to return."

Hrushetskyi concluded by saying, "If there is a sincere desire to return, the government and Ukrainian society must show support."

The results indicate an increase in the hesitance that many Ukrainian refugees feel about coming back to Ukraine.

A study conducted in January found that around 64% of respondents planned to return.

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.
MARYSVILLE, Kan. (KSNW)  The Pony Express will ride again, at least for 10 days in June.

The Pony Express was an express mail delivery service that traveled between St. Joseph, Missouri and Sacramento, California. It was the most direct means of communication between the East and West Coast during the brief time it operated.

Nearly 200 stations were set up along the route. Depending on the terrain, they were spaced anywhere from 5 to 20 miles apart. At each station, a rider would swap for a fresh horse and could grab a meal.

Between their rides, 25 home stations provided boarding. Typically, riders would travel 75 to 100 miles in a day.

Mail could be delivered in just 10 days when it previously could take months. The expansion of the telegraph led to the end of the Pony Express, which operated for just 18 months between April 1860 and October 1861.

One of its first and best-known riders is buried in Kansas. Johnny Fry enlisted in the army after the company dissolved and died in the only Civil War battle fought in Kansas, the Battle of Baxter Springs.

Will The Magic Clothes Bus be allowed to stay parked at its home?

Starting June 17, over 700 riders will deliver letters across the country from St. Joseph to Sacramento. Riders will cross into Kansas on US Highway 36, making their way through Atchison and traveling 149 miles before entering Nebraska. From Nebraska, riders will deliver the letters through Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and finally to California on June 27.

There will be two opportunities to see the riders in Kansas on June 18. The first is at 9 a.m. at the Marysville Pony Express Barn in Marysville and at 11 a.m. at the Hollenberg Pony Express Station in Hollenberg.

If you cant make the trip, you can follow the riders as they travel across the country thanks to a GPS tracker that will be carried in the mailbag. An interactive map will be available starting at 3 p.m. on June 17 by clicking here.

For more information about the annual Pony Express Re-Ride, visit the National Pony Express Association website.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV.
Port Richey man hits 80-year-old on mobility scooter, didnt stop because he was late for work: police

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  A driver was accused of speeding away after hitting an 80-year-old on a mobility scooter in Clearwater.

Kris Paterson, 37, of Port Richey was turning onto Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard when he struck the man on the scooter, according to the Clearwater Police Department.

Paterson was accused of dragging the scooter under his pickup for half a mile before stopping to pull it out from under the truck. He told officers he knew he hit something, but did not know that he struck a person, and was late to his job, according to Clearwater police.

The crash was witnessed by several people who gave photos and videos to police, helping them track down the suspect.

Wed like to thank the members of the community for the way they banded together after witnessing this crash, Clearwater Police Chief Eric Gandy said in a statement. They did what this driver failed to do  call police and try to help.

Paterson was booked into the Pinellas County Jail and charged with leaving the scene of a crash with serious injury.

The victim, identified as Ernest Coluzzi, remained in critical condition at St. Josephs Hospital on Tuesday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
"Portal" Between Dublin and NYC Shut Down After OnlyFans Model Flashes It

Them Big Apples

A company placed portal-shaped "sculptures" in the cities of Dublin and New York, allowing residents across the pond to essentially have a public, non-stop Zoom meeting with each other.

The marketing stunt went about as well as practically anybody could've expected. While residents initially waved innocent signs around in an apparent attempt to connect across the Atlantic, the situation quickly descended into chaos, as The Independent reports, with an OnlyFans model flashing the so-called portal. Another "very drunk" woman was filmed rubbing her behind against the screen, while a different video shows a man exposing his own derriere.

One person on the Irish side went as far as to show the New Yorkers images of 9/11 on his phone, according to The Guardian.

Less than a week after the installation was unveiled, officials decided to shut it down temporarily in light of the chaos.

In short, it's ironically the perfect "window" into the kind of mayhem such a stunt can trigger. Who could've possibly predicted this would happen?

Drunk Dial

OnlyFans model Ava Louise later took credit for the portal shutting down.

"I thought the people of Dublin deserved to see my two New York homegrown potatoes," she said in a tongue-in-cheek video shared by TMZ.

A spokesman for Dublin City Council admitted to The Independent that while "the overwhelming majority of interactions are positive," they have also "been witnessing a very small minority of people engaged in inappropriate behavior, which has been amplified through social media."

The council later announced that it would implement "some technical solutions to address this," without specifying what those solutions might be.

Curious bystanders were amused by the chaos the portal had wrought.

"Its a bit wild," a 23-year-old student told The Guardian. "It shows the good and bad of Dublin."

More on Irish lads: Irish TV Crew Films Segment on "Mysterious Crater" That Turns Out to Be Hole Dug by Local "Lads"
Portland gang leader sentenced to prison after 104 pounds of meth found in car

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  The leader of Portlands 18th Street Gang was sentenced to federal prison on Tuesday for his role in a conspiracy to traffic fentanyl, meth and cocaine into the metro area, the United States Attorneys Office for the District of Oregon announced.

Officials said 38-year-old Gustavo Torres-Mendez of Portland was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison with five years supervised release.

According to court documents, Torres-Mendez became the leader of the gang after his release from state prison in 2019 for first-degree robbery with a firearm.

Portland State University shares damage estimate following library occupation

Investigators were aware he maintained a significant stature with the gang while serving time in Oregon state prisons and during his time out of custody.

In late summer 2022, investigators had evidence that Torres-Mendez and a close associate were leading a criminal enterprise selling counterfeit Oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl, meth, and cocaine in the Portland metro area, authorities said.

In September, investigators discovered Torres-Mendez and several associates collected over $126,000 in cash within days to buy drugs.

Oregon, Washington listed among nations top 10 most dangerous states, according to report

Around that time, authorities stopped a vehicle connected to the group driving near Grants Pass and found more than 104 pounds of meth and eight pounds of cocaine inside, officials said.

A federal grand jury in Portland returned a seven-count indictment on Nov. 15, 2022, charging Torres-Mendez and six associates for conspiring with one another to distribute fentanyl, meth, and cocaine.

Two days later, authorities searched Torres-Mendezs North Portland home, where they found a handgun, ammunition, tactical body armor, a small bag of M30 fake Oxycodone pills, and more than $6,000 in cash.

Lake Oswego man accused of drugging girls to wear GPS monitor after alleged suicide attempt

That same day, investigators seized 10 more guns at another location in Portland used by the gang to store drugs and weapons.

On Sept. 6, 2023, Torres-Mendez pleaded guilty to conspiring with his associates to distribute fentanyl, meth, and cocaine. Three of his co-conspirators have also pleaded guilty and sentenced to federal prison.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Monica Johnston, a Portland nurse who works with burn victims, is currently working the frontlines in Gazas southern city of Rafah.

Over the weekend, Israel ordered new evacuations in the area and more than 100,000 people have already fled as troops prepare to expand their operations.

Johnston told KOIN 6 News conditions inside and outside the hospitals are getting worse by the day.

Unfortunately the past few days, because of all the bombing, weve been getting less and less patients, she said Monday. Whether or not the routes to us are not open for them to get to us or most likely theyre not even making it to us, theyre perishing before they get to us.

Monica Johnston, a nurse from Portland, is currently working in the Gaza city of Rafah, May 13, 2024 (KOIN)

Her team is experiencing an extreme lack of crucial supplies and is hopeful a ceasefire will come soon  along with aid to Rafahs hospitals.

Death toll up to 32 in South Africa building collapse but rescue efforts boosted by 1 more survivor

Every time I walk to and from the hospital, through the hospital corridors, people just smile and light up. The thought that the world hasnt forgotten them, thats a difference, she said. The saddest thing to me, the thought that a white American girl is here and were safe because of that, breaks my heart. No life should be greater than any other.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
Portugal to build new airport across the river from Lisbon

Debate on the new government programme at the Portuguese parliament, in Lisbon

LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal will build a new international airport in the municipality of Alcochete, across the River Tagus from Lisbon, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro announced on Tuesday after decades of back-and-forth over the location.

The new airport will be built at the site of a military airfield in Alcochete, about 40 km (25 miles) east of Lisbon, and should the ready by 2034. This location has been favoured by an independent technical commission, which had studied several possible sites.

The new airport will replace Lisbon's Humberto Delgado airport, just near the city centre, but the current airport will be expanded while the new airport is being built.

"The government sees having one single airport as a solution more suited to the country's strategic interests," Montenegro told a news conference.

Infrastructure Minister Miguel Pinto Luz said the project would cost up to 9 billion euros ($9.74 billion), adding it would be built using EU funds, public-private partnerships and airport tariffs and not through the state budget.

The government said it would initiate talks with airport operator ANA, owned by French construction firm Vinci. ANA already has a concession for a new airport in the Lisbon region.

To make it faster for passengers to get to Lisbon city centre from the Alcochete airport, the government said it would build a third bridge crossing the Tagus river. Pinto Luz said it was still not decided if the bridge would be just for trains or also for vehicles.

The announcement by the new centre-right minority government, which won a general election just two months ago, comes after several studies and decades of indecision.

The tourism industry has grown increasingly frustrated in the past few years as Lisbon's main airport is operating at full capacity.

Portugal is going through a tourism boom, which attracted record numbers of visitors. Foreigners staying in Portuguese hotels also made the first quarter of 2024 the best on record.

"I just hope this is a definitive decision and it won't be called into question by other governments, something we have unfortunately seen in recent years," said Francisco Calheiros, head of the Portuguese Tourism Confederation.

The government has also said it would build the long-delayed high-speed train connection between Lisbon and the Spanish capital by 2034. There are currently no direct rail links between Lisbon and Madrid.

($1 = 0.9242 euros)

(Reporting by Patricia Vicente Rua, Catarina Demony and Sergio Goncalves; Editing by Andrei Khalip and David Gregorio)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. Iran currently does not have any gas export program to European countries, Iran's Deputy Oil Minister and Executive Director of the National Gas Company Majid Chegeni said, Trend reports.

According to Chegeni, if any new contracts are signed in this direction, the National Gas Company will fulfill its obligations.

Chegeni added that if new agreements on Iranian gas exports are signed, it will certainly lead to an increase in Iranian gas exports. Iran's National Gas Company is currently performing its work within the framework of existing contracts.

Commenting on the existing contracts and discussions related to gas exports of the National Gas Company of Iran, the deputy minister noted that the contract for Iranian gas exports to Iraq has been extended for 5 years. Negotiations are underway with Turkiye regarding the extension of the contract. A joint working group has been set up in this regard and the issue is being seriously examined.

Chegeni stated that Pakistan has also announced its intention to extend the gas contract with Iran in the last few months. Negotiations have been held between the two countries on this occasion.

He emphasized that Armenia intends to purchase additional gases from Iran. Discussions are underway in this direction.

To note, Iran is considered the second-largest country in terms of gas reserves in the world, with gas reserves of about 34 trillion cubic meters. At present, 22 gas fields are operating in Iran. At present, it is reported that Iran is producing 1.07 bcm of rich gas daily from various gas fields.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Possible to cooperate with 'some' far-right personalities, says Michel

Possible to cooperate with 'some' far-right personalities, says Michel

It is possible to cooperate with "some" far-right personalities, says European Council President Charles Michel.

Michel made the comment at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit on Tuesday when he was asked about the upcoming elections to the European Parliament, where hard- and far-right parties are projected to enjoy a significant boost in representation.

"The question in the European Parliament will be: What are the political parties ready to cooperate (with), to collaborate to support Ukraine, to defend the democratic principles and to make the EU stronger?" Michel said on stage.

"If I'm observing the reality of some of those political parties that you qualify as the 'far right,' the reality is sometimes a bit more balanced in some of those personalities within those parties  personalities with whom it is possible to cooperate because they can share the same goals, the same views on those topics," he went on.

"And with some others, in my opinion, it's not possible to cooperate."

Michel did not mention any party or personality by name, but his remarks seemed to refer to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose three-party coalition has been described as the most right-wing in the country's history.

Due to its strident Eurosceptic tone, Meloni's campaign for Italy's leadership had sent alarms ringing in Brussels. However, upon coming into office, the premier baffled critics by adopting a more pragmatic approach to EU politics, proving constructive on key issues such as support for Ukraine and migration reform, while remaining opposed to the Green Deal.

Meloni and her allies from the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, including Poland's Law and Justice (PiS) and Spain's Vox, are seeking to secure a sizeable share of seats in the next Parliament and further tilt the agenda to the right.

The shift has raised questions over how much the traditional mainstream parties are willing to accommodate, or even align with, the demands from the extreme right. In recent years, the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) has struck working arrangements with ECR forces in Italy, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Finland.

Last week, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, a prominent EPP politician, signed a new deal with the ultra-nationalist Homeland Movement, a party that intends to join the far-right Identify and Democracy (ID) group in the European Parliament.

Plenkovic's move revived concerns about the normalisation of the far right, a phenomenon that progressives say threatens European democracy and integration.

Focus on the substance

For Michel, though, what matters is the results.

"What is important, in my opinion, is the policy, is the substance, and what are the decisions we are making," Michel said in Copenhagen.

"I don't want to give one concrete example, but I remember that sometimes in the (European) Council when there were elections in one member state, there were some doubts and some worries," he added, in another apparent reference to Meloni.

"And then we have seen that it was possible to work with the leadership of countries, including when in one coalition you have some political parties more oriented to the right."

Michel's comments put him at odds with his own liberal family, Renew Europe, which is firmly opposed to cooperation with either ECR or ID.

Last week, Renew Europe joined the socialists and the greens in a statement condemning growing violence against lawmakers, activists and journalists, which they linked to the rise in support for far-right parties.

"For our political families, there is no ambiguity: We will never cooperate nor form a coalition with the far right and radical parties at any level," the statement said.

Michel, who will leave office later this year after completing his mandate at the top of the European Council, said he was "confident" that centrist parties would continue to play an "essential role" in the EU's future.

"I know that this is usual a few weeks before the elections, that we are worried and that we think that the worse will come," he said.

"I am a bit more calm. I am a bit more serene."
Andrei Belousov, a candidate for the post of Russian defence minister, has stated the need to improve the efficiency of the state defence procurement process in order to fully provide all combatants with all types of supplies.

Source: Belousov at a plenary session of the Federation Council, quoted by RIA Novosti, a Kremlin-aligned Russian news outlet

Details: Belousov claimed that one of the most important tasks is to provide weapons to Russian groups in the "special military operation" zone [as the Kremlin continues to call the war against Ukraine  ed.].

This includes the supply of state-of-the-art equipment, including artillery ammunition, missiles, personal protection, special communications, drones and electronic warfare equipment.

Belousov added that "in order to prevent the Armed Forces of Ukraine from advancing, it is necessary to develop new methods of warfare".

He claimed that the goal in this situation is to staff the Russian Armed Forces, but there is supposedly no talk of conscription.

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Pregnant woman was shot and killed before a family member found her body, SC police say

A 25-year-old pregnant mother of two children was recently shot and killed, according to the Sumter Police Department.

A family member found Keyirra Tatyana Walkers body inside her Carrol Drive home, police said Monday in a news release. Thats in Sumter, in the area between U.S. 378 and U.S. 15.

The relative called police after finding the unresponsive pregnant South Carolina woman at about 7:45 a.m. Monday, according to the release.

The Sumter County Coroners Office has scheduled an autopsy for this week, according to the release.

There was no word if anyone, other than the suspected killer or killers, was in the home with Walker when she died.

No other injuries were reported.

There was no word about a shooter or shooters, or anyone else involved in the gunfire. Information about a motive for the shooting was not available.

Police said the shooting is considered to be an isolated incident that most likely was carried out during the early morning hours by someone who knew Walker.

No arrests have been reported by police, who are continuing to investigate the shooting.

Anyone who may have seen someone or heard anything, or has information about the shooting, is asked to call police at 803-436- 2700, CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.

Descriptions of people or vehicles can help in the investigation, police said in the release.
We need to prepare now as Oklahoma's population shifts toward more adults age 60 and older

Those of us who have strong roots in our state's long-term care and skilled nursing sector are honored to serve Oklahomans and their families by supporting their loved ones during the final chapters of their lives. We are committed to continually building upon the quality of care and services provided to our state's aging population.

More: Seniors will surpass the number of children in 10 years. Are you ready to be an older adult?

The opportunities to positively impact the rapidly growing population of aging Oklahomans are evident as we look to the future. By 2050, the number of Americans age 65 and older is expected to surge by 47%, and  for the first time in Oklahoma history  the number of adults age 60 and older will outnumber children by 2034.

Now is the time to adopt a proactive approach to ensure we are prepared to support and care for aging adults in the years to come, a guest columnist writes.

Because this dramatic shift will undoubtedly create a significant demand for long-term care and skilled nursing services, now is the time to adopt a proactive approach to ensure we are prepared to support and care for aging adults in the years to come.

One of the leading ways we are advocating for older Oklahomans is by working with the state Legislature and Gov. Kevin Stitt to receive reimbursement equal to the cost of resident and patient care. Health care costs have continued to soar, and Oklahomas Medicaid reimbursement rates have not kept pace with the cost of care. This year, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority estimates that reimbursement rates in our state will fall short by $44 per patient per day, an urgent need.

I am proud of the way we have pressed forward to deliver treasured residents residing in unique communities across the state with the care they deserve  despite the shortage of funding. But if we truly want to provide the best care for Oklahomans and their families, we must ensure our long-term care and skilled nursing centers are reimbursed for the cost of care they provide.

Long-term care and skilled nursing services have proven to deliver results when adequately equipped. Just last year, Oklahoma rose 30 spots to be ranked No.1 in the nation in one of four key quality measures after the state Legislatures historic investment in 2019 with Senate Bill 280.

Of course, delivering quality, compassionate care is not possible without a strong workforce of reliable and skilled health care professionals. But health care workers, particularly those in the long-term care sector, are emerging from one of the most challenging eras in modern history.

Long-term care communities across the state are working diligently to recruit and retain a talented workforce to care for our most vulnerable Oklahomans, including shoring up an educational pipeline that will deliver the future workers our industry needs. State lawmakers recognized that need by allocating American Rescue Plan Act funding for certified medical assistant and certified nurse aide training. These funds have helped hundreds of Oklahomans receive the education and training needed to become certified nurse aides  one of the most vital and in-demand roles in our long-term care centers.

In my role as president and CEO of an Oklahoma-based 100% employee-owned long-term care skilled nursing and therapy management company, I have seen firsthand the impact that investing in team members can have in shaping the future of health care for our states aging population. Though rare in the health care sector, the employee ownership model has enabled each of the unique locations across Oklahoma to further motivate and empower employees to deliver compassionate, quality care to residents and their families. I am grateful for the role employee ownership has played in our ability to secure a localized workforce that will care for Oklahomans in the years to come.

The challenges and opportunities facing long-term care in Oklahoma are clear. But Im confident that, when armed with the right people and the right resources, we can make further strides toward improving the health outcomes of our growing aging population  the ones who have served our families, our communities and Oklahoma so faithfully throughout their lifetimes.

Brett Coble

Brett Coble is the president and CEO of Bridges Health.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma's aging population will increase demand for long-term care
WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden is hiking tariffs on electric vehicles, semiconductors and several other goods imported from China, escalating a trade war between the two world's largest economies as the administration accuses Chinese competitors of unfair practices in industries the U.S. is trying to grow.

The moves, which come amid rising tensions between the U.S. and China, are designed to protect American industries in clean energy that the administration has targeted with major investments to try to catch up with China.

Other goods from China that will face higher tariffs include solar cells, batteries, battery materials, cranes used at ports, and certain medical supplies, as well as steel and aluminum.

More: Biden sends message to China  and working-class voters  with tariff threat

The Biden administration has for months accused China of unfair trade practices by flooding the global markets with goods at artificially low prices, putting U.S. manufacturing of electric vehicles, microchips and other goods at a steep disadvantage. Because Chinese industries are heavily subsidized by the government, the White House says Chinese competitors can overproduce without worrying about a profit.

Biden signed a memorandum ordering the new tariffs during a White House Rose Garden ceremony Tuesday as he also accused China of stealing intellectual property from U.S. companies through cyber espionage.

"When you make tactics like these, it's not competition, it's cheating, and we've seen the damage here in America," Biden said, adding that the new tariffs will "ensure that our workers are not held back by unfair trade practices."

More: President Biden's new tariffs on goods from China will affect EVs, semiconductors and more

President Joe Biden announces increased tariffs on Chinese products to promote American investments and jobs in the Rose Garden of the White House on May 14, 2024 in Washington, DC.

Biden, whose administration has reviewed the tariff rates over the past year, is keeping intact more than $300 billion in tariffs imposed by former President Donald Trump. The tariff increases include:

Electric vehicles from China: from 25% to 100% beginning this year.

Semiconductors from China: from 25% to 50% by 2025.

Lithium-ion batteries from China used in electric vehicles: from 7.5% to 25% this year.

Solar cells imported from China: from 25% to 50% this year.

Steel and aluminum products: from zero-7.5% to 25% this year.

Ship-to-shore container cranes imported from China: from zero to 25% this year

Hospital syringes and needles made in China: from zero to 50% this year.

The White House has said steel and aluminum produced in China are not subject to the same environmental standards as companies in the U.S., also giving China an unfair trade advantage.

Story continues

"For too long, the PRC has been playing by a different set of rules," said Katherine Tai, the United States trade representative in the Biden administration.

President Joe Biden signs documents that increase tariffs on China, after speaking about new actions to protect American workers and businesses from China's unfair trade practices in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 14, 2024.

China pushed back strongly against the higher tariffs.

Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called the moves "self-defeating" and against the consensus reached last November by Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping at a summit in San Francisco.

"More importantly, it will harm the worlds green economic transition and climate action," Wenbin said. "We urge the U.S. to stop repairing and digging up the road at the same time, so to speak, and create enabling conditions for China-U.S. climate cooperation and global green transition."

Another ministry spokesman said last Friday that "China will take all necessary measures to defend its rights and interests."

Tai said the tariff increases "should by no means be a surprise to our counterparts in Beijing" because the administration has relayed trade concerns to China for more than three years. She said the moves are "not about escalation" with China.

Biden, in an interview with Yahoo Finance, said he expects a minimal response from China. "I don't think they'll lead to any international conflict or anything like that," he said of the tariffs, "but I think they'll probably try to figure out how they can raise tariffs maybe on products that are unrelated."

More: President Biden moves to triple tariff rates on Chinese steel and aluminum

The tariff moves come as Biden is courting the support of working-class voters in Midwest battleground states including Michigan, the center of the U.S. auto industry, for the November election.

"We're not going to let China flood our market, making it possible for American auto manufacturers to compete fairly," Biden said. "Were never going to allow China to unfairly control the market for these cars  period."

Biden is borrowing from the trade playbook of Trump, the Republican presumptive nominee, who routinely raised tariffs on Chinese goods during his four years in office. Trump responded to Biden's tariff increases to reporters outside a New York courtroom on the 17th day of his hush-money trial.

"Where have you been for the last 3 years? They should have done it a long time ago," Trump said. "But they've also got to do it on other vehicles, and they have to do it on a lot of other products. Because China's eating our lunch right now."

Biden has sought to differentiate his tariff approach with his predecessor's plan for new tariffs. Trump has proposed a 60% or more tariff on all Chinese imports and warned that the U.S. auto industry will face a "bloodbath" if he loses his election in November.

In his remarks, Biden slammed Trump's plan as "across-the-board tariffs on all imports from all countries" that would raise prices for American consumers. "He simply doesn't get it," Biden said.

Biden called for the tripling of tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from China during a campaign speech last month before the United Steelworkers union in Pittsburgh.

Each of the tariff increases reflects the recommendations of Tai, who evaluated the rates as part of a required four-year review.

More: 'A con': President Biden trolls Trump with $3.3 billion Microsoft AI project in Wisconsin

Biden has staked his economic agenda on reigniting a U.S. manufacturing boom centered on electric vehicles and clean energy.

The Biden administration says it has helped spur more than $860 billion in private investment through legislation passed during Biden's first two years in office that incentivized the manufacturing of electric vehicles, clean-energy products, microchips and other investments.

Lael Brainard, director of the National Economic Council in the White House, said the objective of the higher tariffs is to "make sure that historic investments in jobs spurred by President Biden's actions are not undercut by a flood of unfairly underpriced exports from China."

She added that the goal is for American workers to have "a level playing field in industries that are vital to our future."

Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden slaps new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, other goods
U.S. President Joe Biden issued the declaration following an expedited request made by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds for the areas impacted by tornados that hit across the state in late April. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

President Joe Biden on Tuesday issued a major disaster declaration for areas of Iowa that were hit by tornados and severe weather in late April, approving a request from Gov. Kim Reynolds.

Reynolds requested an expedited disaster declaration from Biden on May 2, after issuing a state disaster proclamation in late April for storms on April 26 and 27. The National Weather Service confirmed that 24 tornados hit Iowa over the period, with 16 tornados in central and southern Iowa and an additional eight tornados in western Iowa.

With the request, assistance is now available through the Federal Emergency Management Agencys Individual Assistance Program and the U.S. Small Business Administrations Disaster Loan Program, providing assistance with costs related to damages caused by the weather. Areas that are eligible Clarke, Harrison, Mills, Polk, Pottawattamie, Ringgold, Shelby, and Union counties.

Both programs provide assistance to homeowners, renters, businesses and other organizations affected by the weather. The FEMA program provides assistance with costs and services for housing and personal property, as well as medical and legal expenses related to the disaster, while the SBA program provides low-interest loans to those with property affected by the storm. Iowans seeking assistance have until July 15 to apply through the FEMA disaster assistance website. The July 15 deadline also applies for filing SBA loans related to physical damages, while the loan deadline for economic injuries must be filed by Feb. 14, 2025.

The state disaster declaration allows affected households with incomes at or below 200% the federal poverty line to receive grants of up to $5,000 for home and car repairs as well as replacement of lost or damaged property through the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program. Iowans in most counties have until June 13 to apply for the grant through the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management website, with residents in Pottawattamie County having a slightly earlier deadline of June 10.

Assistance with no income restrictions is available through the states Disaster Case Advocacy Program and Iowa Community Action Organization for 180 days from the governors declaration.

Reynolds also sent a letter, cosigned by state Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack requesting federal assistance for farmers affected by the storm Tuesday. While the presidential disaster declaration will help Iowa homeowners and business owners recover from the tornado and storm damages, Naig and Reynolds wrote that the storms and tornados also caused destruction at Iowa farms and agricultural operations in the affected areas.

The letter asks Vilsack  a former Iowa governor  to issue a secretarial designation through the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the storm-affected Iowa counties. The designation would open disaster assistance programs run through the Farm Service Agency, like the Farm Loans Program and the Emergency Assistance for Livestock Program, to affected Iowa farmers.

Iowa farmers have been significantly impacted by these storms and require assistance to recover from these catastrophic damages and to rebuild and replace destroyed grain bins, farm equipment, and operational business losses, Reynolds letter states.

The post President Biden issues major disaster declaration for Iowa areas hit by April tornados appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  A priest who was arrested in Florida last month after he was accused of sexually abusing boys appeared in an Iowa court on Monday.

Father Leo Rileys arrest in Florida is tied to alleged abuse in Iowa in the 1980s. Hes charged with five counts of sexual abuse.

Riley appeared in court in Dubuque, Iowa, and was given a $500,000 bond, according to NBC affiliate KWWL. Rileys attorney, Guy Cook, said that bond amount is too high, and planned to challenge it.

Father Leo Riley is, to those people who know him well, a person of upstanding moral character, an honest man, and a person who would not commit these kinds of acts, Cook said.

If Riley posts bond, he would remain in Department of Corrections custody and would have to stay at a halfway house, according to KWWL.

Riley served in the Diocese of Venice and was recently assigned to a parish in Port Charlotte.

The complaint outlines when and where at least four underage altar boys were molested, sexually assaulted, and abused at Rileys hands.

According to the complaint, a parent reported the alleged abuse to the principal and a couple weeks later, Riley was transferred to another parish.

Riley was ordained a priest in 1982. He was assigned to 17 different parishes within the Archdiocese of Dubuque until 2002.

At that point, he requested a transfer to Florida and began serving as a priest with the Diocese of Venice.

Riley has also been accused of abuse during his time in Port Charlotte. The Charlotte County Sheriffs Office is investigating the allegations.

KWWL reported that Rileys next court appearance is scheduled for May 22.

This story includes reporting by Brittany Muller.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
Senate primaries set up a marquee race in Maryland and a likely Republican flip in West Virginia

Angela Alsobrooks, a Democrat running for U.S. Senate, speaks after the race was called in her favor at a Maryland primary election night party, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Greenbelt, Md. (Eric Thompson/The Baltimore Banner via AP)

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP)  Republican voters advanced strong Senate contenders in Maryland and West Virginia on Tuesday, giving the GOP a big boost in its push to claim control of Congress' upper chamber.

Former Gov. Larry Hogan claimed the Republican nomination in what will be a marquee race in Maryland against Angela Alsobrooks, a top local official who could become the fourth Black woman in U.S. history to serve in the Senate.

Meanwhile, another popular Republican, Gov. Jim Justice, won the Senate nomination in deep-red West Virginia, becoming the overwhelming favorite in the race that represents the GOP's best pickup opportunity in the nation.

In both states, which share a border but feature antithetical politics, the Republican nominees represent a serious challenge for Democrats in the general election as they cling to a 51-49 Senate majority and defend seats in other states that former President Donald Trump won four years ago.

At the same time, Trump and Democratic President Joe Biden sought to project strength in low-stakes presidential primaries. And further down the ballot, two people who were on opposite sides of the Jan. 6 insurrection lost their U.S. House bids  a former Capitol Police officer running in Maryland and a former West Virginia state lawmaker who participated in the riot.

In all, three states hosted statewide primary elections Tuesday  Maryland, Nebraska and West Virginia  as Republicans and Democrats picked their nominees for a slate of November elections that will decide the presidency and control of Congress.

A TRUMP CRITIC GRABS MARYLANDS GOP NOMINATION

In Maryland, Hogan gives Republicans a legitimate chance at picking up a Senate seat in the deep-blue state for the first time in more than four decades.

Hogan overcame his years-long criticism of Trump, a position that put him at odds with many Republican primary voters but will undoubtedly help him in the general election this fall. Maryland voters gave Biden a 33-point victory over Trump four years ago.

On the other side in the Senate contest, Democratic voters nominated Alsobrooks, the top official in Prince George's County outside of Washington. The 53-year-old African American county executive had been endorsed by many of the states top officials, including Gov. Wes Moore, Sen. Chris Van Hollen and U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer.

Alsobrooks prevailed after a contentious and expensive primary against U.S. Rep. David Trone, a liquor store magnate who had invested more than $61 million into his unsuccessful bid.

Race was an issue in the Democratic primary and may be in the general election in the months ahead. Alsobrooks is trying to become the first Black senator from a state in which roughly one in three residents identifies as African American.

On the social media site X, Hogan congratulated Alsobrooks and said, Voters have a clear and stark choice: more of the dysfunctional partisan status quo or real independent and bipartisan leadership.

Alsobrooks, also posting on X, promised to defeat Larry Hogan, keep Maryland blue, and keep our Senate under Democratic control.

THE WEST VIRGINIA BATTLE TO REPLACE MANCHIN

Justice won his primary against U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney. With Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin gone, the seat is almost guaranteed to turn red come November.

The Trump-endorsed Justice, a former billionaire with a folksy personality, is wildly popular in the state. A former Democrat, Justice switched to the Republican Party in 2017, announcing the change at a Trump rally.

Despite his connection to the former Republican president, Justice doesn't pander to Trump as much as most statewide Republican officials in the state. And he largely avoids focusing on some of the GOPs favorite culture war issues, such as transgender rights.

Mooney had tried to win over conservatives by labeling Justice a RINO  which stands for Republican in name only  who would support Democratic policies. Justice did support Bidens bipartisan infrastructure law, saying West Virginia couldnt afford to turn away the money offered in the bill.

At a polling place in West Virginias capital city, voter Steve Ervin said his votes Tuesday were directly related to Trump.

I really did an exhaustive study of the sample ballot of who I believe supported Trump and Trump supported them, said Ervin, who works in the states unemployment office. Thats what I made my whole decision on.

Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, the Republican nominee in the 2018 Senate race against Manchin, won the nomination for West Virginia governor.

TESTS OF STRENGTH IN THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY

Biden and Trump have already amassed enough delegates to claim the presidential nominations at their respective national conventions this summer. And they added to their total Tuesday with wins in Maryland, Nebraska and West Virginia.

Yet voters on both sides hoped to register a significant protest vote Tuesday that would demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the Biden-Trump rematch.

Maryland progressives especially unhappy with the Biden administrations support for Israel in its war against Hamas had encouraged voters to select uncommitted to any presidential candidate instead. Results coming in Tuesday night suggested the uncommitted vote was running behind the margins of similar movements in Michigan and Minnesota.

There was no uncommitted option in West Virginia or Nebraska.

Everett Bellamy, a Democrat who voted early in Annapolis, said he voted uncommitted instead of Biden as a protest against the killing of women and children and noncombatants in Gaza.

I wanted to send a message, Bellamy, 74, said after leaving an early voting center.

Meanwhile, Trump's Republican critics could not choose uncommitted, but they could choose his former GOP rival Nikki Haley, who appeared on the ballot in Maryland, Nebraska and West Virginia despite formally suspending her campaign more than two months ago.

Derek Faux, an independent voter from Charleston, West Virginia, said he supported Haley, and in other Republican races, he said he voted for the candidates he believed were least like Trump.

I would rather see moderate, reasonable Republicans than some of the other folks, said Faux, a librarian.

TWO SIDES OF THE INSURRECTION

Tuesday's elections also included two candidates who were intimately involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

In Maryland, former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn was among nearly two dozen Democrats running in the states 3rd Congressional District. The 40-year-old Democrat lost to State Sen. Sarah Elfreth.

In West Virginia, a former member of the House of Delegates, Derrick Evans, lost his bid to oust incumbent Republican Rep. Carol Miller in the 1st Congressional District. The 39-year-old Evans served a three-month jail sentence after livestreaming himself participating in the storming of the U.S. Capitol.

OTHER KEY RACES

In Nebraska, Republican Sens. Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts both won their primaries, one of the rare occasions when both senators in a state were on the ballot at the same time. And in Nebraskas 2nd Congressional District, Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon fended off a challenge from his right flank.

In North Carolina, voters finalized their pick of the Trump-endorsed Brad Knott in what had become a one-person Republican primary in the state's 13th Congressional District.

___

This story has deleted an incorrect reference to a California election being Tuesday. The California election is next week.

___

Willingham reported from Charleston, West Virginia. Peoples reported from Washington.

___

Follow the AP's coverage of the 2024 election at https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024.
Pro-Palestinian students take part in a demonstration at the London School of Economics - Ray Tang/Anadolu via Getty

Pro-Palestine campus protests have spread to the London School of Economics as students set up camp inside a university building.

Protesters set up a camp at the LSE as students attempt to replicate the occupations that have swept through US campuses.

Demonstrators at LSE have added to a growing number of tent camps protesting against the war in Gaza, which have been seen at universities including Oxford, Cambridge, SOAS, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield, Leeds, Warwick, Swansea and Bristol.

Footage shows protesters clearing chairs and hastily pitching tents inside what appears to be a university assembly hall before being led in pro-Palestine chants.

Elsewhere, hundreds of protesters, many wearing keffiyehs and Palestinian flags, can be seen parading the streets next to the LSE campus while chanting songs including from the river to the sea  a phrase widely viewed as calling for the eradication of Israel.

Student protesters from the LSE enter the Marshall Building at their university - Hesther Ng/Story Picture Agency

The group behind the protests appears to be the London School of Economics Student Union Palestine Society, which posted on social media inviting protesters to attend a press conference and rally on Tuesday to launch a report urging for divestment from Israel.

Called Assets in Apartheid, the 116-page report accuses LSE of having 89 million of investments in companies involved in activities including supporting the Israeli military, arms manufacture and nuclear weapons production.

In one video, demonstrators, many of whom are holding banners with messages including London School of Exploitation and LSE divest, gathered around a speaker who said the report outlined the egregious complicity of this bloody university in the genocide of the Palestinian people.

LSE students join the wave of occupation and encampment in their university campus - Hesther Ng/Story Picture Agency

There has been growing concern that the camps at UK universities could lead to scenes of violence similar to those seen in the US, where thousands were arrested and riot police stormed campuses such as Columbia.

LSE is partnered with Columbia, and its former vice-chancellor Minouche Shafik, is now president of the US university.

She was condemned by LSEs Palestinian Society, who issued a statement in solidarity with Columbia protesters and accused Ms Shafik of dolling out draconian punishment against US demonstrators.

A speaker for the students accuses the LSE of 'egregious complicity in genocide' - Ray Tang/Anadolu via Getty

An LSE spokesman said: Following a rally on the LSE campus, some protesters entered and occupied part of the ground floor of the LSE Marshall Building, highlighting a range of demands relating to investments.

We will carefully consider the report submitted by the protest group and respond in due course. We will also continue to engage in a peaceful dialogue.

Our priority continues to be the wellbeing of the LSE community. Exams, which take place in other areas of campus, will not be affected by the protest.

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 pro-Palestinian group on Tuesday ended its encampment at Harvard Yard after meetings with university administrators, but pledged to carry out this protracted struggle through other means.

Harvard Beware: The Liberated Zone is Everywhere, the group Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday morning.

After lasting beyond student move-out, the Harvard encampment has concluded, the post said. The struggle for Palestinian liberation goes on.

The decampment happened as a result of meetings with Harvard University officials, the protesters said in their social media posts.

The announcement came one week after the heads of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, citing increased concerns for campus safety, called on protesters to end encampments on both campuses.

Harvard officials earlier said protesters continuing with the encampment, which lasted for nearly three weeks, would face consequences, including being placed on involuntary leave from the Ivy League school.

FILE - Students protesting against the war in Gaza, and passersby walking through Harvard Yard, are seen at an encampment at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., on Thursday, April 25, 2024. Protest camps have sprouted up over the past two weeks at dozens of campuses across the nation. Some schools have set up encampments on campuses, including Harvard University. Others like Boston College have been calm. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)

As a pre-condition for decamping, administration will retract suspensions, the Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine said Tuesday. Administration has also offered us meetings regarding disclosure and divestment with members of the Harvard Management Company and conversations regarding the establishment of a Center for Palestine Studies at Harvard.

We are under no illusions: we do not believe these meetings are divestment wins, the group said. These side-deals are intended to pacify us away from full disclosure & divestment. Rest assured, they will not.

Harvard Beware: The Liberated Zone is Everywhere   1/7 pic.twitter.com/FxOAiXEOXs  Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine (@HarvardOOP) May 14, 2024

In an open letter to members of the Harvard Community last week, Interim Harvard President Alan Garber called for an immediate end to the occupation of Harvard Yard.

Garber said at the time that the continuation of the encampment presents a significant risk to the educational environment at Harvard and that anyone who participates in or perpetuates the encampment will be referred for involuntary leave from their Schools.

Harvard University in a statement on Tuesday confirmed that the participants in the Harvard Yard encampment voluntarily ended the occupation of Harvard Yard today.

A university spokesperson said that Garber will pursue a meeting between encampment participants and the chair of the Corporation Committee on Shareholder Responsibility and other University leaders for a discussion regarding students questions related to the endowment.

University administrators will also meet with encampment participants for further discussion on their views and perspectives regarding the conflict in the Middle East.

Involuntary leave notices were issued to students participating in the encampment based on the ongoing disruption to the educational environment and resulted in students being ineligible to remain in Harvard housing and cease to be present on campus until reinstated, according to the university.

Now that the disruption has ended, the University will encourage the Schools to promptly process petitions for reinstatement for those students placed on involuntary leave, the university said.

A student protester stands in front of the statue of John Harvard, the first major benefactor of Harvard College, draped in the Palestinian flag, at an encampment of students protesting against the war in Gaza, at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

The ongoing encampment at Harvard has disrupted our educational activities and operations, Garber earlier said, adding that the actions of some protesters towards Harvard staff and passersby are indefensible and unacceptable.

The right to free speech, including protest and dissent, is vital to the work of the research university. But it is not unlimited, Garber earlier said. It must be exercised in a time, place, and manner that respects the right of our community members to do their work, pursue their education, and enjoy the opportunities that a residential campus has to offer.

Recently, Massachusetts Congressman Jake Auchincloss called on Garber to remove the Pro-Palestine encampment and re-engineer a more accepting environment on campus.

The oppressive and overbearing culture that is antizionist does not represent the median American, nor does it represent the core values of America, said Auchincloss, who spent the day on Thursday speaking with Israeli and Jewish students at Harvard.

Students protesting against the war in Gaza, and passersby walking through Harvard Yard, are seen next to the statue of John Harvard, the first major benefactor of Harvard College, draped in the Palestinian flag, at an encampment at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Garber issued the call to end the encampment at the university as Harvard is set to hold its commencement on May 23.

His comments last week came as another Ivy League school, Columbia University in New York, announced that it would cancel its main commencement ceremony amid ongoing protests.

The days leading up to Harvards planned commencement later this month have been disruptive for both students and staff at the historic Cambridge campus, Garber earlier said.

The disruptions from this encampment at the heart of the University have been numerous. Harvard College exams and other important activities and events have had to move elsewhere, Garber said. Safety concerns over the past two weeks, including those raised as a result of students sleeping outdoors overnight, have required us to sharply limit access to Harvard Yard.

In February, the co-chairperson of Harvard Universitys talk force on antisemitism resigned amid concerns that the prestigious Ivy League school would not act on the groups recommendations. That same month, Harvard condemned what it called a flagrantly antisemitic cartoon that an undergraduate group posted on social media.

House Republicans last month launched an investigation into federal funding for universities amid the campus protests and reports of growing antisemitism on college and university campuses.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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A group of pro-Palestinian protesters maintaining an encampment at Harvard University have reached an agreement with the university and will end their encampment, the group said in a news release Tuesday.

Harvard has agreed to hold reinstatement proceedings for the over 20 students and student workers suspended by the University for their alleged participation in the encampment, the group said.

For 60 students and student workers facing disciplinary procedures, the university has agreed to expedite their cases in line with precedents of leniency for similar actions in the past, according to Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine (HOOP), the organization behind the encampment.

The agreement  which the Harvard Jewish Alumni Alliance described as an example of mis-governance by the university  comes as college officials around the country have called in law enforcement to clear pro-Palestinian encampments and quell demonstrations in recent weeks.

Alan Garber, Harvards interim president, in a message to the university community, said he has asked schools to promptly initiate applicable reinstatement proceedings for all individuals who have been placed on involuntary leaves of absence. Garber did not say how many students were involved.

Garber also said he has asked the disciplinary boards within each School to evaluate expeditiously, according to their existing practices and precedents, the cases of those who participated in the encampment.

Garber will ask the schools to adjudicate disciplinary matters promptly, according to a university spokesperson, adding that he will also request that reinstatement requests be processed expeditiously.

Harvard University has 12 graduate and professional schools, the undergraduate Harvard College, and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.

HOOP said the university will meet with the protesters to begin discussions on disclosure, divestment, and reinvestment. Harvard will also engage in conversations about creating a Center for Palestine Studies at Harvard, the group said.

Garber said he will facilitate a meeting with the chair of the Corporation Committee on Shareholder Responsibility and other University officials to address questions about the endowment.

The Harvard Crimson reported May 6 that Garber has repeatedly stated that the endowment will not be used as a tool for political means. The university has also repeatedly stated its position resisting calls for divestment.

The university president and the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences will also meet with students to hear their perspectives on academic matters related to longstanding conflicts in the Middle East, according to Garbers message.

I acknowledge the profound grief that many in our community feel over the tragic effects of the ongoing war, Garber said. There will continue to be deep disagreements and strongly felt emotions as we experience pain and distress over events in the wider world.

The encampment at the Cambridge, Massachusetts, campus lasted 20 days, according to the group.

Harvard began placing students connected to the encampment on involuntary leaves of absence, the Harvard Crimson reported Friday, citing an Instagram post from HOOP.

The move came after protesters rejected an offer from Garber to avoid being placed on leave in exchange for taking down the encampment.

The Harvard Jewish Alumni Alliance, in a message to members, described the agreement as gross mis-governance that undermines the stated mission of the university. The group accused the interim president of giving preferential treatment to students, faculty and staff whose conduct not only targeted Jews but also disrupted and imperiled the wider Harvard community.

The alumni alliance urged members to withhold donations to Harvard, and join a campaign to donate one dollar, and no more, to the University for the foreseeable future  not in anger, but in sadness and in hope.

The Ivy League school has experienced a period of historic turmoil in recent months.

Claudine Gay, the first Black president in Harvard history, stepped down in January amid a firestorm of controversy over her academic writings and disastrous performance at a congressional hearing on antisemitism.

Harvard is the nations oldest university, with over 25,000 undergraduate students, according to the university. Harvard commencement events start May 21, according to the university.

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EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  A final salute procession will be held to honor the life and legacy of Deputy Constable Alan M. Dickerson on Tuesday, May 14, according to the El Paso County Sheriffs Office.

Dickerson died May 3 from a medical issue, according to the Sheriffs Office.

Sheriffs Office Association raising money for funeral expenses for deputy constable

The procession will include multiple agencies and will be held from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 14.

The Sheriffs Office said the procession was designed to be a solemn and respectful event meant to honor Alan Dickersons many years of dedicated service as a member of the law enforcement community.

The procession will travel by the Sheriffs Office headquarters, 3850 Justice Dr.; the El Paso County Jail Annex; the Region VIII Training Academy; the Montana Patrol Station; and Motor Pool.

Participating agencies will include constable precincts, the Sheriffs Office, the El Paso Police Department, the Horizon Police Department, the El Paso Fire Department and others.

According to the El Paso County Sheriffs Office, Dickerson was an eight-year veteran of the U.S. Army, worked for 25 years with the El Paso County Sheriffs Office and was a five-year veteran with the El Paso County Constables Office, Precinct Six.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
A worker tends to synthetic resin tanks at the Zuuvch-Ovoo uranium mine in the Gobi Desert. Credit - Nanna HeitmannMagnum Photos for TIME

The Gobi Desert, once revered by Mongolian poet Dulduityn Danzanravjaa as hiding a cosmic portal to the heavenly kingdom of Shambala, was transformed in the 20th century from spiritual energy center to fossil-fuel hub. Wild rabbits and donkeys share the windswept dunes with rusting oil pumps, while an endless caravan of soot-stained trucks haul coal south to the border with China. Now, the Gobi is on the cusp of another reincarnation, one that its supporters believe could help future-proof the global energy landscape.

In October, the French state-owned nuclear firm Orano signed a $1.7 billion deal to extract and process uranium from the Zuuvch-Ovoo mine, not two hours by car from the landmarked site of Danzanravjaas cosmic portal. Mongolias first uranium mine is expected to produce about 2,750 tons annually for three decades, some 4% of global production; its currently one of the top 10 unexploited deposits worldwide.

This deposit is far from the only one, says Olivier Thoumyre, a senior vice president for Orano. There is huge potential in Mongolia ... to enter the uranium market at the right time, because we know needs are going to increase. Mongolia boasts the worlds second largest uranium reserves, which promise to catapult this landlocked nation of 3.5 million into position as a key player in the global renewable-energy transition.

Samples of uranium during various stages of processing at the Zuuvch-Ovoo mine pilot site. Nanna HeitmannMagnum Photos for TIME

Catalyzed by the war in Ukraine and Europes desire to wean itself off cheap Russian gas, support is booming for clean nuclear energy, which generates electricity by splitting atoms of uranium or plutonium. The enthusiasm must overcome deep anxiety over reactor meltdowns such as those at Chernobyl in 1986 and Fukushima in 2011, questions about the disposal of nuclear waste, and the potential for plants to be targets of war or terrorism. But historic fatalities across seven decades of the civil nuclear industry are measured in the low thousands. Meanwhile, air pollution from burning fossil fuels is estimated to cause 5 million deaths every year.

Today, nations from Romania and Saudi Arabia to Bangladesh and Indonesia are exploring nuclear plants. The E.U. has included nuclear power plants in its list of green investments that can be funded by its own green bonds, given the energy produced boasts just a quarter of the carbon footprint of even solar. At COP28, more than 20 countries across four continents asked to triple the worlds nuclear energy capacity by 2050. Even Germany, which shuttered most of its 17 reactors after Fukushima, is now openly considering developing small modular reactors. Today, we probably have more of a problem of capacity than public acceptance, says Thoumyre.

Diversifying uranium supplies also makes sense for the U.S. Despite strict sanctions on oil and gas over Vladimir Putins war of choice, the first six months of 2023 saw Russian shipments of enriched uranium to Americas 92 commercial nuclear reactors more than double, to $695.5 million. On May 13, U.S. President Joe Biden signed legislation to curb this supply, though experts predict that it will take at least five years of heavy investment for the U.S. to break its Russian uranium dependency.

An aerial view of the Zuuvch-Ovoo uranium mine's pilot facility. Nanna HeitmannMagnum Photos for TIME

Mongolia can help in that regard, if it steps lightly. It may be an adolescent, rambunctious democracy, but a nation squeezed between Russia and Chinaand whose capital, Ulan Bator, literally translates as red herocannot shrug off historical and geopolitical baggage so easily. Since democratization in 1990, Mongolia has cultivated ties with the West via its third-neighbor policy, of which the Orano deal is a prime example. But a nation reliant on Beijing for 90% of trade and Moscow for 90% of imported gas and petroleum must tread carefully in this fraught new era of great-power competition. Russia feels Mongolias mines are really their assets because Soviet money was invested into them, says Ken de Graaf, a former vice chairman of the North AmericaMongolia Business Council.

Mongolia is an acute illustration of the geopolitical, environmental, and economic challenges facing mineral-rich nations seeking to benefit from emerging technologies, whether supplying indium for flat-screen TVs, rhenium for jet engines, or gallium for smartphones. With mining already accounting for a quarter of GDP and 90% of exports, the hope in Mongolia is that this generation of energy extraction works out better than the last. The nation remains blighted by endemic poverty and, because of a reliance on coal for heat and power, some of the planets most rancid air. Over the past decade, respiratory diseases in Ulan Batorthe worlds most polluted capitalhave increased nearly three-fold, with pneumonia the second leading cause of death among young children today. Miscarriages are 3.5 times as common in Ulan Bators polluted winter as in the comparatively clear summer.

But resource exploitation is a charged issue in Mongolia, a third of whose people are nomadic and fiercely protective of ancestral lands, worshipping the Eternal Blue Sky and considering even a shallow trench a shameful defiling of Mother Earth. The challenge for Mongolias government is to safely harness the benefits of the resource boom while mitigating pushback within its borders and beyond.

Im confident that we will have a successful cooperation with Orano, Mongolian Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai tells TIME. But it is important for us to have public acceptance so that the project can be legitimate among the people of Mongolia.

Sarangerel Tsetsegee, right, prepares boiled beef bones and millet broth for visitors in her ger nearby the Zuuvch-Ovoo mine. Nanna HeitmannMagnum Photos for TIME

Securing that legitimacy has been a key focus for Orano, which formed a local joint venture, Badrakh Energy, to run Zuuvch-Ovoo alongside Mongolian state mining company Erdenes Mongol LLC. Orano began exploring the Gobi back in 1997, discovering its first uranium deposits in 2006 and obtaining licenses in 2016. It then built a pilot project to demonstrate feasibility, producing 11 tons of uranium over 18 months during 2021 and 2022. The pilot project remains staffed by a skeleton crew, though the site will likely be used for training the 800 permanent staff for the full mine, construction of which is slated to take three or four years.

Practically all Zuuvch-Ovoos neighbors are nomads who live in gers, otherwise known as yurtsfelt-covered domed tents of latticed wood with central dung-burning stoves. Mongolians assemble their gers to face south to catch the light; they can be easily transported on camels to follow grazing herds and reassembled in under an hour. Its a harsh existence with temperatures in the Gobi plunging to 40F in the winter and soaring to 113F during summer. Gers are still constructed as they have been for millennia, albeit now with solar-powered televisions, refrigerators, and wi-fi connections.

Children at the school in Ulaanbadrakh near Zuuvch-Ovoo, which has been renovated with the support of Orano. Nanna HeitmannMagnum Photos for TIME

When Orano first set up camp nearby, the herders were suspicious, unnerved by alarmist social media posts that incorrectly suggested radiation from uranium could cause mutations in livestock. (Toxic waste is a concern nuclear power plants must deal with, but mining raw uranium exposes workers to far less radiation than a job as a hospital radiologist would.) Staff would be chased away by furious locals, who hurled dead animals and once even a Molotov cocktail into the mines compound. It didnt help that Mongolias first COVID-19 case was an Orano employee visiting from France, a fact that energized demonstrations. But a slow and steady outreach program has quelled concerns. Orano committed to putting $1 million annually into community projects near Zuuvch-Ovoo, whose pilot site welcomed 670 visitors in 2023herders, students, and NGOs, to whom the company strove to explain the mining process. There were a lot of rumors at the start about animals dying, says a herders wife, Tsevelmaa Narantogtool, as she plays by her ger with her 3-year-old son, Irmuunbileg, proudly showing off his SpiderMan pajamas. But its been years now, and nothing has happened.

To be sure, history is rife with examples of supposed progress whose real harms have not become clear until decades later. (To wit: climate change.) No fewer are the examples of damage done by those who seek that progress, to peoples who live more in sync with the earth.

But it helps that Zuuvch-Ovoo is far from a conventional mine. The uranium deposit lies some two to five miles below the surface and is sandwiched between two thick layers of clay. This distinct geography allows in situ recovery, or ISR, a leaching process during which acidified water is pumped deep to the deposit via narrow, vertical tubes. The acid dissolves the uranium before being retrieved at the surface via a network of outlet pipes. The uranium is then removed and processed into yellowcake, a low-grade form with the claggy texture of spent coffee grounds. Eventually, this can be enriched into fuel rods.

The Spiritual Energy Centre near Sainshand. Mongolian poet and Buddhist lama Dulduityn Danzanravjaa believed it contained a cosmic portal to the heavenly kingdom of Shambala. Nanna HeitmannMagnum Photos for TIME

Its in theory a closed loop process where vital groundwater is completely sealed from possible contaminants. Whats more, theres no gaping quarry, pit tunnels, diggers, noise, dust, or choking diesel emissions. The only evidence of this mine without a mine, as Orano likes to put it, is a network of stumpy pipes poking out of the surface of the desert, through which camels and horses can wander just as before. While mining operations occur across a concession of some 35 acres, only a tiny section used for production facilities and crew housing is fenced off.

Still, the project has been dogged by controversy. In 2018, French prosecutors began investigating Orano for alleged bribery of a public official in Mongolia involving a third-party consulting firm. (Orano says it is cooperating with the ongoing investigation.) The French anti-nuclear network Sortir du Nucleaire has criticized the leaching process for the quantities of acid used, and in 2018 a group of Mongolian citizens filed a complaint against Badrakh Energy, alleging a spike in livestock malformations as well as cancers and miscarriages nearby. In response, Orano points to independent monitoring by Mongolias Academy of Sciences that found no discernible impact to local water, soil, air, or vegetation.

That hasnt stopped traders and rival herders from leveraging the mine to barter down the price for local animals. People say our meat is toxic because of the uranium, says Munkhsuuri Dambadarjaa, 41, a herder who grazes his 1,500 cows, horses, sheep, goats, and camels next to Zuuvch-Ovoo. But if so, how come we are still alive?

A herder catches a horse to be sold by the family of Munksuuri Dambadarjaa, whose traditional grazing lands are some of the closest to Zuuvch-Ovoo. Nanna HeitmannMagnum Photos for TIME

Nuclear power and the mining projects necessary to fuel it will always have detractors. However, the Gobis increasingly problematic winters have inadvertently served as a propaganda tool. During the harsh season, herders now bring their animals to the plants gates to ask if they can shelter inside. We have to say no, its an industrial facility, says Enkhtulga Gantulga, a sustainability and community-affairs manager for Orano. But it shows acceptance has completely changed.

The herders have always contended with dzuds, severe winters that arrive after summer droughts and trigger widespread animal death. But global warming has exacerbated this phenomenon. Average temperatures in Mongolia are already 2C warmer than at the start of the 20th centurymore severe than the global averagemeaning drier weather, more frequent dust storms, and sparser grasslands for grazing animals to acquire the fat necessary to survive longer winters. This year was a particularly bad dzud, which affected over 90% of the country and killed over 4.7 million animals as pastures were buried in snow and ice. At least 2,250 herder families lost over 70% of their livestock. When TIME visited Zuuvch-Ovoo in February, the adjacent land was strewn with frozen gazelles and cows, tongues protruding in grim rictus. The frequency of dzuds has brought home to Mongolias rural population what has become irrefutable to its urban dwellers: that the climate crisis is deadly, and clean energy vital to mitigate its ravages.

Mongolias coal addiction is especially perverse considering the bounty of clean power at its disposal. Whereas coal last year accounted for over half of Mongolias total $15.2 billion export revenue, the hope is that future mining projects can enhance, rather than impair, quality of life. Orano says running Zuuvch-Ovoo will require only 12 megawatts (MW) of electricity, of which 5 MW will be generated by harnessing the heat produced by the on-site sulfuric acid plant. The remaining 7 MW will, it says, likely come from a nearby wind farm. Oranos business is to produce decarbonized energy, so we need to be consistent, says Marc Meleard, CEO of Badrakh Energy.

Munkhsuuri Dambadarjaa, 41, and his wife Tsevelmaa Narantogtool, 40, with their son three-year-old son, Irmuunbileg, in their home close to Zuuvch-Ovoo Nanna HeitmannMagnum Photos for TIME

Along with subterranean uranium deposits, the Gobi also offers tremendous solar and wind potential. Back in 2011, Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son even proposed an Asian Super Grid linking China, Japan, South Korea, and as far south as Singapore to solar and wind farms blanketing the Gobi. Although such grandiose plans have stalled, Mongolia remains committed to becoming a net-zero economy by 2050 and hopes to set international standards for responsible resource exploitation. The journey is just starting because of the global decarbonization shift, says Orchlon Enkhtsetseg, a former mining executive who founded renewable-energy startup URECA. So how do we put in policies now so that Mongolia is positioned as the most economically competitive place to buy renewable energy from?

Yet competition also brings challenges. Orano is 90% owned by the French government, and Thoumyre insists Zuuvch-Ovoo will certainly contribute to the energy security of Europe. But Mongolias uranium requires processing at one of the dozen or so enrichment facilities around the worldand the closest are in Russia and China. Even if Orano wanted to ship elsewhere, Mongolias geography necessitates using Chinese ports. Oyun-Erdene insists our two immediate neighbors do not interfere in our domestic affairs. But few believe Mongolia would be immune to pressure if the Wests relations with Moscow and Beijing continue to deteriorate. When it comes to resources and energy, when is geopolitics not involved? asks Enkhtsetseg pointedly.

Recent experience also makes mining a contentious topic in domestic Mongolian politics, especially as parliamentary elections approach in June. Resource development is probably the biggest dilemma that were facing as a country, says Amarjin Nemekhbayar, an adviser to the chairman of the opposition Democratic Party of Mongolia. As commodity prices soared in the early 2000s, Mongolia briefly became the worlds fastest-growing economy, earning the sobriquet Mine-golia. Prospectors from across North America and Europe quaffed single-malt in upscale Ulan Bator nightspots. But the mineral boom was short-lived, and in 2017 Mongolia went cap in hand to the International Monetary Fund for a $5.5 billion bailout.

Marc Meleard, CEO of Badrakh Energy, on the Soviet-era train from Sainshand to Ulan Bator. Nanna HeitmannMagnum Photos for TIME

Mongolia boasts significant deposits of gold, copper, phosphorus, zinc, and lithium, as well as coal and uranium. The impetus is to not repeat the mistakes of the past, says Oyun-Erdene. It is very important to go step-by-step. Whereas Mongolia spent profligately during its previous mining boom, Oyun-Erdene says future revenues will be put into a sovereign wealth fund and used to expand other sectors like agriculture and tourism so that we can diversify our economy.

Past missteps also mean Oranos joint venture has been closely scrutinized. Orano boasts a 90% stake in Badrakh Energy with 10% owned by Mongolia, reducing state liabilities, though that smaller slice will be preferred shares, receiving prioritized dividends and guaranteeing over 50% of the global benefits of the mine go to the people of Mongolia, says Thoumyre. Meleard estimates Mongolias share at over $2 billion over the projects lifetime. Octobers accord between Orano and Erdenes Mongol LLC was signed inside the Elysee Palace in Paris in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron and Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh. Yet despite this backing, the investment agreement remains stalled after two separate heads of the relevant working group were transferred to other posts. We had to restart nearly from scratch, Meleard sighs wearily. Maybe well have more chance after the election. Its quite difficult to read.

Badrakh Energy staff gather for a morning meeting at Zuuvch-Ovoo mine, close to the pilot project. Nanna HeitmannMagnum Photos for TIME

Orano has so far plowed $250 million into its Mongolia operation without earning a cent. Since 2006, it has launched over 300 projects including new community centers for herders and planting 20,000 native saxaul bushes to combat desertification. In the nearest town of Ulaanbadrakh, last year alone Orano helped renovate the hospital, meeting hall, museum, and school, which has 226 students 8 to 14 years old. Orano purchased 14 computers for the school in 2016 and is about to replace them for the third time. Touring the dozen immaculate classrooms, flanked by trophies and crayon drawings of Bart Simpson, the head teacher asks the tidily dressed children if theyve heard of Orano. Yes, it bought the minibus! shouts one student. The whiteboard! chimes in another. And the books! says a third. The teacher uses our visit to make a spirited argument for why her charges also need tablets.

In the Gobi, Orano operates as almost a state within a state; when the local governor needs something, he doesnt approach the cash-strapped central government, he goes directly to the mine. TIME saw a petition from the Mongolian military asking Orano for funds to repair the border fence. The seemingly endless flow of cash has engendered a sense of dependence and, perhaps inevitably, resentment.

The French are penny pinchers; the Chinese mine gives a lot more, complains herders wife Sarangerel Tsetsegee, seated by a cauldron of boiled beef bones in her brightly painted ger, as she picks gristle off a cow femur with a knife. Her gripe is that Orano contributed to the governments emergency fund to provide hay during the dzud instead of doling out cash. You should give the money directly to the herders!

While you might expect the boss of a multibillion-dollar mining venture to travel by private jet or helicopter, Meleard chats with TIME on the rattling Soviet-era train he takes every few weeks for the 10-hour trudge between the Gobi city of Sainshand and Ulan Bator. He doesnt begrudge due diligence, but his frustration is palpable. By comparison, Orano also entered Kazakhstan the same year as Mongolia and by 2005 was selling that uranium on the international market. Today, Orano extracts as much uranium in a single day from its Kazakh mine as the Mongolia pilot project produced across its entire 18 months of operation. And even that uranium still sits within 120 black drums inside shipping containers at Zuuvch-Ovoo, since Orano hasnt been granted an export license.

Meleard admits that were Orano a private rather than state-owned firm, it probably would have abandoned Mongolia long ago.

Its already 27 years with only expenses, he says with a Gallic shrug. Its really too long. Such delays are very specific to Mongolia, he laments, as our train rolls out of Sainshand station.

Behind us, Danzanravjaas cosmic portal and its ethereal promise of Shambala fades into the gloom. But the prospect of a better tomorrow springing from the Gobi feels very real and very closeif only today can first be secured.

Write to Charlie Campbell at charlie.campbell@time.com.
A windmill draws water for livestock in Leupp, Ariz., on the Navajo Nation, Saturday, March 9, 2024. A proposed water rights settlement for three Native American tribes that carries a price tag larger than any such agreement enacted by Congress took a significant step forward late Monday, May 13, with introduction in the Navajo Nation Council. (AP Photo/Felicia Fonseca)

LEUPP, Ariz. (AP)  A proposed water rights settlement for three Native American tribes that carries a price tag larger than any such agreement enacted by Congress has taken a major step forward with its introduction to the Navajo Nation Council.

The Navajo Nation has one of the largest single outstanding claims in the Colorado River basin and will vote soon on the measure in a special session. It's the first of many approvals  ending with Congress  that's needed to finalize the deal presented on Monday.

Climate change, the coronavirus pandemic and demands on the river like those that have allowed Phoenix, Las Vegas and other desert cities to thrive pushed the tribes into settlement talks. The Navajo, Hopi and San Juan Southern Paiute tribes are hoping to close the deal quickly under a Democratic administration in Arizona and with Joe Biden as president.

A landmark 1922 agreement divided the Colorado River basin water among seven Western states but left out tribes. The tribes are seeking water from a mix of sources: the Colorado River, the Little Colorado River, aquifers and washes on tribal lands in northeastern Arizona.

Nearly a third of homes in the Navajo Nation  spanning 27,000 square miles (70,000 square kilometers) of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah  don't have running water. Many homes on Hopi lands are similarly situated.

San Juan Southern Paiute will vote on the settlement within weeks, tribal President Robbin Preston Jr. said in an email. Along with guaranteed water deliveries, the tribe is asking Congress to approve a treaty it signed with the Navajo Nation in 2000 establishing an 8.4 square-mile (21.8 square-kilometer) reservation within the Navajo reservation.

We will have economic opportunities that our tribal members have never seen before, and which will give hope and pride to our people, Preston said.

The Hopi Tribal Council will consider the settlement during a meeting on May 20.

Without a settlement, the tribes would be at the mercy of courts. Already, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the federal government is not bound by treaties with the Navajo Nation to secure water for the tribe. Navajo has the largest land base of any of the 574 federally recognized tribes and is second in population with more than 400,000 citizens.

A separate case that has played out over decades in Arizona over the Little Colorado River basin likely will result in far less water than the Navajo Nation says it needs because the tribe has to prove it has historically used the water. Thats hard to do when the tribe hasnt had access to much of it, Navajo Attorney General Ethel Branch said.

Congress has enacted nearly three dozen tribal water rights settlements across the U.S. since 1978. Federal negotiation teams are working on another 22 settlements involving 34 tribes in nine states, the Interior Department said.

The costliest one enacted by Congress was for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in Montana at $1.9 billion. The Navajo, Hopi and San Juan Southern Paiute tribes are seeking more than $5 billion in their settlement.

About $1.75 billion of that would fund a pipeline from Lake Powell, one of the two largest reservoirs in the Colorado River system, on the Arizona-Utah border. The settlement would require the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to complete the project by the end of 2040.

From there, water would be delivered to dozens of tribal communities in remote areas.

Whatever funding we walk away with is funding we don't otherwise have," Branch said. It will be a challenge.

The Navajo Nation has settled its claims to the Colorado River basin in New Mexico and Utah. It's separately pursuing two other much smaller settlements in New Mexico.

Arizona  situated in the Colorado Rivers Lower Basin with California, Nevada and Mexico  is unique in that it also has an allocation in the Upper Basin. Under the settlement terms, Navajo and Hopi would get about 47,000 acre-feet in the Upper Basin  nearly the entire amount that was set aside for use at the Navajo Generating Station, a coal-fired power plant that shut down in late 2019. Navajo previously had agreed not to seek that water for the 50 years prior to 2019.

The proposal also includes a combined 9,500 acre-feet per year of water from the Colorado River's Lower Basin for Navajo and Hopi. Navajo additionally would have the right to draw 40,780 acre-feet from the Little Colorado River  about one-third of what's estimated to reach the reservation annually.

An acre-foot of water is roughly enough to serve two to three U.S. households annually.

Arizona, in turn, gets certainty in the amount of water available throughout the state as it's forced to cut back as the overall supply diminishes. Navajo and Hopi, like other Arizona tribes, could be part of that solution if they secure the right to lease water within the state that could be delivered through a canal system that already serves metropolitan Tucson and Phoenix.

The leasing authority is a key component of the settlement and will allow for the tribes to get value for these water supplies as they grow into their own use and infrastructure is built over time, Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, said in an email Tuesday.

He said the settlement was significant because of the size and nature of the claims and because its been decades in the making.

Navajo and Hopi came close to reaching a pact to settle water rights in Arizona in 2012, but the tentative deal fell through. This time around, Navajo officials launched a public education campaign.

They held lengthy community meetings with translations in Navajo  to bee ha haz' a meaning water right," for example  and described water's role in the tribe's creation story and in ceremonies. They explained complicated water law, past attempts to settle and what's at stake if the settlement fails.

In Leupp, the audience mostly asked about immediate needs: fixing the electricity on the water pump, improving roads and drilling wells.

Marlene Yazzie recalled her mother hitchhiking more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) to pressure tribal officials for electricity and water  which never came. Yazzie herself relies on water hauled to her home in nearby Birdsprings for washing, drinking and for her livestock.

How many more years do we have to wait?" she asked.
MENOMINEE, Mich. (WJMN)  A Manistique man was sentenced to decades in prison after a two-day trial ended with a guilty verdict, according to Menominees prosecuting attorney.

This news comes about a year after Johnny Lee Tucker, a 30-year-old man from Manistique, was pulled over in Menominee County last June.

Menominee County Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Rogg tells Local 3 that Tucker was the subject of a traffic stop where a K-9 sniffed out drugs inside the vehicle. It is unclear what initially rose the officers suspicions, but after the do alerted to narcotics, a woman riding in Tuckers car produced a small bag of methamphetamine from her bra.

During a complete search of the car, law enforcement also found a digital scale, another bag of methamphetamine, and several empty bags consistent with distribution amounts were also found.

NO EMERGENCY: Living in a town without an E.R.

Rogg said Tucker admitted to trafficking large amounts of methamphetamine from Wisconsin, and buying a half-pound of the drug just days earlier.

Methamphetamine trafficking funnels poison into our communities, said Rogg. This investigation and subsequent conviction of this criminal drug dealer demonstrates my commitment to fight the drug cartels who have no regard for the citizens of our community.

Last week, Tucker stood before Circuit Court Judge Ninomiya who sentenced him to 22-45 years in prison. The specific charges against him were Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Deliver and Possession of Methamphetamine.

On the sentence, Rogg said, I appreciate Judge Ninomiya in supporting my efforts to eradicate drug dealers from Menominee County with this harsh, decades-long sentence, for a man who deserved no less.

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 WJMN - UPMatters.com.
Federal prosecutors have asked the judge overseeing Steve Bannons prison term to reverse a stay on the sentence now that an appeals court has upheld his contempt of Congress conviction.

In a motion filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia on Tuesday, prosecutors requested that US District Judge Carl Nichols overturn the stay on Mr Bannons four-month prison sentence following a three-panel appeals courts decision, stating in documents that there is no legal basis to continue the stay.

Mr Bannon was convicted of two counts of contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a subpoena from the House January 6 committee to testify and provide documents in the case.

The political strategist, who previously served as an adviser to former president Donald Trump, was sentenced to four months in prison and hit with a $6,500 fine in October 2022.

Prosecutors have filed a motion with the DC District Court asking a judge to reverse a stay on Steve Bannons prison sentence (AP)

Mr Bannon appealed the sentence, prompting the judge to issue a stay on his prison term.

On Friday, Judge Bradley Garcia issued a formal denial of that request.

In a ruling from the appeals court, Judge Bradley Garcia wrote: As both this court and the Supreme Court have repeatedly explained, a contrary rule would contravene the text of the contempt statute and hamstring Congresss investigatory authority.

He added: Because we have no basis to depart from that binding precedent, and because none of Bannons other challenges to his convictions have merit, we affirm.

Since Mr Bannons appeal was not successful, prosecutors said: Consequently, there is no longer a substantial question of law that is likely to result in a reversal or an order for a new trial. Under these circumstances, the Court shall order defendant be detained so the stay of sentence must be lifted.

Judge Nichols has not issued a ruling on the matter but ordered Mr Bannon to respond to the motion by Thursday. The Independent emailed the office of David I Schoen, Mr Bannons attorney, for comment.

The attorney has asked to file his response on May 20, in a move that was opposed by the Department of Justice prosecutors, according to court documents. If granted, Mr Bannon will have more time on the outside before his prison term begins.
Social media has been abuzz with debate about if you'd rather run into a man or a bear in the wild. After a recent harrowing experience in the forest caught on video, two foragers in Japan might opt for the man.

Video shared by Nippon TV News 24 Japan documented what happened. The two explorers in rural Hokkaido faced down an angry brown bear on a woodland road in a mini truck. They were driving the vehicle when the bear suddenly appeared from the side of the road in a clearly agitated state. It wasted no time in charging toward the truck with all its might, attacking head-on, cracking the windshield, and nearly ripping off one of the wipers.

The men tried to escape right away, but the bear chased after the truck while they tried to get away. According to Nippon TV News, the men unknowingly drove their truck between the mama bear and her cubs as she seemingly crossed the road before her cubs could, leaving a gap for the vehicle to pass through.

The mother's natural instincts likely kicked in as she was defending her cubs from a perceived threat. The drivers simply found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. Needless to say they're probably counting their blessings that they were in a metal vehicle.

Regardless, it's probably best to stay prepared with bear spray if you're going to venture out into the wilderness just in case.
Protests around the world commemorate 76th anniversary of the Nakba and call for a cease-fire in Gaza

Protests around the world commemorate 76th anniversary of the Nakba and call for a cease-fire in Gaza

Protests commemorating the upcoming 76th anniversary of the Nakba and calling for a cease-fire in Gaza were seen around the world this weekend.

The Nakba, which means catastrophe in Arabic, refers to the forced removal of an estimated 750,000 Palestinians from their homes in preparation for the founding of Israel in 1948. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, some Jewish militias massacred Palestinian civilians, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported, and hundreds of thousands of them were forced to flee their homes, according to the United Nations. Although the Nakba is not believed to have happened in one day, it's widely commemorated on May 15.

This year, the Nakba anniversary comes amid Israel's war in the Gaza Strip, which has killed over 35,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials. Israel launched its assault on Gaza following the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 250 others taken hostage into Gaza, according to Israeli officials.

Last week, the Israeli army ignored U.S. warnings and ordered around 100,000 people to evacuate Rafah, where many of those who live in Gaza have been displaced over seven months of war. Palestinians who have been forced from their homes fear they are being permanently expelled from their land, just like many of their relatives were in 1948.

Pro-Palestinian demonstration in Madrid (David Canales / Sipa USA via AP)

Over the weekend, crowds gathered in cities around the world, including in the U.S., the U.K., the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Ireland. Protesters marched with Palestinian flags and signs calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, as well as for displaced Palestinians right to return to their homes.

Additional protests in more countries, like Wales, Germany and Belgium, are planned for this week.

U.S.

In Brooklyn, New York, hundreds of people gathered at the Barclays Center on Saturday to call for an end to what many believe is a genocide in Gaza, as well as to call on the U.S. to stop sending weapons to Israel.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators outside Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., on May 11, 2024. (Alex Kent / Getty Images)

The U.S. is still sending weapons to Israel despite stopping an arms shipment of 2,000-pound and 500-pound bombs to the country last week over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plans for a full-scale invasion of Rafah.

Protesters chanted, "We want justice. You know how? Stop bombing Rafah now." Some brought drums, which they played along with protest chants.

New York City Police Department officers in riot gear were seen closing in on protesters at one point and arresting them. More than 160 people were taken into custody over the course of the protest, according to the NYPD.

Hamed Yaghi and Souad Yaghi, a brother and sister from Connecticut, came to the Brooklyn protest to honor the victims of the Nakba, which they say not many people know about.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators join arms as they block traffic on the Manhattan Bridge. (Alex Kent / Getty Images)

"We hope that everyone that sees the protest tries to research the history of Palestine," 20-year-old Hamed Yaghi told NBC News.

Elsewhere in New York, protesters blocked traffic on the Manhattan Bridge on Saturday.

Pro-Palestinian protest to commemorate Nakba Day in Orlando (Paul Hennessy / Anadolu via Getty Images)

In Seattle, protesters gathered to commemorate the Nakba at Westlake Park. In videos circulating online, protesters are heard chanting, "Hey hey, ho ho, the occupation has got to go."

U.K.

Protesters were seen in multiple cities in the United Kingdom on Saturday, including Bristol and London.

In Bristol, protesters carried signs that read, "Free Palestine."

Pro-Palestinian Protest London (Kristian Buus / In Pictures via Getty Images)

Protesters wearing and waving Palestinian flags also gathered in Northamptonshire on Saturday.

Another protest commemorating the 76th anniversary of the Nakba is planned in central London this Saturday.

Canada

Hundreds of protesters could be seen in Montreal at Westmount Square on Saturday calling for a cease-fire in Gaza.

Pro-Palestinian demonstration in Toronto (Mert Alper Dervis/= / Anadolu via Getty Images)

A few protesters held a banner that read, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

A large gathering of protesters was also seen in Toronto near the U.S. Consulate.

Australia

On Sunday, protesters gathered in Melbourne at State Library Victoria.

Pro-Palestinian marchers in Melbourne, Australia. (@MixtUpMixy via X)

One protester held a sign in support of health care workers in Gaza that read, "YOU ARE NOT ALONE."

The Netherlands

In Amsterdam, protesters held a large Palestinian flag in the city center, video posted on social media showed.

Pro-Palestinians rally in the center of Amsterdam on May 11, 2024. (Ana Fernandez / Sipa USA via AP)

"10.000 against the settler colonial state and the ethnic cleansing of Palestine," one protester wrote in a caption on X accompanying the video.

New Zealand

Supporters of Palestinians were seen in New Plymouth on Sunday carrying a sign that read, "STOP THE GENOCIDE."

A

Also on Sunday in Auckland, protesters gathered at Aotea Square with instruments including drums and saxophones called for a "free Palestine."

Ireland

A small group of protesters in Fingal chanted "Free, free Palestine" over the weekend in a video shared by local politician John Burtchaell.

A small group of pro-Palestinian protesters in Fingal County, Ireland (John Burtchaell)

One protester held a sign that read, Hands off Rafah.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Update: The suspicious package was a bag that contained personal items that were mistakenly left by a sailor. The bag was safely cleared, said NCIS spokesperson Darwin Lam in an email to Kitsap Sun on May 16.

BREMERTON  Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility was locked down Tuesday morning due to an investigation of a suspicious package at the shipyard.

At approximately 9 a.m., Naval Base Kitsap Police responded to a suspicious package found within the shipyards Controlled Industrial Area, PSNS spokesperson Adrienne Burns said in an email.

"In line with our rigorous security protocols, and to ensure utmost safety, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility issued a shelter-in-place order for all of PSNS & IMF Bremerton," Burns said.

The Hammerhead crane at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton on Friday, April 14, 2023. PSNS & IMF issued a shelter-in-place order for all of PSNS & IMF Bremerton after a suspicious package was found within the shipyards' Controlled Industrial Area on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.

Inbound and outbound traffic and pedestrian movement were halted for about 45 minutes until a perimeter was established, Burns said.

Security personnel secured the area, assessed the package, and decided there was no threat, which allowed the shipyard to resume normal operations throughout most of the shipyard and re-open most of the shipyard access turnstiles at that time, Burns said.

PSNS fully returned to normal operations at about 11:15 a.m., the spokesperson said.

Naval Criminal Investigative Service Bremerton is investigating the incident, Burns said.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Danger cleared after suspicious package found at shipyard
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. Yerevan has appealed to withdraw temporary operational groups of Russian border guards from the line of demarcation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, and the relevant decision has already been made, candidate for the post of FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov said during the meeting in the Federation Council, Trend reports.

According to him, the Armenian side requested to withdraw temporary task forces from the borderline and to close the problem of presence in those areas, which were not legally defined in any way.

He also noted that the border checkpoint at Yerevan's Zvartnots airport will be closed soon.

At the same time, as Bortnikov emphasized, the Russian side was asked to continue guarding the border with Turkiye and Iran.

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After being mercilessly bullied by Donald Trump during his failed run for president, Ron DeSantis is now helping Donald Trump.

The Florida governor is going to be fundraising for Trump over the next few weeks, as they discussed during a meeting last month in Miami. DeSantis is calling donors while his staff organizes a travel schedule that includes stops in Florida and Texas, the AP reported late Monday.

Its a far cry from the presidential primary race, when Trump called DeSantis a variety of names, including Meatball Ron, Rob, Ron DeSanctimonious, and Ron DeSanctus, as well as the pedophile slur groomer. A story about DeSantis eating pudding with his fingers was the basis for an attack ad from a Trump-aligned political action committee.

So what is DeSantiss angle? His authoritarian laws have crumbled, losing in repeated court cases, and DeSantis has been forced to back away from measures such as his signature book ban. Hes probably eyeing the 2028 race and hoping to stay in Trumps favor, having endorsed Trump right after he dropped out of the current presidential race.

Trumps campaign desperately needs the cash, as nearly a third of his campaign donations have gone to pay the former presidents legal bills. He has even resorted to selling the use of his likeness to other political campaigns.
Editor's note: This story was updated Tuesday afternoon to include additional comments from Pueblo city councilors.

Pueblo City Council approved an ordinance Monday to ban needle exchange programs from operating in the city.

Nearly 90% of the community members who spoke during public comment at Monday's council meeting expressed opposition to the ban, but council still passed the ordinance on a 5-2 vote.

Councilors Mark Aliff, Roger Gomez, Charles Hernandez, Joe Latino and Regina Maestri were the five councilors to vote in favor of the ordinance, which makes the "establishment, use or participation in" needle exchange programs a municipal offense. Councilors Dennis Flores and Sarah Martinez were in the minority, casting the two "no" votes.

Creating, administering, or participating in a syringe exchange program will now be considered a nuisance under the same section of Pueblo city code that regulates offenses against property.

Pueblo City Councilor Roger Gomez asks questions to representatives from Access Point Pueblo during a discussion about Gomez's ordinance to ban needle exchanges from operating in Pueblo on Monday, May 13, 2024.

Nuisances are considered Class 2 municipal offenses, but a habitual offender with two or more offenses within a five-year period could receive a jail sentence of up to 364 days.

Why needle exchange programs exist in Pueblo

Syringe exchange programs have operated in Pueblo for at least a decade. The only two organizations that operate such programs locally, Access Point Pueblo and the Southern Colorado Harm Reduction Association, provide unused syringes and safe disposal of used syringes to Pueblo residents in an effort to reduce the spread of bloodborne illnesses and the number of overdose deaths.

"Of all of the public health interventions to reduce HIV, syringe access programs have been one of the most effective strategies," Access Point Pueblo Health Hub Program Manager Sarah Money told the Chieftain on March 29. "In the last four years... we have not had a single reactive HIV test from someone who uses drugs."

Access Point Pueblo Health Hub Manager Sarah Money speaks against a proposed ban on needle exchanges during a Pueblo City Council meeting on Monday, May 13, 2024.

Nearly three decades of research has shown that needle exchange programs, also known as syringe services programs, "are safe, effective, and cost-saving, do not increase illegal drug use or crime, and play an important role in reducing the transmission of viral hepatitis, HIV and other infections," according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Why some in Pueblo fought for the ban

However, such programs have drawn the ire of some politicians and business owners in the Steel City who claim that they encourage drug use and increase the number of discarded needles found throughout Pueblo.

The City is experiencing an increase in the number of dirty hypodermic needles, syringes, and other drug paraphernalia being discarded in the Citys public places presenting a threat to the health, property, safety, and welfare of the public in the City of Pueblo, states a background paper on the ordinance, which was introduced by Gomez.

Syringe exchange programs have become a hotly contested topic in the Steel City and Monday nights meeting was further evidence of that.

Lets return our city to some common decency Lets not promote this continual, perpetual enabling of the degradation of our country and our society, said Augustine Garcia, who spoke in favor of the ordinance Monday night.

A large group of citizens turned out for a Pueblo City Council meeting concerning the needle exchange ban on Monday, May 13, 2024.

While six residents spoke in favor of the ban, the vast majority of attendees seated inside packed council chambers Monday night opposed the ban. A total of 44 residents spoke against the ordinance prior to councils vote.

How is banning one of the first steps to recovery, an actual health intervention, going to be efficient at healing drug users? said BreeAnna Guerra Rodriguez, an opponent of the ordinance. It wont be.

Prior to Monday nights regular council meeting, members of Access Point Pueblo and the community outreach program Project Apollo spoke against the ban on syringe exchange programs during a council work session.

Apollo Project representatives Dr. Alexandra Kellogg, right, and Dr. John Emahiser deliver a presentation advocating against a proposed ban on needle exchange programs during a Pueblo City Council meeting on Monday, May 13, 2024.

All of the research done in the past 30 years points to sterile syringe programs being the best option for reducing IV drug use, reducing HIV transmission, reducing hepatitis C rates and helping drug users get into treatment, said Dr. John Emahiser, a resident physician with Project Apollo.

However, council members who would later approve the ban made their opinions known as well during the work session.

We have needles all over, Maestri said. We have business owners and teachers coming in and cleaning up the mess thats created by the user who isnt responsible enough to dispose of their needles.

Council members heard from 44 opponents of the ordinance. Why did the majority of them still vote for it?

Members of Pueblo City Council heard more than two hours of public commentary from Pueblo residents opposing the prohibition of syringe exchange programs compared to just 18 minutes of commentary from those who supported it on Monday night.

Martinez told Monday night's attendees that she also received over 40 emails  including some from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the Colorado Providers Association, business owners and law enforcement  urging council to vote against the ordinance.

However, council members who voted against the ordinance claimed last night's turnout and those emails were not representative of the Pueblo community as a whole. Hernandez told the Chieftain that several members of the community who support the ordinance did not speak publicly or send emails for "fear of retribution" or "retaliation."

Similarly, Latino told the Chieftain that he received a number of calls and text messages from community members supporting his "yes" vote on the ordinance.

"It's what's best for this community," Latino said. "In particular, the safety of the young people, the children, young adults, and adults themselves and the community in general."

Maestri told the Chieftain that many Pueblo residents share the sentiment syringe access programs have not done an adequate job in the "exchange" and disposal of used syringes.

"Despite the CDC, the statistics and the data  it is not wearing well on our community... the needle exchange was always referred to as a needle exchange," Maestri said. "That's how the program was sold to the community, but if they're having sharps boxes and disposal kiosks everywhere, they're not tracking it."

Harm reduction organizations speak out: Pueblo harm reduction experts say needle exchange ban would 'lead to a lot more needles'

Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached at JBartolo@gannett.com. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Why Pueblo City Council is banning needle exchanges
Russian ruler Vladimir Putin has signed a decree appointing Andrei Belousov as Defence Minister of Russia, replacing Sergei Shoigu.

Source: Kremlin press service

Details: Belousov was previously the First Deputy Prime Minister.

Putin also signed decrees appointing new industry and trade, sport, transport, energy and agriculture ministers.

All other ministers have remained in their positions, including Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Foreign Intelligence Service chief Sergei Naryshkin, and FSB director Alexander Bortnikov.

Background:

On 12 May, it was reported that Putin was proposing to appoint First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov as Defence Minister, replacing Sergei Shoigu.

At the same time, RIA Novosti reported that Putin had appointed Shoigu as Secretary of Russias Security Council and had dismissed the previous Secretary, Nikolai Patrushev, "in connection with his transfer to another position".

On 14 May, Belousov outlined his priorities as head of the Russian Defence Ministry.

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Putin expected in Beijing for talks with China's Xi on Thursday

Russian President Vladimir Putin talks on the phone before his inauguration ceremony as President of the Russian Federation in the Kremlin. -/Kremlin/dpa

Following the start of his fifth term in office, Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to China this week for a rare visit abroad and his first official trip to a foreign country as part of his new tenure.

The Kremlin leader is expected to arrive in Beijing on Thursday at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping and stay until Friday, China's state news agency Xinhua reported.

The Kremlin also confirmed the planned visit. Talks will centre on bilateral ties as well as international politics, it said.

According to the Kremlin's official press service, the talks will be followed by the publication of a joint declaration and the signing of several agreements. Putin and Xi will also take part in a ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, it said.

Putin's last official state visit to Russia's eastern neighbour was almost six years ago.

However, he was in Beijing last October to attend a summit focused on China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a massive infrastructure project intended to better connect Asia to European and African markets.

The choice of China as Putin's first destination after his re-election in March underscores the close ties between the two nuclear powers and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

Since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the imposition of Western sanctions, Russia has been largely internationally isolated.

However, China has not condemned the attack and has adopted a neutral stance towards the outside world, while continuing to back its long-standing partner.

So far, Beijing has not agreed to participate in an upcoming peace conference hosted by Switzerland, to which Russia has not been invited.

China says it does support a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine within the framework of a conference but maintains this must fulfil the demands of both warring parties.
Putin to meet with Xi Jinping on 16 May in China

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin will go to China on 16-17 May for talks with Xi Jinping.

Source: Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti

Details: It is reported that during the trip, the leaders of Russia and China will discuss issues of partnership and strategic cooperation, and "exchange views on the most pressing international and regional issues".

RIA Novosti also has information that Putin and Xi Jinping will take part in a gala evening on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the opening of the Years of Culture between Russia and China.

Their talks are expected to result in the signing of a Joint Statement and a number of bilateral documents.

Background:

On 19 March, Reuters with reference to its sources reported that Russian leader Vladimir Putin would visit China in May 2024 for talks with Xi Jinping, which could be the Kremlin leader's first foreign trip after the "presidential election".

Prior to that, Politico learned that Xi Jinping would meet with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris in early May.

Xi Jinping congratulated Putin on his "re-election" as the leader of the Russian Federation and said that China was committed to maintaining close ties with Russia to promote their partnership.

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Putin is plotting physical attacks on the West, says GCHQ chief

Vladimir Putin is a growing threat to the West, GCHQ's first woman chief has warned - Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

Vladimir Putins Russia is preparing physical attacks against the West, the head of GCHQ has warned, as British and American intelligence officials laid bare the dual threat posed by Moscow and Beijing.

Anne Keast-Butler, who was appointed to lead Britains signals intelligence operations last May, used her first major speech to highlight the immediate threat posed by the Kremlin and the epoch-defining risk posed by China to the UK and its allies.

The GCHQ director told a gathering of cyber security experts in Birmingham that her agency believed Moscow was looking to go further than attacks simply in cyberspace.

The signals agency is increasingly concerned about growing links between the Russian intelligence services and proxy groups to conduct cyber-attacks  as well as suspected physical surveillance and sabotage operations.

Ms Keast-Butler, who is the first woman to hold the post in the agencys 105-year history, said Moscow was nurturing and inspiring groups of cyber attackers, and in some cases seemingly co-ordinating physical attacks against the West.

Last week, a British man was charged with an arson attack in London and accused by prosecutors of working for Wagner Group, the Russian paramilitary organisation.

Speaking at the CyberUK conference, Ms Keast-Butler said Putin has not given up on his maximalist goal of subjugating the population of Ukraine.

She added that UK support for Kyiv remained steadfast, with British spies continuing to bolster the countrys cyber defences.

Anne Keast-Butler is the first woman to lead GCHQ in its 105-year history - GCHQ/PA

Russia has long been accused of protecting cyber gangs that target Western organisations, allowing them to operate with relative impunity as they carry out sophisticated hacks.

Last week, the National Crime Agency named Dmitry Khoroshev, a Russian national, as the person behind LockBit  a ransomware group that had stolen hundreds of millions of pounds from businesses.

Royal Mail fell victim to a LockBit attack last year, after the Russia-based gang paralysed the postal services ability to send letters and parcels abroad.

Prior to that, LockBit also targeted London-listed car dealership Pendragon, scrambling computers across its 200 sites and demanding a 60m ransom to unlock them.

Directing physical attacks in the West would represent an escalation of Moscows hostility towards the West.

Despite the growing threat from Russia, Ms Keast-Butler said China was taking up more resource than any other single mission at GCHQ.

Ms Keast-Butler said China posed the greatest threat to Britain, representing a genuine and increasing cyber risk to the UK.

While she said the UK was open to engaging with China on areas that are mutually beneficial, such as climate change or artificial intelligence safety, Ms Keast-Butler added that the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] poses a significant risk to international norms and values.

She said China was seeking to shape global technology standards in its own favour and wanted to assert its dominance within the next 10 to 15 years.

The warning over China comes days after it emerged a Ministry of Defence contractor was hacked in an attack blamed on Beijing. Payroll data on 270,000 current and former military personnel was compromised in the breach.

The US government has also accused China of extensive efforts to infiltrate its critical infrastructure via a hacking group dubbed Volt Typhoon.

American officials believe the group has sought to penetrate water facilities, the power grid and transportation systems, lying dormant with tools that can be unleashed in the event of a conflict.

Harry Coker, the White Houses national cyber director, who also appeared at CyberUK, warned China could use its pre-positioned hacking resources to wreak havoc on civilian critical infrastructure to deter US mobility in the event of a conflict.

Felicity Oswald, the chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre, GCHQs cyber arm, said: This is a clear warning about Chinas intent to hold essential networks at risk. And it is a warning that providers of essential services in the UK cannot afford to ignore.

Lord Cameron, the Foreign Secretary, summoned Chinas ambassador to the UK to a meeting after three people were charged on Monday with spying for Hong Kong.

A Foreign Office spokesman said the Government was unequivocal in setting out that the recent pattern of behaviour directed by China against the UK, including cyber-attacks, reports of espionage links and the issuing of bounties, is not acceptable.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting with members of the Security Council via videoconference at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Monday, May 13, 2024. (Aleksey Babushkin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

MOSCOW (AP)  Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed a decree appointing a new government, including replacement of the defense minister with a former deputy prime minister who is an economics expert with no military background.

When Putin was inaugurated for a new six-year term on May 7, the government submitted its resignation in line with Russian law. Putin reappointed Mikhail Mishustin as prime minister three days later, which was quickly approved by the lower house of parliament.

On Sunday, he signed a decree moving Sergei Shoigu from his post as defense minister to head of the national security council. Putin also nominated deputy prime minister Andrei Belousov to take Shoigu's place.

Putin also proposed names for some Cabinet members to return to their posts and Mishustin submitted names for several new ministers, all of which were approved by the parliament.

Shoigu has been widely seen as a key figure in Putins decision to send Russian troops into Ukraine. Russia had expected the operation to quickly overwhelm Ukraines much smaller and less-equipped army and for Ukrainians to broadly welcome Russian troops.

Instead, the conflict galvanized Ukraine to mount an intense defense, dealing the Russian army humiliating blows, including the retreat from an attempt to take the capital, Kyiv, and a counteroffensive that drove Moscows forces out of the Kharkiv region.

Shoigu also was shadowed by the arrest last month of deputy defense minister Timur Ivanov on charges of accepting huge bribes.

The decree by Putin largely retains the previous Cabinet, but names new energy, sports, transport, industry and agriculture ministers.
(Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees on Tuesday appointing all members of the government and planned a late-evening meeting with his new cabinet line-up, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.

The single announcement on the cabinet took the form of a list of all the appointees without commentary, indicating that Putin had signed the appropriate decrees.

Tass news agency quoted Peskov as saying that Putin would hold a meeting with his new cabinet late in the evening.

"We are expecting such a meeting," Peskov told the agency.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Chris Reese and Leslie Adler)
The Russian polar research vessel Alexander Karpinsky drew little attention as it docked at Cape Town on its way back from Antarctica in February 2020.

At the time, Western governments were consumed by reports about the deadly coronavirus that was spreading from China to the rest of the world.

Yet the news carried aboard the blue and red-coloured Karpinsky was seismic in nature, both literally and figuratively.

In a statement following the ships expedition, the Russian geological agency Rosgeo said surveys had identified approximately 70bn tons of oil and gas buried beneath the Antarctic Shelf.

That is equivalent to more than 500 billion barrels of crude oil, enough to meet global demand for 14 years. It followed years of detailed surveys by Rosgeo, including ventures in swathes of the region that are claimed by Britain.

The data obtained during the new expedition will make it possible to substantially clarify our expectations of the oil and gas-bearing prospects of the Antarctic Shelf Seas, noted Sergey Kozlov, chief geologist at PMGE, a subsidiary of Rosgeo.

Fast forward four years, however, and the West is finally taking notice of this startling discovery and its potential implications for geopolitics.

Last week MPs demanded answers about Russias troubling activities in the far south, grilling Foreign Office officials and a top government minister at a committee hearing.

Their intervention followed concerns that Moscows geological surveys may be a prelude to a resource grab, at a time when Vladimir Putins regime is being squeezed economically by Western sanctions.

Drilling for resources in Antarctica would represent a breach of the international treaty that has governed the territory for decades, which specifically bans all activity relating to mineral resources, other than scientific research.

And though Russia insists the surveys are scientific in nature, experts are increasingly concerned that they represent just one example of so-called grey zone tactics being employed by the Kremlin around the globe, designed to muddy the waters of acceptable behaviour.

There is a worry that Russia is collecting seismic data that could be construed to be prospecting rather than scientific research, said Klaus Dodds, an Antarctic expert and professor of geopolitics at Royal Holloway College, in a submission to MPs.

Dodds has also pointed to clashes between Moscow and other countries including the UK, including over fishing rights, the blocking of Russian base camp inspections and a row over the invasion of Ukraine during a 2022 annual meeting.

Fitting into this pattern, Russias oil and gas surveys appear to be a conscientious decision to undermine the norms associated with seismic survey research, and ultimately a precursor for forthcoming resource extraction, Dodds has written elsewhere.

Antarctica, which spans an area roughly 56 times the total landmass of the UK, is not currently governed by any one country, making it a giant and inhospitable no-mans land.

This state of affairs dates back to the Antarctic Treaty, originally signed by 12 nations in 1959 as part of efforts to ensure scientific cooperation.

Seven made historical claims to territory  Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway and Britain  while the US and Russia (then the Soviet Union) each reserved a right to make claims in future, without recognising those of others.

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is responsible for carrying out the UKs scientific missions and maintaining a permanent presence that includes five research stations.

During the peak season for activity (winter time in the UK, when there is 24-hour daylight in Antarctica) the BAS also deploys the research ship RSS Sir David Attenborough to the region, allowing hundreds of researchers to get out into the field.

But today there are more than 50 signatories to the Antarctic Treaty, including big global powers such as China and India which are competing to set up their own infrastructure.

Dodds and other experts argue that containing Russia will require cooperation with these countries, many of whom feel that the treaty system has historically favoured the UK and other western European countries.

Already, some of these members have sided with Russia during disputes. At a tumultuous gathering of signatories in Berlin during 2022, the Russian delegation was denounced for flouting international law by invading Ukraine.

But China refused to endorse the criticism, warning other countries such as the UK not to politicise the Antarctic.

At the same time, the Foreign Office has been accused of complacency amid claims by officials that there is no evidence of malign intent from Russia.

Experts argue that the activities of Rosgeos ships such as the Karpinsky  and other infrastructure established by Russia  present a diplomatic dilemma because of their capability for both civilian and military purposes.

Rosgeo continues to maintain that its surveys are purely scientific.

During the committee session last week, MPs pressed Andrew Griffith, the science minister, and Jane Rumble, head of the polar regions department at the Foreign Office, over the extremely serious allegations about Russian malpractice.

But Rumble told them: There isnt any evidence that would point to a breach of the treaty. You would need different equipment between surveying and actual exploitation.

But yes, were watching it very closely and Russia has been tackled on this before and assured [other Antarctic Treaty signatories] on multiple occasions that this is a science programme.

There are also doubts about how realistic a resource grab by Russia in the Antarctic would be, given the generally hostile conditions.

To the fury of climate change campaigners, oil giant Shell at one point investigated whether it could extract resources from the Arctic region, also known as the High North.

But the company pulled out in 2015 after concluding it would be too expensive and risky.

None the less, Dodds believes the threat posed by Russia is concerning because of the state-backed nature of Rosgeo and the growing perception in Moscow that the Antarctic has a vital role to play in protecting its security interests.

He suggests that skilful diplomacy must be employed by London, including efforts to nail down more conclusively what kind of activities really qualify as research when it comes to exploratory oil and gas drilling.

With a meeting of the treaty participants due to take place in India later this month, the issue is almost certain to come up once again.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. In the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, 13 people were detained during a rally in front of parliament against the adopted On Foreign Influence law, the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs said, Trend reports.

It is reported that these individuals were detained for ignoring legal demands of the police and petty hooliganism.

The ministry stated that all illegal actions committed during the rally will be investigated.
Putin to visit China on May 16-17, meet Xi

Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit China on May 16-17 to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, the state-owned news agency RIA Novosti reported on May 14, citing the Kremlin's press service.

This would be Putin's first trip abroad since he was inaugurated for his fifth term in office after the March election, widely seen as rigged.

Xi and Putin plan to discuss a range of issues regarding their bilateral partnership and strategic interaction and identify key areas for future cooperation, the Kremlin's statement read.

The two leaders are expected to sign a joint statement and a number of bilateral documents.

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Putin will also meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang and visit the city of Harbin to take part in the opening ceremony of the eighth Russian-Chinese EXPO and the fourth Russian-Chinese Forum on Interregional Cooperation.

Putin previously visited China last October to attend the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing.

China officially declares itself a neutral party to Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine, but Washington has continued to sound the alarm on Beijing's support of Moscow's defense industry.

Beijing has also become Russia's economic lifeline amid tightening Western sanctions imposed on Moscow in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

Read also: While Xi tours Europe, China feeds Russias war machine

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Palestinians inspect damages following an Israeli air strike on Al-Zawayda town in the central Gaza Strip. Omar Naaman/dpa

Negotiations to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza war are now at a stalemate, having suffered a setback due to the Israeli military operation in Rafah, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman said on Tuesday.

"Right now, we are in the status of almost a stalemate. Of course, what happened with Rafah has set us backward a little bit," he told the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha.

Last week, Israel took control of the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, an operation that has halted humanitarian aid deliveries via the vital facility into the densely populated strip.

Israel deems Rafah the last stronghold of Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which killed hundreds of civilians in Israel in last year's October 7 attacks.

Qatar, together with Egypt and the United States, has been trying to negotiate a truce deal in the ongoing conflict.

Mohammed said there has been "a fundamental difference" between the two parties, as one wants to end the war before releasing the remaining hostages, while the other party wants the hostages while continuing the war.

"If those two elements align, I believe we can have a deal in a matter of days," the premier added.

"There is no clarity on how to stop the war from the Israeli side. I don't think they are considering this an option," he said. "And there is no clarity on what Gaza will look like after this."

Palestinians inspect damages following an Israeli air strike on Al-Zawayda town in the central Gaza Strip. Omar Naaman/dpa
Queens squatter who tried to prove address with Shake Shack receipt is indicted for burglary, identity theft: DA

Rondie L. Francis and Lance Hunt sued Denis Kurlyand and Juliya Fulmanof, the owners of the duplex on Lakewood Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, on March 14 after they were kicked out of the property.

A squatter who tried to use a Shake Shack receipt to prove legal rights to a Queens house was indicted on charges including burglary and identity theft, prosecutors said Monday.

Lance White-Hunt, 24, of 18th Street in Brooklyn, went so far as to sue the actual homeowners  Denis Kurlyand and Juliya Fulman  back in March to cement his legal right to live in the $930,000 home on Lakewood Avenue.

But his plan backfired and he has been hit with an 18-count indictment that could put him behind bars for 15 years if hes convicted, according to the Queens District Attorneys Office.

Denis Kurlyand and Juliya Fulman, the owners of the duplex on Lakewood Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, were being sued by squatters. @julie_julz4/Instagram

The Lakewood Avenue duplex is at the center of an unusual lawsuit in which two alleged squatters are suing the homeowners after they were escorted off the property last month. Gregory P. Mango

You cannot claim rights to a home that you have entered illegally, DA Melinda Katz said in a statement. My office will not allow individuals to capitalize on the confusion surrounding squatters rights for their own personal gain.

We will bring criminal charges and secure indictments not only for the unlawful occupancy, but also for any forged documents used in the commission of the crime, she continued. The law does not permit illegal residency, and we will continue to prosecute such cases in Queens.

White-Hunt is facing charges of second-degree burglary, two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, five counts of first-degree identity theft, attempted grand larceny and other crimes, the DAs office said.

Hes scheduled to return to Queens Supreme Court on June 11.

A Shake Shack delivery receipt was presented in court by a lawyer representing the two men suing a Queens couple claiming they were unlawfully locked out of the residence.

White-Hunt and his accomplice, Rondie L. Francis, made headlines in early April after they launched their dubious lawsuit, which a judge has since dismissed.

As part of the suit, the pair submitted various pieces of evidence  including an application approval letter, a rental lease, mail addressed to them and the infamous Uber Eats receipt for $25.27 that purportedly showed they had food delivered to the house months before.

Francis and Hunt claim they have a lease and have paid rent on the house and have been illegally locked out.

The documents were meant to establish their move-in date, since New York City law declares squatters must only occupy a property for 30 days before theyre eligible for legal protections that make it difficult to evict them.

The pair wanted the court to make Kurlyand and Furman give them a front-door key or give them permission to change the locks.

But the actual owners told The Post that the documents were all fake.

Court documents revealed the inside of the home.

Everything theyre presenting is fraudulent, Kurlyand said, with Fulman further claiming that the documents are clearly photoshopped.

The DA said in her statement that the owners real estate broker made regular trips to the property after putting the house up for rent in February 2024.

But a few weeks later, the broker noticed someone had changed the locks  and she saw White-Hunt inside, according to the DAs office.

The squatters want a court to force the owners to give them a key to the front door, or grant them permission to change the locks.

She called the police, and White-Hunt told officers that hed been living there since January.

As proof, he handed them a rental lease signed by the broker  who took one look and said shed never seen the document and that the signature was fake, according to prosecutors.

Later, White-Hunt handed cops phone and electric bills as proof of residence. But the phone and electric companies confirmed they were also fake, the statement said.

White-Hunt sued the homeowners LLC and the broker, but the court later determined the lease he handed over was different from the one he handed cops.

The district attorneys Detective Bureau arrested him on May 13.
Queens student stabbed outside of high school by group of teens: officials

QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11)  An 18-year-old was attacked and stabbed by a group of teens outside a Queens high school Tuesday, according to police.

The victim was leaving the Queens High School of Teaching after the dismissal bell when the attack unfolded, a source familiar with the incident told PIX11 News.

1 student stabbed, another slashed in fight at Manhattan school: NYPD

The high schooler was stabbed once in the back and twice in the left arm. They were taken to a hospital and are expected to survive their injuries. No arrests have been made, and an investigation is currently ongoing, police said.

This is the second reported stabbing at a New York City high school on Tuesday.

Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
Intensifying conflict in southern Gaza has trapped a team of international doctors, including at least 10 Americans, in a hospital near the city of Rafah, further jeopardizing conditions for both the aid workers and scores of their critically wounded Palestinian patients, medical personnel told The Washington Post.

The medical workers were due to leave Gaza on Monday after a two-week rotation in the European Hospital in Khan Younis, an area near Rafah. Doctors there said they are no longer certain when they can leave or if they can safely reach the border with Egypt. Israel on May 7 seized control of and closed the Rafah crossing, which was relied upon by aid organizations. On Monday morning, a U.N. staff member traveling to the European Hospital was killed when their vehicle - which was marked with a United Nations flag - was attacked.

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Right now we are stuck in Gaza, Monica Johnston, a nurse who works at a burn trauma center in Oregon and is among the volunteers at the hospital, wrote to The Post. No safe way to get out and no new help or supplies coming in.

State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said at a news briefing Monday that U.S. officials are aware of reports of American medical staff trapped in Gaza and are working with the Israeli and Egyptian governments on the issue. The department did not immediately respond to additional questions from The Post about whether it was in contact with Americans in Gaza or their families. The doctors status was first reported by the Intercept.

Israels seizure of the Rafah border crossing last week severed a crucial supply line for organizations working to deliver humanitarian aid in Gaza. International medical volunteers working in Gaza hospitals said they relied on the crossing to get into and out of the conflict zone.

Some volunteers have described scenes of severe overstretch at hospitals in southern Gaza. Israeli bombardment has cut off ambulance access to some regions, a Palestinian Red Crescent spokeswoman said last week. Medical evacuees have been stranded at the Rafah border crossing, unable to reach help in Egypt. With hospitals shuttering across Gaza, a UNICEF spokesperson previously described the European Hospital as Rafahs last lifeline.

Johnston and her colleagues entered Gaza on May 1. Some of them carried as many as eight suitcases to ferry additional medical supplies to the European Hospital, said Mahmoud Sabha, a Dallas-based doctor with the team.

The Palestinian American Medical Association, a Virginia-based nonprofit organization, announced in a news release late Monday that 19 of its health-care workers, including 10 U.S. citizens, are among the volunteers stranded at the hospital. Other health-care workers with the organization are from Jordan, Egypt and Australia, according to the news release.

Volunteers with FAJR Scientific, another nonprofit organization, are also working at the hospital, according to Sabha and the nonprofits social media. FAJR Scientific did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The team has worked, under increasing exhaustion and burnout, in catastrophic conditions, doctors said. Patients arrive daily with severe burns and explosive injuries, and many are dying of survivable wounds because doctors dont have the supplies or medication to keep them clean and prevent infections, Johnston said. Mohamad Abdelfattah, another doctor with the team who is from California, said thousands of people are taking refuge in the hospital, making it difficult to contain the spread of illnesses.

As you walk through the corridors, theres babies, theres young children playing, theres moms, theres elderly, Abdelfattah said. And so theyre literally occupying every inch of the hospital.

Almost the entire team of doctors also came down with stomach viruses and suffered from dehydration over the two-week rotation, Johnston said. She said she treated patients while hooked up to her own IV.

Uncertainty began to cloud the teams plans to leave Gaza as Israeli forces advanced in Rafah. Mondays deadly attack on a U.N. convoy - as well as previous attacks on aid workers in Gaza - cast a pall over the notion of even safely leaving the hospital, Johnston said.

With the convoy incident today, we are extremely nervous about any promises made to us about safe passage, she said on Monday.

The Palestinian American Medical Association is coordinating with the World Health Organization and a U.N. office to bring its team home, it said in its news release. It urged the U.S. government to assist in aiding its American team members.

The Intercept reported that State Department officials told some relatives of those trapped that a rescue effort was underway. Samaiya Mushtaq, Sabhas wife who lives in Dallas, told The Post that she had not been contacted by the State Department but had heard that some families had mobilized to contact government officials.

When asked about the trapped volunteers, Patel, the State Department spokesman, said that the United States wants to see the Rafah border opened as swiftly as possible.

Doctors at the European Hospital stressed that they were most concerned about the disruption to aid organizations ability to maintain a regular rotation of volunteers and supplies to Gaza. Volunteers set to relieve the team at the European Hospital are stuck in Egypt, unable to cross the border, Johnston said. Sabha said he doesnt want to leave the hospital until the other volunteers can enter Gaza.

We want to leave when other health-care and humanitarian workers are able to get in, Sabha said. We do not want to leave these Palestinians to themselves.

- - -

Miriam Berger contributed to this report.

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Dangerous wildfires have scorched tens of thousands of acres and are closing in on multiple Canadian towns, forcing thousands of evacuations and degrading air quality.

The countrys wildfire season is off to a troubling pace as new fires ignite each day and dormant so-called zombie fires reanimate. The 2024 fire season isnt yet on par with last years record-shattering season but with wildfire behavior worsening in a warming world its no wonder Canadian fire officials are warning of an explosive season that may rival last year.

Extremely dry and windy conditions have caused multiple fires to grow thousands of acres since the weekend. Despite wet weather on the horizon, firefighting will remain a challenge in several provinces through midweek due to gusty winds.

Gusty winds caused the Parker Lake Fire in northeastern British Columbia to surge in size from 13,000 acres Monday to nearly 21,000 acres Tuesday. The blaze was just over a mile west of the town of Fort Nelson early Tuesday morning.

The Parker Lake Fire glows in an aerial photograph taken by a British Columbia Emergency Health Services crew member through the window of an airplane evacuating patients from nearby Fort Nelson, Canada, on Friday. - Andrei Axenov/BCEHS/Reuters

At least 4,700 people are under evacuation orders, including in Fort Nelson and Fort Nelson First Nation, Bowinn Ma, British Columbias minister of emergency management and climate readiness, confirmed Monday.

All but 50 people have heeded the evacuation orders, Northern Rockies Regional Municipality Mayor, Rob Fraser, told CNN Tuesday morning. No deaths or injuries have been reported.

Large wildfires have also prompted evacuation orders in Manitoba province and alerts in Alberta province. Evacuation alerts mean people should be ready to evacuate in case an evacuation order is issued.

Manitoba is home to one of the largest active wildfires in the country, which had charred more than 86,000 acres as of Monday. More than 500 residents in the community of Cranberry Portage  less than a mile away from the fire  were evacuated as of Monday, according to Manitoba officials.

A large fire about 10 miles southwest of Fort McMurray, in northeast Alberta  an area that was devastated by a wildfire in 2016  had consumed over 23,000 acres as of Tuesday after growing significantly overnight. An evacuation alert was issued for residents in Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek, Gregoire Lake Estates, Fort McMurray 468 First Nation and Anzac, according to Alberta officials.

Alberta Wildfire Information Officer Josee St-Onge said Tuesday the wildfire is still out of control and it grew significantly to the northeast yesterday and continues to grow in that direction today, adding the wind was pushing the blaze toward the town of Fort McMurray.

With difficult weather and fire conditions, firefighters were pulled from the fire line, St-Onge said, but crews were working to battle the flames with aerial support.

An evacuation order was also issued Tuesday by the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, with officials telling residents in Abasand, Beacon Hill, Prairie Creek and Grayling Terrace to prepare to evacuate by 4 p.m. local time.

These neighbourhoods directly interface with where the fire could potentially spread. Regional Emergency Services will better be able to defend these neighbourhoods from wildfire if they are uninhabited and clear, Wood Buffalo officials said in a news release.

The municipality has declared a state of local emergency.

Our main priority is the protection of life and property. Jody Butz, Regional Fire Chief and Director of Emergency Management, said in a news release. Its important to note that fire activity is very different than the 2016 Horse River wildfire and we are well positioned to respond to this situation.

All the fire activity is sending plumes of hazardous smoke across Canada and into the US. The threat of smoke will only continue as long as the fires burn.

Hazy conditions and degraded air quality levels were in place Tuesday morning from the Dakotas through Kansas. The central US will remain the focal point for Canadian smoke through at least midweek.

Warming climate is worsening wildfire behavior

Gusty winds are driving ongoing fires Tuesday, but the seeds of fire activity were sown over the winter and in past years as the world continues to warm because of human-driven climate change.

This region has experienced multiple years of drought, with a below normal snowpack this past winter, said Ben Boghean, fire behavior specialist for the BC Wildfire Service. As a result of this, our forests in the Fort Nelson zone are very receptive to new fire ignitions and rapid rates of spread.

Declining snow, increasing temperatures and worsening droughts are all hallmarks of climate change and are projected to keep driving larger and more intense fires across Canada, according to Environment Canada.

Last year was Canadas most devastating fire season on record, including in British Columbia, where fires burned through hundreds of homes and an area the size of Maryland, according to the BC Wildfire Service.

There are more than 130 fires burning across Canada, 40 of which are considered out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Fire Centre.

Smoke rises from a fire near Indian Cabins, Alberta, Canada, on Friday. This fire originated from the Northwest Territories in 2023 but flared up again in recent days due to strong winds and burned south into Alberta. - Alberta Wildfire/Reuters

Some of the blazes are so-called holdover fires also known colloquially as zombie fires, the smoldering remains of last seasons epic blazes, burning deep in the ground throughout the winter and reigniting when exposed to warmer temperatures in the spring.

In the past, the winter conditions are what put out a lot of holdover fires, Ma said. In this case, what weve seen is that due to higher temperatures and persistent drought through the last year, many of these holdover fires were not put out like they normally are.

Two zombie fires, the Patry Creek Fire and the Nogah Creek Wildfire, are growing rapidly to the north and east of Fort Nelson and contributing to the evacuation orders.

CNNs Amanda Musa, Paradise Afshar, Sharif Paget and Sara Smart contributed to this report.

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Raw milk enthusiasts are dead set on exposing themselves to the H5N1 aviary flu virus by drinking contaminated and unpasteurized cow milk, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Mark McAfee, who founded the Raw Milk Institute, told the newspaper that he's been getting inundated with calls from "customers asking for H5N1 milk because they want immunity from it."

It's a bizarre reality that flies in the face of a wealth of scientific evidence. We've known about pasteurization's ability to fend off germs and other pathogens for well over 100 years.

But that hasn't stopped a group of raw milk enthusiasts from seeking out untreated dairy in their search for purported immune system benefits.

It's an especially foolish idea considering there's a lot we still don't know about the current spread of the H5N1 virus. The first incident of the virus breaking out in dairy cows in the US was reported in March. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been infections in mammals across Asia, North America, South America, and Europe.

While scientists suspect it may be possible for the virus to be transmitted from mammal to mammal, the risk to humans is still not entirely understood. Given the wide geographic spread, the CDC suggests there could be an "increase in sporadic human infections resulting from bird and animal exposures," but that "the current risk to the general public from bird flu viruses is low."

In other words, intentionally seeking out being infected by the virus by drinking raw milk  something the CDC expressly advises against  is a bad idea.

"Deliberating consuming raw milk in the hope of becoming immune to avian influenza is playing Russian roulette with your health," UC Davis researcher Michael Payne told the LA Times. "Deliberately trying to infect yourself with a known pathogen flies in the face of all medical knowledge and common sense."

\The virus was detected in 36 dairy cattle herds across nine US states, but scientists have yet to find any evidence of the virus surviving in any pasteurized milk samples.

So far, there's been one case of a dairy worker in Texas who was infected. His symptoms didn't extend beyond a moderate case of pink eye.

"Every time it gets a new mammalian host species, like cows, theres more risk of human transmission and reduced human immunity," Boston University environmental epidemiologist Jessica Leibler told Nature.

One study also examined dead barn cats at dairies in Texas and Kansas that were infected by the virus, suggesting that raw milk may be dangerous to other mammals. The research is similar to another study in which cats were infected with the virus.

"While there have been no known cases of human transmission of H5N1 from raw milk, its certainly conceivable that it could happen, and this is a highly fatal virus not just for cats but for humans too," said American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases chair Sean O'Leary said in a recent statement.

In short, drinking raw dairy milk is as bad of an idea as ever. While we still don't know the exact risks involved, it's an extremely ill-advised way to become immune  if that's even possible in the first place.

More on the avian flu: Polar Bear Dies From Bird Flu
Rebecca Grossman and her daughter, Alexis, head into the Van Nuys Courthouse during her trial in February. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Rebecca Grossman's new attorneys are seeking a new trial that would overturn her second-degree murder conviction in the killing of two young brothers in a Westlake Village crosswalk, arguing that prosecutors failed to prove she acted with implied malice and that erroneous evidence was admitted.

Attorneys James Spertus and Lara J. Gressley filed a motion Monday in what many legal experts call a long shot, asking Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Joseph Brandolino to toss her conviction in the murders of Mark and Jacob Iskander in September 2020.

"Vehicular homicide second-degree murder charges require evidence that the defendant acted with a 'base antisocial motive and with a wanton disregard for human life,' and there was no evidence presented at trial to support findings of such acts by Ms. Grossman in this case," the lawyers wrote. "The defense respectfully moves for a new trial mindful of the victims losses and the emotion crying out for accountability."

Spertus, who took over Grossman's defense team after her conviction in February, said prosecutors never produced evidence to prove their case. They also argued that testimony related to a speeding ticket Grossman received in 2013 should not have been admitted, saying it was a weak attempt by the prosecution to show implied malice.

"The prosecutors misled the court and misstated the facts," Spertus said in an interview with The Times. "We firmly believe she is innocent, and because of the prosecutors' conduct, it is going to be overturned."

Read more: D.A. removes Rebecca Grossman's prosecutors, outraging parents of murdered boys

After a six-week trial filled with drama and emotion, a jury of nine men and three women found Grossman guilty of two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter and one count of hit and run in the 2020 deaths of the Iskander brothers, ages 11 and 8. Grossman was remanded to jail and faces 34 years to life in prison at sentencing, which was delayed until at least June.

The new trial motion comes on the heels of the district attorney's office reassigning the main prosecutors and removing their supervisor from the case. The change was prompted by a conflict-of-interest claim raised after their boss, Assistant Dist. Atty. Diana Teran, was charged with 11 felonies. Grossman's lead attorney, Spertus, also represents Teran.

The change  in which Habib Balian, assistant head deputy of the Major Crimes Division, will now act as lead prosecutor  drew public criticism from the Iskander family. The original prosecutors, Ryan Gould and Jamie Castro, will continue to prosecute the case but now report to Balian, authorities said.

Read more: Parents of boys killed by Grossman take solace in her murder conviction: 'We finally can move on'

During the trial, jurors were presented with differing accounts of Grossman and the deadly incident. Prosecutors alleged Grossman, 60, had cocktails with her then-lover, Scott Erickson, before racing him home  he in his black Mercedes sport utility vehicle and she in her white Mercedes SUV. The pair sped along Triunfo Canyon Road at more than 70 mph until they reached a crosswalk, where she fatally struck the children.

Grossman showed a "conscious disregard for human life," prosecutors said, and knew her speed could be dangerous because police had warned her in the past.

But Grossman's legal team repeatedly asked, Where is Scott Erickson? in trying to pin responsibility for the crash on the former Dodgers pitcher, saying he struck the boys first.

A sign shows an image of Mark Iskander, 11, left, and his brother Jacob, 8, in 2022 outside the courthouse. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

In seeking a new trial, Grossman's new lawyers aim to undermine the prosecution's foundation, specifically saying "the evidence was insufficient to prove the required elements of second-degree murder" as it relates to implied malice.

Spertus and Gressley also argued that two margaritas may have left Grossman impaired, as prosecutors argued at trial, but that doesn't mean she knew she was a danger to life, they said.

Castro and Gould introduced evidence of Grossman's past speeding but nothing showing "subjective knowledge that speeding on Triunfo Canyon Road would result in a fatal accident," the defense lawyers argued.

They also referred to the the original prosecutors' closing statements, in which "Ms. Grossman was driving 81 mph at the time the pedestrians came into view; she would have been traveling at approximately 118 feet per second."

"In other words, no more than two seconds could have elapsed between the earliest possible moment that Ms. Grossman saw the pedestrians and the moment of impact," they wrote in their argument for a new trial. "No reasonable juror could conclude that, in such a short time, Ms. Grossman saw the pedestrians, assessed the risk, appreciated the high probability of death that would result if she continued through the intersection, and then consciously formed the thought."

Finally, they say there were errors in the jury instructions involving implied malice and testimony they called "erroneous and prejudicial" from a California Highway Patrol officer about Grossman's 2013 speeding ticket.

"The evidence regarding the warning Officer [Robert] Leffler purportedly gave Ms. Grossman in 2013 was insufficient to warn her that her conduct in speeding was endangering human life," the defense lawyers said. It was not a "notice that her speeding was so life-threatening that if she continued to speed in the future, such conduct would be in conscious disregard for human life.' "

"There was insufficient evidence from which the jury could conclude that the defendant had the mental state required for implied malice murder," they said.

They also argue evidence of alcohol consumption should not have been admitted at the trial, which they said became a DUI case. "The jury considered impairment evidence untethered to the appropriate legal safeguards," the defense said. In addition, their client's right not to incriminate herself was violated during a lengthy detention and questioning by deputies at the site of her wrecked SUV, they said.

Read more: Tearful mom describes horror as car sped through intersection, killing her 2 sons

There was no mention of Erickson in the motion to seek a new trial. The previous lead defense attorney, Tony Buzbee, repeatedly pointed the finger at Erickson. Crash reconstruction experts for the defense testified that Ericksons Mercedes struck the boys first, slipping Mark over his vehicle and onto the hood of Grossmans SUV, which was following close behind.

Nancy Iskander, the boys' mother, testified during trial that she heard revving engines and saw a black SUV speeding toward the intersection where she, her youngest son, Zachary, and Mark and Jacob were crossing. She dived out of the way, pulling Zachary to safety.

But she testified that a white Mercedes SUV was driving closely behind the black vehicle. When it went through the crosswalk, Iskander said, she heard an impact, and her two oldest boys were gone.

Jacob was found near the curb about 50 feet away. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead a few hours later. Marks body was found 254 feet away, every bone in his body ... broken, Iskander testified.

Lawyers for both sides will be back in court Friday to address the potential conflict of interest issues related to Spertus representing both Grossman and Teran. Spertus, who has insisted Teran is innocent, said there is no conflict as he is adverse to prosecutors in both criminal cases.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. The agreement between Iran and India on joint operation of the Chabahar port may be subject to US sanctions, First Deputy Press Secretary of the US State Department Vedant Patel told reporters, Trend reports.

"We know that a 10-year agreement has been signed between India and Iran regarding the Chabahar port. US sanctions against Iran remain in place and we will continue to enforce them," he said.

Patel noted that anyone signing business agreements with Iran should consider the risk of sanctions.

On May 13, Iran and India signed a long-term agreement to modernize and operate the Shahid Beheshti terminal at Chabahar port.
In a rebuke of lawmakers, Mills says she will not sign bills enacted on veto day

Gov. Janet Mills gives State of the State address at the Maine State House in Augusta. (Jim Neuger/Maine Morning Star)

Gov. Janet Mills will not be signing any of the 35 bills lawmakers sent to her desk late last week.

That means legislation to establish a unit to enforce violations of the Maine Civil Rights Act, expand health insurance options for childcare providers, increase the states clean elections program, and formalize the renaming of places through a designated state board, among others, will not become law.

In a letter dated Tuesday, the governor said she had two primary objections with signing the bills. First, she reiterated her concerns about the states fiscal standing, citing flattening revenues and the need to sustain the existing commitments we have made to important programs.

The additional spending in the enacted bills, she said, would cost more money in future years that we would have to square against existing programs. She argued such spending is a discussion better had in the context of the forthcoming biennial budget, which will be negotiated next spring.

Further, Mills said she has a fundamental objection to the Legislature enacting dozens of additional bills after its adjournment deadline. She argued that if the Legislature wants to extend the session, they either need to amend the adjournment statute, which would require emergency legislation approved by two-thirds of each body, or comply with options presented within the statute, for example getting two-thirds of the body to support a five-day extension.

In this case, the Legislature complied with neither of those two options, she wrote. In my judgment, the constitution cannot be interpreted to permit the Legislature to ignore its constitutionally required adjournment statute by a simple majority vote. Otherwise, the constitutions requirement to establish an adjournment deadline in statute would be meaningless, and the statutory adjournment deadline would have no practical effect.

She went on to say, Operating in this way leaves me gravely concerned because it is an erosion of important norms that are central to the conduct of public business and the creation of public policy.

Mills argued that signing the bills  no matter how much I may see value in some of them  would create a precedent for future legislatures to do the same.

Constitutional norms, no matter how inconvenient and even when they may be an impediment to achieving good policy aims, nonetheless provide important institutional safeguards, Mills added, concluding with a commitment to examine the issues that these bills attempt to address during the next legislative session.

Legislators respond

However, some lawmakers and legislative staff argue there is precedent to taking action on bills after the adjournment deadline.

Secretary of the Senate Darek Grant told Maine Morning Star that the last Legislature, the 130th, did other business aside from vetoes after statutory adjournment.

There was no official extension order, Grant said, but there was no objection by members to take up the matters.

Grant told lawmakers Tuesday that, in contrast, the governors recent actions could set a new precedent.

In a letter addressed to the 131st Legislature, Grant wrote that when his office delivered bills enacted by the Senate to the governor on Friday, the Office of the Governor refused to accept them.

When I learned that the presentation of the enacted members had not been accepted, I made a second attempt to present the bills to the Governors Office and was also refused  a first in my tenure as Secretary of the Senate, Grant wrote.

When it appeared the Legislature would adjourn for the year later that night, Grant wrote, I received a text message indicating that the Governors Office would now accept the presentment of the enacted bills.

The Maine Constitution does not allow the governor to reject bills that have been duly enacted from being presented.

A terrible precedent could be set if the Legislature allowed the Executive to reject the presentment of enacted legislation, Grant wrote.

A spokesperson for House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross (D-Portland) said the letters from Grant and the governor confirm that the only responsible option for the House on Friday was to adjourn sine die.

However, the spokesperson said the Speaker is deeply disappointed these remaining initiatives, comprising years of good work, will not be signed by the governor.

In a joint statement, Senate President Troy Jackson (D-Aroostook), Majority Leader Eloise Vitelli (D-Sagadahoc) and Assistant Majority Leader Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland) similarly expressed their deep disappointment in the governors decision.

Each of these initiatives  from legislation to establish a rape kit tracking program to measures to improve child welfare  underwent a public hearing, thoughtful deliberation in committee, rigorous debate on the floor of the House and Senate, and were recommended for funding by the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, the Senate leaders wrote. These bills deserved the same thoughtful consideration by the governor based on their merits.

The senators wrote that the governor is within her right to not allow these bills to become law, however, to cast aspersions on the Legislature or claim that the Legislature acted inappropriately is not only wrong but not for the Chief Executive to determine.

Many bipartisan bills ultimately failed to become law, which House Republican Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham (R-Winter Harbor) said should and could have been passed before statutory adjournment in April.

Democrats wasted precious time in the Appropriations Committee trying to rob the highway fund, the liquor fund, stiff dairy farmers, cut rural state trooper patrols, and raid retirees pensions, instead of using that time to run many good bipartisan bills off the table, Faulkingham said. The Democratic majority of the committee initially reversed ongoing highway fund revenue, pension changes and assistance for dairy farmers, but walked back the decisions days before statutory adjournment after much objection.

Sen. Rick Bennett (R-Oxford) said there were many bills that he and much of his caucus felt should have become law, including several he voted to allow the possibility to enact just ahead of Friday, such as making megayachts subject to impact fees and requiring MaineCare reimbursement for treatment for emotional dysregulation disorders.

Many of the bills that were passed had negligible, if any, fiscal impact, Bennett said, and it was, I thought, a shame that [Mills] took a kind of carte blanche approach to vetoing.

Bennett said there are mixed views in the Senate GOP caucus about the appropriateness of the governors action. Thats not to say that passing slews of bills on veto day is a good precedent, but she seemed to me to be interfering a bit in legislative prerogative, Bennett added.

Among the 35 bills that will die without the governors signature are several education-related measures that Education Committee co-chair Rep. Michael Brennan (D-Portland) told Maine Morning Star that he plans to make a reality through other means.

For example, one would have had the Department of Education issue a yearly report outlining the demographic profile of public school students. It did not have a fiscal note as the plan was for the department to absorb any related costs.

Ill be asking them to do that, Brennan said, but itll be voluntary as opposed to any statute telling him to do it.

A bill that proposed a pilot of Wabanaki-centered curriculum in non-Native high schools will also die without the governors signature. There may be private money or foundation in Maine that might want to fund that as a pilot project, Brennan suggested as another possibility.

An advisory council to ensure Wabanaki and African American studies requirements are effectively taught in schools will also not become law.

We are disappointed that our hard work on the Wabanaki Studies law and other tribal matters came up short, Penobscot Nation Tribal Ambassador Maulian Bryant told Maine Morning Star. However we will look ahead to the next Legislature and we are happy with the progress that was made in the 131st.

Advocates for other issues also said they are now looking to the next session to advance measures that the governor declined to sign. For one, the progressive Maine Center for Economic Policy had supported bills to establish a civil rights unit, require hospitals to provide free care and increase the consideration of demographic data in the legislative process, which policy analyst James Myall hopes to work on again next session.

It does always set things back when you have to revisit an issue in the next legislature, Myall said. Even if some folks are returning, some people need to get up to speed. Its never quite as simple as picking up where you left off.

Editors note: This story was updated to include reactions from legislators and legislative staff.

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The post In a rebuke of lawmakers, Mills says she will not sign bills enacted on veto day appeared first on Maine Morning Star.
The Emerging Technology Institute operates out of a former mill that is now a town-owned building in Red Springs. (Photo: Lisa Sorg)

No payroll. No receipts. No bills or invoices.

Lacking any supporting documentation, James Freeman, president of the Emerging Technology Institute, nonetheless asked the Town of Red Springs to reimburse him $1.1 million in state taxpayer funds for service, salaries and goods related to his military training center and STEM education venture, public records show.

But the Office of State Budget and Management, which must approve the towns reimbursement to ETI, told the Red Springs attorney that officials should not disburse any funds [to ETI] based on the document provided.

Newsline reported in March that ETI received $2 million in the state budget, in grant funds passed through by the Town of Red Springs. Public records showed that Freeman planned to use some of the money for kids STEM educational materials, but allocated a significant portion for cameras, gates, fences and sensors, for military training, as well as unspecified uses.

In a video produced by N.C. State University, Freeman called ETI an integration hub for the Department of Defense. ETI operates out of a one-story, town-owned building and former mill on more than 40 acres at 16824 N.C. Route 211. As of 2022, the company had a two-year lease with the town and an option to purchase the property, according to an ETI presentation.

Sen. Danny Britt (R-Hoke, Robeson, Scotland) and Rep. Jarrod Lowery (R-Robeson) were behind the earmark, according to a 2023 article in the Robesonian. Neither Britt nor Lowery responded to questions from Newsline.

Freeman, who has a doctorate in business administration and management from the for-profit Capella University, did not respond to inquiries from Newsline about the expenditures and the lack of paperwork. Nor did Mayor Ed Henderson, a supporter of ETI and its projects.

Public records obtained from OSBM show that Freeman submitted undated paperwork to Red Springs officials asking for reimbursement to cover nine months of expenses, from July 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024.

a graphic combining excerpts from several ETI reimbursement requests

The Town of Red Springs then submitted the paperwork to OSBM for approval to reimburse Freeman  with a caveat. Emails dated May 3 between OSBM and the Red Springs town attorney, Antoine Marshall, show Marshall felt uneasy about the reimbursements because of a lack of documentation.

This was the information provided to us by ETI when we requested an invoice, Marshall wrote. I advised the town manager that the information is not detailed enough for the town to survive an audit.

The $1.1 million was broken down into several categories:

Employee salaries: $24,990 per month, total $224,910.

This represents nearly 80% of ETIs payroll budget through the end of the grant period.

Administration, such as utilities, telephone, data and lease-related expenses, totaled $24,443.

ETIs budget and scope of work submitted to the state allocated $25,000 for this purpose. With nine months left in the grant period, ETI has nearly exhausted its administrative budget.

More than $315,000 in goods, including equipment purchased, technology and facility materials and additional supplies.

Monthly expenditures ranged from $5,555 in September to $150,438 in March. The total spent so far is about a third of the original allocation.

Contract and services expenses for designers, architects, builders totaled more than a half million dollars, with monthly expenses ranging from $22,000 to $123,000.

ETI has spent nearly three-quarters of its budget on this line item.

And other expenses for events, travel and technology development, totaled $29,682  about 40% of the total budget.

James Freeman

Freeman withheld expenditure details because he expressed a desire for some secrecy concerning protecting trade secrets, Marshall wrote to OSBM, and fears if favorable deals from subcontractors were made public that he would no longer receive such discounts.

However, Freeman did not explain to the town why he omitted payroll, travel, utilities and other non-proprietary information. Even private personal data and proprietary information must still be included in a report to OSBM, which redacts it before being made public.

Marshall wrote that he advised Freeman his office needed supporting documentation to provide reimbursement. We do not wish to be difficult or withhold any duly owed money, but to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars, he wrote to OSBM.

The Town of Red Springs is required to obtain and provide all documentation from Freeman and ETI, according to state law. ETIs financial records can also be audited by the state. Since the company received more than $500,000 in state funds, it must comply with General Accounting Government Auditing Standards,

Jordan Cole, grants manager for OSBM, agreed with Marshalls concerns. You are correct that the request for reimbursement document  is not sufficient by any means and does not adhere to the reporting requirements for recipients of state funds.

The post Red Springs companys request for $1.1m in state funds would not survive an audit appeared first on NC Newsline.
The Michael Cohen who testified Monday was not the witness anyone expected

NEW YORK  The world has long known two Michael Cohens.

Theres the fire-breathing fixer who famously bullied Donald Trumps foes. And theres the social media resistance hero he became after breaking with his former boss, lobbing insults at Trump with the same expletive-laden fury he used to reserve for Trumps enemies.

On Monday, the jury in Trumps Manhattan hush money trial met a third, one who seemed to manifest in real time on the witness stand: mild-mannered, self-deprecating, just-the-facts-maam. (In fact, he said maam more than 100 times when addressing prosecutor Susan Hoffinger.)

It was a reinvention that could define and even determine the outcome of Trumps criminal trial, in which the former president is charged with orchestrating a scheme to prevent porn star Stormy Daniels from revealing an extramarital affair on the cusp of his 2016 presidential victory.



Thats because Cohen, while recasting himself, also revealed perhaps the most damaging bit of evidence yet: a meeting just days before Trump assumed the Oval Office, in which, according to Cohen, Trump reviewed and endorsed a plan to reimburse him for paying off Daniels.

That is a critical piece of testimony because the alleged reimbursement scheme  and records related to it  are at the crux of the 34 felony charges against Trump. Prosecutors say that Trump, while reimbursing Cohen, falsified the reimbursement as a series of legal expenses in violation of New York law. And Cohens description of the January 2017 Trump Tower meeting is the first piece of direct evidence to suggest that Trump personally green-lighted the scheme.

But it is also a tricky piece of evidence for prosecutors, because the jury may need to rely solely on Cohens account of it.

In Cohens telling, only three people attended the meeting: Cohen, Trump and former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg. Of those three, two  Cohen and Weisselberg  are convicted felons with a history of dishonesty. Weisselberg is currently serving jail time for perjury and appears unlikely to testify in the trial. Trump is under no obligation to testify in his own defense, which would open him up to cross-examination. And if he did testify, he would surely dispute Cohens version of the meeting  or deny that it happened at all.



That means prosecutors need the 12 jurors to trust Cohen, and Cohen alone, on what really happened in that meeting in which a significant chapter of the cover-up was purportedly written.

Thats where Cohens efforts to rebrand himself inside the Manhattan courthouse came into play. For nearly six hours, Cohen displayed uncharacteristic modesty, dispassion and a measured temperament, even while he acknowledged his former bouts of anger, bullying, lying and egotism.

For example, he recalled seething when he was told Trump would not consider him to be his White House chief of staff in 2017. (It was more about my ego than anything, Cohen recalled.)

He said he never sought to be a lawyer, crediting his grandmother for coaxing him into the profession in part because his family was full of doctors and lawyers. (I wanted to go to Wall Street, he said.)

And most significantly, Cohen acknowledged becoming incensed when at the end of 2016  a year in which Cohen orchestrated deals to silence at least two women from disclosing extramarital affairs with Trump and even fronted $130,000 of his own money to cover the payment to Daniels  he received a bonus check that was slashed by two-thirds from the year before. And Trump hadnt even paid back the $130,000 yet.

Even for me, I was unusually angry, he said, prompting chuckles in the press gallery, where many are acquainted with Cohens rage.



In his fury, Cohen said, he confronted Weisselberg. I actually did a double take and then immediately went to Mr. Weisselbergs office in the back and in some uncolorful language expressed to him how truly pissed off and angry I really was, Cohen recalled.

Weisselberg, he said, promised he would help make this right. Take it easy, you know that Mr. Trump loves you, Cohen recalled Weisselberg telling him.

Just days before Trump took the oath of office on Jan. 20, 2017, Cohen said, the three of them assembled in Trumps corporate office. There, with Trump looking on, Cohen said Weisselberg outlined a plan to pay Cohen back in monthly installments for the money he had shelled out to suppress Daniels story  as well as some other costs Cohen had incurred  and then nearly doubled it to cover Cohens tax liability as well.

Hoffinger asked if Weisselberg showed Trump a handwritten document laying out the repayment plan.

Yes, Cohen replied.

And Hoffinger asked if Weisselberg said, in Trumps presence, that the payments would be recorded as a retainer for legal services.

Yes, Cohen said.

Cohen said Trump backed the plan and added a sweetener: agreeing to name him personal counsel to the president, a title Cohen said he planned to monetize as a consultant.

Despite Cohens mild demeanor on the witness stand, he did offer some tantalizing pieces of testimony.

Cohen told jurors that when he sought to negotiate a deal with Daniels, Trump instructed him to just get past the election, because if I win, it will have no relevance because I'll be president, and if I lose, no one will care.

That assertion bolsters prosecutors theory of the case: that the payoff to Daniels was a form of election interference that deprived voters of information and violated election laws. Trumps lawyers have suggested that the motive for the payoff was not political, but merely to protect Trumps family from embarrassment.

But Cohen said that when he asked how Daniels claims might affect Trumps relationship with Melania, Trump told him, Dont worry."

"He goes, How long do you think Ill be on the market for? Not long,'" Cohen recounted.

"He wasnt thinking about Melania, Cohen said. This was all about the campaign.
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 on May 17, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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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 recently, 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, The 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 childbearing 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 Florida Phoenix.
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 on May 17, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (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.

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.

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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.

Let us know what you think...

The post Religious views on abortion more diverse than they may appear in U.S. political debate appeared first on Utah News Dispatch.
Remains of missing South Carolina mother last seen in December found in wooded area

The remains of a South Carolina mother missing since early December have been found and police have announced a new arrest in the case.

Authorities from the Aiken County Sheriffs Office found the remains of 30-year-old Jamilla Smith on Thursday in a wooded area on Silver Bluff Road, they said in a press release.

The Aiken County Coroner Daryll Ables, Aiken Department of Public Safety and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division assisted with the recovery efforts, police said in the release, adding that an autopsy has been ordered.

Smith, a mother of two boys, was last heard from on Dec. 2. She was in Aiken County with her ex-boyfriend, Daniel Gabriel Harmon, who was arrested on Dec. 23 for charges such as kidnapping and murder.

Jamilla Smith with her sons, Noah and Moses.

His cousin, Bryan Alexander Hampton Jr., turned himself in on April 19 and held on an accessory after the fact to murder charge, according to the sheriffs office.

The sheriffs office announced on April 17 that a third man, Clyde Hendley II, was also arrested in connection to the case. He has been charged with accessory after the fact to murder.

Authorities said in a news release that they searched Hendleys Aiken County home before taking him to the Aiken County Detention Center.

Hendley is an associate of both men initially charged in the case, according to a sheriffs office spokesman.

It was not immediately clear who is representing Hendley and Hampton but Harmons lawyer, Charles Lyons III, told USA TODAY last month that his clients are advised not to comment on pending criminal cases.

On behalf of Mr. Harmons family, they express their remorse and their sorrow for the disappearance and the fact that Ms. Smith has not been located at this time, he told USA TODAY at the time.

Finding Jamilla: She called 911 to report abuse then disappeared: 5 months later her family's still searching

Family made desperate pleas to find remains of missing woman

When asked what led to police finding her remains last Thursday, the sheriffs office could not provide an answer.

Kimberly Kite runs an organization that helps find missing people. Smiths loved ones contacted the nonprofit to ask for help finding her and getting answers. She told USA TODAY last month that the goal was to bring Smith home.

We are praying very hard for her family," she said at the time. "We are praying very hard that the second suspect is going to reveal where she is. Jamilla deserves to be brought home.

Smiths family also said the 30-year-old had a history of calling the police on her ex-boyfriend due to domestic violence, and records from the Aiken County Sheriffs Office show she made three domestic violence calls regarding Harmon on July 2, Aug. 22 and Nov. 9.

Her mother, Tina McCraw previously told USA TODAY that Smith lived in Aiken County but moved to Florida in July 2023 to be with her family. She returned to South Carolina in early December to handle matters regarding her car.

McCraw said her daughter called her from her ex-boyfriends phone, with Smith saying he threw her phone out of the car and she needed to find it. Her family had access to her location, so they led her to her phone.

Smith later planned to stay at her ex-boyfriend's house that night and texted her mom to thank her.

That's the last time I spoke to her, her mother said last month.

She tried to call Smith but couldnt reach her, eventually reporting her missing.

Police said in an arrest affidavit that they believe her ex-boyfriend, Daniel Gabriel Harmon, hit her with a car.

The sheriffs office asked that anyone with information call (803) 648-6811 or send a message at www.aikencountysheriff.net.

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: Remains of missing South Carolina mother Jamilla Smith found in woods
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.

Offensive art





The Miami Heralds May 11 online editorial, Jewish people had every right to be offended by Miami Beach artwork. It had to come down, stated that it was correct to remove a public artwork that many Jews consider a call for their destruction by its subtle use of the phrase from the river to the sea.

Do we really want to go down that path?

The German Nazi dictatorship removed modernist art, many by famous artists, from renowned museums, on the grounds that it was insulting to German feeling, un-German, or Jewish.

Do we really want to do this because of a phrase that has different meanings?

From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free, as chanted by pro-ceasefire/Palestinian activists, has different meanings to different groups of people. To protesters, it is an aspirational call and a plea for peace. More to the point, it is a call for the freedom and equality of the Palestinian people.

There must be a situation where Jews and Palestinians are equals, with equal rights under the law. Until such a time happens, war and conflict will persist.

I have great compassion for Palestinians and Jews, as they both are suffering greatly. This insanity, however, must stop.

Phrases are not the problem. Only when there is an immediate ceasefire will this stop.

Kenneth Barnes,

Miami

Boating safety

As temperatures heat up, now is the time for families to have important conversations about boating safety. While drowning is a leading cause of death for children, boating under the influence and operator inattention also take hundreds of lives each year. Boating safety is the key to making fun memories out on the water.

National Safe Boating Week takes place from May 18-24, as the summer boating season begins. This is a perfect time for residents to become familiar with boating safety tips.

Always wear a life jacket, no matter your age. According to recent U. S. Coast Guard statistics, 85% of people who died in a boating incident drowned because they werent wearing a life jacket. If you need to borrow a life jacket, check out the Life Jacket Loaner Stand nearest to you.

Alcohol is the leading cause of all boating accidents and deaths. Boating under the influence is illegal in every state and is also 100% preventable. Always be or designate a Sober Skipper to be in charge of the safe operation of the boat and its passengers.

Before heading out on the water, take the time to understand the local waterways, navigation rules, no wake zones and pay special attention to potential hazards such as shallow areas, rocks or submerged obstacles.

Gail R. Kulp,

executive director,

Sea Tow Foundation,

Eduardo Barreto,

captain,

Sea Tow Key Biscayne,

Coconut Grove

Leaky sewage





Floridas Department of Environmental Protection fining Miami-Dade County for sewer treatment violations serves as a warning that our infrastructure is insufficient to serve the needs of all residents. The federal government has sued the county for similar violations.

Increasing population without upgrading and modernizing infrastructure leads to compromises to our quality of life. Our sewer system is mimicking our roadways. The sewage has no place to go and yet, residential and condominium construction continues unabated, exacerbating the problem.

Arnie Gellman,

Miami

Broken system

The May 13 article, Major Florida homeowners insurance firm fined $1M for actions after Hurricane Ian, stated that Florida regulators fined one of our states largest homeowners insurance companies for numerous violations, including failing to pay claims within 90 days, failure to acknowledge it had received claims from policyholders and using adjusters who did not provide their names to claim holders after Hurricane Ian.

In all, there were more than nine violations of the state insurance code.

To deal with the insurance crisis, Gov. Ron DeSantis and state legislators passed legislation that made it much harder to sue insurance companies, claiming spurious lawsuits were the reason behind high homeowners insurance costs. The facts, however, speak for themselves.

If insurance companies acknowledged claims and made a fair offer to settle claims, there would be no need to hire attorneys to sue insurers.

Once again, DeSantis and the legislature chose to protect insurance companies over policyholders.

Barry Rabinowitz,

Plantation

High praise





Bea L. Hines May 12 Miami Herald Neighbors article, My mother was a single mom who worked two jobs, yet she always made time for her children, was a wonderful piece of writing. Her story moved me deeply. Her anecdote about when her aunt gave her two cents as a birthday gift was especially moving.

In this time, with wars and anti-this and anti-that, her wonderful piece deserved a place of honor in the front page of the paper to celebrate Mothers Day.

Federico R. Justiniani,

Coral Gables

Public housing

Re: the May 12 story, Is the new Liberty Square delivering on its promises to public housing residents? I was immediately struck by the photo of new and old Liberty Square. Large spaces with residential rectangles of various configurations and hardly a tree in sight, surrounded by green residential areas with obvious tree canopies. Hot spaces with little to no shade relief, surrounded by shaded streets.

Why were no trees planted for the old Liberty Square? Why were trees cut down for the new Liberty Square?

I was happy that at least some trees have been planted for the New Liberty Square. The photo clearly reveals the message conveyed in the Heralds May 12 editorial, Trees may be a new measure of privilege in Miami-Dade. Maybe in 25 years or so it will be pleasant to live there.

Sunny McLean,

Coconut Grove

Public disgrace

When Sens. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio voted against the foreign aid bill for assistance to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, I wrote to each of them asking to explain their support for Hamas, Russia and China. Both offices replied with long-winded statements about the evils of Hamas and the importance of supporting Israel. They offered no explanation of why they voted not to support Israel.

Of course, we know the reason: the bill would pass anyway and they could curry favor with the pro-Putin side of the Republican Party. What an embarrassment.

Robert French,

Boca Raton

Distant noise





With a bar shooting and other recent mayhem in the city of Doral, one would think the city council had more urgent issues to deal with than calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Does anyone really think Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hears their message?

Werner Grob,

Key Biscayne

Do not disturb

As someone who has explored the Big Cypress National Preserve on foot for many decades, I was greatly interested in the May 6 Miami Herald article, Senator Rick Scott joins Miccosukee Tribe in argument over Big Cypress protections. The National Park Service wants to designate the 729,000-acre preserve an official wilderness area. This would curtail the use of airboats and swamp buggies and would align the preserve with the same restrictions enacted in the adjacent 1.5 million-acre Everglades National Park.

Airboats are obnoxiously-loud and frighten wildlife. They also flatten native vegetation. If someone were to stomp on a federal- or state-listed endangered plant in front of a ranger, they would be fined. Yet, it is okay to crush that same plant with a swamp buggy or an airboat. Conversely, if someone walks around with a loud airhorn to frighten wildlife in the preserve, they would be fined, yet frightening them with an airboat is just fine.

Airboats are the equivalent of jet skis, which are banned in the Everglades National Park and Biscayne National Park, mostly because they are obnoxious to everyone except those who operate them.

I vote to ban airboats and swamp buggies in the Big Cypress National Preserve.

Roger Hammer,

Homestead
The Rent Is Too Damn High rally in Lansing, May 14, 2024 | Ken Coleman

Chanting Build for renters needs, not investors greed, a group of residential renters rallied on Tuesday outside of the Lansing Center as a state government agency held its Building Michigan Communities Conference in downtown Lansing.

The conference is hosted by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA).

The Rent Is Too Damn High, a coalition of Michigan organized renters, demanded real housing solutions that put renters, homeless people, and struggling Michiganders first, according to a handout distributed at the morning demonstration.

We can not survive if we dont have a house, said Rosey White of Detroit. Its a human right.

The coalition, which has lobbied the state Legislature and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, is calling for rent control, renters rights, housing first policies and social housing policies.

The bottom line is that renters are suffering and the rent is too damn high and the Legislature has been sitting on some very important renters rights bills, said William Lawrence of Lansing. Were here to raise the level of urgency.

Activists called on Whitmer and the state Legislature to support a set of bills that it advocates for:

HB 4878, which is sponsored by state Rep. Abraham Aiyash (D-Hamtramck), would create housing opportunities for returning citizens.

HB 5237, which is sponsored by state Rep. Emily Dievendorf (D-Lansing), would create a tenants right to counsel legislation.

SB 205, which is sponsored by state Sen. Mary Cavanagh (D-Redford Twp.), aims to prohibit housing discrimination based on income.

HB 4062, which is sponsored by state Rep. Jennifer Conlin (D-Ann Arbor), also aims to prohibit housing discrimination based on income.

SB 801, which is sponsored by state Sen. Rosemary Bayer (D-West Bloomfield), aims to expunge and seal eviction records.

Josh Pugh, MSHDA external affairs director, told the Advance that the agency respects and appreciates the passion and engagement of those who organized outside the Lansing Center.

We share their concern about the national housing crisis and are urgently working to confront its impacts in Michigan, Pugh said. As the countrys largest state-level administrator of federal Housing Choice Vouchers, MSHDA helps about 30,000 families pay their rent every month. We are also the states largest financier of affordable housing, committing more than half a billion dollars in support for multifamily housing last year alone.

We also understand that we must do more, which is exactly why we are gathered at the Lansing Center with over 1,000 attendees of the Building Michigan Communities Conference, discussing how we can innovate to build more affordable housing, Pugh continued.

The post Renters rights group rallies at housing conference in Lansing appeared first on Michigan Advance.
Report: Congress must take immediate action to defend US against biological threats

(KXAN)  A group of researchers and former lawmakers urged Congress to update the governments strategy against deadly outbreaks and biological attacks.

The Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense released its report, The National Blueprint for Biodefense, outlining 36 recommendations and 185 action items to defend against biological threats.

Weve got to be prepared, no matter whos the president, no matter who the administration is, or the Congress, former congressman Fred Upton said. We have to be prepared, ready for the next case.

Dr. Raj Panjabi, also on the commission, explained how the recommendations are especially important with the recent cases of bird flu in Texas.

Its infecting farm animals which then could mean that it could spill over into humans if we dont take the right precaution, Panjabi said. If it were to happen and spread from human to human, that could be the beginning of the next pandemic influenza outbreak. We worry about that in particular.

The report also addresses a plan to reduce the spread of infectious diseases that linger in the air like COVID-19.

We are calling for a new research and development plan to keep buildings, our schools or offices or airports, safe by disinfecting the air by cleaning it from the inside out, Panjabi said. We already take care of our buildings and try to make them resilient to fires, floods [and] earthquakes. Why couldnt we do that with pandemics? We believe we could.

Upton plans to be on Capitol Hill to encourage lawmakers to make the report a priority.

So hopefully we get some hearings scheduled in the near future. But this needs to be a priority because its going to happen again. We need to be prepared for it and take those preventative steps. This report details quite a few of them, Upton said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
New report finds millions of Americans affected by hazardous air quality: 'Everyone deserves to breathe clean air'

A new report has revealed a concerning backslide in air quality in the United States.

What's happening?

The American Lung Association's 2024 State of the Air report found that nearly 40% of Americans live in areas with failing grades for particle pollution or ozone levels, with 11.7 million more people breathing unhealthy air than the previous year.

People of color were disproportionately impacted. The analysis found they were 2.3 times more likely to live in counties with failing air-quality grades in all three measurements, which include ozone and both short- and long-term particle pollution levels.

Why is this concerning?

Christa Hasenkopf, director of the clean air program of the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, told the Washington Post that cleaner air equals better health.

Polluted air has been linked to problems like asthma, lung cancer, cognitive issues, and metabolic disorders.

The Clean Air Act of 1970 has helped add around 1.4 years to American life expectancy, but Hasenkopf noted that reduced air quality could "chip away" at that.

"Everyone deserves to breathe clean air," Earthjustice attorney Marvin Brown IV told the Post. "We're talking about your own individual health; we're talking about the health of your family."

According to the American Lung Association, heat waves, droughts, and wildfires are key contributors to the higher levels of harmful particle pollution in the U.S.

Extreme weather events like these have become more common and severe as a result of rising global temperatures, and dirty fuels like gas, coal, and oil generate the majority of the heat-trapping gases warming our planet.

What is being done about this?

In February, the Environmental Protection Agency announced stricter regulations surrounding passable air quality and said the projected health benefits include 4,500 avoided premature deaths and 800,000 avoided cases of asthma symptoms.

While there are still areas with failing ozone grades, the American Lung Association found some good news, with 2.4 million fewer people living in those areas.

"Controls placed on emissions have increasingly resulted in the replacement of more polluting engines, fuels, and industrial processes nationwide. The transition of the economy away from coal-fired power plants, the dirtiest fossil fuel, and towards clean renewable sources of energy, has unquestionably had an impact," the association wrote in its 2024 report.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 14. Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed new ministers and deputy prime ministers, Trend reports.

According to the information, the relevant decrees have already been published.

This is reportedly the first time that a Russian government has been formed under the new procedure provided for by a constitutional amendment adopted in 2020.

In addition to its head, the government includes 10 deputy prime ministers and 21 ministers; the name and number of ministries remained unchanged compared to the previous composition. Five ministers work directly under the leadership of the president: these are the heads of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Ministry of Justice. The remaining ministers report to the Prime Minister
This article was originally published in NC Newsline.

This Friday, May 17, marks the 70th anniversary Brown v. Board of Education  the landmark United States Supreme Court ruling that ordered an end to racial segregation in American public schools. And while resistance to desegregation never went away, there was a window of time  particularly in the late 20th and early 21st Century  in which many states and localities, including North Carolina and several of its counties, made enormous headway in building much more diverse and better integrated public school systems.

As a new report from researchers at NC State makes clear, however, that momentum in our state has waned and now things are trending strongly in the opposite direction.

The report is entitled Can Our Schools Capture the Education Gains of Diversity? North Carolina School Segregation, Alternatives and Possible Gains. It was published earlier this month by the Civil Rights Project at the University of California, Los Angeles, and recently NC Newsline interviewed one of the authors, NC State professor of education, Jennifer Ayscue.

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According to Ayscue, the gist of what she and her colleagues, Victor Cadilla, Mary Kathryn Oyaga, and Cassandra Rubinstein found is that while overall public school enrollment in North Carolina has steadily become more diverse, patterns of segregation in individual schools have greatly intensified.

And this, she says, is worrisome news since, as was noted in the release accompanying the report, segregated schools are systematically linked to unequal educational opportunities and outcomes, while desegregated schools are associated with numerous short-term, long-term, academic, and nonacademic outcomes for individuals and society.

In addition to chronicling the resegregation of North Carolina schools, the report points to several potential tools and tactics for policymakers to employ in combating this trend  though almost all would buck recent trends at the state legislature and in the Department of Public Instruction. These include:

School districts should design voluntary school desegregation policies that could include student reassignment, controlled-choice attendance and the development of more magnet schools.

DPI should provide incentives to districts and schools via grants and technical assistance.

State lawmakers should enact stronger charter school regulations that require the provision of transportation and free school meals, while also amending the state voucher program to include civil rights protections and greater transparency and accountability.

Related

Report: State by State, How Segregation Legally Continues 7 Decades Post Brown

It should be noted that the report does not address segregation in private schools and that a) private school enrollment in North Carolina has soared in recent years, and b) research indicates that private schools are generally more segregated than public schools.

The following numbers are from the NC State researchers report:

41%  growth in overall North Carolina public school enrollment from 1989-90 to 2021-22 (from 1,074,120 to 1,517,300)

45% White, 25% Black, 20% Hispanic, 5% Multiracial, 4% Asian, and 1% American Indian  racial/ethnic breakdown of students in 2021-22

67% White, 30% Black, 1% Hispanic, 2% all others  racial/ethnic breakdown in 1989-90

13.5%  share of all North Carolina public schools in 2021-22 that were intensely segregated schools of color (schools that enroll 90-100% students of color)

3.5%  share that were intensely segregated in 1989-90

0.9%  share of North Carolina public schools in 2021-22 that were hyper-segregated schools of color (schools that enroll 99-100% students of color)

0.7%  share that were hyper-segregated in 1989-90

23.5%  share of charter schools in 2021-22 that were intensely segregated

6.0%  share of charter schools in 2021-22 that were hyper-segregated

1 out of 4  share of Black student who attend intensely segregated schools

1 out of 5  share of Hispanic students

82.6%  of the students attending intensely segregated schools of color, the share who were recipients of free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a double segregation of students by race and poverty

61.3% and 55.3%, respectively  percentage of low-income students in schools attended by typical Black and Hispanic students

38.0% and 29.4%, respectively  percentage of low-income students in schools attended by typical White and Asian students

58.9%  the typical White student attended a school where 58.9% of the students were White, even though White students only comprised 45% of the total state enrollment

41.2%  the typical Black student attended a school where 41.2% of the students were Black, even though Black students accounted for 25% of the states enrollment

28.3%  the percentage of White students at a school attended by the typical Black student

68.6%  despite accounting for less than half of the states enrollment in 2021-22, 68.6% of White students attended majority White schools

Click here to explore the report.

NC Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. NC Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Rob Schofield for questions: info@ncnewsline.com. Follow NC Newsline on Facebook and Twitter.
Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, R-Altus, speaks with news reporters at the state Capitol after a meeting Tuesday of the House Administrative Rules Committee, which he leads. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)

OKLAHOMA CITY  A series of party-line votes advanced new rules from the Oklahoma State Department of Education that would tie a school districts accreditation status to test results, create foundational values for the agency and allow teachers to be fired for engaging in acts that promote sexuality, among several other proposals.

The Republican majority on the House Administrative Rules Committee rejected 10 amendments from Democratic lawmakers, who sought to block some of the rules from progressing further.

The committee on Tuesday struck down only one of about 20 rules from the state Education Department. Committee members voted 9-1 against having Classic Learning Test scores count toward academic scholar and seal of biliteracy awards.

Republican lawmakers on the committee had raised concerns in previous meetings that the Classic Learning Test isnt widely accepted among colleges and isnt a proper substitute for the ACT or SAT. The exam tests reading, grammar and math with an emphasis on classic literature and historical texts.

But if it were up to the panels leader, Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, R-Altus, that rule would have been approved, too.

Honestly, I do not have a problem with the Classic Learning Test, Kendrix said while speaking with reporters after the meeting. That was an amendment that I did to make sure that I had enough votes to get the resolution out of the committee.

The package of rules now advances to the House floor for a potential vote by the full chamber. If the House approves the regulations, they would continue to the Senate, which has the option to vote or allow the governor to decide whether to enact the rules.

The proposals have attracted significant attention, particularly over their potential impact on school accreditation, which defines a school districts standing with the state.

Any district that has fewer than half of its students scoring at a basic performance level on state reading and math tests would suffer an accreditation deficiency, under the proposed rules. The districts accreditation status would be lowered even further in subsequent years if it fails to improve test scores by at least 5%.

The rules do not specify a death-knell scenario where a district would lose accreditation entirely, but Democrats still voiced fears that low-performing schools could close if the proposals become law.

Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa, said the rules would unfairly punish schools with greater numbers of impoverished students and children with disabilities. State test results show these two groups tend to score lower than their peers.

If we want to improve, where are the resources to help us improve instead of leading with a hammer? Provenzano said after the meeting. This is unfair across the board.

State Superintendent Ryan Walters said the new rules his administration created are common sense. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)

State Superintendent Ryan Walters said the package of rules is common sense.

We must do better for our kids, he posted on social media Tuesday. These rules help get our kids a better education.

Provenzano and Rep. Amanda Swope, D-Tulsa, filed 10 amendments to challenge several of Walters proposals, many of which they said the Legislature never asked to be created.

They objected to new foundational values for the state Education Department that reference the Creator as the author of universal, self-evident truths and the one who bestowed ultimate authority over childrens education to their parents.

They criticized another proposal that would allow schools to fire teachers for engaging in sexual acts or acts that promote sexuality in the presence of a minor or in a manner available to a minor online. Swope said the rule could be unconstitutional.

The Democratic lawmakers also fought against a measure that would take away automatic approval from the Oklahoma State School Boards Association to give training to school board members. With automatic approval revoked, OSSBA would have to apply for permission each year from the state Education Department to give board training.

Walters has said OSSBA would have to quit being a woke, left-wing association to get approval from his agency.

OSSBA is a nonpartisan organization. It has said the rule could make it more difficult for school board members to access timely, relevant continuing education.

The rule sparked one of the lengthiest exchanges between committee members.

Kendrix noted OSSBA is the only non-state agency that has automatic approval to give school board training. No other third-party groups have the same privilege.

Wouldnt you agree that would be government picking winners and losers or playing favorites with one organization over another? Kendrix questioned during the meeting.

One by one, the committees eight Republicans struck down the amendments from their Democratic colleagues.

Then, the committee voted 7-3 to advance the package of rules, with only Provenzano, Swope and Rep. Rande Worthen, R-Lawton, voting against it.

What we saw today was disappointing because we respond to our constituents, Provenzano said afterward. Our inboxes are full. Our phone lines are full. The visits to our office are full. People are concerned about their schools being shut down.

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The post Republicans advance controversial Oklahoma State Department of Education rules out of committee appeared first on Oklahoma Voice.
I think the override of the veto is the end of the line for these bills. I dont see any other pathway, Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) said.

Republican Senate lawmakers announced Monday that they plan to vote to override several vetoes issued by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers this year. At the same time, Evers announced another lawsuit against Republican lawmakers over funding he says lawmakers are wrongly withholding.

Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) highlighted at least five of the bills that the Senate will take action on Tuesday including one that outlines how $125 million could be used to combat PFAS contamination, one that allocates $15 million towards supporting hospitals in Chippewa Valley, one to establish a statewide wolf population goal, one to establish a teacher apprenticeship program and one to require post-election audits.

We have urgent needs across the state, Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) said at a press conference in the Wisconsin State Capitol. The Legislature has addressed those needs and solved those problems, however, the governor put special interests and his liberal base ahead of the people of Wisconsin.

The Senate calendar includes over 30 bills that have been partially or fully vetoed by Evers, but its unclear how many lawmakers will take action on.

Marklein said the veto overrides is likely the last chance to get the $125 million for PFAS funding and the $15 million for hospitals out the door.

I think the override of the veto is the end of the line for these bills. I dont see any other pathway, Marklein said. We want this money out the door.

Republican lawmakers and Evers have been at an impasse over the guidelines for how $125 million can be spent to combat PFAS for months. Part of the disagreement started when Republican lawmakers passed SB 312, but included an innocent landowners provision that Democrats opposed because they said it could shield polluters from being held accountable. Evers vetoed the bill because he said he objected to limiting the DNRs enforcement power and because the provisions in the bill are largely unnecessary for combating PFAS contamination in Wisconsin.

Evers has since attempted to call Republicans on the budget committee into two special meetings to get them to release the funding. However, Republicans have rebuffed those calls, saying they wouldnt release the money without the legislation.

Similarly, lawmakers will vote to override Evers partial veto of SB 1014, which allocated $15 million to help support hospitals in western Wisconsin. Evers issued a partial veto meant to allow the money to be used for other health care needs in the region besides emergency departments. Republicans have said it went against the legislative intent of the bill.

Republicans hold a two-thirds supermajority in the Senate, meaning they can pass the veto overrides without needing Democratic support. They still encouraged Evers to urge Democrats to vote with them in a letter.

We hope that you will work with your Democrat colleagues in the legislature and urge them to vote to override your vetoes on these two crucial bills. The legislature has no remaining session days after this week, and we will not break the law and override your vetoes through committee action, Senate Republicans wrote in a letter to Evers.

The veto overrides are likely fated to fail since they would also need to pass the Assembly  where Republicans are two seats shy of a supermajority. Marklein said he hadnt spoken with Assembly Republicans about whether they would take up the veto overrides.

Evers sues over literacy program funding

As lawmakers announced their veto override plans, Evers argued that Republicans were obstructing the basic functions of government and filed another lawsuit against them over funds that they havent released that are meant to fund new literacy programs.

Our response to challenges facing Wisconsin like water contamination, improving our kids reading outcomes, and responding to hospital closures in rural communities is being held up by Republican lawmakers, Evers said in a statement.

Evers announced that he filed a countersuit in Dane County Circuit Court that relates to Wisconsin Act 100, which is meant to create a mechanism for the states Joint Finance Committee to deploy $50 million to support new K-12 literacy programs. The countersuit comes in reaction to Republican lawmakers lawsuit against Evers partial veto of the bill, which they argue wasnt eligible for a partial veto, last month.

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has said it will become increasingly difficult for schools to meet the requirements of the law with the majority of the $50 million still unreleased by the Republican-led Joint Finance Committee.

Evers and DPI are asking that the Court declare that the Legislature and the Joint Finance Committee are improperly withholding the funds.

The lawsuit argues that the delay in releasing the funds is unlawful, saying that the statute gives the budget committee discretion over money intended to supplement agency appropriations due to unforeseen emergencies or similar circumstances.

This case involves the opposite [of such emergencies]: money set aside in the biennial budget for a specific purpose that the Legislature plainly foresaw, the countersuit states.

It also argues that if the state statute does give the lawmakers the discretion over the funds, it would be unconstitutional because separation of powers principles prevent the legislative branch from exercising a legislative veto over the crediting of already-appropriated money to its intended executive branch recipient.

The fact that Wisconsinites and communities across our state have waited months to receive funding to respond to pressing issues because Republican lawmakers refuse to release investments they already approved is unconscionable, Evers said.

The post As Republicans plan veto overrides, Gov. Evers issues another lawsuit over withheld funding appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
The Louisiana State Capitol (Wesley Muller/Louisiana Illuminator)

The sponsor of a controversial bill to shield most records of the Louisiana governors office from the public withdrew his bill Monday, killing it for the legislative session.

Sen. Jay Morris, R-West Monroe, tanked Senate Bill 423, which he and two other GOP legislators with proposals to curb Louisianas public records laws had designated as the measure to advance this session. The other two bills, Senate Bill 482 by Sen. Heather Cloud, R-Turkey Creek, and Senate Bill 502 by Sen. Blake Miguez, R-New Iberia, remain alive, but their path forward is uncertain.

In its original state, Morris bill would have limited access to public records to Louisiana residents, but he introduced amendments that would have incorporated elements of Clouds and Miguezs bills. The amendments, which were never formally adopted, were touted as a compromise. They would have shielded most records in the governors office from public disclosure, limited public records access to Louisiana residents and required individuals to attest to their identity.

Republican Gov. Jeff Landry has been a proponent of bills seeking to reign in the states public records law, arguing such requests have become weaponized.

In withdrawing his bill, Morris said he understood the governors concerns but said he had to balance the governors privacy concerns with the public interest.

The perception around these bills has become that everybodys trying to hide something, Morris said. I absolutely do not want to be associated with trying to hide anything.

Morris later clarified on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that he didnt believe anybody was trying to hide anything, including Landry.

Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, said in an interview he did not believe Miguez and Cloud would seek to bring their bills for a vote. Miguez told The Advocate he is considering his options.

Public records laws protect the publics right to know what governments are doing. Theyre part of sunshine laws that every state and the federal government have put in place to ensure transparency. Journalists and watchdog organizations use public records to investigate government efficiency and wrongdoing. Any citizen who has an interest in how their government operates can also request public records.

Cloud introduced amendments to her bill Monday afternoon, though they also were not voted on. Her bill is the broadest of the public records proposals. In its original state, it would have exempted most public records at all levels of government from disclosure.

While introducing the amendments, which would limit the bill to only shielding records related to the governors schedule, Cloud said Morris would be picking up the torch.



There has been no movement or public discussion of Miguezs bill, which would limit public records access to Louisiana residents and require a photo ID before requests are fulfilled.

The three bills have been opposed by conservatives and liberal advocacy groups, as well as nonpartisan good-government groups such as the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, which panned Morris legislation in a rare rebuke.

The public should be able to review and consider information about who the governor meets, who influences him and his staff and how they make decisions about using tax dollars and leading state government. Thats how Louisiana residents can hold their elected and appointed officials accountable. Thats how democracy functions properly, the group wrote in a commentary.

If the Cloud or Miguez bills advance, they could be amended to allow for broader exemptions, but both face hurdles in the form of skeptical senators and time running out in the legislative session. With just three weeks remaining, controversial bills that have not yet cleared the chamber where they originated face a time crunch.

More likely to pass is House Bill 461 by Rep. Steven Jackson, D-Shreveport, which would exempt records related to local and parish economic development projects. It cleared the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee last week.

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The post Republicans spike bill to shield Louisiana government records from public appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Researchers surprised to find several rare blue whales during expedition: 'These are positive steps towards their conservation'

Blue whales are among the rarest creatures on Earth, with experts estimating that only 5,000-15,000 are left. However, a group of researchers recently undertook an expedition to find blue whales at the Seychelles archipelago and were happily surprised by how many they spotted.

Jeremy Kiszka, an associate professor of biological sciences at Florida International University, summarized the trip for The Conversation. Along with Kathleen Stafford, an associate professor at Oregon State University's Marine Mammal Institute, and with help from the University of Seychelles and Oceanic Films, the group made two trips to the Seychelles archipelago off the coast of east Africa between 2020 and 2021.

The researchers used several "innovative and resource-intensive research methods," which resulted in five sightings of groups of up to ten blue whales. The scientists used vessel-based visual surveys that focused on the deep waters where the whales dive, as well as a hydrophone (an underwater microphone capable of recording whale vocalizations).

"Because of our blue whale discoveries, we have engaged with local tourism operators and the government, particularly to identify measures to limit the impact of the potential development of whale watching as an activity. These are positive steps towards their conservation," Kiszka wrote. "We still know so little about blue whales. But the data collected in Seychelles gives us hope and encourages us to do more."

The whaling industry decimated blue whale populations worldwide beginning in the 19th century. In Seychelles, in particular, Soviet whalers illegally killed 500 blue whales in the 1960s, making it especially encouraging that the creatures have been able to return to that region.

Although commercial whaling is now banned almost everywhere (except for Norway, Iceland, and Japan), whales now face new challenges to their well-being  namely, ocean pollution in the form of plastics. One recent study found that whales were ingesting as many as 10 million pieces of microplastics per day.

In addition, at least 20,000 whales are killed per year by collisions with shipping, cruise, and commercial vessels.

There is still much that needs to be done to protect these incredible animals  but the findings from the researchers in Seychelles are encouraging for the future survival of blue whales.

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A retired U.S. Air Force general was arrested on child sexual abuse charges following a traffic stop in North Texas, news outlets report.

On May 11, a deputy with the Hopkins County Sheriffs Office stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation near Sulphur Springs, KSST reported. The driver of that vehicle was former general Mike Houston McClendon.

During the stop, the deputy learned McClendon was a person of interest in a sexual assault investigation, and he agreed to drive to the sheriffs office for questioning.

However, at the end of the interview, the 69-year-old was arrested on a charge of continuous sexual assault of a child under the age of 14, KYTX reported.

According to court documents, the alleged assault happened more than a decade ago, on Jan. 1, 2014, the station reported.

McClendon was booked into the Hopkins County jail but was released after paying a $100,000 bond, EastTexasRadio reported.

McClatchy News reached out to the Air Force for comment on May 14 but did not immediately receive a response.

McClendon graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1975 and spent more than 10,000 hours in the cockpits of over 35 different aircraft during his career, according to a biography on the USAFs website. Before achieving the rank of Brigadier General, he also served as a test pilot and oversaw a highly classified special program.

Sulphur Springs is a roughly 110-mile drive northeast from Fort Worth.

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Rep. Freiberg is speaking into a microphone. She is wearing a pink coat with large earrings.

The Louisiana Senate gave final legislative approval to a bill that would provide more lucrative retirement savings options to thousands of state college and university employees. (Allison Allsop/Louisiana Illuminator)

The Louisiana Senate gave final legislative approval to a bill that would provide more lucrative retirement savings options to thousands of state college and university employees.

House Bill 31 by Rep. Barbara Freiberg, R-Baton Rouge, was unanimously approved Monday by the Senate. It would allow participants in the optional plan of the Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana (TRSL) hired before July 31, 2020, to switch to a defined benefit plan.

The bill now only needs the governors approval to take effect.

More than 6,000 public college and university faculty and staff members have enrolled in the states portable or optional retirement plan, which allows them to take their accrued benefits with them if they choose to leave Louisiana for another job. In exchange for that portability, employees lose out on more lucrative benefits available through a fixed, pension-style retirement plan offered to most state employees.

But as professors earn tenure and key personnel stay in place longer, the inability to switch over to the fixed benefit plan with a higher payout makes Louisiana less attractive for employees who want to finish their careers here. Employer retirement contributions are significantly lower in Louisiana than other southeastern states, as is faculty pay.

The vast majority of optional or defined benefit plan members do not receive Social Security benefits.

The Louisiana State Employees Retirement System (LASERS), unlike the plan available to state college faculty and staff, allows its participants to switch from a portable retirement plan to a fixed pension under certain circumstances.

Freiberg billed her measure as a way to prevent brain-drain and keep valuable employees in place in Louisiana, rather than chasing better retirement plans in other states, which also tend to have higher faculty and staff compensation.

Under Freibergs bill, a university employee who switches to the defined benefit plan would start at year zero for the purposes of retirement. That means their benefit calculations would be based on their switchover date, not when their employment began, although they would retain contributions to their optional retirement plans.

Over the past two decades, lawmakers have rejected similar proposals on eight separate occasions. Six times the bill never made it out of committee. The one time it did, it never got called for a floor vote after a lobbyist for the teachers retirement system pressured lawmakers to table it, said the author, former Rep. Warren Triche of Chackbay.

The bill comes as a major victory to higher education faculty and staff.

This gives us the opportunity to make an informed decision to switch plans after learning which best fits our needs. This is a boon to higher education employees and to the state retirement plan participation, University of Louisiana at Lafayette Faculty Senate President Phil Auter said in a statement.

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Editor's note: The article was updated with a quote from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on social media.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kyiv on May 14, marking the first time a senior U.S. official has visited Ukraine since Congress approved a long-awaited $61 billion military aid package for the country last month.

Blinken, who arrived in Ukraine by train early in the morning, hopes to "send a strong signal of reassurance to the Ukrainians who are obviously in a very difficult moment," according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity, Reuters reports.

"The Secretary's mission here is really to talk about how our supplemental assistance is going to be executed in a fashion to help shore up their defenses (and) enable them to increasingly take back the initiative on the battlefield," the official said.

The official mentioned that the artillery, along with long-range missiles referred to as ATACMS, and air defense interceptors, which were authorized by President Joe Biden on April 24, were already being delivered to the Ukrainian forces.

"I returned to Kyiv today to demonstrate our unwavering support for Ukraine as they defend their freedom against Russian aggression," Blinken wrote on social media.

On May 10, Biden authorized a $400 million defense aid package for Ukraine, according to a statement on the White House's website. The new package included ammunition for Patriot and NASAMS air defenses, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, HIMARS systems and ammunition, 155 mm and 105 mm artillery shells, and equipment to integrate Western launchers, missiles, and radars with Ukrainian systems.

While in Kyiv, Blinken will reassure Ukrainian officials including President Volodymyr Zelensky of enduring U.S. support and deliver a speech focused on Ukraine's future, the official said.

Read also: Russias new Kharkiv offensive pushes Vovchansk to the brink of annihilation

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Revelations of possible radioactive dumping around the Bay Area trigger new testing at parks

Community activist Sherry Padgett looks at the gray barrier at the former Stauffer Chemical Co. site on May 6, 2024, in Richmond, Calif. (Paul Kuroda / For The Times)

Beyond a chain-link fence topped with spiraled barbed wire, swaying coastal grasses conceal a cache of buried radioactive waste and toxic pesticides from a bygone chemical plant.

Warning signs along the Richmond, Calif., site's perimeter attempt to discourage trespassers from breaching the locked gates, where soil testing has detected cancer-causing gamma radiation more than 60 times higher than background levels in some places.

For most of the 20th century, the former Stauffer Chemical Co. disposed of thousands of tons of industrial waste near its factory grounds along Richmonds southeast shoreline. In the last two decades, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control has overseen the investigation into the extent of contamination, revealing elevated radioactivity underground and at the surface. Testing also found hazardous levels of heavy metals, including brain-damaging lead, and the banned pesticide Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT).

But the barbed-wire-ringed Richmond site wasn't Stauffer's only dumping ground.

According to DTSC archival records, Stauffer discarded industrial waste at several Bay Area sites  including present-day Cesar Chavez Park and the Albany Bulb, two popular parks built atop former municipal landfills. But it wasn't until last year that DTSC officials shared the chemical manufacturer's historic disposal records with regulators in charge of the other sites.

This was news to us, said Keith Roberson, an engineering geologist for the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Board, which has oversight of the former municipal landfills. It was documented in a letter from 1980. No one that currently works for the Water Board was familiar with that letter.

The Albany Bulb juts into the San Francisco Bay north of Berkeley and Oakland. (Paul Kuroda / For The Times)

The water board, in turn, informed the cities of Berkeley and Albany that more than 11,000 tons of Stauffer's waste was dumped in their landfills from 1960 to 1971, adding that it's reasonable to suspect the same toxic materials in Richmond are present there. The agency ordered the cities to test the parks for contaminants that could pose a risk to public health and wildlife.

The long-delayed outreach has shocked environmental groups and Bay Area residents who wonder why the chemical company's disposal sites are only now coming to light. The lapse raises questions about communication between the DTSC and the water board  two sister agencies under the umbrella of the California EPA  whose cooperation is vital to protect public health and the environment.

The fact that DTSC has sat on these documents for 44 years  shameful doesnt begin to describe it, said Janet Johnson, co-chair of the Richmond Shoreline Alliance.

Several government agencies have been involved in environmental oversight near Stauffer's Richmond plant over the past four decades, including the water board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to DTSC spokesperson Russ Edmondson. Last year, DTSC officials reached out to 11 government agencies to discuss the possible cleanup of the Blair Southern Pacific Landfill, a six-acre gated landfill in Richmond that had accepted Stauffer's waste.

That's when the DTSC shared with the agencies a letter dated March 28, 1980, detailing Stauffer's disposal locations and tonnage:





An unspecified area south of its Richmond plant received 18,700 tons.

The nearby Blair landfill accepted 6,200 tons.

A hazardous waste landfill in Benecia received 3,700 tons.

And the Albany and Berkeley landfills received 11,100 tons each.

Regulators suspect a significant portion of Stauffer's waste is alum mud, a radioactive sludge that is a byproduct of producing aluminum sulfate.

The Albany and Berkeley landfills, specifically, have undergone drastic transformations from their days as coastal dumping grounds. At the same time, California's rules and understanding of hazardous waste disposal have evolved too.

The Albany landfill was the final destination for construction and demolition debris until 1984, when local officials began converting it into a park. Today it is home to outre public art made from reclaimed wood and stone. The 90-acre Berkeley landfill received 1.5 million tons of municipal waste until its eventual closure in 1990, and it later became Chavez Park, a popular waterfront destination with an off-leash dog park.

Both have hiking trails that offer breathtaking views of the San Francisco Bay as well as host a variety of migratory birds and other wildlife.

Views, walking trails and an off-leash dog park make Cesar Chavez Park a popular one in the East Bay. (Paul Kuroda / For The Times)

Although Berkeley is preparing to sweep Chavez Park with radiation detectors, there was no signage about potential radioactivity or harmful waste visible on a visit this month to the peninsula.

At a recent public meeting in Berkeley, Jim McGrath, former chair of the regional water board and a Berkeley resident, asked about the Stauffer waste. City public works officials downplayed any concerns.

"All of this is just precautionary," one public works engineer said at the meeting. "The water board confirmed that it is safe."

But the water board made no such determination. In a January letter to Albany and Berkeley city officials, it wrote that the landfills "may have accepted industrial waste materials that could present a risk to water quality, human health, and the environment."

Berkeley officials said the information they have so far doesn't warrant park closures or limitations.

"The key words there are 'may' and 'could,'" Berkeley spokesperson Matthai Chakko said via email, referencing the water board's letter. "Those are not definitive words. As mentioned, we will be doing testing as a precaution, and the findings will determine next steps."

Albany spokesperson Brennen Brown said the water board did not know if radioactive alum mud from Stauffer was dumped in the city's landfill, "and no prior investigation has indicated any actionable public health and safety issues."

Little public awareness

"If there's information to know" about waste that was dumped at Cesar Chavez Park, said Mitchell Engberg while walking his dog, Olive, recently, "I want to know." (Paul Kuroda / For The Times)

On a recent weekday, Mitchell Engberg took his 3-year-old labradoodle, Olive, to Chavez Park. The Oakland resident visits there and the Albany Bulb several times a week and had heard little about potential health risks.

"Does it mean the soil is tainted? Does it mean the water in the shoreline is affected? It's definitely alarming, and it's concerning," he said. "And I feel like like if there's information to know, I want to know."

In Richmond, several homeless encampments have cropped up atop radioactive materials on the Blair landfill, which is owned by Union Pacific Railroad and the California Department of Transportation. In an email to Contra Costa County homeless outreach officials, a DTSC official said the radiation may not be a short-term hazard, but the area was not fit for habitation and "may represent an unacceptable elevated lifetime excess cancer risk" if exposed over years.

A man had been living there on the site for months, if not years, according to the DTSC.

Just outside the fence line, John Knox, 73, has been living in his van parked at the base of the dead-end street, where signs posted by the DTSC and property owners instruct people to stay out due to hazardous waste. Knox, a former actor, said people are vaguely aware of the contamination but have largely ignored the warnings.

John Knox has recently been living just outside the fence of the Blair landfill in Richmond. (Paul Kuroda / For The Times)

"The signage is basically 'Don't come in here,' but it's not going to give you a list of here's the problems," Knox said while seated in a chair outside his neatly kept panel van. "That's basically the nature of illegal dumping.

"Some of the homeless people I know that have lived here for a long time know the history. But this is where we have chosen to land for a while."

Michael Esposito  a retired scientist who studied the health effects of radiation and served on a DTSC community advisory group for the Richmond sites affected by Stauffer's waste  said the soil sampling and scanning show thorium and uranium isotopes are releasing elevated levels of gamma radiation  powerful electromagnetic waves that can damage tissue and DNA as it passes through the body.

The health effects of being exposed to these rays or inhaling contaminated dust can be especially harmful for sensitive groups, he said, including pregnant women and children.

"People are not going to be falling down dead in the streets as a result of this, but it increases the relative risk" for cancer, Esposito said. "Moreover, we all know that the human population is very variable with respect to susceptibility to disease, and we don't know if we're simply hurting people who may be in fact, more sensitive to background radiation, which, after all, breaks down DNA molecules."

Some remediation has occurred on the former Stauffer plant grounds in Richmond, although the cleanup goals for the site fell short of what many residents and environmental groups sought. DTSC officials argued that removing more contaminated soil would translate into heavy truck traffic and more air pollution.

Developers have proposed building as many as 4,000 new units of housing, a grocery store and 30 acres of new parkland there.

Community activist Sherry Padgett, shown outside the former Stauffer Chemical site, has seen years of testing at the Blair landfill near her home but no cleanup. (Paul Kuroda / For The Times)

For Sherry Padgett, who lives in a neighborhood along the Richmond shoreline, the slow pace at the neighboring Blair landfill site has been disappointing. As a two-time cancer survivor, she has tried to avoid the Stauffer site and Blair landfill, which is shrouded by marshland off the San Francisco Bay Trail. She fears that the contaminants could be migrating with every rainfall and rising seas, which is raising the water table inland.

After more than a decade of soil testing, there still has been no cleanup of the Blair site. Most recently, the DTSC ordered a nearby park to be tested for comparison and to help determine the cleanup threshold for the site.

If that cleanup effort is indicative of what's to come for Albany and Berkeley, she hopes the cities will take precautions sooner rather than later.

"The average citizen thinks that if there's a danger, somebody would take care of it," Padgett said, "that they would not be allowed out there if there was any kind of potential exposure."

She hasn't found that to be the case.

Looking toward San Francisco from the former Stauffer Chemical site. (Paul Kuroda / For The Times)

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Treasurer Liz Muoio told lawmakers Tuesday that new, stable revenue forecasts are more than welcome after years of a revenue roller coaster. (Illustration by Alex Cochran for New Jersey Monitor)

New revenue projections unveiled at the Statehouse Tuesday contain little indication of an April surprise that would alter lawmakers options as they negotiate the next year of New Jerseys spending, though looming funding needs have one legislator raising the possibility of a broad-based tax hike.

The Treasury predicted the state would draw $54.3 billion in revenue in the fiscal year that begins July 1, a $140.2 million increase from earlier projections, while the nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services forecasted $54.04 billion in revenue, a $106.5 million reduction from its earlier estimate.

April gave us little to be either concerned or excited about. Tax collections behaved much they had behaved throughout the fiscal year  no particularly eye-catching inflows but healthy revenue collections pretty much across the board, Oscar Mendez, a revenue and economic policy analyst with the Office of Legislative Services, told the Senate Budget Committee.

Both offices called the latest numbers a win for revenue forecasters. Such victories have eluded officials in recent years, when the pandemic and a booming market caused revenue to slump and then balloon before moderating last year.

In forecasting terms, thats a bullseye, said Treasurer Liz Muoio. And after the revenue roller coaster ride during and after the pandemic, such stability is more than welcome.

As in March, officials pointed to income tax refunds to explain the trends. Year-to-date refunds under the gross income tax rose by more than $800 million  or about 53.5%  over the same period in fiscal year 2023. And corporate business tax refunds were $450 million higher year-to-date than they were in the prior fiscal year.

Though Aprils largely static revenue figures wont create the sort of scramble often seen when revenue precipitously declines, Gov. Phil Murphys proposed spending plan still calls for New Jersey to operate with an expanding structural deficit that would dwindle the states surplus to $6.3 billion by July 2025.

Murphy has proposed New Jersey spend roughly $3.2 billion more than it takes in through taxes, fees, and other revenue in the coming fiscal year.

That deficit would expand yet further in future years if lawmakers constitutionally dedicate revenue from Murphys proposed corporate transit fee to NJ Transit. If Murphys plan wins lawmakers approval, money from the tax would go directly into the general fund starting July 1, and its eventual dedication would expand deficits by about $800 million.

You can do this for one year, maybe two years, and then youre going to run into negative territory, Thomas Koenig, the legislative budget and finance officer, said of the deficit spending. As you know, with the balanced budget requirement we have in New Jersey, we cannot sustain that kind of trajectory for long.

Who to tax

The revenue forecasts presented Tuesday assume lawmakers approve Murphys transit fee, which would apply a non-marginal 2.5% surtax on businesses with more than $10 million in profits.

That proposal, which would apply retroactively to the first six months of 2024, is expected to raise more than $1 billion in the coming fiscal year and $818 million in future years, when its revenue is intended to be dedicated to NJ Transit.

The tax would replace a nearly identical corporate business tax surcharge that formerly applied to businesses with more than $1 million in profit. That surcharge sunset at the start of 2024.

Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen), the committees chair, twice raised the prospect of raising New Jerseys 6.625% sales tax back to 7% as an alternative to the corporate transit fee.

Going from 6.675 back to 7% would be more stable than the corporation business tax on the higher earning income companies, which could vary from year to year, he said to Koenig.

Sarlo, who opposed extending the surcharge that ended this year, insisted he was not backing either proposal but just saying everything is on the table.

As a dedicated funding source, the corporate transit fee has some flaws. Corporate business tax collections  and income tax collections in general  are highly volatile and more susceptible to year-to-year economic shifts than the sales tax.

The proposed corporate transit fee would be especially volatile because it would be levied on roughly 600 highly sophisticated businesses, most of which are headquartered out of state.

But a sales tax increase is perhaps the most broad-based tax increase possible in New Jersey. It would touch most every resident and would disproportionately affect lower-income residents.

Im just saying we, as a Legislature, should look at all of the options available, Sarlo said. The business community has mentioned it. A lot of folks have mentioned it.

Muoio declined to comment on the sales tax proposal.

The post Revenue forecasts hold steady as budget chair floats sales tax hike appeared first on New Jersey Monitor.
RFK Jr. is defying the odds  against getting on ballots around the country

AUSTIN, Texas  Robert F. Kennedy Jr. campaign is beating ballot access expectations.

The campaign turned in more than twice the signatures needed to qualify for the ballot in Texas, which requires more than 100,000 signatures from registered voters.

Kennedy and his rookie campaign teams ability to reach the requirement is an organizational feat  one theyre repeating in state after state.

The pundits, who at the beginning of this campaign, were saying it would be impossible for us to get on the ballot, and we got on the ballot in Texas, Kennedy said at a rally in Austin, Texas, after delivering the petitions to the Secretary of States office. And if we can get on in Texas, we can get on everywhere.

Kennedy and his running mate, Nicole Shanahan, are now on the ballot in four states. They have finished signature gathering in nine more and are circulating petitions for 29 others.

The campaign hopes to defy the odds and get on the ballot in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.,  ensuring that his candidacy will affect the November election.

In the last two or three months, Ive been very impressed with the Kennedy operation for being able to smartly maneuver and get on ballots that were expensive and difficult, said Michael Arno, whose ballot access firm worked with No Labels. It sounds like theyve done very well in both Texas and New York, and thats very impressive and a real feather in their cap.



Getting ballot access as an independent candidate after quitting the Democratic Party primary in October seemed unlikely for Kennedy. Typically independent candidates must plan for months or even years before launching a third-party candidacy.

Unlike the Libertarian and Green parties, which have established grassroots support, local chapters and, in some cases, existing ballot access, Kennedys campaign started from scratch in October.

Communications Director Del Bigtree said in an interview at the Austin rally, which drew about 400 people, that ballot access is not not even a major issue for the campaign.

The campaign has succeeded in gathering signatures in states with strenuous requirements like Texas and New York while also pursuing other avenues to ballot access. In California, which would have required 75,000 signatures, and Michigan, Kennedy enlisted the help of existing third parties that already have a spot on the November ballot. In Iowa, his campaign hosted a one-day convention to nominate him with the backing of 500 registered voters from across the state.

The combination of efforts has helped the campaign gain momentum, with limited resources.

In a nutshell, hes succeeding, said Richard Winger, a ballot access expert who runs the website Ballot Access News and with whom the campaign has shared their internal signature gathering stats.

Still, the campaign has made missteps.

Kennedy will have to re-collect more than 10,000 signatures in Nevada because his campaign began circulating its petitions before it named the tickets vice presidential candidate. (A clerk at the Nevada Secretary of States office erroneously told the Kennedy campaign it didnt need to include a vice president on nominating papers.)

The campaign also had to pivot away from working with an outside super PAC supporting Kennedy to gather signatures. The PAC, American Values 2024, initially planned to collect signatures in seven states, including several battlegrounds, with a dedicated budget of up to $15 million.

But just weeks after a complaint from the Democratic National Committee to the Federal Election Commission, American Values cut its ballot access work. It has already spent close to $2.5 million on its effort.

The Kennedy campaign is now re-collecting signatures in places where American Values 2024 had already finished canvassing  Georgia, Arizona and South Carolina. Press Secretary Stefanie Spear said the campaign is 100 percent separate from the PAC.

Theyve been somewhat inefficient, but thats not surprising because theyre all doing this for the first time, Winger said. But theyre competent.

Kennedy has relied on a combination of volunteers and paid signature-gatherers. The campaign has spent $390,000 on professional signature gathering from Trent Pools firm Accelerate 2020 as well as about $34,000 on other ballot access consulting, according to the campaigns financial disclosures to the FEC.

I dont think he ever thought he could get on [ballots] with all volunteers, and he didnt. He never could have done this in Texas without paid petitioners. The same way in New York, Winger said. But a lot of the easier states are still all volunteers.

Even with the early successes, nothing is final until state officials review the campaigns signatures to certify the Kennedy ticket's addition to the November ballot, and legal challenges from outside groups could still arise. But the Kennedy campaign had already won numerous legal challenges on ballot access this year, including a challenge against Kennedys formation of a new third party in Hawaii.

I think it was a huge hurdle, Bigtree said. Its downhill from here. The media has to stop harping on [ballot access] and recognize that we have a real candidate whos going to be on the ballot in all 50 states.
A Ribault High School student is facing serious charges, accused of making threats to conduct a school shooting.

He was arrested late Monday night. We are not showing or naming the student because of his age.

Action News Jaxs Ben Ryan learned that the students mother tipped off the police after she found concerning messages on her iPad.

According to a police report, messages found on the students mothers iPad were asking someone to retrieve a drawstring bag on the Raines High School campus.

An unredacted report that Ryan got from a source said messages exchanged showed that the suspected gun was going to be found in the drawstring bag but wasnt loaded with bullets.

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Ryan also learned from a source that some of the messages found on the iPad were photos and videos of the gun.

Action News Jax spoke to a grandmother of a DCPS student.

I worry about everybody, I dont care who it is. I worry about everybody because how easy kids have access to weapons and stuff, one neighbor said.

Duval County Public Schools issued a statement concerning Tuesdays incident.

Hello Ribault High School families, this is Dr. Bostic calling. I am disappointed to bring you news this morning that one of our students made the very bad decision to send a message allegedly threatening to conduct a shooting at our school. Police were notified and intervened, and the student alleged to have posted the message has been arrested. Besides judicial consequences, this student also faces severe disciplinary consequences under our student of code of conduct. While there is no active threat to the school and our normal security measures are in place, I wanted to be transparent with you and ensure that you are aware of this incident. It is always disheartening to me when I hear of a student making a choice to do something like this. You all know that we want nothing but the best for our students here at Ribault, and our school offers students so many paths to success. If there is ever anything we can do to better assist you student in their success, please dont hesitate to let us know. Thank you and have a great day. DCPS Statement

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The Tory party has dug its own grave. Nothing will save it now

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks in the garden of 10 Downing Street, London, as he hosts the second Farm to Fork summit

In the 1980s, Margaret Thatcher led her party to a hat-trick of triumphs over Labour, in which defence played a major part in her appeal.

With a successful defence of the Falklands behind her, the Cold War threatening to get hot, Russias invasion of Afghanistan, and the threat of nuclear war ever present in voters minds, portraying herself as Britannia against the party of Michael Foot and Neil Kinnock as out-of-touch peaceniks proved a winning formula.

Can Rishi Sunak pull the same trick today? He appears to be willing to give it a try.

The prime minister might find his warnings about international threats dont fall entirely on deaf ears, given tensions with Russia and China, and a worsening situation in the Middle East. He will struggle, however, to paint Keir Starmer as someone who presents a threat to the security of the nation, as he sought to do in his speech yesterday.

Then again, what other card does he have to play?

That Sunak has focused on national defence as his trump card this close to the general election suggests less of a confidence in his Governments commitment to Nato than a complete lack of confidence in all the other areas of policy that Conservatives generally want to campaign on.

The economy, stupid, should be the central argument being deployed by ministers and MPs at this stage in a parliament. But even improved growth figures last week cant disperse the profound gloom that the Government seems to harbour over their own performance.

Just as Labour, during Gordon Browns government and immediately after the 2010 election, failed to counter the Conservatives (dishonest) claims that the financial crash was caused by government profligacy, so the current batch of ministers have failed dreadfully to explain that shutting down the economy for the best part of two years during the pandemic might just have some financial consequences for everyone.

The result has been a recession, sluggish economy and historically high taxes. Perhaps allowing a similarly historic level of immigration might off-set that economic catastrophe? Nope. But it did exacerbate the housing shortage and increase pressure on public services, so well done, boys and girls!

This is the Conservative record after 14 years in government, and five years after winning an 80-seat majority: highest ever taxes, highest ever immigration and a floundering economy.

Remind me: why do people vote Conservative?

Has any government, given a decade and a half in office, ever squandered its opportunity quite so drastically and deliberately? Is there one area of life in the UK where it can honestly and objectively be said that something  anything  has improved since 2010?

Lets just get past all the non mea culpa excuses. Weve had it up to here with the SNP in Scotland pulling that trick and it wont wash at Westminster either. When a political party stands for office and is elected, it takes responsibility for delivery of its promises, or it suffers the consequences for non-delivery. Thats how democracy works.

True, Covid was not this Governments fault, and I remain unconvinced that Labour, had it been in office at the time, would have handled it any better.

But it was the Conservatives who were in power when the music stopped so they must face the consequences. No party, after all, that used to lecture us on the importance of personal responsibility can claim that the government shouldnt be blamed for the appalling way the country is being governed.

Having voted Conservative in 2019, I remain of the view that was the right thing to do at the time, for a number of reasons but mainly Jeremy Corbyn and Brexit, in that order. There is no alternative universe in which a Corbyn-led Labour government would not have proved utterly disastrous for Britain and our allies.

Unfortunately for Sunak, Corbyn is no longer the threat he was. Starmer is an entirely different fish. Boring, uninspiring, certainly, but in no way a threat to the national defence, and it is insulting to suggest otherwise.

But my God, what a relief it will be to see an end to this awful, self-indulgent soap opera of a government.

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RFK JR. SUES MARK ZUCKERBERG, META FOR ELECTION INTERFERENCE AND CENSORSHIP

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who will appear on the California ballot with the far-right American Independent Party, filed a lawsuit Monday against tech giant Meta.

The lawsuit accuses the company, and its founder Mark Zuckerberg, of censorship and election interference.

Lawyers on behalf of Kennedy and his super PAC, American Values 2024, filed the federal lawsuit Monday in the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division.

The lawsuit alleges Meta, which encompasses Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp and Messenger, purposefully suppressed users from viewing and sharing a 30-minute documentary, Who is Bobby Kennedy? which was released by American Values 2024 on May 3.

According to the lawsuit, Meta began blocking users on its platforms from watching, sharing, or even posting a link.

Facebook and Instagram ... sent users messages threatening to suspend their accounts or otherwise punish them if they sought to watch, share or even post a link to the film, the lawsuit claims.

Meta told the New York Times on May 5 that users were unable to watch and share the film because it was mistakenly blocked, and it was corrected within a few hours.

But Kennedys campaign maintained that it was intentional censorship.

His running mate, Bay Area native and tech entrepreneur Nicole Shanahan, called Zuckerberg cowardly on X, formerly known as Twitter.

How are people supposed to find out that they have a viable alternative candidate  that they dont have to vote for the lesser of two evils  when Meta is colluding with the Biden administration to block key channels for communicating with the American public? said Tony Lyons, co-founder of the super PAC, on Monday.

Meta did not respond to a comment request from The Sacramento Bee.

KEVIN MCCARTHY REPLACEMENT TO BE CHOSEN NEXT WEEK

Via Gillian Brassil...

Voters in former Rep. Kevin McCarthys district have one week left to select his replacement.

The May 21 runoff in Californias 20th Congressional District will decide between two Republicans  Assemblyman Vince Fong, R-Bakersfield, and Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux. Whoever wins this special election will be sworn into office almost immediately for the rest of the former House Speakers term, which ends in January 2025.

Californias 20th  the states most heavily GOP congressional district where 47% of registered voters are Republican and 27% are Democrats  grabs portions of Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Kern counties.

Fong, McCarthys chosen successor, is the presumed front-runner to succeed his former boss. He got former President Donald Trumps endorsement, support from outside spending and his base in Kern County, where most of voters in Californias 20th are.

Fong, 44, has represented the area thats now the 32nd Assembly District since 2016. He had served as McCarthys district director for almost a decade. Born in Bakersfield, Fong started his political career as an aide to former Republican Rep. Bill Thomas, McCarthys predecessor.

Boudreaux, 57, has been Tulare County Sheriff for over a decade. Currently president of the California State Sheriffs Association, Boudreaux has worked in Tulare County law enforcement since age 19.

The two Republicans will face each other again in the Nov. 5 general election for a two-year to begin in January 2025. Fong led in both the March 5 and special election primaries.

Fongs November bid survived a legal challenge from Californias chief elections officer. Secretary of State Shirley Weber tried to block Fong because he filed to run for both Assembly and Congress amid a succession scramble after McCarthy announced his retirement.

McCarthy, a Bakersfield Republican, left Congress in December following his ousting as Speaker of the House, a role he long coveted and held for nine months.

BIDEN COURTS THE BAY AREA...

President Joe Biden paid a visit to Bay Area voters last weekend, with a quick campaign trip in the heart of Silicon Valley.

Speaking at a private residence in Palo Alto, Biden cautioned a second Trump Administration and celebrated his diverse Cabinet.

When I got elected president ... I decided I was going to have an administration that looked like America, and I meant it, Biden said. We have more women in my Cabinet than we have men. We have more women in the offices, in the major positions in my administration than we have men. And ... we have more African Americans that are in courts. We have more Hispanics. I mean, we just decided that its important.

First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom attended the fundraiser. Biden said shes doing an incredible job.

The momentum is clearly in our favor, he said, about the upcoming November election, where voters will decide whether or not hell get a second term. With polls moving towards us and away from Trump.

... AND TRUMP WILL COURT SOCAL IN JUNE

Presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump will head to Southern California next month for two fundraisers, where he will likely also court Californias tech elite.

According to Puck News reporter Teddy Schleifer, Trump will visit Beverly Hills on June 7 , and Newport Beach on June 8 for a fundraiser hosted by tech entrepreneur and virtual reality magnate Palmer Luckey, who founded Oculus VR.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Im in a little bit of trouble because Kamala is not here. Every time Im going to California, she says, Wait, wait  I got to go back. I got to go back. She sends her love.

- President Joe Biden on a campaign visit to Palo Alto

Best of The Bee:

As he heads to the Vatican, Gov. Newsom is failing on climate change, via Tom Philp .

Man dies in Sacramento jail during fingerprinting  second death at sheriffs facility in week, via Chris Biderman .

Californias Latino lawmakers prioritize bills each year. How many have passed in the last decade? via Mathew Miranda .

Gov. Gavin Newsom says hes against divestment after Sac State changes policy language, via Rosalio Ahumada and Ishani Desai.
A proposal that would require some 16- and 17-year-olds to be tried initially as adults in North Carolinas courts took a step forward on Tuesday, despite concerns by some that it would roll back protections for youths.

Currently, juveniles under 18 are tried in the states juvenile court after a petition is filed.

If a 16- or 17-year-old juvenile commits a Class A through G felony, then the case must be transferred from juvenile court  after probable cause is found or the teen is indicted  to the states superior courts to be tried as an adult. A prosecutor may also decline to transfer certain felonies to superior court.

Class A-G felonies range from high-level offenses such as murder to mid-level felonies such as committing a robbery using threats or force.

But a new bill that has bipartisan backing would change this transfer process.

Changes under the proposal

House Bill 834, among other provisions, would modify the states definition of a delinquent juvenile to exclude 16 to 18-year-olds who commit Class A-E felonies.

This means these cases will now start in superior court.

The bill would make sure that the proper cases, if they do exist, can be sent to juvenile court, said Chuck Spahos, a lobbyist for the N.C. Conference of District Attorneys, a state-funded association that lobbies the legislature.

Critics said these changes would reverse criminal justice reforms, including provisions passed into law in 2017 and implemented in 2019 known as Raise the Age.

Proponents, however, called it a procedural change that would streamline processes.

Raise the age concerns

The Raise the Age law pulled 16- and 17-year-olds accused of misdemeanors and low-level felonies like larcenies, break-ins and other nonviolent crimes, from the adult system into the juvenile justice system.

Under the law, all criminal cases for juveniles up to age 18 begin in juvenile court, with a requirement that higher-level felonies be transferred to adult court following a hearing or indictment..

We are kind of reversing the order of operation we have now, Sen. Lisa Grafstein, a Raleigh Democrat said Tuesday during a committee hearing at the General Assembly.

This seems to be a fairly significant rollback of Raise the Age, which I think we made a broad commitment to. I just wanted to highlight this because its concerning, Grafstein said.

Spahos said there are less than 500 cases a year that are transferred now to superior court. This is not a mass undoing of Raise the Age.

These are the cases that end up in superior court anyways, and its agreed by everyone thats been involved in this, including the state Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, that this is just cutting some of the procedural parts of that out while making sure that the proper cases, if they do exist, can be sent to juvenile court, Spahos said.

Sen. Danny Britt, a Robeson County Republican, echoed this, saying the majority of these violent crimes are actually being processed in superior court anyways.

When you have a district like Robeson County, for example, what you have is an extreme backlog of juvenile court cases in the juvenile court that are there unnecessarily longer than what they should, bogging down the docket, he said.

Kerwin Pittman with social justice advocacy group Emancipate NC echoed Grafsteins concerns on the rollback of Raise the Age and said this isnt just a procedural change.

This will put juveniles essentially in a position where they will no longer be able to regain a sense or restorative justice for them because its gonna take them to an adult setting.

Tara Muller with Disability Rights North Carolina said this bill will affect children with disabilities who make up the vast majority of the youth in the criminal justice system.

The bill  which has already passed the House  was approved by a Senate judiciary committee following amendments and now moves to the rules committee, where bills often go prior to moving to the floor for a vote, if approved.
Ron DeSantis reportedly plans to raise money for Donald Trump in Florida and Texas, AP sources say

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is gearing up to lend a financial hand to former President Donald Trump, marking a significant shift in their political relationship, according to AP sources.

Two people familiar with the matter, who spoke on anonymity, disclosed that DeSantis is set to start fundraising efforts for Trump in the upcoming weeks, aligning with his pledge made during a recent meeting with the former president.

While the specifics of the fundraising initiatives are yet to be finalized and subject to potential alterations, DeSantis has already initiated outreach to donors. His finance team is reportedly crafting a schedule that will have stops in both Florida and Texas, according to the sources.

READ: Trump and DeSantis meet to make peace and discuss fundraising for the former presidents campaign

This move signals a notable political reconciliation between DeSantis and Trump, who had engaged in heated exchanges during the 2024 Republican presidential nomination race.

Trumps insults dubbing DeSantis as DeSanctimonious clashed with the Florida governors arguments that Trumps political era had concluded. However, DeSantis appears to be extending an olive branch by leveraging his extensive fundraising network, a strategic maneuver that could produce rewards if he harbors presidential aspirations in 2028 when Trump would be ineligible to run due to constitutional term limits.

Roy Bailey, a prominent Dallas investor and former co-chairman of DeSantis national finance committee during his presidential bid, commended the governors commitment to Trump.

Hes shown his commitment to the president and thats why I say well follow his lead, and why I think donors will follow his lead, stated Bailey.

While Bailey refrained from confirming the fundraising plans, he highlighted the potential value in tapping into past DeSantis donors who are yet to contribute to Trumps campaign.

We will be focused on past DeSantis donors who have yet to donate to President Trump. Were going to try to mine those donors for him. That will create a lot of value, Bailey said.

As DeSantis takes strides towards bolstering Trumps financial arsenal, political observers keenly anticipate the ramifications of this burgeoning alliance on the Republican landscape, particularly with an eye on the upcoming November elections and beyond.

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Learn more about human resources in this third part of our four-part series on the luxury watchmaking industry

In this third part of the synopsis of the report, M&BD Consulting takes a look at human resources and the quest for diversity and talent.

The luxury watchmaking industry is not immune to human resources challenges. Employing over 65,000 people in 2023 (CPIH, 2023), the industry is currently facing two major issues: a lack of diversity and a shortage of talents.

Diversity and inclusion: is the watchmaking industry lagging behind?

The luxury watchmaking sector is often described as traditional and conservative, particularly in terms of recruitment and human resources management. Indeed, the sector faces a lack of representativeness, with leadership positions predominantly held by men not reflecting todays social diversity. This applies, for example, to the position of women within the industry. Although the situation has evolved considerably as they now represent 43% of the sector's total workforce (CPIH, 2023), access to leadership positions remains challenging for them. Indeed, around 19% of management positions are held by women (CPIH, 2023).

This lack of diversity could be detrimental to industry players. Various studies have shown that promoting diversity and inclusion can increase employee engagement, foster innovation, and improve company profitability.

A century-long tradition

The lack of diversity also affects recruitment and job allocation within the sector. Mostly composed of SMEs based in French-speaking Switzerland, the luxury watchmaking industry likes to recruit within the sector. In fact, having worked in other industries can even be a disadvantage for some candidates. As a result, there is little turnover within the talent pool, and it is often individuals from the sector who take on leadership roles. This can deprive companies of new perspective, innovation and inspiration that might be brought by profiles with careers in different industries.

A cyclical labour shortage

Growth and increased demand inevitably lead to new recruitment needs, especially following a period of workforce reduction such as the COVID pandemic. The industry will need to fill around 4,000 additional positions by 2026, including nearly 1,500 new jobs, in addition to the replacement of almost 2,500 retirements (CPIH, 2022).

Today, watchmaking professions struggle to attract individuals, particularly young people and Swiss nationals. The compensation conditions for certain positions do not always align with expectations, and the geographical location of companies sometimes requires significant commutes.

And this does not only apply to manufacturing jobs. It has become difficult to find and retain competent sales staff who understand the technical aspects of various models or brands and can provide the highest quality customer experience.

Supply chain: balancing control and agility

The watchmaking industry is highly dependent on economic cycles. Indeed, its activity, revenues, and profits tend to fluctuate according to broader economic cycles. The supply chain is therefore directly impacted by macro-economic phenomena linked to raw materials and human resources. Pandemics, geopolitical conflicts, resource depletion and global warming - the watchmaking supply chain has been severely tested in recent years. However, this does not seem to be dampening the development ambitions of watch companies.

A supply chain under pressure

On one hand, sanctions against Russia have compelled watchmaking companies which sourced gold, precious metals and diamonds from that country to look for new suppliers. On the other hand, the increase in energy prices, projected to rise by an average of 18% in 2024 according to estimates (Federal Electricity Commission, 2023), along with higher labour costs and raw material prices significantly impact brands, suppliers, and subcontractors.

As a result, some manufacturers are passing the increased costs onto the price of their timepieces and are experiencing significant production delays. The rising prices and the increasing waiting times to obtain certain watch models could, in turn, affect customer demand.

Increasing production capacity

Nevertheless, the supply chain challenges do not seem to discourage brands. Many watchmaking companies, and especially large groups, are increasing or planning to drastically increase their production capacity in Switzerland. Rolex's plans for a new factory in Bulle, Audemars Piguet's expansions in Le Locle, Meyrin and Le Brassus, and Greubel Forsey's expansion in Le Cret-du-Locle are all evidence of these growing ambitions.

Trend towards market verticalization

To mitigate the instability of procurement, an increasing number of players with the resources to do so are integrating some of their suppliers and subcontractors or acquiring shares in their capital. The market structure has thus changed in recent years, with the disappearance of many independent suppliers and their absorption by large groups. And while this has benefited several players, a significant number of brands producing smaller volumes struggle to secure deliveries, particularly at times when supply is shrinking while demand is rising. This trend also reflects brands' desire to regain control over their supply chain. This enables them to better manage lead times and inventories, and to quantify, report and improve their real environmental and ethical footprint.

Read the full study

In our comprehensive study, we address many other themes such as the industry's position on the challenges of certification, security, and digitalization, the identification of different categories of buyers, the expectations and opinions of over 400 watch purchasers, the results of a mystery shopper tour in nearly 30 mono-brand and multi-brand boutiques in Geneva, and the latest key market figures.

Read Part One

Read Part Two

Discover the full Luxury Watchmaking Study, and for more info contact: info@mbdconsulting.ch
(PUEBLO, Colo.)  A husband and wife have been indicted on 20 counts after a statewide grand jury found there was enough evidence to charge the pair for targeting Pueblo residents in a hail repair fraud scheme in the spring of 2021.

According to Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, the alleged criminal scheme constituted a pattern of activity, in which Kevin Christopher Herrera and Amanda Marie Herrera with Soco Roofing, Inc. would accept insurance payments from their clients for roof replacements or other home repairs and deposit the money into a company bank account, despite no contracted work ever being completed.

Weiser said under Colorado law, insurance funds are supposed to be held in trust for the designated projects, and none of the victims received a refund of their insurance funds. Additionally, several of the fraud victims were older, at-risk Puebloans.

The estimated total losses for all victims named in the indictment amounted to $51,307.

It is illegal for a contractor to take payments from clients for a project and then fail to complete those projects. Moreover, state law requires contractors to hold the clients money in a trust and to spend the funds on the clients project, said Weiser. Contractor fraud causes significant harm for the victims and our communities. My office remains committed to ensuring that the defendants involved in this alleged criminal fraud scheme are held fully accountable for their actions.

If you believe you might be the victim of contractor fraud, file a complaint with the Colorado Attorney Generals Office and contact your local police department. For more information on how to detect and avoid becoming a victim of contractor fraud, visit StopFraudColorado.gov.

The Herreras are charged with racketeering and conspiracy under the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act, both class 2 felonies; felony theft, including theft against an at-risk person; felony tax evasion; and failure to file a tax return or pay tax, a misdemeanor.

Both Kevin and Amanda Herrera are out on bond and scheduled to appear in court on May 28.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado.
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)   Carls Jr. announced Tuesday that a Roosevelt High School student has been selected as one of ten 2024 Carl N. and Margaret Karcher Founders Scholarships.

Carls Jr. says Guadalupe Gonzalez Olmos will receive $10,000 toward tuition at the college or university of her choice.

Every year, on behalf of founders Carl and Margaret Karcher, Carls Jr. awards $100,000 in scholarships to 10 outstanding individuals who have excelled academically, demonstrated leadership in extracurriculars and community, and have financial need in pursuing higher education.

For generations, Carls Jr. has been supporting the dreams and ambitions of individuals in our restaurants and business communities, said Andrew Robinson, Chief Human Resources Officer at CKE Restaurants, parent company of Carls Jr.

The selection committee was moved by Ms. Gonzalez Olmos experiences growing up in the community and desire to give back. We know she will accomplish great things, and we are proud to be a small part of her journey.

Olmos will graduate this month from Roosevelt High School and plans to attend the University of California, Los Angeles.

Gonzalez Olmos was voted Associate of the Quarter recently in her role at HomeGoods. She is a member of the Honors Society and AP Ambassador at school, and when shes not taking care of her younger siblings, she serves as a Beautiful Fresno and a Shine Together volunteer in the community.

She is inspired to pursue a political science degree by her parents pursuit of the American Dream.

Gonzalez Olmos said, There is no such thing as too big of a dream when you work hard enough. Ive always had a desire for more, and my ambition has allowed me to accomplish many wonderful things, but it wont stop with a high school diploma. I hope college is the start of a new adventure where I will expand my knowledge and shape my future. said Gonzalez Olmos.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47.
PROVO, Utah (ABC4)  Nicholas Rossi, the man accused of faking his death to escape two rape charges in Utah among other criminal charges nationwide, elected to represent himself as court proceedings move forward.

Rossis decision comes as he appeared in court in person for the first time since being extradited to Utah in January of this year. In the months since, Rossi has attempted to secure the funding to hire his own defense attorney as opposed to being represented by a public defender though has apparently failed to do so.

Rossi, who continues to insist that he is instead Arthur Knight and not the man prosecutors say he is, told the court he has studied law in England and Wales as well as a considerable amount of law in Scotland. However, he admitted his knowledge of American criminal law would need brushing up.

During Tuesdays court appearance, Judge Derek Pullan repeatedly questioned Rossi about his decision, emphasizing that he felt it was not a good idea. Pullan insisted Rossi would be better represented by a trained lawyer rather than by himself.

BACKGROUND: Who is Nicholas Rossi?

You are not familiar with Utah law, the rules of evidence or the rules of procedure, and I would strongly urge that you not represent yourself, said Pullan.

Rossi told Pullan that it was not ideal, but necessary to represent himself as he felt he would be the only one with sufficient knowledge of his own case. Pullan said it was not necessary and he would give the public defender time to become acquainted with the case but Rossi still refused.

Pullan told Rossi he faces a difficult and awkward trial ahead as he cannot provide any assistance to Rossi during the case. He also made it clear that Rossi faces a minimum sentence of five years in prison, up to life without parole.

Let me be clear, that means you will die in prison, said Pullan.

Thats a chance Im willing to take, your Honor, replied Rossi.

Pullan told Rossi he could change his mind and request a public defender at a later time. Rossi will be due back in court for a preliminary hearing on June 18 at 8:30 a.m. During the hearing, state prosecutors will present their burden of proof to move forward with a trial.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
The United Kingdom has announced plans to build up to six new Multi Role Support Ships (MRSS), a new class of amphibious warfare vessels that will join an ambitious shipbuilding program that now includes a total of 28 warships and submarines. The new MRSS vessels will also accommodate drones, a growing area of interest for the U.K. Royal Navy.

The United Kingdom has announced plans to build up to six new Multi-Role Support Ships (MRSS), a new class of amphibious warfare vessels that will join an ambitious shipbuilding program that now includes a total of 28 warships and submarines. The new MRSS vessels will also accommodate drones, a growing area of interest for the U.K. Royal Navy.

Heralding a new Golden Age for British shipbuilding, U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said that the MRSS vessels would be designed to rapidly deliver the famous Royal Marines Commando Force onto coastlines around the world to conduct special operations. 

MRSS will be highly flexible warships, able to deploy on a wider variety of operations, and designed to carry vehicles, aircraft, insertion craft, and a broad range of uncrewed systems for complicated missions, Shapps said. They will also be able to act as primary casualty receiving ships, providing urgent medical care to our forces wherever they are deployed.

In a statement, the U.K. government confirmed that the Ministry of Defense is now in the initial concept phase of the MRSS program and will work with industry prior to finalizing the vessels design. The concept art at the top of this story is only a possible configuration for a ship in this class, from the London-based BMT Group .

The government says that up to six MRSS will replace a variety of in-service vessels, including two Albion class landing platform docks, three Bay class landing ship dock (auxiliaries), and the aviation support ship RFA Argus, in the early 2030s.

The Albion class landing platform dock HMS Albion. Crown Copyright

The Bay class landing ship dock (auxiliary) RFA Mounts Bay. Crown Copyright

The aviation support ship RFA Argus. Crown Copyright

The First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Ben Key, said:

I am delighted that the Secretary of State has cemented the future of our Royal Marines by committing to this new class of up to six amphibious vessels. These will be the most capable amphibious warships the nation has ever owned, designed to be fully interchangeable with our closest allies in Europe, and in NATO.

As part of a refocus toward amphibious warfare capabilities, spurred by the resurgent Russian threat, the Royal Navy will also retain HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark until their planned out-of-service dates of 2033-34. Previously, there had been speculation that these vessels might be scrapped or mothballed before then.

In an interview with The Telegraph newspaper, Defense Secretary Shapps provided more details about the requirements for the new amphibious warships.

Were making these critical investments in shipbuilding to build the future Royal Navy needed to deter our adversaries, and then win if they are not deterred, Shapps said.

As nations like China and Russia invest heavily in their militaries we must make sure the U.K. leads our allies so that the West is not left behind.

The same article added that the new vessels will feature docks for landing craft, a flight deck for helicopters and drones, and a hangar capable of accommodating helicopters as large as the Chinook.

A U.K. Royal Air Force Chinook helicopter on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier HMS Prince Of Wales. Crown Copyright

Crucially, the report added, the MRSS will have the ability to host and launch attack drones from a dock that can be lowered into the water. It is also hoped that DragonFire , a high-powered laser beam that can shoot down enemy drones and missiles, will be fitted on ships.

The reference to waterborne drones would suggest that the United Kingdom has taken on lessons from the war in Ukraine, where uncrewed surface vessels and uncrewed underwater vessels have had a significant impact.

Obviously we are a blue-sea navy, we go everywhere around the entire world, Shapps said during a visit to a shipyard in Scotland. But we also know we need to be flexible enough to incorporate the lessons of, for example, the way that the [Russian Navy] Black Sea Fleet has been immobilized , in many cases sunk, without firing torpedoes from conventional large ships. These multirole ships will be able to be much more flexible in their approach and allow us to operate at both those levels.

Turning next to weapons, in January this year, the Royal Navy announced that it had tested its Dragonfire laser weapon, which it says promises to be able to down incoming drones, missiles, and aircraft at a cost of no more than 10 per shot  around $13.

A Dragonfire night shot during tests on the U.K. Ministry of Defences ranges in the Hebrides, Scotland. Crown Copyright

At that point, there was no plan to install Dragonfire on any existing Royal Navy ships, but the service said it could be installed on those currently under construction, including the new Type 26 and Type 31 frigates  with the MRSS now seemingly added to that list.

The war on Houthi drones in the Red Sea  in which the Royal Navy has played an active role  provides evidence of the growing need for a weapon in this class. However, it should be recalled that laser weapons currently have major limitations in range and effectiveness , especially during various environmental conditions. They are also limited by the number of targets they can engage over a finite time due to the dwell time needed for the laser to take effect on each target. As such, laser point defense is seen as a critical layer in a much larger defensive capability set and it is not a panacea for drones and other threats.

Finally, as for the kinds of aerial drones that might be embarked on the MRSS, this remains unclear, although theres no doubt that this is an area in which the Royal Navy is currently very interested .

Of particular relevance, bearing in mind the limited dimensions of the helicopter-optimized flight deck on the MRSS, is the Royal Navys Vertical Take-Off/Landing Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (VTOL ACP) program. This which aims to develop VTOL drones that will be able to conduct missions including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR); logistics; and strike.

Interestingly, the new warships will also be designed to accommodate standard shipping containers, which enable the space to be transformed and able to carry a wide variety of cargo depending on its mission. No further details were provided, but a number of cargoes are possible, including additional command and control equipment, medical evacuation payloads, or even strike capabilities in the form of containerized missiles, a growing trend among navies around the world .

The whole point of the MRSS, which we call non-complex warships, is to build an adaptable hull, an unnamed senior Royal Navy source told The Telegraph. Today you need to build ships that have got space in them. These will be better than the ships they replace as they will be cheaper to run and have greater adaptability with hangars to take helicopters and landing craft. They will also be more environmentally friendly as they will be designed to use adaptable fuels.

The commitment to building new amphibious warfare vessels is good news for the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines that will go into battle onboard them, especially considering the whittling down of U.K. capabilities amphibious for many decades. However, the fact remains that, depending on budgets and priorities, not all six may be built.

Royal Marines from 40 Commando are brought ashore by rigid raiders during beach landing training. Crown Copyright



Those that are completed will be much more capable than their predecessors but will be expected to replace six existing vessels directly, and likely will have to take on other missions, too, further stretching them.

After all, while building warships that can take on multiple roles potentially provides a huge level of utility, it also means they will likely be called upon for a variety of other tasks beyond the core mission of amphibious assault.

Nevertheless, the U.K. government has been promoting its warship-building program as a cornerstone of its new-look military strategy, which includes a commitment to increase defense spending to 2.5 percent of national wealth by 2030.

If all six MRSS are completed, the Royal Navy is slated to receive 28 warships and submarines, including the new Type 26 and Type 31 frigates, the Astute and Dreadnought classes of submarines, as well as new Fleet Solid Support ships.

At the same time, the Royal Navy is facing cuts to its existing fleet, including the confirmation today that two more of its Type 23 frigates  HMS Argyll and HMS Westminster  will be retired.

Earlier this year, TWZ reported about how the Royal Navy is so short on sailors that it would likely have to decommission two Type 23s, to ensure it can staff its new class of frigates . The move will reduce the services current fleet of 11 Type 23s to nine.

The Royal Navy frigate HMS Argyll firing a salute. Crown Copyright

With big-ticket programs such as the Tempest future combat aircraft and replacement of the Trident submarine-based nuclear deterrent to fund, its possible that, even with increasing budgets, there may be further cutbacks. So far, the Royal Navy has shown itself to be notably vulnerable to such force reductions.

At the same time, the issue of manpower should be at least partly addressed by a greater degree of automation on future warships. This will be the case for the eight Type 26 frigates and five of the smaller Type 31s, with the MRSS almost certain to follow the same pattern.

Future Type 26 frigate rendering. BAE Systems

Future Type 31 frigate rendering. Babcock

Other challenges include balancing the twin demands of projecting power far into the Pacific, to respond to Chinas growing military threat there, as well as facing off an increasingly belligerent Russia closer to home.

While a new class of multirole amphibious warfare vessels will be able to help meet these ambitions, they can only be in one place at one time, a fact that is just as relevant to the Royal Navys enormously expensive Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers.

It will certainly be interesting to see how the final design of the new Multi-Role Support Ships reflects these demands, as well as the different kinds of missions they will ultimately be equipped to carry out.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com
Rudy Giuliani complains hes fired from WABC radio over 2020 election claims  but John Catsimatidis wants a sit down first

Former Big Apple Mayor Rudy Giuliani continued to grouse Monday that he was fired from his WABC radio show for refusing to stop peddling 2020 election conspiracy theories  but station owner John Catsimatidis says no official decision on his employment status has been made.

I never fire anybody without having a sit down, and an understanding of what went wrong, the billionaire grocery store magnate told The Post Monday.

Earlier in the day, Giuliani wrote on X, Unfortunately, you wont hear from me on WABC today, because I was FIRED for refusing to give in to their demand that I stop talking about the 2020 Presidential Election, urging followers to contact the station to ask them if they support free speech.

Rudy Giuliani claimed that he was fired from his WABC radio show for refusing to stop discussing 2020 presidential election conspiracy theories. X/@RudyGiuliani

The ex-mayor was suspended from the station without pay Friday after ignoring multiple formal warnings from the station to avoid the topic and making it clear he had no intentions of following the edict.

Giuliani, 79, went on a stolen election tirade during the final three minutes of The Rudy Giuliani Show Thursday, in direct defiance of a company-wide edict not to state, suggest or imply that the election results are not valid, according to Catsimatidis, who runs Red Apple Media.

He then spent days blasting Catsimatidis during livestreamed broadcasts on X, accusing him of stifling his free speech and kowtowing to President Biden.

The former mayor hosted the show since 2021.

Catsimatidis said he had sent Giuliani a letter admonishing him that he was prohibited from engaging in conversations relating to the 2020 presidential election  prompting the bankrupt, twice-indicted ex-attorney for Donald Trump to fire off a confrontational text message stating he was disregarding every order given in this letter.

Giuliani was suspended from the station without pay on Friday for his rant. AP

After Giulianis defiant missive, Catsimatidis told The Post he was left with no choice but to suspend Giuliani from his $15,000-per-month radio gig, telling him he wasnt allowed to go on the air for his 3 p.m. show on Friday.

Catsimatidis said at this point the ex-mayor became belligerent, using his Americas Mayor Live show on X later that night to rail against the billionaire station owner, claiming his suspension was motivated by a desire to appease trailer trash little creep President Biden.

I said to him, youre suspended, lets sit down and talk on Monday, and then he went berserk on us, Catsimatidis told The Post late Friday night.

Catsimatidis filled in on Giulianis scheduled Sunday show from 10 to 11 a.m. along with WABC 770 hosts Curtis Sliwa and Dominick Carter.

What happened last week was very tragic, the CEO of grocery chains Gristedes and DAgostino Supermarkets said on the air Sunday during what had previously been the time slot for the Rudy Giuliani Show.

When I hired Rudy I got a lot of criticism, Catsimatidis said, referring to the controversy around the ex-mayor and former federal prosecutor, including an FBI probe. In this country, youre innocent until proven guilty.

He spoke highly of Giulianis tenure as New York City mayor and said he considered the falling out sad.

Under suspension with his fate at the station uncertain, Giuliani took to X Sunday night in a livestream alongside his former WABC co-host Dr. Maria Ryan, doubling down with a blistering rebuke of his former boss.

Im not going to work for a censorship station. No one at the station can talk about the 2020 election? I talk about the 2020 election all the time. I cant talk about the 2020 election when there is a $148 million judgment against me? he said.

John doesnt have enough money to get me to do that. He cant influence me with this money. He can go stuff it, the ex-mayor fumed.
The multi-day public squabble between Rudy Giuliani and WABC owner John Catsimatidis showed no signs of abating Monday as details emerged about the former mayors diva-like demands and repeated refusal to heed station policies leading to last weeks suspension of his daily radio show.

The former New York City mayor spent the weekend assailing the billionaire station bosss free speech credentials and accusing him of being in the tank for President Biden and the Democrats. Meanwhile, Catsimatidis fired back that Giuliani had gone rogue, defying direct orders while issuing a series of demands for more money and more airtime.

Last Tuesday, May 7, Mayor Giuliani gave me an ultimatum. He texted me that I had to double his airtime and compensation by May 28, Catsimatidis said in a statement Monday afternoon.

Ex-NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani claims hes been fired from his daily WABC talk show The Rudy Giuliani Show, accusing station owner John Catsimatidis of stifling his free speech. AP

I told him I wanted to sit down in person to discuss this. He repeated his demand on Wednesday, May 8.

The very next day, WABC management caught wind through a Bloomberg report that Giuliani had planned to double down on his defamatory comments about the Georgia election workers on social media, which Catsimatidis said resulted in additional filings being brought against the ex-mayor by plaintiffs in the suit.

Concerned that Giuliani would raise the issue again during his show on Thursday, Catsimatidis sent a letter reminding him of the policy in an effort to protect the station from being dragged into litigation over his false election claims.

I sent Rudy a letter reminding him not to speak about the legitimacy of the election results on our air, yet just hours later, during his 3:00 p.m. show that day, he did just that, said Catsimatidis.

As Giuliani launched into the topic of voting machines near the end of the broadcast, the station cut his audio and abruptly pulled the program off the air.

This is when Rudy issued me a second ultimatum, Catsimatidis wrote in his statement, saying the former Americas mayor shot back via text that he planned on disregarding every order given in Thursdays letter.

In an attempt to ease tensions, the Gristedes and DAgostino Supermarkets CEO said he texted Giuliani Friday morning saying, Rudy, I love you. Ive supported you for 40 years. I look forward to sitting down together one on one.

Catsimatidis said no final decision has yet been made, but stood by his decision to suspend Giulianis show out of the interest of protecting the station from becoming embroiled in lawsuits over false 2020 election claims. AP

But the former mayor rebuffed the olive branch, responding that he would continue to blow off the letter.

In light of his ultimatum and continued refusal to abide by company policy, WABC suspended Giuliani from his $15,000-per-month gig on Friday pending further discussions.

I said to him, youre suspended, lets sit down and talk on Monday, and then he went berserk on us, Catsimatidis told The Post Friday.

The former mayor spent the weekend on the offensive, airing his grievances on his Americas Mayor Live show on X and other internet programs and claiming he was altogether fired.

What John Catsimatidis has done is disgraceful. With the pretense that he was building some kind of a First Amendment station, he blew a hole in the First Amendment thats so big you cant even find it, he said during one of his tirades.

Catsimatidis called the series of outbursts an attempt to deflect from his own conduct on WABC, accusing his longtime friend of mischaracterizing the stations concerns.

Rudy has publicly accused me of suppressing his free speech, calling my decision unconstitutional and a violation of the First Amendment. However, as a licensee of the FCC, the First Amendment grants me the rights and responsibilities to protect WABC, the mogul said in his statement.

Giuliani allegedly rebuffed Catsimatidis calls for a sit-down to discuss the disagreement. X/@RudyGiuliani

Each decision I make is guided by what I believe best serves the station, our listeners, and above all, the truth.

Speaking on the air Sunday during what had been the scheduled time slot for The Rudy Giuliani Show on WABC, Catsimatidis said, what happened last week was very tragic.

When I hired Rudy I got a lot of criticism, Catsimatidis said, referring to the controversy surrounding the ex-mayor and former federal prosecutor, including an FBI probe. In this country, youre innocent until proven guilty.

He said he thought Giuliani had been a great mayor and considered the falling-out sad.

In a post on X Monday afternoon, the former mayor said he had been fired from WABC, a claim Catsimatidis disputed.

I never fire anybody without having a sit down, and an understanding of what went wrong, the billionaire told The Post.

Giuliani has dug in as one of the loudest proponents of debunked claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.

Over the years, hes frequently used his WABC platform to traffic in conspiracy theories about the Trump vs. Biden contest, even after the station said on-air talent was not allowed to state, suggest or imply that the election results are not valid or that the election is not over.

Last December, Giuliani was ordered to pay $148 million to two Atlanta election workers he falsely accused of ballot fraud. He filed for bankruptcy soon after.

In April, an Arizona grand jury indicted him along with several others for their alleged roles in a plot to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Giuliani did not respond to requests for comment Monday.
Ukraines Defence Forces are continuing to inflict losses on Russia. Over the past day alone, Russia lost 1,400 soldiers, 43 armoured combat vehicles and 28 artillery systems.

Source: General Staff of Ukraines Armed Forces on Facebook

Details: The total combat losses of the Russian forces between 24 February 2022 and 14 May 2024 are estimated to be as follows [figures in parentheses represent the latest losses  ed.]:

485,430 (+1,400) military personnel;

7,496 (+11) tanks;

14,460 (+43) armoured combat vehicles;

12,515 (+28) artillery systems;

1,070 (+0) multiple-launch rocket systems;

798 (+1) air defence systems;

351 (+1) fixed-wing aircraft;

325 (+0) helicopters;

9,985 (+49) strategic and tactical UAVs;

2,197 (+0) cruise missiles;

26 (+0) ships and boats;

1 (+0) submarines;

16,907 (+29) vehicles and tankers;

2,054 (+6) special vehicles and other equipment.

The information is being confirmed.

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From the The Morning Dispatch on The Dispatch

Happy Tuesday! To the powers that be at The Dispatch, consider this our official request to relocate the office to William F. Buckleys eight-bedroom childhood home in Sharon, Connecticut, on the market for a cool $5.5 million.

Quick Hits: Todays Top Stories

Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday morning local time in a show of support for Ukraine as the countrys troops battle invading Russian forces on a new front in the northeast. According to State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, Blinken will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss battlefield updates, the impact of new U.S. security and economic assistance, long-term security and other commitments, and ongoing work to bolster Ukraines economic recovery.

Prosecutors in the United Kingdom charged three men on Monday with spying on behalf of the Hong Kong intelligence service in violation of the U.K.s National Security Act, alleging the men broke into a U.K. residence on May 1. Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China, and Chinese authorities have denied any involvement on the part of Hong Kongs intelligence agency. Last week, U.K. officials expelled a Russian diplomat accused of spying, though the cases are not believed to be related.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which oversees interstate electricity transmission, issued two new rules on Monday aimed at expanding green energy. One requires utility companies to make plans for energy supply and demandincluding planning for potential disruptions due to extreme weatherover at least two decades, and another gives FERC the authority to grant permits to long-distance power lines, which could allow wind and solar energy produced primarily in the Southwest to move efficiently to urban areas.

Several major U.S. airlines sued the Department of Transportation on Monday over a rule that requires greater transparency from airlines about the fees they charge passengers. The airlines, including United, Delta, and American Airlines, say the Biden administration is overstepping its authority with the rule and that it will greatly confuse consumers who will be inundated with information that will only serve to complicate the buying process.

Michael Cohen, once a fixer for former President Donald Trump, took the stand on Monday in Trumps New York criminal trial. Cohen, the prosecutions star witness, directly implicated Trump in his payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and others and testified that the then-presidential candidate was primarily concerned about how news of his affair with Daniels would affect his electoral prospects. Cohen testified that Trump wanted the relationship kept quiet until after the 2016 election. If I win, it will have no relevance because Im president, Cohen recalled Trump saying. And if I lose, I dont even care. Cohen will retake the stand Tuesday for the prosecution before facing cross-examination from Trumps lawyers, who are likely to try to impugn his credibility.

Russia Goes on the Offensive in Kharkiv

Rescuers extinguish a fire in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on May 10, 2024, after a Russian missile strike on residential buildings in the area. (Photo by Viacheslav Mavrychev/Suspilne Ukraine/JSC "UA:PBC"/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

When Russia opened a new front in northeastern Ukraine on Friday, thousands of Ukrainians were faced with a wrenching choice: Leave, or risk their lives to stay in their homes. If I am needed here, then may God protect me here, one resident told the Kyiv Independent. And [if] he needs me up there, let him take me as long as it doesnt hurt.

Some 6,000 civilians have made the choice to flee as their villages were, in the words of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, turned from a gray zone into a combat zone. Russian attacks on the Kharkiv region continued through the weekend, opening another front in the war and potentially marking the start of a large Russian summer offensive against Ukraine. The new front, though not yet the site of a major incursion, will stretch Ukrainian forces as the country waits for U.S. aid to catch up after a months-long pause in arms shipments.

The northern part of the front has remained more or less stable since Ukraines counteroffensive began in the fall of 2022, with fighting instead concentrated in eastern and southeastern Ukraine. But over the weekend, Russia launched a cross-border attack in northern Kharkiv, opening up a new combat line separated from the rest of the fighting.

Via the Institute for the Study of War and Critical Threats Project.

Russian forces kicked off a two-pronged attack on Friday, starting with a heavy bombardment of the regiontargeting cities and villages just across the borderand followed by advancing personnel and tanks focused on the city of Volchansk and villages between the border and Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine and only 18 miles from the Russian border. Ukrainian officials said on Monday that 30,000 Russian soldiers are involved in the Kharkiv offensive, and Russia has reportedly taken several border villages and towns, including Hlyboke, Ohirtseve, and Starytsya, among others. Ukraines general staff of the armed forces said yesterday that Russian forces have partially succeeded in the village of Lukiantsi.

Via the Institute for the Study of War and Critical Threats Project.

As of Monday night, heavy fighting continued on the outskirts of Vovchansk, just three miles from the border. Russian forces claimed to have taken control of the town, but the Ukrainian military said its troops had launched counterattacks and retained control. The situation is on the edge, Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraines military intelligence agency, said on Monday. Every hour this situation moves toward critical. The closest reinforcements, according to Budanov, are in Chasiv Yar120 miles southand could take days to redeploy. Ive used everything we have, he said of the forces in Kharkiv. Unfortunately, we dont have anyone else in the reserves.

Ukraine lowered the military conscription age in April to address its troop shortage, but the front lines wont see the fresh recruits for some time. Mobilization still doesnt kick in for a few weeks, and cannot come at a moment too soon, Dmitri Alperovitch, chairman of the Silverado Policy Accelerator, told TMD. Theyve got to train those forces before they send them to the front, obviously, and right now theyre outmanned and outgunned.

Denys Yaroslavskyi, a Ukrainian reconnaissance commander, told the BBC on Sunday that inadequate preparation enabled the Russian advance across the border. There was no first line of defense, he said. The Russians just walked in. They just walked in, without any mined fields. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Monday that he had replaced the commander in the Kharkiv region.

Despite the disparity between the two forces, its not yet clear that Russia has committed sufficient troops for a successful assault on Kharkiv city. The operation could set conditions for a major offensive operation that seeks to seize Kharkiv City, though Russian forces current limited efforts do not suggest that Russian forces are immediately pursuing a large-scale sweeping offensive operation to envelop, encircle, or seize Kharkiv City, George Barrosthe Geospatial Intelligence Team Lead at the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington a think tank that tracks Russian troop movementswrote yesterday. Russian forces ramped up their strikes Monday along the border in Sumya neighboring oblast northwest of Kharkivwhere its possible Russia could lengthen its northern border offensive.

Russia seems to be forcing Ukraine to redeploy forces from the south to arrest Russian advances in the northeast. The enemy is trying to deliberately stretch it [the front line], attacking in small groups, but in new directions, so to speak, Oleh Syniehubov, the governor of Kharkiv oblast, said on Monday. Zelensky noted yesterday, We understand the enemys actions and their plan to divert our forces.

Moscow appears to be exploiting the lag in U.S. military aid to Ukraine to make battlefield gains. President Joe Biden signed the $60 billion supplemental aid package for Ukraine into law last month, but the protracted delay in approving the military support has forced Ukrainian troops to ration ammunition, and it will take time for the new supplies to filter through to the front lines. Some re-supply packages have already reached Ukrainein anticipation of the supplemental passing, U.S. military officials prepositioned aid to move as soon as possiblebut other equipment will take months to arrive.

Theres no doubt theres been a cost in the months-long delay in getting the supplementary budget request approved and the equipment sent out to Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday morning, said on Sunday. Were doing everything we can to rush this assistance out there. On Friday, the Pentagon announced a $400 million tranche of military aid to Ukraine that includes artillery shells, rockets, and air defense munitions.

The really helpful package is the weapons brought to Ukraine, Zelensky said on Friday. Not just the announcement of the package.

Some troops defending Kharkiv have explicitly blamed the Russian gains on the lack of arms. If we had the weapons we should haveeven if we had five or six self-propelled Howitzersit could have a big difference, an unidentified Ukrainian platoon commander told Sky News of the mobile artillery pieces.

Last month, Russian artillery outgunned Ukraine 10 to 1, and the effects of the shortage have also been felt beyond the battlefield. A Wall Street Journal analysis published Monday found that Ukraine has only been intercepting 46 percent of Russian missiles in the last six months, compared to 73 percent in the preceding six months. Russia has leveraged the lack of air defenses by targeting Ukraines power grid, and in April, with Ukraine running low on missile defenses, the interception rate was only 30 percent.

But even once the aid arrives, analysts argue U.S. restrictions on Ukraine using weapons to strike inside Russia will continue to give the attackers an advantage in targeting Kharkiv and Ukrainian forces near the border. The U.S. has prohibited Ukraine from using longer-range missiles like the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) to hit targets in Russia. As former GOP Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio argued in a piece for the site last week:

The [Biden] administration currently places onerous conditions on their use out of concern of escalation. British Foreign Minister David Camerons recent announcement that the United Kingdom would allow Ukraine to use UK-supplied long-range Storm Shadow missiles against Russian territory is a welcome development, and the U.S. should follow it. Russia has attacked Ukraine from Russian territory since Day 1. The administration must allow Ukraine to defend itself.

In recent months, Russian forces have increasingly relied on glide bombsSoviet-era bombs outfitted with GPS and glider wingsthat can fly for up to 40 miles after being dropped from Russian aircraft, allowing pilots to strike Ukrainian targets from Russian airspace. Ukraine does not have enough of its non-U.S. air defense systems to counter Russian aircraft while in Russian airspace.

Ukrainian pilots could use F-16s to counter the bombers, but the first jets arent expected to reach Ukraine until this summer. Ukraine needs more Patriot systems and interceptors, Barros argued, but no number of Patriot systems can protect Kharkiv City from the Russian glide bomb threat so long as the Russian Air Force can continue to use Russian airspace as a sanctuary and safe space. He also noted that Ukraines limited ability to strike inside Russia beyond artillery range has enabled Russian forces to safely amass troops for the Kharkiv offensive.

For now, its a race against time to resupply and reinforce Ukrainian positions while troops try to hold off the Russian offensive as best they can. Our task is crystal clearto thwart Russias attempt to expand the war, Zelensky said on Monday. The fulfillment of this task depends literally on everyone who is on the groundfrom Chernihiv to Volchansk, from Kharkiv to Donetsk.

Worth Your Time

We wrote to you several weeks ago about the United Kingdoms Cass Review, which examined the evidence around gender-transition treatment for minors and concluded that for most young people, a medical pathway will not be the best way to manage their gender-related distress. This week, Dr. Hilary Cass herself spoke to the New York Times Azeen Ghorayshi about the effect of her report in her own country and across the pond. It wouldnt be too much of a problem if people were saying This is clinical consensus and were not sure, Cass said of American medical associations dismissal of her report, which suggested there was remarkably weak evidence on the effects of hormone treatments for young people. But what some organizations are doing is doubling down on saying the evidence is good. And I think thats where youre misleading the public. You need to be honest about the strength of the evidence and say what youre going to do to improve it. I suspect that the [American Academy of Pediatrics], which is an organization that does massive good for children worldwide, and I see as a fairly left-leaning organization, is fearful of making any moves that might jeopardize trans health care right now. And I wonder whether, if they werent feeling under such political duress, they would be able to be more nuanced, to say that multiple truths exist in this spacethat there are children who are going to need medical treatment, and that there are other children who are going to resolve their distress in different ways.

It sounds like something out of an episode of a sci-fi television show: mining asteroids for their cosmic riches. But as Sarah Scoles reported for Undark magazine, it could soon be reality. In April 2023, a satellite the size of a microwave launched to space, she wrote. Its goal: to get ready to mine asteroids. While the mission, courtesy of a company called AstroForge, ran into problems, its part of a new wave of would-be asteroid miners hoping to cash in on cosmic resources. Potential applications of space-mined material abound: Asteroids contain metals like platinum and cobalt, which are used in electronics and electric vehicle batteries, respectively.  The pull of space rocks remains powerful and the new crop of companies hopeful. The economic picture has improved with the cost of rocket launches decreasing, as has the regulatory environment, with countries creating laws specifically allowing space mining. But only time will tell if this decades prospectors will cash in where others have drilled into the red or be buried by their business plans.

Presented Without Comment

Axios: Kick That F**king Door Down, [Vice President Kamala] Harris Says During AAPI Event

Sometimes people will open the door for you and leave it open, she said. Sometimes they wont. And then you need to kick that fking door down.

Also Presented Without Comment

Yahoo Finance: GameStop Stock Soars Over 70% as Roaring Kitty Revival Reignites Meme-Stock Bonanza

In the Zeitgeist

Its graduation season! Graduates across the country will get a lot of boilerplateor just downright stupidadvice over the next few weeks as major and minor celebrities opine on the meaning of life in commencement speeches. We think Jerry Seinfeld, in his remarks to the graduates of Duke University, got it right: Do not lose your sense of humor.  Not enough of life makes sense for you to be able to survive it without humor.

Toeing the Company Line

In the newsletters: Kevin panned () a new legislative proposal to cancel hundreds of billions of dollars in medical debt, the Dispatch Politics crew checked in on the Maryland Senate race, and Nick argued that () even the best-case outcome of the presidential election is pretty grim.

On the podcasts: Sarah and David discuss Trumps New York criminal trial and how the former president might respond to the results of the election on Advisory Opinions .

On the site: Charlotte reports on recent scrutiny of Israels military and humanitarian strategy, Chris digs into the latest battleground state polling and what it means for Biden, and Mark Caleb Smith and Emma Blakemore explain the Antisemitism Awareness Act.

Let Us Know

Should the Biden administration lift restrictions on how Ukraine can deploy certain U.S.-supplied weapons?

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At Watches and Wonders Geneva, Vacheron Constantin unveiled a unique horological achievement: the world's most complicated watch

Marketing speak is rarely a paragon of understatement, but when Vacheron Constantin describes its Berkley Grand Complication as "a milestone in contemporary watchmaking history", it would be hard to disagree.

"Grand complication" is not a generic term: usage has established its meaning as any timepiece that incorporates at least three complications. There are no rules as to what these complications must be, although it's understood that the more basic options, such as the day, the date or a GMT, are excluded in favour of technically complex mechanisms such as a perpetual calendar or a minute repeater.

Open to debate

Purists continue to argue over whether, or not, to include the tourbillon, which strictly speaking is not a complication but a type of escapement. The Berkley rises above this debate. It possesses an astounding 63 complications, although several are open to discussion, such as the systems to disengage the alarm barrel and the striking barrel when fully wound, the winding system, and the concealed winding crown. In total, seven of these complications may not be considered as such by certain watchmakers.

Berkley Grand Complication  Vacheron Constantin

Ever more complicated

This unique piece is one of a not very long line of grand complications. Few have been made this century or last. The first, begun in exactly 1900, was the Leroy 01. It set a precedent that the majority of later grand complications would follow: custom-made for an immensely wealthy individual, an exceptionally large size (71mm for the Leroy 01), an exponential number of components (already 975 in 1900) and an extraordinary array of complications (27 in the case of the Leroy 01).

Patek Philippe would produce a succession of these remarkably complicated timepieces, beginning with a model created for the American industrialist James Ward Packard. Delivered in 1916, it featured 16 complications. When Henry Graves Jr. received his timepiece in 1925, complete with 24 complications, this sparked a rivalry between the two men, each determined to outrank the other. Thus two years later, Packard took delivery of a second watch with 10 complications. Patek Philippe followed this, in 1989, with Calibre 89 (33 complications) then, in 2014, the Grandmaster Chime (20 complications).

Next, Vacheron Constantin entered the fray, taking grand complication watches to a whole new level with the 57 complications of Reference 57260, unveiled in 2015, the year of its 260th anniversary. The Berkley Grand Complication trumps this, with 63 complications.

Berkley Grand Complication  Vacheron Constantin

Dizzying heights

A few numbers give measure of this achievement: the Berkley was 11 years in development, comprises 2,877 components, displays information by means of 31 hands and took an entire year to assemble. It is, of course, a human endeavour, made by the same watchmakers who built the earlier Reference 57260 and for the same collector, William F. Berkley (whose name was not revealed in 2015 and who also owns the Vacheron Constantin watch that was gifted in 1946 to King Fouad 1 of Egypt). For the 57260, Mr Berkley requested a Hebraic perpetual calendar. For this new grand complication, named after him, he asked for an infinitely more complex Chinese perpetual calendar.

Berkley Grand Complication  Vacheron Constantin

There isn't room here to detail every one of the 63 complications. We can note that the two perpetual calendars (Chinese and Gregorian) alone account for 20 complications. The remainder concern for the most part the chimes and the alarm (15 complications), time measurement and regulation (9) and the astronomical indications (also 9). Interestingly, the Berkley's Gregorian calendar observes ISO 8601 standard (introduced in 1988) for date formats and incorporates displays for the week numeral, from 1 to 52, and for the day, from 1 to 7.

Calibre 3752 is equipped with a Grande Sonnerie mechanism featuring a Westminster carillon, which chimes the melody sounded by the bells of Big Ben in four bars of four notes, followed by a fifth note for the hours. This chime is sounded by five hammers striking five gongs and can be activated on demand. The case of the Berkley Grand Complication, in white gold, measures 9.8cm in diameter and 5cm thick.

Berkley Grand Complication  Vacheron Constantin

COMPLICATIONS LIST

1. Regulator-type hours, minutes and seconds for mean solar time

2. Retrograde second for mean solar time

3. Day and night indication for reference city

4. Visible spherical armillary tourbillon regulator with spherical balance spring

5. Armillary sphere tourbillon

6. World time indication for 24 cities

7. Second time zone hours and minutes (on 12 hours display)

8. Second time zone day and night indication

9. System to display the second time zone for the Northern or Southern hemispheres

10. Gregorian perpetual calendar

11. Gregorian days of the week

12. Gregorian months

13. Gregorian retrograde date

14. Leap-year indication and four-year cycle

15. Number of the day of the week (ISO 8601 calendar)

16. Indication for the number of the week within the year (ISO 8601 calendar)

17. Chinese perpetual calendar

18. Chinese number of the day

19. Chinese name of the month

20. Chinese date indication

21. Chinese zodiac signs

22. 5 elements and 10 celestial stems

23. 6 energies and 12 earthly branches

24. Chinese year state (common or embolismic)

25. Month state (small or large)

26. Indication for the Golden number within the 19-year Metonic cycle

27. Indication for the date of the Chinese New Year in the Gregorian calendar

Chinese Agricultural Perpetual Calendar (2)

28. Chinese agricultural perpetual calendar

29. Indications of seasons, equinoxes and solstices with solar hand

30. Sky chart (calibrated for Shanghai)

31. Sidereal hours

32. Sidereal minutes

33. Sunrise time (calibrated for Shanghai)

34. Sunset time (calibrated for Shanghai)

35. Equation of time

36. Length of the day (calibrated for Shanghai)

37. Length of the night (calibrated for Shanghai)

38. Phases and age of the moon, one correction every 1027 years

39. Fifths of a second chronograph (1 column wheel)

40. Fifths of a second split-second chronograph (1 column wheel)

41. 12-hour counter (1 column wheel)

42. 60-minute counter

43. Progressive alarm with single gong and hammer striking

44. Alarm strike / silence indicator

45. Choice of normal alarm or carillon striking alarm indicator

46. Alarm mechanism coupled to the carillon striking mechanism

47. Alarm striking with choice of grande or petite sonnerie

48. Alarm power-reserve indication

49. System to disengage the alarm barrel when fully wound

50. Carillon Westminster chiming with 5 gongs and 5 hammers

51. Grande sonnerie passing strike

52. Petite sonnerie passing strike

53. Minute repeating

54. Night silence feature (between 22.00 and 08.00 hours  hours chosen by the owner)

55. System to disengage the striking barrel when fully wound

56. Indication for grande or petite sonnerie modes

57. Indication for silence / striking / night modes

58. Power-reserve indication for the going train

59. Power-reserve indication for the striking train

60. Winding crown position indicator

61. Winding system for the double barrels

62. Hand-setting system with two positions and two directions

63. Concealed flush-fit winding crown for the alarm mechanism
(Bloomberg) -- Russias crude flows dropped to an eight-week low in the seven days to May 12, with fewer vessels leaving the major ports of Primorsk and Ust-Luga on the Baltic coast and from Murmansk on the Arctic. The four-week average also fell, dropping by the most in 10 weeks.

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Shipments from the Baltic terminals, which were in line with a partial loading program for May seen by Bloomberg, may reflect deeper output cuts promised by Moscow to its partners in the OPEC+ group of oil producers.

Weekly shipments were about 270,000 barrels a day below a target for this month thats part of the OPEC+ alliances broader effort to curb supplies and support prices. The four-week average was about 10,000 barrels a day below target.

The Kremlin also agreed to make deeper cuts to oil production, trimming volumes to about 9.1 million barrels a day from April. Output was cut by about 150,000 barrels a day last month, according to figures published by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Moscow still missed its goal though, pumping about 319,000 barrels a day more than agreed, according to Bloomberg calculations based on official Russian data.

Lower export volumes, together with a week-on-week decline in oil prices in the period to May 12, hit the value of Russias exports. The four-week average value of overseas shipments fell by the most since November.

The first sanctioned Russian tanker to load crude after being listed is now crossing the Indian Ocean. The SCF Primorye, cited by the US in October for breaching a Group of Seven price cap, loaded Urals at Novorossiysk on the Black Sea in late April and is now showing a destination of Singapore. It is most likely en route for China, whose ports have been more willing than those elsewhere to handle vessels owned by sanctioned entities.

If it is able to discharge its cargo without difficulty, it could pave the way for other sanctioned tankers owned by state controlled Sovcomflot PJSC to return to work. Until now, no other sanctioned Sovcomflot tanker has loaded a cargo.

The company has renamed and reflagged at least 10 of its 21 ships that have been listed by the US Treasury Department for breaching the price cap, perhaps with the intention of distancing them from the sanctions.

Separately, the Yasa Golden Bosphorus, which was removed from the sanctions list last month, has loaded a cargo of US crude at Houston.

Crude Shipments

A total of 30 tankers loaded 22.69 million barrels of Russian crude in the week to May 12, vessel-tracking data and port agent reports show. That was down by about 3.05 million barrels from the previous week.

Russias seaborne crude flows in the week to May 12 fell by about 440,000 barrels a day to 3.24 million, their lowest in eight weeks, from 3.68 million for the week to May 5. The less volatile four-week average was down by about 180,000 barrels a day at 3.48 million.

The drop was driven by fewer shipments from the Baltic ports of Primorsk and Ust-Luga and through the port of Murmansk on the Arctic. Baltic shipments are running in line with a partial loading program seen by Bloomberg, which shows a drop in Urals flows from their April level.

Crude shipments so far this year are running about 30,000 barrels a day below the average for 2023.

Russia said it would cut crude exports during April by 121,000 barrels a day from their average May-June level, while May shipments would be 71,000 barrels a day below the same starting point. Moscow is shifting more of the burden of its commitment to OPEC+ onto production targets, which are preferred by other members of the group. Seaborne shipments in the first three months of the year exceeded Russias target level for that period by just 16,000 barrels a day.

One cargo of Kazakhstans KEBCO was loaded at Ust-Luga and one at Novorossiysk during the week.

Flows by Destination

Observed shipments to Russias Asian customers, including those showing no final destination, fell to a five-week low of 3.08 million barrels a day in the four weeks to May 12, from 3.29 million in the previous four-week period.

About 1.11 million barrels a day of crude was loaded onto tankers heading to China. The Asian nations seaborne imports are boosted by about 800,000 barrels a day of crude delivered from Russia by pipeline, either directly, or via Kazakhstan.

Flows on ships signaling destinations in India averaged about 1.52 million barrels a day.

Both the Chinese and Indian figures are likely to rise as the discharge ports become clear for vessels that are not currently showing final destinations.

The equivalent of about 340,000 barrels a day was on vessels signaling Port Said or Suez in Egypt. Those voyages typically end at ports in India or China and show up as Unknown Asia until a final destination becomes apparent.

The Other Unknown volumes, running at about 80,000 barrels a day in the four weeks to May 12, are those on tankers showing no clear destination. Most originate from Russias western ports and go on to transit the Suez Canal, but some could end up in Turkey. Others may be moved from one vessel to another, with most such transfers now taking place in the Mediterranean, or more recently off Sohar in Oman.

Russias seaborne crude exports to European countries have ceased, with flows to Bulgaria halted at the end of last year. Moscow also lost about 500,000 barrels a day of pipeline exports to Poland and Germany at the start of 2023, when those countries stopped purchases.

Turkey is now the only short-haul market for shipments from Russias western ports, with flows in the 28 days to May 12 rising to a six-week high of 396,000 barrels a day.

Export Value

The gross value of Russias crude exports fell to $1.6 billion in the seven days to May 12 from about $1.85 billion in the period to May 5. Four-week average income was also down, dropping by about $140 million to $1.79 billion a week. The four-week average peak of $2.17 billion a week was reached in the period to June 19, 2022.

A drop in the amount exported and lower prices week on week combined to drive oil revenues to an eight-week low. Four week average export value saw its biggest decline since November.

During the first four weeks after the Group of Seven nations price cap on Russian crude exports came into effect in early December 2022, the value of seaborne flows fell to a low of $930 million a week, but soon recovered.

NOTES

This story forms part of a weekly series tracking shipments of crude from Russian export terminals and the gross value of those flows. The next update will be on Tuesday, May 21.

All figures exclude cargoes identified as Kazakhstans KEBCO grade. Those are shipments made by KazTransoil JSC that transit Russia for export through Novorossiysk and Ust-Luga and are not subject to European Union sanctions or a price cap. The Kazakh barrels are blended with crude of Russian origin to create a uniform export stream. Since Russias invasion of Ukraine, Kazakhstan has rebranded its cargoes to distinguish them from those shipped by Russian companies.

Vessel-tracking data are cross-checked against port agent reports as well as flows and ship movements reported by other information providers including Kpler and Vortexa Ltd.If you are reading this story on the Bloomberg terminal, click here for a link to a PDF file of four-week average flows from Russia to key destinations.

--With assistance from Sherry Su.

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Russian forces carried out multiple air strikes against Kharkiv city on May 14, injuring at least 21 people, including three children, local authorities reported.

As Russian forces launched new offensive operations in the north of Kharkiv Oblast on May 10, both Kharkiv and a number of border settlements have come under heavy strikes.

The first explosions were heard at around 4 p.m. local time.

Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov later reported that Russian troops struck the central part of the city, damaging a 12-storey apartment building and at least 10 garages nearby.

At least six people were hospitalized due to the attack as of around 6 p.m. local time.

An hour later, 18 people were confirmed injured, including two girls, aged 12 and eight, as well as a 12-year-old boy. An 87-year-old man was the oldest victim of the attack.

One person was wounded severely, 12 had injuries of moderate severity, and other victims' injuries were mild, according to Syniehubov.

The number of casualties has risen to 21 as of 9 p.m., the local Prosecutor's Office reported. Seven men, 11 women, and three children were among the injured, prosecutors said.

Russian forces attacked Kharkiv with the UMPB D-30 type of bombs, according to the Prosecutor's Office.

A total of nearly 20 apartment buildings, an educational institution, and 13 vehicles were damaged, while four cars and 15 garages were destroyed completely, the Prosecutor's Office said.

In the early hours of May 14, the Russian military also attacked Kharkiv with UMPB D-30 bombs, causing damage in the city and casualties among civilians.

Read also: Russias new Kharkiv offensive pushes Vovchansk to the brink of annihilation

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Russia's offensive on Vovchansk in northern Kharkiv Oblast killed two civilians aged 80 and 83, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported on May 14.

Russia launched new offensive actions on May 10 in the directions of Lyptsi and Vovchansk in the north of Kharkiv Oblast.

Russian forces "continue to use all types of weapons against civilians," Syniehubov said.

An 80-year-old woman was killed by Russian shelling against Vovchansk at around midday, while an 83-year-old man was killed in Hatyshche, a village a few kilometers outside of Vovchansk, after being injured by shrapnel.

Syniehubov reported earlier on May 14 that "active firefights are taking place on the northern outskirts of the city."

Over 7,500 civilians in the region have been evacuated from their homes, with around 5,000 people from Vovchansk and surrounding villages among this number, according to Ukrinform.

Syniehubov said on May 13 that around 200 to 300 people are thought to remain in Vovchansk as Russian troops "advance in certain directions."

Vovchansk, which had a population of almost 17,000 before the full-scale invasion, came under Russian occupation in February 2022. The town was liberated on Sept. 11, 2022, during Ukraine's successful counteroffensive in Kharkiv Oblast.

Read also: Russias new Kharkiv offensive pushes Vovchansk to the brink of annihilation

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Russian attacks against Ukraine killed three people and injured 18 over the past day, regional authorities said on May 14.

Russia targeted a total of 10 Ukrainian oblasts  Sumy, Mykolaiv, Luhansk, Odesa, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Kherson. Casualties were reported in the latter four regions.

In Kharkiv, two people  a 52-year-old man and a 66-year-old woman  reportedly suffered shock after Russian forces attacked the city with two glide bombs. Two women, aged 38 and 56, were injured, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

The attack reportedly damaged seven residential buildings, garages, and cars.

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A Russian missile strike on the enterprise in the village of Korotych in Kharkiv Oblast killed one man and injured four others on May 13, the governor said.

Four people were reportedly injured after Russian massive attacks on Vovchansk. A 70-year-old woman suffered injuries in the village of Lyptsi, according to Syniehubov.

Russian shelling of the city of Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on May 14 killed a 45-year-old man and injured a 47-year-old man, Governor Serhii Lysak said.

Russian attacks against Kherson Oblast damaged 16 houses, a high-rise building, critical and port infrastructure, an educational institution, and an administrative building, said Governor Oleksandr Prokudin. One person was killed and two more injured over the past day, according to Prokudin.

Russian troops also attacked the border town of Snovsk in Chernihiv Oblast with cluster munitions, injuring four people, Governor Viacheslav Chaus reported.

Read also: Russias new Kharkiv offensive pushes Vovchansk to the brink of annihilation

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Charges against Yuri Kuznetsov are in relation to his previous position as head of the department responsible for protecting state secrets

The Russian defence ministrys human resources chief has been arrested and accused of bribery in an apparent purge on allies of former minister Sergei Shoigu.

Lt Gen Yuri Kuznetsov was charged with accepting a particularly large bribe late on Monday evening, Russian Telegram channels reported.

It came hours after Vladimir Putin dismissed Mr Shoigu as minister of defence, in his most significant reshuffle since the full scale invasion of Ukraine began.

Three weeks earlier, Timur Ivanov, one of Mr Shoigus deputies, was arrested and charged with the same crime.

Lt Gen Kuznetsov, a career officer who rose through Russias rocket forces, became the head of human resources in May 2023, effectively making him responsible for the management of roughly 1.3 million military and civilian staff.

The charges announced on Tuesday morning relate to his previous job as head of the eighth directorate of the Russian general staff, a department that runs the military information security service responsible for protecting state secrets.

Intended to intimidate

Russias investigative committee said in a statement: According to the investigation, in 2021-2023, as head of the eighth directorate, Kuznetsov received a bribe from representatives of commercial structures in exchange for performing certain actions in their favour.

It said a search of his home uncovered more than 100 million rubles (875,000) and foreign currency, gold coins, collectable watches and luxury items. He has already been remanded in custody.

Accepting a particularly large bribe, defined in Russia law as one over 1 million rubles, is punishable by a hefty fine or up to 15 years in jail depending on the details of the crime.

Putin dismissed Sergei Shoigu, who had been minister of defence since 2012, on Monday.

Andrei Belousov, previously a deputy prime minister and an economist, is set to replace him.

Mr Shoigu was appointed secretary of Russias security council, a sideways move that suggests he still has Putins favour.

The arrest of two of his close assistants at the ministry in less than a month will be seen as a rebuke from the Kremlin for his handling of the Ukraine war.

It may also be intended to intimidate career generals inclined to resist whatever reforms Mr Belousov, an economist, has been charged with overseeing.

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Lieutenant General Yuri Kuznetsov, the head of the personnel department of the Russian Defense Ministry, was detained on May 13 on criminal charges, the state-owned news agency TASS reported, citing undisclosed law enforcement sources.

The exact nature of the charges had not been revealed, TASS wrote. The investigation is reportedly being carried out by the Main Military Investigation Department of the Russian Investigative Committee.

The news comes only as the latest case to rock Russia's military and security apparatus.

According to TASS's source, Russian authorities carried out searches at Kuznetsov's job and home.

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The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.

Between 2010 and 2023, Kuznetsov served as the head of the Eight Directorate of the Russian military's General Staff, responsible for protecting state secrets.

The general has led the personnel department of the Defense Ministry since May 2023.

In April, now-former Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov was detained on suspicion of bribery, and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was reassigned as the head of the country's security council on May 13, replacing Nikolai Patrushev.

Read also: Putin proposes firing Shoigu, appointing new defense minister

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The Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutors Office has reported that a Russian soldier shot a local resident point-blank on 14 May, in the village of Starytsia in the Vovchansk hromada [a hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories  ed.]. Moreover, another man went missing during an armed attack.

Source: Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutors Office

Quote: "The investigation reports that a Russian soldier shot a 46-year-old local man point-blank in the village of Starytsia in the Vovchansk hromada on 14 May 2024.

There is also information that a civilian went missing during an armed attack of the occupiers on 14 May. His current location is unknown. As of now, the law enforcement considers several versions: illegal imprisonment of a civilian by Russian troops or his murder."

Details: The fighting is still ongoing in this settlement.

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Almost any global show can't do without faux pas, but Eurovision 2024 probably broke the record for their number, as there are at least five moments that will definitely be remembered by viewers. This year, many non-binary people took part in the competition, which is unusual for many people, some almost completely naked to get into the role, and some still performed a classic number.

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There was enough action in the show and it kept you in suspense all the time, or made your jaw drop. Metro collected several events that will be remembered for Eurovision 2024.

Naked Windows95man on stage

While the Ukrainians were shocked by Windows95man's overly explicit image on stage during the performance of the contest song "No rules!", the representative from Finland fooled the "whole world" by wearing a beige thong, which was successfully hidden with the help of video operators. Well, maybe not quite successfully, because at the end of the performance, part of his naked body was still visible.

However, even before the start of Eurovision 2024, ardent Eurofans knew that the artist was actually wearing beige underwear that merged with his skin.

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Disqualification of hitmaker Joost Klein

The European broadcaster officially disqualified the Dutch representative 8 hours before the final due to an alleged violent incident against a female employee of the broadcasting union. According to media reports, the artist threatened an unnamed woman from the crew when he allegedly did not want to be filmed. This news came as a shock not only to the Euro fans, but also to the artist's competitors. Thus, the participants from Estonia - MIINUST x Puuluup - and some other contestants, who are not named, considered boycotting the final because of Jost Klein's disqualification, but this was overcome, and 25 out of 26 countries performed in the final.

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Booing of Executive Director Martin Esterdahl

Martin Esterdahl is the face of the European Broadcasting Union, so just before the results of this year's contest were announced, he had to confirm that the statistics and the selection of the finalist were ready. However, just as the executive director took the microphone, the audience began to boo him and condemn his alleged poor management of the event.

The UK has failed again

The country has been left out of the Eurovision Song Contest for the last 25 years, although in 2022 Sam Ryder managed to win 2nd place for his country with the song "Space man". This year, Olly Alexander with his track "Dizzy" received 0 points from the audience and only 46 from the jury.

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Broken crystal microphone

During his winning performance, the owner of the crystal microphone, non-binary Nemo from Switzerland, accidentally broke their statuette without calculating the force during a "fall" to their knees. Fortunately, the situation ended optimistically -they received another cup, however, without the print of this year's song contest.

The statuette broke in the area of the "leg" when the winner put it on the stage, applying some force. At the same time, Nemo's thumb was injured. Later, at a press conference, they were given a new crystal microphone, but without the symbols of the year - a classic Eurovision print without the country and year.

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Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Two residents were killed as a result of hostilities in Vovchansk hromada in the Chuhuiv district on 14 May [a hromada is an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories  ed.].

Source: Oleh Syniehubov, Head of Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration

Quote: "Two local residents were killed as a result of hostilities in Vovchansk hromada in the Chuhuiv district on 14 May."

Details: Syniehubov said that an 80-year-old woman was killed in Russian attacks on the city of Vovchansk at 11:55. A house caught fire.

Additionally, the Russians killed an 83-year-old civilian in the village of Hatyshche. Syniehubov added that the Russians continue to use all types of weapons against civilians.

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The Russians have continued their persistent attacks on Vovchansk hromada in Kharkiv Oblast. Meanwhile, Ukrainian defenders on this front section are holding back the Russians and controlling certain areas. [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories  ed.]

Source: Nazar Voloshyn, spokesperson for the Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group, on the air during the national joint 24/7 newscast

Quote: "Russian occupiers have intensified attacks on Vovchansk hromada. Over these days, 22 guided aerial bombs were dropped towards Vovchansk.

In addition, the Russians continuously shell Lyptsi and Vovchansk hromadas with artillery. The settlement of Kozacha Lopat and the Kupiansk district [are also affected]."

Details: Voloshyn said the Russians have not changed tactics. They first use artillery or aircraft and then small assault groups accompanied by vehicles.

In addition, the Russians attempt to spread panic among the civilian population.

Voloshyn stated that the Defence Forces are holding back the Russians and controlling certain areas on this front section.

He added that the Russians lost over 8,390 personnel, 96 tanks, over 200 armoured combat vehicles, nearly 200 artillery pieces and mortars, two aircraft, close to 30 electronic warfare systems, five air defence systems, over 30 anti-tank weapons, a heavy flamethrower system, almost 20 multiple-launch rocket systems, over 4,000 various drones and nearly 200 military shelters in the area of responsibility of Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group from 6 to 12 May.

Quote: "In the area of responsibility of Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group, the situation remains challenging. [Ukraine's] Defence Forces control the situation, preventing enemy breakthroughs into our territory. Fierce defensive battles are ongoing and Russian attempts to break through defence are being stopped...

The enemy seeks to seize the strategic initiative and break through the front line, concentrating their primary efforts on several fronts while creating superiority in forces and means. They are attacking across the entire front line and have achieved specific tactical successes on some fronts. However, the situation is dynamically changing.

Our soldiers are inflicting losses on the enemy in personnel, regaining positions and achieving tactical successes on certain fronts.

Battles are ongoing on the Kupiansk, Siversk, Lyman and Pokrovsk fronts, where the situation is dynamically evolving. The enemy has had partial success in some areas, while [Ukraine's] Defence Forces are pushing back the enemy and improving their tactical positions in others."

Background:

On 10 May, it was reported that Russian forces had intensified their activities in Kharkiv Oblast, with fighting taking place there.

President Zelenskyy confirmed that Russian troops had launched a new wave of offensive actions in Kharkiv Oblast.

Ukraine's Defence Ministry reported that reserve units had been sent to the north of Kharkiv Oblast.

Russian forces resumed assault operations near the village of Hlyboke in Kharkiv Oblast on the morning of 11 May, and Ukraines Defence Forces are expecting the Russians to ramp up shelling in the area.

The Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group said that the grey zone in Kharkiv Oblast was not expanding and that the Ukrainian Armed Forces were not letting Russian forces advance further into Kharkiv Oblast.

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The Russians attacked Nikopol on the morning of 14 May. A 45-year-old man was killed and another resident received shrapnel wounds.

Source: the Ukrainian Prosecutor Generals Office (PGO)

Photo: Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Prosecutors Office

Quote: "The investigation indicates that the Russian Armed Forces shelled the city of Nikopol with artillery on the morning of 14 May 2024."

Photo: Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Prosecutors Office

Details: "Reportedly, a 45-year-old man was killed in the shelling. A 47-year-old resident received shrapnel wounds. Additionally, the invaders damaged houses, outbuildings, and power lines."

Photo: Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Prosecutors Office

Law enforcement agencies have initiated a pre-trial investigation into the violation of laws and customs of war, combined with intentional homicide.

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On May 14, the Russian army fired artillery and a mortar near the border of Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine's north, killing a civilian man.

Source: Viacheslav Chaus, the Head of Chernihiv Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Quote: "This afternoon, the enemy struck the settlement of Hremiach in the Novhorod-Siverskyi district with tubed artillery and mortars.

A civilian local was killed as a result of shrapnel wounds sustained during the attack."

Background:

On 14 May, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, reported in his evening address that the Russians were sending sabotage and reconnaissance groups and launching attacks on Sumy and Chernihiv oblasts.

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The Russians attacked Kharkiv with guided aerial bombs on the morning of 14 May, injuring four people and destroying several garages.

Source: Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov on Telegram; Oleh Syniehubov, Head of Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Quote from Terekhov: "Kharkiv was attacked with two guided aerial bombs. One strike destroyed three garages and damaged several others. The second one hit an open area. Both of them landed in a densely populated area. Two people were injured."

Details: Earlier, the mayor reported that there was a strike in the Kyivskyi district of the city, where there are many high-rise buildings.

Oleh Syniehubov, Head of Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, clarified that the Russians had struck at 06:30. They attacked the city with modified UMPB D-30 (unified multi-purpose glide) bombs.

He said that four people were injured in the attack: a man, 52, and three women, aged 66, 56 and 38.

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Sacramento City Councilwoman Caity Maple is working to find $10 million to $12 million needed to re-establish a public library branch in Oak Park.

The neighborhood library closed in 1989 as part of a plan to consolidate the Oak Park, Fruitridge and Mabel Gillis branches into a new site: Colonial Heights Library, 4799 Stockton Blvd., library records show.

That branch is like two miles away, so its really not feasible for a lot of the young people that are living in Oak Park to get there, Maple said. In addition, she said, Stockton Boulevard has so much traffic that it isnt safe for children to cross it alone.

The University of the Pacific acquired the former Oak Park Library building, then on 5th Avenue between 33rd and 34th streets, for its McGeorge School of Law, Maple said, so she has looked at other structures that could house a library. One potential site is centrally located, she said, and has been vacant for a while.

Longtime Oak Park resident Dorothy Benjamin has been advocating for many years to bring a library branch back to the neighborhood, Maple said. When Maple was vying for a seat on the Sacramento City Council, she promised Benjamin she would do everything in her power to re-establish a library branch in the neighborhood.

Maple has been working to identify a site and raise the money needed for renovations. Benjamins son, Michael Benjamin II, works as Maples district director and recently gave a presentation on these and other library developments to the Oak Park Oak Park Neighborhood Association.

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Libraries play a key role in fostering resilient communities and nurturing both the civic and social infrastructure of cities, offering programs that promote literacy and education, assist job seekers and assure broad access to computers and the internet, according to the Public Library Association, a division of the American Library Association.

In a 2022 report, the Public Library Association surveyed library users across the country to assess what services they felt they needed to strengthen their communities and then looked at whether libraries were meeting the needs. Among the areas community residents would like to see libraries address: literacy and educational achievement, digital equity and civic engagement.

Many people still dont have access to the internet at home, said Peter Coyl, the director of the Sacramento Public Library. There is still a great digital divide across this country.

All branches of the Sacramento Public Library branches offer free internet access, access to hot spots and connect residents to a robust adult literacy program, Coyl said. The literacy program serves both native English speakers and individuals learning English as a second language, and a number of community residents volunteer as tutors.

During the summer, local public libraries often shift gears to pick up responsibilities typically handled by public schools. To combat food insecurity among children, for instance, some library branches offer free lunches to children under age 18, Coyl said, and librarians encourage reading by offering special incentives aimed at ensuring students practice skills they acquired over the past academic year.

Library would provide services and a safe space

A library branch would provide not only services but also equally as important a safe, climate-controlled space where everyone is welcome, Maple said.

Its not just necessarily the kids, she said. Its the community members, even our unhoused neighbors. They need a place to go. They need a place to be connected to the internet, to make sure you can find your next apartment or get your next job or whatever it might be. Its such a valuable community resource.

The latest library facilities report showed theres also plenty of demand in Oak Park, she said, with residents traveling far beyond the nearby Colonial Heights and Ella K. McClatchy library branches.

The six libraries surrounding Oak Park are among the Sacramento Public Librarys busiest sites, the facilities report noted. The demand is growing, Maple said, as new residents have moved into the neighborhood.

The Friends of the Oak Park Library has collected 800 to 900 signatures on a petition backing the effort to open a new branch, Maple said, but finding the funding for a makeover has been challenging at a time when the city of Sacramento is facing a budget deficit.

The Sacramento Public Library, an independent, joint powers authority established by the County of Sacramento and the incorporated cities of Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Galt, Isleton, Rancho Cordova and Sacramento, also is seeking capital investments to refresh, expand and enhance many of its facilities.

Maple said shes determined to figure out a way to pay for a new Oak Park Library.

We did submit a congressional funding request, but we unfortunately were not selected, which is understandable. Its very competitive. So were in the phase right now of figuring out how we are going to pay for this, Maple said.
This Sacramento man upset police so much they wont be in the same room with him | Opinion

For whatever its worth, (and it doesnt seem like its worth much) the Sacramento City Council will hear the Annual Report of the Sacramento Community Police Review Commission at its meeting on Tuesday night.

A little more than a month ago, the Sacramento Police Department stopped meeting directly with the Sacramento Police Community Police Review Commission, whose mission is to  provide community participation in reviewing and recommending police department policies and practices.

Opinion

Given that the cops wont meet with the citizen commissioners, it seems far-fetched any of the commissions recommendations will be accepted, or even reviewed by Sacramento Police.

Since March at least, Assistant City Manager Mario Lara has liaised between the police and the commission charged with giving them community input.

I asked city and police officials why City Manager Howard Chan decided Lara would meet with the commissioners instead of actual cops. Tim Swanson, a city spokesman, said the decision is within the City Managers authority to determine how staff are deployed to the various City Council boards and commissions and that Chan makes these staffing decisions based on what he believes will produce the most effective and efficient results.

That is an answer to a question, but not the one I asked. Why was this decision made?

Police Review Commission Chair Keyan Bliss knows why. Lara told Bliss in a March email that police wouldnt be attending commission meetings because of him.

The decision was...based on (Bliss) conduct at a City Council meeting where (he was) observed to interfere with the work of the police department and refuse to promptly comply with lawful orders by the Police Department and in accordance with directive to clear Council Chambers, Lara wrote to Bliss in an email.

Said Bliss: They have said publicly that they wont attend our public meetings anymore and they were willing to meet with any commissioner who is not in active defiance of law enforcement.

I think its because certain city officials have a long-held grudge against Bliss.

A controversial commissioner

Bliss was appointed by District 4 councilwoman Katie Valenzuela in 2021  herself a controversial member of the city council for her progressive politics. Since his appointment, Bliss has faced numerous calls for removal from public officials, including by former councilman Jeff Harris, who attempted to get him booted from the commission after Bliss publicly said that Harris was as racist as Jim Crow in September 2022.

The larger point here is that the commission does good work and is needed. Bliss can be blunt, but hes not wrong to demand more accountability from city cops. The Police Review Commission was established in its current form in 2016 in response to community demands. It ostensibly provides recommendations to the mayor and City Council on bias-free policing and strengthening community-police relations.

Lara referred to a City Council meeting in late February, where Mayor Darrell Steinberg ordered the chambers cleared due to disruptions from pro-Palestine supporters. Bliss says he left the meeting mere minutes after the directive without incident and was not detained by police for his actions that evening.

I wasnt aware the city and police required immediate compliance without protest or even the slightest delay? It explains why I was handcuffed at a late March meeting, covering another protest that shut down council chambers.

The city and police presumably saw Bliss actions as deeply disrespectful, and will not engage with him further. In doing so, they are punishing the entire Police Review Commission, and ultimately, punishing the community.

None of the actions cited by (the police), which occurred in (Bliss) personal time, violated any law or rule for City Commissioners, wrote Councilwoman Valenzuela in a statement. The Sacramento Police Department is charged with respectfully interacting with the public  they cannot be allowed to only do so with people who agree with them.

Commission to provide police oversight

The commission has, according to Bliss, issued more than 170 recommendations to the Police Department, yet only one has been formally approved by the City Council: Requiring the police to use deadly force as a last resort.

An investigation by the commission into the polices implementation of recommendations for 2018 and 2019 showed that less than ten had been fully implemented, despite the police department reporting it had implemented more than twice as many.

Since last fall, the Sacramento polices Professional Standards Unit and the Police Review Commission, including Bliss, have been meeting every other week to discuss the backlog of the commissions recommendations. The group had finally gotten through a review of its 2018 and 2019 recommendations with the help of these meetings and had three more years to go when police liaisons suddenly stopped attending.

The only reason we learned about the police department disengaging with us (was) after the police had a no-show at our public meeting, Bliss said. They just stopped coming. They abruptly canceled the morning of.

Swanson said the City Council approved a governmental affairs position for the police department, and it is expected that this person will eventually staff the (Police Review Commission) meetings as well.

Meanwhile, Police Chief Kathy Lester is poised to ask for an additional $28 million for its budget in the upcoming fiscal year, an allocation that is already at an all-time high, bringing the departments funding to more than $250 million total. In a March 2024 survey, Sacramento taxpayers said the police department was the No. 1 line item they wished to see face cuts in the city budget.

The problem starts at the top

What does it say about a police department that cant sit down in a room, or even in a Zoom meeting, to talk to community members, especially ones appointed by council members? What does that say about their ability to do the job? Are they picking and choosing who they protect and serve? Bliss asked.

What about me? Im a homeowner in the city; do I deserve protection even though Im criticizing the police? What about the people who question the police budget at community meetings? Should they be worried?

The police are supposed to protect and serve everyone  not just the people they like.
While the eldest son of King Charles III, Prince William, is in close communication and cooperation with his father, the youngest child in exile, Prince Harry, has not been able to contact him. For example, during a recent business trip to London, UK, both royals, did not even meet for a few minutes, even though they had not spoken face-to-face for a long time. It turned out that the king's wife Camilla and other close family members were involved.

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Robert Jobson, an anonymous royal expert, told the Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered podcast that such a meeting between His Majesty and Prince Harry, who abdicated in 2020 and moved to the United States with his family, could upset the balance with other members of the royal family, who have been subject to claims and accusations from the Sussex family, mostly because of the prince's scandalous memoir, The Spare.

"If he [Prince Harry] does this [meet with his father], what will William think and what will Camilla think, who were deeply offended and openly slandered by Harry. Also, Catherine [Middleton, Prince William's wife] was there, you know, in the book The Spare, so a lot of dark things happened to a lot of dark things. And so, if he met and said: "Okay, all is forgiven, Harry," then it could destroy the balance or the dynamic with the other members of the family. I'm sure the king is very careful about those who attack the family. To then just hug him, even if he loves him, would upset everyone else," the expert said.

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As a reminder, Prince Harry came to the UK to hold a thanksgiving service on the occasion of his favorite Invictus Games at a time when Charles III himself was supposed to be in the capital. Even then, it was clear that there would be no meeting with family members, as His Majesty allegedly had a busy schedule.

"There was definitely no disrespectful attitude here. Harry knew he was coming here. It was a big event. The King had a big event. The King wears two hats, one of them is the crown. In the end, he has to fulfill his duty first," said Jobson.

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In his memoir The Spare, Prince Harry recalled urging his father not to marry Camilla, and then wishing the monarch well and saying that there were no hard feelings. Later, in 2023, in an interview with 60 Minutes, he said that he considered Camilla "dangerous" and "villainous" because of the need to restore his image after the scandalous divorce of Charles III and Princess Diana, the mother of Prince Harry and William.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!

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Sam Feist, CNNs longtime Washington Bureau Chief, will take over as the head of C-SPAN this summer, the company announced this week.

Feist takes over for co-CEOs Rob Kennedy and Susan Swain, who announced they would step down earlier this year.

Our democracy needs C-SPAN now more than ever, Feist said in a statement. I look forward to working with C-SPANs extraordinary and dedicated team to expand the networks reach and meet new audiences where they are.

CNN chairman Mike Thompson thanked Feist for his contributions to the network in a note to staff on Tuesday that was obtained by The Hill.

In my short time at CNN, I have come to know and appreciate Sams passion for CNN, for our people, and for political journalism, and will miss his good counsel, Thompson wrote.

Feist has been employed at CNN since the late 1980s, working first as an intern, and is the longest serving Washington Bureau Chief in the networks history.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Longtime CNN executive Sam Feist will leave the network at the end of June to become the new CEO of the nonprofit public affairs network C-SPAN, the networks board of directors announced Tuesday.

Feist will become only the third CEO in the networks 45-year history, taking over the role from co-CEOs Rob Kennedy and Susan Swain, who have served in this role since 2012.

Our democracy needs C-SPAN now more than ever, Feist said in a statement. I look forward to working with C-SPANs extraordinary and dedicated team to expand the networks reach and meet new audiences where they are.

Currently, Feist serves as CNN senior vice president and Washington Bureau chief, which includes the networks largest news-gathering operation. He also leads the digital and editorial transformation of CNNs Spanish-language network.

Feist will remain at CNN through the end of June in order to assist in the transition. He will begin his C-SPAN CEO duties in late Summer. Kennedy steps down on May 18 and Swain will continue as sole CEO until Feist takes over.

Earlier this year, a search committee was formed on behalf of the networks board in an effort to find a new CEO.

Out of a small group of excellent finalists, Sam Feist stood out for his deep respect for C-SPAN, his leadership skills, his knowledge of Washington, and his digital transformation bona fides. We are confident that we are leaving C-SPAN in good hands, Kennedy and Swain said in a statement.

C-SPAN is an American treasure and I could not be more excited to lead this essential institution, Feist added.

The post Sam Feist Named C-SPAN CEO, Will Depart CNN After 34 Years appeared first on TheWrap.
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  San Diego River Days kicked off over the weekend with nine days of free activities celebrating the San Diego River.

The 21st annual San Diego River Days is underway through May 19. During the two-weekend celebration of the San Diego River, there will be over 30 free public events for the whole family along the entire length of the 52-mile river.

San Diego launches new program to plant hundreds of trees across the city

The annual celebration offers the chance for the community to learn about and appreciate the San Diego River, according to the San Diego River Park Foundation.

River Days events include hikes, guided tours, nature walks, bike rides, river cleanups, educational activities, opportunities to see and interact with wildlife and much more.

Caltrans to host two Dump Day events

To kick off River Days, volunteers on kayaks and at the shore cleaned thousands of pounds of trash from the San Diego River, while river restoration volunteers worked to remove invasive plants from the riverbed, the San Diego River Park Foundation posted on Instagram.

The San Diego River flows from the Cuyamaca Mountains near Santa Ysabel to the ocean.

San Diego, Chula Vista have room to improve on energy efficiency, report says

Craig Gustafson, with Think Blue San Diego, says about 80% of ocean pollution starts inland. Whether youre in Julian, Santee, El Cajon or La Mesa, the trash you throw outside eventually ends up in the ocean through the rivers.

Visit sdriverdays.org/activities/ for a full list of events happening during San Diego River Days 2024.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
While San Juan Countys mobile ballistics investigative unit sat gleaming in the sun behind him, Alexander Uballez, the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico, did his best to remind his listeners that fancy new equipment alone cant solve crimes during a Monday, May 13 news conference.

The National Integrated Ballistics Information Network machine is not a Magic 8 Ball, he said during the gathering outside the Lee Acres station of the San Juan County Sheriffs Office. You cant shake it, and out comes a suspect.

But the mobile lab  which has been available to law enforcement agencies in the county since Feb. 23  can be a significant tool for investigators battling what they call a surge in violent crime in New Mexico.

Basically speaking, these are devices that can help solve shootings, said Brendan Iber, a special agent in charge for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the agency that brought the mobile unit to San Juan County with the aim of more quickly processing ballistic evidence in the area.

Before the lab came to San Juan County earlier this year, there were only four National Integrated Ballistics Information Network units in the state, Iber said  three with the Albuquerque Police Department and one with New Mexico State Police. But thanks to funding that was secured partially through the efforts of U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico, four more such units soon will be deployed across the state, he said.

Katie Mason, a crime scene investigator with the San Juan County Sheriff's Office, displays a shell casing in the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network mobile unit on Monday, May 13, 2024 at the sheriff's office Lee Acres station.

Lab offers law enforcement a tool to help solve crime

The first of those arrived in San Juan County in February, although that unit will be replaced by a different one soon, officials said. Iber said the mobile ballistics processing labs have a huge role to play in helping tell the story of what happened during a violent crime even if no witnesses cooperate, in addition to linking what might otherwise appear to be unrelated crimes.

Uballez said the mobile labs are important, but they are only part of a comprehensive approach to crime solving.

The mobile National Integrated Ballistics Information Network unit is parked outside the San Juan County Sheriff's Office Lee Acres station on Monday, May 13, 2024.

This cant be done alone, he said, noting that the participation of the community as a whole and cooperative between law enforcement agencies is crucial to the effort. We work better when we work together.

New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez singled out staff members at the San Juan County Sheriffs Office and Farmington Police Department for embracing the technological advantages the mobile unit offers. He said the unit offers law enforcement agencies a tool to disrupt violence as it is happening.

New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez addresses the media during a press conference Monday, May 13, 2024 outside the San Juan County Sheriff's Office Lee Acres station as U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez listens.

The mobile unit already is having an impact in San Juan County, according to Sheriff Shane Ferrari and Chief Steve Hebbe of the Farmington Police Department. Ferrari said his investigators have matched four rounds that were recovered and processed through the lab to other shootings, while Hebbe said his department has identified three such hits.

Ferrari said he was very excited about partnering with ATF officials on the mobile lab when he was approached with the idea and quickly agreed to provide a home for the unit. He noted the lab is not just an initiative of San Juan County, but a crime-fighting tool that potentially could benefit every law enforcement agency in the area, explaining that it will help investigators keep better track of individuals coming and going in communities throughout the Four Corners.

Being able to have this kind of tool  is really going to give us a leg up, he said.

Crime scene investigator Katie Mason, photographed on Monday, May 13, 2024, says she underwent 40 hours of training to learn to use the equipment in the mobile ballistics unit.

Commitment to fighting gun crimes

He also noted that the mobile lab  which carries a six-figure price tag, according to Resident Agent in Charge Patrick Henning of ATF  is not something local law enforcement agencies could have acquired on their own.

Financially, this is not something we would have been able to afford within our own budgets, he said.

More: One year later, Farmington Police reflect on 2023 mass shooting

Hebbe echoed that point.

The fact they were able to pull it off is fantastic for our community, he said, noting that the addition of the lab as a crime-fighting tool should make every citizen more confident that San Juan County is not being ignored by government officials elsewhere.

The chief noted his department is particularly committed to battling gun crimes, especially as this week marks the anniversary of the May 15, 2023, mass shooting in Farmington in which three elderly women were killed and two police officers were shot and wounded.

Crime scene investigator Katie Mason of the San Juan County Sheriff's Office points out some of the elements she would look for in identifying a round fired from a particular gun while using the equipment inside a mobile ballistics lab on Monday, May 13, 2024.

Torrez said he didnt know when San Juan Countys permanent mobile lab would arrive. He said it takes approximately six months to fully outfit the vehicle with equipment even after the funding for it has been secured.

Torrez said he hoped the new lab would be here by the end of the year.

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This article originally appeared on Farmington Daily Times: Mobile ballistics lab already having impact in San Juan County
Who is Sangita Myska and why is she leaving LBC?

Last week, LBC announced that Sangita Myska would be leaving at the end of her contract (Ian West / PA)

After nearly two years, talk radio broadcaster Sangita Myska of LBC is quitting her programme.

Vanessa Feltz has been brought in to present a new show on Saturdays.

After a contentious discussion over Iran's recent drone and missile strikes on Israel on April 15, Myska had been off the air. LBC had not addressed her absence until the Feltz announcement on May 1.

LBCs senior managing editor Tom Cheal said: "Wed like to thank Sangita for her fantastic contribution to LBC and we wish her every success in the future."

According to LBC, Vanessa Feltz will debut a new show on Saturday from 3pm to 6pm as part of a "refreshed weekend schedule". However, Feltz is not a direct replacement for Myska because she is hosting a programme in a different timeslot.

Myska has been replaced by Ali Miraj in recent weeks.Following a successful time guest hosting on LBC, the broadcaster also stated that Ali Miraj, a former Conservative party parliamentary candidate and commentator, will have two weekend shows.

But who is Sangita Myska and why is she leaving LBC?

Who is Sangita Myska?

Myska is an award-winning podcast, radio and TV presenter who kicked off her career with the BBC under their trainee reporter scheme.

In 2008, she was involved with an undercover investigation into child trafficking in Bulgaria, which is credited with influencing the establishment of UN Gift (United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking).

She left the BBC for LBC in 2022, where she began hosting a weekend phone-in show for LBC Radio, broadcasting between 1pm and 4pm.

Myska is also a regular panellist on other high-profile shows including Jeremy Vine on Channel 5 and ITVs Lorraine, and was this year named radio presenter of the year in the prestigious Asian Media Awards.In addition to winning the British Podcast Awards' best current affairs category in 2019 for her reporting on the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Podcast, she was named current affairs presenter of the year at the 2023 ACTA Awards.

Additionally, her show has been successful for LBC, with an average of 500,000 viewers for her Saturday and Sunday afternoon shows, which is an increase of 34.4 per cent since she assumed the slots in September 2022.

Why is Sangita Myska leaving LBC?

Many are speculating Myskas departure has to do with the exchange with Israeli government spokesman Avi Hyman.

The day following an aerial assault in which more than 300 Iranian drones and missiles were fired into Israel, Myska questioned Hyman about the possible reasons behind the start of hostilities, which marked the first instance of direct conflict between the two adversarial nations.

Myska enquired as to whether the incident was a "retaliatory strike" following Israel's April 1 attack on Iran's consulate complex in Damascus, Syria.

Myska said that consulates and embassies are sovereign territories of the governments concerned, and that what Israel did by taking that action against Iran was to escalate what is already an incredibly fragile situation.

She also said: What Israel did was strike what is considered  in diplomatic circles  the sovereign territory of Iran, whether we like it or not.

And there was undoubtedly going to be a blowback.

She asked Hyman: So did Israel game out what was going to happen next?

Throughout the process of questioning, Hyman shook his head and argued that the assertion was "an outrageous framing of the reality" and that the embassy was actually "an al Quds military base being used by forces of the Iranian regime" rather than a diplomatic mission, they were bent on Israels destruction.

He also said that Myska had been "copying and pasting" an Iranian statement and that media throughout the world were merely parroting what the regime wanted them to say.

She countered by saying, you know what the ICJ [International Court of Justice] ruling is, that there is a plausible case of genocide to answer.

Hyman counters with, we have not transgressed any international law, with Myska replying, I didnt say you have.

Her absence from the airwaves led to an outpouring of support, and almost 25,000 people signed a petition, calling for LBC to reinstate her.

The station has kept a clip of the interview online. However, parent company Global has not referenced it and said the line-up changes were "part of a refreshed weekend schedule".

LBC's senior managing editor Tom Cheal said: "We'd like to thank Sangita for her fantastic contribution to LBC and wish her every success in the future."
Each day, landslide damage at the historic Wayfarers Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes worsens.

More windows in the famous glass chapel shatter. Metal framing along its walls and ceiling further torque. New fissures open across the parking lot.

The landslide beneath the chapel  mostly manageable for decades  has accelerated to unprecedented rates and is likely to upend the possibility of a future for the chapel at its idyllic seaside site.

Chapel leaders announced on Monday their plans to begin taking the structure apart. The hope, they said, is to preserve what they can of the national historic landmark, spiritual sanctuary and well-known wedding venue.

Read more: Wayfarers Chapel looks to relocate due to threatening landslide

"We are taking immediate action to carefully disassemble the chapel's historic materials as a necessary step in the preservation of the chapel for generations to come," Dan Burchett, the executive director of Wayfarers Chapel, said in a statement. Wayfarers is committed to preserving our iconic chapel exactly as it has always been, either on the current site or a similar site close by in Rancho Palos Verdes."

Burchett and his team have been searching for a nearby location  on more stable ground  where the chapel could be rebuilt in as close to its original form as possible. He said they would also continue to monitor the landslide to see whether the chapel could be reassembled on-site  but that continues to look less feasible by the day as the land movement has intensified.

In February, Wayfarers closed its doors, worried about safety due to the landslide. Last month, city officials red-tagged the administration building that sits not far from Wayfarers Chapel, and as of Monday, all the underground services for the site, including electricity, water, sewer and gas, were broken and unusable, officials said.

The 100-seat glass-and-wood sanctuary was built in 1951, designed by architect Lloyd Wright, son of Frank Lloyd Wright.

Disassembly, carried out by preservation design firm Architectural Resources Group, will be a tedious process, Burchett said. This week, the team is preparing the property for the large-scale project, and Burchett expected work to begin next week.

"The chapel will not be able to withstand much more damage before it becomes impossible to preserve," Wayfarers officials said in a news release. "It has been determined that the immediate deconstruction of the chapel is the safest and most viable preservation action to take at this time and will prevent further irreparable damage to the chapels structure and materials."

Many of the chapel's building materials are no longer available, Burchett said, so deconstruction allows the structure to keep its historical designation and paves the way for "a future careful and thoughtful rebuilding of the chapel."

"With each passing day, more of this material is lost or irreparably damaged," said Katie Horak, a principal at Architectural Resources Group. With deconstruction set to begin, "our team is working against the clock to document and move these building components to safety so that they can be put back together again."

Read more: Winter rains fuel 'unprecedented' acceleration, expansion of landslides in Rancho Palos Verdes

She said some of the irreplaceable parts include old-growth-redwood glulam ( laminated timber bonded with adhesive), blue roof tile and the elegant network of steel that holds the windows together.

The city's latest report on the historical landslide complex, which affects about 700 acres on both sides of Palos Verdes Drive South in Rancho Palos Verdes, found that land movement in March and April had further accelerated, almost two times the movement that was recorded from January through March  when leaders were already sounding the alarms about the situation. In some of the fastest-moving areas, the hillside was shifting as much as 9 inches per week, the city's geologist found.

"Wayfarers Chapel has been a treasured part of our community for generations," Rancho Palos Verdes Mayor John Cruikshank said in a statement. "The city ... is committed to working with Wayfarers Chapel to ensure it can be quickly rebuilt on a geologically safe location somewhere within the city, if possible."

Burchett said the deconstruction and closing of the campus is estimated to cost $300,000 to $500,000  well beyond the almost $70,000 raised through an online fundraiser that was started after the chapel had to close and cease most of its operations.

The full rebuild is estimated to cost nearly $20 million, Burchett said.

The nonprofit has about $5 million in savings reserved for that effort, revenue primarily from weddings at the site. Couples would pay more than $5,000 to marry at the highly sought-after Instagram-famous chapel.

Burchett said Wayfarers would need additional community support, and is planning a fundraising drive for the rest.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Gene Alexzander Scott executed his grandfather in a plot for money then turned the gun on his great-grandmother in a pair of killings on Fathers Day in 2020, prosecutors said as a double-murder trial started Tuesday.

Gene Rogers, 61, and Billie Rogers, 78, were found shot to death in their rural home in Chester County near Interstate 77 in 2020. More than a year later, law enforcement officers arrested Scott at an Army base in Germany where he was stationed. He joined the Army after the deaths.

Scott, a 26-year-old from Columbia who was in the Marines before the killings, has pleaded not guilty. He has not been convicted of any crime in the case and has been jailed without bail pending trial.

The trial on two counts of murder and weapons charges started Tuesday at the Chester County Courthouse. Scott faces up to life in prison if convicted.

The trial is expected to feature Scotts alibi that prosecutors said in opening statements was a phony set-up to keep himself in the clear.

The killings: Elderly mother and her son dead

Sgt. Claude Powell of the Chester County Sheriffs Office testified Tuesday he found the bodies in Gene Rogers mobile home after a 911 call on June 20, 2020. Billie Rogers was dead in a chair and Gene Rogers was on the floor, he testified.

Powell testified Scott was there at the home when Powell arrived. Scott told Powell he went to visit his grandfather for Fathers Day before he found them dead and flagged down a passerby to call 911.

Scott was not arrested at the time. He cried when the first officers arrived before changing his emotional state later, Powell testified. Scott claimed to have been in Spartanburg earlier in the day and signed a statement that he had not been to the mobile home for 10 days before that, Powell testified.

Scott told police he talked to his grandfather by phone around 7 a.m. that day, according to Powell.

Lawyers for both sides said there is body camera footage that shows Scotts interaction with deputies. But Judge Donald Hocker had not yet ruled Tuesday afternoon on what footage will be shown to the jury.

Prosecutors: Scott plotted the crime

Scott created a phony alibi and used others to explain his whereabouts after plotting the execution of his grandfather for weeks, 6th Circuit Deputy Solicitor Candice Lively told jurors in opening statements. Billie Rogers was killed so there was no witness, Lively said.

It was all for the money, nothing else, Lively told jurors.

Gene Rogers gave Scott over $86,000 in 2019, Lively said. But Scott blew the money on a blue Mustang and other personal spending after claiming to want to start a business after leaving the Marine Corps, Lively said.

The one person who wanted to believe in him was Gene Rogers, Lively said.

But Scott wanted what was left from his grandfathers life insurance and retirement money, Lively said. He plotted the killing first in May 2020 then went through with it a month later, Lively said.

Gene Rogers retired after working for a gas company and lived in a mobile home in rural Chester. The day of the killings, Gene Rogers ordered pizza with his mother, who was visiting from West Virginia, Lively said.

Evil walked in, in the form of the defendant, Lively said. He hunted them, killed them, shuffled though some of the papers, and left.

Prosecutors have two witnesses who will testify later in the trial that Scotts alibi is not legitimate, Lively said.

Defense: Case is weak

But Scotts defense lawyers say the prosecution case lacks evidence and foundation to support a conviction. Kay Boulware of the 6th Circuit Public Defenders Office said in opening statements to the jury: You will realize that this case is as thin as a playing card.

Theres more to the story than what prosecutors say and witnesses need to be examined by the jury, Boulware said

Those are where the cards are, Boulware said of the witnesses.

Boulware did not address prosecutors alibi claim in opening statements.

Scott wanted the opportunity to let a jury hear his case, Boulware said.

The trial could last two weeks, the judge said in court.
SC boy suffers third degree burns over 90% of his body after alleged kidnapping & car chase

The 3-year-old South Carolina boy who was taken from his mother and then left in a burning truck is in stable condition with third degree burns over 90% of his body, his family said.

Identifying him only as Bennett on a gofundme page, his uncle Jeremy Darnell called him our little warrior.

Anderson County deputies said Bennetts mother, Chelsea, was assaulted at her Belton home by the childs father, Joshua Dornellas, who then fled to Georgia in a Ford F-150. Anderson County officers followed him in unmarked cars and once he entered into Georgia, State Police took over the pursuit.

They said Dornellas jumped out of the truck after it left the road, leaving Bennett inside on the floorboard. The truck burst into flames once it traveled down an embankment.

Law enforcement officials reached into the fire and were able to get him out. He is being treated at the burn center in Augusta, Georgia.

Sgt. Richard Fleming of the Georgia State Patrol said officers saw smoke inside the cab before Dornellas jumped out through a window. Fleming said Dornellas was taken to a local hospital and will face a long list of charges.

In South Carolina, Dornellas has been charged with kidnapping, violating an order of protection of criminal domestic violence and burglary.

The mother had just obtained a protection order against Dornellas, Anderson County Sheriffs Office spokesman Shale Remien said.

The family increased the goal of the fundraising campaign to $100,000 after donors quickly met the original $40,000 goal.

We understand that this is a large amount of money and we do not ask it lightly, Darnell said on the gofundme page. Quite frankly, we want Chelsea to not worry about money for the next year.

He said Chelsea is a single mother with two other children, one of whom has special needs.

Obviously, the financial expenses are going to be overwhelming as they will have to stay in Augusta, Georgia, for the foreseeable future, and she will be out of work to care for her child, Darnell said.

The second largest donor so far is Anderson County Sheriffs Foundation Sheriffs Foundation, which donated $770.

As of Monday afternoon, the donations totaled almost $46,000.

Third-degree burns, also known as full thickness burns, destroy two layers of skin. It is the second worst type of burn a person can suffer.
The South Carolina Supreme Court is headed toward an all-white, all-male body from the Upstate, lacking racial, gender and geographical diversity. But a seat thatll soon be vacated by Associate Justice John Kittredge could change that.

As Kittredge was recently elected to replace Chief Justice Don Beatty beginning this summer, the Judicial Merit Selection Commission on Thursday narrowed six candidates to fill his seat down to three, including two females  one Black with a recognizable name  and a white male, from different regions in the state.

The lack of racial, gender and geographical diversity on the states high court is a political and social issue in South Carolina. No women currently serve on the bench, and its only Black justice, Beatty, is set to retire to this summer. The rest of its white, male jurists hail from Greenville area.

The JMSC vets candidates based on ballot box surveys (submitted by members of the South Carolina Bar), application materials, verification of compliance with state ethics laws, search of newspaper articles in which their name appears, a study of previous screenings and a check for economic conflicts of interest.

After a second set of interviewees before the JMSC on Thursday, three candidates were eliminated, including Administrative Law Court Judge Ralph Anderson, and Circuit Court judges Deadra Jefferson and Keith Kelly.

In the running are Court of Appeals judges Blake Hewitt and Letitia Verdin, and Circuit Court Judge Jocelyn Newman.

Blake Hewitt

At 46, Hewitt, a white man, is the youngest candidate vying for the high court, and has served on the South Carolina Court of Appeals since 2020.

A former law clerk to former Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Toal, Hewitt worked for 10 years as an appellate lawyer before reaching the bench.

Hes well liked and respected within the legal community, where his colleagues praise his diligence, legal research and courtesy in and out of the courtroom, according to a number of surveys submitted to the JMSC by members of the South Carolina Bar.

But Hewitts Achilles heel centers around his age and lack of experience, prompting panel members to question whether his run for the Supreme Court is premature.

I hope that what my resume shows is a breadth of experience, and I hope that would be helpful because we do get all kinds of cases that run the gamut on the Court of Appeals, Hewitt said. The fact that I touch a lot of different (legal issues) on a regular basis would be helpful to my service (at the Supreme Court.)

Among the candidates, Hewitt is the only one to have served exclusively on the Court of Appeals following private practice as an appellate attorney.

But as a white male from the Greenville, he wont offer the Supreme Court any degree of diversity.

Jocelyn Newman

From Richland County, Newman, a Black woman, and daughter to retired Circuit Court Judge Clifton Newman, was elected a Circuit Court judge in 2016. Previously, she served as law clerk for now-retired Circuit Court Judge Thomas Cooper Jr., before working as an assistant solicitor for the Fifth Judicial Circuit and entering private practice.

Among the candidates, Newman was the only one to have her candidacy challenged by a person, Rhona Meisner, who claimed that Newman was corrupt after she made a comment in jest to a lawyer appearing on a virtual hearing, where Meisner was a civil defendant.

Meisner testified before the JMSC that Newmans remarks equated to ex parte communications in violation of judicial cannons. She also challenged Newmans reluctance to grant a continuance following Meisners request to leave town for a business meeting.

There was no intervening fact from Judge Newman saying, that was good. You did good, or words to that effect, and the attorney subsequently saying, right, right. Well, that right is wrong. We cannot have that sort of backdoor communication, particularly in our Supreme Court, Meisner said.

But members of the JMSC appeared to disregard the complaint and proceeded to advise Newman to refrain, in the future, from making such comments, as light hearted as they may have been, and to consider revising her policy on issuing orders of protection relating to continuances.

I regret the comment because obviously it gave Ms. Meisner and maybe others reason to question the integrity of the process, Newman said. In general, regarding protection for vacation times and things like that, the very reason that I do not grant blanket protection for people taking vacations or going to conferences is because that, in itself, is an ex parte process.

Letitia Verdin

Verdin, a white woman, was elected to the Family Court as a resident judge in the 13th Judicial Circuit in 2008. In 2011, she was elected to the Circuit Court and then to the Court of Appeals in 2023. Prior to that she worked as an assistant solicitor.

Verdin is the only candidate to have a range of experience, serving on the Family, Circuit and Court of Appeals.

Like Hewitt, she is well regarding among the legal community, and was praised by the JMSC for her polite judicial temperament.

In a state full of talented, intelligent, capable judges and justices, Judge Verdin is the finest jurist South Carolina has to offer, the JMSC said of ballot box surveys submitted in her favor.

The state legislature will convene at noon on Wednesday, June 5 to elect a candidate.
The popular Ukrainian actor Viacheslav Dovzhenko (Cyborgs, The Other Franko, The House of Slovo. An Endless Novel, Precinct Officer from the Darnytsia Railcar Repair Plant district) admitted whether he is in contact with his ex-wife, an actress of the Ivan Franko Theater in Kyiv, Ksenia Basha. The actors have been married for many years and have two sons together.

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In an interview with OBOZ.UA, the actor said that after the divorce he managed to establish normal relations with Ksenia. According to him, the father has complete understanding with his sons.

Viacheslav Dovzhenko and Ksenia Basha divorced in 2018. During their marriage, the actors had two sons, Ivan and Vasyl. Ksenia Basha is the daughter of the popular Ukrainian artist Vasyl Basha, who is also a native of Frankivsk. A few years ago, the actress got married for the second time - to her colleague Oleksandr Formanchuk. In December, Ksenia Basha became a mother again, giving birth to her daughter Lelya in her second marriage.

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According to Viacheslav Dovzhenko, he managed to maintain friendly relations with his ex-wife: "We have normal relations with Ksenia, we communicate well." The actors' youngest son lives with his mother for a week and with his father for a week: "He has a heavy workload: he goes to school, goes to a theater studio." The eldest son, according to the star dad, lives separately from everyone else: "The eldest is studying at the Karpenko-Kary Theater University and lives in a dormitory."

The actor also admitted that he has a personal life: "Do I have a personal life now? Yes, I do. However, I won't say the name of the person who is with me yet. I can only say one thing: I am happy."

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Earlier, OBOZ.UA reported that Dovzhenko came to the premiere of The Other Franco with his younger son Vasyl. In a conversation with OBOZ.UA, regretting that before the full-scale war we did not raise the younger generation in the spirit of patriotism, Viacheslav mentioned his sons: "My eldest son Ivan is 20 years old. When he graduated from high school, only three students in his class spoke Ukrainian. In the 30 years of independence, we have missed these generations. My younger son Vasyl, who is 14 years old, is standing not far from us now. He is already more conscious, and his generation is like that."

Also, read on OBOZ.UA an interview with storyteller Sashko Lirnyk about the lies on TV, the scandalous issue of Kvartal 95 and the effectiveness of Russian propaganda.

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Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
GROVEPORT, Ohio (WCMH)  Groveport police are warning Ohioans to watch out for tax letters demanding payment after getting hit with the same scam at the departments offices.

The Groveport Police Department shared on Facebook pictures of a scam letter that it had received in the mail, addressed to its building. Included in the departments post were two pictures of the scam letters. The letter, featuring improper grammar, accused the recipient of avoiding paying their taxes. It also displayed the headline intent to seize your assets and property above a total amount due of $35,910.56.

A scam letter sent to Groveport police. (Courtesy Photo/Groveport Police Department)

A scam letter sent to Groveport police. (Courtesy Photo/Groveport Police Department)

These letters can be very convincing, the post said. Always be wary and do proper research before writing any checks. A call to the Better Business Bureau can be very helpful.

The scam letter was also addressed to Wws Ohio Llc, at the police departments address and has no return address, a detail that could give away that its fake. Instead, the letter generically stated it came from a Seizure Unit for Public Lien Records and told the receiver to call a phone number to pay.

Another claim in the letter gives an additional way to check its legitimacy. The letter claims the state filed a lien with the Franklin County Recorders Office, which has publicly available records dating back to 1600 that anyone can check online. A quick search of the case number and Wws Ohio Llc didnt return any results.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci labeled Sens. JD Vance (R-Ohio) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) as spineless sycophants Monday after the senators traveled to Manhattan to support former President Trump in his ongoing hush money trial.

Scaramucci claimed that Trump, his former boss, is destroying the Republican Party.

So, theres  very few people with any backbone left in that party, he said in a CNN interview. And those people standing out there, theyre just spineless sycophants.

Earlier in the day, Vance and Tuberville made comments near the New York courthouse where Trump is on trial for charges related to falsifying business records around payments he made in 2016 to silence porn actor Stormy Daniels, who claimed she had an affair with Trump in 2006. The former president has denied the affair and any wrongdoing regarding the payments.

Michael Cohen, Trumps attorney at the time, allegedly paid Daniels and later received reimbursement from his client. Cohen took the stand Monday and was the target of Vances comments.

The Ohio senator aimed to discredit Cohens testimony by saying hes a convicted felon and said he doesnt think any reasonable, sensible person should believe what he says in court.

Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

Tuberville said the trial was the most depressing thing hes witnessed and took aim at the Manhattan district attorney. He said he was in attendance to show support more as a friend than backing Trumps candidacy.

Scaramucci dismissed the comment, saying the senators are doing whatever Donald Trump wants.

He also said Trumps most unwavering supporters are looking at poll numbers and theyre looking at Twitter, the social platform now known as X, which is a closed sphere of influence. The former White House aide argued senators believe Trump has already won the election.

So, thats why theyre there, Scaramucci said in comments highlighted by Mediaite.

Top Stories from The Hill

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is expected to make a visit to the Manhattan courthouse Tuesday.

Cohen, who has become one of Trumps loudest critics, is expected to take the stand again Tuesday. Hes the prosecutions star witness.

The Hill reached out to Tuberville and Vance for comment.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Scholz promises that Germany will continue to provide assistance to Ukraine

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the heads of government of the Nordic countries have pledged to continue to support Ukraine.

Source: European Pravda with reference to German TV news service Tagesschau.

Details: Scholz said that since the beginning of Russian aggression in February 2022, Germany has provided or promised to provide Ukraine with weapons worth 28 billion euros.

Quote: "We are united in our support for Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression. We will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes," the German chancellor said in Stockholm after meeting with the prime ministers of Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway.

He said that military assistance worth more than seven billion euros would be provided in 2024.

Quote: "We have been providing and will continue to provide," the Chancellor assured, referring to the military assistance already promised.

Background:

Earlier, Scholz called on European countries to provide Ukraine with more military equipment from their stockpiles.

In late April, Scholz and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak discussed further cooperation to support Ukraine.

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The worlds largest hummingbird has been hiding in plain sight for centuries  and scientists only discovered the species is distinct from another giant species after attaching tiny backpacks to hummingbirds to understand migration patterns.

Along the way, researchers also identified the longest hummingbird migration journey, which spans a 5,200-mile (8,368-kilometer) round trip, or about the distance between New York City and Buenos Aires.

Questions around the giant hummingbird of South America have persisted since naturalist Charles Darwin first observed them in 1834 during his expedition aboard the HMS Beagle.

Darwin observed the birds, which are about eight times the size of typical hummingbirds, breeding along the Pacific coast of Chile, but then they seemed to completely vanish after breeding. He speculated that the giant hummingbirds migrated to the Atacama Desert region, located in northern Chile.

Now, new research has revealed that there are two distinct species of giant hummingbird in South America  the northern giant hummingbird that lives year-round in the Andes, and the migratory southern giant hummingbird  and they have been evolving separately for millions of years.

A southern giant hummingbird is seen flying from its breeding grounds in central Chile. - Chris Witt

A new study describing the birds appeared Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

There arent many animal migrations of large, charismatic species that are still totally unknown, but that was the case for southern giant hummingbirds, said lead study author Jessie Williamson, a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow and Rose Postdoctoral Fellow at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York. We wanted to finally solve this mystery.

Designing backpacks for hummingbirds

Giant hummingbirds differ from hundreds of other hummingbird species in many other ways.

Everything about the giants is anomalous  they are not only far larger (two times or more) than the second largest hummingbird  but their wingbeats and heartbeats are far slower, Williamson said. And their wings are proportionately longer, so they have a completely unique appearance in flight  almost like a hovering swift.

Swifts are medium-size fast-flying birds included in the family Apodidae, which also includes hummingbirds.

But studying hummingbirds, no matter their size, is an arduous task. The team worked with local landowners and residents of villages across Peru and Chile during fieldwork.

Capturing Giant Hummingbirds is very challenging, said study coauthor Emil Bautista, researcher at the Centro de Ornitologia y Biodiversidad in Lima, in a statement. They watch everything, and they know their territories well. We had to be strategic in choosing sites for our nets. If Giant Hummingbirds see something unusual, they wont visit that spot. They are more observant than other birds.

The research team spent nine months camping in rural parts of Chile and Peru, working from sea level to the steep, cactus-strewn slopes of the Andes and going without electricity or running water for weeks at a time, Williamson said.

Williamson designed a backpack harness, using a type of jewelry cord to attach a microtracking device to 57 hummingbirds in Chile.

Designing appropriate backpack harnesses for giant hummingbirds took two field seasons of trial and error, including practicing the harness design on a stuffed hummingbird finger puppet  with a paper mache mock-up geolocator device, plus lots of consultation with colleagues who have experience tracking small migratory birds, Williamson said.

A southern giant hummingbird is fitted with a tiny backpack-like geolocator tracking device in central Chile. - Jessie Williamson

The geolocator backpacks weighed 0.3 grams and were designed to be small and light enough so they didnt interfere with the birds style of flight.

Williamson published a paper describing her design and how to safely attach it to hummingbirds in the Journal of Avian Biology in June 2021.

Hummingbirds are challenging to work with because they are lightweight with long wings and short legs. Theyre natures tiny acrobats, she said.

But it wasnt enough to catch the birds, attach the backpacks and release them  the birds had to be recaptured for the team to collect the data.

The researchers were able to retrieve data from eight of the geolocators by recapturing the birds using fine mesh nets called mist nets, commonly used by ornithologists, Williamson said.

What the team discovered was that migratory southern giant hummingbirds are like human mountaineers.

High-altitude bird flights

The geolocator data revealed that migratory giant hummingbirds can ascend from sea level to more than 13,000 feet (3,962 meters) in elevation, and their travels brought them as far north as the Peruvian Andes.

But the birds dont just fly directly to these towering altitudes. Instead, like mountaineers, they pause during their ascent for days at a time to allow their blood and lungs to acclimate to lower oxygen levels.

By tracking the birds migration with geolocators and satellite transmitters, the scientists discovered what they believe to be the longest known hummingbird migration, spanning 5,200 miles (8,368 kilometers) from the Chilean coast up to the Andes in Peru and back.

As the researchers studied the birds and compared them with genetic data from museum specimens, they realized there were two types of giant hummingbirds.

Nobody had figured out where migratory giant hummingbirds go because they were hiding among the non-migratory giant hummingbirds, said senior study author Christopher Witt, professor of biology and director of the Museum of Southwestern Biology at the University of New Mexico, in a statement. The two forms of giant hummingbird look almost identical  for centuries, ornithologists and birders never noticed that they were different. We couldnt have figured this out without the miniaturized trackers.

A shift in migratory behavior likely drove the difference between the two species. By studying museum species, including a 154-year-old specimen, the researchers realized that the two types of giant hummingbird had been evolving separately for about 3 million years.

They are as different from each other as chimpanzees are from bonobos, Witt said. The two species do overlap on their high elevation wintering grounds. Its mind-boggling that until now nobody figured out the Giant Hummingbird mystery, yet these two species have been separate for millions of years.

The northern giant hummingbird, which lives in the high Andes year-round, has a different lung and blood capacity compared with the southern giant hummingbird.

After realizing the two birds were entirely different species, the study team named the northern giant hummingbird Patagona chaski, a nod to chaskis, the Quecha word for messengers, of the Inca Empire. Quecha is a group of indigenous languages used across Peru and neighboring countries.

Chaski runners were surefooted sprinters, capable of speed and endurance on steep slopes, in part due to high-capacity lungs and rigorous aerobic training at high elevations, the authors wrote in the study.

New bird mysteries emerge

The researchers reported that both populations of giant hummingbirds are stable, and some can even be seen enjoying nectar from backyard feeders.

A southern giant hummingbird is shown poised for take-off. - Chris Witt

Now that the two distinct species have been confirmed, the team wants to better understand how the populations interact, especially when they live in the same parts of the Andes during the winter.

We have to figure out where these two forms come together and how they interact, Witt said. Do they compete, is one dominant over the other, how might they partition resources, and do they mix or spatially segregate within the winter range? Lots of interesting questions to pursue!

Williamson also wants to work with botanists to understand how the birds migration patterns may have coevolved with the flowering plants the birds use for sustenance on their journeys.

Im really interested in how Southern Giant Hummingbirds make such dramatic shifts in elevation during migration, Williamson said. Theyre like miniature mountain climbers. How do they change their physiology to facilitate these movements?

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Scientists have accomplished a whale of a feat. Theyve identified previously unknown complexity in whale communication by analyzing thousands of recorded sequences of sperm whale clicks with artificial intelligence.

Variations in tempo, rhythm and length of the whales click sequences, called codas, weave a rich acoustic tapestry. These variables hint that whales can combine click patterns in multiple ways, mixing and matching phrases to convey a broad range of information to one another.

What sperm whales are saying with their clicks remains a mystery to human ears. Still, uncovering the scope of whales vocal exchanges is an important step toward linking whale calls to specific messages or social behaviors, the scientists reported May 7 in the journal Nature Communications.

This work builds on a lot of prior work focused on understanding the calls of sperm whales. However, this is the first work that has started to look at sperm whale calls in their wider communicative context and in the context of exchanges between whales, which has made some of the findings possible, said study coauthor Dr. Daniela Rus, director of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) at MIT, in an email.

Understanding what aspects of their codas they can control and vary helps us understand how they can encode information in their calls, Rus said.

The researchers dubbed their catalog of sound combinations a phonetic alphabet for sperm whales, comparing variations in the whales click sequences to the production of different phonetic sounds in human speech.

But while the teams findings are interesting, that term offers a misleading perspective on whales vocal interactions, said Dr. Luke Rendell, a researcher at the University of St. Andrews in the United Kingdom whose work focuses on communication in marine mammals, in an email.

The presentation of the phonetic alphabet  its nothing of the sort, said Rendell, who was not involved in the research.

The way the tempo variation is used is completely different to how, say, we use elements of an alphabet to construct linguistic expression, he said. Theres no evidence of that, and its not a super helpful interpretation because it forces everything into a restricted and somewhat over-sold perspective of is it like human language or not, when there are a much broader range of interpretations available.

Pattern recognition

Sperm whales produce their clicks by forcing air through an organ in their heads called the spermaceti, and these sounds can be as loud as 230 decibels  louder than a rocket launch and capable of rupturing human eardrums  another team of scientists previously reported in the journal Scientific Reports.

For the new study, the researchers used machine learning to detect patterns in audio data collected by The Dominica Sperm Whale Project, a repository for observations of sperm whales that inhabit the Caribbean Sea. The recordings represented the voices of approximately 60 sperm whales  a subset of a group of about 400 whales known as the Eastern Caribbean clan  and the vocalizations were recorded between 2005 and 2018.

Prior research had identified 150 types of codas in sperm whales worldwide, but the Caribbean whales used just 21 of those codas.

The scientists examined the timing and frequency of 8,719 coda sequences  in solitary whale utterances, in choruses and in call-and-response exchanges between whales. When visualized with artificial intelligence, previously unseen coda patterns emerged.

The study authors defined four features in codas: rhythm, tempo, rubato and ornamentation. Rhythm describes the sequence of intervals between clicks. Tempo is the duration of the entire coda. Rubato refers to variations in duration across adjacent codas of the same rhythm and tempo. And ornamentation is an extra click added at the end of a coda in a group of shorter codas, Rus explained.

These so-called ornament clicks occur more towards the beginning and end of turns during vocal exchanges between whales, behaving like discourse markers, Rus said.

The discovery that whales could synchronize variations in coda tempo was a really interesting observation, Rendell said.

I am less convinced by the ornamentation, he added. It occurs very rarely, and I think we need more evidence that they arent just production glitches, or filler sounds, like when we say um or err.

In all, the program detected 18 types of rhythm, five types of tempo, three types of rubato and two types of ornamentation. These coda features could all be mixed and matched to form an enormous repertoire of phrases, the study authors reported. Whats more, meaning could be tweaked even further depending on the placement of a coda  following or overlapping other codas  within an exchange or chorus involving two or more whales.

Interactive experimentation

Actually, many of us have been waiting for advanced technology to allow us to do something like this for decades! said Dr. Brenda McCowan, a professor at the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, in an email.

McCowan, who was not involved in the research, was part of another team that, in 2021, conducted an interactive conversation with a humpback whale in waters near Alaska. For about 20 minutes, a curious whale repeatedly responded to a recording of a humpback song transmitted from the scientists boat.

This particular playback (with the humpback in 2021) was an opportunistic experiment with an inquisitive whale engaging us both behaviorally and vocally, and completely at her own volition, McCowan said.

Such interactive experimentation with whales, along with observations of whale behavior, could be an important part of unraveling the syntax of sperm whale click sequences, the authors wrote in the study.

Their machine learning method may also prove useful for studying other types of animal vocalizations, McCowan added.

Tempo, rhythm, rubato and ornamentation are likely to be found in other species of whales, McCowan said. We already know this is true of humpback song. But there is also evidence for this type of patterning in other aquatic, terrestrial and arboreal species to which this approach could be applied.

But although this technique is helpful for identifying certain aspects of communication, its no Rosetta stone, Rendell cautioned.

Machine learning is great for finding patterns in large datasets, he said, but it doesnt create meaning.

Mindy Weisberger is a science writer and media producer whose work has appeared in Live Science, Scientific American and How It Works magazine.

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Its very much a welcome development that the new chief constable of Police Scotland has finally engaged with the countrys media, in the shape of several interviews.

I use the word new advisedly, which might strike some as strange, since Jo Farrell has been in the job since last October.

But has her eventual emergence given us what most have been waiting for  the final outcome of Operation Branchform, the investigation into the missing 660,000 from the SNPs coffers?

Well, no, not exactly. All Scotlands eager newshounds got out of her was that a final report from her officers would soon be on the way.

The huge police operation led to Nicola Sturgeon, the former first minister, and Colin Beattie, the former party treasurer, arrested and then freed pending further inquiries nearly a year ago. Peter Murrell, Ms Sturgeons husband and the former chief executive of the SNP, has been charged in connection with the alleged embezzlement of SNP funds.

Inquiry nearly three years old

But while Ms Farrell has not exactly made herself known to the people she serves since taking over the job eight months ago, nor has she much else to say about this inquiry which will celebrate its third birthday in six weeks time.

When compared to her predecessor, Sir Iain Livingstone, Ms Farrell has been practically invisible.

Thats not to say that he hogged the limelight, but he wasnt afraid of TV cameras or reporters notebooks and was always available when we needed to know what our guardians believed would be the impact of government legislation on their responsibilities.

However, in what could only be termed as a blur of media encounters, when compared with her previous behaviour, the new chief constable did at last have something to say on this subject  telling journalists that her forces investigation would probably see a report going to Scotlands prosecuting authority in a matter of weeks.

Its a live investigation, a complex investigation and the matter has been progressed, and we expect the report to go to the Crown Office in a matter of weeks., she said.

It wasnt a lot, really, but it is as much as she feels ready to divulge and, so, after three years, and hundreds of detectives, were still some way off of finding out what happened to all that Nationalist money.

And Scotland is still awash with rumours about whos responsible for its disappearance.

Hate crime law still makes headlines

It remains to be seen whether well hear any more from Ms Farrell as Operation Branchform comes to its end. In the meantime, her force continues to make headlines over its reaction to the SNPs hate crime law.

In particular, it has been accused of giving in to trans activists in helping educating children to deal with hate crimes.

And Tory MP Murdo Fraser threatened legal action against Police Scotland after the force logged a social media comment he made as a hate incident.

Fraser had likened identifying as non-binary to identifying as a cat  comments that led to him being accused by Police Scotland of being guilty of a non crime hate incident. Hes been told that this a stupid rule is being abandoned but, thus far, it still in operation.

In perhaps the most trenchant views the new chief voiced in recent days, Ms Farrell described Scotlands judicial system, including the courts and the Crown Office, as being very inefficient when compared to the Crown Prosecution Service in England and Wales.

And she accused courts of wasting her officers time by insisting they attend hearings when theyre not really needed.

Such views from a senior police officer, newly promoted from running Britains smallest police force  Durham  to become chief constable of its second biggest  Police Scotland  are bound to raise more than a few eyebrows amongst mlearned friends at the top of Edinburghs Royal Mile.

On the basis of those remarks, it is to be hoped that we hear much more from Chief Constable Jo Farrell.

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Jay Warren, Oregon-based sculptor, poses for a photo with a working model of the Helen Keller statue on the Alabama Women's Tribute Statue Commission virtual meeting on May 14, 2024. (Screenshot/Alabama Reflector)

A sculptor Tuesday unveiled a working model of a statue of disability rights advocate Helen Keller planned for the grounds of the Alabama State Capitol.

Jay Warren, an Oregon-based sculptor, showed the statue at a meeting of the Womens Tribute Statue Commission. The life-size monument features Keller sitting on a bench, holding a book written in Braille with one hand while reaching out with the other, as if feeling something.

Warren said hell add clay to the foam armature next, allowing details to be fleshed out.

Next time I have something to show you, it will all be the same color. All the details will be put in the dress and on the book also, Warren said.

Warren has designed statues of historical figures around the country, including Rosa Parks; Martin Luther King, Jr.; Congressman John Lewis and Medgar Evers in Mississippi. Warren also designed the Emancipation and Freedom Monument in Virginia.

Picture of a statue working model holding a book with Braille translation

The commission members said they were impressed by the proposal.

I mean- wow, said Rep. Laura Hall, D-Huntsville, who chairs the commission.

Very inspiring, said Annie Butrus, a Birmingham artist and member of the commission.

Rev. Agnes Lover, a member of the commission, said that she loved that she could see the Braille as well read the inscription on the other side in the book Keller is holding.

The committee also got an update on the plaque that will go on each statue. The commission is considering the other plaques currently on the James Marion Sims, the John Allan Wyeth and the Jefferson Davis sculptures as well as historical language that has been used to describe both women.

The Rosa Parks statues plaque was initially envisioned to have her name along with date of birth and death, but the other statues have at least one sentence describing the individual.

This is definitely the important piece to get right: the language that will be on both signs needs to take into account all the other language thats been published, Butrus said.

The commission last year approved a statue of Parks, which will be installed on the steps of the Alabama State Capitol. The statue has been designed by Georgia-based Julia Knight and is in the final stages of construction. Both Parks and Kellers statues could go up in Montgomery early next year. The commission is currently reviewing bids for the Keller and Parks statue site development.

The statues are expected to cost about $611,000, according to previous projections. The commission has raised about $700,000 for the statues. The remaining amount will be used for site maintenance.

The Alabama Legislature in 2019 approved the installation of statues of Keller and Parks on the Alabama State Capitol grounds, the first women to be so honored.

Parks arrest on a segregated Montgomery bus in 1955 sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, considered the beginning of the modern Civil Rights Movement. Keller, a Tuscumbia native who lost her sight and hearing before her second birthday, became a world-renowned author and advocate for the rights of the disabled.

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Sean Williams gets new lawyer, new trial date  Judge says therell be no more lawyers appointed

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL)  In an order filled with stern warnings, a federal judge appointed a fourth attorney for accused child rapist and child pornography producer Sean Williams, said he wouldnt get a fifth, and postponed his trial on an escape charge to July 16.

PREVIOUS: Sean Williams 3rd attorney out, no replacement yet

Judge Ronnie Greers 13-page memorandum opinion and order, filed Monday afternoon on the eve of what would have been day one of Williams escape trial, named Bristol attorney Ilya Berenshteyn to represent him. Greer didnt pull any punches about Williams, who also faces federal child pornography production charges, being down to his last chance after the withdrawal of his three previously appointed attorneys.

(T)he court issues a fourth and final warning to Mr. Williams, in unmistakable terms: if he cannot work harmoniously with his next attorney and either he or his substitute attorney inform the court of a desire or need to dissolve their attorney-client relationship, Mr. Williams will have waived his constitutional right to an attorney and will represent himself from then on, including at trial. (emphasis from Greer order)

Greer also said the July 16 date was not subject to change after multiple previous continuances due largely to Williams changing attorneys. If either he or Berenshteyrn complains of an irreparable breakdown in their relationship, even on the very morning of the trial, the trial will occur as scheduled, Greer wrote.

Photo: Sean Williams (courtesy of the Blount County Jail)

Williams case has received broad attention, and he is at the center of two federal civil lawsuits against Johnson City and some of its current and former police officers.

In one, a former federal prosecutor who worked with Johnson City Police Department (JCPD) claims JCPD fired her after she pressed them in 2020 and 2021 to broaden an investigation into Williams beyond a federal ammunition case. The other is on behalf of at least nine alleged sexual assault victims and claims JCPD essentially enabled his alleged crimes and that there was some level of corruption involved.

The order comes two weeks after Greer approved attorney Joseph McAfees motion to withdraw. It answers the question of why Greer said he had to grant the motion because of Mr. Williams actions.

Williams himself had tried to fire McAfee several weeks earlier and Greer had denied that motion. Following that, Williams filed a complaint of misconduct against him with the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility, something Greer wrote forces McAfee to take time and provide an answer so the board wont summarily suspend his license.

COMPLETE COVERAGE OF THE SEAN WILLIAMS CASE

Greer wrote that contrary to poorly representing Williams, McAfee had attempted to give him solid legal counsel and that when he denied Williams request he urged Mr. Williams to heed Mr. McAfees legal advice and stop trying to manage his own defense.

Greers order outlined in detail the former Johnson City businessmans issues with his first three attorneys. In addition to the federal charges, Williams faces multiple state counts of child rape related to three alleged incidents at his downtown Johnson City apartment. Authorities also allege that video and photo evidence shows him sexually assaulting more than 50 different women in his apartment.

Why one more chance?

After reciting numerous problems starting with three previous appointed attorneys and noting another judge had already issued a final warning that he wouldnt get a fourth, Greer said a couple factors led him to appoint one more lawyer. Berenshteyn follows David Leonard, Bryce McKenzie and McAfee  all of whom had motions to withdraw approved by Greer.

Greer noted the Sixth Amendment right to counsel is a solemn one, and said it requires that a defendant be both unreasonable in their interactions and relationship with appointed attorneys and also persistent in efforts to demand new counsel.

Williams, he wrote, did not try to get Leonard or McKenzie fired, and in fact said he didnt know why McKenzie quit and thought he was great.

Greer wrote that Williams has likely displayed similar behavior with all three attorneys, citing him being reprimanded for talking when he should be listening, and noting he wants to oversee every conversation and every effort thats made to prepare for the trial.

But inferring that the problems were similar in the previous situations isnt enough, as inferences are not the currency of the realm when the Court deals in matters of the Sixth Amendment

In addition to lack of an explicit showing of persistent demands for replacement attorneys, Greer wrote that Williams has never indicated he wants to represent himself.

Because Mr. Williams maintains that he does not wish to proceed pro se and the record lacks verifiable evidence of persistent, unreasonable demands for the dismissal of all three of his attorneys  and because his Sixth-Amendment right to counsel is a solemn one  the Court is loath to rule that it can make an explicit finding, on this record, that he has waived his right to representation.

Final final warning

Greer wrote that if Williams does end up without Berenshteyn by his side, any lamentations about is lack of preparedness or his lack of qualifications to represent himself will not countenance a motion to continue and he wont endure a prejudice to his defense, because hes been warned numerous times.

Greer ended the lengthy order with a warning to Williams about the dangers of self-representation.

He noted Williams hasnt studied law, isnt an attorney and is unfamiliar with federal rules of evidence or rules of criminal procedure. He is unacquainted with matters of trial strategy, and does not seem to have any understanding of the difference between relevant and irrelevant evidence, Greer continued.

Such deficits, he noted, could be even more problematic, even disastrous, in the much more serious child pornography production trial, as prosecution of such cases often involves reams of digital forensic evidence and expert-witness testimony.

Williams wont be instructed on the meaning or applicability of federal rules, but hell still be expected to abide by them, Greer wrote. He said Williams will act unwisely if he doesnt make every effort to work together with Berenshteyn.

The court strongly urges him not to engage in conduct  for example, micromanagement of his own defense, particularly as it pertains to matters of legal strategy  that might compromise the attorney-client relationship between him and his new attorney

In short, the Court strongly urges Mr. Williams not to represent himself.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.
Usually, when it comes to traveling in Ukraine, we imagine beautiful landscapes, new experiences, delicious food, and vivid emotions. But what about extraordinary and slightly scary locations? After all, our homeland has a long history and many spooky places associated with legends that make your blood run cold.

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We have selected 3 of the most interesting destinations for you to visit. But will you dare?

Dominican Cathedral, Lviv

In the heart of the picturesque city of Lviv stands the Dominican Cathedral, which boasts numerous legends about visitors from the other side.

The foundation stone of the future home of the famous Lviv ghost was laid in 1749. Initially, this majestic baroque church became the main cathedral of a Roman Catholic monastery of the Dominican Order, and after World War II, the Soviet authorities arranged a museum of religious history within its walls. Today the building belongs to the local Greek Catholic community.

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According to numerous night guards, most of whom quit after their first shift, incredible things start happening here at midnight. In the empty, dark cathedral, loud masses are heard, accompanied by the singing of an otherworldly choir, and the excellent acoustics of the room amplify these sounds. Services usually last three hours and are held regularly. In addition, books often fall off the shelves in the cathedral's library. There is also a walled room in the building from which the sound of a typewriter can be heard all night long.

Such anomalies have been occurring in the church since the dungeons of the church complex were discovered and cleared. It is from the cellars that the ghost of a Dominican monk appears, whose translucent figure occasionally frightens the guards. The monk continues to go about his daily routine, never realizing that he has long been a part of the afterlife.

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Kaminne Selo, Zhytomyr region

Lost in the dense forests of Polissia, Kaminne Selo (Stone Village) is a large number of massive stone blocks that resemble real houses, and one of them even resembles a church. Interestingly, they are arranged in the correct geometric order, which resembles the plan of a village street.

Scientists still can't agree on where these giant monoliths came from because there are no mountains or rocks around. According to one of the official versions, the stones appeared here as a result of a glacial shift, and the wind shaped the houses for 20 thousand years. It is impossible to explain how they were lined up in the right order.

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However, there is a legend that this place was once an ordinary village long ago. A poor traveler passed through. He asked for bread and water in every yard but was refused everywhere. Then the man got angry and turned all the houses into stones. And for the sake of remembrance, he left his footprints on some of them. It is said that the traveler was God himself.

Interestingly, the trees and bushes in this area look somewhat unusual, and their leaves are always dull and slightly wilted. It is also rumored that the stone with the imprint of the so-called God's footprint remains warm at any time of the year, and the powerful energy it radiates is capable of healing illnesses and granting wishes.

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Lysa Hora, Kyiv city

According to an ancient Slavic legend, the Earth is encircled by a snake biting its tail. The place where it closes the circle is called Lysa Hora (Bald Mountain).

Back in pagan times, this location had a special spiritual significance as it was the site of an altar and a temple. After the baptism of Kyivan Rus, Bald Mountain remained a holy place for adherents of the old beliefs for a long time. Later, however, part of it came under the authority of the Pechersk Monastery. In 1872, construction began on the Lysohirsk Fort, which was to become part of a system of fortifications called the Kyiv Fortress. Later, the mountain was used as a garrison prison, a military underground factory, and even a tank base.

Nowadays, a nature park has been created here, but due to certain circumstances, it is not very popular. Locals are afraid to enter the dense and dark forest. And those who do decide to take a walk on Bald Mountain say that they feel as if dozens of eyes are watching you from every nook and cranny.

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It is known that back in the days of the Lysohirsk Fort, the garrison commander issued a strange instruction that stated, "Before going on guard, the officer is obliged to warn the soldier not to be afraid of strange noises as these are just gusts of wind and cries of night birds..." In addition, historians claim that paranormal phenomena were repeatedly described in the reports of German soldiers. So the ominous Bald Mountain fully confirms its ambiguous reputation.

We have given just a few examples of unusual and spooky locations that are worth visiting if you are brave enough. However, Ukraine has many more mysterious places and is always ready to surprise travelers. Dare to embark on an exciting journey to discover even more secrets that our homeland hides. Let your travels be unforgettable!

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Only verified information is available on Obozrevatel Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Search for missing Florida diver takes shocking turn as different body found, cops say

The mysterious disappearance of a man diving off Floridas Atlantic coast got stranger still when searchers found a different body, officials say.

Virgil Price, 39, vanished Sunday, May 12, but searchers found someone else late Monday, May 13, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriffs Office.

Exactly who they found is a mystery, since no one had been reported missing, the sheriffs office said.

Our marine unit assisted the U.S. Coast Guard with recovering a deceased white male from the water about 16 miles (northeast) of the Fort Pierce Inlet, the sheriffs office said.

This individual weighs approximately 200 to 225 (pounds) and appears to be over 50 years of age. His clothing and physical characteristics do not match those of the missing diver from Sunday. At this time, we do not have any missing person reports in St. Lucie County matching this description.

The Coast Guard is investigating, and a medical exam is expected to determine the cause and time of the mans death.

The body does not appear to have been in the water for an extended period of time, the sheriffs office said.

Meanwhile, Coast Guard officials announced the search for Price was suspended late Monday, after crews covered 1,415 miles in 36 hours.

The decision to suspend an active search is never taken lightly. We extend our sincerest condolences to Mr. Prices family, Lt. Commander John Beal said in a news release.

Price was last seen around 10 a.m. on Sunday, about 13 miles southeast of the Fort Pierce Inlet, investigators say.

He was free diving with three other people on the shipwreck of the S.S. Halsey, which was torpedoed by a German submarine in 1942. The wreck sits in about 65 feet of water, and is broke into three sections, according to Fishingstatus.com.

Dad dies after being pulled from Gulf of Mexico with his son, Florida officials say

Boater dies just feet from land when he dives in to find cell phone, Florida cops say
Minnesota police are searching for an Overland Park man who went missing while kayaking on Nest Lake.

Shane White, 39, took a kayak out from a rental property on the south side of Nest Lake in Minnesota around 11:30 p.m. Saturday, according to the Kandiyohi County Sheriffs Office.

Deputies began searching the lake and surrounding areas around 10:30 a.m. Sunday, when the kayak was reported missing, according to the sheriffs office. The kayak was found empty three hours later.

Search efforts continued until 9:45 p.m. Sunday with the help of volunteer firefighters, police and EMS personnel, according to the sheriffs office. They continued Monday.

In Overland Park, White works as an electrical lineman, according to videos shared by his wife on social media. White was in Minnesota on a job when he set out by kayak, according to Kim White.

Photos posted by Kim show the couple with three children and a dog.

I cant sleep, Kim White said, in a video posted to TikTok on Sunday. Every time I close my eyes, I see his face. I hear his laugh.

Nest Lake spans nearly 1000 acres of southwestern Minnesota, near larger Green Lake.

In her most recent video, posted Monday evening, Kim White asks residents of nearby Spicer, Minnesota, to search their neighborhoods for signs of Shane.

I just ask if anybody can help, if anybody lives in the surrounding areas, if you can just check out on your properties and just help us in our search and continue to pray for Shane, Kim White said.
Climate change can sometimes be a nebulous concept, with scientists often talking about temperatures rising by fractions of a degree over years or how habitats that will look completely different by the end of the century.

But for some coastal residents of North Carolina, the changes caused by our warming climate often show up in their streets and backyards monthly. And the frequency of these flooding events is increasing.

Take the north end of Carolina Beach. The Pleasure Island community is one of several N.C. coastal towns that has seen the impacts of high-tide flooding increase in recent years thanks to the confluence of several factors.

Rampant development, decades-old and overwhelmed stormwater drainage systems, and rising seas means low-lying areas already susceptible to flooding are seeing more and more impacts from non-storm tidal events. The result is inundated streets, dangerous driving conditions, increased salt water wear-and-tear on infrastructure and property, and residents sometimes having to wade through water just to access homes and businesses.

"It's a pain, a real pain," said Emily Peterson as she rode her bike down a relatively dry Canal Drive Thursday near the end of another period of King Tides that had prompted Carolina Beach officials to send out warnings. "It's something you have to worry about that you really shouldn't have to worry about."

And it's only going to get worse.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), high-tide, sunny day or nuisance flooding  which is flooding that's not associated with storm surge kicked up by a storm  is happening twice as often as it did in 2000.

Sign warns drivers that gates will be lowered if Canal Drive floods, detouring them onto Carolina Beach Avenue North.

A study by the Battleship North Carolina, which also is experiencing major problems from nuisance flooding and has responded by "greening" its parking lot to better handle and channel the rising waters, found a more than 7,000% increase in tidal flooding between 1961, when the historic naval ship came to downtown Wilmington, and 2020. Between just 2011 and 2020, there was an eyewatering 770% increase in flooding events  a figure that's likely increased since then as researchers document sea-level rise increasing

The ongoing and worsening problem in Carolina Beach led town officials to partner with researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) and N.C. State University to document the flooding and develop potential solutions.

The goal of the Sunny Day Flooding Project, which is also working with several other communities along the coast, is to help researchers better understand chronic flooding in coastal communities and the impact it has on the people and businesses in those areas, said Dr. Miyuki Hino, an environmental social scientist from UNC.

More: King tides to impact NC coast. Here's when and what you can expect in the Wilmington area.

'Variety of factors at play'

Two years after officials installed the first sensors along Carolina Beach's Canal Drive, one thing has already become apparent.

"What we found that was really surprising to me is how important a role wind plays, especially during those high-tide events," said Dr. Katherine Anarde, a coastal engineer with N.C. State, noting that much of the flooding along Canal Drive comes from water pushing up from the adjacent Yacht Basin. "If the wind is blowing in the right direction and especially from the northeast that's so common in these areas, it can really pile the water up there."

While tidal flooding causes most of the problems, it isn't the only cause. Heavy rains can lead to lots of standing water because there's simply nowhere for the water to go. Lots of impervious surfaces, from asphalt to roofs, adds to the runoff woes.

A Jeep drives along a flooded Canal Drive in Carolina Beach back in 2015.

"So there are a variety of factors at play, and that's what makes coming up solutions so challenging," Anarde said.

While researchers with the project, which receives funding from a slew of federal and state agencies, continue to gather data, they also are engaging with local residents to hear what mitigation strategies they think officials should pursue.

Its a complex problem that requires community-driven solutions, and that's what well be doing this year," Anarde said.

'Difficult decisions'

Jeremy Hardison, Carolina Beach's planning and development director, said that the town would be putting together a flood workshop focus group of 20 citizens to discuss flood impacts and mitigation strategies gathered through a community survey.

Some of the likely potential strategies, like raising streets, utilities and even buildings, are pretty obvious. Others, like bulkheading properties along the Yacht Basin and improving drainage systems, could run into regulatory issues.

All are guaranteed to be expensive, and some may not be popular  such as talk of moving people and property out of harms way.

"We can deal with a lot of problems from an engineering perspective," Hino said. "But financially and politically, those are the difficult decisions facing a lot of communities."

Many of the storm drains along Canal Drive dump right into the town's yacht basin, allowing water to get pushed back up the drains during high tide and wind events.

She added that while much of the research and focus was on flooding woes in specific communities like Carolina Beach, this wasn't a problem unique to the New Hanover County town or a handful of other N.C. coastal communities.

Yes, these are stories playing out locally, but they are problems that are coming up in coastal communities everywhere across the country, Hino said. This is a big problem everywhere, and places like Carolina Beach should be praised for willing to tackle it head-on."

Peterson, the Carolina Beach resident, said while sunny day flooding was a nuisance, it wouldn't prompt her to move.

"I live at the beach," she said smiling. "I can deal with some minor conveniences to live at the beach."

Reporter Gareth McGrath can be reached at GMcGrath@Gannett.com or @GarethMcGrathSN on X/Twitter. This story was produced with financial support from the Green South Foundation and the Prentice Foundation. The USA TODAY Network maintains full editorial control of the work.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Carolina Beach, NC, searches for answers to flooding as seas rise
Seattle father charged with first-degree murder in death of his 8-month-old son

35-year-old Dion Lamont Montgomery was charged Monday in King County Superior Court for allegedly fatally shooting his 9-month-old son last Wednesday, while the child slept.

The shooting happened inside an apartment in the 3000 block of 21st Avenue West in Seattles Magnolia Neighborhood just before 6:30 p.m.

According to court documents Montgomerys wife heard the shot from another room and Montgomery told her it was a blank before leaving the apartment.

His wife then checked on their baby and discovered the child had been shot. Medics pronounced the 8-month-old dead at the scene.

Montgomery also faces two counts of first-degree assault for allegedly shooting at two people after the murder.

Witnesses say around 4-5 shots were fired at two people near 22nd Avenue West and Thorndyke Avenue West, around two blocks from Montgomerys apartment. No one was hurt.

Police eventually found Montgomery just a few blocks from the second shooting scene. He admitted to police he had used PCP and blamed demons for his actions.

Montgomery is a convicted felon and was also charged today with unlawful possession of a firearm in the first degree.

Montgomery is in the King County Jail on $5 million dollars bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned on May 23.
See this fish at Strawberry Reservoir? Kill and report it, say officials

HEBER CITY, Utah (ABC4)  The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is asking fishers at Strawberry Reservoir to kill and report any walleye fish after they believe the species was illegally introduced to the reservoir last year.

Strawberry Reservoir, a Blue Ribbon Fishery located just south of Heber City in Wasatch County, is typically stocked with cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and kokanee salmon. In December 2023, an angler reported catching the walleye, raising concerns among wildlife officials.

DWR said when a fish is illegally introduced to a pond, stream or lake, it can have several negative effects including degrading water quality and introducing disease.

Walleye could easily disrupt our ability to manage the current trout and salmon populations at Strawberry Reservoir through competition and direct predation as a predator fish, DWR Fisheries Biologist Alan Ward after the initial report.

DWR increases fish limit at Utah lakes in emergency change

Any fishers who catch a walleye while fishing at Strawberry Reservoir are asked to provide specific information about the catch, including location, date, and time and provide pictures of the catch.

Walleye can be identified as a torpedo-shaped fish that ranges from dark olive brown to yellowish gold in color. Its sides are often marked with brassy flakes and it typically weighs one to two pounds. Walleye have a pearlescent eye for which it gets its name and typically lacks spots on its dorsal fin.

Reports can be made by contacting DWR Central Region Aquatics Biologist Wes Pearce by calling 801-455-2010 or by emailing strawberryreservoir@utah.gov

Since the first walleye was found in December, DWR officials said they have not found any others but are asking fishers to stay vigilant and report any new findings.

LDS missionary serving in Utah County faces rape charge

Ward said DWR is taking the illegal introduction of walleye very seriously to protect the trout and salmon fisheries.

The ice just came off of Strawberry Reservoir recently and we have started setting some shoreline walleye nets to monitor for any additional adult walleye that may be trying to spawn right now, said Ward. We have not caught or detected any walleye in our netting and monitoring efforts so far but we plan to continue this activity for a few more weeks during the timeframe when the water temperatures are ideal for walleye spawning activity.

In addition to netting efforts, DWR also plans to do electrofishing surveys to safely stun and monitor the fish in the reservoir to determine if any more walleye remain.

In Utah, it is illegal to move live fish from one waterbody to another or take them home alive, according to DWR. It is also illegal to dump unwanted aquarium fish into a waterbody. Doing so could result in a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and up to $2,500 in fines.

Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife are also offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the conviction of whoever illegally introduced walleye into Strawberry Reservoir.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
Marius Gustavson reportedly must serve a minimum of 22 years in prison for his crimes

Marius Gustavson/Facebook Marius Gustavson

Warning: This story contains graphic details

A self-declared eunuch maker who castrated willing customers, sold body parts and livestreamed some of his crimes has been sentenced to life in prison by a U.K. court.

Marius Gustavson, 46, pleaded guilty to several crimes, including conspiring to commit grievous bodily harm, creating and distributing indecent images of a child and possessing extreme pornography, per the BBC.



Gustavson, who is Norwegian, was sentenced by a London court on Friday for engaging in various offenses that included genital mutilation, selling body parts and branding his victims, per the BBC, Reuters and The Guardian.

Gustavson carried out his business through a website named Eunuch Maker," which was set up for a subculture of men who voluntarily have their penis and testicles removed, per Reuters and The Guardian.

The business, which served customers from around the world between 2017 and 2021, garnered more than 22,000 subscribers and earned him $377,706, The Guardian reported.

On one occasion, Gustavson had three men remove his own penis with a knife which was filmed, The Guardian reported in January.

Met Police Marius Gustavson was a self-styled "eunuch maker"

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.

One victim told authorities in 2020 that he was electrocuted after being strapped to a bed, had his testicles clamped and was branded with EM initials, which stands for eunuch maker, per the The Daily Beast.

"On one occasion Gustavson cooked what appeared to be human testicles, which were then plated to be eaten, and kept other body parts as 'trophies'," The Guardian and the BBC reported, quoting the authorities who spoke during the sentencing.

Some of Gustavson's victims were as young as 16-years-old, according to the BBC, The Daily Beast and The Guardian.

Gustavson's motivation for the crime was both sexual gratification and financial reward, the judge said, according to the outlets.

The judge said Gustavson was a lunatic, "an arch-manipulator" and a butcher, the BBC reported.

Gustavson has to serve a minimum of 22 years, according to the BBC, Reuters and The Guardian. Several others were sentenced to between four and 12 years in jail, including 67-year-old Peter Wates who had in his possession a butter box with genital parts inside when police searched his home, The Guardian reported.



If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.



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Read the original article on People.
In the final week of the legislative session, the Missouri Senate is at a standstill as Senate Democrats filibuster legislation seeking to raise the threshold for passing citizen-led constitutional amendments.

Senate Joint Resolution 74, sponsored by state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, was brought before the Senate for debate at 2:40 p.m. Monday. Democrats quickly moved for the measure to be stripped of the House amendments or for a conference to be held between House and Senate members to find an agreeable compromise.

The hang-up causing this standstill is the addition of ballot candy, which Senate Democrats had negotiated to remove from the legislation during a filibuster before allowing it to pass in February. The Missouri House added the ballot candy back in, sending it back to the Senate for final approval.

Ballot candy is a term used to refer to items added to sweeten the petition and encourage voters to pass the measure. This language is generally placed first in the ballot summary language, obscuring the true meat of the petition.

In this instance, that language asks voters to bar noncitizens from voting in elections and prohibit foreign governments from donating to ballot initiative campaigns. Both of these issues are already guaranteed in state and federal law, respectively, meaning that they would effectively do nothing but reinforce what is already prohibited.

Senate Minority Floor Leader John Rizzo speaks at a press conference at the Missouri State Capitol Building on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024.

Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo points out that there may be several questions on the ballot for voters to decide upon this year, so having this deceptive language appear first isnt a fair fight. Even if the legislature passes SJR 74, voters must still approve it for it to go into effect.

People are gonna go from the first initiative to the second initiative to the third, and by the time they get to that six one, which this might be, they're going to be so exhausted, Rizzo said. They're gonna read the first line is gonna go, Do you want non citizens voting in elections? Well, no. Right? Next thing you know, they have (voted) away their rights to participate in constitutional changes forever.

The true goal of this legislation is to raise the threshold for passing citizen-led constitutional amendments through the ballot initiative process. Currently, petitions require only a simple majority of voters to pass, but if voters approve this measure, constitutional amendments would require a simple majority of voters, plus a majority of voters in five of the states eight congressional districts.

As of noon on Tuesday, the filibuster had been going on for more than 21 hours and it showed no signs of stopping soon without an agreement to remove the ballot candy or hold a conference with members of the Missouri General Assembly to negotiate a compromise.

It is the reality that the bill before us in its current form is not one that we're willing to sit down on, said state Sen. Lauren Arthur.

State Sen. Lauren Arthur, D-Kansas City, speaks to reporters on Feb. 8, 2024.

Proponents of the measure argue that it will give more weight to rural voters, as many constitutional amendments often campaign heavily in metro areas of the state, gaining more votes in heavily populated areas of the state.

Opponents say that this destroys the principle of one person, one vote that American democracy is built upon, by unfairly allowing a small number of rural voters to tank an otherwise popular petition.

The underlying issue, which is basically undoing one person, one vote, making sure that every Missourians vote counts equally in our state, that's an unpopular idea, Arthur said. To move away from that so that some Missourians votes count more than others, that is a deeply unpopular idea.

Debates about this legislation have consumed much of the 2024 legislative session, as members of the Missouri Freedom Caucus have made this a priority and refused to allow other legislation or gubernatorial appointments to proceed until it had progressed through the Senate.

In a press conference last week following the passage of the state budget, state Sen. Andrew Koenig, a member of the Missouri Freedom Caucus, was asked about removing ballot candy to find a compromise, which did not seem like an option the group was open to hearing.

No, we're not gonna strip the ballot candy off, Koenig said.

More: Initiative petitions are the topic of much debate in Missouris legislature. Here's why

That leaves few options for the final week of the legislative session in the Senate. If no compromise can be found, either the Democrats will run out the clock on the time left or Senate leadership will have to gather support from at least 18 members of the chamber to move the previous question, or PQ, a procedural move used often in the House to shut down debate.

We have an assurance from the former leader that we will stay on IP until either the PQ is used or we finish it without a PQ or session ends, Koenig said. Those are the three options.

The PQ is rarely used in the Senate, and during the extended filibuster, the Democrats said using that measure would have repercussions that last far into the next legislative session.

Senate Floor Leader Cindy O'Laughlin speaks at a press conference at the Missouri State Capitol Building on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024.

When the move was suggested in a House committee meeting in March, Democrats shut down the Senate with a filibuster for a day in protest. Senate Majority Floor Leader Cindy OLaughlin referred to the PQ as the nuclear option, according to reporting by the Missouri Independent, saying as of Sunday evening she had not decided whether it would be used for this legislation.

While the filibuster drags on and the end of session is quickly approaching, Arthur laments the fact that other bills will not be passed until Republicans are willing to find a compromise, or uphold the compromise that they made to remove the ballot candy the first time the bill was passed in the Senate.

There are other important legislative items that I know people are eager to get to this year, or for the remainder of the week, so this gives an opportunity for the body to find some way to move forward on this issue, Arthur said. Hopefully we get to other important business before the session concludes.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri Senate filibuster stymies progress days before session ends
UT System shuts down 21 DEI offices and cuts hundreds of positions to comply with law

AUSTIN (KXAN)  On Tuesday, Texas senators reviewed progress to make sure public universities and colleges throughout the state are in compliance with Senate Bill 17, a law that requires Texas public universities to disband Diversity, Equity and Inclusion offices by 2024.

Groups monitor for compliance, overreach of new Texas anti-DEI law

According to a meeting agenda, the Senate Subcommittee on Higher Education began meeting at 9 a.m. to consider a few topics, including the monitoring of the DEI law.

State Senator Brandon Creigton opened the DEI discussion, a leading advocate to implement to ban of such practices in higher education. Creighton feels DEI practices did more to divide campuses, which is why he drafted legislation to end it.

Full Interview: State Senator Brandon Creighton talks DEI ban

These ultimatums escalated, creating significant riffs on campus, targeting anyone who disagreed and many changes were demanded aiming to reshape the university into an institution focused on social justice and equality of outcome, Creigton said. This was when DEI bureaucracies grew out of control, replacing merit with equity for some.

The senate received updates from both UT System Chancellor James B. Milliken and Texas A&M System Chancellor, John Sharp.

Milliken testified UTs 14 institutions completed internal audits, which led to shutting down 21 DEI offices, getting rid of 311 positions and canceling 681 contracts. Milliken said the UT System reallocated over $25 million.

I think through the audit processwe may in fact, learn that we havent addressed everything, Milliken said.

Sharp testified Texas A&M system changes to comply with SB17, were less drastic as it was less involved in DEI efforts before the new law went into effect.

Ahead of the meeting, a group of protesters walked to the Texas State Capitol. Texas Rising, a project of the Texas Freedom Network that supports social justice work and young people of color, organized the walk.

UT employees linked to DEI to lose their jobs

Members from Texas Rising, TXS4DEI, Texas AFT, the Legal Defense Fund, and other youth advocacy organizations will testify in opposition to SB 17s implementation.

SB 17 was passed during the 2023 legislative session and prevents public colleges and universities in Texas from having diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices or policies. Since going into effect, campuses across Texas have laid off employees and closed departments potentially affected by the bill, with the University of Texas in Austin laying off 49 employees in April and UT Dallas completely shutting down the campus DEI office, laying off around 20 employees. Texas Rising

DEI Rally, march to the Capitol building Tuesday, May 14, 2024 (KXAN photo/Todd Bailey)

The Texas Legislative Black Caucus, the Texas State Conference of the American Association of University Professors and the Texas State Conference of NAACP Branches, the League of United Latin American Citizens, and the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, along with other partner organizations, students and staff will also hold a press conference speaking out against the DEI law on Tuesday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
Little hope left: In Ukraine, the situation is growing increasingly dire. The two-plus years of Russian invasion have depleted military resources; the $60.8 billion aid package approved by U.S. lawmakers last month, and stalled by several months of congressional infighting by Republicans, has not reached Ukraine yet.

"All of our forces are either [in Kharkiv] or in Chasiv Yar," said Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine's military intelligence agency. "I've used everything we have. Unfortunately, we don't have anyone else in the reserves."

Chasiv Yar is some 100-plus miles south of Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city. Winning it would be Russia's "most operationally significant advance since the first summer of the war in 2022," reports The New York Times. "If Chasiv Yar falls, the Russians will be able to use its hilltop position to batter the key remaining Ukrainian-controlled cities in the Donetsk region: Kramatorsk, Sloviansk, Druzhkivka and Kostiantynikva," reports The Guardian.

Ukrainians "admit they are outgunned and outnumbered by an enemy with combat jets and seemingly unlimited firepower," adds The Guardian. "The Russians are willing to tolerate huge losses of tanks and men to capture tiny settlements, deploying infantry in what are known as bloody 'meat assaults.'"

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Ukraine right now, meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. A senior U.S. official, speaking to the Times about the meetings, refused to "draw a direct connection between the delayed aid and Russia's gains near the city of Kharkiv" but "[made] clear that the gap in funding had left Ukraine, whose military is starved for ammunition and other critical equipment, weakened." Zelensky, in the meetings with Blinken, emphasized how Ukraine's air defense is weaksomething Russia is exploiting, as Vladimir Putin's troops continue to pulverize the country.

It's always a little crazy when American outlets and politicians (President Joe Biden included) blame Russia's advancement on U.S. lawmakers' inability to agree on an aid package for Ukraine; of course, these things are connected, but it's also a normal and even healthy part of the democratic process for massive cash infusions to other nations' war efforts be deliberated over, not automatic.

Meanwhile, things are so bad there that Estonia is reportedly mulling sending troops in to serve in non-combat roles in western Ukraine and free up forces to go fight on the eastern front. It's really not clear how any of this ends, but Ukraine is signaling that they can't hold off Russian troops forever, let alone much longer.

Scenes from New York: This book (my subway reading) is excellent. Also, I am in it (called by a different name). Props if you can figure it out.

(Liz Wolfe)

QUICK HITS

"In mid-March, the U.N. Children's Fund stated that 13,450 children had been killed in Gaza, citing figures from the Hamas-run Gazan Health Ministry," according to Jewish News Syndicate. But "last Wednesday, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) released updated casualty figures. Some 7,797 Gazan children had died in the war as of April 30, it saida roughly 42% drop from the mid-March numbers."

"What Trump could do in foreign policy might surprise the world," writes Curt Mills (executive director of The American Conservative and once and future Just Asking Questions guest).

Kamala Harris channeling her inner cop:

.@VP at AAPI event (per pool): "We have to know that sometimes people will open the door for you and leave it open. Sometimes they won't, and then you need to kick that fucking door down."  John Bresnahan (@bresreports) May 13, 2024

"Falling birthrates come with huge implications for the way people live, how economies grow and the standings of the world's superpowers," reports The Wall Street Journal. "An economy with fewer children will struggle to finance pensions and healthcare for growing ranks of elderly. South Korea's national pension fund, one of the world's largest, is on track to be depleted by 2055. A special legislative committee recently presented several possible pension reforms, but there's only a short window to act before the next presidential election campaign heats up."

Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, who has dementia, has been placed in a conservatorship by a judge in Los Angeles.

"Public school libraries were more likely to carry liberal than conservative books, with liberal books accessible in an average of about sixty schools and conservative in twentyone. Neutral books, such as fantasy, dominated both, carried in an average of 207 libraries," writes Cato's Neal McCluskey, who details how his team attempted to track which books are stocked by public school libraries and whether they tend to be ideologically balanced. "Given our sample size, the difference between liberal and conservative books is right on the border of being able to confidently assume we have captured a true imbalance."

Bloomberg on how Singapore got rich.

"I'm not sure I would have the same success with breastfeeding if I had had my first baby more recently," writes Bethany Mandel for The Free Press. "La Leche League's meetings are now also open to biological men. All attendees have to do is say they're transgender or nonbinary, and they can come and watch women baring their breasts while obtaining breastfeeding support."

The post Send in the Estonians? appeared first on Reason.com.
Ireland is considering cutting state support for asylum seekers and refugees, including those from Ukraine, even those who have long been in the country. The main goal is to bring Irish payments in line with other European countries, as more and more Ukrainian refugees are moving to Ireland from other EU countries due to the large financial support.

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This was stated by Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris, The Guardian reports. "We need to assess the contribution that people with refugee status (- Ed.) should make to the provision of accommodation. We need to make sure that everyone is working legally, that there are more checks at workplaces," Harris said.

Regarding Ukrainians, Harris emphasized that in this case, support should not depend on when the asylum seekers arrived. That is, if the new rules are introduced, they will apply to all Ukrainian refugees in Ireland, not just new arrivals.

The fact is that Ireland has already updated the rules for newly arrived refugees since March 14. Those Ukrainians who decide to move to this country after this date are placed in public housing for only 90 days, not indefinitely, as it was before. Also, payments were reduced by 5.5 times.

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Thus, newly arrived Ukrainians who stay in free housing are paid not 220 euros per week, but 38.8 euros per adult. That is, the assistance in hryvnia equivalent was cut from about UAH 9.2 thousand to UAH 1.6 thousand. At the same time, a child receives 28.9 euros per week (about 1.2 thousand UAH).

If a refugee moves out of public housing and rents an apartment, room or house on their own, they can claim higher payments. In addition, refugees from Ukraine (more than 100 thousand people) who have already arrived in Ireland continue to receive 220 euros per adult per week.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, Poland will not stimulate the return of Ukrainian refugees home. Polish employers are interested in keeping working Ukrainians in the country, so they are likely to persuade them not to leave. At the same time, Poland is not a place where you can live comfortably on wages and benefits.

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Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Houston pastor Keion Henderson is defending himself after the backlash he received for telling a woman to hush during a recent church service. Henderson, who told his side of the story when he appeared on the Tamron Hall Show on May 7, said he was trying to bring order at Houstons Lighthouse Church so people could hear God and not her.

What people have to understand is that every time you hear noise in church, it isnt worship. And so, there has to be order, Henderson told Hall, the news outlet CHRON reported.

Henderson, who is a well-known pastor around the country, has amassed millions of Instagram followers. The 42-year-old appeared on the Tamron Hall Show with his wife Shaunie ONeal. The pair promoted ONeals new book, Undefeated: Changing the Rules and Winning on My Own Terms. But naturally, Hall asked the pastor How did you go viral this weekend?

Henderson said the viral clip didnt tell the whole story about the incident. He also added that the woman has been doing the same thing for years.

Social media is into cuts not context. Every suggestion that Ive gotten from every naysayer, Ive already done. This is a four-year battle, Henderson said. Ive already talked to her personally. Ive already had ushers go up to her. Ive already had prayer warriors [talk with her]. Ive had everything. So, she did it publicly after being asked not to.

The video shows Henderson getting distracted by a woman in the choir who was crying and repeatedly screaming as the pastor was praying with the church members. The Houston pastor then walked toward the woman on stage, repeatedly snapped his fingers and said, Shhhh. Hey, stop her! Hush, hush.

Silence in the name of Jesus, Henderson added. The only voice I want heard is His.

Some of Hendersons critics said the woman had the right to express herself in church.

If yall knew what real pain and struggle looked like youd be screaming thank you Jesus until your voice cracksstop normalizing lack of emotion towards others thats why we are in such a terrible state now, one person wrote on social media, according to CHRON. Baby girl find another church.

Another person on X described the pastor as a narcissist.

Snapping at someone  telling them to be quiet so you can sing is the epitome of being a narcissist  Sneaker Deals (@SneakerCheaper) May 6, 2024

Henderson also had several people who spoke up in his defense.

Not gonna lie, some ppl in church really be doing all that extra screaming & hollering for attention. Just saying   Don Rashad (@Donrashard) May 5, 2024

According to some of Hendersons supporters, the womans screaming didnt have anything to do with worshipping.

He was absolutely correct in doing what he did. The woman was obviously doing what she did for attention. The Holy Spirit operates decently and in order. Not loud and obnoxious and hollering over the flow of what is going on.  Thomasha Simmons (@ThomashaSimmon4) May 8, 2024

In his interview with Hall, Henderson said he felt terrible for his wife because the church incident became a distraction while shes trying to promote her book.

The most egregious part of this weekend in the clip you showed is that I felt so bad because here it is her moment and everybodys talking about me and I felt so bad about it it grieved me because I want people talking about her, he said.

What do you think about the viral moment?
SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  The Shelbyville Police Department recently welcomed a new four-legged officer to its ranks.

The department announced a brand new K9 officer, Jerry, and his handler, K9 Officer Dylan Bliss, joined the team thanks to a state grant from the Tennessee State Violent Crime Intervention Fund (VCIF).

According to the department, Jerry and Officer Bliss are part of the newly established Directed Patrol Division of the Shelbyville Police Department.

Macon Co. sergeant who died in crash honored added to national memorial

(Courtesy: Shelbyville Police Department)

(Courtesy: Shelbyville Police Department)

(Courtesy: Shelbyville Police Department)

According to the Tennessee Office of Criminal Justice Programs office, the VCIF grants are designed to support local law enforcement in developing and implementing proven public safety strategies to combat violent crime, including juvenile crime. Hiring and training of specialized violence crime investigative units is one of the allowable uses for the funding if awarded to a law enforcement agency.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
BALTIMORE  Two times the day before a massive cargo ship struck and destroyed Baltimores Francis Scott Key Bridge, the vessel lost power completely, federal safety investigators have found.

A series of electrical breaker failures aboard the 984-foot Dali also caused it to lose power and propulsion twice within about half a mile of the bridge before it struck around 1:30 a.m. on March 26, causing most of the 1.6 mile span to immediately collapse into the Patapsco River, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board released Tuesday.

The report from the federal agency, which investigates transportation disasters with an aim of preventing future tragedies, provided the clearest picture yet of the days and moments before the disaster that left six construction workers dead, disrupted operations at the bustling Port of Baltimore and permanently altered the citys skyline.

The NTSBs preliminary report includes facts gathered during its investigation, which began hours after the Key Bridge fell, but no analysis. The latter comes in a final report that can take one to two years to complete. The agency has not yet determined a probable cause for the accident.

The report did not identify specific flaws in the pier protection system for the Key Bridge, but did note that the Dali struck the pier and its fender system, without contacting the dolphin or its fenders. Dolphins were constructed to protect the piers supporting the bridge.

Investigators are immediately assessing other bridges owned by the Maryland Transportation Authority, according to the report. That agency is studying short-term and long-term options for upgrades to the Bay Bridges existing protection system, it said.

The report also offered some new details about the results of early tests. The entire crew of the Dali tested negative for alcohol, as did the senior and apprentice pilots aboard the ship. Fuel samples from the Dalis fuel tanks and other supplies were tested and found to be in compliance with international standards, the report said.

Released seven weeks after the bridge fell, the report comes against a different backdrop.

The FBI launched a criminal investigation, with agents raiding the Dali last month and confiscating the crews cell phones. Maryland Occupational Safety and Health, a division of the states Department of Labor that investigates workplace accidents and deaths, also opened a probe into Brawner Builders, the company which employed the workers on the bridge.

The victims were Jose Mynor Lopez, 37, originally from Guatemala; Dorlian Castillo Cabrera, 26, originally from Guatemala; Maynor Suazo Sandoval, 38, originally from Honduras; Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, originally from Mexico; Carlos Daniel Hernandez, who was in his 20s and was originally from Mexico; and Miguel Angel Luna Gonzalez, 49 and originally from El Salvador.

A seventh member of the construction crew survived the collapse, while a state inspector was able to scamper to safety before the ship struck.

Officials have made substantial progress in cleanup efforts, with divers recovering the sixth and final victim  Mynor Lopez  from the depths of the Patapsco River last week and engineers deploying explosive charges Monday to remove the span of bridge draped over the Dalis bow  one of the last steps before the ship can leave the waterway.

Officials have opened several temporary channels to vessel traffic while working to clear remaining bridge debris from the McHenry Shipping Channel, which they have pledged to reopen by the end of May. A new bridge is expected to take about four years to complete and is estimated to cost between $1.7 and $1.9 million.

The Singaporean companies that own and manage the Dali moved to limit their liability in the bridge collapse, but the City of Baltimore and businesses have followed up with lawsuits alleging they allowed an unseaworthy ship to sail, causing the deadly catastrophe that disrupted the critical economic engine that the port is for Baltimore and beyond.

The report also comes one day before NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy is slated to testify at a hearing about the disaster in the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Homendy previously spoke about the bridge collapse at her confirmation hearing in the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. At the time, she said investigators had called in representatives from the Dalis Korean manufacturer, Hyundai, to help download data related to its electrical power system and circuit breakers.

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The ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore and sent it plunging into the water nearly two months ago, suffered a pair of electrical blackouts the day before the crash, federal investigators said Tuesday.

The Dali continued to have electrical issues in the minutes before the March 26 collision, including two more blackouts that made it impossible for the crew to steer the vessel away from one of the bridge's supporting piers, according to new facts released by the independent National Transportation Safety Board.

Shortly after the first blackout on the night of the collision, the ship's emergency generator fired, but didn't generate enough power to allow the vessel to steer away  and on top of that, it quickly blacked out too. A tugboat had been sent to help steer the ship out of danger, but didn't arrive in time.

The NTSB's investigation is still ongoing, but early attention has focused on potential electrical and propulsion system failures on board the ship, a suspicion that factual data released Tuesday underscores.



According to the new report, the fuel the ship had been using does not appear to have been at issue, and the crew tested negative for drugs and alcohol.

While six construction workers perished in the accident, the report revealed that a road maintenance inspector was able to run north to the nearest surviving span in the moments before the bridge collapsed. Another construction worker who fell into the water was rescued by a Maryland Department of Transportation police boat only minutes afterward.

Costs of the crash, which closed waterborne access to one of the largest ports on the Eastern Seaboard, are only just beginning to be understood. Earlier this month the state of Maryland said rebuilding the span will take up to $1.9 billion and four years.
VILLE PLATTE, La. (KLFY)  The Evangeline Parish Sheriffs Office is investigating a shooting that sent one person to the hospital after being shot 3 time.

Diocese: 60 children were in Abbeville church when teen with gun entered

According to the Evangeline Parish Sheriffs Office, a shooting happened at Hickory and Chataignier Road and someone was hit by gunfire 3 times. The victim has been transported to a local hospital, but no information on the extent of their injuries. Officials are currently on the scene investigating.

News 10 is in route to the scene and will have any new information as it becomes available.

Latest Stories

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLFY.com.
Shoppers offer their first impressions of Meijer's new Alliance, North Canton stores

North Canton residents Vivian Huffman and Victoria Wasik (flowered shirt) shopped at the new Meijer supercenter in North Canton on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. Both said they enjoyed the "one-stop shopping" experience.

A hello and a friendly smile on Tuesday greeted shoppers entering the new Meijer supercenters in Alliance and North Canton.

"Hello, welcome to Meijer," employees said.

The long-awaited openings of the Michigan retailer's newest additions to Northeast Ohio and Stark County occurred at 6 a.m. Tuesday. Meijer's executive chairman Hank Meijer and president and chief executive officer Rick Keyes visited both stores.

Local officials have touted the Meijer stores as economic boosts for their communities. The company also has a location in Jackson Township.

Minerva resident Angela Henning's 4-year-old son, Tobias, rides Meijer's penny pony, Sandy, inside the new Alliance supercenter, which opened Tuesday, May 14, 2024. "I love Meijer," she said.

To save at Meijer: Follow these steps at Meijer's new Alliance, North Canton stores

"As we celebrate our 90th anniversary as a family-owned retailer, providing value and convenience to our customers is still our top priority," Hank Meijer said in a news release. "We're excited to bring our unique shopping experience to customers in North Canton and Alliance while also investing in these communities."

For several shoppers, their first impressions of the new stores were good.

"I like it. It has a little bit of everything," said Megan Miku of Alliance. "Like, I got a plant, clothes, groceries and a chair. They had a lot of good specials today."

Kim Wilson of Ravenna was loading $250 worth of groceries and other goods into her car at the Alliance store. She shops frequently at the Meijer stores in Brimfield and Stow, but she wanted to see this one.

"I wasn't coming for anything," Wilson said with a chuckle.

Megan Miku of Alliance bought groceries, plants and clothes on May 14, 2024, the grand opening of Meijer's new Alliance supercenter at 2500 W. State St.

Randy Rininger of Niles also shops at Meijer near his home. He came to the Alliance store for grand opening deals.

"I knew they were going to have steaks on sale," he said. "(The store) is beautiful."

Here we go: Meijer to open Alliance, North Canton stores on May 14, 2024

Cheryl Salmen made the trip from Carrollton to Alliance to see the store, and she plans to return frequently.

"I live down in Carrollton. There's nothing there," she said. "You have to go to New Philadelphia. This is closer, and I'm not a huge fan of Walmart."

Shopper: 'The stores are always clean.'

Bob Novak and his wife, Beth, of Perry Township are frequent shoppers at Meijer's Jackson Township store.

They wanted to see the North Canton store.

Bob Novak of Perry Township checks out the planters outside Meijer's new North Canton store at 1505 N. Main St. on May 14, 2024.

"The stores are always clean, always well stocked and the staff is always very nice and helpful," Novak said.

North Canton residents Vivian Huffman and Victoria Wasik shopped at their local store Tuesday. Both said they enjoyed the "one-stop shopping" experience there. "The only thing missing is a restaurant (inside)," Huffman said with a smile.

Meijer has free access to Aira for vision impaired customers

In the news release, Meijer said the Alliance and North Canton stores offer free access to Aira, an app-based service that provides live navigation assistance to blind and low-vision customers using the camera of their smartphones, as in all Meijer stores.

The grand opening of Meijer's new supercenters in Alliance and North Canton was Tuesday, May 14, 2024. Here, at the North Canton store on North Main Street, shoppers' vehicles packed the lot.

Meijer opened its first store in Ohio 1981. It now has three in Stark County. The retailer says it employs more than 11,000 people across the state at 55 stores and its distribution and manufacturing facilities in Tipp City.

Reach Benjamin Duer at 330-580-8567 or ben.duer@cantonrep.com. On X (formerly Twitter): @bduerREP.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Meijer supercenters in Alliance and North Canton are now open
Read the latest in our coverage of the death of Anthony Johnson Jr. and other issues in Tarrant County jail.

Its been 23 days since Anthony Johnson Jr. died in the custody of the Tarrant County Jail. His family and their attorney said they havent heard anything from the Texas Rangers, who are investigating his death.

The death of Johnson, a 31-year-old Tarrant County resident, a Marine veteran and briefly an inmate at the Tarrant County Jail, is being investigated by the states top law enforcement branch: the Texas Rangers. A spokesperson for the agency told the Star-Telegram on Monday that no new updates were available.

On Sunday, Jacqualyne Johnson spent her first Mothers Day without her son in three decades. The familys attorney, Daryl Washington, told the Star-Telegram this years holiday was exceptionally painful.

You dont know whether to tell a grieving mother, Happy Mothers Day or Im praying for you, Washington said. What is happy about this Mothers Day for her?

He added that the holiday made things extra difficult for the family.

Theyre hurting because they dont have that opportunity to grieve, Washington said. Theyre having to fight, and with Mothers Day that was extra tough.

Anthony Johnson Jr. with his sisters Janell and Chanell. Courtesy of the Johnson family

Johnson was arrested on April 19 amid a schizophrenic episode. His family told the Star-Telegram they tried to take him to a mental health hospital but were told he wasnt violent enough to admit. They were turned away.

The family said they heard from Johnson when he called them from the jail on April 20. On the morning of April 21, two Tarrant County Sheriffs Office deputies and a chaplain knocked on their door and told them he was dead.

The family wasnt told how he died, and even when county commissioners were briefed in response to calls for information, they didnt hear any specifics beyond the use of pepper spray during what the sheriffs office called an altercation between Johnson and detention officers. Johnsons family was at the commissioners meeting last week, even though Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn declined requests to brief his fellow elected officials.

Johnsons mother, Jacqualyne, and his sisters Janell and Chanell all spoke at the meeting, addressing County Judge Tim OHare and some county commissioners by name. Waybourns contribution was to send over news releases that were printed out and read by County Administrator Chandler Merritt. Those news releases, sent to media after the April deaths of Anthony Johnson and an unrelated inmate named Roderick Johnson, had been public for weeks before they were read, with the most recent being disseminated two weeks prior.

Washington, the familys attorney, said it shouldnt be that way. He has said bruising on Johnsons body indicates force was used but the sheriffs office has withheld those details.

Theres a video and witnesses, Washington said. If an ordinary person did this, they would be arrested right away.

Johnsons family said that releasing the video would help them process his death and take steps in healing, and transparency could lessen public outrage. Washington and others, like Democratic Commissioner Alisa Simmons, have also called for the video to be released.

The Star-Telegram has requested videos depicting what happened to Johnson in the jail. The Tarrant County Sheriffs Office has, through the district attorney, sent those requests to the Texas Attorney Generals Office in hopes of being allowed to withhold the video.

The letter to the attorney generals office cites an open investigation and says releasing the video could interfere with that investigation.

You Judge [Tim OHare], you Mr. Gary Fickes and Manny Ramirez, you killed my son, Jacqualyne Johnson said at the commissioners meeting. And how I can say that is this has been festering in the county for years and youve done nothing about it.

You cant see my pain right now, but I can make sure yall turn colors and see pain, Janell said.

He was murdered, Chanell said.

Since that meeting, Republican County Commissioner Manny Ramirez has called for transparency and for the sheriffs office to implement a media policy. He stopped short of calling for the videos release, but did say he wants changes in policies that would require information to be made available at specific periods in sheriffs office investigations.

Simmons, in addition to asking Waybourn to provide information in the meeting, made calls for the video to be shown to commissioners in closed session, for a Department of Justice probe into the jail and at the meeting she grilled an empty lectern  where she said Waybourn should have been standing to brief her and her colleagues.

Waybourns absence, and his silence, have been insulting to the family, they said. Jacqualyne said she wants answers so she doesnt go to bed each night not knowing what happened to her son.

OHare has not responded to the Star-Telegrams request for comment since the meeting.

Republican County Commissioner Gary Fickes has not spoken out on the issue, nor has Democrat Roy Brooks, who wasnt in attendance for the commissioners meeting. Neither Fickes nor Brooks are running for reelection, but Waybourn is.

Daryl Washington meets with the Star-Telegram at his office in downtown Dallas. James Hartley/jhartley@star-telegram.com

Washington worries the video of Johnsons death could be kept under wraps for a prolonged time during an election year.

But the silence from law enforcement isnt new, and it isnt something seen only in election years, Washington said. He said police will release video any time it benefits them. If body-camera footage shows an officer was justified in the use of deadly force, theyll use it no matter the stage of the investigation, he said.

The same thing seems to happen when police want to promote work theyve done, no matter whether an investigation is ongoing, Washington said. He suggested authorities are withholding the video because it does the opposite and would show the sheriffs office in a bad light.

And in this case, Johnson expects the video to be disturbing. He predicts people will be enraged, and that the longer it takes the sheriffs office to release the video and take other actions like indictments and arrests the worse it will be.
Canadian actress Carrie-Anne Moss asked her Matrix co-star Keanu Reeves to recommend movies she could watch with her children. Instead of naming a few of his favorite films, he created a "thoughtful" list, which he gave to his friend a little later.

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The star's list consisted of 18 movies, which the actress told Esquire journalists about. OBOZREVATEL offers to take a closer look at Keanu Reeves' advice (scroll to the bottom of the page to see photos and videos).

The Neon Demon, 2016

A psychological thriller about a sixteen-year-old provincial girl named Jessie who moved to Los Angeles to become a successful model and conquer the shows, but the competition in the fashion world turned out to be too fierce.

A Clockwork Orange, 1971

The cult satirical sci-fi film reveals the theme of human cruelty, free will and choice. The film was nominated for four Oscars.

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Rollerball, 1975

The story is set in 2018. A world without wars and crime is ruled by the all-powerful Energy Corporation. The most popular team sport that has replaced all the others is rollerball, a competition in speed and cruelty.

The Bad Batch, 2016

The romantic thriller tells the story of a cannibal nicknamed Miami Man who falls in love with his potential victim.

Dr. Strangelove, 1964

A black comedy in which nuclear war is satirized. The story is about a crazy US Air Force general who organizes a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union.

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Seven Samurai, 1954

The Japanese film, considered one of the best in the world, tells the story of brave samurai who were asked by the inhabitants of a small village to protect them from bandits.

Amadeus, 1984

The film tells the story of composer Antonio Salieri, who was sent to an insane asylum. The plot revolves around the hero's maniacal admiration for the talent of young Mozart and his attempts to destroy his career.

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Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, 1990

A tragicomedy by the British writer, which tells the story of two minor characters - Rosencrantz and Guildenstern - from the play Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Sometimes the main characters appear in the film.

The Evil Dead, 1981

A horror film about 5 young people who stayed in a creepy abandoned house and accidentally released demons, who then wanted to turn the guests into the living dead.

Raising Arizona, 1987

A childless married couple, consisting of a criminal, Hi, and a former police officer, Edwina, decide to kidnap another man's baby, but raising the child turned out not to be so easy.

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The Big Lebowski, 1998

The unemployed comedy hero Jeffrey Lebowski accidentally finds himself in the middle of a one million dollar extortion scam. At the millionaire's request, the hero receives the money and goes to meet the bandits who kidnapped the rich man's wife, but the money transfer process fails.

Nikita, 1990

A young drug addict is given a chance to work for intelligence instead of spending the rest of her life in prison or even dying. She accepts the offer, even though she doesn't agree with this scenario in her heart.

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Leon, 1994

The film about a mercenary killer from Italy who rescued a 12-year-old girl and teaches her the craft of a killer is among Keanu Reeves' top 18 films. Interestingly, there are 3 versions of the movie: tolerant, French and international.

Young Frankenstein, 1974

The plot revolves around the grandson of Dr. Frankenstein, who has been trying to correct the mistakes of his ancestors for many years. After inheriting the family castle, he repeats the failed experiments.

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Blazing Saddles, 1974

A corrupt politician appoints his sheriff to a settlement he wants to destroy, but the sheriff, contrary to expectations, soon becomes the antagonist's most dangerous opponent.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail, 1975

The action takes place in medieval England, where King Arthur, accompanied by his faithful squire Patsy, travels the kingdom in search of valiant warriors. The main characters embark on a dangerous journey to find the Holy Grail.

The Outlaw Josey Wales, 1976

During the American Civil War, soldiers kill the family of farmer Josey Wiles. The hero is obsessed with revenge. He does not give up trying to take revenge even after the war.

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Mad Max 2, 1981

The protagonist of the apocalyptic thriller accidentally stumbles upon a settlement of people who are in dire need of his help because of an enemy attack.

Only verified information is available on our Obozrevatel Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine's Defence Intelligence chief, has said that the situation with the Russian invasion in Kharkiv Oblast has stabilised. Defence Forces will be pushing the Russians out of the territory, and there is currently no escalation observed in Sumy Oblast.

Source: Budanov on the air of the national joint 24/7 newscast on 14 May

Quote: "Currently, the phase of the Russian border operation in Kharkiv Oblast is ongoing. To say that the enemy has achieved significant success would be untrue. However, it is important to remember that the situation is quite tense and changes very rapidly. Nevertheless, as of yesterday evening, in my opinion, a rapid trend towards stabilisation has emerged.

In essence, the enemy has already been blocked at the frontiers where they managed to penetrate, and the operation of the Ukrainian Defence Forces continues for further stabilisation and the beginning of pushing the enemy beyond our state borders.

As for Sumy Oblast, the Russians actually planned a similar operation from the very beginning in this area as well. Currently, they maintain small groupings of forces at the border (the town of Sudzha from the side of the Russian Federation), but the situation has not yet allowed them to engage in active actions and implement their plan."

Details: Asked when the Russians might begin to retreat, Budanov stated that they won't retreat on their own; they need to be forced out. Therefore, the fighting will continue. At the same time, Budanov emphasised that the situation, as of now, "is not catastrophic."

He added that the main goal of the current Russian operation at the border is psychological and information operations aimed at creating chaos and panic.

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Six road construction projects coming to Sangamon Co. this summer, IDOT says

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA)  Six major construction projects are either underway or scheduled to begin in Sangamon County this summer.

The upcoming construction season is expected to be one of the busiest ever, IDOT officials said, with Sangamon County among those seeing closures and traffic adjustments. The six projects that will take place there, all under the ongoing Rebuild Illinois project, will represent a state investment of nearly $103 million to improve safety and mobility.

Rebuild Illinois is revitalizing communities and neighborhoods by investing in projects and people in the Springfield 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.

12 construction projects underway, starting soon in Macon Co.

Three projects are already underway with another three starting this summer. Five will be complete before the year is over while one will stretch into 2026. Those projects are:

10th Street railroad tracks at Madison and Jefferson Streets in Springfield Underpasses and double tracking Started in 2023, expected to be complete this summer Closures of Madison and Jefferson Streets, with a detour directing traffic to Carpenter Street

East Lake Shore Drive over the Illinois Central Railroad and the Lake Springfield slough about a half mile east of I-55 New bridge deck overlays Started in the spring, expected be completed in the fall Lane closures required, with at least one lane of traffic in each direction being maintained

Rail Splitter rest areas on both directions of I-55 Demolition of current buildings and construction of new ones Starting this summer, expected to be completed in 2026 Rest areas will be open for parking until demolition begins

I-55 Business/6th Street from north of Stanford Avenue to Myrtle Street Resurfacing and patching Starting in June, expected to be complete in November Lane closures required, with at least one lane of traffic in each direction being maintained

I-55 over the Sangamon River, 2.2 miles south of the Sherman interchange Bridge deck overlay and patching with shoulder reconstruction on both bridges. A precursor to widening of the bridges that begins in 2025 Starting in the summer, expected to be complete in the fall Lane closures required, with at least one lane of traffic in each direction being maintained

11th Street Over I-55/72 Bridge deck repairs Starting in June, expected to be complete in September Lane closures required, with at least one lane of traffic in each direction being maintained



Rebuild Illinois has had a tremendous impact on Springfield, bringing good-paying jobs and boosting our local economy, said State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield). Key investments in downstate transportation continue to help our communities grow and increase accessibility for residents.

Photo courtesy of the Illinois Department of Transportation

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
COFFEE COUNTY, Ala (WDHN)  Citizens in Coffee County will see an increase in their vehicle tag payments this fall.

Coffee County Sheriff Scott Byrd said the cost of vehicle tags will increase by $8 beginning in October 2024. This increase will include registration, transfer, or renewal of any vehicle in the

county.

Discussions on the minor increase began after Alabama residents were no longer required to carry concealed carry pistol permits beginning January 1, 2023, taking funds away from sheriffs departments.

Sheriff Byrd says he and District Attorney James Tarbox discussed the increase and decided that $8 was a price everyone could afford.

We dont want to hurt anyone. We wanted a fair price for everyone. Sheriff Byrd said.  This will help keep the citizens safe.

Of the $8 increase, $5 will go to the CCSO, and $3 will go to the District Attorneys Office,

The funds directed towards the CCSO will go into the departments general fund and help get deputies the necessary equipment to keep operating.

The $3 going to DA Tarboxs office will help keep staffing levels operational across his Pike and Coffee County offices.

DA Tarbox told WDHN he understands some may not like this increase and wants to assure citizens that if revenue comes in from other sources, he will be the first one to suggest cutting the increase.

The bill promoting this increase, HB416, passed in the state legislature on May 2, and Governor Kay Ivey signed it on May 6.

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 WDHN - wdhn.com.
Photo illustration by Getty Images.

Cliff Carlton was the 10th of 11 children and one of three still living at home when his father, a coal miner, died unexpectedly at 67.

Only his dads Social Security benefits, along with vegetables from the familys small farm in southwestern Virginia, kept the household afloat during the lean years that followed.

That battle for survival made Carlton a lifelong champion of Social Security and a tireless opponent of Republicans in Congress who keep trying to kill this lifeline for the middle class.

Its not a gift. Its money that were due, explained Carlton, a 70-year-old retired tire manufacturer and longtime member of the United Steelworkers. Now president of the Virginia Alliance for Retired Americans, hes advocated for Social Security for 30 years.

Now theres a new threat. To secure enough votes to become speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy toadied to extremist Republicans whose demands for radical budget cuts once again put Social Security and Medicare at risk.

Theyre openly plotting to cut Social Security benefits and raise the retirement age, moves that would force millions of Americans to work longer. Some even want to slash payments to retirees with other income, regardless of how much theyve paid into the program.

The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare warns that this kind of con, called means-testing, would end Social Security as Americans know it and take benefits even from those with very modest incomes.

If you lose something, you dont ever get it back, observed Carlton.

Social Security is the only resource many retirees have when they outlive the nest eggs they accumulated during their working years.

My grandmother is 102 years old. She retired at the age of 65 and still lives on her own, said Mike Budd, who credits Social Security with enabling his grandma, a former bank teller, to maintain her independence for decades.

In fact, thats the reason Im very passionate about keeping this program around, said Budd, a Marine veteran who works as a substation electrician at Northern Indiana Public Service Company.

President Joe Biden has vowed to protect Social Security and Medicare from these attacks. Still, Republicans are recklessly threatening to careen the federal government toward default unless they get the spending cuts they want.

Many of these lawmakers have huge personal fortunes on top of congressional pensions. They enjoy a level of financial security out of reach of most Americans. Its certainly easy to tell people to make do with less when they have more, noted Budd.

Some Republicans have since soft-pedaled their shenanigans by saying theyll only cut benefits for future retirees who would have time to adjust to the changes, likely by working longer.

That angers Budd, whos 37 and already trying to plan for his golden years. Hes been paying Social Security taxes since he was a 16-year-old with a summer job.

Instead of cutting essential programs, TJ Stephens said, hed like to see Republicans agree to fairly tax uber-rich Americans who use dodgy loopholes to pay little or nothing now. And hed like to see more wealthy tax cheats and deadbeats run to the ground.

Stephens, a USW electrician in New Carlisle, Indiana whos also 37, regards Social Security as Americas contract with working people. Moving the goalposts and forcing younger Americans already paying into the system to work ourselves into the grave is inhumane, he said.

Ultimately, Carlson predicted, public anger will stop the Republicans in their tracks. Hes planning to ratchet up his activism and get more retirees to join him.

It makes a difference, he said of Social Security. Its not something were going to give up without an extraordinary fight.

The post Social Security is America contract with working people appeared first on Michigan Advance.
Songezo Zibi, leader of recently formed South African political party Rise Mzansi, speaks during an interview with Reuters in Johannesburg

Songezo Zibi, leader of recently formed South African political party Rise Mzansi, speaks during an interview with Reuters in Johannesburg

By Estelle Shirbon

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's most competitive election since the advent of democracy could provide opportunities for new political party Rise Mzansi to make innovative deals and improve parliamentary oversight, its leader said on Tuesday.

With polls suggesting the African National Congress, which has been in power for 30 years, will lose its majority for the first time since the end of apartheid in the May 29 vote, smaller parties have come into focus as potential coalition partners or kingmakers.

Songezo Zibi, 48, who founded Rise Mzansi last year and has been campaigning on what he describes as social democratic ideas, said a good result for his party would be to get 5% of the vote, which would translate into 20 seats in the national parliament.

He did not rule out entering into a coalition with any other party, but said Rise Mzansi would not support anyone corrupt or suspected of corruption. He added that there were other ways to make an impact than being in government.

"There is an opportunity in this election to do some innovative trade-offs, to say 'we will vote for political party A for premier, for president, but we insist on chairing ... certain oversight committees'," Zibi told Reuters in an interview.

South Africans vote for their national and provincial parliaments, which then elect the country's president and provincial premiers.

Zibi said Rise Mzansi was also open to working with different parties or groups of parties on a case-by-case basis to help legislation get through parliament.

Zibi, a former editor of Business Day newspaper who also worked for Volkswagen, mining firm Xstrata and Absa bank before going into politics, said low turnouts in previous elections reflected widespread disillusionment with politics.

He said Rise Mzansi had adopted a grassroots-led approach to policymaking that was attracting support from young people and women fed up with the status quo.

He described the party's goals as very concrete and local, for example ensuring that every home had running clean water and was within 15 minutes of a well-equipped and staffed public health facility.

To solve South Africa's chronic power shortages, he proposed installing solar panels and batteries in every home within a decade to meet climate goals, lower the cost of electricity for families and small businesses and reduce pressure on the grid, which could then better serve large companies.

He said the main obstacles to growth were power cuts, poor infrastructure and corruption, and that by removing them South Africa could boost growth, attract investment, lower the cost of debt and increase resources to invest in public services.

Mzansi, which means "south" in Zulu, is a popular nickname for South Africa.

(Reporting by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Tomasz Janowski)
After Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, energy prices skyrocketed and Russia itself was subject to additional sanctions. Against this backdrop, the Norwegian oil and gas giant Equinor ASA has become the leading supplier of fuel to Europe, replacing Russia's Gazprom.

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Now Norway supplies 30% of gas to the EU countries, while Gazprom provided about 35% of all gas to Europe before the Great War. Bloomberg writes about this.

"And of the more than 109 billion cubic meters of natural gas Norway exported to Europe last year - enough to power Germany until 2026 - about two-thirds was sold by Equinor," the article says.

In this regard, Equinor plays a major role in the ups and downs of gas prices across the continent.

At the end of April, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz thanked Norway for allowing his country to become independent of Russian gas "in just a few months." He called Oslo an ideal partner for securing gas supplies to Germany and Europe.

According to Irene Rummelhoff, Head of Intermediate Flow, Marketing and Processing at Equinor, the company's visibility has changed significantly with the decline in gas flows from Russia. "There was a time when [Europe] took us almost for granted. This is no longer the case," she said.

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Natural gas supplies from Norway are expected to reach a new record this year. Equinor is working to increase its capacity and optimize its maintenance operations. The country's government aims to make Norway a "stable and long-term energy supplier" to Europe over the coming decades.

As reported, Gazprom's profits fell by more than 30%, resulting in a loss of 629 billion rubles (or 6.9 billion US dollars), the highest in 25 years. This drop is due to geopolitical turbulence, such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the deterioration of relations with the West, which have severely limited the company's operations.

To compensate for these losses, Gazprom has turned to China. Still, the loss of trade with Europe has had a significant impact on its financial situation.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!

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HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW)  The South Carolina Department of Social Services said its investigating alongside Horry County police after two abnormally skinny boys were found abandoned near Myrtle Beach last week.

Horry County police responded at about 12:30 a.m. May 7 to Seacoast Youth Academy on Bay Road for abandoned children, an incident report said. The caller told responding officers she heard knocking on the side door and that she saw two boys and told them to go to the front door.

The woman said when she opened the door, one of the boys put their foot in the doorway and told her they were cold and hungry and did not know who dropped them off or where they were, according to the report.

DSS said because its an open investigation, no other information was immediately provided.

 Download the News13 app to stay updated on the go

 Sign up for WBTW email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox.

 Find todays top stories on WBTW.com for the Grand Strand and Pee Dee.

Count on News13 for updates.

* * *

Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW.
FLORENCE COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW)  A 21-year-old Columbia man is facing a kidnapping charge after authorities said he unlawfully took a Florence 14-year-old to Colorado in February.

Tyree Isiah Wallace was arrested Friday by sheriffs deputies and booked into the Florence County Detention Center, where he is being held without bond.

No additional details were immediately available, but investigators said Wallace was out on bond for a previous charge of criminal sexual conduct at the time of his arrest.

* * *

Dennis Bright is a Digital Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on, Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW.
South Korea's president promises to keep up Ukraine support

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol confirmed his country's participation in a Ukraine peace summit in a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart on Tuesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on X.

Zelenskiy said he told Yoon about the importance of encouraging other countries, including those from Asia-Pacific and Africa, to attend the summit next month in Switzerland that aims to rally support for Ukraine's vision for ending the war.

"We also discussed ways to further develop our bilateral cooperation, including in the area of humanitarian mine clearance," Zelenskiy said. "We paid specific attention to the system of security guarantees for Ukraine and the prospect of concluding a relevant bilateral security agreement."

Zelenskiy also thanked South Korea and its people for their "principled and long-term support".

Yoon's office said earlier he had promised to keep up the support during the phone call.

Last summer, Yoon said South Korea would step up support for Ukraine during a visit to Kyiv.

(Reporting by Heekyong Yang and Anastasiia Malenko; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Southbound Highway 17 Bypass traffic slowed by response to medical incident, authorities say

Editors note: This story has been corrected to indicate that the incident was a medical call.

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW)  Southbound traffic on Highway 17 Bypass was slowed Tuesday afternoon because of a medical incident near South Strand Drive and Coventry Road, according to Horry County Fire Rescue.

Several fire and police vehicles responded to the area shortly after 2 p.m., according to a South Carolina Department of Transportation traffic camera.

Count on us for updates.

* * *

Dennis Bright is a Digital Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on, Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW.
(SOUTHERN COLORADO)  Monday, May 13 was the start of National Police Week and several law enforcement agencies from Southern Colorado were in Washington D.C. to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice with a candlelight vigil.

Courtesy: Pueblo County Sheriffs Office

Courtesy: El Paso County Sheriffs Office

Courtesy: Pueblo County Sheriffs Office

Courtesy: Pueblo County Sheriffs Office

Courtesy: Pueblo County Sheriffs Office

At the 36th Annual Candlelight Vigil, 282 fallen officers were added to the memorial including the names of fallen Sgt. Michael Moran of the Cortez Police Department and K9 Officer Julian Becerra of the Fountain Police Department.

WATCH: DA press conference after man found guilty of 2nd-Degree Murder in officers death

Courtesy: Tunnel to Towers Foundation, photo is of fallen FPD Officer Julian Becerra.

Courtesy: Cortez Police Department, photo is of fallen Cortez Police Sgt. Michael Moran.

The Pueblo County Sheriffs Office (PCSO) also shared a video of its deputies and other law enforcement agencies saluting the fallen Colorado officers.

Meanwhile, the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) and the El Paso County Sheriffs Office (EPSO) also shared photos on social media of its officers and deputies honoring the fallen at the national memorial.

Courtesy: Colorado Springs Police Department

Courtesy: Colorado Springs Police Department

Courtesy: Colorado Springs Police Department

Courtesy: Colorado Springs Police Department

Courtesy: Colorado Springs Police Department

Police Week started in 1962 when President John F. Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the calendar week on which May 15 falls, as National Police Week.

On Friday morning, May 17 law enforcement will gather at the Pikes Peak Regional Peace Officers Memorial to honor the fallen in Memorial Park.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado.
SOUTHERN TIER, N.Y. (WETM)  Law enforcement agencies across the Southern Tier will be receiving a total of nearly $2.5 million in state funding to buy new equipment.

According to Governor Kathy Hochuls Office, New York State is giving $127 million to 378 sheriffs offices and police departments outside of New York City that applied for funding. The departments will use these tax-funded grants to modernize their operations by purchasing new technology and equipment. The upgrades made through these purchases are expected to help prevent crimes, solve crimes, and improve public safety.

The agencies receiving funds can use the money to purchase license plate readers, mobile and fixed camera systems, computer-aided dispatch systems, software, unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), gunshot detection devices, smart equipment for vehicles and officers, and more. According to Hochuls Office, more than half of the total funding will be used to purchase license plate readers, body-worn and patrol vehicle equipment, and public safety camera systems.

Southern Tier down in sales tax revenue in first quarter of 2024

A list of how much money agencies in the Southern Tier will be receiving broken down by county can be found below:

Chemung County

Elmira Police Department: $447,795

Elmira Heights Police Department: $96,738

Horseheads Police Department: $74,763

Schuyler County

Schuyler County Sheriffs Office: $245,701

Watkins Glen Police Department: $208,727

Steuben County

Canisteo Police Department: $189,900

North Hornell Police Department: $59,800

Bath Police Department: $40,000

Corning Police Department: $195,000

Steuben County Sheriffs Office: $665,000

Tioga County

Waverly Police Department: $253,752

All agencies receiving funds through these grants applied for the funding in the fall of 2023. The applications asked for agencies to specify which pieces of equipment they intended to purchase and the estimated cost for each item. The money being sent to these law enforcement agencies was accounted for in New York States Fiscal Year 2025 Enacted Budget.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM - MyTwinTiers.com.
Several groups of parents and students in Southlake urged the Carroll school district to negotiate with the Department of Education after the federal agency found that the district violated students civil rights.

The district has 90 days to negotiate a resolution with the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights or face the possibility of losing federal funds or enforcement from the Justice Department.

Members of two groups, Cultural and Racial Equity for Every Dragon and the Southlake Anti-Racism Coalition, held a press conference Tuesday afternoon to demand that the school board and administration negotiate with the Education Department to work out remedies after a three-year investigation into complaints of discrimination determined that students civil rights were violated.

Russell Maryland speaks during a press conference held by Cultural and Racial Equity for Every Dragon and Southlake Anti-Racism Coalition on Tuesday in Southlake. The groups urged Carroll school district to negotiate in good faith after being invited by the U.S. Department of Educations Office of Civil Rights to negotiate a resolution of four civil rights complaints filed by the groups in 2021. Amanda McCoy/amccoy@star-telegram.com

Russell Maryland, a former Dallas Cowboy whose children graduated from Carroll schools, said he and others will attend the school board meeting on Wednesday to tell trustees to negotiate.

He said that Cultural and Racial Equity for Every Dragon requested an answer from the school district, but has not received one.

The Star-Telegram sent emails requesting interviews with the superintendent and school board president, but has not gotten a response.

Whats next? Carroll ISD you are now on the clock. Its time to negotiate ... Maryland said, referring to the 90-day window. School board, you are now on the clock. Are you going to protect or are you going to continue to neglect?

He also stated that Superintendent Lane Ledbetter stated in 2021 that the district would negotiate with the Edcation Department if there were violations.

Anya Kushwaha, a former Carroll student and member of Southlake Anti-Racism Coalition, speaks during a press conference on Tuesday in Southlake. The groups urged Carroll school district to negotiate in good faith after being invited by the U.S. Department of Educations Office of Civil Rights to negotiate a resolution of four civil rights complaints filed by the groups in 2021. Amanda McCoy/amccoy@star-telegram.com

Angela Jones, a founding member of the Cultural and Racial Equity for Every Dragon group, filed a complaint on behalf of her youngest son after he was repeatedly subjected to racial slurs. She said it is time to work with federal officials and to create a safe environment for all students.

She said a reasonable group of people would think that negotiating is the right thing to do.

But she said she is concerned.

It makes me ponder another thought, and I dont say this lightly, but if the CISD doesnt negotiate, could this board and this administration be racist? she said.

She said their actions speak loud and clear.

The administration and school board dont believe they are racist, she added.

Angela Jones, parent and founding member of Cultural and Racial Equity for Every Dragon, speaks during press conference on Tuesday in Southlake. The groups urged theCarroll school district to negotiate in good faith after it was invited by the U.S. Department of Educations Office of Civil Rights to negotiate a resolution of four civil rights complaints. Amanda McCoy/amccoy@star-telegram.com

But if this is the case, and if you have a Black, brown, Jewish, Muslim or gay student, I would encourage you to rethink moving to Southlake, she said.
Southwest to offer direct flights from Grand Rapids to Las Vegas

CASCADE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD)  Starting this fall, Southwest Airlines will offer direct flights from Gerald R. Ford International Airport to Las Vegas.

We are grateful to our partners at Southwest for expanding their network and further connecting the West Michigan community with the world, Tory Richardson, president and CEO of the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority, said in a statement.

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The flight will be Southwests eighth non-stop destination from the metro Grand Rapids airport, which Richardson provides travelers with more options and more convenience.

GFIA already offers nonstop flights to Las Vegas from Allegiant Airlines. Southwest flights will be offered on the weekends and select weekdays using Boeing 737 aircraft.

We continue to look for additional opportunities, within our current fleet capabilities, to produce revenue and connect customers to whats important in their lives, Southwest Airlines Vice President of Network Planning Brook Sorem said in a statement.

What Ford Airport terminal expansion means for passengers

Southwest Airlines has offered flights out of GFIA since 2013.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
Spain warns boats of possible orca run-ins near the Strait of Gibraltar this summer

Recent episodes of orcas damaging boats near the Strait of Gibraltar have prompted Spanish authorities to recommend that small vessels stick to coastal areas where encounters are less likely. (AP Graphic)

BARCELONA, Spain (AP)  After another ramming of a boat by an orca in the Strait of Gibraltar, Spanish authorities recommended small vessels stick to the coastline in that region to avoid often-scary interactions with killer whales during the summer.

In the latest incident, two people aboard a 15-meter (50-foot) boat in Moroccan waters requested help from Spains maritime rescue service Sunday after reporting that an orca knocked the craft several times, damaging its rudder and causing a leak. The people were picked up by a passing oil tanker summoned by the rescuers, and their boat later sank.

Spains ministries for transport and the environment, along with its merchant marines, issued notices Tuesday urging both sailing boats and small motorboats to beware of orcas between May and August in the area between the Strait of Gibraltar and the Gulf of Cadiz.

The Atlantic Orca Working Group, a team of Spanish and Portuguese marine life researchers who study killer whales near the Iberia Peninsula, says were 197 such known interactions in 2021 and another 207 in 2022.

A pod of orcas even disrupted a sailing race last year, when a boat sailing from the Netherlands to Italy had a 15-minute encounter with the animals, prompting the crew to drop their craft's sails and raise a clatter to fend them off.

There have been no reports of attacks against swimmers. The interactions on boats seem to stop once the vessel becomes immobilized.

The researchers say that the killer whales seem to be targeting boats in a wide arc covering the western coast of the Iberia Peninsula, from the waters near the Strait of Gibraltar to Spains northwestern Galicia.

The orcas off the Iberian coast average from 5 to 6 meters (16-21 feet) in length, compared to orcas in Antarctica that reach 9 meters (29 feet).
Only 50% of Ukrainian refugees in Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic are ready to return home if there is security, critical infrastructure is functioning properly, housing is available, and the war is over. For 34% of respondents, the key conditions are security and normal operation of critical infrastructure, while 26% emphasize the housing issue and the end of the full-scale invasion.

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These are the results of a survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) in April. According to the study, 34% of respondents named normal operation of critical infrastructure and security as the main conditions for the return of Ukrainian refugees home.

In addition, 26% of respondents said they would return if they had housing and the full-scale invasion was over. Additionally, 16% emphasized the possibility of finding a job, and 13%  the possibility of children attending school or kindergarten.

The sociologists also analyzed the answers of Ukrainians to questions about their satisfaction with life abroad, the conditions for returning to Ukraine, and their desire to obtain a passport of another country. The study concludes that those who have not applied for citizenship of another country, are not fully satisfied with living conditions in the new country, and express certain conditions for returning home are more likely to return.

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"According to this approach, exactly half of the respondents (50%) are those who are more likely to return to Ukraine. However, taking into account the respondents' answers to the questions about their interest in Ukraine, this assessment is rather an optimistic scenario in the current conditions," KIIS said.

KIIS Executive Director Anton Hrushetsky emphasized the importance of maintaining communication with Ukrainian citizens abroad. "The results of the survey cited in this press release show that a significant number of Ukrainian refugees are losing (or have already lost) contact with Ukraine. Unfortunately, this was absolutely expected and in any case, we would have lost some citizens. However, the question remains as to which part of the citizens can be returned and what makes sense to do so," he said.

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According to him, on the one hand, the state, Ukrainian civil society, and ordinary citizens should maintain contact with citizens abroad, work with them, keep in touch, and motivate them to return. On the other hand, Ukrainians abroad also need to be motivated to return and make relevant efforts to stay connected to Ukraine.

The survey was conducted from April 20 to 26, 2024. A total of 801 respondents were interviewed online  adult citizens aged 18 and older who left Ukraine after February 24, 2022, and currently reside in Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic.

Formally, under normal circumstances, the theoretical statistical error of such a sample would not exceed 3.5%. At the same time, sociologists emphasize that the lack of reliable statistics on the number and distribution of Ukrainian refugees, the lack of data on their gender and age structure, and, as a result, less interest in participating in Ukrainian surveys and the peculiarities of the online interview method affect the error, and the actual error will be somewhat higher.

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As OBOZ.UA previously reported, Ireland is considering reducing state support for asylum seekers and refugees, including those from Ukraine, even those who have long been in the country. The main goal is to bring Irish payments in line with other European countries, as more and more Ukrainian refugees are moving to Ireland from other EU countries due to the large financial support.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and in Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
NEW YORK  Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) railed against former President Trumps hush money trial in remarks outside the Manhattan courthouse Tuesday, becoming the highest-ranking lawmaker to visit Trump in New York amid the ongoing legal proceedings.

Johnson  who appeared alongside Trump in the courthouse hallway before delivering a statement outside  slammed the case against the former president as election interference, arguing prosecutors are trying to keep him off the campaign trail amid his race against President Biden.

This is the fifth week that President Trump has been in court for this sham of a trial. They are doing this intentionally to keep him here and keep him off of the campaign trail, Johnson said. And I think everybody in the country can see that for what it is.

President Trump is innocent of these charges, he later declared.

GOP lawmakers have been flocking to the former presidents side as he remains stuck inside the Manhattan courtroom for the duration of the hush money trial, which takes up most of the week. Reps. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) and Cory Mills (R-Fla.) were also seen alongside Trump at the courthouse Tuesday.

Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) also traveled to New York on Monday to support Trump and offered similar remarks outside the courthouse.

Johnsons status makes him the highest-ranking lawmaker to appear alongside Trump since his trial began, however, a signal that the House GOP conference is squarely behind the former president despite Trumps swirling legal troubles.

Speaker Mike Johnson talks to the press across the street from the Manhattan criminal court where former President Trumps trial is taking place on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

The Speakers show of support came less than a week after the House easily blocked an effort, led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), to oust him from the top job. An overwhelming majority of Republicans voted to table Greenes gambit  protecting the Speaker from a conservative coup  an outcome that some have, attributed in part to Trumps public support for Johnson.

Johnson also traveled to Trumps Mar-a-Lago last month amid his own political troubles. There, Trump issued a declaration: I stand with the Speaker. Trump also backed the Louisiana Republican on subsequent occasions and used a social media post to urge Republicans to vote to table the measure to oust the Speaker, though that Truth Social post published minutes after the vote was over.

Johnson told reporters he voluntarily attended Trumps trial Tuesday, calling the former president a friend.

I called President Trump and told him I wanted to be here myself to call out what is a travesty of justice. And I think everybody around the country can see that, Johnson said. President Trump is a friend and I wanted to be here to support him.

I came here, again, today on my own to support President Trump because I am one of hundreds of millions of people, and one citizen, who is deeply concerned about this, he later added.

Johnsons appearance came just as the prosecutions star witness, Trumps ex-fixer Michael Cohen, took the stand for the second day. Johnson, like his Republican colleagues, took aim at Cohen and tried to undermine his credibility as a witness.

This is a man who is clearly on a mission for personal revenge and who is widely known as a witness who has trouble with the truth, Johnson said.

He is someone who has a history of perjury and is well-known for it. No one should believe a word he says today, he added.

Top Stories from The Hill

Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection to reimbursements made to Cohen, who made a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to stay quiet ahead of the 2016 election about her alleged affair with Trump from a decade prior. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has denied the affair.

Trump is also under a gag order that bars him from criticizing the witnesses, jurors, prosecutors, court staff or the judges family. It does not bar him from talking about the judge overseeing the case or Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D).

Johnson labeled the gag order as ridiculous and unprecedented, arguing it overrides Trumps constitutional right to defend himself from political smears from his harshest critics at the most important time.

An appeals court upheld the gag order later Tuesday.

The Speaker also took aim at the other legal cases involving Trump, including the federal investigation into the former presidents retention of classified documents. Judge Aileen Cannon indefinitely postponed that case  which involves special counsel Jack Smiths investigation  earlier this month.

This is a  years-long partisan witch hunt. Years long, Johnson said of the hush money trial. And its been going on for quite some time. Were seeing the same thing in the classified documents case. That one is so egregious, the trial has been indefinitely postponed.

Johnson said he is working with House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) on measures to rein in the abuses of special counsel Jack Smith.

In Congress, we have oversight responsibility, and it is our objective and our responsibility to hold them accountable, he said. These are politically motivated trials, and they are a disgrace. It is election interference. And they show how desperate the opposition that President Trump has and how desperate they truly are.

The American people are not going to let this stand, he continued. Election Day cannot get here soon enough. And we will continue to shine a light on all of this in Congress, because we have that constitutional responsibility.

Updated at 11:25 a.m. ET

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) will address the media before attending Tuesdays hearing in the trial of former President Trump on charges of illegal use of 2016 campaign funds.

The Speaker easily held his position last week in what was effectively a bipartisan vote of confidence, settling an attempt to unseat him by close Trump ally Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).

Johnsons visit to the New York City courtroom follows Mondays attendance by Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and JD Vance (R-Ohio). Following that days hearing, Tuberville expressed disappointment in the courtroom  apparently referring specifically to the decorum in the proceedings. Both senators expressed skepticism over the credibility of the prominent witness for the prosecution, Michael Cohen.

Johnson is expected to speak at 10:15 a.m. EDT.

Watch the live video above.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Speaker Mike Johnson was set to become the latest high-profile Republican to make a pilgrimage to the trial of former President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

Johnson, whose job was salvaged with the help of Democrats in the House last week, was looking to bolster his credentials with the MAGA crowd by showing his faith in Trump after Marjorie Taylor Greene tried to oust him from office.

The speaker volunteered to come today to support his friend, President Trump, and was not proactively invited by the campaign, an aide to the speaker told The Daily Beast.

I dont find anything unusual about a fundamentalist theocrat who thinks the Bible is the supreme law of the land attending the legal proceedings of an adjudicated sexual assailant and world-class fraudster and con-man for cooking the books to cover up hush money payments he made to a porn star to conceal his adulterous affair, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) wrote to the Beast. Do you?

His fellow Democratic lawmaker, Rep. Eric Swalwell of California, also wrote: Johnson presides over a majority in Congress that sees itself as Trumps law firm. So its on brand that hes attending his clients trial. But its the American people who we are supposed to be working for. Their needs should come over the childish needs of one petty criminal defendant.

The trial has become a proving-ground for Republicans to show their loyalty to Trump, who has described the trial as a politically-motivated witch hunt.

The fourth week of testimony in the hush money trial has turned into a full-on veepstakes circus with Vivek Ramaswamy also attending on Tuesday after appearances from Republican Senators J.D. Vance and Tommy Tuberville on Monday.

Ramaswamy walked into court behind Trump with North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Lara Trump, and Congressman Byron Donalds.

Florida Senator Rick Scott accompanied Trump to court last week. Other visitors have included Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis and attorneys general Steve Marshall from Alabama and Brenna Bird from Iowa.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now.

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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is getting slammed for his defense of Donald Trump outside of the New York courtroom where the former presidents hush money trial is taking place.

On Tuesday, Johnson became the highest-ranking Republican official to show support for the former president and his attacks on the judicial system.

The Associated Press called it a remarkable moment in modern American politics because it demonstrates that the GOP is moving away from the federal and state legal systems it long supported to give fealty to Trump.

President Trump is innocent of these charges, Johnson said outside the courtroom before claiming that the judicial system in our country has been weaponized against President Trump, and lawmakers are using all the tools at its disposal right now to punish one president to provide cover for another.

Speaker Johnson: Im working with Jim Jordan and James Comer on measures to rein in the abuses of Jack Smith pic.twitter.com/RHBOkUBq79  Acyn (@Acyn) May 14, 2024

Johnsons sycophantic defense of Trump was quickly mocked by folks on social media, including former congresswoman Liz Cheney.

Im surprised that @SpeakerJohnson wants to be in the I cheated on my wife with a porn star club, she wrote on X, formerly Twitter. I guess hes not that concerned with teaching morality to our young people after all.

Have to admit Im surprised that @SpeakerJohnson wants to be in the I cheated on my wife with a porn star club. I guess hes not that concerned with teaching morality to our young people after all. https://t.co/wTHWvA1m85  Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) May 14, 2024

But Cheney wasnt the only one who roasted Johnson for his courtroom appearance at Trumps trial.

Because the speaker of the house serves at the pleasure of Donald Trump criminal defendant https://t.co/hRBrzGrkYg  Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) May 14, 2024

The Republican Speaker of the House is openly declaring that hes working with fellow Republican lawmakers to interfere in active criminal proceedings to protect the presumptive Republican nominee. Blatant corruption in broad daylight. https://t.co/krab9U5JIs  Ahmed Baba (@AhmedBaba_) May 14, 2024

Imagine if Mike Johnson and Republicans were this dedicated to making the American peoples lives better. https://t.co/tZB7ZjYe9x  Jules Morgan  (@glamelegance) May 14, 2024

What hes saying here is that not only does he believe, but he is working to make sure Donald Trump can commit all the crimes he would like with absolutely no consequences. Something to remember in November. https://t.co/JYfpwarOXK  Jason Karsh (@jkarsh) May 14, 2024

My favorite part of the Bible is when Jesus said you should lie to protect a rapist who cheated on his first wife with his second wife, his second wife with his third wife, and his third wife with another woman who he paid to cover up the truth. https://t.co/VC0MF0GcvK  The Volatile Mermaid (@OhNoSheTwitnt) May 14, 2024

God doesn't like it when you lie, Mike pic.twitter.com/kWhjxJtoSO  Sean O'Neill (@SeanOhhhh) May 14, 2024

Today was an historic, all-time low point for the House Speakership.



Mike Johnson demeaned and degraded the dignity and honor of his office with his inappropriate courthouse appearance in support of Donald Trump.



Send this embarrassment back into the Minority where he belongs. https://t.co/B5HDZgzvxR  TrumpsTaxes (@TrumpsTaxes) May 14, 2024

Mike Johnson: The crime that they are accusing President Trump of is falsification of business records. But I think everybody knows hes not the bookkeeper for his company

President Trump is innocent of these charges



Except that Trump signed the checkspic.twitter.com/W5WMbC1t9f  Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) May 14, 2024

Bearing false witness in defense of a serial adulterer criminal. Real Christian stuff. https://t.co/iNzwnmcFKR  Scott Linnen (@ScottLinnen) May 14, 2024

Jesus, please save President Trump from the satanic claws of liberals that want to condemn him for doing what comes naturally to men. Hes repented and is now selling Trump Bibles. Please use discount code MIKE69 when ordering.



- Mike Johnson

pic.twitter.com/zDndgeunPH  Carlos Turnbull (@cturnbull1968) May 14, 2024

Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask why President Crimes is suddenly not allowed to do crimes. https://t.co/laeIESZL8N  Lon Harris (@Lons) May 14, 2024

Related...
Stanislaus County supervisors declared a local emergency Tuesday over a pest that threatens to decimate tomato crops.

A small insect called the beet leafhopper feeds on tomato plants and spreads a virus that turns the leaves yellow and stunts the growth of the plants.

Growers and pest control advisers informed the county they detected beet leafhoppers in tomato crops planted this spring, prompting Sheriff Jeff Dirkse, as county emergency services director, to proclaim an emergency Thursday.

The Board of Supervisors ratified the proclamation and recognized that the virus, called beet curly top, is an immediate threat to tomato crops, primarily in the western portion of the county.

It is here now, county Ag Commissioner Linda Pinfold said in recommending a response to the emergency.

The county has almost 10,000 acres of tomatoes in production, yielding a harvest valued at $53.5 million in 2022. Stanislaus and Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings and Kern counties have declared emergencies to control beet curly top virus.

Beet leafhoppers can infect about 300 plant species, including vegetable crops and weeds. Pinfold said the tiny bugs are 3.5 millimeters long and spend the winter in grasses of the foothills. When the hills dry out, the leafhoppers migrate to the Valley floor and may become a problem in the rows of transplanted tomato plants around Patterson and Westley.

The tomato plants are particularly vulnerable when they start flowering, Pinfold said.

The emergency declaration is mostly about authorizing use of the limited pesticides available to control the pest. Regulations in California went into effect Jan. 1 to keep neonicotinoid pesticides from destroying honeybees, which are important pollinators, so the use of the pesticides is prohibited during the bloom.

However, an exception allowing neonicotinoid applications is granted in counties that declare an emergency. Growers are required to notify beekeepers within a mile if they are using the pesticides.

The county Agricultural Commissioner may authorize emergency use of neonicotinoids on tomato crops, as long as its coordinated with the director of emergency services.

Bianca Lopez, an environmental advocate with Valley Improvement Projects, expressed concern about the health risks of the pesticides to pregnant women and pollution of water sources. She said the county isnt looking at alternative control methods that dont harm the environment.

I hope that farmers are only applying this if its needed, Lopez said. Pesticides create a vicious cycle.

Daniel Bays, a tomato grower near Westley, said the curly top virus is not a concern every year. The rainy winter conditions followed by the foothill grasses drying out quickly most likely brought on the threat this year, he said.

We look at all all of our (pest control) options to see whats effective and beneficial for us, Bays said, adding that tomatoes are an important crop for the countys west side and for canneries.

The threat of beet leafhoppers goes back for decades in the San Joaquin Valley, with major impacts to beet crops reported in the 1920s. The California Department of Food and Agriculture created a program for control of the curly top virus in 1943.
U.S. Sens. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, and Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., along with Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, listen as former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media outside Manhattan Criminal Court on May 13, 2024, during his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Donald Trumps former fixer took the stand in a Manhattan courtroom Monday and told jurors that Trump was well aware of a scheme to hide the repayment of money intended to silence porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

Michael Cohen, the prosecutions star witness, told the jury that he used a home equity loan to pay $130,000 to Daniels lawyer, trusting a promise from Trump  then a Republican candidate for the presidency  that hed be repaid.

The criminal trial, the first ever for a former president, centers on Trumps reimbursement to Cohen and whether Trump illegally covered up the hush money as routine legal expenses, a felony in New York.

Trump is charged with 34 felony counts for each alleged falsified business record related to his repayment to Cohen  11 invoices, 11 checks and 12 ledger entries.

Cohen has already served time in prison for several federal crimes, including campaign finance violations in relation to the hush money deals with women who alleged sexual affairs with Trump. He was sentenced to three years in August 2019, but did not serve the entire sentence.

Cohens intense loyalty to Trump fizzled after the then-president distanced himself. The former fixer is now an outspoken Trump critic and has published books titled Disloyal and Revenge, and produces a podcast called Mea Culpa.

Cohen was called to the stand just days after Daniels, an adult film actress and director, described in lurid detail her alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, the affair at the heart of the payments in question.

GOP senators show up as moral support

Journalists at the courthouse reported that Trump, the presumed 2024 Republican presidential candidate, was sleeping at times during the trial Monday and shaking his head in response to some of Cohens testimony.

New York does not allow recording in the courtroom but provides public transcripts of the proceedings.

Trump was accompanied by Republican U.S. Sens. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and J.D. Vance of Ohio, considered to be on the short list as Trumps running mate. Republican U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, of New York, also joined the senators and spoke to media outside the Lower Manhattan courthouse.

Floridas GOP Sen. Rick Scott made an appearance in the courtroom last week.

Prior to Mondays proceedings, Trump delivered remarks to the press with Tuberville and Vance, among others, behind him.

Trump defended his payments to Cohen and blamed the charges on the Biden administration, despite the indictment coming down from the state of New York.

A legal expense is a legal expense. Its marked down in the book quote legal expense, Trump told reporters, making air quotes with his hands.

This all comes from Biden in the White House by the way, he added.

Worries about Access Hollywood tape

Cohen testified that he wanted to protect Trump from further alienating women voters just weeks before the November election, according to reporters at the courthouse.

A story about Trumps alleged extramarital affair with Daniels reaching the public shortly after the revelation of the Access Hollywood tape would have been catastrophic, Cohen said.

The tape, published by the Washington Post just a month before the 2016 presidential election, showed Trump bragging to Access Hollywood host Billy Bush that fame allowed him to grab womens genitals.

The tape caused upheaval in the Trump camp as Election Day approached, former Trump spokesperson Hope Hicks testified on May 3.

Prosecutors showed phone records, texts and emails of Cohens frantic attempts to quash stories of Trumps alleged trysts with Daniels, and with former Playboy model Karen McDougal, according to journalists witnessing the testimony.

Cohen testified for several hours about communications with David Pecker, former National Enquirer publisher; Keith Davidson, the attorney for both Daniels and McDougal; and Hicks  all of whom took the stand during the trials preceding weeks.

Phone records revealed a five-minute call between Cohen and Trump on Oct. 28, 2016, at 11:48 a.m., during which Cohen told the jury that he assured Trump that this matter is now completely under control and locked down, according to reporters at the courthouse. The phone call occurred on the same date Cohen signed the agreement with Daniels and Davidson.

The jury also saw records of a wire transfer from Cohens shell company Essential Consultants to Davidson, the purpose of which was to to pay Stormy Daniels to execute the non-disclosure agreement and to obtain the story, her life rights, Cohen said, according to reporters at the courthouse.

Legal services rendered

By late afternoon, Cohen began to testify about Trumps direct knowledge of the plan for reimbursement. The plan was hatched with the Trump Organizations longtime chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg, who is currently in prison for crimes related to Trumps civil fraud trial, which wrapped up in New York in February.

Jurors saw handwritten notes from Weisselberg detailing plans to get the money back to Cohen. This was the second time the jury has seen the notes, as Jeffrey McConney, the Trump Organizations longtime controller, testified to them on May 6.

Just before the court broke for the day, Cohen testified that he and Weisselberg went to Trumps 26th-floor office when Trump was president-elect and received Trumps approval for the reimbursement plan, according to reporters in the courthouse. Cohen said Weisselberg had instructed him to submit a series of invoices over 12 months and to label them legal services rendered.

The prosecutions direct questioning of Cohen is expected to resume Tuesday.

Weisselberg is serving time at Rikers Island after pleading guilty to committing perjury during Trumps civil fraud trial. The former financial officer for Trump had already spent three months at Rikers for tax fraud offenses stemming from the same case.

The post Star witness in Trump trial tells of plot to conceal porn star hush money payments appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch.
Michael Cohen chats with friends near the Loews Regency hotel on Park Ave on April 13, 2018, in New York City. (Yana Paskova/Getty Images)

Michael Cohen chats with friends near the Loews Regency hotel on Park Ave on April 13, 2018, in New York City. (Yana Paskova/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Donald Trumps former fixer took the stand in a Manhattan courtroom Monday and told jurors that Trump was well aware of a scheme to hide the repayment of money intended to silence porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

Michael Cohen, the prosecutions star witness, told the jury that he used a home equity loan to pay $130,000 to Daniels lawyer, trusting a promise from Trump  then a Republican candidate for the presidency  that hed be repaid.

The criminal trial, the first ever for a former president, centers on Trumps reimbursement to Cohen and whether Trump illegally covered up the hush money as routine legal expenses, a felony in New York.

Trump is charged with 34 felony counts for each alleged falsified business record related to his repayment to Cohen  11 invoices, 11 checks and 12 ledger entries.

Cohen has already served time in prison for several federal crimes, including campaign finance violations in relation to the hush money deals with women who alleged sexual affairs with Trump. He was sentenced to three years in August 2019, but did not serve the entire sentence.

Cohens intense loyalty to Trump fizzled after the then-president distanced himself. The former fixer is now an outspoken Trump critic and has published books titled Disloyal and Revenge, and produces a podcast called Mea Culpa.

Cohen was called to the stand just days after Daniels, an adult film actress and director, described in lurid detail her alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, the affair at the heart of the payments in question.

GOP senators show up as moral support

Journalists at the courthouse reported that Trump, the presumed 2024 Republican presidential candidate, was sleeping at times during the trial Monday and shaking his head in response to some of Cohens testimony.

New York does not allow recording in the courtroom but provides public transcripts of the proceedings.

U.S. Sens. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, and Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., listen as former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media outside Manhattan Criminal Court on May 13, 2024, during his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Trump was accompanied by Republican U.S. Sens. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and J.D. Vance of Ohio, considered to be on the short list as Trumps running mate. Republican U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, of New York, also joined the senators and spoke to media outside the Lower Manhattan courthouse.

Floridas GOP Sen. Rick Scott made an appearance in the courtroom last week.

Prior to Mondays proceedings, Trump delivered remarks to the press with Tuberville and Vance, among others, behind him.

Trump defended his payments to Cohen and blamed the charges on the Biden administration, despite the indictment coming down from the state of New York.

A legal expense is a legal expense. Its marked down in the book quote legal expense, Trump told reporters, making air quotes with his hands.

This all comes from Biden in the White House by the way, he added.

Worries about Access Hollywood tape

Cohen testified that he wanted to protect Trump from further alienating women voters just weeks before the November election, according to reporters at the courthouse.

A story about Trumps alleged extramarital affair with Daniels reaching the public shortly after the revelation of the Access Hollywood tape would have been catastrophic, Cohen said.

The tape, published by the Washington Post just a month before the 2016 presidential election, showed Trump bragging to Access Hollywood host Billy Bush that fame allowed him to grab womens genitals.

The tape caused upheaval in the Trump camp as Election Day approached, former Trump spokesperson Hope Hicks testified on May 3.

Prosecutors showed phone records, texts and emails of Cohens frantic attempts to quash stories of Trumps alleged trysts with Daniels, and with former Playboy model Karen McDougal, according to journalists witnessing the testimony.

Cohen testified for several hours about communications with David Pecker, former National Enquirer publisher; Keith Davidson, the attorney for both Daniels and McDougal; and Hicks  all of whom took the stand during the trials preceding weeks.

Phone records revealed a five-minute call between Cohen and Trump on Oct. 28, 2016, at 11:48 a.m., during which Cohen told the jury that he assured Trump that this matter is now completely under control and locked down, according to reporters at the courthouse. The phone call occurred on the same date Cohen signed the agreement with Daniels and Davidson.

The jury also saw records of a wire transfer from Cohens shell company Essential Consultants to Davidson, the purpose of which was to to pay Stormy Daniels to execute the non-disclosure agreement and to obtain the story, her life rights, Cohen said, according to reporters at the courthouse.

Legal services rendered

By late afternoon, Cohen began to testify about Trumps direct knowledge of the plan for reimbursement. The plan was hatched with the Trump Organizations longtime chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg, who is currently in prison for crimes related to Trumps civil fraud trial, which wrapped up in New York in February.

Jurors saw handwritten notes from Weisselberg detailing plans to get the money back to Cohen. This was the second time the jury has seen the notes, as Jeffrey McConney, the Trump Organizations longtime controller, testified to them on May 6.

Just before the court broke for the day, Cohen testified that he and Weisselberg went to Trumps 26th-floor office when Trump was president-elect and received Trumps approval for the reimbursement plan, according to reporters in the courthouse. Cohen said Weisselberg had instructed him to submit a series of invoices over 12 months and to label them legal services rendered.

The prosecutions direct questioning of Cohen is expected to resume Tuesday.

Weisselberg is serving time at Rikers Island after pleading guilty to committing perjury during Trumps civil fraud trial. The former financial officer for Trump had already spent three months at Rikers for tax fraud offenses stemming from the same case.

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The post Star witness in Trump trial tells of plot to conceal porn star hush money payments appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 13: Senators J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) listen as former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media at his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 13, 2024 in New York City. Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records last year, which prosecutors say was an effort to hide a potential sex scandal, both before and after the 2016 presidential election. Trump is the first former U.S. president to face trial on criminal charges. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Donald Trumps former fixer took the stand in a Manhattan courtroom Monday and told jurors that Trump was well aware of a scheme to hide the repayment of money intended to silence porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

Michael Cohen, the prosecutions star witness, told the jury that he used a home equity loan to pay $130,000 to Daniels lawyer, trusting a promise from Trump  then a Republican candidate for the presidency  that hed be repaid.

The criminal trial, the first ever for a former president, centers on Trumps reimbursement to Cohen and whether Trump illegally covered up the hush money as routine legal expenses, a felony in New York.

Trump is charged with 34 felony counts for each alleged falsified business record related to his repayment to Cohen  11 invoices, 11 checks and 12 ledger entries.

Cohen has already served time in prison for several federal crimes, including campaign finance violations in relation to the hush money deals with women who alleged sexual affairs with Trump. He was sentenced to three years in August 2019, but did not serve the entire sentence.

Cohens intense loyalty to Trump fizzled after the then-president distanced himself. The former fixer is now an outspoken Trump critic and has published books titled Disloyal and Revenge, and produces a podcast called Mea Culpa.

Cohen was called to the stand just days after Daniels, an adult film actress and director, described in lurid detail her alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, the affair at the heart of the payments in question.

GOP senators show up as moral support

Journalists at the courthouse reported that Trump, the presumed 2024 Republican presidential candidate, was sleeping at times during the trial Monday and shaking his head in response to some of Cohens testimony.

New York does not allow recording in the courtroom but provides public transcripts of the proceedings.

Trump was accompanied by Republican U.S. Sens. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and J.D. Vance of Ohio, considered to be on the short list as Trumps running mate. Republican U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, of New York, also joined the senators and spoke to media outside the Lower Manhattan courthouse.

Floridas GOP Sen. Rick Scott made an appearance in the courtroom last week.

Prior to Mondays proceedings, Trump delivered remarks to the press with Tuberville and Vance, among others, behind him.

Trump defended his payments to Cohen and blamed the charges on the Biden administration, despite the indictment coming down from the state of New York.

A legal expense is a legal expense. Its marked down in the book quote legal expense, Trump told reporters, making air quotes with his hands.

This all comes from Biden in the White House by the way, he added.

Worries about Access Hollywood tape

Cohen testified that he wanted to protect Trump from further alienating women voters just weeks before the November election, according to reporters at the courthouse.

A story about Trumps alleged extramarital affair with Daniels reaching the public shortly after the revelation of the Access Hollywood tape would have been catastrophic, Cohen said.

The tape, published by the Washington Post just a month before the 2016 presidential election, showed Trump bragging to Access Hollywood host Billy Bush that fame allowed him to grab womens genitals.

The tape caused upheaval in the Trump camp as Election Day approached, former Trump spokesperson Hope Hicks testified on May 3.

Prosecutors showed phone records, texts and emails of Cohens frantic attempts to quash stories of Trumps alleged trysts with Daniels, and with former Playboy model Karen McDougal, according to journalists witnessing the testimony.

Cohen testified for several hours about communications with David Pecker, former National Enquirer publisher; Keith Davidson, the attorney for both Daniels and McDougal; and Hicks  all of whom took the stand during the trials preceding weeks.

Phone records revealed a five-minute call between Cohen and Trump on Oct. 28, 2016, at 11:48 a.m., during which Cohen told the jury that he assured Trump that this matter is now completely under control and locked down, according to reporters at the courthouse. The phone call occurred on the same date Cohen signed the agreement with Daniels and Davidson.

The jury also saw records of a wire transfer from Cohens shell company Essential Consultants to Davidson, the purpose of which was to to pay Stormy Daniels to execute the non-disclosure agreement and to obtain the story, her life rights, Cohen said, according to reporters at the courthouse.

Legal services rendered

By late afternoon, Cohen began to testify about Trumps direct knowledge of the plan for reimbursement. The plan was hatched with the Trump Organizations longtime chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg, who is currently in prison for crimes related to Trumps civil fraud trial, which wrapped up in New York in February.

Jurors saw handwritten notes from Weisselberg detailing plans to get the money back to Cohen. This was the second time the jury has seen the notes, as Jeffrey McConney, the Trump Organizations longtime controller, testified to them on May 6.

Just before the court broke for the day, Cohen testified that he and Weisselberg went to Trumps 26th-floor office when Trump was president-elect and received Trumps approval for the reimbursement plan, according to reporters in the courthouse. Cohen said Weisselberg had instructed him to submit a series of invoices over 12 months and to label them legal services rendered.

The prosecutions direct questioning of Cohen is expected to resume Tuesday.

Weisselberg is serving time at Rikers Island after pleading guilty to committing perjury during Trumps civil fraud trial. The former financial officer for Trump had already spent three months at Rikers for tax fraud offenses stemming from the same case.

The post Star witness in Trump trial tells of plot to conceal porn star hush money payments appeared first on New Jersey Monitor.
The Carrington Event of 1859, or the Solar Superstorm, was a powerful magnetic storm that scared the entire planet and made us think about the true power of the Sun. It was one of the greatest astronomical mysteries, and recently a solution was found.

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In March 2024, a group of scientists conducted a study that sheds new light on this unprecedented cataclysm. Unexpectedly, it turned out that the solution lies in the rings of old trees, Study Finds writes.

What is known about the solar superstorm?

On September 1, 1859, amateur astronomer Carrington was observing spots on the surface of the Sun when he suddenly witnessed an intense burst of white light  a solar flare. This was only the beginning of a cascade of events that led to a massive cloud of charged particles hurtling toward Earth and causing what we now know as a geomagnetic storm.

The impact of this solar strike was felt all over the world. Auroras were seen as far south as Cuba and Hawaii. Telegraph systems went down, operators reported being electrocuted and saw sparks flying from their equipment. Some even claimed to be able to send messages without connecting batteries  they were powered solely by the current from the storm.

ADVERTISIMENT

In the 164 years since the Carrington event, scientists have been trying to piece together the puzzle of what exactly happened and how it can help us prepare for future solar storms.

The study by Dr. Junas Uusitalo and his colleagues, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, adds to the intrigue.

The scientist found the answer in studies of radiocarbon and wildlife, namely, how trees record the sun's activity in their annual growth rings.

When high-energy particles from solar flares or cosmic rays bombard the Earth's atmosphere, they can cause a chain reaction that produces a rare form of carbon called carbon-14 (14C), or radiocarbon. This radioactive isotope is absorbed by trees during photosynthesis, leaving a distinctive trace on the wood that lasts for thousands of years.

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"Radiocarbon is like a cosmic marker that describes phenomena related to the Earth, the solar system, and outer space," says study co-author Markku Oinonen, director of the University of Helsinki's Chronology Laboratory.

By carefully analyzing tree rings from around the time of the Carrington event, Uusitalo's team hoped to find a spike in radiocarbon content that could provide a time stamp for the solar storm. However, what they found was much more surprising.

When comparing samples from trees in northern Finland to those in mid-latitudes, the researchers found a mysterious discrepancy. The high-latitude trees showed a significant increase in radiocarbon content in the years immediately following the Carrington event, while their mid-latitude counterparts showed no such increase.

ADVERTISIMENT

A magnetic explanation

What could have caused this geographic disparity? The answer seems to lie in a complex interaction between the Sun, the Earth's magnetic field, and our planet's atmosphere.

One hypothesis is that the Carrington event triggered a massive influx of radioactive carbon-producing particles into the upper atmosphere above the poles, a region known as the stratosphere. From there, the radiocarbon-rich air slowly moved down to the lower atmosphere, where it could be absorbed by trees.

This process, known as stratospheric-tropospheric exchange (STE), is thought to occur faster at high latitudes, which may explain why the Finnish trees showed an earlier and more pronounced spike in radiocarbon content.

Interestingly, this is not the first time that such a latitude-dependent radiocarbon signal has been detected. Similar patterns were observed in tree rings dating back to two other massive solar storms in 774 and 993 AD. This suggests that the Carrington storm, despite its historical significance, could have been just one of a series of extreme solar events that left their mark on our planet's carbon cycle.

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But the story doesn't end there. When Uusitalo and his colleagues tried to reproduce their findings using state-of-the-art computer models of atmospheric transport of radioactive carbon, they ran into a problem. The models could not accurately reproduce the high-latitude excess of radiocarbon observed earlier.

This indicates that we may be missing something about the movement of carbon in the atmosphere, especially in the polar regions.

This discrepancy underscores the importance of studying past solar storms not only for their own sake but also for what they can teach us about the complex dance between the Sun and Earth's climate system. By unraveling the mysteries of the Carrington event and others like it, we can gain valuable insights into atmospheric circulation patterns, ozone chemistry, and the behavior of the Earth's magnetic field  all important pieces of the global climate puzzle.

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Moreover, in an era when our technological infrastructure is becoming increasingly vulnerable to the vagaries of space weather, understanding the frequency and severity of past solar storms can help us better prepare for the future.

Just as the Carrington event wreaked havoc on telegraph networks in the nineteenth century, a similar event today could disrupt power grids, satellite communications, and GPS systems around the world. That's exactly what happened on May 10, when a powerful geomagnetic storm caused a radio blackout across much of the Eastern Hemisphere.

"This observation potentially opens up new avenues for studying past solar events and atmospheric dynamics. This knowledge can be valuable in assessing the potential societal risks posed by such phenomena. In addition, they can provide important insights into the multifaceted atmospheric dynamics and STE processes free from modern-era contamination by anthropogenic radionuclides and fossil carbon signals," the authors write.

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Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
U.S. Sens. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, and Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., listen as former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media outside Manhattan Criminal Court on May 13, 2024, during his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Donald Trumps former fixer took the stand in a Manhattan courtroom Monday and told jurors that Trump was well aware of a scheme to hide the repayment of money intended to silence porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

Michael Cohen, the prosecutions star witness, told the jury that he used a home equity loan to pay $130,000 to Daniels lawyer, trusting a promise from Trump  then a Republican candidate for the presidency  that hed be repaid.

The criminal trial, the first ever for a former president, centers on Trumps reimbursement to Cohen and whether Trump illegally covered up the hush money as routine legal expenses, a felony in New York.

Trump is charged with 34 felony counts for each alleged falsified business record related to his repayment to Cohen  11 invoices, 11 checks and 12 ledger entries.

Cohen has already served time in prison for several federal crimes, including campaign finance violations in relation to the hush money deals with women who alleged sexual affairs with Trump. He was sentenced to three years in August 2019, but did not serve the entire sentence.

Cohens intense loyalty to Trump fizzled after the then-president distanced himself. The former fixer is now an outspoken Trump critic and has published books titled Disloyal and Revenge, and produces a podcast called Mea Culpa.

Cohen was called to the stand just days after Daniels, an adult film actress and director, described in lurid detail her alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, the affair at the heart of the payments in question.

GOP senators show up as moral support

Journalists at the courthouse reported that Trump, the presumed 2024 Republican presidential candidate, was sleeping at times during the trial Monday and shaking his head in response to some of Cohens testimony.

New York does not allow recording in the courtroom but provides public transcripts of the proceedings.

Trump was accompanied by Republican U.S. Sens. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and J.D. Vance of Ohio, considered to be on the short list as Trumps running mate. Republican U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, of New York, also joined the senators and spoke to media outside the Lower Manhattan courthouse.

Floridas GOP Sen. Rick Scott made an appearance in the courtroom last week.

Prior to Mondays proceedings, Trump delivered remarks to the press with Tuberville and Vance, among others, behind him.

Trump defended his payments to Cohen and blamed the charges on the Biden administration, despite the indictment coming down from the state of New York.

A legal expense is a legal expense. Its marked down in the book quote legal expense, Trump told reporters, making air quotes with his hands.

This all comes from Biden in the White House by the way, he added.

Worries about Access Hollywood tape

Cohen testified that he wanted to protect Trump from further alienating women voters just weeks before the November election, according to reporters at the courthouse.

A story about Trumps alleged extramarital affair with Daniels reaching the public shortly after the revelation of the Access Hollywood tape would have been catastrophic, Cohen said.

The tape, published by the Washington Post just a month before the 2016 presidential election, showed Trump bragging to Access Hollywood host Billy Bush that fame allowed him to grab womens genitals.

The tape caused upheaval in the Trump camp as Election Day approached, former Trump spokesperson Hope Hicks testified on May 3.

Prosecutors showed phone records, texts and emails of Cohens frantic attempts to quash stories of Trumps alleged trysts with Daniels, and with former Playboy model Karen McDougal, according to journalists witnessing the testimony.

Cohen testified for several hours about communications with David Pecker, former National Enquirer publisher; Keith Davidson, the attorney for both Daniels and McDougal; and Hicks  all of whom took the stand during the trials preceding weeks.

Phone records revealed a five-minute call between Cohen and Trump on Oct. 28, 2016, at 11:48 a.m., during which Cohen told the jury that he assured Trump that this matter is now completely under control and locked down, according to reporters at the courthouse. The phone call occurred on the same date Cohen signed the agreement with Daniels and Davidson.

The jury also saw records of a wire transfer from Cohens shell company Essential Consultants to Davidson, the purpose of which was to to pay Stormy Daniels to execute the non-disclosure agreement and to obtain the story, her life rights, Cohen said, according to reporters at the courthouse.

Legal services rendered

By late afternoon, Cohen began to testify about Trumps direct knowledge of the plan for reimbursement. The plan was hatched with the Trump Organizations longtime chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg, who is currently in prison for crimes related to Trumps civil fraud trial, which wrapped up in New York in February.

Jurors saw handwritten notes from Weisselberg detailing plans to get the money back to Cohen. This was the second time the jury has seen the notes, as Jeffrey McConney, the Trump Organizations longtime controller, testified to them on May 6.

Just before the court broke for the day, Cohen testified that he and Weisselberg went to Trumps 26th-floor office when Trump was president-elect and received Trumps approval for the reimbursement plan, according to reporters in the courthouse. Cohen said Weisselberg had instructed him to submit a series of invoices over 12 months and to label them legal services rendered.

The prosecutions direct questioning of Cohen is expected to resume Tuesday.

Weisselberg is serving time at Rikers Island after pleading guilty to committing perjury during Trumps civil fraud trial. The former financial officer for Trump had already spent three months at Rikers for tax fraud offenses stemming from the same case.

The post Star witness in Trump trial tells of plot to conceal porn star hush money payments appeared first on Missouri Independent.
The State College Area community is grieving after the death of an eighth grade student at Park Forest Middle School.

The district sent a letter to families on Sunday informing them of eighth-grader Abby Smiths death. She was a former student of Gray Woods Elementary and had two siblings in the district, one at State High and one at Gray Woods.

Abby was a kind, bright young woman who brightened the lives of those around her through her warm smile, caring spirit, and involvement in activities like the symphonic band and school band as well as Girl Scouts, Park Forest Middle School principal Karen Wiser wrote.

In an additional letter sent out on Monday, district officials wrote that Abby died by suicide and outlined how schools have begun coping with the loss.

Starting Monday, the district brought in additional school counselors and mental health professionals to help answer student questions. Students at PFMS, grades 3-5 at Gray Woods Elementary and other classrooms in the district were led through guided discussions, according to a letter sent out to families on Monday.

Though we are just in the beginning stages of this grieving process, from what we witnessed today, were confident we will continue to be there for each other, the letter read.

A meal train and donation page has been set up for the Smith family and has raised $33,595 as of Tuesday afternoon.

The district urged families and students to contact the Center for Community Resources crisis line or use the Safe2Say reporting system when in need.

SUICIDE PREVENTION RESOURCES

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 or chat at 988Lifeline.org

Center for Community Resources: Visit 2100 E. College Ave., 24/7
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX)  The Colorado Department of Personnel & Administration and the Department of Labor and Employment are hosting a virtual job fair Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Fifteen state agencies will take part in the fair. There are more than 600 open positions across the state; there are 18 in Mesa County.

To register and see a full list of available jobs, visit the event page.

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 WesternSlopeNow.com.
Photo illustration by Getty Images.

Montana State Library Commissioner Carmen Cuthbertson on Friday compared the Montana Library Association to the Ku Klux Klan, claiming the organization sent an anonymous letter as part of boycotting a meeting.

Cuthbertson said an anonymous letter doesnt allow the commission to respond in any way and is a very cowardly way to communicate.

And frankly, puts me in mind of the Ku Klux Klan members who wore masks so they couldnt be identified, Cuthbertson said. Youre engaging in similar behavior when you distribute anonymous letters.

Cuthbertson made the comment at the commissions meeting Friday in response to an MLA boycott of an annual informal get together with the commission and librarians during MLAs annual conference in Butte in April. She said a handful of librarians who did go to the meeting gave the anonymous letter to the commission that said the MLA was boycotting the meeting.

MLA leadership says the organization did not send an anonymous letter to the commission. Cuthbertson did not respond to emailed questions and a request for a copy of the letter.

Several commissioners and Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen agreed with Cuthbertson that the boycott was childish and the commission should reach out to the MLA to establish a path forward. But commissioners did not address Cuthbertsons KKK comparison during the meeting.

MLA Board President Kelly Reisig said the organization did not send an anonymous letter to the commission during the meeting. In a statement, the organization denounced Cuthbertsons comparison of the organization to the hate group, as well as another commissioners comment the boycott was undemocratic.

The State Library Commission administers grants, sets library standards for the state and certifies librarians. Montana Library Association is a statewide advocacy group for policies and resources for libraries and library professionals.

The association and the commission have held opposing views on recent issues before the commission, including the commissions decision in December to remove requirements library directors for large municipalities have masters degrees, as well as the commissions decision to be the first state in the country to withdraw from the American Library Association.

Incoming President of MLA Sarah Widger said in an emailed statement Monday denounced the Cuthbertsons comparison of the organizations boycott to the KKK, saying they are in no way comparable to the atrocities committed by the hate group.

Commissioner Cuthbertsons statement shows a distinct misunderstanding and lack of respect for the thousands of victims of the KKK and their families, Widger said.

During the meeting, Commissioner Tammy Hall commended Cuthbertson for her courage in speaking about the boycott, saying she felt it was very rude.

She said the informal meeting with librarians was her favorite part of her first two years on the commission, estimating there were between 100 and 150 librarians in attendance. She said this year there were just six.

I was looking forward to this one, expecting some strong opinions, but still really looking forward to the opportunity to talk with the librarians, Hall said.

Hall said it felt like she was in high school, with people looking inside the mostly empty room and giggling. She said she hopes next year MLA leadership does not direct their folks to be so undemocratic in their opportunity to have a good discussion with people.

In her statement, Widger pushed back on Halls comment the boycott was undemocratic, saying that is categorically incorrect.

Boycotts are a form of nonviolent protest, and this boycott was MLA membership collectively saying, We do not think you are listening to us, so we will not attend this session, she said. I am personally proud to see such remarkable unity and passion for our work among our membership.

Cuthbertson and Hall were both appointed to the commission by Gov. Greg Gianforte.

Cuthbertson is the co-chair of the Flathead County Library Board, formerly ImagineIF Libraries. Her appointment to the local board led to another trustee resigning as she had been a vocal in public comment and filed a book challenge to remove the book Gender Queer from the library, as reported by the Flathead Beacon.

Arntzen said she wanted to see a letter drafted from the commission to the MLA to both have a record of what happened and looking towards more open communication.

Commissioner Brian Rossmann said the MLA had previously been scheduled to speak with the commission during a meeting but they ran out of time, he suggested the commission put that meeting on their next agenda.

Perhaps that could be the first step towards mending this relationship, Rossman said.

Widger said she looks forward to reading the commissions letter and attending their next meeting.

The Commission stated that they will be looking to the future, and would like to mend the relationship with MLA, and in that, our interests are aligned, she said.

The commission is scheduled to meet again on June 12.

The post State Library Commissioner compares Library Association to Ku Klux Klan appeared first on Daily Montanan.
State Rep. Sam McKenzie will speak on the recent Tennessee General Assembly legislative session at the Monday, May 20, meeting of the Anderson County Democratic Womens Club.

The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. Monday, with a potluck dinner and birthday cake at the Clinton Community Center, 101 S. Hicks St., Clinton.

Tennessee state Rep. Sam McKenzie

Edee Webb, the new president of the Tennessee Federation of Democratic Women, will attend to congratulate the club on its 75th anniversary, a news release said.

McKenzie represents District 15 in Knoxville and chairs the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators. A state representative since 2020, he serves on the Finance Ways and Means Committee, the Education Administration Committee, the Local Government Committee and the House Ethics Committee. He served on the Knox County Commission 2008-16.

Now a small business owner in Knoxville, he is retired after 34 years with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where he was the Environment, Safety, Health and Quality Group Leader. He received his bachelors degree in physics from Fisk University and his masters degree in physics from the University of Memphis. He is a graduate of Austin-East High School in Knoxville.

McKenzie serves on the board of directors of Tennova Healthcare, ORNL Federal Credit Union and the Fisk University Board of Trustees.

Those attending are invited to bring a dish to share. For more information, email the Democratic Womens Club at ac-democratic-women@outlook.com.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Rep. Sam McKenzie to recap legislative session for Democratic Women
Relying on public transit systems to get from point A to point B in Massachusetts can run the gamut from, "Ill just hop on the T, to never can I ever get there from here, depending on a travelers location within the state.

A WRTA bus passes Worcester City Hall.

A new report on regional transit funding by the Center for State Policy Analysis at Tufts, paid for by The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts, found the states public transportation system, particularly the regional transit authorities, to be fragmented and underfunded. They do not meet the needs of residents, especially those in more rural communities, the report states.

The report referred to the 15 regional transit authorities that cover routes outside of the greater Boston metropolitan area serviced by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority as a patchwork system," including the Worcester Regional Transit Authority.

The report calls for a more sustainable system and for greater equity in allocation of services as well as funding.

The transit authorities outside of metro Boston, according to the report, lack a dedicated and sustained source of state revenue and rely more heavily on subsidies from the municipalities they service. Communities lacking an extensive property tax base, due to lack of business and industry and more remote housing, pay a larger share for the transportation services.

Municipalities subsidize an average of 32% of regional transit authorities' operating costs, as opposed to 12% of the MBTAs operating costs.

The report found that state funding is stagnant, based mostly on past allocations without consideration for increasing allotments for capital expenses including repairs, expansion of services, seeking to attract new riders to increase ridership or for electrification of its fleets.

The report also notes that the MBTA serving the greater Boston metropolitan area gets the lions share of state money. It also has a dedicated funding source; a portion of the states sales tax is directed to support the extensive underground and bus system.

The report also found holes in the state where communities are outside all regional transit authority service areas; those blank spots occur in both the states western rural reaches as well as sections close to the Connecticut border and even densely populated South Shore municipalities. The report also found that there is no linkage, no connections, between transit authorities serving adjacent communities.

We must do more to eliminate transportation deserts, and to ensure that urban and rural residents alike have access to public transit, not only within each region but across a more connected system across the state, said Dr. Amie Shei, president and CEO of The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts. Transportation is a public good and we must invest in it today so we can achieve the commonwealths climate, economic development health and housing goals tomorrow.

In announcing the Senate fiscal 2025 budget last week, state Sen. Michael Rodrigues, D-Westport, said the proposed investment in regional authorities from the Fair Share Amendment, the Millionaires Tax passed by voters in 2022, reaches $120 million for operating assistance. The tax adds a 4% surcharge to all household income reported over $1 million.

The Fair Share funding is in addition to line items included in the body of the budget and brings the total investment in regional transit authorities to $214 million.

The $214 million reflects a significant increase from Fair Share funds over our last budget, Rodrigues said. The funds include $40 million to support fare-free initiatives throughout the systems as well as $10 million to enhance connectivity between services.

The plan is to increase interconnectivity between RTAs; now you cant get from Fall River to Brockton on the RTA, Rodrigues said.

The report noted that there is little coordination between the different regional transit authorities; little integration with each other. Its not a unified system, does not span the entire state and does not run consistently and without service interruptions depending on the day of the week and anticipated ridership.

Sen. Michael O. Moore, D-Millbury, is one of the senators supporting the increased funding included in the bodys proposed budget.

With a record funding level of $214 million for FY25, if passed, this budget will represent an enormous investment in our regional transit authorities that allow us to offer expanded service, increased frequency and fare-free transit service, Moore said. By investing in our RTAs were choosing to bring more transportation options to individuals outside the MBTA system  something everyone should want.

Ensuring transportation options for residents will enable greater economic development, an investment in bringing housing and jobs to areas outside of Boston, according to the report.

Regional transit authorities welcomed a program launched in fiscal 2024 that distributed $15 million for expansion and enhancement of existing services, to support connectivity between regional transit authorities and even support electrification projects. However, the report said there is no indication of continued funding.

The report concludes the state must provide a sustainable and constant funding source to regional transit authorities and foment cooperation between agencies.

The study was commissioned by the Quaboag Connector, a micro-transit initiative serving the residents of 10 rural communities west of Worcester and funded through a Synergy Initiative grant from the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts. The Quaboag Connector is led by the Quaboag Valley Community Development Corporation and the Town of Ware. It has provided some 66,000 rides in the past years, serving as a lifeline for local residents, according to the report.

Where residents live in Massachusetts should not determine their mobility or access to opportunity, said Melissa Fales, executive director of the Quaboag Valley Community Development Corporation. This report underscores the critical need to incentivize connectivity across RTA service areas, particularly in rural areas and to identify dedicated funding streams to support independent micro-transit efforts that are working to fill the gaps in transit across the commonwealth.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Report identifies deficits in regional mass transit spending
Statewide search for missing Tampa mother, Sylvia Pagan, enters third day

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  Tampa police officers said they are very concerned about the well-being of Sylvia Pagan. They are entering the third day of trying to find her.

Investigators across the state are working together to search for Pagan who was reported missing on Sunday evening.

Were working closely with the FBI and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to use any sort of investigative means that we can to locate Sylvia with our ultimate goal to bring Sylvia home safely, said Major Patrick Messmer, Commander of Tampa Police Departments Criminal Investigations Division.

Police believe Pagan was with her partner Jovanni Caceres Steffani before she vanished on Mothers Day.

So were asking anybody who might have seen Sylvia or Jovanni Saturday night into Sunday morning to please call the Tampa Police Department, Messmer said.

Police believe the couple likely left Pagans home on Altman Street, near the University of South Florida in Tampa, in a white Ford F-150 on Sunday around 10 a.m.

Eight hours later, police got the call that Pagan and her 9-year-old daughter Briana were missing.

The search was on, and police quickly started to pinpoint Caceres as an abductor.

That investigation also led us to believe that both individuals were in danger.

FDLE issued an Amber Alert for Briana Pagan around 1 a.m. Monday morning.

About an hour later, the Suwannee County Sheriffs Office rescued Pagans daughter from a hotel in the county.

Briana was recovered unharmed and at that point, the Suwannee County Sheriffs deputies began negotiations with Jovanni in order to try and take him into custody, said the TPD investigator.

Caceres reportedly took his own life at the hotel after releasing Briana Pagan to deputies.

Now the only person still missing in this case is 53, black hair, and brown-eyed Sylvia Pagan.

Police said the daughter didnt know what happened to her 34-year-old mother.

Police believe she was wearing a dress the last time someone saw her.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange appeals in British court against his extradition from Britain to the United States

By Michael Holden

LONDON (Reuters) - In a week's time, WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange could be on a flight to the United States at the end of his years-long legal battle to avoid extradition. Whatever happens, his wife Stella vows the fight for his freedom will go on.

At a hearing at London's High Court on Monday which Assange plans to attend, judges are expected to give a ruling on whether to accept U.S. assurances which would pave the way for him to be sent across the Atlantic to face 18 charges, nearly all under the Espionage Act.

"It's impossible to really prepare for this moment. What I do feel is that anything could happen, that Julian could be very close to being freed, or he could be very close to being put on a plane and never seeing freedom ever again," Stella Assange told Reuters in an interview.

The High Court's decision could bring down the curtain on the Australian-born Assange's legal battles in Britain that have been going on for more than 13 years since WikiLeaks burst onto the world stage with details from what was the biggest security breach of its kind in U.S. military history.

If the judges agree to the extradition, only an intervention from Europe could block it.

"Unless the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) puts a stop to it, and they're able to act in time, and we're able to file in time - all these 'ifs' - then Julian could be on a military jet to the United States, a week from now," said Stella, who added she had "a lot of faith" in the ECHR.

As the clock ticks down to Monday's hearing, she said her husband was very stressed and had trouble sleeping, while it was a very difficult time for her and their family.

"My heart is preparing for the win. But I have to keep my head focused on the fact that he's very close to being extradited," she said.

She said she had not told the couple's two children, now aged 7 and 5, about the extradition, saying she would not want to "inflict the uncertainty and the prospect of them losing their father forever".

"All they know is that he shouldn't be in prison and that we're fighting to get him out," said Stella, a lawyer who met her husband when she joined his legal team more than a decade ago.

BLEAK MAXIMUM SECURITY JAIL

Assange has spent the last five years in Belmarsh maximum security jail, a bleak modern prison in a remote area of southeast London, where the couple married in a 2022 ceremony attended by just four guests - two of whom were guards.

For the seven years before that, he was holed up in cramped conditions in the Ecuadorean Embassy in central London where he fled to avoid extradition to Sweden over sex offence allegations which were later dropped.

He had always argued that if extradited to Sweden he would then be sent to the United States over WikiLeaks' release of hundreds of thousands of secret documents and diplomatic cables.

After being dragged out of the embassy in 2019 and jailed for skipping bail, the U.S. did begin extradition proceedings.

The U.S. authorities say his actions were reckless, damaged, national security, and endangered the lives of agents.

His many supporters say the prosecution is a travesty, an assault on journalism and free speech, and revenge for causing embarrassment to Western governments.

Stella would not be drawn on U.S. reports that a plea bargain deal was possible, simply saying the U.S. should drop the prosecution. Should he lose on Monday, her fight, as it has for the last decade, will continue.

"I'll do whatever I can, and our family is going to fight for him until he's free."

(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Alex Richardson)
Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith said he thinks that if former First Lady Michelle Obama ran for president in the 2024 election, she would hands down beat former President Trump.

Smith appeared on former NBA player Kevin Garnetts podcast, KG Certified, where he was asked how close he thinks the United States is to having a female leader.

He told Garnett that he believes if former Secretary of State Hillary Clintons presidential campaign wasnt tarnished by the email controversy, America wouldve had a female president in 2016, adding that he thinks she was that close.

FILE  Former first lady Michelle Obamad smiles as she speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony for the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on Sept. 28, 2021. Obama will narrate a new digital audio edition of Maurice Sendaks childrens book Where the Wild Things Are. HarperCollins Publishers announced Tuesday that the audio download will go on sale Oct. 31, the 60th anniversary of the books original release. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File) / Stephen A. Smith attends ESPN: The Party 2017 held on Friday, Feb. 3, 2017, in Houston, Texas. (Photo by John Salangsang/Invision/AP)

And I think that Michelle Obama would win right now if she were to run. I think that Michelle Obama would hands down be the next president of the United States if she were to run against Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee, Smith said, highlighted by Mediaite. Now, that obviously is not gonna happen. She doesnt seem to have an interest.

Obama has expressed support for President Bidens reelection campaign and has squashed rumors about her making a surprise presidential bid.

As former First Lady Michelle Obama has expressed several times over the years, she will not be running for president, Crystal Carson, the director of communication for her office said in a statement in March.

The statement follows numerous Republicans floating the evidence-free idea that Obama could replace Biden on the ballot this fall.

In a February poll, she was chosen by Democrats as the top choice to replace Biden on the 2024 ticket. Even though she has the backing from voters, shes said theres zero chance that she would run.

Smiths statements follow the rumor that he may one day run for the Oval Office, but he said he doesnt think the American people would ever vote for him.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Amy Herbert is remembering her jury service two years ago in the West Country. It was a gruesome, week-long rape trial and involved watching hours of graphic video evidence, before reaching a guilty verdict.

After the sentence, we were ushered out of the courtroom, and that was that. It was extremely fast. I wasnt ready for it to be over like that, suddenly to be back in work as if nothing had happened. I found myself feeling very sad, unable to do anything or connect, but I couldnt understand what was happening to me.

Herbert, who was at the time in her mid-20s and a university administrator, had been excited at the prospect of doing my civic duty on a jury. But now I was crying a lot. Most days I thought about ringing the Samaritans.

As part of a campaign led by Manchester Metropolitan University, a group of Canadian academics, working from research gathered from this country, New Zealand and the United States, have found that half of all jurors, especially those involved in murder, cruelty and sexual assault trials, go on to experience nightmares, intrusive memories or sleep disturbance in the weeks and sometimes months after they have been discharged from duty.

To tackle this hitherto unrecognised trauma, the UK Government has recently announced, as part of Jury Duty Appreciation Week, that it is funding a pilot programme to run in 15 crown courts. Starting this summer, it will offer up to six sessions of counselling for those who find themselves experiencing distress after jury duty, plus a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week helpline to talk about their trauma.

Though no details of the available budget have yet been released, Herbert applauds the plans. Its a start. At the moment there is nothing, not even a debrief before you are discharged to check you are all right. All you get is a piece of paper telling you to contact your GP or call the Samaritans.

The only person in court who seemed to realise the horror for Herbert and the other 11 jurors watching visceral videos of the alleged offence taking place on a big screen was the defendant himself. He interacted with us by staring at us, right into our eyes, which made taking a rational, level-headed decision in an already complex case harder. Was he just manipulating us?

'I was crying a lot. Most days I thought about ringing the Samaritans,' says Amy - Jay Williams

Nothing was said by the judge. Because they are presiding in court every day, they are trained to do this, to control their emotions, keep them in check,. But jurors arent. We are just a group of random people who are called up and dropped into the role with no preparation.

The need for specialist wellbeing support for jurors was among the three aims set out in Jury Duty Appreciation Week, organised by Drs Matt Brooks and Hannah Fawcett, both senior lecturers in psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University, with support from both the Ministry of Justice and His Majestys Courts and Tribunals Service. It had been two years in preparation.

We first got involved when we were asked to work with forensic scientists at Cranfield University, who were looking at the impact on jurors of different ways of presenting evidence, explains Brooks.

We presented an autopsy photograph of a murder victim, a 3D computer model of the victims skull, and a 3D printed model, to see which was least distressing. Those who took part in the academics experiment, he reports, found the photograph and the 3D printed model quite upsetting, and preferred the 3D computer model, because they felt it was not too lifelike but gave them enough information for them to understand what had happened.

Their involvement set Brooks and Fawcett off on their research project, looking at other ways in which the challenges of being a juror could be better managed. One thing we found in our own study with a sample group of 180 people was that jury service exacerbates pre-existing stress, not just in the short term when looking and hearing the evidence, but also when we followed them up a week after the trial.

Running it as a mock jury study using the evidence from a real case (they were not allowed to do it in real time in a courtroom), they found that 11 per cent of their jurors had PTSD-like symptoms at the start, but it grew to 45 per cent by the end as a result of what was presented to them. Had it been in an actual courtroom with a real defendant in the dock looking at them, it could well have been higher, Brooks adds.

Herbert would like to see a screening questionnaire given to jurors before they are assigned to particular trials. We were sitting in jury benches in front of everybody, having little idea of what we were going to hear, or how long it would last, before the judge got round to asking if any juror wanted to excuse themselves because the case would touch on their own lived experience. It would have been very difficult at that point to stand up and walk out.

Such clumsy timing is part of a culture that takes jurors for granted, argues Brooks. They are a hidden group in society. We dont talk about having done jury service and, when you are in court, you are instructed not to talk about the case to families and friends. So, a lot of the normal coping strategies people have of sharing with those around them are denied to you.

Herbert remembers, too, how she was told that she shouldnt even discuss what she had seen and heard that day in court with other jury members, unless all 12 were present. It would be quite hard to orchestrate that until we were sent out to reach a verdict.

Under such restrictions, a sense of civic duty can wear thin under courtroom pressures, especially when jury service is not something we opt in to. It is obligatory once we are over 18 and on the electoral roll.

The list of those exempt has been severely cut back in recent times to the seriously ill or disabled, full-time carers, new parents, those in the Armed Forces, many of those who work in the criminal justice system, and those who sit in the Commons and the Lords.

For the rest of us, we can be summoned to do a 10-day stint more than once in a calendar year (though that is reportedly vanishingly rare). Those who are employed must be given time off, but their companies do not have to pay them. If they refuse, a daily allowance of 65 plus 6 for lunch and any travel costs is available, as it is to the self-employed and those on benefits. Universal credit isnt impacted for up to eight weeks.

The reality, however, according to the most recent figures from the Ministry of Justice, is that there is about a 35 per cent chance of people in England and Wales ever being summoned for jury service over the course of their lifetime (and only about half of those end up spending any time in court). However in Scotland, which has a distinct legal system, that number rises to 95 per cent.

And then there is what Herbert calls a culture of evasion that surrounds jury service  people trying to avoid doing it. That is something Jury Duty Appreciation Week tried to challenge by presenting it as an essential part of doing your bit as a good citizen  and by improving the way jurors are looked after when they do turn up.

In Scotland, says Brooks, they do offer counselling afterwards as part of a specialist NHS service. The pilot programme coming in England and Wales will go further. In Scotland it is up to the judges discretion whether or not the jurors need support, and often that tends to be restricted to trials around violence, sexual assault or murder, says Brooks.

But people can be distressed regardless of the case, so I am pleased to see this counselling initiative is open to all jurors regardless of the types of cases they are sitting on.

As for Herbert, she ended up finding counselling for herself. The hardest bit was the first days and weeks after the trial ended, but by the time four months had gone by I was thinking more positively about how I could use my experience to help others in the same situation.

She is now studying for a PhD in psychology  already planned before she was called for jury service. It doesnt affect me anymore, she begins but I do still have the occasional nightmare about those images I saw in the video.

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We often look for love somewhere close to us, but what if it's hiding outside of your usual environment? This week's I Ching love hexagram is about that: Earth above Earth (#2) is replaced by Water above Heaven (#5) and encourages us to be patient in love.

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Astrologers say that this will bring the greatest luck to the representatives of the five signs of the Chinese zodiac. They are advised to focus on themselves and make their daily life as happy as possible for themselves first and foremost. And this will attract the person you've been looking for all your life or deepen an existing relationship. Read this horoscope to find out if your sign is on this list.

Rabbit

Success in love this week depends on what you are most committed to. If you're single, you're encouraged to follow your heart and not settle for something that doesn't work for you. Choose yourself and someone who sees you as a person and wants to get to know you better. Conversely, run away from those who make you anxious or play with your feelings.

If you are in a relationship, your success in love will depend on your friendship with those who are still single. These can be acquaintances, good friends, or even a sibling. Be careful when you talk to them about love or related topics. Don't hurt your interlocutor's feelings, and you'll get a clue on how to take your relationship with your partner to the next level.

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Horse

Your success in love this week depends only on the people in your social circle with whom you are not romantically involved. If you are single, stay away from those who try to influence your personal life with negativity or toxicity. If someone is trying to lower your self-esteem, to convince you that you are not good enough, this is a person you should distance yourself from. Communicating with such people will deprive you of good luck in love.

Representatives of the sign who are in a relationship are advised to trust their intuition and communicate their feelings frankly with their partner. Don't let anyone burden you with household chores and responsibilities because of outdated beliefs or gender bias. Gently but surely move towards equality with your partner and you will learn to support each other.

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Tiger

You need to understand whether you really want to have a romantic relationship or not. If you're single, you should work on the emotional wounds that past relationships have caused you. This way, you will clear the way for true love, and you will not allow yourself to sabotage your feelings out of fear of being hurt again.

If you are in a relationship, you will be very lucky in love this week. Now is the time to make fun plans with your partner, whether it's a house party, a weekend trip, a vacation in a paradise, or even a renovation in your love nest. Doing things together will bring you joy and happiness. You will receive unexpected surprises along the way.

Pig

Single representatives of the sign are encouraged to be honest with themselves this week to understand what you want from love and romance. Keep a diary or speak your thoughts out loud, the method is not important. What matters is that you express yourself. It may look like magic, but this approach works.

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For those who are in a relationship, it is recommended that you take time for yourself, even when you spend a lot of time with your significant other, children, and family. The right balance between time spent alone and time spent with loved ones is the key to your personal happiness, which you can share with your loved ones.

Goat

Recognize your true worth and don't let others tell you that you don't deserve what you want - and you will attract love into your life. If someone tries to measure your value, whether they give you a high or low score, take it as a red flag. Ultimately, love is about getting to know the person you are with and loving them for all the unique qualities that make them who they are.

If you are in a relationship, this week fate is preparing you to have the best romantic experience with your significant other. Hug each other and do nice things. But don't forget to give each other space to be alone as well. As long as you allow your emotional side and creativity to guide you, you will connect your hearts to each other and make your relationship even deeper than it is now.

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AUSTIN (KXAN)  A hearing Tuesday at the Texas Capitol focused on recent protests at university campuses, the law enforcement response to those and allegations of Jewish students now feeling unsafe.

Levi Fox, a freshman at the University of Texas at Austin, got invited to testify at the Senate subcommittee on higher education about some examples of antisemitism he witnessed on campus recently. He shared a troubling claim about a professor and explained this happened during a protest last month about the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Senators review Texas universities progress with DEI law

He walked up to me and a group of Jewish students, and he said, Youll be the next ones they throw into the ovens,' Fox said. When I heard that, I was like, OK, thats  wait, did that really just happen? Then when I learned that he was a professor, that was shocking  a history professor, nonetheless. He tried to justify it, and I wasnt  I was also doing another conversation, so I didnt get to hear his full justification. In my opinion, theres really no justification for saying something like that, but to hear that theres a UT Austin professor that holds that belief that teaches young students is terrifying. I hope theres an investigation launched into that.

Fox told KXAN he did not make a formal complaint to anyone at the university about what he said he heard, but he made a promise to two state senators on the subcommittee Tuesday that he would share the professors name with them in private.

I didnt want to share it in such a public forum, Fox said. I dont want to dox him, per se, but I do want to make sure that the correct officials have his information so that they can launch an investigation.

Pauline Strong, an anthropology professor at UT who also serves as president of the local chapter of the American Association of University Professors, heard Foxs claims and expressed skepticism, especially because the alleged remarks he mentioned contained no additional context. She said its the first time she ever heard about this and reiterated the university has a system for people to report these types of incidents.

I am concerned that this professor could be targeted for something that the student said that he said, Strong said. The university has processes in place if a student felt that a professor said something inappropriate, something antisemitic. The student did not say that he had gone through those processes, I believe, so I would ask him to go through the university processes if indeed a professor made an antisemitic remark to him or in his presence.

Texas Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, kicked off Tuesdays hearing, which also included an update on how public colleges and universities are implementing the states DEI ban, by defending how UT leadership and law enforcement handled the protests.

Overall, Texas colleges and universities have handled these protests well and maintain their campuses for the overwhelming majority of students, faculty and staff that simply wanted to finish their semester, take exams, enjoy their graduation and walk across campus safely campuses that are funded by Texas taxpayers, Creighton said. What we witnessed on college campuses was more than a series of peaceful grassroots protests. It was more than a peaceful demonstration. It was an organized effort to rally comrades from across the state to emulate what was happening at Columbia University and to occupy our campuses and make demands of the taxpayer-funded universities. It was an effort to intimidate Jewish students and faculty.

During protests on April 24, law enforcement arrested 57 people on the UT campus, though the Travis County attorney announced her office would dismiss these cases because they did not have sufficient probable cause. However, another 79 arrests happened on April 29, and those cases have been allowed to proceed.

Lt. Col. Freeman Martin with the Texas Department of Public Safety faced questions Tuesday about the agencys response. He explained DPS placed more troopers at UT compared to other universities that experienced protests throughout the state because it had intelligence that things could get more unruly there and necessitated the additional officers.

Sam Law is among those still facing a criminal trespass charge from that second round of arrests. Hes a Jewish graduate student at UT who came to the Capitol Tuesday to speak against the law enforcement response on campus and refute claims the protests are antisemitic.

There are people whove been straight up lying, claiming that protesters have said antisemitic things, Law said. Ive been at these protests. I went to a Shabbat service organized on the South Lawn.

He also pushed back against criticism of protesters at times using the phrase, From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.

Im talking about that this sort of peaceful coexistence [and] pluralism, and I think that these are Jewish values, Law said.

However, Courtney Toretto, a policy director with the central division of the Anti-Defamation League, told senators Tuesday that this particular chant could be interpreted as hateful. She said she wanted to provide some history so that students and protesters could understand why some find its use offensive.

Its a cry for Israel not to exist, Toretto said. Its calling for a Palestinian state that extends from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, effectively erasing the entire Jewish state.

Texas Sen. Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio, attended the meeting Tuesday and mentioned it may be worth making more lessons about the history of Judaism and the Holocaust available in schools when the legislature reconvenes for another regular session next year.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
New study uncovers concerning rate at which major cities in China are sinking: 'It's a national problem'

Many of China's biggest cities are sinking into the ground, putting them at greater risk from rising sea levels, according to startling new research published in the journal Science.

The findings reveal a growing threat not just to China but to coastal cities worldwide as increased pollution drives up ocean levels, reported the New York Times.

What's happening?

A whopping 16% of China's major cities are estimated to be sinking by over 10 millimeters (close to 0.4 inches) per year, while nearly half are subsiding by more than three millimeters (about 0.1 inches) annually, the study found.

"It's a national problem," Robert Nicholls, climate scientist and civil engineer at the University of East Anglia, told the Times.

Some areas within cities are dropping even faster than others, destabilizing buildings and infrastructure.

Subsidence is driven by factors such as the sheer weight of urban development, as well as the rapid pumping of groundwater that leaves empty pockets underground that collapse over time, as the study noted. The bustling cities of Beijing and Tianjin are among the fastest-sinking, per the Times.

Why are sinking cities concerning?

As cities sink, they become vulnerable to flooding and other threats posed by climbing sea levels. The researchers estimated that land subsidence combined with rising seas could leave a quarter of urban areas in Chinese coastal cities below sea level within 100 years, the Times noted.

This would put homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure at risk, threatening the safety and livelihoods of huge populations. Many people could be displaced or suffer poor living conditions and economic hardship as a result. Fragile coastal ecosystems would also face severe disruption.

Subsidence is often overlooked in climate adaptation plans, according to an expert quoted by the Times, meaning cities may be underestimating their exposure to flooding and failing to protect residents adequately.

Sinking land is also a concern in parts of the United States and other countries.

What's being done about sinking cities?

Reducing groundwater extraction is key to managing subsidence, according to the researchers. The Chinese city of Shanghai has already curbed its sinking by better regulating groundwater use. In Japan, improved groundwater policies have helped stabilize subsidence in Tokyo and Osaka over time, the Times reported.

Some places are experimenting with injecting water back underground to reverse the effects of over-pumping. Coastal cities are also investing in flood protection measures like seawalls and elevated buildings to adapt to higher sea levels.

On a personal level, you can advocate for sustainable groundwater practices in your own community. Supporting policies that prepare for rising seas can also help build resilience.

While subsidence can't be stopped completely, the study shows there are ways to slow it down and adapt as our planet and its cities continue to change. By confronting these risks head-on, we can work to keep our communities above water.

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An extreme summer marked by deadly heat waves, explosive wildfires and record warm ocean temperatures will go down as among the hottest in the last 2,000 years, new research has found.

The summer of 2023 saw the temperature in the Northern Hemisphere soar 3.72 degrees above the average from 1850 to 1900, when modern instrumental recordkeeping began, according to a study published Tuesday in the journal Nature. The study focused on surface air temperatures across the extra-tropical region, which sits at 30 to 90 degrees north latitude and includes most of Europe and North America.

June, July and August last year were also 3.96 degrees warmer than the average from the years 1 through 1890, which the researchers calculated by combining observed records with tree ring records from nine global regions.

Jan Esper, the studys lead author and a professor of climate geography at Johannes Gutenberg University in Germany, said that he was not expecting summer last year to be quite so anomalous, but that he was ultimately not surprised by the findings. The high temperatures built on an overall warming trend driven by greenhouse gas emissions and were further amplified by the onset of El Nino in the tropical Pacific.

Its no surprise  this really, really outstanding 2023  but it was also, step-wise, a continuation of a trend that will continue, Esper told reporters Monday. Personally Im not surprised, but I am worried.

He said it was important to place 2023s temperature extreme in a long-term context. The difference between the regions previous warmest summer, in the year 246, and the summer of 2023 is 2.14 degrees, the study found.

The heat is even more extreme when compared with the regions coldest summers  the majority of which were influenced by volcanic eruptions that spewed heat-blocking sulfur into the stratosphere. According to the study, 2023s summer was 7.07 degrees warmer than the coldest reconstructed summer from this period, in the year 536.

Although 2023 is consistent with a greenhouse gases-induced warming trend that is amplified by an unfolding El Nino event, this extreme emphasizes the urgency to implement international agreements for carbon emission reduction, the study says.

The sweltering summer temperatures contributed to scores of heat illnesses and deaths, including at least 645 heat-associated deaths in Maricopa County, Ariz., where Phoenix saw temperatures of 110 degrees or hotter for a record 31 consecutive days.

Wildfires exacerbated by high temperatures raged across Canada and sent hazardous smoke down the East Coast of the United States and across the Atlantic. Meanwhile, ocean temperatures off Florida soared above 101 degrees , the temperature of a hot tub.

Read more: Warmest April on record extends planet's hot streak to 11 months

Multiple climate agencies, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the European Unions Copernicus Climate Change Service, have declared 2023 the hottest year on record globally.

Notably, Copernicus found that the summer months of June, July and August last year measured 1.18 degrees warmer than average  still hot, but not nearly as warm as the studys findings for the Northern Hemispheres extra-tropical region.

That region was especially hot in part because it is home to so much land, which warms faster than oceans, said Karen McKinnon, an assistant professor of statistics and the environment at UCLA who did not work on the study. (June, July and August are also winter months in the Southern Hemisphere.)

McKinnon said the studys findings are not unexpected, as there was already good evidence that the summer of 2023 was record-breaking when compared with measurable data going back to the mid-1800s. But by going back 2,000 years, the researchers also helped illuminate the full range of natural variability that could have occurred in the past, she said.

She noted that tree rings can serve as a helpful proxy for climate conditions in the past, as trees tend to grow more in a given year if they receive the right amount of warmth, water and sunshine. But although last years heat was undeniable, the study also underscores that the summer temperature in this region was notably higher than the global target of 2.7 degrees  or 1.5 degrees Celsius  of warming over the preindustrial period, which was established by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2015.

It also notes that some recent research has found the data used to calculate that baseline may be off by several tenths of a degree, meaning it could need to be recalibrated, with the target landing closer to an even more challenging 1.6 or 1.7 degrees.

I dont think we should use the proxy instead of the instrumental data, but theres a good indication that theres a warm bias, Esper said. Further research is needed.

Read more: The planet is dangerously close to this climate threshold. Here's what 1.5C really means

McKinnon said there is always going to be some degree of uncertainty when comparing present-day temperatures to past temperatures, but that the 1.5-degree limit is as symbolic as it is literal. Many effects of climate change, including worsening heat waves, have already begun.

There are definitely tipping points in the climate system, but we dont understand the climate system well enough to say 1.5 C is the temperature for certain tipping points, she said. This is just a policy goal that gives you a temperature change that maybe would be consistent with averting some damages.

In fact, the studys publication comes days after a survey of 380 leading scientists from the IPCC revealed deep concerns about the worlds ability to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. That report, published last week in the Guardian , found that only 6% of surveyed scientists think the 1.5-degree limit will be met. Nearly 80% said they foresee at least 2.5 degrees Celsius of warming.

The report caused a stir among the scientific community, with some saying it focused too heavily on pessimism and despair. But Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UCLA who participated in the survey, said its findings are worthy of consideration.

There are many kinds of scientists, myself included, who are very worried and concerned and increasingly alarmed by what is going on and what the data is showing, Swain said during a briefing Friday . But if anything, I think that really results in a stronger sense of resolve and urgency to do even more, and to do better.

Indeed, while scientists continue to weigh in on whether  or how quickly  humanity can alter the planets worsening warming trajectory, Esper said he hopes the latest study will serve as motivation for changing outdated modes of energy consumption that contribute to planet-warming greenhouse gases.

I am concerned about global warming  I think its one of the biggest threats out there, he said.

He added that he is particularly worried for his children and for younger generations who will bear the brunt of adverse climate outcomes. There is a strong likelihood that the summer of 2024 will be even hotter, the study says.

The longer we wait, the more extensive it will be, and the more difficult it will be to mitigate or even stop that process and reverse it, Esper said. Its just so obvious: We should do as much as possible, as soon as possible.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A domestic violence survivor sits with her son for dinner in their new, sparsely furnished apartment in New York. Housing is among the biggest challenges for people leaving abusive relationships, and many cities and states are looking to help survivors by allowing them to break their leases early and in other ways. (Bebeto Matthews | The Associated Press)

New Hampshire state Rep. Ellen Read remembers how trapped she felt as an 18-year-old in her native Tennessee, enduring the physical and emotional toll of an abusive relationship.

The abuse Read suffered  which included being held captive in an apartment for days and hit by her abusers car  lasted years after she left the relationship, while her abuser stalked her.

In 2016, Read won election to the New Hampshire House of Representatives. That same year, she recalled to Stateline, her abuser died by suicide after 16 years of prolonged stalking.

Now, a bill authored by Read will allow victims of domestic and sexual violence  including stalking  to break their rental lease agreements early if they provide a police report or are in the process of obtaining documents such as a protective order following an incident.

My hope is that this increases the boldness of people living in these abusive situations and that they know if they leave, there will be a path forward for them and they wont be forced to stay with their abuser or at the home they were abused in, said Read, a Newmarket Democrat.

Republican Gov. Chris Sununu signed that bill, House Bill 261, into law Tuesday. The bill, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2025, also expands protections against discriminatory evictions for domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking victims.

New Hampshires legislation is part of a national trend.

The pandemic lockdown that began in March 2020, coming alongside the nations worsening housing crisis, has prompted state lawmakers to help victims of assault who are struggling to move away from their alleged abusers. Domestic violence incidents in the United States increased by 8.1 percent in the months following the imposition of pandemic lockdown orders in 2020, according to a 2021 report released by the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice, a group launched by the Council on Criminal Justice, a think tank.

More than a dozen states have passed measures in the past five years bolstering rental protections for survivors by allowing them to break their leases if they provide evidence of stalking, sexual assault, or an abusive domestic relationship. Many of those laws, which were enacted or strengthened during the pandemic, give victims more leeway in how they can document the abuse.

Many cities and states are looking to help survivors with new housing in other ways, such as by obtaining grants to develop transitional housing or offering housing vouchers to victims.

It is deeply traumatizing and harmful to force survivors to continue to live in the same home where the harm occurred, said Kate Walz, associate director of litigation at the National Housing Law Project, an advocacy group that trains legal services organizations. It can retraumatize and compound the harm over years, if not decades.

Several states are addressing the issue this session. Efforts to add early lease termination laws for victims in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina have yet to either make it past committees or both chambers.

While Pennsylvanias effort to pass these protections statewide has stalled, the Pittsburgh City Council approved a bill in October that requires landlords to allow domestic abuse victims to exit their leases without penalty, and also change a tenants locks upon request, though at the tenants expense.

Nicole Molinaro, president and CEO of the Womens Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh, one of the countrys first domestic violence shelters, called the legislation monumental.

Molinaro hopes the state will eventually enact similar protections. She said that the trauma of domestic and sexual violence can be crippling, and that some victims may need to leave their neighborhood or cities altogether if their abuser also has roots there.

A driving factor for survivors of domestic violence is making sure that there is somewhere safe for them to go, Molinaro told Stateline. And that often means a survivor cannot move back to the neighborhood they were in if the abuser still has connections there.

The post-separation journey

When New York City resident Stephanie Woodbine and her adolescent daughter left a two-year abusive relationship in 2017, she wasnt sure where they were going to live.

Woodbine told Stateline that on top of emotional abuse, she also suffered economic abuse  a form of abuse that New York City last year officially recognized as domestic violence. She found housing, then was evicted after losing her job.

I really didnt have a lot of money to pay for housing because the mental trauma made it hard to live a normal life, keep a job, Woodbine said.

She didnt qualify for the domestic violence shelters because she wasnt in an active domestic violence situation, she recalled, so she stayed in hotels and lived a life of hidden homelessness with her daughter.

There are so many decisions that make leaving any abusive situation hard, but when you leave you find out just how hard it is to survive when you feel your options are limited, said Woodbine, who eventually received an emergency housing voucher and has secured permanent housing.

Theres a lot of post-separation abuse that is also contributing to survivors instability and their mental trauma, added Woodbine, who now sits on the advisory council to the Mayors Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence. Its why we want to expand protections for survivors post-separation, and that includes providing permanent housing.

Intimate partner violence is a major driver of homelessness, and researchers have found that housing is among the most common needs for survivors. Currently, 10 percent of shelters and transitional housing are targeted to domestic violence victims and their families, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

As the U.S. Supreme Court considers the constitutionality of homeless camping and outdoor sleeping bans, cities that have passed bans argue that outside encampments are dangerous not just for the public, but also for people staying there.

But Walz, of the National Housing Law Project, fears that if these bans are deemed constitutional, theyll have a major impact on women and children fleeing domestic violence situations.

Gender-based violence is both the cause and consequence of housing instability. Housing instability increases your risk of it, and housing instability comes as a result of it, said Walz. If we dont recognize that and craft our policies to be responsive to it, we are guaranteeing continued violence and increase of it.

More cities are working to include housing as a key service for survivors.

Woodbine credited city-based nonprofits for navigating her through the emergency voucher process  an intimidating process for those in need of housing.

New York City is hoping to provide such protections and, most importantly, housing through a pilot program funded with a $300,000 grant  from the NYC Fund to End Youth & Family Homelessness  that aims to help 100 families affected by domestic violence find homes.

Saloni Sethi, acting commissioner of the Mayors Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence, told Stateline that the pilot program addresses the need for safe and stable housing for survivors in a place where secure housing can be scarce.

Survivors are often sort of faced with this really impossible choice of, do I give up my own safety or do I destabilize myself and my entire family by leaving home?  We anticipate this pilot can finally provide that stable, fresh start, Sethi said.

Many cities and states have become more intentional about building or reserving housing for survivors, with increasing support from the federal government. Last year, the U.S. Department of Justices Office on Violence Against Women awarded 81 grants, worth $43 million, to programs offering housing for six to 24 months for survivors.

Breaking the lease

With Reads bill now signed by Sununu, New Hampshire has become one of 40 states to have early rental lease termination protections for victims of domestic or sexual abuse.

In post-lockdown years, Oklahoma passed early termination laws for domestic violence victims. Utah amended its early termination law in 2023, reducing the termination fee from 45 days of rent  one of the highest in the nation at the time  to a months rent.

Reads bill, which she based on a similar one in Tennessee, stalled in committee when she first introduced it last year.

During early debate, New Hampshire landlord groups raised concerns about the financial burden they carry when tenants break their lease early  a position that irritated Read.

Nobody will say in todays society here that they are in favor of domestic violence, Read said. But put your money where your mouth is when it comes to allowing them to make that decision to exit their lease early even at a financial loss, or else its just lip service.

But every time a new tenant comes in, it costs money to clean up and turn over the home, said Nick Norman, a real estate owner who serves as government affairs chair for the Apartment Association of New Hampshire. The bills original language also could have left a landlord responsible for things left behind, including damages.

The legislation signed by Sununu is drastically different, Norman said. The housing provider advocates and tenant advocates came together as we usually do to find a solution that works best for both parties.

The bill would also give victims new avenues to contest attempted evictions.

Under current law, landlord may not evict tenants solely based on a tenant or a household member of a tenant having been a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. But to use that defense, the statute requires that the tenants or household members of tenants must have obtained a court protective order against their aggressor, and must provide proof of that to their landlord.

HB 261 would provide a number of other  potentially easier  approaches. The bill allows victims to fill out a self-certification form with a circuit court, in which they testify about the assault on penalty of perjury, and to provide a copy of that to their landlord to defend against an eviction. Victims can demonstrate that they reported a domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking incident to the police and use that to defend against an eviction.

They can also provide to a landlord proof that they had taken actions to obtain a protective order  even if one had not been granted yet. And they could provide a statement from a police officer, victims advocate, attorney, or health care provider that attests that they are a victim, or a signed self-certification form issued by a circuit court.

The new law requires that the landlord keep confidential any written attestations of domestic violence sexual assault or stalking that were provided by the tenant, unless required by law.

Read credited the Senate for adding measures that would make qualifying for an early termination lease easier.

Some states, including Kansas, North Dakota, and Utah, may allow landlords to charge fees or forward payment of rent for breaking the lease early in cases of intimate partner violence. And many states require documents from an outside source, such as a police report or court protective order.

Many landlords see such requirements as a necessary step in good faith to break a lease early. However, Walz thinks that these requirements are a barrier for survivors, given how underreported domestic and sexual violence is and how hard it can be for victims to obtain a report without escalating violence from their abuser.

First and foremost, we must believe survivors. This means in action taking their own stories and experiences to be true and not requiring any form of third-party proof, Walz said.

Assumptions, stereotypes and bias  towards not believing survivors and perceiving that it could be made up in order to exit a lease  play into state policy responses and often result in a litany of requirements, including orders of protection, police reports, third-party statements, she said.

Bulletin reporter Ethan DeWitt contributed to this report.

This story was originally published by Stateline, which like the New Hampshire Bulletin is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.

The post Sununu signs bill giving tenant rights to domestic violence victims, part of national trend appeared first on New Hampshire Bulletin.
The Barrow County School System Board of Education has voted to approve a new Superintendent.

Dr. Dallas LeDuff was confirmed during a called board meeting on Monday.

His first day in his new role will be Monday, June 3.

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LeDuff received a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership degree and a Specialist in Educational Leadership degree from Valdosta State University.

He received his Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Georgia State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Special Education from Clemson University.

LeDuff served as Associate Superintendent, Interim Principal, Director of Student Services, and Assistant Principal for Oconee County Schools from 2013 to 2024.

He began his career as a Special Education Teacher and Case Manager at Berkmar High School in 2005.

We are happy to welcome Dr. LeDuff to Barrow County. His extensive educational experience will help inspire and lead our BOLD staff and students toward continued success, Board of Education Chair Jordan Raper said.

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The majority of Americans still support broad access to abortion, new research shows, despite aggressive efforts by the GOP to convince voters its dangerous and immoral.

The findings released by Pew Research on Monday show 63% of Americans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, up four percentage points from that share in 2021. Even two-thirds of moderate and liberal Republicans share that view, the survey found.

Only 8% of Americans say the procedure should be illegal in all cases, and 28% say it should be banned in most cases. Despite those low figures, Republican leaders in more than a dozen states have completely outlawed the procedure, and several others have put harsh six-week limits on it since the fall of Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Among adults under 30, 76% say abortion should be legal in all or most cases  indicating that support for reproductive rights is likely to keep increasing as the electorate ages.

Boxes of the drug used in medication abortion sit on a shelf at the West Alabama Women's Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in 2022. via Associated Press

Support for medication abortion  the most common method of terminating a pregnancy in the first trimester  is also high, with 54% of Americans saying it should be legal. A quarter say theyre not sure. Even among Republicans, 37% say it should be legal, compared to 32% who say it shouldnt and 30% who arent sure.

Obtaining abortion-inducing medication via telemedicine is perfectly safe and effective, a study found in February.

The polling on medication abortion comes as the U.S. Supreme Court weighs a case that seeks to overturn the Food and Drug Administrations loosened restrictions around the treatment, allowing it to be distributed via mail and at large pharmacy chains and extending the number of weeks into pregnancy it may be prescribed. During oral arguments in March, a majority of the justices seemed skeptical of the lawsuits merits.

The surveys findings echo whats happened when abortion is put before voters, even in red states. Shortly after the fall of Roe v. Wade, Kansans overwhelmingly voted to keep abortion protections in their state constitution. Months later, Kentucky voters rejected an amendment that would have said the state constitution does not protect the right to an abortion. Last November, Ohioans voted in favor of a constitutional amendment protecting access to the procedure. Voters in California and Michigan have done the same, and similarefforts are underway in other states.

Related...
In the 18 months since Roe v. Wade was overturned, the number of abortions in the United States has continued to grow, according to new data, even as 14 states have banned abortion completely.

Tuesdays report from the Society for Family Plannings WeCount project found much of that growth was likely related to telemedicine, which accounted for 19 percent of all abortions nationwide by December.

The report was also the first to fully capture the impact of providers who use blue state shield laws to offer telehealth abortions.

Shield laws give some legal protections to clinicians who offer abortion care via telehealth to people who live in states that have total abortion bans or severe restrictions. In 2023, five states had shield laws in effect  Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, Vermont and Washington.

Since the WeCount data was collected, Maine and California have also passed shield laws protecting providers who offer care nationwide.

Nearly 8,000 people per month in states with bans or severe restrictions were getting medication abortion from clinicians operating under shield law protections from October through December 2023, making up nearly half of all telehealth abortions counted in the report.

Access to medication abortion through telehealth continues to play an ever-increasing role in abortion care nationwide  even as the Supreme Court weighs the fate of telehealth abortion care, said Ushma Upadhyay, a professor at the University of California, San Franciscos Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health and co-chair of WeCount.

By the end of 2023, providers in states with shield laws were prescribing abortion pills to an average of 5,800 people a month in states with total abortion bans or six-week abortion bans.

Shield law providers also prescribed abortion medication to about 2,000 women per month in states where the local laws limit abortion pill prescriptions by telemedicine.

According to the report, there were an average of 86,000 abortions per month in 2023 compared to 2022, where there were about 82,000 abortions per month, excluding abortion provided through shield law telemedicine.

In the 15 states with total or six-week abortion bans, the report estimated that more than 180,000 abortions would have likely been obtained through clinic providers had abortion not been banned. The states with the greatest cumulative declines in abortion volume over 18 months include Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana and Alabama.

Even as the total national number of abortions nationally has increased, we cant lose sight of the fact that access to in-person abortion care has virtually disappeared in states where abortion is banned, said Alison Norris, a professor at the Ohio State Universitys College of Public Health and a WeCount co-chair. The loss of clinic-based care  which makes up more than 80% of abortion care  is a devastating loss to access for people across wide swaths of the country.

The states with the largest cumulative surges in abortions over the 18 months following Dobbs included Illinois, Florida and California.

Florida enacted a six-week abortion ban on May 1, so the impact of that new law isnt measured in the report. But its likely to have far-reaching impacts, given the relatively high number of abortions in that state and the total abortion bans in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee.

While most of the surge states bordered states with abortion bans, there are also large increases in states that are geographically distant from states with abortion bans, including California, New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts.

The report noted the increased numbers are likely due to people traveling from states where they cannot access care, as well as increased abortions among residents within these states.

Updated at 12:26 p.m. EDT

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A 54-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday following a bank robbery in Gaylord.

GAYLORD  Michigan State Police Lt. Derrick Carroll said a suspect has been arrested after a bank robbery in Gaylord on Tuesday morning.

Carroll said the robbery happened at around 11:45 a.m.

According to a statement posted to Facebook by the Gaylord Police Department, the robbery took place at Huntington Bank on East Main Street. During the incident, the suspect presented the bank teller with a note demanding money and inferred that he had a gun. After receiving the money, the suspect fled in a pickup truck.

Officers suspected that the suspect was heading to a possible location in Crawford County. Deputies from Crawford County then located the suspect, a 54-year-old man from Northern Michigan, who was taken into custody without incident.

The suspect was charged with bank robbery and lodged at the Otsego County Jail.

The incident remains under investigation.

 Contact Paul Welitzkin at pwelitzkin@gaylordheraldtimes.com.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Suspect arrested following Tuesday bank robbery in Gaylord
Polish President Andrzej Duda said that his country cannot provide Ukraine with Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems to protect it from Russian attacks. According to him, the Polish military has just begun to receive these SAMs, although they were ordered 7 years ago.

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Duda emphasized that Poland does not have this air defense system in service yet. This is reported by the PAP edition.

The Polish president explained that his country is not able to transfer Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine, as Poland is just beginning to receive the air defense systems ordered several years ago. According to him, the first elements of this system are just beginning to arrive in the country.

"Today, it is difficult to talk about the transfer of Patriot to Ukraine when we do not actually have this system in Poland, built for our own defense needs," Duda said.

At the same time, he reminded that Poland was the first country to provide Ukraine with weapons to deter Russian aggression. He also added that his country continues to support Kyiv in the military sphere.

In addition, Duda commented on the situation on the battlefield and called a new offensive by the Russian army inevitable. According to him, a new wave of Russian attacks on Ukraine will take place in the coming weeks. At the same time, Duda emphasized that Russia should not be allowed to win in Ukraine.

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"The Russian offensive is coming, and it will almost certainly take place," Duda said, adding that the offensive is possible in the coming weeks.

As a reminder, during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in Kyiv, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine needs more air defense systems to protect its cities. In particular, he noted that two Patriot air defense systems are currently needed to protect Kharkiv region.

Earlier, Danish Prime Minister Matt Frederiksen called on European countries to follow Germany's example and supply Ukraine with more Patriot air defense systems. She emphasized that Ukrainians need 5-6 more systems to protect themselves.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Suspect under arrest for the stabbing death of a local chef in Capitol Hill

On May 13, Seattle police reported that a suspect is under arrest in connection with the stabbing death at the Capitol Hill light rail station.

The U.S. Marshals Task Force has arrested a 26-year-old man in connection with this investigation.

The arrest happened in Eatonville earlier today.

He was booked into King County Jail for investigation of murder.

This story is developing and will be updated.
Swearing-in of new Delta Co. commissioners delayed after canvassers fail to certify election

ESCANABA, Mich. (WJMN)  The planned swearing-in for the three winners of Delta Countys commissioner recall election has been rescheduled pending a split decision by the local Board of Canvassers.

UPDATE: Recall election still uncertified as canvassers eye suspect ratio

In an email sent by Delta County Clerk Nancy Przewrocki, she notified the presumed winners that the Oath of Office originally planned for Myra Croasdell and Matt Jensen had to be cancelled due to half of the Board of Canvassers voting not to certify the May 7 election results.

Przewrocki said while canvassers John Myers and Theresa Nelson voted to certify the results, Bonnie Hakkola and LeeAnne Oman voted against certification.

DIVISION IN DELTA COUNTY: How firing an administrator led to thousands-strong recall movement

Were told the board did agree to hold another meeting on Monday, May 20 to hold a final certification vote.

The clerk said if the next vote is in favor of certification, the oath of Office ceremony and reorganizational meeting for the Board of Commissioners can be held the following day.

If the board votes against certification, the decision will be passed on to the State Board of Canvassers.

It is currently unclear why the two canvassers voted against certification.

This comes after a contentious year between the public and three members of the Board of Commissioners after their decision to fire then-Administrator Emily DeSalvo after she delivered an 11-minute speech calling out what she described as unethical behavior.

All three commissioner recall candidates appeared to have handily defeated commissioners David Moyle, Bob Barron, and Bob Petersen, who each lost by a margin of more than 40%.

This is a developing situation. Stay up-to-date with Local 3 on-air and online.

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 WJMN - UPMatters.com.
Details remain very limited, but a T-6 instructor pilot flying out of Sheppard Air Force Base, Wichita County, Texas, has died as a result of injuries caused by their ejection seat firing inadvertently while on the ground.

"An Air Force instructor pilot with the 80th Flying Training Wing died early this morning from injuries sustained when their T-6A Texan II ejection seat activated during ground operations here May 13," a statement released earlier today by Sheppard AFB reads .

"An investigation into the cause of the incident is underway. Per Air Force policy, the pilot's name is being withheld until 24 hours after the notification of next of kin."

George Woodward, the director of Public Affairs at Sheppard Air Force Base, confirmed to local media yesterday that the individual sustained injuries due to being ejected from their aircraft during ground operations. The incident reportedly happened before 2 P.M. local time, and the pilot was subsequently rushed to United Regional Hospital in Wichita Falls.

Sheppard's 80th Flying Training Wing is the largest technical training wing within the Air Force. It also hosts training for pilots from 14 NATO countries via the Euro-NATO joint jet pilot program.

A T-6A Texan II waits for another T-6A to pass before taxing onto the runway November 1, 2017, at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. U.S. Air Force photo by Christopher Carranza

Air Force T-6s, two-seater aircraft used for primary pilot training, have experienced issues with their ejection seats in the past. In 2022, 76 of them were grounded over concerns over the possibility of faulty ejection seat parts.

T-6s have been involved in a number of incidents, not just caused by ejection seat issues, over the years. Just last month, a T-6 was forced to make an emergency belly landing at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, due to the pilot experiencing a gear malfunction. In 2019, a T-6 from Sheppard AFB crashed due to the pilot not recognizing their aircraft was in a nose-high attitude with a slow airspeed. Crew members were able to eject before the aircraft crashed, and only sustained minor injuries.

This is a developing news story. We will update this post with any new information as it surfaces.

Contact the author: oliver@thewarzone.com
Video shows the judges initial ruling asking the Fort Wayne Plan Commission to reconsider.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE)  A ruling Monday by a Superior Court judge in Indiana that tacos and burritos are Mexican-style sandwiches may end a years-long battle between a restauranteur and a county commission.

Restauranteur Martin Quintana and the Allen County Plan Commission have been battling over what type of establishment was being built and going into a now 11,000-square-foot strip mall.

Previously, the commission denied a Famous Taco from being located in the strip mall partially based on a written commitment Quintana accepted with a nearby neighborhood association limiting any restaurant there to one that did not offer alcohol, did not allow outdoor seating and only sold made-to-order or subway style sandwiches.

The idea behind the agreement, according to court documents, was to keep national fast-food burger and chicken chains out of the strip mall.

The Court agrees with Quintana that tacos and burritos are Mexican-style sandwiches, and the original Written Commitment does not restrict potential restaurants to only American cuisine-style sandwiches, Bobay wrote Monday in the civil case.

The original Written Commitment would also permit a restaurant that serves made-to-order Greek gyros, Indian naan wraps, or Vietnamese Banh mi if these restaurants complied with the other enumerated conditions, Bobay continued in his written opinion.

Its unclear when the Famous Taco, which already has equipment and signage ready, will open.

When reached Monday, Quintana had not been told about the judges opinion issued earlier that day.

Will Famous Taco on West Jefferson finally open? Its fate is up to a local judge

At first, the property was zoned to be residential and Quintana claimed he wanted to build a garage there. As the space grew to roughly 9,000 to 11,000 square feet  with work stoppages due to code violations along the way  questions arose about what exactly Quintana planned for the property.

He went through Fort Wayne City Council to have the property rezoned to limited commercial, came up with a new plan for a restaurant, and then changed that to make the property a strip mall with a restaurant and four other units.

This led to accusations that Quintana had been trying to build a shopping center all along without properly acquiring the required permits, according to court documents in the civil case against the plan commission.

Quintana and the Covington Creek Condominium Association agreed on a Written Commitment that allowed for made-to-order or subway-style sandwiches, which played a part in the civil case against the plan commission.

When Quintana made plans to open a Famous Taco in the plaza, the neighborhood association claimed the agreement did not support such a restaurant. Quintana and the neighborhood association, however, eventually hammered out an amendment that would allow the Famous Taco to open.

Judge orders Famous Taco back to the Planning Board; says finding of facts are lacking

The plan commission, though, did not approve the amendment, which left Famous Taco in limbo.

The applicant did not present this type of restaurant brand as an exception to the applicants ban of all restaurants from the shopping center, the commission wrote in one opinion upholding its denial of a Famous Taco at the site.

The Common Council did not consider this brand of restaurant when rezoning the property, the commissions opinion continued. In rezoning the property, both the Plan Commission and the Common Council relied on the terms of the written commitment presented by the applicant when the applicant admitted that he built the commercial shopping center in a residential district without proper permits.

In his ruling Monday, Bobay did not fault the plan commission for its denial of the Famous Taco and made sure his decision is appealable.

The Court concludes that the Respondent Fort Wayne Plan Commissions denial of the Amendment to the Written Commitment was not improper, however, a Famous Taco restaurant is permissible under the terms of the Written Commitment, Bobay wrote.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
Three days after tornadoes struck Tallahassee, state Rep. Allison Tant was making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the dark.

Minutes earlier, the local state lawmaker  a formidable 5'1"  carried large boxes of granola bars and chips into the first floor of Brookestone Senior Residences, which has more than 100 units of affordable housing for seniors.

It's been without power since Friday's storms, meaning no lights, no elevators for those who can't take stairs and no electricity for at-home dialysis.

Tant even went to Walmart and bought 170 flashlights on her own tab.

"I was out here at 7:45 a.m. this morning, waiting for hot food that we're hoping will still get here," she said as she was spreading crunchy Jif on pieces of whole wheat bread. The situation was dire enough that Kevin Guthrie, the state's emergency management director, showed up.

Rep. Allison Tant, D-Tallahassee, makes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at the Brookestone Senior Living apartment complex in Tallahassee on Monday morning, May 13, 2024.

"In the meanwhile, I'm doing sandwiches so I can help people eat something, have a little love on a plate to the best of my culinary abilities, which is pretty much this."

On Friday, two EF-2 and one EF-1 tornado tore through Tallahassee from west to east, snapping trees and popping power lines from around 6:30 a.m. to 7:15.

The city was caught off guard. Some were on their way to work when suddenly their ears began to pop and the limbs of oaks and pines started to drop to the ground in front of their cars. Some children were already in school. But by 7:30 in the morning, all of Tallahassee knew they had experienced something unprecedented.

Soon after, social media posts about the Brookestone senior housing complex, operated by Cambridge Management, Inc., started getting shared. Word spread that the residents needed help. A request seeking comment from the company is pending.

On Sunday, someone posted there were residents walking along Apalachee Parkway, near where the building is located, asking for food. Management hadn't been at the complex since Thursday, residents said, and wheelchair-bound and disabled tenants were stuck on the second and third floors.

"I noticed that the chatter got worse, not better, so I continued to make calls," Tant said.

Rep. Allison Tant, D-Tallahassee, lugs jars of peanut butter from her car to the Brookestone Senior Living apartment complex in Tallahassee on Monday morning, May 13, 2024.

She called local officials. She called the Red Cross. She called the governor's office.

By Sunday night, the Florida Department of Emergency Management brought portable restrooms, laundry service and generators. Less than 12 hours later, there were at least four state agencies at the complex, and officials, including City Commissioner Jack Porter, began knocking on doors and checking on residents.

In Florida, assisted living facilities and nursing homes are required to have a backup power source for four days. The law, signed by Gov. Rick Scott in 2018, was enacted after people died at a Hollywood facility in the wake of Hurricane Irma.

But Brookestone isn't an assisted living facility or nursing home. It's an apartment complex for seniors, a category that is not required to have backup electricity measures. There are two other communities like Brookestone in Tallahassee.

And there's a gap for hybrid communities like these, Tant said: "There's going to be some protocols developed for this."

'They kind of forgot about us'

David Hand, 76, said he notified the City of Tallahassee utilities on Friday that the apartment complex should be a priority for power restoration because of the high number of residents who rely on electricity for their health.

Hand said he was told each resident would have to fill out a form requesting emergency assistance as they couldn't make the whole building a priority.

He said residents called the local Red Cross, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the state's Department of Elder Affairs as well.

"We're kind of isolated back here, and it's like I think they kind of forgot about us because we're off the main drag," Hand said, explaining that the building is set far back from the Parkway. "We didn't have any kind of early response at all from anyone. So we've been out in the dark now for four days."

When asked for comment, city spokesperson Alison Faris told the Democrat in a text message to reach out to the city's emergency operations center. On Sunday morning, Leon County's Emergency Management Director Kevin Peters emailed Guthrie and state officials requesting that they look into the situation unfolding at Brookstone and assess if they should be required to hold an assisted living facility license.

Over the weekend, Brookestone residents formed a committee that went door to door and checked on their most-vulnerable neighbors. One man on the third floor opened his door and was shaking in fear, said resident Melody Perkins.

"I just felt for the ones who couldn't get downstairs and on oxygen, that's really what broke my heart," she said.

Monique Ellsworth, CEO of Second Harvest of the Big Bend, said she was notified Sunday by the Red Cross that residents at Brookestone needed help. On Monday, Ellsworth and her team were delivering meals, door to door. It was "pitch black," she said.

"As we pass, we're seeing doors open and people sliding food into their home, and something about how dehumanizing this experience must be for people in this building breaks my heart for members of our community to feel so left behind," she said.

"I'm just grateful for everyone who's now here. Once we learn about it, our community rallies," she added.

Florida Department of Emergency Services Director Kevin Guthrie speaks with management with the Brookestone Senior Living apartment complex in Tallahassee on Monday morning, May 13, 2024.

Monday morning, Guthrie walked around and spoke with residents and agency staff. Wearing a windbreaker with "FDEM" in bright yellow on the back, Guthrie spoke to the apartment complex manager and others in the rain while the county was under a tornado watch. Questions sent to DEM about the state's response were not immediately answered.

After days of suffering, good news arrived around 2 p.m., before severe storms hit the capital again: A utility crew from Jacksonville restored power. They said a tree had fallen on a power line, forcing the poles to snap in half. It took about six hours to replace the two poles.

In the meantime, "those elders sat there without power, no food, from Friday until today," Tant said.

"This cannot happen again."

Ana Goni-Lessan can be reached at agonilessan@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee senior apartments without power for days after tornadoes
Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder and assault. Reader discretion is advised.

Tara Louise Baker was a 23-year-old UGA law student who was found dead in her home in Athens, Georgia. Athens-Clarke County firefighters found Tara Baker in her home on January 19, 2001, at around 11:20 a.m. when they were responding to a fire at her apartment. An investigation revealed that the fire was intentionally set, and an elaborate investigation ensued. However, the case went cold, and no significant progress was made in the case until authorities announced on May 9, 2024, that an arrest was made in relation to the cold case.

CNN reported that Tara Baker was last seen on January 18, 2001, at around 7:30 p.m. by a friend at the UGA Law School Library. She claimed that she left the library first and was on a call with her at around 9:45 p.m. when Baker told her she planned to leave the library at 10 p.m. The next day, firefighters responded to flames and smoke from the rear corner of Bakers apartment. They kicked the front door open as it appeared to be dead-bolted and locked, WSAV reported.

While on the search for the source of the fire, firefighters arrived at the kitchen. They found out that all four burners on the electric range were high. A bedroom in the back corner also had heavy flames coming out of it and was locked. An adjacent bathroom door was also locked and had to be kicked open. Tara Baker was found lying dead on the floor of her bedroom. The death was ruled a homicide. An autopsy revealed that she was beaten, stabbed, strangled, and might have been sexually assaulted. Bakers 1996 Dodge Neon was parked in front of the apartment.

Who is charged with Tara Bakers murder?

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, 48-year-old Edrick Lamont Faust has been charged with Tara Bakers murder nearly 23 years after the killing. He was arrested and charged with two counts of felony murder, one count of aggravated assault, arson, possession of a knife during the commission of a felony, concealing the death of another, tampering with evidence, and one count of aggravated sodomy.

Edrick Faust reportedly has several arrests documented in Athens-Clarke County. Fox 5 reported that less than a month after Tara Baker was killed, Faust was arrested. He then pleaded guilty to aggravated assault after cutting someones neck. His arrest warrant in relation to Bakers killing suggested that the victim died of strangulation, blunt force trauma to the head, and stab wounds to the neck.

Special GBI Cold Case Unit Agents reportedly partnered with the Athens-Clarke County investigators in September 2023. They did an in-depth review and analysis of the investigation that had been done by then into Tara Bakers murder. The information gathered from the investigation was combined with DNA science and biological evidence to narrow down a suspect pool and arrest Edrick Faust.

CBS News reported that the Coleman-Baker Act played an important role in furthering the investigation into Tara Bakers homicide. The act led to the establishment of a new department within the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. This department was to be dedicated to solving cold cases entirely. The legislation was named after another University of Georgia student, Sue Coleman and Tara Baker.

The post Tara Baker Murder: What Happened to the UGA Law Student? appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
Tariffs to be sharply hiked by Biden administration on Chinese-made products

A sales representative shows prospective customers a BYD Dolphin electric car at a BYD dealership on April 05, 2024 in Berlin, Germany. BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams, is a Chinese manufacturer that went from making solar panels to electric cars. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  The Biden administration is doubling and in some cases tripling tariffs on Chinese-made products, like steel and electric vehicles, in a move aimed at easing economic pain in battleground states, though senior administration officials say it isnt political.

National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard told reporters on a call Monday ahead of the announcement that the steep increase to several tariffs would help address the Chinese government flooding global markets with exports that are underpriced due to unfair practices.

We know Chinas unfair practices have harmed communities in Michigan and Pennsylvania and around the country that are now having the opportunity to come back due to President Bidens investment agenda, Brainard said, mentioning two crucial swing states ahead of Novembers election.

President Joe Bidens decision to increase several tariffs, Brainard said, ensures that American businesses and workers have the opportunity to compete on a level playing field in industries that are vital to our future, such as clean energy and semiconductors.

We know Chinas unfair practices have harmed communities in Michigan and Pennsylvania and around the country that are now having the opportunity to come back due to President Bidens investment agenda.

 Lael Brainard, National Economic advisor

Here are the tariffs that will increase and when the White House will implement those changes:

Steel and aluminum will move from a 7.5% tariff to a 25% tariff this year.

Semiconductor tariffs will rise from 25% to 50% before 2025.

Electric vehicle tariffs will increase from 25% to 100% this year.

Batteries: The tariff on lithium-ion EV batteries and battery parts will rise from 7.5% to 25% in 2024. The tariff on lithium-ion non-EV batteries will rise to the same level in 2026.

Solar cells will rise from a 25% tariff to a 50% tariff this year.

Ship-to-shore cranes will get a 25% tariff this year. They currently arent subject to tariffs.

Medical products: Tariffs on personal protective equipment, including face masks, will increase this year and tariffs on rubber medical and surgical gloves will go up in 2026. Both will be set at 25%. Tariffs on syringes and needles will go from not having a tariff to 50% in 2024.

Senators appealed for tariff increases

A group of seven Democratic U.S. senators wrote to Biden earlier this month, urging him and United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai to maintain or increase the tariffs to address Chinas continued actions to cheat and undermine our national security.

Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Bob Casey and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York all signed on to the letter.

The senators wrote that tariffs are an important tool to level the playing field and combat anti-competitive practices from non-market economies and trade cheats, and they must remain in place.

China has continued to cheat, circumvent, and manipulate to artificially strengthen its economy and harm the United States, the senators wrote. Across sectors like steel, solar products, and electric vehicles, China employs tactics to distort markets and create artificially low prices by illegally subsidizing its industries and producing to overcapacity.

Tariffs on electric vehicles

A senior administration official, speaking with reporters on background Monday to discuss details of the changes, said the higher tariffs on electric vehicles are necessary to avoid China having an unfair share of the global market.

If we have a level playing field, we and other countries will have the chance to compete and thats the kind of dynamic that we think will produce resilient supply chains and clean technology and give us our best chance of meeting our climate goals, the senior administration official said.

A second senior administration official declined to speculate about whether China would set retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, saying that officials from that country are likely to speak publicly in the coming days.

A third senior administration official on the call said the decision to raise certain tariffs and the timing of the announcement has nothing to do with politics.

That official also said there are differences between the production of electric and gas-powered vehicles in China, which is why the Biden administration is raising tariffs on one, but not the other.

Weve been thoroughly studying and assessing how the Chinese have been investing in their electric vehicle domestic industry and the range of unfair best practices that are giving them a significant unfair pricing competitive advantage, the third official said. So I think thats the reason why were moving towards a significant step up in the tariff rate for electric vehicles.

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The post Tariffs to be sharply hiked by Biden administration on Chinese-made products appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star.
Tariffs to be sharply hiked by Biden administration on Chinese-made products

A sales representative shows prospective customers a BYD Dolphin electric car at a BYD dealership on April 05, 2024 in Berlin, Germany. BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams, is a Chinese manufacturer that went from making solar panels to electric cars. The company is seeking to gain a foothold in the German auto market and has opened over two dozen dealerships nationwide. | Sean Gallup/Getty Images

WASHINGTON  The Biden administration is doubling and in some cases tripling tariffs on Chinese-made products, like steel and electric vehicles, in a move aimed at easing economic pain in battleground states, though senior administration officials say it isnt political.

National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard told reporters on a call Monday ahead of the announcement that the steep increase to several tariffs would help address the Chinese government flooding global markets with exports that are underpriced due to unfair practices.

We know Chinas unfair practices have harmed communities in Michigan and Pennsylvania and around the country that are now having the opportunity to come back due to President Bidens investment agenda, Brainard said, mentioning two crucial swing states ahead of Novembers election.

President Joe Bidens decision to increase several tariffs, Brainard said, ensures that American businesses and workers have the opportunity to compete on a level playing field in industries that are vital to our future, such as clean energy and semiconductors.

Here are the tariffs that will increase and when the White House will implement those changes:

Steel and aluminum will move from a 7.5% tariff to a 25% tariff this year.

Semiconductor tariffs will rise from 25% to 50% before 2025.

Electric vehicle tariffs will increase from 25% to 100% this year.

Batteries: The tariff on lithium-ion EV batteries and battery parts will rise from 7.5% to 25% in 2024. The tariff on lithium-ion non-EV batteries will rise to the same level in 2026.

Solar cells will rise from a 25% tariff to a 50% tariff this year.

Ship-to-shore cranes will get a 25% tariff this year. They currently arent subject to tariffs.

Medical products: Tariffs on personal protective equipment, including face masks, will increase this year and tariffs on rubber medical and surgical gloves will go up in 2026. Both will be set at 25%. Tariffs on syringes and needles will go from not having a tariff to 50% in 2024.

Senators appealed for tariff increases

A group of seven Democratic U.S. senators wrote to Biden earlier this month, urging him and United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai to maintain or increase the tariffs to address Chinas continued actions to cheat and undermine our national security.

Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Bob Casey and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York all signed on to the letter.

The senators wrote that tariffs are an important tool to level the playing field and combat anti-competitive practices from non-market economies and trade cheats, and they must remain in place.

China has continued to cheat, circumvent, and manipulate to artificially strengthen its economy and harm the United States, the senators wrote. Across sectors like steel, solar products, and electric vehicles, China employs tactics to distort markets and create artificially low prices by illegally subsidizing its industries and producing to overcapacity.

Tariffs on electric vehicles

A senior administration official, speaking with reporters on background Monday to discuss details of the changes, said the higher tariffs on electric vehicles are necessary to avoid China having an unfair share of the global market.

If we have a level playing field, we and other countries will have the chance to compete and thats the kind of dynamic that we think will produce resilient supply chains and clean technology and give us our best chance of meeting our climate goals, the senior administration official said.

A second senior administration official declined to speculate about whether China would set retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, saying that officials from that country are likely to speak publicly in the coming days.

A third senior administration official on the call said the decision to raise certain tariffs and the timing of the announcement has nothing to do with politics.

That official also said there are differences between the production of electric and gas-powered vehicles in China, which is why the Biden administration is raising tariffs on one, but not the other.

Weve been thoroughly studying and assessing how the Chinese have been investing in their electric vehicle domestic industry and the range of unfair best practices that are giving them a significant unfair pricing competitive advantage, the third official said. So I think thats the reason why were moving towards a significant step up in the tariff rate for electric vehicles.

The post Tariffs to be sharply hiked by Biden administration on Chinese-made products appeared first on Michigan Advance.
Tariffs to be sharply hiked by Biden administration on Chinese-made products

A sales representative shows prospective customers a BYD Dolphin electric car at a BYD dealership on April 05, 2024 in Berlin, Germany. BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams, is a Chinese manufacturer that went from making solar panels to electric cars. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  The Biden administration is doubling and in some cases tripling tariffs on Chinese-made products, like steel and electric vehicles, in a move aimed at easing economic pain in battleground states, though senior administration officials say it isnt political.

National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard told reporters on a call Monday ahead of the announcement that the steep increase to several tariffs would help address the Chinese government flooding global markets with exports that are underpriced due to unfair practices.

We know Chinas unfair practices have harmed communities in Michigan and Pennsylvania and around the country that are now having the opportunity to come back due to President Bidens investment agenda, Brainard said, mentioning two crucial swing states ahead of Novembers election.

President Joe Bidens decision to increase several tariffs, Brainard said, ensures that American businesses and workers have the opportunity to compete on a level playing field in industries that are vital to our future, such as clean energy and semiconductors.

Here are the tariffs that will increase and when the White House will implement those changes:

Steel and aluminum will move from a 7.5% tariff to a 25% tariff this year.

Semiconductor tariffs will rise from 25% to 50% before 2025.

Electric vehicle tariffs will increase from 25% to 100% this year.

Batteries: The tariff on lithium-ion EV batteries and battery parts will rise from 7.5% to 25% in 2024. The tariff on lithium-ion non-EV batteries will rise to the same level in 2026.

Solar cells will rise from a 25% tariff to a 50% tariff this year.

Ship-to-shore cranes will get a 25% tariff this year. They currently arent subject to tariffs.

Medical products: Tariffs on personal protective equipment, including face masks, will increase this year and tariffs on rubber medical and surgical gloves will go up in 2026. Both will be set at 25%. Tariffs on syringes and needles will go from not having a tariff to 50% in 2024.

Senators appealed for tariff increases

A group of seven Democratic U.S. senators wrote to Biden earlier this month, urging him and United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai to maintain or increase the tariffs to address Chinas continued actions to cheat and undermine our national security.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, spoke at an event with President Joe Biden and Sen. Mitch McConnell celebrating $1.5 billion in federal spending for a new bridge over the Ohio River linking Covington and Cincinnati, Jan. 4, 2023. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Michael Clubb)

Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Bob Casey and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York all signed on to the letter.

The senators wrote that tariffs are an important tool to level the playing field and combat anti-competitive practices from non-market economies and trade cheats, and they must remain in place.

China has continued to cheat, circumvent, and manipulate to artificially strengthen its economy and harm the United States, the senators wrote. Across sectors like steel, solar products, and electric vehicles, China employs tactics to distort markets and create artificially low prices by illegally subsidizing its industries and producing to overcapacity.

Tariffs on electric vehicles

A senior administration official, speaking with reporters on background Monday to discuss details of the changes, said the higher tariffs on electric vehicles are necessary to avoid China having an unfair share of the global market.

If we have a level playing field, we and other countries will have the chance to compete and thats the kind of dynamic that we think will produce resilient supply chains and clean technology and give us our best chance of meeting our climate goals, the senior administration official said.

A second senior administration official declined to speculate about whether China would set retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, saying that officials from that country are likely to speak publicly in the coming days.

A third senior administration official on the call said the decision to raise certain tariffs and the timing of the announcement has nothing to do with politics.

That official also said there are differences between the production of electric and gas-powered vehicles in China, which is why the Biden administration is raising tariffs on one, but not the other.

Weve been thoroughly studying and assessing how the Chinese have been investing in their electric vehicle domestic industry and the range of unfair best practices that are giving them a significant unfair pricing competitive advantage, the third official said. So I think thats the reason why were moving towards a significant step up in the tariff rate for electric vehicles.

The post Tariffs to be sharply hiked by Biden administration on Chinese-made products appeared first on Kentucky Lantern.
Russian occupants are increasing the number of morgues in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. The reason for this is the intensification of offensive actions and the increase in enemy losses.

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This was reported by the National Resistance Center. It is noted that additional places for storing corpses have been deployed mainly in the Luhansk region, and in premises not intended for this purpose.

According to the CNS, even bodies from the north of Kharkiv region are brought there so as not to "traumatize" the residents of Russian Belgorod.

"This is an eloquent summary of the rule of international criminal Vladimir Putin when Russia exports soldiers to another country and imports their bodies back non-stop," the activists noted.

To recap, soldiers of the 12th Azov Special Forces Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine showed how they are destroying Russian occupiers and their equipment near the village of Terny in Donetsk region. The defenders are using attack drones to reduce the number of the enemy army. The soldiers say they are trying to inflict maximum losses on the enemy.

ADVERTISIMENT

As reported by OBOZ.UA:

 The National Guard told the story of a soldier of the Fifth Separate Slobozhanska Brigade who held his position against four occupiers in the Bakhmut sector alone. The defender engaged the enemy in close combat and eliminated two Russians.

 The soldiers of the Third Assault Brigade defeated a column of Russian occupation troops that was trying to make a breakthrough in the Kharkiv region. As a result, three pieces of equipment were destroyed beyond repair and four more were damaged.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Tariffs to be sharply hiked by Biden administration on Chinese-made products

A sales representative shows prospective customers a BYD Dolphin electric car at a BYD dealership on April 5 in Berlin, Germany. BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams, is a Chinese manufacturer that went from making solar panels to electric cars. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images) (This image cannot be republished unless you have a Getty subscription.)

WASHINGTON  The Biden administration is doubling and in some cases tripling tariffs on Chinese-made products, like steel and electric vehicles, in a move aimed at easing economic pain in battleground states, though senior administration officials say it isnt political.

National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard told reporters on a call Monday ahead of the announcement that the steep increase to several tariffs would help address the Chinese government flooding global markets with exports that are underpriced due to unfair practices.

We know Chinas unfair practices have harmed communities in Michigan and Pennsylvania and around the country that are now having the opportunity to come back due to President Bidens investment agenda, Brainard said, mentioning two crucial swing states ahead of Novembers election.

President Joe Bidens decision to increase several tariffs, Brainard said, ensures that American businesses and workers have the opportunity to compete on a level playing field in industries that are vital to our future, such as clean energy and semiconductors.

Here are the tariffs that will increase and when the White House will implement those changes:

Steel and aluminum will move from a 7.5% tariff to a 25% tariff this year.

Semiconductor tariffs will rise from 25% to 50% before 2025.

Electric vehicle tariffs will increase from 25% to 100% this year.

Batteries: The tariff on lithium-ion EV batteries and battery parts will rise from 7.5% to 25% in 2024. The tariff on lithium-ion non-EV batteries will rise to the same level in 2026.

Solar cells will rise from a 25% tariff to a 50% tariff this year.

Ship-to-shore cranes will get a 25% tariff this year. They currently arent subject to tariffs.

Medical products: Tariffs on personal protective equipment, including face masks, will increase this year and tariffs on rubber medical and surgical gloves will go up in 2026. Both will be set at 25%. Tariffs on syringes and needles will go from not having a tariff to 50% in 2024.

Senators appealed for tariff increases

A group of seven Democratic U.S. senators wrote to Biden earlier this month, urging him and United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai to maintain or increase the tariffs to address Chinas continued actions to cheat and undermine our national security.

Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Bob Casey and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York all signed on to the letter.

The senators wrote that tariffs are an important tool to level the playing field and combat anti-competitive practices from non-market economies and trade cheats, and they must remain in place.

China has continued to cheat, circumvent, and manipulate to artificially strengthen its economy and harm the United States, the senators wrote. Across sectors like steel, solar products, and electric vehicles, China employs tactics to distort markets and create artificially low prices by illegally subsidizing its industries and producing to overcapacity.

Tariffs on electric vehicles

A senior administration official, speaking with reporters on background Monday to discuss details of the changes, said the higher tariffs on electric vehicles are necessary to avoid China having an unfair share of the global market.

If we have a level playing field, we and other countries will have the chance to compete and thats the kind of dynamic that we think will produce resilient supply chains and clean technology and give us our best chance of meeting our climate goals, the senior administration official said.

A second senior administration official declined to speculate about whether China would set retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, saying that officials from that country are likely to speak publicly in the coming days.

A third senior administration official on the call said the decision to raise certain tariffs and the timing of the announcement has nothing to do with politics.

That official also said there are differences between the production of electric and gas-powered vehicles in China, which is why the Biden administration is raising tariffs on one, but not the other.

Weve been thoroughly studying and assessing how the Chinese have been investing in their electric vehicle domestic industry and the range of unfair best practices that are giving them a significant unfair pricing competitive advantage, the third official said. So I think thats the reason why were moving towards a significant step up in the tariff rate for electric vehicles.

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The post Tariffs to be sharply hiked by Biden administration on Chinese-made products appeared first on Oklahoma Voice.
All of Tate Reeves vetoes will be allowed to stand. Heres what MS governor shot down

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves speaks to the press during a press conference on drug crime at Mississippi Bureau of Investigation offices in Biloxi on Wednesday, May 11, 2022.

Gov. Tate Reeves has vetoed several bills passed by the Legislature, but lawmakers will not reconvene Tuesday to attempt to override them.

On Monday, the last day for him to address bills passed in the 2024 legislative session, the governor vetoed a bill transferring money between state agencies, and part of another similar transfer bill. He vetoed four bills restoring voting rights to people convicted of felonies. He let 16 such bills restoring voting rights pass.

Before legislators adjourned earlier this month, they set aside one day  Tuesday  to possibly return for the purpose of overriding gubernatorial vetoes. When legislators provided themselves the option to return on Tuesday, there was a belief they would need to do so to take up an expected veto by Reeves of a bill to expand Medicaid to provide health care for the working poor. But late in the session, legislators could not reach a compromise on efforts to expand Medicaid and the measure died.

Reeves had also vetoed a bill late Friday.

Reeves said he vetoed Senate Bill 2180 because it required the Capitol Police Force to enforce ordinances of the city of Jackson. The Capitol Police Force has jurisdiction in all of the city and primary jurisdiction in a portion of the city known as the Capitol Complex Improvement District.

The governor said the bill might have prevented the Capitol Police from working with federal officials to detain undocumented immigrants.

But, according to language in the bill, it did not require the Capitol Police to enforce city ordinances, but said they may enforce the ordinances, such as to control loud noises.

The bill also removed the requirement that people get permission from Capitol Police officials to protest outside of state-owned buildings, such as the Governors Mansion. A federal judge issued a temporary injunction blocking the requirement of a permit from Capitol Police for protests last year.

The bill also would have added another judge to hear misdemeanor cases in the Capitol Complex Improvement District.
"Killed in the line of duty, sir," echoed through the gathered crowd recently during the roll call of fallen officers at the annual Taylor County Law Enforcement Flag and Wreath Ceremony.

The individuals lost while on duty signify the service and sacrifice of being a law officer in Abilene and Taylor County.

"It is with heavy hearts and unwavering respect that we gather here today," Taylor County Sheriff Ricky Bishop said Wednesday. "Together we honor, remember and cherish the heroes who left an indelible mark on our hearts and on our community."

Images of fallen law enforcement who died while serving in the line of duty are displayed in remembrance in front of the Abilene Taylor County Law Enforcement Center Wednesday.

Captain Doug Farber referenced an episode from, "The Way I Heard It," a podcast by Dirty Jobs host Mike Rowe, where a discussion was had with former U.S. Army Green Beret Scott Mann.

"One thing that stuck out to me was their discussion on an observation by a 19th century French political thinker and historian," Farber said. "He believed, and I agree, that America succeeds because we put the individual ahead of the collective.

"That is exactly what we are doing here this morning. We are here to remember the individuals who have made the ultimate sacrifice and also remember their families who continue to make that sacrifice."

Captain Doug Farber delivers his speech to attendees of the annual memorial ceremony on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. He spoke about his personal connections to fallen officers and how the community should remember the ultimate sacrifice made by them in the line of duty and the continued sacrifice family members make every day.

Farber said he personally remembered many of the officers whose images were pictured by the podium.

Abilene Police Chief Ron Seratte addressed law officers and guests with a tear-jerking message that embodied the meaning of being a person of law enforcement.

"We offer our deepest condolences and unwavering support," Seratte said directly to the family members of fallen law officers. "Your loss is immeasurable, and your pain is shared by all who stand with you. Know that your loved ones will be forever remembered as symbols of bravery, selflessness and dedication."

He said the honored law enforcement officers epitomize the values of service and sacrifice, and they should not be recognized just as a group of fallen officers but each as an individual with their own unique story.

Abilene Police Chief Ron Seratte looks to family members of fallen Taylor County law enforcement officers, offering condolences and support at the annual memorial ceremony Wednesday. Seratte commended the officers' courage to answer the call of duty and acknowledged their unique stories of impact and service to the community.

"They answered the call of duty with courage and commitment, knowing the risks they embraced in their roles as guardians of peace, protectors of justice and champions of the vulnerable," Serette said.

"Their lives were not just about the badges they wore or the uniforms they donned," he said. "They were about the profound impact they made on the lives of others.

"They walked the thin blue line not for glory or recognition but out of the profound sense of duty and a commitment to making their communities safer and stronger."

The police chief addressed the crowd of law officers in attendance, calling on them to continue to serve just as the fallen did.

"As we honor their memory today, let us renew our commitment to upholding the principles for which they fought and died. Let us strive to build safer and more inclusive communities where justice is not just a word but also a lived reality for all," Seratte said.

Officers of Taylor County Sheriff's Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety and Abilene Police Department give red roses to loved ones of fallen officers to honor their sacrifice and service at the annual memorial ceremony Wednesday.

County Judge Phil Crowley became emotional as he presented a proclamation designating this week as National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Week.

"I think sometimes we forget that even though they were superheroes, they were also all human," Crowley said. "What we need to remember is all they really wanted was just to go home, just like we want to go home.

"So I hope and I pray that every single day each and every one of us is thinking how we can build a society and a community worthy of their sacrifice."

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Taylor County law enforcement honor fallen officers at annual memorial
Teacher accused of child porn possession took pictures on school grounds, TX cops say

A high school teacher was arrested when an investigation uncovered a trove of child sexual abuse images in his home, Texas authorities said.

Constables went to the home of James Paul Stone on Monday, May 13, following an investigation from the Montgomery County Precinct 3 Internet Crimes Against Children division, according to a news release.

There, constables found thousands of child pornography images, the Montgomery County Constables Office Precinct 3 said. Stone is listed as a social studies teacher at Obra D. Tompkins High School in Katy.

Stone admitted to taking some of the pictures the constables discovered, authorities said.

These images do include images he admitted to taking while on school grounds, at beaches and local swimming pools around the Katy area, the constablesoffice said.

He was arrested and charged with 10 counts of child pornography possession, authorities said in the news release.

In a statement to KRIV, Katy Independent School District said Stone will not return to the school.

The district takes this type of incident very seriously and is fully cooperating with law enforcement, the statement read. In Katy ISD, providing a safe and secure learning environment is and will continue to be our top priority and we will always act swiftly when that is compromised.

Stone is reportedly the husband of Melinda Stone, who is the principal at Taylor High School in the same district.

Melinda Stone, according to Covering Katy News, sent emails Monday to staff members and parents addressing her husbands arrest. She said she was not aware of her husbands alleged criminal activity.

My family and I are deeply disappointed in his actions and thus we do not have any plans to be involved in James criminal proceedings as he navigates the next steps, Melinda Stone said, according to Covering Katy News. It is also important for me to confirm with you that I, nor any other family member, is implicated in James criminal activity.

Constables said they believe there are multiple victims in the case. Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Ashley Walker at 281-364-4211.

Katy is about a 30-mile drive west of Houston.

Elementary school music teacher is caught with child porn, Alabama cops say

Child porn shared by elementary students leads to 65-year-olds arrest, Alabama cops say
Teen arrested for shooting that injured 10 at Sanford event center charged as adult

The 16-year-old boy arrested in a shooting that hurt 10 people in Sanford more than two weeks ago appeared in court on adult charges Tuesday afternoon.

 WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS

Christopher Bouie Jr. is being held without bond after facing a judge in Seminole County.

Hes charged with five counts of attempted second-degree murder with a firearm and one count of possession of a firearm by a minor.

READ: Orlandos Mexican Consulate seeks information about Marion County bus crash victims

Bouie was arrested moments after investigators say he opened fire inside Cabana Live in Sanford, where he wasnt even allowed to be.

Christopher BOUIE JR (16) now charged as an adult facing five (5) counts of Attempted Second-Degree Murder While Discharging a Firearm (F2) in the April 28th shooting at Cabana Live in Sanford. All charges & more at: https://t.co/ltfiX0P6X6 pic.twitter.com/lVi9Eyb0yp  State Attorney 18th Circuit FL (@SA18PIO) May 14, 2024

Surveillance video shows the moment deputies say Bouie opened fire at the crowd.

According to the sheriffs office, everything started with an argument.

READ: Alabama man arrested in New Smyrna Beach for indecent exposure

We dont know yet if theres a connection between Bouie, Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma explained in a briefing the day after the shooting. Were assuming that a physical altercation is what sparked Bouie pulling out that firearm and firing shots.

No one died in the shooting, thanks in part to security guard BJ Brookins, who tackled the gunman.

I saw the fight started, and as I started walking towards that situation is when the young man pulled out, Brookins recalled during an interview with Channel 9.

READ: District officials hear update on staffing of SROs at Volusia County middle schools

Bouies next court date is set for June 18th.

According to Criminal Attorney Adam Pollack, if found guilty, Bouie faces a sentence of up to life in prison.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.




Originally appeared on E! Online

New details have emerged in the tragic death of an Oklahoma teenager.

Hours before Noah Presgrove was found dead on the side of a highway, the 19-year-old had attended a party and gotten into an ATV accident, according an autopsy obtained by People May 13.

On the night of his Sept. 3 death, the document alleged that Noah was "at a house party and drinking" before leaving to ride an "ATV ranger vehicle with several men that had a roll over incident."

And Noah's night didn't end after the four-wheeler accident. In fact, the former high school athlete then returned to the party, where he allegedly "got into an argument" with another attendee, per the autopsy. Eventually, he left again and was found dead on the Jefferson County highway by a passing truck driver the following morning, which was Labor Day around 5:53 a.m. When discovered, he was naked, just wearing mismatched shoes, each of which had "grass and debris" clumped in the laces.

Celebrity Deaths: 2024's Fallen Stars

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And while authorities have not yet determined what transpired directly before Noah's body was found on the road, the autopsy noted that he died of "multiple blunt force injuries" to the head, neck, torso and extremities, as well as multiple lacerations to and "swelling of" the brain. Additionally, he suffered a skull fracture that split the "middle base of the skull into two."

Police also confirmed in a May 2 statement to People that they are not looking into the death as a murder, though the investigation is still ongoing.

Madison Rawlings/GoFundMe

(E! News reached out to Oklahoma police for comment on the case but has not heard back.)

Following the autopsy's release, Noah's family started a GoFundMe to raise money for a private investigator to dive further into the "many more" questions the document raises about the death of the teen, who had graduated high school just a few months prior to his passing.

"We're still at square one," brother Dailen Presgrove told People in an interview published May 13. "We desperately need more cooperation from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and we're looking to get an outsider experienced in these situations."

For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
Sophie Harvey and Elliot Benham leave Gloucester Crown Court after the first day of their trial

A teenager bought abortion pills online for more than 300 to end her pregnancy at six months, a court has heard.

Sophie Harvey is accused of taking the drug to end her pregnancy after learning she was at 28 weeks and five days gestation  meaning she could not get a legal abortion in England.

Prosecutors allege Harvey, and her boyfriend, Elliot Benham, who were both 19 at the time, searched online for methods to end the pregnancy and bought the drug, which she later took.

Anna Vigars KC, prosecuting, told Gloucester Crown Court abortions are legal in England up to 24 weeks gestation if carried out by a registered medical practitioner, and can be carried out beyond 24 weeks in very limited circumstances, which did not apply in this case.

These two young people found themselves in a very difficult situation facing difficult choices  a situation of their own making, she said.

In the summer of 2018, they were both 19 and in a relationship and had been for about a year.

Ms Vigars explained that by August 2018, Harvey thought she might be pregnant having not had a period since mid-April.

Harvey and Benham told the GP she might be about 16 weeks pregnant and did not want to keep the child, so were referred to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS).

Both appeared shocked

The couple had an appointment at BPAS on Aug 30 where a scan revealed Harvey was at 28 weeks and five days gestation.

It was impossible for her to have an abortion at this stage, Ms Vigars said.

Staff spent time speaking with them and unsurprisingly both of them appeared shocked.

One member of staff said: She appeared scared and stunned, catatonic, I was not able to make eye contact as she kept looking at the floor.

I remember her saying it was not an option for her to tell her parents. She didnt disclose what she intended to do about the pregnancy.

BPAS staff referred Harvey back to her GP for urgent antenatal care, but community midwives were unsuccessful in their attempts to contact her, the court heard.

She didnt want to have the baby and bluntly both of them wanted the problem to disappear, the prosecutor said.

The court heard the defendants had searched the internet for information on illegal abortions and the drugs needed.

They were in a difficult position

Addressing the jury, Ms Vigars said: Whatever your views of abortion and the right of woman to choose, or whether you believe abortion is wrong because of the ending of a life, what is very clear is this.

By the beginning of September 2018, Sophie Harvey and Elliot Benham were in a difficult position and one that was not going to go away unless they did something about it.

The court heard online searches were carried out, including Is online abortion pills legit? and Do MTP kits work?

Ms Vigars said about a week after the BPAS appointment, Benham paid 309.44 for drugs to induce a medical abortion, which he collected from Royal Mail on Sept 22.

Harvey later told the police they had decided to keep the baby but in September suffered a stillbirth.

Their position is this, Mrs Vigars said. In fact, they suffered a stillbirth between the date the pills were ordered and the date they arrived.

She wrapped the baby in a towel

They say Sophie Harvey gave birth in a bathroom one Sunday afternoon while her family were away at a dancing competition.

In her shocked state, she wrapped the baby in a towel and disposed of the baby.

They say that although they had got what they needed for an illegal abortion, in fact Sophie Harvey never took the pills and the baby was born still, and the pregnancy came to an end naturally.

Ms Vigars added: The prosecution do not accept that account. The prosecution position is that the pregnancy was brought to an end by the taking of that pill.

The Crowns position is that having done the research, they obtained the pills and she took the first pill and then gave birth, before getting rid of the babys body.

In getting rid of the babys body. they were also getting rid of any medical evidence that she had taken the pill.

Calls, emails and letters from Harveys GP and a community midwife went unanswered and after she went beyond the period for giving birth, social services and the police were informed.

Officers went to her home in November 2018 and Harvey explained the baby had been stillborn and the body put in a bin.

They found the packet of pills Benham had bought in Harveys bedroom with one tablet missing.

Harvey, of Cirencester, Glos, denies charges of procuring a poison, procuring own miscarriage by poison and attempting to pervert the course of public justice.

Benham, of Wingfield, Swindon, denies a single charge of attempting to pervert the course of public justice.

Both defendants have pleaded guilty to concealing the birth of a child.

The trial was adjourned after Harvey became tearful in the dock.

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Missouri doesnt have a stellar record when it comes to protecting young people  young women, especially  from the harms of marrying far too young.

Less than a decade ago, the Show-Me State was known as a destination wedding spot for 15-year-old child brides. Thats because it was issuing marriage licenses to people who had traveled hundreds of miles or more, from places like Florida, Idaho and Utah, and who were way too young to legally get married in their own states.

Thanks to a Kansas City Star investigation exposing the issue, the Missouri General Assembly eventually changed the law. Now the state forbids marriage licenses to anyone under the age of 16, and requires parental permission for 16- and 17-year-olds who want to marry. Whats more, no one under the age of 18 is allowed a license to marry anyone over the age of 21  a necessary hedge against predatory relationships between teen girls and much older men.

Thats a good start.

State Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder, a Scott City Republican, and state Sen. Lauren Arthur, a Kansas City Democrat, this year have spearheaded legislation that would completely prohibit anyone under 18  anyone who is not yet legally an adult, after all  from obtaining a marriage license. We think they make a compelling case.

In Missouri, you have to be 18 to sign a legally binding contract, Rehder wrote in a Star guest commentary in March. Yet, we allow parents to sign a lifelong commitment on behalf of their children. This makes no sense. Its time to end child marriage.

Rehder and Arthurs colleagues in the Missouri Senate agreed with that logic. Last month, they voted nearly unanimously  37 to 1  for the bill. But the legislative session is winding down this week without any action in the Missouri House: The legislation is being held up in committee by a few conservative opponents.

Why, asked Rep. Dean Van Schoiack of Savannah, is the government getting involved in peoples lives like this?

Its a reasonable question. The answer? Getting married before reaching adulthood doesnt often end well for the young women involved.

Up to 80% of these unions end in divorce

Girls in the U.S. who marry in their teens are more likely to drop out of high school, never graduate from college, and end up living in poverty, and they are at greater risk of psychiatric disorders, Fraidy Reiss, founder of the anti-child-marriage outfit Unchained at Last, wrote in 2021 for the peer-reviewed Journal of Adolescent Health. Rehder, in her piece for The Star, said as many as 80% of those marriages end in divorce.

That makes intuitive sense: Teens are still working out the ideas and identities that will guide them through life. Most adolescents we know are ill-equipped to make the lifetime commitment that marriage demands. Sure, some of those marriages  as Van Schoiack pointed out  surely do work out well. They would seem to be more the exception than the rule, however.

The worst objection to the bill, though, comes from Rep. Hardy Billington of Poplar Bluff.

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 told The Star.

Missouri already bans abortion, though. Using the states marriage laws as yet another backdoor method of cementing that ban is a bad idea that gives more weight to conservative culture war concerns than to the well-being of young women.

Now, we dont agree with Arthur, who told The Star that any opposition to the bill is an excuse to protect predators. There can be reasonable concerns, including how the legislation would affect teen parents trying to raise a child together.

But were ultimately persuaded by the underlying logic of the bill: Adult decisions are for adults to make.

Were not arguing that you wake up on your 18th birthday with a newfound wisdom and maturity and the ability to choose a life partner, Reiss told The 19th News last year. Its about legal capacity: You wake up on your 18th birthday with legal rights of adulthood.

The Missouri House has until Friday, when the session ends, to let us know if it agrees.
A New York Democratic primary debate Monday between incumbent Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) and Westchester County Executive George Latimer grew heated at various points as the two debated the Israel-Hamas war and other topics.

The debate became so tense at one point that, as the moderator attempted to rein it in, Bowman inferred that Latimer was likening him to an angry Black man.

Bowman, a steadfast supporter of Palestine, initially clashed with Latimer over the Israel-Hamas war and its effect on U.S. politics.

After a nine-minute discussion on the subject, according to Politico, Bowman mentioned how his opponent had taken money from AIPAC, who also supports Republican candidates. Politico cited federal election filings that show the pro-Israel lobby forked over $600,000 to Latimers campaign. Latimer responded that the pro-Israel lobby supports Hakeem Jeffries, Greg Meng, Ritchie Torres, Adriano Espaillat and most of the Congressional Black Caucus. But the former New York state senator flubbed the name of one of Bowmans colleagues.

Bowman corrected him sternly: It is Grace Meng and Greg Meeks.

#3 



Bowman: You want to go to Washington and play nice with Marjorie Taylor Greene.



Latimer: No, you vote with her, so why shouldnt you play nice with her? pic.twitter.com/TRdEG1ipFq  Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) May 14, 2024

At another point, Latimer told Bowman that he should take a different approach when criticizing Republicans in Congress like Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).

Hes an ineffective congressman, Latimer began, before Bowman interrupted, the tension in the room already clear.

Why? Because I raise my voice? People understand passion. They know that we need passion in this moment. You want to go to Washington and play nice with Marjorie Taylor Greene? he asked.

No, you vote with her so why shouldnt you play nice with her? Latimer replied.

Last week, Bowman voted against blocking Greenes ultimately failed attempt to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson from his post.

Heres the point, and Id like to make it, madam moderator, without his interruption, Latimer continued, pointing at Bowman. When you work in a legislative body, you need to form coalitions with people. You need to have their respect. You need to talk to them as normal people. You cant preach and scream at them on the steps of the Capitol. Hes ineffective as a congressman for this very reason that youre just seeing.

Bowman responded by accusing Latimer of using a trope against him.

The angry Black man! The angry Black man! he exclaimed, throwing his arms wide. Its the Southern strategy in the North.

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Many serving alongside me in the Tennessee legislature keep demonstrating how out of step with our constituents and the nation they are.

Instead of listening to Tennesseans demands for economic relief, gun safety reforms, and increased wages, extreme politicians are using taxpayer dollars and time to bully marginalized people and continue a long history of attacks on poor, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ people.

While states like Georgia and West Virginia pivot away from attacks on our communities, some of my colleagues are doubling down on political assaults.

As a result, Tennessee has extended its national lead in passing anti-equality bills. As a state, we have waged war on peoples freedom to be themselves.

Tennessee General Assembly has its priorities wrong

In April, constituents piled into the state house to protest the passage of a bill to arm teachers. Despite having one of the highest rates of gun deaths in the nation, we have too few common sense laws aimed at reducing gun violence.

Rather than strengthen protections after tragedies like the 2023 Covenant School shooting, leaders in the General Assembly weakened our laws, eliminated the carry permit requirement and passed Rep. Barretts House Bill 2035, which preempts local government's ability to create and enforce extreme risk protection orders.

Protesters react after the House voted to adopt SB 1325 during a House session at the Tennessee Capitol in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, April 23, 2024.

My colleagues have also ignored our obligation to give students what they need to thrive, specifically those attending historically Black institutions like Tennessee State University, where the legislature is attempting to control university leadership instead of paying the $2.1 billion owed to the University. Legislators have used their time, energy, and resources to neglect poor people and continue an unrelenting attack on BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities.

The obsession with making Tennessee hostile to LGBTQ+ people, especially transgender people, stands apart. In the last 10 years, Tennessee lawmakers have enacted nearly twice as many anti-LGBTQ+ laws as any other state. Our state leads the nation in novel anti-equality legislation, like the business bathroom sign law and the drag ban, and has played a major role in every recent anti-LGBTQ+ legislative trend.

Tennessee has repeatedly banned transgender students from playing school sports, forbidden students from using the correct bathroom at school, restricted transgender youth from accessing age-appropriate, medically necessary health care, and attempted to undo marriage equality.

More: Tennessee legislature adjourns. Heres what lawmakers did and did not accomplish this year

Students get an incomplete education with anti-critical race theory laws

These bills attempt to rewrite history, as well. Tennessee was one of the first states to pass legislation to censor classroom discussions about our nation's dark history of racism. These actions have emboldened the states education commissioner to withhold funds from schools and districts where students are taught to recognize biases and learn about the contributions that Black and Brown people have made to our country. Tennessee students are receiving an incomplete education, shortchanged in service to the political ambitions of extremists.

In addition to banning lessons about race, Republicans introduced an attempted ban on any materials that promote, normalize, support, or address lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender issues or lifestyles. These bills label human beings as other, making worse an already heartbreaking rise in bullying and violence against LGBTQ+ students.

Rather than giving our children the full education they deserve, our state has prioritized a diluted education for the same population we refer to as our future. Teaching a sanitized version of our shared history empowers bigotry and doesnt help us evolve as a nation. All Tennesseans deserve representation and to lead a life unfettered by regressive, hate-filled policies.

Justin Pearson in Memphis, Tenn., on Saturday, March 6, 2021.

Tennessee has a rich and storied history, full of culture, music and "good trouble," seen in how our people show up to the state house and demand better from their representatives.

We should be a model for the South in how to reimagine a more inclusive, just society. Our opponents are using the same binary playbook of division to attack defenders of democracy  white against Black, straight against gay, immigrant against those born here  in an attempt to distract us from seeing how they are restricting individual freedoms to preserve their positions of power.

As elected leaders, we have a responsibility to represent all Tennesseans. But we have failed thus far. I urge every Tennessee resident to register to vote and go to the polls this election season. The MAGA majority in the legislature is doing everything in their power to silence your voices. Now is the time to vote for your values and for our future. The power of the people cannot continue to be ignored.

State Rep. Justin J. Pearson, D-Memphis, represents District 86 in the Tennessee House of Representatives.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee lawmaker Justin J. Pearson to colleagues: Stop being bullies
On the morning of May 14, Russian terrorists once again attacked Kharkiv with guided aerial bombs. Civilians were injured in one of the districts as a result of the shelling.

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The destruction of civilian infrastructure was also recorded. The head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, Oleh Syniehubov, reported this on Telegram.

According to the RMA, Putin's troops struck the Kyiv district of Kharkiv at around 6:30 am. The shelling injured 4 people: a man of 52 years old and three women of 66, 56 and 38 years old. They were diagnosed with an acute stress reaction. The victims were provided with medical aid on the spot.

Syniehubov also noted that Russian terrorists attacked Kharkiv with unified cross-species gliding ammunition D-30 glide munitions. The attack destroyed three garages and damaged three more.

The occupants dropped the second bomb in an open area. Information on the damage is being clarified.

Mayor Ihor Terekhov noted that the Russians struck the area where residential multi-storey buildings are located.

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"Kharkiv was hit by two adjusted air bombs. One strike destroyed three garages and damaged several others. The second one hit an open area. Both landed in a densely populated area. Two people were injured," the mayor said.

As a reminder, on the evening of May 13, Russian troops shelled a farm in the village of Korotych near Kharkiv. A man died as a result of the missile attack, and at least three other people were injured. The village of Liptsy was also shelled, and a woman was wounded.

Earlier it was reported that a voluntary temporary evacuation of the population from the settlements of Bilopillia and Vorozhba in Sumy region is underway. Russian occupation forces have significantly intensified shelling of border towns and villages.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, the number of massive artillery and air strikes in the north of Kharkiv region has increased over the past day. The number of settlements where fighting is taking place has increased over the day, and evacuations are gaining momentum.

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Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes!
Under scrutiny from legislators, Texas university leaders attest to how theyre complying with the states DEI ban

The Senate Committee on Education held a hearing on antisemitism, free speech and compliance with the state's DEI ban on May 14, 2024. Credit: Leila Saidane for The Texas Tribune

Public university leaders tried to demonstrate their schools can still build diverse student bodies in a post-DEI reality and acknowledged a rise in reports of antisemitism on campuses at a wide-ranging hearing Tuesday that covered some of the most explosive issues rattling higher education in the state.

In their first public testimony since the ban on diversity, equity and inclusion offices went into effect, university system administrators explained to the Texas Senate subcommittee on higher education how they were complying with the state law. They said they have redirected millions of dollars away from their now-defunct DEI offices toward redoubling recruiting efforts and developing alternative student support programs.

Every dollar spent on bloated university bureaucracy should be redeployed to ensure that all Texas students regardless of race, are college ready and heavily recruited for those that want to apply to a college, said State Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, who shepherded the DEI ban through the Legislature last year.

Lawmakers put an end to DEI offices when they passed Senate Bill 17 during the 2023 legislative session. The law went into effect in January. Opponents of DEI programs and training said those programs indoctrinated students with left-wing ideology and forced universities to make hires based on their support of diversity efforts rather than on merit and achievement.

Creighton called Tuesdays hearing after he and GOP leaders expressed concerns that colleges were not fully complying with the law. The Conroe Republican has not provided specific examples about what reports of noncompliance he has received or discussed them at the hearing.

Creighton pressed Texas Tech University leaders about how they were changing the culture at the West Texas school so that DEI practices did not reemerge.

Texas Tech came under fire last year after its biology department asked job candidates to submit so-called diversity statements and gave them negative marks for failing to articulate the difference between equality and equity. Diversity statements are typically one- to two-page letters in which job candidates are asked to share their experiences working with diverse populations and their commitment to helping a diverse group of students succeed. Critics have characterized them as political litmus tests.

University leaders said the closures of DEI offices and programs have meant they now have new funds available to spend. University of Texas System administrators said they freed up $25 million in their budget after closing 21 offices, eliminating 311 full- and part-time positions and canceling 681 trainings related to DEI.

The Texas State University System saved $3 million and the University of Houston System about $750,000 after eliminating their DEI programs and positions.

Lawmakers last year blasted DEI programs as ineffective but recognized Tuesday that Texas colleges still have to build and maintain student bodies that reflect the states population.

We all support diversity. We want to include more students in the kinds of opportunities that our higher education can provide, Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, said. Part of that includes recruitment.

One school system, Texas Woman's University, opened a center for first-generation students in the months following SB 17s implementation. Chancellor Carine Feyten described it as race- and gender-neutral.

Half of the systems incoming students are the first in their families to go to college. Research shows that schools across the country have a harder time retaining first-generation students than their peers.

I come before you today to report we scrubbed our house from top to bottom, we reorganized and that we are ready to serve our diverse student body just as effective, Feyten said.

Protesters marched from the UT-Austin campus to the Capitol before the Senate committee hearing. Credit: Leila Saidane for The Texas Tribune

The hearing happened the same day that about two dozen protesters marched about a mile from UT-Austins Tower to the Texas Capitol to protest the DEI ban.

Many of the protesters said they were frustrated with how universities have complied with SB 17, pointing to the firing of dozens of employees at UT-Austin since January and the closing of centers and programs that used to serve students from marginalized backgrounds.

UT-Austin senior Maggie DiSanza said she greatly benefited from the Gender and Sexuality Center, one of the offices that shut down. She said she wouldnt have enrolled at UT-Austin as a senior in high school if she had known those programs would close.

Rising UT-Austin junior Shelydon Ely said that the elimination of spaces like the Multicultural Engagement Center has made students like her feel less welcome on campus and has put the responsibility of supporting underserved students on the students themselves.

I still have two more years here, but I worry even more for students that are coming here expecting to feel welcome and then they don't have these programs and resources that they expected to have when they come, Ely said.

A rise in antisemitism

Lawmakers also pushed leaders to acknowledge and respond to an uptick in reports of antisemitism on college campuses amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

UT-Austin student Levi Fox told state senators that verbal attacks and a pervasive fear for his safety have disturbed the end of his spring semester. One history professor told him and a group Jewish students theyll come after you and put you in the oven.

I have seen firsthand Jewish students taking off yarmulkes or hiding their Stars of David that are hanging around their neck or skipping Hillel Shabbat because it's been a tough week, Fox said. It's horrifying to see my friends be scared to be Jewish. I never thought I would see that.

Universities cannot restrict hate speech under the First Amendment, free speech experts say. But Middleton questioned whether recent acts of antisemitism invite government intervention to look at the intersection of free speech and religious freedom.

It is un-Texan and un-American to have to hide your faith, the Galveston Republican said.

About 73% of Jewish college students across the country have experienced or witnessed antisemitism since the start of the 2023 school year, a report from the Anti-Defamation League said.

Israel launched its siege on Gaza after Hamas fighters attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7. During the attack, Hamas took about 250 people hostage and killed 1,200 Israelis. Since then, more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 77,000 people wounded, two-thirds of whom were women or children, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.

U.T. System Chancellor J.B. Milliken testifies before the Texas Senate Committee on Education on May 14, 2024. Credit: Leila Saidane for The Texas Tribune

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have broken out in universities across the country as protesters call for schools to divest from firms and weapons manufacturers that support Israel. Last month, protests at UT-Austin ended in violent clashes with the police and the arrest of more than 130 people, sparking debates about free speech protections and who gets to enjoy them.

Some students and faculty have criticized the response as heavy-handed but state leaders have cheered on Texas university administrators when theyve called law enforcement to shut down protests.

There's a misconception that you can commandeer public property on a campus  a publicly funded university campus  and disrupt finals week, disrupt the flow of foot traffic, Creighton said on Tuesday.

When asked whether he felt the recent pro-Palestinian demonstrations were anti-Jewish, University of Texas System Chancellor J.B. Milliken said yes, though he noted he didn't believe everyone involved in the protests was antisemitic. Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp said that while protests on his campuses have been respectful, he acknowledged he had a pro-Israeli bias on the issue after recruiting students with strong ties to the country.

The hearing comes as Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the leader of the Texas Senate, has signaled he wants the chamber to propose new laws to prevent antisemitism, protect free speech and enforce the DEI ban on college campuses during next years legislative session.

Ikram Mohamed contributed to this story.

The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

Disclosure: Texas Tech University, Texas Woman's University - Board of Regents, Texas State University System, University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas System and University of Houston have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

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Correction, May 15, 2024 at 9:36 a.m. : An earlier version of this article misspelled Texas Woman's University Chancellor Carine Feyten's name.
Shayda Torabi, owner of Restart CBD, inside her store in Austin on May 9. Torabi, along with her two sisters, became curious about the properties of the plant after Torabi had an accident and started using CBD to manage her pain. Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune

Austin hemp entrepreneur Shayda Torabi is looking at a year filled with uncertainty.

For the six years they've been in business, Torabi and her two sisters have operated Restart, their hemp dispensary, in a modest neighborhood in North Austin within an entirely lawful framework  evolving as the laws changed, and staying comfortably and legally off the radar of state lawmakers who authorized the sale of consumable hemp in Texas in 2019.

But all of that is about to change.

Some Texas lawmakers have marked hemp dispensaries for what could be some radical changes in regulations next year. Since their products were legalized, theres been an overnight proliferation of shops offering baked goods, gummies, oils, and smokable buds made with cannabis derivatives  some containing small amounts of psychoactives.

Once the darling of a burgeoning wellness industry, the purveyors of legal cannabis products now face questions from critics who remain unconvinced of the safety of their products and want tighter regulations  or even partial bans.

Consumable hemp products come in forms that include smokable vapes and flower buds, oils and creams, baked goods, drinks, gummies and candies.

Restart CBD offers a variety of different edibles, paraphernalia and drinks. Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune

They contain industrial hemp or hemp-derived cannabinoids, including the non-intoxicating cannabidiol known as CBD. They may not contain more than 0.3% concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the intoxicating part of the cannabis plant that comes in forms known as delta-8, delta-9 and THCA.

The difference in the legal and illegal products lies in the plants from which they come. Hemp and marijuana plants are both cannabis plants. Marijuana plants have high THC. Hemp has low THC.

Texas is one of about a dozen states that has not legalized marijuana in any form for broad use.

But thousands of dispensaries in Texas are selling hemp-derived products that look, taste and sometimes intoxicate similar to their more potent sibling. Theyve sprung up in recent years through loopholes in state and federal law that allow them to sell their low-THC products with no age limits, loose and inconsistent testing requirements, and no limit on the number of licenses allowed in the state. And its happening amid a series of oft-changing statutes and court decisions that throw retailers, advocates, police, prosecutors and parents into confusion over whats actually legal to buy, sell, possess and consume.

Since consumable hemp was legalized in Texas , the number of retail registrations for consumable hemp products has exploded in the state.

In 2020, the first year the Texas Department of State Health Services began registering retailers, some 1,948 retailers were actively registered. By 2023, that number had jumped to 8,343. And in the first four months of 2024, the state has already seen more than 7,700 active registrations.

Last month, Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick ordered the Texas Senate to look into potentially banning the hemp products that contain THC, and investigate strict regulations for retailers across Texas. A hearing is scheduled for later this month.

There is no similar charge for the more business-friendly Texas House, which voted last year to expand the states medical marijuana program in legislation that also would have regulated the dispensaries.

That bill never got a vote in the Senate, the result of a political maneuvering over unrelated issues and a decided lack of interest in expanding weed laws in the conservative upper chamber.

Because its a Patrick priority, its likely to come up when lawmakers convene in January for the regular legislative session. Meanwhile, Congress is getting ready to reauthorize the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018, also known as the Farm Bill, that instituted widespread changes for the hemp industry, including the authorization of the sale of intoxicating hemp-derived products.

So far, the latest U.S. House and Senate versions of that bill  which both propose to loosen barriers for industrial hemp farmers  leave out any changes that would address either the increasing calls by critics for limits on dispensaries or pushes by advocates for wider access. But further changes could come before the legislation gets a vote later this year.

Torabi, the Restart brand owner and president of the Texas Hemp Coalition, said she is looking for some clarity and support from both Austin and Washington.

We're now seeing the hemp conversation not just in Texas, but nationally, show the pathway for how we can access this plant and really, ultimately help consumers who are seeking relief with cannabis products, Torabi said. Were watching and waiting to see what happens next.

The state does not limit the number of dispensary registrations or hemp licenses it allows. Health officials conduct random testing for the presence of heavy metals, pathogens, pesticides, solvents and the concentration of THC.

Retailers must pay an annual fee of $155 per location. License holders are on the hook for additional required state fees.

Torabis cannabis dispensary sells hemp-derived gummies, oils, edibles and smokable plant buds that are marketed as having wellness benefits like decreased depression or stress relief. While federal drug officials have approved the use of a seizure medicine that contains CBD, most of the hemp-derived products are not regulated by the federal government.

Her products contain either CBD, or low-concentration cannabinoid THC derivatives like THCA, delta-9 and delta-8. Some products are combinations of those.

Some regulations that would keep her industry legit would be welcome, Torabi said.

It is the wild, wild West out there, and I can imagine youd throw a stone in any direction and find not only new CBD products but the expansion of psychoactive cannabinoids, said Torabi, who sells both types. And it's a double-edged sword. Its great that were giving access to these products where the consumers are, but the lack of regulation is really the crux of the conversation.

The presence of bad actors who could trigger regulations that drag down legitimate operations not only threaten the very existence of her business if they cause a total ban on her products, Torabi said.

They also ruin the reputation of people like her and the products she passionately believes in after she used CBD, at her mothers urging, to deal with chronic pain after she was hit by a car as a pedestrian in downtown Austin years ago, she said.

And while its true that consuming low-quality, unregulated products from unscrupulous retailers can be uncomfortable or unsafe for users, the customers coming to Restart to purchase high-quality CBD and low-dose THC products consistently tell her how they have helped them with issues like inflammation, insomnia, depression and similar benefits, Torabi said.

We share the same concerns as Patrick, which is why we really do try to self-regulate as much as possible because we see where there can be malintent or taking what the intent was and twisting it, she said. It's a challenging place to be in because I do empathize with the state's concerns, but the transformative conversations that we're having on a daily basis are just so powerful, and those shouldn't be overlooked.

The wellness benefits claimed by purveyors of hemp-derived consumables have been neither endorsed nor refuted by the U.S. Federal Drug Administration. Federal drug enforcement officials recently signaled that marijuana, would soon lose its status as a Schedule 1 narcotic  which are drugs that are highly addictive but have no medicinal value  and become eligible for broad research on its medicinal effects.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick takes a knee while speaking during a keynote lunch at the Texas Public Policy Foundation Texas Policy Summit 2024 at the AT&T Hotel & Conference Center in Austin on Mar. 21, 2024. Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune

Thats not an opening for legal pot or any other changes in Texas, but it does bolster the argument that cannabis in whatever form it takes can have uses beyond industrial rope and intoxicating party drugs, advocates say.

We're simply asking Dan Patrick to not eliminate the market but to further regulate and lean on organizations like ours, and to lean on leading operators like myself at Restart, to really understand and become educated, Torabi said.

The states miniscule medical marijuana program, the Compassionate Use Program run by the Texas Department of Public Safety, has about 12,000 enrollees and a short list of conditions that would qualify a resident to buy low doses of marijuana in either edible or oil form.

Texans with a variety of conditions  such as epilepsy, autism, cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder  can access cannabis oil from marijuana plants with less than 1% THC. Medical cannabis can treat the symptoms of some of these diseases or reduce the side effects of other treatments, such as alleviating the nausea and loss of appetite associated with chemotherapy or reducing nightmares in patients with PTSD.

It is legal to buy and use most smokable hemp products such as flower or vape cartridges with CBD, THCA and delta-8. The smokable version of delta-9, a hemp derivative which has a higher THC level than delta-8, is illegal in Texas.

All hemp derivatives can be legally sold in oils, creams, gummies, sodas, candies, coffee and other consumables that retailers like Torabi stock in storefronts, convenience stores, breweries, coffee shops, trailers and online.

Consumable hemp was made legalby the federal Farm Bill in 2018 and in Texas, the following year by House Bill 1325, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law.

Critics say that because consumable hemp stores have been allowed to sell their products without stringent testing requirements, age limits or other regulations, they pose a health risk and their extreme growth in numbers has undercut access by the patients who truly need cannabis for health reasons.

Different types of edibles are displayed at Restart CBD on Thursday, May 9, 2024 in Austin. Edibles are their best selling products. Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune

They want lawmakers to enact age restrictions, on-site or in-state testing requirements, regulations on the ingredients and changes to how the psychoactive ingredients in the consumable hemp products are measured by state regulators.

States like Colorado, where both medical and recreational marijuana are legal, are putting tighter restrictions like these on those products as a way to reign in access and force more health and safety accountability on the consumable hemp industry.

Many of the current retailers, including Torabi, put some of these restrictions on themselves. All of Restarts non-smokeable products are produced in Texas, including some handcrafted in her hometown of Austin. Her shop does not sell to anyone under the age of 21 for delta-8 and delta-9 products and 18 for CBD products.

Nico Richardson, CEO of Texas Original, the leading medical cannabis provider in the state, is frustrated that his operation, which his medical marijuana patients depend on for relief from symptoms of cancers and nerve disorders among other ills, is hindered by enormous regulation while businesses like Torabis are not.

For example, since he can only store his inventory in one location under Texas law, it gets ferried back and forth across the state at Richardsons companys expense. If a patient in the medical marijuana program in El Paso doesnt pick up an order, Richardsons staff has to drive to that city and bring that order of medical grade cannabis product back to Austin  a huge expense as well as an enormous waste of staff resources, he said.

On the way, my driver passes probably 1,500 hemp dispensaries dealing delta-8 and delta-9 with no restrictions, and its everywhere in the state, Richardson said. Am I upset about that? Yes. I think its absolutely horrendous.

Texas Original is one of two medical marijuana providers in Texas and serves the vast majority of the patients on the state program, Richardson said.

You have patients in Texas that have gone through the process in the compassionate use program to get clean, well-tested, well-regulated medicine that is safe. Thats what theyre coming into the program for, and thats what were trying to provide them, Richardson said.

But that system will not survive if the hemp industry is not reigned in, he said. People are too easily convinced that all consumable hemp products are safe because they can buy them in the gas station or because they were at some point tested before they were sold, he said.

It is complete and utter gaslighting, Richardson said.

Lawmakers have instituted regulations beyond basic licensing fees and requirements in place, such as a restriction that the products cant contain more than 0.3% THC by weight and that retailers have records showing that the products have been tested to confirm those numbers. But there is no guidance, for example, on how recently a product should have been tested, even though the amount of THC in a product can increase over time due to degradation and environmental factors.

Short of seeing a shutdown of the entire hemp industry, Richardson said tighter industry regulations are long overdue.

It was never the intent here in Texas, and it certainly was never the intent for the 2018 federal Farm Bill, that you'd have a massive industry of  let's call it what it is  intoxicating hemp derivatives. It's marijuana by another name, he said. That's certainly not how the system was supposed to run.

Near the end of May, the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee will hear public testimony about the issue. Both Richardson and Torabi plan to be there.

Restart CBD Owner Shayda Torabi in her Austin store on May 9, 2024. Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune

Torabi envisions a movement that would join people like her and Richardson  currently at odds in the fight  to craft a regulatory framework in Texas that allows access to all cannabis products, from low-dose CBD to medical grade pot to maybe even recreational legalization.

But what Torabi sees now is an opportunity for the pro-cannabis community to be a national leader in treating the plant as a tool for wellness, in whatever form it can be delivered.

It's not like we're legalizing cannabis, and it's going to be a free-for-all, and there's no rules and checkpoints  that's absolutely not what we're asking for, Torabi said. We're just asking for inclusion, legitimacy and the acceptance that this is not something that you can keep dismissing as a conversation.

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FILE - Ivy grows near the lettering of the an entrance to the University of Texas, Nov. 29, 2012, in Austin, Texas. Texas universities eliminated or changed hundreds of jobs in recent months in response to one of the nation's most sweeping bans on diversity programs on college campuses, school officials told lawmakers Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  Texas universities eliminated or changed hundreds of jobs in recent months in response to one of the nation's most sweeping bans on diversity programs on college campuses, school officials told lawmakers Tuesday.

In the fullest public accounting of the new Texas law to date, the head of the University of Texas system announced that its nine academic and five health campuses alone had cut 300 full- and part-time positions. Those campuses combined also did away with more than 600 programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion training.

"You may not like the law, but it is the law, University of Texas Systems Chancellor James Milliken said.

Milliken was one of several chancellors who GOP state senators called to the Texas Capitol to testify on how campuses are complying with the law signed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott last year. Texas is among about one-third of states across the nation that have taken steps to limit or prohibit DEI initiatives and practices.

Republican state Sen. Brandon Creighton, in a letter to chancellors in March, said he was concerned that some campuses were trying to skirt the law or find loopholes, such as renaming employing titles or campus offices.

This letter should serve as a notice that this practice is unacceptable, Creighton wrote in the letter.

Republican lawmakers in about two dozen states have filed bills seeking to restrict DEI initiatives this year, according to an Associated Press analysis using the legislation-tracking software Plural. Meanwhile, Democrats have sponsored measures supporting DEI in at least 20 states.

Last month, the flagship University of Texas campus in Austin  one of the largest campuses in the U.S.  announced the closure of the school's Division of Campus and Community Engagement and the elimination of jobs in order to comply with the ban.

Earlier this year, the University of Florida announced more than a dozen terminations in response to a similar state ban.

Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp told lawmakers the legislation makes it crystal clear that if you tread back into the bad waters, something bad is going to happen to you.

On Monday, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Board of Trustees approved diverting $2.3 million of state funds for advancing diversity to instead serve public safety and policing. The move comes as North Carolinas public university system will consider changing its diversity policy before the legislature steps in.

In Oklahoma, the head of the University of Oklahomas Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center announced earlier this month that he was forced to terminate its National Education for Women Leadership program because of an anti-DEI executive order signed by Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt last year. The program trained more than 650 women from dozens of colleges and universities across the country over the past 20 years.

As one of only a handful of women to have held leadership positions in the Legislature since statehood, I believe this programs elimination is a terrible loss, said Democratic Oklahoma state Sen. Kay Floyd in a statement.

-

Associated Press writer Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed to this report.
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage)  The Tom Green County Sheriffs Office has released an official statement regarding its arrest of a Wall Independent School District faculty member following an investigation into the electronic sexual solicitation of minors.

According to TGSO, the office was contacted by Wall ISD administrative personnel on March 20 about several underage female students receiving sexually explicit communications from an unknown individual. The unknown individual was utilizing TikTok and a texting app to send these messages.

RELATED: Wall ISD faculty member arrested following online sexual solicitation investigation

The sheriffs office launched a criminal investigation into the complaint. During the investigation, investigators learned that the individual communicated via sexually explicit language describing sexual conduct, attempted to solicit sexually explicit photographs from underage females and provided a pornographic photographic image to a female child younger than 15 years of age.

The suspect would be identified as 33-year-old Joshua Alexander Carroll of San Angelo. Carroll has been employed by Wall ISD as an assistant band director since January 2022.

On Tuesday, May 14, Carroll was arrested by TGSO investigators. A search warrant was conducted for electronic devices under his care at his residence and those located inside Wall High School.

Through this investigation, several underage students have been confirmed as having been targeted by this suspect. TGSO requests anyone who has information or believes their child to have been solicited by this individual to contact the Criminal Investigation Division of the Tom Green County Sheriffs Office at 325-655-8111.

Mugshot of Joshua Carroll taken on May 14, 2024. Image courtesy of the Tom Green County Sheriffs Office.

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 ConchoValleyHomepage.com.
And then there were seven: RIPTA narrows down potential sites for Providence bus hub

Rhode Island Public Transit Authority Board Member Patrick Crowley walks by displays of the bus agency's potential transit center locations at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence on Monday, May 13, 2024. (Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current)

PROVIDENCE  After months of keeping mum on the number of potential locations to build a new state-of-the art transit center, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) finally announced Monday it has narrowed its list down to seven sites.

RIPTA unveiled the picks during a public workshop in the lobby of the Amica Mutual Pavilion in downtown Providence  the first in a series of three engagement sessions to garner input on the bus agencys plan to move its hub in Kennedy Plaza elsewhere.

Its been a long time coming, interim CEO Christopher Durand told reporters Monday afternoon. I think were much earlier in this process than everybody thinks we are.

RIPTAs Board of Directors in January approved a nearly $16.9 million contract with Next Wave Partners to start design work for a mixed-use bus hub. The new building would offer a number of amenities not offered at Kennedy Plaza such as larger indoor waiting areas, expanded restrooms, digital screens to track bus arrivals and departures, and WiFi.

Missed the May 13 transit talk?

RIPTA and representatives from the consortium of companies developing the new bus hub will host another public engagement session at the Community College of Rhode Island Knight Campus in Warwick on Thursday, May 30, from 4 to 7 p.m.

RIPTA also plans to hold a third meeting on the matter virtually, but had yet to schedule it as of Monday.

Its a unique opportunity here, said Christopher Marsella, whose Providence-based Marsella Development Corporation is part of the consortium of six companies contracted to build the new bus hub.

The bus hub would be the result of a public-private partnership, with public funding coming from a $35 million bond for mass transit center infrastructure approved by voters in 2014. Durand said other potential payments could come from loans through the federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act or grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Thats what we have to figure out, theres all these funding options out there, Durand said.

Marsella said the seven potential transit center locations were chosen because of their proximity to commercial properties, other modes of transit, and the citys hospitals.

And there are only so many sites with the land area needed to consider a development of this scale, Marsella said. Durand declined to say the minimum acreage RIPTA wants for a new hub.

RIPTAs plan is to narrow down the final three locations by July. The winning location will likely be picked by RIPTAs Board of Directors in August, Marsella said.

The price to construct the new hub is unclear, as Marsella told Rhode Island Current that it will be determined after a final spot is selected. Cost estimates in 2021 put the transit hub project at $77 million, a figure based on the hub being built at Dorrance and Dyer streets.

So where in downtown Providence are the seven contenders to replace Kennedy Plaza at?

1. Clifford Street

At 1.49 acres, this potential bus hub location next to the Garrahy Courthouse is now used as a parking garage. If RIPTA were to consider this as the place to construct a new transit center, Marsella said crews would have to retrofit the structure.

2. Dorrance Street

Now a series of empty parking lots, this 1.42-acre property is next to Johnson & Wales Downcity Campus, the Garrahy Judicial Complex, and Providences Financial District. At the time RIPTA put the project out to bid in January 2023, this location was the lead contender for the agencys bus hub.

3. Eddy Street

Formerly home to the Victory Polishing and Plating Co., this 7.85-acre property is now privately-owned parking lot by Lifespan Corp. Marsella said this site was picked due to its proximity to Rhode Island Hospital.

4. Exchange Street

Sitting along the Providence River between Kennedy Plaza and the Amtrak station, this 1.86-acre piece of land is now a series of parking lots. Technically, it is two parcels of land, Marsella said.

5. Friendship Street

The choice of this I-195 Redevelopment District lot is hardly a surprise. Even Gov. Dan McKee last December admitted the site was a strong possibility during a radio interview with Gene Valicenti last December. The I-195 Redevelopment Commission in February reserved the land for RIPTA through October in order for the bus agency to study the feasibility of the parcel for the bus hub. Transit advocates have long been critical of RIPTA potentially moving its hub from Kennedy Plaza  especially to the 195 district, saying its too far from downtown amenities.

6. Gaspee Street

This spot includes the State House, along with the parking lot for the Rhode Island Department of Transportation. Should RIPTA select this 4.13-acre area, Marsella said almost the entire mixed-use hub would be underground in order to avoid taking away the green space by the State House. Challenges include excavation costs and ways to incorporate transit-oriented housing.

7. Park Row West

Sitting at 1.48 acres, this parcel vacant lot abuts the Amtrak station. And unlike the Gaspee street location, a hub here could be built above ground.

Bus riders and staff for the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority talks transit inside the Amica Mutual Pavilion in downtown Providence on May 13, 2024. (Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current)

Where do people want the hub to be?

Participants at Mondays workshop had the chance to cast their ballot for which spot they would like RIPTA to make the new hub. The popular vote from transit riders would be nonbinding but guide the boards final decision, said RIPTA spokesperson Cristy Raposo Perry.

The final vote by transit riders is not expected to be made public, Raposo Perry said.

After looking at each of the seven displays, RIPTA Board member Patrick Crowley declined to tell Rhode Island Current which location he prefers.

As far as Im concerned I have two requirements: Build it union, and make sure theres bathrooms for the drivers, Crowley said. Location, I think its more important to know what the community wants.

Bus rider and Pawtucket resident Devin Guirales, who uses a wheelchair, said Eddy Street is his preferred spot for a new bus hub. Of the seven proposed sites, he said this is likely the only location he can traverse around with little issue.

All the other options are in really hilly spots that would be difficult to get to in my wheelchair, Guirales said.

But not all bus riders want to move out of Kennedy Plaza.

Its one of the open field places in the city and right downtown, said Matty Pena, a volunteer for RI Transit Riders. They could really ramp it up and make it awesome instead of neglecting it.

They added that RIPTAs decision to not make Kennedy Plaza an option seems rigged.

It seems like they gave us little pretend things to imagine are options, but theyve only set one up for success: Parcel 35, Pena said, referring to the Friendship Street location.

The post And then there were seven: RIPTA narrows down potential sites for Providence bus hub appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
Those incarcerated in New Mexico may get access to federal funds for college education

NEW MEXICO (KRQE)  The University of New Mexicos (UNM) Valencia campus received approval from the New Mexico Corrections Department (NMCD) to serve as a Prison Education Program (PEP) institution. If the program is approved by the U.S. Department of Education, it will allow incarcerated individuals who are enrolled in the program to gain access to federal funding, such as the Pell Grant, for their education.

Additionally, the PEP program guarantees equal access to various student services, which were previously limited to students on traditional campuses, according to NMCD.

Story continues below

This new program recognizes the value of education in our prisons, said NMCD Cabinet Secretary Alisha Tafoya Lucero in a news release. It provides the incarcerated individuals with an opportunity to further their education and increase their chances of successful reintegration into society upon release. With everything we do at NMCD, our goal is to build safer communities, and this program is a significant step towards achieving that goal.

Previously, incarcerated students relied solely on the New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship to finance their education.

If UNM-Valencia gets approval from the U.S. Department of Education, it will be the first campus in the state with a PEP designation, thus setting it apart from other institutions that offer college courses to incarcerated individuals in New Mexico.

Research conducted by the RAND Corporation and funded by the Department of Justice has shown that education programs that are provided to incarcerated individuals increase rehabilitation, reduce recidivism, and improve social integration.

We are proving that there is no wrong door to higher education in New Mexico, said New Mexico Higher Education Department Cabinet Secretary Stephanie M. Rodriguez in a news release. Incarcerated individuals will now be able to leverage both state and federal scholarships to ensure they have the opportunity to reach higher and ensure they can achieve success in their communities when they are out. Higher education for people of all backgrounds creates a positive contribution to New Mexicos workforce and economy.

The implementation of this program is a direct result of a new federal policy signed into law in December 2020 and went into effect in July 2023. The law requires a confined or incarcerated individual to enroll in an eligible prison education program (PEP) in order to access a Federal Pell Grant.

To learn more about PEP, click here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.
Though I'm a gun-owning Texan, the NRA is not welcome here | Opinion

This week, the National Rifle Association will, once again, host its convention in Texas and, once again, attempt to overstate its influence. After years of being crippled by corruptiondrowning in multiple lawsuits, losing millions of members, and forcing out its scandal-ridden CEO Wayne LaPierrethe NRA comes limping back to the Lone Star State to lick its wounds.

As a veteran, fifth generation Texan, and GIFFORDS Gun Owner for Safety, I'm telling the NRA that they're not welcome here.

In Texas, we don't hide from the truth. And the truth is that the NRA has long-ago hijacked gun culture, and its convention does nothing but showcase the gun industrys billion-dollar marketing campaigns that peddle paranoia and irresponsible fantasies.

Former NRA Executive Vice President and CEO Wayne LaPierre speaks April 14, 2023, during the NRA's convention in Indianapolis. (Credit: Luke Johnson/Indianapolis Star/USA Today)

I know responsible gun ownership. Like many Texans, I grew up around firearms. When I served as a commander of an Army Reserve small arms training company, the safe handling and storage of firearms was my job.

Putting the safety of our fellow service members and our communities above our own lives was a core value in the military. The NRA spits on that value by pushing a purely selfish message of the individual above all else: rights'' with no regard to responsibilities. Its offensive to those of us who actually have protected Americans and defended our freedoms.

Today, America faces an enemy within: the for-profit gun lobby and the politicians in its pocket. Since the beginning of this century alone, we have lost more American lives to gun violence than all of our nation's wars combined.

The NRA claims to be the longest-standing civil rights organization, with lofty talk of defending the 2nd Amendment and freedom. But the NRA sold the freedoms and safety of our communities in exchange for corporate profits a long time ago. Americans cannot pursue happiness while looking over their shoulders and planning escape routes.

This is no way to live, and we don't have to. Yet Governor Greg Abbott has only passed legislation that has made gun violence worse.

Abbott signed permitless carry into law, which allows any untrained person to carry a loaded gun in public with no background check. Under his governorship, gun deaths have surged by more than 60%. In 2022, 4,630 Texans died due to gun violence according to the CDC.

It's not for a lack of demand that the GOP supermajority in the Texas legislature won't pass gun safety laws. A vast majority of Texansand Texas gun ownerswant commonsense gun safety laws. Almost 80% of Texans support mandatory background checks on all gun sales, including 70% of Republicans. Over 70% of Texas voters support requiring gun purchasers to be 21 years old, and 72% support red flag laws that help concerned family members temporarily keep guns away from those who may harm themselves or others.

I know Texans want to protect our children in schools. The outrage after the tragic school shooting in Uvalde shook the conscience of Congress to take action.

Ive also met some who think this is a futile fight, that a safer future is too far out of reach. To them, I say: Do not back down now.

I'm a senior ambassador for Giffords Gun Owners for Safety, a coalition of the national gun violence prevention organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. After she survived an assassination attempt where she was shot in the head, she started to organize survivors Republicans, Democrats, Independents, gun owners, advocatesbecause she knows we all want our children and communities to be safe. She didnt back down. We cant either.

As the NRA hosts its convention in Dallas, we're launching Giffords Texas to go toe-to-toe with the gun lobby. When the merchants of despair and death come to Texas, we must show that they will find no home here.

Kling is a decorated combat veteran and fifth-generation Texan. As senior ambassador for GIFFORDS Gun Owners for Safety, he advocates against the for-profit gun lobby and for popular, commonsense gun safety laws.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Though I'm a veteran and a gun-owning Texan, the NRA isn't welcome here
CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  Childcare providers across the state are stepping away from their classrooms in the hope of educating a different demographic: lawmakers and the public.

Theres always been a problem, but its really hanging on a thread right now, Childcare Changemakers organizer and Childcare Director at Pathway Preschool Center Emma Biggs said. Once June 30th happens, a lot of programs are going to have to close their doors or their classroom.

Police seek vehicle movements related to missing Stanly County 17-year-old presumed dead

Childcare workers at the East Charlotte center are joining a nationwide push for better pay, affordable childcare for families, and government assistance. Providers as well as parents spent Monday participating in the Day Without Child Care. They held signs, chanted, and sangall in an effort to raise awareness about the state of the childcare industry.

They are asking North Carolina lawmakers for $300 million to extend stabilization grants. Since 2021, the money has been used to increase staff wages. The grants are set to expire next month.

I have teachers across the state already living in poverty. They already have Medicaid and food stamps and then they come to work, taking care of other peoples children, Biggs said.

According to ZipRecruiter, the average hourly pay for a childcare worker in North Carolina is $13.08. While that pay has seen minimal increases over the last couple of years, the cost to send your child to daycare has skyrocketed.

Families are spending such big chunks of their paychecks on childcare and then the teachers are barely making enough. They could literally make more if they went down the street and worked at a big box store, parent Clare Knoblich said.

If funding is cut, nearly 30% of all programs across the state are expected to close. The North Carolina Childcare Resource and Referral Council estimates that more than 90,000 children would be impacted.

John-Paul Miller says he put GPS trackers on Micas vehicles, posted nude photo of her, report says

It is really hard as a parent to even get into a school like Pathway. Many of our neighbors are on wait lists for years and years. So, the fact that there is already a crisis in the availability of childcare and that it could get worse, I think really deserves attention, Knoblich said.

On top of a wave of closure, Biggs says a lack of funding would also cause parents to see a rise in childcare costs.

If a program cannot afford [to] pay their teachers, they will have to go up on the fees for the parents and that is if they have the availability to pay. So, if you have a program that has a lot of family homes or centers that have a lot of subsidized children, those parents cant afford to pay anymore either. So, childcare is already unaffordable. So thats why a lot of programs will end up closing their doors, she said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
UNION COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  Several schools were on lockdown after an Indian Trail school received a threatening phone call, according to the Union County Sheriffs Office.

Deputies report the phone call was made to Porter Ridge High School, and a cluster of schools in the area were on lockdown. The lockdown was lifted at all three schools by 2:15 p.m.

At this time, authorities said the call appeared to be unsubstantiated. The Union County Sheriffs Office is actively investigating the source of the call. All students and staff are safe.

Additional law enforcement officers remain on all campuses.

This is a Developing Story . Check back for updates

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
Denmark is preparing to transfer Western F-16 fighters to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They should arrive in our country within a month.

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This statement was made by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. This was reported on the social network X by Die Zeit correspondent Jorg Lau.

"F-16s from Denmark will be in the air over Ukraine for a month," Mette Frederiksen said.

It is worth noting that on Wednesday, May 8, President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen solutions that would help speed up the transfer of F-16s to Ukraine. In addition, Zelenskyy and Frederiksen discussed joint work with partners to supply Ukraine with ammunition.

As reported by OBOZ.UA:

- F-16 fighters donated by partners may appear in Ukraine "after Easter". Of course, this is a stretch; so far, based on the statements of the allies, it is expected that the planes will enter service in 2024.

ADVERTISIMENT

- Denmark will deliver the first F-16s to Ukraine in the summer of 2024, and the process will continue in the fall. After that, the Netherlands plans to start sending fighters to our country.

- Belgium will start supplying modern F-16 fighters to Ukraine in 2024. The decision was made by the government of the country.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Ukrainian MP Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, Head of the Verkhovna Rada Freedom of Speech Committee, has officially appealed to law enforcement agencies over pressure on Ukrainska Pravda journalist Mykhailo Tkach and the editorial office as a whole.

Source: Yurchyshyn on social networks

Details: Mykhailo Tkach, the head of journalistic investigations department of UP, released the investigation called Unfit for Service; it was focused on a group of young people who regularly reside outside Ukraine and somehow leave the country, although they are eligible for military service.

In recent days, they have attempted to exert pressure on Mykhailo Tkach. A person identifying himself as Oleksandr Slobozhenko, the subject of the investigation, wrote a letter to Tkach offering to "conclude a settlement." There were reportedly many attempts to access the journalist's bank account. In addition, threatening messages were sent to Ukrainska Pravda employees' email addresses. "Sometimes the ability to keep your mouth shut can save lives," the email's author stated.

Ukrainska Pravda made a public statement regarding the situation.

Quote from Yurchyshyn: "I believe that such conduct constitutes a criminal offence under Part 2 of Article 171 of the Criminal Code (influence in any manner on a journalist in order to hinder his professional obligations or punish a journalist in connection with his authorised professional activities).

I officially request that the National Police of Ukraine and the Office of the Prosecutor General investigate the situation and issue relevant remarks."

Previously: The Kyiv Prosecutor's Office already launched criminal procedures in response to journalists from the Ukrainska Pravda outlet's statements regarding attempts to pressure, threaten, and restrict journalistic activity.

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Three doctors who helped fuel drug abuse in southeastern Kentucky sentenced to prison

Three doctors convicted of prescribing drugs that fed abuse and addiction in southeastern Kentucky have been sentenced to serve time in federal prison.

Evann Herrell was sentenced to 10 years, Mark Grenkoski to nine years and Stephen Cirelli to four years, according to court records.

A jury convicted the three on charges that included conspiracy to illegally distribute drugs, money laundering and conspiring to falsify medical records.

U.S. District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove sentenced Grenkoski and Herrell on May 8 and Cirelli on May 9 in federal court in Frankfort.

The federal government said in a document seeking financial judgments that Harrell grossed $3.7 million from criminal activity from Herrell; Grenkoski took in $2.3 million; and Cirelli received $903,425.

The three doctors worked at a business in Tennessee called EHC Medical, which had offices in Harriman and Jacksboro and claimed to provide treatment for opioid use disorder.

EHC Medical provided clients with buprenorphine, often called Suboxone. It is a legal drug used in treating addiction to opioid painkillers because it blocks withdrawal symptoms, but can also be abused to self-medicate against withdrawal or to get high.

In reality, EHC Medical operated not as a legitimate addiction clinic but as a machine to maximize profits without regard to the medical needs of each patient, federal prosecutors said in a sentencing memorandum.

Doctors at the offices prescribed buprenorphine and other substances, including Xanax, with little examination and wrote prescriptions to people who failed drug screens or showed other signs that they were abusing or diverting the drugs, prosecutors said.

The clinics gained a reputation as places where it was easy to get drugs. People from southeastern Kentucky went to EHC Medical by the carload. Two Kentucky drug dealers acknowledged in guilty pleas that they used EHC as a source for drugs, paying for people to get prescriptions there and then turn over the drugs to the dealers.

Herrell, Grenkoski and Cirelli effectively became suppliers of diverted buprenorphine and other controlled substances in southeastern Kentucky, prosecutors said in the sentencing memo.

EHC Medical charged patients cash for office visits, but Medicare and Kentucky Medicaid paid out more than $25 million for drug tests that doctors ordered and to fill prescriptions they wrote for Kentucky residents, according to prosecutors.

A grand jury indicted a total of eight doctors and an office manager who worked at EHC Medical.

Robert Taylor, a doctor who founded the business in 2013 and operated it through late 2018, pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking conspiracy charge.

Van Tatenhove sentenced him to 30 months in prison and a $200,000 fine. Taylor also forfeited $13.8 million to the government.

Physicians Matthew Rasberry, Helen Bidawid and Eva Misra and office manager Lori Barnett pleaded guilty.

Another doctor, Keri McFarlane, was convicted at trial with Herrell, Grenkoski and Cirelli. She has not been sentenced.
Three men to plead guilty in the killing of Boston gangster James 'Whitey' Bulger

FILE PHOTO: A policeman stands outside the apartment building where accused Boston crime boss James "Whitey" Bulger was arrested in Santa Monica, California

(Reuters) - Three men accused in the beating death of one of Boston's most notorious mobsters, James "Whitey" Bulger, have reached plea deals with federal prosecutors over their roles in the 2018 killing inside a federal prison, according to court papers.

Fotios Freddy Geas, Paul DeCologero and Sean McKinnon will change their pleas to guilty after coming to agreements with prosecutors, according to court documents filed in the Northern District of West Virginia on Monday. The men also asked the court to schedule a sentencing hearing.

Details of the plea agreements were not disclosed in the court documents.

Federal prosecutors along with Nathan Chambers, an attorney for Geas, declined to comment when reached by email by Reuters. Lawyers for the other men were not immediately available for comment.

All three men were indicted with conspiracy to commit murder in August 2022, four years after Bulger's bloodied body was discovered wrapped in a sheet in his prison cell in a high-security federal prison in West Virginia.

Geas and DeCologero, who were also indicted with murder, were accused of striking Bulger multiple times in the head with a padlock wrapped in a sock. McKinnon, who allegedly acted as a lookout during the Oct. 30, 2018, killing, was also charged with making false statements to a federal agent.

Bulger lived a double life as one of Boston's most notorious mobsters while also acting as a secret FBI informant. He went on the run for 16 years after he was tipped off by his FBI handler about a pending racketeering indictment against him.

Bulger was captured in California in 2011. Two years later he was convicted for 11 murders and other offenses and was sentenced to life in prison.

He was 89 years old and five years into his term when he was killed. The murder took place hours after he had been transferred from a prison in Florida.

Confined to a wheelchair, Bulger was beaten so badly that blood was found coming from his ears, prison staff said at the time. Two men were seen on surveillance footage entering his cell, according to those accounts.

At the time of Bulger's death, Geas was serving a life term for the 2003 murders of Genovese crime family boss Adolfo "Big Al" Bruno and associate Gary Westerman. DeCologero was serving a sentence of life plus 25 years for murder, racketeering and firearms offenses.

McKinnon was serving an eight-year sentence for stealing guns from a Vermont firearms store. For at least part of that time, he shared a cell with Geas.

(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago and Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Michael Erman)
Three inmates charged in the violent killing of notorious Boston mob boss James Whitey Bulger while imprisoned with him in West Virginia have accepted plea agreements, court filings show.

Fotios Geas and Paul J. DeCologero are accused by prosecutors of bludgeoning Bulger to death as fellow defendant Sean McKinnon acted as a lookout in October 2018, just hours after the gangster was transferred to the US Penitentiary Hazelton in Bruceton Mills.

The three men have agreed to plead guilty, according to motions filed by prosecutors Monday. The filings do not indicate to which counts they are pleading but say the defendants agree to cooperate with the United States Probation Office.

Each of the men had been charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. Geas and DeCologero also face first-degree murder and assault charges, according to the filings. McKinnon was charged with making false statements to a federal agent regarding what he knew about Bulgers murder.

A federal judge must approve the plea agreements. Prosecutors are asking for the court to schedule a change of plea hearing, combined with a sentencing hearing.

Bulger ruled over Bostons infamous Winter Hill gang during the 1970s and 80s, committing what a judge would later describe as unfathomable acts that terrorized the city.

He became one of the most wanted men in America as he evaded arrest for 16 years on racketeering and murder charges, gaining him a spot on the FBIs most-wanted list. Bulger was finally arrested in 2011 and sentenced to life in prison in 2013 after a jury concluded he was responsible for 11 killings, among other crimes.

His criminal reign inspired Jack Nicholsons character in Martin Scorseses 2006 film, The Departed.

He lived violently and he apparently died violently, said Dick Lehr, author of Whitey: The Life of Americas Most Notorious Mob Boss when Bulger was killed at age 89. It marks the full circle of a terrible life.

Bulgers family sued prison employees after his death, alleging prison wardens and other correctional officers were intentional or deliberately indifferent to the danger Bulger faced in prison, and it appeared Bulger was deliberately sent to his death. A judge dismissed the lawsuit in January 2022.

However, a December 2022 report by the Justice Departments Office of the Inspector General detailed a series of missteps by prison officials that may have put Bulger at risk when he was transferred to the West Virginia facility.

Among the mistakes outlined was the decision to place Bulger  one of the most well-known organized figures at the time  into the general population after prison guards spoke of his impending arrival in the presence of inmates.

Inmates prior knowledge of his arrival, the report says, dramatically increased the likelihood Bulger faced imminent harm at Hazelton. Recorded phone calls and emails at the time included in the report show how inmates were prepared for what might happen when Bulger arrived.

In the report, one inmate interviewed said because other inmates had a beef with Bulger and because he was viewed as a rat for working with the FBI, both the inmates and the staff were speculating about  and inmates were betting money on  how long Bulger would stay alive at Hazelton.

CNNs Hannah Rabinowitz, Ray Sanchez and Kristina Sgueglia contributed to this report.

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HOUSTON COUNTY, Ala (WDHN)  Three Houston County residents will spend a collective 266 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to kidnapping a young girl and beating her, attorneys with the United States Department of Justice announced Tuesday.

On May 14, a federal judge sentenced 20-year-old Molly Michele Jarrett to eleven years in prison, 24-year-old Coby Jerome Jordan to seven years, and Destiny Star Lewis, also 24 years old, to 70 months.

Jarrett, Jordan, and Lewis pled guilty to federal kidnapping charges in early 2024 in connection with a November 2022 kidnapping that went over state lines.

Molly Michele Jarrett- Courtesy of the JCSO

Destiny Star Lewis- Courtesy of the JCSO

Coby Jerome Jordan- Courtesy of the JSCO

A release from the U.S. DOJ states on November 4, Jarrett, Jordan, and Lewis picked up a young girl in Dale County and began driving around rural parts of the Wiregrass before heading to an abandoned building in Jackson County, Florida.

RELATED: Three arrested in Jackson County Kidnapping, JCSO

At the time of the incident, Houston County Sheriff Donald Valenza told WDHN that after the three arrived at the abandoned building, they tied the victim up with duct tape and zip ties and beat her.

Attorneys claim Jordan was the one who bound the victim and beat her, while Jarrett encouraged the violence. Lewis was the one who got the duct tape and zip ties from the vehicle.

Sheriff Valenza says after beating the girl, the three drove her to a secluded area and left her left tied up under a tree before returning to Alabama.

The victim was eventually able to free herself from the bonds and ran to a nearby home to report the crime.

Jordan and Jarrett were captured by Jackson County Deputies two days later on November 6, and Lewis was nabbed on November 10.

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 WDHN - wdhn.com.
Time to check your pockets! Theres an unclaimed Powerball ticket worth $50K in Kentucky

A Powerball ticket worth $50,000 was purchased in Perry County recently, and the winner has yet to step forward.

The lucky ticket was sold by Zip Zone at 1416 East Main St. in Hazard, according to a Tuesday Kentucky Lottery release.

Mondays drawing selected the winning Powerball ticket, which has the numbers 5, 14, 29, 38, 66 and Powerball 1.

If you have the winning ticket, Kentucky Lottery officials recommend you call 1-877-789-4532 to make an appointment to claim your prize at lottery headquarters in Louisville. In the meantime, winners are advised to sign the back of their ticket, keep it in a safe place and make sure to claim the prize within 180 days of the drawing.

The Powerball jackpot is still up for grabs at $59 million, lottery officials report. The next drawing will take place around 11 p.m. Wednesday.

$50,000 Powerball Winner A lucky player scored a HUGE #Powerball win in Monday's drawing! The winning ticket was sold at Zip Zone Express in Hazard! Ready to play? Purchase tickets for Wednesday's drawing in-store or online NOW: https://t.co/WLtQX8YgQp pic.twitter.com/ic0k7mzFVS  Kentucky Lottery (@kylottery) May 14, 2024

The winning ticket from Mondays drawing isnt the only recent $50,000 Powerball winner in Kentucky. Earlier this month, three tickets worth that amount were sold for the same drawing.

A Powerball ticket costs $2. Here are the odds of winning with one ticket, according to the Kentucky Lottery:

Jackpot: 1 in 292,201,338

$1 million: 1 in 11,688,054

$50,000: 1 in 913,129

$100 by matching four white balls: 1 in 36,525

$100 by matching three white balls and the Powerball: 1 in 14,494

$7 by matching three white balls: 1 in 580

$7 by matching two white balls and the Powerball: 1 in 701

$4 by matching one white ball and the Powerball: 1 in 92

$4 by matching the Powerball: 1 in 38

The Powerball is drawn around 11 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Players can add a $1 Power Play for the chance to multiply winnings or a $1 Double Play for a chance to win up to $10 million in a separate drawing using the same numbers, according to lottery officials. The Power Play cannot be used in a Double Play drawing.

For every dollar the Kentucky Lottery makes, the organization reports 70 cents go to winners, 20 cents go to funding state college scholarships and grants, 5 cents go to participating retailers and 5 cents go toward administrative costs.

If you or someone you know has a problem gambling, help is available at 1-800-522-4700.

Do you have a question about the Kentucky Lottery for our service journalism team? Wed like to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.
Time to do patriot s***: Florida man one of two convicted for Jan. 6 Capitol breach

Time to do patriot s***: Florida man one of two convicted for Jan. 6 Capitol breach

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  A Port Charlotte man was found guilty of multiple felony and misdemeanor charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday.

John Joseph Richter, 39, was convicted of felony obstruction of an official proceeding and misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building, entering and remaining on the floor of Congress, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.

DUI driver arrested in Florida bus crash that killed 8 people, hospitalized dozens: FHP

U.S. District Court Judge Randolph Moss, who presided over the bench trial for Richter and Joseph Irwin, 43, of Cecilia, Kentucky, will sentence the two men on Aug. 9.

Irwin was convicted of three felonies, including obstruction of an official proceeding, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon, and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon. He was also convicted of misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining on the floor of Congress, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.

Court documents show the two men planned a trip to Washington, D.C., to obstruct the certification of the Electoral College vote in the 2020 presidential election.

Text messages between Richter and Irwin included a photo about the Electoral College certification process and the role played by former Vice President Mike Pence.

Irwins message to Richter reportedly read, Are we go[ing] open militia or innocent/ready bystander. Richter responded, Well I think we are gonna be in a huge crowd mostly. So we will have to be opportunists most likely. Gnome sayin? I like the ready bystander wildcard approach myself.

When discussing what material to bring, Richter explained he would bring a metal pointed flagpole and an all-black American flag, saying, All black flag means no quarter will be given. Its time to do patriot s. Irwin also discussed bringing a wooden pole that he inscribed with a black American flag; he said that his wooden stick is heavy as f.

The two men attended the Stop the Steal rally on the National Mall in D.C., where former President Donald Trump spoke, and then marched on the U.S. Capitol building carrying the flagpoles and black flags mentioned in the texts.

At the Capitol building, the pair ascended the Upper West Terrace and, while wielding the flagpoles, Irwin reportedly told police officers on site to go home before smashing his wooden pole on the ground in a threatening manner.

Irwin and Richter then made their way to the Senate Wing Door and screamed Let us in repeatedly.

After the Parliamentarians Door was breached, the pair entered the Capitol Building while banging their poles on the ground. The men joined a mob of rioters and entered the Senate Floor moments after Pence and members of Congress evacuated.

Once on the Senate Floor, Irwin banged his flagpole on the ground and yelled This is ours right here! This is our house! This is what the court do when the court take it! Dont give it back to them now!

The two men took photos while sitting at Senators desks before leaving the Senate Chamber.

Court documents say Irwin framed his broken wooden pole, calling it a relic.

Irwin was arrested on Aug. 17, 2021, and Richter was arrested on March 2, 2023, by the FBI.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
It is time to rebalance Department of Defense resources so that our men and women in uniform can fight, if necessary, and win in an increasingly dangerous world. Given the threats posed by China, Russia, Iran, North Korea and an array of nonstate actors, the United States is facing extreme challenges, the likes of which we have never confronted in our history. This threat situation drives a new security environment that requires a revised investment strategy.

Two decades of ground-centric operations saw a dramatic surge in Army spending to the exclusion of sufficient investment in air power and space power. It is time for a reset. Combatant commanders today require more air power and space power  and budgets need to reflect that.

Whether talking about core roles like air superiority, long-range strike, air mobility or two legs of the nuclear triad, the Air Force is essential to the U.S. way of war. Without air power, conflicts stagnate to long and costly attrition warfare like we are seeing in Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Similarly, space power underpins all military actions. The Space Force is responsible for achieving space superiority to assure delivery of core missions like communications; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; missile warning; positioning, navigation and timing; and weather monitoring. These core functions will make or break how the U.S. projects power globally and ultimately performs in a major fight.

Tanks and large infantry formations are simply not as germane in the Pacific region. Of course, we need a sufficient number of these capabilities for other regions, but trade space exists.

In the 20 years after 9/11, the Army received approximately $1.3 trillion more than the Air Force (including the future Space Force functions). Afghanistan and Iraq were land-centric operations, and budgets reflected that. However, this funding shift exacted a cost: an Air Force aircraft inventory that is the oldest and smallest in service history, and a Space Force dramatically undersized given the scale of its mission responsibilities.

Such risks may have made sense when American service members were fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, but those wars are over. Current challenges demand an ever-increasing amount of air power and space power. In fact, joint power projection will not happen without renewed investment in these two domains. It is time to rebalance funding toward the Air Force and Space Force.

U.S. Space Force guardians participate in Moonlight Defender, an exercise designed to focus on refining the defensive and offensive skill sets of cyber guardians, centered around the Moonlighter imaging satellite, in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Nov. 15, 2023. (1st Lt. Charles Rivezzo/U.S. Air Force)

This situation is generally not well understood given that many assume the service departments each receive an equal share of the military budget. The reality, however, is far different.

The Department of the Air Forces budget, which includes the Space Force and Air Force, includes an incredibly large wedge of money that passes through the department to fund efforts elsewhere in the security enterprise. This amounts to over $40 billion per year.

Shift that pass through to where it belongs  defensewide spending  and the Air Force receives 20% of the budget, and the Space Force 3.6%  a total amount that is surpassed by 26% for the category classified as other DOD functions.

While these percentages are beginning to shift to the Department of the Air Forces favor in the proposed fiscal 2025 budget, it may be a case of too little, too late. A major rebalance is necessary to build the required air power and space power capabilities and capacity the global threat environment demands.

Simply adding more money to the overarching defense budget  one possible solution  is likely not to be pursued due to the spending caps legislated by Congress as part of the 2023 Fiscal Responsibility Act. The situation therefore demands internal trades within the DOD topline budget, which will, in and of itself, create challenges. Those losing a portion of the defense budget will not do so absent a strong protest, nor will their advocates in Congress let this happen without a fight. However, higher-order issues are at play, namely winning or losing Americas next war. Winning is not possible without sufficient air power and space power.

Interestingly, in the years following Desert Storm, China recognized it needed to harness similar budgetary trade space between its domains. The Peoples Liberation Army shrunk its land force to strengthen naval, air and space forces. Now it is time for the U.S. to follow a similar path.

Just as the U.S. surged money to the Army when it was the predominant means of fighting, now it is time for another rebalance to build the Air Force and Space Force we need, as our ability to succeed in a joint fight against our adversaries now rests on the capabilities and capacity of the Department of the Air Force.

Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Jen Reeves is a senior resident fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. She previously served as the chief of program integration for the service.
The United States is preparing a new military aid package for the Ukrainian Defense Forces. Washington plans to announce it "in the coming days".

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This was announced by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan at a briefing at the White House on Monday, May 13. The American official did not specify what kind of weapons the Ukrainian army will receive in the next tranche of military aid from the United States.

Sullivan noted that the United States is trying to speed up the pace of arms deliveries and admitted that the delay has "stumped Ukraine."

The representative of the US Presidential Administration also said that some of the equipment announced after the Congress passed the bill with additional funding is already on the battlefield. Some of the weapons will appear on the front line this week.

"I don't want to say that all of the billions of dollars worth of equipment is on the battlefield right now, but what you're going to see is a steady stream week after week," Sullivan added.

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As a reminder, on May 10, the United States announced a new $400 million military aid package for Ukraine. Washington will provide the Ukrainian Armed Forces with Patriot missiles, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, Bradley fighting vehicles, MRAPs, Javelin anti-tank systems and ammunition.

White House adviser John Kirby said that units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces have already received some weapons from the military aid package that was delivered by the United States on April 24, the first after Congress approved the funding. According to him, the US Department of Defense is making efforts to deliver other weapons and equipment to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including from the new aid package.

As OBOZ.UA previously reported, the NYT said that the Ukrainian army has already received part of the US military aid after the Congress unblocked the funding. The main batch of weapons from large aid packages, in particular from Germany and Britain, will arrive in our country within a few months.

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Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
It's time for Steve Bannon to go to prison, Justice Department says, citing January 6 subpoena

The Justice Department asked a federal judge on Tuesday to begin former Trump adviser Steve Bannons four-month prison sentence, CNN reported.

Bannon was found guilty of defying a subpoena issued by Congress' January 6th select committee investigating the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Bannon had used his podcast to promote Trump's false election claims, warning a day before the insurrection that all hell is going to break loose tomorrow."

The judge presiding over Bannons trial, Justice Carl Nichols, had initially paused his sentence because the former adviser had appealed his conviction, claiming he enjoyed immunity via executive privilege thanks to his previous job at the White House. But a three-judge panel of the D.C Circuit Court of Appeals rejected that argument, saying the former aide and prominent podcaster had no legal rationale for his blanket refusal to appear before the Jan. 6 committee, Politico reported.

In its own court filing, the Justice Department states that a person found guilty must begin the term of their imprisonment.

The D.C. Circuit rejected defendants appeal on all grounds," the filing noted.

It is unclear when Bannon might have to report to prison. He would join another former Trump advisor, Peter Navarro, who likewise defied a Jan. 6 subpoena.
TONTITOWN, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA)  Tontitown mayor Angela Russell says a judge ruled in favor of the WM Eco-Vista Landfill expansion.

Russell responded to the ruling with a statement. We are disappointed but not surprised by the decision. It seems as if ADEQ and PC&EC have poured all their efforts into supporting WM at the expense of Tontitown citizens health and safety. This entire matter has been a very sad case of government versus the people rather than government for the people, Russell said.

Timeline: Tontitowns landfill controversy

In December, the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission ruled in favor of allowing a class 4 landfill expansion. The Arkansas National Guard was then deployed to test the air quality near the landfill over a single day.

One month later, the National Guard said it found concentrations of toxin sulfur dioxide in the air around the landfill to be much higher than the EPAs recommendation for safe levels. The city then appealed the APCECs decision to allow the landfill expansion.

ADEQ accuses Tontitown mayor of burning materials during air quality test

In February, two harmful chemicals were found in an air quality test at the landfill, acrolein and benzene. Later that month, the ADEQ filed a complaint against Russell for allegedly burning items in her backyard which is near the landfill while air quality tests took place. Russell said she and her husband did not know about the air testing, but when they did find out about it, they did not burn the other days that they had scheduled.

In March, the landfill renewed a motion to expand by 10 acres.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24.
New tool from Pennsylvania Department of Health shows where ticks are prevalent

Just in time for National Lyme Disease Awareness Month, the Pennsylvania Department of Health launched a new online dashboard to provide Pennsylvania residents and health care providers with information about tickborne diseases.

RELATED COVERAGE: Its tick season: Heres what you need to know about protecting yourself & your pets

The online dashboard not only pinpoints where ticks are prevalent but also shows the latest state data on tickborne disease activity.

If you are out in a wooded area with tall grass or a lot of leaves, youre at the greatest risk of being exposed to ticks.

Pennsylvania is ranked ninth in the country for Lyme disease, which is the most commonly reported tickborne disease.

The health department says there are precautions you can take, such as a full body tick check.

Click here for more on the dashboard.

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A top Biden official said Monday the U.S. does not believe Israels total victory over the militant group Hamas is likely or possible.

Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell spoke about the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas during the NATO Youth Summit in Miami just days after the Biden administration paused certain arms shipments to Israel.

I think in some respects, we are struggling over what the theory of victory is. Sometimes when we listen closely to Israeli leaders, they talked about mostly the idea of some sort of sweeping victory on the battlefield, total victory, Campbell said.

I dont think we believe that that is likely or possible, he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to pursue an absolute victory over Hamas, which attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The Israeli military has moved into Rafah in recent days, where more than 1 million Palestinians were at one point seeking refuge from the war.

Campbell explained that the U.S. believes there needs to be more of a political solution to the war.

I will say whats different from the past is that in that sense, many countries want to move towards a political solution in which the rights of Palestinians are more respected, he said.

I dont think its ever been more difficult than right now, but I still believe that the commitment is there. And were hearing that more and more from countries in the region as well.

His comments come after President Biden said last week hell stop sending offensive weapons to Israel if it invades Rafah, where the Biden administration has repeatedly warned against invading.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that the U.S. has not seen any Israeli plans to protect civilians or for the future of Gaza after the war.

We believe two things. One, you have to have a clear, credible plan to protect civilians, which we havent seen. Second, we also need to see a plan for what happens after this conflict in Gaza  is over, he said on CBSs Face the Nation.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Topeka Evel Knievel Museum to close for the last time in 2024 for move to Sin City

Topeka Evel Knievel Museum to close for the last time in 2024 for move to Sin City

TOPEKA (KSNT)  The Evel Knievel Museum in Topeka will close its doors for the last time in the Capital City later this year as it moves further west.

If Topekans want to visit the Evel Knievel Museum in 2025, theyll need to travel more than 1,300 miles to its new home in Las Vegas. After months of speculation and waiting, the deal to move the museum back to its old stomping grounds is finally official.

Museum co-founder Mike Patterson announced the news on Tuesday, May 14 that the museum will close for good in Topeka on Nov. 2, 2024. Construction has already started for the museums location in Las Vegas.

I do have mixed feelings about the museum leaving Topeka, Patterson said. This is our hometown and we have been so proud to have it reside in Topeka for the past seven years. We have welcomed guests from over 80 different countries and every U.S. state many times over. The museum has been a real economic win for the Topeka community with all those visitors, and we are very proud of that. Our team is excited about this move as we will oversee design of the new Las Vegas museum, and we will continue to operate the attraction from Topeka.

What happened to these Kansas counties and why do they no longer exist?

The Evel Knievel Museum joined the Historic Harley-Davidson store in Topeka back in 2017. The museum is dedicated to the motorcycle daredevil Robert Craig Knievel, better known by his stunt name of Evel Knievel, who was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.

Ron Pope jumps on a motorcycle over a group of police cars via virtual reality at the Evel Knievel Museum in Topeka, Kansas on June 21, 2017. (Photo credit should read BETH LIPOFF/AFP via Getty Images)

Chris Keeshan and Carla Bowhay look at a helmet and other items on display at the Evel Knievel Museum in Topeka on June 21, 2017. (Photo credit should read BETH LIPOFF/AFP via Getty Images)

Jeff Handley, staff member at the Evel Knievel Musuem, helps visitor Kevin Diehl as he uses the virtual reality game to experience jumping over a group of police cars in Topeka, Kansas on June 21, 2017. (Photo credit should read BETH LIPOFF/AFP via Getty Images)

Mike Patterson, owner of historic Harley-Davidson and founder of The Evel Knievel Museum in Topeka, Kansas, surveys the wall of news clippings about the daredevil stunt rider in his Evel Knievel Museum on June 21, 2017. (Photo credit should read BETH LIPOFF/AFP via Getty Images)

Bennett Noriega,age 5, and his grandfather, John Wegele, check out one of the many motorcycles on display at the Evel Knievel Museum in Topeka, Kansas on June 21, 2017. (Photo credit should read BETH LIPOFF/AFP via Getty Images)

J Dapper, a developer in Las Vegas, announced in 2021 plans to bring the museum to Sin City at 1001 South First Street, according to an article from the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Patterson told 27 News at the time that a move back to Las Vegas was a bit premature.

Discussions among the Shawnee County Board of Commissioners to purchase the museum space for nearly $3 million took place in December 2023. The board approved of the deal that same year in a 3-0 vote with plans to convert the property into an auto body repair shop for the Shawnee County Sheriffs Office.

Foreclosure threat looms over Heartland Motorsports Park

27 News interviewed Patterson after the news of the museum purchase by the county was made public. He said he had been considering the move for some time and cited external factors as the reason for the move.

For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.
TOPEKA (KSNT)  Topeka JUMP held their annual spring assembly to shed light on the communitys most pressing issues.

The group gathered at Washburn Universitys Lee Arena Monday night to urge community leaders to address homelessness, violence and the mental health crisis.

Several city and county officials were in attendance including Shawnee County Commissioner Kevin Cook. Cook says while all three issues are very important, the county is especially focused on homelessness.

At the Shawnee County level, were looking at the homelessness, Cook said. Really the homeless initiative has been working and gathering information to come back to both the city and the county to address homelessness.

Cook says community involvement is a huge factor to addressing these problems.

Get involved. If you have an idea, if you have a suggestion, bring it forward, he said. All the elected officials, we are approachable we want to hear from the public about these things.

You can find contact information for county commissioners on the county website here.

For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.
Police must increase their use of stop and search to tackle knife crime rather than appease campaign groups who claim it is discriminatory, the policing minister has said.

Writing in The Telegraph, Chris Philp says stop and search is a vital tool in taking knives off the streets but warns it is not used nearly often enough by police.

It comes after use of the tactic became a major political issue a decade ago, when Theresa May, as home secretary, curbed the powers amid claims by campaigners that black people were being disproportionately targeted by police. The move resulted in the number of stop and searches falling dramatically, from a high of 1.2 million in 2010-11 down to 279,728 in 2017-18.

However, Mr Philp says: The police must use the powers available to them without fear or favour. I want to see them take a robust approach and this starts with increasing the use of stop and search.

In todays climate police stop and search is the best foot forward, we know this. What we cant do is tiptoe around using these powers in an aim to appease. The first priority must always be prevention and public safety.

A senior government source added: We cannot avoid using the powers to appease politically correct campaigners who oppose police action, when police action is needed to protect all communities.

Mr Philps comments will be seen as the latest attempt by the Government to draw dividing lines between the Tories and Labour, before the general election.

The public think that crime is one of the most important issues facing the country, according to YouGov. The pollsters long-running survey, which asks the public every week which issue facing the country is the most important, places crime fourth, behind health, immigration and asylum, and the economy. Nearly a quarter of those asked (23 per cent) chose crime as one of the most important issues, highlighting why the Tories believe it is an area where they can make gains over Labour.

Mr Philps comments come days after Rishi Sunak warned that Britain would be less safe under a Labour government.

On Tuesday, James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, announced that knife detection wands that could detect weapons from a distance and body-worn systems to check for knives were being developed as part of a 4 million drive to tackle the knife crime crisis.

Knife crime nationally has risen by 7.2 per cent to nearly 50,000 offences, close to the past record high of 51,200, according to the Office for National Statistics.

In London, which accounts for more than a third of all knife crime in England and Wales, it hit a record high of more than 14,500 offences last year..

Although stops and searches have increased from a low of 280,000 in 2017 after successive home secretaries reversed the restrictions, they have continued to drop in the Metropolitan Police to 137,059 in 2023-24, the second lowest on record.

Mrs May curbed the use of the tactic amid concern that black people were being stopped a disproportionate seven times more than white people.

However, Sir Mark Rowley, the Met Commissioner, this month pledged to increase its use after admitting it had fallen partly because of officers lack of confidence amid fears of complaints, the investigation they get and whether they feel supported behind it.

Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, has backed stop and search as an extremely important tool against knife crime but said it must also be done in an effective and fair way because of community concerns.

Mr Philp writes: I welcome the Met Commissioners commitment to increasing use of stop and search in London where knife crime is sadly particularly prevalent. But I want to see this commitment on a national level. We should leave people in no doubt that carrying a knife is a criminal offence and could lead to up to four years in prison.

The latest government figures show black people were five times as likely to be stopped as white people, with 27.2 stops per 1,000 black people against 5.6 per 1,000 white people. But official data also show that black men were nine times more likely to be murdered and five times more likely to require hospital treatment.

Particular ethnic groups not unfairly targeted

Government sources pointed to data showing stop and search success rates  where drugs, knives or stolen goods are found  were about the same at 25 per cent to 30 per cent for all ethnicities, showing that particular ethnic groups were not being unfairly targeted.

If you measure disproportionality by reference to the offending population rather than the general population, the disproportionality largely disappears. Young black men are hugely disproportionately likely to be victims of knife crime, said a source.

As home secretary, Mrs May introduced the best use of stop and search scheme which required police chiefs to open up the tactic to public security and placed stringent safeguards on the use of no-suspicion searches. Within two years, stops and searches fell by two-thirds.

The Tory home secretaries that succeeded her, Sajid Javid and Priti Patel eased the restrictions. They lowered the rank of officer who could approve no suspicion searches, and allowed them in cases where the officer believed there may be violence rather than would be violence. New powers also give police the automatic right to stop and search adults convicted of knife offences.

However, Mr Philp says there are also safeguards to ensure the public are protected from unnecessary searches and from disproportionate use amongst certain groups.

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: The Mayor has always been clear that stop and search is a vital operational policing tool and has an important role to play in keeping Londoners safe and tackling violence on our streets.

He fully supports the Met police around the use of intelligence led stop and search that is carried out fairly and with respect, so that the police retains the trust and confidence of all the communities it serves as we work to build a safer and fairer London for everyone.

Police need a more robust approach to taking knives off our streets

By Chris Philp

The need for a zero-tolerance approach to knife crime has never been more acute. I know I share in the publics shock at the horrific incident in Hainault on April 30. My thoughts go out to the family of Daniel Anjorin who are now living with the awful consequences of this crime.

I want to give my heartfelt thanks to the officers who intervened on that day, putting their own safety at risk to bravely keep further victims from harm. For some, this came at extreme personal cost and I wish the two officers who were injured a speedy recovery. Police put themselves on the line every day to protect the public and they deserve our gratitude.

The police are carrying out intensive action this week to tackle knife crime and on Tuesday, I was out on a raid with the Met to see these operations first hand. Police are ramping up their efforts and I am committed to giving them the tools they need.

We are making progress. Our streets are safer than they were in 2010 and hospital admissions for young people with serious knife injuries are down by a quarter since 2019, but Im in no doubt theres still some way to go.

The police must use the powers available to them without fear or favour. I want to see them take a robust approach and this starts with increasing the use of stop and search. It is a vital tool in taking knives off our streets, yet its not used nearly often enough.

So often these crimes stem from non-violent incidents which escalate when knives are carried in public. Its illegal to be in possession of a knife in public without reasonable excuse and stop and search is the best way to enforce this.

More than 138,000 weapons have been removed from Britains streets since 2019 through a range of tactics, with almost half seized in stop and searches. Stop and search has also led to almost 300,000 arrests since 2019.

I welcome the Met Commissioners commitment to increasing use of stop and search in London where knife crime is sadly particularly prevalent. But I want to see this commitment on a national level. We should leave people in no doubt that carrying a knife is a criminal offence and could lead to up to four years in prison.

The police already have the power to stop and search individuals where they have reasonable grounds to suspect they are carrying illegal items, such as knives or drugs. Last year we went even further by launching Serious Violence Reduction Orders, which are being piloted in four force areas.

These orders give the police the automatic right to stop and search adults convicted of knife and offensive weapon offences. We have also removed non-statutory restrictions to make it easier for the police to use Section 60 searches, which allow officers to stop and search people even if they dont have direct suspicions about them. Section 60 authorisation can only be enforced in specific circumstances, such as if the police have intelligence that an incident involving weapons may take place in a particular area.

Of course, we need safeguards in place to ensure these powers are used appropriately. There are measures in place to protect the public from unnecessary searches and from disproportionate use amongst certain groups.

I want to assure the public that weve updated the safeguards on stop and search to strengthen trust between the police and local communities. We have enshrined in law requirements on the police to communicate with their local communities when section 60 stop and search powers are authorised. We have also consulted on a new Community Scrutiny Framework intended to support the process of engagement between police forces and the communities they serve, which we will publish in the coming months.

This is just one tactic in the fight against knife crime and we know that prevention is as important as enforcement. Since 2019, weve funded 20 initiatives known as Violence Reduction Units in the areas across England and Wales most affected by serious violence. These have reached over 271,000 people in their fourth year alone and in combination with additional visible policing patrols, prevented an estimated 3,220 hospital admissions for violent injury since 2019. These units bring police forces together with local organisations to tackle the root causes of serious violence in that area, providing early intervention and prevention schemes for young people at risk of involvement in knife crime.

This Government has taken consistent action to address serious violence and the UK has some of the toughest laws in the world restricting dangerous weapons. We keep restrictions around all weapons under constant review and earlier this year we responded to new evidence by banning zombie-style knives and machetes which will take effect this summer. This follows the ban on zombie knives in 2016 and on cyclone knives in 2019. We are also taking action in the Criminal Justice Bill to tighten the law with new restrictions on knives.

And were not stopping there. Our approach to tackling serious violence is constantly evolving. This week we announced a further 3.5 million investment into knife detection technologies with the aim that one or more of these will eventually be deployed to officers to detect knives from a distance. We have also funded the refit and redeployment of four vans into new mobile live facial recognition units for the Met to bolster efforts to address knife crime, which is rising in the capital. This is part of wider funding which aims to tackle serious violence through hot-spot policing. The effectiveness of these units is well proven. In December 2023, deployments of live facial recognition in Croydon led to 15 arrests for offences including rape, robbery, fraud, grievous bodily harm and possession of class A drugs.

But in todays climate police stop and search is the best foot forward, we know this. What we cant do is tiptoe around using these powers in an aim to appease. The first priority must always be prevention and public safety.

Chris Philp is the Policing Minister

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A line of storms that moved across Louisiana Monday afternoon left a trail of destruction from Lake Charles to Lafayette. The severe weather was part of a larger storm system that affected towns from Texas to Florida.

Three people were killed by the storms, the Louisiana Department of Health said Tuesday afternoon.

The National Weather Service (NWS) initially confirmed Tuesday afternoon that an EF3 tornado hit the town of Sulphur, just west of Lake Charles, Louisiana, but the confirmation was later downgraded to an EF2.

The twister touched down north of Orphan Village Road in Sulphur, then tracked southeast, damaging homes and businesses, the NWS statement said.

Two tornado tracks were confimed near Lake Charles, Louisiana from the May 14, 2024 storms. One EF2 tracked through Sulphur, and an EF1 twister traveled from Westlake into downtown Lake Charles. Two tornado tracks were confimed near Lake Charles, Louisiana from the May 14, 2024 storms. One EF2 tracked through Sulphur, and an EF1 twister traveled from Westlake into downtown Lake Charles.

On East Napoleon St., two warehouses were destroyed by the tornado. A gas station awning and a strip mall were damaged on North Cities Service Highway. In the Maplewood community, several houses were damaged, with trees uprooted or snapped and parts of roofs blown off. The last reported damage was on Bayou Dinde Pass, where several trees were snapped. Along the path, trees and power lines were downed.

An EF1 tornado was also confirmed to have struck the town of Westlake, between Sulphur and Lake Charles. The twister then traveled into the downtown Lake Charles area, damaging homes and businesses.

In Cecilia, 12 miles northeast of Layfayette, another person was killed by what the NWS confirmed as an EF2 tornado. Videos on social media from Monday afternoon showed damaged homes and flipped RV trailers in the town.

In addition to the death in Cecilia, a pregnant woman and her unborn baby were killed and two others were injured when a tree fell onto their mobile home in Port Allen, Louisiana, across the Mississippi River to the west of Baton Rouge during a severe thunderstorm.

According to PowerOutage.US, 50,000 customers were without power in Louisiana Tuesday afternoon, down from a maximum of 140,000 Monday evening. Wind gusts over 70 mph were reported elsewhere in Louisiana and Florida.

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.
From trades to technology: How Modesto is preparing students for computer science careers

Growing up in Modesto, Erik Zopeda thought his future would likely involve trades or construction. With his parents owning a landscaping business, that seemed to be the path laid out for him early on.

It wasnt until he took a coding class at Enochs High School that his plans changed to majoring in computer science in college next year at UC Merced.

Im glad I found computer science, Zopeda, 17, said. I learned to be persistent, to be creative.

The Central Valley is no Bay Area, but the importance of tech and computer science skills remains significant for those charting their career paths. And though Modestos primary industry is agriculture, there are plenty of other career opportunities available for young people in the area, such as cybersecurity and video game development.

Discovering these different options often begins in the classroom, where students can first encounter and acquire computer science skills.

In February, a bill was proposed to expand computer science education accessibility in California. It mandates that every public high school provide at least one computer science course. Known as AB 2097, the bill also sets forth computer science as a graduation prerequisite by the 2030-31 academic year.

Im happy that it helps bring computer science to more California kids, said Amy Pezzoni, a career technical educator in computer science at Modesto City Schools.

Computer science teachers Amy Pezzoni, left, and Kevin Richardson talk during a computer science Hackathon at Enochs High School in Modesto, Calif., Saturday, May 11, 2024.

Pezzoni, an advocate for the bill, said that just as subjects like government are crucial for understanding how the country runs, computer science courses also should be obligatory. This ensures accountability in the tech sector and equips students with fundamental knowledge about technology.

Only 4% of K-12 students in Stanislaus County are enrolled in computer science courses. Women make up only one-quarter of that percentage, according to data from 2018.

Gregori High School recently was honored with the College Boards AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award for its efforts to broaden young womens participation in AP Computer Science Principles. This recognition celebrates 1,127 schools for their endeavors toward achieving gender equality in representation during the 2022-23 academic year.

Pezzoni said students themselves are the best recruiters. As an educator, she often encourages her students by saying, Hey, I believe youd enjoy this class. You should consider signing up.

Jobs in agriculture and beyond

Rudy Escobar, STEM and computer science coordinator at the Stanislaus County Office of Education (SCOE), said kids have to be self-motivated to pursue computer science.

Computer science is not a priority because they dont see it in the environment theyre living in, he said, referring to the countys agricultural base.

But Sanjay Bhan, the CTE coordinator at SCOE, said technology plays a crucial role in the ag sector, which could not thrive without it. Recent advancements in automation, for instance, have made agricultural farming machines, used to water and harvest, more efficient.

Agriculture is the fastest growing sector of tech in the next 20 to 30 years, added Pezzoni. In 2019, the industry attracted $3.4 billion in investments, soaring to nearly $5 billion by 2021, marking a record high.

Bhan said students dont have to relocate to the Bay Area for opportunities. They can opt to work remotely from Modesto or look for jobs here.

Daisy Mayorga, a computer scientist and co-founder of the tech-equity organization yuda, said numerous students in west Modesto, where she conducted workshops, noted a lack of access to computer science education, beyond a simple computer lab.

Through yuda, she has endeavored to attract tech companies to Modesto by holding events, facilitating community interaction and introducing children to technology from an early age.

Grace Dixon, a senior at Enochs High School, said most of her family worked in healthcare, which made her believe she would follow suit.

However, she stumbled upon a computer science class during her freshman year and deeply enjoyed it. She has decided to study computer science next year at CSU Stanislaus.

Dixon used to view software engineering as an unattainable career choice. However, acquiring coding skills and taking diverse computer science courses in high school has made that path more realistic and empowered her to pursue it.

I found my niche and I was very grateful for it because I was like, Yes, I found my thing. Im not gonna be a nurse, Dixon, 17, said.

Alex Ortega, left, and Ethan Pajo, right, begin the process of building and programming a robot during a computer science Hackathon at Enochs High School in Modesto, Calif., Saturday, May 11, 2024.

Hiring from your own backyard

Pezzoni acknowledged there are limited tech opportunities for students in the Valley. Additionally, those who did get jobs elsewhere often dont return.

I thought that it was really sad that our community didnt get to benefit from our youth being successful and being able to do awesome things in tech, she said.

Pezzoni said she believes bringing industry representatives into the classroom is helpful. Through Enochs computer science program, she has connected students with local tech employers, including LaMar Software and Bay Valley Tech, for networking.

On a field trip to CSU Stanislaus, Pezzonis students met with professors in the computer science department, and she noticed one of her former students assisting with the tour.

Thats really fun to run into them in the wild and see what theyre doing and how excited they are to do it, Pezzoni said.

Fresno native Theresa Gonzales, executive producer of the podcast Latinas: from the Block to the Boardroom, emphasized the importance of companies in the Central Valley actively seeking out local talent and investing in the community.

The first step is investing in the community to create the equity pipeline that is going to close the digital divide, Gonzales said. You have to close it because if not, then youre going to be pulling people from the Bay Area and why not look in your own backyard.

Enochs senior Grace Leba works on a cybersecurity challenge during a computer science Hackathon at Enochs High School in Modesto, Calif., Saturday, May 11, 2024.

Joey Gomez, middle, Ryan Stead, right, and Ethan Pajo, left, work on a cybersecurity challenge during a computer science Hackathon at Enochs High School in Modesto, Calif., Saturday, May 11, 2024.
The head of the Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyrylo Budanov, admitted that the situation in the Kharkiv region is "alarming." Ukrainian troops are trying to move their forces from other parts of the front to strengthen defense in this area.

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At the same time, he warned of the threat of an occupation offensive on Sumy region. DIU head said this in a commentary for The New York Times.

Like most Ukrainian officials and military experts, the head of Ukrainian intelligence believes that Russian attacks in the northeast are aimed at distracting Ukrainian reserves from hot spots in Donbas.

"The situation is alarming. Every hour the situation is getting closer to critical," Budanov said from a bunker in Kharkiv region.

According to him, the Ukrainian army is trying to redeploy troops from other parts of the front line to strengthen its defense in the northeast, but it has been difficult to find personnel.

"All our forces are either here or in Chasiv Yar. I have used everything we have. Unfortunately, we have no one else in reserve," Budanov said.

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General Budanov estimated that Ukrainian troops will be able to strengthen their positions and stabilize the front over the next few days. But he expects Russia to launch a new attack further north of Kharkiv, on the Sumy region.

The offensive on Vovchansk happened after warnings from Ukrainian officials that Russia was concentrating forces on the border with a view to launching a new offensive in the northeast. Those warnings became a reality early Friday morning when Russian troops crossed the border in two main lines: one directly north of Kharkiv and the other about 12 miles east, around Vovchansk, the NYT reported.

Military experts and Ukrainian officials say that Russian troops have so far largely advanced through poorly defended and largely unpopulated territory, which explains the relatively rapid progress. They note that the border in northeastern Ukraine has been subject to regular Russian shelling throughout the war, making it difficult to establish fortified positions and forcing many civilians to evacuate.

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As reported, NSDC Secretary Oleksandr Lytvynenko said that Russia has gathered about 50 thousand occupants on the border with Kharkiv region, of which more than 30 thousand are involved in the offensive to the north of the region. He admitted that there are "a lot of invaders," but there is no threat of an attack on Kharkiv as of today.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Traditional Idaho Republicans want to take back control of GOP from extremists. Lets hope it works | Opinion

Across Idaho, there are efforts by traditional Republicans to wrest back control of the Idaho GOP from the far-right.

As the Spokesman-Review reported, the North Idaho Republicans have organized a challenge for nearly every one of the 73 GOP precinct committee officer seats in Kootenai County. The Gem State Conservatives are likewise organizing efforts around the state, as the Idaho Capital Sun reported, including a push to challenge nearly every seat in Bonneville County.

Organizing such a massive slate of candidates is a herculean undertaking, much more difficult than working on ordinary statewide or legislative campaigns, and organizers should be commended for their efforts. The question this May is: Are Idaho voters equal to the challenge these groups have put to them?

Moderates are at a natural disadvantage in races like these. It takes a lot of work and political engagement to figure out what candidate you want to back in these tiny races that often have next-to no publicity or campaign advertising. Extremist political junkies, whose lives often revolve around politics to an unhealthy degree, often find it easier to organize in such a low-information environment than do moderates who are mostly focused on their jobs and families, and whose positions are more nuanced and not as easily reduced to sound bites and slogans.

But its work that traditional Republican voters should commit to doing this year.

Because if moderates can take back central committees in Kootenai and Bonneville  two of the most important strongholds of party control on the far-right  it will go a long way toward reining in the outsized influence that faction holds on Idahos public institutions.

True, party control has frequently failed to turn into electoral victory  a pretty good predictor of many elections in Bonneville County for years has been to bet against the local central committee, and the Kootenai GOP has also seen some significant defeats in recent years  but that doesnt mean these races arent important.

Heres why: The far-right often fails to win elections because its positions are extreme and unpopular with voters. They cant win elections based on attempts to defund public schools, to end the popular election of senators, to put doctors in jail for administering vaccines or on a platform of reinstating the gold standard. Their voters either dont like these ideas or dont care.

The far-rights main asset is its control of the GOP brand.

The brand matters because the typical Republican voter in Idaho has nothing to do with the state party. Theyve never been to a party meeting or convention; they dont know or care that Dorothy Moon is the party chair; and theyve never read or given one second of thought to the increasingly fringe state party platform.

They are Republicans because national party affiliation has become integral to political identity. Thats the team they root for in politics.

This is why the far-right has tried to expand its ability to discipline and coerce Republican elected officials, and why their favorite epithet is to call more moderate members of the GOP Republicans In Name Only. Their most effective political move is to single someone out and say: They arent really on the home team. Theyre playing for the other guys.

That threat allows them to push your representatives and other elected officials to respond to their interests and preferences rather than to yours. As a result, this was the first year that a plurality of Idahoans said the state was on the wrong track, according to the Idaho Public Policy Survey.

So why not take that weapon out of their hands?

If these campaigns succeed and the far-rights grip on the party brand begins to break open, the far-right will return to their recent status as side players rather than the central problem of Idahos political life.

And this election offers you a better chance to do that than any other in recent memory.

Your vote is more powerful in a precinct committee officer race than in any other. Theres a precinct committee officer for every precinct  and there are well over 900 statewide, as the Capital Sun noted  which means the number of votes needed to swing a district is tiny.

In Ada County in 2022, for example, few precinct committee officer races were decided by a margin of more than 10 votes, and some were decided by just a single vote. Theres a substantial chance that if you and your family do the research needed to pick a candidate, you could swing the outcome of one precinct committee officer race.

Its a kind of power you rarely get as a voter, and you should use it.

Statesman editorials are the unsigned opinion of the Idaho Statesmans editorial board. Board members are opinion editor Scott McIntosh, opinion writer Bryan Clark, editor Chadd Cripe, newsroom editors Dana Oland and Jim Keyser and community members Mary Rohlfing and Patricia Nilsson.
A trial has begun for a local veteran accused of murdering his grandfather and great-grandmother in 2020.

Prosecutors said Gene Alexzander Alex Scott is accused of shooting them in a scheme to get his inheritance.

PREVIOUS STORIES:

It all happened on Fathers Day in 2020. Deputies were called to a mobile home on Doe Street in Richburg, where they found the bodies of Gene Rogers and Billy Ruth Rogers. Both had been shot.

On Tuesday, the jury heard from several witnesses and got to watch video of the interaction between the suspect and the first officer who arrived on scene that day. Prosecutors that body camera video Tuesday afternoon, saying Scott put on a performance when the cops got there.

Theres blood all over, its like somebody executed them, Scott said in the video. I cant get it out of my head. I cant get it out of my head.

In the video, you can hear a seemingly emotional Scott telling a Chester County sheriffs deputy that his grandparents had been killed. On the stand, that deputy told jurors that Scotts behavior seemed odd.

It was as though he was putting on a show. He would turn it on and off, Deputy Claude Cowell said. He also kept asking to leave.

Scott told deputies he went to visit his grandfather for Fathers Day and found the bodies. But in court, prosecutors claimed it was a premeditated murder motivated by greed.

He was going to kill his grandfather so he could get the money from the life insurance policy and from the remainder of his retirement account that he knew he was a beneficiary of, solicitor Candice Lively said.

Lively told the jury that Scott had just gotten out of the military in January 2020. She said Scotts grandfather had already given him more than $80,000 earlier in the year, but she said Scott wanted more.

He had some grand idea that he was going to start a business, a tactical business, security business, buy a bunch of guns, Lively said.

During opening arguments, the defense urged the jury to keep an open mind and suggested the prosecutions case is paper-thin.

The victims family was also in court Tuesday. They didnt want to talk on camera, but theyve said theyre hoping for justice.

The judge said testimony in this case could go into next week.

(WATCH PREVIOUS: Bond denied for soldier in deadly SC shootings of grandfather, great-grandmother)
Its troubling to everybody: Alderman speaks out as investigation continues into deadly Northwest Side shooting

CHICAGO  A search continues on Monday for the person who gunned down a 24-year-old man while he was walking in a Northwest Side neighborhood.

Flowers and candles now make up a growing memorial built near the corner of Pittsburgh Avenue and Irving Park Road, in Dunning, where Zet Rodriguez, who worked as a crisis counselor, was gunned down while walking to work on Friday morning.

Family members say Zet was a father of one and was expecting a second child soon.

Family members of the victim declined to speak with WGN-TV but gave permission to share information detailed in a GoFundMe that has since been set up to help offset funeral costs.

The deadly shooting set off several home security cameras in the neighborhood. Video captured by one shows the person responsible running down Pittsburgh Avenue.

On Saturday, two persons of interest were questioned in connection with the deadly shooting, but they were later released without charges.

Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines

Alderman Nicholas Sposato (38th Ward), said he has been made aware of new surveillance video that captured images of a vehicle that may have been used in the shooting and said it is being turned over to police.

Its troubling to everybody, its troubling to the whole neighborhood, Sposato said in a phone interview with WGN-TV.

The alderman, who has been outspoken about the homicide investigation, said he hopes that new evidence in the case will help authorities make an arrest.

Im hoping its much sooner rather than later, Sposato said. So Im just hoping something breaks today or tomorrow.

Residents in the neighborhood told WGN-TV on Friday that the deadly shooting has left them shaken, disturbed and outraged.

Sposato said that he understands the concerns of the public about the case.

LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland

People want action. People dont want things to happen next week, next month, you know, they want fast action, they want severe and swift punishment for this scumbag that basically assassinated a young kid trying to make a life for his family, Sposato said.

Anyone with information on the deadly shooting is asked to contact CPD Area Five Detectives at 312-746-6554 or dial 911.

Those with information that could help authorities in their investigation can also leave a tip at CPDtip.com. Tips can be filed anonymously.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
Donald Trump has repeatedly referred to his criminal hush-money trial as a witch hunt and a show trial, and if the former president wanted to make a spectacle of the courts proceeding, he now has quite the supporting cast.

In the last several days of courtroom drama, Trump has been accompanied by an entourage of prominent Republican lawmakers eager to be seen offering their public support to the indicted former president. Not only is their presence an act of theatrical solidarity, they have been acting as mouthpieces for Trump, who remains bound by a gag order barring him from attacking witnesses, jurors, court staff, prosecutors, and the families of those involved in the case.

On Tuesday, Mike Johnson, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, addressed reporters gathered outside of court and repeated attacks against witnesses and the daughter of Judge Juan Merchan, who has led a Democratic consulting firm, that have previously landed Trump in hot water.

Among the atrocities here, the judges own daughter is making millions of dollars doing online fundraising for Democrats, Johnson said.

Im disgusted by whats happening in the sham trial against President Trump.



The American people can see its politically motivated.



Their star witness, Michael Cohen, is a known liar who is clearly on a mission for personal revenge. pic.twitter.com/dub4dyu91s  Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) May 14, 2024

Johnson was not the only one of Trumps guests to target Merchans daughter.

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), another member of the ring-kissing delegation on Tuesday, called the trial a joke and a farce, and accused Merchans daughter of making money off of the case. Fellow Florida Rep. Cory Mills stood alongside Donalds, and later appeared on Fox News from outside of the court to tell the outlet that people like the judges daughter are fundraising off of the trial on behalf of the Democratic Party.

Donalds going after the judges daughter pic.twitter.com/ayDVO4oUln  Acyn (@Acyn) May 14, 2024

Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) echoed Trumps pre-gag order attacks against Merchans daughter a day earlier. The judge inside, his daughter is making millions of dollars running against Donald Trump, raising money for Trumps political opponents, Vance said.

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who showed up at the trial last week, also attacked Merchans daughter on Monday, claiming the judges daughter is a political operative and raises money for Democrats.

The trial is a perfect opportunity for Republicans desperate for Trumps approval to score some points with the de-facto party leader. It was also an opportunity for the House Speaker to raise some money. President Donald Trump is on trial for one reason and one reason only: to interfere with our election. Democrats are weaponizing the justice system to defeat, Johnson wrote in an email to potential donors. The communique included a photo of Trump and Johnson clad in virtually identical suits and ties.

As reported by Rolling Stone, in the early days of the trial, the former president was infuriated by the lack of visible support from his allies at the courthouse. Where are they? he complained earlier this month, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. Another source noted that Trump had privately grumbled that Republicans hed endorsed were failing to pay proper homage.

The response has been swift, although several of the Republicans who showed up claim they are there voluntarily and were not asked to attend by Trump. The former president is well aware of their role, though, noting to reporters on Tuesday that he has a lot of surrogates and they are speaking very beautifully.

They come from all over Washington, and theyre highly respected and they think this is the biggest scam theyve ever seen, he added.

More from Rolling Stone

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A blueprint for a second Trump term issued by conservative groups contains many alarming wake-up calls for progressives. One that may have been overlooked is the ambitious plan to revive and expand the federal death penaltyand it highlights why Biden must act now to prevent a bloodbath for people condemned to death.

The report by Project 2025, titled Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise, offers a detailed set of policy goals and recommendations for Trump, should he return to the Oval Office. As the AP puts it, Led by the long-established Heritage Foundation think tank and fueled by former Trump administration officials, the far-reaching effort is essentially a government-in-waiting for the former presidents return. Behind the scenes, leaders of Project 2025 are collaborating with the Trump campaign and plotting a rapid-fire post-inauguration rollout of a right-wing agenda.

Given its membership, it should not come as a surprise that the Project 2025 agenda includes ambitious plans to revive and expand the federal death penalty. But it still should serve as yet another wake-up call for progressives as to why they cannot afford to sit on their hands during the 2024 presidential campaign, and to the Biden administration as to why they should stop temporizing about capital punishment.

The section of Mandate for Leadership dedicated to laying out a program for the future Trump Justice Department locates the discussion of the federal death penalty in a broad but familiar context. It argues that a disturbing number of state and local jurisdictions

have enacted policies that directly undermine public safety [and] leave doubt about

whether criminals will be punished.

Mandate for Leadership acknowledges that the prosecution of criminal offenses in most jurisdictions across the country must remain the responsibility of state and local governments, but claims that the federal government owes a special responsibility to Americans in jurisdictions where state and local prosecutors have abdicated this duty. It suggests that the next administration should provide greater attention and additional federal resources  to protect the rights of American citizens and federal interests.

It offers a variety of examples of such attention and additional resourcesand that is where its death penalty recommendation comes in.

Capital punishment, the Project 2025 report concedes, is a sensitive matter. But it quickly leaves such delicacy behind and delivers red meat for its conservative readership.

The current crime wave, it continues, makes deterrence vital at the federal, state, and local levels. However, providing this punishment without ever enforcing it provides justice neither for the victims families nor for the defendant. The facts belie this claim about a crime wavebut the report uses it to offer a death penalty one-two punch.

First, the next conservative Administration should therefore do everything possible to obtain finality for the 44 prisoners currently on federal death row. Obtain finality is a convoluted way of saying execute them and do so with dispatch.

The report doesnt stop there. It then recommends an expansion of the federal death penalty. The next administration should also pursue the death penalty for applicable crimesparticularly heinous crimes involving violence and sexual abuse of childrenuntil Congress says otherwise through legislation.

That the Supreme Court has in the past ruled that the death penalty should not be used for crimes that do not involve the death of the victim, such as child rape, seems not to matter to Project 2025. Perhaps the authors of Mandate for Leadership think that the current Supreme Court would take a different view.

And, with Trump, the authors of Project 2025s death penalty plan know they will have a very receptive audience. In fact, he has long loved the death penalty.

That love affair goes back at least to 1989 when, as the Washington Post notes, Trump, then a celebrity real estate developer, took out full-page advertisements  to call for a return to the death penalty after a female jogger was beaten and raped in Central Park. Five black and Hispanic teenagers were arrested and convicted in the case, spending years in prison. The Central Park Five were later exonerated.

He said at the time, I want to hate these muggers and murderers. They should be forced to suffer and, when they kill, they should be executed for their crimes. Since then, as the Post observes, Trump has weighed in  on a number of other cases, using Twitter to make his prodeath penalty feelings known.

During his time as a candidate for president and then during his term in the Oval Office, he has frequently talked about, and talked up, the death penalty. He has embraced it as a sign of his toughness and masculinity and a blunt instrument of public policy.

He has long wanted to expand the range of offenses for which someone could get a death sentence. In 2018, Trump proposed executing drug dealers.

He also claimed that leaders in China and Singapore had told him that the death penalty was an effective method for dealing with drug problems.

That same year, Trumps attorney general at the time, Jeff Sessions, sent a memo to all United States attorneys strongly encouraging them to seek the death penalty for people caught dealing in extremely large quantities of drugs. He claimed, echoing Trump, that doing so would aid in our continuing fight against drug trafficking and the destruction it causes our nation.

And, in the waning months of Trumps presidency, his administration went on a killing spree, reviving long-dormant federal executions. It put 13 people to death in a span of six months.

Along the way, the Trump administration dramatically expanded the federal governments ability to carry out the death penalty by issuing a rule allowing it to hang, electrocute, gas, or shoot individuals it did not want to kill by lethal injection.

Since he left office, Trump has continued to embrace capital punishment. In 2022, he used speeches delivered in Las Vegas and at the America First Policy Institute to bemoan this countrys crime problem and again offer the death penalty as a surefire way to deal with it. To put it simply, we are a nation in decline, he said in Vegas. The streets are flowing with the blood of innocent crime victims.  We need to end the crime wave immediately.

Death sentences and executions for convicted drug dealers are an important part of his program for doing so. It sounds horrible, doesnt it? Trump asked, But you know what? Thats the ones that dont have any problem. It doesnt take 15 years in court. It goes quickly, and you absolutelyyou execute a drug dealer, and youll save 500 lives.

Trumps death penalty fantasies seem to know no limit.

Last September, he took to Truth Social to suggest that Gen. Mark Milley, then chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, should be executed for what he did in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 insurrection. He wrote that Milleys phone call to reassure China after the storming of the Capitol was an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH.

Project 2025s Mandate for Leadership offers a way for Trump to turn his fantasies and fervor about the death penalty into a chilling plan of action. That is why, at the very least, Joe Biden should use his clemency power to commute the sentence of everyone now on the federal death row. It is why progressives, who now may harbor doubts about Biden, must enlist as loyal foot soldiers in his reelection campaign.
Former President Donald Trump sits in the courtroom at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York on Tuesday. Before entering Judge Juan Merchans court room and accompanied by House Speaker Mike Johnson, Trump told a crowd of reporters theres no crime. Pool photo by Michael M. Santiago/UPI

May 14 (UPI) -- Donald Trump's former lawyer and "fixer" Michael Cohen on Tuesday underwent cross-examination in a Manhattan court room as the day's sole witness in the former president's alleged hush-money payment scheme.

"Today I think we had a very good day in court," Trump told reporters as he left for the day. "I think it was a very, very good day."

The trial is to resume Thursday. For his part, Cohen likely "will continue until the end of the day Thursday" on the stand, Trump's attorney Todd Blanche said during afternoon testimony that got testy in the afternoon between the two.

Cohen took the stand to continue his at times intensive testimony for a second day about on the specifics of his role supposedly at the direction of Trump himself, as the defense tried to repeatedly paint Cohen as a liar or otherwise unreliable witness in the case.

Blanche, at one point, asked Judge Juan Merchan if they could discuss what is admissible, in light of the judge's pretrial rulings, on Thursday when court resumes.

Former President Donald Trump sits in the courtroom at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. Michael Cohen, a one-time fixer and personal attorney to Trump, is back on stand to continue testifying in the hush-money criminal trial against the presumed Republican presidential nominee. Pool photo by Michael M. Santiago/UPI

Blanche indicated he might finish cross-examining Cohen on Thursday.

"If I finish, it's the end of the day, I anticipate, your honor," he told Merchan.

Former President Donald Trump sits in the courtroom at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York on Tuesday. "I've been here for almost four weeks in an icebox, they call it the icebox, listening to a judge who is totally corrupt and conflicted, the former president told reporters before entering court. Pool photo by Curtis Means/UPI

Merchan replied, "No rush, take your time, do what you need to do."

As the cross-examination began around midday, Blanche asked Cohen, "You went on TikTok and called me a crying little [expletive]."

Before entering Judge Juan Merchans court room on Tuesday and accompanied by House Speaker Mike Johnson, Trump, also with son Eric Trump and Republican National Committee Co-Chair Lara Trump, told a crowd of reporters theres no crime. Pool photo by Craig Ruttle/UPI

"Sounds like something I would say," Cohen replied with a nod.

Blanche also asked Cohen to confirm his allegedly calling Trump a "dictator douchebag," to which Cohen replied "Sounds like something I said."

House Speaker Mike Johnson (C), R-LA, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy listen as former President Donald Trump (CL) talks with reporters at a Manhattan Criminal Court in New York on Tuesday. The speaker spoke to reporters in the morning saying how he believes Trump is "innocent of all charges." Pool photo by Curtis Means/UPI

The morning hours largely focused on the invoices Cohen filed to be reimbursed for the hush-money payments he allegedly facilitated to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to cover up the alleged affair she had with Trump and suppress the story ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

He admitted to prosecutors that he made the payments to Daniels, and others, "to ensure that the story would not come out, would not affect Mr. Trump's chances of becoming president of the United States," and said he believed it would not have happened if not for the 2016 election.

Michael Cohen, former attorney for Donald Trump, leaves his home Monday before he testified in the Manhattan criminal court in former president Donald Trump's hush money trial in New York. On Tuesday, Cohen said he did not regret working for the Trump Organization as he went on to detail his 13 months in a New York prison of his 36 months sentence. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI

Cohen, who added that he did not regret working for the Trump Organization and went on to detail his 13 months in a New York prison for his 36-month sentence, testified that he had worked on that particular deal "at the direction of Donald J. Trump" and "for the benefit of Donald J. Trump."

"I regret doing things for him that I should not have," Cohen said. "Lying, bullying people in order to effectuate a goal. I don't regret working with the Trump Organization."

Former President Donald Trump returns to the courtroom for his criminal trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York on Tuesday. Trump and his one-time fixer reportedly have been making little to no eye contact. Pool photo by Justin Lane/UPI

"As I expressed before, some very interesting great times," he added. "But to keep the loyalty and to do the things that he had asked me to do, I violated my moral compass and I suffered the penalty, as has my family."

In the morning, the jury saw emails dating to as far back as 2017 from Trump Organization controller Jeff McConney to Cohen to remind him about a $35,000 payment.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (2-L), businessman and ex-presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy (3-L) and U.S. Rep. Cory Mills, R-FL, listen as former US President Donald Trump talks with reporters as he arrives for his Manhattan criminal trial on Tuesday. Pool photo by Justin Lane/UPI

Cohen had asked McConney to remind him the monthly amount he is supposed to invoice, to which he replied and confirmed it was a $35,000 payment.

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger had Cohen confirm he did not have a legal retainer agreement at the time with Trump, and that the invoices had been consistent with directions given by then-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg, to receive compensation for the payments.

Republican National Committee Co-Chair Lara Trump (CL) and husband Eric Trump (M) return to the Manhattan courtroom after a break during former President Donald Trump's criminal trial in New York on Tuesday. Pool photo by Michael M. Santiago/UPI

Hoffinger asked Cohen if the description in the invoices for legal services rendered had been true, and he replied no. She then asked what the series of payments laid out by the invoices actually were for.

"Reimbursement to me of the hush money fee along with Red Finch and the bonus," Cohen replied. He then confirmed that the invoice was a false record, that he had received 11 checks totaling $420,000 and that Trump signed all of them from April 2017 onward.

Cohen had detailed a February 2017 White House meeting during which he testified he had a conversation in the Oval Office with Trump, then the president, in which Trump allegedly asked Cohen if he needed money.

"He said I could get a check," Cohen testified. "I said, 'No I'm OK.'"

Cohen said Trump directed him to "deal with" Weisselberg and that there would be a check for that month and January, the month prior.

Cohen said he did not get paid in 2018 when "as a result of the Stormy Daniels matter and her electing to go public, Mr. Trump wanted an arbitration action filed against" Daniels' breach of her nondisclosure agreement.

Trump, accompanied by House Speaker Mike Johnson, his son, Eric, and Republican National Committee Co-Chair Lara Trump, told a crowd of reporters outside the courthouse that "there's no crime."

"I've been here for almost four weeks in an icebox -- they call it the icebox -- listening to a judge who is totally corrupt and conflicted," the former president said.

He described his payments to Cohen as "a certain amount of money we marked it down as legal expenses."

"So I had a legal expense and I marked it down as a legal expense," Trump said. "I didn't mark it down as a construction of a wall, construction of a building, I didn't mark it down as electricity."

Trump also said that "signing a [non-disclosure agreement] is not a crime."

Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up the alleged affairs with Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and has denied the affairs.

A New York appeals court on Tuesday also denied an attempt by Trump's legal team to overturn the gag order against him.

"We find that Justice Merchan properly weighed petitioner's First Amendment Rights against the court's historical commitment to ensuring the fair administration of justice in criminal cases and the right of persons related or tangentially related to the criminal proceedings from being free from threats, intimidation, harassment and harm," the court ruled.

On Monday, Cohen testified that he had arranged paying $125,000 for Playboy model McDougal's life rights to a story about her affair with Trump at the former president's direction.

He said he arranged to buy the rights to the story under direction from Trump, adding he did not personally have any intent or reason to own McDougal's life rights.
A mean-spirited Texas map goes before a conservative appeals court that could make it a new standard

Conservative judges on the federal appeals court that oversees a large swath of the South questioned a longstanding legal mandate in the circuit that allows multiple minority groups to join together to seek representation under the Voting Rights Act.

Judge Edith Jones of the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals said that if it was obvious the Voting Rights Act contemplated so-called coalition districts that aim to bolster minority voting power, the Supreme Court would have said so in previous rulings about the law.

But it isnt, she told Justice Department attorney Nicolas Riley, who is defending the current precedent and how it was used by a Donald Trump-appointed judge to strike down the county commission map of Galveston, Texas.

The trial judge agreed with the Biden administration  and the civil rights groups and Black and Hispanic voters that also sued over the plan  that the commission map drawn by Republicans was a clear violation of the Voting Rights Act.

US District Judge Jeffrey Vincent Brown last year struck down the new map, saying that how the commissioners went about their obliteration of a majority-minority district was stark, jarring, egregious and mean-spirited.

The 5th Circuit has already voted to pause Browns ruling, as it considers reversing the coalition district precedent. The new GOP-drawn map will be in effect for the 2024 election.

During Tuesdays arguments before the full slate of circuit judges, an attorney for the challengers, Chad Dunn, said that the Galveston case was not an apt vehicle for overturning the precedent.

Galveston is arguing the text of the Voting Rights Act, in its reference to a class of citizens in the relevant provision, did not contemplate multiple racial or ethnic groups joining together to bring redistricting cases under the law. Justice Department Attorney Nicolas Reily argued Tuesday that class in that part of the statute referred to the class of voters being harmed by racial discrimination, including when that discrimination was aimed at multiple racial groups at once.

Obama appointed Judge Stephen Higginson, questioning Galvestons attorney Joseph Nixon, said ending coalition claims would force people of mixed racial or ethnic affiliations, such as Afro-Latinos, to choose one affiliation over another to be protected under the Voting Rights Act.

I think you are actually helping clarify why we need a bright line, Nixon said in response.

For roughly 30 years, Precinct 3 of Galvestons county commission  the governing body of the county  was drawn to group together Black and Hispanic communities, which together make up nearly 39% of the countys population and mostly vote for Democrats. After the 2021 Census, the Republican-led county commission broke up that district, locking in four majority-white districts instead.

Among the commissions actions were to hold its lone meeting about its redistricting plans 27 miles away from the county courthouse that usually hosts major commission meetings and to exclude the only Black member at the time (and its only Democrat) from the map-drawing process.

However, due to some eyebrow-raising procedural maneuvering last year by 5th Circuit Court  with the Supreme Court refusing to intervene  the contested map will be in effect for the 2024 election as the 5th Circuit considers reversing the 35-year-old precedent that was the foundation of Browns ruling.

The lawyers spearheading the lawsuit told CNN that the case shows exactly why the Voting Rights Act contemplated scenarios in which coalitions of multiple ethnic groups are harmed by discriminatory map-drawing. Overturning the current precedent, they say, will encourage map-drawers across the South to break up majority-minority districts made up of multiple ethnic or racial groups.

Recognizing that communities of color often suffer the effects of discrimination together is whats at stake here, said Valencia Richardson, a legal counsel for the Campaign Legal Center, which is representing voters challenging the map.

Their opponents argue that Congress did not intend for multiple classes of minorities to be considered together when assessing a maps Voting Rights Act compliance. They claim that the requirement for coalition districts has exacerbated the seemingly endless litigation over redistricting.

At the heart of this case is the meaning of the Voting Rights Act: Was it meant to restore justice and return things to where they belong, or, is it a political weapon that improperly uses race to distribute power? said J. Christian Adams, an attorney representing Galveston County, in an email to CNN.

Black and Latino voices extinguished, judge says

The 2021 map split up the long-established Precinct 3, spreading those minority voters across the four total commission precincts. White voters  who overwhelmingly vote Republican in the county  now make up a sizeable majority of all four districts.

Looking  as this court must  at the totality of the circumstances, it is stunning how completely the county extinguished the Black and Latino communities voice on its commissioners court during 2021s redistricting, Brown said in his decision.

Brown, who was confirmed by the Senate in 2019 with only Republican support, has previously ruled against the Biden administration in legal disputes over federal Covid-19 vaccine mandates and environmental regulations.

The 2021 redistricting cycle was the first that the county was not subject to the so-called preclearance under in the Voting Rights Act, which had required that localities with a history of racially discriminatory voting practices get the approval of the Justice Department or a federal court when adopting new political maps.

Brown noted how the commissions Republican members  led by the countys chief executive, County Judge Mark Henry  departed from the countys usual redistricting process in a number of ways.

The Galveston Republicans opted to shut the public  and the commissioner representing Precinct 3, the commissions sole Democrat and, at the time, its only member of color  out of most of the process, the judge found. The commission opted to have only one public meeting about the redistricting plan, compared to the five held after the 2010 Census.

That lone 2021 meeting was also not held at the centrally located county courthouse typically used for major commission business, but at a building 27 miles from Galveston that was much smaller and more difficult to access. An estimated 150 to 200 people showed up to the meeting, with many of them  including elderly residents and people in wheelchairs  left lining the hallways due to the lack of space.

At the meeting, Henry and the other commissioners showed a disregard for public input from the minority communities and those critical of the enacted plans discriminatory effect, Brown wrote.

In 2022, a second Black member joined the commission, filling a seat left open by the death of a Republican member representing a precinct of mostly white voters. The new commissioner, Robin Armstrong, is a Republican. The federal judge in the redistricting case said that his addition to the commission was irrelevant to the legal dispute.

His precinct is predominantly Anglo, and several witnesses  including Commissioner Armstrong himself  testified that he would not be the candidate of choice of Black and Latino voters, the judge said. Armstrong did not respond to CNNs request for comment.

If the appeals court overturns its precedent and rules against a coalition district mandate, such a decision will be deeply felt in the three states covered by the circuit Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi  which were required to get federal pre-approval for their maps before a 2013 Supreme Court ruling dismantled that mandate.

Adams, who is also president and general counsel of the Public Interest Legal Foundation, told CNN via email that the 5th Circuit should make clear that race cannot be used for political gain and he pointed to how other courts have not allowed these submajority districts.

The law speaks in singular terms, not stacked minority groups, he said.

Supreme Court has already sided with county

After the 5th Circuit put Browns ruling on pause, the challengers to Galvestons new map asked the Supreme Court last year to block the 2021 plan for the coming election  a request that was rejected over the dissent of the three liberal justices.

The 5th Circuit went far beyond its proper authority, Justice Elena Kagan, joined by the courts other two liberals, wrote, because the appeals court was imposing a map acknowledged to violate current law  on the theory that the Circuit might someday change that law.

The current 5th Circuit precedent allowing coalition districts dates back to 1988.

At the trial in the Galveston case, the challengers had to show that the Black and Hispanic voters had a shared history of suffering discrimination in the county and that they had consistently voted for the same candidates.

If racial groups lack the cohesion derived from common experiences and interests, their claims will fail of their own accord. That outcome need not be assumed in advance, the Justice Department wrote in court filings.

The county argues that because Galvestons Latino and Black populations are, individually, too small to bring a successful VRA claim, the lawsuit must fail.

In court filings, it said that there was no indication in the language or history of the VRA that it is was meant to protect two or more minority groups together, when neither could raise such a claim individually.

Chad Ennis  the vice president of the Honest Elections Project, a conservative group that works on voting issues and that filed friend of the court briefs calling for the end of coalition districts  told CNN that legal disputes over coalition districts end up being a battle of the experts.

Ennis said that the current precedent was fueling protracted court fights over redistricting.

Trying to figure out, Well can we lump [multiple groups] together? Should we lump them together? becomes very difficult, he said.

Supporters of the 5th Circuit precedent say that the Galveston case shows how rare it is for these types of coalition claims to be successful in the first place, and that the dispute exemplifies the kind of discriminatory behavior the VRA was intended to address.

If defendants get their way, it would essentially greenlight the destruction of majority minority districts throughout the South, said Hilary Harris Klein, a senior counsel for Southern Coalition for Social Justice, who is representing some of the challengers in the lawsuit. It would be devastating for minority voters as devastating as it was for Galvestons Black and Latino voters.

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Washington believes that Russian occupation forces may continue their offensive in the Kharkiv sector. At the same time, the United States does not expect any significant breakthroughs by Russia.

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This was stated at a briefing on Monday by Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department of State Vedant Patel. He noted that Russia continues to increase its aggression.

"Russia continues to escalate its aggression, and we expect that Russia will try to advance, including on Kharkiv," the US foreign policy official said.

He did not rule out the possibility that the Russians will try to make more progress in the coming weeks, but no significant advances are expected.

"We do not expect any major breakthroughs, and over time, additional U.S. assistance, as well as continued support from our partners, will allow Ukraine to continue to withstand this aggression," the State Department official said.

In addition, he expressed his belief that the Ukrainian Armed Forces will have an advantage in the battles and will inflict significant losses on the Russian army.

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As reported by OBOZ.UA:

- The head of the Kharkiv regional military administration, Oleh Syniehubov, said that the occupiers continue to attack in the north of Kharkiv region. Ukrainian defenders repel absolutely all enemy attacks, but there is an expansion of the gray zone in the Kharkiv region, as the invaders are deliberately stretching the defense of the Armed Forces.

- Against the backdrop of a new offensive by the occupiers, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykhailo Drapaty was appointed commander of the Kharkiv military operation center. He will replace Yuriy Galushkin.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Donald Trumps former lawyer and personal fixer Michael Cohen is set to testify again Tuesday in the hush money trial following his long-awaited first appearance in the Manhattan courtroom Monday.

Cohen, the most important witness for the prosecution, used his first day of testimony to place Trump squarely at the center of the scheme that prosecutors claim was used to bury negative stories in order to protect Trumps 2016 presidential campaign. He also spoke about his experience acting as the former presidents lawyer, claiming: Everything required Mr. Trumps sign-off.

Michael Cohens Trump Testimony Felt Like a TV Season Finale

Cohen is key to the current proceedings because he made the $130,000 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. Prosecutors say the deal was made to stop her from speaking out about an alleged one-night stand with Trump and potentially hurting his campaign. Trump has denied 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, which the prosecution claims involved falsely recording reimbursements to Cohen as legal expenses in an effort to hide the hush money payment.

Cohen told the court Monday that Trump had repeatedly asked him to keep allegations of affairs out of the public eye in the run-up to the election. He also contradicted the defenses argumentthat Trump was interested in protecting his family and personal reputation rather than his campaignby testifying that the payment to Daniels was all about the campaign.

Trump wasnt thinking about Melania, his wife, Cohen told the court. He also said it was the former first lady herself who came up with the idea of describing the contents of the notorious Access Hollywood tape as locker room talk. We needed to put a spin on this... that this is locker room talk, something that Melania had recommendedthats what Melania had thought it wasand use that in order to get control over the story and to minimize its impact on him and his campaign, Cohen testified.

Cohen also spoke about another alleged affair between Trump and Playboy model Karen McDougal, who was paid $150,000 to keep quiet about her story. She was paid, Cohen said, after Trump was given a complete and total update on everything that transpired. What I was doing, I was doing at the direction of and benefit of Mr. Trump, Cohen testified.

Trumps attorneys have already denounced Cohen as an admitted liar and claimed he has an unhealthy obsession with the former president. Cohen is likely to face aggressive questioning during cross-examination, which is expected to begin as early as Tuesday afternoon.

The defense team will surely work to undermine Cohens credibility as a witness, citing his previous wrongdoing, which includes pleading guilty to criminal charges, some of which related to payments under scrutiny in the current trial. He has also admitted lying to Congress about a project to build a Trump Tower in Moscowwhich Cohen previously said he did out of loyalty to Trump and to remain in keeping with the Republicans political messaging.

It will also be interesting to see who shows up to support Trump in court. On Monday, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH)thought to be high on the shortlist of Trumps potential running matesshowed up with others including Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY).

Another potential Trump VP pickVivek Ramaswamyis expected to make an appearance Tuesday.

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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.

Were, like, the party of fertilization because we are for the women. Donald Trump, speaking about abortion following a rally in Michigan earlier this month

Over the past week, Trump has been all over the headlines, between Stormy Daniels testimony in his hush money trial and the news that Trumps mysterious, yearslong IRS audit could result in his owing $100 million in back taxes. But the Trump news I cant stop thinking about is a bafflingand accidentally quite tellinginterview the former president gave to a local news station about reproductive rights. It was mostly a bunch of word vomit that got very little attention, but it contained a damning Freudian slip that encapsulates the partys views on abortion and what rights, if any, should be afforded to women.

Following a rally in Saginaw County, a Fox 2 Detroit anchor asked Trump how abortion would affect the November election. Trump, regurgitating some of his favorite lines of late, claimed that all legal scholars wanted Roe v. Wade overturneda feat he managed to achieve. Now that abortion is a state issue, he said, its working out and people are satisfied with it. (Trump also seemed not to know that Michigan voters already passed a ballot measure to protect abortion.) This is all a bunch of nonsense, but its not the part thats stuck with me.

Trump then appeared to reference the Alabama Supreme Court ruling declaring that embryos created for in vitro fertilization were legally human beings under wrongful-death statutes. The February decision halted IVF treatments in the state and sent GOP members of Congress into a tailspin about whether they support the fertility treatments legality. (Shocker: They blocked a Senate bill that would have protected it.) In the interview, Trump tried to claim that the GOP supports IVF more than Democrats do, and made a glaring slip-up (starting around 6:30 into this clip):

Were, like, the party of fertilization because we are for the women. We wanna help the women. Because they were gonna end fertilization, which is where the IVFwhere women go to the clinics and they get help in having a baby, and thats a good thing, not a bad thing. And were for it 100 percent. [Democrats] tried to say that [Republicans] werent for it. They actually werent for it and arent for it as much as us, but women see that.

Trump saying that Republicans are the party of fertilization is inadvertently one of the most honest things hes ever said about abortion. He can swear up and down that he believes its now an issue for the states, but anti-abortion activists and the current GOP have been extremely clear that their end goal is full legal rights for fertilized eggsrights that necessarily come at the expense of the living, breathing people with said eggs inside them.

A month after the Alabama IVF dust-up, the influential Republican Study Committee endorsed the Life at Conception Act, a House bill that would give embryos legal rights from the moment of fertilization. If that fetal personhood bill became law, it would not only nationalize the Alabama Supreme Court decisionit would also ban abortion in all 50 states. The RSC comprises nearly 80 percent of House Republicans. Days after that bill endorsement, Alliance Defending Freedom CEO Kristen Waggoner told Politico that the legal juggernaut hopes to one day get the Supreme Court to uphold a federal abortion ban based on personhood: We do believe at ADF that the Constitution protects the life of an unborn child and that that is in the 14th Amendment. The ADF helped write the Mississippi law the court used to overturn Roe and ostensibly send abortion back to the states, but its not stopping there.

Another ADF case horrifically illustrates what it means to be the party of fertilizationand how legal rights during pregnancy can become a zero-sum game. In Moyle v. United States, the legal advocacy group is helping Idaho defend its near-total abortion ban, which has exceptions only to prevent death, not threats to health. The Biden administration says the ban conflicts with a federal law that requires hospitals to stabilize all emergency room patients whose health or organ function is in jeopardy, even if that care is abortion. Idahos argument was, essentially, that a miscarrying woman on the verge of losing her uterus may not be entitled to an abortion because the state has acted to protect fetal lifeeven though, in many of these cases, the fetus wont survive. Responding to hypotheticals from Justice Elena Kagan, Idahos lawyer said, There are two patients to consider in those circumstances, and the two-patient scenario is tough. (If the justices side against the Biden administration, it could mean that pregnant women in Idaho and other states with abortion bans will face dangerous discrimination in ERs.)

Trumps fertilization interview reminded me of another recent pile of abortion gibberish that contained a kernel of honesty: his early April video on Truth Social in which he claimed he wants to leave abortion to the states but that the issue isnt as important as winning in November. He previewed his video by saying that Republicans have an obligation to the salvation of our Nation  TO WIN ELECTIONS. He reiterated this sentiment on camera: You must follow your heart on this issue. But remember, you must also win elections to restore our culture and, in fact, to save our country.

Trump implying that he cant endorse a national ban now because its so unpopular is the most believable thing he said. It was also a wink and a nod to conservatives that hes doing what it takes to regain power: They can simply revisit the issue later. And we know exactly what theyll do.
Donald Trump has turned his criminal trial in New York into a photo-op and circus stop for MAGA loyalists, literally giving top political allies a front-row seat and rotating his guests each day.

Not that theyre interested in whats actually going on in the courtroom, anyway.

Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) became the first notable tourist last Friday. He left mid-morning.

On Monday, his guests of honor included Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and J. D. Vance (R-OH), the latter of whom tweeted the whole time and openly admitted to nearly falling asleep.

But Tuesdays sightseers were unique in that they showed up just in time to see the most damning evidence yet presented in the case that could jail a former American presidentand current presidential candidatefor the first time in history. Thats all the more relevant, given that they include two former 2024 GOP presidential candidates and a congressmanall perceived to be gunning to be Trumps vice president.

Its a Bad Week to Be Named Michael Cohen. Trust Me, I Know.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and Rep. Byron Donalds lined up left-to-right at the wooden pew directly behind their leader, with the congressman snagging the aisle seat. They showed up in Trump uniform: dark suit, white shirt, red tie. The first two wore dress shoes. The congressman wore sneakers.

They were present for quite the show. Michael Cohen, the former Trump lawyer whos turned on his former boss, finally fulfilled his role as the Manhattan District Attorneys star witness by confirming all the details about Trumps coverup to hide his hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels to save his 2016 presidential campaign. Her silence was bought with a real $130,000, and Cohen was reimbursed via fake legal invoices.

Was this invoice a false record? prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked.

Yes, ma'am, Cohen responded.

And did you continue to submit similar false records... so that you would receive those checks? she

Yes, maam.

And did each of those invoices... make the same false representation, that it was for services rendered pursuant to a retainer agreement?

Yes, maam.

Cohen donned his thin-framed, dark glasses to read the evidence from the witness stand. Trumps bulldog morphed into the DA's obedient labrador. Every Cohen confession pointed a finger at himself and three back at his former boss.

The three Republican politicians in this Manhattan courtroom were present for every minute of what could turn out to be this trials climax. But they werent all here.

Melania Came Up With Trumps Locker Room Talk Excuse, Michael Cohen Says

Prosecutors posted copies of 2017 invoices and checks on the screen, a years worth of paperwork that adds up to the 34 felony counts Trump faces for faking business paperwork. As prosecutors cycled through each month, Burgum kept his eyes on the screen, his wavy gray hair brushing up against the collar of his gray suit. Donalds remained transfixed on the same TV.

But Ramaswamy didnt bother to look upnot once.

Prosecutors cycled through February, March, April, May. Ramaswamy continued to fiddle with something at his lap. (He would later walk out with a black notebook that was bookmarked halfway through and had earlier promised to share my thoughts over the day.)

That unmistakable signaturealways in a bold, black sharpieflashed on four massive screens hanging 10 feet above everyones heads.

Who's signature is it? Hoffinger asked.

Donald J. Trump, Cohen said.

Donalds stared at the screen above his left shoulder, blinking three times. Then he turned his head down and roughly rubbed his face with his left hand.

Was the description on the check stubs false? Hoffinger asked.

Yes, Cohen said.

Burgum leaned further forward, inching toward the screen.

June, July, August, September. By the ninth month, Donalds lost interest and began glancing around the roomtoward Cohen, the security officer next to him, the waist-high wall separating the lawyers from the public ahead of him. Ramaswamy still hadnt looked up once.

Octobers invoice and check appeared on the screens. Donalds briefly looked up and left, took a deep breath, then looked back down just before the damning evidence reappeared.

Mike Johnson and Vivek Ramaswamy Are Next Suck-Ups at Trump Trial

Can you see whose signature is on the check? Hoffinger repeated.

I do, Cohen said.

Whose is it?

Donald J. Trump.

November. Ramaswamy suddenly glanced up at the TV directly in front of him, shaked his head, whispered something to Donalds, then went right back to fiddling in his lap.

When it was time to discuss Trumps final check in December, Cohen explained that the full $420,000 had been paidthe deed was done, the illegal reimbursement completed. The signature took up much of the six-foot screens that encircled half the courtroom.

It was then that Ramaswamy finally looked uppast Trump, past the judge, past even the screensstraight up to the fluorescent light hanging above the center of the courtroom.

His neck needed a break.

Shortly after a mid-morning recess, Ramaswamy turned his scribbled notes into a series of tweets about the proceeding: calling it Kafka-esque, complaining about boredom, and claiming that its now *LESS* clear than ever what exactly Trump is being prosecuted for. He also pinned the blame on Cohen for faking the invoices, not Trump for signing the checks.

All three walked out to deliver a brief press conference, then made their way back inside just in time to hear Cohen detail what he called an intimidating attempt in 2018 to keep him from flipping on his former boss.

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(The Hill)  Former President Trumps nemesis in his New York trial took the stand Monday.

Michael Cohen worked for more than 10 years as Trumps attorney and fixer. At one time, Cohen famously said he would take a bullet for Trump.

Cohen has become a staunch critic of the former president after he himself pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations and tax evasion in 2018. Cohen later pleaded guilty to lying to Congress as well. He received a prison sentence and was eventually released, after a period of house arrest, in late 2021.

Michael Cohen leaves his apartment building on his way to Manhattan criminal court, Monday, May 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Trumps legal team will seek to use this history to destroy Cohens credibility.

The attorney is a central figure in the trial because he paid $130,000 in hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the final stages of the 2016 presidential campaign. Cohen was later reimbursed for this payment by Trump and a Trump trust.

Prosecutors contend that Trump falsely classified the reimbursements as a legal expense to conceal their true purpose  to improve his chances of winning the election by stopping Daniels from going public with her claim she had sex with Trump back in 2006.

Trump denies having sex with Daniels and denies any legal wrongdoing, arguing the payments to Cohen were indeed legal expenses.

The former president is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

Here are five takeaways from Cohens first day of testimony.

Cohen emphasizes how Stormy Daniels posed a danger to Trumps campaign

One vital issue in the case is whether Trump wanted to silence Daniels for electoral reasons or simply to stave off personal embarrassment.

This matters because the offense with which he is charged is usually only a misdemeanor, unless it can be shown to have been committed in furtherance of another crime.

Prosecutors are arguing that the allegedly falsified business records ultimately amounted to election interference, since the purpose of paying off Daniels was to conceal information from voters that they otherwise would have known. Trumps team denies this.

Cohens testimony sought to underline the degree to which Trump was concerned that Danielss story could sink his White House hopes.

He said that Trump, upon learning Daniels might go public with her allegation of a sexual encounter, told Cohen: This is a disaster, total disaster, adding that while male voters might consider his alleged exploits cool, this is going to be a disaster for the campaign.

Cohen also testified that Trump seemed relatively unbothered by the impact on his wife, Melania. Trump allegedly said that he would not be on the market for long if things went awry with his wife.

Is the courtroom an audition stage for Trumps VP slot?

Trump has been accompanied by an expanding entourage during the most recent days of the trial.

On Monday, Sens. JD Vance (R-Ohio) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) showed up at court, as did Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.). Last Thursday, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) appeared.

Three of those four  everyone except Vance  seemed to be there simply as a show of GOP support.

Last week, Scott also made the kind of attacks from which Trump is restrained by a gag order, including attacking the daughter of Judge Juan Merchan for her work with a Democratic digital consulting firm.

Vances appearance stirred speculation about Trumps hunt for a running mate, however. The Ohio senator is widely considered to be one of the front-runners for that position.

Vance, an erstwhile Trump critic, has transformed himself into a staunch loyalist.

On Monday, in a multipost thread on the social platform X, Vance asserted that he was now convinced the main goal of the trial is psychological torture.

A secret tape explained

Cohens testimony cleared up a question that had floated around the edges of the trial.

Jurors had already heard a covert recording of Trump that Cohen made back in 2016  and they did so again Monday.

The tape features Cohen and Trump discussing a $150,000 agreement with another woman who said she had a sexual relationship with Trump  former Playboy model Karen McDougal.

It was not clear until Monday why Cohen had recorded that one conversation with Trump but  he says  no others.

Cohen told the court that he had made the recording so that he could convince David Pecker, the magazine executive who was making the deal directly with McDougal, that he would get reimbursed.

Pecker would hear the conversation, and he would know that were going to be paying him back, that Mr. Trump was going to be paying him back, Cohen testified.

In the end, Pecker did not seek reimbursement.

The real drama may be still to come

Cohens testimony had been highly anticipated, but it did not reach the dramatic heights that had been seen last week when Daniels testified.

Reporters in the courtroom noted that there were some occasions when members of the jury looked as if they were becoming a bit bored with his testimony.

There will be more fireworks once Trumps team gets a chance to question Cohen.

Trump stirs over bonus detail

Trump had his eyes closed for much of the day, renewing questions as to whether he has been snoozing through much of the trial.

Reporters who are present firmly believe he has been doing so, including today.

Earlier this month, Trump posted on social media to contest these stories, arguing I simply close my beautiful blue eyes at times in order to listen intensely.

In any event, he clearly stirred from his peaceful state Monday at a telling moment  when Cohen was testifying to his disappointment with his bonus in 2016.

Trumps eyes had been closed for quite a while, but a brief expression of what appeared to be pleasure crossed over his face as Cohen describes Trump stiffing him on his end-of-year bonus, Jonathan Swan of The New York Times noted.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
A New York appeals court on Tuesday shut down Donald Trumps request to overturn the gag order in his hush-money trial, reports MSNBC.



JUST IN: New York appeals court rejects Trump's gag order appeal pic.twitter.com/rKLhKd7nYZ  MSNBC (@MSNBC) May 14, 2024

The Supreme Court of the State of New York Appellate Division, First Judicial Department, ruled Tuesday that with his decision to impose a gag order, Judge Juan Merchan properly weighed petitioners First Amendment Rights against the courts historical commitment to ensuring the fair administration of justice in criminal cases.

Justice Merchan properly determined [Trumps] public statements posed a significant threat to the integrity of the testimony of witnesses and potential witnesses in this case as well, the appeals court added.

The gag order prohibits Trump from attacking Merchan, court staff, the prosecution, witnesses, and their families. Trump has decried this order as an attack on his constitutional right to free speech, complaining that he isnt allowed to respond to statements made against him. The former president has already been fined $10,000 for 10 violations of the order, and Merchan has warned Trump that any further violations would send him to jail.



In the past week, Trump has heard testimony from two witnesses with damaging testimony: adult film actress Stormy Daniels and his former fixer and attorney, Michael Cohen, who have each gotten under his skin. He is carefully attempting to skirt the order by dodging reporters questions about having surrogates attack the people he cannot. For example, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson attended Trumps trial on Tuesday and criticized the people specifically mentioned in the gag order.



Speaker Johnson attacking the judge, prosecutors, and the current witness Michael Cohen who is currently testifying pic.twitter.com/ftgOhBreBD  Acyn (@Acyn) May 14, 2024

The former president is accused of paying off Daniels in order to keep their affair under wraps before the 2016 presidential election with the help of Cohen. Trump faces 34 felony charges for allegedly falsifying business records with the intent to further an underlying crime, and has pleaded not guilty on all counts.

This story has been updated.
Michael Cohen testifies during Donald Trumps criminal trial in Manhattan state court in New York City, on 14 May 2024 in this courtroom sketch.

Michael Cohen testifies during Donald Trumps criminal trial in Manhattan state court in New York City, on 14 May 2024 in this courtroom sketch. Photograph: Jane Rosenberg/Reuters

On the docket: Cohen up, Cohen down

Michael Cohen, the star witness in Donald Trumps criminal case, returned to the stand on Tuesday and offered more incriminating testimony about his former boss  before Trumps lawyers tried to paint him as a jilted liar whos seeking revenge.

Cohen, Trumps former attorney and fixer, is the only witness testifying in the case who has direct knowledge of the ex-presidents role in allegedly falsifying business records, the crime at the center of the trial.

That explains why prosecutors brought him as their final witness and why Trumps fate may rest on whether jurors find Cohen to be credible.

Prosecutors finished questioning Cohen on Tuesday. Trumps lawyers then got their crack at him in the afternoon, beginning a cross-examination that will continue into Thursday.

The case is nearly over. Here are Tuesdays biggest moments.

What Cohen told prosecutors:

Cohen says Trump discussed repayment of the hush money at a White House meeting.

Cohen testified that he met with Trump at the White House on 8 February 2017, before Cohen received his first payment to cover the Daniels money, and said Trump checked in to make sure he was being taken care of financially.

He asked me if I needed money. And I said no, all good, Cohen testified. He then said Trump told him to make sure you deal with Allen. Thats Allen Weisselberg, the Trump Organization chief financial officer who set up the hush-money repayment plan that Cohen testifies Trump had approved.

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger then showed Cohen an email he sent to a senior Trump Organization official asking for payment for services rendered from the retainer agreement. He testified that this was a false description and the real reason for the payment was reimbursement, to me, of the hush money fee along with repayment for another service and bonus money.

Hoffinger then walked Cohen through each invoice he submitted and each check he received from Trump as payment. Cohen said each invoice made the same false representation. When asked if any were for legal services, he replied No, maam, they were for reimbursement for paying off Stormy Daniels. He testified that he did less than 10 hours of total legal work for Trump in all of 2017, when he was paid a total of $420,000.

Cohen said Trump tried to keep him in the fold after the FBI raided Cohens home.

Cohens home and office were raided by the FBI in April 2018. Frightened, he called his boss. Cohen said Trump told him: Dont worry, Im the president of the United States. Theres nothing here, everything is going to be OK. Stay tough. Youre going to be OK. Cohen said that reassured him and kept him in the fold, in the Trump camp.

Cohen said Trumps inner circle told him to consider Robert Costello for his attorney. Costello told Cohen that he was as close as you can imagine to Trump attorney and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani. Prosecutors then presented an email from Costello to Cohen that said Giuliani thanked Cohen for opening this back channel and asked me to tell you that he knows how tough this is on you and your family and he will make [sure] to tell the president. Later that day, Costello emailed: I spoke with Rudy. Very, very positive. You are loved.

When Cohen pleaded guilty, Trump turned swiftly on him.

In August 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to a number of crimes, including an excessive campaign contribution that he testified was the hush-money payment to Daniels. He said he finally decided to put his family over loyalty to his boss. I would not lie for President Trump anymore, he said.

Trump turned swiftly on Cohen, tweeting: If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you dont retain the services of Michael Cohen!

Cohen testified that he regretted actions he took for Trump. To keep the loyalty and to do things he asked me to do, I violated my moral compass and I suffered the penalty  as has my family, he said.

How Trumps team tried to discredit Cohen

Trumps attorneys got their shot at Cohen in the afternoon and sought to paint him as a serial liar out to get his former boss.

Trump attorney Todd Blanche got Cohen to confirm that hed called Trump a dictator douchebag in April, after the trial started, and asked Cohen if he recalled saying that hed like to see Trump in a cage, like a fucking animal. Cohen said it sounds like something I would say  a refrain he repeated throughout the cross-examination. Blanche got Cohen to admit he wants to see Trump convicted in this case.

He also painted him as a scorned former acolyte who was obsessed with Trump. Blanche pointed out that during the 2016 presidential campaign hed called Trump a good man who was kind, humble, honest, genuine, and got Cohen to confirm hed meant it. At that time, I was knee-deep into the cult of Donald Trump, yes, Cohen said.

Blanche then pressed Cohen on how much money hed made after becoming a public Trump critic, getting him to admit hed made a combined $3.4m in profit from his two tell-all books ripping into Trump.

Trumps team will resume their cross-examination of Cohen on Thursday when trial resumes.

Sidebar: Trumps posse does his dirty work for him

As the trial has proceeded, Trumps entourage at the courtroom has grown. At first, he was arriving at court with his lawyers and a few political aides. After reporters noted that none of his family were in attendance, Trumps son Eric began accompanying him. And this week, hes been joined by a bevy of Republican elected officials.

Tuesdays entourage included House speaker Mike Johnson, Republican North Dakota governor Doug Burgum, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, and Republican Florida representatives. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills.

Burgum and Ramaswamy, two former rivals for the 2024 presidential nomination turned Trump acolytes, are viewed as possible vice-presidential running mates. A third potential running mate, Ohio senator JD Vance, attended court on Monday, along with Alabama senator Tommy Tuberville and New York representative Nicole Malliotakis. Florida senator Rick Scott was there last Friday.

This isnt (just) about Trumps ego. It seems like Trump has finally decided that its a bad idea to keep violating Judge Juan Merchans gag order barring him from attacking the jury and trial witnesses. His solution: let his surrogates do the dirty work for him.

Vance ripped Cohen as a convicted felon on Monday. Tuberville went after the supposedly American citizens in that courtroom, a seemingly shot at the jury. On Tuesday, Johnson attacked Cohen, calling him a man who is clearly on a mission for personal revenge.

Trump was asked on Tuesday if he was directing his surrogates. I do have a lot of surrogates and they are speaking very beautifully, he responded.

In other news

A New York state appellate court rejected Trumps request to have his gag order removed, writing that Merchan was correct when he determined Trumps public statements posed a significant threat to the integrity of the testimony of witnesses and potential witnesses.
Trump trial recap: Michael Cohen says he was 'knee deep' in 'cult of Donald Trump'

NEW YORK  Michael Cohen faced stern questioning from Donald Trump's defense team Tuesday in the former president's hush money trial. This was the defense's first crack at Cohen after the disbarred lawyer told jurors Monday that he was following Trump's orders when he bought porn star Stormy Daniels' silence about an alleged affair with Trump.

But Trump attorney Todd Blanche avoided addressing the specifics of the payoff at the center of the case, while working to show that Cohen, Trump's onetime attorney and fixer, may have had motive to lie about his former boss. At one point he asked if Cohen had been "obsessed" with Trump, whom he once idolized.

Trump is charged with falsifying business records to cover up the true purpose of his reimbursements to Cohen  an effort save his candidacy from damaging disclosures in the waning weeks of the 2016 presidential election.

Cohen bolstered the prosecution's case Tuesday, testifying that he made the payment to Daniels "to ensure that the story would not come out, would not affect Mr. Trump's chances of becoming president of the United States."

That testimony showed why Cohen is a star witness for the prosecution, but Cohen's cross-examination could become more combative on Thursday, given Trump and Cohen's history of hurling insults at one another.

Here are highlights from Tuesday's proceedings:

Trump calls cross-examination of Cohen a very good day

Former President Donald Trump said that, while he was prevented from talking about his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, because hes a witness in the money trial, his teams cross-examination is going well.

Today we had a very good day, Trump said as he left the Manhattan courthouse. The trial is going very well. Its the fourth week, he added later.

Bart Jansen

More: Mike Johnson, Vivek Ramaswamy join chorus of Trump allies attacking Cohen amid trial

Cross-examination of Cohen so far largely avoids Trump charges

Blanche's cross-examination of Cohen this afternoon largely focused on questions about Cohen's hostility toward Trump and his possible motivation to help prosecutors. Blanche did ask Cohen one general question about his memory of calls with Trump in 2016, appearing to express skepticism of Cohen's earlier testimony about hush money and reimbursements.

However, Blanche largely avoided getting into details about the 2016 and 2017 activity that's at the heart of the business records case.

 Aysha Bagchi

Tuesday trial proceedings end

Judge Juan Merchan called an end to proceedings for today. Michael Cohen is set to retake the witness stand for more cross-examination on Thursday, after an off-day in the trial on Wednesday.

 Aysha Bagchi

Trump lawyer indicates cross-examination of Michael Cohen could end Thursday

Judge Merchan excused the jury for the rest of the day. He then called up the lawyers for a private conversation at his bench, and afterwards asked Trump lawyer Todd Blanche in open court how much more cross-examination of Cohen remained. Blanche indicated he expects to be done by the end of Thursday.

As usual, there are no trial proceedings this Wednesday.

 Aysha Bagchi

More: A guilty verdict? Donald Trump and allies are bracing voters for the worst

Cohen defends his reputation as 'fixer'

Blanche asked Michael Cohen a question that appeared to be a direct reference to former Trump aide Hope Hicks' earlier testimony. Hicks said Cohen used to call himself "a fixer" or "Mr. Fix-it," but she used to say that Cohen only fixed what he had first broken.

Blanche didn't mention that testimony, but asked Cohen whether  when he calls himself a fixer  those are things that he broke. "No, sir," Cohen said.

 Aysha Bagchi

More: Donald Trump trial Friday recap: Former Trump aide Hope Hicks gets emotional on stand

Cohen says he hoped Manhattan DA would help reduce his federal criminal sentence

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche has been asking Cohen a series of questions about Cohen's federal prison sentence. The questions have gone on for a while and they've been a little plodding.

For example, Blanche asked Cohen about getting work credits and education credits from the Bureau of Prisons. Cohen said he put in an application based on those credits to help him with the home confinement portion of his sentence. Cohen remains under supervised release following his 2018 conviction on charges of lying to Congress, tax evasion, and violating federal election laws through payoffs to porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal.

Blanche appears to be wanting to show Cohen cooperated with the Manhattan district attorney's office during his time in prison to is motivated to get his sentence reduced. Cohen confirmed he wanted the DA to announce he was providing assistance in order to help with his efforts to ease his sentence.

 Aysha Bagchi

Jurors highly attentive as Cohen is cross-examined

The jurors are paying close attention during Michael Cohen's testimony, and that's consistent with how they've appeared throughout this trial. Right now, you can see many of their heads turning towards Trump lawyer Todd Blanche as he asks a question, and shifting to Cohen as he answers.

Jurors share some small screens in front of their chairs in the jury box, where they are able to have a close look at evidence presented in the trial.

 Aysha Bagchi

More: Freezing temps and colorful characters: Trump's hush money trial from the inside

What is the courtroom like?

Cohen was just brought back into the courtroom after a short afternoon break. Every time he enters or exits, he is guided to walk just in front of the first row of benches behind Trump's defense table. That means walking just in front of Trump's supporters  for instance, Eric Trump today. Cohen usually doesn't look at them as he is escorted past and then through a side door in the courtroom.

Cohen has already testified to having a long history not just with Trump, but at least to some extent with the Trump family. Eric Trump turned his head to the left and smirked yesterday when Cohen said he was disappointed his name wasn't included among those considered to become Trump's White House chief of staff, even though he also didn't believe the role was right for him or that he "was even competent."

More: Would cameras in the courtroom change Donald Trump's New York hush money trial?

For much of today, Donald Trump has appeared to be facing forward, instead of being directed to his right, where Cohen is seated in the witness box. However, Trump appears to be watching Cohen at least some of the time as he testifies this afternoon. I don't have my binoculars today and haven't been able to see Trump's eyes on screens in the courtroom. Yesterday morning, his eyes were closed for extended periods multiple times.

Before the lunch break today, as Cohen described turning on Trump and pleading guilty to tax- and election-related crimes, the mood in the room seemed sombre, as if taking in Cohen's description of the full arc of his life shifting dramatically.

Blanche's cross-examination of Cohen is less sombre, but doesn't yet feel as aggressive as many might have expected. Blanche's questions about Cohen's previous admiration for Trump seemed to create some connection between the witness and defendant, despite their current hostility.

 Aysha Bagchi

'I was knee deep into the cult of Donald Trump'

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche asked Cohen to confirm he hadn't been lying when he said nice things about Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign.

"At that time, I was knee deep into the cult of Donald Trump, yes," Cohen said.

 Aysha Bagchi

More: What happens if Trump is found guilty in hush money case? Prison is certainly an option.

Cohen on Trump: 'I admired him tremendously'

Trump lawyer Todd Blanch asked Cohen to confirm he enjoyed working with Trump. "Very much so," Cohen replied.

Blanche asked about Cohen's feelings on Trump's 1987 book, "Trump: The Art of the Deal." Cohen characterized it as an "excellent book." When Blanche asked Cohen to confirm he thought it was a "masterpiece," Cohen said: "Yes, masterpiece."

Cohen also said he saw himself in Trump, adding the adjective "innovative."

Blanche asked Cohen to confirm he had been obsessed with Trump.

"I don't know if I would characterize the word 'obsessed.' I admired him tremendously," Cohen said.

 Aysha Bagchi

Cohen says he changed his views about Trump around summer of 2018

Cohen testified he changed his views about Trump around the summer of 2018. "It was around the time that I had gone on George Stephanopoulos," Cohen said.

Cohen tweeted a photo of himself in early July of 2018 with ABC News correspondent George Stephanopoulos, saying: "My silence is broken!"

In a summary of a conversation the pair had, Stephanopoulos said Cohen indicated he was willing to cooperate with federal prosecutors investigating him for possible election and financial crimes.

Cohen pleaded guilty to several federal crimes later in 2018.

 Aysha Bagchi

"I would like to see accountability': Cohen under cross-examination

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche asked Cohen why he is on TikTok regularly, and Cohen responded that it's to build an audience, create community, and "to really vent" because he is having a difficult time sleeping.

In response to a follow-up question from Blanche, Cohen confirmed another of the reasons is to make money.

Cohen said he's on TikTok six days a week, and also estimated he mentions Trump on his TikTok sessions six days a week.

Blanche asked Cohen about saying on his podcast that he wants Trump to be convicted. "Sounds like something I would say," Cohen responded.

"I would like to see accountability. It's not for me  it's for the jury and this court," Cohen added.

 Aysha Bagchi

Trump trial timeline: What does Donald Trump's courtroom schedule look like?

Trumps hush money trial is expected to last six-to-eight weeks, according to a media advisory provided by New Yorks Unified Court System before the trial started on April 15.

The courtroom normally opens at 9:30 a.m. eastern time, and the court takes off on Wednesdays. Judge Juan Merchan previously ruled that the court will break on May 17 so Trump can attend his son Barron Trump's high school graduation, and on May 24 due to a juror scheduling conflict.

 Sudiksha Kochi

Cohen insists he remembers his 2016 conversations with Trump

Blanche questioned Cohen's ability to recall very specific calls with Trump in 2016 while seeming less confident about requests from prosecutors not to comment about the case. Cohen did acknowledge prosecutors have raised the issue of his public comments, although he also invoked his First Amendment free speech rights.

But on his memory of calls with Trump, Cohen indeed said it was very good: "I remember all the conversations with President Trump, yes."

 Aysha Bagchi

Cohen confirms saying Trump belongs in 'cage, like an animal'

Blanche asked Cohen to confirm this trial is personally important to him, and Cohen said it was.

Blanche then asked Cohen if he had said on April 23, during the trial, that Trump belongs in a "cage, like an animal." Cohen confirmed saying that.

 Aysha Bagchi

Cohen asked about following trial coverage

Blanche asked Cohen about commenting on TikTok during the trial, when prosecution witness David Pecker was still on the stand, that from everything he had heard that day Pecker was corroborating what Cohen has been saying for six years.

Cohen confirmed he had done that, saying someone called him and told him that.

Blanche then asked if Cohen has been following what is happening in the courtroom on CNN and MSNBC. Cohen said he has watched those channels but "not religiously in order to follow the full extent of the trial." Cohen said he is interested in protests concerning Israel as well as in the trial.

 Aysha Bagchi

Who is Todd Blanche?

In his historic hush money trial taking place in lower Manhattan, Donald Trump is relying on one person more than anyone else: his lead defense attorney, Todd Blanche.

In 2019, Blanche led the team representing former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort in a New York fraud case, in which he was accused of defrauding banks of more than $1 million by submitting false financial statements when applying for residential mortgage loans.

The judge in that case ultimately dismissed the charges, but Manafort was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison as a result of two other federal cases.

 Rachel Barber

Judge blocks Trump lawyer's 'crying little s---' question as Cohen cross-examination starts

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche opened his cross-examination of Michael Cohen by asking Cohen to confirm they've never met but Cohen knows who Blanche is. Cohen said that was true.

Blanche then asked Cohen to confirm he went on TikTok and called Blanche a "crying little s---."

The prosecution objected to the question and Judge Merchan quickly sustained the objection. When Blanche then asked Cohen if Cohen has commented on Trump lawyer Susan Necheles, the prosecution objected again and Merchan not only sustained the objection, but also called the lawyers up to his bench, perhaps to caution Blanche further on the line of questioning.

 Aysha Bagchi

Trump arrives in courtroom

Former President Donald Trump entered the courtroom for the afternoon cross-examination of Michael Cohen at 2:10 p.m. EDT. Eric and Lara Trump, as well as Vivek Ramaswamy, are still with the Trump team this afternoon. They've now seated themselves in the first row of benches behind the defense table, where Trump and his lawyers are seated.

 Aysha Bagchi

Prosecution team arrives for afternoon proceedings

The prosecution team entered the courtroom at 2:05 p.m. EDT for the afternoon proceedings. We're still waiting on the defense team, the judge, and the jury.

 Aysha Bagchi

Who is Judge Juan Merchan?

New York Judge Juan Merchan who is presiding the first criminal trial in history of a former president, is no stranger to the defendant, Donald Trump.

Merchan presided over a 2022 tax-fraud trial of two parts of the Trump Organization, in which the companys former chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, was convicted for not reporting $1.7 million in benefits, and he sentenced Weisselberg to five months in jail.

Trump has attacked Merchan as biased on the grounds that Merchan's daughter works for a marketing firm with Democratic politicians as clients, and he has twice unsuccessfully moved for Merchan to recuse himself from the case. Merchan has refused, citing the New York State Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics finding that the judge's impartiality couldn't be reasonably questioned based on his daughter's work.

Trump's attacks spurred Merchan to expand a gag order to limit his commentary about the family members of people involved in the trial. On the second day of the trial, Merchan chastised Trump for speaking to prospective jurors.

Merchan has been a felony judge for 15 years.

-Bart Jansen

Who is Stormy Daniels and what is her real name?

Stormy Daniels, born Stephanie Clifford, is an adult film star. Daniels says she had an affair with Trump in 2006, months after Melania Trump gave birth to Barron Trump. Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen paid her $130,000 to stay quiet about the alleged affair ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

Trump's lawyers tried to block Daniels from being called to the witness stand, but New York Judge Juan Merchan ruled that Daniels can testify because her allegations are "inextricably intertwined" with the criminal allegations.

-Kinsey Crowley, Bart Jansen

Who is Michael Cohen

Michael Cohen, the former Trump lawyer and fixer, is the key in the New York hush-money trial that could send the former president to prison.

Cohen testified that Trump directed him to engineer payments to two women who alleged in the runup to the 2016 presidential election that they had affairs with the married candidate.

While Cohen is Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's star witness, he may also be the prosecution's greatest vulnerability, given his history of perjury and a felony conviction.

-Josh Meyer

Cohen cross-examination to start after lunch break

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger indicated she had no further questions for Michael Cohen. Trump's defense team is set to begin its cross-examination at about 2:15 p.m. EDT, after a lunch break. Trump lawyer Todd Blanche was handling objections for the defense while Cohen has been testifying. Generally the same lawyer who handles objections for a particular witness questions that witness.

 Aysha Bagchi

'Lying, bullying': Cohen describes his regrets

Prosecutor asked Cohen if he had any regrets about his past work or association with Donald Trump.

"I regret doing things for him that I should not have," Cohen said. "Lying, bullying people in order to effectuate the goal."

Cohen said he doesn't regret working with the Trump Organization, adding that there were some "very interesting" times.

"But to keep the loyalty and to do things that he had asked me to do, I violated my moral compass and I suffered the penalty, as has my family."

 Aysha Bagchi

Trump dropped lawsuit seeking $500 million from Cohen

Cohen described Trump suing him for $500 million, saying the lawsuit was partly based on Cohen testifying to a grand jury.

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked Cohen about the effect the lawsuit had on him. "Financial, as well as emotional," Cohen said.

The lawsuit was brought in April of 2023, alleging Cohen made money from "fictionalized accounts" in his 2020 book, Disloyal: A Memoir. Trump said the accounts were prohibited by a confidentiality agreement.

Trump later dropped the lawsuit, and a judge ordered the case closed in October.

 Aysha Bagchi

Read Trump's tweets after Cohen's guilty plea

Here are Donald Trump's two tweets from the day after Cohen pleaded guilty to federal crimes, which were shown to jurors today in Trump's hush money trial:

This embedded content is not available in your region.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

 Aysha Bagchi

Trump tweets day after Cohen's guilty plea

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked Cohen about two tweets by Trump on Aug. 22, 2018  the day after Cohen pleaded guilty to federal crimes. Cohen said he was aware of the Trump tweets on that day.

In the first tweet, Trump said: "If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you don't retain the services of Michael Cohen!"

In the second tweet, Trump posted that he "felt very badly" for his associate Paul Manafort, saying "unlike Michael Cohen, he refused to 'break'  make up stories in order to get a 'deal.' Such respect for a brave man!"

Cohen said he interpreted the tweets as expressing "certainly displeasure" about his decision to plead guilty.

Asked whether Cohen read in the tweets a message from Trump about whether Cohen should cooperate with the government, he said he interpreted them as saying: "No, do not cooperate."

Asked how the tweets affect him, Cohen said: "Caused a lot of angst, anxiety."

 Aysha Bagchi

'Worst day of my life': Cohen describes pleading guilty to federal crimes

Cohen told jurors about pleading guilty to federal crimes on Aug. 21, 2018, including campaign finance violations and tax evasion.

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked what that day was like for him. "Worst day of my life," Cohen said.

 Aysha Bagchi

Cohen says hush money to Stormy Daniels was for Trump campaign

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked Cohen why he paid $130,000 in hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels.

"To ensure that the story would not come out, would not affect Mr. Trump's chances of becoming president of the United States," Cohen said.

Hoffinger asked if Cohen would have paid the money if not for the campaign. "No, ma'am," he said.

On whose behalf "did you commit that crime?" Hoffinger asked. Cohen said it was on behalf of "Mr. Trump."

This is an important part of the prosecution's case. They are arguing Trump committed felonies because he falsified business records in order to conceal violating campaign finance laws through the Stormy Daniels hush money payment. Trump may want to argue the payment was about shielding his family, not helping the campaign.

 Aysha Bagchi

Cohen describes switching loyalties

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger's questioning is moving into Cohen deciding to plead guilty to federal crimes, including to crimes tied to his involvement in the hush money deals with Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels.

Hoffinger asked Cohen where he decided his loyalty should be.

"To my wife, my daughter, my son, and the country," Cohen said.

 Aysha Bagchi

American people have already acquitted Donald Trump: Burgum

Two House Republicans and two former GOP rivals for the presidency served as proxies for former President Donald Trump outside the New York courthouse for his hush money trial, criticizing witness Michael Cohen and Judge Juan Merchan in ways that Trump cant under his gag order.

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., said Cohen filled out false invoices to the Trump Organization for reimbursement for paying $130,000 to porn actress Stormy Daniels, despite Trump being charged with falsification of business records.

This is a joke, it is a farce, it is a travesty, Donalds said.

Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., also criticized Cohen as a convicted liar.

Michael Cohen has no credibility, no integrity, Mills said. This is weaponization against our president.

Vivek Ramaswamy, a businessman who ran for the Republican presidential nomination, criticized Merchan because his daughter works with Democratic politicians, although a state ethics board cleared him to preside over the trial.

This is some third-rate banana republic, Ramaswamy said.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum said the scam trial prevented Trump from campaigning against President Joe Biden on issues such as inflation, crime, border security and the economy. But he cited two recent polls that found Trump leading in swing states.

The American people have already acquitted Donald Trump, Burgum said.

 Bart Jansen

Cohen says lawyer proposed back channel to communicate with Trump

Michael Cohen described having a meeting with a lawyer named Robert Costello, who struck Cohen as "sketchy."

Cohen testified that Costello described himself as "incredibly close" to Rudy Giuliani, and that relationship "will be very beneficial" for Cohen going forward because Giuliani was close to and spending a "tremendous" amount of time with Trump.

Costello also said "this would be a great way to have a back channel communication to the president in order to ensure that you're still good and that you're still secure," according to Cohen.

Cohen said Costello met him with a retainer agreement, but Cohen told Costello was still meeting with other lawyers and didn't sign it.

 Aysha Bagchi

New York appeals court upholds Trump gag order in hush money case

A New York court rejected former President Donald Trumps appeal of the gag order in his hush money trial that prevents him from talking about witnesses or jurors.

Five judges on the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division's First Department ruled Tuesday that Judge Juan Merchan ruled correctly to protect the integrity of the trial.

Justice Merchan properly determined that petitioners public statements posed a significant threat to the integrity of the testimony of witnesses and potential witnesses in this case as well,

Judge Juan Merchan ordered Trump not to comment on witnesses or jurors to avoid intimidating or harassing participants in the trial. Merchan ruled Trump violated the gag order 10 times and fined him $10,000  and threatened him with jail for future violations.

Gag orders were also upheld on appeal in Trumps New York civil real estate fraud trial, where he was fined $15,000, and his federal election interference case.

But Trump, who contends the trial is political interference to keep him off the presidential campaign trail, has argued he has a First Amendment right to respond to his accusers.

The gag order has to come off, Trump told reporters Tuesday before entering the courtroom. Its a scam. Its election interference.

 Bart Jansen

Liz Cheney: Mike Johnson joins Trump's 'I cheated on my wife with a porn star' club

The Trump defense surrogate drawing the most attention is House Speaker Mike Johnson  much of it referencing Johnson's strong Christian viewpoint.

"Have to admit Im surprised that @SpeakerJohnson wants to be in the 'I cheated on my wife with a porn star' club," said former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., on the social media site X.

"I guess hes not that concerned with teaching morality to our young people after all."

The Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump political organization, said on X: "So good of pious Mike Johnson to show support for cheating on your wife with a porn star, paying her hush money to cover it up, and falsifying business records so America doesnt find out about it before an election."

Johnson, one of several high-profile Republicans to travel to New York City to speak on Trump's behalf, said he wanted to appear because he believes the trial to be unfair, especially in an election year.

These are politically motivated trials and they are a disgrace," Johnson told reporters.

 David Jackson

Trump tweets reinforced Cohen's loyalty, Cohen says

The jurors were again shown April 21, 2018 tweets by Trump praising Michael Cohen as "a fine person with a wonderful family," and saying while most people would flip if the government lets them out of trouble, Trump didn't see Cohen doing that.

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked how Trump's tweets affected Cohen. "Reinforced my loyalty and my intention to stay in the fold," Cohen said.

Cohen said he understood Trump didn't want him to cooperate with the government, to provide information, or to flip.

Read Trump's tweets here:

This embedded content is not available in your region.

 Aysha Bagchi

'(Trump's) Justice Department should go nowhere': Cohen describes effect of Trump call after FBI raid

"I was scared," Cohen said about how he felt at the time the FBI raided his office and he called Trump. "First time in my life anything like this. And I wanted some reassurance that Mr. Trump had my back, especially as this dealt with issues that related to him."

Cohen also described how Trump's message not to worry and everything was going to be fine impacted him.

"I felt reassured, because I had the president of the United States protecting me. His Justice Department should go nowhere. And so I felt reassured, and I remained in the camp," Cohen said.

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked Cohen what he meant by saying he stayed in the fold and in the Trump camp. Cohen confirmed to her that he stayed loyal to Trump and continued to lie about Trump's involvement.

 Aysha Bagchi

'Don't worry. I'm the president of the United States.': Cohen describes last time he spoke to Trump

Cohen said he left a message for Trump to call him after his office was raided by the FBI. He said he wanted Trump to know what was taking place.

According to Cohen, Trump called him back and said:

"Don't worry. I'm the president of the United States. There's nothing here. Everything's going to be okay. Stay tough. You're going to be okay."

Cohen said that was the last time he spoke to Trump.

 Aysha Bagchi

'Concerned. Despondent. Angry.': How Michael Cohen says he felt after FBI raid

Michael Cohen described being raided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation under a search warrant. Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked Cohen how he felt after that happened.

Cohen replied: "How to describe your life being turned upside down? Concerned. Despondent. Angry."

Hoffinger asked if Cohen was frightened. "Yes, ma'am," Cohen said.

 Aysha Bagchi

Jurors instructed to ignore FEC investigation in assessing Trump's guilt

Jurors have now heard testimony about the Federal Election Commission having investigated the hush money to Daniels, as well as about the responses to the FEC from Cohen and his lawyer. Judge Merchan instructed jurors that, although they have heard that testimony, they cannot consider it when they are determining whether Trump is guilty of the 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Instead, Merchan said, the testimony is being permitted so they can assess Cohen's credibility and have context for surrounding events.

Remember, Trump is charged with felonies based on the prosecution's theory that Trump falsified business records in order to commit or conceal another crime. Prosecutors say Trump was concealing unlawful interference in the 2016 presidential election through a hush money payment to Daniels that violated campaign finance laws.

 Aysha Bagchi

Read statement from Cohen lawyer to FEC

You can read the full Feb. 8, 2018 statement from Cohen's lawyer to the Federal Election Commission here:

This embedded content is not available in your region.

 Aysha Bagchi

Cohen describes 'misleading' denial to FEC on Daniels hush money reimbursement

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger showed jurors a Feb. 8, 2018 statement Cohen's lawyer made to the Federal Election Commission that Cohen just testified was intentionally misleading. The statement referred to "Ms. Clifford," the real name of porn star Stormy Daniels. One portion of it stated:

"Neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction with Ms. Clifford, and neither reimbursed Mr. Cohen for the payment directly or indirectly."

Cohen said that portion was literally true but intentionally misleading: it omitted that the Trump revocable trust as well as Trump personally reimbursed Cohen for the hush money he paid Daniels.

Cohen later pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations, including in relation to the Stormy Daniels hush money.

 Aysha Bagchi

House Speaker Mike Johnson defends Trump

House Speaker Mike Johnson came to Trumps defense Tuesday, echoing the former presidents criticism of the judge and prosecutor in the hush money trial and voicing what Trump cant under his gag order by slamming witness Michael Cohen and the judges daughter.

The judicial system in our country has been weaponized against President Trump, the Louisiana Republican said. The system is using all the tools at its disposal right now to punish one president, to provide cover for another.

Cohen was Trumps personal lawyer who arranged a $130,000 payment to keep Stormy Daniels quiet before the 2016 election about her claim of a sexual episode with Trump while he was married. Cohen has been convicted and imprisoned for lying to Congress about one of Trumps real estate projects and to the Internal Revenue Service about his income.

This is a man who is clearly on a mission for personal revenge and who is widely known as a witness who has trouble with the truth, Johnson said of Cohen. He has a history of perjury and is well known for it. No one should believe a word he says today.

Judge Juan Merchans daughter does marketing work for Democratic politicians. A state ethics board cleared Merchan to preside over the case. But Johnson said the relationship demonstrates the Democratic priorities behind prosecuting the presumptive Republican nominee for president.

They have him tied up here in this ridiculous prosecution that is not about justice, it is all about politics and everybody can see that, Johnson said. Its so corrupt and everyone knows it.

 Bart Jansen

Cohen says he wanted to cash in as president's personal lawyer

Cohen testified that he wanted to monetize being named the president's personal attorney. He said he made $4 million from clients around that period.

 Aysha Bagchi

Who is Allen Weisselberg?

Allen Weisselberg is a former chief financial officer at the Trump Organization who was sentenced to five months in jail for perjury during former President Donald Trumps civil fraud trial last year.

Weisselberg had previously been sentenced to five months for tax fraud after falsifying Trump Organization business records and failing to report $1.7 million in benefits.

Justice Juan Merchan suggested prosecutors consider calling Weisselberg to testify in Trumps ongoing case in New York Friday after Trump's legal team objected to prosecutors attempts to show jurors Weisselbergs $750,000 severance agreement, POLITICO reported. Merchan ruled Monday that prosecutors can't show jurors that agreement.

 Rachel Barber

Cohen says Trump's signatures are on checks

Michael Cohen was shown a series of checks that he said corresponded to the invoices he submitted in 2017, which he said were false invoices. Several of them, he said, had Trump's personal signature on them. Earlier witness testimony has also confirmed Trump's signature on checks that prosecutors say correspond to these invoices.

 Aysha Bagchi

Cohen testifies he submitted false invoices

Jurors were shown an invoice Michael Cohen submitted in 2017 stating that he was submitting the invoice pursuant to a retainer agreement, which is an agreement about compensation that reserves a lawyers pays for future services. Cohen just told jurors that statement was false  the requested money wasn't pursuant to a retainer agreement.

Cohen's invoice also said the requested payment was for services rendered for January and February of 2017. Cohen testified that statement was also false. He already told jurors yesterday these payments were actually reimbursing him for paying porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 in hush money, as well as reimbursing him for another expense and paying him a bonus.

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger is continuing to show jurors invoices Cohen submitted in 2017, and he is continuing to testify that the invoices were false in similar ways.

 Aysha Bagchi

When did Donald Trump marry Melania?

Melania Trump, born Melanija Knavs, married former President Donald Trump in January 2005. They have one son, Barron. He was born in March 2006.

 Rachel Barber

Mike Johnson comes to Trumps defense

House Speaker Mike Johnson will deliver remarks at 10:15 a.m. EDT at a park next to the Manhattan courthouse where Trumps hush money trial is ongoing, according to a media advisory.

The advisory says that Johnson will discuss the political persecution of Trump by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and President Joe Bidens weaponized Department of Justice. There is no evidence that Biden is behind the hush money trial.

 Sudiksha Kochi

Jury shown photo of Michael Cohen at White House

The jury again saw a photo of Michael Cohen at the White House. Here is a screenshot from the photo jurors were shown:

The photo, along with earlier testimony from former Trump White House aide Madeleine Westerhout, corroborates prosecutors' story that Cohen visited the White House in February of 2017. There was also testimony earlier in the trial that metadata associated with the photo indicates it was taken on Feb. 8, 2017.

 Aysha Bagchi

Cohen testifying about 2017 invoice email

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger has started questioning Cohen. She showed jurors an email jurors have seen before of Jeffrey McConney, the former financial controller for the Trump Organization, asking Cohen in February of 2017 to send him invoices. McConney appears to reference Allen Weisselberg, the former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization.

The email stated: "Mike, Just a reminder to get me the invoices you spoke to Allen about. Thanks, Jeff"

 Aysha Bagchi

Cohen enters the courtroom after lengthy lawyer-judge conversation

Michael Cohen entered the courtroom at 9:39 a.m. EDT for his second day of testimony in the trial. The judge spoke to the lawyers privately at his bench for several minutes before asking for Cohen to be brought in. We are now just waiting on the jury.

 Aysha Bagchi

Is Michael Cohen married?

Michael Cohen is married and has two children, a son and a daughter. Cohen has been very protective of his family in the past, expressing fear that Trump's rhetoric could endanger them. Cohen said yesterday his marriage is going on 30 years.

 Aysha Bagchi

Trump and supporters enter the courtroom

Donald Trump entered the courtroom at 9:25 a.m. EDT for Day 17 of his criminal trial. Today, Lara Trump, co-chair of the Republican National Committee, is here.

Lara Trump's husband and the former president's middle son, Eric Trump, is also here. He has attended multiple days of the trial.

And potential vice presidential pick on the Trump campaign ticket, Vivek Ramaswamy, is here.

 Aysha Bagchi

Prosecution arrives for Day 17 of trial

The prosecution team entered the courtroom at 9:13 a.m. EDT. We are still waiting for the Trump defense team, Judge Juan Merchan, and the jury.

 Aysha Bagchi

Trump supporters respond to posts criticizing judges with threats of violence

Judge Juan Merchan has ordered Donald Trump not to comment on witnesses or jurors, to avoid influencing in his New York hush trial, but a Reuters investigation found the former presidents social media posts about the judge and prosecutors inspired widespread threats of violence.

Trump has repeatedly called Merchan a highly conflicted judge and in an April 23 post on Truth Social, said he was presiding over a kangaroo court. Trumps supporters swiftly replied with posts on the Patriots.win website, including treason is a hangable offense and needs to be strangled with piano wire before he makes it to the hangman.

Reuters documented more than 150 posts since March 1 calling for physical violence against judges in three Trump cases  Merchan, New York Judge Arthur Engoron in his civil fraud case and Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee in his Georgia election racketeering case. The posts were part of a larger pool of hundreds that included hostile, racist or sexualized langue to attack the judges short of explicitly calling for violence.

Articulating these ideas is the first step along the pathway of mobilizing to violence, said Mitch Silber, a former New York City Police Department director of intelligence analysis.

Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said the presumptive Republican presidential nominee has a right to criticize what he called un-Constitutional witch hunts and said Democrats and crazed lunatics have called for despicable violence against Trump.

--Bart Jansen

Was Michael Cohen disbarred?

Michael Cohen was disbarred after he pleaded guilty to multiple crimes in 2018, including lying to Congress.

A panel of New York state judges granted a request from a New York attorney grievance committee to strike Cohen's name from the official list of attorneys in New York state in February of 2019.

Cohen "ceased to be an attorney upon his federal conviction of making false statements to the United States Congress," the panel said in its opinion.

The move was retroactive, striking Cohen's name from the list as of the date he pleaded guilty to lying to Congress, Nov. 29, 2018.

 Aysha Bagchi

What was Michael Cohen convicted of?

In August 2018, Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to tax evasion, making false statements to a bank, and violating campaign finance laws by causing or issuing two hush money payments ahead of the 2016 election: $130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels and $150,00 to model Karen McDougal, the latter of which was paid by American Media Inc. Those amounts greatly exceed the personal contribution limits to a political candidate.

In November 2018, Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to Congress. In an effort to protect Trump, had told Congress his boss stopped trying to pursue a real-estate deal in Moscow in January 2016 when they actually continued efforts through June 2016.

Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison, according to a Department of Justice release.

House Speaker Mike Johnson to appear with Trump

House Speaker Mike Johnson will make an appearance in the courthouse with Trump on Tuesday morning, showing solidarity with the former president according to a person familiar with the planning.

Johnson joins a number of high-profile Republicans joining Trump in Manhattan to support the former president.

Punchbowl News was first to report Johnsons appearance.

 Ken Tran

Michael Cohen recording with Trump

On Monday, jurors listened again to a recording of a conversation between Trump and Cohen. This time, Cohen was there to testify about it. He said the pair were discussing a hush money deal to silence former Playboy model Karen McDougal. She has alleged she had a months-long affair with Trump that overlapped with Melania Trump's pregnancy. Trump denies the claim.

On the recording, Cohen references "info regarding our friend, David." That was a reference to David Pecker, Cohen told jurors. Pecker has testified he agreed to be "eyes and ears" in Trump's 2016 presidential campaign efforts by helping identify potentially damaging stories to prevent them from being published.

Cohen and Trump also talk about "financing" on the recording. Cohen said he made the recording to reassure Pecker that Trump planned to pay him back for the hush money to McDougal.

You can listen to the recording here:

 Aysha Bagchi

Michael Cohen court sketch

The New York criminal trial against former President Trump isn't televised. But courtroom sketch artists make renditions of court proceedings each day. Here is one sketch by Jane Rosenberg of Michael Cohen's testimony Monday, with prosecutor Susan Hoffinger questioning Cohen and Trump looking on:

 Aysha Bagchi

What is Trump on trial for?

Trump is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Prosecutors say the real estate mogul was trying to cover up unlawfully interfering in the 2016 presidential election through a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

 Aysha Bagchi

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump trial recap: Michael Cohen hush money cross-examination
Trump tries to get around his gag order, praising "surrogates" who "beautifully" attack witnesses

If you gag one mouth, three more shall appear.

While Donald Trump has been prevented by Judge Juan Merchan from going after witnesses and jurors in his hush money trial, the former presidents Republican allies have become his attack dogs.

On Monday, as Michael Cohen testified, three lawmakers Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala. and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y.  attacked him outside the courthouse.

Vance called Cohen a convicted felon who admitted that he secretly recorded his former employer. Does any reasonable, sensible person really believe anything that Michael Cohen says? Vance asked. What the senator failed to note in his complaint was the context in which Cohen recorded Trump: to reassure David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer, that they were acting in good faith with respect to a $150,000 hush payment to Playboy model Karen McDougal.

Tuberville also took a stab at Cohens credibility. Im sitting here listening to a guy on the stand that they had to get out of house arrest because he lied in another court to testify in this court, Tuberville said. Here, the senator was just plain wrong: Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress, not in a court, and he was released from home confinement in 2021 (he was sentenced to three years in prison for his own role in the hush money scheme).

Turberville, taking another page from Trump, also suggested that the people he saw inside the Manhattan courtroom were not Americans. I am disappointed in looking at the American  supposedly American citizens  in that courtroom, that the D.A. comes in and acts like its his Super Bowl, he said.

Malliotakis, for her part, called Cohen a convicted disbarred perjurer.

Trump's surrogates also went after the judge and his family, citing the fact that Merchan's daughter works for a company that has worked for Democrats. Trump has claimed that poses a conflict of interest, an argument rejected by judges who examined the evidence.

Vance, considered a potential vice president pick, asserted that "the judge inside  his daughter is  raising money for Donald Trumps political opponents."

That followed an attack last Thursday from Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who outside the Manhattan courthouse called Merchan's daughter a "political operative" and declared that one prosecutor's spouse has donated to Democrats "and I think to Biden." Trump and his allies have repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that the New York state legal system is being run by and for President Joe Biden.

Trump has been pleased with the performance, telling reporters Tuesday that he has "a lot of surrogates and they are speaking very beautifully."

They come from all over ... and they think this is the biggest scam theyve ever seen, Trump said.

Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.

Trump seems to be testing the limit of his gag order, disclaiming responsibility for what his surrogates say. Scott himself denied that the former president has told him what to say. No, Im fed up, he insisted last week.

It could be a savvy move, relying on surrogates, at least if the court believes that Trump is not putting the words in their mouths.

They can say whatever they want to say, former federal prosecutor David Weinstein told the Associated Press. They are not bound by a gag order.

But some argue that what the former president deems very beautiful speech might be a violation of his gag order. Joyce Alene, a former U.S. attorney under President Barack Obama, posted on X: The gag order prohibits Trump from making comments about jurors/witnesses and also from causing others to make them.

Ultimately whether that's the case will be up to Merchan. In the meantime, though, Trump continues to benefit from a corps of GOP politicians willing to do what his wife Melania has not: show up to court. On Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., made his own appearance. Speaking to reporters in Manhattan, Johnson declared that he had come "on my own, to support President Trump, because I am one of hundreds of millions of people and one citizen who is deeply concerned about this."
On Tuesday, May 14, the Georgian parliament passed in the final, third reading the draft law on "foreign agents" that had previously provoked thousands of protests and criticism of the country's authorities. 84 out of 150 deputies voted in favor, while 30 voted against.

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According to Georgian media reports, MPs once again fought before voting on the draft law "On Transparency of Foreign Influence." Some opposition MPs were removed from the hall, but this did not affect the final result. Meanwhile, protesters gathered near the parliament building in Tbilisi.

Deputies from Georgia's ruling party, in turn, left the parliament immediately after the vote under police guard.

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In the parliament itself, the "yellow level" was again activated, the BBC reports. Only TV crews were allowed to attend the meeting, while journalists from print and online media (many of whom will be directly affected by the new law) were not allowed to attend.

The same rules applied during the first and second readings of the document.

On May 14, another rally gathered near the parliament on Rustaveli Avenue. Students who are actively involved in the protests marched to the building.

Why the law on "foreign agents" caused protests in Georgia

According to the new law, NGOs and media outlets that receive more than 20% of their annual income from foreign funding will have to register as "organizations that promote the interests of a foreign power."

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Student movements are refusing to attend lectures in protest of the law on "foreign agents." Some professors and lecturers expressed solidarity with them.

The protesters see the new law as a threat not only to freedom of speech and civil society but also to the European integration of Georgia, which six months ago became a candidate for membership in the European Union.

The main slogan of the protests was "Yes to Europe. No to Russian law". Thus, in Georgia, the law on "foreign agents" is called "Russian", in particular, because it provides for a monitoring procedure that is not limited or defined, writes "Georgia Online".

As a reminder, Russia has had a similar law in place since 2012, according to which the status of "foreign agent" is granted to persons who, in the Kremlin's opinion, receive "foreign support" or are under "foreign influence." It was adopted in response to protests against the return of Vladimir Putin and aimed at restricting the activities of independent non-governmental organizations. The law has been criticized as restricting human rights.

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Earlier, Georgian MP Giorgi Vashadze said in an interview with OBOZ.UA that the adoption of the law on "foreign agents" that Putin had "written off" would actually change the country's course. This document, according to the parliamentarian, is a clear "red line", crossing which Tbilisi will lose all achievements in European integration and strategic partnership with the US and the EU.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
UNC-CH Board of Trustees met in person and via Zoom on Monday, May 13. Photos: UNC stream

Days after the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hills graduation, the universitys Board of Trustees held a special meeting Monday to vote to remove $2.3 million in next years budget allocated for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Trustee Dave Boliek, a Republican currently running for state Auditor, said he wanted to see those funds reallocated for public safety.

Trustee Marty Kotis said in the minds of many people DEI represents divisiveness, exclusion, and indoctrination.

We need more unity and togetherness, more dialogue, more diversity of thought,  he said.

Kotis said last Saturday rather than attend Carolinas commencement, he walked around the campus to assess the safety after days of pro-Palestinian demonstrations both on and near the campus.

When you have warring groups or dividing groups, they can hurt each other. They can damage property like they did here in the South Building, red paint everywhere, stickers everywhere, things torn up. Law enforcement is then forced to react to that, Kotis said.

He said officers dont have the tools they need right now to keep the campus safe from a larger threat.

So, its important to consider the needs of all 30,000 students, not just 100 or so that may want to disrupt the universitys operations.

Kotis said when the U.S. flag was taken down and a Palestinian flag briefly raised on April 30th, demonstrators crossed a line. Thirty protesters were cited for trespassing during that ordeal including 10 current UNC-Chapel Hill students. Police erected a temporary fence to protect the American flag, which was later removed ahead of graduation weekend. All of that had a financial cost, said Kotis.

North Carolinians are watching all of this and they are not happy. And I think its imperative that we have the proper resources for our law enforcement to protect the campus.

Kotis suggested that the trustees might also consider relocating some of the activist centers and require them to fund themselves.

Boliek said it was a shame that the town of Chapel Hill and the governors office refused to aid local university police when called upon to aid in maintaining order.

I think the $2.3 million dollars would be an added help to what is probably a budget issue with respect to how much were having to spend on law enforcement right now, said Boliek.

Interim UNC-CH Chancellor Lee Roberts attended Mondays meeting but did not weigh in.

The $2.3 million in DEI funding is a very small fraction in the universitys $4.2 billion operating budget.

Mondays vote by the trustees comes on the heels of a UNC Board of Governors Governance Committee decision in mid-April to repeal and replace the current DEI policy. The full Board of Governors, which meets again next week, will have the final say on DEI funding and future equity initiatives for the entire system.

The post Trustees strike DEI funding from UNC-CH budget, funds to go to public safety appeared first on NC Newsline.
Former Fox News Host Tucker Carlson says conspiracy theorist and conservative commentator Alex Jones has tapped into a supernatural force that allows him to predict the future.

Carlson made the comments on a recent episode of Joe Rogan's podcast.

Hes channeling something, Carlson said. Ive asked him about it. How did you do that? At length, during dinner on my barn recently. Were talking about this. Howd you do that? I don't know. It just came to me. And thats real. That is real. The supernatural is real and I dont know why its hard for the modern mind  I guess because its a materialist mind  to accept that.

He continued, explaining the idea of the prophet throughout history.

Thats not a new phenomenon. Its happened throughout history," Carlson said. "There are people called prophets, and there are people who were prophets who werent called prophets, but there are people who have information or parts of information, bits of information, visions of information come to them and then they relay it.

Carlson supported the idea that Jones possessed supernatural gifts by telling Rogan that the Info Wars host had predicted 9/11.

Well, and hes also channeling some stuff. You cant call 9/11 in detail because youre super informed before the fact. He called it. He literally called it in the summer of 2001. He said, planes will fly into the World Trade Centers and they will blame a man called Osama bin Laden. We know that he said that because he said it on tape multiple times. And then he said, call the White House and tell them this," Carlson said. "Thats all we know about Alex Jones.

Except Jones wasn't the only one making those predictions.

Tucker Carlson and Alex Jones (@TuckerCarlon via Twitter)

Jones did predict in the summer before 9/11 that a US-conducted false-flag terror attack might occur and that it might even happen at the World Trade Center in New York.

But a month prior to Jones' prediction, another noted conspiracy theorist and broadcaster, Bill Cooper, made an even more pointed prediction, claiming that Osama Bin Laden would be blamed for a major attack against the US, according to Rolling Stone.

Bin Laden was a known terrorist even before the 9/11 attacks. In 2020, members of al-Qaeda launched a suicide attack against the USS Cole, killing 17 sailors. He was also linked to the deadly bombings of two embassies in Africa in 1998. So, predicting a future Bin Laden attack wasnt a bold claim.

Jones is no stranger to outlandish claims as his denial of the Sandy Hook school shooting left him in legal trouble.

Last year, Jones was found to have defamed the families of Sandy Hook victims and was ordered to pay $1.5bn. He called the shooting a hoax and insinuated that the crying parents of the victims were crisis actors employed by the US government to help justify a Democrat-led gun confiscation program.

The ruling came just months after Jones was allowed to return to X/Twitter  thanks to X/Twitter owner Elon Musk  after the conspiracy theorist was banned in 2018 for posting harassing messages.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, speaks during an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson (Sputnik)

The Rogan episode is not the first time Carlson has brought up the supernatural during an interview. In February, Carlson sat down with Russian President Vladimir Putin for a strange, rambling discussion.

The interview was full of unusual tangents  Mr Putin's alternative history lessons about Ukraine, Mr Putin making fun of Carlson to his face and Carlson doing one genuinely good thing by standing up for imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich  but may have peaked when Carlson asked Mr Putin about the supernatural.

"Do you see the supernatural at work as you look out across what's happening in the world now? Do you see God at work? Do you ever think to yourself, 'these are forces that are not human?" Carlson asked.

Mr Putin shrugged off Carlson's softball windup.

"No, to be honest. I don't think so," he said.
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Tunisian lawyers held a national strike on Tuesday to protest a police raid on the countrys bar association headquarters and the arrest of a high-profile lawyer known to be critical of the government.

Sonia Dahmani was arrested after taking refuge inside the bars association headquarters and detained on Saturday after she made sarcastic comments about Tunisias economic woes on television last week. Police also arrested two radio journalists for their comments on air as well as social media posts, according to their lawyers.

They are the latest among the dozens of lawyers and journalists who have been detained under Decree 54, a law introduced by Tunisias President Kaies Saied in 2022. The law was designed to combat cybercrime and misinformation, but it is increasingly being used to silence the presidents critics.

Saied was elected in 2019 in the countrys second presidential election after the pro-democracy Arab Spring uprisings. But he shut down parliament and assumed authority over the judiciary in 2021, a move the opposition calls a coup.

The arrests also come as more Tunisians are taking to the street to demand Saied set a date for this years presidential elections, a delay that opposition party members have also criticized him for.





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Decree 54 arrests are a witch hunt and a threat to free speech: Watchdogs

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Sources: Inkyfada, International Commission of Jurists

In an analysis of the Presidential Decree-Law 2022-54, known as Decree 54, Tunisian non-profit media collective Inkyfada described the laws use as a witch hunt. The outlet reported more than twenty cases from 2023 in which journalists, lawyers, politicians, academics, and activists were detained for comments they posted online or made to the media. No one is safe, the president of the National Union of Tunisian Journalists said, this type of surveillance is life threatening. The International Commission of Jurists, an advocacy group based in Geneva, noted the laws criminalization of fake news and rumors are overbroad and vague, constituting a serious threat to the exercise of the right to freedom of expression.

Opposition parties say Tunisia lacks the conditions to hold a free vote

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Sources: The New Arab, Tunigate, Foreign Policy

Tunisias main opposition coalition in parliament, the National Salvation Front, announced a boycott of this years presidential elections, which have not yet been scheduled. The Front rejects participation in any electoral charade due to the absence of conditions for fair and democratic elections, coalition leaders said, and called for the release of political opponents and reinstatement of Tunisias judiciary. At least seven candidates  many jailed in Tunisia or exiled abroad  have said they will run, declarations that local outlet Tunigate said are designed to embarrass President Kais Saied to remove the ambiguity of the election date. Foreign Policys Allison Meakem said its difficult to gauge how many Tunisians support the president, as opposition boycotts of parliamentary elections made the results almost comically lopsided.

Tunisia is a problematic partner in Europes migration crisis

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Sources: Associated Press, Al Jazeera, Politico, Deutsche Welle

Located just 130 kilometers offshore of Italian islands like Lampedusa, the Tunisian city of Sfax is a hub for both Tunisians and Sub-Saharan migrants attempting to cross into Europe. President Saied has pushed for the deportation of migrants, authorized camp sweeps and activist arrests, while tensions have risen domestically as Tunisians increasingly compete with refugees and migrants for resources and jobs. The EU has a stake: The bloc signed a 105 million border management deal with Tunisia in 2023, a move that Amnesty Internationals European director called deeply immoral. Meanwhile, one analyst from the European Council on Foreign Relations noted the deal is designed to keep migrants and refugees out of the EU, not Tunisia itself.

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Turkey says to apply to intervene in ICJ genocide case against Israel

ANKARA (Reuters) - Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Tuesday that Turkey decided to submit its declaration of official intervention in South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Earlier this month Fidan announced the decision to join the case launched by South Africa as Ankara stepped up measures against Israel over its assault on Gaza, which has killed more than 35,000 people and launched after militant group Hamas' Oct. 7 rampage.

"We condemned civilians being killed on October 7," he told a press conference with his Austrian counterpart.

"But Israel systematically killing thousands of innocent Palestinians and rendering a whole residential area uninhabitable is a crime against humanity, attempted genocide, and the manifestation of genocide," he added.

A foreign ministry official said Turkey had not yet submitted the formal application to the ICJ.

(Reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever; Writing by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Jonathan Spicer)
Lilia Caballero (left) and John Holm are competing in the Democratic primary for House District 6 in southern Oregon. (Campaign photos)

Lilia Caballero (left) and John Holm are competing in the Democratic primary for House District 6 in southern Oregon. (Campaign photos)

A Medford School Board member and former grocery store clerk are running for the Democratic nomination in House District 6 in southern Oregon.

The Jackson County district, which includes Medford, is still recovering from the devastating Labor Day wildfires that struck the region in 2020, destroying thousands of homes in rural communities outside Medford and driving up housing costs beyond the reach of many working-class families. The two Democratic candidates hope to address the gap between wages and living expenses, including housing, albeit in different ways.

But first one must win the Democratic primary and then defeat the three-term incumbent Republican Rep. Kim Wallan of Medford, who was first elected to the House in 2018.

She has won handily in all three of her general elections, in the Republican-leaning district, with a concentration of voters in Medford. Nearly 29% are registered Republicans, while about 24% are Democrats, state voter registration data show. The remaining voters are unaffiliated or belong to third parties.

Heres a look at the candidates:

John Holm

Holm said he isnt a traditional Democratic candidate.

While working in a grocery store in 1996, he was injured on the job and became disabled. He walks with a crutch and has nerve damage running from his left leg up to his lower back. In the past, he also has owned a comic book store and been a caregiver for family members.

Name: John Holm

Party: Democratic

Age: 55

Residence: Medford

Current occupation: Unable to work

Education: Classes at Rogue Community College, Grants Pass, 1986-1987; graduate, Hidden Valley High School, Grants Pass, 1986

Prior elected experience: None

Family status: Unavailable

Fundraising: $0 as of May 13, 2024

Cash on hand: $0 as of May 13, 2024

Holm has never held elected office. Yet, he has big ideas he would like to pursue, such as wage fairness. He said the minimum wage needs to be consistent across Oregon rather than the current system, with a higher minimum wage in the Portland area  $15.45 per hour  compared with lower everywhere else. Rural Oregonians, with a minimum wage of $13.20, face higher costs in some areas compared to their Portland counterparts, he said, such as more wear and tear on their vehicles and other transportation-related costs.

The minimum wage should only serve as an introductory training wage for the first six months a person is on the job, he said. Afterwards, the minimum wage should increase to a living wage, he said.

Holm said a living wage would allow Oregonians to eat at nice restaurants and support local businesses.

Holm is also concerned about wildfires. Utility companies, he said, need to be held accountable if they fail to fix or upgrade equipment to prevent wildfires.

Thats what happened in 2020. State officials warned PacifiCorp, Portland General Electric and the Bonneville Power Administration of the wildfire risk before the Labor Day weekend, telling them to shut down lines, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. PacifiCorp, accused of starting several devastating fires, faces $220 million in damages, OregonLive said.

If theyre not going to start using their profits to start fixing their infrastructure, then Oregon should pull their utility ability and then buy them out, and then set it up as a state utility, Holm said.

That money could be used for other needs like education and health care, he said.

Im just tired of watching the way things have been improperly done by some of these higher ups in the corporations, he said. Theyve been taking advantage of the people.

Name: Lilia Caballero Party: Democratic Age: 63 Residence: Medford Education: Respiratory therapist certificate, Rogue Community College, 1999 Current occupation: Cultural outreach coordinator, Medford Police Department, 2007-present Prior elected experience: Medford School Board member, 2015-present. Family status: Unavailable Fundraising: $5,580.08 as of May 13, 2024 Cash on hand: $4,281.98 as of May 13, 2024

Lilia Caballero

Caballero said she is well-equipped to work for constituents with her experience working with diverse communities. Since 2007, shes been the cultural outreach coordinator for the Medford Police Department.

That work entails tasks like outreach to the Latino community to educate them about the department and creating ties and understanding between the community and police officers. Caballero, who speaks Spanish, coordinates bilingual presentations about the police department and talks to community members to identify and respond to concerns.

She said the issues she would prioritize in Salem are affordable housing and access to both child care and mental health care.

When our residents have steady jobs and have an income and they have savings, they should be able to buy a house here, she said. Right now that is not always possible.

As a start, Caballero said she would try to build bridges with people to learn more about their needs. She said she would look for the best ideas by getting a lot of input.

The best solutions are a result of communication and collaboration, Caballero said. Im not really ready to say that I have all the answers.

Shes also a member of the Medford School Board and prior to that, worked on school district committees that provided input on Latino students and families and long-term facilities planning.

I feel like I have real skills and bringing people together, making sure that all voices are heard, Caballero said. As a member of the Medford School Board for nearly a decade, I know what it means to dig into issues and work proactively and in collaboration with others to find the best possible solution.

The post Two Democratic candidates compete in primary in GOP-held southern Oregon House district appeared first on Oregon Capital Chronicle.
Two French prison officers killed as inmate escapes from hijacked van outside Paris

Two French prison officers have been killed and three others injured

Two prison officers have been killed and three others injured by pump-action rifle fire after an attack on their van carrying an inmate who is now on the run.

The van was transporting the prisoner between Rouen and Evreux when it was attacked at the Incarville toll plaza, say French reports citing police sources.

Police have launched a manhunt after the attack at the Inarville toll on the A154 motorway in Val-de-Reuil in the Eure department, Normandy, shortly after 11am, say reports.

Three prison officers were killed by pump-action rifle fire when a van carrying a prisoner was attacked at around 11am with a ram car at the Incarville toll plaza in the Eure department, a source told AFP.

The prisoner has a conviction for attempted murder, according to Le Parisien. In circumstances unknown at this stage, the prison administration van was attacked by four armed men in two vehicles, it reported.

The assailants arrived in two cars, one of which, a white Audi A5, has since been found burnt out in the commune of Watteville. The second, a BMW 5 series, fled in the direction of Louviers and Evreux, Le Figaro reported.

Helicopters were seen attempting to locate the suspects. Local gendarmes and officers from an elite GIGN swat team are also in the area.

The A154 motorway has been closed in the direction Evreux-Louviers at Junction 4 Louviers centre for an indefinite period, according to traffic information site Bison Fute.

This is a breaking story, more follows

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Two men have appeared in court accused of plotting to carry out an Islamic State-inspired marauding gun attack against the Jewish community in the north-west of England.

Walid Saadaoui, 36, and Amar Hussein, 50, were arrested at addresses in Wigan and Bolton last week. They were also allegedly planning to target police officers and members of the military.

They appeared at Westminster magistrates court on Tuesday charged with the preparation of terrorist acts between Dec 13 2023 and May 9 this year..

Bilel Saadaoui, 35, also appeared before the court accused of knowing about his brother Walids plans. He pleaded not guilty to a charge of failing to disclose information about an act of terrorism between the same dates.

Intention to cause fatalities

Rebecca Waller, prosecuting, told the court: Mr Saadoui and Mr Hussein, are said to have planned a Daesh [Islamic State]-inspired terrorist attack in the UK during which they intended to cause multiple fatalities using automatic weapons.

The main targets of their attack plans were the Jewish community in the north-west of England and members of both law enforcement and military.

Both defendants took significant steps to prepare, and by May 2024 had reached the point at which, they believed, they were in a position in which they were ready to launch the attack. Bilel Saadoui is Walid Saadoauis younger brother.

The evidence the Crown say indicates that Bilel Saadaoui was the trusted confidant for his brother knowing he was making plans.

Bilel Saadaoui was allegedly given his brothers will along with 17,000 in cash and was also given a key for a safe containing 75,000.

District Judge Louisa Ciecora remanded the three defendants in custody ahead of a preliminary hearing at the Old Bailey on May 24.

Bilel Saadoaui wept as he was led from the dock by five police officers.

Distressing details

Asst Chief Constable Rob Pott, from Greater Manchester Police, said the details of the case will be understandably distressing and likely to have a significant impact on the communities within Greater Manchester and beyond.

In a statement, he added: Everyone should feel safe in our region regardless of their religion or race. We have been working closely with community groups and key stakeholders to address concerns and we will continue to update them throughout this case.

Local officers across Greater Manchester will continue to listen and act on concerns alongside partners to protect the public and keep you safe.

The action we have taken so far follows a long-running and carefully managed investigation, and we do not believe that there is a wider risk to the public connected to this case.

Should you have any concerns about your safety or any suspicious activity in your area, then I would encourage you to contact the police.

Amanda Bomsztyk, northern regional director of the Community Security Trust, a charity focused on the safety of Britains Jewish community, said: These are very serious allegations of a plan to commit a terrorist attack against British Jews at a time of record anti-Semitic hate crime levels. This is one of a number of recent and ongoing cases that demonstrate why the Jewish community needs such extensive security measures and why our continuing partnership with police and government is so vital.

CST thanks Greater Manchester Police and other agencies for their work in this case, and we will continue to work closely with police to provide reassurance and protection for the Jewish community. We urge everyone in the community to continue as normal, remain alert and report any anti-Semitism or suspicious activity at Jewish locations to CST and to the police.

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.
Two men have appeared in court accused of plotting to carry out an Islamic State-inspired marauding gun attack against the Jewish community in the north-west of England.

Walid Saadaoui, 36, and Amar Hussein, 50, were arrested at addresses in Wigan and Bolton last week. They were also allegedly planning to target police officers and members of the military.

They appeared at Westminster magistrates court on Tuesday charged with the preparation of terrorist acts between Dec 13 2023 and May 9 this year..

Bilel Saadaoui, 35, also appeared before the court accused of knowing about his brother Walids plans. He pleaded not guilty to a charge of failing to disclose information about an act of terrorism between the same dates.

Intention to cause fatalities

Rebecca Waller, prosecuting, told the court: Mr Saadoui and Mr Hussein, are said to have planned a Daesh [Islamic State]-inspired terrorist attack in the UK during which they intended to cause multiple fatalities using automatic weapons.

The main targets of their attack plans were the Jewish community in the north-west of England and members of both law enforcement and military.

Both defendants took significant steps to prepare, and by May 2024 had reached the point at which, they believed, they were in a position in which they were ready to launch the attack. Bilel Saadoui is Walid Saadoauis younger brother.

The evidence the Crown say indicates that Bilel Saadaoui was the trusted confidant for his brother knowing he was making plans.

Bilel Saadaoui was allegedly given his brothers will along with 17,000 in cash and was also given a key for a safe containing 75,000.

District Judge Louisa Ciecora remanded the three defendants in custody ahead of a preliminary hearing at the Old Bailey on May 24.

Bilel Saadoaui wept as he was led from the dock by five police officers.

Distressing details

Asst Chief Constable Rob Pott, from Greater Manchester Police, said the details of the case will be understandably distressing and likely to have a significant impact on the communities within Greater Manchester and beyond.

In a statement, he added: Everyone should feel safe in our region regardless of their religion or race. We have been working closely with community groups and key stakeholders to address concerns and we will continue to update them throughout this case.

Local officers across Greater Manchester will continue to listen and act on concerns alongside partners to protect the public and keep you safe.

The action we have taken so far follows a long-running and carefully managed investigation, and we do not believe that there is a wider risk to the public connected to this case.

Should you have any concerns about your safety or any suspicious activity in your area, then I would encourage you to contact the police.

Amanda Bomsztyk, northern regional director of the Community Security Trust, a charity focused on the safety of Britains Jewish community, said: These are very serious allegations of a plan to commit a terrorist attack against British Jews at a time of record anti-Semitic hate crime levels. This is one of a number of recent and ongoing cases that demonstrate why the Jewish community needs such extensive security measures and why our continuing partnership with police and government is so vital.

CST thanks Greater Manchester Police and other agencies for their work in this case, and we will continue to work closely with police to provide reassurance and protection for the Jewish community. We urge everyone in the community to continue as normal, remain alert and report any anti-Semitism or suspicious activity at Jewish locations to CST and to the police.
The adoption of the law on "foreign agents" by the Georgian parliament, which was "copied" from Russian dictator Putin, will actually change the country's foreign policy. This document is a clear "red line" that will cause Georgia to lose all of its achievements in European integration and strategic partnership with the United States and the European Union.

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This was stated by Georgian politician, member of the Georgian Parliament and founder of the Innovation and Development Foundation Giorgi Vashadze in an interview with OBOZ.UA. He explained the consequences of the adoption of this "Putin's" law.

"If the Parliament adopts this law, it actually means that all the relations we had with the European Union and America are being revised. The strategic partnership with the United States of America is being revised, the visa-free regime that we currently have with the European Union may be revised, and the candidacy for the EU may even be suspended. This actually means that the country's foreign policy is changing," the politician said.

He noted that this law was once invented by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, who established an authoritarian regime in Russia.

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"The alleged reason is just transparency, but in reality, this law destroys the public sector, free media, political parties, etc.", explained the Georgian politician.

Therefore, the adoption of this document by the Georgian authorities will lead to a review of relations between democratic countries and Tbilisi and even to the imposition of sanctions against the country.

According to Vashadze, 85% of Georgian citizens support European integration. That is why people do not agree with such actions of the pro-Russian parliament and go to rallies.

"Now tens of thousands of people have come to the rally on Rustaveli Street, people are outside, they are actively protesting. The protest will not stop until we win," Vashadze said.

Former Prime Minister of Georgia, founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, who is considered the richest man in the country, is pushing this law in the parliament. His goal is to stop Georgia's movement towards Europe and monopolize power in the country.

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"We have elections in October, so the most important thing will be in the elections, and that's the situation. I do not think that Bidzin Ivanishvili, a Russian oligarch of Georgian origin, will succeed, in fact, he wants to establish an authoritarian regime in the country now, and if he succeeds, then a lot of people will leave the country. But I think we will definitely win, because we need not just to eliminate this law, we need to change the government," emphasized Vashadze.

As reported by OBOZ.UA:

On May 1, the pro-Russian parliament of Georgia passed in the second reading the scandalous draft law "On Transparency of Foreign Influence" - the so-called law on "foreign agents". The bill still needs to pass a third final reading before it can be finally adopted. The date has not yet been set, but according to media reports, the vote is expected to take place on May 17. In addition, the law must overcome the president's veto.

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Mass protests continue in Georgia, with demonstrators in Tbilisi declaring an indefinite action of disobedience. In the evening of May 12, a large-scale rally against the law on "foreign agents" ended with an attempt to disperse the protesters.

The European Parliament called on the European Union not to start membership negotiations with Georgia if the draft law on "foreign agents" is passed in the country. MEPs also called for the suspension of Georgia's candidate status.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in turn, also emphasized that the European Union has clearly expressed its concern about this law on foreign influence. She called on the Georgian authorities to listen to the people's opinion.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes!

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Two volunteers went missing in the town of Vovchanskst, situated not far from the Ukrainian-Russian border in Kharkiv Oblast, on 10 May. Evidence obtained by the police suggests that Russian forces shot the volunteers, possibly killing one of them.

Source: Suspilne Kharkiv, citing Tamaz Hambarashvili, Head of the Vovchansk City Administration

Quote from Hambarashvili: "We have information that during the first day of mass shelling and evacuation, [two] volunteers travelled to Vovchansk without coordinating their actions with either the police or the [city administration]; they did not know that they should avoid the northern part of the city. We currently do not know where these two volunteers are. They were either caught in shelling and killed or taken prisoner. We do not know."

Details: Hambarashvili said that the NGO the volunteers were working for filed a police report that two of their volunteers had gone missing.

Both volunteers were from Kyiv Oblast and wanted to help evacuate Vovchansk residents. However, they were not coordinating their actions with the local government.

Hambarashvili called on volunteers and everyone who wants to help to coordinate their actions with the local military administration, the police, and the coordination centre in order to avoid situations where volunteers are not fully aware of where they are going and what they are going to do.

Serhii Bolvinov, Kharkiv Oblast Police chief investigator, said that one of the missing volunteers might have been killed.

Quote from Bolvinov: "During fighting in the city, two volunteers drove to Vovchansk in their private car in order to evacuate a local family. But they have disappeared before reaching their destination. We are investigating this case, but unfortunately, preliminary information and eyewitness testimony suggest that the guys were shot by Russian forces. One of them is likely injured, while the other one was killed."

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Two volunteers who came to the embattled city of Vovchansk, Kharkiv Oblast, have been missing for four days and may have been shot by Russian troops, local authorities said on May 14.

Russia launched new offensive actions on May 10 in the directions of Lyptsi and Vovchansk in the north of Kharkiv Oblast.



Tamaz Gambarashvili, the head of Vovchansk City Military Administration, told Suspilne that the two reportedly traveled to Vovchansk without coordinating with local authorities and disappeared amidst the chaos of the renewed assault.

Serhii Bolvinov, the head of the investigative department of the regional police, said the two volunteers never reached their intended destination and that preliminary information indicates that the two could have been shot by the Russian military.

According to eyewitness info, one of them may been killed, Bolvinov said.

The Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office also reported other possible killings of civilians by Russian forces in the area on May 14. According to an initial investigation, a Russian officer shot a 46-year-old resident, and another civilian was reported missing in the Vovchansk community. Further details about the two civilians are unknown at the time of this publication.

Vovchansk, which had a population of almost 17,000 before the full-scale invasion, came under Russian occupation in February 2022. The town was liberated in September 2022 during Ukraines successful counteroffensive in Kharkiv Oblast.

The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on May 13 that fighting was ongoing for Vovchansk.

Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on May 13 that up to 300 people may still be in the town.

Syniehubov said earlier in the day that two elderly civilians were killed, and that fighting was ongoing in the northern part of the city.

Read also: Russias new Kharkiv offensive pushes Vovchansk to the brink of annihilation

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA)  The University of Illinois Police Department announced the arrest of a 23-year-old Charleston man who is accused of sexually assaulting a student.

At around 3:30 a.m. Friday, the U of I student reported that she had entered a vehicle by East John and South 1st Streets in Champaign, thinking it was an Uber. She said the driver began driving in the wrong direction while making suggestive comments. He then engaged in nonconsensual touching and kissing, locking the doors each time the victim tried to escape.

Moultrie Co. man arrested after 24-year-long manhunt

It wasnt until the car slowed for a red light on Green Street that the student was able to get out. She approached a nearby group of people who walked her home. A friend called the police.

After reviewing surveillance footage and local license plate readers, authorities identified Hatammyrat Hudaynazarov as the driver. UIPD said he is not affiliated with the university.

He and his vehicle were located on Kirby Avenue and Neil Street on Friday morning. Hudaynazarov told police that while he did provide a ride, no sexual activity was involved. He said that he came to campus from Charleston to drive around.

After being arraigned Monday, Hudaynazarov was taken to the Champaign County Jail on charges of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated criminal sexual abuse and unlawful restraint.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
U.S. is way stingier with maternity leave and child care than the rest of the world

A child care center opened in Connecticut during World War II in 1942 for thirty children of mothers engaged in the war industry. It was one of hundreds of "war nurseries" across the U.S., but federal funding for the child care centers ended when the war did in 1945. (Photo by Gordon Parks, US Office of War Information, June 1943. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection)

Policy, politics and progressive commentary

In most American families led by couples, both parents are in the workforce. Almost three-quarters of American mothers with children under 18 work. At the same time, nearly 1 in 4 U.S. children are being raised by single moms.

Yet child care is generally unaffordable, and paid leave is not available to most U.S. parents.

Around the world, however, most employed women automatically get paid maternity leave. And in most wealthy countries, they also have access to affordable child care.

These holes in the U.S. safety net are a problem for many reasons, including one Ive been researching with my colleagues for years: Paid parental leave and child care help women stay in the workforce and earn higher wages over time. This lack of parental leave and child care may explain why the U.S. is no longer a leader in womens workforce participation.

Maternity leave

The U.S. is one of a handful of countries worldwide that doesnt mandate paid maternity leave. The others are Papua New Guinea and some small Pacific island nations.

Paid maternity leave, which typically lasts at least three months, needs to be designed thoughtfully. When women can and do take 15 months or more off after having a baby, as they may in a few countries, long leaves can limit mothers work experience and lead to discrimination.

The 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act did mandate 12 weeks of unpaid leave with the ability to return to their job afterward for some American workers. Yet most families cant forgo the income that moms bring home.

Denmark offers what I think is a strong example of a national policy.

There, moms get almost 22 weeks of paid maternity leave and dads get two weeks of paid paternity leave. On top of that, mothers can take another 19 weeks and fathers can take another 11 weeks of paid parental leave. This policy, which includes additional flexibility, grants parents both the time and resources necessary to care for children, without mommy tracking mothers.

Child care

In many wealthy countries, child care and preschool are considered a mainstay of the educational system. But in the U.S., only about two-thirds of all children between the ages of 3 and 6 are getting publicly supported child care of any kind, including kindergarten, versus nearly all of the kids that age in France.

High-quality early childhood education programs are associated with many excellent outcomes for children from lower-income families, including higher rates of educational attainment, employment and wages.

In other words, when governments invest in child care and maternity leave, it fosters a more productive, healthy and creative workforce.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The post U.S. is way stingier with maternity leave and child care than the rest of the world appeared first on Nevada Current.
UC Merced encampment: What are their demands?

UC Merced encampment: What are their demands?

MERCED, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)  The demonstrators who have set up an encampment on the UC Merced campus issued a list of demands on social media on Tuesday.

The pro-Palestinian supporters started their encampment on Sunday  and by Tuesday the camp was clearly situated on the grass area of the amphitheater by the Little Lake on campus.

Pro-Palestinian camp set up at UC Merced

The group appears to be protesting for Palestine and to end all U.S. funding of Israeli apartheid.

UC Merced encampment in support of Palestine

UC Merced encampment: What are their demands?

The list of demands include:

A call for a ceasefire in Gaza

Financially divest all UC investments system-wide and campus-specific investments that directly support the genocide in Gaza.

An academic boycott of university ties with the settler state including all study abroad with Israel.

Amnesty for all student protestors who have faced the gross and brutal repression and violence by the UC system

Re-invest in students, including redirecting financial support to students needs and investing in aid to Palestine

The demands end with the statement We are paying attention.

The demonstration at UC Merced is at the same time as the Board of Regents meeting at the same location from May 14 until May 16.

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 YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47.
The British government said on May 13 that its stance toward supporting Ukraine has not changed after media reports of U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron allegedly pitching a peace plan to U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, Politico reported.

Cameron met Trump at the latter's Florida residence in early April, seeking to convince the likely Republican nominee for the November 2024 presidential vote of the need to continue supporting Kyiv.

The Sunday Times reported on May 12 that, according to an undisclosed senior source, Cameron said that further aid would help Ukraine hold the front lines and give Trump the "best possible conditions" to mediate a peace deal.

According to the outlet's source, Cameron passed this message to Trump: "What are the best conditions in which you as president can make a deal in January? It's both sides holding their lines and paying a price for that."

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Though the media reported at the time that Cameron's lobbying mission in the U.S. was unsuccessful, Trump eventually backed a $61 billion funding bill for Ukraine, which passed with bipartisan support later in April.

Cameron's proposal, as described in The Times's article, differs from London's public position on possible peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow. Cameron himself has said that "peace comes through strength, not through appeasement and weakness."

When asked about the claims, a British government spokesperson told reporters on May 13: "I don't recognize those reports... our position has not changed. (Russian President Vladimir) Putin must fail."

"We will support Ukraine for as long as necessary to repel Russian aggression," the spokesperson added.

The U.K. has been a staunch ally of Ukraine since the outbreak of the full-scale war. Cameron visited Ukraine earlier in May, and London recently announced its largest defense aid package for Ukraine worth 500 million pounds ($628 million).

Read also: PM Sunak to announce largest-ever military aid package to Ukraine during visit to Poland

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UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has said that London will never pressure Ukraine to negotiate a peace deal with Russia, as the decision to do so is Ukraine's alone.

Source: Politico

Details: Shapps' comments were in response to a Sunday Times article citing sources that UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron had supposedly been convincing Trump that new US aid would help Ukraine hold the front line and create the conditions for both sides to be interested in negotiating an end to the war.

Quote: "There is just no sense at all in which Britain would try to persuade, strong-arm or otherwise, Ukraine into accepting giving up some of their territory. That's a decision entirely for Ukraine."

"It's right that we provide both the military assistance and the moral clarity that it is always unacceptable for an autocrat to walk into a neighbouring democratic country. We should stand behind them [Ukraine] fully in order to eject Russia from all of their territory."

Background:

When asked about these rumours in the press, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he had not read the articl

e, but stressed that London's position had not changed and that "Putin must be defeated".

Also on Tuesday, it became known that a delegation from the Labour Party, which is predicted to win the next parliamentary elections in the UK, arrived in Kyiv. Its officials responsible for defence and foreign affairs assured that the party was determined to continue supporting Ukraine.

In early May, UK Foreign Minister David Cameron said that Ukraine had the right to use the weapons provided by London to strike targets in Russia.

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UK intelligence analysed the Russian army's offensive actions and explained why the Russian Federation is attacking Kharkiv Oblast.

Source: UK Defence Intelligence review dated 14 May on Twitter, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Analysts note that the newly created northern group of Russian occupation forces has taken control of several villages in the Kharkiv Oblast, and fighting is currently underway for the border town of Vovchansk, which is almost certainly Russia's closest target.

"By opening up an additional axis of attack, Russia is almost certainly attempting to divert Ukrainian resources away from other parts of the front line and to threaten Kharkiv, the second largest city in Ukraine," analysts say.

At the same time, UK analysts believe it is unlikely that Russia has increased enough combat power to capture the city without attracting additional forces to this oblast.

Background:

The US State Department has previously stated that Russian forces will try to advance in Kharkiv Oblast, but the US side was not expecting any major breakthroughs in the area.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has expressed confidence that Ukraine is capable of holding the contact line in Kharkiv Oblast.

UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron believes that the Russian offensive in Kharkiv Oblast is an "extremely dangerous" moment.

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Ukraine introduced restrictions on energy supply across the country due to a "significant power shortage," Ukraine's state-owned energy operator Ukrenergo announced on May 14.

Moscow has recently intensified its missile and drone strikes against Ukraine's critical infrastructure, destroying several thermal power plants across the country. This included 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 had to be decommissioned as a result of the attack.

The emergency shutdowns will be applied on May 14 from 9 p.m. to midnight local time in all of Ukraine's regions, according to Ukrenergo's statement.

The company said it had to introduce additional restrictions due to the damage from the recent Russian strikes against Ukrainian energy infrastructure and the increase in electricity consumption after the temperature drop.

On May 15, the restrictions on energy supply will be in force throughout the day, but only for industrial users.

Ukrenergo previously reduced the energy supply for industrial and commercial users on May 10.

Read also: 48 hours in Kharkiv, Ukraines most-bombed major city

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Ukraine and Luxembourg have launched negotiations on an agreement concerning defence cooperation between the two countries and Luxembourgs long-term support for Ukraine.

Source: Office of the President of Ukraine

Details: The Ukrainian negotiating team is headed by Andrii Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine; his deputy Ihor Zhovkva led todays round of talks.

"We are grateful to Luxembourg for its consistent support and leadership, especially on such issues as co-chairing the IT coalition, military assistance, and support for Ukraine's membership in the EU and NATO. I am convinced that all of this will be reflected in our security agreement," Zhovkva said.

Today, the parties met to work on the draft agreement, discussed some of its key provisions, and agreed on further steps. They said significant progress has been made towards signing the document.

Background:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Luxembourgs Prime Minister Luc Frieden discussed the bilateral security agreement between their countries during a telephone conversation on 13 May.

Ukraine has signed security agreements with nine countries. Latvia was the latest country to sign a security agreement with Ukraine; Norway is expected to sign one soon.

In May, President Zelenskyy announced that seven additional security agreements are currently in the works, including one with the United States.

Spanish media reported that Ukraine and Spain would sign a security agreement this week.

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Four days after Russia launched a major attack in the border region near Ukraine's second biggest city of Kharkiv, the leadership in Kiev on Tuesday reported a slight stabilization of the front.

The situation in the Kharkiv area is very tense and is changing rapidly, the head of the HUR military intelligence service, Kyrylo Budanov, said in a TV news update. "But I believe that there has been a rapid tendency towards stabilization since yesterday evening."

Russian troops were being blocked at the border, Budanov said. However, he warned that they could make a similar advance further north towards the capital of the adjacent Sumy region.

President Volodymyr Zelensky also said in his video message on Monday evening that Ukrainian troops were defending the section of the front and had launched a counterattack. There was no independent confirmation of these assessments.

According to the Ukrainian General Staff on Tuesday, Russian troops continued to attack in the direction of Slobozhanske, around 30 kilometres north of Kharkiv.

Military experts analysing photos on the internet also assumed that Russian troops were on the outskirts of Vovchansk, 40 kilometres north-east of Kharkiv.

In Moscow, the Defence Ministry reported that Russian troops had also captured the village of Buhruvatka, south-west of Vovchansk, and repelled all Ukrainian counterattacks.

Firefighters extinguish a house after a Russian missile attack on Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine. -/Ukrinform/dpa

Firefighters extinguish a house after a Russian missile attack on Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine. -/Ukrinform/dpa
Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, together with Defence Minister Rustem Umierov and Andrii Yermak, Head of the Office of the President, has spoken with the US military leadership to discuss the situation at the front and the acceleration of arms supplies.

Source: Syrskyi and Yermak on Telegram

Details: Jake Sullivan, US National Security Advisor; Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Defense; and Charles Brown, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, participated in the conversation.

Quote from Syrskyi: "We talked about the situation on the front line, as well as the assistance that Ukraine needs on the battlefield."

Details: Yermak clarified that it was "a detailed conversation about the situation at the front, the Russian offensive attempts, and what kind of help Ukraine needs already."

"We really need to speed up the supply of weapons. We have discussed this in detail," Yermak concluded.

Background:

On 24 April, US President Joe Biden signed a package of legislation passed by Congress with nearly US$61 billion in aid to Ukraine and other US allies. Immediately afterwards, the US announced a US$1 billion military aid package for Ukraine.

The US had previously expressed hope that the new US military aid, unblocked after the Congressional decision, would help the Ukrainian Armed Forces regain the initiative on the battlefield over time, but a large-scale Ukrainian offensive was unlikely in the near future.

However, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin stated last week that it was too early to tell if the funding provided to Ukraine would have an impact on the battlefield and that it would take time for Kyiv to receive the weapons.

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Key developments on May 14:

Security Council secretary: Over 30,000 Russian troops involved in attack on Kharkiv Oblast

General Staff: Ukrainian soldiers 'change positions' near Lukiantsi village in Kharkiv Oblast

US State Department does not anticipate Russian breakthrough toward Kharkiv

Budanov expects Russia to launch new attack on Sumy Oblast

Blinken emphasizes long-term US security commitment to Ukraine in visit to Kyiv

More than 30,000 Russian troops are carrying out a renewed offensive in Kharkiv Oblast, National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksandr Lytvynenko said in an interview with AFP published on May 13.

Russian troops launched a new wave of attacks on May 10, mainly focusing on border settlements in Kharkiv Oblast.

Ukraine's General Staff said on May 13 that Russia has "tactical success" in the fight for Vovchansk, a town in northern Kharkiv Oblast. Urban combat was ongoing in the northern outskirts of the town, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

"According to their reports, the military is ready to repel (the attack), it is fighting hard. But there are quite a lot of Russians," Lytvynenko said.

In total, Russia deployed around 50,000 soldiers on the border with Kharkiv Oblast before its offensive, he said.

There is currently no threat of an assault on the city of Kharkiv, Lytvynenko added, echoing earlier statements of the local authorities.

Russian forces failed to take Kharkiv in the first weeks of the full-scale invasion despite the fact that the city lies less than 30 kilometers from the Russian border.

Russia "would need years" to occupy Kharkiv, Oleksandr Pivnenko, the commander of Ukraine's National Guard, said amid the looming threat of renewed attack.

Read also: Russias new Kharkiv offensive pushes Vovchansk to the brink of annihilation

General Staff: Ukrainian soldiers 'change positions' near Lukiantsi village in Kharkiv Oblast

Ukrainian troops "changed positions" near the village of Lukiantsi in Kharkiv Oblast "to save the lives" of their soldiers, Ukraine's General Staff reported on May 14.

The General Staff said that the decision was made due to intense Russian fire and bombardment of Ukrainian positions, adding that "the fighting is ongoing."

Russia launched a new offensive in Kharkiv Oblast on May 10. Lukiantsi is located nearly five kilometers (three miles) south of the Ukrainian-Russian state border.

Vovchansk, a border town roughly 30 kilometers (19 miles) east of Lukiantsi, has become a key target of Russian troops in recent days.

The military reported that Russia had "partially succeeded" near Lukiantsi on May 13. According to the crowd-sourced DeepState monitoring service that tracks changes on the front line, Russian forces occupied the village.

Ukrainian units are repelling a Russian attack in the Shebekino-Vovchansk direction, according to the General Staff. In Vovchansk, the military is inspecting an urban area after reports about fighting on the northern outskirts on May 13.

"The situation is under control," the General Staff said.

Over 7,500 civilians in the north of Kharkiv Oblast have been evacuated from their homes amid heavy fighting in the region, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported.

US State Department does not anticipate Russian breakthrough toward Kharkiv

The U.S. State Department does "not anticipate any major breakthroughs" by Russia toward Kharkiv, but Russia may "make further advances in the coming weeks," Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said during a press briefing on May 13.

Russian troops launched a new wave of offensive actions on May 10, mainly focusing on borderline settlements in Kharkiv Oblast.

The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said early on May 13 that Russia had "tactical success" in the battle for Vovchansk, a town located five kilometers (3 miles) from the Russian border and around 50 kilometers (31 miles) northeast of the city of Kharkiv.

Evacuations of civilians in the region continue as Russian troops continue "to advance in certain directions," Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov said later on May 13.

Patel told the press that the State Department anticipates "that Russia will attempt to press forward within Kharkiv (Oblast) as well."

"It's possible that Russia will make further advances in the coming weeks," Patel said but added that they do not anticipate any major breakthroughs.

"Over time, the additional influx of U.S. assistance and continued support from partners will enable Ukraine to continue to withstand this kind of aggression."

U.S. President Joe Biden authorized a $400 million military aid package for Ukraine on May 10, after Congress approved a long-awaited $61 billion spending bill for Kyiv in April.

The $400 million defense aid package includes ammunition for Patriot and NASAMS air defenses, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, HIMARS systems and ammunition, 155 mm and 105 mm artillery shells, and equipment to integrate Western launchers, missiles, and radars with Ukrainian systems.

"Ukraine retains the key advantages in this fight, and its military remains a brave and effective fighting force that is imposing significant costs on the Russian military," Patel said.

Read also: 48 hours in Kharkiv, Ukraines most-bombed major city

Budanov expects Russia to launch new attack on Sumy Oblast

Ukraine's military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov expects that after Ukrainian forces stabilize the front in Kharkiv Oblast, Russia will launch a new attack in Sumy Oblast, the New York Times (NYT) reported on May 14.

"The situation is on the edge. Every hour this situation moves toward critical," Budanov told the NYT on May 13 in a video call from a bunker in Kharkiv.

The military intelligence chief nevertheless believes that the Russian assault in Kharkiv Oblast will continue for another three or four days and that the Ukrainian military will be able to strengthen its positions and stabilize the front in the region.

"After which Russian forces are expected to make a hard push in the direction of Sumy, a city about 90 miles to the northwest of Kharkiv," the NYT wrote, citing Budanov.

Budanov's words echoed the statement of Vadym Skibitsky, a military intelligence deputy head, who suggested that a Russian offensive around northeastern Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts may begin at the end of May or early June.

Russian strikes against Sumy Oblast have become increasingly destructive in recent months. Amid intensified attacks, Ukrainian authorities ordered further evacuations from the region.

Budanov said earlier that Ukraine should expect to face a renewed Russian offensive in late spring or early summer, with the offensive intensifying around eastern Donbas region.

Blinken emphasizes long-term US security commitment to Ukraine in visit to Kyiv

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed America's long-term commitment to Ukraine's security during his visit to Kyiv on May 14.

Blinken's comments, which were captured at a press conference the Kyiv Independent attended, lacked concrete details but emphasized that "Ukraine can count on its partners for sustainable, long-term support."

The secretary arrived in Kyiv on a surprise visit earlier on May 14 in a trip reportedly designed to "send a strong signal of reassurance to the Ukrainians who are obviously in a very difficult moment."

Over 30 countries have joined the Group of Seven (G7) Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine so far. The U.K., Germany, France, Denmark, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, Finland, and Latvia have already signed bilateral agreements with Kyiv.

Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak said that Ukraine aimed to complete a similar bilateral security agreement with the U.S. in May.

"Under our own ten-year agreement, the United States will support Ukraine's defense and security across a range of essential capabilities: from its air force to its air defense, from drones to demining," Blinken said in Kyiv on May 14.

"If Russia or anyone else were to attack Ukraine, we will work with Ukraine immediately at the highest levels to coordinate how to help you beat back the threat," he added.

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Blinken also commented on Ukraine's relations with NATO, an alliance the country seeks to join.

"You have a lot to teach the alliance. NATO will be more secure with your military by our side."

While Blinken also did not offer a specific timeline for Ukraine's accession to NATO, he said that "we will take tangible steps to increase NATO's role in building a resilient, capable Ukrainian force, supporting its ongoing reforms, (and) better integrating Ukraine into the alliance" at an upcoming summit in July.

Countering claims often made by some opponents of U.S. aid for Ukraine in the Republican Party, Blinken said that there is a "plan" for Ukraine to be able to "stand strong on its own two feet militarily, economically, and democratically so that Americas support can transition to more sustainable levels."

"The Ukrainian people want the exact same thing. They do not want to have to rely on others to guarantee their security and prosperity," he said.



In the meantime, the U.S. will keep supplying Ukraine with the weapons it needs to defend itself, Blinken said.



"We know that time is of the essence. That's why just one minute after Congress approved our massive aid package, President (Joe) Biden sent ammunition, armed vehicles, missiles, and air defenses to Ukraine."



In the bigger picture, Blinken said, for Ukraine to improve its ability to have a self-sustaining defense infrastructure, domestic production capabilities will need to increase.



A strong economy that "not only survives but thrives" is a key part of this, he added.

Nonetheless, Ukraine will need to continue its efforts to "root out the scourge of corruption once and for all."



"Winning on the battlefield will prevent Ukraine from becoming part of Russia," Blinken said. "Winning the war against corruption will keep Ukraine from becoming like Russia."



"Ukraine's defenses against corruption have to be just as strong as its military defenses," Blinken said, but acknowledged that Ukraine has made considerable progress in its reforms.

Read also: Opinion: Will the renewed US support for Ukraine be enough?

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has once again denied rumours that Ukraine and Russia had supposedly nearly reached an agreement to cease hostilities in the spring of 2022 and that the process failed, purportedly due to Kyiv's refusal under the influence of London.

Source: European Pravda with reference to the minister's video on X (Twitter)

Quote from Kuleba: "This is one of the favourite lies promoted by Russia and its sympathisers to shift the focus and blame.

A closer look at the facts demonstrates that the whole story does not hold water."

Details: Kuleba pointed out that the Kremlin constantly recalls the story that Ukraine "rejected peace" in Istanbul to blur the focus and shift the blame for the ongoing war from itself, the aggressor, to the country it attacked.

"Absurd. If Russia wanted peace, it should never have attacked Ukraine in the first place," Kuleba emphasised.

He reiterated that, indeed, there were meetings between Ukrainian and Russian delegations at the beginning of the Russian invasion. However, the parties' positions "were so far away, and Russian demands were so bizarre, that the prospect of a real solution was not even remotely in sight".

Quote: "The draft documents leaked in the press simply reflect that discussion, but cannot be considered a real deal. Every diplomat knows: 'Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.' And it is very certain that nothing was agreed in March or April 2022."

He also noted that the idea of a meeting and negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents was indeed discussed, but Russia rejected it.

Kuleba also categorically denied the assumption that Ukraine then rejected a "peace deal" with Russia, supposedly under the influence of the then UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who allegedly pressured Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his visit to Kyiv and urged him not to make concessions to the Kremlin.

Quote: "This is a very funny story. First, anyone who has ever met President Zelenskyy knows he is not a person who can be pressured into any decision. Second, because the process of talks between delegations actually continued throughout April and even May. Well beyond Johnson's visit."

He emphasised that the failure of a potential agreement was not Zelenskyy's or Johnson's fault but the fault of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

"He has been ruining peace in Ukraine for more than a decade. First, by occupying Crimea and parts of the Donbas in 2014. Then, by obstructing the Minsk and Normandy peace processes. Then, by launching full-scale aggression. And then, by refusing to end it. [...] Only together can we stop Russia and put an end to its aggressive plans for the rest of Europe. For this to happen, keep supporting Ukraine and dont buy Russian lies," Kuleba concluded.

The minister has already commented on this issue in an interview with Foreign Policy, emphasising that the approach that Ukraine should make concessions to the aggressor for the sake of peace is unacceptable.

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Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine's Defence Intelligence chief, has noted that the forces of the Russian occupation troops on the Kharkiv front are insufficient for a full-fledged advance into Ukraine's territory.

Source: Budanov on the air of the national joint 24/7 newscast on 14 May

Quote: "These are quite limited resources, but they have not yet thrown all their forces into battle. I think that in the coming days, they will use everything they have. But let's say  everything they had at the border, they've already used, now they need to deploy their reserves."

Details: Budanov said that creating any "buffer zones" against the opponent will not succeed. Currently, there are attempts to advance on two fronts, where the Russians are diverting forces and attention away from the eastern front (Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts  ed.), where the main thrust of Russian assault operations is actually concentrated.

Previously: Oleksandr Lytvynenko, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, said that there are 50,000 Russians at the Kharkiv Oblast border. Ukraine sees no risk of a Russian attack on Kharkiv despite new offensives in the oblast, he added.

Background:

On 10 May, it was reported that Russian forces had intensified their activities in Kharkiv Oblast, with fighting taking place there.

President Zelenskyy confirmed that Russian troops had launched a new wave of offensive actions in Kharkiv Oblast.

Ukraine's Defence Ministry reported that reserve units had been sent to the north of Kharkiv Oblast.

The Russians occupied several settlements in Kharkiv Oblast.

The Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group said that the grey zone in Kharkiv Oblast was not expanding and that the Ukrainian Armed Forces were not letting Russian forces advance further into Kharkiv Oblast.

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Taras Vysotskyi (left) and Vasyl Shkurakov (right). Photo: The Page and the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine

The Ukrainian government has entrusted Taras Vysotskyi with the duties of Minister of Agricultural Policy, while Vasyl Shkurakov will temporarily take over as Minister of Infrastructure.

Source: Taras Melnychuk, the government representative in the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament)

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has temporarily assigned the duties:

Taras Vysotskyi as Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine;

Vasyl Shkurakov as Minister of Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine.

Background:

Mykola Solskyi, the former chairman of the Verkhovna Rada's Agrarian Committee and Minister of Agrarian Policy, was caught in possession of state land worth UAH 291 million (about US$7.3 million) and an attempt to seize land worth another UAH 190 million (about US$4.75 million).

In addition to Solskyi, his deputy, Markiian Dmytrasevych, currently on a business trip abroad concerning Ukraine's negotiations on accession to the EU as part of the agricultural bloc, was also served with a notice of suspicion.

The source of Ekonomichna Pravda close to Solskyi indicates that he was a suspect in episodes of 2017-2018 when he was practising law.

On 9 May, the Parliament dismissed Mykola Solskyi from his post as Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food.

Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov did not discuss the resolution on his dismissal with the leadership of the Servant of the People faction and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. He was not invited to the meeting of the faction and the relevant committee.

The Verkhovna Rada decided to dismiss Oleksandr Kubrakov from the post of Vice Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine  Minister of Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine.

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Andrii Yermak, Head of the President's Office, believes that the more weaponry is supplied to Ukraine, the more eager Ukrainians will be to join the country's armed forces.

Source: Yermak at the Summit for Democracy on 14 May in Copenhagen, as reported by Radio Liberty

Details: When asked about the potential issues with mobilisation in Ukraine, Yermak stated that "not a single mobilisation in the history of any country was popular." At the same time, he identified the characteristics that influence Ukrainian motivation.

Quote: "In two years, we have demonstrated that our troops are very driven, but this depends on how we equip our brigades. This is extremely consistent with the robust policy decisions made by our partners. Therefore, we are quite ready to continue negotiating security agreements based on the Vilnius Declaration. We're working extremely hard with our American friends and colleagues."

Details: Yermak emphasised that Ukraine only seeks one thing of its partners: a sufficient amount of weapons.

Quote: "Our people aren't fatigued. Our people are strong. Our heroes continue to fight. We want additional air defence, artillery, long-range missiles, and the ability to employ them to respond. Because sometimes the only issue is that our soldier lacks ammunition or weaponry."

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The ultimate Michigan pronunciation guide: 50 names you might be saying wrong

Given Michigan's deep history and various cities, villages and streets big and small, there are names and pronunciations that, to this day, still trip many people up.

You know this if you remember trying to say "Sault Ste. Marie" for the first time. Or the time you got laughed at when you pronounced Charlotte like the North Carolina city or Milan the way it looks.

Thankfully, the State of Michigan has a full database of pronunciations for cities, townships, street names and even famous people. It's complete with quick audio files so you can listen for yourself how things are pronounced.

Ypsilanti sign on June 18, 2020.

For our purposes, we pulled out 50 notable Michigan roads and destinations you might not be saying correctly. Use the database for more pronunciations where you might want clarification.

1. Mackinac

Most everyone knows the C is silent and you pronounce this like the way the name Mackinaw City looks: "Mack-in-awe." (Listen)

2. Sault Ste. Marie

The first word of this notable Upper Peninsula town trips many people up. It's "Sue Saint Marie." (Listen)

3. Ontonagon

This Upper Peninsula county, which features the Porcupine Mountains, is pronounced "On-ton-ogg-on." (Listen)

4. Charlotte

No, it's not pronounced like in the children's book or the North Carolina city. It's "char-LOT." (Listen)

5. Dowagiac

This small southwestern Michigan city, near the Indiana border, is pronounced "doe-wah-jak." (Listen)

6. Okemos

It's easy to miss this Lansing suburb: "Oh-kuh-muss." (Listen)

7. Ypsilanti

If you're saying "yip" at the front, you're doing it wrong. It's "ip-sill-ann-tee." (Listen)

8. Kitch-iti-kipi Springs

Talk about a tongue-twister! That first word is "kitch-iti-kip-ee." Don't forget about that extra "i" sound. (Listen)

9. Dequindre

Now let's turn to street names! This metro Detroit road is "duh-QUIN-durr." (Listen)

10. Lahser

Here's another metro Detroit street name that a lot of people get wrong. It's "lah-sir." (Listen)

11. Milan

Most get this southeastern Michigan city name wrong by emphasizing "LAN." It's actually pronounced "my-Lynn." (Listen)

12. Lake Orion

It's not like the constellation. It's "Lake oh-ree-en." (Listen)

13. Hamtramck

There's a hidden I sound in the name of this Polish city. It's "ham-tram-ick." (Listen)

14. Houghton

Both the Upper Peninsula city and Michigan's largest inland lake are pronounced "ho-ten." (Listen)

15. Gratiot

This is another tricky one. The street name - and fort - is pronounced "grash-it." (Listen)

16. Gaylord

You don't pronounce it "lord" at the end of this northern Michigan city name. It's "gay-lerd." (Listen)

17. Lake Gogebic

The largest inland lake of the Upper Peninsula is pronounced "goh-ghib-ick." (Listen)

18. Schoenherr

This major metro Detroit road is pronounced "Shane-err." (Listen)

19. Ewing

This small township in Marquette County has a Y sound in front: "Yoo-ing." (Listen)

20. Keweenaw

Put the long E sound in the first syllable, not the second. It's "kee-win-awe." (Listen)

21. Bois Blanc Island

This one trips many people up, in Michigan and out: Bois Blanc is known as "Bob-low." Yes, really. That said, you might hear many people pronounce it as "boys blank." (Listen)

22. Ocqueoc

This northern Michigan township, which hosts the largest waterfall in the Lower Peninsula, is pronounced "ah-key-ock." (Listen)

23. Grosse Ile

The first word of this metro Detroit township is what you expect: "Gross." But the second word is "eel." (Listen)

24. Onekama

This small town near Lake Michigan is "oh-neck-em-uh." (Listen)

25. Saline

No city received more suggestions than this one. It's "suh-LEAN," not "SAY-lean." (Listen)

26. Clio

It's not pronounced "cleo." It's "CLY-oh." Rhymes with Ohio. Sadly. (Listen)

27. Presque Isle

This northern Michigan county is pronounced "Presk eel." (Listen)

28. Tecumseh

Here's another one that naturally trips people up upon first saying. This southern Michigan town is "Teh-COME-see." (Listen)

29. Mio

This one's "MY-oh," not "me-oh." Rhymes with Clio. And Ohio. Sadly. (Listen)

30. Pompeii

This super-small community, found between Ithaca and St. Johns along US-127, is "pomp-ee-EYE." (Listen)

31. Sebewaing

If you're using three syllables, you're doing it wrong! It's "SEEB-wing." (Listen)

32. Onondaga

We got a lot of suggestions for this one, too, but it's not too difficult: "ON-en-DAY-guh." (Listen)

33. Topinabee

Those who live or like to camp near Mullett Lake are very familiar with this one. It's "Top-in-AH-bee." (Listen)

34. L'Anse

Whether it's the Upper Peninsula city or bay, it's "Lons." (Listen)

35. Quanicassee

This little community along the Saginaw Bay, near the Thumb, is "KWAN-ick-uh-see." (Listen)

36. Seul Choix Point

This is expert mode right here. Let's see if we can spell this out right: "Sish-WA Point." (Listen)

37. Baraga

Another tricky county name! "Bear-uh-guh." (Listen)

38. Charlevoix

Look, most people get this right (along with the next few we share), but just in case those French names have you twisted, it's "SHAR-leh-voy." (Listen)

39. Ishpeming

This one'e easier than it looks, but we received some requests for it anyway: It's "ISH-peh-ming." (Listen)

40. Mesick

Don't overthink this one, either. It's "ME-sick." That easy. (Listen)

41. Pokagon

This southwestern Michigan township, located close to another difficult name, Dowagiac, is "Poe-KAY-gun." (Listen)

42. Hiawatha

This Upper Peninsula township and national forest is pronounced "Hi-uh-WAH-thuh." (Listen)

43. Michigamme

Yes, this community exists  up in Marquette county. It's "Mish-i-GAH-me." (Listen)

44. Calumet

Pronounce the "t" for this Upper Peninsula town. It's "cal-you-met." (Listen)

45. Les Cheneaux Islands

The archipelago about 30 miles from the Mackinac Bridge starts "lay-shin-oh." Les Cheneaux is French for "the channels." (Listen)

46. Livernois

Like in Illinois, don't pronounce the "s." It's "liver-noy." (Listen)

47. Interlochen

This Grand Traverse County community, known for the Interlochen Center for the Arts and for Interlochen State Park, is "inter-lock-in." (Listen)

48. Westphalia

The Clinton County village named by German settlers is pronounced "west-fail-yuh." (Listen)

49. Michiganian

It's "Michigander."

50. Soda

It's pronounced "pop."

Send your favorite Michigan mispronunciations to Brian Manzullo: bmanzullo@freepress.com.

Follow the Detroit Free Press on Instagram (@detroitfreepress), TikTok (@detroitfreepress), YouTube (@DetroitFreePress), Twitter/X (@freep), and LinkedIn, and like us on Facebook (@detroitfreepress).

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan pronunciation guide: 50 names may be saying wrong
Almost half a million Palestinians have fled from Rafah, according to the United Nations, as an Israeli military incursion continues in the area.

Nearly 450,000 people have fled the Palestinian city in the southern Gaza Strip over the past week, according to the U.N. agency that provides relief to Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA.

People face constant exhaustion, hunger and fear. Nowhere is safe. An immediate #ceasefire is the only hope, UNRWA said in a Tuesday post on the social platform X.

Before the Israeli military started moving toward the city, at least a million Palestinians had been sheltering in Rafah.

Over the past week, no food has come in through the two major border crossings in the south of the strip, according to The Associated Press. The reported halt of food supplies comes as around 1.1 million Palestinians contend with drastic levels of hunger and the population is on the cusp of starvation, according to the U.N.

The Israeli military has continued its war against Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, in northern Gaza. The military issued evacuation orders on Saturday that have displaced around 100,000 people so far, according to U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq.

We remain deeply concerned about the lack of protection for civilians  and the lack of safety for humanitarian operations, Haq said. Civilians must be protected and have their basic needs met, whether they move or stay. Those who leave must have enough time to do so, as well as a safe route and a safe place to go.

Israeli military operations and the bombardment of Gaza have killed around 35,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza Health Ministry officials. The war, now in its seventh month, started following Hamass Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that killed more than 1,100 Israelis and took around 250 hostages.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
UN says almost 360,000 people have fled Rafah since evacuation order

Tents for displaced people are crowded west of Deir al-Balah city in the central Gaza Strip after thousands of Palestinians fled Rafah after the Israeli army announced the start of a military operation there. Saher Alghorra/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Almost 360,000 people have fled the southern city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip since the Israeli army issued the first evacuation orders a week ago, according to UN figures on Monday.

"There's nowhere to go. There's NO safety without a #ceasefire," the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) wrote on social media platform X.

Rafah, which is already overcrowded with internally displaced persons, is seen as the last stronghold of militant Palestinian organization Hamas.

Later on Monday, a UN spokesperson said that one of the world organization's employees was killed in the Gaza Strip after a car was fired upon.

This is the first foreign UN employee to be killed in Gaza, the spokesman said. Another UN employee was injured in the incident. The nationalities and gender of the victims were initially not disclosed.

The car in which the employees were travelling to a hospital was clearly marked as a UN vehicle, the spokesperson said.

In total, almost 200 UN employees have been killed since the beginning of the Gaza war - so far all of them have been Palestinians.

Fierce fighting between Israel's army and armed Palestinians continued on Monday at various locations in the north, south and centre of the coastal strip.

UNRWA's statement added that in northern Gaza, bombardments and further evacuation orders have caused more displacement and "fear for thousands of families."

The military arm of Hamas reported on Telegram about attacks on Israeli troops in various locations, including in Rafah in the south as well as in the refugee neighbourhood of Jabalia and in al-Saitun in northern Gaza.

There were fresh rocket alerts on Monday in Israeli border towns on the edge of the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant spoke with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken about the situation in the Gaza Strip, according to reports on Monday.

According to Gallant's office, in the phone call the Israeli minister discussed the "developments in Gaza, including [Israel Defense Forces] operations across the strip in the face of terror hotspots, and the precise operation in the Rafah area against remaining Hamas battalions, while securing the [Rafah border] crossing."

Blinken reiterated that the United States remains opposed to a major Israeli ground offensive in Rafah, "where over 1 million people have taken shelter," a US State Department spokesman said.

Israel began its military campaign to eliminate Hamas following the unprecedented October 7 attacks on southern Israel when Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians and, according to latest reports in Israeli media, took round 250 people hostage to the Gaza Strip.

Some 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war so far, according to Gaza's Hamas-controlled health authority.

Israel is being increasingly criticized internationally due to the high number of civilian casualties and the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
A prostitute in Italy, where it is illegal to have sex with a woman under 18 for money - Filippo Monteforte/AFP via Getty Images

Italian investigators have uncovered a prostitution racket in which 16-year-old schoolgirls had sex with businessmen and mafia gangsters in exchange for cash payments, stays in five-star hotels and Champagne dinners.

The schoolgirls charged up to 500 euros for sex in a well-organised racket in Bari in Puglia, the southern region where world leaders including Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden will gather next month for a G7 summit.

They mixed with members of the local underworld, including the son of a Mafia boss who was shot dead last year, before the network was exposed when parents of the girls found their purses stuffed with money.

I found my daughters handbag open and I looked inside. There was a purse crammed with 50 euro banknotes, the mother of one of the teenagers told police.

We told them we were under-age. They liked that

Eight people have been arrested, including four men and women accused of profiting from the prostitution and two of the girls clients, both in their forties.

While the age of consent in Italy is 14, sex with a prostitute is only legal if she is over the age of 18.

We told [the clients] we were under-age and they really liked that, one girl told police.

Prosecutors said the network in the city, in the southern region of Puglia, had been facilitated by the uncontrolled nature of social media, which enabled the teenagers to advertise their services and arrange meetings.

One girl was given a gold credit card by one of her clients and told not to spend more than 20,000 euros a month  but then found the PIN he had given her did not work.

The teenagers, who called themselves the squad girls, were taken to the clients in luxury hotels and resorts in a racket that was organised with scientific precision, according to investigators.

Social media is a shop window

When one girl tried to give up prostitution, she was threatened by one of the pimps, who said he would publish compromising photographs of her online.

It was a bleak and deeply concerning network of under-age prostitution, managed and organised at a sophisticated level, investigators said.

Social media provides a shop window for the sex market in a way which makes it ever harder for families to control, said Ciro Angelillis, a prosecutor involved in the investigation.

In Italy, a teenage girl who offers sex for payment is known as a baby squillo, with baby denoting her young age and squillo being slang for prostitute.

A decade ago, a similar network of schoolgirl prostitutes, many of them from wealthy middle-class families, was discovered in Rome. It inspired an Italian Netflix series called Baby.

The G7 summit of world leaders will take place in mid-June in a luxury resort called Borgo Egnazia, south of Bari.

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Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, oversees a Senate session. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal. Republish photo only with original story.)

What a joke. In a pique of partisan petulance, the gerrymandered-for-life Republican supermajorities in the Ohio Statehouse have visited yet another national embarrassment on the state. I think weve officially sunk lower than Alabama at this point, Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, dryly observed about the states descent into autocratic hell. The latest humiliation from Columbus making headlines was entirely self-inflicted by MAGA-pandering pols.

Our lovely legislative overlords torpedoed what should have been an easy bipartisan fix to a ballot scheduling snafu that still threatens to keep President Joe Biden off the general election ballot in Ohio. Ballot adjustment in a presidential election year is a non-issue. But Republican lawmakers decided to make it one by picking a fight and stomping their feet when things didnt go their way. Like toddlers who need a nap.

The straightforward legislation the GOP-controlled Ohio Senate and Ohio House blew up (for no good reason) would have remedied a problem with candidate filing deadlines in state election law that has come up before in presidential election years with Democrats and Republicans. It has typically been resolved as a bipartisan matter without incident. Until now. (Hence the Russo observation).

Apparently, the task of passing a clean, standalone bill to temporarily or permanently change a state deadline for certifying presidential candidates (and ensure Biden makes the fall ballot) is too much to ask of the kiddos running the General Assembly. Instead, they inserted an unrelated, partisan-driven proposal into the bill adjusting ballot deadlines knowing full well their poison pill would sink it. And it did.

That kind of rank partisanship didnt rear its ugly head in Ohio when the same ballot obstacle came up in 2012 and 2020. Legislators did the right thing. They ensured ballot access for the presumptive presidential nominees even though both major parties national conventions were held after Ohios filing cutoff (90 days before an election) for presidential candidates to be certified for the ballot. Lawmakers passed temporary fixes to relax pre-convention deadlines for candidate certification and called it a day.

This year, the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where Biden will be formally nominated, starts 12 days after Ohios August 7 candidate deadline to appear on the general election ballot. Other states with early filing dates for presidential tickets similar to Ohios, including (believe it or not) Alabama, have already enacted exceptions to their election rules to accommodate the DNC.

The Republican-dominated Alabama legislature recently approved the changes without a dissenting vote to guarantee Biden access to the ballot. As a matter of principle. This is nothing new, said the Alabama Republican House speaker. We just needed to fix this so the president can be on the ballot, like our nominee can be on the ballot. Nothing so honorable for the Republican-dominated Ohio legislature. Right-wingers preferred to go low and leverage Bidens ballot predicament in the state for partisan gain.

Senate Republicans were more inclined to extract political paybacks from Democrats than to serve the greater good of the electorate. Senate President Matt Huffman conspired to get even with the winning sides in last years two statewide initiatives with a spurious last-minute rider to an agreed upon ballot adjustment bill that would ban foreign money from state ballot campaigns. Stick with me.

The GOP rush to enact the ban was a disingenuous political maneuver from the start. State Republicans discovered a Swiss billionaire living in Wyoming who has contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to progressive, nonprofit organizations that back liberal causes. The billionaire gave money to one group which in turn gave money to the pro-Issue 1 campaign in Ohio that successfully enshrined abortion rights in the Ohio Constitution. Bingo.

Foreign nationals are already banned from contributing to candidates but state Republicans made the Swiss billionaire their new boogeyman because his contributions may have indirectly helped pass ballot issues in Ohio that protected reproductive freedoms and majority voting rights  opposed by the senators demanding the ban. Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood, summed up the transparent charade of Republicans perfectly.

I think its a sore loser bill because they lost a couple of times at the ballot this past year, said Antonio. It was, frankly, a dirty trick and we didnt take the bait. Huffman made a partisan ploy the price Democrats would have to pay to ensure ballot access for their presidential candidate.

Outrageous.

The Senate leader went so far as to suggest that GOP lawmakers in both the state Senate and House required an incentive to vote for accommodating the presidents nominating convention schedule with a deadline exception. Does it escape him that Biden won 87% of the vote in Ohios Democratic primary? Dont Democratic voters in Ohio count as an incentive for the legislature to do the right thing?

Not to Huffman. He was willing to deny those Ohioans a vote for their candidate by gumming up a previously apolitical process to change ballot deadlines for presidential candidates of both parties. Republican House Speaker Jason Stephens, mired in a ridiculously fractious caucus, just threw in the towel. He adjourned session without voting on a bill or delivering on promises made with Huffman to solve an easy problem. What a joke.

A national embarrassment. Again.

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The post With unending petulance, gerrymandered Ohio Republicans decline simple Biden ballot solution appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty testified before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, about a cyberattack on Change Healthcare, a subsidiary. Screenshot from committee webcast.

The Minnesota Department of Commerce has issued a $450,000 fine and entered a consent order with Eden Prairie-based UnitedHealthcare after finding the company illegally made it harder for customers to get reimbursed for mental health care.

According to the consent order, UnitedHealthcare made mental health reimbursements harder to obtain than regular medical or surgical reimbursements, which is a violation of state law. It placed more restrictions on some medications used to treat mental health disorders. The company also failed to maintain accurate provider directories, and didnt properly document denials or advise customers of their right to appeal.

Consumers have the right to access mental health care covered by insurance on par with coverage for other medical care, said Commerce Commissioner Grace Arnold in a press release.

The company also posted inaccurate statistics about its prior authorization practices, which require doctors to get permission from insurers for some medically necessary treatments before administering them.

The company neither admitted nor denied wrongdoing, but it waived its right to a hearing to address the allegations and agreed to the fine and consent order.

Under the order, UnitedHealthcare must comply with a corrective action plan to address coverage shortcomings and be monitored by the Department of Commerce until March 2025. If all the deficiencies are addressed by then, part of the fine will be waived.

I am happy the company has agreed to take steps to address Commerces allegations and hope these changes will improve mental health care coverage for its members, said Commerce Assistant Commissioner of Enforcement Jacqueline Olson.

UnitedHealth, the parent company of UnitedHealthcare, has been under intense scrutiny following a massive data breach at a subsidiary that handles $2 trillion in insurance claims each year. The breach has been especially disruptive to small medical providers, who often have no alternative way to process payments.

The firm has been on a buying binge of many of those same small companies and is now reportedly the subject of a Department of Justice antitrust investigation.

Meanwhile, ProPublica reported last year that the company has been relentless in its efforts to reduce spending on some of its sickest customers, even as its profits rose to $22 billion in 2023.

Those profits were dependent, in part, on the companys ruthless focus on cost-cutting, including the illegal restrictions on mental health reimbursement documented in the Commerce Departments consent decree.

The post UnitedHealthcare fined $450,000 for illegal barriers to mental health coverage appeared first on Minnesota Reformer.
University of Akron trustees in discussions with President Gary Miller over his future

The University of Akron Board of Trustees has "begun to discuss future plans" with its president, Gary L. Miller, a university spokesperson confirmed to the Beacon Journal.

The confirmation of the discussion comes amid swirling rumors of Miller's departure, and amid two special trustees meetings scheduled this week.

University of Akron President Gary Miller speaks to the Akron Press Club at Quaker Station on Sept. 7.

"As President Miller completes his fifth academic year in that role, the University of Akron Board of Trustees has begun to discuss future plans with him," a statement said. "Those discussions have not been completed and there is nothing to announce at this time."

But the trustees met behind closed doors on Monday, and will do so again on Wednesday during a limited open meeting with expected action to follow yet another executive session.

Miller, 70, has been the president of UA since 2019 and has a contract through June 2027. He makes a base salary of $475,000 and came to Akron by way of University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Miller and his wife, Georgia Nix Miller, said in a Beacon Journal profile in early 2020 they'd had no intention of leaving Wisconsin, but the Akron job and community enticed them away.

Miller has sought to bring consistency to the university's top job after years of tumultuous leadership, although just months after his tenure began, COVID-19 struck, destabilizing higher education.

Over the last five years, Miller has overseen the university through a period of significant change, including a massive reorganization of colleges and staff layoffs in 2020, prompted by the pandemic but also by years of declining enrollment.

Miller and the university managed to stabilize the falling numbers this year after 11 years of declines. He has also taken significant steps to offset the university's debt by outsourcing parking. A plan to also outsource university housing is in the works.

Wednesday's meeting will begin with the closed-door session at 11 a.m. A public session is expected to begin at 1 p.m. but could start earlier. The meeting will be held in the Board Room, room 339, of the Jean Hower Taber Student Union. It will also be livestreamed on the trustees' website, uakron.edu/bot.

Contact education reporter Jennifer Pignolet at jpignolet@thebeaconjournal.com, at 330-996-3216 or on Twitter @JenPignolet.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: UA trustees discussing 'future plans' with President Gary Miller
FILE  U.S. Rep. Carol Miller, R-W.Va., testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 5, 2020. The third-term incumbent faces convicted Jan. 6, 2021, riot participant Derrick Evans in the West Virginia 1st Congressional District Republican primary on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP)  Congresswoman Carol Miller has held off a challenge from convicted Jan. 6 riot participant Derrick Evans to win the Republican primary for her U.S. House seat in West Virginia.

Miller defeated Evans in the 1st Congressional District and will try to capture her fourth term in November.

Miller focused on her own accomplishments and endorsements during her campaign, paying little attention to Evans. Not that it was easy.

Evans verbally attacked Miller with nearly every campaign email that he sent out over the past month that included name-calling and reinforcing his adoration for former President Donald Trump.

Miller expressed her gratitude in a statement following the primary victory.

Im thankful to represent my wild and wonderful state in Washington," Miler said, and I will continue to work to make West Virginia the best place to live, work, and raise a family.

Evans was arrested two days after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and resigned from his West Virginia House of Delegates seat a month before the 2021 legislative session. Evans served three months in prison after pleading guilty to a felony civil disorder charge. At his sentencing, Evans apologized for his actions, but he did an about-face upon leaving prison. He began portraying himself as a victim of a politically motivated prosecution.

Both Evans and Miller are huge backers of former President Donald Trump, but that's where the similarities may end.

Miller has kept a low profile compared to some of her more outspoken colleagues since becoming the third woman from West Virginia elected to Congress in 2018. The 73-year-old bison farmer and small business owner also served six terms in the West Virginia House of Delegates. Her father is the late U.S. Rep. Samuel Devine of Ohio.

In 2022, Miller received 66% of the vote in a five-candidate GOP primary en route to winning her third term in Congress. This time, Evans, 39, was her only opponent.

Evans once called himself a Democrat, finishing sixth out of seven candidates in a state House primary in 2016. He then switched to the Libertarian Party in the general election and finished last among five candidates.

In the campaign against Miller, Evans has called her a commie RINO who refused to stand and fight with President Trump, as well as an undocumented Democrat. Miller was aligned with Trump in nearly 100% of her House votes while the former president was in office.

Evans has echoed false claims still made by Trump that the 2020 election was stolen. And in the hours after Evans and other rioters had stormed the Capitol, Miller voted to challenge the Electoral College results in two states Biden won. Miller said in a statement at the time that she had a constitutional duty to ensure that all Americans have access to free, fair, and accurate elections.

In an email to The Associated Press, Miller did not directly address the 2020 result. But she said she is the only candidate in the race who has never been a registered Democrat or run for office as a Democrat.

Charleston librarian Derek Faux is an independent voter who participated in the Republican primary, picking the candidates he believed were the most distanced from Trump. That included his vote for Miller.

Its a shame that so many of them seem to support Trump, Faux said. I just dont trust him as a politician. And I think people who support him shouldnt be trusted, either.

Jody Roberts, whose husband, Mitch, was a longshot GOP candidate for governor on Tuesday, said she voted for Evans, whom she met along the campaign trail. Asked what made him stand out, Roberts said, I think he was passionate.

Roberts said Miller didnt attend any of the campaign stops where she and her husband traveled to, and, if I wasnt with Mitch, hes never mentioned her wherever hes gone. I just never met her.

Roberts said she wasnt bothered by Evans involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection.

No. I know that sounds stupid, she said. Do I think they went in and did wrong? Yes. They went too far? Yes. But they have every right to go and protest.

Retirees Kathy Showen, of Cross Lanes, and Ron Weddington, of Hurricane, both said they voted for Evans more because they were turned off by Miller.

Showen said she had forgotten about Evans participation in the Jan. 6 riot and said her vote was for the least detrimental option.

Weddington said there wasnt an overall thing that I really liked about Evans. Basically, it was, I guess, Carol Millers negatives were more monumental than his.

Sandi Shrewsbury, a retired nurse and independent voter from Scott Depot, said she couldnt support either candidate.

Evans had a right to protest, but its the way he chose to protest, she said. Politicians have a level of decorum they need to hold themselves to.

Miller now moves on to the Nov. 5 general election to face Democratic educator Chris Reed, who won the party nomination against Vietnam veteran Jim Umberger.

In the 2nd Congressional District, state Treasurer Riley Moore beat four other candidates seeking the GOP nomination for the seat being vacated by Republican Alex Mooney, who lost his bid for the GOP nomination for a U.S. Senate seat. Democrat Steven Wendelin was running unopposed.

West Virginia hasnt elected a Democrat to the House since 2012 and was one of only two states where Trump won every county in 2016 and 2020.

___

Associated Press writer Leah Willingham contributed to this report.
Tonight features mostly cloudy skies with showers pushing into the region after midnight with a shortwave trough pushing through. Showers will be primarily light, but occasionally steady overnight, which will make for wet roadways. Temperatures will fall down into the low 50s overnight.

Election Day continues the risk for showers in the morning, where rain will be most widespread, so expect a wet morning commute as youre headed out the door. Well see a bit of a lull in the activity around lunchtime before a few scattered showers and storms return for the afternoon and early evening. With light winds aloft, storms that do pop up will be slow-movers, hence the threat for locally heavy rainfall will be around with highs near 70 degrees.

The Weather Prediction Center has placed our region under a level one risk for flooding  a low risk overall, but something we will monitor! A strong storm or two is possible if we can get a little sunshine, with small hail and perhaps a gusty wind or two possible in the strongest storms during the afternoon. Well see more shower activity overnight, with temperatures dropping back into the upper 50s.

Wednesday keeps a high risk for scattered showers and perhaps a rumble or two of thunder with our low pressure system moving overhead. Expect a cool and overcast day as a result with high pressure in the upper 60s. The umbrellas will be a great accessory to have to help keep you dry. An occasional westerly wind gusting up to 20 mph will be possible in the midst of light to steady showers.

Thursday features a drop in rain chances, but a few isolated showers will be possible, primarily over the mountains with a northwest breeze kicking in as Wednesdays low pressure system shifts east and exits the region. Well see high temperatures in the low 70s.

Is West Virginia actually safe from tornados?

Friday brings our next system toward the area, as an area of low pressure scoots up into the Great Lakes. Well see a warm front slide up to our north, which will usher in some warmer temperatures with a southwest flow returning, as high temperatures jump up into the mid 70s. Scattered showers and storms will be expected with the combination of a warmer and more humid air mass and the aforementioned low pressure scooting in.

Saturday continues the chance for rain, with our low pressure system still nearby. As a result, scattered showers and storms will be expected once again in the low 70s.

Sunday keeps the risk for a few isolated storms, but there should be plenty of dry time as our low pressure system scoots off to the east. Well see high temperatures in the upper 70s.

Monday looks great! High pressure will be in control and that should bring nice weather into the region with plenty of sunshine and highs in the upper 70s.

Looking ahead, well see only the risk for an isolated storm or two on Tuesday, but another storm system encroaching Wednesday into Thursday will once again provide the risk for scattered showers and thunderstorms as our generally unsettled pattern continues. Highs on Tuesday will be in the upper 70s, with temperatures again in the upper 70s on Wednesday before falling to around 70 by Thursday behind the front.

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.

Photos of the Northern Lights in 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

Showers after midnight. Mostly cloudy. Lows in the low 50s.

ELECTION DAY

Scattered showers and thunderstorms likely. Highs around70.

WEDNESDAY

Rain showers likely, few rumbles of thunder. Overcast. Highs in the upper 60s.

THURSDAY

Isolated storms. Partly sunny. Highs in the low to mid 70s.

FRIDAY

Scattered showers and storms likely. Highs in the mid 70s.

SATURDAY

Scattered showers likely. Gloomy once again. Highs in the low 70s.

SUNDAY

Isolated showers. Plenty of dry time. Highs in the upper 70s.

MONDAY

Mostly sunny. Highs near 80.

TUESDAY

Isolated storms. Highs in the 70s.

WEDNESDAY

Scattered storms return. Highs in the 70s.

THURSDAY

Scattered showers. Highs near 70.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA)  More than 90 veterans from across Central Illinois are heading to Washington D.C. this week courtesy of Land of Lincoln Honor Flight.

The organization said its 70th flight on Tuesday will kick off their 16th year of operation. The flight will take 79 Vietnam era veterans and 15 Korean era veterans, and their guardians, to Washington from Abraham Lincoln Capitol Airport on a chartered flight. Theyll visit landmarks including the Korean and Vietnam Veterans memorials, Arlington National Cemetery, the Lincoln Memorial, the Air and Space Museum, the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial and the U.S. Air Force Memorial.

The trip will be funded by donations from the public, with no cost coming from the veterans.

Champaign County Fair shares Grandstand event lineup

We are excited to kick off our 16th year of operation by serving this distinguished group of American heroes, said Joan Bortolon, President of Land of Lincoln Honor Flight.

The veterans and their families will leave Springfield at 4 a.m. on Tuesday and return the same day at 9:30 p.m. When they come home, friends, family, Honor Flight alumni and the public as a whole is invited to pack the airport to welcome them back.

The welcome home at the airport is very special to our veterans Bortolon said. It is the experience our veterans earned and deserve but never received.

Greeters are advised to arrive early. Parking will be free and volunteers will be in the parking to assist them. A shuttle will be available to take greeters directly to their airport terminal door.

Nominations wanted for Senior Illinoisans Hall of Fame 2024

Bortolon added that additional honor flights are scheduled for Aug. 27 and Oct. 15. She encouraged any World War II, Korea or Vietnam era veteran and their guardian to apply for a flight, with priority being given to seriously impaired or terminally ill veterans.

This is your time to be honored, she said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
The Biden administration has assessed that Israel has amassed enough troops on the edge of the city of Rafah in Gaza to move forward with a full-scale incursion in the coming days, but senior US officials are currently unsure if it has made a final decision to carry out such a move in direct defiance of President Joe Biden, two senior administration officials told CNN.

One of the officials also warned that Israel has not come anywhere close to making adequate preparations  including building infrastructure related to food, hygiene and shelter  ahead of potentially evacuating more than one million Gazans are who currently reside in Rafah.

If Israel were to proceed with a major ground operation into Rafah, it would be going against months of warnings from the US to forego a full-scale offensive into the densely populated city. Biden himself voiced that warning in his most explicit terms yet last week, telling CNNs Erin Burnett that the US would withhold some additional arms shipments to Israel if they were to take such a step.

The president was clear that he would not supply certain offensive weapons for such an operation were to occur, national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters at the White House Monday. It has not yet occurred.

As the war enters its eighth month, US officials are increasingly questioning Israels approach to the war, including publicly suggesting it is unlikely to achieve its stated aim of destroying Hamas and eliminating its leadership.

On Monday, Kurt Campbell, the State Departments number two official, said there have plainly been tensions between the two countries on what the theory of victory is.

Sometimes when we listen closely to Israeli leaders, they talk about mostly the idea of some sort of sweeping victory on the battlefield, total victory. I dont think we believe that that is likely or possible, Campbell said, in a seeming allusion to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus repeated references to a total victory. We view that there has to be more of a political solution. Thats one of the reasons why the presidents team has been so engaged with the surrounding region, Campbell said at the NATO Youth Summit co-hosted by the Aspen Institute.

Going headlong into Rafah could have dire consequences, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Sunday.

Israels on the trajectory, potentially, to inherit an insurgency with many armed Hamas left, or, if it leaves, a vacuum filled by chaos, filled by anarchy and probably refilled by Hamas, Blinken said Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press.

US believes Hamas has been significantly degraded

And though the US believes Israel will be unable to completely destroy Hamas, the administration believes Israel has achieved many of its initial war aims. State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said last week that Hamas has been significantly degraded.

You have seen their ability to launch the kind of attacks that they did on October 7 significantly degraded, if not completely eliminated, he said. They couldnt launch an attack of that scale today.

Their weapons production factories underground have been eliminated. Most of their battalion leadership in the north and in central Gaza has been eliminated. So Israel has achieved a great number of its military objectives, he continued.

It remains unclear whether senior Hamas leaders are present in Rafah, but the US is continuing to assist Israel in its mission of trying to eradicate as many senior members as possible, including by providing significant intelligence assistance in trying to track down figures including Yahya Sinwar, Hamass leader in Gaza.

As Biden continues to call for Israel and Hamas to reach a temporary ceasefire and hostage release agreement, in private, senior US officials have not gone as far as to urge Israel to consider a permanent end to the fighting, according to the senior administration official. However, the Biden administration has been ramping up the pressure on Israel to start focusing much more in earnest on post-war Gaza plans  so far, to little effect.

Israels lack of interest on the so-called day after plans has been a source of growing frustration for Biden advisers, according to one of the senior administration officials, who went as far as to describe Israel as displaying the attitude of believing that post-war Gaza is somebody elses problem to figure out.

In public and in private, this official said, Israel has offered no clear views on two major questions: post-war governance and who would oversee the strips security whenever the war eventually comes to an end.

Blinken publicly called on Israel to engage more seriously on developing a plan for post-war Gaza over the weekend. So far, the engagement has been sorely lacking, Blinken said.

Weve been working for many, many weeks on developing critical plans for security, for governance, for rebuilding. We havent seen that come from Israel, Blinken said on CBS. Weve been working with Arab countries and others on that plan. We need to see that too. We have the same objective as Israel. We want to make sure that Hamas cannot govern Gaza again.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
US President Joe Biden has signed legislation banning the import of Russian enriched uranium.

Source: Bloomberg

Details: The legislation, which will come into force 90 days after the signing, bans the import of enriched Uranium from Russia to the US. However, it lets the US Energy Department issue waivers allowing the import of Russian enriched uranium until 2028 if no alternative source is found or if the imports are determined to be in the national interest.

By signing this legislation, Biden has also unlocked around US$2.7 billion to build up domestic uranium supplies for US nuclear plants. This spending has been previously approved by Congress, but was conditional on whether the federal government would introduce limits on the import of Russian uranium.

The US Energy Department plans to use the US$2.7 billion that has thus been unlocked to restore domestic supply chains by creating a guaranteed buyer of fuel for US-made reactors.

Background:

On 1 May, the US Senate voted in favour of a ban on the import of enriched uranium from Russia.

In December 2023, the US Congress approved a bill prohibiting the United States from buying nuclear fuel from Russia in an effort to restore the US domestic uranium supply chain.

The US has also said that dependence on Russian nuclear fuel poses a critical threat to national security and climate goals.

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President Biden late Monday signed a bipartisan bill that bans U.S. imports of Russian uranium for use in nuclear fuel.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement that the move reestablishes Americas leadership in the nuclear sector and delivers on multilateral goals the U.S. set with its allies.

The legislation makes it illegal to import low-enriched uranium, which is used in nuclear fuel, 90 days after its enactment.

The majority of uranium that powers U.S. nuclear plants is imported, and about 12 percent of those imports came from Russia in 2022.

But the measure to ban those imports had widespread support in Congress.

Banning imports of Russian uranium will jumpstart Americas nuclear fuel industry, further defund Russias war machine, and help revive American uranium production for decades to come.  Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said in a statement.

As our nations leading uranium producer, Wyoming is ready to do our part to power American reactors with American nuclear fuel, he added.

In the wake of Russias 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. also banned imports of Russian oil, gas and coal and has sought to put a cap on how much Moscow can sell oil for around the world.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
US calls on Iran to halt unprecedented weapons transfers to Yemen's Houthis for attacks on ships

A Houthi soldier stands on board of the Israeli Galaxy ship which was seized by the Houthis, in the port of Saleef, near Hodeidah, Yemen, Sunday, May. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)

UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The United States called on Iran on Monday to halt its transfer of an unprecedented amount of weaponry to Yemens Houthi rebels, enabling their fighters to carry out reckless attacks on ships in the Red Sea and elsewhere.

U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood told the U.N. Security Council that if it wants to make progress toward ending the civil war in Yemen, it should collectively call Iran out for its destabilizing role and insist that it cannot hide behind the Houthis.

He said there is extensive evidence that Iran is providing advanced weapons, including ballistic and cruise missiles, to the Houthis in violation of U.N. sanctions.

To underscore the councils concern regarding the ongoing violations of the arms embargo, we must do more to strengthen enforcement and deter sanctions violators, Wood said.

The Houthis say their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden are aimed at pressuring Israel to end its war with Hamas in Gaza, which has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians there. 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, the U.S. Maritime Administration said late last month.

Houthi attacks have dropped in recent weeks as the rebels have been targeted by a U.S.-led airstrike campaign in Yemen. Shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has declined because of the threat.

Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special envoy for Yemen, warned the council that hostilities continue, even though there has been a reduction in attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, as well as a reduction in the number of U.S. and British airstrikes on targets in Yemen.

He pointed to an announcement by the Houthis that they will expand the scope of attacks," calling this "a worrisome provocation in an already volatile situation.

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the council that the Israeli announcement on May 6 that it was starting its military operation in Gazas southern city of Rafah, where 1.2 million Palestinians had sought safety, ratcheted up the spiral of escalation in the region another notch further.

Theres no doubt that this will have an impact on the situation in Yemens surrounding waters, he said, noting the Houthis opposition to Israeli attacks that harm Palestinian civilians.

We call for a swift cessation of the shelling of commercial vessels and any other actions that hamper maritime navigation," Nebenzia added.

He sharply criticized the United States and its Western allies, saying their totally unjustified aggressive strikes in Yemen violate the U.N. Charter. He said they further complicate an already complex situation in the Red Sea.

The war between the Houthis and pro-government forces in Yemen backed by a coalition of Gulf Arab states has raged since 2014. The Houthis swept down from the mountains, seized much of northern Yemen and the countrys capital, Sanaa, and forced the internationally recognized government to flee into exile to Saudi Arabia. Since then, more than 150,000 people have been killed by the violence and 3 million have been displaced.

Fighting has decreased markedly in Yemen since a truce in April 2022, but there are still hotspots across the country.

Grundberg recalled that in December, the Houthis and the government took a courageous step towards a peaceful solution by agreeing to a series of commitments that would provide for a nationwide cease-fire, ensure desperately needed humanitarian aid, and initiate a political process to end the conflict.

However, U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths reported alarmingly high levels of severe food deprivation across the country that are expected to worsen during the lean season for crops, starting in June.

Griffiths also expressed serious concern about a rapidly worsening cholera outbreak. He cited reports of 40,000 suspected cholera cases and over 160 deaths  a sharp increase since last month, the majority in Houthi-controlled areas where hundreds of new cases are reported every day.
Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives Carol Miller from West Virginia

Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives Carol Miller from West Virginia

By Makini Brice and Richard Cowan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Angela Alsobrooks won a U.S. Senate primary in Maryland on Tuesday, setting up a November matchup with popular former Governor Larry Hogan, while in West Virginia, House Republican Carol Miller fended off a challenger who joined the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot.

In another high-profile primary race, a former U.S. Capitol police officer who defended lawmakers that day, Harry Dunn, lost his Democratic primary for U.S. House in Maryland to state Senator Sarah Elfreth, Edison Research projected.

The party primaries across three states are part of a series of contests through September that will set the stage for the Nov. 5 elections when control of the U.S. Congress and White House are on the line.

Republicans will be defending a narrow House majority, currently 217-213 with five vacancies, while Democrats are expected to have an uphill battle trying to hold their 51-49 Senate majority as they defend incumbents in a half-dozen competitive states.

Edison Research projected that Alsobrooks edged out David Trone, a House lawmaker and wealthy alcohol retailer, by 54%-42% with 58% of the expected vote counted, to take on Hogan. Alsobrooks would become the state's first Black female U.S. senator if elected.

While Maryland has not elected a Republican senator since 1970, Hogan was popular as a governor and the polling suggests the general election could be competitive. A loss there would be devastating to Democrats' hopes of keeping Senate control.

West Virginia Republicans nominated Governor Jim Justice to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Democrat Joe Manchin, a seat Republicans are widely expected to pick up.

In West Virginia, Miller dispatched Derrick Evans, who served time in prison after pleading guilty to a role in the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the Capitol by Donald Trump supporters, by 62%-38% with 81% of the expected vote tallied, Edison Research projected.

Miller, who was among the 139 House Republicans who supported Trump's attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democratic President Joe Biden, represents a strongly Republican district in West Virginia and is expected to win reelection easily.

BACON HOLDS ON

In Maryland, Elfreth was one of about two dozen Democrats running to succeed the retiring Representative John Sarbanes. She beat Dunn 36%-25% with 59% of the expected vote counted.

Elfreth, 35, was the youngest woman elected to the state Senate in Maryland's history when she won that seat in 2018.

In Nebraska, moderate Republican Representative Don Bacon held off challenger Dan Frei. Bacon is known for working in a bipartisan manner with Democrats, including on a vote to certify the results of the 2020 election.

With 54% of the expected vote tallied, Bacon led Frei 65%-34%.

Bacon's district is expected to be competitive in November.

His Democratic rival in the general election will be Tony Vargas, a former teacher, school board member and current state senator, who ran unopposed for that nomination. Bacon narrowly beat Vargas in the 2022 election.

(This story has been refiled to fix the spelling of 'Democrat,' in paragraph 7)

(Reporting by Richard Cowan and Makini Brice; Editing by Scott Malone, Alistair Bell, Christian Schmollinger and Edwina Gibbs)
The most rightwing appeals court in the country has heard a case over discriminatory electoral maps in Galveston, Texas, which threatens to puncture a fresh hole in the already battered 1965 Voting Rights Act.

The US court of appeals for the fifth circuit, which has six of 17 active judges appointed by Donald Trump, heard a clash of views over whether Black and Latino minority voters could have their combined electoral voice protected.

The case, Petteway v Galveston County, risks removing the right of minority groups to join forces in so-called coalition districts to elect representatives of their choice.

In October, a federal district judge threw out new electoral maps drawn up by the Republican-controlled county, which eviscerated the only district out of four in which African American and Latino voters collectively were in the majority.

Judge Jeffrey Brown ruled that the eradication of the majority-minority district was a stark and jarring violation of the Voting Rights Act, describing the revised maps as mean-spirited and egregious.

Related: Wisconsin supreme court appears poised to overturn ballot drop box ban

The county appealed the judgment.

Addressing the full bench of the fifth circuit, Chad Dunn, the lawyer representing the Black and Latino voters who would in effect be disenfranchised by the new maps, gave an impassioned plea for their right to be heard. Is it too much to ask for one seat at the table? he asked.

Dunn added: Justice in this case is allowing these people to retain their one voice. The majority will still control the policy issues of the day, and will win on many issues four to one. But these people know they have somebody to call who lives down the neighborhood from them, who knows them, whos lived their experience.

The stakes are high given that the act, one of the crowning achievements of the civil rights movement, has already been drastically weakened.

The US supreme court began the rot in its 2013 ruling Shelby County v Holder. That removed the requirement on specified jurisdictions mainly in the south that they could only make changes to electoral systems after they had sought approval from the federal justice department.

The end of the so-called pre-clearance requirement issued in a new era of voter suppression measures brought in largely by Republican legislatures across the country.

Should the fifth circuit side with Galveston county and allow the new maps to stand, that would further decimate the remaining portion of the VRA that still operates  section 2. It would end the right of different minority groups to work together in coalitions to achieve majority-minority districts.

Joseph Nixon, representing the county, told the appeal court judges that the text of the VRA does not mention coalitions of different minority voters. He argued that such electoral alliances should not be protected under the act.

Nixon argued that coalitions were political in nature, not racial, as they were designed to achieve political victories. He said: You just keep stacking minorities until you get a district  There is a desire on behalf of different groups for a political coalition.

Dunn countered the argument by pointing out that African American and Latino voters in Galveston county voted along similar lines, with about 85% backing Democratic candidates. By contrast, 85% of Galvestons white electorate sides with Republicans.

The lawyer added that the principle of minority groups acting in concert to form coalition districts had been recognized by the federal courts as settled law for 40 years. He invoked the principle of stare decisis  the idea that judges should show respect to the earlier precedents set by their predecessors, in this case a 1987 ruling Lulac v Clements, which decided that coalitions of minority groups could bring claims under the act.

It is the consistent application of the law that gives birth to the rule of law, and creates the confidence that holds our nation together, he said.

The county includes Galveston Island, a barrier island on the Gulf coast of Texas which is the birthplace of Juneteenth, the official US holiday that celebrates the final end of slavery in the US. Of the countys eligible voter population, 38% are Black and Latino and 56% are Anglo, as white people are known in Texas.

Residents of precinct 3, the one majority-minority district that would be destroyed under the new maps, are worried that should they lose the case it would demoralize African American and Latino voters.

Its already very difficult to get people to participate, Roxy Hall Williamson, a community advocate from Galveston Island, told the Guardian last September. Losing our precinct would definitely deter folks from running for office.
Elon Musk ordered to testify again in US SEC probe of Twitter takeover

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -A federal court ordered on Tuesday that Elon Musk must testify again in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's investigation into his $44 billion takeover of Twitter.

The SEC sued Musk in October to compel the CEO of electric carmaker Tesla and rocket company SpaceX to testify after he refused to attend a September interview for the investigation. The billionaire said the SEC was trying to "harass" him with a number of subpoenas.

The investigation concerns whether Musk broke federal securities laws in 2022 when he bought stock in Twitter, which he later renamed X. It is also reviewing statements and SEC filings he made in relation to the deal, the agency has previously said.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler in February ruled in favor of the agency to compel the deposition and Musk requested a review of the decision.

"As Judge Beeler explained, the investigations Musk contends constitute harassment are 'legitimate government investigations'," U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley said on Tuesday.

"Musk has not met his burden of demonstrating the subpoena is unreasonable."

This marks the latest dispute in a years-long feud between Musk and the top U.S. markets regulator, dating back to 2018 when he tweeted that he had "funding secured" to take Tesla private.

In 2022, Musk supplied the SEC with documents for its probe and also testified via videoconference for two half-day sessions in July of that year, the SEC has said in court documents. Agency lawyers have said they have more questions for Musk after receiving new documents, and had sought additional testimony.

Musk was not immediately available for comment.

(Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin and Mike Scarcella; Editing by Sandra Maler and David Gregorio)
BALTIMORE  Competitive primary races for congressional seats in the Baltimore region and in Western Maryland are on the ballot Tuesday, with results expected to come in across the state after polls close at 8 p.m. ET.

All eight of Marylands U.S. House districts have elections this year for new two-year terms. Five incumbents are running for reelection and were expected to win their partys primaries Tuesday  Andy Harris, an Eastern Shore Republican; Glenn Ivey, a Democrat representing most of Prince Georges County; Steny Hoyer, representing Charles, St. Marys and Calvert counties; Kweisi Mfume, representing Baltimore City and parts of Baltimore County; and Jamie Raskin, representing Montgomery County.

A trio of others are not running again  Dutch Ruppersberger, who represents Baltimore County; John Sarbanes, who represents Howard County and parts of Anne Arundel and Carroll counties; and David Trone, who is running for U.S. Senate instead of reelection in the district covering Garrett, Allegany, Frederick, Washington and parts of Montgomery counties.

The three open seats are rare in Maryland as members usually win reelection easily, often for decades. Ruppersberger will have held his seat for 22 years when he retires in January. For Sarbanes, it will be 18 years.

And for both, the primary is expected to be the deciding moment in picking their replacements. Democrats are widely favored in both districts in November  a reality that led to a massive, 22-person field in the Democratic primary for the 3rd Congressional District.

State Sens. Sarah Elfreth and Clarence Lam, and Dels. Terri Hill, Mike Rogers and Mark Chang are among the highest-profile and most well-funded candidates in that district. Juan Dominguez, an Anne Arundel County businessman who originally launched a U.S. Senate campaign, is also running.

But the entrance of Harry Dunn created another wild card. A former U.S. Capitol Police officer who gained a national profile after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, Dunn raised more than $4.6 million  roughly three-times his closest fundraising competitor, Elfreth  and got the backing of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin signaled his support for Elfreth, in her second term representing Anne Arundel County, last week but did not formally endorse her.

A similarly crowded field of 15 Democrats and seven Republicans are vying for their respective partys nomination in the Western Maryland district Trone is vacating.

The list of Democrats includes Dels. Lesley Lopez and Joe Vogel; April McClain Delaney, who served in the Biden administration; and Tekesha Martinez, the mayor of Hagerstown.

Delaney, whose husband is former U.S. Rep. John Delaney, raised the most money  about $2 million as of late April and then another $825,000 in self-funding in recent days, according to her last campaign finance filing  and won the backing of officials like Pelosi, Raksin and Hoyer.

Republicans running in the district include former delegate and 2022 Republican gubernatorial nominee Dan Cox, and former Del. Neil Parrott, who was the Republican nominee for the same seat in 2022 and 2020.

The open seat with the least amount of competition in Tuesdays primary is Ruppersbergers, for which Olszewski had started building a campaign even before the incumbents announcement to retire.

Ruppersberger endorsed Olszewski in February, handing the two-term county executive the advantage of being backed by an incumbent with deep pockets to represent the district, which covers Baltimore and Carroll counties, and part of Baltimore City.

Olszewski faces Del. Harry Bhandari, who touted his humble background as an American success story; Baltimore City high school arts teacher Sia Kyriakakos; medical assistant Jessica Sjoberg; insurance agent Clint Spellman; and HR specialist Sharron Reed-Burns.

On the Republican side, Kimberly Klacik, Army veteran John Thormann, and Carroll County businessman Dave Wallace are running.

A Middle River radio host, Klacik last ran in the 7th Congressional District in 2020. Though she lost overwhelmingly to Mfume, her campaign raised an eyepopping $7 million after former President Donald Trump promoted her campaign on social media. She has so far not managed to replicate that fundraising feat.

This story will be updated.

____
By David Morgan

(Reuters) -The leading Republican in Congress, Mike Johnson, joined Donald Trump at the former president's hush money trial on Tuesday, and echoed his assertions that the four criminal cases against Trump are a disgrace meant to undermine his bid to reclaim the White House.

"These are politically motivated trials and they are a disgrace. This is election interference," Johnson, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, told reporters outside the courtroom, repeating Trump's own words in labeling the proceeding a witch hunt and a sham.

"It's impossible for anybody to deny, that looks at this objectively, that the judicial system in our country has been weaponized against President Trump," Johnson said.

The three other cases charge Trump with trying to overturn his 2020 presidential defeat and mishandling classified documents after leaving office. Trump has pleaded not guilty in all four cases.

Johnson is the most senior party member to appear with Trump outside the New York courtroom, where Trump is accused of trying to cover up a payment to an adult film star to boost his 2016 presidential campaign.

An aide said Johnson listened to testimony from an overflow room used primarily by journalists to monitor on closed-circuit television.

Trump's fellow Republicans, including senators and other House lawmakers, began appearing at the New York courthouse in recent days, after he bemoaned a shortage of supporters. Trump has blamed that absence on security, although the streets around the court remain open to traffic.

Trump, whose opinions hold great sway among House Republicans, has given Johnson's speakership vital support in the face of an ouster threat by firebrand Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Last week, the House overwhelmingly rejected her effort to push Johnson out.

Johnson is moving forward with legislation that would require proof of U.S. citizenship for registering to vote, echoing Trump's unsubstantiated claims that migrants who cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally could vote in November.

The speaker, a Christian conservative who bemoans the moral decline of the United States in campaign fundraising messages, came under fire for his decision to appear at a trial that turns heavily on adultery allegations.

"Have to admit I'm surprised that @SpeakerJohnson wants to be in the 'I cheated on my wife with a porn star' club. I guess he's not that concerned with teaching morality to our young people after all," Liz Cheney, former Republican co-chair of the House Jan. 6 Committee, said on the social platform X.

Trump was also joined on Tuesday by North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, seen as a possible Trump running mate; hardline House Republicans Byron Donalds and Cory Mills; and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

Trump has drawn support in the form of personal appearances from several other Republicans on Capitol Hill including Senators Rick Scott, J.D. Vance - another potential Trump running mate - and Tommy Tuberville.

Outside the courtroom, Trump regularly rails against the proceedings, the judge and his November rival, Democratic President Joe Biden.

(Reporting by David Morgan in Washington; Additional reporting by Nathan Layne and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Scott Malone, Alexandra Hudson and Howard Goller)
FILE PHOTO: Boeing's new 737 MAX-9 is pictured under construction at their production facility in Renton, Washington

(Reuters) -The U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday that Boeing Co had breached its obligations in a 2021 agreement that shielded the planemaker from criminal prosecution over fatal 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people.

The Justice Department said in a court filing in Texas that the U.S. planemaker had failed to "design, implement, and enforce a compliance and ethics program to prevent and detect violations of the U.S. fraud laws throughout its operations."

Justice Department officials made the finding in the wake of a separate January in-flight blowout that exposed continuing safety and quality issues at Boeing. A panel blew off a new Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet during a Jan. 5 Alaska Airlines flight, just two days before the 2021 agreement shielding Boeing from prosecution over the previous fatal crashes expired.

The determination exposes Boeing to a potential criminal prosecution over the 2018 and 2019 crashes that could carry steep financial penalties and tougher oversight, deepening a corporate crisis and reputational damage stemming from the January blowout.

While Boeing is now subject to prosecution as a result of breaching the 2021 agreement, the Justice Department said in the court filing, officials will consider steps the planemaker has taken to address and remediate violation of the pact before determining how to proceed.

The Justice Department directed Boeing to respond by June 13 and intends to decide whether to prosecute Boeing by July 7, the filing said.

Boeing confirmed it had received word from the Justice Department of its determination that the company breached the 2021 deal, known as a deferred prosecution agreement, or DPA.

"We believe that we have honored the terms of that agreement, and look forward to the opportunity to respond to the Department on this issue," Boeing said in a statement late on Tuesday. "As we do so, we will engage with the Department with the utmost transparency, as we have throughout the entire term of the agreement, including in response to their questions following the Alaska Airlines 1282 accident."

The Justice Department declined to comment beyond the court filing.

Boeing's ongoing crisis has already resulted in a management shakeup and government investigations. During a U.S. Senate hearing in April, a Boeing engineer testified the company took dangerous manufacturing shortcuts with certain planes and sidelined him when he raised safety concerns, claims the company disputes.

Relatives of people killed in the crashes and their lawyers, meanwhile, had argued that Boeing violated the 2021 deal with prosecutors, which required the company to overhaul its compliance program. Federal prosecutors had previously agreed to ask a judge to dismiss a criminal charge against the planemaker so long as it complied with the deal's terms over a three-year period.

But the Jan. 5 in-flight blowout occurred just two days before the agreement expired. Justice Department officials weighed that incident as part of a broader probe into whether Boeing violated the deal, people familiar with the matter previously told Reuters.

Justice Department officials are set to meet with family members of the victims of the previous fatal crashes and their lawyers on May 31 to discuss their decision, according to correspondence Reuters reviewed.

"This is an important first step towards holding Boeing accountable for the deaths of 346 passengers and crew on the two flights," Paul Cassell, a lawyer representing victims' family members, told Reuters. "But now the Justice Department needs to move this prosecution forward, vigorously and effectively towards a conviction."

Erin Applebaum, another lawyer for victims' family members, told Reuters that she and her clients were "pleased that DOJ has chosen to do the right thing" and hoped a prosecution would follow.

NEXT STEPS

In January 2021, Boeing agreed to pay $2.5 billion to resolve a criminal investigation into the company's conduct surrounding the previous fatal crashes. The company agreed to compensate victims' relatives and overhaul its compliance practices as part of the deal with prosecutors.

The agreement gives U.S. officials six months from the deal's Jan. 7 expiration to decide whether to prosecute Boeing on a charge that the company conspired to defraud the Federal Aviation Administration or pursue other alternatives to dismissing the case.

Prosecutors can extend the 2021 settlement for another year or push for oversight by a court-appointed monitor, a costly change from the 2021 agreement where Boeing was allowed to oversee its own changes to its practices.

The Justice Department could also attempt to hit the planemaker with additional fines or push the company to plead guilty, an outcome that could affect Boeing's ability to secure government contracts, according to a Reuters review of prosecutors' actions following findings that companies violated other similar agreements.

Breaches of such agreements deferring prosecution are rare. But the Justice Department under President Joe Biden has ratcheted up scrutiny on repeat corporate wrongdoers and has penalized companies that violate these deals.

Just over a year ago, Sweden's Ericsson agreed to pay a hefty fine and plead guilty after violating its own 2019 deal with prosecutors.

(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington and Mike Spector in New York; Additional reporting by Chris Prentice in New York. Editing by Leslie Adler, David Gregorio and Sonali Paul)
US Secretary of State arrives in Kyiv to send strong message of reassurance to Ukrainians  Reuters

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Kyiv by train on Tuesday morning.

Source: Reuters

Details: This is the first visit by a senior US official to Ukraine since Congress passed a long-awaited US$61 billion military aid package for Ukraine last month.

The visit is intended to demonstrate US solidarity with Ukraine as it tries to repel massive Russian bombardment on its north-eastern border.

Blinken hopes to "send a strong signal of reassurance to the Ukrainians who are obviously in a very difficult moment," said a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity to reporters travelling with Blinken.

Quote from the official: "The Secretary's mission here is really to talk about how our supplemental assistance is going to be executed in a fashion to help shore up their defences (and) enable them to increasingly take back the initiative on the battlefield."

More details: Artillery, long-range missiles and air defence missiles approved by President Joe Biden on 24 April are on their way to Ukrainian forces, an official says.

Blinken will reassure Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, of continued US support and deliver a speech focused on Ukraine's future, the official said.

Background:

Politico reported that Blinken would be travelling to Kyiv this week. The exact itinerary was not known to the publication, but one source said that Kyiv's roads would be closed by security forces for some time on Tuesday and Wednesday.

On Sunday, Blinken commented on the Russian offensive in Kharkiv Oblast. He said that there was no doubt that the months-long delay in approving additional funding and sending weapons to Ukraine from the US "had a cost".

Earlier, the White House said that Russian forces would continue to advance in their new offensive in northern Kharkiv Oblast but did not expect "major breakthroughs".

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Every year, the Cannes Film Festival faces a handful of controversies, wades into various messes, has unexpected problems explode in its face... and also becomes a place where films are screened, bought and sold. For almost all non-film-related issues, Thierry Fremaux, the general delegate  a CEO of sorts  of the most important film competition in the world, invariably responds: Lets let the films speak.

The 77th edition of the festival opens on Tuesday, when there will be an honorary Palme dOr for Meryl Streep; the list of winners is to be revealed on May 25. At a meeting with the media on Monday, Fremaux said: Last year, as you know, we had some controversies, and we were aware of it, so this year we decided to organize a festival without any controversies to make sure that the main interest for all of us remains the cinema. So if there are other controversies, they do not concern us. He did not go into details of what he would do if pro-Palestinian demonstrations were to take place. Asked about the possibility of more media reports about sexual abuse in the French movie industry, he said: Our selection work is driven by artistic criteria and not by concerns about #MeToo or other scandals. Its about the movies and whether or not they deserve, aesthetically or artistically, to be there. There is no ideology that guides the selection committee.

The debate arises after weeks of whispered rumors about the possibility that a media outlet would soon be publishing a major investigation into sexual abuse in Frances audiovisual sector. Last week, in statements to Paris Match, the president of the Cannes festival, Iris Knobloch, said that when the accusations emerged they would be studied case by case. Mediapart has denied that they are about to publish anything on this matter, and Le Figaro warned that the festival has hired a public relations firm to advise it if the storm hits.

The actress Judith Godreche, during her speech at the last Cesar awards ceremony. BENOIT TESSIER (REUTERS)

That this problem exists in French cinema has been evidenced in recent months: the president of the National Film Board (CNC) will be tried in June for alleged sexual abuse against his godson; the actor Gerard Depardieu faces another trial over accusations of sexual assault, and the actress Judith Godreche has managed to get the French Assembly to create a committee to investigate the alleged attacks in the film industry after first denouncing two directors, Jacques Doillon and Benoit Jacquot, of raping her as a teenager. Godreche delivered a powerful speech at the last edition of the Cesars, the French Oscars. Godreches directorial work will be shown at Cannes on Wednesday, at the opening of the Un Certain Regard section. Titled Moi Aussi (Me Too), the 17-minute short film was shot in one day and built on the more than 6,000 testimonies received from other victims since the moment when the filmmaker went public with her personal experience.

Last weekend the mayor of Cannes, David Lisnard, wrote an article in which he compared the #MeToo revelations with the investigations of the Stasi, the police of the former German Democratic Republic. The difference is that some acted in the name of a government with clear objectives, while the current inquisitors do so in the name of popular pressure. From a vertical dictatorship, we have ended up in a horizontal tyranny, he said in LOpinion. The festival chief declined to comment on that statement, although he did remark on whether the #MeToo movement will leave its mark on films: We will talk about this in five years. It may not be there anymore, but will there be self-censorship by artists? Will what is happening today, with new social relations and relations between women and men in the world, stimulate new types of stories?

As an example of the different time frames that exist between cinema and current affairs, Fremaux highlighted La belle de Gaza, by Yolande Zauberman, which despite its title has nothing to do with Israels invasion of the Gaza Strip, confirms Fremaux: It is a documentary about a young trans Palestinian who flees from Gaza to Tel Aviv. The festival, however, will continue to support Ukraine against the Russian attack, as confirmed by the screening of the documentary The Invasion, by Sergey Loznitsa, or the struggle of Iranian filmmakers against the dictatorship that rules their country and is persecuting its creators.

Rasoulof's probable trip to Cannes

The competition, in which 22 films will be screened  like last year, with few female directors and many veterans of auteur cinema  will end in 11 days with The Seed of the Sacred Fig Tree, by Mohammad Rasoulof, who a week ago was sentenced to eight years in prison, flogging and the confiscation of his property for the crime of collusion with the intention of committing crimes against national security. On Monday, the filmmaker released a statement from an undisclosed location in Europe, declaring: With a heavy heart, I have chosen exile. The Islamic Republic confiscated my passport in September 2017. Therefore, I had to leave Iran secretly.

And after pressure from the Iranian government to withdraw his new work from the Cannes competition, he decided to go into exile: I knew that my new film would increase my sentence. I didnt have much time to make a decision, and had to choose between going to jail or leaving Iran. It has not yet been confirmed that Rasoulof will defend his film at La Croisette, but his presence now seems likely.

Installation of the red carpet in Cannes, Monday afternoon. Clodagh Kilcoyne (REUTERS)

The festival director also has to contend with the demands of a workers group called Sous les ecrans la deche, which is independent from the unions and has threatened to go on strike if the event does not meet its demands for salary increases and improvements in unemployment benefits. Their work at Cannes and other film events typically involves short-term contracts of just a few weeks, and they are not covered by Frances unemployment insurance program.

Around 600 people have been hired to work at an event with 35,000 accredited visitors who make up the festival and the market that takes place simultaneously. In addition, 500 members of different security forces are patrolling and monitoring the event.

Greta Gerwig, president of the jury, signs autographs at the entrance of the Martinez hotel on Monday afternoon in Cannes. Yara Nardi (REUTERS)

The Olympic torch will be on the famous red carpet on Tuesday, May 21, to accompany the premiere of the documentary Olympiques! La France des Jeux, as a warm-up for the Paris Olympic Games, which open on July 26. This year the president of the jury is Greta Gerwig, who directed last summers hit movie Barbie (which Cannes had meant to schedule but which was not ready for May 2023). Cannes will also screen Francis Ford Coppolas Megalopolis for the first time, a film that the festival had struggled to program. Other high-profile screenings include Yorgos Lanthimos Kinds of Kindness, starring Emma Stone and Willem Dafoe.

Cinema reflects history, but you have to understand it as an art form, you dont have to go beyond that, said Fremaux, citing as an example The Apprentice, by Ali Abbasi, about Donald Trumps first steps as a real estate shark, which is premiering in an election year in the U.S. with Trump as the presumptive Republican nominee. In Cannes, politics should remain on the screen. When we gave the Palme dOr to Michael Moore for Fahrenheit 9/11, did that have an impact on George W. Bushs re-election? No.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) shakes hands with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken before their meeting in Kiev. -/Ukrainian Presidency/dpa

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived unannounced on Tuesday for a visit to the Ukrainian capital Kiev.

"Blinken arrived in Ukraine today to meet with senior Ukrainian officials and highlight the United States enduring support for Ukraine," US Department of State spokesman Matthew Miller said.

While in Ukraine, Blinken will meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to "discuss battlefield updates, the impact of new U.S. security and economic assistance, long-term security and other commitments, and ongoing work to bolster Ukraines economic recovery," Miller continued.

Blinken "will emphasize America's commitment to Ukraines sovereignty, territorial integrity, and democracy in the face of Russias ongoing aggression," Miller added.

This is Blinken's fourth visit to Kiev since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, as Kiev is currently facing a new offensive in the north-east of the country.

Last week, the US government announced a further package of military aid for Kiev totalling around $400 million, including ammunition for the Patriot air defence system, additional HIMARS multiple rocket launchers with ammunition as well as Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and artillery ammunition in 155 and 105-millimetre calibres.

At the end of April, after months of domestic political deadlock, the US Congress approved billions in aid for Ukraine, which has been invaded by Russia - thus clearing the way for new arms deliveries. The bill provides for aid totalling almost $61 billion for Kiev.
US Secretary of State Blinken urged Ukraine not to become like Russia

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has stressed that Ukraine needs not only to defeat Russia, but also to overcome corruption within the country in order to avoid "becoming like Russia."

Source: Blinken in a speech at the Ihor Sikorskyi Kyiv Polytechnic Institute during his visit to the Ukrainian capital on 14 May, European Pravda reports

Details: Blinken called on the Ukrainian authorities to continue the reforms so that they are not only adopted, but also implemented and have a tangible impact on people's lives.

Quote: "It means rooting out the scourge of corruption once and for all. Winning on the battlefield will prevent Ukraine from becoming part of Russia. Winning the war against corruption will keep Ukraine from becoming like Russia," US Secretary of State stressed.

In particular, he stressed that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is trying to use corruption to sow discord in Ukraine, and despite notable achievements in the fight against it, "eight in ten Ukrainians still believe that there's one set of law for the elites and another for everyone else."

"Ukraine's defences against corruption have to be just as strong as its military defences," Blinken added, citing independent courts, free media, anti-corruption infrastructure and free and fair elections as examples of such defences.

During his speech, the US Secretary of State also revealed the details of a future bilateral security agreement with Ukraine.

Background: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken began his visit to Ukraine on Tuesday, 14 May. During it, he is scheduled to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

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US State Department does not expect major breakthroughs by Russians in Kharkiv Oblast

Russians are trying to move forward in Kharkiv Oblast. Screenshot: The DeepStateMap map.live

The US State Department predicts that the Russian occupation forces, which are currently trying to advance in Kharkiv Oblast, will not be able to achieve major gains in this area.

Source: European Pravda with reference to a press briefing by Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesperson for the US State Department.

Details: Vedant Patel says the US expects that the Russians will try to move forward in Kharkiv Oblast over the next few weeks and may achieve some, but not significant, success.

Quote from Patel: "But we do not anticipate any major breakthroughs, and over time, the additional influx of US assistance and continued support from partners will enable Ukraine to continue to withstand this kind of aggression."

He stressed that the US is convinced that Ukraine retains a key advantage in this struggle, and its military is causing significant losses to the Russian occupation army.

Background:

Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed confidence that Ukraine is capable of holding the contact line in Kharkiv Oblast.

UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron believes that the Russian offensive in Kharkiv Oblast is "an extremely dangerous moment".

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FILE PHOTO: The seal of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is seen in their office in Manhattan, New York City

By Daniel Wiessner

(Reuters) - A group of Republican-led U.S. states filed a lawsuit seeking to block the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from enforcing broad legal protections for transgender workers.

The 18 states filed the complaint in federal court in Knoxville, Tennessee, late Monday. They said the federal workplace bias agency lacked the power to assert that federal law requires employers to use transgender workers' preferred pronouns and allow them to use bathrooms that match their gender identity.

The commission last month updated its guidance on workplace harassment for the first time in 25 years, including positions that reflect a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that said discriminating against gay and transgender workers is a form of unlawful sex bias.

The EEOC in the guidance said denying accommodations to transgender workers amounts to workplace harassment based on sex.

But the states in their lawsuit said federal law is much narrower, protecting workers from being fired because they are transgender but not requiring employers to take affirmative steps to accommodate them.

"EEOC has no authority to resolve these highly controversial and localized issues, which are properly reserved for Congress and the states," they said.

A spokesman for the commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Guidance is meant to direct the enforcement activities of EEOC staff, who investigate worker complaints and can broker settlements or file lawsuits against employers, and is not legally binding. Agencies have argued in past cases that enforcement guidance cannot be reviewed in court.

But the states in Monday's lawsuit said the commission's guidance marks a significant change in the agency's reading of federal law and will force some employers to change practices to avoid EEOC complaints and lawsuits by workers.

The states also claim that the guidance is invalid because the commission's structure as an independent agency violates the U.S. Constitution. They say that the U.S. president, who appoints the EEOC's five commissioners, should be able to remove them at will.

A mostly identical group of states also made those claims in a lawsuit filed last month challenging an EEOC rule that gives workers who have abortions the same legal protections as those who are pregnant or recently gave birth.

Monday's lawsuit is led by Tennessee and joined by Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, and Virginia, among other states.

(Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Michael Erman)
An Israeli tank is pictured near the Israeli-Gaza border (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The United States is still working to get Israel to embrace a two-state solution despite the personal opposition of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and much of his far-right coalition government, the State Department said on Tuesday.

Spokesman Vedant Patel reiterated the USs position at the agencys daily press briefing and pushed back on assertions that such conversations had taken a back seat amid the USs support for Israels military assault on Gaza.

Its something we remain deeply focused on, Patel told reporters, stating that a two-state solution remains a goal of the secretarys, and a goal of the presidents.

Patel went on to say that Secretary of State Antony Blinkens planned trip to the region ahead of October 7 had been centered around the idea of furthering the normalization of relations between Israel and nearby Arab nations. Patel explained that the Biden administration had hoped that normalization would be coupled with the achievement of a two-state solution resulting in the formation of a recognised Palestinian state and serious progress for the Palestinian people.

Obviously, the brutal terrorist attack by Hamas on the Israeli people derailed some of those efforts in the immediate term, he added. But that is something we continue to remain focused on.

Benjamin Netanyahu and his government have shown no signs of embracing such a political solution to the conflict, instead showing overt hostility to the idea. Just days ago, Israels ambassador to the United Nations mockingly shredded a copy of the United Nations charter before a gathering of the General Assembly as the body considered a vote on full membership for the Palestinian people.

Netanyahu himself directly rejected the idea of a two-state solution in January, stating that he would accept nothing short of full Israeli security control in all lands west of Jordan, which neighbors Israel to the east.

[T]his is contrary to a Palestinian state, Netanyahu affirmed in the statement, which was posted to Twitter.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in May that the president remains committed to a two-state solution, and called it the only viable path forward for Israels security.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant meets with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Kerem Shalom border crossing in southern Israel (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

"Look, ultimately, it is the only way to ensure Israel's future as a Jewish and democratic state and, of course, the only way to give the Palestinians the state to which they're entitled," said the secretary on ABCs This Week. "That's where we have to go.

Israels military assault on Gaza has claimed more than 35,000 lives, according to estimates from international health agencies.

Hamas militants killed more than 1,100 Israelis including hundreds of security force members in an October 7, 2023 attack which provoked the hostilities last year.

President Joe Biden and his administration continue to face criticism for the USs role in the conflict, from both sides of the aisle. Conservatives  both in the Republican Party and Mr Bidens own  continue to insist that Israel has the right to fight a war against Hamas on its own terms, and say that calls for the consideration of Gazas civilian populations or criticism of Israels actions amount to a betrayal of a US ally.

Progressives and other opponents of that view argue instead that the US is complicit in a slaughter, and possibly an outright genocide. US officials have strongly pushed back on that notion, arguing that Israel is not targeting civilians or attempting to ethnically cleanse the population of Gaza. As the civilian death toll climbs staggeringly high and Israel appears to be on the brink of a major military operation into Rafah, where more than a million refugees have fled the fighting, the president is facing more pressure from his left to halt US weapon and munitions transfers to the Israeli government.

The US also remains under fire over allegations that it is slow-walking or compromising its official review process designed to determine whether recipients of US military assistance are committing war crimes as the assault on Gaza progresses.
US is way stingier with maternity leave and child care than the rest of the world

Around the world, most employed women automatically get paid maternity leave. And in most wealthy countries, they also have access to affordable child care. (Getty Images)

The Conversation

In most American families led by couples, both parents are in the workforce. Almost three-quarters of American mothers with children under 18 work. At the same time, nearly 1 in 4 U.S. children are being raised by single moms.

Yet child care is generally unaffordable, and paid leave is not available to most U.S. parents.

Around the world, however, most employed women automatically get paid maternity leave. And in most wealthy countries, they also have access to affordable child care.

These holes in the U.S. safety net are a problem for many reasons, including one Ive been researching with my colleagues for years: Paid parental leave and child care help women stay in the workforce and earn higher wages over time. This lack of parental leave and child care may explain why the U.S. is no longer a leader in womens workforce participation.

Maternity leave

The U.S. is one of a handful of countries worldwide that doesnt mandate paid maternity leave. The others are Papua New Guinea and some small Pacific island nations.

Paid maternity leave, which typically lasts at least three months, needs to be designed thoughtfully. When women can and do take 15 months or more off after having a baby, as they may in a few countries, long leaves can limit mothers work experience and lead to discrimination.

The 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act did mandate 12 weeks of unpaid leave with the ability to return to their job afterward for some American workers. Yet most families cant forgo the income that moms bring home.

Denmark offers what I think is a strong example of a national policy.

There, moms get almost 22 weeks of paid maternity leave and dads get two weeks of paid paternity leave. On top of that, mothers can take another 19 weeks and fathers can take another 11 weeks of paid parental leave. This policy, which includes additional flexibility, grants parents both the time and resources necessary to care for children, without mommy tracking mothers.

Child care

In many wealthy countries, child care and preschool are considered a mainstay of the educational system. But in the U.S., only about two-thirds of all children between the ages of 3 and 6 are getting publicly supported child care of any kind, including kindergarten, versus nearly all of the kids that age in France.

High-quality early childhood education programs are associated with many excellent outcomes for children from lower-income families, including higher rates of educational attainment, employment and wages.

In other words, when governments invest in child care and maternity leave, it fosters a more productive, healthy and creative workforce.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The post US is way stingier with maternity leave and child care than the rest of the world appeared first on New Hampshire Bulletin.
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON)  Students at the University of San Francisco protesting the war in Gaza are holding a rally Tuesday after a deadline to vacate their encampment or face potential sanctions has passed. In a letter posted to the USF website addressed to Member of the Peoples University of Palestine, school administrators set a 3 p.m. deadline for students to vacate the encampment.

Students who voluntarily vacate the encampment at Welch Field by 3 p.m. will face no code of conduct repercussions for those who violated time, place, and manner restrictions, the letter states. However, for students who do not vacate the field by 3 p.m., there will be no amnesty and the code of conduct process for time, place, and manner violations will commence immediately, the letter continues.

Vehicles at Tesla factory in Fremont targeted in tire slashings

However, according to KRON4s Rob Nesbitt reporting at the scene, that deadline has passed and the student protesters remain on Welch Field.

Student protestors at USF are remaining on Welch Field, even after the 3pm deadline they were given by the university to clear the tent encampment. They are holding a rally now. @kron4news pic.twitter.com/4bv8R0peAn  Rob Nesbitt (@RobNesbittNews) May 14, 2024

The letter, which was also distributed to the broader faculty, staff and student community, cites incidents in which Jewish and Israeli members of the community, students, faculty, librarians, and staff, have experienced hateful speech, harassment and fear on campus.

The USF administration also reiterated its call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

However, a statement from students occupying Welch Field said a meeting between organizers and the administration went badly.

The administration sent an email in support of Israeli students, and was silent on the reports of harassment, filed by Palestinian students, a statement read. Rather than vacate the encampment, student organizers plan to hold a rally at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.

KRON4 reached out to USF directly for comment and received the following statement:

The university is continuing to prioritize communication, dialogue, and de-escalation with the protesters. Our conversations have been shaped by the expectation that protesters recognize the need to balance free expression with safety and respectful dialogue. We remain committed to continued dialogue and have not cut off conversation. The 3 p.m. May 14 deadline in which we asked students to voluntarily vacate Welch Field in exchange for amnesty refers to an internal disciplinary process led by the USF Office of Student Conduct. There are no plans to clear the encampment or involve law enforcement as long as the encampment is peaceful and nonviolent.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
Utah, the youngest state, is getting older. Heres why that matters

Utah has long been known as the youngest state, but declining fertility rates and an aging adult population means the state is getting older. (Getty Images)

Utah has long been known as the youngest state (with a median age of 32, according to the U.S. Census Bureau), but declining fertility rates and an aging adult population means the state is getting older.

A new report released Monday by the University of Utahs Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute shows Utahs retirement-age population is on track to make up more than 20% of the states population by the year 2060.

Its part of a growing trend that could have wide ranging impacts on many different areas of Utah life, from the housing market to the states labor workforce.

In 1980, less than 8% of Utah residents were over 65, but by 2020, this share increased to nearly 12%, said Mallory Bateman, director of demographic research at the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. Our projections indicate this trend will continue, and the current data shows that different stages of life relate to outcomes in education, economics, housing, and health.

Courtesy of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, University of Utah

Bateman told Utah News Dispatch in an interview Monday that Utahs changing demographics is an issue that Utahns and policymakers will need to come to terms with in coming decades.

We are the youngest state in the nation, (so) weve really focused a lot of our attention on that youth population. But I think we havent really grappled with an aging population in a way that we probably will in the future.

So Bateman said she hopes the data will help inform policymakers and others as they make decisions about what Utahs future will hold, and start thinking about the whole life span in their planning, and considerations for community needs.

Housing

The report notes that as Utahns age they become more likely to own their homes, with homeownership rates increasing from nearly 19% for Utahns that fall into the 15 to 24 age group to 86.4% for the 65 to 75 age group.

However, homeownership rates decline slightly in the 75 to 84 and 85 and older age groups, the report notes, as more Utahns move out of their homes and into rental units, which includes some retirement and assisted living communities.

Additionally, as Utahns age, their ability to pay for their housing can change and become more difficult.

Nearly 6 of 10 Utah renters age 65 and older are cost burdened, with most householders spending more than 35% of their income on housing costs, the report states.

Thats compared to cost-burdened rates of nearly 41% of Utah rental households led by someone between the ages of 25 and 34 and 42% of households led by someone between the ages of 35 and 64.

Courtesy of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, University of Utah

As Utahs retirement-aged population grows, so will the number of people in the state on fixed incomes, Batemen said.

While many older Utahns own their homes, they might not face the same challenges as renters on fixed incomes  who would be more vulnerable to rent rate increases. However, retirement-aged homeowners could also face other challenges, like rising property taxes or other housing cost fluctuations.

Bateman pointed to a recent New York Times article titled Aging In Place, or Stuck in Place? which lays out the challenges aging homeowners can face.

The story notes the proportion of older adults with mortgage debt has been rising for decades. And as housing prices continue to climb amid a nationwide housing shortage, older Americans are struggling to downsize from their large homes into smaller, easier to access and maintain homes. Thats in large part because a dearth of suitable, affordable homes for older adults makes downsizing challenging even for those with considerable housing wealth, the article states.

As Utahs population ages, policymakers will likely want to consider if the state has enough affordable, retirement-friendly homes  whether theyre rented or owned. Its already a challenging issue given Utahs housing shortage has been keeping prices stubbornly high.

Bateman added another challenge to consider is whether aging Utahns are able to stay in the community theyve lived  or if theyll be forced to move away to afford housing in retirement.

Theres a lot of different considerations, she said.

Economy

Utahns, in general, become financially stable throughout their lives until they hit retirement. Then incomes drop and poverty rates increase, the report says.

Utahns under age 25 earn a median income of just over $43,500, which increases to just over $83,500 in the 25 to 44 age group and then peaks at $99,000 in the 45 to 64 age group, the report states. Median income falls to just under $60,000 in the retirement years.

Meanwhile, poverty rates peak for Utahns in their young adult years and decline before plateauing in the middle-age years and then rising slightly after age 75, the report states.

As for the labor force, predictably employment rates drop as Utahns reach retirement age, though work patterns differ between men and women.

Courtesy of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, University of Utah

For Utah men, the labor force participation rate peaks in the 35 to 44 age group at 92.8%, though rates exceed 90% from age 25 to 54, the report states. Two-thirds of Utah men are still working in the 62 to 64 age group, but in the 65 to 69 age group, labor participation rates drop to 43.7%, signaling a shift to retirement.

For women, employment rates peak at 82% in the 22 to 24 age group. In the 25 to 29 age group, rates drop to 76.7% and then fluctuate in the 60% to 80% range until age 55, when rates begin to steadily decline towards retirement, according to the report.

Currently, Utah enjoys a low unemployment rate, at about 2.8%. But as Utahs population ages, there may not be enough young people to fill jobs  and the state may need to adapt.

Policymakers need to consider what does (Utahs) workforce look like going into the future? Bateman said, noting nationally the U.S. is seeing fewer people to fill all the jobs that were created by the baby boom. So how do you deal with those shifts, in staffing, and thinking about jobs and what people need?

Bateman said Utah is experiencing this a bit behind the rest of the U.S.  so we can also look to other states and other countries to see how theyve dealt with these changing demographics.

She pointed to Vermont, one of the oldest states. As its population ages and fewer young people entering the workforce, its become more difficult to replace retiring workers. That can create challenges for the states overall growth and economic competitiveness.

Some states, Bateman said, have created programs to try to entice working-age adults to move to those communities to kind of reinvigorate the community and the economy in a new way, she said.

Medicare and Social Security

Another issue could have a huge impact on aging Utahns  and aging Americans more broadly.

Officials have warned that federal policy changes are needed to prevent Medicare and Social Security programs from becoming unable to pay full benefits to retiring Americans. Social Security trust funds will be unable to pay full benefits beginning in 2035, only able to pay 83% of benefits, according to the annual Social Security and Medicare trustees report earlier this month.

Medicares go-broke date, the Associated Press reported, is now estimated to be in 2036. Once the Medicare funds reserves are depleted, its projected to only be able to cover 89% of costs for patients hospital visits, hospice care and nursing home stays or home health care.

Though its an issue that requires federal action, Bateman said Utah policymakers should also keep challenges with Social Security and Medicare in mind as they think about Utahs aging population.

Any program that interacts with that population 60 and older, 65 and older, is going to have a lot of changes (in the future), she said. So having a thoughtful eye when thinking about any of those programs is probably a smart approach.

The post Utah, the youngest state, is getting older. Heres why that matters appeared first on Utah News Dispatch.
While statistics say crime is down in the city of Utica, Chief Mark Williams says it's a matter of perception and that the department is more relied on than ever.

While the five-year average still has outliers due to COVID-19 lockdowns, the overall crime index decreased significantly between the Five-Year-Average, 2022, and 2023.

Were one of the few agencies in Oneida County that started and continues to have a crisis response team, Utica Police Chief Mark Williams said. We have a police officer specially trained in crisis intervention working hand-in-hand with a mental health clinician.

Over the last five years, the department has averaged 2,149.8 calls for assistance. In 2022, there were 2,625 calls for assistance, and in 2023, there were 2,121 calls for assistance.

And while the department has been working to address crime in the city, Williams said that law enforcement has been impacted by legislation enacted in recent years.

Chief among them are bail reform, Raise the Age, and changes to how discovery is handled. But Williams said he wasnt against changes; they were just enacted poorly.

When these laws were enacted, legislators never spoke with district attorneys or law enforcement, Williams said. And were seeing a lot of controversy around it, especially bail reform and some of the loopholes that get violent offenders out.

Reforms

People began calling for bail reform after Kalief Browder, a Bronx native, was held for three years from 2010 to 2013 pre-trial on $3,000 bail. He was accused of stealing a backpack, but the charges were dropped due to a lack of evidence. Browder was 16 when he was arrested and took his life in 2015. He was 22.

Sweeping changes came to bail across the state, going into effect in 2020, eliminating pre-trial detention for misdemeanors and most non-violent felonies.

Williams said while he can understand the reactions by lawmakers to cases like Browders, cases where individuals are held for long periods of time are endemic to downstate but not in upstate New York.

We dont have the volume of crime that they do, Williams said. The law is supposed to be one-size-fits-all, and now were being punished for the justice system downstate, and its created loopholes for violent offenders.

Lt. Michael Curley, public information officer at the Utica Police Department, said that judges dont have discretion when setting bail, even if the person may be a danger to the community.

If youre alleged to have committed a violent crime that is not part of the 13 major crimes that are bail eligible, I think its an issue that persons released, Curley said.

Just recently, a number of Long Island Senate and Assembly Republicans came together to put forth legislation to make the crime of body dismemberment/concealment of a human corpse a bail-eligible class E felony. This was in response to a case in Babylon after body parts were discovered in a recreational park and several other locations, including a local neighborhood.

According to Senate Republicans, the suspects in the case charged with dismemberment/concealment of a human corpse were released under bail reform.

First to the Scene

The job of the police officer has changed over the years, according to Williams.

Were one of the few agencies in Oneida County that started and continues to have a crisis response team, Williams said. We have a police officer specially trained in crisis intervention working hand-in-hand with a mental health clinician.

In 2022, the Utica Police Department received 1,200 calls about mental health issues, and in 2023, that number increased to 1,400.

Williams said the main problem is that many social issues are becoming police issues as there continues to be a lack of support from the state and federal governments.

Were the default response, he said. We heard during police reform that officers shouldnt be responding to mental health calls. Id be glad to take it off our plate, but whos going to handle the calls? Especially when there are threats of weapons and violence involved.

In addition to training at the police academy, Williams said the police are receiving cross-training in crisis response so they have the correct tools when handling mental health calls. The officer on the Crisis Response Team is being joined this year by two new Mobile Crisis Assessment team members  and a sheepadoodle named Penny, whos a trained therapy dog to help children in crisis.

And, while gun violence is always at the forefront of concerns for the Utica Police Department, Williams said that issues that shouldnt be police issues are taking up more time and resources.

Mental health, homelessness, and substance abuse, he said. These were never meant to be primarily responded to by police. But because were the most visible and available, weve become the default response. In my opinion, I think police are being overused because other agencies that should be addressing this are failing.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Utica Chief Williams discusses police and role in mental health
UW project a finalist for NASAs next generation of Earth-observing satellites

On May 7, NASA announced that the University of Washington (UW) was one of four proposals selected that will help them better understand Earth.

The proposals represent another example of NASAs holistic approach to studying our home planet, Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington said.

The UW will receive $5 million from NASA to support their project and complete a one-year concept study.

Known as STRIVE or the Stratosphere Troposphere Response using Infrared Vertically-resolved light Explorer is designed to be a better prediction tool for natural disaster events.

Lyatt Jaegle, professor of atmospheric sciences at the UW, is the principal investigator of STRIVE.

If selected as a finalist, the UWs project is expected to be launched in 2030 or 2032.

NASA is setting the budget for the mission at $310 million, not including the rocket or space access.

Details about STRIVE can be read at washington.edu.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy greets U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken prior to their meeting in Kyiv on May 14, 2024.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that American military aid on its way to Ukraine will make a real difference on the battlefield, as the top diplomat made an unannounced visit to reassure an ally facing a fierce new Russian offensive.

In increasingly intense attacks along the northeastern border in recent days, Moscows troops have captured around 100 to 125 square kilometers (about 40 to 50 square miles) of territory that includes at least seven villages, according to open source monitoring analysts. Though most of those villages were already depopulated, thousands of civilians in the area have fled the fighting.

Analysts have called this moment one of the most dangerous for Ukraine since Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022  and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy asked Tuesday for more air defense systems to protect civilians under Russian fire in the northeast.

We know this is a challenging time, Blinken said in the Ukrainian capital where he met with Zelenskiy. But he added that American military aid is going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield.

The visit comes less than a month after Congress approved a long-delayed foreign assistance package that sets aside $60 billion in aid for Ukraine, much of which will go toward replenishing badly depleted artillery and air defense systems.

Some of that is now on the way, Blinken said, and some has already arrived in Ukraine.

Moscows renewed offensive in the northeastern region of Kharkiv is the most significant border incursion since the early days of the war. More than 7,500 civilians have been evacuated from the area, according to authorities.

The Kremlins forces are now expanding their push to the northern border regions of Sumi and Chernihiv, Ukrainian officials say, and repeated shelling and sabotage raids there are further stretching Kyivs resources.

Zelenskiy thanked Blinken for the aid  but added that more is necessary, including two Patriot air defense systems that are urgently needed to protect Kharkiv.

The people are under attack: civilians, warriors, everybody. Theyre under Russian missiles, he said.

Artillery, air defense interceptors and long-range ballistic missiles have already been delivered, some of them already to the front lines, said a senior U.S. official traveling with the secretary on an overnight train from Poland who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity ahead of Blinkens meetings.

On his fourth trip to Kyiv since Russian troops rolled over the border, Blinkens goal is to underscore the Biden administrations commitment to Ukraines defense and long-term security, U.S. officials said. They noted that since President Joe Biden signed the aid package late last month, the administration has already announced $1.4 billion in short-term military assistance and $6 billion in longer-term support.

In a statement released after Blinkens arrival, the State Department said he would hold talks with Zelenskiy and other top Ukrainian officials to discuss battlefield updates, the impact of new U.S. security and economic assistance, long-term security and other commitments, and ongoing work to bolster Ukraines economic recovery.

Delays in U.S. assistance, particularly since the Israel-Hamas war began, has preoccupied top administration officials, triggering deep concerns in Kyiv and Europe. Blinken, for example, has visited the Middle East seven times since the Gaza conflict began in October. His last trip to Kyiv was in September.

The U.S. official added that Blinken also would give a speech later Tuesday extolling Ukraines strategic successes in the war. It is intended to complement a Blinken address last year in Helsinki, Finland, deriding Russian President Vladimir Putin for Moscows strategic failures in launching the war.

Since the Helsinki speech, however, Russia has intensified its attacks, most noticeably as the U.S. House of Representatives sat on the aid package for months without action, forcing a suspension in the provision of most U.S. assistance. Those attacks have increased in recent weeks as Russia has sought to take advantage of Ukrainian shortages in manpower and weapons while the new assistance is in transit.

Top Biden administration officials and Ukrainian national security officials held a call Monday about the situation on the front, about the capabilities that they are most in need of, and a real triage effort to say, Get us this stuff this fast so that we can be in a position to effectively defend against the Russian onslaught, said national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

The administration is trying to really accelerate the tempo of U.S. weapon shipments, he said.

Zelenskiy said over the weekend that fierce battles are taking place near the border in eastern and northeastern Ukraine as outgunned and outnumbered Ukrainian soldiers try to push back a significant Russian ground offensive.

The new Russian push in the northeastern Kharkiv region and a drive into the eastern Donetsk region come after months when the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line barely budged. In the meantime, both sides have used long-range strikes in what largely became a war of attrition.

The senior U.S. official said despite some recent setbacks, Ukraine could still claim significant victories. Those include reclaiming some 50% of the territory Russian forces took in the early months of the war, boosting its economic standing and improving transportation and trade links, not least through military successes in the Black Sea.

The official acknowledged that Ukraine faces a tough fight and is under tremendous pressure but argued that Ukrainians will become increasingly more confident as the new U.S. and other Western assistance begins to arrive.

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Rebeca Garcia, who Spanish media have nicknamed the 'Venezuelan Baby Reindeer' after allegations of stalking went viral

Spanish police have arrested a Venezuelan woman and her brother accused of stalking dozens of women in her home country in a case echoing the Netflix hit series Baby Reindeer.

Rebeca Garcia, 33, and her brother, Francisco, were detained in a supermarket in Madrid on Monday after being recognised by other Venezuelan citizens a week after her case went viral in South America.

Her alleged stalking emerged after the autobiographical Netflix series  written by and starring Scottish actor Richard Gadd  prompted several women in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital, to post about their own traumatic experiences.

They allege that Ms Garcia had become obsessed with them, following them in the street, contacting them repeatedly, and behaving in bizarre and threatening ways, but the police refused to take their claims seriously because of the perpetrators gender.

Spanish media have nicknamed her the Venezuelan Baby Reindeer.

One alleged victim, Claudia Aguirrezabal, accused Ms Garcia of writing her a sexually-explicit book of more than 500 pages and, on another occasion, breaking into her apartment block and sending her a message saying: The killer is inside the house.

I am going to kill them

In another email, Ms Aguirrezabal claimed on Instagram, Ms Garcia had threatened her friends, writing: If somebody is touching you, I am going to kill them as that is disrespectful to us and our relationship.

She added that although she went to the same school as Ms Garcia they were five years apart and the pair did not actually know each other.

Ms Aguirrezabal is one of several women who have been complaining to the police in Caracas about Ms Garcia since at least 2019. But they were ignored, they say, based on the sexist fallacy that women do not stalk other women.

But the official response changed overnight last week after the social media allegations from multiple women against Ms Garcia went viral. That prompted Venezuelas attorney general Tarek William Saab to request her extradition from Spain.

Meanwhile, local police in Caracas raided the house she shared with her brother, Mr Saab said.

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Bjoern Hoecke, co-leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the eastern federal state of Thuringia, waits for a session of his trial over the alleged use of Nazi phrases, at the regional court in Halle, Germany, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Ronny Hartmann/Pool Photo via AP)

HALLE, Germany (AP)  A court ruled on Tuesday that one of the best-known figures in the far-right Alternative for Germany party knowingly used a Nazi slogan in a speech and ordered him to pay a fine.

The verdict in Bjorn Hockes trial comes months before a regional election in the eastern state of Thuringia in which he plans to run for the governors job.

The state court in the eastern city of Halle convicted Hocke of using symbols of a former Nazi organization. It imposed a fine totaling 13,000 euros (about $14,000).

The charge can carry a maximum sentence of three years in prison. Prosecutors had sought a six-month suspended sentence, while defense lawyers argued for acquittal.

The case centered on a speech in Merseburg in May 2021 in which Hocke used the phrase Everything for Germany! Prosecutors contended he was aware of its origin as a slogan of the Nazis SA stormtroopers, but Hocke has argued that it is an everyday saying.

Court spokesperson Adina Kessler-Jensch said judges were convinced that Hocke was aware the formulation was a banned SA slogan.

Presiding Judge Jan Stengel told Hocke that you are an articulate, intelligent man who knows what he is saying, German news agency dpa reported.

The former history teacher testified at the trial that he is completely innocent and described himself as a law-abiding citizen.

The 52-year-old Hocke is an influential figure on the hard right of Alternative for Germany, or AfD.

He has led the AfDs regional branch in Thuringia since 2013, the year the party was founded, and is due to lead its campaign in a state election set for Sept. 1.

He once called the Holocaust memorial in Berlin a monument of shame and called for Germany to perform a 180-degree turn in how it remembers its past. A party tribunal in 2018 rejected a bid to have him expelled.

Prosecutor Benedikt Bernzen argued in Tuesdays closing arguments that Hocke had used Nazi vocabulary strategically and systematically in the past, dpa reported.

Hocke accused prosecutors of not looking for exonerating circumstances and argued that freedom of opinion is limited in Germany.

Both sides can appeal the verdict. After the trial concluded, Hocke wrote in an English-language post on social network X: If this verdict stands, free speech will be dead in Germany. The ability to dissent is in jeopardy.

Its questionable whether the conviction in the trial, which opened in mid-April, will have any significant political effect on Hockes ambitions. It wont have any direct legal effect on his candidacy.

AfD is particularly strong in Germanys formerly communist east, where Thuringia is located. Its unlikely that any other party will agree to work with Hocke and put him in the governors office, but AfDs strength has made forming governing coalitions in the region very complicated.

The Thuringia branch of AfD is one of three that the domestic intelligence agency has under official surveillance as a proven right-wing extremist group.

On Monday, a court ruled in a separate case that the agency was justified in putting the whole party under observation for suspected extremism. AfD has portrayed the designation as a political attempt to discredit the party and said it will seek to appeal.

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Moulson reported from Berlin.

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Find more of AP's Europe coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/europe
BALTIMORE  All of the vessels that were trapped in the Port of Baltimore when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed have now left their berths.

The last ship in that group departed Monday morning, hours before an explosion that cut apart a section of steel truss draped across the bow of the Dali, officials said at a news conference Monday, which featured former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has Baltimore roots, and Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin, as well as local leaders and cleanup officials.

Alternate channels opened for ships to pass through the Key Bridge site temporarily closed Monday afternoon in advance of the detonation, which took place at 5 p.m., said Coast Guard Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath, who is part of the Key Bridge Response Unified Command.

Since the alternate channels were opened, some 365 commercial vessels have passed through, Gilreath said. The list includes 30 deep-draft vessels, such as container ships, said David OConnell, captain of the port.

The last formerly trapped vessel to leave the port Monday morning was a coal ship, which had some mechanical problems that had to be fixed before it could depart, OConnell said. That ship was among the deepest draft vessels stuck in port, at 47 feet.

Crews have made progress toward reopening the main channel that once carried ships beneath the Key Bridge but filled with wreckage when the collapse took place March 26. They have also recovered the bodies of all six construction workers who perished in the collapse.

So far, the channel has been deepened to 48 feet and widened to 350 feet, Gilreath said. Crews remain on target to reopen that channel by the end of May, when it must be 50 feet deep and 700 feet wide, Gilreath said.

You can see visually and notice the difference over these last seven weeks, Gilreath said. You can see that almost all of the steel truss that was above the waterline across the entire bridge section has now been removed. And thats been great progress.

But first, they must move the Dali, the container ship that struck the bridge nearly 50 days ago, toppling it into the Patapsco River. Mondays detonation is a big step forward. Officials expect that in about two days, they will be able to refloat it and remove it from the area, Gilreath said.

During Mondays news conference, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore spoke about the reasons weather has delayed the explosives operation. Crew members lifted by cranes have cut the holes for the explosives, working about 180 feet in the air, he said.

Gov. Wes Moore points out the risks faced by workers who, perched 180 feet in the air at the Francis Scott Bridge, will be involved in precision cutting to free the channel of wreckage. So when youre looking at wind gusts, when youre looking at wind movements, when youre looking at that height, regardless of the crane infrastructure that we have here  can have significant impacts on their ability to be able to smoothly, and also safely, make the type of cuts that are required and are necessary, in addition to the fear of lightning strikes, he said.

After the detonations aftermath is surveyed and the truss has been removed, the Dali will make its way back to the Seagirt Marine Terminal. Once it arrives, claimants will be able to board the ship for inspections for the first time. Temporary repairs could also take place at Seagirt, but the ship might have to move to a shipyard for further repairs.

As crews on the water work to clear the channel, legislators are working to ensure the federal government pays the full cost of building a new bridge, which transportation officials estimated at up to $1.9 billion. Federal emergency relief funds are already expected to cover 90% of that cost, and a large amount of it is likely to be recouped through litigation and various insurance claims.

Last week, House Appropriations Committee members toured the bridge wreckage as they consider legislation that would cover 100% of the cost.

We need the money today so we dont delay in replacing the bridge that is so important to the artery of the East Coast, Cardin said. Those responsible, and those insurance claims, will help make sure the federal taxpayer gets the relief.

Pelosi, a Baltimore native who now lives in and represents San Francisco, praised local leaders at Mondays news conference for their efforts in response to the collapse.

Thank you for providing a model to the nation on how to deal with a challenge  with speed but not at the sacrifice of safety, she said.

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Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said encampments like this one at Columbia University in New York will not be allowed on Virginia campuses. On a growing number of college campuses throughout the country, student protesters are setting up tent encampments on school grounds to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and for their schools to divest from Israeli companies. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)

The Virginia House of Delegates has formed a select committee on maintaining campus safety and allowing students to exercise their First Amendment rights, after more than 125 arrests at four of Virginias college campuses.

According to Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Richmond, the Senate will announce its plans to form a similar committee on Tuesday.

Ive heard very different scenarios from those who were on the ground and in encampments either as students or as community members that were part of those protests, Hashmi said. I think its important to get a very clear picture of whats happened.

Demonstrators and faculty members have criticized law enforcement and college administrators for their handling of anti-war protests, including using pepper spray to clear encampments. While the majority of the protests in Virginia have called for a cease-fire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas militants and have drawn attention to the deaths of thousands of Israeli and Palestinian citizens, some demonstrators have also claimed that protests have connections to antisemitic activity on campuses, WRIC reports

Hashmi, who serves as chair of the Senate Education and Health Committee, said on Monday she wants a more precise picture of how the protests unfolded after hearing various reports about the demonstrations that have yielded 80 student arrests at the University of Mary Washington, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia over the Israel-Hamas war.

On Saturday, several graduating students walked out at the start of Gov. Glenn Youngkins keynote address at the universitys commencement ceremony after he expressed his support of law enforcements response to campus demonstrations at Virginias colleges.

Two days later, the House announced a 12-member select committee would be formed to provide potential legislative recommendations.

House Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, said in a letter that Virginia must understand the policies allowing students to exercise their protected right to free speech while maintaining campus safety.

It is imperative that we understand the protocol followed and resources used by our local and state police when requests for assistance are made by our institutions of higher education, Scott wrote. We should identify areas where we can improve state policies in order to mitigate the incidents of unrest and arrest that we have witnessed this spring.

The post Virginia lawmakers to study campus safety policies after series of protests appeared first on Virginia Mercury.
Virginia will hold primary elections for candidates running for U.S. Senate and House of Representatives seats on June 18.

Early voting is open now through June 15 and voters can cast ballots in person at their local registrars office or by mail. Heres what you need to know to vote early.

Early voting in Virginia primaries is underway. Heres whats on the ballot.

Races on the ballot in November include one of Virginias U.S. Senate seats and all 11 House of Representatives seats. But not every seat will have a primary election in June.

Races with primaries in Hampton Roads include the Republican primary for a U.S. Senate seat, the Democratic primary for the 1st Congressional District, and the Democratic primary for the 2nd Congressional District.

Below find The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press 2024 Primary Election Guide, which will be updated with additional coverage throughout the campaign season. The guide covers only candidates running in competitive primary races for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives seats representing Hampton Roads. Uncontested races and independent candidates are not included. A separate election guide will be published for the general election.

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U.S. Senate

Five candidates are competing in the Republican primary. The winner will challenge Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine in the November general election.

Republicans on the ballot: Hung Cao, Edward Eddie Garcia Jr., Jonathan Emord, C.L. Chuck Smith, Jr., and Scott Parkinson.

The 5 candidates in Virginias U.S. Senate Republican primary

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1st Congressional District

Two candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination in the primary. The winner will challenge Republican Rep. Rob Wittman in the general election.

Democrats on the ballot: Herbert Jones Jr. and Leslie Mehta

1st District Democratic primary candidates: Leslie Mehta and Herbert Jones Jr.

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2nd Congressional District

Two candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination in the primary. The winner will challenge Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans in the general election.

Democrats on the ballot: Missy Cotter Smasal and Jeremiah Jake Denton IV

2nd District Democratic primary candidates: Missy Cotter Smasal and Jeremiah Jake Denton IV

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3rd Congressional District

Rep. Bobby Scott, a Democrat, holds the 3rd District seat. No primary elections will take place in the 3rd District.
Donald Trumps hush-money trial has become a real whos who of conservatives vying for the presumed GOP presidential nominees favor.

Before the trial began on Tuesday, some of Trumps former GOP nomination opponents, as well as some of the biggest players in the Republican Party, showed up to support him. Biotech investor Vivek Ramaswamywho is reportedly under consideration to be homeland security secretary if Trump wins in Novemberand South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, whom Trump has confirmed is on his veep long list, were at the courthouse, apparently bearing no ill will toward the man who overwhelmingly defeated them in the 2024 Republican primaries.

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, who never performed above single-digit support in the primaries, also came out to back Trump. As did House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is not a running mate contender but enjoyed Trumps support during a chaotic bid to oust him from the speakership.

They all join Senators J.D. Vance and Tommy Tuberville, who appeared with Trump outside the courtroom on Monday.

A majority of Trumps high-profile attendees have refused to provide direct answers in recent weeks when questioned about whether theyll accept the November election results. Scott, for his part, refused six times to give his answer on the issue during an interview on Meet the Press. The show of loyalty is a significant rejection of the rule of law in favor of power in Trumps potential administrationand its especially poignant in the face of his first criminal trial.

Trump is accused of using Michael Cohen to sweep an affair with porn actress Stormy Daniels under the rug ahead of the 2016 presidential election. The Republican presidential nominee faces 34 felony charges in this case for allegedly falsifying business records with the intent to further an underlying crime. Trump has pleaded not guilty on all counts.
Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping met at the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing in October 2023 - Sergei Guneev/Pool/Sputnik

Vladimir Putin will arrive in China on Thursday for a two-day state visit to further cement ties between the two countries, the Kremlin has said.

The meeting with Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, will mark Mr Putins first overseas trip since his inauguration for a fifth term as Russias president, and underscores deepening cooperation between the two leaders that has alarmed the United States and its allies.

The two men will discuss in detail the entire range of issues of the comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation, identify key areas for further development of Russian-Chinese practical cooperation, and exchange views in detail on the most pressing international and regional issues, the Kremlin said.

It added that Mr Xi and Mr Putin would sign a joint statement after their summit but gave no further details. Chinas foreign ministry issued a brief announcement that the Russian leader was visiting at the invitation of the president.

Washington will closely observe talks

Portamur, the Russian news portal, said the two leaders would attend a gala to mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Their talks will be closely observed from Washington, which has voiced growing concern about the weapons technology alliance between Beijing and Moscow that is helping to fuel Russias war against Ukraine.

China has backed Russia politically over the conflict and continues to export machine tools and other dual use items seen as boosting Russias military capabilities, without actually exporting weaponry.

In April, the US accused China of providing Moscow with cruise missile and drone engines, as well as machine tools for ballistic missiles, and of supplying 90 per cent of chips imported by Russia last year for use in tanks, missiles and aircraft.

Russia would struggle to sustain its assault on Ukraine without Chinas support, Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, said in April after visiting China, where he cautioned that the US would take action if Beijing did not curb the flow of goods.

Washington followed up in May with sanctions against more than a dozen Chinese entities that the Treasury department has claimed are providing Russia with infrared detectors, drone components and missile sensors.

Xi walking a tightrope

Mr Xi must strike a fine balance during the Russian leaders visit. If he signals further support for Mr Putin, he risks alienating Europe, a key trading partner.

China has denied it is selling weapons to either side in the war and has increasingly portrayed itself as a broker for peace.

In early May, Li Hui, a Chinese special envoy carried out a third round of shuttle diplomacy on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, visiting Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Mr Putin is expected to try to further secure a strategic partnership with China and the economic lifeline that Beijing has offered Russia since it came under severe financial sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine.

China is a major export market for energy supplies that keep the Kremlins coffers full.

Mr Putin is likely to broach the issue of the Power of Siberia 2 natural gas pipeline, designed to connect Russia and China via Mongolia, the South China Morning Post reported earlier this week.

If it goes ahead, the signature project would divert 50 billion cubic metres of natural gas per year to north China  redirecting a supply that once went to Europe.

It would also signal the depth of bilateral relations more than two years since the two authoritarian leaders declared a no limits partnership to counter Americas global influence and what they have criticised as interference.

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Voting in West Virginias primary is just as important as voting in the general election

Polls open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. on West Virginia's primary election day Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Getty Images)

Today is West Virginias primary election day, and as long as youre reading this before the polls close at 7:30 p.m., theres plenty of time to vote.

The primary election is just as important as the general election  Republicans and Democrats help choose who from their party they want representing them in the general election, and  at least for now  independents can choose to vote on any partys ballot. The West Virginia Republican executive committee voted earlier this year to close the Republican primary beginning in 2026.

While the presidential candidates are already decided at this point, West Virginians are able to vote for who they believe should represent their parties in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives races. The lawmakers representing West Virginia in Congress will spend a lot of time in Washington, D.C., fighting to get money for the state, and trying to get laws passed that they believe will help West Virginians.

The smaller level races are just as important too. Think of ordinances that city councils have passed over the last year. Huntington and Charleston now both allow outdoor drinking areas in their downtowns. The Morgantown City Council is beginning the process of possibly repealing its panhandling ban, and the town of Bethany joined 18 other communities last month by passing a fairness ordinance to protect LGBTQ+ residents from discrimination in employment, housing and public spaces.

Local elections matter.

Who serves on your county commission? Who is your county sheriff? Do you know who is on your county school board? Residents of Cabell County are well aware of their school board members after the superintendent announced plans to cut Cabell County excess levy funding from the counties parks and libraries.

The vote for the excess levy will only appear on the primary election ballot, but it is possible that if the levy fails another one may be proposed in November.

Levy votes are important. Excess levies fund schools, parks, libraries and fire departments. Its always good to look at your sample ballot before heading to the polls to 1) see if theres a levy that you were unaware of and 2) understand the wording of a levy so you know how to vote  the wording can be confusing.

Do your research. Look at your sample ballot and see what races you can vote in. Look up the people you arent familiar with. Read articles about the candidates, including in the West Virginia Watch. Check local election guides to learn more about candidates. Ask friends who have similar beliefs as you who they are voting for  that doesnt mean you have to vote the same way, but it can give you a better idea of which candidates might align with or against your views. Make yourself a cheat sheet on your phone if youre worried youll forget which candidates you want to vote for  it can be stressful when you get in the booth to vote.

Voting is one of the most important things you can do as a member of your community. Youre helping choose who will make laws that will affect your daily life.

Look at the states most recent legislative session  60 days were wasted arguing about multiple bills that died on the final night. The state budget was passed at the last minute with everyone knowing it was inadequate and would need to be fixed during a special session  which will cost taxpayers more money.

Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court put the decision of whether or not to legalize abortion in the hands of the states. Although a majority of people believe abortion should be legal, during the states legislative session a bill supported by eight Democrats to have a ballot measure to allow West Virginians to vote on whether they want to legalize abortion got no traction. Legislators were too busy talking about what obscene materials they think libraries provide to children and trying to loosen vaccine requirements.

There are many things that affect you every day that you might not realize are controlled by the West Virginia Legislature.

Does your workplace not offer paid parental leave? Thats because West Virginia doesnt require it, and a bill creating a pilot program in the state didnt go anywhere during the session.

Does your family struggle to find or afford child care? The Legislature early in the session said child care was a priority, but failed to pass any bills to help parents pay for it.

Teacher pay? Decided by the state legislature.

Unemployment benefits? Decreased by the West Virginia Legislature this past session.

Elections affect everything, yet in the 2022 primary only 34.7% of West Virginians of voting age voted. Those 34.7% of people are making decisions for all of us.

In the 2022 primary, there were 43 races in West Virginia that were decided by less than 10 votes, according to Secretary of State Mac Warner. Your vote can absolutely make a difference.

The post Voting in West Virginias primary is just as important as voting in the general election appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
The dismissal of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has caused waves in the Russian Armed Forces. The cornering of the veteran politician  one of the people closest to President Vladimir Putin  and the arrest at the end of April of his right-hand man, Deputy Minister Timur Ivanov, on charges of alleged bribery have been greeted in some sectors of the army with euphoria and in others with suspicion.

For a section of the military and some influential war bloggers  whom the Russian president invited to the Kremlin last June to analyze the shortcomings of his forces  the dismissal represents a blow by Putin against what they call the Rublyovka clan, in reference to the luxurious Moscow neighborhood where Shoigu and other members of the elite own mansions. However, the war offers no respite and the senior military strategist on the Ukrainian front, chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, is now in a precarious situation. The Kremlin has reaffirmed the commander in his post for now, but doubts persist about his near future and his dismissal could cause a domino effect in the Russian ranks.

Launching fireworks at military installations, general rejoicing on social networks, endless congratulations via phone chats  all this speaks for itself, was the summary of one of the most popular Russian war bloggers, Semyon Pegov, who is close to the Wagner mercenary group.

Shoigus departure is likely to drag with him all or many of his deputy chiefs, State Duma defense committee chairman Andrei Kartapolov has acknowledged. Kartapolov, a former military officer, also praised Putin for his decision: The president does not make mistakes in personnel matters.

The Kremlin was quick to stress Sunday that Shoigus departure did not entail any major shake-up in the high command leading the war against Ukraine following the appointment of Andrey Belousov to replace him. As far as the military component is concerned, the appointment will have no effect on the current system of coordinates. The military component has always been a prerogative of the Chief of General Staff, and he will continue his duties. In this sense, no changes are expected at this point, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said immediately after the news broke.

Military operation run aground

Gerasimov was appointed sole commander of Russian forces deployed in Ukraine in January 2023. Even though his army stopped the Ukrainian counteroffensive a few months later, the chief of the General Staff has failed to break his rival on the battlefield and what the Kremlin refers to as its special military operation remains mired in a war of attrition. The minimal gains achieved in recent months have been paid for by Russia at a huge human and material cost.

With a high degree of probability, in a few months General Gerasimov will be replaced by a younger and more creative military officer, Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST), one of Russias leading military think tanks, tells this newspaper.

The Kremlin does not expect a quick breakthrough on the front, but a long war, Pukhov observes: The appointment of a famous economist to the post of defense minister means that Putin is committed to a long war of attrition.

Reputable analyst Mark Galeotti shares a similar opinion on his YouTube channel. I would not be surprised to see a new chief of the General Staff as soon as Belousov sets foot in the department given that Gerasimov has proven to be a somewhat bad wartime chief of staff, unimaginative and prone to undertake operations with huge wastes [of forces], and, above all, unwilling to tell Putin some realities of the war.

The mutiny of the Wagner Group in June 2023 marked a turning point in the delicate balance of factions in the army and the side closest to Yevgeny Prigozhin, the deceased head of the mercenaries, lost. General Sergei Surovikin, the architect of the defensive line against which Ukraines counteroffensive faltered, was removed after being detained for several weeks. Now, Shoigus dismissal and the possible departure of Gerasimov may again change the distribution of forces in the military establishment.

Factions and misgivings over relations with China

The appointment of Belousov  an economist from outside the Russian Armed Forces  as Shoigus successor is seen as a regenerative step by both the factions close to the official Kremlin line, and the more dissident ones. Likewise, Putins decision has reopened the door to criticism after almost a year of silence born of fear. Protests against the high command for the failed conduct of the war reached their peak in the first half of 2023, but several arrests and Prigozhins death in August 2023 silenced all dissenting opinions. Until this Sunday.

Both Semyon Pegov and another well-known expert on military affairs more aligned with the Kremlin, Alexander Kots, agree that Belousov is a technocrat and will probably focus on the purely logistical aspect of the military, unlike his predecessor. Shoigu was also perceived as a civilian within the army. However, both he and his team considered themselves true generals, Pegov notes.

Kots, for his part, insinuates that Shoigu and his officers benefited some arms dealers over others: Progress is born in an atmosphere of healthy competition and not from the monopoly of one product when analogues exist. It is necessary to provide all producers with equal opportunities and government support, from drones to electronic warfare systems.

Shoigus dismissal has also led to the emergence of new intrigues and accusations in the military. Just as there is a pro-Western faction within the elite political groups, there is also a pro-Chinese faction to which Shoigu probably belongs, Pegov says of the Siberian-born general. In his opinion, the ministers removal is not only a blow to the oligarchic Rublyovka clan, but also to the Chinese faction and the influence it has gained in Russian politics over these past few decades.

Although Chinese support has been key to Russias ability to navigate Western sanctions, mistrust hangs over relations between the two powers. Several Russian citizens, including reputed physicists and mathematicians linked to hypersonic missile projects, have been detained since the Ukrainian war began, allegedly for spying for China.

Despite his abrupt departure, Putin compensated Shoigu by giving him the secretariat of the Security Council, an advisory body with no real power, where several of the presidents top officials have ended up after being removed from their posts. Putin held his first meeting with the council via videoconference this Monday and Shoigus predecessor, the former head of Russian espionage Nikolai Patrushev, was present. While Patrushev holds no nominal position, he wields significant power in the shadows due to his proximity to Putin and their links to the FSB, the heir to the Soviet KGB.

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SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage)  The Wall Independent School District has announced that a faculty member has been arrested as a result of an investigation regarding electronic sexual solicitation of a minor.

A message sent from Wall ISD to parents and legal guardians stated that the arrest was made on May 14 by the Tom Green County Sheriffs Office. The district said that the incident did not directly harm any students.

RELATED: TGSO sheds light on Wall ISD faculty arrest

Wall ISD has taken all necessary steps to ensure the safety of all students, the district said in the message.

Wall ISD said that a member of the Wall ISD administration team will contact guardians whose children are found to be involved in the incident.

This is a criminal part investigation being conducted by the Sheriffs Department as well as a confidential personnel matter being investigated by Wall ISD, the district said.

According to the district, TGSO will provide a more detailed statement to the media later in the afternoon of May 14.

This is a developing story. Stick with Concho Valley Homepage for updates as more information becomes available.

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 ConchoValleyHomepage.com.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  A Warren man accused of murder was arrested in Groveport nearly two days after a fatal shooting in northern Ohio.

According to a release by the U.S. Marshals Service, Zaa Von Hameed, 26, a wanted fugitive, was arrested in the 400 block of Shadow Run Drive in Groveport late Monday night. According to WKBN, Nexstar sister station in Youngstown, the incident took place at the ParkPlace 24 Tavern on Parkman Road.

Explosion at electric substation causes thousands to lose power in Westerville

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The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force, along with the Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team were in pursuit of Hameed, who is accused of fatally shooting Nathaniel Bradley, 21, at a bar in Warren, Ohio. Officers responded to reports of the shooting at around 2 a.m. and pronounced Bradley dead at the scene.

Hameed and Bradley were reportedly involved in a fight before the shooting before Hameed fled from Warren to the Columbus area, approximately 180 miles away from the Tavern. He is being held at the Jackson Pike Corrections Center while he waits extradition back to Warren.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
Wars cause widespread pollution and environmental damage  heres how to address it in peace accords

As wars grind on in Ukraine and Gaza, another location ravaged by conflict is taking steps to implement a historic peace agreement. From the mid-1960s through 2016, Colombia was torn by conflict between the government, leftist guerrilla movements and right-wing paramilitary groups. Now the government and rebels are working to carry out a sweeping accord that addresses many critical sectors, including environmental damages and restoration.

University of Notre Dame researchers Richard Marcantonio and Josefina Echavarria Alvarez study peace and conflict issues, including their effects on the environment. They currently are advising negotiations between the Colombian government and several rebel factions over wartime damage to soil, water and other natural resources. They explain that while Colombias transition from war to peace has been difficult, the accord offers a model for addressing the ravages of war in places such as Gaza and Ukraine.

Is it common for peace settlements to address environmental harm?

Few agreements include environmental provisions, and even fewer see them carried out, even though research shows that many drivers of conflict can be directly or indirectly related to the environment.

We work with a research program at the University of Notre Dame called the Peace Accords Matrix, which monitors the implementation of comprehensive peace accords in 34 countries worldwide. Only 10 of the accords have natural resource management provisions agreements, and these typically have not triggered major steps to protect the environment.

Deforestation and conflict have plagued Colombias Caqueta region, shown in 2023, for decades. Both guerrillas and criminals are clearing land for farming, ranching and other pursuits. Juancho Torres/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

How is the Colombia accord different?

Colombias is seen as the most comprehensive peace accord that has been signed to date. It considers issues ranging from security to social justice and political participation, in great detail.

The accord acknowledges that a peaceful postwar society requires not only respect for human rights but also protection of the environment, respect for nature and its renewable and nonrenewable resources and biodiversity. More than 20% of the commitments in the agreement have an environmental connection.

They fall into four main categories:

 Adapting and responding to climate change

 Preserving natural resources and habitats

 Protecting environmental health through measures such as access to clean water

 Process issues, such as ensuring that communities can participate in decisions about rural programs and resource management

There also are gaps. For example, many protected areas have been deforested for ranching and coca production in the postaccord period. And there are no provisions addressing toxic pollution, an issue other agreements also neglect.

Often there are power vacuums during transitions between war and peace, when government agencies are working to reestablish their operations. Natural resources and environmental health need protection during these phases.

In Sierra Leone, for example, resource extraction by foreign companies drastically ramped up immediately after the Lome Peace Agreement eventually ended that nations civil war in 2002. Companies exploited a lack of governance and support in the rural areas and often mined metals illegally or hazardously without any regulatory oversight. Today these areas still struggle with mining impacts, including contaminated drinking water and fish, the primary protein source in the area.

What is the environmental toll of war in Ukraine?

The damage is vast: Theres air, water and soil contamination, deforestation and enormous quantities of waste, including ruined buildings, burned-out cars and thousands of tons of destroyed military equipment. Russias destruction of the Kakhovka Dam flooded villages, destroyed crops and wrecked irrigation systems.

The cost estimates are staggering. A joint commission of the World Bank, the government of Ukraine and other institutions currently estimate direct damages at roughly US$152 billion.

In addition, cleaning up sites, rebuilding infrastructure and other repairs could cost more than $486 billion over the next decade, as of late 2023. That figure rises every day that the war continues.

Theres broad interest in a green and sustainable reconstruction that would include steps like using sustainable building materials and powering the electricity grid with renewable energy. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been adamant that Russia must pay for the damage it has caused. Its still unclear how this would work, although some U.S. and European lawmakers support seizing frozen Russian assets held in Western banks to help cover the cost.

There is a legal basis for holding Russia accountable. In 2022, the U.N. General Assembly adopted a set of principles for protecting the environment during armed conflicts. Among other existing statutes, they draw on a protocol to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 that prohibits using methods or means of warfare which are intended, or may be expected, to cause widespread, long-term and severe damage to the natural environment.

There has been only modest discussion so far of how to integrate these principles into a formal peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia. But a working group that included Ukrainian and European Union officials and former leaders from Sweden, Finland, Ireland and Brazil has recommended a framework for addressing environmental damage and holding perpetrators accountable.

What environmental impacts are known or asserted in Gaza?

Environmental damage in Gaza also is devastating. The U.N. estimated in early 2024 that over 100,000 cubic meters (26 million gallons) of untreated sewage and wastewater were flowing daily onto land or into the Mediterranean Sea.

Gazas drinking water system was insufficient before the war and has been further weakened by military strikes. On average, Gazans now have access to about 3 liters of water per person per day  less than 1 gallon.

Thousands of buildings have been destroyed, spreading hazardous materials such as asbestos. Every bomb thats dropped disperses toxic materials that will persist in the soil unless its remediated. Simultaneous environmental and infrastructure impacts, such as water and power shortages, are contributing to larger crises, such as the collapse of Gazas health care system, that will have long-lasting human costs.

Palestinians collect drinking water in Rafah, Gaza Strip, on Oct. 28, 2023. AP Photo/Hatem Ali

How can future peace accords address these impacts?

Integrating the environment into peace accords isnt easy. Resources such as energy, clean soil and water are vital for life, which is precisely why military forces may seek to control or destroy them. This is happening in both Ukraine and Gaza.

Peace negotiators tend to focus on social, political and economic issues, rather than environmental reparations. But leaving environmental damage unresolved until after a peace accord is signed keeps people who have been displaced and marginalized by conflict in precarious positions.

It may even cause fighting to resume. According to the U.N. Environment Program, at least 40% of all wars within states in the past 60 years have had a link to natural resources. In those cases, fighting was twice as likely to resume within five years after conflict ended.

We see some lessons for future negotiations.

First, its important for accords to recognize environmental harm as one of wars main consequences and to acknowledge that a healthy environment is essential for sustainable livelihoods and peace.

Second, connecting environmental provisions with other issues, such as rural reform and political participation, can create better, more sustainable and equal conditions for reestablishing democracy. The Colombia accords are an example.

Third, it is important to clearly define goals, such as what infrastructure and institutions need to be rebuilt, who is in charge of getting those tasks done, and the timetable for doing it. This can help ensure that environmental restoration doesnt become a secondary goal.

Fourth, the international community has an important role to play in monitoring and verifying environmental restoration and providing financial and technical support. Foreign donors have already pledged $66 billion for rebuilding Ukraine and have said that they will require grantees to follow strict environmental standards in order to receive financing.

Reconstructing nations and simultaneously regenerating communities and ecosystems after wars is a daunting mission, but its also an opportunity to build something better. We see Ukraine and Gaza as potential test cases for addressing wars toll on the environment and creating a more sustainable future.

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: Richard Marcantonio, University of Notre Dame and Josefina Echavarria Alvarez, University of Notre Dame

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The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
A record 75.9 million people were displaced by the end of 2023 by conflict, violence and national disasters, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre said in a report released Tuesday.

At least 68.3 million people were living in displacement by the end of 2023 as a result of conflict and violence, the highest-ever figure since data became available, according to the report.

Conflicts in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Gaza have fueled the rising figures, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the record total, the report found.

"Millions of families are having their lives torn apart by conflict and violence," said Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council. "We have never, ever recorded so many people forced away from their homes and communities."

PHOTO: Newly arrive refugees stand outside their makeshift shelter as a sand storm approaches on April 21, 2024 in Adre, Chad. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

By the end of 2023 at least 9.1 million people were displaced by the conflict in Sudan according to the IMDC, the most ever recorded in a single country since records began in 2008.

The Israel-Hamas war has also caused displacement in the region to spike to what is the highest figure in the region since data became available in 2008.

In Europe, 99% of the region's conflict displacements were associated with the conflict between Russia and Ukraine: "Conflict displacement figures decreased from 17.1 million in 2022 to 779,000 in 2023 as the front lines in the war between Ukraine and Russia remained relatively unchanged during the year."

PHOTO: Displaced Palestinian children stand at a school as they wait to flee Rafah after Israeli forces launched a ground and air operation in the eastern part of the southern Gaza City on May 13, 2024. (Mohammed Salem/Reuters)

"The images from Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan are only the most recent in a trend towards increasing upheaval and dislocation of civilians across the globe," said Robert Piper, special adviser on solutions to internal displacement to the United Nations secretary-general.

The report found the onset of the Israel-Hamas war shifted displacement in the region: "The conflict in Palestine contributed to an eight-fold increase in conflict in the Middle East and North Africa in 2023 after three years of consecutive decreases," says the IMDC. "An estimated 4.1 million movements were reported, of which 203,000 took place in Israel and 3.4 million in Palestine, the vast majority in the Gaza Strip."

Natural disasters triggered 26.4 million internal displacements and movements around the world by the end of 2023, the third-highest figure in the last decade, but a decline from 2022, the report said.

PHOTO: A woman wades through flood waters at an inundated residential area in Garissa, Kenya, on May 9, 2024 (Luis Tato/AFP via Getty Images)

Severe weather in China and high-magnitude earthquakes in China and Turkey accounted for a third of displacement, the Turkey-Syria quake displacing 4.7 million people, the highest figure for earthquakes since 2008.

Two-thirds of other disaster displacements were recorded in Canada and Greece, the nations reporting some of their highest-ever figures.

And while weather changes from La Nina to El Nino led to fewer displacements across most of Asia, storms and floods -- particularly in the Horn of Africa -- have triggered record numbers with 2.9 million displaced, the report said.

Wars propel global displacements to record high of 75.9 million in 2023, monitor says originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
A view from the Cle Elum Ridge tract that Washington's Department of Natural Resources is planning to acquire using state and federal funding. (Photo courtesy of The Nature Conservancy)

Washington has secured a $15.3 million federal grant for the purchase of nearly 10,000 acres of forestland around the headwaters of the Yakima River, near Cle Elum.

The Department of Natural Resources, which would manage the land once the sale is complete, announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture award on Monday and noted $5.7 million in state matching funds to carry out the acquisition. The Department of Natural Resources has indicated that the land will be used for a mix of recreation, conservation, and logging.

Specifics around how that land use will look arent certain at this point and there are still more steps before the purchase can go through.

A key priority is to reduce forest fire risks. Decades of wildfire suppression have left land like this thick with trees and other vegetation that becomes dry and flammable in summer.

Mike Stevens, state director for The Nature Conservancy in Washington called the federal grant a gamechanger for this treasured landscape in Central Washington. Washington Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz described the pending addition of state land as monumental.

The purchase is also meant as a bulwark against checkerboarding, where land becomes fragmented among different public and private owners and, as a result, more difficult to manage. This phenomenon is rooted in how the federal government divvied parts of the West to help foster and subsidize transcontinental railroad construction during the mid to late 1800s.

Known as Cle Elum Ridge, the 9,700-acre tract the state plans to buy is tucked off Interstate 90, north of Cle Elum, Roslyn, Ronald, and Suncadia. It abuts national forest land that sprawls into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. And its adjacent to the roughly 50,000-acre Teanaway Community Forest, which the Department of Natural Resources already manages.

Theres just a lot of water and wildlife and recreation opportunity, said James Schroeder, director of conservation for The Nature Conservancy in Washington.

Cle Elum Ridge Forest Legacy proposal map

A map showing the Cle Elum Ridge tract of land that the Washington Department of Natural Resources is seeking to acquire. (Map courtesy of The Nature Conservancy)

Cle Elum Ridge is part of nearly 50,000 acres between Snoqualmie Pass and Ellensburg that Central Cascades Forest LLC bought from Plum Creek Timber Co. in 2014. (Plum Creek merged in 2015 with forestry giant Weyerhaeuser.)

The Nature Conservancy partnered with Central Cascades Forest on the 2014 deal. Conservation-minded funders pooled money for the LLC, according to Schroeder. The idea was to pause real estate development on a massive track of ecologically sensitive and fire-prone forestland.

Weve been working over the last 10 years to put that land into permanent protection, Schroeder said, adding that this has involved community engagement and conversations with local, state, and federal agencies and tribes to identify whos best positioned to own and manage the land in the long-term.

Since 2014, Central Cascades Forest has sold some of the land to the U.S. Forest Service.

In the meantime, The Nature Conservancy has managed land held by the LLC, including Cle Elum Ridge. The conservation nonprofit has selectively logged parts of the land and carried out prescribed burns to reduce wildfire risk. In 2017, the Jolly Mountain Fire, sparked by lightning, burned about 37,000 acres in the area, including some land managed by the nonprofit.

The Nature Conservancy has also studied the effects of different types of treed landscapes on snowpack  a critical water source for agricultural irrigation in the Yakima Basin.

Schroeder said how the Cle Elum Ridge tract is managed going forward would depend on Department of Natural Resources decisions and how the land is classified  for example whether its added to Teanaway Community Forest or to the portfolio of lands the state makes available for industrial logging.

He also explained that the final price for the land isnt entirely clear, as it will be sold at fair market value based on timber appraisals that havent been done yet.

Its an incredibly beautiful piece of property, Schroeder said. If youre in the town of Ronald or Rosslyn or Cle Elum, having this in public ownership, you can literally walk out your back doors and connect from city-owned land to state-owned land to national or federally-owned land, all the way up into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, he added. Its tremendous connectivity for recreation but also for wildlife.

The post Washington wins grant to acquire 9,700 acres of forestland in Central Cascades appeared first on Washington State Standard.
Security footage has captured the moment gunmen ambushed a prison van and freed a convicted drug trafficker dubbed Frances most wanted man.

Two police officers were killed as the police van and another police vehicle came under attack from heavy weapons on Tuesday. Two others remain in a life-threatening critical condition.

CCTV images from the A145 motorway near Rouen in northern France showed a black car swerving around oncoming traffic before ramming into the front of a prison van.

The car traps the van against the vehicle behind it at a toll gate before a group of hooded individuals emerge and surround the vehicle.

They appear to fire shots at the officers inside the van before forcing open the side door to free Mohamed Amra, 30, who reports say was the head of a narcotics network.

A massive manhunt is now underway to catch the escapee, who is nicknamed La Mouche (The Fly), and was being transferred from Rouen to a prison in Evreux.

Mohamed Amra, 30, who reports say was the head of a narcotics network and nicknamed "La Mouche" (The Fly)

President Emmanuel Macron condemned the attack which comes to a shock to us all while his prime minister Gabriel Attal said the French Republic has come under attack, pledging to find and punish the perpetrators.

Elite GIGN units were sent to the scene along with around 200 gendarmes as part of a plan Epervier (Sparrow hawk plan) granting police sweeping stop-and-search powers to find fugitives or abduction victims.

Police unions said their colleagues stood no chance given that they were travelling in an un-armoured van armed with simple hand guns against men carrying weapons of war.

The incident comes as a cross-party senatorial committee of inquiry into drug trafficking concluded earlier today that France is submerged with drug trafficking which is infiltrating everywhere like an inexorably rising tide.

The committee also warned that Macrons anti-drugs plan to be presented shortly by the government is meagre and not up to the task.

Police forensic teams work at the site of the ramming attack at the Incarville motorway toll in the Eure region of northern France - Photo by ALAIN JOCARD/AFP via Getty Images

French justice minister Eric Dupond-Moretti said the country is in mourning as he confirmed the death of the two officers.

Two men died, one of them leaving behind a wife and two children who were due to celebrate their 21st birthday in two days time, he said.

The other leaves behind a five-month pregnant wife, relatives, and, of course, friends, he added. My first thoughts are for them.

Mr Dupond-Moretti, who appeared in shock, said: The last deaths in the prison service date back to 1992, and that the gunmen are people for whom life means nothing.

They will be arrested, they will be tried and they will be punished in a way that is commensurate with the crime they committed.

06:10 PM BST

Todays live blog has now closed

Thank you for following our live coverage. Here are the key developments from the day:

Gunmen attacked a prison van in northern France, leaving two officers dead and three injured, with two in critical condition

The attackers freed a convicted drug trafficker, 30-year-old Mohamed Amra, also known as La Mouche (The Fly)

A massive manhunt was launched, with elite police units and hundreds of gendarmes dispatched as part of a plan Epervier (Sparrow hawk plan) granting police sweeping stop-and-search powers to find fugitives or abduction victims

President Emmanuel Macron condemned the attack which comes to a shock to us all while his prime minister Gabriel Attal said the French Republic has come under attack, pledging to find and punish the perpetrators.

05:20 PM BST

Pictured: Escaped prisoner Mohamed Amra, known as The Fly

Mohamed Amra, 30, who reports say was the head of a narcotics network and nicknamed "La Mouche" (The Fly) - Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images

05:11 PM BST

Amra tried to saw through the bars of his cell two days ago

According to Le Parisien, Mohamed Amra tried to saw through the bars of his cell two days ago, citing a prison source.

He had since been placed in a disciplinary unit and his surveillance level had been raised to Escort 3 - just below the special surveillance level.

Initially incarcerated at Baumettes prison, then at Sante prison, the Fly was then transferred to Evreux prison.

At the time of the attack, the prisoner, incarcerated at Evreux prison, was being transferred from Rouen, where he had been interviewed by prosecutors, back to Evreux.

04:29 PM BST

Pictured: Police forensic investigation underway

Forensic teams work at the site of the ramming attack at the Incarville tollbooth which killed two police officers - ALAIN JOCARD/AFP via Getty Images

Police officers inspect a burnt-out escape car that had been used during the attack this morning in the Eure region of northern France - ALAIN JOCARD/AFP via Getty Images

03:29 PM BST

Police officers stood little chance against heavy weapons

This is a dark day for prison officers, said Yoan Karar of the FO Justice union who said the slain officers were from the PREJ, the centre for judicial extractions.

Despite the fact that prison vans possess electronic toll tags to drive straight through, they often have to slow down and the barrier is a weak spot.

Every day we escort inmates from one establishment to another or to the courthouse to be presented to a judge and unfortunately today one of these teams from the PREJ in Caen was attacked by a heavily-armed team, he told French broadcaster BFMTV.

He said that the police officers stood little chance against heavy weapons given that they only posess 9mm handguns even if they were wearing bullet-proof jackets.

He said there was a problem recruiting officers for this particular section, notably due to a lack of means at their disposal.

He also condemned that inmates could gain information about their upcoming transfer by judges, particularly when it is for medical reasons. As a result some feign illness in order to get such information, he added, without saying whether this was the case here.

03:24 PM BST

Watch: Armed assailants surround rammed prison van

02:53 PM BST

France submerged under rising tide of drug trafficking

France is submerged with drug trafficking which is infiltrating everywhere like an inexorably rising tide, a cross-party senatorial committee of inquiry into drug trafficking concluded earlier today, warning that Macrons anti-drugs plan to be presented shortly by the government is meagre and not up to the task.

Drugs are taking a growing hold on some of the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods, exposing their residents to an unbearable daily life punctuated by incivilities, insecurity and the deterioration of community facilities.

Ultra-violent settling of scores between rival gangs sometimes result in the murder of collateral victims.

France needs a US-style DEA to deal with the scale of the problem, the commission suggested.

They write of the very high risk of corruption of public and private officials, who are essential intermediaries in drug trafficking, adding that France is (...) at a tipping point: we must act now to contain the contagion.

The commission also noted that drug bosses are able to pull the strings from abroad untroubled from locations like Dubai.

02:40 PM BST

French PM says Republic has come under attack

Following a minutes silence in parliament, Gabriel Attal, the French prime minister, said: The French Republic has come under attack.

Speaking to MPs, he added, Our justice system has come under attack. On behalf of the government, on behalf of us all, I would like to pay tribute to [the victims].

Our sorrow is that of a whole country, a whole country shocked by this attack of unprecedented violence, by the brutality and cowardice of the perpetrators.

Mr Attal, describing the crime as despicable, said every effort will be made to find the perpetrators.

We are sparing no effort, no means. We will hunt them down, we will find them and I tell you, they will pay.

We owe it to the victims. We owe it to their families and loved ones. We owe it to all the members of the prison service. We owe it to all the people of France, he said to unanimous applause.

Reacting to the deaths, Eric Ciotti, the head of the opposition Right-wing Republicans party, said: Another barrier has been crossed. This is an outburst of violence that must naturally be condemned...that must be fought by all means.

I hope that the perpetrators of this terrifying murder will be apprehended very quickly, he added. And that beyond that, there will be some form of awareness of the terrifying deterioration in security conditions in our country.



02:28 PM BST

Escaped inmate known above all as a drug trafficker

Four days ago, Mohammed Amra was convicted by the Evreux court of burglary. He has also been indicted by the specialised inter-regional court in Marseille for kidnapping leading to death.

Amra was being held at the Evreux prison on suspicion of ordering a murder in Marseille on June 17 2022, according to RTL. On that date, the charred body of a man was found in a burnt-out vehicle in Le Rove, near Marseille. The victim had clearly been shot in the head beforehand.

According to the Paris public prosecutors office, which has taken over the investigation, the trafficker had been charged with kidnapping and false imprisonment resulting in death by the Marseille JIRS (specialised inter-regional court).

He is above all known as a drug trafficker from Dreux, says RTL. The victim of the Marseille murder in June 2022 came from the same town in the Eure department.

According to the Paris public prosecutors office, Amra had DPS status (detainee under special surveillance), which implies special security conditions, particularly during transfers.

02:00 PM BST

Fugitive unfavourably known to the police

According to France 3, the fugitive inmate is 30-year-old Mohamed Amra. He is reportedly very unfavourably known to the police and judicial authorities.

Linked to organised crime, he has been implicated in drug trafficking, as well as kidnapping, false imprisonment and attempted homicide.

He was labelled as a particularly signalled prisoner, meaning he should be handled with care, apparently due to the possibility of him attempting to escape.

Police have launched an investigation into murder and attempted murder in a criminal gang, as well as the acquisition of weapons of war.

Four days ago, Amra was convicted by the Evreux court of burglary. He has also been indicted by the specialised inter-regional court in Marseille for kidnapping leading to death.

01:38 PM BST

Justice minister says country is in mourning

French justice minister Eric Dupond-Moretti has just confirmed that two officers have died and three others are seriously injured - two in a critical condition. Earlier local police had said three officers had died.

Our country is in mourning, said the minister.

This morning, during a judicial extraction between the Evreux judicial court and Rouen prison, a man escaped, and to carry out his escape, his accomplices did not hesitate to shoot at the police escorts with heavy weapons.

Two men died, one of them leaving behind a wife and two children who were due to celebrate their 21st birthday in two days time, he said.

The other leaves behind a five-month pregnant wife, relatives, and, of course, friends, he added. My first thoughts are for them.

Also in my thoughts are the three injured, the three seriously injured who are currently in hospital, he went on. The prognosis for two of them is currently life-threatening.

Mr Dupond-Moretti, who appeared in shock, added: The last deaths in the prison service date back to 1992. He announced that he would be travelling to Caen, northern France, where the slain officers were based, to meet their colleagues.

These are people for whom life means nothing, the minister said concerning the criminal commando. They will be arrested, they will be tried and they will be punished in a way that is commensurate with the crime they committed.



01:23 PM BST

Police commander activates Sparrowhawk plan

The police commander of the Eure has activated a plan Epervier, or Sparrowhawk plan, which is a gendarmerie-led operation that puts all levels of command on alert and mobilises all units in the field for a given period within a defined area  in this case the Eure departement.

The plan Epervier was used to track down the Kouachi brothers after the Charlie Hebdo attacks in 2015 and during the hunt for notorious armed robber Redoine Faid in 2018

The area cordoned off by the gendarmes is criss-crossed to make it easier to locate a wanted person, whether they have been kidnapped or are on the run. Roadblocks have been set up all around the perimeter to control anyone wishing to enter or leave.

01:17 PM BST

Pictured: How the attack unfolded

01:11 PM BST

Fugitive reportedly named by police

Citing several police sources, Le Figaro has named the fugitive only as Mohamed A. It said he was from the La Sabliere district of Rouen and has several criminal convictions to his name. He is not registered as a radicalised prisoner.

The perpetrators of the van attack used one or more weapons of war, it reported.

All our forces are mobilised to find him, it cited a police source as saying.

Linda Kebbab, national secretary of the Unite police union, reacted: What horror... What horror... No other words.

The fugitive was born in 1994, according to a source close to the investigation. The case has been referred to the Central Office for Combating Organised Crime (OCLCO), the source added.

According to Le Figaro, the suspect is nicknamed The Fly.

01:01 PM BST

Macron: Justice can be done in the name of the French people

Emmanuel Macron said the attack comes as a shock to us all.

This mornings attack, which cost the lives of prison officers, comes as a shock to us all, the French president wrote on X.

The nation stands by the families, the injured and their colleagues. Everything is being done to find the perpetrators of this crime so that justice can be done in the name of the French people. We will be implacable.

L'attaque de ce matin, qui a coute la vie a des agents de l'administration penitentiaire, est un choc pour nous tous.



La Nation se tient aux cotes des familles, des blesses et de leurs collegues.



Tout est mis en uvre pour retrouver les auteurs de ce crime  Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 14, 2024

12:59 PM BST

French interior minister confirms several hundred officers dispatched

Gerald Darmanin, the interior minister, announced the dispatch of several hundred police officers and gendarmes on his instructions following the attack.

All means are being deployed to find these criminals, said Mr Darmanin, who offered his sincere and saddened condolences to the bereaved families and the staff of the justice ministry.

Condoleances sinceres et attristees aux familles endeuillees et aux agents du ministere de la Justice. Le plan  Epervier  a ete declenche. Tous les moyens sont mis en uvre pour retrouver ces criminels. Sur mon instruction, plusieurs centaines de policiers et de gendarmes sont https://t.co/KXzPJa0A2r  Gerald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) May 14, 2024

12:52 PM BST

Escaped inmate now the most wanted man in France

The prisoner who escaped from the van was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment by the Evreux magistrates court on Tuesday for aggravated robberies, including thefts from supermarkets and shops in the suburbs of Evreux between August and October 2019.

The suspect had also been indicted in Marseille for the voluntary homicide of a Dreux resident on June 17 2022 in Aubagne, in connection with drug trafficking.

He was held at Baumettes, La Sante and recently at Evreux prison, where he was sentenced last Tuesday. The man was not a particularly high-profile prisoner, said the French broadcaster BFMTV.

The broadcaster has said he is the most wanted man in France.

12:38 PM BST

200 gendarmes mobilised

Some 200 gendarmes have been mobilised following the attack in Eure, the French broadcaster BFMTV has learned from a gendarmerie source. They come from the departments of Eure, Seine-Maritime, Calvados and Yvelines.

The site of the attack is on the outskirts of Rouen. According to BFMTV, the prisoner, aged around 30, was being transferred following a summons by an investigating magistrate as part of an attempted murder investigation.

It was on the return to prison that the attack took place, it said.

12:28 PM BST

Pictured: Convoy attacked

The rammed French police van

A vehicle that was rammed into the police van

12:25 PM BST

A154 motorway closed

Helicopters were seen attempting to locate the suspects. Local gendarmes and officers from an elite GIGN swat team are also in the area.

The A154 motorway has been closed in the direction Evreux-Louviers at Junction 4 Louviers centre for an indefinite period, according to traffic information site Bison Fute.

12:25 PM BST

Assailants arrived in two cars

The assailants arrived in two cars, one of which, a white Audi A5, has since been found burnt out in the commune of Vatteville. The second, a BMW 5 series, fled in the direction of Louviers and Evreux, Le Figaro reported.

12:20 PM BST

Prisoner has conviction for attempted murder

The prisoner has a conviction for attempted murder, according to Le Parisien. In circumstances unknown at this stage, the prison administration van was attacked by four armed men in two vehicles, it reported.

12:20 PM BST

Pump-action rifle used

A source told AFP that the officers were killed by pump-action rifle fire when a van carrying a prisoner was attacked at around 11am with a ram car at the Incarville toll plaza in the Eure department.

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Los Cabos tourist refuses to back away from bull, pays the price

Lots of crazy things happen on the beaches of Los Cabos, Mexico, but being attacked by a bull has to be a rare event.

The accompanying footage shows a woman being knocked down by a bull that had just been harassed by dogs at La Fortuna in Baja California Surs East Cape region.

Unfortunately for the tourist, she seemed more concerned about gathering her belongings than walking away from the beast. (Video contains salty language from others imploring the woman to back off.)

 #ENTERATE: Toro que fue confrontado por un trio de perros, habia atacado a una mujer; los hechos ocurrieron en playa La Fortuna, en #BCS >> pic.twitter.com/ivcom0eqC1  BCSnoticias (@BCSnoticias) May 14, 2024

The clip was shared via X by BCS Noticias under the translated description: Bull that was confronted by a trio of dogs had attacked a woman; The events occurred on La Fortuna beach, in BCS.

In the footage, the woman is rammed and knocked down by the bull, which apparently had strayed from a nearby ranch.

It was not clear if the woman suffered serious injuries.

Story originally appeared on For The Win
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators and counterprotestors on the Columbia University campus in New York, on Oct. 12, 2023. Credit - Bing GuanThe New York Times/Redux

As Gaza solidarity encampments take root at dozens of campuses across the U.S., many Democratic and Republican lawmakersin addition to President Joe Bidenhave accused protestors and colleges of rampant antisemitism.

Thats woefully misguidedand dangerous. Indeed, the blanket assertion by pro-Israel advocates is intended as a political cudgel: weaponizing antisemitism to shield Israel from criticism of its attack on Gaza, which has left at least 35,000 Palestinians dead in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, wounded tens of thousands more, and forcibly displaced nearly 2 million Palestinians who now face famine conditions. The conditions in Gaza are such that many scholars have said that the situation amounts to a genocide.

Read More: ICJs Ruling in the Israel-South Africa Case, Explained

Ultimately, the weaponization of antisemitism intensifies the discrimination and exclusion against vulnerable communities in the U.S.including Jews.

Indeed, those accusing protesters of antisemitism do not appear to consider the many Jews among the protestors in the encampments as Jews, arguing in effect that Jews can only be Jews if they support Israel or do not express pro-Palestinian sentiment.

This is absurd, for the idea that all Jews should hold the same views by virtue of their identity is an antisemitic idea itself. Alarmingly, President Biden has at times exacerbated the false equivalency between Jews and Zionists. In February, on Late Night With Seth Meyers, he said that were there no Israel, there would not be a Jew in the world who would be safe.

This claim is ahistoricaland ignores the fact that many Jews feel more unsafe today because of the policies of the right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and claims that Israel represents Jews anywhere.

The weaponization of antisemitism by Israel and its allies, including the U.S. government, draws on the deeply problematic working definition of antisemitism adopted in 2016 by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). A central force in the institutional world of global Holocaust memory, this international organization of 35 member states (almost all of them in Europe) deals with Holocaust education, research, and remembrance.

The IHRA definition is the basis for the recently proposed Antisemitism Awareness Act, which some 700 Jewish college faculty have signed an open letter urging Biden not to back. The definition includes 11 examples of antisemitism, seven of which mention Israel and thus blur the distinction between Jews and the State of Israel. By contrast, the IHRA definition includes no mention of white supremacists, even though they pose the greatest danger to Jews in the U.S.as the 2018 Tree of Life Synagogue massacre of 11 Jews in Pittsburgh demonstrated.

This silence, combined with the focus on Israel, facilitates the IHRA definitions use as a particularly insidious weapon to target people whom white supremacists in the U.S. also single out: Muslims and Arabs.

Take, for instance, the recent attack by a House Committee on Education and the Workforce on Rutgers University-Newarks Center for Security, Race and Rights (RUCSRR) and its director, Distinguished Professor of Law Sahar Aziz. RUCSRR has come under scrutiny for alleged antisemitism.

Over 500 law professors from across the U.S., who describe themselves as a racially, religiously, and ideologically diverse group, condemned these allegations in a letter to the House Committee last month. These law professors note that the Committee is targeting the only center in a U.S. law school devoted to the civil and human rights of South Asians, Muslims, and Arabs, and that Professor Aziz is the only Muslim Arab woman among 130 professors in the law school.

They also point out that since its founding in 2018, RUCSRR has organized nearly 90 events on a wide range of topics, including on the prosecution of Nazi criminals. Yet without any evidence, the House Committee describes Palestinian speakers or speakers who have expressed pro-Palestinian views as antisemitic.

The Committee, the professors argue, is engaged in the mobilization of Islamophobic tropes to fuel and sustain spurious allegations of antisemitism to discredit and delegitimize critics of Israeli policy and military action.

Notably, the House Committee has been engaged in similar baseless attacks on dozens of U.S. colleges in the last few monthswith Committee member Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Republican who has expressed white supremacist views in the past, playing a key role.

None of this ensures the safety of Jews in the U.S. On the contrary, the Islamophobia and racism inherent in the weaponization of antisemitism risks making antisemitism a meaningless charge, and therefore much harder to combat, at a time when genuine examples of it are rising.

The Gaza solidarity encampments across the U.S. are anti-racist spaces, where Jews, Palestinians, Arabs, Christians, Muslims, Black people, men, women, LGBTQI people, and others stand in solidarity with each other and against Israels war on Gaza. (There have been isolated cases of antisemitism on campuses, which remain few and far between.) They stand for truth and justicedemanding that their government and their universities cease their support of Israels extremely destructive assault on Gaza. And they point to a different future of equality and peace around the world. By doing so, they also stand as a genuine expression today of a real struggle against antisemitism.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
The recent assault by Ecuadorian police on the Mexican Embassy in Quito is also having an effect on the thousands of Ecuadorians who are in Mexican territory trying to cross into the United States. As of May 16, the Ecuadorian consulates in the Mexican capital and in Monterrey will close their doors after the breakdown of relations between both governments. The move comes one month after Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa gave the order to break into the Mexican diplomatic mission to detain former vice-president Jorge Glas, who was seeking a safe conduct to Mexico as a political asylum seeker, but is now being held in at La Roca maximum security prison in Guayaquil.

The Foreign Ministry of Ecuador has reported that starting on Thursday, Ecuadorians who live in or are passing through Mexico will have to go to the consulate in Guatemala City, or those in Houston and Phoenix in the United States, to do paperwork. That implies a three-hour flight to carry out simple procedures or obtain a document. And this option is only valid for those who have a valid visa, work or study permit. In the midst of the crossfire between Ecuador and Mexico, the first victims of the conflict are the migrants who are on Mexican territory irregularly as part of their journey to reach the United States. The law firm 1800-Migrante warns about the problems this can create for the most vulnerable groups. For example, when an Ecuadorian citizen is arrested in Mexico, Mexican authorities have the obligation to inform the consular staff of Ecuador, explains director William Murillo. But without a consular office that represents the country, how are we going to find out about those arrests?

Police guarding the Ecuadorian Embassy in Mexico City before a demonstration on April 6. Nayeli Cruz

This problem has arisen just as Ecuador is experiencing its second wave of migration in 15 years. The coronavirus pandemic and poor governance have triggered an economic crisis in the South American country, where seven out of 10 people are unemployed or do not have adequate employment. The situation has been aggravated by the security crisis gripping the country. Since 2023, 66,000 people have crossed the dangerous Darien jungle in an attempt to reach the United States. On that route, more than 115,000 Ecuadorians have crossed Mexican territory irregularly since 2022, according to local authorities. Among these people, there are more than 20,000 children and teenagers traveling alone, caught in the networks of human traffickers.

The same questions come up in cases of kidnapping of migrants by organized criminal groups, such as the 95 Ecuadorians targeted in March near Tapachula, a Mexican city in the southern state of Chiapas, on the border with Guatemala. The criminals accosted the buses in which the migrants sought to continue their journey north. Another procedure that would remain in limbo is the repatriation of bodies of people who have died in Mexican territory. Murillo wonders who is going to issue the death certificates and exit permits for the bodies of Ecuadorian citizens. The lawyer explains that to repatriate a corpse, a family member normally grants special power to the consul of that country to make arrangements with the State. Now who will be given that power?

Ecuadors Foreign Ministry later announced that Peru will exercise the consular representation of Ecuador in Mexican territory, according to a press release published on Monday afternoon. The Peruvian Government will support the management and care of Ecuadorians in a vulnerable situation who are in Mexico, the document states without providing further details. The statement said that the 18 offices of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) will also help deal with the requirements of migrants in that country.
More than 75 high school seniors gathered recently at Shelton State Community College and they all left with post-graduation employment plans.

The annual West Alabama Regional Signing Day, organized by West Alabama Works and held May 9, celebrated the students as they officially signed up for jobs or career technical education apprenticeships after high school graduation.

More: Shelton State Community College to establish new health care academy

This year marked the first year the event was held at Shelton State. In previous years, the event was held at the Tuscaloosa Career and Technology Academy.

"It's a tremendous opportunity to showcase our facilities, but also connect students (with) jobs or learning opportunities," said Shelton State's President Jonathan Koh.

"A lot of what we do within our own community is try to build up the workforce and show people that there are lots of pathways," he said.

May 9 2024; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Bama Dining signee Make McNeal dons her chefs hat during the Signing Day for students entering the workforce through the West Alabama Works program at Shelton State.

The ceremony honored the students as they officially signed up for jobs or career technical education apprenticeships after high school graduation.

Employers like Mercedes Auto Tech Program, Skilled Trades of West Alabama, Lear Corp., Schnellecke Logistics, Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Mechatronics, Premier Service Co. and more provided the career opportunities.

"You guys are walking from high school into a career, it blows my minds," said Michele Coley, owner of the Allstate Coley Agency, who served as the event's host.

Coley told the students how incredible it was to secure full-time jobs or apprenticeships with competitive companies right after graduating high school. Coley shared that when she was in college, it was a little more challenging to get employed at competitive companies.

"To get on with Phifer, (Hanna Steel), Premier, DCH, you had to know someone, and they had to be in good standing and they had to refer you to be able to get a job at these prestigious institutions," she said.

Donny Jones, who serves as the West Alabama Works executive director and chief operating officer of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama, previously said the Regional Signing Day event was the conclusion to events such as WOW, WOW mini, WOW Varsity, and WOW 2.0, which are designed to connect students with career opportunities in West Alabama.

"Students that are going to work are just as important as students going to a four-year institution," said Jones during Thursday's ceremony as he thanked the event's sponsors and participating companies.

Some of the honorees earned their job or apprenticeship offers through WOW 2.0, an event for high school seniors that was held April 10 at Shelton State Community College. The event is a continuation of West Alabama Works annual Worlds of Work (WOW) event for eighth-graders. The events help West Alabama students learn about work opportunities in the region.

May 9 2024; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Kavaughn Evans signs with Hunt Refining during the Signing Day for students entering the workforce through the West Alabama Works program at Shelton State.

After the ceremony, students and parents were able to meet with representatives from their future employers.

Kavaughn Evans, a Hale County High School senior accepted an apprenticeship with Hunt Refining Co. and said he's excited to begin working with the company after graduation.

"I'm looking forward to coming in on my first day, putting in hard work and just showing that im a good employee," Evans said.

Many parents and family members cheered on their high school seniors as they signed up for careers and apprenticeships.

Evalette Silvers was there supporting her son, Kameron Prince, who accepted an apprenticeship for MBUSI.

"I'm very excited, I can't wait. He's excited himself and I'm excited for him," Silvers said.

Students from Tuscaloosa City Schools, the Tuscaloosa County School System, along with students from Greene, Bibb, Hale, and Fayette counties were among those honored one-by-one as they signed on the dotted line for apprenticeships or full-time jobs.

Reach Jasmine Hollie at JHollie@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: West Alabama high school seniors sign up for careers, apprenticeships
Where the candidates for West Des Moines' House District 28 stand on the issues

Republican state Rep. David Young is facing a challenge from Republican Chad Brewbaker and Democrat Laura Snider in his bid for a second term in the Iowa House of Representatives.

The three candidates are running in Iowa House District 28, which includes part of West Des Moines, Van Meter and Adel.

To help voters, the Des Moines Register sent questions to all federal and Des Moines area legislative candidates running for political office this year. Their answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

The primary election is scheduled for June 4 ahead of the Nov. 5 general election.

More: Everything you need to know about the June 4 primary election, including voting absentee

Who is incumbent David Young?

David Young

Age: 56

Party: Republican

Where did you grow up: Van Meter and Johnston

Current town of residence: Van Meter

Education: Drake University 1991 graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in English

Occupation: Adjunct professor/Drake University and Iowa state representative

Political experience and civic activities:

U.S. representative/Iowa's 3rd District, 2015-2019

Iowa state representative, 2023-2025

Who is Chad Brewbaker?

Chad Brewbaker

Age: 44

Party: Republican

Where did you grow up: Indianola

Current town of residence: West Des Moines

Education:

Bachelor of Science in math and computer science, Drake University,

Master of Science in computer science, Iowa State University

Occupation: Software engineer

Political experience and civic activities:

Grandson of Sen. Earl Bass of Mills County who served with Gov. Ray

Ron Paul state GOP delegate

Central Iowa Linux User Group member and free software volunteer

Who is Laura Snider?

Laura Snider

Age: 38

Party: Democrat

Where did you grow up: Topeka, Kansas

Current town of residence: West Des Moines

Education: Juris Doctorate, 2009 graduate of Drake University School of Law

Occupation: Attorney/writer

Political experience and civic activities: I have never been involved in politics. I have served on animal shelter boards and a Habitat for Humanity board.

What would be your top issue should you be elected?

Young: I will continue to fight for Iowans to keep more of their hard-earned paychecks by ensuring taxes stay low, increase access to quality and affordable physical and mental health care, and keep Iowa a safe place to live and raise a family.

Brewbaker: Restore honest government. No municipal tax bribes by Apple/Google to abscond from school property tax. Iowa Citizens' Aide will issue report on Wellpath inmate pharmacy fraud/abuse at Polk County Jail from 2016-2022 and ongoing FDIC debit card scam with inmate commissary funds in Dallas/Polk counties. The Judicial Qualifications Commission secretary will be appointed by the House, not the chief justice. Investigate Polk County attorney Kimberly Graham and Soros Signify Home health questionable Medicaid payments for healthy young patients. Split Carlyle Group Sedgwick IACP into separate pools for municipal and county governments  segregation of police and prosecutor pools to remove incentives to misprision felonies.

Snider: Bodily autonomy.

What policies would you support to improve Iowas education system?

Young: Increasing the starting teacher salary to the fifth-highest in the nation and raising pay for paraprofessionals was a big and important win this past session. We also set a minimum salary for 12-year teachers to $62,500. We must continue our work on teacher pay by allocating additional dollars to help with compaction issues, as well as raising pay for additional veteran teachers doing great work for our students.

Brewbaker: Restore local control. You should be able to go to your school board with issues, not an unaccountable state Board of Education. End municipal property tax bribes so schools are fully funded.

Snider: Teacher pay increases. Defunding the voucher program. Funding Area Education Agencies. Funding public schools.

What do you think Iowas tax policy should be? Do you believe the states priority should be on lowering rates or spending on services for Iowans?

Young: I supported a fair and flat income tax of 3.8% for Iowans while ensuring retirement income is not taxed in Iowa. Weve developed responsible budgeting principles that allow us to balance our budgets, keep taxes low, and invest record amounts of funding for education, mental health, public safety, rural broadband, and other important priorities for Iowans. By being responsible with the state budget and promoting economic growth, we can continue to keep taxes low and fund the services Iowans need.

Brewbaker: No property tax bribes for Apple and Microsoft. Flat income tax of 0% on first $50,000 of income and flat tax rate above that.

Snider: Iowa's tax policies should be proportionate to the income of the taxpayer. Corporations should pay their fair share. People are facing rising costs in housing, groceries, and costs in daily necessities. Wages aren't rising to meet those rising costs.

What policies would you support to improve school safety in Iowa?

Young: The past session we passed legislation to lower emergency response times and invest in school safety infrastructure. I led the effort to empower a task force to determine what the gold standard for a school safety building code should be. I would then prioritize investing additional funding to ensure schools reach that gold standard in helping to keep our children and school personnel safe. It's also important we continue to address children's mental health by ensuring access to care and empowering parents with responsible social media laws to protect our children.

Brewbaker: Five gallon bucket of claw hammers to every classroom for "service projects." Airsoft in junior high physical education and rifle in high school PE so kids fear and respect firearms again.

Snider: Readily available mental health and substance abuse treatment for students and their parents. Social media safety courses for students and parents. Student-led school safety boards and parent-led school safety boards. Firearm safety regulations like safe storage statutes and the reinstatement of the previous permit requirements to carry firearms.

What next steps do you believe the Iowa Legislature should take when it comes to abortion?

Young: I am pro-life. I prefer to see the Iowa Supreme Court rule in favor of the bill we passed last year to limit abortions with exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother. Going forward, we must provide support for expecting and new mothers by removing barriers that prevent children from growing up in a loving home with the support they need, such as lowering the cost of adoption.

Brewbaker: Placing mothers who miscarry under criminal investigation is not pro-life; practice of medicine without a license is already illegal. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird's and Gov. Kim Reynolds' Iowa Code 23.2 embezzlement to off campus UIHC chemical abortion clinics needs to stop. We need to raise Iowa's birth rate while keeping the abortion rate as low as possible  there is no silver bullet. State funding for a first child should be considered  we need more having a first child in their early 20s when they are young and healthy.

Snider: The government should not interfere with health care. Pregnancy is a health condition that should be reserved for families and their doctors. The government should not insert itself in medical decisions.

Michaela Ramm covers health care for the Des Moines Register. She can be reached at mramm@registermedia.com, at (319) 339-7354 or on Twitter at @Michaela_Ramm.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Meet the three candidates for West Des Moines' House District 28
Columnist Dink NeSmith opines that the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, EPD, the Public Service Commission (PSC), and the General Assembly and governors have failed to challenge Georgia Power to completely clean up its environmental fiasco. John McCosh/Georgia Recorder

Listen.

Hear it?

What?

That whirring sound.

You thought it was just cicadas, but no.

Its the billing meters of Georgia Powers attorneys and corporate lobbyists trying to figure out how to get around the latest coal-ash edict of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The noise of the invading bugs will soon be over, but the whir of the toxic coal-ash tussle is hitting high gear.

My guess is that our states behemoth electricity provider will spend whatever it takes to avoid doing the right thing. Whats the right thing? The very right thing to do is for Georgia Power to clean up its environmental hazards caused by leaking coal-ash ponds. Most ponds have been drained, but some have not.

Why?

Several years ago, Georgia Power and/or its parent, the Southern Company, lobbied the EPA to allow Georgias Environmental Protection Division (EPD) to govern coal-ash pond rules. Oklahoma and Texas did the same. I dont know about the other two states, but Georgia Power has benefited from home-cooking governance.

The evidence is clear that coal ash contains dangerous heavy metals including arsenic, chromium, lead, lithium, mercury, radium, selenium and others. These pollutants have been linked to cancer, heart and thyroid disease, reproductive failure, and neurological harm.

So why in thunder is there no political pressure to clean up these health and environmental threats?

Its not called Georgia Power for naught. And the answer to the previous question could be found in one or all of these:

Entitlement

Since Georgia Powers founding, the utility has a history of getting what it wants, including favorable rules and handsome profits. Therefore, the past is a good predictor of its entitlement-filled future. My question for Georgias leaders is: Arent all Georgians entitled to clean air, water and soil?

Greed

Not many businesses are guaranteed a profit, but Georgia Power is. Thats the way the system is set up for the state-sanctioned monopoly. Burning coal has put billions of dollars on the companys bottom line. Does greed keep Georgia Power from using an appropriate amount of those billions to clean up its hazards?

Arrogance

Georgia Power is such a good companywith thousands of good peopledoing so many good things. But in this debacle, why does Georgia Power balk at doing the right thing and hang onto a hardheaded public-be-damned attitude? That perceived arrogance makes its slogan, A Citizen Wherever We Serve, merely words with a hollow meaning.

But hold on.

Change could be forthcoming.

The EPA has finally decided to flex its muscles. New federal rules are mandating that all coal-ash ponds must be drained. The toxic industrial waste must be contained in dry, safe storage. No more coal ash leaking and poisoning Georgias groundwater. Good news.

But hold on, again.

Georgia Power may be counting on a Trump card. If elected, the former president promises to pull the EPAs regulatory teeth. His actions and comments have proven that he doesnt care about protecting the environment. Hes asked oil tycoons to raise a billion dollars to put him back in the White House. Enough said.

So, back to that whirring.

The cicada racket is about to end.

But the whirring of the meters of Georgia Powers attorneys and lobbyists will never stop. They will always be trying to finagle environmental laws.

And that will keep my laptops keys whirring for a commitment of commonsense stewardship of our natural resources.

I believe 11 million Georgians deserve that.

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Where is the money? Fund to help victims of KC parade shooting has yet to distribute any of the $2m raised

A charity that raised millions for the victims of the Kansas City shooting has yet to distribute any of the funds.

United Way of Greater Kansas City in Missouri raised nearly $2m in the wake of the Kansas City, Missouri Valentines Day shooting that left one dead and 22 injured. Three months later, local outlet Fox 4 KC reports the organization has yet to disburse anything from the KC Strong fund to victims and their families.

While the organization told Fox 4 KC they have completed the victim verification process to decide who can access the funds, they still have no timeline for distribution.

Police clear the area of the Kansas City shooting on 14 February 2024. A charity that raised funds for the victims has yet to distribute the money now three months later, a local news outlet reports (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

No and the reason for that  is very simple because from the beginning of this we were committed to doing this very right and very justly  so weve had weekly meetings with the Jackson County Prosecutors Office, , Kera Mashek, the Director of Communications for the United Way of Greater Kansas City told Fox 4 KC.

The Independent has contacted United Way of Greater Kansas City for comment.

Victims told the outlet they received claims forms saying they may receive between $10 and $100,000. The United Way has also said some of the money will go to help various groups, though details on that plan have been scarse.

While the United Way doesnt exactly know when the money will go out, officials have promised to keep their word and distribute the money.

Lisa Lopez-Galvan (left) pictured before she was fatally shot on 14 February in Kansas City. She was a mother and beloved radio DJ (Facebook/Lisa Lopez-Galvan)

On 14 February, thousands gathered at Kansas Citys Union Station to celebrate the Kansas City Chiefs, who had just won the Super Bowl. Gunshots broke out during the festivities, causing chaos and terror.

One person was killed: Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a mother of two and beloved local radio DJ.

Beto Lopez, the victims brother, told ABC News at the time that his sister loved her family and had a life-of-the-party personality.

She was dearly loved in this community and gave a lot back, Mr Lopez said.

Another 22 people were injured  and half of those injured were under 16, local officials said at the time. The youngest victim was just eight years old, while the oldest was 47.

Marques Harris was one of those injured. Pastor Timothy Hayes, a spokesperson for his family, told Fox 4 KC that Mr Harris life has totally changed in the wake of the shooting.

He was the first person shot at the parade  so before anybody felt pain, felt a bullet  he felt that agony, Mr Hayes told the outlet.

Not only has he been physically damaged, but hes been mentally damaged, he continued.

Local officials have since charged three adults and three juveniles in connection with the shooting, which police say stemmed from a personal dispute.

Terry Young, pictured in a booking photo, will go to trial next year on charges related to the Kansas City Valentines Day shooting (AP)

Two of the adult suspects  Lyndell Mays and Terry Young  are being held on $1m cash-only bonds.

Earlier this month, a judge declined a bid by Mr Mays, 23, to have his bond lowered, The Kansas City Star reported. One of his relatives reportedly began yelling after leaving the courtroom and was briefly handcuffed until she apologized for the outburst.

Mr Youngs trial has been set for March 2025, according to the outlet.

Meanwhile, the third adult suspect was only booked into jail on 3 May after being hospitalized for injuries sustained during the shooting.

Two of the three juveniles charged are currently undergoing hearings to determine whether they will be charged as adults, according to The Kansas City Star. A decision is expected at the end of the month.

The third juveniles gun-related charges do not rise to the level of being tried as an adult.
A former Australian Army lawyer who leaked classified documents to journalists exposing details of alleged crimes by Australian special forces in Afghanistan has been sentenced to more than five years in prison, a verdict criticized by press freedom advocates, who say it delivers a chilling message to potential whistleblowers.

Cries of shame rang out in the courtroom in the Australian capital Canberra on Tuesday, as Justice David Mossop delivered the sentence to David McBride, in a punishment described by his lawyer as off the charts and a deterrent to anyone who felt motivated to expose wrongdoing.

Anyone whos observed whats happened to McBride will be well advised to shut up, put your head down and get back to the workplace. That was pretty much the tone of the judgement today, lawyer Mark Davies said, adding his client was in total shock at the sentence and would appeal.

Tuesdays sentencing ends a long legal battle between the former army lawyer and Commonwealth prosecutors who pursued charges against McBride over classified defense documents he admitted stealing between May 2014 and December 2015.

McBride gave the material to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), which in 2017 published a seven-part series called The Afghan Files, that detailed a string of alleged war crimes, including the killing of unarmed Afghans by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan.

The ABCs reporting was later vindicated by the findings of an investigation by the Australian Defense Force (ADF) which found credible evidence that members of the Australian Special Air Service (SAS) had committed war crimes in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2013.

Known as the Brereton report, the Afghanistan Inquiry Report found SAS members had in some cases planted throwdowns, or weapons and other material, near the bodies of civilians to suggest they had been lawfully killed. McBride is the first person to be convicted of any criminal charge related to the accusations.

However, during proceedings against McBride, the court heard that he did not bring the documents to the medias attention to highlight the alleged war crimes.

In his ruling, Mossop said McBride had complained that soldiers were being investigated even in circumstances where there was no prospect that they had committed the war crime of murder.

McBride believed soldiers were being targeted for investigation to satisfy political concerns as to the death of civilians.

McBride had planned to argue that he acted out of a sense of duty to the Australian public, but in a previous hearing, Justice Mossop indicated he wouldnt instruct the jury to that effect, so McBride pleaded guilty last November to three charges, including theft of Commonwealth property and breaching the Defense Act.

In his ruling, Mossop acknowledged McBride had not acted for financial gain or to assist Australias adversaries but wrote the offender has no remorse and still considers that he did the right thing.

Selfconfident people with strong opinions who are subject to legal duties not to disclose information must be deterred from making disclosures in order to advance their own opinions, Mossop wrote.

They must know that breaching their legal obligations to maintain the confidentiality which they have undertaken to protect will be met by significant punishment. That is particularly so when that information is secret and its disclosure has the potential to harm Australias national security, the judge added.

Supporters react

McBrides supporters had appealed to the Australian attorney general to drop the charges and reacted angrily on Tuesday to his sentence.

Kieran Pender, acting legal director of the Human Rights Law Centre, called it a dark day for democracy and one that sent a chilling message to potential whistleblowers.

David McBride leaked documents to our national broadcaster which contained credible evidence of war crimes committed by Australian forces in Afghanistan. That information is obviously in the public interest, I dont think anyone can deny that, he said.

Pender and others pointed out that no one had yet been prosecuted over Australias alleged war crimes in Afghanistan  except the man who had brought it to the countrys attention.

Will the next David McBride speak up about wrongdoing when they see that this is the outcome? he asked.

Peter Greste, a journalist, author and fierce defender of press freedom, said he found the imprisonment of a whistleblower to be seriously troubling.

He said he thought it would have a very serious chilling effect on whistleblowing, with implications for press freedom.

Journalists are supposed to be a conduit for this sort of thing, said Greste, who was released by Egypt in 2015 after spending 13 months in prison on accusations he produced false news to defame the country.

Its part of the democratic system that sources with evidence of wrongdoing in governments, when internal mechanisms fail, can go to journalists and give them the information they need to expose these stories and still have their identities protected, he said. This undermines that principle to a serious and profound extent. Im very worried about that.

David ought to be treated as a hero, not as a villain, Greste added.

Australian Federal Police officers raided the ABC offices in Sydney in 2019 seeking documents as they pursued potential charges against the journalists behind the story.

But ultimately no charges were laid. The ABC declined to comment on McBrides sentencing. If the sentence is upheld, hell serve a non-parole period of 27 months in prison until August 2026.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declined to comment on the sentence due to the prospect of an appeal.

Im not going to say anything here that interferes with a matter that is quite clearly going to continue to be before the courts, he said in parliament Tuesday.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said, The decision to prosecute David McBride, and the conduct of that prosecution, was the responsibility of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.

The CDPP is independent of the Government of the day  a very important feature of our criminal justice system, he added.

The Australian Federal Police is working with the Office of the Special Investigator (OSI) to investigate potential charges.

Last year, a man in New South Wales was charged with murder, in the first war crime charge against a serving or former ADF member under Australian law, according to the AFP.

This story has been updated to clarify that the ADF inquiry began before the ABCs reporting of The Afghan Files.

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Whistleblower Robert Kroutil poses for a photo Monday, May 13, 2024, in Olathe, Kan. Kroutil, who worked supporting an EPA program to collect aerial data, is questioning the agency's efforts to collect data with a specialized airplane after a 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

The U.S. government has a specialized plane loaded with advanced sensors that officials brag is always ready to deploy within an hour of any kind of chemical disaster. But the plane didnt fly over eastern Ohio until four days after the disastrous Norfolk Southern derailment there last year.

A whistleblower told The Associated Press that the Environmental Protection Agency's ASPECT plane could have provided crucial data about the chemicals spewing into the air around East Palestine as the wreckage burned and forced people from their homes.

The man who wrote the software and helped interpret the data from the advanced radiological and infrared sensors on the plane said it also could have helped officials realize it wasn't necessary to blow open five tank cars and burn the vinyl chloride inside because the plane's sensors could have detected the cars' temperatures more accurately than the responders on the ground who were having trouble safely getting close enough to check.

But the single-engine Cessna cargo plane didn't fly over the train crash until a day after the controversial vent-and-burn action created a huge plume of black smoke over the entire area near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border.

Robert Kroutil said even when the plane did fly, it only gathered incomplete data. Then, when officials later realized some of the shortcomings of the mission, they asked the company Kroutil worked for, Kalman & Company, to draft plans for the flight and backdate them so they would look good if they turned up in a public records request, Kroutil said.

Kroutil said his team labeled the mission inconclusive because only eight minutes of data was recorded in the two flights and the plane's chemical sensors were turned off over the creeks. But he said EPA managers changed their report to declare the vent-and-burn successful because the plane found so few chemicals when it eventually did fly.

We could tell the data provided from the ASPECT planes two East Palestine flights on February 7 was incomplete and irregular. We had no confidence in the data. We could not trust it, Kroutil said.

The revelations about the use of the ASPECT plane in the aftermath of the worst rail disaster in a decade raise new questions about the effectiveness of the whole-of-government response in East Palestine the Biden administration touts.

The Government Accountability Project that represents Kroutil and has been critical of EPA's response in East Palestine sent a sworn affidavit detailing his concerns to the EPA inspector general Tuesday and requested a formal investigation. The group provided a copy of the affidavit and Kroutil agreed to an interview with the AP ahead of time.

Ohio U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, who has tried unsuccessfully to pass rail safety reforms ever since the derailment, said the agency should take these concerns seriously.

These are disturbing allegations and EPA must thoroughly investigate this incident," Brown said. "EPA needs to immediately release more details surrounding this incident  they at least owe that to the people in East Palestine.

In a statement Tuesday, the EPA said it didn't even request the plane until Feb. 5  two days after the derailment  and it arrived in Pittsburgh late that day from its base in Texas. Due to icing conditions, the flight crew decided it wasn't safe to fly it on the day of the vent-and-burn, but it's unclear why the plane didn't make a pass over the derailment on its way into the area. EPA Response Coordinator Mark Durno has also said he believes the agency had enough sensors on the ground to effectively monitor the air and water as the derailed cars burned.

The agency said its air monitoring readings were below detection levels for most contaminants, except for particulate matter in the first two days after the derailment and air monitoring did not detect chemical contaminants at levels of concern in the hours following the controlled burn. Officials say data gleaned from more than 115 million readings since then doesn't show any sustained chemicals of concern in the air.

But many residents of the town who still complain of respiratory problems and unexplained rashes while worrying about the possibility of developing cancer have doubts about the EPA's assurances that their town and the creeks that run through it are safe. More than 177,000 tons of soil and over 67 million gallons of wastewater have been hauled away as part of the ongoing cleanup that's cost the railroad more than $1 billion.

The head of the NTSB has said her agency's investigation determined the vent-and-burn wasn't necessary because the tank cars were actually starting to cool off, confirming that a dangerous reaction wasnt happening inside them  something the chemical company had tried to tell officials. But the people who made the decision to blow open those tank cars said they were never told what OxyVinyls' experts determined. Instead, they heard only about the fears the tank cars might explode.

The EPA said the ASPECT plane's flights in East Palestine were consistent with past missions and the plane gathered the requested information, but that doesn't match Kroutil's experience.

The East Palestine derailment was the oddest response I ever observed with the ASPECT program in over two decades with the program, said Kroutil, who helped develop the program when he worked for the Defense Department after the 9/11 attacks demonstrated the need for such airborne monitoring over New York.

Kroutil said he retired in frustration in January and wants to share his concerns about the East Palestine mission. He said this incident was handled differently than the 180 other times the plane has been deployed since 2001.

You want to fly over a train derailment in the first five to 10 hours after the incident and while the fires are still burning. It is really advantageous if you have a plume. That big black plume ... is when you want to get in and collect data," Kroutil said. "The EPA ASPECT airplane should have made passes over the derailment site right away but certainly before the vent-and-burn. I think they chose not to know.

Kroutils former boss, Rick Turville, is the program manager for the ASPECT plane data interpretation at Kalman. He said he trusts Kroutil completely because he is one of the worlds preeminent experts in spectroscopy and he shares Kroutil's frustration about the plane not flying sooner.

These kind of fires or refinery fires, fertilizer plant explosions, they dont happen often, Turville said. But when they do, you got to be there and you got to be there quick. And thats how you save lives.

Fortunately, no one died in East Palestine but thousands of lives were upended after the derailment and the worries about future health problems wont go away.

The EPA manager in charge of the program, Paige Delgado, didnt immediately respond to an email sent to her Monday with questions about her actions.

Kroutil said he heard Delgado order the planes operator during the mission to shut down the chemical sensors when it flew over the creeks in East Palestine even though officials were concerned about chemicals reaching those waterways, potentially fouling drinking water supplies downstream on the Ohio River. Kroutil said his satellite link to the planes instruments confirmed those sensors were turned off.

The EPAs official report on the two East Palestine flights describes pictures the plane took over Little Beaver Creek after a problem with its aerial camera was fixed, but it doesnt mention Sulphur Run that flows right next to the derailment site or the bigger Leslie Run creek that flows through town.
White House: If 'foreign agents' bill passes, US will be compelled to 'reassess' relationship with Georgia

If Tbilisi's proposed "foreign agents" bill is ultimately approved by Georgia's parliament, the U.S. would be compelled "to fundamentally reassess" its relationship with Georgia, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on May 14.

"We are deeply troubled by Georgia's Kremlin-style foreign agents legislation," Karine Jean-Pierre said in a press briefing. "(The United States) has been outspoken about our concerns with the legislation which runs counter to democratic values and would move Georgia away from the values of the European Union and also NATO."

Georgia's parliament passed the controversial "foreign agents" bill in its third and final reading on May 14.

Georgia's pro-Western President Salome Zourabichvili previously said she would veto the bill. Although the ruling Georgian Dream likely has enough votes in parliament to override the veto, allowing it to be signed by the legislature's chairman instead.

The bill requires organizations that receive foreign funding to be labeled as "foreign agents," prompting fears that this would help the government stifle domestic opposition and civil society.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Jim OBrien echoed comments made by the White House on May 14, stating that "there would be consequences if the law is implemented as it now stands.

"Some of the recent speeches here (in Georgia) and the actions of the Parliament made us wonder if our strategic interests are shared by the government," OBrien added.

The proposed law has been heavily criticized by Western allies. The European Parliament overwhelmingly supported a resolution on April 25 condemning Georgia's controversial "foreign agents" law, emphasizing that "EU accession negotiations should not be opened as long as this law is part of Georgias legal order."

Attempts to pass the legislations have resulted in a month of mass protest as well as accusations of violent crackdown on anti-government protesters.

Police have been witnessed violently attacking demonstrators with tear gas, water cannons, and rubber bullets. Many protestors were also beaten by masked officers in scenes that were captured on video and widely spread on social media.

The law, backed by the ruling Georgian Dream party, mirrors repressive Russian legislation used to crack down on Kremlin regime critics, earning it the nickname "Russian law" by its opponents.

Read also: Explainer: Whats behind ongoing protests in Georgia?

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Recorded earlier

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is delivering a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon.

The Biden administration has continued to urge Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against a major ground operation into the southern Gaza community of Rafah. But the Israeli war cabinet has given no indication that its plans will change as a direct result of pressure from the U.S.

Several Republicans, such as Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.), have so far been largely in agreement with the White Houses approach to support for Israel post-Oct. 7. But Graham and others are now calling for President Biden to change course on a pause in shipments of some large munitions pending guarantees for the safety of Palestinian civilians.

The briefing is scheduled to start at 12:45 p.m. EDT.

Watch the live video above.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
WASHINGTON  A senior White House official met with a small group of students and faculty at Morehouse College on Friday, amid some objections on campus to having President Joe Biden deliver the commencement address there this weekend, according to a White House official and a Morehouse administration official.

During the meeting with Steve Benjamin, who heads the White House Office of Public Engagement, some of the students expressed concerns about Biden overshadowing their graduation, the White House official said. The official added that some students were worried in particular about the controversy surrounding Bidens policy toward Israel and his handling of the war in the Gaza Strip taking center stage at Sundays ceremony.

They also told Benjamin they do not want to hear a campaign speech, the White House official said. Benjamin, in turn, tried to assure the students that Bidens appearance at their graduation would focus on celebrating their accomplishments and his hopes for their futures.

The previously unreported details of the meeting highlight the challenge college commencement season has become for Biden and other top administration officials as protests against Israels war in Gaza have taken shape on campuses across the country. Biden is scheduled to deliver two commencement addresses  one at Morehouse College on Sunday and another at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on May 25.

The presidents Morehouse visit comes as his re-election campaign is trying to win over young and Black voters, particularly in battleground states like Georgia, as polling shows his support from those constituencies has softened since 2020.

Nine students and faculty members attended the meeting, which the Morehouse official said was scheduled for 90 minutes but lasted more than two hours. The official said the group represented a range of views on the colleges decision to have Biden deliver its 2024 commencement address  from those who are looking forward to Bidens address to others who have concerns or oppose the decision. The official called it a fair representation of all voices and opinions.

Everyone was given the freedom to speak to exactly the way they feel, the Morehouse official said.

The New York Times first reported that Fridays meeting took place.

Since Morehouse College announced last month that Biden would deliver its commencement address, some students and faculty members have raised concerns and apprehension about Biden delivering the address, though the school has not seen the large protests that have played out on other college campuses.

The Morehouse official said Fridays meeting was scheduled before the commencement speaker announcement in anticipation of the backlash from some students and faculty members.

Both the White House and Morehouse officials characterized Fridays meeting as productive.

The White House official said Benjamin spoke to the group about the work the Biden administration believes it has done to benefit college students and Black communities around the country.

The official said Benjamin brought students thoughts back to the White House, though conceded it was unclear if the meeting had changed any of the participants minds. Morehouse declined to share the names of any of the attendees.

Aaron Gilchrist reported from Washington, and Nnamdi Egwuonwu from Atlanta.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Opinion articles written in the style of their author. These texts are to be based on verified facts and must be respectful towards people, even though their actions may be criticized. All opinion articles written by individuals from outside the staff of EL PAIS shall feature, along with the authors name (regardless of their greater or lesser renown), a footer stating their office, academic title, political affiliation (if any) and main occupation, or the occupation related to the topic being assessed

Last year, global military spending surged by nearly 7%, marking the largest increase since 2008, according to researchers at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Collectively, governments expended over $2.4 trillion on military personnel, equipment and weaponry. That is 2.4 million times a million dollars.

There are so many better uses for resources on this scale. Globally, nations spend nine times more on military endeavors than on combating hunger. Indeed, global military expenditures are approaching the $2.5-$3 trillion that the United Nations estimates would be necessary to achieve all of the Sustainable Development Goals. These goals include eradicating hunger and providing electricity, sanitation, health and education services to everyone worldwide. We might have achieved all that, but we didnt, because we spent the money on weapons instead.

The peace dividend so warmly welcomed in the 1990s following the end of the Cold War, with the collapse of the Soviet Union reducing the need for arms spending, seems a distant memory. Instead, following Russias invasion of Ukraine and in response to a recalcitrant and irredentist China, global powers have redirected resources towards military efforts that could have improved the lives of hundreds of millions.

This trend is global. Each of the worlds 10 major powers significantly increased their military budgets in 2023. Russias military spending grew by 24%, totaling 13 times the budget of the U.N. World Food Programme, which assists those on the brink of famine. Ukraine, for its part, boosted its military spending by 51% to $65 billion, three times the budget that UNICEF allocates to the worlds most deprived children.

It is no surprise that countries in the middle of a shooting war are ramping up their military budgets. However, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has had global repercussions, prompting governments everywhere to also arm themselves. Meanwhile, the United States also increased its expenditure to an astonishing $916 billion, accounting for 38% of the worlds total military spending.

Chinas military spending, though still less than a third of Americas at just $296 billion  equivalent to 70 times the global expenditure on malaria control  is nonetheless increasing rapidly, at a rate of 6% per year compared to 2.4% in the U.S. The military gap between these two leading powers is narrowing annually. What might happen when it closes altogether, nobody can tell.

Many argue that this arms race became inevitable the day Vladimir Putin decided to destabilize Europe by invading Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron vigorously maintains that, given the Russian threat, Europe cannot continue to rely solely on a Washington increasingly pivoting to the Pacific in response to Chinas strong geopolitical ambitions.

Even modest military powers are increasing their military budgets. Spain, for example, increased its defense spending by $2 billion last year  a sum similar to what the entire world has pledged to alleviate the humanitarian crisis caused by the Civil War in Sudan.

Countries that were forced into pacifism after losing World War II are now actively preparing for potential armed conflict. Japan, for instance, is rapidly increasing its military budget and is projected to become the third-largest military power by 2027. Germany has made a drastic shift in its military policy, purchasing an expensive fleet of F35 fighter jets and advanced digital command-and-control systems.

In a more dangerous world, it is natural for governments to feel strong pressure to arm themselves, yet it remains a tragedy. One reason for the extraordinary economic and social success of Japan and Germany post-1945 is that these countries were barred from wasting scarce resources on their armed forces, allowing them to instead strengthen their economies and societies.

Justified or not, needed or not, this arms race makes us all poorer.

@moisesnaim




White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan plans to travel to Saudi Arabia and Israel this weekend, a U.S. official said on Tuesday as Israeli tanks pushed deeper into eastern Rafah, stoking fears of additional civilian deaths.

Additional details on his trip were not available.

The visit would come as the United States continues to press Israel to hold off on a major military ground incursion into Rafah, one of the border crossings in Gaza where more than a million people had been sheltering.

The Biden administration and the Israeli government have reached an understanding that any operation in the refugee-packed city would not be "significantly expanded" before Sullivan's visit, Axios reported Tuesday, citing a senior U.S. official.

U.S. and Israeli officials were scheduled to hold additional in-person discussions on Rafah but weeks have past without a new date being set.

Israel's international allies and aid groups have repeatedly warned against a major ground incursion into refugee-packed Rafah, where Israel says four Hamas battalions are holed up.

"We're going to continue to have conversations obviously with the Israeli government," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a briefing.

"Those conversations continue and they have been constructive," she said, noting Sullivan said this week he expects in-person conversations to happen in the upcoming days.

(Reporting by Steve Holland; writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Eric Beech)
Why are flags flying at half-staff in Wisconsin on Tuesday?

As you go about your day today, you may notice American and State of Wisconsin flags flying at half-staff today around the state.

This gesture honors Hmong-Lao veterans who fought alongside the United States in the Vietnam War.

Here's what to know.

Why are the flags at half-staff in Wisconsin today?

Gov. Tony Evers signed Executive Order #224, ordering American flags and the Wisconsin state flag to be flown at half-staff on Tuesday, May 14, in honor of Hmong-Lao Veterans Day.

The American Flag flies at half staff at Milwaukee City Hall in Milwaukee on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022.

Evers designated May 14 as Hmong-Lao Veterans Day in 2021 as a way to honor and recognize the Hmong veterans who contributed to U.S. military efforts in the Vietnam War. The CIA recruited Hmong people in neighboring Laos to fight the North Vietnamese Army and communist Pathet Lao forces in the "Secret War" in Laos.

Many Hmong-Lao soldiers faced violence and persecution from the Vietnamese and Lao governments following the war and were forced to leave their homes. May 14, 1975, was the last day of airlift evacuation of remaining Hmong-Lao soldiers and their families from Long Tieng, Laos, to the Nam Phong refugee camp in Thailand, a release from Evers states. Many later resettled in U.S. communities, including in Wisconsin. Wisconsin is now home to the third-largest Hmong population in the country, according to the release.

"Hmong-Lao veterans bravely and selflessly fought side-by-side with U.S. troops during the Vietnam War with many ultimately facing harsh retribution for doing so, including being forced to flee their homelands. These veterans are an important part of our state's story and our history," Evers said in a statement.

Evers has proclaimed May 14 as Hmong-Lao Veterans Day in Wisconsin each year since assuming office in 2019. The 2021 Wisconsin Act 31 requires the governor to annually issue a proclamation for the day's observance. This includes ordering flags to be flown at half-staff, requesting the day be used to recall veterans' accomplishments and thank them for their service, and encouraging schools to discuss Hmong military service in support of the U.S.

How long will the flags be at half-staff?

Flags will fly at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Tuesday, May 14, per Evers' Executive Order #224.

Frank Brah of Milwaukee lowers the flag at his home to half-staff on Nov. 22, 1963, after the death of President John F. Kennedy was announced. This photo was published in the Nov. 23, 1963, Milwaukee Sentinel.

Where do flags fly at half-staff?

Evers ordered that, on May 14, the American flag and the Wisconsin state flag fly at half-staff at all buildings, grounds and military installations belonging to the State of Wisconsin.

Why do flags fly at half-staff?

"The United States flag flies at half-staff or at half-mast when the nation or a state is in mourning," USA.gov says. "The president, a state governor, or the mayor of the District of Columbia can order flags to fly at half-staff."

Most often, it marks:

The death of a government official, military member or first responder.

A national tragedy.

Memorial Day or another national day of remembrance.

More: Sheboygan South High students to honor Hmong veterans, culture with community presentation

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Why are flags at half-staff in Wisconsin on May 14, 2024?
Why flags will be lowered on Wednesday

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW)  On Wednesday, the American flag will be flown from sunup to sundown at half-staff to honor Peace Officers Memorial Day.

It is one of two days in which federal law requires American flags be lowered to half-staff. The other is Memorial Day.

Peace Officers Memorial Day is on May 15 each year. It is set aside to honor local, state and federal peace officers who have died or been disabled in the line of duty.

On Peace Officers Memorial Day and during Police Week, we recognize the incredible courage of our Nations police officers and honor the fallen heroes, whose ultimate sacrifice we can never repay, the White House said in a proclamation statement.

Mother drowns after incident in Cowley County creek

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said in a press release that peace officers put their lives on the line daily to serve our communities.

Peace Officers Memorial Day serves as a time to recognize their sacrifices. Their courage and commitment will never be forgotten, she said.

Memorial Day, which honors U.S. military personnel who have died while serving, will be observed on May 27.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
A new Texas social media law promises to protect minors, while Mississippi lawmakers are aiming at preventing content deemed harmful to minors. A bill in Congress, meanwhile, promises online safety for kids.

Measures to allegedly protect young people will lead to censoring large parts of the Internet, including LGBTQ+ content and information about gender identity, abortion, and trans support. They will be used to justify email surveillance and online speech filtering. These measures are part of the same siege that is already depriving women, LGBTQ+ people, young people, and other vulnerable groups of their fundamental rights to free speech, expression, and assembly, to name a few.

Around the world, a dangerous, discriminatory pattern has emerged in which the powerful are surveilling and seizing control of more aspects of peoples lives.

Im on the frontlines to protect our online privacy and access to information for communities and individuals. I believe efforts to break encryption, restrict young peoples access to social media, and monitor online activity and communications in the name of protection are part of a trend perpetrated by lawmakers and organized groups with political agendas who seek to control and silence the marginalized. Worse, theyre set on portraying and treating people whose sexual identity, race, and gender they consider non-normative as unacceptable and dangerous.

The Heritage Foundation has stated outright that it will use bills like the federal Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) to [keep] trans content away from kids. And KOSA sponsor Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee has stated that kids need to be protected from the transgender [sic] in this culture and referred to education about race discrimination as being dangerous for kids.

We must send a loud and clear message to those behind these efforts: We know what lawmakers are trying to do, and we citizens will fight on the local, state, and federal levels to protect the targeted groups.

Attacks on privacy today are fundamentally connected with attacks on abortion, gender nonconformity, and trans healthcare, arising from the same underlying drive to maintain strict social control.

Take KOSA, a censorship bill lawmakers in Washington are teeing up for a vote after it failed to gain traction for the past two years. The bill would increase surveillance and restrict access to information in the name of protecting children online. The bill holds platforms liable if their designs and services do not prevent and mitigate a list of societal ills: anxiety, depression, eating disorders, substance use disorders, physical violence, and sexual exploitation and abuse. But who gets to decide what designs or services lead to these harms under the bill?

kids on electronic devices ipad cell phone breakfast table Upholding privacy connected world OPED Erica Portnoy

Shutterstock

At the state level, Utah, Arkansas, and Texas already have enacted laws requiring parental approval to create social media accounts; Utahs law, for example, will ban 17-year-olds from checking Wikipedia after 10:30 pm. In addition, Utah parents must have a copy of the childs password. In Texas, the law comes with additional content filtering requirements, including content considered grooming, which has notably been used to limit or remove queer content.

In just a few decades, the Internet has changed the world by allowing ideas and information to flow quickly and easily. While its possible to ban books and restrict education about sex, LGBTQ+ rights, and racial inequities locally, the Internet allows access to ideas beyond the control of school boards, politicians, and parents. This is why uncensored online access threatens those seeking to maintain power.

The drive to control access to the Internet mirrors horrific public policy and legislative measures threatening the lives of LGBTQ+ people. Weve seen proposals and laws banning gender-affirming care and criminalizing the doctors who provide it, banning drag in public, and investigating parents who provide care for their trans kids as child abusers. These are often the same groups leading the movement to rob women of autonomy over their own bodies, like Alliance Defending Freedom and the misleadingly named American College of Pediatricians.

Limiting access to online information is just part of their plan. Those set on gaining total control see spying on private messages, including encrypted communications, as fair game because they also might harbor content deemed dangerous to children or society.

Past attempts by the U.S. to break encryption, which keeps our private communications from being intercepted by law enforcement, criminals, and governments, led to legal cases that won in favor of privacy protection. Now, authorities usually cant openly say they want a backdoor into encryption. Instead, they use the best excuse at handwhich today means focusing on stopping the flow of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Child exploitation is a serious problem, but even carefully thought-out and narrowly scoped backdoors are still backdoors that can be abused. And its impossible to build a scanning system that can only be used for CSAM. Once the backdoors are in place, abortion and LGBTQ+ content can be flagged in private messages not just by local authorities in the U.S. but by governments in countries that have criminalized being gay.

That hasnt deterred lawmakers here or elsewhere. The United Kingdoms Online Safety Act mandates screening all content, including encrypted messages. Soon, websites must proactively scan for harmful content. In the U.S., the EARN IT Act and the STOP CSAM Act propose similar ideas. Under both, encryption could be introduced as evidence that website hosts or internet providers are actively facilitating illegal material. The sponsors of these bills undoubtedly intend to scan user messages, photos, and files.

All these bills would mandate scanning for existing CSAM on the premise that this scanning is at least theoretically possible, but todays scanning technology barely works. A Facebook study found that 75% of the messages flagged by its scanning system to detect CSAM were not malicious and included messages like bad jokes and memes. In 2020, Irish police received 4,192 reports from the U.S. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; only 20 percent were confirmed as actual CSAM.

A 2022 New York Times report about fathers falsely flagged as child abusers because they sent medical pictures of their kids to pediatricians demonstrates how such false positives can have lasting effects. Despite being cleared of wrongdoing by local police, Google deleted their accounts, stood by the failed AI system that flagged them, and defended their opaque human review processlikely because companies cant afford to risk being seen as soft on the issue.

Nearly all cases of child sexual abuse are perpetrated by someone the child already knows. Suppose those attacking encryption are knowledgeable about the most prevalent abuse situations and sincerely want to stop the abuse. In that case, they should focus on issues like abuse happening at home and by attackers the child knows. Assuming they are, in fact, adequately informed, one is left to question whether there are other privacy-invasive reasons to roll back or severely limit encryption.

pandemic zoom new years eve party people connecting digitally Upholding privacy connected world OPED Erica Portnoy

Shutterstock

The Internet provides access to knowledge and learning. It allows young and old to connect with friends, show their creative side, get support, and feel accepted. Finding that sort of community is even more critical for kids who are marginalized or unwelcome in their daily lives. However, research shows that pervasive surveillance and control has a chilling effect. The vast majority of 8,000 teenagers in 13 EU countries surveyed by European Digital Rights said they would not feel comfortable being politically active or exploring their sexuality if authorities were monitoring their digital communication.

This is not acceptable, and its dangerous. Its naive to think lawmakers wont seek to apply restrictions to broader varieties of content. And when a government considers trans healthcare as child abuse or drag as a step towards pedophilia, they will have no qualms about mandating bans and scans as well.

We must recognize and fight legislation pushing us to give up our power, privacy, and control over our health care and free expression. Many battles are being fought, and none are easy, but we must act.

By speaking up now, we can and will protect our ability to speak freely and share knowledge about LGBTQ+, gender, race, and abortion rights, preserving the right to privacy for vulnerable communities.

Erica Portnoy is a San Francisco-based senior staff technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, where she works to defend and explain encryption and develop free, open-source software that makes websites safer and more secure against attacks by cyber criminals and repressive governments.

Want to share an opinion on an issue? Have an inspiring personal story to tell? Learn more by visiting advocate.com/submit.

Views expressed in The Advocates opinion articles are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the views of The Advocate or our parent company, equalpride.
Why is land being cleared at Daytona Beach International Airport? We've got the answer

DAYTONA BEACH  Land is currently being cleared on what was previously an unused grass field along the northside of the Bellevue Avenue Extension at Daytona Beach International Airport.

What's it all about?

It's a project to prepare some of the hundreds of acres of unused land the airport owns south of its runways and taxiways for potential future aviation/airline-related commercial development, according to Cyrus Callum, Volusia County's director of economic and aviation resources.

"We are bringing approximately 54 acres up to be shovel-ready for development opportunities," said Callum, whose department includes the airport.

A construction worker prepares to flag traffic to halt to let construction vehicles cross the Bellevue Avenue Extension at Daytona Beach International Airport on Friday, May 10, 2024. The airport is clearing 54 acres along the north side of the road, south of the control tower, for future aviation/airline-related commercial development, thanks to a $5 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.

Where is the site located?

The site of the currently unnamed project is located where the Bellevue Avenue Extension bends south and east, directly east of Daytona International Speedway, south of the airport's control tower.

It's also located just east of the new five-story Amazon robotics fulfillment center that is nearing completion and is expected to open later this year.

While the project site is on the north side of the Bellevue Avenue Extension, a portion of land is also being cleared on the south side to provide storm-water runoff "to create more developable land on the actual parcel," said Callum.

Land is being cleared along the north side of the Bellevue Avenue Extension at Daytona Beach International Airport east of Daytona International Speedway (visible in the distance) on Friday, May 10, 2024. The 54 acres, which previously was just a grass field, is being prepared for future aviation/airline-related commercial development, thanks to a $5 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.

Who is the general contractor?

Halifax Paving Inc.

Who is the land being cleared for?

The airport does not have actual tenants lined up yet for the project, but "We've been approached by a number of interested developers," said Callum.

The airport plans to soon issue a "request for proposals" to help it evaluate the "highest and best use," he added.

Does the airport have a preference?

Yes, said Callum, who added, "I want it to be an aeronautical service provider ... like a maintenance, repair and overhaul facility (for aircraft), hangars and facilities like that.

"We are meeting with eight airlines in a couple of weeks to explore a number of opportunities."

Could it lead to airline service to new destinations?

Possibly.

"My vision is to market for a maintenance or cargo facility, which will ultimately support new (passenger) carriers," said Callum. "They (the new facilities) will also bring down the costs to operate the airport, which also makes it attractive for air service development."

Cyrus Callum, Volusia County's director of aviation and economic resources, points out the future site of the planned Amazon robotics fulfillment center directly south of Daytona Beach International Airport and Daytona International Speedway on Dec. 3, 2021.

How is the project being funded?

The project is being paid for out of a $5 million grant the airport received in 2021 from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The money was specifically designated to be used for the development of airport land, according to Callum.

Runway edge lighting project also underway

The site work for the anticipated future commercial development is happening while another separately funded construction project is underway at the airport: the replacement of the primary runway's existing incandescent lights with LED lights.

The project began May 6 and is expected to take 30 days to complete.

"The runway edge lighting project has a relatively short construction period, but will have long-lasting positive impacts for airport safety," said Airport Director Karen Feaster in a news release. "This upgrade will vastly enhance airfield safety and reliability while concurrently reducing the required labor hours to maintain the current system."

The Federal Aviation Administration is footing 90% of the lighting project's costs. The remaining 10% is coming from the Florida Department of Transportation.

The closure of the airport's main runway during construction is causing a temporary change in flight patterns with an increase in north-south flight traffic.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Why is land being cleared at Daytona airport? We've got the answer
CHICAGO  Summer is quickly approaching and while barbecues and cookouts are a seasonal staple, there is one fan favorite that could land you in some hot water.

On Wednesday, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) reminded the public that it is illegal to import and possess live red swamp crayfish, which are also known as crawfish, or Louisiana crawfish.

While the rule may seem oddly specific, IDNR officials say it was put in place in an effort to prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance species.

Illinois ranks as most normal state in the U.S., according to new study

The unwelcome crustaceans, which are often used for live crawfish boils or as bait by fishermen, are highly invasive and have the potential to harm the environment if released.

Red swamp crayfish compete aggressively with native species for food and habitat, and theyve been known to cause structural damage to property. In fact, they are considered one of the most invasive species of crayfish in the world, Illinois Conservation Police Officer Brandon Fehrenbacher, who oversees the IDNR Office of Law Enforcement Invasive Species Unit, said in a news release.

According to the IDNR, red swamp crayfish are known to burrow into the soil that surrounds dams, irrigation systems, and levees, which can eventually lead to severe structural damage.

Territorial red swamp crayfish are also known to destroy the nesting and nursery grounds of various aquatic species, compete with other fish and crayfish species for food and other resources, and prey on the eggs of other aquatic life.

Illinois is not the only state with a similar ban, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan all prevent the sale and possession or the crayfish for the same reasons.

What are Chicagos most Instagram-able landmarks and locations?

Residents or businesses who import, sell or possess live crawfish in Illinois could end up facing penalties that range from a fine of $195 to a Class 3 felony with fines and restitution reaching into the tens of thousands of dollars.

But dont cancel that summer crawfish boil just yet, Illinois residents can order or import frozen or steamed crawfish without penalty.

A small handful of native crayfish species are approved by the IDNR. The four native species, which include White River crayfish, paper shell crayfish, northern crayfish, and devil crayfish are all legal to import and possess alive, but they are not often used by the food industry.

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This is part of How Originalism Ate the Law, a Slate series about the legal theory that ruined everything.

Originalism is now the dominant approach to constitutional interpretation for the Republican appointees to the Supreme Court, at least when originalism suits the ideological agenda of the modern Republican Party. In doing this, the Republican-appointed supermajority has effectively turned the Constitution into an Etch-A-Sketch, the popular childrens toy that makes it easy to erase and insert whatever the user dreams up. Sections of the Constitutionin fact, some individual clauses of the Constitutionhave been supersized by originalists, while others have been effectively erased.

An illustrative example is the Second Amendment: The preamble, affirming that the amendments purpose is to further the goal of a well-regulated militia, has been effectively erased, while the latter part of the amendment, affirming that the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, has been enlarged and effectively rewritten to read that just about everyone in America has the right to carry guns in public no matter what. For originalists, the First Amendment and the Second Amendment are cut from the same cloth. The only problem with this claim is that the texts share little in common. That the amendments original authors did not view the terms abridge and infringe as synonyms (the former meaning to reduce and the latter meaning to transgress) is just one of the many sleight-of-hand tricks originalists have used to rewrite the Constitution to suit their ideological preferences. Critiques of originalism are now legion. But what has not drawn much attention is the vast ecosystem created by originalists to weaponize and deploy their faux historical method to advance the goals of the modern Republican Party. The creation of a vast and sprawling originalist industrial complex is one of most the most impressive and alarming changes in American law over the past generation.

The originalist industrial complex includes far more than the Federalist Society, the right-wing fraternity, funder, and employment agency for those eager to advance the legal and political goals of the modern Republican Party. What has flown below the radar is the weaponization of originalism by a small number of academic centers that package, market, and provide an array of custom concierge surfaces for would-be originalists.

One example is the Claremont Institutes John Marshall Fellowship program, which targets future judicial clerks. Participants in these seminars have the chance to study with John Yoo, author of the war on terrors torture memo, and John Eastman, the primary legal architect of the Jan. 6 insurrection. The mission of the fellowship is to spread the gospel of originalism, according to the website: The John Marshall Fellowship Program is intended for prospective clerks and legal scholars who will have opportunities to educate the judges and Justices with whom they work, and the legal community at large.

The Federalist Societys rise to dominance has had the side effect of dismantling all rivals to originalism, meaning that nearly all other forms of serious conservative constitutional thought have suffered. There are now few champions of old-fashioned judicial minimalism or restraint left in the legal academy. What does that mean practically? Elite law schools must now hire originalists to prove their ideological diversity. Thus, the only form of affirmative action left in the legal academy is hiring originalists at elite law schools.

Georgetown Laws Center for the Constitution runs an originalist boot camp that exists to train the next generation of ideological warriors for the movement. Even more troubling, the Georgetown Center has been running a stealth seminar for judges. In a clever bit of detective work, Yale legal scholar Reva Siegel has ferreted out the vital role that this seminar plays in the originalist ecosystem:

Georgetown runs a separate special seminar entitled Originalism for Judges. To put the point modestly, a program called Originalism for Judgeswhose apparent attendance list features only judges appointed by Republican presidents and academics who employ originalist methods without skepticism about their practical or normative problems or considered analysis of alternativeswill (1) restrict the perspectives on originalism that the judges discuss and (2) provide a rich opportunity to infuse originalist interpretation with values-based reasoning.

As Siegels keen analysis shows: Twenty-one federal judges attended the 2022 seminar, all of whom were appointed by Republican presidentsincluding nineteen Trump appointees. Through these interactions, judges confer prestige on academics, and academics legitimate the practice of judges. The most effective critics and critiques of originalism are seldom given equal time in these venues. The deck is always stacked in favor of the originalist home team at these seminars and conferences. In this sense, the Federalist Society and it is originalist fellow travelers are a classic example of right-wing snowflakesthey may talk tough, but they cry foul when challenged and refuse to debate critics on a level playing field.

Thus far, Congress has not cast its investigative light on the sometimes shadowy world of the originalist industrial complex. Nor has the legal academy risen to the challenge of addressing this networks web of influence. Most frustrating of all, few law schools are training graduates with the tools needed to deal with the originalist industrial complex. Most graduates from law schools are unlikely to have ever taken a course devoted to the historical tools necessary to critically evaluate originalism and analyze Americas constitutional past. Only a few law schools have strong ties to the history and political science departments of their universities, in which faculty with these tools regularly teach. Currently, there is no academic center devoted to the type of constitutional history that could serve to critique, fact-check, and evaluate originalism. There is nothing comparable to the originalist centers at Georgetown and Claremont from the left. Nor does anything match the level of integration and coordination that these centers have with organizations such as the Federalist Society, Heritage, Hoover, and other right-wing think tanks and advocacy groups.

Thus, despite the fact that there are dozens of legal historians teaching at top law schools, no law school has taken up the challenge posed by the originalist industrial complex. Thoughtful critics of originalism exist, but their voices are drowned out by the din of the originalist industrial complex. Dozens of legal history courses related to faculty research interests populate course catalogs at elite law schools. Yet, legal historians have not applied their understanding of structure and power to the institutions responsible for the production of knowledge in their own intellectual world. Law schools need to wake up to the way history has been hijacked by the hard right. An alternative set of forums, seminars, and institutes devoted to serious constitutional history and its application to current legal issues must be created to combat the distortions, half-truths, and errors that circulate freely in the originalist ecosystem. Until law schools wake up from their slumbers, the originalist industrial complex will continue to run amok.
Researchers in Cordoba have discovered dozens of patients in Spain carrying a mysterious new disease, rat hepatitis E virus (RHEV), marking the largest series of cases described in the world of an ailment first identified in Hong Kong in 2018. Many questions regarding the infection, caused by Rocahepevirus ratti, remain unanswered. It is known that about one third of rats in Spanish cities carry the pathogen but there is no clear idea of how it is transmitted to humans. Nor is the current incidence rate known, although initial results indicate that more than 100 cases occur in Spain each year.

In the face of all this uncertainty there are two reassuring elements. The first is that there are no indications that the number of people affected will increase in the coming years, but rather that the cause of many hepatitis cases classified until now as of unknown origin is becoming clearer. The second is that finding out the real impact of the virus and clarifying the routes of transmission will be the first step in adopting measures that can reduce the number of infections.

We are facing an unknown emerging disease. We have several lines of research open that provide us with data on its prevalence, true dimension as a public health problem, and the clinical ways in which it manifests itself. But we still have a lot of work ahead of us, says Antonio Rivero Juarez, a researcher specializing in hepatitis at the Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba (Imibic) and the Center for Biomedical Research in Infectious Diseases Network (CIBERINFEC).

The bulk of the new findings were presented at the recent European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) congress held in Barcelona. The organizations Viral Hepatitis Study Group has awarded a grant of 30,000 ($32,378) for a first study to be led by Imibic that will also involve hospitals and research centers in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy, Hungary, Romania, and Turkey with the aim of determining the incidence of RHEV in these countries.

Hepatitis is one of a group of viral infections that produce inflammation in the liver, categorized from A to E. The one carried by rats has so far been considered a type of E, although this could change. Within hepatitis E virus (HEV), it was considered there are eight different genotypes and the rat virus was included in this common group. But phylogenetic analyses have shown that the differences are sufficiently large to consider it a different genus within the same family, explains Federico Garcia, head of the Microbiology Department at the San Cecilio Hospital in Granada and president of the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC). Currently, to distinguish between them, the two diseases are called hepatitis E and rat hepatitis E, respectively.

Hepatitis B, C, and D tend to evolve into chronic and more severe forms, with significant mortality (although effective treatment is available for C). Hepatitis A and E, on the other hand, are considered milder by experts. They can cause acute illnesses but these are usually self-limiting and the immune system is able to overcome them in a few weeks, except in immunosuppressed patients. Mortality is also much lower. In this sense, as far as we know so far, infections by Rocahepevirus ratti (RHEV) are similar to those of hepatitis E, notes Garcia.

This virus was first discovered in Germany in 2010, although it was initially believed that it could not infect humans. This changed in 2018 when researchers in Hong Kong detected the first case in a patient who had received a liver transplant, which has been followed to date by up to 16 further diagnoses in the special administrative region of China.

Antonio Rivero Juarez, during the recent ESCMID Global congress in Barcelona. Gianluca Battista

There is no data and we dont know how prevalent it is

We conducted a first study in Spain in which we investigated patients with acute hepatitis of unknown origin and identified the first three cases of rat hepatitis in Seville, Cordoba, and Pamplona. One of them suffered from metastatic cancer and died of acute liver failure, explains Rivero Juarez. These results were published in 2022 in the fields specialist Journal of Hepatology.

The first problem that these investigations encountered was a lack of adequate diagnostic tests. These cases were just the tip of the iceberg. We were not diagnosing more simply because we did not have the right tools to do so, so the first thing we had to do was to improve them, says Antonio Rivero Roman, head of the infectious diseases department at the citys Reina Sofia Hospital and Antonio Rivero Juarezs father. Both have led the research on the new disease.

Research presented at the ESCMID congress in Barcelona has expanded the number of cases detected in Spain to 40, although that figure continues to rise as studies progress. The new patients are from various parts of Spain, such as Andalusia, Galicia, Navarre, and Catalonia. This suggests that the virus is present in a good part of the country. The 40 cases were discovered by analyzing samples from just over 250 patients with acute hepatitis of unknown origin from 10 hospitals, which indicates a prevalence of 14% in this group. They are immunocompromised patients and immunocompetent people, explains Rivero Juarez.

The 10 hospitals studied treat slightly less than 15% of the Spanish population and the data correspond to a period of 18 months, so an initial estimate indicates that the annual number of cases in Spain is well over 100. Of the 40 cases detected, two patients have died from acute liver failure and a third from other complications apparently unrelated to the infection.

The other line we have followed has been to investigate the presence of the virus in rats. We have analyzed samples from more than 1,000 animals from all over Spain, including the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands, and we have seen that about 30% are carriers of the virus. We do not know much about the impact it has on them, although it is likely that it also causes hepatitis, adds the researcher.

Having confirmed the presence of the virus in a large proportion of rodents and in a significant number of patients, the big question now facing researchers is how the pathogen is transmitted from rats to people. We have two hypotheses. We know that the animals excrete the virus in their feces and, most probably, also in their urine, so the first possibility is that this route contaminates food and liquids, or surfaces and instruments that come into contact with them, which are then consumed by people, Rivero Juarez explains.

The second possibility is that there is another species of animal that acts as an asymptomatic intermediate host. As with hepatitis E, the pig is the main candidate and infections would occur  although this has not been proven  by consuming products made from parts of the animal that have not been subjected to heat or other types of treatment with sufficient intensity to eliminate the virus. A study recently published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases investigated the presence of the virus on five Spanish pig farms and found it in 44 animals (11.4%). A total of 93.2% of the positives occurred on the same farm.

Rivero Roman puts the focus on other clinical questions that also remain to be resolved. We are investigating how these [types of] hepatitis manifest themselves, to see if they present some characteristics that make them different from the rest. We also want to define whether the virus causes other conditions, such as neurological processes and febrile syndromes, he explains.

All the experts consulted agree that there is no reason to think that the presence of the virus and cases of rat hepatitis are less pronounced in other countries. If they have not been diagnosed until now, they point out, it is because they have not been investigated using precise diagnostic techniques. They recall that the virus was first detected in rats in Germany, the first case in humans was discovered in Hong Kong, and now Spain has made the most progress in research, so it is very likely that the disease is in fact as globally distributed as rodents are.

Clarifying this in Europe is the objective of the European study to be financed by ESCMID. The participating hospitals will send samples to Cordoba, where they will be analyzed. The first results are expected by the end of the year. Our aim is to see if this specific type of hepatitis E virus, Rocahepevirus ratti, is present in Europe. There is no data and we dont know how prevalent it is, so our aim is to see what the prevalence and incidence of this type of infection is, says Gulsen Ozkaya Sahin, a member of the ESCMID Viral Hepatitis Study Group and a senior consultant in clinical microbiology in Lund, Sweden.

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An acrimonious divorce between a Texas couple fighting over their frozen embryos could end up having an impact on in vitro fertilization care in the entire state, and possibly a replay of the controversial court decision in Alabama that briefly ended IVF access in the state.

Caroline Antoun has argued that life begins when an egg is fertilized and claims the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization -- which overturned Roe v. Wade and left it up to the states to regulate abortion care -- gives her a right to "custody" over their three embryos, despite previously signing over her rights to the embryos to her husband in the event of a divorce.

In August 2022, a trial court judge ruled the embryos should be considered "property" and awarded them to the husband -- Gaby Antoun -- and upheld the agreement between the former couple. That court declined to side with Caroline Antoun's argument that the embryos are living beings.

MORE: How IVF and abortion access could shape the 2024 election

In August 2023, an appeals court judge affirmed that ruling and declined Caroline Antoun's request to hear an appeal.

The embryos were the key point of disagreement in the couple's divorce, according to court documents.

PHOTO: A nurse practitioner for Huntsville Reproductive Medicine, P.C., lifts frozen embryos out of IVF cryopreservation dewar in Madison, Ala., March 4, 2024. (Roselle Chen/Reuters, FILE)

The arguments

Caroline Antoun is asking the Texas Supreme Court to take up her case and address the "treatment of embryonic tissue during divorce proceedings," arguing the court needs to issue new guidance on the treatment of these disputes since Roe is no longer in effect.

"In the interest of providing the most robust protection to all life, embryos should be treated as children rather than as property during divorce proceedings," Caroline Antoun's petitioner's brief argues.

"While legislative action will undoubtedly be necessary to fill out the framework this Court may provide, the Court is presented the opportunity to reclassify embryos from property to unborn children, and to address in the first instance what rights those unborn children (and their parents) have," the petitioner's brief argues.

MORE: Couples allege IVF provider destroyed their embryos in toxic solution: Lawsuit

Despite acknowledging that an agreement between the couple and their fertility clinic awards the embryos to Gaby Antoun, Caroline Antoun argues that embryos have been designated as property because IVF procedures started after the ruling in Roe v. Wade was issued in 1973. The first live birth from IVF wasn't announced until 1978.

Caroline Antoun also claims she did not know what she was signing and she did not intend to relinquish any future parental rights regarding the embryos. She also says she did not intend for them to be implanted in anyone but herself, according to Caroline Antoun's petitioner's brief.

PHOTO: The U.S. Supreme Court is seen on Capitol Hill, April 25, 2024, in Washington. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

In responding court filings, Gaby Antoun said the court "properly upheld existing law when it comes to the treatment of embryos." He also argues the post-Roe treatment of embryos is for the legislature to take up.

He also argues the Dobbs decision simply returned the regulation of abortion to the states, but did not find that embryos should be considered people, according to Gaby Antoun's response to the petition for review.

"Texas Legislators have yet to address if frozen embryos should be classified as people instead of property. This is a case that the Court should allow the legislature to have time to enact legislation that applies rather than the Court attempting to create law regarding frozen embryos," according to Gaby Antoun's response.

The Texas Supreme Court has received briefs from Caroline and Gaby Antoun but is still considering whether it will take up the case, according to court records.

Potential fallout

If the state Supreme Court takes up the case and rules in favor of Caroline Antoun, it could be detrimental to IVF treatment in Texas -- months after a similar situation played out in Alabama.

After the Alabama Supreme Court issued a ruling that embryos are children, IVF treatment in the state was suspended at the three largest providers for two weeks until lawmakers passed legislation to restore access.

PHOTO: In this undated stock photo, a doctor is seen preparing embryo cultivation plates in a fertility lab. (STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images)

MORE: What to know about IVF after Alabama Supreme Court ruling leaves it in limbo

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine warned, in an amicus brief to the case, that if the court sides with Caroline Antoun, it "could impede access to IVF in Texas and also affect the many thousands of Texans who have relied on IVF to establish or grow their families."

Texas Right to Life, an anti-abortion group, pushed back in legal filings and said a "custody hearing for frozen human embryos does not directly impact the IVF industry."

"Texas Right to Life and its members across the country are opposed to all intentional acts that cause the death of any innocent human life, regardless of their stage of development, location, or whether created naturally or in a laboratory," Texas Right to Life said in an amicus brief.

Why a Texas divorce case could impact IVF care in the state originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Wife of Duck Sauce Killer once got text to bring your 9mm: prosecutors

The wife of accused Duck Sauce Killer Glenn Hirsch, who is charged with stashing his cache of guns, once got a text from her brother to bring your 9mm, Queens prosecutors said at the start of her trial Monday.

Dorothy Hirsch, who faces weapons possession charges, allegedly received the text from her kin nearly two years before her hubby allegedly gunned down Chinese food delivery worker Zhiwen Yan in Forest Hills on April 30, 2022  because his restaurant shorted him on duck sauce.

But her lawyer said the text was meant for Glenn Hirsch and not his client  and suggested that the only reason shes even on trial is because prosecutors cant get at the killer because he committed suicide.

This case is about punishing Ms. Hirsch for the alleged sins of her husband, defense attorney Mark Bederow said as the trial  which is being heard by a judge, not a jury  opened in Queens Supreme Court.

Dorothy Hirsch, the estranged wife of Duck Sauce Killer Glenn Hirsch, is on trial on illegal weapons charges . James Messerschmidt

If she was not married to Glenn Hirsch, not subject to his years of abuse, that there would be no prosecution here, Bederow said.

Bederow also shredded the prosecutions first witness, NYPD Det. Todd Keyes, who conceded that the search warrant for the apartment specifically targeted only Glenn Hirschs possessions.

Keyes testified that the cache of weapons was found in one of five closets in the apartment that contained items only belonging to Glenn Hirsh, who has been described by investigators as a hoarder.

All of the firearms and ammo came from the closet you describe as being similar to a hoarders? Bederow asked the cop.

They came from that closet, Keyes replied.

Glenn Hirsch was charged in the 2022 death of Chinese food delivery worker Zhiwen Yan, allegedly because of a beef of a lack of duck sauce with his order. Matthew McDermott

Investigators found a cache of weapons in Dorothy Hirschs apartment that allegedly belonged to her estranged husband. Queens County DA's Office

Glenn Hirsch was facing murder charges in Yans death when he shot himself on Aug. 5, 2022.

Police later found eight guns stashed in his wifes apartment, and charged her with illegal weapons possession a month after her ex killed himself.

He left behind a suicide note claiming his wife didnt know about the guns in her apartment  but prosecutors said she knew they were there.

Zhiwen Yan, right, was killed while making a food deliver in Forest Hills on April 30, 2022. Kunying Zhao/GoFundMe

It was a total of eight illegal pistols and over 400 rounds of ammunition that were inside this defendants apartment that she owned and lived in alone, Assistant District Attorney Kanella Georgopolos said during opening statements at the trial on Monday.

In the closet where the guns were found she kept her toilet paper, her hand soap and other household items, Georgopolos said. The September [2020] text was from her brother. She responded, OK.

Prosecutors have conceded that Dorothy Hirschs fingerprints and DNA were not on the guns  but maintained that she had sole control of the weapons kept at her home.
At least two prison officers were killed and three others seriously injured in an ambush on a prison van in northwestern France on Tuesday morning, officials say, with local reports suggesting that an inmate escaped during the attack.

The van was attacked at around 11 a.m. near a highway tollbooth in the Eure department of the Normandy region. French Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti confirmed that at least two officers had been killed, adding that he would immediately convene his ministrys crisis unit.

The French #Metoo Scandal Unraveling in Weinsteins Shadow

According to BFMTV, the inmate who escaped had appeared in court on Tuesday morning on an attempted homicide charge and was being transferred back to a prison in the town of Evreux when the van was attacked by armed men.

Unverified video footage purportedly of the incident circulating on social media appears to show figures dressed in black wielding rifles. One of the vehicles in the prison convoy looks to have been hit by a black SUV, which is on fire in the clip. A red substance resembling blood appears to be on the ground next to the van.

Dupond-Moretti told reporters that one of the officers killed in the attack had a wife and two children. The other deceased officer is survived by a wife who is 5 months pregnant, Dupond-Moretti said, according to Le Parisien. The newspaper also cited a source claiming that the escaped inmate had previously tried to saw the bars of his cell and had been placed in solitary confinement.

All means are being used to find these criminals, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote on X. On my instructions, several hundred police officers and gendarmes were mobilized.

French President Emmanuel Macron described the attack as a shock to us all. The Nation stands alongside the families, the injured and their colleagues, he said in a statement. Everything is being done to find the perpetrators of this crime so that justice can be done in the name of the French people. We will be intractable.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Witness in Karen Read trial says she saw black blob in snow on night John OKeefe died

A woman who was at the Albert familys home in Canton for a birthday celebration on the night Boston Police Officer John OKeefe died testified Tuesday in the Karen Read murder trial that she saw a black blob in the snow and an SUV out front.

Read, 44, of Mansfield, is facing charges including second-degree murder in the death of OKeefe, who was her boyfriend at the time.

Karen Read murder trial: A guide to the key players you need to know

Julianna Nagel, a friend of Brian Albert Jr., explained to the court that a group of friends had been drinking, eating, and listening to music in celebration of Albert Jr.s birthday before OKeefe was found dead outside the home at 34 Fairview Avenue in January 2022.

While awaiting a ride home around 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 29, Nagel said she looked out the window into the driveway and spotted a black SUV near the mailbox, but it was gone by the time she departed for home.

Upon walking outside to leave, Nagel said she spotted something out of the ordinary.

I did notice something out of the ordinary, like a black blob, near the flag pole, Nagel said in response to questioning by Assistant District Attorney Adam Lally. I did say out loud I saw something but I was intoxicated.

Nagel was then grilled by Reads defense team, with attorney David Yannetti asking, If you had seen a person in the snow lying there you would have done something about it, correct?... You didnt see a body on that lawn?

Nagel, who ultimately got a ride home from Brian Albert Jr.s aunt and uncle, Jen and Matt McCabe, said that she never asked them to stop despite noticing an object on the lawn.

I dont know what I saw but I saw an object, Nagel testified.

Sarah Levinson, a longtime friend of Brian Albert Jr., testified that the atmosphere inside 34 Fairview Road was free of conflict and arguments during the birthday party. She also said she had never met Read or OKeefe.

Levinson, who also got a ride home from the McCabes, told the court that she was looking down when she walked out of the home because she wore shoes her mother told her not to wear in a snowstorm.

Brian Albert Jr.s sister, Caitlin Albert, was the first witness on the stand Tuesday. Her father, Brian Albert, owned the home at the time of OKeefes death.

Caitlin Albert was grilled by the defense about her relationship with Canton Firefighter Kaitie McLaughlin, who was one of the first responders called to the home. They both attended high school together and shared mutual friends. Yannetti had previously accused McLaughlin of perjury over her apparent attempt to minimize her connection to Albert.

McLaughlin and Albert were friends on social media and photographed together at a local beach about a decade ago, although she insisted they were only acquaintances and that she didnt know it was Alberts home when she responded to the call.

Albert testified that she left her home with her boyfriend, Tristan Morris, around 1:45 because she didnt want to get snowed in. She told Yannetti that she never noticed anything unusual on her front lawn as she left.

Morris also told the court that he didnt notice anything in the snowy yard as he sat in the driveway waiting for Albert to come outside.

Its alleged that Read didnt discover OKeefes body until about 6 a.m. on Jan 29. First responders have testified that she was hysterical and inconsolable.

The defenses theory is that OKeefe was actually beaten up inside the Albert home and dragged outside in a snowstorm and that the Albert family is at the center of an effort to frame Read.

Prosecutors claim Read drunkenly struck OKeefe with her luxury Lexus SUV while making a three-point after dropping him off at the home. They allege she fled the scene and left him to die.

Brian Albert, along with his wife, Nicole, testified that selling their home and re-homing their dog had nothing to do with OKeefes death. Julie Albert, the wife of current Canton selectman Christopher Albert, was also questioned about her connection to Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor, the lead detective assigned to investigate the death of OKeefe.

Earlier in the trial, testimony focused on a busted cocktail glass and a piece of broken taillight in the snow. The prosecution said the taillight and other evidence led them directly to Read.

Friends who were out at two Canton bars with Read and OKeefe in the hours before his death have testified that the two appeared to be affectionate and loving.

When the trial first started, testimony from first responders focused on Reads demeanor and the words she uttered at the crime scene.

Karen Read, 41, of Mansfield, Mass., is charged with manslaughter in the Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, death of Boston police Officer John OKeefe. O'Keefe, 46, was off duty at the time of his death.

FILE - Karen Read sits in court during jury selection for her murder trial at Norfolk County Superior Court, Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. Read's trial is scheduled to begin Monday, April 29. (David McGlynn//New York Post via AP, Pool,File)

Karen Read, left, leaves Norfolk Superior Court with her attorney Alan Jackson, right, after the opening day of her trial, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read is charged with killing her Boston police officer boyfriend by intentionally driving her SUV into him. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Karen Read, right, is flanked by Massachusetts State Police while leaving Norfolk Superior Court after the opening day of her trial, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read is charged with killing her Boston police officer boyfriend by intentionally driving her SUV into him. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Karen Read leaves Norfolk Superior Court after the opening day of her trial, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read is charged with killing her Boston police officer boyfriend by intentionally driving her SUV into him. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

FILE - Karen Read, of Mansfield, Mass., center, departs Norfolk Superior Court following a day of jury selection, April 17, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. Read's trial is scheduled to begin Monday, April 29. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

Karen Read leaves Norfolk Superior Court after the opening day of her trial, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read is charged with killing her Boston police officer boyfriend by intentionally driving her SUV into him. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Karen Read, facing a murder charge in the death of an off-duty Boston police officer, was ordered held on $100,000 bail.

High bail for girlfriend charged with manslaughter in death of off-duty Boston police officer

High bail for girlfriend charged with manslaughter in death of off-duty Boston police officer

High bail for girlfriend charged with manslaughter in death of off-duty Boston police officer

High bail for girlfriend charged with manslaughter in death of off-duty Boston police officer

High bail for girlfriend charged with manslaughter in death of off-duty Boston police officer

Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe

Karen Read is arraigned in Stoughton District court accused of manslaughter in death of off-duty Boston Police officer John O'Keefe

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Update: Officials with the Nevada Department of Wildlife announced Monday that the suspected wolf pack seen north of Elko in early March was actually a group of coyotes. They reached this conclusion after receiving genetic test results from DNA samples, which revealed with 99.9 percent certainty that the samples are from coyotes. The canines were first spotted by a helicopter crew, and the sighting was significant because it would have been the first wolf pack seen in the state in 100 years. Upon further investigation, officials found tracks consistent with gray wolves that led toward the border with Idaho, which is home to well over 1,000 wolves. Wildlife officials were hesitant to announce the presence of the states first wolf pack without first confirming the sighting, however. They coordinated with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and returned to the location to gather DNA in the form of hair, fecal, and urine samples. Those samples were then sent to two independent labs for analysis, according to the agency. NDOW director Alan Jenne said in a press release that they will continue to monitor the area for any indication of wolves. Jenne had previously stated that although gray wolves arent known to reside in Nevada, they are known to cross state lines for brief periods. The species has been expanding its range throughout the West over the last 30 years as certain states work to restore wolf populations and as individual wolves disperse from their home packs. March 29, 2024. A suspected wolf pack was seen in Nevada this month for the first time in more than a century, according to the Nevada Department of Wildlife. Officials say a helicopter crew contracted by the agency spotted the three suspected wolves on March 17 during a moose survey near Merritt Mountain, which lies north of Elko in the same region where an estimated 100 moose now live and a new moose season is scheduled for this fall. Although state officials are still working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to confirm the sighting, all signs point to the canines drifting into the state from Idaho. During search efforts to confirm the sighting last week, biologists discovered tracks in the area, NDOW explained Wednesday. The freshest tracks appeared to be a set that led in the direction of the Idaho border, where they were lost in broken snow conditions. The agency added that biologists measured those tracks and found them to be consistent with gray wolves. They also installed trail cameras and collected scat and hair samples for DNA testing. Those test results are expected within the next few days. Read Next: Nevadas First-Ever Moose Season Excites Hunters as Big-Game Applications Open We are doing all we can to gather information regarding this sighting and will keep the public updated as we learn more information, NDOW director Alan Jenne said. Nevada is not a historic habitat for wolves, and weve had very few confirmed sightings in the state. Wolves are not known to reside in the state of Nevada, but we know that they may occasionally cross state lines for brief periods. The last time this occurred was in 2017, when a lone gray wolf was spotted west of the Black Rock Desert not far from the California border. Before that, there hadnt been a confirmed sighting in the state since 1922, according to the Nevada Current. Western wolf populations have rebounded in a big way since the species was reintroduced in the 90s, however, and it wouldnt be at all surprising if the wolves were moving into the area from other states. Nevada is literally surrounded by wolves, with all five neighboring states harboring at least some of the animals. Utah has the smallest number of wolves among the five states, with an estimated 20 gray wolves currently living in the northeast corner near the borders of Idaho and Wyoming. Next is California, which is home to an estimated 45 gray wolves and seven named packs. Arizona is home to a different species, the Mexican wolf, but their numbers have been growing for eight rows in a row now, with the most recent survey showing 144 individuals. (Because of where the wolves were seen in Nevadas northeast corner and the federal regulations establishing separate recovery zones for the two species, its almost certain that the wolves spotted in Nevada earlier this month were gray wolves and not Mexican wolves.) The largest source populations for Nevadas wolves lie to the north in Oregon and Idaho. These states currently hold around 178 and 1,337 gray wolves, respectively. A map from 2015 showing all of Idahos documented wolf packs. Map by Idaho Rangeland Resource Commission Management of the species is especially controversial in the Gem State, where the overall population exceeds the original recovery goal set by USFWS by around 37 percent. This has led the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to loosen regulations around wolf hunting and trapping, with no bag limits and year-round harvest allowed in parts of the state. Most of Idahos wolves live in the central mountains north of I-84, with the closest known wolf pack to Nevada inhabiting the area around Mountain Home, according to the most recent map from 2015. But wolf packs are known to move around, and harvest data from IDFG shows that at least some gray wolves have been trapped and killed south of I-84 since then. Read Next: How Many Wolves Should There Be in Colorado? Wildlife managers have also seen this diaspora occurring in other parts of the West, most notably in Colorado. In 2019, four years before the state reintroduced gray wolves through a controversial ballot measure, Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced that a collared female wolf had crossed the Wyoming border into Jackson County. By 2021, that wolf had found a mate and given birth to a litter in the county, establishing the states first known wolf pack since the species was declared off the landscape in 1940. Although Nevada currently has no plans to reintroduce gray wolves, it seems they might not need to. And now that the Silver State is home to a growing moose population, these wolves have roughly 100 reasons to stick around.

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A woman whose husband died snorkeling in Hawaii is suing its tourism board, saying it failed to warn them of the risk

A woman whose husband died snorkeling in Hawaii is suing its tourism board, saying it failed to warn them of the risk

A family is suing Hawaiian tourism authorities and a resort in Maui after a man died snorkeling.

They allege negligence and a failure to warn about the risks of snorkeling.

The family argues his death was caused by ROPE, not accidental drowning, as the autopsy stated.

A Michigan woman and her adult children are suing a Maui resort and Hawaiian tourism bodies after her husband's death, claiming they failed to warn him of the potential risks of snorkeling.

According to the lawsuit, the family is seeking an unspecified amount of damages and a trial by jury.

Patricia and Ray Johnson arrived at the Fairmont Kea Lani in Maui on February 23, 2022, marking the couple's sixth visit to Hawaii.

Two days later, Ray, 64, and other vacationers snorkeled around Wailea Beach, situated in front of the hotel resort. While walking on a trail adjacent to the beach, Patricia told USA TODAY that she saw other snorkelers helping her husband.

She told the news outlet that she rushed to the beach, where "things deteriorated quickly," and despite calling 911, medical professionals were unable to revive her husband.

Although the autopsy attributed Ray Johnson's death to accidental drowning, Patricia Johnson and her family contest this.

In the lawsuit, which was reviewed by Business Insider, the Johnson family argues that ROPE  Rapid Onset Pulmonary Edema likely led to Ray Johnson's passing.

ROPE is a sudden-onset condition characterized by the accumulation of fluid in the lungs' air sacs, which can make breathing difficult, according to the Mayo Clinic.

A July 2010 Snorkel Safety Study, conducted in collaboration with the Hawaii State Department of Health and the Hawaii Tourism Authority, distinguishes drowning by ROPE from drowning by aspirating water.

It said ROPE does not necessarily need "submersion in or inhalation of liquid" and often looks different from drowning by aspiration.

The study said drowning by ROPE often involves shortness of breath, confusion, and unconsciousness, with an absence of a visible struggle.

Patricia Johnson told ABC 7 Eyewitness News that Ray had kept his head above water before appearing disorientated.

"It didn't make sense. When I got the autopsy report, it said drowning. I watched Ray come in," Patricia Johnson told KITV. "When you are drowning, you are not talking to the people around you."

According to the lawsuit, Ray Johnson eventually lost consciousness before reaching the shore.

The lawsuit cites the Snorkel Safety Study and accuses the defendants  the Fairmont Kea Lani, the Hawaiian Tourism Authority, and the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau  of negligence for failing to adequately warn tourists about the risks of ROPE when snorkeling.

The lawsuit said the defendants have "essentially ignored the Study, its conclusions about the risks to tourist safety, and especially its recommended warnings."

The study noted that several factors can contribute to ROPE, including snorkel resistance and underlying heart and lung diseases.

While acknowledging Ray's history of cardiac issues, the lawsuit said that he had not been advised by a doctor to refrain from physical activity.

The lawsuit also said that Ray wasn't aware that he should wait a few days after flying to snorkel: "Had he received the warnings crafted by the Study authors, he would have heeded them."

While the Snorkel Safety Study acknowledged the plausibility of air travel as a contributing factor to ROPE, it noted that it remains only a hypothesis.

The Johnson family's attorney, Jay Stuemke, told Business Insider by email that: "Since the tourism industry refuses to do the right thing and warn incoming tourists of these hazards, it is incumbent upon us to do so."

He added: "If even one life is saved by this message, then Ray Johnson will not have died in vain."

Speaking to USA TODAY, Patricia Johnson said she hoped the lawsuit would lead to more warnings. "I truly believe my husband would still be here if we'd been warned," she said.

The Fairmont Kea Lani and Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while the Hawaiian Tourism Authority declined to comment on litigation.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Wonderful Co. sues California over law aimed at making it easier for farmworkers to unionize

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. One of California's most influential agricultural companies announced Monday, May 13, 2024, that it is suing the state to stop the contentious law to help farmworkers unionize. The legal action by the Wonderful Co. comes as it battles United Farm Workers over a newly formed union at one of its businesses. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

SAN DIEGO (AP)  One of California's most influential agricultural companies filed a lawsuit Monday against the state to stop a contentious law to help farmworkers unionize that Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom reluctantly signed two years ago after pressure from the White House.

The action by the Wonderful Co. comes as it battles the United Farm Workers over a newly formed UFW local of 640 workers at one of its businesses. The $6 billion company founded by Stewart and Lynda Resnick, who have donated to President Joe Biden and Newsom, makes a host of products recognizable to most grocery store shoppers, including Halos mandarin oranges, Wonderful Pistachios, POM Wonderful pomegranate juice and Fiji Water brands.

Farmworkers arent covered by federal rules for labor organizing in the United States. But California, which harvests much of the countrys produce, enacted a law and created a special board in 1975 to protect their right to unionize. That came after the storied work of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta to organize farmworkers across California under what later became the United Farm Workers.

But farmworker unionization has dropped precipitously in the years since, and today few such workers are organized in California.

The new law lets farmworkers unionize by collecting a majority of signatures without holding an election at a polling place  a condition proponents say protects workers from employers applying pressure or trying to retaliate against employees who vote to unionize. A union is formed if more than half of workers sign an authorization card.

Wonderful argues the law is unconstitutional by going too far in cutting employers out of the process.

Newsom's office said it was reviewing the lawsuit before responding and included his statement from when he signed the legislation that Californias farmworkers are the lifeblood of our state, and they have the fundamental right to unionize and advocate for themselves in the workplace."

Farm industry leaders have argued the lack of a secret ballot under the law makes workers vulnerable to coercion by unions and the elections susceptible to fraud. Wonderful said under the prior system, employers and union representatives were present at polling places to ensure a transparent process.

So far, four unions have formed under the new law. No other company has taken any legal action. Wonderful said it is best equipped to spearhead the battle since other companies are much smaller.

The law does not require union authorization cards to be dated or that an employee identify his or her employer, Wonderful said in its lawsuit.

Wonderful said under the law there is no independent verification process to prove majority support for a union, violating due process rights.

Wonderful said it also is asking Kern County Superior Court to issue an injunction to stop the law from being enforced until the court rules on its claim that it's unconstitutional.

Wonderful is up against the clock.

Under the law, once a union is certified, employers must enter into collective bargaining within 90 days, Wonderful said in its lawsuit. That would be June 3 for the newly formed union at Wonderful Nurseries in Wasco, Calif., that was certified by the states Agricultural Labor Relations Board.

Wonderful filed a complaint with the board, saying its workers didnt want a union. The company says many employees thought the cards they signed were to access $600 payments under a federal pandemic relief program administered by the UFW, the largest farmworker union in the U.S. The UFW denied the allegation.

The UFW called the lawsuit unfortunate but not surprising. The union said that on April 22 the Agricultural Labor Relations Board filed an unfair labor practice charge against Wonderful, accusing it of obligating workers to attend a meeting to discuss revoking their signatures on the authorization cards they used to form the union.

Wonderful Nurseries now wants to get rid of the law that protects farm workers, said UFW spokesperson Elizabeth Strater.

The case is being played out before an administrative law judge who is taking testimony from workers during a weekslong hearing.

Wonderful Nurseries contends the board has failed to ensure an honest process for the units 60 permanent employees and as many as 1,500 seasonal workers. The company's only workers to unionize are at Wonderful Nurseries, which grows table grapes and wine grape vines as well as other plants. The company has roughly 10,000 employees, according to its website.

Wonderful said its employees are paid well and the 1975 protections have worked.

Before Newsom in 2022 signed the new law, he and his two predecessors had vetoed similar legislation over concerns about the voting process. The Democratic governor had announced plans to veto it again in 2022, but he reversed course after Biden announced support for the change. He signed it on condition that another method of forming a union, through mail-in ballots, was later removed.

Biden, who keeps a bust of Chavez in the Oval Office, said in a statement in 2022 that in the state with the largest population of farmworkers, the least we owe them is an easier path to make a free and fair choice to organize a union.

_____

Taxin reported from Orange County, Calif.
(Peter Dazeley/Getty Images)

The number of Mainers charged with a crime but lacking an attorney has skyrocketed over the last six months, according to a new report from the ACLU of Maine, which continues to raise concerns about the violation of bedrock constitutional rights by the state.

The report, released by the ACLU on Tuesday, paints a stark picture of access to legal representation for those accused of a crime. The group found that 633 Mainers in need of an attorney didnt have one as of May 8, representing a staggering 497% increase since November 1, when 106 people were without a lawyer.

This report shows a dire crisis that is getting worse by the day, said ACLU of Maine legal director Carol Garvan in a news release.

The study comes after the ACLU sued the state in 2022, arguing that Maine was violating its obligation to provide effective counsel for those who cant afford a lawyer. After a Maine Superior Court judge rejected a proposed settlement agreement, the ACLU expanded its case against the state, citing an increase in long wait times for people to get an attorney. The state opposed sending the case back to trial, but that motion was denied and the matter will return to the Kennebec County Superior Court.

With its case going back to trial, the ACLU plans to continue arguing that Maine is not meeting its responsibilities under the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees the right to a speedy trial and the assistance of counsel.

Leaders of Maines judicial system have acknowledged that the states legal apparatus rests on shaky ground. In a speech in February, Maine Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Valerie Stanfill warned officials that Maines troubled indigent legal defense system represents a constitutional crisis.

Unlike other states, Maine has long contracted out legal defense for those who cant hire a lawyer to private attorneys, rather than relying on public defenders. That is slowly changing, with the state authorizing the hiring of more than a dozen public defenders. However, in September, Maine Superior Court Justice Michaela Murphy wrote that while more lawyers are providing short-term lawyer of the day representation, the number of attorneys able and willing to go the distance with an indigent client is still shrinking.

In March, Gov. Janet Mills did sign a bill to provide funding for more public defender offices and employees in Maine.

Along with the sheer number of people who dont have a lawyer, the ACLU report also found that of the 633 Mainers who have not been provided effective counsel, 144 were incarcerated as of early May. Those individuals  who often cant afford bail  have been imprisoned despite being legally innocent, as they have only been accused of a crime and not convicted of one.

Being incarcerated, even for a short time, is detrimental to a persons wellbeing, Garvan said. Even under the best of circumstances, people in jails have limited or no access to necessary services such as medical care, mental health care, and substance use disorder treatment. These consequences can be made even worse when people do not have access to effective assistance of counsel.

The ACLU study also noted that a rising number of people have been waiting for a lawyer for a long time. As of May 8, the group found that 551 people had been waiting 10 days or more for an attorney, 466 people had been waiting 20 or more days and 373 people had been waiting 30 or more days.

Such delays are unacceptable and can create situations in which crucial evidence is lost, the ACLU argued. Furthermore, lacking a lawyer can make it more difficult for people to get out of jail before trial, and being incarcerated for long periods can lead to a loss of employment or family connections, among other issues.

Lawmakers have also expressed concern about delays within the criminal legal system  specifically when it comes to trials. This session, Rep. Matt Moonen (D-Portland) put forward a bill to define what constitutes a speedy trial in an effort to address that issue. But while the measure passed initial votes in the Legislature, it did not receive funding from the budget committee before lawmakers adjourned and will not be enacted as a result.

Although there are issues with access to legal services across the state, the ACLU found the problem is particularly worrisome in specific areas such as Penobscot, Aroostook, Franklin and Knox counties.

The group also noted that counties with higher prosecution rates tend to have higher rates of people without a lawyer. As a result, the ACLU called on prosecutors to make an effort to charge fewer people with low-level crimes as a way of reducing the burden on the states legal system.

Maine voters can hold prosecutors accountable by electing candidates whose values align with their own, the group argued. Maine voters can also influence and elect state lawmakers who are committed to funding public defense and ensuring Maine upholds the peoples constitutional right to effective assistance of counsel.

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The post Worse by the day: ACLU report highlights growing number of Mainers without legal defense appeared first on Maine Morning Star.


Ukraine's ability to intercept Russian missile attacks has declined, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal on May 13.

Around 46% of missiles were intercepted in the last six months, compared to 73% intercepted in the preceding six-month period. Last month, 30% of missiles were intercepted.

This decrease in interception comes as Russia intensifies its drone and missile assaults, employing more sophisticated weaponry like ballistic missiles. Also, Shahed drone attacks by Russia have nearly doubled in the last six months.

While Shahed drones are easier to shoot down, with an over 80% interception rate, only 10% of ballistic missiles have been shot down in the past half-year. Patriot systems are the only reliable defense against ballistic and S-300 missiles, given their rapid speeds.

As U.S. defense aid was held up in Congress until a few weeks ago, the Patriot systems had to be conserved. According to President Zelensky, Ukraine would need at least seven Patriots but ideally 25 to cover the full Ukrainian territory.

While efforts to expedite Western aid are underway, the next few months will be critical for Ukraine to withstand Russian air assaults until new air defense supplies arrive.

Read also: Ukrainian Defense Industry: Kyiv catches up with Russia in Shahed drone analog production

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
A Meta AI named Cicero tricked his rivals to win in the strategy game Diplomacy. In the photo, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, presents his company's new AI projects at the Meta Connect conference in Menlo Park (California) last September.

A poker player has bad cards but makes the biggest bet. The rest of the players are scared off by the bluff and concede victory. A buyer wants to negotiate for a product, but shows no interest. They look at other things first and ask question. Then, casually, they ask for what theyre really want to get a cheaper price. These two examples are not from humans, but from models made with artificial intelligence (AI).

A new scientific article titled AI deception: A Survey of Examples, Risks, and Potential Solutions, published in the journal Patterns, analyzes known cases of models that have deceived via manipulation, sycophancy and cheating to achieve their goals. Robots are not aware of what they are doing and are only looking for the best way to obtain their objective, but researchers believe that these incipient deceptions do not bode well if legislation does not limit AI options.

At this point, my biggest fear about AI deception is that a super-intelligent autonomous AI will use its deception capabilities to form an ever-growing coalition of human allies and eventually use this coalition to achieve power, in the long-term pursuit of a mysterious goal that would not be known until after the fact, says Peter S. Park, a postdoctoral researcher in Existential AI Security at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and one of the papers lead authors.

Parks fear is hypothetical, but we have already seen it happen in AI programmed for a game. Meta announced in 2022 that its Cicero model had beaten human rivals at Diplomacy, a strategy game that  in the companys words  is a mix of Risk, poker and the television show Survivors. As in real diplomacy, one of the resources players have is to lie and pretend. Meta employees noticed that when Cicero lied, its moves were worse and they programmed it to be more honest. But it wasnt really.

Peter S. Park and his co-authors also tested Ciceros honesty. It fell to us to correct Metas false claim about Ciceros supposed honesty that had been published in Science. The political context of the Diplomacy game involves less risk than the real-life contexts, such as elections and military conflicts. But three facts should be kept in mind, says Park: First, Meta successfully trained its AI to excel in the pursuit of political power, albeit in a game. Second, Meta tried, but failed, to train that AI to be honest. And third, it was up to us outside independent scientists to, long after the fact, disprove Metas falsehood that its power-seeking AI was supposedly honest. The combination of these three facts is, in my opinion, sufficient cause for concern.

How AI lies

Researchers believe there are several ways in which specific AI models have shown that they can deceive effectively: they can manipulate as in Diplomacy, pretend by saying they will do something knowing they will not, bluff as in poker, haggle in negotiations, play dead to avoid detection and trick human reviewers into believing that the AI has done what it was supposed to do when it has not.

Not all types of deception involve this type of knowledge. Sometimes, and unintentionally, AI models are sycophants and simply agree with the human users. Sycophancy could lead to persistent false beliefs in human users. Unlike ordinary errors, sycophantic claims are specifically designed to appeal to the user. When a user encounters these claims, they may be less likely to fact-check their sources. This could result in long-term trends away from accurate belief formation, states the study.

No one knows for sure how to make these models tell the truth, says Park: With our current level of scientific understanding, no one can reliably train large language models not to deceive. Whats more, many engineers in many companies are working on creating different and more powerful models. Not everyone has the same initial interest in their robots being honest: Some engineers take the risk of AI deception very seriously, to the point of advocating for or implementing AI safety measures. Other engineers do not take it so seriously and believe that applying a trial and error process will be enough to move towards safe and non-lying AI. And there are still others who refuse to even accept that the risk of AI deception exists, says Park.

Deceiving to gain power

In the article, the researchers compare super-intelligent AI to how the rich aspire to gain more power. Throughout history, wealthy actors have used deception to increase their power, reads the study.

Park explains that this may happen: AI companies are in an uncontrolled race to create a super-intelligent AI that surpasses humans in the most of the economically and strategically relevant capabilities. An AI of this type, like the rich, would be expert in carrying out long-term plans in the service of deceptively seeking power over various parts of society, such as influencing politicians with incomplete or false information, financing disinformation in the media or investigators, and evade responsibility using the laws. Just as money translates into power, many AI capabilities, such as deception, also translate into power.

But not all academics are as concerned as Park. Michael Rovatsos, professor of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Edinburgh, told SMC Spain that the research is too speculative: I am not so convinced that the ability to deceive creates a risk of loss of control over AI systems, if appropriate rigor is applied to their design; the real problem is that this is not currently the case and systems are released into the market without such safety checks. The discussion of the long-term implications of deceptive capabilities raised in the article is highly speculative and makes many additional assumptions about things that may or may not happen in the future.

The study says that the solution to curtailing the risks of AI deception is legislation. The European Union assigns each AI system one of four risk levels: unacceptable, high, limited, and minimal (or no) risk. Systems with unacceptable risk are prohibited, while systems with high risk are subject to special requirements. We argue that AI deception presents a wide range of risks to society, so they should be treated by default as high risk or unacceptable risk, says Park.

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Less than 24 hours after Vladimir Putin sent his defense minister packing after reportedly privately blaming him for failures in the war against Ukraine, another top Defense Ministry official was yanked out of bed by masked security forces.

Counterintelligence agents reportedly arrived armed to the teeth to detain Lieutenant-General Yury Kuznetsov, the head of the Defense Ministrys personnel department, on bribery charges Monday. The Investigative Committee announced in a press release Tuesday that Kuznetsov is currently in pre-trial detention on large-scale bribery charges.

The charges against him, for the most part, remain unclear. Investigators say that from 2021 to 2023, while he was serving as head of the 8th Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Kuznetsov accepted a bribe from commercial enterprises in exchange for performing certain actions in their favor.

Sanctions Be Damned, Putins War Machine Is Still Powered by U.S. Parts

His arrest comes just a few weeks after Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov went down on bribery charges in what was widely seen as a major blow to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Shoigu was replaced by Putin on Sunday in a surprise move that sees him replaced by civilian economist Andrei Belousov. The Kremlin has explained the move by saying the countrys defense ministry must be absolutely open to innovation and Belousov fits that bill.

The Kremlin has insisted that Shoigus new post as head of the Security Council should not be seen as a step down, but Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, reported that Putin had lost faith in Shoigus ability to handle the war amid corruption in the Defense Ministry. Last years dramatic mutiny by Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin was cited in the report as another likely reason for Shoigus dismissal.

In the wake of Kuznetsovs arrest, Kremlin media has framed it as part of an anti-corruption purge in the Defense Ministry, with Belousov now tasked with cleaning up Shoigus mess. A lot of money has come into the Defense Ministry, the budget has doubled as a result of the [war]. And as we saw with the arrest of Timur Ivanov, the situation with corruption goes beyond reasonable limits, former Putin adviser Sergei Markov said in an interview Tuesday with Komsomolskaya Pravda.

In one fell swoop, it appears Shoigus legacy has been cemented as one of wartime corruption and incompetence, while at the same time, anyone fed up with the war against Ukraine dragging on into its third year can blame rampant corruption in the military instead of the Kremlin.

Its no surprise that pro-war bloggers linked to Prigozhin were celebrating the news of Kuznetsovs arrest Tuesday. Prigozhin had famously called for the ouster of Shoigu and everyone within his circle during his short-lived uprising against the military last June, just a month before he was killed in a fiery plane crash widely seen as an assassination.

Straight into the fire, wrote one Wagner-linked Telegram channel of the sleazebags Kuznetsov and Ivanov.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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These yogurt-covered pretzels might make you sick, FDA warns. Here's what you need to know

Western Mixers Produce & Nuts of Ontario is recalling yogurt-covered pretzels sold at Gelson's Markets and other stores because the yogurt coating was contaminated with salmonella. (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)

Popular brands of yogurt-covered pretzels were recalled last week after a routine sampling of the sweet coating was found to contain salmonella.

The pretzels distributed by the wholesaler, Western Mixers Produce & Nuts Inc. of Ontario, were sent across California through Smart & Final, Gelson's Markets, Thorp Fruit and Down Home Goods stores. The pretzels are packaged in plastic containers under the names First Street Brand at Smart & Final and as Gelson's Markets' store brand. They are sold as bulk at Down Home Goods and Thorp Fruit, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

No illnesses have been reported. The FDA advises people to throw away all yogurt-covered pretzels they purchased from those retailers.

Read more: Food recalls reach highest level since the pandemic. Undeclared allergens are the biggest reason for the rise

Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in children under 5 or older adults and people with weakened immune systems. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the bacteria causes about 1.35 million infections, more than 26,000 hospitalizations and 420 deaths in the United States each year. Food that contains the bacteria is the most common culprit.

Most people who get sick from salmonella have diarrhea, vomiting, fever and stomach cramps that can start from six hours to six days after coming into contact with the bacteria. The infection can last between four and seven days, according to the CDC.

Read more: Trader Joe's recalls cashews potentially contaminated with salmonella

Production of the yogurt-covered pretzels have been suspended, with the FDA and the company continuing its investigation into the source of the contamination.

The recall comes just days after Palmer Candy in Iowa pulled back its white-coated confectionery goods on May 5 after the company's liquid coating supplier notified them that an ingredient may have been contaminated with salmonella. That recall included products that were distributed nationwide in Walmart, HyVee, Target and Dollar General and to other suppliers in 17 states, including California.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A New York appeals court on Tuesday affirmed a gag order against former President Trump in his hush money criminal case.

The order, imposed on Trump by Judge Juan Merchan, bars Trump from publicly commenting on witnesses, prosecutors, court staff or the judges family. It does not prevent him from attacking Merchan or Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D).

Trump has railed against his gag order as a violation of his First Amendment rights, arguing it prevents him from responding to political attacks being levied by high-profile witnesses and others.

Michael Cohen undercuts Trump defense in admitting to false invoices: Live updates

Justice Merchan properly determined that petitioners public statements posed a significant threat to the integrity of the testimony of witnesses and potential witnesses in this case as well, the decision from the five-judge panel reads.

In the decision, the panel compares Merchans gag order to a gag imposed on Trump in his federal election interference case. The New York judges aligned with the District of Columbia U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision to allow Trumps gag there to stand.

Weighing these concerns, the circuit court ultimately concluded that, given the record, the court had a duty to act proactively to prevent the creation of an atmosphere of fear or intimidation aimed at preventing trial participants and staff from performing their functions within the trial process, the five-judge panel wrote. This Court adopts the reasoning in the circuit courts Federal Restraining Order Decision.

Top Stories from The Hill

Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records over an alleged repayment scheme to Michael Cohen, Trumps then-fixer, who had paid porn actor Stormy Daniels $130,000 during the lead-up to the 2016 election to stay quiet about an alleged affair with Trump from a decade prior. Trump denies the affair, says there was no wrongdoing with the payments and has pleaded not guilty.

The former presidents attorneys lamented how Cohen has regularly attacked Trump on social media and elsewhere in the lead-up to his testimony, which began Monday, while Trump was prohibited from responding.

On Friday, Merchan directed prosecutors to tell Cohen that he shouldnt make any more public statements about the case.

Merchan has also found Trump violated his gag order 10 times since it was imposed, ordering he pay a $1,000 fine per violation and warning that future violations could carry jail time.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
May 14 (UPI) -- The live stream video Portal connecting New York to Dublin has been temporarily switched off due to what organizers described as "instances of inappropriate behavior."

The Portal, designed by artist Benediktas Gylys, went live Wednesday and streamed real-time video between New York's Flatiron South Public Plaza and North Earl Street in Dublin.

The installation's sponsors, Flatiron NoMad Partnership, the New York City Department of Transportation's Art Program and the Simons Foundation, shut the 24-hour video feed off Tuesday after several incidents of "inappropriate behavior."

"The overwhelming majority of visitors have behaved appropriately and experienced the sense of joy and connectedness that this work of public art is intended to evoke," the Flatiron NoMad Partnership said in a statement provided to WABC-TV. "Instances of inappropriate behavior have come from a very small minority of Portal visitors and have been amplified on social media."

Reported instances of "inappropriate behavior" included swearing, nudity and display of images from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

TikTok user Ava Louise posted a video to the platform showing her flashing her breasts to the Portal shortly before the announced shut-off.

"I thought the people of Dublin deserved to see my two New York homegrown potatoes," Louise says in the video.

Another video shared on social media showed a woman grinding on the screen in Dublin before being taken away by police.

"Basically she was there for about 20 minutes very drunk and was slapping and grinding against the portal before guards stepped in," the filmer said.

The Dublin City Council said it is investigating solutions to curb inappropriate behavior on the Irish side of the video feed.

The Flatiron NoMad Partnership said solutions being considered include software updates to block certain images from being broadcast, increasing on-site staff and erecting barriers to prevent visitors from getting too close to the camera and screen.

Organizers said they plan to have the Portal back up and running by the end of the week.
Happy Tuesday and welcome to another edition of Rent Free. This week's stories include:

Colorado's banner year for housing reform.

An upscale Los Angeles grocery store sues to stop new housing.

Democratic lawmakers urge the White House to hurry up and issue new fair housing regulations.

But first, our lead story is a deeper dive into the proposed zoning overhaul in America's largest city.

How Big of a Deal Is Eric Adams' 'City of Yes'?

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has pitched his housing planofficially the City of Yes for Housing Opportunityas "a little more housing in every neighborhood." Housing wonks say it's an apt description.

The sprawling list of proposed reforms, updates, and tweaks to the city's zoning code that started the city's "public review" process late last month will add significant amounts of housing, but not as much as the ultra-expensive, undersupplied city needs, they say.

"Change comes incrementally," says Eric Kober, a scholar at the Manhattan Institute and former New York City planner, of the plan. "It would result in a significant increase in housing supply, let's say on the order of 20 percent. It's not nothing and worth doing if this is actually doable."

The city estimates Adams' City of Yes proposal will enable the development of 108,000 units over the next 15 years. That's about a fifth of the units planners estimate the city needs.

The proposed list of reforms includes eliminating minimum parking requirements for new residential construction, allowing smaller apartments on large lots near transit and along commercial corridors, permitting homeowners to turn their backyards and garages into accessory dwelling units, and giving density bonuses to projects that include below-market-rate housing units.

Developers would be allowed to construct buildings exclusively made up of smaller units, like studios and one-bedroom apartments. Currently, the city effectively requires developers to include some multi-bedroom units in their projects by setting minimum average unit sizes.

Alex Armlovich, a housing policy researcher at the Niskanen Institute, says that the elimination of parking minimums would be particularly productive.

New York already zones a lot of land near subway stations to allow for apartments, but parking minimums make it financially infeasible to build them. In addition to the land it eats up, a single parking space can add tens of thousands of dollars in construction costs. Eliminating parking minimums would allow more of these projects to pencil out.

"I call it parking freedom," says Armlovich, noting that some of the fine print of Adams' proposal might actually make it easier for developers to add parking as well.

Because eliminating parking minimums doesn't change the underlying zoning, it also doesn't trigger New York's Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) policy, which slaps often-ruinous affordability mandates on housing projects that benefit from rezonings.

Armlovich is less impressed by the mayor's proposal to allow smaller apartments near transit stops. The three-to-five-story developments envisioned in the current plan are smaller than the six-story apartments the city traditionally allowed prior to its infamous 1961 downzoning.

Allowing larger apartments near transit would give a more significant boost to housing production while minimizing negative impacts on parking and traffic congestion. "That's the one thing that would put up some really big numbers and not cause any objective harms," he says.

New York's environmental review law requires major rezonings to go through the "public review" process, which gives community boards and borough presidents opportunities to weigh in on the changes. Adams's proposed rezoning will then be vetted by the city's planning commission before being voted on by the city council.

This all gives a lot of opportunities for opponents of zoning reform to derail the process or propose unproductive amendments. The fact that Adams is proposing a city-wide rezoning makes it more difficult to win over individual neighborhoods with promises of capital funding and other carrots.

There's a lot of room for things to go wrong.

Nevertheless, the Adams administration put a lot of effort into getting buy-in on its housing proposal prior to releasing a detailed plan. What's on offer is a positive step for the city that would have been unthinkable even a few years ago, says Kober.

"In the 38 years that I worked for the city, these were all things that would have been politically impossible to propose," he tells Reason. "If more housing is built, and the world doesn't end, it creates a setting in which perhaps more things can be done."

The 'Colorado Comeback'

The Colorado Legislature disappointed zoning reform advocates last year when it failed to pass a major housing omnibus bill proposed by Gov. Jared Polis. Lawmakers are making up for lost time this year by passing many elements of the 2023 omnibus as one-off bills this session.

This year, the Legislature has passed a "transit-oriented development" bill requiring local governments in the state's urban areas to allow denser housing near transit stops and approve that denser housing without endless public hearings. Other bills passed by the legislature would eliminate parking minimums in urban communities and require local governments to allow accessory dwelling units in single-family zoned neighborhoods.

These bills would still leave it in the hands of local governments to update their zoning codes. Localities will also get a lot of wiggle room to set their own standards under the new state laws. Both features leave open the potential for local governments to drag their feet on implementing the state reforms or defanging them with lots of poison pills.

All that's to say that time will tell how effective the new state laws will be at enabling more housing construction. Colorado's transit-oriented development bill does provide a carrot of state subsidies for localities that implement the law.

Read Reason's interview with Polis from earlier this year on zoning reform.

In Los Angeles, NIMBYs Try To Stop New Housing With yet Another Environmental Lawsuit

What do you get when you cross a luxury grocery store, a neighborhood association, and a hotel workers' union? An environmental lawsuit aimed at stopping the construction of hundreds of new apartments next door.

Earlier this week, the Los Angeles Times reported that upscale grocery store Erewhon is suing the city of Los Angeles over its approval of the redevelopment of a neighboring, shuttered hotel into a 520-unit, mixed-use development.

The city approved the project last month, over the objections of Erewhon, the UNITE HERE Local 11 hotel workers union, and the local neighborhood association, who all argued the existing hotel should be preserved.

Erewhon is claiming that the city violated the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) by approving the hotel redevelopment.

CEQA requires local governments to study the environmental impacts of rezonings and discretionary approvals of new development. The law also allows third parties to sue government bodies that approve new developments if they believe a thorough environmental analysis wasn't done.

As a result, the law has become a favorite tool of anti-development activists to slow down development or wring concessions about developers.

Democrats Urge Biden To Finalize Fair Housing Rules

Progressive lawmakers in Congress are urging the Biden administration to stop dragging its feet and finalize its long-in-the-works Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule.

"The nation is grappling with a fair and affordable housing crisis. Finalizing the rule would pave the way to broader opportunities for historically disadvantaged families to establish themselves in communities where they can thrive," wrote Reps. Pramila Jayapal (DWash.) and Jimmy Gomez (DCalif.) in a letter from last week that was co-signed by 26 other Democratic lawmakers.

The AFFH rule has been a major flashpoint in federal housing politics for the better part of a decade.

The Fair Housing Act requires that federal housing programs be administered in a way that affirmatively furthers fair housing. What exactly that means is anyone's guess, and for decades this provision of the Fair Housing Act went effectively unenforced.

In 2015, the Obama administration released an expansive AFFH rule that required jurisdictions to submit reams of demographic data which they were then supposed to use to develop plans for spending their federal housing dollars, changing their own housing regulations, and more.

Conservatives of all stripes criticized the 2015 rule as burdensome and overreaching. Local governments also complained that the rule required them to report a lot of information they didn't have.

Once in office, the Trump administration froze implementation of the 2015 rule and got to work on a replacement regulation that would steer federal resources to jurisdictions that enabled more development.

In 2020, Trump did a complete about-face and scrapped his own administration's proposed AFFH rule in favor of one that protected the "suburban lifestyle dream."

The Biden administration quickly revived the old 2015 rule. In January 2023, it released an updated rule that attempted to address some of the complaints about the original rule's unworkability.

With the clock running out on Biden's term, progressives are urging the administration to quickly finalize that rule.

Quick Links

San Francisco's housing costs are so high that someone earning $109,000 a year now qualifies as low-income and deserving of subsidized affordable housing, according to California's new income limits for housing programs.

Canadian musician Grimes urges the Austin City Council to approve a reform that will shrink the city's minimum lot size to 2,000 square feet. The city council will vote on the reform this week. Read past Rent Free coverage of Austin's zoning reforms here and here.

Hey Tx friends!!!

Austin will vote on Thursday to reduce lot sizes from 5,750 square foot to 2,000 square foot. It would be amazing to allow ppl to have smaller more affordable housing lots and reduce housing costs in the city. If u believe in this let ur elected officials  ???????????????????????? (@Grimezsz) May 14, 2024

George Mason University's Mercatus Center has a new policy brief on best practices for legalizing housing on faith lands and in commercial zones.

The Institute for Justice (I.J.), a libertarian-leaning public interest law firm with a history of challenging local land use restrictions, is launching a new Zoning Justice Project aimed at reforming burdensome local zoning rules. "Whether a property owner wants to house the homeless or their own grandmother, they must navigate a labyrinth of unreasonable rules. The Zoning Justice Project exists to show that strong protections for property rights can empower Americans to create flourishing neighborhoods," said Ari Bargil, I.J. senior attorney and leader of the Zoning Justice Project, in a press release.

A lawsuit trying to stop zoning reforms that ended single-family-only zoning in Alexandria, Virginia, is set to go to trial.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (IVt.) releases a compilation clip of all the times he's blamed real estate developers for the country's high housing costs. One wonders, if you've said the same thing over and over again for decades about a problem that keeps getting worse, are you prescient or just consistently wrong?

The post New York's City of Maybe appeared first on Reason.com.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A dog that was inside a car stolen from the Fresh Market on Union Avenue more than a week ago has been found dead, her owner said.

Lynn Bugg said a city worker found Yoshi Tuesday morning in the median on Jackson Avenue at Macon Road, nearly four miles from the grocery store.

She said the dog did not have any visible trauma to her body, and shes not sure how she died.

At least I know where she is. I was able to retrieve her. I have some closure and can tell people because its become such a story that has touched peoples lives. said Bugg.

Bugg said people from all over the country have contacted her to offer their support and said so many locally tried to help her find her dog.

They tell me that she probably expired last night or early this morning, Bugg wrote in a Facebook post. So all efforts and support since May 2 were not at all in vain, we all just had few clues on where to look and just didnt get to her in time.

Bugg said minutes after she arrived at Fresh Market on May 2, someone broke out a window of her 2013 Infiniti and drove the car off the lot with her 15-year-old dog, Yoshi, in the back seat.

Dog missing after AR bank robbery, police chase

Owner of stolen dog says Memphians need to feel safe

A day later, the stolen Infiniti was used in a bank robbery in West Memphis, Ark., and the bank robber was nabbed after he crashed the car in Downtown Memphis, police say

The suspect, 35-year-old Freddy Najil, was charged with theft of property, evading arrest, and carrying a weapon while being a convicted felon.

According to Bugg, Najil told police he found the Infiniti in Whitehaven after it was stolen. He said Yoshi was not inside, and he knew nothing about the dog.

Who knows whether he is telling the truth or not but they do have forensics from the car, Bugg said. Theyll be able to determine if there were other fingerprints in the car and if he was telling the truth or not, said Bugg.

Bugg said she rescued Yoshi from the streets of Memphis fourteen years ago, and she turned out to be an extraordinary canine and companion.

She had all the qualities of the best dog. She was brave, she was protective, she was intelligent, and she was selective of people. She was very smart and wanted to please and just the best dog ever.

Bugg said over the last several days, she has experienced the worst and best of humanity and she could never find the right words to thank everyone for all the help.

The other thing that people have expressed to me is that they are so scared. Whats happening to our city? Bugg said. We cant beef up the police force overnight, we cant fix the things that are feeding crime overnight, but we can get more security.

Najil is locked up on a $25,000 bond. His next court appearance is May 20.

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 WREG.com.
By Kirsty Needham and Juliette Jabkhiro

WELLINGTON/PARIS (Reuters) - France sent extra police squadrons to quell riots on the Pacific island of New Caledonia on Tuesday but also opened the door to a negotiated settlement with pro- and anti-independence groups.

Overnight, rioters burnt cars, dozens of businesses, clashed with police and set up barricades to protest against plans to allow more people to take part in local elections in the French-ruled territory, which indigenous Kanak protesters reject.

The proposed changes, which the National Assembly in Paris will vote on later on Tuesday, would allow French residents who have lived in New Caledonia for 10 years to vote in provincial elections - a move local leaders fear will dilute the Kanak vote but the government says is needed so elections are democratic.

"The streets were on fire, they were rioting in the streets, quite a frightening experience actually," New Zealand tourist Mike Lightfoot told TVNZ television.

Despite a curfew, violence continued on Tuesday evening on the island, situated some 20,000 km (12,427 miles) from mainland France, local broadcaster NC La 1ere reported.

The island's capital Noumea was covered by a cloud of black smoke, NC La 1ere said, adding that a local sport facility had been set ablaze. It also reported a riot in a prison.

One of five island territories spanning the Indo-Pacific held by France, New Caledonia is the word's third-largest nickel producer and is the centrepiece of French President Emmanuel Macron's plan to increase Paris's influence in the Pacific.

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said the vote should proceed in the afternoon as planned, but confirmed that Macron would not rush into convening a special congress of the two houses of parliament required to rubber-stamp the bill.

Instead, he would invite representatives of the territory's population - both pro- and anti-independence - to Paris for talks on the future status of New Caledonia, after decades of tensions over France's role.

"It's through talking, and only through talking, that we can find a solution," Attal told lawmakers. "All we want is to find an overall political agreement, with those in favour of and against independence."

He did not spell out what such a deal could cover.

VIOLENCE

At a rally in Paris, pro-independence protesters said the bill should be withdrawn.

"If there is violence today (in New Caledonia), it's in response to the violence we've suffered from since colonisation," Kanak youth leader Daniel Wea, 43, told Reuters, saying the planned electoral changes would leave the Kanaks isolated on their island.

"We're here to show ... we will fight until we get what we want: independence," said 24-year-old Wendy Gowe, whose grand-fathers died when violence flared up on the island in the 1980s.

New Caledonia is situated 1,500 km (930 miles) east of Australia, with a population of 270,000 including 41% Melanesian and 24% of European origin, mostly French.

A 1998 Noumea Accord helped end a decade of conflict by outlining a path to gradual autonomy and restricting voting to the indigenous Kanak as well as people who arrived in New Caledonia before 1998.

The accord allowed for three referendums to determine the future of the country. In all three, independence was rejected, but that did not end the debate over the island's status or France's role.

Meanwhile, French miner Eramet said its local unit SLN had raised its security level amid the unrest and that its plant was running at minimum capacity.

"Our mines are halted, just like the vast majority of mines in New Caledonia," a spokesperson told Reuters.

Nickel miner Prony Resources said it activated a crisis unit to "maintain our industrial facilities and prevent any damage to our assets".

The French government has been negotiating a rescue package for the loss-making New Caledonian nickel sector, including a commitment to supply Europe's battery supply chain, but talks have stalled amid current political tensions.

(Reporting by Lucy Craymer and Kirsty Needham in Wellington, Dominique Vidalon, Tassilo Hummel, Gus Trompiz, Elizabeth Pineau, Juliette Jabkhiro in Paris; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Neil Fullick, Stephen Coates, Christina Fincher, William Maclean)
Zelensky asks visiting Blinken for more Patriot missiles for Kharkiv

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) meets with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken ahead of a bilateral meeting at the Mariinsky Palace. -/Ukraine Presidency via Planet Pix via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday for Patriot air defence systems for the city of Kharkiv despite Kiev officials saying there had been a slight "stabilization" at the front.

Russia launched a major attack in the border region near Ukraine's second biggest city four days ago, already capturing several Ukrainian villages, while it continues to bombard Kharkiv with missiles.

Two Patriot systems are necessary to protect the north-eastern city and its surrounding area, which borders Russia, Zelensky said in Kiev during Blinken's surprise visit.

US assistance for the campaign against the Russians was of crucial importance and air defence was the "biggest deficit," Zelensky added.

According to Ukrainian media reports, Blinken promised Ukraine weapons aid that could change the situation on the battlefield.

Blinken said on X: "I returned to Kyiv (Kiev) today to demonstrate our unwavering support for Ukraine as they defend their freedom against Russian aggression."

The visit, which as usual was not announced for security reasons, is Blinken's fourth since the start of the war in February 2022 and is also the first visit since the US approved a long-delayed aid package of $61 billion.

Ukraine has been on the defensive for months due to a lack of weapons, ammunition and soldiers.

Last week's renewed Russian assault spooked Kiev and the West.

The situation in the Kharkiv area remains very tense and is changing rapidly, the head of Ukraine's HUR military intelligence service, Kyrylo Budanov, said in a TV news update.

"But I believe that there has been a rapid tendency towards stabilization since yesterday evening," he added.

In Moscow, the Defence Ministry reported that Russian troops had captured the village of Buhruvatka in addition to land seized earlier and had repelled all Ukrainian counter-attacks.

According to US military experts, however, Russian forces advancing near Kharkiv will likely limit their push to the rapid creation of a buffer zone between the two countries.

That goal is apparently being prioritized over a deeper offensive into the Kharkiv region, the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote in its latest report on Monday.

Despite the situation in Kharkiv, Ukraine appears to be continuing its policy of hitting targets inside Russia.

Explosions were heard in the Russian border region of Belgorod following a missile alert, the Russian state agency TASS reported.

The Russian Ministry of Defence announced that air defence systems had shot down 25 missiles over the region.

This information, like most announcements during the war, could not initially be independently verified.

Meanwhile, a goods train was derailed by a suspected Ukrainian drone attack in the south-western Russian region of Volgograd, a Russian media report said.

The drone crashed into the fuel tank, the Baza Telegram channel reported, although the press service of the Russian railways simply said outside interference had caused the incident.

"According to preliminary information, there are no injuries," it added in a statement.

The derailed train damaged 300 metres of track near the village of Kotluban. Videos on social media showed derailed wagons scattered across the tracks. Some of them were badly damaged.

It took several hours before one lane of the line could be reopened.

Kotluban is located more than 300 kilometres from the Ukraine border.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) shakes hands with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken before their meeting in Kiev. -/Ukrainian Presidency/dpa
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky met U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during the latter's visit to Kyiv on May 14.

The president thanked Blinken for the "crucial package" of $61 billion in U.S. aid passed by Congress in April. While this decision unblocked the flow of American assistance after six months of delays, it will likely still take some time before the effects are felt on the battlefield.

"A big appreciation from Ukrainians to Americans for this," Zelensky said.

The president stressed that Kyiv hopes to see the U.S. assistance arriving as soon as possible, Ukrinform reported.

Ukraine's head of state said that Ukrainian defenders went through a "tough period" in the east of the country. Russian forces leveraged Ukraine's ammunition shortages, compounded by the lack of U.S. aid, and ramped up pressure along the front.

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In February, Russian forces captured Avdiivka, a key front-line city in Donetsk Oblast, and subsequently shifted focus toward the town of Chasiv Yar. Most recently, Moscow's troops launched new offensive operations in the north of Kharkiv Oblast, accompanying the campaign with heavy shelling and airstrikes.

In talks with Blinken, Zelensky underscored the need for air defenses, saying that two Patriot air defense systems are required to defend Kharkiv and Kharkiv Oblast.

Following their talks, Zelensky said that he and Blinken discussed the situation on the battlefield, further defense cooperation, preparations for the global peace summit scheduled for mid-June in Switzerland, and the signing of a bilateral security deal.

"We are actively working to finalize the preparation of the agreement on security guarantees, which must take into account the capabilities of the United States as the strongest partner. We expect the agreement to be signed shortly," Zelensky said.

"Thank you to the American people, the U.S. Congress, the House of Representatives, President (Joe) Biden and his team for supporting our fight for freedom and independence," Zelensky said on Telegram.

Read also: Blinken arrives in Ukraine for official visit

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
He once claimed he would be shot by Donald Trump. Now Michael Cohen is the silver bullet for prosecutors in the first criminal trial against the former president of the United States for paying hush money to porn actress Stormy Daniels, the adult film actress and screenwriter who in 2016 received $130,000 in exchange for keeping quiet about her alleged affair with Trump. The man who was trusted by the Republican presidential candidate for a decade appeared Monday in the criminal court in Manhattan hearing the case as a star witness for the prosecution, where he testified that he would have done anything for his former employer: The only thing that was on my mind was to accomplish the task to make him happy, Cohen said.

Among those tasks was to quash any stories that might hurt Trump, such as alleged affairs with Daniels and the former Playboy model Karen McDougal. The key witness in the trial  the only one able to prove that Trump was directly involved in the accounting falsification to keep the payments secret  described in detail the plot orchestrated with his former boss and the editor of the tabloid National Enquirer to buy and shelve these stories in what according to prosecutors constituted a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election.

Prosecutors have indicated they could finish presenting their case as early as this week. After Cohen, another witness is scheduled to be called by the prosecution. Then, the defense can call any others it wishes before closing arguments begin. Judging by the speed of the process so far, it could be concluded within a matter of days.

Cohen said Monday he had lied and even bullied on behalf of Trump, with whom he had a strangely paternal relationship. The former president followed the first part of Cohens testimony with his eyes closed; after the noon break, he was seen leafing through papers. Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison in 2018 over the hush money paid to Daniels  of which he served 13 months due to the coronavirus pandemic with a further year under house arrest  in violation of campaign finance laws. The purpose of the payment was to avoid a scandal that could have proven potentially catastrophic to Trumps presidential campaign. The uproar caused in September 2016, a month before the payment to Daniels, by the release of the Access Hollywood tape  a catalog of Trumps profanities about women  convinced them of the need to buy Daniels silence.

The relationship between the two deteriorated after the beginning of Trumps presidency, and broke down completely after Cohen released a recording in which he and Trump are heard discussing how they would go about burying the story of McDougals alleged affair with the real estate magnate in 2006, something the former president also denies. Later, Cohen testified before a House committee on Trumps involvement in the hush money scheme, in which David Pecker, editor of the National Enquirer and a personal friend of Trump, is also a protagonist. Peckers was one of the most cited names in Mondays session (he himself testified in the second week of the trial). The three men decided in August 2015, shortly after Trump launched his bid for the White House, to bury all information that could prove injurious to the Republican. The collaboration between the Trump Organization and the National Enquirer allegedly involved the creation of accounting departments, front companies, and misleading invoices.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gestures to the crowd during a campaign rally in Wildwood, N.J., Saturday May 11, 2024. Associated Press/LaPresse (APN)

$150,000 dollars to buy silence

The populist tone of the National Enquirer convinced them to spread positive stories about Trump, which would be beneficial to his campaign, and negative stories about some of the other candidates. But above all, stories were bought and suppressed, such as one concerning a janitor who threatened to talk about an alleged illegitimate child of Trump, to whom Pecker paid $30,000. McDougals silence cost $150,000. Trump thought it was fantastic, a great job, although Pecker complained because it was difficult for him to justify the hefty payment to his company, Cohen recalled.

In a country where business failures and legal entanglements bury no ones future, Cohen can stand before the jury as someone who has openly acknowledged his crimes and paid for them with jail time. But it will also be made clear to the jury  the defense will make a point of it  that the now disbarred lawyer not only pleaded guilty to lying to Congress during investigations into Trumps ties to Russia, around which the former presidents first impeachment trial revolved when he was still in the White House, but recently affirmed under oath that he was not entirely truthful in admitting some of those falsehoods either. Cohens reputation as a redoubtable liar is candy for the defense, which has tried unsuccessfully to prevent him from testifying by arguing that he has perjured himself more than once.

The animosity between Trump and his former right-hand man is mutual: if Cohen called his ex-boss a racist, a con man and a cheat in an appearance before Congress in 2019, Trump has not spared Cohen the coarsest epithets either, although he is forbidden from holding forth due to the gag order imposed by Judge Juan Merchan. He did not even offer a response on Monday to journalists who asked him loudly in the hallway if Cohen is a liar. The former presidents walk in and out of the courtroom has become a loudspeaker for his sophistry.

Instead, the presumptive Republican nominee boasted of the lead he holds over his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, in five swing states in the latest poll released. He also reiterated his belief that the trial against him is a political witch hunt and thanked his supporters for their backing at rallies such as the one he held Saturday on a New Jersey beach: We have thousands of people and 100,000 people in New Jersey. They would like to show their support. Its like an armed camp outside. You cant get one person within three blocks of this courthouse, he said ahead of Cohens testimony.

Its a disgrace to the country. Im campaigning now instead of sitting in a very cold courthouse all day long. This is a Biden prosecution. Its election interference at a level that nobody in this country has ever seen before, Trump concluded before entering the courtroom surrounded by supporters including Congressmen JD Vance and Nicole Malliotakis and his son Eric.

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Should an 800-area solar farm be built in eastern Fayette County? Some arent so sure

A Nashville company wants to put a solar energy farm on 800 acres in eastern Fayette County.

Silicon Ranch, which runs and operates solar farms in 15 states, has an option to purchase 797 acres in the Haley Road area adjacent to a 384-acre solar project recently proposed by Eastern Kentucky Power Cooperative.

That means a little less than 1,200 acres of farm land in Fayette County could be used for solar energy production in coming years.

That likely wont happen any time soon.

There are no rules saying where solar can go in Fayette Countys zoning ordinances.

Silicon Ranch is proposing an $80 million solar farm in eastern Fayette County near Interstate 64 and Haley Road. Photo provided/Silicon Ranch

Silicon Ranch has proposed a zoning text amendment, a change to the zoning rules, that would allow solar energy farms in some areas with a conditional use permit, including the agricultural zone. The land Silicon Ranch wants to purchase for the solar farm is currently zoned agricultural.

In addition, the zone text amendment also says what types of solar operations can go in what types of zones.

In addition to putting the solar arrays on the property, the group also wants to add sheep to the land to keep it agricultural, according to documents submitted to Lexington planning officials.

On May 2, a subcommittee of the Urban County Planning Commission postponed the approval of the text amendment at the recommendation of city planning staff.

City officials said the city needed more time to analyze best practices, other cities and counties rules regarding solar energy and to do more outreach.

City officials said it will likely be at least two months before the amendment returns to the planning commission for discussion.

If the Urban County Planning Commission gives its approval for the text amendment, it will then go to the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council for final approval.

Without the change to the zoning text, Silicon Ranch cant move forward with its proposal.

Eastern Kentucky Power Cooperative does not need to get sign-offs from city planning boards because it is a public utility.

But the cooperative must get approval from the Public Service Commission, which oversees public utilities.

If Silicon Ranch eventually gets planning approval, it still has to get the green light from a commission Electric Generation and Transmission Siting Board that determines where large-scale solar operations can go among other issues.

Other counties and cities across Kentucky have also wrestled with how to regulate solar farms as more have come online in recent years.

In Clark County, two proposed zoning text amendments allowing solar farms in agricultural areas were voted down after push back from the community in 2021.

In June 2023, the Clark County Fiscal Court took the unusual step of passing an ordinance with the intent to prevent utility-scale solar development within the agricultural zone in order to preserve farmland, protect historic resources and ensure that development is compatible with neighboring properties.

Sheep and solar

Darby Turner, a lawyer who represents Silicon Ranch, said the proposed solar farm would generate about 80 to 100 megawatts of energy.

Thats roughly 2.65% of the energy generated in Fayette County, Turner said during the May 2 meeting.

There isnt enough industrial land in Fayette County or most places to generate the amount of solar electricity needed, Turner said.

The citys Comprehensive Plan, which guides development, calls for carbon neutrality by 2050. To do that, there needs to be large, solar arrays or fields, Turner argued.

But its impossible to find 800 acres of industrial zoned land in Fayette County, he said.

Sheep and solar are compatible, Silicon Ranch has found at its operations across the country, Turner said.

Silicon Ranch may be one of the largest sheep producers in the country, Turner said.

In some operations, Silicon Ranch lease the sheep to graze on the land. In other areas, Silicon Ranch owns the sheep and employs shepherds, he said.

Turner said the solar panels can be moved or decommissioned so the land can return to agricultural uses.

The proposed text amendment requires a decommission plan. It also requires the solar farm operator post a bond so if the solar company goes belly up, the solar panels can still be decommissioned. The amount of that bond is determined by a third-party engineer, not the company.

The proposed text amendment offers no guidelines or rules determining what is considered agriculture. That means that someone could put a chicken coop in one corner of a 100-acre solar farm and say it is still an agricultural use, Zach Davis, a planning commission member, said during the May 2 hearing.

Lawsuits over flooding

Brittany Roethemeier, executive director of the Fayette Alliance, which advocates on behalf of rural land owners, said there needs to be careful deliberation before the zoning text amendment moves forward.

Other cities and states have made mistakes after authorizing solar farms, she said. Fayette County has the opportunity to employ best practices before moving forward.

The quality of the top soil makes the land here so special, Roethemeier said. It can take hundreds of years to replace that topsoil if its damaged.

Roethemeier said the Fayette Alliance supports solar energy but questions if it should be placed on agricultural land.

There have been issues in other parts of the country with flooding of adjoining properties after a solar farm is installed.

Silicon Ranch was sued and ordered to pay millions of dollars to Georgia landowners who alleged the Lumpkin Solar Farm in caused damages to a 21-acre fishing lake due to poor erosion control when the solar farm was constructed.

In April 2023, a federal jury awarded Shaun Harris and Amie Harris of Stewart, Georgia, $135 million -- $25 million in punitive damages against Silicon Ranch and the remaining damages against the contractor and a subsidiary of the contractor. A federal judge later reduced those damages to $5 million in November 2023.

In a statement released after the April 2023 verdict, Silicon Ranch said it relied on its contractors to follow all local and state rules.

We relied on our contractor to carry out this scope of work in compliance with applicable law and in keeping with industry best management practices, as specified by the appropriate regulatory bodies in the state of Georgia, the statement said.

As the long-term owner of this facility, Silicon Ranch remains committed to the continued success of Stewart County and the surrounding region. While we sincerely regret the unintentional damage to our neighbors property, Silicon Ranch does not believe the verdict in this trial is supported by the facts in this case.
AI may be to blame for our failure to make contact with alien civilizations

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

Michael Garrett is the Sir Bernard Lovell chair of Astrophysics and Director of Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, University of Manchester.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has progressed at an astounding pace over the last few years. Some scientists are now looking towards the development of artificial superintelligence (ASI)  a form of AI that would not only surpass human intelligence but would not be bound by the learning speeds of humans.

But what if this milestone isn't just a remarkable achievement? What if it also represents a formidable bottleneck in the development of all civilizations, one so challenging that it thwarts their long-term survival?

Related: Could AI find alien life faster than humans, and would it tell us?

This idea is at the heart of a research paper I recently published in Acta Astronautica. Could AI be the universe's "great filter"  a threshold so hard to overcome that it prevents most life from evolving into space-faring civilizations?

This is a concept that might explain why the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) has yet to detect the signatures of advanced technical civilizations elsewhere in the galaxy.

The great filter hypothesis is ultimately a proposed solution to the Fermi Paradox. This questions why, in a universe vast and ancient enough to host billions of potentially habitable planets, we have not detected any signs of alien civilizations. The hypothesis suggests there are insurmountable hurdles in the evolutionary timeline of civilizations that prevent them from developing into space-faring entities.

I believe the emergence of ASI could be such a filter. AI's rapid advancement, potentially leading to ASI, may intersect with a critical phase in a civilization's development  the transition from a single-planet species to a multiplanetary one.

a silver cylinder flies down to a reddish-orange planet

This is where many civilizations could falter, with AI making much more rapid progress than our ability either to control it or sustainably explore and populate our Solar System.

The challenge with AI, and specifically ASI, lies in its autonomous, self-amplifying and improving nature. It possesses the potential to enhance its own capabilities at a speed that outpaces our own evolutionary timelines without AI.

The potential for something to go badly wrong is enormous, leading to the downfall of both biological and AI civilizations before they ever get the chance to become multiplanetary. For example, if nations increasingly rely on and cede power to autonomous AI systems that compete against each other, military capabilities could be used to kill and destroy on an unprecedented scale. This could potentially lead to the destruction of our entire civilization, including the AI systems themselves.

In this scenario, I estimate the typical longevity of a technological civilization might be less than 100 years. That's roughly the time between being able to receive and broadcast signals between the stars (1960), and the estimated emergence of ASI (2040) on Earth. This is alarmingly short when set against the cosmic timescale of billions of years.

This estimate, when plugged into optimistic versions of the Drake equation  which attempts to estimate the number of active, communicative extraterrestrial civilizations in the Milky Way  suggests that, at any given time, there are only a handful of intelligent civilizations out there. Moreover, like us, their relatively modest technological activities could make them quite challenging to detect.

Radio telescopes point skyward at sunset.

Wake-up call

This research is not simply a cautionary tale of potential doom. It serves as a wake-up call for humanity to establish robust regulatory frameworks to guide the development of AI, including military systems.

This is not just about preventing the malevolent use of AI on Earth; its also about ensuring the evolution of AI aligns with the long-term survival of our species. It suggests we need to put more resources into becoming a multiplanetary society as soon as possible  a goal that has lain dormant since the heady days of the Apollo project, but has lately been reignited by advances made by private companies.

As the historian Yuval Noah Harari noted, nothing in history has prepared us for the impact of introducing non-conscious, super-intelligent entities to our planet. Recently, the implications of autonomous AI decision-making have led to calls from prominent leaders in the field for a moratorium on the development of AI, until a responsible form of control and regulation can be introduced.

But even if every country agreed to abide by strict rules and regulation, rogue organizations will be difficult to rein in.

The integration of autonomous AI in military defense systems has to be an area of particular concern. There is already evidence that humans will voluntarily relinquish significant power to increasingly capable systems, because they can carry out useful tasks much more rapidly and effectively without human intervention. Governments are therefore reluctant to regulate in this area given the strategic advantages AI offers, as has been recently and devastatingly demonstrated in Gaza.

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This means we already edge dangerously close to a precipice where autonomous weapons operate beyond ethical boundaries and sidestep international law. In such a world, surrendering power to AI systems in order to gain a tactical advantage could inadvertently set off a chain of rapidly escalating, highly destructive events. In the blink of an eye, the collective intelligence of our planet could be obliterated.

Humanity is at a crucial point in its technological trajectory. Our actions now could determine whether we become an enduring interstellar civilization, or succumb to the challenges posed by our own creations.

Using SETI as a lens through which we can examine our future development adds a new dimension to the discussion on the future of AI. It is up to all of us to ensure that when we reach for the stars, we do so not as a cautionary tale for other civilizations, but as a beacon of hope  a species that learned to thrive alongside AI.

Originally published at The Conversation.
By Akash Sriram and Greg Bensinger

(Reuters) -The chief of Amazon.com's wildly profitable Amazon Web Services cloud computing unit will step down next month after a three-year term, the company said on Tuesday.

Adam Selipsky, 57, who is also a member of Amazon's team advising CEO Andy Jassy, will leave the company on June 3. He will be replaced by Matt Garman, a senior vice president who has overseen sales and marketing at AWS.

Selipsky has spent 14 years at AWS over two stints. He was the CEO of Tableau Software, a unit of Salesforce, from 2016 to 2021, when he was tapped to take over the division from Jassy who had been appointed Amazon CEO.

Under Selipsky's leadership, AWS saw rapid growth, doubling sales of $45.4 billion from the year before his appointment to $90.8 billion in 2023 and nearly doubling operating income to $24.6 billion over that period.

Still, AWS has faced criticism that it has not been fast enough to roll out competitive generative artificial intelligence services to meet the challenge presented by competitors, including OpenAI. It recently made its Amazon Q chatbot service broadly available for businesses.

Shares in the Seattle retailer were little changed on Tuesday, down less than 1%.

I dont think it will be very disruptive at all," said Jamie Meyers, senior analyst at Laffer Tengler Investments, which owns Amazon shares.

"The key player for AWS always has been Andy Jassy, who founded and led the unit until three years ago. So long as he is still at the helm of the company, AWS operations should continue according to plan."

It was not immediately clear what Selipsky may do next, though he said he was leaving the company to "spend more time with family."

While AWS has the largest share in the U.S. cloud market, its dominance is under pressure from Microsoft's fast-growing Azure service that is benefiting from AI offerings powered by its tie-up with OpenAI. And Alphabet's Google is expected to roll out new AI services on Tuesday at its annual developer conference.

AWS, Amazon's second-biggest business unit after e-commerce, is widely regarded as the company's growth engine, contributing about 40% to its top line.

Garman started at Amazon as an intern during the summer of 2005 and joined the company full-time the next year as one of its first product managers.

Selipsky also led AWS through several rounds of layoffs, including a few hundred jobs in April in the unit overseeing sales and marketing for physical stores technology. AWS was among the hardest hit divisions in 2023 when Amazon trimmed around 27,000 jobs across the company.

(Reporting by Greg Bensinger in San Francisco; Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja Desai, Michael Erman and Marguerita Choy)
The launch of a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket carrying Boeing's hard-luck Starliner capsule has been delayed another four days, from Friday to next Tuesday, to give engineers time to make sure a small helium leak in the crew ship's propulsion system has been resolved, officials said Tuesday.

Liftoff from pad 41 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is now targeted for 4:43 p.m. EDT May 21, setting up a docking at the International Space Station the following afternoon. The flight is expected to conclude with a landing in White Sands, New Mexico, around May 30.

Boeing's Starliner crew capsule in a processing hangar at the Kennedy Space Center, shortly before it was mounted atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket. / Credit: William Harwood/CBS News

Mission commander Barry "Butch" Wilmore and co-pilot Sunita Williams had hoped to take off on the Starliner's first piloted flight last Monday. They were in the process of strapping in when the countdown was called off because of trouble with an oxygen pressure relief valve in the rocket's Centaur upper stage.

Two days later, the Atlas 5 was hauled off the launch pad and back to ULA's nearby Vertical Integration Facility where the suspect valve was replaced. Tests confirmed the rocket is good to go for another launch try.

The unrelated helium leak in the Starliner's propellant pressurization system was noted during the countdown last week, but it remained within safe limits for flight. After the Atlas 5 and Starliner were rolled back to the VIF for the oxygen valve replacement, managers decided to take a closer look at the helium issue.

The leak was detected in distribution manifold inside one of four "doghouse" assemblies spaced around the exterior of the Starliner's drum-shaped service module. Each doghouse features four orbital maneuvering and attitude control  OMAC  thrusters and four small reaction control system maneuvering jets.

Pressurized helium gas is used to push propellants to the rocket motors in each doghouse. The leak was traced to a flange on a single RCS thruster.

Bolts were retorqued and engineers believe the system is flight ready. But managers decided to pressurize the helium lines throughout the spacecraft to make sure the lines are, in fact, leak-free or within acceptable limits.

"As a part of the testing, Boeing will bring the propulsion system up to flight pressurization just as it does prior to launch, and then allow the helium system to vent naturally to validate existing data and strengthen flight rationale," the company said in a statement.

"Mission teams also completed a thorough review of the data from the May 6 launch attempt and are not tracking any other issues."

Wilmore and Williams, both veteran Navy test pilots and astronauts with four flights to the station between them, flew back to the Johnson Space Center in Houston last Friday for additional simulator training. They are expected to fly back to Florida late this week to gear up for another launch try.

The Atlas 5 rocket and Starliner capsule at launch pad 41 prior to a May 6 launch delay triggered by an oxygen pressure relief valve in the rocket's Centaur upper stage and, more recently, by a small helium leak in the Starliner's service module. / Credit: United Launch Alliance

The Starliner is one of two commercially built crew ferry ships ordered by NASA in the wake of the shuttle program's retirement in 2011. SpaceX won a contract valued at $2.6 billion for development of the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft and Boeing was awarded $4.2 billion to develop the Starliner.

The goal was to spur development of independent, commercially-operated spacecraft capable of ferrying astronauts to and from the International Space Station. Spacecraft from different vendors will allow NASA to continue sending crews to the space station even if a problem grounds one company's ship.

SpaceX launched its first two-man crew in 2020. Since then, the company has launched eight NASA-sponsored crew rotation flights to the station, three commercial research missions to the lab and a privately-funded, two-man, two-woman trip to low-Earth orbit. In all, 50 people have flown to space aboard Crew Dragons.

Wilmore and Williams will be the first astronauts to fly aboard a Starliner after a series of technical glitches that included major software problems during an initial unpiloted test flight in December 2019 and corroded propulsion system valves that delayed a second uncrewed test mission to May 2022.

The second test flight was a success, but engineers ran into additional questions about parachute harness connectors and protective tape wrapped around wiring that posed a fire risk in a short circuit. Work to correct those issues and others delayed the first piloted launch to this month.

The Atlas 5 oxygen valve problem was United Launch Alliance's responsibility. The helium leak responsible for the latest delay goes on the Starliner list, but it apparently is a relatively minor problem and would not have prevented launch last week.

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China is asking its tech giants to ditch Nvidia chips and buy local instead: report

China is asking its tech giants to ditch Nvidia chips and buy local instead: report

China wants its chip hungry tech giants to buy local, per The Information.

Companies like Alibaba were told to pare down their spending on foreign-made chips like Nvidia's.

The new directive would be a huge downer for Nvidia, which sees the country as a key market.

Chinese officials are asking domestic tech giants to buy locally-made AI chips instead of Nvidia's, The Information reported on Monday.

Major tech companies like Alibaba, Baidu, TikTok parent company ByteDance, and Tencent were told to pare back their spending on foreign-made chips like Nvidia's, the outlet reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Chinese tech giants, The Information's sources said, are now expected to purchase equal numbers of locally and foreign-made AI chips for their new data centers.

According to the outlet, the directive hasn't been strictly enforced, and it is unclear if any penalties will be imposed for non-compliant companies.

Representatives for China's National Development and Reforms Commissions, its Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the four tech giants didn't respond to The Information's requests for comments. Nvidia declined to comment on The Information's reporting too.

The Chinese government's new directive is a huge downer for Nvidia, who has been working hard to come up with specialized offerings for the Chinese market.

Nvidia is developing three new GPUs for China  the H20, L20, and L2. All three chips are designed to meet the restrictions under prevailing US sanction rules, Reuters reported in January, citing two people familiar with the matter.

China is a critical market and key revenue generator for Nvidia. The country accounted for 19% of Nvidia's data center chip revenue in fiscal year 2023. In February, Nvidia CFO Colette Kress told investors that US export restrictions caused China's revenue share to plunge to a "mid-single-digit percentage."

"If China can't buy from the United States, they'll just build it themselves. So the US has to be careful. China is a very important market for the technology industry," Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang told the Financial Times in May 2023.

But Nvidia's hard work could very well unravel with these new developments.

"If we are deprived of the Chinese market, we don't have a contingency for that," Huang said in the same interview with the FT. "There is no other China, there is only one China."

A spokesperson for Nvidia declined to comment when approached by BI.

Nvidia's travails highlights the immense challenges faced by companies that are caught between the geopolitical headwinds of US-China tensions.

Cupertino-based tech giant Apple, for instance, has been working to diversify its supply chains away from China.

Besides banking on India to make its iPhones, Apple has invested nearly $16 billion in investments in Vietnamese suppliers, Bloomberg reported in April, citing a statement it obtained.

"We are rapidly approaching what we call a 'two tech stack divide,' where in essence, each country, the US and China, are effectively walling off or ring-fencing their tech stacks from each other," TPW Advisory founder, Jay Pelosky told BI's Yuheng Zhan.

Representatives for China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Alibaba, Baidu, ByteDance, and Tencent didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from BI sent outside regular business hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Students interested in becoming automotive technicians visit a career exploration event at Columbus State Community Colleges existing automotive technology program space in the colleges Delaware Hall building in March.

Columbus State Community College is planning a multimillion dollar project to modernize the automotive training center at its Downtown campus.

The project will expand Columbus State's auto-technology education center to more than 40,000 square feet in Delaware Hall, one of Columbus States largest buildings, using $15.6 million from its bond issue funding. It will also modernize the space to support more students working with manufacturer partners and preparing them for the growing needs of electric vehicles and other emerging tech.

The college identified the automotive center as a priority for upgrades in its 2019 educational facilities and technology plan. Franklin County voters approved the college's $300 million bond issue in April 2020 for capital projects.

As advanced technology production ramps up in our region, an updated automotive technology education environment is key to enabling access to good-paying, in-demand careers aligned with the future needs of major regional manufacturing employers like Honda, our Ford and Honda brand-recognized partnerships, and the local dealerships that rely on Columbus State as their workforce pipeline, said Carmen Daniels, Columbus State's Business, Engineering and Technology division dean.

The project will happen in two phases. First, Columbus State will renovate a former campus gymnasium into space for automotive technology education. Then it will update the programs existing instructional space in Delaware Hall. Construction is expected to start in the second quarter of 2025 and both phases complete by the end of 2026.

New lab space will be in part dedicated to exclusive use of the existing Ford ASSET and incoming Honda PACT academic training programs, according to the college, and open the possibility of potential other brand-specific partnerships for Columbus State students.

This investment helps fulfill our promise to Franklin County residents to invest in in-demand career education infrastructure, Columbus State President David Harrison said. Its a great creative repurposing for one of our largest buildings, enabling our automotive technology program to grow in place.

Columbus States automotive technology program offers associate degrees and certificates for students interested automotive service and repair technician careers. Enrollment in the program is up more than 13% over the past two years with an annual enrollment of about 375 students.

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: Columbus State plans $15.6 million expansion of its auto tech center
The planned 'bioship' is fuelled by wood chips instead of marine diesel - Daniel Lewis/VisMedia

British power company Drax has drawn up plans for the worlds first wood-powered cargo ship, claiming that the controversial power source can help to cut greenhouse gas emissions from sea freight.

Drax, which operates a tree-burning power station in the UK, has signed a deal with three Japanese shipping companies to develop a bioship fuelled by wood chips instead of marine diesel. It hopes to see the first wood-fuelled cargo ship set sail by 2029.

The vessel would itself be used to ferry woodchips harvested by Drax from North American forests to new markets in Japan.

Drax and its Japanese partners said such ships would open the way to zero-emission shipping for many other cargoes.

However, the plan will infuriate many environmental groups who argue that cutting down forests for fuel is the wrong way to reach net zero.

Paul Sheffield, Draxs chief commercial officer, said the company wanted to decarbonise its supply chain and become carbon negative by 2030.

He said: This is an important step in the development of the technology required to power and launch the worlds first bioship.

This will support Draxs decarbonisation goals but could also drive the innovation needed to transform shipping and cut carbon emissions and fuel costs in global supply chains.



Under the memorandum of understanding, signed at the British Embassy in Tokyo, Drax will help develop an on-board biomass fuel plant designed to burn wood.



The new bioship would be built by Hiroshima-based Tsuneishi Shipbuilding and operated by NYK Line, a global shipping company with 811 cargo ships, and its subsidiary NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers (NBP). Kenichi Shibata, managing executive officer of Tsuneishi, called the project a world first.

Drax is best-known in the UK for its giant power station in Yorkshire, which last year generated around 6pc of the countrys electricity by burning 6.4m tonnes of wood  equivalent to 27 million trees  mostly imported from North America.

Drax's giant power station is located in Yorkshire's 'Megawatt Valley'

For comparison, the New Forest in Hampshire has around 46 million trees.

Drax and its supporters argue that wood is a sustainable energy source as trees can be grown to replace those cut down for fuel and the plants capture carbon while they are developing.

However, critics point out that trees grow much more slowly than the time it takes to use them for fuel, raising questions as to how sustainable they really are.

The UK Government supports the use of wood as a fuel and has given Drax subsidies for producing green energy, which amounted to 617m in 2022 and 587m in 2023.

In February, Drax chief executive Will Gardiner said he wanted to build more wood pellet plants in the US, doubling production to 8m tonnes by 2030.

In a statement on Tuesday, the company said: Biomass is playing a growing role in Japans transition from fossil fuel power generation to low carbon and renewable electricity, and the countrys demand for biomass pellets, sourced primarily from North America and composed of sawmill and forestry residues, is increasing.

The biomass fuel plant would use a gasifier to combust biomass at high temperatures to create gases that would then be used to power a generator.

This could see a 22pc reduction in carbon emissions when compared to using fossil fuels. If this development is successful, the companies will jointly study the possibility of building a bioship by the end of 2029.

Green campaigners said the plan was designed to exploit loopholes in carbon accounting rather than to save the planet.

Merry Dickinson of Axe Drax, which campaigns against the companys plans to expand wood burning, said: Burning wood pellets emits as much carbon as coal. This latest move is nothing more than another greenwashed scam from Drax.

Sally Clark from Biofuelwatch said: Using wood pellets to power ships will only lead to more climate-wrecking emissions, harm to wildlife and pollution of communities. If we are to avoid the worst impacts of climate breakdown, we need to protect and restore the worlds forests, not allow big polluters like Drax to send our futures up in smoke.

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KYODO NEWS - May 14, 2024 - 20:25 | All, Japan

Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party is unlikely to field its own candidate in the Tokyo gubernatorial race in July, while considering supporting the incumbent, Yuriko Koike, if she seeks a third four-year term, LDP sources said Tuesday.

The development comes after the conservative LDP, headed by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, lost three seats in House of Representatives by-elections late last month, with a political funds scandal significantly undermining public trust in the party.

The gubernatorial race has drawn public attention as voters can directly elect the leader of Tokyo from a diverse range of candidates, often including celebrities such as athletes, comedians, journalists, novelists and former lawmakers.

With concerns growing that Kishida's leadership could weaken further if the LDP loses the gubernatorial race in the capital following the lower house by-elections, his aides have been inclined to avoid a possible confrontation with Koike, the sources said.

Koike, a former newscaster who became Japan's first female defense minister in 2007 when she served as an LDP lawmaker, has not yet declared her candidacy for the July 7 gubernatorial race, for which official campaigning starts on June 20.

In the previous race in 2020, which was held amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Koike secured reelection as an independent candidate. But her popularity is believed to be waning, evidenced by the crushing defeat of a candidate she backed in the by-election in Tokyo.

Koike, who became the first female Tokyo governor in 2016, has been accused by one of her former aides of lying about graduating from Cairo University in Egypt and faking her diploma. She has claimed to have been an Arabic translator.

In the by-elections in April, the LDP did not field candidates in the Tokyo No. 15 and Nagasaki No. 3 districts, while failing to defend its seat in the Shimane No. 1 constituency in the western prefecture, known as a traditional conservative stronghold.

The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan won all three seats previously held by the LDP. The left-leaning party plans to nominate its own candidate in the upcoming Tokyo governorship race.

Related coverage:

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(Reuters) -Elon Musk's artificial intelligence startup xAI has been talking to Oracle executives about spending $10 billion to rent cloud servers from the company over a period of years, The Information reported on Tuesday, citing a person involved in the talks.

The deal would make xAI one of Oracle's largest customers, the report said, as Musk looks to raise funds for xAI in an attempt to rival the AI offerings of OpenAI and Google.

The cloud negotiations are ongoing and there is no guarantee that the two companies will sign a deal, the report added.

XAI was reportedly in talks to raise $3 billion in a round last month, which would have valued the company at $18 billion.

Oracle and Elon Musk did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

Oracle's co-founder Larry Ellison, a self-described close friend of Elon Musk, announced in September that Musk's startup had signed a contract to train AI models in Oracle's Gen2 Cloud.

Oracle released an update to its database technology earlier this month intended to make it more useful with AI.

XAI is the largest H100 customer at Oracle, using more than 15,000 of the AI chips, the report said. H100 is an AI chip made by Nvidia.

Last month, Musk said xAI would launch an enhanced version of its chatbot Grok to early testers and existing users on his social media platform X.

(Reporting by Zaheer Kachwala in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)
By Martin Coulter

LONDON (Reuters) - Artificial intelligence startup Anthropic, which is backed by Alphabet's Google and Amazon.com, said it would release its generative AI chatbot Claude across Europe on Tuesday.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Anthropic's Claude is a direct competitor to Microsoft-backed OpenAI's ChatGPT, the chatbot that broke records when it reached 100 million monthly active users just two months after launch.

While the Claude chatbot was already freely available online in a number of countries, this is the first time it has been made available via the web and iPhones across the European Union, as well as a handful of non-EU countries in Europe such as Switzerland and Iceland.

European business customers will also be able to access the "Claude Team" plan, which will cost 28 euros ($30.21) per month before value-added tax.

CONTEXT

Anthropic was set up by former executives at OpenAI and siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei.

Earlier this month, the firm jumped into the race to capture corporate dollars, launching a version of its chatbot aimed at businesses. The move could yet bring it into competition with its backers Amazon and Google, who likewise want to capture business spending on AI.

KEY QUOTE

"Millions of people worldwide are already using Claude to do things like accelerate scientific processes, enhance customer service or refine their writing. I look forward to seeing what people and businesses across Europe create with Claude," said Dario Amodei, CEO and co-founder at Anthropic.

($1 = 0.9270 euros)

(Reporting by Martin Coulter; Editing by Jamie Freed)
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On Monday, OpenAI led the pack with a new souped-up version of ChatGPT that can have real-time human-like conversations and chat in 50 languages. But the announcement was quickly followed by Google on Tuesday, which revealed it will integrate its flagship AI Gemini into Google Search and teased new voice and video chatbot features.

Meanwhile, Apple is racing to make upgrades to its AI assistant, Siri, to compete with its rivals latest offerings.

The flurry of updates follows the release of the buzzy  but criticized  Rabbit R1 personal assistant and the Humane AI pin. Ultimately the latest phase in the AI race could reshape how we find out new information online and language translation  and even change the phone in your pocket.

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Publishers are worried AI-powered search will eat their lunch

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Source: Washington Post

The latest integrations of AI into search engines and vice-versa moves the online ecosystem closer to a system where AI makes search engines obsolete. Google announced plans to effectively fuse search and AI, rolling out its AI-generated summaries, known as AI Overviews, will be available to everyone in the US this week. But creators and publishers are worried the changes will crater their web traffic, with traditional search links replaced by the summaries, The Washington Post reported. Research firm Gartner predicts search web traffic will fall 25 percent by 2026; a search consultant told the Post: Some people are going to just get bludgeoned.

AIs ability to speak like a human is quickly evolving

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Sources: The Neuron, One Useful Thing

OpenAIs newest model, GPT-4o, can respond to a users voice prompts within an average of 320 milliseconds: Its uncannily human-like, perhaps too much so, AI-focused newsletter The Neuron wrote. But it means that for tasks youd normally attempt with Siri, you should use ChatGPT instead. The new features seem geared toward making AI more connected to human systems, which could give it more real-world application, AI scholar Ethan Mollick wrote. This is where AI labs are leading us: to a near future of AI as coworker, friend, and ubiquitous presence.

Hardware could be next AI trend

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Sources: Fast Company, The Verge

Tech companies are increasingly looking for ways to integrate AI into hardware. Fast Company wrote at the beginning of the year that 2024 would see AI become an integral part of smartphones, laptops, and other gadgets. Both the Humane AI Pin and Rabbit R1 received mostly negative reviews, with The Verges David Pierce predicting new ways to interact with AI like high-tech headphones or smartwatches. Google and Apple could have a head start in that space, since they already make phones that have some level of AI integration. But ChatGPTs app, with the new voice and video chat functions, could challenge their dominance.

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NHTSA investigation follows reports of 22 incidents which included behaviour that potentially broke traffic laws - David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

Googles robot taxis are to be investigated by American regulators amid claims the self-driving cars flouted traffic laws.

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Tuesday said its investigation would look at 444 vehicles owned by Waymo, a subsidiary of Googles parent Alphabet.

It follows reports of 22 incidents, including 17 collisions, which included behaviour that potentially broke traffic laws, the regulator said.

In some of those cases, Waymos cars appeared to disobey traffic safety control devices  which can include street signs, traffic signals and road markings  and crashes happened after the vehicles exhibited unexpected behaviour, the NHTSA added.

Other reports included collisions with objects such as gates and chains, or crashes involving parked vehicles, while there were examples of vehicles driving in opposing lanes with nearby oncoming traffic or entering construction zones.

The move is the latest step taken by the regulator amid safety fears about driverless cars.

It has also launched similar investigations into rival driverless car firms Cruise and Zoox, which are owned by General Motors and Amazon respectively.

In February, Waymo recalled 444 self-driving vehicles following two collisions in quick succession in Arizona.

The company blamed a software error which it said could cause the cars to inaccurately predict the movement of a towed vehicle.

Separately, electric car maker Tesla was forced to issue software updates to more than two million cars to prevent drivers abusing its Autopilot system.

That followed hundreds of crashes which happened while drivers were using the technology, some of them fatal.

Following a two-year investigation, the NHTSA said in December that Tesla would make changes amid concerns that motorists were not paying attention to the road when the system was activated.

The regulators investigation into Waymo is the first part in a process that could eventually lead to a recall, should officials decide the vehicles pose an unreasonable risk to safety.

Waymo did not comment on the safety incidents but said it would cooperate with the NHTSA.

It added it was proud of our performance and safety record over tens of millions of autonomous miles driven, as well as our demonstrated commitment to safety transparency.

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While promoting Project Astra, Google CEO Sundar Pichai teased the possible return of Google Glass.

Pichai told CNBC that Google is working on prototype glasses to work with Project Astra's AI model.

The first Google Glass was originally launched in 2013 and was a remarkable commercial failure.

Google Glass might be ready to make a comeback.

In an interview with CNBC on Tuesday, Google CEO Sundar Pichar teased the possible return of the wearable technology, integrated with Google's new multimodal AI assistant, Project Astra.

"Project Astra shines when you have a form factor like glasses," Pichar told CNBC. "We are working on prototypes."

In the Project Astra demo, the prototype glasses help the wearer enhance schematic plans on a whiteboard, interpret a drawing meant to reference the Schrodinger's Cat paradox, and create a band name based on a Golden Retriever and its stuffed toy tiger.

Representatives for Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

In his CNBC appearance, Pichar didn't elaborate further on the prototypes under development or how soon Project Astra will be implemented into wearable tech like glasses.

However, users commenting on the demo quickly congratulated Google for reinvigorating the technology that stopped production nearly a decade ago.

"Google Glass has RE-entered the chat," one user quipped below the YouTube video promoting Project Astra and featuring the prototype glasses.

"I do think the Google Glass was ahead of its time, and now is the ideal time to rerelease it, especially after Apple and Facebook's sudden interest in this market," another wrote.

The original Google Glass debuted in 2013 but was a remarkable commercial failure. Initially toted as the way of the future, wearers of the tech were mercilessly mocked, and the release of Google Glass 1.0 was marred by literal and figurative headaches during production, as author Quinn Meyers noted in his book "Google Glass: Remember the Internet no. 3."

Production on the original Google Glass was ultimately discontinued in 2015, though two enterprise editions were attempted in 2017 and 2019, respectively. Sales on both were discontinued by 2023.

However, given the Project Astra demo, it appears Google never fully gave up on its plan, and a resurgence of the tech featuring Google's latest iteration of its Gemini AI assistant may be very close on the horizon.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Lego is gearing up to deliver a detailed model of the original "rock and rolling ride," the electric buggy driven by NASA's last three Apollo crews to explore the moon.



The new Lego Technic "NASA Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle - LRV" set will roll into Lego stores on Aug. 1.



"Embark on a journey to the moon with this detailed Lego Technic NASA model set for adults. The set includes a displayable model version of the lunar rover module carried by Apollo 17, plus three attachable equipment sets," reads Lego's website.



A natural follow-up to Lego's earlier released Saturn V rocket and Apollo 11 lunar module, the LRV (set no. 42182) includes 1,913 pieces and is can be pre-ordered now from Lego's online shop for $219.99 (219.99 or 189.99).

Related: The Apollo program: How NASA sent astronauts to the moon

Lego NASA Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle: Preorder for $219 at Lego.com

Reenact the Apollo program of lunar exploration with this detailed Lego Technic set for adults. The Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle set includes a displayable model version of the lunar rover module carried to the moon by Apollo 17, full of authentic details.View Deal

After successfully landing two crews on the moon in 1969, NASA sought a way to extend the distance that the astronauts could traverse to explore more of the surrounding lunar terrain. At first, the agency tried using a rickshaw-like vehicle (called the Modularized Equipment Transporter, or MET) to increase the number of tools that could be hauled to more distant sites, but the hand-pulled cart proved difficult to keep moving.



What the astronauts really needed was a motorized vehicle, which Boeing, working with GM (General Motors) and Goodyear, delivered. The Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) ultimately enabled Apollo 17 astronauts Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt to venture as much as 4.7 miles (7.6 kilometers) away from their lunar module. (The distance was still limited by how far the crew could walk given their oxygen supply in case the rover broke down.)



Over the course of three expeditions each, the Apollo 15, Apollo 16 and Apollo 17 astronauts drove their rovers a total of 17.3 miles (27.9 km), 16.6 miles (26.7 km) and 22.2 miles (35.7 km), respectively.

a white, four-wheeled rover sits on the lunar surface

The Lego Technic NASA Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle - LRV reproduces the moon buggy at 1/8th scale, down to some of its smallest details. The build is divided into four major components: the four-wheeled chassis with its integrated control and display console and seats; the forward chassis with a high-gain antenna and TV camera; the lunar communications relay unit (LCRU), including a low-gain antenna and 16mm camera; and the aft pallet assembly with a tool collection (including a rock hammer, drill kit, pipe wrench and adjustable scoop) and lunar experiments.

Just like the real lunar rover, which needed to be compact enough to fit inside the descent stage of the lunar module, each of the latter three Lego sections can be removed so that the main chassis can be folded. When in its stowed configuration, the full-size LRV was just over half its full length of 10 feet (3 meters).



When deployed, the Lego rover can be steered using the same T-shaped hand controller that the astronauts used, and it features a suspension system allowing it traverse over the rough lunar terrain. Though the model is hand-powered, the real rover used batteries and the Lego model of such is detailed to include its heating and cooling elements,

a white lego moon rover and several other small builds sit on top of a brown and black trunk against a gray wall.

The Lego LRV also includes a few pieces specific to at least two of the missions that used the rover. A collection of "moon rocks" is among the model's features, including one significantly larger than the others representing "Big Muley"  the largest rock sample to have been brought to Earth by Apollo 16 astronauts John Young and Charlie Duke.



Also included is the Traverse Gravimeter Experiment, which measured the moon's geological structure as Cernan and Schmitt drove around Taurus-Littrow. Another nod to the last mission to land humans on the moon (to date) is the map mounted to the LCRU  it details the actual paths that the Apollo 17 LRV traversed on its three drives. (Unfortunately, the set does not appear to include a way to convert the map into a makeshift replacement fender, as Cernan and Schmitt had to do on their second outing.)



The set also had to forgo the fine wire mesh that made up the dish of the high-gain antenna and the rover's mesh tires (though the latter is molded to give it a mesh-like look). Perhaps that can be excused, though, as the actual rovers used by the astronauts to train needed to use rubber tires, as the mesh could only support the weight of the vehicle in the low-gravity environment of the moon.

Related: NASA picks 3 companies to design lunar rover for Artemis astronauts to drive on the moon

photos of the front and back of the box for a lego moon rover

RELATED STORIES:

 Apollo 15: The moon buggy debuts

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 NASA's Artemis program: Everything you need to know

The Lego Technic NASA Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle - LRV set is the company's second model of the historic vehicle, following a much more rudimentary, red, white and blue buggy that was included in set 565, "Moon Landing," released in 1976. Lego has also made other moon rovers as part of its various fictional space-themed sets and a 2022 Lunar Roving Vehicle (60348) that was based on NASA's early concepts for its current Artemis program.

Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2024 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved.
The first crewed flight for Boeings CST-100 Starliner will have to wait a little bit longer but is still targeting a May launch. The mission is now slated for no earlier than May 21 at 4:43 p.m, NASA revealed Tuesday.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were sitting in the capsule last week atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at Cape Canaveral Space Force Stations Space Launch Complex 41 with just two hours to go before launch.

Issues with a valve on the ULA rocket forced a scrub of that launch attempt and a rollback of the rocket from the pad to change the valve, pushing the launch date to what was supposed to be as early as this Friday.

NASA said the valve issue on the ULA rockets upper Centaur stage was resolved, but Boeing teams found a new issue on the Starliner spacecraft itself.

Starliner teams are working to resolve a small helium leak detected in the spacecrafts service module traced to a flange on a single reaction control system thruster, according to a NASA press release. Helium is used in spacecraft thruster systems to allow the thrusters to fire and is not combustible or toxic.

Now teams with NASA and Boeing are working through testing and operational solutions including bringing up Starliners propulsion system to flight pressure levels similar to how it would before launch so that the helium can vent and teams can measure it against data to see if its working as expected.

NASA said the launch teams were working on no other issues.

The Atlas V and Starliner remain at ULAs Vertical Integration Facility adjacent to the launch pad while astronauts Wilmore and Williams flew back to Houston over the weekend. The remain in quarantine and will fly back a few days before launch.

The recent delays are small compared with the Starliner program, which is about four years behind SpaceXs Crew Dragon. Both companies were awarded contracts under NASAs Commercial Crew Program to provide regular ferry service from the U.S. to and from the International Space Station.

SpaceX completed its crewed flight test in 2020 and has since flown its fleet of Crew Dragon spacecraft 13 times carrying 50 humans into space.

Boeings initial uncrewed test flight in 2019 was not able to rendezvous with the ISS forcing more than two years of delay before it tried again. While that trip in 2022 was successful, more issues after the flight and needed fixes to spacecraft hardware have added another two years.

The Crew Flight Test now aims to bring the pair of NASA astronauts for about an eight-day stay on board the ISS testing out manual features on the spacecraft during docking, and then again on its return home to Earth where it will land in the desert in the western United States.

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NASA has appointed its first-ever chief artificial intelligence (AI) officer, a move designed to ensure that the agency keeps up with a vital and rapidly evolving field.

That person is David Salvagnini, who was serving as NASA's chief data officer.

"Artificial intelligence has been safely used at NASA for decades, and as this technology expands, it can accelerate the pace of discovery," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement today (May 13) announcing the appointment.

"It's important that we remain at the forefront of advancement and responsible use," Nelson added. "In this new role, David will lead NASA's efforts to guide our agency's responsible use of AI in the cosmos and on Earth to benefit all humanity."

Related: How AI could help find alien planets and asteroids

a man in a suit smiles awkwardly with the american flag in the background

As Nelson noted, NASA has been implementing AI tech for a while now, for a variety of purposes. For example, the agency uses AI in its advanced climate modeling work, to help get a better handle on the environmental impacts of global warming and how to mitigate them.

Salvagnini will be in charge of mapping out NASA's broad vision for AI development and usage, and for spearheading innovation with the tech.

"In his expanded capacity, Salvagnini will continue NASA's collaboration with other government agencies, academic institutions, industry partners and other experts to ensure the agency is on the cutting edge of AI technology," agency officials wrote in the statement.

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Salvagnini joined NASA in June 2023 after working in the intelligence community for more than 20 years. Most recently, he served the Office of the Director of National Intelligence as director of the architecture and integration group, and chief architect.

Salvagnini is also a military man. He served in the U.S. Air Force for 21 years, retiring in 2005 as a communications and computer systems officer, according to the NASA statement.

There wasn't exactly a vacuum in AI leadership before Salvagnini's appointment; Kate Calvin, NASA's chief scientist, had been serving as the agency's acting responsible AI official.
Polk County Public Schools signed a contract with Verra Mobility Corp. to install cameras on more than 500 buses. The cameras will capture images of drivers illegally passing stopped buses.

Driving past a stopped school bus could soon yield a fine, even if no law-enforcement officer is nearby.

Polk County Public Schools will soon equip its buses with cameras to document instances of drivers ignoring their stop signs.

The district signed a contract in April with Verra Mobility Corp. to install cameras on more than 500 buses and to provide the technology to share images with law enforcement. The contract calls for the CrossingGuard cameras to be mounted on the driver sides of buses by November, but the goal is to have them installed by the start of the next school year.

Driving past a school bus with its stop-arm extended has long been illegal because of the danger it poses to children departing or boarding buses. The Florida Department of Education released a survey last year indicating that nearly 8,400 school buses were illegally passed in just one day, Verra Mobility said in a news release.

Verra Mobility cited statistics estimating that 43 million illegal passings of school buses occur in the country annually.

Images provided by Verra show cameras contained in relatively small metal cabinets affixed to buses and painted to match their mustard yellow coloring. The inset cameras face forward, backwards and sideways.

Under the contract, Polk County Public Schools will pay nothing for installing and operating the cameras. Verra charges a flat fee of $200 per camera per month, but the districts cost will be covered through payments from violation revenues. There is also a $49 fee per "event package"  video, license plate image and other data.

Verra Mobility is a publicly traded company based in Mesa, Arizona. The company has worked in Florida for more than a decade, operating red-light cameras and school zone safety systems, a company official said.

The Polk County district operates more than 120 schools with over 115,000 students.

Polk County is one of the fastest growing communities in the nation, School Superintendent Frederick Heid said in a news release from Verra. More vehicles are on our roads than ever before. We are hopeful this innovative technology will help make our roadways less dangerous  particularly for our students. We must do everything possible to keep our children safe, and stop motorists from breaking the law.

Polk County Sheriff's Office will review images

The school district also signed an intergovernmental agreement with the Polk County Sheriffs Office, which will review images captured by the cameras and issue citations.

Nothing is more important than the safety of our children, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in the release. Everyone agrees that protecting our kids by enforcing the school bus stop arm law is the right thing to do. I am excited about this new technology that will help us keep kids safe.

The Florida Legislature last year passed a law setting the civil penalty for driving past a school bus stop signal to $225 for violations captured by a detection system. Of that amount, $200 goes to the school district in which the violation occurs and $25 to the Florida Department of Healths Emergency Medical Services Trust Fund for payment to trauma centers.

The school district will conduct an extensive public awareness campaign for 30 days before any citations are issued, the news release said.

Heid discussed the program at a School Board work session on April 23. Matthew Reich, a sales executive with Verra, said the goal is changing driver behavior.

Among drivers who receive a ticket for passing a stopped school bus, 99% do not receive a second ticket, Reich told School Board members. He said that Verra has measured a 10% decrease year over year in districts where the bus cameras have been installed.

Installed within 180 days

The contract says that all the cameras will be installed on buses within 180 days of the notice to proceed, which was issued in early May. Verra will provide training to law enforcement, courts and school employees as needed.

From Mulberry's migrant community to Stanford and Cornell: A tradition of academic ascent

The district has the option of adding right-side cameras a flat $25 fee, plus a $49 charge for each batch of images sent to law enforcement.

Images captured by bus cameras will be reviewed by a qualified deputy or other staff member from the Sheriffs Office. Under the contract, PCSO will determine whether a violation occurred within three days of the transmission of images.

The school district has not yet determined how the Sheriff's Office will be compensated for reviewing the data supplied by the cameras, spokesperson Scott Wilder said. PCSO will not receive any payment from Verra, he said.

The contract runs for five years and can be extended for another five years. Verra retains ownership rights to all metadata, business intelligence or other analytics obtained from the material captured by cameras and to the back-office system.

Verra will recommend the bus routes and the number of cameras to be installed, the contract says. Both sides must agree to all installations.

In the event of damage, cameras will be replaced at the districts expense, except for defects covered by a warranty.

The city of Lakeland has contracted with Verra Mobility, previously known as American Traffic Solutions, for red-light cameras and automated surveillance cameras along roads.

Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk school district adds cameras to buses to deter illegal passing
KYODO NEWS - May 14, 2024 - 20:16 | All, Japan, World

Japanese police have asked that a former counselor from Singapore's embassy appear for questioning, suspecting that he secretly took images of a naked schoolboy at a public bath in Tokyo earlier this year, according to an investigative source.

The police have reached out to the Singapore Embassy in Japan through the Foreign Ministry and other channels, but it remains unclear whether the 55-year-old former counselor, who is no longer in Japan, will comply.

He returned to Singapore in mid-April after his tenure ended, according to Singapore's Foreign Ministry. As a diplomat, he was immune to arrest while in Japan.

The man is suspected of using a smartphone to capture images of the junior high school student in a dressing room of the bathhouse in Tokyo's Minato Ward in February, according to the source.

The police are investigating the case for potential violations of laws related to the production of child pornography and taking sexual images.

Under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, diplomats enjoy immunity from arrest or detention in the countries to which they have been dispatched.

However, Singaporean authorities have suggested that if the alleged facts of the case bear out, they might waive such immunity in order to facilitate Japanese investigations.

Related coverage:

Singaporean diplomat under probe for alleged voyeurism in Tokyo

Gov't to require sex offense checks when applying to work with kids

Teachers on leave for mental illness in Japan hit record high
I saw the northern lights during the historic solar storm. I was surprised by how misleading the photos were.

I saw the northern lights during the historic solar storm. I was surprised by how misleading the photos were.

I saw the northern lights just outside San Francisco on Friday during a rare geomagnetic storm.

I was surprised that my phone camera captured a vibrant pink explosion while I saw a dull red glow.

Photos of the aurora borealis can be misleading, but it's still worth seeing.

I saw the northern lights glowing in the California skies last weekend  but just barely.

I couldn't miss the historic opportunity to see the aurora borealis, the dancing, colorful lights that usually only shimmer in Arctic skies.

A giant cluster of sunspots and a series of solar eruptions caused an extreme geomagnetic storm on Friday  the first one since 2003.

Over the weekend, this solar activity brought the northern lights south, as far as Arkansas, and gave us a rare chance to see it in California.

So late Friday night, my friends and I drove to Mount Tamalpais State Park, about 40 minutes north of San Francisco. It was the darkest spot on a hill within an hour's drive, according to an online light-pollution map we checked.

As soon as we got out of the car, two of us pointed at a patch of sky above the parking lot trees and said, "Is that it?"

The night sky had a faint reddish tinge. The color was so subtle that we thought we might be imagining it. So, as we walked up the path toward the top of the hill, we paused to take some photos. That's when we knew we were seeing the northern lights.

My first solid glimpse of the northern lights came through my iPhone camera. Morgan McFall-Johnsen

With the naked eye, we wouldn't have noticed the aurora if we didn't know it was there. But the photos we took with our iPhones made it seem as if the sky was an explosion of bright pink.

Why photos make the northern lights look more colorful than they are

The sky looked fully pink in my photos. Morgan McFall-Johnsen

The aurora occurs when activity on the sun sends a flood of solar material washing over Earth.

This supercharged solar wind is packed with electrically charged particles and magnetic fields. Our planet's own magnetic field channels all that solar stuff toward the North and South poles, where the electrons heat up the gases in our atmosphere and cause them to glow like fluorescent lightbulbs.

The solar storm on Friday bombarded the planet's magnetic field so much that its particles flooded further south, past the Arctic, to create the northern lights I saw.

This was the most realistic photo I got, and even it shows a much pinker sky than I saw. Morgan McFall-Johnsen

But cameras are more sensitive to the whole range of light than our eyes are, especially in the dark, when our eyes tend to tune out color.

For example, my iPhone has an automatic long-exposure mode for dark settings. When I take a photo at night, it takes multiple snapshots for three seconds, then stitches them together, allowing the camera to capture even more light, which is why my aurora photos look more spectacular than what I was seeing.

It also matters where you are. I was near a major source of light pollution  the city of San Francisco  which probably drowned out a lot of the aurora.

The city was covered by the hillside, but you could still see its light in the sky. Morgan McFall-Johnsen

Compare that with the below picture that the astrophotographer Dan Bartlett took about 200 miles east of me, in June Lake, California, near Yosemite. He was at roughly the same latitude but under much darker skies.

The aurora came through much more clearly, with more structure, under the dark skies of June Lake, California. Dan Bartlett

While he told me he spotted spikes and waves changing second by second with his naked eye, all I could see was a diffuse glow.

Cameras may also lie to you about the aurora's colors

Another pitfall of seeing the aurora through a phone is that the colors aren't always true.

The color of an aurora indicates its altitude, as well as the type of molecules in the atmosphere that are creating it. Green, for example, usually comes from oxygen atoms at lower altitudes in the atmosphere. Pink or red can indicate high-altitude oxygen or nitrogen at very low altitudes.

My phone also picked up a field of purple in some images, which could indicate low-altitude nitrogen  but that could have been a trick of the pixels.

Some of my pictures turned out purple for some reason. Morgan McFall-Johnsen

"Obviously, screens do not always reproduce the natural colours reliably," Maria Walach, a space-plasma physicist who researches auroras at Lancaster University, told Business Insider in an email. "Additionally, you can get all sorts of colours from mixing and different viewing angles, which sometimes makes it tricky to tell."

And, of course, photos you see online could always have been edited after the fact.

"Don't be misled. I mean, the camera does its own processing, but you know that you could go in and change that processing level to your tastes," Bartlett said. "You could saturate the colors and make it grotesque; you could do anything you want with it."

Go see the aurora, just know it might be faint

This rare event isn't over. More eruptions on the sun are sending electromagnetic material our way, meaning much of the northern US could get the aurora again on Monday night.

There may be even more opportunities this year. After all, the sun is close to the maximum activity level that it reaches every 11 years, meaning there'll probably be more solar eruptions that bring the aurora to unusual latitudes.

I think it's absolutely worth seeing, even if it's faint like mine was. I'm glad I stayed out until 3 a.m. to catch it.

But if you're in the middle of the US or at a similar latitude elsewhere on Earth, don't expect to see the bright pink and green glow that photos all over social media are showing. They can be a bit misleading.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Superconductors are immensely vital to the future of our increasingly electrified world, thanks to their amazing ability to hold an electrical current without resistance.

While scientists have known about high-temperature (still very cold) superconductors known as cuprates for decades, they haven't quite solved the mystery of how they achieve zero electrical resistance at temperatures much higher than traditional superconductors.

Now, a new study aims to answer that questionwith the help of powerful supercomputersby introducing a new element to a well-known model used to explore the dynamics of high-temp superconductors.

Many sci-fi promises of our electrified future rely on one important technology: superconductors. These materials are so vital because they exhibit zero electrical resistance, meaning a current can theoretically flow through them forever. Thats an amazingly useful attribute if you want to, say, run MRI machines, create ultra-efficient energy grids, or help build fusion reactors.

Sound too good to be true? Well, unfortunately, it kind of is. Superconductors require bone-shatteringly cold temperatures (as in, approaching absolute zero, or -459.67 degrees Fahrenheit, cold) to tap into those zero electrical resistance superpowers.

Decades after the discovery of superconductors in 1911, scientists figured out that materials (usually metalloids or alloys) needed to be close to absolute zero to exhibit these exciting properties. But in 1986, new materials called copper oxides, or cuprates, were discovered to be superconductive at far warmer temperatures. Today, the highest temperature for a superconductor at ambient pressure is -225 degrees Fahrenheitstill cold, but nowhere near absolute zero.

This discovery shocked scientists, and in the decades since, they havent quite been able to piece together why these cuprates can achieve superconductivity at such relatively high temperatures. Now, scientists at the Simons Foundation in New York City are taking a crack at explaining this quantum mystery using a familiar model. Usually used in solid-state physics, the 2D Hubbard Model (named after British physicist John Hubbard) looks at materials as if theyre a collection of electrons on a flat quantum chessboard.

Some have argued that high-temperature superconductors are too complicated to be solved by the model, but by implementing diagonal hopswhich the researchers called a bishop on this quantum chessboardafter weeks-long number-crunching by supercomputers, scientists discovered that the model accurately captured key features of superconducting cuprates. This constitutes a potential breakthrough in understanding these immensely important materials.

After over 30 years of intense effort by the community without many reliable answers, its often been argued that solving the Hubbard model would have to wait for a quantum computer, Simons Foundation Shiwei Zhang, co-author of the paper detailing these results published last week in the journal Science said in a press statement. This effort will not only advance research in high-temperature superconductivity, but hopefully also spur more research using classical computation to explore the wonders of the quantum world.

The electrons on this quantum chessboard have up and down spins. Originally, the simpler model only moved north, south, east, and west, but this new model added the ability for electrons to move diagonally. Electrons filling every space on the chessboard didnt lead to superconductivityor any conductivityand adding (electron doping) or removing (hole doping) electrons formed quantum stripped patterns that only led to varying superconductivity. But with the added the bishop to the chessboard, these stripes were suddenly only partially filled, which led to superconductivity.

Are stripes strictly competing with the superconductivity, or are they causing the superconductivity, or is it something in between? University of California, Irvines Steven White, another co-author of the study, pondered in a press statement. The current answer is something in between, which is more complicated than either of the other answers.

In other words, these world-changing cuprates remain difficult materials to understand, but this latest version of the Hubbard model is one big step in the right direction.

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It sure looks like Mark Zuckerberg is taking a brand new superyacht out to celebrate his 40th birthday

It sure looks like Mark Zuckerberg is taking a brand new superyacht out to celebrate his 40th birthday

It seems as if Mark Zuckerberg will celebrate his 40th birthday on the megayacht, Launchpad.

The yachting world has speculated for months that the Meta CEO is the owner of the vessel.

Now, both the boat and Zuckerberg's private jet have landed in Panama.

All signs point to Mark Zuckerberg celebrating his 40th birthday on what many speculate is his brand-new superyacht Launchpad.

The boating world has been buzzing about Launchpad  a 118-meter yacht built by the Dutch shipyard Feadship  for months, with rumors swirling that her owner is none other than the Meta CEO. But in the yachting world, where privacy is paramount, no party would confirm her owner.

"It is Feadship's standard policy to never divulge any information about our yachts with reference to ownership, costs, or delivery, etc," Feadship, the ship's builder, wrote to Business Insider in March. "Whether it is an 18-meter Feadship from the 1960s or a 118-meter Feadship from the 21st century, we do not share private information."

Representatives for Zuckerberg did not respond to requests for comment from BI.

Now there's even more evidence: The megayacht arrived in Panama on Monday, making her way there from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where she's predominantly been moored since she made her maiden voyage across the Atlantic in March, according to public ship-tracking data. Wingman, the support superyacht that he is suspected to have purchased with Launchpad, made the journey with her.

Zuckerberg's plane also landed in Panama on Monday, per a private jet tracker, and if his Instagram is any indication, he was on board.

Putting two and two together  along with the many other clues linking Zuckerberg to the yacht  we can surmise that the Meta CEO is likely kicking off his new decade aboard his new toy.

Aerial shots of the yacht seem to show a pool on its main deck and a helipad. Ruben Griffioen/SuperYachtTimes

Little is known about the luxury vessel, which was said to have been built for a sanctioned Russian businessman before it was handed over to the Dutch government, which served as a middleman for the purchase. Her final purchase price is unknown, but it's safe to say a yacht of that size from that shipyard would cost nine figures upfront and six figures a year to maintain.

The few photos of Launchpad available on the industry site SuperYacht Times show there appears to be a helipad and a swimming pool on her main deck.

A vessel of her size can typically sleep dozens of guests and crewmembers and likely has an expansive gym (where Zuckerberg could practice his jiu-jitsu), a spa, a movie room, and a garage to fit plenty of toys like his viral hydrofoil .

Zuckerberg's name was first connected to Launchpad in December when reports swirled that he visited Feadship's shipyard in the Netherlands. By March, yachting blogs like eSysman SuperYachts and Autoevolution suggested he officially snagged the boat at a $300 million price tag. Launchpad also bears the flag of the Marshall Islands, a US territory that is commonplace for American buyers to register their ships.

We will never know for sure whose name is on her title, so unless Zuckerberg confirms he's Launchpad's owner, we will have to wait for an invitation to Zuck's birthday party to confirm.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Picture the thrill of the open road, the allure of adventure beckoning at every turn  this is the preferred mode of travel for my husband and me. Yet, our recent journey through the majestic Colorado Rockies took an unexpected twist when the car rental agency handed me the keys to an electric vehicle (EV).

Road-tripping in an electric car rental? This was uncharted territory for us. We had never even driven an EV before. But with climate change urging us toward greener choices, I saw this as an opportunity to embrace the future on four wheels.

Would we end up stranded on a remote mountain pass, pleading with a dead battery? There was only one way to find out. Here's what we learned when we rented an electric car for our Colorado road trip.

Electric car rental basics

Our electric rental was a sleek and fully loaded Kia EV6

With major car rental companies expanding their fleets to include electric options, now is the best time to take an EV for a road trip. Whether you opt for the iconic Tesla or explore other models like the Chevy Bolt, Nissan LEAF, or Kia Niro, an electric car rental offers a glimpse into the future of transportation.

Besides the make, the most crucial factors to consider are range and charging speed. In general, the longer the range and the faster the charge, the smoother the road trip. Worried about power? Fear not! Our compact SUV handled steep curves like a pro.

In the end, road-tripping in an EV isnt just about getting from point A to B; its about embracing a cleaner, more sustainable way to explore the open road. With a little planning, road trips in an EV are easy and budget-friendly.

What it's like driving an EV

Envision the serene hum of tires on pavement, the whisper-quiet glide through awe-inspiring landscapes. The ride in this electric car rental was remarkably tranquil. No rumbling engines; just the gentle hush of rubber meeting road. Yet, when the need arose, there was instant acceleration.

As we traversed silently through breathtaking scenery, we felt like eco-warriors. The Rockies, the forests, and the winding roads were all ours to explore guilt-free.

Our EV was a tech-lovers dream with advanced features like the 3D digital dashboard. It was our trusted guide, offering real-time updates on battery charge levels and remaining mileage, ensuring we stayed on course. However, the specter of range anxiety loomed. What if we couldn't find a charging station?

EV charging station strategies

We spied a rainbow over the open road in our EV near Phippsburg, Colorado

Little did we know not all charging stations are created equal, and navigating the charging landscape became an unexpected adventure. Setting off from Denver and driving west, our first stop in Vail swiftly became a quest for power. Realizing that our battery would not last until our destination in Glenwood Springs, we scoured the area for a charging station.

After circling a parking lot, we stumbled upon a charging station. The plug slid into the socket seamlessly, and to our delight, the charge was free! As we plugged in, we marveled at the convenience of modern technology, with a QR code leading us to a smartphone app that provided real-time charging updates. However, our excitement waned as we discovered the painfully slow charging speed  a daunting 12 hours awaited us.

Related: Best Small Town in the West (2024)

While exploring Vail, taking in the scenic offerings, and indulging in a leisurely lunch, our charging speed suddenly doubled. Turns out, sharing isnt always caring  especially when it comes to chargers. Lesson learned: If you need a fast charge, dont share a charger, as sharing slows down the process.

Planning a route with an electric car rental

Downtown Vail is a picturesque spot for an EV road trip pit stop, especially for the free parking

Arriving in Glenwood Springs without further incident, we found a much faster charging station in a shopping center parking lot. In a mere 20 minutes, we juiced up to the advised 80% with a refreshed range of approximately 350 miles, and our journey was back on track.

Luck got us this far, but we realized we needed to adjust our route to accommodate the need for charging stations. The next day, our route took us along the Flat Tops Trail, a scenic byway that showcases some of the most remote areas in the Rockies. An ideal way to view pristine scenery and wildlife, this route is not for the faint of heart, with only about half of the 82-mile distance paved, lots of steep terrain and hairpin turns  and no charging stations.

Related: Best Historic Small Town (2024)

Doing some mileage calculations, we realized that even though most of our route was remote, we should be able to complete it with room to spare. We set out with some trepidation, but we made it to our destination of Steamboat Springs with 50 miles of charge to spare. Also, our EV navigated the difficult terrain beautifully!

After that, we only needed one more full charge before returning to Denver, and our subsequent explorations of Steamboat Springs and Grand Lake went off without a hitch.

Things to know when you rent an electric car

Colorado's Flat Tops Scenic Byway is a remote 82-mile, partially paved road that includes the White River National Forest

In Denver, we found ourselves in a grocery store parking lot waiting for a charger in the pouring rain. We had to give the EV a partial charge before returning it. (Like a gas car, you must return an EV rental at the same power level when you rented it.)

As we waited, we came up with several questions that others might have when renting an electric car for a road trip. Here's what we discovered.

What is good charging station etiquette? There is nothing worse than a charging station hog! Rule of thumb: Dont overstay your charge. Be courteous to fellow EV drivers. And dont yank their plug  thats not cool.

Is it dangerous to charge in the rain? Charging in the rain wont turn you into a human lightning rod. Manufacturers wrap charging cables in watertight insulation. No water seeps into your EV. Science is magic.

Is there an environmental impact? Zero tailpipe emissions mean cleaner air and happier lungs. Plus, it smells better. Seriously, there are no exhaust fumes.

Is charging cheaper than gas? Mile for mile, charging an EV is generally cheaper than refueling a gas guzzler. But beware of the free charging stations. Many are slow and susceptible to station hogs. Fast chargers are like espresso shots for your EV but they cost more.

What happens when the EV runs out of charge? You get a warning when your EV has 20% power left, and some cars even list the nearest charging station. As the charge dwindles, the EV will go into conservation mode. That slows you to a sloth-like pace, but you keep moving  even past 0% charge.

Yes, but what happens if you have no charge and are stuck on the side of the road? The good news is some tow trucks come armed with portable chargers that immediately get you up and running. The bad news is that many dont. If there is no portable charger, the EV has to be flat towed to the nearest charging station.

Will the EV stop charging in the cold? Winters icy grip wont stop you, but it can slow you down. Newer EVs can precondition their batteries  like a warmup before a workout. But theres no getting around the fact that cold temps shrink your range.

This article originally appeared on 10Best.com: Top electric car rental tips I learned on an epic road trip
After making it to the launch pad earlier this month only to face an issue with the Atlas V rocket, this week's planned launch of Boeings Starliner from Cape Canaveral is delayed yet again  now the inaugural crewed flight is set for no earlier than Tuesday, May 21st.

Originally set for May 6, the launch was scrubbed when a faulty oxygen valve on the Atlas V was discovered with almost two hours left until launch. The crew was in the process of getting in the spacecraft when teams called off the launch to investigate the valve.

United Launch Alliance teams decided to replace the valve and to do so required rolling the rocket and the attached Starliner back to the Vertical Integration Facility.

With the valve replaced May 11, the plan was to push ahead toward a launch this Friday, but now another issue has cropped up: this time on the spacecraft itself.

Latest delay on Starliner due helium leak on Starliner

A statement released by Boeing said that a small helium leak was detected in the spacecrafts service module  the disposable module which sits below the spacecraft and contains the thrusters and launch abort engines.

The helium leak was found to be coming from a "flange on a single reaction control system thruster." While helium is not reactive, it is used within thrusters to assist in firing. In order to ensure the safety of the spacecraft, the Boeing team states they plan to fully investigate the leak and that means bringing Starliners propulsion system to the state seen before launch.

Boeing added that they aren't currently tracking any other issues with the spacecraft.

When is the next Florida rocket launch? Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA, ULA rocket launch schedule in Florida

Rocket valve caused initial delay

The initial delay was prompted by an issue with an oxygen valve on the Atlas V rocket.

"And every now and again, in rare occasions, a valve like that can get into a position where it's just off the seat. Its temperature, its stiffness, everything is just right. And it'll flutter. Or it'll buzz  in this case  in cycle," ULA President Tory Bruno said during a press conference which followed the May 6 night scrub.

"We've seen that before," said Bruno. "What you would typically do is activate the solenoid that forces the valve closed  cycling the valve, if you will  then you turn that on and let it return.

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket and Boeing Starliner capsule remain on the launch pad Tuesday, May, 7, 2024. Launch to the International Space Station was postponed due to a problem with a liquid oxygen valve on the second stage. Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK

But with a crew involved, the launch had to be stopped for the day. The astronauts were never in any danger, officials noted.

The next day ULA crews investigated the valve issue, only to make the call later in the day to replace it.

New Starliner launch date

The launch of Starliner is now set for no earlier than 4:43 p.m. Tuesday, May 21 at 4:43 p.m. The astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, reportedly returned to Houston to be with their families and now plan to return to Florida in the coming days.

The FLORIDA TODAY Space Team will continue to bring you the latest information on this story and all the launches at the Cape at Floridatoday.com/space.

Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@floridatoday.com or on X: @brookeofstars.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Delayed again: Boeing Starliner crewed launch pushed back to next week
KYODO NEWS - May 14, 2024 - 23:00 | All, Japan, World

The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.

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Sharp to stop making LCD at Osaka plant, end TV panel output in Japan

OSAKA - Sharp Corp. said Tuesday it will halt production of large liquid crystal display panels by the end of September at its plant in Osaka Prefecture, the only television LCD panel manufacturing factory in Japan.

The sole operator of LCD television panel factory in the country plans to transform the facility run by its wholly owned subsidiary Sakai Display Products Corp. into a data center, it said.

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U.S. announces 100% tariff on Chinese electric car imports

WASHINGTON - The U.S. administration of President Joe Biden said Tuesday it will quadruple the tariff rate on Chinese electric vehicles to 100 percent in 2024 and sharply raise levies on other key sectors, such as solar equipment and semiconductors, in an attempt to give American workers a chance to compete.

With the U.S. presidential election approaching in November, Biden has been seeking to convince voters, especially unionized workers in swing states, that their jobs will be better protected if they give him a second term.

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LDP unlikely to field candidate in Tokyo governor race in July

TOKYO - Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party is unlikely to field its own candidate in the Tokyo gubernatorial race in July, while considering supporting the incumbent, Yuriko Koike, if she seeks a third four-year term, LDP sources said Tuesday.

The development comes after the conservative LDP, headed by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, lost three seats in House of Representatives by-elections late last month, with a political funds scandal significantly undermining public trust in the party.

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Around 68,000 elderly die alone in Japan annually: police

TOKYO - About 68,000 people aged 65 and over in Japan are estimated to die alone at home unnoticed annually, data collected by the National Police Agency indicated Tuesday.

Preliminary police figures showed 21,716 people nationwide died "lonely deaths" from January to March. Nearly 80 percent of that number, or 17,034 people, were aged 65 and over.

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Japan police seek to question Singapore diplomat over voyeurism

TOKYO - Japanese police have asked that a former counselor from Singapore's embassy appear for questioning, suspecting that he secretly took images of a naked schoolboy at a public bath in Tokyo earlier this year, according to an investigative source.

The police have reached out to the Singapore Embassy in Japan through the Foreign Ministry and other channels, but it remains unclear whether the 55-year-old former counselor, who is no longer in Japan, will comply.

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IMF urges BOJ to hike short-term policy rate at "gradual pace"

WASHINGTON - The International Monetary Fund said Monday that the Bank of Japan should proceed with further hikes in its short-term policy rate at a "gradual pace," after the bank raised interest rates in March for the first time in 17 years.

The Washington-based body said its executive directors agreed that purchases of Japanese government bonds by the BOJ "will help mitigate excessive shifts in yields that could undermine macro-financial stability during this historic policy transition."

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Apparent human bones found in southwestern Japan steel plant

OITA, Japan - Bones that appeared to be human were found on Tuesday morning in a molten steel pot at a Nippon Steel Corp. plant in southwestern Japan, police said.

A 30-year-old employee, who started his shift at the plant in Oita Prefecture at around 7 p.m. on Monday, was reported missing by security staff at around 7 a.m. Tuesday, according to the police.

-----------

3 killed in accident involving 7 vehicles on expressway near Tokyo

TOKYO - Three people have been confirmed dead and two others were injured in an accident Tuesday morning involving seven vehicles on the Metropolitan Expressway near Tokyo, according to police.

Three cars caught fire in the accident that also involved four trucks in Toda, Saitama Prefecture. The Tokyo police believe the three victims were trapped inside the cars.

Video: 2025 Athletics world championships logo unveiled
KYODO NEWS - May 14, 2024 - 19:15 | World

Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay a two-day state visit to China from Thursday at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, the two countries said Tuesday.

Putin, who will be making his first overseas trip since his fifth term in office began last week, will meet with Xi and Chinese Premier Li Qiang and also visit Harbin in northeastern China's Heilongjiang Province, which borders Russia, according to the Kremlin.

The two leaders will join a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations this year and sign a number of documents, Russia's Tass news agency said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a press conference in Beijing the two leaders will exchange views on bilateral relations, cooperation in various fields as well as international and regional issues of mutual interest.

Xi and Putin met in-person twice last year, with their countries strengthening ties in a move to jointly oppose the U.S.-led international order. China opposes Western sanctions on Moscow over the Ukraine war.

Related coverage:

China warns South Korea about closer ties with U.S., Japan

China's Xi affirms partnership with EU in trilateral talks

U.S. urges China to stop aiding Russia, agrees to keep exchanges
Seven schools across Hungary were closed or evacuated on Monday, due to bomb threats. Two schools in Szeged and two others in Szombathely had to be evacuated, along with one each in Kulcs, Nyiregyhaza, and Budapest.

Threats were issued via email in each case, except in Nyiregyhaza, where a phone call was made.



Despite thorough police searches, no explosives were found.



Classes resumed in some schools, while others remained closed yesterday.



More than 1,300 schools in Slovakia received bomb threats on May 7, originating from a Russian address but written in Slovak.



The threats, sent to 1,323 schools, invoked the Islamic religion and said explosives had been placed in schools.



Police are investigating both incidents but have not confirmed any connection between them.



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Croatian authorities using information from Hungarian police have apprehended a Hungarian man convicted of tax fraud totalling nearly 4.5 billion forints (EUR 11.6m) on the island of Vir, the SWAT unit of the national bureau of investigation said on the police website.

Croatian police apprehended the man in the street during an operation organised at the request of the Hungarian fugitive arrest unit a few days after a Croatian court decided on his extradition, the statement said.



The man had been sentenced to six years in prison by a court in Pecs after a tax office investigation for budget fraud committed in a criminal organisation.



He fled and could not be contacted, so a European arrest warrant was issued against him in July 2023. Police in Mohacs received information in April this year that he was in Croatia, involved in renting out property.



The Hungarian investigators used the European Network of Fugitive Active Search Teams (ENFAST) to exchange information with their Croatian colleagues and it was established that the man was living with his partner on the island of Vir.



He was apprehended on May 6.



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COMEDK 2024: The Consortium of Medical, Engineering, and Dental Colleges of Karnataka (COMEDK) is set to release the UGET Answer Key 2024 today, on May 14, 2024, at 11 AM. Candidates who took the exam can access the answer keys upon release on the official website, comedk.org. The answer keys will become available at 11 AM, and the deadline for receiving challenges or objections to the Provisional Answer Keys is May 16, 2024, at 4 PM.

Should candidates require any clarifications regarding the provisional answer key, they must submit them online using the provided format, accompanied by a fee of Rs.500/- (Rupees Five Hundred Only), plus applicable convenience charges, to be paid online. It is advisable for candidates to download the PDF of the Provisional Answer Keys/Score for future reference, as clarifications will only be entertained if the PDF format of the Provisional Answer Key is provided. Screenshots from mobile or computer devices will not be considered for clarifications, as stated in the information brochure.

COMEDK Answer Key 2024: Steps To Download

- Visit the official website - comedk.org.

- Choose the COMEDK UGET Answer Key link.

- Enter your roll number and other required credentials.

- The COMEDK Answer Key 2024 will be presented on the page.

- Download the answer key PDF and submit objections if necessary.

- Complete the form submission and retain a copy for future reference.

Candidates should note that the final answer key will be prepared based on the objections received, and results will be determined accordingly. For the latest updates on COMEDK UGET 2024, refer to the official website.
TVS Motor Company has introduced new variants of its electric scooter, the TVS iQube, i.e. TVS iQube 2.2 kWh Variant and ST series Variant.

The newly launched variant of the TVS iQube comes equipped with a 2.2 kWh battery. This electric scooter is priced at Rs 94,999 (ex-showroom, Bengaluru). With a top speed of 75 kmph, the iQube 2.2 kWh variant features a 950W charger for quick charging. It achieves a 0-80% charge in just two hours.

The scooter is equipped with a 5-inch colour TFT screen, offering clear visibility and easy access to essential information. It includes advanced features like vehicle crash and tow alert, turn-by-turn navigation, Distance to Empty indicator, and a spacious 30-litre under-seat storage compartment for added convenience.

Customers can choose from Walnut Brown and Pearl White colour options, adding a touch of style to their riding experience.

TVS iQube ST Series

In addition to the 2.2 kWh variant, TVS Motor Company also unveiled the TVS iQube ST series, offering customers a wider range of battery options to suit their specific requirements. The iQube ST series includes the following variants:

3.4 kWh Variant: Priced at Rs 1.56 lakh (ex-showroom, Bengaluru), this model features a 3.4 kWh battery, a 950W charger, and a range of 100 km. It boasts a 7-inch full-colour TFT touchscreen, voice Assist with Alexa integration, tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), digital document storage, and ample under-seat storage space.

5.1 kWh Variant: Positioned as the flagship model with the largest battery capacity, this variant starts at Rs 1.85 lakh (ex-showroom, Bengaluru). It offers a 5.1 kWh battery, a 950W charger, a range of 150 kilometres, and a host of advanced features similar to the 3.4 kWh variant.

The TVS iQube variants, including the 2.2 kWh model and the iQube ST series, will be available for purchase at 434 TVS showrooms across India. Customers can choose from a range of attractive colour options, including Copper Bronze Matte, Coral Sand Satin, Titanium Gray Matte, Starlight Blue, Walnut Brown, and Pearl White.
New Delhi: Days after pro-Khalistani slogans were reported on walls in Delhi Metro stations, the Punjab police on Thursday arrested three operatives of the banner outfit Sikhs for Justice on charges of writing pro-Khalistani slogans in Bathinda in Punjab and Delhi.

The arrest was made by the Counter-Intelligence Wing, Bathinda, reported PTI, citing Director General of Police Gaurav Yadavs statement.

In a post on X, Gaurav said, "In a major breakthrough, Counter-Intelligence, Bathinda, and Bathinda Police have arrested three #SFJ operatives for writing pro-Khalistan slogans at various public places, including Bathinda, #Punjab, and #Delhi, backed by #NewYork-based mastermind Gurpatwant Pannun of Sikhs for Justice (#SFJ)."

In a major breakthrough, Counter-Intelligence, Bathinda & Bathinda Police have arrested three #SFJ operatives for writing Pro-Khalistan slogans at various public places including Bathinda, #Punjab & #Delhi, backed by #NewYork-based mastermind Gurpatwant Pannu of Sikhs for Justice pic.twitter.com/sT3yP1gQLW  DGP Punjab Police (@DGPPunjabPolice) May 14, 2024

On April 27, pro-Khalistan slogans were discovered inscribed on the walls of the district administrative complex and court complex in Bathinda.

Similar slogans were observed at the Jhandewalan Metro Station and Karol Bagh Metro Station in Delhi on May 9. Following this, the police launched a probe after obtaining CCTV footage of the incident.
The company achieved a remarkable doubling of its revenue compared to the previous year, enabled the distribution of water in over 3,000 villages, saved an impressive 2 billion kW of energy, and enhanced safety for 54 million citizens nationwide. With India making a big push towards digital, CIMCON is delighted to accelerate that mission by deploying its solutions at scale across various infrastructure projects in India.

At its core, CIMCON is helping the urban and rural populations of India to address their most pressing challenges. For urban India, civilians are searching for ways to improve safety and implement modern infrastructure throughout cities. For rural India, the challenge encompasses attaining clean drinking water in villages and sufficient supply of water for farming. 60-70% of India's population still depends on agriculture for their livelihood, and CIMCON canal automation solutions ensure that farmers get the necessary water for their crops to thrive. CIMCONs solutions have increased income for 10 million farmers, with a  24 billion increase in crop yields and productivity.

The government of India is attempting to tackle the drinking water issue with the Jal Jeevan Mission, an initiative aimed at providing safe and adequate drinking water to every rural household in India. CIMCON is proud to play an integral role in digitizing water sites at thousands of villages in India. Using products designed and made in India in full alignment with the policy of Atma Nirbhar (self-reliance), CIMCON has changed the lives of millions of villagers, many of whom saw water in their taps for the first time in their life.

Anil Agrawal, CEO of the company, emphasized the significance of this endeavor, stating, "Nothing can be more satisfying than being instrumental in providing the basic necessities of life to millions of people. It is hard for most of us to even understand the lasting impact of access to clean water. This access can improve overall wellbeing for villagers through the ability to focus on personal and community development without the constant worry of water scarcity or contamination.

On the urban side, CIMCON smart solutions have been improving the safety of the nations bridges, roads, and cities. The company has implemented its smart lighting solution at Indias most prestigious sea bridge, the Atal Setu Bridge in Mumbai. The cities of Vadodara and Hyderabad have also been added this year to the existing list of cities that include Ahmedabad, Chennai, Jaipur, Gift City Gandhinagar, Nagpur, Kakinada, Vizag, Kurukshetra, Raipur and others using CIMCONs smart streetlighting technology. This technology saves the cities an impressive 40% on energy costs and upwards of 70% on maintenance costs. The new systems will also lead to increased safety for citizens through reliable lighting, especially during the nighttime when visibility is low.

As for urban infrastructure, India has a well-established network of pipelines that carry oil and gas prone to corrosion. Many of these pipelines are monitored through physical survey which is both expensive and unreliable. CIMCON has introduced a new real-time monitoring IoT device that automates data collection with a high level of reliability, ensuring safety of the pipelines as well as the fields through which it runs. This product was deployed for a major national oil corporation on a pipeline spanning 3,000 kms. From rural farms and villages to bustling urban hubs, CIMCON has played a pivotal role in helping build the nation at scale through its diverse smart infrastructure projects using its proven, cutting-edge products.

Agrawal adds, We are excited about what we achieved last year, but even more excited with the possibilities of what we can do going forward given advances in Generative AI, Wireless Technologies, Edge Computing and IoT security that our highly experienced engineering and software teams are leveraging to build innovative solutions. These solutions will help India modernize its critical systems with long-term cost savings, all while reaching vital sustainability goals, leading to a greener, safer, and smarter India.

About CIMCON Software (India) Pvt. Ltd: CIMCON Software (India) Pvt. Ltd. is a pioneer in automation technology in India, with a 36-year history of transforming the lives of millions of Indians. The company has introduced innovative systems in the water, oil, energy, defense, and agricultural sectors while contributing to sustainability. CIMCON's solutions have enabled the provision of drinking water to over 46 million residents across 82 towns, cities, and districts in India. Additionally, their smart lighting solutions have ensured the safety of 54 million people nationwide. The company has also facilitated a 22% reduction in carbon emissions through automation and is recognized as a global leader in the smart infrastructure space.

(This article is part of IndiaDotCom Pvt Ltds Consumer Connect Initiative, a paid publication programme. IDPL claims no editorial involvement and assumes no responsibility, liability or claims for any errors or omissions in the content of the article. The IDPL Editorial team is not responsible for this content.)
Comedian Shyam Rangeela, known for his videos of mimicking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has alleged that he has not been allowed to file his nomination papers to contest the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 from Varanasi seat against the Prime Minister. Rangeela, who said he tried to file papers in Varanasi since Friday, May 10, said he was not allowed to enter the district magistrate's office on Tuesday, the day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi filed nomination papers from the prestigious seat.

They can reject by my papers. But at least, take the documents," Rangeela said in a social media post. Today is the last day of filing nomination for Varanasi seat which is going to polls in the seventh and last phase of Lok Sabha Elections on June 1.

   

14 ,  9:15     ,

      ,

          pic.twitter.com/MfirxtfNZk  Shyam Rangeela (@ShyamRangeela) May 14, 2024

PM Modi, who is seeking a third term from Varanasi, won the seat by nearly 4.8 lakh votes in 2019 elections. In 2014 elections, the PM won the seat by a margin of 3.72 lakh votes.

Before PM Modi, about 14 people have filed their nomination form for the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency including candidates from mainstream political parties and independents. Congress candidate Ajai Rai and Bahujan Samajwadi Party's (BSP) Athar Ali Lari are other candidates from the seat.

Congress party jumped into the controversy too. "Everyone is free to file a nomination including PM Modi. However, other people are not allowed to file their nominations from the constituency. A YouTuber named (Shyam) Rangeela, who wished to file a nomination from Varanasi, isnt getting nomination papers from the administration. Why PM Modi is afraid of people? Let them contest against you," Congress leader Surendra Rajput told news agency PTI.

Who Is Comedian Shyam Rangeela?

Born and brought up in Rajasthans Hanumangarh, Rangeela studied animation. Rangeela is known for his mimicry skills, especially of political figures. He was seen as a comedian in The Great Indian Laughter Challenge on TV. On May 1, he announced his wish to contest against PM Modi in Varanasi.

Twenty-nine-year-old Rangeela shot to fame for the first time in 2017 when his mimicry act of PM Modi became widely popular on social media. Since then, Rangeela has been making videos mimicking the PM's speeches and interviews.

Apart from PM Modi, Rangeela has also made mimicry videos of other political figures such as Rahul Gandhi. For quite sometime now, Rangeela has been critical of PM Modi and his policies, as evident by his videos. In fact, the video announcing his candidacy, had some portions where Rangeela is heard mimicking PM Modi's voice.

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Mr. Ghosh's lecture captivated a large audience comprising students, faculty, and community members, delving into the intricate dynamics of human capital and its impact on business outcomes. His extensive experience and status as a Certified NLP Practitioner enriched the discourse, offering attendees a deep dive into effective human resource strategies.

During the event, Mr. Ghosh expressed his admiration for HIT's state-of-the-art infrastructure. "I visit a lot of colleges every week, and this is one of the best infrastructures I have seen in recent times. You should be very proud of studying in a college like this," he remarked, reflecting on the institute's facilities.

The session also provided a platform for Mr. Ghosh to share his personal career journey, shedding light on various roles and industries. His insights are invaluable to students at a juncture where they make pivotal decisions about their professional futures.

The event wrapped up with words of gratitude from Dr. Archana Jasola, Director of HIT. She thanked Mr. Ghosh for his invaluable contributions and for inspiring the students with his insights into the HR field.

The management fest, marked by Mr. Ghosh's participation, has undoubtedly left a lasting impression, equipping students with knowledge and inspiration as they forge their paths in the competitive world of business.

Himalayan Institute of Technology is one of the premier institutes located in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. The institute is Approved by AICTE, affiliated with HNBG Central University & Sri Dev Suman University, approved by UGC, Ministry of Education, Government of India, and recognized by the Government of Uttarakhand. HIT has been ranked among the top 70 colleges for BBA in India by the Times Group and recognized as the Best Hotel Management College in Uttarakhand by the Week Magazine. The institute has also been consistently ranked among the top institutes in India by CSR since 2018.

(This article is part of IndiaDotCom Pvt Ltds Consumer Connect Initiative, a paid publication programme. IDPL claims no editorial involvement and assumes no responsibility, liability or claims for any errors or omissions in the content of the article. The IDPL Editorial team is not responsible for this content.)
New Delhi: The unexpected interference of America over the historic deal that was signed between India and Iran on Monday. The US said that any country having business dealing with Iran runs the risk of sanctions. While deal between India and Iran stated that the entire management of Chabahar Port will be with India till the year 2034. This is the first time that India will handle 100 per cent management of a port outside the country.

In Today's DNA, Zee news Anchor, Sourabh Raaj Jain analysed the interference of America and china in the India-Iran Deal.

Watch Today's Full Episode Here:

Not only America but Pakistan and China are also hyped because of the India-Iran deal. This might be because Chabahar Port is considered a cut-off from Pakistan's Gwadar Port which China is developing under the Belt and Road Project.

As per the deal, an Indian company named India Ports Global Limited (IPGL) will invest 120 million dollars to build Chabahar Port. Meanwhile, 250 million dollars will also be provided to build the port as a separate assistance, so now it's worth around Rs 3000 crore. This will help India to increase its trade in the world.
New Delhi: India on Monday inked a ten year long contract to initiate operations at the strategic Iranian port of Chabahar. The port on the Gulf of Oman was being developed by India, however the US sanctions on Iran had slowed down the process, the plan to do so was first proposed in 2003. The Chabahar port aims to provide a new route to reach the landlocked Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan.

India's Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal visited Iran on Monday to attend the signing ceremony in the presence of Iranian Transport and Urban Development Minister Mehrdad Bazrpash in Tehran.

Speaking at the occasion, Sonowal said, "With the signature of this contract, we have laid the foundations of India's long-term involvement at Chabahar," reported PTI. He added that the signing of this contract will have a multiplier effect on the viability and visibility of Chabahar port.

This is one-of-a-kind agreement as India has taken over the management of an overseas port for the first-time, a move expected to significantly boost trade between India, Iran, and Afghanistan. It's part of ongoing efforts to access the vast potential of Central Asia directly, avoiding the need to go through Pakistan.

Last year, India used the port to deliver 20,000 tonnes of wheat assistance to Afghanistan. In 2021, the port facilitated the shipment of eco-friendly pesticides to Iran.

The deal supersedes an original agreement from 2016, which pertained to India's activities at the Shahid Beheshti terminal in Chabahar port and had been extended annually.

The Indian Embassy in Iran in a post on X said: @sarbanandsonwal handed over the letter from EAM @DrSJaishankar to Irans FM @Amirabdolahian offering a INR credit window equivalent of USD 250 million for Chabahar-related development. Reiterated Indias commitment to cooperate with Iran in developing the Chabahar Port."
* Since earlier this year, China has implemented a visa-free policy that exempts many European ordinary passport holders from the time-consuming and costly obligation.

* Mario Boselli, chairman of the Italy China Council Foundation, said the new visa-free policy indicates that China's door is opening wider, and will facilitate economic, trade and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

* "The visa-free policy not only streamlines entry and departure, but also symbolizes China's warmer embrace of foreign travelers," said Lucas Deckers, a Belgian in his 20s.





by Xinhua writer Chen Binjie

GENEVA, May 13 (Xinhua) -- "I went to China this time with a special thing: a passport without any visa on it," exclaimed Lucas Deckers, a Belgian in his 20s, on the Chinese video-sharing platform Douyin, with a picture showing him waving his burgundy travel document.

Since earlier this year, China has implemented a visa-free policy that exempts many European ordinary passport holders from the time-consuming and costly obligation, encouraging travelers from nearly a dozen European countries to explore this Asian country.

In a further move, Chinese President Xi Jinping, during his first European tour in nearly five years last week, announced that China has decided to extend visa exemption entry for citizens from 12 countries, 11 of them in Europe, on short-term visits to China until the end of 2025.

The policy, geared towards fostering interactions among Chinese and international citizens, has garnered widespread acclaim in Europe and is expected to improve relations between China and Europe in many ways.





Tourists pick cherries at a cherry orchard in Taishan Village of Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, April 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)

DOOR OPENING WIDER

The extended policy allows ordinary passport holders of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg, to enter and stay in China visa-free for up to 15 days for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit.

In a post on social media, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said the visa-free policy was "good news" for Hungarian tourists and business travelers heading for China.

As a matter of reciprocity, Hungarian authorities are issuing long-term visas, already at the first application, for managers of big Chinese companies undertaking investments in Hungary, he added.

These decisions will further strengthen cooperation between Hungary and China in the areas of economy and tourism, the top diplomat noted.

Mario Boselli, chairman of the Italy China Council Foundation, said the new visa-free policy indicates that China's door is opening wider, and will facilitate economic, trade and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

The visa-free policy for Spanish citizens represents "a significant milestone" in bilateral ties, said Jose Felix Valdivieso, chairman of IE University's China Center, which aims to promote educational and business cooperation between the two countries.

"It encourages a greater flow of people between China and Spain, enriching our societies with a diversity of perspectives and experiences," Valdivieso said, dubbing this move as "a catalyst for further growth and collaboration."





BOOST FOR TOURISM

Thanks to the policy, Jerome Pouille, a French panda-lover, easily arranged a China trip this spring to visit Yuan Meng, the first giant panda born in France. Last July, Yuan Meng was sent back to China's Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

Seeing Yuan Meng living well in its hometown, Pouille felt "happy and satisfied."

The visa-free policy serves as an impetus for numerous European travelers to embark on exploratory journeys throughout China, and is perceived by European tour operators as a stimulus for tourism.

Gunther Gruber, senior consultant of the Austrian KUONI travel agency, said he is very happy that China has introduced the 15-day visa-free policy for Austria.

"China has always been one of the most visited tourist destinations for Austrians... We are now planning travel plans for the spring and summer of 2025 and will launch more travel products about China," Gruber said.

Tourists visit a night market at Chengguan District in Lanzhou, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province, April 28, 2024. (Xinhua/Lang Bingbing)

For many Europeans, visiting China is a complex thing. They have to plan ahead, manage their finances, and set aside time in advance.

"That's great if you don't have visa issues to worry about. This is very useful," said Davide Cougoule, senior manager of Geneva Tourism & Conventions Foundation, a Swiss tourism promotion association.

According to the Geneva office of Air China, the national carrier of China, following the visa exemption, there has been an average of 50 Swiss travelers on each Geneva-Beijing flight, constituting approximately 25 percent of all passengers.

Air China's figures also show that in March 2024, a total of 6,364 passengers traveled between Geneva and Beijing, up 374.9 percent from a year earlier.

According to Ralph Ossa, chief economist of the World Trade Organization (WTO), China's visa-free policy for European countries and the recovery of Chinese outbound tourism are conducive to global service trade.





A visitor (C) watches the making of jasmine tea at Fuzhou Jasmine Culture Experience Hall in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, April 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan)

BRIDGE FOR EXCHANGES

Barely two weeks after the policy took effect, the Chinese Language and Culture Center in Luxembourg organized a spring camp to visit China during the Easter holiday in April.

More than 20 Luxembourg students visited Beijing, Shanghai and other places in China, with some of them joining the camp just several days before departure, as the visa-free policy made the trip easier.

"This travel facilitation will encourage more Luxembourg citizens to travel to China and help strengthen people-to-people and commercial exchanges between our two countries," said Xavier Bettel, Luxembourg's deputy prime minister, in a statement.

The visa-free policy, a tangible move of China in pushing for high-level opening-up, has infused momentum into the exchanges between China and Europe.

During his official visit to China in April, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the German side appreciates China's visa-free entry policy for Germany and is willing to make it more convenient for Chinese citizens to visit Germany.

The policy has received an enthusiastic response from all walks of life in Austria, said Ernst Woller, president of the State Parliament of Vienna.

Tourists visit the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, capital of China, May 2, 2024. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

This measure will "definitely facilitate Austrian people to travel to China, strengthen personnel exchanges between the two countries, and further promote Austria-China relations and the exchanges between the two countries," Woller said.

During the first quarter of 2024, Chinese immigration management agencies processed over 141 million traveler trips. Among them, trips by foreign nationals reached 13.1 million, a year-on-year increase of 305.2 percent, said the National Immigration Administration (NIA) of China.

"The visa-free policy not only streamlines entry and departure, but also symbolizes China's warmer embrace of foreign travelers," said Deckers, already a Chinese-speaking influencer on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok. (Video reporters: Li Shuting, Liu Chunhui, Li Yaguang, Chen Hao, Yuan Hengrui, Ismael Peracaula, Neil Stokes, Liu Yuxuan, Ma Zhiyi; Video editors: Zheng Xin, Liu Xiaorui, Lin Lin, Wang Han)
New Delhi: JD(S) MLA and former Karnataka minister HD Revanna was released from the Central Jail at Parappana Agrahara on the outskirts of Bengaluru on Tuesday. The Special Court for Elected Representatives granted him bail in connection with a kidnapping case on Monday. On May 4, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested the 66-year-old former minister, son of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, in connection with an alleged case of abduction of a woman, which is linked to allegations of sexual abuse of women by his son and Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna.

Special court judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat heard the case and granted Revanna conditional bail. As the imprisoned leader walked free after six days in jail, his supporters greeted him with slogans, while a large convoy of vehicles followed him. Revanna went to meet his father, Deve Gowda.

The court imposed conditions on Revanna's bail, including the requirement that he execute a Rs 5 lakh bond, not leave the country, and not attempt to influence the victim or other parties involved in the case. Revanna's three-day police custody ended on May 8, and he was brought before the XVII Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court, which remanded him to seven days of judicial custody until May 14.



The case was filed in response to a complaint from the woman's son, who claimed his mother had been sexually abused by Revanna's son, Prajwal. According to police sources, the woman was abducted to prevent her from testifying against Prajwal. The SIT has also taken custody of Revanna's confidant, Sathish Babanna, in connection with the case.



The SIT arrested Babanna on May 3 and allegedly rescued her from a farmhouse in Mysuru's Hunsur taluk on May 4, just hours before Revanna was arrested at Deve Gowda's residence in Bengaluru's Padmanabhanagar.


New Delhi: The Delhi Police arrested a 40-year-old man for allegedly stealing valuables from co-passengers on flights. According to the police, the accused, named Rajesh Kapoor, boarded over 200 flights and travelled for at least 110 days in the past year to steal inflight.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI), Usha Rangnani, informed a press conference at the IGI airport that he was arrested in Paharganj, where he kept the stolen jewellery. She added that police had arrested another ally of Kapoor, Sharad Jain (46), to whom he was planning to sell the stolen items.

After two separate cases were reported from two separate flights in the last three months, the authorities formed a probe team to investigate the matter, DCP told the press conference.

Targeted Elders, Vulnerable Passengers

Of all 11 cases he was involved in five were at the airport. As per a report by PTI, the thief used to target elderly passengers based on their tendency to keep their valuables in their handbags. He would target vulnerable passengers on domestic flights, particularly Air India and Vistara.

He used the chaos amid boarding a flight to his advantage and would secretly snoop through the overhead cabin on the flights.

After setting the target on an individual he used to exchange the seat from the airline, to seat close to his prey. Sometimes, he carefully timed his operation with the distractions, thus making him successful in robbery.

As per the report by PTI, the police officer said that Kapoor is named in 11 theft cases including gambling and criminal breach of trust.

To avoid being detected further, he employed a strategy, he used to buy tickets in the name of his late brother, aiming to conceal his identity from both airlines and law enforcement authorities.
New Delhi: Mumbai has experienced a sudden weather change with gusty wind and rain on Mumday which caused the collapse of illegal hoarding on petrol pump in the Ghatkopar area of Mumbai. The incident is an unfortunate highlight of Mumbai's weather change which caused the death of fourteen people and some people are still feared to be trapped under it.

The Pant Nagar police have registered a fir against the owner of the collapsed hoarding Bhavesh Prabhudas Bhind, the director of Ego Media Pvt Ltd who had the contract for the hoarding on a 10-year lease. Early this year the owner was booked in a rape case by Mumbai, Indian Express Reported.

As per reports, a rape and molestation case has been registered against Bhinde in Mulund police station early this year. Later, he was granted anticipated bail by the Bombay High Court.

He contested as an independent candidate in Maharastra Assembly Election in 2009. Earlier, the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act for fined Bhinde putting up banners without permission. The collapsed hoarding is situated based on a Gharcoper petrol Pump measured 120 x 120 as against the permitted size of 40 x 40 feet.

As per Indian Express reports, Bhide was Charged a fine 21 times under MMC Act for putting illegal hoarding in past.
PM Modi Nomination.Narendra Modi in Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to file his nominations on Tuesday for the third time from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh. Before submitting the nomination form, Modi will participate in a meeting with the BJP workers and offer prayers at Dashwamedh Ghat on the bank of river Ganga.

The Prime Minister will offer Ganga Aarti today. He shared a video on social media platform X expressing his relationship with Kashi. Modi said, "My relationship with my Kashi is amazing, inseparable and incomparable... all I can say is that it cannot be expressed in words!"

      ,                   ! pic.twitter.com/yciriVnWV9  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 14, 2024

Prime Minister Modi held a procession along a five-kilometer route in Varanasi on Monday evening. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and BJP state president Chaudhary Bhupendra Singh were among those accompanying him.

Varanasi Lok Sabha seat is considered a stronghold of the saffron party and PM Modi emerged victorious from the seat twice, first in the year 2014 and the in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress has fielded Ajay Rai from the constituency.

Varanasi has 75% Hindu population, followed by 20% Muslims and 5% other religions. Around 10% of the demography is Scheduled Tribes while 0.7% comprises of Scheduled Castes.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha Polls, PM Modi won the seat with 6,74,664 votes and bided a vote share of 63.6%. In 2014, he contested from two Lok Sabha seats - Gujarat's Vadodara, Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi.

Narendra Modi is the incumbent MP and BJP candidate from Varanasi. The Lok Sabha polls on the seat is scheduled for the seventh phase of the elections on June 1.
New Delhi: Tihar Jail in the national capital received a bomb threat call on Tuesday. The jail also received an e-mail and the administration informed the Delhi police. However, upon investigation, nothing was found at the jail premises.

Four hospitals in the Delhi also received similar bomb threats on email. According to Delhi Fire Service officials, they received calls from the Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital, GTB Hospital, Dada Dev Hospital, and Hedgewar Hospital about the bomb threat emails, reported ANI.

Earlier, on Sunday, The Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport and over half a dozen government hospitals in Delhi received bomb threats through email, sending authorities at the respective establishments into a tizzy. Soon after the bomb threats, a search operation was launched at all places.

According to Delhi Police, IGI Airport received a bomb threat through email from an unidentified account on Sunday afternoon. The sender threatened the presence of an explosive device inside the premises.

On May 1 also, 131 schools received threat emails. Later, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an official statement calling the email a 'hoax.'
Dubai, UAE  Avenix Fzco, a leader in financial trading technology, today announced the launch of its latest product, the Trendonex EA. This innovative forex trading solution is designed to revolutionize the market with its state-of-the-art algorithm that significantly improves trend identification and the accuracy of trade entries.

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New Delhi: Congress launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday and bombarded him with questions regarding his current Lok Sabha constituency as he filed his nomination for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi today.

On the day PM Modi filed his nomination from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh took on the microblogging site 'X' and said that the outgoing PM must answer for his "failures" in his constituency.

"Today's questions: After spending Rs 20,000 crore, why has the Ganga gotten dirtier? Why has the PM abandoned the Varanasi villages he had "adopted"? Why is the PM determined to destroy Mahatma Gandhi's legacy in Varanasi," he wrote in a post on 'X'.

Ramesh said when he came to Varanasi in 2014, Modi had said "Maa Ganga ne mujhe bulaya hain" and promised to purify the waters of the Holy Ganga, but soon after coming to power, rebranded the existing Operation Ganga as Namami Gange.

"Ten years later, the 'Namami Gange' project has cost the exchequer more than Rs. 20,000 crore. Here are the results: the number of Polluted River Stretches has increased from 51 to 66, 71% of monitoring stations have reported dangerous bacteria at up to 40 times more than safe levels, and antibiotic resistant bacteria have now been found in the waters."

"Where has the 20,000 crore in taxpayer money gone? How much has been siphoned off in corruption and mismanagement? How can the people of Varanasi trust a man who has given a jumla even to Ma Ganga," the Congress leader asked.

He also said outside the city of Varanasi lie eight villages that the PM had "adopted", but a March 2024 ground report found that despite big promises of "smart schools", health facilities and housing, the villages have seen absolutely no progress in 10 years.

Domri village has almost no pucca housing, he said, adding Nagepur village has extremely shoddy roads.

Dalit communities in Jogapur and Jayapur have no toilets and no water, and the flagship Nal Se Jal Scheme seems to have missed Parampur village entirely, he claimed.

"The condition of Mr. Modi's adopted villages tells us a lot about his sense of duty, or lack thereof, towards serving his constituents. Why has the PM abandoned his "adopted" villages? Is this the true face of "Modi ki guarantee"," he asked.

Ramesh also alleged that "It is well known that the outgoing PM's ideology is that of Godse, not Gandhi".

"He has taken his malicious hatred of the Father of our Nation to the extent of destroying the Sarwa Sewa Sangh, started by Acharya Vinobha Bhave, and associated with personalities like Dr Rajendra Prasad, Lal Bahadur Shastri, and Jayaprakash Narayan," he said, adding it has been rendering extraordinary public service to the nation since 1955.

"It had been operating on 13 acres of land, close to the Varanasi Railway Station, for which it had full possession papers. It was evicted from its iconic campus in August 2023, and the land was taken over by the Indian Railways. Only one corner of the campus, occupied by the Gandhi Vidya Sansthan, remains untouched because it had already been captured by the RSS.

"Why does the PM persist in his hypocrisy of praising Gandhiji abroad, while destroying Gandhian institutions at home? Can he openly admit his admiration for Godse over Gandhi," Ramesh asked.

PM Modi, the sitting MP and BJP's candiatate from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh filed his nomination papers at the district magistrate's office. PM filed his nomination papers seeking a third consecutive term from the constituency and hoping to win with a record margin. Varanasi will go in for polling in the seventh and last phase of the Lok Sabha polls on June 1. The counting of the votes will be held on June 4.
Mumbai: The Cannes Film Festival is almost here and cinephiles are eagerly excited to see what the 77th edition has in store for them.

Annually celebrities, filmmakers, artists and film enthusiasts gather at the Palais des Festivals et des Congres to celebrate cinema. Like every year, this time also fans can expect the presence of Indian stars at the Cannes Film Festival.

Bollywood actress Sobhita Dhulipala is all set to make her debut at Cannes this year. She will attend the Cannes Film Festival on the French Riviera, representing the premium ice cream brand Magnum India.

Cannes regular Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is also likely to attend the film festival. Aditi Rao Hydari will also mark her presence at the gala as one of the brand ambassadors of L'Oreal Paris.

Speaking to ANI, Aditi recently expressed her excitement about attending the Cannes Film Festival for the third time.

"I have 'Lioness', which is an Indo-British production. It is headlined by two girls. There is Paige Sandhu from the UK. It's about the suffragette movement and I think a lot of people are very excited about it. So I'm so looking forward to starting that. I'm also in preparation, leaving for Cannes with L'Oreal very soon. So I'm prepping for the work to be done there for that," she said.

Aditi made her Cannes debut in 2022. She served gorgeous looks on the red carpet of the festival. She attended the film festival last year as well. In 2023, her first look at Cannes - off the red carpet - was a dreamy blue confection by Oscar De La Renta which she wore for a L'Oreal shoot.

The Cannes Film Festival opens on Tuesday night with the world premiere of Quentin Dupieux's 'Le Deuxieme Acte (The Second Act),' starring Lea Seydoux, Vincent Lindon, Louis Garrel and Raphael Quenard. During the opening ceremony, Oscar winner Meryl Streep will receive the honorary Palme d'Or.

"I am immeasurably honored to receive the news of this prestigious award. To win a prize at Cannes, for the international community of artists, has always represented the highest achievement in the art of filmmaking. To stand in the shadow of those who have previously been honored is humbling and thrilling in equal part. I so look forward to coming to France to thank everyone in person this May," Streep said in a statement about this honour, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
NASA has recently unveiled its ambitious plan to build railway tracks on the moon. According to the US Space Agency, they are planning to build the first lunar railway system, which will provide reliable, autonomous, and efficient payload transport on the Moon. This innovative system is designed to provide reliable, autonomous, and efficient payload transport. This will provide a durable and long-life robotic transport system for the daily operations of a sustainable lunar base in the 2030s as a part of NASAs Moon to Mars plan and mission concepts like the Robotic Lunar Surface Operations 2 (RLSO2).

NASA is planning to transport regolith mined for ISRU consumables (H2O, LOX, LH2) or construction and payloads around the lunar base and to/from landing zones or other outposts. To meet these transportation needs, NASA has proposed to develop FLOAT  Flexible Levitation on a Track.



What Is FLOAT  Flexible Levitation On A Track?

According to the official blog of NASA, the FLOAT system employs unpowered magnetic robots that levitate over a 3-layer flexible film track. It has a graphite layer which enables robots to passively float over tracks using diamagnetic levitation, a flex-circuit layer that generates electromagnetic thrust to controllably propel robots along tracks, and an optional thin-film solar panel layer that generates power for the base when in sunlight. Unlike traditional lunar robots equipped with wheels, legs, or tracks that are prone to dust abrasion, FLOAT robots with no moving parts minimize wear by levitating over the track.

As explained in NASA's blog, "FLOAT tracks unroll directly onto the lunar regolith to avoid major on-site construction  unlike conventional roads, railways, or cableways. Individual FLOAT robots will be able to transport payloads of varying shape/size (>30 kg/m^2) at useful speeds (>0.5m/s), and a large-scale FLOAT system will be capable of moving up to 100,000s kg of regolith/payload multiple kilometres per day."

In Phase 2 of the FLOAT (Flexible Levitation on a Track) project for lunar exploration, NASA will focus on retiring risks related to manufacturing, deployment, control, and long-term operation of meter-scale robots and kilometer-scale tracks that support human exploration activities on the Moon.
New Delhi: Global chip-maker Qualcomm has rolled out the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 Mobile Platform in India that includes support for on-device generative AI features. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip is equipped with many crucial features which include an always-sensing ISP, hyper-realistic mobile gaming, lossless high-definition sound and breakthrough connectivity.

Meanwhile, the Mobile Platform supports a broad array of AI models including popular large language models (LLM) such as Baichuan-7B, Llama 2 and Gemini Nano, as per the company. The latest Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 Mobile Platform provides a host of flagship level, specially selected capabilities, packed with the latest on-device AI experiences, said Savi Soin, SVP and President of Qualcomm India.

Chinese smartphone manufacturer POCO has announced that they will be among the first smartphone brands in India to adopt the new Snapdragon chip on their new F6 device, launching later this month.

The POCO F series which has become synonymous with performance and innovation has been pushing the boundaries of what's possible in a mid-range phone. F6 is set to redefine the industry as the first device in India featuring the powerful Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset, said Himanshu Tandon, Country Head, POCO. (Also Read: Vivo X100s And Vivo X100s Pro Launched With Android 14; Check Specs, Price And Other Details)

POCO F6 Expected Specifications:

The upcoming smartphone may sport a 6.67-inch 1.5K AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It could also offer a 2,400 nits peak local brightness, Dolby Vision along with the Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, and 480Hz touch sampling rate.

It might be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 paired with Adreno GPU for graphics. The POCO F6 is expected to be loaded with a 5,000mAh battery with 90W wired charging support. In the camera department, the Poco F6 could feature a 50MP primary camera with OIS and an 8MP ultrawide.

For selfies and video chats, there could be a 20MP shooter on the front. The expected price of the Poco F6 smartphone is between Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000.

POCO F6 Pro Expected Specifications:

The smartphone may come with a 6.67-inch OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. It could also offer 4000nit peak brightness and an in-display fingerprint reader. The smartphone could be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. (Also Read: OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite Smartphone Receives Price Cut On Amazon; Check New Price, Discount Offers)

The handset can run on the Android 14-based HyperOS in its home market. In the camera department, the smartphone may come with a 50MP main camera coupled with an 8MP ultrawide snapper and a 2MP macro module. For selfies and video chats, there could be a 16MP shooter on the front. (With Inputs From IANS)
Smoke rises following Israeli strikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 14, 2024. Israeli tanks on Tuesday marched towards the center of Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip, as tens of thousands of residents fled to evade an Israeli ground offensive, a local source reported. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)

GAZA, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Israeli tanks on Tuesday marched towards the center of Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip, as tens of thousands of residents fled to evade an Israeli ground offensive, a local source reported.

The source told Xinhua that the tanks had reached the Al-Geneina neighborhood and were advancing towards the city center "amid heavy gunfire."

The Israeli tanks' advance to these areas, following hours of intense air and artillery bombardment on Rafah last night, marks an expansion of the ground operation initiated by the Israeli army in the eastern region of Rafah a few days ago, the source added.

In a joint press statement, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, and the Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, announced that their militants had targeted Israeli forces in Rafah.

They claimed that their militants had "destroyed a troop carrier with a shell in the Al-Salam neighborhood, east of the city of Rafah."

In a separate statement, the Al-Quds Brigades added that they had targeted Israeli soldiers and vehicles near the Rafah crossing using mortar shells.

Nearly 450,000 people have been forcibly displaced from Rafah since May 6, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East said in a statement on Tuesday.

"People face constant exhaustion, hunger and fear. Nowhere is safe. An immediate ceasefire is the only hope", the statement added. 

Smoke rises following Israeli strikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 14, 2024. Israeli tanks on Tuesday marched towards the center of Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip, as tens of thousands of residents fled to evade an Israeli ground offensive, a local source reported. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)

Smoke rises following Israeli strikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 14, 2024. Israeli tanks on Tuesday marched towards the center of Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip, as tens of thousands of residents fled to evade an Israeli ground offensive, a local source reported. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)

Smoke rises following Israeli strikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 14, 2024. Israeli tanks on Tuesday marched towards the center of Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip, as tens of thousands of residents fled to evade an Israeli ground offensive, a local source reported. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)

Smoke rises following Israeli strikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 14, 2024. Israeli tanks on Tuesday marched towards the center of Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip, as tens of thousands of residents fled to evade an Israeli ground offensive, a local source reported. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)
At least three people were killed and six others injured when security forces opened fire on protesters during clashes with paramilitary Rangers in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's capital Muzaffarabad, which has been rocked by protests over high wheat flour prices and inflated electricity bills, according to a media report. The paramilitary Rangers, who had been called in to maintain law and order in the disputed region, were attacked as they were leaving, Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reported.

The 19-vehicle convoy, which included five trucks, chose to leave the region through Kohala rather than Brarkot, a village bordering Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to the report. As the convoy approached Muzaffarabad in a "charged atmosphere," it was pelted with rocks near Shorran da Nakka village, prompting them to respond with tear gas and firing, according to the report.

After entering the city via the Western Bypass, the Rangers were met with rocks, prompting them to use tear gas and bullets. According to the report, the shelling was so intense that it left the entire neighbourhood reeling.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved a Pakistani Rs 23 billion subsidy for immediate release to the region yesterday, after protesters and the regional government failed to reach an agreement.

However, the government's decision to provide the subsidy did not satisfy the region, according to the report.



Over 100 people, mostly police officers, were injured in Saturday's clashes between police and activists of a rights movement in the disputed region, which resulted in the death of at least one police officer. Since Friday, there has also been a total strike in the area, which has stopped all activity.

Prior to the violence, a meeting between Prime Minister Sharif and the "prime minister" of the disputed region, Anwarul Haq, approved the release of Rs 23 billion from Pakistan for the region to use for wheat and power subsidies.

The 40kg flour subsidised rate has been reduced from Pakistani Rs 3,100 to Rs 2,000. A reduction in the electricity tariff was implemented, with units up to 100, 300, and over 300 units subject to rates of PKR 3, 5, and 6.



The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) is leading the protest, with traders at the forefront in most parts of the region demanding electricity at the region's hydropower generation cost, subsidised wheat flour, and an end to the elite class's privileges.

The JAAC led a long march to Muzaffarabad, the capital of PoK, on Monday, as the wheel-jam strike entered its fourth day.

The movement announced its march to Muzaffarabad after talks between the JAAC core committee and the region's Chief Secretary, Dawood Bareach, ended in a stalemate.



Prime Minister Sharif expressed deep concern over the violent clashes between police and protesters on Sunday, saying that "absolutely no tolerance for taking the law into one's own hands" should be maintained.

"I urge all parties to pursue a peaceful resolution of their demands. Despite the best efforts of detractors, the matter should be resolved soon," he stated.

As part of his efforts to defuse tensions, President Asif Ali Zardari urged all stakeholders to use restraint and resolve issues through dialogue and mutual consultation.
New Delhi: US President Joe Biden has directed his Trade Representative to increase tariffs on USD 18 billion of imports from China, including semiconductors, solar cells, batteries, and critical minerals to 'protect' American workers and businesses, the White House said in a statement on Tuesday.

The White House said that the decision has come in response to China's 'unfair trade practices' and to counteract the resulting harms.

"China's unfair trade practices concerning technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation are threatening American businesses and workers. China is also flooding global markets with artificially low-priced exports. In response to China's unfair trade practices and to counteract the resulting harms, today, President Biden is directing his Trade Representative to increase tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 on USD 18 billion of imports from China to protect American workers and businesses," the White House statement read.

The statement on hiked tariffs on imports from China also noted that the Chinese government has used unfair and non-market practices for too long now.

"China's forced technology transfers and intellectual property theft have contributed to its control of 70, 80, and even 90 percent of global production for the critical inputs necessary for our technologies, infrastructure, energy, and health care--creating unacceptable risks to America's supply chains and economic security," the White House said.

"Furthermore, these same non-market policies and practices contribute to China's growing overcapacity and export surges that threaten to significantly harm American workers, businesses, and communities," it added.

The US and the European Union have often expressed their concern over "industrial overcapacity" in China that is impacting their domestic companies.

US Treasury Secretary Janet L Yellen met with the Economic Working Group (EWG) and Financial Working Group (FWG) between the US and China in April this year following her trip to Beijing and Guangzhou. "The US delegation continued to express concerns about China's non-market practices and industrial overcapacity," the US Treasury Department had said after the meeting.

"Both sides agreed to further discuss these issues," according to a readout on the meeting.

In a meeting between Xi Jinping and President Emmanuel Macron of France, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, urged the visiting Chinese President to address "the wave of subsidized exports flowing from his nation's factories into Western countries," NYT reported.

"These subsidized products -- such as the electric vehicles or, for example, steel -- are flooding the European market," von der Leyen said. "The world cannot absorb China's surplus production," von der Leyen was cited in the US daily.
BEIJING, May 15 (Xinhua) -- At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay a state visit to China from May 16 to 17.

Putin was born in Leningrad (today's St. Petersburg) on Oct. 7, 1952. In 1975, he graduated with a degree in law from Leningrad State University. He later earned a Ph.D. degree in economics.

After graduation, Putin was commissioned to work in the Soviet Union's State Security Committee. From 1985 to 1990, he worked in East Germany.

In 1990, Putin returned to the Soviet Union and worked as an assistant responsible for international affairs to the rector of Leningrad State University. His next position was an advisor to the chairman of the Leningrad City Council.

Starting in June 1991, Putin began working as chairman of the Committee for International Relations at St. Petersburg City Hall, and from 1994, concurrently held the position of first deputy chairman of the St. Petersburg city government.

In August 1996, he was appointed deputy chief of Russia's Presidential Administrative Directorate (Property Management Directorate).

In March 1997, he became deputy chief of staff of the Presidential Executive Office and chief of the Main Control Directorate.

In May 1998, he was made first deputy chief of staff of the Presidential Executive Office.

In March 1999, Putin was appointed secretary of the State Security Council. In August 1999, he was appointed prime minister. Upon then Russian President Boris Yeltsin's resignation on Dec. 31, 1999, Putin became acting president of Russia.

Putin won the presidential election on March 26, 2000, and served as Russian president for two terms to 2008.

From 2008 to 2012, Putin served as prime minister of Russia.

From 2012 to 2024, Putin served as president of Russia for two terms.

In March 2024, Putin was re-elected as the president of Russia. On May 7, he was sworn in as Russian president for a six-year term.

Putin has visited China or attended international events in China 22 times. 
U.S. President Joe Biden is pictured at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 13, 2024. U.S. President Joe Biden signed into law Monday a bill that will prohibit U.S. imports of unirradiated low-enriched uranium from Russia. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua)

WASHINGTON, May 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden signed into law Monday a bill that will prohibit U.S. imports of unirradiated low-enriched uranium from Russia.

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement that Biden signed the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act, which is aimed at "reducing, and ultimately eliminating, our reliance on Russia for civilian nuclear power."

Having already been passed in the House and the Senate, the bill stipulates that 90 days after its enactment, unirradiated low-enriched uranium produced in Russia or by a Russian entity may not be imported to the United States. Enriched uranium is the main fuel used by nuclear power plants.

The bill will provide waivers until Jan. 1, 2028 for utilities having to shut down nuclear reactors due to the cutoff of Russian uranium supply.

It also frees up 2.72 billion U.S. dollars in federal funding that Congress recently appropriated, according to Sullivan, who said the money will be used to "jumpstart new enrichment capacity in the United States."

U.S. companies pay around 1 billion dollars per year for enriched uranium from Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear power conglomerate, according to The Washington Post.

The paper said in a report that the newly enacted law intends to "cut off one of the last significant flows of money from the United States to Russia" amid the latter's conflict with Ukraine. 

U.S. President Joe Biden (L) is pictured at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 13, 2024. U.S. President Joe Biden signed into law Monday a bill that will prohibit U.S. imports of unirradiated low-enriched uranium from Russia. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua)




A visitor (R) studies a new energy vehicle during the 2024 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition in Beijing, capital of China, May 4, 2024. (Xinhua/Yin Dongxun)

China will continue to bolster global industry by embracing innovation and fostering win-win outcomes while infusing vitality into the world economy.

by Xinhua writer Gao Wencheng

BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- The 2024 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition was a spectacle with 117 global premieres and 278 new energy vehicle models, drawing crowds of traders, both domestic and international. These lively scenes vividly depict the robust growth of China's new energy sector, igniting global curiosity about its unprecedented ascent.

In 2023, both production and sales of China's new energy vehicles (NEV) exceeded 9 million units, maintaining its position as the global leader for nine consecutive years. Exports of new energy vehicles soared by 77.6 percent, reaching 1.203 million units and solidifying China's position as a key driver of the global automotive industry's green transformation. Collectively, exports of China's "new trio," electric vehicles, lithium batteries and photovoltaic products surpassed 1.06 trillion yuan (146.5 billion U.S. dollars) last year.

China's rise as a global leader in emerging industries stems from its strategic foresight and unwavering commitment to green development.

As China swiftly devised a national strategy for new energy vehicles, Chinese automakers pursued diverse technological pathways by following policy guidance, including pure electric, hybrid and hydrogen fuel, cementing their position at the forefront of innovation.

In the NEV era, Chinese firms have become vital technology providers for global collaborations, attracting international automakers to this year's Beijing auto show looking to catch up to surging China EV makers, as noted by Reuters.

In addition to policies guiding development direction, China's well-established supporting system has made many foreign enterprises envious. For instance, China's swift action in building charging stations and upgrading infrastructure has far outpaced its Western counterparts, with coverage rates exceeding 80 percent in downtown areas of major cities.

Meanwhile, China's ascendancy in emerging industries is underpinned by a mature industrial chain, robust supporting capabilities and abundant skilled labor.

China is the only country worldwide boasting industries covering every category in the UN industrial classification and hosting over 200 mature industry clusters. China's manufacturing industry has been the largest in the world for 14 consecutive years.

This robust industrial foundation has enabled collaborative efforts across the supply chain and driven the success of the new energy industries. Additionally, China's transition from demographic to knowledge dividends has provided crucial talent support, further contributing to its success.

China's momentum in emerging industries also derives from fostering technological breakthroughs and innovative business models through intense market competition.

This photo taken on April 24, 2024 shows an electric platform model of GAC Aion New Energy Automobile Co., Ltd. in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)





China's NEV sector has not only propelled the transformation of traditional automotive companies but has also fostered the emergence of numerous new players. Moreover, the entry of giants like Tesla into the Chinese market has ignited multidimensional competition, leading to the development of high-tech, consumer-centric products that benefit consumers worldwide.

Similarly, manufacturers like CATL and BYD have thrived amid fierce competition in the power battery sector, while international companies like LG Energy Solution have ramped up production capacity in China. This efficient market mechanism and healthy competition ecosystem have injected vitality into China's rapid industrial development.

China's emerging industries have garnered comparative advantages on a global scale, a result of market competition and selection guided by market economy principles. In stark contrast to recent unfounded allegations of overcapacity, the primary drivers of China's emerging industries are not subsidies but rather innovation, cooperation and competition.

Facts are the most effective rebuttal amid an onslaught of smear campaigns. China will continue to bolster global industry by embracing innovation and fostering win-win outcomes while infusing vitality into the world economy. 
JERUSALEM, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Israel held a low-key celebration of its 76th Independence Day on Tuesday amid its ongoing military operations in the Gaza Strip, protests against the government, and deepening internal rifts.

With Israel's full-on conflict with Hamas persisting for more than seven months, some key festivities were canceled, including the traditional fireworks shows, public concerts, and singalong gatherings. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) decided to cancel the annual Air Force flyover and Navy flotilla in the Red Sea off the coast of Eilat city.

"This year, we mark a different Independence Day," President Isaac Herzog said during a ceremony at the President's Residence in Jerusalem on Tuesday. "These days we are full of the pain of bereavement, pain for the wounded, the pain for civilians uprooted from their homes, the pain for the hostages," he said.

The Independence Day began on Monday night with a ceremony at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, the country's national cemetery. The national flag was raised from half-mast to full-mast, marking the transition from the solemn Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror to the Independence Day celebration.

The official ceremony, known in Israel as the Torch-Lighting Ceremony, used to be broadcast live every year. This year, it was prerecorded for TV viewers. According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the decision was made for fear of the ceremony being interrupted by anti-government protesters.

During the ceremony in Jerusalem, families of hostages held an alternative ceremony at the Shuni Amphitheater in Binyamina, north of Tel Aviv, with about 1,500 supporters attending it and thousands more watching it in rallies across the country, according to a statement released by the organizers.

The ceremony began with chilling recordings of residents of southern Israel calling emergency services and begging for help as Hamas militants raided their communities on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, torching homes, and taking about 250 people as hostages. In places throughout the south, security forces did not arrive for hours. A total of 132 people are still being held in Gaza, according to Israeli figures, with Hamas saying dozens of them are dead.

Israel responded to the surprise attack by launching a massive onslaught on the Gaza Strip, killing more than 35,000 people, mainly civilians, according to a tally by health authorities in Gaza. Israeli forces also have been engaged in cross-border fighting with Hezbollah along the Israel-Lebanon border.

In Tel Aviv, thousands of protesters rallied in the city center, calling for the release of the hostages. Elsewhere in Tel Aviv, hundreds of others marched, calling on the government to resign. Rallies were held in squares and junctions across the country, urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to sign a deal for the release of the hostages.

On Tuesday, Netanyahu was absent from at least three national ceremonies that he customarily attends, including the Israel Prize award ceremony, an annual event recognizing outstanding contributions in various fields such as science, arts, and humanities in Israel. The ceremony was attended by Education Minister Yoav Kisch, who was heckled by protesters in the audience shouting at him, "Shame!" and "Sign a hostage release deal!"

Meanwhile, Netanyahu visited wounded IDF soldiers in the Sheba Hospital outside Tel Aviv and promised them Israel would continue the fighting in Gaza "until victory," according to a statement released by his office.

Despite mounting international pressure, the Israeli government pressed forward with its attack on Rafah, the southernmost city of the Gaza Strip, where more than 1 million Palestinians sought refuge since the beginning of the ongoing conflict.

On Tuesday, Israeli tanks marched towards the center of Rafah, a local source in Gaza told Xinhua. The source said the tanks had reached the Al-Geneina neighborhood and were advancing towards the city center "amid heavy gunfire." 
This photo shows a street view in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 7, 2022.(Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

With the joint efforts of China and regional countries, the seemingly interminable conflicts in the Middle East may finally be settled.

by Julia Roknifard

Amidst the ongoing tensions and the looming threat of further escalation in the Middle East, a distinct player has emerged: China, with its unique and stabilizing approach to the region.

In the past, the region was a "playground" for the United States, to the detriment of countries from Lebanon to Iraq. The once self-proclaimed hegemon is seeing itself increasingly isolated over its continuous interventionist policies that have perpetrated one major tragedy after another.

At present, tensions between Israel and Iran appear to be nearing a boiling point, a spillover effect of the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict in Gaza. Regrettably, the collective West, led by the United States, has stoked tensions rather than mitigated them.

A case in point is the U.S. refusal to assume any mediator role, frustrating the international community's efforts to forge a peaceful resolution at the United Nations.

However, there are alternative pathways worth considering. China presents a distinct model that emphasizes leveraging international organizations to quell tensions. The Asian country has actively worked to empower these organizations as platforms for dialogue and peacebuilding.

China has already built a solid track record as a major provider of humanitarian aid, a champion of development and integration and, most notably, a broker of an unprecedented rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Alireza Bigdeli (Front) and Saudi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Consular Affairs Ali Al-Yousef (C) attend a ribbon cutting at the opening ceremony of the Iranian embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 6, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Haizhou)

This reconciliation between the two rivals has set the benchmark for diplomacy, mediation and constructive dialogue, with China demonstrating remarkable skills in its efforts. The outcome has yielded a historic peace dividend for both nations and earned the respect of the region, which harbors similar aspirations as it navigates several major and minor conflicts.

Even amid the raging conflict in Gaza, marked by daily bombings and a tragic toll on Palestinian civilians, China has staunchly backed the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. This support aims to alleviate the suffering of those affected by the conflict despite the West's attempts to portray the organization as colluding with extremist forces.

Moreover, China does not have the historical baggage of the West, whose colonialism and arbitrary partitioning of the region along ethnic and religious lines have resulted in the region's tragic disorder that persists into the present era. Seeking profits through tensions, the West has supplied weapons, toppled legitimate governments and imposed exploitative economic practices.

As a steadfast advocate for globalization, free trade and development through initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative, China promises a better future -- a reality not lost on the people of the region.

While some may profit from instigating regional conflicts, China has instead sought to do business, not short-term economic "raids," but long-term, stable deals that help promote regional economic development.

Take the 25-year comprehensive cooperation plan that China and Iran signed in 2021. The agreement, which spans energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, technology and healthcare, will benefit both sides.

China has also supported the resumption of negotiations on implementing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which would normalize ties between Iran and the international community and brighten the country's prospects.

Meanwhile, this helped lay the groundwork for the reconciliation between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the latter of which has inked a comprehensive strategic partnership with China. It has also proven that economic development and progress can be effectively leveraged to promote dialogue and peace.

This photo shows a screen display about the China-Arab States Summit on a street in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai)

Additionally, China's increasing engagement with the Gulf Cooperation Council and support for the Middle East Green Initiative have also helped alleviate the repercussions of climate change and boost regional collaboration in achieving environmental objectives.

Given China's accomplishments in the region -- previously deemed unthinkable just a few years ago -- let us look forward to what China will likely achieve amid waning U.S. influence, as the superpower appears to be hyper-focused on provoking conflicts rather than boosting growth and development in the Middle East.

With the joint efforts of China and regional countries, the seemingly interminable conflicts in the Middle East may finally be settled.

The Middle East, connecting Europe, Asia and Africa, will no longer be a barren land of wasted potential but a region of beauty, progress and opportunity. Those set on holding on stifling the region's progress will ultimately be left behind.





Editor's note: Julia Roknifard is an assistant professor at the University of Nottingham Malaysia.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of Xinhua News Agency.
Players of Real Madrid celebrate with their trophy as they parade on a bus during a ceremony of Real Madrid's celebration after winning the champion of the 2023-2024 Spanish La Liga in Madrid, Spain, May 12, 2024. (Photo by Gustavo Valiente/Xinhua)

This photo taken on May 12, 2024 shows a lynx at the Changtang National Nature Reserve in Nyima County of Nagqu City, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. Dubbed the "paradise of wild animals," Changtang National Nature Reserve is home to over 30 kinds of wild animals listed on China's national-level protection catalogue, including Tibetan antelopes and wild yaks. (Xinhua/Jiang Fan)

An aerial drone photo shows reapers harvesting wheat in the farmland in Guifu Town in Dazhou City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 13, 2024. (Photo by Deng Liangkui/Xinhua)

A student shouts slogans during a protest against the war in Gaza Strip, in Athens, Greece, on May 13, 2024. Greek university students are staging an overnight protest here Monday to show their solidarity with Palestinian people. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

A worker packs durians at a processing factory in Chanthaburi, Thailand, April 26, 2024. Thailand is one of the world's leading producers and exporters of durian, exporting large quantities to China each year. According to data from China's General Administration of Customs, in 2023, China imported 1.426 million tonnes of fresh durian, with 929,000 tonnes coming from Thailand, accounting for 65.15 percent of China's total fresh durian imports. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)
BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The inaugural meeting of the technical committee on cultural heritage protection of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) was held on Monday at the Palace Museum in Beijing.

Proposed by China and officially approved in March 2024, the committee is the first technical committee established by the ISO in the field of global cultural heritage protection since its inception.

Through international standardization work on terminology, technology, materials and equipment in cultural heritage monitoring, assessment, protection and restoration processes, the committee seeks to share advanced and applicable technologies and best practices in cultural heritage protection, according to China's National Cultural Heritage Administration.

The secretariat of the committee has been set up at the Palace Museum.
COLOMBO, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's cabinet has approved the initial draft of a bill to facilitate the economic reform process in the South Asian country, a statement from the government's information department said on Tuesday.

The department said the clearance of the attorney general has been received for the draft bill.

The cabinet of ministers granted approval for the proposal furnished by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to publish it in the government gazette notification and forward to the parliament for approval, according to the department.

Earlier, local media reported that over the past 16 months, Sri Lanka's parliament enacted 42 new laws to facilitate the country's economic transformation. 
BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay a state visit to China from May 16 to 17, foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced on Tuesday.

This is Putin's first state visit after he was sworn in as Russian president for a new term, Wang Wenbin, another foreign ministry spokesperson, told a regular press briefing.

As this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, during the visit, Xi and Putin will exchange views on bilateral relations, cooperation in various fields, and international and regional issues of common concern, Wang said.

He added that China will release relevant information on this visit in a timely manner. 
China has been a role model in assisting other developing countries around the world to reduce poverty, said a Cambodian civil society chief on Sunday.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service




KABUL, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Afghan police have seized illicit drugs during an anti-drug operation in Kabul, Kabul police headquarters reported on Tuesday.

The contraband, which included 125 kg hashish, was discovered from Police District 5 of Kabul, the police center said on social media.

Two persons were arrested in connection with the incident, said the source, adding that their dossiers were taken to concerned departments for further investigations.

The smugglers allegedly attempted to transfer the illegal drugs via Kabul from west to east parts of the country. 
BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) - Earlier this month, China took further steps to safeguard the psychological health of its 1.4 billion people with enhanced public services.

One of these initiatives saw the National Health Commission set up an expert working group to evaluate, analyze, and guide efforts to improve China's public psychological service system at the local level.

This group's 22 members, which include medical professionals, professors, researchers, and government officials, were selected based on their frontline experience in combating psychological and mental issues facing the public.

Another initiative, targeting children's mental health, has seen the Ministry of Education initiating a month-long nationwide campaign, the first of its kind, to boost awareness and education concerning children's mental health among teaching staff, parents, and children alike.

Psychological and mental health has been a longstanding priority for the Chinese government, which has recognized its crucial role in both societal development and individual well-being.

In late 2017, China pledged to improve its system of public psychological services and foster a positive mindset among the country's population characterized by self-confidence, rationality, and optimism.

In addressing mental issues, psychological specialist Yan Hongfeng highlighted the distinction between traditional approaches like therapy and counseling, which often focus on reactive measures, and the proactive and holistic approach of the public psychological service system.

"If we were to metaphorically compare counseling and therapy to tending to individual fish in an aquarium, then public psychological services would be like tending to the entire ecosystem of the aquarium, which includes the fish," Yan explained.

Since 2018, over 300 cities have participated in the pilot phase of China's initiative to establish its public psychological service system. Currently, 40 percent of China's city-level and above public hospitals have established outpatient departments focused on mental health, alongside notable improvements in community and school-based psychological services.

SERVICES AT DOORSTEPS

In Beijing's Xicheng District, all 15 neighborhoods now have public psychological service centers. These centers host various activities, such as seminars, salons, and group counseling sessions, aimed at promoting mental health awareness and addressing community members' psychological concerns.

According to Sun Yali, who works at the district-level center, each neighborhood is staffed with at least two professionals to serve the public, while community social workers are trained in psychology to enhance their daily interactions with their communities.

In Hangzhou, the capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, a mother surnamed Li said she felt "enlightened" after a counseling session at the psychological service center in her neighborhood. "It helped me sort out what the problems were and taught me how to better communicate with my daughter," Li said.

According to official figures, five years into these trial efforts, 96 percent of rural villages and urban neighborhoods in trial cities have established public psychological service offices.

"Enhancing service capabilities at grassroots is a must in China's endeavor to boost public psychological services," said Yao Hongwen, head of the National Center for Mental Health.

SERVICES FOR YOUTH

In parallel with broader societal efforts, targeted strategies have also been implemented to address the mental well-being of China's youth.

Last year, the Ministry of Education and 16 other departments released a specialized action plan to enhance student psychological health from 2023 to 2025. This initiative aims to foster collaboration among schools, families, society, and relevant authorities in promoting student well-being.

In the city of Binzhou, in the eastern province of Shandong, psychological education has become a regular part of the curriculum of primary and middle schools, complemented by family-oriented initiatives such as online parenting seminars. These efforts aim to create an environment conducive to the holistic development of students' mental and psychological well-being.

Official data shows that psychological counseling offices have been set up in all higher-learning institutions and 95 percent of primary and middle schools in cities participating in the trial phase.

Despite these advances, challenges still persist, experts warn. Professor Dong Qi from the Beijing Normal University highlighted the stigma associated with seeking mental health support.

Dong emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts among schools, families, and healthcare providers to further enhance the mental health landscape for China's youth. "What is needed is viewing psychological issues scientifically, fostering a culture of understanding, and carrying out effective intervention," Dong said. 
This aerial photo taken on May 13, 2024 shows a view of the White Island, New Zealand. The White Island, a volcanic island in New Zealand's North Island, is a famous tourist attraction.

On Dec. 9, 2019, the White Island volcanic eruption killed 22 people and injured 25 others. After the eruption all tourist trips to the island have been suspended by the authorities. (Xinhua/Guo Lei)

This aerial photo taken on May 13, 2024 shows a view of the White Island, New Zealand. The White Island, a volcanic island in New Zealand's North Island, is a famous tourist attraction.

On Dec. 9, 2019, the White Island volcanic eruption killed 22 people and injured 25 others. After the eruption all tourist trips to the island have been suspended by the authorities. (Xinhua/Guo Lei)

This aerial photo taken on May 13, 2024 shows a view of the White Island, New Zealand. The White Island, a volcanic island in New Zealand's North Island, is a famous tourist attraction.

On Dec. 9, 2019, the White Island volcanic eruption killed 22 people and injured 25 others. After the eruption all tourist trips to the island have been suspended by the authorities. (Xinhua/Guo Lei)

This aerial photo taken on May 13, 2024 shows a view of the White Island, New Zealand. The White Island, a volcanic island in New Zealand's North Island, is a famous tourist attraction.

On Dec. 9, 2019, the White Island volcanic eruption killed 22 people and injured 25 others. After the eruption all tourist trips to the island have been suspended by the authorities. (Xinhua/Guo Lei)

This aerial photo taken on May 13, 2024 shows a view of the White Island, New Zealand. The White Island, a volcanic island in New Zealand's North Island, is a famous tourist attraction.

On Dec. 9, 2019, the White Island volcanic eruption killed 22 people and injured 25 others. After the eruption all tourist trips to the island have been suspended by the authorities. (Xinhua/Guo Lei)

This aerial photo taken on May 13, 2024 shows a view of the White Island, New Zealand. The White Island, a volcanic island in New Zealand's North Island, is a famous tourist attraction.

On Dec. 9, 2019, the White Island volcanic eruption killed 22 people and injured 25 others. After the eruption all tourist trips to the island have been suspended by the authorities. (Xinhua/Guo Lei)

This aerial photo taken on May 13, 2024 shows a view of the White Island, New Zealand. The White Island, a volcanic island in New Zealand's North Island, is a famous tourist attraction.

On Dec. 9, 2019, the White Island volcanic eruption killed 22 people and injured 25 others. After the eruption all tourist trips to the island have been suspended by the authorities. (Xinhua/Guo Lei)

This aerial photo taken on May 13, 2024 shows a view of the White Island, New Zealand. The White Island, a volcanic island in New Zealand's North Island, is a famous tourist attraction.

On Dec. 9, 2019, the White Island volcanic eruption killed 22 people and injured 25 others. After the eruption all tourist trips to the island have been suspended by the authorities. (Xinhua/Guo Lei)
SYDNEY, May 14 (Xinhua) -- The Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) said on Tuesday that it will strengthen the justice system to better protect domestic and family violence victims by making it more difficult for those accused to get bail.

Legal reforms by the NSW government will include reversing the presumption of bail for serious domestic violence offences, by expanding the category of "show cause" offences, which will require alleged offenders to demonstrate why they should be out in the community.

The reforms will require electronic monitoring of people charged with serious domestic violence who are on bail. This means that this cohort is either held in remand or electronically monitored.

They also include changes to make it easier to prosecute perpetrators who use tracking and surveillance devices as a tactic to maintain control over their victim.

"These new reforms will make it more difficult for alleged domestic violence offenders to get bail," NSW Premier Chris Minns was quoted as saying in a media release by the state government.

"These are long overdue, targeted and will help keep women and children safer," he said.

These legislative reforms come after the NSW government announced last week a package of 230 million Australian dollars (152 million U.S. dollars) to improve the response to domestic and family violence through primary prevention, early intervention and crisis response measures. 
Speaking during a recent interview with Xinhua, Julius Thairu, chief commercial and customer officer at Kenya Airways has said that China is a competitive market with a promising future.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service








BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- China's top procuratorate on Tuesday published four typical cases to guide the lower-level procuratorial agencies' work in deciding criminal suspects' arrests or indictments.

The cases, published by the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP), involved reconsideration or review procedures about procuratorial agencies' prior decisions not to approve the arrest of certain criminal suspects or not to indict them.

In one case, it was made clear that when handling cases involving concealment of illegal gains of a crime, prosecutors should carry out comprehensive examinations based on the specific circumstances, consequences, the degree of social harm, as well as the nature and consequences of the prior crime, to determine whether the case is prosecutable.

Other cases involved the determination of prosecutable violations of theft, lodging lawsuit for fraud, and organizing prostitution activities.

It was further stressed in the cases that while dealing with reconsideration and review cases, substantial examination is needed, and the prosecutors should listen to the opinions of the public security authorities, and explain the facts of the case and the reasons as well as the legal basis for their decisions.

According to the SPP, the reconsideration and review procedure of relevant decisions facilitates mutual check and balance between public security and procuratorial authorities, and it is also an internal supervision within the procuratorial system.

Procuratorial agencies should work with public security authorities to build a criminal prosecution system centered around evidence, fully leverage the role of the reconsideration and review procedure in preventing and rectifying errors, to ensure justice in law enforcement and judicial work, the SPP statement said.

According to China's criminal procedure law, procuratorial agencies may decide not to approve the arrest of a suspect or not to indict them for reasons such as insufficient evidence or that relevant action is unnecessary.

However, the police may require or apply for a reconsideration or review of relevant decision if they believe it wrong. 
TEHRAN, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani on Tuesday condemned the recent remarks by a U.S. senator who said Israel should be allowed to "use nuclear bombs" to end the conflict in Gaza.

He made the remarks in a post on social media platform X, after U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, during an interview on NBC News' "Meet the Press" on Sunday, argued that "Israel should be given the bombs it needed to end the conflict in Gaza."

Kanaani said the American senator's "horrifying" remarks in justifying and encouraging the use of nuclear bombs were proof of the extent of "this warmongering spectrum's brutality, complete disregard for humans' right to life and disrespect for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."

He added the remarks were made by a U.S. senator whose country had always claimed to be the "flagbearer" of human rights and considered itself eligible to value and judge other countries' extent of observing human rights.

Kanaani called on the international community to condemn the U.S. support for Israel and stand against such "devilish" statements to prevent as soon as possible the scope of the "human catastrophe" in the Gaza Strip from expanding on a daily basis.

During the interview, Graham criticized a decision by U.S. President Joe Biden to stop the delivery of 3,000 heavy bombs to Israel, calling on the Biden administration to give Israel the bombs it needed to end the Gaza conflict.

Israel has been launching a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, after the group carried out a surprise attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people. Israel has so far killed 35,091 Palestinians and injured 78,827 others, according to the figures released by the Gaza-based Health Ministry on Monday. 
by Xinhua writer Chen Binjie GENEVA, May 13 (Xinhua) -- "I went to China this time with a special thing: a passport without any visa on it," exclaimed Lucas Deckers, a Belgian in his 20s, on the Chinese video-sharing platform Douyin, with a picture showing him waving his burgundy travel document. Since earlier this year, China has implemented a visa-free policy that exempts many European ordinary passport holders from the time-consuming and costly obligation, encouraging travelers from nearly a dozen European countries to explore this Asian country. In a further move, Chinese President Xi Jinping, during his first European tour in nearly five years last week, announced that China has decided to extend visa exemption entry for citizens from 12 countries, 11 of them in Europe, on short-term visits to China until the end of 2025. The policy, geared towards fostering interactions among Chinese and international citizens, has garnered widespread acclaim in Europe and is expected to improve relations between China and Europe in many ways. DOOR OPENING WIDER The extended policy allows ordinary passport holders of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg, to enter and stay in China visa-free for up to 15 days for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit. In a post on social media, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said the visa-free policy was "good news" for Hungarian tourists and business travelers heading for China. As a matter of reciprocity, Hungarian authorities are issuing long-term visas, already at the first application, for managers of big Chinese companies undertaking investments in Hungary, he added. These decisions will further strengthen cooperation between Hungary and China in the areas of economy and tourism, the top diplomat noted. Mario Boselli, chairman of the Italy China Council Foundation, said the new visa-free policy indicates that China's door is opening wider, and will facilitate economic, trade and cultural exchanges between the two countries. The visa-free policy for Spanish citizens represents "a significant milestone" in bilateral ties, said Jose Felix Valdivieso, chairman of IE University's China Center, which aims to promote educational and business cooperation between the two countries. "It encourages a greater flow of people between China and Spain, enriching our societies with a diversity of perspectives and experiences," Valdivieso said, dubbing this move as "a catalyst for further growth and collaboration." BOOST FOR TOURISM Thanks to the policy, Jerome Pouille, a French panda-lover, easily arranged a China trip this spring to visit Yuan Meng, the first giant panda born in France. Last July, Yuan Meng was sent back to China's Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Seeing Yuan Meng living well in its hometown, Pouille felt "happy and satisfied." The visa-free policy serves as an impetus for numerous European travelers to embark on exploratory journeys throughout China, and is perceived by European tour operators as a stimulus for tourism. Gunther Gruber, senior consultant of the Austrian KUONI travel agency, said he is very happy that China has introduced the 15-day visa-free policy for Austria. "China has always been one of the most visited tourist destinations for Austrians... We are now planning travel plans for the spring and summer of 2025 and will launch more travel products about China," Gruber said. For many Europeans, visiting China is a complex thing. They have to plan ahead, manage their finances, and set aside time in advance. "That's great if you don't have visa issues to worry about. This is very useful," said Davide Cougoule, senior manager of Geneva Tourism & Conventions Foundation, a Swiss tourism promotion association. According to the Geneva office of Air China, the national carrier of China, following the visa exemption, there has been an average of 50 Swiss travelers on each Geneva-Beijing flight, constituting approximately 25 percent of all passengers. Air China's figures also show that in March 2024, a total of 6,364 passengers traveled between Geneva and Beijing, up 374.9 percent from a year earlier. According to Ralph Ossa, chief economist of the World Trade Organization (WTO), China's visa-free policy for European countries and the recovery of Chinese outbound tourism are conducive to global service trade. BRIDGE FOR EXCHANGES Barely two weeks after the policy took effect, the Chinese Language and Culture Center in Luxembourg organized a spring camp to visit China during the Easter holiday in April. More than 20 Luxembourg students visited Beijing, Shanghai and other places in China, with some of them joining the camp just several days before departure, as the visa-free policy made the trip easier. "This travel facilitation will encourage more Luxembourg citizens to travel to China and help strengthen people-to-people and commercial exchanges between our two countries," said Xavier Bettel, Luxembourg's deputy prime minister, in a statement. The visa-free policy, a tangible move of China in pushing for high-level opening-up, has infused momentum into the exchanges between China and Europe. During his official visit to China in April, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the German side appreciates China's visa-free entry policy for Germany and is willing to make it more convenient for Chinese citizens to visit Germany. The policy has received an enthusiastic response from all walks of life in Austria, said Ernst Woller, president of the State Parliament of Vienna. This measure will "definitely facilitate Austrian people to travel to China, strengthen personnel exchanges between the two countries, and further promote Austria-China relations and the exchanges between the two countries," Woller said. During the first quarter of 2024, Chinese immigration management agencies processed over 141 million traveler trips. Among them, trips by foreign nationals reached 13.1 million, a year-on-year increase of 305.2 percent, said the National Immigration Administration (NIA) of China. "The visa-free policy not only streamlines entry and departure, but also symbolizes China's warmer embrace of foreign travelers," said Deckers, already a Chinese-speaking influencer on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.
DOHA, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Israel's military actions in Rafah have set back negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said on Tuesday.

Al Thani made the remarks during the opening ceremony of the 4th edition of the Qatar Economic Forum, which opened here on Tuesday under the theme "A World Remade: Navigating the Year of Uncertainty."

Qatar will continue to mediate between Israel and Hamas, despite "fundamental differences" between the two sides, he said.

Last month, he said Qatar was reassessing its role as a mediator between Israel and Hamas because the mediation had been exploited by some politicians concerned only with narrow political interests, a move that harmed Qatar.

Since the outbreak of the latest round of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in October last year, Qatar has been actively involved in mediating and played an important role in facilitating a brief ceasefire between the two sides in November last year.

Israeli tanks on Tuesday marched towards the center of Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip, as tens of thousands of residents fled to evade an Israeli ground offensive, a source in the enclave reported.

Nearly 450,000 people have been forcibly displaced from Rafah since May 6, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East said in a statement on Tuesday. 
by Xinhua writer Gao Wencheng

BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- The 2024 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition was a spectacle with 117 global premieres and 278 new energy vehicle models, drawing crowds of traders, both domestic and international. These lively scenes vividly depict the robust growth of China's new energy sector, igniting global curiosity about its unprecedented ascent.

In 2023, both production and sales of China's new energy vehicles (NEV) exceeded 9 million units, maintaining its position as the global leader for nine consecutive years. Exports of new energy vehicles soared by 77.6 percent, reaching 1.203 million units and solidifying China's position as a key driver of the global automotive industry's green transformation. Collectively, exports of China's "new trio," electric vehicles, lithium batteries and photovoltaic products surpassed 1.06 trillion yuan (146.5 billion U.S. dollars) last year.

China's rise as a global leader in emerging industries stems from its strategic foresight and unwavering commitment to green development.

As China swiftly devised a national strategy for new energy vehicles, Chinese automakers pursued diverse technological pathways by following policy guidance, including pure electric, hybrid and hydrogen fuel, cementing their position at the forefront of innovation.

In the NEV era, Chinese firms have become vital technology providers for global collaborations, attracting international automakers to this year's Beijing auto show looking to catch up to surging China EV makers, as noted by Reuters.

In addition to policies guiding development direction, China's well-established supporting system has made many foreign enterprises envious. For instance, China's swift action in building charging stations and upgrading infrastructure has far outpaced its Western counterparts, with coverage rates exceeding 80 percent in downtown areas of major cities.

Meanwhile, China's ascendancy in emerging industries is underpinned by a mature industrial chain, robust supporting capabilities and abundant skilled labor.

China is the only country worldwide boasting industries covering every category in the UN industrial classification and hosting over 200 mature industry clusters. China's manufacturing industry has been the largest in the world for 14 consecutive years.

This robust industrial foundation has enabled collaborative efforts across the supply chain and driven the success of the new energy industries. Additionally, China's transition from demographic to knowledge dividends has provided crucial talent support, further contributing to its success.

China's momentum in emerging industries also derives from fostering technological breakthroughs and innovative business models through intense market competition.

China's NEV sector has not only propelled the transformation of traditional automotive companies but has also fostered the emergence of numerous new players. Moreover, the entry of giants like Tesla into the Chinese market has ignited multidimensional competition, leading to the development of high-tech, consumer-centric products that benefit consumers worldwide.

Similarly, manufacturers like CATL and BYD have thrived amid fierce competition in the power battery sector, while international companies like LG Energy Solution have ramped up production capacity in China. This efficient market mechanism and healthy competition ecosystem have injected vitality into China's rapid industrial development.

China's emerging industries have garnered comparative advantages on a global scale, a result of market competition and selection guided by market economy principles. In stark contrast to recent unfounded allegations of overcapacity, the primary drivers of China's emerging industries are not subsidies but rather innovation, cooperation and competition.

Facts are the most effective rebuttal amid an onslaught of smear campaigns. China will continue to bolster global industry by embracing innovation and fostering win-win outcomes while infusing vitality into the world economy. 
BEIRUT, May 14 (Xinhua) -- An Israeli drone launched on Tuesday two air-to-surface missiles at a house in the southern Lebanese village of Mays al-Jabal, destroying the house and killing a member of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, a Lebanese military source said.

The source, preferring anonymity, added that another Israeli attack targeted the village of Odaisseh, near the UN-drawn Blue Line, the border demarcation between Lebanon and Israel, with four missiles on Tuesday, injuring three civilians who were subsequently taken to a hospital in the Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil for treatment. The attack on Odaisseh also resulted in the destruction of six houses and damage to 20 others.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah said its fighters had launched a series of attacks on various Israeli targets along the Lebanon-Israel border and in Israel.

Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated on Oct. 8, 2023, following a barrage of rockets launched by Hezbollah towards Israel in solidarity with Hamas's attack on Israel the day before. Israel then retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon. 
Visitors smells a product of a Chinese time-honored brand during a China brands exposition as part of the 2024 China Brand Day events in Shanghai, east China, May 13, 2024. China Brand Day 2024 events kicked off in Shanghai on Friday as the country continues its efforts to promote brand building.

The events, themed "better quality, bright future for Chinese brands," comprise of an opening ceremony, a forum on China's brand development, a China brands exposition and other brand-building activities. (Xinhua/Wang Xiang)

Visitors taste pastry of a Chinese time-honored brand during a China brands exposition as part of the 2024 China Brand Day events in Shanghai, east China, May 13, 2024. China Brand Day 2024 events kicked off in Shanghai on Friday as the country continues its efforts to promote brand building.

The events, themed "better quality, bright future for Chinese brands," comprise of an opening ceremony, a forum on China's brand development, a China brands exposition and other brand-building activities. (Xinhua/Wang Xiang)

Visitors taste sweets of a Chinese time-honored brand during a China brands exposition as part of the 2024 China Brand Day events in Shanghai, east China, May 13, 2024. China Brand Day 2024 events kicked off in Shanghai on Friday as the country continues its efforts to promote brand building.

The events, themed "better quality, bright future for Chinese brands," comprise of an opening ceremony, a forum on China's brand development, a China brands exposition and other brand-building activities. (Xinhua/Wang Xiang)

A staff members sells products of a Chinese time-honored brand via livestreaming during a China brands exposition as part of the 2024 China Brand Day events in Shanghai, east China, May 13, 2024. China Brand Day 2024 events kicked off in Shanghai on Friday as the country continues its efforts to promote brand building.

The events, themed "better quality, bright future for Chinese brands," comprise of an opening ceremony, a forum on China's brand development, a China brands exposition and other brand-building activities. (Xinhua/Wang Xiang)
BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- The majority of capital goods monitored by China's statistical authorities registered higher prices in early May compared with late April, official data showed Tuesday.

Of the 50 major goods classified in nine categories, including seamless steel tubes, gasoline, coal, fertilizer, and some chemicals, 29 reported higher prices in the period, 20 saw price declines, and one recorded an unchanged price, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

During this period, hog prices went up 0.7 percent, the NBS data revealed.

These figures, released every 10 days, are based on a survey of nearly 2,000 wholesalers and distributors in 31 provincial-level regions across the country. 
WASHINGTON, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Eight people were killed and eight more critically injured in a bus crash in northern Florida, the Ocala Star Banner, a local newspaper reported on Tuesday, citing Florida Highway Patrol and Marion County Fire Rescue. 
This photo taken on May 13, 2024 shows items displayed at "Chinese Design: Harmony in Diversity" exhibition during the 10th London Craft Week in London, Britain. The 10th London Craft Week kicked off here on Monday with hundreds of talents worldwide to celebrate craftsmanship through workshops, exhibitions, and talks across the city. Among them, several events featuring Chinese arts and crafts highlighted the fusion of tradition and innovation.(Xinhua/Li Ying)

LONDON, May 14 (Xinhua) -- The 10th London Craft Week kicked off here on Monday with hundreds of talents worldwide to celebrate craftsmanship through workshops, exhibitions, and talks across the city.

Among them, several events featuring Chinese arts and crafts highlighted the fusion of tradition and innovation.

At the "Chinese Design: Harmony in Diversity" exhibition, a colorful piece of Miao embroidery, depicting British landmarks like the London Eye, Big Ben, and Tower Bridge alongside traditional Miao ethnic elements, drew considerable attention.

The 40-centimeter-square embroidered patch took Yang Shiying, who has dedicated five decades to mastering Miao embroidery -- the traditional artistry of China's Miao ethnic minority in southwest China's Guizhou Province -- about two months to handcraft.

It marked the first participation of Yang and her son, Axin, in the craft week. Their exhibits included suits, bags, and attire adorned with Miao embroidery, showing the art of stitching the intangible cultural heritage into modern fashion design.

"We hope that such integration of old and new can help more people realize that intangible cultural heritage can still exhibit new vitality through fresh and youthful design," Axin, a Miao ethnic designer who founded his own clothing brand in 2007, told Xinhua.

Axin and his mother were not the only participants who made adaptations to traditional handicrafts. At the "Nice to Meet Loong" exhibition, creative cultural products and designer toys inspired by Chinese handicrafts gave visitors hands-on experience of ancient techniques such as mortise-and-tenon joints.

"The skills, material exploration and often spectacular results exhibited invited the audience to engage with peoples and communities far from London," said Simon Fraser, the course leader for MA Design Ceramics Furniture Jewellery at Central Saint Martins, a constituent college of the University of the Arts London, after visiting the exhibition.

"By maintaining traditional knowledge in contemporary culture, we allow cultural values to transcend time," he said.

During the craft week, hundreds of exhibits and workshops were expected to showcase various aspects of Chinese craftsmanship, including porcelain, silverware, lacquerware, bamboo weaving, clothing and jewelry from ethnic minority groups, as well as folk music Nanyin from southeastern China's Fujian Province.

Guy Salter, chairman and founder of London Craft Week, said that China's participation in the event has consistently brought surprises to him over the years.

The fusion of tradition and modernity in Chinese exhibits showcased the rich heritage and vitality of Chinese craftsmanship, said Salter.

"It is important that artists throughout the world can actually learn from each other," said Lise Bertelsen, executive director at the China-Britain Business Council in an interview with Xinhua. She hoped that events like the craft week could foster dialogue and understanding among different cultures.

London Craft Week, a citywide festival founded in 2015, runs from Monday to Sunday this year and is expected to attract about 750 makers, designers, brands, and galleries from around the world. 

Yang Shiying, who has dedicated five decades to mastering Miao embroidery, shows Miao embroidery at "Chinese Design: Harmony in Diversity" exhibition during the 10th London Craft Week in London, Britain, May 13, 2024. The colorful piece depicts British landmarks like the London Eye, Big Ben, and Tower Bridge alongside traditional Miao ethnic elements. The 10th London Craft Week kicked off here on Monday with hundreds of talents worldwide to celebrate craftsmanship through workshops, exhibitions, and talks across the city. Among them, several events featuring Chinese arts and crafts highlighted the fusion of tradition and innovation. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

A man takes videos at "Chinese Design: Harmony in Diversity" exhibition during the 10th London Craft Week in London, Britain, May 13, 2024. The 10th London Craft Week kicked off here on Monday with hundreds of talents worldwide to celebrate craftsmanship through workshops, exhibitions, and talks across the city. Among them, several events featuring Chinese arts and crafts highlighted the fusion of tradition and innovation. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

Miao ethnic designer Axin (L) and his mother Yang Shiying, who has dedicated five decades to mastering Miao embroidery, show Miao embroidery at "Chinese Design: Harmony in Diversity" during the 10th London Craft Week in London, Britain, May 13, 2024. The colorful piece depicts British landmarks like the London Eye, Big Ben, and Tower Bridge alongside traditional Miao ethnic elements. The 10th London Craft Week kicked off here on Monday with hundreds of talents worldwide to celebrate craftsmanship through workshops, exhibitions, and talks across the city. Among them, several events featuring Chinese arts and crafts highlighted the fusion of tradition and innovation. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

Lise Bertelsen (L), executive director of the China-Britain Business Council, learns Miao embroidery from Miao embroiderer Yang Shiying at "Chinese Design: Harmony in Diversity" exhibition during the 10th London Craft Week in London, Britain, May 13, 2024. The 10th London Craft Week kicked off here on Monday with hundreds of talents worldwide to celebrate craftsmanship through workshops, exhibitions, and talks across the city. Among them, several events featuring Chinese arts and crafts highlighted the fusion of tradition and innovation.(Xinhua/Li Ying)

A man takes videos at "Chinese Design: Harmony in Diversity" exhibition during the 10th London Craft Week in London, Britain, May 13, 2024. The 10th London Craft Week kicked off here on Monday with hundreds of talents worldwide to celebrate craftsmanship through workshops, exhibitions, and talks across the city. Among them, several events featuring Chinese arts and crafts highlighted the fusion of tradition and innovation.(Xinhua/Li Ying)

A woman takes videos at "Chinese Design: Harmony in Diversity" exhibition during the 10th London Craft Week in London, Britain, May 13, 2024. The 10th London Craft Week kicked off here on Monday with hundreds of talents worldwide to celebrate craftsmanship through workshops, exhibitions, and talks across the city. Among them, several events featuring Chinese arts and crafts highlighted the fusion of tradition and innovation.(Xinhua/Li Ying)
BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Partnership in green transition between China and the United States needs to be consolidated as it creates shared benefits for both countries and serves the global bid for green and low-carbon development, according to a high-level forum held on Monday.

Addressing climate change is a shared responsibility for everyone, Zhang Shaogang, deputy director with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), said at a forum of the Global Trade and Investment Promotion Summit 2024 held on Monday afternoon.

With the theme of "Mutual Trust and Cooperation: Navigating through Profound Changes," the summit was organized by the CCPIT, featuring the participation of over 750 representatives from international organizations, economic institutions, trade and investment promotion agencies and business communities.

"China and the United States, as the world's largest developing country and developed country respectively, have the obligation to work together to prevent further warming of the climate and promote the development of a green and low-carbon economy," Zhang added.

Noah Fraser, senior vice president of China operations with the US-China Business Council, echoed Zhang's proposal, saying that the two countries share a lot of cooperation opportunities in sustainable and inclusive development, which will not only be beneficial for both countries, but also contributes to the well-being of the entire planet.

China has been a leading driver of the global economy's green transition, whose advanced technologies and low-cost products in fields like new energy have facilitated industrial upgrading.

U.S. new energy vehicle (NEV) giant Tesla is a beneficiary and an example of enhanced Sino-U.S. cooperation. It has put its first gigafactory outside the United States in east China's Shanghai, which contributed to over half of the company's global output last year.

Over the past decade, Tesla has witnessed a remarkable transformation from solely selling imported vehicles in China to gradually recognizing the immense potential of this market, which has led the company to invest significant resources in the Chinese market, according to Tesla vice president Tao Lin.

Tao noted the growing number of Tesla cars on Chinese roads as well as NEVs of other brands, an uplifting trend that she said the U.S. company has played a part.

This also exemplifies how successful cooperation between China and the United States can truly improve the lives of both nations' people, Tao said.

Yang Aiqing, executive president with JA Solar Technology Co., Ltd., a photovoltaic power generation solution provider, said the company has an interconnected relationship with its U.S. partners in the supply chain, and looks for more interaction and cooperation with the U.S. side in fields like technology research and development and investment in production bases.

The company, whose products are sold in 165 countries and regions, said its cumulative shipment of solar modules has exceeded 200GW. These products are utilized in power stations, contributing to an estimated annual reduction of roughly 200 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

"We are witnessing extreme weather conditions in many parts of the world, highlighting the urgent need for the solar industry to make a greater contribution. Despite the uncertainties ahead, we believe that the future prospects for cooperation between China and the United States in addressing global challenges as part of the community with a shared future for mankind are very promising," Yang said. 
BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- China recorded 360.15 million railway passenger trips in April, up 9.6 percent year on year, the National Railway Administration said Tuesday.

During the first four months of the year, railway passenger trips amounted to 1.37 billion, surging 22.9 percent from a year ago, the administration said.

Last month, 407.59 million tonnes of goods were transported by railways, down 1.9 percent year on year.

From January to April, China's railway cargo delivery volume reached 1.65 billion tonnes, a fall of 1.4 percent year on year.

China's fixed-asset investment in railways totaled 184.9 billion yuan (about 26.02 billion U.S. dollars) during the four-month period, up 10.5 percent year on year, according to the administration. 
Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, speaks at a video conference on young people's employment and entrepreneurship, in Beijing, capital of China, May 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on Tuesday urged efforts to enhance the employment of college graduates and ensure stable employment among young people.

Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks at a video conference on young people's employment and entrepreneurship.

He said more jobs need to be generated by promoting massive projects and key programs and launching measures for domestic demand expansion.

The government should also directly create as many new jobs as possible, Ding said. Such jobs are usually in Party and government bodies, public institutions, state-owned enterprises, research institutions, and other public service organizations.

More jobs should be created in fields such as rural revitalization, social work, elderly services, and emergency response at the community level, Ding said, highlighting the importance of encouraging graduates to join grassroots organizations.

Ding also stressed the importance of proper guidance for college graduates regarding their career and job choices.

Concerning graduates planning for entrepreneurship, Ding called for measures to assist them in tackling shortages of finance, venues and experience.

According to the government work report, China aims to add more than 12 million urban jobs this year. 
Chinese books attract global attention at Italy's biggest book fair

Xinhua) 08:19, May 14, 2024

A visitor selects Chinese books during the Turin International Book Fair in Turin, Italy, May 11, 2024. (Xinhua/Ren Yaoting)

The Confucius Institute and the University of Turin organized a range of literary exchange activities, and invited famous Chinese writers such as Yu Hua and Lu Min for face-to-face exchanges with local readers.

TURIN, Italy, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese publishers seized the opportunity to reach new readers at the biggest book fair in Italy recently.

The Turin International Book Fair, held from May 9 to 13, attracted more than 4,000 publishing professionals from 43 countries and regions around the world, under the theme of "Imaginary Life."

The China National Publications Import and Export Co (CNPIEC) had a booth at the fair, promoting 458 books from 22 Chinese publishers.

"The opportunity to buy this kind of book is rare, and I hope to see more similar Chinese books at future book fairs," said Giacomo, a student from Turin University who didn't give his surname. Giacomo bought a book on ancient Chinese characters for 20 euros (21 U.S. dollars).

Visitors learn about Chinese calligraphy during the Turin International Book Fair in Turin, Italy, May 11, 2024. (Xinhua/Ren Yaoting)

Meanwhile, the most popular titles sold at the booth were Mandarin teaching textbooks, followed by illustrated books on traditional Chinese calligraphy and painting.

"Italian consumers are very interested in Chinese books and culture, and even though there is a language barrier, it does not affect their enthusiasm to read and buy," said a CNPIEC employee.

Chinese writer Yu Hua (L) speaks at a signing session during the Turin International Book Fair in Turin, Italy, May 12, 2024. (Xinhua/Ren Yaoting)

The Confucius Institute at the University of Turin also had a booth at the book fair, hosting traditional Chinese cultural activities such as chess, paper-cutting, and calligraphy.

Dai Lan, director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Turin, said that these activities and the sale of Chinese textbooks are aimed at cultivating more interest in Chinese culture among foreigners.

During the fair, the Confucius Institute and the University of Turin cooperated in organizing a range of literary exchange activities. They invited famous Chinese writers such as Yu Hua and Lu Min for face-to-face exchanges with local readers. On Sunday afternoon, Lu brought the Italian version of his work "The Lost City" to a book signing event, which attracted more than 500 local fans.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Chinese President Xi Jinping has wrapped up his first trip to Europe in nearly five years. Over the course of six days, his travels took him through France, Serbia, and Hungary. Check out the video for some highlight moments he shared with leaders there. Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Members of the Chinese medical team for anti-malaria service check household water conditions in a village north of Moroni, Comoros, Aug. 27, 2024. Comoros, an island country off the east coast of Africa, is making strides towards eliminating malaria with the support of a Chinese medical team. Despite local efforts to eradicate mosquitoes, Comoros, with a population of over 800,000, reported nearly 110,000 malaria cases in 2006. That year, a Chinese medical team from Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine arrived in Comoros to assist in combating the disease. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

GUANGZHOU, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Comoros, an island country off the east coast of Africa, is making strides towards eliminating malaria with the support of a Chinese medical team.

Despite local efforts to eradicate mosquitoes, Comoros, with a population of over 800,000, reported nearly 110,000 malaria cases in 2006.

That year, a Chinese medical team from Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine arrived in Comoros to assist in combating the disease.

Established in 1989, this team is China's only medical unit deployed overseas to administer artemisinin therapy to treat malaria. Artemisinin, discovered by Chinese scientists in the 1970s, has been hailed globally as a "magic drug" in malaria treatment.

Working alongside their Comoran colleagues, the Chinese team conducted epidemiological surveys in villages to assess the malaria situation.

Affane Bacar, then director of the Comoros National Malaria Control Program, praised the Chinese team's dedication. "The Chinese team are like our brothers who share a meal and drink with us. They even went to remote forests and villages seldom visited by locals," he said.

Thanks to the collaborative efforts, a mass drug administration program was launched on the island of Moheli in November 2007. Within four months, the malaria parasite carriage rate among the local population plummeted from 23.3 percent to 0.33 percent, with no reported mosquito-borne malaria cases during that period.

"This unprecedented achievement surprised local health authorities and relevant international organizations," said Li Guoming, leader of the medical team in Comoros.

Through unremitting efforts, Comoros achieved zero malaria deaths in 2017, marking a 98 percent decrease in annual malaria incidence. It is no longer a country with high malaria prevalence.

The success story in Comoros has galvanized many countries into seeking cooperation with China. The medical team, operating in Africa and Oceania, has provided over 30 million patients with their independently-developed anti-malarial medication.

Today, the mass drug administration approach has been adopted into WHO malaria guidelines. By January 2024, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine had established medical centers in six malaria-endemic African and South Pacific countries, training over ten local anti-malaria teams in these countries.

As the malaria situation took a turn for the better, the affected countries have experienced positive transformations.

According to a medical team member named Tan Ruixiang, a villager in Sao Tome and Principe told her that, in the past, there was always someone ill in the family. But today, since malaria is no longer a threat, his children can attend school without fear, and adults can focus on their work.

"The artemisinin anti-malaria therapy is an extraordinary feat of the older generation of scientists. And we are committed to carrying forward their legacy to advance global health," said Deng Changsheng, who is in charge of the anti-malarial project of the Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine. 

Zhou Sheng (C), a member of the Chinese medical team for anti-malaria service, performs blood tests in a village north of Moroni, Comoros, Aug. 27, 2024.

Comoros, an island country off the east coast of Africa, is making strides towards eliminating malaria with the support of a Chinese medical team.

Despite local efforts to eradicate mosquitoes, Comoros, with a population of over 800,000, reported nearly 110,000 malaria cases in 2006.

That year, a Chinese medical team from Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine arrived in Comoros to assist in combating the disease. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

Xie Wei (1st L), a member of the Chinese medical team for anti-malaria service, works at a lab of the Comoros National Malaria Control Center in Moroni, Comoros, Aug. 27, 2024.

Comoros, an island country off the east coast of Africa, is making strides towards eliminating malaria with the support of a Chinese medical team.

Despite local efforts to eradicate mosquitoes, Comoros, with a population of over 800,000, reported nearly 110,000 malaria cases in 2006.

That year, a Chinese medical team from Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine arrived in Comoros to assist in combating the disease. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

Chen Yinhuan (1st L front), a member of the Chinese medical team for anti-malaria service, performs blood tests in a village north of Moroni, Comoros, Aug. 27, 2024.

Comoros, an island country off the east coast of Africa, is making strides towards eliminating malaria with the support of a Chinese medical team.

Despite local efforts to eradicate mosquitoes, Comoros, with a population of over 800,000, reported nearly 110,000 malaria cases in 2006.

That year, a Chinese medical team from Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine arrived in Comoros to assist in combating the disease. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

Zhou Sheng (1st R, rear), a member of the Chinese medical team for anti-malaria service, performs blood tests in a village north of Moroni, Comoros, Aug. 27, 2024.

Comoros, an island country off the east coast of Africa, is making strides towards eliminating malaria with the support of a Chinese medical team.

Despite local efforts to eradicate mosquitoes, Comoros, with a population of over 800,000, reported nearly 110,000 malaria cases in 2006.

That year, a Chinese medical team from Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine arrived in Comoros to assist in combating the disease. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

Chen Yinhuan (2nd R), a member of the Chinese medical team for anti-malaria service, performs blood tests in a village north of Moroni, Comoros, Aug. 27, 2024.

Comoros, an island country off the east coast of Africa, is making strides towards eliminating malaria with the support of a Chinese medical team.

Despite local efforts to eradicate mosquitoes, Comoros, with a population of over 800,000, reported nearly 110,000 malaria cases in 2006.

That year, a Chinese medical team from Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine arrived in Comoros to assist in combating the disease. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

Liang Jianming (1st R) and Chen Yinhuan (2nd R), members of the Chinese medical team for anti-malaria service, work at a lab of the Comoros National Malaria Control Center in Moroni, Comoros, Aug. 27, 2024.

Comoros, an island country off the east coast of Africa, is making strides towards eliminating malaria with the support of a Chinese medical team.

Despite local efforts to eradicate mosquitoes, Comoros, with a population of over 800,000, reported nearly 110,000 malaria cases in 2006.

That year, a Chinese medical team from Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine arrived in Comoros to assist in combating the disease. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)
Asian American heritage was celebrated at Flushing Town Hall in New York City in the form of photo and art exhibition, Asian cuisine tasting as well as cultural performance on Sunday evening.




ANKARA, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police have detained 56 suspected members of the Islamic State (IS) group in anti-terror operations across Turkiye, the country's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Tuesday.

The operations, dubbed "Bozdogan-38," were carried out in four provinces across the country, namely Sanliurfa, Hatay, Denizli and Konya, the minister said on social media platform X, without specifying the dates of the operations.

Yerlikaya said the suspects allegedly recruited people for the group, provided shooting training and organizational training, and provided logistical support.

They also allegedly entered the country illegally and provided financial aid to people who were active in the group and organizational meetings.

The Turkish government designated the IS as a terrorist organization in 2013 and blamed it for a spate of deadly attacks in the country since 2015.

In December last year, Turkish intelligence and security forces captured a top IS terrorist in charge of the group's finances in an operation in Turkiye's southeastern province of Mersin. 
JAKARTA, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Up to 52 people were found dead and 17 went missing after cold lava floods destroyed houses, buildings and public facilities in Indonesia's West Sumatra province, a senior official of local disaster agency said on Tuesday.

Search for the missing persons resumed on Tuesday as several heavy machinery equipment had been added to the scene to help with the operation, said Ilham Wahab, head of the rehabilitation and reconstruction unit of the provincial disaster management and mitigation agency.

"The number of bodies found is 52 now, and the missing number is 17. These figures will keep changing as people keep reporting about their missing family members," he told Xinhua via phone.

Wahab noted that the ongoing emergency relief efforts would be followed by a reconstruction and rehabilitation program.

Experts would be involved to consider whether it would be necessary to relocate the residents living in dangerous areas, such as on the sides of rivers whose upstream is at the slopes of the Marapi volcano and Singgalang volcano, which keep erupting and exiting volcanic materials, he added.

According to Lieutenant General Suharyanto, head of National Disaster Management and Mitigation Agency, the natural disaster has forced over 3,000 people to flee home and take shelters at safer grounds.

"Repair of the damaged roads is among the priorities during the relief efforts," he said in a text message, adding that the fulfillment of the basic needs of the flood-affected residents would be met.

Heavy rains on Saturday night triggered the waters of the rivers to overflow their banks, striking the regencies of Agam, Tanah Datar and Pariaman, and Padang Panjang town. 
Chen Wenqing, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, meets with a delegation led by Mohammad Ghazo, chief of the Supreme Judicial Council of Jordan, and Jordanian Attorney General Youssef Dhiabat in Beijing, capital of China, May 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Chen Wenqing, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, met with a delegation led by Mohammad Ghazo, chief of the Supreme Judicial Council of Jordan, and Jordanian Attorney General Youssef Dhiabat here on Tuesday.

Noting that cooperation in the field of judiciary is an important part of the strategic partnership between China and Jordan, Chen said China is willing to work with Jordan to continuously enhance cooperation in areas such as fair justice, crime prevention and punishment, personnel training, information exchange, and international multilateral mechanisms to better safeguard international order and the development interests of both countries.

The Jordanian delegation expressed their willingness to promote new achievements in judicial cooperation between Jordan and China. 
JOHANNESBURG, May 14 (Xinhua) -- The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has approved more than 5,000 local and international observers to monitor the upcoming general elections later this month, the electoral body announced on Tuesday.

Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo, speaking in Pretoria, South Africa's administrative capital, told reporters that the country is ready to conduct the 2024 national and provincial elections on May 29.

Mamabolo said that training for 202,500 voting officials, who will manage the electoral process in the voting stations, is nearing completion.

"The Commission is pleased to share that a record 160 organizations with 5,000 observers domestically and from around the world will be observing South Africa's 2024 general elections. About 15 of these observer organizations are international and include the African Union, the Carter Center Democracy Program, and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance," Mamabolo said.

Meanwhile, 76,580 voters abroad will cast their votes on May 17 and 18 at the country's 111 foreign missions, he added. 
LA PAZ, May 14 (Xinhua) -- At least four people were killed and six others were seriously injured on Tuesday when a minibus fell into a ravine in western Bolivia, police said.

The minibus was carrying about 14 people when the accident occurred on the La Paz-La Asunta highway, Miguel Hidalgo, commander of the La Paz Rural and Border Police, told reporters.

The minibus, operated by La Asunta Interprovincial Transport Union, was headed from La Paz to La Asunta, a city less than 200 kilometers away, he said.

All the four fatal victims were women, and the driver was among the injured.

According to Hidalgo, persistent rain and fog could have caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle. "An official report will be provided when the investigations are concluded," he said. 
WARSAW, May 14 (Xinhua) -- A tremor hitting the Myslowice-Wesola coal mine in southern Poland overnight left two miners dead and one still missing, authorities said on Tuesday.

The tremor occurred at 3:30 a.m. local time (GMT 0130), 870 meters underground. The Polish Press Agency (PAP) reported that 12 of 15 miners in the danger zone were rescued and 10 were taken to hospital.

Previous reports said three miners were missing, but two of them were already found dead.

Rajmund Horst, deputy chief of the mining company, told a press conference in the afternoon that the rescue work was still ongoing.

"We are very close to the place where the miner's lamp was located. However, there was another difficulty, i.e. water. So, it's hard to say how long the rescue will take," he added.

There have been three fatal accidents in coal mines in Poland so far in 2024, with one at the Myslowice-Wesola mine, according to the PAP. 
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds talks with Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof, Brunei's second minister of foreign affairs, in Beijing, capital of China, May 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof, Brunei's second minister of foreign affairs, in Beijing on Tuesday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China-Brunei relations have maintained a momentum of steady development under the guidance of the two heads of state, adding that the two countries are committed to building an example of equality and mutual benefit among countries of different sizes.

China is ready to work with Brunei to follow the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, expand areas of cooperation, set the long-term goal of building a China-Brunei community with a shared future, and push the bilateral strategic cooperative partnership to a new level, Wang said.

Noting that this year marks the 40th anniversary of Brunei's independence, Wang said that Brunei has adhered to a development path suited to its national conditions and played a unique and important role in regional affairs. China actively supports Brunei in promoting economic diversification, and stands ready to further tap the potential of cooperation in emerging areas and to create more cooperation highlights.

The two sides can deepen cooperation in education, cultural tourism, sports, sister cities and other fields to further facilitate personnel exchanges. China supports ASEAN centrality and strategic independence, and supports expanding and strengthening the ASEAN-led cooperation mechanism. China is ready to work with ASEAN countries to deepen political mutual trust, and jointly promote regional development and maintain regional stability, Wang said.

China is ready to work with ASEAN countries to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and strive for the early conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, Wang added.

Erywan said that China is Brunei's good friend, and bilateral cooperation enjoys a solid foundation and faces new opportunities. Brunei attaches great importance to relations with China and firmly abides by the one-China policy.

He added that Brunei looks forward to maintaining high-level exchanges with China and closer cooperation in fields such as economy, trade, agriculture, education, artificial intelligence and big data to push for greater development of bilateral relations.

He said Brunei firmly believes that China's development is an unstoppable historical process, has full confidence in the Chinese economy, and expects that China's development will drive the common development of countries in the region.

Erywan said Brunei is willing to work closely with China to safeguard regional peace and stability and promote common development and prosperity.

The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern. 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds talks with Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof, Brunei's second minister of foreign affairs, in Beijing, capital of China, May 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)
MOSCOW, May 15 (Xinhua) -- On the eve of his two-day state visit to China, which starts on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in a written interview with Xinhua that Russia and China are promoting the prosperity of both nations through expanded equal and mutually beneficial cooperation in economic and cultural fields.

In the interview, Putin emphasized that the coordination of foreign policies between the two countries is propelling the establishment of a fair multipolar world order, which underpins the future success of the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era.

Putin highlighted that contemporary Russia-China relations transcend ideology and are a strategic choice made independently by the two countries regardless of the political situation. This choice is grounded in the extensive common interests, deep mutual trust, strong public support, and the genuine friendship between the peoples of the two countries. Both nations are jointly committed to safeguarding sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security.

"In a broader sense, we are working to contribute to the development and prosperity of Russia and China by enhancing equal, mutually beneficial economic and humanitarian cooperation, and strengthen foreign policy coordination in the interests of building a just multipolar world order. All this is the key to a future success of our comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era," said Putin.

He noted that the partnership between Russia and China is always based on equality and mutual trust, mutual respect for sovereignty, and consideration of each other's interests. President Xi Jinping, a wise and visionary leader, plays a special and prominent role in the development of bilateral relations, he added.

"We first met back in March 2010, and we have been seeing and calling each other regularly ever since. President Xi maintains a respectful, friendly, open and at the same time business-like style of communication," Putin said, adding that each meeting was not only a dialogue between old friends but also a fruitful exchange of views on bilateral and international agendas.

Putin recalled that in 2013, President Xi chose Russia as the first destination of his state visit as China's head of state. After being re-elected as Chinese president in March last year, his first state visit was again to Russia. They spent nearly five hours together, holding one-on-one in-depth talks, followed by a day of substantive official events.

"This unprecedented level of strategic partnership between our countries determined my choice of China as the first state to be visited after the official inauguration as the president of the Russian Federation," Putin emphasized.

He pointed out that the deep and longstanding friendship and cooperation between the peoples of Russia and China has established one of the most important pillars of bilateral relations. Today, relations between Russia and China have reached their highest level in history, and despite a challenging international situation, the relationship continues to develop, he added.

Putin underscored that this year is special for both countries, noting that October marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, which is celebrating this significant historical moment with outstanding achievements.

As a long-standing and reliable friend, Russia welcomes China's accomplishments, he said, adding that for three-quarters of a century, the two countries have navigated a long and sometimes difficult path, drawing lessons from different stages of their relations.

Today, they recognize that complementary advantages are injecting strong momentum into the comprehensive and rapid development of bilateral ties, he said.

Referring to the practical cooperation in trade and economic fields, Putin noted that the rapid development of Russia-China trade relations has been demonstrating strong immunity to external challenges and crises.

In the past five years, trade between the two countries has doubled, he noted, saying that China has been Russia's largest trading partner for 13 consecutive years, and in 2023, Russia ranked the fourth among China's trading partners. More than 90 percent of transactions between the companies from the two countries are settled in their national currencies, Putin added.

Putin noted the two sides are systematically and consistently developing strategic cooperation in the energy sector, working on new large-scale energy projects.

Supplies of Russian agricultural produce to the Chinese market are showing positive dynamics, initiatives in investment and production are being implemented, and transportation and logistics corridors between the two countries are operating smoothly and growing, he said.

"I believe that Russian-Chinese economic ties have great prospects," Putin said.

"We will try to establish closer cooperation in industry and high-tech, outer space and peaceful atom, artificial intelligence, renewable energy and other innovative sectors. We will keep working to provide favourable legal and organizational conditions for that and develop transport and financial infrastructure," he said.

The years 2024 and 2025 are designated as the Years of Culture between Russia and China.

Putin said he believes Russia and China have been inextricably linked for centuries, both by an extensive common border and by close cultural and people-to-people ties.

Today, he said, there is high interest in Chinese culture and arts within Russian society.

Putin noted that approximately 90,000 Russian students at various educational levels are learning Chinese, and tours and exhibitions involving Chinese artists have been highly successful. The number of tourists between the two continues to surge, with over 730,000 Russian citizens visiting China last year, he added.

"I know that people in China are also keen to get acquainted with Russian literature, art and traditions. Our eminent theatre groups and musicians regularly perform in China, museums organize their exhibitions, and Russian films are run in cinemas. We are most willing to introduce our Chinese friends to historical, artistic and cultural heritage of multi-ethnic Russia in all its diversity," Putin said.

The Russian president also shared his personal appreciation for Chinese culture. "I am always eager to discover China's unique and authentic traditions, especially during my visits to China. I know quite a bit about your martial arts, including Wushu, which is very popular in our country. I also have respect for Chinese philosophy. My family members are also interested in China, and some of them are learning Chinese."

Putin highly values the collaboration between Russia and China on the international stage.

He noted that the two countries hold similar or identical positions on key issues in the international agenda. Both advocate for the primacy role of international law, and support equal, indivisible, comprehensive and sustainable security at both the global and regional level with the UN's central coordinating role, he said, adding Russia and China also reject Western attempts to impose an order based on lies and hypocrisy, on some mythical rules of no one knows whose making.

Currently, multilateral mechanisms such as the BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) are uniting countries of the "Global South" in a spirit of equality, openness, transparency and inclusiveness, pushing for reforms in the global governance system.

Putin noted that with active participation from Russia and China, multilateral organizations and mechanisms that are independent of the West are successfully operating, saying that in their work they build on the principles of equality, justice, transparency, respect and consideration of each other's interests.

"The Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS, which have well established themselves as key pillars of the emerging multipolar world order, can be cited as vivid examples of such mutually beneficial cooperation. They have come to be reputable and dynamic international platforms whose participants build constructive political, security, economic and cultural and people-to-people interaction. Hence the ever increasing interest of other states in the work of these associations and the growing number of their participants," Putin said.

With the expansion as a new starting point, the BRICS cooperation mechanism has entered a new era of "greater BRICS cooperation." Russia is the rotating chair of the BRICS this year.

Putin stated that Russia's BRICS Chairmanship has gained a steady momentum, saying that full-scale work is underway on all three main pillars of cooperation -- politics and security, the economy and finance, and people-to-people exchanges, with more than 200 events planned during its chairmanship.

"One of the main goals of the Russian Chairmanship is undoubtedly the seamless integration of the BRICS new members. We are actively assisting them in joining the existing network of cooperation mechanisms," he said.

Another priority is to seek to continue coordinated work to enhance the visibility of BRICS in global affairs and build its capacity to promote a more democratic, stable and fair architecture of international relations, he added.

"Cooperation within BRICS relies on the principles of mutual respect, equality, openness and consensus. That is why countries of the Global South and East, which see BRICS as a platform for their voices to be certainly heard and taken into account, find our association so attractive," Putin said.

Regarding China's efforts towards the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, Putin expressed positive views on China's position.

He said that China clearly understands the roots of the Ukraine crisis and its global geopolitical impact, as reflected in the "China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis," a 12-point proposition issued by China in February 2023. The concepts and suggestions indicated in the document demonstrate the sincere desire of China to stabilize the situation, he added.

Putin emphasized that the four principles for the peaceful resolution of the Ukraine crisis recently proposed by Xi seamlessly fit in the above-mentioned document.

"The steps build on the idea that we need to forego the 'Cold War mentality' and ensure indivisible security and respect for international law and the UN Charter in their entirety and interrelation," he said.

"We have never refused to negotiate," Putin said. "We are seeking a comprehensive, sustainable and just settlement of this conflict through peaceful means. We are open to a dialogue on Ukraine, but such negotiations must take into account the interests of all countries involved in the conflict, including ours."

Putin also outlined the goals and plans for national development during his new term.

He mentioned that the tasks proposed in the annual address to the Federal Assembly on Feb. 29, such as promoting regional development, boosting economic and social development, increasing the birth rate, supporting families with children, and eradicating poverty and inequality, are of great practical significance.

"We recognize the scale of these challenges and can provide solutions. To do this we will rely on the consolidated will of our people, the necessary resources and capabilities, and the rich experience of interaction between the state, businesses and the civil society," he said.

Putin pointed out that, calculated based on purchasing power parity, Russia has now been among the top five economies globally.

"We are aiming for the top four largest economies on the planet. We prioritize such tasks as ensuring quality and the effective development across all spheres, as well as increasing our citizens' well-being," he said.

"I am confident that we will implement all the strategic plans we have set. We are willing to work together with our partners worldwide, including China, our good neighbour and trusted friend," Putin said. 
BANGKOK, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese technology giant Huawei hosted the Cloud Database Summit Thailand 2024 here on Monday, aiming to enable the public and private sectors to access next-generation database technologies and accelerate digitalization in the Southeast Asian country.

The summit launched a pioneer program to promote innovation and application of artificial intelligence-native database technologies in the kingdom, with about 20 experts from 15 industries, including local customers and partners, sharing their insights and experiences through keynotes, panels, and a hands-on lab program.

The Thai government released a digital strategy last year with the goal of becoming a data-driven country. To achieve this, a prosperous database ecosystem rooted in local system integrators, software developers, and applications is essential for implementing the national digital blueprint, said David Li, CEO of Huawei Thailand.

The digitalization trend that has swept across all industries demands a robust local ecosystem. With experience investing in database technology for 20 years, the company's latest distributed database technology will offer Thailand a powerful solution to unlocking the full value of data, Li said in his opening speech.

Since entering the Southeast Asian market in 2019, Huawei's public cloud services have grown 20 times in the past four years, making it one of the fastest-growing mainstream cloud vendors in the region. The company has established digital transformation cooperation in multiple industries, such as government, finance, the internet, and retail, said Zeng Xingyun, president of Huawei Cloud Asia Pacific.

Southeast Asia is experiencing rapid digitalization, and data security is of paramount importance. Huawei Cloud places cybersecurity and privacy protection at the forefront, prioritizing these over its commercial interests, while compliance remains the company's top priority, Zeng told Xinhua at the summit.
Syrian refugees are seen at the Zamrani border point in the countryside of Damascus, Syria, May 14, 2024.

Dozens of Syrian families, previously displaced and residing in Lebanon, returned to Syria on Tuesday, reported the state news agency SANA.

Dozens of families crossed through the Zamrani and Jousiya border points in the countryside of Damascus and Homs respectively. The returnees underwent smooth and facilitated procedures upon their arrival, according to the report. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua)

DAMASCUS/BEIRUT, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of Syrian families, previously displaced and residing in Lebanon, returned to Syria on Tuesday, reported the state news agency SANA.

Dozens of families crossed through the Zamrani and Jousiya border points in the countryside of Damascus and Homs respectively. The returnees underwent smooth and facilitated procedures upon their arrival, according to the report.

Personal data was recorded, alongside their permanent addresses in their respective villages and towns, by a dedicated committee tasked with overseeing their reintegration and providing essential assistance, said SANA.

The report said health teams, poised with mobile clinics and ambulances, stood ready to offer necessary medical services, including health evaluations, nutritional support, and vaccinations for children.

More displaced families will be returning from Lebanon in the coming days, utilizing various border crossings in Rural Damascus and Homs provinces, said SANA.

According to Lebanese General Security sources, voluntary departure trips for displaced Syrians from Lebanon to their country resumed on Tuesday after a halt that lasted about two years.

The sources told Xinhua that two trips included over 200 displaced people from the town of Arsal in eastern Lebanon towards Syrian territory, in coordination with Lebanese General Security and the relevant authorities on the Syrian side.

For its part, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 310 Syrian refugees returned to Syria after they "suffered from physical abuse and their official documentation torn in Lebanon."

It has no comment on the report from the Lebanese side yet.

It's worth noting that many Syrian refugees in Lebanon have crossed into Lebanon illegally and don't have official documentation or registration as refugees. 

Syrian refugees are seen upon arriving at the Zamrani border point in the countryside of Damascus, Syria, May 14, 2024.

Dozens of Syrian families, previously displaced and residing in Lebanon, returned to Syria on Tuesday, reported the state news agency SANA.

Dozens of families crossed through the Zamrani and Jousiya border points in the countryside of Damascus and Homs respectively. The returnees underwent smooth and facilitated procedures upon their arrival, according to the report. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua)

Syrian refugees are seen at the Zamrani border point in the countryside of Damascus, Syria, May 14, 2024.

Dozens of Syrian families, previously displaced and residing in Lebanon, returned to Syria on Tuesday, reported the state news agency SANA.

Dozens of families crossed through the Zamrani and Jousiya border points in the countryside of Damascus and Homs respectively. The returnees underwent smooth and facilitated procedures upon their arrival, according to the report. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua)

Syrian refugees are seen upon arriving at the Zamrani border point in the countryside of Damascus, Syria, May 14, 2024.

Dozens of Syrian families, previously displaced and residing in Lebanon, returned to Syria on Tuesday, reported the state news agency SANA.

Dozens of families crossed through the Zamrani and Jousiya border points in the countryside of Damascus and Homs respectively. The returnees underwent smooth and facilitated procedures upon their arrival, according to the report. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua)

Displaced Syrians prepare for their departure from Lebanon to their home in Syria, in Baalbek, Lebanon, on May 14, 2024. Dozens of Syrian families, previously displaced and residing in Lebanon, returned to Syria on Tuesday, reported the state news agency SANA.

Dozens of families crossed through the Zamrani and Jousiya border points in the countryside of Damascus and Homs respectively. The returnees underwent smooth and facilitated procedures upon their arrival, according to the report. (Photo by Taher Abu Hamdan/Xinhua)

Displaced Syrians prepare for their departure from Lebanon to their home in Syria, in Baalbek, Lebanon, on May 14, 2024. Dozens of Syrian families, previously displaced and residing in Lebanon, returned to Syria on Tuesday, reported the state news agency SANA.

Dozens of families crossed through the Zamrani and Jousiya border points in the countryside of Damascus and Homs respectively. The returnees underwent smooth and facilitated procedures upon their arrival, according to the report. (Photo by Taher Abu Hamdan/Xinhua)

Displaced Syrians prepare for their departure from Lebanon to their home in Syria, in Baalbek, Lebanon, on May 14, 2024. Dozens of Syrian families, previously displaced and residing in Lebanon, returned to Syria on Tuesday, reported the state news agency SANA.

Dozens of families crossed through the Zamrani and Jousiya border points in the countryside of Damascus and Homs respectively. The returnees underwent smooth and facilitated procedures upon their arrival, according to the report. (Photo by Taher Abu Hamdan/Xinhua)
ADDIS ABABA, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese investment is an essential driver of Ethiopia's textile and apparel industry, an official said Tuesday.

Chinese investors are "the backbone of Ethiopia's textile industry development," said Aklilu Tadesse, CEO of the Ethiopian Industrial Parks Development Corporation (IPDC) during discussions between officials from IPDC and the Ethiopian Investment Commission with potential Chinese investors interested in investing in Ethiopia's textile and garment industry.

Highlighting the sector's significant contribution to the Ethiopian economy, Tadesse said that investments in textiles are a major catalyst for the country's development and overall economic growth. He noted that the sector has created permanent and temporary job opportunities for hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians.

Tadesse urged Chinese investors to consider investing in Ethiopia's textile industry, pledging the Ethiopian government's full commitment and support to their success in Africa's second-most populous nation. He said that the Ethiopian government has prepared "significant incentives related to export and tax relief" and that the IPDC is prepared to strengthen its investment ties with China in the textile and other sectors.

Encouraging Chinese investors to explore investment opportunities within industrial parks across Ethiopia, Tadesse said China plays a vital role in constructing and operating industrial parks in the East African country, supporting the country's economic restructuring toward industrialization. 
JUBA, May 14 (Xinhua) -- A South Sudanese expert said on Tuesday that the ongoing high-level mediation talks for South Sudan, taking place in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, will add impetus to the upcoming electoral process in the country.

Abraham Kuol Nyuon, dean of the School for Social and Economic Studies at the University of Juba, said the talks launched on May 3 by Kenyan President William Ruto will not only galvanize the country for the upcoming general election but also lay the foundation for durable peace in the country by bringing on board all the remaining dissenting opposition groups.

"I think the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity has seen it possible to bring everybody on board before they could be able to talk about elections," Kuol told Xinhua in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

South Sudan is due to hold elections in December, as the transitional period that was extended in August 2022 will end in February 2025. Kuol said the Nairobi peace agreement would be annexed to the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan, which was mediated by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development to end years of conflict since December 2013.

"The current peace talks in Nairobi will have two aspects, one is that if they sign an agreement, it will be annexed to the 2018 agreement, and it will demonstrate that South Sudan is now completely out of war through imagination because everybody has been brought on board," he said, noting that the final agreement will go a long way toward accommodating the interests of all political actors.

The Nairobi peace talks, dubbed "Tumaini," meaning hope in Swahili, are attended by the transitional unity government and hold-out opposition groups like the Sudan People's Liberation Movement led by Pagan Amum and the South Sudan United Front under Paul Malong Awan, the former chief of staff of the South Sudan People's Defense Force (SSPDF).

However, the National Salvation Front led by Thomas Cirilo Swaka, the former deputy chief of logistics in the SSPDF, has boycotted the talks, citing insecurity in Nairobi and also because they were not consulted.

The peace talks between the government and hold-out opposition parties under the South Sudan Opposition Movement Alliance were initially mediated in Rome, Italy.

The peace negotiations, which began in November 2019, resulted in the signing of the cessation of hostilities and the declaration of principles but did not progress far in realizing the settlement of the grievances of the opposition groups. 
UNITED NATIONS, May 14 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is appalled by the escalation of military activity in and around Rafah in Gaza by the Israeli military, said his spokesman on Tuesday.

"These developments are further impeding humanitarian access and worsening an already dire situation. At the same time, Hamas goes on firing rockets indiscriminately," said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, in a statement.

Civilians must be respected and protected at all times -- in Rafah and elsewhere in Gaza. For people in Gaza, nowhere is safe now, said the statement.

Guterres reiterates his urgent appeal for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire and for the release of all hostages. The secretary-general calls for the Rafah crossing to be re-opened immediately for humanitarian access throughout Gaza, said the statement. 
JERUSALEM, May 14 (Xinhua) -- An Israeli civilian was killed and five soldiers were wounded in an anti-tank guided missile attack launched by the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah on Tuesday, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and media.

Throughout Tuesday, several anti-tank missile launches were identified from Lebanon toward the area of Adamit in western Galilee, northern Israel, and an IDF soldier was moderately wounded and four other soldiers were lightly injured, said a statement released by the IDF Tuesday evening.

Israeli media later reported that an Israeli civilian was killed as a result of an anti-tank missile hitting Adamit.

The injured soldiers were evacuated to a hospital to receive medical treatment, the IDF statement noted, adding that Israeli fighter jets struck a Hezbollah military structure in the area of Ayta ash Shab and Kfarkela in southern Lebanon.

Tensions along the Lebanese-Israeli border have escalated since Oct. 8, 2023, when Hezbollah, in solidarity with Hamas, launched a barrage of rockets toward Israel. Israel then retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon. 
AMMAN, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Jordan on Tuesday dispatched a plane from the Royal Jordanian Air Force to transport an injured Jordanian from Rafah to the kingdom for treatment, the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Yara Dababneh, a staffer at the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS) in Gaza, was injured in an Israeli attack on a UN vehicle in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on Monday, according to a statement by the ministry.

The ministry said it has been coordinating with the DSS regarding the condition of the Jordanian citizen to ensure her transfer to Jordan's Al Hussein Medical City.

On Monday, Jordan condemned the attack on a UN vehicle in Rafah that resulted in the death of one staff member and the injury of another, due to Israel's expansion of its military operations in Rafah.

The Israeli military said an initial inquiry found "that the vehicle was hit in an area declared an active combat zone" and that its forces "had not been made aware of the route of the vehicle." It said the incident was still under review. 
DAR ES SALAAM, May 14 (Xinhua) -- At least seven people were killed and six others wounded on Tuesday morning after a mini-bus collided head-on with a truck at Dakawa in the Morogoro region of eastern Tanzania, according to police.

Alex Mkama, the Morogoro regional police commander, said that the two vehicles collided along the Morogoro-Dodoma highway at 8:30 a.m. local time, with all the deceased being passengers in the mini-bus.

Mkama said that the truck, which veered from its lane and collided with the minibus, was traveling to Dodoma from Morogoro, while the minibus was heading to Morogoro municipality from Dumila town.

He added that the truck driver fled the scene after the collision, and police were currently searching for him.

Francis Paul, the Mvomero district medical officer, said that two of the six injured individuals were in critical condition. 
MOGADISHU, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Some 80 African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and Somalia security officers on Tuesday began a three-day training focused on detecting and neutralizing improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The United Nations Action Service (UNMAS) is organizing training to increase the security forces of Somalia's capacity to effectively counter threats posed by IEDs on population centers and major supply routes (MSR), designated routes within an area of operations upon which the majority of traffic flows in support of military operations and humanitarian operations.

"The participants will discuss the Somalia IED threat's assessment and ongoing counter-improvised explosive devices (C-IEDs) operations," ATMIS said in a statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

During the meeting, UNMAS chief, Justin Smith reiterated the commitment by ATMIS and the Somali government to tackle the IED menace on Somalia's security and stability.

UNMAS is a key partner to ATMIS and has over the years worked consistently to strengthen the capacity of both ATMIS and Somali security forces to effectively identify and disarm IEDs.

These efforts have been crucial in mitigating the impact of IEDs laid by al-Shabab militants, which have historically led to substantial civilian casualties and severe disruptions to the movement of people and goods. 
LUSAKA, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Zambia requires about 34.7 billion U.S. dollars for the implementation of its climate change adaptation plan, a government official said on Tuesday.

Minister of Green Economy and Environment Collins Nzovu said the government has finalized the preparation of the national adaptation plan which provides a roadmap for building the country's climate resilience in all sectors in 2023 but that implementation requires financing.

He said the government recently launched the green growth strategy which will foster sustainable economic growth and development to ensure that natural assets continue to provide the resources and environmental services.

"While we will continue to engage our cooperating partners for support in addressing climate change as part of our multilateral process, it is critical that the private sector, including financial institutions take up their rightful place," he said during a climate finance symposium organized by the Zambia National Commercial Bank Plc (ZANACO).

The symposium has brought together developers, sponsors, investors, regulators, government agencies and experts in climate action to identify Zambia's bottlenecks in securing climate finance and explore ideas on how to accelerate the financing of the country's mitigation and adaptation efforts.

The minister said the devastating effects of climate change in Africa were increasing, while the loss and damage caused by the climate crisis threatened the continent's economic growth, with Africa's adaptation costs expected to soar by 2030.

This calls for concerted efforts in addressing the costs and financing gaps to secure finance for the green transition, he said, adding that Zambia, like many other African nations, was in dire need of climate financing.

He said securing the much-needed finance would go a long way in reversing the impact that has taken a toll.

Mukwandi Chibesakunda, the ZANACO chief executive officer, said the negative impact of climate change not only in Zambia but also in other parts of Africa was significant enough for stakeholders to take bold steps in addressing climate change.

She said the bank was committed to being socially inclusive, environmentally accountable and aspiring to help its clients with their sustainability transition. 
Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo (C) attends the opening of the 3i Africa Summit in Accra, Ghana, on May 13, 2024. Akufo-Addo on Monday urged African countries to develop financial technology (fintech) and the digital economy to accelerate the pace of transformation while opening the 3i Africa Summit in Accra. (Photo by Seth/Xinhua)

ACCRA, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Monday urged African countries to develop financial technology (fintech) and the digital economy to accelerate the pace of transformation while opening the 3i Africa Summit in the Ghanaian capital of Accra.

The three-day summit, themed "Unleashing Africa's Fintech and Digital Economic Potential," aims to generate greater momentum and traction for Africa's digital finance agenda by creating a platform for meetings between finance, policy, and technology.

Opening the summit, Akufo-Addo urged African countries to make digital infrastructure the backbone of prosperity for their people, embrace the technologies that are reshaping the global economy, and tailor them to the continent's needs and challenges.

Akufo-Addo said a strong fintech and digital innovation landscape would help Africans fully benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

He added that since the AfCFTA has the potential to disrupt the continent's economic landscape and bring about transformation, African countries must embrace digitization and fintech to drive that transformation.

Through public-private partnerships and cross-border cooperation, a seamless and efficient fintech ecosystem can be created to align with the objective of a fully integrated African economy, said the Ghanaian president. "By working together, we can unlock the vast potential of our countries and create a rising tide that lifts all boats from the smallest to the largest metropolis. This is possible when we embrace digital transformation."

Wamkele Mene, secretary-general of the AfCFTA Secretariat, said in his speech that digital inclusion is crucial for leveraging the vast market potential represented by Africa's 1.4 billion population.

"But if we fail to deploy these digital technologies that all of us are going to be discussing today and tomorrow, it will be difficult for us to achieve our objectives," Mene added. 
The Tianchi scenic spot, a popular tourist destination in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, is now using intelligent power protection technology to enhance grid reliability and efficiency.

Mobile sensing terminals developed by Xinjiang Changji Power Supply Co provide real-time monitoring of critical power nodes, replacing manual inspections and instantly reporting faults during outages. They have enabled faster and more precise fault identification and repair.

The terminals address growing demand for seasonal and temporary power protection, especially in tourism areas. Traditional methods requiring manual inspections are resource-intensive and less efficient.

The initiative aligns with a national push for the development of a smart and digitalized power grid. The goal is to transform the power distribution network by 2030, with increased investment in research and development of digital solutions.

"The electric power sector should leverage digital technologies to achieve intelligent management and optimize complex power supply networks," said Liu Yanhua, honorary director of the national committee of experts on climate change.

Tianchi plans to further develop its digital power protection platform, ensuring a more secure and stable electricity supply for visitors and the tourism industry.
ABUJA, May 14 (Xinhua) -- At least nine people were killed earlier this week when a group of armed men attacked a community in central Nigeria, a local official said Tuesday.

The armed men wreaked havoc when they encircled the Aliko community in the Agatu local government area of Benue, in the country's central region, macheting residents, including a heavily pregnant woman, in the Sunday afternoon attack, Yakubu Ochepo, head of the local government area, told reporters.

More than 500 people were displaced and many others were wounded, Ochepo said, noting that "only seven corpses have been recovered so far by a local team of rescuers."

He lamented the attacks by armed groups in the Agatu area of the state since the beginning of the year, calling on the federal government to stem the tide of these attacks.

Armed attacks have been a primary security threat in several regions of Nigeria, leading to deaths and kidnappings in recent months. 
HANOI, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Around 90 percent of condotel projects in Vietnam recorded no sales in the first quarter of 2024, Vietnam News Agency reported Tuesday, citing the property consultancy DKRA Group.

The country's condotel market sales hit the lowest level in six years while the demand plunged to a five-year low.

Out of the 4,800 condotel units available for sale nationwide, only 64 units were sold during the cited period, representing just 1.3 percent of the total, said the report.

One of the main reasons for the situation was the high prices of condotels, which remain around 150 million Vietnamese dong (about 6,000 U.S. dollars) per square meter.

The report cited experts as saying that developers are hesitant to lower prices due to the heavy investment in high-end projects targeting affluent customers.

According to the Vietnam Real Estate Association, the country has over 240 tourism property projects with more than 114,000 condotels valued at 297 trillion dong (11.8 billion dollars). 
SYDNEY, May 14 (Xinhua) -- The French overseas territory of New Caledonia has announced a curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time following overnight riots over proposed constitutional reform, Australian media reported on Tuesday.

Protests and violence broke out ahead of a vote in the French National Assembly on changes to the New Caledonian constitution, according to the Australian ABC News broadcaster.

New Caledonia's main airport, La Tontouta International Airport, has been closed, the ABC News report said.

The French High Commission in New Caledonia said in a statement overnight on Monday that there had been further significant and ongoing disturbances in the capital, Noumea and surrounding townships.

The rioters damaged shops, pharmacies, car dealerships and video surveillance cameras, Australia's 9News network quoted the statement as reporting.

Many injuries have been reported among the police, though no serious injuries among the general public, with an initial total of 36 arrests, according to the statement.

Under the Noumea Accord signed in 1998, the French overseas territory was granted the right to three referendums on its future political status.

All of the three referendums, held in 2018, 2020 and 2021, rejected independence.

The pro-independence Indigenous Kanaks rejected the result of the last referendum, held in December 2021, which they had boycotted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ABC News reported.

The latest voting reform, which triggered Monday's violence, proposes the residency requirement to qualify for New Caledonian citizenship to be reduced to 10 years.

The reform means about 14.5 percent more voters would be added to electoral role and separatists fear that expanding voter lists would benefit pro-France politicians, according to the ABC News. 
JAKARTA, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's National Police have raided an illicit drug processing lab in a villa on the country's resort island of Bali, arresting three foreign nationals and an Indonesian national.

At a press conference on Monday in Badung region in Bali province, Wahyu Widada, the National Police's head of criminal investigation agency, told reporters that the three foreign nationals were involved in controlling a clandestine lab in a villa in Badung region.

The raid was made early this month, said Widada, adding that police were still searching for two other foreign suspects.

Officers have seized evidence from these suspects, including more than 15 kg marijuana and more than 600 grams of mephedrone (MD) narcotic drug.

The suspects allegedly violated the Narcotics Law and would face a maximum punishment of death penalty and a maximum fine of 10 billion Indonesian rupiahs (about 620,000 U.S. dollars). 
ISLAMABAD, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Four people got injured when militants attacked a camp of coal mine laborers in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province on Tuesday, police said.

The incident happened in Dukki district of the province, in which the armed militants opened fire at the camp, triggering an exchange of fire with civil security staff deployed to protect the camp, the police sources told Xinhua.

"The attackers fled the scene due to prompt action taken by the staff, and a search operation by police is underway in the area to apprehend them," the sources added.

The injured people had been shifted to a nearby hospital.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

The sources blamed the attack on the banned outfit Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), saying that it was the continuation of their insurgency against the laborers.

"The organization recently carried out two improvised explosive device blasts in the area and also abducted miners, showing their presence in the area," the sources added. 
KATHMANDU, May 13 (Xinhua) -- A splinter party joined the coalition government of Nepal on Monday evening, hours after Janata Samajbabi Party Nepal (JSPN) quit the coalition.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal introduced to his cabinet two ministers from the Janata Samajbadi Party, which split from the JSPN a week ago with seven lawmakers.

According to a statement from the President's Office, Pradip Yadav and Hasina Khan had taken office as minister of health and population and state minister of health and population, respectively, posts vacated by the JSPN earlier in the day.

Dahal took office as the head of a coalition government in December 2022 after no single party won a majority of seats in the lower house in the general election held in November of that year, and he has had different coalition partners ever since. 
VIENTIANE, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Southeast Asia Regional Forum on Ensuring Equal Access to Quality Early Childhood Care and Education opened in Lao capital Vientiane on Tuesday, discussing ways to improve the quality of early childhood education.

"This meeting is a platform that will help participants learn from each other's lessons on early childhood care and education for the better development of our children, as well as to achieve the country's socio-economic development plan in 2030," Lao National Radio on Tuesday quoted Director General of the Department of Early Childhood Education under the Lao Ministry of Education and Sports, Siphaphone Manivanh, as saying.

During the meeting, participants discussed topics such as enhancing the transition from preschool to primary school, financing for early childhood care and education, early childhood education and care, among others. 
NEW DELHI, May 14 (Xinhua) -- At least 14 people died and nearly 75 were injured when a huge advertisement billboard fell on them amid a heavy storm accompanied by rains in India's southwestern state of Maharashtra late Monday night, confirmed a civic agency official over phone.

The incident happened in the Ghatkopar area of the country's financial capital of Mumbai.

Videos on social media showed the huge billboard fell, trapping many cars and other vehicles under it. The billboard was installed next to a fuel station. The victims were taking shelter at the fuel station amid storm and rains when the mishap occurred.

Local police and the fire department workers rescued the people from underneath the billboard. They were later rushed to a local hospital.

According to latest reports, the Mumbai Police registered a criminal case against the owner of the billboard which was installed illegally. 
by Nurul Fitri Ramadhani

JAKARTA, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia is currently pushing for the use of electric motorbikes, wooing foreign investors to build production plants.

Chairman of the country's Electric Motorbike Association, Budi Setyadi, has said that Indonesia is a very attractive market for investors in electric motorbike companies, given its large population and the increasing purchase of electric motorbikes. Thus, it has the potential to become one of the centers of the world's electric motorcycle industry.

"We see this potential as a positive thing. Now investment continues to flow into Indonesia. This will help the government achieve the net zero emission target in 2060," Setyadi said.

A number of foreign investors in electric motorbikes are currently coming to Indonesia, bringing some fresh air for the development of the electric vehicle (EV) industry in the Southeast Asian country.

Most recently, the China-based electric two-wheelers manufacturer Yadea inaugurated the groundbreaking for its Indonesian factory on Monday through local company PT Yadea Teknologi Indonesia. The site is located in a 27-hectare of land in Suryacipta City of Industry, Karawang, West Java province.

The factory, scheduled to begin operations in 2026, will be Yadea's eighth plant worldwide and is said to be its largest plant in Southeast Asia. With a total estimated investment of up to 150 million U.S. dollars from 2024 to 2028, the factory is projected to have an annual production capacity of 3 million units of electric motorbikes.

Setyadi said besides Yadea, two other Chinese electric motorbike producers would also invest in Indonesia this month, one of which is AIMA.

"In the future, we see that Indonesia will be better for the electric motorbike market," he said.

Before Yadea, China-based PT Sunra Asia Pacific Hi-Tech had just laid the first stone at the groundbreaking ceremony of an electric motorcycle factory in Kendal Industrial Estate, Central Java province, on May 3. The factory is set to start operation in 2025 with an annual production capacity of one million units.

Numerous brands of electric motorbikes made in Japan and South Korea have also been sold in Indonesia. According to local news agencies, both countries were reportedly planning investments to build factories in Indonesia.

Director General of Regional Resilience and International Industrial Access of the country's Ministry of Industry, Eko S.A. Cahyanto, hoped that more global electric motorbike manufacturers would invest in Indonesia, promising that the government would provide convenience to the investors.

"The establishment of factories in Indonesia would bring a new era for Indonesia's industrial development. This will create more job opportunities for local people, encourage the development of related industry chains, and support Indonesia in achieving its goal towards sustainable transportation," Cahyanto said on Monday.

The sales of electric motorcycles start to show a positive trend in Indonesia due to subsidies from the government. According to the Ministry of Industry, as of May 13, more than 15,000 units of electric motorbikes have been distributed to the public, or increased more than 100 percent compared to the previous year, while the yearly target of motorcycles to be sold throughout 2024 is 50,000 units.

Meanwhile, the ministry's Director General of Metal, Machinery, Transport Equipment and Electronics Industry, Taufiek Bawazir, said that the public interest in buying electric motorbikes had been increasing, which became a new strength for the country to speed up its migration to the EV ecosystem. 
HANOI, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's seafood exports hit 2.7 billion U.S. dollars in the first four months of 2024, surging by 6 percent year on year, Vietnam News Agency reported Tuesday, citing the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers.

In April alone, the country's seafood export revenue reached 770 million dollars, up 4 percent year on year.

Exports of tuna, tra fish, crab, and shellfish of all types in April all recorded positive growth over the same period last year, said the report.

Shrimp export revenue in April reached 285 million dollars, recording the highest value since the beginning of this year.

Seafood exports to Japan and South Korea witnessed slight increases, and exports to China decreased by over 22 percent.

Vietnam is aimed at exporting 9.5 billion to 10 billion dollars of seafood this year, said the association. 
The highly anticipated "2024 Favorite Chinese Brands among Foreigners" was unveiled in Shanghai on May 10th. Anhui brands such as ChaCha Food, Chery, as well as BYD, Mengniu, Haier, and other brands that have made significant investments in Anhui, were among the 50 selected brands.

The selection of this year's 50 favorite Chinese brands among foreigners was based on four dimensions: online voting, export volume, global brand visibility, and expert evaluation. The selected brands cover a wide range of well-known companies in eight categories, including digital 3C, Internet services, food and beverages, beauty and personal care, and automobile manufacturing.

Among the revealed list of Chinese brands, ChaCha Food, a leading company in China's nut industry, was selected. It is reported that ChaCha, as one of the earliest Chinese brands to go international, has steadily promoted its brand internationalization process over the past decade and has gained favor among global consumers. Additionally, Chery Automobile also made it onto the list. In the first quarter of this year, Chery exported 253,000 vehicles, a year-on-year growth of 40.9%, maintaining a strong growth momentum.





Source: Anhui Daily
BRUSSELS, May 14 (Xinhua) -- The Council of the European Union (EU) announced on Tuesday its decision to broaden the scope of the EU's sanctions against Iran, citing reasons such as the country's support for Russia.

Following Iran's continued military backing of Russia in the Ukraine conflict and support for non-state armed groups in the Middle East and the Red Sea region, as well as recent drone and missile attacks on Israel on April 13, the EU broadened restrictive measures on Iran to encompass missiles, according to a council statement.

Established in July 2023, the EU's framework for restrictive measures on Iran currently prohibits the export of components essential for the construction and production of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from the EU to Iran. In addition, it imposes travel restrictions to the EU and asset freeze measures on individuals involved in Iran's UAV program.

The export of components used in developing and producing UAVs from the EU to Iran, and the provision of funds or economic resources, directly or indirectly, to or for the benefit of natural or legal persons, entities, or bodies listed are also prohibited.

On April 22, EU foreign ministers agreed in principle to expand sanctions on Iran. Responding via social media on April 23, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said: "It is regrettable to see the EU deciding quickly to apply more unlawful restrictions against Iran just because Iran exercised its right to self-defence in the face of Israel's reckless aggression." 
ANKARA, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Police rounded up 544 suspects across Turkiye over their alleged links to a network accused of orchestrating a coup attempt in 2016, the country's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Tuesday.

Turkish police carried out simultaneous raids across 62 provinces in an operation named "Kiskac (Pinch)-15," Yerlikaya said in a post on social media platform X, without specifying the timing of the operation.

The raids targeted individuals suspected of being recruited by the network at different levels of the state apparatus, he said.

The suspects were allegedly instructed by the network to participate in state institution entrance exams, said Yerlikaya.

The Turkish government has accused the Gulen movement, led by U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, of infiltrating state institutions and masterminding the coup attempt on July 15, 2016, which claimed the lives of at least 250 people.

After the coup attempt, the Turkish government has launched a massive crackdown on individuals suspected of having ties to the network. 
ISTANBUL, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Turkish authorities have arrested 29 suspects in a crackdown on organized crimes in Istanbul, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported on Tuesday.

The arrests came as part of a wider operation dubbed "Cellar 42," which targeted two rival criminal gangs allegedly involved in 13 incidents in the Turkish metropolis of 16 million people, according to the agency.

Police detained 33 suspects in Istanbul and the western province of Izmir on May 11, with another six apprehended subsequently, the Istanbul Governor's Office said.

A total of 29 suspects were formally arrested following court proceedings that ended on Tuesday, while 10 others were released under judicial supervision, Anadolu reported.

The operation is part of ongoing efforts by authorities in Istanbul to combat organized crimes. Governor Davut Gul said earlier this month that 24 criminal syndicates had been dismantled in the city in the first four months of 2024.

A total of 884 suspects were detained in 86 operations during the period, with 488 individuals formally arrested, according to Gul. 
FRANKFURT, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Frankfurt Airport on Tuesday reported a double-digit increase in revenue during the first quarter this year, driven by the recovery of air traffic.

Fraport Group, the operator of Frankfurt Airport and other airports around the world, registered a robust growth in the first quarter this year, with retail revenues surging 16.3 percent year on year.

The main driver of this positive trend was continued passenger growth, Fraport said in a statement, adding that the number of passengers grew by 10.4 percent.

The earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization hiked by 34.3 percent to 212.6 million euros (230.12 million U.S. dollars) for Fraport Group in the first quarter.

Many of the airports run by Fraport Group outside Germany have seen growth exceeding pre-crisis levels, which contributed to the growth of the group on the whole, said Fraport Group CEO Stefan Schulte.

Fraport said it expects passenger numbers for Frankfurt Airport to reach around 61 million to 65 million travelers in 2024. 
PARIS, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Two police officers were killed and three others wounded on Tuesday when a prison van transporting an inmate in the Eure region of northern France was attacked, BFM TV reported.

It said several armed people attacked the van at a road toll in Incarville. The inmate who was being transported escaped with them, according to the reports. 
WARSAW, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday that "Poland will not accept any migrants" under the newly adopted European Union's (EU) pact on migration and asylum.

Tusk told a press conference after a meeting of the Council of Ministers that his government voted against the pact. He said the pact "adopted in this form, as today, gives Poland the opportunity to avoid any negative consequences. Poland will become a beneficiary of the pact."

He stressed that Poland, which has taken in hundreds of thousands of migrants, will not be obliged to accept further migrants, and the EU will not impose any migrant quotas on Poland.

The prime minister also said that his country will effectively enforce financial support from the EU in relation to hosting migrants from the bloc's eastern neighbors.

Ten legislative acts which reform the European framework for asylum and migration management were adopted by member states on Tuesday. The new pact seeks tougher borders and shared responsibility for asylum seekers among the EU members. 
MOSCOW, May 14 (Xinhua) -- The recent U.S. ban on uranium imports from Russia is not expected to seriously impact the Russian nuclear industry, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.

U.S. President Joe Biden signed into law Monday a bill prohibiting U.S. imports of unirradiated low-enriched uranium from Russia. U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that the legislation is aimed at "reducing, and ultimately eliminating, our reliance on Russia for civilian nuclear power."

Peskov said that the United States is finding it difficult to compete with Russia in the international arena and is consequently resorting to measures that distort all norms and principles of international trade.

"Our nuclear industry is one of the most advanced in the world. It is highly competitive. We will continue to develop this sector," he added. 
MEXICO CITY, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Monday that the flow of migrants to the United States has been reduced by 50 percent in recent months, and again called on Washington to help fund development programs designed to curb immigration.

At his daily press conference, Lopez Obrador said recent figures show a drop in migrant flows following the immigration "crisis" in December that saw tens of thousands of migrants crossing Mexico to reach the U.S. border.

"We had a crisis on the northern border in December of 12,000 migrants a day, and we made a joint effort and reduced the average (number) to 6,000," he told reporters at the National Palace in Mexico City.

His administration "continues to press" for the development aid needed from the United States to deal with mass immigration at the roots by investing in Central American countries to create jobs and improve living conditions, the president said.

"That's what we are working on, that was our original proposal, addressing the causes," he added.

The Mexican president has repeatedly urged his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, to allocate resources to mitigating immigration through development. 
LOS ANGELES, May 14 (Xinhua) -- NASA and Boeing are now targeting no earlier than Tuesday, May 21, for launch of the first crewed mission of the Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS), the agency said on Tuesday.

The spacecraft was previously scheduled to launch on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket on May 6 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in the U.S. state of Florida.

The launch attempt was scrubbed due to technical issues.

On May 11, the ULA team successfully replaced a pressure regulation valve on the liquid oxygen tank on the Atlas V rocket's Centaur upper stage. The team also performed re-pressurization and system purges, and tested the new valve, which performed normally, according to NASA.

Starliner teams are working to resolve a small helium leak detected in the spacecraft's service module traced to a flange on a single reaction control system thruster. Helium is used in spacecraft thruster systems to allow the thrusters to fire and is not combustible or toxic.

NASA and Boeing are developing spacecraft testing and operational solutions to address the issue.

The flight test will carry NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to ISS. The duo are the first to launch aboard Boeing's Starliner to the space station as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program.

The astronauts will spend about a week at the orbiting laboratory before returning to Earth and making a parachute and airbag-assisted landing in the southwestern United States, according to NASA.

After successful completion of the mission, NASA will begin the final process of certifying Starliner and its systems for crewed rotation missions to the space station. 
Imagine an enormous telescope, built on pastureland in north China, that can forecast space weather by monitoring celestial radio waves. Now, watch this video as China has built one, and it's just passed technical testing!
Description

Jeffrey Herf and Benny Morris will discuss the international political context in which the state of Israel was established, which contrasts sharply with that of today. In the United States, in the years immediately following World War II and the Holocaust, support for the Zionist project extended across most of the political spectrum but was most emphatic among liberals and leftists. In France, the same spectrum of support extended from Gaulists to liberals, socialists, and communists. In the crucial years of 1947 - 1949, the Soviet Union and Soviet bloc offered crucial diplomatic and military support to the Zionists in Palestine and then to the new state of Israel.

This program will be on Zoom. Registration is required. For more information, please contact Great Neck Library at (516) 466-8055 or email adultprogramming@greatnecklibrary.org.
In this article, we are going to discuss the 15 best whiskeys for beginners in 2024. You can skip our detailed analysis of the global whiskey market, the record year for American spirits, and a recent sustainability initiative in the American whiskey industry, and go directly to the 5 Best Whiskeys for Beginners in 2024.

Whether it's the sharp burn of single malt or the smooth, woody aroma of a blended Scotch, the scent of whisky is enough to invigorate even the weariest of souls. Part of the popularity of the beloved golden tipple comes from the sheer amount of tradition that it has behind it. Making whisky is an age-old craft and one that goes back many centuries. Its origin began over a millennium ago, when distillation migrated from mainland Europe into Ireland and Scotland via traveling monks. The Scottish and Irish monasteries, lacking the vineyards and grapes of the continent, turned to fermenting grain mash, resulting in the first distillation of modern whisky.

Global Whiskey Market:

Whiskey is one of the Most Consumed Alcohols in the World, with the global whiskey market valued at $64 billion in 2022 and expected to reach $91.3 billion by 2028, with a CAGR of 6% during the forecast period.

The consumption of alcohol is shifting away from beer and wine and millennials are more likely to experiment with other alcoholic beverages, resulting in the growth of a cocktail culture. As a result of this tendency, the use of whiskey as a premium ingredient has increased. Product innovations, such as flavored whiskeys, and organic and sustainable options are also some of the major factors propelling the market.

2022 was also a great year for Scotch whisky, and exports of Scotlands native spirit hit $7.5 billion that year, making Scotland the Largest Exporter of Whisky in the World. Exports by volume rose substantially as well, with the number of 700 ml bottles shipped overseas up by 21%, to 1.67 billion.

Similarly, as we mentioned in our article  20 Countries that Import the Most Whiskey  Bourbon is a $9 billion signature industry in Kentucky that generates more than 22,500 jobs. And if were looking at production and consumption, the state receives more than $286 million in tax revenue each year from its iconic whiskey.

The positive economic impact of the beloved golden liquor is something we seldom consider when having a drink, but, given the facts, maybe its time we all raised a glass to it.

Record Year for American Spirits:

The U.S. spirits exports reached a record-high of $2.2 billion in 2023, up 8% compared to the previous year, according to an American Spirits Export Report released by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. American whiskey exports also increased by 9% over 2022 to reach a record $1.4 billion.

Exports are continuing to rebuild after plummeting from the devastating retaliatory tariffs on American spirits imposed by the E.U. and the U.K. These tariffs were suspended two years ago and as a result, American whiskey exports to the E.U. surged by more than 60%, climbing from $439 million in 2021 to $705 million in 2023. However, the European Union announced in December 2023 that it would continue the suspension of tariffs on American whiskeys in the steel and aluminum dispute for 15 months, until March 31st 2025. If no agreement is reached by then, the E.U. will reimpose its tariff on American whiskeys at 50%, up from the previously imposed 25%.

Sustainability in the American Whiskey Industry:

The modern consumer has become increasingly aware of the climate emergency we unfortunately find ourselves in, and actively seeks out sustainable brands, even if it means paying extra. So, as whiskey makers find themselves in an increasingly competitive market, committing psychologically and economically to reducing their impact on the planet may also be the only means to make their businesses sustainable in the long run.

Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) announced in April that it has launched the first phase of its Dont Trash Glass programme at its Bulleit Bourbon distillery in Shelbyville, KY. 'Don't Trash Glass' is a bar, restaurant, and local business glass recycling programme, aiming to collect used glass bottles and improve regional recycling rates. Since its launch almost three years ago, the programme has collected 2.2 million pounds of glass in Illinois, and is set to continue to make a difference as it expands through the Bluegrass State, which, at 15%, has one of the lowest glass recycling rates in the country. Since 2019, the spirits giant has invested nearly $290 million in the state of Kentucky, and its operations support over 1,700 local jobs across the distribution, retail, and hospitality sectors.

Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) announced a 10-year sustainability action plan in November 2020  titled Society 2030: Spirit of Progress  which aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across direct operations and a 20% reduction in water used to produce every drink, while also working with suppliers in order to reduce indirect carbon emissions by 50%.

Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) is placed among the Best Brewery and Distillery Stocks to Buy Now.

With that said, here are the Best Whiskeys in the World for Beginners.

15 Best Whiskeys for Beginners in 2024

Methodology:

To collect data for this article, we have referred to a number of sources, such as Liquor, VinePair, Mens Journal, Reddit etc., looking for the Best Whiskeys for Beginners. To make sure we give you the best of the best, we shortlisted whiskeys that appeared multiple times in the aforementioned sources, assigned them a score of 1 each time they were recommended on these websites, and then summed up the scores and ranked our list accordingly. When two or more whiskeys had the same score, we ranked them by the price (excluding tax) of their 750 ml bottles.

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.

15. Hibiki Japanese Harmony

Insider Monkey Score: 3

Heralded as the foundation of the Hibiki range, Japanese Harmony is a blend of Japanese malt and grain whiskies from Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita. Thanks to its light and delicate mouthfeel, the Hibiki JH is a Great Whiskey for Beginners to Drink Straight.

Produced in Japan by Beam Suntory, the Hibiki whisky range is a harmonious blend of several malt and grain whiskies which are meticulously blended to create a full orchestra of flavors and aromas.

14. Laphroaig 10 Years Old

Insider Monkey Score: 3

One of the Best Whiskeys for Your Home Bar, Laphroaig 10 is the definitive Islay peated single malt, distilled following traditions laid over the last 200 years by passionate master distillers. Its unique flavor profile is conjured from malted barley which is first cold-smoked over peat fires, like only a handful of distilleries.

The Laphroaig distillery and brand are owned and operated by Beam Suntory, the American subsidiary of Japan's Suntory Holdings.

13. Michters US1 Unblended American Whiskey

Insider Monkey Score: 4

Unlike its Bourbon or rye counterparts, Michters Unblended American Whiskey is aged in a way that utilizes whiskey-soaked barrels to achieve a rich and unique flavor profile. Due to its balanced profile, this whiskey is a great option for newcomers and seasoned connoisseurs alike.

Michters only became a brand in the 1990s but is now, despite deliberately keeping stocks low and releases in small batches, the fourth-fastest rising brand in the Bourbon market. Distilled to Master Distiller Dan McKees exacting specifications, Michters is counted among the Highest Quality Whiskey Brands in the US.

12. Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey

Insider Monkey Score: 4

Tullamore D.E.W. prides itself on its complex yet approachable flavors, which it credits to its use of three types of grain, a triple distillation, and the blending of three types of Irish whiskey  single malt, single grain, and pot still. Its sweet, soft, faint, and easy-to-drink character makes it a Great Irish Whiskey for Beginners in 2024.

Set in the heart of Ireland, the Tullamore distillery spans a whopping 58 acres where 11 million liters of whiskey are produced each year, making Tullamore D.E.W. one of the finest examples of Irelands whiskey renaissance.

11. Wild Turkey 101

Insider Monkey Score: 4

For over 60 years, Wild Turkey has been making 101 the same way, the right way! Aged in American White Oak barrels coated in the deepest alligator char, Wild Turkey 101 has an impossible-to-miss character. Given its high proof and low price, this whiskey is a great choice for someone taking their baby steps into the alluring world of Bourbon.

In 1980, Wild Turkeys original owner, Austin Nichols & Co., was sold to the French spirits conglomerate Pernod Ricard for a reported $100 million. In 2009, the distillery changed hands again, when Italys Gruppo Campari acquired it for an eye-watering $575 million.

10. Johnny Walker Black Label

Insider Monkey Score: 5

Johnny Walkers prestige status was trumped with the launch of the super swanky Blue Label in the late 1980s, but the iconic Black Label also never lost its cache. Across the world today, a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label is a recognized currency and symbol of excellence.

With 22.7 million 9-liter cases sold worldwide, Johnnie Walker is the Best-Selling Scotch Whisky Brand in the World.

9. Elijah Craig Small Batch

Insider Monkey Score: 5

Elijah Craig is credited as the first distiller to age his whiskey in charred oak barrels, earning his place in history as the 'Father of Bourbon.' The charred barrel transformed the clear liquid inside into an intense amber whiskey made rich with the flavors of the wood, which we now recognize as Bourbon.

Elijah Craig Small Batch is distilled, aged, and bottled in Kentucky from a traditional Bourbon mash bill of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley, and then aged for 8 to 12 years in Level 3 charred oak barrels. The liquors smooth taste and easy-to-drink character, coupled with its affordability and accessibility, make it a Good Cheap Whiskey for Beginners.

8. Glenfiddich 12 Years Old

Insider Monkey Score: 6

Aged for 12 years in American and European oak casks, Glenfiddich 12 is a great choice for seasoned sippers or those who are new to whisky, with lots of light and fruity flavors.

Owned by William Grant & Sons, Glenfiddich had global sales of 1.6 million 9-liter cases in 2022, making it the world's second-best-selling single malt.

Glenfiddich 12 is included among the Top 10 Whiskies for Newcomers.

7. Suntory Toki

Insider Monkey Score: 6

Toki is a vivid blend of carefully selected whiskies from the House of Suntorys globally acclaimed Hakushu, Yamazaki, and Chita distilleries. It has a different composition to another Suntory blend, Hibiki, as its main components are Hakushu single malt and Chita grain whisky.

With a revenue of over $19.7 billion in 2022, Suntory Holdings Limited is included among the Largest Alcohol Companies in the World.

6. Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight

Insider Monkey Score: 6

The art of making fine Bourbon first took place on the site of the Woodford Reserve Distillery, a National Historic Landmark, in 1812. The perfectly balanced taste of this Kentucky Straight Bourbon comprises more than 200 detectable flavor notes, from bold grain and wood, to sweet aromatics, spice, and fruit and floral notes.

This soft and easy-to-drink Bourbon ranks 6th in our list of Best Whiskeys for First Time Drinkers.

Click to continue reading and see the 5 Best Whiskeys for Beginners in 2024.
In this article, we will be taking a look at the 15 most depressed states in the US. If you are not interested in learning about the global and regional trends in the depression treatment market, head straight to the 5 Most Depressed States in the US.

Global and Regional Trends in the Depression Treatment Market

The global depression treatment market is expected to reach USD 16.14 billion by 2030, growing from USD 11.31 billion in 2022 at a CAGR of 4.6% during the forecast period. The North American region which is led by the U.S., emerged as the most significant market, accounting for a 44.11% share of global revenue in 2022. Around 29% of Americans in 2023 were diagnosed with depression in their lifetime and 17.8% of the people were currently fighting depression. This was the highest ever rate recorded since 2015. The 2023 CDC data showed that the age-standardized depression prevalence ranged from 12.7% in Hawaii to 27.5% in West Virginia, with a median of 19.9% in the US.

Globally, depression is a major contributor to disability, with the World Health Organization estimating that over 280 million people worldwide have depression. Depression is most common in the 45-64 age group, affecting 40% of those with depression in the U.S.

If we talk about Asia, The Depressive Disorders market in Asia is forecasted to grow by 1.36% from 2024 to 2028, reaching 5.90 billion in 2028. In Southeast Asia, the market is expected to grow by 0.89% during the same period, with a market volume of US$0.86 billion in 2028.

Drugs dominate the depression treatment market globally, comprising over 99.4% of the demand share in 2021. ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy) market is one of the fastest-growing depression treatments when it comes to treating depression which is set to double by 2030, propelled by up to 90% response rate in MDD cases. Antidepressant usage has also risen in the US, with 13.2% of adults, especially women, reported as users. Leading medications like Sertraline, Trazodone, Fluoxetine, and Bupropion treat various conditions beyond depression, including OCD, social anxiety, panic disorder, GAD, and PTSD, targeting brain neurotransmitter activity.

Recent surveys by the U.S. Census Bureau reveal higher rates of depression among young adults in the LGBT community. Additionally, the increasing reliance on antidepressants in the U.S. is evident, with Sertraline (Zoloft) being the most prescribed psychiatric medication in 2020.

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Leading Innovations in Depression Treatment

If we talk about health companies that are actively working to treat depression, include Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB), Sage Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:SAGE), and Axsome Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AXSM) among others. Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB)'s most significant contribution to the depression treatment landscape is zuranolone, a once-daily, 14-day investigational drug that was developed in partnership with Sage Therapeutics. Financially, Biogens total revenue declined 7% year-over-year to $2.3 billion in Q1 2024 which was driven by a 3% drop in product revenue and significant reductions in contract manufacturing and other revenues. Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB)'s revenue from anti-CD20 therapeutics and other product lines declined, partially offset by a 2% increase in biosimilar revenue. Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB) also launched new products like Leqembi for Alzheimer's during the same time frame.

Sage Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:SAGE) is one of the biggest biopharmaceutical companies. The company has made significant strides in the field of depression treatment with the development of ZURZUVAE (zuranolone) which is a rapid-acting oral medication approved by the FDA for postpartum depression (PPD). In addition to ZURZUVAE, Sage Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:SAGE) has another promising candidate, zuranolone (SAGE-217) which is currently in development for major depressive disorder (MDD). Their dalzanemdor (SAGE-718) is also being investigated for cognitive impairment in Huntington's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and mild dementia. Financially, in Q1 2024, Sage Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:SAGE) reported total revenue of $7.9 million, exceeding estimates of $5.66 million which was driven by $6.2 million in collaboration revenue from ZURZUVAE. Their research & development expenses decreased 23% year-over-year to $71.7 million during the same period.

Last but not least, Axsome Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AXSM) has also been contributing to treating depression. Axsomes major contribution is AUVELITY (dextromethorphan-bupropion) which is an oral medication approved by the FDA in 2022 for the treatment of major depressive disorder in adults. In addition to AUVELITY, Axsome has a robust pipeline of investigational therapies targeting various CNS disorders. Financially, Axsome Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AXSM) reported a total net product revenue of $75.0 million for Q1 2024. Their Auvelitys net product sales reached $51.5 million in Q1 2024, while Sunosi s net product revenue reached $23.5 million in Q1 2024, a 17% increase over Q1 2023.

15 Most Depressed States in the US

Pixabay/Public Domain

Our Methodology

For our methodology, we have ranked the most depressed states in the US based on depression rates per 100,000 people in these states as of 2022. Since the data was available for the overall depression prevalence rate in these states, we did some calculations to fin out the rates per 100,000 population. Firstly, We multiplied depression rates for each state with their total populations and then the resulting answer was divided by the total population again. The result was further multiplied by 100,000 to get per 100,000 rates.

Here is our list of the 15 most depressed states in the US.

15. Oregon

Depression Rate per 100,000 People: 24,000

Oregon stands among the US states that have the most seasonal depression. The depression rate per 100,000 people stands at 24,000. In 2023, 12.7% of Oregon youth aged 1217 experienced a major depressive episode, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. In terms of treatment, Oregon has a limited number of resources for depression, particularly for severe cases. The state has only 40 beds for the most acute cases of youth mental illness, and many areas lack access to psychiatrists and other mental health professionals.

14. Alabama

Depression Rate per 100,000 People: 24,008

Alabama stands among the most depressed states in the US with a depression prevalence rate of 24,008 per 100,000 people. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) estimates that in 2014-2015, an annual average of about 148,000 adults aged 18 or older (4.0% of all adults) in Alabama had serious thoughts of suicide. Additionally, an annual average of about 42,000 adolescents aged 12-17 (11.0% of all adolescents) in Alabama experienced a major depressive episode in 2014-2015. According to a national study analyzing data from 2008-2016, among those with depression in the United States, 40% were aged 45-64 years, and 61% were female.

13. Montana

Depression Rate per 100,000 People: 24,490

The depression prevalence rate in Montana is 24,490 per 100,000 people. The 2018 BRFSS data showed that among Montana adults who reported ever being diagnosed with depression and experiencing frequent mental distress were 56.2% female, compared to 43.8% male. The highest depression prevalence was among those aged 35-44 years (14.7%), followed by those aged 45-54 years (13.4%).

12. Vermont

Depression Rate per 100,000 People: 24,804

Vermont has one of the highest depression rates in the US with around 24,804 per 100,000 people being depressed. Lower income levels and poverty are the two most common reasons for depression in the state with a 2021 report highlighting that 33% of low-income Vermont adults reported poor mental health. In 2021, 26% of adults aged 18-44 reported poor mental health. LGBTQ+ adults in Vermont had a 31% rate of poor mental health in 2021 while adults with disabilities reported a 33% rate of poor mental health in the same year. Vermont is one of the most saddest states in the US.

11. Washington

Depression Rate per 100,000 People: 25,000

Around 25,000 per 100,000 people are depressed in Washington. Around 22% of youth in Washington seriously considered suicide in 2021, up 6% since 2011.

10. Ohio

Depression Rate per 100,000 People: 25,000

Ohio stands among the top 10 depressed states in the US with a depression rate of 25,000 per 100,000 people. The prevalence of depression in Ohio is higher than the national average, with one in four adults (25%) in Franklin County having been diagnosed with depression. The opioid epidemic and its impacts have also played a significant role in the state's mental health crisis and rising depression cases.

9. New Hampshire

Depression Rate per 100,000 People: 25,290

New Hampshire is one of the most depressed states in America. 92,510 people in New Hampshire lack access to sufficient mental health professionals in their communities.

8. Kentucky

Depression Rate per 100,000 People: 25,830

Kentucky is one of the top 10 depressed states in the US. The prevalence of depression and anxiety disorders (DAD) among Kentucky Medicaid patients increased from 30.8% in 2012 to 36.3% in 2019, according to a study based on Kentucky Medicaid. This translates to over 325,000 cases of DAD among Kentucky Medicaid patients in 2019. The study found that the utilization of pharmacologic treatment (medication) for DAD among Kentucky Medicaid patients increased from 62.9% in 2012 to 67.3% in 2019. However, the utilization of psychosocial therapies (counseling, psychotherapy) remained low, increasing only slightly from 10.9% in 2012 to 13.7% in 2019.

7. Maine

Depression Rate per 100,000 People: 26,311

The depression rate in Maine is 26,311 per 100,000 people. In 2019, nearly 1 in 3 high school students in Maine felt sad or hopeless almost every day for two weeks or more. Talking about Maine, the Lewiston city in the state is one of the five cities in the US with the highest depression rates. In 2018, about 1 in 10 Maine women with a recent birth suffered from postpartum depression, with higher rates among those with lower incomes and education levels.

6. Louisiana

Depression Rate per 100,000 People: 26,402

Louisiana stands sixth among the most depressed states in the US with a depression prevalence rate of 26,402 per 100,000 people. With a total population of around 4.6 million people in Louisiana as of 2022, this translates to over 1 million adults potentially experiencing depression. Younger adults, particularly those aged 18-24 years, tend to have higher rates of depression compared to older age groups. From 2019 to 2021, the percentage of Louisiana citizens reporting a history of depression increased from 23.9% to 26.4%.

Click to see and continue reading the 5 Most Depressed States in the US.

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Disclosure. None: The 15 Most Depressed States in the US is originally published on Insider Monkey.
Amidst the dynamic landscape of the Singapore stock market, investors continue to seek stable and potentially lucrative opportunities, particularly in high-yield dividend stocks. In this context, understanding what constitutes a robust dividend stock can be crucial, especially when navigating through varying economic conditions that influence market performance.

Top 10 Dividend Stocks In Singapore

Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating Civmec (SGX:P9D) 6.35%  Singapore Exchange (SGX:S68) 3.65%  Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) (SGX:BS6) 3.71%  BRC Asia (SGX:BEC) 7.66%  UOB-Kay Hian Holdings (SGX:U10) 6.92%  UOL Group (SGX:U14) 3.54%  Bumitama Agri (SGX:P8Z) 7.06%  YHI International (SGX:BPF) 6.49%  Oversea-Chinese Banking (SGX:O39) 5.88%  Sing Investments & Finance (SGX:S35) 6.25% 

Click here to see the full list of 20 stocks from our Top SGX Dividend Stocks screener.

We're going to check out a few of the best picks from our screener tool.

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: Food Empire Holdings Limited is a Singapore-based investment holding company specializing in the manufacturing and distribution of food and beverage products across Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, other CIS markets, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and globally, with a market capitalization of approximately SGD 597.91 million.

Operations: Food Empire Holdings generates its revenue primarily from South-East Asia (SGD 239.74 million), Russia (SGD 152.42 million), South Asia (SGD 68.36 million), and Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and other CIS markets (SGD 110.74 million).

Dividend Yield: 4.4%

Food Empire Holdings, while trading at 66.3% below its estimated fair value, presents a mixed outlook for dividend investors due to its unstable dividend history over the past decade and a relatively low yield of 4.39% compared to the top quartile in Singapore's market at 6.29%. However, dividends are well-supported with a payout ratio of 35.2% and cash payout ratio of 50.9%. Recent shareholder approvals for share buybacks and an increased dividend suggest potential commitment to returning value to shareholders.

SGX:F03 Dividend History as at May 2024

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: Civmec Limited is an investment holding company specializing in construction and engineering services across the energy, resources, infrastructure, and marine and defense sectors primarily in Australia, with a market capitalization of approximately SGD 393.38 million.

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Operations: Civmec Limited generates revenues from three main segments: Energy (A$46.02 million), Resources (A$752.82 million), and Infrastructure, Marine & Defence (A$105.52 million).

Dividend Yield: 6.3%

Civmec Limited, with a dividend increase to A$0.025 per share, signals a positive trend in shareholder returns, supported by a 25% rise in interim dividends year-over-year. The company's robust sales growth to A$492.35 million and net income increase to A$31.89 million for the half-year ending December 2023 underline its financial health. Civmec's dividends are sustainably covered by earnings and cash flows with payout ratios of 45.4% and 27%, respectively, ensuring reliability in its dividend payments amidst a competitive yield of 6.35%.

SGX:P9D Dividend History as at May 2024

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: Singapore Exchange Limited (SGX: S68) operates as an integrated securities and derivatives exchange with related clearing houses in Singapore, boasting a market capitalization of approximately SGD 9.96 billion.

Operations: Singapore Exchange Limited generates its revenue primarily from two segments: Segment Adjustment and Fixed Income, Currencies, and Commodities, with earnings of SGD 843.68 million and SGD 371.53 million respectively.

Dividend Yield: 3.7%

Singapore Exchange's dividend yield of 3.65% is modest compared to the top quartile in the Singapore market, which averages 6.29%. Despite this, its dividends have shown stability and reliability over the past decade, with a recent payout of SGD 0.085 per share. The company maintains a healthy coverage with earnings supporting 63% and cash flows covering nearly 79.1% of dividend payments, reflecting prudent financial management amid consistent earnings growth at an annual rate of 7.2% over the past five years.

SGX:S68 Dividend History as at May 2024

Summing It All Up

Navigate through the entire inventory of 20 Top SGX Dividend Stocks here.

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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 SGX:F03 SGX:P9D and SGX:S68.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Investors have enjoyed higher Treasury yields, serving up passive income over the past couple of years. However, there's still an abundance of quality dividend stocks that offer potential price appreciation and stellar dividend income.

High dividend yields can be a red flag sometimes, but there are exceptions. Here are three of them: Altria (NYSE: MO), AT&T (NYSE: T), and Enbridge (NYSE: ENB).

I'll detail what makes them stand out as high-yield dividend stocks you can buy this month and hold for those juicy dividends. You might even score some solid capital gains, too.

1. This stock packs a smoking-hot 8.8% yield

Tobacco giant Altria is the perennial "dying company" that seemingly won't die. While it's true that smoking rates in America have collapsed over the span of decades, people underestimate how much price increases and population growth can support Altria's core Marlboro business. That's why Altria remains a Dividend King to this day, and frankly, the dividend faces little stress thanks to a manageable 75% dividend payout ratio.

The company's presumed demise has shares trading at a modest valuation of less than 9 times earnings. Management felt that was a good enough value to begin selling off a piece of its multibillion-dollar stake in Anheuser-Busch to do an accelerated share repurchase program. That's called putting your money where your mouth is!

Earnings are growing at a low-single-digit rate, so this isn't a story of quick riches. Still, you only need low-single-digit growth to hit double-digit returns when your stock yields almost 9%. Enjoy this rock-solid dividend stock, which could produce sneakily good total returns if shares become popular on Wall Street again.

2. A telecom bargain yielding 6.5%

U.S. telecom giant AT&T is another supposed yield trap with the goods to keep cashing those fat dividend checks. The company's core business is doing great; AT&T picked up a healthy 1.6 million new subscribers in Q1, and the business is poised to generate between $17 billion and $18 billion in free cash flow this year. The dividend costs AT&T just over $2 billion per quarter, so that's a meager payout ratio that funds the dividend and leaves enough money to continue paying down debt.

It took a dividend cut a couple of years ago to put the company in this position. So, while investors may be traumatized by the prior cut, it shouldn't be something to lose sleep over moving forward -- meanwhile, shares trade at a price-to-earnings ratio of just under 8 today.

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Like with Altria above, a high dividend yield means you don't need a ton of growth to obtain double-digit total investment returns. Analysts only expect 2% to 3% earnings growth over the long term, but I've outlined why AT&T could do better. At the very least, AT&T represents an excellent income stock that still yields more than Treasury bonds.

3. This 7% yielding stock just turned in a stellar quarter

Enbridge might be an underestimated energy stock. The company's core business of transporting oil and gas in its pipelines throughout North America makes it a toll-booth operator in the energy industry. Enbridge makes money from people needing oil and gas products because it bills based on the volume of materials in its pipes. Enbridge has a utility business and renewable energy projects, so this company is more diverse than some may give it credit for.

The company's dividend yields over 7% today, and that's a payout investors can trust. Enbridge just turned in Q1 earnings, headlined by 1.63 Canadian dollars per share in funds from operations (FFO) against a quarterly dividend of CA$0.915, a payout ratio of 56%. The company has raised its dividend for 28 consecutive years, so investors can take comfort in the modest payout ratio and healthy track record.

Once again, a high-yield dividend stock trades at a low valuation. Analysts believe the company will earn $3.84 (estimate in U.S. dollars), which values shares at a price-to-FFO ratio of just under 10. I'll say it again: Generating solid total returns doesn't take much growth when you have a blue chip stock with a high starting dividend yield. Analysts have Enbridge growing earnings by 10% next year, which should be enough to set investors up for some stellar returns.

Should you invest $1,000 in Altria Group right now?

Before you buy stock in Altria Group, 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 Altria Group 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 $550,688!*

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See the 10 stocks 

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Justin Pope has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Enbridge. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

3 High-Yield Dividend Stocks to Buy Hand Over Fist in May was originally published by The Motley Fool
There are many dividend stocks on the market. Some will eventually cut or suspend their payouts due to company-specific, economic, or broader market issues. Those aren't the kind of dividend stocks that investors will want to own. Instead, income-seekers should try to find corporations with excellent underlying businesses that are likely to maintain their dividend program for a long time.

Find out why three Motley Fool contributors picked Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY), AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), and Novartis (NYSE: NVS) as excellent passive income stocks investors can safely hold.

Growth and dividend investors need not look elsewhere

Prosper Junior Bakiny (Eli Lilly): Few pharmaceutical companies have made as much noise as Eli Lilly over the past few years. The company is proving to be an innovative powerhouse with important approvals such as Mounjaro in diabetes, Zepbound in obesity, and, potentially, donanemab, which could earn the nod in treating Alzheimer's disease.

Eli Lilly's financial results may have been somewhat inconsistent in the past two years, but that was because of its up-and-down coronavirus-related sales. Now that this market is no longer impacting its top-line growth, the company should be in a straight northbound march for years. Eli Lilly is one of the most attractive businesses -- and growth-oriented companies -- in the industry, and that's what makes it an attractive option for dividend investors.

True, the company's forward yield of 0.67% isn't impressive. But that's because of how much the stock has gained recently. The dividend itself hasn't lagged behind. Eli Lilly has increased its payouts by just over 100% in the past five years. The company shouldn't stop there. Thanks to the slew of new approvals it landed, analysts predict that Eli Lilly's earnings per share (EPS) will grow at an average of 56% in the next half-decade.

Try finding a pharmaceutical giant whose projected EPS growth even approaches this total. There aren't many, if any. Eli Lilly will make a lot of money, some of which it could, and certainly will choose, to return to shareholders. So, investors can sit back and enjoy the ride as Eli Lilly delivers incredible top and bottom-line growth, market-beating returns, and an attractive dividend program.

A Dividend King with solid growth prospects

Keith Speights (AbbVie): You won't find many stocks with a better dividend program than AbbVie. The drugmaker is a Dividend King with 52 consecutive dividend increases (including the years it was part of Abbott). Over the last 10 years, AbbVie has grown its dividend by 269%. Its dividend yield currently stands at nearly 3.8%.

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While AbbVie has been and will almost certainly continue to be a passive income machine, there's more to like about the stock than only its dividend. The company has perhaps surprisingly good growth prospects, considering that sales of its best-selling blockbuster drug, Humira, are rapidly declining due to generic competition.

AbbVie expects to return to solid sales growth next year. It projects a high single-digit revenue compound annual growth rate through the rest of the decade. Two successors to Humira -- Rinvoq and Skyrizi -- are key to this anticipated growth. AbbVie's guidance is for over $27 billion in combined sales from the therapies by 2027. That's well above what Humira generated at its peak.

The big biopharmaceutical company also has other growth drivers. Sales for the antipsychotic drug Vraylar are expected to approach $5 billion annually. AbbVie's migraine therapies should top combined sales of $3 billion at their max. The drugmaker's aesthetics portfolio sales should vault above $9 billion by 2029.

We can't leave out AbbVie's dealmaking efforts. The recent acquisition of ImmunoGen and the pending buyout of Cerevel Therapeutics will add several potentially big winners to AbbVie's lineup.

Novartis is a dependable growth stock with a high yield

David Jagielski (Novartis): One healthcare stock that makes for a top income investment right now is Novartis. The Swiss-based pharmaceutical company has strong financials, pays a high dividend, and is always in the pursuit of more growth.

If you buy the stock today, you'll be locking in a dividend yield of 3.9% -- that's nearly three times the S&P 500 average of 1.4%. The company has also been rewarding its shareholders with regular increases; Novartis has raised its dividend payments for 27 consecutive years.

In each of the past four years, the company has generated free cash flow of at least $11 billion, which is far higher than the $7.3 billion it paid out in dividends in 2023, giving Novartis plenty of a buffer to balance both dividend payments and growth initiatives.

Last year, the company spun off its generic and biosimilars business, Sandoz, in order to focus more on growth. And until 2027, Novartis anticipates that it can generate annual growth of 5% per year. In 2023, Novartis reported $46.7 billion in annual sales, which was 7% higher than the $43.5 billion it reported in the previous year. The company has many exciting drugs in its portfolio, including breast cancer drug Kisqali, which may generate peak sales of $4 billion.

As Novartis continues to grow its operations and cash flow, there will be more room for the company to continue to distribute more money out to its shareholders. At only 13 times its estimated future earnings, Novartis is a low-priced stock which can generate plenty of recurring income for investors who are willing to hang on for the long haul.

Should you invest $1,000 in Eli Lilly right now?

Before you buy stock in Eli Lilly, 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 Eli Lilly 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 $550,688!*

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See the 10 stocks 

*Stock Advisor returns as of May 13, 2024

David Jagielski has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Keith Speights has positions in AbbVie. Prosper Junior Bakiny has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Abbott Laboratories and CorVel. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

3 Magnificent Stocks That Are Passive Income Machines was originally published by The Motley Fool
If you're an Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) or any type of artificial intelligence (AI) investor, then May 22 is a day you must have circled on your calendar. That's when Nvidia reports Q1 FY 2025 results, which will give investors some clues as to how strong the market is for Nvidia's class-leading GPUs (graphics processing units).

With how big of a move Nvidia's stock has made after previous earnings releases, it may be wise to consider buying (or selling) some shares before then. I've analyzed Nvidia and come up with three reasons to buy and one to sell. So what should you do before May 22?

1. Reason to buy: Other companies are still talking about AI infrastructure demand

Nvidia's primary product, the GPU, is vital for AI model development and training. GPUs allow parallel processing, giving them the ability to do multiple tasks at the same time. This is crucial for training AI models, as multiple iterations must occur before an AI model is usable.

Nvidia's GPUs are the best on the market for AI training, and its customers are buying thousands of them at a time to outfit their servers with the best technology possible.

This caused Nvidia's initial boom last year, but some investors (including myself) were worried that there would be little demand for more capacity once initial demand is satisfied. However, that isn't the case.

Meta Platforms raised its long-term capital expenditure guidance to build more computing power to capture the massive AI opportunity it sees. On its conference call, Tesla CEO Elon Musk mentioned that they have about 35,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs active, with another 85,000 slated to be up and running by the end of this year.

The demand for Nvidia's products is still there, which should bode well for it this quarter.

2. Reason to buy: The stock isn't as expensive as investors might think

One gripe about Nvidia's stock has been how expensive it is. That's true if you look at the trailing-price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio. At 76 times earnings, it could be considered outrageously expensive. But that doesn't do the stock justice. Nvidia is undergoing a massive transformation and is expected to post another massive quarter of growth (Wall Street projects 250% growth in Q1).

As a result, looking at trailing earnings does investors no good. Instead,they should utilize the forward P/E to value Nvidia.

NVDA PE Ratio (Forward) Chart

At 36 times forward earnings estimates, Nvidia is far from cheap. However, it's undergoing a massive shift, and this figure could be incredibly off the mark if Nvidia's growth continues. Furthermore, it's not far off from Microsoft, which trades at 35 times forward earnings despite growing much slower.

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If valuation is a top reason to avoid Nvidia's stock, you may need to rethink that, as many other stocks trade in a similar range as Nvidia despite not having the growth.

3. Reason to buy: New product launches could drive another demand wave

Although Nvidia may have some of the best products on the market, it isn't resting on its laurels. Nvidia has launched a few new upgraded GPUs, like the Blackwell GPU. But what investors (and many companies) are waiting for is the H200.

This system is expected to launch in the second quarter of 2024 and is a massive upgrade over the already popular H100. Some companies may be holding out until the H200 is launched to future-proof their servers, as they don't want to upgrade in a couple of years when the H100s become obsolete.

Although that's speculation, the H200 will undoubtedly drive new demand, especially from companies willing to pay top dollar to have the best products available.

These are great reasons to buy Nvidia's stock before its Q1 earnings date, but there's also a reason to sell.

Reason to sell: Anything short of perfection could ignite a sell-off

While I mentioned that Nvidia's stock isn't as expensive as many think, it's still priced for perfection. If Nvidia misses the mark in any way this quarter, there will likely be a heavy sell-off.

I think that's unlikely because the heavy demand for Nvidia's GPUs is still present. However, the company's execution is unknown until investors see the financials.

Should Nvidia report a less-than-perfect quarter, investors must examine the situation more closely to determine whether the sell-off is warranted or a buying opportunity.

Although the odds of this happening are pretty low, something as simple as a slip-up or a tone on a conference call can make or break a stock.

With how the industry currently looks, I see no problem with buying Nvidia's stock before Q1 results, as it's slated to be another quarter of incredibly strong growth.

Should you invest $1,000 in Nvidia right now?

Before you buy stock in Nvidia, 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 Nvidia 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 $550,688!*

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 13, 2024

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. Keithen Drury has positions in Meta Platforms and Tesla. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla. 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.

3 Reasons to Buy Nvidia Stock Before May 22 (and 1 Reason to Sell) was originally published by The Motley Fool
Although spending on home repair and remodel (R&R) activities has decreased from the peaks seen during the pandemic, given high rates and dwindling consumer confidence, there remains a persistent need for investment in critical replacements, addressing home performance deficiencies, and modernization efforts in the nation's aging homes. Fortunately, the pace of market decline is projected to slow down in the latter half of 2024. Residential remodeling is anticipated to capitalize on the recovering housing market and the stabilization of material costs as we transition into 2025, benefiting the Zacks Building Products  Wood industry.



Also, increased funding for infrastructure and carbon/ESG-related projects has been encouraging. Despite lingering concerns surrounding elevated mortgage rates and consumers cautious approach, efficient cost management, a steadfast commitment to product innovation, and strategic acquisitions are expected to offer support to industry players such as Trex Company, Inc. TREX, UFP Industries, Inc. UFPI and Louisiana-Pacific Corporation LPX.



Industry Description

The Zacks Building Products  Wood industry includes forest product companies and manufacturers of lumber as well as other wood products used in home construction, repair and remodeling along with the development of outdoor structures. Companies in the industry design, manufacture, source and sell flooring products like tile, wood, laminate, vinyl, and natural stone flooring products, as well as decorative and installation accessories. The industry players are also involved in the manufacturing and distribution of wood and plastic composite products along with related accessories, mainly for residential decking and railing applications. The industry also includes timberland real estate investment trusts or REITs.

4 Trends Shaping the Future of Building Products - Wood Industry

Low-Existing Homes & Higher Spending on Carbon/ESG Projects: The industrys prospects are highly correlated with the U.S. housing market conditions. The lack of existing homes for sale and positive employment conditions have been bolstering the prospects for the U.S. housing market. The age of U.S. housing stock and a higher level of homeowner equity provide a favorable backdrop for repair-and-remodel spending for 2024. Additionally, the industry participants are experiencing higher funding for carbon/ESG-related projects to pursue carbon capture and storage work. Also, increased government spending on infrastructure projects bodes well.



Acquisitions, Product Innovation & Efficient Cost-Reduction Strategies: The companies also bank on acquisitions and divestitures to expand and improve portfolio quality. New products continue to be an important top-line driver for the industry players. Also, efforts to introduce products are likely to have helped the players. Again, in a bid to reduce costs, companies have been reducing the cost structure of their facilities through the sale or shutdown of underperforming units and manufacturing facilities, as well as investments in technology. Also, the industry players have been focusing on operational excellence, comprising merchandising for value, harvest, and transportation efficiencies and boosting harvest to capture seasonal and short-term opportunities.



High Rates & Dwindling Consumer Confidence: The industrys prospects are highly correlated with the U.S. housing and the R&R market (considered one of the largest in terms of lumber demand) conditions. The wood industry in the United States is expected to feel the pinch as consumer confidence hits a new low and interest rates remain at their highest level in over two decades. With the Federal Reserve holding rates steady between 5.25% and 5.5% since August 2023, the sector faces significant challenges. Despite initial hopes for rate cuts, the Fed's recent decision to maintain current rates due to concerns about inflation has put further strain on consumers.



Consumer confidence, a key indicator of economic health, has also taken a hit. In April, the Conference Board reported that its consumer confidence index fell to 97.0, the lowest level since July 2022. Worries about the labor market and income weighed heavily on consumers, leading to a more pessimistic outlook on short-term business conditions. This sentiment is further reflected in consumers' expectations for the future. According to the report, the percentage of consumers anticipating an improvement in business conditions decreased from 14.3% in March to 12.8%. Conversely, those expecting business conditions to worsen increased from 18.5% to 19.9%.



This is echoed in the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) released in April 2024. Anticipated annual spending on enhancements and repairs for owner-occupied residences is forecasted to decline gradually this year and into the initial quarter of 2025, albeit at a moderated pace. According to the LIRA, expenditures for home renovations and maintenance by owners are predicted to decrease by more than 7% in the third quarter of 2024, followed by a milder decline of 2.6% leading up to the first quarter of 2025. The residential remodeling sector is poised to gain from the resurgence of the housing market and the stabilization of material expenses as we progress into the upcoming year.



Rapid Lumber Market Swings: Historically, volatility in lumber prices has been a major concern for the wood industry. Any unusual rise in the cost of lumber products sold by primary producers increases the cost of inventory and limits margins on fixed-priced lumber products. Yet, a decline in costs eats into profits as products sold are indexed to the current lumber market. Meanwhile, the timberland business is governed by federal rules and state forestry commissions, which are subject to frequent changes, thereby affecting businesses. Due to the very nature of their properties, timberland REITs are required to follow eco-friendly mandates in their trade.

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Zacks Industry Rank Indicates Bright Prospects

The Zacks Building Products  Wood industry is an 11-stock group within the broader Construction sector. The Zacks Wood industry currently carries a Zacks Industry Rank #68, which places it in the top 27% of more than 250 Zacks industries.



The groups Zacks Industry Rank, which is basically the average of the Zacks Rank of all the member stocks, indicates bright near-term prospects. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.



The industrys positioning in the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries is a result of a higher earnings outlook for the constituent companies in aggregate. Looking at the aggregate earnings estimate revisions, it appears that analysts are gradually gaining confidence in this groups earnings growth potential. Since February 2024, the industrys earnings estimates for 2024 have increased to $1.85 from $1.78 per share.



Before we present a few stocks that you may want to consider for your portfolio, lets take a look at the industrys recent stock-market performance and valuation picture.

Industry Lags Sector & S&P 500

The Zacks Building Products  Wood industry has underperformed the broader Zacks Construction sector and the Zacks S&P 500 Composite over the past year.



Over this period, the industry has gained 19.7% compared with the broader sectors 46.1% rise. The Zacks S&P 500 Composite has gained 26.4% over this period.

One-Year Price Performance

Industry's Current Valuation

On the basis of the forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio, which is a commonly used multiple for valuing wood stocks, the industry trades at 25.5X versus the S&P 500s 20.9X and the sectors 17.8X.



Over the last five years, the industry has traded as high as 39.5X, as low as 12.2X and at a median of 22.3X, as the chart below shows.

Industrys P/E Ratio (Forward 12-Month) Versus S&P 500

3 Wood Stocks to Keep an Eye On

We have highlighted three stocks from the industry, which have been capitalizing on fundamental strengths. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.



Louisiana-Pacific: The company, often referred to as LP Building Solutions, operates out of Nashville, TN. It specializes in offering building solutions primarily tailored for new home construction, repair and remodeling projects, as well as outdoor structure markets. Looking ahead to 2024 and beyond, the company is poised for growth and market share increases in Siding and Structural Solutions. This is due to LP's recent investments in mill and prefinishing capacity, which enhance its competitive position. Additionally, improved operational efficiency and a positive outlook for single-family housing further bolster this optimistic outlook.



LPX  a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) company  gained 38.2% over the past year. LPX earnings surpassed the consensus mark in three of the trailing four quarters and missed on one occasion, with the average surprise being 18.6%. Earnings projections for 2024 have risen to $5.79 from $4.89 per share in the past seven days, depicting analysts optimism about the companys prospects. LPX earnings are expected to grow 79.8% in 2024.

Price and Consensus: LPX





Trex Company: Based in Winchester, VA, this company manufactures and distributes wood and plastic composite products as well as related accessories, mainly for residential decking and railing applications. The company has been reaping the rewards of recent successful product launches and continuous brand and marketing investments. These efforts aim to inform consumers about the advantages of switching from wood to Trex decking and railing products. Additionally, Trexs tiered product strategy  which supports consumers decision-making by providing a range of product aesthetics  is encouraging. Its focus on automation, modernization, energy efficiency and raw material processing is expected to be a major tailwind.



TREX  a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company  gained 52.3% over the past year. TREX earnings surpassed the consensus mark in all the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 16.7%. Earnings projections for 2024 have risen to $2.24 from $2.21 per share in the past 30 days. TREX earnings are expected to grow 20.4% in 2024.

Price and Consensus: TREX





UFP Industries: Headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI, UFP Industries supplies wood, wood composite and other products to retail, industrial, and construction markets. The company has been gaining from its diversity of markets, solid contributions from buyouts and new product innovation. UFPI is committed to elevating all facets of its operations, striving for heightened efficiencies, minimized expenses, and the development of innovative products and services. Apart from inorganic drive, the company plans to foster organic expansion, earmarking investments of up to $300 million in 2024. Around $100 million is allocated for automation and technological enhancements, while another $100 million is designated for new facilities and expanding capacity at current sites.



Importantly, UFPI  a Zacks Rank #3 company  gained 43.3% over the past year. The companys earnings surpassed earnings estimates in one of the trailing four quarters but missed on three other occasions, leading to the average positive surprise of 3.4%. Yet, the stock has seen a 1.4% upward estimate revision for 2024 earnings over the past seven days. It carries an impressive VGM Score of A. This helps to identify stocks with the most attractive value, growth and momentum.

Price and Consensus: UFPI

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In this article, we will list and explore 30 best countries for digital nomads. You can skip our detailed analysis and go directly to 5 Best Countries for Digital Nomads.

Digital Nomad Destination Selection: Key Considerations

The digital nomad lifestyle offers the freedom to work from anywhere, promoting travel and cultural immersion while maintaining a balance between work and life through flexible schedules. This lifestyle can also offer economic benefits, as it allows individuals to earn in high-wage economies while residing in areas with lower living costs.

When selecting their destinations, digital nomads typically prioritize dependable internet access, cost-effective living conditions, low taxes, and favorable visa or residency regulations. Other important considerations include a pleasant climate and a safe environment. Factors such as a high standard of living, ease of integration into the local community, and abundant recreational activities also influence their nomadic experience.

Digital Nomad Market at a Glance

Previous year, WYSE Travel Confederation estimated the worldwide count of digital nomads to surpass 40 million, with expectations of gradual growth to approximately 60 million by 2030 as the market evolves.

According to the 2023 State of Independence report by MBO Partners, the number of US workers identifying as digital nomads stands at 17.3 million, marking a 2% increase from 2022. This follows a 131% surge in digital nomadism between 2019 and 2022, reflecting a major shift from pre-pandemic levels. A chart from the report illustrates the growth in the number of American digital nomads from 2019 to 2023. Starting at 7.3 million in 2019, the number rose sharply to 10.9 million in 2020, spurred by the shift toward remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The upward trend continued in 2021, reaching 15.5 million. By 2022, there was a slight increase to 16.9 million, and the latest figure for 2023 stands at 17.3 million. The chart highlights significant growth, particularly with a 131% increase from 2019 to 2020, but shows a stabilization with only a 2% rise from 2022 to 2023. This data underscores a substantial movement towards remote working environments, influenced by technological advancements and changing workplace policies.

The same report notes the prevalence of digital nomad occupations across various sectors, with IT comprising 19%, creative services 14%, education 9%, sales and marketing 9%, finance 8%, and consulting 7%. These roles are consistently performed remotely utilizing digital tools and the internet, a trend that has persisted over the past five years. Moreover, 79% of digital nomads use technology to enhance competitiveness, contrasting with 44% of non-digital nomads. Additionally, 77% of digital nomads are early adopters, compared to 43% among non-digital nomads. They heavily rely on digital connections for work, with 78% acknowledging this dependence, compared to 56% among non-digital nomads. 40% generate income in the creator economy, requiring internet and social media skills. On average, digital nomads have higher education levels, with 52% holding a college degree or higher, and 18% holding an advanced degree, compared to 35% and 13% respectively among adult Americans.

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For an in-depth analysis on the best US cities for digital nomads, read our article here. Another article explores easy countries offering visas to digital nomads for remote work, you can check it out here.

Nomad-Led Growth: Exploring Opportunities

Speaking of the best countries for digital nomads, it's fascinating to see how technological advancements and supportive infrastructures in certain regions have facilitated this lifestyle. Many countries have become hotspots for digital nomads, enticing them with opportunities to invest in their economies.

Companies such as Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZM), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) with their Azure cloud platform, Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) with Google Cloud, International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM) with IBM Cloud, and Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) with Amazon Web Services (AWS) are at the forefront of providing the infrastructure that powers remote work and digital nomadism. In the cybersecurity industry, companies such as CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD), Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NYSE:PANW), and Fortinet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FTNT) are top players in safeguarding remote work environments against cyber threats. When it comes to online payment systems, Paypal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL), Skrill, and Wise are leading the charge, providing digital nomads with convenient and secure ways to send and receive payments globally. Moreover, collaboration tools like Slack Technologies Inc. (NYSE:WORK), Asana Inc. (NYSE:ASAN), and Microsoft Teams have become indispensable for remote teams, aiding communication and productivity.

On April 15, Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZM) unraveled Zoom Workplace, its AI-enhanced collaboration platform, featuring novel functionalities aimed at enhancing teamwork, fostering connections, and increasing productivity. This release by Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZM) follows closely after the company's prior announcement, affirming its dedication to delivering a reimagined platform tailored to modern collaborative needs.

On April 11, Fortinet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FTNT) and International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM) collaborated to introduce a virtual appliance designed to safeguard enterprise traffic and data cloud networks. Named the Fortinet Virtual FortiGate Security Appliance (vFSA) on IBM Cloud, this solution extends the security functionalities of FortiGate next-generation firewalls (NGFW) across the IBM Cloud network. Equipped with advanced threat protection capabilities, the vFSA can thoroughly inspect application traffic across the network, identifying and blocking potential threats or suspicious activities. It also utilizes AI-based inline malware prevention and advanced sandboxing techniques to detect and neutralize unknown and zero-day threats effectively. Additionally, it provides the ability to monitor and filter network traffic for remote access and offers visibility into newly connected devices, such as IoT devices, according to statements from Fortinet, Inc. (NASDAQ:FTNT) and International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM).

Given this context, lets proceed to our list of 30 Best Countries for Digital Nomads.

30 Best Countries for Digital Nomads

A software developer looking out a window while confidently typing away on their laptop.

Methodology

To rank 30 top destinations for digital nomads, we surveyed countries offering digital nomad/freelance/remote work visas and identified the top 30 among the 50 available options. Our selection process was guided by four primary metrics, with data sourced from various reputable sources:

Human Development Insights Index (UNDP): This metric evaluates a country's overall well-being, considering factors such as health, education, and income.

Personal Income Tax Rates (Trading Economics & PwC): We assessed the tax friendliness of each country to determine its attractiveness for remote workers.

Cost of Living (Livingcost.org): Insights into the affordability of daily expenses were crucial in our evaluation.

Internet Speed Index (Speedtest): Connectivity and digital activity are vital for remote workers, making internet speed a key factor.

Each metric carried equal weight in our evaluation process. We assigned points to each country based on the favorability of the data obtained. Starting from 0 in cases where data was unavailable, points increased incrementally based on the degree of favorability, with higher scores indicating a more favorable ranking.

To determine the final ranking, we summed up the scores obtained from each metric for every country. The country with the highest cumulative score secured the top position, signifying it as the best country for digital nomads.

30 Best Countries for Digital Nomads

30. Albania

HDI Value: 0.789

Tax: 23%

Cost of Living: $795

Internet Speed Mbps: 61.29

To apply for the Albania Digital Nomad Visa, individuals must meet specific criteria. Applicants must be of a nationality eligible for a long-term visa in Albania, work remotely for a foreign employer, and earn a minimum income of at least $9,800 per year.

29. Germany

HDI Value: 0.95

Tax: 45%

Cost of Living: $1581

Internet Speed Mbps: 91.73

In Germany, there are two main visa categories for individuals wishing to work independently. The Freelance Employment Visa "Freiberufler" is designed for freelancers who contribute to the German economy, such as artists, writers, independent medical practitioners, engineers, language teachers, interpreters, auditors, and architects. Alternatively, the Self-Employment Visa "Selbstandiger" caters to those initiating a business, sole proprietors, or managing representatives of a corporation, where their business endeavors provide economic benefits to Germany.

28. Cyprus

HDI Value: 0.907

Tax: 35%

Cost of Living: $1531

Internet Speed Mbps: 90.98

The Cyprus digital nomad visa, known as the "Digital Nomad Visa Scheme," allows nationals from non-EU and non-EEA countries to temporarily reside in Cyprus while working remotely for an employer registered abroad or being self-employed with foreign clients.

27. Croatia

HDI Value: 0.878

Tax: 30%

Cost of Living: $1140

Internet Speed Mbps: 71.08

Croatia offers digital nomad residence permit that allows non-EU/EEA citizens to live and work remotely in Croatia for up to 1 year. It is available to remote workers who are either self-employed, freelancers, or employed by a company outside of Croatia.

26. Costa Rica

HDI Value: 0.806

Tax: 25%

Cost of Living: $1156

Internet Speed Mbps: 92.92

Costa Rica's digital nomad visa allows remote workers to legally stay and work in Costa Rica for up to two years, offering benefits such as a one-year stay extendable to two years, exemption from income tax in Costa Rica, the ability to open a national bank account, and no customs tax on necessary work-related tech.

25. Turkey

HDI Value: 0.855

Tax: 40%

Cost of Living: $724

Internet Speed Mbps: 43.1

Turkey's digital nomad visa program offers remote workers the opportunity to live and work in the country. To apply for this visa, applicants need to meet specific requirements, including being a citizen of an eligible country, having a valid passport, proof of health insurance, proof of income, and completing the application process, which involves gathering necessary documents and submitting an application either from their home country or residence.

24. Mauritius

HDI Value: 0.796

Tax: 20%

Cost of Living: $772

Internet Speed Mbps: 51.77

The Mauritius digital nomad visa, also known as the "Premium Visa," allows remote workers to live in Mauritius for up to one year, with the option to renew. To be eligible for this visa, applicants must meet specific requirements, including having a valid passport, working remotely for a company outside Mauritius, earning a minimum of $1,500 per month.

23. Czech Republic

HDI Value: 0.895

Tax: 23%

Cost of Living: $1199

Internet Speed Mbps: 69.77

The Czech Republic offers a digital nomad visa program that allows remote employees and freelancers in the IT field from eight countries to live in the country for up to three years. The initial visa is valid for one year and can be renewed as a residence permit for two years. Applicants can include immediate family members in their applications, but spouses and dependents are not allowed to seek local employment in the country during their stay.

22. Uruguay

HDI Value: 0.83

Tax: 36%

Cost of Living: $1202

Internet Speed Mbps: 134.24

The Uruguay digital nomad visa, officially known as the "permiso de residencia para nomades digitales," allows self-employed individuals or remote workers to legally live and work in Uruguay for an initial period of just under 6 months, with the possibility of renewal for a further 6 months. To qualify for this visa, applicants must demonstrate their employment with a company located outside Uruguay, provide essential documents like a valid passport, a clean criminal record, health insurance, a vaccination certificate, and proof of sufficient income to cover living expenses during their stay.

21. Portugal

HDI Value: 0.874

Tax: 48%

Cost of Living: $1286

Internet Speed Mbps: 173.57

Portugal offers visa to remote workers in two forms: a temporary stay visa valid for 1 year with multiple entries and a long-term visa valid for 4 months, exchangeable for a 2-year residence permit. The benefits include the right to reside in Portugal, low cost and effort, and the prospect of EU citizenship and visa-free travel across Europe. To apply, candidates must submit their documents to a Portuguese consulate and pay a processing fee, taking around 2-3 months for approval.

20. Estonia

HDI Value: 0.899

Tax: 20%

Cost of Living: $1204

Internet Speed Mbps: 85.37

Estonia offers a digital nomad visa allowing remote workers to live and work in Estonia for up to a year while being employed by foreign companies or working as freelancers. The visa can be issued for a period of up to 12 months.

19. Norway

HDI Value: 0.966

Tax: 39.6%

Cost of Living: $1924

Internet Speed Mbps: 132.44

The Norway digital nomad visa allows remote workers and freelancers to legally reside in Norway for up to 2 years, provided they meet income and employment requirements. The application process involves either applying at a Norwegian embassy/consulate or, if already in Norway, at a local police station. The visa processing time is around 4 months.

18. Malta

HDI Value: 0.915

Tax: 35%

Cost of Living: $1504

Internet Speed Mbps: 115.13

Malta Nomad Residence Permit program is designed to attract remote workers and digital nomads to Malta. To qualify for this visa, applicants must be third-country nationals who can work remotely through telecommunications.

17. Colombia

HDI Value: 0.758

Tax: 39%

Cost of Living: $735

Internet Speed Mbps: 135.17

Colombia's digital nomad visa is tailored for foreigners aiming to live and work remotely in Colombia temporarily. Eligibility requires applicants to hold a passport from a country exempt from short-stay visas, be employed by a foreign company, and plan to stay in Colombia for more than 90 days. Additionally, applicants must demonstrate a recent income at least three times the Current Minimum Legal Monthly Wage, roughly $684.

16. Panama

HDI Value: 0.82

Tax: 25%

Cost of Living: $1198

Internet Speed Mbps: 151.14

Panama introduced the "Short-Stay Visa for Remote Workers" in May 2021, targeting employees, freelancers, or business owners working remotely with clients outside of Panama. Key requirements include a valid passport with at least three months remaining, proof of remote employment or business activity, a minimum annual income of $36,000 USD, and valid health insurance with coverage in Panama.

15. Latvia

HDI Value: 0.879

Tax: 31%

Cost of Living: $1069

Internet Speed Mbps: 92.26

Latvia has launched a digital nomad visa for remote workers and freelancers from OECD countries, allowing them to live and work remotely in Latvia for up to one year, with the possibility of renewal for an additional year. To qualify for this visa, applicants must be citizens or residents of an OECD country and be employed by or own a business registered in an OECD country, with at least six months of employment or business registration prior to applying.

14. Montenegro

HDI Value: 0.844

Tax: 15%

Cost of Living: $972

Internet Speed Mbps: 88.81

The Montenegro digital nomad visa, also known as the Program for Attracting Digital Nomads in Montenegro, is designed for remote workers who want to live and work in Montenegro. The visa is anticipated to be fully implemented in 2023, offering favorable opportunities for remote workers in terms of length of stay, tax benefits, and more.

13. Spain

HDI Value: 0.911

Tax: 47%

Cost of Living: $1383

Internet Speed Mbps: 217.3

Spain introduced a digital nomad visa in January 2023 under its Startup Act, aiming to attract remote workers and entrepreneurs to the country. The visa is available to non-EU/EEA citizens who are remotely employed or self-employed freelancers for companies outside of Spain. Eligibility requires applicants to have at least a bachelor's degree or three years of relevant work experience.

12. Peru

HDI Value: 0.762

Tax: 30%

Cost of Living: $765

Internet Speed Mbps: 137.58

Peru's recent introduction of a digital nomad visa aims to attract international professionals looking to combine work and travel. This one-year visa, extendable for those who qualify, is designed for non-residents working for companies based outside of Peru. To apply, candidates must provide a valid passport, proof of employment, evidence of income, and health insurance, among other documents. This initiative not only enhances Peru's appeal as a destination for digital nomads but also contributes to the local economy by promoting cultural exchange and tourism.

11. Argentina

HDI Value: 0.849

Tax: 35%

Cost of Living: $563

Internet Speed Mbps: 80.88

Argentina's digital nomad visa, launched in May 2022, allows remote workers to reside in the country for up to 180 days with the option for a similar extension. Applicants must prove sufficient foreign income and secure health insurance.

10. Canada

HDI Value: 0.935

Tax: 33%

Cost of Living: $2042

Internet Speed Mbps: 198.22

Canada is introducing a digital nomad visa to attract international digital workers. This visa will allow digital nomads to live in Canada while working remotely for foreign companies or running their own digital businesses. Eligibility for the Canadian Digital Nomad Visa includes being employed remotely by an international company, working as a blogger, YouTuber, freelancer, or running an e-commerce platform, and generating income from non-Canadian sources.

9. Brazil

HDI Value: 0.76

Tax: 27.5%

Cost of Living: $754

Internet Speed Mbps: 158.57

Brazil's digital nomad visa, established in January 2022, is designed for remote workers who are employed by non-Brazilian companies. This visa allows applicants to reside in Brazil for a year, with the possibility of renewal for an additional year. To qualify, applicants must demonstrate a monthly income of at least $1,500 or possess a minimum of $18,000 in bank funds. The application process involves submitting a visa form, a valid passport, proof of remote work, health insurance that is valid in Brazil, and a clean criminal background check.

8. South Korea

HDI Value: 0.929

Tax: 45%

Cost of Living: $1118

Internet Speed Mbps: 160.59

South Korea has recently introduced a digital nomad visa, officially known as the "Workation Visa," allowing international remote workers to reside and work in the country for up to two years. To be eligible for this visa, applicants must be remote workers employed by a foreign company, earning at least double South Koreas gross national income per capita from the previous year, which was approximately $64,000 in 2023.

7. Iceland

HDI Value: 0.959

Tax: 35%

Cost of Living: $2518

Internet Speed Mbps: 242.94

The Iceland Digital Nomad Visa allows individuals from non-EEA/EFTA countries, with a visa-free travel agreement with Iceland, to work remotely from Iceland for up to six months. Applicants must demonstrate a monthly income of around $7,700 and provide proof of health insurance. The visa, which does not allow for extensions, offers benefits such as no requirement to pay Icelandic income tax and the ability to experience Iceland's high quality of life and stunning natural environments.

6. Malaysia

HDI Value: 0.807

Tax: 30%

Cost of Living: $582

Internet Speed Mbps: 114

Malaysia's digital nomad visa, known as the "DE Rantau Nomad Pass," allows remote workers to live in Malaysia for 3 to 12 months, with a possibility for renewal. Eligible applicants must demonstrate a remote work arrangement in the digital sector and meet a minimum annual income requirement of $24,000. The application process is fully online and includes submitting a valid passport, proof of income, a clean criminal record, and appropriate health or travel insurance.

Click to continue reading and see 5 Best Countries for Digital Nomads.

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Disclosure: None. 30 Best Countries for Digital Nomads. is originally published on Insider Monkey.
Calculating the amount of paint the Berkheimer family has spread, brushed, sprayed and distributed over York County and beyond over the past 63 years is difficult to estimate. Gallons, upwards of hundreds of thousands, have coated the interiors and exteriors of homes and businesses alike, as well as vehicles.

Equally colorful is the familys entrepreneurial story, now spanning four generations and encompassing the mid-Atlantic region from a home base of York County.

What began as R.F. Berkheimer & Sons in 1961 morphed into todays BAPS (Berkheimer Auto Paints & Supply) and, heading into the fourth generation, there are five additional businesses branching out from the family tree.

Eight family members gathered recently to share their reflections and insights, their memories and stories weaving together, painting a picture of their journey.

From the left, Dottie Berkheimer listens while her husband Ray talks about how his father started the business. Daughter Sharon Hogue and grandson Andrew Hogue look on.

The secret to their success can be summarized in one word, said 89-year-old family patriarch Raymond Ray Berkheimer: trust.

The word trust is a word that you cant imagine how powerful it is, he said, referencing two types of trust: Developing trusted relationships with customers, while entrusting the fate of their business into Gods hands. He learned both of those ideals from his father, also Raymond, for whom the company  R.F. Berkheimer & Sons  was named.

He was very perfect in what he did, said Ray, and that came along with us, and we want to instill it as far as this company can go.

In 2023, BAPS hit the milestone of $50 million in gross sales, with a workforce of 270 employees. Its a vision that certainly R.F. Berkheimer nor his son Ray could have imagined during the family business humble beginnings.

The Berkheimer painting company vehicles in the 1960s.

A twinkle in their eye

Back when R. F. Berkheimer & Sons  and its trajectory  were barely a twinkle in R.F. or his son Rays eyes, the company launched as a residential painting business.

[My father] loved painting, said Ray. I can still see him carrying an extension ladder on his back, going to work, his brushes on his bucket.

It was a vision Ray and his older brother Bob admired, so as soon as they were old enough, they were hired, putting the sons into R.F. Berkheimer & Sons. They were following in their fathers footsteps  or maybe more appropriately, in their fathers brushstrokes. Back in the 1960s painting was done the old-fashioned way, with paintbrushes. But that was about to change.

We were painting a house, Ray recalled, and I said to my brother, Isnt there a faster way to painting than these brushes? It was hurting my hand, Ray said.

Story continues

The brothers conspired to buy a paint roller.

Dad wont be here till later  we could have half this house painted, Ray recalled them saying.

Sure enough, the brothers paint job went much quicker.

Late in the afternoon, dad came down around the house, and I said, Uh-oh, here comes dad  hang in there  I dont know whats going to happen, Ray said.

When R.F. came around that corner, he called Ray by his nickname, as was his habit, saying a long, drawn-out, Boy.

The family credits their faith for how they value trust and credibility in their relationship with customers. A sign 'GOD IS OUR SOURCE' hangs over a whiteboard in their conference room.

But he started to grin and smile, Ray recalled, And he said, Well, I guess we just started to use the rollers.

Today, it may be difficult to fathom how something as simple as paint rollers could be considered innovative, but that was the first step in the companys growth. Not long after that, the brothers convinced their father to invest in paint sprayers. Then Ray approached his father about taking the business to another level  by investing thousands of dollars in an aerial platform truck.

He said, Boy, thats a lot of money  what if it doesnt go? And I said, Dad, honestly if you dont want to do it, if youre afraid to invest, I dont want you to be hurt. But if you can trust me, Ill put everything into seeing this over  that we can continue on, Ray recalled. So he breathed with a sigh, I guess well go and continue on.

Their work not only continued but increased exponentially through the 1960s and '70s to encompass more commercial work, including warehouses, ceilings and barns.

All the while, Rays wife Dottie served as secretary for R.F. Berkheimer & Sons, directly from their home on Lewisberry Road.

But by the late '70s, the family was ready to take a leap of faith.

Work was getting hard  we were in our 40s, said Ray, who had a realization. I believe it is easier to sell paint than it is to put paint on  lets pray about it. Lets see if God [provides]  every door has to open up. That was my dads motto, taken out of Revelations.

BAPS is born

In 1979, a new business was born  BAPS Auto Paints & Supply  ushering in a new third-generation of Berkheimers.

The family business was always our life  we couldnt wait to work. I started the day after I graduated, said Sharon Hogue, now 56, daughter of Ray and Dottie.

She shared the first day at BAPS with her brother, Dean Berkheimer, now 62. Transition was in the air.

We had no desire to paint houses or climb on roofs, said Dean, Painting [as a business] was starting to taper off because of aluminum siding. That lasted forever and paint didnt  thats why the transition.

BAPS used hatchbacks of the era to deliver paint in the 1980s. Here, two vehicles are parked in front of the original store on Lewisberry Road.

The family began building a strong relationship with PPG brand automotive paints, which still exists today.

We decided to buy an inventory of auto paint, turn our shed into a store and start to sell paint  and not one of us knew anything about it at first, said Dean, laughing. He still remembers BAPS first sale  a gallon of black automotive paint that cost Manchesters Quigley Motor Company a total of $19.95. That same gallon of acrylic enamel would go for about $400 today.

Talk about humble beginnings  that first BAPS store was located in a little white shed at 2770 Lewisberry Road, just north of York. Dean and Sharon, with their sister Tammy, began learning the business alongside Ray, Dottie and Bob  each of them taking on specific roles.

Ray, with his contacts throughout the community, got the word out and introduced customers to the new BAPS brand.

Dad [Ray] worked super hard and prayed that the money came in, recalled Sharon.

In addition to working full-time at BAPS, Dean worked at area body shops by night for about 20 years to expand his knowledge of the industry.

I ended up knowing what I was talking about [in order to sell paint to our customers], said Dean, who also took advantage of every class and training that PPG offered.

I was on the aggressive side like dad [Ray], always looking for the new stuff [in the industry], Dean said.

The original BAPS store as it looks today.

Dottie was often the face of the business. Behind the wheel of a tiny Ford Fiesta, she delivered automotive paint to customers far and wide. This was well before the time of GPS, and she developed a keen sense of direction, learning York and Adams counties roadways like the back of her hand.

Sharon worked her way up through the family business, from deliveries to sales, purchasing and management.

Dean and I and our sister Tammy  we started to understand the numbers side of how businesses work. What we brought to the team was how to get to the next level and acquire more businesses, said Sharon.

BAPS began to grow within central Pennsylvania  adding locations in Lemoyne and Chambersburg, while establishing the companys headquarters on Loucks Road, through the '80s and '90s into the 21st century. Ray, Dottie and Bob retired in 2000, leaving Dean and Sharon at the helm as CEO and president, respectively.

Sales were flat for a long time, so in 2012, we made our first acquisition in Massachusetts, said Dean.

Today, BAPS is established throughout the mid-Atlantic region with 11 paint stores, including four in Virginia. Their fleet of colorful vehicles, emblazoned with the BAPS logo, crisscrosses York Countys home base regularly  a far cry from Dotties original Ford Fiesta.

We had a lot of trust in PPG  they are the largest now in automotive paint, Dean said.

As BAPS and PPG grew, so did the Berkheimer family. The fourth generation was waiting in the wings.

Various awards given to BAPS over the years are on display at the West Manchester Township office.

The four boys

Austin Hogue  Sharons son  has vivid childhood memories of his grandparents and great-uncle Bob, intertwined with the business. He remembers Dotties daily lunches, prepared for the BAPS crew.

Additionally, Ray and Bob would pray for the business every morning, said Austin, now 32, adding that those family mealtimes and prayers are the stuff that makes family business fun.

Today, Austin is one of the four boys as the family refers to the fourth generation of Berkheimer leadership. In addition to Austin and his brother Andrew Hogue, 28, there are Deans sons  Brett Berkheimer, 32, and Tim Berkheimer, 36. The two sets of brothers  all cousins  have now evolved into their various roles within the family business.

Brett serves as CEO of BAPS while Austin is president, Andrew is secretary, and Tim is treasurer. All four are equal co-owners  part of a 10-year succession plan that Dean and Sharon put into place to ensure a seamless transition into their retirement, planned for January of 2025.

Our grandchildren  these are the boys  they have always gotten along well and love to be together, said Dottie. Scripturally, God is our source  thats what we live by. Theyre the ones doing the selling, but God is the source.

And thats where Brett and Tim found their sweet spot  in BAPS sales. But the four boys have also developed and brought new businesses into the family portfolio.

We were trying to find and hone in on the skill sets of all the kids, said Sharon.

About 10 years ago, Sharon and Dean took the first step toward diversifying the company  and it became a perfect fit for Andrew.

Tim had the idea to get into the equipment business  he noticed a lot of body shops needed equipment, and there was nobody targeting the equipment needs of body shops, Andrew said.

As a result, the family purchased a longtime Harrisburg-based company, renaming it DownForce Air Solutions. Its focused on selling and maintaining air compressors and other equipment.

Dotties Family Market on April 4, 2024.

Turning Hake's into Dottie's

Meanwhile, in his daily commutes from his home in the Dover area to BAPS headquarters on Loucks Road, Austin noticed a popular mom-and-pop grocery store that was always busy.

I fell in love with it  there was a certain charm to it, said Austin. He began developing a vision of how he would transform the property.

In 2019, when the family realized the busy corner property was for sale, they backed Austins plan.

They purchased and transformed Hakes Grocery Store into Dotties Family Market  you guessed it  renamed in honor of Austins grandmother, known for her cooking and hospitality. Within the property, at the intersection of Canal and Bull Roads, the family also continued operations of a gas station, greenhouse and small strip center where Austin opened The Hive Coffee House and Cafe. Since then, the family business has also enveloped a popular nearby crab shack, renaming it Dotties Crab Shack, at 2899 Carlisle Road.

Overseeing the suite of food-related businesses, and managing Dotties Family Market, Austin prides himself on building relationships with a wide variety of locally produced foods and products to set the hometown stores offerings apart from big box stores.

Its a good fit for Austin  hes more of a builder  those are his gifts, said mom Sharon.

But the family is quick to give credit to the strength of their team of employees.

I think one of the key things was we had two BAPS people in management that had years of experience in the grocery industry. The banks probably would not have supported us without those key people, said Sharon.

Another employee connection resulted in the familys next business.

It all stems from Dotties and meeting great people in the local community, said Austin.

Tabby McCabe, manager of The Hive, mentioned that her husband was savvy in IT issues and could help Dotties deli scales communicate properly with the stores computer system. Tyler McCabe not only resolved those issues, but others as well.

We had a conversation  where all great conversations happen  at Round the Clock Diner, said Austin, and we asked if hed be willing to work for us and provide services to other customers.

And that launched EnTrust IT Solutions, in late 2023.

We believed in the person  thats what all businesses come down to, said Brett. And we wanted to use that word, trust, in the name.

He gestures toward a wall, in the conference room where the family is gathered, at BAPS headquarters. There are five framed words hanging on the wall  integrity, teamwork, innovation, profitability, and service to others.

A lot of companies come up with those, but BAPS is 100% behind all of those, said Brett.

Dean calls them the companys guiding principles.

Weve made a lot of corporate decisions here  and its easy to go off the path, but those signs keep you in line, Dean said. We made it 45 years, from 1979 to today, by not going away from that.

Family is their foundation  in both work and play. The family often vacations together, goes hunting and fishing, and even races go-karts together.

Not all of their decisions have been easy, and the path hasnt always been clear. The Berkheimers have thought of each new business as a door opening  said Andrew  and some potential doors have actually closed.

Instead of fighting it, we took a step back and God kept us protected [from making bad business decisions], Andrew said.

There have been a lot of tears in every single business at some point, Austin said.

And he should know  the fate of Dotties Family Market is currently in the hands of PennDOT. Thats because the intersection has become so busy  thanks in part to nearby growing warehousing  that part of Dotties property may be seized under eminent domain to make way for a traffic signal or roundabout.

Dottie's at a crossroads: Warehouse, roundabout, eminent domain talk swirls around market

We will work through it  whether it means them taking and tearing down the store or rebuilding, said Austin. But until then, were going to keep going on and continuing to serve the community at Dotties.

The familys improbable entrepreneurial path, including his grandfather R.F. starting from nothing, is something Dean has been reflecting on as he counts down to retirement.

When we took over, said Dean, referring to his and Sharons time at BAPS, there was a 15% chance of success rate for third-generation businesses. For fourth-generation businesses, there is none. Its point zero zero something.

Even though the original R.F. Berkheimer & Sons painting business has given way to BAPS and new businesses, all of the businesses are technically under the umbrella name  still  of R.F. Berkheimer & Sons. And that makes Ray proud.

There are no words that you can find that brings forth what you see, said Ray. Due to the fact that they kept the corporate name from my father, and then seeing  adding  my children and their children, making the Berkheimer name stand out, my heart is just overwhelmed.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: The Berkheimers built business empire spanning paint to IT to Dottie's
LaylaBird / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Florida has long been considered one of the most ideal places to retire.

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Find Out: Owe Money to the IRS? Most People Dont Realize They Should Do This One Thing

It ranks second behind Maine in terms of states with the highest percentage of residents 65 and older, according to the Population Reference Bureau. And its the top state in terms of where retirees move to, based on analysis by United Van Lines.

However, whats popular isnt always whats best. Figuring out the ideal place for retirement is subjective, but its important to consider how factors such as rising costs in Florida  particularly cities like Miami  can make the Sunshine State less appealing to some retirees.

There are many aspects to consider when determining where one should retire, such as climate, lifestyle, cost of living, family and taxes, said Amy Hamasaki, owner and lead planner at Mountain Wealth Planning.

While Florida has traditionally been a beacon for retirees for the ample sunshine and lack of state [income] taxation, the cost of living has risen sharply, notably homeowners insurance premiums.

With that in mind, consider the following list of Hamasakis recommended locations that could offer a better place to spend your golden years.

Eifel Kreutz / Getty Images/iStockphoto

The Carolinas

Living in either North Carolina or South Carolina requires less income than in Florida to enjoy a comfortable retirement lifestyle, according to a recent GOBankingRates analysis.

Plus, you can enjoy a bit more seasonality and less extreme summers. According to Hamasaki, the Carolinas offer both affordability and pleasant climates.

Something that stands out about North Carolina is that it has 17 Certified Retirement Communities.

These communities [provide] the amenities, services and opportunities retirees need to enjoy active and productive lives, determined through strict assessment against measurable criteria, explains Retire NC, part of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina.

South Carolina is full of options for retirees as well, from resort-like living in Hilton Head or Myrtle Beach (the top city in the nation for retirees to move to, finds United Van Lines), to charming cities like Charleston and Greenville that have vibrant food scenes.

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Checubus / Shutterstock.com

Minnesota

Minnesota might not scream retirement destination right off the bat, but the state is more affordable than Florida for retirees, according to GOBankingRates analysis.

Story continues

While winters certainly get cold in Minnesota, the Land of 10,000 Lakes is great for nature lovers who dream of a retirement full of outdoor recreation. In fact, 99% of seniors in Minneapolis live within a 10-minute walk of a park, according to the Trust for Public Land.

But perhaps what really makes Minnesota a draw is its healthcare offerings. In addition to being home to the top-ranked Mayo Clinic hospital, Minnesota earns high marks for healthcare cost, quality and availability for seniors.

For example, the state takes the #1 spot in MedicareGuide.coms rankings of top states for elderly healthcare.

For You: Tony Robbins: 5 Retirement Planning Tips He Swears By

Jim Lambert / Shutterstock.com

Colorado

Hamasakis home state of Colorado also makes her list of some of the top places to retire.

To be fair, Colorado overall is generally not considered cheaper than Florida  GOBankingRates found youd need a little over $2,000 more per year in retirement income in Colorado than in Florida.

However, its worth noting that affordability varies based on your situation. For example, if you have a significant amount of retirement assets in a Roth account, then Floridas lack of individual income taxes may not be as appealing.

In contrast, Colorados low property tax rate could save you money if you plan on owning a home. The states effective property tax rate is 0.55%, which ranks third best in the nation, while Florida is around the middle of the pack at 0.91%, according to a Tax Foundation analysis.

Plus, Colorado has a lot going for it in terms of quality of life. For example, Colorado tends to rank at or near the top of most rankings for the most physically fit states.

Shutterstock.com

Abroad

If you want to potentially save money while enjoying a great quality of life, you can also consider retiring outside of the U.S.

Looking abroad, Costa Rica, Portugal, and Malta are some of the countries that are considered wallet-friendly, relatively safe, [have good] access to healthcare and offer retirement visa programs, said Hamasaki.

According to data from My Life Elsewhere, for example, Florida is nearly 50% more expensive than Costa Rica.

Overall, there are many great places to consider retiring to besides just Florida. Some people may still find that Florida fits their desired retirement lifestyle and budget, but dont feel like your options are limited.

There are many other cities, states and even countries that offer opportunities to enjoy an affordable, fun retirement.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 4 Places To Retire That Are Better Than Florida  and Way Cheaper




Image source: Getty Images

I'm a fan of traveling and often find myself flying to my destinations. When I buy plane tickets, I avoid purchasing airfare classified as "basic economy." While the rates offered may be more affordable, this ticket type has several restrictions. Because of this, I aim to buy regular economy tickets instead of basic economy airfare. Here are a few reasons I steer clear of basic economy.

1. I want to avoid paying for a carry-on bag

Some airlines allow travelers who purchase a basic economy ticket to bring a personal item and a carry-on bag at no extra cost. But that's not the case with all airlines.

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United, for example, doesn't include a carry-on bag with its basic economy fare. Since I rarely check a bag when flying, I purchase economy airfare instead of basic economy so I can bring a carry-on bag without paying more. Why? Extra costs like bag fees add up and impact my checking account.

2. I want to choose an aisle seat

When flying, I feel most comfortable sitting in an aisle seat. I feel slightly claustrophobic when in a window seat with two strangers in the way of aisle access, and as you might imagine, I prefer not to be in a middle seat. Plus, I feel more at ease knowing I can get up to go to the bathroom without disturbing my fellow seatmates.

Most major airlines in the United States don't allow passengers traveling on a basic economy ticket to select their own seats when booking their flights. Instead, you'll be assigned a seat at boarding. Booking an economy ticket gives me more control over what seat I end up with when flying.

3. I value flexibility

Many airlines also restrict cancellations when buying basic economy fares. You may be unable to make changes or be charged a fee to cancel your flight. It's important to me to have the option to change my flight if needed, so I avoid booking basic economy fares.

4. I don't want to board the plane last

Most airlines that offer basic economy assign passengers with this ticket type to board the plane in later boarding groups. While I don't need to board the plane early, I prefer to have room left in an overhead compartment for my carry-on bag, so I'm not forced to check it.

There's no guarantee that the overhead bins near my seat won't be full, but purchasing a regular economy ticket allows me to get on the plane a little sooner and increases the odds of having room for my bag.

Do this before booking basic economy tickets

For some travelers, the price of a basic economy ticket may be the best option for their budgets. A good deal is a win for your wallet! If you need to book basic economy fare, here's what to do:

Story continues

Review all the terms and conditions, so you know what to expect. This way, there are no costly surprises on travel day. It's also wise to compare ticket options across multiple carriers to choose the ideal airline and ticket type for your needs.

You won't likely be able to change your ticket after booking. Because of this, you may want to wait until closer to your intended departure date to book your tickets.

If you feel confident the trip will happen regardless of life or schedule changes, you may prefer to book earlier to secure a lower price. Free tools like Google Flights allow you to compare prices across many carriers quickly.

Keep your finances in mind

If a basic economy price is the best option for your budget, you should go for it. You should only buy a pricier ticket if it's within your budget to do so, or you could rack up expensive credit card debt. When reviewing airfare prices, consider your personal finances to choose the best ticket for your needs.

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We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

4 Reasons I Never Fly Basic Economy was originally published by The Motley Fool
Key Insights

Institutions' substantial holdings in Nexxen International implies that they have significant influence over the company's share price

A total of 4 investors have a majority stake in the company with 56% ownership

Using data from analyst forecasts alongside ownership research, one can better assess the future performance of a company

To get a sense of who is truly in control of Nexxen International Ltd. (LON:NEXN), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. And the group that holds the biggest piece of the pie are institutions with 49% ownership. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk).

Given the vast amount of money and research capacities at their disposal, institutional ownership tends to carry a lot of weight, especially with individual investors. Therefore, a good portion of institutional money invested in the company is usually a huge vote of confidence on its future.

Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Nexxen International, beginning with the chart below.

Check out our latest analysis for Nexxen International

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Nexxen International?

Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.

As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Nexxen International. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Nexxen International's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

It would appear that 14% of Nexxen International shares are controlled by hedge funds. That catches my attention because hedge funds sometimes try to influence management, or bring about changes that will create near term value for shareholders. Mithaq Capital is currently the largest shareholder, with 25% of shares outstanding. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 14% and 10%, of the shares outstanding, respectively. Furthermore, CEO Ofer Druker is the owner of 3.2% of the company's shares.

Our research also brought to light the fact that roughly 56% of the company is controlled by the top 4 shareholders suggesting that these owners wield significant influence on the business.

While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily.

Insider Ownership Of Nexxen International

While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO.

I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions.

We can report that insiders do own shares in Nexxen International Ltd.. As individuals, the insiders collectively own UK19m worth of the UK326m company. Some would say this shows alignment of interests between shareholders and the board. But it might be worth checking if those insiders have been selling.

General Public Ownership

With a 25% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Nexxen International. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

Public Company Ownership

We can see that public companies hold 6.1% of the Nexxen International shares on issue. It's hard to say for sure but this suggests they have entwined business interests. This might be a strategic stake, so it's worth watching this space for changes in ownership.

Next Steps:

I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too.

Many find it useful to take an in depth look at how a company has performed in the past. You can access this detailed graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
French hospitality group Accors TRIBE brand has entered the Baltic States with the opening of TRIBE Riga City Centre in Riga, Latvia's capital city.

The new hotel is situated in the Art Nouveau district, a location close to cultural hotspots and 9km from Riga International Airport.

It is designed to serve both leisure and business travellers, offering 81 rooms with city or courtyard views and pet-friendly options on request.

TRIBE Riga City Centre is equipped with modern amenities such as rain showers, personal steamers, and Kevin Murphy products in the bathrooms.

The hotel's curated spaces are tailored for guests to rest, work, play, or stay.

Accor premium, midscale and economy division Europe North Africa chief development officer Philippe Bijaoui said: TRIBE is a brand with incredible potential, particularly in Europe. There is a big market for travellers who crave stylish and modern hotels, giving them more for less.

Its a great example of what we are doing across our portfolio to make our hotels community hubs that appeal to those in the local neighbourhood, as much as those visiting from afar; and that strategy will bring huge benefits for owners in terms of ancillary revenues and the value of their assets, alongside breaking the glass ceiling for rates within the midscale brands.

Since its inception in Australia in 2017, TRIBE has a philosophy of providing 'more for less'  a design element that is claimed to unify stylish yet affordable hospitality services.

The Riga launch further deepens the brands European presence.

TRIBE anticipates the opening of more than 40 hotels in the next five years, with the majority of these new properties to be located in Europe.

Upcoming European openings for TRIBE include properties in TRIBE Paris Clichy, TRIBE Paris Pantin, TRIBE Manchester Airport, and TRIBE Dusseldorf later this year.

The expansion will continue with openings slated for TRIBE Budapest Airport and TRIBE Krakow Stare Miasto next year, as well as TRIBE Mainz in 2026.

Earlier this month, Accor expanded its portfolio in Brisbane, Australia, by operating Mercure Brisbane Spring Hill under a management agreement with the Singh family, the hotel's owners.

This hotel formerly operated independently as Pacific Hotel Brisbane.

"Accors TRIBE-branded hotel launches in Riga, Latvia" was originally created and published by Hotel Management Network, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
AEP Ohio is asking state regulators to sign off on a new plan to deal with the surge in data centers in central Ohio that is expected to eat up so much electricity in coming years that demand for power in the region will be similar to all of Manhattan.

The power company on Monday asked the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to require data centers to make a 10-year commitment to pay for a minimum of 90% of the electricity they request, even if they use less.

AEP says the new rate structure would also apply to cryptocurrency mining operations.

"In order to protect AEP Ohio customers and future economic development in its service territory, the company wants to help ensure that any large-scale transmission investment is right-sized to serve load that will show up at the time it is committed to show up," AEP Ohio said in a filing with the PUCO.

"This approach should help mitigate any risks that the load may not show up at the level and time indicated or that facilities will be overbuilt to serve the actual load that develops."

An unmarked data center and electric substation are under construction April 20, 2024. The reconstruction of Jug Street is visible at right.

Demand for computing power from data centers, which require enormous amounts of electricity, is being fueled by artificial intelligence and other new technologies. AEP Ohio is seeing unprecedented demand from data center customers, especially in the central Ohio area," Marc Reitter, AEP Ohio president and chief operating officer, said in a prepared release.

"While we see no concerns serving current or new residential and existing commercial or industrial customers, we need to ensure that the right long-term investments are made to the electric grid," Reitter said. "We need accurate plans and solid commitments from large data center customers so the right facilities are built at the right time. This will help us keep Ohio open for business for all industries, while making sure customers arent paying for unused infrastructure.

AEP said adding large users will require investment in new extra-high voltage transmission lines needed to bring more power to the region. Those lines can take seven to 10 years to plan and construct.

Historically, AEP said load growth was expected to be 1%-2% year over year. Now the utility is forecasting average growth closer to 20% a year.

"AEP has signed agreements that will nearly double the amount of load served in Ohio in just over five years time," the company said in the filing.

"The development of new transmission facilities to serve a new, significant amount of load is dependent upon the customers commitment to bringing such large loads online. The amount of investment required to connect in the amount of load already signed is a fraction of the cost required to connect the next batch of large hyperscale loads waiting to connect to the network."

Story continues

AEP's transmission system in central Ohio is serving about 600 megawatts of load  enough to power as many as 250,000 homes  from data centers. That's all come since 2017.

Since then Amazon, Google, Facebook and other companies have built data centers in the region. Amazon last summer announced a $7.8-billion expansion of its data service operations in central Ohio.

AEP has agreements for new demand from existing and additional customers to add 4,400 megawatts of power to central Ohio by 2030, making total demand for electricity in the region about equal to that of Manhattan, the company said.

The proposed rate commitment is meant to ensure that existing customers don't pay for the needed infrastructure to meet the demand from these new customers, especially if they don't ultimately connect to the system, the company said.

AEP Ohio, a unit of American Electric Power, provides electricity to 1.5 million customers.

mawilliams@dispatch.com

@BizMarkWilliams

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: AEP Ohio rolls out proposal to handle surge in data center power needs
(Bloomberg) -- David Sacks  the Silicon Valley startup investor and podcaster  is launching a new artificial intelligence company for businesses, called Glue.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Founded in 2021, the startup formally debuted its service on Tuesday after months of private testing. The idea is to let AI services to join in specific chats, allowing employees to invite Glues tool to conversations in apps like Google Meet and Zoom.

Sacks, who rose to prominence as a member of the PayPal Mafia, earlier co-founded Yammer, a corporate social-network operator that sold to Microsoft in 2013 for $1.2 billion. Sacks co-founded Glue with Chief Executive Officer Evan Owen, an engineer and a veteran of ServiceMaxs Zinc, another collaboration tool. The company will join a crowded space for AI startups focused on corporate customers.

Glue will be powered by multiple AI models, the company said in a statement. At launch, it will support OpenAIs GPT-4 and Anthropics Claude 3, and will pick the appropriate model depending on the question.

The startup has raised an undisclosed amount of seed funding from Craft Ventures, Sacks venture firm.

Separately, Sacks said Tuesday on Bloomberg Television that Craft participated in the recent funding round for X.ai Corp., the AI company founded by Elon Musk. The two have known each other dating back to their PayPal days.

--With assistance from Edward Ludlow.

(Updates with comments from Bloomberg Television in final paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Image source: The Motley Fool.

Alibaba Group (NYSE: BABA)

Q1 2024 Earnings Call

May 14, 2024, 7:30 a.m. ET

Contents:

Prepared Remarks

Questions and Answers

Call Participants

Prepared Remarks:





Operator

Good day, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for standing by. Welcome to Alibaba Group's March quarter 2024 and full fiscal year 2024 results conference call. At this time, all participants are on listen-only mode.

After management's prepared remarks, there will be a Q&A session. I would now like to turn the call over to Rob Lin, head of investor relations of Alibaba Group. Please go ahead.

Rob Lin -- Head of Investor Relations

Thank you, and good day, everyone. Welcome to Alibaba Group's March quarter and full fiscal year 2024 results conference call. With us are Joe Tsai, chairman; Eddie Wu, chief executive officer; Toby Xu, chief financial officer. We have also invited Jiang Fan, co-chairman and CEO of Alibaba international digital commerce group to join the call.

This call is also being webcasted from the IR section of our corporate website. A replay of this call will be available on our website later today. Now, let me quickly cover the safe harbor. Today's discussion may contain forward-looking statements, including without limitation statements, about our new organization and government structure, Alibaba's plan to convert to primary listing in Hong Kong, Alibaba's strategies and business plans, as well as our belief, expectations, and guidance and -- about our business prospects, such as the future growth of our business revenue and return on investment and share purchases.

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Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results to differ materially from our current expectations. For detailed discussion of these risks and uncertainties, please refer to the latest annual report on the Form 20-F and other documents filed with the U.S. SEC, or announced on the website of Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Any forward-looking statements that we make on this call are based on assumptions as of today, and we do not undertake any obligation to update these statements, except as required under applicable law.

Story continues

Please note that certain financial measures that we use on this call such as adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, adjusted EBITA, adjusted EBITA margin, non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP diluted earnings per share or ADS, and free cash flow are expressed on a non-GAAP basis. Our GAAP results and reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP measures can be found on the earnings call -- earnings press release. Unless otherwise stated, growth rates of all metrics stated during the call refer to year-over-year growth versus same quarter last year. With that, I will turn over to Eddie.

Eddie Wu -- Chief Executive Officer

Hello, everyone. Following several quarters of adjustments and continued user experience enhancement, our core business has gradually returned to healthy growth. The Taobao and Tmall Group achieved double-digit year-over-year growth in GMV this quarter. Alibaba international digital commerce revenue increased by 45%.

Our core public cloud offerings recorded double-digit year-over-year growth in revenue. AI-related revenue increased triple-digit year over year. This quarter's results demonstrate that our strategies are working and we are returning to growth. TTG continued to execute its user-first strategy by creating a system for brands, merchants, and industrial belts to operate efficiently and to meet the diverse needs of China's domestic consumers through a shopping experience that offers quality products at attractive prices supported by exemplary service.

Our investments in driving price competitiveness and elevating the user experience have received positive consumer feedback. We've seen tangible results in progress, strong growth in quarterly buyers, and purchase frequency that has driven robust double-digit growth in GMV, reflecting a continued improvement in consumption and user trust. At the same time, we continue to enhance member benefits and service experience with 88VIP membership members growing by double digits year over year to surpass 35 million. Last quarter, I shared TTG's three key investment areas aimed at enhancing overall capabilities: first, product supply; second, competitive pricing; and third, quality of service.

We are committed to boosting consumption and purchase frequency through these measures, driving further growth. For fiscal year 2025, we expect TTG's GMV will gradually return to healthy growth as our platform's overall shopping experience continues to improve. At the same time, our schedule of launching monetization products will also proceed as planned. In the second half of the fiscal year, we will gradually introduce new monetization mechanisms aligned with new platform algorithms and product features that will further enhance CMR-centered revenue growth.

As we continue to improve platform products and investment tactics under our user-first strategy, we're very confident we will win more consumer trust and maintain our market share leadership. This quarter, we completed adjustments to Alibaba Cloud's product strategy for the AI era, and the quality of our revenue continued to improve. We focused on creating competitive advantages in Alibaba Cloud's technology and scale, and reduced pricing for public cloud products globally. Driven by strong demand from various sectors, including foundational model companies, internet companies, as well as customers from industries such as financial services and automotive, AI-related revenue accelerated and continued to record triple-digit growth year over year.

We believe that this wave of generative AI-driven technological innovation is in the early stages of the industry cycle. Starting in 2024, we've seen a rapid increase in customer demand for AI. It has also stimulated growth and demand for traditional cloud computing needs, including general computing storage and big data. Therefore, we are actively investing in our cloud computing product matrix, especially in AI infrastructure, to capture the monumental opportunities.

Currently, Alibaba Cloud has established strategic partnerships with the vast majority of leading foundational model companies in China. At the same time, Alibaba's proprietary foundational model, Tongyi, released a 110 billion parameter model in late April, which is on par with the top open-source models globally. Looking ahead, we will deeply integrate our Tongyi large model with other advanced AI infrastructure to realize synergies and optimization across software and hardware. We aim to create the premier AI development platform that combines outstanding AI capabilities and high cost efficiency, redefining the industry benchmark for cost performance based on our leading product portfolio, substantial infrastructure investments, and proactive industry partner strategy.

We are confident that Alibaba Cloud's revenue, including -- excluding internal customers, will return to double-digit growth in the second half of the 2025 fiscal year. For our overseas e-commerce, AIDC revenue grew 45% and order volume grew 20% year over year this quarter due to continued focus on expanding cross-border retail operations and enhancing the consumer experience. And Jiang Fan will share more details with you later. In March this year, we withdrew Cainiao's IPO application.

Cainiao provides essential infrastructure to Alibaba's core e-commerce, and we hope Cainiao will strengthen its synergies with our Chinese domestic and international e-commerce operations. Alibaba Group will continue to support the expansion of Cainiao's global logistics network. The past year has been a year of self-transformation for Alibaba. We're pleased that adjustments in our business and organization have yielded results.

A journey of transformation will undoubtedly have challenges, but we are well-prepared. In the new fiscal year, Alibaba Group will continue to focus on investing and executing our user-first, AI-driven strategy, and we are confident in the long-term healthy development of our company. Thank you.

Jiang Fan -- Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Greetings. This is Jiang Fan, and it's a pleasure to be back to give you an update on AIDC's business. AIDC continued to achieve rapid growth this quarter despite widespread and intense market competition in different countries. Across the AIDC, total orders were up by 20% year on year with especially significant growth in our cross-border business.

Next, let me share with you on the progress we've made around the three major drivers that are our consistent focus. First, business model and supply chain service upgrade. Driven by AE Choice, AliExpress continued to realize robust order growth. AE continues to advance in its transition from the original platform business model to a supply chain efficiency-driven platform POP semi-consignment plus full-consignment hybrid business model.

While maintaining rich merchandise assortment, we significantly enhanced user experience. By April 2024, AE choice orders accounted for around 70% of total orders on AliExpress. At the same time, synergies between AliExpress and the cross-border logistics capabilities of Cainiao have further strengthened AE's competitiveness with the five-day and 10-day delivery completion rates both doubling year over yea. And we'll continue to make effective investments while paying attention to improving the efficiency of the choice model.

Second is product and technology innovation. We continue to bring more localized high-quality user experiences to different consumers around the world. AI and intelligent technologies continue to enhance efficiency and user experience in cross-platform smart product assortment, optimized presentation of product details, multi-language search, targeted recommendations, and so on. Additionally, more and more small and medium enterprises are starting to leverage AI to enhance their operating efficiency.

Seventeen thousand SMEs have subscribed to the AI business helper launched in Alibaba.com. And millions of products have now been launched with AI, and searches for AI-optimized products have increased by 37%. Third is sustained growth in key markets. Our continued investment in key markets for AliExpress has brought about growth in our user base, as well as enhanced user experience, supporting our sustained rapid growth and continued leading position locally.

Trendyol is actively investing in cross-border business, achieving very rapid growth in the Gulf region. Trendyol's brand recognition has improved rapidly, driven by significant expansion in its merchandise supply, and it has become one of the most downloaded e-commerce apps in the region. There remains huge potential for AIDC to grow user penetration in the majority of its markets. We will achieve quality growth by providing better and more differentiated merchandise and services.

At the same time, we'll focus on enhancing operating efficiency both by narrowing losses in certain businesses and by making higher-efficiency investments to continue to grow actively in markets around the world. Thank you.

Toby Xu -- Chief Financial Officer

Thank you, Jiang Fan. First, I will provide a recap of the key financial highlights for fiscal year 2024. Following the overview, I will provide a detailed review of the financials for the March quarter. During this fiscal year 2024, our total consolidated revenue was RMB 941.2 billion, an increase of 8%.

Consolidated adjusted EBITA increased by 12% to RMB 165 billion. Non-GAAP net income increased 11% to RMB 157.5 billion, while non-GAAP diluted earnings per ADS saw a fast increase of 14%, strengthened by our ongoing share repurchase program. Excluding Sun Art, Freshippo, and Intime businesses that have physical retail operations, group revenue would have grown at approximately 11%, and our group consolidated adjusted EBITA margin would have been approximately 3.6 percentage points higher at approximately 21%. During the fiscal year '24, under the leadership of the capital management committee and our board of directors, we have increased cash return to the shareholders.

We repurchased a total of about 1.25 billion ordinary shares or equivalent to 156 million ADS for a total consideration of $12.5 billion. After accounting for ESOP issuance, our outstanding shares decreased by 5.1% in fiscal year 2024. Regarding cash dividend, we declared an annual cash dividend of $1 per ADS, totaling about $2.5 billion for fiscal year 2023, which was paid out in January 2024. Furthermore, our board of directors has approved an annual cash dividend for fiscal year 2024 of $1 per ADS and a one-time extraordinary cash dividend as a distribution of proceeds from disposition of certain financial investments in the amount of $0.66 per ADS with total cash dividend amounting to approximately $4 billion.

Through a combination of share repurchase and the cash dividends, we have returned and plan to return about $16.5 billion to shareholders for fiscal year 2024, up from $13.4 billion for fiscal year 2023. We are committed to returning value to our shareholders and will continue to execute our capital return program. Now, let me provide a review of our financial performance for the March 2024 quarter. Overall, we observed improving fundamentals across our major businesses supported by enhanced investments aimed at fueling growth.

During the quarter, our total consolidated revenue was RMB 221.9 billion, an increase of 7%. Consolidated adjusted EBITA decreased by 5% to RMB 24 billion. Our non-GAAP net income was RMB 24.4 billion, a decrease of 11%. However, the decline in our non-GAAP diluted earnings per ADS was more moderate at 5%, given our ongoing share repurchase program.

Our GAAP net income was RMB 0.9 billion, a decrease of RMB 21.1 billion. This decline was primarily due to market changes of RMB 19.9 billion from our equity investments in publicly traded companies, which shifted from a gain in previous year to a loss this year. As of March 31st, 2024, we continue to maintain a strong net cash position of RMB 446.5 billion or $61.8 billion. Free cash flow this quarter was RMB 15.4 billion, a decrease of RMB 16.9 billion compared to the same quarter last year.

The decrease mainly reflected the increase of RMB 7.7 billion in capital expenditure, the majority of which reflected our investments in Alibaba Cloud infrastructure, as well as a special dividend of RMB 10.5 billion from Ant Group in the same quarter last year. Now, let's look at cost trends as percentage of revenue excluding SBC during this quarter. Cost of revenue ratio increased by 1 percentage point to 67%. Product development expenses ratio remained stable at 5%.

Sales and marketing expenses ratio increased by 1% to 13%. G&A expenses ratio decreased by 1% to 4%. Now, let's look at the segment results starting with Taobao and Tmall Group. Revenue from Taobao and Tmall Group was RMB 93.2 billion, an increase of 4%.

During the quarter, our online GMV achieved a double-digit growth, which is driven by rapid order growth, supported by strong increase in number of purchases and the purchase frequency. Strong GMV growth supported a 5% increase in customer manual revenue. Though overall take rate declined slightly, the overall take rate was impacted by a combination of two factors. Firstly, Taobao and Tmall GMV both increased strongly.

The decrease in GMV was due to Taobao's GMV growth, outperforming that of Tmall. This trend continues to reflect increasing demand of price competitive products offered on our platform. Second, take rate was also impacted by the introduction of new models that currently have low monetization rates. We believe our overall take rate has room to improve as the percentage of paying merchants among our SME merchants remains relatively low, and we have yet to roll out the new advertising tools.

As we gradually roll out the new advertising tools that would further enhancing merchants' ROI, we see upside from potential increase in merchant adoption, as well as higher incremental spending from paying merchants. Direct sales and others revenue decreased 2% to RMB 24.7 billion. China commerce wholesale business revenue increased 20% to RMB 5 billion, primarily due to an increase in revenue from value-added service provided to paying members. Taobao and Tmall Group adjusted EBITA was RMB 38.5 billion compared to RMB 39 billion in the same quarter last year, primarily due to the increase in investment in user experience, which resulted in improved customer retention and higher purchase frequency and technology, hardly offset by the increase in revenue from customer management service.

Revenue from cloud intelligence group was RMB 25.6 billion during the quarter, an increase of 3%. We are committed to our strategy of focusing on high-quality revenues from increasing public cloud adoption while reducing low-margin project-based contracts. During the quarter, our core public cloud offerings, which include products such as elastic compute, database, and AI products, recorded double-digit growth in revenue. During this quarter, AI-related revenue experienced accelerated growth and continued to record triple-digit growth.

We expect the strong revenue growth in public cloud and AI-related products will offset impact of the roll-off of project-based revenues. Cloud adjusted EBITA increased by 45% to RMB 1.4 billion. The increase was primarily due to improving product mix through our focus on public cloud and operating efficiency. Alibaba international digital commerce group revenue was RMB 27.4 billion, an increase of 45%.

Revenue from international commerce retail business increased by 56% to RMB 22.3 billion. The increase in revenue was primarily due to the solid combined order growth of AIDC's retail businesses, revenue contribution from AliExpress Choice, as well as improvements in monetization. Revenue from our international commerce wholesale business increased by 11% to RMB 5.2 billion. The increase was primarily due to an increase in revenue generated by cross-border related value-added services.

AIDC's adjusted a beta with a loss of RMB 4.1 billion compared to a loss of RMB 2.2 billion in the same quarter last year. Loss increased primarily because of increased investment of businesses, including AliExpress Choice and the Trendyol cross-border business, partly offset by improvements in monetization. Total revenue for Cainiao grew 30% to RMB 24.6 billion, primarily contributed by the increase in revenue from cross-border fulfillment services. Cainiao adjusted EBITA with a loss of RMB 1.3 billion compared to a loss of RMB 319 million in the same quarter last year, primarily due to additional retention incentives granted to Cainiao employees recognized during the quarter in connection with the withdrawal of its IPO.

Local services group revenue in March quarter grew 19% to RMB 14.6 billion, primarily due to the order growth of Ele.me and Amap. Local services group adjusted EBITA with a loss of RMB 3.2 billion this quarter compared to a loss of RMB 4.1 billion in the same quarter last year, primarily due to the continued narrowing of loss from our two home business driven by Ele.me's improving unit economics and increasing business scale. Revenue from our DME group was RMB 4.9 billion, a decrease of 1%. Adjusted EBITA was a loss of RMB 884 million compared to a loss of RMB 1.1 billion in the same quarter last year.

Loss reduced primarily due to the reduced loss of Youku. Revenue from all other segment decreased 3% to RMB 515.5 billion, mainly due to the decrease in revenue from Sun Art and Alibaba Health, partly offset by the increase in revenue from Freshippo. The decrease in revenue from Sun Art was mainly driven by the scale-down of supply chain business, increasing bucket size. Adjusted EBITA from all other segments was a loss of RMB 2.8 billion compared to a loss of RMB 1.9 billion in the second quarter last year, primarily due to the increased losses from Freshippo and the decrease in profitability of Lingxi Games.

Lastly, we have been preparing for our primary listing in Hong Kong and currently expect to complete this by the end of August to 2024. We will make a further announcement on the primary conversion date in due course. In closing, our robust balance sheet positions us well to strategically reinvest our cash flows to foster growth and strengthen leadership in core businesses, thereby, improving future returns on invested capital. As Eddie and Jiang Fan mentioned, we anticipated that near-term investment will yield improved -- firstly, improve user experience in our domestic e-commerce platform that supports strong GMV growth in FY' 25 and enhance the monetization in the second half of FY '25; secondly, a return to double-digit revenue growth in the second half of fiscal year '25 for Alibaba Cloud business; and thirdly, continuous rapid growth momentum while improving unit economics from AIDC.

We are seeing positive initial results, making us even more confident in achieving strong and sustainable growth in our core businesses. Thank you. And that's the end of our prepared remarks where we can open up for Q&A.

Rob Lin -- Head of Investor Relations

Hi, everyone. For today's call, you are welcome to ask questions in Chinese or English. A third-party translator will provide consecutive interpretation for the Q&A session. Please note that the translation is for convenience purpose only.

In the case of any discrepancy, our manager's statement in the original language will prevail. If you are unable to hear the Chinese translation, bilingual transcript of this call will be available on our website within one week after the meeting. [Foreign language] Operator, please connect the speakers in SI conference lines now and start the Q&A session when ready. Thank you.

Questions & Answers:





Operator

[Operator instructions] Your first question comes from Kenneth Fong with UBS. Please go ahead.

Kenneth Fong -- UBS -- Analyst

Hi, good evening management. Thanks for taking my question. I have a question regarding the CMR versus the GMV growth. Our strategy for focusing on user experience and price competitiveness have yield solid deliver a double-digit GMV growth despite the intense competition.

As Toby earlier highlighted, because of the makeshift and early in monetization, we see CMR underperforming GMV at only 5% growth. With our new ad product sitewide marketing [Foreign language] to be launched, how should we think about the pace for this gap to narrow over time? And then, down to EBIT, for the incremental growth in the CMR, should we expect this to reinvest back to the business, or we should actually expect a margin gradual expansion as the CMR growth gradually reaccelerates? Thank you. [Foreign language]

Toby Xu -- Chief Financial Officer

Kenneth, thanks for the question. I think I would just start -- you know, provide my explanation, and then, you know, Eddie can add. I think, you know, as you can see, in this quarter, the GMV had a double-digit growth. And as I said, actually this growth is both quite strongly in Taobao and Tmall merchants.

So, the first thing is I think our strategy -- the execution of our strategy, we have seen the results. Basically, we are backing growth. That's a very important message. Secondly, as we were saying, we are enhancing our monetization product.

And we'll be introducing the new -- gradually roll out the monetization product, which will help in enhancing the ROI and eventually enhancing the penetration into the merchants, particularly the SME merchants, as well as increase -- they are up -- you know, they are spending in the monetization program. However, it would take some time since we are rolling out gradually. So, we will be able to see the growth throughout the year, particularly in the second half of the year, that you will see the sort of like the result, you know, coming out during the second quarter of the year. [Foreign language] OK, before Eddie add on -- give you more color on this sort of rollout of the monetization product, I would just also explain on the investment we are making.

You know, for Taobao and Tmall, as we are saying, we see the early success of executing our strategy by investing in the customer experience various things focusing on consumer first. So, we see the result, and we are willing to invest. You know, so that's the first thing, firstly. Secondly is in terms of investment we are making on the other hand, we are doing it in a very disciplined way.

We do closely monitor the ROI. You know, in -- for the investment we can make, we will see the good ROI from it. So, it's in a very disciplined way. So, we will continue making investment.

In terms of how much we are going to invest, really depending on the space. We're ramping up, you know, the consumer experience, as well as the supplies. So, you know, we have the resource, and we are committed to make the investment. [Foreign language]

Eddie Wu -- Chief Executive Officer

[Foreign language] Thank you. Yes, so, moving ahead with omni platform marketing and whole platform charging is an important direction that we're moving in as we're making it easier for SMEs to advertise. Of course, it's important to ensure that money that merchants are spending on advertising achieves solid ROI. So, to that extent, we're currently adjusting and tweaking the algorithms, training the models, doing testing, and using the data from the testing to further improve the service and enhance ROI.

So, all of this will, of course, take some time. But it is certain that we are moving in that direction and will eventually get there and further optimize it for different customers and for different sectors as a means of enhancing our revenue. So, I expect that this process will take something like 12 months because it does take time to tweak the algorithms, get those data in place, and ensure everything is optimal. But what I can tell you is that's certainly the direction that we're moving in, and we continue to fine-tune.

Rob Lin -- Head of Investor Relations

OK, next question.

Operator

Thank you. Your next question comes from Gary Yu with Morgan Stanley. Please go ahead.

Gary Yu -- Morgan Stanley -- Analyst

Hi. Thank you, management, for the opportunity. My question is regarding the cloud business. It's encouraged to hear from management that we're expected to resume double-digit goal in the second half of the year.

Could management please share some of the composition of the revenue growth driver behind, you know, how much of the improvement in growth is coming from AI-related products? How much is it coming from the cloud? And how much is it coming from, you know, low-margin private cloud projects becoming a smaller part of the business? And then, also, related to that is once we are, you know, back up to the public growth level, how should we look at the kind of medium-term margin for cloud business going forward? Thank you. [Foreign language]

Eddie Wu -- Chief Executive Officer

[Foreign language] Thank you. This is Eddie. I'll take that. If you look at the revenue growth of the cloud business today, most of that is already being driven, I would say, by AI and AI-related new products.

So, going forward, a lot of the incremental growth we can expect to see in the cloud business will be related to investment that customers are making in AI. But also, there's a complementary effect because the more that customers invest in and make use of AI, the more demand they will also have for other of our various cloud offerings. So, the two things go hand in hand. At the same time, we continue to decrease the share of project-based revenue in cloud's overall revenues.

In fact, the other parts of the cloud business already achieved double-digit growth in this quarter, but that continues to be offset by the ongoing -- although diminishing but still ongoing impact of that low-margin project-based business. But as we continue to phase out that low margin project based business, we expect revenues to grow faster, primarily driven, again, by public cloud and by AI-enabled offerings. And we expect that we should see that complete disappearance of that drag within, say, you know, one or two quarters into the new year. [Foreign language] On the second part of your question, which had to do with the kinds of profit margins we expect to achieve in the medium to long term, once we get to that place where public cloud primarily is driving our growth and we're back to double-digit growth, I would say that for the most part, our public cloud offerings have very healthy profit margins.

When it comes to AI, of course, we're looking at a 10-year IT new technology cycle. We're in the very early stage of that cycle. So, we're talking about healthy margins but with ongoing longer-term investment. But overall, the profit margins from the AI products will be healthy.

Rob Lin -- Head of Investor Relations

Next question, please.

Operator

Thank you. Your next question comes from Alex Yao with JPMorgan. Please go ahead.

Alex Yao -- JPMorgan Chase and Company -- Analyst

Good evening, management team, and thank you for taking my question. So, for the domestic e-commerce business, it's great to see the GMV growth rate has recovered back to double digit in this quarter. Can you help us to understand what is driving the GMV growth rates to narrow the pace versus the e-commerce market? Or put it in another way, what did you do in the past quarter that leads to a slowdown of market share loss? And a broader question is, what does it take to be competitive in the current China e-commerce market given the rise of alternative e-commerce competitors in the market? Thank you. [Foreign language]

Eddie Wu -- Chief Executive Officer

[Foreign language] Thank you. Well, overall, I think it's really about enhancing the user's shopping experience. And as I said, that really consists of getting three things right. First is having good merchandise; secondly, having that at a good price; and thirdly, supporting that with excellent service.

Now, if we break that down further, when it comes to goods, the assortment of goods, there are actually different models that we can apply with different products to better support them. So, basically, we can think about goods from brands, goods from channel merchants, and goods from industry belts or manufacturers of white-label goods. And we can provide different products and take differentiated approaches to ensure that those three different kinds of players are getting their goods to consumers in a way that is cost competitive, they're offering a good price, and achieve high conversion efficiency for the merchandise. All of that can be further supported with strong logistics and good customer service.

So, we can take a different approach with respect to those three different kinds of supply, always with the aim of increasing customer purchase frequency and attracting new customers as well to achieve that advantage. [Foreign language] Secondly, I can add to that that as we know, there's been very intense competition in China's domestic e-commerce market, and we've made some very clear strategic choices on Taobao as to how to address this competition and win going forward. A big part of this is ensuring high product efficiency referring to conversion and also to providing optimized services as well. Of course, another important part of the -- very important part of the equation for Taobao is what I've referred to as omnipotent Taobao or universal Taobao.

Taobao has everything that anybody could want, the richest possible assortment. So, we're maintaining that rich and diversified assortment, also focusing on achieving better efficiency with respect to high volume selling goods to maintain that unique competitive advantage.

Rob Lin -- Head of Investor Relations

Next question.

Operator

Thank you. Your next question comes from Ellie Jiang with Macquarie. Please go ahead.

Ellie Jiang -- Macquarie Group -- Analyst

[Foreign language] Thank you. I have a follow-up question about the whole platform charges and the new marketing tools that you've mentioned that will be launched. We understand that there are some similar products that have been launched or are being launched on the market by competitors. I'm wondering how we would evaluate our products versus the competitors, how differentiated are our products.

And what are some of the factors that determine conversion rates for these kinds of products? If you could share some of the underlying logic. Thank you.

Eddie Wu -- Chief Executive Officer

[Foreign language] Just to clarify the question, are you asking about our marketing products and how they are differentiated versus other platforms? Is that the question?

Ellie Jiang -- Macquarie Group -- Analyst

[Foreign language] So, basically, focusing on the omni platform marketing solution [Foreign language]

Eddie Wu -- Chief Executive Officer

[Foreign language] Right, understood. You know, I think different platforms are going to be very different if you look at the way they achieve monetization and their monetization products because the platforms are fundamentally different in terms of the traffic, the business model, and the different groups of users on the platform. So, I don't think there's any direct comparability. I think, certainly, what merchants are looking at the end of the day is the ROI that they achieve on their investments in marketing.

So, I don't think we can directly compare user design and algorithms and things of that nature, but you can certainly look at the ROI on marketing investment. And I can tell you that on top of today, merchants are achieving probably the highest ROI they can get on any platform for their marketing investment.

Rob Lin -- Head of Investor Relations

Next question.

Operator

Thank you. The next question comes from Alicia Yap with Citigroup. Please go ahead.

Alicia Yap -- Citi -- Analyst

Hi. Good evening, management. Thanks for taking my questions. Congrats on the solid quarter.

I have a follow-up on the overall CMR growth. Obviously, the 5% growth is very good and the double-digit GMV growth is good. Any obstacle that we foresee that could prevent GMV and CMR to further improve from here? Just wondering how is the overall consumer consumption trend. It seems that we are gaining momentum that allows us to enjoy faster growth despite potentially more muted macro outlook.

Any color you can share with us with the latest trend that you are seeing for April and May on the GMV growth will be helpful. Thank you. [Foreign language]

Toby Xu -- Chief Financial Officer

Alicia, thanks for the question. I'll take on this question. I think, you know, as we explained, you know, we see the results from our investments, you know, GMV growth. And then, you know, I think that the growth trend is sustainable.

We can observe. So, you know, we're still observing a good healthy growth in April-May time. And in terms of CMR, as we were explaining, because the GMV growth -- because of the mix shift in the GMV toward, you know, Taobao merchants and also some of the new sort of models, you know, in this product, you know, which has relatively low monetization at this stage, there's a big hatch room for it to increase the monetization rate. And with the introduction or rollout of our monetization product, you know, we will be seeing the growth of CMR catch up with GMV sort of gradually.

So, it will lag behind a few quarters, but it will eventually catch up. So, that's sort of our belief in terms of the effect of the investment -- effectiveness of the investment and also, you know, both on the GMV side and as well as on the revenue side. [Foreign language]

Rob Lin -- Head of Investor Relations

Next question. Oh, I'm sorry.

Joe Tsai -- Chairman

Rob, hey. Alicia, this is Joe Tsai. I'd also like to sort of supplement what Eddie and Toby said. I think implicit in your question is you're looking at our March quarter GMV growth in double digits.

And compared to last year, it was an easy comp because last year was partially coming out of the lockout -- lockup of -- from the COVID lockdown. And so, the implicit question is, are we going to see -- you know, from a macro standpoint, what do we see from our platform that could reflect sort of broader consumption trends? What I would like to say is, as we look at the Chinese consumers, the No. 1 -- you know, right now, household cash is at its highest point. We're looking at something like $19 trillion of household cash savings that's in the system.

So, the Chinese consumer has the ability to spend, right? I think all we're looking at is what's their confidence level of spending on a going-forward basis. First of all, I think we've all seen some of the growth in the services sector during the May 1st holidays. And within our platform, we've seen some green shoots. Some discretionary items like apparel and electronics are also -- are actually growing, looking pretty -- the growth is pretty good.

So, what that tells us is, consumers are starting to, you know, reflect that willingness to spend. We have no doubt that they have the ability, but the willingness reflects the confidence in what they have about the future. So, we're seeing some, you know, positive signals. But it is probably still too early to tell because the macro environment is still broadly affected by the property sector downturn.

On that front, you know, we've been very encouraged that the local governments now have been relaxing the property purchase restrictions. So, we're going to wait and see. But so far, you know, confidence level, we've seen some early signs of growth. [Foreign language]

Eddie Wu -- Chief Executive Officer

[Foreign language] Yeah, this is Eddie. I'd just like to chip in to be even clearer on this point because I detect a common pattern across the past several questions. And I was just actually joking with Joe about this because it seems like investors are even more anxious than we are to make money. So, you know, I'd like to be really clear about what our primary objective is this year.

And that is on Taobao certainly to invest in merchandise assortment and competitiveness and enhanced user experience to drive GMV growth, as well as purchase frequency, right? That's our No. 1 objective this year. And only after being able to achieve that objective successfully can we really increase CMR. And in fact, increasing CMR will just be a natural result of those efforts.

And, you know, talking about advertising and commercialization, you know, I was personally part of the whole growth story of Taobao from zero in revenues and the development of Alibaba from zero through 100 million to 1 billion and 10 billion, you know, and beyond. So, I can tell you that we have the capabilities to put in place those kinds of advertising products that will drive CMR growth. We're certain that we can do that, but we're controlling the pace at which we move forward to ensure a really good experience for our merchants and for our consumers. So this year, we're really focused on enhancing consumer experience and growing GMV and will move forward on that basis.

Rob Lin -- Head of Investor Relations

Thank you. Next question. Your next question comes from Ronald Keung with Goldman Sachs. Please go ahead.

Ronald Keung -- Goldman Sachs -- Analyst

Thank you. Thank you, Joe, Eddie, Toby, and Jiang. So, I guess no one asked about the AIDC so far on -- haven't really deeply discussed. So, I want to ask about the -- because this quarter it was mostly the increase in AIDC losses to the group earnings.

Otherwise, the Taobao/Tmall has been relatively stable. So, I want to hear what -- how do we see the investment scale evolve for international e-commerce? We've also seen some of our peers shifting from fully entrusted to semi-entrusted, which is they kind of leave merchants to their local warehousing. How do we see our loss or investment evolve with these trends? Thank you. [Foreign language]

Eddie Wu -- Chief Executive Officer

[Foreign language] Thank you. Well, I think there are really two principal reasons for the losses in this quarter or for the heightened spending in this quarter. First was that in certain emerging markets and especially in the Middle East, this was a time of year that represents peak sales with Ramadan in Middle Eastern countries. So, Trendyol was taking advantage of that with advertising spending, promotions reaching out to consumers.

And then, the second reason has to do with AE Choice as AE Choice occupies an increasing proportion of overall orders of the overall business. And as we're switching over to this new business model, it's going to take a little time for the profit margins in AE Choice to catch up. So, there is a margin gap there to be filled. We are working rapidly to optimize efficiency of the AE Choice model.

And I think you'll see within several quarters very clear enhancement in the unit economics of the AE Choice model. So, as the new model stabilizes, we'll continue to pay attention, of course, to achieving growth, balancing that also with more efficiency. [Foreign language] And on your second question, which had to do with semi-consignment versus full consignment model, you know, so that's not really about cross-border per se. It's about, you know, where merchants pre-place their merchandise in a local warehouse for local shipping.

Our take on that is that some categories are just better suited to a cross-border business model because of characteristics of the merchandise and other reasons. For other categories, that kind of local shipment model can work better. So, we've done a lot of this in the past as well, you know, pre-placing merchandise into overseas warehouses to be shipped locally. And we're working on developing more local sellers in places like the Middle East, South Korea, and Europe.

But, you know, we think at the end of the day, for some categories, local merchants can be more competitive. But in other categories, the cross-border model will work better. It really comes down to competitiveness and consumer preference so we continue to track how consumers receive these different approaches and, you know, plan accordingly.

Rob Lin -- Head of Investor Relations

Thank you. Next question.

Operator

Thank you. Your next question comes from Yang Bai with CICC. Please go ahead.

Yang Bai -- CICC -- Analyst

[Foreign language] Thank you. My question has to do with the company's plans to deliver returns to shareholders, and we see those plans now resulting in something like the equivalent of an 8% dividend yield. But I have some concerns about the share repurchase plan going forward because it seems to be related to the currently rather low stock price, but in the longer term, how will this play out and how can you guarantee your ability to continue to make those kinds of returns to our shareholders.

Eddie Wu -- Chief Executive Officer

[Foreign language] Well, thank you for that question. You know, our shareholder return plan isn't something that we just started to implement over the past one to two years. It's a long-term plan that started several years back, and the current plan we have in place has been approved by the board to run all the way through to March of 2027. If you look at the amount of share repurchases that we did in the last year, it was around $13 billion.

The more recent year, $16.5 billion approximately. And that leaves us with around $30 billion to continue to deploy. So, this is a long-term plan that we're committed to. [Foreign language] For us, as management of the company, thinking about how we'll continue to deliver those returns to shareholders in the future, you know, we have to look on the one hand at the company's cash flows and, on the other hand, at the investment needs of the company related to our core business but also in new emerging areas that are important like AI, for example, and also AIDC right now.

But going forward, we will be committed to continue to make those kinds of returns to shareholders on that basis, and we take an integrated view. In other words, the share buyback program and dividend distributions together comprise our shareholder return program. We look at the two together.

Rob Lin -- Head of Investor Relations

Thank you. Next question.

Operator

Thank you. Your next question comes from Joyce Ju with Bank of America. Please go ahead.

Joyce Ju -- Bank of America Merrill Lynch -- Analyst

[Foreign language] Thank you. My question is also about AIDC in particular. We understand that the AE Choice model now represents around 70% of total orders on AliExpress. Perhaps, you could give us a little more color on how that model is growing, how you see it growing in the next couple of quarters, or even in the next few years on a longer-term basis in terms of which regions, which categories, what kind of users represent the most stable sources of growth or where there's the most potential for further growth.

And I'm also wanting to understand more about your collaboration with Cainiao in terms of making further investments together on cross-border.

Eddie Wu -- Chief Executive Officer

[Foreign language] Thank you. Well, AE Choice is a business model that is best suited, of course, for light and small packages, light and small goods as a strong advantage in that space. Goods that can be air shipped cost effectively. And in the past, that is really where Alibaba Express has had an advantage in those kinds of categories.

We are also working on growing different kinds of supply chain models for different markets. For example, for South Korea, we are working on developing additionally ocean freight for larger and heavier kinds of goods, and piloting also the deployment of local warehouses as well. So, you know, our general strategy in any market is to start with those categories where we have that advantage, the light and small packages, and then to build up a supply chain to support other kinds of demands that make sense for that particular market. Another important thing is that we have these local platforms in different regions.

For example, Lazada in Southeast Asia, Trendyol in the Middle East. And AE Choice is currently integrating with those different platforms to allow for direct sales into those markets, meaning that AE Choice doesn't need to make any big investments in branding and marketing to consumer offering in those markets. So, that's allowing us to move ahead very rapidly into those different markets. Of course, you know, different categories make better sense in different markets.

In the case of Turkey, for example, they have an advantage when it comes to apparel, but we can achieve an advantage there in other categories where they don't have that kind of local supply. So, in each market, of course, we look at our own resources, what we can bring. We look at the situation in that market and then decide which categories we're going to bring to that market and how.

Rob Lin -- Head of Investor Relations

Thank you. Let's invite the last question.

Operator

Thank you. Your next question comes from James Lee with Mizuho. Please go ahead.

James Lee -- Mizuho Securities -- Analyst

Great. Thanks for taking my question. And this will be a particular question about AI and cloud. And can you maybe talk about your development, your own large language model, and help us understand where your focus is? Is it scale? Is it usually scale to be the largest one, you know, based on the number of parameters? Or are you focused on different modalities of data, you know, voice, text, image or video? And should we think about the end goal for your large language model to create maybe applications such as AI agents, shopping agents for your consumers, and business agents for your merchants? Thanks so much.

[Foreign language]

Eddie Wu -- Chief Executive Officer

[Foreign language] Could I just ask you please to clarify the thrust of your first question? Are you asking about the main objectives for our ongoing development of large models?

James Lee -- Mizuho Securities -- Analyst

Yes, it's development of large language model. Is it to scale to have one of the largest ones in China based on the parameters? Is that the focus or the modality of the data? You know, voice, text, image as the focus. Because different companies throughout internationally, they have different focus in terms of growing that large language model. [Foreign language]

Eddie Wu -- Chief Executive Officer

[Foreign language] Right. Well, I think all of the companies in the large model space. Anybody who is developing foundational models shares the same goal. And that is working toward AGI, artificial general intelligence.

But different companies will take different routes to get there and along the way can make different choices and may choose to develop certain kinds of vertical applications, leveraging their model along the way. But at the end of the day, I think for all players, the ultimate goal is to achieve AGI, covering, you know, everything from voice and audio through to image, video and text, and encompassing all of that. So, different pathways to getting there, perhaps, different kinds of vertical models along the way. But the objective I think is a common objective.

[Foreign language] For Alibaba, I think there are really three major objectives underlying our ongoing large investments in research and development around AI and large models. The first is the pursuit of AGI as I just explained per se, developing our own foundational models for AI moving toward AGI. The second objective is, internally within Alibaba, integrating our cloud offering with Tongyi, our large language model, integrating them tightly, so that we can provide to our customers extremely well-integrated software and hardware offerings, bringing together our cloud capabilities and our AI capabilities, and enabling them to benefit from very high -- highly effective and cost-efficient AI functionality. I think if you look around the world, I don't think there's really any other company anywhere like Alibaba that has cloud as one of its major businesses and AI as one of its major businesses simultaneously.

So, we see that as a huge opportunity. And then, the third objective really is leveraging the development of Tongyi to enable other businesses within the Alibaba group to better develop their own applications and their own business. So, thinking of applications like Dingding, but also Quark and even Taobao, they can benefit from leveraging our large model Tongyi to further improve their own applications. [Foreign language] Just to further expand on that second point I just made about the tight integration between our Tongyi model and our cloud offerings, you know, our open-source model that we've made available is undoubtedly the No.

1 top open-source model anywhere in the Chinese speaking world, and it's also certainly the most widely adopted. So when you have developers using our open-source model in their own development environment to develop something, when it comes time to deploy that, it's a very natural choice for them to choose Alibaba Cloud because of the very high level of cost efficiency, but also because that's the most familiar environment to them. So, that's just a very simple example showing how we can leverage that tight integration between Tongyi, our model, and cloud and indeed other aspects of Alibaba's business and business models.

Rob Lin -- Head of Investor Relations

OK, that concludes our earnings call today, and thank you everyone for your participation with order.

Operator

That does conclude our conference for today. Thank you for participating. [Operator signoff]

Duration: 0 minutes

Call participants:

Rob Lin -- Head of Investor Relations

Eddie Wu -- Chief Executive Officer

Jiang Fan -- Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Toby Xu -- Chief Financial Officer

Kenneth Fong -- UBS -- Analyst

Gary Yu -- Morgan Stanley -- Analyst

Alex Yao -- JPMorgan Chase and Company -- Analyst

Ellie Jiang -- Macquarie Group -- Analyst

Alicia Yap -- Citi -- Analyst

Joe Tsai -- Chairman

Ronald Keung -- Goldman Sachs -- Analyst

Yang Bai -- CICC -- Analyst

Joyce Ju -- Bank of America Merrill Lynch -- Analyst

James Lee -- Mizuho Securities -- Analyst

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This article is a transcript of this conference call produced for The Motley Fool. While we strive for our Foolish Best, there may be errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in this transcript. As with all our articles, The Motley Fool does not assume any responsibility for your use of this content, and we strongly encourage you to do your own research, including listening to the call yourself and reading the company's SEC filings. Please see our Terms and Conditions for additional details, including our Obligatory Capitalized Disclaimers of Liability.

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Alibaba Group (BABA) Q1 2024 Earnings Call Transcript was originally published by The Motley Fool
(Bloomberg) -- Tencent Holdings Ltd. reported a far better-than-projected 62% surge in earnings while rival Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.s profit plunged, highlighting the growing divergence between Chinas twin internet powerhouses during a rocky post-Covid recovery.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Alibabas net income tumbled 86% after an unexplained writedown for losses in its publicly traded holdings, which include companies from AI firm SenseTime Group Inc. to brick-and-mortar chain Sun Art Retail Group Ltd. That came on top of heightened spending to ward off up-and-coming competitors. US-held shares were down more than 7% at 10:15 a.m. in New York.

Chinas two internet pioneers reported financial results on the same day  a rarity that put their contrasting fortunes into particularly stark relief. Both reported better-than-expected single-digit revenue growth, even as their profit performance diverged.

Investors are increasingly attuned to bottom line results now that the worlds No. 2 economy is emerging from Covid-era curbs and a sweeping crackdown on Big Tech. Tencents market valuation had reached $460 billion even before the latest results, while Alibaba had slid to about $205 billion.

Tencent isnt under the same competitive assault as Alibaba. But they are successfully growing advertising revenue in the new areas that will matter most, said Jeffrey Towson of Techmoat Consulting.

Tencent, the operator of Chinas ubiquitous WeChat social media gargantuan, showed how its TikTok-style video accounts service is gaining traction against ByteDance Ltd. Users spent 80% more time on WeChats video accounts, a nod to efforts to wrest engagement from its social media rival. That helped drive a 26% rise in ad sales.

Twinned with cost cuts, growth in advertising and cloud services helped it reach the best gross margin since 2016 even as the topline plateaued. Shares in Prosus NV  a proxy for Tencents stock after trading hours  rose more than 3.7%.

Alibaba grew revenue slightly faster  6.6% versus Tencents 6%. But its net income was far worse than anticipated and even on an adjusted basis, before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, earnings slid 4%.

Neither company  two of the best barometers for consumer health  offered investors strong reassurances about the plight of Chinas economy, which has struggled post-pandemic. Consumers remain cautious during a property meltdown and persistent youth unemployment, while the economy is slipping deeper into deflation, reflecting anemic domestic demand.

Story continues

Alibaba Chairman Joseph Tsai said there were early positive signs that consumers were willing to spend again, though the market needed to wait and see on the domestic economys recovery.

Nothing incrementally positive came out for Alibaba, whereas companies like Sea Ltd. and Tencent both came out strong, said John Choi at Daiwa Capital Markets.

Both companies still have a plethora of issues to address.

In Alibabas case, the company has just embarked on a turnaround intended to leave behind a years-long regulatory crackdown that kneecapped much of its business.

Chief Executive Officer Eddie Wu and Tsai, longtime lieutenants of Jack Ma who took the helm from Daniel Zhang in September, have nixed major initiatives conceived under the former chief, including a listings of logistics arm Cainiao and the $11 billion cloud unit. Theyve decided to refocus on what they dubbed the customer experience and innovation. On the cloud front, the once-promising division is slashing prices to regain clients from state-backed companies such as China Telecom Corp. and the likes of Huawei Technologies Co.

Ma weighed in on Alibabas turbulence last month, with a rare memo aimed at shoring up sagging morale among the companys 200,000-plus employees. He emphasized that growth was returning at the company, despite its recent flip-flops, while acknowledging past mistakes.

At Tencent, the games division remains in search of its next big hit, after years of regulatory tightening that cut play times and slowed development. Its new mobile release Dream Star hasnt yet unseated NetEase Inc. as the leader in the fast-growing genre of party royale games  casual titles intended for group play. Tencent fast-tracked the Chinese debut of Dungeon & Fighter Mobile to this month, and executives hope the strong player spending at the start of the year could pave the way for the games business to return to growth from the second quarter.

Beyond China, Tencents Supercell will soon launch its first new game in five years. Before that, its biggest revenue driver was an updated version of the aging mainstay Brawl Stars.

Tencent has found a sweet spot with WeChat video accounts. Even though gaming is weak, the advertising business is doing just fine, said Shawn Yang, an analyst with Arete Research. Alibaba is still early in the investment phase, with various organizational changes and competition with Pinduoduo on their mind. It has shifted its strategy from prioritizing merchants to prioritizing users  which requires money.

--With assistance from Vlad Savov, Jane Zhang, Debby Wu, Henry Ren and Sabrina Mao.

(Updates share price in the second paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
While some investors are already well versed in financial metrics (hat tip), this article is for those who would like to learn about Return On Equity (ROE) and why it is important. By way of learning-by-doing, we'll look at ROE to gain a better understanding of Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad (KLSE:ASTRO).

Return on equity or ROE is a key measure used to assess how efficiently a company's management is utilizing the company's capital. In simpler terms, it measures the profitability of a company in relation to shareholder's equity.

View our latest analysis for Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad

How Do You Calculate Return On Equity?

The formula for ROE is:

Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations)  Shareholders' Equity

So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad is:

3.6% = RM41m  RM1.2b (Based on the trailing twelve months to January 2024).

The 'return' is the yearly profit. Another way to think of that is that for every MYR1 worth of equity, the company was able to earn MYR0.04 in profit.

Does Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad Have A Good Return On Equity?

One simple way to determine if a company has a good return on equity is to compare it to the average for its industry. However, this method is only useful as a rough check, because companies do differ quite a bit within the same industry classification. As is clear from the image below, Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad has a lower ROE than the average (6.2%) in the Media industry.

roe

That's not what we like to see. However, a low ROE is not always bad. If the company's debt levels are moderate to low, then there's still a chance that returns can be improved via the use of financial leverage. When a company has low ROE but high debt levels, we would be cautious as the risk involved is too high. You can see the 2 risks we have identified for Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad by visiting our risks dashboard for free on our platform here.

How Does Debt Impact ROE?

Virtually all companies need money to invest in the business, to grow profits. That cash can come from retained earnings, issuing new shares (equity), or debt. In the first and second cases, the ROE will reflect this use of cash for investment in the business. In the latter case, the use of debt will improve the returns, but will not change the equity. Thus the use of debt can improve ROE, albeit along with extra risk in the case of stormy weather, metaphorically speaking.

Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad's Debt And Its 3.6% ROE

Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad clearly uses a high amount of debt to boost returns, as it has a debt to equity ratio of 1.51. With a fairly low ROE, and significant use of debt, it's hard to get excited about this business at the moment. Investors should think carefully about how a company might perform if it was unable to borrow so easily, because credit markets do change over time.

Story continues

Summary

Return on equity is a useful indicator of the ability of a business to generate profits and return them to shareholders. A company that can achieve a high return on equity without debt could be considered a high quality business. All else being equal, a higher ROE is better.

Having said that, while ROE is a useful indicator of business quality, you'll have to look at a whole range of factors to determine the right price to buy a stock. Profit growth rates, versus the expectations reflected in the price of the stock, are a particularly important to consider. So I think it may be worth checking this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

But note: Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt.

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.
Dividend stocks are gaining momentum following major technology companies announcing their first-ever dividends this year. Americans are also starting to prefer dividend equities during the current inflation storm and expectations of a higher-for-longer scenario. In this environment affordable stocks that pay high dividends are in the limelight.

We recently covered some of the best high-yield penny dividend stocks to buy according to hedge funds. B2Gold Corp (NYSE:BTG), being a notable name in the mining industry, deserves special attention.

B2Gold Corp (NYSE:BTG)

Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 14

Canadian-based mining company B2Gold Corp (NYSE:BTG) is in the spotlight after B2Gold Corp (NYSE:BTG) posted strong first quarter results earlier this month. Adjusted EPS in the quarter came in at $0.06, surpassing estimates by $0.01. Revenue fell 2.6% year over year to $461.44 million, still surpassing estimates by $17.67 million.

Total gold production in the period came in at 225,716 ounces, meeting estimates.

Best High Dividend Penny Stocks

Photo by andres perez on Unsplash

B2Gold Corp's (NYSE:BTG) forward dividend yield came in at about 5.8% as of May 14. B2Gold has a 12-year average analyst price estimate of $4.18, while the stock was trading at around $2.77 as of May 14. This shows that the stock has an upside potential of about 50% from its current levels.

Hedge Fund Sentiment for B2Gold Corp (NYSE:BTG)

Hedge funds also like this dividend-paying penny stock. Out of the 933 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey, 14 funds had stakes in B2Gold Corp (NYSE:BTG). The biggest stake in B2Gold Corp (NYSE:BTG) belongs to Jean-Marie Eveillard's First Eagle Investment Management, worth about $35 million. However, unlike Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), Procter & Gamble Co (NYSE:PG) and Exxon Mobil Corp (NYSE:XOM), B2Gold is a small company with low hedge fund sentiment.

Is B2Gold Really The Best High-Dividend Penny Stock?

B2Gold is not the best high-dividend penny stock right now according to Insider Monkey's research.

See the 10 best high-dividend penny stocks to buy now that are better than B2Gold by clicking here.

Disclosure: None.
Bank dividend stocks like JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM), Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC) and Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) are in the limelight amid rising interest rates and the market's overall hunger for steady dividends. Central banks have been actively increasing support for markets by allowing bank reserves to grow. This expansion in reserves increases the amount of money available for banks to invest in both the markets and the broader economy. This action essentially provides banks with more capital, enabling them to have greater resources to allocate toward investments in financial markets and lending to businesses and individuals.

Research conducted by Matt King, previously a strategist at Citigroup and now leading his independent research firm, Satori Insights, proposes a noteworthy shift in focus. Rather than concentrating on the Federal Reserve's reduction in its overall balance sheet, King highlights the paramount importance of understanding the considerable $500 billion surge in reserves within the U.S. banking system since January.

Photo by Viacheslav Bublyk on Unsplash

Banco Bradesco SA (NYSE:BBD)

Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 16

With a dividend yield of over 8% and a PE ratio that stands just over 9 as of May 14, Brazilian financial services company Banco Bradesco SA (NYSE:BBD) is one of the best high-dividend penny stocks to buy according to hedge funds. Earlier this month Banco Bradesco SA (NYSE:BBD) reported first quarter results, which showed that its revenue totaled R$28 billion, while net income from operations was R$4 billion.

Insider Monkey's proprietary database of 933 hedge funds shows that 16 funds had stakes in the banking company as of the end of the last quarter of 2023. The most significant stake in Banco Bradesco SA (NYSE:BBD) is owned by Ken Fisher's Fisher Asset Management which had a $187 million stake in Banco Bradesco SA (NYSE:BBD). However, unlike JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM), Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC) and Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C), BBD is a small company with low hedge fund sentiment.

Is Banco Bradesco SA (NYSE:BBD) Really The Best High-Dividend Penny Stock?

Insider Monkeys research shows that Banco Bradesco is not the best high-dividend penny stock right now according to Insider Monkeys research.

Click to see 10 Best High-Dividend Penny Stocks Better Than Banco Bradesco.

Disclosure: None.
Amid a backdrop of buoyant holiday spending and optimistic economic indicators, the Chinese market has shown signs of recovery, with key indices like the Shanghai Composite and the CSI 300 experiencing gains. In this context, exploring high-yield dividend stocks such as Beijing Sifang Automation Ltd could be particularly compelling for investors looking to capitalize on China's economic momentum.

Top 10 Dividend Stocks In China

Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating Shandong Wit Dyne HealthLtd (SZSE:000915) 5.61%  Wuliangye YibinLtd (SZSE:000858) 3.09%  Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group (SHSE:600887) 4.31%  Midea Group (SZSE:000333) 4.23%  Ping An Bank (SZSE:000001) 6.59%  Jiangsu Yanghe Brewery (SZSE:002304) 4.88%  Changchun High-Tech Industry (Group) (SZSE:000661) 3.83%  Huangshan NovelLtd (SZSE:002014) 5.33%  China South Publishing & Media Group (SHSE:601098) 4.26%  Zhejiang Jiaxin SilkLtd (SZSE:002404) 4.52% 

Click here to see the full list of 170 stocks from our Top Dividend Stocks screener.

Let's explore several standout options from the results in the screener.

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: Beijing Sifang Automation Co., Ltd. specializes in providing systems for power transmission, transformation protection, automation, generation, and distribution both domestically and internationally, with a market capitalization of CN14.70 billion.

Operations: Beijing Sifang Automation Co., Ltd. generates revenue primarily through the sale of systems for power transmission, transformation protection, automation, generation, and distribution across both domestic and international markets.

Dividend Yield: 3.4%

Beijing Sifang Automation Co., Ltd has demonstrated solid financial growth with a significant increase in sales and net income as reported in its Q1 2024 earnings, showing a rise from CNY 1.18 billion to CNY 1.54 billion in sales, and from CNY 141.95 million to CNY 181.06 million in net income compared to the same period last year. Despite this positive trend, the company's dividend history is marked by volatility over the past decade, raising concerns about the reliability of future dividend payments. However, current dividends are well-covered by both earnings and cash flows, with payout ratios at 75% and cash payout ratios at 39.8%, respectively.

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SHSE:601126 Dividend History as at May 2024

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: Nacity Property Service Group Co., Ltd. provides real estate property management services in China, with a market capitalization of approximately CN2.06 billion.

Operations: Nacity Property Service Group Co., Ltd. generates its revenues primarily from real estate property management services in China.

Dividend Yield: 3.2%

Nacity Property Service GroupLtd, with a P/E ratio of 12.4x, operates below the CN market average of 31.9x, suggesting good value. Its dividend yield stands at 3.15%, higher than the CN market's average of 2.26%. Despite a short history of dividend payments under ten years and recent financial setbacks in Q1 2024where net income halved to CNY 20.83 million from CNY 40.33 million year-over-yearthe dividends appear sustainable with a payout ratio at 38.9% and cash payout ratio at 82.9%. However, share price volatility could be a concern for potential investors.

SHSE:603506 Dividend History as at May 2024

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: Zhejiang Jiaxin Silk Corp., Ltd. is a company that specializes in the manufacturing and selling of silk products, with a market capitalization of approximately CN3.78 billion.

Operations: Zhejiang Jiaxin Silk Corp., Ltd. generates its revenues primarily from the manufacturing and sales of silk products.

Dividend Yield: 4.5%

Zhejiang Jiaxin Silk Corp.,Ltd. recently declared a dividend of CNY 3.00 per 10 shares for 2023, maintaining its record of stable and growing dividends over the past decade. The company's dividend sustainability is supported by a payout ratio of 78.9% and cash payout ratio of 70%, ensuring dividends are well-covered by earnings and cash flows. Despite a slight dip in net income to CNY 48.49 million in Q1 2024 from CNY 52.48 million year-over-year, the firm's commitment to shareholder returns is evident with its recent completion of a share buyback worth CNY 50.1 million, enhancing shareholder value.

SZSE:002404 Dividend History as at May 2024

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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 SHSE:601126 SHSE:603506 and SZSE:002404.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
China appears to still be weighing how it will respond to sweeping new tariffs on Chinese imports, but Joe Biden told Yahoo Finance that a retaliation is likely coming.

"I don't think it'll lead to any international conflict or anything like that, but I think they'll probably try to figure out how they can raise tariffs, maybe on products that are unrelated," President Biden said in an exclusive Yahoo Finance interview Tuesday.

The president said he expected the coming trade conflict to be manageable, telling Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi that China is "way over their skis on this."

The stakes for the US are high, Biden added. He says China's goal is to flood markets with cheap government-underwritten goods as an attempt to "put everybody else out of business and then they take over."

Biden's duties announced Tuesday are set to be quickly felt on a specific range of incoming Chinese goods, from electric vehicles to semiconductors to medical products and more.

But experts say any response from China is likely to look very different. That's because the US sends a much different (and not to mention smaller) basket of goods China's way.

"The simple fact is that the Chinese are just not buying much from the United States," notes Ashley Craig, a Washington, D.C.-based international trade lawyer.

But, like the Chinese retaliation that happened during the Trump era, that is likely to mean a few prominent American sectors could feel the pinch most acutely.

That could, for example, mean an impact on makers of machinery: "Caterpillar (CAT) comes to mind," Craig said.

The response is also likely to target farmers looking to sell their crops overseas as well as the makers of other goods like chemicals.

Biden's Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump, responded to Biden's announcement Tuesday outside of his hush money trial in New York, charging that Biden should introduce 100% tariffs on all Chinese vehicles and adding "China is eating our lunch right now."

Asked about Trump's comment Tuesday at the White House, Biden shot back that Trump "has been feeding them for a long time."

What it might look like

For its part, China's Foreign Ministry has already responded multiple times in recent days to Biden's tariffs but offered little in the way of details.

On Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin reiterated to reporters that China opposes the move and "will take all measures necessary to defend our legitimate rights and interests."

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Whether that response kicks off a new trade war remains to be seen, but its likely to target a few areas that China has focused on in recent years.

The US-China Business Council reports that China was the United States' third-largest goods export market in 2022, with those goods supporting more than 1 million jobs. The top five areas in 2022 were oilseeds and grains, semiconductors and components, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, and basic chemicals.

In a statement, council president Craig Allen offered that the new tariff package, however targeted, "invites retaliation from China, which combined could further disadvantage US companies selling goods and services in China's market compared to their foreign competitors."

Retaliation is clearly a worry for other Biden officials. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen offered in a Bloomberg interview on Monday that "hopefully we will not see a significant Chinese response  but that's always a possibility."

In another exclusive Yahoo Finance interview Tuesday, Biden aide Jared Bernstein referenced Yellen's comments but underlined that the targeted nature of the Tuesday's announcement meant that only about 4% of US imports from China would be impacted with new duties.

"I think that in many cases you'll see retaliation proportionate to what you're retaliated against," the head of Biden's Council of Economic Advisers added, saying that worrying about retaliation "can't be the guiding light for this president."

A variety of scenarios

Early estimates from other experts have offered a variety of possibilities for the future.

Tobin Marcus, the head of US policy and politics at Wolfe Research, predicted in a note to clients "some Chinese response, but that Beijing will aim for proportionality, which means the US fallout should be limited."

University of St. Gallen professor Simon Evenett suggested that the 2024 political landscape could impact the response.

"Hitting the battleground states would be tempting," the former World Bank official said in a note to Yahoo Finance.

Evenett also shared how data from Biden's own trade team shows the interconnectedness between China and the states that will decide the next president in November.

President Joe Biden speaks about new trade actions on China in the Rose Garden of the White House on Tuesday. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images) (MANDEL NGAN via Getty Images)

For example, Pennsylvania, which may become the key swing state in November, sent China $3 billion in goods such as chemicals, machinery, and food products last year.

Perhaps the area where China's likely response will be most keenly felt is in agriculture, as it was when Trump first levied tariffs in 2018.

The American Soybean Association recently offered that soy growers are "still bruised" by that episode, with China's response one that "essentially halted soy exports to the country overnight."

Craig notes that it could be a similar story this time.

"History is a good indicator," he notes, listing agriculture as an area where China has the ability to impact the US economy and one with political salience in 2024.

But heartland products like US soybeans and beef could again be in China's crosshairs like in 2018, he added, "assuming that the Chinese can supplement and replace as they did in the past."

This post has been updated with additional context.

Ben Werschkul is Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance.

Click here for politics news related to business and money

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
Over $700 billion in loans and underwriting flowed into companies conducting business in fossil fuels last year, funneled by 60 of the worlds largest private banks, according to a report released Monday by several environmental groups.

The annual report, put together by the Sierra Club and the Rainforest Action Network among others, shows a slight decline in banks financing for oil, gas and coal since 2021, but researchers say it is not dropping quickly enough.

Environmental activists have for decades sought to put pressure on the money that undergirds the fossil fuel industry, in hopes of galvanizing a transition to clean energy. Climate advocates have found some success in recent years as ESG (environmental, social and governance) principles have begun factoring into business strategies for many major financial institutions.

But Mondays report highlights how global banks continue to finance new and existing fossil-fuel-related endeavors. Since 2016, when the Paris Agreement was ratified and nations around the world agreed to cap emissions, banks have financed fossil fuel interests with an estimated $7 trillion, according to the report.

The top financier of fossil fuels for three consecutive years: JPMorgan Chase, which the report said increased its commitments to fossil-fuel-related businesses from an estimated $38.7 billion in 2022 to $40.8 billion in 2023.

JPMorgan has made a number of moves to try to strengthen their climate commitments, said April Merleaux, a research manager with the Rainforest Action Network and lead researcher on the report. But the practices and policies that theyre implementing do not move fast enough to recognize the urgency of this moment. Very few banks are scaling down their financing for fossil fuels at the pace that it needs to scale down.

Some banks took issue with the methodologies the researchers used to compile the report, expressing concerns about data accuracy and how transactions were categorized as related to fossil fuels.

In a statement to NBC News, a spokesperson for JPMorgan Chase said that the companys own data reflects our activities more comprehensively than estimates by third parties and emphasized its commitment to zero-carbon power.

Satyajit Bose, a professor in sustainability management at Columbia University who was not associated with the report, said the studys methodology was reasonable overall, though he questioned a couple elements. For one, the authors indiscriminately counted sustainability-linked bonds  a type of green financing issued by banks to encourage sustainable business  as fossil-fuel-related if the company that received the bonds works in the fossil fuel industry.

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Bose also expressed concerns about the reports categorization of refinanced loans as repeated loans, which he said could be misleading because it ignored the loan terms.

Close behind JPMorgan Chase on the reports list of the dirty dozen fossil fuel financiers was Tokyo-based Mizuho Financial Group, followed by Bank of America.

Mizuho has increased its fossil fuel financing over the last few years to over $37 billion in total, with a particular interest in methane gas, also known as natural gas. According to the report, the Japanese bank committed $10.9 billion to gas expansion projects in 2023.

A broader increase in interest in methane gas amid the energy crisis in Europe  fueled by Russias invasion of Ukraine  might have been a contributing factor to the global financing of gas last year, Merleaux said.

Mizuho declined to comment on the report.

Bank of America, meanwhile, ranked third for its almost $34 billion in financial commitments to companies conducting business in fossil fuels. In a statement to NBC News, a spokesperson said Bank of America ranks high on energy financing volume, funneling loans and underwriting in equal ratio to low-carbon and fossil fuel energy companies.

Advocacy groups are planning an active summer of protests on Wall Street to further pressure banks to stop financing fossil fuel interests. The Summer of Heat, organized by groups like Climate Defenders and Planet Over Profit, began in April with protesters targeting Citigroup for its financial activities.

According to the new report, Citigroup has supplied fossil fuel interests with almost $400 billion since 2016, though its commitments in the area have declined since 2019.

A Citigroup spokesperson said in a statement that the company is committed to transitioning to a low-carbon economy and that since 2020 it has put over $400 billion toward its goal to invest $1 trillion in sustainable finance by 2030. The group also aims to reach net-zero carbon emissions for its operations by 2030.

At an upcoming protest in June, Citigroup will continue to be a focus, climate action organizers said.

Citi is one of the biggest funders that we believe we can move, Jonathan Westin, an organizer at Climate Defenders, said. Were trying to send a message to Wall Street banks that they need to get off of fossil fuels and they need to make real plans to exit financing pipelines, natural gas facilities and oil rigs across the globe.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
By M. Sriram and Aditya Kalra

MUMBAI (Reuters) - A consortium including Blackstone, Singapore state fund GIC and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) is in talks with India's Haldiram's for a majority stake in its snacks business at a valuation of up to $8.5 billion, two sources with direct knowledge said.

Haldiram's, a household name in India, has more than 150 restaurants selling local food, sweets and western cuisine. It also has a popular snacks business for which the deal talks are currently ongoing, said the sources, who declined to be named as the discussions are private.

The consortium, led by Blackstone, has submitted a non-binding bid for a 75% stake and the talks are in early stages, the sources said, adding that the final percentage and valuation has not yet been decided.

GIC and ADIA - both investors in Blackstone's funds - are part of the non-binding bid, the sources added. India's Economic Times newspaper first reported the deal talks.

Haldiram's CEO Krishan Chutani, ADIA and Blackstone declined to comment while GIC did not immediately respond.

Last year, Reuters reported India's Tata Group was in talks with Haldiram's to acquire a majority stake in the entire snacks and restaurants business. Haldiram's at the time was seeking a valuation of $10 billion.

Those talks have ended and no Tata deal is in the works, a third source with direct knowledge said on Tuesday.

(Reporting by M. Sriram; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
Key Insights

Insiders appear to have a vested interest in Boustead Singapore's growth, as seen by their sizeable ownership

The top 2 shareholders own 52% of the company

Insiders have been buying lately

Every investor in Boustead Singapore Limited (SGX:F9D) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. We can see that individual insiders own the lion's share in the company with 46% ownership. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).

And looking at our data, we can see that insiders have bought shares recently. This could be interpreted as insiders anticipating a rise in stock prices in the near future.

In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Boustead Singapore.

View our latest analysis for Boustead Singapore

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Boustead Singapore?

Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.

As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Boustead Singapore. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Boustead Singapore's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

Boustead Singapore is not owned by hedge funds. With a 43% stake, CEO Fong Fui Wong is the largest shareholder. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 8.3% and 3.0% of the stock.

A more detailed study of the shareholder registry showed us that 2 of the top shareholders have a considerable amount of ownership in the company, via their 52% stake.

Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. There is some analyst coverage of the stock, but it could still become more well known, with time.

Insider Ownership Of Boustead Singapore

While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO.

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Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group.

It seems insiders own a significant proportion of Boustead Singapore Limited. Insiders own S$207m worth of shares in the S$454m company. It is great to see insiders so invested in the business. It might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying recently.

General Public Ownership

With a 40% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Boustead Singapore. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

Next Steps:

It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Boustead Singapore better, we need to consider many other factors. For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Boustead Singapore that you should be aware of before investing here.

Ultimately the future is most important. You can access this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
When it comes to buying a house, the elephant in the room is not the price. Its not the mortgage rates. Its not even the property tax. Its the insurance.

You know the cost of the house and your loan rate, so youll know what you can expect to pay every month, based on how much you eventually borrow. Youll even be able to get a good handle on your property taxes, based on what the seller is paying now or, if you are buying a new construction, what the builder estimates.

But you wont have a clue about what you will pay for homeowners insurance  and possibly flood insurance  until you actively search for coverage. Unfortunately, too many buyers leave that until the last minute, only to find that the cost is so much that they cant afford the total monthly payments, or PITI.

According to a Real Estate Witch study, the typical homeowners insurance policy is $1,516, or $126 a month. Consequently, insurance is no longer a minor detail: Its the wild card. And its become a major hurdle.

Anthony Friedman of Northrop Realty in Ellicott City, Maryland, worked with a seller who wanted to move to Florida but was so shocked by the cost of insurance in the Sunshine State that he took his Maryland house off the market. And Steven Moreira of RealSource Properties in Longwood, Florida, says he knows of one broker who lost six deals that were under contract last year because of insurance.

Florida may be the epicenter of the problem  its said to be the largest hurricane-prone place in the world  but insurance costs are also causing trouble in California and Colorado. And the issue is popping up in other places, too.

Thats why real estate agents are being advised by their trade organization to be upfront with clients and suggest they start the hunt for coverage early, no later than midway through the loan approval process. Some agents are going further, though, by building relationships with insurers in their areas who can provide coverage for their clients.

Its always best to shop the market on your own, but if you are unable to shop around or cant find a better price, your agents person may be your only choice. Realty company Long & Foster, a large mid-Atlantic region brokerage, has several affiliates, including an insurance company. Coverage is offered when a contract is inked.

Insurance is offered right upfront so people dont get stuck, says Dan Jay, who works in the companys lending division. Many homebuilders are aligning themselves with insurance companies or brokers, too. Some are embedding insurance within their purchase agreement process, so their buyers are offered a no-obligation quote and are all but forced to deal with the issue head-on.

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Again, buyers are free to go elsewhere if they desire. But its a service many buyers appreciate, says Tom Kriby, vice president of client development and partnerships for the Westwood Insurance Agency in California. Kriby says half the buyers who obtain coverage through Westwood accept the quote they receive when they sign a purchase agreement, and the other half chose the company after shopping the market.

Other builders, meanwhile, are creating their own in-house insurance companies. Perhaps prescient, Taylor Morrison, one the countrys largest with 11,500 houses built last year across 11 states, started its own insurance subsidiary in 2019 to provide competitive quotes  with discounts other agencies cannot offer  within 48 hours of signing a contract.

The opportunity to offer an additional benefit to complement the homebuying experience through our financial services  from mortgage, title and closing services and now insurance  allows our customers to enjoy the quality and convenience of one-stop shopping, the builder said at the time.

But taking the weight of searching for affordable coverage off the buyers plate gives builders a lift, too. Buyers are alerted early in the process that insurance should not be an afterthought, and fewer deals fall through the cracks because of insurance issues.

It makes sense, says Kriby, to take the initiative and offer a simple and convenient insurance solution.

For buyers who are on their own, follow the good principles of insurance shopping: Ask friends and family for recommendations, shop around with numerous carriers or deal with an independent agent who works with a number of different carriers, consider a higher deductible and bundle auto and homeowners insurance with one carrier.

Also, dont insure the place for more than its worth. In that regard, dont cover the land, the cost of which could be as much as 25% of the price of the house. Do all these things, but do them as soon as your offer is accepted so you wont be blindsided later in the process. There is no contract contingency that allows you to drop the deal if you cant obtain or afford insurance. If your lender requires coverage you cant secure, you can use your financing contingency to vacate the contract. If you are a cash buyer, though, that get-out-of-jail card wont work.

Lew Sichelman has been covering real estate for more than 50 years. He is a regular contributor to numerous shelter magazines and housing and housing-finance industry publications. Readers can contact him at lsichelman@aol.com.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  California could require all new gas stoves sold in the state to carry a label warning users about pollutants they can release that have been linked to respiratory illnesses.

The state Assembly approved a proposal Monday that would require the label on gas stoves or ranges made or sold online after 2024, or sold in a store after 2025. The bill now heads to the state Senate.

Proponents of the legislation say it is a necessary step to help address childhood asthma and other respiratory problems. Opponents say the legislation is unnecessary and that the state should focus on promoting better ventilation in buildings to improve air quality.

Despite the growing body of evidence about the health risks of gas stoves, most of this isn't common knowledge, said Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, a Democrat representing part of Santa Cruz County. This bill will help the purchaser make more informed decisions about gas stoves and oven appliances.

The bill passed largely along party lines and with no debate.

The label would warn users that breathing in large concentrations of chemicals, such as nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and benzene, could exacerbate preexisting respiratory illnesses and increase the risk of developing leukemia and asthma, especially in children. It would also state that ventilation can lower the risk of exposure to these chemicals.

Gas stoves have been at the center of hot political debates in recent years over climate policy, childhood health and consumer choice. In 2019, Berkeley, California, became the first city in the country to adopt a ban on natural gas in new homes and buildings, but courts blocked that law upon a challenge from the California Restaurant Association. The city recently halted enforcement of its policy after a federal court refused to hear an appeal.

The latest California proposal was inspired by a similar bill in Illinois that has not passed, said Jenn Engstrom, state director of the California Public Interest Research Group, a nonprofit advocacy group.

Outside of California, New York state passed a law banning natural gas stoves and furnaces in most new buildings starting in 2026. Last year, the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill that would have banned the use of federal money to regulate gas stoves as a hazardous product. The bill has not been approved by the Senate.

California voters already approved a law in the 1980s requiring warning labels on gas stoves and other products if they expose people to significant amounts of chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects and reproductive harm. The label required under this year's proposal would go further by mentioning respiratory illnesses.

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About 40% of U.S. households cook using gas as a heat source, according to The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, which opposes the California bill.

Adding yet another label to gas cooking products does not address the overall concern of indoor air quality while cooking," spokesperson Jill Notini said in an email. "All forms of cooking, regardless of heat source, generate air pollutants, especially at high temperatures.

People can improve ventilation while cooking by using a range hood and by making sure the range hood vents to the outdoors, according to the California Air Resources Board. People whose kitchens do not have a range hood should use a fan or open windows while cooking, the agency says.

There is growing evidence that chemicals released by gas stoves can worsen symptoms for people with respiratory problems, such as asthma, said Dr. Lisa Patel, a pediatrician and executive director of the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health. There is also concern that they could contribute to childhood asthma cases. She compared what has become a culture war over gas stoves to fights in the past to regulate seatbelts and tobacco products.

We're going through another moment where something that feels like an institution in our homes, suddenly we're being told that it's bad for our health, Patel said. It's not because it wasn't bad for our health all along. It was just that we didn't have the data before. We have the data now.

___

Austin is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Austin on the social platform X: @sophieadanna
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Blitz week has arrived  although its not really a week, its only three days. May 14-16, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliances International Roadcheck takes place throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Typically the CVSA picks one major area of focus each year in addition to the regular inspections. This year it chose two: tractor protection systems and alcohol and controlled substance possession.

Two is a bit ambitious but with good cause.The CVSA stated, The number of prohibited drivers listed in the U.S. Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse (DACH) has been increasing. This alarming trend poses a threat to all motorists who travel on roadways throughout North America.

When setting loads for the week, its not going to be a bad idea to remind drivers to do a quick sweep of the cab before heading out to make sure nothing is there that shouldnt be there or nothing got stuck under something during home time or off hours.

The other thing officers are focusing on is a little trickier: tractor protection systems. More specifically, the tractor protection valve, trailer supply valve and anti-bleed-back valve. For those who arent 100% sure what that is, it prevents air loss from the tractor when it is not hooked to a trailer or if a trailer breaks away.

This is a slightly more involved part of the inspection. Officers will still be conducting Level 1 inspections, which go over vehicle and driver documentation and requirements, but should a driver fail the tractor protection component, the vehicle will be placed out of service and will need to be towed or repaired on-site.

Something to note for carriers and drivers who prefer to drive at night and think theyll escape part of the inspections. Not so. This year, third shift has been included in the inspections. Everyone participating knows its a full 72 hours straight.

The biggest thing for this week is to let shippers know that shipments could get delayed or to add extra transit time for the load so that when drivers are stopped for inspections nothing is delivered late. Also, the importance of a pre-trip inspection cannot be overstated this week as now is the time to get that finicky little something fixed before it ends up being the final violation that puts the truck out of service.

May the odds be ever in drivers favor.

SONAR Ticker: OTMS

Market Check. Outbound Tender Market Share measures the number of tendered loads in individual markets in relation to total tendered load volume for the day in the U.S. Each market contributes to a combined total of 100, reflecting the markets share of the national load volume. For instance, Los Angeles has seen a significant 5.4% increase in outbound tender volume, currently commanding a 2.5% share of the U.S. market.

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A higher market share suggests increased demand for trucks, influencing overall freight market capacity. Changes in market share levels can lead to network imbalances, potentially sparking spot market activity. The focus of the chart is on month-over-month changes.

(GIF: GIPHY)

Whos with whom? Once again Mexico pulls out a win as top trading partner with the U.S. For the month of March, two-way trade between the two countries totaled $68.5 billion. Canada put up a solid fight with $65.1 billion. March marks the third consecutive month and 13th of the past 14 months Mexico has been No. 1 in trade with the U.S., according to FreightWaves Noi Mahoneys article.

The top five imports from Mexico to the U.S. in March were passenger vehicles ($4.2 billion), auto parts ($3.2 billion), computers ($2.8 billion), commercial vehicles ($2.7 billion) and insulated wires/cables ($1.4 billion), according to Census Bureau data analyzed by WorldCity.

The top five exports from the U.S. to Mexico were gasoline ($3 billion), auto parts ($1.7 billion), computer parts ($932 million), computer chips ($837 million) and low-value shipments ($774 million).

Port Laredo, Texas, takes the win for the top-ranked international commercial trade port.

The more you know

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The post Check Call: Inspections for all appeared first on FreightWaves.
PHILADELPHIA, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) announced it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Sidra Medicine, a specialty healthcare organization for women, children and young people in Qatar. The MOU, signed by Dr. Iyabo Tinubu-Karch, CEO of Sidra Medicine, and Madeline Bell, President and CEO of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia will establish a collaboration between CHOP and Sidra Medicine in Sidra Medicine's efforts to create the first-ever pediatric bone marrow transplant (BMT) program in Qatar.

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia announced it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Sidra Medicine, a specialty healthcare organization for women, children and young people in Qatar.

The MOU signing ceremony was held at CHOP and attended by H.E. Mohammed Bin Sultan Alkuwari, Consul General of the State of Qatar in New York, as well as Dr. Ahmed Al Hammadi, Acting Chief Medical Officer of Sidra Medicine, and Prof. Khalid Fakhro, Chief Research Officer at Sidra Medicine. The main objective of the MOU is to establish a working relationship between CHOP's Cellular Therapy and Transplant Section (CTTS) and Sidra Medicine. CHOP's CTTS will offer guidance as Sidra Medicine pursues an in-country BMT program, provide a robust education plan for its BMT clinical staff and assess readiness to start treating pediatric patients.

CHOP's Blood and Marrow Transplant program is part of CTTS and serves the needs of children who require a blood or marrow transplant to replace stem cells to treat their illness. Transplant is a treatment for a variety of diseases including certain types of pediatric cancer, disorders of the blood and immune system as well as a variety of other rare disorders and syndromes. CHOP's BMT program has been serving the needs of pediatric patients since 1976 and is recognized for its quality, service, innovative approaches and excellent patient outcomes. The program has one of the highest volumes of pediatric blood and marrow transplant-eligible patients among BMT providers in the United States.

"CHOP is dedicated to improving health outcomes for children across the world," said Ruth Frey, Vice President of Global Strategy and Business Development at CHOP. "We are thrilled about this collaboration and the opportunity to offer CHOP's BMT expertise to support Sidra Medicine's launch of the first-ever pediatric BMT program in Qatar."

Sidra Medicine is the only hospital in Qatar to provide pediatric hematology and oncology care for children and young people with cancer and blood disorders. The hospital sees approximately 70 to 100 cases of childhood cancer cases every year, with leukemia, central nervous system tumours and lymphoma amongst the most common.

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Dr. Ahmed Al Hammadi, Acting Chief Medical Officer and Executive Chair of Pediatrics at Sidra Medicine, said, "As a leader in specialist pediatric care in Qatar and the region, Sidra Medicine is proudly working alongside the top international health and research organizations to enhance our expertise in precision medicine. It is truly a milestone to launch Qatar's first pediatric BMT program and we are delighted to partner with a world-class institution like CHOP to provide our patients with the most advanced and effective treatment options. Taking our renowned multidisciplinary approach, different pediatric specialties will coordinate and work as a single unit to offer holistic and excellent care to our patients."

The BMT program at Sidra Medicine will treat patients with various blood diseases and cancers including sickle cell disease, thalassemia, leukemia, lymphoma and solid tumors. In addition, the program will treat pediatric patients with primary immune deficiencies, metabolic diseases, and certain genetic and autoimmune disorders.

In parallel to this work, CHOP and Sidra Medicine will also explore potential collaborations on clinical research in cell and gene therapies. CHOP has been a global leader in cell and gene therapies in which CHOP's CTTS has played a key role in the clinical trials, including all FDA approved therapies currently available. These therapies involve treatment for conditions such as sickle cell disease, beta thalassemia and adrenoleukodystrophy.

About Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

A non-profit, charitable organization, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals, and pioneering major research initiatives, the hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country. The institution has a well-established history of providing advanced pediatric care close to home through its CHOP Care Network , which includes more than 50 primary care practices, specialty care and surgical centers, urgent care centers, and community hospital alliances throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as the Middleman Family Pavilion and its dedicated pediatric emergency department in King of Prussia. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought Children's Hospital of Philadelphia recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit https://www.chop.edu.

About Sidra Medicine

From the heart of Qatar, Sidra Medicine, a private, not-for-profit organization established by the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development, is a leading academic healthcare and research institution for women, children and young people. The hospital is committed to delivering exceptional patient and family-focused care, conducting innovative biomedical and clinical research, and providing a personalized journey of care and cure and precision medicine specifically for rare diseases. To access our specialized healthcare or international patient services, including pediatric care, women's health, and rare disease treatment or to book a consultation at one of our private clinics, please call +974 40033333 or visit our website at http://www.sidra.org.

Contact:

Jennifer Lee

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

LEEJ41@chop.edu

610-800-6592

The MOU will establish a collaboration between CHOP and Sidra Medicine in Sidra Medicine's efforts to create the first-ever pediatric bone marrow transplant

The MOU was signed by Dr. Iyabo Tinubu-Karch, CEO of Sidra Medicine, and Madeline Bell, President and CEO of Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia.

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia logo (PRNewsfoto/University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine,Children's Hospital of Philadelphia)

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/childrens-hospital-of-philadelphia-and-sidra-medicine-to-establish-first-ever-pediatric-bone-marrow-transplant-program-in-qatar-302144284.html

SOURCE Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Operation of the Addis Ababa, Ethiopia  Djibouti, Djibouti railway has been handed over to a local company after being run by the two Chinese companies that built the project since it launched in 2018.

The planned handover saw the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and China Railway Engineering Corporation (China Railway) pass management of the 752km line to Ethiopia-Djibouti Railway Share Company (EDR) after years of training its staff.

Abdi Zenebe, CEO of EDR, said: Six years ago, we embarked on a journey that would connect our two great nations, Ethiopia and Djibouti. EDR was born out of a vision for progress, prosperity, and regional integration.

Today, as we celebrate the successful operation and maintenance of this railways, we reflect on the remarkable achievement that have brought us here.

The ceremony marking the exchange of operations is the culmination of efforts to train up EDRs staff to control the electrified line, with the company formed in 2017 exactly for the purpose.

According to Guo Chongfeng, the CEO of CCECCs Ethiopian branch, around 2,840 people have been trained by the company in operation, maintenance, and safety management.

Chongfeng also told Kenyan news outlet The Standard that the company had arranged training for around 200 middle and senior management personnel at EDR as well as training 100 local managers in China.

Built as part of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative, the railway has dramatically reduced journey times between Ethiopia and the port of Djibouti from around three days to less than 20 hours.

Though the $4.5bn line has been operating at a loss since it launched, it has quickly become a key part of Ethiopias trade network and reportedly carries around 90% of its exports.

Since it began operations, the railway has welcomed around 680,000 people and run 7,700 freight trains carrying 9.5m tonnes of cargo.

The railway is just one of a wide range of rail projects built or funded by China in Africa as part of its Belt and Road Initiative, with billions of dollars put into improving rail infrastructure in countries such as Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria.

"China hands over control of Ethiopia-Djibouti railway" was originally created and published by Railway 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.
By Cassandra Garrison

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Chinese automaker BYD unveiled the Shark, a mid-size hybrid-electric pickup truck, in Mexico on Tuesday, as its regional chief brushed off new U.S. tariff hikes on Chinese EVs, saying the company was not eyeing an entry to the U.S. market.

The Shark strengthens BYD's foothold in the North American market with a vehicle aimed directly at incumbents Ford, General Motors and Toyota.

It is for now only available in Mexico, executives said, and is the first time the world's largest electric-vehicle (EV) maker has launched a new product outside its home country.

BYD chose Mexico because of the rapid growth in demand for pickup trucks in the country, Chief of Americas Stella Li said.

The unveiling event in Mexico came hours after U.S. President Joe Biden announced steep tariff increases on an array of Chinese imports, citing unfair competitive practices. Duties on Chinese EVs were quadrupled to over 100%.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai later said that the United States is weighing tariffs on imports from Mexico.

In an interview with Reuters after the event, Li said the U.S. tariff hikes have no impact on BYD, which plans to build a plant in Mexico.

"We don't have plans to go to the U.S. market, so this announcement does not impact us at all," Li said.

"When we build a Mexican plant, we only consider the Mexican market and other countries' markets, we have not considered the U.S.," she added.

There is now a shortlist of potential sites for BYD's plant in Mexico, Li said, adding it will be centrally-located in the Latin American country.

A "deeper dialogue" was needed to make the final decision, Li said, which was expected to come by the end of the year.

The plant, which will have a capacity of 150,000 vehicles per year, will take two to three years to finish, Li added.

GROWING PRESENCE

The presence of Chinese automakers in Mexico has grown exponentially since 2017. One out of 10 cars sold in Mexico last year was from a Chinese automaker, with MG Motors, a unit of SAIC, dominating nearly half the market.

Reuters exclusively reported last month that Mexico's federal government, under pressure from the U.S. in keeping Chinese automakers at arm's length by refusing to offer such incentives as low-cost public land or tax cuts for investment in EV production.

Li said BYD has not yet discussed incentives with Mexico's federal government, citing the busy period ahead of the country's elections in June. She did not share details on incentives BYD would be seeking from the federal government or individual states.

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"I think all the states will try their best to give a best offer to attract us because we will be bringing a lot of technology there and create a lot of local jobs," Li said. "Every state, and even the central government, would love this kind of investment."

BYD's Shark will go head-to-head in Mexico with compact and medium-sized trucks such as the Toyota Tacoma and Ford Ranger. It is, however, costlier than most makes of both of the competing vehicles with a starting price of 899,980 pesos ($53,442.68) for the Shark GL and 969,800 pesos ($57,588.73) for the premium Shark GS.

The Shark can travel up to 100 km (62 miles) in EV mode before needing to be recharged, BYD said, and up to 840 km using both electric and combustion methods.

The pickup consumes 7.5 liters of fuel per 100 km (31.4 mpg) traveled, the brochure detailed.

($1 = 16.8401 Mexican pesos)

(Reporting by Cassandra Garrison; Writing by Kylie Madry; Editing by Anthony Esposito, Deepa Babington and Marguerita Choy)
When you buy and hold a stock for the long term, you definitely want it to provide a positive return. Better yet, you'd like to see the share price move up more than the market average. But The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) has fallen short of that second goal, with a share price rise of 30% over five years, which is below the market return. The last year has been disappointing, with the stock price down 0.6% in that time.

Now it's worth having a look at the company's fundamentals too, because that will help us determine if the long term shareholder return has matched the performance of the underlying business.

See our latest analysis for Coca-Cola

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 way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS).

During five years of share price growth, Coca-Cola achieved compound earnings per share (EPS) growth of 9.6% per year. This EPS growth is higher than the 5% average annual increase in the share price. So one could conclude that the broader market has become more cautious towards the stock.

You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

Dive deeper into Coca-Cola's key metrics by checking this interactive graph of Coca-Cola's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What About Dividends?

When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. In the case of Coca-Cola, it has a TSR of 52% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence!

A Different Perspective

Coca-Cola provided a TSR of 2.6% over the last twelve months. But that was short of the market average. If we look back over five years, the returns are even better, coming in at 9% per year for five years. It may well be that this is a business worth popping on the watching, given the continuing positive reception, over time, from the market. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Coca-Cola , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

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But note: Coca-Cola may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with past earnings growth (and further growth forecast).

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on American exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
What stores are coming to Southwest Florida and where?

Here's a look at the businesses featured in the In the Know column the past two weeks, a sampling of the merchants coming to or moving around Collier and Lee counties.

What to know.

When will Kohl's open in the Center of Bonita Springs center in Florida?

Next to the Burlington Store that opened Friday, Kohl's plans to hit the Center of Bonita Springs shopping center at U.S. 41 and Bonita Beach Road by summer, if not September, according to New York City-based Brixmor Property Group.

In the Know: Kohl's wasn't ready to go in May 2024 in Bonita Springs, but Burlington Stores next door certainly was. Uploaded May 8, 2024.

What is Kohl's planning for its existing store in Cape Coral, Florida?

The clothing retailer also has targeted its Cape Coral location on Pine Island Road, near Nicholas Parkway, for the placement of a Babies R Us shop within the store by autumn.

Petar's is a warm, inviting restaurant in the Publix center at the corner of Bonita Beach Road and U.S. 41.

What restaurant is expanding at the Center of Bonita shopping center?

Also upcoming in Center of Bonita: Petars Restaurant is expanding into the adjacent 3,855 square feet that was previously occupied by Sally Beauty, Brixmor spokeswoman Maria Pace said.

In the Know: The second Five Below for Naples is slated by the end of May 2024 at Immokalee Road and U.S. 41. Fort Myers also has one targeted in that time frame at Cypress Trace plaza, 13300 S. Cleveland Ave. Uploaded May 9, 2024.

When does HomeSense open in Naples, and where's Five Below headed?

Here's what's on the docket for North Naples Granada Shoppes, home to Trader Joe's, Marshalls and others at Immokalee Road and U.S. 41.

Furniture-related HomeSense targets a May 30 start while discount Five Below may have erected a banner that says May 31 but look for an opening as soon as a week before that, according to the chains. On that same May 31, Five Below also has put May 31 on the calendar to open its doors at Fort Myers Cypress Trace plaza, 13300 S. Cleveland Ave.

In the Know: Five Below puts finishing touches May 7, 2024 on new Naples spot, U.S. 41 and Immokalee Road. Despite the sign, don't be surprised if there's a soft opening up to a week prior. Another planned debut: May 31 in Cypress Trace plaza, 13300 S. Cleveland Ave.

What steak and seafood spot already in Fort Myers is coming to Naples?

Back to Granada, Connors Steak & Seafood, which has a Fort Myers venue (Gulf Coast Town Center), plans to begin serving its specialties early next year in the 14,490 square feet that had belonged to Dollar Tree, which moved elsewhere on the property this month, Pace said.

Connors Steak & Seafood in Fort Myers.

What's latest plan for Barnes & Nobles leaving Naples Waterside Shops?

Next to Saks OFF 5th at Naples Park Shore Plaza at U.S. 41 and Neapolitan Way, Barnes & Nobles is moving a mile from Waterside Shops this summer to set up in a larger 35,080-square-foot berth in September, according to Janine Flanigan, Barnes & Noble senior director for store planning and design. Waterside, at Seagate Drive and Tamiami Trail, hasn't revealed the replacement.

What new addition is Freedom Square in Naples, Florida getting?

In Naples Freedom Square at Collier Boulevard and U.S. 41, Fort Myers-based SalonPlex beauty store plans a location for later this year, according to the chain and Brixmor.

In the Know: What's rising by Whole Foods? What's Macy's bringing to Lee? Where's Naples dealer going?

Where will Macy's Bluemercury put its first Lee County, Florida location?

In the 24,616-square-foot second phase of the Daniels Marketplace, home to anchor Whole Foods since 2018 at Six Mile Cypress Parkway and Daniels Road, the first Macy's Bluemercury skin care in Lee County is on target to show up by winter although developers are working to move it up to fall, along with these others so far:

Whole Foods at Daniels Marketplace.

What are some stores Daniels Marketplace is adding in Fort Myers, Fla.?

VIO Med Spa will make its debut on this coast offering body contouring, skin rejuvenation, facials, injectables, fillers and similar services. Also part of the Marketplace party, with more to come, are Fidelity Investments and a pair of clothing outlets obsessed with the 10th letter of the alphabet, J.Jill and J. McLaughlin.

LoveSac features "Sactional" sofas, among other furniture.

Where in Lee and Collier counties is Lovesac furniture opening stores?

Also in play at Daniels: Lovesac furniture, the masters of modulars and bean bags that's already in Estero's Coconut Point and also preparing to launch before summer hits near the Whole Foods in Naples Mercato.

Resort: With major hiring coming, Great Wolf Lodge CEO says he can find workers in competitive market

What chain is setting up next to Oil Well Road's Palmetto Ridge High?

Next to Palmetto Ridge High School, Central Florida-based J. Raymond Construction Corp. has a new contract for the first Publix on Oil Well Road in what will be the Shoppes of Orange Blossom. The goal has been for a 2025 debut, but we'll see how all that plays out. Le Nails & Spa already has lined up leased space in the center, according to LQ Commercial.

Rendering of new Genesis dealership owned by the Zellers in Naples.

What Naples, Florida dealership is coming to Pine Ridge Road and I-75?

At Pine Ridge Road and I-75, Genesis of Naples plans to place its dealership there on 10.5 acres by late 2025. The new showroom will allow the Hyundai dealership to expand at 6780 Airport-Pulling Road after Genesis vacates.

For more on these and past columns, go to naplesnews.com and search "Phil Fernandez" on the site.

Based at the Naples Daily News, Columnist Phil Fernandez (pfernandez@gannett.com) grew up in Southwest Florida and has led Pulitzer Prize-winning efforts. He writes In the Know, one of USA TODAY Network's most read local news columns in the state. Support democracy. Subscribe to a newspaper.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: New stores coming to Collier, Lee County in SW Florida: What to know
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  If youre looking to buy your first home, a newly launched program can help pay for it.

The Columbus organization Homeport, along with the Federal Home Loan Bank, is sponsoring the multi-million-dollar effort announced Monday.

They are providing $5 million in down payment assistance for qualifying homeowners in Franklin County.

The program will offer $25,000 grants to be used for a downpayment on a home, closing costs, or principal reduction aid.

In order to qualify, applicants must:

Be a first-time, first-generation homebuyer.

Take part in home-ownership education through Homeport.

Meet certain HUD-approved income requirements.

The eligible properties are single-family homes located within Franklin County.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods, left, listens with other oil company executives as then-President Trump spoke in the White House in 2020. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press)

You wouldn't think that Exxon Mobil has to worry much about being harried by a couple of shareholder groups owning a few thousand dollars worth of shares between them  not with its $529-billion market value and its stature as the world's biggest oil company.

But then you might not have factored in the company's stature as the world's biggest corporate bully.

In February, Exxon Mobil sued the U.S. investment firm Arjuna Capital and Netherlands-based green shareholder firm Follow This to keep a shareholder resolution they sponsored from appearing on the agenda of its May 29 annual meeting. The resolution urged Exxon Mobil to work harder to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of its products.

Exxon has more resources than just about anybody; 'overkill' doesn't begin to describe the imbalance of power.

Shareholder advocate Nell Minow

The company's legal threat worked: Days after the lawsuit was filed, the shareholder groups, weighing their relative strength against an oil behemoth, withdrew the proposal and pledged not to refile it in the future.

Yet even though the proposal no longer exists, the company is still pursuing the lawsuit, running up its own and its adversaries' legal bills. Its goal isn't hard to fathom.

"What purpose does this have other than sending a chill down the spines of other investors to keep them from speaking up and filing resolutions?" asks Illinois State Treasurer Michael W. Frerichs, who oversees public investment portfolios, including the state's retirement and college savings funds, worth more than $35 billion.

In response to the lawsuit, Frerichs has urged Exxon Mobil shareholders to vote against the reelection to the board of Chairman and Chief Executive Darren W. Woods and lead independent director Joseph L. Hooley at the annual meeting.

He's not alone. The $496-billion California Public Employees' Retirement System, or CalPERS, the nation's largest public pension fund, is considering a vote against Woods, according to the fund's chief operating investment officer, Michael Cohen.

Exxon has gone well beyond any other company that were aware of in terms of suing shareholders for trying to bring forward a proposal," Cohen told the Financial Times. There doesnt seem to be anything other than an agenda of sending a message of shutting down shareholders ability to speak their mind.

California Treasurer Fiona Ma, a CalPERS board member, backs a vote against Woods. As the largest public pension fund in the country, we have a responsibility to lead on issues that threaten to undermine shareowners, she says.

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Read more: Column: The oil companies lied to us about climate change. California should sue them into the ground

The proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis & Co., which helps institutional investors decide how to vote on shareholder proposals and board elections, has counseled a vote against Hooley, citing Exxon Mobil's "unusual and aggressive tactics" in fighting activist investors.

Exxon Mobil's action against Arjuna and Follow This opens a new chapter in the long battle between corporate managements and shareholder gadflies.

Fossil fuel companies have been especially touchy about shareholder resolutions calling on them to take firmer action on global warming and to be more transparent about the effects their products have on climate.

In part that may be the result of some significant victories by activist shareholders. In 2021, nearly 61% of Chevron shareholders voted for the company to substantially reduce its greenhouse gas emissions  a shockingly large majority for a shareholder vote on any issue. That same year, the activist hedge fund Engine No. 1 led a campaign that unseated three Exxon Mobil board members and replaced them with directors more sensitive to climate risk.

Exxon Mobil also subjected the San Diego County community of Imperial Beach to a campaign of legal harassment over the city's participation in a lawsuit aimed at forcing the company and others in the oil industry to pay compensation for the cost of global warming, which stems from the burning of the companies products.

Even in that context, Exxon Mobil's campaign against Arjuna and Follow This represents a high-water mark in corporate cynicism.

The lawsuit asserts that the investment funds' proposed resolution violated standards set forth by the Securities and Exchange Commission governing the propriety of such resolutions  it was related to "the company's ordinary business operations" and closely resembled resolutions on similar topics that had failed to exceed threshold votes at the company's 2022 and 2023 annual meetings. Both standards allow a company to block a resolution from the meeting agenda, or proxy.

That may be so, but the conventional practice is for managements to seek approval from the SEC to exclude such resolutions through the issuance of what's known as an agency "no action" letter.

Read more: Column: Big oil companies are already reneging on their global warming promises

Exxon Mobil hasn't taken that step. Instead, it filed its lawsuit in federal court in Forth Worth, where the case was certain to be heard by one of the only two judges in that courthouse, both conservatives appointed by Republican presidents  a crystalline example of partisan "judge shopping." The case came before Trump appointee Mark T. Pittman, who has allowed it to proceed.

The company hasn't said why it followed that course. "The U.S. system for shareholder access is the best in the world," company spokeswoman Elise Otten told me by email. "To make sure it stays that way, the rules must be enforced or the abuse by activists masquerading as shareholders will continue threatening the system."

In practice, however, the SEC has been quite strict about requiring that shareholder proposals meet its standards. "There can only be one reason" for the lawsuit, says shareholder advocate Nell Minow  "it's to crush the shareholder. Exxon has more resources than just about anybody; 'overkill' doesn't begin to describe the imbalance of power."

The company accused Arjuna and Follow This of aiming not "to improve ExxonMobils business performance or increase shareholder value," but of pursuing the goal of "disrupting ExxonMobils investments and development of fossil fuel assets and causing ExxonMobil to change its business model, regardless of the benefits, costs, or the worlds needs."

The company maintained that the shareholder groups aimed to "force ExxonMobil to change the nature of its ordinary business or to go out of business entirely."

That's flatly untrue. The resolution observed that the company's "cost of capital may substantially increase if it fails to control transition risks by significantly reducing absolute emissions."

That judgment is shared by many institutional investors and government regulators, and points to a path for preserving Exxon Mobil's business prospects, not destroying them.

In any case, what Exxon Mobil failed to note is that shareholder resolutions are always advisory  they can't require management to do anything.

In its lawsuit, the company whined about the sheer burden of handling an increase in shareholder resolutions, especially those on fraught topics such as the environment and social issues. Using what it described as an SEC estimate that it costs corporations $150,000 to deal with every submitted resolution, its annual meeting statement calculated that it has spent $21 million to manage 140 submitted resolutions.

A couple of points about that. First, the SEC didn't estimate that every resolution costs $150,000 to manage. The SEC actually cites a range of $20,000 to $150,000 each.

Second, a quick look at the company's financial statements gives the lie to its claim that shareholder resolutions are some sort of cataclysmic burden. Its statistics applied to the entire 10-year period from 2014 through 2023, not just a single year.

Read more: Column: The GOP is now complaining about environmentally responsible investing

Over that decade, Exxon Mobil reported total profits of $204.3 billion. In other words, processing those 140 proposals  using the SEC's highest estimate to arrive at $21 million  cost Exxon Mobil one one-hundredth of a percent of its profits, at most, to deal with shareholder proposals.

And it's not as if those proposals clog up the annual meeting proxy  for this year's meeting, only four proposals will be submitted to shareholder votes. Management opposes all four, big surprise.

As for whether companies such as Exxon Mobil have better uses for their money, the proxy statement doesn't make a great case for every expenditure.

Last year, for instance, the company paid nearly $1.5 million in relocation expenses for its top executives, including about $500,000 for Woods, in connection with the move of its headquarters from the Dallas suburbs to the Houston suburbs, about a three-hour drive away. Over the last three years, Woods collected more than $81 million in compensation, so one can see why moving house would leave him strapped.

"As a shareholder, the one thing you ask for is to look at every expenditure in terms of its return on investment," Minow told me. "It's unfathomable that the return on investment of this lawsuit is in any way beneficial to the company." She's right: It's certain that Exxon's legal fees on this case already exceed the putative $150,000 expense it incurred dealing with the withdrawn proposal.

Exxon Mobil's punitive lawsuit only hints at the lengths that the fossil fuel industry will go to preserve a business model facing an inexorable decline. The companies haven't been shy about enlisting politicians to rid them of their turbulent shareholders (to paraphrase the medieval King Henry II).

In February, Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) introduced a measure dubbed the "Rejecting Extremist Shareholder Proposals that Inhibit and Thwart Enterprise for Businesses Act, or "RESPITE." The act would overturn an SEC rule stating that resolutions dealing with "significant social policy issues" can't be excluded from the annual proxy under the traditional "ordinary business" limitation.

Don't expect them to be shy about demanding more latitude from a reelected President Trump. The Washington Post reported last week that Trump pledged to roll back Biden administration environmental policies if the oil executives meeting with him at Mar-a-Lago would raise $1 billion for his campaign. An Exxon Mobil executive was present, the Post reported.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Global packaging solution provider Coveris has announced an investment to increase the production capacity for medical device packaging at its sites in Rohrdorf and Halle, Germany.

In the coming months, the company is investing more than 8m ($8.62m) to upgrade and expand its medical device production lines, thereby responding to the increasing demand for high-quality medical packaging solutions.

Coveris plans to install two new pouch lines and one header bag line by late 2024 at its Rohrdorf site.

The new pouch and bag lines are said to be technologically similar to the existing capabilities at the facility and will improve service.

The Rohrdorf facility, operational since May 2021, is claimed to comply with the highest medical packaging production requirements, including ISO Class 7 certification.

Meanwhile, Coveris will add a new cast extrusion line at the Halle site to bolster its medical packaging capacity.

The Halle site is expected to commence commercial production with the new extrusion line at the beginning of 2025.

Coveris CEO Christian Kolarik said: "We are investing in site upgrades to further strengthen our medical segment and continue answering growing customer needs for high-performance medical packaging. A clean and safe production environment is extremely important for this sector, but sustainability is also key.

The new cast line supports the development of innovative monomaterial-based, recyclable and sustainable flexible packaging solutions for the medical industry. Additionally, both facilities are functioning with our No Waste strategy in mind, operating on electricity from renewable resources."

Last month, Coveris announced an expansion of its barrier film capabilities with an investment in vacuum skin packaging production.

"Coveris invests to expand medical device packaging production" was originally created and published by Packaging Gateway, 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.
LITTLE SILVER - The owner of the now-closed Sickles Market has filed for bankruptcy protection, the latest development in the demise of a Monmouth County family business that started 116 years ago as a farm stand.

Bob Sickles Jr. of Rumson filed for bankruptcy protection on May 9 and listed $10.9 million in assets and $7.5 million in liabilities, court papers state. That same day, AHS Realty LLC, which owns the Sickles Market property at 1 Harrison Avenue, submitted a separate bankruptcy application. Sickles is the sole owner of AHS Realty and its debts and assets are included in his petition too.

Both petitions are under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code, which aims for reorganization, not liquidation. Sickles could not be reached for comment on Tuesday. The bankruptcy filings were first reported by Red Bank Green.

A copy of the AHS bankruptcy filing can be seen at the bottom of this story.

Bob Sickles Jr. as seen in a 2019 photo in his Red Bank liquor store, Bottles by Sickles.

'A unique light dimmed': Restaurateur Daniel Murphy dies, left remarkable Red Bank legacy

Last month, another Sickles company, Bottles by Sickles in Red Bank, filed for bankruptcy protection after its landlord began eviction proceedings.

Sickles Market, started on land first farmed by Bob Sickles' grandfather, Harold Sickles, more than 100 years ago, imploded after it abruptly closed its Red Bank market in February. A month later, Sickles Market in Little Silver, founded in 1908, closed for good too. Between January and March, 117 employees were laid off.

In an interview following the closure of the Little Silver store, Sickles blamed the poor performance of Sickles Market's 2020 expansion into Red Bank's West Side, the COVID lockdown and its aftermath for the company's troubles. The Red Bank store "wasn't good for us," he said.

According to Sickles' personal filing, his largest unsecured creditor is the state of New Jersey, owing $766,784 in business sales and use tax. Other top unsecured creditors include companies to which he personally backed business debt, including Core Funding Source LLC of Beverly Hills, California, $159,893; Eminent Funding LLC of New York City, $134,991; US Foods Inc. of Rosemont Illinois, $116,302 and Performance Food Group Inc. of Elizabeth, $100,490, court papers state.

Exterior of Sickles Market, which closed in March, in Little Silver, NJ Monday, April 22, 2024.

Red Bank news: Basie Center Cinemas in Red Bank serving alcohol at the movies

In its filing, AHS Realty said Northfield Bank of Rahway has a $4.4 million claim against 1 Harrison Street, the Sickles Market property, which is valued at $10 million.

The land was first acquired from the family of Harold Sickles's mother, the Parkers, who bought the land in 1663 in a land grant from the king of England, according to Sickles Market's website.

Story continues

Since it closed, Sickles Market's legal troubles have worsened, as the stores' suppliers have filed lawsuits against the company and Sickles Jr. for over tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid bills.

AHS Realty bankruptcy by Dennis Carmody on Scribd

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David P. Willis, an award-winning business writer, has covered business, retail, real estate and consumer news at the Asbury Park Press for more than 25 years. He writes APP.com's What's Going There column and can be reached at dwillis@gannettnj.com. Please sign up for his weekly newsletter and join his What's Going There page on Facebook for updates.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Sickles Market owner in Little Silver files for bankruptcy protection
Exploring the Sustainability and Growth of Deutsche Boerse AG's Dividends

Deutsche Boerse AG (DBOEY) recently announced a dividend of $0.4 per share, payable on 2024-06-03, with the ex-dividend date set for 2024-05-15. As investors look forward to this upcoming payment, the spotlight also shines on the company's dividend history, yield, and growth rates. Using the data from GuruFocus, let's look into Deutsche Boerse AG's dividend performance and assess its sustainability.

What Does Deutsche Boerse AG Do?

Warning! GuruFocus has detected 5 Warning Signs with DBOEY.

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Deutsche Boerse is a financial exchange company headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany. The company primarily generates revenue through its Eurex and Clearstream segments. Eurex allows for the trading and clearing of derivatives. Clearstream offers custody and settlement services for domestic and international securities, as well as collateral management services. Other segments include Xetra, which generates revenue through trading and clearing cash equities, STOXX (an index business), and several others.

Deutsche Boerse AG's Dividend Analysis

A Glimpse at Deutsche Boerse AG's Dividend History

Deutsche Boerse AG has maintained a consistent dividend payment record since 2010. Dividends are currently distributed on a yearly basis. Below is a chart showing annual Dividends Per Share for tracking historical trends.

Deutsche Boerse AG's Dividend Analysis

Breaking Down Deutsche Boerse AG's Dividend Yield and Growth

As of today, Deutsche Boerse AG currently has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.96% and a 12-month forward dividend yield of 2.04%. This suggests an expectation of increased dividend payments over the next 12 months. Over the past three years, Deutsche Boerse AG's annual dividend growth rate was 7.50%. Extended to a five-year horizon, this rate decreased to 7.30% per year. Over the past decade, Deutsche Boerse AG's annual dividends per share growth rate stands at 5.70%.

Based on Deutsche Boerse AG's dividend yield and five-year growth rate, the 5-year yield on cost of Deutsche Boerse AG stock as of today is approximately 2.79%.

Deutsche Boerse AG's Dividend Analysis

The Sustainability Question: Payout Ratio and Profitability

To assess the sustainability of the dividend, one needs to evaluate the company's payout ratio. The dividend payout ratio provides insights into the portion of earnings the company distributes as dividends. A lower ratio suggests that the company retains a significant part of its earnings, thereby ensuring the availability of funds for future growth and unexpected downturns. As of 2024-03-31, Deutsche Boerse AG's dividend payout ratio is 0.38.

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Deutsche Boerse AG's profitability rank, offers an understanding of the company's earnings prowess relative to its peers. GuruFocus ranks Deutsche Boerse AG's profitability 8 out of 10 as of 2024-03-31, suggesting good profitability prospects. The company has reported positive net income for each year over the past decade, further solidifying its high profitability.

Growth Metrics: The Future Outlook

To ensure the sustainability of dividends, a company must have robust growth metrics. Deutsche Boerse AG's growth rank of 8 out of 10 suggests that the company's growth trajectory is good relative to its competitors. Revenue is the lifeblood of any company, and Deutsche Boerse AG's revenue per share, combined with the 3-year revenue growth rate, indicates a strong revenue model. Deutsche Boerse AG's revenue has increased by approximately 17.70% per year on average, a rate that outperforms approximately 72.98% of global competitors.

The company's 3-year EPS growth rate showcases its capability to grow its earnings, a critical component for sustaining dividends in the long run. During the past three years, Deutsche Boerse AG's earnings increased by approximately 16.70% per year on average, a rate that outperforms approximately 62.61% of global competitors.

Lastly, the company's 5-year EBITDA growth rate of 15.30%, which outperforms approximately 59.33% of global competitors.

Conclusion

With a solid track record of dividend payments, a healthy payout ratio, and robust profitability and growth metrics, Deutsche Boerse AG presents a compelling case for investors seeking sustainable income. The company's strategic positioning within financial services, coupled with its consistent financial performance, supports the likelihood of continued dividend growth. For those looking to expand their investment horizon, Deutsche Boerse AG warrants consideration as a potentially valuable addition to a dividend-focused portfolio.

GuruFocus Premium users can screen for high-dividend yield stocks using the High Dividend Yield Screener.

This article, generated by GuruFocus, is designed to provide general insights and is not tailored financial advice. Our commentary is rooted in historical data and analyst projections, utilizing an impartial methodology, and is not intended to serve as specific investment guidance. It does not formulate a recommendation to purchase or divest any stock and does not consider individual investment objectives or financial circumstances. Our objective is to deliver long-term, fundamental data-driven analysis. Be aware that our analysis might not incorporate the most recent, price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative information. GuruFocus holds no position in the stocks mentioned herein.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


This economist says 401(k)s tend to benefit the richest Americans  here's how to make yours work for you

Putting money into your employer-sponsored 401(k) is a prudent investment for your future. However, one economist wonders how true that is for the majority of Americans.

Teresa Ghilarducci, an economist at the New School in New York, told the New York Times (NYT) that the 40-year experiment with do-it-yourself pensions has been an utter failure.

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She argued that the move from defined-benefit plans (guaranteed returns on pensions) to defined-contribution plans (self-directed 401[k]s with no guarantees) means that many Americans are betting on how much financial security theyll have in their golden years. Although pensions still exist, theyre typically for unionized jobs.

Therefore, only the top earners in the country can handle the risk of the stock market, as well as save enough money if theres a sudden dip. In addition, not all companies offer 401(k)s, leaving millions of employees to fend for themselves when it comes to saving for retirement.

However, there are still ways you can use a 401(k) to your advantage  even if youre not in the top 1%.

Why some people dislike 401(k)s

Ghilarducci had predicted, years ago, that the move to 401(k)s would leave millions of Americans with little to no savings  pushing them into poverty or forcing them to remain in the workforce well into their 60s and 70s.

She isnt the only one who thinks 401(k)s are creating a great wealth divide among retirees. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink agrees with her, while even Ted Benna, the man who invented the 401(k) in 1978, conceded to the NYT that far too many Americans are being let down by the retirement system.

The Federal Reserves most recent numbers show that households in the 90th to 100th income percentile have a mean retirement savings balance of $913,300. Yet, households in the bottom half of the income percentile hold much less: a mean of $54,700 in their retirement savings accounts.

These lower-income retirees often depend more on Social Security than their 401(k)s. But many current retirees claim that the monthly benefit doesnt cover their basic needs and, as a result, they are forced to return to the work to bring in more income.

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This is why Ghilarducci thinks 401(k)s dont work for the average American: it rewards savings over a lifetime. However, many employees across the country are living paycheck to paycheck or juggling debt, so they cant save money for retirement.

Ghilarducci, who is 66, has been talking about this for decades, prior to the 2008 and pandemic recessions. Its a big told-you-so, she said in her interview. And that told-you-so is on the backs of around 40 million middle-class workers who will be poor or near-poor elders.

Read more: This little-known investment strategy can save you thousands on your taxes

How you can still make the most of your 401(k)

Although Ghilarducci would prefer to see more investment guarantees for retirement savers, there are ways to take advantage of the 401(k), even if youre not already wealthy.

Personal finance personality Dave Ramsey has noticed how teachers tend to retire with more than a million dollars in their 401(k)s  even though they earned a median annual wage of $64,390, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

This is because the teachers put money in their 401(k)s every month. Many people now automate their 401(k) contributions so that they dont even have to think about it.

Just like those teachers, you dont have to earn billions to retire with a cushy nest egg. You can put away a small amount of money every month and watch compound interest work its magic.

But make sure that your 401(k) portfolio is diversified and within your risk tolerance. In 2008, so many 401(k)s tanked that Ghilarducci argued in an NYT op-ed at the time that the government should bail them out, just like they did for the banks.

A safe risk tolerance and an assortment of investments will help you feel more secure in your financial situation and hedge against any economic downturns.

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  El Paso Community Colleges Contract Opportunities Center APEX Accelerator will be hosting one of the largest business networking events in far West Texas and Southern New Mexico.

The 17th Procurement and Contracting Symposium will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 14 at the EPCC Administrative Services Center, Building A Auditorium, 9050 Viscount Blvd.

The event brings together agencies of federal, state and local governments and businesses and contractors.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
Florida A&M officials appear to have not fully vetted a $237 million donation before publicly announcing it, according to experts in the financial and higher education industries, who conclude its unlikely the school will receive the full amount.

The schools governing board is scheduled to meet Wednesday to discuss the gift, which is thought to be the largest ever promised to a historically Black college or university.

This is not going to end well, I dont think, said C. Zachary Meyers, a West Virginia-based certified valuation analyst who reviewed documents about the historic donation at The Sun News request. Nothing about this smells good.

Texas resident Gregory Gerami presented a giant check May 4 to FAMU during its graduation ceremony after he served as a commencement speaker. Gerami claimed the money was in the bank, but it was later revealed to be privately-held stocks in Geramis company believed to be valued at more than $237 million. Just how that valuation was made is unclear.

Public skepticism about the gift was quick and loud with limited public information available about the 30-year-old CEO of a Texas hemp farming company, who had no prior connection to the Florida school. The Sun News had previously identified Gerami as an anonymous donor to Coastal Carolina University who pledged $95 million that never materialized.

FAMU officials reassured the public the day after the donation announcement that it had done its due diligence when it comes to this matter. But university officials have since acknowledged the stocks could be worthless, and they never reached out to CCU as part of the vetting process. Florida A&Ms president put a pause on processing the gift last week, and social media posts celebrating the donation have been deleted from its pages.

FAMU Board Chairwoman Kristin Harper released a statement Friday that she shares the concerns that have been raised about the validity of the gift and the adequacy of administrators due diligence process.

An email and voicemail left Tuesday for a FAMU spokesperson seeking comment were not immediately returned.

Proper protocols for accepting major gifts not followed

Aaron Conley, a higher education fundraising expert based in Dallas, Texas, said Geramis young age and lack of history with the university made him an unusual donor, particularly given the size of the donation.

Conley, the founder of educational philanthropy consulting firm Academic Advancement Partners and co-author of the book Fundraising Principles for Faculty and Academic Leaders, reviewed details available about the FAMU situation at the request of The Sun News.

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Gregory Gerami (fourth from left), president and CEO of Batterson Farms Corp, recently announced a $237 million donation to Florida A&M University at schools 2024 graduation ceremony. Its the largest ever for a historically Black college or university. But many are skeptical after a similar donation he pledged to Coastal Carolina University in 2020 collapsed.

A best practice for accepting any large non-cash gift includes a thorough review by a university boards audit committee, which may seek outside expertise to determine whether to accept such a donation and how to value it, Conley said.

Conley was stunned to learn that, not only was the gift not reviewed by an audit committee, FAMU administrators did not inform the board of trustees until after the donation was publicly announced.

At the very least, theres got to be communication between any institution president and the chair of the board ... for a gift like this, he said. The governing board has a fiduciary responsibility for the institution, and its pretty straightforward.

Shawnta Friday-Stroud, the universitys vice president for university advancement and executive director of the FAMU Foundation, told foundation board members last week during an emergency meeting that a nondisclosure agreement Gerami requested prevented them from telling board members ahead of time.

Conley said its understandable that people within universities get excited about transformational gifts and want to rush to make an announcement before ensuring funds are legitimate. But thats why set processes need to be in place that include a review by a governing board.

How should stocks in hemp company be valued?

University officials revealed during last weeks meeting that the privately held stocks transferred to FAMU are in Batterson Farms Corp, the hydroponic hemp farming company Gerami founded in 2021.

Friday-Stroud said the bank Gerami was using sent the school financial statements valuing the stocks at $15.85 per share. The Isaac Batterson Family 7th Trust, with Gerami as its representative, transferred 14 million shares to the university foundation, according to the gift agreement.

The Isaac Batterson Family 7th Trust Gift Agreement by David Weissman on Scribd

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Rich Lyman, a certified valuation analyst based in Charlotte, North Carolina told The Sun News that even if the valuation of the stocks was correct, it doesnt mean the university could sell them for that price.

Its very difficult (to sell private stocks), and theres usually a discount involved where the market is so thin for shares like that, you can take a marketability discount, he said, suggesting a buyer may only purchase them for a discount of 20 to 40% of its value.

Lyman and C. Zachary Meyers, a certified valuation analyst, both said theyd expect Gerami and his company would report this donation to receive a large charitable contribution tax deduction.

In order to actually receive that deduction, per Internal Revenue Service regulations, the donor must obtain a qualified appraisal of those stocks by a qualified appraiser, they said.

Gerami told The Sun News Tuesday that his company was in the process of hiring a qualified appraiser, and he expected a qualified appraisal to be completed within 60 days.

Meyers said that appraisal wouldnt necessarily need to be done prior to the donation taking place, but it would need to be completed quickly afterwards because the IRS doesnt allow tax deductions for gifts made years earlier.

Lyman told The Sun News that a full valuation of a company worth hundreds of millions of dollars would likely cost $30,000 to $50,000.

Gregory Gerami (middle), president and CEO of Batterson Farms Corp, signs documents next to Florida A&M University President Larry Robinson (right). Gerami recently announced a $237 million donation to Florida A&M University, the largest ever for a historically Black college or university. But many are skeptical after a similar donation he pledged to Coastal Carolina University in 2020 collapsed.

Meyers said if he were conducting the valuation, hed want at least three years of audited financial statements, proof of stock certificates, interviews with management and an intensive on-site visit to the companys facilities.

Gerami told The Sun News Monday that no one from FAMU ever visited any of his hemp farming sites.

I dont think there would be a reason why they would have to visit any of our sites, he said.

Batterson Farms Corp has been licensed as a hemp grower in Texas since Dec. 2022, and The Sun News recently confirmed with the Texas Department of Agriculture that the company received a permit to grow hemp in March. That lot crop permit, which expires in September, is for a roughly 1-acre plot of land in Paradise, Texas that Gerami said his company hasnt grown any hemp on yet.

Gerami said most of Batterson Farms business comes from acting as a hemp middle man, earning money by connecting hemp buyers with farmers. He hasnt yet provided any documentation to The Sun News to prove these contracts exist.

Lyman said his advice to FAMU would be to spend the money to get a qualified appraisal to determine the actual market for these stocks before they count on spending the money.

Thats the key, how do you convert it into cash?, he said. Everybody says something is worth something until youve got to turn it into cash.
At the tail end of last year, Shein was reportedly weighing the idea of a public listing in the UK despite already filing documents for an initial public offering (IPO) in the US for 2024.

Shein had allegedly submitted a confidential filing in New York, and was looking to refine its paperwork and address queries from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The filing would become public if the company decided to proceed with its IPO.

But the fast fashion giant has faced challenges in its IPO mission as US lawmakers seek investigations citing its alleged links to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) which has been the subject of forced labour claims for some time.

The latest media speculation suggests the red tape around a float in the US is seeing Shein double down on plans to list in the UK instead.

According to a Reuters source, the online clothing retailer plans to update Chinas securities regulator on the change of the initial public offering (IPO) venue and file with the London Stock Exchange (LSE) as soon as this month.

One of the publication's sources also suggested Shein was valued at $66bn (52bn) in fundraising last year.

Speaking to Just Style, Dr Sheng Lu, professor of apparel studies at the University of Delaware said London is the back-up plan for Shein, with it likely having had its heart set on listing in New York, a stock market that is large enough to accommodate the companys IPO needs.

The New York Stock Exchange would be a good choice as its monthly trading volume in 2023 exceeded $1,400bn, far exceeding others in the world. However, because of the controversies surrounding Shein, from the environmental and social impacts of its business model to the national security implications due to the company's close ties with China, a successful IPO would be an uphill battle for the company in the US.

In comparison, Shein may have better prospects for a successful IPO in London, another world-renowned capital market. That being said, the monthly trading volume of the London Stock Exchange in 2023 was around $220bn, only a fraction of that of the New York Stock Exchange. This may pose additional challenges for Shein, such as raising enough capital through the IPO and the stock liquidity issue.

Shein is likely dead set on listing in either market as it looks to boost capital to support further global expansion.

A successful IPO may also elevate Sheins reputation and improve its credibility in the eyes of consumers, investors, vendors, and policymakers. Additionally, Sheins venture capital investors are eager to cash out, considering the current stage of Sheins business growth, Lu says.

Story continues

However, he warns as a publicly-listed company, Sheins business practices will likely face further scrutiny.

A float may require Shein to prove its supply chain is squeaky clean

Last year, a coalition launched with a clear aim to shut down Shein as it looked to protect Americans. The campaign aimed to educate the US government and the public on how the fast fashion giant is allegedly committing human rights abuses and exploiting import laws.

The coalition said at the time: Sheins questionable and anti-competitive business practices allow it to sell below market products but Shein goes even further by exploiting a tariff loophole designed for US tourists returning home on vacation to evade billions in US tariff payments.

Lu warns as a listed company Shein will be subject to more stringent reporting and regulatory requirements that it has likely been able to evade thus far.

Particularly, after the IPO, Shein will need to disclose more detailed information about its supply chain, corporate social responsibility practices, and financials. Given the sheer size of the company and its ultra-fast fashion business model, this would be a daunting task.

However, GlobalData apparel analyst Louise Deglise-Favre says there are listed companies that still manage to bypass ESG checks, but many of those are UK and EU-headquartered companies that are also producing in the UK and EU and are subject to scrutiny by their own governments.

Of course, there is the added pressure from shareholders so they will be required to disclose more than they are expected to currently. But it may be wishful thinking to believe they will have to comply with all the rules and regulations coming out of Europe in the near term.

Shein is more likely looking to London over New York now simply because it is an easier inroad given the US anti-China stance, especially if it is looking to list quickly.

"The US reaction to Shein listing is more political than anything else  take the TikTok ban for example  and so Shein will face substantially more hurdles in trying to go public there than it might in the UK. 

Shein declined to comment when approached by Just Style.

"Explainer: Pros and cons of Shein mulling London float over NY listing" was originally created and published by Just Style, 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 view of empty Lufthansa check-in counters in Terminal 1 at Frankfurt Airport during a strike by flight attendants. Frankfurt airport group Fraport posts strong results despite strikes . Silas Stein/dpa

Frankfurt Airport operator Fraport made a surprisingly strong return to profit in the first quarter despite worker strikes, it said on Tuesday.

A 16 million ($17.3 million) profit from the traditionally weaker travel season followed a loss of almost 22 million a year earlier.

Strikes at German carrier Lufthansa and at airport passenger security checks in the first quarter had risked affecting results, while dozens of flights were also cancelled due to snow and ice.

But Fraport increased its revenue by around 16% in the quarter, mainly thanks to significantly higher passenger numbers at the group's airports, which include Ljubljana in Slovenia and Fortaleza in Brazil.

Chief executive Stefan Schulte believes the company is on track to achieve its targets for the year.

He continues to expect 61 to 65 million passengers at Germany's largest airport in 2024. Operating earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) are expected to reach 1.26 billion to 1.36 billion.

In April, Frankfurt again recorded a slight increase in passenger numbers. Fraport counted around 5.1 million passengers compared to 4.8 million a year earlier, according to a presentation by the board.

However, this is still around 16% less than before the coronavirus pandemic in April 2019. In January, the shortfall compared to 2019 was only 13% - in December it was only 6%.
Pursuant to the Crown Dependencies Recognised Auditor Sanctions Procedure, the FRCs Enforcement Committee has concluded that Crowe UK failed to comply with the Regulatory Framework for Auditing in its audit of Aseana Properties Limiteds financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2019.

The committee found failures in the reviewed audit, which it considered had been unsatisfactory and, overall, a poor-quality audit. The most significant failing was in respect of the carrying value of inventory. The committee identified other areas of concern in respect of the assessment of fraud risk and EQCR oversight.

The committee considered it was necessary to impose a sanction. The committee took into account representations made by Crowe UK and considered the appropriate regulatory penalty to be 180,000, adjusted by a discount of 20% to 144,000, for co-operation and steps taken to ensure non-repetition.

In addition, the committee has accepted written undertakings proposed by Crowe UK, which will be monitored by the FRCs Audit Quality Review team.

The committee acknowledges that Crowe provided co-operation, including at an early stage, and took appropriate remedial steps once the failings were identified.

"FRC announces sanctions against Crowe UK" was originally created and published by International Accounting Bulletin, 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.
Largest New Zealand-owned bank recognized for digitizing and transforming the customer experience with Genesys Cloud AI

DENVER, May 14, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Genesys, a global cloud leader in AI-powered experience orchestration, announced Kiwibank as the winner of the Customer Experience (CX) Innovator (SMB and Mid-Market) category during its 19th annual Customer Innovation Awards. The CX Innovator award specifically is given to organizations that are pushing the limits to deliver smarter and more cohesive customer and employee experiences with Genesys Cloud AI.

Kiwibank, the largest New Zealand-owned bank, is committed to providing the best digital experiences to its more than one million customers while ensuring the security of its online banking services.

Already achieving results with the Genesy Cloud platform, Kiwibank saw an opportunity to partner further with Genesys to modernize its use of voicebots. The banks existing bot had been designed almost a decade ago by a third-party provider  with minimal redesigns throughout the years. Additionally, it was overly complicated with more than 1,000 unique intents, making it challenging to manage journeys and route customer inquiries correctly the first time.

By implementing Genesys Cloud AI capabilities, with the support of telecommunications partner Spark NZ, Kiwibank is improving digital and voice-based self-service to provide a more in-depth and holistic experience, resulting in:

Improved operational efficiencies: Kiwibank implemented the Genesys voicebot within four months and has already seen an impressive 28% reduction in abandonment rates, a 19% reduction in average handling time (AHT) and a 27% decrease in transfer rates. Through this effective implementation, Kiwibank can address customer inquiries faster with its voicebot solution and seamlessly route to the most suitable agent when issues require a human touch.

Simplified customer journey: By harnessing Genesys voicebot capabilities, Kiwibank has enabled customers to resolve most of their needs via self-service, enabling faster and more accurate issue resolution. This has led to a 98% reduction in the amount of customer intents that live agents need to support.

Elevated customer experiences: The implementation of the Kiwibank intent bot has been a game-changer for the company, including a significant 3-point improvement in its overall customer satisfaction score  a testament to the effectiveness of using Genesys Cloud AI. In addition, Kiwibank saw a 4-point increase in its ability to successfully direct customers to the right agent and a 3-point uptick in delivering quick decisions for customer queries.

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"Our Nga Kauwaka, or Kiwibank culture, includes me maia, rising to the challenge, and nga kiritaki, having our customers at heart," said Steve O'Shea, head of customer engagement hub  Northern at Kiwibank. "The recent Genesys bot implementation really epitomizes both  rising to the challenge of ensuring our customers are at the heart of all our conversations. By providing a consistent approach to our customer interactions, not only are we enabling our people, but our customers feel valued and confident their finances and personal information are safe and secure."

The Customer Innovation Awards recognizes organizations for transforming their customer and employee experiences with AI, cloud and digital technologies across all industries. Kiwibank accepted its CX Innovator award at Xperience 2024 in Denver.

To watch select Xperience keynotes on-demand, visit the Xperience Encore event beginning May 27.

About Genesys

Genesys empowers more than 8,000 organizations in over 100 countries to improve loyalty and business outcomes by creating the best experiences for customers and employees. Through Genesys Cloud, the #1 AI-powered experience orchestration platform, Genesys delivers the future of CX to organizations of all sizes so they can provide empathetic, personalized experience at scale. As the trusted, all-in-one platform born in the cloud, Genesys Cloud accelerates growth for organizations by enabling them to differentiate with the right customer experience at the right time, while driving stronger workforce engagement, efficiency and operational improvements.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240514128335/en/

Contacts

Kelley Crane, Genesys

Kelley.crane@Genesys.com

Method Communications

genesys@methodcommunications.com
Chinese foreign minister holds talks with ROK counterpart

Xinhua) 08:22, May 14, 2024

BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Cho Tae-yul, foreign minister of the Republic of Korea (ROK), in Beijing on Monday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China and the ROK are close neighbors and should maintain regular exchanges.

"Recently, China-ROK relations have been facing difficulties and challenges, which is not in the common interests of both sides, nor is it what China wants to see," Wang said, adding that it is hoped that the ROK side will work with China to stick to the original intention of establishing diplomatic ties, adhere to the direction of good neighborliness and friendship, stick to the goal of mutually beneficial cooperation, remove disturbances, and make joint efforts to push for the sound and steady development of China-ROK relations.

He pointed out that China and the ROK should understand and respect each other, strengthen communication and exchanges, eliminate misunderstandings and enhance mutual trust.

Wang added that China hopes the ROK side abides by the one-China principle, properly and prudently handles Taiwan-related issues, and consolidates the political foundation of bilateral relations. The two sides should send more objective and positive messages, increase positive guidance, and strengthen people-to-people exchanges to consolidate public support for bilateral relations.

"China is speeding up the development of new quality productive forces, promoting high-quality development and expanding high-level opening up, which will bring important opportunities to the ROK," Wang said, adding that the two sides should deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, be reliable and long-term partners in each other's development process, jointly oppose trade protectionism, safeguard the international free trade system, and ensure stable and unimpeded production and supply chains.

Cho Tae-yul said that it is hoped that this visit will become an important step forward in ROK-China relations. The ROK government attaches great importance to its relations with China, and looks forward to working closely with China to develop a healthier and more mature strategic cooperative partnership on the basis of mutual respect, reciprocity and common interests.

He added that it is in the common interests of the two countries and peoples and the expectation of the international community to promote the development of ROK-China relations and jointly meet common challenges. The ROK is willing to enhance mutual trust, expand consensus and focus on cooperation with China, thus avoiding geopolitical constraints as much as possible and jointly opening up a new situation of bilateral cooperation.

The two sides also exchanged views on China-Japan-ROK cooperation, the situation on the Korean Peninsula and other issues of common concern.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
GeoPark has signed an agreement with Phoenix Global Resources to acquire working interests in four blocks in the Neuquen Basin, Argentina.

The independent oil and gas company will pay $190m (168bn pesos) for 122,315 gross acres, with additional commitments including exploratory funding and midstream capacity investments.

The acquisition includes a 45% interest in the producing Mata Mora Norte block and the Mata Mora Sur exploration block in Neuquen Province, as well as a 50% interest in the Confluencia Norte and Confluencia Sur exploration blocks in Rio Negro Province.

These blocks are situated in the oil window of the Vaca Muerta formation, known for its shale oil and gas resources.

According to the US Energy Information Administration, the Vaca Muerta formation has an estimated 16 billion barrels of oil and more than 300 trillion cubic feet of unconventional gas, with less than 10% developed so far.

Oil production from this region contributes half of Argentina's total oil output.

GeoPark's acquisition is expected to boost its 2024 production by an estimated 5,5006,500 net barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd), depending on the transaction's closing date.

The assets average gross production reached 12,594boepd in March 2024.

The transaction also provides GeoPark with access to reserves, with Degolyer & MacNaughton certifying 25 million barrels (mbbl) of 1P net reserves, 49.5mbbl of 2P net reserves and 102.6mbbl of 3P net reserves as of December 2023.

GeoPark CEO Andres Ocampo said: This transaction is transformational for GeoPark, adding immediate value-accretive production and reserves growth, while materially increasing and diversifying our long-term drilling inventory into one of the most prolific petroleum systems in the world.

We are particularly encouraged by achieving this strategic step change alongside PGR, a proven and established operator with world-class shareholders and great success in efficiently developing and de-risking the unconventional opportunities in Vaca Muerta.

The deal is expected to close by the end of the third quarter of 2024, subject to regulatory approvals.

Last week, GeoPark entered into an offtake and prepayment agreement with Vitol for the sale of oil from the Llanos 34 block in Colombia.

The agreement grants GeoPark up to $300m in immediate funding, with the potential to increase to $500m in prepaid future oil sales.

"GeoPark to acquire interests in four blocks in Argentina " was originally created and published by Offshore Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.

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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.
The judge overseeing Rudy Giuliani's bankruptcy case said he was disturbed so little progress has been made in sorting out his finances, and refused Tuesday to lift a legal barrier that has kept the former New York City mayor from appealing a $148 million defamation judgment.

Giuliani declared bankruptc y in December after he was ordered to pay the staggering sum to two former election workers for spreading a false conspiracy theory about their role in the 2020 election.

Since then, Giuliani has missed deadlines to file financial disclosure reports. He hasn't succeeded in selling residences in New York and Florida. Last week, he was suspended from WABC Radio, where he had a daily show, over what the station called his repeated violation of a ban on discussing discredited 2020 election claims.

They have done nothing. They sold nothing. They settled nothing," said Rachel Strickland, an attorney representing the election workers. She accused Giuliani of getting fired on purpose by deliberately flouting his employers restrictions.

I agree with you, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane responded. And I am disturbed about the status of this case."

Attorneys for Giuliani said he has additional work lined up to bring in money, though they didn't say what kind of work that was. Giuliani's Manhattan apartment could soon be liquidated, they said. His attorneys said issues have been ironed out and necessary financial filings will also be made. Giuliani faces accusations from a slew of people who say he potentially owes them money.

They finally have, I think, gotten things on track, said his lawyer, Heath Berger.

The judge rejected a request from Giuliani, though, to lift an automatic stay so that he could pursue post-judgment litigation in the defamation case. Creditors' lawyers argued that doing so would delay the bankruptcy proceeding.

Lane also addressed a request from lawyers for the election workers that Giuliani be barred from making additional defamatory statements against them. While holding off on a decision, Lane said there was already a court decision on the matter and he was "not going to let this court be used as a place where parties can flout the requirements of the law.

Tell your client to stop," Lane told lawyers for Giuliani. "It's not complicated.

Lawyers will meet with the judge again on Thursday to discuss the issue.
Google (GOOG, GOOGL) unveiled a slew of generative AI products at its Google I/O developer conference on Tuesday, including its Gemini Live assistant, updates for its Android and Workspaces platforms, and an overhaul of its flagship Search product.

The announcements are part of Googles broader effort to reestablish itself as Silicon Valleys AI leader after it was caught off guard by Microsofts (MSFT) partnership with OpenAI in 2022.

The new products also come a day after OpenAI unveiled its GPT-4o AI model and days before rivals Microsoft and Apple (AAPL) debut their own major generative AI updates.

The biggest announcement is that Google is updating its Search platform to include generative AI results at the top of the screen. The feature, which was originally available as part of a preview in the company's Search Labs, is now coming to all US users and rolling out globally in the coming future.

Another one of the biggest announcements was a new, personalized AI assistant called Gemini Live. The feature, powered by the companys Gemini 1.5 Pro model, will allow you to speak directly to the assistant on your mobile device, providing you with responses in a number of natural-sounding voices.

On the Android front, Google says it's expanding the assistant to interact with apps like Google Messages and Gmail, allowing users, for example, to drag and drop generated images from Gemini into texts and emails. Users can also use the app to ask specific questions about YouTube videos, and it will scour the video's captions to find an answer.

Google is also updating its on-device version of Gemini, called Gemini Nano, with new multimodal features. Multimodal means that a generative AI model can work across mediums including text, images, and video.

Google announced a host of new AI features for its Android and Workspace platforms at Google I/O 2024. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) (Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images)

Googles vice president of engineering for Gemini experiences, Amar Subramanya, told Yahoo Finance hes been using Gemini Live for brainstorming, bouncing ideas off of the assistant. Subramanya said early testers have also been using Gemini Live for scenarios including translation.

In the coming months, Google says Gemini Live will be able to access a user's cameras, allowing the assistant to interact with the real world and things it sees. OpenAI has also shown off these capabilities in demos of its GPT-4o.

In one example, Subramanya said he asked the assistant to find a recipe for a pineapple upside-down cake for 15 people and add the ingredients to his Keep shopping list. The assistant found a recipe for eight people, scaled the proportions from eight to 15 people, and put the items Subramanya needed to put it together into his shopping list.

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Gemini Nano, meanwhile, permeates different parts of Android.

For instance, Gemini will now provide audio descriptions of on-screen images in the TalkBack accessibility software, which Google says will help address the problem of unlabeled images people with vision problems encounter online and in messages from friends and family.

Gemini Nano can also detect if youre speaking to a potential scammer on the phone.

The company says it does this by picking up conversation patterns commonly associated with scams." Google says all of the processing for scam detection happens on your phone, and conversations arent uploaded to the web.

As for Googles Workspace, the company says it is bringing its more powerful Gemini 1.5 Pro model to its side panel in Workspace apps.

The option allows you to continue working in an app like Docs or Gmail and use Gemini at the same time in a smaller side panel. Google says Gemini 1.5 Pro is capable of referencing larger data sets, so if youre using it in Gmail it can summarize information from a greater number of emails.

Gemini for Workspace in the Gmail mobile app, meanwhile, can summarize email threads, making them easier to read on a smaller screen; provide contextual smart replies based on the contents of an email; and search for specific information in a long-buried email.

Google has just a few days before its biggest rivals launch their own AI products.

Microsoft is likely to announce updates to its AI-powered Copilot for Microsoft 365 productivity suite at its Build conference, which kicks off May 20, while Apple will debut a new generative AI-powered version of its Siri voice assistant at its WWDC event on June 10, according to the New York Times.

Now, well wait to see if theyll steal Google's thunder. Again.

Subscribe to the Yahoo Finance Tech newsletter. (Yahoo Finance)

Email Daniel Howley at dhowley@yahoofinance.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley.

Click here for the latest technology news that will impact the stock market.

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
Google (GOOG, GOOGL) on Tuesday announced some of the biggest changes to its Search product in years, rolling out generative AI features to offer more complete and direct answers to queries.

The company will roll out its generative AI updates to US users beginning today and more than a billion people worldwide by the end of the year.

The announcement, as part of Googles I/O developer conference, brings a new look to Search via its AI Overview. The feature provides a brief, AI-generated answer to searches, coupled with a series of links to the sources cited in the response.

An example of a search with AI Overview. (Image: Google) (Google)

Google is also working on answering more complex answers via an update in Search Labs  which offers users the ability to test upcoming capabilities. The company says you'll be able to search for a yoga or Pilates studio in Boston that offers discounts to new members and how far it is from Beacon Hill, and Search will provide an answer without you having to perform multiple searches. It will also allow you to do things like look for meal plans for a group or put together a vacation itinerary.

There is also a new video search option coming to Search Labs, which enables users to take a video and use it as a search prompt.

In one example, the company says a user dealing with a problem related to a record player arm would be able to take a video of the issue, and Search would be able to provide an AI Overview explanation of the malfunction and how to address it.

But dont expect this multistep or video search to be available today. Google said its coming to its Search Labs soon and will only be available for English queries in the US for now.

A multistep search using Google's new generative AI features. (Image: Google) (Google)

Ive been using AI Overview, and it's been a helpful addition to Search, whether I was looking for information about obscure video games from the 1990s or about how to treat a foot injury.

All of these functions come as part of Googles effort to push generative AI across its massive ecosystem of products including Android, YouTube, Gmail, and more.

Google is the world leader in search, with Statcounter indicating the company controls 91% of the market compared to rival Microsoft (MSFT) Bings roughly 4%.

Googles Search is responsible for a vast amount of the company's advertising revenue, and any changes to its formula could impact advertiser spending. In 2023, Googles Search & other business segments drove $175 billion of the companys $307 billion in total revenue.

The company is also staring down increased competition from Amazon (AMZN), which saw advertising revenue jump 24% year over year to $47 billion in 2023 from $38 billion in 2022.

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Still, there remain rumblings that ChatGPT developer OpenAI is working on a search offering of its own. On Monday, OpenAI garnered headlines after showing off its latest features from GPT-4o, including new translation capabilities.

It's far from clear whether an OpenAI search engine would be able to pull away users from Google.

Bing, for instance, hasnt been able to make much of a dent in the companys market share despite adding its own generative AI features.

But ChatGPT is a popular tool and the brand name most associated with AI; if OpenAI manages to add the right mix of functionality and usability to this product, it could have Google sweating.

Subscribe to the Yahoo Finance Tech newsletter. (Yahoo Finance)

Email Daniel Howley at dhowley@yahoofinance.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley.

Click here for the latest technology news that will impact the stock market.

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
The recent price decline of 10% in Hamelin Gold Limited's (ASX:HMG) stock may have disappointed insiders who bought AU$200.0k worth of shares at an average price of AU$0.10 in the past 12 months. This is not good as insiders invest based on expectations that their money will appreciate over time. However, as a result of recent losses, their original investment is now worth only AU$142.0k.

While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.

Check out our latest analysis for Hamelin Gold

Hamelin Gold Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when MD & Executive Director Peter Bewick bought AU$90k worth of shares at a price of AU$0.10 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of AU$0.071. While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. To us, it's very important to consider the price insiders pay for shares. It is generally more encouraging if they paid above the current price, as it suggests they saw value, even at higher levels.

While Hamelin Gold insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn't sell. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

Hamelin Gold is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Does Hamelin Gold Boast High Insider Ownership?

I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. From our data, it seems that Hamelin Gold insiders own 14% of the company, worth about AU$1.6m. We do generally prefer see higher levels of insider ownership.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Hamelin Gold Insiders?

It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Hamelin Gold shares in the last quarter. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. The transactions are fine but it'd be more encouraging if Hamelin Gold insiders bought more shares in the company. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. At Simply Wall St, we've found that Hamelin Gold has 4 warning signs (3 shouldn't be ignored!) that deserve your attention before going any further with your analysis.

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If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
There's no doubt that money can be made by owning shares of unprofitable businesses. For example, although software-as-a-service business Salesforce.com lost money for years while it grew recurring revenue, if you held shares since 2005, you'd have done very well indeed. But while history lauds those rare successes, those that fail are often forgotten; who remembers Pets.com?

So should Zinnwald Lithium (LON:ZNWD) shareholders be worried about its cash burn? For the purposes of this article, cash burn is the annual rate at which an unprofitable company spends cash to fund its growth; its negative free cash flow. Let's start with an examination of the business' cash, relative to its cash burn.

See our latest analysis for Zinnwald Lithium

How Long Is Zinnwald Lithium's Cash Runway?

A company's cash runway is the amount of time it would take to burn through its cash reserves at its current cash burn rate. In December 2023, Zinnwald Lithium had 14m in cash, and was debt-free. In the last year, its cash burn was 10m. That means it had a cash runway of around 17 months as of December 2023. Importantly, though, the one analyst we see covering the stock thinks that Zinnwald Lithium will reach cashflow breakeven before then. In that case, it may never reach the end of its cash runway. You can see how its cash balance has changed over time in the image below.

How Is Zinnwald Lithium's Cash Burn Changing Over Time?

Zinnwald Lithium didn't record any revenue over the last year, indicating that it's an early stage company still developing its business. So while we can't look to sales to understand growth, we can look at how the cash burn is changing to understand how expenditure is trending over time. In fact, it ramped its spending strongly over the last year, increasing cash burn by 101%. It's fair to say that sort of rate of increase cannot be maintained for very long, without putting pressure on the balance sheet. While the past is always worth studying, it is the future that matters most of all. So you might want to take a peek at how much the company is expected to grow in the next few years.

Can Zinnwald Lithium Raise More Cash Easily?

Given its cash burn trajectory, Zinnwald Lithium shareholders may wish to consider how easily it could raise more cash, despite its solid cash runway. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. Commonly, a business will sell new shares in itself to raise cash and drive growth. We can compare a company's cash burn to its market capitalisation to get a sense for how many new shares a company would have to issue to fund one year's operations.

Since it has a market capitalisation of 43m, Zinnwald Lithium's 10m in cash burn equates to about 23% of its market value. That's fairly notable cash burn, so if the company had to sell shares to cover the cost of another year's operations, shareholders would suffer some costly dilution.

How Risky Is Zinnwald Lithium's Cash Burn Situation?

Even though its increasing cash burn makes us a little nervous, we are compelled to mention that we thought Zinnwald Lithium's cash runway was relatively promising. There's no doubt that shareholders can take a lot of heart from the fact that at least one analyst is forecasting it will reach breakeven before too long. Based on the factors mentioned in this article, we think its cash burn situation warrants some attention from shareholders, but we don't think they should be worried. Separately, we looked at different risks affecting the company and spotted 4 warning signs for Zinnwald Lithium (of which 3 can't be ignored!) you should know about.

If you would prefer to check out another company with better fundamentals, then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt or this list of stocks which are all forecast to grow.

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.
A Highland Beach mansion that set a town record when it sold for $40 million in 2022 just changed hands for $50 million, according to a deed recorded May 14 by the Palm Beach County Clerk's office.

The seller was Nebraska entrepreneur Steve J. Buchanan, who was joined on the document by his wife, Samantha.

In 2021 Steve Buchanan sold, for a reported $580 million, Buchanan Energy and the Buckys chain of convenience stores in Nebraska and Illinois to one of its rivals, Caseys General Stores, according to published reports.

The eight-bedroom estate  with the main house, a one-bedroom guesthouse and a one-bedroom caretakers cottage  has 23,625 square feet of living space, inside and out, records show. The land measures nearly 2 acres with 151 feet of direct beachfront and lies about 1 miles south of Linton Boulevard. The lot is the largest in Highland Beach, an affluent town on the barrier island near Boca Raton and Delray Beach.

An oceanfront mansion at 2455 S. Ocean Blvd in Highland Beach near Delray Beach just sold for a recorded $50 million.

A Delaware-registered limited liability company named after the propertys address bought the property, the deed shows. Boca Raton attorney Scott A. Elk is listed as the contact for the buyer on the deed.

Citing a confidentiality agreement, Elk said he could not comment about any aspect of the transaction or the parties involved. No other information about the buyer was immediately available in public records.

Buchanan bought the house a little more than two years ago from businessman Bruce Leeds, who simultaneously downsized to a Palm Beach house he bought for just under $10 million at 218 Phipps Plaza, property records show.

Leeds had owned the Highland Beach property since 2011, property records show. The house was completed in 2014.

With Northern European-inspired architecture, the Highland Beach house was designed by Madey Architects New York and built by Mark Timothy Luxury Homes, according to previous reporting by the Palm Beach Daily News. Among its features, the house has a six-car garage and an oceanfront swimming pool and whirlpool spa near an open-air pavilion.

Just sold for a recorded $50 million, a house at 2455 S. Ocean Blvd. in Highland Beach has windows, loggias and a pool pavilion that face the Atlantic Ocean.

A previous sales listing shows the house has a two-story foyer and living room along with a formal dining room. The floor plan includes a club room with an onyx bar and space for a billiards table, a family room, a movie theater, a library, a gym and a well-equipped kitchen with a butlers pantry and breakfast area. Other amenities include loggias with retractable screens, a third-floor flex room and a wine cellar.

Agent Jonathan Postma of Coldwell Banker Realty had the property listed at $59 million, furnished, but withdrew that listing from the multiple listing service on May 10, records show. The Palm Beach Daily News could not confirm if any furniture changed hands in the sale.

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Postma could not be reached for comment.

Its unclear if any real estate agency acted for the buyer.

Before he sold the Highland Beach house to Steve Buchanan in March 2022, Leeds had it homesteaded as his primary residence in the Palm Beach County tax rolls. Leeds professional resume has included tenure as a key executive of Global Industrial Co., a business unit of Systemax, based in Port Washington, New York.

As in Palm Beach and points north, the real estate scene in Highland Beach, Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Gulf Stream has seen a steady stream of high-dollar sales over the past few years, the result of what real estate brokers have dubbed the countys pandemic property surge.

In the barrier-island town of Gulf Stream, a deed recorded May 7 with a $21 million sale price showed Pennsylvania-based painting contractor Demetrios T. Patrinos and wife Kathleen sold their oceanfront estate on nine-tenths of an acre at 3435 N. Ocean Blvd. to a Delaware-registered limited liability company named BON Property LLC. The Pittsburgh couple had paid a recorded $7 million for the Gulf Stream estate in 2013, property records show. Built in 1991 and facing 100 feet of beachfront, the house on North Ocean Boulevard has five bedrooms and 8,359 total square feet. Corcoran Group agents Candace Friis and Phil Friis handled both sides of the Gulf Stream sale.

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This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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Darrell Hofheinz is a USA TODAY Network of Florida journalist who writes about Palm Beach real estate in his weekly Beyond the Hedges column. He welcomes tips about real estate news on the island. Email dhofheinz@pbdailynews.com, call 561-820-3831 or tweet @PBDN_Hofheinz.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Highland Beach estate with link to Palm Beach sells for $50 million
Gov. Dan McKee has quietly asked lawmakers to approve a tax relief-and-spending package for Citizens Bank that includes the proposed state purchase of a Citizens-owned building on Tripps Lane in East Providence for more than twice its current $16.9 million assessed value.

A second of two unannounced budget amendments has Democrat McKee asking lawmakers to allow a tweak in the state's "financial institutions tax" that could potentially cost the state millions in revenue.

How much exactly? A potential $7.6 million revenue loss in the fiscal year that begins on July 1, and $15,585,488 the following year.

How would it work? The proposed amendment, submitted on May 10, allows banks to take advantage of an "alternative net income apportionment methodology."

Gov. Dan McKee is proposing the state purchase a Citizens Bank-owned building in East Providence.

Within the State House, it is believed to be a targeted effort to assist Citizens for unstated reasons, though it does not specifically name the company.

Behind-the-scenes, budget negotiations between the House, Senate and governor's office have begun in earnest, and the state budget office sent lawmakers these two amendments to the nearly $13.7 billion tax-and-spending plan McKee proposed in January at a critical point in the legislative session.

On Monday, the House Finance Committee posted notice of a hearing on Thursday on the two bank related proposals.

Here's what we know about the Citizens Bank deal - and what we don't

Late Monday, the McKee Administration defended his late-game proposals to the legislature.

That includes the state paying $33.7 million to buy and ready the 225,458 square foot, 1979-built Citizens building  that previously housed the Citizens One Home Loan Center  for an unspecified "state use." The purchase price is not spelled out, but state Director of Administration Jonathan Womer said Citizens' asking price when they put it on market was $27 million.

The City of East Providence has assessed the property at $16.9 million and if it moves to state ownership, East Providence could miss out on the property taxes Citizens now pays. East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva's office did not have an immediate comment on the proposal Tuesday.

Including borrowing cost, architectural work, engineering, construction and "related costs to prepare the building for occupancy," the purchase would cost the state a projected $44.5 million over 10 years, according to the budget amendment.

The rationale in the budget amendment?

The Department of Administration is negotiating to purchase the building to relocate back offices for several state agencies including the Department of Environmental Management, Department of Human Services and IT department

DEM currently spends $2.5 million on leases and the state building at 50 Service Ave. in Warwick, where servers are located, needs $10 million worth of HVAC work, Womer said.

"The [East Providence] propertys condition, size, and specifications, including a roughly 60,000 square foot state-of-the-art data center, make it uniquely appealing for a long-term investment for state use."

"The investment required to acquire the building is significant," but it will be "offset over time by the ability to terminate costly leases ... and avert deferred maintenance of aging state properties."

Story continues

The state is currently obligated to pay $10.7 million in total annual lease payments for 569,745 square feet of office space across multiple properties, and $684,586 per year on 73,770 square feet of warehouse space, according to a Senate Fiscal Office analysis.

McKee spokeswoman Christina O'Reilly said the administration is pursuing the purchase of this building "as part of its years-long strategy to move away from leasing and find space that best fits the present needs of our agencies"

Citizens spokesman Rory Sheehan Tuesday wrote that there are still some bank employees working in the East Providence office building, but the company has had the property on the market for two years as it looks to consolidate its brick-and-mortar footprint.

"A deal has not been reached on the property. Since the pandemic, workforce trends have accelerated and more Citizens colleagues are engaged in flexible work," he wrote in an email. "In the event that there is a sale, colleagues assigned to the building on Tripps Lane would be assigned to our Johnston campus and we would continue to have approximately 4,200 colleagues in Rhode Island."

Is Citizens reducing its Rhode Island footprint?

Sheehan said despite being proposed by the McKee Administration within days of each other, the budget amendments to buy Tripps Lane and change how bank tax bills are calculated are "not at all related."

The tax issue revolves around Rhode Island factoring banks' property and payroll when calculating banks' corporate tax bills, instead of only their sales.

In testimony before the House Finance Committee last month, Citizens Executive VP Mike Knipper delivered a warning, telling lawmakers that taxing banks more for having property and payroll could make them want to move employees across the border.

And as it happens, Massachusetts is set to move to a "single-factor" tax system based just on sales next year as part of Gov. Maura Healey's tax-cut package last year.

"If this legislature fails to act, Rhode Island banks will soon be incentivized to create and/or move existing jobs just over the border to Massachusetts to dramatically reduce their state tax liability,'' Knipper said in written testimony in support of bill H7927 that would move the Rhode Island tax toward Massachusetts'.

"Once Massachusetts' transition to a single sales factor takes effect Jan. 1, 2025, Citizens or any large bank would strongly consider expanding its corporate footprint and employee base outside of Rhode Island because of the differing tax treatment between the states," he said.

And there's another layer.

Just last month, Citizens confirmed to The Journal that it is no longer seeking millions of dollars annually in tax rate reductions from Rhode Island's Jobs Development Act program.

Dating back to 1994, the jobs-development tax credit can reduce the corporate tax rate of a qualifying company from 7% down to 3%. In 2022, only three companies were still eligible for the $39.7 million in tax credits, with Citizens getting $38.1 million of the benefit without any marked increase in employment.

Sheehan said 2022 was the last year Citizens claimed a Jobs Development Act tax cut.

More: Should lawmakers end tax breaks for some of RI biggest companies? Why two lawmakers say yes.

Peter Lucht, a Citizens spokesman, said: "Much of this has to do with workforce trends that were accelerated by the pandemic. For example, our hybrid work model calls for our colleagues to be in the office for three days per week, which doesnt meet the threshold under the JDA for qualifying positions."

"While we dont speculate regarding plans around workforce levels, there is no link between our not participating in the JDA and any workforce actions we might consider going forward," he said.

According to Citizens' House Finance Committee testimony: The firm has over 100 branches and ATMs statewide, "which is over twice as many bank branches in the state as its closest banking competitor. Citizens is integral to Rhode Island's economy, serving over 200,000 residents and over 30,000 small businesses."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Is Citizens Bank staying in RI? McKee pitches bid to keep them here.
On May 10, 2024, Dennis St, Director at FormFactor Inc (NASDAQ:FORM), sold 2,000 shares of the company. The transaction was filed on the same day with the SEC. Over the past year, the insider has sold a total of 5,792 shares and has not purchased any shares.

FormFactor Inc, headquartered in Livermore, California, is a leading provider of essential test and measurement technologies along the full IC life cycle - from characterization, modeling, reliability, and design de-bug, to qualification and production test. The company operates in a highly specialized segment of the semiconductor industry.

Shares of FormFactor Inc were trading at $56.3 on the day of the sale, giving the company a market cap of approximately $4.25 billion. The price-earnings ratio of the stock stands at 41.68, which is above both the industry median of 31.1 and the company's historical median.

According to the GF Value, the intrinsic value of FormFactor Inc is estimated at $33.43 per share, making the stock significantly overvalued with a price-to-GF-Value ratio of 1.68.

Insider Sale: Director Dennis St Sells 2,000 Shares of FormFactor Inc (FORM)

The insider transaction history for FormFactor Inc shows no insider buys over the past year, with 13 insider sells recorded during the same period.

Insider Sale: Director Dennis St Sells 2,000 Shares of FormFactor Inc (FORM)

This recent transaction continues the trend of insider sales at FormFactor Inc, suggesting that insiders might perceive the stock's current valuation as high relative to its intrinsic value.

This article, generated by GuruFocus, is designed to provide general insights and is not tailored financial advice. Our commentary is rooted in historical data and analyst projections, utilizing an impartial methodology, and is not intended to serve as specific investment guidance. It does not formulate a recommendation to purchase or divest any stock and does not consider individual investment objectives or financial circumstances. Our objective is to deliver long-term, fundamental data-driven analysis. Be aware that our analysis might not incorporate the most recent, price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative information. GuruFocus holds no position in the stocks mentioned herein.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


Key Insights

Tanco Holdings Berhad's significant private companies ownership suggests that the key decisions are influenced by shareholders from the larger public

The top 2 shareholders own 52% of the company

Insider ownership in Tanco Holdings Berhad is 23%

If you want to know who really controls Tanco Holdings Berhad (KLSE:TANCO), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. And the group that holds the biggest piece of the pie are private companies with 40% ownership. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk).

And individual insiders on the other hand have a 23% ownership in the company. Institutions will often hold stock in bigger companies, and we expect to see insiders owning a noticeable percentage of the smaller ones.

Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Tanco Holdings Berhad.

See our latest analysis for Tanco Holdings Berhad

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Tanco Holdings Berhad?

Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices.

We can see that Tanco Holdings Berhad does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at Tanco Holdings Berhad's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.

We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Tanco Holdings Berhad. Nam Lee Equities Sdn Bhd is currently the largest shareholder, with 39% of shares outstanding. For context, the second largest shareholder holds about 13% of the shares outstanding, followed by an ownership of 4.3% by the third-largest shareholder. Jun Suan Tan, who is the second-largest shareholder, also happens to hold the title of Chief Executive Officer.

To make our study more interesting, we found that the top 2 shareholders have a majority ownership in the company, meaning that they are powerful enough to influence the decisions of the company.

Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. We're not picking up on any analyst coverage of the stock at the moment, so the company is unlikely to be widely held.

Story continues

Insider Ownership Of Tanco Holdings Berhad

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.

I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions.

Our information suggests that insiders maintain a significant holding in Tanco Holdings Berhad. It has a market capitalization of just RM1.8b, and insiders have RM417m worth of shares in their own names. This may suggest that the founders still own a lot of shares. You can click here to see if they have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

With a 21% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Tanco Holdings Berhad. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies.

Private Company Ownership

We can see that Private Companies own 40%, of the shares on issue. It's hard to draw any conclusions from this fact alone, so its worth looking into who owns those private companies. Sometimes insiders or other related parties have an interest in shares in a public company through a separate private company.

Public Company Ownership

It appears to us that public companies own 6.2% of Tanco Holdings Berhad. This may be a strategic interest and the two companies may have related business interests. It could be that they have de-merged. This holding is probably worth investigating further.

Next Steps:

While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for Tanco Holdings Berhad that you should be aware of.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
(Bloomberg) -- Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. reported a weaker-than-expected profit as demand for iPhones remained sluggish in China, though it projected significant growth in the current quarter.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The Taiwanese company, a key partner to both Apple Inc. and Nvidia Corp., gave that forecast after reporting its strongest monthly sales since the start of 2023, buoyed by rising demand for servers during the AI boom. It reported net profit of NT$22 billion ($679 million) in the March quarter. While that was up more than 70%, it missed an average estimate for NT$29.1 billion.

The miss reflects in part the heightened expectations around AI that helped propel Hon Hais shares more than 60% higher this year. Its getting a boost from big investments into AI infrastructure such as datacenters. Company executives maintained the 40% growth outlook for the AI server business this year.

On Tuesday, Japanese subsidiary Sharp Corp. said its divesting its camera module and semiconductor business and turning a key display plant in Sakai into an AI datacenter.

Hon Hais AI business has proven a bright spot in an otherwise struggling operation that remains tied to the smartphone market. Investors hope booming AI demand could help the worlds largest iPhone assembler diversify its business away from Apple, which still accounts for more than half of Hon Hais sales.

Hon Hai, known also as Foxconn, indicated strong demand for cloud and networking products during the current quarter in presentation materials released before its earnings call. But revenue from consumer electronics should remain broadly flat.

Demand for iPhones fell about 27% in the first three months of 2024 in China, according to official government data, even though Apple said its iPhone business in the Asian nation grew. Hon Hai previously recorded a bigger-than-expected 9.6% slide in overall sales for the first quarter.

(Updates with AI server business outlook in the third paragraph)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
The company behind a failed casino venture in Gulfports harbor owes the city more than $1.8 million, plus 8% interest from the time a court judgment for that amount was entered in 2017.

Whether the money can be collected from Rotate Black MS LLC is another matter, but the city hasnt given up trying. Court judgments must be renewed every seven years to remain valid, so Gulfport recently filed its notice of renewal before the original May 2017 judgment expires.

As part of our standard procedures, the city periodically reviews and renews judgments for monetary relief to ensure they remain valid and collectible, Public Information Officer Jase Payne said.  . . . the associated costs are minimal. Our goal is to uphold the citys financial interests efficiently and responsibly.

Harbor casino history

Rotate Black tied up about 4.5 acres of city property in the harbor for four years, with the intention of developing a casino. The city terminated the lease in October 2014, according to one of its court documents, because Rotate Black had failed since February 2014 to pay $25,000 in monthly rent.

The judgment against Rotate Black includes unpaid rent of $225,000, plus interest and late fees, and $1.5 million in damages for breach of the lease, court records show.

Rotate Black was one of numerous companies that tried to develop a casino in the harbor on land the city owned, combined with private property. The private property owners have since gone their own way to find a buyer for their land.

Rotate Black finally won permission for a casino from the Mississippi Gaming Commission but was unable to pull together financing.

Rotate Black CEO John Paulsen told the Sun Herald in April 2014 that his company owed $6 million for professional services and up-front costs for the Gulfport casino. The company filed annual reports with the Secretary of States Office through 2015 but was dissolved at the end of 2016, state records show.
Getting hit with fees for a dollar here and a dollar there can add up.

Before you know it, that great value isnt really all that great. Junk fees can get tacked on to just about anything you buy, so the federal government is pushing for transparency.

These days, buyers are often warned about reading the fine print and looking out for hidden fees.

Doug Sleezer knows it all too well. Oh, its horrible. You think youre paying one price and you turn around and your price is sometimes double, he said.

Read: Stolen EBT funds: How secure are these cards?

Shoppers see those extra fees on everything from airline tickets to meals and hotels. And they can add up quickly, often ballooning the price shoppers thought they were going to pay.

Shopper Shelby Lewis said, I feel like theres not a lot of transparency in terms of what those fees are.

The law requires disclosure of add-ons and extra fees, but often these get added during the buying process. That means consumers may not know how much something costs until its time to pay.

Read: Restaurant violations: Action 9 reveals the top offenders

Jon Donenberg, Deputy Director of the National Economic County at The White House said, Different sectors where you have the kind of mechanism that youre talking about, you know, where there are additional costs that are glued into the price. And the real problem is you dont necessarily know what those things are when you make your initial purchase.

Recently, The White House, through the Federal Trade Commission, moved to limit how junk fees are tacked on by requiring better up-front disclosure and detailing of just how the fees are calculated.

People dont like to be played for suckers. And, you know, you ought to be able to buy a product without being worried that youre getting ripped off, Donenberg said.

Read: Central Florida Red Lobster locations to be auctioned off as employees hunt for new jobs

But regulation only goes so far and there are ways for consumers to protect themselves. The Better Business Bureau recommends shoppers approach an advertised price as a starting point and not to be afraid to take their business elsewhere if the advertised price isnt what they thought. They should also check their statements regularly.

Another option to avoid extra fees is to pay in cash since some places like gas stations offer a cash discount. Consumers can also file a complaint with the business if they see a fee that they didnt know about. The BBB notes 64% of people who filed a complaint over a fee got the fee removed.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL)  A Rogersville man purchased what he was told was a used 2019 F-250 truck from Chaparral Buick-GMC, Inc., and two months later, investigators from the Tennesse Department of Revenue and the Tennessee Highway Patrol seized the truck as a stolen vehicle.

20-year-old Don Berndt told News Channel 11 that he not only traded in his 2017 F-150 into Chaparral to make the deal, he took out a loan for $40,000 and is still making payments on that loan.

WCSO: Four arrested for breaking into Daniel Boone High School

Berndt said the investigators had badges and paperwork for the truck with another VIN on it. He says the investigators looked through his truck and were able to find the original VIN number under the dash.

Turns out, it wasnt even a 2019: it was a 2017 F-250 reported stolen from Atlanta, Georgia, according to a spokesperson with the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

Frustrated and in shock, Berndt said he thought, Surely the dealership would make it right. But he says that didnt happen.

They said No, were as much as a victim as you are,' he said. You know, thats  for somebody go up there and believe in them. Their motto is used cars no bull, but thats some bull if you ask me.

Berndt has filed a lawsuit against the dealership, as well as a complaint with the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance.

In the suit, Berndt claims a dealership should have known to check for multiple VINs and asks for a trial by jury and $125,000 in damages, among other things.

Youd think they go over that stuff every day; buying and selling vehicles so, especially a big dealership like Chaparral, they should know if VIN is fake or know if a title is real, you know? added Berndt.

Though unable to comment on camera because of the pending litigation, Chaparrals President and CEO Freddie Gonzalas told News Channel 11 over the phone some of the accusations in the lawsuit are inaccurate, however, he will Make every attempt to make it right.

Gonzalas also said that in 31 years of business, this has never happened, and they have already changed their procedure of checking the multiple VINs on vehicles.

Gonzalas also says he hopes to settle this case before it goes to trial.

And really, thats all Berndt says he wants.

I just hope it doesnt happen to no one else, you know, [they need to] make things right, do the right thing, Im all about doing the right thing, Berndt said.

In the meantime, Chaparral has also filed its own lawsuit against the Kingsport woman they say traded the truck to them. Her attorney, Jeff Miles, said she bought the truck from a private owner in South Carolina, not knowing it was stolen. Miles said they intend to file a similar lawsuit against that seller.

Story continues

News Channel 11 has made public records requests to the Atlanta Police Department for more information about the initial theft. The name of the owner listed on paperwork given to Berndt from the THP lists USAA of San Antonio, Texas as the rightful owner of the truck.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.
Loopit, a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provider for the automotive sector, has secured US$3.95 million in pre-Series A funding to support its expansion across the US market.

In a press release, the company said the investment strengthens Loopit's position as a technology provider, enabling Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), dealerships, and rental companies to adopt flexible car access models like car subscriptions and micro leasing.

The funding round saw contributions from existing investors Upswell, Common Sense Ventures, and Luxem, as well as new participants AeroCorp, a major AVIS licensee, and RAC venture capital arm BetterLabs.

This capital infusion is expected to enhance Loopit's capabilities, enabling it to broaden its presence in the US market and prepare for a Series A round later in 2024.

Loopit co-founder Michael Higgins highlights the growing demand for more affordable subscription services, driven by economies of scale and increased confidence from automakers. He points to the success of France's subsidised flexible EV leasing programme, which doubled its yearly targets in just six weeks, as evidence of strong market demand.

Higgins emphasises that affordability and accessibility, rather than technology alone, will be critical in driving mainstream EV adoption. He anticipates further cost reductions as automakers refine their pricing models, making car subscriptions financially attractive, particularly for consumers prioritising flexibility.

Changing consumer preferences, especially among younger demographics are fueling the expansion of the car-as-a-service market, according to Higgins. He notes that subscription costs are currently comparable to car ownership when factoring in maintenance and depreciation but predicts subscriptions will become the more economical choice as prices decrease.

Loopit provides mobility management software to automakers, dealerships, fleets, and rental providers, serving clients like Porsche, Subaru, Polestar, and SIXT.

"Loopit raises $3.95m to fuel shift towards car subscriptions" was originally created and published by Motor Finance Online, 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.
Craft beer in North America has stalled. That much is plain to see.

From the era of annual double-digit growth, which has lasted for an inordinately long period from crafts naissance in the early 1980s until the late 2010s, the past few years have seen more-or-less stagnant sales, with the US seeing a 1% drop in production in 2023.

Craft beers overall annual market share inched up 0.2% last year but the less-than-buoyant figures have left most industry participants and many observers wondering what the future could hold and how (or even if) it might be possible to restore the sector to growth.

At the core of this quandary is the fact that, for most of craft beers existence, brewers, industry watchers, and even many drinkers have struggled to define precisely what makes craft beer craft. Size was a good marker, until some breweries grew sufficiently large that it wasnt, and using ingredients as a yardstick was always going to be a non-starter in an industry segment that from the outset has self-defined as iconoclastic.

Taste, while helpful, was in the end too subjective to be of much use, which left only intent.

Craft beer, it was said, is developed in the brewery by the brewers, as opposed to mainstream beer, which is dictated by marketing executives in corporate boardrooms. More plainly, craft brewers make what they want to drink, whereas mass-market brewers brew what they are told will sell.

And so long as North American craft beer continued to grow in double digits year-to-year, selling everything that all but the least competent brewery could make, it was an ethos that served the industry well. Until, that is, the bloom began to fall off the craft brewing rose.

From roughly 2010 to 2019, North Americas craft brewers could do no wrong. Literally thousands of breweries opened over the decade, flooding the marketplace with hundreds of thousands of hectolitres of beer, all of which was snapped up by a thirsty populace. But, with the gradual slowing of growth over the late 2010s and the eventual arrival of Covid-19 and pandemic-induced lockdowns, all that excitement ground to a halt, leaving brewers to wonder if ever it would return.

It has not and that has caused many brewers to re-evaluate their approach to the market.

Give the people what they want

According to Lee Lord, brewmaster at Rhode Island-based Narragansett Beer, things started to change even before the onset of the pandemic.

While working at my first professional brewery job [in the early 2010s], I also worked at a bottle shop and, while bombers of west coast Double IPAs ruled the shelves, every once in a while, wed get a drop of hazy IPAs and theyd be gone within hours, she says. The oversaturation of that style started well before the pandemic but I think that was the real turning point.

Story continues

The hazy pale ales and IPAs that came to dominate the North America craft beer market, olfactory-heavy, fruity hop-forward, marked a significant shift in the sector, as a new generation of beer drinker became borderline obsessed with the haze. This led to a race by many, perhaps most, breweries to get on top of the trend, often rushing to market multiple interpretations of the styles collectively known as hazies all at once, literally forcing beers of other styles off the taps and shelves.

Adrian Rodriguez-Montfort, the head of Mexicos Cerveceria Paracaidista, which is in the middle of relocating from the Mexican capital to Baja California and Chicago, recalls the time well and says hazy IPA had been an economic necessity.

In our taproom, attendance nearly doubled on average after I finally caved in and started including hazy IPAs on our tap list, he says. Simply, if folks walked in and did not see at least a number of hazy IPAs on tap, they wouldnt even bother trying anything else. In this way, it has generated a generation of new and, dare I say, lazy craft beer drinkers who are not willing to explore any other styles beyond [hazies].

This haze craze, as its become known, led to several market shifts in North America, including the one most cited by craft brewers themselves: an overabundance of beers of very similar, sometimes almost interchangeable, character and flavour. As one veteran brewer who asked to remain anonymous put it: There are only so many ways you can make a lasagna and its the same for hazy IPAs. Thats why so many of them taste the same.

Credit: siamionau pavel / Shutterstock.com

Also significant was that, for the first time in modern craft beers existence, brewers found themselves forced to produce beers of a style many of them didnt particularly like. Quiet, off-the-record discussions with any number of North American brewers have revealed that many loathe the style and resent having to make it, sometimes even admitting to not being partial to their own version.

While he doesnt go as far as to say he dislikes hazies, Joe Walters, owner of the 1 For All Brewery in Livonia, Michigan, confesses to having procedural issues with the brewing of his fourth best-selling beer, the hazy IPA called Sacred Shapes. I dont like making the hazy IPA style because it goes against everything Ive learned or have taught about brewing, he says. Mine does taste great but there are several brewing processes that have to be done improperly to slow down the natural clearing of the beer.

Mitch Steele, co-founder and brewmaster at Atlanta-based New Realm Brewing, outlines the third shift driven by the haze craze. Marketing people have much more impact on a brewerys decision of what beers to brew and the beer line-up is less dictated by brewers than it used to be, he says. What made craft beer successful was that it was brewer-driven, and innovation-driven and Im afraid we are losing that.

A monster of its own making

The market for hazy IPAs also raises a chicken-and-egg question: was the haze craze legitimately driven by consumer demand or were consumers turned to hazies specifically because craft breweries were making and heavily promoting so many of them?

Without a doubt, the current situation craft finds itself in is of crafts own making, says the anonymous veteran brewer. A large segment of beer drinkers only wants to drink hop juice because thats what theyve been told they want and breweries became obsessed with making the latest and greatest beer that they could charge a lot for. All that stymied innovation and creativity.

New Realms Steele offers a slightly more nuanced take. One key element in the United States is beer distributorships, who, by and large, dictate what beer styles breweries should brew, he says. Their influence cannot be understated [and] they dont want to build brands. They want to deliver beer they know will sell.

Ontario is Canadas largest beer market. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), the state agency in charge of alcohol sales, had much the same impact as did the distributors Steele cites. While responsible for only about 40% of the provinces beer sales, a disproportionate amount of that is Ontario-brewed craft beer. A few years back, I was told by the LCBO that they weren't interested in any Ontario craft SKUs that werent hazy IPAs for that year, Geordan Saunders, founder of the Napanee Beer Company says.

For Narragansetts Lord, it is perhaps neither chicken nor egg. I don't think there's a black and white answer, she says. It's less the case now but, for a time, it was very hard to draw word of mouth or pack a taproom unless you had a hazy IPA offering. For countless breweries, the mentality was play the haze game or die, which has resulted in the oversaturation and redundancy in the market today.

Looking to the future

While the haze craze does indeed appear to be easing off, along with the publics thirst for the quick, mixed-fermentation beers known as kettle sours, which have experienced an even more precipitous rise and fall, what comes next is anyones guess. One thing thats for certain, however, is that there is presently no stampede to develop the next big thing.

According to data recently released by Bump Williams Consulting and reported in Brewbound, the number of new beer brands in the US declined 28.3% in 2023, preceded by a much smaller drop in 2022 and followed thus far by similar results in 2024. These declines could be attributed to a space squeeze, Williams says, or it could be a proactive pursuit of efficiency.

Credit: Master1305 / Shutterstock.com

According to Lord, it could also be something as simple as the industry taking a collective pause. I think craft beer is in a bit of a weird holding pattern right now, she says. Covid changed the landscape, as did the cannabis industry, [and] bars and shops are showing much more reluctance to take a chance on craft breweries over the big guys.

Lord says brewers need to keep an eye on emerging and young consumers and see how we can help each other get a new generation excited and passionate about craft beer.

Her sentiments are echoed by Steele. The demand for these trendy beers is coming from young drinkers who dont really understand what an IPA was, beer distributors and people who dont appreciate traditional beer flavour, he says. Brewers started this trend but much of the growth has been driven by other factors.

He adds: Im certainly seeing significant movement back to beer-flavoured beer and I hope that sticks. But, as long as others are calling the shots, it will only stick if its an easy sell.

"Lost in a haze: North American craft beer searches for mojo" was originally created and published by Just Drinks, 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.
hapabapa / iStock.com

Most Costco shoppers agree that 90% or more of Kirkland Signature foods are of the highest quality. With a few noteworthy exceptions, you can trust the KS brand to be as good, or better, than national brands, and youll save money, too.

See: 6 Expensive Costco Items That Are Definitely Worth the Cost

Find: How To Get $340 Per Year in Cash Back on Gas and Other Things You Already Buy

Make sure to look for the distinctive Kirkland Signature logo when you venture beyond the grocery aisles of your local Costco. Youll find many high-quality items, from clothing to cleaning products that will help you save money everyday.

1. Kirkland Signature Mens Polo

Costco is often praised, but sometimes mocked, for its mens clothing selection. If durability, style, and a low price classifies a clothing item as dad clothes, then Dad must be doing something right with his wardrobe.

Kirkland Signature mens polo shirts, normally $15 but now just $12, are the perfect example. The contrast pique fabric trim adds a hint of style. Choose from mint, gray, or blue for spring and summer.

2. Ladies Lightweight Joggers

Costco also offers Kirkland Signature-branded styles for women at unbeatable prices. Grab these Ladies Lightweight Jogging Pants with a drawstring and comfy elastic waistband. These joggers come in a choice of blue, green, or black, and feature side pockets and moisture-wicking fabric to keep you cool, all for $15.

3. Kirkland Signature AA and AAA Batteries

For just $16 for a 48-count package of AA or AAA batteries, KS alkaline batteries represent a tremendous bargain. Plus, even if you dont go through a ton of batteries, they have a 12-year shelf life, so you really cant lose by stocking up.

4. Kirkland Signature Ultra Clean HE Liquid Laundry Detergent

Liquid laundry detergent isnt cheap, but its not exactly a product you can do without. If you have a front-loading dryer, youll want to use high efficiency laundry soap to ensure your clothes dont end up with soap residue. Target charges $20 for 132 oz. of Tide High Efficiency Liquid Laundry Detergent, enough for 100 loads of laundry.

Kirkland Signature Ultra Clean High Efficiency Liquid Laundry detergent offers nearly 50% more product for the same price. Youll get 194 fl. oz., enough for 146 loads, for $20 at Costco. You can also choose KS hypo-allergenic Ultra Clean Free & Clear HE detergent for the same price and size.

5. Kitchen Trash Bags

Most kitchen trash bags today provide similar quality, whether you choose Glad, Targets up & up brand, or Kirkland Signature from Costco. Look for extra strong bags with flex or stretch technology to hold more, and drawstring ties that make them easy to carry. Costco sells 200 13-gallon KS bags with Flex-Tech and handles for just $20, or 10 cents per bag. The up & up brand goes for $17 for 100 bags, or 17 cents a bag. Meanwhile, similar Glad bags with ForceFlex technology go for $22, or 22 cents a bag at Target. This is one household product savvy shoppers will always want to pick up at Costco.

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6. Gasoline

Read Next: 7 Things You Must Buy at Costco While on a Retirement Budget

Its widely accepted that filling up your gas tank at Costco offers savings that more than pays for the price of a Costco Gold membership. This winter, GOBankingRates reported that you can save between 30 and 50 cents per gallon filling up at Costco, based on prices listed by the GasBuddy app.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Im a Costco Superfan: These Are the 6 Highest Quality Kirkland Products Youll Find Outside of the Grocery Section
Two F-35s, piloted by Capt. Dario Holster Caminite and Capt. Jared Caesar Wesemann of the 388th fighter wing, 421st fighter squadron from Hill Air Force Base, fly over prior to the Utah Royals and Chicago Red Stars playing at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, March 16, 2024. Utahs largest industry associations in defense and advanced manufacturing announced they will combine forces to expand the states national security sector on Monday. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

Utahs largest industry associations in defense and advanced manufacturing announced on Monday they will combine forces to expand the states national security sector.

The merger between 47G, Utahs recently rebranded association of aerospace and defense, and UAMMI, Utahs Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Initiative, brings the states top advocates for military innovation and specialized mineral extraction and manufacturing under the same roof.

Whats remarkable about this merger with UAMMI is that all of these advanced aircraft rely on minerals and materials for production and so this merger in a very real way is the coming together of a supply chain right here in our backyard, 47G President and CEO Aaron Starks told the Deseret News on Monday.

Starks, the former chief revenue officer of World Trade Center Utah, said by combining forces, the newly named 47G UAMMI Institute will continue to make Utah the worlds premier ecosystem for aerospace, defense and cyber companies.

Utah mines can provide 40 out of 50 minerals that the Department of Homeland Security has identified as critical to the national security of the United States, Starks said, making it a logical next step to unite the groups advocating for the states growing defense and mineral sectors.

The announcement is just the latest in a series of mergers and leadership changes meant to bring Utah to the leading edge of national security innovation.

Former Utah congressman and U.S. Air Force pilot Chris Stewart was named chairman of 47G shortly before its rebrand. Prior to his resignation from Congress on Sept. 15, Stewart served on the powerful House Intelligence Committee where he was regularly briefed on top-secret security information that built on his knowledge from 14 years in the United States Air Force.

The 47G and UAMMI merger is a huge win for Utah and for the country, Stewart said in a press release. I have seen firsthand how advanced materials in the aerospace and defense industry enhance our economy and protect our national security.

Beginning in 2022, the Utah Aerospace and Defense Association has served as the first-ever convening body for aerospace and defense companies in the state of Utah. It promotes and represents over 120 companies that are working to develop the next generation of national security technology across three industry sectors, according to the press release. Their members include aerospace behemoth Boeing, defense contractor Northrop Grumman, and drone delivery company Zipline.

They also work in close communication with the Governors Office of Economic Opportunity, World Trade Center Utah, the state Legislature and institutions of higher education.

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We celebrate the growth and development of our aerospace and defense industry which contributes to our vibrant workforce and expansion of critical infrastructure, said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. This consolidation of resources between two great organizations will enhance 47Gs ability to elevate Utahs status as a premier hub for industry and destination for innovation, entrepreneurship and investment.

The aerospace and defense industry is booming in Utah. From well-known large companies, down to small startups, there are more than 1,000 companies and half a dozen military installations across the state. Together, they make up almost 20% of the states economic activity, as the Deseret News has previously reported.

Retaining seven of the largest defense contractors in the world in Utah is only sustainable if the states universities work in concert with the industry, Starks said.

We arent going to solve any of the challenges that we face around innovation, supply chain, workforce development, unless were doing it in partnership with technology being commercialized at universities. So by bringing them in, we brought industry closer to academia to enrich the (research and development) experience.

Multiple Utah universities are also members of 47G. Starks said the states Higher Education Committee on aerospace and defense recently completed a process of sharing their vision of how they want to lead the nation in these sectors, including a proposal from the University of Utah to build a space station in the west desert, something they have approached Boeing about doing, Starks said.

The next generation of talent is being developed on university campuses, Starks said. And we need to tell the aerospace and defense story in a compelling way to where we can win that talent and industry.
The value of Microsoft's Mount Pleasant data center could in time top $10 billion given the amount of land it controls in the village's Wisconsin Innovation Park.

The timing of the company's announcement last week that it will spend $3.3 billion by 2026 to build a first phase of the project, a three-fold increase from the $1 billion it initially said it would spend, surprised village officials, but there were already plenty of signs that Microsoft was on pace to blow past its early spending estimate.

The $1 billion number dated to early 2023, when Microsoft bought its first 315-acre parcel in the Wisconsin Innovation Park and unveiled plans for two data center buildings. Then, in December the company bought an additional 1,030 acres, and Microsoft sought approval this year to begin grading property for two additional buildings west of where the first building is under construction.

Construction of the first of two data centers for Microsoft progresses Wednesday, May 7, 2024 in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin. Microsoft has pledged a minimum value of $1 billion on the first phase of the development in the village's Wisconsin Innovation Park.

"We're obviously thrilled," Mount Pleasant City Attorney Chris Smith said. "To hear Microsoft's continued investment, it's consistent with what they've already demonstrated  that they have a long term commitment to the region, and its investments will be a transformation."

Village officials nonetheless expected the company to stick to what has been its mantra: "under promise and over deliver." They weren't expecting Microsoft President Brad Smith and President Joe Biden to announce the additional $3.3 billion investment.

More: President Biden touts Microsoft's Racine County 'comeback project,' contrasts it with Foxconn failure

Given the 2 square miles it now owns, the company could, over the next two decades, easily spend $10 billion or more, people familiar with the development said last week.

"One thing that I've just always believed is important for this site, perhaps in particular, is to under promise and over deliver rather than the opposite, recognizing a little bit of the history associated with it," Microsoft president Smith said during an interview with the Journal Sentinel.

"Plus, I just think, you know, having been born and raised in Wisconsin and the Midwest it's just a better way to go through life."

Construction continues on Microsoft's first data center in Mount Pleasant's Wisconsin Innovation Park. The first phase of the development that will eventually span nearly 2 square miles has an estimated value of $1 billion. Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Microsoft's arrived in the shadow of disappointing Foxconn deal

The history Smith spoke of was a reference to Foxconn International Holdings, the Taiwan-based company for which the business park was created.

To bring Foxconn to the state, the village, Racine County and the state spent $1.4 billion to develop the business park and the state wheeled out nearly $3 billion in subsidies based on the company's promise that it would spend $10 billion to build a large-screen LCD manufacturing operation that would create 13,000 jobs.

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Foxconn quickly scrapped that plan. The company confirmed last week it now employs about 1,000 people who make data servers. Foxconn called its Mount Pleasant plant "a key manufacturing site" in a global operation that makes about 40% of the world's data servers.

It's investment goal in Mount Pleasant was reduced to $672 million under a revised tax credit agreement negotiated with Gov. Tony Evers in 2021 that recognized that Foxconn would not come close to what it initially promised. That agreement reduced the company's maximum state subsidy from $285 million to $80 million.

More: Microsoft Racine County data center expansion, new AI training focus of Biden visit to state

Microsoft deal adds insurance on debt, with limited local subsidy

Foxconn's reduced investment also raised questions about whether the company would continue to make the property tax payments needed to pay off the $252 million in debt Mount Pleasant still owes from creation of the business park. Under its development agreement Foxconn must pay taxes equal to the minimum $1.4 billion in taxable value.

The $3.3 billion in spending may have got the headlines, but that minimum $1.4 billion in taxable value is what for now matters most to village planners. That's the value needed to fully cover the district's debt by 2047, and that's why it also appears in Microsoft's development.

As Microsoft's plans for Mount Pleasant evolved, any concerns about paying off the district's debt have been replaced by expectations that the debt will be paid off early, bringing a surge of additional tax revenue to the village, county and school district earlier that had been expected. A consultant last year said that the combined revenue from Microsoft and Foxconn, assuming Foxconn continues to honor its deal, would allow the village to retire the district as early as 2037.

That will be possible due, in part, to the limited amount of local subsidies Microsoft sought from the village.

The development agreement for the first parcel the company bought included a 42% property tax rebate, capped at $5 million a year. That would result in a tax subsidy of about $114 million over the life of the taxing district. However, Microsoft did not seek any tax concessions or other givebacks from the village in the development agreement that accompanied its second, larger land purchase.

The state, however, did step in to sweeten the deal last year when it became one of about 30 other states to approve a sales tax exemption for data center equipment. The exemption was included in the 2023-25 state budget, It is unclear how much the exemption will save Microsoft over time.

Smith and Gov. Tony Evers said last week that tax break was a key part of encouraging Microsoft to expand its plan for Mount Pleasant.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Microsoft's fast track is a result of solid company, local partnership

Less than a year ago, the Microsoft site was vacant land. Today, the contractor, Walsh Construction, is building the superstructure of the first building, a data center and connected administrative office, at County KR and 90th Street. To the north, storm water management systems are being installed and grading is being done to prepare an area that will be used to store construction materials for the building before it, too, becomes a building site. And to the west, access roads are already under way to prepare the site for two additional buildings. In all, there's activity on about 400 acres.

Village officials said Microsoft's rapid pace reflects a partnership in which Microsoft is bringing its experience from the more than 300 data centers it has built worldwide and a concerted effort by Mount Pleasant before Microsoft's arrival to update zoning codes and put systems in place to quickly review plans, Community Development Director Sam Schultz said.

"Microsoft moves fast and the village can move fast, and that makes for a very good partnership," he said.

MJS-Microsoft__p2 Microsoft Brad Smith speaks before President Biden Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at Gateway Technical College in Sturtevant, Wisconsin. Microsoft Corp. President Brad Smith joined Biden to highlight Microsoft's moves, which build upon the company's previous investments in the state. Microsoft has pledged a minimum value of $1 billion on the first phase of the development in the Wisconsin Innovation Park in nearby Mount Pleasant. Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Credit: Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Smith said the village's investment in the industrial park, when it was created for Foxconn attracted the company to Mount Pleasant and made it possible to move quickly after it began to buy land.

"We benefited from the work that had been done before, the ability to start to acquire large amounts of land and things like a substation that exists there already," he said.

That the park and Mount Pleasant could become a magnet for other tech companies was among the arguments used to bolster the case for developing it for Foxconn.

"Obviously, if we did not complete the infrastructure and all the things we did before, going back to Foxconn, you know, we wouldn't have Microsoft here, or the odds would have been maybe slimmer," said Claude Lois, the village's project manager for the taxing district.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Microsoft's fast growth in Mount Pleasant stems from experience, partnerships
After the initial launch for Boeings Starliner was scrapped last week due to a leaky valve, NASA could be looking to give it another go later this week. But one contractor is surprisingly and publicly asking the agency to reconsider the launch, which it warned could end in catastrophe.

ValveTech, a company that designs and manufactures valves and other components for aerospace and military applications, issued a press release stating that a second attempt could result in a disaster occurring on the launchpad. ValveTech President Erin Faville urged NASA to re-double safety checks and re-examine safety protocols to make sure the Starliner is safe before something catastrophic happens to the astronauts and to the people on the ground.

Most Read on IEN:

The Starliner was scheduled for liftoff last week in what would have been Boeings first human space flight. But the launch was scrubbed at the last minute when a fluttering oxygen pressure-relief valve was discovered on United Launch Alliances Atlas rocket, the vehicle picked to carry the Starliner into space. The valve, which the Associated Press said may have exceeded its 200,000 lifetime cycles, was buzzing loudly.

NASA and its partners on the launch voiced their disappointment with the latest setback but sounded determined to fix the problem and proceed with the launch at a later date. ValveTech clearly doesnt feel as confident but the companys motives for publicly calling out NASA are not as clear.

ValveTech originally worked with Aerojet Rocketdyne on valve designs for the Starliners propulsion system, but disputes led the two companies to part ways in 2017. According to Payload, ValveTech later sued Rocketdyne, accusing the company of misappropriating its trade secrets. ValveTech was awarded $850,000 in damages but its attempts to get further restrictions imposed on Rocketdyne died in court.

Now ValveTech is questioning NASA, Boeing and Aerojet on how they 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.

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The New South Wales (NSW) Government has revealed the first look of the new A$700m ($462.3m) Rouse Hill Hospital in Western Sydney.

With a bed capacity of 300, the new facility is poised to be Western Sydneys first major adult hospital built in more than 40 years.

It will include an emergency and urgent care department, in-patient beds and a day surgery unit, as well as short stay medical assessment services.

Besides, it will provide pathology, pharmacy, and medical imaging services; outpatient and ambulatory care services including paediatrics, renal, maternity services and women's health; and a virtual care health hub and hospital in the home services.

The hospital will make healthcare more accessible to the communities of Rouse Hill, Tallawong, Schofields, The Ponds, North Kellyville, Riverstone, and Marsden Park.

Its design features wards with mountain views and includes a multi-storey car park, with easy access to public transport.

The project is expected to create about 1,200 jobs during its construction period, with potential for thousands of indirect jobs across its life.

It will be one of the first to implement the NSW Labor Governments full campus model, which integrates health worker accommodation and childcare services.

NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park said: There is a long history of undelivered commitments from the Liberal-National government with this project dating back to 2015. We wont make the same empty promises and were getting on with the job of delivering this $700 million hospital for the community in North Western Sydney.

We are committed to providing an additional 600 hospital beds for Western Sydney, and the new Rouse Hill Hospital will account for about half of this.

The Hospital forms part of a broader A$3bn investment by the NSW Government in new and upgraded hospitals and health services across greater western Sydney.

Additional investments include a A$1.3bn project to build the Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital on a new site, a A$550m redevelopment for Fairfield Hospital, a A$350m redevelopment for Canterbury Hospital, and a A$120m expansion of bed capacity at Blacktown and Mount Druitt Hospitals.

"NSW unveils first look of $462m Rouse Hill Hospital" was originally created and published by Hospital Management, 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.
OceanaGold Philippines (OGPI), a subsidiary of OceanaGold, has completed its initial public offering (IPO) on the Philippines Stock Exchange, raising $106m (6.13bn pesos).

This move involved the sale of 20% of OGPI's outstanding common shares, a requirement under the renewed Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement for its Didipio Mine operations.

The IPO was a secondary offering, with the final price set at 13.33 pesos per share, totalling 6.08bn pesos for 456 million shares.

The proceeds from the offering, after deducting fees and taxes, will be utilised for paying down OceanaGold's debt, which stood at $160m as of 31 March 2023.

OceanaGolds decision to list OGPI's shares was first announced in April this year.

In January this year, OceanaGold executed a sale and purchase agreement (SPA) with Tasman Mining (Tasman), a subsidiary of Federation Mining, to acquire OceanaGold's interest in the Blackwater project in New Zealand.

After receiving official notice from Tasman to exercise its exclusive option on Blackwater, which has been held under a project deed since July 2018, the SPA was executed.

As per the agreement, OceanaGold will receive $30m in cash upon completion of the transaction.

The company noted that the SPA is subject to a number of conditions including regulatory approval and is expected to close this year.

OceanaGold is a gold mining and exploration company based in Vancouver, Canada.

In December 2022, OceanaGold received a supplementary environmental impact statement record of decision from the US Army Corps of Engineers for its Haile underground mine in South Carolina, US.

"OceanaGold Philippines raises $106m in IPO" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
By Georgina McCartney

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Oil prices settled lower on Tuesday, after U.S. data stoked concerns that interest rates may stay high, but potential risks to supply from Mideast tensions and wildfires in Canada put a floor under prices.

Brent crude futures settled down 98 cents, or 1.18% at $82.38 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures (WTI) settled down $1.10, or 1.39% at $78.02 a barrel.

U.S. producer prices increased more than expected in April, feeding fears the Federal Reserve may keep borrowing costs elevated to fight inflation.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell said he expects U.S. inflation to keep declining through 2024 but warned he is less confident now, since prices rose more quickly than expected through the first quarter.

"The inflation story is not under control that is pulling demand back a bit and the thing that rubbed a little salt in the wound was Powell's comments", said Tim Snyder, economist at Matador Economics.

U.S. consumer price data is expected on Wednesday and will affect timing of rate cuts that could spur economic growth and oil demand.

Another stronger-than-expected inflation reading could feed worries that a too-hot economy will force the Fed to raise rates again, which could hinder growth.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries stuck to its forecast for relatively strong growth in global oil demand in 2024 and said there was a chance the world economy could do better than expected this year.

OPEC's monthly report said world oil demand will rise by 2.25 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2024 and by 1.85 million bpd in 2025.

Energy markets were also watching wildfires in remote western Canada that could buoy prices by disrupting oil supplies.

Firefighters on Monday were racing to contain one blaze in British Columbia and two in Alberta near the heart of the country's oil sands industry.

Canada has a 3.3 million barrel per day (bpd) production capacity, and is a key supplier of heavier crude.

"Spreading wildfires in Alberta oil sands impose downside risks to our constructive Canada production outlook as massive fires in the same region eight years ago triggered a temporary shutdown of over 1 million bpd oil production," said Goldman Sachs analysts in a note.

Meanwhile, conflict in the Middle East could be lending a floor to prices. Israeli tanks pushed deeper into eastern Rafah, reaching some residential districts of the southern border city where more than a million people had been sheltering.

"Uncertainty over Rafah and the blowback from that is keeping the market on edge as well," said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group.

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U.S. crude oil and gasoline inventories fell last week while distillate stocks rose, according to market sources citing American Petroleum Institute figures on Tuesday. Official inventory data from the U.S. government is due on Wednesday.

The API figures showed crude stocks were down by 3.104 million barrels in the week ended May 10, the sources said on condition of anonymity. Gasoline inventories fell by 1.269 million barrels, and distillates rose by 673,000 barrels.

Brent crude futures edged down 62 cents, or 0.74% to$82.74 a barrel by 1640 ET shortly after API data was published, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures (WTI) fell by 68 cents, or 0.86% to $78.44 a barrel.

(Reporting by Georgina McCartney in Houston; Paul Carsten and Natalie Grover in London and Jeslyn Lerh in Singapore; Additional reporting by Colleen Howe in Beijing; Editing by Marguerita Choy, Alexandra Hudson, Ros Russell and David Gregorio)
Medical technology company Olympus has launched two advanced bronchoscopes compatible with the EVIS X1 Endoscopy System.

The diagnostic and therapeutic bronchoscopes, BF-H1100 and BF-1TH1100 respectively, are engineered to provide high-definition imaging and improved procedural flexibility.

Designed with a slimmer outer diameter, the new models enable access to distal airways and offer increased suction capabilities and larger working channels for a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic devices.

The BF-H1100 diagnostic bronchoscope features a 2.2mm working channel, enhancing suction by 11% while the BF-1TH1100 therapeutic bronchoscope's 3.0mm channel increases suction by 29%.

Both models have been refined for improved scope handling, with an insertion tube rotation ring that minimises hand rotation and potentially reduces physical stress during procedures.

The redesigned image sensor of the two bronchoscopes enables a small outer diameter while maintaining its predecessors HDTV resolution.

The Olympus EVIS X1 endoscopy system integrates several imaging technologies, including the CV-1500 video system centre.

These imaging technologies include brightness adjustment imaging with maintenance of contrast (BAI-MAC), texture and colour enhancement imaging (TXI), red dichromatic imaging (RDI), and narrow-band imaging (NBI).

Olympus respiratory business unit vice-president Swarna Alcorn said: With the EVIS X1 endoscopy system, Olympus remains committed to offering physicians the best tools possible along the entire patient care pathway.

We are excited to launch diagnostic and therapeutic bronchoscopes supported by our most advanced endoscopy system. Pulmonologists will have the confidence to expand their reach with bronchoscopes that combine a slim outer diameter, a large working channel and improved imaging.

Olympus introduced its next-generation EVIS X1 endoscopy system for gastrointestinal practitioners, in October 2023.

"Olympus launches new bronchoscopes for EVIS X1 system" was originally created and published by Medical Device Network, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
How An Ordinary 9-To-5 Job Made A Singaporean A Millionaire

Zinger Points:

From a 9-to-5 grind to a millionaires mindset, Shao Chun Chen unveils his road map to financial freedom.

Maximizing market value and embracing an up or out' philosophy, this Singaporean millionaires strategies defy conventional wisdom.

Financial independence through savvy career moves and intentional planning  the story of a millionaire who still clocks in from nine to five.

In a recent revelation, Shao Chun Chen, a Singaporean millionaire, disclosed his principles and strategies that have helped him achieve financial independence. He strongly advocates that anyone working consistently in a 9-to-5 job can build enormous wealth if they are intentional about their financial goals.

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According to a report by Business Insider on Thursday, Shao chronicled his progression from student to a 9-to-5 millionaire. He earned his degree from NTU Singapore in 2010 and earned most of his wealth from a successful mainstream career, rather than from any side business ventures.

An initial step into equity analysis at Merrill Lynch gradually transformed into a career at Google in 2016. The careful career choices Shao made over the years rewarded him with financial stability, which insulated him from an unexpected job termination in 2024.

Shao emphasized, "I believe that everybody working 9-to-5 has the opportunity to be financially free, to become a millionaire  it just requires us to be very intentional." Part of his strategy involved adopting an "up or out" mentality, continuously striving for growth within his job or seeking better-paying positions.

Furthermore, Shao insists on considering ones market value continuously. To stay updated, he recommends attending at least one job interview, internal or external, every six months. This tactic leverages market intelligence and keeps the individual aware of their worth in the constantly changing job market.

Shao Chun Chens narrative emphasizes the importance of financial freedom achieved by reducing expenses and increasing income. By "playing good offense," he suggests workers should seek income growth, and "playing good defense" means restricting spending and managing taxes efficiently.

At present, Shao commands a seven-figure portfolio. He now spends his days imparting knowledge and sharing his insights on financial independence through part-time teaching and sharing videos on his YouTube channel.

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This article How An Ordinary 9-To-5 Job Made A Singaporean A Millionaire originally appeared on Benzinga.com

 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
From the moment a child starts walking, they can begin classes at Dearys Gymnastics in Danielson.

The gym is a lifelong passion project for former All-American gymnast Robin Deary Fillmore, who started the gym after graduating from Southern Connecticut State University where Deary Fillmore picked up her All-American accolades on the balance beam.

In addition to owning the gym, Deary Fillmore also was the coach of the Killingly High School and Woodstock Academy's gymnastics teams, for which she was inducted into the CT High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Deary Fillmore first operated Dearys Gymnastics out of a small gym in Brooklyn for 17 years before moving to the current location at 31 Commerce Ave. in Danielson.

I knew pretty much from the time I was 12 that this is what I was going to do, Deary Fillmore said.

Robin Deary Fillmore, owner of Deary's Gymnastics.

About Dearys

The gym serves boys and girls from ages 1 through their college years. The University of Connecticuts competitive club team practices and competes at Dearys. In addition, local high school programs such as Woodstock Academy and Killingly High School train and compete at Dearys.

In a typical year, Dearys averages about 500 gymnasts throughout all of its age groups, not including the UConn club team. They currently have around 100 boys, while the rest of their gymnasts are female.

At Dearys, children can begin competing in meets at the age of 6. Female gymnasts compete in the floor, vault, uneven bars and beam events, while male gymnasts compete in the floor, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars and high bar.

A number of Dearys gymnasts have gone on to compete in college. Several have followed in Dearys footsteps and have gone on to become All Americans at Southern Connecticut. Other colleges where former Dearys gymnasts have competed include Springfield College, University of Bridgeport, University of Rhode Island and Texas Womans University.

A view of the gym at Deary's Gymnastics from the mezzanine.

Business leader of the year

In recognition of all her efforts, Deary Fillmore will be honored with the business leader of the year award at the Northeastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerces annual awards gala on May 30. The gala will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Mansion at Bald Hill in Woodstock. To register for the event, visit nectchamber.com/awards-gala.

The business leader of the year award is presented to an individual for outstanding business leadership and active participation in community organizations.

Deary Fillmore said she is honored to be recognized as the business leader of the year.

I was humbled and honored, she said.

This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Deary's Gymnastics owner in Danielson CT is business leader of the year
The White House formally unveiled a sweeping array of new tariffs on Chinese goods Tuesday that will raise duties on $18 billion in Chinese imports.

The long-awaited announcement will touch an array of sectors, with steel to semiconductors to medical products feeling new duties as soon as this year.

Electric vehicles are a key focus of the announcement, with duties there set to quadruple in 2024 from 25% to 100%.

The actions also notably do not include the lowering of more than $300 billion in Trump-era duties on China. Biden largely re-upped former President Donald Trump's policy  and added new tariffs on certain sectors on top.

"The president is taking a tough, strategic approach combining investment at home with enforcement against China in key sectors," national economic advisor Lael Brainard said ahead of the news.

Biden's top economic aide also drew a sharp contrast with Trump's trade record in her comments to reporters. She said Trump's moves in office "did not deliver" and that his current 2024 campaign trail promises would spike inflation.

President Joe Biden arrives in Washington, D.C., on Monday after a trip to the West Coast and spending Sunday in Delaware. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images) (MANDEL NGAN via Getty Images)

Most of the new tariffs announced this week could be felt quickly and are set to be implemented this year.

Others  such as new duties on semiconductors and batteries  are set to phase in more slowly in 2025 and 2026.

In total, the sweeping White House announcement Tuesday will impose increased duties on Chinese steel, aluminum, semiconductors, electric vehicles, batteries, critical minerals, solar cells, ship-to-shore cranes, and various medical products.

Will it lead to a new trade war?

Tuesdays announcement is the culmination of a two-year government review of the "Section 301" duties on China that were first imposed by the Trump administration.

The announcement also sets up a marked contrast between how trade policy may look in 2025 depending on which man wins.

These new muscular tariffs from Biden still are a contrast with what is promised by his White House challenger.

Trump is proposing historically high new tariffs, including a 60% tariff on imports from China. His allies say that a sharp hike will allow US manufacturing to grow in the US, but it's an idea often criticized by some economists and trade experts as being too blunt.

But Biden's aggressive posture on the topic also promises to ratchet up tensions between the world's two largest economies.

China's Foreign Ministry responded to advance reports of todays news by charging Biden with politicizing trade and adding that "China will take all necessary measures to defend its rights and interests."

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On Monday, a senior Biden official downplayed the chances of Chinese retaliation, saying the US government has been telegraphing its concerns to the Chinese for years through many channels. Of Tuesday's news, this official added: "I dont think these concerns will come as a surprise."

Others are less sanguine, including Ashley Craig, a D.C.-based international trade lawyer at Venable LLP.

He said this week's news means "we are looking at a further deterioration of the US/Sino trade relationship," adding, "perhaps the biggest catalyst here is the presidential election cycle."

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan wave as they arrive at Liszt Ferenc Budapest airport during a recent trip to Europe. (SZILARD KOSZTICSAK/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) (SZILARD KOSZTICSAK via Getty Images)

How it will affect the US economy

How it will affect the US economy will certainly be a focus for investors.

They need to pay attention, Interactive Brokers chief strategist Steve Sosnick told Yahoo Finance Monday in advance of the news. That's because "a tariff is a tax, and although there's been some rhetoric that it's a tax on the foreigners, it's really a tax on the Americans."

Sosnick added he'll be watching to see if increased duties could "throw sand in the gears" of the overall US economy that has been outperforming expectations.

New research out of Goldman Sachs economist Jan Hatzius said Trump's 2018-2019 tariffs on China led to price increases being borne "entirely" by US businesses and households.

The tariffs also enabled both domestic producers and non-Chinese exporters to the US to "opportunistically" raise their prices as well.

Hatzius estimated that every one percentage increase in the effective tariff rate would increase core consumer prices by just over 0.1%.

Read more: Inflation is sticking around  here's where prices are rising and falling

"The direct impact of higher tariffs on GDP is likely to be modestly negative, with the hit to real income and consumer spending from higher prices outweighing the decline in the trade deficit, especially if other countries retaliate," Hatzius warned.

Other increases announced Tuesday include a jump in solar cell tariffs that are set to double from 25% to 50%. There will also be a bump in semiconductor tariffs from 25% to 50% and an increase in the tariffs on battery parts to 25%.

Other industries will see new duties entirely. Ship-to-shore cranes will see new tariffs jump from 0% to 25%. Syringes and needles will increase from 0% to 50%.

The politics of tariffs

One thing both Biden and Trump appear to agree on now is that tariffs should go up, not down.

The question is by how much?

In addition to new duties on China, Trump has also floated a 10% tariff on major US trading partners that he calls a "ring" around the US economy. He has also suggested a 100% tariff on foreign cars coming both from China and Mexico.

Trump weighed in on Biden's announcement during a rally this weekend in New Jersey, calling the move "about four years late" and saying that Biden should have gone further and expanded the 100% tariff on electric cars to all imported vehicles.

Biden's move is "only a ploy to get beyond the election," Trump concluded.

Donald Trump arrives to speak during a campaign rally in New Jersey on May 11. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images) (JIM WATSON via Getty Images)

Biden has also been on the receiving end of significant pressure from some key allies to keep tariffs high.

One influential figure in that debate is Senator Sherrod Brown. The Ohio Democrat is chair of the Senate's Banking committee and also in the middle of a difficult reelection fight that is set to be one of the most expensive races in the nation this year.

And even Brown is pushing Biden to go further, posting last week that tariffs aren't enough and "we need to ban Chinese EVs from the US."

Brian Sozzi is Yahoo Finance's Executive Editor. He is also the host of the "Opening Bid" podcast. Follow Sozzi on Twitter/X @BrianSozzi and on LinkedIn. Ben Werschkul is Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance covering economic policy and the intersection of financial issues and the nation's capital.

Click here for the latest stock market news and in-depth analysis, including events that move stocks

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
Presidents Choice Financial, the financial arm of Loblaw, has selected Temenos to extend its reach into the Canadian banking market. Loblaw is the largest grocery retailer in Canada with a market share of almost 30%.

Specifically, PC Financial will adopt Temenos retail core banking solution as SaaS on Microsoft Azure. The deployment will enable PC Financial to rapidly scale products and expand its banking proposition.

PC Financial offers financial products designed to deliver on the companys purpose, helping Canadians Live Life Well. For example, PC Mastercard and PC Money Account customers save on banking fees.

PC Optimum loyalty, rewards benefits

In addition, they earn points linked to loyalty reward programme PC Optimum boasting over 16 million members.

The implementation of Temenos retail core banking solution as SaaS will enable PC Financial to scale products faster. It will also expand its banking proposition on a trusted and secure, continuously updated service. The cloud-based approach eliminates the need for costly infrastructure investments. It will allow seamless integration across the groups retail brands with the aim of making everyday transactions simple and rewarding. According to Temenos, PC Financial will significantly streamline their end-to-end processes while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.

Daksa Mody, SVP Central Operations, PC Financial, said: Our partnership with Temenos aligns perfectly with our ongoing commitment to providing Canadians innovative and simplified financial products with exceptional value. This partnership gives us access to world-class banking capabilities and allows us to streamline efficiencies, while enabling continued focus on delivering best-in-class products that help Canadians Live Life Well.

PC Financial: a marque signing for Temenos

Philip Barnett, President, Americas, Temenos, added: We are delighted to welcome PC Financial as a marque signing for Temenos. North America is a strategic region for Temenos, and a market where we are seeing tremendous growth in SaaS. Our proven, highly scalable SaaS model together with robust localisation and local operations is compelling for banks and new challengers of all sizes. We have invested heavily in our platform to assist our clients to comply with applicable Canadian and US banking regulations. Our clients are seeing the benefit in massive scale, business agility and ability to deploy fast with pre-configured banking capabilities.

"Presidents Choice Financial selects Temenos to expand banking business" was originally created and published by Retail Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand.

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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.
Vladimir Putin is a growing threat to the West, GCHQ's first woman chief has warned - Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

Vladimir Putins Russia is preparing physical attacks against the West, the head of GCHQ has warned, as British and American intelligence officials laid bare the dual threat posed by Moscow and Beijing.

Anne Keast-Butler, who was appointed to lead Britains signals intelligence operations last May, used her first major speech to highlight the immediate threat posed by the Kremlin and the epoch-defining risk posed by China to the UK and its allies.

The GCHQ director told a gathering of cyber security experts in Birmingham that her agency believed Moscow was looking to go further than attacks simply in cyberspace.

The signals agency is increasingly concerned about growing links between the Russian intelligence services and proxy groups to conduct cyber-attacks  as well as suspected physical surveillance and sabotage operations.

Ms Keast-Butler, who is the first woman to hold the post in the agencys 105-year history, said Moscow was nurturing and inspiring groups of cyber attackers, and in some cases seemingly co-ordinating physical attacks against the West.

Last week, a British man was charged with an arson attack in London and accused by prosecutors of working for Wagner Group, the Russian paramilitary organisation.

Speaking at the CyberUK conference, Ms Keast-Butler said Putin has not given up on his maximalist goal of subjugating the population of Ukraine.

She added that UK support for Kyiv remained steadfast, with British spies continuing to bolster the countrys cyber defences.

Anne Keast-Butler is the first woman to lead GCHQ in its 105-year history - GCHQ/PA

Russia has long been accused of protecting cyber gangs that target Western organisations, allowing them to operate with relative impunity as they carry out sophisticated hacks.

Last week, the National Crime Agency named Dmitry Khoroshev, a Russian national, as the person behind LockBit  a ransomware group that had stolen hundreds of millions of pounds from businesses.

Royal Mail fell victim to a LockBit attack last year, after the Russia-based gang paralysed the postal services ability to send letters and parcels abroad.

Prior to that, LockBit also targeted London-listed car dealership Pendragon, scrambling computers across its 200 sites and demanding a 60m ransom to unlock them.

Directing physical attacks in the West would represent an escalation of Moscows hostility towards the West.

Despite the growing threat from Russia, Ms Keast-Butler said China was taking up more resource than any other single mission at GCHQ.

Ms Keast-Butler said China posed the greatest threat to Britain, representing a genuine and increasing cyber risk to the UK.

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While she said the UK was open to engaging with China on areas that are mutually beneficial, such as climate change or artificial intelligence safety, Ms Keast-Butler added that the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] poses a significant risk to international norms and values.

She said China was seeking to shape global technology standards in its own favour and wanted to assert its dominance within the next 10 to 15 years.

The warning over China comes days after it emerged a Ministry of Defence contractor was hacked in an attack blamed on Beijing. Payroll data on 270,000 current and former military personnel was compromised in the breach.

The US government has also accused China of extensive efforts to infiltrate its critical infrastructure via a hacking group dubbed Volt Typhoon.

American officials believe the group has sought to penetrate water facilities, the power grid and transportation systems, lying dormant with tools that can be unleashed in the event of a conflict.

Harry Coker, the White Houses national cyber director, who also appeared at CyberUK, warned China could use its pre-positioned hacking resources to wreak havoc on civilian critical infrastructure to deter US mobility in the event of a conflict.

Felicity Oswald, the chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre, GCHQs cyber arm, said: This is a clear warning about Chinas intent to hold essential networks at risk. And it is a warning that providers of essential services in the UK cannot afford to ignore.

Lord Cameron, the Foreign Secretary, summoned Chinas ambassador to the UK to a meeting after three people were charged on Monday with spying for Hong Kong.

A Foreign Office spokesman said the Government was unequivocal in setting out that the recent pattern of behaviour directed by China against the UK, including cyber-attacks, reports of espionage links and the issuing of bounties, is not acceptable.
Press Release

May 14, 2024 Co-Sponsorship Speech

Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa

Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act Mr. President, dear colleagues, good afternoon. It is my privilege to co-sponsor Senate Bill No. 2665 under Committee Report No. 251 or the "Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act." "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." Often, we have used such saying to inspire our less fortunate fellow Filipinos to work harder because no one can free them from hunger and poverty but themselves. The government can only do so much with such limited resources. But perhaps, our application of the aforementioned Chinese proverb might no longer be applicable to the current situation of our people. For the past decades or so, our fishermen have been on the receiving end of harassment and bullying from the Chinese. In a situation where the choice is between your survival or your untimely end, what will be the use of being taught how to fish? Tinuruan nga nating mangisda, Mr. President, ngunit hindi naman natin nabigyan ng kaukulang proteksyon laban sa mga magtatangkang agawin ang kung anuman ang meron siya. Teaching our people to fish for them to thrive for a lifetime would be senseless if they are forcibly driven away from their traditional fishing spot within our exclusive economic zone. Our people are not poor because they are lazy. They are deprived of their livelihood; of their opportunity to win in life; and sadly, for some, the chance to survive. Kahit po gaano kasipag ang mga Pilipino, kung patuloy po silang inaagawan ng kanilang karapatan para pakinabangan ang likas na yaman na nakalaan sa kanila, darating ang araw na mawawalan sila ng pangkain sa araw-araw. The establishment of Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes as embodied in the proposed bill will ensure the protection of fishing grounds and key biodiversity areas in Philippine waters. This will safeguard the integrity of our national territory. Further, the proposed measure ensures that foreign ships and aircraft exercising the right of archipelagic sea lanes shall not engage in threat or use of force against the sovereignty, territorial integrity, or political independence of the Republic of the Philippines or in any other manner in violation of the principles of international law embodied in the Charter of the United Nations. Hindi lang po ang threat or use of force ang ipinagbabawal sa panukalang ito. Pati na rin po ang marine pollution, sinigurado natin na hindi natin papayagan sa ating teritoryo sa mga gustong gumamit ng ating sea lanes. There will be no discharge of oil, solid wastes and other noxious substances allowed. Nor will discharge of sewage, garbage, and air emissions from ships in Philippine territory and maritime zones be permitted. Most importantly, this legislative measure does not only give our fishermen a fighting chance, but an assurance, a guarantee from our government, of protection from foreign encroachment. This will be a testament to the Senate's commitment to fight for our rightful claim to the West Philippine Sea. But perhaps, most especially, the Senate's dedication to safeguard every Filipino who intends to make a living peacefully and honorably. In the end, Mr. President, it is not simply a question of whether to give them fish or to teach them how to fish. At the rate we are going, that is already irrelevant. It is a matter of dignity, and this Senate's recognition of it. Dignity, for livelihood and sustenance. Dignity, in continuing to defend and stand for what is rightfully ours. Dignity, for Filipinos, whether they are on land, or at sea. With that, I wish to commend our esteemed colleague, Senator Francis Tol Tolentino, for masterfully steering our course towards the passage of this timely measure. Maraming salamat, Mr. President.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  An El Paso home inspector and Realtor say homeowners should protest their property taxes, that it can benefit you in the long run.

Edgar Aguero, an El Paso Realtor with the Jackie Stevens Home Team, told KTSM homeowners should petition or protest the appraisal on their home. If not, they could be losing out, he said.

The deadline to protest your property taxes with the Central Appraisal District is Wednesday, May 15.

You should be able to make a strong case when fighting your property taxes, Aguero said.

Aguero said a lot goes into how your appraisal is calculated, depending on different factors.

All the local taxing entities, like the City of El Paso, the County and the school districts, play into how much you are taxed, he said.

Aguero said an important step is to compare your home to similar properties to get a better idea of what it should be valued at.

KTSM reached out to a local home inspector who agreed with Aguero  how property owners should protest with the Central Appraisal District (CAD) to keep their property taxes lower.

Jeffery Michel, a home inspector with Integrity Property Inspections, said when challenging your property taxes, getting an inspector can potentially help.

I think more documentation, the better, just going in there and saying, Hey, I think its too high. Its probably not going to work. If you do the due diligence and get an inspector in there thats reputable, that can give them a very detailed report, Michel said.

Michel told KTSM if a property owner gets with the correct parties and provides the necessary information to take to the CAD, it could possibly help, which is something his company has seen in the past.

To find a local Realtor, click here.

To learn more about a home inspector, click here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
Red Lobster abruptly closes Jacksonville restaurants. What we know

All three Red Lobster restaurants in Jacksonville closed abruptly Monday amid widespread speculation that the Orlando-based nationwide seafood restaurant chain was poised to file for bankruptcy protection.

The Jacksonville closures appear to be part of a large-scale shutdown of at least 80 restaurants in 27 states as reported by national and local news media outlets.

Shuttering their doors in Jacksonville were the restaurants at 8720 Baymeadows Road, 416 Commerce Center Drive and 13090 City Station Drive in River City Marketplace.

All three had been open for multiple years, state records indicated.

Red Lobster employees greet each other as they arrived at the 7820 Baymeadows Road location Tuesday morning to help clean out the restaurant, one of three Red Lobsters in Jacksonville that were abruptly closed Monday.

Red Lobster employees arrived at the Baymeadows Road location Tuesday morning to help clean out the restaurant. David Brown, who has worked there for about 37 years, said his director was informed of the closing Sunday night and the employees were told Monday morning.

"It just came out of the blue," he told Times-Union photographer Bob Self.

Each restaurant was listed as "closed" every day on the Red Lobster corporate website. Telephone calls to each of the three went unanswered. And there was no recorded voicemail message on their phones.

End of an era: After 50+ years, Jacksonville's last Piccadilly Cafeteria is closing

So far, Red Lobster officials couldn't be reached for comment.

Remaining open in North Florida are the restaurants at 32 Blanding Blvd. across from Orange Park Mall and at 2847 W. U.S. 90 in Lake City, according to the corporate website.

Red Lobster is known for its Lobsterfest as well as Endless Shrimp promotions, steamed crab legs and fish dinners plus complimentary Cheddar Bay Biscuits.

Rough seas for restaurant chain

Red Lobster employees arrive to clean out the abruptly closed restaurant at 7820 Baymeadows Road on Tuesday morning, one of three to shutter Monday in Jacksonville. Dozes across the country also closed.

Founded in March 1968 as a family-owned single restaurant in Lakeland, the restaurant grew into about 700 locations worldwide, according to its corporate website.

Red Lobster has been caught up in rough seas over the years.

In 2003 its "Endless Crab" all-you-can-eat promotion backfired big-time when customers ate more, a lot more, of the tasty sea creatures than the restaurant chain anticipated. That misstep cost Red Lobster a boatload, losing $3.3 million in seven weeks, CNN reported.

Adios: Tijuana Flats closes another restaurant, its fifth in Jacksonville this year

Big Lots, Family Dollar, Red Lobster: Which retail, restaurant chains have closed Florida locations in 2024?

CNN also reported that a similar Red Lobster promotion last year when "Endless Shrimp" became a regular menu item also proved costly. A major Red Lobster shareholder lost $11 million, according to CNN.

On April 16, Bloomberg reported that Red Lobster was considering a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing so it could restructure its debt.

The Jacksonville restaurants were among 16 in Florida listed as closed on the corporate website.

This is a developing story, when available more information will be on Jacksonville.com

Teresa Stepzinski is the dining reporter for the Times-Union. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @TeresaStepz or reach her via email at tstepzinski@jacksonville.com.

If you're a subscriber, thank you. If not, become a subscriber to get the latest dining coverage.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Red Lobster abruptly closes Jacksonville restaurants, several others
KANSAS (KSNT)  On Monday, Red Lobster announced more than 50 locations nationwide would close as the company reduces its footprint. The starting price for the restaurants? $1.

27 News contacted auction company TAGeX Brands for more information about the auctions. The locations are being sold in their entirety with the auction winners receiving all store contents. The auctions, happening in 21 different states, can be found here.

While Kansas doesnt have any locations up for auction just yet, Red Lobster has listed its Salina, Kansas City and Olathe locations as closed.

Our goal with online auctions is to prevent high-quality items from being discarded in landfills, instead promoting their sustainable reuse, said Founder/CEO of TAGeX Brands Neal Sherman. This approach economically benefits the original owners, promotes reusability, and offers buyers reduced prices through an auction setting.

The Weather Room named most beautiful restaurant in Kansas

The auctions end on Thursday, May 16.

For more Kansas 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.
graduate management education

Sangeet Chowfla, former CEO of the Graduate Management Admissions Council, reflects on the business of business education

It was early in 2020, and the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), the organization that I then led was reeling from the impact of the Pandemic, when MIT became the first major university system to announce that they would suspend the requirement that prospective students submit SAT/ACT scores with their applications. The initial reasoning was test center closures and the health and safety impacts of requiring students to go and take an in-person test.

Others followed soon after. While the initial impetus for these test optional policies came from undergraduate admissions, graduate schools followed soon after. By that time, the GMAT and GRE was available online and the test center closure argument was moot, but the discussion had changed; that tests (a) were biased against underrepresented minorities and socioeconomically disadvantaged students (b) were not predictive of student success over undergraduate GPAs and (c) were a barrier to applications at a time when many schools were already struggling with declines.

In 2022, MIT reversed its decision explaining in a post Our research shows standardized tests help us better assess the academic preparedness of all applicants, and also help us identify socioeconomically disadvantaged students who lack access to advanced coursework or other enrichment opportunities that would otherwise demonstrate their readiness for MIT. We believe a requirement is more equitable and transparent than a test-optional policy. Brown, Yale, Darthmouth, Georgetown, Purdue, UT-Austin followed in subsequent years. Recently Harvard and Caltech have also announced that they will require a test score. The reasons given were similar to that by MIT and quoted above.

Whats changed and what are the implications for admissions requirements for business schools?

I believe that not only must business schools follow the lead of their undergraduate programs (who after all have larger cohorts to deal with and bigger admissions research departments) but, as I previously stated in my column last May ( you can read it here), that it is more important for them to do so because of unique characteristics of graduate management education (GME). Let me explain.

STANDARDIZED TESTS ARE NOT RACIALLY BIASED

The argument that standardized tests are racially biased in their structure has no basis on any empirical research that I am aware of. Most tests of quality take care to avoid this through pre-testing and item level differential analysis. It is true that there are differences in median test scores across racial subgroups but that is the result in inequalities within our educational system. Removing standardized tests will not magically make these inequalities go away. Instead, they will mask them and make it harder to remediate.

STANDARDIZED TESTS ARE MORE PREDICTIVE OF STUDENT SUCCESS THAT UGPAS

MIT, in reinstating test requirements stated, our ability to accurately predict student academic success at MIT is significantly improved by considering standardized testing  especially in mathematics  alongside other factors. They further stated that not having SATs/ACT scores to consider tends to raise socioeconomic barriers to demonstrating readiness for our education. A fact that they noted was corroborated by a major study conducted by the University of Californias Standardized Testing Task Force. Other validity studies have shown similar results for Graduate level programs in management.

Anecdotally, business school professors have recently told me that they have noticed a reduction in student readiness, particularly in quant, a potential correlation with test optional admissions.

TEST OPTIONAL POLICIES HAVE NOT INCREASED THE STUDENT PIPELINE

The quiet part is that business schools have been under pressure to increase application volumes. Students complain about test requirements and conventional wisdom is that removing them will reduce friction and hence increase applications. But do they really? Would a student decide for or against a graduate level business degree because of the need for 30 to 50 hours of preparation and a $300 test fee. If that is their level of commitment, do we really want them in our programs?

The data does not seem to support the pipeline argument. Total GME applications grew by 2.4% and 6.4% due to a Pandemic related bump in 2020 and 2021 but then declined by -3.4% and -4.9% in 2022 and 2023 (GMAC application trends data). MBA applications did worse at -2.0%, +3.8%, -6.5% and -4.9%. Applications for available seats declined from 6.6 in 2022 to 5.9 in 2023. Test optional policies do not seem to have helped. Conversely, you can make the case that they have actually harmed the pipeline by making business schools seem less exclusive  you can read my article in EFMDs Global Focus on this subject here.

THE FUTURE OF STANDARDIZED TESTING

The test optional experiment has clearly not lived up to expectations. So, will test requirements return? I believe that they will, but with changes. My  admittingly murky  crystal ball seems to suggest the following.

Selective and ranked schools will increasingly require test scores, particularly for their flagship programs. This will be driven by pressure from faculty (readiness) and students (exclusivity) that is not parried by demonstrated growth in application volumes.

That said, there will be a move away from a focus on a single number. An individuals score or a schools GMAT/GRE average. The arms race may be over (and that is a good thing). Tests will go back to their original intent, a way to supplement an application with objective data rather than an individuals or schools bragging right.

GMATs dominance or the GMAT/GRE duopoly (depending upon your viewpoint) will continue to erode. Once the single number becomes less important and a schools averages are no longer a benchmark, other ways to supplement the application may also become acceptable. A pre-experience MiM program may be willing to accept a SAT/ACT score for example. A CAT score from an Indian student or a Liangkao from a Chinese one may do just as well. This diversity of inputs will again make a simple GMAT average meaningless.

Test optional policies were a worthwhile experiment at the time, given the Pandemic related uncertainties and concerns about declining application volumes. But an experiment is not dogma. The data seems to suggest that they do not deliver the promised benefits and the prudent thing for business school administrators is to consider rolling them back  with appropriate modifications  as their undergraduate brethren are doing.

Author and former GMAC CEO Sangeet Chowfla

Sangeet Chowfla led the Graduate Management Admissions Council as president and CEO for nearly ten years from 2014 to 2022. A globally recognized and respected executive with deep experience in the technology, telecommunications, and venture capital sectors, he began his career in New Delhi with IBM/IDM. Chowfla went on to spend 18 years with Hewlett-Packard Co. in Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and the United States. He culminated his tenure with the company as vice president and general manager of the Inkjet Media Division from 1995-2001. He then moved to Timeline Ventures as a partner in the venture capital partnership. In 2007, Chowfla became the chief strategy officer and executive vice president of the Mobile Services and Global Market Units of Comviva Technologies, a leading Indian telecommunications software company. Chowfla joined GMAC during a period of disruption in the organization and industry. During the last three years of his tenure, he helped to stabilize the candidate pipeline, renewed GMAT exam growth, diversified GMACs footprint and ensured a strong financial foundation to enable future investment.

Ruminations Columns by Sangeet Chowfla

Mixed Signals On The Acceptance Of Online Degrees

Why Business School Applications To The UK Are So Strong *

The Value Of Standardized Testing: Dont Throw The Baby Out With The Bath Water

Why Students Go To Business School & How They Make Their Choices

The Changing Face Of International Student Mobility

Why Diversity Is Essential To The Health Of The U.S. Domestic Student Pipeline

A Decade Of Graduate Management Education: I Love You, Youre Perfect, Now Change

The post The Return Of Standardized Testing appeared first on Poets&Quants.
Most credit card users know theyre protected against fraudulent charges, but some merchants dont realize they lack the same protections until its too late.

This guy banged me, said Rick Lisnek who says he lost nearly $40,000 over the course of several weeks to a credit card scammer despite those charges initially being approved. I figured: Credit card, youre going to get paid. To me an approval means: Im fine, I can sleep well tonight.

Lisnek is the brother of WGN political analyst Paul Lisnek.

WGN Investigates found receiving approval for credit card transactions doesnt always mean a business owner will get their money.

The scammer made several orders for diesel fuel to be delivered by a third party vendor over the course of a few weeks. It wasnt until nearly three weeks after the first transaction  and long after the fuel was long gone  did Lisneks bank remove the money from his account in whats known as a chargeback.

He wonders why it took so long?

More from WGN Investigates: Death, birth, and marriage certificates delayed after Cook County Clerks death

This is one of those things bad guys know: If they have access to payment credentials, they make as many transactions as they can as quickly as possible before they get reported, said digital security expert Peter Tapling of PTAP Advisory.

Lisnek thought he had an extra layer of protection by using the authorize.net payment platform to process credit card transactions. The company is owned by Visa and advertises advanced fraud detection [to] minimize risk to your business. Despite the fact the word authorize is in the name of the company, an authorize.net representative acknowledged it plays no role in actually authorizing transactions. The company said payments are authorized by the credit cards issuing bank.

Banks also handle chargebacks. In this case, the credit card was issued by Bank of America which also happens to be Lisneks bank.

WGN Investigates: Investigating public corruption, crime & fraud

Despite several appeals, Bank of America has been unwilling to off-set Lisneks losses. A Bank of American spokesperson did not directly address why it took three weeks to flag $40,000 worth of fraudulent fuel transactions.

Business scams like this are a reminder to follow the merchant or payment platform instructions to avoid fraud or scams, a Bank of America spokesperson said in an emailed statement. They offered tips to avoid fraudulent transactions. They include requiring all cardholder information such as address, expiration date and security code as well the use of an address verification system

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The final twist of this fuel theft fraud came when Lisnek more thoroughly reviewed the drivers license photo he required the customer to provide before fulfilling the order. The name matched the one on the credit card; but a Google image search later revealed the drivers license photo matched a mans image on the FBIs Most Wanted list. Fernando Grijalva is wanted for allegedly embezzling more than $3m while working for a company in Boca Raton, Florida. Theres not indication Grijalva was actually involved in the credit card scam, according to a law enforcement source.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
Natalia Lavrenkova / iStock.com

One of the easiest ways to set yourself up for a financially secure future is to contribute to your workplace retirement savings account  but many women are not doing this. In fact, only 52% of women participate in 401(k) plans, and the average 401(k) account balance for men ($89,000) is 50% greater than that of women ($59,000), according to Bank of Americas 2023 Financial Life Benefits Impact Report.

Be Aware: Social Security 2024: 6 Changes That Impact Your Benefits

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This means they may also be leaving free money on the table if their employers offer matching contributions. Given the unique financial challenges that women face  including the gender pay gap and a longer life expectancy resulting in a need for more retirement savings  we should be doing all we can to maximize retirement accounts to ensure were on track for a secure financial future.

In this Financially Savvy Female column, were chatting with Julie Virta, CFP, senior financial advisor for Vanguards Personal Advisor Services, about how women can set themselves up for a financially secure future.

What are some ways women can maximize an employer-sponsored retirement account?

Vanguard research has shown us that savings rates, diversification, costs and the ability to remain disciplined and focused on long-term investment outlook are key factors that can give participants the best chance for success. We recommend that participants build up to the recommended savings rate of 12-15% by first trying to meet their employer match (if applicable), and then increasing by 1% annually until they achieve the desired savings rate, which is a combination of employee and employer contributions.

For context, we found that annual automated savings rate increases result in participants saving 20-30% more after three years than employees without automatic increases. If an employer plan does not offer this, participants can consider increasing their savings rate annually on their own.

To note, when switching jobs, a rollover is an option to pursue, as they likely come with flexible investment choices and no tax consequences. We recommend marking your calendar as quickly as possible to see when you can start contributing to the new plan.

Check Out: 44 Best Small Towns To Retire in America

What should women do if they do not have access to an employer-sponsored account? How should they decide between traditional and Roth IRA?

In deciding between a Roth and traditional IRA, employees should factor in their current and anticipated tax brackets. When the marginal tax rate stays the same, the Roth and the traditional IRA will generate the same after-tax withdrawal values, even though Roth taxes are paid at the time of contribution (as contributions are made with after-tax dollars) and traditional IRA taxes are paid at the time of withdrawal.

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Because future qualified withdrawals from a Roth IRA arent subject to income tax, the withdrawal value of a Roth IRA remains unchanged whether the tax rate goes up or down. With a traditional IRA, a different future tax rate affects the amount of taxes incurred by a withdrawal, since those taxes are paid upon withdrawal. Therefore, a higher future tax rate would make a Roth IRA more attractive, while a lower future tax rate would make a traditional IRA more appealing.

Its important to note that expectations for tax rates can change over time, which could make the Roth more attractive in the rising tax landscape. In addition, only traditional IRAs require distributions beginning at age 72, making Roth IRAs more flexible.

For those self-employed, small business retirement solutions like an Individual 401(k), SEP IRA or SIMPLE IRA allow for greater contribution limits and are worth exploring.

What asset allocations should women look for if they want to take a set it and forget it approach to retirement savings?

For a majority of participants, target-date funds remain a premier investment option, providing broad diversification and automatic rebalancing. Coupled with automatic savings options  such as annual deferral increases  target-date funds are an effective strategy in helping millions of participants save for retirement. The glide path starts with a high equity allocation to capitalize on the growth potential of stocks. It gradually increases the fixed income allocation to reduce volatility as participants approach retirement.

What other steps should women take to ensure they are setting themselves up for a financially secure future?

Its important for investors to determine their goals early and plan accordingly. For investors seeking a more customized portfolio solution, they may be best served by an advice solution that can tailor their individual portfolio to their particular risk appetite and investment goals.

Steps Toward a Financially Secure Future

Based on Virtas advice, these are the simple, effective ways women should utilize to set themselves up for a financially secure future:

Build up to a 12-15% savings rate in an employer-sponsored retirement savings account, if applicable. Dont forget to roll over an employer-sponsored account if you switch jobs. If you dont have access to an employer-sponsored retirement savings account, contribute to a traditional IRA, Roth IRA, Individual 401(k), SEP IRA or SIMPLE IRA. Consider utilizing target-date funds. Tailor your investments to your risk appetite and goals.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 5 Simple, Effective Ways To Set Yourself Up for a Financially Secure Future
The Slovak Government is planning an additional 1.2GW nuclear power unit, Reuters has reported.

Prime Minister Robert Fico indicated that a decision could be made at a government meeting on 15 May 2024, which would lay the groundwork for the project's development.

Slovakia has a history of supporting nuclear and hydroenergy. The state has a 33% stake in utility Slovenske Elektrarne, which recently completed Unit 3 at the Mochovce plant and is finalising another unit at the same location.

In a broadcast news conference, Fico stated: We have an agreement that Slovakia  the state  has an interest in building, under state ownership, one massive nuclear unit with an output of up to 1,200MW.

The country operates two nuclear units at Jaslovske Bohunice, each with a capacity of 505MW, and the Mochovce facility, all through Slovenske Elektrarne.

Despite Slovakia's more pro-Russian stance under Fico compared with previous administrations, Economy Minister Denisa Sakova stated that the supplier for the new unit would be chosen through a competitive tendering process, explicitly excluding Russia's Rosatom from participation.

Minister Sakova was quoted by Reuters: From the political point of view we cannot imagine that the technology would come from the Russian Federation. We expect that top companies active in nuclear energy will be interested."

She added that French, US or Korean companies could be among them and that the government aims to complete the tender in the election cycle ending in 2027.

In September 2023, Slovenske Elektrarne commenced full-power operations of Unit 3 at the Mochovce NPP.

The start-up process for the VVER-440 reactors involved incremental power increases, with comprehensive testing at each power level to confirm performance.

By February 2023, Unit 3's power output reached 35% of its total capacity, followed in increments to 55% in March, 75% in July and 90% in August.

The Slovak Nuclear Regulatory Authority has since authorised the utility to increase the reactor's output to 100%.

The construction of the first two units at the Mochovce plant began in 1982, utilising VVER-440 V-213 reactor units. Units 1 and 2 became operational in 1998 and 1999, respectively.

Following upgrades with the help of Western companies, Mochovce 1 and 2 had an increased output of 436MW by June 2008.

"Slovakia to build new 1.2GW nuclear power unit" 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.
SoundHound AI (NASDAQ: SOUN) gained investor attention earlier this year when it was revealed that tech giant Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) made an investment in the voice artificial intelligence (AI) company. What attracted Nvidia to the company was on full display when SoundHound recently reported its latest results.

Revenue for the first quarter surged 73%, which will come as some relief to investors. Revenue growth had slowed to only 19% in the third quarter of 2023. But this latest result now marks the second-straight big revenue growth quarter for the company. Its revenue surged in the fourth quarter as well, rising 80%.

With SoundHound's growth clearly back on track, let's look at whether it is time to pile into the stock.

Solid Q1 results

SoundHound's Q1 results were strong, highlighted by its 73% increase in revenue to $11.6 million. Meanwhile, its cumulative subscriptions and bookings backlog grew 80% to $682 million. This is revenue that is contracted out and should be realized over the coming years. The average duration of its contracts currently sits around seven years.

The automobile industry has been SoundHound's largest market, and the company said this segment was strong with royalties going up as volumes increased. It said that both auto units and cloud users expanded by double-digits in the quarter. It also noted a contract win with a leading Asian electric vehicle manufacturer that previously was not a customer. And it scored a design win with Stellantis in Latin America, and went into live production with Stellantis vehicles in Japan.

However, it was SoundHound's inroads in the restaurant industry that really helped drive results in the quarter. It said that 30% of its revenue came from AI customer service solutions, while this revenue was negligible a year ago. It said its solution was in 10,000 locations, with a pipeline of being in 100,000 locations.

The company's next-generation drive-thru AI service dynamic interaction solution went live for the first time at a major quick serve restaurant (QSR) in the quarter. It said it has signed deals for the solution with several other large QSR chains, including Church's Chicken, which will be implemented in the next few months. It also still has customers on its original drive-thru solution.

SoundHound also said its Smart Ordering offering, which uses voice AI to take customer food orders and answer questions from inbound calls, has seen strong adoption. It noted that a number of top brands use this service, including Chipotle Mexican Grill, Firehouse Subs, and Five Guys.

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The company also just recently introduced an offering to assist employees, and it has moved beyond restaurants with its Smart Answering solution, which can handle multiple calls and answer questions about such things as hours, products, services, and pricing. Gym operator Planet Fitness is currently using this offering.

Image source: Getty Images.

Future opportunties

SoundHound has a long potential runway within both the restaurant and automobile industries.

Within the restaurant industry alone, it sees a $100 million opportunity with over 1 million restaurant locations in just the U.S. It also thinks another 30 million service businesses could adopt its technology. In addition, its technology can work with other languages, opening up international opportunities as well.

Within the auto industry, the company continues to sign up new brands while also offering new products. It recently teamed with Nvidia to offer Nvidia Drive to deliver in-vehicle generative AI responses, such as providing information from a vehicle's user manual, with no internet connectivity needed.

It has also partnered with Perplexity AI, an AI search engine, to provide up-to-date responses by tapping into the web. This is important because this technology offering would be much more attractive going beyond automobiles and into smartphones. If SoundHound can get its technology into smartphones, it would be a game-changer for the company and its investors.

Is it time to pile into the stock?

SoundHound is still a very small company as it is only looking to generate $65 million to $77 million in revenue this year. Meanwhile, it trades at a price-to-sales (P/S) multiple of 24, or, which isn't particularly cheap.

SOUN PS Ratio (Forward) Chart

However, the opportunity in front of the company could be enormous. If its technology becomes a must-have feature and is widely adopted across devices and industries, then the sky is the limit and today's high valuation will look cheap down the line.

At this point, that is not a sure bet, but it also isn't out of the realm of possibility. As such, while I wouldn't necessarily pile into this growth stock, SoundHound could make a nice speculative part of a portfolio. That is basically the same strategy Nvidia used when taking a small stake in the company earlier this year.

Should you invest $1,000 in SoundHound AI right now?

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SoundHound AI Revenue Continues to Surge. Is It Time to Pile Into the Stock? was originally published by The Motley Fool
Press Release

May 14, 2024 CHIZ: GOVERNMENT-MANDATED TESTING MUST COVER ALL ILLEGAL DRUGS Senator Chiz Escudero on Tuesday (May 14) said drug test requirements by government agencies should encompass all types of drugs, to include the so-called "rich man's drugs" such as cocaine and ecstasy. Escudero stated that limiting drug tests to only a few substances such as methamphetamine hydrochloride or "shabu" and marijuana, which is the current practice, creates a loophole in law enforcement agencies' efforts to maintain a drug-free environment. The veteran legislator also said the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), the policy-making body mandated to plan and formulate policies and programs on drug abuse prevention and control in the Philippines, must determine the most effective and efficient ways to conduct drug tests that are still affordable to the people. "Drug tests should include all types of drugs--not just shabu an marijuana--for drivers, firearms license, pilots license and random tests, among others," Escudero stressed. "We also go beyond the usual urine test if only to ensure that we capture every illegal substance in the person's system. At yesterday' hearing of the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs led by Sen. Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, Escudero said it's within the DDB's jurisdiction to establish clear policy guidelines for drug testing in different instances, such as job applications, driver's license acquisition, and permits for carrying firearms outside of residences. It was during the hearing that Escudero discovered there were no explicit guidelines regarding the specific drug tests required for individuals applying for a driver's license or permits to carry firearms outside their residences. DDB Chairman Catalino Cuy has acknowledged that the existing requirements for various drug tests, including those for substances like "shabu" and marijuana, are not derived from written policy guidelines but rather stem from established practices. "It's the board's job under the law in so far as the type of tests to be conducted whenever drug testing is required as the case maybe in driver's license or for the issuance of a permit to carry firearms outside of residence or other circumstance the executive branch may necessitate," he said. "Why is it that it is only the tests for shabu and marijuana that are being used because clearly, shabu and marijuana would be called the 'poor man's addictive drug' while cocaine would be the richer man's addictive drug. So kahit pala sa testing pinapaboran ang mga mayayaman kumpara sa mahirap?" Escudero added.
DA NANG, Vietnam, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Stavian Industrial Metal Joint Stock Company proudly announces its sponsorship and participation in the SEAISI 2024 Conference & Exhibition, held from May 13th to 16th, 2024, at the Ariyana Convention Center in Danang, Vietnam. This event serves as a pivotal platform for the Southeast Asian steel industry.

Stavian Industrial Metal SEAISI Conference Exhibition Booth

Stavian Industrial Metal is poised to make a significant impact at the conference, aligning with the theme "Surviving and Thriving in the Decarbonized World." As a Diamond tier sponsor, the company will directly engage with customers and partners at Booth 14, presenting forward-thinking solutions for the sustainable metal industry.

Emphasizing solutions and international collaboration

Stavian Industrial Metal distinguishes itself as more than a distributor; it is a comprehensive solution provider, facilitating international trade and connectivity. "Our mission extends beyond conventional metal trading. We offer a suite of 15 business solutions and 4 business models designed to enhance the purchasing experience for our clients," the Senior Leader of the company stated.

Moreover, Stavian Industrial Metal actively seeks collaboration in trade, investment, manufacturing, technology transfer, and data analytics, fostering partnerships that drive mutual growth and development. This collaborative approach underscores the company's role as a catalyst for international connectivity and economic prosperity.

Positioning as a Global Facilitator

Stavian Industrial Metal's positioning as a comprehensive solution provider extends beyond the boundaries of Vietnam. While rooted in Vietnam, the company serves as a conduit for global connectivity, facilitating the exchange of metals and expertise between Vietnam and the international community. "Our vision is not only to bring Vietnamese metals to the world but also to welcome the world to Vietnam," the Senior Leader of the company stated.

Commitment to Sustainable Development and Global Connectivity

Embracing a strategic vision that emphasizes both international connectivity and sustainable growth, Stavian Industrial Metal reaffirms its dedication to integrating green steel into its operational framework. "Our participation in SEAISI 2024 underscores our commitment to driving sustainable practices within the metal industry. We recognize the global imperative to reduce carbon emissions and are steadfast in our pursuit of innovative solutions that benefit our customers and society," a company representative remarked.

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This strategic alignment positions Stavian Industrial Metal to capitalize on emerging opportunities, including the anticipated green taxation in Europe, enhancing prospects for future exports to European and American markets. By prioritizing the development of green steel products, the company aims to propel Vietnamese metal products to the forefront of the global market while fostering a network of innovative solutions and facilitating the integration of international expertise into the Vietnamese market.

About Stavian Industrial Metal

Stavian Industrial Metal, a subsidiary of Stavian Group, leverages its robust financial foundation and extensive global network to spearhead the trade and distribution of high-quality metals, including steel, aluminum, copper, and stainless steel. Renowned for its innovative business solutions tailored to the metal trading industry, the company is committed to promoting Vietnamese metal products on the global stage while facilitating the integration of international best practices and advancements into the Vietnamese metal industry.

Company website: https://stavianmetal.com/en/

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/stavian-industrial-metal-champions-sustainable-growth-and-international-connectivity-at-seaisi-2024-302144173.html

SOURCE Stavian Industrial Metal
Key Insights

Institutions' substantial holdings in Surteco Group implies that they have significant influence over the company's share price

A total of 3 investors have a majority stake in the company with 52% ownership

Past performance of a company along with ownership data serve to give a strong idea about prospects for a business

To get a sense of who is truly in control of Surteco Group SE (ETR:SUR), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 48% to be precise, is institutions. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).

Since institutional have access to huge amounts of capital, their market moves tend to receive a lot of scrutiny by retail or individual investors. As a result, a sizeable amount of institutional money invested in a firm is generally viewed as a positive attribute.

Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Surteco Group, beginning with the chart below.

See our latest analysis for Surteco Group

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Surteco Group?

Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.

We can see that Surteco Group does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at Surteco Group's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.

Surteco Group is not owned by hedge funds. Luda Foundation., Endowment Arm is currently the company's largest shareholder with 26% of shares outstanding. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 15% and 11%, of the shares outstanding, respectively.

After doing some more digging, we found that the top 3 shareholders collectively control more than half of the company's shares, implying that they have considerable power to influence the company's decisions.

Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. While there is some analyst coverage, the company is probably not widely covered. So it could gain more attention, down the track.

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Insider Ownership Of Surteco Group

The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves.

Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group.

Our data cannot confirm that board members are holding shares personally. Not all jurisdictions have the same rules around disclosing insider ownership, and it is possible we have missed something, here. So you can click here learn more about the CEO.

General Public Ownership

The general public-- including retail investors -- own 41% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

Private Company Ownership

Our data indicates that Private Companies hold 11%, of the company's shares. It might be worth looking deeper into this. If related parties, such as insiders, have an interest in one of these private companies, that should be disclosed in the annual report. Private companies may also have a strategic interest in the company.

Next Steps:

I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with Surteco Group , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
In the ever-evolving world of packaging, sustainability has become a top priority for both consumers and brands alike.

Stora Enso, a leading provider of renewable materials in packaging, biomaterials, and wooden construction, stands at the forefront of this movement.

Julian Krais, Senior Packaging Designer at Stora Enso, leads the Packaging Materials Division SPI (Strategic Packaging Innovation) team with a clear mission: to empower brands to reduce their reliance on fossil-based packaging.

Krais sheds light on Stora Enso's innovative approach to creating sustainable packaging solutions that not only capture consumer attention and drive sales but also prioritise environmental responsibility.

Understanding the consumer: A driving force for sustainable design

Krais emphasises the importance of understanding consumer preferences when developing sustainable packaging solutions.

Consumers, I think, have been more educated in the last years than ever, says Krais. What is important, we are talking about the legislation all the time, every day in the news we hear that packaging legislations are coming or already in place.

This heightened awareness compels brands to prioritise sustainability efforts.

"Reusable packaging is here, and it is already observed in everyday applications like takeaway coffee and refillable home cleaning products, highlights Krais.

Considering potential changes to packaging regulations in Europe in the future, reusable packaging could feature more prominently in restaurants and retail establishments."

Krais elaborates on Stora Enso's design philosophy: We as designers are constantly pushing boundaries to create packaging solutions that are not only visually appealing, functional, and convenient but also more sustainable to reduce fossil-based material where possible.

By understanding these preferences, Stora Enso designs packaging that is both aesthetically pleasing and environmentally friendly, ensuring a win for both brands and consumers.

The power of paperboard: A natural choice for sustainable packaging

Stora Enso's packaging solutions leverage paperboard, a natural and renewable material that resonates with sustainability-conscious consumers.

Krais explains: "The strength of natural and renewable fibre-based packaging, combined with product-specific barrier coatings, represents one of the most effective methods to reduce the proportion of plastic in packaging."

Paperboard's visual and tactile qualities inherently convey a sense of sustainability, further enhancing its appeal to eco-conscious consumers.

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Survey insights on consumer preferences for paperboard

A recent Stora Enso survey on European consumers and food packaging revealed valuable insights into consumer preferences for paperboard packaging:

Overwhelming preference for paperboard: The survey found that 7 out of 10 consumers surveyed prefer carton board packaging over plastic and actively seek products with minimal plastic packaging. This strong preference for paperboard aligns with its inherent sustainability benefits.

Importance of clear communication: Consumers highly value clear communication on packaging design regarding recyclability and proper disposal methods.

Stora Enso emphasises the role of transparent communication, as highlighted by Krais: "I think, in general, the best thing is that the communication needs to be quite clear and not greenwashed to get this perception of the brand owners.

Collaboration: Building a sustainable packaging future together

Krais highlights the importance of collaboration between Stora Enso, brand owners, and consumers in achieving sustainable packaging goals.

Stora Enso works closely with brand owners to educate consumers about the benefits of sustainable packaging and ensure clear communication on recyclability. The company offers expertise in various areas, such as:

Material selection: Stora Enso boasts a broad carton board and paper portfolio, allowing them to collaborate with brands to find the perfect material fit for each product.

Design optimisation: The Stora Enso team works closely with brand owners to ensure packaging functionality and visual appeal while minimising material usage and prioritising recyclability.

Krais emphasises the importance of a holistic approach: "I think the most important technique you we are using is to ask questions, a lot of questions to understand what is the aim for the whole packaging," he explains.

"Is it cost saving? Is it sustainability aspects? Do we need to combine runnability on the machine? Does it need to be more efficient? Is it consumer friendly?"

Communication strategy: Stora Enso assists brands in developing clear and concise communication on packaging regarding recyclability and proper disposal methods.

This aligns with Krais's belief that "the natural appearance of fibres of paper and cardboard is one of the most effective ways to transport, in the first place, sustainable packaging."

By leveraging the inherent visual cues of paperboard and combining them with clear messaging, brands can effectively communicate their sustainability efforts to consumers.

Stora Enso's multifaceted approach to reusability

Stora Enso addresses the reusability question with a multifaceted approach:

Understanding consumer needs: It actively conducts research to understand evolving consumer preferences for reusable packaging.

Collaboration with stakeholders: It works with brand owners and retailers to develop and implement effective reusable packaging systems that address consumer concerns about cleanliness and convenience.

Innovation for a sustainable future

Stora Enso is constantly pushing the boundaries of sustainable packaging design through innovation.

Krais highlights the increasing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in optimising packaging design for sustainability and efficiency.

"There are many, many different aspects to be considered and many startups around which are looking at graphical approaches to optimise colourings, to optimise packaging size, to optimise material usage in rigid plastics or injection moulding," says Krais.

I think it's a broad palette of tools, which we will get in the next months, weeks, or years, but in general, we are very curious to test these tools to bring them somehow to our daily work, adds Krais.

Beyond design: A holistic approach to sustainability

Stora Enso's commitment to sustainability extends beyond the design phase. It collaborates with machine suppliers and technology providers to optimise the runnability of their materials throughout the supply chain, ensuring efficient performance during converting, erecting, filling, and transportation processes.

This holistic approach minimises waste and environmental impact.

A sustainable future for packaging

Stora Enso, through its commitment to innovative design, collaboration, and a holistic approach to sustainability, is empowering brands to create packaging solutions that resonate with eco-conscious consumers.

Its dedication to utilising renewable materials like paperboard, combined with its focus on consumer education and clear communication, positions them as a leader in the sustainable packaging revolution.

As Krais concludes: At Stora Enso we are aiming for a holistic view on sustainability and recyclability for packaging materials and packaging solutions.

Our most innovative design techniques hinge on a simple yet powerful principle: asking the right questions, engage with the brand owner and consumer and truly listening.

By prioritising sustainability across the entire packaging lifecycle, Stora Enso is helping to build a more sustainable future for our planet.

"Sustainable packaging solutions with Stora Ensos Julian Krais" was originally created and published by Packaging Gateway, 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.
Anchor tenants are nothing new in real estate, but a notable anchor tenant in Downtown or Midtown Memphis is a bit foreign at the moment.

At least on the scale of a, say, a, Target. The Minneapolis-based retailer may be one of the largest commercial draws in the country. Recently, Saint Louis University announced it would be adding a Target near its campus in downtown St. Louis in part of a $60 million mixed-use development. (The development is part of a larger 400-acre redevelopment in the city's Midtown in partnership between the university and SSM Health.)

The project, which is being developed by St. Louis-based Pier Property Group, spurred some internal discussions within our newsroom of what type of an impact an anchor tenant, such as Target, would have in Downtown or Midtown.

Shelby County isn't without one. There are two in East Memphis, one in Germantown, one in Cordova and one in Collierville. However, for any Downtown or Midtown residents the trip to Target is about 20 minutes to half hour, depending on where you're starting from.

For me, as a South Main resident, the Horn Lake Target is actually closest in terms of driving times (about 4 total miles further in distance compared to the Colonial Road site). In a city and county where driving and parking convenience is often king, there's no doubt a closer location to Downtown or Midtown residents would be a welcomed addition.

Outside the Target location at the Shops of Forest Hill in Germantown.

The larger question is how? And the more pressing one, is where?

Would a Target location, without a traditional parking lot, be welcomed in the Memphis market? I recall traveling through the University of Illinois campus and a two-story Target was built into the streetscape along Green Street just northwest of the campus' Main Quad and core of its central campus. An ideal and accessible location for students and the building design matched the architecture along Green Street.

In a tower structure such as the Union Crown project is an intriguing site. The proposed $54 million mixed-use development, located at 1331 Union Ave., has stalled, but for the sake of argument, would a Target on the lower floors there be accessible for medical students and residents within the Medical and Edge districts?

What do y'all think? Would an anchor tenant such as Target add a vibrancy  or more importantly, a vital amenity  to Downtown and Midtown?

Some food for thought, but for now here's what else is cooking in this week's Mane Street Memphis:

Whataburger drive-thru put on hold

On Thursday, May 9, the Memphis and Shelby County Land Use Control Board delayed a decision to discuss a major modification permit at 1925 Union Ave. in Midtown for a potential Whataburger drive-thru. The board put a one-month hold on the topic, which is not uncommon for some agenda items.

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In March, Kimley-Horn Associates filed a major modification permit to add a drive-thru at the Whataburger portion of the mixed-use development at the former police station.

Cordova-based EP3 Developers LLC is the developer for the $20 million project. The former police station site has already been demolished to make way for the mixed-use development, which would include a 3,318-square-foot Whataburger, a 120-room hotel and 10 townhomes. The townhomes will be located at the southern end of the property near Linden Avenue.

The Texas-based burger chain announced it would be adding a new Shelby County location at the Union Avenue site in February 2023. The board previously approved a special use permit for the Union Avenue Whataburger site, however, any addition of a drive-thru would require additional approval from both the Land Use Control Board and Memphis City Council.

A new Whataburger is in the works in Memphis' Midtown neighborhood at 1925 Union Ave.

North Memphis lands $2.7M grant for connectivity, walkability

On May 1, the Memphis and Shelby County Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) was awarded a Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The $2,693,160 grant will be used to reconnect communities; and help mitigate the barrier and impacts of Interstate 40 for historically Black neighborhoods throughout North Memphis that have suffered from disinvestment since the Interstate was built.

Winning this grant is a testament to the power of community voices and the faithful determination of neighborhood residents," CRA President Andrew Murray said in a statement. "From the Sanitation Workers Strike of 1968, to the landmark case, Citizens to Preserve Overton Park v. Volpe, Memphians have demonstrated the importance of advocating to preserve neighborhoods and protect and invest in communities. We are excited to stand on this history here in Memphis as we restore, reconnect, and reinvest."

According to the news release, the Community Redevelopment Agency will hire a team of city planners, architects and artists to help redesign pedestrian walkways, bicycle paths and improve both pedestrian and vehicular connections and pathways throughout the I-40 corridor in North Memphis.

The CRA was one of 132 community organizations nationwide that received a portion Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods grant funding. More than $3.3 billion in funding has been provided via the federal program.

The CRA will hire a team of planners, engineers, landscape architects, and local artists to assist these communities in redefining North Memphiss relationship with I-40 and develop actionable solutions that provide a safe, vibrant experience for residents and their vision for their community. The current state of pedestrian, bicycle, and ADA connections over and under I-40 is unsafe, uninviting and/or nonexistent to the point of preventing access across the interstate without use of a car.

Burlington opens new Millington store

On May 10, Burlington Coat Factory opened its new store at the Ford River Commons in Millington. The store is located at 8699 U.S. 51 and is open from 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday.

The $58 million Forked River Commons shopping center is part of a larger ongoing, and relatively recent, surge of investment throughout Millington.

Neil Strebig is a journalist with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at neil.strebig@commercialappeal.com, 901-426-0679 or via X/Twitter,@neilStrebig.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Could Target come to Downtown Memphis? Where and what it could mean
Key Insights

Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, Tate & Lyle fair value estimate is UK10.63

Tate & Lyle is estimated to be 36% undervalued based on current share price of UK6.81

Analyst price target for TATE is UK8.57 which is 19% below our fair value estimate

Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of Tate & Lyle plc (LON:TATE) by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. We will use the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model on this occasion. Before you think you won't be able to understand it, just read on! It's actually much less complex than you'd imagine.

Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you.

See our latest analysis for Tate & Lyle

The Method

We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (, Millions) UK201.1m UK217.7m UK197.8m UK208.0m UK205.7m UK205.2m UK206.0m UK207.6m UK209.8m UK212.5m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x4 Analyst x4 Analyst x4 Analyst x2 Est @ -1.10% Est @ -0.24% Est @ 0.36% Est @ 0.78% Est @ 1.08% Est @ 1.29% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 6.2% UK189 UK193 UK165 UK164 UK153 UK143 UK136 UK129 UK123 UK117

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = UK1.5b

After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 1.8%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 6.2%.

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Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = UK213m (1 + 1.8%)  (6.2% 1.8%) = UK4.9b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= UK4.9b ( 1 + 6.2%)10= UK2.7b

The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is UK4.2b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of UK6.8, the company appears quite undervalued at a 36% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind.

dcf

Important Assumptions

The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Tate & Lyle as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 6.2%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.800. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

SWOT Analysis for Tate & Lyle

Strength

Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry.

Debt is well covered by earnings.

Weakness

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Food market.

Opportunity

Annual earnings are forecast to grow for the next 4 years.

Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value.

Threat

Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow.

Dividends are not covered by cash flow.

Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the British market.

Moving On:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. Can we work out why the company is trading at a discount to intrinsic value? For Tate & Lyle, we've put together three important factors you should consider:

Risks: To that end, you should be aware of the 1 warning sign we've spotted with Tate & Lyle . Future Earnings: How does TATE's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every British stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
By Marie Mannes

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden's biggest union on Tuesday threw its weight behind a six-month-old strike by mechanics at Tesla, escalating the U.S. carmaker's latest dispute with organised labour.

At the heart of the strike is Tesla CEO Elon Musk's refusal to sign a collective bargaining agreement allowing the metal workers' union to negotiate deals for the workforce as a whole.

Last month, Musk said the labour storm had passed in the country where Tesla's Model Y is the top-selling car, but he was contradicted by IF Metall, which said its strike continued.

The union told Reuters that about 44 of its members - roughly a third of Tesla's Swedish mechanics - had downed tools at the company, which does not produce vehicles in Sweden but services them locally.

"The strike is ongoing and we have no signs of reaching an agreement in the near future," IF Metall head Marie Nilsson said. "We have had a few sittings with the Swedish management during April, but ... Tesla has shown little willingness in discussing an end to the conflict."

More than a dozen unions have launched action in support of IF Metall, with Unionen the latest and biggest.

"It is fundamentally important to protect our collective agreement system," Martin Wastfeldt, head of negotiations at Unionen, told Reuters.

Unionen began a blockade on Tuesday affecting all work for Tesla at DEKRA Industrial AB, which conducts equipment inspections.

If Tesla seeks to circumvent the blockade by hiring other providers, Wastfeldt said Unionen was prepared to do more.

This might involve Unionen members at the company that produces licence plates for Tesla in Sweden, or administrative, human resources and finance staff at Tesla itself.

Access to licence plates has been one focal point of tensions, with Tesla suing unions that have sought to halt postal service to the automaker.

On Tuesday, the union for Service and Communication employees, Seko, said it was taking steps to close a loophole in the blockade being used by Tesla.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the strike. It has previously said its Swedish employees have as good, or better, terms than those the union is demanding.

The conflict is key for the company, whose tough stance globally on unions could be undermined if it buckles in Sweden, or if the strike spreads to bigger markets like Germany.

WAR CHEST

While the numbers on strike in Sweden are small, the stakes are high.

Allowing companies to operate in Sweden without collective agreements would undermine unions and threaten the Swedish social model, potentially dragging in the government.

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"For IF Metall, it is very important not to lose. They simply cannot do that," trade union expert Anders Kjellberg said.

Sweden's unions take heart from past successes - Unionen signed up payment services group Klarna to a collective agreement last year - and their firepower, with more than 10 billion crowns ($921 million) in IF Metall's strike fund alone.

But while union action has caused some disruption, Tesla's new vehicle registrations in Sweden have broadly kept pace with the market.

Since February, Tesla has brought in about 25 temporary staff from other European countries, some for multiple short-term stays.

While it is unclear whether this is linked to the strike, it contrasts with the previous year, when no such workers were brought in, a review of labour registrations showed. Tesla did not respond to a request to clarify.

Kjellberg noted some possible ways out of the impasse.

Amazon, for example, has a third-party company manage its Swedish warehouses signed up to collective agreements, allowing the U.S parent company to avoid doing so.

"It could last for months or even years, because IF Metall can't give up," Kjellberg said. "But in time, it is possible both parties will want to find a solution."

($1 = 10.8617 Swedish crowns)

(Reporting by Marie Mannes; Editing by Niklas Pollard, Jan Harvey and Mark Potter)
In recent trading sessions, the Swiss stock market has shown modest movements, with the SMI index registering a slight uptick amidst mixed economic signals, including a near-stable consumer confidence index. Given this backdrop of cautious investor sentiment and economic uncertainty, companies with strong insider ownership and consistent earnings growth stand out as potentially resilient investment opportunities in Switzerland.

Top 10 Growth Companies With High Insider Ownership In Switzerland

Name Insider Ownership Earnings Growth Stadler Rail (SWX:SRAIL) 14.5% 23.4% VAT Group (SWX:VACN) 10.2% 21.2% Straumann Holding (SWX:STMN) 32.7% 20.9% Swissquote Group Holding (SWX:SQN) 11.4% 14.3% Temenos (SWX:TEMN) 14.6% 14.7% LEM Holding (SWX:LEHN) 34.5% 9.9% Sonova Holding (SWX:SOON) 17.7% 10.9% SHL Telemedicine (SWX:SHLTN) 17.9% 96.2% Sensirion Holding (SWX:SENS) 20.7% 84.7% Arbonia (SWX:ARBN) 28.8% 80%

Click here to see the full list of 17 stocks from our Fast Growing SIX Swiss Exchange Companies With High Insider Ownership screener.

Here's a peek at a few of the choices from the screener.

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Arbonia AG is a company that supplies building components across Switzerland, Germany, and other international markets, with a market capitalization of approximately CHF 896.02 million.

Operations: The company generates revenue primarily from its Doors segment, which includes sanitary equipment, contributing CHF 501.56 million.

Insider Ownership: 28.8%

Earnings Growth Forecast: 80% p.a.

Arbonia, a Swiss building materials group, is navigating a strategic shift by planning to sell its climate division to concentrate on its doors business. This move follows unsolicited interest and aims at enhancing shareholder returns through significant proceeds distribution and debt reduction. Despite Arbonia's revenue growth forecast of 13.9% per year outpacing the Swiss market's 4.3%, its expected profitability in three years and below-market return on equity forecasts suggest mixed growth prospects.

SWX:ARBN Earnings and Revenue Growth as at May 2024

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Leonteq AG is a financial services provider specializing in structured investment products and long-term savings and retirement solutions across Switzerland, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, with a market capitalization of CHF 441.59 million.

Operations: The company generates CHF 256.88 million from its brokerage services.

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Insider Ownership: 12.7%

Earnings Growth Forecast: 26.4% p.a.

Leonteq, a Swiss financial services firm, is experiencing a notable leadership transition with Hans Widler stepping in as CFO. Despite slower revenue growth projections at 10.1% annually compared to higher market averages, Leonteq's earnings are expected to rise significantly by 26.4% per year over the next three years. However, challenges persist with profit margins dropping from last year's 34.2% to 8%, and debt coverage by operating cash flow remains weak. The company trades at a substantial discount of 76.3% below estimated fair value, indicating potential undervaluation amidst these financial dynamics.

SWX:LEON Earnings and Revenue Growth as at May 2024

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Temenos AG is a global company that develops, markets, and sells integrated banking software systems to financial institutions, with a market capitalization of approximately CHF 4.17 billion.

Operations: The firm's revenue is derived from the development, marketing, and sale of integrated banking software systems to financial institutions globally.

Insider Ownership: 14.6%

Earnings Growth Forecast: 14.7% p.a.

Temenos, a Swiss software company, is trading at CHF 31.4% below its estimated fair value, suggesting potential undervaluation. Despite a high level of debt and a volatile share price recently, Temenos offers reliable dividends (2.06%) and forecasts show earnings growth outpacing the Swiss market (14.7% vs 8% annually). Recent strategic moves include appointing Jean-Pierre Brulard as CEO and expanding Citi Securities Services' use of its Multifonds platform globally, enhancing its operational efficiency across multiple geographies.

SWX:TEMN Ownership Breakdown as at May 2024

Seize The Opportunity

Access the full spectrum of 17 Fast Growing SIX Swiss Exchange Companies With High Insider Ownership by clicking on this link.

Shareholder in one or more of these companies? Ensure you're never caught off-guard by adding your portfolio in Simply Wall St for timely alerts on significant stock developments.

Join a community of smart investors by using Simply Wall St. It's free and delivers expert-level analysis on worldwide 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.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 SWX:ARBN SWX:LEON and SWX:TEMN.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Tokio Marine HCC  Specialty Group has announced the launch of a new product recall offering in London to expand its crisis management portfolio.

The introduction of this insurance service is supported by two senior additions to the companys crisis management team.

Effective 13 May 2024, Mark Hutton has been appointed to the new role of the head of crisis management international.

With more than two decades of underwriting experience, Hutton will be responsible for driving the growth of the product recall class, focusing on sectors such as food and beverage, and automotive, among others.

Hutton previously served as the global product head  product recall at AXA XL and head of casualty at McLarens Young International.

Joining him in the expansion is Ian Davidson, who is taking on the role of senior underwriter of crisis management.

Davidson also joins from AXA XL. Before relocating to London in 2015, he worked for XL Catlin for two years, covering lines related to political violence and kidnap and ransom and underwriting the Asia-Pacific region for product recall.

Tokio Marine HCC  Specialty Group international division managing director Philip Hall said: We are thrilled to welcome Mark and Ian to TMHCC  Specialty Group. This new team represents a key extension of our market-leading US product recall expertise, which will support our growth ambitions for this class in London.

Mark is the ideal person to drive the expansion of our international crisis management business and I am certain this new team will complement our existing expertise and cement our status as a market leader in the class. These appointments are the latest example of our ability to attract market-leading talent, and we are increasingly well placed to realise our significant growth ambitions.

The expansion of product recall services coincides with the recent creation of a global media division within Tokio Marine HCC International.

This new unit will focus on underwriting risks in the media, film, television and events sector, with Ros Breese, an industry veteran with more than 25 years of experience, at the helm as the underwriting director of media, film and TV.

"Tokio Marine HCC launches product recall offering in London " was originally created and published by Life Insurance 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.
Amidst a backdrop of robust gains across major European stock indices, including a notable 4.28% rise in Germany's DAX, investors are showing renewed optimism. This positive sentiment is particularly relevant when considering growth companies in Germany with high insider ownership, as these firms often benefit from aligned interests between shareholders and management, fostering strong corporate governance and potentially enhancing shareholder value.

Top 10 Growth Companies With High Insider Ownership In Germany

Name Insider Ownership Earnings Growth pferdewetten.de (XTRA:EMH) 26.8% 73% Deutsche Beteiligungs (XTRA:DBAN) 35.3% 28.7% init innovation in traffic systems (XTRA:IXX) 39.7% 23% YOC (XTRA:YOC) 24.8% 21.8% Exasol (XTRA:EXL) 25.3% 107.4% Beyond Frames Entertainment (DB:8WP) 10.9% 81.9% Alelion Energy Systems (DB:2FZ) 37.4% 106.6% Stemmer Imaging (XTRA:S9I) 26.4% 18.2% HomeToGo (XTRA:HTG) 11.4% 60.8% elumeo (XTRA:ELB) 25.8% 78.8%

Click here to see the full list of 22 stocks from our Fast Growing German Companies With High Insider Ownership screener.

Underneath we present a selection of stocks filtered out by our screen.

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Deutsche Beteiligungs AG is a private equity and venture capital firm focusing on direct and fund of funds investments, with a market capitalization of approximately 520 million.

Operations: The firm operates primarily in private equity and venture capital, focusing on both direct investments and fund of funds.

Insider Ownership: 35.3%

Earnings Growth Forecast: 28.7% p.a.

Deutsche Beteiligungs (DBAN) stands out in the German market with its anticipated earnings growth of 28.72% per year, significantly surpassing the market's average. This growth is mirrored in its revenue projections, expected to increase by 24.7% annually, also well above market norms. Despite trading at 72.7% below estimated fair value and analysts predicting a substantial price rise of 57.9%, challenges remain such as a low forecasted Return on Equity at 17.5% and dividends that are poorly covered by cash flow.

XTRA:DBAN Earnings and Revenue Growth as at May 2024

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Redcare Pharmacy NV is an online pharmacy operating across the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, and France with a market capitalization of approximately 2.43 billion.

Operations: The company generates revenue primarily from two segments: the DACH region, contributing 1.62 billion, and other international markets adding 0.37 billion.

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Insider Ownership: 18.4%

Earnings Growth Forecast: 47.4% p.a.

Redcare Pharmacy NV, a German growth company with high insider ownership, reported a significant sales increase to EUR 560.22 million in Q1 2024 from EUR 372.05 million the previous year, alongside a reduced net loss. Annually, sales rose to EUR 1.8 billion with net losses narrowing significantly from the prior year. The company anticipates robust sales growth between EUR 2.3 billion and EUR 2.5 billion for 2024, reflecting an optimistic outlook despite its shares trading at a substantial discount to estimated fair value and recent executive board changes suggesting strategic shifts ahead.

XTRA:RDC Earnings and Revenue Growth as at May 2024

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Friedrich Vorwerk Group SE specializes in solutions for the transformation and transportation of energy across Germany and Europe, with a market capitalization of approximately 0.33 billion.

Operations: The company's revenue is generated from various segments, including Electricity (62.91 million), Natural Gas (165.14 million), Clean Hydrogen (26.07 million), and Adjacent Opportunities (119.24 million).

Insider Ownership: 18%

Earnings Growth Forecast: 28.6% p.a.

Friedrich Vorwerk Group SE, a German growth company with high insider ownership, is currently trading at 14.5% below its estimated fair value. Despite a decrease in profit margins from last year and a modest revenue growth forecast of 6.1% per year, the company's earnings are expected to rise significantly by 28.57% annually over the next three years. However, its return on equity is projected to remain low at 11.3%. Recently, the firm reaffirmed its dividend at 0.12 per share and reported a decline in net income for the full year ended December 31, 2023.

XTRA:VH2 Earnings and Revenue Growth as at May 2024

Summing It All Up

Unlock our comprehensive list of 22 Fast Growing German Companies With High Insider Ownership by clicking here.

Shareholder in one or more of these companies? Ensure you're never caught off-guard by adding your portfolio in Simply Wall St for timely alerts on significant stock developments.

Simply Wall St is your key to unlocking global market trends, a free user-friendly app for forward-thinking investors.

Ready For A Different Approach?

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.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 XTRA:DBAN XTRA:RDC and XTRA:VH2.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Statement of Senator Risa Hontiveros on the Atin Ito civilian mission

China, keep your hands off our vessels and people.

Not one of the Atin Ito participants should be harassed or intimidated. Not one of our compatriots should fear for their safety.

It is outrageous how China is reportedly sending a huge force to block this civilian mission. Kung maka-asta ang Tsina, akala mo sa kanila ang karagatan.

China has also been propagating lies about how the Atin Ito mission is a plot concocted by the Philippine and American governments. This cannot be further from the truth.

This group of ordinary and private citizens simply wants to deliver goods to fellow Filipinos whom China has long deprived of food and livelihood. The coalition should be free to navigate within our Exclusive Economic Zone. Bilang mga Pilipino, karapatan nilang lumayag sa EEZ ng Pilipinas.

The Atin Ito civilian mission has every right to set sail for Bajo de Masinloc. This is our territory. These are our waters. This is ours and only ours.
By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said on Tuesday it has resolved two investigations into the America Movil Submarine Cable System that connects the United States to Colombia and Costa Rica.

The commission said the undersea cable connections were made without the approval of the commission or a U.S. government committee known as "Team Telecom," which had prevented a required national security concern review.

The FCC said the two companies responsible, LATAM Telecommunications and Puerto Rico Telephone Company, will each pay a $1 million civil penalty, after they admitted to the violations and agreed to enter into a compliance plan.

The U.S. government in recent years has been scrutinizing undersea cable connections, especially involving China. Around 300 undersea cables form the backbone of the internet, carrying 99% of the world's data traffic.

Puerto Rico Telephone Company, which does business as Claro Puerto Rico, declined to comment. LATAM Telecommunications did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"Undersea cables keep us globally connected and are essential part of the digital economy. But they can pose real security risks if the FCC and its national security partners aren't properly given the chance to review where new cables may be installed," said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.

The FCC said construction began on a cable landing station in Isla San Andres, Colombia, in March 2020, that became operational in September 2021. A cable landing station in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, began operation in November 2022, with both connecting to the America Movil Submarine Cable System, but neither company sought FCC authorization until 2023, it added.

The FCC had granted Puerto Rico Telephone and LATAM in 2013 authorization for the America Movil undersea high-capacity fiber-optic cable system connecting the United States to Central and South America but it had not authorized the latest connections. The FCC did not accuse America Movil of any wrongdoing.

The FCC said the penalties were much larger than prior actions on undersea cables "reflecting the increased emphasis on data security issues in the national security sphere."

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Franklin Paul and Sandra Maler)
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -A federal court ordered on Tuesday that Elon Musk must testify again in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's investigation into his $44 billion takeover of Twitter.

The SEC sued Musk in October to compel the CEO of electric carmaker Tesla and rocket company SpaceX to testify after he refused to attend a September interview for the investigation. The billionaire said the SEC was trying to "harass" him with a number of subpoenas.

The investigation concerns whether Musk broke federal securities laws in 2022 when he bought stock in Twitter, which he later renamed X. It is also reviewing statements and SEC filings he made in relation to the deal, the agency has previously said.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler in February ruled in favor of the agency to compel the deposition and Musk requested a review of the decision.

"As Judge Beeler explained, the investigations Musk contends constitute harassment are 'legitimate government investigations'," U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley said on Tuesday.

"Musk has not met his burden of demonstrating the subpoena is unreasonable."

This marks the latest dispute in a years-long feud between Musk and the top U.S. markets regulator, dating back to 2018 when he tweeted that he had "funding secured" to take Tesla private.

In 2022, Musk supplied the SEC with documents for its probe and also testified via videoconference for two half-day sessions in July of that year, the SEC has said in court documents. Agency lawyers have said they have more questions for Musk after receiving new documents, and had sought additional testimony.

Musk was not immediately available for comment.

(Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin and Mike Scarcella; Editing by Sandra Maler and David Gregorio)
By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -More than 160 U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday urged the National Mediation Board to take steps to help about 80,000 flight attendants reach new contract deals.

Flight attendants at United Airlines, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Frontier are among workers at more than a dozen airlines still working to reach new contract deals. The airlines and the board did not comment or immediately respond to requests for comment on the letter.

The bipartisan group of 168 lawmakers led by Democratic Representative Melanie Stansbury said flight attendants have been stuck in prolonged contract negotiations for years and urged the board "to use all of the tools at its disposal to encourage the resolution of these negotiations."

Others signing the letter include Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick, Debbie Dingell, Donald Norcross, Steven Horsford and Mark Pocan.

Deadlines are critical for negotiations. Airlines have delayed earned improvements by as much as five years while awarding CEOs and other executives, said Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA representing over 50,000 at 20 airlines. "Clearly, a credible strike threat is needed to settle these disputes."

Last month, flight attendants and United management were in the a new round of federally-mediated bargaining after two years of negotiations.

Under federal law governing the airline industry, flight attendants cannot strike without permission of the board. The lawmakers noted "there have there been only two releases to strike of airline workers since 2006, the last being Spirit Airlines Pilots in 2010, compared to dozens in the 1980s and 1990s."

Stansbury said in an interview that flight attendants have few options and lawmakers want to see the board allow strikes.

"Basically they're stuck," she said. "Nobody wants to see a strike in the airline industry, which would affect our economy but without the ability of our workers to collectively bargain, basically they are being taken advantage of and exploited by the airline industry."

(Reporting by David ShepardsonEditing by Chris Reese and Aurora Ellis)
Walmart is cutting hundreds of corporate jobs and will force its remote workforce back into the office, according to a report.

The big-box retailer demanded workers at corporate offices in Dallas, Atlanta and Toronto to move to one of three major officers across the country. One office is in Bentonville, Arkansas, another is in Hoboken, New Jersey, and a third is in Southern California, according to the Wall Street Journal. If they dont agree to move, they can quit with severance.

Remote workers are also being asked to return will be allowed to work a hybrid schedule, according to the report.

Customers leave a Walmart Neighborhood Market on August 04, 2022 in Rohnert Park, California. (Getty Images)

As of January, Walmart employed approximately 2.1m people.

Those who leave the company will receive two weeks pay for every year they were with it, according to Reuters,

Workers have until July 1 to make their decision.

The cuts come as discretionary spending is getting tighter in America with rising costs. Walmart is expected to report its first-quarter earnings on Thursday. News of the cuts caused the companys stock to fall 1.2 percent during Tuesdays trading.

Prices are displayed over items at a Walmart Supercenter in North Bergen, N.J. on Feb. 9, 2023 (Associated Press)

Job cuts and workforce consolidation aren't the only signs that Walmart is struggling; the retail giant closed more than 20 stores last year, and is continuing to close locations this year.

"These stores lose tens of millions of dollars a year, and their annual losses nearly doubled in just the last five years," Walmart said in a press statement in 2023 after stores in Chicago were closed.

At least six Walmart locations have closed in the US since the start of the year. Most of those stores have been in California, while two others were closed in Maryland and Ohio.

In addition to closing down stores, Walmart decided last month that it would close all 51 of its Walmart Health Centres and Walmart Health Virtual Care services. The company reportedly decided that the business model was not sustainable. Workers affected by the upcoming closures will be given the chance to transfer to a Walmart or a Sam's Club store.

Walmart started offering health services in 2019.

While the health centers will close, the company will still operate its 4,600 pharmacies and more than 3,000 vision centers.

Jodi Ferdinandsen pushes her grocery cart through Walmart in Findlay, Ohio (Associated Press)

Walmart is not the only retailer cutting jobs; Indeed announced on Monday that it would layoff 1,000 workers worldwide, accounting for approximately 8 percent of its workforce.

Rivian Automotive, which manufactures electric trucks, announced on 24 April that it was laying off more than 120 employees at its California locations. Those layoffs will begin in June.

Earlier this year, Amazon announced it would cut hundreds of jobs in its Amazon Web Services unit, and Elon Musk has both laid off and reportedly re-hired the Tesla Supercharger team.
By Siddharth Cavale

(Reuters) -Walmart Inc announced on Tuesday that it plans to cut hundreds of jobs at its corporate headquarters and relocate a majority of its U.S. and Canada-based remote workforce to three offices, a shift in strategy after initially endorsing virtual work during the pandemic.

"We are asking the majority of associates working remotely, and the majority of associates within our offices in Dallas, Atlanta, and our Toronto Global Tech office, to relocate," Donna Morris, Walmart's chief people officer wrote in a memo to its U.S. campus associates on Tuesday.

The world's largest retailer and the country's largest private employer, with 2.1 million workers globally, said most of the relocations will be to its headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, while some will move to its offices in the San Francisco Bay Area or Hoboken, New Jersey.

The goal of the move was to bring more people together more often but also to strengthen Walmart's culture and develop the careers of its employees, Morris said in the memo.

The retail giant also said it was reducing "several hundred" roles in its headquarters due to changes in some parts of its business, without elaborating further.

The Wall Street Journal first reported news of the job cuts late on Monday.

On a "business update" call with employees on Monday, remote workers were given until July 1 to make a decision about relocating or to quit with severance, according to a source familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity with Reuters. The source added that Walmart would be closing its Dallas, Atlanta and Toronto offices later this year.

Those who choose to leave will receive two weeks' pay for every year they worked at Walmart as severance, the source said.

Walmart said it had discussions with employees who were directly affected and that it would work with them on the next steps forward.

NEW NORMAL?

Like other U.S. companies, Walmart is shifting its strategy towards more in-person work after years of pandemic-induced remote working. At one point it even endorsed remote work as the new norm.

"We believe the future in tech will be one in which working virtually will be the new normal, at least for most of the work we lead," Suresh Kumar, the head of Walmart's global tech operations wrote in a LinkedIn post in 2021.

However, it has slowly transitioned away from stance. In 2023, it closed three tech offices and asked some staff to relocate to central corporate hubs.

In the meantime, Walmart is constructing a new headquarters in northwest Arkansas, just a few miles from its previous location, which it plans to open in phases in 2025.

Story continues

The expansive 350-acre campus is designed to accommodate over 15,000 employees across 12 buildings, according to Walmart's website.

"This is likely just part of a broader push towards operational efficiency. The mandate that remote workers report into the office is the closet way to get people to quit instead of doing a layoff," said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management, which holds Walmart in mutual funds and ETFs it manages.

"Giving people a choice to relocate to a hub isn't much of a choice. It's more of a choice of whether to quit or not," Jacobsen added.

The retailer is set to report first-quarter results on Thursday. Walmart shares were down 1% at $59.77 in afternoon trading on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Siddharth Cavale in New York and Kanjyik Ghosh, Ananya Mariam Rajesh and Aishwarya Venugopal in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich, Arun Koyyur, Will Dunham and Aurora Ellis)
In this podcast, Motley Fool analyst Jim Gillies and host Dylan Lewis discuss:

Berkshire Hathaway 's past and future succession planning.

What Warren Buffett's cash stack and shrinking Apple position might signal about his view of the market and tax policy.

Why investors shouldn't be looking at Berkshire on strictly a total-return basis.

To catch full episodes of all The Motley Fool's free podcasts, check out our podcast center. To get started investing, check out our quick-start guide to investing in stocks. A full transcript follows the video.

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Dylan Lewis: We're playing the hits from the Woodstock of Capitalism, Motley Fool Money starts now. I'm Dylan Lewis and I'm joined over the airwaves by Motley Fool analyst Jim Gillies. Jim, thanks for joining me.

Jim Gillies: Thanks for the invite, Dylan.

Dylan Lewis: We're spending all day digging into Berkshire's annual meeting and all things Buffett and Jim a bit of a working weekend for us following the action in Omaha. Appreciate you putting the extra hours for our listeners.

Jim Gillies: Not a problem. I was going to do it anyway. I get made fun of entirely too often in this house because it's Berkshire meeting week and Lulu just looks at me and goes, what the heck man.

Dylan Lewis: This is our time. This is what we're paying attention to. Typically, we don't see a lot of this stuff on the weekends, but we make an exception here.

Jim Gillies: Yes, we do.

Dylan Lewis: A lot of different things to dive into. Berkshire's Annual Meeting is usually where we get Buffett at his most Buffett in the Q&A section and in his address, he's often most quotable, I think just to set the stage any lines that jumped out to you this year.

Story continues

Jim Gillies: A number of things, I thought it was a more somber meeting than it has been in the past for somewhat obvious reasons we'll get into. I'll give you the takeaway, we might have to unpack a little bit but I'm going to paraphrase here. But the story of Berkshire, the way Buffett told it, is essentially to increase earnings and decrease shares outstanding. That's interesting to me because long-term Berkshire holders and I'm one but not as long term as I wish I was, but I'm a 25, 26 years from my original purchase.

Dylan Lewis: It's pretty good.

Jim Gillies: Starting to get up there. I bought it many times over the years subsequently and I've no intent to sell. For years, Buffett has issued capital returns to his investors. He always said basically, the inference was that Buffett could invest the capital flows at Berkshire Hathaway better than returning it to shareholders in the form of dividend or even in the form of share buybacks. Buffett always said if you want to buy back, he says you can sell a little bit if you want, make your own buyback kind of thing. But as well, he always viewed it a little bit as potentially taking advantage of shareholders. In other words, he had more information that maybe the shareholder did and it's an asymmetric bet. I'm buying your shares from you. Maybe it's a market downturn eaters scared, maybe you shouldn't be doing that. I think it was 2011 or 2012, they brought in a policy as like the cash pile started growing and the capital flows of Berkshire started becoming this really big giant pile of cash and businesses. He brought in the, hey, we'll buy back stock but only below 1.1 times book value. Which I said at the time as just basically guaranteed that Berkshire Hathaway will never again trade below 1.1 times book value. Buffett puts that floor there if it ever got close to that number. By the way, it never has so you all can take that one as a win.

Dylan Lewis: There's locked-in demand.

Jim Gillies: Yeah. But also two people would anticipate, Warren's going to buy shares back, they would run in as the stock got down to 1.1 book times book value. A couple of years later he bumped it to 1.2 times book value the floor, the bottom. Again, I guess it'll never trade below that valuation again number down there. He did do a little bit of buybacks this quarter, I think about 2.6 billion worth. We know there has been some subsequent just by looking at the share count and in the file 10Q, we know that there's been some additional repurchases and in April, $2.6 billion is not a lot frankly for Berkshire but they're now doing it and it's about 1.4, 1.5 times book value and again it's that mindset we're increasing earnings and decreasing shares outstanding. The problem is that they're increasing earnings a lot faster than their decreasing shares. The giant cash pile growing ever larger, that is a problem that is not going away. Now I say problem, that we all have that problem of too much cash lying around. But still, as an investing vehicle, it is a problem.

Dylan Lewis: It's not too surprising to me in some ways that Berkshire has had to change their approach over time simply because they've gotten so much bigger, you mentioned the cash pile. Let's dig into it, Jim, $190 billion, 189 billion, if you want to be specific for Q1, 2024, that is an all-time high, roughly double where they were seven years ago. Buffett was getting some questions about that from shareholders saying, what's the plan? What are you guys going to be doing with this? In his very Buffett way, he was like I don't know that we see anything out there to put this to work with.

Jim Gillies: Previously when they talked about the cash pile, they've said, well first-off look, we're a fortress. We're never going to risk the company, there's been lots of companies play risky games and earn risky prizes. Like you say, it's 189 billion, now, if you take out the cash associated with the railway stuff, it's 182 billion. I mean, what's $7 billion between friends? He flat out said it'll probably be over 200 billion by the end of the second quarter of the present quarter. The tonal shift is that they essentially said, I'm paraphrasing. We don't know what to do with the money [laughs] cause previously he was always like, well, you know, we've got our elephant gun and we're going hunting if something presents itself and yada. Now it's yeah, they basically said we don't have to do with it, which is interesting to me for a couple of reasons. One because in the current rate environment, I think they said they're getting with 5, 5.5% on cash. Look, you've got $200 billion lying around gathering dust. That dust comes in the form of $10 billion in cash a year, which you know, there's worst things I suppose. It becomes self-perpetuating but I don't wonder if this is going to be my first speculative move today, which is guaranteed of course to be wrong because humans are terrible at making predictions but we insist on doing it.

Dylan Lewis: We can't help but do it, Jim.

Jim Gillies: We can't help it exactly.

Dylan Lewis: When we are hearing from someone like Warren Buffett, it's like listening to a chair Powell. We're always looking for things to draw conclusions from based on what they're saying.

Jim Gillies: Exactly and so there's a lot of talk about succession. When your CEO is 93, almost 94, I suppose that is to be expected. There's a lot of talk about succession. Very reassuring, it'll be in good hands with Greg Abel and Ajit Jain and Ted and Todd, the financial managers. The Berkshire culture will go on with Howard Buffett, his son as the Non-Executive Chair to maintain the culture. But I think things are going to a be different. I think things are going to be slightly changed and it would not shock me in the absence of things to buy with the elephant gun. Even if you unload the elephant gun to buy something, I'm going to be wildly speculative here just to be silly. They go buy Disney and put Disney shareholders out of their misery. The cash pile is just going to keep going, so if they don't unload the elephant gun in the immediate wake of Buffett's departure from the stage, I'm not sure you're not going to see a one-time giant special dividend with potentially a regular dividend beyond that. Of course, Buffett is famously issued paying a dividend forever. But time's changed, we already talked about the buybacks and how the buybacks have changed. It wouldn't shock me to see a dividend finally. I know they'd like to do buybacks more and it's certainly more tax advantage to do buybacks. But it wouldn't shock me of a one-time special to shareholders at some point.

Dylan Lewis: To your point, Jim, 5% on about $200 billion.

Jim Gillies: Yes.

Dylan Lewis: That's certainly enough for their buyback program as it currently stands, that 2.7 billion you threw out there. That leaves a little bit left over if they wanted to do something else and return some money to shareholders as well. One of the things that's interesting is as Berkshire has gotten bigger, their largest holding is one of the biggest holdings out there. It is Apple. They've had a incredibly successful run as a major shareholder. We got a little bit of a check-in on that position with their 10-Q and with some comments from Buffett during the annual meeting. They're reducing that position down a little bit and they're taking that and I think it was about 13% reduction down on Apple. Is there anything to read into there?

Jim Gillies: There is and it may or may not have been articulated there. Some of this is inference but behavior is a language as they say. He went out of his way to, of course, praise Apple, praise Tim Cook. Tim Cook was at the meeting, CEO of Apple. He had informed Tim Cook, apparently the day before that Berkshire had reduced their stake. It's a massive stake for them, it's still by far their largest holding. From the Apple perspective, I could point to last week's earnings report out of Apple, where iPhone sales fell 10%. It's a company that's gone X growth a little bit. They're not a lot of topline growth, they're doing well on services, they're still a cash engine. Just over five years ago, you could buy Apple for 10 times cash flow. You are buying it for eight or nine times operating profit. Today it's about 22,23 times operating profit and like I said growth has slowed. This may just be Buffett saying, I've got a giant position, I'm going to call some of it because it has significantly rerate it. If you are a buyer in late 2018, early 2019 of Apple and I was, you're very happy. You've got a multi-bagger out of one of the world's largest companies, which should not happen but it did and we're very happy and Buffett did and he's very happy. That's set. Again, with the overall tone of the meeting, there was a couple of things that stood out to me about the Apple sale. First, he framed it alongside talking about taxes and we're happy to pay taxes because we've done well and we are in America and the capitalist system. Red, white, and blue, says the Canadian analysts, I love America you guys know that.

Dylan Lewis: Appreciate you.

Jim Gillies: Well, we refer to you as Canada's pants, of course, and you refer to us as American hat, so it works

Dylan Lewis: [laughs] American hat.

Jim Gillies: There you go but a lot of it was taxes and you can almost read into his commentary that he thinks capital gains tax rates might be going in a specific direction in the future and that direction is not down. It inferred that maybe you might be happy with us in a few years because Apple is still going to be our largest holding and he says, I almost guarantee it. But he's taking some off the table but then the second part of that, the reason for taking it off the table, I might be reading tea leaves that are always going to be a little dim anyway. It felt like he was raising cash. Dylan, I submit to you in the form of a question, why do investors raise cash?

Dylan Lewis: Because either they want to be buying something else or because they don't want their money where it currently is.

Jim Gillies: You can make an inference, what's people raise. Because again, cash is not Berkshire Hathaway's problem, like $189 billion lying around and will be about 200 billion by the end of this quarter. I think you can make the inference that he thinks things might be cheaper in future. I remember, and maybe a few listeners remember, in 2008, 2007, the world in times of crisis beat a path to Berkshire Hathaway's door. Buffett's a very kindly old gentlemen, grandfather, lovable uncle Warren. Buffett's a killer. Goldman Sachs and Harley Davidson came to Berkshire during the credit crisis in '08, '09, and said, ''Please help us uncle Warren.'' He said, "Sure, that will be a 15% big. They were drowning, and he's hoard, handing them an anvil. But they paid it.

Dylan Lewis: To be clear, there have been times where Berkshire's cash hoard has gone down, and it's been during periods where valuations were incredibly attractive.

Jim Gillies: Yes. Well, as he says, when it starts raining money don't put out thimbles, put out wash tubs. To me I just think combined with the loss of Charlie, which did cast a bit of a somber poll. May we all be so lucky to go out one month shy of our hundredth birthday. Universally beloved by the people in the industry to which we have dedicated our lives. There's no tag days for Charlie Munger going out at 99, almost a hundred, right? But you're still sad about it. Warren is clearly sad about it. At one point, the old familiar routine at the meeting of Warren would give a long expansive answer, and then throw it to Charlie to do a one or a two line, acerbic remark that usually would gather a laugh. Well, that dynamic was still in play. But for anyone who watched the meeting or watched parts of the meeting, if you saw the part where Buffett finished a long answer and then he said, "Charlie". Charlie is not there, it's Greg Abel, the heir apparent, the successor. He quickly realized his error, but it's like, oh yeah, things have changed. They're not coming back. It's the end of an era. Greg Abel laughed it off. Of course he says, it's a great honor to be [laughs] referred to as Charlie, but it's just a reminder of what's gone and a reminder that it's going to be a little somber. Carol Loomis was there, the writer from Fortune who's edited every letter and report from Berkshire over the years since 1977. I believe Carol Loomis is in her mid to late 90s as well. There are some titans who are going to be departing, who have already started departing at this stage, in the not-too-distant future. I took that a little somberly, and then you see how Buffett's talking about his fears. He mentioned AI. He mentioned nuclear weapons, which has been a very popular one over the year. He's raising cash, and he's already got a giant cash pile that he fully admits don't really know what to do with it. It was a bit of a different environment. I thought this time around.

Dylan Lewis: We're going to keep the conversation going on Berkshire in just a minute. But first, a quick add read.

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Dylan Lewis: Okay, so earlier in the show we were talking about Apple, a very successful investment for Buffett and for Berkshire. We also got some commentary on some of the other investments, some of which haven't necessarily worked out, Jim. We got some commentary from Buffett on Paramount, and Berkshire stake there pretty well. I'm smarter and poorer for the experience.

Jim Gillies: [laughs]

Dylan Lewis: Acknowledging that this was one that did not work out. But also I think very interestingly, owning that one as his investment decision, being very clear that it was him and not anyone else from the investment team that was driving that decision and the company being in the portfolio.

Jim Gillies: Yeah. There's a lot to unpack there as there often is. The first thing is the character of Buffett. Buffett has always been someone who disseminates credit and hoards blame. What you've just talked about him say, "Yeah, it's my fault, I did." That is non-surprising for any long-term Berkshire follower. The second thing is, I think it's a really good case study. Again, I said earlier behavior's a language. Buffett has this famous air about him that he holds everything forever. He's owned Coca-Cola since 1988. He's owned Apple since the mid-2000s, I think 2012 or 2013. He's owned American Express since, I think, the early or mid 1960s, whenever the Salad Oil scandal happened. He famously is a long-term investor. He's famously said things like, our favorite holding period is forever. Buffett trades far more than anyone ever really wants to acknowledge. How's the IBM position going? How's the position in the airlines going? Buffett will kill. How's Wells Fargo? Which at one point was one of the great own, never sell positions. It's all gone now and should be. Bank of America replaced it in his favors. Since everyone loves confirmation bias his reason for selling Paramount was essentially what I've been saying for a couple of years on the streaming services. It's an arms race and racing to the bottom. Thanks, uncle Warren for finally catching up with my opinion. That's fantastic. But it's unsurprising. Also two, in a quarter in which they've just taken a large capital gain on their Apple shares. Now they've lost money, but I think the lost money or we're going to offset some of that gains. Just going to put that out there. But no, nothing about this sale surprised me, and I will argue it is the eminent logical thing to do. Nothing grinds my gears more than when I hear an investor who's bought a position in something that they clearly don't know, and it's no sin to have losses. If you've got time, I'll give you a list of mine. It's no sin to have losses, a good stock picker is going to be wrong 40% of the time. That's just the way the world works. Everything is uncertain. We see through glass dark, half darkly, whatever. But the idea of things are not proceeding according to what you foresaw. Things are not proceeding according to your thesis. I will argue vehemently, the rational position is to exit and figure out what you did wrong. It's not to sit around and hold on going, "Well I'm a long-term investor." My evidence for that would be, for those of you who purchased, I don't know, a couple of little tiny companies called Intel and Cisco, and the Tech Bubble at their peak, how you doing by the way? You're still down today, a quarter-century later. I think this is eminently logical. Again, very Buffett-esque, the fault is mine. But when things go well, he says, Ajit Jain, this Greg Abel, that our managers are fantastic, and this is very standard Buffett.

Dylan Lewis: I like you noting maybe a little bit of tax loss harvesting happening there too. I think it's important to keep that stuff in mind as we wrap. I do want to take a step back. It seems like a great opportunity for us to check in on Berkshire, the investment itself. You look over the last 1,3,5,10 years on a total return basis. Berkshire versus the S&P has essentially been a coin flip. I think Berkshire outperforms on the three-year, but otherwise the S&P is ahead, but they're relatively close and they trend fairly similarly at an $870 billion business. How should people be thinking about Berkshire at this point? Is that total return basis comparison fair?

Jim Gillies: It's fair. It's what it is. Your record is what your record says it is. But I'm going to suggest to you, Berkshire has actually outperformed on the most important measure here. What is Berkshire to investors? What should be Berkshire to investors? I see all kinds of people speculating on things like they were talking about Geico and the insurance and how the rise of robo-taxis is going to gut these. Get out of here with that nonsense. It's like whatever. This is a bedrock holding for a portfolio. Berkshire Hathaway has matched the S&P 500 by holding about 15-20% of its market cap in cash the entire way up on a risk-adjusted basis. I submit to you that Berkshire has actually done better than the market because the companies that make up the S&P 500's strip up Berkshire. But the companies, the companies that are, that are part of the S&P 500 do not hold 20% of their market cap in cash. Waiting for optionality, waiting for things to deploy that on. From the perspective of I liked my portfolio to have a wide diversity. It's what I recommended in my service, Hidden Gems Canada. Sometimes we go with a bedrock companies, sometimes we go with a growth at a reasonable-price company. Sometimes we go with a wild speculation that we probably should rethink later. Sometimes a special situation values whatever. But you have to have a variety of companies in your portfolio to protect and give you the best performance for your portfolio that we can give. From a bedrock, from a Bulwark perspective, that is Berkshire for me. Personally, it is my largest personal holding. It's also my longest-term personal holding and I don't see that changing anytime soon. Certainly not while the oracle is still in charge.

Dylan Lewis: Jim Gillies, thank you so much for walking through all things Berkshire with me today. We'll do the same thing, same time, same place next year.

Jim Gillies: It sounds good to me. Thanks, Dylan.

Dylan Lewis: As always, people on the program may own stocks mentioned, and the Motley Fool may have formal recommendations for or against, so don't buy or sell anything based solely on what's here. I'm Dylan Lewis. Thanks for listening. We'll be back tomorrow.

Wells Fargo is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Bank of America is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. American Express is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Dylan Lewis has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Jim Gillies has positions in Apple and Berkshire Hathaway and has the following options: short January 2025 $150 puts on International Business Machines and short January 2025 $165 calls on International Business Machines. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Bank of America, Berkshire Hathaway, Cisco Systems, Goldman Sachs Group, and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool recommends Intel and International Business Machines and recommends the following options: long January 2025 $45 calls on Intel and short May 2024 $47 calls on Intel. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

What Warren Buffett Is Selling and Saying was originally published by The Motley Fool
Wawa unveiled the new store design that the company is planning to bring to the Wilmington area on May 14, 2024.

The Philadelphia-based convenience store chain has an expansive vision for North Carolina, according to officials with the company. On Tuesday, Wawa hosted the first of a three-stop Community Partnership Tour in Wilmington to share more details about its plans to open 90 stores across the state, the first of which is set for Kill Devil Hills.

About 10-15 of those stores will be in the Wilmington area, they said. At least three are planned for Brunswick County, one in Hampstead and six in Wilmington. They hope to break ground on the first of them this year and open two stores next year.

In April, it looked like plans for one of those, at 5400 Oleander Drive, had fallen through as the developer withdrew the property's rezoning application for the site that was previously home Hops Supply Co. And posts to social media hinted at community push back against the chain.

But that location is still on the list of upcoming Wawa locations theyre planning to open. And at the conference room at Aloft Wilmington at Coastline Center downtown, most of the attendees of the event were self-described Wawa superfans.

Its not a gas station. Thats what I keep telling people, said Stefanie Adams, a Wawa fan and former member of the New Hanover County Board of Education.

It was something that speakers at the event repeated. Sure, Wawa sells gas, but it isnt a gas station. It also isnt a coffee shop, or a restaurant but Wawa said it serves 1 million cold beverages, 500,000 cups of hot coffee and 300,000 hoagies every day.

They also have ATMs with no transaction fees, more EV chargers than any other retail chain and are 40% employee owned, said Brian Schaller, president.

He added that this kind of hurdle isnt uncommon  and they arent giving up on the Oleander location.

We are working through the process. Most municipalities want to make sure were doing it the right way, he said. A Wawa drives traffic intensity, and we understand that.

Theyre planning to make the necessary adjustments.

We try to tell them our story and tell them well do the right things, he said. You have a great community landscape in Wilmington... Youre a hidden gem thats been found.

Telling their story was a part of the process on Tuesday. Fans took photos of Wawas mascot, Wally Goose, could try out the self-ordering kiosks they use for made-to-order foods, sampled coffee, smoothies and some of Wawas packaged food. The company also announced two non-profit partners for the Wilmington area, including the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina and Special Olympics North Carolina.

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Wawa is a privately held, family and associate-owned chain that now has more than 1,050 locations operating seven states and Washington, D.C. Next, Wawa plans to visit Jacksonville (which has five sites under contract) and Fayetteville.

Heres a look at planned Wawa locations in the Wilmington area.

Ocean Highway and Frontage Road N.W., Shallotte

Ocean Highway and Lanvale Road, Leland

3 Green Swamp Road N.W., Supply

South 17th St. and Wellington Avenue, Wilmington

6800 Carolina Beach Road, Wilmington

9021 Stephens Church Road, Wilmington

4113 U.S. 421, Wilmington

7375 Market St., Wilmington

5400 Oleander Drive, Wilmington

19240 U.S. 17., Hampstead

STAY CONNECTED: Keep up with the areas latest food news by signing up for the Port City Foodies newsletter and following us on Facebook and Instagram.

Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her at aballard@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wawa convenience store plans to open new stores in Wilmington, NC
The big headline from President Bidens new tariffs on Chinese goods announced Tuesday was the massive hit to electric vehicles made in China.

New duties on EVs from companies like BYD (BYDDY), Geely (GELYF), and NIO (NIO) are set to quadruple in 2024, to 100% from 25% of the cost of the vehicle.

But the question remains: Will Bidens EV tariff move make any difference for EV sales in America?

The White Houses sweeping array of new tariffs will raise duties on $18 billion in Chinese imports, from steel and semiconductors to medical products. But the focus on EVs and manufacturing stands out.

The White House earmarked billions via the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to boost EV adoption and charging and create an American manufacturing industrial complex to support EV production.

Visitors are looking at a BYD DM-i electric car at the 2024 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition in Beijing, China, on May 3, 2024. (Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images) (NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Bidens move to protect his EV bet is not surprising. And the overall effect on the American consumer will initially be slim to none, as there are very few Chinese-made EVs for sale in America.

Currently, only Buick (GM), Lincoln (F), Lotus, Polestar (PSNY), and Volvo (VOLCAR-B.ST) ship vehicles made in China into the US, Sam Fiorani of AutoForecast Solutions noted to Yahoo Finance.

Of those cars, only Polestar imports a Chinese-made EV to the US. Lotus just started shipping its luxury EV in extremely limited quantities. In a statement, Polestar said it was "evaluating" Tuesday's announcement from the White House, noting that its upcoming Polestar 3 SUV will begin production in South Carolina this summer.

According to KBB, 1.2 million EVs were sold in America in 2023. Polestar does not break out its overall global sales by territory, but the company delivered 54,600 cars across territories like China, the EU, and the US last year. Even if a generous half of those vehicles are counted as US sales, the percentage of Chinese-made EVs sold in America is just over 2% of all EV sales.

The duty is unlikely to significantly impact the US auto market as relatively few Chinese EVs are being imported, and this new level will only further discourage buyers from turning to Chinese EVs, Beacon Policy Advisors said in a note to clients.

The value for Biden, though, is the attention that nearly quadrupling the tariff grabs and provides the president a clear campaign talking point.

President Joe Biden talks to the media after driving the new electric Ford F-150 Lightning at the Ford Dearborn Development Center in Dearborn, Mich., on May 18, 2021. (NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images) (NICHOLAS KAMM via Getty Images)

And the auto industrys main lobbying arm is, not surprisingly, backing the move.

"[China has] got a major EV overcapacity problem. Theyre building too many EVs  too many heavily subsidized EVs  for the domestic market and have no choice but to look abroad to offload those vehicles at budget prices. Its happening already in Europe," said John Bozzella, president and CEO of Alliance for Automotive Innovation, in a statement Tuesday morning.

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"Its appropriate for the White House to be looking at tools to prevent the US from becoming a dumping ground for subsidized Chinese EVs."

The United Auto Workers, which endorsed Bidens reelection campaign earlier this year, also applauded the presidents "decisive" action, calling it "a major step in the right direction."

Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown is even pushing Biden to go further, posting last week that tariffs aren't enough and "we need to ban Chinese EVs from the US."

A Polestar electric vehicle is at the New York International Auto Show in New York on Saturday, March 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Nonetheless, quadrupling import tariffs to 100% could severely dampen even those minimal sales. And the new duties may ultimately hurt the American consumer in ways beyond dealership sales.

"Chinese EVs and batteries, along with solar products, will be excluded from the US market," free trade expert Gary Hufbauer, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, told Yahoo Finance. "The result will be higher US prices and slower uptake of climate-friendly technology. This is a regrettable price of the US-China Cold War and US presidential political dynamics."

AutoForecast Solutions' Fiorani also believes these new tariffs will slow the advance of Chinese-made EVs in America, but there could be a backdoor.

Congress is looking to control the importation of vehicles by Chinese brands, but that will be difficult when theyre not made in China, Fiorani said.

Establishing production facilities outside of China, especially in Mexico or South Korea, will be one of the possible methods of getting around basic legislation.

Later this week, for instance, BYD will debut a new plug-in hybrid EV pickup that will be assembled in Mexico.

A prototype version of BYD's plug-in hybrid pickup, the Shark. (BYD) (BYD)

Advocates for tariffs believe protection from Chinese EV imports is necessary. Otherwise, American automakers will be overwhelmed by the competition, and a backdoor through Mexico could be the trigger.

Hufbauer also believes, however, that the tariffs are too extreme and likely overkill.

The US auto industry could certainly survive and even prosper if, say, Chinese EVs and batteries were limited to 15% of the market, rather than excluded, Hufbauer said.

Pras Subramanian is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on Twitter and on Instagram.

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What to call an electric version of the C segment HR-V? Perhaps the name which Honda came up with seems on overly complicated and hard to remember badge, but it is what it is. At least the lower case e makes sense and fits with the company system of e:HEV for hybrids and ePHEV for you can guess what.

The looks are not that different to those of the HR-V (which in the UK is hybrid-only) though a large fold-down charging flap in the grille is one of the easiest-to-spot differences.

How far will it go?

The usual question with an EV can be answered thus: a maximum range of 256 miles (WLTP) and a real world average of about 230 during the days I spent with a car. Most of that time I stayed in Economy mode, one of three settings, the others being Sport and Normal

How does it handle?

Selecting Sport makes the car a little bit faster with cornering less floaty so its handy to have this option. The steering remains very light though, and the ride tuned to a comfort default - this is not a coupe-SUV, nor is it marketed as one.

Power and performance

A 150 kW (204 PS) and 310 Nm motor powers the front axle of the e:Ny1 and that whisks this SUV to 62 mph in a competitive 7.7 seconds while the top speed is 100 mph.

And charging?

If you use an 11 kW AC connection, charge from 10-80 percent takes about six hours, or only 45 minutes via DC at up to 78 kW. And the battery capacity? Thats 68.8 kWh.

Benefit of a 2.6m+ long wheelbase

For a model which wasnt expressly designed to be electric-only, this 4.4 m long vehicle is really cleverly packaged and therefore very roomy. At least for all five occupants, though the boot could possibly be bigger if I had to find one thing that some rivals do better. And this says just how heavy most EVs are: the e:Ny1 tips the scales at just 1,752 kilos.

Bespoke detailing

As mentioned earlier, the exterior appearances of the HR-V and e:Ny1 are similar although Honda has done well to differentiate them. Things such some especially snazzy-looking turbine-pattern wheels on the EV, white for the H logo badges, distinctive trim pieces front and back and even some nicely bright (but not showy) colours set the electric model apart.

Premium interior?

On the inside, the ambience is premium - the brand is becoming ever more like Mazda in this way - with soft surfacing, a thick-rimmed steering wheel and a substantial feel to everything. That includes the push-buttons for automatic ratio selection, beautifully weighted door handles and touchscreen functions which work on the first press. Even the little dials at either end of the dashboard which direct airflow could be from a German OEM of old. Just as importantly, the digital instrument pack ahead of the driver is fairly minimalist and does not constantly nag for your attention.

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Pricing

One of the few things you could criticise this electric SUV for is pricing. Or at least it had been. Now, Honda has launched a promotional offer of GBP39,995 or GBP299 a month (with 1.9% APR representative and a GBP 3,000 deposit contribution for qualifying buyers).

The sub-forty thousand number is for the Elegance variant, with the Advance trim level starting at GBP42,195 or GBP339/month. These deals are due to expire on 30 June. The extra money for the higher grade adds features such as a glass roof, heating for the steering wheel, Parking Pilot, a multi-view camera and electric tailgate closing/opening.

Conclusion

Honda UK sold almost 2,000 units of this model in the first quarter with sales rising month after month for about half a year now. With the price cut having kicked in recently, I can see the e:Ny1 defying the general short-term trend of a blip in demand for EVs too. Even people who may not think an electric SUV is for them should try this Honda - it is a convincing package.

Future EVs

The much-admired but not often purchased e is now departed, production having ended in January, leaving the e:Ny1 as Honda Motor Europes sole EV. That seems highly unlikely to remain the status quo, plus there are rumours of a renaming to an easier to remember Y1 coming in 2025. There could also be a mild facelift, though this is all speculative for the moment.

Last month Honda revealed a couple of electric concepts at the Beijing motor show, stating also that it would have a range of ten EVs in China by 2027. That, however, includes certain twinned vehicles for the GAC and Dongfeng joint ventures, so in reality, we are talking perhaps three maybe four additional vehicles. How many of those will come to the European region? Quite possibly at least two but again, an official statement about this is awaited.

The latest pair are the just-launched GAC Honda e:NP2, to be followed in June by its near-twin, the Dongfeng Honda. Incidentally, that list of ten models officially includes two cars launched back in 2022, the e:NS1 and e:NP1. Honda noted as recently as April that it would be striving to make EVs represent 100% of its automobile sales in China by 2035. Which cleverly leaves some wiggle room should buyers still be keen on IC engines in a decades time.

"Why the e:Ny1 is Hondas EV frontrunner" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand.







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Press Release

May 14, 2024 Opening Statement of Senator Cynthia A. Villar

Congressional Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries (COCAFAM)

Senate Panel on the Review of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund under the Rice Tariffication Law or Republic Act (RA) No. 11203. 14 May 2024 (Tuesday) 10:00 A.M.

Sen. Pecson Room, 2/F Senate Enacted in 2019 under Republic Act (RA) No. 11203, the RTL lifted quantitative restrictions on rice and introduced tariffs to protect local rice producers. The RTL ensures that farmers directly benefit from the liberalization of rice trading by providing at least P10 billion a year to the RCEF up to 2024. Under the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), tariffs collected from rice imports go to the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF). Of the yearly P10-billion RCEF budget, P5 billion is allotted for the free distribution of farm machinery and equipment, P3 billion for free distribution of high quality inbred certified seeds, and P1 billion each for credit support and training of farmers and extension. Collections in excess of the P10 billion funds go to the Rice Farmer Financial Assistance or RFFA under RA 11598. The law took effect on March 5, 2019. The RFFA is an unconditional financial assistance to farmers funded by excess tariff collection from rice importations in 2022 that total PhP12 billion. The 2023 RFFA beneficiaries include farmers that registered in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture as of June 30, 2023 and tilling two hectares of land and below until 2024. In the Senate there are two bills filed on the topic, and one resolution. SN. 1203 by Senator Padilla expanding the purpose of the RCEF from P10Billion to P15Billion annually and earmarking 10% to scholarship, health and other similar benefits; SN. 2601, which I filed extending the RCEF until 2031 or seven years, including the Financial Assistance to Rice Farmers, and allocating a portion of the fund for Small Water Impounding Projects, and Composting Facilities for Organic Fertilizer; and Senate Resolution 956, by Senator Risa Hontiveros, for a consultative and comprehensive review of the implementation of RTL.
SAN DIEGO (AP)  One of California's most influential agricultural companies filed a lawsuit Monday against the state to stop a contentious law to help farmworkers unionize that Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom reluctantly signed two years ago after pressure from the White House.

The action by the Wonderful Co. comes as it battles the United Farm Workers over a newly formed UFW local of 640 workers at one of its businesses. The $6 billion company founded by Stewart and Lynda Resnick, who have donated to President Joe Biden and Newsom, makes a host of products recognizable to most grocery store shoppers, including Halos mandarin oranges, Wonderful Pistachios, POM Wonderful pomegranate juice and Fiji Water brands.

Farmworkers arent covered by federal rules for labor organizing in the United States. But California, which harvests much of the countrys produce, enacted a law and created a special board in 1975 to protect their right to unionize. That came after the storied work of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta to organize farmworkers across California under what later became the United Farm Workers.

But farmworker unionization has dropped precipitously in the years since, and today few such workers are organized in California.

The new law lets farmworkers unionize by collecting a majority of signatures without holding an election at a polling place  a condition proponents say protects workers from employers applying pressure or trying to retaliate against employees who vote to unionize. A union is formed if more than half of workers sign an authorization card.

Wonderful argues the law is unconstitutional by going too far in cutting employers out of the process.

Newsom's office said it was reviewing the lawsuit before responding and included his statement from when he signed the legislation that Californias farmworkers are the lifeblood of our state, and they have the fundamental right to unionize and advocate for themselves in the workplace."

Farm industry leaders have argued the lack of a secret ballot under the law makes workers vulnerable to coercion by unions and the elections susceptible to fraud. Wonderful said under the prior system, employers and union representatives were present at polling places to ensure a transparent process.

So far, four unions have formed under the new law. No other company has taken any legal action. Wonderful said it is best equipped to spearhead the battle since other companies are much smaller.

The law does not require union authorization cards to be dated or that an employee identify his or her employer, Wonderful said in its lawsuit.

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Wonderful said under the law there is no independent verification process to prove majority support for a union, violating due process rights.

Wonderful said it also is asking Kern County Superior Court to issue an injunction to stop the law from being enforced until the court rules on its claim that it's unconstitutional.

Wonderful is up against the clock.

Under the law, once a union is certified, employers must enter into collective bargaining within 90 days, Wonderful said in its lawsuit. That would be June 3 for the newly formed union at Wonderful Nurseries in Wasco, Calif., that was certified by the states Agricultural Labor Relations Board.

Wonderful filed a complaint with the board, saying its workers didnt want a union. The company says many employees thought the cards they signed were to access $600 payments under a federal pandemic relief program administered by the UFW, the largest farmworker union in the U.S. The UFW denied the allegation.

The UFW called the lawsuit unfortunate but not surprising. The union said that on April 22 the Agricultural Labor Relations Board filed an unfair labor practice charge against Wonderful, accusing it of obligating workers to attend a meeting to discuss revoking their signatures on the authorization cards they used to form the union.

Wonderful Nurseries now wants to get rid of the law that protects farm workers, said UFW spokesperson Elizabeth Strater.

The case is being played out before an administrative law judge who is taking testimony from workers during a weekslong hearing.

Wonderful Nurseries contends the board has failed to ensure an honest process for the units 60 permanent employees and as many as 1,500 seasonal workers. The company's only workers to unionize are at Wonderful Nurseries, which grows table grapes and wine grape vines as well as other plants. The company has roughly 10,000 employees, according to its website.

Wonderful said its employees are paid well and the 1975 protections have worked.

Before Newsom in 2022 signed the new law, he and his two predecessors had vetoed similar legislation over concerns about the voting process. The Democratic governor had announced plans to veto it again in 2022, but he reversed course after Biden announced support for the change. He signed it on condition that another method of forming a union, through mail-in ballots, was later removed.

Biden, who keeps a bust of Chavez in the Oval Office, said in a statement in 2022 that in the state with the largest population of farmworkers, the least we owe them is an easier path to make a free and fair choice to organize a union.

_____

Taxin reported from Orange County, Calif.
Grand Decameron Complex Bucerias, A Trademark All Inclusive Wyndham

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts expanded its all-inclusive resort portfolio Tuesday through a new alliance with Decameron All Inclusive Hotels & Resorts.

This full franchise deal lets Wyndham add nine of Decamerons all-inclusive resorts in Mexico, Panama, and Jamaica, involving 2,600 rooms.

The companies didnt disclose the terms of the franchise contracts for the resorts.

The resorts will retain Decameron branding, which is not a new soft brand for Wyndham. However, the hotels coming in are soft-branded to either Wyndhams Trademark Collection or Ramada. (Hard brands dictate many rules for property owners that soft brands dont.)

Travelers can book the resorts for cash or loyalty points via its site and app. Members of Wyndhams loyalty program can now redeem points for free stays starting at 15,000 points a night. The award chart is static, not dynamic. Properties that are 15,000 will remain 15,000 points and those that are 30,000 will remain 30,000, regardless of season.

Decameron has more properties than the all-inclusive resorts joining Wyndham as franchises. Why are some included and others not? Wyndham said it sees long-term opportunities with Decameron.

In the short term, Decamerons priority is greater distribution with its Caribbean resorts.

a view of a happy resort in latin america with a swimming pool and a body of water by an all-inclusive resort

The Larger All-Inclusive Trend

The marketing alliance marks Wyndhams latest move to boost its presence in the fast-growing all-inclusive resort sector. The deal expands the hotel groups all-inclusive choices to more than 50 worldwide.

Increasingly, operators like Decameron are turning to Wyndham, helping to significantly expand their reach, said Gustavo Viescas, Wyndhams Latin America and Caribbean president.

In late 2022, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) said on Monday that it had signed a licensing deal with Iberostar to let IHG market up to 70 of that brands all-inclusive hotels and resorts.

Since 2021, Marriott has added about 20 all-inclusive resorts across Central America and the Caribbean to its Autograph Collection of hotels through a licensing deal with Sunwing Travel Groups hotel division, which manages them.

Accommodations Sector Stock Index Performance Year-to-Date

What am I looking at? The performance of hotels and short-term rental sector stocks within the ST200. The index includes companies publicly traded across global markets, including international and regional hotel brands, hotel REITs, hotel management companies, alternative accommodations, and timeshares.

The Skift Travel 200 (ST200) combines the financial performance of nearly 200 travel companies worth more than a trillion dollars into a single number. See more hotels and short-term rental financial sector performance.

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Read the full methodology behind the Skift Travel 200.

Get breaking travel news and exclusive hotel, airline, and tourism research and insights at Skift.com.
Longtime Cheyenne Mountain Zoo president and chief executive officer Bob Chastain announced his plan to retire in 2026, according to a Monday news release from the zoo.

Chastain started his Cheyenne Mountain Zoo career in 1995, working in several positions prior to being named president and CEO in 2006.

Chastain's main focus over the next two years will be finalizing major zoo renovations, according to the news release.

"Bob's ambition and passion for conservation, community and animal care have been contagious during his tenure," said Tia Ferguson, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo board chair. "While we'll miss working with him closely, we know he will leave a lasting mark on the zoo. Strong leaders and staff are in place, the zoo is financially stable, we're making incredible conservation progress, and major zoo improvements are underway with the leadership of a dedicated board. We're excited for what's next."

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The zoo has experienced major growth during Chastain's tenure.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo welcomed around 365,000 visitors during Chastain's first year in 1995, according to the zoo. Attendance ballooned to 900,000 annually before capacity was limited to preserve guest experience. It now averages 800,000 yearly visitors.

New exhibit openings at the Colorado Springs zoo include African Rift Valley in 2003, with one of the first giraffe feeding experiences in the world; Rocky Mountain Wild in 2008; Encounter Africa in 2013; Australia Walkabout in 2015 and Waters Edge: Africa in 2020.

The zoo also has earned a top 5 ranking consistently in recent years.

In 2021, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo became only the fourth zoo in 50 years to earn a clean report of inspection from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums accreditation team, according to the news release.
Two of the Colorado Republicans who won top-line designation in their respective congressional primaries are refusing to fill out a questionnaire distributed Tuesday by the state GOP as part of the party's controversial new policy to take sides in contested primaries.
Today is May 14, 2024, and here's what you need to know:
Major measures on housing are starting to move at the state Capitol this week, which saw the first hearings on some of the roughly 260 bills introduced in this session so far.
Editor's note: This article has been updated to include Councilman Risley's full name.

The Colorado Springs City Council appeared split on Monday about bringing ambulance services in-house, following five hours of presentation from the Fire Department and city staff on the plan to create a new emergency medical services enterprise.

Some councilmembers characterized the potential move away from the city's current ambulance services provider, American Medical Response, as an opportunity to improve public safety and for the Fire Department to "control the entire pie" of emergency response. Others questioned whether the proposed enterprise would be and would remain financially viable, and if the Fire Department could meet targeted response times.

The city's current five-year contract with AMR expires next April.

"I think the council is struggling with making sure we're doing the right thing for the city," Councilman Dave Donelson said in an interview following the discussion.

Donelson said he has not decided if he supports the proposal from the Colorado Springs Fire Department to take over ambulance response or if he believes it should remain in the hands of third-party, private providers.

Fire Department representatives and city staff reiterated arguments for a fire-run EMS system in the community: It will save more lives, lower ambulance bills, offer better pay and benefits to its employees, and improve and expand the department's creative programs like tiered response.

"As technology grows ... there's going to be new and better ways to do this. If we don't allow you to have control of the entire pie (emergency response), that's really going to restrict our ability to be innovative going forward," Councilman David Leinweber addressed Fire Department officials during the discussion.

Fire Department projections show the city will save $42 million at the end of nine years if Colorado Springs brings its ambulance services in-house, while charging people less for ambulance rides.

Financial projections are based partially on how much money the department estimates it will receive in payments through Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance for every ambulance transport.

The amount Colorado Springs believes it can receive is about $755 per transport, city projections have shown. AMR receives somewhere between $530 to $550 per transport, Chris Williams, the regional director for Global Medical Response, AMR's parent company, said Monday.

Because certain aspects of the financial projections are based on variables  like the mix of reimbursement the Fire Department can expect from insurance, Medicare and Medicaid  the city cannot determine exactly what its revenues will be until the enterprise starts operating, some councilmembers said.

"We've got a financial model based on what we hope will come to fruition," Councilman Brian Risley said.

Deputy Chief of Staff Ryan Trujillo repeated statements that the estimates are conservative. A review from the City Auditor's Office, released Saturday, further adjusted the mix of reimbursement the Fire Department can expect so it is even more conservative, he said.

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Councilman Mike O'Malley raised concerns that if a large insurance provider no longer provided insurance to a broad swath of residents it could negatively impact the city's financial projections and its expected ambulance transport revenue.

For example, failure to strike a deal between CommonSpirit Health and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Colorado meant that, as of May 7, some 7,800 El Paso County residents with Anthem are no longer in-network with CommonSpirit's hospitals, clinics and doctors' practices.

"If you haven't put that into your model, it's a miscalculation," O'Malley said.

Fire Department representatives and city staff said that risk would also be true for AMR.

Because the Colorado Springs model would be an enterprise, the city legally cannot subsidize it with funds from the General Fund that supports some basic city services, like fire protection.

"So if it struggles and it's not working, we would have to ask this company we just terminated to come back" and provide ambulance services, Donelson said.

He wondered if the city ambulance enterprise could meet targeted response times of 8 minutes for emergent calls in urban areas. Fire Department officials have said their fire trucks meet these response time thresholds currently; an ambulance service also could, they have said.

AMR consultant Daniel Cole said response times for fire trucks and ambulances can't be equally compared.

"The Fire Department is not going to transport people to the hospital in the fire trucks that are responding quickly now," Cole said. "You could double the Fire Department budget next year and of course it would be responding even faster. ... But that wouldn't impact ambulance response times one bit."

The number of ambulances on the street determines ambulance response times, Cole said.

Colorado Springs' plan calls for 18 ambulances at peak deployment, while AMR deploys 22 ambulances at peak. AMR's number includes ambulances used for non-emergency transports, such as moving patients between medical facilities; Colorado Springs' number doesn't.

But AMR deploys fewer than five ambulances a day for non-emergency transports, so that number is a fraction of the whole, Cole said.

Councilwoman Nancy Henjum said the Fire Department's EMS model is "an opportunity" for the city to improve public safety.

"I think the case has been made that it is time to bring EMS services into our fire department," she said.
A 23-year-old soldier assigned to Fort Carson has died in what officials say was a training accident at the Joint Readiness Training Center in Vernon Parish, Louisiana.

Army 1st Lt. Zachary Galli was an explosive ordinance disposal officer assigned to the 242nd Ordinance Battalion of the 71st Explosive Ordinance Disposal Group. A statement from Fort Carson said that Gallis death was still under investigation. The cause and circumstances of his death have not yet been released.

Galli was from Williamsburg, Virginia, according to the the release. He had served for one year and nine months and had been awarded the Army Service Ribbon among other distinctions.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of the Galli family, the 749th EOD Co., and the greater EOD community, said Col. Brennan Fitzgerald, commander of the 71st EOD in the statement.
The man accused of causing the death of Fountain police officer Julian Becerra last year was found guilty of murder and several other charges on Monday.

"Officer Becerra gave his life in service to our community as he and many others worked to stop three criminals who engaged in a violent crime spree," said District Attorney Michael Allen in a press conference after the conviction.

Devon Bobian, 32, was the final person awaiting the end of their case among three individuals arrested for their alleged involvement in Becerra's death.

Bobian, Anthony Vallejos and Daniesha Pacheco were arrested in February 2023 after stealing a car and leading multiple law enforcement agencies on a chase throughout El Paso County leading to Becerra's death, according to previous Gazette reporting.

Evidence presented earlier in the trial by the prosecution showed that Bobian attempted to flee law enforcement on foot after the car pursuit, and that the attempt to flee from Bobian led to Becerra falling off a bridge to his death.

The verdict came back on Monday afternoon and the 12-person jury determined that Bobian was guilty of second-degree murder, aggravated robbery, felony menacing, vehicular eluding and motor vehicle theft.

Bobian's sentence has yet to be determined as Judge Chad Miller opted to move Bobian's sentencing back to allow for time to hold a habitual criminal hearing.

If Bobian is determined to be a habitual offender due to his previous felony convictions, the range of his possible prison sentence could change dramatically. Allen said on Monday that the sentence range for the conviction was from 16 to 96 years, depending on the result of the habitual offender hearing.

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Second degree-murder is a class two felony, carrying a normal sentence range from 16 to 48 years with five years of mandatory parole, according to Allen. Being determined a habitual offender is a sentence enhancer.

"We are holding this violent offender accountable to the highest extent of the law," said Allen, asking for understanding from the law enforcement community during the legal process.

Court records show Bobian in March of last year pleaded guilty to weapon possession by a previous offender in two different criminal cases in Pueblo County, each charge landing him 18 months in the Department of Corrections. Bobian's sentence in those cases remains active.

The two co-defendants have already been sentenced for their involvement in the case.

Last year, Vallejos was sentenced to 27 years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, a Class 3 felony, for his involvement.

Earlier this year, Pacheco was sentenced to eight years in the Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to an amended count of aggravated robbery with a violent crime sentence enhancer.

Bobian's habitual criminal hearing was scheduled for July 3 by Miller. Bobian's sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the results of the habitual criminal hearing.
Gasoline in the metro Denver area is about to get a lot more expensive come June 1  as much as 51 cents to $1 more per gallon, depending on who is asked.

And Gov. Jared Polis said that threatens Colorados fuel supply and might result in shortages at the pump.

Motorists in whats called the Denver Metro/North Front Range Ozone Non-Attainment Area face the more expensive gas after the Environmental Protection Agency a few years ago downgraded the region to severe, which triggered a requirement to use whats called reformulated gasoline this summer.

When the EPA was considering the downgrade, the agency said the reformulated gasoline would only add about 3 cents per gallon. Experts in the field said it would be 10 to 20 or more times as much as the EPA suggested.

In a press briefing with the Gazette editorial board on Thursday, Polis criticized the EPA.

Oh, theyre awful, said Polis. Yes, were fighting them on many fronts, but particularly now, with several exclamation points, this insane requirement for this reformulated gas.

Two years ago, Polis called it frustrating that the federal law governing clean air standards attempts to impose a decades-old, one-size-fits-all approach that does not accurately account for Colorados unique situation.

Last month, Polis sent the EPA a letter asking for an extension, citing another request for an extension he had sent the agency in September 2022.

The bold actions Colorado has taken, and continues to take, to reduce emissions from the transportation sector and move away from fossil fuels have negated any potential emissions or environmental benefit from the costly and harmful RFG mandate, the governor said in the April 4 letter. RFG requirements threaten Colorados fuel supply, will raise prices, and may result in shortages at the pump.

Polis told the EPA that, because Colorado has only one gasoline refinery  the Suncor refinery in Commerce City, which provides about 40% of Colorados gasoline  it might be necessary to truck in reformulated gasoline in large amounts from other refineries.

That would increase the amount of pollution from the tanker trucks and people driving more to get out of the non-attainment area for cheaper gas, which could all negate any benefits from using reformulated gasoline, he said.

We have gas stations in our state  I think right near Loveland is another area  that (are) not in the non-attainment, Polis said during the briefing with the editorial board on Thursday. If theres that big a delta on gas prices, everybodys just going to drive a few extra miles, which makes our area even worse and adds to traffic because gas will be cheaper in certain locations.

Those areas could offer gas that is 40 to 50 cents cheaper, he said.

Colorado has no direct pipeline connections to facilities that make reformulated gasoline.

The governor said he hopes the EPA could still change its mind.

They neither granted nor denied our waiver request, so they kept it pending, Polis said. Its certainly better than denying it. We were hopeful they would actually approve it. But what that means is theyre going to be monitoring our supply situation and if some of the modeling we did bears out and there are shortages, they would then quickly be able to act on our waiver presumably.

And well continue to push for that, he said.

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Shortly after his election in 2019, Polis sent a letter asking the EPA to withdraw Colorados request for an extension time to meet the Clean Air Act ozone standards in order to see if the measures already taken would bring the state into compliance, something the EPA has the power to do.

Polis predecessor in the governors office, now U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, had sought the extension.

In rescinding Hickenloopers request, Polis said it was of vital importance to meet the ozone standard as quickly as possible.

In that letter, Polis wrote, We believe that the interests of our citizens are best served by moving aggressively forward and without delay in our efforts to reduce ground level ozone concentrations in the Denver Metro/North Front Range non-attainment area.

In a May 2022 letter to Polis, roughly two dozen Colorado business leaders pleaded with the governor to ask the EPA to extend the compliance deadline, even as the federal agencys machinery ground its way toward an ozone downgrade that would trigger the gasoline mandate.

They didnt want residents of the states most populous region paying for what some described as the California blend of gasoline that would hurt consumers and companies alike, they said.

After his rescinding of Hickenloopers extension request and the public outcry at the potential costs of reformulated gas and after the EPA downgraded the non-attainment area to severe, Polis reversed course and said that he would do everything possible to avoid the RFG mandate, including filing a lawsuit against the EPA.

The reformulated gasoline was mandated by the EPA for use during the summer to cut down on ozone that builds up along the northern Front Range, as stagnant air loaded with organic chemicals that cause ozone backs up against the mountains and pools in the Denver Basin.

When exposed to sunlight, volatile organic chemicals emitted by both motor vehicles and oil and gas operations get cooked into ozone, which is harmful to peoples health.

Critics said a majority of the problems in the Denver Basin are not the fault of residents, but rather, they come from uncontrollable natural, out-of-state and even international sources, and that ozone level violations usually occur in specific areas affecting fewer than half of the regions 16 ozone monitors.

Referring to a part of the Clean Air Act that allows non-attainment areas to get a waiver for violating the standards because of circumstances beyond the states control, like last years dense smoke from forest fires in Canada, Polis could have also requested a waiver, they said.

Most of our ozone  60% is naturally occurring  blows in from other states and countries, or is caused by wildfires. Colorado could have gotten relief from these emissions that are outside our control, but the governor chose not to ask for that, said Rich Coolidge, director of public affairs for the Colorado Oil & Gas Association in an August 2022 interview with The Denver Gazette.

Polis office last year informed the Gazette that the governor would not be seeking a waiver for forest fires.

The state Regional Air Quality Council, the lead air quality planning agency for the Denver metropolitan area and the Denver Metro/North Front Range Ozone Non-Attainment Area, acknowledged the problem of imported and natural ozone-creating chemicals.

We essentially assume that we have control of about 25% to 30% of the ozone in our region, said Mike Silverstein, RAQCs executive director, during an online press briefing in July 2021. And thats what were responsible for developing strategies for control.

The region  comprising eight counties including Jefferson, Boulder, Larimer, Denver, Douglas, Arapahoe, Adams and Weld that have had seasonal problems with ozone levels for decades  was declared a non-attainment region in 1978, when ozone levels exceeded 120 parts per billion, the 1978 EPA national ambient air quality standard.
University of Denver officials are eyeing disciplinary action against pro-Palestinian protesters who dont comply with campus policy, adding they have also seen instances of antisemitism from the encampment.

Despite our efforts to promote free expression, engage in listening, and maintain safety, the situation has continued with intentional disregard for university policy and a troubling increase in reports of unacceptable behavior, including antisemitism and disruption, DU Chancellor Jeremy Haefner, Provost Mary Clark and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Todd Adams said in a statement.

The pro-Palestinian activists set up the encampment at the private universitys Carnegie Green quad starting Thursday afternoon. For now, university officials said they are allowing the encampment to stand but added that its long-term feasibility depends on the health, safety, sanitation, and disruption to the university operations.

Officials warned that only current students, faculty and staffers may join the overnight protests and encampments, and they must strictly adhere to a campus policy on protests.

Notably, university officials said they would require a visual check of university IDs and clarified the security step wont be used for punitive purposes.

They said that, throughout the weekend, they have various instances of noncompliance from encampment participants, including refusal to show university-issued ID upon request.

Our ability to maintain campus safety is dependent upon everyones compliance with university policy, the officials said. As a reminder, noncompliance will continue to result in immediate referral to Student Rights and Responsibilities or the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX, as appropriate, for thorough review and appropriate action, which can include interim suspension as warranted.

Similar to protests elsewhere in the country, the group of students calling itself DU For Palestine is calling for the universitys divestment from Israeli companies, a move thats tantamount to an economic sanction.

In the statement from DU, officials clarified that they have not threatened to arrest students or to sweep the encampment.

But the university said protesters who are not part of the DU community are prohibited from joining, and DU has the right to remove them without notice.

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A pro-Palestinian demonstration attracted around 250 students, faculty and alumni at Colorado Colleges Tava Quad after a class walkout this month. Since then, more than a dozen tents have been set up by protesters at the quad.

On the University of Colorado Colorado Springs campus, the UCCS Students for Justice In Palestine group protested last week.

UCCS supports our campus communitys right to peacefully protest, as protected by the First Amendment and university policy, UCCS officials said in an emailed statement.

Under Colorado law, the open outdoor areas of campus are student forums available for student expression, so long as the expression is not materially disruptive and complies with the campus policies for the use of buildings, grounds, and facilities.

For the past three weeks, a much larger encampment has been growing at downtown Denvers Auraria Campus. What started out with a dozen or so tents late in April has grown to roughly 60 tents.

Auraria Campus officials earlier described an escalating health and safety situation arising out of the pro-Palestinian encampment, noting that feces now litter the area, some have observed drug paraphernalia and homeless people have also now set up tents.

At the Denver Coliseum on Saturday, protesters briefly interrupted University of Colorado Denvers graduation. They also protested outside the coliseum Friday during Metropolitan State Universitys graduation ceremony.

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said the successful graduation ceremonies have released some of the tension with these big events.

What weve been after is trying to make space for peaceful protest and to protect the overall functioning of the campus and the security of the rest of the students, Johnston said.

DUs graduation is scheduled for June 14.

As we head into a new week, we remain dedicated to maintaining a safe, respectful environment for all students, faculty and staff, Haefner and other DU officials said.

At the end of the day, they added, we have a responsibility to thousands of students who are diligently studying and readying themselves for the end of the term.

The Gazette reporter Alex Edwards and 9News contributed to this report.
Rocky Mountain National Park rangers started the search Monday for a 23-year-old Colorado Springs man who went missing on Longs Peak on Sunday.

The National Park Service said Lucas Macaj was reported overdue late Sunday night after setting out to summit the 14,259-foot mountain. His car was later found at the Longs Peak trailhead parking lot.

According to the NPS, Macaj texted a friend that he had reached the summit around 1 p.m. Sunday, with no contact since. The Park Service said "significant storms" hit parts of the park at high elevation Sunday afternoon.

Macaj planned to summit via the Keyhole Route. The NPS says he is likely wearing a dark-colored top, tan or brown pants, khaki-colored boots and a black backpack with a beanie and dark-colored gloves. He is described as 5 feet, 9 inches and 155 pounds with brown hair and green eyes.

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Rescue efforts deployed Monday include teams in the air and on the ground, with a heat-seeking camera attached to a fixed-wing aircraft and search-and-rescue crews on the Longs Peak trail along the Keyhole route and on the Boulder Brook Trail. The Flight for Life Air Ambulance and the State of Colorado Department of Fire Prevention and Control are also on scene with the national park's search and rescue teams.

Air reconnaissance covered the Keyhole Route, including The Ledges, The Trough, The Narrows, The Homestretch and the saddle between Longs Peak and Mount Meeker, according to the Parks Service.

On the tallest peak in Rocky Mountain National Park, the Longs Peak summit routes are both popular and dangerous. Last year, in July, two hikers were rescued off the mountain, while in August a man was injured after a 60-foot fall in the area of the Keyhole Route.

According to data compiled on the 374 visitor deaths in the park between 1915 and 2017, 67 have been associated with Longs Peak.

The NPS is asking anyone who saw Macaj, was in the area Sunday, or has any useful information to call or text the National Park Service Investigative Services Bureau Tip Line at 888-653-0009, go online at www.nps.gov/ISB or email nps_isb@nps.gov.
Nazrin Abdul

Cooperation in the renewable energy sector between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan was discussed.

Azernews reports, citing the post shared by Rovshan Najaf, the President of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), on his official "X" account.

At the 26th 'Oil and Gas of Uzbekistan - OGU 2024' international exhibition and conference, we had a productive meeting with Baxodirjon Sidiqov, Chairman of Uzbekneftegaz. We discussed the successful development of our cooperative relations and explored current and prospective opportunities in human capital, renewable energy, decarbonisation, innovation, and digitalization. We also exchanged views on various issues of mutual interest, R. Najaf noted.

It should be noted that Uzbekneftgaz is the national oil and gas company of Uzbekistan, responsible for the exploration, production, refining, and distribution of oil and gas resources within the country. It plays a crucial role in Uzbekistan's energy sector, contributing to the nation's economic development and energy security.
Nazrin Abdul

On May 14th, the IV General Assembly on "Preparation for the summer season" convened under the auspices of the Association of Azerbaijan Tourism Agencies (ATAA), Azernews reports.

Attendees were treated to a video highlighting the biennial accomplishments of ATAA.

Addressing the gathering, Kanan Gasimov, Chief of Staff of the State Tourism Agency, underscored the pivotal role of specialized public associations in bridging diverse sectors within tourism. He emphasised how these connections foster robust state-business partnerships and nurture-adaptable relationships across the industry. Gasimov reaffirmed the State Tourism Agency's steadfast support for the Association of Tourism Agencies of Azerbaijan, alongside other allied associations, stressing collaborative efforts in pivotal areas such as tourism regulation, business environment enhancement, product creation, and marketing strategies.

Goydeniz Kahramanov, Chairman of the ATAA Board, outlined the association's core objectives, including advancing Azerbaijan's tourism sector, safeguarding members' rights, promoting the nation as a premier tourist destination abroad, and bolstering inbound tourism. He highlighted ATAA's extensive engagement over recent years, citing nearly 300 meetings with governmental bodies, international partners, and air carriers, all aimed at revitalising and expanding Azerbaijan's tourism landscape.

Echoing the sentiment of public-private collaboration, Kahramanov emphasised the need for intensified cooperation to propel the rapid growth of Azerbaijan's tourism industry.

Muzaffar Aghakarimov, Chairman of the Council of Elders of the Association of Azerbaijan Tourism Agencies, acknowledged the significant setbacks caused by the pandemic across various sectors, including tourism. However, he commended the sector's resurgence under the stewardship of the Azerbaijan Tourism Agency. Aghakarimov articulated the association's commitment to partnering with proficient and capable tourism enterprises, citing a consistent uptick in the association's stature.

"At the same time, great work awaits us in our liberated territories. Tourism is not only commercial, it is also the promotion of culture, art, history, and music," said Muzaffar Aghakarimov. He emphasised the broader scope of tourism, encompassing cultural, artistic, historical, and musical promotion, particularly in recently liberated territories.

In accordance with the association's charter, the assembly elected Goydeniz Kahramanov for another term as Chairman of the Board, with 122 participants, 118 of whom voted in favour, and 4 abstentions.

The event featured panel discussions addressing summer season preparations, methods to enhance tourist allure, mitigating seasonality challenges, fostering inbound and domestic tourism, exploring new outbound tourism avenues, and strengthening collaboration between tour operators and tourism companies. Industry queries were addressed, and suggestions were welcomed.

Panellists highlighted a 40 percent increase in foreign visitors during the first four months of the year, projecting positive momentum fueled by upcoming summer tourism and major international events. Prospects for 2024 were optimistic, signalling a resurgence post-pandemic crisis, promising the most successful year yet for Azerbaijan's tourism sector.
Dear Savvy Senior,

Can you recommend some good resources to help me locate some quality doctors in my area? Im looking for an orthopedic doctor for my 77-year-old mother and a new internist for me, since my doctor retired last year.  Searching Susan

Dear Susan,

Finding and researching doctors is a lot easier than it used to be. Today, there are a variety of websites you can turn to that provide databases of U.S. doctors, their professional medical histories, and ratings and reviews from past patients on a number of criteria. Here are some good sites to help you get started, along with a few additional tips that can help you find the right doctors.

To help you locate some good doctors in your area, a good first step is to get referrals from trusted friends, along with any doctors, nurses or other health care professionals you know.

You also need to check your insurance provider. Call your insurer for a list of approved doctors or ask whether the doctor youre considering is in-network.

If your mother is enrolled in original Medicare, you can use the care compare tool at Medicare.gov/care-compare  click on Doctors & Clinicians. This will let you find doctors by name, medical specialty or location that accept original Medicare. If shes enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, call or visit the plan website to get a list of approved candidates.

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Once you find a few doctors, you need to call their office to verify that they still accept your insurance and if they are accepting new patients.

You also should consider hospital affiliation. Your choice of doctor can determine which hospital you go to, if needed, so find out where the doctor has admitting privileges. Then use some hospital ratings services like Medicare.gov/care-compare (click on Hospitals) to see how it compares with other hospitals in the area.

After you find a few doctors youre interested in, there are various websites you can consult, to help you evaluate them. For example, the Federation of State Medical Boards offers a tool at DocInfo.org that will let you find out doctors board certifications, education, states with active licenses, and whether or not a physician has been disciplined by a state medical board.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS Data) is also a good source for researching doctors. For example, it will help you find out how many times a doctor did a particular procedure and what they charge for it  go to Data.CMS.gov/tools and click on Medicare Physician & Other Practitioner Look-up Tool. And to learn about the financial relationship that doctors have with drug and medical device companies, visit OpenPaymentsData.CMS.gov.

Some other good sites for finding and researching healthcare professionals include Healthgrades (healthgrades.com) and Vitals (vitals.com).

Both sites provide substantial doctors information on education and training, hospital affiliations, board certification, awards and recognitions, professional misconduct, disciplinary action, office locations and accepted insurance plans.

They also offer 5-star ratings scales from past patients on issues such as communication and listening skills, wait time, time spent with the patient, office friendliness and more. But be aware that while physician rating websites can be helpful, they can also be misleading and unreliable.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Writer Jim Miller is a contributor to Today on NBC and author of The Savvy Senior.
Chinese embassy condemns UK's unwarranted accusation against HKSAR gov't

Xinhua) 08:24, May 14, 2024

LONDON, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom (UK) on Monday issued a statement, strongly condemning the UK's malicious fabrication and unwarranted accusation against the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government.

Earlier on Monday, British police made an announcement on charging three men with allegedly assisting Hong Kong's foreign intelligence service. The Chinese side firmly rejects and strongly condemns Britain's fabrication of the so-called case and its unwarranted accusation against the HKSAR government, and has made serious representations to the UK side on the matter, said the Chinese embassy in the statement.

For some time now, the UK has staged a series of accusations against China, including those on "China spies" and cyber attacks, said the statement. "All those accusations are groundless and slanderous,"

The British side has also wantonly harassed, arrested and detained Chinese citizens in the UK under the pretext of judicial and national security and this constitutes a grave provocation against China and severely contravenes the basic norms governing international relations, it said.

"It must be stressed that Hong Kong has long returned to China. Hong Kong is China's Hong Kong. The UK has no right and is in no position to point fingers at and meddle in Hong Kong affairs," said the statement.

The Chinese government remains firmly resolved in fighting anti-China elements seeking to disrupt Hong Kong and in upholding the stability and prosperity of the region. The UK's harboring of wanted criminals tramples on the rule of law and leads nowhere, it said.

"We urge the UK side to immediately correct its wrongdoing, stop spreading the so-called 'China threat theory,' end all forms of political manipulation against China, and ensure all the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens in the UK," it said.

Any political trick to divert public attention and cover up its own serious problems by smearing China is doomed to failure, and any move to interfere in China's internal affairs and undermine China's interests will be met with a firm response, said the statement.

"The UK side must not go further down the wrong path of jeopardizing China-UK relations," it added.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Fatime Letifova

The 10th Congress of the Azerbaijan National NGO Forum is being held, Azernews reports.

Changes will be made to the organisation's charter at the congress, and the post of President of the Azerbaijan National NGO Forum will be abolished.

The forum will be managed by the chairman of the newly formed Board of Directors.

Also, the forum will have a Board of Directors consisting of 5 people.
Fatime Letifova

On May 13-14, 2024, Azerbaijan's ambassador to Turkmenistan, Kismet Gozalov, visited the Balkan region of Turkmenistan, Azernews reports.

Within the framework of the visit, K. Gozelov met with the Judge of the Balkan Region, the judge of Turkmenbash? City, the chairman of the Turkmen Maritime and River Lines Agency, the head of the Turkmenbash? International Sea Port, and the director of the Balkan Shipyard, and visited the port.

The current state of bilateral cooperation and future prospects were discussed at the meetings. In addition to the role played by the Port of Turkmenbashi in maritime transport between the two countries, the importance of the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor was also mentioned in the speeches.

Also, during the visit, G. Gozelov met with Azerbaijani citizens and compatriots living in the Balkan region. At the meeting, the ambassador talked about the importance and care that the state of Azerbaijan gives to citizens living abroad, listened to the suggestions and requests of compatriots, and exchanged mutual views.
The Iowa Association of Business and Industrys political action committee has announced endorsements in two local primary races.

The candidates receiving IIPAC endorsements today have a proven track record of supporting pro-jobs policies that have strengthened Iowas business climate and fostered greater economic growth, said IIPAC Board Chair Kirk Tyler in a press release. IIPAC is proud to designate these candidates, who are also incumbent legislators with the Friend of Iowa Business endorsement for the June primary.
A popular Southside frozen-treat business has expanded with a larger second location in Silas Creek Crossing shopping near Hanes Mall and Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center.

La Princesa Frozen Treats opened last month at 328 Silas Creek Parkway, selling Mexican fruit bars, ice cream and a whole lot more.

The original La Princesa has been a mainstay Hispanic business since 2017 at 9 E. Clemmonsville Road at the intersection with South Main Street.

Founder Juan Sanchez has been supplying the community with authentic paletas (Mexican fruit bars) a lot longer than that. Thats where it all started, said Juans son, Kris. My dad was wholesaling popsicles over 20 years ago  for stores, for carts. We were making popsicles, and then we opened up a small store.

Juan still runs the business with his wife, Eloisa. Kris came up from Dallas last fall to help his father get the new business up and running.

La Princesa Address: 3248 Silas Creek Parkway (and, original store, 9 East Clemmonsville Road), Winston-Salem, NC Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily Phone: 336-934-4026 Website: laprincesastreats.com Facebook, Instagram: @laprincesafrozentreats.com

Though the original store has done good business over the years, it made sense to expand, Kris said. That store is at a busy intersection with limited parking out front. The smaller store is in a heavily populated area, but it is not very accessible, Kris said.

The new store gives La Princesa greater visibility in the broader Winston-Salem area, allowing the Sanchez family to expand its customer base. Kris estimated that nearly a third of the new stores customers were not familiar with the brand.

The new store is about four times the size of the original, with plenty of seating indoor and out. On the weekends, it gets crazy here. Its a madhouse, said.

Though frozen treats are in the name, La Princesa sells a lot more.

Yes, there are plenty of ice pops and ice cream. La Princesa makes paletas ($1.50 to $2.50) in many flavors, including coconut, mango, lime, pecan, chamoy (made with the popular chile-lime fruit sauce), chile, watermelon, tamarind and more.

Most of La Princesas ice creams are made by Hersheys, but it does make a few flavors in-house, including including limon, gansito (named after a Mexican strawberry- and chocolate-flavored snack cake), and mamey (made with a Mexican fruit of the same name).

The store also can make such ice-cream desserts as sundaes and banana splits.

Surprisingly, none of those are the stores best-sellers. Here at this location, I would say the corn in the cup ($5.75 to $7.75), the Mexican street corn, is the most popular, Kris said.

Also popular is the dori loco $7.75 to $12.75), a savory concoction that starts with a bag of Doritos or other chips, topping them with jicama, cucumber, cabbage, cheese, sour cream and Tajin (chile-lime seasoning).

And then theres the Maruchan preparada ($9.50), a kind of loaded ramen. It starts with an instant ramen cup. They take some of the ramen out of the cup, and then add a lot of corn, cheese, crema, chips and more. Thats a full meal, Kris said.

Other sweets include house-made flan and choco flan (flan combined with a layer of chocolate cake.)

The main thing we have here (and not at the original store) are churros, Kris said. Starting usually in early to mid-afternoon, the store makes churros fresh daily, serving them warm.

And, last but not least, La Princesa serves lots of Mexican fresh fruit treats. Perhaps the best-known is the mangonada ($6.25 to $10.50), which consists of mango sorbet with chunks of fresh mango, chamoy and Tajin (chile-lime seasoning).

Thats like a gateway to everything else we do, Kris said.

The most expensive item on the menu is also fresh fruit. The pina loca ($16) is a whole pineapple that is hollowed out and then refilled with not only pineapple, but also cucumber, mango, watermelon and more, all topped with chamoy and Tajin. Its basically a giant fruit cocktail, said Kris, who added that the shop aims to give good-size portions so people get their moneys worth.

He said that though the store is very busy on the weekends, it has been a little quiet on weekdays. Still, he said, its been gratifying to see a lot of new customers come in and discover La Princesa for the first time.

Your typical non-Hispanic customer will come in thinking its an ice-cream shop, Sanchez said. But once they come in, well get them to try something new. And thats been really good.
Oct 12, 2024 - Today Islamic Date in Cyprus is 09 Rabi Al-Akhar 1446. Islamic Date is also called Hijri Date or Today Arabic Date in the Muslim world that follows Moon phases as a lunar calendar. Check the exact Islamic date today in Cyprus with an accurate Hijri date updated daily.

Today Islamic date in Cyprus is calculated as per the lunar based calendar which consists of 12 Lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. A Muslim must know about the exact Islamic date today or chand ki date.

What is Islamic Date in Cyprus today?

Todays Islamic Date in Cyprus in Islamic Hijri calendar is 09 Rabi Al-Akhar 1446. The current Islamic year is 1445 AH.

Today Islamic date in Cyprus

Islamic Date Today  Islam is the second biggest religion in the world with around 1.8 billion followers. Muslim population is not present in the Muslim countries but they are also in significant numbers in other countries. Muslims follow Hijri calendar to celebrate Islamic events according to the Islamic month date. However, the Islamic date today in Cyprus is as per the Islamic calendar. Thats why the Muslim calendar usually gives just the overview of today Islamic date in Cyprus 2024 and other upcoming dates. On this page, you can easily confirm the Islamic date today in Cyprus or Hijri date in Cyprus.

You can utilize this page to plan your vacations according to the Islamic holidays 2024 such as Eid al Fitr, Eid Al Adha, Hajj, etc. You can find the Urdu date today along with the respective Georgian date. You can see the Islamic date today in Cyprus and also the dates of upcoming events.

This page is a perfect place for people who are interested in today Islamic date in Cyprus 2024. It is recommended that you should bookmark this page to keep updated about the Islamic date today in Cyprus 2024. Islamic months are as follow Muharram, Safar, Rabi ul Awal, Rabi Al-Akhir (Rabi' al-Thani), Jumada Al-Awwal (Jumada al-Ula), Jumada Al-Akhirah (Jumada l-Ukhra or Jumada al-Thani), Rajab, Shaban (Sha'ban), Ramadan (also spell as Ramazan, Ramzan, Ramadhan), Shawwal, Dhul-Qadah (Dhu al-Qi'dah or Zu al-Qa'dah) and Dhul-Hijjah (Dhu al-Hijjah or Zu al-Hijjah).

Today Arabic date for Famagusta, Paralimni, Protaras, Kyrenia, Aradhippou, Larnaca, Morphou, Nicosia, Limassol, Paphos and others cities are also available on this page.
In wake of a mill levy being defeated at the polls on May 7, the East Helena Public Schools Board of Trustees on Monday discussed budget priorities heading into the 2024-2025 academic year leaving the list as "final as it can be."

During the district's regular board meeting, Superintendent Dan Rispens presented a possible priority list.

Although the list is not finalized, the original proposal placed the Future Farmers of America program and agriculture teacher position at the top to keep.

The program, according to the board and Rispens, was heavily pushed when the district announced the addition of its high school, which opened in 2020.

The position could be "nearly impossible to fill," Rispens said, but he added that the district is going to do its best to shuffle money and figure out ways to fund programs discussed.

The East Helena community vouched for the program and it is the only one in the immediate vicinity of East Helena, with the next closest FFA chapter in Townsend.

"Search for additional funding and cost savings to hire a teacher for agriculture education and FFA," the list states.

East Helena High School's FFA members voiced their concerns at the meeting and provided facts on the program during the public comment portion of the meeting. Members said the agriculture program provides life skills that are important to community growth as well as the local economy.

As the discussion continued, FFA stayed at the top of the list, but so did cutting the Junior ROTC program also known as JROTC.

Rispens said the partnership with the U.S. Army Cadet Command allows the district to pay half of the teacher's salary for the JROTC program, while the command pays the other half.

Half of the salary was nearly equivalent to a first-year teacher position in another subject, according to Rispens.

Another program that would be shut down for at least a year would be the food and nutrition program at East Valley Middle School. This program offers students basic cooking skills and kitchen education, but due to funding constraints the board hopes to revisit the program in spring 2025.

The computer education program stayed a part of the discussion, as a majority of the board members agreed it should be a top priority to keep it running at East Valley.

Another business education teacher at the high school remained equal in priority to the FFA and agriculture program, according to Rispens.

Even though these programs were discussed by the board there is no guarantee the district will be able to fund the top three programs because of the levy failing during the May elections.

East Helena Public Schools asked the public on the ballot for a general fund levy worth $387,242, which the public voted against. The levy would have supported internal programs, giving the district the ability to maintain its programs.

Even though the board did not make a motion on the list, it is a map to guide Rispens and the district in a direction of priorities. The district will be actively looking for candidates in the open positions, but its budget needs to finalized by August.

"If school funding does not improve we could be having similar conversations every spring," Rispens said.
Hired in November as the FBI's first community outreach specialist for Montana, Rebecca Leary has been touring the state giving presentations and engaging communities, educating people about the agency.

"There are so many different portions in the FBI that the public doesn't know about," Leary said.

Leary, a Coast Guard veteran, was with the FBI for 13 years before signing onto her new position. Leary is from Massachusetts and got her first job with the FBI after she graduated with a criminal justice degree. For about 5 1/2 years she worked as a recruiter for the FBI, where she was responsible for recruiting various positions.

In her experience, she has noticed the public doesn't know about different career opportunities within the bureau besides being an agent.

When asked why she felt the public didn't know about other opportunities or portions of the FBI, she said "there's not anyone telling them about it, the education perspective."

Some of the career opportunities she listed were nurses, computer scientists, automotive specialists and analysts.

She said positions are categorized into two titles: special agents and professional staff. Leary's position is under the special staff category.

Recently, Leary has been giving presentations at senior centers about elder fraud, while at schools she has been mostly presenting on career opportunities through job fairs.

Her jurisdiction covers all of Montana and portions of Idaho, where she gives these speeches.

Leary's main goal in the state's first position is to educate the community and offer knowledge about the bureau from someone who works within it. As an example of that outreach, she recently attended a meeting of Hometown Helena, a grassroots civic group, and met members.

While the FBI and Leary do not disclose cases the bureau is working on or how many agents are in an area, she did say that there are initiatives she is currently focusing on.

She has worked with the Montana Jewish Project and attended a Hanukkah observance and keeps in touch regularly via email, its executive, director Rebecca Stanfel, said.

"She immediately reached out when she came to Montana," Stanfel said.

Stanfel added that Leary is dedicated to making connections with the public and informing people about the opportunities and resources the FBI offers.

One that Leary mentioned was a teen academy that she hopes to develop throughout Montana.

Leary said she is open to public interaction through comments and questions using the email SU_Outreach@fbi.gov. People can also access the FBI's community outreach website at https://shorturl.at/cwEL6 for information on updates.

Montana-based updates can also be seen on FBI social media accounts at https://www.facebook.com/FBISaltLakeCity, https://www.instagram.com/fbi.saltlakecity/ and https://shorturl.at/BCGPQ.
Fatime Letifova

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan congratulated Israel on Independence Day, Azernews reports, citing the post shared by the Foreign Ministry on its official "X" account.

"We extend our congratulations and best wishes to Israel on Independence Day!" the post reads.




A former teacher who was fired by the Harrison Public School District in southwest Montana this spring is under investigation for alleged "sexual misconduct" and did not have any teaching licenses from the Montana Office of Public Instruction.

The teacher was employed at Harrison Public School, a small, rural K-12 district in the town of Harrison, about an hour-long drive west of Bozeman.

The superintendent of Harrison Public School is Sharyl Allen, a Republican candidate for superintendent of public instruction in Montana. Allen is facing a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of justice in Madison County Justice Court for allegedly barring agents from the Montana Department of Criminal Investigation from interviewing students at the school.

The news that the investigation is related to sexual misconduct and that the teacher did not have a license was first reported by Montana Public Radio on Monday.

According to a complaint filed in her case and a press release from the Madison County Sheriff's Office, agents were trying to interview students who may have been victims of a crime or multiple crimes committed by the former teacher. Allen allegedly obstructed them from conducting those interviews. She has pleaded not guilty.

Allen has not responded to multiple requests for comment.

The teacher, who was fired by the Harrison Public School district in April, is listed in the Montana Office of Public Instruction's database of Montana teachers and has a Statewide Educator Identifier number. However, the database shows no active licenses for the teacher.

"There is an ongoing investigation into sexual misconduct within Harrison K-12 school," Chase Scheuer, press secretary for Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, said in an email. "Interviews and evidence collection is underway in that investigation. When DCIs investigation is complete it will be forwarded to the county attorney for prosecutorial review."

The Missoulian is not naming the former Harrison Public School teacher who is the subject of the investigation because no charges have been filed.

Brian O'Leary, a spokesperson for the Montana Office of Public Instruction, confirmed that there are no teaching licenses or Emergency Authorizations for Employment attached to the former teacher.

"He was a full-time teacher from Jan. 12 through April 17, 2024, according to the data reported to OPI from the district," O'Leary said.

An Emergency Authorization for Employment is not a license. It is an official authorization to employ an unlicensed individual in a teaching capacity.

O'Leary also said it is possible for people without licenses to teach in Montana, but the districts that employ them could face consequences.

"As a local accountability state, a district may employ teachers who do not possess a valid teaching license or Emergency Authorization, although this would affect the districts accreditation status and quality educator payment," he explained.

A district that employs an unlicensed teacher could be placed in a "deficiency status" regarding its accreditation if it employs a teacher who does not have a Montana teaching license.

The district also does not qualify for a "quality educator payment" under Montana law.

The Madison County Sheriff's Office says it received a report on April 15 of verbal threats by a teacher against a member of Harrison Public School's administration.

"Based on the seriousness of the threats, the Madison County Sheriff's Office initiated an investigation into the allegations," Sheriff Duncan Hedges wrote in a statement posted on Facebook. "The teacher alleged to have made the threats was terminated on April 16, 2024."

In the course of the investigation, the Sheriff's Office said it received additional information that alleged that the terminated teacher may have committed other criminal acts involving students. No students are accused of wrongdoing. Instead, they are being considered as possible victims of a crime or multiple crimes.

"Due to the seriousness of the allegations and the need for additional law enforcement resources, the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation was requested to assist in the investigation and are now the lead agency," Hedges continued. "The DCI and MCSO are conducting interviews of students, teachers and staff in this ongoing criminal investigation."

An agenda for the Harrison Public School's board meeting on Tuesday notes that the chairperson of the school board recently resigned and another school board trustee will be appointed in June.

Ann Hokanson, who is listed on a Madison County government website as the school board's chair, posted on her public Facebook page on April 19 that she's running again for another term on the school board.

"I am running for re-election to the Harrison school board," she wrote. "There have been many changes at Harrison school in recent years and there will be changes coming  new staff, new admin, new teachers. I am ready to help Harrison school tackle these changes while maintaining our years of traditions. Tradition that involves community, parents, staff and students. I love Harrison school."

Hokanson did not immediately respond to a request for clarification about which trustee resigned.

A 2023 Missoulian investigation found that Allen has a murky history of leaving jobs around the country under mysterious and controversial circumstances. She has said she's leaving Harrison Public School after this year to focus on caring for a family member.
In the heart of Appalachia, a tale of resilience and determination unfolds. Its the story of Emma Gatewood, affectionately known as Grandma Gatewood, who embarked on an extraordinary journey that transcended the boundaries of age and gender. In 1955, at the age of 67, Grandma Gatewood set out to conquer the rugged Appalachian Trail, a feat that would etch her name into the rocks of the mountains and the pages of history.

It is in this history that Barter Theatres playwright-in-residence, Catherine Bush, brings to the stage the spirit of one woman's indomitable will and how it illuminates the path for generations to come.

I had never heard of Emma Gatewood until 10 or 15 years ago when my friend Chelsea Marcantel, a fellow playwright, wanted to research a play down in Damascus, Virginia, Bush said. It had nothing to do with Grandma Gatewood, but we went into some of the trail apparel stores and there sitting on a block podium were a pair of Grandma Gatewoods shoes.

Emma Gatewood wore white sneakers to hike the Appalachian Trail, and Bush said that she went through seven pairs by the time she completed her arduous journey  as they didnt have the hiking equipment back then in 1955 that they have now and she needed shoes that would be comfortable for her trek.

I saw these shoes and thought to myself, A 67-year-old woman did this? Wow, this is amazing! And I ended up buying Ben Montgomerys book Grandma Gatewoods Walk and read it, Bush said. Fast-forward to a few years ago when (producing artistic director) Katy Brown was trying to pick her season and asked me if I had a show for two people. Thats when I thought that maybe I could turn Grandma Gatewoods Walk into something.

Bushs play Grandma Gatewood Took a Walk didnt appear in the show lineup that year, but she knew that there was something special about what she was creating and it ended up being a part of the Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights at Barter in 2023.

Brown found a place for the Appalachian tale in the 2024 summer lineup.

Bush has had hikers reaching out to her about their own hikes on the Appalachian Trail, and in each conversation they all relate to Grandma Gatewood in the same way: They were seeking something along the path.

Even though there is a main through line of the play, it does go off. We talk about how when youre walking the trail, its not a straight line. You have to wander off to get food, you have to wander off to get shelter. You wander off and come back, Bush said. But the reason youre hearing this story is that people have always wondered why she did it. And Emma only said she thought it would be a lark.

Grandma Gatewood Took a Walk explores one avenue of why she may have done it, and Bush said her job as a playwright is to dramatize that while trying to stay within the parameters of history.

My theory may be right or it may be wrong, but it stays within what we know about her and what happened to her, Bush said. I think what a lot of women in particular connect to is that someone who is 67 years old didnt stop. And she didnt just walk it once, she walked it three times!

Bush feels that people step onto the trail for various reasons: to run away from something, to connect with nature or to connect with life itself.

Life can be crazy. I think a lot of hikers get on that trail because they are testing themselves against nature, but also so they can get away, Bush said. One thing Emma Gatewood talks about is how she loved being alone and just by herself. Not having to worry about anybody else. You dont have to worry about anything else, just copperheads, twisting your ankle and finding food. I think theres something primal about it that people like testing their wits against Mother Nature.

Its exciting to hear how many people around this area just take up and walk part of the Appalachian Trail all the time. And people just admire Emma Gatewood and the challenges she faced and ultimately overcame  not just on the trail, but in her own life. They are the same challenges others face and they want to see themselves on stage.

Everyone wants to be seen and heard, according to Bush.

I think thats what people are going to relate to. Heres a woman who suffered untold indignities in a marriage full of domestic violence, and her willingness to leave him and get a divorce in her 30s after having 11 children, Bush explained. Its how she survived physically and emotionally after all that. She told everyone on the trail that he was dead, and he was not. She just thought it was easier than to explain the unexplainable. And did all this in the 1950s.

Bush emphasizes the enormous strength Emma Gatewood had and how that in itself will resonate with women across Appalachia and beyond.

Anybody who finds themselves in a situation they cant even talk to or who has survived that or is enduring that, I hope will get strength from her story, Bush said. Thats definitely my hope.

Grandma Gatewood Took a Walk will have stage performances from May 11 to June 2, 2024. For tickets, please visit bartertheatre.com.

This content was produced by Brand Ave. Studios. The news and editorial departments had no role in its creation or display. Brand Ave. Studios connects advertisers with a targeted audience through compelling content programs, from concept to production and distribution. For more information contact sales@brandavestudios.com.
Vishal Ghariwala: "You simply switch to SUSE Liberty Linux. It's like switching from one telco to another telco where there is absolutely no impact on your mobile number."

The world's second-biggest open source company, SUSE, has a solution to offer those firms that are using CentOS 7, an enterprise Linux distribution that reaches its end of life on 30 June.

Vishal Ghariwala, senior director and chief technology officer for SUSE in the Asia-Pacific region, told iTWire in response to queries that the company had an offering known as SUSE Liberty Linux to cope with the EOL of CentOS 7.

"When we speak to CIOs and IT directors, we hear that they need an easy way to keep existing systems supported, so workloads continue to run," he said.

"They admit that multi-Linux is a reality. Theyre looking for a trusted partner that supports their choice of Linux operating system, and need solutions that simplify IT operations to focus on business needs."

As iTWire has reported, the company that produces Rocky Linux, one of the replacements for CentOS, is"with up to three years of additional life for CentOS 7 beyond the official EOL, covering critical security updates for CVSS scores of 7 and above".

AlmaLinux, another distribution that came to prominence in the wake of Red Hat's decision to make source code for its enterprise Linux available only to its paying customers, has devised a solution to allow people running CentOS 6 to migrate to AlmaLinux.

The need to look for replacements for CentOS arose because of Red Hat's restrictive moves. Red Hat acquired CentOS in 2014, but then shut it down in December 2020. CentOS is basically Red Hat's Enterprise Linux without the trademarks.

In June 2023, Red Hat, which is owned by IBM which bought it in 2019, tightened its grip on RHEL source code, and said it would make source code available only to its paying customers.

After that, enterprise distributions like AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux have presented themselves as alternatives to CentOS. Plus, SUSE has said it would invest more than US$10 million (A$15.1 million) to fork the publicly available RHEL source code and make it available to world+dog with no restrictions.

"SUSE Liberty Linux is a technology and support solution that lets you keep your current operating system while getting the support, maintenance updates, and security patches you need for your existing Linux estates without the need to migrate," Ghariwala pointed out.

"And I'd like to say that again - 'you don't need to perform any migration'. You simply switch to SUSE Liberty Linux. It's like switching from one telco to another telco where there is absolutely no impact on your mobile number."

Red Hat's June 2023 announcement that a new line of development, CentOS Stream, would be started, focused attention on the fact that this new line would be the only way to obtain RHEL source code. However, it would predate RHEL releases and thus forever be out of date.

Red Hat's community distribution, Fedora, is upstream to CentOS Stream, making its source even older.

Ghariwala said one customer in APAC who had opted for SUSE Liberty Linux, and demonstrated how it could save costs and support resiliency, was Tyro Payments in Australia.

"As Tyro was expanding their infrastructure, it was a key requirement that they were able to incorporate a strong level of resiliency within their business and technology stack," he explained.

"Tyro also needed to expand its infrastructure to handle a rising volume of transactions, to ensure that the integration between point-of-sale and payment transacting remained direct and seamless. SUSE Liberty Linux offered them that flexibility as well as strong support.

"Adopting SUSE Liberty Linux further resulted in an immediate 50% saving in total subscription costs for Tyro. With SUSE Manager on top of Liberty Linux, Tyro also saves time and effort in patch management and reporting, which the team can then reinvest in adding value to their core business of payments processing.

"Overall, as weve mentioned before and continue to reinforce, SUSE Liberty Linux is also SUSEs commitment to 'open'. Liberty Linux, and our US$10 million (A$15.1 million) continued investment in maintaining it, is focused on upholding open choice in the market and lack of vendor lock-in."

Asked whether SUSE had any plans to try and lure businesses running CentOS 7 to switch to SUSE, Ghariwala replied: "In my conversations with CIOs, I hear that uncertainty, keeping workloads running, and support as well as security are top-of-mind concerns.

"For customers impacted by the end-of-life of CentOS, our top priority is to provide them with true choice. Customers are looking for a trusted partner that supports their choice of Linux operating system, and simplifies their operations.

"Such customers are typically hoping to buy some time so they can make a well thought out decision for their business. Customers also want to simplify their operations so they can continue to support, maintain, and secure their Linux distributions. In addition, they would like to continuously patch their systems to keep them healthy and secure. After all, unpatched vulnerabilities are a common cause of security breaches.

"With SUSE Liberty Linux, users also will receive fully application binary compatible security patches and maintenance updates for their entire Linux estate. This keeps infrastructure up-to-date and secure, ensuring high availability, resilient storage, and bulletproof load balancing.

"SUSE Liberty Linux customers also get enterprise support and predictable releases for a multi-distro world, from a trusted partner who understands Linux and the value of open source."

He said he could not comment on plans being created by Rocky Linux. "However as CIQ [the parent body of Rocky Linux] is a part of the OpenELA effort, I can talk more from that perspective," Ghariwala added.

"The OpenELA as a whole continues to explore ways to ensure openness, transparency and flexibility, all of which remain core tenets of the enterprise open source ecosystem, so that businesses and users of that software can all benefit.

"OpenELA is committed to always acting in the best interests of the open source community and all downstream derivatives and to create an inclusive community of organisations and individuals to ensure the longevity, stability, and management of this project."
COMPANY NEWS: Tesserent , a Thales Australia company and leading cyber security provider, has been announced as the Plenary Chair and Bronze Sponsor of the 2nd Annual Australian Cyber Security Showcase being held at the National Convention Centre in Canberra on Wednesday, 29 May, hosted by the Public Sector Network and Canberra Cyber Hub.

Tesserent CEO, Kurt Hansen will be the Plenary Chairman in a robust line up of high-profile speakers including:

Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness, Australias National Cyber Security Coordinator, National Office of Cyber Security

Philip Wagner, Director of Cyber Security, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet

Scott Lee, Assistant Commissioner  Cyber Command, Australian Federal Police

Janice Law, Chief Information Security Officer, Services Australia

Joe Smith, Assistant Secretary, Cyber Security Response Coordination Unit, Department of Home Affairs

Sophie Pearce, Assistant Secretary, Department of Home Affairs

Australias federal agencies are confronting an increasingly complex cyber security landscape. The threat landscape continues to evolve as adversaries have access to new tools and techniques. Buoyed by the rising tide of AI, attackers ranging from nation-state actors to cybercriminals are relentless in their pursuit of sensitive data and the compromise of critical infrastructure.

Tesserent is excited to be playing a key role in the Australian Cyber Security Showcase, which will bring together senior government and public sector cyber security experts with the private sector cyber security industry leaders to dissect issues, share best practice learnings and foster heightened collaboration, says Kurt.

Kurt will host a special fireside chat at the event with Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness, Australias National Cyber Security Coordinator on the topic of public-private partnerships in cybersecurity at 3.30pm on 29 May. This session is open for media attendance via pre-registration.

Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness and I will be discussing how these partnerships can enhance the collective understanding of cyber threats and lead to more effective preventative measures and how joint cyber security development projects and awareness campaigns can aid in addressing specific challenges. We will also examine skill and resource sharing and how public/private partnerships can help relieve the burden on staff and resource shortages, explains Kurt.

Tesserent and Thales Australia work on many of Australias most important defence programs, with critical infrastructure operators, government departments and the corporate sector. We have more than 190 team members that hold Australian Government security clearance. Tesserent is at the forefront of protecting Australias digital assets and has a strong expert team providing consulting and managed cyber services including market leading 24/7 threat monitoring and intelligence, explains Kurt.

Panel discussions during the Australian Cyber Security Showcase will cover the themes of data classification and protection: safeguarding sensitive government information; cyber security resilience and continuity planning: preparing for prolonged disruptions and recovery; understanding business concerns for stronger Australian cyber security and challenges in protecting vital services: energy, transportation, and healthcare.



Tony Sheehan, strategic advisor and former Non-Executive Director of Tesserent, former ASIO Deputy Director General and former Deputy Secretary DFAT will facilitate a roundtable at the event on the Essential 8 program roll-out, insights into incident response co-ordination and legislation and a how communication between government and industry can be enhanced.

Tony brings a wealth of experience following a 32-year career with senior roles in counter-terrorism, security intelligence and international security. Anthony is the former Commonwealth Counter-Terrorism Coordinator, former Chair of the Australia-New Zealand Counter Terrorism Committee, former ASIO Deputy Director-General and former Deputy Secretary in the Attorney-Generals Department. He also served as First Assistant Secretary Homeland and Border Security in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Delegates at the Australian Cyber Security Showcase will include professionals spanning the public and private sector across governance, policy, compliance and audits, information management, digital security, risk management, incident response and resilience.

To view the full agenda, please visit: https://publicsectornetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/ANZ-Cyber-Federal-2024-Agenda.pdf

About Tesserent

Tesserent, a Thales Australia company is the leading cyber security provider of choice for the protection of Australia and New Zealands digital and information assets. Tesserent has the capability to support organisations to defend their digital assets against increasing risks and cyber-attacks.

We are a full-service cybersecurity and cloud provider, partnering with clients across all industries and levels of government. Tesserent strengthened by the combined force, depth and scale of Thales, has a deep imprint on all tiers of government and commercial business in Australia and New Zealand.

Our strong, agile and multi-capability team under the combined Tesserent and Thales brands, has more than 500 of the nations highly regarded cyber security experts.

Learn more at www.tesserent.com.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received OSCE Chair-in-Office, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta Ian Borg and his accompanying delegation, Azernews reports.

OSCE Chair-in-Office Ian Borg recalled the meeting and discussions held on the sidelines of this years Munich Security Conference with the President of Azerbaijan, saying that his visit had a regional character.

He mentioned that Malta supports the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as the negotiation process on a peace treaty.

President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that it was Azerbaijan that initiated the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia and its fundamental principles forming the basis of this process, and that the text of the peace agreement was prepared by Azerbaijan and presented for discussion. The Azerbaijani President noted that the negotiation process is currently underway between Azerbaijan and Armenia to advance the peace agenda.

The head of state noted that although the consequences of Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan and the occupation of its lands has been on the agenda of the OSCE since its inception, neither this organization nor the OSCE Minsk-Group co-chairmanship mechanism had done anything to eliminate the consequences of the conflict, liberate Azerbaijani territories from occupation, and ensure the return of internally displaced persons. During these years, the negotiation process conducted by the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group contributed to perpetuating the occupation of Azerbaijani territories. President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that Azerbaijan, through its own determination and strength, has brought an end to the occupation, ensuring territorial integrity and sovereignty in accordance with international law and the UN Charter. Noting that the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict is now a thing of the past, the head of state proposed the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group and all associated institutions. The Azerbaijani leader pointed out that Azerbaijan had raised this issue, and there appears to be no reason for Armenia to oppose it.

During the meeting, discussions revolved around transportation connectivity matters within the OSCE framework.

Ian Borg noted that his country backs the concept of small island developing states and advocate for the enhancement of their relations with the European Union. Considering Azerbaijan's COP29 Presidency, he expressed readiness for cooperation with Azerbaijan in this regard as well.

President Ilham Aliyev stressed that the concerns of small island developing states will be one of priorities of the Azerbaijan's Presidency of COP29. Highlighting the visit of Patricia Scotland, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, to Azerbaijan, the head of state touched upon the cooperation between the small island developing states affiliated with this organization and similar other countries, addressing existential challenges faced by them within the COP framework, and conducting various events. President Ilham Aliyev underlined that Azerbaijan is interested in cooperation with Malta in this regard.
There has been a sharp rise in reports of shopping points and rewards-based SMS scams, with scams impersonating trusted brands that have well-known loyalty programs.

According to Australias communications regulator the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), brands targetted by scammers include companies such as Coles, Woolworths, Optus, and Telstra.

Received a text asking you to click on a link to stop your loyalty or reward points expiring? Its likely to be a scam, warns ACMA.



These scams try to create an urgent need for you to click on a link to redeem your points or rewards before they expire.

The links then take to you a scam website that looks like the real thing and prompts you to provide your login or financial details, which the scammer then steals.

The ACMA notes that two key signs that an SMS about loyalty points may be a scam are:

a sense of urgency  scammers will try to rush you by saying that your points are about to expire, and you need to urgently act by clicking on a link.

 scammers will try to rush you by saying that your points are about to expire, and you need to urgently act by clicking on a link. an incorrect website address  while the link leads to a web address that may contain the name of the company being impersonated, it will be different to the real brands website address and may include misspellings, unusual words or random letters and numbers.

The ACMA also warns that if you are unsure if a message is genuine stop and check, dont rush to act.

Never click on any links or provide any personal or financial details if the sender is unknown or suspicious.

If you need to check a message is genuine, contact the business using details you confirm yourself  for example, via an official website, a bill or an app, the ACMA warns.

The ACMA says that if you think youve been scammed, contact your bank immediately to stop any payments, tell your telco and report it to Scamwatch

Scammers target everyone. Talk with your friends and family  especially if they are in potentially vulnerable circumstances  about how to identify scams, the ACMA suggests.

The ACMA says that IDCARE can help if your identity has been compromised or stolen, and you can call 1800 595 160 or visit www.idcare.org
Microsoft will face an anti-trust probe by the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, over claims that it is preventing rivals of its video-conferencing app Teams from competing.

The Financial Times said the EC would go ahead with a formal chargesheet over Microsoft's alleged restricting of competition.

The EC had said, as long back as July last year, that it would begin a probe into the bundling of Teams by Microsoft.

In September 2023, Microsoft said it would unbundle Teams from its Office suite, and make it easier for rival products to work with its offerings.

The EC is apparently not happy with the progress on that front, hence its decision to issue a formal chargesheet.

The FT said Microsoft's rivals were meeting representatives of the EC this week to discuss the case.

Were Microsoft to offer last-minute concessions, that could derail the EC case; else the EC could decide to scrap or delay the charges.

In 2020, Slack, which is now owned by Salesforce, made similar allegations about Teams.

This came after a number of probes that ended in 2013 and marked the beginning of new complaints made by EU regulators against Microsoft.

In 2013, the EU had fined Microsoft 561 million (A$916 million) for not heeding a decision to unbundle Internet Explorer from Windows.
COMPANY NEWS: Logicalis, the global technology service provider delivering next-generation digital managed services, has announced the launch of Intelligent Security, a blueprint approach to its global security portfolio designed to deliver proactive advanced security for customers worldwide.

Intelligent Security has been designed by Logicalis's worldwide team of security specialists to give customers the most comprehensive observability and protection available. It is based on tracking and analysing cyber threats and knowledge of the latest prevention methods deployed across its customer base.

Logicalis's 10th annual CIO report surveyed 1,000 chief information officers (CIOs) globally and found that, of the 83 per cent of CIOs who experienced cyber-attacks in the last 12 months, only 43 per cent feel prepared for another breach. Designed to help CIOs manage these pressures, Intelligent Security will leverage Logicalis's security capabilities as well as its relationships with global partners such as Cisco and Microsoft, where it has the highest levels of security accreditations.

Toby Alcock, chief technology officer, Logicalis, said, "Many organisations focus on one area of the security fabric; we recognise, in today's cyber security landscape there, are no silos. Organisations must look across the entire footprint, from secure connectivity, securing the cloud, securing the hybrid worker, and weaving secure operations across the entire organisation".

The Intelligent Security global portfolio delivers a concise and comprehensive proposition for customers, including:

Advisory: providing customers with a range of advisory services dedicated to helping them understand their security needs and identify the right solutions for their business.

providing customers with a range of advisory services dedicated to helping them understand their security needs and identify the right solutions for their business. Secure workplace: securing worker communications and devices as remote working continues to impact the workplace security landscape.

securing worker communications and devices as remote working continues to impact the workplace security landscape. Secure connectivity: enforcing zero trust security from edge-to-edge, ensuring networks are robust enough to enable safe Internet of Things (IoT), 5G, and edge computing.

enforcing zero trust security from edge-to-edge, ensuring networks are robust enough to enable safe Internet of Things (IoT), 5G, and edge computing. Secure hybrid cloud: safeguarding cloud environments to ensure data, applications, and information technology (IT) resources are safe.

safeguarding cloud environments to ensure data, applications, and information technology (IT) resources are safe. Secure operations: providing 24/7/365 best practice proactive threat detection and incident response across three global security regions, using artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to identify and triage.

In addition to the Intelligent Security global portfolio, the company is announcing several key investments in cyber skills and capabilities to bolster its position as a global leader in security services.

expanding the managed security (SOC) team in Portugal, which currently serves customers across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), including the United Kingdom (UK), Ireland, and Germany

partnering with Cisco to develop a Cyber Academy and a pipeline of qualified cybersecurity graduates into the EMEA Security team

partnering with local universities in Portugal to develop an intern program, which helps develop cybersecurity skills to serve the EMEA region and beyond.

Logicalis continues to prove its robust security offer by achieving Microsoft-verified Managed Extended Detection and Response (MXDR) Partner Status, launching Cisco Powered Intelligent Connectivity, built on zero-trust security, and being one of only six partners globally working with Cisco to develop an XDR proposition and enhance its Cisco security capabilities.

Intelligent Security will be underpinned by Logicalis's Digital Fabric Platform, providing CIOs with deeper-level insights and recommendations to enhance the performance of their entire digital ecosystem.

Toby Alcock said, "We are at a pivotal point as security threats grow in scale and sophistication. CIOs and IT leaders are rethinking security in the era of AI and considering whether they have the in-house skills necessary to operate safely. Logicalis has seen a 300 per cent surge in demand globally for managed security services in the past 12 months.

"Our customers are looking for a holistic, proactive approach to navigating security; we believe our simplified portfolio, our partnerships, and our investments in cyber talent for the next generation will deliver customers what they need: AI-ready managed security with governance and security operations centre (SOC) protection wherever they are in the world."

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.
GUEST OPINION: Ahead of tonights Federal Budget, please find below commentary from Dr Martin J Kraemer, Security Awareness Advocate at KnowBe4 and Sumit Bansal, VP Asia Pacific and Japan at BlueVoyant, regarding the Australian Governments plans to establish a mobile app for the Credential Protection Register.

Dr Martin J Kraemer, Security Awareness Advocate at KnowBe4:

We applaud the governments plans to establish a mobile app for the Credential Protection Register, as well as Commonwealth Banks similar in-house app. This new initiative is encouraging and with the addition of education and awareness, these government measures will support the decrease of Australians becoming victims of cybercrime. We are also highly in favour of layered defences and strong collaboration between consumers, business and industry.

However, it is important to remember that anything is hackable and a government app is no exception. Even these accounts rely on external partners and vendors. It is therefore crucial that proper access controls, privilege restrictions, and monitoring be implemented for those accounts. Users should only have the bare minimum access needed to perform their duties of alerting impacted people.

Continued education to help Australians make better decisions when it comes to security should be the goal. Consumers should not presume they are fully protected simply by using these apps. We need to continue to educate the public about best-practice security including unique passwords, multi-factor authentication, and constant vigilance for potential phishing attempts.

Sumit Bansal, VP Asia Pacific and Japan at BlueVoyant:

The new Australian government app to help notify users of identity misuse is an important initiative that will help protect consumers, however more also needs to be done earlier in the security process to prevent cyber criminals gaining access to private customer data in the first place.

While protecting from identity credential theft is crucial, online credentials shall also be considered, and protocols must be implemented to protect these just as if they were identity credentials. Often stolen from the users themselves using various phishing techniques or malware, online credentials can provide access to confidential data and permissions to perform personal actions on behalf of the victim. Security mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) and phishing detection and remediation should be not only organisations concern, but also governments.

In addition, organisations should also monitor their third-party ecosystems, which is where many breaches of sensitive data now originate. Enterprises not only need to monitor their own networks, but also those of any third-party providers that could have identity data. They should then work with third parties to mitigate any issues.
GUEST OPINION: A lot of Australians use VPNs in their everyday life; however, if you asked them if this is legal, most of them wouldnt be able to give you a definitive answer. Most people assume that its legal or, at the very least, that it exists in some legal grey area. If it were illegal, you wouldnt be able to advertise it in Australia, yet every major streamer does, right?

To put your mind at ease, yes, VPN is completely legal to use in Australia!

Now, brace yourself for a bit longer answer to your question.

1. The use of a VPN is completely legal in Australia

According to the Copyright Act, the use of VPNs or similar software to circumvent geo-blocking technology is not an infringement, and Australia tries to avoid entering into international agreements that would prevent consumers from using it.

What you use this VPN for can be complex, suspicious, or dubious legally, but when it comes to simple use, theres nothing illegal about VPNs.

There are few geo-restrictions in Australia, but even then, using a VPN to bypass them might not be inherently illegal.

This means that using any VPN is completely legal; you just need to look for availability. Once again, youre in luck because there are so many VPN service options for Australians. From this point on, it just comes down to picking the right platform for your use. Sure, they all advertise providing similar features, but they are not the same.

One thing you need to keep in mind is that a VPN for personal use and a VPN for business use arent exactly the same. Many Australian businesses cooperate with international partners, and this requires some adjustment. Were not just talking about adjusting to a difference in time zone but also about the ability to adjust your devices and networks to their area.

2. What you use it for may still be a copyright infringement

Whats really problematic is your relationship with the streaming service in question (provided that youve downloaded a VPN to watch geo-restricted content).

While its legal to use a VPN, using a VPN to watch content thats restricted in your area is likely to be a copyright infringement. Sure, youre already paying for the service, and the fact that someone else (who pays the same fee) can watch it and you cant sound unfair. However, theres nothing simple (or fair) about copyright law.

First, when paying for a subscription, youre signing a license agreement. Using a VPN to bypass geo-restrictions may be considered a breach of this license agreement.

How big of a problem is this?

Well, youll be sad to hear that some of the most popular shows that are available on Netflix in the US are unavailable in Australia. Shows like:

Greys Anatomy

NCIS

Supernatural

Breaking Bad

New Girl

The Walking Dead

All of these can be watched with a Netflix subscription in the US but are unavailable in Australia. Technically, you could watch them with a VPN, but, as described, this could be seen as a breach of the licence agreement.

3. The use of a VPN to access online casinos

As weve already mentioned, what youre using your VPN for might not be completely legal. For instance, according to the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, Australian operators are prohibited from using online casinos.

On the other hand, its not illegal for Australian citizens to play these games on sites that are hosted in other countries. This includes both conventional online casinos and an occasional BTC casino they might visit.

Namely, while this is not illegal (but instead in a legal grey zone), many people feel pressure, like theyre doing something wrong. This makes many of them use VPNs for this purpose, even though they dont really have to.

At the same time, using a VPN provides you with an extra layer of security (through improved encryption). This is very handy when you consider that you have to give these sites your financial data in order to deposit funds.

Why does all of this matter so much?

Well, according to some of the latest statistics, roughly 73% of Australians have gambled at least once in the past 12 months. Roughly 38% of them have gambled in the last week, most of this took place online.

4. The use of VPN is better than piracy (from an ethical standpoint)

Now, its time to discuss the ethical standpoint of the use of VPNs.

First of all, theres nothing wrong with wanting to conceal your IP address (which can be used to discover your physical address) from a broader online community. If anything, this is a common-sense move that no one in their right mind would be against. Alas, this is not what the majority of people are using a VPN for, and its not the ethically contentious issue here.

The real question is one of the ethics behind the use of a VPN to watch geo-restricted content.

First of all, everyone can agree that the use of a VPN to watch the shows on a streaming platform that youre already paying for is objectively more ethical than pirating shows. To play the devils advocate, one might argue that in both scenarios, youre watching something that youre not allowed to. Still, if we were to approach this issue from the position of good faith, the difference is more than clear.

Moreover, while some streaming platforms restrict people's access to VPNs, the majority dont, which some people consider to be a soft approval.

Lastly, with the announcement that these platforms will crack down a lot harder on account sharing, this might change.

5. The use of public Wi-Fi in Australia is more widespread than ever

With the widespread use of Wi-Fi across the country, many Australians are completely unaware of all the dangers of using public Wi-Fi. For instance, Melbourne's public Wi-Fi is already decent and is getting upgraded. Theyre so accustomed to using it that they see nothing wrong with hooking up on another hotspot.

The thing is that while the internet is now seen as a basic human right, the reality is that a lot of people still lack the understanding of how to safely and effectively use it.

Generally speaking, it should be the responsibility of the government to put a heavier emphasis on educating the population on the issues of cybersecurity. Still, the general populace should take steps to improve their own digital safety.

The thing is that while public Wi-Fi is always a risk, the use of a VPN can make matters a bit more secure. With more and more Australians reliant on public networks, a broader use of VPN could be the salvation.

The use of a VPN is completely legal in Australia, but what you use it for might not be

At the end of the day, using VPN software is completely legal. However, if you were to use it to stream shows that are geo-restricted in Australia, your streaming service might ban your account on the account of your breach of the user agreement. Some platforms outright prohibit you from logging in while using a VPN. As for the rest, its all down on a case-by-case basis.
GUEST CASE STUDY: ANZCA is the professional organisation for specialist anaesthetists and anaesthetists in training. One of Australasias largest specialist medical colleges, ANZCA is responsible for the training, examination, and accreditation of anaesthetists and for the standards of clinical practice in Australia and New Zealand.

Challenge

ANZCA is the body that supports 87% of anaesthetists in Australia and New Zealand. To empower thousands of potential learners with ready access to the education and training resources they need to thrive in their fields, ANZCA uses the Brightspace LMS powered by D2L.

Results

Active learners increased 10% from 2022 to 2023.

ANZCA introduced several highly successful and popular fellowship courses.

The focus is now more on a learner-centric, self-directed experience.

ANZCA introduced a decentralised admin support structure, allowing course admins direct control over their own content.

The challenge

Supporting professional development

Anaesthesiology is a complex and highly regulated field. In Australia and New Zealand, all medical professionals practising in this area must complete specialist training and development programs to learn and maintain the skills they need to deliver high-quality care.

ANZCA is the largest professional body for anaesthetists in the Asia-Pacific region. With a membership that includes more than 7,000 fully certified anaesthetists and 3,000 trainee doctors, the organisation provides a diverse range of education and training services.

ANZCA is also the chosen professional membership organisation for more than 6,000 specialist anaesthetists and 460 specialist pain medicine physicians whove each met its rigorous training and assessment requirements to become a fellow. The associations fellows are among the most highly regarded specialist physicians in the world.

ANZCA has now introduced a new structure for self-directed learning, which has enabled us to identify courses that are important to our members and focus on offering those regularly, said ANZCA learning technology specialist Colin Lynas.

Utilising a self-directed learning experience has enabled our members to focus their educational experience on developing skills they require.

The solution

ANZCA has truly benefitted from Brightspaces decentralised administration support structure. This has allowed course admins direct control over their own content and has helped them overcome difficulties they had with content management. For example, ANZCAs committees create a significant amount of content, which was previously hosted on the organisations website. With thousands of documents to manage, maintaining this content had become very cumbersome.

D2L Brightspace now operates as an extremely efficient serving platform for all of our courses for anaesthetists, said Lynas.

Shaping engaging learner journeys

To drive its training programs, ANZCA has created a range of active, competency-based digital learning experiences tailored to the specific needs of its member community. For trainee doctors, the organisation offers a series of anaesthesia learning courses to help them prepare for their examinations. For fully certified anaesthetists, ANZCA offers professional development courses that address topics ranging from bullying and sexual harassment in the workplace to intercultural competency and practical ethics.

Because D2L supports SCORM [Shareable Content Object Reference Model] standards, its easy for us to build media-rich course materials that include videos hosted on Vimeo, quizzes, and more, Lynas continued. As a result, we can shape learning journeys that strike a balance between passive and active learning, which helps make the experience more accessible and compelling.

Reaching a wider audience

ANZCA also now uses the D2L platform to offer a limited selection of courses to non-members for a fee via Course Merchant.

Once someone qualifies as an anaesthetist, they can choose to specialise in pain medicine, and we have created courses to facilitate extended learning in this field, Lynas explained. By presenting scenarios that challenge participants to apply their knowledge and demonstrate their understanding, the D2L platform helps non-members build the skills they need to get their certification. Crucially, the tight integration between Course Merchant and Brightspace means we can enroll people automatically, which enables us to bring our materials to a large audience without driving up our operational costs.

"Our goal is to deliver the best learning outcomes for all our participants. Thanks to the D2L platform, were able to offer engaging, collaborative experiences that empower healthcare professionals throughout the region to enhance their skills."

The results

Attracting new learners

Since it launched its new LMS in 2014, ANZCA has seen year-on-year growth in course uptake. Between 2022 and the end of 2023, there has been a 10% increase in active users.

On average, around 1,800 users log into our LMS every month, and were still seeing a steady upward trend, said Lynas. The fact that more and more people are enrolling for ANZCAs courses is giving us great confidence that were delivering valuable and engaging learning experiences to anaesthetists across Australia and New Zealand.

The majority (77%) of our members now access D2L via a desktop, with almost 20% accessing the courses via their mobile and only 3% via their tablets, which used to be the primary [device] when Brightspace was first introduced. Our learners are roughly a 50/50 split between the PC and Mac platforms, and the fact that Brightspace is device agnostic means our learners can access courses from anywhere at any time on any device.

Personalising the user experience

By embracing the Brightspace platforms self-directed learning capabilities, ANZCA has found new ways to personalise the learning experience it offers to its learners. It has also been able to offer more of the fellowship courses that are in high demand from its members.

For ANZCAs Rural Generalist Anaesthetist Exam (RGA), Brightspace is used to deliver the practice test and, as of 2023, the actual RGA multiple choice question (MCQ) examination. This allows trainees to practice for the exam and is also used as a learning tool wherein they receive feedback on each question supporting their learning of the course material.

Brightspace has allowed question pools to be configured and randomised to minimise the risk of repeated questions. The members have met this migration to online delivery of the examination with overwhelming positivity, said Lynas.

For the Initial Assessment of Anaesthetic Competence Exam (IAAC) ANZCA is moving towards a more formal and learning-driven assessment process, and the association has also started to use Brightspace for this purpose. As with the RGA exam, trainees can use the D2L platform to practice their knowledge and receive feedback on the questions, enabling self-paced learning.

A post-fellowship course that ANZCA offers leads to the recognition of graduate of the Chapter of Perioperative Medicine (POM). This course aims to develop a shared mental model that aligns with perioperative medicine practice standards and perioperative care principles outlined in the ANZCA perioperative care frameworks.

The knowledge gained through the course aims to develop the perioperative medicine practitioners of the future who will provide leadership in developing perioperative services and will be advocates of changes that will improve health service experience and patient outcomes, said Lynas.

Saving time and adding value

Some of ANZCAs newer courses were developed through a collaboration of six medical colleges across the region, and they target medical fellows who work within or have regular contact with perioperative services and have an interest in service improvement. Changes can be made to any of the course content on an ongoing basis and new modules can be added very easily.

Through the D2L Brightspace platform, we have been able to introduce a decentralised admin support structure. This has allowed our course admins to have direct control over their own course content without needing programming experience to make changes to it or to add new material.

Lynas concluded: Our goal is to deliver the best education experience for all our learners. Thanks to the D2L platform, were able to offer an engaging, self-directed education program that empowers healthcare professionals throughout the region to enhance their skills.
Singtel Optus, Australia's second largest telco, and Finnish telecommunications company Nokia have set a speed record during a field trial over Optus' existing operational long-haul fibre network.

A statement from Optus claimed the speed reached was 1Tbps over 1050Km (Sydney to Melbourne) and 1.1 Tbps over 405Km (Sydney to Canberra), with the latter claimed to be a world first.

Optus said these speeds had been achieved in the wake of it being the first in the Australian market to achieve speeds of 800Gbps last year.

The company claimed this illustrated the success of its ongoing investment in its fibre network.

"The critical piece of infrastructure also supports major enterprise customers with a connectivity solution that offers reliable low-latency connectivity at speeds not seen previously and going forward will be integral in the advancement of innovative technology such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, automation and other technologies that rely on large amounts of data to be consumed," Optus claimed.

John Castro, vice-president, Wholesale and Satellite, Optus, said: Optus and our partners, Nokia, continue to push the edge on what is possible in the field of long-haul fibre networks.

"As Australians and Australian businesses continue to move towards an increasingly global digital economy, the modernisation of our terrestrial long-haul network in conjunction with our Optus subsea capabilities on Indigo will play a critical role in providing high speed and high-capacity connectivity between south-east Asia into and across Australia."

The statement said, through factory testing of its new 400Gbps long-haul system, Optus had been able to confirm unregenerated services between Melbourne and Perth, removing the need to regenerate in Adelaide. This enhancement is said to reduce latency and cost of transmission between the East and West coast of Australia."

The company has come off a rather shaky period when it lost its chief executive, Kelly Bayer Rosmarin, when she resigned in November last year following a disastrous outage on 8 November. Optus suffered a nation-wide outage that day, with its mobile and broadband services out of commission from 4am until 6pm.

This was the second major disaster over which Bayer Rosmarin had presided. In 2022, Optus was hit by a network attack, with access to the company's network being gained through a publicly accessible API.

Optus has now appointed former national broadband network chief executive Stephen Rue and he is scheduled to join in November.

Castro said: We are committed to continuing to invest in our long-haul capability as it continues to play a key role in connecting the vast country we live and work in.

"While advancements in mobile technology such as 5G and low-earth orbit satellites are exciting and play an important role in creating positive connections throughout our customer base, fibre continues to be a crucial area where we are still seeing cutting edge innovation play out.

John Harrington, senior vice-president of Network Infrastructure Sales, Asia Pacific at Nokia, said: We are delighted to strengthen our ongoing partnership with Optus, as we remain committed to bringing cutting-edge technology to the market and our valued customers.

"The programmability of Nokia PSE-6s is well demonstrated in this collaboration, where the same hardware offers varying capacities over different distances, ensuring optimal price and power efficiency per bit in any network scenario.

The statement said Optus could achieve transport service speeds of 1 Tbps or more using Nokias sixth generation super-coherent Photonic Service Engine (PSE-6s) alongside the Nokia 1830 Photonic Service Switch platform and current Optus channels powered by prior generation of PSE-Vs optics which support 400Gbps and 600Gbps capacity over some routes,

It said this allowed Optus to add network capacity and provide high-speed, low-latency connectivity with optimal footprint, efficiently and with reduced power consumption.
Were pleased to share that Sam Salehi has taken on the role of Managing Director ANZ at Qualys, where hell be leading its operations in the ANZ market. In this role he will focus on driving sales, managing partner organisations and delivering sustainable customer value.

Sam brings with him a wealth of experience, particularly from his recent role at Trustwave, where most recently, he was Sales Director for the AsiaPacific region.

With over 18 years of experience in the cybersecurity industry, Sam has built a remarkable career trajectory. He has held key roles at reputable organisations such as Spectrum in UAE, Extol Corporation in Malaysia, IPSec, Optus and Trustwave in Australia, where he served as the APAC Sales Director. Throughout his professional journey, Sam has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills in driving successful sales teams and highlighting the business value and return on investment (ROI) of diverse cybersecurity solutions. Sam holds a masters degree in engineering management from Malaysia's Universiti Tenaga Nasional, adding a solid academic foundation to his practical expertise in the field.
Fatime Letifova

COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev met with the Secretary General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Matias Korman, Azernews reports, citing the post shared by COP29 on its official "X" account.

"Today, COP29 President-Designate Mukhtar Babayev met with OECD's Secretary-General Mathias Cormann to discuss the high-level objectives & opportunities of COP29," the post reads.
A student at Glenn High School was arrested Monday after deputies found weapons and ammunition in a vehicle in the schools parking lot, authorities said.

The Forsyth County Sheriffs Offices K-9 unit conducted a random search when a police dog, Hondo, alerted deputies about a vehicle in the student parking lot, the sheriffs office said.

Deputies then searched the vehicle and found a handgun, an airsoft pellet gun, two loaded magazines and a box of ammunition, the sheriffs office said. Deputies arrested the student after they chased him a short distance.

Josue Montesino-Mendoza, 18, of Meadowview Drive, was charged with felony possession of a gun on a school campus, misdemeanor possession of a weapon on a school campus, carrying a concealed weapon and resisting a public officer, according to an arrest warrant and the sheriffs office.

Montesino-Mendoza is accused of possessing a 9mm Glock handgun in his car on Glenn High Schools campus and carrying it concealed, the warrant said.

Montesino-Mendoza also is accused of resisting a Forsyth County sheriffs deputy by running away from the deputy, the warrant said. At the time, the deputy was conducting a security check with the police dog in the schools parking lot.

Investigators didnt find any weapon inside the school, said Daniel Crews, a spokesman for the sheriffs office.

Montesino-Mendoza has been released from custody after he posted a $10,000 bond, a court record shows.

The incident at Glenn High School happened six days after a student at Parkland High School suffered minor injuries when a handgun, tucked inside another students backpack, discharged during lunch on May 7, the sheriffs office said. The student with the gun has been charged with felonious weapon on educational property, with possible additional charges, the sheriffs office said.

Regarding Mondays incident at Glenn High School, the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools notified parents and guardians of Glenn High School students about the incident, the sheriffs office said.

The weapon was never seen outside the car, was never displayed on campus, and no threats were ever made to any student or staff member, Scott Munsie, principal at Glenn High School, said in the message sent to parents.

There will be additional safety measures in place at the high school throughout this week, officials said.

Please know we take these matters seriously and always appreciate students, parents, and staff letting us know about anything that concerns them, Munsie said. Safety is our number one priority.

Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough Jr. and the sheriffs office are committed to fostering a safe environment in the local schools and community, Chief Deputy Henry Gray said in a statement.

In our endeavor to remain vigilant and proactive, our K-9 officers will continue to conduct random searches throughout the school district, even as we approach the end of the school year, Gray said.

Anyone with information about this incident can call the Forsyth County Sheriffs Office at 336-727-2112 or Crime Stoppers at 336-727-2800 or its Spanish line at 336-728-3904.

The Text-A-Tip program at 336-920-8477 allows people to text information, photos and videos to the sheriffs office.
The first residence hall to open at Doane University in Crete in nearly a quarter-century will bear the name of a major donor and longtime board member at the liberal arts institution.

On Friday, Doane unveiled the naming of Brodie Hall, a 73,200-square-foot residence hall named for C. Donald Brodie, a former member of the Doane Family Association who became involved with the university in the early 1980s.

Brodie was named to Doanes board from 2000-17 as a representative for the association organized by descendants of Deacon John Doane, who landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts, about the year 1630.

The Doane Family Association has hosted several reunions at Doane, which was founded by Thomas Doane and others in the early 1870s, on its campus in Crete.

On the board, Brodie became interested in Doanes students, faculty, staff and others associated with the university in Crete, according to Roger Sheffield, a former Doane vice president of institutional advancement.

Don was deeply invested in ensuring the success of each and every student, Sheffield said at the naming event last Friday. He believed that a Doane education empowered individuals to make a meaningful difference in the world.

Brodie, who was born in York Region, Canada, died in 2022 at the age of 88 in Markham, Ontario.

His estate has provided philanthropic support to hospitals in Markham, where he moved in 2006 with his sister, Cora, as well as Doane, where his undisclosed gift became the largest in the universitys 152-year history.

Designed by Clark & Enersen, Brodie Hall replaces the Quads, the name given to Burrage and Colonial Halls, which were torn down by Doane in 2022.

Students moved into the new hall earlier this year, living in suite-style units designed to house between four and eight students each. The building can house up to 128 students.

Brodie Hall also has lounges for collaborative study and socialization, a game room, kitchen and laundry facilities, as well as outdoor green spaces, patios, a theater and other recreational opportunities.

The residence hall, built by Sampson Construction, was also designed to be more ADA-accessible.

Doane President Roger Hughes said Brodie joins our storied history and incredible list of supporters whose financial gifts have led to the university naming buildings after them.

Today marks a significant milestone in our universitys history, Hughes said.

Top Journal Star photos for May 2024
Fatime Letifova

Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister, Jeyhun Bayramov, had a meeting with OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Minister of Foreign, European Affairs, and Trade of the Republic of Malta, Ian Borg, Azernews reports.

The parties discussed the issues of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Malta, the priorities of the OSCE chairmanship this year, the difficulties that the organisation faced, cooperation between Azerbaijan and the OSCE, partnership opportunities arising from COP29, as well as the post-conflict period in the region. They discussed the situation and the process of normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

During the meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Jeyhun Bayramov, said that organisations of the OSCE, such as the Minsk group created for the resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijani conflict, the representative of the acting chairman, and high-level planning, have not yielded results.

The minister noted that the mandate of these institutions has expired and they are operating archaically.

"There is no need to finance these archaic institutions that use old expressions from the limited budget of the OSCE. OSCE can support other projects. It can support projects such as mine safety, the return of former displaced persons to their homes, and the elimination of damage to the environment," minister Bayramov said.
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
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There are few things that cause panic on a sightseeing trip. Your phone about to die and not having a portable charger or cord is one of them. In Korea, however, many restaurants and cafes offer a free phone-charging service. So, while you re-charge with a coffee or delicious meal, your phone can do the same. To use this service, simply ask an employee at the cashier counter whether they have a charger or not. Most newer or popular establishments have a charger station available.

Ask an employee to charge your phone!

- Can you charge my phone? Hand-pon chung-jeon hal-su isseoyo? (    ?)

- Charger: Chung-jeon-gi ()

- Cell phone: Hand-pon ()
An arrest warrant has been issued for a 27-year-old Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, man who allegedly stole a car in La Crosse.

David Her was charged in La Crosse County Circuit Court with one felony count of operating a vehicle without the owners consent, two felony counts of bail jumping and one misdemeanor count of possession of LSD.

According to the criminal complaint, police were called April 16 to a Loomis Street residence, where a man reported his 1996 Honda sedan was missing. The vehicle was found abandoned and undamaged five days later in St. Paul.

The victim later told police there was a credit card inside the vehicle at the time of the theft. The complaint says the card was used to make fraudulent purchases at Home Depot in Brooklyn Park. An attempt to make a purchase with the same card at Target in Brooklyn Park failed. Surveillance footage from the two stores identified Her as a suspect. Footage from Target shows the stolen vehicle parked at the store.

Police located Her in La Crosse on April 30 and placed him under arrest. A search of his person allegedly found 0.3 grams of LSD. He was transported to the La Crosse County Jail without incident.

Her was released on a $2,500 signature bond after a May 1 initial appearance. He failed to show for a May 9 preliminary hearing, and Judge Gloria Doyle issued a bench warrant with cash bail of $500.
A group of Native American soldiers deployed their unique language skills to prevent German and Japanese code breakers from deciphering American military communications during World War II.

They are known as the code talkers, and they have a special place in Sandy Winneshieks heart.

These veterans risked their lives to support the United States, and they werent even citizens, said Winneshiek. If not for the code talkers, we probably would have lost.

Winneshiek was instrumental in getting a group of 14 Ho-Chunk code talkers identified and honored, but she had one more task to complete: having a Wisconsin highway named in their honor. Her mission was fulfilled March 25, when Gov. Tony Evers signed legislation designating Interstate 90 between La Crosse and Tomah as the Ho-Chunk World War II Code Talkers Memorial Highway.

This designation will cement the incredible history of the Ho-Chunk code talkers in our collective narrative and highlight these individuals important contributions for folks, families and visitors to learn about, Evers said.

Code never broken

Native Americans from more than 20 native nations were enlisted to utilize their indigenous languages to communicate sensitive wartime information during world wars I and II. Often working in pairs, code talkers relayed and received messages in dangerous situations, and their messages were never deciphered by Axis forces.

As radiomen, they were targeted by enemy fire. Two Ho-Chunk code talkers died in action.

Code talkers were instructed to keep their work a secret. While the program was declassified in 1968, code talkers did not begin receiving Congressional Gold Medals to recognize their service until 2001. Congress passed the Code Talkers Recognition Act of 2008 to make them eligible for congressional medals.

Winneshiek, who is related to one of the code talkers, used her experience as an Air Force veteran and federal employee to identify the Ho-Chunk code talkers and have their medals awarded to their descendants, as none of the 14 are still alive. Her quest for a highway in their honor began in 2019. She began with a call to state Sen. Jeff Smith, D-Brunswick, who agreed with the idea and submitted a bill.

I thought I would like to see a road or highway dedicated to the code talkers, she said. Everything was going along smoothly until COVID hit. Everything came to a standstill.

The bill languished until 2023, when Ho-Chunk leaders began meeting monthly with legislators. Winneshiek gave credit to Smith  along with state Sens. Patrick Testin, R-Stevens Point; Brad Pfaff, D-Onalaska; and state Rep. Nancy VanderMeer, R-Tomah  for returning the bill to the fast track.

I was very aggressive about this, Winneshiek said. Every week I had to know where were at.

Winneshiek was among the Ho-Chunk leaders who attended the signing ceremony.

I couldnt believe it was finally happening, she said. It took so long. Im so happy. Its a warm and beautiful feeling.

Growing Hoocak language speakers

Kristin WhiteEagle, a Ho-Chunk Nation legislator, said the recognition has another benefit by keeping the native language alive. The Nation estimates only 40 people still speak Hoocak, but the Nation recently received an $800,000 federal grant to develop a dictionary and computer app.

The preservation of our Native language is something we are committed to seeing continued, and it is wonderful to celebrate this effort in this way, WhiteEagle said.

The designation has one more hurdle: signage. Chet Agni, a spokesman for the governors office, said the state Department of Transportation is still working with the Federal Highway Administration to meet standards covering the installation of highway signs. He said the process takes about three months.

Ho-Chunk nation president Jon Greendeer said once the signs are erected, they will serve as a perpetual reminder of how the code talkers contributed to the Allied victory.

This is a significant moment not only for the 14 Ho-Chunk code talkers we are recognizing  but for future generations to learn more about what these exceptional individuals did to influence the course of history using the language we have worked so hard to preserve, Greendeer said.
LIVONIA, Mich.  A tiny, low-priced electric car called the Seagull has American automakers and politicians trembling.

The car, launched last year by Chinese automaker BYD, sells for about $12,000 in China, but drives well and is put together with craftsmanship that rivals U.S. electric vehicles that cost three times as much. A shorter-range version costs under $10,000.

Tariffs on imported Chinese vehicles will keep the Seagull out of America for now, and it likely would sell for more than $12,000 if imported.

But the rapid emergence of low-priced EVs from China could shake up the global auto industry in ways not seen since Japanese makers arrived during the oil crises of the 1970s. BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams, could be a nightmare for the U.S. auto industry.

Any car company thats not paying attention to them as a competitor is going to be lost when they hit their market, said Sam Fiorani, a vice president at AutoForecast Solutions near Philadelphia. BYDs entry into the U.S. market isnt an if. It's a when.

U.S. politicians and manufacturers already see Chinese EVs as a serious threat. The Biden administration on Tuesday announced steep tariffs on electric vehicles imported from China, saying they pose a threat to U.S. jobs and national security.

The Alliance for American Manufacturing says in a paper that government-subsidized Chinese EVs could end up being an extinction-level event for the U.S. auto sector.

Earlier this year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Chinese EVs are so good that without trade barriers, they will pretty much demolish most other car companies in the world.

Outside of China, EVs are often pricey, aimed at higher-income buyers. But Chinese brands offer affordable options for the masses  just as many governments are encouraging a shift away from gasoline vehicles to fight climate change.

Inside a huge garage near Detroit, a company called Caresoft Global tore apart a Seagull that its China office purchased and shipped to the U.S.

Company President Terry Woychowski, a former chief engineer on General Motors' pickup trucks, said the car is a clarion call for the U.S. industry, which is years behind China in designing low-cost EVs.

After the teardown, Woychowski said he was left wondering if U.S. automakers can adjust. Things will have to change in some radical ways in order to be able to compete, he said.

There's no single miracle that explains how BYD can manufacture the Seagull for so little. Instead, Woychowski said the entire car, which can go 252 miles per charge, is an exercise in efficiency.

Higher U.S. labor costs are a part of the equation. BYD also can keep costs down because of its battery-making expertise  largely lithium iron phosphate chemistry used in consumer products. The batteries cost less but have lower range than most current lithium-ion batteries.

Americans are still learning to make cheaper batteries, Woychowski said.

BYD also makes many of its own parts, including electric motors, dashboards, and bodies, using its huge scale  3 million vehicles sold worldwide last year  for cost savings.

It designs vehicles with cost and efficiency in mind, he said. For instance, the Seagull has only one windshield wiper, eliminating one motor and one arm, saving on weight, cost and labor to install.

U.S. automakers don't often design vehicles this way and incur excess engineering costs, Woychowski said.

The efficiency means weight savings that add up, allowing the Seagull to travel farther per charge on a smaller battery.

So Detroit needs to quickly relearn a lot of design and engineering to keep up while shedding practices from a century of building vehicles, Woychowski said.

The Seagull still has a quality feel. Doors close solidly. The gray synthetic leather seats have stitching that matches the bright green body color, a feature usually found in more expensive cars. The Seagull tested by Caresoft has six air bags and electronic stability control.

A brief drive through some connected parking lots by a reporter showed that it runs quietly and handles curves and bumps as well as more costly EVs

While acceleration isn't head-snapping like other EVs, the Seagull is peppy and would have no problems entering a freeway.

BYD would have to modify its cars to meet U.S. safety standards, which are more stringent than in China. Woychowski says Caresoft hasn't done crash tests, but he estimated that would add a couple thousand dollars to the cost.

BYD sells the Seagull, also called the Dolphin Mini, in four Latin American countries for about $21,000. The higher price includes transportation and reflects higher profits possible in less cutthroat markets than China.

BYD said last year it is still in the process of deciding whether to sell autos in the U.S. It is weighing factory sites in Mexico for the Mexican market. The companys CEO said at a conference in May that it has no plans to sell EVs in the U.S.

BYD EVs arent being sold in the U.S. now largely because of 27.5% tariffs on the sale price of Chinese vehicles when they arrive. Donald Trump slapped on the bulk of the tariff, 25%, when he was president, and it was kept in place under Joe Biden. Trump contends that the rise of EVs backed by Biden will cost U.S. factory jobs, sending the work to China.

These are the 10 most popular electric cars in America, according to Edmunds 10 of the most popular EVs available today 1. Tesla Model 3: EPA-estimated 358 miles of maximum range 2. Chevrolet Bolt EV: EPA-estimated 259 miles of maximum range 3. Ford Mustang Mach-E: EPA-estimated 312 miles of maximum range 4. Hyundai Ioniq 5: EPA-estimated 303 miles of maximum range 5. Genesis G80 Electrified: EPA-estimated 282 miles of maximum range 6. BMW iX: EPA-estimated 324 miles of maximum range 7. Ford F-150 Lightning: EPA-estimated 320 miles of maximum range 8. Kia Niro EV: EPA-estimated 253 miles of maximum range 9. Polestar 2: EPA-estimated 270 miles of maximum range 10. Porsche Taycan: EPA-estimated 203 miles of maximum range
It is unclear what kind of democracy we are talking about in Armenia, given that Pashinyan's political opponents are being persecuted in this country, freedom of speech is being suppressed, and police brutality is flourishing. Today's protests and mass arrests in Yerevan are another proof of this.

In addition, it is noted that within the framework of Vovaevich's visit, meetings are also planned with the top leadership of Denmark, as well as with Anders Fogh Rasmussen, ex-Secretary General of NATO and founder of the third-rate international political consulting organisation Rasmussen Global, which we exposed on a bribe.
When teachers at one of the top public schools in Florida are asked how they succeed, one answer is universal: They have autonomy in the classroom.

Teachers with autonomy are able to make decisions and plans independently in their classrooms.

The majority of American teachers report feeling stressed and unhappy at work, a Pew Research Center study found last year. Another study by Brown University and the University of Albany found that reduced job satisfaction has been connected to a drop in teachers sense of autonomy in the classroom.

But at A.D. Henderson School in Boca Raton, Florida, school leaders permit their staff high levels of classroom autonomy  and it works.

Henderson is a public school of 636 kindergartners to eighth graders on the campus of Florida Atlantic University. Henderson students scored in the top 1 percent to 3 percent in nearly every subject in the state's latest standardized tests. In almost every subject, 60 percent or more of Henderson students scored far above the Florida state average.

There is a lot of our own individual input allowed in doing the activities that we want to do in the classroom, said Vanessa Stevenson. She is a middle school science teacher at Henderson. She plans to start a horse medicine class next fall even though the school has no horses. She believes she will find a way to make the class a success.

Its a bit of trial and error because theres nothing being handed to you saying, Do it this way. You just have to figure it out, she said.

Joel Herbst is the superintendent of Henderson and its partner FAU High School. He called the teachers his secret sauce. He said the schools success can be done anywhere if administrators give teachers more freedom.

When that happens, he said, teachers create hands-on programs that help students learn more.

Give (teachers) the freedom to do what they do best, which is to impart knowledge, to teach beyond the textbook, Herbst said.

Madhu Narayanan is an education professor at Portland State University. He studies teacher independence. He said independence is highly related to teacher morale and success. But independence must be combined with administrative support.

It cant be, Here is the classroom, here is the textbook, well see you in six months. Those teachers have tremendous autonomy, but feel lost, he said.

About 2,700 families enter a lottery each year for the 60 spots in Hendersons kindergarten class and openings in other grades.

Some children entering Henderson are gifted. Some have learning disabilities. Most are average learners, however.

The school must follow a Florida law requiring the student population at university-run laboratory schools match state population demographics for race, gender and income. Because families apply to attend, parental involvement is high.

Jenny OSullivan teaches a class on art and technology. Her kindergartners learn computer coding basics by playing a game with a robot. And fourth and fifth graders make videos celebrating Earth Day.

Her new classroom has the newest technology. But she says such classes can be taught anywhere if the teacher is given the ability to be creative.

Amy Miramontes teaches sixth graders a Medical Detectives class. They examine pieces of rabbit muscle under a microscope, using safe chemicals to find what disease each animal had.

Miramontes hopes the class grows students interest in medicine. She also hopes her class gives students the knowledge needed in two years when they take the states eighth-grade science test.

Using art to teach science

Hendersons success has led to more money and grants. The middle schools drone program, for example, recently won a national competition in California.

Hendersons drone teams have a room to practice flying the devices through an obstacle course, plus flight simulators donated by the local power company. The drone program is a chance to compete while using the physics and aeronautics learned in the classroom, teacher James Nance said.

Eighth grader Anik Sahai is in Stevensons science class. He created an app that uses the camera to diagnose diabetic retinopathy. The eye disease is a leading cause of blindness worldwide.

Sahais app took first place in the states middle school science fair and is being considered for commercial use. The 14-year-old credits his success to his years at Henderson, beginning in the preschool program.

The teachers here, theyre amazing, he said. Theyve been trained on how to get us to the next level.

Im Dan Novak.

Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting from The Associated Press.

Quiz - Top US School Gives Teachers More Independence Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

_______________________________________

Words in This Story

autonomy  n. the state of existing or acting separately from others

allow  v. to permit

trial  n. a formal meeting in a court in which evidence about crimes, disagreements, etc., is presented to a judge and often a jury so that decisions can be made according to the law

superintendent  n. a person who directs or manages a place, department, organization, etc.

secret sauce  n. a special quality or feature considered the most important factor in the success of something or someone

impart  v. to give something, such as a quality, to a thing

morale  n. the feelings of enthusiasm and loyalty that a person or group has about a task or job

tremendous  adj. very large or great

lottery  n. a system used to decide who will get or be given something by choosing names or numbers by chance

gifted  adj. having great natural ability

gender  n. a person's own sense of being male, female, some combination of male and female, or neither male nor female

income  n. money that is earned from work, investments, business, etc.

grant  n. an amount of money that is given to someone by a government, a company, etc., to be used for a particular purpose

diagnose  v. to recognize by examining someone
About 20 years ago, Cary Fowler and Geoffrey Hawtin wanted to prevent hunger and protect the worlds food supply. The two men imagined a so-called doomsday vault for plant seeds. (A vault is a secure storage structure.)

Fowler and Hawtins goal was to keep a supply of seeds safe if existing seed banks were threatened by war, climate change, or other crises. They decided to build their storage building into the side of a mountain north of the Arctic Circle.

To a lot of people today, it sounds like a perfectly reasonable thing to do, Fowler said from Saudi Arabia in an interview with the Associated Press. Seeds, he added, are a valuable natural resource that needs protection.

But Fowler said: Fifteen years ago, shipping a lot of seeds to the closest place to the North Pole that you can fly into (and) putting them inside a mountain did not sound reasonable. In his words, it was the craziest idea anybody ever had.

The World Food Prize

Their idea became the Svalbard Global Seed Vault on the Norwegian island of Svalbard. The vault opened in 2008 and now holds 1.25 million seed samples from nearly every country in the world. The structure was built into the side of a mountain. It protects the seeds of over 6,000 kinds of agriculturally important plants. The Crop Trust website says: Its purpose is to backup genebank collections to secure the foundation of our future food supply.

Last week, Fowler and Hawtin were named the 2024 World Food Prize winners for their work. Fowler is now the U.S. special diplomat for global food security. Hawtin is an agricultural scientist from Britain.

They were named the winners of the yearly prize at the U.S. Department of State in Washington. Secretary of State Antony Blinken praised the men at the announcement for their critical role in preserving crop diversity.

Fear of climate change

For many years, countries have created seed banks to store seeds for future use. But Fowler said he was concerned that climate change would cause disorder in agriculture. This would make the seed supply even more important.

Hawtin is an executive board member at the Global Crop Diversity Trust, an international nonprofit group. He said there were a lot of threats to crops in the past, such as insects, disease, land degradation, and political unrest. He said that climate change has made these problems worse. So, he and Fowler saw a need for additional secure seed storage.

Hawtin explained that climate change is changing pests and diseases. He added, Climate change is putting a whole lot of extra problems on what has always been significant ones.

Fowler and Hawtin said they hope winning the World Food Prize will help them raise more money for seed banks around the world. Operating them is not too costly. However, the financial support needs to continue forever.

This is really a chance to get that message out and say, look, this relatively small amount of money is our insurance policy -- our insurance policy that were going to be able to feed the world in 50 years, Hawtin said.

Norman Borlaug established the World Food Prize. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his part in what is called the Green Revolution. That was a big effort to make crops more productive so the worlds growing population would not go hungry.

This fall, Fowler and Hawtin will accept the prize in Des Moines, Iowa, the city where the food prize foundation is based. They will also split the $500,000 award. This years prize will be presented at the yearly Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue. The conference will be held in Des Moines from October 29 to the 31.

Im Anna Matteo.

Scott McFetridge reported this story for the Associated Press. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English.

______________________________________

Words in This Story

doomsday n. the end of the world or judgement day

sample n. a small amount of something taken for scientific study

critical adj. very important

diversity n. having many different kinds of things

degradation n. the condition of breaking down and decreasing in quality

significant adj. notable or worth discussing

insurance policy n. a contract with an insurance company that promises to pay the holder or people named by the holder a certain amount if there is a loss of the covered property by the contract

We want to hear from you. Tell us what you think in the Comments section, you can also practice using any of the expressions from the story. Our comment policy is here.
The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden announced plans Tuesday to increase tariffs on $18 billion worth of Chinese imports.

Among the goods facing new taxes will be electric vehicles (EVs), computer chips, batteries, critical minerals, medical products, steel and aluminum.

The White House released a statement about the plan on Tuesday. The statement explained that the move aims to limit what it called unfair trade practices by China. It said U.S. officials were especially concerned that Chinese trade policies on technology transfers, intellectual property, and innovation are threatening American businesses and workers.

The U.S. plans come after a four-year examination on trade with China. The examination looked at tariffs put in place by former President Donald Trump, who introduced taxes on about $300 billion worth of Chinese goods.

The examination was carried out under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. The act permits the government to take action against trade practices it considers unfair. Section 301 was also the main tool the Trump administration used to defend its tariffs.

China was quick to condemn the proposed new tariffs and urged the U.S. to cancel the plans. A commerce ministry statement said the action will seriously affect the atmosphere of bilateral cooperation. The statement also said the Chinese government is prepared to take its own measures to defend its interests.

The U.S. tariffs are to be activated over the next three years. Tariffs on EVs, solar cells, medical devices, steel and aluminum are set to take effect in 2024.

Currently, there are very few EVs from China in the United States. But officials worry that low-priced models made possible by Chinese government subsidies could soon start flooding the U.S. market.

The tariff rate on EVs is set to increase four times to 100 percent this year. The tariff rate for semiconductors will rise from 25 percent to 50 percent by next year, White House officials said.

Lael Brainard is director of Bidens National Economic Council. She said the tariffs would increase the cost of some Chinese goods. They would also help block Chinas efforts to dominate the market for new, developing technologies.

China is simply too big to play by its own rules, Brainard told reporters Monday during a conference call ahead of the announcement.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimated that the U.S. imported $427 billion in goods from China in 2023, while it exported $148 billion in goods.

U.S. officials have said the latest tariff decision was made independently of this years American presidential election, which happens in November.

But Brainard noted in her comments that the tariffs would help workers in Pennsylvania and Michigan. Both states are so-called battleground states that may decide who wins the election.

Im Bryan Lynn.

The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse reported on this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports VOA Learning English.

___________________________________________

Words in This Story

tariff  n. a tax on goods coming into or leaving a country

intellectual property  n. property such as inventions, research and media that carry rights for the owner to use, sell or gain from the property

innovation  n. the introduction of changes or new ideas

subsidy  n. money given by a government to help pay costs

dominate  v. to control or have power over someone or something
The Duchess of Sussex wore a yellow dress to a reception marking the end of her royal visit to Nigeria. During a visit to the State Governor's House in Lagos on May 12, Mother's Day, Meghan Markle shone in a bright sleeveless outfit.

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It was reported by Harper's Bazaar. The yellow silk dress is the same ensemble that Harry's wife wore in 2020 for her son Prince Archie's first birthday, as well as in 2021, when she announced her second pregnancy.

To complete her sentimental look, the Duchess added a pair of leather sandals, as well as disc earrings, a gold collar necklace, and a bunch of bracelets that accompanied her bows throughout the trip.

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The event was organized by the Chief of Defense Staff of Nigeria, who invited the couple to visit the country, as well as the Governor of Lagos. Upon arrival, Meghan received a green shawl with white and yellow stripes as a gift from the governor's wife.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA told how Olena Zelenska visited Serbia for the first time in a classic authentic look. The First Lady wore an embroidered shirt by a Ukrainian brand.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
High-level envoys from the United States and China are set to meet in Geneva today for talks about artificial intelligence, including the risks of the fast-evolving technology and ways to set shared standards to manage it.

The meeting, billed as an opening exchange of views, is the first under an inter-governmental dialogue on AI agreed during a multi-faceted meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco in November.

Both the U.S. and China see AI as crucial for national security and economic growth, with Biden administration officials saying they plan to focus on the development of safe, secure and trustworthy AI. The officials insisted on anonymity to preview the meeting on a phone call with reporters.

They also said the U.S. would outline how it was addressing possible risks from the technology by creating voluntary commitments with the sectors leading companies and requiring safety tests of AI products.

Chinas official Xinhua news agency, citing the Foreign Ministry, said the two sides would take up issues including the technological risks of AI and global governance.

The U.S. government also sees efforts undertaken on AI by China as possibly undermining the national security of America and its allies.

The National Security Council at the White House said the U.S. team is being led by presidential adviser and senior director for technology and national security, Tarun Chhabra, and the State Departments acting special envoy for critical and emerging technologies, Seth Center. JAMEY KEATEN, GENEVA, MDT/AP
Turkiye and Greece are strengthening their mutual understanding on fighting terrorism, Anadolu Agency reports citing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Azernews reports.

"We agree there is no place for terrorist groups in our region's future," Erdogan said in a news conference in the Turkish capital Ankara with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Erdogan also said that Ankara and Athens are committed to resolving issues between them via "cordial dialogue, good neighborly ties, and international law" as outlined in last year's Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good-Neighborliness.

"We are working to push our bilateral trade with Greece to $10 billion, which was $6 billion last year," Erdogan added.

He also underlined that Turkiye expects the "positive atmosphere in our relations" to contribute to fulfilling the rights of the Turkish minority in Greece.

Erdogan highlighted the importance of finding a fair, permanent, and fact-based solution to the Cyprus issue, adding that this would strengthen regional stability and peace.

"I would like to thank Prime Minister Mitsotakis for his efforts to improve our bilateral relations," he added.
The annual summit for the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) will be underway in Macau from tomorrow for three consecutive days.

According to the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), the summit will gather over 400 tourism industry delegates from 30 countries and regions.

The summits program starts Wednesday and includes a wide range of activities, such as PATAs Board Meeting and Chapter Congress meetings.

The summits main highlight is its international conference, which starts right after the opening ceremony, scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

Under the theme of Reimagining Tourism, the conference will present a two-day program featuring over 20 sessions and more than 40 speakers from Macau, as well as many countries and regions across the world.

The conference also includes two-panel discussions, Marketing and Branding in Asia Pacific Tourism and Future-Proofing Travel and Tourism Policies, moderated by BBC News and featuring tourism heads from several destinations, including MGTO director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, who will join the first panel.

The Economist Impact will also present an overview of the global economic landscape and its implications for the tourism sector for the next two years.

The top sessions for the second day of the conference include a Conversation with Pansy Ho, with PATA Chair Peter Semone interviewing the Executive Chairman and Managing Director of Shun Tak Holdings Limited.

Euromonitor International will present Key Travel and Tourism Trends to Watch, while PATA will unveil a report on human capital development.

Other sessions will focus on topics ranging from hotel and air travel trends to travel technology and artificial intelligence, gastronomy tourism, educational tourism, nighttime economy, and tourism synergies to diversify the economy, among others.

Other events will also be held in tandem with the summit, such as the PATA Youth Symposium, which gathers future tourism professionals from abroad and the Greater Bay Area (GBA), and the PATA  World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) China Dialogue, both scheduled for Thursday morning.

Among the speakers are Semone, WTCF executive director Chen Bo, representatives from Beijing, Qingdao, Hainan, and other tourism bureaus, as well as tourism operators and academics from the mainland.

The discussion topics include the latest policies and measures for inbound tourism and digital payment for visitors, as well as the development of cross-regional travel in the GBA.

This is the first major PATA event in Macau since the pandemic, and it aims to highlight the role of Macau as a world center for tourism and leisure.
The whereabouts of a Chinese citizen journalist who served four years in prison for reporting on the early days of the pandemic in Wuhan and was expected to be released yesterday are unknown, raising concern from activists.

Zhang Zhan, who had been sentenced to four years in prison on charges of picking quarrels and provoking trouble, a vaguely defined charge often used in political cases, has finished serving her sentence at Shanghais Women Prison.

Ren Quanniu, a former lawyer who previously represented Zhang, said he could not reach her father and expressed concern that Zhang would be released only to be put under another form of control by police.

Yesterday was the last day of her four-year sentence, confirmed Ren and Jane Wang, another overseas activist who launched the Free Zhang Zhan campaign in the U.K.

Zhang was among a handful of citizen journalists who traveled to the central Chinese city of Wuhan after the government put it under total lockdown in February 2020, in the early days of the pandemic. She walked around the city to document public life as fears grew about the then-mysterious coronavirus.

Other citizen journalists have also spent time in jail for documenting the early days of the pandemic, including Fang Bin, who published videos of overcrowded hospitals and bodies during the outbreak. Fang was sentenced to three years in prison and released last April.

Chen Qiushi, another citizen journalist, disappeared in February 2020 while filming in Wuhan. Chen in September 2021 resurfaced on a friends live video feed on YouTube, saying he had suffered from depression but did not provide details about his disappearance.

During her prison stay, Zhang staged a hunger strike and was hospitalized at one point in 2021.

Zhangs family has faced police pressure during her stay in prison, and her parents have declined interview requests from media. Her family at times could only speak to their daughter by phone at the prison.

Shen Yanqiu, who had planned to go with Zhangs family to receive her at the prison, declined to speak to The Associated Press.

China s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Wang Wenbin declined to comment on the case when asked yesterday, saying Im not aware of the situation. MDT/AP
The Judiciary Police (PJ) has received reports from 10 scam victims totaling over MOP4.5 million.

Most of these scams occurred online, with victims losses ranging from several thousands to over two million patacas all at once.

Notable cases include one where a local fell victim to a part time scam that required her to help submit fake reviews onto websites to earn money, the PJ said in a press conference.

The victim was instructed to deposit MOP400,000 into an account and perform various tasks related to searching hotels and websites. She completed more than 30 of these tasks and wanted to quit, but the scammers told her she could receive MOP15,000 as compensation if she paid MOP146,000 first. Realizing something was wrong, the victim refused and notified the police of her losses.

Another case the PJ reported involved a local man receiving a phone call from someone claiming to be a law enforcement officer in Shanghai. Since the male victim didnt speak Mandarin, he handed the phone to his family. The caller requested a FaceTime call for a virtual interview and appeared to be wearing a uniform resembling a law enforcement officer. Convinced of the callers identity, the family provided personal and bank account information, including passwords. Later, they discovered suspicious transactions from their bank accounts and reported a loss of HKD96,000 and HKD97,000 respectively.

The biggest case reported was a victim who lost RMB4.01 million.

The victim reported he wanted to use the funds for foreign exchange and received a call from what he believed to be mainland police officials. According to the victim, the caller asked why the victim had such a large amount of money in his accounts and was being suspected of fraud. The caller claimed that for the victim to prove his funds were not fraudulent, he had to transfer a total of RMB4.01 million to a designated multi-currency account to prove his innocence. Only after talking to his family members did the victim realize he had fallen victim of a scam.

The PJ stresses that knowing personal details does not mean the caller is a real officer. They urged residents to verify suspicious situations with police and practice extreme vigilance and caution to avoid these scams which are becoming more and more common.

Man arrested for damaging several cars

In a separate case, authorities have received a report of multiple vehicles being damaged, according to a spokesperson from the Public Security Police (PSP).

In a press conference, the PSP said the suspect, a 19-year-old man and former Hong Kong-Macau traffic police officer, broke into several cars in a carpark.

On the morning of May 12, at 10 a.m., the police received a report from a victim of an unidentified person in a parked cars passenger seat. The police arrived at the scene and found that the cars headlights on, and a man was seen moving around in the passenger seat.

While the suspect did not steal any items from the vehicle, police found that his mobile phone contained multiple photos of the interior of several other cars in the carpark. Upon identifying the owners of the cars and notifying them, some of the victims found broken car door locks. However, the suspect was adamant the car doors were all unlocked at the time, and he simply opened the door to enter the vehicles. Howard Tong
It was 7 a.m. on a recent Friday when Wang Gang, a 36-year-old Chinese immigrant, jostled for a day job in New York Citys Flushing neighborhood.

When a potential employer pulled up near the street corner, Wang and dozens of other men swarmed around the car. They were hoping to be picked for work on a construction site, at a farm, as a mover  anything that would pay.

Wang had no luck, even as he waited for two more hours. It would be another day without a job since he crossed the southern U.S. border illegally in February.

The daily struggle of Chinese immigrants in Flushing is a far cry from the picture former President Donald Trump and other Republicans have sought to paint of them as a coordinated group of military-age men who have come to the United States to build an army and attack America.

Since the start of the year, as the Chinese newcomers adjust to life in the U.S., Trump has alluded to fighting age or military age Chinese men at least six times and suggested at least twice that they were forming a migrant army. The talking point also appears in conservative media and on social platforms.

Theyre coming in from China  31, 32,000 over the last few months  and theyre all military age and they mostly are men, Trump said during a campaign rally last month. And it sounds like to me, are they trying to build a little army in our country?

Asian advocacy organizations say they worry the rhetoric could encourage further harassment and violence toward the Asian community, which saw more hate incidents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wang, who traveled several weeks from Wuhan, China, to Ecuador, to the southern U.S. border, said the idea that Chinese migrants were building a military does not exist among immigrants he has met.

We came here to make money, he said.

Immigrants in Flushing said they came to escape poverty and financial losses from Chinas strict lockdown during the pandemic, or to escape the threat of imprisonment in a repressive society where they couldnt speak or exercise their religion freely.

Since late 2022  when Chinas three-year COVID-19 lockdown began to lift  the U.S. has seen a sharp rise in the number of Chinese migrants.

Most who have come are single adults, according to federal data. There are more men than women on the perilous route, which typically involves flying to South America and then making the long, arduous trek north to the U.S. border.

One reason men may come alone in higher numbers is the danger, said a 35-year-old Chinese man who only gave his family name of Yin because he was concerned about the safety of his wife and children, who remain in China for now.

This trip is deadly. People die. The trip isnt suitable for women  its not suitable for anyone, said Yin.

Immigrants in Flushing said they came to America to escape China, not to fight on its behalf.

Thirty-six-year-old Chen Wang, from southeastern China, said he decided to come to the U.S. in late 2021 after he posted comments critical of the ruling party on Twitter. He was admonished by local police and feared that he could be imprisoned.

More than two years later, he is still unemployed and lives in a tent in the woods that he has made into a home. Chen described his fellow Chinese on the journey as simply people chasing a better life.

To be sure, U.S. intelligence leaders have grave concerns about the threat Chinas authoritarian government poses to the country. There also have been crimes committed by Chinese immigrants, including the arrest in March of a Chinese national breaching a military base in California, but there has been no evidence that migrants from China are coming to the U.S. to fight Americans.

Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell last month called the Chinese nationals economic migrants.

China has said it strongly opposes illegal immigration. Its foreign ministry said Trumps claims of a Chinese migrant army were an egregious mismatch of the facts. The Department of Homeland Security didnt respond to requests for comment.

Steven Cheung, communications director for the Trump campaign, said letting so many Chinese migrants into the U.S. sets a dangerous precedent that nefarious actors could exploit.

These individuals have not been vetted or screened, and we have no idea who they are affiliated with or what their intention is, he said in an emailed statement.

Sapna Cheryan, a psychology professor at the University of Washington, said the claims about Chinese migrants  made without evidence  build on pervasive stereotypes that Asian people do not belong in the country.

These ideas have fueled violence against Asian Americans and could embolden people again, she said.

Li Kai, also known as Khaled, a 44-year-old Muslim from a city close to Beijing, said he was worried about Trumps statements regarding illegal immigration and Muslims, but said he has no choice other than to stay.

He was one of the few who made the trip with his family. He shares a bunk bed and sofa with his wife and two sons in a temporary home in Flushing where he has placed an American flag on the wall.

When his sons are at school, he studies for a commercial drivers license. He hopes to find a job and start paying taxes.

Now that I have brought my family here, I want to have a stable life here, he said. I would like to pay back. FU TING, ALI SWENSON & DIDI TANG, NEW YORK, MDT/AP
* Living in The Zone

 Govt relaxes rules to attract younger buyers for Hengqin apartments

* Gaming | Macau casino shares rise as China expands travel visa scheme

* HKMAO | Xia inspects new bridge, meets with key leaders

* The annual summit for PATA  Pacific Asia Travel Association will take place in Macau this week for three consecutive days

* Welfare bureau to assist disadvantaged families in MOP20 million budget

* Small, well-built Chinese EV Seagull poses a big threat to USa auto industry

* Arts & Culture

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Tuesday, May 14, 2024  edition no. 4482
Beijings top official for Hong Kong and Macau Affairs, Xia Baolong, has visited the citys fourth Taipa-Macau bridge, Macau Bridge, as part of his week-long inspection trip in the SAR.

Head of the Central Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office and the director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Xia arrived in Macau yesterday afternoon at the Macau International Airport.

Along with Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng, the official was briefed on the the bridges overview, design, and role in easing traffic congestion in Macau and facilitating the development of new area in the future, as cited in a statement issued by the Government Information Bureau.

Yesterday, Xia also met with the key leaders of the executive, legislative, and judicial institutions of the SAR.

According to the statement, he conveyed President Xi Jinpings greetings to Macau compatriots and also conveyed the central authorities affirmation of the MSARs approach to governance.

Xia returned to the region after a year, following his four-day inspection tour back in May.

Director Xias presence fully demonstrated President Xis and the central authorities high regard and strong support for the MSAR, the local government said in a statement.

The official also visited Hong Kong in February this year, meeting people in various sectors including those in the finance, business and legal professions.
The city of Monona has adopted a six-month ban on new vape shops, after three shops opened in recent years and the city rejected a fourth following the police chiefs concerns about its proximity to schools.

During the 180-day moratorium on new electronic smoking retailers, passed by the City Council last week, the city will study potential zoning code changes for e-cigarette stores, or vape shops.

A proliferation of establishments selling electronic smoking devices or electronic smoking device paraphernalia, particularly when concentrated geographically, can have a negative impact on public health, safety and welfare, the moratorium said.

The city of Milwaukee last year changed its zoning regulations to prevent e-cigarette or tobacco retailers from opening within 500 feet of similar businesses or 1,000 feet of schools. The move came near the end of a six-month moratorium on new stores.

The Milwaukee ordinance and the Monona moratorium apply to stores where vaping supplies make up at least 10% of stock or floor space. That is meant to avoid gas stations or other stores that sell some e-cigarettes.

Monona city staff and Jerry Deschane, executive director of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, said they havent heard of other local governments in Wisconsin taking such steps.

Three dedicated smoke and vape shops are open in Monona: Ignite Glass and Gifts, at 6009 Monona Drive, approved in 2017; Vapes and Cigars at 6325 Monona Drive, approved in 2021; and Monona Vapor, at 2403 W. Broadway, approved last year.

This year, the operators of Blue Eye Smoke and Vape in Elkhorn proposed a vape shop at 5007 Monona Drive, in a vacant space with a residential unit on the second floor. That is not far from La Follette High School, Sennett Middle School, Monona Grove High School and Monona Grove Liberal Arts Charter School.

This business would in essence serve as a tobacco billboard advertisement to those young persons passing by every day on the way to and from school, Police Chief Brian Chaney wrote in a letter to city staff.

On April 22, the Plan Commission denied the proposal, based on inadequate parking. Some members expressed concerns about the proximity to schools and the growing number of vape shops.

The City Council adopted the moratorium on May 6. During the ban, the city will study stores that sell vaping products, seek public input, look at what other communities have done and consider zoning changes, said Doug Plowman, planning director.

I expect location and possible buffers from schools or parks to be considered, as well as screening and signage, Plowman said.

Some 10% of high school students said last year they had used e-cigarettes in the previous month, down from 14% the previous year, according to a national survey. About 5% of middle school students said they recently used e-cigarettes.

Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is addictive and can harm brain development in youth, affect learning, lead to use of regular cigarettes and increase risk of addiction to other drugs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Commercial tobacco retailers have no place near schools or other areas where young people congregate, and we think policies like this are a great first step to slow the explosion of these shops opening in our county, Morgan Finke, spokesperson for Public Health Madison and Dane County, said of the Monona moratorium.

A new state law last year requires vape shops to get licenses from local jurisdictions, as retailers selling cigarettes and other tobacco products must do.
The tunes of Taylor Swift and Tina Turner filled the halls of Kennedy Elementary School on Madisons East Side on a recent cold April morning as students poured through the doors and prepared to start another school day. School staff, in cowboy hats and flannels for Spirit Week, greeted students with high-fives, hugs and dance moves.

This morning welcome has become a daily ritual for staff and students at Kennedy. But its more than just a fun jam session  its a way for school staff, first thing in the morning, to check in with students, get a sense of how theyre feeling and triage needs.

The needs are great.

But more help is on the way.

The Madison School District has identified Kennedy as the districts newest community school, a designation that helps families access the programming and services they need by bringing health and human service providers and other community partners to one centralized location. This can include onsite child care, tutoring and adult education opportunities.

Madison developed the community schools program in 2015, and Kennedy will be the eighth school with that designation.

Starting next school year, Kennedy will be granted a community school resource coordinator and a family liaison who will work full-time from the school.

Kennedy also is adding several other staff members, including another social worker, a behavioral specialist and a handful of new teachers to help decrease class sizes.

The idea is that all children and families benefit from the community school model by being able to access resources, opportunities and support to advance their learning and healthy development, Community School Manager Sarita Foster said. So, community schools address barriers that limit opportunities for students and families.

But parents and teachers who have been advocating for more help and have witnessed Kennedys struggles for years say the districts support hasnt come soon enough.

We werent blind to this; we saw the needs changing and shifting, Kennedys social worker, Bridget Cremin, told the Wisconsin State Journal in January.

Extreme trauma

Parents and teachers say the demographics at Kennedy have changed at an accelerated pace, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are now more students who are homeless, have trauma and require support outside the school day, Cremin said.

About 62% of students at Kennedy are students of color and more than half of all students are considered economically disadvantaged, according to data from the 2022-23 school year. Those numbers have nearly doubled in the past decade.

I dont ever want to place blame on our families, Cremin said. I think its actually a much bigger issue. Theres a lot of development in this area that happened without a real infrastructure being put in. We are, as a school and as a community, trying to rally together and come together and just say this is our community now.

Madison chooses community schools based solely on enrollment, not specific needs. Kennedy is one of the districts largest elementary schools, and its enrollment has been on the rise for years, growing from 500 in 2016-17 to nearly 600 this year, according to Department of Public Instruction data and school staff.

Any school can be a community school, so theres no specific something that happened in that neighborhood that we decide that has to be the next community school, Foster said.

Any one of our 52 schools can be a community school  thats how the model is designed. Its not for schools that are struggling academically or students (who) are not performing on their state tests.

Still, Kennedys needs are significant:

Nearly one out of every 10 students is homeless, living in a shelter or doubled up with family and friends, Cremin said.

The

for homeless families, which

in 2021, is in Kennedys attendance area. This has brought more highly mobile students and families to Kennedy, who may be joining the school on short notice, midway through the year.

New housing developments have popped up on the East Side and brought more families into the attendance boundaries.

One of those is Harmony at Grandview Commons, which opened in 2019 and where

, including a 15-year-old girl. Between this shooting and other incidents in the area, teachers say there are more students who have experienced violence, witnessed it or know someone who has.

Mental health

Mary Hustedt, the schools nursing assistant, said the most noticeable change in students has been the increased need for mental health support.

But school staff also have started scheduling and driving students to medical appointments for eye and dental care. She also offers her office to homeless students who need somewhere to sleep during the school day.

Hustedt has lived down the street from Kennedy for decades. She had two sons who attended Kennedy, she led the parent teacher organization and has worked at the school for the past 12 years.

Housing went up, our demographics changed, our kids needs changed drastically, and there was really no preparation for it, she said. No one came in to train us how to teach with kids with extreme trauma, or kids that have a parent who is incarcerated or a drug problem or are experiencing homelessness.

Teachers and parents say academic outcomes also have suffered.

DPI releases annual report cards to measure student achievement and growth over time. Of all the schools in the Madison School District, Kennedy scored the lowest on last years report cards, earning 45 out of 100 possible points.

Proactive approach

While parents and teachers are happy to have the extra support the community school designation will bring, many said they needed this help years ago.

We literally have been drowning for quite a while here, Hustedt said. And staff burned out and they quit. Its hard to come to your job every day when youre short staffed and youve got so many kids with needs and no people here to help.

Much of the day-to-day responsibility for managing student needs has fallen to social workers. Cremin is responsible for all the students at the school.

I spend a lot of my job right now doing a lot of reacting, she said. Things that are equally or more important just dont get handled because there arent enough hours in a day.

One of the goals of adding more resources at a community school is to reduce non-academic demands on teachers and staff.

Community leaders have stepped in to support Kennedy Elementary and the East Side of Madison, too. Victoria Wickersheim, a Madison police officer assigned to the East Side, walks students who live in apartments nearby home from schools in the area most days.

Her primary role is to build trusting relationships with Madison communities, especially children, who have experienced crime and violence.

Alongside Ald. Derek Field, Wickersheim also is trying to bring counseling services to the apartment complexes in the area and set up more resources. Field said neighborhood amenities, such as grocery stores, a community center and library, have not followed the housing developments as quickly as needed.

What else can help?

Kharmen Thomas, who has two kids at Kennedy, said she is happy to see the school get the help it needs.

She said her eldest daughter has fallen behind. Shes been accepted into a local charter school, One City Schools, next year and plans to attend.

Of the community school model, Thomas said, That makes me feel better. Maybe we can get somewhere with this thing.

It has to be consistency with it, she said. It cant just be, Oh, were going to do it this year and then its off the table.

In addition to the extra staff and resources coming to the school next year, parents and teachers are urging leadership to make district finances more flexible going forward, so that schools can get additional resources as needed. This could mean having staff on the districts payroll who could be assigned to schools mid-year.

At a parent-teacher meeting held in March, School Board member Savion Castro acknowledged the district has struggled to respond to requests from schools as they come up.

Theres been a lot of change in the middle of the school years, and the district has been kind of flat-footed in helping, Castro said.

But building an emergency pool of teachers likely would increase expenses for a school district already facing a looming financial cliff. Money from the 2020 operating referendum is running out, and pandemic relief aid, about $40 million, expires in September.

Approval of an operating referendum in November could provide the necessary funds, but it will be months before voters decide on the matter and even longer before schools would see any extra money.

Staff are doing what they can to try to help, Thomas said, but if your hands are tied by what you can do, then the district is where this change has to happen.
The state of Wisconsin on Tuesday said it is moving the Division of Motor Vehicles office from the Far West Side at 8417 Excelsior Drive to the South Side at 2344 S. Park St.

The new office is just a block toward Downtown from the intersection of Badger Road and Park Street, which is just off the Beltline.

The new location has much better access to public transportation, with the Madison Metro South Transfer Point just a couple of blocks away. Its also on the planned North/South Bus Rapid Transit route, which is at least a couple of years off.

As this part of Madison continues to redevelop, its exciting to deliver state services to this growing community while offering convenient access just blocks off the Beltline, Adam Busalacchi, Wisconsin DMV Director of Bureau of Field Services, said in a statement.

The Excelsior Drive office will close at 4:45 p.m. Thursday, June 13, and the Park Street office will open at 8:30 a.m. Monday, June 17.

Almost every DMV transaction and service is available online, with most people only needing to visit a DMV office once every eight years to renew their drivers license or ID. And many customers 65 and older can obtain non-expiring IDs, if they choose, and never need to return to a DMV office.
Gov. Tony Evers on Tuesday ordered special elections to fill Wisconsins vacant 8th Congressional and 4th state Senate district seats.

A special election to fill the Milwaukee Senate seat previously held by Democrat Lena Taylor, who stepped down in January after Evers appointed her as a judge on the Milwaukee County Circuit Court, will be held on July 30, Evers announced.

On Tuesday, candidates can begin circulating nomination papers, which must be filed by June 4.

Milwaukee state Reps. Dora Drake and LaKeshia Myers have announced plans to run for Taylors seat. Both Democratic lawmakers live within the 4th Senate District. If both candidates formally run, it would set up a primary for July 2.

An executive order issued by Evers states the special election will be held using Wisconsins new legislative maps, which Evers signed into law in February.

Evers also ordered a special election to fill the 8th Congressional District seat previously held by Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Green Bay, to coincide with the Nov. 5 presidential election. Candidate nomination papers also can begin circulating Tuesday and are due by June 1. If a primary is necessary, it would coincide with the states Aug. 13 partisan primary.

Due to the timing of Gallaghers vacancy, the 8th Congressional District will appear on both the special election ballot and the general election ballot. The special election vote will cover the remainder of Gallaghers current term, which expires on Jan. 3, 2025, while the winner of the general election vote will serve a full two-year term starting after the current term concludes.

Gallagher previously had said he did not plan to seek a fifth term in Congress, but earlier this year announced he would be stepping down early, effective in late April. His departure has created additional challenges for Republicans who hold a razor-thin majority in the U.S. House.

Gallagher has since been hired as a strategic adviser for Green Bay-based venture capital firm Titletown.

Following Gallaghers February announcement, state Sen. Andre Jacque, R-De Pere, and former state Sen. Roger Roth, of Appleton, announced plans to run for the seat. Former gas station and convenience store owner Tony Wied, who has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, also is planning to run.

Photos: Former Wisconsin Badgers compete in new professional volleyball league
Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijan Culture Minister Adil Karimli has received Minister of Dhivehi Language, Culture, and Heritage Adam Naseer Ibrahim, who is visiting the country to participate in the official opening ceremony of Shusha, the Cultural Capital of the Islamic World 2024, Azernews reports.

Speaking about the historical and cultural riches of the city of Shusha, the minister gave information about the outstanding cultural and literary figures that this ancient city gave to the Azerbaijani people.

Adil Karimli pointed out that this year Azerbaijan will host a globally significant event- the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 29), to be held in Baku on November 11-22.

He underlined that special discussions will be held regarding the impact of climate change on culture as well as the role of culture in environmental protection.

Adam Naseer Ibrahim expressed his satisfaction with his visit to Azerbaijan and hailed the high-level organisation of the official opening of Shusha, the Cultural Capital of the Islamic World 2024. He added that the Maldives is interested in cultural cooperation with Azerbaijan.

The ministers exchanged views regarding the organisation of cultural days.
The Twin Falls County Sheriffs Office asks that anyone with information please call 208-735-1911 or Crime Stoppers at 208-343-2677, where they can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward. Tips can be made at www.343cops.com or download P3 Tips on your mobile phone.
Its a new move in Idaho, this process on the part of some local Republican county central committees to censure elected officials, who have won their partys nomination in primary elections, on grounds that they inadequately dance to the tune of party officials.

The latest to try this has been the Bonneville County Republican Central Committee. (Social note which may help describe the groups perspective: Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake is scheduled to be their Lincoln Day speaker next month.) The Bonneville Republicans last week voted to censure two local Republican legislators, Sen. Kevin Cook and Rep. Stephanie Mickelson. Leaders in the county organization have been critical of them for a while, though this development takes things to a new level.

Two censures from a Republican committee (whether legislative district, county or state organization), under current rules, can lead to a demand that the elected official, though nominated and elected as a Republican, remove Party support and prohibit the use of Republican Party identifiers in their campaign.

That has the sound of a serious threat, since so many Idaho voters apparently look for those Republican identifiers, and not much more (such as candidate background, qualifications and well-thought-out positions), when deciding how to fill elected offices.

In an opinion piece, Mickelson noted that, When I ran for office, I needed to secure a majority of votes from over 52,000 people in my district. Now, 20 precinct committeemen on the District 32 Legislative Committee will vote on whether I can call myself a Republican. Of those 20, only nine were elected. The other 11 were appointed. Which, she asked, ought to have primacy?

Mickelson also said that if a demand actually is made to remove any kind of party support, Some have suggested theyll pursue legal action to enforce this decision. Indeed, some have suggested as much, and it would be interesting to see how that would play out in a court of law.

But theres also a larger question: Who gets to call themselves a Republican, or a Democrat, or something else, for that matter?

Idaho Democrats and other groups of voters havent made much of an issue out of it (nor have the minor parties), and the Republicans whose political dominance in the state isnt in any way immediately under threat likewise seldom did, until recently. If someone was considered far enough outside the partys mainstream (however that might be defined), the usual view was that they could be defeated in a primary election.

That approach began to change after 2011 when, after a court decision allowing political parties to limit their primaries to registered members, Idaho Republicans closed their primaries to allow party registrants only. (Other Idaho parties have not chosen that limitation.) Of course, anyone could register as a Republican, so that didnt completely solve the (perceived) problem of participation by non-true believers.

As the Idaho Republican party structure has been taken over increasingly by more extreme groups, a conflict between the party and its voters started to become almost inevitable. Now were starting to see it arrive.

Theres a key question here: Who gets to decide what a real Republican is? This isnt a one-sided question. A lot of long-time Republican former elected officials have decried the current party leadership  and some of its elected officials  as virtual invaders who have taken the party far away from its roots and meaning. Theres a real dispute about what a real Republican is or should be.

One approach since has been growing imposition of doctrine and dogma, and ever more extreme positions in party platforms and resolutions: You must support all of this, or else youre not a real Republican.

Whats worth pointing out is how different this is from the historic norm, when the decision of what was a real Republican (or Democrat) was left to the people who voted in the primaries, even if that process sometimes was a little messy. Of course, when you have a one-party state, those stakes get higher.

And when that happens, the extremes become more so.
A VIETNAMESE fishing vessel has rescued last May 4 a Filipino fisherman who drifted in open sea for about 18 hours.

Allan Maglangit, a boat crew of a fishing company based in Cebu, accidentally went overboard and floated for hours while clinging to a floating Styrofoam buoy.

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Fortunately, the crew of the Vietnamese fishing vessel spotted Maglangit ang subsequently plucked him out of the ocean.

Maglangit was turned-over to a Vietnamese fisheries surveillance ship that met with BRP Andres Bonifacio (PS17), which was conducting a maritime patrol in the area.

Maglangit eventually arrived at Puerto Princesa City, Palawan where he was taken by the Philippine ship.

He was then provided immediate assistance through a thorough medical check-up and debriefing.

On the same day, he was turned-over to Crispin Sapit Jr, the general manager of Fishland King United Corp, who flew from Cebu just to fetch Maglangit to be reunited with his family and loved ones.
China denied that it is conducting reclamation activities in Escoda Shoal in the West Philippine Sea following reports from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) that it is building an artificial island there.

Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin stressed that the Philippines accusation is sheer rumor, and an irresponsible claim designed to vilify China and mislead the international community.

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In a press conference Monday night, Wang said none of the Philippines attempts to spread rumors will succeed.

China urges the Philippines to stop making irresponsible remarks, face up to the facts and return to the right track of properly handling maritime disputes through negotiation and consultation, the Chinese official added.

PCG spokesman Jay Tarriela said the agency deployed a ship to the shoal, a meet-up point for ships carrying out resupply missions to the grounded Sierra Madre, to prevent China from its reclamation activity.

The move came after PCG discovered piles of dead and crushed coral that were dumped on the sandbars of Sabina Shoal.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines said PCGs move to deploy BRP Teresa Magbanua, its largest one, deterred Chinas attempt to reclaim the area.
GFH Financial Group has posted first-quarter (Q1) net profit attributable to shareholders of $27.14 million, an increase of 13.03% on Q1 2023, profiting from growth in the groups investment banking and its commercial banking business.

Earnings per share for the quarter was US cents 0.77 compared with US cents 0.72 in the first quarter of 2023. Total income was $162.97 million for the first quarter of the year compared with $105.06 million in the first quarter of 2023, an increase of 55.13%.

Consolidated net profit for the first quarter was $30.34 million compared with $24.44 million in the first quarter of 2023, an increase of 24.14%. Total expenses for the quarter were $89.18 million compared with $62.50 million in the prior-year period, up 42.69%.

Total equity

Total equity attributable to shareholders was $955.67 million on March 31, 2024 down 3.42% from $989.54 million on December 31, 2023, primarily due to distribution of dividends for the year 2023. Total assets of the Group were $10.55 billion compared with $11.12 billion on December 31, 2023, a decrease of 5.13%, due to realignment of the groups assets.

Currently, GFH manages over $20.6 billion of assets and funds including a global portfolio of investments in logistics, healthcare, education and technology in the Mena region, Europe and North America.

Abdulmohsen Rashed Al Rashed, Chairman, GFH Financial Group, said: Were delighted to announce continued growth and enhanced profitability for the first quarter of 2024, marked by double-digit increases to the top and bottom line. These results reflect the sound contributions made from the groups subsidiaries, and strong income generated from placements and fees from the groups investment portfolios and treasury activities.

Investing in well-performing sectors

Ongoing growth and progress remain rooted in the success of the groups strategy and its focus on investing in well-performing sectors and high-growth markets, in the region and internationally, where we have an active and growing presence. Having entered the year with positive momentum, we look forward to further expanding the groups investments across core business lines and geographies and generating even greater value for shareholders and investors throughout the remainder of the year.

Hisham Alrayes, CEO and Board Member, GFH Financial Group, said: We are pleased to announce another quarter of growth and solid performance for the first three months of the year, where income increased by 55.1% and consolidated net profits rose by 13% year over year. Gains made during the quarter are the result of further growth and enhanced contributions from our investment banking business and treasury and proprietary investments, as well as healthy income generated from our commercial banking activities.

During the quarter, we successfully placed new investments in recession-proof sectors and high-growth regional and global markets, worked to maximise the value of our existing portfolios, and secured several well-timed and profitable exits. GFH Partners closed additional new investments in the US in our key medical clinics and student housing sectors for $450 million, as well as in the fast-growing electrical infrastructure services sector. We also generated solid income from the partial sale of our stake in Gulf Holding Company and sold a 25% stake in Khaleeji Bank, which saw us bring on board new strategic shareholders as we work to take the Bank to the next level.

Alrayes, added: Across the groups business lines, we remain focused on accelerating our strategy for non-organic growth through new investments and the acquisition of funds, portfolios, and other financial institutions, such as the investment portfolios of Ithmaar Holding that we are currently evaluating. Additionally, we have an attractive pipeline of opportunities.

Ramping up growth

In the US, GFH Partners is working closely with our specialist asset management subsidiaries on-the-ground to identify and close new transactions to grow our existing portfolios. Similarly, in the GCC markets, and particularly, Saudi Arabia, GFH Capital is looking to build our presence and contributions to the growth of priority Vision 2030 sectors such as healthcare, education, and logistics, where we have expertise and a track record of success. We look forward to further ramping up the groups growth trajectory throughout 2024.

Business Unit Highlights

The group continued to deliver sound performance and contributions from across its core business lines during the first quarter of 2024.

Investment Management

During the first quarter, the groups investment banking activities generated $46.16 million in income, through various deal across the region and beyond, including investment in a market leading, high growth company in the US electrical infrastructure services sector, which serves a number of blue-chip clients in fast-growth end- markets such as renewable energy, battery energy storage, utilities, industrial and more.

GFH Partners, the groups global real estate investment arm, concluded investments totalling $450 million in the medical clinics and student housing segments of the US real estate market, which are each benefiting from proven rental growth, low national vacancy, and market stability.

Income from proprietary investments included proceeds from the partial sale of investments in subsidiaries and land parcels.

The group acted as one of the Joint Lead Managers and bookrunners for the successful issuance of a $500 million 5-year sukuk by Arabian Centers Company (trading as Cenomi Centers), Saudi Arabias largest shopping mall owner, developer, and operator.

Commercial Banking

The groups commercial banking business, Khaleeji Bank, contributed $38.76 million in income during the first quarter.

Treasury & Proprietary Investments

Contributions from the groups treasury and proprietary investment activities significantly grew year-over-year to $78.06 million despite a $7.9 million mark-to-market loss during the first quarter.--TradeArabia News Service
This weekend, thousands of Malians participated in the annual re-plastering of the Great Mosque of Djenne, the largest mud-brick building globally, by carrying buckets and jugs of mud. This ritual is vital for maintaining the structural integrity of the mosque, which has been listed on UNESCOs World Heritage in Danger since 2016. The mosque and its surrounding town, historically significant for Islamic learning, have faced threats due to conflicts involving Islamist rebels, government forces, and other factions.

Before the rainy season begins in June, the Great Mosque of Djenne requires a fresh layer of mud each year to prevent deterioration. In the past, this event attracted tens of thousands of tourists annually, but like the rest of Mali, Djennes tourism industry has nearly vanished. Participating in the re-plastering is seen as a symbol of peace, with residents from all walks of life coming together for the activity. Amadou Ampate Cisse, a resident of Djenne, emphasized the traditions importance, stating it will be passed down through generations.

Typically, women and girls collect water from the nearby river to mix with clay, while men and boys climb the mosque to apply the new layer. Moussa Moriba Diakite, head of Djennes cultural mission, highlighted the challenges posed by insecurity, which has jeopardized the annual event. Despite the decline in , Diakite stressed the necessity of preserving the mosque, considering it an essential part of the countrys cultural heritage.

Mali, along with its neighboring countries Burkina Faso and Niger, is grappling with an insurgency involving armed groups, some affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State. Following military coups in these nations, the ruling juntas expelled French forces and sought security assistance from Russias mercenary units.
Gunmen who abducted 105 individuals in northwest Nigeria last week reportedly seek negotiations with the Zamfara state government, according to five families of the victims contacted by the armed perpetrators on Monday. Unlike typical ransom demands, these assailants appear to be aiming for dialogue with the government. Armed gangs have been causing fear and chaos in northern Nigeria, frequently abducting villagers, students, and motorists for financial gain.

The attacks occurred in the villages of Gora, Madomawa, and Jambuzu in Zamfaras Birnin-Magaji local government area on Friday night, resulting in the abduction of numerous residents. Bello Mohammed, whose wife, three children, and young brother were among the victims from Gora, recounted receiving a call on Saturday night from the perpetrators themselves. They indicated they were not seeking ransom payments but urged him and others to relay a message to the state governor, expressing their readiness for negotiations.

While the abductors did not specify the terms of negotiation, multiple families confirmed receiving similar calls. Wadatau Adamu, whose four daughters were among those abducted, highlighted the frequent attacks by gunmen in rural and remote villages like Gora, where security presence is minimal. Several families have conveyed the message to local leaders, awaiting further action.

Additional residents reported receiving similar calls, expressing anguish over the situation. Zamfaras information commissioner Mannir Kaura was unavailable for comment. However, in a statement dated May 11, Kaura condemned unnamed individuals advocating for negotiations with the kidnappers, stating that the state government has rejected any peace accord initiatives with bandits proposed by such groups.
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

Ribosomal DNA (rDNA) is present in hundreds of copies in the genome, but has not previously been part of genetic analyses. A new study of 500,000 individuals indicates that people who have more copies of rDNA are more likely to develop inflammation and diseases during their lifetimes.

Standard genetic analysis techniques have not studied areas of the human genome that are repetitive, such as ribosomal DNA (rDNA), a fundamental part of the molecular mechanism which makes proteins in cells.

A new study, led by Vardhman Rakyan and Francisco Rodriguez-Algarra from Queen Mary University of London's Blizard Institute in collaboration with David Evans from the University of Queensland's Institute for Molecular Bioscience, has discovered that genetic disposition to disease can be found in these previously understudied areas of the genome.

The results, published in Cell Genomics, suggest that wider genome analysis could bring opportunities for preventative diagnostics, novel therapeutics, and greater insight into the mechanism of different human diseases.

In this study, samples from 500,000 individuals in the UK Biobank project were analyzed. Researchers used new whole genome sequencing (WGS) techniques to identify differences in numbers of copies of rDNA in each sample, and compared them with other health metrics and medical records.

The researchers found that the number of copies of rDNA in an individual showed strong statistical association with well-established markers of systemic inflammationsuch as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII). These statistically significant associations were seen in the genomes of individuals of different ethnicities, suggesting a common indicator for risks of future disease.

rDNA copy number was also linked with an individual's kidney function within the sample of individuals of European ancestry. A similar effect was seen in samples from other ancestries, but further research using larger sample sizes will be needed to confirm this connection.

Professor Vardhman Rakyan, from the Genomics and Child Health in the Blizard Institute at Queen Mary, said, "Our research highlights the importance of analyzing the whole genome to better understand the factors impacting on our health. This study is also an example of how having access to large biobanks allows us to make unexpected discoveries, and provides new avenues for harnessing the power of genetics to understand human diseases."

Professor David Evans, from the University of Queensland's Institute for Molecular Bioscience, said, "Geneticists have long struggled to fully explain the genetic basis of many common complex traits and diseases. Our work suggests that at least part of this missing heritability resides in difficult to sequence regions of the genome such as those encoding ribosomal copy number variation."

More information: Ribosomal DNA Copy Number Variation Associates with Hematological Profiles and Renal Function in the UK Biobank, Cell Genomics (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2024.100562. www.cell.com/cell-genomics/ful  2666-979X(24)00128-9 Journal information: Cell Genomics
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Credit: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c09085

In the stomach, parietal cells are responsible for acid production. They react not only to the body's own messenger molecules, but also to bitter-tasting food constituents such as caffeine.

A research team from the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich has now carried out a study on a human gastric cell line. Their results help to clarify the molecular regulatory mechanisms by which bitter substances influence gastric acid production.

The findings are published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

It is known that taste receptors for bitter substances are not only found on the tongue, but also on the surface of other tissues and cells. These include the parietal cells of the stomach, which secrete protons into the stomachi.e., produce gastric acid.

Recent studies have already shown that the bitter taste receptors found in parietal cells are involved in the regulation of gastric acid release. However, the underlying molecular signaling pathways are not yet fully understood.

Gastric cells as a test system

To further clarify the molecular interaction between bitter substances, bitter taste receptors, and gastric acid production, a research team led by Veronika Somoza, Director of the Leibniz Institute in Freising, has carried out a study on a cellular test system. This involves human parietal HGT-1 cells, which are able to secrete protons and, like taste cells, have bitter taste receptors.

Veronika Somoza's team initially developed a working hypothesis based on the results of previous studies and the findings on signal transduction pathways in taste cells.

According to this hypothesis, bitter tasting food constituents stimulate bitter taste receptors that are embedded in the cell membrane. This releases calcium ions inside the cells, leading to ion channel opening. This, in turn, allows sodium ions to flow into the gastric cells from the outside, ultimately contributing to the release of protons.

Hypothesis confirmed

First author Phil Richter explains, "We have successfully tested this mechanism with the two bitter substances caffeine and l-arginine. As expected from previous results, both food constituents were shown to stimulate gastric cell proton secretion in our test system."

The Ph.D. student adds, "For the first time, we were able to demonstrate that the transient receptor potential channels M4 and M5 are involved in the signaling cascade not only in taste cells but also in gastric cells and ensure an influx of sodium ions into the cells."

Senior Scientist Gaby Andersen says, "By using knock-out experiments, in which we specifically switched off one type of bitter taste receptor in the cells, we were also able to show for the first time that there is a link between bitter taste receptors and the activation of the ion channels."

The scientist emphasizes that the results not only contribute to a better understanding of the role of taste receptors in the stomach but could also show that HGT-1 cells could be suitable as a replacement model for taste cells.

The research team agrees that the results will provide new insights into the regulation of gastric acid production and thus lead to innovative approaches in treating gastric diseases in the long term. However, further studies are needed to deepen knowledge of the molecular regulatory mechanisms and intracellular signaling pathways.

More information: Phil Richter et al, Sodium-Permeable Ion Channels TRPM4 and TRPM5 are Functional in Human Gastric Parietal Cells in Culture and Modulate the Cellular Response to Bitter-Tasting Food Constituents, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c09085 Journal information: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

People with a common heart condition were able to use significantly more oxygen while exercising after taking an investigational drug in an international clinical trial, according to a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine. The finding was also presented today at the European Society of Cardiology's Heart Failure 2024 meeting in Lisbon, Portugal.

Oregon Health & Science University is part of the randomized, double-blind Phase 3 trial that is evaluating the experimental drug aficamten, which was developed by Cytokinetics to treat the obstructive form of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or HCM. Of the 282 adults participating in the trial, 19 enrolled through OHSUthe most of any trial center.

"By having more oxygen available during exercise, patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can more easily walk, perform household chores, and do other everyday tasks," said cardiologist Ahmad Masri, M.D., M.S., who co-wrote today's paper and directs the OHSU Knight Cardiovascular Institute's Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center. "Our latest clinical trial results suggest aficamten is a promising treatment for HCM."

HCM affects about 1 in 500 people and is one of the most common causes of sudden death for youth and otherwise healthy athletes. Often caused by inherited gene mutations, it thickens heart muscles and makes it difficult for the heart to work as it should. It causes shortness of breath and reduces people's ability to exercise. The obstructive form of HCM reduces blood flow out of the heart.

About half of the trial's participants were given the experimental drug, and the other half took a placebo and served as the study's control group. Scientists measured the participants' oxygen levels while they used treadmills or bicycles. Those who took aficamten had a significant increase in their maximum oxygen use1.7 milliliters per kilogram per minute more than those in the control group.

Having an increased peak oxygen uptake can improve a patient's ability to be physically active, whereas reduced oxygen uptake can increase the risk of experiencing heart failure, needing a heart transplant, and dying.

Non-drug treatment options for obstructive HCM include surgery to remove excess heart muscle. In 2022, the Food and Drug Administration also approved mavacamten as the first drug designed to target the underlying cause of obstructive HCM. However, mavacamten may increase the risk of heart failure and it interacts with several commonly used medications. As a result, patients who use mavacamten must also undergo intense monitoring.

During the past decade, OHSU has been involved in many research studies exploring new HCM treatment options. It has been a center for several mavacamten studies and is participating in gene therapy research. The university is also currently involved in four other aficamten trials that are evaluating it as a potential treatment for various forms of HCM and in different types of patients, including children.

"This is an exciting time for treating HCM," Masri said. "While we continue to offer traditional surgical and procedural therapies for HCM, we are now also able to offer patients other treatment options: therapies that were recently approved by the FDA and investigational therapies that are available by participating in clinical trials."

More information: Martin S. Maron et al, Aficamten for Symptomatic Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, New England Journal of Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2401424 Journal information: New England Journal of Medicine
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

(This article discusses self-inflicted injury and mental illness. The names of interviewees in this article have been anonymized for their protection.)

On a May evening in 1991, a tense interview between music journalist Steve Lamacq and musician Richey Edwards led to one of the most infamous and challenging images in the history of pop culture. Lamacq had come to see Edwards' band, the Manic Street Preachers, but suggested they were less authentic punk rebels than cynical profiteers.

In response, Edwards produced a razor blade and cut "4REAL" into the full length of his forearm. The picture, taken by Lamacq's photographer moments later, shows Edwards gazing with steady defiance at the camera, his wounds apologetically displayed. It would become an iconic image. Controversially published by the NME, it was turned into a poster, t-shirt and internet meme, and was voted 16th in Q magazine's 100 Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Photographs.

Besides saying something important about Edwards' mental condition, the image captured a wider shift in our culture of expression: a sense that, for some people, words seem to have lost their power to communicate anything real or authentic, such that only blood and pain can bear testimony to their true feelings. As Edwards, who disappeared in 1995 and was later declared dead, explained:

"[It's] really connected to the fact that you almost feel silent, you have no voice, you're mute  you've got no option. Even if you could express yourself, nobody would listen anyway. Things that go on inside youthere's no other way to get rid of them."

A grievous emotional wound

I was reminded of Edwards and the steady defiance of his gaze in that photograph when, just over a decade later, I saw it mirrored in the face of an inmate sitting opposite me in a female prison in the north of England. I was working in forensic psychology and had been called to interview a young woman (let's call her Fiona*) who had used a plastic knife to cut deep gashes into her face, leaving only her eyes and mouth free of damage.

Fiona had just been returned to prison after visiting hospital under guard to give birth to a baby boy. The baby had been taken away for adoption against her wishes, but she had known to expect thisshe couldn't raise a child in prison, after all. What she had not expected was that the baby would be taken away before she had any opportunity to hold him.

It was a grievous emotional wound and one Fiona had no intention of hiding. As she sat with her blond hair pulled back to expose the full extent of her injuries, it was impossible to miss her message: the prison made her feel faceless, more an object of penal management than a human being, let alone a mother. So she had removed her face and exposed the undeniable reality beneath. She had demanded attention, to be taken "4REAL."

Neither Edwards nor Fiona represent a typical case of nonsuicidal self-injury, more commonly called "self-harm." Most people who use cuts, burns, blunt force trauma, or any of a dozen other methods of self-injury, do so in private and are careful to hide their wounds. They are also typically opposed to any suggestion that they are looking for attention or trying to make a statement. This is partly because a widespread prejudice frames self-injury as attention seeking, implying a kind of emotional blackmail used to extort care and concern.

Consequently, many people who self-injure, and their advocates, not only deny the charge of attention seeking but also that self-injury has any social or communicative meaning whatsoever. For them, it is a claustrophobically personal crisis: something so completely "inner" that nothing outside themselves and no one else has anything to do with it.

But there's a problem. Even as the relational and communicative aspects of self-injury have been repeatedly denied, researchers have been quietly collecting evidence to prove their existence. Since 2016, myself and two colleagues, Ruth Graham at Newcastle University and Steph Lawler at the University of York, have been mapping the social character of self-injury, trying to find ways to describe it that go beyond the derogatory charge of attention seeking.

The need for such a description is clear. As long as those who share their self-injury with others are accused of attention seeking, they will have good reason to keep it to themselves, and refuse to ask for the help they need.

As we described in a recent article for the Sociological Review, while Edwards' and Fiona's forms of self-injury may be unusual in some respects, their visceral turn to the body as a kind of witness, and their defiant demand for social recognition, may be something much more common. As one interviewee told the researcher Kim Hewitt a few years after Edwards disappeared, far from being attention seeking:

"Self-injury seems to be a great self-destructive attempt to become human. To gain recognition, to prove to someone that I matter, and that I bleed too."

A confused and confusing practice

I met up with Sam, a 21-year-old woman wrapped in a baggy Army Surplus coat, outside a London tube station and we walked to a local pub. She was instantly likable and brimmed with energy and humor as she told me about her history of self-injury.

Sam said she began cutting herself when she was 12 after being grounded for piercing her ears without her parent's permission. "I don't know if it was revenge," she told me, "but I felt like: 'You're not letting me be who I want to be. I'm an individual, I should be able to do what I want to do.'  I felt so upset that no one was listening to me."

This frustration led her to a razor blade: "I didn't question it, I just did it. It was such a releaseyou know?" Before long, she was addicted and sometimes felt the need to cut herself more than once to get through the day:

"I would need to go to the [school] toilet, and by the time I came out, my whole arm [would be] just completely bleeding and  I'd be like: 'Oh, thank God.' Then in a couple of hours, I'd do the same again."

Sam's story embodies the strange social ambivalence of self-injuryoften social in its origin, yet private in its practice. It takes a home problem, a friend problem, a school problem, a work problem or a social expectations problem, and cuts it into the flesh which makes it a personal problem. As Sam noted:

"Sometimes it really is just for yourself, a very private pleasurebut sometimes, yeah, you do want other people to understand how you're feeling  and not necessarily [by] doing it vocally."

This theme of wanting to be understood recurs in most of the hundreds of interviews I have conducted over the years, both in prisons and as a social scientistbut largely in tones of disappointment and pessimism. In the late 1970s, the psychiatrist D.W. Pierce described self-injury as a "confused and confusing practice," and there is little need to update his sentiment for the 21st century. Despite its millennial familiarity, it remains a shocking and darkly enigmatic phenomenoneven to many health professionals.

"I've seen lots of them," Sam told me, ticking off all the psychiatrists, psychologists and counselors she has encountered over the years. "I can't count them on all my fingers and toes."

While she'd had some good experiences, Sam recalled with a mock shudder all the times therapists and health professionals had been less than understanding or sympathetic. "I just couldn't stand the way these people were looking at me," she recalled.

Her experiences are not unusual. According to sociologist Amy Chandler, many people who self-injure can tell stories of seeking medical help only to find the response "brutalizing, dismissive or abusive."

A kind of 'anti-suicide'

Society's journey to understanding self-injury has been painfully slow and highly resistant. Before the 1970s, it was generally viewed as a suicidal behavior, a kind of "practice run" or self-destructive icebreaker.

It wasn't until the late seventies when psychiatrists began to realize that, far from being suicidal, self-injury was in fact a kind of "anti-suicide"a survival strategy to manage a life of challenging thoughts and feelings, rather than an attempt to end it.

For many, self-injury can function as a highly adaptable coping mechanism: calming overwhelming thoughts, feelings and memories; bringing the dissociated back to reality; or providing self-punishment in answer to deep feelings of shame. While self-injury and suicide are statistically correlatedboth are products of a life in distressthey are not the same thing. Self-injury is to suicide what swimming for your life is to drowning.

But, even after the shift among psychiatrists in the late seventies, awareness of self-injury spread through both the world of medicine and the wider public at a glacial pace. It wasn't until the 1990s that self-injury pushed its way to the front of public consciousnessa push that began with Edwards' picture, and which included numerous other pop culture references and celebrity confessions. Most famously, Princess Diana told the BBC's Panorama program that she had cut herself with razor blades, a penknife and a lemon slicer, explaining:

"When no one listens to you, you have so much pain inside yourself that you try and hurt yourself on the outside because you want help."

In the decades since that interview, awareness of self-injury has grownbut so has its prevalence. A 2019 study found the number of people using self-injury in the UK increased steeply over the first two decades of the new century. Notably, prevalence rates for young women aged 1624 increased from an already worrying 6.5% in 2000 to a shocking 19.7% in 2014.

And there is good evidence to suggest that levels of self-injury increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Sweden, rates of adolescent self-injury jumped from 17.7% in 2014 to 27.6% in 2021. Self-injury appears to have become a meaningful 21st-century way for people to both experience and express their personal distress and sense of estrangement from life. But how did it get this meaning?

You can't argue with wounds

For Sam, self-injury is meaningful because it gives her a way to cut, literally and figuratively, to what's important, truthful and authentic. She told me that she struggles with "normal society," putting down her drink to emphasize the point:

"I just think we all should stop lying to each other  We need to get to the point of what's actually important in lifewhat's real."

She referred to her self-injury as making so many "big statements" about "how shit everything is." Statements that speak for her and represent what she's feeling, because such deep and powerful feelings "need to be shown." Yet Sam feels such statements cannot be made in words.

The American poet and activist Jerry Rubin once wrote that language "prevents communication." Even before the advent of social media, he was suggesting that "words have lost their impact, intimacy, ability to shock and make love." For Sam and many others, the body provides an alternative language of action and authenticity, and self-injury draws on this language to make powerful statements in blood and pain.

There is some truth to the stereotype of the average "self-harmer" as a female teenager. Certainly, they make up the majority of those who turn to this alternative mode of emotional expression and regulation. But there are also far more boys and men who self-injure, and far more people over 40, than most realize.

A few weeks after talking to Sam, I met George, a stockily built man in his mid-40s with a history of alcoholism, self-injury and attempted suicide. George was in Newcastle on business and I interviewed him in his hotel room, a collection of Sylvia Plath's poems resting on his bedside table. If self-injury has a patron saint, it's Plath. "She writes how I feel," George told me.

Unlike Fiona, he avoided eye contact throughout our conversation, staring at the floor as his story unfolded. He was raised in a physically abusive household by alcoholic parents. "It was a pretty horrendous childhood," he told me, "a lot of drinking and chaos  a lot of violence and shaming."

"Nobody listened to me when I was in pain as a child. The people who were supposed to listen to me were the ones who were causing the pain  so I was fucked basically, all I could do was repress it."

But as George grew up, he said this survival strategy "became the problem," leaving him disconnected from his feelings and locked behind a wall of numbed dissociation. For him, words alone proved incapable of piercing this wall, connecting with his trauma and bearing witness to his pain. But where language had been muted, his body spoke up:

"There is something for me, some sort of release in being able to see the pain made flesh. There just seems to be something about it that is a validation of the pain inside, as if the manifestation of it as a visual somehow makes it more real."

George, like almost all the people I have interviewed, knew his own story all too well, having been tormented by it all his life and repeated it dozens of times to doctors, therapists and support groups. Yet somehow, it remained painfully ambiguous and uncertainhe still needed someone to listen in the way his parents never did; to have his past and his pain acknowledged and affirmed as real. This is when self-injury becomes validation:

"It's like the mental pain or emotional pain isn't real, but physical pain is. You can't argue with wounds, they're there."

This really angry stranger

Sometimes, self-validation is enough for those who injure themselves. The wound testifies to this wounded person that their inner pain is real. But sometimes, the recognition of others is also needed.

I met Paula, a professional woman in her late-40s, at the house of a mutual friend so she could tell me about her daughter, Mary. Paula sat down in a large leather armchair while balancing a cup of tea and chatting away with breezy confidence. Smiling, she described a photograph taken the year Mary turned 14 on a cold January day. Mary looked the picture of innocence: a beaming young girl in "piggytails" stroking a horse.

But by that summer, Paula said, something had changed:

"It was like one moment I had this little girl and the next moment I had this stranger  this really angry stranger. Like, what happened in such a short space of time? It was almost like I grieved for her."

Paula said this challenging transformation had begun with problems at school, which Mary had wanted to share but felt unable to talk about to anyone. Her solution had been to cut a small scratch into her arm. "That was my first mistake," Paula said.

She explained that she had asked Mary to show her the cut, saw how superficial it seemed, then asked her: "Well, is that it?" Mary's response the following day was to cut deeper. Perhaps she felt had not been taken seriously, not been listened to, so now she raised her "voice."

"Well, I freaked," Paula admitted, rolling her eyes at the memory. "I said, 'What the hell are you doing? Why have you done that?' And then Mary got upset, and I got upset."

Mary had got her mother's attention, but not her understanding. She still felt unable to talk, so continued to communicate in other ways. This is another of self-injury's oddly ambivalent characteristics: nothing is more communicative than a refusal to communicate: closing down, locking yourself away, cutting instead of speaking.

Those who love and live with people who are self-injuring soon become hyper-sensitive to changes in the emotional atmosphere of their home. Ordinary objects take on new and threatening meanings. Everything becomes a potential warning, or potential threat. It is not that communication stopsrather, it continues by other means.

Mary shut herself away in her room; she decorated the walls with darkly themed anime posters and she left confessional notes and other things on the floor for her mother to find. Paula remembered with a grimace:

"I'd clear the bedroom and find the tissues with blood, and that used to bother me. It used to make me feel sick."

But Paula said she had learned from her earlier mistakes. Instead of rejecting these alternatives modes of communication, she embraced them. Over the following months, Paula and Mary relearned, from the ground up, how to communicate with each other. Paula learned to listen more attentively to her daughter, and to who her daughter was becoming. Mary learned to speak in ways other than the firmly shut bedroom door and bloodied tissues. Together, they renegotiated and renewed their relationship, and within a few months, Mary had stopped self-injuring.

Her self-injury seems to have functioned as what the psychologist Matthew Nock calls a "high-intensity social signal," aimed at cutting through the communicative noise of a household or other social setting. Where talking, yelling or crying has failed to attract the recognition someone needs, self-injury turns up the emotional volume. After all, as George told me: "You can't argue with wounds."

Mary's self-injury probably had roots in a number of challenges she was facing, including to do with her school friends. But these roots converged on the family home. Here, Mary's self-injury demanded that Paula change the way she related to her daughter. She wasn't that beaming little girl with piggytails anymore, and she needed Paula to understand that. By rupturing her mother's expectations of how she should be, Mary forced Paula to renegotiate their relationship.

Perhaps this is attention seeking in the literal sense. But as mental health activist Louise Pembroke has written:

"If I wanted 'attention' in an exhibitionist way, it would be much easier and pain-free to walk into the middle of the street and remove my clothes. I would not need to cut up my body. But if attention means being listened to and taken seriously, then along with the rest of the human race, I'm attention seeking."

Reflecting on her teenage self-injury, Sam concluded: "I feel it was a cry for help, and you could call it attention seeking. Well, I kind of did need attention."

Will they listen?

A colleague in the prison service told me a story about attending a self-injury awareness course. Announcing break time, the instructor had said, "I'm sure you all need a coffee or the toilet, but there's one thing you need to do first." He then emptied a box of razor blades on to the table in front of his students, and told them: "You need to cut yourself before I let you leave."

At this signal, two prison officers in full riot gear blocked the doorway, preventing escape. People looked at each other, wondering if their instructor was serious. He let the moment linger, then explained: "If I had been serious, then sooner or later you would have become so desperate to leave that you would have cut yourself."

His point was that, while it might be tempting to dismiss self-injury as "playing the system" (the prison service variant of attention seeking), if someone is willing to mutilate themselves to get something, then that underlying need is both very real and very strong. Which brings me back to Fiona.

I have been working on the issue of self-injury ever since I interviewed her in 2005first as a risk assessor for the prison service, then as a social researcher. I have come to appreciate how self-injury can be used in different ways by different peopleor even in different ways by the same person, from one act of self-inflicted harm to another.

But a point Fiona made to me in dramatic fashion has proven consistent in every one of the hundreds of cases I have since encountered: whatever else self-injury is doing, it is always saying something. Its meaning rests in its power to replace language: to express the otherwise inexpressible.

In some cases, this work of expression is entirely private, somewhat like a secret journal, with self-injury recording someone's deepest pains and dilemmas. But in other cases, it is more like a letter. Perhaps the letter is written but not sent, the act of writing having been enough to vent, bear witness and calm down. Sometimes, it is written and then accidentally discovered by others. And sometimes, it is written and intentionally delivered to the one who most needs to read it.

When self-injury becomes known to others, the primary question is: will they listen? It is always difficult to discover that someone you care for is harming themselves. But will their actions be met with understanding and recognitionor with angry dismissals, resentment, and accusations of attention seeking?

What's become clear to me is that, regardless of their reasons for self-injuring, those who harm themselves need help and support, not criticism. What everyone from Richey Edwards and Princess Diana to all my interviewees have tried to make clear is that there is nothing more important than being listened to and taken seriously. They want and need to be recognized as someone who matters. This is the foundation for every other intervention or treatment that might follow.

What my colleagues and I have realized over our many years researching this issue is that self-injury speaks. And when people speak through the body in this way, when they use their blood and pain as an alternative to words, we had better listen.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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This undated photo shows 6-month-old Nyla Brooke Haywood, a baby girl born Nov. 17, 2023, at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, Illinois. Nyla was born at just 22 weeks weighing 1 pound and 1 ounce, making her whats known as a micropreemie. She left Silver Cross Hospital on Monday weighing a healthy 10 pounds, and was taken home by her first-time parents, NaKeya and Cory Haywood of Joliet, Illinois. Credit: NaKeya Haywood via AP

A baby girl who weighed just over one pound when she was born prematurely in November has beaten the odds and gone home with her parents after spending her first six months at a suburban Chicago hospital.

Nyla Brooke Haywood was treated to a send-off party Monday at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, Illinois, attended by family, friends and hospital staffers before the 6-month-old was taken home by her first-time parents, NaKeya and Cory Haywood of Joliet.

Nyla was delivered on Nov. 17 at just 22 weeks after her mother, NaKeya, was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, a dangerous high-blood pressure condition. She weighed 1 pound and 1 ounce (482 grams) and was 11 inches (28 centimeters) long, making her what's known as a "micropreemie."

But she left the hospital Monday weighing a healthy 10 pounds (4.536 grams) and at 21 inches (53 centimeters) long after months of treatment and nurturing in its neonatal intensive care unit.

"I don't have the words, in all honestly. I'm just grateful that she's here, she's healthy, and she's doing amazing," NaKeya Haywood told WLS-TV on Monday.

She said she was scared about her child's early delivery. But Nyla "came out fighting," said Dr. Mario Sanchez, a neonatologist at Silver Cross Hospital, speaking with the station.

This undated photo shows mother NaKeya Haywood holding 6-month-old Nyla Brooke Haywood, a baby girl born Nov. 17, 2023, at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, Ill. Nyla was born at just 22 weeks weighing 1 pound and 1 ounce, making her whats known as a micropreemie. She left Silver Cross Hospital on Monday weighing a healthy 10 pounds, and was taken home by her first-time parents, NaKeya and Cory Haywood of Joliet, Ill. Credit: NaKeya Haywood via AP

"She cried at birth. It was a little whimper, but it was a cry. Her heart rate always remained over 100, which for us is where we wanted it to be. She came out fighting right off the bat," he said.

After her birth, Nyla's lungs were tiny and underdeveloped, but a team of up to 15 people focused on the tiny newborn during her first minutes and days. She has some residual scarring on her lungs and was sent home with oxygen. Nyla will require regular checkups to keep watch for any future complications, which sometimes arise with micropreemies.

Growing numbers of extremely premature infants are getting lifesaving treatment and surviving. A pivotal study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2022 looked at nearly 11,000 such births in a neonatal research network that is part of the National Institutes of Health.

It found that 30% of babies born at 22 weeks, 56% born at 23 weeks and 71% born at 24 weeks lived at least until they were healthy enough to be sent home if doctors tried to save them.

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